From: "Presidency, Financial Monitoring Authority" <

To:

Sent: 2019/5/28 (Tue) 1:22 AM

Subject: For Your Urgent Personal Attention

"Presidency, Financial Monitoring Authority" < unadminoffice@gmail.com 2019/5/28 (Tue) 1:22 AMFor Your Urgent Personal Attention

Dear Beneficiary,



This is to inform you that in the course of my investigation as the

Presidential Director of Financial Monitoring/Implementation Agency, I

came across your name as one of the unpaid fund beneficiary in the

record of the central bank of Nigeria and other banks that are

supposed to get your funds released to you. My committee was set up by

the payment reconciliation committee to verify and scrutinize all

outstanding debts owed to our foreign beneficiaries and find the most

convenient arrangement for release of the fund to the rightful

beneficiary.



From our further inquiry at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), we have

noted that the simple reason your payment is still not released

reveals the rot and corruption in the Nigeria payment system. The bank

officials informed us that the reason why you have not received your

payment is due to your inability to pay for the required charges for

transfer of funds to your account. When I asked them why they didn't

deduct the said charges from your principal sum and then transfer the

rest to you, I was given the flimsy excuse that under our existing

laws, that they are not permitted to do that without the beneficiary

obtaining an Affidavit of Authorization from the High Court legally

permitting them to do so. When I put the question across to them if

they ever advised you that such charges could be deducted from your

principal fund if only you can obtain the Affidavit of Authorization,

the answer I got was no. Now I asked them, if you do not tell this

beneficiary that by getting the Affidavit of Authorization, that such

charges could then be deducted from his or her principal fund, how

will he or she know that such options are available for such

beneficiary?



From my investigation I discovered that these bank officials

deliberately refused to inform you of that option, and to let the

charges be deducted from your principal fund because they want your

fund to remain trapped in the bank, while they continue to extort

money from you under some flimsy excuses. Therefore, I am providing

you the information now, that you do not need to pay any money to any

official, rather all you are required to do is swear to an Affidavit

of Authorization at the federal high court of Nigeria, authorizing the

bank to deduct all charges from your principal fund and transfer the

balance of funds after deduction to your bank account. If you are

willing to take advantage of this option, I will advise that you get



back to me immediately through ( presidency.fma@gmail.com ) and my office shall help you to contact the Court to provide you the details

that can enable you to obtain the Affidavit of Authorization. Once

obtained, your fund would be released straight on-no further fuss, no

further excuses and no further delay in release of the payment to you.



Please reach me only if you are prepared to take advantage of this

information by obtaining the Affidavit. It is the best anyone could

ever do for you.



Yours sincerely,



Alhassan Danjuma

Presidential Director,

Presidency, Financial Monitoring Authority (FMA) From: Financial Monitoring Authority <

Sent: 2019/5/28 (Tue) 5:26 AM

Subject: Re: Affidavit of Authorization

Financial Monitoring Authority < presidency.fma@gmail.com 2019/5/28 (Tue) 5:26 AMRe: Affidavit of Authorization

Dear Sir,

Reference your return mail received.

Actually, my earlier mail was not intended to force or push you into any arrangement that you don't wish for, rather the main intention was to make you aware that there is actually such opportunity (as Affidavit of Authorization) which is available for every beneficiary to obtain, and which if obtained, would then exempt you from paying any other fee to the cbn for the payment transfer to your account.

It is therefore not a surprise to me that you don't already have this kind of Affidavit because most of you does not know that such is in existence here (or rather is denied the option for purely selfish reasons of the officials) and that has been reason they never informed you. The implication on you has been the repeated fees you have been made to pay at every point. That is regrettable because by obtaining the Affidavit of Authorization, it statutorily empowers the Central Bank to deduct the necessary fees owed them from your fund and release the remainder within 24 hours, otherwise the court that issued the Affidavit of Authorization will hold them in contempt of the court.

By the way, the Affidavit of Authorization is no more than US$150, as my office findings have discovered. So you can at least agree with me that if indeed you had known of this option since, if indeed one of these officials has been humane enough to let you know about its existence, it would have been far easier for you to just pay the US$150 and obtain it than having to be making the several payments that these officials made you to be spending over the years, whereas you would have just obtained the Affidavit from the Court here and have the matter solved once and for all. It is a one-off payment that effectively seals any chance of the CBN ever asking you to payment even a cent more thereafter.

Anyway, it is now within your knowledge and I will expect you to revert back to me on whether you are taking it up or not. As I said above, the main essence of providing you the information is not to force you to accept it (if you don't wish to) but to put it to your knowledge that it exists here. Suffice however to say that should you accept to take it, I can confirm to you that the Affidavit shall be obtained from the court same day as the US$150 for the Affidavit Fee is paid to them and 24 hours thereafter, the CBN shall have your payment released without requesting a penny more from you.

In the mean time, should you wish to reach me on phone, I can be called on +234 8121 852 665.

Yours sincerely,

Alhassan Danjuma Presidential Director Financial Monitoring Authority

From: Financial Monitoring Authority < presidency.fma@gmail.com >

Sent: 2019/5/28 (Tue) 4:11 PM

Subject: Note that I am an employee



Dear Sir,

I am sorry for what you have to go through. I saw the same mess in your Payment File and which was reason I reached you, and to explain to you on what should have been done to save you from pain.

Unfortunately that was not done then and even now that I have offered it to you, it appears that you will lose the chance yet again. Sometimes, some of you are very difficult to try to help because instead of appreciating the truth when it is said and work on it, you came up with suggestions that discourage the same person that is trying to sincerely help. I am humane and believe me, if there is any other way to work it out for you, I will be more than happy to have done it for you.

Your request is impossible for me to achieve without you obtaining the Affidavit of Authorization. You may have to understand that the funds for your payment is not my personal funds which means that I can only handle it in line with what the owner of the money has put up as the standard guide to follow. I am a civil servant and I am working for someone else-the government. It is government that has the funds for your payment, which means that I cannot effect the release without following the dictates of the owner of the fund-which is the government. He who calls the "Piper Dictates the Tune" they say, which in this instance, the government who owns the funds to be used to settle you has set the clear guideline that a Beneficiary can chose to obtain the "Affidavit of Authorization" which then LEGALLY empower the cbn to deduct the requisite charges and then release the fund. This should be a win-win solution for you, hence appreciated.

Again, my advice for you would be to do every needful to squeeze yourself into this opportunity. It is a one-off payment and I can assure you again that once we have the affidavit, the cbn, under no circumstance, is going to ask you for a cent more. I want you to hold to this promise and to hold me wholly responsible there from.

But if you still cannot, I am sorry to submit that there is nothing more I can do for you under the circumstance. And as I said earlier, the main essence of providing you the information is not to force you to accept it (if you don't wish to) but to put it to your knowledge that it exists here. The decision to maximize it is in your hands.

Yours sincerely !

If you received a similar letter, please ignore it. Do not answer it. If you do, you will end up on more of the mailing lists used by the criminals behind this fraud. Read more....After going through something as life-altering as a car accident, the best thing you can get out of it is...Thank you for reading!

Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading.But I dont want to go among mad people," Alice remarked.

"Oh, you cant help that," said the Cat: "were all mad here. Im mad. Youre mad."

"How do you know Im mad?" said Alice.

"You must be," said the Cat, "or you wouldnt have come here.

 Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland





With freedom comes responsibility.

 Eleanor Roosevelt



One of the reasons Kirsten Gillibrand almost never gets beyond 1% in any national or early-state polling is because Democratic primary voters know her mostly as an opportunist who stabbed Al Franken in the bank to advance her own mediocre career. That factor isn't likely to matter much to TV viewers tonight who tune in to see her Dubuque Iowa town fall on Fox. Fox viewers were never Franken fans. And, in fact, many years ago-- when she was still a right-wing anti-immigrant/pro-NRA congresswoman from upstate New York-- Gillibrand was a frequent and popular Fox News guest, always willing to be the Democrat going on air to oppose Democratic initiatives and back conservative ones. But then she did a 180 in return for a Senate appointment she would never have won, and is now far more likely to be on with Rachel Maddow than with Sean Hannity. Chris Wallace hosts her town hall tonight. Will theFox fans like her-- or be turned off by her views on abortion? Unlike any of the other women in the race, she tends to come off as a bitter man hater. Even progressive men pick up on it and get turned off to her. Imagine if Fox viewers detect that in her tonight!

"I think it's a great opportunity for me," the me-me-me-me-me candidate told Fox. "I want to talk to voters where they are. I want to be able to go into every living room and make sure voters know who I am, why I feel the call to run, and why I believe I'm the best candidate to run this country and to bring this country back together again." It drives her crazy to see McKensey Pete, Marianne Williamson and Andrew Yang-- let alone a gaggle of mere congressmen-- pull ahead of her in the polls. On Friday, Tim Alberta did aMagazine cover story on her: Kirsten Gillibrand's Failure To Launch . Insiders all thought she would have been a top tier candidate and are scratching their heads today about why she hasn't made any headway among Democratic primary voters. Many people Fox News viewers will like her more. Alberta reported that she raised less money than any of the 6 senators running for the comination-- even less than a conservative nothing-burger like Michael Bennet. "Given her anemic polling since entering the race," he wrote, "Gillibrands feeble fundraising performance fanned skepticism about her viability to earn a nomination that Democrats believe will require close to $100 million in hard money raised. But at this point, Gillibrand isnt focused on winning the primary. Shes worried about surviving the next few months." She's near the bottom of the national averages. There are only half a dozen candidates who are averagingaccording to Real Clear Politics:

Everyone else running is polling better than Gillibrand, including John Delaney, Andrew Yang, Julian Castro, Amy Klobuchar, Marianne Williamson, Tim Ryan and Tulsi Gabbard. In the newest Monmouth poll of New Hampshire primary voters, she's polling less than 1%. She's spent more time in New Hampshire than in New York-- and she's wasted millions of dollars on TV advertising in the state. "Gillibrand," wrote Alberta, has failed to achieve liftoff as a presidential prospect. She has not broken 2 percent in a single national poll since officially declaring her candidacy in mid-March, and her 0.4 percent average in the RealClearPolitics aggregate of surveys places her behind the likes of Julian Castro, Tulsi Gabbard and even geeky long shot Andrew Yang."

In a conversation for Politicos Off Message podcast, the New York senator vacillated between insinuating that she is being treated differently because of her gender and arguing that Americans are ready for a female president.





Hillary won the election. She won the popular vote by 3 million votes, and you have to remember, she was definitely the most qualified candidate wed ever had running for president, Gillibrand says. And, but for Russia, but for Comey, but for misogyny, but for a lot of things, she would have won. So, I believe that of course this country is ready to elect a woman president, but they need to know what were running on and what were for, and why were running and why we think were the best candidate.





Yet Gillibrand has struggled to communicate this to voters. Things have gotten so grim for her that recently, a high-ranking campaign aide to Cory Booker-- Gillibrands opponent for the Democratic nomination-- tweeted that she had donated to the New York senators campaign and encouraged others to follow suit. This was done, the aide noted, to ensure that Gillibrands important perspective is on the debate stage. To other Democrats, this looked less like an act of short-term benevolence than one of long-term strategy: The historically large field will soon begin to be winnowed, and when it does, some of the surprising early exits will make for valuable endorsements. No name has surfaced in those conversations of late more frequently than Gillibrand.





How did it come to this? How did one of Americas best-financed senators come to rely on charity and presidential pan-handling, begging for a dollar at a time just to stay alive? How did one of Washingtons most recognizable women find herself buried in the polls beneath a number of less prominent men? And how does she breathe life into her campaign before its too late?





...Gillibrand claims, like all candidates do, that shes having the time of her life campaigning for the highest office in the land. And yet her cheerful demeanor cannot mask the annoyance she is feeling-- with the media, with the gender dynamics central to the race, and with the Democratic Party itself.





Gillibrand clearly doesnt think much of the DNCs rules governing the debates. Even before the national party announced the stricter criteria candidates would need to meet to qualify for the third and fourth debates this fall-- effectively putting an expiration date on more than half of the Democratic candidacies-- Gillibrand took issue with the emphasis on early polling to shape a process that has commenced far earlier that it once did.





The last couple of presidential candidates who were Democrats who won, or even are nominees, you had to look at where they were at this early stage. I think somebody looked up where Bill Clinton was at this stage. He had 1 percent in the polls and had 30 percent name recognition in Iowa. So, like, it takes time, Gillibrand said. And with 20 candidates, it might actually take longer  because for each one of us to have a chance to be heard its going to take time. I mean, even the debates alone, if we get more than five minutes each on that stage, thatll be surprising. So, youre really even not even going to have more than a few minutes to talk about what youre for and why youre running and what your views are for the country.





Gillibrand argues that both of the debate thresholds, polling and unique contributions, are related to name recognition. But she certainly is better known than the likes of Yang, or Williamson, or Gabbard, or Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, the latest 2020 candidate to double qualify by reaching both qualification milestones. Working the referees this early isnt a sign of strategic savvy; its a sign of desperation.





Asked about the pressure shes feeling, Gillibrand said its created because of the DNCs framework that theyve put the candidates under, which she suggests isnt the natural or normal role for a national party. Asked whether she disagrees with the DNCs rules, she replied, Im not sure. I dont know that theyre serving the public well.





Meanwhile, compounding Gillibrands frustration is her fraught relationship with the political issue that has defined her ascent: gender.





When I asked whether it was problematic to have so many white men-- Beto ORourke, Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, Pete Buttigieg-- soaking up the media spotlight, she replied, Yeah, I think its problematic. . We have amazing women candidates, amazing candidates of color, and hopefully through this process we will lift our voices up and be heard.





The look on her face when I mentioned ORourkes appearance on the cover of Vanity Fair was beyond description. Unusual, she finally mustered, biting her lip and her tongue at once, a litany of curse words no doubt suppressed underneath her smirk. Never seen it before.





And when I asked Gillibrand to name the worst part of running for president, she replied, I dont want to tell you. She added that its not an appropriate thing for me to say, then promised to tell me later, off the record.





After hearing the off-the-record answer, I pressed for a sanitized version, which she offered in the most measured of tones. The one thing thats annoying to me is how many times reporters ask you about our male colleagues. Who cares? Im running for president. I want to tell you what my vision is, why Im running, and why Im going to win, she said. I think reporters like yourself, who are super smart and super careful, will always ask me what I think about the male colleagues. Are you asking the male colleagues what they think about us? Probably not.





This is the hang-up of Gillibrands campaign. Never has the Democratic electorate been more exercised by issues of identity, and never has gender been more central to the national conversation-- politically, culturally, socioeconomically and otherwise. And yet Gillibrand, despite having very little to lose at this point, remains cautious in interviews and on the stump-- aiming for broad appeal instead of a niche brand, trying to draw in support from every cell of the party rather than cultivating a base and building out.





At every stop in New Hampshire, the senator was careful to modulate her answers and her tone in ways that would render her universally acceptable. She talks of how she dominated the blue boroughs of New York City-- but also how she carried the states red, rural counties. She believes Trump is a coward-- but she wants to calm the vitriolic nature of our politics. Gillibrand didnt shy away from a single proposal-- whether it was expanding the Supreme Court, increasing funding for indigenous groups or signing a breast cancer-related pledge-- that voters asked her about.





Yet when it came to addressing the gender bias she believes is inherent to politics-- a belief shared by many younger progressive women, a sizable chunk of the Democratic coalition-- Gillibrand held back. Had her off-the-record answer been published, it would have gone viral overnight, racking up hundreds of thousands of clicks and instantly erasing any concerns about her small-donor disparity. But Gillibrand chose to be careful. Having won in a red district, having persuaded older, whiter, Republican audiences to support her in the past, she believes she can do so again.





The problem for Gillibrand is, the polls and the fundraising numbers show that this cautious approach isn't getting her anywhere. The over-50 male demographic in Iowa and New Hampshire is likely to lean toward candidates such as Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, or perhaps even Elizabeth Warren, whose paeans to economic populism resonate with the dwindling remnant of blue-collar Democrats. The market Gillibrand was poised to corner-- after becoming Washingtons leading voice on womens rights issues and embracing the risk of calling for Al Frankens resignation from the Senate-- was that of the young, female voters who have mobilized the backlash to Donald Trumps presidency.





Instead, in an overflowing field with more than 20 candidates slicing and dicing the electorate every which way, Gillibrand seems to believe that she cant afford to alienate any one bloc of voters.





If the recent controversies surrounding new state-based abortion laws are any indication, its a tactical misreading of the race. Gillibrands forceful denunciations, on social media and cable news programs, earned her more free media coverage than anything else since the launch of her campaign. It was a reminder that she is more comfortable than any of the other Democrats in speaking to womens issues, having not only mastered the messaging but worked extensively on the policies regarding everything from pay equality to workplace discrimination.





In that instance, Gillibrand seized the opportunity to gain headlines and eyeballs-- and most likely, campaign donations-- by owning an issue of visceral importance to what should be her core base of supporters.





Still, she seems conscious of doing so infrequently, wary of being typecast as a single-issue candidate. In a vacuum, for a generic Democratic woman candidate hoping to defeat Trump in a November election, its not necessarily a bad idea to downplay the talk of glass ceilings. And yet, for a female Democratic candidate like Gillibrand, whose image is heavily colored by her fights for gender equality, winning the partys nominationand the right to challenge Trump-- might require a greater reliance on her identity.





This is the paradox of Gillibrands candidacy. She believes, as do many of her Democratic rivals, that voters want electability in a nominee-- someone who above all else will defeat Trump in 2020. And she does have a case to make in that regard: As a former upstate congresswoman, she does have a feel for the nonideological challenges facing rural and poor America. And at her core, layers beneath the questions about her political evolution, she is inherently relatable, someone who quotes Scripture as easily as she sips a beer or rocks a baby.





But Gillibrands emphasis on long-term electability may be coming at the expense of her short-term viability. She has chosen not to pursue with reckless abandon the demographic that should be her core constituency in the primary-- women-- believing it would limit her appeal to other portions of the electorate. And she has ignored suggestions that she change course and act with more urgency in this regard, telling me, I need to be patient, and know that its going to take time and hard work Your poll numbers are irrelevant today. What matters is where you are a year from now.





The problem facing Gillibrand is, poll numbers at this stage of a presidential primary have never been more relevant to the outcome-- and if she doesnt do something drastic to improve hers, she wont be around a year from now.Railway workers do maintenance work on rail tracks on Long Bien Bridge in Hanoi. Photo by AFP.

Hyundai Group is eyeing Vietnams transnational high-speed railway project, controversial for its feasibility and high costs.

The South Korean multinational conglomerate expressed its investment interest to the Ministry of Transport in a meeting this week.

For Vietnams North-South high-speed rail project, Hyundai can provide comprehensive solutions from planning, finance, construction, operation and maintenance, as well as technology transfer and training support, said the group's vice president Chung Jin-hae.

He also noted that to obtain capital for public-private-partnership (PPP) investments, government guarantees and minimum revenue guarantee policies (wherein government grants to a private partner a minimum level of revenues for a concession period) are important.

"The government should also play a proactive role in site clearance as well as maintaining investor-friendly policies."

Deputy Minister of Transport Le Dinh Tho informed the Hyundai executive that Vietnam is mobilizing many domestic and foreign resources to invest in the countrys transport infrastructure through many investment forms.

According to the latest draft of the project plan, construction on the high-speed rail route will start in 2024, a training academy will be established in 2026, test runs will start in 2028, and the official launch will be in 2030.

The construction will be in two phases, with two of the three sections of the route, from Hanoi to Vinh on the north-central coast and from Ho Chi Minh City to Nha Trang on the south-central coast being completed in the first phase in 2020-30.

The high-speed rail, which would run 1,559 kilometers (970 miles) between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, is expected to cost $58.71 billion.

However, experts at a forum last November expressed worry that Vietnam cant cope with the financial burden of the project. High project costs and slow returns on investment make it difficult to attract private investment, and since public debt is already very high, using state funds could break the proverbial bank, they said.

Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung in April said the State Appraisal Council should "carefully consider the necessity of the project, its benefit to the country in terms of economy, politics, culture, society, environment, security, and defense."

"The project is of large scale and would cost a lot and so should be carefully studied to make sure it will achieve general consensus," he was quoted as saying in a statement released by the Government Office.

Chung Jin-hae said Hyundai also wants to participate in the investment and construction of Vietnams North-South expressway project, which will run 654 kilometers of the 2,000-kilometer expressway, starting from Nam Dinh near Hanoi to Vinh Long Province to the southwest of Ho Chi Minh City.

Hyundai has constructed six high-speed rail routes in South Korea, nine underground metro lines, and three routes in countries outside South Korea.

Deputy Minister Tho asked Hyundai to share with Vietnam its experiences in the planning and implementation of PPP projects.

"The ministry will use the information and insights to formulate project investment solutions in line with international standards and as well as advise the government to improve its policies and institutions related to PPP projects," he said.

Government guarantees are among the 10 points the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) listed in a document it recently sent to relevant ministries and agencies to collect opinions for its PPP bill.

It said the absence of guarantees related to minimum returns and foreign exchange risks have kept investors away from large projects like the Dau Giay  Phan Thiet and Tan Van-Nhon Trach road projects.

Under the MPI bill, projects considered for minimum revenue guarantees will be those that need National Assembly and prime ministerial approval. The guarantees will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

For projects entitled to guarantees, for the first five years the guaranteed minimum revenue will equal 75 percent of revenue estimated in the contract. It will come down to 65 percent for the following five years.

However, if the revenue exceeds 125 percent of the estimated revenue in the first five years of operation and 135 percent in the following five years, the investor must hand over the excess portion to the government.

It envisages fixing a cap on exchange rate fluctuations for a certain period of time, for instance five years, and the government compensating the investor if the actual rate exceeds it. The bill also proposes a government guarantee to meet 30-50 percent of investors foreign currency requirements.

The PPP draft law is expected to be submitted to the legislative body for debate during its ongoing working session this month and be approved in the following session in October.Streets are flooded in Ho Chi Minh City's District 2 after a heavy rain on May 7, 2019. Photo by VnExpress/Huu Khoa.

Major projects meant to stop Ho Chi Minh Citys chronic flooding have fallen behind schedule because of delays in land acquisition.

Nguyen Van Truc, director of the city Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, tasked with appraising the projects, said all are stuck at the stage of acquiring land.

They include projects to deal with floods caused by high tide and an embankment on the Saigon River in District 2.

In all cases, investors have had to start work in areas where they have already got clear land or the parts that are under water, leaving the areas that are still not cleared for later.

"Delay in land acquisition has largely affected the construction process," Truc said.

The Saigon River embankment project had planned to acquire the entire land required by March 2017, but has yet to do so.

Truc said that if District 2 authorities failed to transfer further land by June 30, construction will have to stall.

This year the city plans to spend VND8 trillion ($345 million) on 218 projects to combat flooding in six locations in downtown areas and parts of the outskirts.

The projects require 550 square kilometers (212 square miles) that are currently home to 6.5 million people.

They include upgrades to drainage systems, building ponds and fixing flood-prone streets in Districts 1, 7, Tan Phu, Tan Binh, Thu Duc, and Go Vap.

The city will use its own funds and solicit investment through public private partnerships for the projects.

For years scenes of people wading through or getting stuck on flooded streets in their motorbikes or cars during high tides or heavy rains have been common in HCMC.

Laurent Umans, first secretary, water and climate change, at the Dutch embassy in Hanoi, said at a meeting last August that it was possible a major part of the city would lie below sea level in 50 years time, turning it into a swamp.Human brains are not good at thinking about the future, so asking people to aim for long-term goals won't work. Immediate reward-penalty mechanisms are key to convince them.

Duc Hoang, journalist

I have been living in Hanoi for more than a decade and have to admit that I have got used to the service (or the lack of it) provided by many famous restaurants here.

It is a common experience in such places that customers are scolded by the staff or receive chilly greetings from the owners. I have been to such restaurants in the Old Quarter, one of the top tourist destinations in the capital city, more than a few times. I choose to ignore their irritating attitude and try to finish the food with patience. It is not something I am proud of.

There was one instance when I wanted to break my rule of not creating a fuss.

I saw a group of South Korean customers standing in front of a stall that serves pho. It looked as though they were trying to figure out whether the Vietnamese rice noodle soup was served with pork or chicken.

At this pho place, there is no menu and no staff steps out to help customers. For decades, customers have had to keep in mind that they have to stay in line and place their orders.

The South Koreans stood there for about 10 minutes. They tried to communicate with the staff behind the stall, but got no response.

The staff, standing around half a meter away from the South Korean group, did not show any intention to help the foreign guests. They ignored the visitors and kept talking to each other. Helping customers  foreigners or locals, young or old  has never been on their to-do list. Losing one customer means nothing to this restaurant. It would still be crowded anyway. This seems to be their business philosophy.

I waited to see what would happen between the staff and the South Korean visitors. Feeling awkward, the South Koreans left. And I sat there, livid with anger, regret and shame because I had visited the place and paid money for that kind of service.

What I experienced that day makes me wonder: How can we make the people that offer such service think about long-term benefits?

The long-term benefits of Vietnams tourism are being undermined by facilities, including restaurants, that provide bad service. This is unarguable. But they are focused on immediate, short-term benefits and pay no heed to the long-term impacts.

If I were the owner of a bequeathed restaurant in the Old Quarter and earned tens of thousands of dollar each month, I would have the right to do anything I want and behave just the way I want to and if I were a waiter or waitress earning several hundred dollars a month, I am not going to be thinking about Vietnam in 2030.

People eat noodles soup at an eatery in Hanoi's Old Quarter. Photo by VnExpress/Phong Vinh.

While such behavior and outlook is easily criticized, we have to go beyond criticism to understand whats happening.

There is something biological, it is said, about people rarely thinking about the future. Western scientists have carried out hundreds of brain scans and reportedly found that "the future" is a real problem for the human brain. When you think about your own future, your brain starts to act as if it is thinking about... another person and your medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) becomes less active.

When instant gratification is what every business seeks to provide consumers, it is easy to make a person think about short-term benefits, but much more difficult to do the same thing with long-term gains.

On the surface, there seems to be a lot of focus on "long-term benefits." In social media discussions, statements made by dignitaries, and in resolutions and directions from policy makers, long-term benefits are touted constantly.

But none of this will work, unless we can make long-term gains have immediate impacts, including reward-penalty mechanisms. This is key to convincing people.

For example, I have heard that tourism staff in Thailand will be questioned by the police if they do not smile at visitors, that a Singaporean resident will be fined heavily for littering on the streets, that a German resident will gets an euro for taking four plastic bottles back to the vending machine.

This is not to argue that people in those countries have higher awareness of long-term benefits compared to Vietnamese, but to show that they have legislative and other systems that are converting long-term benefits into short-term benefits.

Legislators in those countries have made efforts to convert abstract concepts like future of a nation and the fate of a planet into imminent impacts that individuals can see and understand.

This effort should be replicated at all levels, from policymakers to community to businesses and individuals.

As a business owner, you cannot just talk your employees about ideals. You have to decide when to give them a bonus, when to honor them and when to discipline, so that they will have short-term engines to achieve long-term targets.

If this happens, maybe one day I can exercise my right to question the service provided by restaurants like the one mentioned earlier, give them a piece of my mind, and tell them, it's official.

*Duc Hoang is a journalist living in Hanoi. The opinions expressed are his own.Three bears in Nghe An Province have been released from illegal captivity and moved to a rescue center.

The Education for Nature - Vietnam (ENV), Vietnams first non-governmental organization focused on the conservation of nature and the protection of the environment, saved three bears from their cages in a house in Nghe Ans Quynh Luu District on Thursday.

The bears have been sent to the Ninh Binh Bear Rescue Center run by Four Paws, an international animal welfare organization, near Hanoi.

ENV discovered the case in March thanks to stories from people in the neighborhood. The organization then contacted local authorities, who found that the three bears were being raised in cages without legal registration. Officials then decided to give some time for the family to give up the animals on their own.

Yet when the team from ENV and local rangers arrived to take the bears this week, they still encountered "fierce opposition," the organization said in a report on its website.

"These violations are very serious and a major challenge for the local authorities. The authorities need to strictly enforce the law in all cases to ensure strictness and the sense of deterrence, prevent crimes as well as promote the termination of illegal bear confinement in Vietnam," said Bui Thi Ha, ENV deputy director.

A photo by Education for Nature-Vietnam shows one of the three bears it has rescued from captivity in Nghe An Province.

Nghe An, which shares a border with Laos, has been infamous as a leading locality for capturing bears and extracting their bile.

The province is also a hub for smuggling of wildlife products, including ivory, rhino horns, tiger parts and pangolin scales, according to ENV.

It estimates that Vietnam has 700 captive bears. Most of the owners claim that they are keeping the bears because they "adore" them and want to "preserve" them. In Vietnam, if the bears are registered with the authorities, people are allowed to keep them. But it has been found that bears are actually raised to extract their bile.

The Forest Protection Department said the number of bears in the wild in Vietnam has dropped to just a few hundred individuals.

Vietnam is home to both the moon bear, also known as the Asian black bear, and the sun bear, both listed as vulnerable species by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

The extraction of bile from living bears is illegal in parts of Southeast Asia, including Vietnam, where it has for long been used as a remedy in traditional Chinese medicine.

Vietnam banned commercial bear bile extraction in 2005, but more than a decade later, it remains a problem as farmers who owned bears prior to the ban are still allowed to keep them.The first international flight landed at Van Don International Airport in Quang Ninh Province this week, putting Vietnams first private airport on the international map.

It was a Donghai Airlines charter flight from Shenzhen City in China.

The airport held a ceremony with a memorable water salute to mark the new twice-weekly service. It was attended by Dang Huy Hau, Deputy Chairman of Quang Ninh Peoples Committee and representatives of airlines flying to the airport.

Quang Ninh, 150 km northeast of Hanoi, is home to Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO natural heritage site.

The charter flight, conducted by Donghai Airlines arrived in Van Don airport at 1:30 am on May 27.

Pham Ngoc Sau, director of the airport, pledged all assistance to Donghai Airlines and to carry out promotional activities related to Van Don and Ha Long in Shenzhen and the wider Chinese market.

The launch of the Van Don-Shenzhen service is a first step in the airports strategy of going global, beginning with Asias most populous markets like mainland China, Taiwan, Thailand, South Korea, and Japan.

In June there will be new international services such as Van Don-Taiwan (Bamboo Airways) and Van Don-Incheon, South Korea (Vietnam Airlines). In China, there will be flights to Hainan, Nanning and Guangzhou.

"Later this year we will receive flights from Japan and Bangkok, while our domestic network will continue to expand with flights to Da Nang and Phu Quoc Island," Sau said.

Van Don Airport welcomes its first international flights passengers with a ceremony.

In the five months since it opened, Van Don International Airport, invested by the Sun Group, has been hailed for its infrastructure and service quality.

It was the only Vietnamese airport to find a spot in the top five airports in terms of service quality in Vietnam Airlines Airport Performance Measurement Programme for the first quarter of 2019.

* The first international flight landed at Van Don International AirportDefense Minister Ngo Xuan Lich at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on June 2, 2019. Photo by AFP/Roslan Rahman.

Minister of National Defense Ngo Xuan Lich urged countries to maintain cooperation and peace in dealing with territorial conflicts on Sunday.

Lich addressed the Asian premier defense dialogue Shangri-La by pointing to high risks of conflicts in the South China Sea, which he calls an area that hosts all kinds of competition from economy to military and diplomacy.

He called for countries to follow international laws, take responsibility and maintain goodwill to make the waters "a peaceful sea of development and cooperation."

He said he and Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe had agreed a few days ago in Hanoi that Vietnam and China had differences on the issue of the waterway, but maintaining peace and cooperation is in the common interests of both countries and the region.

"I believe that China is always aware of their great role in the region, Lich said, adding that China is initiating the "Community of common destiny" concept to cooperate with Vietnam and other countries in the region to solve disputes and prevent conflicts.

"By doing so, China and Vietnam can contribute a good model to solving conflicts."

Vietnam and other countries are involved in sovereignty disputes in certain areas of the South China Sea, which it calls the East Sea. Vietnam has consistently asserted that it has solid legal basis and historical evidence in accordance with international law to prove its sovereignty over the Paracel and Spratly Islands.

The three-day Shangri-La Dialogue wrapped up in Singapore on Sunday after 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.

China and the U.S. clashed over the summit as each accused the other of destabilizing the region and potentially the world.

China's Wei spoke on Sunday as he warned the U.S. not to meddle in security disputes over Taiwan and the South China Sea.

That came after acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan told the meeting on Saturday that the U.S. would no longer "tiptoe" around Chinese behavior in Asia.The month-long Da Nang fireworks festival opened on Saturday night with performances by Vietnam and Russia.

The Vietnamese team lights up the Han River in the central city to kick off the 2019 Da Nang International Fireworks Festival (DIFF). This is the 10th edition of the annual festival.

DIFF 2019, with the theme "Stories by Rivers," will feature eight countries, the others being Italy, Brazil, China, Britain, Belgium, and Finland. Vietnam's performance, titled "Legends of the Two Banks," told the story of Da Nangs efforts to develop and integrate.

In its 20-minute performance, Vietnam used 4,000 fireworks with various effects and matching music.

They included shell fireworks, Roman candle fireworks, comets, bombette.

The wind was not strong enough to blow the smoke out of the way, affecting the view from the main stands for spectators.

The Russian team came right after Vietnam with a mix of high- and low-altitude fireworks.

This is the second time Russia is participating in the festival. It has brought 3,000 fireworks of various types.

The theme of Russia's performance was "The Dance of Fire and Water" and narrated the story of these two strong elements that are the root of life.

The Russian performance too was affected by the smoke and also cloudy weather.

The smoke billowed into the stands where thousands of people were seated.

The festival will go on for five weeks. The finale will take place on July 6 with a matchup between the best two teams after four elimination rounds.

Brazil and Belgium will go next on June 8 while the contest between three-time champions Italy and Finland will be on June 15. Britain and China will compete on June 22.Measures are under way in Tehran to tighten security and air defenses ahead of a major gathering on the anniversary of Ayatollah Rouhollah Khomeini's death on June 4; an event usually highlighted by a speech by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Air defense missile systems have been prepared to confront any possible threats, Mohammad Reza Yazdi, the commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) in Tehran said on Saturday June 1.

Yazdi claimed some old American missile systems purchased before the 1979 Islamic Revolution and used them during the war with Iraq in the 1980s, have also been deployed.

These missiles were most recently tested in Iran near the nuclear reactor in Arak almost a decade ago in 2010, Fars news agency quoted Khatam ol-Anbia Air Defense Headquarters' commander Abolfazl Farmihani as saying.

The IRGC commander of greater Tehran has not said why anti-aircraft batteries will be on alert on Khomeini's death anniversary, but some officials including Mohammad Sarafraz, the former chief of Iran's state TV who is close to Khamenei's office had speculated in early May that Iran might come under military attack by the end of the Ramdan, which is a few days away.

Meanwhile, Yazdi on Saturday spoke about the threat from small flying objects, probably meaning drones, adding that preparations have been made to counter possible threats.

He said he did not have reports about the activity of such flying objects, "but we are planning to show our capability," he added.

Meanwhile, a restructuring of the IRGC during the past month led to major changes in the structure of the Iranian armys and IRGC's air defense forces. The changes are reportedly so fundamental that some military analysts were misled to believe that that the newly reinforced Air Defense Force of the army could be Iranian armed force's fourth pillar next to the ground force, naval force and air force.

The occasion of Khomeinis anniversary, provides an opportunity for the new force, within the army and the IRGC, to showcase its capabilities.

Another security concern is the possibility of terrorist attacks like the June 2017 ISIS attack on the Iranian Parliament and Khomeini's tomb, and the September 2018 attack on an IRGC parade in Ahvaz. Tens of people including military personnel were killed and wounded in those attacks.

In 2016 anti-aircraft units in Tehran fired at privately-owned quad-copters and heli-shot cameras flying over Tehran and subsequently the government banned the flying of such devices over the capital for security reasons.

However, in January 2017, anti-aircraft guns fired to down filming devices on quadcopters above the 'No-Flight" zone in Tehran, but none were hit. The No-Flight Zone is reportedly an area in downtown Tehran where Khamenei's house, the cabinet office, the Expediency Discernment Council and some other organizations are located.

This is the same areas where the Senate and the Marble Palace were located before 1979. The same building are now being used by revolutionary institutions.

The Tehran IRGC commander Warned "those who might be planning to disrupt order and security in this year's gathering on June 13 - 15 not to waste their time, as security forces will confront them seriously."

However, the IRGC commander did not explain further on the nature of the perceived threat.Yahya Rahim Safavi, a top military adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has threatened that U.S. military personnel and warships in the region are within the range of Iranian missiles.

The threat from Iran came as the U.S. Air Force announced on Sunday June 2 that a B-52 bomber and USS Abraham Lincoln dispatched to the region following Iran's new threats have started exercises in the Arabian Sea.

At the same time, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says Washington is prepared to hold talks with Iran "without any preconditions." Iran's foreign ministry spokesman immediately responded, saying what counts for Iran is U.S. actions, not "a play on words"..

Hours later, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in an address to a gathering in Tehran said the U.S. is the party that has left the nuclear agreement and in order to negotiate, its should "return to the normal state of affairs". Otherwise, he reiterated, "we no option but to stand firm and resist".

Rahim Safavi, a former commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), who is currently Khamenei's top military adviser, told IRGC-linked Fars news agency on Sunday that "The United States has more than 25 military bases in the region where over 20,000 U.S. military personnel are based."

Rahim Safavi added that "U.S. officials are aware that their military personnel and the U.S. and other foreign fleets in the Persian Gulf are within the range of IRGC's shore to sea missiles."

Khamenei's adviser claimed that "The first bullet fired in the Persian Gulf will raise the price of oil to over $100 per barrel in the world market.

He added that "the U.S. President will not start any war if it is not in his interest from an economic point of view," adding that the United States has started its withdrawal two weeks ago. Rahim Safavi did not further elaborate on what he meant by U.S. withdrawal.

The United States, Europe and Arab countries have always criticized Iran for its ballistic missile program. The United States deployed more military equipment and personnel to the region in May in reaction to Iran's new threats.

The United States and Saudi Arabia have charged that Iran was involved in attacks to shipping off the United Arab Emirates in the Sea of Oman and implicated Tehran in the Iran-backed Houthi rebels' drone attacks on Saudi oil establishments.

In the meantime, a statement issued by U.S. Air Force broke the news about exercises by a B-52 bomber and USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea following the new Iranian threats.

Super Hornet F/A-18, Sea Hawk MH-60 helicopters and EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft also did take part in the exercise on Saturday.

According to the statement by U.S. Air Force, USS Abraham Lincoln in this exercise simulated assault operations.

The United States has deployed USS Abraham Lincoln, several B-52 bombers and 1500 additional troops to the Middle East.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told a press conference in Switzerland on Sunday that the United States is ready to hold talks with Iran "with no pre-conditions."

Pompeo said, "We are prepared to engage in a conversation with no preconditions," adding however, that "We are ready to sit down with them, but the American effort to fundamentally reverse the malign activity of this Islamic Republic, this revolutionary force, is going to continue."

Pompeo reiterated that although Washington is ready for talks with Iran in order to ease tensions, it will continue its policy of maximum pressure on Tehran in order to change its behavior.

Iranian officials, including president Rouhani have repeatedly said that if Washington wants talks it should stop its policy of pressuring Iran.

U.S. sanctions have dramatically affected Iran's economy following the U.S. pull-out from the nuclear deal with Iran, leading to sharp evaluation of the Iranian currency and a near-halt in the country's oil export and international banking.Irans water management authority says that after a season of heavy rains and weeks of flooding, 82 percent of the countrys dam capacity is full.

Iran was suffering from dangerous drought for nearly a decade and some cities were facing water shortages as recently as last summer. But the winter and spring of 2018-2019 had a different story to tell. After good precipitation in fall and winter, heavy rains began in March and lasted into April, flooding vast parts of the county and even endangering some of its biggest dams.

According to a report released by Iran Water resources Management Company, in this season 55 billion cubic meters of water has been released from dozens of dams, while in the previous season this number reached just 17 billion. The total capacity of operational dams is around 50 billion cubic meters or more than 13 billion US gallons.

Currently, dams are holding 41 billion cubic meters of water or 10.8 billion gallons. During the previous season there was just under 27 billion cubic meters. It means this year Iran has 53 percent more water behind its dams.

But all this came at a cost. Nearly 100 people lost their lives in floods and the country suffered $10 billion of damages in March and April. Although the government has promised compensation, it is almost impossible to help people rebuild, with oil and other exports drastically reduced by U.S. economic sanctions.

After four decades in power, the Islamic Republic heavily depends on oil income to finance its operations, as an inefficient economic system, huge subsidies for essential good and unproductive institutions; made worse by corruption and sanctions have led to a spiral of dependency on oil exports.The police chief in Western Iranian city of Sanandaj has claimed three people have been arrested for planning a terrorist act during the street rallies on the occasion of Qods Day, or Jerusalem day, an important annual show of solidarity with Palestinians organized by the state.

Ali Azadi announced Friday May 31 that the accused were arrested before they could carry out any action and three assault rifles, 13 magazines and 390 rounds of ammunition were captured.

Azadi did not provide any information about the suspects' identity or affiliation. He only said they belonged to an anti-revolutionary group.

The Islamic Republic labels armed Kurdish dissident and separatist groups as anti-revolutionary. Sanandaj is in Irans Kurdistan province, where Kurdish armed groups operate, often crossing into Iran from safe heavens in neighboring Iraq.

Iran also labels the Islamic State group as anti-revolutionary and in the past security forces have claimed IS militants have crossed into Iran for attacks.

The Islamic Republic routinely claims it has foiled terror attacks and arrested suspects but it rarely reveals their identity or reports about any trials.

Last September an armed group opened fire on a military parade in Ahvaz, southwestern Iran and killed two dozen people. Both Arab separatists and the IS claimed responsibility.Days after Tehrans former mayor turned himself in to police and said that he had shot his wife dead, his colleagues in the reformist camp appear to be spinning the story into one about her alleged connections with the feared Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

The IRGC is aligned with the conservative wing of Iranian politics and its intelligence unit operates freely.

Mitra Ostad was shot accidentally, it is claimed, when she made a lunge to grab the gun her husband Mohammad Ali Najafi was holding as he followed her into the bathroom of their apartment in Tehran. Out of five shots fired, one is believed to have hit Ostads chest and another, her arm.

Reformists are accused of arguing that Ostad had been hired by the IRGC to lure Najafi into marriage and keep him under her direct control, lest he reveal shocking information about widespread financial corruption in the municipality of Tehran.

Najafi presented himself to police on May 28, hours after Ostads body was found  footage of his cordial reception, with tea, and no sign of handcuffs, made headlines around the world and shocked Iranians when it was broadcast by state TV.

Javad Emam, a high-profile reformist, has claimed that the 68-year-old had been lured him into marriage by Ostad, who was 35, to keep him under control.

Ostad was the second of Najafis two wives. Polygamy is legal in Iran but highly frowned upon  as the couple found when news of their marriage emerged last year.

Emam appears to have picked up on comments Najafi made last Tuesday on state TV  the broadcast of which at the preliminary stage of an investigation was itself unusual.

Najafi said: A [state] institution used to monitor my phone calls, and relay the collected information to my [second] wife,. He added: I filed a complaint.

Reformists appear to be hinting that Najafi has fallen victim to a well-planned plot by the Revolutionary Guard Corps.

While in charge of running Tehran municipality, Najafi had threatened to reveal a series of financial irregularities during his predecessor, IRGC brigadier-general, Mohammad Baqer Qalibafs term as the mayor, that pointed to corruption.

However, the threat never materialized and Najafi abruptly resigned.

Later, it was revealed that the mayor had secretly married Ostad, a former actress.

Pictures circulated on social media showing Najafi with his new wife in affectionate poses  a shocking development in conservative Iran.

A reformist, Behrooz Shojaei, published the screenshot of his phone messaging texts with Najafi, days after it was said that the former minister was alleged to have tried to kill himself.

Najafi maintained that they had plotted to poison him.

Apparent reformist efforts to spin the story, however, show no signs of having changed the widespread suspicion that Ostad was murdered.

The spokesman of the Islamic Judiciary, Gholam Hossein Esmaeili announced on Friday, May 31, that there was no evidence connecting the killing of Mitra Ostad with the IRGC intelligence.

Speaking to the state-run Iran Labor News Agency, Esmaeili said that the justice department is currently looking into the circumstances of the killing and will look into further issues later.

News agency Irna reported on Friday that the reconstruction of the accident was under way in the apartment in Armita Tower, in the affluent area of Saadat Abad in Tehran, where Ostad was killed.Security forces detained and later released a British and Dutch diplomat at a mixed-gender party in the Iranian capital city, Tehran.

According to Islamic Republic laws, men and women who are not relatives cannot mix in a party. In large non-family parties or receptions men and women have to be in separate rooms or areas.

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC)-run Tasnim news agency reported, "The two were arrested on Friday, but released early Saturday morning after security forces discovered their identity in custody."

The party was held in one of the posh areas of the city, Velenjak, Tasnim says without further elaboration.

The Islamic Republic judicial department has not yet reacted to the news, and the identity of the two diplomats has not been revealed.

Arresting foreign diplomats in Iran is not unprecedented.

The Japanese Embassy in Tehran said on Sunday, August 21, 2016, that Ambassador Hiroyasu Kobayashi was briefly detained and questioned in a raid on a similar party by security forces, and that a protest had been lodged with the Iranian Foreign Ministry.

The incident happened when Kobayashi and his wife attended a dinner hosted by a local acquaintance. In total dozens of people, including other foreign diplomats, attended the event at which alcohol was served.

Alcohol consumption is also banned by Muslims in the clergy-dominated Iran, although drinking alcohol is widespread.

Midway through the dinner, security authorities stormed the party and prevented the hosts and their guests from leaving the venue as well as using their cell phones.

At that time, Kobayashi was not carrying a photo identification card known as a "diplomatic card" issued by the Iranian Foreign Ministry. He instead showed off his business card, which was ignored, and was questioned.Baku, Azerbaijan, June 2

Trend:

Over the past 24 hours, Armenian armed forces have violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops 25 times, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said on June 2, 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, June 2

Trend:

Armenia should take results-oriented steps in the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in line with the demands of the international community, Trend reports referring to the commentary of the Press Service Department of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry.

The reason for the Armenian Foreign Ministrys such emotional and at the same time so controversial statement on the latest situation at the line of contact of the armed forces of Armenia and Azerbaijan is understandable, the Azerbaijani foreign ministry said. Most probably its within the line of Armenian authorities reaction to the current domestic situation in the country.

However, we are reminding that Armenia gave consent to the next meeting at the level of the ministers of foreign affairs, the Azerbaijani foreign ministry said. At the same time, the realities on the ground are still the same; the armed forces of Armenia must be withdrawn from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. There is no other option for the further development of the region never mind who will lead Armenia in the upcoming future.

Armenia should acknowledge that the only cause of human losses, disasters and mutual discord is Armenia's aggressive policy, the occupation of the Azerbaijani territories and the policy of ethnic cleansing of local Azerbaijanis living in these territories, the Azerbaijani foreign ministry added. Armenia should not waste time searching for any other fraudulent reasons and should take results-oriented steps in the settlement of the conflict in line with the demands of the international community.

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.Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, June 2

By Huseyn Hasanov  Trend:

A shop with Turkmen carpets, rugs, national souvenirs and textiles is planned to open in Dubai (UAE) in June, Trend reports referring to the Turkmen Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs.

The shop to be designed in the national style will be located in the Dubai Marina shopping center on an 84-square-meter-area.

The shop is being provided with goods.

Along with retail sale, entrepreneurs intend to organize wholesale trade in a wide range of the Turkmen goods, as well as to use internet for this purpose.

The Turkmen carpets are one of the country's famous brands, widely known outside the country. One of the main advantages of the carpet is its high density, which ranges from 200,000 to 400,000 knots in one square meter or more. Due to its high density, the carpet ornament is clear and expressive.Baku, Azerbaijan, June 2

By Leman Zeynalova  Trend:

The Asian Development Bank aims to contribute to increased exports in Turkmenistan, ADB Country Director in Turkmenistan, Ahmet Cevdet Denizer told Trend.

"ADBs strategic focus remains on diversification of the export markets for the countrys vast energy resources while at the same time assisting the country in diversifying its economic base through transport infrastructure investments to improve market connectivity, and supporting private sector development, including small- and medium-sized enterprises. The latter effort is realised through a number of projects ranging from trunk railway modernization to SME finance. The aim is to contribute to increased exports by (i) transport services via reliable outbound infrastructure [neatly] fitting [in] East-West and North-South corridors, and (ii) manufactured products through greater access to finance for private sector agents engaging in higher value-added activities," he noted.

Denizer believes that the emphasis on exports will support stability and growth in Turkmenistan. "The earning or saving of foreign exchange will naturally help alleviate foreign currency constraints that are typical in small open economies."

He went on to add that in 20112018, ADB approved $625 million in total sovereign loans to Turkmenistan, which was fully committed by the government. "Since the start of operations in the country, cumulative disbursements to Turkmenistan for lending and grants financed by ordinary capital resources and special funds have amounted to $116.3 million."

ADB began working with Turkmenistan in 2000, and has since been helping to diversify the countrys export markets and increase its regional connectivity. Given Turkmenistans vast energy resources and strategic location, ADB operations focus on enhancing the countrys transport and energy sectors, with infrastructure projects fostering regional cooperation. ADB has also provided expert advice to facilitate the long-term export of power to Afghanistan.

In November 2018, ADB approved the country operations business plan, 20192021 for Turkmenistan. The committed lending program amounts to $150 million, with another $690 million for prospective projects to develop Turkmenistans transport and transit potential, promote the exporting of energy, and advance private sector operations.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_ZeynBaku, Azerbaijan, June 2

By Elnur Baghishov  Trend:

The revenues worth 2.5 million euros were obtained as a result of export of Damascus rose buds from Bardisr county of Irans south-eastern Kerman province last Iranian year (started on March 21, 2018), governor of Bardisr county of Kerman province Majid Najafpur said.

Damascus rose buds were exported to the Persian Gulf countries and European countries, Najafpur added, Trend reports referring to IRNA News Agency.

He added that 20 percent of the Damascus rose buds will be harvested this Iranian year (started on March 21, 2019).

Najafpur said that 2.5 tons of Damascus roses were harvested from a 3,500-hectare-land in Bardisr county.

This Iranian year, 7,000 tons of Damascus roses will be harvested, he said.

More than 30,000 people live in Bardisr county of Kerman province.* "Most Popular Intellectual Property Law Blawg" of all time according to Justia rankings , December 2021.

* "Most Popular Copyright Blawg" of all time according to Justia rankings , December 2021.

* PermaKat Eleonora Rosati listed as one of the World Intellectual Property Review's "Influential Women in IP" of 2020.

* PermaKat Eleonora Rosati listed as one of the Managing Intellectual Property magazine's "Fifty Most Influential People" of 2018.

* IPKat founder and Blogmeister Emeritus Jeremy Phillips listed as one of the Managing Intellectual Property magazine's "Fifty Most Influential People" of 2005, 2011, 2013, and 2014.

* Recommended by the European Patent Office as reading material for candidates for the European Qualifying Examinations, 2013.

* Listed as "Top Legal Blog" in The Times Online, March 2011.

2010 ABA Journal 100. * One of the only two non-US blogs listed in the Blawg100.

* Court Reporter Top Copyright Blog award winner, November 2010.

* Number 1 in the 2010 Top Copyright Blog list compiled by the Copyright Litigation Blog, July 2010.

* Selected by the United States Library of Congress for inclusion in its historic collections of Internet materials related to Legal Blawgs as of 2010.

* Top Patent Blog poll 2009: 3rd out of 50 in the "Favourite Patent Blog" poll and 2nd out of 50 in the "Most-read" poll.

Blog of the Year, 20 August 2008. * ComputerWeekly IT Law and Governance, 20 August 2008.Baku, Azerbaijan, June 2

By Elnur Baghishov  Trend:

Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zangeneh has disclosed the priorities of four main companies operating under the Ministry of Petroleum this Iranian year (started on March 21, 2019), Trend reports referring to Shana News Agency.

According to the priorities for the National Iranian Oil Company, 13, 14, 22, 23 and 24 phases of the South Pars Gas Complex must be upgraded and commissioned, the crude oil extraction from the West Karun fields should be increased, the Qure-Jask pipeline should be laid and the crude oil export terminal should be built at the Jask port.

According to the priorities for the National Iranian Gas Company, the industrial and power plants, 1 million urban and rural population, 7,600 production and industrial enterprises using gas in Sistan and Baluchestan province should be supplied with gas.

According to the priorities for the National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company, the Abadan Oil Refining Company should be expanded, the Siraf refinery complex should be built and the new Bandar Abbas-Sirjan-Rafsanjan pipeline should be constructed.

According to the priorities for the Iran's National Petrochemical Company, Bushehr Methanol, Kaveh Methanol and Ilam Olefin petrochemical facilities should be upgraded and commissioned.Baku, Azerbaijan, June 2

By Elnur Baghishov  Trend:

More than 1,600 tons of different wires worth $12.5 million have been exported from Iran's northern Semnan province last Iranian year (started on March 21, 2018), Chairman of the Industry, Mine and Trade Organization of Semnan province Bahruz Asvadi said, Trend reports.

He added that the wires produced by the Moghan wire and cable company in the Semnan province were exported to the neighboring countries.

The Moghan wire and cable company is capable of producing 43,000 tons of different wires per year. About 300 people have been employed in this company, Asvadi said.

He said that the Moghan wire and cable company operates in Shahrud Industrial Estate through the investments worth approximately 1.5 trillion rials (about $35.7 million).Baku, Azerbaijan, June 2

By Elnur Baghishov  Trend:

Some 14 million tons of mining materials have been extracted in Irans southern Bushehr province over the past year, which 55 percent more companies to the previous year, Huseyn Huseyni Mohammadi, chairman of the Industry, Mine and Trade Organization of the Bushehr province, said.

The investements worth 601 billion rials (approximately $14.3 million) were made in 131 fields in Bushehr province, Mohammadi added, Trend reports referring to the Industry, Mine and Trade Organizations website.

Some 1,153 workers are working in those fields.

The amount of investments has increased by 41 percent over the past year compared to the previous year, he said.Canada may ratify the new United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which will replace the current North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), sometime during the summer, Canadian Transport Minister Marc Garneau said on Saturday, Trend reports citing Sputnik.

The bill was introduced in the Canadian parliament's lower house on Wednesday. After introducing the bill, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called on the parliament to support the passage of the draft legislature.

"We cant predict how the ratification will go forward, we certainly hope that all of the parties in the House of Commons will support this deal. It doesnt exclude the possibility of something happening during the summer," Garneau told Canada's CTV broadcaster.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador asked his county's lawmakers on Thursday to hold a special session to approve the agreement. That same day, US President Donald Trump also said he planned to file the necessary paperwork that would allow him to send the new trade deal to Congress after 30 days.Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is expected to meet with Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in his visit to the country this month, in what would be the first meeting between the two, Trend reported citing Bloomberg.

The visit is aimed at helping encourage dialogue with the U.S. and ease tensions, according to the Mainichi. Abe plans to travel to Iran from June 12 to 14. The visit will be the first by an incumbent Japanese prime minister since 1978.

During the trip, Abe plans to meet with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on June 12 and Khamenei on June 13, the Mainichi reported.

Abe has been setting himself up as an intermediary between the U.S. and Iran amid mounting strains between the two countries, a position that U.S. President Donald Trump has indicated he supports. Considering the state of heightened tensions, a meeting with both Rouhani and Khamenei was viewed as necessary, the Mainichi reported.Qatar said on Sunday it has reservations about hardline statements on Iran made at emergency summits of Gulf and wider Arab states called by Saudi Arabia, becoming the second Arab country to reject the statement following Iraq, Trend reports citing Reuters.

Qatars foreign minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, said statements at the summits were not adopted using traditional procedures.

The statements condemned Iran but did not refer to a moderate policy to speak with Tehran, he said in remarks reported by Qatars state-owned Al Jazeera television.

They adopted Washington policy toward Iran, rather than a policy that puts neighborhood with Iran into consideration, he added.

Saudi Arabias King Salman convened the emergency summits on May 30 to discuss drone strikes on oil installations in Saudi Arabia and attacks on four vessels, including two Saudi oil tankers, off the United Arab Emirates coast.

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 Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt imposed an economic and diplomatic boycott on Qatar in 2017. The embargo was imposed over allegations that Qatar supports terrorism and is aligning itself with regional foe Iran. Qatar denies the allegations.Two bombings hit Syria's northern Raqqa city Saturday, killing and wounding tens of people, a war monitor reported, Trend reports citing Xinhua.

The first explosion was caused by a land mine that exploded in the Basel Street in the central part of the city and when the people gathered to see what happened, a car bomb went off, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The Observatory said the explosions hit near a command center of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

It said five civilians and five SDF fighters were killed, while 20 others were wounded.

The report said the explosion bore the hallmarks of the Islamic State (IS).

The U.S.-led coalition had supported the Kurdish-led SDF in their push to capture Raqqa, which was the de facto capital of the IS, in 2017.At least 14 people died and 28 were injured on Sunday as a result of a car bomb explosion in Syria's northwestern city of Azaz, a local source told Sputnik, Trend reports.

"According to preliminary information, 14 people have died and 28 were injured [in the explosion]," the source said.

According to the source, the explosion took place in the centre of the city. He added that the place was crowded and the death toll may rise.

In April, at least nine people were killed in a mine explosion and the detonation of two car bombs in Raqqa, according to the Hawar agency, citing a source in a city hospital.The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) troops are on Sunday interrogating two al-Shabab terrorists who were arrested on Saturday in a foiled ambush in southern Somalia, Trend reported citing Xinhua.

The AU mission said the two terrorists were arrested with detonators at Wanlawyen in Baledogole when the militants tried to ambush the troops who were escorting a logistics convoy from Arbiska moving towards Baledogole.

"As the convoy approached the black-spot, soldiers disembarked and moved on foot 500 meters away from the road where they met two men hiding, and upon checking, found in possession of improvised explosive device (IED) triggers," said the AU mission in a statement issued on Saturday night.

It said the two suspects have been taken to Baledogole for further interrogation for possible prosecution.

Al-Shabab was ousted from the capital Mogadishu in 2011 but the terror group is still capable of conducting attacks, targeting government installations, hotels, restaurants and public places.An Iraqi court has sentenced two more French citizens to the death penalty for belonging to the Daesh terrorist group, Trend reported citing Sputnik.

The total number of French nationals sentenced to death for similar crimes in Iraq in past several days reached nine, the local media added.

According to the broadcaster, 32-year-old Fodil Tahar Aouidate became the ninth French citizen sentenced to death by an Iraqi court over the past week.

This comes after media reported on 26 May that three French citizens had been given death penalty in Iraq for belonging to the Daesh. They were detained by the Arab-Kurdish forces in Syria and were then transported to Iraq in February along with nine other Frenchmen. Under Iraqi law, a sentence may be appealed within 30 days.At least 15 people were injured on Saturday after a passenger train collided with a truck in Russia's southern Republic of Adygea, the North Caucasus Railroad (NCR) branch of the Russian Railways said, Trend reported citing Sputnik.

"The train driver and his assistant received injuries of varying degrees of severity. Thirteen people sought medical help at the Krasnodar train station," the NCR said in a statement.

The incident took place at around 3:00 p.m. local time (12:00 GMT). The driver of the truck drove onto a railroad crossing. The driver of the train attempted to stop by pulling the emergency break, but failed to avoid the collision.

The truck caught fire, which then was extinguished. The truck driver also received injuries.U.S. President Donald Trump said Britain should refuse to pay its 39 billion pound EU divorce bill and walk away from Brexit talks if Brussels does not give the UK what it wants, Trend reports citing Reuters.

In an interview with the Sunday Times newspaper ahead of his state visit to Britain starting Monday, Trump said the next British leader should send arch-Brexiteer Nigel Farage to conduct talks with the EU.

Trump said Britain must leave the EU this year.

Theyve got to get it done, he said. They have got to get the deal closed.

If they dont get what they want, I would walk away. If you dont get a fair deal, you walk away.

Trump repeated his backing for those candidates to succeed Prime Minister Theresa May who have said Britain must leave on the due date of Oct. 31 with or without a deal.

Those candidates include former foreign secretary Boris Johnson, whom Trump praised in an interview with the Sun newspaper on Friday, along with former Brexit minister Dominic Raab and interior minister Sajid Javid.

Trump also said it was a mistake for the Conservatives not to involve Farage, the Brexit Party leader, in negotiations with Brussels after his success in European Parliament elections last month.

I like Nigel a lot. He has a lot to offer - he is a very smart person, Trump said. They wont bring him in but think how well they would do if they did. They just havent figured that out yet.

On the Brexit divorce bill, Trump said: If I were them, I wouldnt pay 50 billion dollars. That is a tremendous number.

Trump also said he would have to know veteran Socialist Labour opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn before authorizing U.S. intelligence to share its most sensitive secrets with a hard-left government.

He warned British ministers they must be careful not to jeopardize intelligence-sharing by letting Chinese firm Huawei Technologies Co Ltd into Britains new 5G mobile phone network.The United States is now requesting nearly all visa applicants to submit their social media information in stepping up the security screening of prospective immigrants and travelers, Trend reports citing Reuters.

The additional information for the background scrutiny include social media usernames, email addresses and phone numbers used in the previous five years. Visa applicants also have to report international travel and deportation status during the same period, as well as whether their family members have been involved in terrorist activities.

"National security is our top priority when adjudicating visa applications, and every prospective traveler and immigrant to the United States undergoes extensive security screening," the U.S. State Department said. "We are constantly working to find mechanisms to improve our screening processes to protect U.S. citizens, while supporting legitimate travel to the United States."

The new visa policy, first proposed in March 2018, has just taken effect after approval of updated application forms. The only exemptions are certain diplomatic and official visa applicants.

The policy applies to virtually all applicants of immigrant and nonimmigrant visas, including on the purpose of business or education. The U.S. State Department estimates it would affect 710,000 immigrant visa applicants and 14 million nonimmigrant visa applicants each year.

Similar measures in the past only targeted about 65,000 applicants categorized into extra scrutiny each year, such as those with a history of travelling to terrorist-controlled areas.

The U.S. State Department said the list of social media, which comprises 20 social media platforms of ASKfm, Douban, Facebook, Flickr, Google+, Instagram, LinkedIn, MySpace, Pinterest, QZone, Reddit, Sina Weibo, Tencent Weibo, Tumblr, Twitter, Twoo, Vine, Vkontakte, YouKu and YouTube, may grow in the future.U.S. President Donald Trump said Britain should refuse to pay a$50 billion European Union divorce bill and walk away from Brexit talks if Brussels does not give ground, Trend reported citing Reuters.

Trump told the Sunday Times newspaper ahead of a state visit to Britain, which starts on Monday, that Britains next leader should send arch-Brexiteer Nigel Farage to conduct EU talks.

Once Britain leaves the EU, which Trump said must happen this year, then he would go all out to agree a trade deal.

Theyve got to get it done, he said in the Sunday Times interview. They have got to get the deal closed.

British Prime Minister Theresa May will step down shortly after this weeks Trump visit, having failed to win backing for the Brexit divorce deal she negotiated with the EU.

Trump said her successor should pursue a no-deal Brexit if he or she could not get more concessions from Europe by the end of October, when Britain is due to leave.

If they dont get what they want, I would walk away, he said. If you dont get a fair deal, you walk away.

The 13 candidates already in the leadership race are split between those willing to accept a no-deal and those opposed.

In the no deal camp are former foreign secretary Boris Johnson, whom Trump praised in an interview with the Sun newspaper on Friday, along with former Brexit minister Dominic Raab and interior minister Sajid Javid.

Trump said the United States could work very, very quickly on a trade deal if Britain was not constrained by a transition period agreed with Brussels.

ALL ON THE TABLE

The U.S. Ambassador to Britain, Woody Johnson, said any such trade deal would include agriculture and healthcare.

In a trade deal, all things that are traded will be on the table, he told the BBC on Sunday. Asked if that included healthcare, he replied: I would think so.

Concerns have been raised in Britain about accepting U.S. agricultural standards, notably chlorine-washed chicken, and about opening up its state-funded healthcare system to U.S. companies as the price of a trade deal.

American products would come over, and be allowed to come over, Johnson told the BBCs Andrew Marr Show. You give the British people a choice, if they like it they can buy it, if they dont want it, they do not have to buy it.

FARAGE

Trump said it was a mistake for the Conservatives not to involve Farage, the Brexit Party leader, in negotiations with Brussels after his success in European Parliament elections.

I like Nigel a lot. He has a lot to offer - he is a very smart person, Trump said. They wont bring him in but think how well they would do if they did. They just havent figured that out yet.

Farage, who led the unofficial campaign to leave the EU in the 2016 Brexit referendum, wants to leave the bloc without any agreement.

His new Brexit party swept to victory in the United Kingdoms European parliament election last month, prompting him to demand a seat at Brexit negotiations.

However, none of the candidates seeking to replace May are expected to offer an olive branch to a longstanding rival who has the potential to split the right-wing vote in Britain.

Trump also said he would have to know Labour opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn before authorising U.S. intelligence to share its most sensitive secrets with a hard-left government.

He said Britain must be careful not to jeopardise intelligence-sharing by letting Chinese firm Huawei Technologies Co Ltd into its 5G mobile phone network.By Tomoyuki Tachikawa, KYODO NEWS - Jun 2, 2019 - 18:10 | World, All, Japan

Japan's policy on North Korea has been coming under increasing scrutiny, particularly after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe expressed willingness to hold a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un "without conditions."

Since Pyongyang fired projectiles that appeared to be short-range ballistic missiles on May 4 and 9, Japan has taken a tougher stance against North Korea than the United States, claiming the missile and nuclear threat remains unchanged in the region.

Some Japanese government officials, however, have become concerned that as long as Tokyo continues to put up a strong front against Pyongyang, a summit between Abe and Workers' Party of Korea Chairman Kim will not eventuate.

Japan has also been at odds with the United States over how to address North Korea's recent launches of short-range missiles, raising fears that Abe's government is not necessarily working in tandem with the U.S. administration of President Donald Trump.

"We need to remind ourselves of the undeniable fact that there has been no essential change in North Korea's nuclear and missile capacities," Japanese Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya said in a speech at the Asia Security Summit in Singapore on Saturday.

"North Korea's launching of short-range ballistic missiles at the beginning of May, which violated relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions, is extremely regrettable," Iwaya added at the gathering, known as the Shangri-La Dialogue.

His remarks came less than a week after Trump said at a joint press conference with Abe in Tokyo late last month, "My people think it could have been a violation, as you know. I view it differently."

Related coverage:

Japan, U.S., Australia urge N. Korea to return to nuclear talks

Japan's defense chief warns N. Korea remains global threat

Trump -- who has voiced eagerness to continue talks with Kim even after the collapse of their Feb. 27-28 summit in Hanoi -- has apparently been trying to put the matter to rest in order to not provoke North Korea, foreign affairs experts say.

A diplomatic source told Kyodo News, "I cannot understand why Japan has lambasted North Korea, using relatively strong expressions. Does Abe really want to meet with Kim Jong Un?"

Although Abe had indicated a future summit with Kim would not be possible without a guarantee of progress, he said in early May, "I myself need to face Chairman Kim without conditions" to resolve several bilateral issues.

But Abe's government has not started to make conciliatory gestures toward Pyongyang, while North Korea has shown no sign of rapprochement with Japan.

"Anti-Japanese sentiment has been spreading in North Korea. It is difficult to imagine that Abe and Kim will sit at the same table in the near future," a source familiar with the situation in Pyongyang said.

A Japanese government official said, "We know that our hard-line approach to North Korea may lower the possibility of Prime Minister Abe's meeting with Chairman Kim, but in terms of security, we cannot easily let down our guard against North Korea."

Sounding a note of caution about Trump's kid-gloves approach to North Korea, another government official said, "It is unclear whether the president and Prime Minister Abe are sharing the same view about the denuclearization issue."

"If the United States really thinks it is OK unless North Korea fires intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of reaching the U.S. continent, we may have to reconsider how to cooperate with the Trump administration over the North Korea issue," the official said.New York: Philippines President Rodrigo Duratete kissed 5 women on the podium during a speech in front of his long-time partner. He then said that these beautiful women assisted him in "recovering" from being gay. The 74-year-old leader was addressing people from the Filipino community in Japan on Thursday. At the end of the programme, he asked the female volunteers sitting near the stage to kiss.

As per report, the first lady was hesitant to ask where do they have to kiss on cheek or lips. Then kissed them and immediately left the stage. The other woman appeared to shed tears and panic on the occasion, she gave her introduction as a person of Davo. After kissing on the cheek she said thank you to the leader.

Durateat pointed to the third woman, who she reached the stage after being called. The report said that after which, they took a picture together. The fourth and fifth women also did the same while the media took pictures of them. During her speech, Durateat said the beautiful women have assisted her in "recovering" from being gay.WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The co-founder of Purdue University-affiliated life sciences startup Phytoption LLC has been selected to participate next month in a global summit bringing together top entrepreneurs and innovators from across the world.

Joanne Zhang was selected by organizers of the Global Entrepreneurship Summit to attend the event in June in Hague, the Netherlands. The U.S. government, which started the summit nearly a decade ago, will sponsor Zhang's attendance at the event.

Zhang is a co-founder of Phytoption, which is transforming agricultural commodities to highly functional ingredients for food, cosmetics and drug applications.

The summit, being held for the first time this year in the European Union, brings together entrepreneurs, innovators, investors and thought leaders from around the world. The summit is a combination of an innovation marketplace and policy forum.

"This is an incredible honor and opportunity to represent our company and U.S. innovators," Zhang said. "I am looking forward to creating new connections and finding new opportunities to create change in our industries."

Phytoption licensed technologies from the Purdue Research Foundation Office of Technology Commercialization and has been developing phytoglycogen-based biomaterials for use in the personal care and pharmaceutical industries. Phytoption's other innovation, cereal-based natural flours, is meeting the unmet needs for clean-label food emulsifiers and texturants in the food and beverage industry, with over $10 billion market potential.

Phytoption, located in the Purdue Research Park of West Lafayette, has received support from the Purdue Research Foundation's Foundry Investment Fund to advance to commercial viability.

###

About Purdue Research Foundation

The Purdue Research Foundation is a private, nonprofit foundation created to advance the mission of Purdue University. Established in 1930, the foundation accepts gifts; administers trusts; funds scholarships and grants; acquires property; protects Purdue's intellectual property; and promotes entrepreneurial activities on behalf of Purdue. The foundation manages the Purdue Foundry, Purdue Office of Technology Commercialization, Purdue Research Park and Purdue Technology Centers. The foundation received the 2016 Innovation and Economic Prosperity Universities Award for Innovation from the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities. For more information about funding and investment opportunities in startups based on a Purdue innovation, contact the Purdue Foundry at foundry@prf.org.

Writer: Chris Adam, 765-588-3341, cladam@prf.org

Source: Joanne Zhang, joanne.zhang@phytoption.com(Adds comment from acting White House chief of Staff in paragraphs 9-10, PIX available)

By Idrees Ali

SEOUL, June 2 (Reuters) - The Pentagon has told the White House that the U.S. military will not be politicized, a U.S. official said on Sunday, in response to a controversy after officials directed the United States Navy to keep the USS John S. McCain out of sight during a recent speech by President Donald Trump in Japan.

The White House military office directed the U.S. Navy's Seventh Fleet to minimize the visibility of the USS John S. McCain, a warship bearing the name of Trump's former political rival, during the president's speech last week.

While the directive was not implemented after senior Navy officials found out about the request, the incident has raised questions about the politicization of the military, which has traditionally been seen as being apolitical.

"Secretary (Patrick) Shanahan directed his chief of staff to speak with the White House military office and reaffirm his mandate that the Department of Defense will not be politicized," Lieutenant Colonel Joe Buccino, a Pentagon spokesman, said in a statement.

"The chief of staff reported that he did reinforce this message," Buccino said.

Concern has increased about the politicization of the U.S. military under Trump. He has given a number of overtly political speeches to military audiences and the military has been drawn into a mission along the border with Mexico, which some critics have described as a political stunt rather than a national security necessity.

The USS John S. McCain controversy led acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan to ask his chief of staff to find out what happened. On Sunday he told reporters that after reviewing the facts, he did not plan to call for an inspector general investigation into the incident.

"There is no room for politicizing the military," Shanahan told reporters traveling with him to Seoul.

Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney on Sunday downplayed the incident, saying that a young White House staffer - knowing how Trump felt about McCain - likely made the request to the Navy.

Story continues

"That's not an unreasonable thing to ask," Mulvaney said on NBC News' Meet the Press program. He said it would be "silly" to fire that staffer over the incident.

Shanahan said he had spoken with late Senator McCain's wife in the past few days about the incident but declined to give details of the conversation.

He said that his chief of staff did not have prior knowledge of the White House directive and reiterated that a search had not found any emails to his staff about it. Trump said on Wednesday he had not been aware of the request.

The USS John S. McCain was initially named after the late Senator McCain's father and grandfather, who were both Navy admirals. In 2018, the Navy added Senator McCain to the official namesake of the guided missile destroyer.

McCain, the unsuccessful 2008 Republican presidential nominee, was shot down during the Vietnam War and tortured by his North Vietnamese captors during more than five years in captivity as a prisoner of war.

Trump has long criticized McCain on a variety of fronts, and has kept up his attacks even after McCain's death in August. (Reporting by Idrees Ali; additional reporting by Valerie Volcovici Editing by Alex Richardson and Bill Berkrot)Tika R Pradhan is a senior political correspondent for the Post, covering politics, parliament, judiciary and social affairs. Pradhan joined the Post in 2016 after working at The Himalayan Times for more than a decade.Bitcoin millionaire Alex Johnson confessed that he and his wife enjoyed a steamy sex affair with Dutch model Ivana Smit, but he denies killing her. | Source: Instagram (i), Shutterstock (ii). Image Edited by CCN



By CCN: Bitcoin tycoon and Everus World founder Alex Johnson and his wife engaged in a threesome that ended with the mysterious death of a Dutch model in December 2017. Ever since, the couple has been living as outcasts, moving from one city to another while hiding from the anger and threats of vigilantes.

Now, after 18 months, the Johnsons have broken the silence, claiming their innocence in the grisly murder case and calling for an end to their witch hunt.

While they denied their involvement in her death, the couple confessed that they had sex with the model on the night she plunged to her death in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Bitcoin High-Roller Denies Killing Dutch Model

Bitcoin millionaire Alex Johnson and his wife Luna first met teenage model Ivana Smit in October 2017 in a Kuala Lumpur nightclub. WhatsApp messages between the couple and Smit exposed that the trio spent multiple nights together in November and December 2017.

On December 6, Smit went to a club where she drank heavily with the Johnsons. According to her agent, the Dutch model was OK at first, but she started to look for drugs later on. CCTV later recorded Alex Johnson carrying an apparently-intoxicated Smit into an elevator.

Read the full story on CCN.com.By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration on Sunday disclosed a new problem involving Boeing Co's grounded 737 MAX, saying that more than 300 of that troubled plane and the prior generation 737 may contain improperly manufactured parts and that the agency will require these parts to be quickly replaced.

The FAA said up to 148 of the part known as a leading-edge slat track that were manufactured by a Boeing supplier are affected, covering 179 MAX and 133 NG aircraft worldwide. Slats are movable panels that extend along the wing's front during takeoffs and landings to provide additional lift. The tracks guide the slats and are built into the wing.

The 737 MAX, Chicago-based Boeing's best-selling jet, was grounded globally in March following a fatal Ethiopian Airlines crash after a similar Lion Air disaster in Indonesia in October. The two crashes together killed 346 people. Boeing has yet to submit a software upgrade to the FAA as it works to get approval to end the grounding of the 737 MAX.

In a statement issued after the FAA announcement, Boeing said it has not been informed of any in-service issues related to this batch of slat tracks. Boeing, the world's largest plane maker, said it has identified 20 737 MAX airplanes most likely to have the faulty parts and that airlines will check an additional 159 MAXs for these parts.

Boeing said it has identified 21 737 NGs most likely to have the suspect parts and is advising airlines to check an additional 112 NGs. The NG is the third-generation 737 that the company began building in 1997.

The affected parts "may be susceptible to premature failure or cracks resulting from the improper manufacturing process," the FAA said.

The FAA said a complete failure of a leading edge slat track would not result in the loss of the aircraft, but a failed part could cause aircraft damage in flight.

The FAA said it will issue an Airworthiness Directive to require Boeing's service actions to identify and remove the parts from service. It said operators will be required to perform this action within 10 days, but can continue to fly the planes during the 10-day period before the parts are removed.

Story continues

FINANCIAL IMPACT ON BOEING

Boeing in April said the two fatal crashes had cost it at least $1 billion as it abandoned its 2019 financial outlook, halted share buybacks and lowered production. The company's shares have fallen by nearly 20 percent since the Ethiopian Airlines crash in March.

Some international carriers are skeptical the plane will resume flying by August as some U.S. airlines have suggested.

Tim Clark, president of Emirates, told reporters in Seoul that it could take six months to restore operations as other regulators re-examine the U.S. delegation practices. "If it is in the air by Christmas (Dec. 25) I'll be surprised - my own view," he said.

Boeing said one batch of slat tracks with specific lot numbers produced by a supplier was found to have a "potential nonconformance" and said airlines "are to replace them with new ones before returning the airplane to service."

The company said it is "now staging replacement parts at customer bases to help minimize aircraft downtime while the work is completed." Boeing said once new parts are in hand, replacement work should take one to two days.

A separate service bulletin will go to 737 MAX operators to do inspections before the MAX fleet returns to service.

The FAA said Boeing has identified groups of both 737 NG and 737 MAX airplane serial numbers on which these suspect parts may have been installed, including 32 NG and 33 MAX in the United States.

The issue was discovered following an investigation conducted by Boeing and the FAA Certificate Management Office, the FAA said. An FAA spokesman said the issue should not delay Boeing's planned submission of a software update and training revisions, but it remains unclear when that will be submitted.

The FAA has said it has no timetable for ending the grounding of the airplane. Boeing said last month it completed its software upgrade but was still working to address information requests from the FAA before it can schedule a certification test flight and submit final certification documentation.

Reuters reported last month that the FAA has indicated privately to other regulators that it aims to certify new software by the end of June, after which it would take several weeks at a minimum to get planes flying.

Acting FAA Administrator Dan Elwell told reporters on May 23 in Texas after a meeting with more than 30 international air regulators that the agency had not decided yet on training requirements.

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Will Dunham)BEIJING (AP)  China is investigating FedEx after it diverted packages sent by Chinese tech giant Huawei, state media reported Saturday.

The missed deliveries drew unusual attention because of speculation that they're related to rising U.S.-China trade tensions and U.S. sanctions on Huawei.

China has opened an investigation into FedEx's actions, which "severely harmed clients' legitimate rights and interests and violated China's delivery industry regulations," the official Xinhua news agency reported.

Four packages containing paperwork sent out by Huawei were found to have been diverted to FedEx headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee, instead of being delivered to Huawei offices in Asia.

FedEx apologized and said the packages were misrouted accidentally. It added that the company wasn't told by anyone to divert the packages.

Huawei officials have questioned whether the diversions were truly inadvertent.

"I don't think it is right for any company to intercept or detain individual documents or information," Song Liuping, Huawei's chief legal officer, told reporters Wednesday. "If our rights were truly infringed upon, we have the legal right to defend ourselves."

China announced its investigation into FedEx on the same day that its latest tariffs on $60 billion worth of U.S. products went into effect. The duties of 5% to 25% are retaliation against President Donald Trump's decision to raise duties on $200 billion of Chinese imports to 25%, up from 10% previously.

The U.S. has accused China of stealing trade secrets and forced technology transfers. It has placed Huawei on its "Entity List," effectively barring U.S. firms from selling technology to Huawei without government approval. China responded to this action Friday, announcing that it will establish its own list of "unreliable entities" consisting of foreign businesses, corporations and individuals.Amid worsening tensions between China and the United States, the commerce ministry said on Friday that it would draft a hit-list of "unreliable" foreign firms and individuals that harm the interests of Chinese companies. It gave no names.

It issued the threat after Washington last month put Huawei on a blacklist that effectively blocks U.S. firms from doing business with the Shenzhen-based telecoms equipment maker.

Huawei told Reuters on Friday that it was reviewing its relationship with FedEx which it alleged had diverted two parcels destined for Huawei addresses in Asia to the United States and had attempted to reroute two others. FedEx said the packages were "misrouted in error".

Xinhua, without elaborating, said FedEx recently did not deliver to the right addressees and addresses in China.

In a statement on its website, FedEx said it would "fully cooperate with any regulatory investigation into how we serve our customers."

On Tuesday, FedEx China apologized on its Chinese social media account for the "mishandling" of Huawei packages and confirmed there was no "external pressure" to divert packages.

Washington believes Huawei, the world's largest telecom network gear maker, is a potential espionage threat because of its close ties with the Chinese government.

Huawei has repeatedly denied it is controlled by the Chinese government, military or intelligence services.

The issue has become a flashpoint in an escalating trade battle between the world's two biggest economies.

Last 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.

The Chinese tariffs took effect on Saturday.

(Reporting by Ryan Woo and Pei Li; Additional reporting by Andrew Galbraith in SHANGHAI; Editing by William Maclean)SAN FRANCISCO (AP)  In a story June 1 about Democratic presidential candidates speaking in California, The Associated Press reported erroneously that New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker was the only candidate to bring up the recent fatal shooting in Virginia. At least one other candidate mentioned it.

A corrected version of the story is below:

With Biden absent, his rivals pounce at California gathering

Democratic presidential hopefuls are using Joe Biden's absence from a California gathering to take subtle digs at the former vice president

By KATHLEEN RONAYNE AND NICHOLAS RICCARDI

Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO (AP)  Democratic presidential hopefuls took rival Joe Biden's absence at a California state party gathering Saturday as a chance to take subtle digs at the former vice president and craft themselves as better positioned to bring Democrats into the future.

"Some say if we all just calm down, the Republicans will come to their senses," Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren said in a clear reference to Biden's comments that the GOP may have an "epiphany" after President Donald Trump is gone. "But our country is in a crisis. The time for small ideas is over."

Warren was one of 14 presidential contenders in San Francisco for a three-day gathering of the California Democratic Party, featuring thousands of fervent activists. Biden was the only big-name candidate to skip the gathering, opting instead to campaign in Ohio. That allowed Warren, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, California Sen. Kamala Harris and others a chance to grab the spotlight.

California has shifted its 2020 primary earlier on the calendar, to March 3, part of the Super Tuesday collection of contests, in hopes of giving the state more sway in choosing the party's nominee. California will offer the largest delegate haul, but it is a notoriously difficult state to campaign in, given its massive size and expensive media markets.

Story continues

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has endorsed Harris, downplayed the importance of Biden's absence.

"Joe Biden's very familiar to Californians. He spent a great deal of time in California," Newsom said, a remark that highlighted Biden's advantage when it comes to name recognition.

Biden, speaking to thousands of activists at the Human Rights Campaign's Ohio gala Saturday night in Columbus, didn't mention his rivals but blasted Trump and his record on LGBTQ issues. He indirectly answered the criticism that he thinks small by noting that the Democratic House recently passed the Equality Act, which would enshrine LGBTQ protections in U.S. civil rights law. Biden said that Democrats had the majority because they were able to win in moderate and Republican-leaning districts.

"We didn't have to be radical about anything," he said. "They talked about basic, fundamental rights."

In San Francisco, Warren's remarks served as the most direct jab at Biden, but 37-year-old South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg seemed to draw a contrast with the 76-year-old Biden when he said Democrats won't win if they bring more of the same to the 2020 contest.

"The riskiest thing we can do is play it safe," Buttigieg declared. "There's no going back to normal."

Biden's backers have argued he's the party's best and safest choice to defeat Trump.

U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell, a Californian who remains at the bottom of the pack, also referenced Biden as he said "we don't need a crime bill  we need a hope bill." Biden has taken heat from some rivals for his support of a crime bill in the early 1990s that critics say spurred mass incarceration.

One of those rivals is Harris, though she made no direct or indirect references to Biden during her Saturday morning speech, instead highlighting her policy plans and bringing the crowd to its feet with calls to begin impeachment proceedings against Trump.

Harris received the prime spot of speaking first Saturday and sought to flex her home-state muscle by referencing her near-decade as a statewide elected official. Her campaign even emblazoned the official convention lanyards that thousands of Democrats wore all weekend with Harris's name.

"The thing I love about California Democrats is we are never afraid of a fight," she said. "And we know right now we've got a fight on our hands."

Warren and New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker received perhaps the most enthusiastic response from the crowd, drawing people to their feet on multiple occasions. Warren reprised her "I've got a plan for that" slogan to raucous cheers as she pledged bold action on a variety of topics, including breaking up "big tech," a strong rebuke in the home of Silicon Valley.

"Some Democrats in Washington believe the only change we can get are tweaks and nudges  if they dream at all, they dream small," she said.

Booker referenced Friday's fatal shooting in Virginia Beach, Virginia, which left 12 people dead. Declaring he'd have plenty of time to talk about himself, he told the party that the election is about more than finding a "savior" and simply beating Trump.

"It can't be the call to beat Republicans. It must be the call to unite Americans in common cause and common purpose to tear down the injustices that still exist," he said.

Most candidates sought to bring California-specific elements into their speeches or burnish their liberal credentials. Former Texas Rep. Beto O'Rourke slipped seamlessly between Spanish and English, a key move in a state with a large Hispanic population, while Washington Gov. Jay Inslee highlighted his fight to raise the minimum wage and enact aggressive policies to fight climate change.

But Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper took a different tack, eliciting boos when he declared "socialism is not the answer" to enacting progressive policies and beating Trump. Hickenlooper quickly highlighted the negative reaction on his Twitter account: "I know this message won't be popular with everyone in our party. But the stakes are too high. We cannot hand this election to Donald Trump."

Other candidates who spoke Saturday were New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand; Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar. Former Obama housing chief Julian Castro and former Maryland Rep. John Delaney were scheduled to speak Sunday after Sanders.Arjun Poudel is a health reporter for The Kathmandu Post. Before joining the Post, he worked for Sagarmatha Television, Naya Patrika, Republica and The Himalayan Times.The President of Germanys central bank is not a fan of digital currencies and the blockchain technology that underpins them. In a speech given to a Deutsche Bundesbank symposium, Jens Weidmann, argued that the former are a serious threat to the stability of the financial system, and the latter is no better than solutions already on offer. By way of example, he spoke about a joint project with Deutsche Borse on the use of blockchain technology for the settlement of cash and securities. The blockchain solutions did not fare better in every way: the process took a bit longer and resulted in relatively high computational costs, he said. Similar experiences have been made elsewhere in the financial sector. Despite numerous tests of blockchain-based

The President of Germanys central bank is not a fan of digital currencies and the blockchain technology that underpins them.

In a speech given to a Deutsche Bundesbank symposium, Jens Weidmann, argued that the former are a serious threat to the stability of the financial system, and the latter is no better than solutions already on offer.

By way of example, he spoke about a joint project with Deutsche Borse on the use of blockchain technology for the settlement of cash and securities. The blockchain solutions did not fare better in every way: the process took a bit longer and resulted in relatively high computational costs, he said.

Similar experiences have been made elsewhere in the financial sector. Despite numerous tests of blockchain-based prototypes, a real breakthrough in application is missing so far.

Deutsche Borse

Last year, we reported that Deutsche Borse was establishing a DLT, Crypto Assets and New Market Structures unit as it looked to tap into the transformational potential of blockchain technology.

The German exchange set up a 24-person team led by Jens Hachmeister. DLT/blockchain technology is a key opportunity for the creation of new market structures, adding new products onto our present structures and enhancing our existing offerings, he said.

He added that its potential cuts across the groups entire value chain  pre-IPO/listing, trading and clearing, settlement and custody, and even the data and analytics business. At the same time, however, he stressed that expectations were high and not all of them would be fulfilled; blockchain will not be the answer to all its questions.

Yet the digital economy in general is heading for decentralisation. In future, there will be more peer-to-peer governed marketplaces and less intermediaries, he commented. In that regard, blockchain has the potential to disrupt the capital markets infrastructure. It is a decentralised ledger of all transactions across a peer-to-peer network, where participants can confirm transactions without the need for a central certifying authority. Many other industries have also acknowledged the significance of this technology.

Story continues

Deutsche Borse has invested in various initiatives to understand the technology and its potential within the traditional segments of its value chain. However, these steps have not been coordinated on a group-wide level. In order to use the full potential of the technology for our businesses, to generate efficiencies and create revenues, a centrally steered approach is necessary to make a greater impact, Hachmeister said.

All initiatives in the field of DLT/blockchain will now be operated by one team, in a joint group-wide approach. We will, of course, work in close cooperation with the business segments and IT and in close alignment with colleagues from Group Legal and Group Regulatory Strategy.

A new era

He concluded by stating that Deutsche Borse is witnessing the beginning of a new era that could disrupt the entire industry. The challenge is that we dont exactly know where this will lead to. The possibilities this new technology offers are fascinating and it is great to have the opportunity to hopefully make significant contributions and to drive this topic forward for the group. My team and I are very motivated to drive this journey for Deutsche Borse, as I am personally convinced of the great potential for our company.

The post Deutsche Bundesbank President trashes crypto and blockchain tech appeared first on Coin Rivet.European Governments See Renewed Importance of National Airlines

The largest European airline CEOs often complain about too many carriers fighting for market share. Yet theres little indication more industry consolidation is coming soon, at least among the continents larger independent legacy carriers.

All it takes is one deal to get things moving. But theres some indication the rise of nationalism in European politics also may be influencing airlines, leading some to remain unaligned when they otherwise might be acquired by one of three major companies  Lufthansa Group, Air France-KLM, and International Airlines Group.

The changes in [the] geopolitical landscape have led to many governments being more observant about national interests, Finnair CEO Topi Manner said during the IATA Annual General Meeting, an annual conference of airline executives.

Finnair might not be a contender for consolidation anyway, despite its small size. Its majority owner is the Finnish government, and Finnish politicians long have made it clear they do not wish to sell the company because of national and strategic reasons.

But more countries seem to be adopting the Finnish mentality, whether or not they own an airline or share in an airline. Politicians may not care about prospective mergers of low-cost-carriers or leisure airlines, but if their countrys legacy airline has been around for five decades or more, many seem more interested in its future than they might have been several years ago.

Under ordinary circumstances, some mid-sized European flag carriers might be ripe for acquisition, a group that includes Finnair, SAS, LOT Polish Airlines, Alitalia, and TAP Air Portugal. But with governments more interested in national airlines, its possible some may decide to go at it alone.

Nationalism, I wouldnt use the phrase, Manner said. Protectionism is more of it. Aviation is extremely important for societies, from economical, society and environmental points of view. This is more of a force today than it was a couple of years ago.

Story continues

Will There Be Any Consolidation?

It sets up an interesting conundrum.

At industry events, executives speak about the importance of consolidation, which would give the three global European airline groups better scale and more pricing power against discounters. CEOs like Rickard Gustafson, who leads Scandinavian Airlines, talks about how the top five U.S. airlines have about 85 percent share, while Europes top five airline groups have about half.

There is overcapacity, he said.

Yet its not clear which, if any, flag carriers are available for Lufthansa Group, Air France-KLM and International Airlines Group.

In another era, Alitalia might have been a big prize. Yes, the airline has been struggling for years, and by traditional economic metrics, it is probably not a perfect acquisition target. But Italy is a big market, and Alitalia has a storied history, so suitors are interested in it. Lufthansa has said it might want in, so long as it would get real control.

But the Italian government is not making it easy for outsiders. The government would prefer to keep the airline in Italian hands, even if ministers understand it needs outside investors with airline experience. (Delta Air Lines remains interested in buying a piece of it, CEO Ed Bastian said Saturday.)

Fabio Lazzerini, Alitalias chief commercial officer, declined to discuss details about the company  its future ownership will be decided soon  but said he has also noticed more European governments moving to protect airlines. He said it makes sense for Italy to act in its interests.

We see all these signs confirming that airlines are important for countries, he said. It was already in effect, but it seems to be coming on more.

This doesnt mean more consolidation wont happen. But in discussions in Seoul, several European airline executives suggested larger airline groups may be more likely to absorb low-cost and leisure airlines that do not have such vibrant histories.

The Thomas Cook Group is shopping its leisure airlines, and while there could be concerns about competition, governments are unlikely to block a deal to just to protect their national interests. Similarly, newer airlines like Air Baltic, Wizz Air or Norwegian could probably be sold without alarming European politicians, even if Wizz is a vital part of Hungarys economy.

Big airline groups also can continue to pick up the pieces of failed carriers. In Europe, airlines that go bankrupt typically go out of business, rather than restructure. Last year, six European carriers went out of business, and big airlines stepped in to buy many of their pieces.

Its ongoing, SAS Gustafson said about consolidation. But at the moment, it is happening through elimination rather than through mergers. At some point there might be mergers.

Turning Point

Some European governments have been taking a more protectionist stance for several years, but several CEOs said it only recently became apparent how much this affects aviation.

The turning point, they said, likely was earlier this year when the Dutch government quietly bought a 14 percent stake in Air France-KLM. At the time, new Air France-KLM CEO Ben Smith was trying to consolidate more power in Paris, and it seemed possible well-liked KLM CEO Pieter Elbers might lose his job.

The Dutch government wanted at least as much of a say in the company as the French government, which owns 14.3 percent, so it assembled its own stake.

It is a clear sign of this [protectionism], to my mind, Finnairs Manner said.

In Rome, Alitalias leadership also noticed, Lazzerini said. Europes airlines went through a long period when governments were selling off airline stakes, but the pendulum has swung back, he said. At one point, the French government was prepared to sell its own stake in Air France-KLM, but now it also appears likely to retain it.

Airlines are important for countries for connectivity Lazzerini said. Of course, market forces would keep connectivity anyways. But if I speculated on some of the recent moves  like the Dutch government move  it seems there is an interest in keeping a little bit of a say in the strategic direction of the most important airline in the country to drive the evolution of the airline in line with the strategic goals of the government.

KLMs Elbers said he agreed. He said aviation is important to the economy in the Netherlands, noting the countrys main airport in Amsterdam handles about 70 million people each year, even though the country has just 17 million people. That type of connectivity, he said, is the reason many multinational cooperations have their European headquarters in Amsterdam.

In addition, he said, it is the third-largest employer in the country, with roughly 30,000 workers.

It is not unique to Europe, Elbers said. Airlines in general play a vital role in creating the development of the country and the economic development of the country and the connectivity of the country.

Legacy Consolidation Not Impossible

Despite the recent drama in the Netherlands and France, Elbers said the European style of consolidation can continue to work, with airlines retaining national identities and leadership when theyre owned by larger groups.

He said the system produces cost savings, as in Seoul, where Air France and KLM flights are handled by one team. He also said reports that the French and Dutch arms of his company do not get along have been overblown, saying the sides often agree and work together. Their combined revenue management operation, he said, is among the industrys most sophisticated.

Gustafson, of SAS, the flag carrier of Norway, Denmark and Sweden, also said more legacy airline consolidation is possible. He acknowledged governments in Finland, Italy and the Netherlands seem to be taking a more protectionist approach, but said other governments view it differently. He said he doesnt expect more governments will buy stakes in airlines.

I noticed the investment that the Dutch government made in KLM, yes, Gustafson said. I have noticed that the Italian government is still fighting to keep Alitalia alive, despite the state aid rules and all of that. I know that in Finland they know that Finland is a rather small country and without a strong Finnish carrier I think they would struggle to attract that much intercontinental traffic. So yes, I do acknowledge that, but I dont really see that is going to change the landscape or that you will see more carriers turning in state-owned carriers.

Last year, he noted, Norway sold its shares in SAS, and Sweden has been considering doing the same. Gustafson also said his airline operates with relatively little government interference.

As for consolidation, Gustafson said more is required in Europe, but added SAS, because of its size, probably cannot be a buyer. It might be acquired by one of the big groups, but Gustafson said the decision is in the hands of the airlines shareholders.

It is not for me to answer, he said. You need to ask our main share owners. The question is for them, what they want to do.

Subscribe to Skift newsletters covering the business of travel, restaurants, and wellness.Exclusive: FCA discusses improved Renault merger bid to win French backing FILE PHOTO: A Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) sign at its U.S. headquarters in Auburn Hills, Michigan

By Laurence Frost

PARIS (Reuters) - Fiat Chrysler is discussing a Renault special dividend and stronger job guarantees in a bid to persuade the French government to back its proposed merger between the carmakers, sources close to the discussions said.

The improved offer, if formalized and accepted, would also see the combined company's operations headquartered in France and the French state granted a seat on its board, two people with knowledge of the matter told Reuters on Sunday.

FCA spokeswoman Shawn Morgan declined to comment. The French government, Renault's biggest shareholder with a 15 percent stake, also declined to comment. A Renault spokesman did not return calls and messages seeking comment.

Italian-American FCA is engaged in intensive discussions with Renault and the French government over the $35 billion merger proposal it pitched last Monday to create the world's third-biggest carmaker.

The concessions being discussed are not definitive and depend on other aspects of an emerging compromise deal, both sources cautioned.

They nonetheless increase the chances that the merger plan will be approved by Renault's board, on which the French state has two seats. The board meets again on Tuesday.

Some analysts and French industry leaders had voiced doubts about the 5 billion euros ($5.6 billion) in claimed cost and investment savings, and whether the proposal represents a fair deal for Renault shareholders.

A Renault dividend would improve the valuation in their favor, balancing a 2.5 billion euro proposed dividend to FCA shareholders. The sources did not elaborate on the potential size of a Renault payout.

The merger plan presented on Monday would see the two carmakers acquired by a listed Dutch holding company whose ownership would be split equally between current FCA and Renault shareholders, after special dividend payments.

FCA had proposed locating the combined group's operational head office in a neutral city, most likely London, but has now indicated readiness to base it in the greater Paris area, meeting a key French government demand, both sources said.

Story continues

The French government is also likely to be granted a seat on the board to reflect its 7.5 percent stake in the merged company, the people said.

Nissan, whose matching 15 percent stake in its French alliance partner will also be diluted to 7.5 percent of the new group, receives a board seat under the plan unveiled on May 27.

Guarantees to maintain Renault's French blue-collar jobs and industrial sites would also be extended to four years from the two initially proposed under the compromise being discussed, the sources added.

Both France's pro-business government and Italy's populist administration back the merger in principle but fraught relations between the two could yet derail the deal if one side feels disadvantaged.

(Reporting by Laurence Frost; Additional reporting by Giulio Pioveccari in Milan; Editing by Richard Lough)Chef David Castro Hussong of Fauna, the two-year-old restaurant tucked into Bruma, a resort in Baja Californias wine country, bristles when people compare his spot to some of the big names in the industry.

Its not Pujol, he says, of Enrique Olveras seminal Mexico City restaurant. Its not the French Laundry of the Valle de Guadalupe.

But the caliber of cooking, if not the style, deserves that kind of praise. Castro, along with his wife, Maribel Aldaco Silva, as pastry chef, has created in Fauna the kind of fine dining that merits the journey along bumpy dirt roads to its hilltop location two hours south of San Diego.

What Fauna is, however, takes more words than those simplified comparisons. Its grilled lettuce with beans and peanuts, topped with a chicken reduction, that somehow tastes like next-level carne asada straight off the heat. Its a Mexican restaurant redolent with the flavors of Castros coastal childhood in Ensenada, a 45-minute drive down the hill. Its the hunting lodge warmth of furry throws over the chairs and the wine country elegance of a wall of windows marrying indoors and out. Its a place where the chef can use his skills, garnered while working at places like New York Citys Eleven Madison Park and staging at Noma in Copenhagen, to showcase the ingredients that swim and grow on the Baja Peninsula. Its a place where about $100 U.S. will buy you the many-course experimental tasting menu and its pairingsfrom the on-site winerys latest rose to pours from a torso-size bottle of mezcal. Its a place that lives and breathes the wide-open air of sparsely populated hills but whose roots run deep through the Baja soil.

Chef David Castro Hussong outside Fauna. | Courtesy of Fauna

The first course of cruditesserved with a two-toned, creamy avocado dipseems to embody nearly all of Castros influences. The tiny spring vegetables, plucked from nearby and stuck into a grand urn full of ice, as if it were the earth and they were still growing, are the elegant Valle de Guadalupe version of the New Nordic trend where vegetables arrive at the table in edible soil. The dual concentric circles of the accompanying dip call to mind Olveras most iconic dish, which combines two ages (and thus colors) of mole, while the flavor is purely of classic Mexican guacamole.

Story continues

As the courses continue, the references to Mexican dishes grow more obscure for those not intimately familiar with the cuisine: a tetela (normally a stuffed and griddled triangle of corn dough) is made with garbanzos and chipotle and wrapped in a cabbage leaf, and the pork jowl plays at the flavors of salpicon (usually shredded beef). Its a restaurant for the Mexican palate, says Castro, who adds he is surprised that Americans like it as much as they do. Its flavors that I, as a Mexican, grew up enjoying.

But its almost impossible not to love Fauna, no matter your culinary fluency in the region: The crispness of the skin on the roast duck ballooned with its own juices, the savory complexity of charred cabbage with cabbage puree, and the novelty of serving bone marrow from half a femur, sliced lengthwise, need little translation.

The dishes reflect Castros Baja experiencehe grew up helping his grandfather at the familys ranch in these same hills, cooking and working with the animals. At his house down on the coast, he caught octopus, fluke, and grouper. And while he eventually leftcooking at Blue Hill at Stone Barns in New York, MeroToro in Mexico City, and helping Gabriela Camara open Cala in San Franciscoit is difficult to imagine him anywhere but here on the peninsula, where he started cooking at age 14 at a cousins restaurant, which was only 16 years ago itself.

Cornflake semifreddo at Fauna. | Courtesy of Fauna

Aldaco, Faunas pastry chef, has the same Blue HillMeroToroCala pedigree as her husband, plus additional fine-dining experience at the NoMad Hotel in New York City and Quince in San Francisco. It gives you the sense that her wildly complex, artistically executed desserts might even be toned down to match Castros menu. Caramelized amaranth underneath a meringue and lemongrass parfait calls to mind alegria, the Mexican candy made from the grain, delivering the same kind of allusion to childhood memories as Castros cooking; milk ice cream perched on a honey semifreddo with blue cornflakes is a bowl of cereal in refined form. She has somehow managed to perfectly emulate his style in her desserts.

Fauna seems built for Castrothe open kitchen with geometric tiles framing the copper pots that hang above, the sprawling fields of the winery below. He jokes that they are busy on one night because Fauna is the only place around thats open on Tuesday evenings, that when it rains they are busy because Fauna is one of the only places with a real roof. But the truth is Castro and Aldaco could be cooking in a damp basement during a Monday morning rainstorm, and the meal would be worth sitting down to. Luckily, theres no need for thatand soon it will be even easier to taste Aldacos work: Theyve started plans for a small bakery at the entrance from the highway to Bruma where she can sell her pastries. She followed me on my dream, Castro says. Now I follow her.

More must-read stories from Fortune:

To combat food waste, these Brooklyn businesses teamed up to brew bagel beer

Toronto is home to a thriving Syrian food scene

Acclaimed chef Thomas Keller on fine dining and eating local

The Dolomites: Where Italian cuisine and adventure reach new heights

Listen to our new audio briefing, Fortune 500 Daily

Follow Fortune on Flipboard to stay up-to-date on the latest news and analysis.It is easy to think of the most prominent blockchain advocates as a united front, whose ranks are tightly closed in the face of the common enemy  a horde of fierce crypto critics, unwieldy regulators, anti-money laundering zealots, bitcoin is a scam-ers, and the stakeholders of the old, centralized financial system. On this battlefield, the crypto camps fundamental positions are aligned, and its strategic goals are clear. However, in the times of armistice, blockchain champions get together by the campfire to ponder the important details of their common cause, and  astonishingly  at times, they disagree.

This time around, the metaphorical campfire was lit at the MIT Technology Review's Business of Blockchain 2019 conference, which took place on May 2 on the premises of the Massachusetts Institute of Technologys Media Lab. One of the panels saw Caitlin Long  the woman who is spearheading Wyomings transformation into what she herself called the Delaware of crypto law  have a deferential yet rather intense exchange with Coin Centers director of research, Peter Van Valkenburgh, one of the industrys most eloquent speakers who is known for many notable deeds  for example, standing up for crypto to a bully last October.

The panel, which also featured MIT professor and former Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Chairman Gary Gensler, was on crypto regulation, and the main point of contention was whether it is better done on the federal or state level. While they were ultimately concerned about the same thing  i.e., the backwardness of the United States regulatory environment that can chase promising startups away to more friendly jurisdictions  Long and Van Valkenburgh offered two drastically different visions of the best way to go about the issue.

Hurdles on all levels

The tension over the boundaries of federal vs. state authority has informed American politics since the foundation of the republic. In the realms of commerce and finance, a relative balance was achieved when the states assumed jurisdiction over the consumer-facing commercial law while the agencies of federal government came to oversee operations with more specialized, institutional financial instruments  such as securities (Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC), futures and options (Commodity Futures Trading Commission, CFTC), and broad financial crimes (Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, FinCEN).

Story continues

It has become a truism that, for crypto enterprises in the U.S., navigating the regulatory landscape is about as easy as making it blindfolded through a minefield. All the agencies mentioned above are interested in some subset of digital assets: The CFTC is eyeing smart contract-powered futures options; the SEC is struggling to decide whether all initial token offerings are under its purview, or just some of them; and FinCEN, facing the need to investigate money laundering schemes and shady transactions, understands crypto assets as something it is used to dealing with (i.e., money). In addition, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is treating crypto as property for the taxing purposes, which means that capital gains and losses come into play.

To top it all off, individual states have begun to institute guidelines and regulations of their own, with Wyoming blazing the trail by establishing its own classification of tokens. This is not a small deal, either, since companies operating online automatically fall under jurisdiction of every state whose residents they serve  meaning that now they have to comply with state regulations, too.

This chaos is due to the fact that there is no universally agreed-upon, federally enforced definition of a digital asset. While it would come in handy if one existed  for the purposes of delineating the boundaries of different national regulatory bodies jurisdiction over different types of tokens  it is also an arduous task to formulate such a definition, let alone to steamroll such a bill through Congress. The last few months saw continuous attempts on behalf of a group of blockchain-conscious members of Congress to introduce more clarity with a bill known as the Token Taxonomy Act.

The crypto community, though, seems to be divided over not just the bill itself but the very idea of a Congress-enacted, binding definition of a digital token with a claim of federal preemption. Some critics point out that, absent a clear understanding of terms and a sufficient corpus of case law on the matter, it is nearly impossible for a bill to define central concepts around crypto assets in a way that would eliminate dreadful ambiguity when enforced. Others, including Caitlin Long, argue that it is not the federal governments business altogether, and an attempt by Congress to introduce such a taxonomy would amount to an infringement on states rights. Longs talk at the MIT Technology Review event, her polemic with Van Valkenburgh at the panel, and a subsequent interview to Cointelegraph provide a closer look at the states rights argument that she stands by.

Financializing crypto assets

Put very simply, there are two major elements in regulations that bind financial firms: those related to consumer protection and prudential regulations, which are rules that dictate the need for such firms to be able to handle risks and hold sufficient assets. One of the central theses that Long advanced throughout the conference is that the inadequacy of current U.S. crypto regulation stems from overemphasizing the consumer protection side while ignoring the solvency issues.

In her talk, entitled The Financialization of Cryptoassets, Long explained that many digital assets do not qualify as securities, hence they should be treated as property. Commercial law related to property was mainly formulated in the age when all possessions were tangible, which warrants the need for updating this legal area so as to define digital assets  or to financialize them.

The key difference between the traditional financial system and blockchain-based systems is the way custody and settlement work. Normally, people do not own the shares in their brokerage accounts. Instead, they own IOUs (I owe you) from their brokers, who own IOUs from custodians, etc. With this murky chain of ownership, it is not uncommon that several entities have claims on one asset; it is often impossible to tell where exactly the asset is at the moment; and finally, settlement can take days.

None of these are an issue with digital assets: You can own them directly, they are easily traceable and settlement takes minutes. All that this novel type of property needs is to be treated as such, and to have sound regulation of custody. In Longs opinion, not only are states in a better position than the federal government to ensure both, but they have the priority to do so.

The panel: state vs. federal

The regulatory panel ensued, now featuring Peter Van Valkenburgh and Gary Gensler alongside Caitlin Long. The Wyoming native kicked off the discussion with the same sentiment that permeated her talk:

States control commercial law.

Coin Centers Van Valkenburgh responded that his uneasiness with state-level crypto regulation comes from the fact that, in many cases, it boils down to states applying archaic money transmitter laws and licensing requirements to crypto businesses. As a result, instead of having just one federal authority to deal with, successful fintech companies that maintain presence in all of the United States have to have 54 awkward conversations with regulators instead of just one. And because money transmitter laws are outdated, they also do not do much to protect the customers.

When MITs Gensler attempted to dwell on the consumer protection side for a little longer, Van Valkenburgh retorted that state-level regulation is not the sharpest tool to combat things like money laundering, either: When it comes to financial crimes, states cooperate with the federal regulator, FinCEN, who applies federal legislation  i.e., the Bank Secrecy Act. Coin Centers Van Valkenburgh also argued that managing custodial risks on the state level is not a great idea, since such processes are better handled by specialized federal authorities, such as the SEC or CFTC. In sum, Van Valkenburgh contended that it is better to have a clear-cut, uniform federal regulation than a host of disparate, state-specific regulatory regimes.

Caitlin Long came back, criticizing some hard-regulating jurisdictions like New York that spend extensive resources on consumer protection and anti-fraud regulation of crypto while caring much less about solvency and allowing established financial institutions like Merrill Lynch to get away with trading assets that they do not hold. She described the forthcoming Wyoming crypto custody rules, which she sees as a way to maintain direct ownership of digital assets and preserve the powerful advantage of blockchain-powered systems over traditional finance.

Grounded in the common law notion of bailment, this type of custody will entail handing the keeper possession of the asset, but not the title. Long likened this type of arrangement to valet parking, where the only thing the custodian can do is to take the vehicle to a safe storage space.

Both Van Valkenburgh and Gensler didnt sound convinced that solving the custody part of the puzzle would automatically resolve all the consumer protection issues. However, Van Valkenburgh begrudgingly conceded that state-level regulation could make sense, but only if every state adopted a rational approach. In turn, Long suggested that, if we do it on federal level through Congress, we will get the worst-case scenario, to which Van Valkenburgh responded that there seem to be enough reasonable policymakers on the Hill, and that the situation might not be all that grim.

In an interview with Cointelegraph after the panel, Long doubled down on how the egregious Merrill Lynch situation demonstrated New York authorities application of double standards: The firm was able to walk away from doing essentially the same that Bitfinex has been recently accused of doing, but with a much harsher potential fallout. The fact that regulators are going much harder on Bitfinex suggests that they might be picking on crypto enterprises. She also drew a line within the crypto industry itself, distinguishing between highly leveraged exchanges, which would be unable to comply with the new Wyoming statutes, and those that are truly solvent, and which will likely end up in the state.

Finally, Long commented on Van Valkenburghs pro-federal regulation approach, suggesting that:

That is putting the convenience of large financial institutions in this sector ahead of reality that property laws are purview of the state. It is very unlikely, to be honest, that theres going to be a federal money transmission statute, because states are going to fight it. It usurps their long-established supremacy over property law and long-established supremacy over commercial law.

As it is visible in this discussion, sometimes debates over blockchain regulation invoke matters more fundamental than simply the best way to organize socioeconomic relations enabled by new technology. At times these disputes spill over to the contested ground of federal-state government jurisdiction, or to judgments on whether Congress is better equipped to handle certain matters than state legislatures  the issues as deeply ingrained in the political fabric of the U.S. as the antagonism between the democratic and republican principles in its constitution. At this point, it becomes a matter of deep ideological convictions.

On the more practical side, Longs fresh focus on the balance between consumer protection and prudential regulations with regard to crypto could be a new way for the industry to articulate and frame its policy woes. Another thing to watch for is if, as Wyoming proceeds with its groundbreaking legislation, progressive digital custody lives up to the hopes that the states crypto pioneers have set on it.

Related Articles:Global Airlines Worry About Havoc Caused by a Boeing 737 Max Regulatory Rift

Scandinavian Airlines doesnt fly the Boeing 737 Max, nor does it plan to order it. But its CEO, Rickard Gustafson, said he still fears a scenario that could occur later this summer, because his carrier sends many of its passengers onto United Airlines connecting flights in Chicago, Newark, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.

Lets assume that the aircraft is approved in the U.S. and not approved in Europe, he said in an interview at the IATA Annual General Meeting, an annual conference of airline executives. Well, we codeshare with United. What do you tell your customers? Do you say, you know, here in Europe you cant fly it, but if you fly us to the U.S. and connect with United, it is perfectly all right?'

Its a unique situation. There have been multiple crashes of the same aircraft type before, and regulators have grounded planes they viewed as unsafe. But they usually have done so in lockstep, so flights would stop and start everywhere at roughly the same time. Often regulators defer to safety agencies where the aircraft is built, such as the Federal Aviation Administration in the United States for Boeing-made planes.

Thats less likely to happen here. The two recent Max crashes have shown that there are major differences in how regulators view Max aircraft. While the FAA eventually grounded the airplane after an Ethiopian Airlines crash in March, it was among the last regulatory agencies to do so. Officials in China and Europe moved faster.

Many airline executives in Seoul said the same may happen in reverse when the aircraft flies again. They said they expect U.S. regulators to lift restrictions first, with officials in other countries waiting longer. European regulators have said they intend to make their own determination about airworthiness.

No one knows exactly when the first Max again will fly paying passengers. U.S. airlines have suggested August as a possible time for their aircraft to resume flying, but Emirates President Tim Clark, whose airline does not fly the Max, told reporters in Seoul he wasnt sure it would be back in the air this year.

Story continues

In a panel discussion Sunday, Singapore Air CEO Goh Choon Phong said he expects Singapore will lag behind regulators in the United States. That means it could be awhile before Singapore Airs regional arm, Silk Air, can return the jets to service.

Goh said he would prefer regulators work together to reach the right solution that is safe for the industry and safe for everyone who is traveling.

New Normal?

While this issue of regulators reaching different conclusions could be an isolated problem, theres some concern this is aviations new normal. That could be problematic long-term, insiders said in Seoul.

American Airlines, for example, might be able to fly its Max airplanes within the United States but not to Latin America, at least at first, depending on what happens.

Any rift between regulators is not in anyones interest, IATA Director General Alexandre de Juniac told delegates at the meeting.

It some ways the rift may make sense. Different governments regulate various industries in their own ways. Some have more tolerance for risk than others.

But aviation is global, and airline executives expect, for the most part, the rules in one country will be the same as in another. Its why many airline executives, including those whose airlines do not fly the Max, said in Seoul that theyre concerned about this trend, with regulators making their own decisions about what is safe.

Global standards in terms of safety is very important, Finnair CEO Topi Manner said in an interview. Being more market specific or being more regional in these considerations would lead to complexity, and complexity in itself would be a risk. Thats something we need to be observant about.

At a media briefing in Seoul, Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian said he agreed. His airline does not fly the Max, but he said he would prefer regulators come to the same conclusion on major safety issues.

I think it is very important that the regulators around the world unite and make a unified determination regarding the safety of the Max, Bastian said. Keeping politics out of safety matters is important.  I would hope they would make those decisions together and also quickly.

Bastian said he fears consumer confidence in the United States might be affected if the FAA is the only jurisdiction that clears the airplane.

I think the biggest issue with Max, once the FAA decides to release it back into operation, is consumer confidence, Bastian said. The more that the regulatory bodies on an international scale can stand up and support it, I think it will enhance customer confidence in that product.

Subscribe to Skift newsletters covering the business of travel, restaurants, and wellness.By Giselda Vagnoni and Silvia Aloisi

ROME (Reuters) - The Italian government is confident it can reach a compromise with Brussels and avoid sanctions over its deteriorating public finances, the economy minister said as talk of a looming government crisis grew.

The European Commission wrote to Italy last week asking it to explain why its public debt rose in 2018 instead of falling as required, a move that set the stage for a possible legal clash with the ruling eurosceptic coalition in Rome.

In his response to Brussels, Economy Minister Giovanni Tria blamed an economic downturn for the rising debt and vowed to respect the EU's fiscal rules in the next budget.

But a report in La Repubblica daily on Sunday said the EU Commission had found Tria's letter too vague and non-committal, and was likely to take the first steps toward a disciplinary procedure this week.

Speaking to Reuters on the sidelines of a ceremony at the presidential palace in Rome on Saturday night, Tria said he believed the government could still avert such punitive measures.

"Italy does not want to clash with the European Commission, and I hope the opposite is also true, that is to say that no one in Brussels intends to engage in a fight with us," he said.

"Our position is reasonable and I think we will eventually reach a compromise with the Commission," he added.

He also reiterated a pledge that the 2019 budget deficit would come in below a government forecast of 2.4% of gross domestic product - a level the Commission deems too high.

Tria is a former academic with no affiliation to either of the two ruling parties governing Italy - the right-wing League and the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement, which are both backing tax cuts that would likely inflate the deficit.

The League's anti-EU rhetoric in particular has gone up a notch after its victory in European parliamentary elections, with its chief Matteo Salvini insisting that Rome should cut taxes to boost growth, rather than abide by "obsolete" EU fiscal rules that could choke the economy.

Story continues

The League won 34.3% of the vote in last week's European elections, trouncing its coalition partner and fuelling speculation it might ditch 5-Star and seek a fresh national election at the head of a bloc of smaller conservative parties.

DISCIPLINARY PROCESS

La Repubblica said the start of an EU disciplinary procedure against Italy this week was "almost inevitable" unless the government could come up with a convincing set of commitments to keep its rising debt and deficit in check.

The EU Commission declined to comment on Sunday, saying it would publish its views on Italy's public finances on Wednesday.

If it says on Wednesday that there is room to launch a disciplinary procedure that would be the first step in a drawn-out legal process that could lead to financial sanctions and a stricter oversight of the country's fiscal policy.

European Economic Commissioner Pierre Moscovici said on Sunday that he preferred dialogue to sanctions as a means to enforce the bloc's budget rules.

"If they do not respect the rules at all, it will be necessary for the European Commission and the European states to take their responsibilities. Europe is also a co-ownership, there are rules that everyone must respect," he said on FranceInter radio, when asked about Italy.

"For now my motto is: dialogue, dialogue, dialogue," Moscovici said.

Rome recorded public debt of 132.2% of gross domestic

product last year, up from 131.4% in 2017, the highest in the EU after Greece. Italy's debt is also set to expand this year and next, according to the EU Commission's forecasts.

Daily Il Messaggero's front-page headline on Sunday read "Government crisis around the corner", adding Salvini could use the fight with the EU to sink the ruling coalition, which has been in power since last year, and seek early elections.

Salvini has pledged that the government would serve its full five-year term, but a League minister told Reuters on condition of anonymity that he did not expect the executive to last another year.

(Additional reporting by Jan Strupczewski in Brussels and Bate Felix in Paris; Writing by Silvia Aloisi; Editing by Susan Fenton)By Dave Graham

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico's president on Saturday hinted his country could tighten migration controls to defuse U.S. President Donald Trump's threat to impose tariffs on Mexican goods, and said he expected "good results" from talks planned in Washington next week.

Trump says he will apply the tariffs on June 10 if Mexico does not halt the flow of illegal immigration, largely from Central America, across the U.S.-Mexican border.

His ultimatum hit Mexican financial assets and global stocks, but met resistance from U.S. business leaders and lawmakers worried about the impact of targeting Mexico, one of the United States' top trade partners.

In a news conference in the Gulf of Mexico port of Veracruz, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said Mexico could be ready to step up measures to contain a recent surge in migration in order to reach a deal with the United States.

A major Mexican delegation led by Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard will discuss the dispute with U.S. officials in Washington on Wednesday, and Lopez Obrador said he expected "good results" from the talks, and for a deal to emerge.

"The main thing is to inform about what we're already doing on the migration issue, and if it's necessary to reinforce these measures without violating human rights, we could be prepared to reach that deal," Lopez Obrador said.

His comments follow those of Jesus Seade, deputy foreign minister for North America, who told Reuters on Friday that Mexico wanted to sharpen existing measures to curb the flow of Central Americans trying to reach U.S. soil.

Trump's threat to inflict pain on Mexico's economy is the biggest foreign policy test to date for Lopez Obrador and a tall order for Mexican authorities struggling not only to contain migration but also to fight record gang violence.

Mexico's economy relies heavily on exports to the United States and shrank in the first quarter. Under Trump's plan, U.S. tariffs that could rise as high as 25% this year.

'NO TRADE WAR'

Story continues

Lopez Obrador said Mexico would not pursue trade wars with the United States, but noted that his government had a "plan" in case Trump did apply the tariffs to ensure the country was not impoverished. He did not provide details of the plan.

"We're doing all we can to reach a deal through dialogue," the veteran leftist said. "We're not going to get into a trade war, a war of tariffs and of taxes."

He nevertheless noted that Mexico reserved the right to seek international legal arbitration to resolve the dispute.

Meanwhile, some Mexican business groups have urged the government to strike back against any Trump tariffs.

On Friday, Mexico's top farm lobby said Lopez Obrador should target agricultural goods from states that support Trump's Republican Party if the American leader carries out his threat to punish Mexico for the migrants heading north.

Apprehensions at the U.S. border with Mexico have surged in recent months, though Mexican data also show more deportations and detentions at Mexico's southern border with Guatemala, mostly of Central Americans trying to reach the United States illegally.

Those statistics are likely to figure in the Mexican government's argument that it is addressing the problem.

The bulk of migrants are fleeing widespread violence and poverty in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. Many seek asylum in the United States when they cross the border.

Trump is pushing Congress to change U.S. law to make it more difficult for the migrants to claim asylum.

The U.S. president, who has embraced protectionism as part of an "America First" agenda aimed at reshaping global trade, said in a tweet on Thursday he would ratchet up tariffs on Mexico "until the Illegal Immigration problem is remedied."

The plan would impose a 5% tariff on Mexican imports starting on June 10 and increase monthly, up to 25% on Oct. 1.

Lopez Obrador was asked in the news conference whether he would allow Mexico to become a so-called safe third country, which would allow U.S. authorities to send migrants back to Mexico and make them apply for asylum there.

He did not answer the question, but pressure has grown steadily on his government to give ground on the issue.

Following an agreement with Lopez Obrador, U.S. authorities have since January begun sending migrants back to Mexico to wait there while their U.S. asylum claims are being processed.

The number of ports of entry for returnees under the so-called Remain in Mexico policy has gradually increased, and policy experts say it could be expanded to more cities.

(Reporting by Dave Graham; Additional reporting by Stefanie Eschenbacher and Mica Rosenberg; Editing by Paul Simao and Alistair Bell)Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card!

China Resources Land Limited (HKG:1109) saw significant share price movement during recent months on the SEHK, rising to highs of HK$36 and falling to the lows of HK$29.3. 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 China Resources Land's current trading price of HK$31.9 reflective of the actual value of the large-cap? Or is it currently undervalued, providing us with the opportunity to buy? Lets take a look at China Resources Lands 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 China Resources Land

Is China Resources Land still cheap?

According to my valuation model, China Resources Land seems to be fairly priced at around 19.49% above my intrinsic value, which means if you buy China Resources Land today, youd be paying a relatively reasonable price for it. And if you believe the companys true value is HK$26.7, theres only an insignificant downside when the price falls to its real value. So, is there another chance to buy low in the future? Given that China Resources Lands share is fairly volatile (i.e. its price movements are magnified relative to the rest of the market) this could mean the price can sink lower, giving us an opportunity to buy later on. This is based on its high beta, which is a good indicator for share price volatility.

Can we expect growth from China Resources Land?

SEHK:1109 Past and Future Earnings, June 2nd 2019

Investors looking for growth in their portfolio may want to consider the prospects of a company before buying its shares. Although value investors would argue that its the intrinsic value relative to the price that matter the most, a more compelling investment thesis would be high growth potential at a cheap price. With profit expected to grow by 40% over the next couple of years, the future seems bright for China Resources Land. 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? 1109s optimistic future growth appears to have been factored into the current share price, with shares trading around its fair value. However, there are also other important factors which we havent considered today, such as the track record of its management team. Have these factors changed since the last time you looked at the stock? Will you have enough conviction to buy should the price fluctuates below the true value?

Are you a potential investor? If youve been keeping an eye on 1109, 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 the company, which means its worth diving deeper into 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 China Resources Land. You can find everything you need to know about China Resources Land in the latest infographic research report. If you are no longer interested in China Resources Land, 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.(Corrects spelling of opposition leader's name to Pruaitch, not Pruiatch, paragraph 11)

SYDNEY, May 30 (Reuters) - Papua New Guinea's parliament is set to convene in Port Moresby on Thursday to elect a new prime minister after outgoing leader Peter O'Neill resigned following weeks of political turmoil sparked by natural resources deals.

Four government and opposition sources say that the front-runner for the leadership is James Marape, who quit as finance minister in April over a gas deal with France's Total SA he called too generous to the oil major.

It will not be clear whether he can carry the 111-seat house - or whether the turmoil will sink O'Neill's government - until parliament sits at 10 a.m. local time (midnight GMT Wednesday).

Political instability is not unusual in the poverty-stricken but resource-rich country but Marape's defection from the government tapped into growing concern over governance and resource benefits not reaching the poor. Those concerns ultimately led to O'Neill's resignation on Wednesday.

Should he assume the leadership, he and his allies have indicated that April's agreement, which allows Total, Oil Search Ltd and ExxonMobil Corp to begin work on a $13 billion plan to double gas exports, could be reviewed.

"Agreements and resources laws will be relooked at as a matter of priority," Philip Undialu, a lawmaker aligned with Marape, told Reuters by text from the Grand Papua Hotel where his supporters are based.

"It's going to be a fair deal not necessarily radical," he said.

Undialu said he believed Marape could command the backing of 79 members of parliament, a clear majority.

Marape told Papua New Guinea's National newspaper two weeks ago, in reference to the April deal, that "something is wrong somewhere when the government is not unlocking ... resources for our people".

"We have a government that wants to save the interests of corporate giants," he said.

Opposition leader Patrick Pruaitch is another possible replacement and, in a parliament with few ideological divides, any number of other contenders could emerge.

The political uncertainty has knocked almost 6% from shares in Oil Search, an Australian partner in large liquefied natural gas developments in PNG, since the challenge to O'Neill gained traction on Friday.

Business leaders and another development partner, Santos Ltd , dismissed immediate concerns but said political developments would be watched closely. (Reporting by Tom Westbrook Editing by Paul Tait)(Adds statement from Chinese embassy in El Salvador)

By Paula Rosales

SAN SALVADOR, June 1 (Reuters) - El Salvador's new president, Nayib Bukele, took office on Saturday pledging to cure the Central American country that he described as a "sick child" following years of violence and migration that has strained relations with the United States.

The 37-year-old former mayor of San Salvador, who won more votes than all other candidates in the February presidential election, brought an end to a two-party system that has held sway over the country for three decades.

"Our country is like a sick child, now it's up to all of us to take care of it," Bukele told the crowd. "We have to suffer a little now, we have to have a little pain, assume our responsibility and all as brothers to bring forward that child."

Accompanied by his pregnant wife Gabriela Rodriguez, Bukele vowed to make bitter decisions for the impoverished and violence-plagued Central American country during his five year term. He did not give details.

His presidency breaks three decades of bipartisanship between the conservative Nationalist Republican Alliance (ARENA) and the outgoing Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN).

Bukele, who has been critical of Beijing in the past, must now balance the interests of China and the United States.

The Chinese embassy in El Salvador said in a statement on Twitter that Bukele had told a special envoy he considered China a friend and that there was "great potential" to work together.

El Salvador broke ties with Taiwan in August last year to establish relations with China, following the Dominican Republic and Panama in the region.

U.S. President Donald Trump congratulated Bukele on Saturday on Twitter, saying the United States was ready to work with him "to advance prosperity in El Salvador and the hemisphere."

Trump has frequently threatened to cut aid to El Salvador - as well as neighboring Guatemala and Honduras - if they do not do more to curb migration to the United States.

Story continues

The U.S. Department of Commerce said in a statement that the United States sent a delegation led by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross to attend the ceremony.

While in El Salvador, the statement said, Ross met with Bukele and his Foreign Minister, Alexandra Hill, as well as with business leaders to discuss improving the investment climate and potential for economic growth.

Tensions over migration have been running high between the United States and its southern neighbor Mexico, with Trump threatening earlier this week to impose punitive tariffs on Mexican goods exported to the United States on June 10.

Mexican Economy Minister Graciela Marquez, who also attended the event in San Salvador, tweeted a picture of herself and Ross, saying they had spoken and would continue their dialogue next week in Washington.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega and Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez were not invited to the ceremony, since Bukele considers them "undemocratic" governments. (Reporting by Paula Rosales in San Salvador, additional reporting by Stefanie Eschenbacher in Mexico City and Mike Stone in Washington; writing by Stefanie Eschenbacher; Editing by Diane Craft)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 activities by Beijing the U.S. perceives as hostile 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.

"If these trends in these behaviors continue, artificial features in the global commons could become tollbooths. Sovereignty could become the purview of the powerful," Shanahan said.

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 top priorities.

Shanahan's speech is also arguably an audition to both the world and U.S. top leaders in Congress, as his nomination for permanent secretary has still not been sent to Capitol Hill by President Donald Trump.

And listening closely in the audience were nervous allies and partners in the region who are worried about the economic impact of the U.S.-China trade dispute and the political blowback of America's complaints about Beijing's rapid progress in hypersonic weapons, nuclear technology and space launches.

Lt. Gen. Shao Yuanming, a senior Chinese officer, said he welcomed deeper communication between China and the U.S., but he expressed strong opposition to some of Shanahan's comments on U.S. relations with Taiwan and China's operations in the South China Sea. He said China has strong legal claims to the waterway, and that Beijing has put necessary "deterrent facilities" there in response to U.S. provocation involving military exercises in that region.

Story continues

Shanahan told reporters Friday that he would use his speech to the Shangri-La Dialogue conference to criticize Beijing's use of coercion to advance its interests. And after his remarks, during questions from the audience, he suggested that his speech was more directly critical than those of other U.S. defense secretaries in the past.

"I won't apologize for the way I framed some of my remarks, but we're not going to ignore Chinese behavior," Shanahan said. "I think in the past people have kind of tiptoed around that. It's not about being confrontational, it's about being open and having a dialogue."

Shanahan, however, is one of several Pentagon chiefs to take aim at China during the Singapore conference. In 2014, for example, then-Secretary Chuck Hagel used the podium to slam China for cyberspying and said the U.S. would not look away while Beijing's territorial claims destabilized the region and threatened Asia's long-term progress.

Still, Shanahan said the U.S. is willing to cooperate with China and welcomes competition, but said behavior that erodes other nations' sovereignty and sows distrust of China's intentions must end.

"Competition does not mean conflict," he said. "Competition is not to be feared. We should welcome it, provided that everyone plays by internationally established rules."

He also rejected suggestions that the U.S. is in a "face-off" or trade war with China, and said economic negotiations with Beijing are ongoing and the Pentagon is building relations with the Chinese military.

But he went on to restate America's distrust of Huawei, the world's No. 1 network equipment provider and second-largest smartphone maker. The U.S. claims Huawei is legally beholden to China's ruling Communists, which could use the company's products, including its next-generation wireless network known as 5G, for cyberespionage.

Shanahan said Huawei is "too close to the government" of China, which has laws requiring data be shared.

"That's too much risk for the department," said Shanahan. "You can't trust that those networks are going to be protected."

China warned Friday that 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 Huawei.

Much of Shanahan's speech centered on America's work with partners across the region.

"The Indo-Pacific is our priority theater," he said. "We are where we belong. We are investing in the region. We are investing in you, and with you."

But he also called on the Pacific nations to invest in their own futures.

Several U.S. senators attending the conference gave Shanahan high marks for his speech, saying his criticism of China hit the right tone. Sen. Angus King, an independent from Maine, said Shanahan "distinguished himself" in his remarks, including assertions that conflict with China is not inevitable.

King stopped short of saying he would vote for Shanahan when his nomination hits the Senate, but Sen. Tammy Duckworth, an Illinois Democrat, said she was impressed and is now more inclined to support him.

On North Korea, Shanahan said the U.S. is focused on negotiations to achieve full denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, adding that the North "has neared a point where it could credibly strike regional allies, U.S. territory and our forward-deployed forces."

He credited China for its cooperation on enforcing U.N. sanctions against Pyongyang.

In a departure from past conferences, however, Shanahan faced little backlash from the Chinese leaders in the audience during the question-and-answer session.

On Friday, Chinese defense ministry spokesman Wu Qian was both conciliatory and challenging.

Wu told reporters that the U.S. has recently "had a series of negative words and deeds" on Taiwan issues.

"On the issue of safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity, the U.S. should not underestimate the determination of the Chinese military, will or ability," he said.

___

Associated Press writer Annabelle Liang contributed to this report.As far as road trips with your dad go, this one was unusual, even for Siebe Alblas.

First, there was the distance: more than 4,000 miles one way, from Rotterdam in the Netherlands to western China, via Berlin, Moscow and much of Kazakhstan.

Then, there was the pace: more than 80 hours of drivingnearly as long as it would take to drive from New York to Los Angeles and backover less than six days, with father and son switching off when the other was tired.

And finally, there was the return journey. After reaching China, the pair enjoyed a celebratory dinner, stayed one night, turned around and went right back. They gave themselves one day of vacation: a stop in Moscow, to do some sightseeing.

There were moments that were stressful, but looking back it was a really good experience, Alblas said.

Alblas, 32, is the operations manager at Alblas International Logistics, a family-owned Dutch trucking company, and his father Jan, 61, is the owner and director. The road trip last fall was an advance journey to check out the route the company would soon be operating, from western Europe to western China, including places to eat, fuel up, and the conditions of the roads. And they were scoping out what other truck companies they would see on the way. Most of the time, there was no need to take notes.

The Albases' 4,000-mile one-way driving route, from Rotterdam to Western China. (Getty Images)

The land route between Europe and China had been possible before, but it wasnt practical until just recently. What changed? China joined the Transport Internationaux Routiers, a global transport convention, in May 2018, and its ambitious Belt and Road Initiative has built a network of fresh highways and transit links through Central Asiaroutes that could bring Europe and China closer than ever before.

The Alblases were the first ones to send commercial trucks on the route under the new convention, but they expect the journey to soon be commonplace.

We might be the only ones now, but of course in the near future there will be others, Alblas said.

Story continues

The New Silk Road

The Belt and Road Initiative is a Chinese project first announced in 2013 to expand the countrys economic and cultural influence the world overespecially on vital trade routes, including the ancient Europe-to-Asia thoroughfare once known as the Silk Road. Much of the initiatives focus has been on funding infrastructure, and in the sparsely populated countries of Central Asia, that often means roads.

Kazakhstan alone has received $2 billion worth of investment through the program. In return, China solidified trade links through its westernmost region of Xinjiang. Kazakhstan is vastabout a quarter of the total size of the U.S.with a population slightly smaller than New York state. Providing a reliable thoroughfare has been key to the country increasing trade, not just regionally, but also with Europe, via truck, which is faster than ocean freight, cheaper than air freight, and more flexible than rail.

The Alblases' car on a highway in Kazakhstan. (Courtesy of Siebe Alblas)

From Chinas perspective, constructing those links is about more than just sending trucks to Europe, says Kerry Brown, director of the Lau China Institute at Kings College in London. Its also aimed at changing its own narrative; that China is not just about exporting inexpensive goods; it has the technology and the backing to build sophisticated infrastructure. The initiative has also included the rapid development of the traditionally remote western regions of Chinaa push that has come alongside oppression of the Uighur Muslim population in Xinjiang.

That said, putting down physical roots has never been easy in Central Asia, a region sandwiched uneasily between China, Russia, and the Middle East.

Its a big assumption that [China] is going to be able to build massive amounts of infrastructure in these regions, says Brown. Without a huge amount of knowledge, its doing ambitious things. No one else has found it easy, so why would China?

Still, China seems eager to try, says Brown.

China or bust!

The plan to send Alblas truckscarrying a variety of goods, from clothing to pharmaceuticalsbetween Europe and China had been years in the works. The company already had an office in Urumqi, in western China, and was the first European company to apply for a permit when China joined the global transport convention.

Chinas membership in the convention meant goods could now be checked through customs at either end of their journey, rather than at several points along the way, meaning the round trip was suddenly doable in about ten days. Thats ideal for goods that are valuable and perishable enough to justify the higher cost of truck transportversus cheaper and slower ocean or rail routesbut arent worth the expense of air freight, Alblas said.

Bumps in the road

Alblas and his father left Rotterdam on a Thursday in October, driving a gray Mercedes 4X4 loaded with Dutch food and candy for snacking. Neither had ever driven the route before, and they would have to find hotels and food along the way using a time-honored method: Google maps.

The pair was used to driving together after years of family road trips. More recently, theyve made business trips across Europe also by car, says Alblas.

A truck owned by Alblas International Logistics leaves the Khorgos border control in western China. (Courtesy of Alblas International Logistics)

The trip from the Netherlands through Russia was straight-forward, but the country that lay beyondKazakhstanwas different, he says.

Sections of the road in Kazakhstan were not good Alblas says. [A]nd we still had 3,000 kilometers [or nearly 2,000 miles] to go, he says. We said, Should we go back? But we kept going.

Aside from the bumps, there wasnt much to look at: wide, flat plains, dotted with the occasional camel or cow.

Its a massive country that youre driving through, and its really empty, he says.

Arriving at your destination

Along the way, they listened to music (Coldplay, Kazakh pop music on local radio stations), and tried to answer work emails from back home. Sometimes there was no phone reception, Google maps, or local radio, so they just talked. They navigated by their vehicles GPS, which mostly led them in the right direction, Alblas says. But some highways were so new they didnt appear on the systems map. In those instances, they attempted to decipher Kazakh road signs.

In Almaty, the Kazakh commercial capital, they picked up a human guide to show them the route to Khorgos, the Kazakh-Chinese border town to the east. Along the way, there was newly built highwaya route that forms part of the new Western Europe-Western China International Transit Corridorand a new border crossing into a Chinese Special Economic Zone that doesnt require a visa. At the time of their trip last year, the border crossing was less than one month old, introduced as part of the Belt and Road Initiative.

Siebe Alblas and his father Jan in Moscow on their way home from a trip to the Kazakh-Chinese border. (Courtesy of Siebe Alblas)

Less than a month after their road trip, an Alblas truck would make nearly the same trip in reverse, bringing packaging material from China to Poland, the first of several pilot trips. The company says the journey is now a full commercial route, with at least ten trips a month, with plans to increase the number of trips further.

For Alblas, driving the route from Moscow to Kazakhstan to China was a totally new experience. And despite a childhood of lengthy road trips around Europe with his familymost of whom work in the family businessit was still an unusually long, intense road journey, he admits.

By the end, he was exhausted.

It was a nice trip, he says. But it makes you really tired to drive all day long.

More must-read stories from Fortune:

What killed Jamie Olivers restaurant chain?

Where Googles ban on Huawei will hurt the most

Europes vacation hot spots have a message for tourists: Sorry, were full

The boom, bust, and rebirth of Perth

Listen to our new audio briefing, Fortune 500 Daily

Catch up with Data Sheet, Fortunes daily digest on the business of tech.FILE - In this May 31, 2019 file photo, =a worker stacks a box of freshly harvested Chiquita bananas to be exported, at a farm in Ciudad Hidalgo, Chiapas state, Mexico. President Donald Trump plans to impose 5% tariffs on Mexican imports starting June 10 and to ratchet them up to 25% by Oct. 1 if the Mexicans dont do more to stop the surge of Central American migrants across the southern U.S. border. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Donald Trump has once again turned to tariffs to try to get his way with a U.S. trading partner.

This time, the target is Mexico: Trump plans to impose 5% tariffs on Mexican imports starting June 10 and to ratchet them up to 25% by Oct. 1 if the Mexicans don't do more to stop the surge of Central American migrants across the southern U.S. border.

Tariffs have become one of Trump's favorite policy tools. The president, who calls himself "a Tariff Man," has slapped the levies on imported steel, aluminum, dishwashers and solar panels. He's also imposed them on $250 billion worth of Chinese goods in a dispute over China's aggressive campaign to challenge American technological dominance. And he's planning to extend tariffs to the $300 billion worth of Chinese imports that he hasn't already targeted.

Before Trump, tariffs had long been fading into history, a relic of the 19th and early 20th centuries when nations tended to focus on keeping imports out and exporting as much as they could.

More than any other modern president, Trump has embraced tariffs as a punitive tool  against Europe, Canada and other key trading partners but especially against China , the second-largest economy after the U.S.

Here's a look at what tariffs are and how they work.

___

Q: ARE WE IN A TRADE WAR?

Economists have no set definition of a trade war. But with the world's two largest economies now slapping potentially punishing tariffs on each other, it looks as if a trade war has arrived. All told, Trump has threatened to hit as much as $550 billion worth of China's exports to the U.S. with punitive tariffs. That's more than the $506 billion in goods that China shipped to the United States last year.

It's not uncommon for countries  even close allies  to fight over trade in specific products. The United States and Canada, for example, have squabbled for decades over softwood lumber.

But the U.S. and China are fighting over much broader issues, like China's requirements that American companies share advanced technology to access China's market, and the overall U.S. trade deficit with China. So far, neither side has shown any sign of bending.

Story continues

___

Q: SO WHAT ARE TARIFFS?

Tariffs are a tax on imports. They're typically charged as a percentage of the transaction price that a buyer pays a foreign seller.

In the United States, tariffs  also called duties or levies  are collected by Customs and Border Protection agents at 328 ports of entry across the country. Proceeds go to the Treasury. The tariff rates are published by the U.S. International Trade Commission in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule, which lists U.S. tariffs on everything from dried plantains (1.4 percent) to parachutes (3 percent).

Sometimes, the U.S. will impose additional duties on foreign imports that it determines are being sold at unfairly low prices or are being supported by foreign government subsidies.

___

Q: DO OTHER COUNTRIES HAVE HIGHER TARIFFS THAN THE UNITED STATES?

Most key U.S. trading partners do not have significantly higher average tariffs. According to an analysis by Greg Daco at Oxford Economics, U.S. tariffs on imported goods, adjusted for trade volumes, average 2.4 percent, above Japan's 2 percent and just below the 3 percent for the European Union and 3.1 percent for Canada.

The comparable figures for Mexico and China are higher: Both have higher duties that top 4 percent.

Trump has complained about the 270 percent duty that Canada imposes on dairy products. But the United States has its own ultra-high tariffs  168 percent on peanuts and 350 percent on tobacco.

___

Q: WHAT ARE TARIFFS SUPPOSED TO ACCOMPLISH?

Two things: Raise government revenue and protect domestic industries from foreign competition. Before the establishment of the federal income tax in 1913, tariffs were a big money raiser for the U.S. government. From 1790 to 1860, for example, they produced 90 percent of federal revenue, according to "Clashing Over Commerce: A History of US Trade Policy" by Douglas Irwin, an economist at Dartmouth College. By contrast, last year tariffs accounted for only about 1 percent of federal revenue.

In the fiscal year that ended last Sept. 30, the U.S. government collected $34.6 billion in customs duties and fees. The White House Office of Management and Budget expects tariffs to fetch $40.4 billion this year.

Tariffs also are meant to increase the price of imports or to punish foreign countries for committing unfair trade practices, like subsidizing their exporters and dumping their products at unfairly low prices. Tariffs discourage imports by making them more expensive. They also reduce competitive pressure on domestic competitors and can allow them to raise prices.

Tariffs fell out of favor as global trade expanded after World War II.

The formation of the World Trade Organization and the advent of trade deals like the North American Free Trade Agreement among the U.S., Mexico and Canada reduced tariffs or eliminated them altogether.

___

Q: WHY ARE TARIFFS MAKING A COMEBACK?

After years of trade agreements that bound the countries of the world more closely and erased restrictions on trade, a populist backlash has grown against globalization. This was evident in Trump's 2016 election and the British vote that year to leave the European Union  both surprise setbacks for the free-trade establishment.

Critics note that big corporations in rich countries exploited looser rules to move factories to China and other low-wage countries, then shipped goods back to their wealthy home countries while paying low tariffs or none at all. Since China joined the WTO in 2001, the United States has shed 3.1 million factory jobs, though many economists attribute much of that loss not just to trade but to robots and other technologies that replace human workers.

Trump campaigned on a pledge to rewrite trade agreements and crack down on China, Mexico and other countries. He blames what he calls their abusive trade policies for America's persistent trade deficits  $566 billion last year. Most economists, by contrast, say the deficit simply reflects the reality that the United States spends more than it saves. By imposing tariffs, he is beginning to turn his hard-line campaign rhetoric into action.

___

Q: ARE TARIFFS A WISE POLICY?

Most economists  Trump's trade adviser Peter Navarro is a notable exception  say no. The tariffs drive up the cost of imports. And by reducing competitive pressure, they give U.S. producers leeway to raise their prices, too. That's good for those producers  but bad for almost everyone else.

Rising costs especially hurt consumers and companies that rely on imported components. Some U.S. companies that buy steel are complaining that Trump's tariffs put them at a competitive disadvantage. Their foreign rivals can buy steel more cheaply and offer their products at lower prices.

More broadly, economists say trade restrictions make the economy less efficient. Facing less competition from abroad, domestic companies lose the incentive to increase efficiency or to focus on what they do best.

___

Animated explainer on trade disputes:

https://youtu.be/qWF5DF_XQYk

___

Follow Paul Wiseman on Twitter at https://twitter.com/PaulWisemanAPICYMI: Here are our top stories from Sunday, June 2

Here are some of the top stories from The Kathmandu Post (June 2, 2019).* U.S. calls on Iran to behave like "a normal nation"

* Trump says he hopes Iran will come to negotiating table

* Tehran says it expects actions, not words

* U.S. closely tracking UN findings on Iran atomic activity (Adds Rouhani's reaction, edits)

By David Brunnstrom and John Revill

BELLINZONA, Switzerland, June 2 (Reuters) - The United States is prepared to engage with Iran without pre-conditions about its nuclear programme but needs to see the country behaving like "a normal nation", U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Sunday.

Iran dismissed the offer as "word-play".

Tension between the two foes has increased sharply in the past month, a year after U.S. President Donald Trump abandoned Iran's 2015 deal with world powers to curb Tehran's nuclear programme in return for the lifting of sanctions.

Washington, which reimposed sanctions last year, has sharply tightened them since the start of May, ordering all countries to halt imports of Iranian oil. It has hinted at military confrontation, sending extra forces to the region in response to what it calls Iranian threats.

Iran has responded by saying it could increase its production of enriched uranium beyond levels permitted under the deal, although it has not yet done so.

Asked about comments by Iran's President Hassan Rouhani on Saturday that Iran might be willing to hold talks if Washington showed it respect, Pompeo said: "We are prepared to engage in a conversation with no pre-conditions. We are ready to sit down."

However, he said Washington would continue to work to "reverse the malign activity" of Iran in the Middle East, citing Tehran's support to Hezbollah and to the Syrian government.

Pompeo said U.S. President Donald Trump had been saying for a long time that he was willing to talk to Iran.

"We are certainly prepared to have that conversation when the Iranians can prove that they want to behave like a normal nation," he told a joint news conference with his Swiss counterpart Ignazio Cassis.

Story continues

The State Department later pointed to remarks Trump had made nearly a year ago in which he said he was willing to hold talks with Iran without conditions.

Responding to Pompeo's latest remarks, Rouhani said on Sunday it was up to the United States to return to the negotiating table and resume compliance with the 2015 deal.

"The other side that left the negotiating table and breached a treaty should return to normal state," he said in comments reported on the government website.

He presented the offer of talks with no pre-conditions as a sign of Iran's strength: "The enemies sometimes say they have conditions for negotiations with Iran... but in recent weeks they said they have no conditions. They threatened us as if they were a military superpower, but now they say they do not seek a war," he said.

Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said: "The Islamic Republic of Iran does not pay attention to word-play and expression of hidden agenda in new forms."

Both sides have made seemingly conflicting remarks about the possibility of talks in recent weeks, while saying it was up to the other side to make the first move.

Rouhani had suggested on Saturday that Iran might be willing to hold talks if Washington showed it respect, but said Tehran would not be pressured into talks.

'MAY WORK IN REAL ESTATE, DOES NOT WORK IN IRAN'

The Trump administration argues that the 2015 deal agreed by his predecessor Barack Obama is not strong enough, and that Iran can be pressed by new sanctions into signing a tougher deal.

Washington's European allies say the U.S. decision to abandon the agreement was a mistake, which strengthens Iranian hardliners at the expense of Rouhani, a pragmatist who won two landslide elections on promises to open Iran up to the world.

Trump said last Monday he was hopeful Iran would come to the negotiating table. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Wednesday Tehran would not negotiate with Washington.

Khamenei, a hardline cleric in power since 1989, is Iran's ultimate authority although the elected president is in charge of day-to-day affairs.

In an interview that aired Sunday on ABC's "This Week", Foreign Minister Javad Zarif saw little chance of taking up Trump's offer, and said Trump's tough negotiating techniques from his real estate career would fail in diplomacy.

"Its not very likely because talking is the continuation of the process of pressure. He is imposing pressure," Zarif said. "This may work in the real estate market. It does not work in dealing with Iran."

A quarterly report by the U.N. atomic watchdog indicated on Friday that Iran was still abiding by the main limits set in the nuclear deal. Pompeo said Washington has its own "independent understanding of what is taking place there".

(Reporting by David Brunnstrom and John Revill; Additional reporting by Bozorgmehr Sharafedin in London, Stephanie Nebehay in Geneva and Valerie Volcovici in Washington; Editing by Mary Milliken, William Maclean, Lisa Shumaker and Peter Graff)FILE PHOTO: An aerial view of power-generating wind turbines at the Lake Turkana Wind Power project (LTWP) in Loiyangalani district, Marsabit County, northern Kenya, September 4, 2018. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya/File Photo

By Stine Jacobsen

COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Vestas on Tuesday launched a wind turbine targeting the U.S. market, aiming to simplify how they are built and cut costs further for the renewable energy source.

The launch comes at a crucial juncture for the maturing wind industry which is facing a battle to remain competitive while being weaned off generous state subsidies.

"It is necessary to take a significant leap forward with regards to industrialization," chief technology officer Anders Vedel told Reuters.

The turbine with its 138 meter rotor diameter has the industry's largest swept area, a crucial measure for how much energy can be harnessed, for a turbine with a tip height under 500 feet, which is often a requirement in the United States.

Vedel expects the annual energy production from the new turbine to be more than 30 percent higher compared to the older V120-2.2 MW turbine.

The new turbine, called V138-3.0 MW, is based on the EnVentus platform which Vestas presented this year and is built on a modular design to enable more customized turbines to be produced without expanding the number of components.

This technology is Vestas' attempt to move towards more scalable manufacturing to ensure that mass production of wind turbines remains commercially viable at a time of price pressure and rising demand.

Vestas, whose main rivals are Siemens Gamesa and General Electric, has looked at the auto industry's cost-saving modular platforms, Vedel said, referring to cooperation with Swedish truckmaker Scania.

The new V138 turbine can be used globally but is well suited for the U.S. market where many sites have capacity constraints with regards to how many megawatts can be installed and fed into the local grid.

Vestas said many of the same components from the two first turbines from the EnVentus platform had been used for the new one.

Vedel declined to say how much the new turbine would cost.

"The prices of turbines will always be decided by the market," he said.

(Reporting by Stine Jacobsen; Editing by Keith Weir)



The company wants to be known as a champion of women's rights



So why has CEO pic.twitter.com/jj7e7ZAz4J 1. Yesterday, @netflix said it may pull out of Georgia if the courts uphold the state's new abortion banThe company wants to be known as a champion of women's rightsSo why has CEO @reedhastings given so much cash to legislators pushing abortion bans? https://t.co/lT9RmZ8LRO May 29, 2019





Missouri just enacted an abortion ban nearly as restrictive as Georgia 2. Over the last 10 months, Netflix CEO @reedhastings has donated $143,000 to 73 Republican members of the Missouri legislature (and Governor Mike Parsons)Missouri just enacted an abortion ban nearly as restrictive as Georgia https://t.co/lT9RmZ8LRO May 29, 2019

Judd Legum is an independent journalist who does excellent work. Here are two tweets from his Twitter feed about a story on his website . These tweets are for a story he felt was so important that he removed the paywall so that anyone can read it.It is a fact that Netflix CEO Reed Hastings did give $143,000 to Missouri's governor and Republican legislators between July 6, 2018 and February 14, 2019.It is a fact that all but one of the Republicans in the Missouri legislature who on the list of contributions made by Spencer voted for the abortion ban; in the final vote that passed it.When I read the story, I wondered if there was a true connection between these contributions and the abortion ban. So I checked. Turns out that all but $9,100 of those contributions were made before Missouri HB126, the abortion ban was introduced into the Missouri legislature. Hard to find a connection between that bill and donations made before it was a bill. Particularly in light of the fact that there was an election in 2018 and it seems a lot of those donations were made to support the election of those Republicans rather than in support of either the abortion or the charter school bill Mr. Legum references in his article. The link in his article to that bill shows it wasn't introduced until January of 2019. Only $3,600 of the aforementioned $143,000 in contributions was made after introduction of that bill.Yes Virginia, bills can garner contributions prior to their introduction. Was all of the $143,000 in contributions done in support of HB 126? I do not believe so. To imply they were is what some would call "spin."* * *What does it mean when a corporation's CEO and/or primary shareholder makes political contributions that are the opposite of a position taken by the corporation? It is clearly an issue that can be exploited. Let's suppose for a moment that Reed Hastings would give an honest answer to the question, "why would you contribution to legislators that oppose a woman's right to choose, when your company has staked out a position in support of that right in a different state?" He could say that the corporation's position is a business decision while what he does personally with his money is his business. A lot of people would not like that answer.Just ask Margie Christofferson. In 2008 there was a firestorm of political controversy in California as Proposition 8 was on the November ballot. It was a ballot initiative that would have ended the right of same-sex couples to marry in California. Ms Christofferson was then the owner of the El Coyote Restaurant. Opened in 1931 it has been a fixture on Beverly Boulevard forever. Notorious for being the eatery where Sharon Tate had her last meal, in 2008 it was a "gay hangout" with many gay employees.Ms Christofferson is a devout Mormon and she donated $100 of her own money to the campaign in favor of Prop 8. No big deal until a list of donors for and against the proposition was distributed. It led to a boycott of El Coyote that was devastating to the joint. Ms Christofferson took a leave of absence. It took a long time for El Coyote to recover.If people want to boycott Netflix over the political contributions of Mr. Hastings, they should do so. Nothing wrong with that. I just wonder how many of those whose immediate reaction to the story on that $143,000 in contributions would have felt as strongly if they had all of the facts.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:City Editor

Tom Roeder is the Gazette's City Editor. In Colorado Springs since 2003, Tom has covered the military at home and overseas and has covered statehouses in Denver and Olympia, Wash. His main job, though, is being dad to two great kids.You have permission to edit this article.

Edit Close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.Community members form a prayer circle at the conclusion of a vigil at the Santa Fe Junior High School stadium in May 2018 in Santa Fe, Texas. Eight students and two teachers were killed in an attack at the high school.If State Sen. Larry Crowder has his way, the next session of the Colorado Legislature will focus on keeping schoolchildren alive when a criminLocal officials from the Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments have warned that a smoggy summer could push the region over federal air quality limits for ozone, and environmental activists are pointing fingers at the coal-fired power plant in downtown Colorado Springs.

Clean air activists argue that the Martin Drake Power Plant could make or break whether ozone concentrations exceed a threshold mandated by the Environmental Protection Agency, triggering a violation that could lead to vehicle emissions testing and other costly mitigation measures.

The power plant is El Paso Countys single largest stationary source of another pollutant, nitrogen oxide, that is a major component in ozone formation, according to data from the state Department of Public Health and Environment. Ray Nixon Power Plant, near Fountain, is a close second, the data show.

It is clear that Drake and Nixon are the biggest sources (of nitrogen oxide), and theyre the easiest sources to fix, said Robert Ukeiley, a Boulder-based senior attorney for the Center for Biological Diversitys Environmental Health Program. Youre not going to convince people to get out of their cars. Thats just not happening.

Utilities maintains that there are too many factors at play when ozone forms to say that the plants are significant contributors to the problem. Plus, data from the state shows that, altogether, cars and other vehicles emit more nitrogen oxide than Drake and Nixon combined.

Drake is scheduled to be shuttered no later than 2035, although its controversial emissions have long spurred local activists to call for an earlier closure. Utilities CEO Aram Benjamin has said that the closure could come sooner as the provider brings more solar power and battery storage into its energy portfolio.

But the looming air quality violation is adding a new twist and an immediacy to the pressure to wind down operations at the plant, said Lee Milner, a local parks and open space advocate who previously served on the Pikes Peak regions air quality committee.

Cars and other vehicles produced about 9,900 tons of nitrogen oxide per year, or about 51% of the emissions in the county, when the EPAs last National Emissions Inventory was compiled. Drake and Nixon accounted for about 3,480 tons of nitrogen oxide emissions, or roughly 20%, according to the 2014 inventory.

However, the plants nitrogen oxide emissions have been slashed by more than a third since then, as Utilities has installed new low-nitrogen oxide burners and other emission control technologies, said Chris Welch, Utilities interim permitting services supervisor. One of Drakes three units was also decommissioned at the end of 2016, Welch said.

Weve done a lot over the years to reduce our (nitrogen oxide) emissions, and we only see that trend continuing in the future, Welch said.

He added that Utilities is also weighing potential operational changes to limit nitrogen oxide emissions from the plants on days that the states public health department predicts elevated ozone levels.

Last year, Drake emitted about 1,290 tons of nitrogen oxide, Ray Nixon emitted about 915 tons and Utilities natural-gas fired Front Range Power Plant emitted about 330 tons, according to data that the provider submitted to the EPA.

There are about a dozen other sources in the county that produce more than 10 tons per year of nitrogen oxide, including Fort Carson and UCHealth Memorial Hospital Central; however, all of those sources annually emit about 100 tons or less, according to the most recently available data from the state. More recent data on vehicle emissions in the county werent available.

Welch said he hasnt seen evidence of a direct correlation between Drakes emissions of nitrogen oxide and high ozone levels.

But Maureen Barrett, an Evergreen-based engineer who runs an air quality consulting business, said its extremely unlikely that Drakes emissions dont raise local ozone concentrations, given the laws of physics.

The main component of smog, ozone is a colorless, odorless gas that forms when nitrogen oxide and other pollutants, known as volatile organic compounds, mix in the sunlight. Common sources of volatile organic compounds include household products such as paints, cleansers and aerosol sprays, according to the EPA.

Ozone is found naturally in the stratosphere; but when it occurs near the Earths surface, it can cause difficulty breathing, shortness of breath and coughing and exacerbate lung diseases such as asthma, emphysema and chronic bronchitis, the EPA reports.

In 2018, Colorado Springs two area air monitors measured levels above the federal limit of 70 parts per billion on seven occasions, according to the state health department.

On six of those days, there was at least one other factor that could have led to the spike, the state reports. Either wildfire smoke was drifting in from blazes in other parts of the state or Western U.S., or a stratospheric intrusion had occurred, causing ozone from the atmosphere to descend to the Earths surface. On one of those days, both were happening.

The Pikes Peak region is still technically in line with federal regulations because compliance is based on a three-year average of the fourth highest readings at the two monitors, meaning the three highest smog days each year are dropped.

In the late 1980s, the EPA found that the Colorado Springs area had violated air quality standards for another pollutant, carbon monoxide. As part of an extensive plan developed by local governments to bring levels below mandated limits, county residents were required to have their vehicles emissions tested until the beginning of 2007.

If the area is found to be noncompliant with ozone standards, stricter permitting requirements for businesses could also be required . Such regulatory requirements have been tightened in Denver because of federal ozone violations.

The Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments, the regions air quality planning agency, has hired an environmental program manager and revived its air quality committee to see what can be done so that the EPA does not designate Colorado springs as a nonattainment area.

The air quality committee is working with Utilities and promoting simple steps that people can take in their daily lives to reduce ozone, such as biking to work instead of driving or waiting to mow the lawn until the evening instead of during the day.

We cant put all our eggs in one basket, said Andy Gunning, the councils executive director. The sources come from so many different places  the transportation sector, industrial processing stuff, oil and gas that we dont really have in our region, but we have coming in from elsewhere  that its not wise to really focus on just one source. Weve really got to take a more comprehensive view of all this.

But others, such as air quality committee member Francois Raab, say that limiting nitrogen oxide emissions from Drake and Nixon is a better short-term solution to avert noncompliance with the EPAs ozone rules.

To reduce emission, you have to target the source of emission. Targeting a single source is easier than targeting hundreds of thousands of sources, from a practical standpoint, Raab said. Youre going after hundreds of thousands of drivers. Or youre going after two power plants.The Moose Lodge 1328 is partnering with the Mason City Family YMCA to raise support for the youth programs at the YMCA by hosting a Dads Belgian Waffle fundraiser from 4:30-6:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

The Moose Lodge wanted the opportunity to help children in North Iowa have access to the YMCA and the many programs for children that the Y sponsors, including free swimming lessons during Swim Splash and its scholarship program which provides families with reduced prices for membership.

Proceeds will be split between the YMCA and Moose Lodge.

For more information you can contact Kim Pang, CEO of Mason City Family YMCA, at 641-422-5999 or Mike Svejda, president of Moose Lodge 1328, at 641-210-9686. Tickets are still available for $8 for Adults, $6 for Children (6-12), and children under 5 are free. You can purchase tickets at the YMCA, Moose Lodge, or at the door for $1 more.

For more information on family or youth scholarships, contact the Mason City Family YMCA at https://www.masoncityymca.org

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0tnt007tarun wrote:





TLDR: 32M, Indian 750GMAT, 8 years international WE, 2.5 years nonprofit leadership (concurrent), MBA for Consulting







Background





Work experience:



4 years - Director B2B Sales (US & Canada) for pvt. technology services company (HQ India, I'm in Toronto) (2015 - 2019)

In my current role, I have contributed to business decisions at the top level since the past 2 years, introduced new processes into sales, empowered an account team and achieved amazing results (account selling). Introduced data analytics culture into the company. Extensive travel, meetings, and negotiations with Director-level personnel at Fortune 500 companies.





In my current role, I have contributed to business decisions at the top level since the past 2 years, introduced new processes into sales, empowered an account team and achieved amazing results (account selling). Introduced data analytics culture into the company. Extensive travel, meetings, and negotiations with Director-level personnel at Fortune 500 companies. 2 years - Environmental consultant based out of Atlanta GA (USA) (2013 - 2015), consulted for almost all top oil & gas companies in US



3 years - Manufacturing and Project Engineering in a Pvt Ltd company (India) (2008 - 2011)

Extra curriculars:



2.5 years - Co-president of an environmental/sustainability nonprofit in the US - concurrent with my US work experience (2012 - 2015) - won an award from the Mayor of the city for my contributions



1 year - Other nonprofit work (only online) with a women empowerment startup (2014)



2 years - Founded and ran two clubs during my undergrad (2009-2011)

Undergrad school/major:



Top Indian tech school, Chemical Engineering, GPA - 2.5/4.0



Other education/coursework:



Grad school (T100, USA), Environmental Engineering, GPA 3.9/4.0 (w/ academic scholarship)



Race/nationality : Indian



Sex : M







Stats



GMAT Score: 750... Q48 V44



Undergrad GPA: 2.5/4.0



Grad GPA (US): 3.9/4.0







Why MBA



I want to change careers to management consulting. I realize I have quite a lot going against me in this case especially if I want to get into MBB (i.e., age is above median, low undergrad GPA), so please feel free to comment on this as well.



Target schools (I am also looking at W/E MBAs because of the opportunity cost). I live in Toronto.



Rotman (Canada), Ivey (Canada), Kellogg (I know its a stretch), Dartmouth, Duke, Darden, Michigan I would really appreciate it if you could share your thoughts on my profile and MBA goals. Any and all feedback is welcome.TLDR: 32M, Indian 750GMAT, 8 years international WE, 2.5 years nonprofit leadership (concurrent), MBA for ConsultingTop Indian tech school, Chemical Engineering, GPA - 2.5/4.0Grad school (T100, USA), Environmental Engineering, GPA 3.9/4.0 (w/ academic scholarship): Indian: MGMAT Score: 750... Q48 V44Undergrad GPA: 2.5/4.0Grad GPA (US): 3.9/4.0I want to change careers to management consulting. I realize I have quite a lot going against me in this case especially if I want to get into MBB (i.e., age is above median, low undergrad GPA), so please feel free to comment on this as well.(I am also looking at W/E MBAs because of the opportunity cost). I live in Toronto.Rotman (Canada), Ivey (Canada), Kellogg (I know its a stretch), Dartmouth, Duke, Darden, MichiganGrand Old Partisan commemorates the Revenue Act of 1924. Passed by the GOP-controlled 68th Congress, President Calvin Coolidge signed it on June 2nd that year. The law was known as the "Mellon Tax Cut" for its author, Treasury Secretary Andrew Mellon.

Sweeping tax cuts generated economic growth after the doldrums of First World War austerity and Woodrow Wilson socialism.

Here is a Video Version of this article on YouTube: https://youtu.be/a7seq91XrIs

Michael Zak is author of Back to Basics for the Republican Party, a history of GOP civil rights achievement.

Each day, Michael Zak's grandoldpartisan YouTube channel and Grand Old Partisan blog celebrate more than sixteen decades of Republican heritage. And, see Speech Raves for audience feedback from his presentations in thirty-one states so far.

He also wrote the 2005 Republican Freedom Calendar.

Clarence Thomas cited Back to Basics for the Republican Party in a Supreme Court decision.

Buy the book at Amazon

See www.youtube.com/q?v=IzxKCiXc5Qc for a brief video of a Texas Republican praising Back to Basics for the Republican Party.

"This is the most amazing book about politics that I have ever read. The Overview should be required reading for anyone with even a minor interest in government. The remainder is an enthralling history lesson that I will never forget. For years, we have all been misled about the true nature of the GOP. This is the real deal! Read it and be proud!"

"Michael Zak wrote the definitive history of the GOP."

"Back to Basics for the Republican Party is the most significant contribution to the Republican Party in the last twenty years apart from Ronald Reagan."

"Back to Basics for the Republican Party is more important to our party now than ever before."

and

"one of the best books I ever read"1. Fill in your name or an alias. Do not leave blank or use the name 'guest' or 'anonymous'.

2. No Nivul Peh. Profanity will be deleted.Jagadishpur Lake drained out, putting wildlife in grave danger

An irrigation office decided to drain the lake to repair a connecting irrigation canalleaving the wildlife in the area to fight for their survival" " After glass became more common and easily obtained, delusions of being made of glass, like those that plagued King Charles VI pictured here, largely disappeared. Imagano/Getty

In 1422, King Charles VI died after ruling France for more than 40 years. Also remembered as Charles the Mad, the king may have been the first person to exhibit the glass delusion; that is, he thought he was made of glass and would break. The delusion, brought on by melancholia, would continue to pop up through medieval Europe until the late 19th century.

Hippocrates took it upon himself to define melancholia in his tome "Aphorisms" as a long-lasting "fright or despondency." Think of it as profound depression. The condition affected those who were isolated and not generally around a lot of people. People with the melancholia-induced-glass delusion also often experienced photophobia, or an extreme sensitivity to light.

Advertisement

The French King Charles VI was so convinced of his glass fragility that he insisted on having special clothes made for him, reinforced with iron on the inside so that he wouldn't shatter with the movement required of his station. He also wouldn't let people touch him, for fear of breaking, something that persisted through his life.

Charles VI wasn't the only royalty with the glass delusion. Princess Alexandra Amelie of Bavaria was convinced that she'd swallowed a glass grand piano as a child that had reconstituted her somehow into fragile glass. She, too, took care with her movements to avoid "breaking." (This is the case Stuff You Missed in History Class discuss in their podcast.)

According to a 1990 History of Psychiatry paper reviewing this type of melancholy, others afflicted by such delusions thought they were flasks (now called urinals), oil lamps or some other glass receptacle.

The combination of photosensitivity and fragility factoring into delusions at this time in history is thought to have been partially due to the invention of clear glass. People had never seen clear glass before, and they viewed it as something almost magical.

In that 1990 paper, author Gill Speak writes that melancholiacs whose delusions manifested in a need to protect the body often were preoccupied with protecting the soul, too. The glass delusion may well have been a side effect of dealing with the metaphysical reality of death and self-preservation.

These issues haven't disappeared in today's world either. If you're isolated from people and suffering from a mental illness, it sort of makes sense to imagine yourself as a material that's easily breakable and largely invisible.

Today, though, delusions often reflect more recent technological or cultural advances. In fact, a 2011 study published in the International Journal of Social Psychiatry found that, since 1950, the most common delusion came in the form of persecution complexes and the belief of being spied on. Since the advent of the Cold War and the evolution of today's technological landscape, it's no wonder that delusion took hold. And if Edward Snowden is even half right, maybe a fear of being spied on isn't that delusional after all.

Now That's Cool The glass delusion has appeared in many places in popular literature, the most famous being "El licenciado Vidriera" (or "The Glass Graduate"), a short story by Cervantes. It's about a boy who purchases an aphrodisiac that, instead of having the desired effect, confers on him the glass delusion.The summer sun beamed down on a crowd of smiling teetering alongside their parents. Their faces bore brightly painted designs and many clutched shiny balloons or ice cream cones dripping down their hands. The tinkling of carousel music could be heard in the background as a herd of wooden animals spun round and round.

On Saturday afternoon, the Great Northern Town Center hosted a block party to celebrate the grand reopening of the Great Northern Carousel. After closing in January for renovations, the carousel officially reopened to the public on Tuesday, just in time for the start of summer.

Its fun to see all the kids back down here for the carousel and go between there and ExplorationWorks, said Kari Gagner, marketing and visitor services director for ExplorationWorks. It adds another level of liveliness down there that wasnt here when the carousel was closed.

According to Trish Thompson, business operations manager for the carousel, the block party was a collective idea between the carousel and ExplorationWorks to welcome back Helenas iconic carousel to the community.

I was just as excited as everyone else in Helena that the doors opened back up, said Thompson. For the past couple of months kids have been sticking their hands and faces up against the doors to see inside.

Thompson hit the ground running as the carousels new manager two months ago and has been hard at work ever since gearing up for the reopening and busy summer season. According to Thompson, mechanical improvements were made to the carousel itself as well as widespread renovations on the building that houses it. Each of the carved animals was also repainted and touched up by the original artists to restore their glory.

With all new staff and a revitalized space and animals, the carousel was more than ready for its party debut on Saturday.

The block party featured a variety of family-friendly activities like face painting, bubbles, balloons, Imagination Playground blocks and ice cream cones. ExplorationWorks also offered a special outdoor TinkerLab called Extreme Fort Building. Aspiring engineers had the opportunity to try their hand at constructing cardboard creations.

Live music from the performing act, Sweet Memories, was also on-site. The stars of the act, Sarah Pagan and Terry OHare, took block party guests on a nostalgic trip down memory lane with tunes from the 1950s, 60s and 70s.

The block party is a one stop shop for all the fun, said Gagner. The hope was it would bring families down here and let kids run and play and ride the carousel.

The carousel had no shortage of riders and only paused momentarily to allow more kids to saddle up on their chosen animal. The rides closure in January was the first time the animals had taken a vacation since the carousels opening in 2002. Owner and developer Alan Nicholson was the visionary behind the creation of the carousel for the people of Helena and Montana tourists.

I always liked carousels as a child growing up in Roundup, said Nicholson. I still ride them wherever I go and have the opportunity.

Photos: Great Northern Carousel grand reopening block party On Saturday afternoon, the Great Northern Town Center hosted a block party to celebrate the grand reopening of the Great Northern Carousel. Af

The carousel itself consists of 37 animals that were hand-carved over three years by renowned sculptor Ed Roth. With over 30 years of sculpting experience, Roth brought a wealth of knowledge to the project. He is most known for his extensive work with the Walt Disney Company. Some of his larger projects for Disney included carving 90 feet of mahogany panels celebrating Theodore Roosevelt's life for the Teddy Roosevelt's Lounge located in Tokyo Disney, Japan, and the entrance to Mickey's Philharmonic in Hong Kong Disney.

Bette Largent of Spokane, Washington, was responsible for hand painting the intricate features of each animal on the Great Northern Carousel. Back home, Largent is known as the Carousel Lady for her dedication to restoring and maintaining the animals of the Looff Carrousel in Spokanes Riverfront Park.

Unlike many carousels that strictly feature horses, the Great Northern Carousel also features a unique assortment of wildlife native to Montana like a grizzly bear, pronghorn, bison, bobcat and cutthroat trout. Nicholsons idea was to give children riding the carousel a uniquely Montana experience.

I love all the animals, said Thompson. But my favorite animal has got to be the river otter because they are the most social animal.

It makes my wife and I feel pretty good, said Nicholson about the communitys continued appreciation for the carousel. It made our children happy.

Nicholson shared that his kids loved the carousel so much growing up that his daughters handprint is even hidden on one of the rides horses. But he stressed that the carousel is not just for children.

Adults should ride it too, said Nicholson. It goes counterclockwise so they can unwind.

With Helena schools officially on summer vacation, the carousel will be open seven days a week through Labor Day to ensure everyone has a chance to take a ride and vie for the coveted golden ring.

I remember taking my kids here when they were younger and it gave us such good family memories, said Thompson.

Its a really great thing for a community the size of Helena to have a carousel that is world class, said Gagner. "Its a gem located in town.

Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0Since it first opened its doors a decade ago, the volunteers operating the Darby Bread Box knew who to call whenever they needed help.

Weve always relied on the students from Trapper Creek, said the food banks manager, Mary Lockwood. Whenever weve had a project or something that needed to be done, we would call out there and they would end up sending us a crew. They are always a nice bunch of kids. They even sang at our Christmas craft show.

When the Bread Box moved into its new building a year ago, crews from Trapper Creek Job Corps painted the inside, built a loading dock and put in some new walkways. Every year at Christmas and Thanksgiving, its students volunteer to help distribute food to those in need.

They have been a great help to us, Lockwood said. It would be challenging if they werent here. Our volunteers would have to do all the heavy lifting. All of us are getting old.

From Darby to Florence, organizations that run the gamut from the county fairgrounds to those who help build Habitat for Humanity homes are wondering what the future will look like without a group thats left its mark in every Bitterroot Valley community since the 1960s.

Trapper Creek Job Corps is one of 16 centers currently operated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture slated to be transferred to the Labor Department by the end of September. Once the transfer is complete, the centers would be turned over to a private contractor or to the state for operation.

The current workforce of 55 USDA employees at Trapper Creek has been told they will need to find new jobs or retire. No information has been released on how the center will function after its current staff is gone.

Chris Kovatch of Florence said it seems like a bad idea.

Kovatch was one of four Florence residents who came together with an idea to create a first-class softball field for the Florence-Carlton School District. They reached out into the community to raise the funds for the effort.

Students in Trapper Creeks concrete program provided all the labor to create the dugouts, a large concrete slab behind the backstop and a long retaining wall. The students worked on the project off and on between May and October.

We provided the material and they provided the labor, Kovatch said. They did a fantastic job. If we had to pay for labor on that project, it would have cost us thousands of dollars.  It would have been very, very challenging for us to come with the additional funding that we would have needed to complete this without their help.

Kovatch spent a good deal of time at the project. He was impressed by the instructors patience with his students.

You could tell he really cared about them, Kovatch said. Even if he had to show them three or four times how to do it right, he took the time to make sure they learned how to do it right. Its crazy to me they would shut down a program like that when there is currently a lack of people willing to work in the trades.

Kovatch works fires in the summer. Hes also been around crews from Trapper Creek and Anaconda Job Corps at fire camps.

Ive always had fantastic luck with those guys, he said. If we had to build something around camp, they knew how to get that done. They were more savvy than most.

When softball teams took the field the first time in May, members of Trapper Creek were invited to join the other two main sponsors of the project to throw out the first pitch. Next year, Florence will host divisional and state softball tournaments.

Its my understanding that Florence has never hosted state anything before, Kovatch said.

Ravalli County Fairgrounds Manager Melissa Saville said the list of work thats been accomplished at the fairgrounds by Trapper Creek students is long and continues to grow.

There is so much work here that needs to be done that its impossible for our two maintenance people to keep up with it all, Saville said. They bring in 20 to 30 kids who are anxious to do something.

Last year, the students and volunteers from GlaxoSmithKline painted the entire grandstands. Almost all the new concrete around the buildings was poured by students. This year, they are painting the inside of several buildings and filling the floors of horse stalls with crushed asphalt.

We certainly appreciate what they bring to the fairgrounds, she said. These kids have some serious skills. The welding school built a custom gate for us. They took the supplies that we already had here  one mans garbage is anothers treasure kind of thing  and built this amazing gate.

Im worried about the kids, she said. I know the loss of that volunteer base will hurt a lot of community organizations, but a lot of these kids dont come from a great background. Trapper is teaching them the skills they need to build their lives.

The Darby School District will certainly feel the pinch if the center ends up closing and its employees leave the area, said Darby Superintendent Dan Johnston.

Some of those employees have children in our schools, he said. Were a small school district. If we lose one kid, we lose a lot. We could lose as many as 10, maybe more. Thats $90,000 to the district.

Ravalli County Commission Chair Jeff Burrows said it would be a significant loss to the Bitterroot Valley if Trapper Creek were to close. He said the commission will likely write a letter in support of the center.

Its a great program, but I think unfortunately they sometimes get lumped in with others that arent doing so well, Burrows said. Theyve been very successful and definitely benefit our community.

Hamilton Mayor Dominic Farrenkopf has worked with Trapper Creek students both in his capacity as mayor and as a longtime activitys and community life director at two senior centers, where students have brightened up the lives of residents for years.

The current Christmas program at Sapphire Lutheran Homes features Santa Claus, carols, brunch, sharing of stories, cards and gifts.

The residents thoroughly enjoy this program as they get to meet young adults from all across the country, Farrenkopf said. The Trapper Creek students enjoy the interaction with the senior residents as well.

In Hamilton, Trapper Creek students help with the annual spring and summer cleanup days. They have also built fences, planted trees in River Park, and last December the culinary students prepared the food for the city employee appreciation luncheon.

If significant changes occur at Trapper Creek Job Corps, there is a great potential for a loss of these services and programs, Farrenkopf said. This would be a tremendous blow to our community as many lives would be affected.

Trapper Creek Director Jesse Casterson said the center and its students take a lot of pride in the impact they provide to local communities.

I will say with pride that in the middle of the summer, our carpentry building is empty, our painting building is empty and our masonry building is empty, Casterson said. Those folks are out in the community working.  Our students are serving their community and their country while learning a skill that will provide them a living wage.

Every year they put in hundreds of hours working at the fairgrounds. They help the weed district. They have painted both the Darby School and the Bitterroot College. They support the Darby Bread Box. They built two foundations for Habitat for Humanity homes. Thats pretty cool, right? Disadvantaged young people building homes for disadvantaged people.

Trapper Creek is absolutely committed to serve this community, Casterson said. Were enmeshed in this community. Were a part of it.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0The May 20 U.S. Supreme Court opinion affirming Crow Tribe treaty hunting rights in Wyoming has reverberated into Montana.

Following the ruling, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks legal counsel and chief of law enforcement issued a May 22 memo to wardens advising them to not cite Crow Tribe members who violate state hunting laws in the Custer Gallatin National Forest east of the Yellowstone River.

The vast mountain region, which extends from Gardiner to the Wyoming border and includes the Absaroka, Pryor and Beartooth mountain ranges in addition to the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness, was also part of the tribes treaty area when the Fort Laramie document was signed in 1868.

Wyoming case

Wyoming had argued that its Bighorn National Forest, where Crow tribal member Clayvin Herrera was cited for poaching a bull elk in 2014, was considered occupied territory since it had been designated a national forest. The high court disagreed in its 5-4 ruling, but its up to a Wyoming District Court to define exactly what occupied means. Some areas of the forest may carry that designation, but not the entire forest, the justices reasoned.

The state court must also figure out how to define conservation necessity, another point the state had argued for not allowing Crow tribal members the right to exercise their hunting rights in the state.

Becky Dockter, FWPs chief legal counsel, said her agency issued the memo in consultation with the state Attorney General's office in order to not raise any more issues, similar to what the Herrera case has already brought to attention, until theres a better understanding of the impact of the Supreme Courts decision.

How it effects into the future we cant say, she said.

FWP has held no discussions with Crow tribal officials yet, Dockter added.

Treaty rights

The memo does not open the Montana forest to Crow tribal hunting, Dockter said, rather tribal members would not be cited for violations of Montana hunting regulations  such as hunting during a closed season, unlawful possession, hunting without a license, or failure to tag  because that now falls under a treaty rights issue and the tribes regulatory system. Tribal members could still be cited for safety violations like trespassing, or shooting from a roadway or vehicle, Dockter added.

Even prior to the Herrera decision Montana had honored treaty right hunters on public federal lands, specifically the Confederated Salish Kootenai Tribes.

"Court cases defined that for us a long time ago," said Tom McDonald, the Fish, Wildlife, Recreation & Conservation Office division manager for the CSKT.

For male wildlife species like deer and elk, tribal hunters can shoot a bull or buck any time of the year without even purchasing a tag, he explained. For restricted species like moose or bighorn sheep there are tag drawings for tribal members, and bighorns are hunted only on the reservation. Seasons for female wildlife species run from Sept. 1 to Jan. 31, McDonald said.

"A lot of it is not sport hunting, it's subsistence hunting," he said.

"Overhunting is not an issue."

Few CSKT members hunt black bears, none hunt grizzlies or cat species like mountain lions or bobcats. The tribe has about 7,000 members. As many as 900 may apply for special licenses.

In addition, Montana acknowledges the rights of several tribes to hunt Yellowstone bison in the winter when they leave the park, including CSKT, Blackfeet, Nez Perce and Umatilla, Shoshone-Bannock tribal members.

Those hunts along the northern border near Gardiner have raised some residents concerns about gut piles that attract predators, unsafe shooting, bison wounding and unethical hunting with animals facing a barrage of bullets when they exit the park.

Montana does not regulate the tribal hunters but coordinates with tribal game officers and law enforcement in an attempt to ensure everyones safety.

Still to come

When the Wyoming case will be settled is uncertain. Depending on how the Sheridan County District Court rules, the case could still be appealed up the ladder and end up before the U.S. Supreme Court again, some court watchers have suggested.

Until then, Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon issued a statement that said in part, "Until these remaining issues are resolved, the State of Wyoming will continue to regulate the take of game animals in the Bighorn National Forest to ensure equal hunting opportunities for all.

McDonald said fears that Crow hunters will decimate Wyoming's elk herds are unfounded.

"They all frown on waste of meat, that's taboo," he said.

With a limited population, who can only eat so much meat, and with some tribal members raising beef or with access to the tribe's bison herd, McDonald said there's a limit to what tribal members will hunt, as well as who will hunt.

Also, just like across the greater U.S. population, hunting among native people has declined, he said.

"I wouldn't expect much change."

Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 5There are two finalists for the position of superintendent of Decatur Public Schools and the public will get a chance to meet them, ask questions and provide feedback next week.SPRINGFIELD  The price motorists pay at the pump for gasoline would double to 38 cents per gallon under legislation the Illinois House has adopted.

The House voted 83-29 Saturday night to increase the motor fuel tax to pay for upgrades to roads, bridges, public transit, railroads and other improvements. It would produce more than $1 billion next year.

It's one of the major tax increases Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker proposed to finance his $45 billion infrastructure improvement program.

It would take effect when signed into law. But it's part of the Illinois budget package the Senate must endorse when it returns to Springfield Sunday.

Democrats have an extraordinary majority in the House and approval required a three-fifths majority 71 votes to pass. But Republicans are on board because they agree the state's infrastructure is in poor shape.

This story will be updated.

Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 2 Sad 3 Angry 25SPRINGFIELD  Illinois dioceses have condemned the General Assemblys passage of an abortion repeal-and-replace measure headed for the governors desk.

Both chambers approved the Reproductive Health Act, which proponents and opponents agree will be the most liberal reproductive health care law in the nation, during the final days of the legislative session.

Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker said in a statement he will sign the bill.

In Illinois, we trust women to make the most personal and fundamental decisions of their lives  and now, that will be the law of the land, even as its under threat in other states, Pritzker said.

But Cardinal Blase Cupich, head of Chicagos archdiocese, said in a statement Saturday that the acts passage marks a sad moment in our history as a state.

We have worked to make the case for a consistent approach to human dignity in Illinois and will continue to do so even as elected officials single out unborn persons for particular disregard, he said. It remains our hope that Illinois will eventually distinguish itself as a safe place that welcomes not only those seeking a new life or second chance, but also the most vulnerable among us who deserve a chance at life.

Joliet diocese Bishop R. Daniel Conlon called the Reproductive Health Act a horrific piece of legislation; Rockford diocese Bishop David Malloy called it horribly misnamed; and Springfield diocese Bishop Thomas John Paprocki said in a statement lawmakers passed the bill in a gravely immoral action.

Following are the complete statements released by Illinois dioceses:

Statement of the Archdiocese of Chicago

The passage of Senate Bill 25, eliminating even the minimal limitations on abortions under previous law marks a sad moment in our history as a State. We have worked to make the case for a consistent approach to human dignity in Illinois and will continue to do so even as elected officials single out unborn persons for particular disregard. It remains our hope that Illinois will eventually distinguish itself as a safe place that welcomes not only those seeking a new life or second chance, but also the most vulnerable among us who deserve a chance at life.

We are resolved to let women and families in the Chicago area know they have alternatives to abortion. We will continue to provide help during their pregnancies and throughout their journey as parents. Our ministry in Cook and Lake Counties has taught us that when teenagers in underserved communities experience an unplanned pregnancy without proper support, the consequences for the health and well-being of mother and child can be grim.

But, we have also seen that a brighter outcome is possible when support is provided. Catholic Charities and its partners serve hundreds of young women and developing families every year. They nurture the mother and therefore the baby by providing classes in health and child development. They encourage the new families toward independence by providing childcare and making referrals for education, housing and employment.

As a young woman, served by a Catholic agency said, It was like a second family when I came here. My Doula took me to doctors appointments, explaining what all the papers and procedures meant, how my baby was developing, the changes my body was going through and how to eat and exercise to stay healthy.

Today, her son is thriving in the organizations early childhood program and its family support program helps her stay on track with personal goals. She will begin a bachelors degree program this summer. With loving encouragement, she has turned stressful circumstances into a positive, hopeful future for herself and her son.

Women have a real choice when they are given the support they need to bring their children into the world and parent them, supported by a society that truly values them. We will give that support to all who seek it in the hope that by offering them a choice, we will build stronger families and a better Illinois.

The Diocese of Belleville has not released a statement as of Sunday, June 2.

Statement of the Diocese of Joliet

The misnamed Reproductive Health Act, Senate Bill 25, is a horrific piece of legislation that will lead to more children dying through the violent act of abortion, even at a point when they are able to survive outside the womb. Science indicates that life begins at conception, and to deny the life of certain human beings at young ages is an attack on human rights. No persons life should be in jeopardy simply based upon his or her age. Only in the womb do our laws allow some humans to be accorded the full rights of personhood and some not.

Additionally, this legislation is not in the best interest of women as it removes abortion clinics from regulations for serious medical procedures. The Church is committed to upholding the dignity of women but does not believe that abortion is a solution when challenging situations arise. Rather, working towards a society where both mother and child are cared for is the true path of justice and compassion.

I am aware that some of the legislators who voted in favor of this legislation believe that it violates their own conscience. Yet, for them party loyalty, even on such a weighty moral issue, has seemingly trumped conscience.

Abortion is an illogical and inconsistent policy for anyone who stands for human rights. To allow one person to decide whether another person lives or dies is even more capricious than the death penalty or war.

Ironically. as Illinois expands the legal and even constitutional right to abortion, many of its neighboring states have moved to restrict abortion. Clearly, we are a divided society on this issue. The Catholic Church stakes its position on the ultimate belief that God creates every human person and endows each of them with the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

The Diocese of Peoria has not released a statement as of Sunday, June 2.

Statement of the Diocese of Rockford

Today is a dark day in the history of the State of Illinois.

With todays vote by the Illinois Senate to approve the horribly misnamed Reproductive Health Act, that body has declared that abortion in Illinois is a fundamental right. This legislation strips the unborn of any protection or rights under the law, and demonstrates a grievous disregard for the care and human solidarity we owe to the most vulnerable among us.

This legislation disregards the advances of science that demonstrate the development and the shared humanity of unborn children. In the face of this reality, our State will allow abortion at any time during the 9 months of pregnancy for any reason. It also mandates the cooperation of those who support the gift of life by requiring all insurance plans subject to regulation by the State of Illinois to cover abortion services.

This action takes us one step further down the path which devalues our shared humanity and the dignity we bear as human beings from our creation. The State of Illinois and we as its citizens are better than this.

I thank all who have called, written or visited their legislators to express opposition to this terribly misguided legislation. I urge that we continue to pray, to lobby and most especially to teach our children, the next generation, that respect for the right to life must be rebuilt and reclaimed in the years to come.

Statement of the Diocese of Springfield (This statement is in response to the Houses passage of the Reproductive Health Act on May 28. Andrew Hansen, Bishop Paprockis spokesperson, said this is the relevant statement to use in response to the Senates approval of the measure as well.)

"I condemn the gravely immoral action of the Illinois House of Representatives in passing Senate Bill 25, labeled with a highly misleading title as the Reproductive Health Act, purporting to declare abortion a fundamental right.

Christians have rejected the practice of abortion from the earliest days of the Church. Children are a gift from God, no matter the circumstances of their conception. They not only have a right to life, but we as a society have a moral obligation to protect them from harm. Legislation that deprives children of legal protection before they are born, allowing for the murder of children at any stage in the womb, even up to the moment of birth, is evil.

I pray for our state legislators, entrusting them especially to the intercession of Saint Thomas More, a public servant who preferred to die at the hands of civil authorities rather than abandon Christ and the Church. May we also keep unborn babies and newborn infants, as well as all mothers, in our prayers and work to improve the dignity and quality of life of all people, especially the most vulnerable.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0Remarks: This was the number one song on the US R&B chart this year, 2021. It went to #1 in the US on both the R&B and pop charts and made the top 20 on po...

3 days agoPrithvi Man Shrestha is a political reporter for The Kathmandu Post, covering the governance-related issues including corruption and irregularities in the government machinery. Before joining The Kathmandu Post in 2009, he worked at nepalnews.com and Rising Nepal primarily covering the issues of political and economic affairs for three years.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SPRINGFIELD  Marking a historic moment in an expanding national movement, Illinois lawmakers have approved recreational marijuana legalization.

After a contentious debate in Springfield  during which one lawmaker even cracked eggs into a frying pan to depict the "brain on drugs" the House of Representatives voted 66-47 to allow possession and sales beginning Jan. 1, 2020. The Senate had approved the measure earlier in the week.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker plans to sign the bill into law, which would make Illinois the 11th state to legalize cannabis and the first state in which a legislature approved commercial sales. Vermont lawmakers legalized possession, but not yet commercial sales. Approval in other states came via referendum.

Opponents warned of more addiction, mental impairment, and drugged-driving deaths, while proponents spoke of a need to end a failed war on drugs, which has disproportionately hurt minorities.

Legalizing marijuana is expected to generate revenue in the coming budget year to help restore poverty- and crime-ridden communities and fund substance abuse, mental health and law enforcement services, supporters say.

"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," Pritzker said in a statement.

As detailed in the 610-page bill, cannabis is meant to be taxed and regulated similarly to alcohol, with a lot of rules affecting its use.

The legislature's actions raised a number of questions throughout the state about the soon-to-be new law. Here are the answers to some of them:

Who can grow and sell it?

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.

Who can buy what?

Illinois residents age 21 and over may possess up to 30 grams or about 1 ounce of flower (roughly as much as an adult can hold in cupped hands), 5 grams of cannabis concentrate, or 500 milligrams of THC -- the chemical that gets users high -- in a cannabis-infused product such as gummies and other candy, tinctures and lotions. Adult visitors to the state may possess up to 15 grams of marijuana.

Who can ban it?

Municipalities and counties may ban cannabis businesses within their boundaries, but may not ban individual possession. Any person, business or landlord may prohibit use on private property. Colleges and universities may continue to prohibit marijuana use.

Where is consumption prohibited?

In any public place like on the street or in a park, on school grounds (except for medical users), in any motor vehicle, in a correctional facility, near someone under 21, while driving a boat or flying a plane, or by a school bus driver, police, fire or corrections officer while on duty. It's OK to use it at home, as long as outsiders can't see it.

How does it affect criminal records?

The governor will pardon past convictions for possession of up to 30 grams, with the attorney general going to court to expunge or delete public records of a conviction or arrest. For possession of 30 to 500 grams, an individual or a state's attorney may petition the court to vacate and expunge the conviction, but prosecutors may object, with a judge to make the decision.

How is it taxed?

Sales will be taxed at 10 percent for THC levels at or less than 35 percent; 20 percent for cannabis-infused products such as edibles; and 25 percent for THC concentrations of more than 35%. That's in addition to standard state and local sales taxes. Municipalities may add special taxes of up to 3%, counties may add up to 3.75% in unincorporated areas, and Cook County may add up to 3% in municipalities.

How do federal laws affect Illinois' law?

The drug remains federally illegal, but federal law enforcement typically has not prosecuted possession of small amounts, or businesses complying with state programs.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0SPRINGFIELD  Gov. J.B. Pritzker is expected to sign legislation that backers and detractors agree will be the most liberal reproductive health statute in the country.

In Illinois, we trust women to make the most personal and fundamental decisions of their lives  and now, that will be the law of the land, even as its under threat in other states, said Pritzker, a Democrat, in a statement.

Pritzker was on the Senate floor on Friday night after the vote, congratulating and hugging senators who pushed the bill. The vote came after about 80 minutes of impassioned debate by the Illinois Senate.

The abortion repeal-and-replace measure was a source of controversy this session. From its introduction in February, the Reproductive Health Act drew calls of support from advocates looking to the General Assembly to respond to restrictions enacted by some states across the country, and those of warning from opponents concerned about protections being struck from current law.

Sen. Melinda Bush, a Democrat from Grayslake and the bills sponsor in that chamber, said she hopes passage of the legislation will make the state a beacon for the country.

Im so proud that Illinois is standing up and saying, were not going back, were going to continue to fight and were going to make sure that women are equal here. Their reproductive rights are part of that, she said.

Chicago Democratic Rep. Kelly Cassidy, the initiatives sponsor in the House, was on the floor during the debate. In the back of the chamber were a handful of other Democratic representatives who supported the legislation who stood and joined hands during Bushs closing remarks.

That was amazing to have them all over here  I was there when it passed in the House  because it was so important to all of us, Bush said. To have that amazing camaraderie and support and really love for each other; Im just so proud of all these amazing women. It really felt like a sisterhood.

The measure received 34 Democratic yes votes. Twenty senators voted no, including lone Democrat, Bunker Hill Democrat Andy Manar. Three Democrats voted present.

Some of Bushs colleagues who asked her questions during floor discussions were helping her establish what is known as legislative intent  if a legal challenge is filed regarding the bill and the judge finds its language unclear, he will turn to the sponsors aim to help him decide the case.

They asked her to clarify whether women would be able to get an abortion procedure at any point during her pregnancy if the Reproductive Health Act became law  Bush said they would not  and if anyone besides doctors could perform a procedural abortion  Bush said no. She read prepared answers to several of these questions.

The measure, Bush said, codified current practices and repealed parts of Illinois law enjoined by courts.

Sen. Dan McConchie, a Republican from Hawthorn Woods, said if that was all the bill aimed to achieve, it would be one page, not 126.

Were trying to make sure that were protecting a womans fundamental rights, were trying to make sure that the RHA treats abortion like any other medical procedure under the law and I believe, frankly, that there is a war against womens rights going on, Bush said.

McConchie sought clarification on whether any provisions of the legislation would render toothless the Parental Notification of Abortion Law, which requires a minor to consult her parents before getting the procedure. Bush said no part of her bill would impact that statute.

This proposal leaves me stunned, McConchie said. For anyone who wants abortions to be legal and safe, this bill will do exactly the opposite.

Republican Sen. Jil Tracy, from Quincy, called the bill extreme.

It goes far beyond the current practice in Illinois. It has provisions that could endanger rather than protect a pregnant woman and its not needed under current Illinois law or federal law, she said. Once again in Illinois, we are passing bills looking to solve a problem that doesnt exist.

She was referring to a law former Gov. Bruce Rauner signed that allowed tax dollars to be spent on abortions. It also contained a provision that would allow the procedures to remain legal in Illinois should the U.S. Supreme Court overturn its ruling in 1973 legalizing abortion across the country.

The measure additionally creates access to diagnostic testing, contraception, pregnancy benefits and other related health care as a fundamental right, barring the state government from infringing women and mens access to those things.

As states across the nation rush to implement dangerous abortion bans, Illinois has responded  by recognizing reproductive health care as a fundamental right, and by removing outdated, long-blocked statutes that make providing many forms of abortion care and some contraceptives a crime, Colleen Connell, executive director of the states chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, said in a statement.

U.S. President Donald Trump weighed in on the Reproductive Health Act on his Facebook page Thursday.

The Democrat Party is unhinged, he wrote. Their radical position on abortion is horrible.

The bill sat in legislative limbo since March, assigned to a subcommittee in the House with all the other reproductive health care and abortion-related measures introduced this session. In the Senate, its twin measure was never assigned to a substantive committee.

Calls for action were spurred by laws approved by states such as Alabama, Georgia, Ohio and Missouri restricting access to abortion. Some of those states aim to get their statutes to the countrys highest court in an effort to challenge the 1973 case Roe v. Wade, which legalized abortion procedures nationwide.

To advance the Reproductive Health Act, Cassidy abandoned her originally-filed bill, House Bill 2495, and amended another one in a move referred to in the Statehouse as a gut and replace.

The language was added, with amendments, to Senate Bill 25. Those changes reflected concerns raised by legislators, insurance groups, health care professionals and others.

A coalition of organizations and activists have been working on this bill for a very long time, said Jennifer Welch, president of Planned Parenthood of Illinois. We are confident that Governor Pritzker will follow through with his promise to make Illinois the most progressive state in the country on reproductive rights and sign the Reproductive Health Act into law.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0CHICAGO  Faculty and graduate student workers at Illinois universities are protesting as college unions seek improved wages, benefits and job security.

This spring, employee strikes took place at the University of Illinois at Chicago, City Colleges of Chicago and Loyola University. At least three protests were planned at other campuses in the state during the school year but were stopped.

Another protest is now likely, as graduate students at the University of Chicago voted last week to allow a walkout in protest of the administration's unwillingness to recognize them as a union, the Chicago Tribune reported. The group hinted at a strike prior to the end of the spring quarter in mid-June.

"We are starting to see ourselves more clearly as laborers," said Janet Smith, a UIC professor and head of the campus faculty union. "We do our labor differently, but we are laborers. In order to get our voices heard, we have to use the tools that laborers do."

In March and April, the union representing graduate and teaching assistants at UIC protested for three weeks after more than a year of bargaining. The strike canceled hundreds of classes as students were preparing for final exams. The union and administration subsequently reached a provisional agreement April 5.

Anne Kirkner, co-president of UIC's Graduate Employees Organization, called the new agreement the best one that the union has ever negotiated.

"We did it through striking and unity," Kirkner said during a rally on the last day of the walkout. "Because we know that strikes work."

Since May 2017, at least eight unions at six Illinois schools have completed new contracts after a walkout or near-strike.

Graduate and teaching assistants at Loyola unionized in 2017. But officials declined to negotiate, citing they do not feel those students classify as employees who can lawfully unionize. Graduate students at the Rogers Park campus on the city's North Side held a one-day protest in April and a sit-in at the office of university President Jo Ann Rooney.

"It's about making very visible that our lives as graduate workers are not sustainable," said Claire Lockard, a doctoral candidate in philosophy.

Faculty members at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb are also negotiating their first contract.

"Many universities treat their faculty as independent contractors, which allows for huge levels of inequality," said Simon Weffer, an associate professor. "If we want to make sure everyone is being treated fairly, it becomes important to become a part of a union and work collectively to address some of these issues."



Information from: Chicago Tribune, http://www.chicagotribune.com

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0SPRINGFIELD  About 20 attorneys plan to volunteer this fall to help people expunge or seal their criminal records.

The (Springfield) State Journal-Register reports that the Sangamon County Expungement and Record Sealing Summit is scheduled for Oct. 19 in Springfield. Land of Lincoln Legal Aid secretary Joy Burgess calls the event "a chance for people to get it right." She says last year's summit helped about 230 people.

The attorneys will assist with cases where a person was arrested but not convicted. Candidates for expungement need to register so their Illinois State Police records are available to facilitate the process.

Petitions are filed with the circuit clerk, state police, prosecutors and the arresting and booking agency. Burgess says only about 15% of petitions are denied.



Information from: The State Journal-Register, http://www.sj-r.com

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0The governor and his top staff showed again last week that they can make things happen under the Statehouse dome.

To corral 73 votes for a graduated income tax constitutional amendment in a 74-member House Democratic caucus accustomed to extreme coddling and over-protecting its more politically vulnerable members was quite something. Nobody was left off the hook.

The one they missed remains a mystery to pretty much everybody. Rep. Andre Thapedi (D-Chicago) left the chamber during the "fair tax" debate and never returned, vanishing into thin air. He didn't tell the governor's office that he'd be skipping the vote and some of his colleagues didn't even realize he'd left while others could only hazard a guess as to why.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker's effort to make Illinois a progressive Midwestern oasis took a huge leap forward with the passage of that constitutional amendment. Generations of Illinois politicians have tried and failed to get the issue onto the ballot. One of Bruce Rauner's top priorities when he decided to run for governor was stopping a graduated income tax. Now, not even five months after the near-billionaire Rauner's involuntary departure, the voters will soon be given a choice, courtesy of the billionaire Gov. Pritzker.

Both Rauner and Pritzker had and have sweeping, even radical visions of how they wanted to change their state. Where Rauner mostly failed, Pritzker has mostly succeeded. That doesn't mean Pritzker has chosen the right path, mind you. The Republicans warn (and some Democrats privately fret) that his economic agenda of a $15 an hour minimum wage, a progressive income tax, higher taxes for infrastructure construction and a blizzard of pro-union laws will make the state uncompetitive with its neighbors. But it's too late to turn back now.

Pritzker vowed to make Illinois law the most pro-choice in the country, and he is succeeding. The Reproductive Health Act is ostensibly designed to wipe out the state's abortion laws that were knocked down by courts in years past to make sure they couldn't somehow be reactivated if Roe v. Wade is overturned.

You can probably gauge how pro-choice the Pritzker-backed RHA is by looking at the intensity of the opposition. It's reviled by pro-life activists to the point where a conservative southern Illinois minister giving the morning invocation in the House chambers last week actually called on God to "judge Illinois for the sanctioned destruction of the innocent unborn" two days after the House passed the bill.

The measure even caught the eye of President Donald Trump, who posted a link on his Facebook page to an article about the bill and wrote "The Democrat Party is unhinged! Their radical position on abortion is horrible!"

Yeah, I'm thinking that's a pretty solidly pro-choice bill.

And then there's the cannabis legalization bill, which unlike all the others listed above had some bipartisan support in both chambers last week.

Not only is possession of up to 30 grams of weed legalized, but the law will grant clemency to people who were busted for possessing up to that same amount in the past. It contains programs for communities that have been hit hard by the ridiculously punitive "war on drugs." There's also a grant and loan program for people in those communities who want to become involved in the cannabis business. And a community college program is created to help folks, including minorities, train for jobs in the industry.

No other state that has legalized cannabis has done anything like this.

None of the above could've happened without this particular governor's support.

Democratic legislators know that Pritzker will have their backs should any of this spring session's votes haunt them in the next campaign cycle. He has enough money under his couch cushions to fund their campaigns.

Pritzker also truly believes in this stuff. Where others settled for tiny increases in the minimum wage, Pritzker is nearly doubling it. When his most recent Democratic predecessors either rejected income tax hikes or insisted they be "temporary," Pritzker went all out and proposed permanently raising taxes on the top 3 percent of earners. Gov. Pat Quinn reluctantly signed a way too restrictive medical marijuana bill into law. Pritzker enthusiastically pushed for legalization.

This much change this quickly can frighten people. So, we'll see what the future holds. But for now, the governor and his supporters can bask in a bit of glory.

Rich Miller also publishes Capitol Fax, a daily political newsletter, and CapitolFax.com.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0When you go to a grocery store, you dont put a loaf of bread or a cut of meat into your basket without looking at the price tag. But when Americans go to a doctor or a hospital, they typically have no idea what their healthcare provider will charge for the services theyre going to receive. Instead, they stick with the providers in their network, trust their doctors treatment recommendations and hope that their insurer will cover most of the cost.

Thats fine until youre in a car wreck and an ambulance takes you to an out-of-network hospital for emergency care. Or until you go to an in-network emergency room, only to discover later that the specialists assigned to your case were out of network.

Then you get hit with a surprise bill above and beyond your insurance co-pay that may be more crippling than the injury that sent you to the hospital in the first place. More than 1 in 10 American adults has received an unexpected bill from an out-of-network provider, according to a survey last year by NORC at the University of Chicago. Horror stories about surprise bills have become so common that a recent Kaiser Family Foundation poll found that more than three-fourths of those surveyed want Congress to protect them from this practice.

Washington is listening. At least four bipartisan bills to curtail surprise medical bills have been introduced in Congress. And President Trump has jumped into the debate, calling on Congress to move on the issue.

But while there is a consensus about the nature of the problem, there is no agreement yet on how to solve it. Ultimately, lawmakers will have to make an uncomfortable choice about winners and losers, either forcing insurers to eat more of the costs  which they will then pass on to consumers  or making healthcare providers take a haircut on their fees. Or both.

The out-of-network billing problem exists in part because insurers have sought to rein in costs by shrinking their provider networks and steering patients to less expensive doctors and hospitals. But some specialists and provider groups have deliberately played the out-of-network game.

This is especially true in emergency rooms, where the patients inability to choose their doctors provides a strong incentive for physicians not to cut deals with insurers. For example, a 2017 study on surprise bills by Yale University researchers reported that one group of emergency room physicians that exited networks to bill as out-of-network providers charged twice as much for care as their ERs used to charge.

The various proposals in Congress would all prevent patients from being billed more for out-of-network emergency care than they would have to pay for in-network care. They differ, though, over the issue of who should have to cover the costs that patients would no longer have to pay. A proposal by Sens. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., and Patty Murray, D-Wash., lays out three options: One is to let out-of-network providers and insurers settle disputes over fees through binding arbitration. Another is to have Congress set a benchmark price for each service  for example, the average amount that an insurer has agreed to pay in-network providers. A third is to require all providers and diagnostic services at an in-network hospital to be in-network as well.

Setting a benchmark based on average in-network fees makes more sense than leaving disputes between insurers and out-of-network providers to bare-knuckled arbitration. Such a benchmark is the closest approximation available to a fair market price, and it would be an important safeguard against gouging.

Ultimately, policymakers need to do more to enable healthcare consumers to learn about costs ahead of time and to bring competition and market forces to bear on this industry. The Trump administration has pushed healthcare providers to publish their prices so that consumers (and insurers) can more easily shop around. Even more helpful are efforts to develop teams of providers that compete by offering complete treatments for set prices.

Yet when it comes to emergency care, patients cant shop around for providers, giving doctors and hospitals a captive audience and a free pass to gouge. Congress needs to step in and protect people from being taken advantage of while they are flat on their backs.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 01. Comments must not be racist, misogynistic, homophobic, or otherwise bigoted.

2. Comments must not involve little more than name-calling and insulting remarks.

3. Comments must not be made by "anonymous" or "unknown".

4. Comments must not try to sneak in some free advertising for themselves (like spam).

I invite anyone who wishes to comment on this blog to do so. I enjoy the comments, whether you agree with what I have said or not. But some people want to abuse the right to comment, and since this is my blog, I have decided to lay down the following rules. If your comment violates these rules, it will not be published.Most Americans dont think China is paying U.S. tariffs, contrary to what President Donald Trump says, a new survey shows.

About 62% of U.S. adults surveyed said American consumers will bear more of the costs of duties than producers in China, according to a Monmouth University poll released Tuesday. An equal percentage were very or somewhat concerned a trade war would hurt their local economy, according to the poll by the New Jersey-based school.

Trumps tariff policy has not won any converts over the past year, Patrick Murray, director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute, said in a statement. And now, most Americans say that they will ultimately foot the bill from a widening trade war with China.

Trump has been saying for months that China is paying the duties hes imposed on $250 billion of Chinese goods in the escalating trade war between the worlds two largest economies. He reiterated that view over the weekend, saying he doesnt think that China can continue to pay these, really, hundreds of billions of dollars in tariffs.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.Instead, "Women Talking" charts the painstakingly elaborate discussion among these eight characters as they ponder three choices: "1. Do Nothing. 2. Stay and Fight. 3. Leave." The male bishop of the colony has taught them that they must forgive their trespassers in order to "enter the gates of heaven," yet the women recognize that "coerced" forgiveness is not be true forgiveness. "And isn't the lie of pretending to forgive with words but not with one's heart a more grievous sin than to simply not forgive?"

Before the 48 hours of this conclave are up, the women talking will alight on many subjects: pacifism, patriarchy, moral responsibility, the nature of evil. They'll debate the use of dynamite to open a safe and retrieve the money within. The result is something between a feminist consciousness-raising session and a prison escape plot.

All of this is serious stuff, but Toews injects a wry humor into these pages, a reflection of her characters and their outlook on life, at once earnest and ironic. One smokes clandestinely, then brazenly; one mimes swigging from a flask, suggesting drunkenness, as another goes off on a rant; one tries out an English swear word but manages to use it incorrectly. ("So much of what exists in the outside world is kept out of Molotschna, but curses, like pain, always find a way in," Epp observes.), introduced by Linehan and shaped by the Revenue Committee, was the session's major tax reform measure that would have raised $372 million in additional revenue to provide property tax relief delivered through state aid to schools. It was trapped at first-round floor consideration without sufficient votes to be returned to the agenda.

* Property tax relief (LB183), introduced by Sen. Tom Briese of Albion, was revised by Briese in an attempt to provide $112 million in additional property tax relief. It was trapped at second-stage floor consideration by a filibuster.

* Business tax incentives (LB720), introduced by Sen. Mark Kolterman of Seward, was designed to create a new program called Imagine Nebraska that would succeed the Nebraska Advantage Act in providing a new and modernized system of tax incentives to attract business growth, investment and development. It was trapped at second-round floor consideration by a filibuster.May 31, 2019

Nathan Christian Waite Jr. died on May 31st, 2019. Christian LIVED this last year battling a rare angiosarcoma. He was twelve years old. He joined his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, surrounded by his family at home. Welcoming to all, Christian lead, inspired and encouraged at home, at school and on the field. His love of sports, and his passion for his unbelievable community of friends and family are unmatched.

Christian is survived by his parents, Nathan and Ann Waite, his siblings; Caleb (11), Charis (9), Carryn (7) and Calvin (4), his paternal grandparents Phillip and Shelley Waite of Lincoln NE, his maternal grandparents Rob and Terri Nicks of Glen Carbon, IL, great-grandmother Sylvia Waite of Watkins Glen NY, great-grandfather Norman Armstrong of Glen Carbon IL, 6 aunts and uncles, and 9 cousins.

A Celebration of Life memorial service will be held at 10 a.m., Wednesday (6-5-19) at New Covenant Community Church, 6000 84th St., Lincoln, NE. A Celebration of Life gathering with family greeting friends will be held from 5-8 p.m., Tuesday (6-4-19) at Roper and Sons South Lincoln Chapel, 3950 Hohensee Dr., Lincoln, NE. Cremation, no viewing. In lieu of flowers, please consider a tribute to Make-A-Wish at nebraska.wish.org. Condolences online at Roperandsons.com.And then there are those who did fight and came home.

I think the biggest satisfaction to me is to actually become friends with some of these Midway veterans. Theyre the nicest guys in the world and theyre always glad to talk about stuff like that.

There are far fewer of them now.

He hears from family members when they die and he hears from relatives of those who were lost in the battle, wondering what their loved one was like and what he did in the war.

Walla asks his veterans for help and sometimes they have a recollection.

Even a story or two to tell.

This year marks the 77th anniversary of the battle that continues to capture the imagination of those who study the war.

A movie starring Woody Harrelson as Adm. Chester Nimitz is set for release in early November.

Walla was asked to be a consultant on the big-screen version of the battle  after the props department came upon the website and began quizzing him about historically accurate attire.Five more vets are going through the program. One other dropped out.

At Tuesday's ceremony, Colborn, who presides over veterans court, said court usually is an adversarial system, but in treatment court they're all on the same team. And it's been a great team effort.

"We don't always agree, but we get where we need to be," he said.

Sharp said when he was first approached about the program, it was everything that he had wished for, "but I had to go to jail first to get to it."

He said if he'd had the kind of help and support he had in veterans court when he was coming out of the Army, he likely wouldn't have been standing there.

Furnas said he probably wouldn't have made it through the first three months if it wasn't for Tony Conell, the initial coordinator of the program. It was a rough start, he said.

He thanked Conell and the judges, Colborn and Robert Otte, who he said weren't easy but were fair.

"That's about all you can ask for going through this process," Furnas said.

Sanders said he thinks he wants to keep being a mentor at the VA clinic even though he's done with court.A 35-year-old Lincoln High graduate and former medic in the Nebraska Army National Guard was killed at a residence in Leavenworth, Kansas, on Thursday, according to Leavenworth police.

Officers responded to the residence Thursday afternoon and found Heather Wunderlich dead, according to the Leavenworth Times. Wunderlich was awarded the Bronze Star in 2007, the same year she received a national medic of the year award.

Two men who also live at the residence were taken into custody and interviewed by Leavenworth police. One of the men, who police didn't identify but said was Wunderlich's boyfriend, was arrested on suspicion of second-degree murder, while the other was released.

Police didn't provide any details on the cause of death, but foul play is suspected.

Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 1 Sad 11 Angry 11She said faculty advisers need to encourage students to think more about their futures, particularly about work-life balance.

Several businesses, particularly tech companies on the Silicon Prairie, offer competitive salaries and generous family leave plans for men and women alike to draw top talent.

Potential progress at the Nebraska Legislature has stalled over a bill (LB311) from Bellevue Sen. Sue Crawford that would have created a statewide paid family leave plan. It failed to advance beyond first-round debate in March.

If it were an easy problem, it probably would have been solved, May said, adding there is no single fix. "It will have to be addressed from multiple points of entry.

But, she added, rather than wait until 2058, when the gender gap is expected to close completely based upon current trends, today's college students seem interested in tackling the problem head on.

For the first time this past school year, more men than women enrolled in her Gender Economics and Social Provisioning course, where the gender wage gap is a major topic of discussion. More data on the discrepancy is becoming available, which helps set a foundation for future change.The city is reluctant to increase its share, Hartzell said, because that would put other projects behind schedule.

So it plans to seek another $300,000 from the Railroad Transportation Safety District, and $150,000 more from the trails network.

The network will help, Bentrup said. This is a project a lot of people recognize as pretty important, he said. Weve been fortunate to have people stepping up to the plate and donating.

But that still leaves the bridge project $450,000 short, and the city is seeking private contributions  from individual donors, grants and foundations  to help make that up.

One big donor, bearing a gift of at least $1.1 million, would earn naming rights to the bridge. And contributions of at least $1,000 will be recognized on a display east of the bridge.

The city is getting fundraising help from Susan Larson Rodenburg, a 30-year trails advocate.Stunning the rest of the world, Trump's new man in charge of that panel -- a 79-year-old climate change denier named William Happer who is on the National Security Council -- once compared the efforts to curb carbon dioxide emissions, which are blamed for increasing extreme weather, with Adolf Hitler's assault on Jews. He later amplified that outrageous statement to add that demonizing carbon dioxide also equates with the "Soviet extermination of class enemies or the (ISIS) slaughter of infidels."

When history judges whether the increasing loss of lives around the globe from flooding and dangerous storms, the devastating changes to agriculture, the loss of habitat and extinction of species, the inevitable changes in how human beings live and struggle to survive and the damage to Earth itself could have been prevented, the answer will be yes. And shaming fingers will be pointed at the United States and the haughty storks in charge who put their heads in the sand.

We have an ethical responsibility to be good stewards of our planet and to protect our neighbors from harm when we can, but we are ignoring that duty.

Seeing tornado-shattered houses with shattered neighbors poking through rubble in desperate search of putting their shattered lives together is to be heartsick and angry.

Angry because it will happen all over again to other neighborhoods tomorrow and the next day and the day after that until facing and dealing with destruction is just a way of life. Angry because we have a government of, by and for big corporations which will grow ever bigger denying climate change until they, too, become extinct.

Ann McFeatters writes for Tribune News Service.

Love 0 Funny 3 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 0Chandan Kumar Mandal is the environment and migration reporter for The Kathmandu Post, covering labour migration and governance, as well as climate change, natural disasters, and wildlife.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."The indictment cites specific examples of sources WikiLeaks burned inside China, Iran, Iraq and Syria. Moreover, Assange's 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.

The indictment quotes a New York Times interview with a Taliban leader, who told the paper, "We are studying the report. We knew about the spies and people who collaborate with U.S. forces. We will investigate through our own secret service whether the people mentioned are really spies working for the U.S. If they are U.S. spies, then we know how to punish them."

Assange's stolen classified documents didn't just find their way to the Taliban; the indictment points out that WikiLeaks copies were also found in Osama bin Laden's 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.The United States isn't all Times Square and Grand Central Station.

How many immigrants should the USA take in?

As for an exact number, that's not for me to say. Any more than it's the job of everyday Americans to whiteboard their own immigration reform plan. These are matters for Congress, and the president, to sort out.

Still, I know this much: What immigration restrictionists consider a big number isn't that big. The United States takes in about 1 million legal immigrants annually; about half of those people are already in the United States and become legal because of a change in status.

Conservatives brag about that 1 million figure as if it were an accomplishment worthy of a Nobel Prize. Perhaps for a nation of 10 million people. Imagine taking in, each year, a number of immigrants equal to 10% of your country's population.

But the United States has a population of 327 million. One million is fewer than one-third of 1% of the total population. That's a pathetic showing for a fabled land of immigrants.

America could take in 3.27 million legal immigrants each year -- just 1% of the total U.S. population -- and civilization would not crumble.Insurance is a local product that helps protect consumers from financial disaster when they suffer a loss. For that reason, it has been regulated at the state level for more than 150 years, because our state insurance department knows Nebraskas communities and consumers better than anyone in Washington ever could.

In fact, a 2013 study by the Government Accountability Office on the 2007-09 financial crisis found that actions by state regulators and the National Association of Insurance Commissioners helped limit the effects of the crisis in the insurance industry.

Unfortunately, this successful system is under attack by proponents of federal insurance regulation. In 2010, the Federal Insurance Office (FIO) was established as part of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.

Like most federal offices, since its creation, its power has increased. Proponents of the FIO have made clear by their actions that they will continue to seek out ways for its power to continue to be increased.

Thankfully, legislation has been introduced in Congress to repeal this dangerous office. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Rep. Alex Mooney (R-W. Va.) have introduced the FIO Abolishment Act (S. 1586 and H.R. 1862) that would repeal the FIO.DURAND  All Ron Berger wanted was to install a door between two buildings.

Instead, much to his astonishment, he opened a window into the early history of Durand on Labor Day weekend 2015 when he cut a hole in the wall separating the family business from the property next door to accommodate an expansion.

Initially baffled by the green and brown colors he spotted on a long-buried wall, Berger assumed they must be old water stains. But he eventually uncovered enough of the wall to recognize he was looking at the image of a buffalo, with a puff of steam rising from its nostrils, charging right at him on a grassy plain.

Further inspection, by removing electrical outlets along the wall and shining flashlights into the gap behind, revealed the vibrant colors extended the length of the wall.

By the time Berger was done excavating and researching, he had unearthed a 9-foot-high by 55-foot-long, multi-sheet, full-color paper lithograph circus poster advertising the Great Anglo-American Circus and Menagerie performing in Durand on Aug. 17, 1885.

Its one of the oldest and best preserved circus posters in the world, Berger said. Its considered a one-and-only type of thing.

While Berger immediately recognized the discovery would throw a wrench into his plan to quickly connect the Corral Bar & Riverside Grill with the adjacent building to create a banquet facility, he felt a duty to preserve the historical artifact.

It was such a rare thing, I just had to show it to the public, he said.

His sisters Lori Snapp and Sharon and Karen Berger, who own the business, supported the decision even though they knew it would delay the expansion project.

Its an awesome, rare piece of art, and were so glad we found it, Snapp said.

Ultimately, it took two years for the special events room to open, complete with a mirror-backed bar and metal ceiling that Berger believes date back to the 19th century. But, ladies and gentlemen, the main attraction undoubtedly is the massive circus poster that covers an entire wall. The artwork is enclosed in special glass to protect it from being damaged by light and prying fingers.

Drawing global attention

The banquet hall is named the Orton Room in honor of Miles Orton, a world-renowned performer who owned and managed the Great Anglo-American Circus. Orton was famous for stand-up horseback riding with his children on his shoulders  an act breathtakingly depicted in the Durand poster.

Large words across the top of the poster read ALLIE & BERNARD (Ortons children), TINY AERIAL MARVELS, MILES ORTON RIDES WITH US!

As word has gotten out about the slice of local history served up as a sideshow to the eaterys pie slices, curiosity seekers from around the globe have made the trek to Durand to see the spectacle for themselves.

A glance at the guest book reveals visitors from Malaysia, France, Kenya, Canada and across the United States from Florida to Alaska. Among the words most repeated in the comments are awesome, cool and fantastic.

Such superlatives are not limited to amateurs. Pete Schrake, archivist at Circus World Museum in Baraboo, made the pilgrimage to Durand to see the discovery and was duly impressed, particularly because the find involved a Wisconsin-based circus in a Badger State town.

This is a standout piece, Schrake said. What really made this one stand out is its size  its the longest one I know of  and that its an amazing poster.

Thats high praise from a historian for a museum with an inventory of about 9,000 circus posters.

Schrake said the Durand poster is a relic from the golden age of circus, when the shows toured via railroad and advance teams would paper the towns on the schedule with posters and handbills promoting their acts.

Circuses, in their day, were pioneers of mass media and in-your-face, bombastic advertising, he said. That bill stand is really a perfect example of that kind of approach.

Terry Mesch, manager of Durands Old Courthouse Museum and 1895 Jail, also was thrilled to learn of the posters discovery and its display in the downtown business.

It certainly is a significant historic artifact, and it adds a very nice story to Pepin County history, Mesch said.

Perhaps more importantly for the city, it represents a new reason for people to visit Durand.

Its definitely an attraction, Mesch said. I know people from Eau Claire who bring friends down to see the circus poster, and everyone Ive taken to see it has been impressed.

Surviving the elements

The artwork, originally displayed on an exterior wall facing the river to promote the circus to boat traffic, was printed on paper intended to weather away after a month or two.

The story of how it survived is a bit of a mystery, although Berger feels confident he has figured it out.

Shortly after the show, he assumes someone erected a building over the wall  installing wooden studs less than half an inch from the artwork  and never bothered to remove the poster.

The circus performers, ranging from aerialists and elephant riders to lions and giraffes, were entombed behind a wall for more than a century until Berger serendipitously freed them.

It should never have survived, said Berger, who has become somewhat of a circus historian while researching the posters background.

In another stroke of luck, though the buildings basement fills with water nearly every year, Berger noted that the only time Durands annual Chippewa River flooding would have been high enough for the above-ground artwork to be underwater was in 1884  the year before the circus stopped in the city.

A signature indicates the artwork was printed by Russell, Morgan & Co. in Cincinnati, which Berger called the greatest lithograph city in the world at the time. Lithographs were created by carving images out of wood, applying colors and stamping paper.

Its remarkable to think of that whole thing being carved out, Berger said.

A key to unraveling the lithographs history was a large stamp indicating the circus would exhibit at Durand on Monday, Aug. 17. But with no year shown, Berger had to make like Sherlock Holmes to sleuth out the answer. When investigation revealed the Great Anglo-American Circus only exhibited in 1884 and 1885 and only 1885 had a Monday on Aug. 17, he had his answer. Further research uncovered articles from the Durand newspaper discussing the circus coming to town on that date.

It was kind of like reading a good book doing the history on it, he said. It took you back to that time.

Reaching the point of displaying the artwork may not have been a circus act, but it was no simple task.

After methodically removing the wall concealing the former exterior wall, the bar owners enlisted a team of experts to microvacuum the artwork, repaste some peeling pieces and then meticulously wash the 500-square-foot poster by hand using cotton balls and distilled water.

Berger also had to figure out how to remove the old studs and put up new steel ones without the building collapsing.

Tom Airis, a retired glass specialist with Esser Glass in Eau Claire, helped Berger figure out how best to display and protect the artwork. Airis, a railroad history buff, was happy to be part of the preservation of an artifact from when the circus arrived in Durand via train cars.

I think its absolutely amazing, Airis said. Im over the moon about the way it turned out, and theyve done a wonderful job on that whole room.

Another challenge, Berger said, was walking the tightrope of completing all of the work without ending the familys streak of keeping the business open every day since his mother, Marge Berger, bought the bar on April 15, 1977. As the circus performers might say, the show must go on.

I must admit it was the biggest pain in the butt Ive ever dealt with, Berger said, although clearly it has been a labor of love, as the renovation ringmaster relishes the opportunity to shine a spotlight on the poster and tell the story of its discovery.

Berger still hopes to put the finishing touches on the room, including finding some 19th century mementos to display under the glass-topped bar.

And then theres the matter of the buffalo that started the whole restoration stampede. Eventually, Berger plans to display the buffalo art, cut out to create the door opening, somewhere in the room. He will include the tail he originally cut off and threw in the trash before he realized the treasure he had stumbled upon.

Undoubtedly, Berger got more than he ever imagined four years ago when he cut out that door  just as Miles Orton surely hoped Durand area patrons would feel after buying tickets when his circus came to town 134 years ago.

Circuses, in their day, were pioneers of mass media and in-your-face, bombastic advertising. That bill stand is really a perfect example of that kind

of approach. Pete Schrake, archivist at

Circus World Museum in Baraboo

Love 4 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 0LAKE GENEVA  A historic church organ is coming home  one restored piece at a time.

Parishioners at Lake Genevas Holy Communion Episcopal Church are welcoming back their 19th-century Hook & Hastings pipe organ after a four-month offsite restoration effort.

Crews from Buzard Pipe Organ Builders in Champaign, Illinois, late last month started returning pieces of the restored church treasure  and delicately reassembling it inside the church.

Theres a lot of excitement, parish member Tom McGrath said. Everyone is excited about it all being put back together.

The congregation worked five years to raise about $65,000 to repair and restore the organ.

The music piece was donated to Holy Communion in 1883, after being manufactured in Boston and then shipped to Chicago by train. It has not undergone significant restoration since the 1960s.

Crews estimate that it will take a few weeks to bring back all of the repaired pieces and reinstall the organ inside the church at 320 Broad St.

Pastor Kevin Huddleston said he is anxious to hear the organs music once again.

Weve been missing it, he said. Weve been waiting patiently.

Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 0RACINE  Five years after a Racine man was killed during a robbery at an American Legion Post tavern, police are still looking for answers.

Cold case

There was a No guns allowed sign outside the front door. Two men ignored the sign.

They entered American Legion Post 546, 1234 Douglas Ave., near closing time, at about 1:30 a.m. on May 31, 2014. Wearing hoodies and covering their faces, they each wielded firearms.

Less than a minute later, the bar and a 47-year-old patron, Joseph Walker, had been robbed.

The bartender said that the assailants fired two shots: one aimed at her, one at Walker.

One of the bullets missed. The other killed Walker.

The two men fled. Due to grainy surveillance video and their covered faces, there wasnt much of a description to go with, other than the assailants appeared to be young black males.

The perpetrators have never been found, and law enforcement has never announced any significant suspects in the five years since.

Related incidents

Walker, who was 47 at the time, was the only fatality in a string of 2014 robberies that included thefts from a pair of Family Dollar stores and from Bohl Automotive.

Police were able to connect suspects to the other robberies, but nothing stuck for the incident at Post 546, which is why they are reaching out again as they try to identify the killer and his accomplice.

No. 4: Homicides few in 2014, but random and brutal RACINE COUNTY  While the number of killings in the county was low in 2014, the degree of randomness and brutality in the incidents was numbing.

The crime remains unsolved, a news release said Friday. The Racine Police Department remains committed to finding those responsible for this senseless crime and holding them accountable.

A $5,000 cash reward was offered in June 2014 for anyone with information that could lead to finding the killers, and that money remains available to anyone who comes forward today.

The community surrounding the Legion post was shaken after the killing.

When it comes to humanity, these types of organizations are out here to serve the community. For anyone to capitalize (on) that, as a criminal, is just wrong, Army veteran Rory Burns told The Journal Times in December 2014, after the American Legion spent $7,000 to improve security at Post 546.

'On our minds, in our hearts:' Graceland Cemetery ceremony honors fallen military RACINE  Veteran Zachary Zdroik, guest speaker of the Memorial Day ceremony at Graceland Cemetery, contemplated his time serving in Iraq as he

The victim

Walker, who had five children, was remembered as a quiet, family man.

He was between jobs at the time of his death, but had previously worked at Cree Lighting.

His sister said that he was the peacemaker in the family, according to a Journal Times article from June 2014.

As a child, Walkers mom had moved the family from Chicago to avoid the gangs and violence there.

We wanted them to have a better life, Walkers mother, Beulah Walker, said at the time. Im not going to dwell on the ifs and whys  there had to be a reason for God to take him home. That will give me more peace than thinking of the ifs and whys.

Tips

Racine Police investigators are interested in any additional information that anyone may have about this crime. Citizens with information are encouraged to call the Racine Police Department Investigations Unit at 262-635-7756.

Those who wish to remain anonymous may contact Crime Stoppers at 262-636-9330, or text 274637 (CRIMES). Text message should begin with RACS.

Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 4 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.RACINE  If it was up to Scott Terry, Dr. John Bryants and Julian Thomas contributions to the city would be common household knowledge  they are the namesakes of some of the citys well-known buildings, after all.

But it seems to Terry, a technical education teacher at Starbuck Middle School and founder of local African American mentoring group Sentinel Mentors, that fewer and fewer people know who the likes of Bryant, Thomas and other prominent black Racinians throughout history actually were  or that they even existed in the first place.

So hes trying to change that.

Terry and the Sentinel Mentors want to get the message out by creating the Racine Black Legacy Project, a multimedia project to be made of video interviews, written history and photographs put together in a physical traveling exhibit that will teach the history of black people in Racine. Terry said he would eventually like to have a permanent location for the exhibit.

Weve got a very strong local black history right here in Racine, Terry said. Oftentimes when you hear black history, people think of Martin Luther King and your traditional figures, and thats great, but theres been millions of other people who have had similar impacts.

Terry is seeking volunteers who are current or former black Racine residents to contribute oral and written history to the project.

Racines black history

These are the types of stories that we want to get out there because were losing this history, all these prominent figures who have contributed so much to the fabric of the community, Terry said.

Bryant, for instance, was a local dentist who was involved in community and civic affairs, dedicating time to the Racine NAACP Board of Directors, Racine County Community Action program and the Racine Environment Committee.

He died of sickle cell anemia on Feb. 9, 1974, at the age of 41. That August, the City Council passed a resolution renaming the Southeast Side Neighborhood Center to the Doctor John Bryant Neighborhood Center.

Bryant during the course of his life  did contribute his services, energy and time to the improvement of the City of Racine and  was a staunch and enthusiastic supporter of the original community center, the resolution said.

In August 2003, the Racine Unified School Board took an incredible step. Board members voted 7-2 to rename Garfield School  named after the 20th U.S. president, James Garfield, who was assassinated  to Julian Thomas Elementary School. Thomas had died four months earlier at age 68 on April 6, 2003.

Thomas, president of the local NAACP for 22 years and vice president and provost of Gateway Technical College, was one of the local leaders who successfully fought for the desegregation of Racines schools in the early 1970s.

The Black Legacy Project also gives a chance to set the record straight on the depth of local black history, Terry said.

Someone made a comment to me about, there werent black folks here until the 1960s, Terry said. Well, thats not true  completely not true. There were black folks here not just surviving, but thriving and doing really well. We had business organizations. There was a lot of history, but this historys getting lost.

The first black Racine resident, Alexander Anderson, was in the area as early as 1842, six years before Wisconsin even gained statehood. By 1858, Racine had 250 black residents.

In 1883, Peter D. Thomas was elected Racine County Coroner. Thomas, born a slave, was one of the countrys first black people elected to public office, according to a 1995 Journal Times article on local black history. He died Dec. 11, 1925 at 78.

Submissions open

The Racine Black Legacy project is currently accepting submissions for written narratives and allowing people to sign up for on-camera interviews. Anyone interested can sign up at sentinelmentors.com/black-legacy-project.

Were doing this Racine Black Legacy project so we can get the whole community involved and sharing and celebrating this local black history so we can pass it down to future generations, Terry said.

Love 5 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 2

Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.RACINE  After five years of growing chlamydia and gonorrhea cases, the City of Racine Health Department recorded a slight decrease in the number of cases reported in 2018. But officials are unsure if thats because fewer people are being infected or fewer people are being tested.

In 2017, the Health Department recorded in the City of Racine a record-high number of chlamydia cases at 961 and gonorrhea at 319, which was the peak after five years of growing numbers.

According to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, in 2017 southeastern Wisconsin accounted for the 52.7% percent of chlamydia diagnoses and 72.4% of the gonorrhea diagnoses statewide.

The region also had the highest rate of infection per capita, with 714 chlamydia diagnoses and 274 gonorrhea diagnoses per 100,000 people.

While statewide data isnt available for 2018, the good news is fewer cases were reported that year: 865 cases of chlamydia and 268 of gonorrhea. The bad news, according to Community Health Director Bobbi Fergus, is that there is not enough information to know what that decrease actually means.

Gaps in reporting

Fergus said one of the downsides of the reporting system is that she only receives the number of positive cases. She does not know if any are duplicates from people who contract the infection more than once, or go to a second health provider to confirm the diagnosis.

She also does not know the number of sexually transmitted disease tests that are conducted or the number of tests run. Not knowing how many people are being tested means she does not know if the lower number this year is a result of fewer people contracted the infection or if fewer people are being tested.

Without the total numbers, we dont know, said Fergus.

At the end of 2018, the Health Department expanded hours for their STD clinic, which now offers express testing from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. Urine and blood samples are tested for HIV, syphilis, Hepatitis C, chlamydia, gonorrhea and trichomoniasis.

Those who test positive or are symptomatic are advised to visit the clinic from 2 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Mondays and 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Wednesdays.

So far this year, 289 people have been tested at the Health Department, 135 through the express clinic and 154 during normal clinic hours. Out of those 289, 35 of them, or 12%, tested positive for at least one STD.

The monthly and annual numbers the Health Department records are reported from healthcare providers throughout the city. So far in 2019, theyve recorded 277 cases of chlamydia and 85 cases of gonorrhea. This time last year, they had recorded 275 chlamydia cases and 79 gonorrhea cases.

Testing and treatment

Whats frustrating about chlamydia, and gonorrhea in particular, is that they are treatable with medication and, once treatment is completed, no longer communicable.

Fergus said the issue boils down to communication between partners and misinformation about these infections.

Some people will see that their partner doesnt have any symptoms, assume that means they dont have the infection and not tell them about their diagnosis. Or they dont feel comfortable telling a partner theyve been diagnosed. Either way, unless both partners are tested and treated, they could continue passing the infection back and forth.

And if left untreated, these infections can have serious consequences, particularly for women. According to the CDC, chlamydia and gonorrhea can cause pelvic inflammatory disease in women. PID can damage the Fallopian tubes enough to cause infertility or increase the risk of ectopic pregnancy, a high-risk pregnancy outside of the uterus.

In men, gonorrhea and chlamydia can cause inflammation of the epididymis, the tube that stores and carries sperm which, in rare cases, can cause infertility.

In both men and women, untreated gonorrhea can spread to the blood and cause disseminated gonococcal infection, which causes arthritis, inflammation of the tendons, itchy skin and ultimately could be life threatening.

Love 0 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.Tuesday, May 28-Friday, May 31

This list is not comprehensive. Municipalities are listed as they appear on the criminal complaint. Suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. To see mugshots of the accused, visit www.journaltimes.com/gallery. Additional information about the complaints can be found at: journaltimes.com/news/local/crime-and-courts.

Vanessa Latrice Anderson, 2500 block of Northwestern Ave., Racine, operating a motor vehicle while revoked, misdemeanor bail jumping.

Ricardo Barajas-Salas, Burlington, physical abuse of a child intentionally causing bodily harm, disorderly conduct with domestic abuse assessments.

Priscilla J. Barrios, 5500 block of Byrd Ave., Racine, burglary.

Gregory Levon Battle, Waukegan, Ill., felony retail theft (between $500 and $5,000).

Christy A. Bauer, Sturtevant, operate motor vehicle while revoked, misdemeanor bail jumping, disorderly conduct.

Lapiate P. Boone, 3800 block of North Bay Drive, Racine, battery, disorderly conduct, first degree intentional homicide, attempt first degree intentional homicide, mayhem, stalking.

Destiny N. Brown, Mount Pleasant, battery by prisoners, disorderly conduct.

Nikendra L. Brown, 2400 block of 19th St., Racine, criminal damage to property.

Jeffery L. Burnette, 4000 block of Knoll Place, Racine, misdemeanor battery, criminal damage to property, disorderly conduct.

Shelonda Monique Calloway, 1300 block of North Wisconsin St., Racine, pointing a firearm at another, negligent handling of a weapon, carrying a concealed weapon, disorderly conduct.

Tony Lavell Chambers, 2500 block of 20th St., Racine, obstructing an officer, disorderly conduct, substantial battery, misdemeanor bail jumping.

Diamond Torrie Coleman, 200 block of Howland Ave., Racine, disorderly conduct, possession of drug paraphernalia.

Dustin L. Costanzo, Oak Creek, burglary of a building or dwelling, misdemeanor theft.

Shayne Scott Dewitt, Neenah, operating with restricted controlled substance in blood, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of THC, misdemeanor bail jumping.

Andre L. Dorsey, Milwaukee, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of THC, possession of a firearm by a felon, carrying a concealed weapon.

Deshawn D. Ellison, 1000 block of Main St., Racine, first-degree intentional homicide, possession of a firearm by an adjudicated delinquent, misdemeanor battery.

Michael K. Erickson, Waterford, obstructing an officer, repeater, operating while intoxicated.

Joshua T. Flick, Union Grove, resisting an officer, disorderly conduct.

Ronald L. Ford, 1700 block of Spring Place, Racine, strangulation and suffocation, misdemeanor battery, disorderly conduct.

Brittany A. Fransen, Union Grove, possession of THC.

Larry Eugene Gillespie, 1800 block of Holmes Ave., Racine, fourth-degree sexual assault, misdemeanor battery, disorderly conduct.

Hilliard Franklin Greene, 5000 block of Graceland Blvd., Racine, possession of child pornography, possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of THC.

Leonard A. Harlan, 900 block of Center St., Racine, disorderly conduct with use of a dangerous weapon.

Nathaniel A. Hausmann, 200 block of Ohio St., Racine, misdemeanor theft, misdemeanor bail jumping.

Craig J. Hemphill, 500 block of Greenfield Road, Racine, criminal damage to property, disorderly conduct, obstructing an officer.

Xia Chantae Henry, 1600 block of Deane Blvd., Racine, throw or discharge bodily fluids at public safety worker, resisting an officer, disorderly conduct

Jay Christopher Hoppe, Waterford, felony mistreatment of animals, disorderly conduct.

Dayvion S. Hunter, 1100 block of Lewis St., Racine, disorderly conduct.

Avion J. Howland-Salinas, 2400 block of 16th St., Racine, disorderly conduct, misdemeanor bail jumping.

Gregory M. Johnson, 2400 block of 54th St., Kenosha, misdemeanor retail theft, misdemeanor bail jumping.

Javon Deonte Jones, Mount Pleasant, operating with restricted controlled substance in blood with a minor child in the vehicle.

Pamela Joplin, 700 block of 10th St., Racine, possession of THC.

Janice M. Josephson, Waterford, aggravated battery with domestic abuse assessments, disorderly conduct.

Samantha A. Koons, 3300 block of Packer Drive, Racine, neglecting a child.

Aaerrion R. Little, 1900 block of Mead St., Racine, operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated, operating a motor vehicle while revoked.

Jalon S. Malone, 1200 block of Center St., Racine, felony bail jumping, misdemeanor bail jumping, obstructing an officer.

Sarah Rachelle Margraf, Lake Geneva, lewd and lascivious behavior, fornication, possession of THC, possession of drug paraphernalia.

Guillermo J. Martinez III, 1400 block of Grange Ave., Racine, obstructing an officer, criminal damage to property, disorderly conduct.

Debrionne S.D. McClinton, 1300 block of Howe St., Racine, drive or operate a vehicle without owners consent.

Anika M. Mena, Mount Pleasant, possession of a controlled substance, possession of THC.

Linda C. Minshall, Mount Pleasant, misdemeanor battery, disorderly conduct.

Frances Ann Mirro, Burlington, felony bail jumping, escape.

Justice Morgenson, 800 block of Augusta St., Racine, misdemeanor theft.

Katherine J. Mueller, Mount Pleasant, misdemeanor battery, disorderly conduct with domestic abuse assessments.

Joel Deleon Nieves, Milwaukee, battery to an emergency rescue worker, misdemeanor battery, disorderly conduct.

James Bryan Osborne, Wind Lake, disorderly conduct.

Alexis Lavelle Perry, 900 block of Hamilton St., Racine, misdemeanor battery, misdemeanor theft, disorderly conduct.

Donald A. Picard, 2000 block of DeKoven Ave., Racine, lewd and lascivious behavior, fornication, possession of THC, possession of drug paraphernalia.

Brandon D. Quinn, Waterford, operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated as a fourth offense, operating with prohibited alcohol concentration.

Anton M. Redick, 1800 block of Roosevelt Ave., Racine, misdemeanor battery, disorderly conduct.

William G. Reid III, Beach Park, Ill., attempt to flee or elude an officer.

Kyale R. Rowe, Janesville, resisting an officer, disorderly conduct.

Carlos O. Ruelas, 1700 block of Albert St., Racine, resisting an officer causing a soft tissue injury to officer, resisting an officer, disorderly conduct, misdemeanor bail jumping.

Laquan Lavonte Russell, 1800 block of Howe St., Racine, misdemeanor battery, disorderly conduct.

Timothy L. Schilling, Rochester, operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated.

Andrew M. Schurian, 3100 block of Indian Trail, Racine, operate motor vehicle while revoked, obstructing an officer.

Jordan Dhyan Sikes, Wind Lake, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of THC, obstructing an officer, disorderly conduct.

Michah Nelson Splittgerber, 2200 block of Summit Ave., Racine, operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated.

Lovely Latrice Travis, 4600 block of 22nd Ave., Kenosha, misdemeanor bail jumping.

Nino Valle, 400 block of Three Mile Road, Racine, obstructing an officer, misdemeanor battery, criminal damage to property, misdemeanor theft, criminal trespass, disorderly conduct, possession of drug paraphernalia.

Denzel Myles Vaughn, Waukegan, Ill., felony retail theft (between $500 and $5,000).

Deontayjah S. Walton, 1900 block of Philips Ave., Racine, disorderly conduct.

Christopher Stanley Webster, 1200 block of Center St., Racine, first degree intentional homicide.

Kevin Anthony West, 1900 block of Slauson Ave., Racine, attempting to flee/elude an officer.

Falandria Kamaria Williams, 1300 block of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Racine, possession of a controlled substance, disorderly conduct.

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The Morning Show

KENOSHA  WGTD (91.1 FM) is owned and operated as a public service of Gateway Technical College and is an affiliate of Wisconsin Public Radio. For an updated schedule, visit its website at wgtd.org.

The Morning Show airs every weekday morning between 8:10 and 9 a.m. Following is a schedule of show topics for the coming week:

Monday, June 3: Gateway Technical College President Bryan Albrecht, UW-Parkside Chancellor Debra Ford, and Carthage President John Swallow.

Tuesday, June 4: Roger Gottlieb, author of Morality and the Environmental Crisis.

Wednesday, June 5: Paul Lockhart, author of The Drillmaster of Valley Forge: The Baron de Steuben and the Making of the American Army.

Thursday, June 6: Matthew Futterman, author of Running to the Edge: A Band of Misfits and the Guru who Unlocked the Secrets of Speed.

Friday, June 7: Anthropologist Martin Schoenhals, author of Work, Love and Learning in Utopia: Equality Reimagined.

WGTDs Saturday programming includes Financial Overview at 9 a.m., Breakfast Bytes at 9:45 a.m., Education Matters at 10:30 a.m. and Community Matters at 11:15 a.m.

Parkside Today

SOMERS  Parkside Today airs on WIPZ 101.5 FM and streams live on www.WIPZ.org Tuesday and Sunday beginning at 4 p.m. Following is a schedule for next two weeks:

Tuesday, June 4, and Sunday, June 9 (4 p.m.): Gateways Lee Colony and Carthage Colleges Brandon Rook talk about working in media. Host: John Mielke.

Listen to previous Parkside Today shows at uwp.edu/parksidetoday. WIPZ (101.5 FM) is a student-run organization at UW-Parkside.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0TAYLOR  Chris and Sherry Hardie continue to increase their wine production and sales at their Brambleberry Winery, Weddings and Country House Hotel business about 10 miles south of Taylor.

And they anticipate major growth in the wedding and wedding receptions part of their business, thanks to the Grand Wedding Pavilion that was completed last summer and which is open from May through October. The 40- by 100-foot pavilion can hold up to 275 people, has commercial-grade rest rooms and also can be rented for other events. Groups of up to 400 can be accommodated by renting an additional tent.

Two outdoor wedding ceremony sites are available, but the ceremony also can be held inside the pavilion.

In the last three years, weve been doing small weddings at Brambleberry, Sherry said. And now with this (large pavilion) facility, we can also have large weddings here.

We have a restaurant license, which allows us to prepare food for small special events, Chris said. We do not cater large weddings  that needs to be done by a licensed caterer.

Homemade pizzas and cheese and meat trays are served in the Brambleberry Winery tasting room on Saturdays and Sundays.

The Hardies will celebrate the sixth anniversary of their winery with a free concert from 4 to 7 p.m. June 22 in the new pavilion. It will feature Joanna Johnson of Chili, Wis., the 2017 U.S. national Scottish fiddling champion, and her mother, Deb Johnson, who plays guitar.

Chris writes a weekly column that appears in the La Crosse Tribune, and he and Sherry also write a weekly wine column for the Tribune and the Winona Daily News. Chris, former executive editor of the Tribune, is CEO of the 7 Rivers Alliance, a regional economic development organization.

Brambleberry Winery, Weddings and Country House Hotel started in 2006 when we received our bed and breakfast license, Chris said. We remodeled and added on to the farmhouse that once belonged to my great-grandparents Ray and Hilda Hardie. I grew up on the farm.

The country hotel part of the business has four guest rooms available for rent Thursday through Sunday.

Chris and Sherry opened the winery in 2013 after adding on to the farmhouse on their 115 acres of land, where they also raise Scottish Blackface sheep, Scottish Highland cattle, goats, donkeys and chickens.

Chris makes more than 50 wines from what he said are the finest juices from around the world, from places such as California, France, Italy, Spain, Australia, Germany and Chile.

Because Brambleberry imports so much juice, Chris said, People can come here and find wines they wouldnt expect to see at a Wisconsin winery.

The Hardies are growing some of their own Frontenac grapes. But we dont have our production high enough yet to make wine from them, Chris said.

I make more than 20 different reds, he said. I also make white wines and a variety of what we call our Sweetie wines, grape and fruit blends. I also make two special ice wines.

The Hardies sell their wines in the winerys tasting room for prices that range from $13.95 to $29.95. They also serve beers made by Sand Creek Brewing Co. in Black River Falls.

The winery is open from noon to 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. In the winter months, its open Saturday and Sunday.

Chris said he made about 6,500 bottles of wine last year, and production and sales have been increasing. Thats partly because some retail outlets have begun carrying Brambleberry wines in the past three years.

Brambleberry wine is available at Mocha Mouse in Black River Falls, the Peddlers Wife in Hixton, Overflow Eatery in North Bend and Target Bluff German Haus in Camp Douglas. Its also available on tap at Growler Guys, a tap room in Eau Claire.

Were certainly looking to grow wine sales at retail outlets, Chris said. A lot of that has been from (retailers) who have approached us because theyve had our wine and like it.

Hosting weddings and other events at the new pavilion also will boost Brambleberry wine sales, Chris said.

The sweeter wines sell the best at Brambleberrys tasting room, Sherry said. But our passion is actually the dry reds. We have at least 20 dry reds and are well-known for them. We excel at that. But we have delicious wines for every palate.

Brambleberry Winerys two biggest-selling wines are two Sweeties  raspberry sangria and a tropical coconut blend.

Also for sale in the tasting room are wine glasses, accessories and apparel such as T-shirts and hats.

BRAMBLEBERRY WINERY, WEDDINGS AND COUNTRY HOUSE HOTEL WHAT: A winery, wedding (and other events) venue and country hotel owned by Chris and Sherry Hardie. WHERE: N3684 Claire Road, Taylor. Its about 10 miles south of Taylor, and also is east of Ettrick and Beach Corners. WHATS NEW: The Hardies business began in 2006 when they received a bed-and-breakfast license. It expanded with the opening of their winery in 2013 and again in 2018 when they completed their Grand Wedding Pavilion. MORE INFO: Call Brambleberry at 608-525-8001 or visit www.brambleberrywinery.com or Brambleberrys Facebook page.

Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0Overture Center for the Arts in Madison is teaming up with the Viterbo University Fine Arts Center for the 2019 Rising Stars talent search.

The Overture also will partner with theaters in Oshkosh and Wausau.

This will mark the first time that local auditions for the Rising Stars program will be held in La Crosse.

This is an exciting opportunity for Viterbo University to offer auditions in our region and highlight the talent of local artists, said Michael Ranscht, director of the Fine Arts Center. We have a wealth of talent and creativity in the Coulee Region, and this is a great way for us to share that with the rest of the state.

Sandra Gajic, Overtures president and CEO, said: Our goal is to discover, develop and celebrate the wealth of diverse talent in Wisconsin and provide more performance opportunities for local artists. Through the audition, callback, workshop and final performance in our state-of-the-art Overture Hall, artists from all disciplines will have the opportunity to grow and share their art with others.

Participants of all skill levels and talents (ages 6+) will have the opportunity to develop their talent with guidance from industry pros. The competition is free for participants.

There will be three age categories with $750 cash prizes, and one grand prize winner will receive a $1,000 prize, booking opportunities, a digital marketing consultation, and the chance to perform at the Overture Center during the 2020-21 season.

Auditions will be held at four statewide locations, each with a panel of local celebrity judges to be announced.

Acts selected from the preliminary auditions will be invited to the callback on Saturday, Aug. 17. The workshop on Sunday, Aug. 25, will give those moving on another opportunity to perform and receive constructive feedback from industry professionals before they head to the finals at Overture Center on Saturday, Sept. 14.

The finalists will come together on the grand Overture Hall stage to perform for the community, win cash prizes and be seen by talent buyers.

This project is supported by Arts Access, a component fund of the Madison Community Foundation, Madison-Kipp Corporation, and Dane Arts with additional funds from the Edres Mfg. Company Foundation, The Evjue Foundation, Inc., charitable arm of The Capital Times, the W. Jerome Frautschi Foundation and the Pleasant T. Rowland Foundation.

2019 Overtures Rising Stars statewide schedule The auditions: Saturday, July 13, at The Grand Oshkosh, Oshkosh

Saturday, July 20, at The Grand Theater, Wausau

Saturday, July 27, at Overture Center for the Arts, Madison

Saturday, Aug. 3, at Viterbo University Fine Arts Center, La Crosse Registration: Visit www.overture.org/Risingstars. Callback: Saturday, Aug. 17, in Overture Hall at Overture Center for the Arts, Madison Workshop: Sunday, Aug. 25, at Overture Center for the Arts, Madison Finals: Saturday, Sept. 14, in Overture Hall at Overture Center for the Arts, Madison

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0Anyone in need of healing and support after the loss of a loved one is invited to spend a day in community with others who are experiencing grief.

Navigating Together: A Grief Retreat will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 22, at the Franciscan Spirituality Center, 920 Market St.

Grieving the death of a loved one involves many difficult challenges. Oftentimes, we feel overwhelmed with tasks and emotions, said Jean Pagliaro, who will lead the retreat.

Through discussion, time for reflection and creative expression opportunities, participants will have opportunities to both express their grief and consider new paths that might be part of their healing.

Cost is $45, which includes lunch. Advance registration is required; call 608-791-5295 or visit www.FSCenter.org. Confidential financial assistance is available if cost is a barrier to attending. This program is sponsored by the George and Virginia Schneider Family Fund of the La Crosse Community Foundation.

Pagliaro is the program and retreat coordinator at the FSC. She has a bachelors degree in social work and a Master of Divinity degree. Her ministry experiences and focuses include mental health crisis response, hospital chaplaincy, grief care and programming that offers support to families.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0TOWN OF BERGEN  A De Soto man was killed Saturday after he struck a dog with this motorcycle.

Michael R. Long, 61, was southbound on Hwy. 35 at about 9:20 p.m. just south of Spring Coulee Road when he thrown from a motorcycle after striking a dog in the highway, according to the Vernon County Sheriffs Department.

He was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities did not say whether the dog survived.

The Vernon County Sheriffs Office was assisted at the scene by the Wisconsin State Patrol, Stoddard Fire Department, Genoa Fire Department and Tri State Ambulance.

This accident remains under investigation by the Vernon County Sheriffs Office and Wisconsin State Patrol. Anyone with any further information is asked to call the Vernon County Sheriffs Office at 608-637-2123.

Love 1 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 17 Angry 1One hundred years later, Wisconsin government doesnt exactly look like it was the first to ratify the 19th Amendment recognizing womens right to vote.

Women represent just 27% of the seats in the state Legislature, have not served as governor or Assembly speaker, and hold just 20% of county board seats, 12% of mayorships and only two out of 10 positions in the states congressional delegation.

Wisconsins Supreme Court, where six out of seven seats are currently held by women, exists as a surprising bright spot in an otherwise dim scene for women in government leadership.

And women are increasing their ranks elsewhere, such as in the state public defenders office, which a woman leads; as chiefs of staff for Democratic Gov. Tony Evers and Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester; in all seven seats on the Madison School Board; and among legislative Democrats, more than half of whom are now women.

But even with those gains in womens representation, women in government say more needs to be done to combat perceptions about gender that contribute to womens lack of representation.

Former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch, who now serves as the executive director of the Womens Suffrage Centennial Commission, said the challenges women face persist far beyond the state Capitol dome.

Women are in a position of continuing to have to prove their worth and their value, she said.

Women on the Supreme Court

Justice Shirley Abrahamson, both the first female justice and the first female chief justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court who is retiring this year, in 1980 suggested the day might not be far off when female justices control the state Supreme Court. She wrote in an essay at the time that 35% to 40% of students at the University of Wisconsin Law School were women, compared to only one in her class.

Indeed it would not surprise me to see seven women on the Wisconsin Supreme Court some day, Abrahamson wrote. I dont view that possibility as any stranger than seeing seven men on the bench, as we have for 128 years.

Such a scenario almost became a possibility when Rebecca Dallet replaced Michael Gableman in 2018. But the number will dip to five when Brian Hagedorn takes office Aug. 1 after he defeated appeals court chief judge Lisa Neubauer for Abrahamsons seat.

Even with two men, the ratio will still be one of the highest rates in the nation. On average, about a third of state supreme court justices are women.

Few observers could pinpoint why Wisconsin has such a high rate of female representation on the states highest court, given the measly rate in other elected offices, though Justice Ann Walsh Bradley, thinks its less complex than one may think.

The reason is that when the women ran for election, they got more votes than their opponents, Bradley said.

Jessica Lovejoy, a Democratic strategist who worked as Dallets campaign manager, said the precedent Abrahamson set might have something to do with it.

That was a beacon of hope for women who wanted to run, Lovejoy said.

Alicia Bannon, deputy director for program management in the Brennan Center for Justice's Democracy Program, said diversity often generates diversity, meaning Abrahamsons place on the court, as well as those of the five other female justices, could help secure female representation on the Supreme Court for future generations.

It does really expand girls and younger womens sense of what they can do, Bannon said.

Kelli Thompson, the first female state public defender and daughter of former Republican Gov. Tommy Thompson, said the mentorship women in leadership provide is one of the major reasons increased female representation in government is important. Furthermore, when judges reflect the diversity of the people their decisions affect, Bannon said it can build confidence in the courts.

Higher levels of female representation in the judiciary also provides it with a diversity of perspectives stemming from the life experiences women bring.

Dallet said women tend to be natural consensus builders and good listeners. Others said they have a propensity to focus on issues men may not prioritize, such as domestic abuse, harassment, restraining orders and sex trafficking.

Abrahamson in her 1980 essay on being a woman on the Supreme Court urged caution on using gender stereotypes to talk about womens contributions to the bench, but allowed that if women bring any common trait, its a gutsy opposition to accepting the status quo with a commitment to working within the status quo for change.

Almost 40 years later, Walsh Bradley and Dallet noted a female-majority state Supreme Court does little to mask the reality that most of the states lower courts are dominated by men. A 2015 tally by the Wisconsin Womens Council and Alverno College Research Center for Women and Girls showed that women account for just 19% of municipal court judges and 17% of circuit court judges. Women currently account for 31% of state appeals court judges.

We are woefully behind what should be the number of women on the bench, Walsh Bradley said.

Women continue to be underrepresented in the leadership of law firms. A 2017 study by the management consulting firm McKinsey and Company found just 19% of equity partners in law firms are women.

Women in office

One explanation for why women continue to be underrepresented in elected positions is because, more than men, they need to be recruited.

A 2009 study by researchers at Rutgers University found women were more likely than men to say they chose to run for office because they were asked, whereas men were more likely to say running for office was entirely their own idea. Both Kleefisch and Dallet said they were encouraged by others to run for their positions.

The types of scrutiny women face combined with their general reluctance to consider political office represent a significant hurdle for womens representation in government.

The Rutgers study, for example, found a third of women are discouraged from running for office, something thats all too familiar for Rep. Jessie Rodriguez, R-Oak Creek, who said a male voter once tried persuading her against running because she is a mother.

And in the age of social media, women are often subject to harassment that can make running for office less than palatable.

For women who value their families and even a return to the private sector or the not-for-profit sector, some of the very, very damaging things that can be said can be pretty hurtful, Kleefisch said. You cant put that toothpaste back into the tube.

Kleefisch said she and other women are far more likely than men to face criticism about their appearance as well as be the subject of crass sexual remarks.

If you want to attack me on tax policy, come at me all day, she said. But you want to talk about my hair? Really?

Rep. Melissa Sargent, D-Madison, said shes been threatened on social media, and often receives comments regarding how shes dressed.

Dallet said on the campaign trail she was asked more than once who was watching her children.

During one of her first jury trials when she was an assistant district attorney in Milwaukee County, Dallet said jury members offered little in the way of constructive criticism when she asked them how she could improve.

The comments I got were about my clothes, Dallet said. I mean complimentary, but still.

The challenges women face on the campaign trail is something Emerge Wisconsin, a liberal group that encourages Democratic women to run for office, tries to address head on.

Emerge recruits and trains women to run for office and provides a support network for women wanting to get involved in public life. Several of Emerges alumnae are elected to the state Legislature, including Sargent and Sarah Godlewski, the state treasurer elected in 2018.

Erin Forrest, Emerge Wisconsins executive director, said the organization among other things teaches women hard campaign and fundraising skills they can rely on when they may otherwise lack the confidence to run.

Republicans fall behind

The Rutgers study found organizations such as Emerge are essential for encouraging more women to run for office, but such organizations more often recruit Democrats, which could partially explain why there are fewer Republican women in elected office.

In the Wisconsin state Senate, there are only two Republican women and 16 men, compared with eight Democratic women and seven men. In the Assembly, there are 10 Republican women and 53 men, compared with 18 Democratic women and 18 men.

Kleefisch admitted conservatives have a less organizational focus on recruiting women, but she said Republicans are just as excited about seeing women run for office as Democrats are. As an example, she pointed to the Right Women, Right Now program run by the Republican State Leadership Committee, which recruits and trains female state-level candidates for office.

Women of either political stripe are vying for more women in government. And for women who first broke the mold in Wisconsin politics, such as Margaret Farrow, the states first female lieutenant governor, the day is sure to come when womens increased representation will break the states highest glass ceiling.

There will be (a female governor), Farrow said. I firmly believe there will be. Id like to think in my lifetime, but at 84 I dont know if thats going to happen. But, you know, who knows.

[Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect a correction. An earlier version misstated Alicia Bannon's title. She is deputy director for program management in the Brennan Center for Justice's Democracy Program.]

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0MILWAUKEE  With disappointment from the last contest still fresh for Democrats, two liberal-backed candidates for the next state Supreme Court election addressed the Democratic Party of Wisconsin convention here Saturday.

Dane County Circuit Court Judge Jill Karofsky vowed to confront secretive dark money in judicial races and warned of increasing politicization of the judiciary.

Marquette University Law professor Ed Fallone said his background as a Latino and educator would bring new perspectives and a voice for working people to the states high court. Fallone also said Wisconsin incarcerates too many people for nonviolent offenses at rates far exceeding our neighboring states.

And to put it bluntly, were locking up too many people of color, Fallone said.

In an apparent but indirect reference to the abortion debate, Karofsky said our fundamental rights as women are still under assault.

Why are we still having these arguments? Because a radical minority thinks the Constitution should bend to their will despite judicial precedent, Karofsky said.

Fallone and Karofsky are the liberal-backed candidates seeking to challenge conservative-backed Justice Dan Kelly, an appointee of former Gov. Scott Walker who will seek election to the state Supreme Court in April 2020.

Their remarks were delivered Saturday at the two-day convention at Potawatomi Hotel and Casino. About 1,800 party delegates were enlisted to attend.

The backdrop for Karofsky and Fallone was the disappointment of the April Supreme Court election, in which liberal-backed Judge Lisa Neubauer was favored but upset by conservative-backed Judge Brian Hagedorn. The outcome preserved a conservative majority on the state Supreme Court at least through 2023.

Both of the candidates for the next Democratic Party chairperson  party vice chairman and state Rep. David Bowen, D-Milwaukee, and former MoveOn leader Ben Wikler  have vowed to ramp up the partys efforts in judicial races in light of that outcome.

Some critics question if its appropriate for state Supreme Court candidates, the election of which is officially nonpartisan, to address partisan events such as conventions.

Hagedorn took it a step farther at the state Republican convention last month, addressing it as a justice-elect to thank GOP activists for their support in April.

At the convention Sunday, Democrats will pick between Bowen and Wikler to lead their party heading into a 2020 campaign in which the state is expected to be pivotal to the national presidential race. The current chairwoman, Martha Laning, is not seeking a third term.

Bowen used his remarks to laud Lanings leadership while calling for changes to how Democrats organize  including the practice of parachuting organizers into communities with which they are unfamiliar shortly before an election. He also acknowledged Democrats frustration with Hagedorns victory.

We lose when we dont do the work to expand the electorate, Bowen said.

Wikler cited his childhood in Madison during which he volunteered for a string of Democratic campaigns. In a nod to Wisconsins expected importance in the fight for the presidency next year, Wikler vowed to stop Donald Trump in the state of Wisconsin in 2020.

Campaigns for several Democratic presidential candidates also had a volunteer-powered presence at the convention Saturday. They included South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg and U.S. Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-New York; Amy Klobuchar, D-Minnesota; Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont; and Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0Skepticism about climate change-related research led the Legislatures budget committee last week to water down Democratic Gov. Tony Evers plan to restore a Department of Natural Resources science bureau, according to a top Republican senator.

The Republican majority on the Legislatures budget committee agreed to restore two of the 18 researchers cut in 2015 by then-Gov. Scott Walker and his GOP allies in the state Assembly and Senate.

Evers administration officials said the two positions wont be enough to research new ways to reduce damage done to lakes, streams and drinking water by climate change, invasive species and contaminated sewage.

Evers, who was elected in November and promised to make 2019 the year of clean drinking water, proposed restoring five researcher positions to help guide initiatives aimed at protecting water quality. A DNR official expressed gratitude that the budget panel approved the two researchers who are to focus on emerging contaminants, such as cancer-linked PFAS chemicals that have been found in several Madison wells and across the state.

It would have been better if we could build more capacity in water resource research, said DNR budget director Eric Ebersberger. Its a big deal in the sense that we would have liked to have the five.

Half of the senior scientists were cut from the DNRs Integrated Science Services Bureau in the 2015 state budget because Republicans didnt want them studying the way climate change and pollution from mining could harm the environment.

DNR researchers try to ensure that department programs use effective methods when managing the complex biological systems found in land and water.

But the cuts and other staff losses have meant the DNR no longer has staff with expertise in research subjects including pathogens that force beach closings, restoration of lakes with eroded shorelines or sections that turn into swamps or dry land, and toxic contaminants in fish and wildlife, the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau reported.

The department has reduced capacity to research problems, such as controlling wildfires and basic lake science topics including blooms of bacterial algae and diminished fish populations, the fiscal bureau said.

The budget panels leader for natural resources issues, Sen. Tom Tiffany, R-Hazelhurst, said in an interview he was leery of Evers plans to begin rebuilding the science bureau.

The other three researchers proposed by Evers would have had as a priority finding ways to adapt DNR water protection programs to changing climatic conditions such as increased rain and extreme weather events.

That was certainly one of the red flags for me, Tiffany said of the proposed resumption of climate-change research. Trying to re-establish the science bureau is certainly a red flag for me, too.

Tiffany was a driving force behind the 2015 cuts and the subsequent elimination of the science bureau. Tiffany doesnt accept the findings of 97 percent of working climate scientists that the climate is changing rapidly in large part because of human-caused pollution. He opposes environmental regulation he sees as needlessly hindering businesses.

The two researchers approved by Tiffany and the other 11 Republicans on the budget panel are to research emerging water contaminants such as PFAS, a large group of synthetic compounds associated with serious health risks that have been detected in Wisconsin drinking water.

Business interests have urged the DNR and legislators to go slow on PFAS regulation, which has cost millions of dollars to find and clean up in other states. No Republicans have signed on to a bill Democrats have offered to launch a broad effort aimed at protecting Wisconsin from PFAS contamination in ways other states have employed for years.

Tiffany said he voted to add the two PFAS researchers as a compromise with Evers, and because the budget committee co-chairman, Rep. John Nygren, R-Marinette, has in his district the states worst known case of PFAS in drinking water.

Science bureau reduced and reorganized

In 2017, at the urging of Tiffany and other Republicans, the DNR disbanded what was left of the science bureau and renamed it Office of Applied Science. Nineteen researchers who remained after the cuts were dispersed across the agency to work directly for managers of fisheries, wildlife and pollution-control programs.

Tiffany said he thought the reorganization would give the then-secretary of the DNR, former Republican lawmaker Cathy Stepp, the ability to ensure that research benefited sportsmen while eliminating studies that take climate change into account.

Critics have voiced concerns that with less centralized control of research, department-wide priorities and efficiency could be lost, and with fewer scientists the DNRs wildlife management decisions  for example about which lakes and streams are stocked with fish  could be skewed by individuals and groups with political influence.

Tiffany has disregarded what DNR wildlife scientists say when their research contradicts things his constituents tell him about whether hunting regulations are written in a way that helps them have success when they hunt.

The initiation of topics researched by Office of Applied Science is influenced more by DNR program managers than it was when the agency operated the science services bureau, but the final selection is reviewed by a central coordinator who consults with the DNR secretary before giving approval, said Scott Hull, who directs the office.

The fiscal bureau suggested that the budget committee could consider approving just two of the five researchers.

The bureau said the DNR had 30 or more PFAS research projects ready to go, but it might be unable to accelerate its research agenda at a pace to fully avail itself of the (other three) positions immediately.

However, Hull and others said the latest update of the DNRs research agenda covering all of Evers priorities would be finalized by July 1, when the new state budget is supposed to take effect. The list of projects will easily exceed the ability of five additional researchers, Hull said.

The DNRs division of environmental management chief, Darsi Foss, said that in addition to emerging contaminants and climate-induced damage to waterways, the priorities for the five would have included:

Protecting lakes and streams from invasive species that can change aquatic ecology  including altering water quality and the types of fish available to anglers.

Keeping water safe from health hazards such as nitrate and bacterial pollution associated primarily with farming.

Ensuring that sewage sludge that is spread on farm fields across the state isnt contaminated by toxins or other chemicals that could be carried by rain into drinking water, lakes and streams.

When the Legislatures Joint Committee on Finance completes its recommendations on Evers budget, the Assembly and Senate will vote on them, and Evers will have an opportunity to sign or use his veto power to alter or reject them.

Love 2 Funny 1 Wow 2 Sad 2 Angry 17WIS. RATIFIES SUFFRAGE declared the Wisconsin State Journal, Madisons daily afternoon newspaper, in a bold banner headline on June 10, 1919.

A century later, the state is celebrating Wisconsins historic feat as the first to ratify the 19th Amendment. But as coverage in Madisons oldest newspaper made clear, the distinction was almost accidental.

The Badger State was an unlikely victor in the race to ratify first. The Wisconsin Supreme Court had struck down an 1886 suffrage referendum, ruling women voting would be treasonous to their sex. By 1919, 15 other states, including Michigan, had already enfranchised women. And less than seven years before ratification, 63% of Wisconsin voters had rejected state suffrage in a November referendum.

Referendum setback

The 1912 vote was a setback for the womens suffrage movement, but leaders remained hopeful their victory was inevitable. Some chalked up the defeat to the states brewers and liquor industry, who feared women would usher in prohibition (something the all-male Legislature would ratify anyway in January 1919).

A Mrs. John R. Commons told the State Journal after the November 1912 vote, Our progressive legislation has perhaps made the men of Wisconsin feel that the women were not in need of the ballot to protect themselves.

A little more than a month before the historic 1919 ratification, National Womans Party state chairwoman Ada James of Richland Center told a gathering in the governors conference room in the Capitol that women should be able to vote for the same reason as men  because voting is a fundamental principle of democracy. Other attendees expressed confidence Congress would finally have the two-thirds vote necessary to pass the amendment, 41 years after it was first introduced.

In mid-May, Theodora W. Youmans, president of the Wisconsin Womans Suffrage Association, wrote in the State Journal that Wisconsin women were becoming impatient by the delay in the U.S. Senate.

With all the important questions of public policy facing this nation in which women desire to have their part, it is irritating to be obliged to expend time and energy and money on securing an object which all intelligent people admit is bound to come soon and whose delay in this democratic republic is inexplicable, she wrote.

Then on May 21, the U.S. House approved the amendment 304-88. Four days later, the State Journal ran a news item with the headline Badgers to ratify suffrage, belief, noting the Legislature had already voted to allow women to vote in presidential elections.

The drumbeat for suffrage continued to build through marches, rallies, letters and editorials. Even Madison Gas & Electric Co. appeared to harness the issue in an advertisement urging consumers to Conserve woman-power with electricity.

Late on June 4, the U.S. Senate passed the amendment. The State Journal noted that only four states were still in session: Pennsylvania, Illinois, Massachusetts and Wisconsin (on account of a late budget). Mrs. Ben Hooper of Oshkosh, state congressional and legislative suffrage chairwoman, told the newspaper there was no question at that point that Wisconsin would ratify, only whether it would be the first.

The next day, Sen. Roy Wilcox, R-Eau Claire, tried to introduce the ratification resolution, but the move was delayed due to concerns that the official paperwork from Washington hadnt yet arrived. The certification arrived Saturday, setting up a vote on Tuesday, June 10.

Fireworks on the floor

On that day at 10:36 a.m., the Assembly chief clerk read the communication from the secretary of state. At 10:45 a.m., the body suspended the rules to take the vote. But according to the State Journal, there were fireworks as Rep. John P. Donnelly, D-Milwaukee, kept the Assembly under suspense for nearly three-quarters of an hour.

Donnelly moved an amendment seeking another public referendum on the question. He said the issue was too serious to resolve itself into a race between states.

Rep. Thomas S. Nolan, R-Janesville, who had introduced the ratification resolution, responded that Donnelly could not appreciate the value of womens suffrage because he was unmarried, but that when he did marry he would realize that woman can vote just as intelligently as man, according to the State Journal. Donnellys referendum amendment failed, and he voted for ratification.

At 11:09 a.m., the Assembly voted 54-2 to ratify. But before all but one senator approved the measure 27 minutes later, news reached the State Journal from Springfield that the Illinois legislature had completed its vote.

The fact that the legislature did not meet this morning until 10:30 was largely responsible for the delay, the State Journal reported.

Despite the delay, Assistant Secretary of State W.J. Naylor said he was confident the Wisconsin certification would be the first to reach Washington because every technical detail had been arranged in advance.

Indeed, the Illinois resolution, upon arriving in Washington, was found to be worded incorrectly and had to be voted on again. On June 14, the State Journal reported Wisconsin goes down in history as the first state to ratify the woman suffrage amendment.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0In the end, by-the-book Robert Mueller departed wildly from the book.

He invented an extra-constitutional 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.

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.

Syndicated columnist Rich Lowry can be reached comments.lowry@nationalreview.com.

Love 1 Funny 4 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 0Legendary Queen of Creole Cuisine, Leah Chase, dies at 96

New Orleans chef and civil rights icon Leah Chase, who created the citys first white-tablecloth restaurant for black patrons, broke the citys segregation laws by seating white and black customers and introduced countless tourists to Southern Louisiana Creole cooking, died Saturday. She was 96.

Chases family released a statement to news outlets Saturday night saying the unwavering advocate for civil liberties and believer in the Spirit of New Orleans died surrounded by family.

ADVERTISEMENT

Her daily joy was not simply cooking, but preparing meals to bring people together, the statement read. One of her most prized contributions was advocating for the Civil Rights Movement through feeding those on the front lines of the struggle for human dignity.

Leah Chase transformed the Dooky Chases restaurant from a sandwich shop where black patrons bought lottery tickets to a refined restaurant where tourists, athletes, musicians and even presidents of all races dined on fare such as jambalaya and shrimp Clemenceau. The restaurant and Chases husband were both named after her father-in-law.

Chases determination propelled her from a small-town Louisiana upbringing to a celebrated chef who authored cookbooks, appeared on cooking shows and fed civil rights greats such as Thurgood Marshall and Martin Luther King Jr. Well into her 90s, Chase could be found daily at the restaurant, using a walker while greeting customers and supervising the kitchen. The power of food to transform a day and the desire to better her city drove her.

I love people and I love serving people. Its fun for me to serve people. Because sometimes people will come in and theyre tired. And just a little plate of food will make people happy, she said during a 2015 interview with The Associated Press .

At a time when other black Creole women were working in the citys garment industry, Chase worked as a waitress in the French Quarter, which exposed her to the segregated citys pricey restaurants frequented by white people.

When she married Dooky Chase in 1946, his family restaurant had been open for five years, largely under the guidance of his mother. But Leah Chase wanted to make it a fine dining experience for black patrons along the lines of what shed seen in the Quarter. Gradually, she introduced silverware on the table, tablecloths and Creole dishes.

ADVERTISEMENT

I said well why we cant have that for our people? Why we cant have a nice space? she said. So I started trying to do different things.

During the civil rights movement, Dooky Chases became known as a place where white and black activists could meet and strategize about voter registration drives or legal cases. Although Chase and her husband were breaking the law by allowing blacks and whites to eat together, the police never raided the restaurant.

Chase would also send food to civil rights leaders when they were in jail, sniffing her nose at the idea of them eating prison food.

Sybil Morial, a longtime friend of Chase, said shes eaten hundreds of meals at Dooky Chases where she was courted by her late husband, Ernest Dutch Morial, the citys first black mayor. On visits to New Orleans, Thurgood Marshall and other lawyers would work with Morials husband and NAACP lawyer A.P. Tureaud, and then head to Dookys for a meal.

It was a haven for them to refresh themselves with wonderful gumbo and it was a place where they could strategize after a hard days work, Morial said.

Chase never boasted about it, saying simply that she did what she thought she had to do.

Hurricane Katrina devastated her restaurant in 2005, leaving 5 feet (1.5 meters) of water in the dining room for weeks. When the waters receded, mold was everywhere.

Chase was already into her 80s, but there was little question regarding the restaurants fate. She and her husband evacuated to Birmingham, but returned and lived in a FEMA trailer next to the restaurant for months while they rebuilt. Her husband died in 2016 , at which point the couple had been married for seven decades.

Her food always reflected her city, a Creole mixture of Spanish, French, African and other cultures that have influenced New Orleans. She enjoyed the new culinary influences in the city such as the growth of Vietnamese or Jamaican restaurants. But she pushed back against the notion that hers was a soul food restaurant.

When people come and ask about soul food, I ask them where is their soul. If your soul is in China, I cant help you, she said. If your soul is in New Orleans I know what to give you.Finland is the most heavily forested country in Europe. That makes Finland rich in biomass.

Biomass is fuel developed from organic materials. It includes forest, parts of trees as well as plant and animal waste. Yet the northern European nation may soon be unable to meet an expected 70% rise in demand for biomass fuel once it stops using coal.

Earlier this year, Finland approved a measure to ban the use of coal in energy production by May 2029. Power companies will now have to find other ways to keep Finns warm. Coal currently makes up about 20% of the energy used for heating homes.

There are limited plans to use more natural gas to produce heat. Other heating sources, such as geothermal energy and the suns energy, are not yet commercially viable in Finland. In other words, power companies lack the technology to effectively use such sources and earn a profit.

Many experts believe that using more biomass is the most economical way of meeting the countrys future energy needs.

The management consulting service Poyry advises the government on Finlands energy, industry and public service needs. It estimates that the country will need 64 terawatt hours' worth of biomass in 2030 for energy production alone. The current usage is 38 terawatt hours.

However, Finlands supply of biomass is expected to grow by only eight terawatt hours between now and 2030.

As a result, Poyry says the country will have to import biomass as well as improve its management of forests. It also says Finland will need to depend more on harvested plant wastes for energy.

Finlands largest special interest group on energy issues also predicts large increases in the use of biomass in coming years.

Jukka Leskela is the head of the group, called Energia. He said, Its slightly awkward that Finland would run an energy policy that will make us a net importer of biomass. We are a forest country. He spoke to the Reuters news agency.

Less costly to import

Forests cover 75% of Finlands land. But the number of trees harvested is limited by law, with most of the wood saved for the pulp industry. The government would be unable to add much more supply for energy use.

Riku Huttunen is head of Finlands energy office. He said, The pressure is to limit the use of (domestic) wood... it is normally used in the regions where there is a lot of wood and fewer people but now we are talking about towns with very little forest and many people. It is evident that we need imports.

Huttunen added that moving biomass from northern Finland was also a limitation. Shipping biomass from neighboring countries was less costly.

Such imports could come from other countries around the Baltic Sea, including Sweden, Estonia and Russia.

Energia estimates show biomass will make up nearly 60 percent of the fuel mix in Finlands combined heat and power factories in 2030. That is up from the current usage of less than 30 percent.

Finland has seven combined heat and power plants that use coal either as the main or backup fuel for homes and businesses.

Industry officials say the country will also make greater use of heat pumps and surplus heat from data centers, as well as heat storage solutions.

Im Jill Robbins.

Lefteris Karagiannopoulos reported this story for the Reuters news service. Jonathan Evans adapted it for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

______________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

source  n. a person, place or things from which something comes

geothermal  adj. related to heat produced from inside the Earth

management  n. the process of controlling or dealing with people or things

pulp  n. a soft, wet and shapeless material

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.

It would be difficult to overstate the importance of nurses. They provide about 90 percent of all health care services worldwide.

As important as nurses are, many countries are experiencing a shortage. The World Health Organization has noted the huge need for health care workers worldwide, especially nurses and midwives. Even the United States and other English-speaking nations have massive shortages.

But no matter what country nurses work in, at some point in their careers, they may be required to communicate in English. The reason is simple: The use of English in medical settings worldwide continues to grow.

When you think of nurses, you might imagine hospitals. But nurses work in countless other places, such as health clinics, schools, private homes and assisted living centers. They work on military bases, in refugee camps and in disaster situations around the world.

There are also many specializations within nursing. Surgery, cardiac care, oncology, midwifery and anesthesia are just a few examples. Throughout their career, nurses may work in one or many specialized areas.

Charlotte Nwogwugwu knows all about nursing, having worked in a number of specializations and settings.

During her 13 years in health care, she has served as a surgical nurse, orthopedic nurse, psychiatric nurse and global health nurse. She has also taken students overseas for their field experience in global health. A native of Nigeria, Nwogwugwu studied nursing in the U.S. and holds a doctorate degree in public health. She is now Assistant Professor-Global Health at the University of Maryland School of Nursing.

She joins us by phone to talk about nursing and some of the language challenges and victories that come with the job.



AB: Thanks again for being with us today.

CHARLOTTE NWOGWUGWU: Youre very welcome.

AB: Could you tell us a little bit about what you enjoy most about your work as a nursing professional?

CHARLOTTE NWOGWUGWU: One of the major things that I truly enjoy about nursing is the diversity in the role.

The core of what truly drives me is the ability to connect with people because, at the end of the day, I am a carer at heart. And, its still people that make my work valuable.

So, when I talk about the diversity in the role, it really is centered around connecting with people and how that inspires me to keep going to do what it is I do.

So, I always look at it from that perspective  whereby what it is I am doing with this individual patient is going to impact the lives of other people, not just that patient but their family members.

AB: OK great. In a typical day on the job, maybe in an interaction between nurse and patient, are there common expressions and terms that they might use?

CHARLOTTE NWOGWUGWU: Absolutely. One of the things that we are doing as nurses is that we are assessing this patient the moment we walk in. And by that, I mean we really are assessing their level of consciousness. We are assessing their pain. So, to do that, to be able to assesshow alert the patient is, I would ask the patient questions like, Can you tell me your name? and What is your date of birth?

And, of course, Ive had patients  many, very many  who may be a bit confused. Maybe they may not be able to tell me their date of birth, so I would further probe and ask questions like, Can you tell me what today is? or what day of the week it is, or who the president is.

AB: So, could you give me an example of how a language barrier may impact a nurses interaction with a patient? Or you can talk about with a doctor, other health professionals.

CHARLOTTE NWOGWUGWU: Some nurses  maybe for those from Nigeria, for example, which is where Im fromwhen we are speaking to individuals in positions of authority or even to patients that are elderly, we -

A. dont call them by name and B. would use expressions or phrases such as, Yes, ma. And, for some individuals, they may find that offensive, because they dont know what that means. But, from a cultural perspective, that is actually a sign of respect.

I think that when we have nurses who speak a different language, there are also different terminologies that kind of make it challenging. For example, it wasnt until I came to the United States that I understood that pants [in Nigeria] were actually underwear [in the U.S.].

But then there are some biases between the nurse as well as the patient, in terms of 'the nurse does not have a quote American accent so perhaps they may not be able to provide the quality of the care that I expect.'

AB: So, how can  or do  nurses overcome such challenges?

CHARLOTTE NWOGWUGWU: I think that nurses, at least in my experience, have truly done an amazing job with overcoming this. And by this, I mean becoming lifelong learners.

I was really open about my own deficits in terms of what I didnt know, what I needed to learn because that truly is one of the first steps to really be able to make the change or improve your own quality as a nurse and your own ability to speak the English language fluently. And for me, also, it is important that I practice. And, a lot of nurses will tell you that they do do that.

Im a firm believer that it takes a village. Soadministrators in hospitals also need to take an interest in the nurse workforce and also identify this [strengthening English skills] as an area of improvement.

AB: Thats a great, very thorough answer and it partially answers my next question. So, if someone were interested in the nursing field, what path of study do you suggest for a foreigner who wants to become a nurse in an English-speaking country?

CHARLOTTE NWOGWUGWU: I truly believe that the individual has to make that personal decision whether they would want to study in their own country or here.

Now, with that said, if an individual studies, say, in Spain, for example, or in Nigeriaor whatever country it is, for them to become a nurse  a licensed nurse  here, they still have to take the board exams. So, ya know, my response is really  they have to make that personal decision as to where they would want to get their degree from.

AB: OK great. Well, thank you so much.

CHARLOTTE NWOGWUGWU: Thank you. Youre very welcome.

And, in addition to her job as a global health professor, Nwogwugwu continues to practice nursing. She works part-time at the Perry Point VA Medical Center in Maryland.

Im Alice Bryant.

Alice Bryant wrote this story for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

______________________________________________________________



Helpful Words and Terms

midwife  n. a person (usually a woman) who helps a woman when she is giving birth to a child (plural: midwives)

clinic  n. a place where people get medical help

assisted living facility  n. housing for people with disabilities or adults who cannot live independently

surgery  n. medical treatment in which a doctor cuts into someone's body in order to repair or remove damaged or diseased parts

cardiac  adj. relating to the heart

oncology  n. the study and treatment of cancer and tumors

anesthesia  n. a medical treatment that prevents patients from feeling pain during surgery

orthopedic  adj. relating to the treatment of illnesses and injuries that affect bones and muscles

psychiatric  adj. relating to a branch of medicine that deals with mental or emotional disorders

global health  n. an area for study, research and practice that places priority on improving health and achieving equity in health for people worldwide

interaction  n. to talk or do things with other people

consciousness  n. the normal state of being awake and able to understand what is happening around you

elderly  adj. old or rather old

bias  n. a tendency to believe that some people or idea are better than others that usually results in unfair treatment

accent  n. a way of pronouncing words that occurs among the people in a particular region or country

license  n. an official document that gives you permission to do, use or have something

board exam  n. a set of tests you take to be allowed to work in a particular area as a doctor, nurse or other healthcare professional

VA  n. Veterans Affairs

______________________________________________________________

English Programs for Nurses

A good Medical English program for nurses will:

Teach medical and healthcare terminology

Teach practical language and expressions

Demonstrate nurse-patient interactions and offer role-plays to practice these interactions

Use authentic written materials, such as forms and hospital charts

Offer practice tests in listening, speaking, reading and writing

Sources: OET and other sources

English Exams

After meeting their educational obligations, some foreign-educated nurses must take one of these English proficiency exams:

Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)

Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC)

International English Language Testing System (IELTS)

Which test they must take will depend on their home countries.

Some countries, including Australia, Namibia, Dubai and New Zealand, require something called the Occupational English Test (OET) for healthcare workers.

However, those who attend nursing school in the U.S., Canada (except Quebec), the U.K., Ireland, Australia or New Zealand are exempt from the tests. For other countries, if the nursing school taught in English and the textbooks were in English, they are also typically exempt.A town in Pakistan is struggling to deal with patients infected with HIV, the virus that can lead to Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, known as AIDS.

Nearly 700 HIV cases have been reported in the town of Ratodero, in Sindh Province, since April. Most of the patients are children.

For me it was impossible to imagine, said Nazeer, recalling the day a doctor said his 16 month-old girl had tested positive for HIV.

I told him are you joking with me, how can she have HIV?, he said. Nazeer spoke with the Reuters news agency from his home in Ratodero, about 500 kilometers from Karachi, Pakistans largest city.

His daughter is receiving treatment, he said, adding he did not know how she was infected.

Health officials say 681 people have tested positive for HIV in the town since April 25. Of that number, 537 are children.

Thousands of people have taken an HIV test at Ratoderos only testing center in a government hospital. Others have been tested at private medical centers.

About 60% of Ratodero patients were infected by reused medical instruments, such as needles and syringes, or through donated blood, says Doctor Sikander Memon. He is head of the provinces AIDS control program.

Police and doctors carried out an investigation. They found that 123 HIV patients had been treated by the same doctor before they were infected.

Dr. Muzaffar Ghanghro was arrested on April 30 and has been charged with unintentional murder, police said.

Reuters was not permitted to contact Ghangro in jail and was not able to contact his lawyer.

Sold all my valuables

Pakistan has about 163,000 HIV and AIDS patients, said Zafar Mirza, a health adviser to Prime Minister Imran Khan.

At Pakistans request, the World Health Organization and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have sent experts to the area.

Pakistans government has ordered 50,000 HIV testing kits and is setting up three treatment centers. Adult patients are receiving anti-retroviral drugs, and medicines have been ordered for children, Mirza said.

The Ratodero cases are evidence of the current state of healthcare in Pakistan, a nation of 208 million people. Almost a third of the population lives on less than $3.20 a day. Many Pakistanis cannot pay for costly medical tests or drugs.

Few families can pay for proper treatment of HIV, which usually involves trips to Karachi.

I have sold all my valuables for treatment. Now I cant afford to go Karachi for my childrens medicines every month, said Tariq, who lives in a village near Ratodero.

Tariq, his wife and daughter are HIV positive, and a relative tested positive this month. He does not know how they became infected.

There are 16 HIV cases in our village alone. No one has come to see our plight, he said.

I'm Jill Robbins.

George Grow adapted this story based on Reuters news reports. Hai Do was the editor.

_______________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

positive  adj. of or related to the presence or possession of something; evidence that a substance or conditions is present or exists

unintentional  adj. unplanned

kit  n. a set of things or equipment needed for a purpose

proper  adj. the required or correct kind of something

plight  n. a danger or difficult situation

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.Ben Schott, the meteorologist who heads the National Weather Service office in Slidell, said this hurricane season  June 1 through Nov. 30  is predicted to be an average season. However, he urged residents to make a plan should a storm hit the city.



It only takes one, he said, a sentiment echoed by several other speakers.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Crews were making a last ditch effort Saturday (June 1) to save low-lying parts of a small Arkansas city from floodwaters pouring through a breached levee. Downstream, authorities warned people to leave a neighborhood that sits across the swollen river from the state capital.



The Arkansas River, which has been flooding communities for more than a week, tore a 40-foot hole Friday in a levee in Dardanelle, a city of about 4,700 people roughly 100 miles upstream from Little Rock. On Saturday, Mayor Jimmy Witt said officials dont think a temporary levee being constructed will stop the water from flooding the south side of Dardanelle, but he hopes it will buy time for residents of as many as 800 threatened homes to prepare.

The Baton Rouge Police Department shared birds-eye view images Thursday night (May 30) showing the swollen Mississippi River encroaching on the levee near LSUs campus. The agency posted the photos the same day President Donald Trump declared an emergency in Louisiana allowing for federal assistance for those impacted by river flooding in certain parishes.

Theres been little research into the likely effects of a significant storm while the Mississippi is near its flood stage, in part because the rivers level usually begins to drop from its swollen spring state well before strong hurricanes typically develop.



This year, however, the river is expected to remain at 16 feet above sea level at New Orleans Carrollton gauge, just a yard or so below the lowest points of the river levees, well into the summer.



As climate change pushes rainfall totals higher across the United States, prompting earlier and more severe storms, some observers are calling for more study of how serious a threat such a scenario could pose going forward.

The shitty part of the year is here, folks. Walk outside and suck in a deep breath of the hot stagnation we like to call summer. It all showed up right on time today.According to four hundred something important persons assembled for the city's annual Everybody Look The Fuck Out press conference , the 2019 hurricane season is supposed to be an "average" one. Which is to say, it's probably bad.But before we can get our heads around the average shitty summer we still have to deal with the above average shittiness of this spring The Arkansas breach comes as the Corps of Engineers makes last minute changes to its plan to open the Morganza Spillway. They were going to do it tomorrow but decided instead to wait until Thursday . Likely the public feedback had something to do with that. Farmers, fishers and residents in the Atchafalaya basin are rightfully concerned about all that fresh water that's "not so fresh ." Still, it's a tight needle to thread. I mean, yikes! It's very high.On Friday I took a ride downtown to look at the high river in the Quarter. It's very high.But it's not scary high. Not in the way those Baton Rouge pictures are. It's actually a little bit lower than it was in 2011 which was the last time we were this skeeved out by it. Here's basically the same location then.Of course the Bonnet Carre has been open (for the second time this year) a few weeks so, we had better hope the water is under control to some degree down here. I also rode up to The Fly on Friday just to see it all. It's very high. But not scary high.That's not going to stop anyone from worrying about all sorts of things Welcome to the shitty season.Qualcomm and Lenovo announced plans to bring one of the first laptops with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx processor to market early next year. The new chip should enable better performance than weve ever seen from a Qualcomm-powered laptop.

But like most Windows PCs with Snapdragon processors, the upcoming Lenovo Project Limitless device probably isnt going to be cheap.

That said, Qualcomm is planning for a future where youll be able to pick up a Snapdragon-powered laptop for as little as $300.

Speaking with Miriam Joire on a recent episode of the Mobile Tech podcast, Qualcomm vice president Don McGuire said the company wants to see its chips in a wide range of mobile PCs, including premium models with price tags north of $800 and more affordable devices priced as low as $300.

To do that, he says the company will be fleshing out its roadmap in the coming year, with new chips designed for a range of different price points.

So far the lowest launch price Ive seen for a Snapdragon-powered PC is $599, which was the starting price for the Asus NovaGo when it hit the streets last year.

In order for PC makers to offer models at half the price, a few things will likely need to happen.

Qualcomm will need to offer a lower-cost processors that offers performance thats at least on par with what youd expect from a low-end Intel Celeron processor.

PC makers may need to cut some corners in terms of design and features.

Device makers may need to explore solutions for keeping software license costs down.

That last point could involve working with Microsoft to get a better deal on Windows license fees for low-end devices and/or using Chrome OS or other software that doesnt have a licensing fee.

In fact, McGuire says he wouldnt be surprised if some PC makers decide to offer both Windows and Chrome OS models of upcoming devices with Snapdragon chips.

While he didnt provide many details about specific changes in the companys roadmap, McGuire did say were likely to find out more in the coming months  possibly at the companys next Qualcomm Tech Summit, which typically takes place in December.

via WinFuture.dePraying for the direction to take in this years devotions, God directed my thoughts to the alphabet and 2x26 equals the weeks in a year, and that He can be described by many English words beginning with those 26 letters (X is the exception, but EX words will work). This year, I will gaze at the glory of God using the ESV and the alphabet!



Linda Wood cast an eye toward the water being pumped into the street from her basement and voiced the thought of just about everyone in this Council Bluffs neighborhood along the Missouri River.

I hope its not going to get as bad as 2011, she said Saturday as she stood on the front porch of her home a couple of blocks from the levee.

Throughout the neighborhood, the results of busy sump pumps could be seen in the crystal-clear groundwater flushing out of pipes and into gutters. The water table thats forcing water into basements and crawl spaces hasnt risen this high since the historic, summerlong Missouri River flood eight years ago, residents say.

The Missouri River is rising because of heavy rain runoff and increasing releases from upstream dams. And now the effects are showing up in the Omaha metro area.

Interstate 29 is again fully closed from northern Council Bluffs to Loveland, Iowa.

Interstate 680, which links northern Omaha to Iowa, has closed. That brings to six the number of Missouri River crossings that are closed between Omaha and St. Joseph, Missouri, according to state roads officials. Only five crossings remain open  four in the Omaha area and one at St. Joseph.By Jhoo Dong-chan







Vietnam was the largest recipient of funding from the Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF) provided by the Export-Import Bank of Korea (Korea Eximbank) over the past five years, the bank said Sunday.







Established in June 1987, the EDCF has promoted economic cooperation between Korea and emerging economies. It assists partner countries by providing funding for their industrial development and economic stability.







The Korea Eximbank said the state-run bank provided 5.73 trillion won ($4.8 billion) through the EDCF in Asia over the past five years. It invested 1.07 trillion won in the region in 2017 and 913 billion won last year.







Of the recipient countries, Vietnam received 1.09 trillion won over the past five years, the highest on the list followed by Myanmar with 867.2 billion won and Bangladesh, 828.2 billion won.







"Reflecting the country's rapid economic growth rate, Vietnam has been the world's most active player in establishing its industrial infrastructure," said a Korea Eximbank official.







"It is carrying out a number of infrastructure projects, building roads and railways. Korea Eximbank has financed the country's projects via the fund."







Of its entire EDCF financing projects across the world, Korea Eximbank invested 3.87 trillion won in emerging economies' road and rail projects and 1.13 trillion won on those related to water resources and sanitary facilities over the past five years.







By financing categorizations, most emerging economies got the EDCF investment through project loans.







A project loan is the funding of long-term infrastructure or industrial projects and public services financed by a government or corporate body. The debt and equity used to finance the project are paid back from the cash flow generated by it.







Of the Korea Eximbank's 138 EDCF cases over the past five years, 106 cases, or 76 percent, were project loans worth 7.91 trillion won.







The Korea Eximbank said it will expand its EDCF investment in Southeast Asian countries in line with the Moon Jae-in administration's New Southern Policy.







"The Korea Eximbank aims to expand EDCF investment in Asia  up to 60 percent of its entire fund by 2022," said Korea Eximbank Chairman Eun Sung-soo during a press conference in January.









Please register or log in to keep reading. No credit card required!

Stay logged in to skip the surveys.Freunds response to the Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services: "For the past 20 years, scientists have been trying to scream about widespread biodiversity loss without being defeatist, struggling to thread the needle of conveying the urgency about our situation  and what happens to humans when we drive every other living thing on our planet extinct  while still sounding upbeat enough to spur positive change. Biodiversity loss is not just the disappearance of charismatic species like the giant panda and black rhinoceros. It also means that the pollinators we depend on for 75% of our food crops will vanish. Marine fisheries will collapse. Animals that harbor disease, usually kept in check by predators, could explode out of control, putting us at risk of new tick-borne diseases and parasites. And yes, we will lose megafauna like elephants, giraffe, and bison. Your grandchildren wont believe you when you tell them about the big cats and mighty sharks that once existed on Earth.Anyone who's completed the climb out of their early 20s hopefully has the wits to remember when life was as vivid as Kodachrome and the experience to recognize that perhaps all those new colors were duller than they seemed. Perspective, after all, is one of the great pleasures of getting older. But at the date of her death Thursday at the age of 87, Joan Didion's 1967 essay "Goodbye to All ...Volunteers  Hospice Visions Inc. is looking for volunteers to spend an hour or two a week visiting and sharing time with patients and their families. Volunteers are also needed to help with crafts and activities with patients at assisted living centers. Hospice Visions is also looking for men and women to serve as Veteran-to-Veteran volunteers for veteran patients. All ages of veterans from all branches of service are welcome to join the volunteer forces as part of the We Honor Veterans program. Information: Nora Wells, volunteer coordinator at Hospice Visions, 208-735-0121 or nwells@hospicevisions.org.

Volunteers  Idaho Home Health and Hospice is looking for volunteers who are willing to donate their time, to bring compassion, support and dignity to loving patients and their families. Volunteers can choose to read, sit with patients or write letters and help with a patients legacy. Volunteers can assist with crafts, office tasks and support community events. Volunteers can provide bereavement and help to appreciate and celebrate veterans. Information: Diana Lerh, 208-734-4061 or Diana.Lerh@LHCgroup.com.

Volunteers  Horizon Home Health and Hospice is looking for volunteers to join their team to provide quality compassionate care to patients through the following activities: companionship, socialization, respite, and support for patients and families. Information: Shannon Jensen, 208-233-2279 or shannon.jensen@horizonhh.com.

Volunteers  Light of Hope, formerly Safe Harbor, is a nonprofit run by volunteers in helping those in need in the Magic Valley. Hot homemade meals are served at 5 p.m. Sundays and at 5:30 p.m. Thursdays. Light of Hope is in need of nonperishable food items. Food boxes are handed out and donations are received from 2 to 4 p.m. Thursdays at the center, 213 Fifth Ave. W., Twin Falls. To volunteer: Zandra, 208-735-8787.

Volunteers  The donation of your time will have an impact on the life of one of the clients served by Interlink Volunteer Caregivers that live in the area. As a volunteer, you choose how much time to share. The biggest need for volunteers is with Transportation Services for medical appointments, treatments and for pharmacy pick-up. IVC reimburses mileage monthly. Information: interlinkidaho@gmail.com or 208-733-6333.

Volunteers  The Jerome County Historical Society is looking for volunteers to help at the Depot Museum, 212 E. First St., Jerome, and also to help with clean-up at the Idaho Farm and Ranch Museum before the Live History Day event June 8. IFARM is at 520 S. 450 E., Jerome, near the U.S. 93 and Interstate 84 junction. The Depot Museum is open from 1 to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday (closed on holidays and Live History Day). Information: 208-324-5641.

Volunteers  The Twin Falls County Historical Society is seeking volunteers for various programs and general support. Volunteers are needed to clean or work on docent projects and fundraising. No minimum amount of hours, commitment is flexible. Fill out an application at the Twin Falls County Historical Museum, 21337 U.S 30, open from noon to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Information: 208-736-4675.

Volunteers  St. Lukes Magic Valley Medical Center is in need of volunteers for a variety of positions from shuttle drivers to gift shop volunteers. Volunteers will have opportunities to meet new people and learn new experiences and challenges. The medical center is looking for friendly individuals with an interest in voluntary services offered to patients, visitors, employees and guests. Information: Kim Patterson, 208-814-0861 or kimpa@slhs.org, or visit the Volunteer Services Office on the lower level of St. Lukes Magic Valley, 801 Pole Line Road W., Twin Falls. Applications are available at the Front Informtion Desk at the hospital.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0BOISE  Boise Police on Thursday arrested Jonathan Parker  a lobbyist and former Idaho Republican Party chairman  and booked him into the Ada County Jail on a felony first-degree stalking charge.

According to the criminal complaint, on or between May 16 and May 30, Parker did knowingly and maliciously engage in conduct that seriously alarmed, annoyed or harassed (his wife) Kelly Parker. The complaint states Parkers conduct included repeatedly hiding in bushes, masturbating, disguising himself with a wig at or near her apartment complex.

On May 30, police said they received a call about a man acting strangely near homes in the 300 block of North Whitewater Park Boulevard. Officers made contact with that man and identified him as Parker. Further investigation revealed there is an active protection order between Parker and a woman living nearby  his wife  and Parker was then arrested.

Parker, 39, was arraigned May 31 in Ada County district court. The judge set his bond at $80,000 and issued a no-contact order.

Parkers preliminary hearing is set for 8:30 a.m. June 14.

Parker resigned from his GOP post on Feb. 18.

Last year, Kelly and I were blessed that Presley came into our lives as our beloved daughter, Parker wrote in his Feb. 18 resignation letter to the party.

Serving as your chairman, while maintaining a full-time job and being a fully engaged father, has been harder than I imagined, so much so that I have reluctantly decided that I should no longer continue to serve as chairman of the Idaho Republican Party so that I can focus on the priorities I place above all others, Parker stated at the time.

About one month later, on March 26, Parkers wife filed for divorce in Ada County, according to court records. The divorce proceedings are pending and sealed.

Parker was elected GOP chairman in July 2017 and re-elected in June 2018. He started his own government affairs consulting and lobbying business, Parker Public Affairs, in 2017.

Love 0 Funny 7 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 1People gather near the site of the accident at Margaret Bridge in Budapest, June 1. A Hungarian judge on Saturday ordered the formal arrest of a captain whose Viking river cruise ship collided with a sightseeing boat on the Danube River, sinking the tourist boat and leaving seven South Koreans dead and 21 other people missing. AP



South Korea will ask Hungary to swiftly determine the cause of a deadly boat sinking and those responsible, a senior diplomat said Sunday, as search operations continued after the sinking that left 26 Koreans dead or missing.

Second Vice Foreign Minister Lee Tae-ho made the remark during a government disaster management meeting, noting that the captain of a cruise ship, which collided with the sightseeing boat and caused it to sink, has been arrested on charges of negligence and carelessness.

"We will call on Hungarian authorities to investigate the cause of the accident and determine who was responsible in a swift manner," Lee said.

On Wednesday (local time), the decades-old Hableany, carrying 33 South Koreans and two Hungarian crew members, capsized and sank soon after being hit from behind by the Swiss-registered Viking Sigyn. The collision left seven Koreans dead and 21 people missing, 19 of whom are Korean.

Lee said that the government will do its best to hold funeral procedures for the victims.

"Last night, identities of the dead were confirmed by bereaved family members," he said. "We will listen to the bereaved families and smoothly carry out funeral procedures in cooperation with the travel agency."

Family members of South Korean victims have arrived in Budapest to receive updates on rescue efforts.

Joint rescue operations by South Korean and Hungarian authorities are under way, but have faced setbacks amid strong currents and high waters. No additional survivors have yet been found.

The South Korean team, consisting of staff from the Navy and fire agency, have conducted surface-level searches up to 50 kilometers down the Danube River from the site of Wednesday's disaster with the Hungarian rescue team, but ended empty-handed. It will determine whether to begin full-scale underwater operations in the river on Monday.

Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha, who returned to Seoul from Budapest on Sunday, said the Hungarian government is considering installing a structure around the sunken vessel to keep any contents of the ship from slipping out.

"We've been asking them to set up nets to prevent any loss from the boat, but the condition is too bad for divers to get into the water," Kang told reporters upon arrival at Incheon International Airport. "They are mulling a plan to set up a structure around it."

She said it will take more time to begin work on pulling the sunken ship out of the water because of the strong currents of the Danube.

Kang had been in Budapest since Friday to oversee the South Korean team's search operations and ensure coordination with Hungary. She met with her Hungarian counterpart, Peter Szijjarto, and Interior Minister Sandor Pinter during the three-day visit.

The captain of the Swiss cruise ship, identified as Yuriy C, was formally arrested on Saturday after a Hungarian court issued an arrest warrant on charges of negligence and carelessness over the accident.

The captain was initially detained and questioned by Hungarian police right after the sinking of the tourist boat Hableany on the Danube River on Wednesday.

"The South Korean government will ask the Hungarian authorities to conduct a fair and speedy investigation into the accident," the vice minister said. (Yonhap)To get a job these days, chances are youll have to pee in a bottle. Every company with a credit card, store card or website  or even a clerk who asks you nosy questions at the checkout counter  is looking to peddle data about your buying habits. In many states, you have to hand over your fingerprints to renew your drivers license. Public and private spaces alike are constantly scanned by ever more observant surveillance cameras.

When were asked for our Social Security number to open a bank account, many of us simply shrug our shoulders rather than raising hell. And if we happen to be poorer than a banking customer  a footloose kid hanging on a street corner or an unemployed motorist guilty of driving while black, for example  were liable to be locked up and lost in a vast criminal justice system that considers itself not responsible for any rights, especially privacy rights.

Invasion of our privacy has become a way of life. When you stand up and demand to be left alone, youre likely to be pegged as a quaint holdover from days gone by, a whiner or, more likely, someone with something to hide  maybe even a terrorist! Were living in a culture in which individual rights have been sold and subjugated, all for database marketing and to keep the lid on the unruly masses.

This is an issue that has fallen off the political radar. What are the chances that privacy rights will engage the mighty intellects of The Donald? Last I looked, the only people in Washington overly concerned with privacy were the corporate check writers and their pet politicians, eager to cover the tracks of their own financial quid pro quos.

Behind the shiny glass doors of your not so friendly, not so neighborhood bank, everything they know about you is for sale  your account numbers, bank balance, loan history, address, credit history, Social Security number. The checks you write and receive, the invoices you pay and the investments you make reveal as much about you as a personal diary. But instead of banks keeping your information under lock and key, they collect it, cross-reference it, collate it and sell it  mostly to companies determined to sell you something else. The banks get 20% to 25% of the sales revenue generated by the marketers who buy the information.

In the brave new culture built around the marketplace, both corporate and government sectors have deemed private and personal information to be just another commodity. Already, our Social Security cards, which were never meant to be a tool for anything but our security, have become a basic means of keeping track of us, for both marketers and the police.

But now, driven by dreams of a citizen databank available to government at every level, public officials are falling over each other with new proposals for keeping us tabbed. The International Association of Chiefs of Police wants DNA samples from anyone who is arrested for any reason (as opposed to tried and convicted), while some right-wing politicos want to take DNA samples from all newborns.

Filing our DNA in a government databank is about the ultimate in unreasonable search and seizure. How far we have come from the days of Supreme Court Justice Louis D. Brandeis, who said in his famous dissent in Olmstead v. United States (1928): The makers of our Constitution ... sought to protect Americans in their beliefs, their thoughts, their emotions and their sensations. They conferred, as against the Government, the right to be let alone  the most comprehensive of the rights, and the right most valued by civilized men.

And now there are companies like 23andMe that not only collect your DNA for genetic testing but will sell your DNA to government agencies. DNA tracking is not just an assault on the principles embodied in our Constitution; it has very real and frightening implications. Employers could deny you a job because your genes include a tendency toward certain diseases or health defects, and insurers might use DNA-derived information to impose limits on your health care coverage.

And dont get me started on the tech companies and what they are doing with the overwhelming amounts of data they are collecting. Ah, for the simpler days of 1984, when George Orwell imagined that all this high-tech snooping and file gathering would be used to spot and snuff out societys troublemakers and dissenters before they threatened the system.

For Americas CEOs, my gift is a beautifully boxed, brand-new set of corporate ethics. Its called the golden rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Jim Hightower is a columnist, political activist and author who served as commissioner of Texas Department of Agriculture.

Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 0The Middleton school district has had a difficult and challenging year. From a scandal involving staff members dressed in stereotypical Mexican costumes and border wall to the failure of a bond at the polls to, most recently, a controversial decision to not renew the contract of a popular principal, the school district has faced a series of challenges.

Regarding the most recent controversy over Middleton High School Principal Ben Merrill, what concerns us the most is the lack of civility around the decision.

Audio from the live stream of the school board meeting at which the decision was made became inaudible with yells from the crowd of community members who attended.

Board Member Kirk Adams, who has been sitting on the board for about a month, said that the violent atmosphere at the meeting had the board members concerned for their safety.

For the first time in my life, I went to bed with slight fear for my and my wifes safety, he told the Idaho Press. The room had escalated, and we were fearful.

After the board came out of executive session, the room was in a frenzy, he said. Some of the board members drove different routes home afterward.

As the board members were walking through the crowd to leave the meeting, he said, attendees were signing petitions for the recall of board members Tim Winkle, Kirk Adams and Aleisha McConkie.

A video circulating on Facebook shows an altercation between McConkie and an audience member. The camera turns toward the floor, but McConkie alleges the individual grabbed her arm after she pushed the camera away from her face.

Calls of Aleisha, youre dead can be heard in the background audio of the video. McConkie said the situation has her hiding in her home.

This is just deplorable behavior.

Were not going to weigh in on the school boards decision to not renew Merrills contract and whether it was the right or wrong decision. We certainly see both sides of it.

What were most concerned about is the lack of civil behavior toward the school board members and the administration through all of this.

First of all, school board member is a volunteer position. School board members are people in the community, who live and pay taxes in the community, raise their children and send them to school in their community. To be treated this way  no matter how much you disagree with them  is inexcusable.

Second, school board members have more information at their disposal than the general public. They have more knowledge about the circumstances than they are able to disclose to the public. We are not going to second-guess that.

Third, they are trying to do whats best for the community, with the consideration of all of the information that theyve looked at. Theyre not out to get someone or destroy someones life. Theyre trying to make the best decision for the school district.

Finally, this is how the system works. You elect your school board members to make these kinds of tough decisions. If you dont agree with that decision, thats certainly understandable, and you should absolutely express your opinion. But thats it. The line stops at that dais. The final decision is in the hands of the volunteer school board members, and thats the decision that the community must accept and respect  even if, perchance, that decision is the wrong one.

To abuse, shout at and threaten your fellow parents and neighbors is crossing the line of civil discourse. Let the politicians in Washington call each other ugly names and shout at each other. Dont let that trickle down to our hometowns.

One school board member has already resigned amid all this turmoil. With treatment like this, why would anyone want to be on the school board in the future?

This all comes at a time that the National Institute for Civil Discourse announced its first state-level advisory board  in Idaho  which will be co-chaired by former Republican Gov. C.L. Butch Otter and former Democratic Idaho Congressman Walt Minnick.

In making the announcement, Otter said in todays politics, there are too many personalities: Youve gotta hate the other person, he said. And I just dont. I have never in 25 races. I have never been comfortable in saying bad things about my opponent.

Rep. Melissa Wintrow, D-Boise, another member of the advisory board, said, To me, civility  is more than just please and thank you. Its seeing people as people and not as objects. When we connect, we show up with a genuine desire to help, she said. Its about people and getting things done and treating each other with dignity and respect.

Thats a message we should all embrace at the local level, as well.

Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0Two words buried in a court document should strike our collective conscience like a lightning bolt.

(Brian Dripps) confirmed that he entered (Angie) Dodges apartment by himself with a knife with the intent to rape her, that he did in fact rape her, that he held a knife to her throat during the commission of the rape, and had cut her throat.

By himself. In other words, not with Christopher Tapp, who spent nearly half his life in prison for her murder.

Those two words suggest a terrible crime. Not only the 1996 rape and murder of Dodge  but a second crime.

Our crime.

What we as a people, through our justice system, did to Tapp.

Evidence has long been mounting that Tapp was wrongfully convicted. With Dripps confession and DNA match, how can any doubt remain?

It is not yet certain how the justice system will respond to Dripps statement that he entered Dodges apartment by himself with the intent of committing rape. Police and prosecutors have said they need time to carefully vet and corroborate the details of Dripps confession, to be certain that Tapp was not there when Dodge was murdered. That is an understandable response.

The actions of Chief Bryce Johnson since taking office give us a large measure of confidence in his integrity. Though he has our confidence, it is not lost on us that for 23 years the justice system has proven incapable of doing justice in this case. We are watching closely.

Many have criticized the unethical, manipulative interrogation and polygraph sessions conducted by officers Jared Fuhriman, Ken Brown and Steve Finn that led to Tapps confession. How they fed him nonpublic details of the crime, led him to believe he might have repressed memories that a polygraph could reveal like an oracle, and offered him a choice between freedom if he confessed and the gas chamber if he didnt. Those criticisms are well justified, and there ought to be consequences.

But those shameful individual acts should not distract us from a more fundamental problem  a problem not of a few flawed men, but of a flawed system.

Some have claimed it is the great virtue of the justice system that it corrects its own errors. This week we know that it does not.

Releasing an innocent man after 20 years have been robbed from him does not restore his life. Moving to dismiss his conviction does not undo the stain put upon his name for nearly a quarter century. Justice too long delayed is indeed justice denied.

It is worth remembering that Tapp fought these charges at trial, on appeal, through motions for post-conviction relief and through numerous other legal channels. Despite the glaring, gaping holes in the case against him, the system failed each and every time to deliver justice.

After the initial jury verdict, no court ever took a comprehensive view of the evidence in the case. Without new evidence, the only questions the courts considered were whether prosecutors had improperly withheld evidence, or whether Tapps original lawyer had failed to adequately represent him, or whether some portions of the interrogations had taken place in violation of his right to counsel.

Bound to address only procedural justice, the courts missed justice itself.

Today, Tapp is free. But that outcome was far from certain.

Tapp had the great luck to catch the attention of Judges for Justice and the Idaho Innocence Project  and a dedicated lawyer in Public Defender John Thomas. Retired judges, FBI agents, geneticists, polygraphers and investigators volunteered hundreds of hours to prove his innocence.

If it were not for their extensive work  and especially that of Carol Dodge, Angies mother  Tapp would probably have died in a prison cell in Kuna.

How many other Tapps are pacing the floors in tiny cells right now?

A few names are often whispered locally. Michael Whiteley, imprisoned since 1991. Lanny Smith, imprisoned since 1996.

They have no large team of experts devoted to digging through their cases. But lawmakers could change that.

Many states and large cities have, in recent years, established groups called conviction review units made up of lawyers and full-time investigators dedicated to the investigation of convictions where there is a plausible claim of innocence. If the evidence, considered as a whole, isnt sufficient to support a fresh conviction beyond a reasonable doubt, the unit can either vacate a conviction or order a new trial. They do what appellate courts do not.

Lawmakers should also pass a law that mandates compensation following wrongful conviction and imprisonment, as many other states do.

How much should a wrongfully convicted person be paid? To answer that question, ask yourself how much money you would accept to give up everything that happened in your life between the ages of 20 and 40  friendships, college, marriage, kids, a career, all of it  and substitute two decades in a tiny cell, with no control over your life, under the constant threat of violence.

We must look our own crimes in the face. We must accept responsibility for them. We must atone for them.

And then we must take action to ensure we never do something like this again.

Until we have done that, all of us are guilty.

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It makes sense to save money if you use less of something. Use less gas, spend less money at the pump. Xeriscape your yard, save on your water bill.

Youd be shocked if the gas station tried to charge you more per gallon for using less fuel. Or the water utility raised your rates because youre saving water. Yet, Idaho Power wants to do just that with Idahoans who create their own energy.

Idahoans who generate their own electricity, typically from solar panels, are net metering customers. These customers pay for any power they consume from the grid. If their electricity system covers their needs and generates extra, the utility provides a credit.

Each month net metering customers pay for the difference between the utility power they consume and any credits they receive. And net metering customers pay the same monthly customer charge like everyone else.

So the only difference from a regular utility customer is a net metering customer invests their own money in clean energy to meet their own needs. If they have a little extra power they just want to be paid fairly for providing local, clean energy to their neighbors.

But now Idaho Power wants to reduce the rate it credits for any extra power Idahoans generate ...Thats right. Even though youre generating your own electricity, Idaho Power wants to reduce the rate they pay you for being independent and putting any excess on the grid.

Many homeowners and business owners in Idaho want to reduce their power bills and support clean energy. Refer to publicnewsservice.org/2017-12-19/energy-policy/more-idahoans-solarizing-their-rooftops/a60685-1. Theyve invested millions of dollars into our local economy by installing rooftop solar systems, which support local jobs and workers. These Idahoans are reducing our reliance on out-of-state fossil fuels and protecting our air quality. Just the thought of Idaho Power changing its net metering rates has kept potential customers from hiring installers.

Idaho Power says it supports clean energy, too. But what theyre doing with net metering doesnt make sense to me and it doesnt make sense for Idaho families, the local economy, and Idahos air quality.

If you agree, contact the Idaho Public Utilities Commission at puc.idaho.gov/forms/casecomment.aspx and fill out a comment form, Case Number IPC-E-18-15, to let them know you expect Idaho Power to treat net metering customers fairly. If Idaho Power believes in their commitment to clean energy they should help, not hobble, Idahos clean energy future.

Ben Otto is the Idaho Conservation Leagues energy associate.

Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 1Bridgepoint Education, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides postsecondary education services in the United States. Its academic institutions, Ashford University and University of the Rockies, offer associate's, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree programs in the disciplines of business, education, psychology, social sciences, and health sciences. The company offers its programs primarily through online; and at its campuses. As of December 31, 2017, its institutions offered approximately 1,200 courses and 80 degree programs; and had 45,730 students enrolled. The company was formerly known as TeleUniversity, Inc. and changed its name to Bridgepoint Education, Inc. in February 2004. Bridgepoint Education, Inc. was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in San Diego, California.

Read MorePetroChina Company Limited, together with its subsidiaries, engages in a range of petroleum related products, services, and activities in Mainland China and internationally. It operates through Exploration and Production, Refining and Chemicals, Marketing, and Natural Gas and Pipeline segments. The Exploration and Production segment engages in the exploration, development, production, and marketing of crude oil and natural gas. The Refining and Chemicals segment refines crude oil and petroleum products; and produces and markets primary petrochemical products, derivative petrochemical products, and other chemical products. The Marketing segment is involved in marketing of refined products and trading business. The Natural Gas and Pipeline segment engages in the transmission of natural gas, crude oil, and refined products; and sale of natural gas. As of December 31, 2020, the company had a total length of 31,151 km, including 22,555 km of natural gas pipelines, 7,190 km of crude oil pipelines, and 1,406 km of refined product pipelines. The company is also involved in the exploration, development, and production of oil sands and coalbed methane; trading of crude oil and petrochemical products; storage, chemical engineering, storage facilities, service station, and transportation facilities and related businesses; and production and sales of basic and derivative chemical, and other chemical products. The company was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Beijing, the People's Republic of China. PetroChina Company Limited is a subsidiary of China National Petroleum Corporation.

Read More 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.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Michael-in-Norfolk disclaims any and all responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, completeness, legality, reliability, operability, or availability of information or material displayed on this site and does not claim credit for any images or articles featured on this site, unless otherwise noted. All visual content is copyrighted to it's respectful owners. Information on this site may contain errors or inaccuracies, and Michael-in-Norfolk does not make warranty as to the correctness or reliability of the site's content. If you own rights to any of the images or articles, and do not wish them to appear on this site, please contact Michael-in-Norfolk via e-mail and they will be promptly removed. Michael-in-Norfolk contains links to other Internet sites. These links are provided solely as a convenience and are not endorsements of any products or services in such sites, and no information or content in such site has been endorsed or approved by this blog.Jeffrey Bates is licensed to practice law in the State of Texas, but is not board certified in any area of specialty by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

This column is meant for general information and educational purposes only, and neither this column nor the transmittal of a legal question via email constitutes the creation of an attorney/client relationship between the reader and Jeffrey Bates and/or Southern Newspapers Inc. For specific advice regarding legal matters affecting you, consult an attorney.

To submit a question, send it via email to JeffreyPBates@aol.com, or via regular mail to Ask the Lawyer, 101 S. First St., Lufkin 75901, or call 639-2900.June will see President Donald Trump logging thousands of air miles as he travels to Europe and Asia for summits with foreign leaders and commemoration of World War IIs momentous D-Day invasion.

Nearly all the countries hell visit face a range of difficult domestic challenges that preoccupy their leaders, even as Trump presses them to address issues of concern to him and his administration.

Trump begins with a state visit to the United Kingdom, where his counterpart, Prime Minister Theresa May, is a weak, lame duck leader.

Due to her failure to deliver Brexit  British exit from the European Union  May announced her resignation as Conservative Party leader effective June 7. She will serve as prime minister until a successor is chosen by her party.

Mays impending resignation means no progress can be made on a number of important bilateral initiatives, including a trade agreement ensuring continued access to each countrys market for exports of manufactured goods, agricultural products, and services after Britain exits the EU.

Mays resignation also increases the likelihood that the UK will exit the EU with no agreement in place by the October 31 deadline. With the British economy already slowing, in part due to business and consumer uncertainty over the future, a hard Brexit will subject the UK economy to potentially serious disruptions.

While in Europe, Trump also will meet with the Irish Prime Minister and then travel to France for the 75th anniversary of D-Day  which will feature our own Miss Montana aircraft and Missoula-based jumpers reenacting the nighttime drop of U.S. paratroopers behind German lines.

Frances pro-EU president, Emmanuel Macron, is under heavy pressure from leftwing activists  and sometimes violent demonstrators  seeking better economic conditions for lower-paid workers and retirees and from right-wingers seeking limits on immigration and a rollback of EU rules and regulations.

These pressures on Macron, coupled with Trumps imposition of high tariffs on French steel exports and his threat of tariffs on autos, reduces the likelihood that Macron will bend in his opposition to including agriculture in negotiations on a U.S.-EU trade agreement to augment rules currently in place.

At the end of June, Trump travels to Japan for a summit with twenty leaders of the worlds largest countries, the annual Group of 20 gathering.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe  who faces elections in July  hosted Trump in a lavish state visit in late May, aimed at solidifying strong personal ties with Americas president as the two countries grapple with a range of difficult trade issues.

Trumps threat of high tariffs on Japanese auto exports and his refusal to exempt Japan from high tariffs on steel exports forces Abe to walk a delicate path  needing to show strength in standing up for his own exporters, while maintaining Trumps support for a hard line against North Korean nuclear threats and Chinas growing military assertiveness.

Abes domestic political position is also clouded by a slowing economy, due in part to fallout from the U.S.-China trade conflict and, to a lesser extent, from U.S. tariffs. The economys slowdown is raising doubts about Abes plans to raise the consumption tax in October to reduce Japans large national debt, now about 235 percent of Japans economy  the highest in the world.

But U.S.-Japan issues wont be the main focus of Trumps June visit to Osaka for the G-20 summit. Leaders of China, Russia, India, Germany and other countries will attend, offering the opportunity for face-to-face meetings to address bilateral issues of concern.

Top on that list is China. Until recently, speculation abounded that Trump would meet with President Xi Jinping to seal a deal on a trade agreement addressing U.S. concerns about unfair Chinese trade practices, including theft of U.S. technology.

But the recent break in negotiations, coupled with Trumps imposition of high tariffs on all Chinese exports and his administrations moves against Chinese investment and specific companies, raise doubts about whether any meaningful progress can be made toward an agreement by end-June.

And while Xi is Chinas most powerful ruler since Mao Zedong, he nonetheless faces domestic pressure not to kowtow to Americas president. Moreover, as Xi knows better than anyone, his own economy faces serious risks that could jeopardize growth and employment  and political stability  if not handled deftly. A long-term trade war with America wont help the economys prospects.

President Trump has his work cut out for him as he embarks on his ambitious overseas travels.

Joanna Shelton was Deputy Secretary General of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in Paris; held senior positions in the executive branch and Congress in Washington, D.C.; and teaches periodically at the University of Montana.

You must be logged in to react.

Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1A rare and iconic piece of downtown Missoula is for sale.

The two buildings that house the Old Post Pub and Wordens Market and Deli at 451 N. Higgins Ave. are available for $3.995 million. The half-acre lot also includes the parking lot and the rental apartments above the Old Post bar and restaurant. The two businesses, Worden's and the Old Post, arent for sale but would be tenants in the buildings if the property is purchased.

Wordens owner Tim France owns the property and is on a motorcycle trip and couldnt be reached, but real estate broker Jessie Eagen of Missoula said France is ready to move on.

Tim bought that real estate in 1987 and hes looking forward to retirement, Eagen said. I eat there three or four times a week, and hes there every single day with his blue apron on. Hes ready to pass the torch. He owns all the real estate and of course Wordens.

The Old Post Pub buildings technical address is 103 W. Spruce, and that building includes a downstairs area known as La Grotta Bella thats used for wine tastings.

Eagan calls the property the most recognizable corner in Missoula if not all of Montana.

In the last 20 years, I have not seen another property of this size and location in downtown Missoula go for sale, except of course the Merc, he explained.

The historic Missoula Mercantile building on the corner of Front and Higgins was recently converted into a Marriott hotel.

Ive had a lot of inquiries, Eagan said of the Worden's property. Half the people are investors looking at what it would be to keep it as is, and the other half, probably more so, are developers looking at what can be done down there, he said.

He said he's not sure what the lease agreement is for the Old Post Pub.

I personally would like to see the Old Post stay exactly as it is, with five really nice rental units above it," he said. "But with the parking lot and Wordens, I could see a mixed-use building with Wordens 2.0 downstairs and housing up above. If you read the Downtown Master Plan, theyre screaming for more downtown housing, and right now seems like the best time ever. But with a $4 million price tag its going to depend on whatever a developer deems possible.

Eagen said if the property was kept as is, its not a bad investment property.

But the land is worth so much money that theres probably a higher and better use for that property, like commercial in the main level and then three or four stories of downtown condos or housing. Ive been pushing that for five years.

Condominiums downtown sell fast and are in high demand. Eagen noted that the condos in the Wilma building downtown sell for as much as $800 to $1,109 per square foot.

Thats a top-floor corner unit, but still, he said. Those sell in less than 30 days. Im pretty bullish on it.

Worden's, Missoulas oldest grocery store, was established in the 1880s on West Front Street and has been in continuous operation ever since. It was purchased by Tim and Exie France in 1981 and is now in its fifth location.

Eagen said the 24-spot parking lot and the Wordens building combined add up to about a 16,000-square-foot footprint for something to be developed.

Theres people looking at keeping it as is, but personally, looking at the numbers, some sort of redevelopment would be a higher and better use, he said.

The pace of development in Missoula is slightly down in the first quarter of this year compared to the first quarter of the four previous years, according to Mike Haynes, the director of the citys development services office. "In the first three months of 2019, Development Services staff issued 205 building permits for projects with a total market value of construction of $24.3 million, Haynes wrote in a statement.

That amount of development is the least in any three-month period in Missoula since the beginning of 2015. Last year started to show a slight slowing of development activity in Missoula, according to statistics compiled by the city.

The total market value of construction, of building permits issued in 2018 was $223.6 million, which fell short of the level of development activity seen in 2016 and 2017, Haynes said.

However, the number of residential units permitted so far in 2019 is relatively high, with 130 units permitted in the first three months compared to 463 units permitted in all of 2018.

You must be logged in to react.

Click any reaction to login. Love 0 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.When most people think of ceramic kilns, they think of the electric kilns commonly found in elementary and high school classrooms. Electric kilns are relatively easy to operate; they can be programmed to heat up and then cool back down with the push of a button.

Wood-fired kilns, like the one that a group of ceramicists gathered to fire this week in Missoula, are nothing like electric kilns.

A wood fire takes about a week to heat up, said Scott McClellan, an Artist in Residence at the Clay Studio in Missoula.

Somebody has to be there 24 hours a day, five days, putting wood in the kiln. Its more of a community thing, he said.

McClellan organized the Wood Fire Invitational at the Clay Studio this week, where he invited established and emerging ceramicists from across the country to visit Missoula to participate in a community wood-firing event and discuss their work in demonstrations on Saturday.

The invitational began last weekend with local and traveling ceramicists loading their work into the wood-fired kiln, located about nine miles from the studio. They fired throughout the week and gave demonstrations as the cooling process began, which will take about another week.

Wood firing is a process unlike any other. The tunnel-like kilns made of brick and concrete yield inconsistent results that draw artists to the labor-intensive process.

The ash from the wood when the fires burning kind of flies through the kiln and settles on the pots and then you get to a heat thats so intense that that ash melts and that becomes the glaze on the pots, McClellan said.

Its an effect that cant really be replicated.

McClellans work focuses heavily on the wood firing process and the use of native clay. Hes finishing a two-year residency at the Clay Studio in Missoula where his "exit" show called "Rhythmite" features pottery made from clay that he collected from the Nine Mile area, after it was deposited by cycles of flooding from Glacial Lake Missoula starting 13,000 years ago.

McClellan said Missoula has a strong community for ceramics and somewhat of a national presence. Artists from Utah, North Carolina and Canada attended the invitational and demonstrations.

On Saturday, ceramicists Tom Alward, Denny Gerwin, Quinn Maher, Katy Drijber, Todd Hayes and Shasta Krueger cut, rolled and shaped clay as they talked about their work.

Local ceramicists enjoyed the sunny weather sitting in a back room of the Clay Studio with an open garage-like door, where they listened to the artists discuss everything from technique and background to how they find motivation.

The artists worked with clay as they talked with the group, allowing community members to see them demonstrate various techniques as they described them.

Todd Hayes, the ceramic studio coordinator and an adjunct faculty member at Utah State University, used a mold to make a bowl.

I dont know if you saw me wet the mold before using it but Ill wet the plaster because by wetting it, Im actually increasing its ability to draw moisture, Hayes said. You basically bring the plaster to life.

Hayes' mold featured clean, smooth lines but he said that if he wanted a more rugged look, he could soften the inside corners and edges and add texture.

Drijber, a ceramicist from British Columbia, talked about how her work has been influenced by Chinese painting techniques, which rely on the use of oils that are nauseating and cause headaches.

Instead, she said she uses powdered sugar and powdered milk as an alternative fixative.

Drijber demonstrated how shell rough out a drawing and erase lines with water as she painted an owl on a plate.

I dip the brush in water and give it a little shake and you can erase it as much or as little as you want, Drijber said, then dabbing the brush on a paper towel.

I like to have that sort of dreamy quality where it sort of fades in and out of focus, she said.

Overall, the event provides a way for artists to get together and share ideas and insights about the process.

For example, McClellan said the way you fire a kiln can change the work.

"If you cool the work really slowly, you get a kind of dark, matte surface, but you can also get more colorful, lighter surfaces if you cool more quickly," he said.

In addition to trading ideas, McClellan said he wanted to provide a platform for more female and emerging artists to discuss their work.

Wood firing has kind of a stereotype of being really masculine and I wanted to break that because theres a lot of really talented female artists, he said.

The artists will unload their works on Thursday, June 6, just in time for a First Friday reception, which will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, June 7 at the Clay Studio.

The reception will mark the beginning of an exhibit featuring the artists works, which will run through June 28.

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.Jesse Ramos, the only member of the Missoula City Council who identifies as a Republican, says he doesn't fully support the Trump tax cuts, was an "obnoxious supporter of Obama," agreed with Bernie Sanders on opposing large bank bailouts and recently met with Mitch McConnell to rail against Tax Increment Financing.

Ramos recently sat down with the Missoulian for a freewheeling interview to discuss his fiscal views. He's been a vocal critic of Tax Increment Financing, and has been the lone dissenting vote against TIF projects among the 12 City Council members. Ramos, as the lone conservative, has often found himself at odds with the rest of Missoula's elected officials on fiscal issues.

Much of his criticism of TIF has been to describe it as "gifts" to wealthy corporations and individuals. That criticism sounds exactly like that leveled by Democrats against the Trump tax cuts, so the Missoulian asked Ramos to clarify his stance on national economic policy.

Ramos didn't hesitate to explain that he's not completely on board with the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 passed by Republicans at the federal level and signed by President Donald Trump.

I support a tax cut, but the way it was done, basically, our spending didnt go down, Ramos said. When our spending goes down, a benefit of that, a benefit of the government getting smaller is we get a reduction in taxes. But in this case spending went up and were paying for that on borrowed money.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that the federal budget deficit is about $900 billion in 2019 and will reach about 150% of the nation's Gross Domestic Product in 2049, which would be "far higher than it has ever been."

"Moreover, if lawmakers amended current laws to maintain certain policies now in place, even larger increases in debt would ensue," the CBO report read.

The Republican tax cut package, which costs about $1.5 trillion over a decade, came without deep spending cuts because Trump administration officials like Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told Congress that not only will this tax plan pay for itself, but it will pay down debt, by increasing economic growth and reducing corporate tax avoidance, according to John Harwood of CNBC.

However, the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service recently reported that there is no indication of a surge in wages in 2018 either compared to history or relative to GDP growth. Ordinary workers had very little growth.

The CRS analysts also reported that much of the tax cut was directed at businesses and higher-income individuals who are less likely to spend.

An analysis by the Montana Department of Revenue showed that the top 10% of Montana's wealthiest taxpayers would receive more than half of the federal tax benefits, which would be permanent, while the households with less than $20,000 in income would see little to no tax cuts.

"Theres all kinds of criticisms to be had with the Republicans over fiscal responsibility, thats for dang sure," Ramos said.

Ramos said hes concerned that the Trump tax cuts were financed by debt, and that Republicans, who passed the legislation mainly on party lines, did that on purpose so as to avoid politically unappetizing spending cuts.

"Thats why they did it that way," he said. "If there was public support for the cutting of services, then they would have done it that way."

The CRS report stated about the tax cuts that "the data appear to indicate that not enough growth occurred in the first year to cause the tax cut to pay for itself."

That means more of a debt burden will fall on American taxpayers.

Were financing it with debt and Im not a fan of that at all, Ramos said. I do think it was a temporary Band-Aid thats helped keep this economy rolling but I think its just adding to the bubble. I dont think it was good. I think spending needed to go down in order to have a tax cut. I dont think we should finance spending on borrowed money.

"It just doesnt make any economic sense.

He believes America's economy is headed for a downturn within the next two years most likely, but definitely within the next six.

"Politically speaking, if the bubble lasts, it could be enough to get Trump re-elected," he said. "But it's not going to last another six years. The bubble's going to keep growing and it's going to pop. It's long overdue and it's going to be horrible. I mean, it's just basic economics that will tell you that you can't continue to finance a country off debt and then you increase it by a tax cut."

He said he would have been "all for" a tax cut that was combined by a corresponding spending cut.

"But that's not what happened," he said.

Ramos with McConnell Missoula City Council member Jesse Ramos recently met with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and conservative icon Grover Norquist to adv

TIF CRITICISMS

Perhaps Ramos' most pressing concern on the City Council has been to criticize Tax Increment Financing, both in Missoula and nationwide. He recently flew to Washington, D.C., and met with political leaders like Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to discuss the negative effects of TIF.

Tax Increment Financing is a program used in Missoula to keep new property taxes within Urban Renewal Districts. Developers can apply for TIF money, which is paid back by the new property taxes their development generates, for projects that ostensibly benefit the public such as new sidewalks, new facades and new infrastructure. Both TIF and the Trump tax cuts are touted to spur job creation and investment, and both decrease the revenues going to the governments general fund.

With the TIF program in Missoula, however, developers are still paying the same property taxes; its just that the money is used however the Missoula Redevelopment Agencys board deems fit.

Ramos has criticized the TIF program as giving money to wealthy developers like Bill Coffee, the owner of Stockman Bank, and hotel developer Andy Holloran, who built the new Marriott hotel on the site of the Merc. The Trump tax cuts also benefited those same developers by decreasing their taxes, but in exchange they werent required to build new buildings in Missoula that will eventually pay property taxes into the citys general fund or build new sidewalks.

For example, Andy Holloran received $3.59 million in TIF aid for the new Marriott hotel but had to use the money to build new sidewalks, preserve the historic Pharmacy and salvage materials. The new property taxes the hotel generates, estimated to be $186,000 a year, will not go to city schools or police through the general fund but will instead be used to service the debt on the $3.59 million and will also be used for other projects in the Front Street Urban Renewal District. When the district sunsets in 2044, the property taxes will go back to the general fund.

Advocates like MRA director Ellen Buchanan and City Council President Bryan von Lossberg say TIF aid incentivizes development that wouldn't happen otherwise and provides leverage for developers to complete big, difficult projects in blighted areas and spur the economy.

It's impossible to know how much Andy Holloran or Stockman Bank benefited from the Trump tax cuts. But Marriott International Inc., the company running the new hotel, got a $200 million windfall from the Trump tax cuts. That money is no longer going to the government to provide services to Americans, but is being added to the national deficit. And Marriott wasn't required to build any sidewalks in Missoula or anywhere by the Trump tax cut legislation.

In 2017, the MRA board approved $1.5 million in TIF aid for burying overhead utility lines, new sidewalks, street trees and other public improvements for the new Stockman Bank building downtown.

But Ramos said Stockman Bank benefited by underwriting its own debt on the bonds for that project, meaning it earns interest and got an underwriting fee.

I like Stockman Bank as much as the next guy, Ramos said. Bill Coffee is a big contributor to Republicans. But its like Id tell him straight to his face, Im a Republican but I cant vote for this. Are you kidding me? Its ridiculous.'

Theres a lot of hypocrisy within the Republican Party for sure.

Ramos considers TIF a tax break, where the government is choosing favorites, whereas the federal tax package was a "tax cut."

"I called TIF worse than a tax break" at a recent City Council meeting, Ramos explained. "The difference is, it seems subtle but the difference is a break goes to a select group of individuals where a tax cut is a reduction overall."

Ramos also criticized the fact that hotel developer Andy Holloran got TIF to build new public sidewalks downtown while Missoula taxpayers were forced to cough up for new sidewalks in 2012.

"The hypocrisy of that is ridiculous," he said.

He also said that when the MRA approved $6.9 million in TIF aid for a new road, sidewalks, street trees and other infrastructure near Southgate Mall, it mainly benefited the wealthy Lambros family, who later sold the mall for $58 million.

"They needed that road specifically to benefit the business to get the Lucky's Market in there," Ramos said. "It was directly to benefit them. I wouldn't have had a problem if the road was created because of demand, if there was a bunch of petitions that people really wanted a thoroughfare there.

"But thats not what triggered it. What triggered it is a private developer who asked for this money. Hed already invested millions of his own money into it and then he sold the mall later because it was more valuable after that and that was my issue with that."

City officials have argued that developers would choose not to take on projects in blighted areas if it weren't for TIF aid. Much of the development in Missoula over the last few years has been inside the six Urban Renewal Districts.

Ellen Buchanan, the director of the MRA, told the City Council earlier this year that the first Urban Renewal District in town encompassed much of downtown and TIF aid is responsible for Missoula's revitalized and booming downtown.

"I would argue all day long that most of those projects wont happen in those districts without the investment of the public funds," she said.

Ramos argues that all of the development, from the new ROAM Student Housing to the Merc hotel to the new Stockman Bank building, would have happened anyway without TIF help, and if it weren't for TIF the property taxes would be going to the general fund and school districts. Instead, he says, taxpayers must shoulder the burden while the TIF money goes to special projects.

Ramos often characterizes TIF aid as a "cash gift" to developers. When asked how he can use that term, considering developers don't get to decide how to spend the money and still have to pay property taxes, unlike with the Trump tax cuts, Ramos sticks to his argument.

TIF "is a direct deduction from (the developer's) expenses, so that is directly more profit to him because of that," he said. "Yeah, it's not the same as giving him a check that he can put under his mattress but it's still going to help him out. And then with that profit he can do whatever the hell he wants. So it's not the same as a gift, there's still an extra step in there, but by indirectly reducing his expenses it allows him to make that much more profit."

Ramos says he doesn't like the two-party system and calls himself "more of a Libertarian" even though the Republican party in Missoula is more likely to support him than Democrats.

"I do consider myself maybe a traditional type of Republican," he said. "But now weve got Republicans who are now maybe as big government as anybody else. You cant have a two-party system and say, Just because hes in this party or that party that means hes good or shes good.' No, thats not the case. I care what candidates support. And Ive supported Democrats, too. I was an obnoxious Obama supporter the first two terms, believe it or not."

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.The University of Montana has selected Wiley Education Services as the company to help it grow "distance learners" and revenue, a major initiative from Provost Jon Harbor.

Wiley Education Services is a subsidiary of John Wiley & Sons. In a purchase announcement last fall, Wiley Education Services described itself as "a leading provider of tech-enabled education services for colleges and universities" with the addition at the time of Learning House.

Executive director of UMOnline Maricel Lawrence said both finalists could have done the job, but Wiley stood out after a proposal review, campus interview, and consideration of campus feedback.

"Wiley did a better job at communicating with our faculty and with the staff and saying, 'We're here to support you, and we're not mandating how to do things,'" Lawrence said. "At the end of the day, the programs are UM programs, so that was a big difference."

UM and Wiley will negotiate an umbrella agreement she anticipates will be complete in late summer or early fall, Lawrence said. Subsequently, she said individual programs that want to expand and show potential can negotiate specific contracts for the degree or certificate expansions they want to pursue.

Some critics have wondered why UM needs an outside company to grow its online offerings when many faculty and staff on campus already run programs online. However, Harbor earlier noted the vendor allows the flagship to ramp up more quickly than it otherwise would because it has the cash to make the necessary investments.

In a hypothetical scenario in its proposal to UM, Wiley noted the "assumed revenue share" would be split with 45% to the campus and 55% to Wiley. However, Lawrence said those percentages will be negotiated program by program and depend on the different services each wants from Wiley.

The proposal from Wiley noted cost components include marketing, recruitment and course development. As proposed, UM would be responsible for "all expenses associated with instruction and student support services," typically 25% to 30% of "net partnership revenue (post-revenue split)."

"Supported by top professionals with an established set of best practices, Wileys unparalleled flexible approach to partnership, underpinned by significant technology investments, sets us apart from any other firm in your consideration set," Wiley said in its pitch to UM.

Across the country, campuses are looking to grow online education as a way to reach a wider audience and boost the bottom line as recruitment for traditional students becomes more competitive. Earlier this year, Provost Harbor said he believed UM held "enormous potential" to grow online, and modern campuses needed to adapt.

However, faculty members have raised concerns, including ensuring UM maintains control of its own curriculum and faculty hires. As designed, however, both Wiley and a UM program need to agree that the development of an online offering would be beneficial to both parties in order to proceed.

Mark Pershouse, head of the Faculty Senate and representative in the upcoming contract negotiation, said he wants to be sure UM maintains its brand with its online instruction; does not overburden current student services support staff; and does not engage in improper hiring of teaching faculty.

"We want to protect our faculty," Pershouse said. "They should be involved in this, and they shouldn't be excluded, and that is certainly a concern."

He said a group of staff, students and faculty advocated to the provost to be represented during the negotiation, and Harbor understood. Pershouse also said transparency is key as UM moves forward with the "online program management" agreement with Wiley.

"There have been some bad actors, and there have been some great actors, and Wiley came out ahead of most," Pershouse said.

Abbigail Belcher, president of ASUM, the Associated Students of the University of Montana, said she is optimistic about the initiative, and she's excited to work with Wiley, the administration, and staff to implement new programs. She also said she looks forward to seeing the anticipated revenue from the new model.

"This opportunity is going to be really good for campus. I'm excited about the opportunity to reinvest those funds," Belcher said.

Lawrence said all of the deans have expressed interest in learning more about possibilities for their units, but it's too soon to say which programs UM will seek to expand online first. She said the online market is difficult, and UM must differentiate itself and also consider opportunities that might not be obvious at first.

"What if we were to find something that is really, really outside of the box? Something that is really a representation of UM that we didn't think about (before)?" Lawrence said.

She said tuition costs will vary depending on the program. In its proposal, Wiley noted it had identified a "large number of programs" as "high potential."

The proposal stated a hypothetical $750 cost per credit hour as an example for a possible Master of Social Work.

UM notes on its website the cost of tuition and fees for an undergraduate resident at $7,242 on campus, and a typical full time student would take 24 to 30 credits over two semesters. But fees are different in person than online, and a direct comparison of cost per credit hour was not immediately available last week.

By way of example, Arizona State University has robust online offerings, and tuition and fees for undergraduate degrees cost from $520 to $728 per credit hour, and graduate programs cost $522 to $1,397.

Generally, Lawrence said the plan is to find a cost that isn't the most expensive, but isn't so cheap UM can't run the program. "What is the sweet spot for us to be able to run the program right away?"

In its news release about its acquisition last fall, Wiley noted it counted $200 million in combined revenue, more than 60 campus partners, and more than 800 online degrees. Lawrence said results take years, and it will take UM time to build its programs.

"But we're excited to be able to expand the brand and think about who else we can actually educate through our faculty here at UM. So this is a great opportunity," Lawrence said.

Please sign up on Missoulian.com to subscribe to Under the M, the weekly email about the University of Montana and higher education news in Montana.

You must be logged in to react.

Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0

Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.The month of May brought turbulence to our community with the passing of our disability rights mentor, leader and friend Bob Liston. By months end, jubilance swept in as young leaders with ADAPT Montana met with lawmakers in D.C. to bring aboard more legislators in favor of the Disability Integration Act (DIA).

Bob would happily exercise his choice to spend a couple of nights behind bars in a act of civil disobedience to represent the thousands locked away in institutions without choice. It is this civil protest that has brought social justice for many individuals with disabilities seeking equal access to public transportation, education, employment, housing and everything granted under the U.S. Constitution. Still, what should be granted isnt always granted when it should be.

A lot of times the choice to live in the community is met with a waiting list for a coveted slot granting community supports and the right to live in the community. Until then, loved ones can be housed in an institution waiting for several years for the community supports to come available. The DIA aims to change that.

With heavy hearts and thoughts of Bob on their minds, our young leaders (Heath Montgomery, Kelly Sellars, Joe Stone, Jenny Montgomery and Maddy Halland) gathered at Missoula International Airport to embark on their journey to Washington, D.C. Adversity struck first as Delta, even with prior notice of the travel party, scheduled a smaller airplane that could not accommodate either power chair. The delay caused our intrepid leaders to arrive in D.C. in the early hours on Sunday morning, and Delta had to deliver the power chairs the next day on a bigger plane. Despite this huge inconvenience, and being completely exhausted, our leaders rented power mnobility and kept their spirits up. A date with the ADAPT Fun*Run and D.C. lawmakers still awaits.

ADAPT Fun*Run is designed to celebrate disability activism, raise funds towards community integration, and bring forth advocates to Washington, D.C., to engage lawmakers. Bob, always heavily involved in the planning and execution of the event, brought with him every year a Montana contingent that charged the Northeast with Big Sky passion and energy. Though this year was different, it marked a special opportunity to carry forth Bobs legacy and inspire our nation take the next step of securing access to independent living throughout one's life. Our young leaders marched together, chanting, Our homes, not nursing homes! Their mission: to acquire more congressional support for DIA.

The Disability Integration Act does just that. It makes sure that anyone who wants to live in the community can do so without the strings attached of having to obtain a community slot for support services and the pending waiting list to overcome. Introduced by Sens. Charles Schumer, D-NY, and Cory Gardner, R-CO, in the Senate and Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner, R-WI, in the House, DIA garners bipartisan support and further protect our constitutional civil liberties to live in the community.

Our homes, not nursing homes! Our young leaders march on, determined and hopeful to bring aboard Montana lawmakers to support DIA. With strong support from Sen. Jon Tester, D-MT, our young leaders pursued buy-in from Sen. Steve Daines, R-MT, and Rep. Greg Gianforte, R-MT. Although support from Senator Daines is pending, Representative Gianforte was moved by the testimonies shared by our young leaders and agreed to support DIA. An incredible accomplishment!

Thanks to Representative Gianforte and Senator Tester for your support. Thanks to Heath, Kelly, Joe, Jenny and Maddy for your perseverance, advocacy and leadership. We salute you!

As we remember and honor Bob, lets do so as Americans who value choice and independent living.

Darren Larson is a disability advocate who lives in Missoula. He can be reached at oped@missoulian.com.

You must be logged in to react.

Click any reaction to login. Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0The unveiling of a new draft Missoula Downtown Master Plan last month presents downtown residents, workers and visitors with a vision of a vibrant urban core that both preserves its unique history and adapts to the modern needs of a growing populace. Its the result of hours of community meetings and public input  with more than 1,000 individuals participating in various planning events during the weeklong public design workshop in January alone  and there remains plenty of time and opportunity to weigh in before a final draft is completed.

As these ambitious plans wend their way to final approval, the looming question is how to pay for them.

As a community, Missoulians may all agree that, say, electric streetcars would make a good addition to downtown transportation options, or that more parking garages are needed. But the burden of paying for most public amenities falls almost entirely on the backs of property taxpayers, and in recent years, its become clear Missoula cannot continue to rely on this time-worn tax system.

Thats why any realistic discussion about making substantial improvements to Missoulas urban infrastructure  streets, sidewalks or parking spaces  ought to include due consideration of how to more equitably pay for them.

Unfortunately, current funding options are limited.

The Montana Legislature recently approved a statewide infrastructure package that contains some money for local projects, but its not nearly enough to take care of all the needs in every community, and almost certainly will not help Missoula realize its entire downtown vision. The most recent report produced for the Montana Infrastructure Coalition determined that repairing just the highest-priority water and wastewater infrastructure in the state would cost about $1.5 billion. The same report noted that the Montana Department of Transportation pegged the costs of new construction and maintaining existing Montana roads and bridges at about $14.8 billion through 2022. The 2019 Legislature provided funding for $2.7 billion in infrastructure projects.

Meanwhile, a local option sales tax remains a nonstarter, having been shot down once again in the most recent legislative session. Although resort towns such as Whitefish and Gardiner are allowed to collect a resort tax of up to 3%, generating millions of dollars to help defray the wear and tear on local infrastructure from legions of out-of-town tourists, communities with populations of more than 5,500 are still not allowed to make use of this option under current state law, and there appears to be little appetite to change that at the state level.

So its up to local government, private businesses and nonprofits to work together with state and federal agencies to identify Missoulas most critical infrastructure needs, now and in the future, and hash out a plan to pay for important projects. To that end, the new Missoula Downtown Master Plan is an indispensable guide that ensures these various entities are all working off the same page and toward the same goals.

Missoulas current downtown master plan is about 10 years old, and while it contains some goals that have yet to be met, its safe to say that the downtown and surrounding areas are flourishing in large part thanks to this guiding document. The new draft plan notes that the current Master Plan recommendations resulted in more than $850 million in private and public investment within the Downtown area.

Indeed, the past decade has seen a boom in downtown activity, from new development to enhanced public facilities such as accessible sidewalks, new parking structures and modernized parking meters.

What will the next decade bring? Its up to Missoulians to decide. The 300-plus page draft plan contains a range of intriguing ideas:

 Parking remains high on the public radar. The report devotes more than 30 pages to different parking solutions, from building new parking garages on the Hip Strip and near the railroad tracks to instituting a parking tax.

 Convert the one-way streets to two-way avenues.

 Add trees, landscaping and outdoor seating.

 Encourage murals and building design that activates the alleys, opening them up for small shops, galleries, etc.

 The report also notes a number of ways to encourage people to use alternative transportation to free up parking, from shuttles to a streetcar or trolley.

 Develop surface parking lots or single-story buildings into multi-story buildings while preserving historic facades.

 Encourage a greater mix of uses. Jason King, senior project director and principal at consultant Dover, Kohl & Partners, noted that Missoula zoning currently discourages mixed uses in many places.

 Add a Caras Park gateway feature at the intersection of West Front and Ryman streets.

 Enhance river access points and areas under bridges with way finding signage, and replace some pavement with brick pavers, possibly including designs that pay homage to beaded patterns used by Native American tribes in western Montana.

The full draft plan is available online at https://missoulasdowntownmasterplan.com. The process of putting together the new plan kicked off last October with a series of community meetings hosted by the Downtown Missoula Partnership. If strong community buy-in continues, a final version could be in place before the end of this year.

When asked recently to vote on whether the draft plan on on the right track, a crowd at the Wilma Theatre said yes, with 66% doing so with high confidence and another 23% doing so with low confidence. Another 7% were not sure and only 4% voted no. These strong approval numbers point to a strong plan. But its easier to support a certain projects when the costs are obscure.

The draft downtown plan is bold and creative. Missoula must be equally bold and creative in coming up with solid way to pay for this vision.

You must be logged in to react.

Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0The University of Montana needs a medical school.

After reading the article (May 27) stating that the enrollment of Montana State is increasing while the University of Montana enrollment has been falling, I would propose that the largest city in Montana, with two hospitals, might be a appropriate place for a medical school.

I know that this has been considered in the past legislative activities in Helena. A representative promoting libertarian ideology proposed this a few years ago. Needless to say, that proposal failed to reap any harvest.

The University of North Dakota, a state with three-quarters of Montanas population, has had a medical school since 1909. They have four medical campuses across the state. One-half of the doctors in North Dakota come from this program. They have continually invested in the system over time, approving and building a $124 million faculty, which was finished in 2016 in Grand Forks.

Montana needs to bite the bullet for medical infrastructure within the state. Investment is sorely needed. Tax dollars are needed for investments. Some vision is needed. UM and Montana would both benefit greatly.

Erwin Curry,

Missoula

You must be logged in to react.

Click any reaction to login. Love 2 Funny 2 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0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.When game wardens shot a mountain lion near downtown Helena last Wednesday, it struck a nerve with many who questioned why the animal was not tranquilized or trapped and relocated.

Subsequent online comments, emails and phone calls from Independent Record readers weighed mostly against the lethal removal, although many who responded also felt the actions appropriate given the mountain lions location near an office building and two city parks. Questions ranged from challenging the threat the lion posed to the policy that calls for removing them lethally.

Game Warden Sgt. Justin Hawkaluk said that Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks policy dictated that the lion be removed due to it entering an urban area and its proximity to two parks and a daycare.

Concerns for public safety were paramount in this case and the only option was lethal removal, Hawkaluk said.

While state officials believe the potential threat of the lion would warrant lethal removal regardless of their relocation policy, FWP like many wildlife agencies in the West, has a longstanding policy against relocating mountain lions regardless of public safety risk.

Mountain lions shall not be captured and translocated under any circumstances, according to Montanas Mountain Lion Management Strategy.

Biologist Jay Kolbe of White Sulphur Springs wrote the strategy, which was adopted earlier this year. Continuation of the non-relocation policy was based on the best information wildlife managers have available, he said.

Non-relocation is based on two factors. The first that mountain lions that enter urban areas and threaten people or animals have a higher likelihood of doing it again. Second, given their territoriality, lions that have been relocated tend to die at high rates from conflicts with resident mountain lions or other stresses.

Its been a settled issue as far as the research goes, Kolbe said.

Both studies from the 1990s as well as those ongoing in Canada have produced mixed results, when it comes to relocating lions, he said.

Some lions are translocated and you never hear from them again, but they have a higher rate of recidivism you would say, Kolbe said.

Montanas lion management plan cites a 1998 New Mexico study as support for the policy. The study, Evaluating Cougar Translocation in New Mexico, published by The Wildlife Society journal, documents the behaviors of 14 mountain lions captured and relocated. Researchers looked at the differences between ages and sex in determining the propensity to travel as well as mortality.

Messages left for the studys lead author Toni Ruth were not returned in time for this story.

Nine of the 14 animals in the study died over a two-year period. Five of those deaths  two females and three males  were killed by other mountain lions. Two males traveled back to the area where they were originally trapped.

The outcome of cougar translocation seems influenced by the sex, age, and social status of the individual prior to translocation, the study says.

The study notes that stress from relocation is a suspected factor in higher mortality rates than resident mountain lions because the majority of animals died in the second year after release. And older animals had the highest mortality rates or returned to their capture areas.

Human-caused deaths were lower than researchers anticipated, as no mountain lions were killed by hunters and only one died after being struck by a vehicle.

The study concluded that mountain lions from 12 and 27 months old, that have not had histories of conflicts with humans or preying on livestock or pets, present the best animals for reintroductions or augmentations of existing populations. Females would likely be the most successful as they had a higher survival rate, the study said.

Montana is far from the only state that with a policy against relocating mountain lions.

Moving problem mountain lions is not an option, according the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. It causes deadly territorial conflicts with other mountain lions already there. Or the relocated mountain lion returns.

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife had a similar response after backlash for killing a mountain lion in Portland.

"ODFW does not relocate cougars, as relocation would create territorial conflicts among existing cougar populations and could also spread disease," the department told the Oregonian.

Other states seem to handle the fate of mountain lions on a more case-by-case basis.

Wildlife offices throughout Washington respond to cougar sightings when there is a threat to public safety or property. Cougars involved in human conflict may be live-trapped by trained fish and wildlife personnel and moved to more remote areas, or removed, according to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Colorado and Idaho will also relocate mountain lions in some circumstances.

Reporter Tom Kuglin can be reached at 447-4076 @IR_TomKuglin

You must be logged in to react.

Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0After the U.S. Department of Labor announced a little over a week ago that it will be closing nine Job Corps Civilian Conservation Centers across the country, students at the Anaconda CCC were left with more questions than answers.

Seven students who spoke with The Montana Standard Friday said that since the announcement theyve wondered what they will do next.

But theyre not just worried about themselves.

They said theyre worried about their approximately 163 classmates and the centers 63 staff members, who they said supported them in ways that traditional educational settings havent.

Whats more, they wonder what will happen to the 1,100 Job Corps employees affected by the announcement nationwide.

Started in 1964, the national program provides training in a number of fields, including in skilled trades and wildland fire fighting, and has traditionally targeted at risk youth.

The Department of Labor announced the planned closures May 24. The department recently assumed administration of the program from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which had operated Job Corps centers through the U.S. Forest Service.

Montanas congressional delegation protested the action shortly after the announcement.

Sen. Steve Daines and Rep. Greg Gianforte, both Republicans, sent a letter to Alexander Acosta, Department of Labor secretary, expressing appreciation for the "effort to better align CCC's organizational structure with the DOL's mission" while also urging him to "maintain Anaconda CCC's operating status or provide suitable and equivalent alternatives for the students currently served by the Anaconda CCC."

A Daines representative said last week the senator continues to urge the Trump Administration to reverse the decision. Daines spoke with Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue Thursday and planned a call Friday with Acosta.

On Friday, Sen. Jon Tester, a Democrat, told reporters during a press conference by phone that he plans to introduce legislation to reverse the decision.

The legislation would block the Trump Administration from using funds in 2019 or 2020 to close any Job Corps in the country. The bill would also prohibit any federal government agency from making changes to agreements that operate Job Corp facilities, which would prevent existing centers from being privatized.

Meanwhile, an online petition in support of saving the Anaconda center had over 1,700 signatures on it, while the National Federation of Federal Employees has created a web page providing resources for individuals and federal, state and local official to resist the May 24 decision at Savetheccc.org.

Ray Ryan, director of the Anaconda Job Corps, said last week he was unable to comment on the closure. However, he did say hes been in contact with Daines and Tester and that they are committed to getting this overturned.

Mike Robins, co-owner of Montana Precision Products in Butte and Anacondas Intercontinental Truck Body Co., was also on Fridays press-conference call, and told reporters that a stream of (tungsten inert gas) welders is extremely critical for (Montana Precision Products) continued growth.

The company, which casts parts for the aerospace industry, regularly recruits students from the Anaconda Job Corps. The company started with around 60 employees in 2012. As of May 6, it had 250 and hopes to reach 271 by the end of the year.

Cory Rilley, operations manager at ITB, said Friday that its heartbreaking to think that 63 Anaconda Job Corps workers may be losing their jobs.

I think its pretty disappointing. I hope theres some way that (ITB) can work together with the Anaconda Job Corps still regardless of the decision, said Rilley.

He added that in the past 11 months, 21 students from the Anaconda Job Corps have worked at ITB as part of the centers work-based learning program.

Cristian Garcia is one of those students.

I was kind of shocked, to be honest, said Garcia of his reaction to the news.

ITB welder Kim Schaub, 30, is a graduate of the Anaconda Job Corps.

Rethink it, she said when asked if she had a message for decision makers.

It means a lot to the community, she said.

Sixteen Job Corps centers will remain open, the Department of Labor said in its announcement, and will be operated by private contractors.

Pat Connors was an Anaconda Job Corps employee for 26 years, several of which he served as head of the centers welding department.

It just turned kids lives around, said Connors of the center. He added that the decision to close the nine centers and privatize the remaining 16 is tantamount to throwing kids under the bus.

The seven students who spoke with The Montana Standard Friday on the Job Corps campus said several times during their interview that some of their classmates have nowhere to go in the literal sense.

Some were homeless before coming to the center, they said, while others left behind chaotic family situations.

This place has been probably the first place where anybody ever cared about them, said Thomas Duffy, 20, a carpentry student.

Caleb Ocken, 21, whos studying advanced welding and firefighting,

said he dropped out of college due to bad habits. He said he worked various jobs to support himself, all the while struggling with mental health. Then one day he attended a job fair where he picked up a brochure from the job corps.

I just parked my car somewhere, just kind of figuring out whats next in life because everything I did before didnt make sense, and I wasnt sure what was best. So I kind of looked at the brochure and I was like, alright, this is it. If I can do well here I can make something of myself.

In his 22 months at the program, Ocken has undergone basic and advanced training in welding and had a summer internship fabricating Anacondas iconic lamp posts. This summer, he hopes to fight wildfire through the program.

The Department of Labor said in a May 24 news release that it conducted a review of the nations 25 Job Corps centers and made its decision based on the review.

This action creates an opportunity to serve a greater number of students at higher performing centers at a lower cost to taxpayers," the release states.

The national Job Corps program puts out a report card once a month that, among other things, ranks centers across the nation.

According to Ryan, the Anaconda center was ranked number eight nationally and number one in its region in April. The Anaconda center similarly won an Exemplary Performance Award from the program for being a top performer during the 2018-2019 year.

The students said Friday they take issue with any statements that imply the Anaconda center was an underperformer.

I felt like I was getting lied to in my face, said Ocken of the Department of Labors statements.

Hawk McLeod, a 21-year-old carpentry and welding student, agreed.

That was one of the really, really frustrating parts for all of us because this particular Job Corps has extremely high statistics for success, said McLeod.

McLeod said shes struggled with homelessness since the age of 15. She stated that she has a record longer than my arm, but somewhere along the line she decided she wanted to turn things around. After working three jobs simultaneously and losing two due to medical issues, she eventually found her way to the Anaconda Job Corps.

My mom said she was proud of me for the first time ever three and a half months ago, and it was because I had been told I was on track to graduate, said McLeod. It was the first time I had spoken to her in probably two and a half years.

Ocken had a similar experience.

Succeeding in Job Corps is actually what put me and my fathers relationship back together, he said.

The Standard asked the students what theyd like to say to decision makers on Capitol Hill.

The first thing I want to know is the truthful answer as to why, said Dylan Allen, 19, a student studying heavy-equipment operation.

Thomas agreed.

If theyre saying this is sucking up taxpayer money, I have a question: where would it be better to put it? Where would it be better? Because this is helping us out. This is helping at-risk youth. This is helping the economy, said Duffy.

This is not just a you-and-me country. This is an us country, (and) all of us work to make it better, he said.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 2

Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.As time grows short in Superfund negotiations for the Butte Hill, public debate over what the area from Texas Avenue to the confluence at George Street should look like rages on.

But the clock is ticking.

The Council of Commissioners will vote on the consent decree, which will define for all time the rest of the Butte Hill cleanup, just a few weeks shy of the Aug. 12 signature deadline, said Eric Hassler, Superfund operations and maintenance manager.

The Environmental Protection Agencys public comment period on its proposed changes to the 2006 record of decision  the document that originally laid out the Butte Hill cleanup  comes to a close on June 11, just a little more than a week away.

But at the two public meetings the EPA held, one in April and another in May, to give residents a chance to speak up about those proposed changes, the overwhelming responses were that members of the public didnt like what they were getting.

At a public meeting held by county officials Thursday to discuss the possible alterations, tempers flared around the question of a creek. Commissioner Jim Fisher accused Mollie Maffei, county deputy attorney, of being on the other side of the Silver Bow Creek debate. Maffei expressed surprise at Fishers reaction.

This isnt the first time in recent memory sharp words have flown at public meetings around the concept of a fully restored, naturally occurring stream to run from Texas Avenue to George Street. Tempers seem to be running high in the community as the drum beats toward, as long-time activist Fritz Daily likes to put it, a forever decision.

Former District Judge Brad Newman spoke up at Thursdays meeting about his ruling in 2015 that the stretch of mostly dry straightened channel from Texas Avenue to George Street should be called Silver Bow Creek.

Newman ruled in favor of the local activist group Silver Bow Creek Headwaters Coalition that the Texas Avenue to George Street stretch of mostly dry channel had to be called Silver Bow Creek.

Newman said at Thursdays meeting that he came as a taxpayer and he wants to make sure commissioners ask questions.

The case that came before me dealt with the name of the channel that has been devalued and degraded and called a sewer and a storm drain. I dealt with its name and its legal status, not just its name but its legal status, he said. My decision is it is a natural water courseare you as satisfied this is as good as it gets? I think we will see more litigation.

But, can the community get more than is being offered? Long-time activist Mary Kay Craig said last week by phone that she and others from Restore Our Creek Coalition asked as long ago as 2016 that the former oil giant send contaminated storm water through an underground pipe and route it to the Berkeley Pit. Less than a quarter of Butte's storm water is already routed to the pit.

If anybody knows how to drill holes it should be Atlantic Richfield, she said.

But she said the community group stopped pressing Atlantic Richfield on the issue three years ago because company officials said it wasn't feasible, even though much of the storm water that still needs to be managed arrives through underground pipes into the ditch north of the Butte Civic Center, not far from Montana Resources mining operation.

Loren Burmeister, BP liability business manager for remediation management, said sending "dirty" storm water to the pit would be routing relatively clean water to very toxic water. Josh Bryson, BP operations project manager, said "nobody drills directionally a 36-inch line." And the storm water would require a very large pipeline because, sometimes, flows can be heavy, he said.

Other questions have come up, such as whether trees and other greenery Atlantic Richfield is promising to plant will survive. Not all tree plantings in Butte do, and many have failed in the past. Some of that has had to do with a failure of the county's operations and maintenance, Sesso said last week.

Bryson said that there would be better operations and maintenance in place this time with the consent decree. And while the company does expect some tree mortality, he said it will be low and the trees or shrubs that dont make it will be replaced.

New questions have put a spring in some local activists' step. Atlantic Richfield is proposing to build a second water treatment plant right off of Shields Avenue. The concept is being driven by parent company BP's desire to have "zero" risk in the "unlikely" event of a dam failure of Yankee Doodle Tailings Impoundment on MR's property.

The general idea is that Atlantic Richfield wants to draw down the pit's toxic lake by 50 feet to 150 feet. Then if such a catastrophic dam failure occurs, the pit's 900 foot hole could "catch" the toxic sediment, mud and water from the impoundment that would crash down.

Members of the local group Restore Our Creek Coalition are ready to pounce on the flows that are expected to come from that draw down. Mark Thompson, MR vice president of environmental affairs, said last week that the underground pipe that is supposed to carry the treated water to the creeks confluence at George Street might have to be larger.

Another of Thompsons speculations last week was that Atlantic Richfield might have to consider newer technologies for the second plant.

But Atlantic Richfield says neither of those theories are correct.

Burmeister said last week that the second plant would be a high density sludge facility, which in ordinary terms means itll be built to operate exactly like Horseshoe Bend Water Treatment Plant, which sits on the edge of the pits high wall on the eastern side. If the second plant becomes a reality, it will drop metals out of the hazardous pit water through lime and a polymer in very large tubs, exactly like the Horseshoe Bend Water Treatment Plant does. The Horseshoe Bend Water Treatment Plant was built in 2003 to treat dirty water coming from a seep on the mines property and, eventually, to handle the pits water.

But it can't handle the flow that BP now wants to come from the pit and leave the mine site. How much that flow will be, however, is still a mystery.

If built, the new plant will then send the treated water to run through the polishing plant that is still under construction off Shields Avenue.

As far as the discharge pipeline goes, Ron Halsey, BP operations manager for Montana mining, said nothing will change there either. He said the second plants water will still go through the discharge pipe, which can handle a little more than 10 million gallons of water a day.

It wont be dug up and altered, Halsey said.

But Thompson disagrees. He said that "to achieve the objective they're looking for, they'll need a lot more water to go through that pipeline than it can handle."

Restore Our Creek Coalition's dreams may still focus on Silver Lake water, lying 40 miles west of Butte. Thompson said the mine's plan to augment flows to Silver Bow Creek with lake water is still on the table.

The mining company plans to pay the county to pump the relatively pure lake water to Butte at some unknown date in the future. But, Thompson said the Silver Lake water won't travel to the Mining City when there is an excess of treated pit water going to the creek because there would not be a need to augment flow in the downstream portion of the creek.

So questions remain on how the coalition can get what it wants.

If Restore Our Creek Coalition does get a creek, the headwaters wont come from the second water treatment plant, according to BP and Atlantic Richfield officials.

Halsey said how much water will be released from the pit through the second plant will be really dynamic and will be determined by factors such as how much water is in the Yankee Doodle Tailings Impoundment. The second plant could also go down for months at a time for maintenance, Halsey said last week by phone.

So Halsey said the second treatment plant's water could not be counted on to create a stream flow.

Not everyone agrees that Restore Our Creek Coalition, or Butte, is getting a poor deal. Burmeister said that if an old map is overlaid on top of the current park plan, the waterways on both maps look very similar. Longtime Montana legislator and Democrat, Jim Keane, concurs.

Go look at an 1895 map, Keane said at last weeks meeting. It wasnt a meandering stream. It was a swamp. Weve got the park but dont get hung up on it being free flowing. It was flowing through a swamp and thats not just Jim talking, its the map talking.

Burmeister says theres another limitation to a natural, free-flowing stream being built and that is that a city has arisen since miners settled the area and began to destroy the waterway. The current plan Atlantic Richfield is proposing features storm water catch basins connected by a somewhat meandering channel sending one cubic foot per second of recirculating water from catch basin to catch basin. The highly contested drainage ditch, officially called Silver Bow Creek, will remain pretty much as is, lying to the west of the largest of the catch basins. It will have new trees and other riparian amenities planted around it.

I really think its the best alternative you could come up with for addressing storm water problems for the city of Butte, Burmeister said.

Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 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.Months after Busters Southern BBQ owner Charles Davis was at odds with the city of Calistoga over permits for a new music arbor, he is now in a dispute with the city over a permit that was issued to remove three trees in the back of the property.

Davis said his insurance carrier required him to remove the dead and diseased redwood trees because they were in danger of dropping branches and dead limbs on customers at the indoor/outdoor restaurant, and causing a liability. He was issued a permit by the city to do so in April.

However, on inspecting the work last week, the city was surprised to find Davis had also removed the huge stumps and moved a lot of dirt in the area.

Every time we issue a simple permit he takes it and goes a mile further, said Brad Cannon, city building official.

The city red-tagged the project and Davis was initially given two weeks to supply more information to the city about the project.

According to Cannon, the city was not sure what Davis was planning to do.

It has something to do with a retaining wall, he said.

Now, at the advice of the city attorney, the city has issued an order for Davis to take corrective action and replace the soil and the integrity of the area, Cannon said, which will require a grading permit.

Davis says there is a misunderstanding about the language of the permit to remove the trees.

There is no stipulation on the permit for not taking the stumps out. Remove the tree is taking the tree including the stumps, he said.

He is also frustrated that the city didnt tell him, at the time he got the permit, that he would need another permit to grade the area after removing the stumps.

How am I supposed to know? I wasnt asked if I was going to take the roots out. How come I wasnt asked ahead of time? he said.

Had he known he would need another permit and have to go to the expense of grading, he would have left the stumps, he said.

Davis also said that at his own expense he had a licensed survey of trees on the property and looked into constructing a retaining wall.

I want no problems after (the ordeal with) the arbor. I get hit for being proactive, he said.

Last fall, Davis was embroiled with the city over building a music arbor, the construction of which exceeded what the permit allowed, the city contended. Davis is having the arbor redesigned and will have new plans in the next couple of weeks, he said.

You can reach Cynthia Sweeney at csweeney@weeklycalistogan.com or 942-4035.

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.Dan passed peacefully on May 29th in Napa, California. He was born to Timothy and Kathleen Healy and proud of his San Francisco Irish heritage. After being raised in San Francisco, Dan and his wife Annette moved their family to Napa in 1971.

Dan was active in his church, St. Apollinaris where he was a lector, eucharistic minister, CCD teacher and past men's club president. He was well known for his contributions to the St. A's Annual St. Patrick's Day dinner. Dan was also a member of the St. Vincent De Paul Society.

Dan was committed to the betterment of his communities. He was a past Grand Knight of Golden Gate Council (SF), Alameny Council District Deputy and an honorary life member of the Knights of Columbus. He was past president of the Kiwanis of Greater Napa, a life member of Kiwanis International and VP of KCC foundation. He was also a past president of Napa Valley Wine Tasters. Over the years, Dan served on many community boards including Salvation Army, Boys and Girls Club and the Cancer Society.

Dan loved to travel. His favorite trips included going home to Ireland and Marlin fishing in Mexico. The only things he enjoyed more than travel were family events and gatherings and his daily conversations with best pal, Andy.

Dan is survived by his wife of 61 years, Annette. He was extremely proud of his four children Erin, Tim, Kristen (Jeff), Carolyn and 10 grandchildren (Robert, Ryan, Garrett, Matt, Zachary, Megan, Emma, Julia, Brynna and Daniel). He is also survived by his caring big sister Mary and numerous loving nieces and nephews.

Dan's funeral will be in held at St. Apollinaris Church in Napa on June 10th at 11:00 a.m. with a reception immediately following in the church hall. In lieu of flowers, donations would be appreciated to the Alzheimer's Association (alz.org). Memories and notes of sympathy may be shared at claffeyandrota.com.The Napa Valley Community Foundation announced the creation of a multi-million-dollar endowed fund to support small animal welfare in Napa Valley.

Created through a bequest from the late Jane and David Gotelli of Napa, the endowment creates an ongoing funding pool for annual grants to organizations dedicated to the health, welfare, humane treatment and adoption and care of small animals, the Foundation said in a news release Thursday.

The first grants, likely to total about $200,000, will be made in the 2019-20 fiscal year, and could grow in future years, said Sarah Lehman, vice president for development.

Lehman called the Gotelli gift one of the largest in the Foundations 25-year history. This is landmark, she said.

The Foundation did not release the value of the couples bequest, noting that a significant part of their Napa Valley real estate has not yet been sold.

Lehman described David and Jane Gotelli as an inconspicuous couple who were just prudent. Foundation officials had not known of them until they were contacted by an attorney after their deaths, she said.

They were careful savers who acquired several pieces of commercial and residential real estate over the years and gifted these assets to NVCF to support their charitable priorities after their deaths, said Terence Mulligan, Foundation president.

We are deeply grateful for their vision and for their trust in NVCF to carry out their charitable legacy in perpetuity, and we look forward to making a lasting impact for companion animals throughout the Valley.

The couple died within a day of each other: Jane on July 23, 2017, and David on July 24. Short obituaries appeared in The Register, announcing joint celebrations of life at Filippis restaurant.

The first grants will be made from the Fund in fiscal year 2019-2020 to qualified nonprofits and public agencies that seek to improve or sustain the welfare of small companion animals throughout Napa County. A request for proposals with full eligibility criteria will be issued by NVCF after Sept. 1.

For more information on the request for proposal/grant application process for the David and Jane Gotelli Family Fund, contact NVCF Vice President for Philanthropic Services Julia DeNatale at julia@napavalleycf.org or 707-254-9565, ext. 11.

For information about legacy giving through a will or trust to support your own charitable goals, contact NVCF vice president for development Sarah Lehman at sarah@napavalleycf.org or 707-254-9565, ext. 13.

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.Napas Westwood and downtown neighborhoods might not seem to have much in common, but both areas should benefit from a new investment tool called opportunity zones.

The rules around the program have taken shape in recent months, but a 2017 federal tax law offers significant tax breaks to investors who fund new developments, such as housing or commercial projects, or fund new businesses in those designated opportunity zones.

Napa has two such zones: one in downtown Napa and one in the Westwood neighborhood west of Highway 29. In downtown, developers of a planned hotel at the site of the old post office and a makeover underway at the historic Gordon Building credit opportunity zone benefits with boosting their projects.

Its a great opportunity for Napa, said Robin Schabes, city of Napa economic development manager.

Jim Keller, the co-developer of the Franklin Station hotel at Napas historic downtown post office, said benefits from the opportunity zone designation were the tipping point to bring on new partner Cypress Equities.

Its a huge advantage, said Keller. It opens up the door for a lot more aggressive investment and more people to invest because of the benefits.

Would this have happened if we werent in an opportunity zone? Keller asked rhetorically. The chances were 50-50, he said.

His five-story luxury hotel project is scheduled to have a preliminary review before the citys Planning Commission on Thursday evening.

Opportunity zones are a good thing for Napa, said Mayor Jill Techel.

For those properties or buildings that would be expensive to rehabilitate, for example downtown Napas Gordon Building on First Street, the opportunity zone designation provides incentives that make it feasible for developers to take on some of those challenging projects, she said.

Todd Zapolski is the co-developer of the Gordon Building  as well as the larger, adjacent First Street Napa commercial project.

I dont think the Gordon Building (redevelopment) would have gotten off the ground, or as soon, without that extra lift, he said. Being in an opportunity zone made that much difference to put us over the line to get it done.

I think Napa will benefit substantially from the new designation, said Zapolski. The opportunity zone designation is that extra thing that can help move a project to a go.

Zapolski said the opportunity zone designation will also benefit anyone whos looking to raise capital to start or fund a small business.

Its not just a real estate tool, its also a business tool, added Zapolski.

Family, friends or anyone who invests in a new business located in an opportunity zone can benefit from having their capital gains taxes deferred, reduced or eliminated.

Zapolski is working with a potential First Street Napa restaurant tenant in that situation right now.

Anybody can do this  not just real estate developers, he said.

Under the national program, investors can avoid paying federal capital gains taxes for seven years if they invest in an opportunity fund, which backs projects in the newly created opportunity zones.

If they invest this year, theyll pay 15 percent less tax at the end of that seven-year period. And if they hold onto the opportunity zone investment for 10 years, theyll pay no tax on the profit.

Gov. Gavin Newsom has proposed adding more state tax incentives for investments in opportunity zones.

This tool is so flexible as to the kinds of projects or investments that can qualify, said Schabes. It allows for a new untapped source of capital to be invested within these opportunity zones. Its having access to money that otherwise might not be available.

Being in the zone could help encourage development of properties that would yield affordable or workforce housing or additional commercial development that otherwise might not be feasible but for this incentive, she said.

It could also support job creation for a business looking to start or expand in an opportunity zone. It could make a big difference, Schabes said.

At the end of the day, this is a great opportunity to get some additional capital resources.

To qualify as an opportunity zone, a neighborhood must have a poverty rate of at least 20 percent or a median family income that doesnt exceed 80 percent of the regional or statewide median income.

Some may be surprised that parts of Napa, such as downtown, have a poverty rate or median family income that qualify. However, the citys zones comply with the states criteria, said Jaina French, city of Napa spokeswoman.

This investment in designated census tracts helps these underserved areas gain access to capital resources, French said.

Using that criteria, California officials selected nearly 900 of the states roughly 8,000 census tracts for the program. There are an estimated 9,000 opportunity zones across the U.S.

The program is designed to attract investors holding $6.1 trillion in unrealized capital gains, according to the Economic Innovation Group.

Napa-specific numbers are not available, but the nonprofits California Forward and Golden State Opportunity estimate that between $745 million and $1.2 billion in new economic activity in opportunity zones could be generated this year in California. In subsequent years, increased economic activity would range from more than $700 million to nearly $500 million, the groups reported.

Schabes said the city is ready to assist developers or investors who want more information about Napas two opportunity zones.

We have very knowledgeable staff willing to work with them to identify potential opportunities that benefit the community and work with those entities throughout the process, she said.

The Mercury News contributed to this story.

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.One distinctive characteristic of every presidency, regardless of party, is the powerful desire to control the flow of information about it. This is especially true during first terms, as the desire for a second one mounts.

As you may have noticed, President Donald Trump seeks to manage the messaging from and the reporting on his White House by flooding the zone with news, usually of his own making and from his own mouth or cellphone. It worked in 2016.

This is a precarious business in politics because like most humans, you see and hear exactly what you want to see and hear. Trump has gone through five communications directors in 28 months and currently has none. Or rather, the director of communications is the president himself.

An experienced user and consumer of both print and electronic media over many years, Trump thinks he knows better than any communications professionals. Actually, he knows he knows better.

Hence, you may also have noticed that Trump has discarded the almost-daily White House news briefing by a presidential spokesman.

The reason Sarah Sanders does not go to the podium much anymore, Trump tweeted as his cover story, is that the press covers her so rudely & inaccurately, in particular certain members of the press. I told her not to bother, the word gets out anyway!

Of course, the word gets out because the president himself puts it out his way on his schedule, which often sets the days news agenda and sets it around guess who?

He does this through tweets to his 61 million followers and brief exchanges with pool reporters on the lawn or during activities in the Oval Office or Cabinet Room.

This strategy has the distinct advantage for Trump of going over the heads of antagonistic media representatives to deliver unfiltered news to his base relatively free of the professional interrogatory pushback during more formal news conferences.

It also keeps the focus on Trump, which you may have additionally noticed is very important to him. Not always advantageous to him, but important.

Take last week, for instance. The president was scheduled to meet with Democratic congressional leaders to discuss a large spending measure for infrastructure repairs. Most everybody agrees this is necessary and seems to suit the political agendas of both parties 18 months before the 2020 election.

Three minutes into the meeting, the president of the United States walked out, citing a pre-meeting charge by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that hes engineering a coverup.

That may well have been deliberate bait by Pelosi, who knows like everybody else that counterpuncher Trump cant let any accusation go unanswered, even when its to his advantage to do so.

Trump then announced that he would not be negotiating with Democrats on anything as long as they were investigating him, his family and his finances.

Trump himself delivered the blunt message exactly as he wanted. No spokesman needed.

The walkout and vow looked positively juvenile. His base loves such displays of tough talk, though, when the president tells off anybody with power in the D.C. swamp. Trump has conscientiously tended to that base every day hes been in office. Polls show 90 percent of Republicans support him, which is high.

But heres the problem: Republicans are a minority party. Ninety percent of a minority party is an even smaller minority. Trumps overall job approval is bobbing in the low 40s and has never once been above 50 percent.

Trump lost the 2016 popular vote to Hillary Clinton, 46 percent to her 48 percent. But his votes were in just the right places needed to capture 57 percent of the Electoral College.

Polls are not predictions, especially this far out. And naturally much of the 2020 outcome depends on the Democrats ticket, its financing and its effectiveness on the campaign trail. How attractive or dangerous an alternative does it seem?

But a combination of polls this month found that 54 percent said they would definitely not vote for Trump.

The economy is finally humming, with 3.2 percent annualized growth; unemployment is the lowest in six decades; and ISIS has been forced to ground.

What accounts for the 54 percent antipathy, especially among the slim but decisive slice of persuadable independents, is this presidents behavior. Its unpresidential. It mattered less last time because the alternative was so lame.

Trumps base relishes his behavior. He relishes his base relishing it. And he knows he knows better than any director of communications on the market.

Trumps true believers are the mirror image of the Never Trumps. Both are so deeply invested in their belief it appears that nothing could convince them otherwise.

That gives this president some freedom to maneuver. He could with a daily dose of self-discipline keep those believers happy while recalibrating that behavior down a few notches to appeal to others.

Short of that, Donald Trump seriously risks going down in history as president of a lone term of tumult.

Andrew Malcolm is a columnist for McClatchy.Ambassador Tracy reaffirms US commitment to continue working with Armenia for better future (VIDEO)

Hungary donates 100,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine to Armenia (PHOTOS)

Turkey announces one of its preconditions for normalization of relations with Armenia

About 2 tons of cocaine found in Brazil port

Newspaper: Armenia ex-defense minister to make startling disclosures

WHO calls for vaccinating 70% of world's population against Covid by mid-2022

Newspaper: Armenia parliament delegation to visit US

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

Eintracht's 17-year-old member to move to FC Barcelona

Mishustin, Pashinyan congratulate each other on New Year and Christmas

CNN: Biden to hold a call with Putin on Thursday

Aleksandr Karapetyan quits FC Noah

Bayern Munich have an eye on 21-year-old member of Juventus

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

Real Madrid's 4 players test positive for COVID-19

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

Mbappe says he is happy in PSG and won't move to Real Madrid in Jan.

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

Statue of Cristiano Ronaldo erected in India (PHOTOS)

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

Armenia's Greco-Roman wrestling champions

Democratic Party of Armenia: PM Pashinyan makes it clear he must be removed from office immediately

J.K. Rowling still appears on Harry Potter anniversary show despite transgender scandal

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

4 Barca defenders contract coronavirus

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

Klopp: It was a very strange game, we were just not good enough

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

Dior postpones collaboration with Travis Scott due to tragedy at Astroworld

Russia Navy Northern Fleet song and dance ensemble arrives in Karabakh

Hugh Jackman contracts COVID-19: The actor fights skin cancer

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

Premier League: Everton vs. Newcastle match postponed due to Covid outbreak

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

Arnold Schwarzenegger, Maria Shriver officially divorce after 10 years of litigation

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

What are risks of chewing gum?

Newspaper: 4th battalion being formed within Armenia Police Internal Troops

Newspaper: Armenia authorities have 3-level chat groups on social media

Premier League: Liverpool lose to Leicester City

Pack of hyenas kill two people in 24 hours in Kenya

FIDE World Rapid Championship: Abdusattorov, 17, becomes youngest winner in history

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

FIDE World Rapid Championship: Levon Aronian defeated by Magnus Carlsen

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

West Ham defeat and bypass Tottenham Hotspur

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

Marcelo might end career, if he doesn't extend contract with Real Madrid

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YEREVAN.  Armenias Acting Minister of Culture, Nazeni Gharibyan, neither denied nor confirmed the reports that she might give up her post as chairperson of the governing board of A. Spendiaryan Opera and Ballet National Academic Theatre.

When asked by Armenian News-NEWS.am whether she was going to resign from this position, Gharibyan replied, Not yet.

When the composition of the deputy minister is approved, then it will be clear, she said. So far, the deputy ministers of all the ministries being merged have been dismissed from work.

According to media reports, Narine Khachaturyan (Tukhikyan), a member of the majority My Step Faction in the National Assembly (NA), will be appointed Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport, and therefore she has submitted to the NA chairmanship a petition for renouncing her parliament seat.

If Khachaturyan is to be appointed to this post, Nazeni Gharibyan, who according to press reports seeks the same position, will most probably resign.YEREVAN.  The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of Armenia should have made such a response long ago, and not when its intolerable any more. Political scientist Gagik Hambaryan told this to Armenian News-NEWS.am commenting on Saturdays MFA statement that strongly criticizes Azerbaijans steps toward aggravating the situation.

The authorities of Armenian shouldnt have placed great hopes on conducting negotiations with Baku, he added, in particular. Man should know history.

In Hambaryans view, each and every flirting with Azerbaijan will have major consequences for the Armenian parties to the Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) conflict, since the praising by Armenian officials is considered in Baku as a weakness of the Armenian party.

The Armenian sides dont want war, but at the same time they shouldnt be afraid of war, he added. And we [the Armenian sides] should always be ready to give Azerbaijan an equivalent response. And in this respect, the MFA [of Armenia] should have long ago responded in such a harsh manner to Azerbaijans provocations. As long as we are silent, Azerbaijan is using it.

In Gagik Hambaryans words, there is always a possibility of war, especially after the events of April 2016.

When Azerbaijan realizes that it can achieve victory [in the war] by 100 percent, it will be attacking without taking absolutely anyones view into account, he added, above all.

As reported earlier, the Armenian MFA on Saturday issued a statement severely criticizing Azerbaijans recent actions.

Armenia MFA deplores Azerbaijans moves to increase tension08:32

Amid talks of cabinet expansion to save the government in Karnataka, Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy Saturday met the Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) coalition coordination committee chief Siddaramaiah and held discussions.





"Both leaders have met on cabinet issue and have held discussions. Whether it is expansion or reshuffle, it may take place only after June 4," official sources said.





The Congress in Karnataka over the last couple of days had gone into a huddle to avert a potential existential crisis to the one-year-old coalition ministry, and discussed about the possible cabinet rejig to address the dissent within.





Kumaraswamy had also held discussions with congress president Rahul Gandhi in Delhi.





Coalition leaders were initially unable to reach consensus on whether to go in for cabinet expansion by filling three vacant posts or reshuffle by asking a few ministers to step down and make way for the disgruntled lawmakers.





CLP leader Siddaramaiah, however, had indicated that reshuffle was on the cards.





According to party sources, there are talks about first filling three vacant posts and then going in for reshuffle if the need arises.





Meanwhile, Independent MLA Nagesh and Karnataka Pragnyavantha Janatha Party MLA R Shankar also met Siddaramaiah on Saturday and held discussions.





There are reports that in case of cabinet expansion they are likely to be inducted into the ministry.





During the meeting Siddaramaiah is said to have asked both legislators not to fall pray to any attempts by the Bharatiya Janata Party to woo them.





On Wednesday reports and pictures of Nagesh and Shankar meeting rebel Congress MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi, who is allegedly hobnobbing with the BJP, had added to the coalition's worry.





Shankar was inducted into Kumaraswamys cabinet, but was subsequently dropped during the reshuffle in December last year, following which both of them had withdrew their support from the government and sided with BJP.





Coalition worries have multiplied after the 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 JD-S, which, despite a joint fight, were swept away by the Modi wave.





Also, growing unrest within the party and threat by Ramesh Jarkiholi to quit Congress along with other MLAs 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.





Of the total 34 ministerial positions in Karnataka, the Congress and JD-S have shared 22 and 12 respectively.





Currently, three posts are vacant, two from JD-S and one from Congress.





However, allaying fears that the BJP was trying to weaken the JD(S)-Congress government in Karnataka, the saffron party's state president B S Yeddyurappa Friday had said central leaders have asked the state unit not to indulge in any activity to 'destabilise' it. -- PTI

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.1520 S. Albion St. | Photo: Zumper

Curious just how far your dollar goes in Virginia Village?

According to Walk Score, this Denver neighborhood is somewhat walkable, is convenient for biking and offers many nearby public transportation options. Data from rental site Zumper shows that the median rent for a one bedroom in Virginia Village is currently hovering around $1,085.

So, what might you expect to find if you don't want to spend more than $1,200/month on rent? Read on for a roundup of the latest rental listings, via Zumper and Apartment Guide. (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.

4470 E. Jewell Ave.

Listed at $1,199/month, this 575-square-foot one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment is located at 4470 E. Jewell Ave.

In the apartment, you can expect hardwood floors, stainless steel appliances and a fireplace. The building features an elevator. Good news for animal lovers: both dogs and cats are welcome here. Expect a $250 pet fee.

(Check out the complete listing here.)

1251 S. Bellaire St.

Next, there's this one bedroom apartment located at 1251 S. Bellaire St. It's listed for $1,184/month for its 513 square feet of space.

The building has on-site laundry, garage parking, a fitness center and a business center. In the unit, there are hardwood floors, stainless steel appliances and a balcony. For those with furry friends in tow, know that cats and dogs are permitted on this property. Future tenants needn't worry about a leasing fee, but there is a $250 pet deposit.

(Take a gander at the complete listing here.)

1520 S. Albion St.

Here's a one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment at 1520 S. Albion St. that's going for $1,135/month.

When it comes to building amenities, expect on-site laundry and bike storage. The unit has a dishwasher and granite countertops. Cats and dogs are not welcome. There isn't a leasing fee associated with this rental.

(See the full listing here.)

This story was created automatically using local real estate data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.(Adds comment from Shanahan)

By Idrees Ali

SEOUL, June 2 (Reuters) - Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said on Sunday that for now it was not necessary to resume major joint military exercises with South Korea that were suspended in the last year to support diplomatic efforts with North Korea.

The United States and South Korea have suspended a number of combined military exercises in the past year after talks between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

However, since then negotiations between the United States and North Korea have stalled.

"I don't think it is necessary," Shanahan told reporters traveling with him to Seoul when asked about restoring any of the major exercises.

Shanahan said he had been told by senior military leaders that troops on the Korean peninsula had the required military readiness despite the suspension of the exercises.

"I want to make sure that the plan that we put in place is sufficient," Shanahan said.

He added that he would have more to say after discussions in South Korea on Monday. He will meet his South Korean counterpart and the head of U.S. forces in South Korea.

Trump caught many U.S. officials off guard when he announced after his first summit with Kim last year that the United States was suspending the summer's joint military drills with South Korea.

The suspension was criticized in the United States as a premature concession to North Korea, which has resisted U.S. efforts to persuade it to give up its nuclear weapons.

Since then, the United States and South Korea have also replaced the spring exercises, known as Foal Eagle and Key Resolve, with smaller scale drills.

During his September confirmation hearing to lead U.S. forces in South Korea, Army General Robert Abrams said that the suspension of exercises had caused a "slight degradation" in military readiness. Since then, other military leaders have said readiness is at an acceptable level.

Story continues

North Korea has long sought an end to joint U.S.-South Korean military exercises.

A 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.

In May, North Korean test fired several rockets and missiles, including guided missiles that experts said could be used to penetrate South Korean and U.S. defenses.

Shanahan also said that he could not confirm a news report that North Korea had executed its nuclear envoy to the United States. (Reporting by Idrees Ali; editing by Darren Schuettler and David Evans)(Recasts, adds detail and background)

By Andrew Galbraith

SHANGHAI, June 2 (Reuters) - China's central bank sought to calm investors on Sunday after last month's takeover of Inner Mongolia-based Baoshang Bank, saying regulators are not planning any more such moves for the moment.

The China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission (CBIRC) took control of Baoshang on May 24, rattling Chinese markets and prompting the People's Bank of China (PBOC) to inject cash into the banking system.

In response to concerns that regulators planned more takeovers of financial institutions, the PBOC said on Sunday that Baoshang was a standalone case.

"Everyone, please don't worry. At present we don't yet have this plan," it said in a statement on its website.

The PBOC also said it would use various monetary policy tools to stabilize money markets and boost banking system liquidity, but did not mention broader easing.

"The PBOC has fully estimated and prepared for the various factors that will affect liquidity in June, and will flexibly use reverse repurchase agreements and the medium-term lending facility in accordance with the cash supply-and-demand situation of the market," it said in a statement.

The central bank has previously pledged more policy support for a slowing economy, but PBOC Governor Yi Gang has said there is less room for further monetary easing.

On Sunday, the PBOC said relatively low reserve requirements for medium- and small-sized banks would boost their liquidity, while a previously announced phased cut to reserve requirements is expected to release 100 billion yuan ($14.5 billion) in long-term liquidity to medium- and small-sized banks on June 17.

The PBOC said deposit insurance funds and its own funds provided sufficient guarantees for all types of creditors in Baoshang Bank following the takeover, which it said had been triggered by the improper and illegal use of significant bank funds by Tomorrow Holdings, which holds 89% of Baoshang's shares, leading to a serious credit crisis at the bank.

All personal accounts and interbank debts of less than 50 million yuan would be guaranteed, the PBOC said, adding that the average guarantee ratio of debts of above 50 million yuan would be "around 90%."

Chinese regulators issued instructions to banks last week that could see larger creditors facing haircuts of as much as 30%, sources told Reuters. ($1 = 6.9027 Chinese yuan) (Reporting by Andrew Galbraith and Meng Meng in SHANGHAI, and Cheng Leng in BEIJING; editing by Deepa Babington and Alexander Smith)* China's vice commerce minister rejects backtracking charge

* Says U.S. officials overestimate trade deficit with China

* China defense minister says China will "fight to the end" (Adds defense minister, details from news conference, white paper)

By Cate Cadell

BEIJING, June 2 (Reuters) - The United States cannot use pressure to force a trade deal on China, a senior Chinese official and trade negotiator said on Sunday, refusing to be drawn on whether the leaders of the two countries would meet at the G20 summit to bash out an agreement.

Trade tensions rose sharply last month after U.S. President Donald Trump's 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 retaliate.

Speaking at a news conference, Chinese Vice Commerce Minister Wang Shouwen said it was irresponsible of the United States to accuse China of backtracking.

"If the U.S. side wants to use extreme pressure, to escalate the trade friction, to force China to submit and make concessions, this is absolutely impossible," said Wang, who has been part of China's negotiating team.

Switching into English, he said: "Nothing is agreed until everything is agreed."

"During the consultations, China has overcome many difficulties and put forward pragmatic solutions. However, the U.S. has backtracked, and when you give them an inch, they want a yard," he said.

Wang said the U.S. had made "unreasonably high" demands and insisted on adding "demands relating to China's sovereign rights" to the countries' agreement. The raising of tariffs escalated tensions and severely frustrated the talks, he added.

His comments were echoed by Chinese Defence Minister Wei Fenghe at a defense forum in Singapore on Sunday.

"If the U.S. wants to talk, we will keep the door open. If they want a fight, we will fight till the end," Wei said.

Story continues

Trump has said he will meet President Xi Jinping at the G20 summit in Osaka at the end of the month, though China has not confirmed the meeting.

When asked if Xi would meet Trump in Japan, Wang said: "I don't have any information on this to provide."

WHITE PAPER

Wang, who was speaking at the unveiling of a new government policy paper on the trade war, said U.S. officials overestimate the trade deficit between the two countries and China should not be blamed for a decline in U.S. manufacturing jobs.

The U.S. goods and services deficit with China is closer to $150 billion and not the $410 billion quoted by U.S. officials, he said, adding that China's processing trade with the United States should not be included in deficit calculations.

The white paper cited three instances of the U.S. backtracking on its commitments, adding that Washington was reponsible for setbacks in the talks.

It said China had enough fiscal and monetary policy tools and "good momentum" to sustain economic development despite the trade war. Data last week showed China's factory activity shrank in May at a more severe pace than expected.

It followed soft data in China's retail, export and construction sectors, raising expectations that Beijing may need to roll out more stimulus to support the economy.

Wang also rejected assertions that Beijing is directing domestic companies on overseas acquisitions and investments.

"China's government is not involved in the specific commercial behavior of companies, and won't instruct or require companies to invest in a project or buy a technology," he said.

Wang reiterated that China is willing to meet demand for rare earths from other countries, but it would be unacceptable if some nations used Chinese rare earths to create products that limited China's development.

Xi's visit to a rare earths plant last month sparked speculation that China would use its dominant position as an exporter of rare earths to the United States as leverage in the trade war.

Wang said the commerce ministry is investigating reports of delays in customs checks and will make efforts to speed up inspections and reduce costs for importers.

A top U.S. business lobby group said last month that its members face increased obstacles in China such as government inspections, slower customs clearance and slower approval for licensing and other applications. (Reporting by Cate Cadell; Additional reporting by Meng Meng and Andrew Galbraith in SHANGHAI and Lee Chyen Yee in SINGAPORE; Writing by Andrew Galbraith; editing by Darren Schuettler)(Adds details, transport minister) (Adds details)

VENICE, Italy, June 2 (Reuters) - A towering cruise ship collided with a dock and a tourist boat in Venice on Sunday, injuring four people and reigniting calls for large vessels to be banned from the lagoon city.

MSC Cruises said the 2,679-passenger Opera, a 54-meter high and 275-meter long liner which dwarfed the Venice skyline, was approaching a passenger terminal on the Giudecca canal when it hit the dock and a nearby ferry after a technical problem.

Footage of the incident showed passengers who had been waiting at a wharf in San Basilio-Zattere fleeing for safety as the huge ship, its horns blaring, crashed into the much smaller, moored "River Countess" boat, which had 110 people onboard.

"I thought the ship was going to crash into my house," a resident living nearby told Italy's state television.

Pino Musolino, chairman of the northern Adriatic Sea port authority, said four people had suffered minor injuries in the crash. Emergency workers said the cruise ship appeared to have lost control after a steel cable that tied it to a tugboat snapped.

Local media said the four injured were female tourists from the United States, Australia and New Zealand aged between 67 and 72.

The accident rekindled a heated row in Italy over the risks to the fragile ecosystem and monuments of Venice posed by cruise ships that routinely sail very close to the shore.

The safety of big ships in European cities has been highlighted by the crash last week of a cruise liner with a pleasure boat on the Danube in Budapest. Twenty-eight people were presumed killed, nearly all South Korean tourists.

Italian Transport Minister Danilo Toninelli said on Twitter the Venice incident was proof that big ships should not travel on the Giudecca, a major thoroughfare that leads to St. Mark's Square.

"After many years of inertia, we are finally close to a definitive solution to protect both the lagoon and tourism," he said.

Story continues

Ships weighing more than 96,000 tonnes were banned from the Giudecca canal in 2013, while the number of smaller ships using the waterway was limited to five a day, but that legislation was overturned at the end of 2015.

The Italian government decided in 2017 that the largest ships weighing more than 100,000 tonnes would have to take a less glamorous route to the industrial port of Marghera, far from the Giudecca and Grand canals.

However, those plans were expected to take four years to come into force. (Reporting by Manuel Silvestri and Riccardo Bastianello, writing by Silvia Aloisi Editing by Peter Graff)(Adds details)

HELSINKI, June 2 (Reuters) - Five center-left parties concluded talks on Sunday to form a new government in Finland, Social Democrat leader Antti Rinne, set to become the first leftist prime minister for 20 years, said on Twitter.

"The government program is ready and ministerial posts have been allocated," Rinne wrote.

While he said he would not release details until Monday, a leaked draft of a coalition agreement included 730 million euros ($815 million) in proposed tax increases to fulfill a campaign promise to maintain spending on public services.

In an interview with Finland's public broadcaster Yle, Rinne said his new government would consist of 19 ministers. He said he would not unveil the cabinet lineup until Monday.

Rinne's Social Democrats placed first in the April 14 general election by a tight margin with just 17.7% of the vote, forcing them to partner with four smaller parties to form a majority government.

A nearly-final draft of the coalition agreement was leaked to Finnish tabloid Iltalehti which published the entire 135-page document on Sunday. It showed plans of tax hikes worth 730 million euros to fund an increase in permanent public spending by 1.23 billion euros a year by 2023.

In his electoral campaign, Rinne had promised tax hikes to preserve Finland's vast welfare state.

Rinne's election promises included boosting state pensions, a change that will cost 183 million euros, according to the draft text. In addition to the permanent spending hikes, the coalition plans one-off infrastructure investments, notably to Finland's railway network.

The planned tax hikes in the draft text include collecting additional 250 million euros in fossil fuel taxes over the government's four-year term. Income taxes will not be raised.

Finland will renew its aging Hornet fighter jet fleet in its entirety and the new fleet's supplier will be picked in 2021, the draft text said.

The five-party coalition also plans to change the law on rape to remove a requirement that prosecutors prove an attack was violent.

The nationalist and eurosceptic Finns Party placed a close second in the general election with 17.5% of the vote, 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. ($1 = 0.8955 euros) (Reporting by Anne Kauranen; editing by David Evans and Peter Graff)(Adds details, background)

BAGHDAD, June 2 (Reuters) - An Iraqi court sentenced two French men to death on Sunday after finding them guilty of being members of Islamic State, a prosecutor told Reuters.

Iraq is conducting trials of thousands of suspected Islamic State fighters, including hundreds of foreigners, with many arrested as the group's strongholds crumbled.

President Emmanuel Macron's government has said France respects Iraqi sovereignty, but opposes the death penalty.

Sunday's sentences bring the number of French citizens facing the death penalty in Iraq to nine, the prosecutor said, adding that another three are due to stand trial on Monday.

"There was sufficient evidence to hand down a death sentence. They both were fighters of the terrorist Islamic State organization," the prosecutor said of the convictions, which can be appealed.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Tuesday that France was intensifying diplomatic efforts to prevent four of its citizens being executed in Iraq after they were sentenced to death for belonging to Islamic State.

All the nine French men convicted so far were extradited to Iraq in February and military sources at the time said that 14 French citizens were among 280 Iraqi and foreign detainees handed over by the U.S-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). (Reporting by Ahmed Rasheed Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky and Alexander Smith)* Bruins beat Blues 7-2 in St. Louis

* Bruins score three first-period goals (Adds quotes)

June 1 (Reuters) - The Boston Bruins routed the St. Louis Blues 7-2 on Saturday to take a 2-1 lead in the Stanley Cup Finals.

The Bruins scored three first-period goals to seize control of Game Three in St Louis, Patrice Bergeron netting on a power-play at 10:47 before Charlie Coyle and Sean Kuraly followed up to give the visitors a comfortable lead.

St Louis was hosting a Stanley Cup Finals game for the first time in 49 years but they had little time to savor the moment before the Bruins raced to a 2-1 best-of-series win.

David Pastrnak converted another power play just 41 seconds into the second period to give Boston a 4-0 advantage.

"We've played in some loud buildings this playoffs, and to be honest for me it's kind of motivation," Pastrnak told reporters. "We were really excited. The first period was a big start for us, and we had big goals."

The Blues came out of their daze in the second and got on the board when Ivan Barbashev netted a goal but the visitors would not back off.

Boston's Torey Krug pushed the advantage to 5-1 at 12:12 in the second and became the first Boston player to record four points in a Stanley Cup game.

Bergeron added two assists for the Bruins.

"We simplified our game and took what was there," Bergeron said. "We'll definitely take it, but we have to move on to Game Four."

Colton Parayko scored for St. Louis in the third where Noel Acciari and Marcus Johansson padded goals in the final two minutes.

Boston shook off the disappointing overtime defeat in Game Two on Wednesday and feasted on the power play where they were 4-for-4.

St. Louis, on the other hand, is just 1-for-10 on power play opportunities for the series.

"We do have to limit the penalties for sure. We know they have a dangerous power play," Blues coach Craig Berube said. "Weve been flirting with it all series, and they burned us tonight."

Boston's veteran goaltender goaltender Tuukka Rask made 27 saves to get the best of St. Louis rookie Jordan Binnington who allowed five of the scores.

Game Four is also in St Louis on Monday. (Writing by Jahmal Corner in Los Angeles; Editing by Peter Rutherford and Sudipto Ganguly )(Adds Roma youth quote in paragraphs 8 and 9)

By Philip Pullella

BLAJ, Romania, June 2 (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Sunday asked forgiveness in the name of the Catholic Church for the mistreatment of the Roma people, a move likely to increase tensions with Italy's anti-immigrant Interior Minister Matteo Salvini.

Francis made the comment during a meeting with Roma people at the last event of his three day trip to Romania, saying his heart was made "heavy" by the meeting.

"It is weighed down by the many experiences of discrimination, segregation and mistreatment experienced by your communities. History tells us that Christians too, including Catholics, are not strangers to such evil," he said.

With an estimated population of 10-12 million, approximately six million of whom live in the European Union, Roma people are the biggest ethnic minority in Europe and rights groups say they are often the victims of prejudice and social exclusion.

Salvini, who has clashed with the pope repeatedly on migration issues, reacted angrily last month when Francis received a group of Roma at the Vatican last month.

Salvini, head of the far-right Lega party and a deputy prime minister, responded by repeating his promise to close all Roma camps in Italy.

"I would like to ask your forgiveness for this," the pope told the Roma. "I ask forgiveness  in the name of the Church and of the Lord  and I ask forgiveness of you. For all those times in history when we have discriminated, mistreated or looked askance at you ...."

A Roma youth, Razaila Vasile Dorin, told reporters: "It's an honor that a person like the pope comes to our community. We are proud."

"It's important that the pope is asking forgiveness. There is racism in every country. When we go out everyone looks at us and we don't like that. I am proud to be a gypsy."

Earlier on Sunday, the pope said a Mass for some 100,000 people during which he beatified seven Communist-era bishops of the Eastern Rite Catholic Church who died in prison or as a result of their harsh treatment during Romania's communist era.

Story continues

"(The bishops) endured suffering and gave their lives to oppose an illiberal ideological system that oppressed the fundamental rights of the human person," Francis said.

After World War Two, Romania's Communist authorities confiscated properties of the Eastern Rite Catholic Church and ordered its members to join the majority Orthodox Church, which was easier for the party to control.

Historians say about half a million Romanians including politicians, priests, doctors, officers, land owners and merchants were sentenced and jailed in the 1950s and early 1960s and a fifth of them perished in prisons and labor camps.

Many Catholic properties taken by the Communist dictatorship or given by the government to the Orthodox have yet to be returned 30 years after the fall of dictator Nicolae Ceausescu. (Additional reporting by Radu-Sorin Marinas in Bucharest; Editing by Alexander Smith and David Evans)(Adds details, background)

CAIRO, June 2 (Reuters) - Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, speaking about the unannounced U.S. Mideast peace plan, said on Sunday that his country would not accept anything undesired by the Palestinians.

Speaking after breaking the Ramadan fast at a hotel in Cairo, Sisi also appeared to dismiss suggestions that Egypt might make concessions as part of the U.S. plan.

The blueprint, still in draft form and billed by U.S. President Donald Trump as the "deal of the century," jettisons the two-state solution to ending the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, according to Palestinian and Arab sources.

It envisages an expansion of Gaza into parts of northern Sinai, under Egyptian control, Palestinian officials have told Reuters.

Referring to the U.S. plan, Sisi said that "Egypt will not accept anything that the Palestinians do not want."

"You are asking what's the story and what does Sisi have in mind, and will he give up anything to anyone," apparently referring to reports that Egypt could be required to allow areas in Sinai adjacent to the Gaza border to be part of the deal.

"Can you imagine that I would give something up. ... But, why?"

(Writing by Aidan Lewis; Editing by Sami Aboudi and Peter Cooney)Thirty years after they fled the bullets and tanks, Tiananmen exiles say their dream of returning to a democratic China are more distant than ever as their homeland descends further into authoritarianism and state surveillance.

Zhou Fengsuo has always erred on the side of optimism.

Five years ago, to mark the 25th anniversary of Beijing's deadly crackdown, he took advantage of a 72-hour transit visa to sneak back into China on his American passport.

It was an act that would be unthinkable now.

Under President Xi Jinping, China has returned to a level of oppression not seen since the Mao era, its security apparatus bolstered by cutting edge technology and the party's ability to silence critics virtually unchallenged.

"There is no reason to be optimistic for China now if you look at what's happening," said Zhou, a former student leader who was number five on Beijing's 'Most Wanted' list in the aftermath of the crackdown and who now lives in the United States.

"It's darkening day by day, (what) was unimaginable a year ago, now it's becoming reality. Even '1984', the novel, couldn't go that far," he told AFP in New York, referencing George Orwell's seminal novel on life in a totalitarian state.

Most of those young protesters drawn to Beijing's streets in the spring of 1989 are now in their early fifties and there is a profound sense of urgency that time is running out to keep alive the memory of what happened.

The 'Great Firewall' and eagle-eyed party censors have proven adept at scrubbing the web inside China of any reference to Tiananmen.

And in more recent years university campuses in the West have witnessed increasingly strident nationalist rhetoric from overseas Chinese students.

"There is nothing to be optimistic about the younger generation at campus today, they grew up completely under the shadow of the firewall, so that means they are indoctrinated by the brainwashing when they are babies," Zhou told AFP.

Story continues

- Crushed by tanks -

Fang Zheng, a Tiananmen survivor who lost his legs when they were crushed by a tank, is similarly grim in his projections.

The last thing he remembered before losing consciousness was seeing the shattered white bones of his legs exposed to the air.

Few survivors have suffered so physically as Fang. Yet each spring he has flown all over the world to tell his story.

But he has little hope for China's future.

"I'm getting more and more pessimistic," he told AFP by phone from his home in San Fransisco.

"Especially since Xi became leader, the government now uses all sorts of means to control residents. High-tech devices help the government to monitor the people."

Most of the politically active Tiananmen survivors have made their homes in the States, often after serving prison sentences and years spent persuading the Chinese authorities to give them passports.

Wu'er Kaixi stayed closer, chosing the democratic island of Taiwan.

Hailing from China's Uighur minority -- who now face unprecedented levels of forced incarceration and state surveillance in western Xinjiang province -- Wu'er became one of the most outspoken student leaders during the 1989 protests.

He famously rebuked Premier Li Peng on national television, an unprecedented dressing down of a top party official, one who later went on to oversee the deadly crackdown.

Wu'er said he had spent the last three decades watching with horror as western nations embraced China, hopeful that economic growth might nudge the party towards political liberalisation.

"They call it engagement, I call it appeasement, and that has led to the consequences that China is a clear threat to the world order and universal values," he told AFP at the sidelines of a Tiananmen conference in Taipei.

There is a sense of fatigue in his voice, that every June it has been up to a small coterie of survivors to remind the world of Tiananmen's legacy.

"It is no longer just the Chinese democracy activists' responsibility to bring China to freedom and democracy, nowadays the whole world share a piece of blame and responsibility," he said.

In an illustration of China's growing ability to counter dissidents, the conference which Wu'er was attending used to be held in Hong Kong. But with the international finance hub witnessing its own crackdown, organisers moved it to Taipei.

- Ailing parents -

Years of exile have taken a heavy toll on the Tiananmen survivors, especially when it comes to being so far away from ailing parents.

Fang's father died in February and he desperately wanted to return to China for the funeral.

To his surprise he was initially given a visa by the consulate in San Francisco only to see it rescinded hours later.

"I was very disappointed. And my daughters, they dislike China even more now," he recalled.

Wu'er dreads getting that call from family members in China.

"My parents couldn't see their boy for 30 years," he said. "I can take the consequences for the path I have chosen, but (the) barbaric Chinese regime has prevented my parents from seeing their child, their grandchildren, so the sacrifice is great."

Of the Tiananmen survivors AFP interviewed, Wang Dan remained the most optimistic.

Like Wu'er, he emerged one of the most prominent student leaders and was rewarded with being placed at the top of Beijing's most wanted list.

He spent four years behind bars before eventually making it the US.

He describes Xi as "a second Mao" but he takes solace from the fact that even Mao's reign of repression came to an end.

In the long term, he believes, China's party cannot control the population indefinitely.

"Any kind of dictator or authoritarian regime cannot change human nature," he said. "Believing in this, I still have hope for the future. I don't know when or how it will happen, but I know it will happen."

Long term, Zhou also thinks China's authoritarianism will fold, but it is not something he expects to see in his lifetime.

"I believe history is on our side," he said. "But I don't know how long it will take, how many generations."* Airlines worry rifts between regulators could confuse passengers

* EU reserves right to take own decisions on Boeing 737 MAX

* Emirates head cautious on 737 MAX's quick return to service (Adds quotes)

By Tim Hepher and Tracy Rucinski

SEOUL, June 2 (Reuters) - Airlines urged regulators on Sunday to coordinate on software changes to the Boeing 737 MAX in a bid to avoid damaging splits over safety seen when the aircraft was grounded in March.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA), whose 290 carriers account for 80 percent of world flying, said trust in the certification system had been damaged by a wave of separate decisions to ground the jet, with the U.S. last to act.

Airlines are worried further differences between regulators over safety could confuse passengers and cause disruption.

"Any rift between regulators is not in anyone's interest," IATA Director General Alexandre de Juniac told an annual meeting of the association in Seoul.

Boeing's best-selling jet was grounded after two crashes, in Indonesia and Ethiopia, over five months killed a total of 346 people.

The Federal Aviation Administration initially resisted the decisions led by China, but later followed suit.

Airline officials say any new bout of staggered decisions could cause problems in operations and code-sharing.

"Obviously for us to operate the MAX, the approval from the Singapore authorities is not enough. We have to operate somewhere ... Indonesia and China are two important markets for us," Singapore Airlines CEO Goh Choon Phong told Reuters.

But the European Union's top transport official said bloc's regulator, the European Aviation Safety Agency, reserved the right to carry out its own separate review at its own pace.

"Certainly EASA will take a very close look at the results (of proposed design changes) and then make a decision and that message was very clearly passed," Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulc told Reuters at the Seoul event.

Story continues

"We always work together with other regulators and we certainly will take joint moves, but EASA will reserve the right to take an individual look at the results and then of course engage with the rest of the regulators."

Asked how long it would take to end the crisis, she said, "I hope as soon as possible, because we do need to restore order and trust and move on."

UNCLEAR RESUMPTION OUTLOOK

The 737 MAX crashes have thrown the spotlight on cockpit software and a certification system which relies on the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) delegating some approval tasks to Boeing staff working on their behalf.

"I think the investigations ... will probably reveal that the FAA perhaps unwittingly let a little bit too much go," said Emirates president Tim Clark. "And I think that the other regulators didn't realize how much the FAA had empowered the manufacturing delegates," he added.

Clark warned it could take six months to restore operations as other regulators re-examine the U.S. delegation practices - though U.S. majors have only suspended MAX schedules to August.

"That is why it is going to take time to get this aircraft back in the air. If it is in the air by Christmas I'll be surprised - my own view," he told reporters. Emirates' sister carrier flydubai is a major 737 MAX customer.

The FAA says it has no firm date but has indicated privately to other regulators that it aims to certify new software by end-June, after which it could take weeks to get planes flying.

A person familiar with the plans said the FAA wanted an "orderly" process, anticipating a sequence of approvals for software changes and training rather than one global decision.

If confirmed, that could see 737 MAX aircraft back in the air in some markets as early as the summer, the person said, barring further hitches or surprises in the ongoing review.

(Additional reporting by Heekyong Yang, Jamie Freed; Editing by Himani Sarkar)* Germany's SPD thrown into leadership turmoil

* Party leader Nahles to resign roles as support wanes

* Vice Chancellor Scholz rules out new grand coalition (Adds Scholz comment)

By Holger Hansen and Edward Taylor

BERLIN/FRANKFURT, June 2 (Reuters) - Andrea Nahles said on Sunday she would resign as leader of Germany's Social Democrats (SPD), raising new doubts about the durability of Chancellor Angela Merkel's ruling coalition with the center-left party.

Merkel's Christian Democrats and the SPD both bled support in last week's European elections as voters turned away from mainstream political parties, undermining a ruling coalition that already came close to falling apart last year.

Nahles, whose SPD is a junior coalition partner in Merkel's ruling alliance, said she would resign as party leader on Monday and step down as head of the SPD's parliamentary group on Tuesday.

"The discussions within the parliamentary faction and feedback from within the party have shown me that I no longer have the necessary support to carry out my duties," Nahles said in a statement released by the SPD.

The "grand coalition" is due to rule until 2021 but Nahles' resignation could trigger the SPD's early exit, forcing Merkel to call snap elections, to lead a minority government, or to seek an alliance with the Greens and liberal Free Democrats.

"The election for the party leadership is likely to be a vote on the grand coalition," said Henrik Enderlein, president of the Hertie School of Governance in Berlin. "Whoever runs will have to answer the crucial question of whether to participate in the government.

"New elections later this year are not excluded," Enderlein added. "A minority government at the end of the era Merkel could possibly be an interim solution."

The turmoil within the SPD comes as Merkel's conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) faces its own struggles.

Story continues

Germany's Greens have overtaken the conservatives to become the country's most popular party, an opinion poll showed on Saturday, with SPD support sinking to an all-time low.

CDU leader and Merkel's heir apparent Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer called on the SPD to ensure Germany has a stable and functioning government.

"I am assuming that the SPD will make its personnel decisions quickly and that the grand coalition's ability to act will not be impaired," she said on Sunday.

Alexander Dobrindt, a lawmaker from the CSU Bavarian party in Merkel's coalition, echoed her view. "I expect a clear commitment from the SPD to back the coalition," Dobrindt said.

POLITICAL EARTHQUAKE

Nahles had been due to face a vote on her leadership position on Tuesday after her decision to stay in coalition with Merkel's conservative bloc following the European elections setback was criticized by the SPD's left.

The SPD also failed to win the most votes in the state of Bremen for the first time in 73 years last Sunday.

Earlier, German Vice Chancellor Olaf Scholz, a Social Democrat, told Germany's Tagesspiegel that he had ruled out entering another grand coalition as the SPD seeks to regroup.

"I am very sure that it would not be justifiable for us to have a fifth grand coalition," Scholz told the German paper in an interview published on Sunday before Nahles announced she would resign.

"Three grand coalitions in a row would not do democracy in Germany any good," he was quoted as saying.

The ruling coalition is due for a midterm review in the autumn, which could be an opportunity for the SPD to pull the plug on the alliance.

The SPD is now scrambling to put an end to infighting to stabilize its leadership. Speaking on the "Anne Will" political talkshow on Sunday evening, Scholz ruled himself out as an interim or full-time replacement for Nahles.

Last week, German weekly Bild am Sonntag reported that former SPD leader Martin Schulz wanted to replace Nahles as head of the parliamentary party.

Schulz told Germany's Welt am Sonntag newspaper that he would not stand against Nahles in the leadership vote on Tuesday but declined to answer whether he would seek to be re-elected leader thereafter.

"Wow, another earthquake in German politics," said Carsten Brzeski, chief economist at ING Germany, referring to the upheaval within the SPD party. (Additional reporting Paul Carrel, Andreas Rinke, Rene Wagner Hans Edzard Busemann; Writing by Edward Taylor; Editing by William Maclean, David Evans, Deepa Babington and Daniel Wallis)* Russian oil output down 1.1 pct to 11.11 mln bpd in May

* Russian oil pipeline exports fall to 4.21 mln bpd in May

* Rosneft cut output, Lukoil, Gazprom Neft raise production (Adds detail)

By Vladimir Soldatkin

MOSCOW, June 2 (Reuters) - Russian oil output fell to 11.11 million barrels per day (bpd) in May, its lowest level since June 2018, from 11.23 million bpd in April, Energy Ministry data showed on Sunday.

The production fall resulted mainly from the closure due to oil contamination of Russia's Druzhba pipeline, which usually ships 1 million bpd, or 1 percent of global oil demand.

As a result, Russian oil production during May fell by more than stipulated in a global deal with the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

The Energy Ministry data showed Russian oil pipeline exports in May fell to 4.209 million bpd, from 4.494 million bpd in April, as supplies via the Druzhba pipeline almost dried up, while seaborne exports jumped by 11.5 percent.

Russia expects to clean up the pipeline, which was built in the 1960s and carries Russian oil to Europe, including Germany, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia, within six to eight months.

June 2018 production was 11.06 million bpd.

In tonnes, oil output reached 47.004 million in May versus 45.975 million in April, which is one day shorter than May. Reuters uses a tonnes/barrel ratio of 7.33.

Russia's largest oil producer Rosneft accounted for most of the cuts, with a month-on-month reduction of 2.9 percent in May, while domestic output at Russia's No.2 oil producer Lukoil edged up 0.7 percent last and Gazprom Neft boosted its output by 4.7 percent.

Both Lukoil and Gazprom Neft have their own exporting terminals in the Arctic.

BELOW QUOTAS

OPEC and other large oil-producing countries led by Russia agreed to curb output by a combined 1.2 million bpd for six months from Jan. 1, in order to balance the global oil market.

Of this, Russia pledged to cut its production by 228,000 bpd from the deal baseline of the October 2018 level, to 11.18 million bpd.

Story continues

OPEC and Russia are excepted to gather in Vienna later this month or in early July to discuss what to do in the second half of the year.

Top oil exporter Saudi Arabia has raised production in May, a Reuters survey found, but not by enough to compensate for lower Iranian exports that collapsed after the United States tightened the screw on Tehran.

The 14-member OPEC pumped 30.17 million barrels per day (bpd) in May, down 60,000 bpd from April and the lowest OPEC total since 2015, the Reuters survey showed.

Oil prices slumped by more than 3% and posted their biggest monthly drop in six months on Friday after U.S. President Donald Trump stoked tensions by threatening tariffs on Mexico, a key U.S. trade partner and major crude oil supplier.

Russian natural gas production was at 63.28 billion cubic meters (bcm) in May, 2.04 bcm a day, versus 64.3 bcm in April. (Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin; Editing by Clarence Fernandez and Alexander Smith)China on Sunday defended the bloody Tiananmen crackdown on student protesters in a rare public acknowledgement of the event, days before its 30th anniversary, saying it was the "correct" policy.

After seven weeks of protests by students and workers demanding democratic change and the end of corruption, soldiers and tanks chased and killed demonstrators and onlookers in the streets leading to Beijing's Tiananmen Square on June 4 1989.

Hundreds, or possibly more than 1,000, were killed, although the precise number of deaths remains unknown.

"That incident was a political turbulence and the central government took measures to stop the turbulence which is a correct policy," Chinese defence minister General Wei Fenghe told a regional security forum in Singapore.

Wei asked why people still say that China "did not handle the incident properly".

"The 30 years have proven that China has undergone major changes," he said in response to a question from the audience, adding that because of the government's action at that time "China has enjoyed stability and development".

Bonnie Glaser, a China expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, said she was surprised at the question on Tiananmen raised at an open forum after Wei's speech, but the fact that the general answered it was "unusual".

People may dispute Wei's answer "but at least I can give him credit for taking the question", Glaser added.

Inside China an army of online censors have scrubbed clean social media, removing articles, memes, hash-tags or photos alluding to the Tiananmen crackdown ahead of June 4.

Discussions of the 1989 pro-democracy protests and their brutal suppression are strictly taboo, and authorities have rounded up or warned activists, lawyers and journalists ahead of the anniversary each year.

Talking privately with family and friends about Tiananmen is possible, but any commemoration in public risks almost certain arrest.

Story continues

Wei also responded to a question on China's restive Xinjiang region, where Beijing has come under increasing global scrutiny over its treatment of ethnic Uighurs and other Turkic-speaking minorities.

He said China's policies in Xinjiang improved people's lives and prevented terror attacks from happening for more than two years.

'Resolve and will'

In a wide-ranging speech that came a day after acting US Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan addressed the same forum, Wei vowed that China will not be bullied by the United States, issuing a combative defence of its policies, including on Taiwan and the South China Sea.

He rebutted US allegations of militarisation of the South China Sea, saying facilities it built on reclaimed land there were "defensive" in nature.

Washington has been pushing back against Beijing's aggressive moves in the sea, where China has staked "indisputable" ownership over almost the whole area and rejects partial claims by Taiwan, Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam

Washington and Beijing have been vying for influence in the Asia Pacific region, which hosts potential flashpoints such as the South China Sea, the Korean Peninsula and the Taiwan Strait.

Wei also said China will not renounce the use of force in the reunification of self-ruled Taiwan, calling it "very dangerous" to underestimate Beijing's will.

"We will strive for the process of peaceful reunification with utmost sincerity and greatest efforts but we make no promise to renounce the use of force," he said.

The two sides have been ruled separately since the end of a civil war on the mainland in 1949 but China still sees Taiwan as part of its territory to be reunified one day.

"Any underestimation of the PLA's (People's Liberation Army) resolve and will is extremely dangerous," he added, calling it the army's "sacred duty" to defend Chinese territory.

In his speech on Saturday, Shanahan told the forum that Washington will continue to make military expertise and equipment available to Taiwan for its self-defence.

"This support empowers the people of Taiwan to determine their own future," Shanahan said.

Any resolution of differences must not be done with coercion, he added.

Analyst Glaser said that while Washington and Beijing have established communication hotlines, "even today, theres very low confidence that the Chinese would answer the phone in a crisis".Proof on Main. | Photo: Katie S./Yelp

Looking to try the top cocktail bars around?

Hoodline crunched the numbers to find the top cocktail bars in Louisville, using both Yelp data and our own secret sauce to produce a ranked list of where to satisfy your cravings.

1. Sidebar

PHOTO: HEATHER K./YELP

Topping the list is Sidebar. Located at 129 N. Second St. in Central Business District, the cocktail bar and New American spot, which offers burgers and more, is the highest rated cocktail bar in Louisville, boasting 4.5 stars out of 586 reviews on Yelp.

2. Butchertown Grocery

PHOTO: MEGAN P./YELP

Next up is Butchertown Grocery, situated at 1076 E. Washington St., Floor 1 With 4.5 stars out of 386 reviews on Yelp, the cocktail bar, New American and French spot has proven to be a local favorite.

3. Proof on Main

PHOTO: KRAIG W./YELP

Central Business District's Proof on Main, located at 702 W. Main St., is another top choice, with Yelpers giving the cocktail bar and New American spot four stars out of 708 reviews.

4. The Fat Lamb

PHOTO: JOHN R./YELP

The Fat Lamb, a cocktail bar and New American spot in Cherokee Triangle, is another much-loved go-to, with 4.5 stars out of 150 Yelp reviews. Head over to 2011 Grinstead Drive, Suite 104 to see for yourself.

5. Hell or Highwater

PHOTO: AMY E./YELP

Over in Central Business District, check out Hell or Highwater, which has earned 4.5 stars out of 110 reviews on Yelp. You can find the cocktail bar and speakeasy at 112 W. Washington St.

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.TIRANA, Albania (AP)  Thousands of Albanian opposition supporters took to the streets again Sunday to demand new elections despite repeated calls from Western powers to sit down for talks. At least seven police officers and a demonstrator were injured in scattered violence during the protest.

The center-right Democratic Party-led opposition supporters gathered at the main government building accusing center-left Socialist Party Prime Minister Edi Rama of corruption and links to organized crime. They want Rama to resign and an interim Cabinet to take the country to an early parliamentary election.

"The whole of our battle is for a free and fair election, for European values," said Democratic leader Lulzim Basha.

Flares, smoke and firebombs were hurled at the government building during Basha's speech.

Then Basha led supporters to parliament where a small group of supporters with their faces covered continuously smoke bombs and noisy firecrackers.

Police eventually used water cannons and tear gas when a small group tried to get closer to the building.

Interior Minister Sander Lleshaj said seven police officers were injured. An opposition supporter was injured by a firecracker that exploded near his legs outside parliament.

Opposition protests have been going on since mid-February. Rama's Socialists say the opposition is hurting the country's image as European Union leaders decide whether to launch full membership negotiations with Tirana.

The EU, U.S. and other Western institutions have asked the opposition to avoid violence and to hold talks instead to resolve the country's political deadlock.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, who was on a brief visit to Tirana on Sunday, called on both sides "to resolve any differences through dialogue and established political processes."

"Political violence contradicts our democratic values. It is absolutely unacceptable," he said at a news conference four hours before the rally.

Story continues

The opposition has relinquished its seats at parliament and is boycotting Albania's June 30 municipal election.

The Socialists, who have enough parliamentary seats to run on their own, have launched their electoral campaign saying they can't violate the constitution and change the election day.

___

Follow Llazar Semini on Twitter: https://twitter.com/lseminiAlgiers (AFP) - Algeria's constitutional council said Sunday it was impossible to hold elections to choose a successor to ousted president Abdelaziz Bouteflika early next month as planned, after the only two candidates were rejected.

The move comes after weeks of demonstrations intented to pressure political leaders into postponing the vote.

"The constitutional council rejects the candidature applications" and as a result has announced "the impossibility of holding presidential elections on July 4", the council said in a statement carried by national television.

It will now be up to interim president Abdelkader Bensalah to "again convene the electoral body and to finalise the electoral process" until a new leader is sworn in, the council said.

Bensalah, the former upper house speaker, was appointed on April 9 under constitutional rules which deem a presidential election must then be held within 90 days.

With that deadline certain to be missed, the constitutional council suggested his mandate be extended.

The planned vote has drawn widespread protests, with Algerian demonstrators demanding Bouteflika allies step aside to make way for a broader political overhaul before any elections are held.

"No elections with this gang in power," protesters shouted in central Algiers on Friday, as demonstrations were held across the country.

Crowds in the capital filled central avenues where they shouted slogans rejecting the army chief's push for dialogue.

General Ahmed Gaid Salah on Tuesday called for "mutual concessions" between Algeria's interim leaders and protesters, with "productive dialogue" to ensure elections were held as soon as possible.

The army chief has emerged as a key powerbroker since Bouteflika stepped down on April 2 in the face of mass protests against his bid for a fifth term.

- 'High-risk victory' -

Gaid Salah had been an ally of the ailing president, but as pressure from demonstrators mounted he ultimately called for the long-time leader's impeachment.

Story continues

Protesters have since called for Gaid Salah to step down, along with other top figures they argue are tainted by their allegiance to Bouteflika during his 20-year rule.

While Gaid Salah had pushed for polls, July 4 looked increasingly implausible as no major party nominated a candidate.

A major obstacle emerged when some mayors and magistrates said they would not take part in organising the polls.

The two unknown figures who put themselves forward -- Abdelhakim Hamadi and Hamid Touahri -- had not been expected to gather the necessary 60,000 voter signatures to validate their bid for office.

The decision to postpone the presidential election was described as a "victory for the street, but a high-risk victory" by Geneva-based political scientist Hasni Abidi.

"With this decision, those in power are taking a path which they won't have control over anymore. The army wants to show that it is demonstrating common sense and making a concession in the face of an uncompromising street (movement)," he said.

The demonstrations have been largely tolerated by security officials overwhelmed by the crowds.

But dozens of people were detained ahead of Friday's rally, and numerous arrests were made a week earlier during a protest in central Algiers.(Fixes typo in headline)

By Idrees Ali

SEOUL, June 2 (Reuters) - The Pentagon has told the White House that the U.S. military will not be politicized, a U.S. official said on Sunday, amid a controversy after officials directed the United States Navy to keep the USS John S. McCain out of sight during a recent speech by President Donald Trump in Japan.

The White House military office directed the U.S. Navy's Seventh Fleet to minimize the visibility of the USS John S. McCain, a warship bearing the name of Trump's former political rival, during a speech by the president in Japan last week.

While the directive was not implemented after senior Navy officials found out about the request, the incident has raised questions about the politicization of the military, which has traditionally been seen as being apolitical.

"Secretary (Patrick) Shanahan directed his chief of staff to speak with the White House military office and reaffirm his mandate that the Department of Defense will not be politicized," Lieutenant Colonel Joe Buccino, a Pentagon spokesman, said in a statement.

"The chief of staff reported that he did reinforce this message," Buccino said.

Concern has increased about the politicization of the U.S. military under Trump. He has given a number of overtly political speeches to military audiences and the military has been drawn into a mission along the border with Mexico, which some critics have described as a political stunt rather than a national security necessity.

The USS John S. McCain controversy led acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan to ask his chief of staff to find out what happened. On Sunday he told reporters that after reviewing the facts, he did not plan to call for an inspector general investigation into the incident.

"There is no room for politicizing the military," Shanahan told reporters traveling with him to Seoul.

Shanahan said he had spoken with late Senator John McCain's wife in the past few days about the incident but declined to give details of the conversation.

Story continues

He said that his chief of staff did not have prior knowledge of the White House directive and reiterated that a search had not found any emails to his staff about it. Trump said on Wednesday he had not been aware of the request.

The USS John S. McCain was initially named after the late Senator McCain's father and grandfather, who were both Navy admirals. In 2018, the Navy added Senator McCain to the official namesake of the guided missile destroyer.

McCain, the unsuccessful 2008 Republican presidential nominee, was shot down during the Vietnam War and tortured by his North Vietnamese Communist captors during more than five years in captivity as a prisoner of war.

Trump has long criticized McCain on a variety of fronts, and has kept up his attacks on McCain even following his death in August. (Reporting by Idrees Ali; Editing by Alex Richardson)By Idrees Ali

SEOUL (Reuters) - The Pentagon has told the White House that the U.S. military will not be politicized, a U.S. official said on Sunday, in response to a controversy after officials directed the United States Navy to keep the USS John S. McCain out of sight during a recent speech by President Donald Trump in Japan.

The White House military office directed the U.S. Navy's Seventh Fleet to minimize the visibility of the USS John S. McCain, a warship bearing the name of Trump's former political rival, during the president's speech last week.

While the directive was not implemented after senior Navy officials found out about the request, the incident has raised questions about the politicization of the military, which has traditionally been seen as being apolitical.

"Secretary (Patrick) Shanahan directed his chief of staff to speak with the White House military office and reaffirm his mandate that the Department of Defense will not be politicized," Lieutenant Colonel Joe Buccino, a Pentagon spokesman, said in a statement.

"The chief of staff reported that he did reinforce this message," Buccino said.

Concern has increased about the politicization of the U.S. military under Trump. He has given a number of overtly political speeches to military audiences and the military has been drawn into a mission along the border with Mexico, which some critics have described as a political stunt rather than a national security necessity.

The USS John S. McCain controversy led acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan to ask his chief of staff to find out what happened. On Sunday he told reporters that after reviewing the facts, he did not plan to call for an inspector general investigation into the incident.

"There is no room for politicizing the military," Shanahan told reporters traveling with him to Seoul.

Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney on Sunday downplayed the incident, saying that a young White House staffer - knowing how Trump felt about McCain - likely made the request to the Navy.

Story continues

"That's not an unreasonable thing to ask," Mulvaney said on NBC News' Meet the Press program. He said it would be "silly" to fire that staffer over the incident.

Shanahan said he had spoken with late Senator McCain's wife in the past few days about the incident but declined to give details of the conversation.

He said that his chief of staff did not have prior knowledge of the White House directive and reiterated that a search had not found any emails to his staff about it. Trump said on Wednesday he had not been aware of the request.

The USS John S. McCain was initially named after the late Senator McCain's father and grandfather, who were both Navy admirals. In 2018, the Navy added Senator McCain to the official namesake of the guided missile destroyer.

McCain, the unsuccessful 2008 Republican presidential nominee, was shot down during the Vietnam War and tortured by his North Vietnamese captors during more than five years in captivity as a prisoner of war.

Trump has long criticized McCain on a variety of fronts, and has kept up his attacks even after McCain's death in August.

(Reporting by Idrees Ali; additional reporting by Valerie Volcovici Editing by Alex Richardson and Bill Berkrot)Andrea Nahles announced she was stepping down as SPD leader after losing the support of the party - AFP

The future of Angela Merkels government was in doubt on Sunday after the leader of her main coalition partner resigned.

Andrea Nahles announced she was stepping down as leader of the centre-Left Social Democrats (SPD) after the party suffered its worst ever result in the European elections.

Her decision led to renewed calls for the SPD to pull out of Mrs Merkels coalition government, which would leave it without a majority in parliament.

But the partys MPs are believed to be reluctant to force new elections in which they could suffer even more damaging losses.

Ms Nahles resignation came as a shock new opinion poll showed the German Green party in first place for the first time, after overtaking Mrs Merkels Christian Democrats (CDU).

Discussions and feedback from the party have made it clear to me that I no longer have the necessary support to continue in office, Ms Nahles said in a statement to party members on Sunday.

I sincerely hope that you will be able to restore trust and mutual respect again and find a leader you can support.

Her decision to step down after just a year in office comes amid panic in the party at its rapidly collapsing vote.

One of the two mainstream German political parties, the SPD has seen its role on the centre-Left usurped by the Greens in recent years.

Ms Nahles took over as party leader in the wake of the decision to enter a new coalition with Mrs Merkel after the SPD suffered its worst ever general election result in 2017, winning just 20 per cent of the vote.

But the partys support has continued to plunge under her leadership. It came third in the European elections with only 15.8 per cent, and hit a new low of just 12 per cent in an opinion poll released at the weekend.

Facing growing discontent within the party and a rumoured coup plot by her predecessor as leader, Martin Schulz, Ma Nahles issued a back me or sack me ultimatum to MPs by calling a vote on her leadership scheduled for Tuesday.

Story continues

Malu Dreyer, a regional party leader untainted by the infighting, is expected to take over as interim leader Credit: FELIPE TRUEBA/EPA-EFE/REX

But it became clear that her gamble had failed as support for her failed to materialise , and she stepped down rather than face the humiliation of a vote. Malu Dreyer, a regional party leader untainted by the infighting, is expected to take over as interim SPD leader until fresh elections can be held.

As leader, Ms Nahles tried to heal the wounds of a bruising party dispute that saw a Momentum-style grassroots campaign narrowly fail to block a new coalition with Mrs Merkel.

Her resignation seems almost certain to reopen that debate, with many on the left of the SDP convinced that withdrawing from the government is the only way to restore the partys fortunes.

Mrs Merkel has already said she will not fight another election, and there is no obvious alternative coalition partner.

But most observers think the SPD will not be prepared to risk new elections while it is doing so badly in the opinion polls.

Nobody wants to be the author of his own downfall. Even the SPD does not want to destroy itself, Werner Weidenfeld, a leading German political scientist, told Bild newspaper.

Most of the SPDs losses have been at the hands of the German Green party. A new poll released at the weekend showed the Greens in first place for the first time on 27 per cent, just ahead of Mrs Merkels CDU on 26 per cent.

The SPD were third on 12 per cent, ahead of the nationalist Alternative for Germany party (AfD), which continued to fall well short of its highs of last year on just 11 per cent.

Meanwhile a separate poll found that only 3 per cent of Germans believe Mrs Merkels government is doing enough on environmental issues.Canada's third largest pot producer, Aphria (NYSE: APHA), has turned into a battleground stock this year. While the company has started to attract a few ardent supporters on Wall Street, such as investment firm Jefferies, Aphria's shares remain woefully undervalued relative to its closest peers, Aurora Cannabis (NYSE: ACB) and Canopy Growth Corporation (NYSE: CGC).

Aphria's stock is trading at around 2.2 times its 2020 projected sales, while Aurora's shares are valued at around 13.1 times next year's sales. Canopy's stock, for its part, comes in even higher at nearly 19 times the company's estimated 2020 revenue. Based on this rough comparison, Aphria's stock comes across as way too cheap.

Stacks of sealed glass jars containing dried marijuana buds.

Image Source: Getty Images.

Should bargain hunters take advantage of Aphria's comparatively low valuation or is this pot stock a classic value trap? Let's look at both sides of the coin to find out.

Aphria's positives

With a peak annual production capacity of 255,000 kilograms, Aphria comes in as the third-largest pot producer in Canada behind Aurora and Canopy. This top-notch production output should eventually translate into superior gross profit margins over smaller entities and allow the pot titan to quickly expand into higher-margin product categories like edibles once this market segment officially opens in Canada later this year.

Another key advantage is Aphria's enviable position in the high-value German cannabis market. Earlier this year, the company's German subsidiary Aphria Deutschland GmbH secured a fifth cultivation license for medical marijuana in the country. That's a big deal, because Germany is widely expected to the largest cannabis market in Europe upon full legalization, and one of the biggest in the world outside North America.

Now, Aphria will have some stiff competition from other top dogs, such as Aurora, Canopy, Cronos Group, and Tilray, in this all-important European market. But the company does have a solid foothold in the continent with this cultivation license. The same can't be said for most of its lower-tier competitors. Germany should thus provide a significant boost to the company's top line in the years ahead -- despite competition from some of the industry's biggest heavyweights.

Story continues

Aphria's negatives

Aphria's lowball valuation is no accident. The company's image took a big hit late last year after some of its top brass were targeted in a short-seller report from Hindenburg Research and Quintessential Capital Management. The crux of the situation is that the report alleged that insiders benefited from the acquisition of certain Latin American assets at inflated prices.

Although an independent committee later found that the price was within a reasonable range, Aphria still took a whopping $50 million Canadian impairment charge on the acquisition in the most recent quarter. As a direct consequence, Aphria's management has being going through a major overhaul in an effort to restore investor confidence in its corporate governance. Specifically, CEO Vic Neufeld and co-founder Cole Cacciavillani have now left the company, and Aphria's soon-to-be former president, Jakob Ripshtein, also abruptly announced his resignation last month, effective June 7.

Wall Street has long taken a skeptical view toward the quality of corporate governance across this emerging space. This short-seller report -- which essentially alleged malfeasance on the part of some of Aphira's core executives -- didn't help matters. In keeping with this theme, Aphria lost a significant chunk of institutional investors following this report, which is probably a big reason the company's shares have now lost 27% of their value over the past 12 months. Unfortunately, it might take several quarters for Aphria's new management team to change this narrative.

Another knock against Aphria is that the company doesn't have a top-tier partner like Canopy Growth or Cronos Group to help fund its expansion efforts. That doesn't mean Aphria won't be able to compete effectively, but the company is definitely at a disadvantage when it comes to expanding into other more profitable product categories, such as beverages, edibles, or pre-rolls intended for the mass market.

Verdict

Aphria's past is problematic, but the worst of the storm seems to be over. The company remains in an excellent position to capitalize on Canada's rapidly growing cannabis market, and its promising Germany subsidiary provides a lead-in to the even more valuable European market.

Bottom line: Aphria's dirt cheap valuation arguably isn't warranted based on how things have progressed since this short-seller report hit the street a few months ago. Bargain hunters, in kind, might want to dig deeper into this compelling growth story before the market realizes its mistake.

More From The Motley Fool

George Budwell has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.In the jubilation over the rescue of a hiker who was lost in a Hawaiian forest for 17 days, some of the details of what led to her ordeal were glossed over.

Now, Amanda Eller is offering specifics while taking responsibility for some of her poor decisions.

In a video posted on Facebook this weekend, Eller portrayed herself less as dogged survivor  the image that has come out from numerous accounts of her grueling experience in Mauis Makawao Forest Reserve  and more as an ill-prepared explorer.

I want to apologize for putting anybody in harms way, for any kind of rescue efforts that people feel were unnecessary, she said, her injured legs partially covered by bandages.

Eller went into the woods May 8, got lost and was finally spotted in a creek bed by a helicopter pilot on a search team May 24, leading to a sensational rescue.

One of the mystifying aspects of Ellers prolonged disappearance was the decision to leave her cellphone in her car when she went on what was supposed to be a three-mile hike.

In the video, Eller said she initially planned to run through the woods and didnt want any encumbrances, but opted to walk instead upon finding several downed trees shortly after starting her jog. After sitting down to meditate midway through the hike, the 35-year-old physical therapist and yoga instructor said she got disoriented and couldnt find her way back to the vehicle.

I realize that I was irresponsible, that I should have had my cellphone with me, that I should have had some water with me, some kind of preparatory tools that you bring with you when you go hiking, Eller said. It was not my right to be so casual about safety.

Ellers story attracted international attention and she was lauded for her grit and resourcefulness in surviving for more than two weeks in the forest, drinking water from a river and finding nourishment in fruits.

But she also drew scrutiny and some criticism for her cavalier incursion into the woods, and for comparing the hardship she endured to a spiritual journey, which seemed to romanticize it. The dangerous situation Eller put herself in was underscored five days after her rescue when another hiker, Noah Kekai Mina, was found dead in another forest in Maui.

Story continues

Eller once again thanked her rescuers and supporters while explaining her previous remarks.

That day, I never intended to go on any kind of spiritual journey, spiritual experience, she said. It was simply just a hike through the woods.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'I was irresponsible': Amanda Eller apologizes for her ill-fated journey into the Hawaiian wildernessBy Colin Packham and Will Ziebell

SYDNEY, June 2 (Reuters) - Prime Minister Scott Morrison arrived in the Solomon Islands on Sunday, the first visit by an Australian leader in more than a decade as Western nations seek to rein in China's influence in the Pacific.

The trip comes as the United States and its regional allies try to ensure that Pacific nations with diplomatic links to Taiwan do not severe those in favor of ties with Beijing.

The Solomon Islands is one of six Pacific countries to recognize Taiwan, a policy now in question after recent elections. China views Taiwan as a renegade province with no right to state-to-state ties.

Morrison flew into the capital Honiara on Sunday on his first overseas trip since winning re-election last month. He did not make any public comments on arrival, but has said the visit will show Australia's commitment to the region.

"The Pacific is front and center of Australia's strategic outlook," he said in a statement last week.

Morrison's trip comes just a few days before a visit to the Solomon Islands by New Zealand deputy prime minister Winston Peters, who will also travel to Vanuatu this week.

Australia has historic ties with the Pacific, but China has raised its influence in the region in recent years.

Keen to undercut China's Belt and Road Initiative, which seeks to recreate the old Silk Road to link China with Asia and Europe through big infrastructure projects, Australia has directed ever larger amounts of its foreign aid to the Pacific.

Australia has offered Pacific countries up to A$3 billion in grants and loans to build infrastructure, as Morrison declared the region was "our patch."

Canberra said last year it would spend $139 million to develop undersea internet cable links to Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, amid national security concerns about Chinese telecoms company Huawei Technologies Co Ltd

Australia became the first country to ban the world's largest maker of telecom network gear from its nascent broadband network, a step the United States followed this year by effectively banning U.S. firms from doing business with Huawei.

Story continues

President Xi Jinping said last month China has offered to help developing nations and is not seeking a sphere of influence in Pacific Ocean island states.

The issue of climate change, which has at times strained Australia's relationship with its Pacific neighbors, will probably feature prominently during the visit, Australian broadcaster SBS News said on Sunday.

Peter Kenilorea Jr, a Solomon Islands legislator, said he wanted Australia to show "stronger leadership" on climate change, SBS News journalist Pablo Vinales said in a tweet on Sunday.

Last month, Fiji's prime minister hit back at remarks by an Australian politician that Fijians should seek higher ground in response to higher seas. (Reporting by Colin Packham and Will Ziebell; editing by Darren Schuettler)By Colin Packham and Will Ziebell

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Prime Minister Scott Morrison arrived in the Solomon Islands on Sunday, the first visit by an Australian leader in more than a decade as Western nations seek to rein in China's influence in the Pacific.

The trip comes as the United States and its regional allies try to ensure that Pacific nations with diplomatic links to Taiwan do not severe those in favor of ties with Beijing.

The Solomon Islands is one of six Pacific countries to recognize Taiwan, a policy now in question after recent elections. China views Taiwan as a renegade province with no right to state-to-state ties.

Morrison flew into the capital Honiara on Sunday on his first overseas trip since winning re-election last month. He did not make any public comments on arrival, but has said the visit will show Australia's commitment to the region.

"The Pacific is front and center of Australia's strategic outlook," he said in a statement last week.

Morrison's trip comes just a few days before a visit to the Solomon Islands by New Zealand deputy prime minister Winston Peters, who will also travel to Vanuatu this week.

Australia has historic ties with the Pacific, but China has raised its influence in the region in recent years.

Keen to undercut China's Belt and Road Initiative, which seeks to recreate the old Silk Road to link China with Asia and Europe through big infrastructure projects, Australia has directed ever larger amounts of its foreign aid to the Pacific.

Australia has offered Pacific countries up to A$3 billion in grants and loans to build infrastructure, as Morrison declared the region was "our patch".

Canberra said last year it would spend $139 million to develop undersea internet cable links to Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, amid national security concerns about Chinese telecoms company Huawei Technologies Co Ltd

Australia became the first country to ban the world's largest maker of telecom network gear from its nascent broadband network, a step the United States followed this year by effectively banning U.S. firms from doing business with Huawei.

Story continues

President Xi Jinping said last month China has offered to help developing nations and is not seeking a sphere of influence in Pacific Ocean island states.

The issue of climate change, which has at times strained Australia's relationship with its Pacific neighbors, will probably feature prominently during the visit, Australian broadcaster SBS News said on Sunday.

Peter Kenilorea Jr, a Solomon Islands legislator, said he wanted Australia to show "stronger leadership" on climate change, SBS News journalist Pablo Vinales said in a tweet on Sunday.

Last month, Fiji's prime minister hit back at remarks by an Australian politician that Fijians should seek higher ground in response to higher seas.

(Reporting by Colin Packham and Will Ziebell; editing by Darren Schuettler)By Lisa Barrington

DUBAI, June 2 (Reuters) - Bahrain, a U.S. ally that hosts the Navy's Fifth Fleet, has warned citizens and residents that following anti-government social media accounts could result in legal action, hardening a government campaign against critical online voices.

The interior ministry sent text messages to Bahraini phones late last week warning that "following accounts which are biased or incite discord could expose you to legal liability."

The government had said in mid-May that "promoting" views on such accounts would result in legal measures being taken, but singling out the specific act of following critical accounts for legal action is a new development.

Since a 2011 Shi'ite Muslim-led uprising in which dozens died and saw troops sent in from neighboring ally Saudi Arabia, Sunni-ruled Bahrain has pursued a wide-ranging security crackdown.

Hundreds have been imprisoned and stripped of their nationality, sometimes in mass trials, and the main opposition parties have been banned.

Most opposition figures are now either imprisoned or have fled abroad. U.N. and rights groups have accused authorities of torture in detention.

The latest crackdown on dissent has targeted Bahrainis, mostly abroad, running social media accounts.

The push began in mid-May when the interior ministry said it was taking legal steps against people running accounts from "Iran, Qatar, Iraq and some European countries such as France, Germany and Australia."

It urged people to avoid dealing or interacting with such accounts and said legal measures would be taken against people "promoting their messages."

Then on Thursday, the ministry tweeted that following and circulating "inflammatory" social media accounts that promote "sedition" would expose people to legal liabilities.

"Closing them immediately is a national duty," it said.

An expanded ministry statement on Saturday said these instructions do not impinge on freedom of speech as such content "intends to harm civil peace and the social fabric."

Story continues

The statements did not identify the accounts, but social media posts started circulating on Whatsapp and pro-government Instagram pages identifying intended accounts, activist sources told Reuters.

Among those highlighted were the named Twitter accounts of German-based human rights activist Sayed Yousif al-Muhafdha, Australian-based activist Hassan al-Sitri, British-based activist Saeed Shehabi and opposition media outlets Lulu TV and Bahrain Mirror.

At least two men, Muhafdha and Sitri, were charged in May by Bahraini authorities in connection with running social media accounts.

The recent pro-government posts identifying the accounts accused some of these activists of being funded by Qatar. Since 2017, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt have imposed an economic and diplomatic boycott on Qatar over allegations that Doha supports terrorism, a charge Qatar denies.

The origin of these posts could not be verified.

Earlier this month, an article of a state terrorism law that imposes prison terms and fines on those guilty of "promoting any crime carried out for a terrorism purposes" was expanded to encompass anyone "promoting, glorifying, justifying, approving or supporting acts which constitute terrorist activities" inside or outside Bahrain.

The Bahraini government did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

(Reporting by Lisa Barrington; editing by David Evans)A new spot to score seafood and more has debuted in the neighborhood. The newcomer to the Upper West Side, called Boilery, is located at 710 Amsterdam Ave.

Boilery serves up classic seafood dishes at its raw bar, off the grill, in sandwiches and more. Menu items range from market oysters to a browned-butter shrimp roll with lemon and chives to a whole Maine lobster grilled with garlic butter.

Boilery has made a good impression thus far, with a four-star rating out of 10 reviews on Yelp.

Tava B., who was among the first Yelpers to review the new spot on May 13, wrote, "We ordered the calamari as an appetizer, which was phenomenal! I had the shrimp boil and it was really tasty."

And JT T. wrote, "The crab cakes were fantastic!"

Head on over to check it out: Boilery is open from 4 p.m.10 p.m. on Monday-Thursday, 4 p.m.11 p.m. on Friday, noon3 p.m. and 4 p.m.11 p.m. on Saturday and noon3 p.m. and 4 p.m.10 p.m. on 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.The winner of Britain's Got Talent will perform at the Royal Variety Show (Credit: Thames / Syco Entertainment)

Britains Got Talents Colin Thackery has said he would die a happy man if he wins the chance to sing for The Queen.

The final of the ITV talent show airs tonight at 7.30pm and will see the winner scoop 250,000 as well as the chance to perform at The Royal Variety Show 2019.

Chelsea pensioner Thackery, 89, is bookmaker William Hills favourite to be voted the champion with odds of 4/6, after winning the nations heart singing Vera Lynns Well Meet Again in the semi-final.

Read more: Amanda Holden laughs off 'BGT' cleavage complaints

He said: "I served my Queen for 25 years, so if I thought I would have the chance to sing to her, I would die a happy man.

"It is very difficult for me to put into words how much it would mean. I cannot even imagine being on that stage in the presence of royalty. It would be absolutely marvellous. Oh, and I'm looking forward to spending time with the judges too - especially the ladies."

But Thackery faces tough competition, not least from wildcard act Libby and Charlie. The young dancers received a standing ovation from the BGT judges after they were given a last minute opportunity to perform in the semi finals when magician act Brotherhood pulled out due to health and safety fears.

WILDCARD UNVEILED! Congratulations to Libby and Charlie who, after tense deliberations between the Judges, will join our talented ten in Sundays grand #BGT Final!  pic.twitter.com/31bYCZznSr  Britain's Got Talent (@BGT) June 1, 2019

Charlie flew back early from a family holiday in Greece after getting the call from the show.

Second favourite to win is mystifying magician X who made it through to the finals after electrocuting hosts Ant & Dec as part of his act.

Also hotly tipped to do well are police dog handler act Dave & Finn with their mind reading act, despite some viewers complaining they had fixed the results of their trick during the semi-finals.

Story continues

Whatever happens tonight I love you Finn, youre my hero and Ill never forget how you saved my life #BGT #BritainsGotTalent pic.twitter.com/nnxxBWsqab  Fabulous Finn (@K9Finn) May 27, 2019

Magic acts are proving a big hit this year with young magician Ben Hart also a strong contender to win the final. But he has also faced added scrutiny performing his card tricks in the live semi-finals, with eagle-eyed viewers taking to social media to reveal how he had pulled it off.

Check out man of mystery @itsbenhart working his magic on a plain old coffee cup during rehearsals for tonight's Semi-Final  Now we really can't work this one out... #BGT pic.twitter.com/AyBaksptzE  Britain's Got Talent (@BGT) May 30, 2019

Daredevil act Jonathan Goodwin has terrified judges Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon and David Walliams with his death-defying act involving fire and crossbows. The escapologist has claimed he could die on TV if his trick backfires in the final.

.@TheDaredevil says he's got something even BIGGER prepared for the #BGT Final  We're not sure we're ready! Congrats on making the Final, Jonathan  pic.twitter.com/LELKYQO91e  Britain's Got Talent (@BGT) May 31, 2019

Members of magical troupe 4MG - Harry Nardi, Theo Mallalieu, Josh Horus and James Samuel - all met at school and describe themselves as the boyband of magic.

Flakefleet Primary School choir had previously been the out-and-out favourite to win the competition with their adorable singing and dancing act which moved judge Walliams to tears at their first audition and prompted him to hit his Golden Buzzer.

Mark McMullan has wowed with his impressive singing voice and also won hearts when he dedicated his audition to his brother, who suffers from Locked-in syndrome and finds listening to Mark sing one of his few remaining pleasures in life.

Singing comedian Siobhan Phillips, 42, has the nations parents on her side thanks to her hilarious song which sees the funny side of the stresses of being a new mother.

And stand-up Kojo Anim has also one praise for his observational comedy.

As well as deciding the winner, the live final will also feature a performance from former winners Diversity and BGT superstar Susan Boyle will duet with Michael Ball.

Britains Got Talent 2019 final will air at 7.30pm on ITV.Ottawa (AFP) - A Canadian Conservative MP has been booted from a parliamentary committee after reading into the public record an excerpt from the Christchurch shooter's manifesto while berating a Muslim witness.

Opposition Tory leader Andrew Scheer -- the main rival to unseat Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in upcoming elections -- said in a Twitter message late Saturday that MP Michael Cooper "will no longer sit on the justice committee" as a consequence of his remarks.

"Reading the name and quoting the words of the Christchurch shooter, especially when directed at a Muslim witness during a parliamentary hearing, is insensitive and unacceptable," Scheer said.

Ahead of the New Zealand mosque attacks that left 51 Muslim worshippers dead, the shooter, Brenton Tarrant, had posted a rambling manifesto on social media in which he described himself as a white supremacist out to avenge attacks in Europe perpetrated by Muslims.

Breaking with New Zealand-led efforts to suppress the declaration, Cooper read from it at a hearing on online hate.

Angrily accusing a Muslim witness of linking conservatism with violent extremisim, Cooper read a passage from Tarant's manifesto to argue the shooter did not identify as a conservative and had more in common with China.

The committee hearing exploded into protests from other members before hastily adjourning.

With the Tories and Liberals neck-and-neck in opinion polls five months before Canadians are to vote in a general election, Scheer has sought to blunt criticisms that some MPs and fringe supporters of his party harbor extremist views.

"I find the notion that one's race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation would make them in any way superior to anybody else absolutely repugnant," Scheer said in a speech this week outlining his planned immigration policy, if elected.

"And if there's anyone who disagrees with that, there's the door."BEIRUT (AP)  A car bomb killed at least 13 people Sunday night near a mosque in a northern town held by Turkey-backed fighters, and wounded dozens of people, Syrian opposition activists said.

The blast in the town of Azaz occurred Sunday as scores of people were leaving the mosque of Maytam, wounding dozens including children, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The Observatory said the blast killed at least 14 people. It said the dead included four children.

The Azaz Media Center, a local activist collective, reported at least 13 deaths, along with many others wounded.

The blast occurred after the "iftar" meal that breaks a daylong fast during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The attack came a few days before Muslims celebrate the end of the holy moth with Eid el-Fitr, one of Islam's most important feasts.

The town, which was once controlled by rival Kurdish fighters opposed to Turkey, has been hit by similar attacks in the past.Photo: iStock

Have you been craving a California getaway, without the congestion of Los Angeles? San Diego offers plenty of sandy beaches and sunny days, with an even more laid-back vibe and the best border town tacos you can find.

The citys top-rated local craft brewing industry is a major draw, along with the famous San Diego Zoo, other amusement parks and many historic sites from the citys Spanish and Mexican heritage. And San Diegos deep-water harbor supports a wide range of coastal activities, including sightseeing cruises, whale-watching and Southern Californias largest sport fishing fleet.

Fortunately, there are plenty of relatively inexpensive flights between Portland and San Diego, at least according to travel site Skyscanner.

Heres a list of flights, hotels, restaurants and local attractions in San Diego to get you started. (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.

Cheapest San Diego flights

Currently, the cheapest flights between Portland and San Diego are if you leave on Aug. 23 and return from California on Aug. 26. Spirit Airlines currently has tickets for $154, roundtrip.

There are also deals to be had later in August. If you fly out of Portland on Aug. 24 and return from San Diego on Aug. 27, Alaska Airlines can get you there and back for $210 roundtrip.

Top San Diego hotels

To plan your stay, here are some of San Diegos top-rated hotels, according to Skyscanner, that we selected based on price, proximity to things to do and customer satisfaction.

The Hotel del Coronado (1500 Orange Ave.)

Photo: Trip by Skyscanner

If you're looking to splurge on top quality, consider The Hotel del Coronado. The hotel has a 4.6-star rating on Skyscanner, and rooms are currently available for $290.

"History and elegance describes it best. Some of the best flora in the San Diego area. A must see on any visit," wrote visitor Jack.

Story continues

The Omni La Costa Resort and Spa (2100 Costa Del Mar Road)

Photo: Trip by Skyscanner

There's also the 4.7-star rated The Omni La Costa Resort and Spa. Rooms are currently set at $249/night.

"There are shops and restaurants in the resort's very own on-site plaza, as well as plenty of dining options and bars inside the lobby and other buildings," wrote Becky.

The U.S. Grant (326 Broadway)

Photo: Trip by Skyscanner

A third option is The U.S. Grant. The 4.7-star hotel has rooms for $159/night. Set in the heart of San Diego, this hotel is close to Westfield Horton Plaza, Petco Park as well as the San Diego Convention Center and San Diego Zoo.

Top picks for dining and drinking

If you're looking to snag a bite at one of San Diego's many quality eateries, here are a few popular culinary destinations from Skyscanner's listings that will help keep you satiated.

The Prado at Balboa Park (1549 El Prado)

Photo: Trip by Skyscanner

If you're looking for a local favorite, head to The Prado at Balboa Park, which has an average of 4.6 stars out of 133 reviews on Skyscanner. Set in the rich landscape and finely manicured gardens, the Prado Restaurant is located at the historic House of Hospitality in the center of San Diego.

In-N-Out Burger (2005 Camino Del Este)

Photo: Trip by Skyscanner

Another popular dining destination is In-N-Out Burger, with 4.6 stars from 98 reviews.

"Favorite place to grab a burger, and it is so cheap," wrote reviewer Kim. "Freshly made fries and milkshakes made with real ice cream round out a great meal."

Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens (1999 Citracado Parkway)

Photo: Trip by Skyscanner

Finally, there's Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens (Escondido).

"I'm so glad to live near this amazing brewery," wrote Hillary."Take a tour! Their brew tours are a lot of fun and at the end, you get your own tasting glass and you get to taste test four of their beers. Everyone is welcome. I always see families with little ones there."

What to see and do in San Diego

San Diego is also full of sites to visit and explore. Here are some popular attractions to round out your trip, again from Skyscanner's listings.

The San Diego Zoo (2920 Zoo Drive)

Photo: Trip by Skyscanner

First up is The San Diego Zoo, one of the most prolific and popular zoos in the world. It houses over 4,000 animals from more than 800 species. At over 100 acres, the zoo offers exhibits that run the gamut of the worlds ecosystems: rainforest, savannah and desert

Balboa Park (1549 El Prado, San Diego)

Photo: Trip by Skyscanner

Then, there's Balboa Park. Along with countless green spaces and gardens, the park is home to multiple museums, shops, restaurants and, most famously, the San Diego Zoo. Many of the buildings within the park were built for California expos in the early 20th century and are now protected as prime examples of architecture from that period.

The Gaslamp Quarter (614 Fifth Ave.)

Photo: Trip by Skyscanner

Finally, consider checking out The Gaslamp Quarter.

The hippest area in San Diego, the Gaslamp Quarter is alive with activity almost every day (and night) of the week. From restaurants to bars to fashion to art to movies, this really is the heart of fun in the city. Bordered by the water and downtown San Diego, the Gaslamp is home to some of the nicest hotels and swankiest hot spots San Diego has to offer, including the Planet Hollywood concert venue and Nobu Sushi restaurant.

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.Photo: iStock

According to Conde Nast, the Bahamas was among 2018's must-visit destinations. If you're considering a tropical vacation, why not Nassau, the Bahamian capital? It lies on the island of New Providence, with neighboring Paradise Island, which is accessible via Nassau Harbor bridges. A popular cruise ship stop, the city has a hilly landscape and is known for beaches as well as its offshore coral reefs, popular for diving and snorkeling. It retains many of its typical pastel-colored British colonial buildings, like the pink-hued Government House.

Whether youre trying to jet set ASAP or youre looking to plan your travels around upcoming deals, take a look at these forthcoming flights between Sacramento and Nassau, which we pulled from travel site Skyscanner.

We've also included popular hotels, restaurants and attractions in Nassau, to get you excited about your next excursion. (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 Nassau

The cheapest flights between Sacramento and Nassau are if you leave on Sept. 6 and return from the Bahamas on Sept. 11. jetBlue currently has roundtrip, nonstop tickets for $441.

There are also deals to be had in October. If you fly out of Sacramento on Oct. 21 and return from Nassau on Oct. 25, United can get you there and back for $493 roundtrip.

Top Nassau hotels

Regarding where to stay, here are some of Nassaus top-rated hotels, that we selected from Skyscanner's listings based on price and customer satisfaction.

The Melia Nassau Beach Resort (West Bay Street)

Photo: Trip by Skyscanner

If you're looking to splurge on top quality, consider The Melia Nassau Beach Resort. The hotel has a four-star rating on Skyscanner, and rooms are currently available for $189.

The Reef Atlantis (1 Casino Drive)

Story continues

Photo: Trip by Skyscanner

There's also the 4.5-star rated The Reef Atlantis. Rooms are currently set at $179/night.

Sandals Royal Bahamian Spa Resort & Offshore Island (West Bay Street)

Photo: Trip by Skyscanner

A third option is the Sandals Royal Bahamian Spa Resort & Offshore Island. The hotel has 4.8 stars.

Local restaurant picks

Don't miss Nassau's food scene, with plenty of popular spots to get your fill of local cuisine. Here are a few of the top-rated eateries from Skyscanner's listings.

Twin Brothers (Nassau)

Photo: Trip by Skyscanner

If you're looking for a local favorite, head to Twin Brothers, which has an average of 4.7 stars out of 34 reviews on Skyscanner.

"This is a great place to get real Bahamian food. Try the conch fish!" wrote visitor Daniel.

The Poopdeck at Sandyport (Sandyport Marina Village)

Photo: Trip by Skyscanner

Another popular dining destination is The Poopdeck at Sandyport, with 4.6 stars from 18 reviews.

Expect local seafood with a gourmet twist accompanied by ocean views.

Cafe Matisse (Bank Lane)

Photo: Trip by Skyscanner

Finally, there's the Cafe Matisse. It has 4.7 stars from six reviews.

Filet mignon, seafood dishes and homemade pasta dishes are served in this old Colonial home lined with Matisse prints.

What to see and do in Nassau

To round out your trip, Nassau offers plenty of popular attractions worth visiting. Here are two top recommendations, based on Skyscanner's descriptions and reviews.

National Art Gallery of the Bahamas (Villa Doyle)

Photo: Trip by Skyscanner

The top-rated visitor attraction in Nassau, according to Skyscanner, is the National Art Gallery of the Bahamas.

"This is my go-to place every time I visit Nassau. The building is beautiful and it exhibits true Bahamian art," wrote visitor Donna.

Love Beach (New Providence Island)

Photo: Trip by Skyscanner

Love Beach is another popular destination, with five stars from six reviews.

A popular snorkeling destination, Love Beach sits on 40 protected acres of coral.

"The name says it all. This beach is romantic and evocative," wrote visitor John.

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.Bristol Brewing Company. | Photo: Shira H./Yelp

Spending time in southwest Colorado Springs? Get to know this Colorado Springs neighborhood by browsing its most popular local businesses, from a brewery to a vegetarian and vegan spot.

Hoodline crunched the numbers to find the top places to visit in southwest Colorado Springs, using both Yelp data and our own secret sauce to produce a ranked list of neighborhood businesses. Read on for the results.

1. Bristol Brewing Company

Photo: Tim S./Yelp

Topping the list is brewery Bristol Brewing Company. Located at 1604 S. Cascade Ave., in the revamped Ivywild School, it's the highest-rated business in the neighborhood, boasting four stars out of 384 reviews on Yelp.

2. The Principal's Office

Photo: nick w./Yelp

Also in the Ivywild School at 1604 S. Cascade Ave. is the wine bar The Principal's Office, which offers coffee and tea, sandwiches and more. With 4.5 stars out of 158 reviews on Yelp, it's proven to be a local favorite.

3. Ivywild School

Photo: Winlee W./Yelp

The renovated Ivywild School, which includes a bakery, event space and a brewpub, is another top choice. Yelpers give the business, located at 1604 S. Cascade Ave., four stars out of 127 reviews.

4. The Burrowing Owl

The Burrowing Owl, a lounge and vegetarian and vegan spot, is another much-loved neighborhood go-to, with 4.5 stars out of 188 Yelp reviews. Head over to 1791 S. Eighth St. to see for yourself.

5. Edelweiss Restaurant

Photo: jim b//Yelp

Check out Edelweiss Restaurant, which has earned four stars out of 634 reviews on Yelp. You can find the bar and German spot at 34 E. Ramona 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.BEIJING (AP) -- China fired back at the U.S. Sunday over the two nations' trade dispute, issuing a report that blamed the conflict on the Trump administration but refrained from escalating the trade war.

The report from the Cabinet spokesman's office said China won't back down on "major issues of principle," but offered no sense of whether or how the world's second largest economy might retaliate against U.S. tariffs on goods manufactured in China.

The report said China has kept its word throughout 11 rounds of talks and will honor its commitments if a trade agreement is reached. It accused the U.S. of backtracking three times over the course of the talks by introducing new tariffs and other conditions beyond what was agreed on.

"But the more the U.S. government is offered, the more it wants," it said, accusing America's negotiators of "resorting to intimidation and coercion."

"A country's sovereignty and dignity must be respected, and any agreement reached by the two sides must be based on equality and mutual benefit," the report said.

The report, delivered at a Sunday morning news conference, appears to be a bid to shore up China's arguments and justify its position in the face of what looks to be a protracted dispute. Over recent days, China has been mobilizing its representatives abroad to sell its position with foreign audiences, while the domestic propaganda apparatus has been working overtime to convince the public of the righteousness of the government's stance.

Linda Lim, a professor at Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan, said the report does not represent an escalation on China's part, but rather reiterates the government's position in a clear and measured way that leaves the door open for negotiations.

"They threw the ball back into the U.S. court," she said.

She said the report is a public relations win for China's government at a time when U.S. President Donald Trump's trade policy is antagonizing other U.S. trading partners, most recently Mexico. Trump announced last week that he would impose 5% tariffs on Mexican imports starting June 10 if the Mexicans don't do more to stop the surge of Central American migrants across the southern U.S. border.

Story continues

The U.S. has accused China of stealing trade secrets and forced technology transfers. The Trump administration has imposed 25% tariffs on $250 billion in Chinese imports and is planning to tax the $300 billion in imports that have so far been spared. It also escalated the stakes this month by putting Chinese telecom giant Huawei on a blacklist that effectively bars U.S. companies from supplying it with computer chips, software and other components without government approval.

Beijing responded by imposing tariffs on $60 billion worth of U.S. products, which went into effect Saturday. It also retaliated against the U.S. blacklisting of Huawei by announcing Friday that it will establish its own list of "unreliable entities" consisting of foreign businesses, corporations and individuals.

Wang Shouwen, China's vice commerce minister and deputy international trade representative, said China would issue more detailed information on the unreliable entities list soon, but that it was aimed at enterprises that "violated market principles" and cut supplies of components to Chinese businesses for non-commercial reasons.

China's statement that it intends to publish such a list follows additional measures last week that deepened the bite of U.S. sanctions imposed on Huawei in mid-May.

Several leading U.S.-based global technology standards-setting groups announced restrictions on Huawei's participation in their activities under U.S. Commerce Department rules that bar the sale and transfer of U.S. technology to Huawei without government approval.

Wang also repeated suggestions that China could restrict the export of exotic minerals known as rare earths that are widely used in electric cars and cellphones. Foremost among them is lithium, the main component in modern batteries.

The threat to use China's rich supply of rare earths as leverage in the conflict has contributed to sharp losses in U.S. stocks and sliding long-term bond yields.

"If some countries use China's rare earth metals to produce products to contain China's development, this is unacceptable by standards of both minds and hearts," Wang said.

Sunday's report lays out China's argument for blaming Washington for the frictions as well as the costs to both sides, and said China has room for fiscal policy changes to maintain the health of its economy amid the dispute.

Wang said China had been forced to "take forceful measures in response" to U.S. actions and denied China had backtracked on its earlier commitments.

He said the U.S. had made unacceptable demands, including on tariffs and compulsory requirements that infringed on Chinese sovereignty. "You give them an inch, they take a yard," he said.

Trump has touted the tariff increases as a way of reducing China's trade surplus with the U.S., which hit a staggering $379 billion last year. However, Wang questioned how much China was actually benefiting from its surplus, saying a joint Chinese-U.S. study showed the U.S. figure could be inflated by as much as 20%.

He also said many of those exports were produced by foreign companies operating in China and that Chinese firms often pocketed only a relatively meager fee for assembling. Subtracting the U.S. surplus in the services trade with China, the actual surplus came to just $152.6 billion last year, Wang said.

The U.S. deficit with China has actually been worsening since tariffs were first imposed, Wang said, pointing to a 50% decline in soy bean exports to China and a drop-off in U.S. auto sales in the country. The average U.S. family, meanwhile, will pay an additional $831 for consumer items over the year due to the higher tariffs, he said, while the dispute's impact on businesses could end up costing 2.23 million U.S. jobs overall.

"That shows that the deepening trade restrictions hurt U.S. workers," Wang said.Beijing (AFP) - Washington's escalating trade war with Beijing has not "made America great again" and has instead damaged the American economy, China said Sunday, warning that while it wants resolution through talks there will be no compromise on core principles.

Beijing's broadside is the latest act in a bruising conflict between the world's top two economies that has spooked markets and sparked fears about the global economy.

With trade talks stalled, the dispute has intensified in recent weeks with US President Donald Trump imposing fresh tariffs on imports from China and moving to blacklist Chinese tech titan Huawei over national security concerns.

"The (US) tariff measures have not boosted American economic growth. Instead, they have done serious harm to the US economy," the Chinese government said in a white paper, pointing to what it described as increased production costs and consumer prices in the United States and threats to economic growth.

"The trade war has not 'made America great again'," it said, referring to Trump's political slogan made famous during his 2016 presidential campaign.

The white paper's release came a day after China hit $60 billion worth of US goods with new punitive tariffs ranging from five to 25 percent, in retaliation for Washington raising duty on $200 billion in Chinese goods to 25 percent.

Trump launched the trade war last year in a bid to reduce the US trade deficit with China and force Beijing to undertake economic reforms, accusing it of seeking to dominate global industries with unfair state subsidies and of acquiring American technology through theft or forced transfers.

Since Trump fired the first shot, the two countries have exchanged tit-for-tat tariffs on two-way trade worth hundreds of billions of dollars.

The resulting conflict has gutted US farm exports to China, and weighed on the manufacturing sectors in both countries.

Story continues

While both sides have sought to find a resolution through several rounds of negotiations, they appear to have stalled after the latest meetings ended without a deal.

American negotiators have alleged their Chinese counterparts reneged on previous commitments, but China said Sunday the US should bear "sole and entire responsibility" for the setback in negotiations, accusing Washington of repeatedly changing its demands.

- Beyond tariffs -

Despite the tensions, China has reiterated that it wants to resolve trade issues through talks.

"On the trade friction started by the US: if the US wants to talk, we will keep the door open. If they want to fight, we are ready," Chinese defence minister General Wei Fenghe told an international security dialogue in Singapore on Sunday.

And the white paper said: "China does not want a trade war, but it is not afraid of one and will fight one if necessary."

With trade talks stalled, the dispute appears to be spreading beyond tariffs.

Beijing has said it will unveil its own list of "unreliable entities", apparently in response to the US blacklisting of Huawei over national security concerns, specifically over possible links to China's military.

The company has dismissed such fears, and Wei echoed that on Sunday.

"Do not think that because the head of Huawei used to serve in the military, then the company that he built is part of the military," he said.

China's deputy commerce minister Wang Shouwen said Sunday that Beijing's list will target companies that "violate market principles", cut supplies to or block Chinese enterprises, and "whose actions affect China's national security".

He did not say when the list will be published or what kind of penalties will be imposed on such firms.

Chinese state media have also dangled the threat of cutting exports of rare earths to the United States -- a key resource used in the production of everything from smartphones to military hardware.

There are hopes that Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet at the G20 summit this month to ease tensions and jumpstart trade negotiations.

But Wang said he had no information when asked about the meeting at a press conference on Sunday.BEIJING, June 2 (Reuters) - Chinese Vice Commerce Minister Wang Shouwen said on Sunday the United States overestimates the trade deficit between the two countries and China should not be blamed for job losses in the U.S. manufacturing sector.

Wang told a news conference the U.S. goods and services deficit with China is actually closer to $150 billion and not the $410 billion quoted by U.S. officials. China's processing trade with the United States should not be included in trade deficit calculations, he added.

Wang said China should not be blamed for job losses in the U.S. manufacturing sector. He also said China does not instruct domestic companies to acquire certain projects and technology.

Wang said the commerce ministry is investigating reports of delays in customs checks, adding that the country will make efforts to cut the length of customs checks and reduce costs for importers.

Wang said that it is "unacceptable" if some countries use rare earths from China to create products that limit China's development, and he said China is willing to meet other countries' requirements for rare earth consumption.

(Reporting by Cate Cadell; Writing by Andrew Galbraith in SHANGHAI; editing by Darren Schuettler)SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Chinese Defence Minister Wei Fenghe criticised the United States on Sunday for its support for self-ruled Taiwan and for naval operations in the disputed South China Sea, but said conflict or war between the two countries would be a disaster.

Wei told the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Asia's premier defence summit, that China would "fight to the end" if anyone tried to split China from Taiwan, which Beijing considers a sacred territory to be taken by force if necessary.

"No attempts to split China will succeed. Any interference in the Taiwan question is doomed to failure," said Wei, who was dressed in his uniform of a general in the People's Liberation Army.

China-U.S. ties have become increasingly strained due to a bitter trade war, U.S. support for Taiwan and China's muscular military posture in the South China Sea, where the United States also conducts freedom-of-navigation patrols.

On Saturday, acting U.S. Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan told the meeting that the United States would no longer "tiptoe" around Chinese behaviour in Asia.

Wei, in a clear reference to the United States, also said: "Some countries from outside the region come to the South China Sea to flex muscles in the name of freedom of navigation."

In a combative speech, Wei said China would "fight to the end" if the United States wanted to fight on trade issues. But if Washington wanted to talk, "we will keep the door open".

(Reporting by Lee Chyen Yee; additional reporting by Gerry Doyle; writing by Joe Brock; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)By Lee Chyen Yee

SINGAPORE June 2 (Reuters) - Chinese Defence Minister Wei Fenghe said on Sunday that the bloody crackdown on protesters around Beijing's Tiananmen Square 30 years ago was the "correct" decision, citing the country's "stability" since then.

Responding to a question at the Shangri La Dialogue in Singapore after a hardline speech about China and international security cooperation, he called the protests political "turbulence."

It is rare for Chinese government officials to acknowledge the events of June 4, 1989; references to it are heavily censored in China.

"Everybody is concerned about Tiananmen after 30 years," Wei said on Sunday. "Throughout the 30 years, China under the Communist Party has undergone many changes - do you think the government was wrong with the handling of June Fourth? There was a conclusion to that incident. The government was decisive in stopping the turbulence."

He added that China's development since 1989 showed that the government's actions were justified.

The Tiananmen protests were "political turmoil that the central government needed to quell, which was the correct policy," he said. "Due to this, China has enjoyed stability, and if you visit China you can understand that part of history."

Tuesday marks the 30th anniversary of the protests, in which Chinese troops opened fire to end the student-led unrest. Rights groups and witnesses say hundreds or even thousands may have been killed. China has never provided a final death toll.

His comments echoed those of Defence Ministry spokesman Wu Qian, who last week decried the use of the word "suppression" to describe the military's response to the 1989 protests.

China at the time blamed the protests on counter-revolutionaries seeking to overthrow the party.

The event will not be officially commemorated by the ruling Communist Party or government. (Writing by Gerry Doyle; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)Jerusalem (AFP) - Palestinian worshippers clashed with Israeli police at a highly sensitive Jerusalem holy site on Sunday as an Israeli holiday coincided with the final days of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Muslim worshippers at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound were angered over Jewish visits to the site holy to both religions.

According to police, protesters barricaded themselves in the mosque, from where they threw chairs and stones at forces who "dispersed" them.

The Muslim Waqf organisation which oversees the site said police used rubber bullets and pepper spray, adding that seven people were arrested and 45 were wounded.

It said that police shut the mosque's doors and chained them.

After the clashes, police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said calm had returned and visits continued.

Al-Aqsa mosque director Omar al-Kiswani accused Israel of violating an agreement not to allow such visits during the last days of Ramadan.

He said that around 1,200 Jews visited the site on Sunday, while a Jewish organisation that arranges visits there reported a similar number.

The clashes took place as Israelis marked Jerusalem Day, which commemorates the country's capture of the city's mainly Palestinian eastern sector in the 1967 Six-Day War.

This year's holiday coincided with the final days of Ramadan, the Muslim month of fasting.

The Al-Aqsa compound, known to Jews as the Temple Mount, is located in east Jerusalem and its status is one of the most sensitive issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

It is the holiest site in Judaism and the third-holiest for Muslims after Mecca and Medina.

- 'Flagrant violations' -

Sunday's visit was the first time since Tuesday that Jews were allowed into the site, according to activists.

Jews are allowed to visit the site during set hours but not pray there to avoid provoking tensions. Jewish visits to the site, particularly by religious nationalists, usually increase for Jerusalem Day.

Story continues

Israeli Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan said his policy was to do everything possible to keep the site open to visits, especially for Jerusalem Day.

He said preparations to avoid serious unrest included arrests ahead of Sunday based on intelligence in addition those in connection with the clashes.

Jordan, the custodian of the holy site and one of only two Arab countries with a peace treaty with Israel, condemned what it said was Israel's "flagrant violations" there, calling the visits "provocative intrusions by extremists."

Such actions risked setting off violence in the region, a statement from Jordan's foreign ministry said.

Later on Sunday, thousands of Israelis were expected to mark the day by marching through the city, culminating in celebrations at the Western Wall, which is below the Al-Aqsa compound.

The wall is the holiest site where Jews can pray.

Following its seizure in 1967, east Jerusalem was annexed by Israel in a move never recognised by the international community.

Israel proclaims the entire city as its united capital, while the Palestinians see the city's eastern sector as the capital of their future state.At this year's Computex 2019, an annual conference in Taipei dedicated to all things PC, a slew of new laptops and concept models were announced, the most innovative of which demonstrate that keyboards are being pushed to the side in favor of secondary and even tertiary screens.

As the smartphone industry upgrades screens by reducing bezels, shrinking notches and adding flexibility, those in the laptop industry, too, have been revamping how displays are used within PCs and have apparently concluded that the more screens the merrier.

Computex 2019 showed this trend on full display where a series of notebooks were unveiled donning extra screens that push keyboards nearly off the edge of the model.

Asus ZenBook Duo Pro

The redesigned ZenBook that Asus debuted at the conference stole the spotlight with its three screens and full-size mechanical keyboard -- which was pushed down to the very bottom of the base to make room for the touchscreen display that measures in at 14-inches and the trackpad that doubles as a digital number pad.

The Asus ZenBook Duo Pro will be available for purchase in Q3 of this year when the price will also be announced.

HP Omen X 2S

Though HP announced the HP Omen X 2S a couple of weeks before Computex 2019, the company still used the conference as an opportunity to showcase the dual-screen gaming laptop. The second display on this model is in a similar location as that on Asus's new model and is also a touchscreen, but it's significantly smaller at just six inches. The trackpad has been pushed to the right of a full-size keyboard, but it serves no other purpose than a trackpad.

The HP Omen X 2S will be available in June with a starting price of $2,099.99.

Meet the OMEN X 2S - the world's first dual-screen gaming laptop with a first of its kind liquid metal compound cooled CPU.



Learn more: https://t.co/yjJ7t0gNu8 pic.twitter.com/ShtS9QHrLa  OMEN by HP (@OMENbyHP) May 14, 2019

Intel Honeycomb Glacier concept

Story continues

Intel, on the other hand, only had a concept to show with an innovative new design. Though Honeycomb Glacier isn't expected to hit the market anytime soon, it features design that definitely turned heads at the conference with its two screens and two hinges. When opened like a conventional laptop, the model looks similar to the Asus ZenBook Pro Duo; between the second screen and the keyboard, however, there's a second hinge that lifts the main display up to eye level and the second display up enough so you don't have to hunch over to see it properly.

Honeycomb Glacier is still only in the prototype stage, but it may become a commercial reality over the next couple years if the trend for more multiscreen laptops further gains momentum.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjVUcbz-o-gVenice (AFP) - A massive cruise ship lost control in Venice Sunday, crashing into a wharf and sparking a fresh controversy over the damage the mammoth vessels cause to one of the world's most famous cities.

Footage posted to social media showed people on the harbour fleeing as the 13-deck MSC Opera, which suffered an engine failure, scraped along the dockside before knocking into a luxury tourist boat.

"When we saw the ship bearing down on us, everyone began shouting and running," a sailor who was on the River Countess tourist boat was quoted as saying by Italian media.

"I didn't know what to do. I got away quickly, jumping to get on shore," said the man, who was not named.

Four tourists were slightly injured in the accident at San Basilio-Zattere in Venice's Giudecca Canal, port authorities said.

The foreigners, aged between 67 and 72 years old, were from Australia, New Zealand and the United States, according to media reports.

The incident came just days after a river cruise ship collided with a sightseeing vessel in Budapest, killing seven people and leaving 21 missing.

The Opera -- which can carry more than 2,500 passengers and boasts a theatre, ballroom and water park for children -- has suffered mechanical trouble before in 2011, during a Baltic cruise.

- Ship unable to stop -

"The MSC ship had an engine failure, which was immediately reported by the captain," Davide Calderan, head of a tugboat company involved in accompanying the ship into its berth, told Italian media.

"The engine was blocked, but with its thrust on, because the speed was increasing," he said.

The two tug boats that had been guiding the ship into the Giudecca tried to slow it, but one of the chains linking them to the giant snapped under the pressure, he added.

"I could see the prow coming closer, and I thought it would hit my house. The noise was deafening," one Venetian resident was quoted as saying by Italian media.

Story continues

The accident has reignited a heated row in Venice over the damage caused to the city and its fragile ecosystem by cruise ships that sail exceptionally close to the shore.

While gondoliers in striped T-shirts and woven straw hats row tourists around the narrow canals, the smoking chimneys of mammoth ships loom into sight behind the city's picturesque bell towers and bridges.

Critics say the waves the ships create are eroding the foundations of the lagoon city, which regularly floods, leaving iconic sites such as Saint Mark's Square underwater.

"What happened in the port of Venice is confirmation of what we have been saying for some time," Italy's Environment Minister Sergio Costa wrote on Twitter.

"Cruise ships must not sail down the Giudecca. We have been working on moving them for months now... and are nearing a solution," he said.

- 'Risk of carnage' -

WWF Italy described the incident as "an important alarm bell to which it would be madness not to listen".

Italy's Transport Minister Danilo Toninelli said the government would come up with a "definitive solution" by the end of June.

It is not the first time the government has made such promises. In 2013 it banned ships weighing more than 96,000 tonnes from the Giudecca Canal.

The ban was in part a response to the deadly 2012 Costa Concordia disaster, in which the 115,000-ton cruise ship crashed into Giglio island off Tuscany after its captain sailed too close to the shore.

But the law was later overturned by a regional court, which ruled that safety or environmental risks had not been proven.

Two years ago the government announced that larger ships would be diverted away from the historic centre -- but failed to follow through on the pledge.

MSC Cruises, founded in Italy in 1960, is a global line registered in Switzerland and based in Geneva.

One of its cruise ships, the MSC Preziosa, collided with a passenger embarkation ramp as it entered port in Venice in 2014, according to the local La Nuova daily.

The Opera, built 15 years ago, suffered a power failure in 2011 in the Baltic, forcing some 2,000 people to be disembarked in Stockholm rather than continuing their Southampton to Saint Petersburg voyage.Caen (France) (AFP) - The number of people visiting the World War II cemeteries, museums and battle sites along the Normandy coast of France has soared in recent years, creating a tourist windfall but generating criticism that a harrowing chapter of history is being sullied by crass commercialism.

The tourist surge began in 1994 with the 50th anniversary commemorations of the D-Day landings, in which hundreds of veterans took pride of place for the first time.

The following year some 2.9 million people visited the region specifically to explore the war's legacy, a figure that has grown steadily to nearly five million annual visitors each year.

"The first museums were created four or five years after the war, first by local collectors who gathered up what the soldiers left behind, then by local museums," said Dominique Saussey, a D-Day specialist at the Normandy tourist board.

The jump in war history tourism later got a major boost with the opening of the official Caen Memorial Museum in 1988, which now attracts around 370,000 people a year.

But it's the military cemeteries that have long attracted the biggest numbers, in particular the American cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer, where 1.4 million people came last year to honour the 9,300 graves marked by crosses or the Star of David.

The 22,000 British dead are spread across 18 cemeteries, and in recent years the German cemetery at La Cambe, with 21,000 graves, has started attracting around 450,000 people each year.

"For a long time we only talked about an Allied public, but now we're focussing on a German public as well," Saussey said.

In 2017, 20 percent of Normandy war visitors were British, 15 percent Dutch, 14 percent American, 11 percent German, and 10 Belgian, her office said.

- New generation -

Alongside the dozens of memorials and sites, however, a range of new tourist operations have emerged, offering souvenirs, Jeep and tank rides, and even a D-Day "escape game".

Story continues

"We want to try to make what the American paratroopers did on the night of June 5-6 come alive, so that younger generations will then look at our displays," said Emmanuel Allain at the "D-Day Experience" museum at Carentan-les-Marais.

For 13 euros ($14.50), visitors can have a seven-minute ride in a flight simulator for a C-47 cargo plane, which dropped 13,000 US soldiers at Sainte-Mere-Eglise for the Normandy landings.

Since opening the simulator in 2015, the museum now has 130,000 visitors a year, up from just 20,000 previously.

Its gift store sells a D-Day Monopoly board game, a 7,500-euro helmet or a 14,500-euro jacket.

A few kilometres away, "Le Blockhaus" will soon open its escape game to re-create the June 1944 beach stormings, while the Normandy Victory Museum offers 10-minute tank rides for 39 euros.

And near Sainte-Mere-Eglise, groups can sign up for a 400-euro theatrical nighttime re-enactment of the parachute landing, complete with Jeep tour.

"At a time when veterans are disappearing, we also have to reach youths, with visits oriented toward a generation that doesn't have any family or emotional ties to the landings," Saussey said.

- 'Lying to people' -

It's an approach that specialists have denounced as a cheapening of the sacrifices made by the thousands of Allied troops who braved Nazi fire while wresting Normandy, and eventually all of France, from the Germans.

"They're lying to people," said Stephane Grimaldi, director of the Caen Memorial Museum. "Combat experience can't be transposed, it's nearly impossible even to describe.

"Turning these grave subjects into attractions is unacceptable. You have to explain the complexity of war, and the dead," he said.

But the Caen memorial, where attendance levels have stagnated in recent years, will open this month an immersive, 360-degree cinema for recounting the landings.

Critics have also noted the historical inaccuracies at many of the new museums and attractions, such as one claiming Sainte-Marie-du-Mont was the first French village liberated on the continent -- it was actually Ranville.

"You have both a multiplication of consumer items and of places with no credible historical backing," said Bertrand Legendre, a Paris university professor who was born in Sainte-Marie-Eglise -- where you can find a "D-Day beer" next to a number of supposed military antique shops.

"It's almost like turning it into an amusement park, with the very real risk of forgetting the tragic dimensions of the war," he said.ON OMAHA BEACH, France (AP)  All at once, Charles Shay tried to stanch the bleeding from a ripped-open stomach, dull the pain with morphine and soothe the mind of a dying fellow American army medic. It was a tall order for a 19-year-old who had just set foot on the European mainland for the first time.

But nothing could have prepared him for what happened on June 6, 1944, on five cold, forbidding beaches in northern France. It was D-Day, one of the most significant 24-hour periods of the 20th century, the horrifying tipping point in World War II that defined the future of Europe.

That morning, Shay could not yet fathom what the event would ultimately mean. He was more concerned with the bleeding soldiers, body parts and corpses strewn around him, and the machine-gun fire and shells that filled the air.

"You have to realize my vision of the beach was very small. I could only experience what I could see," he told The Associated Press, speaking from the now-glimmering Omaha Beach, where he landed 75 years ago.

International leaders will gather again this week to honor the dwindling number of D-Day veterans. Shay, now 94, plans to be among the crowd Thursday to welcome U.S. President Donald Trump to France as he pays homage to 9,388 dead Americans, most of whom lost their lives on D-Day or in the aftermath of the Normandy offensive.

Omaha and adjacent Utah Beach were America's to take, but similar acts of sacrifice and heroism happened on three other beachheads to the east where Britain and Canadian troops sought to break Hitler's stranglehold on the continent. In all, the invasion covered 80 kilometers (50 miles) of French shoreline.

Shay survived, but he did not talk about the experience for well over half a century.

"So many dead. So many young men, young boys, killed on the spot," he said. "It was difficult to see and absorb."

A Penobscot native American from Indian Island, Maine, Shay was barely 5 when the Great Depression hit. Across the ocean, Germany also faced economic misery that, together with lingering bitterness over its defeat in World War I, paved the way for Adolf Hitler's rise.

Story continues

When containment failed, war in Europe erupted in 1939, and Hitler's Nazis swarmed over much of the continent. They took Paris and were quickly at the Normandy coastline. Britain remained out of reach.

The United States, which had slumbered into isolationism after its victory in World War I, entered World War II after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. Germany declared war on the U.S. in support of its ally.

Shay was trained to be a machinist but could not get a job because he was expected to be drafted into the Army.

So before he knew what life was really about, Shay found himself in a hammock in the hold of the RMS Queen Elizabeth. He was sailing from New York to England, his final destination unknown.

"I never had a sense of fear because I didn't know what I was getting in to," Shay said.

The Germans knew an invasion was coming but had no idea when or where, and the most likely options were 400 kilometers (250 miles) apart. Hitler prepared an Atlantic Wall of defenses.

By early June, it was time for Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower to distribute the orders that he had honed for months.

"The eyes of the world are upon you," he told his men. "You will bring about the destruction of the German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny." The death toll was sure to be enormous.

On the two American beachheads, the United States suffered 2,501 killed in action on June 6, 1944. In all, an estimated 4,414 men died on that single day, according to the latest figures.

Few soldiers in the first wave fully realized the risks.

That night before D-Day, the men of Fox Company, 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment of the 1st Infantry Division, aka the Big Red One, had more immediate problems  sea sickness, finger-numbing cold and a dangerous descent into landing crafts using rope nets slung over the side of transports that were rolling in heavy seas.

Then they approached the beach.

"I wasn't too worried about it  until the ramps went down," Shay recalled.

He landed in water up to his chest. Many soldiers who were overloaded with equipment "sank immediately and a lot of men drowned," he said.

Those who stayed afloat had to face withering German gunfire. Many of the men standing in front "were hit immediately," he said.

Once on dry land, he sought cover behind the "high portions" of the beach and started treating the wounded.

At some point, he looked back to the ocean and saw many wounded men lying on the beach as the tide was rising. Without help, they would drown.

So he returned to the water, even though Germans were still shooting, and started pulling men  he doesn't know how many  above the tide. Many of the soldiers were much bigger and heavier than he was.

"In such a situation, the adrenaline starts to flow," Shay said. "It gives you strength that you did not know that you had." He received the Silver Star for his bravery.

When the shooting on the beach slowed, he found fellow F Company medic Edward Morozewicz, who had "an open stomach." Shay administered morphine and applied bandages. It was to no avail.

"I stayed with him until he died. I tried to converse with him a little bit. I tried to comfort him," he said.

He left the bloodied beach late that afternoon, completely separated from his company, which had lost all officers and many non-commissioned officers.

Wandering around in a daze of fatigue, he fell asleep in a field. When he awoke in the morning, he was "surrounded by dead people  American and German."

All these decades later, he is back at the same shores, walking across the immaculate lawns covered with white gravestones and pondering the sacrifice.

"Oh, yes. Definitely it was worth it," he said. "It was a rogue regime that was trying to take over the world, and the people had to be stopped."

___

Associated Press photographer Virginia Mayo and video journalist Mark Carlson contributed to this report.

___

Follow all the AP's coverage of D-Day at https://apnews.com/WorldWarIIOn June 2, 1924, President Calvin Coolidge signed into law the Indian Citizenship Act, which marked the end of a long debate and struggle, at a federal level, over full birthright citizenship for American Indians.

coolidgeIndianAct

The act read that all noncitizen Indians born within the territorial limits of the United States be, and they are hereby, declared to be citizens of the United States: Provided that the granting of such citizenship shall not in any manner impair or otherwise affect the right of any Indian to tribal or other property.

Link: Read the Act

American Indians had occupied a unique place since the drafting of the Constitution in citizenship matters. Originally, the Constitutions Article I said that Indians not taxed couldnt be counted in the voting population of states (while slaves were counted as three-fifths of a person).

American Indians were also part of the Dred Scott decision in 1857 but in a much different way. Chief Justice Roger Taney argued that American Indians, unlike enslaved blacks, could become citizens, under congressional and legal supervision.

The 14th amendments ratification in July 1868 overturned Dred Scott and made all persons born or naturalized in the United States citizens, with equal protection and due process under the law. But for American Indians, interpretations of the amendment immediately excluded most of them from citizenship.

There was enough confusion after the 14th amendment was ratified about American Indian citizenship that in 1870, the Senate Judiciary committee was asked to clarify the issue.

The committee said it was clear that the 14th amendment to the Constitution has no effect whatever upon the status of the Indian tribes within the limits of the United States, but that straggling Indians were subject to the jurisdiction of the United States.

At the time, U.S. Census figures showed that just 8 percent of American Indians were classified as taxed and eligible to become citizens. The estimated American Indian population in the 1870 census was larger than the population of five states and 10 territorieswith 92 percent of those American Indians ineligible to be citizens.

Story continues

The Dawes Act in 1887 gave American citizenship to all Native Americans who accepted individual land grants under the provisions of statutes and treaties, and it marked another period where the government aggressively sought to allow other parties to acquire American Indian lands.

Another Supreme Court case in 1886 ensured that the federal government had full power and control of all lands inhabited by American Indians. And a separate act eliminated the definition of Indians not taxed for legal purposes.

The issue of American Indian birthright citizenship wouldnt be settled until 1924 when the Indian Citizenship Act conferred citizenship on all American Indians. At the time, 125,000 of an estimated population of 300,000 American Indians werent citizens.

The Indian Citizenship Act still didnt offer full protection of voting rights to Indians. As late as 1948, two states (Arizona and New Mexico) had laws that barred many American Indians from voting, and American Indians faced some of the same barriers as blacks, until the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1965, including Jim Crow-like tactics and poll taxes.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'll introduce the concept of the P/E ratio for those who are learning about investing. We'll show how you can use Beijing Chunlizhengda Medical Instruments Co., Ltd.'s (HKG:1858) P/E ratio to inform your assessment of the investment opportunity. What is Beijing Chunlizhengda Medical Instruments's P/E ratio? Well, based on the last twelve months it is 18.56. In other words, at today's prices, investors are paying HK$18.56 for every HK$1 in prior year profit.

View our latest analysis for Beijing Chunlizhengda Medical Instruments

How Do You Calculate A P/E Ratio?

The formula for price to earnings is:

Price to Earnings Ratio = Price per Share (in the reporting currency)  Earnings per Share (EPS)

Or for Beijing Chunlizhengda Medical Instruments:

P/E of 18.56 = CN14.2 (Note: this is the share price in the reporting currency, namely, CNY )  CN0.77 (Based on the year to December 2018.)

Is A High Price-to-Earnings Ratio Good?

A higher P/E ratio means that investors are paying a higher price for each HK$1 of company earnings. That 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. That means even if the current P/E is high, it will reduce over time if the share price stays flat. So while a stock may look expensive based on past earnings, it could be cheap based on future earnings.

Beijing Chunlizhengda Medical Instruments's earnings made like a rocket, taking off 55% last year. The cherry on top is that the five year growth rate was an impressive 19% per year. With that kind of growth rate we would generally expect a high P/E ratio.

Story continues

Does Beijing Chunlizhengda Medical Instruments Have A Relatively High Or Low P/E For Its Industry?

The P/E ratio essentially measures market expectations of a company. The image below shows that Beijing Chunlizhengda Medical Instruments has a higher P/E than the average (16.7) P/E for companies in the medical equipment industry.

SEHK:1858 Price Estimation Relative to Market, June 2nd 2019

Its relatively high P/E ratio indicates that Beijing Chunlizhengda Medical Instruments shareholders think it will perform better than other companies in its industry classification. Clearly the market expects growth, but it isn't guaranteed. So further research is always essential. I often monitor director buying and selling.

A Limitation: P/E Ratios Ignore Debt and Cash In The Bank

The 'Price' in P/E reflects the market capitalization of the company. That means it doesn't take debt or cash into account. In theory, a company can lower its future P/E ratio by using cash or debt to invest in growth.

Such spending might be good or bad, overall, but the key point here is that you need to look at debt to understand the P/E ratio in context.

How Does Beijing Chunlizhengda Medical Instruments's Debt Impact Its P/E Ratio?

With net cash of CN415m, Beijing Chunlizhengda Medical Instruments has a very strong balance sheet, which may be important for its business. Having said that, at 21% of its market capitalization the cash hoard would contribute towards a higher P/E ratio.

The Bottom Line On Beijing Chunlizhengda Medical Instruments's P/E Ratio

Beijing Chunlizhengda Medical Instruments's P/E is 18.6 which is above average (11) in the HK market. The excess cash it carries is the gravy on top its fast EPS growth. To us, this is the sort of company that we would expect to carry an above average price tag (relative to earnings).

When the market is wrong about a stock, it gives savvy investors an opportunity. If the reality for a company is better than it expects, you can make money by buying and holding for the long term. So this free visual report on analyst forecasts could hold the key to an excellent investment decision.

Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking at a few good candidates. So take a peek at this free list of companies with modest (or no) debt, trading on a P/E below 20.

We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.



If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.Photos: Petfinder

Start your day off right by browsing through lovable pups! There are dozens of dogs up for adoption right here in Detroit.

Hoodline partnered with Petfinder, an online adoption site that lists more than 315,000 adoptable pets from nearly 14,000 animal shelters and rescue groups" to bring you this roundup of dogs near you.

(Details like pet availability, training, vaccinations and other features are based on data provided by Petfinder and may be subject to change; contact the shelter for the latest information.)

Pookie, Pekingese

Pookie is a handsome male Pekingese dog staying at Rebel Dogs Detroit. Pookie loves to socialize and he's happy to keep company with cats, dogs and kids. His vaccinations are already up to date and he's neutered. He's already house-trained. Pookie's current caretakers say: Apply to adopt Pookie today at Petfinder.

Pookie will love you, once he knows you. Pookie has outlived a past owner, is now 11 and ready for a spoiled retirement. Please know the breed or read up before inquiring; he is a grumpy dude. Pookie can live with children who respects his boundaries, other small to medium dogs who lay of and he is good with cats. Pookie loves walks and car rides and is a great guard dog. He is easy to groom once you have gained his trust. Pookie likes to sit on the lap, being carried or lifted. He has perfect health other than a minor case of cherry eyes (vet said to leave it as it was).

Cookie, pit bull terrier

Cookie is a winsome female pit bull terrier dog currently housed at Rebel Dogs Detroit. Cookie is the perfect family dog and children will love her. Her ideal forever home would be a dog-free environment. She is already vaccinated and spayed. She's mastered her house-training etiquette. Notes from Cookie's caretakers: Apply to adopt Cookie today at Petfinder.

Are you ready to rumble? Do you want to see this cookie crumble? Cookie is the oddest pit bull we have ever seen and her personality matches that too. She is turning senior, thats eight or nine years old. But she plays like nobody's business. At around 30 pounds, she is a joy to play with and doesn't wear you out. Affection comes often from Cookie, but is mixed in with some pretend air-snapping, just to keep you in your toes. This lady has humor. Cookie is our favorite; she can be walked safely by older children, likes to sled and to be dressed up. She is looking ready to win your neighborhood ugliest dog contest.

Story continues

Speckles, German shorthaired pointer and American bulldog mix

Speckles is a male German shorthaired pointer and American bulldog mix staying at Rebel Dogs Detroit. Speckles will get along great with your other dogs. He's already neutered and vaccinated. Have no fear: he's already house-trained. Notes from Speckles' caretakers: Read more about how to adopt Speckles on Petfinder.

Speckles was hit by a car and required a lot of urgent care. Speckles has now recovered and is ready to enjoy the rest of his life. Speckles loves dogs and other kids and is capable of resting alongside other dogs too. Hes gorgeous and super sweet!

Mash, boxer and mastiff mix

Mash is a charming male boxer and mastiff mix currently residing at Rebel Dogs Detroit. Mash is eager to make friends and he's happy to keep company with other dogs. His vaccinations are up to date and he's neutered. He's mastered his house-training etiquette. Here's what Mash's friends at Rebel Dogs Detroit think of him: Read more about Mash on Petfinder.

Mash came to us with very lacking social skills but this big boy has bloomed. He loves life, playtime with other dogs, car rides, and toys. Although Mash is a big boy, his brain is not proportionate, so he needs to be monitored to not swallow things. He does perfect in foster care and is crate-trained. Mash is the perfect dog for you, if your dog is wearing you out.

Peppa, pit bull terrier

Peppa is a female pit bull terrier dog being kept at Rebel Dogs Detroit. Peppa loves other dogs. She's spayed and she has all her shots. She has mastered her house-training etiquette. Here's what Peppa's friends at Rebel Dogs Detroit think of her: Apply to adopt Peppa today at Petfinder.

Peppa came to us as an owner-surrender. She is a tiny package of the best a pit bull has to offer. She walks good on the leash, plays perfect with her toys, inside and outdoors. Peppa is potty-trained and does not chew much. She plays with other dogs in an enthusiastic way, a bit of slobber and mouthing is to be expected.

This story was created automatically using local animal shelter data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.* US leader heaps praise on potential successor to May

* Comments on Brexit, Conservatives strain diplomatic norms

* Trump, Melania to get taste of pomp, royal pageantry

* President will warn Britain against dealing with Huawei

By Steve Holland and Guy Faulconbridge

WASHINGTON/LONDON, June 2 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump arrives in Britain on Monday on a state visit laden with diplomatic peril, having already humiliated outgoing Prime Minister Theresa May over Brexit and challenged her to be tougher in dealing with China's Huawei.

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 has praised a more radical Brexit-supporting potential successor to May and his envoys have urged a tougher British stance towards telecoms giant Huawei.

In an interview with the Sunday Times newspaper, Trump said the next British leader should send arch-Brexiteer Nigel Farage to conduct talks with the EU. Britain must leave the EU this year, Trump said.

"They've got to get it done," he said. "They have got to get the deal closed."

"If they don't get what they want, I would walk away. If you don't get a fair deal, you walk away."

Trump repeated his backing for those candidates to succeed May who have said Britain must leave on the due date of Oct. 31 with or without a deal.

Those candidates include former foreign secretary Boris Johnson, whom Trump praised in an interview with the Sun newspaper on Friday, along with former Brexit minister Dominic Raab and interior minister Sajid Javid.

Trump said it was a mistake for the Conservatives not to involve Farage, the Brexit Party leader, in talks with Brussels after his success in European Parliament elections last month.

Story continues

"I like Nigel a lot. He has a lot to offer - he is a very smart person," Trump said. "They wont bring him in but think how well they would do if they did. They just haven't figured that out yet."

On the Brexit divorce bill, Trump said: "If I were them, I wouldnt pay 50 billion dollars. That is a tremendous number."

A meeting with either Johnson, favorite to succeed May, 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 heap further ignominy on May, who battled in vain to unify her ruling Conservatives behind a deal and cried while announcing the end of her premiership in Downing Street last month.

BREXIT

On 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 on Thursday the United States did not want to "get in the middle" of Brexit or a discussion of the next government's policies.

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 if London 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 last month 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 an enduring alliance, 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 Trump as a snarling, nappy-clad baby will fly outside Britain's parliament during the visit while protesters plan a "carnival of resistance" in central London.

"Trump is coming to Britain to commemorate the defeat of fascism after D-Day while at the very same time pursuing a dangerous far-right agenda and fanning the flames of hatred," said Matt Bonner, its designer.

The first day of the visit, Monday, culminates in a lavish state banquet at Buckingham Palace - where men wear white tie coats with tails and women evening gowns.

Jeremy Corbyn, the socialist leader of Britain's opposition Labour Party, who has declined an invitation to attend the state banquet, scolded Trump for getting involved in British politics.

"President Trumps attempt to decide who will be Britains next prime minister is an entirely unacceptable interference in our countrys democracy," Corbyn said.

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, Editing by William Maclean)By Steve Holland and Michael Holden

LONDON (Reuters) - Donald Trump and Queen Elizabeth hailed the bonds between the United States and the United Kingdom on Monday after the U.S. president was feted with a day of pomp designed to bolster an alliance strained by discord over Brexit and China.

Trump's interventions into Britain's political crisis over Brexit had threatened to overshadow his state visit to London but instead the president appeared to relish the royal red carpet that his hosts laid on for him and wife Melania.

The three-day trip was cast as a chance to celebrate Britain's "special relationship" with the United States, boost trade links in a post-Brexit world and reaffirm security cooperation ahead of the 75th anniversary of the allied D-Day landings in World War Two.

"The bond between our nations was forever sealed in that great crusade," Trump said in a speech at the lavish banquet in his honour at Buckingham Palace.

"As we honour our shared victory and heritage, we affirm the common values that will unite us long into the future; freedom, sovereignty, self-determination, the rule of law and reference for the rights given to us by almighty God."

While the proudly unpredictable 45th U.S. president lavished praise on the 93-year-old queen, his views on Britain's exit from the European Union, on the possible successor to Theresa May as British prime minister and a row over China's Huawei have cast a pall over the visit.

Even as he flew into the British capital, he reignited a feud with London Mayor Sadiq Khan - who had written on Sunday that Britain should not be rolling out the red carpet for Trump - describing the mayor as a "stone cold loser".

The state visit was promised by Prime Minister May back in January 2017 when she became the first foreign leader to meet Trump after he took office.

The first day of such a visit is customarily taken up with a series of royal engagements and ceremonies.

Story continues

At Buckingham Palace, Melania - in an elegant, white below-the-knee Dolce & Gabbana dress with navy blue collar and belt and a custom hat by Herve Pierre - stood alongside the queen and Charles's wife Camilla, while Charles and the president inspected the guard.

After lunch with Elizabeth and other senior royals, the queen gave the Trumps a guided tour of artefacts of American historical interest from the royal collection. She also showed him some of her family's golfing memorabilia in a nod to the president who owns two Scottish golf courses.

The queen's second son Prince Andrew then accompanied him to Westminster Abbey, coronation church of English monarchs for 1,000 years where he laid a wreath at the Grave of the Unknown Warrior, before tea with Prince Charles at his home, Clarence House.

The day culminated with the opulent formal dinner, where men wear white tie coats with tails and women evening gowns.

COMMON VALUES

"Mr President, as we look to the future, I am confident that our common values and shared interests will continue to unite us," the queen said.

"Tonight we celebrate an alliance that has helped to ensure the safety and prosperity of both our peoples for decades, and which I believe will endure for many years to come."

In response, Trump heralded the British monarch, saying she "embodied the spirit of dignity, duty and patriotism that beats proudly in every British heart".

Away from the pageantry, Trump has already waded into Britain's turbulent domestic politics, where more than a dozen candidates are vying to replace May, who announced last month she was quitting after failing to get her EU divorce deal through parliament.

Before the trip, he praised May's Brexit-supporting rival, former foreign minister Boris Johnson, saying he would be a "great" potential prime minister and also called for arch-Brexiteer Nigel Farage, a scourge of May's ruling Conservative Party, to conduct talks with the EU.

Trump, who has regularly criticised May's Brexit tactics, said Britain must leave the bloc on the due date of Oct. 31 with or without a deal.

"The relationship with the United Kingdom is very strong," he wrote on Twitter during his visit on Monday. "Great love all around. Also, big Trade Deal is possible once UK gets rid of the shackles. Already starting to talk!"

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.

HUAWEI TENSIONS

At a meeting with May on Tuesday, Trump will also warn Britain that security cooperation, a cornerstone of the Western intelligence network, could be hurt if London 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.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Britain last month 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 relationship with the United States is an enduring alliance, 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.

Hundreds of thousands protested against him during a trip last year and a blimp depicting Trump as a snarling, nappy-clad baby will fly outside Britain's parliament during the visit.

Other protesters plan a "carnival of resistance" in central London and Jeremy Corbyn, the socialist leader of Britain's opposition Labour Party who declined an invitation to attend the state banquet, will speak at the demonstration.

"Haven't seen any protests yet, but I'm sure the Fake News will be working hard to find them," Trump wrote on Twitter.

The second day of Trump's trip 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.

(Additional reporting by Kate Holton, Andrew MacAskill, Alistair Smout, Kylie MacLellan and William Schomberg; Writing by Guy Faulconbridge and Michael Holden; Editing by Jon Boyle, Gareth Jones and Catherine Evans)By Tim Hepher and Tracy Rucinski

SEOUL (Reuters) - Airlines urged regulators on Sunday to coordinate on software changes to the Boeing 737 MAX in a bid to avoid damaging splits over safety seen when the aircraft was grounded in March.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA), whose 290 carriers account for 80 percent of world flying, said trust in the certification system had been damaged by a wave of separate decisions to ground the jet, with the U.S. last to act.

Airlines are worried further differences between regulators over safety could confuse passengers and cause disruption.

"Any rift between regulators is not in anyone's interest," IATA Director General Alexandre de Juniac told an annual meeting of the association in Seoul.

Boeing's best-selling jet was grounded after two crashes, in Indonesia and Ethiopia, over five months killed a total of 346 people.

The Federal Aviation Administration initially resisted the decisions led by China, but later followed suit.

Airline officials say any new bout of staggered decisions could cause problems in operations and code-sharing.

"Obviously for us to operate the MAX, the approval from the Singapore authorities is not enough. We have to operate somewhere ... Indonesia and China are two important markets for us," Singapore Airlines CEO Goh Choon Phong told Reuters.

But the European Union's top transport official said bloc's regulator, the European Aviation Safety Agency, reserved the right to carry out its own separate review at its own pace.

"Certainly EASA will take a very close look at the results (of proposed design changes) and then make a decision and that message was very clearly passed," Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulc told Reuters at the Seoul event.

"We always work together with other regulators and we certainly will take joint moves, but EASA will reserve the right to take an individual look at the results and then of course engage with the rest of the regulators."

Story continues

Asked how long it would take to end the crisis, she said, "I hope as soon as possible, because we do need to restore order and trust and move on."

UNCLEAR RESUMPTION OUTLOOK

The 737 MAX crashes have thrown the spotlight on cockpit software and a certification system which relies on the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) delegating some approval tasks to Boeing staff working on their behalf.

"I think the investigations ... will probably reveal that the FAA perhaps unwittingly let a little bit too much go," said Emirates president Tim Clark. "And I think that the other regulators didn't realise how much the FAA had empowered the manufacturing delegates," he added.

Clark warned it could take six months to restore operations as other regulators re-examine the U.S. delegation practices - though U.S. majors have only suspended MAX schedules to August.

"That is why it is going to take time to get this aircraft back in the air. If it is in the air by Christmas I'll be surprised - my own view," he told reporters. Emirates' sister carrier flydubai is a major 737 MAX customer.

The FAA says it has no firm date but has indicated privately to other regulators that it aims to certify new software by end-June, after which it could take weeks to get planes flying.

A person familiar with the plans said the FAA wanted an "orderly" process, anticipating a sequence of approvals for software changes and training rather than one global decision.

If confirmed, that could see 737 MAX aircraft back in the air in some markets as early as the summer, the person said, barring further hitches or surprises in the ongoing review.

(Additional reporting by Heekyong Yang, Jamie Freed; Editing by Himani Sarkar)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 El Paso and Vancouver in the next few months, including some standout hotel options and favorite 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 El Paso and Vancouver are if you leave on Sept. 3 and return from Canada on Sept. 5. United currently has roundtrip tickets for $349.

There are also deals to be had in July. If you fly out of El Paso on July 14 and return from Vancouver on July 18, Allegiant Air can get you there and back for $546 roundtrip.

Top Vancouver hotels

To plan your stay, here are two of Vancouvers top-rated hotels, that we selected from Skyscanner's listings based on price and customer satisfaction.

The La Grande Residence (845 Burrard St. at the Sutton Place Hotel)

Photo: Trip by Skyscanner

First up is 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.

The St. Regis Hotel (602 Dunsmuir St.)

Photo: Trip by Skyscanner

A pricer alternative is The St. Regis Hotel. The 4.7-star hotel has rooms for $156/night.

Story continues

The St. Regis is a 65-room boutique hotel located across the street from the Skytrain, one block away from Pacific Centre Mall and a short walk from Robson Street, the Vancouver Art Gallery and Gastown.

Featured Vancouver restaurants

If you're looking to snag a bite at one of Vancouver's many quality eateries, here are a few popular culinary destinations from Skyscanner's listings that will help keep you satiated.

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.Washington (AFP) - US President Donald Trump denied on Sunday that he had called Meghan Markle "nasty" just days before heading to Britain to be hosted, and lavishly feted, by other members of the royal family.

And yet the remark about the American-born Dutchess of Sussex is heard clearly on a tape of a Trump interview with the British tabloid The Sun.

Trump's tweet Sunday came a day before his three-day state visit is to begin with a pomp-filled ceremony at Buckingham Palace followed by lunch with 93-year-old Queen Elizabeth II.

He tweeted: "I never called Meghan Markle 'nasty.' Made up by the Fake News Media, and they got caught cold! Will @CNN, @nytimes and others apologize? Doubt it!"

On the tape, the interviewer points out that Markle, who married the queen's grandson Prince Harry in 2018, had been critical of Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign, saying "she'd move to Canada if you got elected; turned out she moved here."

"Well, a lot of people are moving here, so what can I say," Trump replied. "No, I didn't know that she was nasty."

And yet he went on to say he thought that as princess "she'll do excellently, she'll be very good, she'll be very good. I hope she does."

- 'Listen for yourself!' -

An official Trump campaign Twitter account had rather bizarrely called attention to the "nasty" comment on Saturday by linking to a video of the interview and suggesting the president had not used the word; it urged people to "Listen for yourself!"

Markle will not be meeting with Trump, though the official reason given is that she remains on maternity leave with her three-week-old son Archie.

Trump further roiled the waters ahead of his visit by weighing in on Britain's unending Brexit woes, throwing his weight behind former foreign secretary Boris Johnson to succeed Prime Minister Theresa May and suggesting Britain should leave the European Union without a departure deal if better terms can't be reached.

Story continues

The Sun called Trump's remarks a "bombshell intervention" and a "major breach of protocol" by a foreign leader.

The president said he was not giving an outright endorsement to any candidate to lead Britain's ruling Conservative Party, but also said that he liked Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt.

Hunt on Sunday played down any awkwardness over Trump's visit.

"I don't think it's going to disrupt the welcome at all," he said on CBS's "Face the Nation," because the British had learned "from the president that you know regularly we have to agree to disagree...

"It doesn't affect the fact that we have the most important partnership that there is in the world for freedom, democracy, the rule of law."

In addition to Markle's remark about moving to Canada, she had also called Trump "misogynistic" and "divisive" during the 2016 campaign, feelings that a good number of Britons appear to share.

Large anti-Trump protests are expected during his visit, and a huge blimp of Trump as a baby in diapers is being readied to fly over the city if police allow it.

Markle's absence may be conspicuous in one way: Trump is bringing all four of his adult children and their spouses to London and, according to The Sun, said he wants them to hold a "next generation" meeting with Princes William and Harry.

"I think my children will be meeting them," Trump said. "It would be nice."Cairo (AFP) - The days and nights of Alaa Abdel Fattah, Egypt's leading dissident, follow a disorienting rhythm where he is freed every morning from a filthy police cell and then jailed again at sunset.

It is a harrowing routine that forces Abdel Fattah, 37, to measure out his life in one-hour increments for the next five years as he copes with a draconian probation period after being released from full-time prison in March.

"There isn't a moment throughout the day when probation does not consume me or I think of it," he told AFP in his first interview with international media since his release.

After serving his five-year term for demonstrating against a restrictive 2013 protest law, he now has to turn himself in to a police station near his home at 6 pm every evening and stay overnight in a cell there until 6 am.

In the mornings, Abdel Fattah spends time with his son Khaled and drops him off for swimming lessons or kindergarten. The computer programmer and blogger then tries to carve out a chunk of time to work on his coding projects.

In between his errands and work commitments, he meets his lawyers and friends, files complaints about his treatment and then around 4 pm he starts planning how to head back home as traffic chokes the city.

"I try to have little tasks for myself every day so I can have a sense of achievement," Abdel Fattah said.

"Even basic biological functions, I have to think of because there isn't a clean toilet when I'm there overnight."

His split reality, a free man by day and a prisoner in solitary confinement by night, has already taken its toll.

"There's a deep level of insult that I'm cooperating with the state in the destruction of my life everyday... which puts such immense psychological pressure on someone."

- 'Closed off' -

Abdel Fattah's disjointed life has also affected his family who worry for his safety in the police station with no communication once he is inside. He is not allowed any mobile phones or laptops overnight.

Story continues

Abdel Fattah's sister Mona Seif, also a human rights advocate, said she still cannot process how her brother is imprisoned daily.

She said she is determined to keep advocating against the unfair probation conditions for him and others.

"It's such a disconcerting feeling to see your brother locked up every day... He is only 10 minutes away from home," she told AFP.

"I truly believe that it's their wish that Alaa remain completely closed off from the world, along with his family and lawyers and his life, until the morning."

His mother Laila Soueif, herself a prominent rights activist on Egypt's political scene for decades, has criticised the application of an arcane law dating back to 1945 stipulating probation conditions.

She recounts the struggle it took just to get permission for her son to share the iftar meal with his family that break the day-time fast during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which ends next week.

The cherished daily ritual fell after his evening deadline and at first he was forced to be in his cell.

In protest Soueif with family and friends in early May began holding the meal every sunset outside the police station.

One evening an officer tried to snatch away a dessert plate she had brought to Abdel Fattah -- but Soueif was unmoved.

"The policeman thought if he took it away from us that we would leave Alaa... It's quite farcical," she said.

Authorities eventually allowed him to spend iftar with his family after many people voiced their feelings on social media that he was being deliberately targeted unlike others under probation.

"I am worried about him that it is causing so much anxiety for him. But even this extra hour and a half has made such a difference because he is spending some time with us and his son Khaled," Soueif said.

- 'Rendered invisible' -

Dubbed "the icon of the revolution" that unseated longtime autocrat Hosni Mubarak in 2011, Abdel Fattah still speaks out on his social media accounts about political repression in Egypt.

He argues for others also forced to spend their nights in jail, such as award-winning photojournalist Mahmoud Abu-Zeid, known as Shawkan.

Abdel Fattah said national security officers had threatened him twice to stop talking about his probation publicly or else he would be sent back to jail indefinitely.

AFP contacted the ministry of interior's spokesperson several times for confirmation but received no comment.

Rights groups have roundly criticised Egypt's enforcement of the probation law saying it is used in order to punish and silence dissidents.

"They (the authorities) are not dealing with us as humans, they are treating us solely as political animals who give them a lot of headaches," Abdel Fattah explained.

In the last decade, he has garnered the dubious honour of being jailed under Mubarak, his Islamist successor Mohamed Morsi and current President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

But, politics is far from his mind as he tries to rebuild a semblance of normal life despite the hectic pace of the capital Cairo.

"I now have no role to play politically in public life... that for them is not enough," said Abdel Fattah.

"They want me to be so oppressed that I am rendered invisible... I really don't see an end to this ordeal."A Tiananmen Square protest leader was barred from entering Hong Kong on Sunday after travelling to the city for a candlelight vigil marking the crackdown's 30th anniversary, organisers of the memorial said.

Other former student leaders from the 1989 protests have been blocked from entering the city before, according to local media reports, but a growing list of overseas activists and politicians have been refused passage into the semi-autonomous Chinese city in recent years.

Feng Congde, a former student from the elite Peking University now living in San Francisco, landed in Hong Kong ahead of the annual memorial commemorating victims of the bloody 1989 crackdown.

The 53-year-old was stopped by immigration officers and eventually put back on a plane, said Richard Tsoi, vice-chairman of the Hong Kong Alliance which organises the vigil.

Feng said he had travel documents allowing him to enter Hong Kong legally, according to text messages sent to Tsoi and shared with AFP.

Hong Kong "obeys the Chinese Communist Party", Feng wrote in the messages.

"At a time when Hong Kong people are worried about human rights and freedoms violations, (this incident) only makes them more averse to the government," Tsoi told AFP.

The Immigration Department declined to comment on the case but said it makes each decision "in accordance with the laws of Hong Kong and prevailing immigration policies".

Feng had travelled from Tokyo, where he attended other Tiananmen memorials, and is due to return to the Japanese capital again on Sunday evening.

Hong Kong remains the only territory on Chinese soil where crowds are allowed to gather in public to commemorate the bloody Tiananmen crackdown.

The city enjoys freedom of speech and assembly rights unseen on the Chinese mainland under a 50-year handover agreement between former colonial power Britain and China.

Activists fear those liberties are being eroded as Beijing flexes its muscles and stamps down on dissent.By Jan Wolfe

June 2 (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department is preparing an investigation of Alphabet Incs Google to determine whether the technology company violated laws to ensure fair competition, two sources familiar with the matter said.

The potential investigation, first reported on Friday, is the latest challenge for Google which already faces a raft of complaints about its business practices from rivals, as well as Democrats and Republicans. EU regulatory actions have already led to multibillion dollar fines and reforms to Google's business practices.

The U.S. probe would focus on accusations Google gave preference to its own businesses in search results, one source said.

Google declined to comment on the possible probe.

The latest news underscores a growing U.S. backlash aimed at Silicon Valley companies, and marks one of the biggest steps yet by the Trump administration toward regulating a giant technology firm.

The following explains the antitrust concerns about Google from other companies, critics in Washington and the EU, and how a Justice Department probe could impact the sprawling U.S. company.

WHY ARE ANTITRUST REGULATORS INTERESTED IN GOOGLE?

Google's dominance of the search engine market has transformed it from a start-up into one the world's most valuable companies.

Google controls much of the technology used to buy online ads, and its Android operating system runs most of the world's smartphones.

Digital advertising revenue accounted for about 85% of revenue for Google's parent Alphabet last year.

Some web companies, including Yelp Inc and TripAdvisor Inc, have long complained that Google skews search results and uses its market dominance to unfairly promote its own services over theirs.

Google has said it is transparent about how it promotes its own services, and that its focus has been on benefiting consumers.

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission, which enforces antitrust laws along with DOJ, previously investigated Google's business practices. The 2013 settlement with the FTC was widely viewed as a victory for Google because the company was only required to make modest changes to its practices and was allowed to continue to highlight its own services in search results.

Story continues

Under FTC pressure, Google agreed to end the practice of scraping reviews and other data from rivals websites for its own products, and to let advertisers export data to independently assess campaigns.

Europe's competition authority has taken a tougher stance against Google, handing down three fines totaling more than $9 billion in recent years.

In a 2017 deal with the EU, Google agreed to pay $2.7 billion to resolve claims it unfairly steered business toward its shopping platform. In March it was fined $1.7 billion in a case focused on illegal practices in search advertising brokering from 2006 to 2016.

COULD THE DOJ TRY TO BREAK UP GOOGLE?

Yes, in theory, but experts have said such action against a technology firm is unlikely.

The Justice Department would have to file a lawsuit and convince judges that Google has undermined competition.

It is rare to break up a company but not unheard of, with Standard Oil and AT&T being the two biggest examples.

Perhaps the most famous case is the governments effort to break up Microsoft Corp. The Justice Department won a preliminary victory in 2000 but was reversed on appeal. The case settled with Microsoft intact.

Justice Department antitrust probes more often result in an agreement to change certain business practices.

WHY IS GOOGLE UNDER INCREASED SCRUTINY?

Google and Facebook Inc collect personal data on users to target their advertisements.

Data privacy has become an increasingly important issue as massive breaches have compromised the personal information of internet and social media users.

Congress has long been expected to take up privacy legislation after California passed a strict privacy law that goes into effect on Jan. 1.

Some Republican Party lawmakers have also said Google, Facebook and Twitter Inc discriminate against conservative viewpoints and suppress free speech. Representatives of the companies have denied the censorship claims.

Soon after news of the possible Google probe, Republican Senator Josh Hawley said on Twitter: "This is very big news, and overdue." As attorney general of Missouri, Hawley probed Google over allegations it misappropriated content from rivals and claims it demoted competitors' websites in search results.

Beyond Congress, Google's Washington critics have included the United States top general who in March said the Chinese military was benefiting from the work Google was doing in China, where the technology giant has long sought to have a bigger presence.

Google, which did not comment at the time, has previously said it has invested in China for years and plans to continue to do so, but that the company also was continuing to work with the U.S. government on projects in healthcare, cybersecurity and other fields.

(Reporting by Jan Wolfe; Editing by Chris Sanders and Lisa Shumaker)Photo: iStock

At the heart of the Great Lakes region, Detroit was one of Conde Nast's must-visit destinations for 2018. Not only is Detroit known as a leader of American industry, the city's diverse communities also boast major contributions to music, art and architecture. Detroit was the first U.S. city to be named a "City of Design" by UNESCO, and is known as the home of Motown Records and the birthplace of techno. The city also offers many historic museums and arts institutions.

Fortunately, there are plenty of relatively inexpensive flights between New Orleans and Detroit, at least according to travel site Skyscanner.

Heres a list of flights, hotels, restaurants and local attractions in Detroit to get you excited about your next excursion. (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 Detroit

The cheapest flights between New Orleans and Detroit are if you leave on June 8 and return from Michigan on June 10. Spirit Airlines currently has tickets for $158, roundtrip.

There are also deals to be had in August. If you fly out of New Orleans on Aug. 14 and return from Detroit on Aug. 18, Spirit Airlines can get you there and back for $168 roundtrip.

Top Detroit hotels

To plan your accommodations, here are some of Detroits top-rated hotels, according to Skyscanner, that we selected based on price, proximity to things to do and customer satisfaction.

The MotorCity Casino Hotel (2901 Grand River Ave.)

Photo: Trip by Skyscanner

For an all-around top recommendation, consider The MotorCity Casino Hotel. The hotel has a 4.7-star rating on Skyscanner, and rooms are currently available for $178.

This Detroit casino hotel is near the Masonic Temple and Fox Theatre.

The Westin Book Cadillac Detroit (1114 Washington Blvd.)

Photo: Trip by Skyscanner

Another 4.7-star option is The Westin Book Cadillac Detroit. Rooms are currently set at $179/night.

Story continues

"The Westin Book Cadillac is an iconic hotel that embodies Detroits revolution. The Book Cadillac building was built in a neo-classical style ... the hotel rooms are luxurious and comfortable, featuring the heavenly bed, which is standard across all Westin properties," wrote Samantha.

The Atheneum (1000 Brush Ave.)

Photo: Trip by Skyscanner

If you're looking for an inexpensive place to stay, try The Atheneum. The 4.7-star hotel has rooms for $129/night.

This family-friendly hotel is near Campus Martius Park, the GM Renaissance Center and Ford Field.

Featured Detroit restaurants

If you're looking to snag a bite at one of Detroit's many quality eateries, here are a few popular culinary destinations from Skyscanner's listings that will help keep you satiated.

Slows Bar BQ (2138 Michigan Ave.)

Photo: Trip by Skyscanner

For another popular option, check out Slows Bar BQ, with 4.8 stars from 22 reviews.

"If you love baby back ribs, this place serves them sliding off the bone," wrote reviewer Lou.

Green Dot Stables (2200 W. Lafayette Blvd.)

Photo: Trip by Skyscanner

Don't forget the essentials: where to get a drink. For a popular option, check out the Green Dot Stables, which has an average of five stars out of six reviews on Skyscanner.

"Each slider, side, salad or dessert you order ranges from $2 to $3," wrote Kenny.

Public House (241 W. 9 Mile Road)

Photo: Trip by Skyscanner

One more solid option is the Public House, with five stars from five reviews.

"This is a cute little place that serves awesome sliders for a super low price," wrote Megan.

Featured Detroit attractions

Not sure what to do in Detroit, besides eat and drink? Here are a few recommendations, provided by Skyscanner.

The Detroit Institute of Arts (5200 Woodward Ave.)

Photo: Trip by Skyscanner

First up is The Detroit Institute of Arts. It checks in with 4.7 stars from 45 reviews.

Visit the Detroit Institute of Arts for a chance to immerse yourself in beautiful artwork and robust collections. The museum features over 60,000 pieces, including collections from America, Asia, Africa and Europe.

Greenfield Village (20900 Oakwood Blvd.)

Photo: Trip by Skyscanner

Located in the Detroit suburb of Dearborn, Greenfield Village is another popular destination, with 4.8 stars from 11 reviews.

"This is a great place to spend the day learning about history. Lots of demos of glass blowing, pottery making, weaving, machinery, etc. My favorite was Edison's workshop and also all the Model T cars driving around. A great family place," wrote visitor Yvonne.

Detroit Science Center (5020 John R St.)

Photo: Trip by Skyscanner

Finally, spend some time at the Detroit Science Center, with 4.8 stars from eight reviews.

"Its not your typical museum, as you can actually do things on interactive exhibits dealing with everything from life science to space," wrote visitor Amanda.

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.Photo: iStock

Looking for an adventure in one of the worlds great megacities, but without the hassle of flying halfway around the world? Mexico City is North Americas largest, at over 8 million people (and more than twice that number in the greater metro area).

It's the oldest capital city in the Americas, rich in history and culture and a major economic center in the region today. In addition to Aztec ruins, the city has the worlds largest single-metropolitan concentration of museums, plus extensive art galleries, concert halls and theaters. And the citys 16 boroughs and many colorful neighborhoods offer an abundance of shopping, restaurants, bars and nightlife.

Its more doable than you think. According to travel site Skyscanner, there are plenty of flights from Boston to Mexico City in the next few months, and the prices aren't too shabby.

So if you're looking for a change of scenery, here are some deals to put on your to-do list. (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 Mexico City

Currently, the cheapest flights between Boston and Mexico City are if you leave on Oct. 27 and return from Mexico on Oct. 29. United currently has tickets for $232, roundtrip.

There are also deals to be had in August. If you fly out of Boston on Aug. 22 and return from Mexico City on Aug. 29, jetBlue can get you there and back for $281 roundtrip.

Top Mexico City hotels

To plan your stay, here are some of Mexico Citys top-rated hotels, according to Skyscanner, that we selected based on price, proximity to things to do, and customer satisfaction.

The Four Seasons Mexico City (Paseo de la Reforma 500 Colonia Juarez)

Photo: Trip by Skyscanner

If you're looking to treat yourself, consider The Four Seasons Mexico City. The hotel has a 4.9-star rating on Skyscanner, and rooms are currently available for $179.

Story continues

Set in the heart of Mexico City on the busy Paseo de la Reforma, this luxury hotel is close to the Monumento a los Ninos Heroes and Monumento a los Heroes de la Independencia.

The St. Regis Mexico City (Paseo de la Reforma 439)

Photo: Trip by Skyscanner

If you're looking to treat yourself, there's The St. Regis Mexico City, which has rooms for $255/night.

The Condesa DF ( Avenida Veracruz 102 Colonia Condesa)

Photo: Trip by Skyscanner

There's also The Condesa DF. The 4.6-star hotel has rooms for $265/night.

Top picks for dining and drinking

If you're looking to snag a bite at one of Mexico City's many quality eateries, here are a few popular culinary destinations from Skyscanner's listings that will help keep you satiated.

Lalo! (Zacatecas 173)

Photo: Trip by Skyscanner

Let's start with the essentials: where to get your coffee fix. For a popular option, check out Lalo!, which has an average of five stars out of seven reviews on Skyscanner.

Panaderia Rosetta (Colima 179)

Photo: Trip by Skyscanner

If you're looking for a local favorite restaurant pick, head to Panaderia Rosetta, with 4.9 stars from 11 reviews.

"It's a very cozy breakfast spot with only a few bar stools for seating," wrote Leila. "Get there early to get your hands on the good pastries."

El Moro (Eje Central Lazaro Cardenas, 42)

Photo: Trip by Skyscanner

Also worth considering is El Moro.

"This 1930s-era churreria is a stand-out and must visit," wrote Harold.

Casa de los Azulejos (Av Francisco I. Madero, 4)

Photo: Trip by Skyscanner

Finally, there's Casa de los Azulejos.

"As soon as you walk by you will recognize this place by the nice blue and white tiles from Puebla on the facade  it's simply unique, " wrote Gianfi.

What to see and do in Mexico City

To round out your trip, Mexico City offers plenty of popular attractions worth visiting. Here are some top recommendations, based on Skyscanner's descriptions and reviews.

The Palacio de Bellas Artes (Av. Juarez)

Photo: Trip by Skyscanner

First up is The Palacio de Bellas Artes.

Inaugurated in 1934, the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City is a major cultural center where you can attend poetry readings, operas, dance recitals, art shows and more. From outside, marvel at the building's white-marble beauty and symbolic sculptures, that include an eagle eating a snake. Inside, find spectacular murals by renowned artists, such as Rufino Tamayo and Diego Rivera.

"The place in itself is a beauty," wrote visitor Analu. "The lobby feels like youve stepped back in time."

El Zocalo (Plaza de la Constitucion S/N)

Photo: Trip by Skyscanner

El Zocalo is another popular destination.

El Zocalo in Mexico City is known as the third-largest square in the world. It is the main plaza in the middle of downtown.

"I recommend you to take a walk around this area, there are so many interesting thing to explore and enjoy," wrote visitor Gianfi.

Kiosco Morisco de Santa Maria la Ribera (Calle Salvador Diaz Miron S/N)

Photo: Trip by Skyscanner

Finally, spend some time at the Kiosco Morisco de Santa Maria la Ribera.

"The kiosk of Santa Maria la Ribera is a benchmark of ancient Mexico," wrote visitor Maru. "On weekends, it is always full of children and families around and travelers taking pictures. Do not miss the detail of its dome and the eagle that gives the final touch at the tip."

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.NEW ORLEANS (AP)  Legendary New Orleans chef Leah Chase always had problems when customers asked if she served "soul food." Well, that would depend on where your soul was, she'd say. If it was in China, she couldn't really help you.

But if your soul was in New Orleans, well that was different.

"If your soul is in New Orleans, I know what to give you," Chase said during an interview. "I'm going to give you some jambalaya. I can give you some stewed chicken. I can give you some shrimp Creole."

Chase, who fed generations of New Orleanians and tourists alike at Dooky Chase's restaurant, died Saturday. She was 96.

Chase's family released a statement to news outlets Saturday night, sharing that the woman they called a "believer in the Spirit of New Orleans" died surrounded by family.

"Her daily joy was not simply cooking, but preparing meals to bring people together," the family's statement read. "One of her most prized contributions was advocating for the Civil Rights Movement through feeding those on the front lines of the struggle for human dignity."

Leah Chase transformed the restaurant bearing  like her husband  her father-in-law's name from a sandwich shop where black patrons could buy lottery tickets to a refined restaurant where tourists, athletes, musicians  and even presidents  of all races dined.

Chase's determination propelled her from a girl with a small-town Louisiana upbringing to a celebrated chef who authored cookbooks, appeared on cooking shows and fed civil rights greats such as Thurgood Marshall and Martin Luther King Jr. Well into her 90s, Chase could be found every day at the restaurant, using a walker while greeting customers and supervising the kitchen.

"I love people and I love serving people. It's fun for me to serve people. Because sometimes people will come in and they're tired. And just a little plate of food will make people happy," she said during a 2015 interview with The Associated Press .

Story continues

At a time when other black Creole women were working in the city's garment industry, Chase worked as a waitress in the French Quarter, which exposed her to the segregated city's pricey restaurants frequented by white people.

When she married Dooky Chase in 1946, his family restaurant had been open for five years  largely under the guidance of his mother. But Leah Chase wanted to make it a fine dining experience for black patrons, along the lines of what she had seen in the Quarter. Gradually, she introduced silverware on the table, tablecloths and Creole dishes.

"I said well why we can't have that for our people? Why we can't have a nice space? So I started trying to do different things," she said.

Dooky Chase's became known as a place where white and black civil rights activists could meet and strategize about voter registration drives or legal cases. Although Chase and her husband were breaking the law by allowing whites and blacks to eat together, police never raided the restaurant.

She would also send food to jailed civil rights leaders, sniffing her nose at the notion of them eating prison food.

Sybil Morial, a longtime friend of Chase's, said she's eaten hundreds of meals at Dooky Chase's where she was courted by her late husband and the city's first black mayor, Ernest "Dutch" Morial. On visits to New Orleans, Thurgood Marshall and other lawyers would work with Morial's husband and NAACP lawyer, A.P. Tureaud, and then head to Dooky's for lunch or dinner.

"It was a haven for them to refresh themselves with wonderful gumbo and it was a place where they could strategize after a hard day's work," Morial said.

Chase never boasted about her works, saying simply that she did what she thought she had to do.

Hurricane Katrina in 2005 devastated her restaurant, where 5 feet (1.5 meters) of water lingered in the dining room for weeks. When the waters eventually receded, mold was everywhere.

Chase was already into her 80s, but there was little question regarding the restaurant's fate. Having evacuated to Birmingham, she and her husband returned to live in a FEMA trailer next to the restaurant for months, while they rebuilt Dooky Chase's.

She and her husband had been married for seven decades when he died in 2016 .

Her food always reflected her city, a Creole mixture of Spanish, French, African and other cultures that have influenced New Orleans. She also enjoyed new culinary influences in the city, like the growing number of Vietnamese and Jamaican restaurants.

With the exception of two photographs of former President Barack Obama, the restaurant has little evidence of the celebrities and dignitaries who came to eat. Instead of surrounding herself with the past, Chase tended to look forward.

"I want to do better," she said. "I want to have the finest restaurant with the finest food. That's all I want."PENSACOLA, Fla. (AP)  A Florida congressman who frequently appears on television supporting President Donald Trump was struck by a thrown drink as he left a town hall.

U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz wasn't injured Saturday when he was struck by a plastic cup lobbed by a protester in Pensacola, Florida.

Video posted online shows the second-term Republican leaving a coffee house while about 20 protesters chant their opposition. The cup struck him in the back.

Amanda Kondrat'yev was charged with misdemeanor battery and released on $1,000 bond. She briefly ran against Gaetz in 2016 before dropping out.

Gaetz tweeted about the incident saying, "Clearly it takes more than a drink to slow down our great team."CHICAGO  For Jose Baselga, who took over cancer research and development at AstraZeneca after leaving a top job at Memorial Sloan Kettering under a cloud, new data the company is presenting Sunday morning about using its drug Lynparza in pancreatic cancer are a vindication.

Its unbelievable, said Baselga. It validates the principle we have been fighting for all these years: that even in the most difficult disease, even the disease where you think youre not going to win, if you find the genetic vulnerability, if you find that, then those giants, they crumble.

The news: If pancreatic tumors have mutations in the same BRCA gene that can increase womens chance of ovarian or breast tumors, patients go an extra 3.6 months  twice as long  without dying or having their tumors grow by more than 30%. That such a benefit can matter emphasizes what a grim diagnosis pancreatic cancer is, and only a twentieth of pancreatic cancers are related to BRCA mutations. But for Baselga and his new boss, Pascal Soriot, who talked to STAT at AstraZenecas spaceship-like booth at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the data symbolize the vast potential of targeted cancer drugs. The data are being presented at the ASCO meeting and published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

For Baselga, its familiar ground. He moves quickly to explaining that soon patients with breast, ovarian, and pancreatic cancer will need to have their DNA sequenced. To the potential of using drugs like Lynparza, which has a list price of $166,000 a year and is marketed in partnership with Merck, to treat other tumors with similar mutations. It sounds very much like what he frequently used to say at his former job as Memorial Sloan Ketterings chief medical officer.

Last year, Baselga became a national symbol not of science but of a failure to enforce proper boundaries between industry and academia. A series of investigative pieces by the New York Times and ProPublica showed he had not disclosed large payments he had received from drug companies. Last September, Baselga resigned, saying in a letter he hoped this situation will inspire a doubling down on transparency in our field.

Story continues

Read more: Novartis hopes new survival data will help its Kisqali take on Pfizers Ibrance. It probably wont

From the outside, it looked like a career disaster. But Baselga said he was getting multiple offers for new jobs. Hes the best, joked Soriot, laughing as he glanced at his new hire. Soriot said that hed known Baselga for many years and had quietly asked him previously about his interest in joining a pharmaceutical company. When I heard he had decided to leave his institution, I thought, this is the time, Soriot said. This is the chance. I called him.

Baselga barely hesitated. It was so obvious this was just at my sweet spot, Baselga said.

Soriot wanted a new boss for his cancer research and development business because he was afraid that after being built from nothing, it was getting bogged down in bureaucracy. He said that walking into Astras sales booth this week at ASCO, a huge, oval-shaped display filled with touch screens, projections, and hanging orb lights, he was reminded of the small display the company had at the cancer meeting in 2013 shortly after he took command. An analyst meeting then drew only a handful of attendees. They came, he said, because they knew him from his previous job at Roche.

AstraZeneca, once one of the leading cancer companies in the world, had few potential hits. The dominant narrative at the time was that the companys lung cancer drug, Tagrisso, was going to be beaten by a competitor from a small biotech, Clovis Oncology. The critics were wrong. Tagrisso has become one of AstraZenecas top sellers, with $1.86 billion in annual sales last year. And the company has had other victories, too, such as a study in lung cancer that vaulted it into the market for cancer immunotherapies; its Imfinzi had annual sales of $633 million; AstraZeneca made profits of $3.4 billion on sales of $21 billion last year.

But Soriot said he worried that AstraZeneca was losing the very leanness that had made it effective in cancer. In the early days a small team had handled everything. One of the reasons he insists it is better that AstraZeneca did not sell itself to Pfizer in 2014 is because he believes Lynparza and Tagrisso would have been lost in the shuffle if only five employees had left. (He said shareholders have done well and received dividends, even though the Pfizer deal valued AstraZeneca at $118 billion, slightly more than its current market capitalization. It is also true that as a leader I could have made more money saying yes to Pfizer at the time, he remarked. But as a shareholder Im very happy with how well weve done.)

Now he wants to be a leader in cancer. We are far from there, Soriot said. We are number 6 or 7 in sales terms, but in science terms I think we are in the top 3.New Delhi (AFP) - Four British climbers have been rescued from an avalanche-hit Himalayan mountain range, Indian authorities said Sunday, as a frantic search continued for eight other mountaineers still missing on its treacherous heights.

Helicopters airlifted the rescued group to safety after they were spotted early Sunday at a base camp near India's second highest mountain, the 7,826-metre (25,643-foot) Nanda Devi.

Scores of emergency workers were combing the peaks on foot and using two choppers as rescue operations entered a second day, having been hampered by rough weather on Saturday.

The eight missing climbers -- four Britons, two Americans, an Australian woman and an Indian -- were last week set to scale an unclimbed summit in the mountain range, which includes the world's 23rd highest peak.

Authorities said the four rescued were not part of the larger group but were in touch with them until May 26, a day before the avalanche struck the mountain.

"They were climbing separately but were in touch with the larger group. Heavy snowfall and bad weather had left them stuck at the base camp," R.C. Rajguru, police chief of Pithoragarh district -- where the peak is located -- told AFP.

Rajguru said there was no certain information on the location or safety of the mountaineers, who started their ascent on May 13.

The group, led by British climber Martin Moran -- who has successfully climbed the mountain twice in the past -- had initially set out for the Nanda Devi peak but a later post on his Facebook page hinted that they were attempting to scale a virgin peak in the region.

The group was expected to report back to the Munsiyari base camp on May 26 but a porter stationed at the camp reported to authorities that the group remained missing on May 31, prompting a search operation.

The British High Commission in New Delhi said they were in touch with the local authorities "following reports that a number of British nationals are missing in the Indian Himalayas".

Story continues

--'Hopeful'--

Pithoragarh district magistrate Vijay Kumar Jogdande told AFP Sunday's search operation continued for seven hours in which the four climbers, including a woman, were rescued from the base camp.

The mission will continue on Monday, with two choppers scanning the area.

"We are hopeful to get some clues but its not an easy task," said Jogdande, adding the climbers were likely trekking heights above 6,000 metres when the avalanche struck amid ongoing heavy snowfall.

Hundreds of climbers from across the world visit India to scale mountains located across the Himalayan belt, but the twin peaks of Nanda Devi are the toughest to scale.

The first successful ascent to the Nada Devi summit was in 1936.

India has 10 peaks above 7,000 metres, including Kangchenjunga -- the world's third highest -- sandwiched between India and Nepal.

Four Indians were among 11 climbers that died climbing Mount Everest in the latest season that ended this week amid allegations of overcrowding on the world's highest peak.

The deaths caused massive outrage, with mountaineering experts criticising the government of Nepal for giving permits to anyone ready to pay $11,000, letting rookie climbers risk their lives and those of others on the slopes.Paris (AFP) - A French minister said Sunday he had "no regrets" over the handling of the "yellow vest" protests, even if stun grenades and rubber bullets cost some demonstrators a hand or an eye.

Junior interior minister Laurent Nunez's comments came as a group of people who said they had been mutilated while taking part in the anti-government protests marched in Paris.

"We have no regrets over the way that we have handled public order and public safety," Nunez told broadcaster RTL/LCI.

"When there is an attack on the police and there is a proportionate response, yes there can be injuries," said Nunez.

"It's not because a hand has been blown off, because an eye has been blinded, that the violence is illegal. I'm not apologising, I'm leaving it to the justice system of my country," he added.

The French authorities have been criticised sharply for their handling of the protests.

Six months after a spontaneous revolt in rural and small-town France began against President Emmanuel Macron, the often violent protests by people wearing fluorescent yellow vests still continue ever Saturday.

Nunez described the yellow vest protests as an "unprecedented crisis", the likes of which France had not faced in 50 or 60 years.

Despite that, he added, "overall, things went well so far as public order is concerned".

Between 300 and 400 people took part in what they called a "march of the mutilated" in Paris Sunday, denouncing the police use of stun grenades and rubber bullets.

A number of protesters -- and some bystanders -- have lost the use of an eye when hit by the rubber bullets, and some people who tried to pick up the stun grenades lost a hand as they exploded.

Overall since the protests began on November 17, 2,448 demonstrators and 1,797 police and gendarmes have been injured during the marches, according to interior ministry figures released on May 13.

Story continues

- 'Every confidence in police' -

On Thursday, Paris prosecutor Remy Heitz told Le Parisien newspaper that any police involved in unwarranted violence against yellow vest protestors would be in court by the end of the year.

Heitz said there had been more than 170 cases of police violence reviewed, with 57 of them completed and awaiting a decision whether to prosecute.

On Friday, government spokesman Sibeth Ndiaye told French broadcaster LCI that police officers who used unjustified violence had to be punished.

Nunez on Sunday said very few police officers were under investigation and even fewer such cases were being picked up by the prosecutor to take to court.

"A prosecution does not mean there will be a conviction," and where there was a conviction, there would be an appeal, he added.

"I have every confidence in the police and the gendarmes of this country... we know that they have used force in a proportionate way in most cases, and force has only been used when it has been in response to violent attacks against themselves or against our institutions."

The position of the interior ministry had always been that if there had been mistakes made in the use of force, there would be sanctions, he added -- but that was in "an infinitesimal number of cases".

In March, UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet called for a "full investigation" into the possible use of excessive force by French police during the yellow vest protests.Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card!

Gerard Perrier Industrie S.A. (EPA:PERR), which is in the electrical business, and is based in France, received a lot of attention from a substantial price movement on the ENXTPA over the last few months, increasing to 53.8 at one point, and dropping to the lows of 48.3. 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 Gerard Perrier Industrie's current trading price of 49.8 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 Gerard Perrier Industries outlook and value based on the most recent financial data to see if there are any catalysts for a price change.

Check out our latest analysis for Gerard Perrier Industrie

What's the opportunity in Gerard Perrier Industrie?

Good news, investors! Gerard Perrier Industrie is still a bargain right now. My valuation model shows that the intrinsic value for the stock is 63.78, which is above what the market is valuing the company at the moment. This indicates a potential opportunity to buy low. Another thing to keep in mind is that Gerard Perrier Industries share price may be quite stable relative to the rest of the market, as indicated by its low beta. This means that if you believe the current share price should move towards its intrinsic value over time, a low beta could suggest it is not likely to reach that level anytime soon, and once its there, it may be hard to fall back down into an attractive buying range again.

What kind of growth will Gerard Perrier Industrie generate?

ENXTPA:PERR Past and Future Earnings, June 2nd 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 profit expected to grow by a double-digit 12% over the next couple of years, the outlook is positive for Gerard Perrier Industrie. 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? Since PERR is currently undervalued, it may be a great time to accumulate more of your holdings in the stock. With an optimistic outlook on the horizon, it seems like this growth has not yet been fully factored into the share price. However, there are also other factors such as financial health to consider, which could explain the current undervaluation.

Are you a potential investor? If youve been keeping an eye on PERR for a while, now might be the time to enter the stock. Its prosperous future outlook isnt fully reflected in the current share price yet, which means its not too late to buy PERR. But before you make any investment decisions, consider other factors such as the track record of its management team, in order to make a well-informed investment decision.

Price is just the tip of the iceberg. Dig deeper into what truly matters  the fundamentals  before you make a decision on Gerard Perrier Industrie. You can find everything you need to know about Gerard Perrier Industrie in the latest infographic research report. If you are no longer interested in Gerard Perrier Industrie, 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.



Uber just filed its first quarterly report as a publicly traded company. Although it lost $1bn, investors may still do well because the losses appear to be declining.

Related: The Uber drivers forced to sleep in parking lots to make a decent living

Uber drivers, on the other hand, arent doing well. According to a recent study, about half of New Yorks Uber drivers are supporting families with children, yet 40% depend on Medicaid and another 18% on food stamps.

Its similar elsewhere in the new American economy. Last week, the New York Times reported that fewer than half of Google workers are full-time employees. Most are temps and contractors receiving a fraction of the wages and benefits of full-time Googlers, with no job security.

Across America, the fastest-growing category of new jobs is gig work  contract, part-time, temp, self-employed and freelance. And a growing number of people work for staffing firms that find them gig jobs.

The standard economic measures  unemployment and income  look better than Americans feel

Estimates vary but its safe to say almost a quarter of American workers are now gig workers. Which helps explain why the standard economic measures  unemployment and income  look better than Americans feel.

The jobs problem today isnt just stagnant wages. Its also uncertain incomes. A downturn in demand, change in consumer preferences, or a personal injury or sickness, can cause future paychecks to disappear. Yet nearly 80% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck.

According to polls, about a quarter of American workers worry they wont be earning enough in the future. Thats up from 15% a decade ago. Such fears are fueling working-class grievances in America, and presumably elsewhere around world where steady jobs are vanishing.

Gig work is also erasing 85 years of hard-won labor protections.

At the rate gig work is growing, future generations wont have a minimum wage, unemployment insurance, workers compensation for injuries, employer-provided social security, overtime, family and medical leave, disability insurance, or the right to form unions and collectively bargain.

Story continues

Why is this happening? Because its so profitable for corporations to use gig workers instead of full-time employees.

Gig workers are about 30% cheaper because companies pay them only when they need them, and dont have to spend on the above-mentioned labor protections.

Increasingly, businesses need only a small pool of talent anchored in the enterprise  innovators and strategists responsible for the firms competitive strength.

Other workers are becoming fungible, sought only for reliability and low cost. So, in effect, economic risks are shifting to them.

Its a great deal for companies like Uber and Google. They set workers rates, terms, and working conditions, while at the same time treating them like arms-length contractors.

California is countering Trump on this, as on other issues

But for many workers it amounts to wage theft.

If America still had a Department of Labor, it would be setting national standards to stop this.

Yet Trumps Anti-Labor Department is heading in opposite direction. It recently proposed a rule making it easier for big corporations to outsource work to temp and staffing firms, and escape liability if those contracting firms violate the law, such as not paying workers for jobs completed.

On the other hand, California is countering Trump on this, as on other issues.

Last Wednesday, the California assembly passed legislation codifying an important California supreme court decision: in order for companies to treat workers as independent contractors, the workers must be free from company control, doing work thats not central to the companys business, and have an independent business in that trade.

(The bill is not yet law. It still has to pass the California Senate and be signed by the governor. And businesses are seeking a long list of exemptions  including ride-share drivers and many of high-techs contract workers.)

The Capitol in Sacramento, California  where one state government is countering Trump on the gig economy.

The Capitol in Sacramento, California  where one state government is countering Trump on the gig economy.Photograph: Rich Pedroncelli/AP

Whatever national rule eventually emerges for defining gig workers, theyll need a different system of social insurance than was the case when steady full-time employment was the norm.

Related: Gig economy: California bill granting employee status passes assembly

For example, they need income insurance rather than unemployment insurance. One model: If someones monthly income dips below their average monthly income from all jobs over the preceding five years, they automatically receive half the difference for up to a year.

Theyll also need a guaranteed minimum basic income  a subsistence-level cushion against earnings downturns. And universal health insurance and more generous social security, to make up for the unpredictability of work.

All of this should be financed by higher corporate taxes, ideally in proportion to a corporations use of gig workers.

Gig work is making capitalism harsher. Unless government defines legitimate gig work more narrowly and provides stronger safety nets for gig workers, gig capitalism cannot endure.Seoul (AFP) - The intensifying US-China trade war and rising fuel prices will continue to bog down airline profits this year, the International Air Transport Association said Sunday.

The warning came at the annual meeting of global airlines in Seoul, where it was revealed that 2019's collective net profit was forecast to be $28 billion, down from an outlook of $35.5 billion released in December.

The grim outlook was driven by rising costs across the board, including labour, fuel and infrastructure, the IATA said, adding the worsening trade war between the two world powers was not helping.

"Weakening of global trade is likely to continue as the US-China trade war intensifies," said IATA chief executive Alexandre de Juniac.

"This primarily impacts the cargo business, but passenger traffic could also be impacted as tensions rise," he added.

The world's top two economies have been locked in a trade war since last year, swapping tit-for-tat duties on hundreds of billions of dollars worth of goods and sending markets into a tailspin.

The fallout has reached far beyond their shores, with manufacturing in many export-dependent Asian economies taking a hit.

Brian Pearce, chief economist at the IATA, forecast "zero growth at best" for air cargo traffic this year, noting the impact of the trade tariffs imposed in the first half of 2018.

The Asia-Pacific region, which accounts for around 40 percent of global air cargo traffic, was "clearly under pressure", he added.

"Cargo is such an important feature that the weakness in trade and the risk surrounding trade will mean profitability will be weaker in this region," Pearce said.

He painted a "mixed picture" for the region, noting that Asian countries -- notably India and China -- will lead a "reasonable" five-percent global growth in the passenger business.

Pearce did not rule out a possible industry recession but pointed to the rise in air travel demand and said: "At the moment it doesn't look like we are going to have one in 2019."

Story continues

- 'Reputation in the spotlight' -

This year's meeting of the IATA, which represents some 290 airlines comprising 82 percent of global air traffic, comes after two crashes in October and March that left hundreds of people dead.

Both accidents involved Boeing's 737 MAX 8 jetliners, turning the world's largest aircraft maker into a liability that put the industry's "reputation in the spotlight", de Juniac said.

The 737 MAX 8 was grounded by US authorities in March, following in the footsteps of several other countries.

Multiple airlines have indicated they will seek compensation for the fact they could not use the 737 MAX 8 planes in their fleets.

Pearce, the IATA chief economist, played down the economic impact of the US jetliner's grounding on the industry, noting the 737 MAX 8 accounted for "less than two percent" of the global fleet.

"So it's actually fairly minor," he said. "It'd be more important to some airlines... but it hasn't been a driving factor."

The IATA chief said last week the troubled jetliner will remain grounded for at least 10 to 12 more weeks, saying the decision was in the hands of the regulators.

Prior to the two crashes which killed 346 people, airline regulators worldwide generally recognised certifications issued by their peer in the country where the aircraft was built, which in this case was the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Following the crashes however, the Seattle Times reported that the FAA had delegated part of the certification process for the plane to Boeing engineers.

"Trust in the certification system has been damaged -- among regulators, between regulators and the industry and with the flying public," de Juniac said Sunday.

"While Boeing and the US Federal Aviation Administration are at centre stage, the close collaboration of counterpart manufacturers and civil aviation authorities around the world are essential," he added.

Acting FAA Administrator Daniel Elwell said after a meeting on May 23 that his administration was more focused on making sure the 737 MAX 8 was safe than in drawing up a timetable for its return to service.Superior Trifft Store. | Photo: Jenny P./Yelp

Visiting Waterloo, or just looking to better appreciate what it has to offer? Get to know this Stockton neighborhood by browsing its most popular local businesses, from a bakery to a thrift store.

Hoodline crunched the numbers to find the top places to visit in Waterloo, using both Yelp data and our own secret sauce to produce a ranked list of neighborhood businesses. Read on for the results.

1. Genova Bakery

Photo: Rachel K./Yelp

Topping the list is Genova Bakery. Located at 749 N. Sierra Nevada St., the bakery and deli is the highest-rated business in the neighborhood, boasting 4.5 stars out of 236 reviews on Yelp.

The menu includes a make-your-own-sandwich section with the choice of over 50 different meats, cheeses, toppings and bread. There are also baked goods like cannoli and biscotti.

2. Superior Thrift Store

Next up is Superior Thrift Store, situated at 1135 N. Wilson Way. With four stars out of 101 reviews on Yelp, it's proven to be a local favorite.

You'll find a large selection of men and women's clothing, jewelry, antiques, collectibles, houseware, toys and more.

Yelper Angie B. wrote, "This place has a tremendous variety and selection! Me and my girlfriend come here often and we always walk out with a bunch of items. I'd definitely say that if you're looking to thrift and are interested in some trendy finds, to come here."

3. Hacienda Sahuayo

Photo: Nancy S./Yelp

Mexican restaurant Hacienda Sahuayo is another top choice. Yelpers give the business, located at 902 Waterloo Road, four stars out of 68 reviews.

On the menu, you'll find items like tortas, fajitas, quesadillas, tacos and more. The tortillas are handmade.

"The best authentic Mexican food! Handmade tortillas ... the carne asada and their sauces are yummy! Rice and beans are exceptional," wrote Suzzette B.

4. Tommy's Cafe

Photo: Mimi P./Yelp

Tommy's Cafe, a cafe and breakfast spot that offers burgers and more, is another neighborhood go-to, with four stars out of 55 Yelp reviews. Head over to 678 N. Wilson Way to see for yourself.

According to the restaurant's website, Tommy's Cafe does things the "old-fashioned way," and makes everything from scratch. On the menu, you'll find pancakes and French toast, omelet, skillets, egg scrambles and more.

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.Light heavyweight Alexander Gustafsson announced his retirement after a submission loss in his hometown at UFC Stockholm on Saturday night.

Gustafsson was submitted via rear-naked choke by veteran fighter Anthony Smith in the fourth round.

Afterward, Gustafsson left his gloves in the Octagon, a traditional sign of retirement.

"The show is over, guys" Gustafsson, 32, said. .".. It feels like I don't have it in me anymore, to be honest."

"It feels like I do mistakes that I shouldn't, so I just have the feeling it's the time now. I don't want be a journeyman. I don't want to do this because I'm getting paid. I just want to do this because I love it and I want to be at the top."

Gustafsson (18-6) has been on a downturn over his most recent fights, losing the past two and four of the past six.

Smith (31-14) was coming off a loss to Jon Jones and said he broke his left hand during the fight.

Jones, who had a classic win over Gustafsson in 2013, praised Gustafsson on social media afterward.

"Honestly I don't believe you but if you're serious, thank you for everything," Jones tweeted. "You held the division to a standard and made us better. Go kick (expletive) with that Family."

--Field Level MediaMillions of Indonesians were on the move at the weekend as they returned home to villages and towns across the world's biggest Muslim nation to mark the end of Ramadan.

Some 15 million people were expected to clear out of Jakarta alone -- about half the megacity's population -- in an annual exodus known as "mudik" that leaves the capital's usually traffic-clogged streets nearly empty.

The migration takes a toll on Indonesia's roads, and travellers who pack their families and luggage into cars or motorbikes to face gruelling trips that can last up to 24 hours.

In past years scores of people have been killed in road accidents during the exodus.

Highways on Java island, which is home to more than half of Indonesia's 260 million people, were packed with travellers eager to celebrate the end of Ramadan with loved ones.

Holidaymakers also crowded into airports, train stations and ports to reach destinations across the 17,000 island archipelago.

Some even made their getaways on a bajaj, a three-wheeled taxi usually confined to city streets.

"The travel time will be between 14 to 20 hours. If the traffic is okay, it's 14 hours but if things are congested it will take 20 hours or even more," said Jakarta-based bajaj driver Sugeng Puji who was headed to Kebumen in Central Java.

But unlike previous years when travellers were stuck in hours-long traffic jams, this year's congestion was relatively light.

Dwi Soejatmoko, who was making the 550 kilometre (340 miles) journey from Jakarta to Indonesia's cultural capital Yogyakarta, said the trip had so far been headache-free.

"There aren't a lot of traffic jams this year," he told AFP.

"Our car was crawling, but it wasn't at a standstill."

Like China's Lunar New Year holiday or Christmas, the mass movement kicks off an extended holiday when many Indonesians celebrate Eid, the end of the holy fasting month, with family.LONDON (Reuters) - Reacting to a U.S. offer to talk with Iran without pre-conditions, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Sunday it was Washington that had left the negotiating table, and it "should return to normal state".

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Sunday the United States is prepared to engage with Iran without pre-conditions about its nuclear program, but needs to see the country behaving like "a normal nation".

Rouhani was quoted by the government's official website as saying: "The other side that left the negotiating table and breached a treaty should return to normal state. Until then, we do not have a choice but resistance."

(Reporting by Bozorgmehr Sharafedin; Editing by Peter Graff)Baghdad (AFP) - An Iraqi court on Sunday sentenced to death an eighth Frenchman for joining the Islamic State group, rejecting his claims he was tortured into confessing.

Fodil Tahar Aouidate, 32, first appeared in court on May 27 but a judge delayed his trial to allow for a medical examination.

"The medical report shows that there are no signs of torture on his body," the judge told the court.

Aouidate showed no reaction when the judge handed down his death sentence, according to an AFP journalist at the trial.

He was one of 11 French citizens and a Tunisian handed over to Iraqi authorities early this year by a US-backed force in Syria which expelled the jihadist group from its last bastion.

A Baghdad court had already handed capital punishments to seven of the French jihadists and the Tunisian over the past week and Aouidate will now join them on death row.

Interrogated for four months, Aouidate alleged he was beaten to "confess" to the charges levelled against him.

During his first hearing he showed marks on his back to the judge, who requested a medical examination and report.

Human Rights Watch on Friday accused Iraqi interrogators of "using a range of torture techniques" and condemned France's "outsourcing" of trials of IS suspects to "abusive justice systems".

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.

Aouidate first went to Syria in 2013 and returned in 2014 with 22 members of his family to join IS, according to the French judiciary.

Authorities also linked him to Belgium's Salafist movement including Abdelhamid Abaaoud, the presumed mastermind of the 2015 Paris attacks.

France convicted two of Aouidate's sisters for "financing terrorism" for sending 15,000 euros to relatives in Syria.BAGHDAD, June 2 (Reuters) - An Iraqi court sentenced two French men to death on Sunday after finding them guilty of being members of Islamic State, a prosecutor told Reuters.

"There was sufficient evidence to hand down a death sentence. They both were fighters of the terrorist Islamic State organization," the prosecutor said on condition of anonymity since he was not authorized to speak to the media. (Reporting by Ahmed Rasheed Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky)Beirut (AFP) - Israel carried out air strikes in Syria on Sunday in response to rare rocket fire from the neighbouring country, its military said, with a war monitor reporting 10 killed including Syrian soldiers and foreign fighters.

Israel's army said two rockets were fired from Syria at Mount Hermon in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights late Saturday and one had been "located within Israeli territory."

In response, the army attacked "two Syrian artillery batteries, a number of observation and intelligence posts on the Golan Heights, and an SA-2 aerial defence battery," its statement said.

The Israeli attack left three Syrian soldiers and seven foreign fighters dead, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

According to the Britain-based war monitor, which did not specify the nationality of the foreign fighters, they died in missile strikes close the capital Damascus where Syrian troops, Iranian forces and Hezbollah fighters are stationed.

Syrian anti-aircraft defences fired against "enemy missiles" from Israel targeting positions in southwest Damascus, the official SANA news agency quoted a military source as saying.

The Israeli army said its own aerial defence systems were activated due to the Syrian anti-aircraft fire, but none of the Syrian fire hit Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had ordered the strike.

"We won't tolerate fire at our territory and will respond forcefully to any aggression against us," he said.

- Hundreds of strikes -

Israel has carried out hundreds of air strikes in Syria, most of them against what it says are Iranian and Hezbollah targets.

Israel says it is determined to prevent its arch foe Iran from entrenching itself militarily in Syria, where Tehran backs President Bashar al-Assad in the country's eight-year war which has killed more than 370,000 people.

The Jewish state insists that it has the right to continue to target positions in Syria held by Iran and its Lebanese ally Hezbollah out of self-defence.

Story continues

On May 27 Syria said Israel carried out a missile attack in Quneitra, in what the Israeli army said was retaliation for anti-aircraft fire targeting one of its fighter jets.

Syrian air defence batteries also intercepted projectiles from Israel and downed a number of them on May 17, according to SANA.

The Syrian province of Quneitra includes the Golan Heights, most of which is occupied and annexed by Israel.

In January, Israel hit Iranian positions in Syria, saying it was in response to Iranian missile fire from the war-torn country. According to the Observatory, 21 people, mainly Iranians, were killed in those raids.

The latest reported strike comes amid soaring tensions between Iran and the United States.

The stand-off had been simmering since the United States last year withdrew from the 2015 nuclear treaty which Iran reached with major world powers.

In recent weeks the United States has accused Iran of alleged threats and deployed an aircraft carrier group and B-52 bombers to the Gulf.* Show about undercover commandos sets sights on Gaza

* Despite boycott calls, Netflix season airs early '20

By Dan Williams

TEL AVIV, June 2 (Reuters) - "Fauda," an Israeli TV series that has become a Netflix hit for its unsparing portrayal of undercover commandos who pose as Palestinians to pursue Hamas guerrillas, promises to dig deeper into the conflict in its third season.

The first two seasons took place mostly in the occupied West Bank. This time, showrunners Avi Issacharoff and Lior Raz have set much of it in the Gaza Strip, where the armed Islamist faction rules and has fought three wars against Israel.

"This is going to be much more dark, much more emotional," Raz, who also plays Fauda's tortured lead character, told Reuters at a dusty, smoke-wreathed underground Tel Aviv power plant repurposed to look like a Hamas tunnel and bunker network.

The show, which has bilingual scripts in Hebrew and Arabic, has been praised internationally for its gritty realism - the New York Times listed it as one of the best shows of 2017 - while being criticized by pro-Palestinian campaigners who describe it as gung-ho, pro-Israeli war propaganda.

The title means "chaos" in Arabic and is the commandos' codeword for when an operation goes awry.

The creators acknowledge that they come to the conflict from an Israeli perspective: "At the end of the day, Lior and I - we're both Jews, Israelis, Zionists. We cannot be fair. This is not a joint narrative," Issacharoff told Reuters.

Nevertheless, they say it succeeds because the Palestinian characters are nuanced and complex. Palestinians, they hope, could enjoy it too.

"We want to bring people to watch this story and the plot that we are writing. We are not trying to change the world," Raz said. "We can try to make people to start to talk to each other and to try to understand each other much better."

On the set, Israeli Arab actors playing Palestinian militants milled about in camouflage uniforms wielding replica Kalashnikovs. In between exchanges of dialog in Arabic, they took instruction in Hebrew from the director.

Story continues

Some pro-Palestinian activists have called for a boycott of Netflix for broadcasting it.

"The series was not written by Europeans or Americans or Africans. It was written by the aggressors, by the criminals themselves," said a commentary on the Arabic website Vice.

Yet Yasmeen Serhan, a Palestinian writer in London, wrote in the Atlantic that she found herself unable to stop watching, even though "it sometimes had me yelling at the screen." (Additional reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi Writing by Dan Williams Editing by Peter Graff)Photos: Petfinder

Looking to add a new companion to the family? There are dozens of fluffy felines up for adoption at animal shelters in and around Indianapolis, so you won't have to look far to find the perfect fit.

Hoodline used data from Petfinder to power this roundup of kittens available for adoption near you. Read on to meet some friendly, furry locals.

(Details like pet availability, training, vaccinations and other features are based on data provided by Petfinder and may be subject to change; contact the shelter for the latest information.)

Little Foot, domestic shorthair

Little Foot is a female domestic shorthair kitten being cared for at FACE Low-Cost Animal Clinic. Little Foot gets along well with kids, dogs or cats. She has all of her shots. Fear not: She's already house-trained. Notes from Little Foot's caretakers: Read more about how to adopt Little Foot on Petfinder.

Little Foot is a little lady that is equal parts playful and loving. She loves to be held and will follow you around. She is a professional "biscuit maker" when she is being petted. She would make a great addition to any household and would do best with a cat friend or dog friend.

Isabelle, domestic shorthair mix

Isabelle is a lovable female domestic shorthair kitten currently residing at Catcityusa. Isabelle loves other cats and dogs. She's already house-trained. Her vaccinations are up to date. Notes from Isabelle's caretakers: Apply to adopt Isabelle today at Petfinder.

Cute and ready for her forever home. Real lover, too. Very playful and soft.

Kit, domestic shorthair mix

Kit is a male domestic shorthair kitten currently housed at Helping Paws, Inc. Kit is ready to make friends  he's happy to keep company with kids, cats or dogs. He is already house-trained. He has been vaccinated. Notes from Kit's caretakers: Read more about Kit on Petfinder.

Kit is one of our cats available for adoption at the Fishers (7236 Fishers Crossing Drive, Fishers, IN 46038) Pet Supplies Plus. He is a 5-month-old black and white cat. He is funny, very curious and fairly independent. Kit is also very sweet and loves to cuddle.

Story continues

Squiggy, domestic shorthair mix

Squiggy is an adorable male domestic shorthair kitten in the care of Helping Paws, Inc. Squiggy plays well with others, and he's happy to keep company with kids, cats or dogs. His vaccinations are already up to date. He's mastered his house-training etiquette. Squiggy's current caretakers say: Read more about Squiggy on Petfinder.

This is Squiggy, who is just awesome!! He LOVES to play with his twin brother Lenny (and would love to be adopted with him). He is about 6 months old and wants to be a part of anything and everything that is happening.

Small Fry, domestic shorthair

Small Fry is a sweet male domestic shorthair kitten currently housed at Helping Paws, Inc. Small Fry gets along well with kids, dogs or cats. He has mastered his house-training etiquette. He's already been neutered. From Small Fry's current caretaker: Read more about how to adopt Small Fry on Petfinder.

This is Small Fry and he is going to be a smaller guy. He is about 8 to 9 months. As you might be able to see he has a cloudy eye on the left due to a corneal ulceration but he did great through it all and doesn't let it stop him one bit.

This story was created automatically using local animal shelter data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.PARIS, June 2 (Reuters) - The leader of France's center-right opposition Les Republicains political party Laurent Wauquiez said on Sunday he will quit as the party's president after it recorded its lowest score ever in last week's European parliament elections.

The former ruling party until 2012, scored 8.48% in the election, coming in fourth behind the far-right National Rally, the ruling LREM and the Greens.

"Victories are collective, defeats are solitary. That is the way it is. I have to take my responsibilities," Wauquiez said on TF1 television.

"My decision tonight is a thoughtful decision, I have decided to take a step back, I'm stepping down as President of Les Republicains," he said. (Reporting by Caroline Pailliez and Bate Felix; editing by David Evans)Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, rebuked the United Kingdoms efforts to welcome President Donald Trump for his three-day state visit to the European nation that begins Monday.

In an 841-word opinion piece published by The Guardian on Saturday, Khan condemns Trump for starting an immigration policy that separated children from parents, using racism and xenophobia as election tactics and introducing a travel ban on predominantly-Muslim countries.

No, these are not the actions of European dictators of the 1930s and 40s. Nor the military juntas of the 1970s and 80s. Im not talking about Vladimir Putin or Kim Jong-un. These are the actions of the leader of our closest ally, the President of the United States of America, Khan writes.

Khan, the first Muslim to be elected Londons mayor, and a member of Britains Labour Party, warns readers of an expanding allegiance to far-right politics, and classifies Trump as one of the most egregious examples of a growing global threat.

Khan and the President have a contentious history. When terrorists killed eight people and badly injured 48 more during an attack on the London Bridge in 2017, Trump criticized the mayor in a tweet.

At least 7 dead and 48 wounded in terror attack and Mayor of London says there is no reason to be alarmed!' Trump wrote. Though Khans fuller remarks were that Londoners should not be alarmed by an increased police presence in the days after the attack.

A spokesperson for the mayor called Trumps tweet ill-informed at the time.

Khans op-ed comes right after Trump gave a preliminary endorsement to Boris Johnson, saying the Conservative party member would be excellent and would do a very good job running the country after current Prime Minister and fellow Conservative party member Theresa May steps down for failing to to deliver the Brexit she had promised.

Story continues

In his op-ed, the 48-year-old mayor writes that politicians on the far-right are constructing lies to stoke up fear and to attack the fundamental pillars of a healthy democracy  equality under the law, the freedom of the press and an independent justice system.

Thats why its so un-British to be rolling out the red carpet this week for a formal state visit for a President whose divisive behaviour flies in the face of the ideals America was founded upon.

In light of these things, Khan argues, the Prime Minister should publicly decry Trump.

Theresa May should issue a powerful rejection  not of the U.S. as a country or the office of the presidency, but of Trump and the far-right agenda he embodies. She should say that the citizens of the U.K. and the U.S. agree on many things, but that Trumps views are incompatible with British values, he says.

Trump is visiting the U.K with his wife, Melania Trump, and senior advisors Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner. His adult children Eric Trump, Tiffany Trump and Donald Trump, Jr. will also reportedly in attendance.By Julie Steenhuysen

CHICAGO (Reuters) - AstraZeneca and Merck & Co's Lynparza helped patients with advanced pancreatic cancer who carry BRCA gene mutations go nearly twice as long without their disease worsening than those who received a placebo, according to data from a late-stage clinical trial presented on Sunday.

BRCA mutations are typically linked with breast and ovarian cancers, but occur in other cancers as well.

Lynparza was tested against a placebo as a maintenance therapy in 154 patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer whose tumors had not progressed after chemotherapy.

Those who received the Merck and AstraZeneca drug on average went 7.4 months before their disease began to worsen, a measure known as progression-free survival (PFS). That compared with a median PFS of 3.8 months for placebo, according to data presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting in Chicago.

For the 6-7% of pancreatic cancer patients who carry these inherited mutations, the finding is significant.

"This was clearly positive," said Dr. Eileen O'Reilly, a pancreatic cancer expert at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, who helped lead the study.

O'Reilly said the findings reinforce new guidelines from the National Comprehensive Cancer Network recommending universal BRCA testing for all patients with pancreatic cancer.

Mutations in BRCA genes impair the ability to repair DNA damage, which can drive cancer growth. Lynparza and other drugs in the class known as PARP inhibitors keep cancer cells damaged by chemotherapy from repairing themselves. Lynparza became the first PARP drug to reach the market with a U.S. approval for ovarian cancer in late 2014.

"In pancreatic cancer, progress has been really slow so this is really quite exciting data for patients who have the BRCA mutation," said Dr. Baynes, Merck's chief medical officer.

An interim analysis, however, showed the drug made no significant difference in overall survival.

Story continues

"We typically see about 10 to 12 months" for overall survival in these patients, O'Reilly said. Patients in both arms of the Lynparza study lived about 18 to 19 months.

The companies expect results in the second half of the year for Lynparza in prostate cancer patients with BRCA mutations, and have ongoing studies in endometrial and lung cancer.

"We are now talking about a medicine that actually may have the opportunity to improve outcomes for patients across a multitude of cancer types if they are harboring the BRCA mutation," Dave Fredrickson, AstraZeneca's global head of oncology, said in an interview.

Lynparza is an important growth driver for AstraZeneca, generating $647 million in sales last year. Analysts have forecast $2.5 billion in revenue from the drug in 2023, according to Refinitiv data. Use in pancreatic cancer in addition to breast and ovarian cancer would boost Lynparza sales and cement its lead over rival PARP inhibitors Rubraca from Clovis Oncology, GSK's Zejula and Pfizer's talazoparib.

(Reporting by Julie Steenhuysen; additional reporting by Ludwig Burger in Frankfurt; editing by Bill Berkrot)By Sharay Angulo

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexican and U.S. officials were preparing on Sunday for upcoming talks aimed at averting a major trade clash after U.S. President Donald Trump vowed to impose punitive tariffs on all Mexican goods in an intensifying dispute over migration.

Mexican Economy Minister Graciela Marquez said on Sunday she would meet with U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross in Washington on Monday, as the two governments begin holding talks to resolve the issue in the U.S. capital in the coming week.

Trump says he will apply tariffs of 5% on Mexican goods on June 10 if Mexico does not halt the flow of illegal immigration, largely from Central America, across the U.S.-Mexican border.

The U.S. president lashed out on Twitter on Sunday morning, calling Mexico an "abuser of the United States, taking but never giving," and repeating his tariff threats. He doubled down a few hours later.

"Mexico is sending a big delegation to talk about the Border. Problem is, they've been 'talking' for 25 years," Trump wrote. "We want action, not talk. They could solve the Border Crisis in one day if they so desired. Otherwise, our companies and jobs are coming back to the USA!"

The tariffs will gradually rise to 25% if Mexico does not comply with Trump's demands. That threatens major economic damage to Mexico, which sends about 80% of its exports to the United States.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador hinted on Saturday that his government could agree to tighten migration controls to defuse Trump's threat, and said he expected "good results" from the talks in Washington.

Speaking on Sunday afternoon at an event to mark the start of construction on an oil refinery in southern Mexico, Lopez Obrador did not refer directly to the trade dispute, but said he wanted to send a "memorandum" to the American people.

"The Mexican government is a friend of the United States government. The president of Mexico wants to stay friends with President Donald Trump. But above all, we are friends of the American people," Lopez Obrador said.

Story continues

In words directed at the U.S. public, he added: "We want nothing and no one to break our beautiful and sacred friendship."

DELEGATION

Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard is heading the Mexican delegation, which includes Marquez. Marquez said she spoke to Ross during the inauguration of El Salvador's new president on Saturday, without giving details.

Ebrard is expected to meet U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for talks on the crisis on Wednesday, although Mexican officials say they will be holding other meetings beforehand.

Trump's ultimatum has hurt Mexican financial assets and global stocks, but it met resistance from U.S. business leaders and lawmakers worried about the impact of targeting Mexico, one of the United States' top trade partners.

In his Sunday Twitter broadside, Trump also hit out at U.S. companies operating in Mexico.

"Our many companies and jobs that have been foolishly allowed to move South of the Border, will be brought back into the United States through taxation (Tariffs)," Trump wrote. "America has had enough!"

Lopez Obrador said on Saturday that Mexico would not engage in a trade war, but noted that his government had a "plan" in case Trump did apply the tariffs, without providing details.

He also noted that Mexico reserved the right to seek international legal arbitration to resolve the dispute.

Some Mexican business groups have urged the government to strike back against any Trump tariffs.

On Friday, Mexico's top farm lobby said Lopez Obrador should target agricultural goods from states that support Trump's Republican Party if the U.S. president carries out his threat.

Apprehensions at the U.S. border with Mexico have surged in recent months, although Mexican data also show more deportations and detentions at Mexico's southern border with Guatemala, mostly of Central Americans trying to reach the United States.

The bulk of migrants are fleeing widespread violence and poverty in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. Many seek asylum in the United States when they cross the border.

Trump is pushing Congress to change U.S. law to make it more difficult for the migrants to claim asylum.

(Reporting by Sharay Angulo and Stefanie Eschenbacher; Writing by Dave Graham; Editing by Bill Berkrot and Peter Cooney)Washington is so mired in political gridlock these days that you don't expect to see much bipartisan action anytime soon on much of anything. But legislation to enhance retirement savings seems to have legs, especially after the House passed the bill May 23 by a whopping 417-3 vote.

House Resolution 1994, the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement or SECURE Act, and a similar bill in the Senate would expand access to retirement-savings programs for part-time workers and people employed by small businesses.

It would provide incentives to employers to encourage this and even offer enticements to well-off seniors who own IRAs.

Focus on 401(k) plans

The emphasis, though, is on workplace 401(k)-style programs and getting more nonsavers to participate in them.

Roughly every other U.S. worker holds a job that doesn't offer retirement benefits, according to AARP. The legislation would allow more smaller employers, regardless of industry or business, to band together to create collective 401(k) plans and thereby benefit from economies of scale and reduced administrative hassles.

"It allows for nationwide plans where hundreds or thousands of employers could join together," said Andrew Schreiner, a senior vice president focused on workplace investing at Fidelity Investments. "The No. 1 way to get people on the right path to retirement is to have their employers offer a plan."

More: Jobless in Massachusetts? You're in luck: The best and worst states to be unemployed

More: Is your insurance policy good enough? Here's a checklist to review

The legislation would offer expanded incentives to encourage more smaller employers to offer retirement programs, such as a new $500 annual tax credit to help pay for plan-adoption costs.

Tax credits would be available to employers that adopt retirement plans that use automatic enrollment, automatic contributions, low-cost accounts and similar features. Auto enrollment involves signing up workers unless they opt out.

Story continues

It's an effective way to get reluctant, less-sophisticated people on board by taking advantage of the natural human tendency toward inertia. Once workers are enrolled, they typically stay put.

For more stories that matter, subscribe to azcentral.com.

Retirement coverage still lacking

Granted, workers who lack workplace 401(k)-style plans generally still have access to IRAs, yet they are underutilized. Only 11% of American households contributed to either traditional or Roth IRAs in 2017, according to a study by the Investment Company Institute, a mutual-fund trade group.

That means the better opportunity to extend retirement preparedness lies in employer-sponsored programs, which typically include matching funds and convenient paycheck deductions, among other features.

Another promising aspect of the legislation is that it would expand access to retirement-savings programs beyond full-time staff to include many permanent part-time employees.

Part-time workers and those employed by small businesses are two demographic groups that have been falling behind in retirement preparedness, and part-time employment could expand further with rise of the gig economy.

"Overall, we think it's a great common-sense piece of legislation to make a dent in the (retirement) coverage gap," Schreiner said.

Changes affecting IRAs, annuities

While 401(k) plans are the focus, the legislation also would tweak certain other types of savings accounts, including IRAs.

For seniors who have traditional IRAs and don't immediately need to spend their money, the act would raise the age when required minimum distributions must start from age 70 currently to 72.

Many affluent people in this group often dislike RMDs because withdrawals from traditional IRAs are taxed as ordinary income, and that can make some of a person's Social Security benefits taxable, too. (Roth IRA distributions aren't subject to RMD rules.)

Also under the proposal, people who continue to work into retirement age would be able to continue socking away money into IRAs. Currently, contributions are prohibited beyond age 70.

The program also could expand access to annuities in workplace 401(k)-type plans. Many conservative investors might appreciate this feature, as annuities typically are risk averse and offer a guaranteed income stream for life, making them especially attractive for people who expect to live a long time.

However, most Americans already have or will have access to an annuity-type asset that pays income for life in retirement  Social Security. Many people thus might want to invest more aggressively outside annuities in stock mutual funds, the mainstay holdings of most 401(k) plans.

Reaction generally favorable

In addition to broad bipartisan appeal, the legislation has been welcomed warmly by many in the financial industry.

"Reforms such as repealing the maximum age for making traditional IRA contributions and increasing the age required for mandatory distributions will help align policy with the reality that people are living longer today," said Paul Schott Stevens, president and CEO of the Investment Company Institute, in a prepared statement.

Roger Ferguson Jr., president and CEO of investment-company TIAA, in a prepared statement said the legislation would "holistically improve" the retirement situation for millions of people.

"It will ensure that retirement plans cover more Americans and that they can save enough in such plans to fund sufficiently their retirement," he said.

A bill similar to the House measure has been introduced to the Senate Finance Committee by its chairman, Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, and Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore.

Alleviating financial regrets

The SECURE Act, if passed, could help Americans deal with some of their most pressing financial regrets. Most people in this country admit to having some money-related misgivings, and failure to save is a big one.

MORE: 5 ways to avoid regret with Social Security, retirement planning

Bankrate.com has updated its annual study on financial regrets, which I cited in an earlier column. In the new survey, 76% of respondents said they have at least one financial regret. Topping the remorse list is not having saved early enough for retirement (cited by 27%), followed by not having enough money saved up in an emergency fund (19%).

Other common money regrets include taking on too much credit-card debt (cited by 16%), amassing too much student-loan debt (11%) and not saving enough for a child's education (10%). The survey of 1,000 people was conducted in late April and early May.

Reach Wiles at russ.wiles@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-8616.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: More part-time, small-business workers could build retirement savings accounts under billBELFAST (Reuters) - Police in Northern Ireland discovered a bomb under a police officer's car in Belfast on Saturday that they said was probably planted by militant nationalists intent on killing one of their officers had it not been detected in time.

While a 1998 peace deal largely ended three decades of sectarian violence in Northern Ireland, police officers are sporadically targeted by small splinter groups still active in the British-run province.

The suspicious object was detected in the east of the city on Saturday and declared a viable improvised explosive device following examination by ammunitions officers.

"Our belief is that this attempted murder was carried out by violent dissident republicans. They don't care who they attack, they don't care who they kill. They are simply anti-peace and anti-democracy," Sean Wright, the Police Service of Northern Ireland's Head of Terrorism Investigation Unit said in a statement.

Militant nationalists from the New IRA group placed a car bomb which detonated outside a courthouse in Londonderry in January. No one was injured in the blast.

The killing of a journalist by members of the same group during a riot in the city last month has raised fears militants are trying to exploit political tensions caused by Britain's decision to leave the European Union.

Some 3,600 people were killed in the sectarian conflict that began in the late 1960s between mainly Protestant unionists, who want Northern Ireland to remain part of the United Kingdom, and predominantly Catholic nationalists.

(Reporting by Amanda Ferguson; Writing by Padraic Halpin in Dublin; Editing by Hugh Lawson)



As she returned to New York to waitress and bartend for the first time since being elected to Congress, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said the federal tipped minimum wage was tantamount to indentured servitude.

Related: 'Leader of the resistance': Democratic 2020 candidates converge on California

Before she rose to national fame as the representative for New Yorks 14th congressional district, the 29-year-old from the Bronx worked at a Mexican restaurant in Manhattan. On Friday she went back to waiting tables and mixing drinks, in support of One Fair Wage, a policy that would entitle tipped workers to a minimum wage of $15 an hour plus tips.

The federal minimum wage for restaurant and bar workers and other tip-reliant jobs such as nail salon workers is just $2.13 an hour. Although the minimum wage in New York is $15 an hour, this does not apply to tipped workers, who can be paid as little as $7.50.

Dressed in an apron and standing behind the bar of The Queensboro restaurant in Jackson Heights, Ocasio-Cortez told cheering workers and small business owners the current rate was unacceptable.

The way that we give labour dignity is by paying people the respect and the value that they are worth at minimum

Any job that pays $2.13 an hour is not a job, its indentured servitude, she said, to loud applause. All labour has dignity. And the way that we give labour dignity is by paying people the respect and the value that they are worth at minimum. We have to make one fair wage and we have to raise the national minimum wage to $15 an hour, nothing less.

In cities such as New York, San Francisco and Chicago, she said, the minimum wage should be higher, to support the runaway costs of living.

Because when our rents are running away, when our food costs are running away, in dense cities like New York, Chicago, San Francisco, we need to make sure that people are paid enough to live, period, she said.

Ocasio-Cortez also described how working in the industry for four years, first as a hostess at an Irish pub while in high school and working at restaurants after college, left her dependent on tips and forced to make compromises.

Story continues

I remember working in restaurants, she said, and, you know, you would have someone say something extremely inappropriate to you, or youd have someone touch you, and the thing is it would be the 28th of the month, the 29th of the month. And the first of the next month was rolling right around and you have a rent cheque to pay.

You are more likely to stand up for yourself and to reject sexual harassment on the 15th of the month

And so you are more likely to stand up for yourself and to reject sexual harassment on the 15th of the month, or maybe the 10th of the month, when you could pick up an extra shift to make up for telling that guy to go buzz off.

She said women are particularly vulnerable: As a woman you allow yourself, we allow ourselves, to be more vulnerable than any person should ever be in the United States of America because of economic desperation.

I was nervous that I may have lost my touch - still got it! That muscle memory doesnt quit 



Now lets pass #RaiseTheWage and get $15 an hour minimum for every worker in America. pic.twitter.com/FR0ARUB7bd  Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) May 31, 2019

Before her speech she took orders from excited guests, speaking English and Spanish, and served pizzas before going behind a bar for the first time since she took office. After successfully making her first margarita  her vigorous shaking was met with cheers  she proclaimed: Ive still got it! I was scared.

Related: 'I agree with AOC': Ted Cruz and congresswoman find common ground

Larry Obregon, a bartender at the restaurant, sang Ocasio-Cortezs praises.

Shes great, shes amazing at the bar, he said. She made a margarita, she did a couple of mixed drinks with vodka and other spirits. Obviously, it backs up her background, she used to be in the service industry as well, so she knows exactly what shes talking about.

Bartenders Serena Thomas, 27, and Nikolas Vagenas, 24, who were served eggplant and mushroom pizzas by Ocasio-Cortez, rated the congresswomans customer service.

Thomas said: It was great, she still knows how to do it.

Vagenas: Yeah shes still got it, 100%(Corrected to remove reference in paragraph 8, 10-11 to a pamphlet purporting to be from the campaign of former Vice President Joe Biden. It was not from Biden.)

By Sharon Bernstein and Tim Reid

SAN FRANCISCO, June 1 (Reuters) - Fourteen Democratic presidential candidates sparked cheers and applause in the streets of San Francisco on Saturday as they worked the crowds at the California party's state convention, a sign of the state's heft in upcoming nominating contests.

Their presence lent star power to a lowly state organizing convention that has become a window into the issues and rivalries at stake as Democrats compete for the nomination to run against Republican President Donald Trump in 2020.

"Oh my God, is that Bernie Sanders?" a young woman yelled as she walked passed the tousle-haired progressive icon, who was taking selfies with admirers after addressing a union group.

Following an evening of parties including one emceed by a drag performer in the LGBTQ-friendly city, presidential hopefuls including Sanders and fellow U.S. Senators Kamala Harris and Amy Klobuchar addressed members of the Service Employees International Union before heading into the main convention hall, where more than a dozen were set to speak to the party faithful Saturday and Sunday.

Harris, a native daughter who has been eclipsed in early polling in California by former Vice President Joe Biden and Sanders, made clear she was not taking her home state for granted.

Supporters with signs bearing her name and shouting "Kamala! Kamala!" formed a gauntlet outside of the SEIU event that Sanders was forced to walk through.

"I am here to earn everyones support, and Im going to fight to earn it," she said at a breakfast held by the party's women's caucus.

Notably absent from the event was Biden. As the convention opened on Saturday morning, his aides moved among the crowd.

Biden leads in early polling in the state, but opted not to attend the convention, a move experts said could make him seem above the fray, but could also be risky if Californians come to see him as taking the state for granted.

Story continues

In perhaps a sign of the campaign to come, Sanders, a self-described democratic socialist, polls second behind Biden among Democrats.

A moderate, Biden appeared to be staking a position to the right of Sanders.

The convention opened with a moment of silence for the 12 victims of a gunman in Virginia Beach on Friday, the latest mass shooting in the nation.

"We absolutely insist on common-sense gun laws to end this epidemic of gun violence," Democratic California Governor Gavin Newsom told the crowd of 5,000 delegates, guests and press.

U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who represents the San Francisco congressional district, also spoke to the convention. (Reporting by Sharon Bernstein and Tim Reid Editing by Paul Simao)28th May 2019  Digital asset exchange, OKEx, has announced support for the Association for Abandoned Animals (AAA), a non-governmental organisation that provides cares and shelter to abandoned pets in Malta.

After setting up a new OKEx office in the country with the help of Moira Delia, a Maltese television presenter, actress, and also a well-known animal welfare activist, OKExs management and Malta team decided to team up with her to step in and sponsor AAA. This involves a considerable amount of funds to convert premises into a shelter that follows international best practices and guidelines set by the Malta Animal Welfare Act.

The new AAA building and dog sanctuary were inaugurated on 12th May by Joseph Muscat, Prime Minister of Malta.

As a pioneer in the blockchain and digital asset industry , we always feel obliged to make changes to not only new technology, but also our lives. We have a great passion for animals and we believe they are a vital part of society that human beings rely heavily on, mentally and physically, says Andy Cheung, Head of Operations of OKEx.

We will continue to look into different areas and charitable causes where we can give a helping hand.

The post OKEx helps abandoned pets find homes on Blockchain Island  Malta appeared first on Coin Rivet.By Samia Nakhoul

BEIRUT (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.

Jason Greenblatt, Trump's Middle East envoy, said "rumours" about an expansion into Egypt's Sinai desert were false. He declined to give details of the political plan before it is released.

Story continues

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)New York (AFP) - After transforming the podcast essay format with "The Daily," The New York Times is set to take a stab at television with a new show premiering on Sunday that will follow its journalists as they report in the field.

"The Weekly" will be broadcast on FX and distributed online via Hulu, aiming to cover major stories but also to show viewers the behind-the-scenes struggles and calculations that go into producing its journalism.

The first show planned by The Times as part of its expansion into television, it also represents the outlet's latest bid to diversify amid declining revenues for American newspapers.

"Audiences want to know, who are these reporters telling me these stories? How do they know what they know? How do they confirm it?" Sam Dolnick, the assistant managing editor in charge of the newspaper's video and audio projects, told AFP.

"We think that a level of transparency makes the stories themselves more compelling," he said.

- Broadening the audience -

Since its launch in 2017, listenership of "The Daily" has risen to an average of two million per episode, making it one of the ten most popular podcasts in the United States.

While The Times employs video journalists, Dolnick said they weren't involved in the television show which was made jointly with production company Left/Right and which the Times has already sold overseas.

Each episode of "The Weekly" lasts about 30 minutes and follows journalists through their reporting process, showing the behind-the-scenes of a story that has typically already run in print.

The premier follows a reporter investigating the dubious methods of a school in Louisiana that sends disadvantaged students to some of the best universities in the country.

"The big motivation for this show was to help stories bring journalism to people who may not read the New York Times, to broaden our audience and help more and more people understand what we think are important issues that the public needs to grapple with," Dolnick said.

Story continues

Online outlets Buzzfeed and Vice have produced similar television shows but "The Weekly" is the first by a major American newspaper.

While declining to discuss financial details of their arrangement with FX and Hulu, a spokesman for the newspaper called the show "a significant investment for The Times."

The newspaper has set a target of raising subscriptions in print and digital from 4.5 million today to 10 million in 2025.

The Times also plans to launch other television projects, among them a fictionalized adaptation for Amazon's streaming platform of the popular "Modern Love" column, in which readers relate stories about relationships.

Another documentary series in the works for Netflix is called "Diagnosis," based on the column of the same name where readers are enlisted to help solve undiagnosed medical cases.Colombo (AFP) - Sri Lanka's suspended police chief has petitioned the Supreme Court, accusing President Maithripala Sirisena of failing to prevent the Easter bombings that killed 258 people.

In a 20-page complaint, Inspector-General Pujith Jayasundara disclosed serious communication gaps between intelligence agencies and security arms of the government, all which fall under Sirisena.

In the petition submitted to court last week and seen by AFP Sunday, Jayasundara said the country's premier spy agency, the State Intelligence Service (SIS), ordered him last year to stop ongoing police investigations into Islamic militants.

The SIS, which reports directly to Sirisena, wanted the police Terrorist Investigation Department to stop all inquiries into extremist Muslim factions, including the National Thowheeth Jama'ath (NTJ), which was blamed for the Easter Sunday bombings.

Jayasundara said the head of the SIS, Nilantha Jayawardena, did not take seriously the intelligence shared by neighbouring India which warned of an impending attack by the NTJ.

Jayasundara said despite the SIS not sharing information warnings with the police department, he had initiated action to alert his senior men, but he had no input from the main spy agency.

Sirisena suspended Jayasundara after he refused to accept responsibility for the deadly attacks. The Attorney General has asked for a full bench of the apex court to decide the case.

Jayasundara said he was offered a diplomatic post if he took the fall and stepped down, but he refused as he said he was not responsible for the catastrophic intelligence failure.

He said he had been sidelined by the president since a political rift between the President and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe emerged in October.

Jayasundara's petition came days after Sirisena publicly rebuked another intelligence official, Sisira Mendis, after he told a parliamentary panel that the Easter suicide bombings could have been avoided.

Story continues

Mendis's testimony appeared to put Sirisena in a poor light by implying he had not held National Security Council meetings to review threats such as the attacks carried out by Islamic State.

In a statement, Sirisena denied claims by Mendis that the country's highest security body had not met as often as it should have around the time of the attacks, which were blamed on Islamic State-backed militants.

Sirisena, who is also defence minister, said in a statement he held NSC meetings twice a week, contradicting Mendis who told parliament the last meeting was on February 19, more than two months before the April 21 bombings targeting three churches and three luxury hotels.

Sirisena said he met with the national police chief and his top brass 13 days before the Easter Sunday attacks and no officer raised warnings which had been relayed by India.

Sri Lanka has been under a state of emergency since the attacks, but Sirisena announced last week that it will end in a month.Tirana (AFP) - Police in the Albanian capital Tirana on Sunday fired tear gas and water canon at demonstrators demanding the resignation of socialist Prime Minister Edi Rama.

Police also came under fire from some protesters with 10 police officers and three people injured, according to the Albania's Interior Ministry.

"Rama go away", "Corrupt government", demonstrators chanted, throwing firecrackers, stones and smoke bombs, despite organisers' pleas not to attack the police.

The US embassy in Tirana condemned the violence by protesters saying that "the use of pyrotechnics, especially when aimed at police... is unacceptable, and undemocratic.

"We call on the organisers of the protest to stop the violent acts and engage in constructive dialogue," it said in a statement.

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg, on a visit to Tirana, also condemned the violence.

"Political violence contradicts our democratic values. It is absolutely unacceptable," he said.

In February, opposition politicians from the right to the centre-left walked out of parliament in a protest demanding the resignation of Rama, who has led the country since 2013.

They want a transitional government and early elections, and refuse to negotiate with Rama whom they accuse of crime and corruption links.

The fight has spilled onto the streets, with weekly protests shrouding Tirana in tear gas and smoke as protesters tussle with police and try to break into government buildings, lobbing bricks, firecrackers and petrol bombs.

The political crisis is seen as a threat to Tirana's dreams of joining the European Union with member states to decide in the coming weeks whether to open accession talks with the volatile Balkan stateBLAJ (Romania) (AFP) - Pope Francis apologised to the Roma people on Sunday for the Roman Catholic Church's "discrimination" against them as he wrapped up a visit to Romania.

Making up around 10 percent of Romania's 20 million people, many Roma are marginalised and live in poverty and have suffered centuries of discrimination and insults.

"I ask forgiveness  in the name of the Church and of the Lord  and I ask forgiveness of you. For all those times in history when we have discriminated, mistreated or looked askance at you," the pope said in a speech to the Roma community in the central town of Blaj.

"My heart, however, is heavy. It is weighed down by the many experiences of discrimination, segregation and mistreatment experienced by your communities. History tells us that Christians too, including Catholics, are not strangers to such evil," he said.

"Indifference breeds prejudices and fosters anger and resentment. How many times do we judge rashly, with words that sting, with attitudes that sow hatred and division!"

Earlier, the pontiff beatified seven Greco-Catholic bishops jailed and tortured during the Communist era.

"The new blessed ones suffered and sacrificed their lives, opposing a system of totalitarian and coercive ideology," he told some 60,000 worshippers attending mass on a "Field of Liberty" in Blaj.

"These shepherds, martyrs of faith, garnered for and left the Romanian people a precious heritage which we can sum up in two words: freedom and mercy," added Francis, while praising the "diversity of religious expression" in mainly Orthodox Romania.

Regime officials detained the beatified bishops overnight on October 28, 1948, accusing them of "high treason" after they refused to convert to Orthodoxy.

The Greek-Catholic Church was outlawed under 1948-89 Communist rule.

- Buried in secret -

The bishops died of maltreatment, some still in jail, others in confinement in an Orthodox monastery. They were then buried in secret -- to this day the whereabouts of four of their graves is unknown.

Story continues

The bars of the cells where they were held were symbolically incorporated into the throne built specially for the papal visit.

The bishops followed the Eastern Rite Catholic Church which emerged from an Orthodox schism at the end of the 17th century when the central region of Transylvania was part of the Austro-Hungarian empire.

While retaining Orthodox practices they recognised Roman Catholic papal authority -- unacceptable for the Communist regime which took power following World War II. Under a 1948 decree formally abolishing the Eastern Catholic churches, Greco-Catholics were forcibly obliged to return to the Orthodox fold.

Under such stark political repression, most Romanian Catholics -- who numbered more than 1.5 million in 1948, abandoned their faith and their community has shrunk to around 200,000 today in a country of 20 million, almost nine in 10 of whom profess Orthodoxy.

The politics which has seeped through Romania's modern religious history has poisoned inter-faith relations -- even if the papal visit has softened feelings to a degree.

"No matter where we go, to the town hall, to the police or to school, doors get closed," a 72-year-old Roma, who gave his name as Ion, told AFP.

Roma, originating from northern India, suffered around five centuries of slavery before the practice was formally abolished in 1856.

But they remain a mainly poor and marginalised community -- even if recent years have seen roads paved and homes getting running water and electricity.

- Seeking inclusiveness -

Francis's arrival in Blaj to wind up his visit was part of his attempt at inclusiveness on his three-day visit to one of what remains Europe's poorest states.

Although Romania has developed apace since obtaining EU membership in 2007 there remain some "urban or rural ghettos where nothing has changed," according to sociologist Gelu Duminica, who heads the anti-discrimination Impreuna (Together) association.

Duminica and others in Blaj saw it as no coincidence that Francis, often seen as a defender of the rights of the most marginalised, chose the Barbu Lautaru district of Blaj, whose inhabitants are mainly Roma, to launch his appeal for tolerance and social inclusion.

"The pope's visit is a message for those who are marginalised, disregarded or not accepted by others," said Mihai Gherghel, an eastern Catholic priest, who supervised the construction of the Blaj church where Francis celebrated Sunday mass.By Philip Pullella

ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE, June 2 (Reuters) - Pope Francis made an impassioned plea for Europe to stick together and revive the ideals of its founders on Sunday, saying ideologies and fear-mongering politicians were threatening its very existence as a bloc.

His comments to journalists on the plane while returning from a three-day trip to Romania, one of the more recent European Union members, were his first since European elections last month.

Francis, who was asked about the elections, Italian far-right leader Matteo Salvini and other European topics, urged believers to pray for European unity and non-believers to hope for it "from the bottom of your hearts."

(Reporting by Philip Pullella; Editing by Susan Fenton)By Philip Pullella

BLAJ, Romania (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Sunday asked forgiveness in the name of the Catholic Church for the mistreatment of the Roma people, a move likely to increase tensions with Italy's anti-immigrant Interior Minister Matteo Salvini.

Francis made the comment during a meeting with Roma people at the last event of his three day trip to Romania, saying his heart was made "heavy" by the meeting.

"It is weighed down by the many experiences of discrimination, segregation and mistreatment experienced by your communities. History tells us that Christians too, including Catholics, are not strangers to such evil," he said.

With an estimated population of 10-12 million, approximately six million of whom live in the European Union, Roma people are the biggest ethnic minority in Europe and rights groups say they are often the victims of prejudice and social exclusion.

Salvini, who has clashed with the pope repeatedly on migration issues, reacted angrily last month when Francis received a group of Roma at the Vatican last month.

Salvini, head of the far-right Lega party and a deputy prime minister, responded by repeating his promise to close all Roma camps in Italy.

"I would like to ask your forgiveness for this," the pope told the Roma. "I ask forgiveness  in the name of the Church and of the Lord  and I ask forgiveness of you. For all those times in history when we have discriminated, mistreated or looked askance at you ...".

A Roma youth, Razaila Vasile Dorin, told reporters: "It's an honour that a person like the pope comes to our community. We are proud."

"It's important that the pope is asking forgiveness. There is racism in every country. When we go out everyone looks at us and we don't like that. I am proud to be a gypsy."

Earlier on Sunday, the pope said a Mass for some 100,000 people during which he beatified seven Communist-era bishops of the Eastern Rite Catholic Church who died in prison or as a result of their harsh treatment during Romania's communist era.

Story continues

"(The bishops) endured suffering and gave their lives to oppose an illiberal ideological system that oppressed the fundamental rights of the human person," Francis said.

After World War Two, Romania's Communist authorities confiscated properties of the Eastern Rite Catholic Church and ordered its members to join the majority Orthodox Church, which was easier for the party to control.

Historians say about half a million Romanians including politicians, priests, doctors, officers, land owners and merchants were sentenced and jailed in the 1950s and early 1960s and a fifth of them perished in prisons and labour camps.

Many Catholic properties taken by the Communist dictatorship or given by the government to the Orthodox have yet to be returned 30 years after the fall of dictator Nicolae Ceausescu.

(Additional reporting by Radu-Sorin Marinas in Bucharest; Editing by Alexander Smith and David Evans)By Philip Pullella

BLAJ, Romania (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Sunday asked forgiveness in the name of the Catholic Church for the mistreatment of the Roma people, a move likely to increase tensions with Italy's anti-immigrant Interior Minister Matteo Salvini.

Francis made the comment during a meeting with Roma people at the last event of his three day trip to Romania, saying his heart was made "heavy" by the meeting.

"It is weighed down by the many experiences of discrimination, segregation and mistreatment experienced by your communities. History tells us that Christians too, including Catholics, are not strangers to such evil," he said.

With an estimated population of 10-12 million, approximately six million of whom live in the European Union, Roma people are the biggest ethnic minority in Europe and rights groups say they are often the victims of prejudice and social exclusion.

Salvini, who has clashed with the pope repeatedly on migration issues, reacted angrily last month when Francis received a group of Roma at the Vatican last month.

Salvini, head of the far-right Lega party and a deputy prime minister, responded by repeating his promise to close all Roma camps in Italy.

"I would like to ask your forgiveness for this," the pope told the Roma. "I ask forgiveness  in the name of the Church and of the Lord  and I ask forgiveness of you. For all those times in history when we have discriminated, mistreated or looked askance at you ...".

A Roma youth, Razaila Vasile Dorin, told reporters: "It's an honor that a person like the pope comes to our community. We are proud."

"It's important that the pope is asking forgiveness. There is racism in every country. When we go out everyone looks at us and we don't like that. I am proud to be a gypsy."

Earlier on Sunday, the pope said a Mass for some 100,000 people during which he beatified seven Communist-era bishops of the Eastern Rite Catholic Church who died in prison or as a result of their harsh treatment during Romania's communist era.

Story continues

"(The bishops) endured suffering and gave their lives to oppose an illiberal ideological system that oppressed the fundamental rights of the human person," Francis said.

After World War Two, Romania's Communist authorities confiscated properties of the Eastern Rite Catholic Church and ordered its members to join the majority Orthodox Church, which was easier for the party to control.

Historians say about half a million Romanians including politicians, priests, doctors, officers, land owners and merchants were sentenced and jailed in the 1950s and early 1960s and a fifth of them perished in prisons and labor camps.

Many Catholic properties taken by the Communist dictatorship or given by the government to the Orthodox have yet to be returned 30 years after the fall of dictator Nicolae Ceausescu.

(Additional reporting by Radu-Sorin Marinas in Bucharest; Editing by Alexander Smith and David Evans)By Paula Rosales

SAN SALVADOR (Reuters) - El Salvador's new president, Nayib Bukele, took office on Saturday pledging to cure the Central American country that he described as a "sick child" following years of violence and migration that has strained relations with the United States.

The 37-year-old former mayor of San Salvador, who won more votes than all other candidates in the February presidential election, brought an end to a two-party system that has held sway over the country for three decades.

"Our country is like a sick child, now it's up to all of us to take care of it," Bukele told the crowd. "We have to suffer a little now, we have to have a little pain, assume our responsibility and all as brothers to bring forward that child."

Accompanied by his pregnant wife Gabriela Rodriguez, Bukele vowed to make bitter decisions for the impoverished and violence-plagued Central American country during his five year term. He did not give details.

His presidency breaks three decades of bipartisanship between the conservative Nationalist Republican Alliance (ARENA) and the outgoing Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN).

Bukele, who has been critical of Beijing in the past, must now balance the interests of China and the United States.

The Chinese embassy in El Salvador said in a statement on Twitter that Bukele had told a special envoy he considered China a friend and that there was "great potential" to work together.

El Salvador broke ties with Taiwan in August last year to establish relations with China, following the Dominican Republic and Panama in the region.

U.S. President Donald Trump congratulated Bukele on Saturday on Twitter, saying the United States was ready to work with him "to advance prosperity in El Salvador and the hemisphere."

Trump has frequently threatened to cut aid to El Salvador - as well as neighboring Guatemala and Honduras - if they do not do more to curb migration to the United States.

Story continues

The U.S. Department of Commerce said in a statement that the United States sent a delegation led by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross to attend the ceremony.

While in El Salvador, the statement said, Ross met with Bukele and his Foreign Minister, Alexandra Hill, as well as with business leaders to discuss improving the investment climate and potential for economic growth.

Tensions over migration have been running high between the United States and its southern neighbor Mexico, with Trump threatening earlier this week to impose punitive tariffs on Mexican goods exported to the United States on June 10.

Mexican Economy Minister Graciela Marquez, who also attended the event in San Salvador, tweeted a picture of herself and Ross, saying they had spoken and would continue their dialogue next week in Washington.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega and Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez were not invited to the ceremony, since Bukele considers them "undemocratic" governments.

(Reporting by Paula Rosales in San Salvador, additional reporting by Stefanie Eschenbacher in Mexico City and Mike Stone in Washington; writing by Stefanie Eschenbacher; Editing by Diane Craft)Amid a growing online outcry, President Donald Trump responded to claims he called Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, nasty by tweeting that it was made up by the Fake News Media on Sunday.

I never called Meghan Markle nasty. Made up by the Fake News Media, and they got caught cold! Will @CNN, @nytimes and others apologize? Doubt it!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 2, 2019

His remarks came after an interview with the President was published by British newspaper The Sun on Saturday. Reporters from the publication asked Trump if he was disappointed he wouldnt see Markle  who is currently on maternity leave after having her first child in May  on his state visit to the United Kingdom. The reporters informed him that Markle wasnt so nice to Trump during the 2016 campaign, and that she said she would have moved to Canada if Trump was elected.

Trump was apparently surprised at Markles remarks. I didnt know that, no, he said. So, what can I say? No, I didnt know that she was nasty.

An official Twitter account for Trumps 2020 reelection campaign had tweeted the audio to the interview on Saturday, asserting the audio proved Trump did not call Markle nasty.

Fake News CNN is at it again, falsely claiming President Trump called Meghan Markle nasty,' the account said. Though the audio it posted clearly included Trumps I didnt know that she was nasty comment.

Fake News CNN is at it again, falsely claiming President Trump called Meghan Markle "nasty." Here is what he actually said. Listen for yourself! pic.twitter.com/kLuPXBLMhf  Official Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) June 1, 2019

Politico reports a White House official said Trump did not say that Markle was nasty, and that he was responding to The Sun reporter telling Trump Markles criticisms of him.

Story continues

A White House official also told HuffPost that Trumps comment was regarding Markles words, and not Markle herself.

He wasnt saying she was nasty, the official told the publication. He was responding to the reporter reading things she had said about him in the past and he was saying he didnt realize she had said nasty things towards him. He said very nice things about her, including he thought she would do an excellent job as princess, etc.

During the interview, Trump said I think its nice that Britain has an American princess. Im sure she will do excellently. She will be very good, he continued.

The President arrives in the U.K. on Monday and will be there three days. He will be joined by First Lady Melania Trump, in addition to senior advisors Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner.

His adult children, Tiffany Trump, Eric Trump and Donald Trump, Jr. will also reportedly be in attendance.The newspaper ad shows up in the second episode of Ava DuVernays new Netflix drama When They See Us. Its a full-page proclamation, headlined in capital letters: BRING BACK THE DEATH PENALTY. BRING BACK OUR POLICE!

Like the rest of the series, this ad is taken from the real story of the Central Park jogger case  the rape and beating of jogger Trisha Meili on April 19, 1989  and the subsequent consequences for the Central Park Five, the teen suspects whose lives were upended in the more than a decade that passed between the event and their eventual exoneration.

And the history the series draws from isnt just a matter of things that happened 30 years ago: in real life as in the show, the person who spent $85,000 placing the ads in local papers was Donald Trump.

Trump, at the time a real estate developer, wasnt the first to draw attention to the case. The horrific Central Park attack on a 28-year-old woman, a white investment banker with degrees from Wellesley and Yale, quickly made local news. As part of a police investigation into a larger rampage in which several people were randomly attacked in the park that night by teens who were wilding, as TIME later reported, police picked up several suspects who were in roughly the same area of the park around the time of the attack. They were a group of African American and Hispanic teens named Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana and Kharey Wise, who became known collectively as the Central Park Five.

But though the news was already making headlines, Trumps ad, which ran in local papers less than two weeks after the incident, played a key role in shaping public opinion about the case.

His open letter mourned how New York families of all races have had to give up the pleasure of a leisurely stroll in the Park at Dusk because of roving thousands of wild criminals. He argued that politicians were overly concerned with public outcry about police brutality  such as the fatal shooting of a disabled elderly black woman by a NYPD officer in the mid-1980s  to the point that they werent letting the neighborhood cop do his job of protecting the community, creating a reckless and dangerously permissive atmosphere which allows criminals of every age to beat and rape a helpless woman. He said these muggers and murderersshould be forced to suffer and, when they kill, they should be executed for their crimes.

Story continues

Michael Warren, a member of the Central Park Five legal team, argued in The Guardian in 2016 that Trump poisoned the minds of many people who lived in New York and who, rightfully, had a natural affinity for the victim.

Harlem, N.Y. City Councilman Bill Perkins holds up a May 1, 1989, ad taken out by Donald Trump in the days after the crime. Seated, Angela Cuffie meets reporters at Manhattan Supreme Court where a judge overturned the conviction of her brother, Kevin Richardson, and four other men who had been jailed in the Central Park jogger case on Dec. 19, 2002. | Mike Albans/NY Daily News ArchiveGetty Images

As Ava DuVernay recently told Rolling Stone, [The suspects mothers] knew what a threat it was, the violence that Trump was basically inciting upon these boys. But the men themselves, when I asked them, they really didnt have much of a memory [of Trump in 1989]; at the time, he was the guy with gold buildings. Just a white dude on the other side of the park.

While four had given video confessions, they later said those had been coerced and all maintained their innocence. (Studies have shown that false confessions are a particular problem with young suspects.) There were also notable inconsistencies in their statements and other eyewitness accounts.

Still, two juries convicted the five in 1990. They served prison sentences ranging from six years to 13 years.

On Dec. 19. 2002, the convictions of the five men were vacated after a man named Matias Reyes, whose DNA matched evidence from the crime, confessed to having been responsible. The police department has said it still believes the men were involved in some way and the victim, Meili, has said that she wishes the case had gone back to court because she still believes more than one person was responsible, but the city settled with the five in 2014, giving each roughly $1 million for each year spent behind bars.

Get your history fix in one place: sign up for the weekly TIME History newsletter

Even after the exonerations, Trump has continued to maintain that the five men had been criminals.

In 2013, he tweeted that a 2012 documentary film called The Central Park Five, made by Ken Burns and his daughter Sarah Burns, didnt explain the horrific crimes of these young men while in the park.

The Central Park Five documentary was a one sided piece of garbage that didn't explain the.horrific crimes of these young men while in park  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 24, 2013

Mr. Trump is apparently ignorant of our countrys epidemic of wrongful convictions, which disproportionately affect minorities, and the prevalence of false confessions in those convictions, Sarah Burns later wrote in the New York Times.

Trump called the more than $40 million settlement that the five men worked out with New York City a disgrace, writing in a June 2014 op-ed for the New York Daily News, What about the other people who were brutalized that night, in addition to the jogger?These young men do not exactly have the pasts of angels. None of the five had been arrested before.

Since then, he has repeatedly reiterated the guilty verdict of the men, even though their convictions were vacated. They admitted they were guilty, the then-candidate said in a CNN interview the month before the 2016 election. The police doing the original investigation say they were guilty. 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.

Just this week, when President Trump argued on Twitter on May 27 that African Americans wont vote for 2020 Democratic presidential candidates who supported the 1994 Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, a law that experts say has contributed to the mass incarceration of black people, DuVernay fired back that Trump himself had played a big role in creating the atmosphere that made its passage possible.

Anyone associated with the 1994 Crime Bill will not have a chance of being elected. In particular, African Americans will not be able to vote for you. I, on the other hand, was responsible for Criminal Justice Reform, which had tremendous support, & helped fix the bad 1994 Bill!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 27, 2019

The story people know is the lie that you told them. Your violent rhetoric fed tensions that led to the bill you pretend to distant yourself from. But you cant hide from what you did to The Central Park Five. They were innocent. And they will have the last word. #WhenTheySeeUs https://t.co/M0hkcnpt0Y pic.twitter.com/gbOIvSW1ou  Ava DuVernay (@ava) May 28, 2019

[The Central Park Five] were innocent, the filmmaker wrote. And they will have the last word. When They See Us, which is based on interviews with the real Central Park Five, is DuVernays attempt to let those men do just that.MOSCOW (AP)  Protesters have torn down a towering bust of Soviet military hero Marshal Georgy Zhukov in Ukraine's second-largest city.

Destruction of the monument in Kharkiv on Sunday came amid protests by an array of far-right and nationalist groups against an organizing session for a new political party. The party is led by the mayors of Kharkiv and Odesa, both of whom were members of the party of Viktor Yanukovych, the pro-Russia president ousted amid bloody protests in 2014.

The protesters said the bust violated Ukraine's law banning Communist symbols. A crowd of hundreds cheered as protesters tugged on a cord around the bust and it toppled off a high plinth.

Zhukov commanded the Red Army forces in the final assault on Berlin in World War II.Photos: Petfinder

Start your day off right by browsing through cuddle-hungry puppies! There are dozens of puppies up for adoption right here in Washington.

Hoodline partnered with Petfinder, an online adoption site that lists more than 315,000 adoptable pets from nearly 14,000 animal shelters and rescue groups" to bring you this roundup of puppies near you.

(Details like pet availability, training, vaccinations and other features are based on data provided by Petfinder and may be subject to change; contact the shelter for the latest information.)

Hobart, shepherd mix

Hobart is a male shepherd puppy being cared for at Lucky Dog Animal Rescue. Hobart plays well with others  he'll get along great with your other dogs. He has been vaccinated. Notes about Hobart: Apply to adopt Hobart today at Petfinder.

My brothers and I are looking for loving homes to celebrate the spring. Don't get me wrong, our foster family is great. But we'd like to go to our own forever homes with soft, warm beds and comfy laps and yummy treats. We'd like to take trips to the dog park and go to obedience school so we can be the best puppies we can be.

Baby Dimitri, terrier and Schnauzer mix

Baby Dimitri is a male terrier and Schnauzer puppy in the care of K-9 Lifesavers. Baby Dimitri plays well with others  he gets along well with other dogs. His vaccinations are up to date. Read more about Baby Dimitri on Petfinder.

Baby Toby, Australian shepherd and spaniel mix

Baby Toby is a charming male Australian shepherd and spaniel puppy currently residing at K-9 Lifesavers. Baby Toby is a social butterfly  he's happy to keep company with other dogs. Baby Toby has been vaccinated. Here's what Baby Toby's friends at K-9 Lifesavers think of him: Read more about Baby Toby on Petfinder.

This litter of pups (including Baby Tim, below) came to us from a hoarding case in South Carolina. They are all very sweet, but a little timid right now. They have been through a lot at their young age, but we know they will all flourish once they are in a home full of love. Your new pet will require a refresher in house-training.

Story continues

Baby Tim, Australian shepherd and spaniel mix

Baby Tim is a male Australian shepherd and spaniel puppy staying at K-9 Lifesavers. Baby Tim is ready to make friends  he's happy to keep company with other dogs. Baby Tim has been vaccinated. Read more about Baby Tim on Petfinder.

This story was created automatically using local animal shelter data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.By Jamie Freed

SEOUL (Reuters) - A year after Qatar Airways boss' remark that a woman could not do his job drew scathing criticism, airline executives called out the industry for paying only "lip service" to diversity and not pushing to get more women out of cabins and into boardrooms.

While Akbar al-Baker had apologized for his remarks made at last year's International Air Transport Association (IATA) meeting in Sydney, saying they were intended as a joke and taken out of context, the controversy highlighted the lack of women in senior aviation roles.

His airline is now sponsoring three diversity and inclusion awards with $25,000 prizes, each to be presented on Monday at this year's IATA meeting in Seoul.

But Air New Zealand Ltd CEO Christopher Luxon said more concrete action was needed, such as refusing to serve on all-male panel talks and creating women's support networks.

"Compared to other sectors and other business sectors that I'm part of around the world and in New Zealand, aviation and IATA's record is abysmal in terms of gender diversity and inclusion," he told Reuters on the sidelines of the meeting.

"We are just paying lip service to it at the moment and window dressing it and we are not even doing a very good job of that if we are really honest with ourselves."

The top of the airline industry remains male dominated, with only two women CEOs on the 27-member IATA Board of Governors currently chaired by al-Baker.

One of the two, FlyBe CEO Christine Ourmieres-Widener, has said she will resign from her FlyBe role on July 15 after her airline is taken over by Connect Airways.

"It is clear that this industry has a good record in terms of employing women, broadly speaking on average. But at the senior position level, it is not the case," IATA Director General Alexandre de Juniac said.

IATA is working with industry partners to share best practices and help form a strategy on gender diversity against which to measure progress, he added.

Story continues

Kirstin Colvile, the CEO of the SkyTeam airlines alliance, said IATA could do more at the annual meeting, such as hosting a networking breakfast to promote women in aviation.

"Female networks and support groups are incredibly important to give you the confidence," she said.

"In order to move the needle - and you see that it hasn't moved much - I think we are going to have to take some steps, whether that is just targets or concerted efforts, we just have to drive more women into leadership position."

TARGETS

The industry does a good job at attracting women into some roles, such as flight attendants and travel agents, but far less so in pilot and engineering positions.

In India, which has the highest ratio of female pilots in the world at around 12% despite a patriarchal society, SpiceJet has set a target to increase its proportion to 33% in the next few years, Chairman Ajay Singh said in Seoul.

"It is not very nice to have a 33% target to be honest. Ideally it should be anybody who is capable," he said.

"But I think for periods of time positive discrimination helps. I think in countries like ours these women become terrific role models for young women."

SpiceJet's female pilot ratio is now in line with India's average, or more than double the global average of under 5%, according to the International Society of Women Airline Pilots.

Air New Zealand too has set targets and is looking to raise the number of women in top general manager jobs to 40% by 2020, from 16% in 2013, Luxon said.

"We got there last year," he said. "Now we are at 43% and we are on our way to 50% next year, maybe at the end of this year."

He said Air New Zealand had achieved that by a ruthless focus on identifying women with leadership potential, ensuring salaries were equal for the same roles, creating internal groups to give women more of a voice and ensuring recruiters considered female candidates for top executive roles.

"I feel very comfortable we will get to a place where the CEOs who come after me, it will be a 50/50 chance they will be women as well," Luxon said.

(Reporting by Jamie Freed, additional reporting by Heekyong Yang and Tim Hepher; Editing by Himani Sarkar)Berlin (AFP) - Chancellor Angela Merkel vowed Sunday that Germany's government will push on with its work, even after her junior coalition partner SPD plunged into crisis following the resignation of its party chief.

In a shock announcement earlier Sunday, Social Democratic Party (SPD) leader Andrea Nahles said she would resign from her party's top job, raising the possibility that Germany's embattled government could collapse.

With the SPD in disarray, Merkel sought to quash speculation over the survival of the uneasy partnership between her centre-right CSU-CDU alliance and the centre-left SPD.

"What I want to say for the government is that we will continue with our work with all seriousness and with great responsibility," Merkel said in a statement to the press.

Nahles had thrown in the towel after coming under severe criticism over a vote debacle a week ago at European elections, when voters handed her party its worst score in history.

The SPD had initially planned to re-examine its partnership with Merkel's centre-right CDU-CSU alliance in the autumn, half-way through their four-year deal.

But ahead of a planned leadership vote on Tuesday, Nahles, 48, said she would step down, even though no challenger has so far emerged for her job.

"The discussions in the parliamentary group and the broad feedback from the party showed me that the support necessary for the exercise of my offices is no longer there," said Nahles in a statement.

Harald Christ, deputy chief of the SPD's economy forum, said Nahles's decision had put the future of the coalition in serious doubt.

"To all those who are happy today: it is a great loss for German politics. Nahles stands for the existence of the GroKo -- whose stability is now in question," he told Bild daily, using the German short-form for grand coalition.

- 'Walking undead' -

Nahles' bombshell came as more bad news for Merkel's CDU, which was itself scrambling to retain voters, after it too scored a record low in the European elections.

Story continues

CDU party chief Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer has struggled to put down an online youth revolt against the party, raising questions as to whether she is the best person for Germany's top job when Merkel leaves the political stage in 2021.

The far-right AfD said the government was already disintegrating.

"Not only is the SPD dissolving, the GroKo too is walking the political stage only as one of the undead," wrote the co-leader of the AfD's group in parliament, Alice Weidel, on Twitter.

Some newspapers reached similar conclusions.

Bild daily noted that "the SPD is bleeding to death. The GroKo too". And the Sueddeutsche daily predicted that "the coalition has come to an end.

"The Social Democrats have just defeated the woman who with great effort brought the alliance together. What's the point now then of continuing to torment themselves with this?"

- Uneasy partners -

The alliance between Merkel's Christian Democrats and the SPD was fragile from the start.

Stung by a election beating in 2017, the SPD had initially sought to go into opposition.

But it was reluctantly coaxed into renewing a partnership with Merkel, even as many within the party remained wary of continuing to govern in her shadow.

After former EU parliament chief Martin Schulz's failed attempt at reversing the fortunes of the party, the SPD in April 2018 turned to Nahles, picking her as its first female leader.

But the free-fall in the SPD's ratings could not be halted.

After last Sunday's European election drubbing, the party has been staring at the prospect of another rout in three upcoming state polls in Saxony, Brandenburg and Thueringia, where the far-right AfD is poised to make significant gains.

With its anti-immigration campaign, the AfD in 2017 drew voters angry with Merkel's decision to let in more than a million asylum seekers into Germany.

But it is now the Greens which may have become the biggest headache for the SPD.

While sharing the centre-left position on the political spectrum, the Greens are proving more attractive to young voters because of their environmental platform.

In a national survey released Saturday, the Greens came in top for the first time -- enjoying more support than Merkel's CDU-CSU alliance. They had a lead over the SPD of around 15 percentage points.Following is a summary of current science news briefs.

Exclusive: Space firm founded by billionaire Paul Allen closing operations - sources

Stratolaunch Systems Corporation, the space company founded by late billionaire and Microsoft Corp co-founder Paul Allen, is closing operations, cutting short ambitious plans to challenge traditional aerospace companies in a new "space race," four people familiar with the matter said on Friday. The company, a unit of Allen's privately held investment vehicle Vulcan Inc, had been developing a portfolio of launch vehicles including the world's largest airplane by wingspan to launch satellites and eventually humans into space.

U.S. biologists probe deaths of 70 emaciated gray whales

U.S. government biologists have launched a special investigation into the deaths of at least 70 gray whales washed ashore in recent months along the U.S. West Coast, from California to Alaska, many of them emaciated, officials said on Friday. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) declared the whale die-off an "unusual mortality event," a designation that triggers greater scrutiny and allocation of more resources to determine the cause.

Russia says U.S. military curbs on space cooperation are unfair competition

Russia accused the United States of trying to unfairly grab market share in the space services industry on Friday after the U.S. military imposed restrictions on space launch cooperation with Moscow. The U.S. Department of Defense on Friday banned contracts for Russian commercial satellite services if they were deemed to pose an unacceptable cyber security risk, a document on the U.S. government's Federal Register showed.Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Donald Trump wades into Britain's Brexit crisis

U.S. President Donald Trump arrives in Britain on Monday on a state visit laden with diplomatic peril, having already humiliated outgoing Prime Minister Theresa May over Brexit and challenged her to be tougher in dealing with China's Huawei. 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.

German SPD leader quits in blow to Merkel's loveless coalition

Andrea Nahles said on Sunday she would resign as the leader of Germany's Social Democrats (SPD), raising new doubts about the durability of Chancellor Angela Merkel's ruling coalition with the center-left party. Merkel's Christian Democrats and the SPD both bled support in last week's European elections as voters turned away from mainstream political parties, eroding support for a ruling coalition that already came close to falling apart last year.

Thirty years after Tiananmen, protesters' goals further away than ever

Three decades after China's bloody crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in and around Beijing's Tiananmen Square, increased government suppression of rights activism has pushed the demonstrators' original goals further away than ever. In April 1989, weeks before Chinese leaders ordered a military assault to clear the protesters from central Beijing, tens of thousands of students got behind seven key demands  including a free press and freedom of speech, disclosure of leaders' assets and freedom to demonstrate.

Pope warns of divisive ideologies in homage to Communist-era martyrs

Pope Francis warned against any new ideological attempt to sow fear or division in society on Sunday as he paid tribute to Christians in Romania killed or persecuted under Communism. Francis traveled to the central city of Blaj to beatify seven Communist-era bishops of the Eastern Rite Catholic Church who died in prison or as a result of their harsh treatment.

Story continues

Cruise ship collides with Venice tourist boat, injuring four people

A cruise ship collided with a dock and a tourist boat in Venice on Sunday, injuring four people, the local port authority said. MSC Cruises said the 2,679-passenger Opera, a 54-meter high and 275-meter long liner which dwarfed the Venice skyline, was approaching a terminal on the Giudecca canal when it hit the dock and a nearby ferry after a technical problem.

U.S. prepared to engage with Iran without pre-conditions: Pompeo

The United States was prepared to engage with Iran without pre-conditions about its nuclear program but needed to see the country behaving like "a normal nation," U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Sunday. Iran's President Hassan Rouhani suggested on Saturday that Iran may be willing to hold talks if Washington showed it respect, but said Tehran would not be pressured into talks.

Chinese defense minister says war with U.S. would be a disaster

Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe criticized the United States on Sunday for its support of an independent Taiwan and for naval operations in the disputed South China Sea, but said conflict or war between the two countries would be a disaster. In a speech at an Asian defense summit in Singapore, Wei said China would "fight to the end" anyone who tried to split China from Taiwan, which Beijing considers a sacred territory to be reclaimed by force if necessary.

Acting Pentagon chief says no need to restore suspended U.S.-South Korea military drills

Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said on Sunday that for now it was not necessary to resume major joint military exercises with South Korea that were suspended in the last year to support diplomatic efforts with North Korea. The United States and South Korea have suspended a number of combined military exercises in the past year after talks between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Trump tells Britain to 'walk away' if EU does not yield on Brexit

U.S. President Donald Trump said Britain should refuse to pay a$50 billion European Union divorce bill and "walk away" from Brexit talks if Brussels does not give ground. Trump told the Sunday Times newspaper ahead of a state visit to Britain, which starts on Monday, that Britain's next leader should send arch-Brexiteer Nigel Farage to conduct EU talks.

Conservatives tipped to prevail in Greek local election runoffs

Greeks voted on Sunday in the second round of local elections that are expected to show the conservative opposition party consolidating gains ahead of a snap general election next month. Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras' leftist Syriza party suffered its first major defeat in years to the conservative New Democracy party in last Sunday's European Parliament vote, prompting him to say he would call early elections.Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Italy revokes lease for site of Bannon's right-wing academy

Italy's culture ministry has said it will revoke the lease on a state-owned monastery where a right-wing Roman Catholic institute close to former Trump White House adviser Steve Bannon had planned to train political activists. In a statement on Friday, the ministry said it would revoke the concession on the mountaintop property outside Rome granted to the Dignitatis Humanae Institute, citing violations of various contractual obligations including a failure to pay concession fees and do maintenance work.

Court orders Danube cruise captain held as flood halts search near wreck

A Hungarian court on Saturday ordered the captain of a cruise liner that crashed into a pleasure boat on the Danube to be held pending a criminal investigation into a disaster believed to have killed 28 people, nearly all of them South Korean tourists. The Viking Sigyn cruise liner struck a smaller boat, the Mermaid, in heavy rain on Wednesday. The smaller vessel, which was carrying a group of South Koreans on a pleasure cruise, capsized and sank in the worst accident on the Danube in more than half a century.

Rockets fired from Syria at Israeli-occupied Golan Heights: military

Two rockets were fired on Saturday from Syria toward the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights causing no casualties, the Israeli military said. A military spokeswoman said that the details were still being looked into and that it remained unclear who had fired the rockets and where they had landed.

Germany's Greens shoot into first place in poll, overtaking Merkel's conservatives

The Greens have overtaken Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives to become the most popular party in Germany, an opinion poll released on Saturday showed, while her Socialist SPD coalition partners fell to an all-time low. The poll, asking voters which party they would back in a national election, showed the Greens at 27% support, one point ahead of Merkel's conservative CDU/CSU bloc.

Story continues

Eleven wounded in Sudan by gunfire near sit-in -opposition committee

At least 11 people were wounded by gunfire near a protest sit-in in the Sudanese capital Khartoum on Saturday, an opposition doctors committee said. Sudan's main protest group blamed the violence on the Transitional Military Council (TMC), saying that it is part of a plan to violently clear the protests.

Trump tells UK to 'walk away' if EU does not give what it wants in Brexit: Sunday Times

U.S. President Donald Trump said Britain should refuse to pay its 39 billion pound EU divorce bill and walk away from Brexit talks if Brussels does not give the UK what it wants. In an interview with the Sunday Times newspaper ahead of his state visit to Britain starting Monday, Trump said the next British leader should send arch-Brexiteer Nigel Farage to conduct talks with the EU.

Pope urges ethnic Hungarians, Romanians to put troubles behind them

Pope Francis urged ethnic Hungarians and Romanians to put their troubled past behind them on Saturday as bad weather disrupted his visit to Transylvania, forcing him to be driven for hours on winding mountain roads. More than 80,000 people gathered on muddy slopes around one of Romania's most popular Catholic shrines to see the pope on the second day of his trip to the country.

U.S. won't 'tiptoe' around China with Asia stability at threat: defense chief

The United States will no longer "tiptoe" around Chinese behavior in Asia, with stability in the region threatened on issues ranging from the South China Sea to Taiwan, acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said on Saturday. Shanahan did not directly name China when making accusations of "actors" destabilizing the region, but went on to say the United States would not ignore Chinese behavior, the latest in the exchange of acerbic remarks between the world's two biggest economies. He added, however, he was keen to foster a military relationship with Beijing.

Scores injured in blasts at Russian military plant

Seventy-nine people were injured when several blasts at the explosives plant Kristall shook the central Russian town of Dzerzhinsk on Saturday, the Russian health ministry said. The blasts, around midday (0900 GMT) were heard all over the town of more than 230,000 residents and shock waves smashed or damaged windows in around 180 buildings, city authorities told TASS news agency.

Iranian president says talks possible only if Washington shows "respect"

President Hassan Rouhani on Saturday suggested Iran may be willing to hold talks if the United States showed it respect, but said Tehran would not be pressured into negotiations, the semi-official Fars news agency reported. Iran and the United States have been drawn into starker confrontation in the past month, a year after Washington pulled out of a deal between Iran and global powers to curb Tehran's nuclear program in return for lifting international sanctions.Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card!

As an investor, I look for investments which does not compromise one fundamental factor for another. By this I mean, I look at stocks holistically, from their financial health to their future outlook. In the case of Robinson Europe S.A. (WSE:RBS), it is a financially-healthy company with a a strong history of performance, trading at a great value. Below is a brief commentary on these key aspects. For those interested in digger a bit deeper into my commentary, take a look at the report on Robinson Europe here.

Good value with proven track record

RBS delivered a satisfying double-digit returns of 10.0% in the most recent year Unsurprisingly, RBS surpassed the industry return of 6.4%, which gives us more confidence of the company's capacity to drive earnings going forward. RBS's ability to maintain an adequate level of cash to meet upcoming liabilities is a good sign for its financial health. This indicates that RBS has sufficient cash flows and proper cash management in place, which is an important determinant of the companys health. With a debt-to-equity ratio of 26%, RBSs debt level is acceptable. This implies that RBS has a healthy balance between taking advantage of low cost debt funding as well as sufficient financial flexibility without succumbing to the strict terms of debt.

WSE:RBS Income Statement, June 2nd 2019

RBS's share price is trading at below its true value, meaning that the market sentiment for the stock is currently bearish. According to my intrinsic value of the stock, which is driven by analyst consensus forecast of RBS's earnings, investors now have the opportunity to buy into the stock to reap capital gains. Compared to the rest of the retail distributors industry, RBS is also trading below its peers, relative to earnings generated. This supports the theory that RBS is potentially underpriced.

WSE:RBS Intrinsic value, June 2nd 2019

Next Steps:

Story continues

For Robinson Europe, there are three fundamental factors you should further research:

Future Outlook: What are well-informed industry analysts predicting for RBSs future growth? Take a look at our free research report of analyst consensus for RBSs outlook. Dividend Income vs Capital Gains: Does RBS return gains to shareholders through reinvesting in itself and growing earnings, or redistribute a decent portion of earnings as dividends? Our historical dividend yield visualization quickly tells you what your can expect from RBS as an investment. Other Attractive Alternatives : Are there other well-rounded stocks you could be holding instead of RBS? Explore our interactive list of stocks with large potential to get an idea of what else is out there you may be missing!

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.Blaj (Romania) (AFP) - Ion, a 72-year-old retiree from Romania's minority Roma community, says he is used to living without rights.

"No matter where we go, to the town hall, to the police or to school, doors get closed," says the former construction site worker, who lives on the outskirts of Blaj, a picturesque town in central Romania.

But Pope Francis' visit to his town Sunday to meet the Roma on the last day of his trip has given Ion new hope.

"He will definitely speak about discrimination because we have no rights at all," says Ion, who declined to give his full name.

Making up around 10 percent of Romania's 20 million people, many Roma are marginalised and live in poverty.

In recent years, the daily life of Ion and his neighbours has improved due to initiatives by the town's government: roads have been paved and their homes have received running water and electricity.

But the town's Roma, numbering several thousands, still live mostly in precarious conditions on the periphery.

"It's always been like this for the areas where Roma live, and not only in Blaj. It's the same everywhere," Petru Varga, 35, a town hall official, tells AFP.

- Vicious cycle -

Sociologist Gelu Duminica says conditions for the Roma have improved in line with the development of the country, which joined the EU in 2007, but in the poorest communities in urban and rural areas alike "nothing has changed".

According to a study carried out last year by Duminica's Impreuna (Together) association, which aims to fight discrimination, nine percent of Roma in Romania don't receive an income, while 10 percent are dependent on welfare, compared to one percent for the rest of the population.

Fifteen percent are illiterate, compared to two percent for non-Roma Romanians.

"It's a vicious cycle where limited access to education leads to poor access to the labour market," says Duminica, who himself is Roma.

Story continues

It is no coincidence Pope Francis, often seen as a defender of the rights of the most marginalised, has chosen the Barbu Lautaru district of Blaj, where the majority of the inhabitants are Roma, to launch an appeal for tolerance and social inclusion.

"The pope's visit is a message for those who are marginalised, disregarded or not accepted by others," says Mihai Gherghel, an eastern Catholic priest, who supervised the construction of the Blaj church, where Francis will hold mass.

- Differences pushed aside -

"I think he will bring help to those who really need it," said Gheorghe Halas, a Baptist Roma pastor, who has been promoting Protestantism in Blaj since 2005.

Mainly Orthodox, like more than 86 percent of Romanians, many Roma have been attracted by neo-Protestantism in the last years, especially Pentecostalism -- together with the aid that comes with it.

"The conversion is an important moment for stigmatised people who finally feel respected for what they are," Laszlo Foszto, a researcher on national minority issues, tells AFP.

For the Pentecostals, "God doesn't have any prejudices, he only sees their immaculate hearts."

This attracts many Roma in search of recognition, according to some analysts, away from the very conservative and powerful Orthodox church of Romania, which has never apologised for its central role in enslaving the Roma for hundreds of years until the mid-19th century.

But come Sunday, religious differences will be pushed aside.

"All of Blaj will be a cathedral," priest Mihai says.(Repeats story from Friday with no changes to text)

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)By Sharon Bernstein and Tim Reid

SAN FRANCISCO, June 2 (Reuters) - U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders on Sunday called on California Democrats to unite against Donald Trump, kicking the 2020 presidential campaign into high gear with jabs against the Republican president and a veiled swipe at Democratic rival Joe Biden.

Sanders called Trump "a racist, a sexist, a homophobe and a religious bigot" in a speech capping off a state Democratic convention that drew fourteen of the 24 candidates to make their case before 5,000 delegates, guests and press in the most populous - and most heavily Democratic - U.S. state.

"Together we are going to defeat a president who has the most corrupt administration in history," Sanders said, "and a president who knows nothing about real American values."

The San Francisco convention became a window into the forces at work in the Democratic Party as it seeks to recover from Trump's populist-fueled victory in 2016.

The party's left-leaning delegates greeted Sanders and liberal U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren like rock stars.

Former Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper drew boos when he said socialist policies would not propel the party to victory, and other moderates were booed for rejecting the idea of a universal public health care system, or Medicare for All.

Former Vice President Joe Biden, who leads Sanders in polls for the Democratic nomination in California and nationwide, did not attend the convention, drawing barely veiled criticism from Sanders.

Sanders noted that the fourteen candidates who addressed the convention, as well as some who had "chosen for whatever reason not to be in this room," offer a variety of ways to approach a campaign against Trump. But Sanders rejected the centrist approach favored by Biden and some other candidates.

On issues like health care, pharmaceutical prices and climate change wracking the country, "there is no middle ground," Sanders said.

Story continues

Addressing concerns among some Democrats that a moderate would be more electable than a fiery progressive, Sanders said such an approach would not generate the enthusiasm needed to defeat Trump.

"We will not defeat Donald Trump unless we bring excitement and energy into the campaign and unless we give millions of working people and young people a reason to vote and a reason to believe that politics is relevant to their lives," Sanders said.

California, which will send nearly 500 delegates to the party's nominating convention next year, took on new heft for the 2020 campaign after moving its nominating election to March from June. Democrats hold all elective offices in the state, and dominate both houses of the legislature.

U.S. Senator Kamala Harris, a native daughter who has been eclipsed in early polling in California by Biden and Sanders, made clear she was not taking her home state for granted.

On Saturday, supporters with signs bearing her name and shouting "Kamala! Kamala!" formed a gauntlet that Sanders was forced to walk through on his way into a labor union breakfast.

"I am here to earn everyones support, and Im going to fight to earn it," Harris said at a breakfast held by the party's women's caucus. (Reporting by Sharon Bernstein and Tim Reid; editing by Bill Berkrot)An increasingly desperate search for eight climbers missing after an avalanche in the Indian Himalayas was called off due to poor weather but will resume at first light on Monday, officials said.

The four Britons, two Americans, one Indian and one Australian have been unaccounted for since Friday on the 7,826-metre (25,643-foot) Nanda Devi, India's second-highest mountain.

Two helicopters and scores of emergency workers combed the area on Sunday for a second day, but the search was called off in the early afternoon due to heavy cloud coverage, a local official told AFP.

Vijay Kumar Jogdande, a magistrate in the Pithoragarh district where the mountain is located, said it would begin again at 5:00 am on Monday (2330 GMT Sunday) -- weather permitting.

"We are hopeful to get some clues but its not an easy task," said Jogdande.

He said the climbers were likely trekking heights above 6,000 metres when the avalanche struck after heavy snowfall.

According to a May 22 Facebook post by Moran Mountain, a company run by expedition chief and experienced British mountaineer Martin Moran, the group was set to attempt "an unclimbed peak" at 6,477 metres.

They were expected to report back to the Munsiyari base camp on May 26, but a porter stationed at the camp reported to authorities that the group remained missing on May 31, prompting the search operation.

On Sunday authorities said that four other British climbers who were not part of the larger group but were in touch with them until May 26, had been rescued.

"They were climbing separately but were in touch with the larger group. Heavy snowfall and bad weather had left them stuck at the base camp," R.C. Rajguru, Pithoragarh police chief, told AFP.

- 'No sign' -

A statement by the Moran family on Sunday said they have been informed by the Indian Mountaineering Federation that the air search has "revealed the scale of the avalanche but no sign of the climbers, their equipment nor their tents."

Story continues

"We are pressing for the search area to be widened and continued until such time as firm evidence is found to ascertain the well being or otherwise of all those in the climbing group," the statement posted on the Moran Mountain Facebook page said.

They added that they were "deeply saddened by the tragic events unfolding" and expressed gratitude for the search operations being undertaken "under extremely difficult conditions".

The Sydney Morning Herald named the Australian member as British-born Ruth McCance.

It quoted her husband Trent Goldsack as saying that her last communication to him had been a text message around a week ago saying: "OK at base camp."

He said that his wife had been nervous and excited before the trip and "certainly wasn't blase about it".

"Ever since I've known her, this is something she has wanted to do. She's an amazing woman," he said.

"They basically went dark after they left Delhi, but that was expected. She's done this stuff before."

Another of the British climbers was reported to be Richard Payne, a lecturer at the University of York.

"We are aware of the news reports and can confirm that one of our lecturers Dr Richard Payne travelled to the Himalayas on holiday," a spokesman for the British university said.

"We remain extremely concerned for his safety and our thoughts are with his family, friends and colleagues at this difficult time."

Hundreds of climbers from across the world visit India to scale mountains located across the Himalayan belt, but the twin peaks of Nanda Devi are the toughest to scale.

The first successful ascent to the Nada Devi summit was in 1936.

India has 10 peaks above 7,000 metres, including Kangchenjunga -- the world's third highest -- sandwiched between India and Nepal.

Four Indians were among 11 climbers that died climbing Mount Everest in the latest season that ended in recent days amid allegations of overcrowding on the world's highest peak.

Mountaineering experts criticised the government of Nepal for giving permits to anyone ready to pay $11,000, letting rookie climbers risk their lives and those of others on the slopes.CAIRO (Reuters) - Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, speaking about the unannounced U.S. Mideast peace plan, said on Sunday that his country would not accept anything undesired by the Palestinians.

Speaking after breaking the Ramadan fast at a hotel in Cairo, Sisi also appeared to dismiss suggestions that Egypt might make concessions as part of the U.S. plan.

The blueprint, still in draft form and billed by U.S. President Donald Trump as the "deal of the century", jettisons the two-state solution to ending the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, according to Palestinian and Arab sources.

It envisages an expansion of Gaza into parts of northern Sinai, under Egyptian control, Palestinian officials have told Reuters.

Referring to the U.S. plan, Sisi said that "Egypt will not accept anything that the Palestinians do not want".

"You are asking what's the story and what does Sisi have in mind, and will he give up anything to anyone," apparently referring to reports that Egypt could be required to allow areas in Sinai adjacent to the Gaza border to be part of the deal.

"Can you imagine that I would give something up. ... But, why?"

(Writing by Aidan Lewis; Editing by Sami Aboudi and Peter Cooney)Kevin Sutherland overcame an eight-shot deficit in the final round and then birdied the second playoff hole against Scott Parel to win the Principal Charity Classic in stunning fashion Sunday in Des Moines, Iowa.

Sutherland made eight birdies on the back nine at Wakonda Club and shot a course-record 10-under 62 to force the playoff with Parel at 17 under.

Parel shot a 2-under 70 in his final round, missing a 10-foot birdie putt on No. 18 that would have won it.

After breaking the tournament record of 15 under set by Scott McCarron in 2016, Parel and Sutherland both parred the first playoff hole. Parel parred the second and Sutherland made birdie, beating Parel in a playoff for the second time this season.

Sutherland outlasted Parel on the seventh extra hole in a Monday finish at the Rapiscan Systems Classic in Biloxi, Miss., on April 1.

It was the third career PGA Tour Champions victory for Sutherland, 54, who started the day at 7 under. After birdies at Nos. 6 and 8, he birdied every hole on the back nine except for the par-4 16th.

Jerry Kelly finished just out of the playoff at 16 under, followed by David Toms in fourth place at 13 under.

Kent Jones, Corey Pavin and Gene Sauers tied for fifth at 11 under. Jay Haas, Doug Garwood and Marco Dawson tied for eighth at 10 under.

--Field Level MediaDamascus (AFP) - The Syrian army's anti-aircraft defence was activated Sunday against "enemy missiles" fired from Israel at "positions" in southwest Damascus, the official SANA news agency quoted a military source as saying.

"At dawn Sunday, enemy air targets arrived from the occupied Golan", the military source said. "Our air defence blocked and shot down these enemy missiles which targeted our positions in southwest Damascus."

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said "warehouses and positions" in the Kesswa region, where Syrian and Iranian forces and Lebanese Hezbollah fighters allied to Damascus have been stationed, were targeted.

Located southwest of the capital, the area has been targeted several times in the past.

Israel has carried out hundreds of air strikes in Syria, most of them against what it says are Iranian and Hezbollah targets.

Israel says it is determined to prevent its arch foe Iran from entrenching itself militarily in Syria, where Tehran backs President Bashar al-Assad in the country's eight-year war which has killed more than 370,000 people.

The Jewish state insists that it has the right to continue to target positions in Syria held by Iran and its Lebanese ally Hezbollah.

On May 27 Syria said Israel carried out a missile attack in Quneitra, in what the Israeli army said was retaliation for anti-aircraft fire targeting one of its fighter jets.

Syrian air defence batteries intercepted projectiles coming from Israel and downed a number of them on May 17, according to SANA.

The Syrian province of Quneitra includes the Golan Heights, most of which is occupied and annexed by Israel.

In January, Israel hit Iranian positions in Syria, saying it was in response to an Iranian missile strike from the war-torn country. According to the Observatory, 21 people, mainly Iranians, were killed in these raids.

The latest reported strike comes amid soaring tensions in the region between Iran and the United States.

The stand-off had been simmering since the United States last year withdrew from the 2015 nuclear treaty which Iran reached with major world powers.

In recent weeks the US accused Iran of alleged threats and deployed an aircraft carrier group and B-52 bombers to the Gulf.Ain Issa (Syria) (AFP) - Kurdish authorities in northeast Syria said Sunday they plan to hand 800 women and children, including relatives of jihadists, to their families in the first such transfer from an overcrowded camp.

The women and children -- all Syrians -- are living among the dregs of the Islamic State group in the Kurdish-run Al-Hol camp, home to nearly 74,000 people including more than 30,000 Syrians.

They will leave on Monday and be "taken to their families" at the request of local Arab tribes, according to Abd al-Mehbach, co-chair of the Kurdish administration's executive council.

The move follows an agreement brokered by the Kurdish administration and Arab tribal leaders during a meeting in the town of Ain Issa last month.

It is to be the first in a larger wave of releases that aim to empty Al-Hol of its Syrian residents, he said.

The next batch is expected to follow after the Eid al-Fitr holiday due to start sometime in the next few days marking the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Hoovered up during a final offensive against the jihadists by a US-backed Kurdish-led force, thousands of wives and children of IS fighters have been trucked into Al-Hol from a string of Syrian villages south of the camp in recent months.

Their numbers have created a major headache for the semi-autonomous Kurdish administration and have sparked concerns that the camp is emerging as a fresh jihadist powder keg.

- 'Our sisters, our mothers' -

But "not all of those being released are relatives of IS fighters," Mehbach said of the group set to leave Monday.

Some sought shelter at the camp to escape tough humanitarian conditions in areas levelled by months of fighting, he said.

Monday's group consists of residents from the northeastern city of Raqa -- once IS's de facto capital in Syria -- as well as the town of Tabqa, 70 kilometres (43 miles) west, according to Mehbach.

Those among them with suspected links to IS will be kept under surveillance by local Arab tribes, who have given guarantees, he said.

Story continues

"It is the (Kurdish) administration's duty to its people to play a role in the rehabilitation of these women and children, and their reintegration into society," he added.

A Raqa tribal leader, Ali Mahamid Ali, said that Arab tribes are trying to secure the release of all Syrian women held in Al-Hol.

"They are all our sisters, our mothers," he said.

"We gave guarantees... the (women and children) will be released under our responsibility."

The IS proto-state was declared defeated on March 23, following a nearly five-year-long offensive against the group.

Thousands of foreign fighters are being held in Kurdish-run prisons, while their wives and children languish in displacement camps.

Among the hordes of Syrians and Iraqis, some 12,000 foreigners are held in a fenced-off section of the Al-Hol camp, under the watch of Kurdish forces.Jerusalem (AFP) - Tens of thousands of flag-waving Israelis marched through Jerusalem on Sunday to mark their country's capture of the city's east in a 1967 war with tensions heightened due to the holiday coinciding with the final days of Ramadan.

The march, including a large contingent of Jewish religious nationalists, passed under heavy security through the Muslim quarter of Jerusalem's Old City in what Palestinians see as a provocation.

Some 3,000 police were deployed, said police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld.

"We came to celebrate the day," said Rina Ben Shimol, who came with her husband and their three young children from Kfar Tavor in northern Israel.

"It is Zionism and it's to strengthen the link with our origins and with the country."

Earlier in the day, Palestinian worshippers clashed with Israeli police at a highly sensitive Jerusalem holy site, also located in the Old City in mainly Palestinian east Jerusalem.

Muslim worshippers at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound were angered over Jewish visits to the site -- which is holy to both religions -- in the final days of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

According to police, protesters barricaded themselves in the mosque, from where they threw chairs and stones at forces who "dispersed" them.

The Muslim Waqf organisation which oversees the site said police used rubber bullets and pepper spray, adding that seven people were arrested and 45 were wounded.

It said police shut the mosque's doors and chained them.

After the clashes, police spokesman Rosenfeld said calm had returned and visits continued.

Al-Aqsa mosque director Omar al-Kiswani accused Israel of violating an agreement not to allow such visits during the last days of Ramadan.

He said around 1,200 Jews visited the site on Sunday, while a Jewish organisation that arranges visits there reported a similar number.

The clashes took place as Israelis marked Jerusalem Day, which commemorates the country's capture of the city's eastern sector in the 1967 Six-Day War.

Story continues

Unusually, this year's holiday coincided with the final days of Ramadan.

The status of the Al-Aqsa compound, known to Jews as the Temple Mount, is one of the most sensitive issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

It is the holiest site in Judaism and the third-holiest for Muslims after Mecca and Medina.

- 'Flagrant violations' -

Sunday's visit was the first time since Tuesday that Jews were allowed into the holy site, according to activists.

Jews are allowed to visit the site during set hours but not pray there to avoid provoking tensions. Jewish visits to the site, particularly by religious nationalists, usually increase for Jerusalem Day.

Israeli Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan said his policy was to do everything possible to keep the site open to visits, especially for Jerusalem Day.

He said preparations to avoid serious unrest included arrests ahead of Sunday based on intelligence, in addition to those in connection with the clashes.

Jordan, the custodian of the holy site and one of only two Arab countries with a peace treaty with Israel, condemned what it said was Israel's "flagrant violations", calling the visits "provocative intrusions by extremists."

Such actions risked setting off violence in the region, a statement from Jordan's foreign ministry said.

Sunday's Jerusalem Day march culminates in celebrations at the Western Wall, which is below the Al-Aqsa compound.

The wall is the holiest site where Jews can pray.

Following its seizure in 1967, east Jerusalem was annexed by Israel in a move never recognised by the international community.

Israel proclaims the entire city as its united capital, while the Palestinians see the city's eastern sector as the capital of their future state.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked US President Donald Trump at a ceremony marking the end of the Jerusalem Day festivities.

"Jerusalem has always been the capital of the Jewish people, and I thank President Trump again for affirming this by establishing the American embassy there," Netanyahu said.

jjm-ha-alv-mjs/dv/dwoVarious exhibitions seen at museum. The June 4 museum operated by the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, is to mark the 30th anniversary of Beijings 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown. - SIPA USA

Tucked away on the tenth floor of a Hong Kong commercial building sits the worlds only museum commemorating the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown, the peaceful pro-democracy demonstrations shut down after Chinese soldiers opened fire on thousands.

The 100-square-metre room is a time capsule  a pair of glasses broken when its wearer was shot, a spray of bullets plucked from the dead.

A wall of historic photographs flanks the entrance; protest banners hang behind glass; two clocks silently count time elapsed since the massacre.

Museum staffers mill around in black t-shirts: The People Will Not Forget. Even three decades later, the crackdown remains one of the most sensitive topics in China, and is still subject to government efforts to erase it from history.

Dennis Cheung a visitor to Hong Kong museum pays tribute to Tiananmen massacre ahead of 30th anniversary Credit: Sophia Yan

The ruling Communist Party continues to resist calls to acknowledge wrongdoing and the number of deaths.

About a hundred visitors swing by daily to the museum in the former British colony, which enjoys rare civil freedoms.

Jo Ng, 36, a history teacher, brought two dozen students for a lesson after they asked her - she recounted - The Peoples Liberation Army belongs to the people; why would they kill their own people? References to Tiananmen across the rest of China, however, are banned and routinely scrubbed off the Internet.

As the 30th anniversary on June 4 nears, the government has launched pre-emptive strikes by detaining, interrogating, and placing under house arrest former protest leaders and their relatives, according to the Network of Chinese Human Rights Defenders, a coalition of human rights groups.

Last week, the government forced Ding Zilin, 82, whose teenage son was killed in the crackdown by troops, to leave Beijing and travel to her hometown in southern China.

This is a common tactic the authorities use against activists in an effort to silence them during politically sensitive periods and to make it less likely they will speak with foreign media, said Amnesty International, a rights group.

Story continues

A T-shirt seen being exhibited at the museum. The June 4 museum operated by the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, is to mark the 30th anniversary of Beijings 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown. Credit: Photo by Chan Long Hei / SOPA Images

In April, the government convicted four people for picking quarrels and provoking trouble  a charge often levied against critics of the government  for selling bottles of liquor with labels that referred to the crackdown.

In previous years, censors have even blocked digital payments in amounts that use the numbers 64 and 89 such as 6.40 yuan (0.70) as they inadvertently reference the crackdown date.

Efforts to squash mentions began in 1989 with propaganda giving the governments version of events.

An original propaganda pamphlet at the museum is titled, Quelling Counter-Revolutionary Rebellion in Beijing.

The caption next to a picture of soldiers in Tiananmen praises them for thoroughly winning the triumph of safeguarding the capital.

Over the years, Chinese historians, writers, artists have tried to remember the many deaths the Communist Party would rather the world forget. Its also getting passed on through parents like Dennis Cheung, 32, a NGO worker visiting the museum.

I was just three years old when this event occurred, he said. I would like to learn more to educate my child. For now, the June 4th Museum is allowed to stay open, though its been an uphill battle  earlier efforts were snarled by years of lawsuits.

Finding space was tough  some owners werent keen to sell property for such a politically sensitive exhibit. Its location in the congested Mongkok district is easy to get to, though remains unmarked at street level. Shortly before opening last month, the place was vandalised, and occasional protesters still line the curb outside.

Amid protests over the erosion of Hong Kong's freedoms by the government in Beijing, whether or not the museum is allowed to stay open will "be a very important symbol" said Richard Tsoi, vice chairman of the Hong Kong Alliance, the non-profit behind the museum.

And, he said, it was important to inform people of the "tragedy and crime" the Chinese government was trying to hide. We will not let this regime escape its responsibility.Hong Kong (AFP) - Tuesday marks the 30th anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown in Beijing where Chinese troops fired on peaceful protesters, drawing global condemnation.

Students rallying for democracy and freedom had filled the symbolic heart of Chinese power, drawing in workers and intellectuals and inspiring demonstrations across the country.

But after weeks of protest, the movement was shattered by an overnight military assault that left hundreds of people dead -- by some estimates, more than 1,000 -- and a ruling party hell-bent on preventing any such future challenges to its power.

Three decades on, the crackdown remains one of the most sensitive subjects in mainland China and any mention is strictly censored.

Here are five key moments from that tumultuous spring.

- April 15: Death of a reformer -

Purged during the Cultural Revolution, Hu Yaobang was elected Chinese Communist Party leader in 1981 but dismissed in 1987 for his relaxed handling of a wave of student unrest.

Hu was popularly revered as a liberal reformer and protests first break out at Tiananmen Square two days after his death on April 15.

Fuelled by frustration from years of economic upheaval, the movement gathers pace as public mourning for the former party chief morphs into wider calls for political change and curbs to official corruption.

- April 27: Protests mushroom -

On April 25, paramount leader Deng Xiaoping says the protest movement seeks to topple the Communist Party -- a claim that forms the basis of an explosive editorial in the official People's Daily newspaper the next day.

Incensed by the editorial's rhetoric, crowds flood the streets of Beijing on April 27 and protests erupt across the nation.

A week later on the 70th anniversary of the May Fourth Movement -- the landmark protest against colonialism and imperialism that rocked China in 1919 -- a new mass protest breaks out in Beijing and other cities from Shanghai to Xi'an.

- May 13: Tiananmen occupied -

Story continues

Hundreds of students occupy Tiananmen Square and begin a hunger strike on May 13, joined by thousands more in the following days.

Demonstrators disrupt a historic visit by the reformist Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev for the normalisation of Sino-Soviet ties on May 15.

Premier Li Peng meets student activists including Wu'er Kaixi and Wang Dan in a nationally televised meeting on May 18, in which students berate the party leaders.

- May 20: Martial law declared -

Party chief Zhao Ziyang emotionally pleads with hunger strikers to leave the square on May 19 in what is his last public appearance.

Sidelined for opposing the use of force, Zhao is sacked and put under house arrest for the next 16 years until his death.

Premier Li, later dubbed the "Butcher of Beijing" for his role in the bloody crackdown, declares martial law in parts of the capital on May 20.

But the students remain, erecting a statue titled the "Goddess of Democracy" facing the portrait of Mao Zedong on the wall of the Forbidden City.

- June 3-5: The bloody crackdown -

On the night of June 3, at the Muxidi crossroads, tanks break through the line of buses that had blocked their entry, and soldiers open fire on the crowd.

Advancing from all sides, the troops encircle Tiananmen Square in the early hours of June 4. Under the eyes of paratroopers with fixed bayonets, the remaining students leave the square.

Most of those slain are on the streets outside the square. The number of casualties is disputed, and the government has never released an official death toll.

But estimates from academics, witnesses and human rights groups have put the figure between several hundred to over a thousand.

On June 5, a solitary man blocks a column of tanks and armoured vehicles stretching far down the road in a minutes-long standoff before two men pull him away.

Captured on camera, "Tank Man" becomes one of the defining images of the 20th century.

His identity and fate are unknown.BEIJING (AP)  It has been three months since Chinese rock musician Li Zhi disappeared from public view. First, an upcoming tour was canceled and his social media accounts were taken down. Then his music was removed from all of China's major streaming sites  as if his career had never existed at all. Li is an outspoken artist who performs folk rock. He sang pensive ballads about social ills, and unlike most entertainers in China, dared to broach the taboo subject of the Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests that ended in bloodshed on June 4, 1989. "Now this square is my grave," Li sang.

SINGAPORE (AP)  China's defense minister is warning its military will "resolutely take action" to defend Beijing's claims over self-ruled Taiwan and disputed South China Sea waters. Speaking at an annual security conference in Singapore on Sunday, Wei Fenghe says: "Should anybody risk crossing the bottom line, the PLA will resolutely take action and defeat all enemies." The PLA stands for the People's Liberation Army. He defended China's right to build "limited defense facilities" in the contested South China Sea, where its sweeping claims are challenged by several smaller neighbors. On Saturday, U.S. Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan told the same gathering that China's efforts to militarize man-made outposts in the South China Sea are a "toolkit of coercion," saying activities by Beijing the U.S.

BEIJING (AP)  China issued a report Sunday blaming the United States for a trade dispute and said it won't back down on "major issues of principle." The statement from the Cabinet spokesman's office said that China has kept its word throughout 11 rounds of talks and will honor its commitments if a trade agreement is reached. "A country's sovereignty and dignity must be respected, and any agreement reached by the two sides must be based on equality and mutual benefit," it said. The U.S. has accused China of stealing trade secrets and forced technology transfers. The Trump administration has imposed 25% tariffs on $250 billion in Chinese imports and is planning to tax the $300 billion in imports that have so far been spared.

Story continues

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP)  A Hungarian judge on Saturday ordered the formal arrest of a captain whose Viking river cruise ship collided with a sightseeing boat on the Danube River, sinking the tourist boat and leaving seven South Koreans dead and 21 other people missing. Authorities said water levels in Budapest are expected to fall quickly in the coming days, helping efforts to salvage the wreckage that may still contain victims' bodies. The judge ordered the 64-year-old Ukrainian captain of the Viking Sigyn cruise ship formally arrested for 30 days. He said the captain could be released on bail  subject to him wearing a tracking device and remaining in Budapest  but prosecutors are appealing that decision.

BEIJING (AP)  China is investigating FedEx after it diverted packages sent by Chinese tech giant Huawei, state media reported Saturday. The missed deliveries drew unusual attention because of speculation that they're related to rising U.S.-China trade tensions and U.S. sanctions on Huawei. China has opened an investigation into FedEx's actions, which "severely harmed clients' legitimate rights and interests and violated China's delivery industry regulations," the official Xinhua news agency reported. Four packages containing paperwork sent out by Huawei were found to have been diverted to FedEx headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee, instead of being delivered to Huawei offices in Asia. FedEx apologized and said the packages were misrouted accidentally.

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 activities by Beijing the U.S. perceives as hostile 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.

SINGAPORE (AP)  South Korea's Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo on Saturday fended off calls to step up pressure on North Korea after it test-fired missiles last month. Jeong told an annual security conference in Singapore that the tests were being investigated and a conclusion is within reach. "There are discussions whether or not it is a short-range ballistic missile. There is a perspective that it is a Russian Iskander missile, or it is a new tactical ballistic missile," he said. "There are data that we can verify, and we are working off those data to make sure we have a verification." Jeong was responding to a question on whether the tests were a violation of a military agreement between South and North Korea last September to halt acts of aggression against each other.

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.

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP)  An artist has erected an inflatable display in Taiwan's capital to mark an iconic moment in the Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests. The larger-than-life balloon installation, which stands in front of Taipei's famous Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, portrays a peaceful encounter between a Chinese civilian and the military tanks that contributed to a brutal shutdown of the demonstrations in Beijing on June 4, 1989. The tank standoff, memorialized by several photographers including Jeff Widener of The Associated Press , has become a symbol of defiance around the world. Hundreds of people walked by the installation Saturday morning. Many took selfies and photos of the artwork, which has been up for a few weeks.

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.BEIJING (AP)  Thirty years since the Tiananmen Square protests, China's economy has catapulted up the world rankings, yet political repression is harsher than ever. Hundreds of thousands of Muslims are held in re-education camps without charge, student activists face relentless harassment and leaders in the beleaguered dissident community have been locked up or simply vanished. Religious groups face ever greater pressure to conform, and a web of mass surveillance is bolstering a system many call totalitarian. It's a far cry from the hopes of the idealistic student demonstrators, and a level of control far beyond what many imagined possible, even after the army's bloody crushing of the protests on the night of June 3-4, 1989.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP)  A senior North Korean official who had been reported as purged over the failed nuclear summit with Washington was shown in state media on Monday enjoying a concert near leader Kim Jong Un. North Korean publications on Monday showed Kim Yong Chol sitting five seats away from a clapping Kim Jong Un in the same row along with other top officials during a musical performance by the wives of Korean People's Army officers. Kim Yong Chol has been North Korea's top nuclear negotiator and the counterpart of U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo since Kim Jong Un entered nuclear talks with the U.S.

BEIJING (AP)  China fired back at the U.S. Sunday over the two nations' trade dispute, issuing a report that blamed the conflict on the Trump administration but refrained from escalating the trade war. The report from the Cabinet spokesman's office said China won't back down on "major issues of principle," but offered no sense of whether or how the world's second largest economy might retaliate against U.S. tariffs on goods manufactured in China. The report said China has kept its word throughout 11 rounds of talks and will honor its commitments if a trade agreement is reached. It accused the U.S.

Story continues

SEOUL, South Korea (AP)  The Pentagon has told the White House to stop politicizing the military, amid a furor over a Trump administration order to have the Navy ship named for the late U.S. Sen. John McCain hidden from view during President Donald Trump's recent visit to Japan. Trump's top aide scoffed at the idea that anyone working for the White House might be punished. "We think it's much ado about nothing." A U.S. defense official said Patrick Shanahan, Trump's acting defense chief, is also considering sending out formal guidance to military units in order to avoid similar problems in the future.

BEIJING (AP)  It has been three months since Chinese rock musician Li Zhi disappeared from public view. First, an upcoming tour was canceled and his social media accounts were taken down. Then his music was removed from all of China's major streaming sites  as if his career had never existed at all. Li is an outspoken artist who performs folk rock. He sang pensive ballads about social ills, and unlike most entertainers in China, dared to broach the taboo subject of the Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests that ended in bloodshed on June 4, 1989. "Now this square is my grave," Li sang.

HONG KONG (AP)  Thirty years after it was crushed by China's army, the Tiananmen Square pro-democracy movement is being commemorated in art, literature, public rallies and even synth pop. Hong Kong singer Anthony Wong's latest release, "Is It a Crime," recorded with longtime musical partner Tats Lau, is finding an audience by doing just that. The two make up the group Tat Ming Pair, long a staple of the local music scene known as Cantopop for the Cantonese language in which the music is recorded. Released in May, the composition has been banned in mainland China, where all discussion of the protest movement and the military crackdown is strictly taboo.

The newly released Netflix movie "Always Be My Maybe," is an Asian American rom-com with a twist: Ethnicity isn't central to the plot. It's just stand-up comedian and actress Ali Wong and "Fresh Off the Boat" actor Randall Park playing best friends and soul mates who happen to be Asian, which may be the most refreshing part of all. "It wasn't the type of thing where we sat down and said before we wrote it, 'OK, we got to represent and make sure we're making the perfect Asian American movie,'" Park told The Associated Press. "It was more like, 'Let's make a really heartfelt and really funny romantic comedy, a movie that we'd really love to see.'" In the flick, best friends Sasha (Wong) and Marcus (Park), who grew up next door to each other in San Francisco, lose touch after a night of passion.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP)  Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said Sunday that so far he sees no need to restore large-scale military exercises with South Korea that have been curtailed over the past year as a diplomatic olive branch to North Korea. "I'm confident that we have the readiness that we are required to have," Shanahan said as he flew to Seoul to meet with his commanders and South Korean officials. But he also said he wants to discuss the issue with his top American commander in South Korea, Army Gen. Robert Abrams, to "make sure that the plan that we put in place is sufficient."

CHICAGO (AP)  A former University of Illinois graduate student is set to stand trial in the 2017 disappearance and suspected killing of a visiting scholar from China  a case in which the death penalty is possible and that has been closely watched in the home country of the victim, whose body hasn't been found. Jury selection in the federal trial of Brendt Christensen begins Monday in Peoria, a central Illinois city about 85 miles (135 kilometers) northwest of Champaign, where 26-year-old Yingying Zhang was studying at the university's flagship campus and where she was last seen. Because it's a death penalty case, jury selection is expected to take a week, as among the questions prospective jurors will be asked is whether they oppose capital punishment.

LUCKNOW, India (AP)  Rescuers on Sunday searched for eight mostly foreign mountaineers who went missing while attempting to scale a peak near India's second-highest mountain, an official said. The team, led by British climber Martin Moran, began its ascent May 13 of the previously unclimbed and unnamed peak on Nanda Devi East at 6,477 meters (21,250 feet), according to Moran Mountain, Moran's Scotland-based company.The team includes four Britons, two Americans, an Australian and an Indian liaison officer. Vijay Kumar Jogdande, a civil administrator in northern India's Uttarakhand state, said four other members of the expedition team who had stayed back at the second base camp were brought down Sunday.Photo: iStock

Looking for an adventure in one of the worlds great megacities, but without the hassle of flying halfway around the world? Mexico City is North Americas largest, at over 8 million people (and more than twice that number in the greater metro area).

It's the oldest capital city in the Americas, rich in history and culture and a major economic center in the region today. In addition to Aztec ruins, the city has the worlds largest single-metropolitan concentration of museums, plus extensive art galleries, concert halls and theaters. And the citys 16 boroughs and many colorful neighborhoods offer an abundance of shopping, restaurants, bars and nightlife.

Fortunately, there are plenty of relatively inexpensive flights between Chicago and Mexico City, at least according to travel site Skyscanner.

Heres a list of flights, hotels, restaurants and local attractions in Mexico City to get you started. (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 Mexico City

The cheapest flights between Chicago and Mexico City are if you leave on Nov. 13 and return from Mexico on Nov. 17. Volaris currently has tickets for $231, roundtrip.

There are also deals to be had earlier in November If you fly out of Chicago on Nov. 5 and return from Mexico City on Nov. 12, Interjet can get you there and back for $254 roundtrip.

Top Mexico City hotels

To plan your accommodations, here are some of Mexico Citys top-rated hotels, that we selected from Skyscanner's listings based on price and customer satisfaction.

The St. Regis Mexico City (Paseo de la Reforma 439)

Photo: Trip by Skyscanner

If you're looking to splurge on top quality, consider The St. Regis Mexico City. The hotel has a five-star rating on Skyscanner, and rooms are currently available for $255.

Story continues

The Four Seasons Mexico City (Paseo de la Reforma 500 Colonia Juarez)

Photo: Trip by Skyscanner

There's also the 4.9-star rated The Four Seasons Mexico City, which has rooms for $179/night.

Set in the heart of Mexico City on the busy Paseo de la Reforma, this luxury hotel is close to the Monumento a los Ninos Heroes and Monumento a los Heroes de la Independencia.

The Condesa DF (Avenida Veracruz 102 Colonia Condesa)

Photo: Trip by Skyscanner

A pricier alternative is The Condesa DF. The 4.6-star hotel has rooms for $265/night.

Local restaurant picks

If you're looking to snag a bite at one of Mexico City's many quality eateries, here are a few popular culinary destinations from Skyscanner's listings that will help keep you satiated.

Lalo! (Zacatecas 173)

Photo: Trip by Skyscanner

Let's start with the essentials: where to get your coffee fix. For a popular option, check out Lalo!, which has an average of five stars out of seven reviews on Skyscanner.

El Moro (Eje Central Lazaro Cardenas, 42)

Photo: Trip by Skyscanner

One of Mexico City's most popular restaurants is El Moro, with 4.8 stars from 17 reviews.

"This 1930s-era churreria is a stand-out and must visit," wrote reviewer Harold.

Panaderia Rosetta (Colima 179)

Photo: Trip by Skyscanner

Also worth considering is Panaderia Rosetta.

"It's a very cozy breakfast spot with only a few bar stools for seating. Get there early to get your hands on the good pastries," wrote Leila.

Restaurante El Cardenal (Calle de la Palma, 23)

Photo: Trip by Skyscanner

Finally, there's Restaurante El Cardenal.

"The food was super fantastic here," wrote Frank. "The eggs for breakfast were perfect. I drank tons of coffee. I'm not a hot chocolate drinker, but the ones in my party who were, raved about it."

What to see and do in Mexico City

Mexico City is also full of sites to visit and explore. Here are some popular attractions to round out your trip, again from Skyscanner's listings.

The Palacio de Bellas Artes (Av. Juarez)

Photo: Trip by Skyscanner

First up is The Palacio de Bellas Artes.

Inaugurated in 1934, the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City is a major cultural center where you can attend poetry readings, operas, dance recitals, art shows and more. From outside, marvel at the building's white-marble beauty and symbolic sculptures, that include an eagle eating a snake. Inside, find spectacular murals by renowned artists, such as Rufino Tamayo and Diego Rivera.

"The place in itself is a beauty," wrote visitor Analu. "The lobby feels like youve stepped back in time."

El Zocalo (Plaza de la Constitucion S/N)

Photo: Trip by Skyscanner

El Zocalo is another popular destination.

El Zocalo in Mexico City is known as the third-largest square in the world. It is the main plaza in the middle of downtown.

"I recommend you to take a walk around this area, there are so many interesting things to explore and enjoy," wrote visitor Gianfi.

Centro Historico (Avenida Juarez, 66)

Photo: Trip by Skyscanner

Finally, consider checking out Centro Historico.

Centro Historico is the historical center of Mexico City.

"It's a great place for a stroll," wrote visitor Mario. "So much beautiful architecture all around."

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.Photo: iStock

You dont necessarily have to go far, far away to have a memorable vacation: There are plenty of U.S. cities worth exploring. One option is Charleston, a top travel destination in the American South. The oldest and largest city in South Carolina, Charleston is known for its history, architecture, food culture and hospitality. The city sits on a harbor at the nexus of three rivers, and it boasts a vibrant music and arts scene, along with numerous museums and family-friendly attractions.

Thankfully, there are plenty of relatively inexpensive flights between Philadelphia and Charleston. We pulled from travel site Skyscanner to provide you with a short list of flights and hotels handpicked with the trendy adventurer in mind. (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 Charleston

The cheapest flights between Philadelphia and Charleston are if you leave on July 9 and return from South Carolina on July 11. Frontier Airlines currently has roundtrip tickets for $57.

Frontier Airlines also has tickets at that price point in August. If you fly out of Philadelphia on Aug. 13 and return from Charleston on Aug. 15, Frontier Airlines can get you there and back for $57 roundtrip.

Top Charleston hotels

Regarding where to stay, here are some of Charlestons top-rated hotels, that we selected from Skyscanner's listings based on price and customer satisfaction.

The Mills House Wyndham Grand Hotel (115 Meeting St.)

If you're looking for an inexpensive place to stay, consider The Mills House Wyndham Grand Hotel. The hotel has a 4.6-star rating on Skyscanner, and rooms are currently available for $123.

Set in the heart of Charleston, this reconstruction of an 1853 hotel is close to Gibbes Museum of Art and Charleston County Courthouse and all that Meeting and King streets have to offer. Dining options include a restaurant and a bar/lounge flanked by an outdoor courtyard with patio tables.

Story continues

The Market Pavilion Hotel (225 E. Bay St.)

Photo: Trip by Skyscanner

Another alternative is The Market Pavilion Hotel, which has rooms for $199/night.

This hotel is located right beside the open-air market, close to Waterfront Park, bars, restaurants and shops.

Belmond Charleston Place (205 Meeting St.)

A pricier alternative is Belmond Charleston Place. The 4.6-star hotel has rooms for $249/night.

"The staff was friendly and the rooms clean and comfortable. The seventh and eighth floors are club level and you can upgrade for a nightly fee," wrote visitor Joleen.

Top picks for dining and drinking

If you're looking to snag a bite at one of Charleston's many quality eateries, here are a few popular culinary destinations from Skyscanner's listings that will help keep you satiated.

The FIG (232 Meeting St.)

If you're looking for a local favorite, head to The FIG, which has an average of 4.9 stars out of 40 reviews on Skyscanner. The restaurant works with local farmers, growers and purveyors to source food items for the menu.

"Fig is a great place to eat if you can get a reservation ahead of time," wrote visitor Wythe. "It is not a place to just walk in to get a quick bite. Menu changes daily, which makes it interesting."

Halls Chophouse (434 King St.)

Photo: Trip by Skyscanner

Another popular dining destination is Halls Chophouse, with 4.9 stars from 31 reviews.

According to Skyscanner, Halls Chophouse offers superior dishes, service and an atmosphere that will entice guests to stay, enjoy and come back time and again.

"Absolutely delicious," wrote reviewer Maria. "Went there for a bachelorette trip and our entire group was not only happy with their choices, we were all stuffed! Everything tasted fresh. Staff was so friendly, they truly made it an unforgettable experience."

Hominy Grill (207 Rutledge Ave.)

Photo: Trip by Skyscanner

Also worth considering is Hominy Grill.

Nationally acclaimed and locally beloved, Hominy Grill is a Charleston institution serving classic Southern specialties.

"Very popular for brunch and known for their Southern cuisine," wrote Lois. "Their grits and shrimp are fantastic. They also have excellent Bloody Marys. Recommend for breakfast or brunch. Try to go early because a line generally forms on Saturday and Sunday morning."

Slightly North of Broad (192 E. Bay St.)

Finally, there's Slightly North of Broad.

Skyscanner describes Slightly North of Broad as an eclectic low country bistro that brings together an abundance of local ingredients and thoughtful, expert presentation with a friendly, contagious energy.

"I had the sweet potato tamale and my friend had beef carpaccio," wrote Joleen. "They were recommended by the bartender as her favorites and both very good."

Featured Charleston attractions

To round out your trip, Charleston offers plenty of popular attractions worth visiting. Here are some top recommendations, based on Skyscanner's descriptions and reviews.

Downtown Charleston (King Street)

Photo: Trip by Skyscanner

First up is Downtown Charleston.

The historic area of Downtown Charleston, South Carolina is an experience not soon forgotten by the thousands of tourists who visit there each year. The main feature is the historic row homes, many of which have been renovated and restored to their original Revolutionary War appearances and feature amazing antique furniture and decor. When you are done seeing the sights, downtown Charleston also features many wonderful restaurants and nightlife spots sure to please even the most picky travelers.

The Battery (East Battery at Murray Boulevard)

Photo: Trip by Skyscanner

Then, there's The Battery.

This iconic landmark was built as a defensive seawall and promenade.

"This is a waterfront park consisting of park benches under the oaks," wrote visitor Tracy. "Great for locals walking their dogs and for the walkers and joggers. As a tourist, the draw is walking through the beautiful 'South of Broad' homes."

Charleston Waterfront Park (1 Vendue Range)

Photo: Trip by Skyscanner

Finally, spend some time at Charleston Waterfront Park.

Stroll along the pier of Charleston Waterfront Park and behold the beauty of the Charleston Harbor. Bring your entire family to view the calming dance of the water fountains as you enjoy a picnic in the park.

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.Michael Wolff book Siege: From oral sex with a top diplomat to Trump not knowing how to use stairs, six explosive takeaways The newest book from author Michael Wolff, Siege, has been released, and it does not disappoint in its effort to shock with its titillating bits of palace intrigue and gossip from within  or perhaps, this time, from just outside  the Trump White House.Mr Wolffs follow up to his bestselling book on Donald Trumps presidency, Fire and Fury, purportedly includes an inside look at the presidents behaviour as the the investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller embroiled the administration in an ongoing scandal.But, while that investigation threatened the presidency, the book includes other interesting details about the way in which those around the president seemed to view Mr Trump, his treatment of a top member of his administration, and the extraordinary power that his son-in-law Jared Kushner appears to have gleaned as a White House aide.The Independent read through the book on its release day, and rounded up the most interesting takeaways from our reading. Its worth noting that Mr Wolffs reporting has been received with considerable suspicion by fellow journalists who question his sourcing, but nevertheless provides an interesting read. We've reached out to the White House for comment, but have so far not received any response.One of the most outrageous claims in the book is that the president once bragged he received oral sex from Nikki Haley, the former US ambassador to the United NationsMs Haley is described in the book as a highly ambitious and skilled politician, who first wanted to be named secretary of state, but was tapped to be the ambassador of the United Nations instead.Mr Trump, according to Mr Wolff, has a rare respect for Ms Haley. But, he nevertheless bragged about a sexual relationship with her, and set off a series of professional embarrassments for himself, according to the book. Ms Haley, upon hearing about the supposed brag, then began plotting her exit from the Trump administration, and ultimately did so while wielding leverage over Mr Trump  she is described in the book as the administrations token female, minority, educated woman  just as the 2018 midterm elections approached.(Note: A similar allegation was raised in Mr Wolff's previous book, and Ms Haley called the suggestion she was having an affair with Mr Trump "highly offensive" and "disgusting". A request for comment on these details of Mr Wolff's book sent to Ms Haley's publisher was not returned).Melania Trump apparently thinks the president does not know how to act with children, while others who know him have described him as a man with the mind of a 12-year-oldThis came in response to the strange fireside chat in which the president called up a 7-year-old boy, and asked him if he still believed in Santa Claus. The first lady was sitting right next to Mr Trump as he asked the unnamed child the question.Apparently, Ms Trump was not exactly pleased. Soon after, Mr Trump determined that he would not go to their Florida Mar-a-Lago resort for their winter vacation. The decision came as pressure mounted on Mr Trump to stay behind as a result of the government shutdown he had just forced to try and get money for his border wall. Still, the move was confusing for those that knew how much Mr Trump liked to golf in the sunshine.It wasnt an act of self constraint that the first lady was willing to entertain, though, and heres how Mr Wolff explains it:Melania certainly had no intention of staying behind. Among other issues, friends suggested that she was still furious about his fireside Christmas Eve chat with a 7-year-old boy, during which he asked the boy if he still believed in Santa. Melania didnt think that was funny, said one aide. Trump was clearly a guy who had never dealt with a 7-year-old, Mr Wolff writes.In another portion of the book that illustrates Mr Trumps potential lack of experience with children, the guy who used to mic Mr Trump up while he was on The Apprentice recalled a time when Mr Trump lashed out at his adult son Donald Trump Jr for having too many f*****g kids.That sound engineer, Erik Whitestone, claimed of Mr Trump: Hes a 12-year-old in a mans body, all he does is takedowns of people based on their physical appearance  short, fat bald, whatever it is.Mr Whitestone also told Mr Wolff that apparently Mr Trump couldnt be around black people, and that he couldnt handle stepsRecounting the days on The Apprentice, Mr Whitestone said Mr Trump apparently once locked himself in his trailer during filming because he didnt want to be touched by a black person who was filling in as the guy who puts a microphone on his lapel.Mr Whitestone was told after that alleged incident to always be there to help Mr Trump. He helped would spot women in the entrance to Trump Tower, he said, and then invite them on his behalf to the board room away from the lobbys waterfall (which Mr Trump apparently calls gods urinal).Mr Whitestone told Mr Wolff that his time with the future president would get him used to some odd idiosyncrasies: He cant walk down steps  cant walk down hills. [Hes got] mental blocks  [He] cant handle numbers  they have no meaning to him.(For those keeping track: Mr Trump did ride an escalator down into the lobby of Trump Tower to announce his bid for the presidency in 2015, but has since then been seen regularly using stairs with apparent ease).Mr Wolff says the president wants people to think he had an affair with a young assistant in the White HouseAccording to the book, one of the reasons Mr Trump later gave to his friends for staying behind at the White House this past holiday season was because he was banging a young White House aide.It wouldnt be the first time that a president slept with a White House staffer, of course, but Mr Wolff doesnt seem convinced.Shutdown bravado? Locker-room talk? Or all part of a new alternative reality that only he seemed to be living in, Mr Wolff wrote of his apparent scepticism. Though, of course, he doesnt ultimately say either way.Everyone apparently thinks Mr Trump is crazy, or perhaps just annoyingVarious characters in Mr Trumps orbit have at one time or another have mocked the president behind his back, or just expressed a deep concern with the way he has led the United States, according to Mr Wolffs book.Among those named in the book are Ms Haley, as well as former US national security adviser HR McMaster, former US secretary of Defence James Mattis, former counsellor to the president Dina Powell, and even Mr Trumps former chief of staff, John Kelly.Some, like Mr Trumps former chief economic adviser, Gary Cohn even mocked the president in front of others.Gary Cohn, for instance, would take Trumps calls while playing golf at the private Sebonack Golf Club in Southampton, holding out the phone so others could hear Trumps diatribes and meanwhile making crazy-man gestures, Mr Wolff writes.Rupert Murdoch, likewise, couldnt always handle Mr Trump: I cant get the asshole off the phone, Mr Wolff quotes the media giant as saying, noting that he was holding out the phone as the presidents voice rambled off into the air.Jared Kushner has carved out considerable power in the White HouseOf the weightier allegations in Mr Wolffs new book are the sections involving Mr Kushner, who is the presidents son-in-law.Mr Kushner  a real estate developer known for potentially shaky loans he took out to build a skyscraper in Manhattan  was reportedly viewed as a weak link in the Trump administration, but took advantage of the access he has to upend US foreign policy.The book says that Mr Kushner was obsessed with Henry Kissinger, the former US secretary of State and national security adviser for presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford. The two reportedly sparked up a friendship, and Mr Kushner would regularly name drop Mr Kissinger. And, just like Mr Kissinger, Mr Kushner reportedly saw himself as the wiser and more focused adviser to a less sophisticated president.While Mr Kushners wife Ivanka Trump did not appear to approve of that relationship (she referred to Mr Kissinger as Jareds Uncle Henry), the book paints a portrait of a surprisingly effective effort by Mr Kushner to be relevant in the Trump White House.Mr Wolff writes that Mr Kushner eventually established himself as the most efficient point of contact for foreign governments looking to influence the US president, a role that upended decades of US tradition to reliably frustrate transactional and freelance diplomatic efforts.That benefited countries that realised Mr Kushners influence (like China, and interests in the Middle East), but hurt countries that did not focus on him in their diplomatic efforts, like Europe, Canada, and Britain, according to the book.Mr Kushner, the book says, essentially turned US foreign policy into an investment banking scheme.For Saudi Arabian Prince Mohammad Bin Salman (MBS), the relationship with Mr Kushner may have been especially helpful. According to the book, their close relationship helped MBS take over in his country (Wolff: Trumps first coup)  and Mr Kushner later questioned whether the Washington Post journalist murdered by MBS, Jamal Khashoggi, was actually a journalist.This guy was the link between certain factions in the royal family and Osama [bin Laden]. We know that. A journalist? Come on. This was a terrorist masquerading as a journalist, Mr Kushner reportedly said in an off-the-record conversation with a reporter.A spokesman for Mr Kushner told Vanity Fair this of the allegations in the book (the spokesman and Mr Kushner did not respond to a request for comment form The Independent): Michael Wolff never reached out for comment and the statements in the book attributed to Jared we have seen in the media are completely false.LONDON, June 2 (Reuters) - The "Trump Baby" inflatable balloon that was the focus of protests when the U.S. president visited London last year will fly again this week when he returns for state visit including a lavish banquet hosted by the queen, activists said.

The team behind the blimp said on Sunday it would be flown at locations near Donald Trump throughout his visit, after a crowdfunding campaign raised a target of 30,000 pounds ($38,000) for groups backing causes from climate action to women's rights.

This six-meter high blimp, which depicts Trump as a snarling, diaper-wearing orange baby, became a rallying symbol for hundreds of thousands of anti-Trump protesters, who packed central London during his previous trip.

"Trump will try his best to avoid the public on his trip, but with Trump Baby flying we're sending a very clear message of solidarity to those affected by his despicable politics," said Ajuub Faraji, one of the organizers who label themselves Trump blimp "Babysitters."

Trump and his wife Melania are due in Britain on June 3-5 for a state visit - a pomp-laden affair involving a banquet at Buckingham Palace. The invitation comes from Queen Elizabeth although the decision was taken on her behalf by politicians.

It is the most prestigious welcome Britain can offer a dignitary, a step above last year's official visit.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who gave approval to demonstrators to fly the blimp last year, strongly criticized the government's decision to offer such a high honor to Trump this year.

It is "un-British to be rolling out the red carpet this week for a formal state visit for a president whose divisive behavior flies in the face of the ideals America was founded upon  equality, liberty and religious freedom," Khan wrote in the Observer newspaper.

Nigel Farage, a Trump ally and one of the leading campaigners to bring Britain out of the European Union, called the decision to allow the blimp last year "the biggest insult to a sitting U.S. president ever."

While much of the British public is hostile to Trump, there have been calls to tone down protests against him during this visit, when he will attend observances of the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landing by U.S. and British forces on the beaches of Nazi-occupied France during World War Two.

"This is not, then, all about Donald Trump; it is about honoring a crucial offensive that helped bring an end to the war in Europe," the Evening Standard newspaper wrote in an editorial, noting that for many surviving veterans it was the last major anniversary they would be able to attend. "The U.S. president is right to attend; whatever we think of Mr Trump, we should make him welcome for this important anniversary." ($1 = 0.7910 pounds) (Reporting by Paul Sandle)Washington (AFP) - Donald Trump stepped up his attacks on Mexico over immigration Sunday as a top aide warned that the US president is "deadly serious" about slapping tariffs on imports from the southern neighbor.

The attacks came despite efforts at conciliation by Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who said Saturday US officials were willing to "reach agreements and compromises."

"People have been saying for years that we should talk to Mexico. The problem is that Mexico is an 'abuser' of the United States, taking but never giving," Trump said in a series of tweets Sunday.

Unless Mexico stops the "invasion," he warned, he would use tariffs to bring back "companies and jobs that have been foolishly allowed to move South of the Border."

Trump's surprise threat this week to slap tariffs on all Mexico imports, beginning at five percent on June 10 and rising to as high as 25 percent, shocked Republican allies in Congress.

It also rattled world markets, already shaky over trade war fears.

The New York Times reported that the move -- pushed by immigration hardliners -- was opposed by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner, a key White House intermediary with Mexico.

But Mick Mulvaney, the White House chief of staff, said Trump was "absolutely deadly serious" about proceeding with tariffs.

"I fully expect these tariffs to go into at least a five percent level on June 10," he said on "Fox News Sunday."

Mulvaney said Kushner and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo would meet with Mexican representatives in Washington this week, as would Lighthizer, to spell out what the Mexicans could do to avoid the tariffs.

The number of migrants reaching the US border is "huge, the situation is real and the president is deadly serious about fixing the problem," he said.Washington (AFP) - Donald Trump stepped up his attacks on Mexico over immigration on Sunday as a top aide warned that the US president is "deadly serious" about imposing tariffs on imports from the southern neighbor.

The attacks came despite efforts at conciliation by Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who said Sunday that "the president of Mexico wants to keep being a friend of President Donald Trump; but above all, we Mexicans are friends of the American people.

"Let's pledge not to let anything get in the way of our beautiful, sacred friendship," Lopez Obrador said in Tabasco.

Trump's surprise threat Thursday to place duties on all imports from Mexico, beginning at five percent on June 10 and rising to as high as 25 percent, shocked Republican allies in Congress.

It also rattled world markets, already shaky over trade war fears, with no solution in sight to a US-China dispute that has seen tariffs exchanged on hundreds of billions of dollars' worth of goods.

Trump has made clamping down on legal and illegal immigration a signature policy of his administration, and is facing a rising flow of migrants fleeing poverty and gang violence in Central America.

"People have been saying for years that we should talk to Mexico. The problem is that Mexico is an 'abuser' of the United States, taking but never giving," Trump said in a series of tweets Sunday.

Unless Mexico stops the "invasion," he warned, he would use tariffs to bring back "companies and jobs that have been foolishly allowed to move South of the Border."

The New York Times reported that the move -- pushed by immigration hardliners -- was opposed by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, a White House intermediary with Mexico.

But Mick Mulvaney, the acting White House chief of staff, said Trump was "absolutely deadly serious" about proceeding with tariffs.

Story continues

"I fully expect these tariffs to go into at least a five percent level on June 10," he said on "Fox News Sunday."

The number of migrants reaching the US border is "huge, the situation is real and the president is deadly serious about fixing the problem," he said.

Mulvaney said Kushner and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo would meet with Mexican representatives in Washington this week, as would Lighthizer, to spell out what the Mexicans could do to avoid the tariffs.

In Mexico, Commerce Secretary Graciela Nunez said she would hold talks in Washington Monday with her US counterpart Wilbur Ross after the two met at the swearing-in in San Salvador of El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele.

Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard, who meets with Pompeo on Wednesday, led a delegation to Washington on Friday.

- Dialogue sought -

"There is willingness on the part of US government officials to establish dialogue and reach agreements and compromises," Lopez Obrador told a news conference in Mexico City on Saturday.

He said he doubted the tariffs would ultimately take place. "It is in everybody's interest to reach an agreement," he said.

But on Sunday, Trump said he wants "action, not talk."

"Mexico is sending a big delegation to talk about the Border. Problem is, they've been 'talking' for 25 years."

US officials are insisting Mexico act more aggressively to stop migrants moving through the country from Central America long before they reach the US border.

Kevin McAleenan, the acting secretary of homeland security, said Trump wants "a vast reduction" in the number of migrants reaching the border.

He said the US wants Mexico to intercept migrants on its southern boundary with Guatemala, taking action against what he described as cartel-owned bus lines moving them north, and coordinate with US authorities on asylum.

"At any given moment we have 100,000 moving through Mexico," McAleenan said on CNN's "State of the Union."

"These crossings into Mexico are happening on a 150-mile stretch of their southern border. This is a controllable area. We need them to interdict these folks before they make this route all the way to the US," he said.Donald Trump has backed Boris Johnson to be the next prime minister while Nigel Farage said he has been banned from meeting the US president.

Mr Trump, who is visiting the UK for a three-day state visit on Monday, said he thinks the former foreign secretary would be excellent as a successor to Theresa May.

Speaking to The Sun, Mr Trump said: I think Boris would do a very good job. I think he would be excellent.

The president added: I like him. I have always liked him. 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.

Mr Trump also said other candidates have approached him in a bid to secure his endorsement.

He said: Other people have asked me for an endorsement too. I have been asked for endorsements.

He added: I could help anybody if I endorse them. I mean, weve had endorsement where they have gone up for 40, 50 points at a shot.

Now that is here, but I understand over there would be a great endorsement.

Mr Trump has previously spoken of his admiration for Mr Johnson and Brexit Party leader Mr Farage.

According to The Times, senior White House officials are preparing for a meeting between Mr Trump and Mr Johnson.

Mr Farage, however, said he has been banned from meeting Mr Trump during his visit.

Speaking to the Daily Express, Mr Farage said Mr Trumps entourage had been told by No 10 not to meet him.

Mr Farage told the Express: Isnt that absolutely bizarre? Doesnt it sum up why British politics needs to change?

Press AssociationLondon (AFP) - Britain should go for a no-deal Brexit with the EU and refuse to pay the agreed 39 billion (45 billion euros, $50 billion) divorce bill, US President Donald Trump told The Sunday Times newspaper on the eve of a visit to London.

The comments by America's outspoken leader came after he told The Sun newspaper he thought former foreign secretary Boris Johnson would make an "excellent" prime minister to take over from Theresa May, the current leader who is to resign June 7 after failing to get her EU divorce text through parliament.

Trump is to embark on a three-day state visit to Britain from Monday, during which he will meet Queen Elizabeth II and have talks with May.

In his interview with The Sunday Times, he urged Britain's government to follow his rule book in negotiating deals when it came to Brexit.

"If they don't get what they want, I would walk away... If you don't get the deal you want, if you don't get a fair deal, then you walk away," he said.

On the divorce bill -- Britain's liabilities as it leaves an economic and political bloc it has been part of since 1973 -- Trump told the newspaper: "If I were them I wouldn't pay $50 billion. That is me. I would not pay, that is a tremendous number."

The US president, who is proud of his disruptive influence on politics in America and abroad, also said Britain's anti-EU and populist politician Nigel Farage, head of the Brexit Party, should be involved in negotiating his country's exit from the European Union.

"He is a very smart person" with a "lot to offer", said Trump, although he acknowledged that British authorities "won't bring him in".

- Conservatives riven -

A majority of British voters decided in a 2016 referendum to leave the European Union. The exit was meant to have happened in March this year but as been pushed back twice as Britain has been locked in an impasse on how to achieve it.

Story continues

The ruling Conservative party under May and the parliament are riven by what sort of Brexit they want: either a total break from the EU, or a closer relationship that implies accepting EU rules on trade and immigration.

After failing repeatedly to get her vision of Brexit passed, May has been forced to announce she will step down on Friday. More than a dozen Conservative MPs have thrown their hat in the ring to take over as party leader and prime minister, with Johnson seen as an early favourite.

Britain is hoping Trump's visit will bolster its ambitions to work out a free trade deal with the United States if Brexit means a go-it-alone trade policy.

Some Conservatives and the opposition Labour party, however, fear Britain would be steamrolled by the far bigger US into accepting an unbalanced accord, especially given Trump's "America First" stance in shaking up trade ties with Mexico, Canada, Japan and China.

Large protests are planned during Trump's visit to London.

The mayor of the capital, Sadiq Khan, said Sunday in a piece in The Observer newspaper that the US president was "one of the most egregious examples" of a growing global threat from the far-right.

Khan said Trump's "divisive behaviour flies in the face of the ideals America was founded upon -- equality, liberty and religious freedom".

He added that populist politicians such as Farage and Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban "are using the same divisive tropes of the fascists of the 20th century to garner support, but are using new sinister methods to deliver their message".President Donald Trump has said the UK should come crashing out of the European Union without a deal and Nigel Farage should be the top negotiator.

Ahead of his state visit in Britain, Trump has attempted to publicly interfere in UK politics twice, initially suggesting Boris Johnson should become the next Prime Minister.

The US president suggested the UK should "walk away" from talks and refuse to pay the 39 billion divorce bill if its requests are not met.

He told the Sunday Times it was a "mistake" not to involve Brexit Party leader Mr Farage in negotiations, saying he has a "lot to offer" and is someone he likes "a lot".

Mr Trump added: "He is a very smart person. They won't bring him in. Think how well they would do if they did. They just haven't figured that out yet."

The president, who will arrive in London on Monday, said the British Government has to "get the deal closed".

He suggested: "If they don't get what they want, I would walk away... If you don't get the deal you want, if you don't get a fair deal, then you walk away."

Mr Trump added that if he was in charge, he would not pay the EU divorce bill, and he claimed it is not too late to "sue" the EU to give Britain greater "ammunition" in the talks.

He told the paper: "If I were them I wouldn't pay 50 billion dollars. That is me. I would not pay, that is a tremendous number."

Meanwhile Mr Trump vowed to "go all out" to secure a free trade deal between the UK and US within months of Britain leaving the EU.

President Donald J. Trump arrives in the UK for a state visit this week (Photo by RJ Sangosti/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images)

Defying diplomatic norms for the second time in as many days after telling The Sun he backs Boris Johnson to become the next prime minister, Mr Trump also said he would have "to know" Jeremy Corbyn before authorising the sharing of highly sensitive US intelligence.

He also urged the Labour leader to "get along with the United States" if he wants Britain to continue to benefit from US military and intelligence support, the paper reported.

His intervention comes as a dozen MPs battle it out to replace Theresa May as Conservative leader, with several candidates pledging they would be prepared to take the UK out of the EU without a deal

The first day of Mr Trump's state visit to the UK will see him have a private lunch with the Queen, tea at Clarence House with the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, and attend a state banquet at Buckingham Palace.WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States began collecting higher, 25% tariffs on many Chinese goods arriving in U.S. seaports on Saturday morning in an intensification of the trade war between the world's two largest economies and drawing retaliation from Beijing.

U.S. President Donald Trump imposed the tariff increase on a $200 billion list of Chinese goods on May 10, but had allowed a grace period for sea-borne cargoes that departed China before that date, keeping them at the prior, 10% duty rate.

The U.S. Trade Representative's office in a May 15 Federal Register notice set a June 1 deadline for those goods to arrive in the United States, after which U.S. Customs and Border protection would begin collecting the 25% duty rate at U.S. ports. The deadline expired at 12:01 a.m. EDT on Saturday

The tariff increase affects a broad range of consumer goods, and intermediate components from China including internet modems and routers, printed circuit boards, furniture, vacuum cleaners and lighting products.

Earlier on Saturday, China began collecting higher retaliatory tariffs on much of a $60 billion target list of U.S. goods. 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 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 their 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 company Huawei Technologies Co Ltd on a blacklist that effectively bans the firm from doing business with U.S. companies.

(Reporting David Lawder in Washington and Stella Qiu and Se Young Lee in Beijing; editing by Grant McCool)U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump arrived in London Monday for their first official state visit to the U.K, as protestors prepared to give the presidential party a rude welcome.

On Monday, the Trump and his wife Melania had a private lunch with Queen Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace. During the three-day visit the President is set to attend discussions with British Prime Minister Theresa May, commemorate the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings, when 150,000 allied troops pushed German forces from France, and fly to Ireland to meet Prime Minister Leo Varadkar.

But wherever Trump goes over the next three days, hell almost certainly be met with heated protests. Anti-Trump demonstrations are set to take place in London and across the U.K. during the visit. Kate Hudson, Secretary General of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND), tells TIME she expects hundreds of thousands to gather from all around the country. Theres very strong opposition to Trump in the U.K., she says.

Trump stirred controversy before he even landed. Speaking to the British tabloid newspaper The Sun, Trump backed Boris Johnson as Britains next Prime Minister, just days before May steps down as leader of the Conservative Party. I think Boris would do a very good job. I think he would be excellent, Trump said, adding I like him. I have always liked him.

During the interview, he also expressed shock at Meghan Markles nasty comments about him, but said shell make a good princess. The Duchess of Sussex, who will not attend the State Banquet as shes on maternity leave having recently given birth, called Trump divisive and misogynistic during the 2016 presidential campaign. Trump has since denied calling Markle nasty.

What can I say? I didnt know that she was nasty," Trump on Meghan Markle in an interview with The Sun. Its on tape. https://t.co/GYi7qI0rBL  Nick Bryant (@NickBryantNY) June 2, 2019

I never called Meghan Markle nasty. Made up by the Fake News Media, and they got caught cold! Will @CNN, @nytimes and others apologize? Doubt it!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 2, 2019

Before leaving the White House on Sunday night Trump told the Sunday Times that Britain should walk away from Brexit talks and refuse to pay a 39 billion pound ($49 billion) divorce bill if it doesnt get better deal from the European Union. He said he might meet with pro-Brexit politician, Nigel Farage, during his visit, and claimed Farage should be given a role in the Brexit negotiations.

Story continues

Trump also fired back at London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who said that the language used by President Trump was similar to the language used by 20th century fascists in an article for the Observer yesterday. The U.S. President said the labour Mayor has done a terrible job and called him very dumb, incompetent and a stone cold loser.

.@SadiqKhan, who by all accounts has done a terrible job as Mayor of London, has been foolishly nasty to the visiting President of the United States, by far the most important ally of the United Kingdom. He is a stone cold loser who should focus on crime in London, not me......  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 3, 2019

Trump was greeted with a special welcome before Air Force One touched down in London. A group of green activists, Born Eco, cut a picture of a massive penis and the words Oi Trump into the grass under the Stansted airport flight path.

Demonstrations will continue on Monday afternoon outside Buckingham Palace, with a protest called Spoil Trumps Banquet, organized by a group named Together Against Trump. Lindsey German, one of the protests organizers and a founder of the U.K.s Stop The War Coalition calls it a special unwelcome.

On Tuesday, the largest anti-Trump protests are planned from 11am as Trump lunches with May at her 10 Downing Street residence. In response the Metropolitan Police are launching what they have called a multi-faceted security operation during Trumps visit, according to a press release, issued Saturday June 1.

Police are blocking off part of the surrounding area on Tuesday, and several road closures and diversions will be in place. German says, well get as close to Downing Street as possible so that we effectively surround Trump and he wont be able to ignore us.

Once again activists plan to inflate a 20 ft tall balloon depicting Trump as an orange baby wearing a diaper, made possible by crowdfunding more than $37,000. Last year, Leo Murray, the creator of the balloon, told TIME This is not a protest against America or Americans, but a protest against what Donald Trump is turning America into.

Inflatable Trump flew over heads during mass protests last year on July 13 when the President visited the U.K. Even though Trump avoided London for most of his visit, it didnt stop 250,000 people flooding the city center, and a total of about 400,000 protesters across the U.K. It showed the strength of feeling. And that hasnt diminished, says Hudson.

Activists will also gather in Portsmouth on Wednesday when Trump, May and the Queen are to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings. Local authorities have erected a ring of steel to shield world leaders from the public.

Mohammed Ateek, a protest organizer from Stand Up To Trump and Syrian refugee activist, says hes standing against Trumps harmful and divisive policies. Its very important that people like me  immigrants, refugees  make our voices heard, he says. His policies affect the whole world. Ateek believes climate issues will be at the heart of this years anti-Trump protests now that so many more people are aware of it. The President has repeatedly voiced skepticism about global warming, even when his own cabinet presented a report in 2018 warning of its devastating effects.

Theres now a greater sense of urgency to show opposition to Trump, says Hudson from CND. Shes opposed to Trump withdrawing from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty  a major treaty with Russia to eliminate intermediate and shorter range missiles. We want him to stay in the deal to prevent nuclear arms proliferation, says German, who also criticizes Trumps pressure on NATO members to increase spending.

Trumps complaints about NATO date back his 2016 presidential campaign. He has since said the U.S. would not protect other members unless they increased their agreed upon 2% gross domestic product (GDP) spending on defense. This is a violation of our national sovereignty. Only our government should decide how much it spends, says Hudson.

A U.K. official said Trumps NATO criticisms have been a good thing. The U.K. is one of the few countries in the NATO alliance which meets the 2% GDP defense spending target. The reality is, the Presidents pressure on this point has got results, he said. We agree others should be spending more [] but we think everyone should be at 2% now.

But not everyone is marching to the same angry beat. Some Londoners are intent on giving Trump a warmer welcome. Republicans Overseas U.K., a political organization created in 2013 for U.S. citizens living abroad, is hosting a ticketed event in a central London restaurant on Tuesday evening to celebrate the special Anglo-American relationship, the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings, and the Presidents visit of course, says Sarah Elliott, U.K. Chair of Republicans Overseas.

For Elliott, the visit is an important sign of increasing cooperation between the U.S. and its most important ally. We hope itll lay the groundwork for more trade between the countries, she says. With Brexit happening soon, the U.K, needs to focus on building stronger ties outside Europe. The U.K. is currently the 7th largest goods trading partner with some $127 billion (two way) in total trade during 2018. U.S. exports to the U.K. were $66 billion last year, up by approximately 18% from 2017.

For the second year running, a west London pub will celebrate the arrival of the U.S. President by rebranding itself the Trump Arms. The weekend before Trumps 2018 visit the Jameson pub was decorated in U.S. flags and brought together Trump supporters, wearing red caps reading Make America Great Again.

Someone has to show Americans that were their friends, says pub owner Damien Smyth, 54. A lot of young people tell me theyre afraid to tell their friends they support Trump because they dont want to be lambasted. Its awful.

May was the first foreign leader to visit Trump after his inauguration. Hell be the last foreign leader to visit her before she resigns as head of the Conservative Party on June 7, drawing her three-year tenure to a close. May has said its a chance for the U.S. and U.K. to strengthen its already close relationship. But other U.K. politicians, including Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, are boycotting the banquet.

The Conservatives will begin choosing a leader soon after Trump departs. Whoever it is, the U.K. official says, a strong relationship with Trump will be a priority.

With reporting by Kim Dozier/Washington* Jews visit al-Aqsa compound to mark "Jerusalem Day"

* Israel commemorating 1967 capture of East Jerusalem

* Site usually closed to non-Muslims at end of Ramadan

* Israeli police fire rubber-coated bullets, stun grenades

JERUSALEM, June 2 (Reuters) - Hundreds of ultra-nationalist Jews guarded by riot police streamed their way into the Jerusalem compound revered both in Judaism and Islam on Sunday, resulting in violence between police and outraged Muslim worshippers.

The highly provocative visit came during the final days of the holy month of Ramadan when Muslims flock to pray at the compound's al-Aqsa mosque, the third-holiest site in Islam where non-Muslim prayer has been banned since 1187.

Police fired tear gas and rubber-coated bullets to disperse worshippers, some of whom threw stones and chairs as the Jewish groups walked across the esplanade in front of the al-Aqsa to angry calls of 'Allahu Akbar' (God is great).

One Palestinian man suffered a head injury, while others were treated from gas inhalation inside the compound, a medic from the Palestinian Red Crescent said.

Revered by Jews as Temple Mount and by Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary, it is one of the most sensitive sites in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The director of the al-Aqsa mosque, Sheikh Omar Al-Kiswani, said the action by the Jewish groups broke with the status quo of the Israeli authorities not allowing such visits in the last 10 days of Ramadan.

But Sunday coincided with Israel's annual Jerusalem Day, when Jewish pilgrims, including ultra-nationalists who claim an exclusive right to what once was the site of two biblical temples, walk through the complex under heavy Israeli guard.

Kiswani said the visit of what he described as up to 800 Jewish "extremists" had not been coordinated with the Muslim authorities at the compound and accused riot police of attacking worshippers.

Israeli police said they had taken "security measures after disturbances by Arabs."

Story continues

Security at the site has been heavy since a stabbing attack in Jerusalem on Friday in which two Israelis were injured and a Palestinian teenager suspected of carrying out the assault was killed by Israeli forces.

On Friday, tens of thousands of Muslims attended prayers at al-Aqsa mosque, hearing a message of defiance against Israeli control of the venue.

Israel claims all of Jerusalem, including the eastern sector captured in the 1967 conflict, as its capital. Palestinians want East Jerusalem to be the capital of the state they seek in the occupied West Bank and Gaza.

Peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians collapsed in 2014 and both sides are still awaiting a promised peace proposal from U.S. President Donald Trump that he has termed the "deal of the century."

Palestinians have boycotted the Trump administration since it broke with decades of U.S. policy and international consensus by recognizing Jerusalem as Israels capital in 2017. They fear the Trump plan will fall short of their core statehood demand. (Reporting by Ali Sawafta and Nidal al-Mughrabi Writing by Jeffrey Heller Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky)Unseeded Czech Marketa Vondrousova continued her unlikely march into the French Open quarterfinals on Sunday, stunning No. 12 seed Anastasija Sevastova of Latvia 6-2, 6-0 in Paris.

The 19-year-old Vondrousova, who has yet to lose a set at Roland Garros, advances to a showdown with No. 31 seed Petra Martic of Croatia.

"I'm just happy with my game," said Vondrousova, who needed just 59 minutes to blow past Sevastova. "Yeah, really happy."

Martic advanced after beating Estonia's Kaia Kanepi 5-7, 6-2, 6-4.

It's the first Grand Slam quarterfinal for either player and a rematch of the Istanbul final earlier this season, which Martic won.

Vondrousova has reached at least the quarterfinals in the last six tournaments she's appeared in, dating back to February.

No. 26 seed Johanna Konta of Britain knocked off No. 23 Donna Vekic of Croatia 6-2, 6-4 to lock up one of the final spots in the quarters.

"It was a good match," Konta said. "I mean, I thought I had very, very few drops in my level, which I think definitely kept the pressure on her and in trying to find a solution."

Seventh-seeded American Sloane Stephens and No. 19 Garbine Muguruza of Spain will meet for the chance to face Konta.

"Whoever I'm playing I'm looking forward to it," said Konta of her quarterfinal matchup. "It will be a great opportunity for me to play against one of the best players in the world. Both of them are Grand Slam champions, Garbine being a two-time Grand Slam champion. It's a great position for me to be in."

--Field Level MediaThe US is attempting to confirm reports that North Korea has executed its special envoy to America, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said.

Weve seen the reporting to which you are referring, Mr Pompeo told a news conference in Berlin. Were doing our best to check it out."

South Korean media reported that the secretive communist state had executed Kim Hyok-Chol and other foreign ministry workers who steered negotiations for a failed summit between leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump.

The pair met in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi in February to discuss the denuclearisation of North Korea in exchange for some possible sanctions relief. But the talks stalled and the summit was abruptly cut short by several hours.

North Korea has reportedly executed several officials who carried out talks after charging them with spying for the US.

Kim Hyok-Chol, North Koreas special representative for US affairs, was executed by firing squad in March, South Koreas largest daily Chosun Ilbo reported, citing an anonymous source.

It quoted the unnamed North Korean official as said that Mr Kim "was investigated and executed at Mirim Airport with four foreign ministry officials".

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, the newspaper reported.

Mr Kims sister, Kim Yo-jong, who aided the leader in Hanoi, is also said to be lying low.

Kim Yong-Chol, Kim Jong-uns right-hand man and a senior Workers Party vice chairman who visited the White House as the main point man for diplomacy with the United States, has reportedly also been subjected to forced labour and ideological education in a remote province near the Chinese border.

Some previous South Korean reports of North Korean purges and executions have later proved inaccurate.

Asked about reports of a shakeup of Kim Jong Uns negotiating team in a 5 May interview with ABC News, Mr Pompeo said it did appear that his future counterpart would be somebody.

Story continues

However, he added: "We dont know that for sure.

Additional reporting by Reuters.The resumption of major US-South Korea joint military exercises is not "necessary", Pentagon chief Patrick Shanahan told reporters Sunday, despite stalled negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang.

Washington regularly conducted large-scale military manoeuvers with the South Korean army until the first meeting of US President Donald Trump with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un last year.

They were suspended at Trump's request to facilitate dialogue with Pyongyang and replaced by more limited exercises, but negotiations on the North Korean nuclear program have since stalled.

Asked on Sunday whether the exercises would resume, Shanahan replied: "I don't think it is necessary."

The acting secretary of defense added that the US forces in South Korea were already "prepared if diplomacy fails" with the North.

"I am confident that we have the readiness that we are required to have, the operational forces and the posture," Shanahan said while flying to Seoul for the third leg of his week-long tour of Asia.

There are close to 30,000 US troops stationed in South Korea, and their annual drills with tens of thousands of South Korean soldiers have always infuriated the North -- with Pyongyang condemning the manoeuvres as provocative rehearsals for invasion.

However following the first summit between Trump and Kim in Singapore in June 2018, the US president said Washington would suspend the "very provocative" joint military exercises with South Korea.

The two leaders also signed a vaguely-worded pledge on denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula.

A second meeting held in Hanoi in February broke up early with no progress toward Washington's goal of getting the isolated North to abandon its nuclear weapons program.Bellinzona (Switzerland) (AFP) - US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Sunday his country was ready to talk with Tehran "with no preconditions", but there was no indication if lifting sanctions over Iran's nuclear programme was on the table.

The top US diplomat, who is considered a hawk on the Iran file, appeared to soften the US stance somewhat following weeks of escalating tensions with Tehran.

"We are prepared to engage in a conversation with no preconditions," Pompeo said in Switzerland, which in the absence of US-Iranian diplomatic ties represents Washington's interests in the Islamic Republic.

"We are ready to sit down with them," Pompeo told a joint news conference with his Swiss counterpart Ignazio Cassis at the impressive medieval Castelgrande castle in Bellinzona, nestled in the Alps in Switzerland's Italian-speaking Ticino region.

He was reacting to comments made by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Saturday insisting that his country would not be "bullied" into talks with the United States, and that any dialogue between the two countries needed to be grounded in "respect".

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif also said in an interview with the American network ABC broadcast Sunday that it was "not very likely" that Tehran would agree to talks with the US any time soon.

US President Donald Trump, he said, "is imposing pressure."

"This may work in a real estate market. It does not work in dealing with Iran," he said, insisting that "threats against Iran never work... Try respect. That may work."

Pompeo himself also appeared to back-pedal on the offer to have condition-free talks with Iran, stating that Washington was "certainly prepared to have (a) conversation when the Iranians will prove they are behaving as a normal nation."

- 'Malign activity' -

Nonetheless, Pompeo's comments mark the first time the Trump administration has offered no-strings-attached talks since the recent escalation began in the wake of the US withdrawal from a hard-won 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers.

Story continues

But Pompeo stressed that "the American effort to fundamentally reverse the malign activity of this Islamic Republic, this revolutionary force, is going to continue."

In other words, Washington has no intention to let up on its campaign of "maximum pressure" on Iran.

Pompeo himself last year laid out 12 draconian demands he said Iran would need to meet before reaching a "new deal" with the United States, essentially addressing every aspect of Iran's missile programme and what Washington calls its "malign influence" across the region.

Washington has since reimposed sanctions, and has been locked in an increasingly tense standoff with Tehran.

Last month it deployed an aircraft carrier task force, B-52 bombers and an amphibious assault ship to the Gulf, along with additional troops against what Washington's leaders believed was an imminent Iranian plan to attack US assets.

But at the same time, Trump has over the past week toned down the rhetoric, saying Washington does not seek "regime change" in Iran and holding out the possibility of talks.

He said the US was merely "looking for no nuclear weapons," adding that "I really believe that Iran would like to make a deal. I think that's very smart of them and I think there's a possibility for that to happen also."

- Swiss mediation? -

Swiss Foreign Minister Cassis meanwhile voiced his country's readiness to play the role of "intermediary" between the two countries.

But he stressed Switzerland could not be "mediators if there is not willingness on both sides."

Cassis also voiced concern about the "great suffering" in Iran brought about by the US sanctions, and urged Washington to identify a financial "channel" to allow the Iranians to purchase humanitarian aid without being slapped with US punitive measures.

Pompeo did not respond directly to this request, but he rejected the notion that US sanctions were causing suffering, instead blaming the leadership in Tehran.

The challenges facing Iranians "are not caused by our economic sanctions," he said. "They're caused by 40 years of the Islamic regime not taking care of their people and instead using their resources to destroy lives."

He meanwhile preferred to remain discreet about efforts, largely led by Switzerland, to ensure the release of a handful of American citizens being held in Iran, stating only that the issue was a top priority for Trump, and that Washington is "working with all willing nations to assist us."Grand Canyon National Park (Etats-Unis) (AFP) - Attention, Grand Canyon visitors -- watch your step before attempting a selfie from the edge of the vertiginously deep and perilously steep US landmark.

The national park surrounding the enormous canyon -- the second-most visited US national park, after the Great Smoky Mountains in the country's southeast -- has experienced a distressing surge in fatal accidents, with at least four visitors dying in as many weeks in March and April.

The views that draw millions to the park in the high Arizona desert are stunning, to be sure, both in their rich earth hues and in the sheer immensity of the gap cleaved over eons by the unceasing Colorado River as it winds sinuously through the canyon bottom.

But the views can also distract or disorient visitors -- some of whom take risks despite park rangers' constant warnings -- and the result can be fatal.

The body of a Japanese tourist was the first one found this spring, located in a wooded area some distance from the rocky cliffs.

Then came three fatal falls, including that of a fifty-something tourist from Hong Kong who toppled over the edge while snapping photos.

The park has placed protective barriers at some popular vista points, but "we don't want to put barriers everywhere," park spokeswoman Kris Fister told AFP. "The specialness about parks is not being enclosed."

"You don't have a barrier between you and this amazing place," she added, "but you have to pay attention."

"We tell people to stay on the designated trails and walkways and to keep a safe distance from the rim" -- and of course, to pay attention when taking pictures, said Fister, dressed in the gray military-style shirt and khaki pants of a park ranger.

"That's pretty common sense."

But at the park's Mather Point, which offers especially scenic views not far from the visitor center on the canyon's South Rim, the message does not always get through.

Story continues

This natural vista point, the most heavily visited in the park, may be the spot in the US most often captured in visitors' selfies.

From here to the canyon's North Rim is a distance of 10 miles (16 kilometers).

There are protective barriers. But not far away, a young woman ventures to the very edge of the cliff.

"We can see well enough from here," British tourist Kathryn Kelly sniffs dismissively, looking at the risk-taking woman. "I don't see the point stepping closer to the edge."

"I heard of a man who died trying to take a selfie, and I'm struggling to feel sorry for him," Kelly said. "It's a kind of natural selection."

- Heat, suicides, snakebites -

Of the dozen people who, on average, die each year in the canyon, relatively few fall to their deaths, according to park service statistics.

Most deaths are linked to the dramatic change in altitude and to dehydration in the crushing summer heat faced by hikers -- despite the frequent warning signs that say things like "Don't become a statistic" and "Down is optional, up is mandatory."

But for those who make it to the bottom of the canyon, near the turbulent, muddy waters of the Colorado, Phantom Ranch offers a welcome oasis, a place to rest and spend the night after long, draining hours of hiking.

Among the books on a shelf in the ranch's dining room is one that lists every death registered in the park: "Over the Edge: Death in Grand Canyon."

Falls, flash flooding, drowning, storms, snakes, suicides, even murders ... there are as many ways to die in the Grand Canyon as there are ways to photograph (and of course Instagram) it.

Jim Stanley, a 71-year-old from Michigan, read the book before taking on this dangerous wonder of nature, where nearly seven million visitors are expected this year for the 100th anniversary of Grand Canyon's classification as a national park.

"I haven't been discouraged; I'm now aware of the risks," he said, his hiking pants proudly held up by a pair of suspenders in the red, white and blue of the American flag.

"Too many people take the Grand Canyon for granted," he added. "But it's not Disneyland."

There has always been an element of mystery, or mysticism, surrounding the park and its awe-inspiring landscape. The numerous accidental deaths in its vast territory through the years have even given rise to a sort of earthbound Bermuda Triangle vibe.

Two airplanes once collided above the canyon, claiming 128 lives in what, at the time, was the worst commercial aviation accident in US history.

That was in 1956, long before the advent of the selfie.Rome (AFP) - A cruise ship lost control as it was coming in to dock in Venice Sunday, crashing into the wharf and hitting a tourist boat, Italian media reported.

Tourists on land could be seen running away as the MSC Opera scraped along the dockside, its engine blaring, before knocking into the Michelangelo tourist boat, amateur video footage posted on Twitter showed.

Two people were lightly injured in the accident at San Basilio-Zattere in the Venice's Giudecca Canal, according to the media reports.

Another two were taken to hospital for check-ups. Their nationalities were not known, the reports said.

The crash may have happened after a cable used to link cruise ships to the tug boats that pull them into the city's canals broke, the Corriere della Sera daily said.

The Opera was then unable to stop because of the strong currents pulling it towards the dock, it said.

MSC Cruises, founded in Italy in 1960, is a global line registered in Switzerland and based in Geneva. The Opera, built 15 years ago, is registered in Panama and has a capacity for 2,679 passengers.VIRGINIA BEACH, Va.  The longtime Virginia Beach public works employee behind the nation's latest mass shooting put in his two-weeks notice Friday morning, hours before he carried out an attack that killed 12 and wounded four, city officials said Sunday.

Virginia Beach city manager Dave Hansen said the shooter's job performance was "satisfactory," he did not face any disciplinary measures before he notified the city that he intended to quit, and he was not fired.

"He was in good standing within his department, no issue of discipline ongoing," Hansen said.

In an interview with USA TODAY, Virginia Beach police chief Jim Cervera said the gunmans motive is still a mystery to authorities  a glaring question that may never be answered.

Right now, were open to everything on his motive. We havent focused in on any one thing, he said. You have a professional life, you have a personal life. Is it something that happened in his personal life? Is it something long-term that happened in his personal life?

Cervera said investigators are looking at everything from his electronic trail and finances to his recent resignation and relationship with coworkers. But he said nothing so far has stuck out that could explain why the gunman snapped.

Authorities are working to put all the pieces together and track the shooters exact movements on Friday to see whether there were any signs, but Cervera noted, anecdotally, what Im hearing is it was a regular workday.

NEW: Virginia Beach City Manager says gunman had given his two-week notice Friday morning  hours before he killed 12 at his workplace @USATODAY pic.twitter.com/yijTrSA53Z  Christal Hayes (@Journo_Christal) June 2, 2019

Four wounded victims all had multiple operations and were recovering Sunday at two area hospitals. One at Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital was downgraded from fair to critical condition following a surgery and two others there remain in critical condition, hospital officials said.

Story continues

A fourth victim was critical but stable at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, a hospital designated to handle higher-level trauma cases.

Pastor Brandon Shank delivers a sermon June 2, 2019, for Lifehouse Virginia Beach Church, which meets at Great Neck Middle School and broadcasts its services live via the Internet. Shank's remarks touched on the need for the community to stand strong in their beliefs in the wake of the mass shooting that killed 12.

On Sunday, residents of this resort town about 200 miles south of Washington, D.C., also flocked to area churches as they grappled with the horrific incident.

At Lifehouse Virginia Beach, Pastor Brandon Shank praised the police response to rounds of applause. He assured congregants the rampage would not define the Virginia Beach community and issued a call for unity. What took place in this city is not who we are, Shank said.

The suspect, DeWayne Craddock, is described by police and those who knew him as an enigma who gave no indication that he was stockpiling an arsenal and planned a systematic assault on his colleagues.

More: Virginia Beach victims remembered with songs and sermons at vigils

Craddock, a 15-year veteran of public works and a civil engineer, was still employed at the time of the rampage and had a pass to enter the secure inner offices and conference rooms, officials said.

Police arrived two minutes after emergency calls for shots fired at Virginia Beach's municipal building No. 2 at 4:08 p.m., Cervera said Sunday.

He described the three-story municipal building with a basement as a "honeycomb," a maze of doors, stairwells and offices used by city municipal workers.

In a chaotic scenario, four officers scoured the building searching for the shooter. They discovered him on the building's second floor and engaged him in a gunbattle. The suspect fired numerous shots through an office door and wall toward the officers before the gunfire stopped, Cervera said.

That's when officers decided to enter the office and engage Craddock. They found him alive but wounded and began administering first aid. The suspect later died en route to the hospital.

Samantha Estrada wipes a tear from her eye while watching Pastor Brandon Shank deliver a sermon for Lifehouse Virginia Beach Church with her husband, Rudy.

"Thats not an easy decision to make," Cervera said of entering the office to engage the shooter. "Theres an individual on the other side of the door. He has a gun. He just shot one of your officers."

Cervera said investigators were continuing to probe why the longtime city employee sprayed bullets into fleeing office workers, using a .45 caliber handgun armed with a silencer that police believe was used for stealth and to keep victims from knowing where the attacker was in the building.

That could at least partially explain why survivors of the attack said they were caught off guard and initially puzzled by what was happening. One described hearing something that sounded like a nail gun. Craddock brought numerous extended magazines loaded with ammunition, which carry more rounds than traditional magazines, police said.

Clearly this was an individual who did understand and have experience with firearms and had given potentially some forethought into the advantage that using a suppressor would offer him, particularly the suppressor coupled with the caliber of weapon he was using, said Thor Eells, executive director of the National Tactical Officers Association and a retired law enforcement officer with the Colorado Springs Police Department, where he oversaw a SWAT division.

More: A 'woman of God,' a Scottish music lover: These are the victims of Virginia Beach shooting

The image of a public works employee holed up with a silencer and extended magazines amid a merciless assault is a far cry from how Craddock's neighbors saw him.

Congregants hold hands in prayer during a service at Lifehouse Virginia Beach Church on June 2, 2019.

They describe Craddock as a car enthusiast, bodybuilder and seemingly quiet man.

Amanda Archer, 22, and Cassetty Howerin, 23, lived in a Virginia Beach town home beneath Craddock for the past year and only got to know him in passing, exchanging the occasional greeting.

He wasnt much of a talker, Archer recalled. Hes a mystery to us. Hes a mystery to everybody, apparently.

Hansen said Craddock was still employed in the department, had a security pass and "was authorized to enter the building."

In order to avoid excessive publicizing of the shooter's name, officials said they would only give his name publicly once and would afterward refer to him only as "the suspect."

Craddock had served in the Army National Guard, according to a newspaper clip from the time of his city hire, and received basic military training and advanced individual training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma.

The Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) said Craddock legally bought two .45 caliber handguns  one in 2016 and 2018. Both were found at the crime scene and neither was previously used in any other crime, the ATF reported.

Hansen said all but one of the victims were employees of the city working in the public works department.The shooter killed his first victim in a car in the parking lot before he entered the building.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Virginia Beach gunman gave 2 weeks notice Friday but was in 'good standing' in his jobA Virginia bill designed to ban sales of large capacity gun magazines similar to those used by the Virginia Beach shooting suspect died in committee in January on a party-line vote.

The fate of the legislation, SB1748, was so widely expected that the outcome drew virtually no public attention.

For more than 20 years, Republicans and a few rural Democrats in the General Assembly have killed almost every measure aimed at restricting gun ownership.

The Republicans blocked a major push for gun control after the 2007 Virginia Tech shootings, where 33 people died.

They chose instead to respond to that shooting by joining Democrats to enact mental-health reforms.

Although there are signs that public opinion has been shifting in favour of gun control in Virginia, the state has a history of support for gun rights symbolised by the location in Fairfax of the headquarters of the National Rifle Association (NRA).

Each year, Democrats propose multiple gun-control measures, such as strengthening background checks, limiting handgun purchases to one per month and allowing localities to regulate guns in public buildings.

They call these common-sense measures to save lives.

Each year, Republican majorities in one or both chambers of the legislature vote them down, usually in committee. GOP legislators say their goal is never to infringe on peoples Second Amendment rights.

Theres been no tragedy that has got the [Republican] majority to think twice and consider reasonable efforts, said Adam Ebbin, a Democrat from Alexandria, who sponsored SB1748 and is co-chair of the Gun Violence Prevention Caucus.

A big reason, he said, is the political influence of gun rights organisations.

Part of the problem is that the [Virginia] Citizens Defence League and the NRA have a stranglehold on the votes of the Republicans, Mr Ebbin said.

League President Philip Van Cleave, whose organisation prides itself on taking stronger positions than the NRA, defended his groups record.

Story continues

Gun control does not save lives. It endangers innocent life by making it harder for good people to defend themselves, Mr Van Cleave said in an email. The Republican leadership understands that basic truth.

Mr Van Cleave said his group opposes all magazine restrictions, such as the 10-round limit proposed by Mr Ebbins bill. DC has those 10-round restrictions and eight times the murder rate of northern Virginia, which has no limits on magazine size, he said.

The NRA did not respond to requests for comment. It typically maintains a low profile in the days immediately after a highly publicised shooting incident.

After the Virginia Tech slayings, then the worst mass shooting by an individual in US history, gun-control advocates led by then-governor Tim Kaine, a Democrat and now a US senator, pushed hard to change some laws.

The centrepiece of his package was a proposal to require gun sellers to conduct background checks on all buyers at gun shows.

Instead, with Republican support, the legislature lowered the standard under which a mentally ill person can be forced into treatment, and expanded the criteria under which a mentally ill person can be barred from buying or owning guns.

It also boosted funding by $42 million (33 million) for community-based mental health treatment.

The response disappointed gun-control advocates, including relatives and friends of Virginia Tech victims, who said people diagnosed with mental illness are less likely than others to commit violence with a firearm.

The gun lobby likes to blame the gun violence problem on persons with mental illness, and nothing could be further from the truth, Lori Haas, state director for the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, whose daughter was shot and injured at Virginia Tech, said. While resources are necessary to increase services, and warranted for those state agencies and private organisations providing services, doing so is not going to stop the gun violence problem in Virginia, Ms Haas said.

Virginia Senate Majority Leader Thomas Norment Jr, a Republican from James City, said it was too soon after the Virginia Beach shootings to talk politics.

It is offensive, disrespectful, and tasteless that anyone  including Senator Ebbin and Ms Haas  would use a tragedy like this to promote a political agenda less than 24 hours after families and an entire community have suffered a loss of this magnitude, Mr Norment said in an email.

Virginia Beach police said their officers shot and killed the suspected shooter after a lengthy gun battle in which he used two .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun that were purchased legally.

Along with the weapons at the scene, investigators found a sound suppressor and extended magazines, which contain more than the standard number of rounds. Police have not identified a motive for the shooting.

Mr Ebbins bill would have prohibited any person from importing, selling, bartering or transferring a firearms magazine designed to hold more than 10 rounds of ammunition.

Eight Republicans voted it down, with six Democrats in favour, in the Senate Courts of Justice Committee on 28 January.

Police have not said how many rounds were contained by the Virginia Beach shooters extended magazines.

Internet advertisements for extended magazines for .45 semiautomatic handguns list standard magazines as holding seven to 15 rounds, and extended ones as holding 15 to 33 rounds.

Another bill that died in the Virginia House in January would have allowed localities such as Virginia Beach to ban firearms from government buildings such as the one where the Friday shootings took place.

Virginia Beach Council member Guy King Tower said after the shootings that it was regrettable that the city needed state approval to take such actions.

Democratic governors have used executive powers at times to strengthen gun restrictions. In 2015, then-governor Terry McAuliffe, ordered a ban on guns in state office buildings.

The biggest change in gun laws in Virginia in recent years has been one that relaxed controls. In 2012, then-governor Bob McDonnell signed a bill repealing the states one-per-month limit on handgun purchases.

Democrats have repeatedly sought to restore the limit, but without success.

New York and other states have complained that the change has contributed to Virginias status as a major centre of gun trafficking on the East Coast.

Gun control advocates believe public sentiment is moving their way.

They said they hit a major milestone in the 2017 elections by turning out as many of their supporters as their opponents did. Democrats won all of the states top three elective offices that year, for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general.

Some of those Democrats continued their efforts on Saturday.

Governor Ralph Northam, in an interview with NPR, said he would continue to push lawmakers to pass gun safety legislation.

Mr Northam noted that the Republican-controlled General Assembly killed gun-related bills he had proposed earlier this year as well as the year before.

Earlier in the day, Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring told MSNBC that it was time to enact red flag legislation, background checks and other gun regulations.

So far, it has not translated into success in the legislature. Both parties are expected to use gun control as an issue to mobilise their bases in the November elections, when all seats in the General Assembly will be up for grabs.

At present, the GOP holds two-seat majorities in both the House and Senate. Based on experience, Democrats would have to win control of both chambers to change the status quo.

The Washington PostPhoto: Joan L./Yelp

A wood-fired bistro with new and traditional American cuisine has debuted in Miami's Design District. The fresh addition, called Ember Miami, is located at 151 N.E. 41st St., Unit 117, Paradise Plaza.

Under the guidance of founder and culinary director Bradley Kilgore, a James Beard-nominated veteran of Miami dining landmarks Azul, J&G Grill and Alter, Ember Miami serves up what it describes on its website as classic and modern fare with an emphasis on "dishes not traditionally found on the grill." Examples include fire-roasted lasagna, roasted cornbread custard with bone marrow butter and smoked fried chicken. The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports the new restaurant is downstairs in Paradise Plaza from Kilgore's Tokyo-inspired lounge and restaurant Kaido.

Ember Miami has gotten an enthusiastic response thus far, with a four-star rating out of four reviews on Yelp.

Stephen H., who was among the first Yelpers to review the new spot on May 26, wrote, "I anticipated the opening of this restaurant and was able to try it on the second night they were open. Let me tell you, they did not disappoint. The food and the service were beyond my expectations."

Yelper Kittu R. added, We were so excited when chef Brad Kilgore announced he was opening Ember. Of course we had to go. ... This was one of the best dinners we have had and we will definitely return again.

Interested? Stop by to welcome the new business to the neighborhood. Ember Miami is open from 610:30 p.m. on Tuesday-Sunday. (It's closed on Monday.)

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.* Chinese defense minister warns U.S. on Asia security

* Interference on Taiwan "doomed to failure"

* Taiwan condemns Wei's remarks, says won't bow to Beijing

* Wei says war with U.S. would be a disaster

* Minister defends Tiananmen crackdown 30 years on

By Lee Chyen Yee

SINGAPORE, June 2 (Reuters) - China and the United States clashed again this weekend on trade and security, accusing each other of destabilizing the region and potentially the world.

Speaking on Sunday at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Asia's premier defense summit, China's Defence Minister Wei Fenghe warned the United States not to meddle in security disputes over Taiwan and the South China Sea.

On Saturday, acting U.S. Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan told the meeting that the United States would no longer "tiptoe" around Chinese behavior in Asia.

"Perhaps the greatest long-term threat to the vital interests of states across this region comes from actors who seek to undermine, rather than uphold, the rules-based international order," Shanahan said.

It was the latest exchange of acerbic comments between the two sides as their ties come under increasing strain due to a bitter trade war, U.S. support for Taiwan and China's muscular military posture in the South China Sea, where the United States also conducts freedom-of-navigation patrols.

China has been particularly incensed by recent moves by President Donald Trump's administration to increase support for self-ruled and democratic Taiwan, including U.S. Navy sailings through the Taiwan Strait that separates the island from China.

Wei, dressed in his uniform of a general in the People's Liberation Army, said China would "fight to the end" if anyone tried to interfere in its relationship with Taiwan, which Beijing considers a sacred territory to be taken by force if necessary.

"If anyone dares to split Taiwan from China, the Chinese military has no choice but to fight at all costs ... The U.S. is indivisible, and so is China. China must be, and will be, reunified."

Story continues

He however said both sides realized that any war between the two "would bring disaster to both countries and the world."

The United States, like most countries, has no formal ties with Taiwan, but is its strongest backer and main source of weapons.

While Shanahan's speech was critical of China, his tone was often conciliatory. Wei took a more combative approach.

Taiwan's government condemned Wei's remarks, saying Taiwan has never belonged to the People's Republic of China, that Taiwan would never accept Beijing's threats and that China's claim of its "peaceful development" was the "lie of the century."

Taiwan "will continue to strengthen its self-defense capabilities, defend the country's sovereignty and democratic system, and uphold the right of the 23 million people of Taiwan to freely choose their future," its Mainland Affairs Council said in a statement.

TIANANMEN ANNIVERSARY

Taiwan is gearing up for presidential elections in January, and Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen has repeatedly accused Beijing of seeking to undermine Taiwan's democracy and has vowed to defend the island and its freedoms.

Wei, in a clear reference to the United States, also said: "Some countries from outside the region come to the South China Sea to flex muscles in the name of freedom of navigation."

This week will mark 30 years since a bloody Chinese military crackdown on protesters around Beijing's Tiananmen Square, refocusing scrutiny on China's approach to security threats.

Taking questions from the floor, Wei defended the government's handling of the Tiananmen "incident," a rare official acknowledgement of the events of June 4, 1989; references to it are heavily censored in China.

"The government was decisive in stopping the turbulence," Wei said of the Tiananmen Square crackdown.

"Due to this, China has enjoyed stability, and if you visit China you can understand that part of history."

On the ongoing trade war, which has shaken financial markets around the world, Wei said China would "fight to the end" if the United States wanted a fight. But if Washington wanted to talk, "we will keep the door open."

Trade tensions escalated sharply last month after Trump's 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 retaliate.

Speaking at a hastily arranged news conference in Beijing, Chinese Vice Commerce Minister Wang Shouwen said it was irresponsible of the United States to accuse China of backtracking.

"If the U.S. side wants to use extreme pressure, to escalate the trade friction, to force China to submit and make concessions, this is absolutely impossible," said Wang, who has been part of China's trade negotiating team. (Reporting by Lee Chyen Yee; additional reporting by Gerry Doyle in Singapore, Cate Cadell in Beijing and Yimou Lee in Taipei; writing by Joe Brock and Ben Blanchard; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)(Adds Trump tweet)

By Sharay Angulo

MEXICO CITY, June 2 (Reuters) - Mexican and U.S. officials were preparing on Sunday for upcoming talks aimed at averting a major trade clash after U.S. President Donald Trump vowed to impose punitive tariffs on all Mexican goods in an intensifying dispute over migration.

Mexican Economy Minister Graciela Marquez said on Sunday she would meet with U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross in Washington on Monday, as the two governments begin holding talks to resolve the issue in the U.S. capital in the coming week.

Trump says he will apply tariffs of 5% on Mexican goods on June 10 if Mexico does not halt the flow of illegal immigration, largely from Central America, across the U.S.-Mexican border.

The U.S. president lashed out on Twitter on Sunday morning, calling Mexico an "abuser of the United States, taking but never giving," and repeating his tariff threats. He doubled down a few hours later.

"Mexico is sending a big delegation to talk about the Border. Problem is, they've been 'talking' for 25 years," Trump wrote. "We want action, not talk. They could solve the Border Crisis in one day if they so desired. Otherwise, our companies and jobs are coming back to the USA!"

The tariffs will gradually rise to 25% if Mexico does not comply with Trump's demands. That threatens major economic damage to Mexico, which sends about 80% of its exports to the United States.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador hinted on Saturday that his government could agree to tighten migration controls to defuse Trump's threat, and said he expected "good results" from the talks in Washington.

Speaking on Sunday afternoon at an event to mark the start of construction on an oil refinery in southern Mexico, Lopez Obrador did not refer directly to the trade dispute, but said he wanted to send a "memorandum" to the American people.

"The Mexican government is a friend of the United States government. The president of Mexico wants to stay friends with President Donald Trump. But above all, we are friends of the American people," Lopez Obrador said.

Story continues

In words directed at the U.S. public, he added: "We want nothing and no one to break our beautiful and sacred friendship."

DELEGATION

Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard is heading the Mexican delegation, which includes Marquez. Marquez said she spoke to Ross during the inauguration of El Salvador's new president on Saturday, without giving details.

Ebrard is expected to meet U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for talks on the crisis on Wednesday, although Mexican officials say they will be holding other meetings beforehand.

Trump's ultimatum has hurt Mexican financial assets and global stocks, but it met resistance from U.S. business leaders and lawmakers worried about the impact of targeting Mexico, one of the United States' top trade partners.

In his Sunday Twitter broadside, Trump also hit out at U.S. companies operating in Mexico.

"Our many companies and jobs that have been foolishly allowed to move South of the Border, will be brought back into the United States through taxation (Tariffs)," Trump wrote. "America has had enough!"

Lopez Obrador said on Saturday that Mexico would not engage in a trade war, but noted that his government had a "plan" in case Trump did apply the tariffs, without providing details.

He also noted that Mexico reserved the right to seek international legal arbitration to resolve the dispute.

Some Mexican business groups have urged the government to strike back against any Trump tariffs.

On Friday, Mexico's top farm lobby said Lopez Obrador should target agricultural goods from states that support Trump's Republican Party if the U.S. president carries out his threat.

Apprehensions at the U.S. border with Mexico have surged in recent months, although Mexican data also show more deportations and detentions at Mexico's southern border with Guatemala, mostly of Central Americans trying to reach the United States.

The bulk of migrants are fleeing widespread violence and poverty in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. Many seek asylum in the United States when they cross the border.

Trump is pushing Congress to change U.S. law to make it more difficult for the migrants to claim asylum.

(Reporting by Sharay Angulo and Stefanie Eschenbacher; Writing by Dave Graham; Editing by Bill Berkrot and Peter Cooney)The UN highlighted the sacrifices of Moroccan peacekeepers who served in different UN missions across the continent describing the North African country as a key partner.

Morocco is a longstanding and key partner for the UN peacekeeping operations, UN peacekeeping spokesman Nick Birnback told the Moroccan news agency on the international day of peace keeping, marked earlier this month.

He said Moroccan blue helmets are serving in some of the most hostile environments citing the peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

He paid tribute for the 43 Moroccan soldiers who lost their lives on duty for the causes of peace in Africa.

Five Moroccans were among the 128 personnel, who lost their lives in the line of duty in 2015, and who were honored by the United Nations with the Dag Hammarskjold Medal.

Medals were thus awarded to Adil Khtira who died on 7 September 2015 while serving in the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), and to El Hachmi Khalad and Kamal Tahiri, who were serving in the UN Operation in Cote dIvoire (UNOCI) when they made the supreme sacrifice on January 27, 2015.

Decorations were also awarded to Abdelilah El Baghazaoui who died on February 2, 2015 while serving in the UNOCI, and Driss Zarrik, who died on November 11, 2015 while serving under the banner of the same mission.

With more than 2,300 peacekeepers, the Kingdom is currently the 15th troop contributor to United Nations peace operations.

Some 1300 Moroccan soldiers are currently deployed in Central African Republic and 200 others in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Morocco, a historic contributor to UN peacekeeping operations, has, over the past 60 years, deployed some 70,000 soldiers, as well as several field hospitals under the aegis of the United Nations.Morocco was the 9th supplier of canned food, vegetables and fruits to the US, said American research center Indexbox in a recent study.

The top 10 suppliers covered 85% of US total imports of canned food, fruits and vegetables in 2018, with Spain, Greece and India taking the first three positions.

Peru, the Netherlands, Italy, Turkey and Morocco, Egypt and Thailand followed with 44% of exports.

The US imported overall 1 billion dollars of canned food, fruits and vegetables last year, that is an increase of 3% compared to 2017.

Separately, Morocco improved its ranking in the watermelon global exporters list taking the third position, after Spain and Mexico.

Moroccos watermelon exports rose 295% in 2018 compared to a year earlier standing at 156 million kilograms worth 107 million euros.

Most of Moroccos watermelon export go to Spain, France, the Netherlands and the UK.Islamic countries leaders, meeting in Makkah Friday, for the 14th OIC Summit, urged Libyan parties to cease hostilities around Tripoli, to stop bloodshed amongst Libyan people, and appealed to them to return to the UN-sponsored political process.

The leaders, in a statement over Libya, voiced grave concern over the military operations around Tripoli and urged all parties to stop fighting and leave the capital.

They said this military escalation was threatening Libyas stability, international peace and security, and in addition increase the terrorism threat.

They urged the Libyan parties to prevent conflicts and return to UN-sponsored political process in order to reach a comprehensive settlement.

They called for halting foreign interference in Libyan affairs as such interference complicates further the situation.

The OIC leaders said they were committed to the unit of the Libyan institutions to achieve security and stability.

The 14th OIC Summit, which coincided with the 50th anniversary of the creation of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, examined ways to develop a unified position on current issues and events in the Islamic world and underlined the need to work earnestly in order to counter the political, economic and cultural challenges facing OIC member States.

The Summit discussed the latest developments in the Palestinian issue, as well as the situation inLibya, Syria, Yemen, Sudan, Somalia and Afghanistan.Comments Policy

Comments that are excessively crude, obscene or profane - especially when they consist of nothing more than gratuitous insults or aspersions upon the character of authors or other commenters - will be vigorously discouraged. Therefore, if you find your comment has been deleted, you will know why.North Korea Flag





North Korean hackers have made a phishing attempt on users of the South Korean crypto exchange Upbit.

News correspondents in Korea broke this development on May 29, 2019, detailing the ploy to steal Upbit users information. The hackers sent out an email claiming that Upbit users needed to submit more information to become eligible for a prize drawing.

When users opened up the email reportedly containing information about a phony sweepstakes and its payout, malware would activate, giving the hackers access to user information and control of their devices for later access.

In analyzing attack tools and malicious codes used by hacker groups, there are unique characteristics we saw, Mun Chong Hyun, head of the ESRC Center at East Security, which identified the attack, said, per CoinDesk Korea.

These characteristics specifically point to North Korean hacker group Kim Soo-Ki, which has used malware of a very similar construction to attempt to breach South Korean government agencies.

North Korean hackers have been active meddlers in the South Korean crypto space for several years. The Lazarus Group, for example, has stolen more than $571 million in a period of a little over a year and a half between 2017 and 2018, largely targeting South Korean crypto exchanges. Over the course of this work, the Lazarus Group received direct material support from the North Korean government.

This latest hacking attempt, however, seems to have been foiled by the efforts of the team at East Security. Mun Chong Hyun claimed that, so far, we have not heard of any reported damage.

This is not the first time Upbit has found itself embroiled in fraudulent activity. Last December, executives from both Upbit and its parent company, Dunamu, were indicted for fraud after creating phony records for millions of dollars worth of fictional trades, all to convince potential customers that Upbit had a much higher volume of business than it actually had.

This article originally appeared on Bitcoin Magazine.Washington's escalating trade war with Beijing has not "made America great again" and has instead damaged the American economy, China said Sunday, warning that while it wants resolution through talks there will be no compromise on core principles. Beijing's broadside is the latest act in a bruising conflict between the world's top two economies that has spooked markets and sparked fears about the global economy. With trade talks stalled, the dispute has intensified in recent weeks with US President Donald Trump imposing fresh tariffs on imports from China and moving to blacklist Chinese tech titan Huawei over national security concerns. "The (US) tariff measures have not boosted American economic growth. Instead, they have done serious harm to the US economy," the Chinese government said in a white paper, pointing to what it described as increased production costs and consumer prices in the United States and threats to economic growth. "The trade war has not 'made America great again'," it said, referring to Trump's political slogan made famous during his 2016 presidential campaign. The white paper's release came a day after China hit $60 billion worth of US goods with new punitive tariffs ranging from five to 25 percent, in retaliation for Washington raising duty on $200 billion in Chinese goods to 25 percent. Trump launched the trade war last year in a bid to reduce the US trade deficit with China and force Beijing to undertake economic reforms, accusing it of seeking to dominate global industries with unfair state subsidies and of acquiring American technology through theft or forced transfers. Since Trump fired the first shot, the two countries have exchanged tit-for-tat tariffs on two-way trade worth hundreds of billions of dollars. The resulting conflict has gutted US farm exports to China, and weighed on the manufacturing sectors in both countries. While both sides have sought to find a resolution through several rounds of negotiations, they appear to have stalled after the latest meetings ended without a deal. American negotiators have alleged their Chinese counterparts reneged on previous commitments, but China said Sunday the US should bear "sole and entire responsibility" for the setback in negotiations, accusing Washington of repeatedly changing its demands. - Beyond tariffs - Despite the tensions, China has reiterated that it wants to resolve trade issues through talks. "On the trade friction started by the US: if the US wants to talk, we will keep the door open. If they want to fight, we are ready," Chinese defence minister General Wei Fenghe told an international security dialogue in Singapore on Sunday. And the white paper said: "China does not want a trade war, but it is not afraid of one and will fight one if necessary." With trade talks stalled, the dispute appears to be spreading beyond tariffs. Beijing has said it will unveil its own list of "unreliable entities", apparently in response to the US blacklisting of Huawei over national security concerns, specifically over possible links to China's military. The company has dismissed such fears, and Wei echoed that on Sunday. "Do not think that because the head of Huawei used to serve in the military, then the company that he built is part of the military," he said. China's deputy commerce minister Wang Shouwen said Sunday that Beijing's list will target companies that "violate market principles", cut supplies to or block Chinese enterprises, and "whose actions affect China's national security". He did not say when the list will be published or what kind of penalties will be imposed on such firms. Chinese state media have also dangled the threat of cutting exports of rare earths to the United States -- a key resource used in the production of everything from smartphones to military hardware. There are hopes that Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet at the G20 summit this month to ease tensions and jumpstart trade negotiations. But Wang said he had no information when asked about the meeting at a press conference on Sunday. Beijing's broadside is the latest act in a bruising conflict between the world's top two economiesthat has spooked markets and sparked fears about the global economyPalestinian worshippers clashed with Israeli police at a highly sensitive Jerusalem holy site on Sunday as an Israeli holiday coincided with the final days of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Muslim worshippers at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound were angered over Jewish visits to the site holy to both religions. According to police, protesters barricaded themselves in the mosque, from where they threw chairs and stones at forces who "dispersed" them. The Muslim Waqf organisation which oversees the site said police used rubber bullets and pepper spray, adding that seven people were arrested and 45 were wounded. It said that police shut the mosque's doors and chained them. After the clashes, police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said calm had returned and visits continued. Al-Aqsa mosque director Omar al-Kiswani accused Israel of violating an agreement not to allow such visits during the last days of Ramadan. He said that around 1,200 Jews visited the site on Sunday, while a Jewish organisation that arranges visits there reported a similar number. The clashes took place as Israelis marked Jerusalem Day, which commemorates the country's capture of the city's mainly Palestinian eastern sector in the 1967 Six-Day War. This year's holiday coincided with the final days of Ramadan, the Muslim month of fasting. The Al-Aqsa compound, known to Jews as the Temple Mount, is located in east Jerusalem and its status is one of the most sensitive issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It is the holiest site in Judaism and the third-holiest for Muslims after Mecca and Medina. - 'Flagrant violations' - Sunday's visit was the first time since Tuesday that Jews were allowed into the site, according to activists. Jews are allowed to visit the site during set hours but not pray there to avoid provoking tensions. Jewish visits to the site, particularly by religious nationalists, usually increase for Jerusalem Day. Israeli Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan said his policy was to do everything possible to keep the site open to visits, especially for Jerusalem Day. He said preparations to avoid serious unrest included arrests ahead of Sunday based on intelligence in addition those in connection with the clashes. Jordan, the custodian of the holy site and one of only two Arab countries with a peace treaty with Israel, condemned what it said was Israel's "flagrant violations" there, calling the visits "provocative intrusions by extremists." Such actions risked setting off violence in the region, a statement from Jordan's foreign ministry said. Later on Sunday, thousands of Israelis were expected to mark the day by marching through the city, culminating in celebrations at the Western Wall, which is below the Al-Aqsa compound. The wall is the holiest site where Jews can pray. Following its seizure in 1967, east Jerusalem was annexed by Israel in a move never recognised by the international community. Israel proclaims the entire city as its united capital, while the Palestinians see the city's eastern sector as the capital of their future state. Israeli police arrested several Palestinian protesters after clashes at Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque compound Israeli security forces used rubber bullets and pepper spray according to the organisation that oversees the site Jewish orthodox students were among those marking Jerusalem Day in the old cityChildren in colourful outfits sing in a creole of Portuguese and Malay during a class in the historic Malaysian city of Malacca, part of efforts to stem the decline of the centuries-old language. The youngsters chant "bong atardi mestri" (good evening teacher) and work their way through songs including "Bunitu siara siorus" (Beautiful ladies and gentlemen) and "Gato do matu" (The jungle cat). Sara Santa Maria runs the weekly classes at her home to ensure the younger generation learn "Papia Kristang", one of several steps aimed at preserving an endangered language spoken by people of mixed Portuguese and Malaysian ancestry. "I definitely fear Kristang could disappear," the 50-year-old teacher told AFP, as the youngsters dressed in Portuguese-style traditional costumes laughed and danced. "Many Eurasians have moved out of the settlement and the children only speak Malay and English," she added, referring to an area of Malacca that has traditionally been home to speakers of the language. Kristang developed after the Portuguese took over the strategic port city on the Straits of Malacca, one of the world's most important shipping routes, about 500 years ago and colonisers married local women. It was an era when tiny Portugal had a global empire and Malacca, a centre of the lucrative spice trade, was a key prize for rival powers. After Portuguese rule, the Dutch colonised it and later the British took it over until Malaysian independence. The city on Malaysia's west coast still has vestiges of colonial rule which have made it popular with tourists, including red-walled Dutch buildings and a gate house which is all that remains of a once-mighty Portuguese fortress. Kristang has a largely Portuguese vocabulary but its grammatical structure is similar to Malay -- the most commonly spoken language in Malaysia -- and it is also influenced by Chinese and Indian languages. As well as in Malaysia, it is spoken by tiny communities in Singapore and Australia due to migration. But it has been in decline for years. The language is not part of the school curriculum and the Eurasian community has been steadily assimilated into the broader Malay-speaking community. - 'Part of my identity' - UNESCO, which lists languages in peril, classifies Kristang as "severely endangered" and says only about 2,000 people speak it. It is just one of many tongues in danger, with the UN agency predicting that half the world's 6,000 languages will disappear by the end of this century. Despite the dire outlook, Kristang's melodic tones can still be heard frequently in the small Malacca settlement of Ujong Pasir where the Portuguese Eurasian community has traditionally lived. Groups of elderly men sit chatting in the language on the waterfront, and are enthusiastic about passing it on to the next generation. "I and my wife speak the language with our five children, 11 grandchildren and our two-year-old great grandchild to keep it alive," former fisherman Stanley Goonting, 72, told AFP. But he is all too aware of Kristang's vulnerability: "There is a danger that Papia Kristang will be spoken less and die out." As well as Santa Maria's lessons, other moves are being made to save the language -- a Kristang textbook has been produced, as well as a mobile app and a CD of Catholic prayers and hymns. In neighbouring Singapore, Kevin Martens Wong, a Eurasian-Chinese teacher, is spearheading efforts to revive Kristang, and has taught the language to hundreds of students since 2016. His grandparents spoke Kristang but he only learnt it in recent years before deciding to teach others. "I had never learnt it growing up, so there's a strong passion and investment in learning the language and passing it on to others," he said. There is also great enthusiasm for the language among Santa Maria's students, which offers some hope for the future. "Kristang is part of my identity and culture, I want to preserve it," said Gabriella Amber, a 12-year-old who has been learning the language for five years. "If we stop talking, I fear it will become extinct." Kristang's melodic tones can still be heard frequently in the small Malacca settlement of Ujong Pasir where the Portuguese Eurasian community has traditionally lived Sara Santa Maria (C), 50, runs weekly classes at her home to ensure the younger generation learn 'Papia Kristang', a centuries-old creole of Portuguese and Malay Children like Leona Cheryl Danker, 11 (holding the Kristang word 'familia', or 'family'), are part of efforts to stem the decline of the endangered language spoken by people of mixed Portuguese and Malaysian ancestry 'If we stop talking, I fear it will become extinct,' says Gabriella Amber De Silva, 12, holding the word 'montana' or 'mountain' in KristangTuesday marks the 30th anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown in Beijing where Chinese troops fired on peaceful protesters, drawing global condemnation. Students rallying for democracy and freedom had filled the symbolic heart of Chinese power, drawing in workers and intellectuals and inspiring demonstrations across the country. But after weeks of protest, the movement was shattered by an overnight military assault that left hundreds of people dead -- by some estimates, more than 1,000 -- and a ruling party hell-bent on preventing any such future challenges to its power. Three decades on, the crackdown remains one of the most sensitive subjects in mainland China and any mention is strictly censored. Here are five key moments from that tumultuous spring. - April 15: Death of a reformer - Purged during the Cultural Revolution, Hu Yaobang was elected Chinese Communist Party leader in 1981 but dismissed in 1987 for his relaxed handling of a wave of student unrest. Hu was popularly revered as a liberal reformer and protests first break out at Tiananmen Square two days after his death on April 15. Fuelled by frustration from years of economic upheaval, the movement gathers pace as public mourning for the former party chief morphs into wider calls for political change and curbs to official corruption. - April 27: Protests mushroom - On April 25, paramount leader Deng Xiaoping says the protest movement seeks to topple the Communist Party -- a claim that forms the basis of an explosive editorial in the official People's Daily newspaper the next day. Incensed by the editorial's rhetoric, crowds flood the streets of Beijing on April 27 and protests erupt across the nation. A week later on the 70th anniversary of the May Fourth Movement -- the landmark protest against colonialism and imperialism that rocked China in 1919 -- a new mass protest breaks out in Beijing and other cities from Shanghai to Xi'an. - May 13: Tiananmen occupied - Hundreds of students occupy Tiananmen Square and begin a hunger strike on May 13, joined by thousands more in the following days. Demonstrators disrupt a historic visit by the reformist Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev for the normalisation of Sino-Soviet ties on May 15. Premier Li Peng meets student activists including Wu'er Kaixi and Wang Dan in a nationally televised meeting on May 18, in which students berate the party leaders. - May 20: Martial law declared - Party chief Zhao Ziyang emotionally pleads with hunger strikers to leave the square on May 19 in what is his last public appearance. Sidelined for opposing the use of force, Zhao is sacked and put under house arrest for the next 16 years until his death. Premier Li, later dubbed the "Butcher of Beijing" for his role in the bloody crackdown, declares martial law in parts of the capital on May 20. But the students remain, erecting a statue titled the "Goddess of Democracy" facing the portrait of Mao Zedong on the wall of the Forbidden City. - June 3-5: The bloody crackdown - On the night of June 3, at the Muxidi crossroads, tanks break through the line of buses that had blocked their entry, and soldiers open fire on the crowd. Advancing from all sides, the troops encircle Tiananmen Square in the early hours of June 4. Under the eyes of paratroopers with fixed bayonets, the remaining students leave the square. Most of those slain are on the streets outside the square. The number of casualties is disputed, and the government has never released an official death toll. But estimates from academics, witnesses and human rights groups have put the figure between several hundred to over a thousand. On June 5, a solitary man blocks a column of tanks and armoured vehicles stretching far down the road in a minutes-long standoff before two men pull him away. Captured on camera, "Tank Man" becomes one of the defining images of the 20th century. His identity and fate are unknown. Three decades on, the Tiananmen crackdown remains one of the most sensitive subjects in mainland China and any mention is strictly censoredAn FBI agent at the scene of the mass shooting in the Virginia Beach Municipal center. Photo: Eric Baradat/AFP/Getty Images

Twelve people were killed and four injured when a longtime city-government employee opened fire on his co-workers at a municipal building in Virginia Beach, Virginia, on Friday  the deadliest mass shooting in the U.S. this year and since 12 people were killed at the Borderline Bar & Grill in Thousand Oaks, California, last November. Below is everything we know so far.

The Attack and Target

Americas latest mass-shooting massacre began a little after 4 p.m. on Friday at one of the buildings that make up the Municipal Center in Virginia Beach  a city of about 450,000 people on Virginias southeast coast. The gunman, a 40-year-old municipal employee later identified by police as DeWayne Craddock, came armed with two .45-caliber handguns, at least one of which he had equipped with a silencer, and extended-capacity magazines.

The gunman killed his first victim in the parking lot of the three-story building where he worked for the public utilities department, known as Building 2. A local contractor, Herbert Snelling, who had come to fill a permit in the building, was later found dead in his car. The shooter then killed a woman who was leaving the building. He then used his employee badge to enter staff-only area on the second floor, where he began firing on his co-workers indiscriminately, according to police. By the end, he had murdered 12 people and wounded another four in the attack  three of whom were still in critical condition after multiple surgeries on Sunday.

Outside Building 2 at the Virginia Beach Municipal Center on June 1. Photo: ERIC BARADAT/AFP/Getty Images

Witnesses later said that the shooting quickly prompted confusion and panic, with some people fleeing the scene and others attempting to barricade themselves inside offices  along with what is now the standard practice of potential mass-shooting victims calling or texting their loved ones while they wait to see if they live or die. At least one person was seen jumping out of a second-story window to escape. One witness said the shooting sounded like automatic gunfire at one point.

It is still not clear if using a silencer on his handgun allowed the gunman any advantage in the attack.

As the citys police department was only hundreds of feet away, two pairs of police officers responded to shooting just minutes after it was first reported at 4:08 p.m. After they entered the building, it took less than ten minutes for the four  two plainclothes detectives and two K-9 unit uniformed officers  to locate the gunman, on the second floor. A long-term, large gunfight followed, according to Virginia Beach Police Chief James Cervera, involving dozens of rounds fired. One officer was shot in the battle, but was saved by his bulletproof vest. When the shooter stopped firing  police determined that he had barricaded himself in an office, then breached the door. The gunman had been wounded in the standoff, and though the officers attempted to save his life, he later died on route to the hospital.

By the time police subdued the shooter, the entire attack had lasted about 40 minutes, according to an analysis of the police-scanner traffic during the incident.

It was a horrific crime scene, Cervera said on Saturday, explaining that handling the aftermath had taken a physical, emotional, and psychological toll on everyone who spent the night in that building.

All but one of the dead were city employees, while the one person who wasnt was a local contractor who had been inside dealing with a permit. Building 2 housed most of the departments that managed operations for the city, including public works, public utilities, planning, and permits and inspections, among other responsibilities. About 400 public servants typically work in the building, according to the Virginian-Pilot, but some had apparently already left for the weekend by the time of the attack, which may have limited the carnage. The Virginia Beach Municipal Center, located in the citys Princess Anne area, was built in 1822 and comprises about 30 Colonial-style brick buildings housing the independent citys government.

Building 2 was also the closest building to City Hall, which was just hundreds of feet away. Employees there were told to hide under their desks once security personnel learned of the attack. A city councilwoman told the Virginian-Pilot the city had recently boosted security at City Hall in response to the nationwide epidemic of mass shootings, but that the level of security varied from building to building at the Municipal Center. After the attack, the complex looked like a war zone, Police Chief Cervera told reporters.

Mayor Bobby Dyer said on Friday night that the attack involved our friends, co-workers, neighbors, [and] colleagues and marked the most devastating day in the history of Virginia Beach.

Top left to top right: Laquita Brown, Ryan Keith Cox, Mary Louise Gallagher, Gayle, Alexander Gusev, and Joshua Hardy. Bottom left to bottom right: Michelle Langer, Richard Nettleton, Katherine Nixon, Christopher Rapp, Herbert Snelling, and Robert Williams. RIP.

The Victims

Some of the 12 workers killed in Fridays attack had worked for the City of Virginia Beach for decades. They included men and women, both white and black, and across a range of ages. As the Associated Press pointed out on Saturday, all told, the victims had provided more than 150 years of public service between them. Six worked in the same department as the gunman.

Ryan Keith Cox saved the lives of several coworkers before he was gunned down. Christi Dewar told the Virginian-Pilot that he led her and some of their coworkers into a break room, told them to stand against the wall, and stood guard. If at all possible, I knew he was going to lead us to safety. We felt safe. He stayed calm. He didnt have any anxious thought in his voice, she said.

When it looked clear, Cox told them to lock themselves in while he went to look for victims. I said, Keith, come on, Dewar said. He said Ive got to see if anybody else needs help. He said. Barricade the door. Do it now.

They shut themselves in and everything was quiet for a moment  then they heard gunshots. Two bullets almost came through the back of the cabinet, Dewar told NPR. We fell to the ground; then we heard other shots close to us.  Thats when he got Keith.

Dewar visited Coxs parents a day after the shooting to tell them their son died a hero.

These are the 12 victims:

Laquita C. Brown 39, was a public works right-of-way agent who had worked for the city for four years.

Ryan Keith Cox was a public utilities account clerk who had worked for the city for 12 years, and he was known for his powerful singing voice in the choir at his church, where his father still serves as pastor.

Tara Welch Gallagher had worked in the public works department for six years.

Mary Louise Gayle had worked in the public works department for 24 years.

Alexander Mikhail Gusev, 35, was an immigrant from Belarus who earned a degree in civil engineering and went from being a lumber worker to serving as a right-of-way agent at the public works department, where hed been for nine years.

Joshua O. Hardy had been working as an engineering technician in the public utilities department for four years.

Michelle Missy Langer, who recently turned 60, had been working as an administrative assistant at the public utilities department for 12 years. Prior to that, the Ohio native loved visiting Virginia Beach so much on vacation that she finally decided to move there.

Richard Nettleton had worked at the public utilities department for 28 years and helped lead multiple engineering projects for the city over that time.

Katherine A. Nixon, who was in her early 40s, had worked as an engineer at the public utilities department for ten years and came from a family of civil engineers, according to the Washington Post. She was the citys senior engineer in charge of the utilities departments regulatory compliance.

Christopher Kelly Rapp had been working as an engineer for the public works department for 11 months and played in a bagpipe band in his free time.

Herbert Bert Snelling, 57, was a Virginia Beachbased contractor who was the only victim who didnt work for the city. He was at Building 2 to fill a permit at the time and was reportedly both a husband and a father.

Robert Bobby Williams was a special projects coordinator who had worked at the public utilities department for 41 years.

Of the injured  who remain unidentified  three remained in critical condition as of Saturday, according to the Associated Press. Two were expected to survive, but a medical official has called the other victims injuries devastating.

Kristal Davis, sister-in-law to shooting victim Ryan Keith Cox, pauses to look at flowers and flags left as a memorial outside of the crime scene at the Virginia Beach Municipal Center. Davis said Cox, who was an accountant in the pubic utilities department, had helped a group of people escape the building and had reentered the building to help evacuate others when he was shot. He was one of 12 victims of Fridays shooting rampage at the Municipal Center along with the shooter, city engineer DeWayne Craddock. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

The Shooter

DeWayne Craddock was a 40-year-old certified professional engineer at the Virginia Beach public utilities department, where he had worked for 15 years, according to city officials. Nothing is yet known or confirmed about why he attacked his co-workers on Friday. Police have not suggested or speculated on any possible motive, or details that might suggest one, citing the ongoing investigation into his professional and personal life. We do not have anything glaring, Virginia Beach Police Chief Cervera said Sunday.

Virginia Beach City Manager Dave Hansen announced on Sunday that Craddock had resigned from his job earlier Friday, apparently via email, but had not been fired nor was he in danger of being fired. At least one anonymous Virginia government official has referred to Craddock as a disgruntled employee, but that characterization has not been confirmed. Hansen said that Craddock was in good standing at the public utilities department, his work performance was considered satisfactory, and there were no ongoing disciplinary issues regarding him. Officials did not share any details about the contents of his resignation email.

Police Chief Cervera said, when he released the shooters name, that the police would not continue using it in order to keep the focus on the victims. Authorities have not released a photo of Craddock, who is black.

The shooter had no criminal record beyond a single traffic offense, and served in the Virginia National Guard from 1996 to 2002, when he was discharged at the rank of specialist.

Most of the reporting about the gunman has consisted of casual observations from shocked neighbors, which dont reveal anything more than He kept to himselflike remarks. One co-worker, who said he had talked to Craddock earlier Friday, before the shooting, recounted that exchange and his memory of the shooter to CNN:

Joseph Scott, an engineering technician, said he exchanged pleasantries with the quiet, 40-year-old certified professional engineer for the city in the bathroom shortly before the carnage.

I said, How are you doing? He said he was doing OK, Scott remembered. I asked, Any plans for the weekend? And he said, No. I said, Well, have a good day. And he said the same to me. Scott went home for the day. There was no sign of what was to come. Im sure Im going to hear all kinds of things about DeWayne, but I liked him, Scott told CNN. I worked with him. He was what I thought was a good person. When we were together, we would talk about family, friends, things that we were going to do, trips we were going to take and things like that. 

Scott said he doesnt want Craddock painted as an evil person  something happened, but it wasnt his nature, adding that he lost many friends Friday.

The Shooters Weapons

On Saturday, an ATF official said that Craddock had legally purchased both of the .45-caliber handguns he used in his attack  one in 2016 and the other in 2018. Police found two more weapons in a search of his home, and the one they have identified records for was also purchased legally. Craddock also used a sound suppressor, or silencer, in the attack, as well as extended capacity magazines.

Both silencers and extended magazines are legal in Virginia, though obtaining a silencer  which is a federally regulated legally can take months and requires a background check, though tens of thousands are sold are still every month in the U.S. It is not yet clear how Craddock got his. On Sunday, the Associated Press talked to some experts about whether or not using a sound suppressor helped the gunman kill more people. Silencers reduce the sound a gun makes when it is fired, but do not increase the weapons lethality, accuracy, or rate of fire. Recreational shooters sometimes use the device to make shooting less noisy and more comfortable. But it also seems likely that using a silencer, which can reduce the sound of gunshot by as many as 35 decibels, would have made it more difficult for the potential victims to realize they were facing an active shooter and respond accordingly. One witness said the gunshots sounded more like a nail gun, per the AP.

A bill to ban the sale of extended magazines in Virginia was defeated in January after the states Republican lawmakers blocked it.

Local Police Had Offered Regular Active Shooter Trainings for Years

You dont prepare for something like this  its a nightmare no one wants to actually live through, Mayor Dyer said on Friday, but the police department had been actively trying to prepare the community for such an event for years. Police had even scheduled an active-shooter training session for community members on Saturday morning, per a 13/ABC local news report published a few hours before the attack:

During the workshop, officers will show you how to recognize dangerous situations and youll learn how your body responds. Also, people who choose to participate will practice no-skills needed maneuvers to fight off a gunman.

[Virginia Beach master police officer David] Nieves said he wants his community to feel empowered by this class. I love this city, I love this community. Im part of it.

With hundreds of these presentations under his belt, Nieves wants to make potential active shooters think twice.

Hopefully shooters realize maybe Virginia Beach is not the place because the citizens will be ready for them.

Nieves began conducting the trainings seven years ago, after the Sandy Hook shooting, and initially offered it at workplaces and municipal offices before bringing it to the general public two years ago. Just like mass shootings, those types of trainings, as well as active-shooter drills, are increasingly becoming a regular part of American life. At the same time, Fridays attack happened literally across the street from City Hall and the police department in Virginia Beach, and while city authorities presumably did everything they could, as fast as they could, in response  and that saved lives  they couldnt prevent the deaths of another 12 people in yet another American mass shooting.

This post has been updated to reflect new details about the shooting and shooter.As the U.S.-China trade war continues to escalate, Beijing and its energy giants appear to be bracing for a worst-case scenario where the spat would drag on for years and possibly result in Chinese foreign oil supply stifled.

The idea that the worlds top oil importer could see some of its overseas crude supply blocked has always been an unthinkable notion, but now some analysts and Chinese industry executives suggest that China should prepare for the very worst of the worst, such as its oil supply impacted by a lengthy trade dispute.

China is now looking at its oil supply situation from the worst-case scenario, like what the U.S. has done to Iran, Laban Yu, an analyst with Jefferies Group LLC in Hong Kong, told Bloomberg.

Obviously, China believes now more than ever that similar U.S. sanctions against a whole country could happen to China, Yu added.

Chinese oil industry executives said this past week that Chinas oil industry must have a contingency plan in case the trade war takes another turn for the worse.

According to Bloomberg, Wang Yilin, chairman of China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), told employees to prepare for a protracted trade conflict, while Fu Chengyu, former chairman at Sinopec, said that China should be ready for the extreme and far-fetched case that its oil supply could be blocked in the short term.

Industry executives also stressed the need that China should work to achieve energy self-sufficiency, which, according to Fu, has become an urgent reality.

Chinas oil import dependence is at 70 percent currently, so it cant achieve this self-sufficiency in a decade or two, even if it were to start steadily reversing its declining oil production and tap more shale oil and gas resources. Related: How Clean Is Freedom Gas?

Over the past year, Chinas biggest energy producers have started to tap more tight oil and gas wells, aiming to increase domestic oil and natural gas production at the worlds largest crude oil importer.

A PetroChina test oil well at a shale field in western China could finally mean a strong commercial potential for shale oil for the first time in the worlds top crude importer, Morgan Stanley said earlier this year. The shale boom in China, however, would be just a fraction of the U.S. shale revolutionMorgan Stanley expects Chinese shale oil production could reach between 100,000 bpd and 200,000 bpd by 2025, which is nothing compared to the millions of barrels of oil pumped in the United States every day.

According to analysts at S&P Global Platts Analytics and Wood Mackenzie, China is set to miss its 2020 shale gas production targets, due to complex geology, low well productivity, marginal economics, and infrastructure constraints.

Energy independence is still a far-fetched idea in Chinas case.

Equally far-fetched is the idea that the fallout from the trade war could result in stifling Chinese oil imports, according to Neil Beveridge, an analyst with Sanford C. Bernstein & Co in Hong Kong. Related: Why Oil Majors Are Going All-In On U.S. Shale

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, Beveridge told Bloomberg.

China, however, appears to be filling in its strategic petroleum reserves in recent months, as it has been boosting oil imports by 10 percent while refining output has been growing at 5 percent, according to the analyst.

Due to the trade spat, over the past few months China has also only sporadically bought crude oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the United Statesa sharp reversal from the booming Chinese imports of American energy at this time last year. There were even some months where China purchased no U.S. crude oil at all, according to EIA data. It has also drastically reduced LNG imports from the U.S. as China has a 10-percent import tariff on American LNGa tariff set to rise to 25 percent on June 1. Even those Chinese buyers that have continued to purchase U.S. LNG are now looking to swap American cargoes for cargoes from nations not subject to tariffs, traders with knowledge of the plans told Bloomberg earlier in May.

With the trade war heating up, China appears to be rallying all means and resources available to reduce the role of the U.S. in its economy and economic growth, as Beijing has lost trust in the United States both as a supplier and an export market, Jefferies Groups Yu told Bloomberg.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:Embattled Papua New Guinea (PNG) Prime Minister Peter ONeil resigned on Wednesday, putting the countrys LNG development and a preliminary deal with French oil and gas major Total in doubt. O'Neill drew criticism for his deal worth $13 billion with Total and U.S. oil major ExxonMobil to extract, pipe and ship liquefied natural gas (LNG) overseas from the South Pacific country. After the signing of the deal, O'Neill's government narrowly avoided a no-confidence vote by adjourning parliament for nearly a month. However, on Sunday he announced that he would resign after the PNG Supreme Court refused to hear the case immediately.

The preliminary deal would allow initial work to start on the project that would double the countrys LNG export capacity. Totals partner Oil Search said the deal would allow the partners to start engineering and design work for a project to be called Papua LNG.

Total and its partners are set to make a final investment decision (FID) in 2020, targeting first production in 2024, according to an Oil Search release. The preliminary deal came as PNG pushes to not fall behind other major LNG producers that continue to ramp up production, including Australia which recently overtook Qatar, with a liquefaction capacity of 80 mtpa, to become the top global LNG leader. Papua New Guinea has to compete with important players such as the U.S., Canada, Mozambique and Qatar - which has a liquefaction capacity of 77 mtpa, and aims to increase that capacity to a whopping 110 mtpa by developing more gas resources at its prolific north field as well a building more LNG production infrastructure. Related: How Clean Is Freedom Gas?

According to Total, the Papua LNG project would have a name plate liquefaction capacity of 5.4 mtpa and consist of two LNG trains of 2.7 each. It would unlock more than 1 billion barrels of oil equivalent (boe) of natural gas resources. Exxon Mobil, furthering its new commitment to go long on LNG development, also planned to add a third train at PNG LNG, to be fed with gas from its existing fields and a new field later.

New beginnings

After the deal was reached in April, PNG Finance minister James Marape was the first PNG senior cabinet official to resign in protest, claiming the money would not go to ordinary Papua New Guineans, local firms or the regions. A similar deal in the last decade has failed to bring wealth to the impoverished South Pacific country where around 70 percent of people do not have access to reliable electricity. In the past, however, amid protests over gas deals, it appears that both Total and ExxonMobil should have learned to exercise more due diligence to ensure not only a fair deal but to also implement a public relations strategy to get the Papuans behind the project.

On Thursday, the PNG parliament appointed former Finance Minister James Marape as its new prime minister. In his speech after his election on Thursday, Marape said he would make fixing the economy, which he described as bleeding and struggling, his priority and issued a warning to foreign companies working in PNG. We will look to maximizing gain from what God has given this country from our natural resources. This government is all about putting our country in the right place and taking back our economy  We dont need foreigners to come in to take advantage of our forestry, he said. Experts claim O'Neill's resignation and the political turbulence in PNG could delay or even put an end to resource projects that many claim have benefited only Port Moresby and the country's connected elite.

By Tim Daiss for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:President Muhammadu Buhari has commended the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) for its support towards ensuring food security and rural development in the country.

Buhari gave the commendation on Saturday in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, at the opening of the 14th, Summit of the OIC hosted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The president particularly applauded the robust interventions of various OIC institutions, like the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) Group, which had been effective in key sectors as trade and investment, agriculture, rural development and food security.

He said: For instance, we in Nigeria appreciate the Banks support for our National Food Security Programme and the various roads, school rehabilitation projects and the Second Niger Bridge.

I am confident that the continued support of our multilateral partners, notably the OIC and the IDB Group, would be most needed as we seek to redouble our efforts in the next phase for the realization of rapid socio-economic development in Nigeria and the continent at large.

In the cultural field, we acknowledge the importance of the OIC programmes, aimed at combating Islamophobia and the defamation of religions.

We are convinced that the values of tolerance and moderation should continue to guide our actions as we collectively seek to promote global harmony, peace and security.

According to Buhari, the shrinking of Lake Chad to about 10 per cent of its original size has adversely affected over 30 million livelihoods in the sub-region.

He maintained that the shrinking had cause severe economic deprivation, fuelled illegal migration to Europe, the displacement of communities and radicalization of youth, forcing them to join the Boko Haram terrorist group.

In this connection, we welcome the various interventions under the Special Programme for the Development of Africa, the Islamic Solidarity Fund for Development and the recent approved Science and Technology Fund, among others.

We urge them to do more as their contributions towards poverty alleviation and peace building, he added.

President Buhari also lauded the OIC for its engagement of the Islamic Development Bank Group in the implementation of national development projects in Africa.

The President who acknowledged the intervention of the OIC in the field of science, technology and innovation, poverty alleviation as well as women and youth empowerment, also stressed the significance of the OIC Science and Technology Agenda 2026.

According to the President, science, technology and innovation as well as information and communication technologies are crucial to the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals and OIC 2025 Programme of Action.

He, therefore, reiterated the determination and commitment of Nigeria to supporting collaborative research programmes on science and technology.

President Buhari affirmed the African Groups commitment to engage and cooperate with all Member States towards the success of the 14th OIC summit.

The Nigerian leader expressed appreciation to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, the government and people of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the elaborate arrangements made for the success of the summit.

Post Views: 71The president appeared to be acting rationally and strategically. Apparently not. Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images

I wrote on Wednesday that the punitive China tariffs may soon be five times as large as they were during their first year due to President Trumps actual and threatened actions to apply tariffs to more Chinese imports and at a higher rate of 25 percent. Now he has escalated again, threatening tariffs up to 25 percent on all Mexican imports.

On a first approximation, that means Trump has gone from threatening a five-times escalation of his preexisting trade war to threatening an eight-times escalation. This only goes further to my point that, while the economic effects of Trumps tariffs have been limited so far, he has been enlarging them to a point where they are likely to have very material, negative effects on the U.S. economy  which, in turn, could hurt the president politically.

With the Mexico action, Trump has proved me wrong about something Ive been saying for the past couple of weeks: that he appeared to be preparing for a prolonged trade dispute with China by easing off some other trade disputes. Or maybe I was right at the time about what he was doing, and then he changed his mind: NBC News reports immigration adviser Stephen Miller talked him into the Mexico tariffs during the presidents travels in Japan, over the objection of Robert Lighthizer, the U.S. trade representative and key architect of Trumps China trade policy.

Just two weeks ago, Trump removed metal tariffs on Mexico and Canada, seeming to deescalate his trade dispute within North America. Those tariffs, on steel and aluminum, applied mostly to Canada in practice, since we dont import a lot of metals from Mexico. He also put off a proposal, clearly dear to his heart, to impose tariffs on imported cars so the Germans will stop nastily sending us so many Mercedes.

In addition to easing some of the domestic economic costs imposed by his tariffs, the metals move was seen as a necessary concession to gain Canadian ratification of his revised version of NAFTA. But a reescalation with Mexico  remember, our free-trade agreement means were not supposed to impose tariffs on Mexico just because the president is mad about something  undermines Trumps case to Mexico and Canada that hell abide by the new agreement if its ratified. Remember, Mexicos ratification is still needed too. So is approval from the U.S. Congress, where the Mexico action is upsetting both House Democrats and key Republicans in the Senate.

I no longer have a theory about the presidents trade strategy. Easing off Mexico and focusing on China would have been smart economically and diplomatically if he intended to apply prolonged pressure on the Chinese to make trade concessions. His choice to open a second front in the trade war has predictably pushed stock prices down and will increase the domestic political costs he will face from his protectionist policies.

And because the Mexican tariffs have been applied for a purpose that relates to neither trade policy nor national security  he says the tariffs will last until unauthorized migration through Mexico to the U.S. ends, which, if taken literally, would seem to mean the tariffs will stay in effect forever  he is on relatively weak political and legal ground to impose them.

I do not think the president has built a position on trade that he will find defensible in the long run. Not only will he have to find a way to back off his aggression toward Mexico, he has undermined his ability to maintain a hard line on China. If the president was briefly capable of strategic thinking, he did not stick to the strategy for long.Second degree smoking has been identified to be harmful to non-smokers of cigarette. The harmful danger of tobacco consumption has been traced to loss of thousands of lives in Nigeria.

National Daily learned that Professors of pediatrics in Nigeria at a news conference marking World Tobacco Day decried that babies are the highest casualties of second degree smoking resulting in death. The professors had declared that over 16,000 persons die yearly from tobacco consumption in Nigeria. The health experts stated that using tobacco during pregnancy causes premature birth, still birth, including abnormal bleeding.

The professors of paediatrics, therefore, appealed to Nigerians to say no to tobacco consumptionSenior Special Assistant on Social Media to Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, Oraye St. Franklyn, has resigned his position.

Oraye was very active during the 2019 general election, exposing many video clips on alleged militarys perpetuation of election violence in the State.

His resignation letter was dated 30th May, 2019 and addressed to the Governor.

Oraye congratulated Governor Wike on his re-election and Inauguration for a 2nd term in office.

He also thanked Wike for appointing him on the 5th of November, 2015 as the Senior Special Assistant on Social Media.

The letter partly reads, The last four years were a period of great trials for all Rivers people as, indeed, it was of cherished accomplishments for the greatest number of our people on the strength of your sterling leadership. For me, it was a remarkable opportunity to stand in defense of my belief in democracy.

I feel privileged to have been able to contribute modestly, in support of your patriotic stance for our people, at ensuring our dear Rivers State never became a conquered territory.

Your re-election was enunciated on the strength of our collective success and made effective ultimately by Gods grace.

Having been part of our success story, I wish to now step down from my position as Senior Special Assistant to the Rivers State Governor on Social Media.Its been eleven (11) days since the Honourable President of the Court of Appeal and erstwhile Chairperson of the 2019 Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa disqualified herself from the Tribunal following the Petition of the PDP and Atiku/Obi legal team.

Justice Bulkachuwa on that fateful day, promised to appoint a replacement. This has not been done.

This delay is a deliberate ploy by the Buhari Presidency to truncate the course of justice, since it knows the Tribunal has a timeline to prosecute the petitions. Already, seventy six (76) days has been expended out of the one hundred and eighty (180) days allowed by law, as seen in Section 134 (2) and (3) of the Electoral Act (2010 as amended)

We therefore urge the Honourable President of the Court of Appeal to extricate herself from the apron-string of devious and ignoble politicians by appointing a replacement forthwith.

Nigerians and the international community are watching. The rule of law must prevail. The sanctity of the Judiciary must be upheld. We are confident that the mandate of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as the popularly elected President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, will be restored.

Together, lets #RescueNigeriaSnacks and beverages major PepsiCo India has said that it will invest USD 70 million to build a food manufacturing plant in Uttar Pradesh.

American global beverage firm, which aims to invest USD 2.1 billion in India by 2022, said the investment is a part of its strategy to expand capacity in the country's growing packaged foods market.

It is noteworthy that former PepsiCo Chairman, Indra Nooyi, during her visit to India in 2013 had promised USD 5.5-billion investment in the country by 2020. PepsiCo, which entered India in 1989, has grown to become one of the largest MNC food and beverage businesses in the country.

PepsiCo's made this announcement on Friday, a day after the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA government joined office for the second time. PepsiCo's global chairman and CEO Ramon Laguarta was among leading industrialists who were present at the swearing-in ceremony.

Laguarta took to Twitter and congratulated the PM. He wrote, "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."

PepsiCo said that it will invest with its local bottling partner Varun Beverages, as it plans to boost manufacturing capacity in India. The greenfield plant will create new jobs and will also enhance cold storage infrastructure, the company said. PepsiCo India's diverse portfolio includes iconic brands like Pepsi, Lay's, Kurkure, Tropicana 100%, Gatorade and Quaker.

Last month, PepsiCo gave RJ Corp's listed entity, Varun Beverages, the franchise right for a national bottling, sales and distribution in South and West regions. Varun Beverages is a key player in beverage industry and owns a franchise of PepsiCo beverages business across 27 States and 7 Union Territories of India.

Edited by Chitranjan Kumar

Also Read: Oriental Bank of Commerce plans to raise Rs 3,000 crore through QIP

Also Read:Applying for US visa? Now you need to furnish 5-year social media details" " The remains of seven service members killed in Vietnam in 1964 are carried by a horse drawn military caisson during a full honors funeral service at Arlington National Cemetery, March 21, 2014 in Arlington, Virginia. Mark Wilson/Getty Images

Back in 1864, the Union was running out of space to bury Civil War casualties. Military officials decided to solve the problem by appropriating part of the Arlington, Virginia plantation that belonged to Mary Anna Custis Lee, the wife of Confederate General Robert E. Lee, and turning it into a military burial ground. Pvt. William Christman, a 21-year-old soldier from Pennsylvania who died of the measles before he got a chance to see combat, was the first to be buried there.

In the years that followed, Arlington National Cemetery (ANC), which covers 624 acres (252 hectares) across the Potomac from Washington, D.C., became perhaps the nation's most hallowed ground, the final resting place for many of the nation's military heroes, from Gen. Douglas MacArthur and Pvt. Audie Murphy, the most decorated soldier of World War II, to service members killed in the recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Also buried at Arlington are explorers, astronauts and Supreme Court Justices. The grave of President John F. Kennedy  marked with the gas-and-electric "eternal flame" that's designed to remain lighted despite wind and rain  attracted more than 16 million mourners in the first three years after his 1963 assassination.

Advertisement

Over 7,000 Buried Each Year

But the cemetery, which has become the final resting place for more than 400,000 people, is rapidly filling up, with more than 7,000 being added each year. According to a report prepared by cemetery officials for Congress in 2017, there are fewer than 70,000 spaces left, and even with a current expansion project that will add nearly 11,000 below-ground graves and 16,400 above-ground spots, the cemetery is projected to be full by the early 2040s.

"ANC and those it exists to serve must therefore confront the reality that, at some point in the future, the cemetery will no longer continue to operate as it does today," the report noted. "Most veterans from the recent wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the War on Terrorism will not have the option to be buried at ANC. Even our heroes who are killed in action or those who have earned the Medal of Honor will not be buried at ANC within approximately three decades due to the lack of space."

At a March 2018 hearing by the House Armed Services Committee, Karen Durham-Aguilera, executive director of the Army's National Military Cemeteries, further described the predicament. "The current veteran population is over 20 million," she explained, according to an Army media release. "The retiree population is over 2 million. The total force, both active and reserve, is over 2 million right now. Today we have around 100,000 available burial spaces. We cannot serve that population."

Even a proposed $274 million expansion that would add another 38 acres (15 hectares) along the cemetery's southern border would only buy an additional decade, Arlington National Cemetery superintendent Katharine Kelley told Congress at the same hearing, according to the Army's release.

Advertisement

Should Eligibility Rules be Changed?

That's why officials are now contemplating changing Arlington's eligibility requirements. Under the present rules, activity duty members of the armed services, as well as service members who've served at least one day of active duty and stayed in uniform long enough  traditionally, 20 years  to earn retirement benefits, are eligible for below-ground burial. So are their spouses and children. So are recipients of various medals and prisoners of war who died after November 30, 1993. In addition, active duty and retired members and their spouses and children, as well as reservists and National Guard members who die while on active duty or performing full-time service, are eligible for above-ground burial in the Columbarium, also known as the Niche Wall.

In the 2017 report, Army officials proposed a range of possible rule changes. The most restrictive option would allow in only those who were killed in action and/or were awarded the Medal of Honor. "This option can be expected to result in delaying the closure of ANC for at least two centuries  unless our Nation experiences large scale conflict and higher numbers of Service members killed in action," the report explained.

But such a move also would exclude the vast majority of military veterans and their families, and seems likely to encounter pushback.

Gerardo Avila, a deputy director of the American Legion, a veterans association, says that the issue of what to do about Arlington is still in the discussion stages, though clearly, "Arlington is reaching capacity, and something needs to be done."

In a resolution at the American Legion's 2016 convention, the organization urged Congress to step in and pass a law that would limit Arlington to service members who die on active duty, winners of the Medal of Honor and other decorations, World War II-era veterans who left the service 30 percent or more disabled, prisoners of war and career service members.

John Towles, director of national security and foreign affairs for the Veterans of Foreign Wars, says in an email that the VFW is opposed to severe restrictions on eligibility for interment at Arlington. "We advocate for a solution that will ensure that the benefits that they earned through their service remain available to them," he writes. "Because of this, the VFW cannot support changes that would take benefits away from veterans and family members who have already earned them, many of whom have already made plans to be buried at Arlington."

Another option to restricting eligibility for Arlington would be to create a non-contiguous annex on land around the Armed Forces Retirement Home campus in Washington, D.C., about 8-and-a-half miles (13.67 kilometers) away. Towles said that much of the site's 272-acre (110-hectares) expanse would be available. The United States Soldiers' and Airmen's Home National Cemetery, another burial ground operated by the Army, already is nearby.

But even if it becomes more difficult to be buried at Arlington, veterans still have the option of being buried at another of the 135 national cemeteries that the National Cemetery Administration operates in 40 states and Puerto Rico. They still would be entitled to the same ceremony, Presidential memorial certificate and perpetual care of their graves that those interred at Arlington receive, Avila says.

Now That's Interesting According to the Arlington National Cemetery website, though neither Robert E. Lee nor his wife ever tried to return to the former plantation, their eldest son eventually filed a lawsuit, claiming the land had been illegally seized. In an 1882 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed, and Congress had to purchase the property from him for $150,000 so that the national cemetery could continue.Chinas top defence official issued a stern warning to external forces that foster the idea of independence for Taiwan, saying at Asias primary security summit in Singapore on Sunday that Beijing will not cede a single inch of its territory.

Defence Minister Wei Fenghes comments at the Shangri-La Dialogue came amid rising tensions between China and the United States, fuelled by a near year-long trade war and disputes over technology, Taiwan and the South China Sea.

The Peoples Liberation Army [Chinas military] vows not to yield a single inch of the countrys sacred land, Wei said.

Nor will it seize anything from others. The PLA has no intention to cause anybody trouble, but it is not afraid to face troubles. Should anyone risk crossing the bottom line, the PLA will resolutely take action and defeat all invading enemies.

Wei did not make any specific references to the US, but did name Taiwans ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in his warning to those hoping for independence for the self-ruled island.

I have a message for the DPP authorities and external forces. First, no attempt to split China shall succeed. Second, foreign intervention in the Taiwan question is doomed to fail.

Beijing regards Taiwan as a wayward province awaiting reunification, and Wei reiterated the central governments much touted line that it reserved the right to use force to do so.

Any underestimation of the PLAs resolve and will is extremely dangerous, he said. We will strive for the prospects of peaceful reunification with the utmost sincerity and greatest efforts, but we make no promise to renounce the use of force.

If anyone dares to split Taiwan from China, the Chinese military has no choice but to fight at all costs for national unity.

Safeguarding national unity is a sacred duty of the PLA. If the PLA cannot safeguard the unity of our motherland, what do we need it for?

Story continues

This year is the first time Wei has attended the Shangri-La Dialogue and his comments about Taiwan came at a time of poor US-China relations. Beijing regards the issue as a red line and has expressed its strong disapproval of Washingtons moves to strengthen links with Taipei, especially as the island is preparing for a presidential election next year.

Lieutenant General He Lei, who led the PLA delegation at the Singapore summit in 2017 and 2018, said Weis warning regarding Taiwan was a response to the United States new Indo-Pacific Strategy, which was released by Congress on Saturday.

If Taiwan joins the Indo-Pacific Strategy, that means it will move one more step towards independence, he said.

And if the US goes further in challenging Beijings bottom line  as the Taiwan issue is a core interest for China  it is very dangerous, and the PLA will respond.

Both China and the US have sought to use the annual three-day security forum, which began on Friday, to win support from countries in the region as well as preventing their rivalry on trade from spilling over into a military conflict.

As for the recent trade friction started by the US, if the US wants to talk, we will keep the door open. If they want a fight, we will fight until the end, Wei said.

The minister also defended Chinas construction of man-made islands and deployment of military equipment in the South China Sea, describing the action as self-defence and the legitimate right of a sovereign state in its own territory.

He also addressed the recent controversy sparked by Kiron Skinner, the US State Departments director of policy planning  who described the growing competition between the worlds two largest economies as a clash of civilisations  describing her comments as racist and narrow-minded.

Not a single civilisation should be worshipped or belittled, he said.

Extending that idea, Wei launched a searing attack on the US and its European allies over the enslavement of Africans, the expulsion of native American Indians, the colonisation of Asia, Africa and Latin America, and the killing of Jewish people, all of which he said had left scars and tragedies in the history of human civilisation.

Despite the vitriol, Wei concluded his speech on a more conciliatory tone, calling for greater cooperation with the US and a commitment to make military exchanges a stabiliser for the overall relations.

I had a candid and practical discussion with acting secretary of defence Patrick Shanahan, he said. We reaffirmed the importance of maintaining communication and developing a constructive military-to-military relationship.

More from South China Morning Post:

This article Chinas defence chief warns external forces not to meddle in Taiwan first appeared on South China Morning Post

For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2019.Chevrolet has launched the all-new Chevrolet Trailblazer in the United States, and it has gone down a size: from previously being a midsize SUV, itll now be a compact crossover positioned between the subcompact Chevrolet Trax and the midsize Chevrolet Equinox crossovers.

The Trailblazers great design enables more personalization, said Steve Majoros, director of Chevrolet passenger car and crossover marketing. Trailblazer is a continuation of the design language for Chevys crossover family and extends our momentum into one of the industrys fastest-growing segments.

The Trailblazer will include an RS trim with standard two-tone roof that allows drivers to purchase a vehicle that reflects their lifestyle.

Before you rush to your nearest Chevrolet dealer to make a reservation for it, we do have caution you that the American brand has so far only confirmed that this particular Trailblazer model will be sold in the United States market in early 2020. In addition, as mentioned, this particular Trailblazer is classified as a subcompact crossover, something which the current, local-market model is not as it occupies the midsize SUV segment.

So, could this be the next-gen Trailblazer? Unless General Motors ASEAN office in Thailand plans to downgrade the nameplate to a smaller size, we doubt it. First, it just introduced an all-new Chevrolet Captiva compact crossover for the region at the 2019 Bangkok International Motor Show. Second, the Trax is still being sold in the region as well. And third, with its class-leading power output of 197 hp and 500 Nm of torque and its tough ladder-frame platform, the current-gen Trailblazer and its pickup counterpart in the Colorado have their own ardent followers and have proven to be the dark horse in their highly-competitive segments.

In any case, well let you know once we know more about the next-generation Chevrolet Trailblazer.

The post Could This Be the Next-Gen Chevrolet Trailblazer? appeared first on Carmudi Philippines.THE Department of National Defense (DND) has assured that the P19.812 million reported as unliquidated is intact and has been allocated for various projects of the agency.

Of the total, the DND said P4.43 million was allocated for a financial assistance program while P12.9 million was allocated for the establishment of a bamboo plantation at Fort Magsaysay Military Reservation Area.

The DND was reacting to the 2018 report of the Commission on Audit (COA) which said that the DND has an unliquidated balance of P19.812 million out of P161.726 million from various government agencies.

The Defense department said the financial assistance program is for personnel of the DND and its bureaus who were affected by the Typhoon Yolanda and the magnitude 7.2 earthquake which struck Cebu and Bohol in 2013.

Of the total fund intended for the project, P2.89 million has already been granted to the beneficiaries pre-identified by the Office of the President. The total unliquidated balance amounts to P1.545 million. In order to fully liquidate the funds, COA requires waivers from the beneficiaries who are no longer keen on availing the financial assistance, the DND said in a statement.

The department said it was having difficulty administering the financial grants due to incomplete personal data of the beneficiaries.

It said they have coordinated the matter with the COA particularly for the beneficiaries who no longer wish to avail of the financial assistance and of a few whose whereabouts have not been updated and can no longer be ascertained.

In such cases, the funds will be appropriately returned to the Office of the President. Nevertheless, the Department is continuously exerting diligent efforts to locate them, it said.

Meanwhile, the DND said the bamboo plantation project will push through in the coming months following the signing of agreement between the DND and DENR on April.

We would like to assure the public that the funds under the management of the DND are issued to the appropriate beneficiaries and instrumentalities, the DND said.

We would also like to reiterate that we have adequately answered every observation raised by the COA in their 2018 Annual Audit Report during our exit conference. Unfortunately, the media organizations, which released the stories on the COA report, did not include the DND management response to the COA observations in their published articles, it added. (Third Anne Peralta-Malonzo/SunStar Philippines)Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Abdul Hamid Bador today denied police have arrested fugitive businessman Jho Low.  Picture by Mukhriz Hazim

KUALA LUMPUR, June 1  Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Abdul Hamid Bador today denied police have arrested fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho, better known as Jho Low.

Abdul Hamid was responding to widespread rumours that emerged earlier this evening that suggested Jho Low has been arrested by Chinese authorities.

Abdul Hamid in a statement responding to the rumour said: We are working towards that end but nothing has been finalised as yet. That message is incorrect.

The rumour in the form of a text message is being widely shared on social media and instant messaging applications.

The message claims Jho Low has been arrested by Chinese government and is being transferred to Malaysia via Royal Malaysian Air Force to Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

On Thursday, Abdul Hamid expressed confidence that Jho Low will be detained soon.

Without giving details, he said the police are confident of bringing Jho Low back to the country to face justice.

Insya-Allah (God willing), when I say we are sure of bringing him back soon, it means soon, he reportedly said.

A week prior to that, Abdul Hamid told the media that the police have new leads on the whereabouts of Jho Low, who is linked to the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal.

The US Department of Justice believes at least US$4.5 billion (RM18.8 billion) was misappropriated from 1MDB and Low is accused of masterminding the illegal transactions which siphoned money from the state fund.

The Penang-born businessman has been charged in both the US and Malaysia but has refused to return to Malaysia claiming that he will not get a fair trial.

Related Articles Police nab Johor man for trying to extort missing boys father Police nab drug pushers in Nilai and Semenyih Cop dies after motorcyclist rams into him during a routine inspection in JohorThe QR code on the foil of the bottle helps champagne makers battle counterfeiters and provides a link to customers

Champagne is now connected: Thanks to tracking technology, champagne houses now have tools to better guard against fraud while gaining a new channel to interact with their customers.

Using a combination of unique QR codes and radio-frequency identification (RFID) emitters integrated into the label or the bottleneck foil, each bottle of bubbly can now be tracked to help battle counterfeiting of the luxury product.

"In 2016, we didn't print any connected labels. In 2019 we'll be at one million! The market has doubled each year," said Arnold Deregnaucourt, head of Billet, a company which has specialised in printing labels for champagne bottles for more than a century.

While a number of firms like Adents, Antares Vision and Tesa Scribos offer food and beverage makers a way to track their goods, Billet hopes that its long history working with the champagne industry will give it an advantage in adapting the technology to its practices.

Laurent Berns, founder of TraceAWine, a technology startup that has acquired Billet, said QR codes are sufficient for smaller champagne houses, but for those with production lines that handle more than 12,000 bottles per hour the RFID emitters are added to speed up the process as they allow for scanning bottles inside boxes.

With a QR code and RFID emitter on each bottle carrying a unique code, which is linked to a unique internet address, one can track the journey each bottle makes from the champagne house to your house. Or not.

"We can detect anomalies like, for example, a bottle which is scanned in Britain but then ends up in Russia," said Berns. "Our system will alert the client."

Champagne houses, like other makers of luxury products, don't only worry about outright counterfeiting, but controlling their supply chains to ensure prices aren't undercut in parallel or grey markets.

Foiling counterfeiters

This is something that the owner of the Pierre Peters champagne house, located in the heart of the prestigious Cote de Blancs region, knows about all too well.

Billet-made labels bear QR code and RFID (radio-frequency identification) emitters

"Our champagnes are sold to importers, restaurants, wine shops," said Rodolphe Peters, who is also cellar master at the house founded in 1854.

"We don't sell to individuals any more except for a few long-time clients, but several were profiting by selling bottles for two or three times higher."

The connected labels helped him track down those who were reselling their bottles in the United States, putting pressure on the prices he charged there.

The SGV trade association of growers and winemakers in Champagne wants to go further.

After six years of research and development, it began offering in 2017 a capsule integrating a QR code that not only tracks the bottle, but acts as a guarantee of the authenticity of the champagne inside.

A capsule is what winemakers call the protective wrapping or coating at the top of the bottle, which was originally developed to protect corks from rodents and weevils.

While other wine and alcohol makers have used QR codes and RFID emitters, the SVG believes that champagne makers are the first to use them in the capsules.

'A real revolution'

"What is new, and which isn't easy to accomplish, is the integration of the technology in the capsules which are made of complex materials and are manufactured with heat," said Catherine Chamourin, head of projects at SGV.

"We chose to put the codes on the capsules rather than the labels or the bottle as the capsules are destroyed when opening the bottle and can't be reused," she added.

Certain bottles of Krug champagne carry codes that will tell you how much time they spent in the cellar

This makes them much like the excise tax labels that some countries affix onto the top of alcohol bottles, which makes it impossible for them to be used again, and provides an indication that the product is genuine and hasn't been tampered with.

French wine and champagne bottles sold domestically already carry an excise tax label on the capsule, which consumers appreciate as it contains information whether the winery uses its own grapes or buys them from others.

Eric Lamaille, who heads up the capsule project at SGV, said winemakers are very enthusiastic about the capsules with integrated QR codes and several million have already been sold.

He called it "a real revolution".

The revolution is the not just in the tracking, but in connecting producers and consumers.

While both appreciate that the information about the product's journey ensures it is genuine, when the customer scans the QR code on their smartphone it is an opportunity for both to learn more about the other.

Reims-based champagne house Krug has been doing this with its ID bottles for the past six years. A code on the back label is the key to a treasure chest of information.

"The history of the house and the bottle, the composition of the champagne, the land parcels used, how long it spent in the cellar, serving suggestions and food pairing tips and even advice on what music to listen to," said the house's director, Olivier Krug.

"Digital even allows our connoisseurs to meet," he added.

With luxury brands eager to bolster the experience around their products, learning who their customers are and drawing them into their websites is an important development that will have marketing managers lifting their glasses in celebration.

 2019 AFP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.Indian stock markets ended highly volatile week with marginal gains, with Sensex and Nifty managed to continue their gaining momentum for the third consecutive week that ended May 31. The Indian benchmarks, Sensex and Nifty, were range-bound during the week and settled with 0.7 per cent gain, helped by buying across technology, private banks and energy space.

With the impending RBI policy meeting, macro-economic data, auto sales numbers, corporate results, and the ongoing geo-political tension, the Indian equity market is likely to be action packed in a holiday-shortened week ahead, which is likely to keep investors on the edge. The stock markets would remain closed on Wednesday for Id-Ul-Fitr. This week will also set near-term direction of the market as the newly-elected Narendra Modi government will shift focus towards various economic reforms and policies.

Here are five factors that will affect Indian equity markets this week:

RBI Policy Meet

All eyes will be on the Reserve Bank of India Monetary Policy Committee meet on June 6 which will set tone for the Indian equities. Given the slowing GDP growth along with the falling yields and rising bond prices, market analysts are hopes that there could be another rate cut announcement by the RBI governor Shaktikanta Das. In calendar year 2019, the RBI lowered repo rate by 25 basis points in its February and April monetary policy reviews.

The market is anticipating a 25 basis points cut in repo rate to 5.75 per cent by the RBI in its second bi-monthly monetary policy for the current fiscal, which comes on the heels of the conclusion of the Lok Sabha elections 2019.

Also read:RBI may cut repo rate by 25 bps in the upcoming monetary policy review: Analysts

Auto Stocks

The auto stocks will remain in focus as the market will react to auto sales numbers released by the domestic companies. The auto companies reported weak sales figures in May, led by Maruti Suzuki, as consumer sentiment and demand continued to remain subdued during the pre-election phase.

Maruti Suzuki India, the country's largest car maker, on Saturday reported 22 per cent decline in sales at 134,641 units car in May 2019 as compared to 172,512 units sold in the same period last year. Tata Motors saw its domestic sales dipping by 26 per cent year-on-year to 40,155 units, while Mahindra and Mahindra posted 3 per cent y-o-y decline in total sales at 45,421 units in May.

According to market analysts, with a stable government at the centre and the forecast of a near normal monsoon, the auto sector will see an improvement in consumer sentiment over the next few months.

Also Read:Slowdown blues: Maruti Suzuki May sales decline 22% on muted domestic demand

Macro Data

In the coming week, Nikkei Manufacturing PMI data and Nikkei Services PMI data for May will be the key trigger for the markets. The Nikkei Manufacturing PMI data, an indicator of economic health for manufacturing and service sectors, will be released on June 3 and Services PMI data on June 5.

Investors will also react to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) numbers released last week, which raises fresh concerns over the growth of the Asia's third largest economy. India's GDP estimates for the January-March quarter of financial year 2018-19 was recorded at 5.8 per cent, which happens to be lowest growth rate in the past five financial years. The eight core sector industries too saw a slowdown in April, with growth rate falling to 2.6 per cent.

Crude Price Movement

Investors may react to crude price movement after Brent crude futures tumbled on Friday after the US President Donald Trump announced more tariffs on imports from Mexico, which is one of the largest US trade partners and a major supplier of crude oil. Brent, the global benchmark for oil prices, breached levels of USD 65 per barrel and fell to around USD 62 a barrel, down from USD 70 a barrel last week.

Lower crude oil price is always considered as positive for India as it imports around 85 per cent of its fuel requirement. It will also be a positive development for industries such as aviation and paints.

Escalating Global Trade War

Traders will also keep an eye on global developments, especially US-China and Mexico trade talks, which may aggravate an already tense global trade environment. Adding to it, investors will also focus on Britain's Brexit, which may affect equity market across the globe. The British Prime Minister Theresa May last week announced that she will quit as Conservative party leader on 7 June but will stay in office until a successor is found.

Also Read:Six of top-10 firms add Rs 99,994 crore in m-cap; TCS leadsLocal student named to SNHU deans list

MANCHESTER, N.H.  Samantha Poitras of Gansevoort has been named to the winter 2019 deans list at Southern New Hampshire University. The winter term runs from January to May. Eligibility for the Deans List requires that a student accumulate an academic grade point average of 3.5-3.699 and earn 12 credits for the semester.

Four local students are Fredonia grads

FREDONIA  Fredonia President Virginia S. Horvath announced the students who are May 2019 candidates for degrees. Local graduates include:

William M. Condon of South Glens Falls, Bachelor of Arts, criminal justice;

Miranda N. Pichardo of South Glens Falls, Bachelor of Arts, Englishadolescence education;

Rey S. Kelleher of Glens Falls, Bachelor of Fine Arts, visual arts new med: graph design; and

Jonah E. Adeson of Queensbury, Bachelor of Arts, history.







Schroon Lake student honored

CEDARVILLE, Ohio  Justin Parker Lough of Schroon Lake received the Presidents Trophy during the May 4 commencement ceremony at Cedarville University. He was one of three Presidents Trophy honorees this year.

The Presidents Trophy is the highest honor given at commencement. The award is presented to a student who excelled in academics, leadership, service and Christian character.

Lough majored in international studies and Biblical studies, graduated with a 4.0 grade point average and was the recipient of the Zondervan Theology award. He plans to pursue a masters degree in international relations, studying possibly in Sweden or Scotland.

During his time at Cedarville, Lough served as a resident assistant in Brock for two years and was involved in numerous student events and programs.

Justin is an outstanding student with a voracious appetite for learning, said Dr. Glen Duerr, associate professor of international studies. I have personally traveled with him locally, nationally and internationally. Whether in Dayton, New York or Israel, I am often convicted by his tireless pursuit to share the gospel with the people.

Hall named to deans list at Arcadia

GLENSIDE, Pa.  Nicolas Hall of Queensbury was recognized for his achievement of deans list during the fall 2018 at Arcadia University on March 30. More than 1,000 students earned distinguished honors and honors in the spring and fall 2018, and 59 student and faculty awards were presented. Hall is a sociology major at the University.

Local student named to presidents list

MANCHESTER, N.H.  Matthew Mundell of Queensbury has been named to Southern New Hampshire Universitys winter 2019 presidents list. The winter term runs from January to May. Eligibility for the Presidents List requires that a student accumulate an academic grade point average of 3.7-4.0 and earn 12 credits for the semester.

Northeastern announces deans list

BOSTON  Northeastern University recognized students who distinguish themselves academically during the course of the school year. The following students were recently named to the universitys deans list for the spring semester, which ended in April 2019. To achieve the deans list distinction, students must carry a full program of at least four courses, have a quality point average of 3.5 or greater out of a possible 4.0 and carry no single grade lower than a C- during the course of their college career. Each student receives a letter of commendation and congratulation from their college dean. Local students include:

Erin Burchfield of Glens Falls, chemistry;

Wilson T. Herrmann of Glens Falls, civil engineering;

Karl B. Swanson of Queensbury, computer engineering;

Julia M. Mannix of Queensbury, human services/comm. studies; and

James DeCunzo of Queensbury, majoring in politics/philosophy/economics.

Cline graduates from Clemson University

CLEMSON, S.C.  Seth Derek Cline of Bolton Landing graduated from Clemson University with a Bachelor of Science in biological sciences. Cline was among 3,600 students who received degrees at the May 9-10 ceremonies at Littlejohn Coliseum.

Students make deans list at Paul Smiths

PAUL SMITHS  Students were named to the deans list at Paul Smiths College during the spring 2019 semester. Each earned a semester average of 3.3 or higher to receive this distinction. Local students include:

Drew Caprood of Glens Falls;

Matthew Simpson of Brant Lake;

Benjamin McInerney of Victory Mills;

Benjamin Marshall of Queensbury;

Kenneth Cornog of Greenwich;

Nicole Emrick of Hadley;

Jacob Petralia of Schuylerville;

Joshua Kipp of Lake Luzerne;

Gabrielle Fronckowiak of Fort Ann; and

Joline Hall of Middle Grove.

Locals graduate from Paul Smiths College

PAUL SMITHS  Students graduated from Paul Smiths College on May 11. Local graduates include:

Matthew Simpson of Brant Lake, bachelors degree in fisheries and wildlife sciences fisheries;

Thomas Szabo of Queensbury, bachelors degree in sustainable communities and working landscapes;

Benjamin McInerney of Victory Mills, bachelors degree in environmental science;

Jacob Petralia of Schuylerville, bachelors degree in parks and conservation management; and

Gabrielle Fronckowiak of Fort Ann, bachelors degree in entrepreneurial business studies.

UNH names grads

DURHAM, N.H.  Students graduated from the University of New Hampshire in May. Students who received the honor of summa cum laude graduated with a grade point average of 3.85-4.0; students who received the honor of magna cum laude graduated with a grade point average of 3.65-3.84; and students who received the honor of cum laude graduated with a grade point average of 3.50-3.64. Local graduates include:

Rachel Howard of Queensbury, Bachelor of Science, kin: sport studies;

Jillian Ward of Gansevoort, cum laude, Bachelor of Science, business admin: finance; and

Connor Slade of Middle Grove, cum laude, Bachelor of Arts, psychology.

Endieveri awarded Juris Doctor degree

MILWAUKEE, Wis.  Emily R. Endieveri of Glens Falls was awarded a Juris Doctor degree from Marquette University at Commencement exercises on May 19 at the FISERV Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. On May 20, Endieveri was admitted to the Wisconsin Bar at an induction ceremony held in the Supreme Court chambers at the State Capitol Building in Madison, Wisconsin.

Endieveri is a 2009 honor graduate of Glens Falls High School, and in 2013 she received a Bachelor of Arts degree, cum laude, with a double major in government and psychology from St. Lawrence University in Canton.

She is the daughter of Denise Notari, formerly of Queensbury, and Frank J. Endieveri Jr. of Glens Falls, and the granddaughter of Robert and Carol Notari of Lakewood Ranch, Florida, and Dr. Frank J. and Wendy Endieveri of Glens Falls.

Students named to UVM deans list

BURLINGTON, Vt.  Students have been named to the deans list at the University of Vermont. To be named to the deans list, students must have a grade point average of 3.0 or better and rank in the top 20 percent of their class in their respective college or school. Local students include:

Kirsti Blow of Queensbury;

Anna Fronhofer of Salem;

Alexis Gordon of Queensbury;

Adam Mesquita of Gansevoort;

Erica Paton of Gansevoort;

Rachael Picchi of Bolton Landing;

Brianna Pierce of Queensbury;

Abigail Robbins of Argyle; and

Lindsey Rowley of Queensbury.

Salem students give back to community

SALEM  Salem High School closed school as students in grades 7-12 spent the day off-site, giving back to the Salem community, in place of their regularly scheduled classes May 22.

The students divided and conquered, visiting local centers of the community, including the Salem Courthouse, The Gorgi in Shushan, Salem Artworks and more. The high school students worked to garden for local community members, paint flower boxes and Adirondack chairs throughout the community, and paint the town gazebo.

Other volunteer work included staying on campus to create care packages for recent Salem graduates who are serving in the military, clean the school garden, and prepare a cookout lunch for classmates.

This was the first annual Salem Washington Academy Day of Service. The district hopes to make this an annual tradition, in an effort to build a sense of community between students and give back to the local residents of Salem.

Cedarville students on deans honor list

CEDARVILLE, Ohio  Local students have been recognized by Cedarville University in Cedarville, Ohio for being named to the deans honor list for spring semester 2019. They maintained a 3.75 minimum grade point average while carrying at least 12 credit hours. Local students include:

Elliot Jenks of Argyle;

Hannah Lankford of Glens Falls;

Joshua Lankford of Glens Falls; and

Taryn Williamson from Pottersville.

Loiselle awarded at Lake Forest College

LAKE FOREST, Ill. Bron Loiselle of Queensbury was recently awarded the Senior Prize in Finance at Lake Forest College.

Prizes are awarded to the best students who have proven themselves genuinely outstanding by absolute rather than relative standards. Each prize is to be a distinguished and valuable reward commensurate with the occasion and with the prizewinners achievement. Senior Prizes collectively express and celebrate not only intellectual and personal excellence, but also the special, enduring relationship between present and past generations of Lake Forest College. Outstanding students in academic areas for which there are no endowed or donated prizes are honored out of the colleges own prize fund for graduating seniors.

Students initiated into Phi Kappa Phi

BATON ROUGE, La.  Area residents were recently initiated into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nations oldest and most selective all-discipline collegiate honor society. Local students include:

Allison Miksch of Queensbury, initiated at The Sage Colleges;

Maria Crumley of Granville, initiated at The Sage Colleges;

Lucas Brock of Queensbury, initiated at The Sage Colleges; and

Michaela Close of Gansevoort, initiated at The Sage Colleges.

Students graduate from Clarkson University

POTSDAM  Clarkson University awarded more than 750 bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees to students from 27 states, 22 countries and 57 New York state counties, this spring. (An additional 338 students received degrees this past winter and summer.) Local graduates include:

Claire Kershko of Queensbury, Master of Business Administration degree;

Trevor Metcalfe of Queensbury, Bachelor of Science degree with great distinction in chemical engineering;

Benjamin Mack of Queensbury, Bachelor of Science degree with distinction in computer science;

Dalton Whaley of Queensbury, Master of Science degree in physician assistant studies;

Kathryn Ackner of Queensbury, Bachelor of Science degree with great distinction in environmental health science, psychology minor;

David Ross of Argyle, Bachelor of Science degree with distinction in civil engineering;

Sean Donohue of Bolton Landing, Bachelor of Science degree in environmental engineering;

Nathan Winchester of Cambridge, Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering;

Lindsey Schlaeg of Chestertown, Master of Science degree in physician assistant studies;

Johnathan Lestingi of Clemons, Bachelor of Science degree with distinction in aeronautical engineering;

Maria Denton of Corinth, Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering, mathematics minor;

Ethan Pike of Fort Ann, Bachelor of Science degree in engineering and management;

Robert Matousek of Gansevoort, Bachelor of Science degree with distinction in civil engineering;

Allison Morgan of Gansevoort, Bachelor of Science degree with distinction in psychology, biology minor;

Dustin Franke of Gansevoort, Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering;

Christopher Guillotte of Gansevoort, Bachelor of Science degree with distinction in aeronautical engineering, mathematics minor;

Kurt Clauder of Granville, Bachelor of Science degree with distinction in aeronautical engineering, mechanical engineering;

Andrew All of Greenfield Center, Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering, environmental engineering minor;

Jake Hurtt of Middle Grove, Bachelor of Science degree with distinction in electrical engineering, mathematics minor;

Ronald Deutsch of Middle Grove, Bachelor of Science degree in innovation and entrepreneurship; and

Mallory Keough of Whitehall, Bachelor of Science degree in engineering and management, project management minor.

Williamson named to deans list

CEDARVILLE, Ohio  Michael Williamson of Pottersville has been named to the Cedarville University deans list for spring 2019. Students were required to maintain a 3.5 minimum grade point average while carrying at least 12 credit hours.

Galcik earns spring deans list honors

ROCHESTER  Mackenzie Galcik of Schuylerville has been named to the deans list for the spring 2019 semester at Nazareth College. A students grade point average must be at least 3.5 or above, and they must complete 12 credit hours of graded work that semester in order to be included on the deans list at Nazareth.

Starace awarded at St. Lawrence

CANTON  Caroline H. Starace of Greenfield Center has been selected for the Bradley R. Evers Outstanding First-Year Student Award at St. Lawrence University.

Bradley R. Evers was a first-year student at St. Lawrence in the fall of 1990. He was very active in the First-Year Program, in organizing the First-Year Student Council, and was involved in many other co-curricular activities. Evers was an outstanding first-year student leader and was presented an award recognizing that fact on Moving-Up Day in the spring of 1991. Tragically, he died suddenly in the summer after his first year. The Bradley R. Evers Outstanding First-Year Student Awards were established in his memory.

These awards are now presented each spring at the Student Organization and Leadership Awards Banquet during the last week of classes. FYP faculty and/or Residential Life professional staff nominate individuals, who then submit essays for review about their contributions to the first-year class and the campus as a whole. Nominees must be first-year students, have strong academic averages (normally a 3.0 GPA or above), have been involved in a variety of academic and co-curricular activities, and have made positive contributions to their FYP/FYS classroom, their residence hall, and/or the first-year class as a whole.

On Campus is compiled by Gretta Hochsprung. Email submissions to her at ghochsprung@poststar.com or call 518-742-3206.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0WHITEHALL  After a boat capsized in the South Bay area of Lake Champlain on Friday night, Tyler Eagan, 24, of Whitehall, was found dead several hours later, according to the New York State Police.

Friday night at approximately 10:30 p.m., three of the boat's occupants were able to swim to shore and call for assistance, police said.

New York State Forest Rangers located Eagan at about 5:30 a.m., still in the water.

State Police were assisted by the New York State Forest Rangers, Washington County Sheriffs Office, Dresden, Putnam and Whitehall Fire Departments and the Washington County Coroner.

More information will be reported as it becomes available.

Kathleen Phalen-Tomaselli covers Washington County government and other county news and events.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 19 Angry 2

Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.GSK Consumers Healthcare Ltd said Sunday that its shareholders approved its proposed merger with FMCG major HUL.

The company has received 99.99 per cent votes in favour of the scheme of amalgamation among the company and Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) in the National Company Law Tribunal-convened meeting of the equity shareholders on June 1, 2019.

"The proposed resolution approving the Scheme was passed by the requisite majority of the equity shareholders of the Company," said GSK Consumers in a BSE filing.

Earlier in January, GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare had informed that it has received approval from the fair trade regulator CCI for its merger deal with HUL.

On December 3, 2018, Anglo-Dutch FMCG giant Unilever had announced the acquisition of health food portfolio, including popular brands Horlicks and Boost, from GlaxoSmithKline in India and over 20 other markets for 3.1 billion pounds (about ? 27,750 crore).

Under the deal, Unilever's Indian arm, HUL is acquiring GSK CH India via an all-equity merger, valuing the total business of the latter at Rs 31,700 crore.

GSK CH India is the market leader in the health food drinks (HFD) category, with popular brands such as Horlicks and Boost.

Also Read: PepsiCo to invest $70 million to set up food manufacturing plant in Uttar Pradesh

Also Read: Honda Cars sales fall 28% to 11,442 units in MayELIZABETHTOWN  Essex County is exploring the possibility of joining a multi-county lawsuit against four telecom companies.

The lawsuit alleges that local 911 services are underfunded as a result of the apparent failure of AT&T, Frontier Communications, Time Warner Cable and Verizon to accurately bill, collect and hand over revenue generated from 911 calls. The lawsuit was filed in state Supreme Court in Nassau County, Long Island on May 1.

The Essex County Board of Supervisors is considering hiring the New York City law firm Napoli Shkolnik  which is representing the counties of Fulton, Nassau, Otsego, Schoharie, Sullivan and Wyoming in the lawsuit  to look into representing (the county) over the possible failure of telecom companies to remit and collect our portion of the 911 tax, Essex County Attorney Daniel Manning said.

Its unclear how much revenue may have been lost by Essex County as a result of the companies alleged practices, according to Manning.

Its also unclear at this time how much each county would pay to retain the law firm, according to county board Chairman Shaun Gillilland.

At the county boards Ways and Means Committee on Tuesday, supervisors moved forward a resolution that would authorize county officials to hire Napoli Shkolnik to investigate whether there are possible damages.

Napoli Shkolnik is also representing some New York counties in a lawsuit against opioid drug manufacturers, according to Manning.

The lawsuit alleges that the four telecom companies committed fraud, violated the state False Claims Act and the states 911 statute  which the counties say requires telecom companies collect a monthly surcharge of up to 30 cents on wireless service and voice-over-internet calls and up to 35 cents on landlines  by understating the number of lines used by each customer and failing to accurately report how much money had been collected from users.

The companies have made multiple material misstatements of fact to the counties, the lawsuit says, and have either failed to file reports or provided false monthly and annual reports. The lawsuit also cites a 2018 report from the state comptrollers office that found a number of discrepancies in how companies administrative fees were calculated and how payments were recorded or reported.

(The companies) repeatedly underbilled and under-collected with respect to customers who have multi-line capability and, thus, have multiple phone numbers associated with one line, the lawsuit reads. In many cases, (the companies) have purposely understated the amounts due so they can appear to be more competitive on pricing than their competitors.

As a result of (the companies) malfeasance, (counties) 911 emergency services are not properly and adequately funded, which leads to budget shortfalls that can have dire consequences for the public. The public is harmed when New Yorks local governments cannot fund their 911 emergency services in the manner that the New York legislature intended.

A representative of Verizon said the company does not comment on litigation. Representatives from Time Warner Cable and Frontier Communications did not respond to requests for comment before deadline.

Brandy Bell-Truskey, a spokesperson for AT&T, pushed back against the claims in the lawsuit.

The 911 system is vital to the publics safety and we take our 911 obligations seriously, Bell-Truskey said in an email. Our role is to collect 911 charges from our customers in New York and turn the charges over to the government. We did that here and will fight this.

Revenue generated through 911 surcharges is the only funding that goes directly to financing 911 centers in New York state, the lawsuit says.

Gillilland said he believes Essex Countys 911 service is underfunded. He did not have evidence to share at the time but said, given the companies evident failure to accurately collect and remit the surcharge in other counties, its likely endemic across the state.

In Essex County, companies are required to collect the maximum 35 cent fee on calls from landlines and 30 cents on wireless calls, according to county Treasurer Michael Diskin.

Residents will sometimes see that charge on their monthly bill if theyve called for help, he said.

In 2018, the county received $136,976 from telecom companies as a result of the surcharge, Diskin said.

Telecom companies that collect the surcharge are allowed to keep 2% of the revenue.

But counties are left to trust telecom companies to accurately report both the number of lines thatve used 911 services and the amount of money theyve collected from the charge, Diskin said.

Theres no way for me or anyone else on the (county) Board of Supervisors to know if were getting the right amount of money, he said. We dont know how many subscribers they have. They have to report what theyre getting, but we just have to depend on them to tell us how many lines they have  and it can change from month to month.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0PLATTSBURGH  The woman who helped two inmates break out of Clinton Correctional facility is up for parole again next week.

Joyce Mitchell, 55, is the civilian prison worker convicted of aiding two murderers escape from Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora four years ago.

She was sentenced to serve 2 1/3 to 7 years behind bars for her role.

Mitchell was denied parole in February and August of 2017 and will have another hearing next week, but no specific date has been set yet, according to the State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision.

The parole board will have two weeks to render a decision.

No, I do not think she should be granted parole, Clinton County Sheriff David Favro said.

With the amount of resources we had to use (in the manhunt), and the amount of pressure the community was under ... She had every opportunity to circumvent that, and she didnt.

I understand the power of manipulation from the inmates, but its hard to have a lot of sympathy for her.

CONTRABAND

Inmates David Sweat and Richard Matt escaped June 6 and were on the loose for three weeks.

Matt was shot and killed in the Town of Duane in Franklin County on June 26, and Sweat was shot and captured in Constable near the Canadian border, also in Franklin County, two days later.

The pair got out of their cells by cutting holes in the metal walls using hacksaw blades that Mitchell smuggled in to them, some via a package of frozen hamburger.

The hamburger was delivered to the inmates by Correction Officer Gene Palmer, who said he did not know there were blades hidden in the meat.

Palmer passed a lie detector test regarding that, but he agreed to a plea and admitted guilt in court for providing other contraband to Matt.

He was sentenced to six months in the Clinton County Jail; he served four months before being released in June of 2016.

He also paid fines and surcharges totaling $5,375.

DOWN CATWALK

Matt and Sweat made their way down a catwalk behind their cells into the bowels of the prison, where Sweat worked for weeks carving out holes in the walls and a steam pipe to eventually make his way to a manhole on Bouck Street.

Mitchell, who had developed a relationship with the two inmates while she worked as a supervisor in the prison tailor shop, was supposed to be their getaway driver.

But she panicked the night of the escape and wound up in the hospital.

She was charged by State Police about a week later, after an investigation turned up her involvement with the inmates.

In addition to serving up to seven years in prison, Mitchell was ordered to pay $6,375 in fines and surcharges, and $119,762 in restitution to the state for the damage caused to the prison by Matt and Sweat.

Mitchell claimed that she was afraid to tell authorities of the pending breakout because Matt and Sweat threatened her and her family.

SHOWTIME SERIES

The intriguing story became the subject of an eight-part limited series for Showtime. Escape at Dannemora was directed by Ben Stiller.

The series, which aired last fall, netted numerous awards for the portrayal of the gripping story.

Stiller politely declined a request from the Press-Republican to comment on Mitchells parole hearing, as did Clinton County District Attorney Andrew Wylie, who handled the Mitchell case in 2015.

Sheriff Favro and his staff were heavily involved in the three-week manhunt for Matt and Sweat.

The state needs to send a statement that this is not OK, he said about Mitchells parole hearing.

There were so many people in the community, especially elderly people who live alone, that were petrified when they were on the loose, and thats not right.

WAY TOO EARLY

Mitchell has been incarcerated since her arrest, a week after the escape.

She began serving her state time at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility in September of 2015.

Favro said letting her out now would be way too early.

It would send the message to others that it wouldnt be that bad to do something like she did, because they are only going to get a few months or a few years, he said.

I think she should not only finish her sentence, but finish the sentences of them (Matt and Sweat).

NO PAROLE

Both Matt and Sweat were sentenced to life in prison for their murders. Sweat, who killed a Broome County Sheriffs deputy, has no chance for parole.

Sweat is now serving his sentence at Attica Correctional Facility in Wyoming County.

He had been at Five Points Correctional Facility in Romulus in the Finger Lakes region.

Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 3Editor:

When I was a kid, I recall Colgate toothpaste had to pull its television commercial which touted an invisible shield of protection for your teeth. The government regulations ruled that there was no actual shield and it would be lying to the American public to imply there was.

Truth  what a concept! Three years ago I took my mother to the emergency room. As we waited, the nurse performed her procedures and periodically checked in, and so a conversation ensued. The nurse informed me she could not vote for Hillary Clinton because Hillary was in the throes of Parkinsons disease. Recall that Clinton, while campaigning, was worn down with flu symptoms and had stumbled on camera. Our attendant nurse said that, as a nurse, she could tell Hillary had Parkinsons. She also saw it on the internet. Actually, the Republican opposition had latched onto propagating the case for the American public that Clinton was suffering from advanced Parkinsons.

Whether it originated with Fox News, the Trump campaign or Russia, disinformation, like an Ebola attack, easily went viral. We can track the number of lies Donald Trump speaks daily. We can view a verifiable photo of Trump later shopped to show a taller man with much larger hands. We can watch, in real time, a press conference of Nancy Pelosi speaking about a meeting with Trump, only then to view on Fox News a doctored tape of a floundering, slurred-speech, erratically moving Pelosi. All this to the delight of a malevolent Trump. Putin is having a field day. Where, oh where, is our invisible shield to protect integrity and the rule of law?

Cindy Whitman, Glens Falls

Love 1 Funny 4 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0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Other times, she'll wait by a window as a cat peers out the glass:

"If people walk by at just the right moment, you can catch the big wide pupils in the eyes of the cats as they watch them."

She has photographed more exotic adoptees as well, like mice and hamsters.

"I've done some ferrets, though one of them peed on me," Murray says. "And I just did my first rat, which is OK as long as it's not in my house."

Some animals are gussied up to meet their online public. Like Gus, a pit bull mix who wore a taco costume for Halloween _ an outfit for which "he was particularly tolerant," says Jessica Simmons. The shelter's foster rescue and volunteer manager, Simmons, of Kingsville, works to beautify her clients for the cameras.

"We posed a chihuahua in a Gwen Stefani onesie," she says. "There was a black guinea pig named Gummy Bear, with incredibly long, silky hair, so I put it up in ponytails. She was really gracious about it."

More often, what resonates with would-be pet owners is the animal's own persona.Welcome Guest! You Are Here:McConnell enunciated the Paducah Principle a week after an exceptional investigative report by The Washington Post's Robert O'Harrow Jr. and Shawn Boburg about the battle for conservative justices "that will shape the nation for decades." The operation has been spearheaded by Leonard Leo, executive vice president of the Federalist Society, and a network of organizations that brought in more than $250 million in mostly dark money between 2014 and 2017.

"We're going to have to understand that judicial confirmations these days are more like political campaigns," Leo told members of an influential conservative group.

Thanks to the efforts of Leo, McConnell and those friendly anonymous benefactors, the courts are being packed, politicized and pushed hard to the right.

So what are we going to do about it? Mention the words "court packing" and many liberals and moderates wring their hands and fret about the Supreme Court's "legitimacy." But the court's "legitimacy" is already shot to hell. Remember the words "Oh, we'd fill it" the next time the justices hand down another reactionary ruling. The only relevant issue is what might be done to restore the court to something closer to, well, judiciousness.Guwahati: Assams premier health care institute, Barthakur Clinic organized a media OPD clinic at Guwahati Press Club on 1 June 2019, where practicing physician Dr Jury Das was available for free consultations to the participants. Nurse Lucy Songbai from the city based hospital helped over 30 scribes to get their blood pressure checked in the camp.

Next media OPD clinic for the benefit of working journalists along with their families will be conducted by a newly launched super specialty healthcare institute Excelcare Hospitals on 8 June at the press club premises.OMAHA, Neb. | An anonymous bidder has offered more than $4.5 million to have a private lunch with billionaire investor Warren Buffett, shattering the previous record of nearly $3.5 million set in 2012 and 2016.

An online auction that raises money for the Glide Foundation's work to help the homeless in San Francisco ended Friday night on eBay with a winning bid of $4,567,888.

It's the 20th year the Berkshire Hathaway CEO from Omaha has participated in the pricey lunch auction, giving the winner the chance to talk with the renowned investor and philanthropist. Bidding starts at $25,000, and the auction has only finished below $2 million once since 2010. Buffett has raised nearly $30 million for the charity over the years.

The winning bidder and up to seven friends get to dine with Buffett at Smith & Wollensky in New York City.

You must be logged in to react.

Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0SIOUX FALLS | Garfield Elementary fifth-grader Jaeden Brugier has been learning to speak the Lakota language throughout the last year.

Yet for someone wanting to share the history and legends of his ancestors with his peers, he felt as though he's never had a true chance, he said.

The school library has less than five books translated in Lakota, and reading sessions often made him feel almost invisible, he said.

But a statewide effort by the South Dakota Humanities Council is about to change that by giving second-graders copies of the 2019 Young Readers One Book "Tatanka and Other Legends of the Lakota People," the first book in the history of the Young Readers program translated in both Lakota and English.

The initiative comes after legislators passed a law in March to officially recognize O'ceti Sakowin, which is comprised of the dialects of Lakota, Dakota and Nakota, as the official indigenous language of South Dakota starting July 1. The law comes almost 30 years after South Dakota chose to honor its Native American heritage by forgoing Columbus Day and renaming the holiday Native Americans' Day.

The state is one of only a handful to change the holiday, and the language law also made it the first state to do so in the contiguous United States. The book depicts three legends authored and illustrated by Oglala Sioux Tribe member and Rapid City resident Donald F. Montileaux.

Students received the book this spring to read during the summer, a press release from the council states.

In the Sioux Falls School District, however, the books will go to third-graders this fall through school libraries, so it's fresh in the students' minds when the author speaks at the South Dakota Festival of Books from Oct. 4 to Oct. 6 in Deadwood, which is hosted by the humanities council each year, said Ann Smith, the district's curriculum services program director.

Delaying the book's distribution also means getting it in the hands of more children, Garfield Elementary librarian Susan Thies said. She's been a librarian for two years and a classroom teacher for 19.

"We have such a transient population, they move (often) and have issues at home and food scarcity," Thies said. "So we always let the second-graders know the (program) is coming up, that way in the fall this is ready to go for them."

The book is a perfect way to give children insight into another language in a way that honors the Lakota history and connects with families who might not have a great relationship with public schools, including with those once prohibited and punished for speaking Lakota in schools years ago, Thies said.

Before this book, students who didn't feel connected to what they were reading often slumped in their chairs. Their faces drooped down or they wandered the library, not knowing what to pick out, she said. There was no emotion tied to the words they read, she said.

"This gives value to our history, to say, 'I see you,'" Thies said. "When you walk into the libraries, you (often) see books about little white boys, little white girls and their dogs and cats. But do our African American students from Africa see themselves? Do our African American students from America see themselves? Our Lakota children will see themselves, they'll feel valued because the state has said this is important."

Once she received one, Thies showed a copy of the new book to Brugier, who immediately spent time searching for the Lakota words he knew to match them with English words, she said. He immediately begged her to let him check the book out to bring it home to his family.

Unfortunately, the book wasn't ready to borrowed yet, Thies said. But that didn't stop Brugier from being excited about the possibility, she said.

"Of course, we want children to be fluent in English, but at this age, (a book like this) opens the world," Thies said. "It's like a passport to different cultures and countries. And you get to know your own country and culture better when you step out and learn about others."

Brugier will be going to a new school next year, and though he isn't one of the third-graders receiving the book, he knows the book will help bring awareness and understanding to part of his culture and current political issues in the state, he said.

And with a younger sister and cousin still on the campus, he also hopes his peers will use the books to continue a school club he started and wishes to carry on to the middle school level, he said. Called the Circle of Courage Club, it's a club that allows anyone to teach anyone else about their culture and history, he said.

"I'm really hoping I see that book and other books that are Lakota and English, and if there is, I'll be really happy," Brugier said. "I'm hoping that when they learn everything, they'll be like me and try to research more and more about their Lakota history."

For Thies, she hopes this will inspire more South Dakota authors to reach out to schools or to write and publish in indigenous languages now that the three languages are recognized, she said.

"When you read these books, the children sit up, and they sparkle," Thies said. "Our children who are sometimes so silent and never say anything, they can't stop raising their hand. And all of a sudden they're proud of their history. They're proud of the present."

You must be logged in to react.

Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0BILLINGS, Mont. | Scientists tasked with reviewing government plans to lift protections for gray wolves across most of the U.S. said in a report released Friday that the proposal has numerous factual errors and other problems.

The five-member scientific panel's conclusions were detailed in a 245-page report delivered to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

One reviewer said the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service appeared to have come to a pre-determined conclusion, not supported by its own science, that wolves should come off the endangered species list.

"It looks like they decided to delist and then they compiled all the evidence that they thought supported that decision. It simply doesn't support the decision," said Adrian Treves, an environmental studies professor at the University of Wisconsin.

Treves said a chief concern is poaching: Without protections, illegal killings of wolves could rise, he said.

The findings could undercut the government's contention that gray wolves across the Lower 48 have recovered from near extermination.

Federal officials have been under increasing pressure to put wolves under state management, which is already the case in parts of the Northern Rockies where hunting and trapping of the animals is allowed.

Prohibitions on hunting elsewhere have fueled resentment against wolves among livestock owners who must deal with attacks by the predators. Also, some hunters see wolves as competition for big game animals.

After being nearly wiped out in the Lower 48 early last century, more than 6,000 gray wolves now live in portions of nine states. The decades-long, government-sponsored recovery effort for the animals has cost roughly $160 million.

Yet gray wolves remain absent from most of their historical range. Critics of lifting protections say the move would be premature and worry that more hunting will reverse the species' rebound.

Wildlife service spokeswoman Vanessa Kauffman said officials were still going over the scientific report and had no immediate response.

Members of the review panel questioned the agency's treatment of a basic issue: whether gray wolves in the Lower 48 states are biologically the same or consist of more than one species.

Daniel MacNulty, an associate professor at Utah State University, said the proposed rule had "demonstrable errors of fact, interpretation, and logic" and its description of where wolves presently range is fuzzy.

Five years ago, a similar report helped convince federal officials to temporarily shelve plans to lift wolf protections. That report, too, questioned the science used by federal officials.

You must be logged in to react.

Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0Jerry Penry has bad news for another one of South Dakotas highest points.

Odakota Mountain, widely believed to be the second-highest place in the state, is a little lower than advertised.

Published elevations for the peak range from 7,200 to 7,210 feet above sea level. Penry, a professional surveyor, recently conducted perhaps the only modern survey of the mountain and pegged its actual elevation at 7,197.7 feet  about 2 to 12 feet lower than published figures.

Thats still high enough to rank No. 2 on the list of named South Dakota peaks. The No. 1 spot belongs to Black Elk Peak, which Penry surveyed in 2016 and found to be 7,231 feet, rather than the widely published 7,242 feet.

Penry is a 52-year-old professional surveyor from Lincoln, Neb., with a compulsion about precision. It bothers him that so many old and imprecise elevations  dating to the days before the Global Positioning System and other modern tools  are still on the books.

We have the technology to get stuff right, he said.

So, when he goes on vacation from his surveying job, he does more surveying. But he doesnt always survey peaks. On other adventures, he has tracked down historical surveying markers and boundary monuments, and places as esoteric as the pole of inaccessibility, which is the farthest point from a coastline (in North America, that's in Bennett County, South Dakota).

Penry visited Odakota Mountain on a warm day in May. The peak is 45 miles west-southwest of Rapid City, by way of Hill City, Deerfield Road and a series of gravel and dirt roads.

From the final stretch of Forest Service road, its a hike of about a quarter-mile across snag-filled Black Hills National Forest land to the mountain, which is actually more of a flat prominence at the edge of a limestone plateau. The plateau runs north-to-south through the western Black Hills and includes several points above 7,000 feet in elevation.

The edge of Odakota Mountain is about 800 feet above the gulches below it, which makes for a grand view. Far off in the east, Black Elk Peak is visible.

Odakota is a Dakota Sioux word meaning friendship, alliance or a peaceful relationship, but the name was not bestowed on the mountain by Native Americans. The late Loretta Bradfelt, a white woman who co-owned land near the mountains base, proposed the name in 1968 and successfully petitioned the U.S. Board on Geographic Names to accept it.

On the day of Penrys visit to Odakota, Paul Horsted, a well-known photographer from Custer, helped with the survey. They first set about determining the highest point on the wide, flat prominence of the summit.

Horsted manned the leveling rod, which looks like a sturdier and taller version of a yardstick, while Penry manned his surveyors level, which is essentially a scope on a tripod.

Here and there on the summit, Horsted set the leveling rod on the ground and held it up straight. Penry looked through the scope and read the numbers on the rod. Lower numbers indicated a higher point and vice versa.

Around and around the summit they went, crisscrossing back and forth over exposed rock and downed trees. Penry called out numbers and Horsted moved around dutifully, until they settled on what they believed to be the highest spot.

Lets do this routine one more time, Penry said. I do not want to be wrong.

Finally, after definitively locating the high point, Penry set up a GPS receiver on a tripod and let it communicate with dozens of satellites in space for more than four hours. He ran the resulting data through the National Geodetic Surveys Online Positioning User Service to determine Odakotas true elevation.

A report from that service gave Penry a high degree of precision, but not quite perfection, which to him is the essence of surveying's appeal: its inexhaustible potential for ever-greater accuracy.

In my estimation, Penry explained in an email, the elevation calculated should be within 0.10 feet.

Contact Seth Tupper at seth.tupper@rapidcityjournal.com

You must be logged in to react.

Click any reaction to login. Love 0 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.Is public shaming of a longtime business owner the best way to send a message regarding the illegality of selling CBD oils that contain trace amounts of THC?

It was overkill last week when police raided Staple and Spice Market, a health-food store that has occupied the corner of St. Joseph Street and Mount Rushmore Road in different iterations since 1921.

The official Rapid City Police Department press release paints the scene:

Following an investigation into the THC content (the active and illegal chemical found in marijuana) of CBD products being sold by a local retailer, local law enforcement seized a number of these products from the business located at 601 Mount Rushmore Road.

In recent weeks, several products from the store were submitted for drug analysis by the RCPD forensic laboratory. These products returned positive results for measurable amounts of THC content. The product lines testing positive for THC were seized from the retailer by the Unified Narcotics Enforcement Taskforce on the afternoon of May 23.

And yet, as of Friday, a full eight days after the prohibition-style raid, there was still no word on the concentration of THC in the seized products, no word on whether charges will be filed. If the products tested as strong as, say, anything available in a high school parking lot, OK then. Immediate police action was needed. If, however, the products manufactured by Plus CBD Oil contained concentrations of less than 0.3 percent  as they say on the box  concentrations regarded as industrial hemp rather than marijuana under the recently approved Farm Bill, this seems much ado about very, very little.

Technically, a law may have been broken  a spitting on the sidewalk kind of crime, and possibly not even that.

Law enforcement has delivered a number of mixed signals on whether CBD oil is illegal, as well as about who may or may not be willing to prosecute violators in CBD oil cases.

As the press release noted: South Dakota law enforcement agencies have received clear communication from the South Dakota Attorney Generals Office that CBD products are illegal under state law, however, the Pennington County States Attorneys Office has made it clear they do not intend to prosecute any enforcement action taken in relation to CBD products. Rapid City Police Department staff have been advised not to take enforcement action on CBD products until this issue is resolved, however, both the Attorney General and Pennington County States Attorneys Office have upheld that products containing THC are clearly illegal under South Dakota state law.

That, taken alongside what the Farm Bill decreed, makes everything clear as mud.

We recognize confusion exists regarding CBD products, said RCPD Chief of Police Karl Jegeris in the press release. However, we have the responsibility to take enforcement action regarding illegal drug distribution in our community, including products that contain THC.

Or, how about this? Pick up a telephone and call the business owner. Issue a press release telling local businesses that police will be cracking down on products containing even trace amounts of THC, and then make a raid.

Longtime Staple and Spice store owner Carol Pugh said after the recent raid, I thought it was safe to sell.

Pugh said she did what she thought was her due diligence as a retailer of 28 years.

"I think I'm getting the shaft here," Pugh added.

She certainly didnt deserve to become the unwitting poster child for a legal ping pong match regarding CBD oils containing insignificant THC concentrations.

There was a clear law enforcement choice here between serve and protect, and serve would have been the appropriate action.

You must be logged in to react.

Click any reaction to login. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 1It was one of those events that are life changing but totally unplanned.

I was at Regional Hospital for an operation for a detached retina. The anesthesiologist was about to put me under when he noticed that my heart beat was so slow that it set off an alarm with him. He immediately stopped, unhooked me from all attachments and had my gurney rolled to an ambulance that took me to the cardiac ward.

The next thing I know I was waking up in the ICU wondering what in the world just happened.

I was later taken to the ward named Coronary Artery Bypass Graft, a ward the nurses affectionately call the Cabbage Pod.

My daughters Terri, Denise and Marie immediately came to Rapid City from California, Washington and Brookings to do what they could to help my wife, Jackie. I was still in the Cabbage Pod at Regional when Denise and Marie decided I need a comfort pet. They saw an ad in the Rapid City Journal about a farm near Custer that was giving away kittens. It seems that mama cat had been hit by a car. In a driving rainstorm they drove to Custer and retrieved a little black cat with a tuft of white hair on his chest and brought him home. They named him Cabbage Pod, which of course soon became plain old Pod.

In May of this year, Pod turned 14 years old. He is not as feisty as he used to be, but he still runs through the house like a wild cat on occasion.

We had a home in the Black Hills at the time, and we picked up our mail at one of those community mailbox stands, which in our case was located about one half mile from the house. I had been home one day, and I was pretty helpless. Jackie was in town shopping for groceries, and the girls walked down the road to pick up the mail.

So there I was all alone in an easy chair quietly resting when this little black furball attacked me. I mean I was still pretty helpless, and this little cat is going after me like crazy. Just then the girls came in and grabbed him. Denise said, Are you alright? I replied, Yes, but take that cat, put him in a gunny sack and drop him in the lake. Of course I didnt mean it, but at that moment of panic it made sense.

And so Pod has been with us for 14 years. He has turned into a lap cat. He follows Jackie and me around the house meowing until one of us sits down and lets him sit on our laps. He learned how to climb a tree when he was young, but he never learned to climb down. More than once we had to get a ladder and retrieve him from a tree. One day he was standing by the kitchen door waiting to come in, and Jackie opened the door and as he entered the kitchen he dropped a mouse on the floor. The mouse was still alive and made a dash for the stack of wood we had by the fireplace, and we never saw that mouse again. We know he was bringing that mouse as a gift to us.

The veterinarian has him listed in the files as Cabbage Pod, and when Jackie took him in for his rabies shot, the doctor said as he examined him, This cat has been taken care of very well. Jackie replied, Yes he has. Hes spoiled rotten.

And my daughters were right: Pod has certainly turned out to be a comfort animal. He has been a comfort and a joy to us as we all grow older together.

Tim Giago is the owner of Native Sun News Today. He can be contacted by emailing najournalist1@gmail.com.

You must be logged in to react.

Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0A Corvallis Middle School field trip took 20 eighth-grade students for the experience and the science of Yellowstone Park at the end of May.

Corvallis science educator Kristi Schlimgen said the trip was the sixth year in a row.

It has been valuable to show the kids the whole park, she said. We spend quite a bit of time on the geothermal features that we studied in earth science class.

The field trip group also saw three adult grizzly bears and four black bears.

One was a mom with three cubs which was very unusual, Schlimgen said. We got to see moose, coyote, red fox, egret and ground squirrel. It was probably the best year for wildlife.

The weather was cold but students had prepared for cool temperatures with hats, coats and warm shoes. They also brought swimsuits and Yellowstone Hot Springs was a favorite stop on the trip.

It just opened this spring, Schlimgen said. It was great. The whole trip was a great opportunity for students to see what we talk about in my class. It is good for the kids to see the hot pools, test the pH levels and unique geothermal features. It is a volcanic caldera and we talk about volcanoes.

For half of the students, the field trip was their first experience to see Yellowstone National Park.

It was cool to take them for their very first time, Schlimgen said.

For student Maeci Thomas the trip was successful and surprising.

It was really interesting, a lot cooler than I thought, she said. It was worth the long trip.

She said her favorite part of Yellowstone was the waterfalls and wildlife.

I learned that it is neat to bond with people that you dont think youd bond with and that you connect with people through nature and wildlife, Thomas said. This is a good way to end eighth grade as we did learn things on the trip.

Student Sydney Wolsky said she enjoyed the bus ride and seeing the valleys and farms with calves.

I really liked seeing Old Faithful and all the geysers around it, she said. We got to see Morning Glory and it was so beautiful. I saw it when I was age 2 but dont remember.

Student Bradden Gager said seeing the hot springs and the colors in Morning Glory was his favorite part.

The colors of the bacteria were very impressive to me, he said. It was eye-opening to see the thermal pots, there were so many cool colors.

Student Melaina Wissenbach said she enjoyed the wildlife and rock features.

I like how many bears and wildlife we got to see, she said. I like the rock formations and learning how they formed. The obsidian clusters were cool and all the shiny stuff on them. We had a park ranger help teach us and give us a tour. It was a fun trip and we had time to visit class mates and see cool things.

Student Aiden Reed said he like the social experience of the field trip.

We saw impressive scenery and I liked the bus ride even though it was long, he said.

CMS educator Jennifer Powell, language arts teacher and Science Olympiad advisor, attended as a chaperone and said the field trip matches the school science curriculum.

Corvallis supporters Jill Warren and Greg Shifflett donated the use of their cabin in Silver Gate for the travelers.

The trip included stops at Berkeley Pit and Museum of Mining in Butte, Gardiner Hot Springs, Mammoth Hot Springs, park headquarters and visitor center museum, a petrified tree, Lamar Valley, Tower Falls, Upper Falls, Uncle Toms Trail, Artists Point, Hayden Valley, Dragons Mouth Spring/Sulphur Caldron, Mud Volcano, LeHardy Rapids, Fishing Bridge, Nez Perce Trail, Obsidian Cliff, Yellowstone Lake, Pelican Valley, Sheepeater Tribe Overlook, Midway Geyser Basin, Lower Geyser Basin, Upper Geyser Basin, Old Faithful, Morning Glory, The Museum of U.S. National Park Ranger at Norris, Three Forks and Lewis and Clark Caverns.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 0Stevensville celebrates First Friday on June 7, roughly from 4 to 9 p.m. As always there will be plenty to see and do.

The big bash is at the North Valley Public Library with their 24th Annual Chocolate and Authors event in the Community Room at 206 Main from 4 to 7:30pm. Chat with nearly 20 published authors while indulging in luscious chocolates or healthy alternativescheeses, meats and veggies. The Library closes for regular business at 4pm to host the celebration. Raffles for great prizes will go on all evening. This fund-raiser boosts the librarys budget for so many of the programs and services we all enjoy. Come to support your local library!

Not to be outdone, the women of 306 MainLydia Rae Home Furnishings, Tiffany Photography and The Messy Apron Commercial Kitcheninvite visitors to share in Sumer Fest, since weve waited so long to even think about summer! See the latest trends in home decor. Collect some great summer recipes. Take a tour of the brand new rentable commercial kitchen. Schedule summer family photos with Tiffany.

Rivers Mist Gallery & Gifts always shows you a good time. Food, drink, art and robotshow does that grab you? New artists to meet! Representatives of Coding for Kids will share facts about the upcoming summer programs that will fascinate your children.

Lutzenhiser & Primoris Jewelry Gallery have the block on the other end of town rocking with another partymusic, food, drink, and laughter, maybe even in the outdoor courtyard! One can hope! We believe. Even after last winter, we still believeSummer will come!

From one end of town to the other, people are eating in our great restaurants, enjoying pint nights at Blacksmith and Tin Can. They are even tying flies at Burnt Fork Market! And this is just a taste! Theres even more! Look for a First Friday flyer at Valley Drug, at the grocery checkouts and in other shops around town.

Theres no way you can say theres nothing to do in a small Montana town on a First Friday. You sure cant! Stevensville is your proof.

Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0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  fifty percent 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 main stream Republicans who are looking for a political home. That is the way the world works.

Evan Barrett lives in historic Uptown Butte after retiring following 47 years at the top level of Montana economic development, government, politics and education. He is an award-winning producer of Montana history videos who continues to write columns and commentaries and occasionally teaches Montana history.

Love 2 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1Political Incorrectness Paradoxes, and Anything else out of left field.If you're feeling generous and just can't pass up the opportunity to get me a present, some suggestions are listed hereWARNING for European visitors European Union laws require you to give European Union visitors information about cookies used on your blog. In many cases, these laws also require you to obtain consent.

As a courtesy, we have added a notice on your blog to explain Google's use of certain Blogger and Google cookies, including use of Google Analytics and AdSense cookies." " The surface-to-surface Fateh 110 ballistic missile (seen here) is made in and by Iran and is thought to be one of the ballistic missiles used by Iran in the Jan. 7, 2020, attack on U.S. airbases in Iraq. Mohsen Shandiz/Corbis via Getty Images

In 2017, North Korea unexpectedly staged a test launch of what was then a new ballistic missile, the Pukguksong-2. The launch took place when Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was on a state visit to the United States. There have been many more test launches of ballistic missiles by North Korea since. Between May and October 2019, North Korea launched as many as 12 ballistic missiles or other projectiles. But they have all been just test launches.

Things got real, though, on Jan. 7, 2020, when Iran launched more than a dozen ballistic missiles at two Iraqi military bases housing U.S. troops. This was not a test launch. It was Iran's retaliation for the U.S. drone strike that killed Iran Gen. Qassem Soleimani on Jan. 3, 2020. There were no casualties and Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif defended the missile strike on the U.S. bases in Iraq, saying it was an act of "self-defense."

Advertisement

But for the non-military minded among us, these ballistic missile launches  both the constant test launches in North Korea and the intentional strikes on U.S. bases in Iraq  may raise a good question: What exactly is a ballistic missile, anyway? Is there something about the ballistic part that makes a missile even more dangerous? After all, when someone freaks out we say they've "gone ballistic."

According to the Federation of American Scientists, a ballistic missile is one that has a ballistic trajectory over most of its flight path. What that means is that once the missile burns up the fuel that propels it, the missile keeps moving, the same way that a bullet does after it's been fired out of a gun. Once the fuel is gone, the missile's direction can't be altered. It follows a path determined by the speed of its launch and the force of gravity trying to pull it back toward the Earth's surface. Eventually, gravity guides the missile  and its payload, which might be an explosive, a chemical or biological weapon, or a nuclear device  down toward its target.

Ballistic missiles are different than cruise missiles. Cruise missiles are self-propelled for the majority of their time in the air, flying in a relatively straight line and at lower altitudes thanks to a rocket propellant. Think of a ballistic missile's flight path as a large arc up and back down again, while that of a cruise missile  fired from a warship, for instance  is closer to a straight line.

Ballistic missiles first came into use during World War II, when the Germans used a ballistic missile called the V-2 to attack London. British air defenses designed to stop aircraft couldn't stop the V-2s, because the rockets traveled too high into the upper atmosphere and moved too fast.

After the war, the U.S., with the help of captured German technology and scientists, built its own arsenal of even more powerful intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) capable of unleashing nuclear destruction upon targets on the other side of the world. The Soviet Union and China built ICBMs as well, setting up a world where a nuclear war was deterred by the prospect of mutual assured destruction.

Now That's Scary The North Korean regime successfully tested intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) in July and November 2017. Its Hwasong-15 ICBM reached an altitude of 2,780 miles (4,475 kilometers) and flew about 590 miles (1,000 kilometers) before landing in the sea off the coast of Japan. Analysts estimate the Hwasong-15 has a potential range of 8,100 miles (13,000 kilometers). If it's fired on a flatter trajectory, it could reach potentially reach anywhere on the U.S. mainland.

Advertisement

Originally Published: Feb 15, 2017The popular privacy-focused email service ProtonMail has been accused of offering voluntarily real-time surveillance assistance to law enforcement.

The popular privacy-focused email service ProtonMail made the headlines because it has been accused of supporting real-time surveillance carried out by law enforcement.

On May 10, while Stephan Walder, a public prosecutor and head of the Cybercrime Competence Center in Switzerlands Canton of Zurich, was giving a presentation at an event when the Swiss lawyer Martin Steiger live-tweeted from the event that Walder incidentally mentioned ProtonMail as a service provider that voluntarily offers support to law enforcement.

Steiger said that ProtonMail offers voluntary support for real-time surveillance without requiring an order from a federal court.

Email service provider ProtonMail, based in Switzerland, offers assistance for real-time surveillance: Voluntarily! reads the post published by Stieger.

Steiger pointed out the company provided metadata and so-called secondary data that could be used by law enforcement and intelligence agencies for surveillance purposes.

Metadata or secondary data that is available must be provided. On the other hand, ProtonMail, as a provider of derived communication services, has in principle no obligation for real-time surveillance. Art. 26 para. 4 SPTA provides such obligation only for providers of telecommunications services such as Swisscom or UPC. continues the post.

There is currently no evidence that ProtonMail is a provider of derived communications services with more extensive surveillance obligations. ProtonMail would therefore not have to voluntarily provide assistance for real-time surveillance.

Steiger pointed out that ProtonMail the company is subject to Swiss local surveillance laws, but its not subject to more extensive surveillance obligations.

According to the transparency report published by the company, ProtonMail could conduct real-time surveillance for the authorities and it also mentions a current case:

In April 2019, at the request of the Swiss judiciary in a case of clear criminal conduct, we enabled IP logging against a specific user account which is engaged in illegal activities which contravene Swiss law. Pursuant to Swiss law, the user in question will also be notified and afforded the opportunity to defend against this in court before the data can be used in criminal proceedings. s.

Walder said that Steiger has misunderstood his speech, but the lawyer believes that the situation is exactly the one he described in the post.

ProtonMail denied Steigers claims and published a post to clarify that it only supports authorities when presented by an order from a Swiss court or prosecutor.

 ProtonMail does not voluntarily offer assistance as alleged. We only do so when ordered by a Swiss court or prosecutor, as we are obligated to follow the law in all criminal cases. Furthermore, ProtonMails end-to-end encryption means we cannot be forced by a court to provide unencrypted message contents. reads the blog post.

 ProtonMail cannot be used for any purposes that are illegal under Swiss law. Not only is this against our terms and conditions, we are also obligated by law to assist police investigations in criminal cases. However, the claim that we do this voluntarily is entirely false.

According to ProtonMail, Steigers interpretation of the law is different from the one taken by the Swiss authorities.

The company clarified that it does not agree with the interpretation taken by some branches of the Swiss government. Therefore, we have asked the Swiss Federal Administrative Tribunal to rule on the appropriate interpretation of the law, and we will appeal to the Swiss Supreme Court if necessary.

ProtonMail threatens to take legal action for defamation pursuant to art. 174 of the Swiss Criminal Code.



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  privacy, surveillance) NYU Center, reviewing historical state clemency grants, spotlights Massachusetts' ugly recent history | Main | New Illinois marijuana legalization legislation gives particular attention to criminal justice concerns 

The title of this post is the headline of this New Republic commentary authored by Austin Sarat. Here are excerpts:

When New Hampshire abolished the death penalty on Thursday, the reaction to the news  at least nationally  was rather muted. Here was a New England state, after all, whose machinery of death had rusted long ago. This debate has been largely symbolic, because New Hampshire has neither an active death penalty system nor any executions on the horizon, The Washington Post reported. The state has only one person on death row  and last carried out an execution in 1939....

But there is greater significance here than it seems. For starters, New Hampshire joins a growing trend. Now, since 2007, seven states have abolished capital punishment by legislative action, and three by judicial decree. (Nebraska abolished it legislatively, but voters subsequently reinstated it in a referendum.) Four other states have a moratorium in place preventing anyone from being executed. This period has been one of the most successful in the modern history of death penalty abolitionism.

And the politics of New Hampshire are not those of, say, Massachusetts.... While the state Senate and House are both controlled by Democrats, they needed votes from across the aisle to reach the two-thirds threshold to override Republican Governor Chris Sununu. There are thus important lessons from New Hampshire about how abolitionists can be successful across the country  namely, by shifting the grounds of the debate so as not to be painted as soft on crime or out of touch with mainstream American values....

Traditionally, opponents of the death penalty have responded to [soft-on-crime] arguments by claiming that even the most heinous criminals are entitled to be treated with dignity or that there is nothing that anyone can do to forfeit their right to have rights. Each of these arguments rejects the simple and appealing rationale for capital punishment: retribution. But in doing so, it puts opponents of the death penalty on the side of societys most despised and notorious criminals, of cop killers and of child murderers. It is not surprising, then, that such arguments, while popular in philosophical and political commentary, have never carried the day in the debate about capital punishment in the United States.

New Hampshire abolitionists avoided this pitfall, changing the argument in ways that can and do appeal to a broader range of citizens. They allied themselves with the plight of the families of murder victims. I am grateful to the many survivors of murder victims who bravely shared their stories with the Legislature this session, many of whom told us that the death penalty, with its requisite long legal process, only prolongs the pain and trauma of their loss, said Democratic Senator Martha Hennessey in explaining her vote to override the veto.

They also avoided the soft-on-crime label by noting that the death penalty does not make citizens safer and that it is archaic, costly, discriminatory and violent. And they enlisted conservative allies. As one New Hampshire abolitionist said, more conservatives than ever know the death penalty is a failed government program that does not value life, threatens innocent people, and wastes money.

The campaign to abolish capital punishment succeeded in New Hampshire, just as it has succeeded elsewhere, because abolitionists resisted the temptation to engage with the red meat arguments of many death penalty supporters. They appealed to American values of fairness, equal treatment, and pragmatism. In so doing, they formed a coalition of legislators, political leaders, and citizens who shared the late Supreme Court Justice Harry Blackmuns view that it is time to stop tinkering with the machinery of death.Switzerland has asked an international court to order Nigeria to release a Swiss-flagged oil tanker, its cargo and crew, that have been detained off Port Harcourt for the past 16 months.

The Swiss foreign ministry said in a statement sent to AFP that it had appealed on May 21 to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea to order Nigeria to release the San Padre Pio tanker.

"Switzerland requests that the court release the ship, including the crew and cargo, and suspend the ongoing proceedings in Nigeria," the statement said.

Nigerian authorities first intercepted the San Padre Pio in January 2018 as it was transferring diesel between ships, according to the RTS broadcaster.

The ship, which can carry nearly 5,500 tonnes of cargo, was accused of entering Nigerian waters illegally and illegal diesel trafficking -- allegations rejected by the captain who insisted he had obtained all of the necessary permits.

While most of the crew had been permitted to leave the ship, four Ukrainian officers remained stuck onboard.

"This situation is difficult for the officers concerned to bear," the foreign ministry said, adding that "the ship as well as the cargo are steadily losing their value, causing increasing damage to the companies involved."

Private companies are not the only ones taking a hit as the tanker remains docked.

According to RTS, Switzerland has guaranteed the ship to the tune of several million francs (dollars/euros), meaning that if the shipping company fails to honour its payments, Swiss taxpayers will be left holding the bill.

"The continued detention of the ship, including crew and cargo, is resulting in irreparable damage to Switzerland," the foreign ministry warned.(Corrects spelling of Shanahan in paragraph 2)

SINGAPORE, June 1 (Reuters) - The United States' actions on Taiwan and the South China Sea are hardly conducive to maintaining stability in the region, a senior Chinese military official said on Saturday, responding to comments by acting U.S. Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan.

"He (Shanahan) has been expressing inaccurate views and repeating old tunes about the issues of Taiwan and the South China Sea," Shao Yuanming, a senior official of the People's Liberation Army, told reporters after Shanahan's speech.

"This is harming regional peace and stability."

Shao added that China would defend its sovereignty at any cost should anyone try to separate Taiwan from its territory. It views the self-ruled island as a wayward province and has not ruled out the use of force to return it to the fold.

"China will have to be reunified," Shao said. "If anybody wants to separate Taiwan from China, the Chinese military will protect the country's sovereignty at all costs."

China translates the Chinese word "tong yi" as "reunification", but it can also be translated as "unification", a term in English preferred by Taiwan independence supporters who say the Communist government has never ruled the island, so it cannot be "reunified".

Earlier, Shanahan told delegates at a defence forum in Singapore that the United States would no longer "tiptoe" around Chinese behaviour in Asia, with stability in the region at threat on issues ranging from the South China Sea to Taiwan.

Shanahan did not directly name China when he spoke of "actors" destabilising the region, but went on to say the United States would not ignore Chinese behaviour.

However, Shao responded by saying it was the United States that was destabilising the region with its recent actions.

In May, a U.S. warship sailed near the disputed Scarborough Shoal claimed by China in the South China Sea, angering Beijing at a time of tension over trade between the world's two biggest economies. (Reporting by Lee Chyen Yee in Singapore)China used the Shangri-La Dialogue to reinforce its stance on sensitive security issues such as the South China Sea and Taiwan, but tight media control undermined its efforts to show openness.

The three-day forum, which ended on Sunday, was this year seen as an important platform for China to send a message as its rivalry with the United States escalates well beyond trade.

Beijing upgraded its representation at Asias biggest security forum with a delegation led by Defence Minister General Wei Fenghe  the highest-profile team China has sent to the gathering in Singapore  aiming to promote its position and seek support from neighbours.

A Chinese delegate, who declined to be named, said Weis attendance showed Beijing wanted to articulate its position to the international community at a time of heightened tensions with Washington.

On Sunday, Wei issued a stern warning to external forces that fostered the idea of independence for Taiwan and said Chinas construction of man-made islands in the South China Sea was its legitimate right.

His message was clear but tough, said Shahriman Lockman, a senior analyst with the Foreign Policy and Security Studies Programme of the Institute of Strategic and International Studies in Malaysia, adding that the international audience may not be sympathetic towards Beijings stance on Taiwan.

I didnt expect the Taiwan angle to be so pronounced  People had expected that China was going to offer reassurance to the region after an absence for so long, he said, referring to the lack of high-level Chinese representation at the forum in recent years.

Andrea Thompson, undersecretary of state for arms control and international security, said Beijing did not give sufficient answers on sensitive issues, especially those regarding arms control and cybersecurity.

But she said it was still a positive sign that China sent Wei to the forum.

The fact that he engaged with his American counterparts is a positive sign, she said. [Besides,] putting yourself in front of viewers and taking questions is no easy task.

Story continues

Analysts said the security forum was all about raising issues, improving understanding and posturing.

The Shangri-La Dialogue was never actually designed for solving problems, said Drew Thompson, a visiting senior research fellow at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore.

Its a place where all the different delegations  both government and academic  all converge at one time, at one place, to discuss [relevant security issues]  This is a venue to posture, he said.

While China used the forum to set out its position, it also had the opportunity to hear from others, according to a Chinese military official.

Lieutenant General He Lei, who has attended the forum over the past few years, said the gathering helped to give China a better understanding of international security affairs.

In the past years when [former defence secretary James] Mattis led the American delegation, we appreciated his work despite our differences  He represents the interests of the US as he too was a soldier, and I understand that, He said.

But other analysts said the forum did not have any practical results and only served to reveal the vast gulf between some of those attending.

PRC Defence Minister Wei Fenghes saying that Beijings Tiananmen Square massacre was justified also shows just how far apart the US and PRC world views are, said Sean King, a senior vice-president at political strategy firm Park Strategies.

Wei defended Beijings handling of the bloody crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in 1989, saying China had no option but to use the military to repress the student movement.

The defence ministers question-and-answer session was tightly controlled, which analysts said reflected a lack of confidence from Beijing when it came to sensitive issues. Of the nearly 20 people who asked Wei questions in the session that followed his speech, none represented American institutions.

During the session, John Chipman, director general of the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) which co-organises the forum with Singapore, repeatedly said as we have negotiated when selecting non-American reporters to ask questions.

That was a sharp contrast to Acting US Secretary of Defence Patrick Shanahans session on Saturday, when Major General Xu Hui, dean of the College of Defence Studies at the PLAs National Defence University, was able to ask him a question.

A person familiar with the situation said Beijing and the IISS had negotiated over the management of Weis session, and questions had been presented to Wei in batches before he answered them.

The Chinese negotiated very hard for that format, the person said.

Tight media control at home also thwarted attempts to show openness to the world, with domestic media advised not to run any coverage extensively focusing on Shanahans speech, according to a number of Chinese reporters at the event.

Managing Chinas participation at the forum would continue to be a challenge for the organisers in the future, according to analysts.

You want substantive engagement when China does not, Drew Thompson said. What compromises do you make to gain access, and high-level participation, would be a key question to the organisers in the future.

Additional reporting by Minnie Chan

More from South China Morning Post:

This article China sends message at Shangri-La Dialogue amid tight media control first appeared on South China Morning Post

For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2019.Foreign employees of US energy major ExxonMobil will return to work near Iraq's border with Iran Sunday, the oil ministry said, two weeks after being evacuated over tensions between Washington and Tehran. "ExxonMobil accepted that the 83 employees evacuated will resume their posts from Sunday," spokesman Assem Jihad told AFP. He said Iraqi authorities, which had slammed the decision to pull out the workers from the West Qurna oil field as political, have taken "the necessary security measures for their return". ExxonMobil pulled out its expatriate employees from the southern oil field after the US ordered non-essential personnel to quit its diplomatic missions in the country on May 15. Washington cited an "imminent" threat from Tehran-linked armed groups in Iraq as tensions fuelled by US President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal spiked. It came 10 days after the Pentagon deployed an aircraft carrier task force and B-52 bombers to the Gulf to fend off an unspecified alleged plot by Tehran to attack US forces or allies. Oil ministry spokesman Jihad insisted that the absence of the foreign workers had not affected production as the bulk of the workforce is Iraqi.Screenshot of former PM Datuk Seri Najib Razak and Jho Low as seen on the Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj on Netflix as Minhaj discusses the 1MDB scandal and sovereign wealth funds.

KUALA LUMPUR, June 3  Goldman Sachs used its reputation to exploit sovereign wealth funds like 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) and to lend a veneer of legitimacy, a US comedian said.

Hasan Minhaj described how the US investment bank was similar to leafy circles accolades attributed on movie posters, where one usually doesnt read them but trusts them when one sees it.

Whether you like them or not, Goldman is synonymous with money, success and money again.

Goldman helped 1MDB appear more legit than they actually were, he said on his weekly show, Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj, on Netflix.

Minhaj had earlier posed a question to the audience as to how fugitive Malaysian financier Jho Low  whom he described as the kid from Up, referencing the Asian child protagonist from the Pixar animation  and former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak could have pulled the financial scheme off.

He was this 27-year-old Malaysian financier, this gulab jamun with glasses got connected with Malaysias prime minister Najib Razak. Look at this, he somehow convinced the PM of the country to set up a sovereign wealth fund, Minhaj said when introducing Low.

He also explained how sovereign wealth funds were giant pools of money owned and managed by a state that usually depended on a single resource, like petroleum, as a safety net for the economy in the event the oil trade collapsed.

Minhaj said in 2012, former Goldman bankers Roger Ng and Tim Leissner started helping 1MDB raise money from investors who were told that their money would help pay for power plants in order to help the sovereign wealth fund grow its money.

The only problem was 1MDB had no credit rating, which made it harder to convince people to invest.

So, to make their power plant deals looked better, Goldman used their credibility and paired 1MDB up with Abu Dhabis sovereign wealth fund International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC) which had 70 billion in assets and solid credit, he said, adding that investors then saw the package and subsequently bought in.

Story continues

He then pointed out that over the next few years, Goldman raised US$6.5 billion for 1MDB but instead of going into power plants, Low allegedly siphoned off US$1.4 billion into a shell company. Goldman walked away with US$600 million in fees and revenues.

Jho Low claimed 1MDB was supposed to help Malaysia build infrastructure and increase development and investors bought his sales pitch, Minhaj added.

A video footage of Low during his speech made at the Jynwel Charitable Foundation Limited in 2014 as director was shown to the audience on Minhajs show.

Lets all think big. Lets all be bold and lets really think about our place in this world and work together to create the world we truly want to live in, Low was heard saying.

Shortly after, the video cued to Low in a fedora partying with US hotel heiress Paris Hilton and several others in an unidentified location after he exclaimed, Bring out a 100 bottles of Cristal (champagne) for everyone!.

Minhaj then took a jab at Najib, following the former Barisan Nasional (BN) leaders alleged attempt to cover up the 1MDB scandal and his subsequent arrests by the authorities to face criminal charges.

He cracked down on protesters, he fired officials investigating him and he even threw a concert with Psy to rally support for his political party BN. He insisted he was being framed.

So he did what every wrongly accused man does to clear his name  he makes his own version of We are the World, Minhaj said, before claiming the song was so bad it created more world hunger.

Najib had in January 2019 recorded a version of the 1970s hit soul ballad by The Manhattans, Kiss and Say Goodbye, translating the lyrics into Malay and adapting them in a bid to redeem his reputation among Malaysians.

In it, he laments losing the election in May, mocks the new Pakatan Harapan government, and professes his innocence over the corruption charges against him, claiming he has been the victim of an agenda of revenge and slander.

Despite a US Justice Department probe and the Malaysian government accusing Goldman of helping 1MDB steal billions of dollars from the country, Minhaj said Goldman has never once pleaded guilty in 150 years.

Which is shocking when you look at all the shady shit theyve been accused of, price manipulation, insider trading, gender discrimination, securities fraud, and those are just the name of their conference rooms, he said.

He said for example, Goldman allegedly took advantage of Libyas lack of financial sophistication to draw it into losing trades after the country set up a US$67 billion sovereign wealth fund in 2006.

Libya then filed a US$1.2 billion suit against Goldman to recoup funds claimed to have been lost through nine disputed trades conducted in 2008, but the court ruled in favour of the bank after the suit was thrown out.

No question their expertise helped them profit from Libyas ignorance and those tactics seemed to be part of Goldmans overall culture and strategy, Minhaj said.

While saying how sovereign wealth funds were not inherently bad, Minhaj said the lack of transparency and little oversight made it ripe for abuse, especially in autocratic governments or if they were in the wrong hands.

No matter whos running them, they want to make their pool of money bigger and thats why they need investment banks like Goldman.

Thats why the criminal case against Goldman is so important. It could help set precedents about how much we scrutinise these vast pools of money with little to no regulation. Until that changes, there are going to be more 1MDBs and Jho Lows, he said.

Related Articles Kadir Jasin: Rumours could hurt efforts to capture Jho Low KPN nafi mesej tular Jho Low ditahan IGP denies Jho Low arrested, says viral message incorrectSuffian highlighted the popular local favourite, the 'apam balik.'  Picture via Instagram/iamod_

KUALA LUMPUR, June 2  Vertical videos were once the mark of the amateur, made by people who had no idea they could take phone videos with both hands.

Who knew vertical videos would now be a thing with even Jennifer Lopez making vertical YouTube music clips?

It was inevitable the vertical video trend would make it to Malaysia and here are some fine examples of Malaysian Instagrammers celebrating the joys of Ramadan bazaars with some vertical video flair.

'Apam balik' goodness

Instagram shooter Sufian Ghaffar took a video of one of Malaysia's most beloved street snacks: The apam balik.

His favourite Insta-tactic with the iPhone XS and iPhone XR is using the phones' wide angles for good wide open shots while using the Portrait mode for that always-in-style bokeh effect.

For the video, he uses both slow-motion and time lapse effects depending on whether he wants to capture the energy of bazaar crowds or, for stalls, capturing the little details of food preparation.

Suffian's best tip, however, is to just get as close as you can to your subject. He also recommends the VUE app to crop movies that aren't already in vertical format into that perfect one-handed video look.

You can follow him on Instagram here.

Raya stall aesthetics

Not everyone is into video, though. Sometimes it's about that Instagram mainstay  the flat lay.

Even with the chaos and bustle of the standard Ramadan bazaar, with a little patience, you can get stunning results. Just ask Aazmeer Iskandar.

His shooter of choice is the iPhone XR and he took one to a bazaar in Terengganu where he met Anas Manas Malik Nasrullah Zulkepli, manager of Al Muttaqin.

Aazmeer's also a fan of Portrait mode, showing the polished results to the stall owner who was just as impressed by the photos of him and his stall.

As for apps, he says that too many apps reduce the quality of your shots  so best to be extra careful which you choose.

Aazmeer's Ramadan bazaar portraits are testament to what you can achieve with a good eye and patience.  Picture via Instagram/aazmeeriskndr

He prefers Lightroom mobile, a standard photographer pick or sometimes use the tools already built into Instagram.

Story continues

His tips for anyone wanting to improve their #shotoniPhone (or shot on anything, really) game is to use different and unsual angles.

Its a really fun thing to play with angles as long as you still keep in mind rules of thirds and you might surprise yourself as well, he said.

You can look up his Instagram portraits here.

Here's to Instagram inspiration for your upcoming Hari Raya photos!Datuk Liew Vui Keong greets attendees at a Hari Raya event in Batu Sapi, Sabah, on June 2, 2019.  Picture courtesy of Liew's office

KUALA LUMPUR, June 2  Datuk Seri Yong Teck Lees lawsuit challenging the legality of a proposed royal commission of inquiry (RCI) on judicial misconduct was the reason this has not been convened, Datuk Liew Vui Keong asserted today.

The minister in the Prime Ministers Department in charge of legal affairs made the comments during a Hari Raya event in Batu Sapi, Sabah, today.

Liew explained that the former Sabah chief ministers lawsuit meant the government must allow the law to take its course before proceeding with the RCI.

Yong filed his lawsuit in April to challenge the constitutionality of the proposed RCI on grounds that it would amount to executive interference in the affairs of the judiciary.

However, the minister assured the public today that related investigations by the police and Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission into the same matter will not be disrupted.

On calls for a second RCI to convened on the issue of illegal immigrants in Sabah, Liew said this would be redundant unless there were new developments.

The government announced plans to convene a RCI to investigate allegations of judicial interference and judicial misconduct, prompted by Court of Appeal Judge Datuk Hamid Sultan Abu Backers claims.

Related Articles Suaram urges govt to help secure release of man jailed for 19 years under drug charge Minister Liew denies interfering with Singapore case of death row Malaysian Law minister: Stay of execution for Malaysian on death row in Singapore only temporary reprieveThe mastermind behind a would-be "gladiator school" for populists set up in a 13th-century Italian monastery vowed Saturday to fight Italy's culture ministry in court over attempts to evict it. The ministry said Friday it had begun proceedings to oust the school from the sprawling Certosa di Trisulti former monastery near Rome in a blow to former Trump White House adviser Steve Bannon who pledged to help finance the project. Students from across the globe had been readying to learn how to "defend the West" at the far-right political boot camp run by the Dignitatis Humanae Institute (DHI), founded by Benjamin Harnwell, Trump's close associate in Europe. "While the ministry has announced it is initiating proceedings to revoke the lease, the DHI will contest this illegitimate manoeuvre with every resource at its disposal no matter how many years it takes," Harnwell told AFP Saturday. "And we will win," he said. The ministry said it had been advised by the state's attorney general there were "all the necessary conditions" for eviction. Under the previous government, the ministry had awarded custody of the site to the institute for 19 years in February 2018. But the institute did not have the statutory status, or required experience in managing a historical site, to participate in the government tender, and had not been paying for the site's upkeep since moving in, the ministry now claims. "I hate those who cheat to get an advantage over others," Culture Minister Alberto Bonisoli said Friday, adding that the institute had "got one better over those who had the necessary requisites to be awarded the concession in their place". - 'Fight in court' - Harnwell had been preparing to renovate parts of the former monastery, with its frescoed ceilings, Baroque chapel, library, and 18th-century pharmacy, where the monks brewed medicines from herbs gathered in the surrounding woods. He had hoped to offer a small number of students the first three-week course later this year, and had been in the process of getting planning permission to put bathrooms in the monk cells, redo the sewer system and install Internet access. More than 1,000 people already expressed an interest, some 80 percent from the English-speaking world, Harnwell said. Bannon, who since being ousted from the White House spends his days fomenting right-wing populism in Europe, had pledged $1 million to the project. He appears to be the only benefactor to have stumped up funds so far. Italy is ruled by an uneasy alliance of the anti-establishment Five Star Movement (M5S) and the far-right League, whose leader Matteo Salvini has been supported by Bannon. The culture minister is a M5S posting: When an investigation into the tender was announced in May, Harnwell said the school was caught in a political crossfire between the endlessly bickering parties. "The culture ministry might be prepared to surrender to every whim of the extreme left -- the DHI will never do so," Harnwell said Saturday. The school "will proceed as planned this Autumn, and in the meantime, we relish the opportunity to fight our case in court".By Idrees Ali

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - The United States will no longer "tiptoe" around Chinese behaviour in Asia, with stability in the region threatened on issues ranging from the South China Sea to Taiwan, acting U.S. Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan said on Saturday.

Shanahan did not directly name China when making accusations of "actors" destabilising the region, but went on to say the United States would not ignore Chinese behaviour, the latest in the exchange of acerbic remarks between the world's two biggest economies. He added, however, he was keen to foster a military relationship with Beijing.

"Perhaps the greatest long-term threat to the vital interests of states across this region comes from actors who seek to undermine, rather than uphold, the rules-based international order," Shanahan said at the annual Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Asia's biggest security gathering.

"If the trends in these behaviours continue, artificial features in the global commons could become tollbooths, sovereignty could become the purview of the powerful."

Shanahan's first major speech since taking over as acting defence secretary in January came as the United States and China remain locked in an escalating trade war and at odds over a range of security issues in Asia.

His reference to artificial features was a swipe at islands built by China in the disputed South China Sea, a strategic waterway claimed almost wholly by Beijing.

"We're not going to ignore Chinese behaviour and I think in the past people have kind of tiptoed around that," Shanahan said later in answer to a question.

A senior Chinese military official responded to Shanahan's comments by saying that the United States' actions on Taiwan and the South China Sea were hardly conducive to maintaining stability in the region.

Shanahan said it was in Beijing's interests to have a constructive relationship with the United States.

Story continues

But he added: "Behaviour that erodes other nations' sovereignty and sows distrust of China's intentions must end."

"Until it does, we stand against a myopic, narrow, and parochial vision of the future, and we stand for the free and open order that has benefited us all - including China."

U.S. lawmakers said Shanahan's speech was impressive.

"I was very impressed and I certainly am looking much more positively on potentially voting for him when his confirmation happens," Democratic Senator Tammy Duckworth told reporters.

The White House said last month that it plans to nominate Shanahan as defence secretary, a job he has been doing in an acting capacity since January, the longest in Pentagon history. His nomination, if and when it comes, will have to be confirmed by the Senate.

"The way he laid out the facts and the United States' position in a firm way, but very upfront, impressed me tremendously," Duckworth added.

Senator Angus King, a political independent from Maine and on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said Shanahan had "distinguished" himself and was hopeful the confirmation hearing would take place within about a month.

TRADE WAR

Shanahan said that he did not see the current trade dispute between China and the United States as a trade war, but rather just part of trade negotiations.

An increase in Chinese tariffs on most U.S. imports on a $60 billion target list took effect as planned on Saturday, after Washington's own tariff increases.

Shanahan also became the latest senior U.S. official to call out Chinese telecoms giant Huawei, saying in his speech that it was too close to the Chinese government.

The United States has accused Huawei of espionage, breaching trade sanctions against Iran and intellectual property theft. Huawei disputes all allegations.

China's Defence Minister Wei Fenghe is due to address Asia's marquee security summit on Sunday when he is expected to criticise the United States over its implied support for a democratic Taiwan.

On Friday, Shanahan held talks with Wei that both sides called "constructive", although their teams later reverted to type with critical comments on each other's defence strategies.

Along with the expected warnings aimed at China, Shanahan referred to cooperation between the two countries in areas like military-to-military exchanges, counter-piracy and joint efforts to reduce the "extraordinary threat" posed by North Korea's military ambitions.

"I am confident that we'll solve problems," Shanahan said.

Shanahan also called on U.S. allies to contribute more to their own defence. Burden-sharing, from Asia to Europe, has long been a demand of President Donald Trump's administration.

"We need you to invest in ways that take more control over your sovereignty and your own ability to exercise sovereign choices."

(Reporting by Idrees Ali; additional reporting by Joe Brock, Lee Chyen Yee and Aradhana Aravindan; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan and Alex Richardson)Header image credit: Isaac del Toro (@isaacmdt) on Unsplash.

We have till 2030 to get our act together, or were screwed.

This was the conclusion of the 2018 report released by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). If you havent already heard, it outlines the terrifying consequences of failing to act swiftly to mitigate climate change.

If we dont fix things by 2030, we will almost certainly be on a one-way course to annihilation. Moreover, the report was based on the best case scenario. Feedback loops, like methane released by melting ice caps, or burning forests that act like stores of coal, will both accelerate the crisis and amplify its impact.

As an island city-state with no natural resources of its own, nearly entirely reliant on imports for our electricity, water, and food, Singapore has more to lose than most from the climate crisis. Despite this, our response so far has been minimal. We still regard climate change as some abstract, far-off problem, rather than an immediate existential threat. We dont know how to deal with problems, or dont care to deal with them, if we cant see their concrete implications in the present.

But reading the IPCC report, and the storm of press around it, made the crisis real for me in a practical, and deeply personal, way: given whats coming, should I be having kids?

There are two reasons why someone concerned about the planet might consider this.

The first is that not having a child is the most significant way of reducing your carbon footprint. A 2017 study found that having one fewer child reduces a parents annual carbon dioxide output by 58 tonnes per yearover 24 times more than the next most effective measure, going car-free.

The second reason, and the one Im more personally inclined to, is that it seems like the ethical choice to make. Looking at the status quo, I doubt my children will inherit a planet that can support their existence, or any sort of life worth living.

Story continues

Like most of Rices readers, Im a millennial. This means my children, should I have any, will be adults during the second half of this century, when the worst ravages of the climate crisis will be in full swing.

Extreme temperature rises, triggering heatwaves that would render huge swathes of the planet unliveable. (In Singapore, these are forecast at anywhere between 1.44.6C by 2100.) Melting ice caps that send sea levels rising (in Singapore, by up to 1 metre) and devastate coastal cities. Drought and water scarcity, as the worlds freshwater supplies dry up and groundwater deposits are drained into oblivion. (Remember how most of our water supply is imported?) Famine and food shortages, as rising temperatures decimate crop yields. (Remember how virtually our entire food supply is, too?)

Instability. Economic collapse. Poverty. Chaos. War.

The outlook is dire, and all the more so given our current apathy. But even if Im wrong, and we manage to slow the collision course were on, itll probably be too late for me to have kids by then.

For those of us not already parents, or still undecided about kids, biology means we dont have the luxury of time to wait and see. The ten-year period we have to do major damage-controlif we even manage this at allis roughly the same amount of time before our fertility windows close.

At this stage, I want to make clear that having children (or not having them) is a personal choice, one which nobody should be lauded or criticised for making. This piece isnt about discouraging people from having children, nor judging anyone already a parent.

But the climate crisis is prompting a handful of young Singporeans to reconsider having kids. One of them is Yuxuan, who manages Back To Ground Zero, a local environmental group.

Im not absolutely certain, but leaning towards a big NO, she said. As a self-proclaimed environmentalist, I think the best contribution I can make towards the Earth is to not have a child that would contribute to ripple effects of environmental consequences with their every action, even just by breathing.

Additionally, our planet is facing a crisis that will render it unlivable in the future. I hope not to bring a child into the world, only for he/she to suffer from the extreme climate, limited land space, and no opportunity to enjoy the beautiful landscapes and diversity of wildlife.

Meanwhile, Isabel, a teacher, is one of the decided few.

Underestimation is a very real human flaw, because what we cannot see or feel we dont understand, and what we cannot understand we are given to dismissing, she told me.

Over time, it gradually became clear to me that ethically, it would not do to bring a child into a world that cannot promise it a future, no matter how much money or love you shower on it in your lifetime.

Ill be the first to admit that this is a curiously extreme position, not least because I havent adopted other, less drastic, methods of reducing my environmental impact.

I carry a reusable water bottle and almost never take plastic bags with purchases, but thats about it. Despite having had it on my to-do list for ages, I havent started carrying tupperware or reusable cutlery with me. I sleep with air-conditioning, buy cai fan that comes in a styrofoam box, wear clothes bought from fast-fashion outlets. and use cosmetics that come wrapped in layers of packaging.

There are so many less drastic steps I could take, but havent.

Part of this is my own shameful lack of willpower. But at risk of sounding like Im making excuses, part of me wonders how much difference anything I do will make.

Its not that individual actions arent important; its that it feels like they will never be enough to mitigate the damage. Not without concomitant economic, industrial, and policy overhaul of the kind we seem nowhere close to achieving. And not without a 180-degree attitudinal shift away from our quick-fix, throwaway culture, even though we face no penalties for succumbing or incentives to change.

I do not think there is an acceptable amount of time left for green education to take effect, said Yuxuan.

Although I personally remain hopeful and positive, and the eco-movement is gaining traction, there is only so much individual action can achieve. For example, just 100 companies are responsible for 71% of greenhouse gas emissions. If they were willing to change, think of the difference that would make.

Isabel described how cultural disincentives hindered several of her and her friends attempts to go green. For example, they were rejected when they brought their own cups to bubble tea outlets, or scolded by hawkers for bringing their own tupperware. Meanwhile, many establishments still freely hand out disposable cutlery, even though they have seated areas for dining in.

Its tiring to fight against forces that are bigger than you, she said. Its the idea that you can swiftly and easily clean up by throwing stuff away, rather than needing to stand at the sink and wash up. Or that you want the freedom to make a snap decision to buy a takeaway lunch on the spot. For every con you raise, I can easily find 3 reasons to justify throwaway culture.

So after a while, I gave up, she continued. I feel Im sufficiently informed of the dire consequences of climate change and global warming and rising sea levels and so on, but to put it bluntly, I cant be fucked to do something about it.

Not when the worlds biggest corporations and leading economies refuse to do their part. Not when our government is urging us to slow down the rate at which Pulau Semakau is being filled, whilst structurally still encouraging such deeply entrenched practices.

I dont disagree with Isabel. In fact, I hear my own hypocrisy and frustration echoed in her words. The thing is, as David Wallace-Wells points out in The Uninhabitable Earth, blaming industrial capitalism does not name a villain, or at least one which we can slay and save the planet in a single stroke. It names a toxic investment vehicle which most of the world, you and I included, has bought into.

Extricating ourselves from this wreck means giving up a way of life that isnt only familiar, but that we quite enjoy. It means butting heads with our optimism bias and our weakness for convenience and our breathtaking capacity for making excuses.

We are all complicit in this mess, and responsible for figuring out how to clean it up. But in the event that we cant, I couldnt bear for my child to suffer for it.

If youre thinking that this argument is full of holes, or less logical than emotional, I wouldnt disagree. There are many qualms I havent been able to reconcile.

First is the fatalism this view seems premised on. Having children is fundamentally an act of hope; to believe, above all else, in love, and the resilience of the human race, and our willpower in facing down the oddsto do, and be, better than we think we can. To decide not to have them feels, in an indefinable but devastating way, like giving up; to accept that nothing is going to save us from our own pigheadedness.

Naked pessimism is not necessarily problematic, but it becomes harder to justify when its unproductive. If your house is on fire, you dont just stand by and let it burn. No problem in human history was ever solved by letting it happen. (Though isnt that exactly what were doing now?)

The best I can say is that the options arent mutually exclusive. Deciding not to have children is not incompatible with taking action to fight climate change in the present. You can take steps to save your house while evacuating the neighbours. The morality of bringing a child into an inhospitable Earth is quite separate from whether it is a constructive choice to make, all other alternatives considered.

Third, much as this will probably never become a mainstream viewnot to mention that birth restriction becomes draconian and arguably immoral, when mandated as policyif more young Singaporeans felt similarly, the consequences of this would be severe. (It would also be ironic, given how we were just named the best country in the world for kids.) Much as having children is not a national obligation, our ageing population, impending silver tsunami, low population replacement rate, and reliance on human capital mean we really cant afford to find more reasons to not have them.

But isnt that what youre suggesting?, some might argue. Youd rather let the human race die out, than give birth to the people who could have the ingenuityor add the necessary political pressureto fix things?

In my view, this is just as cynical: it treats children as a means to an end.

Im not qualified to say what a legitimate reason for having kids is, but I do feel certain about this: you shouldnt have them in the hope that theyll fix your problems for you.

I feel pressure from familial and societal expectations, my own maternal desires, and anticipating the possibility of elderly loneliness in the future, agreed Isabel.

But in the bigger picture, I think I can bear this out with a much clearer conscience than if I were to have a child who must suffer, only because I once made a decision to bow to external pressures.

And what if none of this comes to pass?

History is full of failed warnings from doomsday prophets. In the 1800s, Thomas Malthus, an English economist, predicted that overpopulation would result in food shortages and famines, to the derision of Western Europe. In 1968, Paul Ehrlich, a German scientist, revived Malthus warnings, having failed to foresee the technological advances which would intensify agricultural productivity. (And of course, there was a time when people said that Singapore wouldnt make it  but we did.)

Moreover, people have been having children in unfavourable circumstances for as long as the human race has existed, through poverty, plagues, war, and infinite kinds of hardship. No parent is ever certain their childs life will turn out happily. To have a child is a gamble; an act, in some ways, of hubris as much as hope.

When I think of my parents, bright-eyed and newly married in October 1988, I cant imagine they felt sure my life would be prosperous. How could they guarantee this? But they must have had a certain baseline confidence, not just in their ability to raise me, but that things would be okay, as they often turn out to be. That the world, however difficult and unkind it might be at times, would never actually be hostile to my existence.

Unlike my parents, I dont even have that confidence.

Its not about whether Im secure in my ability to provide for a family or to be a good mother. Its that I think the world my children will be born into will be unrecognisable from the one we live in now, and nothing I could do, no amount of love or money or sacrifice, will be enough to protect them.

I would be relieveddelighted, evento have to eat my words one day. But right now, looking at the evidence, and the likelihood that we will act in time, it seems safer to shelve my dreams of motherhood.

Perhaps this is easier for me to contemplate because my feelings about motherhood have always been murky. Children have never been a must for me, and I wouldnt regard my life as incomplete without them.

But because of my ambivalence, Ive always known that if I ever have them, itd be because they were fiercely, unequivocally wanted. I would love my children more deeply and more ferociously than anything, ever, always.

But love isnt enough. I cannot protect my children from the future. I cannot promise them the Earth.

For this reason, and though my heart aches to type this, I probably wont be having any. And we have to act now, right now, to save ourselves, and do right by children already living.

Has the climate crisis changed your feelings about parenthood? Let us know at community@ricemedia.co.

The post The Climate Crisis Is Real, And I Dont Want Kids Because Of It appeared first on RICE.JACKSON, Neb. -- A day ahead of the anticipated Environmental Protection Agency announcement that fuel blended with 15 percent ethanol can be sold year-round, the leader of an ethanol trade association paid a visit to Siouxland Ethanol to discuss the news.

Emily Skor, CEO of Washington, D.C.-based Growth Energy, said the process of getting year-round E-15 approved has been faster than usual. President Donald Trump announced the new policy at a White House event and during a campaign rally in October in Council Bluffs.

"It's actually been a pretty compressed time period, because this has to go through the agency rulemaking process," Skor said.

Under rules imposed by a 1990 amendment to the Clean Air Act, E-15 could not be sold from June 1 to Sept. 15. When that rule was originally passed, few gas stations offered ethanol blends higher than 10 percent.

E-15 rule change gives boost to Siouxland ethanol producers, corn growers JACKSON, Neb. -- Ethanol producers and backers in Siouxland are jubilant about President Donald Trump's plans to allow year-round sales of gas

"At that time, a fuel with 15 percent blend didn't exist, so this really is simply the regulation catching up with the marketplace," Skor said.

Ethanol advocates have been fighting for year-round E-15 availability since the EPA in 2011 approved the use of E15 in vehicles made after 2001. But federal guidelines banned the sale of blends with more than 10 percent ethanol in the summer months.

The rules were put in place as an anti-pollution measure because of concerns that ethanol exacerbates smog issues, especially on very hot days. The ethanol industry says those claims are unfounded, and that ethanol is cleaner-burning than gasoline. Skor attributed the years-long approval process to political opposition, particularly from the petroleum industry.

Skor cited industry figures suggesting that year-round sale of E-15 could mean an additional billion gallons of ethanol demand over a five-year period. Currently the U.S. ethanol industry has an estimated 16-plus billion gallon-per-year capacity.

It's not clear how soon gas stations, large chains and mom-and-pop shops alike, will begin to offer E-15 all year.

Skor, along with Pam Miller, board chair and director of industry and investor relations for the Siouxland Ethanol, said gas stations that already offer E-15 will continue to offer the fuel year round, but now they won't have to jockey between E-15 and other blends in the summer.

"Initially what you'll see is, all the retailers who are offering E-15 now, will continue, it's just they don't have to disrupt that offering in the summer," Skor said.

The hope is that retailers who've shied away from E-15 in the past will be brought into the fold. E-15 blends can be five to 10 cents cheaper than competing blends, which both Miller and Skor painted as a win for drivers.

"It has to make sense for them, and we have to show them that there's an economic benefit for them to offer this to their consumers," Miller said.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0

The business news you need Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.SIOUX CITY -- Sunrise Retirement Community welcomes Patrick Cross to its board of directors. Dr. Cross is a tenured, full professor of physical therapy at Briar Cliff University, as well as the Founding DPT program director.

He has been at Briar Cliff University as a core faculty member since August 2013. In 2011, Dr. Cross was the first physical therapist in the nation to complete a fellowship with the National Rural Health Association in Washington, D.C., focusing on rural health, advocacy, and leadership.

Cross has served in leadership roles on numerous advisory boards and committees for various professional, higher education and community organizations.

Copyright 2019 The Sioux City Journal. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0SIOUX CITY  When Alicia Hummel would go fishing, she did so with the rod sticking through the sun roof of her grey Ford Fusion as she drove. She never took the time to collapse her rod. After all, she was always in a hurry to live the next moment, to do something spontaneous.

Most of the time, Alicia wanted to be with others. She loved the thrill of companionship, of nights out with friends for hot dates, as shed call them  only one drink, something fruity. Or traveling miles and miles to sit with a friend as she got a perm  her first since grade school, something of a big deal.

But there were other times, in the quiet moments when Alicia was scared of how her life would unfold. She would sit in a reclining chair, away from the world besides her most trusted friends and not say a word.

Sometimes in those moments, Alicia would go fishing to find peace of mind. Thats what Amanda Abraham hopes her friend was doing the day Alicia was murdered four years ago Saturday.

Gone fishing



Alicia Hummel's last day on Earth was her first day of vacation from her job at Siouxland Family Center in Dakota City, where she taught Early Head Start classes. She worked with children, something her friends recall as her passion in life.

It was the beginning of summer. She was going fishing.

The previous weekend was something special for the Abraham family, a family Alicia felt a part of, Amanda said. Each year, on the last weekend of May, the Abraham family would meet in Minnesota to fish and be with one another.

It was a moment that Alicia wanted to be a part of. But there wasn't another seat in the car for her, a painful fact that sticks in Amanda's mind.

"You just feel like if you would have done something differently, or been there with her," Amanda said. "There's always those 'what-ifs?'"

Still, Alicia was determined to go fishing, so she did.

In the early afternoon of June 1, 2015, she drove from her Sioux City home northwest to Myron Grove, a remote recreational area along the Missouri River in rural Clay County, South Dakota. She went there to fish, presumably driving with her rod sticking out the sun roof.

Want to go fishing? Angel Abraham, Amanda's 21-year-old daughter, remembers Alicia messaging her.

Ill come out later, Angel responded.

Angel waited for a reply, an acknowledgement that Alicia knew Angel would come. But another message never came.

That was the final communication Angel had with Alicia, who she saw as an older sister. Angel believes it may have been one of the final conversations Alicia had with anyone before she died.

A state boat ramp attendant found Alicia in the water near the shore about 2 p.m.

According to Angel, Alicia decided to go fishing without her and possibly meet up later. To Angel and Amanda, that was a normal thing for Alicia to do.

Now, Angel wonders if she had set aside what she was doing and had gone fishing with Alicia if things would have been different.

She was at peace with everything, she was ready to move on, said Amanda, who had helped Alicia through some of the hardest moments in her life, citing a pending divorce. She was finally on the path to find her own happiness after everything that she had just went through. And then that was just taken away from her. I mean, she didnt really get to fulfill any of it.

It is unclear whether or not Alicia was alone that day at Myron Grove. Several photographs exist of her time there, social media updates and pictures that she sent to friends.

Friends like Bethany Svacina, who had known her since their days in kindergarten together, remember Alicia fondly for her constant picture taking. Many friends, including Amanda and Angel, received Snapchat photos and text messages from Alicia that day at Myron Grove.

Alicias messages revealed that there were others at the river access the day she was murdered, but that is something Clay County Sheriff Andy Howe doesnt find unusual. What he finds unusual is the silence surrounding those that may have been there.

Not one person has come forward to us to tell us they were there, Howe said. But yet traffic goes in and out of there all the time ... We havent spoken to anyone that day that was on the river that passed by that area that might have seen anything that could help us.

Regardless, after four years, no one has come forward to say they were present at Myron Grove that day.

An open case



In Vermillion, which is about 11 miles from Myron Grove, cases like Hummels stick in the minds of its residents. Each day, when Howe enters the office, he remembers Alicia when he sees the flyer with her face on it.

Its one I think about every day, Howe said.

An autopsy showed she died of drowning in the Missouri after receiving blunt force trauma to her head and an incised wound on her neck. Howe said that any murder weapon was never found.

At the funeral, Amanda Abraham remembered the high collar Alicia was dressed in and the long sleeves that covered up the bruising on her hands and arms. She believes Alicia fought back that day at Myron Grove, a thought that haunts her to this day.

In the beginning, law enforcements primary lead was a dark-colored vehicle believed to have been in the area that day. Now, Howe and the others are looking for new clues. He said they are still sending evidence to the forensics laboratory, hoping something will point them in the right direction.

I always think that today could be the day. That the phone rings and we get a break, Howe said. Im optimistic that that day will come. You just never know when its going to be.

Howe said that several suspects are still being investigated in the case, though he did not identify any of them.

Beyond that, Howe said, any evidence or other information law enforcement has is being kept under wraps in hopes of finding the murderer and successfully prosecuting them.

But for those that knew her and loved her, like Jody Hanson, the last four years have been defined by anger. Hanson said that she wants justice for her friend, and with each year, she said it gets harder.

Life beyond Alicia



Its a Wednesday in Elk Point, South Dakota, as the early summer rain pitter-patters against Bethany Svacinas parents' driveway. Her two children play on the carpet with building blocks, Matchbox cars and bouncy balls as she remembers her friend who has been gone for four years.

I think lives change and theres part of me that thinks, Oh yeah, that is almost a separate life than where we are now, Svacina said. But then I think we (Alicia and I) have had those talks. We talked about having kids ... But yeah, life has dramatically changed.

In the weeks, months and years since Alicia was buried at Memorial Park Cemetery in Sioux City, weddings and life moments have taken place. Dejay Langel is married. Svacina has two children. Alicia's sister, Erica Kampfe, has another child on the way.

Sometimes, when Kampfe drives around Sioux City with her son in the car, he'll point to any random cemetery and say, 'We should go see Alicia.' To Kampfe, those moments let her know that Alicia is still with her, still a part of her life.

Thats her trying to come in to say, 'I'm still here,'" Kampfe said.

To Langel, a new kind of pain set in after his wedding. Years ago, he danced with Alicia at her own wedding. After June 1, 2015, she couldnt dance with him at his.

Its important that people dont forget who she was, Svacina said. She wasnt just somebody off the street ... She was a 29-year old female, was a great friend and a great aunt ... What happened to her should not define her. That shouldnt be what people remember, the brutality of her murder. What people should remember is how awesome she was as an individual and what she offered this world.

Four years later, Svacina understands that life has begun to move on. But each time her 3-year-old son points at a picture of Alicia and asks, Whos that, Mommy? she knows how important it is to remember Alicia for who she was, not for how she died.

In the end, the people she affected in her life remember her for who she was, they said.

Regardless of the fact that she couldnt hurt a fly, she wanted to be a roller derby dame.

She laughed a laugh that Amanda Abraham says she can still hear today.

Children were her passion in life, her sister said.

She wore jean shorts with cowboy boots, a fashion sense that her friends have later acknowledged as simply Alicia.

She blasted Luke Bryan on her car radio. Cheetah print was her go-to and pink was her favorite color  after all, that was the color of her casket.

She was unique, and bubbly, and smiling all the time, her friends said.

She was Alicia.

Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1SIOUX CITY -- While Democrat J.D. Scholten continues to mull whether he will launch a campaign for a second attempt to oust U.S. Rep. Steve King, three fellow Republicans for several months have been competing to make inroads with party activists to defeat King themselves in a primary contest that precedes the November 2020 vote.

The Republican primary election is one year away in June, and three challengers -- state Sen. Randy Feenstra, of Hull, Woodbury County Supervisor and former state Rep. Jeremy Taylor, of Sioux City, and former Irwin Mayor Bret Richards -- now plan to be on that ballot with King. To a man, they are all touting conservative credentials, and Republican primaries in Iowa are decided by voters who like their nominees to be social and fiscal conservatives.

There have been ongoing news chunks throughout the election cycle, as Feenstra has rushed to the lead in the fundraising race, Feenstra and Taylor have released endorsements by Republicans, and Taylor just left the trail Friday for his yearly three-week military deployment.

All the while, King continues to wield the power of incumbency. He's holding well-attended town hall meetings with a burst of free media in the 39 counties of the 4th Congressional District, while also having to explain to questioners how he can be effective after being stripped of committee assignments for the duration of his two-year term.

At the Woodbury County town hall Tuesday, King got extensive Sioux City media coverage for specially honoring Hornick residents who evacuated the town for a few days following March flooding. While Taylor spoke at a March event in Hornick right after the flooding occurred and in subsequent Woodbury County Board of Supervisors meetings about flooding recovery steps, King in the town hall gave a reminder of his platform as an established elected official, via citing his specific calls to federal officials about the flooding incident.

Buena Vista University political science professor Bradley Best said being an incumbent is a big plus in federal level elections, and "that incumbency advantage deepens in the primary season."

Best said the three Republican challengers are a solid crop of candidates, but don't have King's experience of running campaigns on a larger scale.

"None of them have had to step into the big arena in a heavyweight bout," the professor said.

However, Best said, that incumbency advantage might be diminished this time for King. He said that could be particularly true if Feenstra, who the professor sees as the toughest opponent, proves adept at one thing: "(Being) able to distinguish himself in terms of a political brand that puts some daylight between himself and Congressman King."

Scholten made a somewhat surprising final push to the November 2018 election and, after a wave of national money flowed to him, ultimately only lost to King by 3 percentage points. That narrow margin factored into Feenstra's decision to kick off the election cycle early, saying the 4th District needed better representation.

After the 2018 election, Scholten said he may not be done with electoral politics. On Friday, Scholten told the Journal he is still proud of "almost winning a race that national folks thought was not winnable," and continues to mull whether to run against King or the U.S. Senate seat held by Republican Joni Ernst.

"Im definitely thinking about whats next. At this point, Im more likely to run than not run but Im still trying to figure out if its for House or Senate," Scholten said.

In January, King was stripped by Republican leaders of all his committee assignments for the next two years, following a national uproar over King's quote in a New York Times story in which he asked, "White nationalist, white supremacist, Western civilization  how did that language become offensive? Why did I sit in classes teaching me about the merits of our history and our civilization?"

In Hornick, King said some House members are working to see him put back on committees.

"They were appalled by the injustice of this," King said, while asserting he was misquoted by the Times.

King's lack of committees may factor into whether Iowans continue to support him. Feenstra has said King losing the committees has been a downside for northern Iowa residents, which "has left us without a seat at the table."

Richards in a Friday interview said he has visited 31 of the 4th District counties, and would have been to all 39 had a blizzard not halted his plans a few months ago. Richards said the reception by Republicans has been "very encouraging," and spoke about whether there is any King fatigue at play in the race.

"There are people who love Steve King, there are people who don't," Richards said.

Richards said in discussing health care and immigration issues on the trail, he "aligns with the district."

After the first deadline for campaign fundraising reports, Feenstra showed well. For Federal Election Commission reports covering the first three months through March 31, Feenstra brought in four times the money as King, and his team said that proves he is meshing well with important donors.

Among the high-profile Republicans who donated to Feenstra's campaign was former Gov. Terry Branstad, who is now the U.S. ambassador to China. Taylor said it is important to note he pulled in money from previous King donors, who over prior elections combined to donate $114,500 to the congressman.

Regarding endorsements, Feenstra last week cited getting the support of state Rep. Megan Hess Jones, of Sioux Rapids, after previously announcing Rep. Dan Huseman, of Aurelia, and Sen. Waylon Brown, of St. Ansgar.

Taylor has attended many Republican Party county leadership events, while getting the endorsements of Sergeant Bluff Mayor Jon Winkel and Correctionville Mayor Nathan Heilman, who live in Woodbury County. He has been endorsed by state Rep. Ross Paustian, of Walcott, which is outside the 4th District.

Taylor is gone for the next three weeks in a deployment to Romania and will pause his campaign. He serves as a captain in the Iowa Army National Guard.

"Im called to serve as their chaplain and consider it a privilege. I will be returning to the campaign trail in three weeks and picking up where we left off, with meetings in every county at the grassroots level," Taylor said Thursday.

Speakout Which Republican do you think has the best chance of winning their partys nomination for Iowas 4th Congressional District in 2020? Sound off at facebook.com/SiouxCityJournal

Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 0Sioux City

Richard Aykens De Boer Jr., 89, of Sioux City, passed away Thursday, May 30, 2019, at Sunrise Retirement Community, one week short of his 90th birthday.

Celebration of life services will be 10:30 a.m. Monday at Central Baptist Church in Sioux City. Private graveside services will be in Gilman Township Cemetery, Ashton, Iowa. Visitation will be 4 to 7 p.m. today at Morningside Chapel, Christy-Smith Funeral Homes.

Richard was born in Sibley, Iowa, on June 6, 1929, to Richard A. and Ethel E. (Magnusson) De Boer. He was raised in Ashton and graduated from Ashton Public High School in May 1947.

He attended Sheldon Junior College for one year. He worked for the Farmer's Elevator in Ashton until he enlisted in the U.S. Navy. Rich served in the Navy from Sept. 8, 1950, to June 30, 1954. Duty stations included Patuxent River Naval Air Station in Maryland, the USS Mississippi, and the USS Wisconsin. Following service in the Navy, he attended the Radio Engineering Institute in Omaha, completing the course in January 1956.

On June 15, 1956, Rich married Lois E. Hickman at Ashton Bible Church in Ashton. They lived in Iowa City for 3  years, where he was employed by AT&T. The couple moved to Sioux City in 1960, where he was employed as an electronics technician with the Federal Aviation Administration and later became the manager of the Sioux City Airway Facilities Sector Field Office. Rich retired in May 1992 after 32  years of service with the FAA.

Rich was a longtime member of Morningside Baptist Church, where he served as Sunday School superintendent, Sunday School teacher, and trustee. In recent years, he regularly attended Central Baptist Church, where he enjoyed the fellowship of the Maranatha Sunday School class.

Rich was involved with the Boy Scouts, serving several years as a Webelos Cub Scout leader. He enjoyed woodworking and collecting and had numerous sets of antique collectibles. Rich and Lois had a special passion to travel and were privileged to visit many countries throughout the world. He was a member of the American Legion.

Rich is survived by his wife, Lois; son, Steve (Becky) De Boer; daughter, Jan (Scott) Swartzendruber; four grandchildren, Amanda (Eric) Bowman, Michelle (Chris) Nieset, Jeff (Lindsay) Swartzendruber, and Jill (Konrad) Swartz; four great-grandsons, Jace Swartzendruber, Charlie Swartzendruber, William Bowman, and Noah Nieset; extended family; and many friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents.

Memorials may be directed to Central Baptist Church, Sioux City, Daily Bread Ministries, or the Osceola County Freedom Rock in Ashton.

The family wishes to thank the staff at Sunrise Health Center and Hospice of Siouxland for their loving care and support.SIOUX CITY -- In conjunction with the Pride events in Siouxland celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising, One Iowa will host a legislative briefing at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at Hardline Coffee Co., 611 Fifth St.

Former Sioux City resident and One Iowa director of policy and advocacy Keenan Crow will give an update on the results of the recent Iowa legislative session. Crow will also discuss issues and actions that could be on the horizon in Iowa now that the 2019 session has finished.

Crows legislative briefing will also discuss how One Iowa seeks to improve the lives of LGBTQ Iowans by protecting and advancing equality and inclusiveness through education, improving workplace culture, and increasing access to quality healthcare across Iowa and in the entire Siouxland region.

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 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.

Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0On May 24, Gov. Kim Reynolds signed an extension of the one-cent sales tax for school infrastructure at the Sioux City School District's Career Academy as many students from the academy looked on. Twenty-one years ago, Gov. Terry Branstad signed the original school infrastructure sales tax bill in Sioux City because Sioux City and Woodbury County is where this issue began. The original bill took a lot of lobbying of not only the governor, but the Legislature. At the time they were not real "hot" on the idea of increasing the sales tax. The fact it had to be voted on by the citizens of the county and had a sunset was critical to legislators and the governor.

Approximately 22 years ago, a group of people met at the Siouxland Chamber of Commerce to discuss the fact Sioux City schools not only were aging, but repairs were being done in a "Band-Aid" way. Several of our schools were either 100 years old or fast approaching 100.

At that point Sioux City had not passed a bond issue in about 30 years. The group did not think we could pass one large enough to do all that was needed. After discussing the idea of adding one cent to our sales tax, committee members began to believe it was the best idea for adequately addressing necessary repairs and building new schools and that it would need to be sold, but it was doable. Since the vote needed to be countywide, the committee decided it was only fair to share the money with all school districts in Woodbury County. Former Superintendent Larry Williams went to other districts in the county and explained the idea to them. They could see the advantage of the tax, as well.

The original idea was the tax would sunset in 10 years and the only way to extend it was for the county to vote on it again and spell out on the ballot how the tax dollars would be used.

Woodbury County was the first county in Iowa to approve a 10-year, local-option sales tax for school infrastructure (the tax first passed in 1998; county voters approved a 10-year extension in 2005). The tax was supported by Iowans through referendums in individual counties across the state as a local-option sales tax before it became a statewide tax in 2008.

With money from the tax, the Sioux City School District has built three new middle schools and many elementary schools (with Bryant nearly completed and Hunt in the beginning stages). Helped by money from the one-cent tax, the science rooms of the three high schools were enlarged and upgraded, as well.

Also, the tax helped create the Career Academy, which I have had the opportunity to tour on two occasions.

Through participation in the academy, students from the three public high schools in Sioux City, Heelan High School in Sioux City and more than a dozen area high schools earn college credits. The academy provides students with the opportunity to explore over 30 different pathways. The pathways are career-focused and integrate high school courses and core academic knowledge with technical and occupational knowledge. The academy connects workforce needs, community needs and student needs. When young people are in the correct career for them, opportunities abound.

The district's goal in the not-too-distant future is to expand the trades track. This is immensely important to those of us who own or manage companies that are a part of the trades, whether it is roofing, plumbing, carpentry, or electrical, to name a few. Someone has to build, expand or remodel the buildings in which our offices are located, as well as our homes. Not all students are college-bound, many want to learn a trade. This opportunity allows students a viable career and helps make them workforce-ready. The trades offer people the opportunity to make not only a good living, but an opportunity to feel good about themselves.

The Sioux City School District is one of the most property-tax-poor districts in the state. In order for the Sioux City district to build new schools and do the repairs necessary to existing buildings, we needed creation and approval - first at the county level, then at the state level - of the school infrastructure tax. Equally important to our schools was this year's extension of the penny tax so we can continue improving and repairing our buildings.

Next week: Al Sturgeon

Charese Yanney of Sioux City is owner and managing partner of Guarantee Roofing, Siding and Insulation Co. She serves on the Siouxland Initiative Executive Committee, the Orpheum Theatre Preservation Board, the Orpheum Theatre Endowment Board and the Iowa Department of Transportation Commission.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0Renowned journalist communications expert Kathleen Hall Jamieson, in her 2018 book "Cyber-War: How Russian Hackers and Trolls Helped Elect a President," writes of the importance of "framing an argument" when setting the tone of public discourse. (Page 44: Frames are organizing structures that through the use of selection, emphasis, exclusion and elaboration tell audiences how to think about issues.)

Listening to Special Counsel Robert Muellers press conference, it is clear that the "framing" done by Attorney General William Barr of the special counsels 400-plus-page report was a deliberate effort to misrepresent the reports conclusions in regard to "no obstruction" by the president of the United States.

That Russian operatives interfered via cyberattacks to assist the election of Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election is no longer in dispute (except for by the president). That the president and his attorney general have engaged in obstruction of justice must now, in my opinion, also be acknowledged. Jackie Austin, Rock Rapids, Iowa

Love 1 Funny 4 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0In a May 6 USA Today op-ed, Senator Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, describes the Tax Cut Jobs Act as "good policy," and distorts its benefits. Grassley stated, One of the most-covered falsehoods being spread about tax reform, as he calls the law, is that its a middle-class tax hike.

As Sen. Grassley knows, this leaves out important information. Its true that most people at every income level receive something from the Trump tax law. The problem is that lawmakers designed the law to shower most of its benefits on the well-off. That point is not refuted by anything Grassley says.

Despite a lower unemployment rate, the bottom line is Iowas lowest paid wage-earners are still suffering. The top earners in Iowa pay the lowest share of taxes, while the lowest earners bear the largest share of the tax burden in the state. The richest 5 percent of Iowans are getting 44 percent of the benefits of the tax cut.

Some 71 percent of the benefits of the Trump tax law went to the richest fifth of Americans in 2018. About half went to the richest 5 percent, including nearly a quarter to the top 1 percent and a quarter to the next richest 4 percent.

Grassleys op-ed accuses the Democrats of saying the majority of the tax cuts go to the wealthiest Americans, but Grassley himself fails to refute this in his op-ed, because the richest received an outsized benefit from the TCJA. Joann Sadler, Correctionville, Iowa

Love 8 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1On Friday, the New York Times published an article in its Reader Center in which deputy managing editor Matt Purdy defended various decisions the paper made in covering the Mueller investigation, including the A1 print headline Mueller Finds No Trump-Russia Conspiracy, which now reads Mueller Finds No Trump-Russia Conspiracy, but Stops Short of Exonerating President on Obstruction in the online edition. It turns out this was not the first time a major newspaper took a long, hard look at past editorial decisions and decided, hindsight being 20/20, that they had done everything exactly right and wouldnt change a thing, as this conversation with Chicago Daily Tribune managing editor Pat Maloney shows:

Advertisement

For the better part of a year, the Chicago Daily Tribune has been at the forefront of reporting on the presidential matchup between Governor Thomas E. Dewey of New York and President Harry S. Truman.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

After Truman won the election, we invited our readers to look back at our coverage and submit any questions they might have about it.

Directed by those submissions (we received hundreds of responses), we drafted a series of questions and passed them along to J. Loy Pat Maloney, a managing editor who oversees the Tribunes headlines. Mr. Maloneys responses are below.

Many readers who are critical of Governor Dewey have expressed concern that we were overly trusting of advance polls and the predictions of our Washington correspondent Arthur Sears Henning, and, in our initial reporting, were not sufficiently wary of the possibility that Truman might defeat Dewey. Readers have flagged one headline in particular: Dewey Defeats Truman.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Given that we later characterized Truman as the winner of the 1948 presidential election, were we sufficiently skeptical, in our initial coverage, of the elections other possible outcomes? In retrospect, are there any articles or headlines that should have been framed differently?

MALONEY: There is no question what the top-line news was in the early returns: President Truman had not been found to have won the 1948 presidential election.

This election had been a cloud hanging over Governor Deweys presidency since the day he announced his candidacy, and the single fact that the sitting president had not definitively won reelection was big news. Hence, the front-page headline that readers have questioned.

Advertisement

The Tribunes afternoon editions that day had a range of stories examining every aspect of the election: its implications, the many unanswered questions, the fact that Dewey did not defeat Truman, the results of the Cook County election for coronerits a real melange.

Advertisement

The front page of the early edition on Nov. 3, did carry that headline, which capturedin the space allowed for print headlinesthe news of the day. If we had a little more space, we would have gone with our first draft, DEWEY DEFEATS TRUMAN IN INDIANA AND MICHIGAN WHILE LOSING THE PRESIDENTIAL RACE BY RATHER A LOT, ACTUALLY, AND BELIEVE IT OR NOT, STROM FUCKING THURMOND PICKED UP A FEW ELECTORAL VOTES, SO MAYBE GET IT TOGETHER AND LEAVE THE STONE AGES, ALABAMA, MISSISSIPPI, LOUISIANA, SOUTH CAROLINA, AND PART OF TENNESSEE, which more accurately conveyed the complexities of the situation, but we were utterly at the mercy of the space allowed for print headlines. And it is worth considering the many other words on the front page that day, which communicated the nuances of the election beneath the headlines.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Here are the first two paragraphs of the story headlined PUTS G.O.P. BACK IN THE WHITE HOUSE: Sizeable Electoral Margin Seen, by Arthur Sears Henning, the most experienced political analyst in Washington:

Advertisement

Advertisement

Dewey and Warren won a sweeping victory in the Presidential election yesterday. The early returns showed the Republican ticket leading Truman and Barkley pretty confidently in northern and western states. The indications were that the complete returns would disclose that Dewey won the Presidency by an overwhelming majority of electoral votes.

Its all still completely wrong, but it communicates more nuances. And within hours of the release of Arthur Sears Hennings analysis, one of our other experienced reporters, Arthur Sears Henning, the most experienced political analyst in Washington, rebutted Arthur Sears Hennings analysis in our pages and addressed the most contentious part of the 1948 presidential election: determining who won the 1948 presidential election. His story was on the front page of later editions. After pointing out that key states were still in doubt, Henning wrote:

Advertisement

Incomplete returns from the Presidential election yesterday gave Dewey and Warren a precarious lead over Truman and Barkley. It looked as tho it might take the complete returns to establish whether Dewey or Truman had won.

A review of our work that day shows that we captured the biggest news as well as the complications and looming controversies behind it.

It might seem to some readers that youre reflexively defending something we got wrong.

Advertisement

MALONEY: Perhaps not surprisingly, I disagree. One of the key lines near the top of the page said: Patrick J. Hurley, Republican, took an early lead over former Agriculture Secretary Anderson in New Mexico, one of eight pivotal states. Seventy-one years later, many of the details have been filled in, and we know that Anderson ultimately won his race. Yet that statement about Hurleys lead in the early returns, which was our best assessment at the time, remains true.

Advertisement

Advertisement

But the headline Dewey Defeats Truman might leave some readers with the mistaken impression that Thomas Dewey won the presidential election of 1948, which was not true then and is not true now.

MALONEY: During the 1948 presidential campaign, the press had to deal with the extraordinary circumstance of both major party candidates defeating each other. For instance, Dewey defeated Truman in Indiana, while Truman defeated Dewey in the presidential election. Coverage of both outcomes was justified as news.

We understand that readers often see political coverage throughno surprise!their own political lens, and we thank God every day that, as journalists, we have had our political lenses surgically removed. Our job is to work hard to make our coverage appear to come from an objective news perspective. To do that, we are constantly asking ourselves the following questions, usually in a sing-songy voice: What is important for readers to know? Do our readers treat this noble institution with enough deference and respect? Who won the presidential election of 1948? Whos to say whats true anymore, anyway? You know?

Do you worry that Dewey supporters will go around for years to come citing the Chicago Tribune to claim that Thomas Dewey won the presidential election of 1948? Or that Dewey himself might keep repeating the phrase Dewey Defeats Truman any time he sees a microphone, insist that everyone address him as President Dewey, and eventually set up a some kind of fascist shadow government for his drooling white nationalist followers?

MALONEY: That doesnt sound like the Republican Party I know. Did you miss the part where Strom Thurmond was in the race?Acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney defended the request that came from the White House to hide the USS John S. McCain during President Donald Trumps visit to Japan. It was not an unreasonable thing to ask, Mulvaney said. The acting chief of staff defended the request on both NBCs Meet the Press and Fox News Sunday and received pushback from the hosts. Yet with that message Mulvaney was merely echoing Trump, who said he didnt know anything about the request but assured it came from a well-meaning person in his staff.

Advertisement

The fact that some 23 or 24-year-old person on the advance team went to that sight and said Oh my goodness, theres the John McCain we all know how the president feels about the former senator, maybe thats not the best backdrop, can somebody look into moving it, Mulvaney said. Thats not an unreasonable thing to ask. NBCs Chuck Todd seemingly couldnt believe what he was hearing; Seriously? Mulvaney stuck to his talking point and said it was silly to think someone will get fired over the issue. If youre going to a staff meeting and say, Look, Chuck is fighting with so-and-so. Lets not sit them together today at the meeting, is that a fireable offence at NBC? Mulvaney asked. Goodness gracious. What kind of place are you folks running over here?

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

WATCH: Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney tells Chuck Todd that moving a Navy ship out of sight from the president was "not an unreasonable thing to do." #MTP #IfItsSunday



Mulvaney: "The president's feelings towards the former senator are well known." pic.twitter.com/kohFeQflaU  Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) June 2, 2019

On Fox News Sunday, host Chris Wallace first said he only had 30 seconds to discuss the issue but then went on for longer. Wallace also asked whether someone at the White House would be disciplined over the issue. For what? Mulvaney asked. For asking an innocuous question about that? No, does someone get disciplined at Fox News for saying that so and so doesnt want to sit next to so and so at a meeting? No, again, this is a minor issue that we think the media is trying to make it to a larger matter. Mulvaney said that its key to keep in mind that nothing happened because of it.

Advertisement

On request to hide USS John S. McCain, Mick Mulvaney tells Chris The President didnt know about it, I didnt know about it, look, literally hundreds of people are involved in moving the president overseas. The presidents feelings about the former senator are well-known. pic.twitter.com/fm3Dwe2pjX  FoxNewsSunday (@FoxNewsSunday) June 2, 2019

Advertisement

Advertisement

Mulvaneys defense of the controversial request came shortly after the Pentagon reportedly sent a message to the White House that the military should not be politicized. Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan directed his chief of staff to speak with the White House military office and reaffirm his mandate that the Department of Defense will not be politicized, Lt. Col. Joe Buccino, a Pentagon spokesman, said in a statement. The chief of staff reported that he did reinforce this message. Despite this directive though Shanahan said Sunday that he did not see a need for an official investigation into the request to hide the USS John S. McCain. He will not ask the inspector general to investigate because there was nothing really carried out, Shanahan told reporters.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi addressed the California Democratic Party State Convention Saturday and was met with loud cries of impeach as the decidedly left-leaning crowd made clear what they wanted as she vowed to continue investigating the president. I told you this was like coming home for me, Pelosi joked. The House speaker has been pushing back against calls to begin impeachment proceedings. And while she did not call for the beginning of an impeachment inquiry in her speech on Saturday, she did promise to continue aggressively investigating the administration.

Advertisement

Cries for impeach as Nancy Pelosi talks about the Mueller report at Californias Democratic Convention pic.twitter.com/7cEEsO7p2r  Zohreen (@Zohreen) June 1, 2019

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

The cries of impeach grew louder as Pelosi referenced special counsel Robert Mueller. Why is it that the president wont defend our democracy from this foreign threat? she asked. What is the president covering up? Pelosi vowed to continue looking into the administrations actions. We will go where the facts lead us, she said. We will build an ironclad case to act.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Pelosi appeared to be trying to make sure attendees at the California convention understood there are other possible routes beyond impeachment, noting that numerous committees in the House are working to expose the full extent of the presidents wrongdoing and corruption and strengthening our hand to challenge the administration in court.

Pelosi had pushed a similar message during her interview with Jimmy Kimmel earlier in the week. I think the president wants us to impeach him, she said. He knows its not a good idea to be impeached, but the silver lining for him is then, he believes, that he would be exonerated by the United States Senate. And an acquittal in the Senate would likely mean any possibility of holding the president accountable would go down the drain. So when we go through with our case, its got to be ironclad, Pelosi said. Ironclad.President Donald Trump made clear early Sunday morning that he was not backing down from his threats of imposing tariffs against Mexican imports if the country does not step up the fight against migrants crossing the southern border into the United States. Although people have been calling for negotiations with Mexico that is not a real possibility, says Trump. The problem is that Mexico is an abuser of the United States, taking but never giving. It has been this way for decades, Trump wrote.

Advertisement

People have been saying for years that we should talk to Mexico. The problem is that Mexico is an abuser of the United States, taking but never giving. It has been this way for decades. Either they stop the invasion of our Country by Drug Dealers, Cartels, Human Traffickers....  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 2, 2019

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

The commander in chief then went to say that the choice Mexico now faces is simple. Either they stop the invasion of our Country by Drug Dealers, Cartels, Human Traffickers, Coyotes and Illegal Immigrants, which they can do very easily, or our many companies and jobs that have been foolishly allowed to move South of the Border, will be brought back into the United States through taxation (Tariffs), Trump added. America has had enough!

Advertisement

Advertisement

....Coyotes and Illegal Immigrants, which they can do very easily, or our many companies and jobs that have been foolishly allowed to move South of the Border, will be brought back into the United States through taxation (Tariffs). America has had enough!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 2, 2019

Trumps tweets came days after he vowed to impose a 5 percent tariff on all goods imported from Mexico until the country did more to stop the flow of migrants from its border with the United States. The tariff, he warned, would gradually increase to 25 percent until the illegal immigration problem is remedied. The threat shocked Wall Street and even many Republicans as Mexico scrambled to try to figure out a way to get Trump to back down. On Saturday, Mexicos president suggested his government would be willing to take action to prevent the threatened tariffs from being implemented. The main thing is to inform about what were already doing on the migration issue, and if its necessary to reinforce these measures without violating human rights, we could be prepared to reach that deal, Mexicos President Manuel Lopez Obrador said.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

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

Trump continued his string of migration-related tweets by blasting Democrats, insisting that they are doing nothing on the Border, The president went on to say that the issue could be fixed so easily if they would vote with Republicans to fix the loopholes. Later, he added that the wall on the southern border is moving along quickly, despite all of the Radical Liberal Democrat lawsuits. He also wondered: What are they thinking as our Country is invaded by so many people (illegals) and things (Drugs) that we do not want. Make America Great Again!

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

The Democrats are doing nothing on the Border to address the Humanitarian and National Security Crisis! Could be fixed so easily if they would vote with Republicans to fix the loopholes.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 2, 2019

Advertisement

The Wall is under construction and moving along quickly, despite all of the Radical Liberal Democrat lawsuits. What are they thinking as our Country is invaded by so many people (illegals) and things (Drugs) that we do not want. Make America Great Again!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 2, 2019

Advertisement

Advertisement

The latest threats against Mexico show how Trump sees immigration as key to his reelection bid even if he hasnt made much progress on what has long been a signature issue. The Washington Post explains: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).Some of the sports finest, four-year-old superstars trucked to Woodbine Mohawk Park for a set of Graduate Series events  one for trotters and one for pacers  on Saturdays stakes-filled program.

Atlanta toyed with the trotting foes she squared off with in the $99,000 tilt. The four-year-old daughter of Chapter Seven-Hemi Blue Chip cruised to an easy victory for driver Yannick Gingras and trainer Ron Burke.

Gingras got away third with Atlanta while Custom Cantab shot to the lead and carved out the opening quarter in :28.3. As soon as the field entered the backstretch, Atlanta was brought first over by teamster Gingras. The pair easily claimed the lead, and the mare proceeded to slice out middle fractions of :57.4 and 1:25.2. She used a :27.3 closing quarter to win by 2-1/2 lengths over Mission Accepted in 1:53. Taking home the show dough was Custom Cantab.

Crawford Farms Racing, Brad Grant and Howard Taylor share ownership on the 14-time winner who is now perfect in her first two starts of the 2019 season. The lions share of the loot lifted Atlantas bankroll to $1,270,977 with the win.

Lather Up parlayed a perfect, second-over trip into a 1:50.1 triumph in the $99,000 Graduate Series division for the pacers.

Jody Jamieson got away fifth with last years Pepsi North America Cup champion while The Downtown Bus and Jimmy Freight tussled to the quarter pole in :27.1. Jimmy Freight worked his way to the top and had the field chasing him through middle fractions of :56 and 1:23.2. Dorsoduro Hanover came first over on the leader before tiring, but Lather Up was swelling up on that foes cover. Lather Up swung off cover in the lane and used a :26.1 closing quarter to prevail by a head over Thinkbig Dreambig. Jimmy Freight was third.

I was a little worried when they got a half in :56 and we were sitting there fifth and I knew the guys at the front were going to be sprinting the whole way, said trainer Clyde Franics. I didnt know if he would catch them or not, but hes got a lot of guts.

I think he can go with just about any horse out there if he behaves himself. Thats the problem and is the only thing that worries me more than anything.

The homebred son of Im Gorgeous-Pocket Comb is now 3-for-4 this season for owners Gary and Barbara Iles of Harrington, DE. The 18-time winner lifted his lifetime earnings to $1,192,197 with the triumph.

(With quotes from Woodbine Mohawk Park)

To view results for Saturday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Saturday Results  Woodbine Mohawk Park.The opening card of Inverness Raceways 2019 meet is now in the books, as the Nova Scotia track kicked off its season this afternoon (Sunday, June 2) over the 'off' going.

Inverness' first race of 2019 proved to be a romp by a Post 4 starter that returned $9.90 to win.

The winner in question is the five-year-old Whitefish Falls gelding Docthethird, who went to the top early, cut all the fractions (:32.3, 1:04.4, 1:30.3), and was ten and three-quarter lengths the best as he cruised under the wire in 2:08.2. The track was rated 'good' at that point and was assessed a four-second variant.

John MacDougall was at the lines of the Docthethird, who recorded the maiden-breaking effort in what was his thirty-third career start.

Docthethirds owner, Charles Fraser of Inverness, also trains the gelding.

The six-race card was capped off by the $1,150 Winners-Over Pace, and it was the Randy Copley-trained and Gerald Kennedy-driven Intended Royalty ($3.00) that romped in 2:02.3. The eight-year-old gelded son of No Pan Intended started from Post 5, cut all the fractions (:30.4, 1:01.1, 1:32.1) over the 'sloppy' course and won by an astounding 12 and a quarter lengths. Randy Copley and Edward Copley, both of Inverness, share ownership.

Sundays Inverness program is the first of 28 scheduled race dates this year at the half-mile track.

Inverness will host live cards every Sunday until October 20, and the track will also feature live Wednesday cards during the months of July and August

To view the harness racing results for Sunday at Inverness, click the following link: Sunday Results  Inverness Raceway.Bay of Plenty

Our client has plenty of work in the pipeline and as such they are in need of qualified or experienced carpenters for an...



View or Apply on GoodWork.co.nzThe forecast team at WeatherWatch have reported on Sunday morning that we are halfway through a polar surge of air, with temperatures below average nationwide today and tonight.

Expect a brief burst of rain or showers for the eastern North Island with a strong southerly change, and a similar story for the western North Island around Auckland northwards.

Both sides of the island should then dry out as the day goes on with increasing sunny spells despite the colder winds. Showers may return again later as wind flows continue to shift around. Even if the wind only shifts very slightly this can have significant consequences as to whether it will be sunny and dry or cloudy and showery.

Wellington and southern Wairarapa will be exposed to showers all day with the cold southerly flow. Snow showers will continue around the Central Plateau mountains all day and may impact State Highways for a time particularly around Mt Ruapehu.

The driest regions today will be eastern Northland and Bay of Plenty.

Temperatures for the North Island will range from 4 to 14 degrees

In the South Island, wintry showers will hug the eastern coastline today and coastal Southland at times too. The further inland you are the drier and sunnier it will be.

There will be south to southwest winds for most areas. The sunniest weather will be inland, on the West Coast and around Nelson and Marlborough.

Temperatures for the South Island will range from 6 to 12 degrees.

John Gilbert Gil Curtis died May 23, 2019. He was born to Georgia M. Curtis & John S. Geilselbrecht June 14, 1928, in Lewiston, ID. Raised in farm and orchard country, this barefoot boy ran enthusiastically to meet life and all of us in it with him. Working at the end of WWII and returning to finish high school, Gil began his life study of people and relationships. He worked Holden mine at Lake Chelan from 1949-1950, was drafted to the Korean conflict and met with the soldiers of that conflict as brother-at-arms in many reunions in the decades after. Returning to civilian life, he worked railroad stations in the Northwest. Gil met Harriet Jean Hornbeck at the University of Oregon, where she was completing a teaching degree. Many date hikes found they agreed on basics: a large number of children, farm life and Christian-based values. Gil converted to Catholicism with Harriet when married Thanksgiving Day, 1956. They started family life in a travel trailer for the first couple years until finding the farm of their dreams outside Rainier, OR, and settled to raise a dozen children (19 grand, 5 great). Harriet tutored & taught some at local schools while Gil traded railroad station work for Longview Fibres paper mill a few years before starting as a mail carrier in Rainier. He worked route 1 for many years until retiring to farm work, full time raising cattle and hay, planting trees and reaping the rewards of many genuine relationships of a lifetime. A pillar of his family, John Gilbert Curtis was a memorable man as son, brother, husband and father and a community member with a profound zest for life and all its people. Survived by a sister Barbara Wheeler, of San Diego, as well as Harriet and all descendants referenced above. We love him so.A group of about 60 people spent their Saturday morning in downtown Kelso picking up cigarette butts, discarded plastic and even a mattress.

The Kelso Downtown Revitalization Association, a recently re-formed group of business owners and community leaders, organized the event.

The group fanned out from Grounds for Opportunity, heading south to the Eagles building, west to the train tracks, east to Grade Street and north to the Cowlitz Way bridge. In two hours, they filled a dump trailer.

Barbara Stephenson, an agent with Windermere Real Estate and member of KDRA, said she has deep roots in Kelso. Her father moved to the city in the 1930s.

Its a pretty special place. If we treat it that way, everyone else will know, too, Stephenson said.

Nearly half of the cleanup crew came from Faithful Servants, a faith-based transitional house in Kelso, which provides clean and sober housing for those recovering from addiction or getting out of prison.

Jacob Gregg and Rodney Benneman, both with Faithful Servants, searched for trash in the grass near the Kelso Train Depot Saturday morning.

Were here to serve in any way we can, said Gregg, who has been with Faithful Servants for about five months. Were getting help from the community to get back on our feet, so this is our part of giving back.

Benneman, a self-described Faithful Servants alumni, said the group also serves at food banks once a week and cleans up homeless camps every couple weeks.

One of our biggest things is we serve our community and one another, Benneman said.

City employees Natalee Corbett and Patty Murray gathered cigarette butts from the crevices along the Maltese Tavern Bar & Grill.

Murray, administration programs manager, said Saturday was her 31st anniversary with the City of Kelso.

This is a good way to bring everyone together and show support for Kelso, Murray said.

I live in Kelso and want it to be beautiful, added Corbett, the citys new librarian.

Jackie Hoggatt, who had been with Faithful Servants for two days, said picking up trash can be therapeutic. He said he also picks up cans, bottles and sharp objects at Lake Sacajawea in Longview.

I have little mental health challenges and its helpful to focus on something outward instead of focusing on PTSD, Hoggatt said. And I believe in stewardship and discipleship.

Father-daughter team Steve and Tess Princehouse said they live in Longview but drive through Kelso everyday and want it to be litter-free.

It makes the town look better when you dont see trash on the side of the road, said Tess Princehouse, who attends Mark Morris High School.

Lindsey Cope, community engagement director with the Cowlitz Economic Development Council, said she was pleased with the turnout but not surprised.

I expected this. I hold my hometown in high regard because Ive seen people show up time and again, Lindsey Cope said. Kelso, despite the naysayers, always shows up.

Love 8 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0NEW YORK  Last weeks election results for the European Parliament were mixed, which meant that every side could claim a victory of sorts. Right-wing populists did gain ground, but so did some decidedly left-wing parties like the Greens. The only clear conclusion is that the traditional parties that have dominated the continents politics since 1945 continued to see their appeal wither and their power wane.

But elections are often lagging indicators of social change. By the time the public becomes aware and engaged on a certain issue, the problem might well have passed its peak. Consider the two issues that most people believe are fueling populism in the Western world: fears about immigrants and a lack of economic opportunity. In both cases, the crisis appears to be over, but the fury remains.

The number of migrants coming into the European Union illegally is the lowest it has been in five years. In 2018, about 115,000 people crossed the Mediterranean to seek entry into Europe, an 89% drop from the 2015 figure. This reflects European cooperation with countries in North Africa and the Middle East to strengthen their borders and stimulate economic development while at the same time getting much stricter on asylum applications. Applicants are now rejected 2-to-1, the reverse of the statistic in 2015.

In the United States, the pattern is somewhat similar. Mexican immigration, the issue that Donald Trump raged about when he announced his candidacy, has actually been going in the opposite direction for years now. In fact, from 2007 to 2016, the number of undocumented Mexicans living in the U.S. fell by 1.5 million.

And while there has been a recent surge of migrants from Central America  the caravans that Trump rails against  these tend to be asylum seekers who are not crossing into the United States illegally. Instead they throw themselves at the mercy of U.S. authorities at the border and plead for asylum status, which is granted to only a small percentage.

In other words, there is no great immigration crisis in the West anymore.

What about the other problem that has been fodder for populism  joblessness and the stagnation of middle-class wages? When Trump was on the campaign trail he suggested that the actual unemployment rate in America might be as high as 42%. He painted a bleak picture of life for the middle class  insecure part-time jobs, wages that never grew and benefits that were disappearing.

Last week, The Economist pointed out that this picture, so firmly embedded in our minds, does not comport with the facts. Most of the rich world is enjoying a jobs boom of unprecedented scope, it noted, observing that two-thirds of OECD countries have record-high employment numbers for their working-age population. The U.S. unemployment rate, 3.6%, is at its lowest point in half a century. As for precariousness, The Economist writes, the gig economy accounts for only around 1% of jobs [in America]. Finally, tight labor markets and minimum wage laws are together moving wages up.

None of this is to suggest that life is easy for people outside of the top tiers of these countries. But the picture of stagnation that we have become used to is out of date and, to best address it, we need to understand what is really happening. For example, The Economist points out that in countries with stubbornly high unemployment such as Italy, labor laws and unions tend to protect existing workers and keep new entrants out of the job market.

Whenever crises flare up in liberal, democratic, capitalist societies, there is a tendency to blame the political and economic systems. People push for different models as they look admiringly at nondemocratic or noncapitalist countries. This happened in the 1970s, when the West was mired in stagflation and political dysfunction and many thought the Soviet Union was stable and on the march. In 1975, the Trilateral Commission issued a famous report titled The Crisis of Democracy. A decade later, stagflation had been licked, the West was booming, and the Soviet Union was beginning to collapse.

Open societies often seem weak because their problems are aired publicly and debated loudly. What gets lost in the din are the myriad responses to these problems, bubbling up from markets, civil society and government. Capitalism and democracy are open and responsive systems, and they are reacting and adjusting to the publics concerns, even while populists continue to peddle little more than deception, despair and demagoguery.

Fareed Zakarias syndicated foreign affairs column appears each week in The Washington Post.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0Editors note: Todays editorial originally appeared in The Philadelphia Inquirer. 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.

On Wednesday, 24-year-old Emma Semler was sentenced to 21 years in federal prison for her friends overdose death. The Inquirers Jeremy Roebuck and Aubrey Whelan reported that in 2014, Emma met up with Jennifer Rose Werstler, a friend she had met in rehab. The two used heroin together in a bathroom of a restaurant in West Philadelphia. Jennifer overdosed and died. Emma, who brought the drugs and left the scene, was later charged by federal prosecutors and convicted of heroin distribution  which has a mandatory minimum of 20 years if it involves a death.

Emmas story is not rare in Pennsylvania. In an effort to deter drug use, prosecutors are charging people who provide a drug that causes an overdose with homicide  often called drug-induced homicide or drug delivery resulting in death.

Pennsylvania district attorneys use this charge more than prosecutors in any state. Three out of the top five counties that use these charges most often are in Pennsylvania. Lancaster tops the list with 66 charges in 2018  a shocking number considering the estimated 107 overdose deaths in the county that year. According to the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts, charges of drug delivery in death increased 1,267% between 2013 to 2017.

The logic that such charges may prevent overdose deaths is rooted in the false idea that people who sell or provide drugs and people who use drugs are two distinct groups  the former members of a criminal enterprise, the latter, people who are sick and need treatment. But people who use drugs often share them, or sell them to support their addiction.

The Health in Justice Action Lab at Northeastern University analyzed more than 200 drug-induced homicide cases. In about half of those cases, the person charged was a friend, family member, caretaker, or the partner of the victim  not a traditional dealer.

The irony is that while there is no evidence that drug delivery resulting in death charges deter drug use, there is reason to believe that they deter another behavior  calling 911.

In 2014, Pennsylvania passed a Good Samaritan law that provides immunity from certain state-level drug charges when a person seeks help in the event of an overdose. The purpose of the law was to ensure that people call 911 when someone next to them overdoses, even if they are in possession of drugs. But according to Leo Beletsky, the faculty director of Health in Justice and drug policy expert, the Pennsylvania law is very limited. For starters, like all state law, it doesnt offer any protection from federal prosecution. Nor does it provide protection from a drug delivery resulting in death charge.

The state Good Samaritan law can be amended to protect against homicide charges; this change could prevent the deaths resulting from people who are too afraid to call 911. Only a national Good Samaritan law can prevent a harsh sentence in federal court.

A common refrain from politicians and prosecutors in Pennsylvania is that addiction is a disease, not a crime. But by charging people in addiction who shared drugs as murderers, their action tells a different story.

Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0So a lot of things happened this week. First, there was Computex 2019 with ASUS showing a wide range of products - a new ZenFone 6 Edition 30, ZenBook Edition 30 laptop and a Prime X299 Edition 30 motherboard for its 30th Anniversary, a ZenBook Pro Duo with two functioning 4K touchscreens, new VivoBook S14 and S15 with a 5.65-inch ScreenPad 2.0 display, two new portable monitors (ZenScreen Touch and ROG Strix XG17), ROG Swift gaming monitor, a new Glacier Blue skin for ROG gaming laptops in the near future, and many more.

The Trade War between the USA and China still going on, the chain effect has hit across the nation. Our Prime Minister voiced out on the matter, saying Malaysia will still use Huawei technology; Huawei has also prepared to file a lawsuit against the US Government for bullying, a number of Malaysian restaurants are showing support for Huawei smartphone users, and for some reason, the Mate 20 Pro is back on the Android Q beta program.

And on other news, Apple Malaysia has just announced a new iPod touch with AR capability coming soon to Malaysia from RM899, Pokemon Masters is also set to be released on our mobile devices this year, and finally, OPPO Reno 10X Zoom was announced for RM3399 (which to be honest, is kinda expensive comparing with the Xiaomi Mi 9 for having similar tech specs minus the 60x zoom feature for just RM1699, now you tell me which one makes more sense).

Now onto this week's NewsBytes that nobody really reads.

Wiko Watch and Win contest

Who doesn't love a lucky contest? Well, if you're in luck, you opt to try this Wiki Watch and Win contest. It has already kicked off since 27 May until 9 June 2019 where you can join the contest and get a chance to win a brand new Wiko View 3 smartphone. All you have to do is:

Also on their store in Lazada, there are other Wiko last minute Raya shopping hot deals too such as getting a phone as low as RM161, discounts up to 50%, free bundles and more. So check it out, maybe?

Realme became the TOP selling smartphone brand on Shopee during the Raya Dengan Shopee campaign

In the upcoming Raya festive season, realme Malaysia is proud to announce that they have garnered the top spot by selling the most units from 21 May to 24 May 2019 on Shopee, during the Raya campaign peak days. The Raya promotion was also held in conjunction with the brands first exclusive launch of realme C2, which took place on 21 May.

We are confident in our products and delighted that Malaysians gave us a huge support. The unbelievable sales results on Shopee speaks volumes, said Tiffany Teh, Brand Manager, realme Malaysia.

Most impressive, realme Malaysia. Keep it up!

Acers Predator Thronos Gaming Chair Wins Gold at Computex d&i Awards 2019

Another winner to mention is Acer as the company has been honoured with 7 2019 Computex d&i awards in recognition for design excellence, in the categories of Gaming Hardware, Information and Communication Hardware, AR, VR and Content, and IoT categories. Among them, the Predator Thronos has won the Computex d&i Gold award, and the Smart Parking Meter System has won the Computex d&i Specialty award.

Other award winners include the Predator Triton 900 gaming notebook, the ConceptD 500 high-end desktop, the thin-and-light Swift 7, the Acer OJO 500 Windows Mixed Reality Headset, and the aiSage edge computing device. A total of 222 entries from 90 companies were assessed by a 20-person jury of multi-disciplines, including academia, venture capital, industrial design, media, and more. You can read the full story right over here.

Netflixing With Kids - Empowering Parents With Control

You heard of Netflix and Chill, but have you ever heard of Netflix with Kids? Yeah...so Netflix is gearing towards more family friendly so with this, the brand is committed to offering a wide selection of stories, for all ages, cultures, sensibilities and moods, ensuring a safe viewing environment for the kids.

To ensure the safety of their children online as they are able to limit or restrict access to specific content that they deem inappropriate, this is where parental control features come in which can be accessed via the website on any desktop that helps parents adjust and personalise the selection of content that is made available for the whole family. Below are the list of features:

Viewer Profiles for Kids (setting age limit) Choose Your Categories (setting rating such as PG-13 and others) Setting Up Your PIN Monitoring Your Childs Netflix Activity Spoilt For Choice (kids friendly shows)

Google spreads online safety awareness to future Guardians of the Interwebz

Head of Communications and Public Affairs for Google Malaysia, Zeffri Yusof (Second from left) and the Dean of the Faculty of Communication and Creative Industries, Tunku Abdul Rahman University College Dearna Kee (Third from left), along with attendees wrapping up the Google Cafe: Guardians of the Interwebz workshop

In the other corner, Google Malaysia held a workshop in Tunku Abdul Rahman University College (TAR UC) KL main campus to highlight Internet safety tips based on the following core themes: 1. Security, 2. Privacy, 3. Family Safety and 4. Misinformation.

During the workshop, Google taught them how to take charge of their data by running through data control settings related to their Google accounts, how to avoid phishing attempts, and shared best practices such as not to overshare personally identifiable information online. The students will be working to build the Guardians of the Interwebz campaign from the ground up as they learn to effectively research, plan, create content and manage online engagements.

Cool story, bro.

Boost Super Shake got its first lucky winner for a Proton X70 car

Ahmad Sanusi Husain (far right) the first Super Shake Grand Prize winner with his family receiving the Proton X70 Proton X70

Meanwhile, another lucky participant just got himself a brand new Proton X70 car from Boost's Super Shake contest. Previously, Lelong.my also held one with the car as the grand prize but Boost has put it a step further, as there were eight Proton X70s to be won fortnightly.

The first lucky winner of Super Shake was none other than Ahmad Sanusi Husain, a 54-year-old Group Agency Manager for PMB Investment from Kajang. He has been an active Boost user for the past four months, where he uses it to pay his Celcom and Unifi bills, grocery shopping, restaurants and making donations, and also getting cashback in return.

Boosts Super Shake kicked off on 29 April and is a four-month long campaign that goes on until 18 August 2019. To win, all users have to do is spend with Boost to earn tokens and participate in the weekly lucky draw within the Boost app.

Stay tuned for more NewsBytes at TechNave.com.The Undead Archives

I have finally salvaged my pre-Blogger TDR archives and added them into Blogger. They are almost totally in the form of one giant post for each month. And the formatting strayed from the originals. Sorry. But historians everywhere can rejoice that this treasure trove of my thoughts is restored to the world.Looking for the vulture assist with Neolithic burials

1 year ago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Ullin  Local residents now have another option for enhancing their skills for a career in construction trades. A recent partnership between Shawnee Community College and the Southern and Central Laborers Union provides students with an opportunity to earn an AAS Degree in Construction Management through the college. The program is open to students who have been accepted as a union apprentice or have graduated from the Illinois Laborers and Contractors Joint Apprenticeship and Training Program (ILCJATP) allowing these individuals to further their academic progress through the online AAS degree in Construction Management.

The AAS degree in Construction Management is a cohort-based program that is 100 percent online with 24/7 tutoring services. LBR-designated courses are scheduled and taught by union instructors according to the apprenticeship cycle. SCC will provide general education courses taken by enrolled students. Students may also have an option of enrolling in a regularly scheduled SCC general education course or enrollment in a flexibly-scheduled course for convenience.

During a recent meeting, local labor leaders met with college president Peggy Bradford to present a check for $10,000 to the Saints Foundation of Shawnee College. The money is to be used to provide scholarships to qualified individuals desiring placement in the new AAS program.

We are grateful to Mr. Clint Taylor and the members of the Southern and Central Laborers Union for partnership on behalf of skilled laborers throughout our region. We are excited to offer this degree program as a fully online option, remarked Bradford.

This program will make it easier for the hardworking men and women in our local labor force to obtain their degree and further their career. We are excited to begin this journey with them in reaching their goals.

For more information about this new opportunity, contact Ms. Leslie Cornelious-Weldon, Career Services Coordinator at 618-634-3337 or lesliec@shawneecc.edu for more information about enrolling in the program.

-- The Southern

Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0My dictionary defines a witch as 1: one that is credited with usually malignant supernatural powers; esp: a woman practicing usu. black witchcraft often with the aid of a devil or familiar ... 2: an ugly old woman ... 3: a charming or alluring girl or woman.

As sexist and incorrect as that definition might be, it reflects popular attitudes toward witches and witchcraft. To most Americans, witches are either child-stealing devil worshipers, hideous old women like the Wicked Witch of the West, or lovable enchantresses like the sisters in the television series Charmed.

But witches do exist, though they are nothing like the malevolent sorceresses of popular legend. Witches are followers of a centuries-old religion which traces its roots to the Celts and other pre-historic, matriarchal societies.

As a Goddess-worshiping, woman-centered faith, Wicca, the craft of the wise one (wicce) attracts many women who reject patriarchal faiths like Judaism, Christianity or Islam. Women want to change the internal picture [they] have of a male god in heaven so that these women will no longer accept rule by males on earth, said Naomi Goldenberg, a religious studies professor at the University of Ottawa in Canada. The craft is also popular with changing men and with LGBTQ people of all genders and persuasions.

There are many definitions of witchcraft. Back in my The Weekly News (a former gay South Florida newspaper) days I interviewed Will, a gay male witch who lived in South Florida. Will defined the craft as the worship of the forces that keep the universe together - life and death. Some witches believe in literal deities while others view them as symbols of the forces of the universe. Though often accused of immorality by their enemies, witches have their own code of ethics, the Witches Rede, which Will called the single most important law of the craft. Do as you will so long as it harms none.

Will described himself as a Gardnerian witch, a follower of a sect founded in the last century by Gerald Gardner out of older traditions. Witches gather in covens, groups who convene for religious or magical or psychic purposes. Covens meet weekly (esbats) or seasonally (sabbats). The greatest of eight seasonal sabbats, Samhain, falls on the eve of Nov. 1 and is the precursor to Halloween. Unlike traditional, patriarchal faiths, the craft accepts sexual and gender variance. As with other nature-centered faiths, spiritual leadership is often held by LGBT people. The Radical Faerie movement is, to an extent, a gay male product of Wicca and other neopagan traditions.

According to Will, his adherence to the craft is closely tied to his status as a gay man. Raised as a Presbyterian, Will felt at home the moment he encountered his adoptive faith. Will later became a third-degree priest, the highest rank within the Gardnerian sect.ANNA  A Chicago-based business founded by a Southern Illinois native has donated 60 new computers and two high-speed printers to Anna Junior High over the past two years.

The donated equipment is valued at about $100,000.

The benefactor is Gibson Consulting Group LLC.

The companys founder and managing partner, Wesley Jay Gibson, is a 1975 graduate of Carbondale High School, and his mother, the late Frances Louise Farrar Gibson, is a graduate of the Anna-Jonesboro school system. Though raised in Carbondale, Gibson spent a lot of time growing up in Anna visiting his grandmothers house.

The firm, with headquarters in Chicago, and offices in Tampa, London, Paris, and Shanghai, is a world leader in operational business consulting.

District Principal Mark Laster said he came to know Gibson through David Gould, a mutual friend. Gould, a past president of Anna-Jonesboro National Bank, and his wife, Sondra, are long-standing supporters of the school and community.

Laster said that two years ago, during a casual conversation, Gibson asked if he could do anything to help the school. The first year, he donated 30 new Lenovo laptops. This year, he donated 30 Lenovo desktop computers, monitors and two high-speed printers.

I wanted to do something in memory of my mom, Gibson said last week, of what inspired the donation. In talking to the principal, he said it was clear the district needed new computer technology. Laster said the computers Gibsons company replaced were about 12 years old and sluggish. Technology can help these kids see the big world out there outside of Anna, and know that they can compete and learn here as well as anywhere else, Gibson said.

The Anna Community Consolidated District 37, which serves students age pre-K through eighth grade, receives about $12,000 a year for technology-related expenses. The donation helps stretch that government money further, Laster said, allowing the school to invest in new software and other technology needs. Last year, the district purchased software to assist students struggling with math and reading improve their skills, he said. The donation also came at an opportune time, with schools across Illinois reeling from the state budget stalemate that resulted in the standoff between former Gov. Bruce Rauner and legislative leaders.

In the future, the principal said he plans to purchase 3-D technology software that would offer students the opportunity to dissect hundreds of different animals, tour ancient sites all over the world and other virtual learning experiences.

The donation comes with a bonus benefit to the students as well.

It provides them with a personal example of this guy who grew up in Southern Illinois and has done extremely well for himself, Laster said. It makes them think, I could do the same some day."

Gibson, who has spent the last 40 years living in Chicago and recently moved his primary residence to Florida, said he frequently visits Southern Illinois, where he still has family and business ties. Dozens of relatives still live in Union County. And his company owns a $20 million training center in western Carbondale that hosts business leaders from around the globe for training sessions, he noted.

Gibson is a graduate of Southern Illinois University Carbondale, and previously served as chair of Carbondale High Schools foundation board.

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.CARBONDALE  A senior official with Millennia Housing Management met last week with Carbondale Towers residents and city officials to discuss security and safety concerns in the wake of a death on the property.

In the early morning hours of May 17, police responded to a call about a person trapped in a trash chute in Building A  one of two eight-story towers that sit just north of the Southern Illinois University Carbondale campus. The woman, since identified as 37-year-old Kristin Duncan, of Murphysboro, was deceased when police located her body. The investigation into her death is ongoing, according to the Carbondale Police Department.

Its been really tragic. The residents and staff have both been affected by it, said Valerie Jerome, spokeswoman for Millennia Housing Management, the Cleveland-Ohio-based company that manages the property.

The apartment complex is reserved for seniors and people with disabilities. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, through a contract with Millennia, subsidizes rent for the propertys 231 units. Duncan was not a resident, and its unclear why she was in the building.

Thomas Strausborger, Millennia Housing Managements director of security, invited residents to share their concerns with him at a meeting at the property on Wednesday, Jerome said.

At the listening session, he informed residents that the company will consider upgrading its security camera system and providing funding for a part-time, off-duty police officer to patrol the property. After the incident, residents told The Southern that the camera system is dated and that many of the cameras on site do not work. Accompanied by tenants, a reporter observed that some floors had security cameras and others did not.

Jerome stressed that site improvement discussions are preliminary, and no decisions have been finalized. I dont want to over-promise and under-deliver, she said. In the meantime, she said, Millennia has offered to support residents in forming a tenant group or association to represent their shared interests with management.

Resident Jessica Curry, who has lived at the property for about eight years, said that shes long had concerns about people entering the building who neither lived there nor appeared to be guests of a resident. But she said that the meeting with a senior official brought her some comfort, knowing that she was heard. Im feeling a lot better, she said.

Curry was also among a dozen or so residents who attended a memorial at the property the week prior led by Carlee Coplea, a community volunteer. Coplea, a former prevention educator and current volunteer with The Womens Center, said she knows many of the residents because she had hosted occasional activities at the property for them over the past 18 months or so. After hearing about the incident, Coplea said she wanted to offer residents a space to talk about their feelings, and pay respects to the woman who died.

The incident left many of them shaken, Curry among them.

Curry said she wanted to emphasize that on-site property managers are responsive to her needs as a resident. But she and other residents continue to have concerns about building conditions. Common areas are relatively clean, but the 40-year-old property appears tired and dated. Residents say that bed bugs are a frequent battle, and an overwhelming stench permeates the stairwells.

They do need money for upkeep, Curry said. They need it desperately.

Security camera footage is part of the Carbondale Police Departments death investigation, according to Chief Jeff Grubbs. But residents said that Duncan entered the trash chute on the sixth floor, where there are no working cameras. Grubbs declined to comment on the footage, citing the ongoing investigation.

Grubbs said police department officials also met with Strausborger last week, and expressed the citys desire for the company to enhance and expand site security, and to generally improve the property. The Carbondale Police Department responded to nearly 1,000 calls at the property in 2018, of which 34 were related to trespassing, according to police records provided to the newspaper last week. The majority of the calls were medical in nature, or for welfare or mental health checks. Many of the residents are older, or have physical or mental disabilities.

According to Millennia Housing Managements website, efficiency units rent for $703; one-bedroom units for between $671-810; two-bedroom units for $785-$1,032 and three-bedroom units for $951. Generally, residents contribute 30 percent of their income toward rent, and HUD makes up the difference via monthly payments to Millennia.

Millennia acquired Carbondale Towers in August 2016, as well as the adjacent 40-unit Mill Street Apartments complex.

The company purchased them from Knoxville, Tennessee-based LHP Capital LLC (formerly known as Lawler Wood Housing Partners), along with nine other apartment complexes, the majority of which are in Tennessee. The $106.8 million-dollar deal expanded Millennias portfolio by nearly 2,200 units. Millennia owns about 250 apartment complexes across the country, of which about three-quarters are under contract with HUD for subsidy payments.

Late last year, Andrew Bailey, executive vice president of Millennia Housing Development, told The Southern that the company intends to renovate the Carbondale property after completing its purchase of 37 properties owned by Global Ministries Foundation, a religious nonprofit based in Memphis that had fallen under intense scrutiny from HUD for poor conditions inside some of its buildings. Millennias plans to purchase and renovate those buildings, however, have hit several snags. Chief among them was changing market conditions related to tax reform affecting the low-income housing tax credit program, the primary vehicle for developing and renovating affordable housing. To date, Millennia has closed on 19 of the 37 GMF properties.

Jerome said Friday that Millennia still has plans to renovate Carbondale Towers, but was unable to provide a projected start date for the project. HUD last inspected the property in 2016, and it received a near-perfect 99 out of 100 points. "I can't believe that," said resident David Boyd. "It's a 70, maybe, but not a 99." (A 60 is needed to pass). The city also inspects rental properties, and has not made any significant findings in recent years, according to records reviewed by The Southern.

Love 0 Funny 1 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.SPRINGFIELD  Rep. Kathleen Willis said her bill to increase Firearm Owners Identification card fees and mandate fingerprinting will not be brought to a vote by the Senate before the end of session.

Willis, a Democrat from Addison, said she remains committed to working on the bill over the summer with hopes of reviving it during the fall veto session, a brief two-week period in November when lawmakers return to the Capitol.

I always find bills can find ways to be better, Willis said.

She said she was extremely disappointed the Senate chose not to call the bill.

The push to overhaul and modernize the Firearm Owners Identification Act was a response to the Feb. 15 shooting at the Henry Pratt Company in Aurora. The shooter, who left five dead and wounded five officers, had his FOID card revoked and was illegally in possession of firearms.

Under Willis proposal, both new applications for FOID cards and five-year card renewals would cost $20, up from the current cost of $10. The fees would have gone toward law enforcement revocation efforts.

The bottom line is we need to fix the revocation system, and there's no doubt about that, Willis said.

The increased fees and a mandate that FOID applicants be fingerprinted drew opposition from those who questioned the bills constitutionality and believed the increased fees would cost too much.

I still contend fingerprints at the front end will cut down on the wrong people getting a FOID card, Willis said.

Republicans who opposed Senate Bill 1966 pointed to a bill filed by Rep. Keith Wheeler, a Republican from Oswego, that appropriated funds to revocation efforts without requiring a fingerprint mandate. But that bill did not achieve any legislative success.

Lawmakers on both sides agreed that the revocation system needs improvements, but disagreed on what changes should be made.

Willis said she and Wheeler will work over the summer to address FOID revocations.

I might be slowed down, but Im not down, Willis said.

Love 3 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 0Calculator.net says it takes 65 minutes to drive from Golconda to Carbondale, although anyone who has experienced that drive might claim 65 minutes is optimistic.

Thebes is 59 minutes from Carbondale, Metropolis 66 minutes.

The same site says Akin is 38 minutes from Mount Vernon, while the Crossville to Mount Vernon commute is 58 minutes.

Those times are interesting factoids for planning day trips around Southern Illinois. But, the times can make a critical difference when an expectant mother goes into unexpected labor.

The myth of American healthcare superiority took another body blow earlier this month when Heartland Regional Medical Center in Marion announced it would no longer offer birthing services. The service was discontinued as of yesterday.

That leaves just two hospitals, Memorial Hospital of Carbondale and SSM Health Good Samaritan Hospital, as the only two facilities in the 16 lower counties of Illinois offering childbirth services. Let that sink in for a minute.

Twenty-five years ago when a women in Jonesboro went into labor, it was a matter of rushing to the hospital in Anna. The same scenario held true in Eldorado, Elizabethtown, Benton and Du Quoin. That is no longer the case.

For the vast majority of Southern Illinois residents, the delivery room is at least 30 minutes away. This situation isnt unique to our region. Childbirth, considered a routine medical procedure by most Americans, at least male Americans, is becoming increasingly more dangerous in the United States.

American women are 50 percent more likely to die in childbirth than their own mothers, said Dr. Neel Shah, a Harvard Medical School obstetrician, in a recent Associated Press story.

Although many Americans still puff out their chests and boast that our medical system is the best in the world, the numbers just dont back that up. According to Healthcare System Tracker and the Kaiser Family Foundation, America has higher rates of hospital admissions for preventable diseases than most industrialized nations.

The United States also has higher rates of mortality amenable to healthcare  deaths that could be prevented with quick, and effective, care.

The situation is even more grim when it relates to childbirth, infant and maternal mortality.

The Central Intelligence Agency tracks maternal mortality rates worldwide. The United States ranks behind Saudi Arabia, Bulgaria, the United Arab Emirates and Croatia. The Center for Disease Control said there are 17 maternal deaths per 100,000 live deliveries in the United States.

CIA figures show there are 5.8 infant deaths during childbirth per 1,000 live births in the United States. That may sound statistically insignificant, but when it is your child or grandchild among the 5.8, its devastating. Cuba, South Korea and Norway all have lower infant mortality rates. Japan, at 2.0 deaths per 1,000 live births, is the safest nation worldwide for childbirth.

Medicaid rules also complicate the childbirth issue. Medicaid benefits dont transfer across state lines. That means a woman living in Ware cant take the much shorter drive to Cape Girardeau. Instead, she has to drive to Carbondale. The woman in Metropolis cant 10 minutes across the Ohio River bridge, she has to made the 66-minute trek to Carbondale.

While it is difficult to envision a solution to the lack of facilities offering childbirth services unless that state offers a grant or incentive program to medical facilities. Unfortunately, that takes money and the State of Illinois is still operating on pauper status. Conversely, it certainly seems government entities can make Medicaid benefits transferrable through mutual assistance programs. The current system imposes undue, ridiculous, and potentially fatal hardships on families.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0Economic developers select leaders

MYRTLE BEACH -- The South Carolina Economic Developers Association announced its 2019-20 officers and board of directors during the organizations annual conference in Myrtle Beach.

SCEDA and its 800-plus members have been the "Voice of Economic Development" in the Palmetto State for more than 50 years.

Andrena Powell-Baker, senior manager of community relations and development at Lockhart Power Co., will serve as the 2019-20 SCEDA president.

Among those on the board of directors is secretary Sandy Steele of the SouthernCarolina Regional Alliance.

Newly elected directors include John Truluck of Dorchester County Economic Development.

Ports Authority reports volume growth

CHARLESTON  The South Carolina Ports Authority reported 10.4% fiscal year-to-date container volume growth, with nearly 2 million 20-foot equivalent container units handled since July.

SCPA moved 204,621 TEUs across the Wando Welch and North Charleston container terminals in April, a 4.2 percent increase compared to April 2018 volumes.

As measured by the total number of boxes handled, SCPA moved 116,443 pier containers in April for a total of 1.1 million containers fiscal year to date.

April was strong for SCPAs container business, supporting volumes well above planned levels with only two months remaining in the fiscal year, said Jim Newsome, SCPA president and CEO. Our continued growth is testament to the commitment and skills of our employees and maritime community, and we look forward to a very positive FY2019 finish in June.

Both inland facilities reached near-record volumes in April. Inland Port Greer handled 13,724 rail moves, the second highest month in its history, for total fiscal year-to-date volume of 112,952 moves. Inland Port Dillon also achieved the second-best month in its history, with 3,411 rail moves. April marked the one-year anniversary of the opening of Inland Port Dillon, which has handled 24,423 rail moves since SCPAs fiscal year began.

P&C buys Steeplechase of Charleston

The Post and Courier is getting into the horse racing business, acquiring the ownership rights to Steeplechase of Charleston, according to the Charleston Regional Business Journal.

P.J. Browning, publisher of The Post and Courier, announced at The Dewberry that acquiring the event helps the media company to diversify its portfolio and invest in its community.

It makes good business sense for all of us here to pay attention to the ways in which Charleston residents and visitors alike embrace our unique events, Browning said. Thousands of people attend festivals around town each year, and theres every reason that this can and should happen with Steeplechase.

A steeplechase is a horse race in which horses must jump over obstacles along the way to the finish line. Toby Edwards, race director for Steeplechase of Charleston and a former jockey, said the history of steeplechase in Charleston dates back to 1792.

For the past several years, Steeplechase of Charleston has been run at the Stono Ferry Racetrack in Hollywood.

The Carolina Cup steeplechase attracts thousands each year to the event in Camden.

The Post and Courier purchased the Steeplechase of Charleston from The Randolph Co., a Sullivans Island-based marketing company that bought the race in 2018. Austin Walker, CEO of The Randolph Co., declined to say how much he had sold the Steeplechase for.

Because Steeplechase occupies such a colorful, storied place in the history of this community, we also want to make sure that we inform Charlestons future with this race and what it has meant, Browning said.

So when Austin approached us about a partnership, we jumped at the chance and felt like it was a perfect fit with what we have going on.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0Aiken Electric Cooperative recently awarded three college scholarships to local graduating seniors. One $1,000 Trustee scholarship was awarded to Chancellor Nguyen and two $1,000 Touchstone Energy scholarships were awarded to Joshua Hutto and Hannah Poole.

The Touchstone Energy scholarships are awarded to graduating high school seniors, one planning to attend a four-year university or college and another planning to enroll in a two-year technical school. Competitive selection for this scholarship is based on: academics, extracurricular activities, community involvement, self-analysis and an essay.

Joshua Hutto, Orangeburg Preparatory School, was awarded the scholarship for a four-year university or college. He plans to attend the South Carolina Honors College to study biology.

The winner of the two-year technical school scholarship is Hannah Poole of Swansea High School. She plans to attend Midlands Technical College to become a nurse.

The trustee scholarship, personally funded by the cooperatives trustees, was awarded to Chancellor Nguyen, South Aiken High School. Chancellor plans to attend the University of South Carolina to study bioengineering on a premed track.

High school seniors whose primary residence is served by Aiken Electric Cooperative are eligible to apply for the scholarships. Next years scholarship applications will be available in November 2019 at Aiken Co-op offices, on the website www.aikenco-op.org or by calling 800-922-1262.

Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0A student at Felton Laboratory Charter School, Benjamin Brown, was one of a few thousand seventh-grade students from across the nation recognized for scoring well on the ACT or SAT test by Duke University Talent Identification Program (Duke TIP).

Brown, 12, attended the annual State Recognition Ceremony May 14, at Campbell University. The Duke TIP 7th Grade Talent Search enrolled 3,340 students from the state of South Carolina. Of the 2,765 students in South Carolina who tested, 584 students (21%) qualified to attend a state ceremony.

Brown will study fundamental topics of law, including the criminal and civil justice system, at Appalachian State University during Duke TIP's Summer Studies program.

Love 1 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0Bamberg County

Sheriffs Office

A man was arrested for disorderly conduct after a disagreement with his sister.

Deputies were dispatched on May 27 to a residence in reference to a male being drunk and harassing his sister. Upon a deputys arrival, another officer was explaining to both parties that they could not make someone leave their own property. The male subject stated that when he returned home, he could not get inside due to the doors being locked, so he began banging on the doors and windows. The victim stated she would not open the door due to him being intoxicated and yelling.

While deputies were explaining that they both had the right to be inside, the subject stated he was going inside to sleep and walked away. When he entered the residence, he stated that he was going to lock his sister out and proceeded to open and close the door several times, Deputies walked onto the porch in an attempt to prevent the subject from locking the door. The subject attempted to close the door again, and a deputy prevented that action.

The subject began yelling and then lunged at the deputy. The subject was then arrested for disorderly conduct.

In other reports:

 A deputy was dispatched on May 13 in reference to some stolen tires and rims. Upon the deputys arrival, the victim stated that earlier that same weekm she had been having an issue with her tires and had them and the rims taken off her car. She then stated that on this date and time, she went to retrieve her tires and rims to get the issues fixed and they were gone. She also stated that she has no idea who could have taken them. Information was gathered and a report was taken.

 On May 25, a deputy spoke to a woman who said her digital camera had been stolen and told him who she believed had stolen it. She also told the deputy that a female told her that the male suspect was down at her place trying to sell a camera.

The deputy then went to a residence where the victim stated the subject would be. The subject stated that he had not been to the victims residence in days, so that he could not have stolen it. The deputy then went to the address of the female reported to have said the subject had tried to sell a camera. This female denied making those statements. The deputy then called the victim back and relayed the statement made by that female. The deputy gathered all information and filed a report.

 Units responded on May 26 to a location in response to an argument. On arrival, a male stated that his ex-girlfriend had dropped their children off at his uncles house, and he was returning them to her at her mothers house. He then stated that he and his ex-girlfriend got into an argument, and she took his keys out of his car and gave them to her brother, who then threw the keys into the woods. Multiple people had attempted to find the keys but were not successful.

The female denied being present when the incident occurred. The females brother did not admit to throwing the keys. However, someone pointed in the direction the keys were thrown. The keys were not found, but after a long while, the victim was able to get a spare key from the party from whom he purchased his vehicle. A charge of all other larceny/petit larceny was filed. Also, the victim had a no trespassing notice placed on him by the home owner.

Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 0Area lawmakers spent the last several months working to improve oversight of electric cooperative boards and reform the states education system.

But that is not all.

Other bills directly handled by the local legislative delegation seek to enhance the role of physician assistants in rural areas, increase solar tax credits, improve DUI enforcement and more.

Electric cooperatives

Rep. Russell Ott, D-St. Matthews, authored legislation which was signed into law by Gov. Henry McMaster on May 17. It revises rules which govern electric cooperatives by increasing transparency and adding limited government oversight.

"It will restore trust to the co-op model and the co-op system, Ott said.

The law was prompted by concerns about the former board of Tri-County Electric Cooperative in St. Matthews.

In May 2018, members of Tri-County Electric complained about election improprieties at its annual meeting.

The board was accused of receiving excessive compensation and meeting too often. Employees alleged that one board member paid less than $3,000 for a $300,000 power line that was installed on his farm.

Eventually, cooperative members ousted the entire board, elected a new board and approved a new set of organization bylaws.

The law requires co-ops to make more information available to the members, who are both owners and customers of the utilities.

Co-ops will now give members advance notice of board meetings and make meeting minutes available. Voting periods for board members will be extended.

Board compensation will be published online for members.

The Office of Regulatory Staff will also be authorized to examine co-ops adherence to their bylaws and the law.

Santee Cooper

Lawmakers spent a significant amount of time over the past few months debating whether to sell the state-owned Santee Cooper or get a private utility to run it.

The push to sell Santee Cooper has grown since it and private partner S.C. Electric & Gas halted work on the $9 billion expansion of the V.C. Summer Nuclear Station.

Ott serves on the Santee Cooper conference committee, which is responsible for determining the fate of the utility.

He said the conference committee has come up with a joint resolution that asks the State Department of Administration to work in soliciting offers for either the sale or the management of the utility. It also tasks Santee Cooper with coming up with ways it can operate in a more fiscally responsible manner to drive down rates and debts.

"That is a huge deal with the state of South Carolina," Ott said. "In the history of the country, no state has sold an electric utility of this size."

"It is the biggest financial decision for the state of South Carolina in its entire history," he continued. "It is a $1 billion asset that will have lasting ramifications for the state."

Ott said the legislation would create a process to get the bids and to work with any private companies that want to enter into negotiations.

Ott said he is withholding his opinion on what should be done until the process plays out and we know what the bidding offers are.

He said the number one goal is to make sure customers are provided low utility rates that are attractive to residential and commercial users.

"That has to be our focus," he said.

In addition to selling power, Santee Cooper is involved in a broad range of projects including treating water at plants on Lake Marion and Lake Moultrie.

The Lake Marion Regional Water Agency buys its water from Santee Coopers treatment plant, which pulls water from Lake Marion. The agency serves Orangeburg County and the towns of Santee, Bowman and Vance. It also includes Calhoun, Berkeley and Dorchester counties.

Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter, D-Orangeburg, said, "My particular interest is the Lake Marion Water Agency and because of Santee Cooper's role in the agency, we need to make sure any negotiations include Lake Marion as well as Indian Bluff recreation facility.

"I want to make sure Orangeburg County comes out as a winner all the way around."

She also says it will be important to her that her constituents who are served by Santee Cooper, don't wind up holding the bag.

Rep. Jerry Govan, D-Orangeburg, said he agrees with the need to look at all options, to do what is in the best interest of the ratepayers and the state of South Carolina.

The utility is responsible for maintaining both lakes Marion and Moultrie, including navigation, property and campground management and development, as well as the development of waterfront recreation sites.

It is responsible for environmental stewardship including sea turtle protection, mosquito control, wildlife habitat management, and forest and undeveloped land management.

Ott said any bidder would be able to structure an offer as they please. He said this offer could include just power generation and transmission or include the lakes and recreation aspect of Santee Cooper.

"The bottom line is we are going to make sure those lakes are protected and the property owners around those lakes and the businesses around those lakes are protected," Ott said. "If they want to make an offer for the lakes and Santee Cooper, we will have tight, binding language to ensure that it is all protected into perpetuity."

He said experts will be brought in to work alongside the Department of Administration to, make sure the process is tight and cannot be manipulated.

Physician assistants

The Physician Assistant Act of 2019, sponsored by Sen. Brad Hutto, was signed into law by McMaster on May 13.

Hutto, D-Orangeburg, says the bill should especially help rural areas of the state such as Orangeburg, Calhoun and Bamberg counties.

"The future of rural health is nursing practitioners and PAs," he said. "The health care needs have gone up and there are not enough doctors in rural areas."

The bill will streamline the process for individuals applying for their license after they finish their education and allows the state to be more attractive to those individuals coming from out of state to receive a PA's license.

The law also allows doctors to hire more PAs if needed and allows doctors greater flexibility in how far their PAs can work away from them.

The law will allow PAs to prescribe up to five days (rather than the current three days) of Schedule II narcotics including opioids.

Sexual assault kits

House Bill 3309, sponsored by Cobb-Hunter, would require the State Law Enforcement Division to create a statewide sexual assault kit tracking system.

The bill passed out of the House and is being considered by the Senate Judiciary Committee.

The bill requires law enforcement agencies to record and report when a rape kit is done. The victim will have the right to know the status of the evidence and the investigation process.

If passed, SLED would have to submit a biannual report to lawmakers on the number of kits and how long it takes for them to be processed.

"There is a DNA evidence kit backlog," Cobb-Hunter said. "My bill will create a tracking system that will be helpful not just for Orangeburg County victims of sexual assault but statewide."

When lawmakers return to the statehouse in January, the committee will begin a discussion on the bill. If passed, this system would go online in 2021.

DUI bills

One bill sponsored by Hutto, would require an ignition anti-lock device if a first-time driving under the influence offender seeks to end a suspension.

Another bill sponsored by Hutto would require mandatory training of individuals who serve alcohol, such as bartenders.

Servers would be trained to spot such things as fake identification cards and procedures to recognize and refuse someone who has had too much to drink.

The bills are currently in the House Judiciary Committee.

Education reform

The "SC Career Opportunity and Access for All Act" was the focus of Sen. John Matthews, D-Bowman, and other members of the local delegation.

Matthews said there were over a dozen meetings of the Senate subcommittee looking at the legislation and about five public hearings across the state.

The bill looks at a number of things, including changing the state's funding of public education to ensure poor and rural communities get an even opportunity.

"It will be there for next year as a vehicle for reform," Matthews said.

Rep. Jerry Govan, who is chair of the S.C. Legislative Black Caucus, said he and the caucus have supported education reform for years.

"I think the bill is where it needs to be going through a process that still allows changes and input," the Orangeburg Democrat said. "I think next year we will see a formally adopted education reform bill."

He noted many requests of teachers were addressed through the appropriations bill such as a teacher pay increase and additional money for school resource officers.

"I think we need to come back to the table next year and do more for support staff," like cafeteria workers, bus drivers and other support positions, Govan said. "Teachers are the most critical component, but there are other components that combine together that provide our children what they need."

Student Loan Bill of Rights

House Bill 3197, sponsored by Govan, would provide more oversight of companies that collect on student loan debt.

The Student Loan Bill of Rights Act would require any company that wants to operate in the state and collect on student loan debt to be licensed through the states Commission on Higher Education. The bill is in the House Committee on Education and Public Works.

A companion bill, also sponsored by Govan, would require high school students to take financial literacy programs, especially on topics related to college and education loans, payment obligations, credit and education loan debt.

The bill is in the House Committee on Education and Public Works.

Hate crimes legislation

House Bill 3063, sponsored by Govan, would provide penalties for a person convicted of a crime based on race, religion, color, sex, age or sexual orientation.

The bill is in the House Judiciary Committee.

"South Carolina is only one of five states in the nation that does not have a hate crime bill," Govan said.

Economic development incentives

Matthews says he is still pushing the Port Enhancement Zone Act.

He has been trying to get the legislation passed for the past four years.

The bill would designate the trademarked Global Logistics Triangle -- bordered by U.S. 301, Interstate 26 and Interstate 95 -- as a port enhancement zone and enhance incentives already in place to attract port-related companies into what is an underserved and high-poverty area."

Among other things, the bill would:

 Allow taxpayers that qualify for the job tax credit to be allowed an additional $1,000 credit for each new full-time job created in the zone.

 Allow a taxpayer that creates at least 50 full-time new jobs in the zone to petition for a moratorium on state corporate income taxes or insurance premium taxes for ten years.

 Allow a tax credit for companies engaged in manufacturing, warehousing or distribution that use the port.

 Would increase the maximum amount of tax credits allowed from $8 million to $9 million for each year for all taxpayers that export or import through the port.

The bill currently resides in the Senate's Finance Committee.

Contact the writer: gzaleski@timesanddemocrat.com or 803-533-5551. Check out Zaleski on Twitter at @ZaleskiTD.

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 are living in interesting times with issues like abortion, trade talks with China, stock market losses, immigration crisis on the border, North Korea, Iran, Venezuela, floods and storms, President Donald Trump, and two dozen Democrats running for president.

Earlier this year New Yorkers literally cheered and celebrated a new state law legalizing abortion for any reason up to birth. Virginias governor told a radio audience that proposed state legislation would legalize mothers and medical providers decision to kill a baby after birth if they chose termination for any reason. Pro-choice folks cheered!

Recently Alabama and Missouri joined some other states passing legislation essentially making abortion for any reason criminally illegal. Pro-life folks cheered! National media have labeled pro-life legislation controversial and pro-choice legislation reasonable. According to Gallups May 2018 poll, Americans are still relatively split with 29% saying abortion should be legal under any circumstances, 50% legal only under certain circumstances, and 18% illegal in all circumstances.

Trade talks with China continued without any resolution. Markets plummeted with significant losses a week ago. Regardless of the origin of the curse, we are living in interesting times.

The crisis that Trump created on our southern border  oh wait, thats what the national media and political establishment have been saying for the past two years  the immigration crisis on the border has finally attracted the attention of national media and political establishment. According to federal statistics, Border Patrol apprehensions for this fiscal year, through March, have exceeded the entire fiscal year totals for 2017, 2015, 2012, and 2011.

The U.S. intelligence community has confirmed that North Korea and Iran have increased missile tests and continued nuclear development. Venezuelans are starving while Cuban mercenaries backed by Russia control the police state. Storms and flooding continue battering middle America and the South elevating concerns about agricultural and economic losses, not to mention countless stories of personal tragedies.

The only thing all these crises have in common is President Donald J. Trump. Thats why nearly two dozen Democrats have announced their campaigns to defeat Trump in 2020. The national media and political establishment are all over the 2020 election like white on rice  uh, white rice.

The House has failed more than 40 times to vote on a bill requiring medical personnel to care for babies who survive abortion attempts. Apparently, neither the national media nor the political establishment consider this inaction news or the babies worthy of attention. Abortion may be the number one issue that swings the 2020 election.

Who will blink first in trade talks with China? The Trump administration or China? Former administrations, both Democrat and Republican, have never leveled the trade playing field between the U.S. and China. America has lost hundreds of billions of trading dollars annually to China for decades. Something will give this year.

The world is full of bad actor nations. We dont need to interfere in their domestic concerns. They should be very wary of interfering with America while Trump is president.

Democrats, national media and the political establishment will continue to orchestrate attention-getting crises and diversions of all kinds for the sole purpose of running Trump out of office. Meanwhile origins of all the investigations, or lack thereof under the Obama administration, will gradually come to light.

Daniel L. Gardner is a syndicated columnist who lives in Starkville, MS. You may contact him at PJandMe2@gmail.com

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0(WM) In an audio recording release by Equality Florida May 31, Republican State Rep. Mike Hill can be heard laughing along during a public meeting at a constituent who suggested Hill file legislation requiring LGBTQ people be put to death.

The recording begins with Hill answering a question from a different constituent than the one who suggested killing LGBTQ people who asks why fellow Republican Rep. Alexander Andrade co-sponsored the Florida Competitive Workforce Act. Hill responds saying he cannot speak for Andrade but that thank goodness that legislation didnt go no where.

Hill goes on to call a persons sexual orientation a choice and that it has no right being listed in the states civil rights law because of that. Hill also states in the recording that while religion is also a choice, that it should remain in the civil rights law.

At the end of the recording a man quotes a Bible verse which states a man who has an affair with another man should be put to death and then asks Hill if he could put legislation through that says as much. Hill responds by laughing.

Equality Florida condemned Hills statements in the recording calling them reckless and bigoted.

Words matter. The comments made by Representative Mike Hill this week are both deeply disturbing and dangerous, said Brandon Wolf, Equality Florida Media Relations Manager and Pulse survivor, in a statement. Representative Hill should be embarrassed and ashamed for laughing along with the suggestion that he file legislation requiring the execution of LGBTQ people.

Democratic Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith, who is one of three openly LGBTQ state representatives, blasted Hill on Twitter.

Im shocked & disgusted to discover a colleague who Ive worked closely with would joke about punishing me by death for being gay, Smith tweeted. 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://twitter.com/MikeHillfl?

Smith continued in another tweet, saying 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!!!!Issues of concern to people who live in the west: property rights, water rights, endangered species, livestock grazing, energy production, wilderness and western agriculture. Plus a few items on western history, western literature and the sport of rodeo... Frank DuBois served as the NM Secretary of Agriculture from 1988 to 2003. DuBois is a former legislative assistant to a U.S. Senator, a Deputy Assistant Secretary of Interior, and is the founder of the DuBois Rodeo Scholarship.Professionals in the dairy industry met on Friday ahead of International Milk Day on Saturday 1 June.

A number of professionals from the dairy industry met with Minister of Agriculture Romain Schneider on Friday to mark International Milk Day. Representatives of Luxembourg's dairy union, LVM (Letzebuerger Verband fir Molkereifachleit a Mellechwirtschaftler) held a presentation, extolling the virtues of milk as a high quality and healthy Luxembourg product. The meeting's attendees also discussed their plans for the future of Luxembourg's dairy farmers.

Jos Schiltz, LVM's president, suggested that farmers focus on producing more niche products that aren't available in other EU countries. On a European level, they needed to look at training and formation, while also taking into account the region's needs. Schiltz said dairy schools could introduce new courses, focusing on digitalisation which could be used for production. Schneider agreed that support was needed to encourage young farmers, as well as newcomers to the industry.



A large portion of agricultural politics is decided on an EU level, and Schneider said he would push for a strong basic income in the next European legislative period.

The majority of Luxembourg milk is currently exported, partially in powder form. The EU exports dried milk to countries such as Algeria and Egypt.

European agricultural politics is often criticised for its impact on other markets. Through the subsidisation of European agricultural products, these are able to sold fairly cheaply in some African countries. The Minister of Agriculture said this was a question of development help, pointing out the market needs to increase in these countries. He said EU countries are able to share know how, to encourage other countries to work on their own milk production. However, critics say that the development of the agricultural sector in many African countries is halted by the export of European products.

On Saturday, LVM will hold a manifestation in Place Guillaume II to mark International Milk Day.

Video in LuxembourgishArt covers the walls at a new downtown Casper pop-up art gallery and shop called Art & Accents. The front door opens into a gallery featuring Chinese artist Cao Dali with rooms behind filled with more artists works, antiques, vintage art prints and a variety of unique home decor.

Becky Bulfer and her sister Laurie Wilson opened the shop for the summer to sell whats left of their mothers estate. Local artist and collector Frances Schauss died in January 2018 at age 89.

Art & Accents is open through mid-August on Thursday and Friday evenings, Saturdays and by appointment. The shop also stays open late for the Casper Art Walk on first Thursdays.

Some works by Dali and other Chinese artists in the shop will be showcased Thursday evening at Donells Candies during the June Art Walk. Their variety ranges from abstract works to portraits, figures and scenes depicting life and culture in China.

Jaws dropped during the estate sale at how much their mother had collected in her Casper home of six decades. A fraction of it now fills the downtown shop after a few years of working on the estate, Bulfer said.

And they would walk around and look at all this stuff and say, Oh my God, she must have been so fascinating, she said.

The items in the store range from original art and antiques to prints and home decor items priced as low as $5, Bulfer said.

And everythings pretty much one of a kind, she said.

Bulfer was driving downtown a few weeks ago when she spotted a For Rent sign on the Midwest Avenue storefront downtown. A temporary rental happened to work out best for the landlord too, so the sisters jumped at the opportunity, she said.

The two dont mind becoming downtown shopkeepers for a season.

Its just fun talking to people about the art and where it came from and the interesting family history, Wilson said.

Bulfer dusted a tea set at the shop Thursday while Wilson helped price the dishware and other newly-arrived items. A framed print signed by well-known artist Frances Brundage rested in a tabletop easel nearby. Picture frames fill another table at the back of the new shop. Paintings by their mother and other artists surrounded them as they worked.

Schauss created oil and pastel still life paintings, portraits, flowers and landscapes  which she often painted on outings with her fellow artist friends and in Casper College art classes, Bulfer said. She won local to national art contests and was a member of the Casper Artists Guild, according to her obituary.

Their mother collected art from friends and artists who led workshops she took around the country, as well as items form her travels around the world, Bulfer said.

Schauss wasnt the only art collector in the family. Her son Bill Schauss collected numerous paintings by Cao Dali after he befriended the artist in the late 1980s while working in China. He helped Dali come to the U.S. and sell his art, Bulfer said.

Dali faced hardship and artistic restriction during the Cultural Revolution, became an internationally-shown artist and is now retired as a Vice Chancellor of the Beijing Academy of Fine Arts, according to a website Bulfer created about his art, caodali.net. When Bill died about 10 years ago, his collection of art by Dali and other Chinese artists went to their mother. The shop now offers the last of his collection as well, Bulfer said.

In one room, the sisters showed a hand-painted Limoges jardiniere once owned by a family friend in the Henning mansion. Wilson pointed out intricate details in porcelain lace figurines and explained how the ceramic womens dresses were created by dipping real lace into the porcelain.

The shop even features a colorful array of new blankets, stuffed animals and hats crocheted by a pen pal in prison with whom their mother exchanged letters.

People from Casper to across the globe have bought items from the estate during the past few years, the sisters said.

We thought its kind of neat, a little piece of mom is going around the world, Bulfer said. Its nice somebody else can enjoy it as much as she did.

Follow reporter Elysia Conner on Twitter @erconner

Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0

The business news you need Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.Pain to Praise is a two-day encounter with the Bible, planned by Casper-raised K.D. Stewart. The ticketed event features numerous presenters, including a speech by the widow of the space shuttle Columbia commander Rick Husband, as well as worship, music and an artisan market.

We chatted with Stewart about what led her to establish the nonprofit Deep End Ministries and organize this first encounter that will be held Friday evening and all day Saturday at the Wolcott Galleria event venue, 136 S. Wolcott.

Tell us a little bit about yourself. I grew up in Casper  Crest Hill, Dean Morgan, Natrona, University of Wyoming, and I was in broadcast journalism for 14 years. I went south and became a Southern city girl  thought Id never leave. In 2007, I went to seminary at Dallas Theological Seminary at age 40, and in 2011, I graduated with a masters of theology degree. Within a few months of my graduation, I began to be stalked by a man in Dallas who had been one of my mentors. I came home to shelter in place. It has been a place of healing. I never anticipated Id be here for seven-plus years. Im learning Gods purpose in that and as I learn that, I want to share that with others. I live with PTSD and depression. Its hard to take that publicly but we have to start being honest and authentic about our life experiences as Christ followers.

Can you tell us the idea behind the encounter weekend? Its something kind of new in Casper. Its a weekend encounter with the Lord. Were going to get very real, very raw, help people go to a place thats very personal with the Lord. I like the word encounter because conference seems too business-like, workshop seems too boring. Were going to encounter Gods faithfulness in the midst of their struggles, were going a mile deep and an inch wide. And the only thing worse than pain is pain with no purpose.

Is this women specific or are men welcome too? Its specific to people who struggle and suffer and want to know where God is  its not girly, not burly, its Bible and its truth.

Tell us about the featured speaker. I met Evelyn Husband, now Thompson, within a few weeks of the Columbia accident in February 2003. I was with a Christian public relations firm and she was thrust onto the international media stage. I was a media relations specialist so I traveled with her Mothers Day 2003 to California. Her very first public event was the Billy Graham Crusade in San Diego and Billy and Franklin Graham were both there. Shes going to share the gift that the Lord has given her to tell her story, to speak truth and life into peoples lives. God in his infinite wisdom has given her a tremendous platform. I started out as her publicist. She taught me how to suffer well and has become a dear, dear friend. When I told her about this idea I had last fall, she asked, can I come and speak to your people in Casper? She is traveling here at her own expense and Ill add that no one  no one involved in this is getting paid to be here.

And there is an artisan market? Yes, the Made in Faith Market features local artisans who are using their gifts to produce something that honors the Lord and blesses people. We know its the Nic Fest too that weekend, but God is very intentional and hes going to put all these awesome people downtown at the same time so they can experience it all. All proceeds over and above expenses will be split between Deep End Ministries and True Care Ministries of Casper, and all proceeds from the market go straight to True Care as well.

Tell us about the tickets. The market is open to the public at no cost. The encounter is a ticketed event and includes it all  the whole program, refreshments, the market. Tickets will be deeply discounted this week at our sellers  Donnells Candy, Cadillac Cowgirl and Total Elegance, and on the website, www.Pain2Praise.com. At the door, tickets are $45.

And you have scholarships? Yes, there are scholarships available. Please email info@thedeepend.org if you need to be at the encounter and need help with a ticket.

Is this going to be a heavy weekend? Its a combo of heavy and uplifting. Were going to stir your soul and tickle your funny bone. Evelyn is just hilarious, she has a great sense of humor and that comes through in her messages. And one of my books is titled, Would I Really Marry My Cat  From the Ridiculous to the Raw, What I Have Learned About Trusting God While Living in My Mothers Basement, so I can get pretty ridiculous as well.

Follow community news editor Sally Ann Shurmur on Twitter @WYOSAS

Love 2 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.Here is a ritual.

There are two long rows of students, black caps and black gowns, white sashes for boys and blue for girls. On stage are stacked blue folders, with important-looking people sitting behind them. Roosevelt Highs graduating class is 40-some students, each a triumph. Some soon-to-be graduates hold their babies. Two others wait in wheelchairs for their turn to cross the stage.

Here is Sara Cardenas, sitting near the end of the second row of students. She is 17, short even in heels, with a circular face that ends in a pointed chin. She rolls her eyes frequently, less out of angst and more out of earned impatience. She is a former Natrona County High student who took her baby to school one day and a week later was in an entirely new world.

Here is a student. Sara is a senior, graduating on Thursday, the day before she turns 18. She is not far removed from the days when showing up to school once a week was an aspiration. Now shes taking Casper College classes and has a career in mind. Her family and friends fill five rows of the Casper Events Center.

Here is a mother. Saras nearly 3-year-old daughter toddles along the front row of bleachers, using knees as hand rails. Little Kloye  pronounced like Chloe  waves to her mom, who looks up from the auditorium floor and smiles back from beneath her black graduation cap. The blue and white tassel keeps getting caught in her eyelashes.

Here is a survivor. Twice evicted, pregnant at 14, the daughter of parents she says were absent and troubled. Sara is tough and wields a selective shield. Ask her about her childhood and details may pour out. Ask about her softball team, and shell fix you with a dead-eyed glare and ask who told you she played. She designed the jerseys. They say, Pitch, I will slug you.

If there is a single moment when a person is considered officially an adult, high school graduation is it. That stage is the finish line of a long run for Roosevelt students, who cross it each with a story to tell. One student who spoke at the ceremony broke down while talking about her fight with cancer. Another laughed about his past struggles with his own existence.

For Sara, walking across that stage is a triumph over challenges that are difficult to comprehend. But it is not an ascension into the ranks of the older. Sara has been an adult for years now. The ceremony is more like the opposite.

Here is a teenager celebrating a teenage milestone.

***

Looking into Saras eyes can be like gazing into the night. It is not emptiness or darkness that stares back at you. It is knowledge and memories that you will never know or be able to understand, a chasm a stranger cannot bridge.

She looks like that when she talks about her childhood, describing years of neglect in an even voice that changes only when she ends a sentence with an emotionless laugh. She is from Casper, born and raised. She lived with her father. She went to Cottonwood and CY. She has been self-sufficient since the third grade  waking herself up for school, making her own breakfast, getting on the bus. When her brother was old enough to go to school, she took care of him, too. Wake up, clothes, food, bus. She tried to keep her brother on his schoolwork, knowing that if he didnt he would end up like her: struggling to stay afloat.

I had to parent at such a young age, Sara said, sitting in the nursery at Roosevelt recently. Kloye was fast asleep in footy pajamas in a small tent nearby. Being neglected, meaning I was more on my own, and when I did come into contact with my father, it was usually fighting.

They fought over crumbs on the counter, sodas in the fridge, how long it took Sara to walk back from the bus stop, whether or not Sara had to take her brother with her everywhere she went. She was her brothers main parent, she said. She had little time to be a kid. She had no cellphone and few friends outside of her neighborhood.

I would make food, and I would get yelled at for not asking (my brother) if he wanted something, she said. I had to make sure (his) room was picked up, I had to make sure (he) had this and (he) had that. And (my dad) wasnt doing his father part of the job.

Her own childhood went on. In seventh grade she learned she could sing. She joined the choir.

Everybody else had flowers and pictures, she said of how parents would treat their children after concerts. Sara had to wait for her dad to show up because he wouldnt stay. But I learned to just do it. I became way more independent. If hes not going to be here, Im going to do it myself. I can do it on my own. I dont need him.

Two years later, at 14 and a freshman at Natrona County High, she got pregnant.

I didnt get the opportunities that a lot of people did, especially because I didnt have a mom, Sara says. Her biological parents didnt get along and did not live together. She wasnt there to teach me things, like womanly things I need to know. So I didnt get that, and its a little awkward to talk about with your dad. I never had a more grown-up talk about birth control, anything like that.

She couldnt hide her pregnancy and one night, her father confronted her. The three of them  Sara, her brother and father  were eating steak. She remembers that distinctly. Her father stopped chewing, stared at Sara and asked if she was pregnant.

He stops, he looks at me with this face full of disappointment, walks up the stairs and doesnt talk to me for the rest of the night, Sara said.

Her life began to accelerate. She saw a doctor only a few times. She went into pre-term labor, flew to Denver, had her contractions stopped and was trapped in Colorado briefly. As Saras belly swelled, classmates made fun of her on the bus, joking about her baby dying.

That annoyed me so much because Im becoming a mom, she said.

On July 19, 2016, she gave birth to Kloye.

***

She moved out of her fathers home and in with her stepsister and her stepsisters mom. But that didnt work out, either, and Sara moved again, this time into an apartment with a group of older people. None was in high school, none had jobs, and none paid rent. They were evicted.

With Kloye in tow, Sara then moved into a trailer with her biological mother. She was only occasionally going to school, when she could leave Kloye with her mom. She paid her share of the rent  $100 a month  but said she discovered her mother was using drugs and wasnt giving the landlord the rent.

Thats my mom, thats the person that I trust, Sara said. She decided to confront her. We had this open, honest relationship where I asked her something and she gave me the blunt, honest truth. So I asked her one day, and it took her like 20 minutes to answer the question because she didnt want me to know.

When she answered yes and I knew about it, like it kind of hit me hard, she continued. And I lost a lot of respect, feelings, the connection that was there.

Because her mom hadnt been paying the rent, Sara was evicted again. She was 16, and Kloye had just turned 1. They moved in with a friend of a friend in late summer 2017, and two months later, he started to balk at living with a young mom and her baby. She had to move again. Two different places with her father, one with her stepsister, the apartment, her moms trailer, now this, all in the span of a few years.

Sara describes all of this deadpan, her tone not breaking, her eyes firm and deep. She is blunt and will occasionally cushion harder details with the soft sarcasm of all that fun stuff: the stress of living, like where Im going to sleep and stay and eat and all that fun stuff. Those around her doing meth and all that fun stuff. When a district spokeswoman tries to steer the conversation away from some of the more intense details, Sara fixes her with an icy glare.

This is her story.

Ive survived a lot of s- that was a struggle for a long time, she said. I dont know. It amazes me based on my story, the difference (now), the big difference of having to struggle every morning, every day, not knowing where Im going to sleep next time, where my next meal is going to come from. Nobody wants to have to worry about those things.

In October 2017, she went to class at Natrona County High with Kloye. She had no one else to leave her with. She had been skipping school because her daughter was the priority. A substitute teacher sent her to the nurses office, who in turn shuffled the mother and daughter to the counselor. The counselor called Greta Hinderliter.

***

Greta coordinates the districts homeless students. In truth, coordinates is too sanitized of a word to describe her work. Those who know her describe her as something of a miracle worker. She finds homes, food, clothes for kids. She has eight students shes worked with graduating from Roosevelt this year. She likes graduations. It reminds her that the sleepless nights worrying about where a kid is are worth it.

She remembered getting the call from Natrona County High that day 18 months ago. She was busy, and schools calling her with concerns were usually not emergencies. She said she would swing by later. No, the voice on the other end of the phone said, you dont understand. This girl brought a baby to class.

Ill be right there, Greta replied.

She remembered first seeing Sara. She looked desperate, Greta said. But there was something in her eyes, a determination, a fire.

Greta worked quickly. She set up Sara to meet with Shawna Trujillo, the principal at Roosevelt, and Nikole Eaton, who runs the schools day care. Like Greta, Nikoles title is much too simple a description of her job. In truth, shes equal parts mother, grandmother, disciplinarian (with an alter-ego the girls detest) and teacher.

Sara showed up for the meeting, which was a good sign by itself. Nikole and Shawna can both remember what she was wearing that first day: a black dress that revealed a bit too much. In that meeting, Nikole got down on the floor, with Kloye on her lap.

OK sweetie, lets just go ahead and  this is not going to work, she told Sara.

Nikole and Shawna both laugh about that day now. Sara resisted  hard  at first. They say she was short with them, curt. (Sara described the meeting as going fine.) Nikole gave her a tour of the school, which was brand new, to the point that Nikole didnt know where anything was.

Sara was slow to warm because she didnt have anybody to trust, Shawna explained. She never had anybody that it was safe enough to just let it be.

Still, Sara needed somewhere to live. Via Greta, Shawna and Nikole heard about a couple who didnt have kids who would be willing to take her in.

She had this baby that she had to protect, she didnt have any resources, she didnt have any supports, she didnt want any, Shawna said. And then all of a sudden, here come Heather and Andy. Out of the blue.

Heather and Andy Hintz. Heather works in PR and Andy runs a security company. Both look like a living embodiment of their jobs. They met with Sara and Kloye that afternoon.

Its hard to believe a meeting of a jaded 16-year-old mom and two strangers went perfectly smoothly, but not one of the three of them suggested otherwise. They told Sara they would expect her to be honest, to be open, to graduate, but that they were open to welcoming Sara into their home. She decided to sleep on it, and Andy gave her his business card.

Sara emailed him that night. The next day, they picked her up, gathered all of her possessions up and went to Andy and Heathers house. Just like that.

They gave me the tour, their house is freakin huge, Sara said. Thats the first thing I said. Jesus! This is huge, right?

They let her pick where she wanted to sleep. She and Kloye headed to the basement.

They began handling the things teenagers and parents typically deal with: learning to drive and getting a license (Sara insists she knew how to already, a claim that Heather and Andy somewhat disputed), getting health and auto insurance, buying a car. Sara began to turn her grades around  in exchange for Heather and Andy paying for half of the car.

And theyve handled the aftermath of her past, getting her into counseling and helping her work through the mental health and anger issues that she still struggles with.

They got semi-matching tattoos  all involving an arrow because, Heather explained, arrows only go forward. Within a few months, they decided to become Saras legal guardians. Heather and Andy explained they decided not to adopt Sara so she could get more financial aid when she applied for college. But they wanted to be able to take her to the doctor, to get her car insurance.

The guardianship was twofold, Heather said. One, so that we could get her the things she needed in life and help her success, and also to give her a sense of security. To know that we went in front of a judge and said that we want you, that we want to take care of you and youre part of our family. Put that in writing.

Sara, in typical fashion, is a bit blunter about it.

I wanted it, she deadpanned, and then we all cried and went to Dennys.

***

Shawna calls Sara the ultimate comeback kid. It took several months of curt answers and hesitancy, but Sara opened up to the women around her at school. She hugged Nikole unprompted and trusted the nursery women with Kloye. Shes slow to warm, Shawna said. But she had to learn what many are born knowing: unconditional love.

Shes learned that, she wants that, she yearns for that, Nikole said. She never got good grades because it wasnt expected.

Shes getting good grades now. She sees Kloye every day but entrusts the women in the nursery to care for her when shes in class. She doesnt have to choose between one or the other anymore.

Shes remained grumpy and guarded, her teachers say. But after 18 months, theyve found a way through her walls.

When she came in at lunch (last week, she was angry and) she was going to leave without saying goodbye, Nikole said. I pulled her over on my lap, like a baby, wrapped my hands around her. She will act like she hates it. But she eats it up.

Thats what people dont understand and appreciate. I have three women over there who are raising moms, Shawna said of the nursery staff. Not just cuddling babies and putting Kloyes hair back in a ponytail, but they are raising mommas.

Yet, Sara is still a teenager. Greta remembers early on, when Sara first moved in with Heather and Andy, the two adults looked after Kloye so Sara could go to the movies with friends. Earlier this year, Sara came to Shawna and said she wanted a prom and wanted it to have a Great Gatsby theme, after the F. Scott Fitzgerald novel about the 1920s. Proms are a lot of work, Shawna said, and Roosevelt rarely holds them. But it was such a normal request from a teenager whose life had been anything but. Shawna said OK but told Sara she needed to form a committee, and if the committee didnt want a Gatsby theme, then tough luck.

She was calling me bad names in her head, Shawna said, laughing. Sara wanted what she wanted.

In the end, she got the theme and dressed as a flapper. When Shawna asked her the next Monday how the prom went, Sara downplayed it: It was OK.

Remembering that comment now, Shawna screws up her face and practically growls. All that work! For the equivalent of a shrug.

Because shes not going to give you too much, Shawna said, laughing. It was so awesome, thats why we did it. Its so normal. Its so normal. Its so cool. Its so senior in high school.

When asked later about it, Sara said that yeah, it was just OK. She wanted to be prom queen.

***

Eighteen months after she first arrived at Roosevelt, Sara is the most improved student in its 2019 class, Trujillo says. Two years after regularly skipping school to care for Kloye, Sara is an honor roll student taking classes at Casper College.

Here is Sara speaking at her high school graduation.

As she waits her turn by the stairs leading to the stage, she rereads the speech (she practiced at home, too, Heather says). Its one page, typed, single space.

When the student in front of her is done speaking, she walks to the podium and opens with a joke about how high school wasnt the musical adventure that Disney movies had made it out to be.

My home life was one of uncertainty, which made school a challenge since the beginning, she said, her voice echoing throughout the sparsely filled events center. I have been lucky along the way to have some teachers that saw something in me and challenged me to do better. These teachers gave me the fight to show up and the want to try and do better at school.

Along my journey, I had my daughter Kloye, sitting over there, she continued, gesturing toward Kloye and the rest of her cheering section. For some, becoming a mother at such a young age changes their path completely and doesnt include school. For me, I knew I had to fight harder to provide her more opportunity than I had and remove the challenges and roadblocks I had experienced. She provides me the strength to keep fighting so I know I do not let her down. My 17 years ... has been full of obstacles that were meant to keep me from being here today. Like many of you, I fought hard to walk across this stage. Today, we are ending one chapter and beginning new one, one that is filled with opportunity. We take with us the lessons that we have learned, the fights we have won, and the battles scars from those we have not.

As she finishes her speech and makes her way back to her seat, the applause rises and fades. From the stands, Kloye weighs in: Good job, Mom.

The ceremony continues. Sara lines up to get her diploma. The woman announcing the names stumbles slightly over the pronunciation of her last name  car-dean-us  and then Sara strides across the stage. She takes the diploma, hugs Trujillo and walks off.

She makes her way past a long line of waiting Roosevelt staffers, shaking hands and doling out brief hugs. Then she gets to Greta. The two pull together and rock slowly side-to-side for a moment. Next to Greta is Nikole. Another long embrace. Eighteen months earlier, they were strangers. Nikole was chiding Sara about her outfit and giving her a terrible tour of a building unfamiliar to both of them.

Greta has eight students whove struggled with homelessness graduating from Roosevelt this year. Sara is one shell talk about for a long time, she says.

Sara makes her way back to her seat. Kloye calls out to her, and at first Sara doesnt notice. She barely looks at her family as she sits back down. But then she turns, her face bright. Kloye waves.

Sara waves back. She smiles and mouths something.

Hey Mommy, Kloye calls out, as if they were the only two people in the world. Whatre you doing?

Follow education reporter Seth Klamann on Twitter @SethKlamann

Love 24 Funny 0 Wow 2 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.THERMOPOLIS  At emotional hearings that drew hundreds, critics challenged regulators baseline assumptions that would allow the dumping of tons of pollutants above Boysen Reservoir while boosters heralded the jobs the 4,250-well Moneta Divide oil- and gas-field expansion would bring.

More than 300 residents of Fremont and Hot Springs counties packed separate hearings in Riverton and Thermopolis to tell the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality why it should approve or reject a discharge permit for Aethon Energy Operating, LLC and Burlington Resources Oil & Gas Company, LP.

The permit would allow the dumping of 8.27 million gallons of produced water a day and up to 2,161 tons of total dissolved solids a month into Boysen tributaries. The proposed expansion of the Moneta Divide Field is also expected to generate hundreds of jobs.

Last months hearings were a tale of two counties as Fremont County residents applauded the project at a hearing in Riverton last Monday. But downstream in Thermopolis, where the town draws its drinking water from the Bighorn River below Boysen, Hot Springs County residents were equally opposed to a development they said could threaten their health and livelihoods.

Critics questioned whether DEQ baseline pollutant measurements  first taken in 2009, 37 years after enactment of the governing Clean Water Act  were a valid starting point from which to measure growing contamination of drinking water supply.

Project backers, meanwhile, said not only have existing discharges of produced water not harmed the environment, theyve even aided ranchers and wildlife in the arid landscape east of Shoshoni.

Comments and counter-comments, which DEQ will accept through July 5, drew regular applause at the hours-long public meetings. Held to solicit issues the state regulatory agency should consider, the assemblies evoked heartfelt but divergent declarations.

We are bleeding out Wyoming men, said project supporter Bethany Baldes, a Riverton resident whose husband left that town for work in Cheyenne. Lets bring our fathers, sons, husbands home.

In Thermopolis, John Buck wondered what might happen to residents below Boysen. Youre going to contaminate our water, he said. We dont need to sell ourselves to these corporations for jobs. They want to dump this on our community and send the money to Texas.

DEQs draft permit would allow Aethon and Burlington to discharge produced water  a byproduct of oil and gas development  into the Alkali and Badwater creek drainages some 40 miles above the reservoir. Pollutants would be diluted in a 300- by 700-foot mixing zone there, and in the body of the reservoir, before being released from the dam into the Wind and Bighorn rivers below.

Residents of Thermopolis, which draws its municipal water from the Bighorn about 15 miles downstream of the Boysen Dam, shouldnt be able to detect water quality changes if the permit is approved, the DEQ says.

We feel the standard to obtain a permit has been met, DEQ Water Quality Division Administrator Kevin Frederick said about the companies discharge calculations. A modeling report, prepared by Aethon consultants and supporting the proposed permit, runs 637 pages while the permit application itself is 113 pages.

The permit would ensure there really is no change, beyond normal background variation of historic pollutants in the Class I water below Boysen, said Bill DiRienzo, DEQs discharge program manager. Class I waters are not supposed to be degraded below the quality that existed on the date they were designated, according to environmental laws, which in the case of the Wind River was 1979.

Previous discharges from this facility remained essentially unchanged since 1979, DEQs statement of basis for the permit reads. With new discharges, DEQ shouldnt be able to measure any difference from the past, DiRienzo said.

DEQ set baseline grandfathered discharge figures from the Moneta field at 908 tons a month of total dissolved solids, DiRienzos slide presentation showed. That amount of pollutants isnt a problem because that 908 was in the river when it was designated Class I, he said.

But several commenters challenged that baseline standard. How, one critic wondered, could DEQ justify basing its no deviation standard using water quality measurements from between 2010-2016, not 1979?

Water quality wasnt measured, DiRienzo said, until former Moneta Divide operator Encana spiked its discharge in 2008-2009. It released up to 3,000 tons a month of total dissolved solids before DEQ curtailed them back to 908 tons a month.

DEQ began measuring discharges in that 2008-2009 period. Before then, we dont have that data, DiRienzo said. That may not be a good answer but thats the way it is.

This issue is about jobs  hundreds of families being able to put food on the table, one person at the Riverton hearing said. The mayors of Riverton, Lander, Dubois and Shoshoni all back the project.

Moneta Divide expansion is projected to recover 18.16 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and 254 million barrels of oil over 65 years, the BLM wrote in announcing its draft environmental impact statement for the development. Moneta Divide could generate $71 million a year in federal royalties, $57.6 million a year in severance taxes for Wyoming and $70 million a year in county taxes, its statement read.

This is a blue-collar state, said John Vincent, former Riverton mayor, in backing the permit. This is our industry. We can fuss and worry, but its time to start acting.

In Thermopolis, pipeline company owner and state Rep. Lloyd Larsen (R-Lander) told the crowd that the roomy high school auditorium where they were meeting was paid for by mineral-severance taxes.

It is about jobs, but not all about jobs, Larsen said. Mineral taxes fund Wyoming schools to the tune of about $15,000 a student a year, he said. In 2018, the oil and gas industry paid the equivalent of $2,600 in taxes for every man, woman and child in the state, said John Robitaille, the vice president for environment, health and safety for the Petroleum Association of Wyoming.

Oilfield worker Dustin Brost, a manager for Key Energy Services, said his company employs about 16 people in Riverton. Its very low, he said of the workforce.

We would like to be in that 50 range, he told WyoFile. We look forward to employing many people in Fremont County.

A moribund economy has cascading effects on wellness, said Riverton resident Ruby Calvert, general manager of Wyoming PBS. Free and reduced lunches given at schools, an indicator of poverty, have risen in the last decade from 44 percent of students to 77 percent, she said.

Thats horrible for [Fremont] county, she said. I think we have to have faith in the technology, the DEQ and Aethon and Burlington.

DEQ measurements put average baseline pH below Boysen at eight, chloride at nine milligrams per liter, sulfates at 129 mg/L and total dissolved solids at 348 mg/L. New discharges under the draft permit could increase pH to nine, chloride to 12 mg/L, sulfates to 167 mg/L and total dissolved solids to 409 mg/L.

This is going to be the cleanest water released out of this field in 60 years, Robitaille said. An angler, hes walked and fished the entire Wind River Canyon below Boysen and wouldnt back the project if he thought it would affect the fishing there, he added.

Produced water aids agriculture, Robitaille said. If that water were to dry up, a lot of ranchers would dry up.

Rancher Rob Hendry, chairman of the Natrona County Board of Commissioners and a rancher with property in the Moneta Divide Field, said produced water has benefited his familys livestock since 1965. His father used to ask a previous operator to turn the water on, he said.

The companies have always been good to the environment, Hendry said.

Existing discharges benefit wildlife and have not impacted the tributaries negatively, Rep. Larsen said to large applause.

Moneta Divide operators sought to dispose of produced water  a separate byproduct from fracking fluids  by re-injecting it, DiRienzo told the Riverton audience. But they could not find an underground reservoir with adequate space or into which the federal EPA would permit introduction of pollutants.

They had to shut in a bunch of wells, DiRienzo said.

Encana subsequently built the Neptune Water Facility, a reverse-osmosis plant that essentially uses filters to purify produced water. That outflow is blended with untreated produced water at volumes that are not to exceed DEQ limits at the outlet of Boysen Dam.

Aethons modeling for the draft permit predicts how much salt  a key pollutant  could be added to the reservoir and not reduce water quality coming out of the dam. DiRienzo said. Those calculations form the basis for the draft permit.

The model reasonably simulates what could occur, accounting for various fluctuations, DEQs Frederick said. The model, DiRienzo said, is like predicting the weather.

Its not precise, he continued. Its as good as we can do right now.

Operators should build more reverse-osmosis plants so all produced water discharged on the surface is clean of pollutants, some audience members said. Operators could do that if they seek to speed up development of the field, a pace that will be constrained by the DEQ permit.

Riverton Dr. Ryan Kindervater urged building treatment facilities to cleanse all the produced water. In the past, insufficient examination of things, associated with industrial development has led to health complications for workers, some of whom he has as patients, he said.

Health was a worry of other commenters, including one who said the project lines the pockets of out-of-state billionaires, while fellow residents, for the privilege of a few new jobs  trade your health, your childrens health.

Kindervater asked why cant we have our cake and eat it too? He proposed that constructing additional treatment plants would bring more jobs.

Thats not practical, said Key Energys Brost. That idea would be ungodly expensive, he said after one meeting.

There are 138 discharge outlets in the Wind River and Bighorn River basins, DEQ said. Moneta Divide would have 16. The average oil and gas field in the basin produces 400 tons of total dissolved solids a month. Moneta Divide would be the fourth largest, at 2,161 tons a month, an amount one commenter said was the equivalent of 80 railroad coal cars.

The norm is not to treat that much water, Brost said. The norm is to have discharge permits. If its not having an impact so that the DEQs not worried about it, why put in more plants?

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0Los Angles County as a whole has also seen a surge of cases during the holiday season -- a spike that continued on WednesdayCHEYENNE (WNE)  A man who pleaded guilty to a felony charge of strangulation of his partner was sentenced to five to 10 years in prison on Thursday.

Daniel James sentence Tuesday had been recommended by the Laramie County District Attorneys Office as part of a plea deal. For James guilty plea, the DAs Office would agree not to re-file his case as a habitual offender, which would have increased his prison sentence.

This case marks the fourth time James has been convicted of domestic violence against his partner  his previous convictions were in 2013, 2014 and 2016. The two had been dating for 12 years and have two children together.

In this most recent case, James was arrested on July 24 after a witness saw James in a physical fight with his partner while she was driving.

According to court documents, the witness followed the car after seeing James assault his girlfriend, and told an officer with the Cheyenne Police Department he saw James strangle the woman while she was driving the car. A CPD officer pulled over the car and observed the woman had marks on her neck and said she had trouble breathing.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1The May 20 U.S. Supreme Court opinion affirming Crow Tribe treaty hunting rights in Wyoming has reverberated into Montana.

Following the ruling, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks legal counsel and chief of law enforcement issued a May 22 memo to wardens advising them to not cite Crow Tribe members who violate state hunting laws in the Custer Gallatin National Forest east of the Yellowstone River.

The vast mountain region, which extends from Gardiner to the Wyoming border and includes the Absaroka, Pryor and Beartooth mountain ranges in addition to the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness, was also part of the tribes treaty area when the Fort Laramie document was signed in 1868.

Wyoming case

Wyoming had argued that its Bighorn National Forest, where Crow tribal member Clayvin Herrera was cited for poaching a bull elk in 2014, was considered occupied territory since it had been designated a national forest. The high court disagreed in its 5-4 ruling, but its up to a Wyoming district court to define exactly what occupied means. Some areas of the forest may carry that designation, but not the entire forest, the justices reasoned.

The state court must also figure out how to define conservation necessity, another point the state had argued for not allowing Crow tribal members the right to exercise their hunting rights in the state.

Becky Dockter, chief legal counsel for Montana Fish and Wildlife, said her agency issued the memo in consultation with the state Attorney Generals office in order to not raise any more issues, similar to what the Herrera case has already brought to attention, until theres a better understanding of the impact of the Supreme Courts decision.

How it effects into the future we cant say, she said.

Montana Fish and Wildlife has held no discussions with Crow tribal officials yet, Dockter added.

Treaty rights

The memo does not open the Montana forest to Crow tribal hunting, Dockter said; rather tribal members would not be cited for violations of Montana hunting regulations  such as hunting during a closed season, unlawful possession, hunting without a license or failure to tag  because that now falls under a treaty rights issue and the tribes regulatory system. Tribal members could still be cited for safety violations like trespassing or shooting from a roadway or vehicle, Dockter added.

Even prior to the Herrera decision, Montana had honored treaty right hunters on public federal lands, specifically the Confederated Salish Kootenai Tribes.

Court cases defined that for us a long time ago, said Tom McDonald, the Fish, Wildlife, Recreation & Conservation Office division manager for the confederated tribes.

For male wildlife species like deer and elk, tribal hunters can shoot a bull or buck any time of the year without even purchasing a tag, he explained. For restricted species like moose or bighorn sheep, there are tag drawings for tribal members and bighorns are hunted only on the reservation. Seasons for female wildlife species run from Sept. 1 to Jan. 31, McDonald said.

A lot of it is not sport hunting, its subsistence hunting, he said.

Overhunting is not an issue.

Few tribal members hunt black bears and none hunt grizzlies or cat species like mountain lions or bobcats. The tribe has about 7,000 members. As many as 900 may apply for special licenses.

In addition, Montana acknowledges the rights of several tribes to hunt Yellowstone bison in the winter when they leave the park, including Confederated Salish Kootenai, Blackfeet, Nez Perce and Umatilla, Shoshone-Bannock tribal members.

Those hunts along the northern border near Gardiner have raised some residents concerns about gut piles that attract predators, unsafe shooting, bison wounding and unethical hunting with animals facing a barrage of bullets when they exit the park.

Montana does not regulate the tribal hunters but coordinates with tribal game officers and law enforcement in an attempt to ensure everyones safety.

Still to come

When the Wyoming case will be settled is uncertain. Depending on how the Sheridan County District Court rules, the case could still be appealed up the ladder and end up before the U.S. Supreme Court again, some court watchers have suggested.

Until then, Gov. Mark Gordon issued a statement that said in part, Until these remaining issues are resolved, the State of Wyoming will continue to regulate the take of game animals in the Bighorn National Forest to ensure equal hunting opportunities for all.

McDonald said fears that Crow hunters will decimate Wyomings elk herds are unfounded.

They all frown on waste of meat, thats taboo, he said.

With a limited population, who can only eat so much meat, and with some tribal members raising beef or with access to the tribes bison herd, McDonald said theres a limit to what tribal members will hunt, as well as who will hunt.

Also, just like across the greater U.S. population, hunting among native people has declined, he said.

I wouldnt expect much change.

Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 2 Angry 3BOISE, Idaho  The Idaho Department of Fish and Game will not recognize as a state record a bighorn sheep that was killed nearly three years ago by a Nez Perce Tribe member because the agency said the ram was shot in violation of state hunting regulations, even though those regulations do not apply to tribe members hunting on ancestral lands.

But the Boone and Crockett Club hunting group has recognized the kill by hunter Gary Sublett in September 2016 as being within his tribes 1855 rights and has invited him to its Big Game Awards banquet in early August in Springfield, Missouri, where the bighorns head will go on display.

The animals massive horns rank No. 1 for Idaho and No. 26 for the U.S. and Canada on Boone and Crocketts list of largest Rocky Mountain bighorns.

It is the largest that we have recorded from Idaho, said Justin Spring, director of Boone and Crockett Clubs Big Game Records. From what weve seen, there were no reasons why we wouldnt accept that entry.

Idaho Fish and Game had closed the area to bighorn sheep hunting and Sublett said he was heavily criticized after he killed the bighorn at the end of a three-day hunt in an area called Hells Canyon. The canyon forms part of the Idaho-Oregon border and Sublett was on the Idaho side of the canyon about 40 miles west of the Nez Perce Tribes reservation in northern Idaho but within the tribes ancestral lands.

There were people calling me everything but a human being, said Sublett. In this canyon there are petroglyphs and arrowheads. My tribe has lived in that canyon for over 10,000 years.

Fish and Game spokesman Roger Phillips said state officials recognize the treaty but wont recognize the bighorn as being the biggest killed in Idaho.

Were not going to call it an illegal kill, said Idaho Fish and Game spokesman Roger Phillips. But for our state records, they have to be in accordance with our fish and game laws.

The 1855 treaty gives Nez Perce Tribe members access to federal public land on about 26,500 square miles of the tribes ancestral areas that are now part of Idaho, Oregon, Washington and Montana. About 3,500 tribal members can use those rights retained when the tribe ceded the land to the U.S. government.

The Boone and Crockett Club said it recognizes Subletts ram because of the treaty and because the tribe has a management plan for sustainable hunting of bighorns.

The tribe was notable for helping Lewis and Clarks Corps of Discovery as it traversed through the region in the early 1800s. The tribe is also known for its unsuccessful flight from the U.S. military to Canada in 1877. Sublett said hes a direct descendant of Nez Perce leader Looking Glass, killed in the Bear Paw Mountains in a battle during that attempted flight.

Sublett said he has used the treaty rights to hunt bighorns in Hells Canyon and some neighboring areas since the mid-1970s. He said he has killed 10 bighorns and that nine of them rank as trophies by scoring more than 180 points in Boone and Crockett scoring.

Non-tribal hunters in Idaho face long odds of winning a tag to hunt Rocky Mountain bighorns or California bighorns, the other species in the state. Non-tribal hunters can kill one of each in their lifetimes.

Bighorn poachers in Idaho face stiff penalties. In 2016, Paul Cortez of Nampa received a fine of $10,000, 30 days in jail and a lifetime hunting ban for killing a trophy bighorn sheep along the Salmon River in Idaho.

Sublett said there was a lot of publicity about his bighorn ram before he killed it, including speculation it might be a potential trophy for Idahos annual bighorn ram auction tag that could sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars. But that ended after Sublett, 62, killed the ram.

They acted like I basically robbed the bank and got away with it, he said.

The Nez Perce Tribe declined to comment about the bighorn.

The tribe has played a leading role in Idaho in attempting to preserve bighorn sheep habitat. Among those efforts, the tribe was part of a federal lawsuit that concluded in 2010 and forced the removal of domestic sheep from parts of the Payette National Forest, including portions of Hells Canyon. Domestic sheep carry diseases that can wipe out bighorn herds.

Meanwhile, Idaho lawmakers in 2009 passed legislation favoring domestic sheep producers and limiting Idaho Fish and Games ability to transplant bighorns to expand bighorn populations to suitable bighorn habitat in the state.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 1 Angry 1I love my job.

I relish coming to work each day and having no idea how things will turn out. I crave the pressure and adrenaline rush of looming deadlines and hard decisions. I look forward to brainstorming big stories and bigger projects, to helping reporters realize their potential.

But most of all, I love meaningful work, the feeling that comes from performing a task that might effect change or make my community a little better. And thankfully, I get that opportunity often.

In my two years as editor here, Ive been privileged to play a small role in some big stories, like the investigative work of education reporter Seth Klamann, who uncovered horrid acts of bullying among high school athletes in Wyoming. Seths work earned him national recognition and directly led to changes at the Natrona County School District that will keep students safer and parents better informed.

Or consider the careful work of Heather Richards, our longtime energy reporter who recently took a job in Washington, D.C. With nuance and precision, Heather documented the decline of Wyomings energy industry during the last downturn. But she did more than write about earnings reports and gas prices; she told the stories of miners who lost health benefits, of families whose lives were forever altered by coals faltering.

I came to the Star-Tribune in 2007 as a cops reporter, and I still carefully follow the beat. Our public safety reporter, Shane Sanderson, has done outstanding work, going beyond the dirge of daily arrests to explain why things are happening in our criminal justice system. Two stories immediately come to mind: his award-winning work on the rise in Wyomings incarceration rates amid a national decline and his coverage of a brutal shooting that nearly killed a Casper police officer.

What does all this work have in common? It goes the extra mile, bringing you a nuance and richness that helps readers better understand the place where they live. We were hardly the only news organization in Wyoming to write about bullying or coal miners or shootings. But it was a Star-Tribune reporter who broke the story of waterboarding at a Casper high school. It was a Star-Tribune reporter who traveled across Wyoming in the dead of winter to tell the story of small-town miners who lost their hard-earned benefits in a coal companys bankruptcy. And it was a Star-Tribune reporter who spent weeks understanding the shooting of Officer Jacob Carlson, tracing its beginnings in a dirt lot to its conclusion, as two friends struggled to recover from deep physical and emotional wounds.

Im telling you this not to brag about our work, though Im immensely proud of it and my colleagues: the reporters, editors, photographers and our copy desk. Instead, Im asking for your support. Local journalism plays a critical role in Wyoming, but that cant happen without readers who are willing to pay for it. Subscriptions help pay to send reporters to far-flung parts of the state. Subscriptions support investigative journalism that exposes problems and offers solutions for addressing them.

For those of you who already subscribe to the newspaper or our website, thank you. For those who arent yet subscribers, Id ask you consider giving it a try. Right now, you can start a digital-only subscription for as little as 99 cents for the first month. If you believe your community should stay informed, that context and detail matter in journalism, I think youll find the product well worth the price.

Thanks for reading.

Joshua Wolfson joined the Star-Tribune in 2007, covering crime and health before taking over the arts section in 2013. He also served as managing editor before being named editor in June 2017. He lives in Casper with his wife and their two kids.

Love 0 Funny 2 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0

Catch the latest in Opinion Get opinion pieces, letters and editorials sent directly to your inbox weekly! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.But she is claiming Social Security benefits off of your stepdads record, so her Social Security claim number is his Social Security number followed by the BIC B3. And checking that list of codes online, I see that B3 designates. an aged wife, second claimant. So what that means is that your mom must be the second wife who is claiming benefits on your stepdads record. So maybe he had another wife who was getting benefits on his record and then she died? (Im guessing shes dead and not divorced because there is a separate BIC for the latter status.)

By the way, some readers may be wondering what happened to B2. I mentioned earlier that B is the code for a woman getting wifes benefits, and B1 is the symbol for someone getting benefits as a dependent husband on his wifes Social Security record. And now we just learned that B3 is the code for a woman who is the second person to file for spousal benefits.Her focus centers in operations, specializing in personnel planning and project management roles, including human resources, facilities, and customer service management.

Phillip Tor joins Loose Law Group, P.C.

Tucson attorney Phillip Tor has become of counsel to Loose Law Group, P.C., a law firm with offices in Tucson and Phoenix.

Tor, who has practiced law in Tucson since 1996, will be working with the attorneys in the firm's Tucson office in the areas of personal injury, estate planning, probate, and trial practice.

Northern Trust Announces Tucson Leadership Succession

Northern Trust Wealth Management has selected Chad Driedger as president of Tucson and Southern Arizona.

Driedger previously served as a financial adviser for Northern Trust Securities, where he advised clients on investment and brokerage solutions for the Tucson and Denver markets. He joined Northern Trust in 2007 as a portfolio manager and moved into his most recent role with Northern Trust Securities in 2012.

Northern Trust Wealth Management offers holistic wealth management services for affluent individuals and families, family offices, foundations and endowments, and privately held businesses.

Submit items about local hirings and promotions to business@tucson.com; please use Moving Up in the email subject line and include photos in JPEG format. Sign up for a weekly update of business headlines at Tucson.com/business.Some big players are getting into augmented reality and some, including Microsoft with its Hololens 2 device, are using holography to create apparently three-dimensional images over a real-world view that can be viewed and manipulated in a mixed reality format.

But EARDGs augmented-reality glasses design uses a different type of holography that is written into the glass itself, Peyghambarian said.

Its a similar form factor, not much larger, and you put it on and then you dont need the screen anymore. Your glass itself becomes the screen, so you dont have to look at your computer over here or down at your cellphone  its all in that glass, all that information is there.

The technology essentially takes data from a light-generating processor  some are known as light engines  and bends it to form a dynamic hologram.

Its bending of light, you bend it the right way so the light comes in, you guide it through the glass, then you bend it toward your eye so then you can see all that information, Peyghambarian said.Becky Kueker writes that she didnt want this new book on aging and retirement to be considered self-help. In fact, it turns out to be more self-share. In her 2015 book Hiding in my Pajamas, Kueker recounted her struggles adjusting to retirement from a high-powered business career. A Classic in Clown Shoes, picks up where that left off, but life hasnt been entirely rosy in the interim. Kueker has been a successful writer and speaker, but has suffered from depression, was a wheelchair user for six months, and still considers her decades-long marriage a work in progress. You could come away from this text preferring to never age or retire. Although Kueker peppers her book with inspirational quotations and advice of experts, it nonetheless paints a rather grim picture of life after career. In the chapter on financial planning, for example, she writes about retirees shocked to discover they dont have the means to live as they had previously. Pointing out that bankruptcy in not uncommon among the retired, she advises scrupulous preretirement financial planning. Much of the book is dedicated to womens aging (disappearing eyebrows, anyone? sagging breasts?) and relationship issues (how do partners get along 24/7 when they were used to extended periods in the outside, professional world?). Kueker is candid about herself and includes supporting experiences from female friends and acquaintances. Her concluding interviews with male family and friends, however, give you pause: with retirement, come tectonic life shifts, and not all of these men are dealing successfully.The problem is that we have lost track of many of the defendants; their mailing addresses are no longer good, and despite our best efforts they are not even going to get our letter that there is a substantial problem with their cases, Feinman said.

Brault said that while issues involving timely notification of an officers status or addition to the LEAD list has flared up at times, the Morales situation is not the norm.

Jurors get very little information about witness credibility, so any relevant information they can hear can be hugely important, Brault said.

Going forward, Brault would like the county attorneys office to disclose every instance that should be in a timely manner. Whether the information is admissible will be up to the court, but the defense still needs to know everything.

Despite being notified in 2016 by the Tucson Police Department of an investigation into Morales possible criminal misconduct and/or administrative violations, the Pima County Attorneys Office, the Tucson City Prosecutors Office and the Arizona attorney general failed to place Morales on the LEAD list.The 2019 NDAA as passed by the Senate Armed Services Committee calls for $132 million for the A-10, including $100 million for the wing replacement program, according to now-Sen. McSally.

The bill also emphasizes the importance of maintaining critical sustainment and modernization funding through 2030, said McSally, a former Air Force colonel and A-10 pilot.

But McSally has expressed concerns that the new wings wont be ready in time to save many A-10s whose wings are nearly timed out from being grounded.

The Air Force already has cut the number of planes in each A-10 squadron and says it plans to keep six of the current nine combat-ready squadrons. D-M is home base to three A-10 squadrons, including one active duty unit, an active-duty training unit and a Air Force Reserve training unit.

Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stefanek said the service plans to fly the A-10 until the 2030s, and the last four wing replacements under an initial contract with Boeing for 173 replacements will be completed this summer.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.OPINION: "Our goal is to make good on our commitment to transparency. But the only way we get from transparency to accountability is through the engagement of the citizenry of Pima County. We need you to engage us intellectually, to challenge us  with both honesty and seriousness  to come up with the best solutions to violence and injustices that our community faces," writes Pima County Attorney Laura Conover.The southern terminus of the Arizona Trail has been closed since a 200-foot island of border wall was built there in President Trump's final days in office. The trail is now set to reopen, likely on Jan. 1, but temporarily, and trail advocates are still concerned about environmental damage from the wall construction.Your browser does not support the audio element.

Many Vietnamese have aired their concern about privacy as several delivery services of online retailers require an ID photo of the receiver.

Recently, many online shoppers have voiced their dissatisfaction as delivery men ask to take a photo of their national ID before handing over their package, emphasizing the matter of securing personal information.

One of the grueling concerns involves the fact that even though online shopping platforms may guarantee privacy for customers, most delivery services are offered by a third party that makes no written agreement with regard to protecting customer privacy.

At the end of May, L.T.T. Hoa, residing in Go Vap District, Ho Chi Minh City, was furious at a delivery man asking to take a photo of her ID card before agreeing to hand over an air conditioner she had ordered online and already paid for.

Refusing to comply with such an unreasonable request, Hoa had the delivery man call the shopping platform operator from whom she purchased the air conditioner, just to be told that the photo taking is a requirement in the delivery of high-value goods.

When customers do not comply with the requirement, the goods will be brought back to the storage -- even if the customers have already paid for the product.

I was truly surprised to know that they have such a policy because an ID card is an important personal document, Hoa said.

If they have it stored, the safety of my personal information will be in danger, the outraged customer added.

Why does a delivery man have the right to keep photos of my personal documents? Who guarantees they are not going to be used for other purposes? another customer, Thuan, questioned.

A woman examines the goods delivered to her. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Addressing customer complaints, online retailers claim the requirement is meant for the goods to be shipped to the right person, especially when the purchases have already been paid for, as the delivery process is finished by a third party.

The policy is there to prevent cases where customers claim they have not received their purchases or the goods are shipped to the wrong person, for which the delivery companies would have to be held accountable, the representative of an e-commerce website responded to Hoa when she made a call to question the new policy requiring customers to show their personal documents when receiving their purchases.

According to many online shopping platforms, they have started partnering with delivery service providers to meet the growing demand, especially during sale seasons.

Delivering goods in Vietnam is complex and has many challenges, especially when many Vietnamese live on the outskirts of a city," an insider said, indicating that engaging third-party service providers is unavoidable.

While using a third party is beneficial to retailers, it also poses several risks including shipping the goods to the wrong person or late delivery.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!Your browser does not support the audio element.

Daily life in Vietnam outside the largest handful of cities these days reminds me of my native Canada when I was growing up. Family-run businesses dominate the landscape in small- and mid-sized cities here just as they did during my youth.

Whatever we needed came from a family business where we knew most of the owners by name and went to school with their kids. Restaurants, clothing stores, burger joints, ice cream shops, movie cinemas, book, music, and hardware stores  you name the business and we knew the people who ran it.

Im overcome by a wave of nostalgia every time I think of those days!

I still reminisce on social media with school buddies from that era: They really had the best pizza! Or we giggle about that lady working at the cinema snack bar told us to stop banging our coins on the counter when we wanted service. And The staff at the cafe hated it when we came in and ordered 6 glasses of water!

Then things changed  almost imperceptibly at first  as we grew up and became more educated, moving into skilled professional jobs that often meant pursuing our careers in the big cities.

Those family businesses slowly faded away over time, replaced by large companies who scaled and duplicated processes, grew in size, and opened clones of their operations all over the country. The objective was to provide the same image, appearance, and customer experience everywhere, and that they did.

In duplicating that customer experience, originality and local flair were removed from the equation, but we didnt realize the longer term impact then.

Later during my career, I travelled a lot around the country, and the first thought each morning when I threw back the curtains in my hotel room was:

Where the hell am I?

These days in that part of the world most cities are developed from a single mold: There are a handful of big coffee chains, maybe half a dozen top hotel corporations, two or three big supermarket concerns, a few convenience store brands, key cutters, movie cinemas, and even a national chain of barber shops. You can count the burger and fried chicken chains that have survived on two hands.

Who could have imagined that the local barber shop would be replaced by a branch of a large corporation?

Nearly all the entrepreneurs are gone except for the odd one occupying a very special niche, and their days are numbered too.

We can see the same evolution gaining momentum right here in Vietnam these days, where the middle class is growing in leaps and bounds. Its heart-warming to see the pieces move around the board, the cycle of poverty broken, and lives improving.

The entrepreneurial spirit in Vietnam is the backbone of the economy, with many families depending on a small business to carve out their niche and move up the economic ladder. Some families got a jump start when a business was handed down from their parents, they received a windfall through inheritance, or they worked and saved money for their start-up ante.

The couple that runs the tap hoa (convenience store) in the neighbourhood where I live is a textbook example of such success, having put all three of their sons through medical school.

The husband and wife team that serve bun bo Hue (Hue-style beef noodle soup) on the street corner have put one daughter through a university-level accounting program and their son is on his way to becoming an engineer.

During a three-cornered translated discussion with the little old lottery vendor in my neighbourhood I learned that she has made a large contribution to her grandsons education, so hes well on his way through medical school in the big city.

These are profiles of typical Vietnamese families, not rare exceptions by any stretch. With two-thirds of the population under 35 years of age in Vietnam there is no shortage of young people hungry for an advanced education, and plenty of motivated parents help make it happen.

Those professional jobs are just the first step in a long sequence. I can see how it will transpire because I lived it in my country. From shopping and dining to services and hospitality, our future daily lives will take on a different look and feel, and it all begins with the impact of education.

The situation is simmering, yet irreversibly heading to a boil as the parents are now around 60 years old with many of them looking forward to a more leisurely future lifestyle playing with their grandchildren.

The overlap between the two generations is partly why we havent yet felt a significant impact from all the education and economic progress in Vietnam. Fast-forward a few years and the corner store will be winding down, the soup people wont be working so much, and the lottery lady wont be able to walk those kilometers any more.

Despite having so many young people, there will soon be an aging element to the overall demographic in Vietnam: 10% of the population are now at age 60 or older, and that segment is predicted to be three times greater by the year 2050.

With the younger generation busy at better jobs, the chain of tradition is about to be broken because theres nobody prepared to take the baton when the parents retire.

Whats going to happen to those family businesses?

As the parents move toward retirement larger companies form and corporate concerns move in, with those bigger players snap up property and businesses to form new ventures.

In the case of the neighbourhood store it could become a modern mini-mart. In the last few years in Ho Chi Minh City alone, the number of convenience chain stores has increased fourfold to about 2,000 retail locations, and theyre sprouting up like mushrooms all over the city and larger urban areas around Vietnam.

A spiffy new minimart

Just like with that store, the bun bo Hue stall and a few others like it will be replaced by shiny, new corporate fast-food soup outlets, and new machines will replace that lottery vendor.

The central market in Da Lat is getting a facelift featuring new tenants including a large hotel, an American fried chicken joint, an upmarket food court, and a spiffy new minimart.

The new food court in Da Lat Market

This evolution brings many benefits  improved overall retail experience, economies of scale, standardized inventories across locations, and professional standards for quality and freshness.

Overall, its a more than equitable exchange given the four doctors, accountants, and engineers that those small businesses have produced, no question about the improvement in quality of life for us all.

Some small businesses will be exempt from this evolution. Many hotels are small family-run affairs in Vietnam, so the big corporate names cant take them over and make them into large hotels unless they buy up entire city blocks of land.

But there is an eerie downside which we all need to prepare for: Wherever we travel to domestically, as the evolution gathers momentum, one place starts to look the same as another, just like it does in my country.

So, in a few years when you wake up, yank open the curtains in your hotel room in another city in Vietnam, and cant figure out where you are, dont despair.

Just think of all those doctors, accountants, and engineers and their contribution to progress and that sad moment of nostalgia will go away! The future is bright and getting brighter in Vietnam.Fireworks of different effects and colors wowed the audience during the opening ceremony of Da Nang International Fireworks Festival 2019 (DIFF2019) on Saturday night.

The month-long fest in coastal Da Nang, located in central Vietnam, kicked off with fireworks displays from Vietnam and Russia.

Team Vietnam from the central hub used 4,320 fireworks of different types including Roman candles, sparklers, cakes, catherine wheels, and airbombs, among others, as well as several aquatic fireworks, which are only available in professional displays, creating a pyrotechnic effect on the water or over the water.

The 20-minute performance consisted of five parts with various effects and matching music.

Themed "Legends of the Two Banks," the performance retold a story of young developing Da Nang on its journey to integration.

The background music used for the performance was energetic, dynamic, and motivating melodies and songs including One Above All, Touch by Touch, Viet Nam oi (Hey Vietnam), and Da Nang fireworks love songs.

However, due to the constant firing of fireworks and a lack of strong enough winds to blow the smoke away, the view of the spectators was affected.

A part of Vietnam's fireworks display at the opening ceremony of Da Nang International Fireworks Festival 2019 on June 1, 2019. Video: Tuoi Tre

A photo capturing a moment during Vietnam's fireworks display at the opening ceremony of Da Nang International Fireworks Festival 2019 on June 1, 2019. Photo: Tuoi Tre

A photo capturing a moment during Vietnam's fireworks display at the opening ceremony of Da Nang International Fireworks Festival 2019 on June 1, 2019. Photo: Tuoi Tre

A layer of smoke is seen during the fireworks performance of Vietnam's team at the opening ceremony of Da Nang International Fireworks Festival 2019 on June 1, 2019. Photo: Tuoi Tre

A layer of smoke is seen during the fireworks performance of Vietnam's team at the opening ceremony of Da Nang International Fireworks Festival 2019 on June 1, 2019. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Representing Russia, Firework Center Khan staged a pyrotechnic performance themed The Dance of Water and Fire."

While the Vietnamese performance was filled with energy, the 21-minute display of the Russian teams background music was a harmonious combination of melodious love ballads and a festive mood.

The team impressed the audience with a suitable rhythm, making the climax of the performance clear to those admiring it.

In addition, the team reasonably spread out the fireworks, avoiding building up smoke, which helped them attain a beautiful and clean performance that the audience could easily follow.

The Fireworks Center Khan began being involved in pyrotechnic displays in Russia in 1993.

This is also an experienced and professional fireworks display company that has made its name through several important awards from fireworks contests and festivals in France, Russia, Croatia, South Korea, Germany, Italy, and Poland.

A part of Russia's fireworks display by Fireworks Center Khan at the opening ceremony of Da Nang International Fireworks Festival 2019 on June 1, 2019. Video: Tuoi Tre

A photo capturing a moment during Russia's fireworks display by Fireworks Center Khan at the opening ceremony of Da Nang International Fireworks Festival 2019 on June 1, 2019. Photo: Tuoi Tre

A photo capturing a moment during Russia's fireworks display by Fireworks Center Khan at the opening ceremony of Da Nang International Fireworks Festival 2019 on June 1, 2019. Photo: Tuoi Tre

A photo capturing a moment during Russia's fireworks display by Fireworks Center Khan at the opening ceremony of Da Nang International Fireworks Festival 2019 on June 1, 2019. Photo: Tuoi Tre

A photo capturing a moment during Russia's fireworks display by Firework Center Khan at the opening ceremony of Da Nang International Firework Festival 2019 on June 1, 2019. Photo: Tuoi Tre

DIFF 2019, with the theme "Stories by The Rivers," features eight countries, the others being Italy, Brazil, China, Britain, Belgium, and Finland.

Vietnam's performance, titled "Legends of the Two Banks," told the story of Da Nangs efforts to develop and integrate.

The festival will involve five competition nights, held over five consecutive weekends, with five different themes: Origins, Buds of Life, Love, Burst of Colors, and Setting Sail.

The festival will run from June to July 6, 2019.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!The 15th Southern Fruit Festival started in Ho Chi Minh City on Saturday, featuring a wide variety of specialties, as well as giant fruits, coming from many provinces across Vietnam.

The event is scheduled to take place from June 1 to August 31 at Suoi Tien Theme Park in District 9.

Visitors are given an opportunity to see such unique and gigantic fruits as a pumpkin weighing 100 kilograms, 70-kilogram squashs, 15-kilogram coconuts, seven-kilogram lemons, and two-kilogram peppers.

Various types of exotic fruit are believed to attract the attention of festival goers.

Buyers are also able to purchase all kinds of fruit that are 20 to 30 percent cheaper than their average prices.

Multiple contests will be taking place within the framework of the festival.

The area within the festival venue where fruits are sold at discount prices

The festival also features fruit parades and exhibitions as well as performances by local bartenders and artists.

The Southern Fruit Festival is an annual event aimed at introducing the diverse and signature fruits of various localities throughout Vietnam, as well as praising the hard work of local farmers.

The event is organized by the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism, Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Department of Industry and Trade, and management of Suoi Tien Theme Park.

Visitors browse for products at the festival.

Visitors browse for products at the festival.

A stall selling milky plums at VND18,000 (US$0.7) per kilogram

Visitors check out exotic fruits at the event.

A giant squash originating from the south-central province of Binh Dinh

Purple pepinos are sold at the festival.

Tha la, or cannonball tree fruits, originating from the Mekong Delta province of Soc Trang

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!Your browser does not support the audio element.

Vietnamese Minister of National Defense Ngo Xuan Lich joined talks with defense ministers of multiple nations, including the United States and United Kingdom, on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on Saturday, the Vietnam News Agency reported.

During the conversation between Minister Lich and U.S. Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan, both sides agreed that the two countries comprehensive partnership has achieved many positive results, contributing to peace and stability in the region and the world.

They consented to continue building practical defense cooperation, particularly in the area of maritime security, and underscored the importance of close cooperation on addressing the legacy of war issues.

Acting Secretary Shanahan welcomed Vietnams chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2020, and praised the countrys participation in the United Nations peacekeeping operations.

Minister Lich asked the U.S. to continue coordinating with Vietnam in the treatment of dioxin contamination at the Bien Hoa airbase in the southern Vietnamese province of Dong Nai.

Minister Ngo Xuan Lich and British Secretary of State for Defense Penny Mordaunt in Singapore on June 1, 2019. Photo: Vietnam News Agency

In his talks with British Secretary of State for Defense Penny Mordaunt, Minister Lich thanked the U.K. Ministry of Defense for providing English training for Vietnams peacekeeping units.

The two officials expressed their delight at the positive development of bilateral defense cooperation.

They vowed to strengthen the two nations strategic partnership via all-level delegation exchanges, signing of cooperative documents, mutual support at multilateral forums, and collaboration in the United Nations peacekeeping operations.

The Vietnamese official also met with New Zealand Minister of Defense Ron Mark, Singaporean Minister of Defense Ng Eng Heng, French Minister of the Armed Forces Florence Parly, Malaysian Minister of Defense Mohamad Sabu, and Minister of Defense of Mongolia Nyamaagiin Enkhbold on the same day.

The Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia's annual premier defense summit, is a unique meeting where ministers debate the regions most pressing security challenges, engage in important bilateral talks, and come up with fresh solutions together.

This years summit takes place from May 31 to June 2.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!In Vietnam, tracking devices are being sold openly, allowing users to trace the location of another person without permission, particularly doubtful wives seeking the inside scoop on their husbands.

Do you want to know exactly where your husband is and who he is talking to? Do you want to know if your children are currently in class or at gaming centers? Our smart tracking device will help you, reads a post on a Facebook page that has received over 2,000 orders for the tracking device.

The tracking devices being advertised cover a wide spectrum of quality, with prices ranging from a few hundred thousand VND for a cheap product up to 10 million VND for a high-end tracker. (US$1 = VND22,000)

Customers are typically asked to pay in cash upon delivery, which can be the same day or take three to five days from when the order is placed, depending on the store.

Most Facebook pages that sell the device have a customer service department to resolve customer problems and assist customers in using the high-tech stuff.

Reporters from Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper ordered a tracking device from a Facebook page advertising the product.

Three days after the order was placed, a small package containing the tracking device, smaller than a matchbox, arrived. Following instructions, the reporters inserted a SIM card with registration for 3G service in the tracking device and texted a message, which read DW, to the number of that SIM card.

A minute later, they received a link to a Chinese website called Gpsui.net, which displayed the location of the device on a map.

In addition to being able to track locations, this tiny device can also operate as a recorder.

Calling the number of the SIM card installed in the device allows users to hear sounds from the surrounding environment.

Abusing the device

The device was initially used to manage the search for lost property, but was quickly adopted by jealous wives and competitive businessmen and businesswomen.

According to T., an online salesperson, 80 percent of the customers are women who buy the device to track their husbands and boyfriends.

The device is also used for other purposes, such as tracing a business competitors location or settling personal hostility.

N.T.T.L., a resident of Tan Binh District, Ho Chi Minh City, almost lost her marriage when she installed the device on her husbands phone after perceiving strange signs from him.

When her husband discovered the device, he felt insulted and asked for a divorce.

H., also living in Tan Binh District, spent VND1 million on a tracking device and gathered an entire army to catch her husband in a hostel, only to realize that the tracking device was not with her husband.

Illegal under the law

An official from Ho Chi Minh City Police Department said that since tracking devices are not under business sectors that require supervision in order to ensure social order, they can be sold openly by businesses, as long as their origins and paperwork are legitimate.

Lawyer Nguyen Nguyen Thy argued that under current laws, a normal citizen cannot install a tracking device on another person without that persons permission.

Wives and husbands cannot track their spouses locations without permission, and the same applies to parents and their children.

Those behaviors amount to an intrusion on privacy, which, depending each case, can warrant a maximum criminal punishment of two years in prison.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!Here are todays leading news stories:

Politics

-- Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and his Laotian counterpart Thongloun Sisoulith vowed to work for a breakthrough in bilateral trade during their meeting in Hanoi on Saturday.

-- Minister of National Defense Ngo Xuan Lich joined talks with defense ministers of the United States, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, France, and Mongolia on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on Saturday.

Society

-- Police in the north-central province of Quang Binh on Saturday broke up an illegal ring that smuggled narcotics from Laos into Vietnam, arresting a Laotian suspect and confiscating 100,000 pills of synthetic drugs.

-- The Department of Natural Resources and Environment in the central city of Da Nang has imposed fines totaling VND630 million (US$27,090) upon nine local hotels for violations relating to their environmental impact assessment reports.

Business

-- The construction of a nearly-VND3 trillion ($130.4 million) wind power plant with a capacity of 50MW began in Vinh Hau A commune in the Mekong Delta province of Bac Lieu on Saturday.

-- Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc expressed his hope that the Viettel Military Industry and Telecoms Group (Viettel) will strive to become one of the worlds 10 biggest telecoms firms by 2025, during a ceremony marking Viettels 30th founding anniversary in Hanoi on Saturday.

Lifestyle

-- The annual Southern Fruit Festival kicked off at Suoi Tien Theme Park in District 9, Ho Chi Minh City on Saturday, featuring a wide variety of specialties, as well as giant fruits, coming from southern Vietnamese provinces. The event will last until August 31.

-- The Da Nang International Firework Festival 2019 (DIFF2019) commenced in the namesake central city on Saturday evening with a showdown between Vietnam and Russia.

Education

-- Nearly 200,000 ninth-grade students began their 10th grade entrance exam for the 2019-2020 school year in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City on Sunday morning.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!Your browser does not support the audio element.

Officers in the north-central Vietnamese province of Quang Binh have arrested a Laotian suspect and confiscated 100,000 pills of synthetic drugs as they broke up an illicit ring that smuggled narcotics from Laos into Vietnam.

The provincial border guard unit confirmed on Saturday it had apprehended Thao Phet, 50, who lives in Bolikhamsai Probince, Laos.

The suspect was riding his pickup truck along a trail in Laos Khammouane Province and heading toward the Laos-Vietnam Border on Friday afternoon.

He was spotted by Quang Binh border guards and police in Khammouane Province, before attempting to escape in the vehicle.

Thao Phat and his synthetic drugs are seen in this photo provided by officers

The officers chased him down and were eventually able to arrest the man.

They also found multiple plastic bags containing 100,000 pills of synthetic drugs that were hidden in the pickup truck.

This is the second largest drug case that Quang Binh border guard officers have busted since the beginning of 2019.

They previously apprehended four armed Laotian men in late March, seizing a total of 110,000 pills of synthetic drugs.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!Tonights rescheduled Australian Story documents the history-making fall and rise of Debbie Kilroy, from murderous intentions in a high security womens prison for serious drug offences to a high-profile crusading lawyer.

Something clicked in her head to actually switch her mind around and suddenly be a power for good if you like, just an amazing thing, says former Qld Corrective Services Director-General Keith Hamburger.

Earlier this year, Kilroy mounted a spur-of-the-moment crowd-funding campaign to pay off the court debts of Indigenous women incarcerated in Western Australia for defaulting on fines.

The campaign led to a deluge of donations. Celebrities like Russell Crowe and Orange Is The New Black star, Yael Stone, saw Kilroys goal of $100,000 quadruple in size. More than 11 women have been released from prison and reunited with their families, and over one hundred fines have been paid to keep defaulters out of jail.

Since leaving prison more than 25 years ago, Debbie Kilroy has fought to get women and girls out of prison and to keep them out through the organisation she founded Sisters Inside.

I think people would say Ive dedicated my life to fight, says Kilroy.

Shes not a saviour, says son Josh. She would cringe if she heard that. Shes just an amazing independent woman and shell get done what needs to be done.

Note: After the World Ended, which was previously scheduled to air on Monday, will now air on Monday, 10 June.

8pm tonight on ABC.10 years later, Ian McShane, Timothy Olyphant return to South Dakota. 8:30pm Monday on FOX Showcase.

Perpetual Grace, Ltd.

Four Corners

Have You Been Paying Attention?

9-1-1

Fear the Walking DeadIt still sends chills down my spine, Max Uechtritz remembers.

He said, Max, look at this!

I went and looked in the eyepiece on the camera and there was this amazing scene unfolding.

Tomorrow marks the 30th Anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre in Beijing when thousands of Chinese were killed in a battle between Democracy and Communism.

Former ABC journalist Max Uechtritz was there when tanks rolled in and gun fire broke out, and the hardline government quashed an uprising into the history books. No other Australian TV crew left there. And he was on the balcony to see 1 lone man standing up to tanks on the streets.

Last week he spoke to TV Tonight about the days he says are seared into my soul.

Uechtritz joined ABC in 1986 and was a senior reporter when he was sent to replace tired correspondents in Beijing with ABC Radios Peter Cave. Demonstrations by students had been underway in Tiananmen Square since mid-April 1989. Little did he realise it was about to take a turn when a 10 metre tall statue was wheeled into the Square.

There was a notion we would be doing the mopping up of the story. As we got there it was still in play but the Goddess of Democracy was brought down and that changed everything. It reignited the protest and brought back the crowds and led to what happened, Uechtritz recalls.

The Generals wont like this.

About a million people poured out of the darkness and joined this amazing cavalcade taking the Goddess of Democracy to Tiananmen Square, the heart of Communism. They were singing Long Live Democracy. It was quite surreal. Spine-chilling.

It was placed before a painting of Chairman Mao on the Gate of Heavenly Peace.

Willie Phua who was the head of our camera crew team there said, The Generals wont like this.

The legendary Phua, now 91, was Uechtritzs cameraman from Singapore, joined by two young assistants Sebastian and Joe Phua plus Kone Chang on sound. The team was based at two hotels including the nearby Beijing Hotel, which had a birds eye view on the conflict.

Filming on the streets when the army tanks and Armoured Personnel Carriers bore down on their own people, Uechtritz and his cameraman tried to escape.

We filmed young men and women, bloodied, put onto the back of trays on pedicabs, either dead or wounded, he says.

We made a run for it but there was a convoy of APCs and tanks coming down. Whether they were aiming at us or firing warning shots. there was machine-gun fire.

The secret police had locked the doors to our hotel so we had to take cover under a minibus.

The events of June 4 1989, also known as Six Four, were denounced around the world, as figures about how many victims were slain could never be verified. Amnesty International puts the figure at 1000 but Uechtritz estimates deaths around the city at closer to 10,000. It would have a lasting impact on political, social and economic relations for years to come.

There was a brave young man with shopping bags standing in front of a steel monster.

But it was footage of one incident that crystallised the defiance of the demonstrators, which comprised students, workers, doctors, nurses, police and more. It lingers long after the bloodshed, 3 decades on.

On July 5 Uechtritz was with his team on the 10th floor of the Beijing Hotel when Willie Phua called him to their balcony.

It still sends chills down my spine, he said, Max, look at this! I went and looked in the eyepiece on the camera and there was this amazing scene unfolding.

There was a brave young man with shopping bags standing in front of a steel monster.

ABC footage filmed by Willie Phua

The unnamed man was facing off with army tanks, in an almighty David & Goliath face-off. He would come to be known as Tank Man.

It moved to one side and he jumped in front of it. We were holding our breath, Uechtritz recalls.

All the tanks behind them had guys in the turrets with machine guns.

He clambered up onto the tank and was telling something.

The only words we know he said were, Why are you here? You have done nothing but create misery. My city is in chaos because of you.

In my report that night I said The luckiest man in China was rushed off by friends.

Lets hope he survived. Nobody will ever know.

ABC was one of 3 broadcasters to capture the moment (CNN & NBC were the others).

But Uechtritz still had to get the footage out for the world to see, given the Chinese had blocked all Live satellite coverage.

They copied the footage and paid a local pedicab $US500 to courier it to the airport to find an Australian. Any Australian.

We had no way of knowing if it would ever get out.

We gave them a big bundle and a letter in English, with a big note saying Anyone on the Qantas flight going to Hong Kong? he continues.

He pedalled out to the airport and gave it to an Australian. We had our hearts in our mouths.

We had no way of knowing if it would ever get out.

A passenger took it to a Hong Kong broadcaster which transferred it to ABC. Reports and vision shocked Australians and the Hawke-led government, with the late PM reduced to tears as he described the slaughter.

Uechtritz won a Walkley Award for his coverage and would go on to work with Nine, Al Jazeera and Seven. But he credits Willie Phua with getting the world-famous Tank Man without the due recognition.

The ABC was at the heart of the story all the way through. Willies footage, and that shot by the other young men, was just extraordinary, he insists.

He got the best close-up pictures.

I have an overwhelming sense of sadness

Today Uechtritz runs his own production company specialising in documentaries. On the 30th Anniversary of the massacre I ask how he looks back on the tragedy.

I have an overwhelming sense of sadness about the waste of all those young peoples lives, he reveals.

The sheer illogical naivety of the protestors confounds me still. It was wonderful to see all this verve and they believed so deeply in the Peoples Liberation Army.

All their lives the Peoples Army had served them in floods, droughts, famine. But the trust didnt extend to the Generals and Polit Bureau who had been humiliated for weeks.

The Goddess of Democracy was almost a death sentence for people.

You see things you wish youd never seen.

Four Corners: Tremble & Obey airs 8:30pm tonight on ABC.US drama Vida, starring Melissa Barrera and Mishel Prada as Mexican-American sisters, has been renewed for a third season.

It is a rarity in television today to have a series earn this level of critical praise for two consecutive seasons and spark cultural conversation in the way that Vida has, said Starz COO Jeffrey Hirsch. We are proud to continue to tell this story with Tanya and the incredible cast and crew she has assembled.

In Season Two, still processing the death of their mother, Emma and Lyn, played by Mishel Prada and Melissa Barrera, the two estranged Mexican-American sisters from the Eastside of LA, are tentatively trying to trust each other while figuring out how to save the failing bar their mother has left them.

Season Two is now screening in Australia on Stan.

Source: VarietyMOSCOW (Reuters) - Seventy-nine people were injured when several blasts at the explosives plant Kristall shook the central Russian town of Dzerzhinsk on Saturday, the Russian health ministry said.

The blasts, around midday (0900 GMT) were heard all over the town of more than 230,000 residents and shock waves smashed or damaged windows in around 180 buildings, city authorities told TASS news agency.

Russian state TV Rossiya 24 showed footage of a plume of smoke rising over the explosives factory.

The Kristall plant said that its director had been fired "literally a day before" the blasts for violating industrial safety rules earlier in the year, Interfax reported. He was blamed for an explosion that occurred in April and also destroyed a section of the plant.

Thirty-eight of the injured were at the plant when the blasts occurred but 41 local residents from outside the factory, many hit by broken glass, also requested medical help.

The health ministry said that 15 of all the injured were taken to hospitals, mostly with fragment wounds. One of them, a woman, suffers a severe injury.

Local authorities declared a state of emergency in Dzerzhinsk and three neighbouring settlements, Russian agencies said.

A local deputy governor told Rossiya 24 TV channel that two people went missing after the blasts but later he said that the information had not been confirmed.

Dzerzhinsk is close to the city of Nizhny Novgorod, about 400 km (250 miles) east of Moscow. Founded in Soviet times, the Kristall scientific institute is one of the major Russian developers of explosives technology for military and civilian use. The plant is part of Russia's Rostec, a state conglomerate which has been affected by Western sanctions over Russian policy towards Ukraine.

A section of the building where the blasts occurred was partially destroyed and a fire broke out at the facility, where explosives and ammunition, including aerial bombs, were stored, Russian news agencies said.

A neighbouring building and a nearby forest also caught fire and the Russian emergency ministry reported that firefighters had managed to douse it around six hours after the blasts, Russian agencies said.

(Reporting by Maria Tsvetkova; Editing by Alexander Smith and Stephen Powell)The philosopher, writer and academic Michel Serres died on Saturday June 1 at the age of 88. His publishing house Le Pommier made the announcement on Saturday evening. He died peacefully at 7pm, surrounded by family, said his editor Sophie Bancquart.Serres was an extremely prolific writer and public figure in France, and was elected to the Academie francaise  a highly selective and somewhat grand French institution that issues edicts on the proper usage of the French language.Luminary in French academiaSerres was born in 1930 in Agen, a town situated in the south-west of France between Bordeaux and Toulouse. He graduated from Frances elite university, the Ecole Normale Superieure, with a degree in philosophy in 1955, after having studied at a naval academy. He worked as a naval officer for a few years before becoming an assistant professor in philosophy at the same faculty as Michel Foucault.He received his doctorate in 1968, and became a professor of History of Science at the Sorbonne in 1969. Later in life, he was a professor in the French department of Stanford University in the United States. In 1985 he published an essay, Les Cinq Sens, which a year later won the French literary prize, the Prix Medicis. In this essay, he wrote, Intellect is worth nothing if the body hasnt travelled, if the nose hasnt tasted spices in foreign lands. Long before todays ecological awareness, Serres was interested in environmental issues, and particularly in the transition from local to global. He anticipated the upheavals that technology would wreak on modern society, but remained optimistic about its impact.He was elected to the Academie francaise in 1990, where he was appointed without the traditional sword ceremony as a sign of peace. It was around this time that he started to be better known by the wider public. A tireless traveller of thoughtHe found success in 2012, when his philosophical essay Petite Poucette sold over 270,000 copies. It is based on the premise that technology has effectively created a new type of human. Serres analyses how the technological revolution has brought about major political, societal and psychological transformations.His page on the website of his publishing house describes him as a tireless traveller of thought. Hes written over 80 pieces of work and continued to publish right up to this year, releasing Morales espiegles (Rogue morals) in February. Serres was an indefatigable optimist. In 2016, he said, In comparison to what I experienced in the first third of my life, were currently living in a period of peace. I would even go so far as to say that western Europe is going through an era of paradise. Always striving forward  thats quintessential Michel Serres.

The philosopher, writer and academic Michel Serres died on Saturday June 1 at the age of 88.

His publishing house Le Pommier made the announcement on Saturday evening. He died peacefully at 7pm, surrounded by family, said his editor Sophie Bancquart.

Serres was an extremely prolific writer and public figure in France, and was elected to the Academie francaise  a highly selective and somewhat grand French institution that issues edicts on the proper usage of the French language.

Luminary in French academia

Serres was born in 1930 in Agen, a town situated in the south-west of France between Bordeaux and Toulouse. He graduated from Frances elite university, the Ecole Normale Superieure, with a degree in philosophy in 1955, after having studied at a naval academy. He worked as a naval officer for a few years before becoming an assistant professor in philosophy at the same faculty as Michel Foucault.

He received his doctorate in 1968, and became a professor of History of Science at the Sorbonne in 1969. Later in life, he was a professor in the French department of Stanford University in the United States.

In 1985 he published an essay, Les Cinq Sens, which a year later won the French literary prize, the Prix Medicis. In this essay, he wrote, Intellect is worth nothing if the body hasnt travelled, if the nose hasnt tasted spices in foreign lands.

Long before todays ecological awareness, Serres was interested in environmental issues, and particularly in the transition from local to global. He anticipated the upheavals that technology would wreak on modern society, but remained optimistic about its impact.

He was elected to the Academie francaise in 1990, where he was appointed without the traditional sword ceremony as a sign of peace. It was around this time that he started to be better known by the wider public.

A tireless traveller of thought

He found success in 2012, when his philosophical essay Petite Poucette sold over 270,000 copies. It is based on the premise that technology has effectively created a new type of human. Serres analyses how the technological revolution has brought about major political, societal and psychological transformations.

Story continues

His page on the website of his publishing house describes him as a tireless traveller of thought. Hes written over 80 pieces of work and continued to publish right up to this year, releasing Morales espiegles (Rogue morals) in February.

Serres was an indefatigable optimist. In 2016, he said, In comparison to what I experienced in the first third of my life, were currently living in a period of peace. I would even go so far as to say that western Europe is going through an era of paradise.

Always striving forward  thats quintessential Michel Serres.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.(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.

(AFP)The red carpet should not be rolled out for President Donald Trump,according to London Mayor Sadiq Khan.

The US leader is set to make a state visit to the UK this coming week.

His visit is expected to be met with mass protests, with thousands likely to take to the streets in opposition to the controversial 45th US President.

Ahead of touching down in Britain, Trump has attempted to publicly interfere in UK politics, claiming the UK should crash out of the EU without a deal and send The Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage to negotiate.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan compared the language used by Mr Trump to that of the "fascists of the 20th century".

Writing in the Observer, Mr Khan said: "President Donald Trump is just one of the most egregious examples of a growing global threat.

"The far-right is on the rise around the world, threatening our hard-won rights and freedoms and the values that have defined our liberal, democratic societies for more than 70 years.

"Viktor Orban in Hungary, Matteo Salvini in Italy, Marine Le Pen in France and Nigel Farage here in the UK are using the same divisive tropes of the fascists of the 20th century to garner support, but with new, sinister methods to deliver their message.

"And they are gaining ground and winning power and influence in places that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago."

The first day of Mr Trump's state visit to the UK will see him have a private lunch with the Queen, tea at Clarence House with the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, and attend a state banquet at Buckingham Palace.

Of Farage, President Trump said it was a "mistake" not to involve Brexit Party leader Mr Farage in negotiations, saying he has a "lot to offer" and is someone he likes "a lot".

Mr Trump added: "He is a very smart person. They won't bring him in. Think how well they would do if they did. They just haven't figured that out yet."

The president, who will arrive in London on Monday, said the British Government has to "get the deal closed"

Story continues

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

He suggested: "If they don't get what they want, I would walk away... If you don't get the deal you want, if you don't get a fair deal, then you walk away."

Mr Trump added that if he was in charge, he would not pay the EU divorce bill, and he claimed it is not too late to "sue" the EU to give Britain greater "ammunition" in the talks.

He told the paper: "If I were them I wouldn't pay 50 billion dollars. That is me. I would not pay, that is a tremendous number."

Meanwhile Mr Trump vowed to "go all out" to secure a free trade deal between the UK and US within months of Britain leaving the EU.

Defying diplomatic norms for the second time in as many days after telling The Sun he backs Boris Johnson to become the next prime minister, Mr Trump also said he would have "to know" Jeremy Corbyn before authorising the sharing of highly sensitive US intelligence.Amid tensions between James Comey and AG William Barr, Comey accused Barr of peddling conspiracy theories last week On Twitter. In a CBS interview, Barr made an oath to investigate the origins of the Russia probe that started in 2016.

Since then, many officials have spoken against Mr. Barr and called him a conspiracy theorist. With many Republican officials on his side, Barr has begun looking into the unverified Steele dossier and what role the document had in the decision to investigate the Trump campaign.

Bill Barr on CBS offers no facts. An AG should not be echoing conspiracy theories. He should gather facts and show them. That is what Justice is about.  James Comey (@Comey) June 1, 2019

In the accusation, Comey claimed that Barr offers no facts, and that he should gather facts and show them.

According to the Daily Caller, the FBI investigation into the Trump camp relied heavily on the infamous Steele dossier. Barr confirmed this when he announced that he would be investigating the investigators.

Reports claim that Barr unsatisfied with intel reports

Chuck Ross of the Daily Caller wrote that Barr was not satisfied with the answers he received from the FBIs investigation and the governments surveillance activities regarding the FISA warrant that was obtained using an intelligence report which included the Steele dossier.

President Trump weighed in on the Mueller investigation last week on Twitter. He quoted Sean Davis of The Federalist as saying that Mueller proved his operation was a political hit job.

The president also claimed on Twitter that Robert Mueller, among other candidates, visited the Oval Office to ask about being selected as the new FBI director.

Robert Mueller came to the Oval Office (along with other potential candidates) seeking to be named the Director of the FBI. He had already been in that position for 12 years, I told him NO. The next day he was named Special Counsel - A total Conflict of Interest. NICE!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 30, 2019

President Trump claimed that it was because Mueller didn't get that position he pursued the job of Special Counsel.

Discuss this news on Eunomia

Of course, the president has been saying this all along. As you may recall, Mueller spoke for the first time since he began his work as Special Counsel, last week.

In the speech, he said that he would not be giving testimony to Congress. He also confirmed that everything he needed to say--he included in his report. However, as Barr has said, there are questions as to how the Special Counsels investigation started in the first place.

Reports say that the Steele dossier is the primary motivation.

Reports claim that the CIA was against the inclusion of the dossier with the intel report, but Comey insisted that the documentation should be stapled to the intel report when applying for the FISA warrant.

The Comey-Brennan blame game

This blame game, as some call it, has pitted Comey and John Brennan against one another. Both former intel directors claim the other is to blame for including the dossier with the FISA report.

The GOP now questions the reliability of James Comeys testimonies.

Zealot Mueller and His Enablers in Congress and the Senate are Fully Intent on Subverting the Presidency of @realDonaldTrump: Muellers Credibility Problem https://t.co/ovr3bADN5E via @WSJOpinion #MAGA @POTUS #TrumpTrain #AmericaFirst  Lou Dobbs (@LouDobbs) December 5, 2017

Comey's credibility became questionable for many when he refused to Hillary Clinton with negligence regarding her email scandal."When They See Us," Netflix's latest docu-series premiered May 31 and the coverage of the Central Park Five unleashed a torrent of fury against Linda Fairstein. Across social media, people slam her for the wrongful imprisonment of five teens who never committed the crime. The former Manhattan District Attorney's being hammered from all sides. On Twitter, On Facebook, and elsewhere, anger boils over.

The premiere of 'When They see Us' saw anger at Linda Fairstein trending on Twitter

Many people only know Linda Fairstein as an author of the Alexandra Cooper books.

In those, she basically writes of her own younger life experiences as a New York prosecutor. Only, the main character's a major heroine. Well, one thing's for sure, nobody's calling the author a heroine today. People.com eventually put those not in the know, right on some of the facts behind the raging anger over "When They See Us."

In short, "Fairstein oversaw the interrogation of the so-called Central Park Five, the teens who were wrongfully imprisoned for years following the high-profile 1989 r*pe of a female jogger before their convictions were overturned." The Netflix docu-series shows how "five teenagers of color" claimed their confessions were forced out of them. In fact, later, DNA that matched the crime scene came from a r*pist who confessed to the crime.

Convictions overturned against Central Park Five but Linda Fairstein won't accept that

People also notes that despite thousands of documents supporting the overturning of their convictions, Linda Fairstein still does not accept the findings. Well, the City of New York accepted them, as they ended up paying out more than 40 million dollars.

Discuss this news on Eunomia

In 2018 Fairstein still argued that the "When They See Us" teens committed the crime, in her piece published in the New York Law Journal. At one time she described the police work and investigations as "brilliant." She does not see imprisoning those five teens as wrong, claiming that the attacker always "ran with them." He just stayed around the crime scene longer.

The Netflix show, When "They See Us" reminded people of all of that which went down so many years ago. For many viewers, they were not even born yet, and yet the anger unleashed at Fairstein even saw some of her profile pages doctored. People are furious and others vow to never buy or read her books again. While many people feel she's just racist, one Twitter user noted that one of the policers officers, Eric Reynolds, on the case was also a person of color.

Wait, so Linda Fairstein relentlessly went after these innocent kids, she helped silence a case against Harvey Weinstein, and she was part of the decision not to prosecute Dominique Strauss-Kahn ...and @glamourmag awarded her Woman of the Year?#WhenTheySeeUs  April (@AprilTara) May 31, 2019

He also believes in their guilt despite DNA exonerating them.

The New York Daily News reported last year that he said, "This was a runaway train...Im black and I grew up in the projects and it was scary being in the middle of something that had such huge racial connotations. I knew that nothing good was going to come of it. It was going to pit people against each other. Thats what made me feel kind of sick about the whole thing. Everybody who had some kind of an agenda was going to use it for their own ends.

The #CentralPark5 case has to haunt Linda Fairstein to this day. Special place is hell for that type of lying. Thanks @ava for telling this story. #whentheyseeus pic.twitter.com/ot69yAyN1o  BallerAlert (@balleralert) May 31, 2019

Netflix Docu-series airs and fury against Linda Fairstein erupts on Twitter

It looks like Eric Reynolds' prediction that everyone would climb on board and find an agenda to use it for their own ends might be coming true right now.

Other people simply talk about how shocked they are by all this that got revealed on Netflix. On Twitter, Donald Trump, Fairstein, and even actress Felicity Huffman get hated on. Here's what some people say about it all:

@mar**: "Dont be fooled, this is the face of evil. It doesnt matter how many actual guilty people Linda Fairstein is responsible for putting away. Her corruption, racism, and destruction of 5 young innocent childrens lives is her legacy. Disgusting."

@han**: "Just a reminder that Linda Fairstein, the prosecutor in #WhenTheySeeUs, also helped Harvey Weinstein get out of a sexual assault charge in 2015."

@Mka**: "Elizabeth [Lederer] and Linda Fairstein walked freely for years knowing they wrongly convicted black/brown young boys. Let that sink in #WhenTheySeeUS ."

." @Rac**: "whats so despicable about Linda Fairstein is the way she uses womens rights as an excuse to further her racist, unjust agenda. you can call her an extreme case, but weve seen this happen historically and were still seeing it today."

What do you think about all the fury unleashed after the premiere of 'When They See Us' on Netflix?

Do you think the Central Park Five were deliberately targeted by Linda Fairstein? Are you amazed that even though social media rages at the former Manhattan District Attorney and best-selling author over the wrongfully imprisoned teens, Linda Fairstein's accounts still operate as if nothing bad ever happened? Have you watched "When They See Us?"

Remember to check back with Blasting News often for news about Netflix docu-series.Vietjet, Vietnam Airlines, and Jetstar Pacific Airlines  the countrys top airlines  have achieved the highest ranking of seven-star on international aviation safety provided by global prestigious rating agency Airline Ratings.

Aviation safety and security continued to be on the top on the agenda of the 75th annual International Air Transport Association conference that took place in South Korea's capital city of Seoul today, featuring the presence of top executives from the worlds leading airlines.

The ratings success paves the way for a future direct route to the United States

The acquisition of International Air Transport Associations (IATA) operational safety audit certification (IOSA) was one of the important criteria helping Vietnamese airlines to achieve the highest safety assessments.

Since IOSA was applied, the airlines acquiring the certification have reported safe operation records four times higher than airlines that do not have the certification.

In 2017, the accident ratio of IOSA-certified airlines was 0.56 per one million flights, nearly four times lower than the 2.17 ratio of non-IOSA certified airlines.

Airline Ratings unveiled that IOSA standard checks are carried out every two years, and encompass more than 1,060 standards. Only 16 per cent of all airlines in the world have acquired IOSA certification, with three coming from Vietnam  Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet, and Jetstar.

This allowed Vietnam to receive a Category 1 (CAT 1) aviation safety rating in this February from the US Department of Transportations Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). In order to maintain the CAT 1 rating, a country must comply with safety standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the UN technical agency in charge of establishing international standards and recommended practices for operation and maintenance of aircraft.

The acquisition of CAT 1 is of great significance to Vietnamese airlines as it is not only a key technical element to establish a direct Vietnam-US flight but also contributes to elevating Vietnam in the international aviation market. In addition, the acquisition of CAT 1 gives the country the opportunity to codeshare with the worlds major airlines.

During the evaluation process, the FAA had kept close eyes on assessing the safety standards of Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet, and Jetstar.

According to US Ambassador to Vietnam Daniel Kritenbrink, the CAT 1 certification means the FAA has assessed the Vietnamese aviation industry to have reached US and global aviation safety standards.

Last year, Vietnamese airlines transported a total of 50 million passengers, a 14 per cent jump on-year, and nearly 400,000 tonnes of freight, a 26 per cent jump on-year.

Aviation is a tightly-controlled sector as all airlines in the world must adhere to a raft of common regulations and standards for operation safety and security assurance.

Unexpected accidents might occur to any airline in any country. Therefore, ahead of each flight, a raft of checks will be held to ensure absolute safety for passengers.

In Vietnam, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV), which is in charge of overseeing Vietnams aviation business and the airlines, has seen upbeat results in the airlines efforts to ensure safe flight operations. Over the past two decades, Vietnam did not report any major accidents in the aviation business. Simultaneously, the country has witnessed robust growth in both the quality and scale of the local aviation industry.

The contributions of the CAAV and the airlines deserve plaudits for consolidating and elevating the Vietnamese aviation sectors status in the world for gaining recognition from prestigious global ratings organisations. VIR

Dang Khoi

Private airlines bring dynamism to Vietnams aviation industry The foray of private airlines have brought dynamism to Vietnams aviation industry, according to Vu Tien Loc, president of Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI).

Taking aviation higher The limitations plaguing Vietnam's aviation infrastructure need to be overcome to facilitate growth in the tourism sector.Many large breweries may be required to report all of their M&A deals to the management agency.

A tricycle transports beer products of Sabeco. The management authority is setting up a database of enterprises with high revenue and large assets to make it easier for managing M&A transactions

Tran Phuong Lan, head of the Economic Concentration Control Department of the Vietnam Competition and Consumer Protection Authority, under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, said that the management authority is setting up a database of enterprises with high revenue and assets of VND2 trillion or more.

The database is aimed at helping the agency keep a close watch on firms activities, including merger and acquisition (M&A) transactions.

This means that when a firm on the list conducts any M&A deal, it has to report the economic concentration to the management agency, Lan said.

The Vietnam Competition and Consumer Protection Authority had earlier proposed the caps to be applied to economic concentration announcements based on criteria related to total assets and revenue in the draft decree, which stipulates some articles of the 2018 Competition Law.

Specifically, under Article 13 of the draft decree, the enterprises have to inform the national competition authority of economic concentration activities they intend to pursue.

The four cases in which firms must inform the authority of their economic concentration are when the firms total assets amount to VND2 trillion or more, trade value reaches at least VND1 trillion, the firms revenue totals VND2 trillion or more and the firms market share comprises 20% of the local market.

The national competition authority has 30 days from the date of receiving the report to announce its preliminary appraisal results to either allow an M&A deal or subject the firms to an official appraisal, according to the draft decree.

If the authority fails to issue an announcement, the firms are automatically permitted to conduct their M&A transactions.

Lan said that the draft decree had been submitted to the Government, adding that if nothing changes, the draft decree will be issued prior to July 1 this year before the new version of the Competition Law takes effect.

Speaking at a seminar on the status of and control over economic concentration in the beer-alcohol-beverage sector in the local market on May 27, lawyer Nguyen Anh Tuan said that with the proposed limit of VND2 trillion, many transactions will be subject to the regulation, creating pressure on the competent agencies and requiring compliance from firms.

Tuan questioned whether the national competition authority could cover 10-20 cases simultaneously, proposing that it should consider focusing on important cases instead.

Nguyen Ngoc Son, dean of the Economy-Law Faculty of Ton Duc Thang University, said that the regulation is based on the current market share, but firms will need to put significant time and effort into completing the reports for the authority.

Le Quang Lan, deputy head of the Vietnam Competition and Consumer Protection Authority, said the authority will propose adjusting the caps if they are not feasible. SGT

Minh TamThe use of non-voting depository receipts (NVDRs) may help foreign investors buy more shares in Vietnamese companies without raising their power.

The sign of the State Securities Commission (SSC) at its headquarters in Hanoi. SSC, other market regulators, stock exchanges and market members have proposed the National Assembly discuss allowing the sale of non-voting depository receipts as a way for local firms to increase capital without giving too much power to foreign investors.  Photo vietnamfinance.vn

According to the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET), NVDRs are meant for foreign investors who are interested in investing in a company but are prevented from doing so because of foreign ownership restrictions.

Buying NVDRs is an alternative option for foreign investors as they receive the same benefits in terms of dividends and warrants as those investing directly in a companys ordinary shares.

The difference between those buying ordinary shares and those buying NVDRs is voting rights. NVDR holders cannot be involved in company decision-making.

NVDRs have not been approved in Viet Nam, but they may be the solution for Vietnamese companies. They would allow firms to raise more foreign capital without ceding power to foreign shareholders.

The foreign ownership cap is in place to avoid giving foreign interests too much power, so Vietnamese market regulators and companies may want to consider embracing NVDRs to raise capital.

A Vietnamese company can only increase its foreign ownership limit if it is not involved in sensitive sectors such as property, transportation or banking  the economic sectors that have a direct impact on Viet Nams economic safety and security.

The maximum foreign ownership for those companies is 49 per cent. In the banking and aviation sectors, the limit is 30 per cent.

The issuance of covered warrants allows foreign investors to raise capital in Vietnamese firms, but these purchases are costly and investors can only short covered warrants for now, analysts have said. In addition, covered warrants are issued by securities firms but some foreign-owned brokerage firms cannot buy ordinary shares if a company runs out of room for foreign ownership.

According to Nguyen Thi Viet Ha, commissioner of the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange (HoSE), NVDRs are in use in Malaysia and Japan and are treated like ordinary shares. Foreign investors can purchase NVDRs if their ownership in local companies exceeds the foreign ownership limit.

In Malaysia, the foreign ownership limit is regulated by the company charter. It is restricted by market regulators in Japan. But in both markets, foreign investors will receive financial benefits when buying this kind of share but will not have voting rights.

In Japan and Malaysia, foreign investors can trade a companys shares and market regulators address which of them have voting rights when the company is about to finalise its shareholder list for a meeting.

But in Viet Nam, market regulators must supervise the list of foreign shareholders and their ownership as these two factors can change a companys ownership status from Vietnamese to foreign if foreign investors hold more than half of the companys charter capital or a controlling stake.

According to Ta Thi Thanh Binh, director of the Market Development Department at the State Securities Commission (SSC), only 50 listed companies have raised their foreign ownership limit to 100 per cent. There are nearly 800 companies trading on the HoSE, HNX and UPCoM.

Most Vietnamese companies were hesitant to lift their foreign ownership limit because they were afraid of being treated as foreign firms, which would restrict them from doing business in some sectors, Binh said.

Tran Thi Hong Ha, deputy director of the Market Development Department, said at a recent SSC meeting that NVDRs were proposed by HoSE six years ago but two main obstacles had prevented the launch of the new product.

There were no specific NVDR regulations in Viet Nam, she said, adding that Vietnamese stock exchanges were not allowed to set up their own businesses to issue and manage NVDRs. This policy is different from how NVDRs work in Thailand.

Some experts have suggested the NVDRs issued by a company should account for 15 per cent of its total shares and NVDR holders should be able to attend shareholder meetings.

The product is not yet available in Viet Nam, but it has been included in the draft amendment to the Law of Securities, which will be discussed at the 14th National Assemblys seventh meeting on June 6.  VNS

Hanoi Stock Exchange delists companies The Hanoi Stock Exchange (HNX) has issued a decision to cancel the listing of a number of companies in May and June.

Scarce products in Vietnams stock market leave foreign investors with few options Limited products in Vietnams stock market have left foreign investors with few options for investment, in spite of their strong interest, according to Le Anh Tuan, deputy CIO and head of research at fund manager Dragon Capital.Official development assistance (ODA)-funded projects have been found to employ foreign consulting firms at high costs, noted a report from the State Audit of Vietnam (SAV).

An elevated section of the Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien metro line in HCMC. The revised investment of this project has risen by VND29.9 trillion (US$1.2 billion), equivalent to a 172.2% hike

The auditing watchdog stated in the report that exorbitant fees are paid to international consultants hired by the contractors for projects financed by ODA donor countries.

The watchdog discovered that some expressway projects, such as Hanoi-Haiphong and Cau Gie-Ninh Binh, hired international consultants at costs 8.5 times higher than local consultants.

Similarly, other projects, such as Vinh Thinh Bridge on National Road 2C, and the cleaning of the basin of Tau Hu-Ben Nghe-Doi-Te canal in HCMC, have seen costs seven to 11 times higher for employing foreign consultants.

According to the SAV, there are no specific regulations on the demand for and necessity of hiring international consultants or on their salaries. However, the fees seen so far are exorbitant.

In fact, each foreign consultant receives US$20,000-US$25,000 on a monthly basis, while their local counterparts receive some US$2,000 each.

SAV Auditor General Ho Duc Phoc said that ODA donors considered most of their projects effective upon completion.

However, having audited these projects, the watchdog found that their operations were inadequate, the quality of construction was low and their technology was not top of the line.

The prices charged for buildings materials were too high. Further, the total investment in these projects was revised multiple times, and their capital disbursements were slow.

Many projects using ODA and preferential loans, especially in the transport infrastructure sector, were found to have overrun their total investments.

For example, the revised investment of the HCMC-based Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien metro line project has risen by VND29.9 trillion (US$1.2 billion), equivalent to a 172.2% hike.

SAV Auditor General Ho Duc Phoc said that the negotiation and signing of loan agreements included unfavorable binding conditions, so there had been no other choice but to award no-bid contracts to foreign contractors.

He pointed out that the Cat Linh-Ha Dong urban railway project in Hanoi was a typical example since more than VND13.7 trillion (US$588 million) was paid to the Chinese contractor, making up a staggering 77% of its total investment.

Also, a number of projects were placed at a disadvantage as they had to use goods and services from their lenders. For example, the Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien metro line project in HCMC employs at least 30% of Japans goods and services, and its main contractor is Japanese.

Having inspected nine programs and 23 projects, SAV suggested dealing with problematic finance totaling more than VND21.7 trillion (US$929 million). SGTVietnam will have to compete with other RCEP (Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership) countries because its most advantageous products are similar to key export product items of the countries.

High ranking officials of 16 member countries of RCEP will gather at a meeting on May 24 in Bangkok, Thailand in an effort to wrap up negotiations this year.

RCEP, which has been negotiated for six years, is an FTA which connects the dynamic economic zones of Southeast Asia, Northeast Asia (China, Japan and South Korea), and Oceania (Australia, New Zealand and India). The region has half of the worlds population, and makes up 30 percent of GDP and 28 percent of the global trade.

The positive aspect of RCEP, according to Nguyen Thi Thu Trang, director of the Center for WTO and Integration Studies, is that Vietnams enterprises can easily satisfy the requirements on product origin to be eligible for preferential tariffs.

The RCEP market covers the production chains of many products in which Vietnam has advantages, Trang commented.

The positive aspect of RCEP, according to Nguyen Thi Thu Trang, director of the Center for WTO and Integration Studies, is that Vietnams enterprises can easily satisfy the requirements on product origin to be eligible for preferential tariffs.

Vietnam now imports electronic chips from Japan and South Korea and textile and garment materials from China, and then makes products in Vietnam for export to other countries. As such, Vietnams products can satisfy the requirements on the ratios of RCEP-made content.

RCEP, with different levels of development of members, is not considered a next-generation FTA. The required quality of products to be exported to member markets is at a medium level, which fits the production capability of the majority of Vietnamese enterprises.

Nevertheless, there are still challenges. Unlike CPTPP and EVFTA, where the products of inner-bloc countries support each other, RCEP will witness stiff competition among member countries because their products are nearly the same.

In RCEP, Vietnam will have to compete fiercely with other members, not only in RCEP markets, but also in the home market, Trang said.

When RCEP takes effect, Vietnam and China, for example, will compete in exporting textiles and garments, footwear and seafood to Japan which still doesnt have an FTA with China.

However, Trang said Vietnams goods are well known in the world, so if Vietnamese enterprises can exploit their brands well and fix their problems, including unprofessional aspects and inconsistency of products, they will be able to take full advantage of the preferences offered by RCEP.

Trinh Thu Hien from MOIT commented that Vietnams enterprises should not only rely on next-generation FTAs, but also try to exploit the existing FTAs to boost exports. To export products to Japan, for example, they can take full advantage of existing agreements between Vietnam and Japan, rather than relying on CPTPP and RCEP.

Vietnams businesses fear getting involved in US-China trade war Businesses have expressed concern over the escalation of the US-China trade war, and are hurrying to seek solutions to anticipated problems.

Vietnam attractive to foreign investors amid trade war Mr. Chua Hak Bin, Senior Economist at Maybank Kim Eng, tells how Vietnam is the biggest beneficiary in investment shifts from China as trade war with US continues.

Ha DungCoal-fueled thermal power plants are still an important source of energy for the next decade, when the country will be in dire need of energy for more production, heard attendees at a seminar in HCMC last week.

Experts at the seminar held on May 28 seek solutions to develop energy resources. Coal-fired thermal power is still needed for the next decade

At the seminar to seek energy development solutions to ensure national energy security, held by Tien Phong newspaper, Nguyen Quoc Minh, deputy head of the development strategy board at Vietnam Electricity Group, said that only 16,500 megawatts of electricity is expected to be generated in 2016-2020, equivalent to 76.2% of the planned volume. As a result, the country may face a severe power shortage.

According to Le Van Luc, deputy head of the Renewable Energy Department, under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, said that most of the medium and large hydropower sources had been depleted.

In addition, the total capacity of gas-fired power plants is over 7,000 megawatts. Gas is mainly sourced from Nam Con Son and Cuu Long fields, but the gas reserves at these two fields have declined.

Projects to exploit gas from the Block B and Blue Whale gas fields have lagged behind schedule due to complicated administrative procedures and the lack of capital, Luc added.

Meanwhile, renewable energy plants operations are unstable as they are dependent on weather conditions.

Since 2012, coal-fired thermal power plants have generated only 8,000 megawatts of electricity, or 58% of the planned volume, due to investors poor performance and local residents opposition to coal-fired thermal power projects.

To ensure an adequate power supply, the country has to import some 1,000 megawatts of electricity from China and Laos. The volume is forecast to increase to 3,000 megawatts by 2025 and 5,000 megawatts by 2030, Luc said.

Together with renewable and gas-fired power, coal-fired thermal power is still an important source of energy for meeting local demand.

According to Tran Trong Quyet, vice chairman of the Southern Electrical Engineering Association, hydro and coal-fired thermal power prices are considered competitive compared with those of other kinds of power. Vietnam has strong potential to develop coal-fueled thermal power plants, while hydropower potential is nearly exhausted.

In the world, coal-fired thermal power accounts for nearly half of the electricity volume. The rate is also high in some European countries, which have abundant hydro and nuclear power supplies, Quyet said.

Over the next 10 to 15 years, coal-fueled thermal power will still be needed despite the development of other kinds of power, Quyet said, adding that coal-fired thermal power plants must apply advanced technology to protect the environment and utilize coal ash.

Tran Dinh Thien, former director of the Vietnam Institute of Economics, said that the sector should adjust the electricity development strategy to take into account both the power demand and supply and create favorable conditions for the private sector to ensure national energy security in the coming period. SGT

Le Anh

Coal-fired power plant development must come with environmental protection Pham Trong Thuc, deputy director general of the Industrial Safety Technique and Environmental Agency under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, talks to Cong Thuong newspaper on the national plan to develop coal-fired power plants.

Power plants use of sugarcane bagasse raises farmers incomes More than 10,000 sugarcanefarm households in the central province of Phu Yen are earning higher profits thanks to the use of bagasse from a sugar factory to produce electricity.Social impact businesses raise awareness about people with disabilities and create major value for the community.

Journey of the Senses (JOS), a Ho Chi Minh City-based hospitality company employing people with disabilities (PwD), is an initiative by Vietnamese and Dutch founders Mr. Vu Anh Tu and Mr. Germ Doornbos.

Their businesses are designed around a philosophy that aims to create an ecosystem of creative services built on the capabilities of PwD in order to turn their disadvantages into advantages and allow them to have frontline interaction in a professional service space.

The first restaurant in the ecosystem, Noir - Dining in the Dark, opened in 2014 with a team of blind and visually-impaired people, while Blanc Restaurant opened in 2017 and invites guests to communicate in sign language with its deaf and hearing-impaired staff.

This is partly a social impact business (SIB) or impact enterprise (IE) approach, providing job opportunities for PwD, and partly because of professional hospitality standards where fine-dining experiences are to be unique for guests.

CREATING GREAT VALUES

The two founders believe that placing PwD at the frontline and creating guest interaction is a means of increasing awareness about the blind and deaf communities.

Disabled staff at JOS now account for about 43 per cent and we hope this will rise to 60 per cent next year, said Mr. Tu.

This concept not only provides guests with a unique dark dining experience but also creates job opportunities for the blind and visually-impaired, as the unemployment rate for these people is around 94 per cent.

Another IE model, Enablecode, a software company that employs computing experts with disabilities, expects to transform the way Vietnamese society perceives PwD.

We are steadily expanding so we can provide more opportunities to Vietnamese with disabilities to become highly-skilled programmers, said Ms. Vy Nguyen, Operations Manager at Enablecode.

Our successful use of collective impact ecosystems has won recognition from the World Bank as one of the best examples of a modern social enterprise globally. We are expecting many opportunities arising from this, which will allow us to scale up.

Enablecode takes on a large social challenge: how to sustainably create highly-skilled employment for millions of PwD.

We have succeeded in the first step of proving that PwD can become international-standard software programmers, she said.

We have also launched a training program to give this opportunity to more people with disabilities. We have set up a rather unique collaboration between charities, the UN, vocational colleges, business associations, and the corporate sector to all work together on this.

Not using PwD like other SIB models, mGreen is a social, non-profit project that aims to create a habit of sorting household waste and protecting the environment. Its building up the habit of sorting waste at the source, creating jobs and improving the workplace environment for waste collectors.

It also creates sharing values and a sharing economy for smart city solutions based on loyalty technology on mobile apps, including mGreen (for users) and mGreencollector (for collectors).

SIBs and IEs have become more common in Vietnam over the last ten years, according to Ms. Amy Phan, co-founder of Seed Planter, an Entrepreneurship Institute and Accelerator in Vietnam.Development is still very slow, however, and the model remains a new idea in Vietnam, she said.

What we have achieved so far is roughly comparable to what South Korea had achieved 15 years ago. The only difference is after just a few years after first emerging, the model was already recognized in the 2014 Law on Enterprises. As IEs now attract increasing attention from economists, philanthropists, investors, traditional companies, traditional social workers, academia, media, and the public in general, we hope to see more community builders, to support IEs in general and impact startups in particular in terms of developing knowledge, skills and networks and finding seed-stage sources of funding.

SOCIAL MISSION VS. PROFIT

Commercial enterprises traditionally place their focus on turning a profit while the mission of IEs is to address a social/environmental challenge, with business models and trading activities being the vehicle to stay financially independent and sustainable, according to Ms. Linh Le, Co-founder of Seed Planter.

In addition to the values brought to the community through job creation and fostering economic growth like any commercial enterprise, IEs also help to address social and/or environmental challenges in an innovative way through their value chain or supply chain, including the empowerment of marginalized groups and unleashing the potential of the community, she said.

No matter how different their missions may be, commercial enterprises and IEs still share the same characteristic of being a business, which means that products and services must offer real value to customers, Ms. Amy said.

At Enablecode, we have seen many customers be surprised at who was behind the screen after receiving the final product, she added. Customers who make purchase decisions based on the solid values of the product and service are those who will come back to the business and keep it afloat, while those who buy because of empathy will come only once. The former helps IEs become successful.

Another principle that IEs find useful is to listen with a warm heart while making decisions with a cool mind.

Understanding and empathizing with the struggles of the community of beneficiaries should direct rather than decide the business discipline, especially if the IE works with marginalized or underprivileged groups.

Being a social enterprise actually brings a number of positive business benefits, according to Ms. Vy from Enablecode.

Prospective clients are often attracted to our social mission, she said.

Our clients are made up of people, and people are fundamentally good and hope to help those less fortunate. When we explain that they are doing a social good by giving our disabled programmers tasks, they of course wish to help. We are also clear that we must provide an excellent service standard. The social mission is a business advantage, not a disadvantage.

The UN Development Program (UNDP) and the National Economics University last year announced a study on fostering SIBs as a sustainable model in Vietnam.

The survey results show that Vietnam currently has about 22,000 SIBs, or 4 per cent of the total number of enterprises operating in the country, concentrated in the fields of agriculture, fisheries, food, education, and skills development.

It also stated that SIBs recognize the unique opportunity and competitive advantage presented by pursuing a social mission, with impact startups in particular uniquely placed to drive new economic models for social good, including the sharing economy, the circular economy, and Industry 4.0.

Embracing sustainable business models is vital for Vietnam, according to UNDP Vietnam.

This involves developing a more sustainable and inclusive approach to economic growth, through innovation and technology, improving productivity while addressing key social and environmental challenges faced by the country, and accelerating the reaching of the sustainable development goals (SDGs).

BARRIERS IN PLACE

The report also indicated that the shortage of capital and human resources capacity, as well as recruiting staff, remain the biggest challenges for the SIB sector in Vietnam.

Ms. Thoa Tran, Co-founder of mGreen, agreed that there is a lack of financial and suitable human resources for SIBs, and local government support and local resources are needed for them to expand in Vietnam.

Due to the gap between what colleges teach and what companies need, Vietnam remains short of high-quality skilled workers.

Talent, especially first-time job seekers, often look for opportunities in well-established MNCs and SMEs, who are usually better than IEs, nonprofits, and public institutes when it comes to employer branding, compensation and benefits, and careers.

These are areas where IEs can learn from traditional enterprises to attract and retain the younger generation, given that millennials and Gen Z are becoming more socially and environmentally-conscious than ever before.

According to Ms. Amy from Seed Planter, the ability to develop a business model serving market needs and to manage the financial side of the business to ensure profitability remain among the leading concerns for impact entrepreneurs, especially those who come from a non-profit background and do not find themselves familiar with these management practices.

Sometimes, IEs tend to place a heavier focus on the impact side than the business side. This is dangerous because if the IE does not survive, there is no impact at all on their beneficiaries or the community.

Analysts have commented that to foster the growth of SIBs in Vietnam, there must be a method for them to more easily approach capital sources and boost links between them and other types of enterprises. Simultaneously, a specific network for these SIBs must be formed shortly.

To support the growth of SIBs, the UNDP has suggested increasing access to sources of capital and other innovative financing methods, strengthening connections between SIBs and the wider private sector, and establishing a representative network for the SIB sector. " VET



Khanh Chi

Online map for disabled people D.Map, a new online map that provides information on accessible venues for people with disabilities, was launched in Hanoi last week on the occasion of Vietnam Disabled Peoples Day (April 18).

Vietnam ratifies ILO convention on employment for disabled workers Vietnam has made an important step in the development of its labour market by ratifying ILO Convention 159 on Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment for Disabled Persons, further proving the countrys commitmentSome defendants in the exam cheating scandal said that VND1 billion was paid for each exam score fabrication.

Tuoi Tre newspaper reported that Tran Xuan Yen, former deputy director of Son La Education and Training Department, said a defendant in the exam score scandal in the province declared that it was the department director who gave him information about eight examinees and told him to get the exam papers of the students to manipulate scores.

Tran Xuan Yen (white shirt) is arrested

Regarding the cost of score fabrication, Yen said one had to pay VND1 billion to raise the total exam score of three exam subjects to the wanted levels.

Yen was in charge of 13 students, Nguyen Thi Hong Nga,16, while Dang Huu Thuy, vice rector of To Hieu High School in Son La City, was responsible for four examinees and Lo Van Huynh, head of the quality assurance division, for 7.

Tran Xuan Yen, former deputy director of Son La Education and Training Department, said a defendant in the exam score scandal in the province declared that it was the department director who gave him information about eight examinees and told him to get the exam papers of the students to manipulate scores.

Other defendants, including Nguyen Thanh Nhan from the education department, Do Khac Hung and Dinh Hai Son from the provincial police, each manipulated the scores of 1-4 examinees.

If the score manipulation service fee was VND1 billion on average, about VND50 billion was spent to scramble for 47 seats at universities, while 47 other students were deprived of the opportunity to study at university because of the fraud.

Phan Viet Luong, member of the National Assemblys Committee for Culture, Education, the Youth and Children, noted that VND1 billion is a fortune for the poor, but it is not too costly for the rich who want a seat at university.

The majority of Vietnamese parents want their children to have higher education, not only because they think this is the only way for them to find good jobs but also because a bachelors degree can bring prestige to their families. There are willing to pay big money for this.

The news about the exam score price has stirred up the public, On education forums, people have asked to publicize the names of exam score traders. However, agencies have made no official statement, citing humaneness and personal information exposure.

To date, the heaviest punishment imposed on the parents in the exam cheating scandal is the suspension of their emulation titles.

The declaration by Yen needs to be verified. It is still unclear how to clarify the declaration, but Vu Quoc Hung, former chair of the Party Central Inspection Committee, said he has confidence in law enforcement agencies.

Investigation agencies have the professional competence to find the truth, and declarations of defendants are not the only information they should consider, he said.





NAs deputies want full disclosure in exam cheating scandal 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.

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.

Le HuyenTravelers now have more choices for flights as air carriers have opened new air routes and offered more flights to tourist sites with attractive sale promotion programs in the summer high season.

Jetstar Pacific on May 25 opened the new air route Da Nang  Thanh Hoa. One day before, it began providing Da Nang  Phu Quoc flights, connecting the central regions economic and tourism center with the pearl island.

Airlines rush to open new air routes

Airlines have rushed to open new air routes and increase flight frequency as travel demand increases sharply in summer.

A Jetstar Pacific representative said the first Da Nang  Phu Quoc flight was implemented with Airbus A320, carrying 186 passengers, while the flight from Phu Quoc to Da Nang, taking off at 7 pm of the same day, carried 350 passengers.

The airline plans to provide four return flights a week on both routes.

Prior to that, on April 19, Jetstar Pacific opened the Da Nang  Vinh route, 3 flights a week, a part of the plan to expand the flight network in the central region. It connects with the networks of Vietnam Airlines Group, Jetstar Group and Emirates to provide flights to 185 destination points in 18 countries and territories.

Airlines have rushed to open new air routes and increase flight frequency as travel demand increases sharply in summer.

In mid-April, Vietjet began selling tickets for HCMC  Bali flights, scheduled to be launched on May 29. Vietjet is the only airline with non-stop HCMC-Bali route, with the fly time of 4 hours.

Some days before, on April 19, Vietjet opened the Phu Quoc  Hong Kong route. Also in April, it opened five domestic air routes to Can Tho, including Hai Phong  Can Tho, Vinh  Can Tho, Thanh Hoa  Can Tho, Nha Trang  Can Tho and Da Lat  Can Tho.

Bamboo Airways, the newcomer in the market, on May 10 launched three new air routes from Hai Phong (Cat Bi Airport) to HCMC, Can Tho and Quy Nhon, raising its total domestic air routes to 20. The air routes mostly connect famous tourism destination points. Regarding international routes, in April alone, it put into operation three routes to South Korea, Taiwan and Japan.

Meanwhile, the national flag air carrier Vietnam Airlines, aware of the increasingly high travel demand in summer, has decided to offer more flights to sea cities of the central regions.

The Hanoi  Dong Hoi City route will be launched June 1 with one flight a day. In April, passengers started flying from HCMC to Dong Hoi with seven flights a week.

Reports show that every one percent of aviation development would mean 0.4-0.5 percent of GDP growth. In Vietnam, the aviation industry in recent years has reported the average growth rate of 14-15 percent, or 6.8-7 percent GDP growth rate.

Danang gathers opinions over Danang Airport tunnel The Transport Department in Danang City has proposed to build a tunnel under Danang Airport as part of efforts to relieve traffic congestion.

New bus route to Noi Bai Airport opens in June The Ha Noi Transport and Services Corporation (Transerco) will open a new bus route linking the suburban district of Ha Dong to Noi Bai International Airport in June.

Le HaDonald Trumps Brutal Immigration Prisons Rival China and North Korea

When President Trump orders the arrest children, teens, toddlers, and the ripping babies out of the arms of parents, he is re-creating the behavior of Germanys Nazi and those of the most brutal regimes including North Korea and China.

Its time for Americans to realize Trump and his sycophant minions are capable of ordering the torture, beating and hanging of children to enforce discipline and terror.

Opinion

By James DiGeorgia

Donald Trump, Stephen Miller, and especially Vice President Mike Pence who hides behind his obtuse understanding in the Christian faith, in this cruel unhinged administration are committing crimes against humanity daily, and they must stand trial for their crimes at the Hague!

They are imprisoning and abusing thousands of children to makeshift prisons/concentration camps. Theyre doing this in violation of U.S. laws and many court orders, but they like Heinrich Himmler the head of the SS and one of the main architects of the final solution. Trump voters dont care because these are largely black and non-white Hispanic and Latin children.

The NAZIS arent the only 20th Century nation to commit these crimes against humanity; this kind of murderous ideology belonged to every despot and dictator of the fascist government in the 20th Century. These are those calling themselves nationalists and always insist on murder, torture, and imprisoning children is needed as an expression of love for their countries. These are, after all, unwanted expendables that must be detained, imprisoned, deported or eradicated.

President Xi and President Trumps new love Kim Jung Un practice the jailing of infants, children, teens, and innocent families in their entity every day for misdemeanors just like President Donald J. Trump and Michael Pence!

Estimates range that 3,000 to 13,000 unaccompanied migrant children that have been arrested. The being held in overcrowded U.S. Border Patrol facilities (Trumps Children Prisons) have been there beyond legally allowed time limits, including some who are 12 or younger, according to new government data obtained by The Washington Post.

Federal law and court orders require that children in Border Patrol custody be transferred to more-hospitable shelters no longer than 72 hours after they are apprehended; however many have been held in custody for six months or longer.

The crush of migration at the southern border in recent months, which are driven by changes and the elimination of programs that worked under the Obama Administration are overwhelming Trumps policies. The Trump Administration policies are overwhelming the U.S. immigration infrastructure, responsible for the incarceration for the tens of thousands of unaccompanied children. The Trump Administration officials who have built a history of lying to the Press and American people. This pervasive lying may prove that the Trump Administration is dramatically undercounting the number of the numbers of both unaccompanied and accompanied children now being held in Trumps Child prisons.

,

The Washington Post reports 

Border Patrol has apprehended nearly 45,000 unaccompanied children since October, according to government data. A spokesman for HHS, whose Office of Refugee Resettlement is tasked with providing longer-term shelters for those children, said border authorities had referred approximately 40,800 unaccompanied children to its custody as of the end of April. That marked a 57 percent increase from the previous year, and HHS said it is on pace to care for the largest number of unaccompanied minors in the programs history this fiscal year.

The Washington Post reports it was allowed to make a rare visit inside one of the holding facilities that house both toddler children and parents and found that they 

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 at a sparsely staffed circle of computers known as the bubble. Hallways and offices previously designated for photocopying and other tasks now held crates and boxes of bread, juice, animal crackers, baby formula, and diapers.

One 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 the 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. 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.

The Associated Press interviewed children in a Florida Detention Center, and Migrant Children Describe Trauma

It Feels Like We Are Prisoners

They told lawyers they have five minutes to shower and 15 minutes to eat. Minors can only speak with family over the phone two times a week for 10 minutes, and they arent allowed to touch one another.

Sometimes when your friend is crying because they cant stand being here any longer you want to be able to give them a hug, said a 14-year-old girl from El Salvador who had been in Homestead for over two months. But you cant because its against the rules.

A 16-year-old from Honduras said he cries in his room sometimes because hes used to having his parents hug him goodnight. I do not know when I can leave this place, he said. I want to get out of here as soon as possible.

Children said that if they are disobedient, staff members said they could be deported or have their cases delayed by up to 30 days. One 16-year-old boy said he was put in isolation last July after telling one of the counselors he wanted to go home. He told lawyers he was forced to spend 24 hours a day in the room, which had only 12 bunk beds.

I cried every day because I didnt want to be there, he said. I felt so alone that I was even losing my appetite.

Clinical psychologists who have interviewed children being held in these Child Prisons and even with their parents in family prisons Say the children in these environments have elevated stress hormones that can lead to mental and physical health problems. Children are beginning to become self-harming, and concerns over suicides are growing

One lawyer reportedly told the AP her team interviewed a child who had attempted suicide and been hospitalized three times.

AP quoted one Clinical psychologist

They are not allowed to be children, and its developmentally inappropriate, she said. This is one of the most traumatized populations Ive ever worked with.

Schey, a lead lawyer on the court filing to stop Trumps insanity and cruelty...

I dont think operating a military-style camp in a hurricane zone so a company can make a few hundred million dollars is a good decision,

Schey, referring to the government contract with Comprehensive Health Services, a company thats running one of these unlicensed facilities Child Prisons, which is worth up to $220 million.

Donald Trump, Stephen Miller, Vice President Pence Christian and others in this administration including Sarah Sanders (Modern day Joseph Goebbels) are committing crimes against humanity, and must be removed from office by Congress and the Senate via impeachment and must be immediately handed over the Hague to stand trial for their crimes against humanity!

We know MAGA people support these cruel and illegal policies 89% of all Republicans. However, do the rest of America care? After all these people are black and non-Hispanic whites from Latin America, countries Trump described as shit holes.

Sarah Sanders and the rest of the scum in the White House will defend their actions if tried for crimes against humanity by insisting they were only taking orders. Sound familiar?







%ADBANNER1%Investor event set for June 13

WATERLOO  Grow Cedar Valley will host a Post Session Legislative Breakfast on June 13 for investors/members. The event will be held from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at Sunnyside County Club, 1600 Olympic Drive.

Grow Cedar Valley investors are encouraged to attend and review the 2019 session with a panel of legislators. Hear their take on the topics of interest to you and other business leaders from the Cedar Valley.

There is no cost to attend. RSVP deadline is Thursday, June 6. For more information or to RSVP contact Bette Wubbena at bette@growcedarvalley.com or by calling 232-1156.

Mill Race hosts business firm

WATERLOO  SafeChoice Business Solutions will move to the Cedar Valley and rebrand the company Safechoice Business Builders, a name that represents the vision to serve the small- to medium-sized entrepreneurs who are ready to move into the next stage in their business journey.

Formerly located in Atlantic, SBB brings more than 25 years of experience in the accounting automation field, but as the desk-top model of computer software for businesses fades, the need for mobility and seamless integration has quickly moved to the forefront. SafeChoice Business Builders works with entrepreneurs to strategize and integrate systems utilizing the proper tactics and tools necessary to grow to the next stage of business.

Safechoice Business Builders will present at the monthly 1 Million Cups meeting on Wednesday at Mill Race, 200 State St. in Cedar Falls. Networking begins at 8 a.m. and presentations begin at 8:30 a.m.

3 care centers earn honors

WATERLOO  The National Nursing Home Quality Care Collaborative honored three area skilled nursing facilities by including them in their annual honor roll.

La Porte City Specialty Care, NorthCrest Specialty Care in Waterloo and Pinnacle Specialty Care in Cedar Falls received the honors based on performance on the Nursing Home Compare long-stay quality measures. Nursing homes on the Nursing Home Quality Collaborative Honor Roll have achieved a quality measure composite score which is aligned with the top 10 percent of nursing homes in the U.S.

The National Nursing Home Quality Care Collaborative, led by the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and QIN-QIOs, launched in April 2015 with the mission to improve care for the 1.4 million nursing home residents across the United States.

La Porte City Specialty Care, NorthCrest Specialty Care and Pinnacle Specialty Care are owned and operated by Care Initiatives, Iowas largest not-for-profit senior care provider. Care Initiatives is committed to providing compassionate care for Iowans through all of lifes health transitions. For more information, visit careinitiatives.org.

AmeriCorps sets June events

WATERLOO  Hawkeye Community College will host two hiring events for AmeriCorps positions Tuesday and Wednesday. The first, on Tuesday, will take place from 9 a.m. to noon at the Van G. Miller Adult Learning Center, 120 Jefferson St., Waterloo. The event on Wednesday will take place from noon to 3 p.m. at IowaWORKS-Cedar Valley, 3420 University Ave., Waterloo.

A variety of full-time and part-time positions are available through AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteers In Service To America), SeniorCorps, and AmeriCorps Educate and Elevate. Individuals placed in an AmeriCorps program will receive a bi-weekly subsistence allowance, training and other service benefits. Details about these positions are available at www.hawkeyecollege.edu/employment/americorps.

Representatives will be available to answer questions and individuals can complete applications at that time. For more information, contact Constance Grimm at 296-4439 or constance.grimm@hawkeyecollege.edu.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0NASHUA  In the past two years, 38 state legislatures across the country have considered bills that dealt with industrial hemp, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Ten states (Alaska, Arizona, Florida, Kansas, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Wisconsin) moved on legislation that authorized hemp research and industrial hemp pilot programs, while several passed bills to clarify existing laws or establish licensing requirements.

And in those waves of legislation, Iowa, a state that the USDA ranks second in the nation for total value of crops sold, stood still.

That changed in May when Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a bill into law that would allow Iowa farmers to grow industrial hemp on up to 40 acres of land.

The bill, which had bipartisan support (it passed 49-1 in the Senate), still needs some clarifying from the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. Before industrial hemp production can go into full bloom, a plan must be submitted by the Iowa Department of Agriculture to the USDA for approval.

When the 2018 federal farm bill passed, it created regulation confusion that the USDA is working to clean up by this fall which would mean that farmers could start growing during the 2020 planting season.

According to a 2018 Forbes article, hemp, which is from the same species as marijuana (Cannabis sativa) but is distinct in chemical composition and cultivation, went from being grown on 23,343 acres in 2017 to 77,000 acres in 2018.

Per a Bloomberg article from the same year: The continued legislation of hemp, which can be used in foods and fabrics and paper and nutritional supplements, could create a $20 billion market for CBD (a chemical compound of hemp) by 2022 with companies as large as Coca-Cola looking to get in on the action.

Born into it

Nashua farm manager Ethan Vorhes has been around farming for all of his 35 years. Its seven-day-a-week work that involves a lot of early, early mornings and more than a few late, late nights.

Mother nature dictates Vorhes schedule for Third Wave Farms and she can be exceptionally cruel, especially in the winter time, he said.

So can the economy.

The financial crisis didnt spare Vorhes or some of the members of his family and their farm went into litigation after their grandmother died.

He has a couple hundred cattle in operation and is steadily trying to buy them back.

Were just surviving at this point, but hemp offers hope, Vorhes said while looking over his cattle pen.

He first wandered into the hemp industry around 2015 and has been involved with it, in varying capacities, since that time.

As he started to talk more and more with the Iowa Hemp Association, which is a 5013 nonprofit hemp advocacy group based in Urbandale, Vorhes says he was blown away by the science.

With hemp, you have the fiber thats outside of the plant. You also have the oil and seed cake which can be further into protein, Vorhes said. Hemp feed is more filling, theres more protein and it helps with gut-health, Vorhes said.

In addition to the benefits for cattle, Vorhes said that industrial hemp growing would be a boon for the environment.

Studies at the Colorado State University by plant biologist Gavin Stonehouse showed evidence that hemp could handle selenium, which can pollute the environment when produced in excess by agricultural practices.

We can have a negative carbon impact, Vorhes said. I think people will support us if they know were out there fighting the good fight.

Where things stand

Vorhes has come a ways with the industrial hemp industry in just a few short years.

He can rattle off pertinent information about the myriad potential benefits with ease. He now works as a director of the Iowa Hemp Association. He was at the capitol for Reynolds signing of the bill into law. And he now travels around presenting info about industrial hemp to interested parties.

Vorhes took time to answer some questions associated with growing hemp:

With industrial hemp being approved, how prevalent do you see it becoming?I see it becoming bigger than corn. Corn and hemp will be the two major crops of the future. Youll be able to generate multiple revenue streams and develop healthier rotations.

Do you think the billion-dollar-plus estimates for a national market are realistic?  Yeah. Absolutely. I think well surpass that year one. The cannabinoid market is huge.

Is traveling and presenting about hemp something youve only recently started doing?  It was around three years ago. I speak now for the Hemp Feed Coalition. Ive done six states in the past year. The past two years have kind of exploded for me.

What are some of the most common questions that get asked at those events?  The most common misunderstanding is that were not talking about replacing corn. Were talking about healthy rotations with corn.

Would folding industrial hemp into the mix of crops require any new equipment purchases or labor additions?  With the current grain market, itll be easy for farmers to transition into this. We have the tools in place for the mast part. The thing we lack the most is infrastructure for extraction. There are only a few sources for botanical extract dryers and the lead time on them is 18 months.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1WATERLOO  A dark cloud has been looming over Northeast Iowa farmers this planting season and its producing more than just rain.

Record low soybean prices, an African Swine Fever plague and an escalating trade war with China have sent some soybean farmers into a tailspin, some comparing it to the 1980s farm crisis.

Soybean prices have officially hit 11-year lows, prices not seen since December 2008 during the nations Great Recession, according to the U.S. Department of Agricultures World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report.

The report forecasts 2018-19 ending soybean stocks at 995 million bushels, up 100 million bushels from the April forecast. July 2019 soybean prices dropped 14 cents to $7.97 immediately following the release of the WASDE report, according to the Iowa Soybean Association.

In Iowa, the average price for soybeans was $8.25 per bushel, down 21 cents from the March price and $1.50 below the 2018 price.

Compounding the struggle is a tug-of-war trade situation with China that has left Iowa farmers with a dwindling market, forcing them to diversify their options.

The White House has raised its tariffs to $300 billion on Chinese goods this year, causing corn and soybean futures to sag as China retaliates with tariffs aimed squarely at American farmers.

The White House is looking at another $16 billion aid package for American farmers hurt by Chinas retaliatory tariffs  on top of last years $11 billion farm bailout.

But some area farmers prefer trade deals over aid packages.

Its a Band-Aid, its not a fix, said Rick Juchems with Juchems Farms in Plainfield, who said putting soybeans in the ground this year is a direct loss.

Im always hoping theyll get it together and make it work out.  I dont understand why its taking so long, why they cant get some give-and-take done.

He said theres no incentive to get his crop planted other than you hope that they sign the trade agreements and the prices improve.

Juchems, who has been farming in Northeast Iowa for 40 years, said he has not felt the heat like this since the 1980s when President Jimmy Carter put an embargo on Russia for all grains. He farms about 300 acres of corn and soybeans and serves on the Iowa Soybean Associations board of directors.

If we had our druthers we just wouldnt plant them at all, but we still have investments in the land and we still need to get things done, he said, noting quitting is not an option for him. That goes against everything.

Juchems is looking into other options, like expanding the market to other parts of the world, including Egypt, Vietnam, Korea and India.

Were working to improve other markets rather than having all our eggs in one basket. Wed like to spread it out,  he said.

But China, with more than 400 million hogs  the largest herd in the world  has the highest demand for soybeans, for food and feed.

In the recent plague of African Swine Fever, Chinese hog farmers have lost from 20-40 percent of their breeding herd, causing Midwest farmers to take another hit.

Add heavy spring rains and flooding this year and farmers are left bedraggled, with rivers swelling and the growing season disappearing. Farmers only had one suitable day for fieldwork last week as much of the state saw unseasonable rains and damaging storms.

The Corn Belt is stuck in a weather pattern thats creating persistent, wet conditions, said Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig in a release from the Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship. This is causing historic planting delays.

In the 18 states that grow most of the nations corn, only 58% of the crop had been planted as of last week  a far cry from the 90% that would ordinarily be planted by that point. In states that grow nearly all of the soybeans, less than half of the normal crop had been planted. Farmers have even taken to Twitter  creating a #noplant19 hashtag  to commiserate and share photos of their swamped fields, according to the Associated Press.

It will be a later harvest, wetter crops. Its just going to be kind of a snowball. The little things add up, Juchems said.

Pouring rain creates poor farmers, said Tyler Hundley-Schmidt, who sells seeds with Hundley Sales. Her brothers are third-generation farmers with about 180 acres of rotated crop.

We have a high-risk growing season ahead of us, said Hundley-Schmidt, who sells seed for Pioneer to area farmers.

You can tell by the way they (farmers) make their seed purchases, she said.

Theyre coping a variety of ways  buying less, retiring, downsizing operations.

Farmers in a perfect world should be able to sustain their families. We already have nature (insects, weeds) that we have to go up against, so if we cant get stuff in the ground on time  it affects optimal potential, then we start losing.

Its not days that grow plants, its heat, she said. With these cold rains, we cant put the seed out there, theyll just do nothing and die or rot. Its truly amazing that we have the crops grow that we do, theyre up against so much, nature-wise.

Farmers are our heroes of the Midwest. They have a relationship with the land are more environmentally aware. ... Its an honor, but its also very, very sad, she said. It sucks to see some of these guys have tears because of just stress.

Love 1 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 2 Angry 3

The business news you need Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.CEDAR FALLS  On a chilly April morning, Gunwoo Yoon, his wife and two sons joined about 100 other anglers at Prairie Lakes in Cedar Falls to fish for trout. Plenty were available as the Iowa Department of National Resources was doing its annual stocking of the lake.

It was a super family-oriented fishing event, so we were there, said Yoon, a University of Northern Iowa assistant professor of marketing. I would say that we go fishing about one time per month since then.

The rainbow trout released into Prairie Lakes were fine to eat because they came from a hatchery. But trying to distinguish what fish to eat from one Midwest state to the next can be difficult, an IowaWatch/Cedar Falls Tiger Hi-Line investigation showed.

Rules guiding whats safe vary by state. Also, despite fish sampling by states, knowing where to fish is hard because fish from only a few waterways are tested each year, the investigation showed. Anglers at farm ponds are on their own because the DNR does not sample fish in private waters.

The state warns Iowa anglers to limit consumption of fish caught in Iowa 22 lakes and river because of contaminants like mercury and PCBs. But 78% of Iowans did not limit their consumption, according to an Iowa 2018 Angler Survey the state conducted.

Mercury and PCBs are industrial byproducts and tend to concentrate in the fatty tissues of many fish.

The Iowa DNR lists advisories on its website, but interviews at sporting goods stores revealed people often are often unaware of those guidelines.

We do have little booklets straight from the DNR that are free that have anything that you want to know about fishing, but we dont hand them out, said Coleman Waters, a customer service employee at Scheels in Cedar Falls.

Yoon got his fishing license at a sporting goods store. But no one told me or informed me about these chemicals in the fish, he said.

A recently released 2018 Iowa DNR survey of 1,628 anglers by Responsive Management of Harrisonburg, Va., showed 80% of Iowa anglers consume at least some of the fish they harvest and 78% do not limit how much they eat in the estimated 4.6 million meals of Iowa-caught fish consumed the past year.

An overwhelming majority  84%  consider Iowas fish to be safe for eating, the survey showed. Additionally, 28% said they think Iowas water quality is better than it was 10 years ago; 31% said they thought it was worse.

I dont know how that goes, for the chemicals and stuff, said Maria Christensen, who was fishing in Waterloo on a recent spring day. She said she worries about the health of eating fish but thinks the waters are safe. But if it was contaminated, I know they wouldnt allow you to go there.

Different standards

The standards for what is considered a fish healthy for eating can change. In 2018, the Minnesota Department of Health changed its risk assessment for perfluorooctane sulfonate chemicals (PFOS). Based on updated science, the department changed the level at which it advises people to refrain from eating fish from 800 ng/g (nanograms per gram) to 200 ng/g.

But healthy also depends on whos giving the information. Iowa defines fish portion sizes as 6 ounces for an adult, but Nebraskas advisories are based on an 8-ounce meal because we believe that it is realistically more of what a person would sit down and consume for a meal, said Greg Michl, Nebraskas fish tissue program coordinator.

Also, Midwest states vary on how much testing they do.

Iowa tests 20 locations from its rivers and lakes, with a different group of sampling locations each year.

South Dakota tested 14 water bodies in 2018.

Nebraska tests approximately 40-50 pre-selected streams and publicly owned lakes in two or three of the states 13 major river basins annually.

Illinois tests 40-50 streams, rivers and inland lakes and four Lake Michigan open water stations each year.

Wisconsin collects fish from approximately 50 to 100 sites each year.

Minnesota tests fish samples from approximately 130 lakes and river segments each year.

The Iowa DNR recommends people eat no more than one meal per week of any predator fish caught in the Iowa River between the upper end of Coralville Lake near Swisher and the Coralville Dam southeast of North Liberty because of potential mercury contamination.

In Wisconsin, state officials recommend women under 50 and children under 15 eat one serving per week of bluegills, crappies and yellow perch; one serving per month of walleye, pike and bass; and no muskies. The state does not recommend limits on consumption of bluegills, crappies or yellow perch for women over 50 or men, but recommends one serving per week of walleye, pike and bass, and one serving per month of muskies.

Minnesota says smaller fish like crappies, yellow perch, bullheads and sunfish do not need to be limited, but recommends larger fish like walleyes, northern pike and lake trout be eaten only once a week. Commercial fish like shark and swordfish should be eaten only once a month, the state recommends.

Patricia McCann, a research scientist with the Minnesota Department of Health, said Minnesota writes its guidelines with a risk-based approach and communicates that to the public.

We want people to follow our guidelines, and if they follow our guidelines, then Im not concerned about their exposure, she said.

Cedar Falls fisherman Aaron Wilson said he fishes mostly for pleasure but eats about 10 fish a year, usually walleye. If I would eat more of it, I would say that was definitely something I would be concerned with, Wilson said.

The most sensitive populations for fish contaminants are pregnant women and children. Iowas fish consumption guidelines provided by the DNR suggest women who are pregnant, planning to become pregnant or nursing and children under age 12 limit consumption of predator fish like walleye and bass to one meal per week.

Nevertheless, DNR officials in the various Midwest states still promote fishing and the consumption of fish.

An important factor to this whole situation is fish are very good for people to eat, not losing sight of that, but just paying attention to where your sources of fish come from and obviously local fish caught from various states, Michl said.

Maintaining business

Fishing in Iowa is a big business and heavily promoted by the Iowa DNR, with lists of fishing locations and hot spots on its website. In 2018, Iowa earned more than $8 million in revenue from fishing licenses.

But trying to distinguish which fish are safe to eat in the Midwest is a dizzying task because of each states different guidelines. According to a 2018 report by Michl, the disparities between states lead to a confusing system.

These differences create a lack of comparability between states and can cause confusion for people who enjoy fishing in their home state, shared waters and other states waters, the report stated.

Even with annual fish tissue sampling, it is impossible in some Midwest states to know the fish quality in every location. Minnesota has sampled about 1,200 lakes, or only 22 percent of the states 5,500 fishing lakes, since it started testing fish for contaminants since 1967. Wisconsin, with 15,000 lakes and 32,000 miles of rivers, only has tested fish from about 1,700 sites since the 1970s.

Iowas goal is to regularly take fish samples from popular public fishing sites every 10 years and from key river segments every five years, the DNRs Krier wrote in an email.

But about 130 lakes tabbed by the state as significant publicly owned lakes and thousands of miles of fishable rivers largely are missed in testing because of the very large demands on funding and staff time, Krier wrote.

Of the 301 sites sampled since 1980, 126 sites have been sampled once, 50 twice, 40 three times, 26 four times, 19 five times and 40 more than five times, Krier noted.

In addition, the DNR maintains some sites to find trends, charting their long-term health of fish stock in certain bodies of water. Since 2016, it has followed 15 sites, sampling the fish every other year.

Erin McRae and Taylor Hunt of the Cedar Falls Tiger Hi-Line did additional reporting and research for this story, a collaboration of the Iowa Center for Public Affairs Journalism-IowaWatch, Tiger Hi-Line and University of Northern Iowa Science in the Media project. Read more at www.IowaWatch.org.

Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 0WATERLOO  A local high school government and history teacher is running for a seat on the Waterloo City Council.

Jonathan Grieder, 29, of 2719 Edgemont Ave., has announced his bid for the Ward 2 City Council seat in the Nov. 5 municipal election.

Ward 2 covers the southeast quadrant of the city. Current Ward 2 Councilman Bruce Jacobs has not announced whether he will be seeking re-election.

Grieder is a young father and has been an educator for the past seven years. That includes four years at Waterloo West High School, where he serves as one of the founding faculty advisers for the Waterloo Youth City Council.

As a teacher, I talk to a lot of my students who have graduated that are in college, Grieder said. They want to come home where their family is, where their roots are, but theyre not seeing the opportunities that they want here.

I want Waterloo to be a place people can come back to, now and in the future, he added.

Grieder believes he brings a fresh, working familys perspective to local government and wants to focus on family-friendly policies and planning for the future.

As a teacher I see the challenges facing our fellow residents every day, especially our young people, he said. And those problems  whether they are stagnant wages, limited opportunities, the rising cost of childcare, limited city services or outdated infrastructure  need answers.

He specifically noted concerns that Fire Station No. 6 is not open full time, the library was barely open enough to be accredited, and long deferred maintenance jeopardizes the citys infrastructure.

The challenges we face should be met by our leaders with compassion and openness, with the honesty to acknowledge our challenges while seeking solutions for the common good, he said. Im running because I want to focus on people not politics.

Grieder is a Council Bluffs natives who fell in love with Waterloo while commuting to his West High job from Dubuque, where his wife was completing graduate school classes. The couple decided to make Waterloo their home.

I really liked the diversity of the community, he said. I really liked how friendly people are here.

Grieder said he wants to continue the citys downtown economic revitalization.

We, however, must also look at the places where the tide isnt lifting all boats, he said. We need a plan for what Waterloo will look like in the decades to come, because without carefully planning some will be left behind.

Grieders campaign is hosting an official kick-off event from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Scoreboard Bar and Grill, 814 La Porte Road. The campaign website is at www.griederforwaterloo.com.

Love 5 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 2 Angry 0It is still there, sitting at the crest of a small hill. It is surrounded by row upon row of the white headstones. The flag pole remains white, although through the years I suspect it has been repainted. But the main mast of the battleship Maine is in better shape at Arlington National Cemetery than when it was retrieved from the bottom of Havana Harbor in Cuba.

Although no one was able to determine a cause of the explosion that sent the Maine down at the time, Spain was quickly blamed. Subsequent studies, including one published in 1976 and reissued in 1995, determined the ship was destroyed when burning coal in a bunker triggered an explosion of ammunition stocks.

The Spanish-American War of 1898 was most likely triggered by a simple accident, and would not have happened had our ship not been there or had more time been taken to investigate the cause of the sinking.

It also was unlikely, when the great powers of Europe in the second decade of the 20th century were entering treaties of support to each other, that it would be the assassination of an heir to the Austrian-Hungarian throne by a Bosnian-Serb that would ignite the world into the First World War. Even after the war started, the combatants werent worried, according to Barbara Tuchmans excellent work, The Guns of August, since it was assumed it would only last four months.

Likewise, it was a misunderstanding of an encounter in the Gulf of Tonkin, the waters off the Vietnamese coast, that led to President Lyndon Johnson getting authorization from Congress (the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution) to commence Americas escalation of involvement in Vietnam. In explaining the misreading of the incident, then Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara later described it as happening because of the fog of war.

One can comprehend, in reviewing how wars can start, that miscalculation and mistakes are, unfortunately, sometimes a key ingredient.

Iran doesnt want a war. Israel realizes Iranian missiles, crude though they be, would fall like rain upon the land. I think Syria probably doesnt want to try, again, to climb the Golan Heights. Saudi Arabia is not interested in conflict in the region. Europe just told U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo less than politely that this time in another Mideast war, America should expect to go it alone.

This doesnt mean that there isnt cause for frustration with Iran. The regime arms the Yemeni rebels, providing them with missiles to attack Saudi oil installations; Hezbollah depends on Iranian money to fund its militia. Iran supplies troops and supplies to fight in Syria and maintains a presence in Iraq. It threatens to disrupt maritime operations.

But in dealing with these problems, it is important to remember this isnt Iraq. As Washington Post columnist George Will noted, the country is almost the size of Mexico (almost four times larger than Iraq) and with 83 million people is more than double that of Iraq. While administration officials discuss plans to deploy 120,000 U.S. troops to the region, many military advisers say 600,000 would be needed.

But deploying troops would well lead to just the sort of misstep that could lead us into another war in the Middle East. There are any number of terrorist organizations that would welcome armed conflict in the region and act in a manner that would strike a match to make this happen.

That is why when Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., spoke out forcefully against deployment last week, I welcomed her remarks. She, along with Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., among others, have all signed on to legislation attempting to restrict the presidents ability to act unilaterally in the deployment of forces or using force without congressional approval.

The situation, although complex, has one clear admonition: If you dont walk near the edge of a cliff, you dont fall off. Now the question is how many Republican senators are willing to act on this legislation and restrain the president. I, for one, do not want to read a tweet at 3 a.m. and find out we are at war again in the Middle East.

Dave Nagle is a Waterloo attorney and former U.S. congressman.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0Special Counsel Robert Muellers nine-minute farewell speech Wednesday conjured up a line from Alice in Wonderland: If you dont know where you are going any road can take you there.

If we had had confidence that the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so, Mueller remarked. We did not, however, make a determination as to whether the president did commit a crime.

His statement could lead Democrats to Impeachment Drive or, as Trump supporters contend, Dead End Alley.

Mueller maintained longstanding Department of Justice policy precludes charging a sitting president with a federal crime. That is unconstitutional, he said.

Maybe.

The prevailing 2000 DOJ memorandum from the Clinton administration states, The indictment or criminal prosecution of a sitting President would impermissibly undermine the capacity of the executive branch to perform its constitutionally assigned functions.

Under that scenario, the impeachment process is the remedy.

The House would vote to impeach or indict, followed by a Senate vote to convict and removal from office, requiring a two-thirds majority. Realistically, the latter is a longshot. Hypothetically, though, a criminal indictment could follow.

Whether a president is above the law was hotly debated during the legal chess match to access President Richard Nixons White House tapes after the Watergate break-in.

His attorney James St. Clair stated, The president wants me to argue that he is as powerful a monarch as Louis XIV, only four years at a time, and is not subject to the processes of any court in the land except the court of impeachment.

That imperious argument didnt fly with Judge John Sirica of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia or the U.S. Supreme Court, which rejected it, 8-0.

Watergate Special Prosecutor Leon Jaworski in a 1974 brief wrote, It is by no means clear that a president is immune from indictment.

Then he took a detour. A grand jury named Nixon as an unindicted co-conspirator. He subsequently resigned.

Special Counsel Ken Starr  like Jaworski, dealt different rules than Mueller  provided the House with 11 impeachable offenses allegedly committed by Bill Clinton in the Whitewater probe.

The House impeached him, but the Senate didnt convict.

Because Mueller didnt provide a clear direction, Democrats better route to Impeachment Drive may be Trumps finances.

With Trump reneging on his promise to reveal his tax returns, Democrats are following a new road map.

A federal judge ruled Trump couldnt block Congress from obtaining detailed records of his transactions with Germanys Deutsche Bank in a probe of potential money laundering and financial fraud.

The bank has his federal tax records.

If that fails, New York state lawmakers have approved making his state tax returns available.

As the New York Times revealed, Trump reported losses of $1.17 billion from 1985-94. Yet, in a remarkable turnaround that begs explanation, he was flush with cash 10 years later.

Mueller aside, Trumps road doesnt lead him out of the woods yet.

Saul Shapiro is the retired editor of The Courier, living in Cedar Falls.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0City open houses

NORAJEAN CSUKKER

WATERLOO  My family and I want to thank every Waterloo city employee involved in the Public Works and Waterloo Fire Rescue open houses last week.

The Public Works Department had a garbage truck, grader, street sweeper, dump truck and boom truck all in operation for people big and small to ride. You could tour the rest of the facility as well as the Animal Control van. It was so much fun to ride the different vehicles.

Fire Rescue had so many of its vehicles on display, tactical unit, haz mat semi, rescue boat, ambulances and the MercyOne helicopter. They were demonstrating Jaws of Life, CPR and the tactical unit.

I also took an eight-week Resident Academy on the different Waterloo city departments. What a wonderful education I obtained. It was eye opening. Thanks to everyone. The leaders and residents of Waterloo should be proud of its employees and departments.

Planned Parenthood

RON SPEARS

WATERLOO  Those who are against Planned Parenthood teaching sex education need to consider that the country with the lowest abortion rate in the world has free abortions that are covered under national health care insurance, contraception is widely available and free, public education teaches family planning and an ethic of responsible sexual activity.

The countrys teenagers have sex less frequently starting at an older age than American teens and a teenage pregnancy rate nine times lower that U.S. The anti-choice crowd, in reality, promotes abortion in its fear of sexual knowledge. Supporting PP is to support a lower abortion rate.

Letter response

BARB DODD

WATERLOO  Gary Moser, do you realize your final sentence negates your entire letter (May 28)? I pray we never allow passage of a law the (sic) strips constitutional rights from the people.

LGBTQ, my friend, are also the people!

Transforming minds

JIM SKAINE

CEDAR FALLS  Be not conformed to this world: but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, says Romans 2:2. When this Scripture talks of transforming, we understand because we have many transformers in our lives today. Transformers take energy from a primary source and make it usable by a secondary source. When that process occurs between people, it is called transformative. One person causes important and lasting changes in another person.

Transformers are necessary in education. Children, if confronted with the worlds knowledge without transformers, could not handle it. They need transformers to make that knowledge usable. The transformer is the teacher. The teacher transforms the knowledge of the world so the student of any age can learn and act upon it. A child in kindergarten needs one kind of transformer. A Ph.D candidate needs another.

The transformative experience does not require a specific surrounding. It requires only two minds; one that has the knowledge and is capable of making it usable and one that is capable of receiving it and using it productively.

All over the world, teachers are transforming knowledge, making it usable. and students are receiving that knowledge and enriching themselves and others. Transforming minds.

Farming options

AL SCHAFBUCH

DYSART - As a semi-retired farmer who has the home farm custom-farmed and rents the rest to young farmers, I am involved with the situation farmers are facing.

Prices of commodities have been low due to four years of excellent crops. This year there will be some farmers that will not be able to plant a crop, prevented planting pays about half of market value. Not all farmers will be farming next year.

All farmers are having issues with flooding and soil erosion. Every taxpayer needs to contact legislators to get help for farmers to start no-till and cover crops.

Landowners who rent need to communicate with the farmer about using new soil health methods on their farm. This may include lowering the rent to get no-till and cover crops on the farm.

Moral bankruptcy

HAROLD TUCHEL

WATERLOO  Dennis Clayson decried the high medical costs he experienced at length in his column May 19. While I agree with Mr. Clayson on a great deal of his column, I feel he missed the point when he championed the free enterprise system as an agent of change. It is an unfettered free enterprise system that got us here.

I also think academia is a monster enabler. Business schools and advanced grad schools have championed profits over responsibility. The mad dash to merge and therefore limit competition has resulted in less competition in all areas of commerce. Business schools and their graduates championed that.

We have lost millions of jobs to sourcing overseas, and 20 years ago business schools championed that movement. There were even advanced classes at the graduate level on how to source overseas. Profit has become the champion and businessmen have no social responsibility or for that matter no ethics or shame in the share of profits they take. That lack if social conscience is a major factor in costs to society.

Lets remember generic drug companies have been indicted on price collusion, not free enterprise. Moral bankruptcy is the cause.

EnviroFest success

JERI THORNSBERRY

chair, Black Hawk Soil and Water Conservation District

WATERLOO  The Black Hawk Soil and Water Conservation District profoundly thanks all those involved in the inaugural Cedar Valley EnviroFest held May 14 at Hawkeye Community College for 830 fifth-graders in the Waterloo Community Schools. This one-day event introduced environmental topics to students such as water quality, wildlife, soil health, rocks and gems, recreational trails and recycling. A 15-member steering committee along with over 70 volunteers and 20 organizations enabled this event to run smoothly.

We thank members of our community whose contributions allowed us to invite professional presenters to share their story about the environment while interacting with the students. The Black Hawk Soil and Water Conservation District received positive spontaneous feedback from teachers and students saying this was the best field trip ever. The students experience was directly related to our volunteers enthusiasm. Their energy was contagious and unmistakably contributed to students successfully learning about their environment through hands-on experiences. Our deepest gratitude for everyones contribution to make this event a success.

Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0Jason Hickel in Al Jazeera:

There is a story that is commonly told in Britain that the colonisation of India  as horrible as it may have been  was not of any major economic benefit to Britain itself. If anything, the administration of India was a cost to Britain. So the fact that the empire was sustained for so long  the story goes  was a gesture of Britains benevolence.

New research by the renowned economist Utsa Patnaik  just published by Columbia University Press  deals a crushing blow to this narrative. Drawing on nearly two centuries of detailed data on tax and trade, Patnaik calculated that Britain drained a total of nearly $45 trillion from India during the period 1765 to 1938.

Its a staggering sum. For perspective, $45 trillion is 17 times more than the total annual gross domestic product of the United Kingdom today.

How did this come about?

More here.Quinn Slobodian in Boston Review:

For Shoshana Zuboff, the author of The Age of Surveillance Capitalism, the status quo is nothing short of pre-apocalyptic. Her book may be the most perfect specimen yet of a genrelets call it the social-science horror-memoirfated to expand. She folds subjective experiences of dread into projected scenarios of immiseration, collective disempowerment, and likely violencean unavoidable conclusion except by treading a narrow path whose coordinates she concedes are hard to discern. David Wallace-Welless The Uninhabited Earth (2019) and Geoff Mann and Joel Wainwrights Climate Leviathan (2018) follows this model, as does David Runcimans How Democracy Ends (2018).

In Zuboffs case, the story begins literally with her familys house burning down and her efforts to reconstruct a sense of home in its wake. The death of her husband, to whom the book is dedicated, as well as her German editor, Frank Schirrmacher, also cast an understandably long shadow. Her 688-page book is often less analysis than gut-wrenching screama sometimes moving, often exasperating, attempt at mourning what she sees as a passing relationship to our innermost selves.

She implores us to fight the coup from above being staged by Google and other tech giants. The book is self-conscious agitprop, designed to rekindle the sense of outrage and loss over what is being taken from us. It resonates with the ash-sifting moment around the end of World War II, and there are analogies to the highly personal political interventions of Friedrich Hayeks The Road to Serfdom (1944), B. F. Skinners Walden Two (1948), and Hannah Arendts Origins of Totalitarianism (1951). Indeed, Zuboff likens herself freely to Arendt, plumbing the present to find the origins of a new threat which, like totalitarianism, is all-consuming but which takes the new forms of a muted, sanitized tyranny.

More here.Dan Bessner in The New Republic:

[I]n the NSCs first years of existence, President Harry Truman mostly avoided its meetings. It was only after the Korean Wars outbreak in June 1950 that the NSC began to emerge as a major player in U.S. foreign policymaking. The conflict, which militarized and globalized the Cold War, convinced the president that he needed to use the NSC to better harmonize his ever-more-complex foreign policy. Truman started to chair more NSC meetings; ensured the council met at least once a week; and, most importantly, demanded that his decisions on Korea and other issues be channeled throughand coordinated by the NSC. Truman thus initiated a trend toward centralization of foreign policymaking in the White House that would increasingly characterize American decision-making.

President John F. Kennedy further concentrated power around his person. At the recommendation of Richard Neustadt, a Columbia University political scientist who specialized in the American presidency, Kennedy made NSC staffers not servants of the larger National Security Council but instead a tight group of very able general utility assistants to the president himself. Kennedy, in the words of one State Department official, essentially established a foreign office in microcosm headquartered in the White House. Unfortunately, it turned out that empowered NSCs staffers were not always particularly wise. To take just one example, it was an NSC staffer who convinced Kennedy to support the 1963 coup against Ngo inh Diem, the president of South Vietnam, which set the stage for deeper American involvement in the Vietnamese civil war.

More here.Michael Press in Aeon:

Mosuls old city lies in ruins. A major section of the third largest city in Iraq has been destroyed by war. Two years after the Iraqi government and the United States-led coalition recaptured it from ISIS, the city is still noticeably scarred. Many residents have fled, or are detained in camps elsewhere in the country. Those who have returned live amid the ruins of their old houses and their old lives. But what is being reconstructed is cultural heritage. UNESCO has worked with the Iraqi government to launch a campaign called Revive the Spirit of Mosul, focusing on a handful of historic monuments in the city. The United Arab Emirates has pledged $50 million to rebuild the 850-year-old al-Nuri mosque and its minaret, known as al-Hadba (or the hunchback), a symbol of the city.

What is most striking about this campaign is its seeming indifference to the lives of the people who call the city home. UNESCOs promotional video pans through the old city; block after block after block lies completely devastated  only for the camera to abandon them for the one monument that will actually be rebuilt. What kind of reconstruction is this, and who benefits from it?

More here.Sometimes you don't know what you want until it's right in front of your face.

Pamela Lin and her husband, Erwin Tam, had set out looking for a run-of-the-mill, contemporary cookie cutter home with two stories that they could move into without much renovating. But none of the dozens of homes they toured wowed them. Until they walked inside a home designed by well-known California developer Joseph Eichler.



Seeing the open-sky atrium surrounded by floor-to-ceiling windows and the open floor plan, Lin and Tam's style compass completely shifted. Turned out, they weren't lovers of contemporary style at all; they were midcentury modernists at heart. "Right away we knew this home was for us," Lin says.

Another thing they soon discovered: Lin is a natural designer. A full-time project manager for Google at the time, she reached out to a few professionals, but her tastes were so particular that she just decided to design the whole house herself, reimagining the kitchen and bathrooms and choosing furnishings, materials and paint colors. Two of her fellow Googlers saw the end result and each hired her to do their homes. Then a neighbor's friend saw the house, knocked on her door, and hired her. After that, a different neighbor procured her services as well.

With such demand, Lin decided to start her own interior design company, Urbanism Designs.

Houzz at a Glance

Who lives here: Pamela Lin, Erwin Tam and their daughters, Eniko (8 months) and Eliana (4)

Location: Sunnyvale, CA

Size: 1,890 square feet; 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms

(Before Photo, original photo on Houzz) BEFORE: The front door opens to this atrium, which originally wooed Lin and Tam into buying the house. In their research they saw that many people opted to cover Eichler atriums to add more interior square footage, but they chose to preserve it. Lin believes a wood wall originally separated the interior and exterior and that a previous homeowner changed it to frosted glass.

Lin researched Eichler homes because she wanted to preserve the Eichler feel but modernize it slightly. Previous owners had already altered a few features  they had removed some original interior wood paneling and painted the ceiling, for example  but she tried to keep the structure as original as possible. "We tried to preserve as much as we could and just modernize things without losing the structure and bones," Lin says.The exterior form is virtually unchanged apart from new paint. Lin also added frosted glass to the front door sidelight, changed the side fence to ipe wood and added landscaping steps and concrete planter boxes, which she designed based on a photo she saw on Houzz.



The atrium leads to the kitchen, where Lin removed a partial wall that had blocked views inside. With that and the frosted glass removed, this outdoor space has become a focal point.

Despite her nascent venture into design, she says she had a strong first run. "I didn't return anything; I just based everything off feel," she says. "Maybe that's why people are telling me I should do this. It just felt natural to me. Everything in the house is just what we picked. There was no trial and error."

She originally wanted poured concrete floors, but found textured tiles with a nonslip surface for her two small girls; they helped her stay within her budget and still provide a modern gray tone.

Lin got color, layout and furnishing ideas from Houzz, and also used the site to research Eichler and other midcentury modern designs for inspiration. "Scrolling through photos gave me ideas on how I should do certain things," she says.

Previous owners had designated the space connected to the kitchen as a dining room, but Lin felt like it was way too much space. She turned the area into a TV room and transformed a spare bedroom off the main living room into a formal dining room.

The Saarinen table and chairs in the dining room are all original. The other chairs are Eames originals, as is the George Nelson Crisscross Bubble Lamp. "If I'm going to buy iconic designs, I want them to be original," Lin says. "I have to give them credit."

In both 8-month-old Eniko's and 4-year-old Eliana's room, Lin commissioned paintings from artists she found online. "I like to support artists who are trying to make it," she says.

A bonus room became the kids' playroom.

// This story was written by Mitchell Parker, and originally published on Houzz.





You might also like:

Fire Pits to Center an Atrium

How to Work Shades of Green Into Your Kitchen

Bathroom Mirrors to Make Your Bathroom Look and Feel BiggerTaste: Ring in the new year with mimosa cupcakes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.Copyright  2019 Albuquerque Journal

Albuquerque is getting the Muppets for Christmas.

On Tuesday, the Albuquerque Museum announced an eclectic lineup of upcoming exhibitions through 2021 that includes The Jim Henson Experience: Imagination Unlimited, Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera and Mexican Modernism, 30 Americans: The Rubell Family Collection, the Dreams Unreal psychedelic poster collection and Art of the Bomb.

The Jim Henson Experience will open Nov. 23 and run through April 19, 2020. The show includes a Sesame Street menagerie (Kermit the Frog, Oscar the Grouch and Baby Miss Piggy), Hensons high school films and objects from the Henson-helmed 1986 film Labyrinth, including David Bowies tights.

Henson filmed a scene in Albuquerque for The Great Muppet Caper in 1981.

Its so much more than the Muppets, museum director Andrew Connors said. The Muppets were the culmination of his career. He made TV commercials in the 1950s. You can hear some of the early voices of the Muppets. Something as simple and stupid as a sock puppet comes alive.

A 1974 Sesame Street episode took the Muppets to New Mexico to help a friend build an adobe house. Henson knew the state well; his father retired here.

Theres this great scene where Oscar tries his first chile, Connors said.

The Kahlo/Rivera exhibition will open on Feb. 6, 2021. On loan from a private collector who bought paintings directly from the artists, the show includes classic Kahlo works. Acclaimed for his Mexican murals, Rivera also produced paintings, Connors said.

Today manufacturers splash Kahlos image across backpacks, T-shirts and underwear. Theres even a Frida Barbie. A recent photo of Angela Merkel revealed a Frida bracelet circling the German prime ministers wrist. But the merchandising skirts the legacy of this feminist and LGBT champion.

I think she has one of the highest followings of anyone, Connors said. Kahlos determination to create during suffering likely contributed to that popularity, he added.

A horrific traffic accident left Kahlo in lifelong pain from the age of 18. Inspired by her countrys popular culture, she employed a naive folk art style to explore questions of identity, post-colonialism, gender, class and race in Mexican society.

The museum will kick off the new year with the psychedelic posters of Dreams Unreal on Jan. 11.

Truth of Consequences Dr. James Gunn, who attended medical school in the Bay Area, donated about 300 posters trumpeting concerts by everyone from Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, the Doors, the Grateful Dead and more.

Poster artists such as Victor Moscoso and Stanley Morse turned to the then-unfashionable Art Nouveau movement and post-impressionist Toulouse Lautrec for inspiration.

They took color theory classes and they did everything the professors told them not to do, Connors said. They broke all the rules.

Opening on Oct. 3, 2020, 30 Americans features the contemporary work by artists such as Jean-Michel Basquiat, Nick Cave and Obama portrait painter Kehinde Wiley. The works come from the collection of the Rubell Family of Miami, one of the largest of its kind. In 2017, a Basquiat painting of a black skull fetched a record $110.5 million for an American artist at auction. He moved from graffiti artist to neo-expressionism when the dichotomy of punk rock and Studio 54 ruled New York. He befriended Andy Warhol and most famously dated Madonna.

The works in the collection confront issues of race, identity, cultural expressions, gender and sexuality, Connors said.

Its not afraid to ask audiences to deal with issues beyond their comfort zones, he added.

To mark the 75th anniversary of the atomic bomb, the museum will open Art of the Bomb on May 16, 2020. A photograph by former military pilot Anne Noggle shows a red missile aimed between the legs of a woman in blue cowboy boots.

History like that is so difficult to tell without poking everybodys sore spots, Connors said. Artists can approach that history and make comments about history with a freedom with which historians are forbidden.President Donald Trump sparked a new debate in Britain this past week, after calling past comments by Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, nasty, in an interview with the Sun tabloid.

During the 2016 election campaign, the duchess  then Meghan Markle  called Trump misogynistic and divisive. The American actress also said she might move to Canada if Trump was elected president. Instead, two years on, she married Prince Harry and became part of Britains royal family.

Suggesting that he had been unaware of the duchesss 2016 remarks ahead of preparations for his upcoming state visit to Britain and his royal reception on Monday, Trump said in an audio recording released by the Sun: I didnt know that she was nasty.

Trump had previously used the word to describe his Democratic opponent during a 2016 presidential debate, calling Hillary Clinton a nasty woman  words that later became a rallying cry for the anti-Trump movement.

But this time, Trump refrained from provoking a full-blown spat, quickly emphasizing in the same interview with the Sun that I am sure she will do excellently as a duchess.

On Sunday, Trump suggested that his remarks on Meghan had been taken out of context. On Twitter, he wrote: I never called Meghan Markle nasty. Made up by the Fake News Media, and they got caught cold! In the United States, Trumps earlier remarks were seen as part of a pattern of often-demeaning attacks on female critics, his opponents said.

But in Britain, Trumps remarks ahead of the trip also echoed concerns voiced in the lead-up to Meghans wedding with Harry: that her past political activism may make things awkward for the royal family, which is not supposed to voice public political views. She started to speak out against sexism as a child and never hid her other personal convictions throughout her acting career, including thoughts on U.S. politics. As a member of the British royal family, Meghan has already strayed further into political territory than others have, for instance by speaking out against racism, which she has personally faced in recent months.

While her past comments are a nightmare for those familiar with the ins and outs of royal protocol, the British public may have a different take. You know, we dont care what he thinks about us, British lawyer and political activist Shola Mos-Shogbamimu told Sky News on Saturday. Women are going to stand up together and speak out against the lunacy of his presidency, she said of Trump.

The president has faced major resistance in Europe in the past, and a Trump Baby balloon greeted him when he visited Britain in July during a four-day working visit.

Trumps state visit, which begins Monday, has been repeatedly delayed. He also plans to attend ceremonies commemorating the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings while visiting Britain and France.

Meghan, who is still on maternity leave, and Trump will not meet during the visit. Harry is expected to meet with him, according to British media.

As a biracial and divorced American, Meghans biography has vastly differed from the life experiences that have dominated the halls of Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace. Opening up traditions and acknowledging that even royals can have opinions, her supporters said, has infused royal traditions with a more human and natural touch.

When Harry and Meghan launched their Instagram account in early April, the handle immediately broke records, reaching 1 million followers in less than 6 hours. Many of the couples fans are from the United States, where almost 30 million watched their wedding last year, compared with about 23 million who watched Kate Middleton wed Prince William in 2011. The birth of Harry and Meghans first baby, Archie, was celebrated by fans around the globe last month.While youre at it 

Last Tuesday, members of the Santa Fe City Council committee took up changes to the ordinance that grants PNM a franchise, or permission, to use city right of way for its power and light infrastructure.

The main reason that the ordinance is on the council agenda these days is to raise the fee that PNM pays for the franchise. The new franchise fee would be 3% of the gross receipts the utility receives from the sale of electricity within the city limits. The fee is now at 2%.

The fee increase is supposed to raise $700,000 and would add 50 cents to a $50 monthly electric bill, since PNM will pass along the cost. The increase, although still not approved by the City Council, is already built into the budget for the next fiscal year that begins July 1. City officials say the franchise agreement with PNM hasnt been changed since it was first passed in 1974, although, of course, the rate consumers pay for electricity has gone up over the years.

Given a chance to review the ordinance, councilors brought up other issues, like seeking assurances that PNMs equipment is in good working order (based on the belief that, like potholes, we have too many power outages in Santa Fe); assistance from PNM in converting streetlights to more energy-efficient LED lamps; and liability insurance.

Since this discussion is underway, theres another thing to put on the City Councils plate: setting goals to make most or all streetlights dark sky-friendly, with hoods or shades that direct light down instead of outward. Santa Fe has spectacular night skies, but glaring streetlights  60% owned by the city, 40% by PNM  can blot out both public and backyard views. Although Santa Fe does have some shielded streetlights, particularly around the Plaza and other parts of downtown.

Also, Santa Fe needs to ensure that switching to LED doesnt actually make light pollution worse, which is something LED lighting can do, particularly when its mix of red, green and blue modules has too much blue.

In Tucson, about 23,000 streetlights were switched to LED starting in 2014. City government there worked with lighting experts and astronomers to reduce light pollution. The new lights were fully shielded to send light downward and were hooked up to a wireless network that allowed for dimming and data collection, according to an Arizona Daily Star report.

The International Dark-Sky Association, which happens to be based in Tucson, subsequently did a study that showed that the citys skyglow had been reduced by 7% over the course of LED conversion: good, but not as much as had been hoped for.

The Daily Star report says that, once installed, new lights were dimmed to 90%, with the proviso they could be turned on full blast once the lights get dirty over time. Thousands of lights in low foot-traffic areas were dimmed to 60% during post-midnight hours.

In addition to dimming, a key part of Tucsons effort to hold down light pollution was to reduce blue wavelengths from streetlights, tamping down what can be a harsh glare and more scattered lighting from standard LED fixtures. Many cities have put in the most efficient LED lighting systems just to save as much energy as possible and resulting in aesthetically very poor, garish lighting, expert Christian Monrad told the Star.

Dark-sky advocates are in general worried about LED lightings impact. One thing they fear is a rebound effect, where the lower cost resulting from LED technologys reduced energy use just gets plowed into installing still more lights, negating both energy and financial savings.

In other parts of the country, residents can pay to have shields installed on individual streetlights whose glare is bothersome.

All this is food for thought when and if Santa Fe gets serious about considering streetlight impact on light pollution in our own dark sky. With the PNM franchise on the agenda, this may be a good time to start. In any case, the inevitable and necessary conversion to LED lights needs to be undertaken with study and care.Grand Ronde tribal citizen Mia Prickett used to assume she was reading unbiased reporting in the Oregon tribes newspaper, Smoke Signals. But all that changed when the tribal council disenrolled her and more than 80 of her relatives in 2013, effectively taking away their tribal citizenship.

I had no reason to think that council or anybody had an undue influence on the paper, Prickett, then a journalism student at the University of Oregon, said. She describes herself as naive for believing that the tribes newspaper reported all the facts and considered different points of view. She was proved wrong when Smoke Signals failed to tell her familys side of the story.

Grand Ronde tribal leaders have come a long way from once dictating news content in the tribal newspaper. In December 2016, the tribal council passed an independent press ordinance, making it one of just three tribes recognised by the Native American Journalists Association, or NAJA, for having a viable press ordinance.

In a Native media report I wrote for the Democracy Fund, I describe data showing that the majority of Native newspapers and radio stations are owned by tribal governments. That is problematic, because ownership means tribal leaders can, and often do, control content. In a 2018 NAJA press freedom survey, 83% of respondents said stories about tribal government affairs sometimes, frequently or always go unreported, due to censorship.

In March, Staci Cummins and Anne Loyer, two students from Harvard Universitys Nation Building class, and I discussed freedom of the press with the Grand Ronde editorial board and staff. The tribes disenrollment debacle ultimately spurred the paper to seek independence.

Smoke Signals editor Dean Rhodes remembers the pre-ordinance days, when he followed council leaders orders to keep his job. If we had written any story that would have even been close to being viewed as sympathetic to the cause of Mias family, Siobhan and I would have probably been fired, he said. His comment led the editorial board members seated at the table to erupt in laughter. I dont even think thats probably, said Prickett. I would say that would be 100%.

The Grand Ronde independent press ordinance declares that Smoke Signals must be free from any undue influence, and free from any particular political interest. The ordinance, which was enacted 29 months ago, has kept council members and administration staff from interfering with content. Theyve been totally taken out of the equation, Rhodes said.

Editorial board member Monty Herron recalled adjusting to the new independence, reminding council members: Hey, by the way, you guys need to hire your own publicist again, because were not doing your job for you any more, said Herron. Were not going to be the mouthpiece of the council. In 2018, the tribe hired its own deputy press secretary.

The influence of tribal leaders on tribe-owned media is apparent in a number of cases, according to a preliminary Red Press Initiative survey from 2018. In reply to a question about how government officials influence media coverage, one person wrote, Tribal officials have complete control over our tribal media. Another noted: Again, a lot of news is pretty much censored by tribal administrators and entities. We need more independent journalists who can report on the news without watering down stories or following the dictates of tribal governments.

One example of an independent press is the Navajo Times. I recently interviewed Navajo Times editor Tom Arviso about freedom of the press, and his role in securing editorial and financial independence from the Navajo Nation Council. The newspaper now stands as an independent, for-profit corporation of the Navajo Nation, paying its own bills through advertising revenue, subscriptions and display ads. Its not the government that owns the paper, said Arviso. Its the Navajo people.

May marks Arvisos 31st year of employment at the Navajo Times. In the course of his career, he has faced bomb threats, been physically threatened, been suspended  even seen the newspaper shut down for months. He and his staff have reported on tribal corruption, including the imprisonment of former Navajo Chairman Peter MacDonald, who was convicted of riot, bribery, fraud, extortion and corruption.

The New York Times described the Navajo Times as an aggressive newspaper whose stories led to the resignation of Navajo Chairman Albert Hale in 1998. Hale faced potential criminal charges for misspending tribal money.

Grand Ronde tribal leaders took a critical step to better inform their tribal citizens with uncensored news when they enacted an independent press ordinance. By doing so, they have raised their level of accountability to those who matter most  the tribal citizens who elected them.

Jodi Rave is executive director of the Indigenous Media Freedom Alliance, a nonprofit media organization that advocates for freedom of information and independence of tribal media. The IMFA also publishes www.buffalosfire.com. This article was first published in High Country News (hcn.org) on May 21.Copyright  2019 Albuquerque Journal

Federal investigations into contacts between American academics, scientists and others with connections  or at least alleged connections  to a Chinese government recruiting program exploded into public view in New Mexico recently.

Turab Lookman of Santa Fe, a 20-year, award-winning physicist at Los Alamos National Laboratory, was arrested by the FBI on May 23 on federal grand jury indictments charging him with lying about contacts with Thousand Talents, a long-standing effort to encourage successful Chinese nationals abroad to return home and which also reaches out to other experts for other kinds of interactions.

But before Lookmans arrest, universities in New Mexico had been quietly briefed about federal concerns over Chinese contacts, which have resulted in a series of enforcement actions around the U.S. in recent weeks.

Federal authorities fear that Thousand Talents can be a conduit for transferring American technology, know-how or trade and scientific secrets to China. The U.S. Attorneys Office in Albuquerque said when announcing Lookmans indictment that the program tries to recruit people with access to and knowledge of foreign technology and intellectual property.

Luis Cifuentes, New Mexico State Universitys vice president for research and dean of NMSUs graduate school, provided a statement in response to Journal questions last week.

We are well-aware of the issue, and we are actively addressing the situation, Cifuentes said. We have met with the FBI on various occasions and have brought in an external consultant to help develop a plan to ensure the university responds appropriately to these potential threats.

Van Romero, New Mexico Techs vice president of research, said in an interview that Tech officials were invited to the University of New Mexico about six weeks ago for a briefing by the FBI and officials from the National Institutes for Health.

In August, NIH Director Francis Collins sent letters to thousands of American research institutions, including universities, warning that foreign entities were mounting systematic programs to influence NIH researchers and peer reviewers, according to several news accounts. Collins encouraged contacting FBI field offices for briefings.

Romero said Tech got no such letter and doesnt do much work with NIH. But at the UNM briefing, officials from the FBI and NIH went over legal issues, including those connected with Thousand Talents, he said.

He said hes not aware of any problem research by the Tech faculty or any faculty participation in Thousand Talents. But the briefing did spur a really close look at the Chinese program.

Romero said its his understanding that what Thousand Talents does is perfectly legal; theres nothing illegal about it.

What happens is that people who get involved in it, theyre the ones who start committing crimes, as opposed to the Chinese government, he said.

My understanding is that one of the requirements in the Thousand Talents program is that when you are induced to go do research in China, when you do that, part of the agreement is that China owns all the intellectual property, Romero said.

I have a problem with that. That is not what I consider research in a university environment where its free and open, and we exchange ideas and exchange work. That issue, Romero added, really is a black cloud over that program.

He said there was a lot of frank and open discussion at the UNM briefing. Of course, the academic comment was, if the United States government plowed more money into research, then we wouldnt have to go to other countries to do it. Of course, theres never enough money for research, right?

Richard Wood, UNMs interim provost, said he was lead sponsor for the recent meeting with federal officials.

He said he led a discussion about concerns over the Chinese program and how we need to take this seriously  this is real, theres real evidence for it  and at the same time we need to respond to it in ways that are appropriate for a public university, where one of our biggest values is the free exchange of ideas and the openness of inquiry.

Its an important issue, he said. All of our institutions and universities need to be paying attention to it. And its delicate terrain because we dont want to shut down the flow of ideas that is the basis of scientific progress. How do we do both of those things right? Thats the challenge.

Its behavior that needs to be looked at, its not categories of people, Wood added. Were not going to worry about the Chinese because theyre Chinese or the Canadians because theyre Canadians. The question is what behaviors are allowed and what behaviors are not allowed.

Mounting cases

Recently terminated LANL scientist Lookman has pleaded not guilty to his charges. Federal prosecutors say he falsely denied three times that any foreign nationals had offered him a job or that he had applied for one, even though he did apply for and was accepted into Thousand Talents for personal compensation.

Additional cases around the country involving similar issues include:

 Earlier this year, a former research oceanographer with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration was sentenced to time already served in a Florida lockup for working for two China programs, including Thousand Talents. He pleaded guilty to accepting a salary from another source while working for the U.S. agency.

 A Chinese American General Electric engineer participating in Thousand Talents was arrested by the FBI in August in New York state and was indicted in April in an alleged theft-of-trade-secrets scheme. He denies wrongdoing.

 A University of Texas hospital in Houston confirmed in April it had let go three scientists in connection with an investigation of Chinese efforts to obtain American research. News reports said NIH had contacted 55 U.S. medical institutions with names of researchers believed to have shared federally funded research with China or other foreign governments. NBC News said it had documents showing Thousand Talents participates in a quid pro quo scheme that compensates doctors for intellectual property.

 In May, a husband-and-wife team of Chinese American neuroscientists at Emory University in Atlanta, where they had worked for 23 years, was fired for failing to disclose research funding from China and work for Chinese universities while receiving U.S. federal grants. The couple maintains their ties to China had in fact been disclosed. One of them has been part of Thousand Talents for years.With work spanning decades and media, Judy Tuwaletstiwa sees her solo show as a chance for her works to speak to each other.

For the first time, years of her art career will be sampled in the same space, ranging from work centered around healing after the Holocaust and the dropping of the atomic bomb, to her early explorations in paint, to a short film made recently about her artistic process.

But it wont be until the actual installation of the exhibition at the Center for Contemporary Arts is complete, and as she returns over the next several months, that will she understand what the conversation is.

Ill better understand the relationships, in a sense; these different aspects of the psyche that are speaking to each other and then speaking to the viewer, she said during a recent visit to her Galisteo home and studio.

Tuwaletstiwas The Dream Life of Objects opens Friday, kicking off CCAs 40th anniversary programming. At the announcement of the solo show in April, Mayor Alan Webber  a friend of Tuwaletstiwa  called her not only an artist, but a teacher.

She shares her art with others, and brings them into her life and her experiences, said the mayor. That really makes an artist more than someone who exhibits things, but really somebody who produces the connections that grow a community and passes along knowledge from generation to generation.

The name of the show, Tuwaletstiwa explained, evolved from a phrase she heard from friend and local artist Tom Joyce: the unpredictable life of objects.

Joyce had told him about how she was using a water gourd, which he had gifted to her years before after a trip to Africa, as a stencil for a glass artwork. Later that same day, she also started to use her sons childhood shoes as a stencil for shoeprint-shaped glass pieces that were eventually placed onto a large canvas.

And I started thinking about how, 50 years ago, when I bought them for my son Robert, there was no way I could imagine that one day they would become a part of art, Tuwaletstiwa recalled. And then I thought, oh, the Dream Life of Objects. 

She said the shoes got her reminiscing about her kids as innocent children playing together. She compared it to how the mere outline of a childs shoe made with glass could evoke a similar feeling of innocence.

And Im always amazed by that, how those shoes actually in their essential quality  some would say abstracted, I think of it as essential  they end up being very innocent and we can all identify with them, she said. And they seem to touch something in us. I didnt expect that to happen  .

At the center of her exhibition will be photographs of objects that have personal significance to Tuwaletstiwa and helped her dream the artwork for the show: a 1940s-era typewriter; a ladder made by the Dogon people in Mali; old family belongings; sand from Iwo Jima; a photo of the wing of a crow that she used for an art piece. Visitors can take an image that speaks to them, but in return they have to leave a message about an object that means something to them. The writings, she said, will become the catalogue for the show.

Life as a woven structure

Though the work in the show goes back to 1987, she described the collection as an introspective rather than a retrospective. Most of the works, she said, havent been shown publicly and are being borrowed back from collectors.

The 78-year-old Los Angeles native, who has had a home outside of Santa Fe for nearly 15 years, lived on the Hopi reservation with her husband for about 12 years before coming here. Since age 30, shes been began creating art across all media. But she says she doesnt feel like shes worked in different materials, because every material has felt like it led to the next.

She started with weaving, which evolved into working with paper. That later turned into painting, and the painting eventually was mixed with natural materials, like feathers and sand. Now she works primarily with sand, but by turning it into glass. The sand is fired very low so the glass for her canvases is opaque and sandy-feeling.

All of her work, she said, is rooted in tapestry weaving. It made her see the world as a woven structure.

Everything is woven, said Tuwaletstiwa. You cant treat it as separate. And its the material that taught me that.

Part of the show that dates back to 2006 is a 25-part piece made from remains of a dead crow she found on N.M. 41 leading to Galisteo. The 12-by-12-inch display boxes that will be hung in a line in the CCA Tank Garage feature arrangements of the feathers and bones. She explained that the display honors the crows spirit and beauty in its death, noting the way birds have been revered in societies across the world throughout centuries.

They are some of the most beautiful creations in this universe, she said. So to find the bedraggled dead crow on the side of the road was a gift in a sense, a strange gift in a sense, that I had to honor

Another part of the show is inspired by finding resolution as a way of healing after the Holocaust and the U.S. dropping of two atomic bombs during World War II.

A large triptych, made between 2007 and 2013, was in part inspired by a now-famous 1943 propaganda photo of Nazis taking Jewish people out of the Warsaw ghetto. She spent time looking close up at the images faces and items. She noticed that the child at the center of the photo, known as the Warsaw Ghetto boy, had a patch on his jacket. In the midst of terror, that patch was sewn with love, she said.

Focusing on that, two parts of the triptych are full of lines sewn with linen and camel hair. In the middle, she constructed cocoon-like structures from paper to represent protection.

She named the piece Das Buch der Fragen, or The Book of Questions. Following tragedies like the Holocaust, she said, there are no answers.

Being an artist to me is not about answering (questions), its about speaking, from where youve been placed as an artist, to the question of our day, not expecting to find any answers, only to be able to enter into the mystery more deeply, she said.

A series she calls Trinity/Ashes was made several years ago with the help of Karen Willenbrink-Johnsen. One of them, a 3-inch-diameter black sphere, symbolizes the amount of plutonium it took to destroy Nagasaki, Japan, which, along with Hiroshima, was hit by an atomic bomb in 1945. She showed how the ball is small enough to hide in her hand. A picture she took with the black sphere was inspired by a similar one in photographer Robert Del Tredicis 1987 book, At Work in the Fields of the Bomb.

I was very struck by the fact that the human hand can make and destroy, said Tuwaletstiwa.

In another set of three clear glass spheres, she and Willenbrink-Johnsen filled them with ash from a burnt tree and gold leaf from her days on the Hopi reservation. Though each contained the same materials, they all came out differently. In one, the gold leaf spread around the sphere, while the ashes bound together and floated as a clump. In the second, the materials formed a shape resembling a nuclear bombs mushroom cloud. The third created a cocoon-like shape, similar to those made of paper on her triptych.

Its unplanned moments like that, she said, in which the materials symbolize what the artist is thinking.

That goes to the heart of the creative process for me, she said. Sometimes the work transcends us.When participants get hooked up to the Somatic Echo, they will experience the sense of hearing in a new way.

The installation created by Juri Hwang, a native of South Korea who is currently a media artist and Ph.D. candidate at the University of California Los Angeles, explores the transmitting of sound through bone conduction.

Via several vibrating transducers attached to the head, participants will experience a four-minute soundscape, which includes music, voices, and natural and abstract sounds. But instead of the sound going through the air and then the ear canal to the inner ear, the sound is transmitted straight to the cochlear from the persons bones via the vibrations.

Your body is the medium, Hwang told the Journal.

Somatic Echo is one of several new media installations and/or performances that will be featured during the opening weekend of the 10th Currents New Media Festival in and around El Museo Cultural in the Railyard.

Only about 70 people, who must sign up for a time slot through a link on Currents website, will be able to experience Hwangs evocative technology.

She noted that ones own voice sounds different when its recorded.

Thats because we listen to our voice partially through bone-conducted sound. Sound is resonated in our head, like the sinus and bones, and it is bypassing the air conducted one that it goes directly to the cochlear through the vibrations.

Hwang said she wanted to explore how peoples spacial perceptions change when experiencing sound through their bodies. It may be an unusual sensory experience, she said, but bone-conducted sound goes back to the earliest life experience. In the womb, for example, it is how we hear our mothers voices.

It is unfamiliar, but at the same time you will find that kind of comfort and familiarity thats embedded in our memories, as well, Hwang said. Very technologically mediated, but at the same time Im exploring something that is very innate to us and emotionally appealing, as well.

An estimated 10,000 visitors are expected to attend the three-week New Currents festival, a large fraction of which come during opening weekend, said founders Frank Ragano and Mariannah Amster. About 95 international artists will be represented at Currents.

When Ragano and Amster started the festival in 2010, it was to bring the new media world to a smaller and more traditional city like Santa Fe, and showcase work from emerging or underappreciated digital artists. That first year, they said, somewhere between 1,000-2,000 visitors came to the festival, which showcased largely video and animation work.

Now, the technology, as well as artists ability to use it, has evolved to more complex work using virtual reality, augmented reality, artificial intelligence and more.

Approaching the tenth festival, Ragano said he and Amster like to believe theyve been a catalyst for the showcasing of more digital and new media art in the City Different.

I think its part of our culture that this is unfolding as an expressive form, said Amster.

Never felt anything like it before

Along with Somatic Echo, opening weekend will include other installations and performances from local and outside artists that are exclusive to those first three days.

Outside of El Museo, Santa Fe-based artist and cinematographer Billie Mitchell  who has had work at Currents for the past five years  will be debuting his Mobile Projection Platform. The video experience takes place inside a stationary minivan.

In his film work, Mitchell often uses nine cameras to capture all sides of a moving car for driving scenes. Using footage from these jobs  which include major productions like Netflixs Glow and CBSs The Big Bang Theory, as well the recently shot local film Santa Fake  he plans to project film onto the windows of the minivan.

Nearly 30 different scenes take the viewers from Santa Fe to different locations around the continent, including Washington, D.C., New York City, Baltimore and Mexico City. Mitchell said the installation gives the optical illusion of riding in spots like the Brooklyn Bridge, the National Mall in D.C. or up the road to Ski Santa Fe.

It kind of takes you there, Mitchell said. You feel like youre looking through the car as if it was going across that bridge.

Both in and outside of the venue, selected artists will be staging pop-up performances. One of them, Toronto-based creator and researcher Raul Altosaar, said the musical invention at the center of his performance is a difficult technology to define. His Physically Colliding with Sound uses what he calls the Very Real Looper. He attaches sensors made with a video game engine to inanimate objects, then uses virtual reality controllers to trigger certain sounds that come off the objects. He said hes able to make compositions on the spot.

The performance does not include a headset or the virtual imagery usually associated with V.R. This is almost like flipped inside out, he said.

He said that his performance has a lot to do with a sense of place. In the Railyard, he will use objects found around Santa Fe. The sounds attached to the objects through the sensors include birds chirping, kickdrums and trains running on tracks.

Altosaar described the performance as highly physical and intense.

I think its magical, and people feel that because theyve never seen anything like it before, said Altosaar. And Ive also never felt anything like it before.

Opening weekend events are Friday from 6 p.m.-midnight, Saturday from noon-midnight, and Sunday from noon-7 p.m. For the first time, Currents will offer a free shuttle during opening weekend from El Museo to other gallery spaces showcasing digital art. Those location include Currents own, recently opened Currents 826, hosting a national show of artists who have interpreted new ways of weaving and stitching in the digital age. The others are Peters Projects, form & concept, GalleryFRITZ and Art House. The shuttle will run from noon-5 p.m., Fri.-Sun.WASHINGTON  U.S. President Donald Trump has urged Britain to name Nigel Farage, a flamboyant and popular advocate for leaving the European Union, to negotiate a final Brexit agreement, the Sunday Times reported.

Trump said the U.K. should refuse to pay the 39 billion-pound ($49 billion) settlement to cover commitments to the EU and walk away unless it gets a fair deal, the Times said, citing an interview with the president before he departs for a three-day visit beginning Monday.

I like Nigel a lot, Trump said. He has a lot to offer.

Trump, who will meet with Queen Elizabeth and soon-to-depart Prime Minister Theresa May, has already broken political protocol by weighing into the contest to replace May, praising the favorite Boris Johnson. The president said last week that he could meet with Johnson and Farage during his visit.

Trump said Farage, who founded the Brexit Party that was the big winner in last months European Parliament elections, has earned his place and it was a mistake for the Conservative-led government to exclude him from a role with Brussels.

He is a very smart person, Trump said. They wont bring him in. Think how well they would do if they did. They just havent figured that out yet.

Farage, who separately told the U.K.s Daily Express newspaper that Mays office had banned him from meeting Trump, may end up seeing the president. Some of the presidents officials are working to set up a meeting with him, which could take place on Tuesday, the person said, adding that nothing has been formally scheduled.

Separately, Tory leadership candidate Michael Gove told colleagues he is ready to delay Brexit until next year, rather than leave by the Oct. 31 deadline without a deal, The Sunday Telegraph reported, citing a person close to the environment secretary.

Trump and Farage share an anti-globalist stance, a populist turn of phrase and recent electoral success, and they have championed each other.

May is stepping down on June 7 after failing to win parliamentary support for her withdrawal agreement with the EU. Officials in Brussels have repeatedly said the agreement wont be renegotiated.

The U.K. government would like to avoid a meeting between Trump and Farage, though the decision rests with the U.S. leader, the Express said, citing a government source it didnt identify. Farages campaign against EU membership was a crucial factor in shifting the political debate in the years before the Brexit vote in 2016.

If opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn comes to power, Trump said he would have to get to know him before authorizing U.S. intelligence agencies to share sensitive secrets. A Corbyn government must get along with the U.S. if it wants to benefit from the countrys military and intelligence support, he said.New Mexico recently welcomed members of the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee as they held a field hearing in Santa Fe. The visiting federal lawmakers responded to our states hospitality by attacking and slandering New Mexicos most important industry: oil and gas.

Contrary to what these Washington politicians say, a sustainable and economically prosperous future for New Mexico means embracing oil and gas production in our state. Our record budget surplus and declines in methane make it clear that best way to continue on the path to a brighter future for our people is supporting what is already making this happen: responsible development of all of our resources, including oil and natural gas.

The reality is that our state, and our state government, runs on the fossil fuels developed safely and responsibly in New Mexico. Increased energy production means that the industry pays more in severance taxes, rent and royalties, consistently making one-third of our states budget.

This year, that number was even more impressive. Senate Finance Committee Chairman John Arthur Smith, D-Deming, said that when including permanent funds, were pushing close to 50 percent of revenues coming from energy. Legislative analysts also said that oil and gas accounted for about 80 percent of the historic state budget surplus.

Not only does the economy of New Mexico rely on oil and gas, the industry also supports our states most precious resource, the education of our children. Much of the new revenue legislators had this session went to fund Gov. Michelle Lujan Grishams education moonshot that will pump an additional $446 million into New Mexico classrooms next year. A stronger education system means each child has a better chance to succeed while also improving our states long-term economic outlook.

Its doubtful that those who seek to run the industry out of our state realize that the education of our children is at stake, and they fail to present viable alternatives to fund our schools.

Energy production also means savings for hard-working families at home. A recent report from Consumer Energy Alliance found New Mexicans saved over $3.4 billion between 2006 and 2016 as more natural gas became available. And the group New Mexicans for Economic Prosperity found that oil and gas production on state trust lands helped save the average household $1,105 last year.

Despite what out-of-state political interlopers would have you believe, New Mexicos oil and gas industry is a critical lifeline for our states success. A recent study by the New York City-based Environmental Defense Fund purported to find a higher level of methane emissions than the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates and was promptly debunked for its questionable methodology and use of disputed studies. In fact, the New Mexico Environment Department even said that the EDFs estimates disregarded key information.

In the Permian Basin, annual methane emissions dropped from 4.8 to 4.6 million metric tons from 2011 to 2017 while production increased 125 percent over the same time period, which means methane emissions intensity dropped 57 percent per unit of production. According to EPA data, methane emissions from oil and gas production in the San Juan Basin have declined every year since 2014.

Whether its the revenue that funds New Mexico schools or the remarkable air emissions reductions it is achieving, the oil and gas sector has proven that it is working toward a prosperous, sustainable New Mexico.

We need a sensible energy policy, both at the federal and state level, that strives to harness the full capabilities of New Mexicos resources ensuring safe, responsible production and a strong economic future.

Our current practice of embracing our states bountiful resources is providing safe, affordable, abundant energy to our people. We should continue on this sustainable path, rather than threaten our states well-being with political stunts that target the existence of an industry.

Carlsbad Department of Development is a private nonprofit agency that promotes the economic and general welfare of the citizens of the City of Carlsbad and Eddy County. Four Corners Economic Development (4CED) works to create a business-rich environment to drive the local economy in northwestern New Mexico.In the last few days leading up (to) the deadline for (Albuquerque) City Council candidates to qualify for public financing, there is a familiar scramble for $5 contributions as seen during previous municipal election cycles. However, this year, things were supposed to be different.

Due to a newly instated rule, candidates are no longer limited to collecting the qualifying contributions in cash and can now accept online donations. Online contributions help candidates scale back their canvassing efforts and digitally reach more residents. In theory, this new rule makes qualifying for public financing more accessible. Unfortunately, we are still seeing some candidates struggle to qualify, just as many others have in the past. And with this systems persisting inadequacy, candidates who dont qualify will have to switch their filing to private financing. Therefore, what impact does this new rule have on reducing corruption by removing monetary influence on politicians?

Currently, there are four City Council seats that are up for election, (in) Districts 2, 4, 6 and 8. Based on the most recent update to the city website, May 23,  only one of 14 candidates has qualified for public funding. The candidate, incumbent Councilor Isaac Ike Benton, has five challengers, none of which have successfully qualified.

This low success rate indicates a need for more change. Furthermore, our current system historically favors incumbents and previously elected officials. This favoritism can be observed from the inception of our public funding system and particularly in City Council races. Additionally, more candidates fail than succeed at qualifying for public funding. This suggests a need for the City Council to once again reevaluate the efficacy of our public funding option.

To truly make elections more inclusive and reduce monetary influence in politics, then we must limit the fundraising capacity of privately financed campaigns. Currently there are no limits for privately financed candidates and how much they can fundraise or spend. And the only fundraising limit that does exist is the individual contribution maximum of $1,500 per person. Whereas private candidates can leverage unrestricted fundraising, public candidates are drastically disadvantaged, and as a result the system is undermined.

The necessary limits for privately financed campaigns must be comparable to the spending amount which publicly funded candidates receive. Additionally, the individual contribution limit should better reflect the median household income of Albuquerque residents and their capacity to donate to political campaigns.

This imbalance hasnt always been the case; before June 27, 2011, there was a matching-funds provision which ensured a competitive amount of funds to each public candidate. However, a United States Supreme Court decision ruled that a matching-fund provision is unconstitutional. Since then, city officials havent successfully adjusted our system to correct for this legal change.

Another issue with the public versus private financing systems is the lack of regulation on Measure Finance Committees.  Measure Finance Committees act similarly to PACs and Super PACs by fundraising and spending on behalf of issues/candidates which they support. Once limits exist for privately financed candidates, then there is a need to evaluate the regulation of MFCs.

Another proposed option warranting public discourse is the possibility of changing from our current all or nothing model to a tiered system of public funding. This different model would match public funds to the number of qualifying donations that each candidate receives. Effectively, candidates would receive funds that correlate to the number of contributions they collect. This would guarantee funds to each candidate based on a percentage of the maximum amount.

Lastly, though this new rule increases the candidates reach, it doesnt address that a $5 contribution can be too expensive for some residents of Albuquerque. We must honor all citizens invitation for increased participation in civic engagement by not pricing them out.

The evidence from this current election cycle indicates a need for more change, and these issues highlight a persisting need for the continued improvement of our public financing system.Copyright  2019 Albuquerque Journal

The race for one of the positions on the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District Board of Directors is getting heated as election day approaches.

Three positions on the seven-member board are at stake Tuesday. On the ballot are an at-large position and directors positions in Bernalillo and Valencia counties. The district operates, maintains and manages irrigation, drainage and river control in the Middle Rio Grande from Cochiti Dam in the northern part of the state to the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in Socorro County.

Polls will be open from 7 a.m., to 7 p.m. on Tuesday. To be eligible to vote, people must own property in the area benefited by the conservancy district. It is not limited to irrigators.

Lemitar farmer Glen Duggins, the incumbent, faces former Albuquerque Parks and Recreation Director Barbara Baca for the at-large position. Duggins is currently the chairman of the board.

With just a few days remaining, Bacas campaign is disputing a claim by Duggins that he has the endorsement of all six Native American pueblos within the district. Neri Holguin, campaign manager for Baca, emailed the Journal a video of Duggins claiming the endorsement at an event in Albuquerque.

Endorsements are an honor, Baca said in the email. It means someone, whether its a group or individual stands with you, backs you. Mr. Duggins should not speak for others and claim support he does not have. Its misleading and disrespectful. When Duggins said he had the support of all six Pueblos within the Middle Rio Grande region, I knew that wasnt true. Im disappointed he said it.

Duggins told the Journal he was told informally that he had the support of all of the Pueblos. He said Thursday that Isleta and Cochiti have officially endorsed him.

Santa Ana Gov. Timothy Menchego told the Journal his Pueblo has also endorsed Duggins. Duggins campaign also sent the Journal a letter dated Friday from San Felipe Pueblo Gov. James Candelaria confirming the Pueblos endorsement of his campaign. A member of the San Felipe tribal council had told the Journal earlier in the week that the Pueblo had not endorsed candidates.

I have always had a good working relationship with the Pueblos, Duggins said.

Sandia had not endorsed anyone as of Thursday, tribal administrator Shannon Montoya said. Efforts to reach Santa Domingo and Cochiti Pueblos for comment were unsuccessful. Holguin acknowledged Isletas endorsement of Duggins.

Duggins  who also serves on the Socorro County Board of Commissioners  cites his experience as a farmer among his qualifications as a member of the board.

I believe farmers should have a voice on the board, he said.

In her op-ed with the Journal on May 29, Baca said she believed her background in urban and regional planning, open space and outdoor recreation as well as my familys long connection to land, water and farming in the Middle Rio Grande Valley will be an asset on the MRGCD Board.

The Valencia County race pits Los Chavez water attorney Stephanie Russo Baca against Jarales businessman and farmer Les Gibson, and Los Chavez farmer and retired Marine Michael W. Lundmark.

Incumbent John P. Kelly is running unopposed for a director position for Bernalillo County.

Board members not up for re-election are Michael T. Sandoval of Sandoval County; Valerie Moore of Socorro County; and Joaquin Baca and Karen Dunning, both of Bernalillo County.While members of the New Mexico congressional delegation and environmental advocacy groups were pleased with Interior Secretary David Bernhardts commitment to hold off oil and gas leasing within a 10-mile buffer zone of Chaco Culture National Historical Park for a year, the states senior senator would like some assurances that national monuments would be protected as well.

U.S. Sen. Tom Udall questioned the secretary about the Trump administrations plans for national monuments  including Organ Mountain-Desert Peaks and Rio Grande del Norte in New Mexico  during a congressional hearing a few weeks ago. In 2017, the administration had announced plans to shrink the monuments.

Yes, or no, Mr. Secretary, has the department taken any actions to date, or does the department have any plans to take future actions, including making additional recommendations to the White House for presidential action, that implement changes to the eight other monuments called for by (former) Secretary (Ryan) Zinkes review? Udall asked at the hearing.

Bernhardt replied, I think the answer is no, and that he will not take any action on any monuments, unless directed by the president.

Udall told the Journal this past week that the answer was hardly reassuring.

I asked him about all of the monuments that are still open, the Democrat said. There are eight monuments, two of them are here in New Mexico. Secretary Zinke seemed to tell us those monuments arent going to be touched, were not doing anything else. We want the same assurance from Secretary Bernhardt.

Bernhardt did and he didnt give an assurance, Udall said. He seemed to leave it open.

We dont know what he tells the president, he said.

Bernhardt toured Chaco Canyon this past Tuesday with U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M. His commitment to hold off on the leasing came after the tour.

HEINRICH, UDALL REACT TO MUELLERS COMMENTS: Special Counsel Robert Mueller again stoked fires of impeachment talk this past Wednesday by comments he made when he announced he was closing his office.

If we had confidence the president clearly did not commit a crime we would have said so, Mueller said in defending the work of his office.

Heinrich voiced concerns about Muellers report being heavily managed and redacted by Attorney General William Barr.

There is an influence from the administration in the law enforcement agency that is unprecedented, Heinrich said. I think that should concern everyone. I think that is the root why we should have a direct conversation with Robert Mueller. There are some damning things in that report that have not made it into the public discourse because of the way the report has been handled by the attorney general.

Heinrich said he has read the entire report.

Udall said the special counsel was unable to charge the president with obstruction of justice solely due to Department of Justice policy  not lack of evidence.

These important conclusions from the special counsels report may have been obscured by the false narrative spun by the administration, but they are deeply troubling and merit strong congressional oversight, he said in a release.

GRANT FUNDING TO FIGHT OPIOID EPIDEMIC: Heinrich, Udall and U.S. Reps. Ben Ray Lujan, Deb Haaland and Xochitl Torres Small announced the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has awarded three grants totaling $600,000 to rural communities across New Mexico and Indian Country in order to help combat the opioid epidemic. The funding comes through the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration and will support treatment, prevention, and recovery efforts in Santa Fe County, San Juan County and the rural southern counties of Catron, Chaves, Cibola, De Baca, Eddy, Grant, Hidalgo, Lea, Lincoln, Luna, Otero, Roosevelt, Sierra and Socorro, as well as the rural-designated regions of Torrance and Valencia counties.

Scott Turner: sturner@abqjournal.comFLAGSTAFF, Ariz.  A 150-year-old document that allowed Navajos to return to their homeland in the Four Corners region now has a permanent home at the tribes museum.

Navajos had been imprisoned at a desolate tract of land in eastern New Mexico before signing a treaty with the federal government in 1868. The United States signed hundreds of treaties with Native American tribes as acts of peace and friendship or to end wars, but the Navajos were unique in securing a return to their homeland bounded by four mountains they consider sacred.

A Navajo legislative committee voted Tuesday to accept an original copy of the treaty that was believed to have been lost and is one of only three original copies.

It had moved among cardboard boxes, chests and filing cabinets in the Manchester, Massachusetts, home of Indian Peace Commissioner Samuel F. Tappan, who helped negotiate the treaty. His great-grandniece, Clare Kitty Weaver, said she had seen it among Tappans papers but only recently learned of its importance.

This copy of the treaty has been on display at Bosque Redondo Memorial at Fort Sumner Historic Site since June 6, 2018, as part of the 150th commemoration of its signature, according to the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs. The subsequent donation of the treaty took place (Wednesday) at the Navajo Nation Museum, Window Rock, Arizona, with great reverence and ceremony.

Another copy of the treaty is in the National Archives, and the last one was given to Barboncito, the last Navajo chief to surrender to military forces in 1866.

Barboncito and thousands of Navajos had been forcibly marched to the Bosque Redondo reservation in Fort Sumner, New Mexico, after the military destroyed their crops and livestock.

Tribal officials asked Weaver last year during the gathering for the 150th anniversary of the signing of the treaty if she would donate the Tappan copy to the Navajo Nation.

There were two things I had to deal with: my head and my heart, said Weaver, who is writing a biography on Tappan. And my heart knew right away that it should go to the Navajos. And my head took a little more time because I wanted to be sure that the protocols were in place for housing the treaty.

Under an agreement signed last month, the treaty must be kept in a climate-controlled environment under lock and alarm or live security. An archivist will check on it periodically, and it wont be displayed for more than six months total over a 10-year period. It must also be shared with a memorial site at Bosque Redondo and cannot be sold.

Tribal law says the Navajo president cannot accept gifts or donations worth more than $1,000 without the legislative committees approval. The Tappan treaty  written on 17 pages of ledger paper and tied with a faded red ribbon  is valued at $10,000.

Suzan Shown Harjo, guest curator of an exhibit on treaties at the National Museum of the American Indian, said treaties have taken different forms, from being recorded on ledger paper to being depicted on beaded belts.

Seeing original treaties connects people with their ancestors, whose DNA is on the historical records, she said.

Theres just sort of a wave of recognition that these are the people who signed this treaty for me, and these are the people who went through what they went through for me, said Harjo, who is Cheyenne and Hodulgee Muscogee. They did it for my grandchildren, they did it for all the coming generations, whether it was a terrific treaty or a half-good treaty or some treaty, they did the best they could.

Tappan and Gen. William T. Sherman negotiated a treaty with the Navajos as part of the Indian Peace Commission. Neither of them signed the copy being donated. Only one Navajo leader could sign his own name.

The treaty marked the end of years of Navajo imprisonment. Those who couldnt keep up with the journey to Bosque Redondo  known as the Long Walk  were killed. Disease, the harsh winters and unfamiliarity with how to prepare foods also led to deaths. Navajos call the land Hweeldi, meaning a place of suffering and fear.

Sherman and Tappan planned to move the Navajos to land in present-day Kansas and Oklahoma, but those at Bosque Redondo were intent on going home.

The bringing of us here has caused a great decrease in our numbers, Barboncito said at the time, according to historical documents. Many of us have died, also a great number of our animals. Our grandfathers had no idea of living in any other country except our own, and I do not think it is right for us to do so.

The Navajo reservation, spanning 27,000 square miles in Arizona, New Mexico and Utah, is the largest in the U.S.

Navajo President Jonathan Nez said having the Tappan treaty in the tribes museum will magnify the resilience of our Navajo people.

We were never ready to be taken off this planet, he said. Our people stayed strong.

The museum will display the treaty for a week  as of Saturday  then it will travel for pop-up exhibits in Navajo schools and communities, museum director Manuelito Wheeler said.

Its an honor to care for something as important as this, he said.

Journal staff contributed to this reportSANTA FE  A story the Journal published in early May about the New Mexico School for the Arts jazz combos winning a top award at the New York City Jazz Festival has proven to be inaccurate.

The Journal North discovered that the festival is not competitive, and that the First Place award and three Outstanding Soloist honors for combo members that the school publicized were created by the School for the Arts own jazz studies instructor.

An NMSA spokesperson said the school was not aware that the awards were not genuine festival prizes until this week when informed by a Journal North reporter.

The school had sent out a news release about the reported first place win in New York and posted pictures of a first place plaque on social media.

At the April festival, the NMSA jazz combo performed for a panel of professional musicians, who provided comments and critiques. In an email Wednesday, teacher Orlando Madrid told the Journal he made the awards for the students based on the panels comments.

I understand it was not an official competition, so I took it upon myself to make certificates based off the judges input which I thought would help us with lots of press/fundraising efforts to cover the cost of the trip, Madrid said.

A spokesperson from Manhattan Concert Productions, the organization that puts on the jazz festival, confirmed that it does not distribute awards of any kind, describing the festival as an educational event for students.

NMSA spokesman Sean Johnson said in a statement that the school learned that the awards werent genuine from the Journal and that an investigation is underway.

The jazz band has been selected by NMSA to perform at the Chengdu International Sister Cities Youth Music Festival in China in July. City government contacted the school after it was given the offer to send a local ensemble to the festival, Mayor Alan Webber said earlier this week.

Johnson said the incident does not change the schools plans to raise funds for the trip or to send the student musicians to China. We are proud of the accomplishments of our students and are thankful for the opportunities they have had to learn and grow, Johnson wrote.Copyright  2019 Albuquerque Journal

A new border wall is being considered for New Mexico.

No, it isnt President Trumps wall on our states southern border, or another privately funded barrier like the one being erected in Sunland Park.

This one would be a 10-foot-tall, wrought-iron fence with sharp points at the top, stucco portals and a metallic wolf staring down people who try to pass through. And it would be situated in the heart of Albuquerque, serving as a security barrier between New Mexicos largest public university and the rest of the city.

The proposal is contained in a 45-page Main Campus Perimeter Security Access Study, commissioned by the University of New Mexico.

UNM officials arent saying how seriously the proposal is being considered. A spokesman for the university said in an email that the estimated cost of the project was about $1.6 million.

UNM is continuously evaluating all possible solutions that improve safety for our campus community, UNM President Garnett Stokes said in a statement. There are no imminent decisions about perimeter security and any strategy involves multiple things to consider before moving forward.

The university paid Safeguards Consulting, a South Carolina security firm, $53,000 for a main campus perimeter security access study, which was completed in January. The Journal obtained a copy of the study through an Inspection of Public Records Act request.

The study was done after the university issued a request for proposals for a security master plan that would detail current security threats, suggest possible solutions and estimate the cost for each proposal. The request was issued last October.

Consultants suggested 13,000 feet of 8- to 10-foot tall fencing around the main campus. They considered a barrier along Lomas, Girard, University and Central, with different options for the perimeter on the north side of the campus. There would be more than 25 entrance or exit points around campus.

The study suggested keeping out unauthorized vehicles at controllable vehicle portals through the use of card readers or closing the entrances manually. And at pedestrian entrances, access could be controlled with turnstiles or swinging gates.

It would be difficult and time-consuming  but not impossible  for someone without a key card to climb over the 8- to 10-foot tall fence, the universitys consultants said.

It does not have to be assumed that UNM will keep the perimeter secure at all times, the study says. A common approach to a secure perimeter is to have several main pedestrian and vehicle entrances unlocked during normal daytime hours.

Buy-in needed

The consultants said in the executive summary that such a project would be a significant change for the university.

Significant changes to the campus environment such as these will need proper communication and community acceptance to properly implement a secure campus and to improve the security culture on campus, the study states.

Although they did not recommend it, the studys authors said the university could build a perimeter fence and leave the entrances open at all times, as well as build the fence in phases.

Ultimately, the perimeter improvements will have an effect on how UNM is viewed by visitors as well as the community, the study says. So internal discussion and approval is needed before and during any improvement project.

University officials said that parents concerns led to the consideration of a perimeter wall.

I talk to the parents going through orientation, and in almost every session, the parents talk about homeless individuals coming on campus and ask, What can you do to stop this. Well, were an open campus. Thats how weve always been, said Rob Burford, the universitys compliance director. I know this fence or whatever is out there. Parents have asked directly, Why dont you have something like that. 

Burford, who compiles UNMs crime statistics, said he didnt know if the perimeter fence would affect on-campus crimes. He said many of the reported crimes, especially car thefts, happened on the north or south campuses, which wouldnt be included in the main campus perimeter.

There would be a lot of conversations if we ever did put up something like that here, he said. The community would be scratching their heads. Why would we be shutting ourselves off from Albuquerque?

Officials with UNMs Faculty Senate declined to comment. The universitys Staff Council president said that, as part of a universitywide task force on public safety, the group would expect to be involved in future conversations if the project is seriously considered.

I also recognize that our university has to balance two important concerns: the safety of our students, faculty and staff, as well as community members who join us on campus, and the desire to be open and to serve the public through our role as the University for New Mexico, said Ryan Gregg, the staff council president. I appreciate that President Stokes and her administration are taking both of those concerns seriously.

Crime wave on campus

Colleges are federally mandated to report crime statistics, and the universitys 173 reported motor vehicle thefts in 2016 was much higher than any other university in the country. In 2017, the number of motor vehicle thefts rose to 211. There were also 18 rapes reported on campus, 39 burglaries and 15 aggravated assaults, according to campus crime data.

Last year, UNMs Communication and Journalism Department added key-card doors to limit access to its building to those with university identification. The colleges building is next to Central Avenue, and the additional security measure was put in place because nonstudents were locking themselves in bathroom stalls for hours, leaving behind needles and congregating in the student lounge, according to college officials.

Unlike many large state universities, UNM is in the urban center of Albuquerque, where crime, notably car theft, and violence are ongoing concerns. The campus southern border is along Central Avenue, a high-crime corridor with a large number of panhandlers and transients.

But many spots throughout campus draw people from the community for nothing nefarious. Johnson Field near Central and Stanford on the southeast corner of Main Campus is a popular jogging spot. Popejoy Hall brings in people interested in performing and visual arts. Its not uncommon to see a family enjoy a picnic at the campus Duck Pond.

The study says that UNM has what the consultants refer to as a very open campus environment that does not currently prohibit access to the Main Campus by anyone, whether authorized user, casual trespasser, or criminal.LONDON  President Donald Trump has waded into the most contentious issue in British politics by urging the U.K. government to leave the European Union without a deal if it cant get better terms from EU leaders.

Trump told the Sunday Times in an interview that Britain should walk away from talks and refuse to pay a 39-billion pound ($49 billion) divorce bill if it doesnt get better terms from the EU.

The president also says Brexit party leader Nigel Farage, an outspoken advocate of leaving the EU without a deal, should be given a role in the negotiations.

He told the newspaper that Farage is a very smart person. They wont bring him in. Think how well they would do if they did. They just havent figured that out yet.

Britain is scheduled to leave the EU on Oct. 31 unless both sides agree to an extension. Britains position is in flux because Prime Minister Theresa May is stepping down as party leader Friday, setting in motion a race to succeed her and become prime minister.

Trumps comments come just before he begins a state visit Monday to Britain, hosted by Queen Elizabeth II. He will meet with May on Tuesday.

Trump has also taken the unusual step of saying that Conservative Party leadership candidate Boris Johnson would make an excellent leader for the U.K.

It is traditional for U.S. and other world leaders not to offer choices in other countrys domestic political competitions.

U.S. Ambassador Robert Woody Johnson said Sunday that Trumps support of Johnson stems from their personal relationship.

Hes known Boris Johnson for a long time and what hes commenting on is his knowledge of Boris Johnson as a person, the ambassador said.

He also said that Washington would be ready to sign a strong trade deal with Britain once its out of the EU.VIRGINIA BEACH, Va.  The victims of Americas latest mass shooting had been dead for less than a day when police and city officials released a detailed presentation with their names, photos, job titles and the cities or towns in which they lived.

In all, 12 people  11 of them city employees  were killed by the shooter who opened fire inside a municipal building.

Far less was revealed Saturday about the man who authorities say carried out the shootings. There was no photo. And authorities promised to utter his name only once: DeWayne Craddock, a 40-year-old engineer who worked in the citys utilities department.

We wanted to control that narrative, Steve Cover, Virginia Beachs deputy city manager of public safety, said of the news conference officials held the day after Fridays shooting. We didnt want it to leak out piece by piece through family and friends and so forth through the media. We felt it was kind of our obligation to get that message out.

This sprawling city on Virginias coast is employing an increasingly common public information strategy: Release more details about the victims of mass shootings than of the killers  at least initially  to limit the criminals exposure and prevent copycat shootings.

A similar tack was taken in March after a mass shooting in New Zealand. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern promised to deny a platform for the white supremacist who authorities said gunned down 50 people at two mosques.

The goal is to kind of interrupt the cycle of new mass shooters citing previous ones, and the new mass shooters who are becoming role models for even more attackers, said Adam Lankford, a criminologist at the University of Alabama.

Lankford has studied the influence of publicity on future shooters and has urged the news media to not name or release photos of the perpetrators.

What the guys face looks like is not the sort of information that will help stop the next mass shooting, he said.

But James Alan Fox, a professor at Northeastern University who has studied mass shootings, said its appropriate for law enforcement officials to release basic facts.

It is news, Fox said. We provide basic details on other types of offenders.

It is the act  not the actor that influences others, he said. The Columbine massacre, for example, inspired copycats, not the assailants names and faces.

But there is a limit to how much should be reported, Fox said. Too much about a killers background can humanize him or her and cross the line from news reporting to celebrity watch.

Virginia Beach officials said more information about Fridays shooting will come out.

And we will share our lessons learned, said Cover, the deputy city manager.

But first, officials want everyone to know the profound loss the city has suffered: four engineers who worked to maintain streets and protect wetlands; three right-of-way agents who reviewed property lines; an account clerk, a technician, an administrative assistant and a special projects coordinator. In all, they had served the city of Virginia Beach for more than 150 years. The 12th victim was a contractor who was in the building to seek a permit.

They leave a void that we will never be able to fill, said City Manager Dave Hansen, who had worked for years with many of the slain

Sandra McDonald, 54, an event planner and nanny who lives in Virginia Beach, said she supports the citys strong focus on the victims.

I think sometimes these people think going out in a blaze of glory is the way they are going to have their moment of fame, McDonald said, referring to the mass shooters. I just think if we dont give them that moment of fame anymore, maybe they wont take innocent people with them.

Alice Scott, whose husband, Joseph Scott, worked with Craddock in the Public Utilities Department, said she can understand why people dont want to hear the shooters name.

But she said maybe after some time has passed, we can discuss why this happened.

Maybe he needed someone to talk to, she said. Maybe he needed to (talk) out his troubles like everybody else.

___

Associated Press writer Denise Lavoie contributed to this report.HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, has allocated land for two new residential communities for Emirati citizens in the Nad Al Sheba and Wadi Al Amardi areas of the emirate, thus bringing the total numbers of plots allocated for housing to 12,000, said a report.



Sheikh Mohammed affirmed that happiness, stability and welfare of the Emirati families remain the key driver of government efforts, reported state news agency Wam.



Provision of adequate housing, he stressed, is a top priority as it constitutes a basic pillar of the family stability and its social security.



''We have directed the Dubai Municipality to immediately start distribution of allocated land plots for eligible citizens. Our goal is always to make sure that Emirati citizens enjoy all types of support that make them happy and ensure psychological and social stability to their families," he added.



Dubai Municipality director-general Dawood Al Hajri said that his department had started implementing Sheikh Mohammed's directives to distribute lands to the beneficiaries, which contain 1,000 residential plots.



"Our wise leadership has confirmed its constant pursuance to enhance happiness of Emiratis and providing all that helps them to build their future and future generations," he added.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.The state of South Carolina and the federal government need more time to determine if settling a multimillion-dollar Savannah River Site plutonium-related lawsuit is at all possible, according to a joint status report recently filed in federal court.

"The parties respectfully request that the court continue to stay this matter for another thirty days to determine whether settlement of this suit is feasible," reads the May 28 filing. U.S. Court of Federal Claims Judge Margaret M. Sweeney granted the request the next day.

The next settlement update is due to the court no later than June 28, per Sweeney's order.

The federal government, standing in for the U.S. Department of Energy, and South Carolina have been tangled in the negotiations process for months. This latest filing, though, is a marked shift from outlooks late last year.

At that time, the two parties believed it was possible to solve the $200 million back-and-forth sans judge  "without judicial resolution," per a November 2018 filing.

The protracted government shutdown a month later stymied a sit-down. South Carolina and the federal government were then planning to set up a meeting by late April, according to a March 26 update provided to the court. If that meeting happened is not immediately clear.

South Carolina, led by Attorney General Alan Wilson, sued the DOE in January 2018 to secure $100 million in fines owed because the department had not removed  relocated or processed  1 metric ton of weapons-grade plutonium from SRS and the state in a timely manner.

Federal law mandated beginning Jan. 1, 2016, the DOE pay the Palmetto State $1 million for each day, up to 100 days per year, the department failed to do so.

The sought $100 million represented the total fine for 2016. In early March 2018, South Carolina's legal team amended its complaint to include the $100 million fee from 2017.

"The first 100 days of 2016 came and went, that's $100 million," Wilson said during a luncheon address at the Aiken Republican Club in late April. "The first 100 days of 2017 came and went, $200 million."

The attorney general has previously told the Aiken Standard all options are being exhausted.

There's approximately 12 metric tons of surplus plutonium stored at SRS as of mid-May, according to a National Nuclear Security Administration official.

The NNSA is a semiautonomous DOE agency in charge of the nation's nuclear outfit and related nonproliferation.It is believed the cause of the Gateway Fire on Interstate 20 last week was due to equipment use.

Aiken County, like much of the CSRA and even the Southeast, has been experiencing record heat and extremely dry conditions. Add in the fact it's been windy around the county and that can only stir up a potential fire and make it spread much more quickly.

Certainly, it doesn't need to be said because it's obvious, but heed the warning regardless. Don't start a fire of any kind near your house and if you have to grill some hamburgers or a steak, don't leave the grill unattended. Don't toss cigarettes in the grass, don't burn leaves or debris, etc.

It's harder to accomplish the task of being careful when others are driving and they launch a cigarette from the window and arguably it was quick to blame that as the cause of what happened on I-20.

But there can be other causes. In this case, a chain dangling from a vehicle hitting the road causing sparks is what is believed to be the cause according to the South Carolina Forestry Commission's communications director, Doug Wood.

With temperatures of more than 100 degrees for four or five straight days and barely a cloud to provide relief, the sun pounding on extremely dry conditions easily causes the fire to spread.

The Forestry Commission has a current map of brush fires across the state and of the 32 fires this week, six of those have been either in or near Aiken County. Certainly, the whole state could use a good dose of rain, but that looks like it's not in the forecast any time soon.

We are fortunate that Graniteville, Eureka and Center fire crews as well as the Aiken County Sheriff's Office and the Forestry Commission kept the 220 acres near I-20 from getting larger.

It was a major inconvenience last Tuesday for drivers on I-20 as well as local drivers who got sucked up in the diversion after I-20 was shut down.

The end result however, was that's all it was  an inconvenience. There were no injuries and no homes destroyed. Even the residents who were evacuated were able to return to their homes a few hours later. That's a kudos to all the first responders including the South Carolina Highway Patrol, Aiken Department of Public Safety and all who helped out.

A local Boy Scout troop and others who donated cases of water to our first responders deserve our thanks as well. They provided much needed hydration to those who had to stand in the heat and direct traffic, fight the fires and keep those close to the fire safe.

But let's all be careful when dealing with anything that can ignite, and not make them work any more than they have to.Aster DM Healthcare, a top healthcare provider in the GCC, is entering healthcare diagnostic services business in India as Aster Laboratories, with two laboratories to be operational in Bangalore from the second quarter of FY20.



A centralized pathology lab processing facility to be set-up in Bangalore, along with a satellite lab in the initial stages and by the end of the year the target is to have 1 reference lab, 8 satellite labs and 13 patient experience centres  mainly in the states of Karnataka and Kerala.



Aster Laboratories will aim to build an efficient clinical testing network through a reference laboratory and hub and spoke model to ensure specimen integrity and quick turnaround times from the satellite laboratory and patient experience centres. By FY21, the hub and spoke model will be extended to other South Indian states where Aster already has a presence through local hospitals- Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra.



Total investment of Rs 40 crores ($5.7 million) is expected over the next two years. The company will also look at strategic acquisitions to expand this business and additional capital will be deployed accordingly.



Our focus is on bringing quality health care closer to the people. We have been doing this through our Hospitals, Clinics, Labs and Pharmacies in GCC. We would like to look into these areas also in India which has become a major market for us with 12operational



Hospitals, said Dr Azad Moopen, founder chairman and managing director of Aster DM Healthcare.



With this in mind, we are now expanding the range of services with Aster Labs to help meet some of the service gaps in the local healthcare market. This B to C initiative will fall into place with our wish to bring our services closer to our customers.



Instead of the traditional Just Screening only model, we shall also be focusing on Preventive Healthcare extending the service to the homes of our customers through proper logistic arrangements. With only 5% organized businesses in the area of diagnostics in India, we think there is significant opportunity for consolidation, he added.



India has around 100,000 diagnostic laboratories with an estimated Rs 60,000 crore plus revenues generated annually, which includes pathology laboratories and radiology centres. However, organised players hold only 30 per cent of the market share.  TradeArabia News Servicehttps://www.aish.com/ci/s/The-Teen-Who-Got-Oregon-to-Mandate-Teaching-the-Holocaust.html

Thanks to a 14 year old student and a Holocaust survivor who became her mentor, Oregon schools have a new mandate to teach the Holocaust.

A talk by a Holocaust survivor that Claire Sarnowski attended when she was in fourth grade altered her life. Claire, whos now a 14-year-old high school freshman in Lake Oswego, Oregon, has recently succeeded in lobbying lawmakers to mandate Holocaust education in Oregon schools  making sure that a new generation of students grows up knowing about the horrors and lessons of the Holocaust. Even though shes not Jewish, Claire has made promoting Holocaust education her mission, dedicating countless hours to this cause.

Claire was nine when her mother Carol let her miss a day of school so she could attend a talk given by Alter Wiener, a local Holocaust survivor. My sister is a teacher in a school in Salem, Oregon, Carol explained in an Aish.com exclusive interview; her school was hosting Alter and she invited Carol to attend and hear him speak.

Claire Sarnowski getting legislation passed,

holding a photo of Alter Wiener

As a child, Carol's father insisted that she and her sister learn about the Holocaust and read The Diary of Anne Frank. He took the family to visit Dachau, a trip Carol never forgot. Carol had already encouraged Claire to read age-appropriate books about the Holocaust; meeting a survivor seemed like the logical next step in Claires education.

Alters Holocaust experiences were deeply harrowing. Born in Poland, he endured five Nazi concentration camps before he was eventually liberated in May 1945. Alter returned to Poland only to find that nearly his entire extended large family  over 120 people  had been murdered. He married, built a family, and moved to the United States in 1960.

Alter moved to Oregon in 2000, and began speaking about his experiences publicly. He also wrote a memoir, 64735 From a Name to a Number: A Survivors Autobiography. He gave talks to thousands of groups, including local schools.

After the talk, Claires aunt drove Alter home. Claire asked if she could accompany them and the three had an impromptu and deeply meaningful visit.

Alter said hed never met a child who was as interested in his Holocaust story as Claire. It was so moving and interesting to me to hear his personal account, Claire recently recalled, and it really impacted me. He was such a generous and kind man. I remember thinking, How could someone exhibit so much kindness after going through the things that he has been through?'

Alter Wiener holds up a photo of himself taken in July 1945, two months after he was liberated from a Nazi death camp,

The Sarnowski family kept in close touch with Alter. He confided in the Sarnowskis his lifelong dream to see Oregon pass a mandatory curriculum standard to make sure the Holocaust was taught in Oregons public schools. Claire decided to try and make his dream come true. She contacted her State Senator, Rob Wagner, asking if he could help.

Recently elected to Oregons State Senate, Rep. Wagner was glad to hear from his young constituent. He arranged a meeting with Claire and Alter Wiener who explained why they felt Oregon should mandate teaching about the Holocaust in schools. The idea struck a chord with Rep. Wagner. I remember looking at my kids, after many incidents of racism and anti-Semitism in Lake Oswego, and thinking, We need to prioritize a culture change, he explained to reporters. Rep. Wagner agreed to co-sponsor SB 664, a bill to make Holocaust Education mandatory in Oregon.

In September 2018, Rep. Wagner invited Alter and Claire to testify before the Oregon State Senate at a hearing for the bill. They gave emotional testimony. Alter said that in years of speaking to school groups, he has received 88,000 letters from students and adults who heard him speak. He brought 200 letters to the hearings and highlighted the type of impact learning about the Holocaust had on the students.

A seventh grader...who contemplated suicide because of problems she had to face at home wrote to me that she had changed her mind after my presentation because she realized that after all her difficulties she was still blessed, Alter explained. A tenth grader decided not to drop out of high school realizing that she was indeed privileged, after hearing how I was unable to go to school.

A key lesson he imparted was the crucial importance of kindness and thinking of others. While working as slave labor in a factory, Alter explained, he was kept alive by the kindness of a German woman working in the factory who left sandwiches hidden for him to eat each day for a month.

(Alters testimony to the Oregon Senate can be viewed here)

Rep. Wagner told his fellow State Senators, Learning about the Holocaust is not just a chapter in recent history, but a...lesson how to be more tolerant, more loving and that hatred is, eventually, self-destructive

Alter Wiener and Sen. Rob Wagner

Claire, Alter and Rep. Wagner continued to work on getting support for the bill. Claire spent many hours on the effort, despite the fact that she was also heavily involved in yet another cause: her mother Carol has MS and Claire was fundraising to help fund MS research. Growing up with a mother with MS might have helped make Claire more open to hearing from others with difficult challenges, Carol explains, and made her even more interested in hearing about Holocaust survivors and helping to spread survivors stories.

On Thursday, May 23, 2019, SB 664 passed the Oregon State Senate and House. Its expected to be signed into law by Gov. Kate Brown and take effect for the 2020-2021 school year. Ten other states have similar laws mandating that schools teach about the Holocaust, including Illinois, California, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

Tragically, Alter Wiener did not live to see the bill pass. He died after being struck by a car while he was taking a walk near his home on December 11, 2018. He was 92.

Alters legacy of teaching about the Holocaust lives on in his adopted state of Oregon. Today, more than ever, its crucial to make sure our children learn about the Holocaust. Ignorance about the Holocaust is a growing phenomenon. A 2018 poll revealed that two thirds of American millennials (66%) dont know what the Auschwitz concentration camp was. A 2019 poll showed that a third of Europeans know just a little or nothing at all about the Holocaust.

Thanks to a high school freshman, and the Holocaust survivor who became her mentor, knowledge about the Holocaust will increase in Oregon.The attacks on four ships off the coast of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and two oil pumping stations in Saudi Arabia have raised many questions over Iran's threats to the region, a matter that may cast a shadow over Egypt's navigation in the Red Sea and the Suez Canal. Meanwhile, these regional developments were the focus of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's recent meetings with Arab leaders.

On May 12, Sisi met Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa to discuss the means of giving an extra boost to the joint Arab action, especially in light of the challenges facing the region at the present time. The meeting also dealt with confronting any attempt to intervene in the internal affairs of Arab countries.

On the same day, four commercial ships, including two Saudi oil tankers, were damaged in a sabotage attack in the UAE without casualties. The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said the attack took place near its territorial waters, off the emirate of Fujairah. So far, the UAE has not specified who is responsible for the attack.

On May 14, Iranian-backed Houthi militants launched drone attacks on two of Saudi Aramcos oil pumping stations, further ratcheting up tensions in the region.

Yemen's Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abd el-Salam claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it was a response to Saudi aggression and genocide in Yemen.

In a quick response, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the attack, stressing Egypt's solidarity with the government and the people of Saudi Arabia in confronting all attempts to undermine the security and stability of the kingdom.

A day later, Sisi met Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to discuss the latest developments in the region.

According to presidential spokesperson Bassam Rady, Sisi expressed Egypt's full solidarity with the UAE and Saudi Arabia, reaffirming that the security of the Gulf region is part and parcel of Egypt's national security. Both sides also expressed their support for the efforts to reach political solutions to the various crises in the region.

Hampering ships' movements  whether by closing Bab el-Mandeb Strait by the Iran-aligned [Houthis] or shutting the Hormuz Strait  will definitely hit Egyptian navigation and consequently its economy. Egypt is fully aware of this scenario and adopts a diplomatic approach in dealing with Iran, independent political analyst Ammar Ali Hassan told Al-Monitor.

The international community, namely the United States, will not stand idly by if these straits are closed, as they represent the world's most vital oil and natural gas corridor and most important shipping routes, Hassan said. The ships that cross the Red Sea and the Suez Canal go to Europe or the United States. Therefore, Egypt knows Iran will think twice before making any decision related to these straits, Hassan argued.

The Hormuz Strait is a waterway between the Oman Gulf and the Persian Gulf. Iran is located on the strait's north coast, while the UAE lies on the south coast. It is the main passage to transfer oil and gas from the Middle East to the United States, Europe and Asia.

As for Bab el-Mandeb Strait, it separates the Arabian Peninsula from the Horn of Africa. It is located between Yemen, Eritrea and Djibouti, and is also a vital shipping lane.

The Iran-US tension is escalating as well. That is why Egypt and Gulf States share a common vision and adopt the same strategy in dealing with Iran, with the aim of maintaining good ties with the United States, Hassan explained.

He said Iranian threats are not the only reason for boosting ties with the Gulf. We have to remember the Arab Joint Defense and Economic Cooperation Treaty, which binds Egypt and Arab countries. Also, huge numbers of Egyptians are working in the Gulf States. Hence, Egypt is trying to cement ties with these countries, he remarked.

In 2017, Sisi inaugurated a fleet in the Red Sea with the key aim of tightening control over its southern entrance. The southern fleet is equipped with rocket launchers and special naval units.

Iran's recent attacks in the region are ringing alarm bells that we are entering a very sensitive stage, Ahmad al-Awadi, member of the parliamentary Committee of Defense and National Security, told Al-Monitor.

These attacks do not only target Saudi Arabia and the UAE, but the whole region, Awady stressed. Therefore, the security entities in the region should combine efforts to face any anticipated attacks, he concluded.ExxonMobil evacuated dozens of its non-Iraqi employees from Iraq on May 18. The evacuation follows a US State Department decision to withdraw its non-essential staff from the US Embassy in Baghdad and its consulate in Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan.

The US oil company relocated its employees to Dubai, where they will continue their work related to the West Qurna-1 oil field in Basra. The company announced May 31 that it will begin returning its employees from June 2 after the Iraqi government promised to increase the security measures in the site.

Iraq was not happy with the evacuation. Oil Minister Thamer al-Ghadhban described ExxonMobil's decision as unacceptable and unjustifiable in a May 19 press statement. He attributed the move to political reasons, stressing that the issue has absolutely nothing to do with the security situation in the oil fields in southern Iraq.

Yet Iraqi armed factions close to Iran are capable of causing instability in the oil industry whenever they please. These factions have even publicly threatened the Iraqi parliament speaker over his stance on the crisis between Iran and the United States, according to a May 25 interview with Iraqi parliamentarian Mohammad Karbouli.

Ghadhban insisted that ExxonMobil return its employees to Iraq, as they are bound by a long-term contract to develop this important oil field. However, he did not say whether the staff evacuation was a violation of Iraq's contract with ExxonMobil, or if he will take legal action against the company.

ExxonMobil referred to Article 31 of the contract signed with the South Oil Company relating to the force majeure item to withdraw its employees from the oil field, said Nabil Marsoumi, an oil expert and professor of economics at the University of Basra.

If the Iraqi government does not resolve the dispute amicably, it should resort to the rules of international arbitration in the International Chamber of Commerce in Paris, as provided in Article 36 of the contract, Marsoumi added.

But the subsequent damages stemming from ExxonMobil's decision could extend beyond the dispute with the Ministry of Oil and negatively impact the entire Iraqi oil industry.

Ghadhban said, The withdrawal of employees could convey a false message about the situation in Iraq, which we will not accept.

Engineer Hamza al-Jawahiri, an expert at the Iraqi Ministry of Oil, shared similar concerns. The withdrawal sends a bad message to investors planning to invest in Iraq, Jawahiri told Al-Monitor.

However, Jawahiri believes that ExxonMobils evacuation is unlikely to have serious repercussions on the Iraqi oil industry.

Iraq no longer has any problem with the extractive industry, as a large number of old cadres and also new generations of workers have been trained, and have gained high experience in this area," he said. "Therefore, it would be possible to replace the evacuated employees with Iraqis.

Ihsan Abdul Jabbar, director of the state-owned South Oil Company, announced on May 22 Iraqs intention to increase the output of the West Qurna-1 oil field by 50,000 barrels per day, bringing total production to 490,000 barrels a day.

Abdul Jabbar reiterated this statement days later, but said that the total production of the field will hit 500,000 barrels per day. This is the result of the introduction of new production units and a careful study of the requirements of replacing the evacuated employees with Iraqi ones, he said.

Employees of foreign oil companies operating in Iraq have often worked abroad. Until very recently, the evacuated employees used to work in the companys offices in Dubai," Jawahiri said. "But they moved to Iraq based on the request of the ministry seeking to ease the operational financial burdens."

Omid Shokri, an energy security analyst and a visiting researcher at George Mason University, has a different view on Exxon Mobil's decision in Iraq.

It seems that [Exxon Mobil] is trying to exploit the growing tension with Iran to place pressure on Iraq and get a bigger share of the countrys lucrative sector, Shokri told Al-Monitor.

The US is concerned about the increasing activities of Russian and Chinese oil companies in Iraq. This is why US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited Baghdad, to urge the Iraqi government to sign a major contract worth $52 billion with Exxon Mobil. There is no way Americans would abandon the very profitable oil sector in Iraq, Shokri concluded.Fran Summerlin held in her hand an eight-inch tall hemp plant with a one-inch root ball. She admired it for a moment before planting it in a freshly plowed row in the middle of a former pasture on the east side of Chandler Mountain between Birmingham and Gadsden.

My daddy would be proud, she said. Rows of hemp were planted on a five-acre plot on the land her father bought back in 1977, just after Summerlin graduated with a forestry degree from the University of the South. She moved here in 1979.

The grave of an old mare, marked with a wooden cross, overlooks the hemp field. Its been my horse farm, she said.

One of her business partners, Ed Glaze, walked up alongside her. This is historic, he said.

Summerlin and Glaze, and dozens of farmers across Alabama, are planting the states first legal hemp crop since 1937. Throughout the month of May, as early as the first week of May in Geneva County, Alabama farmers have been planting as part of the states Industrial Hemp Research Pilot Program.

After several hours of labor with a crew of 10 on a Saturday morning last month in the valley below Chandler Mountain, about 2,000 plants, ranging from four to eight inches tall, stood in the furrows. Summerlin and Glaze had brought the plants back from a hemp farm in Tennessee the week before. Itll take three months for the crop to mature. These particular ones will get five to seven feet tall, Glaze said.

In December, Summerlin was taking drum lessons in Gadsden from Glaze, who was once a percussionist for the glam-rock band, the Sugar La-Las, an eighties fixture in Birminghams music scene. Summerlin had heard about the passage of the new federal farm bill that would allow growing hemp. They were ready to rock.

I said, Ed, this is a way for us to make money, Summerlin said.

Cash crop

Hunter McBrayer, commodity division director for the Alabama Farmers Federation, has added hemp to his area of expertise. He said a lot of farmers trying to grow hemp see an opportunity for a profitable new crop that could tap into the CBD oil craze.

Cannabidiol, or CBD oil, which some people use as a treatment for physical ailments, is made from industrial hemp, a non-psychoactive type of cannabis sativa plant which contains less than 0.3 percent of THC, the intoxicating substance found in marijuana.

Im cautiously optimistic, McBrayer said. This is not the first crop that came on board that promised to make people a lot of money. It could be a good thing for our farmers, but there are still a lot of challenges.

In January, Alabama released guidelines for applying for a license to grow industrial hemp. An industry dormant for a century was ready to be reborn.

Theres a huge learning curve for all of us, said Brandon Dillard, a regional extension agent for the Alabama Cooperative Extension System. Were learning as we go.

Dillard is working with an experienced farmer in Geneva County who planted hemp the first week of May and already has seen a few blooms. He also knows some farmers who bought a hemp license but have yet to get their hemp in the ground.

For hemp grown in fields, farmers must avoid even the residue of pesticides; no pesticides are allowed in growing the plant that is intended for CBD oil. There are potential issues of bugs, diseases and bad weather.

Its a lot of unknown, said Rudy Yates, a regional extension agent for the Alabama Cooperative Extension System. If they have a disease problem or insect problem, that will involve our team.

Some other states had a head start on Alabama. Kentucky has had success transitioning from tobacco into hemp, and also had more history growing hemp as a crop.

Theres a wide variety of questions; a lot of them we dont have good answers to yet, said Auburn University crop specialist Dennis Delaney. We depend on looking at states like Kentucky and North Carolina and see how much we can use for here, with our climate and soils.

Hemp history

Summerlin, Glaze, and their investing partner Philip Miles had to learn from the ground up. Glaze studied up on the issue and learned everything he could about growing hemp. They jumped on the return of a crop that had once been essential to colonial America, when King James required the growing of hemp in 1619 in Jamestown, Va. Hemp growing was also required by law in Massachusetts in 1631 and Connecticut in 1632. George Washington grew hemp as one of his main crops at Mount Vernon from the 1750s to the 1770s before becoming commander of the Continental Army and later the nations first president. He used hemp for rope, thread, boat sails and fishing nets.

Alabama likely never grew much hemp because historically cotton grew well here and was historically the states best cash crop, Delaney said.

The Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 essentially outlawed growing hemp. It is visually indistinguishable from a marijuana plant, so the Federal Bureau of Narcotics and later the Drug Enforcement Administration lumped hemp with marijuana.

During World War II, when Japan cut off hemp rope imports from the Philippines, the U.S. government lifted the ban on growing hemp because of a need for rope for Navy ships and parachutes. The Department of Agriculture produced a 1942 documentary, Hemp for Victory, encouraging farmers in Kentucky and some other states to grow hemp. After the war, the nation reverted to its ban on growing hemp.

The Controlled Substances Act of 1970 put cannabis in the category of Schedule I, reserved for the most dangerous drugs.

The Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2009 distinguished hemp from marijuana. The 2014 Farm Bill allowed states to license farmers to grow hemp. In 2016, Alabama passed the Industrial Hemp Research Program Act to develop a licensing and inspection program.

The Hemp Farming Act of 2018, part of the federal farm bill, removed hemp from the list of Schedule I controlled substances.

A lot of people have a lot of wrong ideas, Glaze said. For example, it is impossible to get high from hemp. It has no value to smoke it or use for hallucinogenic purposes, said Alabama Agriculture Commissioner Rick Pate. If you tried to smoke it, youd get sick as a dog.

Some applicants drop out

The state approved 180 applications from those who wanted to grow hemp, but only 152 of those approved paid $1,000 to get licenses. Each grower has to notify the state with information about its supplier of seeds or cloned plants, and provide testing results of THC levels. The state must approve the strain of hemp seed or hemp plant brought into the state. Strains of hemp that test too high in THC are denied approval.

I know people approved for hundreds of acres wholl be lucky to get any in, Glaze said. Its really difficult to get approved to buy plants.

While Summerlin and Glaze planted in a field, some will try to grow it indoors.

Stuart Raburn of Southern Organics in Shelby County specializes in aquaponics, providing lettuce mixes, tomatoes and herbs to Alabama chefs and organic supermarkets. Hes built a hoop house specifically for hemp, where he hopes to be able to turn over several harvests in a year.

I asked the state last fall about growing hemp and they said absolutely not, Raburn said. He asked again after passage of the farm bill. The state sent him guidelines by the end of January. Alabamas industrial hemp pilot program went from non-existent to up and running in a month.

I am thoroughly impressed with what Alabamas been able to do, Raburn said. There are a lot of benefits to hemp as a crop.

Raburn said hes bringing in 480 hemp plants from an established grower in North Carolina.

Our belief is we have a brief window of time for hemp to be a cash crop, Raburn said. The supply has not caught up with demand yet.

Once a large number of farmers are growing it, the supply will catch up with the demand for CBD oil, he said.

We believe well be able to grow hemp indoors without issues, Raburn said. If the price drops below what we get for heirloom tomatoes, well go back to heirloom tomatoes.

The state licensed hemp growers will be subject to inspection.

It is a pilot program, Pate said. We have a responsibility to go out and inspect it.

If somebody planted the wrong kind of hemp, well plow it under, Pate said.

Alabama approved 70 applications from people wanting to have hemp processing operations, although only 59 paid the full fee to get their licenses. Becoming a processor typically takes a sizeable investment in equipment, from $250,000 to $1 million, and many growers dont expect processing plants to be ready in Alabama this year. Its a lot tougher on the processors, Glaze said.

Dillard said he knows of a processor hoping to turn Alabamas hemp into CBD oil, but likely wont be able to get that operation up and running until 2020. For this years harvest, Alabama growers may have to turn to out-of-state processors in Tennessee, Kentucky and North Carolina.

Alabamas hemp processing plants would have to take shape quickly for an industry that doesnt exist yet. We would like to do local, Summerlin said.

We want to find a processor to press it into CBD oil, Glaze said. He said he expects to rely on established processing plants in Kentucky or Tennessee to process their harvested hemp. So far, Alabama start-up processors are trying to figure out the basics of how they will operate, Glaze said. No grower wants to be somebodys guinea pig, he said.

Growing like a weed

So far, the hemp has been flourishing at the foot of Chandler Mountain in the old horse pasture.

I went out there this morning, Summerlin said this past week. It looks great. Theyre growing like little weeds. Our only struggle right now is just getting them watered.

They planned to plant another 4,000 plants this coming week. Although it may not have been part of what she learned earning her forestry degree, Summerlin said words of encouragement to her first hemp plants when they went into the ground. Shes still talking to them. Every morning I go, Hello girls, how pretty you are, Summerlin said.

Theyre a foot tall, she said. I think theyre doing really well.A person was struck by a vehicle during a hit-and run-incident less than a mile from the Rock the South music festival in Cullman early Saturday.

The crash occurred around 12:45 a.m. today, June 1, and the driver of the vehicle fled the scene after striking a pedestrian, said a press release from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. The pedestrian is a 30-year-old white male from Cullman, and he is in stable condition at UAB Hospital in Birmingham. State Troopers are working with Cullman County Sheriffs Office to identify the vehicle and the driver.

The Cullman Police Department said the victim was airlifted to the hospital for treatment. The collision occurred about a quarter mile from the venue.

The festival has been under fire over the last 24 hours with attendees complaining about wait times as long as four hours to park and gain entry.A Mobile County circuit court judge exceeded his authority in a criminal case last year when it ordered Circuit Clerk JoJo Schwarzauer to withhold 10% of funds collected from court costs and fees to fund her office, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled Friday.

The ruling comes three days after the Mobile City Council and County Commission both agreed to fund the 13th Judicial Circuit for a combined $3 million over the next three fiscal years, starting Oct. 1.

According to the court, a lack of adequate funding within the judicial circuit prompted Judge James Patterson to order on Sept. 24, 2018, for Schwarzauers office to withhold the money until the circuit clerks office was adequately funded by the State Legislature. Neither Patterson nor Schwarzauer were specifically named in the Supreme Courts 19-page ruling.

John Lockett, the presiding judge in Mobile Countys 13th judicial circuit  which solely includes Mobile County -- described the case as technically pending because there is room for reconsideration.

The ruling is well intended, said Lockett. The ruling doesnt mean anything immediately. We havent held any money. It doesnt affect the status quo and would only have had an effect going forward if the decision is affirmed.

Patterson wasnt available for comment.

Underfunded court

Presiding Mobile County Circuit Judge John Lockett speaks at a town hall held Feb. 21, 2019. (file photo)

Pattersons order came during a criminal case involving a 39-year-old Mandy Nicole Brady, who was indicted in December 2017 on charges of trafficking methamphetamine.

Brady, who had been arrested repeatedly and was described as a habitual offender, had her bond revoked on Aug. 16, 2018, after she was arrested again. She was supposed be held inside the Mobile Metro Jail when her scheduled trial was to begin 11 days later.

But Brady didnt appear in court, and during a hearing before Patterson, a jail warden told the judge that he never received a notice from the circuit clerks office that Bradys bond had been revoked.

Brady was allowed to leave the county jail when she posted bond approximately five days after Patterson revoked her bond, the Supreme Court filing indicates.

Schwarzauer testified one of her employees apparently failed to send notice of the order to the jail. She then told Patterson that funding shortfalls within her office didnt give her the ability to fully train her employees.

A September 2018 court filing in Mobile County referenced a manpower study by the Alabama Administrative Office of Courts, which shows that the Mobile County Circuit Clerks Office should be staffed with about 19 more employees.

Bradys case also wasnt a one-time-only mistake.

(Schwarzauer) further recounted other times when defendants accused of crimes worse than meth trafficking had walked out of jail by mistake due to problems within her office, Pattersons Sept. 24, 2018, ruling says.

Patterson, in his decision, said he was withholding the funding that otherwise would go the states General Fund. In his estimates, Mobile Countys litigants were funding 70.85% of the entire state judicial budget during fiscal year 2017. The states fiscal year runs from Oct. 1 to Sept. 30.

Making citizens pay for access to their court system via court costs and fees imposed, and then taking those fees and using them for extra-judicial purposes  leaving the court clerks underfunded to where access to the court system is restricted or reduced  must certainly be unconstitutional, Patterson wrote.

Unorthodox decision

Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Tom Parker, in his written opinion, called the actions in Mobile County as overreaching.

The courts ruling, which did not single out Patterson by name, came in a 5-0 vote, with Justice Alisa Kelli Wise recusing herself.

This court today, in no respect, speaks to whether the judicial system is adequately funded, Parker wrote. The constitutional mandate for adequate and reasonable funding of the judiciary does not provide authority for a circuit judge (or any member of the judiciary)  to reach beyond the case or controversy before the court to unilaterally fashion remedies no party has requested.

Justice Michael Bolin was a bit harsher in his comments toward the Mobile County judicial circuit. He called the actions by Patterson unorthodox, and said the circuit court exceeded its authority.

The circuit court judges actions in seeking to address additional funding for the circuit in which he sits, in a judicially inappropriate manner, were an insult to the numerous circuit judges who follow the law, as well as to the citizens of the state of Alabama who expect, and deserve, more from its judiciary.

On Tuesday, the Mobile County Commission and the Mobile City Council expressed their own views about the funding situation, and said they expected more out of state lawmakers. They also hope a fix comes soon toward adequate funding for the 13th Judicial Circuit.

The state court system, according to Mobile area officials, has been underfunded since the Recession about a decade ago.

Both the Mobile City Council and County Commission, in separate unanimous votes Tuesday, decided to spend $500,000 out of their respective budgets next year to provide funding for the judicial circuit. The arrangement, which begins Oct. 1 and continues until Sept. 30, 2022, adds up to $3 million.

Lockett said he felt the timing of the Supreme Courts ruling  days after the council and commission votes -- was a coincidence.

I dont know how they work, he said. Its been up there for some time. Why this week, probably just a coincidence Im thinking.

Mobile City Council Vice-President Levon Manzie said he was aware of the case, and reiterated the reason why the city and county moved ahead with its votes on Tuesday: To protect online tax revenues.

Legislation that had been introduced in Montgomery that wouldve dedicated portions of the Simplified Sellers Use Tax (SSUT), which is derived from online sales, to fund the judicial circuit. The proposal was for only temporary funding until a more permanent answer surfaced.

SSUT tax revenues are a growing revenue source for cities and counties statewide. The SSUT, which assesses a flat 8% tax on online sales, soared in recent years from 166 retailers voluntarily participating in the program a few years ago to now more than 1,300.

What wed like to see is a system that works for everyone all of the time, said Manzie. I am hopeful that what we are having to go through, well eventually be able to get that kind of system.ComebackTown is published by David Sher for a more prosperous greater Birmingham.

David Sher is past Chairman of Birmingham Regional Chamber of Commerce (BBA), ONB (REV Birmingham), and City Action Partnership (CAP)

Lets turn Birmingham around. Click here to sign up for newsletter. Theres power in numbers. (Opt out at any time)

Todays guest blogger is V.J. Graffeo. If youd like to be a guest blogger, please click here.

Birminghams homegrown success stories like Shipt and large-scale development investments such as the new Amazon fulfillment center in Bessemer deservingly gain headlines due to the excitement of the massive economic benefits created.

No less important though are Birminghams unsung heroes  the thousands of small businesses and countless employees that comprise the heart and soul of our local economy and workforce. To nurture Birminghams small business environment, the City of Birmingham launched the inaugural Small Business Council (SBC) in 2019.

The Small Business Council

The SBC is an initiative of Mayor Randall Woodfin and the Department of Innovation and Economic Opportunity designed to assist the City in creating an environment to attract new entrepreneurs and cultivate existing small businesses.

In describing the importance of small business, Mayor Woodfin declared, Entrepreneurs have a vision and a voice. Birminghams small businesses are the lifeblood of our economy and the backbone of our city, and we look forward to hearing from them.

Small business critical to our future

Small businesses share a similar impact across the United States. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy, 99.9% of all businesses nationwide are small business. Among all American employees, 47.5% work at a small business.

I recently participated in my first meeting as a member of the SBC. Our charge is to advise Mayor Woodfin and his administration on strategic and practical matters related to small business.

The SBC is a diverse group of twenty-two small business owners, start-up founders and ecosystem builders. We are risk takers, cultivators, professional service providers, restauranteurs, tech company leaders and more. Each of us brings a unique perspective to share with the City to help shape policy suggestions and enhance the business community.

I bring my legal experience representing small business owner clients, as well as understanding the challenges in operating a small business myself. Together, the SBC members will aspire to develop collective best practices through our small business connections across the landscape of Birmingham.

Goals of SBC

In our initial two-year term, the SBC will focus on strengthening Birminghams partnership with small businesses in four key areas: 1) access to capital, 2) Birminghams ecosystem, 3) city services and 4) minority and women owned business enterprises support.

Providing small business owners with increased assistance will empower these entrepreneurs to thrive with the City of Birmingham alongside them as a valued partner. We further have an ambitious goal for Birmingham to be the desired destination for women and minority entrepreneurs.

Supporting small businesses makes good fiscal sense for Birmingham too. When small businesses grow, so does our economy. The City of Birmingham has over a $400 million dollarbudget. Approximately 80% of City revenues come from business license fees and sales tax.

With small business being a critical piece of Birminghams future growth, investing resources in small businesses can deliver significant returns by improving the recruitment, expansion and retention of small businesses. The benefits will not only consist of newly created employment opportunities, but will also include additional revenues generated for the City to provide greater services to its people.

Birmingham, the next it city

In 2013, I wrote a column for ComebackTown about Birminghams need to develop a strong identity. I explained that [i]n order to bridge the gap between Birmingham and other Southern cities so that we will not only survive, but thrive, Birmingham must build an identity and a brand so that we can better market and position ourselves to be an it city.

Can investment in small business, start-ups and innovation be the answer? If Birmingham can successfully develop into destination for entrepreneurship, we can accelerate the amount of new investment, job growth and population in Birmingham. A strong entrepreneurship culture and expanding economy will be a massive opportunity to attract more capital into Birmingham.

It will also help us deploy a larger share of the growing college student populations at UAB and other nearby schools post-graduation into our workforce. UAB Collat School of Business is actively working to train the next generation of business owners by continually enhancing its Innovation and Entrepreneurship program as a key area of study. These students can supply a pipeline of new talent, innovation and diversity for Birmingham.

The SBC will complement our regional economic development strategy and help pursue the Vision of the Birmingham Office of Economic Development, which states that by 2021, Birmingham will be a hub of qualified and diverse talent and a premier destination for small businesses, startups, and businesses looking to expand, propelling shared prosperity through innovation and inclusive growth.

By capitalizing on the start-up and small business economy, innovation will be Birminghams distinct brand identity as we transition into the next it city.

Vincent J. V. J. Graffeo is attorney and the founder of Graffeo Law, LLC. He represents businesses and individuals in civil litigation and corporate matters across Alabama. V. J. also serves as an Adjunct Professor at the UAB Collat School of Business, where he teaches classes in Legal Environment of Business and Business Foundations. Click hereto learn more about the City of Birmingham Small Business Council and its members.The Dubai Airshow 2019 is expecting business aviation to be a significant part of the event when it returns from November 17  21 at Dubai World Central (DWC).



Business aircraft movements in the region are predicted to reach 175,000 by 2020. The prediction, made at the Mebaa Conference Dubai in December, underlines the industrys growth in the region, and is reinforced by key players in business aviation demonstrating their commitment to the Middle Easts leading aerospace event. In addition, the UAE is expecting an increase in private jet landings next year as a result of Expo 2020, leading to increased opportunities for the industry.



Key business aviation original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) will be represented at the show, including Boeing Business Jets, Gulfstream, Dassault Aviation, Airbus Corporate Jets, Textron and Pilatus who will be joined at the show for the first time by Citadel Completions. Exhibitors at the event represent the whole business aviation supply chain, from OEMs to interiors, completions specialists to fixed base operators (FBOs) including Jet Aviation and DC Aviation, private airports such as Al Bateen Executive Airport; and gourmet catering firms, providing an ideal platform for those in the industry to network and forge relationships to take advantage of the opportunities offered.



Business in the region relies on face-to-face meetings and personal relationship building, says Michele van Akelijen, managing director of show organisers Tarsus F&E LLC Middle East. The fantastic thing about the Dubai Airshow is that it provides a truly global stage for all aspects of the aerospace industry, and business aviation is always extremely highly represented. I look forward to welcoming the industry to Dubai in November.



During the Dubai Airshow 2019, the Middle East & North Africa Business Aviation Association (Mebaa) will host the International Standard for Business Aircraft Handling (IS-BAH) and International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations (IS-BOA) workshops within the show itself. Developed by the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC) in conjunction with its member associations and the National Air Transportation Association (NATA), these workshops will enable business aviation professionals in the region to achieve recommended best practices and standards.



The Dubai Airshow 2019 is expecting 1,300 exhibitors and up to 87,000 trade visitors across the five days. - TradeArabia News ServiceHousing shortages, a lack of regulation and gender discrimination are at play, so whats the solution?

Lagos, Nigeria  Stephanie Odili knew that finding an apartment to rent in Lagos, Nigerias commercial centre would be difficult, but she was still unprepared for what came next.

The 22-year-old was met with obstacles at each step  from a real estate agent demanding cash for every viewing, despite it being illegal, to a landlord who asked for 18 months rent in advance, instead of the standard 12.

I found a two-bedroom [apartment] for 950,400 naira ($2,640) per annum. The rooms were so tiny they could barely fit three people at once, Odili told Al Jazeera.

Lagos is home to 22 million people and counting, more than double New York and Londons tally.

The citys population grows by 77 people every hour as Nigerians from less industrialised regions seek jobs. And as the city grows, so too does demand for housing.

In a country where the minimum wage is about $80 a month and where graduates earn an average of 80,000 naira ($222) a month, renting in Lagos is an expensive exercise.

Odili got lucky. Her employer offered her a housing loan and she was ready to move in with a friend.

But just as she secured a place, she received a call from the agent saying the property had been rented out to someone else.

After that call, I made up my mind to stop looking.

The Eko Atlantic project is being built on land reclaimed from the Atlantic Ocean and is protected from rising tides by The Great Wall of Lagos, an 8.5km long wall [Courtesy of Eko Atlantic]

Gender discrimination is also at play in the search for a home. The odds are stacked against the young, unmarried woman like Odili.

Women living outside their fathers or husbands houses is considered inappropriate in some sections of Nigerian society, so single women looking to rent a property are often rejected or subjected to more rigorous screenings.

The housing shortage is also exacerbated by unoccupied luxury apartments in wealthy Lagos suburbs, including Ikoyi and Victoria Island where rent typically begins from $20,000 a year, in a country where almost half of its citizens live on less than $2 daily  a problem which has been acknowledged by Nigerias Minister for Works, Power and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, a former Lagos state governor.

With little government housing, the onus falls on the private sector.

An estimated two-thirds of people in the Lagos metropolis live in informal accommodation or slums. Some jostle for space in crowded shanties, often built on stilts in water communities where residents live under the threat of eviction or in dilapidated buildings prone to collapse.

Proposed solutions from mega-projects to start-ups

The Eko Atlantic project, which began in 2009, aims to solve the dual problem of job and housing shortages in Lagos.

It is currently being built on 10 million square metres of land reclaimed from the Atlantic Ocean and protected from rising sea tides by an 8.5km wall dubbed the Great Wall of Lagos.

Once complete, it will comprise housing blocks for 250,000 people, a financial district, and private water and power.

The project envisions itself to be the size of Manhattans skyscraper district and there have been suggestions it will only cater to Lagoss ultrarich, a tag developers are trying to shake.

Nnimmo Bassey, an environmentalist and activist, describes the project as climate change apartheid, telling Al Jazeera it further deepens the economic divide between the filthy rich and the rest of the people struggling for survival.

There are concerns over the projects potential effect on surrounding communities, particularly how the low-lying areas will cope in the event of a storm surge.

Bassey believes claiming marine land has destroyed ecosystems and could lead to the extinction of some species.

It swallowed up public beaches and deflected coastal erosion to other communities. Some communities are getting hit by coastal erosion pushed their way by this project and they require heightened levels of investment to secure them.

Ugochi Oluigbo, an environmental journalist, says Eko Atlantic has not been well received in neighbouring areas.

I have been to some communities along the Atlantic in Lagos to cover incidents of flooding and usually, they point to the big project far away, and blame it for their woes, Oluigbo told Al Jazeera.

We had to solve the affordability problem because, in Nigeria and most parts of Africa, there is a rental price and income mismatch. Ibraheem Babalola, Muster CEO

Lagos-based start-up Muster, meanwhile, is attempting to improve on renting conditions based on affordability, availability, convenience and flexibility, says Ibraheem Babalola, who runs the company.Muster allows would-be renters to connect with homeowners and property managers.

They can rent for a minimum of three months, pay monthly, quarterly or annually depending on their preferences, and find people of their choosing to share apartments with.

Those with spare rooms to let can also list on Muster, which allows both parties  renters and owners  to skip legal and agent fees.

We had to solve the affordability problem because, in Nigeria and most parts of Africa, there is a rental price and income mismatch. On average, people aged between 20 and 34 years old earn around $230 monthly, which is lower than the average price of renting a one-bedroom apartment in the major cities in Nigeria, Babalola said.

For a long time, property developers were building with family units in mind with three-five beds built. Young people who only needed smaller spaces couldnt find fit-for-purpose apartments, he said.

Beyond providing affordable and flexible housing alternatives, Muster attempts to tackle gender discrimination.

A lot of traditional landlords ask to see womens marriage certificate or husband before renting [out] to them but nobody will ever ask that question on Muster. It will never become a requirement, said Babalola.

Left: The exterior of an old shipping container as it is being converted into an office building in Lagos. Right: A completed office building made out of shipping container [Courtesy of TempoHousing Nigeria]

TempoHousing, another Lagos-based start-up, is even more revolutionary in its attempt to make housing affordable.

It converts cargo containers into spaces fit for living and aims to challenge the stigma attached with alternative construction, said Dele Ijaiya-Oladipo, a managing partner at the company.

Ijaiya-Oladipo says container homes are 30 percent cheaper than traditional homes and can be easily transported. Construction can take as less as 10 days.

But despite what seems like obvious advantages, theres some scepticism among Nigerians about container homes due to its novelty and the social status associated with living in traditional houses.

There was a lot of initial scepticism towards the product due to a precedent not being set. However, over the years, we have actively tried to change this by showcasing as much as possible, he said.

As for Odili, whose search came to an abrupt end in Lagos, she has found a trusted and traditional solution.

I am going to stay with my parents for as long as possible. The experience stressed me out, she said.After losing almost everything after Nigerias police razed his community, Elijah Atinkpo now wants justice.

Elijah Atinkpo, 23, lost almost everything he owned on April 9, 2017. The police razed the impoverished Nigerian waterfront community of Otodo Gbame. Like 30,000 other evictees, Antinkpo fled without most of his belongings. He lost his art and poetry in the fire.

Atinkpo now works for a legal campaign group, Justice and Empowerment Initiatives (JEI). He travels to communities where scattered evictees now live, dedicating himself to achieving justice.

The forcible eviction from Otodo Gbame was not an exceptional event. In Lagos, a city of 21 million, land is a precious commodity. The Nigerian government has been accused of displacing poor communities living on prime real estate. Rights groups like Amnesty are calling these forced evictions land grabs.

But Antinkpo remains optimistic about the future. He is still holding onto his dream of being a filmmaker, working in Marvel Studios. He wants to see his people reflected in their stories.

Director:

Dan Order

Editor:

HyoJin Park

Dan Order

Additional Reporting:

Kaitlin Englund

Additional Footage:

Elijah Atinkpo

Justice and Empowerment Initiative

Deji Akinpelu

Kaitlin Englund

Creative Consultant:

Brent Huffman

Special Thanks:

Justice and Empowerment Initiative

Nigerian Slum / Informal Settlement Federation

The Atinkpo Family

The Otodo Gbame Community

Medill Documentary Journalism Programme at Northwestern University

Access to Health

Peter Slevin

Juliet SorensenClashes continue to rage between Israeli forces and Palestinian demonstrators across occupied territories.

At least three Palestinians have been killed, according to local media, and hundreds more injured amid mass protests over new Israeli security measures at the al-Aqsa Mosque compound.

In the first incident, an Israeli settler killed an 18-year-old Palestinian man in the Ras al-Amud neighbourhood in occupied East Jerusalem, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

The death of Muhamd Mahmoud Sahraf was confirmed by Israeli security and the Red Crescent.

A second Palestinian was also confirmed killed by live fire during the demonstrations that followed Friday prayers, officials at a hospital in Jerusalem told AP news agency.

OPINION: Palestinians have a legal right to armed struggle

The Palestinian Authority also reported that a third man was killed during clashes with Israeli forces in the West Bank.

The two other fatalities were identified as Muhamad Mahmoud Khalaf and Muhamad Hasan Abu Ghanam.

Israeli police also fired live ammunition, tear gas and rubber-coated bullets at Palestinians protesting against the new measures, including the barring of Muslim men under the age of 50 from the holy site and the installation of metal detectors.

In one incident, an Israeli soldier, who was carrying a firearm, kicked an unarmed worshipper while he was praying.

The protests come a week after a deadly shoot-out at the occupied East Jerusalem compound, which triggered tensions.

This Israeli officer kicked a man while he was praying outside al-Aqsa Mosque compound. https://t.co/nrDVx0IKHX pic.twitter.com/oednoFTGWs  Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) July 21, 2017

The rallies started after the Muslim Friday prayers, which took place around midday local time.

At the conclusion of the Isha evening prayers, clashes erupted again with Israeli forces firing stun grenades at the crowd, Al Jazeeras Harry Fawcett, who was reporting outside al-Aqsa, said.

At least 140 Palestinians have been injured in occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent.

Earlier in the day, police swarmed into Jerusalems Arab neighbourhoods, particularly in and around the walled Old City where the shrine is located.

At least 3,000 Israeli police and border police units had been deployed to the area, according to a police spokesman.





Israels security cabinet said that Israeli police would decide when to remove metal detectors and turnstiles installed at the compound last week  a disappointing statement to Palestinians who view the measures as collective punishment and an infringement on the status quo, which gives Muslims religious control over the compound and Jews the right to visit, but not pray there.

Israel tightened its grip on the compound after two Israeli security officers were killed in an alleged attack by three Palestinians, who were killed by Israeli police following the violence.

On Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received recommendations from different sectors of Israels security services on the metal detectors.

Israels internal security service, Shin Bet, said the barriers should be removed, while Jerusalem police insisted they stay.

Palestinian member of the Knesset Mohammad Barakeh told a meeting of Palestinian leaders in Jerusalem early on Friday that the security cabinets decision is a political game.

The Israeli governments [decision] of referring the matter to the police is a political game in order to absolve Netanyahu of any responsibility by implying that this is not a political issue, rather a security issue, but the truth is that this is a political decision.

The leaders rejected Israels measures and vowed to continue to hold prayers outside the compound until the barriers are removed.

OPINION: Palestinians have a legal right to armed struggle

Over the past week, there have been daily demonstrations and clashes between Israeli forces and Palestinians.

On Friday, a Palestinian advocacy group said 10 prominent Palestinian activists had been detained in Jerusalem.

The Palestinian Prisoners Club said Hatem Abdel Khader, the Jerusalem leader of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas Fatah party, was among those arrested.

Thousands of Palestinians usually attend Friday prayers at the al-Aqsa compound [Jack Guez/AFP]

Day of anger

The Palestinian group Hamas and Muslim leaders worldwide called for mass protests on Friday over the measures.

On Wednesday, Hamas leader Ismail Haniya warned Israel against crossing a red line at al-Aqsa Mosque compound.

To the Zionist enemy, I say openly and clearly: al-Aqsa Mosque and Jerusalem are red lines. Truly they are red lines, he said.

To the enemy I say, your policy of closure and imposition of collective punishments against the residents of Jerusalem and our places of sanctity will not be tolerated. 

READ MORE  Timeline: Critical events at the al-Aqsa Mosque

The Doha-based International Union of Muslim scholars called for all Muslims to show solidarity with worshippers at al-Aqsa in a day of anger.

We call on all Muslims to make this Friday a day of anger against the Zionist actions in Jerusalem and the people residing there, a statement by the group read.

Earlier this week, Jerusalems top Muslim leader called on all the citys mosques to close on Friday and encourage worshippers to gather outside the gates of al-Aqsa Mosque for the weekly Friday prayers.

Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip on Friday prayed in public spaces in solidarity with worshippers in Jerusalem.

In Hebron, Palestinians gathered in the Hussein Stadium for Friday prayers.

https://twitter.com/NasserZB/status/888362233700519937

Translation: Hebron right now.

Reporting from occupied East Jerusalem on Friday, Al Jazeeras Imran Khan said it was clear Israeli forces dont want Muslim worshippers outside Lions Gate, one of the entrances to the Old City.

He said Israeli forces pushed about 100 Palestinians from the road leading to the gate and were only allowing residents to enter the Old City.

The worshippers are very angry, Khan said.

Israeli forces at various checkpoints had turned away buses carrying Muslim worshippers to Jerusalem from the occupied West Bank and elsewhere, several Palestinians told Al Jazeera.

The wider al-Aqsa compound is known as al-Haram al-Sharif, or the Noble Sanctuary, by Muslims and the Temple Mount by Jews.

Abbas calls for intervention

Netanyahu said this week that he does not want to alter the status quo.





But Palestinians fear Israel is trying to retake the site by stealth.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas cut short a trip to China on Wednesday to return to the occupied West Bank to deal with the mounting tensions.

On Wednesday he urged the international community to intervene.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who had spoken to Abbas by phone earlier in the day, urged his Israeli counterpart Reuven Rivlin to remove the detectors.

Given the importance that Haram al-Sharif carries for the whole Islamic world, the metal detectors put in place by Israel should be removed in the shortest possible time and an end put to the tension, Erdogan said.

The site houses al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock shrine, Islams third holiest site after Mecca and Medina, as well as the ruins of the Biblical Jewish Temple.

Questions about control of the site frequently lead to outbursts of fighting.

Additional reporting by Ibrahim Husseini.Young protester succumbs to wounds after being shot by Israeli forces, as police renew ban on men under 50 at holy site.

A 25-year-old protester has succumbed to his wounds, becoming the fifth Palestinian to be killed by Israeli forces and settlers in two weeks of violence as tension mounts over discriminatory restrictions at al-Aqsa Mosque.

Muhammad Kanan, who had been shot in the head three days earlier, died late on Thursday in a hospital in the central occupied West Bank city of Ramallah, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said.





Kanan had joined thousands of Palestinians in the streets to rally against extra restrictions at Jerusalems al-Aqsa Mosque compound, protesting in Hizma, his hometown near Jerusalem.

Israeli soldiers and police cracked down on extended protests on Friday.

Police announced for the second week running a ban on men under the age on 50 attending the holy site, and closed several gates to the compound.

That announcement came hours ahead of Friday prayers, when thousands of Muslims typically worship in congregation at al-Aqsa Mosque.

Police fired water cannon and tear gas at protesters in Bethlehem, and there was a high police presence close to al-Aqsa compound.

We were barred from entering al-Aqsa, Salim abu Hani told Al Jazeera. We came from Beersheba to pray. We will pray in the street; there is no other way.

Beersheba is more than 100 kilometres from Jerusalem.

The situation has gotten worse, said 34-year-old Abdullah abu Hani, also from Beersheba. God willing it will become better and [the Israeli authorities] will remove the checkpoints.

Samira Edrees, a resident of the Old City, said she refused to pray inside the compound because nothing has been achieved.

How can I pray in there when there is no peace? How can I go in when my brother and son are barred? The police are acting like a gang, she told Al Jazeera.

Dozens of worshippers were subject to identification checks by Israeli police.

Al Jazeeras Imran Khan, reporting from Jerusalems Damascus Gate, said police were deployed in large numbers.

Theres a real atmosphere of tension, he said, explaining that Israeli forces were restricting movement from checkpoints between occupied East Jerusalem and the rest of the West Bank.

Israel installed metal detectors and turnstiles at the mosque, the third holiest site for Muslims, after an alleged attack on July 14 when three Palestinian citizens of Israel fatally shot two Israeli policemen, and were later killed themselves.

Palestinians viewed the restrictive measures  which have since been removed  as an encroachment of Israeli control over the holy site, and a form of collective punishment.

They feared that Israel was attempting to change the status quo of al-Aqsa, which gives Muslims religious control over the compound and Jews the right to visit, but not pray there, and launched a boycott.

Instead of praying at the mosque, they worshipped in the streets and demonstrated against the measures.

Men under 50 banned again

Palestinian religious leaders who were satisfied with the eased restrictions declared an end to the boycott, and thousands of Palestinian worshippers returned to the mosque on Thursday for the first time since July 14.

But renewed clashes followed, with Israeli forces firing stun grenades, tear gas and sound bombs in the mosques compound, wounding more than 100 people.

Jamal Zahalka, a Palestinian politician in Israels Knesset, said Palestinians would continue to defend al-Aqsa and Jerusalem and insist an end to the occupation.

If there is no occupation, there is no struggle against occupation, he told Al Jazeera.

The compound, known to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as the Temple Mount, is in occupied East Jerusalem.

Over 12 days of protests, Israeli forces wounded more than 1,000 Palestinians during clashes, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent.

Three Palestinians were killed last Friday during Day of Rage protests across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

READ MORE: Israeli MK says he would execute Palestinian attackers family

Later that night, a Palestinian assailant hopped the fence of Halamish, a Jewish-only settlement in the West Bank, and killed three Israelis in their home.

Raed Saleh, a resident of East Jerusalem, said that re-entering the compound on their own terms was a victory for Palestinians.

We never saw this kind of win for our people, he told Al Jazeera. People are coming from everywhere just to support us in this occasion.

The Israeli government will now understand that Palestinians from Jerusalem will not accept everything they [Israelis] will tell them. We control ourselves. No one is controlling us.

Al Jazeeras Stefanie Dekker, reporting from East Jerusalem, said Palestinians view the removal of the cameras and metal detectors as a victory for the people.

Everyone we speak to says this is a historic moment, she said.

Yoram Halevy, the Israeli police chief in Jerusalem, threatened Palestinians and urged them not to continue their protests on Friday.

If they try to disrupt the order [on Friday], there will be casualties, he said, according to Israeli media reports. Do not try us. We know how to react vigorously.

Additional reporting by Ibrahim Husseini in Jerusalem.The presidential election scheduled to be held on July 4 cancelled  a move protesters have been demanding for weeks.

Algerias constitutional council has said it will be impossible for it to hold elections to choose a successor to ousted President Abdelaziz Bouteflika early next month as planned after the only two candidates were rejected.

The council said in a statement on Sunday that it rejected the candidates applications and subsequently declared the impossibility of holding presidential elections on July 4.

It did not set a new date for the presidential election, asking interim President Abdelkader Bensalah to organise a vote at a later date, state television said.

190403094806880

The move will likely extend the rule of the interim president, who was meant to stay only until the vote to elect a new president after Bouteflika ended his 20-year rule in the wake of mass protests.

Bensalah, the former upper house speaker, had been appointed as interim leader until July 9.

Demonstrations have since continued, with protesters demanding Bensalahs resignation and an end to the dominance of the elite who have ruled Algeria since it won independence from France in 1962.

Algerians have protested for 15 weeks, we are heading towards a sixteenth week of protests so the issue here is Bensalah has to listen to the protesters, said Mohamed Kirat, professor of media studies at Qatar University.

Because with the current government and Bensalah and Prime Minister Noureddine Bedoui still in power, there is no way that Algerians will go to vote for a new president, added Kirat.

On Friday, hundreds of thousands again took to the streets of Algiers and other cities to call for Bensalahs removal and that of Prime Minister Bedoui, who was appointed by Bouteflika days before he stepped down.

The July vote had been backed by Algerias army chief, General Ahmed Gaid Salah, who has been managing the transition. Salah, who earlier supported Bouteflika, has called for the impeachment of the long-time leader.In rare remarks about 1989 unrest, Chinese defence minister says government actions were justified for stability.

China has defended a bloody crackdown on protesters around Beijings Tiananmen Square 30 years ago as the correct policy, in a rare acknowledgement of the heavily censored events.

Chinese Defence Minister Wei Fenghe, speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on Sunday, called the seven weeks of protests by students and workers demanding democratic changes and the eradication of corruption in 1989, political turbulence.

Tuesday marks the 30th anniversary of the June 4 government crackdown when Chinese tanks moved into the area and soldiers opened fire killing demonstrators as well as onlookers in and around Tiananmen Square.

Rights groups and witnesses say hundreds or even thousands may have been killed, but the government has kept a lid on what really happened and the number of dead.

Everybody is concerned about Tiananmen after 30 years, Wei said on Sunday.

Throughout the 30 years, China under the Communist Party has undergone many changes  do you think the government was wrong with the handling of June fourth? There was a conclusion to that incident. The government was decisive in stopping the turbulence.

190426023911794

He added that Chinas development since 1989 showed that the governments actions were justified.

The Tiananmen protests were political turmoil that the central government needed to quell, which was the correct policy, he said. Due to this, China has enjoyed stability, and if you visit China you can understand that part of history.

His comments echoed those of Defence Ministry spokesman Wu Qian, who last week decried the use of the word suppression to describe the militarys response to the 1989 protests.

China at the time blamed the protests on counter-revolutionaries seeking to overthrow the party.

Tuesday marks the 30th anniversary of the June 4th government crackdown [Arthur Tsang/Reuters]

Sensitive and censored

The crackdown remains one of the most sensitive subjects in mainland China and any mention is strictly censored.

The event will not be officially commemorated by the ruling Communist Party or government.





Meanwhile, dozens of activists rallied in front of the Chinese embassy in Washington on Saturday to commemorate the 30th anniversary.

Holding aloft banners and battery-powered candles, about 50 activists including Chinese political dissidents spoke of their hopes for democracy after the failure of the 1989 student protests that ended when the military intervened.

I feel that people around the world are getting more and more impatient with the communist regime. And I feel that people start to realise that they can no longer tolerate this regime, Wei Jingsheng, chairman of the Overseas Chinese Democracy Coalition, told AFP news agency.

According to rights groups, several activists have been arrested in the country ahead of the anniversary, including artists and a writer, while popular live streaming sites are shutting down for technical reasons.

Twitter apologised on Saturday for suspending accounts critical of the Chinese government days before the anniversary after users complained.

The company said the suspensions were an inadvertent byproduct of a company targeting suspected platform manipulation and were not connected to any action by the Chinese government.

Some of these were involved in commentary about China. These accounts were not mass reported by the Chinese authorities  this was a routine action on our part, the company said.Airport International Group, the Jordanian company responsible for the operation of Queen Alia International Airport, has announced that it will be hosting the CAPA Middle East & Africa Aviation Summit in 2020 for the first time in Jordan.



The summit is one of several events organised around the globe by CAPA - Centre for Aviation; one of the worlds most trusted sources of market intelligence for the aviation and travel industry. The announcement was made during this years Summit, which was held in Dubai in April.



Scheduled to take place next March, the acclaimed event will convene hundreds of industry leaders, renowned experts and key stakeholders who will address current and future trends, opportunities and challenges emerging within the Middle East and Africa  two regions boasting the highest expected industry growth rates worldwide. Presenting a powerful platform for the exchange of unique insights and business prospects, the 2020 CAPA Middle East & Africa Aviation Summit will help position Jordan as a prime host of prominent events within todays highly dynamic local, regional and international aviation arenas. In addition, the summit will actively contribute to the development of the local tourism sector by promoting the kingdoms historical and natural sites, vibrant culture and warm hospitality.



We are excited to be hosting the CAPA Middle East & Africa Aviation Summit next year, which will be an opportune time for aviation stakeholders from around the world to gather in Jordan and come up with new ideas and solutions to elevate the overall air travel experience within our region. We look forward to this prestigious event and the positive results it will undoubtedly yield for all parties involved, commented Kjeld Binger, Airport International Group CEO. - TradeArabia News ServiceOn Saturday, China raised tariffs up to 25 percent on $60bn of US imports.

China has taken a firm stance on US trade, blaming Washington for the setback in negotiations.

Beijing accuses the United States of being an untrustworthy negotiator, and says the trade war is only hurting the US economy.

Al Jazeeras Adrian Brown reports from Beijing.Opposition New Democracy party won in most regions, routing ruling left just a month before the general elections.

Greeces conservative opposition New Democracy (ND) party swept local elections on Sunday, winning in most regions and the cities of Athens and Thessaloniki, routing Prime Minister Alexis Tsiprass ruling left just a month before they face off in general elections.

New Democracy candidates have won 11 of the countrys 13 regions, according to provisional results, including Attica where the Greek capital is located.

ND mayoral candidate Kostas Bakoyannis was leading in Athens with 65 percent of the vote, according to provisional results after counting in half of the citys polling centres.

The 41-year-old comes from an old political family and his mother Dora was elected Athens mayor in 2003.

Greeces electoral map has changed in favour of the ND, said political expert Elias Nikolakopoulos on public television ERT.

190515190026623

The New Democracy party has repeated its performance in last months European elections when it took 33 percent of the vote  nine points more than the ruling Syriza party.

Tsipras, a socialist who has overseen austerity measures since the Greek debt crisis, has called parliamentary elections for July 7, three months earlier than scheduled.

Sundays vote was a second-round runoff for city mayors and regional governors.

In the first round of municipal and regional elections in May, New Democracy won five of Greeces 13 regions, while the left took just one.

Hope has returned, it is revenge  against the populism of Tsipras, the opposition-leaning daily To Vima wrote in a front-page headline.

Tsipras had urged voters to choose the mayors of progress, calling Sundays vote crucial in a statement to reporters after voting in Kypseli, a working-class neighbourhood of Athens.

Changing an era

Bakoyannis, a former provincial governor, captured the Athens mayors office from the left. He won 42 percent of the votes in the first round, beating his rival leftist Nassos Iliopoulos by more than 25 points.

Today Athens is not simply changing mayors, the city is changing an era, Bakoyannis predicted after voting on Sunday afternoon.

For the Attica province, which includes the capital, conservative Giorgos Patoulis, a former mayor, is also poised to win. In the first round he won 37.6 percent of the vote against his Syriza rival Rena Dourou with 19.7 percent.

In the Thessaloniki region, conservative Apostolos Tzitzikostas already won in the first round by taking 62 percent of the vote.





Observers attribute the conservative resurgence in part to a controversial renaming deal between Greece and its neighbour which is now called North Macedonia, formerly Macedonia.

Backed by Tsipras and his Macedonian counterpart Zoran Zaev, the deal ended a long-running dispute between the two countries.

The dispute dated back to North Macedonias independence from Yugoslavia in 1991, when it declared that it wanted to be called Macedonia over the objections of Greece, which has a northern province by the same name.

The resolution of the deal meant Athens dropped its opposition to its neighbours bid to join the European Union, but the agreement has been denounced by nationalists in both countries.

Once a leftist firebrand, Tsipras, 44, came to power in 2015 on an anti-austerity platform but was forced into a painful new bailout months later to avoid Greece being thrown out of the Eurozone.

Greece emerged from the close supervision of lenders in August 2018. The government last month introduced tax cuts and pension payouts, going some way towards unwinding some of the austerity measures.

Some analysts have said the handouts may have averted a steeper defeat in the European election.

New Democracy leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis has promised tax cuts and attracting investments to help Greece grow faster after the country lost more than a quarter of its output during the crisis.At least five wounded as massive ship hit dock and tourist riverboat on Venices busy Giudecca Canal.

A massive cruise ship lost control as it docked in Venice on Sunday, crashing into the wharf and hitting a tourist boat after suffering an engine failure.

Tourists on land could be seen running away as the 13-deck MSC Opera scraped along the dockside, its engine blaring, before knocking into a tourist boat, amateur video footage posted on Twitter showed.

Five people were slightly injured in the accident at San Basilio-Zattere in Venices Giudecca Canal, port authorities said.

Four of the injured, who were taken to hospital for check-ups, were on board the River Countess tourist boat.

The Opera, which suffered mechanical trouble before in 2011 during a Baltic cruise, can carry more than 2,500 passengers and boasts a theatre, ballroom and a water park for children.

The MSC ship had an engine failure, which was immediately reported by the captain, Davide Calderan, head of a tugboat company involved in accompanying the ship into its berth, told Italian media.

The engine was blocked, but with its thrust on, because the speed was increasing, he said.

The two tug boats that had been guiding the ship into the Giudecca tried to slow it, but one of the chains linking them to the giant snapped under the pressure, he added.

The accident reignited a heated row in the Serenissima over the damage caused to the city and its fragile ecosystem by cruise ships that sail exceptionally close to the shore.

While gondoliers in striped T-shirts and woven straw hats row tourists around the narrow canals, the smoking chimneys of mammoth ships loom into sight behind the citys picturesque bell towers and bridges.

Critics say the waves the ships create are eroding the foundations of the lagoon city, which regularly floods, leaving iconic sites such as Saint Marks Square underwater.

What happened in the port of Venice is confirmation of what we have been saying for some time, Italys Environment Minister Sergio Costa wrote on Twitter.

Cruise ships must not sail down the Giudecca. We have been working on moving them for months now and are nearing a solution, he said.

Paura a #Venezia. Grande nave sperona un'imbarcazione da turismo. All'origine dell'incidente una manovra sbagliata. Il filmato di quanto accaduto concesso dalla signora Daniela Bortolini #Ioseguotgr pic.twitter.com/U1BcllH2V8  Tgr Rai Veneto (@TgrVeneto) June 2, 2019

Venices port authority said it was working to resolve the accident and free up the blocked canal in the north Italian city.

In addition to protecting the Unesco heritage city, we have to safeguard the environment, and the safety of citizens and tourists, Culture Minister Alberto Bonisoli said.

Nicola Fratoianni, an MP with the Italian Left party, noted Italys open-armed attitude to cruise ships contrasted sharply with its hostile approach to charity rescue vessels that help migrants who run into difficulty in the Mediterranean Sea.

It is truly curious that a country that tries to stop ships that have saved people at sea from entering its ports allows giant steel monsters to risk carnage in Venice, he said.

MSC Cruises, founded in Italy in 1960, is a global line registered in Switzerland and based in Geneva.

The Opera, built 15 years ago, suffered a power failure in 2011 in the Baltic, forcing some 2,000 people to be disembarked in Stockholm rather than continuing their Southampton to Saint Petersburg voyage.One person is killed when a magnetic bomb attached to a bus carrying university students exploded in Afghan capital.

Three explosions struck the Afghan capital, including a magnetic bomb attached to a bus carrying university students that killed at least one person, officials said.

The bus explosion wounded 10 people, Nasrat Rahimi, a spokesman for the Interior Ministry, said on Sunday.

Two roadside bombs were detonated about 20 minutes later, wounding seven more people, including five security forces in the same residential area of western Kabul.

In total, one Afghan civilian was martyred and 17 others, including a local journalist and five Afghan forces, have been slightly wounded, Rahimi said.

Several houses and shops around the blast sites were damaged. Security forces blocked all roads leading to the areas.

Wahidullah Mayar, a spokesman for the public health ministry, said at least four women were wounded in the bus bombing and had been taken to hospitals.

190601093359747

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the Kabul attacks. Both the Taliban and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or ISIS) launch regular assaults in the capital.

Violence continues

Eight Afghan police were killed on Saturday and seven others wounded in a Taliban suicide attack in the eastern Ghazni city, provincial police spokesman Ahmad Khan Seera told AFP news agency.

Even though the Taliban and the United States are set to begin a new round of peace talks in Doha this month, violence across Afghanistan continues unabated, with civilians often bearing the brunt of the bloodshed.

On Friday, a Taliban car bomber killed at least four Afghan civilians and lightly wounded four US troops in an attack on a US convoy in Kabul.

A day earlier, at least six people were killed and 16 more wounded in an ISIL-claimed suicide blast outside a military academy in the capital.

Eight Afghan police were killed on Saturday and seven others wounded in a suicide attack in the eastern Ghazni city, provincial police spokesman Ahmad Khan Seera told AFP news agency.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani had proposed a nationwide ceasefire at the start of Ramadan early last month, but the Taliban rejected the offer.

Last year, the Taliban observed a three-day ceasefire over Eid and many Afghans  exhausted by decades of war and violence  had pinned their hopes on another truce this year.

Taliban head Haibatullah Akhunzada said on Saturday there would be no cold water poured on the groups military efforts.Andrea Nahles resignation follows worst European vote results and precedes three key state elections in Germany.

The leader of Chancellor Angela Merkels junior coalition partner, the SPD, resigned on Sunday from her partys top posts, raising the possibility that Germanys embattled government could collapse.

Andrea Nahles, who heads the centre-left Social Democratic Party (SPD), has come under intense pressure after voters handed the party its worst European election results a week ago.

With an eye on three key state elections in eastern Germany in September, the SPD had initially planned to re-examine its partnership with Merkels centre-right CDU-CSU alliance in the autumn.

But ahead of a planned leadership vote on Tuesday, Nahles said she would give up her jobs as both party chief and head of its parliamentary group.

The discussions in the parliamentary group and the broad feedback from the party showed me that the support necessary for the exercise of my offices is no longer there, said Nahles in a statement.

The 48-year-old said she hoped her resignation would open the possibility that the succession can take place in an orderly manner.

Merkel said on Sunday that Germanys government would push on with its work despite the setback.

What I want to say for the government is that we will continue with our work with all seriousness and with great responsibility, she said in a statement to the press.

Stability lost

Harald Christ, deputy chief of the SPDs economy forum, told the Bild daily that Nahless decision had put the future of the coalition in serious doubt.

To all those who are happy today: it is a great loss for German politics. Nahles stands for the existence of the GroKo  whose stability is now in question, he said, using the German short-form for grand coalition.





Anxiously watching as the SPD tumbled into disarray, CDU heavyweights urged their centre-left partner not to endanger the coalition.

The voter mandate is valid for four years and political parties must ensure stability in difficult times, the CDUs Bundestag deputy president Hans-Peter Friedrich told Bild daily.

An early end of the GroKo would only benefit the political fringes.

Merkels CDU itself was scrambling to retain voters, after it too scored a record low in the European elections.

Her favoured successor Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer was also struggling to put down a raging online youth revolt against the party, raising questions as to whether she is the best person for Germanys top job when Merkel leaves the political stage in 2021.

Already disintegrating

Following Nahles bombshell, the CDU said both Kramp-Karrenbauer and Merkel would address the press later on Sunday.

But the far-right AfD said the government was already disintegrating.

Not only is the SPD dissolving, the GroKo too is walking the political stage only as one of the undead, wrote the co-leader of the AfDs group in parliament, Alice Weidel, on Twitter.

Some newspapers reached similar conclusions.

Bild daily noted that the SPD is bleeding to death. The GroKo too. And the Sueddeutsche daily predicted that the coalition has come to an end.

The Social Democrats have just defeated the woman who with great effort brought the alliance together. Whats the point now then of continuing to torment themselves with this?Syrian media says three soldiers were killed and seven injured in attacks Israel says were a response to rocket fire.

Israel has attacked Syrian military positions in the countrys south, killing three soldiers and wounding seven others, Syrias state-run media reported.

The Israeli military confirmed the attack that took place early on Sunday in a series of tweets, saying it was in response to two rockets fired from Syria at Mount Hermon late on Saturday. One of the rockets landed in Israel but no damage or injuries were reported.

State news agency SANA quoted an unnamed military official as saying the Israeli attacks struck military positions in the southern region of Quneitra, near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. They also caused material damage, it said.

The Israeli military said the targets included two artillery batteries, several observation and intelligence posts and an SA2 air defence unit.

190527190543256

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an oppositions war monitor, said Israeli warplanes struck positions and an arms depot of Iranian troops and Lebanons Hezbollah fighters.

Hezbollah is a Lebanese armed and political group that, along with Iran, supports Syrias President Bashar al-Assad.

Israel has acknowledged carrying out dozens of air raids in Syria on Iranian targets and Tehrans allies.

Last week, Israeli aircraft hit a Syrian military post after the army said an anti-aircraft missile was fired at one of its fighter jets. Syrian media said a soldier was killed in that attack.

Israel says it is determined to prevent its arch foe Iran from entrenching itself militarily in Syria, where Tehran backs al-Assad in the countrys eight-year-long war which has killed more than 370,000 people.

This second exchange of fire between Syria and Israel in a week comes amid heightened tensions over Iran, after US President Donald Trump last year pulled out of the 2015 nuclear deal to curb Irans nuclear programme.

In recent weeks, the US and some of its Gulf allies have accused Iran of aggression, including attacks on four oil tankers off the coast of the United Arab Emirates.

Tehran has strongly denied involvement in the incidents.Protests erupted on Sunday after Israeli forces entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound along with hundreds of ultra-nationalist Jews whom they allowed to access the compound on Jerusalem Day  when Israelis celebrate the anniversary of their occupation of East Jerusalem at the end of the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.

The Muslim Waqf organisation which oversees the mosque compound  the third holiest site in Islam  said police used rubber bullets and pepper spray and arrested seven people.

One Palestinian man suffered a head injury, while others were treated for gas inhalation inside the compound, a medic from the Palestinian Red Crescent said.

It was the first time in about 30 years that Jews were allowed into the site during the final days of the fasting month of Ramadan, which coincided this year with the Israelinational holiday commemorating control over the city.

170719122538219

Al-Aqsa mosque director Omar al-Kiswani accused Israel of violating an agreement not to allow such visits during the last days of Ramadan.

Earlier in the morning, Israeli police had deployed hundreds of their forces around the mosque compound and across the city as hundreds of Jews waited at the compound gates to enter.

https://twitter.com/QudsNen/status/1135078161320960001?ref_src=twsrc^tfw

Israeli police decision

Reporting from West Jerusalem, Al Jazeeras Harry Fawcett said: What had been announced was that Jews would not be allowed into the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound because of the sensitivity coming up to the end of Ramadan.

But what actually took place was that hundreds of what we would expect to be right-wing settler and religious nationalists assembled at the gate demanding entrance.

Once the police had apparently decided they would be allowed in, protests by Palestinians started and forces moved in to put down the demonstrations. At that point, the Jewish settlers were allowed to come in, said Fawcett.

Video inside the compound showed Palestinians shouting Allahu Akbar (God is great) and throwing chairs and other objects at a doorway before tear gas and stun bombs were thrown at them.

Thousands of Jews have also flocked to the nearby Western Wall to mark the occasion ahead of celebrations and marches that will be held around the city in the afternoon and in the evening.

https://twitter.com/QudsNen/status/1135063039865233408?ref_src=twsrc^tfw

The annual march through the city, including the Muslim quarter of the Old City which forces Palestinians to shutter their businesses, often sparks clashes.

Security measures have been tightened and police are on high alert after a Palestinian teenager was shot dead by Israeli forces as he tried to enter occupied East Jerusalem to offer Friday prayers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound.

An act of terror

Palestinian political parties condemned the incident.

Fatah, the party that leads the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority, described the incident as an act of terror.

Hamas, the group that governs the besieged Gaza Strip, said the Palestinian peoples stance and perseverance indicated their refusal of the occupations policies that aimed to change the status quo of the al-Aqsa mosque compound.

The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) said the incident marked a new escalation that confirms the occupations intent to Judaize al-Aqsa. It also said the incident was an attempt by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus right wing party to advance politically, especially after planning on dissolving the Knesset.

In a separate incident on Friday, a Palestinian man was shot dead by Israeli police after an alleged stabbing attack on two Israelis in the Old City of East Jerusalem.

Israeli security forces aim tear gas at Palestinian protesters at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound [Ahmad GHARABLI/AFP]

The Al-Aqsa Mosque, located inside the 35-acre compound, is referred to as al-Haram al-Sharif, or the Noble Sanctuary, by Muslims, and as the Temple Mount by Jews.

The compounds Western Wall, known as the Wailing Wall to Jews, is believed to be the last remnant of the Second Temple, while Muslims refer to it as al-Buraq Wall and believe it is where the Prophet Muhammad tied al-Buraq, the animal upon which he ascended to the sky and spoke to God.

The area has always been closed to Jews during the last 10 days of Ramadan, when large numbers of Muslim worshippers stay at the site.

The police really arent giving any explanation as to why they made this decision, Al Jazeeras Fawcett said.

The police spokesman is merely saying that access to non-Muslims was allowed today as it is on any normal day but didnt acknowledge the Israeli holiday or that it was the end of Ramadan.

The last time when Jerusalem Day coincided with the end of Ramadan in 1988, the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound was closed to Jews.People in Mosul say the return of the ring game is another sign the ISIL threat seems to be fading.

A traditional Arab game is making a welcome return for players in northern Iraq.

Known as the ring game or Mheibes, it has been played by Iraqis for decades during Ramadan.

However, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) banned the popular pastime in Mosul when it took over the city five years ago. Now, with the ISIL gone, its game on again.

Al Jazeeras Rob Matheson reports from Baghdad.The pontiff wraps up visit to Romania by asking the ethnic minority for forgiveness for discrimination across Europe.

Pope Francis has apologised to the Roma ethnic minority for discrimination against them in Europe and paid homage to Romanian Catholics persecuted during communist rule as he wrapped up his third and final day in Romania.

Francis reached out to the minorities of Transylvania during a deeply symbolic visit to Romania about 20 years after St John Paul II made the first-ever papal trip to the majority Orthodox country.

In his final stop on Sunday before heading back to the Vatican, Francis visited a community of Roma, also known as Gypsies, in a newly built Catholic church that was so small organisers asked the clergy to leave to make more room for Gypsy families to get in.

There, Francis apologised for the many experiences of discrimination, segregation and mistreatment experienced by your communities, a reference to the second-class status of the Roma minority in Romania and throughout Europe, where Roma are more likely to be poor, uneducated and at risk of harassment, according to European Union studies.

Francis recently met with members of Roma communities in the diaspora at the Vatican and knows well the hardships they face.

Pope Francis is welcomed for a meeting with members of the Roma community in the Barbu Lautaru district of Blaj [Andreas Solaro/Pool via Reuters]

History tells us that Christians too, including Catholics, are not strangers to such evil, Francis said, in an apparent reference to World War II-era deportation of Roma along with Romanian Jews that is commemorated by a Holocaust memorial in Bucharest.

I would like to ask your forgiveness for this, Francis said.

I ask forgiveness  in the name of the Church and of the Lord  and I ask forgiveness of you. For all those times in history when we have discriminated, mistreated or looked askance at you  and were unable to acknowledge you, to value you and to defend you in your uniqueness.

Francis has made it a point to use his trips and meetings with foreign leaders to ask forgiveness for past injustices, just as John Paul did.

He apologised to indigenous peoples for the colonial-era conquest of the Americas while in Bolivia and during a Vatican meeting with the president of Rwanda, apologised for the failures of Catholics in the Rwandan genocide.Qatars foreign minister has questioned the hardline statements on Iran made at emergency summits in Mecca.

Qatar said on Sunday it had reservations about hardline statements on Iran made at emergency summits in Mecca organised by Saudi Arabia.

The statements condemned Iran but did not refer to a moderate policy to speak with Tehran, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Qatars foreign minister, told Al Jazeera.

The summits adopted Washingtons policy towards Iran and not one that takes the neighbourhood into consideration, he added.

He questioned the unity called for by neighbouring countries amid an ongoing blockade against the Gulf country.

The Gulf summit statement talked about a unified Gulf, but where is it amid the continuation of Qatar's blockade? Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Qatar's foreign minister

The Gulf summit statement talked about a unified Gulf, but where is it amid the continuation of Qatars blockade? he said.

Qatars Prime Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser Al Thani attended the event that saw participation of member countries from Organisation of Islamic Countries, Arab League and Gulf Cooperation Council.

Hitting back, Saudi Arabia and the UAE criticised Qatar for raising these reservations.

Countries during summits announce their positions and reservations in the meetings according to customs and not after the meetings, Saudi Arabias minister of state for foreign affairs, Adel al-Jubeir said on Twitter on Monday.

The United Arab Emirates minister of state for foreign affairs, Anwar Gargash, criticised Doha for being weak under pressure.

Seems to me that attendance and agreement in meetings and then backtracking on what was decided on is (a result of) pressure on the weak that lack sovereignty or have ill intentions or lack credibility, and it might be all these factors, he tweeted late Sunday.

The three emergency summits, which Saudi Arabia hosted in the holy city of Mecca over the weekend, came following attacks on oil assets, including two Saudi oil tankers off the United Arab Emirates (UAE) coast.

King Salman blasted Iran for what he called its naked aggression against the regions stability and international security.

Tehran rejected the accusations as baseless, saying that Saudi Arabia had jointed the United States and Israel in a hopeless effort to mobilise regional opinion against it.

In June 2017, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain and the UAE cut off ties with Qatar and imposed a land, sea and air blockade on the Gulf state.

The quartet accuses Qatar of supporting terrorism and destabilising the region, accusations that Doha has consistently denied.

Doha turned to Tehran to ease its economic isolation, sourcing key imports from Iran and rerouting many flights by its flag carrier Qatar Airways over the Islamic republic.

Not consulted

Earlier in the day, the Qatari foreign minister told the UK-based Al-Araby broadcaster that the meetings final statement were made without his countrys input.

The statements of the Gulf and Arab summits were ready in advance and we were not consulted on them, Abdulrahman told Al-Araby.

Qatar has reservations on the Arab and Gulf summits because some of their terms are contrary to Dohas foreign policy, he added.





The Mecca summit backed Saudi Arabia over escalating tensions with Iran.

We hoped the Mecca summits would lay the groundwork for dialogue to reduce tensions with Iran, the foreign minister added in comments reposted on Twitter by his ministry.

The Mecca summit ignored the important issues in the region, such as the Palestine issue and the war in Libya and Yemen.Middle East carriers saw international air travel demand rise 2.9 per cent in April compared to the same month in 2018, which was a recovery from a 3.0 per cent decline in traffic in March.



Notwithstanding the monthly turnaround, in seasonally-adjusted terms, the downward trend in traffic growth continues, reflecting broader structural changes affecting the industry in the region, according to figures released by the International Air Transport Association (Iata).



Capacity fell 1.6 per cent and load factor soared 3.5 percentage points to 80.5 per cent.



European airlines led the international air traffic growth across all regions in April, with an 8 per cent year-over-year increase, followed North American airlines (up 5.5 per cent), Latin American airlines (up 5.2 per cent), Middle East and Asia Pacific airlines (both up 2.9 per cent), and lastly African airlines (up 1.1 per cent)



Global international passenger demand rose 5.1 per cent in April compared to the same month in 2018. Total capacity climbed 3.8 per cent, and load factor climbed 1.1 percentage points to 82.5 per cent.



Demand for domestic travel climbed 2.8 per cent in April compared to April 2018, down from 4.1 per cent growth in March year-over-year. The slowing trend is being driven primarily by developments in China and India. Capacity increased 3.2 per cent and load factor slid 0.3 percentage point to 83.2 per cent.



The global passenger traffic results for April 2019 showed that demand (revenue passenger kilometres or RPKs) rose by 4.3 per cent compared to April 2018. April capacity (available seat kilometres or ASKs) increased by 3.6 per cent, and load factor climbed 0.6 percentage point to 82.8 per cent, which was a record for the month of April, surpassing last years record of 82.2 per cent. Regionally, Africa, Europe and Latin America posted record load factors.



Comparisons between the two months are distorted owing to the timing of the Easter holiday, which occurred on April 1 in 2018 but fell much later in the month in 2019.



We experienced solid but not exceptional rising demand for air connectivity in April. This partly is owing to the timing of Easter, but also reflects the slowing global economy. Driven by tariffs and trade disputes, global trade is falling, and as a result, we are not seeing traffic growing at the same levels as a year ago. However, airlines are doing a very good job of managing aircraft utilisation, leading to record load factors, said Alexandre de Juniac, Iatas director general and CEO. - TradeArabia News Service

The Syrian refugees are able to head home for the Eid holiday for the first time in almost 10 years.

Muslims across the world are looking forward to celebrating the Eid festival later this week.

And for some Syrian refugees living in Turkey, the holiday will be extra special this year.

Many families travelling to Aleppo from Turkey for the Eid festival hope the day is not too far away when they can return home permanently.

Al Jazeeras John Joe Regan reports.Activists say the air strikes are part of a strategy to depopulate a territory and secure strategically important roads.

Syrian government forces, backed by Russia, have bombed several rebel-controlled areas in the northwest.

Activists in the town of Khan Sheikhoun are reporting the use of white phosphorus, an internationally banned weapon.

Al Jazeeras Victoria Gatenby reports.The US softens the rhetoric but Tehran sees Mike Pompeos talks offer as expression of hidden agenda in new forms.

Washington is willing to speak with Iran with no preconditions, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Sunday, but Iran dismissed the offer as wordplay.

We are prepared to engage in a conversation with no preconditions. We are ready to sit down with them, Pompeo told a joint news conference in Switzerland with Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis.

The American effort to fundamentally reverse the malign activity of this Islamic Republic, this revolutionary force, is going to continue, Pompeo added.

Irans foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi responded by saying: The Islamic Republic of Iran does not pay attention to wordplay and expression of hidden agenda in new forms.

Meanwhile, Irans President Hassan Rouhani presented the offer of talks with no preconditions as a sign of Irans strength.

The enemies sometimes say they have conditions for negotiations with Iran  but in recent weeks they said they have no conditions. They threatened us as if they were a military superpower, but now they say they do not seek a war, he said.

Rouhani also said it was up to the US to return to the negotiating table and resume compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers to curb Tehrans nuclear programme in return to the lifting of sanctions.

The other side that left the negotiating table and breached a treaty should return to normal state, he said in comments reported on the government website.

Pompeo made the remarks at a joint news conference in Switzerland with Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis [Arnd Wiegmann/Reuters]

Pompeos latest comments come amid continuing tensions between Washington and Tehran.

Al Jazeeras Rosiland Jordan, reporting from Washington DC, said Pompeos remarks could not be called a turning point but they showed the softening of the White House message about Iran.

There are people in Trumps administration who argue that diplomacy should be the first line of defence, she said.

Certainly it is significant that Mike Pompeo, who has also been seen as a hardliner on dealing with Iran, would be saying multiple times during the press conference: No preconditions, we are ready to talk.





Al Jazeeras Zein Basravi, reporting from Tehran, said it was still unlikely that the development would result in talks.

We have been watching both Iran and the United States in the past several weeks and months ratchet up the pressure and then walk back from their very stern and aggressive positions towards each other, he said.

So while there does seem to be a noted softening of positions on both sides  they are no longer walking towards the brink of war  the questions that Tehrans leaders and strategists are asking themselves is what the talks with the United States actually be about. Iran said over and over again that it will not renegotiate a nuclear deal.

Bullied into negotiations

On Saturday, Rouhani suggested Iran may be willing to hold talks if the United States showed its respect.

Rouhani said Tehran would not be bullied into negotiations with Washington, the semi-official Fars news agency reported.

We are for logic and talks if [the other side] sits respectfully at the negotiating table and follows international regulations, not if it issues an order to negotiate, Fars news agency cited Rouhani as saying.

We have shown that we do not submit to bullying and covetous powers, he said.

US National Security Advisor John Bolton said on Thursday Washington would present evidence linking Iran to attacks on oil tankers off the coast of the United Arab Emirates earlier this month.

The alleged evidence would be presented to the United Nations Security Council as early as next week, Bolton said, reiterating earlier claims suggesting that Iran was behind the May 12 attack on four commercial ships in the Gulf.

I dont think anybody who is familiar with the situation in the region, whether they have examined the evidence or not, has come to any conclusion other than that these attacks were carried out by Iran or their surrogates, Bolton told reporters in London.

On Wednesday, Bolton, without offering evidence, alleged the tankers were targeted by naval mines almost certainly from Iran.

190514184006381

Tehran rejected the accusation as ridiculous and has repeatedly denied any involvement in the incident.

US President Donald Trump, who unilaterally pulled the US out of a landmark deal curbing Irans nuclear programme, has tightened sanctions on Tehran, eliminating waivers that had allowed some countries to buy Iranian oil, with the goal of reducing the countrys crude exports to zero.

The US also designated the IRGC a terrorist organisation in April.

Last month, Washington deployed bombers and warships to the Middle East, citing credible threats from Iran. It did not offer evidence for the claim and Tehran dismissed the move as psychological warfare.

The B-52 bombers arrived at a US airbase in Qatar, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said, while the carrier USS Abraham Lincoln was sent to the Arabian Sea.US president Donald Trump tells Sunday Times that UK should walk away if EU does not give what it wants for Brexit.

US President Donald Trump has waded once again into UKs Brexit debate, urging Theresa Mays successor to leave the EU with no deal.

Trump said Britain should refuse to pay its 39 billion pound ($49bn) EU divorce bill and walk away from Brexit talks if Brussels does not give the UK what it wants, he told the UKs Sunday Times newspaper.

The intervention comes after Trump used another newspaper interview to declare that former foreign minister Boris Johnson would be an excellent replacement for May.

The US president begins a state visit to Britain on Monday that starts with a private lunch with Queen Elizabeth II and a state banquet at Buckingham Palace.

But large protests are also planned over what London Mayor Sadiq Khan described as Trumps divisive behaviour, and opposition politicians are boycotting the banquet.

I wouldnt pay

Trump embarrassed May with outspoken remarks on Brexit during his visit to Britain last year. On Sunday he again urged the next government to follow his own negotiating rule-book.

If they dont get what they want, I would walk away If you dont get the deal you want, if you dont get a fair deal, then you walk away, he said in the article.

190531090034547

May has already agreed to pay to cover Britains liabilities as it moves to sever four decades of EU membership.

But Trump said: If I were them I wouldnt pay $50 billion. That is me. I would not pay, that is a tremendous number.

May agreed on a divorce deal with Brussels last November, but British MPs have rejected it three times and she has had to delay Brexit twice.

She has now been forced out and her Conservative party is beginning the process of finding a new leader, with 13 candidates already declared.

Johnson, one of the frontrunners, is among several to say Britain should leave the EU on October 31 with or without a deal.

They are under pressure from the Brexit party, the latest political vehicle of anti-EU populist leader Nigel Farage, which gained the most UK seats in European Parliament elections last month.

Trump said he believed Farage should play a role in negotiating Brexit with the European Union, saying he had a lot to offer.

Trade talks

Britains future trading relationship with the United States will be crucial to its post-Brexit success and likely discussed during Trumps talks with May at Downing Street this week.

But some fear Britain would be steamrolled by the far bigger US into accepting an unbalanced accord, especially given Trumps America First stance that is shaking up trade ties with Mexico, Canada, Japan and China.

US Ambassador to Britain Woody Johnson told BBC television that Washington was already preparing the way for a trade deal and it would be done as expeditiously as any agreement weve ever had.

He said he would expect Britain to be open to US agricultural products, and when asked about access of US firms to Britains cherished state-run health service, said all things that are traded would be on the table.Last year, Trump avoided central London where hundreds of thousands took to the streets to protest against his visit.

Donald Trump can expect both pomp and protests when he arrives in the British capital on Monday.

Hundreds of thousands of people demonstrated against his visit last year, leading the US president to avoid central London.

This time, he has been formally invited by the Queen and will be treated to several displays of royal pageantry.

Al Jazeeras Jonah Hull reports from London.M Hotel Makkah by Millennium, a five-star hotel located at the heart of the holy city of Makkah, has announced that a new car parking facility is now available and ready to serve in-house guests of the hotel and visitors to Makkah.



As the demand for car parking is growing rapidly, the hotel has inaugurated this parking facility to meet the needs of pilgrims and Umrah performers during the high seasons of Hajj and Umrah. The new facility has a capacity of 200 cars.



Mohamed Abdel Fattah, general manager at M Hotel Makkah by Millennium, said: We are extremely pleased to inaugurate this car parking facility during the holy month of Ramadan. We know that more Umrah performers are visiting Makkah from the kingdom and neighbouring countries such as Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and UAE, and this facility comes to ease their pain in searching for convenient parking. The comfort of our guests is our top priority and we pledge to continually seek and develop solutions for better guest experience in line with 2030 vision, which aims to make Saudi Arabia a favourable destination for regional tourism.



Khalid Nabil, executive assistant manager and director of sales and marketing at M Hotel Makkah by Millennium, said: The competition between the hotels operating in Makkah during the holy month of Ramadan goes high, and we at M Hotel Makkah by Millennium have always been proactive in our approach to entice guests with innovative solutions and meeting their needs. We would like to take this opportunity and thank all those who have trusted and chosen us as their hospitality provider. - TradeArabia News ServiceIn common parlance, a made man is someone whose path to success was greased by circumstances. It also refers to someone formally inducted as a full member of a criminal outfit -- the Mafia. In the political atmosphere in which Robert Mueller was born, he, like John Kerry, was virtually assured of a prestigious place in society: He was a tall white man with a hatchet jaw who (like his classmate Kerry) went to an expensive private school  St. Pauls -- and came from a well-connected and well-off family.

His wife, Ann Cabell Standish Mueller, is related to Charles Cabell, once deputy director of the CIA. Richard Bissell, formerly the CIAs director of plans, is his cousin. Both men were fired by President Kennedy for their roles in the Bay of Pigs fiasco.

His own public service career includes a number of spectacular failures as well:

He kept four innocent men in jail for years (one for 35 years) to protect the vicious criminal Whitey Bulger, who had at times been an FBI informant.

Ripping FBI special counsel Robert Mueller as a political "zealot," Harvard law professor emeritus Alan Dershowitz reminded staunch Mueller supporters about the former FBI director's role in protecting "notorious mass murderer" Whitey Bulger as an FBI informant. "I think Mueller is a zealot," Dershowitz told "The Cats Roundtable" on 970 AM-N.Y. "...I don't think he cares whether he hurts Democrats or Republicans, but he's a partisan and zealot. "He's the guy who kept four innocent people in prison for many years in order to protect the cover of Whitey Bulger as an FBI informer. Those of us in Boston don't have such a high regard for Mueller because we remember this story. The government had to pay out tens of millions of dollars because Whitey Bulger, a notorious mass murderer, became a government informer against the mafia... "And that's regarded in Boston of one of the great scandals of modern judicial history. And Mueller was right at the center of it. So, he is not without criticism by people who know him in Boston."

He bungled the anthrax case (along with James Comey) so that one man -- whom it is far from certain was responsible -- killed himself and a clearly innocent man, Steven Hatfill, underwent incredible harassment and career destruction based on the flimsiest of evidence and the government (that is the taxpayers) again was forced to pay him millions in recompense.

Under his watch at the FBI, that agency and the Department of Justices criminal division framed Senator Ted Stevens and failed to stop the Boston bombing even though the Russians had warned them of the perpetrators in advance.

Theres more, of course, but is there any doubt in your mind that only a made man could have such a history of flops and still be considered for further high public office?

In the past weeks he tried to outsmart Attorney General William Barr. Hed earlier tried to sandbag Barr into not revealing the gist of his very flawed report. He delayed redacting the grand jury testimony in the belief that he would get the first public statement on the report. Barr outfoxed him by releasing a summary after first offering it to Mueller, an offer he refused.

This fiasco should be the last of his blundering career.

Clearly unhappy that Barr had exposed the 2 year investigation as an expensive, partisan sham when he released early his summary of it, Mueller called a no-questions-allowed presser in which he unethically tried to muddy the waters again on obstruction, tarring the president with tales of suspicious (in his mind) behavior instead of evidence of wrongdoing. He was nervous, never departed from a written text, which he stumbled over reading. It appeared he was unfamiliar with its contents and at times appeared to be a hostage of some outside forces. He did all but blink an SOS.

The gist of his halting presentation was the implication that but for the DoJ policy that a president cannot be indicted, he had ample evidence of obstruction.

Barr batted that back.

If you read nothing else this week read this transcript of the interview by CBS Jan Crawford of the attorney general:

Two exchanges in particular are noteworthy. In this one he sweeps away the suggestion that the departments rules precluded Mueller from concluding the president obstructed justice:

JAN CRAWFORD: Was there anything that would've stopped him in the regulations or in those... that opinion itself, he could've -- in your view he could've reached a conclusion? WILLIAM BARR: Right, he could've reached a conclusion. 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 but he had his reasons for not doing it, which he explained and I am not going to, you know, argue about those reasons but when he didn't make a decision, the Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and I felt it was necessary for us as the heads of the Department to reach that decision. That is what the Department of Justice does, that is why we have the compulsory powers like a grand jury to force people to give us evidence so that we can determine whether a crime has committed and in order to legitimate the process we felt we had to reach a decision. JAN CRAWFORD: Well, I mean, he seemed to suggest yesterday that there was another venue for this and that was Congress. WILLIAM BARR: Well, I am not sure what he was suggesting but, you know, the Department of Justice doesn't use our powers of investigating crimes as an adjunct to Congress. Congress is a separate branch of government and they can, you know, they have processes, we have our processes. Ours are related to the criminal justice process we are not an extension of Congress's investigative powers.

In the second quote, he was being generous to both Mueller and Comey:

Sometimes people can convince themselves that what they're doing is in the higher interest, the better good. They don't realize that what they're doing is really antithetical to the democratic system that we have. They start viewing themselves as the guardians of the people that are more informed and insensitive than everybody else. They can -- in their own mind, they can have those kinds of motives. And sometimes they can look at evidence and facts through a biased prism that they themselves don't realize.

I say generous because I think a better characterization would be that these people regularly have masked self-interest and partisanship as higher interest.

In any event, a number of people quickly concluded that there was a conflict between Muellers recitation of how the department policy tied his hands and Barrs claim that it clearly did not. Nonetheless, Mueller had repeatedly conceded -- and there were witnesses to that concession -- that the Office of Legal Counsels longstanding policy of not indicting a president had never precluded him from determining the president had criminally obstructed justice.

Shortly after the Barr interview, Mueller and Barr released a joint statement in which Mueller clearly backtracked from the calumny in his presser:

Former Special Counsel Robert Mueller released a joint statement with Attorney General William Barr Wednesday evening; raising even more questions over his unusual press conference that fueled Democrats calls for impeaching President Trump. 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 today made clear that the 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, said a joint press release from Barr and Muellers offices. Nothing in the memos even remotely bars a special counsel from reaching conclusions on the basis of possible criminal charges. Indeed, the memos accept that the Justice Department needs to establish such evidence to preserve a record for possible later charges. That is why Mueller was told by his superiors that there was no policy barring him from finding criminal conduct, only the policy against indicting while the president is in office. Even if you twist the memos to suggest some prohibition to reaching conclusions on criminal conduct, that debate should have ended when his two superiors, the attorney general and deputy attorney general, told him there was no such policy and asked him to reach a conclusion.

So it is clear that the song and dance in his presser was intended only to leave a cloud of suspicion over the White House. If hed had any evidence of wrongdoing he was free to -- in fact, encouraged -- to so state that.

The editors of the NY Sun observed that the Mueller swan song illustrates nothing so much as the constitutional illogic of having a special prosecutor set up to investigate the president in the first place. The editors continue with an argument with which I fully agree:

It is not a partisan thing with us. We have been arguing since the days of Nixon against anything that smacks of independence from the president of any prosecutor. It was our view when Judge Walsh was sicced on Presidents Reagan and George H.W. Bush, during Judge Starrs long pursuit of President Clinton, and Mr. Muellers mission against President Trump. All these probes or prosecutions were crosswise with the logic of the Constitution. Only the president is authorized and required to take care that our laws be faithfully executed. To ensure he is able to do that, only the president is given the power to commission the officers of the United States. It is why there is a grant of authority to the Representatives House to investigate a president and forward to the Senate articles of impeachment. It is also why the Framers established that Judgment in Cases of Impeachment shall not extend further than to removal from Office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any Office of honor, Trust or Profit under the United States. Yet its why they also established that if a president is removed from office through impeachment, his immunities end and he shall nevertheless be liable and subject to Indictment, Trial, Judgment and Punishment, according to Law.

And here we get to the nub of it -- the Democrats hoped that they could use the Special Counsel and his biased staff to do the work for them in their drive to impeach a president whose only failing was beating their candidate.

In another article I strongly urge you to read in its entirety, David Rivkin and Elizabeth Price Foley explain that Congress cannot outsource impeachment and use Muellers probe to do their job:

Yet if there is a constitutional crisis, its source is the Democrats. They are abusing the powers of investigation and impeachment in an illegitimate effort to unseat a president they despise. Congressional Democrats claim they have the power to investigate the president to conduct oversight and hold him accountable. That elides an important constitutional distinction. As the Supreme Court said in Watkins v. U.S. (1957), Congress may inquire into and publicize corruption, maladministration or inefficiency in agencies of the Government. Executive departments and agencies are created by Congress and therefore accountable to it. The president, by contrast is not a creature of lawmakers. He is Congresss coequal, accountable to Congress only via impeachment. To commence impeachment, the House has a constitutional obligation to articulate clear evidence of high crimes and misdemeanors. A two-year Justice Department investigation did not find that Mr. Trump had committed crimes. [snip] House Democrats claim theyre entitled to see Mr. Muellers underlying materials. But Congress may not use its subpoena power for a prosecutorial do-over... Turnover of prosecutorial materials would allow Congress to hide behind the fact-finding and legal determinations of the other branches, thereby diminishing its own political accountability. Because the nations law-enforcement officials have concluded Mr. Trump has not committed any crimes, Democratic representatives cannot legitimately draft articles of impeachment accusing him of criminal conduct involving the same offenses of which he was cleared by the Mueller investigation.

I can see where theyd figure this was okay: Theyve outsourced much of their legislative responsibilities to partisan judges and the administrative bureaucracy and figure collecting campaign donations and reading statements drafted by their staffs to complaisant reporters is the limit of their responsibilities -- that is, when they arent trying to run the White House from the bowels of the DNC. In truth, they hoped Mueller would throw enough mud on the president that they could continue to hamstring him and vote to impeach without any evidence to warrant it. Mueller failed them and covered himself, not the president, in slime.I watched on C-SPAN the recent Trump campaign rally that took place on May 20 in Montoursville in rural Pennsylvania. The regional airport outdoor venue drew a large overflow crowd of over ten thousand enthusiastic supporters as the president spent approximately an hour reviewing all his accomplishments in office, emphasizing his administration's record economic successes. He also highlighted key issues such as immigration, trade, energy, late-term abortion, and foreign policy as he criticized the radical left-leaning Democratic Party's agenda and specifically presidential hopeful Joe Biden.

President Trump made his case for electing more Republicans, such his local host, Fred Keller, to Congress and also set the stage for his 2020 re-election bid of which Pennsylvania will play a key role. While watching Trump use his unique style and personality to effectively deliver his pragmatic and mostly moderate to conservative policy agenda, I speculated that only a small audience was actually watching via C-SPAN, YouTube, etc. this live, unfiltered coverage of a Trump rally. Unfortunately, what most often follows after any Trump public event is negative coverage and selective reporting by a hostile mainstream media.

As you watch the rally live, you realize that the majority of Americans have never had the opportunity to witness Trump's ability to connect in such a genuine fashion with his audience and supporters. He wins loyal support by promoting a set of policies that directly relate to improving their lives in meaningful ways and delivering on a great deal of his announced political agenda. He also appeals to his audience's deep sense of patriotism and belief in traditional American values. Most importantly, Trump has successfully delivered on the most important issue facing the country by implementing a set of policies that is directly responsible for making America prosperous again and our economic performance the envy of the world.

Under normal circumstances, it would seem that a political party that supports and implements effective ideas and policies should win future elections, while a party that consistently supports and implements bad ideas and policies should not. Many of the challenges faced by our nation are daunting and complex, however, workable solutions must be formulated, and constructive actions must be taken.

Is the left-leaning progressive agenda for 2020 consisting of a blend of policies such as higher taxes, Medicare for all, the promotion of identity politics, open borders, socialism, late-term abortion, judicial activism, the Green New Deal, globalist trade policies, and a larger role for the federal government in our lives a winning formula with the average American voter?

Joe Biden, who is the current leader in the Democratic primary polls is being packaged these days as a political moderate. However, what is his track record over a long political career, and how about the rest of the Democratic Party? It's a party with a radical agenda driven by emotion and anger rather than facts and reason. It is also one that conflicts greatly with traditional American values such as the promotion of freedom, limited government, free enterprise, and a respect for religious values.

As we prepare for 2020, election integrity and public confidence in the election process are fundamental to preserving our democracy. Given the Democrats' alarming record of public misconduct, a relentless drive for power at any cost, and their seemingly underdog position, what can we expect from them today and in the run-up to the next presidential election? Most importantly, given the current state of the Democratic Party, can we anticipate an honest election being held in 2020?

A good start on the right road would be for the Democrats to finally accept their loss to President Trump in the last election. With Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia collusion investigation leading the way, the Democrats and closely aligned mainstream media have adopted a strategy since President Trump's election of resistance on all fronts and at any cost, without restraint or compromise of any sort, all delivered with a condescending and hateful tone to anything and everything associated with Trump.

The case for an open borderdriven immigration policy is being deliberately pursued by the Left to turn America's politics permanently Democratic blue with an influx of illegal aliens to several states, including the key electoral states of Texas and Florida. Turn Texas and Florida and other states blue with more potential Democratic Party voters, and the Republican Party is without any hope of winning any future presidential election.

The accuracy of the voter registration rolls as regards eligibility to vote is an ongoing controversy in the country. The controversy most often revolves around voter ID requirements, with Republicans defending the need to display proper ID before voting to prevent fraud while Democrats argue that the requirement for voter ID disenfranchises minorities and people without the means to obtain a photo ID and promotes voter suppression.

It remains troubling that the accuracy of voter registration rolls and the process of registering to vote are so fragmented and that these systems nationwide are in such dire straits and subject to fraud and abuse. Will Democratic politicians work to exploit this situation, as Stacey Abrams has attempted to do with the false accusation of voter suppression in the recent Georgia governor's race, won by her Republican opponent, Brian Kemp?

Social media are increasingly becoming the primary vehicle of choice for the majority of Americans to receive the news on an everyday basis. Social media outlets such as Facebook and Twitter reach large audiences and are able to impact public opinion and voter behavior. Amazon and Google are also dominant tech companies increasingly participating in the political process.

The failings of our mass media and social media's delivery of the news in this country are well documented. A person can follow the news through the mainstream media and social media and find it challenging to come across complete and fair coverage of the leading issues of the day. Both the mainstream media and social media news outlets are negligent in performing their essential duties to comprehensively and objectively report the news and understand and relate to the authentic concerns of the majority of our citizens.

They often utilize a selective lens that provides a partisan view, and too often, "fake" news often favoring one side. They are primarily active advocates for liberal points of view on major issues and the election of Democratic Party candidates and favor the coverage of left-leaning public figures and leading celebrities.

How will the Democrats and their allies conduct themselves in their ongoing and unrelenting campaign to remove President Trump from office? Will their actions ultimately lead to our country not being able to conduct an honest election in 2020? And how will we recover as a nation if the majority of our citizens continue to witness our democratic process and the rule of law being so abused by one of our two major political parties on a daily basis?Friday, speaking to Jan Crawford of CBS This Morning in an interview, Attorney General William Barr had some pretty extraordinary things to say. In the interview, Barr indicated that Robert Mueller could have chosen to make a call on whether Trump had engaged in criminal activity regarding obstruction but chose not to do so. This surprised Barr and deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and forced them to make that call. In addition, Barr stated that "he [Mueller] also said that he could not say that the president clearly did not violate the law, which of course is not the standard we use at the department." This indicates that Mueller and his team inverted the standard of a prosecutor in the United States from innocent until proven guilty to guilty until proven innocent. Barr also stated that "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. It was the views of a particular lawyer or lawyers" and that the instances highlighted by Mueller in part two of his report were deficient in proving clear obstruction according to the law.

But the most extraordinary part of the interview was when Crawford asked Barr about his March 24 four-page summary. Barr indicated that the only reason he issued a summary instead of the full Mueller report is because "it was going to be a period of weeks before we could get the report out[.] ... I would have liked to get the report out as quickly as possible ... because I didn't think the body politic would allow us to go on radio silence for four weeks." He continued, "There was all kinds of wild speculation going on ... [by] former senior intelligence officials ... [and] talking heads."

Why would there be a period of several weeks before the Mueller report could be issued? Barr explained that he had asked Mueller's team prior to March 5 to highlight 6E grand jury material so the attorney general's office could issue the report within a week after conducting the proper redactions as required by law. But Mueller's team failed to do this and this surprised Barr because "we thought it was being done" and forced them to spend weeks identifying and redacting the 6E grand jury material, which constituted "one tenth of one percent of the report."

When Crawford asked Barr if, had Mueller properly highlighted the 6E material, his four-page summary would have been unnecessary, Barr replied in the affirmative. Barr stated, "If we could readily identify the 6E material, I thought we could do it in a, you know, less than a week[.] ... [O]nce I realized it was going to take 3 or 4 weeks, I felt I had to say something in the interim."

Crawford also asked Barr about how Mueller's press conference addressed the Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) opinion that a sitting president cannot be indicted and about how this factored into Mueller finding that Trump had committed a crime. Barr responded to press confusion about the matter, stating that "the confusion arose because what Bob Mueller's position was was that the OLC opinion coupled with other things as a prudential matter made him feel that he shouldn't even get into the analysis of whether something was a crime[.] ... [H]e didn't get into the analysis at all. Part of the reason for that was his judgment about the OLC opinion coupled with other things he just didn't think it was proper exercise of his authority."

Crawford brought up the fact that the Mueller wrote a letter complaining about how Barr's summary was being received by the press and causing confusion. Barr responded that "I wasn't trying to provide all the flavor and nooks and crannies of the report. I was just trying to state the bottom line." He continued, "I was surprised he just didn't pick up the phone and call me given our 30 year relationship[.] ... I thought ... the letter was a little snitty and staff-driven."

To form a better picture of what is going on here, let us consider what we know about Mueller's team. We know that a significant portion of the lawyers Mueller hired are partisan on behalf of Democrats, particularly Andrew Wiessmann. We also know that Mueller originally had on his team disgraced former FBI agent and key Operation Crossfire Hurricane investigative abuse player Peter Strzok before deputy director of the FBI Andrew McCabe  not Mueller, as previously believed  removed him from the team on July 27, 2017, when Strzok's anti-Trump texts were discovered. Mueller's team consisted of multiple lawyers hostile to Trump, one of whom, Andrew Weismann, was known for his under-handed tactics.

Mueller didn't make a call on whether Trump committed a crime and instead threw the ball into Barr's and Rosenstein's court, leaving them subject to the punditry of a hostile press. Mueller was asked by Barr multiple times to highlight 6E grand jury material in his report and failed to do so, creating difficulties and a significant gap in time before Barr could release the report, during which time the press could speculate on it, certainly to the detriment of Trump. This media speculation scenario induced Barr to release a four-page summary, leading to the inevitable smearing of Barr as a cover-up artist by Democrats and the press's punditry class without so much as a word from Mueller expressing the summary's non-partisan accuracy. Instead of calling Barr over the phone about his concerns about Barr's four-page summary, Mueller's team wrote a "snitty" letter that somehow was magically leaked to the press complaining about how Barr's summary wasn't colored and shaded in such a way as to emphasize episodes of non-criminal obstruction  that is, a summary more damaging to Trump.

At the press conference, Mueller obfuscated his reasoning for not making a decision on whether Trump committed criminal activity by using muddied phraseology to mix in the OLC opinion on indicting a sitting president. The effect of this was to add impeachment chum to the shark-infested waters of a hostile press commentariat. Mueller at this press conference also inverted the standard of a prosecutor in the United States by stating, "If we had had confidence that the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so." This effectively changed the prosecutorial standard from innocent until proven guilty to guilty until proven innocent. Finally, in a less than subtle way, Mueller alluded to impeachment proceedings by referring to a constitutional remedy, though as a member of the Executive Branch, this was going out of his way to discuss.

This may lead us to conclude certain things about Mueller and the way he has handled the investigation into Trump-Russia collusion. We may reasonably conclude that much of the effort by Mueller's team has been a series of partisan, unprofessional political tactics to damage Trump as much as possible. Team Mueller's leaks, tactics, and other conduct during the investigation, such as a possible strategic delay on the report's release to allow Democrats to gain control over the House during the mid-term elections, must be scrutinized. Considering that House Judiciary Committee chair Jerry Nadler immediately ran to the cameras to use Mueller's press conference as leverage for impeachment proceedings, we should anticipate he has no intention of dragging Mueller in for questioning. It falls to Lindsey Graham in the Senate to question Mueller and question him thoroughly. Get to it, Senator.

Follow Anthony Galka on Twitter at @Shmagagie_U.

Image credit: Gage Skidmore.The Democrat party has been captured by the hard Left, though they try very hard to conceal this fact from voters in the swing districts and purple states necessary for winning control of Congress and the presidency. But sometimes the enthusiasms of the Left compel them to act out their ideological fervor in dramatic ways.

That just happened yesterday in San Francisco, where the California Democrats were holding their annual convention, featuring all the major presidential candidates except Joe Biden  who may have realized the danger he would face in being challenged to defend his past positions taken before his party swung so far to the left.

John Hickenlooper, the Governor of Colorado who sees himself as a sensible centrist who could actually win a presidential election, dared to stake out that territory with a denunciation of socialism.

The response he received from the Democrats who run the most populous state, driving taxes up and the middle class out, tells voters in Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Florida, and elsewhere where the Dems would take us if they win the presidency and Congress in 2020.

Image credit: YouTube screen grabAre Iran's mullahs the guys you go to when the U.S. voters don't give you the election result you want?

For Democrats, yes, what with so many of them now openly counselling Iran's Islamist rulers about 'staying the course' as the U.S. dispatches military forces to the region.

According to Conservative Review (hat tip: Mark Levin):

The Daily Beast has published a disturbing piece revealing that senior Obama administration officials are actively attempting to undermine the Trump administrations foreign policy. And worse, they are collaborating with the terrorist regime that rules Iran to do so. The publication has offered anonymity to the select Obama administration officials, breaking journalistic standards and allowing them to be quoted at length while cloaked in anonymity, about their plans to collude with Iran and thwart the elected presidents agenda.

We all know what this is: a leftist bid to help the mullahs counter President Trump. If the U.S. loses a war or something over it, well, that's collateral damage. What's collateral damage compared to regaining power?

The Obama administration's signature "achievement" on Iran was its now-scrapped "Iran deal" to pay the mullahs billions from the U.S. on the condition that they promise, promise, to stop making nuclear weapons. The whole thing was run on the honor system and for that reason, President Trump threw it out.

Who's got an interest in keeping it as it was? Quite possibly the author of the mess, former Deputy National Security Advisor and creative writing major Ben Rhodes. I smell Ben Rhodes, who, in his memoirs, demonstrated a great taste for meeting and colluding (and getting gulled by) the world's worst tyrants.

Since the 1960s, Democrats on the far left have never been particularly loyal to the U.S., its idea of citizenship, or American freedomd rooted in rule of law.

But now they're going way too far. They're openly colluding with an enemy.

President Trump has stated that these sneaky-petes with America's enemies were violations of the 1799 Logan Act in the past. First it was John Kerry meeting the mullahs on the sly and advising them how to derail Trump, then it was Sen. Dianne Feinstein meeting with the mullahs herself and now it's these unnamed Obama officials. There's obviously a downward slide here and it's starting to accelerate. Goodness knows what they are doing behind the scenes with the Mexicans, there's reason to think a good look there would be in order, too.

Bottom line, the time is getting short. It's time to quit talking about the Logan act and starting to enforce it. Let Ben Rhodes be the guy in the klieg lights from a tipped off press, marching with lawmen to the courthouse.The press is going into its full-blown 'fake news' mode, taking a reply President Trump gave to a question about Meghan Markle's anti-Trump remarks before her marriage to Prince Harry, well out of context.

The phony brouhaha started with this interview with the U.K. Sun:

THE SUN: She cant make it because she has maternity leave. Are you sorry not to see her, because she wasnt so nice about you during the campaign. I dont know if you saw that? TRUMP: I didnt know that, no. I didnt know that. No, I hope shes OK. I did not know that, no. THE SUN: She said shed move to Canada if you got elected. It turned out she moved to Britain. TRUMP: There are a lot of people moving here [to the U.S.] So what can I say? No, I didnt know that she was nasty. THE SUN: Is it good having an American princess then, Mr. President? Does that help the link? TRUMP: I think its nice. I think its nice and Im sure she will do excellently. She will be very good. She will be very good. I hope she does.

Hat tip to Human Events for finding the actual interview. Human Events also has a link to the tape.

The short summary shows that Trump was talking about her remarks, not the former Hollywood actress herself. Someone found a tape of her calling Trump 'divisive' and .misogynistic' and planning to move to Canada if Trump got elected, which was about par for anyone wanting to make it in Hollywood at the time, and rather than say she was typical Hollywood trash toeing the party line to get television roles, or a socialist victim of Trump Derangement Syndrome, or a mere actress doing politics like so many of them, he was actually very understated.

His statement was typical of his truncated, New York-y, use of language, and 'being nasty' was shorthand for 'speaking nastily.' New Jersey native Frank Sinatra would have spoken in that form, too. The interview doesn't actually make sense unless you read it in that context, because its emphasis was on his not knowing she had made the remarks and was 'being nasty,' which could be true - the press certainly kept those remarks out of the press until she got the crown job. Just as likely, he did know, and his stating he didn't know was along the lines of the royal 'do we know him?' meaning, a non-recognition of something low class. Read that way, it flows well into his polite statement about his believing she would work out 'excellently' as a U.K. duchess.

His remarks were actually kind.

But leave it to the press to come up with headlines like this, to try to get us all outraged:

Royal Insult: Trump on Meghan Diss: I Didnt Know That She Was Nasty -Daily Beast

'Nasty' debate erupts over Trump's criticism of Meghan Markle ahead of U.K. trip -Politico

Trump on Meghan Markle: 'I didn't know that she was nasty' -CNN

Trump's 'nasty' slam at Meghan Markle proves her point -CNN op-ed

Meghan Markle Called Trump A Misogynist In 2016 And Now He Called Her "Nasty" -Buzzfeed

Donald Trump Called Meghan Markle Nasty Then Tried to Suck Up to Her Before Prince Harry Lunch -Elle

Trump didn't know Duchess Meghan was 'nasty' about him - but compliments her anyway -USA Today

The New York Times, based on what I could tell from my searches, didn't deign to wade into the matter at all (imagine its horror at having to key its story off something that ran in The Sun!), while the Washington Post, to its credit, did explain the issue in its correct context.

It just goes to show that media bias is real and most of the press will do anything it can to make President Trump look bad. It was obvious Trump was trying to stay out of politics and wasn't interested in attacking Prince Harry's new wife and didn't care whether he met her or not. She actually isn't that important. And his remark that a lot of people want to move here was a nice rebuke to Markle's common lefty trope of wanting to leave the country because Trump. (We haven't noticed she's given up her U.S. citizenship, by the way.) Most important, Markle seems to have left politics to join the above-politics British royal family and that is to her credit, she hasn't said anything disgusting since. Why would Trump want to attack her?

The press was just stirring up the pot and trying to create an issue here, when the reality shows, there is no issue. Can you say 'Fake News'?

Image credit: Genevieve, via Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 2.0When you're in a pickle and you want to ask the U.S. for something, do you ship your biggest hater of the president to get what you want?

That seems to be Mexico's genius tactic, shipping its Trump-hating foreign minister to the U.S. to meet Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in a bid to persuade President Trump to drop tariffs on Mexican imports into the U.S.

This doesn't sound like the sort of situation where being unpleasant is going to work. But there they go. Instead of sending a smooth diplomat to persuade the U.S. that the two countries really do have the same interests, they're sending a guy who attempted to manipulate U.S. elections and openly supported Trump's opponent to get the job done.

Here's the CBS report regarding Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard's upcoming visit to the U.S. to try to get President Trump to drop 5% tariffs on all Mexican goods coming across the border if Mexico doesn't take action to stop the flood of illegals rolling across the U.S. border:

"I inform you that the summit to resolve the differences between the US and our country will be Wednesday in Washington. Mike Pompeo will head up the US delegation. I will head the Mexican. There is a willingness to dialogue. We will be firm and we will defend our dignity," Ebrard wrote in a tweet which has been translated from Spanish.

What dignity? These people have lost control of their own country to cartels and are consciously choosing to fatten up the coffers of their country's human-smugglers, which find the shipment of illegals and drugs across an unguarded border a very profitable business indeed. The cartels aren't going to get the 5% tariff, the Mexican private sector will. But instead of doing something to protect the Mexican private sector from tariffs, they're coming to protect the interests of the cartels and calling it 'dignity.' Really?

They'd be better off just crunching down on the migrant trade and telling the foreigners to their south that they aren't going to use Mexico as their private launching pad. Halting the human waves has been Mexico's longtime policy in the past, and the socialist government of Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has the Mexican public onboard with that, given the public fatigue with migrant caravans fouling up Mexico's cities and bringing rafts of crime. Now something has changed. Based on this visit, it sounds like they want to keep things as they are, with cartels free to profit.

But as Billy Mays says, 'But wait, there's more.'

Maybe that has something to do with the kind of guy Mexico is sending to negotiate. Ryan Saavedra has found a few doozies of quotes that are bound to make this guy popular at the White House they want something from:

Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard, the top official leading the tariff negotiations with the U.S., urged people to vote for Hillary days before the election: "Every vote counts, we support Hillary Clinton. Defeat the anti-Mexican xenophobia of Trump"



cc: @RealDonaldTrump https://t.co/X8TjMgyumq  Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) June 2, 2019



Who exactly is "we?"



This is coming from a top Mexican government official pic.twitter.com/ck7tRJ9g48  Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) June 2, 2019



So they're sending an actual foreign election meddler who in the past has openly supported Trump's political opponents and been willing to use illegals and other migrants as a stick to nullify U.S. democratic elections to halt the ascent of President Trump for this big project in their own national interest. Never mind that he didn't succeed in stopping Trump, he definitely tried. And now he's in the U.S. to persuade President Trump to drop tariffs on Mexican goods coming into the U.S. as if U.S. trade is as much of a 'right' as manipulating U.S. elections is, along with shipping untold numbers of illegals. Rights, rights, rights - and 'dignity.'

Here's another one from this charmer:

"I've been asked why start Friday: because the relevance of the topic and the need to prepare arguments and a common strategy by different parts of the government demands intense work. We must also meet with Mexico's allies over the weekend. That's why I'm leaving now," Ebrard wrote in another tweet which has been translated from Spanish.

Such a bright guy, informing everyone of his negotiating strategy on Twitter even before he comes. Rest assured, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will be ready.

But the content itself is interesting, too. Obviously going for a 'stick' strategy, reading the U.S. as an easy pushover. His strategy is to consult Mexico's few allies (remember: Mexico is on record as supporting Venezuela's Maduro dictatorship over Venezuela's democrats, which is contrary to the stance of all the other countries worth having as allies in the region). Who's left? Well, there's Maduro. So he's going to consult with Maduro? Or will it be Russia, a country that has always seen Mexico as easy pickings for manipulation? Or will it be Cuba, another famous manipulator of Mexican interests? They don't have much to consult and in any case, what would it be about, other than hating Trump together and trying to check U.S. interests? As if Trump couldn't slap tariffs on those places, too. Sounds like a winning strategy.

He's going to come in tough and fail in his mission of ending tariffs on Mexican goods. Sure, Mexico will retaliate. And with a bad socialist economy, (unlike that of the U.S.) , the Mexicans are going to like the result a lot less than the Americans. More tariffs, more illegals trashing Mexican cities on the way to the states - this sounds like a recipe for shooting oneself in the foot.

I'm not a big supporter of tariffs generally and I agree with Sen. Joni Ernst that it would be better to see remittances taxed instead of all trade (the tariffs, after all, might prompt a new illegal flow from Mexico, actually), but this is enough to make one support Trump's tariffs if for nothing else to ensure that Mexico understands the U.S. Right now, they don't. They think we're a kind of large Honduras that can be easily kicked around. And what we are looking at now is one of the most idiotic guaranteed-to-fail strategies ever seen by a country at odds with the U.S. All the Mexicans have to do is tell the cartels 'no' and halt the flow of illegals. What they're doing instead is setting themselves up for the most spectacular foreign policy failure imaginable, buttressing only foreigners in their country illegally and cartels.

There's an easy way to get what they want and a hard way, and their Trump derangement syndrome means they're going for the hard. In fact, it's not just hard, it's stupid. I'm getting out the popcorn to watch how bad this one turns out.Gulf Air, the national carrier of Bahrain, showcased its latest products, services and destinations at the recently concluded Imex Frankfurt, which was held in Germany from May 21-23.



The exhibition is one of the world's most important trade fairs in the meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (Mice) industry where international tourism offices, major hotels, exhibition and conventions venues, cruise lines, airlines, technology providers, Mice professionals and many more meet every year.



The airline participated alongside Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA) and major hospitality and tourism companies in Bahrain.



Gulf Air operates daily nonstop flights between Bahrain and Frankfurt and provides excellent two-way connectivity. Regional passengers can seamlessly connect via Bahrain to Frankfurt while Germany-based travellers can fly non-stop to Bahrain, with onward connections to key cities throughout the Middle East, Africa, India Subcontinent and the Far East. - TradeArabia News ServiceOn May 30, Louisiana's Governor John Bel Edwards, a Democrat, signed into legislation a fetal heartbeat bill that bans abortion at six weeks of gestation. This made the Pelican State the fifth one just this year to enact such legislation. The other four states are Georgia, Ohio, Kentucky, and Mississippi. Then there's Alabama. It enacted a near total abortion ban, while Missouri passed legislation to ban abortion at eight weeks of gestation.

The pro-abortion Guttmacher Institute says in addition to this that there are ten other states where a heartbeat bill has been introduced this year. Guttmacher further laments that 27 abortion bans of one sort or another have also been enacted thus far in 2019 across the country. And the Planned Parenthood Action Fund complains that more than 250 bills restricting abortion have been filed in 41 states.

Obviously, there has been a blossoming of anti-abortion activity in 2019.

One or more of these recently enacted anti-abortion laws will surely be declared unconstitutional per Roe v. Wade by a lower federal court. From there, it's on to the Supreme Court. Again the Guttmacher Institute:

The fact that states are advancing radical abortion bans that are clearly in violation of Roe v. Wade is part of a deliberate strategy to advance these cases to the U,.S. Supreme Court, in hopes that an increasingly conservative Court will undermine or even overturn Roe.

This sounds right, but timing here is important. Right now, there are four implacable pro-abortion votes on the Court. This makes the margin of error for those supporting life (and the Constitution) slim. That margin shrinks even more, given that John Roberts is the chief justice. Many Court observers feel he is a weak and unreliable vote when it comes to interpreting the Constitution. He earned this reputation by his disgraceful vote and convoluted reasoning when Obamacare came before the Court. In that instance, Roberts unquestionably bowed to liberal pressure.

William McGurn writes in the Wall Street Journal that an effort is already being made to essentially intimidate Roberts. McGurn says the drumbeat is starting with the message: "If the chief justice does not produce the desired progressive outcome [on abortion], the Roberts court will find itself attacked as institutionally illegitimate."

The argument that overturning Roe would make the Supreme Court illegitimate is a sad joke. Leftists label any impediment to their quest for political power "illegitimate"  the Electoral College, the U.S. Senate, congressional districts, the 2016 election, etc. As to abortion, progressives, as the liberals now like to call themselves, know that smoke and mirrors were used to come up with the Roe decision and that there is zero basis for it in the Constitution. So, as much as they hate hearing this, the fact is, Roe itself was the paramount example of Court illegitimacy, and overturning it would restore integrity to the Court.

Proof of this is 1) the constant resistance to abortion since it was legalize nationwide in 1973 and 2) that many states are trying as best they can to ban or restrict it. That's representative democracy in action as opposed to the dictates by a mere seven unelected justices with lifetime tenure. Hence, the liberal establishment is appealing to Roberts to genuflect at the altar of stare decisis with deference to precedent in the form of Roe v. Wade. To do otherwise, the progressives argue, would render the Court illegitimate  at least in their eyes.

As said previously, timing is important. Basically, it comes down to this. Given how the court is presently constituted and that John Roberts could be the swing vote, it would be best to revisit Roe v. Wade after President Trump can make another appointment or two. That's the insurance needed for a proper, legitimate reading on Roe. Hopefully, that will come to pass.Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has long had a problem with balancing her role as a national figurehead for socialism, and tending to the needs of her constituents in the Bronx and Queens. Polls show the locals aren't impressed.

Now she's stepped in it, going to a community meeting in the Bronx, presumably about community issues and talking about ... Yemen.

And not just talking about Yemen in terms Yemen's Iran-backed meddlers would like, if you really want to talk about Yemen, but speaking so ill of the U.S., its foreign policy, and its elected leader, President Trump, that at least some of the veterans in attendence walked out.

Here's the New York Post on the job:

She knocks the country, she knocks the president. And thats not what America is about, said Silvio Mazzella, a Vietnam War vet and treasurer of Community Board 11. Anthony Vitaliano  an Army veteran who worked in the NYPD for 38 years, and commanded the Bronxs homicide detectives  was sitting between Ocasio-Cortez and a staffer for the freshman Dem. I just couldnt hear her BS anymore, the former CB11 chairman said. I just got up, got my umbrella in my hand and walked right out.

Those guys went to the Post to tell them about it, and obviously, the Post reported it. But in the wake of Ocasio-Cortez's popularity problems perhaps, her congressional office blatantly denied anyone had quit the meeting:

AOCs office denied that anyone stormed out of the meeting. The only person that left the meeting while it was underway was someone who had to go pick up their children, said AOC spokesman Corbin Trent. Asked about Trents comment, Vitaliano said, Thats bullst. Everybody that was there knows I walked out.

This sounds like someone who can't stop yapping about things she knows nothing about, yet retains enough political cunning to recognize that she's not a popular gal among her constituents and therefore is trying to shift the narrative with this phony claim about nobody leaving. Fortunately, the New York Post didn't let her get away with it, and its story is airtight.

As I wrote earlier, Ocasio-Cortez already sits in a pool of political trouble over her failure to respond to her constituents:

The Daily Caller piece has several interesting charts and graphs showing Ocasio-Cortez's downward slide among these voters, which obviously isn't recovering. Ocasio-Cortez hasn't been paying much attention to her district, even with a poll a couple months ago showing that President Trump was more popular in her state than she was. It also reveals that the district has a high count of politically unengaged people, voters who don't even know who she is, which, from her point of view, isn't such good news, as it means they can easily vote for the next guy or stay home if their annoyance with Ocasio-Cortez lasts. They are annoyed, and now the charts are showing that her unpopularity is lingering. Interestingly enough, she hasn't tried to rectify this. She chased out a big company that offers good salaries and benefits to locals in the name of being anti-corporation, and she still hasn't apologized or tried to offer New Yorkers something concretely better. In New York, home of big corporations, that's pretty stupid. All she does is talk about a Green New Deal, which got no votes in a Senate count. The Amazon thing is something she must expect will go away. And it's not going away  it's what New Yorkers bring up every time her name comes up. For any pol, that's not good.



With efforts like this Bronx meeting, maybe staying away from her constituents as she has is common sense given how truly out of tune she is. She's managed to offend yet another constituency with this mishap and she's already offended a lot of them. The Bronx locals wanted to talk about missed mail deliveries and graffiit magnets around their part of town and she wanted to talk about Yemen? Really? Maybe she really can be thrown out in a primary challenge.

Image credit: Corey Torpi, via Flickr // CC BY-SA 2.0 with modification by Monica ShowalterThe picturesque mountainous region of South Sulawesi, in Indonesia, is home to an ethnic group called the Toraja. A large number of its members live in the regency of Tana Toraja or "the Land of Toraja" at the center of the island of Sulawesi, 300 km north of Makassar, the provincial capital of South Sulawesi. These simple people who practise animism  the view that all non-human entities such as animals, plants, and even inanimate objects or phenomena possess a spiritual essence, have developed some of the most elaborate funeral rites in the world. These include tree burials reserved for infants who died before teething, and parading of mummies who died decades ago.

Toraja funeral rites are important social events and occasions for entire families to gather, and for villagers to participate in communal events, renewing relationships and reconfirming beliefs and traditions in the way of the ancestors. These events last for several days.

A tree of baby graves in a village in Tana Toraja. Photo credit

When a Torajan dies, family members of the deceased are required to hold a series of funeral ceremonies, known as Rambu Soloq, over many days. But the ceremonies dont take place immediately after death, because a typical Toraja family often lacks the funds needed to cover funeral expenses. So they wait - weeks, months, or sometimes years, slowly raising funds until enough has been saved. During this time, the deceased is not buried but is embalmed and stored in a traditional house under the same roof with his or her family. Until the funeral ceremonies are completed, the person is not considered to be truly dead but merely suffering an illness.

Once enough funds have been collected, the ceremonies can began. First, there is slaughtering of buffaloes and pigs accompanied by dancing and music as young boys catch the spurting blood in long bamboo tubes. The more powerful the person who died, the more buffalo are slaughtered at the death feast. Its not uncommon to sacrifice tens of buffaloes and hundreds of pigs. After the sacrifice, the meat is distributed to the funeral guests.

Graves dug out on a rocky mountain and decorated with wooden effigies of the dead. Photo credit

Then comes the actual burial, but Toraja tribe members are rarely buried in the ground. They are either placed in caves dug out in the rocky side of a mountain, or in wooden coffins that are hung on a cliff. The grave is usually expensive and takes a few months to complete. A wood-carved effigy, called Tau tau, representing the deceased is usually placed in the cave looking out over the land. The coffins are beautifully decorated, but over time the wood begins to rot and the bleached bones of the deceased often drop to the bottom of the suspended burial ground.

Babies are not buried in caves or hung from cliffs but buried inside the hollow of living trees. If a child dies before he has started teething, the baby is wrapped in cloth and placed inside a hollowed out space within the trunk of a growing tree, and covered over with a palm fibre door. The hole is then sealed and as the tree begins to heal, the child is believed to be absorbed. Dozens of babies may be interred within a single tree.

The burials are completed, the guests have feasted and returned to their homes, but the rituals are not over. Every few years, in August, a ritual called MaNene takes place in which the bodies of the deceased are exhumed to be washed, groomed and dressed in new clothes. The mummies are then walked around the village like zombies.

Tana Torajas peculiar rituals surrounding the dead today draws thousands of tourists and anthropologists to the island each year. Indeed, since 1984, Tana Toraja has been named as the second tourist destination after Bali by the Ministry of Tourism, Indonesia, giving the Toraja a celebrity status within Indonesia and enhancing the pride of the Toraja ethnic group.

More graves. Photo credit

Wooden effigies of the deceased. Photo credit

Photo credit

Photo credit

Hanging coffins. Photo credit

Baby graves inside a tree trunk in Kambira Village, Tana Toraja. Photo credit

The wooden covers on this tree mark the graves of newborn infants. Photo credit

Villagers prepare a mummy for MaNene celebration. Photo credit

A dead woman gets a fresh coat of paint. Photo credit

A mummy fully dressed and ready for parade. Photo credit

Sources: Wikipedia / Transition Abroad / Oddity Central / Ancient OriginMarysville, CA (95901)

Today

Considerable clouds this evening. Some decrease in clouds late. Low 36F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Considerable clouds this evening. Some decrease in clouds late. Low 36F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph.There is no doubt that the aviation industry has a great impact on the environment. Various non-governmental organisations (NGO) worldwide are searching for the best ways to solve the issue of rapidly growing carbon dioxide emissions as the number of air passengers begin to exceed every forecast.



And not just NGOs, as aircraft manufacturers are carefully designing new engines and other solutions to reduce carbon emissions.



However, the movement towards eco-friendly aviation is barely scratching the surface of the issue despite the effort. Locatory.com, an aviation IT company primarily acting as an aircraft parts locator, takes a deeper look into the green flying initiative and what can actually be done on limited resources.



The biggest issues

Probably the biggest issue for green flying is the actual flying. People are constantly travelling by plane and it would be extremely difficult to persuade them that any other mean of transportation would be much more environmentally friendly. Mostly, because at this age, time is money, and flying saves time. Besides that, travels by aircraft became a lot cheaper, especially with low-cost airlines, Locatory.com points out. However, what is the real cost of so many flights?



According to the International Air Transport Association (Iata), at the moment, around 4 billion passenger seats are sold in civilian airliners every year. Meaning that nearly half of our population flies every year. It is predicted that by 2036 the number will double. Every year, the number of air passengers grows by 5 per cent. The irony  everyone worldwide is talking about carbon emissions and searches for the ways to minimise it but flies more than any year before.



Of course, one might say that aviation is just a very small player in carbon emission environment and it would not be wrong. Only two per cent of global carbon emissions belong to the aviation industry, however, these 2 per cent convert to 859 million tons, which still is a great issue in the worldwide context.



What are the solutions?

According to Locatory.com, some of the solutions to this ongoing and still rising issue are obvious. We should stop flying so frequently. But is it really a solution? Aircraft manufacturers are working daily to create engines that would use less aviation fuel and would be more efficient. However, knowing the aircraft fleet worldwide is not changing as soon as the new aircraft engines being released, these changes would not be implemented soon enough.



The other solution is to adapt current aircraft for biofuel. Some airlines are already flying with biofuel. In the past decade, aircraft have been allowed to run with synthetic kerosene. ASTM International, the organisation that sets standards on jet fuel, allowed having up to 50 per cent of biofuel in jet tanks and by this day, we've already had around 143,000 such flights. Yet again, this is an extremely small amount of scheduled flights as only in 2018 there were 39 million of them. There is also another issue being raised  if biofuel will be used, will there be an issue for food growing and using it for fuel rather than feeding people worldwide.



The most interesting suggestion is to use electricity instead of fuel. This solution is yet to be developed and is not used commonly at the moment. Only several test flights were done and most of them were on extremely small aircraft. Of course, using renewables is very appealing but the result at the moment is not satisfactory at all, Locatory.com notes.



What else can be done?

It is really hard to say, what could be the universal truth for this rising issue. The development of new technologies will eventually serve to the purpose but at this time, it is best to adapt the older fleet to timely standards. The best way to do so is by upgrading the aircraft with spare parts that would help to minimise the consumption of jet fuel even in theoretical level. The reason behind this is that the fleet is not changing fast enough to be up to date with environmental standards and maybe even the smallest adaptations of the aircraft or its engines, while working hand-in-hand with manufacturers and standardisation organisations would benefit to the cause.



We understand that the aviation industry is changing very slowly. It is enormous and even the slightest changes to the aircraft means a lot of finance. However, we must be flexible and responsible. There are many various regulations and new standards being developed every day. Even the smallest changes in the aircraft, physical or IT solutions, might change the efficiency of the aircraft and every player in the market should be willing to make their fleet as green as possible, said Dainius Meilunas, CEO at Locatory.com. - TradeArabia News Service

No, a $44 million settlement is not going to satisfy everyone  or, more likely, anyone at all. Attorneys for two of the alleged victims rejected the proposal outright; while another questioned whether this was an attempt to derail the deal and maximize their clients position and grab the lions share of compensation. Victims expressed disgust at the entire process; one called it absolutely re-traumatizing.'  Los Angeles TimesHoward Mandel

I'm a Chicago-born (and after 32 years in NYC, recently repatriated) writer, editor, author, arts reporter for National Public Radio, consultant and nascent videographer -- a veteran freelance journalist working on newspapers, magazines and websites, appearing on tv and radio, teaching at New York University and elsewhere, consulting on media, publishing and jazz-related issues. I'm president of the Jazz Journalists Association, a non-profit membership organization devoted to using all media to disseminate news and views about all kinds of jazz.

My books are Future Jazz (Oxford U Press, 1999) and Miles Ornette Cecil - Jazz Beyond Jazz (Routledge, 2008). I was general editor of the Illustrated Encyclopedia of Jazz and Blues (Flame Tree 2005/Billboard Books 2006). Of course I'm working on something new. . . Read MoreCommerce ministry said in relationship, economic ties there are ongoing issues which get resolved mutually from time to time.

The US has said with effect from June 5, it will withdraw incentives to Indian exporters provided under its Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) programme. (Representational Image)

New Delhi: India on Saturday said it will continue to work with the US to strengthen economic ties in the wake of America's decision to withdraw export benefits under a programme.

The US has said with effect from June 5, it will withdraw incentives to Indian exporters provided under its Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) programme.

In a statement, the commerce ministry said in any relationship, particularly in the area of economic ties, there are ongoing issues which get resolved mutually from time to time.

"We view this issue as a part of this regular process and will continue to build on our strong ties with the US, both economic and people to people. We are confident that the two nations will continue to work together intensively for further growing these ties in a mutually beneficial manner," it said.

It said that the GSP benefits given by developed countries like the US to developing nations such as India are "unilateral, non reciprocal and non discriminatory".

The US' decision came following complaints by its medical devices and dairy industries, which have alleged that India did not provide equal market access to their products. The medical devices players have also raised objections over price caps put by India on products like stents.

The ministry said that India, as part of its bilateral discussions with US officials, had offered resolution on significant US requests in an effort to find a mutually acceptable way forward.

"It is unfortunate that this did not find acceptance by the US," it added.

However, it said that India, like other nations, shall always uphold its national interests in these matters.

"We have significant developments imperatives and concerns and our people aspire for better standards of living. This will remain the guiding factor in the government's approach," it said.

On March 4, the US had stated that it would roll back the GSP benefits after 60 days.

India had earlier also said that the US' decision will not have a significant impact on its exports to the country.

India exports goods worth USD 5.6 billion under the GSP, and the duty benefit is only USD 190 million annually, Commerce Secretary Anup Wadhawan had said.

As many as 1,900 Indian products from sectors such as chemicals and engineering get duty free access to the US market under the GSP, introduced in 1976.

The US' demand for relaxation in norms for exports of medical devices and dairy products are non-negotiable for India.

Commenting on the issue, the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) President Ganesha Kumar Gupta said the government should provide some support to products where GSP loss has been significant so that the market is not lost.

"We favour extension of Rebate of State and Central Tax Levies Scheme (RoSCTL) on such products on exports to US," Gupta said.The letter also stated that their case was kept in the previous Ministry of Home Affairs for a month but got no reply.

Kotlarska an artist and photographer, was on a multiple entry B2B visa to India. She had gone to Sri Lanka to renew her Indian visa but was sent back by the Indian authorities on March 24. (Photo: Twitter I Marta Kotlarska)

Mumbai: An 11-year-old Polish girl, Alicja Wanatko who was blacklisted from India along with her mother recently wrote a letter to PM Modi seeking their return.

The handwritten letter was addressed to PM Modi and the recently appointed External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar. It was tweeted by the girl's mother, Marta Kotlarska.

Kotlarska, an artist and photographer, was on a multiple entry B2B visa to India. She had gone to Sri Lanka to renew her Indian visa but was sent back by the Indian authorities on March 24 as reported by the IANS.

the letter my daughther who is out of school due to lack of action from MHA officers has written to Honoreable Prime Minister of India for help in our case @narendramodi pic.twitter.com/PVIolpD9Ez  Marta Kotlarska (@KotlarskaMarta) June 2, 2019

Stating their distress in the letter, the 11-year-old wrote, "My mum could not re-enter India on 24th March after a short trip out and we were blacklisted due to our overstay. It just feels so unfair because it was not our fault."

Kotlarska had to wait in Thailand before she could re-enter India to pick her daughter, Alicja up. Meanwhile, Alicja stayed with her friend's family in Goa where she went to school.

"Thankfully Indian authorities allowed my mum to re-enter for 10 days to get me out of the country," she wrote.

Currently living in Cambodia with her mother, thr girl wrote, "I am now with my mum but am missing my old life more than ever..I missed my school and was not able to attend last semester."

She also mentioned in the letter that despite not being Indian citizens, she calls it her home.

The letter also stated that their case was kept in the previous Ministry of Home Affairs for a month but got no reply.By Jun. 02, 2019

Hummingbirds 101 explores the fascinating lives of these tiny, winged wonders and learn about their amazing migratory journey. You will also find out how to provide food and shelter that will attract them to your own yard.





For the last 21 years, naturalist John Pollpeter has worked to make the Woodlands Nature Station a hummingbird haven as well as providing education and viewing opportunities to the public through the Nature Station's annual Hummingbird Festival.





During Hummingbird Fest, the first weekend in August, over 250 ruby-throated hummingbirds visit the Nature Station backyard each day!

All programs are free and open to the public





For more information, contact Bobbie Wrinkle 270-442-2510 ext. 119 or email: bwrinkle@mclib.net.



PADUCAH - McCracken County Public Library (McLib) will host Hummingbirds 101 on July 16 from 7 - 8 pm, led by naturalist John Pollpeter from LBL Woodlands Nature Station.The message was sent loud and clear to the soon to be ministers that such behaviour would not be appreciated in the future, sources added.

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has advised his colleagues in the newly inducted Union council of ministers to avoid going on leave in the near future and get to work diligently. They have also told to desist from holding any pompous welcoming ceremonies after getting a berth in the Cabinet.

The advice for the soon to be ministers came at the occasion of tea hosted by the Prime Minister at his 7, Lok Kalyan Marg, residence ahead of the oath taking ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhawan on May 30.

The Prime Minister, during the meet, is also learnt to have asked his new colleagues in the council to be careful as one small mistake by them could bring the government into disrepute. The Prime Minister insisted that the NDA has been able to secure an even bigger mandate this time around than 2014 was because of the work that it did and everyone should be working to meet peoples aspirations, sources added.

The ministers were also advised to avoid making any controversial statement and to get to know their respective ministries comprehensively. This comes as the new government is set to face its first parliamentary session which begins from June 17. The session would see important work and also the presentation of budget for the year on July 5.

The soon to be inducted ministers also had to share some flak for not heeding to his advise of the Prime Minister of avoiding the media. He is learnt to have asked them why they had not stuck to the directive given by him during the NDA Parliamentary Party Meeting on May 25 and helped fuel speculation on cabinet berths.

The message was sent loud and clear to the soon to be ministers that such behaviour would not be appreciated in the future, sources added.Kargil veteran Mohammed Sanaullah was declared foreign national by Foreigner Tribunal.

Guwahati: If documentary evidence presented before the Foreigners Tribunal by Md Sanaullah, from Assam, are to be believed, then a Bangadeshi national has served the Indian Army for 30 years, including in Kargil during the 1999 India-Pakistan war. The Foreigners Tribunal has, in its May 25 order, referred to various anomalies in the documents that Md Sanaullah presented before it and declared him a foreign national in an open court.

Investigations by various agencies, including one by the government of Assam, have found no anomaly in the tribunals order.

Mr Sanaullah had submitted a dozen documentary evidence, including his birth certificate, land documents, his sisters date of birth, mothers record of casting votes to the Foreigners Tribunal, but most of the documents and evidence were contradictory and failed to corroborate each other.

Referring to the constitutional status of declaring a foreign national, security sources pointed out that the onus of proving the nationality lies on the suspect.

Sources said that the case against Mr Sanaullah was registered in 2008, and he was served a notice soon after the case was registered, yet till 2017 he did not inform the Army about the case registered against him in the Foreigners Tribunal.

Arguing that while serving in Army, he had an opportunity to present his case before the Army for justice, security sour-ces said that instead he tried to hide the notice from the forces.

He was commissioned as a JCO, in 2014 promoted to subedar and later made Honorary Lieutenant.

After his retirement in 2017, Mr Sanaullah joined the Assam Border Police, security sources said, pointing out that he was once again guilty of not informing the border police about the ongoing proceeding against him in the Foreigners Tribunal.

Mr Sanaullah, who is now trying to present his case as that of mistaken identity after the order of the tribunal, has not only received the notice of the tribunal as well as border police but also defended the case before the superintendent of police of the border police.

Md Sanaullah who has been sent to the detention Centre also presented multiple certificates in his defence but most of them did not corroborate each other. The border police have discharged him from services since May 23, 2019, following the Foreig-ner Tribunals order.

When contacted, superintendent of police Patha Jyoti Mahanata said that they have sent him to the detention centre.

After the Foreigners Tribunal declared him a foreign national in an open court, he had an opportunity to file a review petition but he chose instead to go to the media, security sources said.

According to the observation of the Foreigners Tribunal, Mr Sanaullahs name has been mentioned as Marjyo-Ullah aged 25 years in the voter list of 1989. But as per the documents submitted to the tribunal, his age should be 22 and not 25, the member of the Foreigners Tribunal pointed out in the order.

The tribunal further found that after the death of his father in 1973, the mutation of land was done in the name of Sanaullah and his brothers, Barik Ali and Hanif Ali in 1977. The tribunal found that at the time he would have been only 10 years old according to his date of birth and mutation of land cant be done in the name of a minor.

The tribunal also found discrepancies in the reference of his mother Bhanu Bibi who he claimed had cast her vote in 1966, 1970 and 1989. The tribunal found a discrepancy in the age of his mother in different voter lists.

Md Sanaullah told the tribunal that his youngest sister is 40 years old. The tribunal questioned as to how the birth of his sister was possible after the death of their father. If she is 40 now, her birth would be in 1979, six years after their fathers death.

The tribunal also refused to accept the testimony of a headmaster who failed to submit his identity card or any original record to the tribunal.

Md Sanaullah who has been sent to the detention Centre also presented multiple certificates in his defence but most of them did not corroborate each other.

The border police have discharged him from services since May 23, 2019, following the Foreigner Tribunals order.

When contacted, superintendent of police (Kamrup rural) Patha Jyoti Mahanata said that they have sent him to the detention centre.Great initiative by state, says Water Man Rajendra Singh.

Bhopal: In a first of its kind initiative in the country, Madhya Pradesh government on Saturday decided to bring in a legislation in the coming monsoon session of the Assembly recognising access to water a human right.

Chief minister Kamal Nath issued a directive to authorities concerned to draft a legislation on Right to Water aiming at ensuring adequate water for every person in the urban areas in the state, a spokesman of the state government told this newspaper here. The ensuing monsoon session of the house may see passage of the legislation, official sources said.

Madhya Pradesh would be the first state in the country to recognise access to water a human right if the house ensures passage of the proposed legislation in the ensuing monsoon session.

A senior officer of the department indicated that every household in urban MP would get pipe water connection and supply of at least 55 liters of drinking water would be ensured to each family daily.

The state government was mulling to undertake water conservation measures like renovation and preservation of traditional water sources such as ponds and water bodies in urban areas.

It may be recalled that Human Right to Water and Sanitation (HRWS) was recognised as human right by the United Nations General Assembly on July 28, 2010.

The HRWS obliges governments to ensure that people can enjoy clean, available, acceptable, accessible, and affordable water and sanitation.

Noted water conservation expert of the country, Dr Rajendra Singh, famously known as Water Man of India, described the decision by MP government to recognise access to water by people as human right through legislation a great initiative. He, however, demanded the state government to enlarge the scope of the proposed legislation.Shah took charge two days after he was sworn-in following a landslide victory of the BJP-led NDA.

BJP president Amit Shah arrives to take charge as the Union home minister at North Block in New Delhi on Saturday. (Photo: Sondeep Shankar)

New Delhi: Union home minister Amit Shah on Saturday said countrys security and welfare of the people are the key priorities of the Modi government.

Mr Shah, who assumed the charge of the sensitive ministry on Saturday, also said he would try his best to implement all these priorities.

Countrys security and peoples welfare are the Modi governments priorities. Under the leadership of Modi, I will try my best to fulfil all these priorities, he tweeted after assuming the char-ge. Mr Shah also thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for bestowing the responsibility of the sensitive ministry.

Today, I have taken charge as Indias Home Minister. I am thankful to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for reposing faith in me, he said.

Mr Shah was received at the North Block office of the home ministry by Union home Secretary Rajiv Gauba, Intelligence Bureau Chief Rajiv Jain and other senior officials.

Two newly appointed ministers of state for home  G.K. Reddy and Nityananda Rai  also took charge Saturday. Mr Rai is Bihar state president of the BJP.

Mr Shah took charge two days after he was sworn-in following a landslide victory of the BJP-led NDA.

A home ministry official said Mr Shah is expected to prioritise the NDA governments policy of zero tolerance towards terrorism and checking illegal immigration.

Three Governors, including Jammu and Kashmirs Satya Pal Malik, and the Uttarakhand chief minister called on home minister. Malik, Kerala Governor P. Sathasivam and Maharashtra Gover-nor C. Vidyasagar Rao met Mr Shah separately during the day.

Official sources described the meetings as courtesy calls.As leader of the Congress in Parliament, Mrs Gandhi has the authority to decide the leaders of the party in both the Houses.

Congress Parliamentary Party leader Sonia Gandhi receives a bouquet of flowers from former PM Manmohan Singh at the Parliament House in New Delhi on Saturday. (Photo: AFP)

New Delhi: Sonia Gandhi was yet again elected leader of the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) at a meeting of party MPs at the Central Hall of Parliament on Saturday, putting to rest the week-long speculation over the possibility of Congress president Rahul Gandhi taking over the responsibility from her in the 17th Lok Sabha.

The party was earlier abuzz over the likelihood of Mr Gandhi playing a bigger role in Parliament after his surprise decision to step down as party chief in the wake of the defeat in Lok Sabha elections. He will now continue as party president till the time a suitable replacement is found.

Taking over the CPP leaders responsibility, Mrs Gandhi said decisive measures are being mulled to strengthen the organisation and lauded Rahul Gandhis fearless leadership.

In this time of crisis, we must acknowledge the numerous challenges confronting the Congress party. The CWC met a few days ago to deliberate the next steps and the way forward for us. Several decisive measures to strengthen the party are being discussed, she said, while hinting at changes in the Congress.

Mrs Gandhi said it was time to draw appropriate lessons from the partys defeat in the elections and declared that undeterred by the many challenges that lie ahead, we (Congress) will rise again.

As leader of the Congress in Parliament, Mrs Gandhi has the authority to decide the leaders of the party in both the Houses.

During the CPP meeting, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh proposed Mrs Gandhis name which was unanimously approved by all the MPs.

After her election, Mrs Gandhi thanked the 12.13 crore people who voted for the Congress, pointing out that even in defeat, the party has a sizeable voter base.

Striking an emotive note, she thanked Rahul Gandhi for toiling night and day and taking on the Modi government... raising concerns about all sections of society and helping the party win in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan.

She said, As we speak, emotional messages are coming for his continuation (as the party chief).

In her speech, the CPP leader called upon party MPs not to let their guard down and urged them to play the role of an effective Opposition and ensure better coordination and cooperation with like-minded parties in Rajya Sabha.

Asking members to raise those issues Parliament that resonate in the minds of party workers and public, Mrs Gandhi said that the party will play a constructive role in supporting the government in reform measures but will oppose it for its divisive and regressive actions.Twitter was also flooded with messages protesting the draft education policy submitted to the new government at the Centre on Friday.

Chennai: Political parties in Tamil Nadu, including the DMK, on Saturday strongly opposed the three-language formulas continuation with add-on features proposed in the draft National Education Policy (NEP) alleging it was tantamount to thrusting Hindi and wanted it junked.

Warning the Central government against attempts to impose Hindi on non-Hindi speaking states, Tamil leaders denounced the Kasturirangan committees draft NEP recommending implementation of a uniform three-language policy throughout the country that would entail teaching Hindi from pre-school upwards as highly divisive and ahistorical.

Twitter was also flooded with messages protesting the draft education policy submitted to the new government at the Centre on Friday.

Tamils oppose bid to impose Hindi #StopHindiImposition, #TNAgainstHindiImposition trended throughout the day on the microblogging site.

The committees report is truly shocking, a dangerous bid to belittle other classical Indian languages like Tamil in the guise of teaching Sanskrit the easy way, said DMK president M.K. Stalin, warning that DMK MPs will take up this issue in the very first session of the new Lok Sabha starting June 17.

Seeking to cool frayed tempers, the Tamil Nadu government said it would continue with the two-language formula.

Union Minister Prakash Javadekar, who had constituted the panel when he was HRD minister in the previous Narendra Modi government, also clarified that the NEP committee has only prepared a draft report and no decision has been taken on implementing it.

However, the storm over the draft NEP showed no signs of weakening.

Recalling the anti-Hindi agitations beginning as early as 1937 in Tamil Nadu, Mr Stalin said since 1968 the state is following the two-language formula of learning only Tamil and English.

The proposal is a threat to national integration and a move that will again put peoples linguistic sentiments in non-Hindi speaking states on the boil decades after the linguistic re-organisation of states, he said, urging the BJP government to immediately reject the Kasturirangan panel report.

In Tiruchy, DMK Rajya Sabha MP Tiruchy Siva warned that the Centres move to make learning of Hindi compulsory in schools will meet with a severe backlash through another anti-Hindi stir in Tamil Nadu witnessed during 1964-65.

Congress leader P. Chidambaram in a series of tweets in Tamil said, What is the meaning of three-language formula in schools? The meaning is they will make Hindi a compulsory subject...

In another tweet, he said, If Hindi language is a compulsory subject its import is imposition of Hindi.

The BJP governments real face is beginning to emerge, he tweeted.Political analysts claim that the berths have been allocated keeping 2020 Assembly elections in mind.

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar and deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi during the swearing-in ceremony for the Cabinet expansion of the NDA coalition government in Patna. (Photo: PTI)

Patna: In a surprise move, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday inducted eight JD(U) legislators into his Cabinet, overlooking NDA allies BJP and LJP in an expansion exercise that came just three days after differences forced the JD(U) to opt out of the Narendra Modi Cabinet.

Though seen as a snub to the BJP, the chief minister sought to play down the rift in the NDA. There is no trouble with the BJP and everything is fine in NDA, he told reporters.

He said that one berth was offered to the BJP but the party didnt look too keen on joining the Cabinet.

This is the second time in two years when Mr Kumar has expanded his Cabinet. On July 29, 2017, he had inducted 27 ministers from all three NDA constituents  the JD(U), the BJP and the LJP.

The ministers inducted on Sunday included Shyam Rajak, Ashok Chaudhary, Sanjay Jha, Laxmeshwar Prasad, Bima Bharti, Ram Sevak Singh Kushwaha, Neeraj Kumar and Narendra Narayan Yadav. Five of them are MLAs while three are MLCs. With the latest expansion, the Cabinets strength had reached 33 against the permitted 36 in the 243-member Assembly.

Political analysts claim that the berths have been allocated keeping 2020 Assembly elections in mind. In the expanded Cabinet, Mr Kumar has included two from the upper caste, two from extremely backward caste, two from mahadalit and one each from Yadav and Kushwaha communities.

After the Cabinet expansion, Mr Kumar said, Posts were lying vacant and since Assembly session is also likely to commence soon we decided to induct ministers into the state Cabinet.

BJP leader and Bihar deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi, who was also present during the oath ceremony at the governor house, tweeted, Nitish Kumar has offered the BJP to fill the vacant seat. The BJP decided to fill it in the future.

Most of the state Cabinet vacancies were created by JD(U) ministers resigning from their posts for various reasons. Fresh vacancies were created after ministers Dinesh Chandra Yadav and Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh won Lok Sabha polls from Madhepura and Munger seats.

The development comes amid reports of a rift between the JD(U) and the BJP over-allotment of berths in the Union Cabinet.

Sources said that JD(U) opted out of the Union Cabinet to express its displeasure over being offered only one seat as part of symbolic representation.

The JD(U) is the third largest NDA ally with 16 Lok Sabha seats. The party was eyeing for proportional representation in the Union Cabinet but was disappointed over being offered on berth.

Political analysts are of the opinion that simmering discontent over the issue may cause unease among the two allies ahead of Bihar Assembly election which is due in 2020.Several invitees reported harassment by Indian security personnel and were asked to return.

New Delhi: Diplomatic relations between India and Pakistan further nose-dived on Sunday after the Pakistani security forces harassed, coerced and turned back several guests invited for an iftar party by Indian high commissioner Ajay Bisaria in Islamabad on Saturday night. The Indian government has strongly protested about the matter, and said that besides the guests, the Pakistani security forces also misbehaved with the Indian diplomatic staff and had snatched their mobiles.

India said such acts of intimidation and coercion violate the basic norms of diplomatic conduct and are counter-productive for the bilateral relationship between the two nations. India also asked the Pakistan foreign office to investigate the incident and share its findings.

The incident on June 1 by the Pakistani side in Islamabad is seen as a direct retaliation for recent incidents in New Delhi where Indian sleuths and policemen were accused of intimidating and turning back several guests from the Pakistan high commission iftar dinner on May 28. A similar incident was reported on March 23, 2019 on the occasion of Pakistan Day after the Indian government announced it would boycott the event. Several invitees reported harassment by Indian security personnel and were asked to return.

About the June 1 incident in Islamabad, the Indian government has issued a Note Verbale to Pakistan saying while the guests faced unprecedented harassment and intimidation at the hands of security forces, a concerted campaign was launched by Pakistans security agencies in the days preceding the iftar function to reach out to the invites to actively dissuade them from attending it.

India strongly protested to Pakistan gross intimidation of guests invited for an iftar event in Islamabad on Saturday... Guests faced unprecedented harassment and intimidation at the hands of security agencies. A concerted campaign was launched by Pakistans security agencies in the days preceding the iftar function to reach out to invitees to actively dissuade them from attending the event. Those guests who did reach the function venue, in some cases from places as far as Lahore and Karachi, were intimidated and physically stopped from attending the iftar function by Pakistani security forces, who had virtually (put) the Serena Hotel under siege, the Indian high commission said in a statement.

It added many guests from the diplomatic community based in Islamabad were also subjected to harassment. In complete violation of diplomatic norms, a large Pakistani security detachment, equipped with forklifts, was detailed outside Serena Hotel to aggressively turned away Pakistani citizens. In some cases, cars used by invitees were lifted and removed using forklifts. The more than 300 esteemed Pakistani guests who were turned away included parliamentarians, government officials, media representatives, retired military officials, businessmen and retired diplomats, in addition to citizens from all walks of life, the high commission said.

The security forces stationed on the main road outside Hotel Serena rudely rebuffed and intimidated officers and diplomatic staff of the High Commission of India who tried to ascertain from the security personnel the reasons for harassment of the guests. Some officials were jostled, pushed, abused and aggressively threatened with bodily harm. In some cases, mobile phones belonging to the officials were snatched away, the statement added.

On Saturday in Islamabad journalists, politicians and other guests invited for the iftar dinner at Hotel Serena were screamed at, abused and threatened by Pakistani security agencies and ISI men. Several teams of the ISI, Pakistan Military Intelligence and the Special Branch of the Islamabad Police was spread outside Serena Hotel, which intimidated Pakistani guests when they started arriving for the iftar. While several went back for fear of harassment, those who refused to get intimidated were given wrong directions for the entry to the hotel to get them diverted. Even foreign diplomats were not spared.

The harassment led to low attendance at the iftar. But several Pakistanis took to the social media to expose their government and express anguish.

Unprecedented level of harassment at @Serena_Hotels Islamabad. #India embassy Iftaar happening & police & anti terrorism force misbehaving with anyone trying into get in the hotel. Got screamed at, my driver abused. Sorry, not being an entitled prick. This was genuine harassment, wrote journalist Mehreen Zahra-Malik.

Came to Serena for iftar hosted by Indian HC. Hotel seems barricaded. Told that iftar cancelled. When insisted, I was told to use other gate. Other gate also closed and told to go back to front gate again. Whats going on, something fishy, Senator Farhatullah Babar, another invitee, tweeted. Managed to come to Sheesh Mahal for Indian HC Iftar despite efforts to stop invitees on one pretext or other. It is nearing iftar time. Only foreign diplomats have come so far. Not more than half a dozen Pakistani guests able to come. Sad manifestation of tit for tat, pettiness, Senator Babar, who was press secretary to former President Asif Zardari, added.

Addressing the gathering, Indian high commissioner Ajay Bisaria apologised to the guests, saying: I would like to apologise to all our friends who had to face a lot of trouble while coming in and many of them could not even manage to come inside despite having come from Karachi and Lahore.

He added there was a new government in New Delhi a couple of days and with a new government comes a new hope of new beginnings. We are positive that this new government in India, we have Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a new and very positive external affairs minister, who was the foreign secretary, Dr S. Jaishankar. This government has come with a strong mandate of development and prosperity for the people, Mr Bisaria said.

Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Imran Khan are set to meet in Bishkek on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit later this month.Rajnath will review the security situation along the borders with Pakistan.

New Delhi: As Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh's first visit outside the national capital would be to the Siachen Glacier-- the world's highest battlefield - to review the security situation along the borders with Pakistan.

During the visit, the Defence Minister would be accompanied by Army Chief General Bipin Rawat and other senior officials from the Defence Ministry, government sources told ANI.

At the glacier, Rajnath Singh would be briefed about the operations being conducted by the Army, along with the support of air effort by the Indian Air Force.

Northern Army Commander Lt General Ranbir Singh, 14 Corps Commander, and Kargil war hero Lt General YK Joshi are also expected to brief him about the security situation in the region.

The Indian Army has deployed a brigade in the area where some posts are located above the altitude of 23,000 altitude which even poses difficulty in breathing.

During the UPA-1 regime, there were calls for demilitarising the glacier but the Army had put its foot down against the step. The Indian Army has been maintaining the Siachen Glacier since 1984 under the Operation Meghdoot where Army soldiers doubled as mountaineers to reach the peaks and capture them defeating the Pakistan Army.

The Defence Minister is also expected to visit the nearby areas of the Siachen Glacier.

Soon after taking over yesterday, Rajnath Singh asked the officers-in-charge of different departments to prepare a detailed presentation for him on the ongoing projects and programmes and brief him on them soon. The officers have also been asked to complete the projects in a time-bound manner to move effectively towards modernising the armed forces.

On Saturday, he was briefed about the different projects and works being undertaken by the Ministry and services by Defence Secretary Sanjay Mitra and the three services chiefs.Casual sexism is still prevalent in all spheres of society and even considered normal.

She is laughing and talking with the male bosses. She certainly knows her way around. You drive well for a woman. The company needs a strong and disciplined man to head the team. Probably every woman out there will relate to these statements at least once. A woman, who is ambitious about her career, works hard to reach a higher position in the company and maintains a cordial relation with the opposite sex is most of the times not considered normal. Either she is tagged as a bad mother and wife, or a selfish workaholic woman who very well knows how to use her sexuality to make things on her side. However, the same group of people would proudly speak about Kalpana Chawla, or the women at ISRO for making our country proud.

Recently, actor Lisa Ray called a newspaper out on social media, accusing the publication of casual sexism. The paper had used a rather racy picture of the actor in an article about her book, instead of her official author image. She posted a photo of the article on her Instagram handle and wrote, Does anyone else see the irony in using THIS image - instead of an author image provided by my publisher - for an article about my memoir - Close To The Bone  where I talk about struggling as a woman with overcoming sexist stereotypes? I must say I'm disappointed unless I'm missing the punchline? I've written in depth on this manner of casual sexism during the 90s in India in Close To The Bone, but it seems it still persists. We need to change the narrative. What say?

Newly-elected MPs from West Bengal, Mimi Chakraborty and Nusrat Jahan, too had to face sexist remarks as people found them inappropriate in politicians mould. The backlash worsened as both of them won with high majority and posted a picture of their first day at Parliament, dressed in western clothes. The question is, why wasnt Gautham Gambhir trolled for not having political background.

Swati Kumari, author of the book Happily Married Happily Divorced, is of the opinion that casual sexism extends from home to advertisements, which we see on different media. Either it is a sexist remark on the appearance and dressing of a woman or underestimation of womens abilities, bill being offered to men in restaurants or judging a woman for not being perfect in household chores or not knowing cooking. Moreover, inequality is perpetrated by own gender. We grow up hearing this, from family, friends and society, and start believing it. We are taught not to question anything, from traditions and practices to what have been offered. Sexism is deeply connected with different spheres of our lives and society.

Lisa Ray

We are taught to tolerate rather than question. Hence it becomes ingrained in our psyche, she adds. Quizzed if sexism prevails among authors, too, as they are expected to be un-biased, Swati says, Every human has some or the other biases. Sometimes, an author can have some sexist viewpoints, because of his or her personal experiences in lives or because of their personal bias; they are human after all. Gender-biased roles, sexist behaviour and thoughts and gender socialisations are the threats that we need to uproot from childhood. By raising awareness and education in the school curriculum along with responsible journalism and presentation by mass media can provoke society to think. Mainstream patriarchal mass media, music videos, movies and songs, novels, comics, newspaper articles or even simple advertisement pamphlets can come together in transforming a sexist society to a society of equality.

Parvathy Salil, a student, recalls that she has encountered numerous situations where she was made to feel lesser than men, be it sitting on the back seat of a bus or questioning a man about smoking in public. Sexist perceptions regarding occupation, appearance and attitudes have been prevailing in our society from time immemorial. But I feel bad when women themselves knowingly or unknowingly propagate such discriminative norms. Men are aware of the fact that women are not incompetent or incapable; its just that their ego doesnt allow them to acknowledge it. Changes have definitely begun. Eventually, things will change for good, she opines.

Anchor, actor and model Ranjini Haridas is of the opinion that glamour industry is not different from others. As the name suggests, sexism has become a casual affair in our society and it is accepted by everyone irrespective of the gender that they belong to. Passing sexist comments, too, is considered normal. What seems to be the real issue with people is that when some of us, especially women, react to such incidents.

Those who pass sexist comments are unaware of the fact that it is their frustration of not reaching the level where the person they target is, that makes them do it for momentary satisfaction. When you start comparing yourself with others, you are becoming a victim of sexism and end up propagating it. As far as my industry is concerned, it too has its share of negatives and positives. It is probably more vulnerable with regards to being judged as people here have to encounter it on a daily basis. There are people everywhere who succeed in their lives and careers on the basis of merit and through short cuts. Ultimately, it is their choice. So, there is no point in passing comments about their actions and portraying them bad in front of others. I am a person who is never ready to compromise on my terms and conditions. Therefore, I strongly believe that I have no right to judge a person or comment on his/her actions as well. How can I judge a person for doing something that I can never do? Its his/her choice, she opines, adding that self-inflicted sexism, too, prevails in this age of social media.

There are girls and women who are not confident enough to upload their no-filter photographs on Instagram and therefore use these apps that make their photos look beautiful.

They find it self-satisfying to upload a racy photograph, which according to them is not racy, and read the comments that their admirers have posted. It is again the choice of a person. So, I would say that sexism become derogatory when comments that trespass ones private space are passed. We should understand that it will happen time and again; so the only way out is to react and make people understand that you are not the one to mess up with, she adds.

Casual sexism can't be taken casually, and it needs to be pushed out of our daily lives. We need to strive for those days when the plumber and electrician will have no issues talking to the woman of the house and while in restaurants the bill will be a paid by a woman regardless of the fact that she is being accompanied by her husband, father, male friend or partner.By West Kentucky Star Staff May. 31, 2019 | 02:31 PM | PADUCAH

Deputy Fire Chief Matt Tinsley told West Kentucky Star that due to recent retirements, the number of firefighters now stands at 54, down from the 59 which is considered to be fully staffed.



A recent report from the International Association of Firefighters, at the request of the Paducah Professional Firefighters Union (IAFF Local 168), says the department needs even more staffing - 24 people on each shift instead of the current 18. They say this would increase the overall response time for a significant geographic area in the city. City leaders have not yet discussed the report.





Tinsley said the current new recruiting class will spend 20 to 22 weeks in training, which will put them into service before January 1st of 2020.





The Fire Department operates five stations within the city limits of Paducah.



The Paducah Fire Department is adding firefighters to their ranks, which will bring their total up to 59 by the end of this year.Parents should educate their children on money matters.

Parents described different motivations for teaching their children about giving, including a sense a religious duty, a desire to help others and a desire to give back. (Photo: Representational/Pexels)

Washington: Just as the common notion goes that first education starts at home, a new study in this regard suggests that a worthy lesson that parents can impart in their kids is about money and how to use it in the right manner.

The study published in the Journal of Family and Economic Issues, details how financial-giving habits are passed down through generations, and how it may contribute to personal and financial well-being later on.

A total of 115 participants were interviewed for the study, including college students, parents, and grandparents, about what they learned about money from their parents. The parent and grandparent participants also were asked what they taught their children about the topic, ultimately providing researchers a picture of how financial lessons are shared across four generations.

Participants were not asked to talk about financial giving directly, yet nearly 83 per cent of them brought it up as an important part of the financial education they gave or received.

"When you think about money and what kids learn about money from their parents, most of us wouldn't think about giving as one of the basic principles of finance," said researcher Ashley LeBaron, University of Arizona.

"We tend to think more in terms of budgeting and saving and things like that, so it was surprising but really cool, to see that giving was so prevalent."

Participants described different motivations for teaching their children about giving, including a sense a religious duty, a desire to help others and a desire to give back. They generally talked about three different types of giving.

Charitable donations: This included monetary gifts to religious or charitable organizations.

Acts of kindness: This incorporated donations, gifts or acts of service provided more directly to people in need.

Investments in the family: This category encompasses financial decisions made by parents to benefit their children or family.

Researcher LeBaron said that from a practical standpoint, it can be a good way for kids to learn financial basics, like budgeting and saving. "If a certain percentage of your money goes toward giving, that's the start of a budget right there," LeBaron explained.

"People who are generous tend to be happier and have healthier relationships, so this is shaping not only kids' finances but aspects of their health and well-being," LeBaron said.

She also added that parents who already make it a habit to give financially should make it a point to let their children witness that behaviour. Or even better, they should consider involving their children directly in giving activities.

During the study, researchers also found that just as parents can influence their kids' financial behaviours, so, too, can kids influence their parents.BJP is using religious slogan as their party slogan in a misconceived manner by way of mixing religion with politics.

Kolkata: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday alleged that the BJP was mixing religion with politics by repeatedly using the Jai Sri Ram phrase.

Jai Sia Ram, Jai Ram ji ki, Ram naam Satya hai etc have religious and social connotations. We respect these sentiments. But BJP is using religious slogan Jai Sri Ram as their party slogan in a misconceived manner by way of mixing religion with politics (sic), she said in a Facebook post.

Ms Banerjee said she had no problem regarding any particular slogan being used in political rallies or events of a party. We do not respect this forcible enforcement of political slogans on others..., she said.

This is a deliberate attempt to sell hatred ideology through vandalism and violence, which we must oppose together, Ms Banerjee wrote.

Meanwhile, taking on the chief minister over her outlook to chanting of this slogan, Delhi BJP leaders sent Lord Ram photoframe and postcards to her.

Delhi BJP leader Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga said our postcard campaign, which started during Lok Sabha elections, will keep on going till the time Mamata Didi is annoyed with the words Jai Shri Ram.

In order to clear away the effect of bad spirits on TMC supremo Ms Banerjee, Praveen Shankar Kapoor spokesperson of Delhi BJP unit, has ordered Lord Ram Darbar photoframe on Amazon for Ms Banerjee.

Mr Kapoor said the effect of bad spirits has gone up to an extent that now a mere chanting of Jai Shri Ram in front of you provokes you to shout. The visuals showing your reaction recently at 24 Pargana district was similar to what we see at times at Mehndipur Balaji where people with effects of evil spirits are brought for treatment. It will also further make her follow the righteous path of Ram Rajya in public service.

Citing example of Mahtma Gandhi he said, even the Father of the Nation too cherished Lord Rams bhajans, took his name regularly, spoke of Ram Rajya and his last two words were also Hey Ram.

Hitting out at Ms Banerjee, Mr Kapoor added, You need to come out of the fear phobia of Hindu backlash created by evil spirits which have settled in you due to excessive indulgence in other religions activities.In 1999, Mr Pawar broke away from the Congress opposing the candidature of Sonia Gandhi for Prime Ministership on the issue of her foreign origin.

Mumbai: The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Saturday ruled out any possibility of a merger with the Congress and also indicated that it will demand more Assembly seats in the alliance pact with the Congress in Maharashtra.

A senior NCP leader, who attended the meeting called by party chief Sharad Pawar, said that the NCP would demand 50 per cent seats in the state Assembly elections.

Both parties had contested the 2014 Assembly elections separately. However, in 2009, the NCP contested 114 seats compared to the 174 contested by the Congress.

It was discussed in the meeting that the NCP should contest at least 144 Assembly seats in Maharashtra, the NCP leader said.

Another senior NCP leader and former state minister Ganesh Naik said that the Sharad Pawar-led party was also mulling the possibility of getting Prakash Ambedkars Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) in the alliance.

We met to discuss our performance in the Lok Sabha elections. There were different opinions among the party leaders on making Prakash Ambedkars party VBA an ally. While one section suggested that there should be an alliance with the VBA to avoid split in secular votes, the other section said that the VBA would not be able to get as many votes in the state Assembly elections as they got in the Lok Sabha elections, said Mr Naik.

Mr Naik also confirmed that the issue of the merger with the Congress was not even discussed in the meeting. There is no question of a merger, he said.

In 1999, Mr Pawar broke away from the Congress opposing the candidature of Sonia Gandhi for Prime Ministership on the issue of her foreign origin. But it was not the first time he had left the Congress. He first parted ways with them in 1978 the parent party way back in 1978 to form the Congress (Socialist) and lead an alliance government in Maharashtra.

He rejoined the Congress in 1986 when Rajiv Gandhi was at the helm of affairs.

After formation of the NCP, he forged alliances with Congress to form governments at the Centre and in the state. The Congress and NCP were together till the 2014 Assembly elections when they parted ways to contest separately which they lost. But both the parties came together to contest the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.The second Modi government is on its own, and it will be expected not to commit the blunders of its first term.

The one thing we will hear the Narendra Modi government and the BJP say now is, We have the mandate, to brush aside any objection, any criticism of anything that they would do. And the BJP would be partly justified too in saying so. Of course, the mandate is for implementing the BJPs agenda. But Prime Minister Narendra Modi has astutely kept the agenda vague with his hazy vision of building a New India by the time India turns 75 in 2022, whatever that means. It is unlikely that the Swachchh Bharat Mission (SBM) will be complete, or that the Ganga would have been cleaned up, or the digitisation of the Indian economy would be widespread, or Smart Cities would emerge either from the existing ones or from greenfield projects. These are all laudable goals, but the government does not have the material and intellectual resources to execute them. It is always good to have dreams and visions, however hazy. And Mr Modi has done well to place before the country the vision of a New India. This goal will see him through the second term, and with the flair of a propagandist he would trumpet the few things that he would be able to accomplish.

There is also the distinct danger that by invoking We have the mandate, the Modi government would take so-called strong action and worsen the situation than before. Of course, the government has the luxury of acting in a willful way, until the people protest. In case the government with the mandate would want to ride roughshod over the peoples complaints, then people will vote them out in 2024. It is to be assumed that governments with a mandate will not misuse their mandate, and that they would show enough tact though they have the power to do whatever they want to do. Home minister Amit Shah will be expected to tackle the illegal immigrant issue in Assam with a strong hand, and he has a free hand to do so. But he will have to use tact, which he is likely to use than not. That is what is really expected of politicians.

But theres another thing that this second Narendra Modi government does not have the luxury of saying. It cannot blame the 55 years of Congress rule as a hurdle to implement their agenda. For the first two years of the first term in office, Prime Minister Modi and his colleagues referred to legacy issues  the problems they inherited from the second Manmohan Singh government. There was some justification in that excuse, but it became a lame one in the next three years. Then, Mr Modi and his BJP colleagues invoked the 55 years of misgovernance of the Congress, right from the time India became independent. It was partly valid campaign rhetoric, but now that the BJP is in power, Mr Modi cannot take shelter behind for his governance failures.

The first term of the Modi government had an advantage because it was compared to the ramshackle second government of Dr Singh. The second Modi government is on its own, and it will be expected not to commit the blunders of its first term. The inane platitudes of development that Mr Modi doled out in his speeches in the first five years would not stand him in good stead this time around. He has to get things done. His record on the economy in the first term is quite shaky, and that is reason that he fought the election on emotive issues like national security. Mr Modi is quite capable of conjuring another national security issue in the run-up to the 2024 election, but people may be less forgiving.

The economy is not in a happy position and that India still is the fastest growing economy with its sub-seven percent growth rate (6.8 per cent for 2018-19) is of little solace. Mr Modis mind is focused on rolling out welfare measures with a trace of native business cunning. This can be seen in the insurance schemes, either for health or for farmers, which does not involve government spending the whole amount. It is a contributory affair, and the schemes would lapse through no fault of the government. It is welfarism at its prudent best, but it is unlikely to change the lot of the people who need help.

What India needs is increased domestic economic activity, and stimulus packages from the government will not go too far in addressing the problem. The improved Ease of Doing Business rank is not of much use if there is no economic activity in the country. The lot of the people will improve not through government intervention but when people can stand on their own feet and do their own business.

A big lacuna in the first Modi governments economic governance was the absence of private investment. The government cannot spend its way to economic growth for long. As of now, the Modi government has not done anything to address the issue. Mr Modis economic thinking is in the Congress mould, where the state has the dominant role. So, there will be very few steps where the state will allow the economy the breathing space it needs.

The world is a tougher place for India in 2019 than it was in 2014. Xi Jinpings China and Donald Trumps America are not going to be too friendly. There is tough bargaining to be done. We have seen Mr Modi and the BJP leaders and the right-wing policy wonks speak tough, but we have not seen them handle tough situations. Indias handling of Doklam has not yet been deconstructed sufficiently to be of any use in handling China on other fronts.

The time for Mr Modis euphoric declamations is over. It is time for dreary governance, where there is less room for photo opportunities.Japanese technology does provide the basic desired level of confidence.

Japans ambassador to India Kenji Hiramatsu did well to highlight three critical issues in a recent article in an Indian newspaper  that Japan and India needed to continue to team up, that the partnership between Japan and India carries increasing weight for the peace and prosperity of a wider region, and that the two countries will be true partners on the global stage. The implication of the words peace and prosperity of a wider region is obvious  it clearly hints at the problems and tantrums created by an aspiring global power of the Far East. Thus, the emphasis is on regional  the wider region of Asia. The third point, relating to the global stage, is too transparent not to be commented upon and rather too relevant to be ignored. Ambassador Hiramatsu is spot on.

Diplomatic niceties and carefully crafted words aside, what attracts India is Japanese tenacity, technology and the smoothness with which Japan makes tonnes of money without recourse to rancour or recrimination. In fact, the Japanese are one of the sharpest and shrewdest brains so far  specially as far as maintenance, development and nurturing of trade, technology, transport, telecommunications and tradition are concerned. Japans (cartel-like) corporations, the Zaibatsu (the most powerful quad of Sumitomo, Mitsui, Mitsubishi and Yasuda), the Kambatsu (the bureaucracy before and under the Meiji Constitution of 1889), resemble the sab ka saath, sab ka vikas (with all, and for all) development, that has been there for more than 150 years since the beginning of the Meiji era of the mid-19th century.

But the area where India-Japan cooperation has to be deepened much more than today is in the sphere of bilateral and regional cooperation. The technology that is vital here is in naval ships and combat aircraft. Urgent action is needed due to time and cost overruns for our fighting ships and fighter aircraft. The Japanese (and the Chinese) usually take less than three years to build destroyers and frigates from conception to commission, which is virtually 25-30 per cent of the time taken by Indian shipyards.

Nevertheless, Japan is the only island nation to rise from the ashes like the Sphinx. Being one of the pioneer aircraft-carrier navies, with a tradition going back almost a century, India could consider actively exploring new avenues of technology development and effective end-use technology to meet the growing challenge posed by the Chinese PLA Navy which is floating, poaching and sniffing all around the Indian Ocean; and at times venturing too close to Indias core area of interest.

One can, therefore, try to have a glimpse of the salient features of both Indian and Japanese naval assets to plan ahead. Indias 4,104 nautical mile coastline is virtually 25 per cent of Japans 16,065 nautical miles; and 52 per cent of Chinas 7,830 nautical mile shoreline.

Japans maritime self-defence force (Navy) today has in its inventory 20 submarines (India has 16); four helicopter carriers (India has one aircraft-carrier); 33 destroyers (India has 12); 10 frigates (India has 13) and two cruisers (India has none). Needless to say, each and every single Japanese vessel is state-of-the-art: possessing speed, range, endurance, armaments, defensive system, electronics warfare capability. Not that Indian naval assets are bad or inferior. Far from it. Thanks to the torch-bearer commanders of Free Indias flotilla who, from the very beginning, realised that no aspiring nation can afford to be a naval power without producing its own vessels. History too shows that a navy is never built in a day. Nor is a naval ship like a consumer good to be bought over the counter for cash.

Japanese technology does provide the basic desired level of confidence. You can just see the Japanese automobile production plants in India  from Honda to Toyota, Mitsubishi to Suzuki, Japan enjoys a robust reputation pertaining to the quality-durability of its product which gives consumer satisfaction, unlike Chinese goods.

I am convinced that there is a considerable expanding scope for Indo-Japanese joint ventures in the areas of combat aviation as well. Indias single-engine light combat aircraft (LCA) is essentially suited for tactical ground-attack or giving air cover to its ground forces in the battlefield. All along its 36-year development-journey, it had to cope with, and search for a suitable power plant. At the moment, though its GE-404-414 version appears to give the aircraft a robust 22,400-pound static thrust, this power does need augmentation as almost all single-engine fighters of the 21st century must be of at least 28,000-pound static thrust to make its performance effective against the enemy.

Japan, on the other hand, has already come up with its Mitsubishi X-2 Shinshin (English name Spirit) technology demonstrator twin-engine fighter, as reported by Janes All the Worlds Aircraft 2018-2019: potential stealth fighter; official launch announced 2007. The photo of a putative twin-jet configuration showed a design broadly similar to the US F-22 Raptor but dimensionally closer to Saab Gripen (Sweden).

It is understood that Japan focused its efforts towards the development of the advanced technology demonstrator as a step towards the production type for Japans Air Self-Defence Force only after the United States refused to export its F-22. Today, the Japanese defence ministry is expected to decide whether X-2 Shinshin should be a sixth-generation machine with 3i (informed, intelligent and instantaneous) concepts and counter-stealth capabilities.

Japan and India can go into joint ventures for bilateral strengthening in several areas, and the concerns voiced and the suggestions made by Ambassador Hiramatsu must be responded to promptly. The key point he made revolves around Colombo-Delhi-Tokyo trilateral cooperation: The most recent effort includes a joint collaboration with Sri Lanka to develop Colombo South Port and make it the shipping hub of the Indian Ocean.

That is understandable. Colombos loss of its east coast port of Hambantota to the Chinese for 99 years must be a sore and sensitive issue in the island nation, as this definitely puts a question mark to the definition of sovereignty. Hence, the Indo-Japanese project has an added duty and responsibility to ensure that Colombo, in no way, gets hurt by New Delhi and Tokyo in the present port development project. The civilisational bond between India and Sri Lanka can be strengthened by another great civilisation from the land of the rising sun. Its indeed time for India and Japan to tango.The gunman was killed when police responded to the shooting in Virginia Beach.

People exit Princess Anne Middle School, where friends and relatives were reuniting with loved ones in a building during the shooting on Saturday. (Photo: AP)

Washington: A disgruntled veteran public utilities employee stormed a government building in the US State of Virginia and fired indiscriminately on multiple floors at his co-workers, killing at least 12 people and wounding six others, police said on Saturday, in the latest incident of mass shooting in the country.

The gunman was killed when police responded to the shooting in Virginia Beach. The suspect, a long-term and current Virginia Beach city employee, fired indiscriminately on multiple floors in a public utilities building, police said.

Police chief James Cervera told reporters there was an exchange of gunfire with officers and a police officer whose ballistic vest stopped a bullet was injured. The shooting suspect was identified as DeWayne Craddock, acco-rding to a law enforcement official and a Virginia government source, CNN reported.

Craddock, 40, worked as a certified professional engineer for the city of Virginia Beach in the Public Utilities Depart-ment. He is listed on department news releases as a point of contact for information on local road projects over the past several years.

This is the most devastating day in the history of Virginia Beach. The people involved are our friends, coworkers, neighbour, colleagues, Mayor Bobby Dyer said. The shooter was a disgruntled employee, the report said, quoting a Virginia government source.

The President has been briefed on the shooting in Virginia Beach, and continues to monitor the situation, White House said.

This is a horrific day for the Commonwealth of Virginia. We are devastated by the tragic shooting in Virginia Beach, said Virginia Governor Ralph Northam after visiting the scene.

The shooting took place shortly after 4 pm within the sprawling Virginia Beach Municipal Center, a campus of city offices and agencies, including the Police Department, when the gunman entered the public works department building of the citys municipal centre.

The attack unfolded on multiple floors in Building No. 2, which includes offices for planning and public works, among others, and is adjacent to City Hall.

Police found victims on every floor of the building, the police chief said, adding the identities of the victims were not immediately released nor was the motive of the attack.Under the GSP programme, nearly 2,000 Indian products, including auto components and textile materials, were allowed to enter the US without duty.

New Delhi/Washington: In a blow to India that will also be the new Narendra Modi governments first major foreign policy challenge, US President Donald Trump has terminated Indias designation as a beneficiary developing nation from June 5, ending the countrys $5.6 billion trade concessions under the key Generalised System of Preference (GSP) programme after determining that India has not assured the US that it will provide equitable and reasonable access to its markets.

India swiftly termed the US move as unfortunate, with the commerce ministry saying that New Delhi had offered resolution on significant US requests but that it is unfortunate that this did not find acceptance by the US.

In a clear message, India said it will uphold its national interest with significant development imperatives and that this will remain the guiding factor in the governments approach.

The GSP is the largest and oldest US trade preference programme designed to promote economic development by allowing duty-free entry for thousands of products from designated beneficiary countries. These are essentially unilateral, non-reciprocal and non-discriminatory benefits extended by developed countries to developing countries.

I have determined that India has not assured the US that it will provide equitable and reasonable access to its markets. Accordingly, it is appropriate to terminate Indias designation as a beneficiary developing country effective June 5, Mr Trump said in a proclamation on Friday, ignoring the plea made by several top American lawmakers.

The US move kicked up a political storm within day of the Modi Cabinet taking oath of office. The Congress said the US governments decision to terminate special trade status for India will have adverse consequences on exports and described it as a double whammy for India which has also succumbed to US pressure of not buying crude oil from Iran.

We urge upon Prime Minister Narendra Modi to make a comprehensive statement on the issue to the nation and place before the public a way forward to overcome this grave trade and economic crisis, said Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala, adding that India had been enjoying GSP benefits for the past 44 years.

Though the issue is being dealt with by the commerce ministry, the US move nevertheless presents the first major challenge for new external affairs minister S. Jaishankar, who has earlier been an ambassador to the US and is known for his contributions to Indo-US ties.

India exported goods worth $5.6 billion under GSP last year, but our total GSP benefits were to the tune of only $190 million, a commerce ministry official was quoted as having said in March.

Under the GSP programme, nearly 2,000 products including auto components and textile materials can enter the US without duty if the beneficiary developing countries meet the eligibility criteria established by the US Congress.

India was the largest beneficiary of the programme in 2017 with $5.6 billion in exports to the US given duty-free status, according to a Congressional Research Service report issued in January.

In a statement issued in the US, Coalition for GSP executive director Dan Anthony said Mr Trumps decision will cost American businesses over $300 million in additional tariffs every year.Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.The safety and tolerability profile of Lynparza in the POLO trial was in line with that observed in prior clinical trials. The most common adverse events (AEs) 20% were fatigue/asthenia (60%), nausea (45%), abdominal pain (29%), diarrhoea (29%), anaemia (28%), decreased appetite (25%) and constipation (23%). The most common  grade 3 AEs were anaemia (11%), fatigue/asthenia (5%), decreased appetite (3%), abdominal pain (2%), vomiting (1%) and arthralgia (1%). AEs led to dose interruption in 16% of patients on Lynparza while 5% of patients discontinued treatment.

Lynparza, which is being jointly developed and commercialised by AstraZeneca and MSD, is approved for multiple indications in advanced ovarian cancer and metastatic breast cancer and has been used in over 20,000 patients worldwide.

About POLO

POLO is a Phase III randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, multicentre trial of Lynparza tablets (300mg twice daily) as maintenance monotherapy vs. placebo. The trial randomised 154 patients with gBRCAm metastatic pancreatic cancer whose disease had not progressed on 1st-line platinum-based chemotherapy. Patients were randomised (3:2) to receive Lynparza or placebo until disease progression. The primary endpoint was PFS and key secondary endpoints included overall survival, time to second disease progression, overall response rate, disease control rate and health-related quality of life.

About pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer is the 12th most common cancer worldwide,1 with 458,918 new cases in 2018 alone.1 With the worst survival rate of all the most common cancers,2 it is the 4th leading cause of cancer death,3 and less than 3% of patients with metastatic disease survive more than five years after diagnosis.4 Early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer is difficult, as often there are no symptoms until it is too late.5 Around 80% of patients are diagnosed at the metastatic stage.6

There are two types of pancreatic cancer. Exocrine tumours, of which the most common type is pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC),7 start in the exocrine cells, where enzymes help to digest food. Neuroendocrine tumours start in neuroendocrine cells, which produce hormones, such as insulin,6 that control different functions of the body.

About BRCA mutations

Breast cancer susceptibility genes 1/2 (BRCA1 and BRCA2) are human genes that produce proteins responsible for repairing damaged DNA and play an important role maintaining the genetic stability of cells. When either of these genes is mutated, or altered, such that its protein product either is not made or does not function correctly, DNA damage may not be repaired properly, and cells become unstable. As a result, cells are more likely to develop additional genetic alterations that can lead to cancer.

About Lynparza

Lynparza (olaparib) is a first-in-class PARP inhibitor and the first targeted treatment to block DNA damage response (DDR) in cells/tumours harbouring a deficiency in homologous recombination repair (HRR), such as mutations in BRCA1 and/or BRCA2. Inhibition of PARP with Lynparza leads to the trapping of PARP bound to DNA single-strand breaks, stalling of replication forks, their collapse and the generation of DNA double-strand breaks and cancer cell death. Lynparza is being tested in a range of PARP-dependent tumour types with defects and dependencies in the DDR.

Lynparza is currently approved in over 60 countries, including those in the EU, for the maintenance treatment of platinum-sensitive relapsed ovarian cancer regardless of BRCA status. It is approved in the US, Canada and Brazil as 1st-line maintenance treatment of BRCAm advanced ovarian cancer following response to platinum-based chemotherapy. It is also approved in nearly 40 countries, including the US and Japan, for germline BRCAm HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer previously treated with chemotherapy; in the EU this includes locally advanced breast cancer. Regulatory reviews are underway in other jurisdictions for both ovarian cancer and breast cancer.

Lynparza has the broadest and most advanced clinical trial development programme of any PARP inhibitor, and AstraZeneca and MSD are working together to understand how it may affect multiple PARP-dependent tumours as a monotherapy and in combination across multiple cancer types. Lynparza is the foundation of AstraZenecas industry-leading portfolio of potential new medicines targeting DDR mechanisms in cancer cells.

About the AstraZeneca and MSD strategic oncology collaboration

In July 2017, AstraZeneca and Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, US, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, announced a global strategic oncology collaboration to co-develop and co-commercialise Lynparza, the worlds first PARP inhibitor, and potential new medicine selumetinib, a MEK inhibitor, for multiple cancer types. Working together, the companies will develop Lynparza and selumetinib in combination with other potential new medicines and as monotherapies. Independently, the companies will develop Lynparza and selumetinib in combination with their respective PD-L1 and PD-1 medicines.

About AstraZeneca in Oncology

AstraZeneca has a deep-rooted heritage in Oncology and offers a quickly-growing portfolio of new medicines that has the potential to transform patients lives and the Companys future. With at least six new medicines to be launched between 2014 and 2020, and a broad pipeline of small molecules and biologics in development, we are committed to advance Oncology as a key growth driver for AstraZeneca focused on lung, ovarian, breast and blood cancers. In addition to our core capabilities, we actively pursue innovative partnerships and investments that accelerate the delivery of our strategy, as illustrated by our investment in Acerta Pharma in haematology.

By harnessing the power of four scientific platforms  Immuno-Oncology, Tumour Drivers and Resistance, DNA Damage Response and Antibody Drug Conjugates  and by championing the development of personalised combinations, AstraZeneca has the vision to redefine cancer treatment and one day eliminate cancer as a cause of death.

About AstraZenecaAdvertisement

By West Kentucky Star Staff

May. 30, 2019 | MURRAY

By West Kentucky Star Staff May. 30, 2019 | 12:13 PM | MURRAY

Murray State University and the Hutson School of Agriculture held a kickoff celebration May 29 to recognize foundational partners for its new Center for Agricultural Hemp, as well as to thank Kentucky Congressman James Comer for his work in revitalizing the Commonwealth's hemp industry.



The event took place in the Murray Room of the CFSB Center and featured speakers including Comer, Murray State President Dr. Bob Jackson, Hutson School of Agriculture Dean Dr. Tony Brannon, Assistant Dean Dr. Brian Parr and representatives from each of the center's initial Foundational partners: CV Sciences, Vertical Wellness, GenCanna Global, Unified Ag Holdings, Inc. and Fibonacci HempWood.



"I think we're going to look back in a few years and recognize this as a watershed moment for the University and the Hutson School of Agriculture," Jackson said. "We thank Congressman Comer for his hard work. He has spent a lot of time developing legislation to drive this industry forward, and we appreciate his efforts."



Comer, who first worked as the Kentucky commissioner of agriculture to legalize hemp farming in the Commonwealth with a pilot program in 2014, praised Brannon and Murray State for their foresight in supporting the industry.



"Murray State deserves to be where they are today: one of the leading industrial hemp research and development universities in the United States," Comer said. "It took a lot of courage for Dr. Brannon to take those seeds. No university had planted hemp since World War II. I don't think any other university would have planted hemp seeds if it weren't for Murray State."



The University's leadership within the area of hemp exploration is historic and diverse within higher education. Murray State planted the first legal agricultural hemp research plot on May 12, 2014, with seeds supplied by CV Sciences. Since that time, the University has been on the front line of exploration of the crop, hosting field days while continually working with the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, local farmers, researchers, legislators, companies and partners to assist in the development of the industry within the region and commonwealth.



The 2018 Farm Bill, which reclassified hemp as an agricultural commodity, has continued to extend excitement and further interest toward the crop and its many possibilities. In the past five years, the Kentucky Department of Agriculture pilot program has expanded exponentially under the leadership of Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture Ryan Quarles. The KDA recently approved an expansion in planting to include up to 52,000 acres in the 2019 crop production year, with a substantial amount of this acreage within Murray State's service region.



"We're all building this from the ground up," Brannon said. "This is why industry partner support is so important. We couldn't do this with the help of just one or two of these groups; all these five partners have stepped up and we need even more. They say a rising tide raises all ships, and that couldn't be any more true for this industry."



Parr introduced guests from each partner industry, pointing out their expertise in a wide variety of hemp-related manufacturing outputs spanning CBD oil and food additives to hemp-based flooring.



"What we're doing here is special, but we needed that boost from our partners," Parr said. "They have realized that to grow this industry, it's important that we pool our resources together to research, grow and process hemp."



Established earlier this year, the center will focus on several primary topics and initiatives involving agronomy, cannabinoid science, agribusiness, economics and finance, animal feeds and fibers, education, hemp policy, workforce development and agricultural hemp farming.



The new center will be administered by the University's Hutson School of Agriculture in coordination with industry partners while continuing to position Murray State as a leader in research, education, policy and innovation within the hemp industry.Palmdale, CA (93550)

Today

Periods of rain. Low near 40F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near a half an inch..

Tonight

Periods of rain. Low near 40F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near a half an inch."Don't say we didn't warn you." With these words, China has signaled that its next step in the trade war might be to cut off America's access to rare earth minerals  a key component in everything from cellphones to missile systems.

The impact: China exports about 80% of the rare earths imported by the U.S., and a boycott could cripple much of American high-tech manufacturing.

China doesn't dominate this industry because it has unusually large deposits of rare earths; it doesn't. (As every story about rare earths has to mention, they're actually very common.)

because it has unusually large deposits of rare earths; it doesn't. (As every story about rare earths has to mention, they're actually very common.) Rather, China simply has a greater willingness than most other countries to do the filthy job of mining these minerals  a job that generally involves hundreds of nasty acid baths, a lot of pollution and even quite a bit of radioactive waste.

Flashback: In 1991, Lawrence Summers, then the World Bank's chief economist, signed his name to a notorious "pollution memo" that was leaked to the environmental community. The memo made perfect economic sense, even if it was politically rash.

"Health impairing pollution should be done in the country with the lowest cost, which will be the country with the lowest wages," Summers wrote. "The demand for a clean environment for aesthetic and health reasons is likely to have very high income elasticity."

should be done in the country with the lowest cost, which will be the country with the lowest wages," Summers wrote. "The demand for a clean environment for aesthetic and health reasons is likely to have very high income elasticity." Summers wasn't entirely serious. But the memo does a good job of explaining how China ended up mining most of the world's rare earths.

By the numbers: The Rare Earths Monthly Metals Index, a price gauge created in 2012 at a level of 100, stood at just 19 in May  surprisingly low after almost a year of worries that China could cut off supplies. If American businesses have been warned, they haven't shown any signs of stockpiling the precious supplies they need.

Go deeper: Why rare earth minerals matter in the U.S.-China trade warIranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif told ABC's "This Week" on Sunday that said he does not believe talks between the U.S. and Iran are likely, adding in a direct message to President Trump that "threats against Iran never work."

"Never threaten an Iranian. Try respect. That may work."

Why it matters: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Sunday the Trump administration is willing to talk to Iran "with no preconditions," but that the U.S. does not currently plan to end sanctions or other forms of its maximum pressure campaign against the Islamic Republic.

Zarif told ABC's Martha Raddatz:

"The last experience was not very optimistic and doesn't provide an optimistic perspective for a future agreement. This is what I believe is happening to the international community: People think twice before they talk to the United States because they know what they agree today may not hold tomorrow."

Go deeper ... Trump: If Tehran wants to fight U.S., it'll be the official end of IranJared Kushner  architect of the White House's Middle East plan, part of which is due for release at the end of June  casts doubt on the ability of Palestinians to govern themselves.

Driving the news: Asked in an interview on "Axios on HBO" whether he believes the Palestinians are capable of governing themselves without Israeli interference  a fundamental demand for Palestinians  Kushner said, "That's a very good question. ... The hope is, is that over time, they can become capable of governing."

Kushner said the Palestinians "need to have a fair judicial system ... freedom of press, freedom of expression, tolerance for all religions" before the Palestinian territories can become "investable."

Asked whether the Palestinians could expect freedom from any Israeli governmental or military interference, Kushner said, "I think that it's a high bar. ... If you don't have a proper government structure and proper security when people are living in fear of terror, that hurts Palestinians."

Between the lines: Axios contributor Barak Ravid writes: "When he says 'it's a high bar'  I think that partially what he means is that even if there is a Palestinian state, the Israeli army would still have some responsibility for security."

Why it matters: Kushner, who represents a president whose actions have so far been all-in for Israel, in the interview seems to want to drive a wedge between the Palestinian people and their leadership and in so doing may make the sales pitch for his future plan even harder.

The Palestinian leaders have already announced they're boycotting the Trump administration's economic summit later this month in Bahrain, even as other Arab countries who support the Palestinians have said they'll attend.

Yes, but: Kushner also said in the interview that he believes the Palestinians "should have self-determination." Barak told me he takes this as a signal that the White House plans to propose a two-state solution. Barak said it's the first time Kushner has said so this clearly.

However, the phrase "self-determination" is slippery. Former U.S. Ambassador to Israel Daniel Shapiro told me that while "self-determination" usually connotes statehood, it could also mean "a level of limited autonomy that is little more than the Palestinians have right now  disconnected islands surrounded by overall Israeli control (and annexed settlements)."

"There aren't going to be any Palestinians who will endorse that definition of self-determination, and few others who matter elsewhere" would do so either, Shapiro said.

Context: I interviewed Kushner before his trip to Jerusalem ahead of the formation of a new Netanyahu government. But he arrived in Israel to discover that Netanyahu couldn't form a coalition and to news that Israel will have another election. This will further complicate the rollout of Kushner's peace plan.

Go deeper ... Kushner: "I'm not here to be trusted by Palestinian leaders"White House senior adviser Jared Kushner, the grandson of refugees who fled to America to escape the Holocaust, defended President Trump's decision to slash the number of refugees allowed into the U.S. in an interview with "Axios on HBO."

Driving the news: Kushner told Axios that his family's experience  from "the precipice of life and death" to the West Wing in just two generations  is a reminder of "how great this country is." But "you cant have all of them come into your country," Kushner said of the 68.5 million refugees in the world.

When asked whether he supported Trump's move to limit refugee admissions to the lowest level in 40 years, Kushner said the number "doesnt make a difference one way or the another."

"I think the amount of money you can spend to help refugees to resettle in their countries and deal with aid is very impactful," he said.

Reality check: The Trump administration has cut or threatened to cut funding for refugee programs, as well as aid to the nations those refugees are fleeing.

By the numbers: Since taking office, Trump has lowered the cap on refugee resettlements to the U.S. from 110,000 to a record low of 30,000. The U.S. is projected to fall short of that ceiling for the second year in a row, according to an analysis by World Relief, a humanitarian organization that resettles and cares for refugees.

Meanwhile, there are more forcibly displaced people in the world than at any point since World War II, according to the UN.

Details: Trump's 2020 budget request proposed a 23% cut to international programs and the State Department  the second-highest cut to any agency.

At Trump's request, the State Department said it will cut off aid to Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, where gang violence, high murder rates, poverty and political unrest have prompted hundreds of thousands of people to flee for the U.S.

Many of those people are seeking asylum, and that's a separate process from the refugee resettlement program.

Both asylum-seekers and refugees, however, have fled persecution and danger in their home countries and have sought sanctuary in the U.S.

The other side: Proponents of dropping the refugee cap have pointed to the asylum system as another way the U.S. cares for refugees.

An average of 23,800 people have been granted asylum every year over the past decade, according to DHS data.

But the administration has tried to curtail the asylum system as well.

The U.S. still resettles more refugees than any other wealthy nation, although Canada and Australia now resettle more refugees per capita than the U.S., according to World Relief's Jenny Yang.

"Were doing our best ... to make sure that you're funding these situations so that the people who are immediately becoming refugees can have as much care as possible," Kushner said.A protester rushed MoveOn's Big Ideas Forum stage, grabbed the mic from 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris and declared he wanted "attention for a much bigger idea" before being led offstage in San Francisco, California.

Details: Harris was answering a question about the gender pay gap in the U.S. when the man interrupted her. An animal rights group Direct Action Everywhere claimed responsibility for the incident, naming the protester as Aidan Cook, per SFGate.

A tweet previously embedded here has been deleted or was tweeted from an account that has been suspended or deleted.

Go deeper: Kamala Harris on the issues, in under 500 wordsDiscussing the horrific death of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi in an interview with "Axios on HBO," White House adviser Jared Kushner was noncommittal on whether Saudi Crown Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) must account for Khashoggi's body.

Kushner said he's still waiting for results of a U.S. investigation to assign blame, even though the CIA reportedly determined with a high degree of confidence that MBS ordered the murder, and the U.S. Senate unanimously declared that he was responsible.

Why it matters: Kushner, who shares the president's view that Saudi Arabia is a crucial partner to counter Iran, has formed a close relationship with MBS and helped promote him as a great reformer. We see here that even eight months after Khashoggi's death in a Saudi consulate, the White House still refuses to publicly hold the Saudi leader accountable.

Asked whether he would join Khashoggi's fiancee in calling on the Saudi government to release his body (or identify where they put the body parts) so that his family might bury him, Kushner said: "Look, it's a horrific thing that happened.  Once we have all the facts, then we'll make a policy determination, but that would be up to the Secretary of State to push on our policy."

Other highlights:

Kushner talked about how his grandparents came to America as impoverished refugees, after surviving the Nazis, and "they were able to build a great life for themselves." He said, "It's a great reminder of how great this country is, where my grandparents could be on the precipice of life or death and then come to this country and ... 70 years later ... their grandson's working in the White House."

I asked Kushner what he makes of President Trump's decision to slash America's refugee intake to the lowest level in 40 years. He defended that decision, saying the overall numbers are irrelevant given the scale of the global refugee crisis. Read Axios' Stef Kight's story on our exchange.

Kushner passionately defended Trump against Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's charge that the president is a racist. I asked him whether Birtherism is racist. He wouldn't answer the question  saying repeatedly that he wasn't involved in Birtherism and that he knows who the president is. He also ducked whether Trump campaigning on a Muslim ban was an example of religious bigotry. Watch the clip.

Kushner said history will remember President Trump for two things above all else:

Changing the types of people who come to work in Washington  "people who never would've been in Washington before who were not qualified by conventional standards ... have brought great results to this country both economically and from a national security point of view." Changing "how we think about America's place in the world"  from a post-World War II era where everybody took advantage of America, to a new era of "rebalance" in trade and burden sharing. Kushner believes Trump has set America on a new course that will outlive his presidency.

Go deeper:Advertisement

By The Associated Press

Jun. 02, 2019 | VIRGINIA BEACH, VA

By The Associated Press Jun. 02, 2019 | 11:35 AM | VIRGINIA BEACH, VA

The victims of America's latest mass shooting had been dead for less than a day when police and city officials released a detailed presentation with their names, photos, job titles and the cities or towns in which they lived.



In all, 12 people  11 of them city employees  were killed by the shooter who opened fire inside a municipal building.



Far less was revealed Saturday about the man who authorities say carried out the shootings. There was no photo. And authorities promised to utter his name only once: "DeWayne Craddock," a 40-year-old engineer who worked in the city's utilities department.



"We wanted to control that narrative," Steve Cover, Virginia Beach's deputy city manager of public safety, said of the news conference officials held the day after Friday's shooting. "We didn't want it to leak out piece by piece through family and friends and so forth through the media. We felt it was kind of our obligation to get that message out."



This sprawling city on Virginia's coast is employing an increasingly common public information strategy: Release more details about the victims of mass shootings than of the killers  at least initially  to limit the criminals' exposure and prevent copycat shootings.



A similar tack was taken in March after a mass shooting in New Zealand. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern promised to deny a platform for the white supremacist who authorities said gunned down 50 people at two mosques.



"The goal is to kind of interrupt the cycle of new mass shooters citing previous ones, and the new mass shooters who are becoming role models for even more attackers," said Adam Lankford, a criminologist at the University of Alabama.



Lankford has studied the influence of publicity on future shooters and has urged the news media to not name or release photos of the perpetrators.



"What the guy's face looks like is not the sort of information that will help stop the next mass shooting," he said.



But James Alan Fox, a professor at Northeastern University who has studied mass shootings, said it's appropriate for law enforcement officials to release basic facts.



"It is news," Fox said. "We provide basic details on other types of offenders."



It is the "act  not the actor" that influences others, he said. "The Columbine massacre, for example, inspired copycats, not the assailants' names and faces."



But there is a limit to how much should be reported, Fox said. Too much about a killer's background can "humanize" him or her and cross the line from news reporting to "celebrity watch."



Virginia Beach officials said more information about Friday's shooting will come out.



"And we will share our lessons learned," said Cover, the deputy city manager.



But first, officials want everyone to know the profound loss the city has suffered: four engineers who worked to maintain streets and protect wetlands; three right-of-way agents who reviewed property lines; an account clerk, a technician, an administrative assistant and a special projects coordinator. In all, they had served the city of Virginia Beach for more than 150 years. The 12th victim was a contractor who was in the building to seek a permit.



"They leave a void that we will never be able to fill," said City Manager Dave Hansen, who had worked for years with many of the slain



Sandra McDonald, 54, an event planner and nanny who lives in Virginia Beach, said she supports the city's strong focus on the victims.



"I think sometimes these people think going out in a blaze of glory is the way they are going to have their moment of fame," McDonald said, referring to the mass shooters. "I just think if we don't give them that moment of fame anymore, maybe they won't take innocent people with them."



Alice Scott, whose husband, Joseph Scott, worked with Craddock in the Public Utilities Department, said she can understand why people don't want to hear the shooter's name.



But she said maybe after some time has passed, "we can discuss why this happened."



"Maybe he needed someone to talk to," she said. "Maybe he needed to (talk) out his troubles like everybody else."In the wake of controversy over a request to move a Navy warship named after Sen. John McCain "out of sight" during President Trump's visit to Japan, acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan told his chief of staff to send a message to the White House "that the department of defense will not be politicized," AP reports.

Context: Trump, who has maintained a long-running, one-way feud with the late McCain, has denied that he had anything to do with the warship being moved, but added that whoever made the request was "well-meaning." White House acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney said on Sunday that moving the warship was "not an unreasonable thing to do."

A defense official says Shanahan is also "considering a clearer directive to the military about avoiding political situations," per AP. Shanahan has said he was not aware of the request to move the warship and "would never have authorized it."

Go deeper: White House wanted warship named for John McCain "out of sight" in JapanIn a CNN interview on Sunday, 2020 candidate Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) went into a detailed discussion on living with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after he served four tours in the Iraq War.

What he's saying: Moulton said his PTSD involves experiencing survivor's guilt and the fallout from taking a life. He described living with the guilt of leaving a wounded 5-year-old Iraqi boy in the road after his family was killed in a strike on what were assessed to be enemy troops by other U.S. Marines. "I'll remember his face until the day that I die," Moulton said.

Why it matters: Moulton said he hadn't previously discussed details of his PTSD out of fear of "the political consequences" as a 2020 presidential candidate. He has released a military mental health plan as part of his campaign.

Highlights from the interview:

"My story is one of success because I got help for it. I decided to talk to someone, to see a therapist. And now those issues are under control, now I control when I want to think about these things. They're still very emotional, they'll stay with me for the rest of my life, but I have a handle on them."

"There was a time when I got back from the war when I couldn't get through a day without thinking about that 5-year-old boy, and leaving him in the middle of the road. And that's why I decided to talk to someone and get help. And I'll remember his face until the day that I die. But at least I can control when I think about it, when I think about him."

Go deeper: Seth Moulton on the issues, in under 500 wordsState visits by American presidents in the U.K. are typically smooth sailing, but a combination of British political events and bilateral tensions could unsettle President Trump's current trip.

The big picture: Trump arrives in London amid the upheavals of the unresolved Brexit issue, a Conservative Party leadership crisis and the sizable win for far-right leader Nigel Farages party in the European parliamentary elections. His commentary on the politics of Brexit has not always been welcome, and disputes over Huawei and other foreign policy issues have added to the strain.

Background: Trump has never cultivated a close working relationship with Prime Minister Theresa May. During his visit in July 2018, he offended May by suggesting publicly that Boris Johnson would make a great prime minister and criticized her government's approach to Brexit negotiations with the EU, directly undermining her domestic standing.

Unilateral actions by the Trump administration  sanctions against Iran, threatened military withdrawal from Syria, exit from the Paris climate agreement  have deepened policy rifts between the two countries. Trump's allegations of British spying on his 2016 campaign haven't helped relations either.

What to watch: Little should be expected from Trump's meeting with May, who plans to step down immediately after the visit, but 2 issues will loom large:

Brexit: While Trump is sympathetic to Brexit, viewing it as analogous to his own "America first" populism, pushing too hard for a no-deal Brexit could further complicate Downing Streets effort to secure House of Commons approval for a withdrawal agreement before the late October deadline. Trump has called both Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage very good guys, and a meeting with them could be perceived as interference in Britain's domestic politics at a delicate time.

While Trump is sympathetic to Brexit, viewing it as analogous to his own "America first" populism, pushing too hard for a no-deal Brexit could further complicate Downing Streets effort to secure House of Commons approval for a withdrawal agreement before the late October deadline. Trump has called both Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage very good guys, and a meeting with them could be perceived as interference in Britain's domestic politics at a delicate time. Huawei and 5G: The Trump administration is lobbying the U.K. and other European allies to drop the Chinese technology company from building out their 5G networks. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned Britain that the countries' close intelligence partnership would take a toll should the U.K. go ahead with Huawei and Trump is likely to reiterate that stance, putting further pressure on the British governments deliberations.

The bottom line: The special relationship is fundamentally sound, but it remains unlikely that ties between Washington and London will deepen after Brexit, at least as long as Trump is in the White House.

Erik Brattberg is director of the Europe Program and a fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington.The Trump administration has made it clear to the Kremlin that the U.S. fully supports Israeli airstrikes in Syria while Iranian forces, Hezbollah and pro-Iranian militias are still operating in the country, a senior U.S. official told me.

Why it matters: Israel airstrikes against Iranian targets in Syria continue every other week. Last night, a rocket was fired from Syria and landed in an Israeli military base on the border with Syria in the northern part of the Golan Heights. Israeli intelligence services think it was likely fired by pro-Iranian militia in Syria, and the Israeli air force retaliated against Syrian military bases. According to reports, three Syrian soldiers and seven non-Syrian militiamen were killed.

Details: The senior U.S. official told me that State Department and White House officials have conveyed the message to the Russians several times in the last few months. The U.S. official added that the broader message to the Russians was that withdrawal of Iranian and Iranian-backed forces from Syria isn't just an Israeli demand, but an American one too.

The big picture: Three weeks from now, Israeli national security adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat will host a trilateral summit in Jerusalem with his U.S. counterpart John Bolton and his Russian counterpart Nikolai Patrushev. This will be an unprecedented event.

Israeli officials told me the summit will focus on Syria and Iran. They added that they wanted to host this dialogue and have worked on it for a long time because they want to see the U.S. and Russia work together on a political solution in Syria that will push Iranian forces out of the country.Responding to calls for gun control after Friday's mass shooting in Virginia Beach, White House acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney cautioned against getting into politics "too soon" after tragedy, and told NBC's Chuck Todd: "You're never going to make everything perfectly safe, but we are doing a lot better on enforcement."

MULVANEY: "What's been lost in the last couple of years is the fact that this administration banned bump stocks. We signed a piece of legislation that fixed the background checks."

TODD: "What about the silencer situation? That seems like a legitimate concern."

MULVANEY: "I'm more familiar with the situation in Charleston several years ago, where a guy walks into a church and shot my desk mate in South Carolina Senate. That's where the background check system let us all down. And we fixed that last year with this administration on a bipartisan basis. So there are things the government can do, and there's things this government is doing, but we're never going to protect everybody against everybody who is deranged, insane. I don't know what the shooter's motivation was. ... You're never going to make everything perfectly safe, but we are doing a lot better on enforcement."

Why it matters: The U.S. has more mass shootings than any other country in the world. Federal resources are steered toward shootings motivated by terrorist ideology, but most are simply treated as a local crime, a state crime," according to former Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano. Napolitano told "Axios on HBO" that mass gun violence is one of the top threats to safety and security in the U.S.

The bottom line: Friday's shooting at Virginia Beach Municipal Center was the deadliest mass shooting in the U.S. since November 2018, when 12 people were killed at Borderline Bar & Grill in California.

Go deeper:By Abdul Kerimkhanov

The attempts to change the negotiations format and provocations on the line of contact is a vivid example of how the new authorities in Armenia are trying to earn dividends, following the lead of local nationalists.

Having failed to achieve the desired results in diplomacy, Armenia carried out another crime last week, killing an officer of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces. Moreover, the Armenian side shamelessly tried to accuse Azerbaijan of committing this provocation.

Also, Armenian MFA made threats misleadingly stating that "Azerbaijan will be fully responsible for the risks of further escalation".

Armenia should not waste time searching for any other fraudulent reasons and should take results-oriented steps in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement in accordance with the demands of the international community, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry has said in a message.

The statement says that the reason for such an emotional and at the same time controversial statement by the Armenian Foreign Ministry on the current situation on the contact line of the Azerbaijani and Armenian armed forces is understandable. "Most probably its within the line of Armenian authorities reaction to the current domestic situation in the country," the ministry stated.

The MFA further reminded that Armenia agreed to the next meeting at the level of foreign ministers.

"However, the reality remains unchanged; the Armenian Armed Forces must be withdrawn from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan," said in a message.

The MFA noted that regardless of who will lead Armenia in the future, there is no other alternative for the further development of the region.

The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry stated that the Armenian side should recognize that the only cause of human losses, disasters and mutual disagreements is the aggressive policy of Armenia, the occupation of Azerbaijani territories and the policy of ethnic cleansing of local Azerbaijanis living in these territories.

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.

---

Abdul Kerimkhanov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AbdulKerim94

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Trend

EGISTIC platform will allow for Kazakh farmers to reduce the time-consuming process of land maintenance to just a couple of clicks, EGISTIC's press office told Trend.

"The average farmer of Kazakhstan possesses the land within 500-10,000 ha and up to this point farmers still daily drive around the property or walk on foot to control the processes of growth, ripening of crops and groundkeepers which cost both a lot of time and money. Furthermore, the problem areas could be invisible to the human eye," reads the message.

"EGISTIC lets the farmer to put in the cadaster land number and to choose the necessary analysis for the required period and, just like in the constructor, to receive the map with the needed information layers: vegetation, humidity, nitrogen, chlorophyll, snow level and so on. Then the farmer chooses the information, analyses it and determines the areas that are in need of attention. After that, the farmer goes to the selected area instead of driving around the whole property," the press office said.

The founder of the startup Zhandos Kerimkulov used to work as a specialist on processing space photographs for State structures.

"One day the company took a job of the Ministry of Agriculture on monitoring of the cultivated areas. The company hired an army of employees who were manually processing space photographs. Then, the founder came up with an idea to automate this process," the report said.

The company uses technologies of remote sensing, geographic information system, mapping services, technologies of machine learning for spectral analysis and automate processes.

Currently the user office provides the following information: unified map with indexes of vegetation, crops health, soil and plant humidity; the soil surface temperature, soil acidity map, relief map, snow level map for February 2019 and the order history.

In the future the implementation of the free services such as meteorological data that includes weather forecast for the following nine days, management of the agronomist log, the guide of crops diseases Is expected.

The company is also interested in expanding the number of customers in Kazakhstan and in gaining access to markets of other countries.

"The support of local media is required to do so. More farmers also need to try out product," reads the message.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Trend

At least two people were missing on Saturday after blasts at the explosives plant Kristall in the central Russian town of Dzerzhinsk, Interfax and RIA news agencies reported, Trend reports citing Reuters.

As we understand, two went missing, deputy governor Dmitry Krasnov was quoted by RIA as saying in a statement broadcast by Russian state TV channel Rossiya 24.

Some 22 people were injured, Interfax news agency reported citing a source. An official at the local health ministry said earlier that most of the injured have fragment wounds.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Trend

About 621 Syrian refugees on Saturday returned to their homeland from Lebanon, an online independent newspaper reported, Trend reports citing Xinhua.

Refugees gathered in different areas in Lebanon including Nabatieh, Tripoli, Beirut and Bekaa, while the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) secured their return to Syria through the Masnaa Border Crossing, Elnashra said.

More than 1 million Syrian refugees are registered with the UNHCR in Lebanon, while the Lebanese government estimated the true number of Syrians in the country at 1.5 million.

To facilitate the return of Syrian refugees to their homeland, Russia has drafted a strategy and presented it to the Lebanese authorities.

The strategy aims at securing the return of 890,000 Syrian refugees to their homeland.By Trend

At least 18 people were wounded in two car bomb explosions that targeted a military unit in Libyas eastern coastal city of Derna, sending plumes of black smoke into the sky, a medical source and residents told Reuters early on Sunday, Trend reports citing Reuters.

Residents said the car bombs targeted a military unit called Bulahati belonging to the eastern forces of the Libyan National Army (LNA) in the city center.

We heard the first explosion, but we thought it was fireworks, then we heard the second, one resident told Reuters by telephone.

We found people around the Bulahati military unit and there was huge black smoke in the sky, another added. We then discovered it was car bombs.

Derna, once a jihadist bastion, is about 292 km (182 miles) distant from Libyas second city, Benghazi, and was declared to be under the complete control of Khalifa Haftars LNA in June 2018.

After the ouster of longtime ruler Muammar Gaddafi in a NATO-backed uprising in 2011, militant groups Al Qaeda and Islamic State have used the oil-rich country as a base for attacks, exploiting its chaos and lack of security.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzMalaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad says he does not believe Russia launched the BUK missile that brought down MH17, killing all 298 on board, including 38 Australians.

Source: MH17: Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad claims no evidence Russia shot down plane

After 2+ years of hearing American s/EUs screaming that the Russians are to blame for all the worlds ills, and then to see them exposed as liars, hes absolutely correct to re-examine and re-examine and re-examine any and all finds findings coming from globalist run countries (Such as the Dutch)

WtR

PS: By the way

He knows (((who))) did thisBy Trend

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Sunday that the Trump administration is ready for unconditional discussions with Iran in an effort to ease rising tensions that have sparked fears of conflict. But the United States will not relent in trying to pressure the Islamic Republic to change its behaviour in the Middle East, Americas top diplomat said, Trend reported citing The Star.

Pompeo repeated long-standing U.S. accusations that Iran is bent on destabilizing the region, but he also held out the possibility of talks as President Donald Trump has suggested.

Were prepared to engage in a conversation with no preconditions, Pompeo told reporters at a news conference with his Swiss counterpart. Were ready to sit down with them, but the American effort to fundamentally reverse the malign activity of this Islamic Republic, this revolutionary force, is going to continue.

Pompeos meeting with Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis in the southern Swiss town of Bellinzona came amid concerns about the potential for escalation and miscalculation with Iran  a situation that has many in Europe and the Middle East on edge.

Cassis, whose country represents U.S. interests in Iran and has been an intermediary between the two before, made no secret of that nervousness.

The situation is very tense and we are fully aware these tensions. Switzerland, of course, wishes there to be no escalation no escalation to violence with Iran, he said. Both parties are now increasing the pressure and this is a worry for us.

Cassis said Switzerland would be pleased to serve as an intermediary, but not a mediator, between the United States and Iran. To do so, however, would require requests from both sides, he said.

Neither he nor Pompeo would say if such requests had been made of the Swiss.

Pompeo thanked Switzerland, which serves as the protecting power for the United States in Iran, for looking after Americans detained there. Trump administration officials have suggested they would look positively at any move to release at least five American citizens and at least two permanent U.S. residents currently imprisoned in Iran.

Pompeo declined to comment on whether he had made a specific request to the Swiss about the detainees. But he said the release of unjustly jailed Americans in Iran and elsewhere is a U.S. priority.

Pompeo was in Switzerland on the second leg after Germany of a four-nation European tour in which he is seeking to assure leaders that the U.S. does not want war with Iran. He is also stressing that the U.S. will defend itself and not relent in raising pressure on Iran with economic sanctions.

Despite that stance, Trump has signalled a willingness to talk with Irans leadership. Iranian officials have hinted at the possibility but also insisted they will not be bulled.

If they want to talk, Im available, Trump said last week, even as Pompeo and the White House national security adviser, John Bolton, were stepping up warnings that any attack on American interests by Iran or its proxies would draw a rapid and significant U.S. response.

The U.S. is sending hundreds of additional troops to the region after blaming Iran and Iranian proxies for recent sabotage to tankers in the Persian Gulf and drone attacks on Saudi Arabias oil infrastructure.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz







Do women today need to wear pantyhose? The garment, still seen occasionally in churches and offices, can feel anachronistic, and its true that they do have a long history. Nylon stockings were first introduced at the 1939 Worlds Fair, but didnt become widely popular until after World War II. For decades after that, women wore hosiery with just about everything, since they typically couldnt wear pants. Since its become normal for women to wear pants to school and work, though, its been all over for tights. So why do they seem to be making a comeback?

Fashion Comes In Cycles

The primary reason were seeing hosiery become popular again today is that, like fashion more generally, everything comes around again. Bell bottoms were all the rage in the 1970s, but after a disappearing for a while, they made a comeback around 2010. Similarly, todays athleisure trends echo some of the popular looks of the 1980s. Generally speaking, parents can expect to see the clothes they wore growing up come back to market as their kids enter their teens.

The New Shape Of Stockings

One thing that happens when styles come back around is that they tend to evolve to reflect other stylistic changes and cultural norms. The corsets of the 1800s, for example, have turned into todays elastic waist trainers, and other types of lingerie are constantly becoming more fashionable with the changing times and materials. Stockings, which fell out of style but never quite went away, have done the same thing.

Todays hosiery largely eschew nylon in favor of more modern, durable materials, and they come in different styles depending on the wearers needs. In addition to coming in many different colors, womens pantyhose offerings include control top and butt-lifting options, sheer and opaque styles, and full-height and thigh-high options. Still, women continue to complain that hosiery is less than comfortable, and theyve discovered they often have to pay more for comfort as a result of the aforementioned shift away from nylon.

Changing Norms In Pantyhose Prices

What is the cost of truly comfortable pantyhose? This is one of the questions Elle Hunt posed when she investigated womens hosiery options for The Guardian. What Hunt found was that, while a basic pair of Marks & Spencers top seller tights might cost 6 (about $7.61 USD), the new expectation is that women today will spend at least 20 a pair ($25.38 USD)  and often much more. But, as one industry spokesman told Hunt, Any customer who is willing to pay more than 10 for a pair of tights knows exactly what they expect from them. This is where all the new features, like lifting and compressing, come into the picture.

Hosiery Hits The Catwalk

Not only have the features expected of womens hosiery expanded, but so have the styles. Rather than childish opaque tights and sheer stockings, todays hosiery tends toward high fashion. Ashley Graham wore glittering, crystal-covered tights to the Met Gala paired with a blazer in place of pants and sheer socks walked the runway at Pradas Fashion Week show. These high fashion options are shaking up stockings and shifting them from stodgy to stylish.

The good news for women is that todays stockings, while pricier on average, are more comfortable, and theyre certainly more stylish than those of the past. And, combined with shapewear elements, they bring visible benefits to your form and make your clothes fit better. Maybe they seem old-fashioned, but theyve stuck around this long for a reason. Stockings arent going anywhere, but today they are certainly making a statement.Joseph Luiz can be reached at 395-7368 or by email at jluiz@bakersfield.com. You can also follow him on Twitter @JLuiz_TBC.Sajid Javid says he has the broadest appeal of any of the Tory leadership candidates (Jane Barlow/PA)

Tory leadership hopeful Sajid Javid has said he would make a "grand gesture" to the Irish government by offering to cover the costs of a new "digitised" Irish border in order to secure a Brexit deal.

The Home Secretary, who is bidding to become the next prime minister, told The Andrew Marr Show on Sunday morning that he would make the offer to the Irish government in order to gain "good will".

He said his Brexit plan hinges on coming up with an alternative to the Irish backstop.

"I will focus on the one Brexit deal that has already got through Parliament - that was the withdrawal agreement with a change to the backstop," he said.

"[Ireland] is the tail that wags the dog on this and we need to make sure we can do more to build that good will in Ireland and build their confidence."

The so-called Irish backstop, which would see Northern Ireland remain in some form of customs union with the EU after Brexit in order to prevent a hard border, has been the major sticking point in agreeing a withdrawal agreement between the UK government and the EU.

Mr Javid continued: "In my department (Home Office) at the moment I've got border force and we've done work for months on what an alternative to that arrangement could look like and what's missing is that good will.

"What I would do is make a grand gesture to Ireland that we would cover all their costs - the upfront costs, the running costs - of a new digitised border.

"I think it could be done in a couple of years but I think we could cover their costs."The number of British nationals applying for Irish citizenship has risen significantly (Brian Lawless/PA)

More than 1,200 British nationals applied to become Irish citizens last year, new figures have revealed.

The number of British nationals applying for Irish citizenship has risen significantly since the Brexit referendum, the BBC reports.

For the first four years after Irish citizenship ceremonies were first introduced in 2011 an average of around 60 Britons a year applied.

In 2016, the year of the referendum, some 568 British nationals applied for Irish citizenship.

This number grew to 860 in 2017 before spiking to more than 1,200 in 2018.

The upward trend appears to be continuing this year, with 607 applications made up until May 30. This figure is expected to rise during the latter half of 2019 with the UK scheduled to leave the European Union on October 31.

The trend mirrors the flood of applications for Irish passports since the Brexit vote.

In 2015, there were more than 46,000 applications from Great Britain. This more than doubled in 2018 to over 98,500 Irish passport applications.

The current minimum waiting time for a first-time passport application from Great Britain is 72 working days.

Applying for Irish citizenship is a different process from applying for an Irish passport, but in order to get an Irish passport you must first be an Irish citizen.

Irish citizenship can be acquired in a series of ways, including through place of birth, Irish descent, marriage, adoption or residing in Ireland for a particular length of time.

Irish citizenship is automatic for people who were born on the Island of Ireland before 2005 or those with a parent who is an Irish born citizen.

Expand Close Justice minister Charlie Flanagan (Liam McBurney/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Justice minister Charlie Flanagan (Liam McBurney/PA)

Charlie Flanagan, Irish Justice Minister, recently remarked at a Irish citizenship ceremony in April on the "significant numbers" of applicants from the UK.

More than 300 British nationals were among the 2,400 new Irish citizens at the ceremony.

A spokesperson for the Department of Justice and Equality, when asked whether the significant rise of British nationals applying for Irish citizenship can be put down to Brexit, said: "It is reasonable to attribute this steady rise in applications from British nationals over the last three years to concerns around the outcome of the Brexit process."

Up until 2017, British nationals made up just a tiny minority of those seeking to be an Irish citizen.

In 2012, the Irish government issued more than 25,000 certificates of Irish nationality, just 85 of those were granted to Britons.

The following year, when more than 24,000 certificates were issued, only 55 were presented to people from Britain.

But between 2016 and 2017, the numbers rocketed by 400%, from 98 to 526.

The number increased again last year, when 687 people received Irish citizenship.

So far this year, the Irish Department of Justice has issued 312 certificates of Irish nationality to British applicants.Poppy wreaths and crosses place at the Narrow Water memorial have been desecrated once again.

A memorial to 18 British soldiers who died in an IRA attack at Narrow Water has once again been desecrated.

The memorial marks the spot where a British Army convoy was ambushed by two roadside bombs in August 1979.

UUP councillor David Taylor condemned the incident.

"Yet again an incident has occurred which has resulted in the desecration of poppy wreaths and crosses placed at Narrow Water near Warrenpoint," he said.

This attack is another despicable act just like the many others which have occurred at the site of the memorial dedicated to the 18 soldiers murdered by the IRA on 27 August 1979.

I say to those who perpetrate these sickening acts, enough is enough.

"The families of the 18 murdered soldiers already endure enough heartache through losing their loved ones in such tragic circumstances without having their pain further compounded when incidents of this nature occur.

I appeal for all political representatives and community leaders to do everything in their power to ensure that these attacks stop once and for all.

Sinn Fein MLA Sinead Ennis said: "There is no place for attacks like in our society and I condemn this act outright.

"Monuments and memorials are important places in communities and should be respected.

"I would encourage anyone with information on this incident to contact the PSNI."

The PSNI is investigating the incident

The memorial has been repeatedly targeted by vandals in recent years..

A lorry driver who admitted wrecking the memorial on October 4 last year was jailed for six months in February.

Robert James McKeegan, from Beech Drive in Craigavon, pleaded guilty to causing criminal damage to the Narrow Water memorial, which is owned by the Royal British Legion.A man armed with a knife and a gun has robbed an off-licence in north Belfast.

The incident occurred at around 10.40pm on Saturday evening in the Oldpark Road area.

Detective Sergeant Conlan said: We received a report that a man armed with a knife and gun entered an off-licence in the area at around 10.40pm. He subsequently made off with a sum of money and a quantity of alcohol.

"There were no reports of any injuries; however, this must have been a frightening ordeal for staff.

Its believed that there may have been two other males waiting outside the premises, and that the three headed off, on foot, towards Ardoyne.

"I am appealing to anyone who has information, or who noticed any suspicious activity in the area around that time, to contact detectives on 101, quoting reference number 2029 of 01/06/19.

Information can also be passed anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.Two men have been arrested after the altercation in Larne. Credit: Google

A man has been injured after allegedly being assaulted by a man armed with a sword in Larne.

Police arrested two men following the altercation in the Glynn Road area of Larne on Sunday afternoon.

Shortly after 12.20pm police received a report that a man armed with a sword was assaulting another man on Glynn Road.

A 38-year-old man sustained a number of injuries to his body as a result of the assault.

The suspect had made off in a black coloured car before the arrival of officers.

A car matching the description was stopped by police in east Belfast some time later and a 32-year-old male arrested on suspicion of criminal damage, common assault, theft and possession of an offensive weapon with intent to commit an indictable offence.

A samurai sword was also recovered from the car.

A 27-year-old male who was driving the car was arrested on suspicion of driving when unfit through drink or drugs.

Both men remain in police custody.A total of 226 primary seven pupils have yet to received their post-primary place (PA)

More than 200 primary school pupils in Northern Ireland have yet to be placed in a secondary school.

Primary seven pupils found out by letter on Saturday which school they will transfer to.

According to the Education Authority (EA), 226 pupils have yet to be placed.

However, 23,949 pupils (99%) transferring in 2019 have had their place in post-primary education confirmed.

Not all pupils received their first choice school.

The EA have said that 20,776 pupils had received their first choice school, with just under 3,000 pupils placed in a school that was not their first choice.

There are 1,267 more pupils moving from primary to secondary education this year, when compared to last year.

Some 2,219 more pupils are transferring when compared to two years ago.

The rise led to the Department of Education giving extra school places to 20 post-primary schools across Northern Ireland.

Most of the 413 additional places are being provided to schools in Belfast, North Down and Ards areas.

Paula Bradshaw, Alliance Party MLA for south Belfast, told the Belfast Telegraph that she has been contacted by a number of parents whose children were not offered places in their first or second choice schools despite having performed well in transfer tests and living in close proximity.

"These pupils will now have to travel great distances, getting two buses or having to get lifts from their parents," she said.

"This is a perennial problem and I met with the Education Authority in early May to discuss the issues specific to South Belfast.

"I appreciate that many post-primary schools provide excellent educational experiences and can understand their desirability; however, the Education Authority must act to ensure that all children are supported to access schools near where they live.

"It really is not acceptable for an envelop to drop on a door mat advising expectant pupils that they are going to have to travel long distances away from their homes and separated from friends, or worse still, no school at all.

"How utterly devastating for them at this crucial stage of their educational journey."

Ms Bradshaw called for a review of Northern Ireland's entire education system, adding: "In my opinion this should be a high priority for the next Education Minister."

The Department of Education can provide a "temporary variation" in numbers for schools if additional places are still required.

For example, last year 40 extra places were provided at Bangor Academy after it was heavily oversubscribed.

Parents of the 226 pupils who have not received a place will be provided with a list of schools which still have places available.

The EA has set up a helpline for parents who did not receive a letter on Saturday, or whose child has yet to receive a school place.

The number is 028 9598 5595. It will operate from 9am to 5pm on Monday.Journalists Trevor Birney, left, Barry McCaffrey outside the Royal Courts of Justice in Belfast (Brian Lawless/PA)

A UUP MLA has expressed concern after recent comments made by two nationalist politicians who sit on the Northern Ireland Policing Board about the PSNI investigation into two Belfast journalists.

Sinn Fein's Gerry Kelly and the SDLP's Dolores Kelly both criticised the police's handling of the case involving Trevor Birney and Barry McCaffrey.

Ms Kelly said police "made a huge error of judgement" by pursuing the case and Mr Kelly has called for the case to be dropped.

Mr Birney and Mr McCaffrey were arrested last year by police investigating the alleged theft of documents from the Police Ombudsman's Office.

UUP MLA Alan Chambers, who also sits on the Policing Board, said the comments by two of his Board colleagues "strayed into operational policing matters".

The advice contained in the Policing Board Code of Conduct for Board Members states that members must consult with the Chair or Chief Executive prior to accepting any requests to intervene or mediate in issues that could be considered operational policing matters as it may be perceived as a conflict of interest with the position of a Board Member and their accountability role," the North Down MLA said.

If such permission was granted by either the Chair or Chief Executive of the Board I would certainly challenge it, as the comments from Gerry Kelly are a clear example of interfering in an operational matter.

"This is not the legal role of the Policing Board. Dolores Kellys comments also stray into this territory."

Mr Chambers said operational matters and decisions taken by the PSNI are entirely the responsibility of the Chief Constable George Hamilton.

"Holding the Chief Constable to account for his operational actions is the role of the Policing Board and I believe that these public comments from two members of the Board are a clear attempt to interfere in and influence operational decisions, and are extremely unwise," Mr Chambers said.

Millions of journalistic documents and digital files were seized when Durham police raided the homes and offices of the documentary film-makers in Belfast last August with support from the PSNI.

A judge ruled earlier this week that the documents and files should be returned.

Durham Constabulary Chief Constable Mike Barton will accompany PSNI Chief Constable George Hamilton at next Thursday's Policing Board meeting.

Sinn Fein and the SDLP have been approached for comment.Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes during Derby Day of the 2019 Investec Derby Festival at Epsom Racecourse, Epsom. Press Association

Ruth Langsford suffered a nasty fall while attending the Epsom Race's Derby Day on Saturday with her husband Eamonn Holmes.

The This Morning presenter posted a photograph on Saturday showing her knees which were bruised and scratched after falling over.

She said: "So...wonderful day at the Derby until I fell over on my way out! Ouch! Before you ask...I WASN'T drunk! #fallingover 'embarrassing"

Her husband, Northern Irish television presenter Eamonn Holmes, commented on the snap, saying: "Poor you...I'll kiss them better darling."

Former Love Island star Laura Anderson also commented on the image, giving advice to Ruth on how to heal her injuries.

She wrote: "Omg Ruth. Hope youre alright, pop some savlon on after a hot bath", while her fellow Loose Women host Andrea McLean wrote: "That looks very sore."A new lifeboat to serve Irelands east coast has been unveiled in Co Louth.

The Michael OBrien joined Clogherhead RNLI.

The lifeboat, which was funded by a farmers legacy, is the first class to be named after an Irish river, the Shannon.

It arrived to a sunny Clogherhead at exactly 13.31 on Sunday, the operational number of the lifeboat.

The 2.5 million euro vessel and its launching rig represents a major investment by the RNLI in the station and moves it from a 15-knot lifeboat to a 25-knot vessel, cutting vital minutes off the time it takes for the crew to reach a casualty.

It also has greater flexibility in the water than previous vessels.

Arrival of the new @RNLI lifeboat in Clogherhead in Louth. Huge crowd turned out to watch some impressive maneuvers.



Shot using @HuaweiMobileIE p20 and edited using @googlesnapseed pic.twitter.com/4hmMlvMVFx  Robert Fitzhugh (@RobertFitzhugh4) June 2, 2019

Clogherhead RNLI coxswain Tomas Whelahan said: We were thrilled with the welcome we received on our journey home in our new Shannon-class lifeboat.

I want to thank the many people who came down to Clogherhead to see our arrival, which made it an incredibly special homecoming.

We have had a great week with the new lifeboat, getting to know it and seeing what it can do on the open sea.

It is a wonderful piece of kit, very different to our Mersey-class lifeboat, faster and more technologically advanced.

A significant proportion of the funding was provided through a legacy from Wexford farmer Henry Tomkins, who was a lifelong supporter of the RNLI.

He stipulated that a lifeboat be named after his long-time friend, the former Arklow RNLI coxswain, Michael OBrien.

The Shannon lifeboat was designed by Derry man Peter Eyre, who as a child was rescued by Lough Swilly RNLI in Donegal.

The new lifeboat arrived at Clogherhead after leaving Poole in Dorset earlier in the week.

On the way to its new home, the lifeboat crew stopped in Arklow as a tribute to Mr OBrien.

Approaching the beach at Clogherhead, the vessel was flanked by lifeboats from neighbouring RNLI stations at Howth, Skerries and Kilkeel, creating a flotilla for the watching crowds.Jurgen Klopps men will show off their trophy on an open-top bus parade in Liverpool on Sunday (Peter Byrne/PA)

Tens of thousands of Liverpool fans are expected to line the citys streets on Sunday to give a heroes welcome to the team after their Champions League triumph.

Jurgen Klopps men will savour a victory parade after Liverpool were crowned champions of Europe for a sixth time in Madrid on Saturday night.

Thousands of fans watching on TV in Liverpool city centre spilled out of pubs and into the streets to begin a huge street party following the final whistle on their 2-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur.

Congratulations to @LFC for winning the #ChampionsLeague!

A victory parade tomorrow 2nd June means that there will be changes to services throughout the city.



Find out more: https://t.co/X8iy6l3exX #LFCParade #UCL #ChampionsLeague pic.twitter.com/guBqxLofv7  Liverpool City Council (@lpoolcouncil) June 1, 2019

Despite celebrating long into the night, fans will again take to the streets in homage to their heroes as the players show off their trophy on an open-top bus.

The parade, which starts at 4pm, will begin at Allerton Maze, south Liverpool, and travel northbound on Queens Drive towards the Fiveways roundabout and Rocket flyover.

From there it will journey along Queens Drive, Mill Bank, West Derby Road, Islington, Leeds Street and The Strand before finishing at Blundell Street, along the citys UNESCO World Heritage waterfront.

Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson tweeted: Make sure you get to your vantage points around the City on time to welcome home the victorious @LFC the Liverpool team bus parade route is below and starts at 4.00 pm. Have great day and well done Liverpool FC.

Make sure you get to your vantage points around the City on time to welcome home the victorious @LFC the Liverpool team bus parade route is below and starts at 4.00 pm. Have great day and well done Liverpool FC  pic.twitter.com/JO9D9EW7QG  Joe Anderson (@joeando58) June 1, 2019

The parade takes place when Liverpool is already staging two major events  River Festival Liverpool and the Bordeaux Wine Festival  which are already expected to attract tens of thousands of people to the city.

Liverpool City Council said significant travel disruption was expected around the parade route.

Travel advice is available at www.merseytravel.gov.uk.Theresa May has said she is looking forward to building on the strong and enduring ties between the UK and US as she prepares to welcome Donald Trump to Britain.

Flying aboard Air Force One, the US president and First Lady Melania Trump took off from an air base near Washington DC on Sunday evening local time and are due to land at Stansted Airport on Monday morning.

The Prime Minister said the state visit would mark a significant week for the special relationship between the two countries, and provide an opportunity to further strengthen the partnership.

On the eve of Mr Trumps arrival, his ambassador to the UK, Woody Johnson, waded into the Huawei controversy and the possibility the Chinese company could be involved in building Britains 5G network.

Expand Close State visits to the UK by US presidents (PA Graphics) Press Association Images / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp State visits to the UK by US presidents (PA Graphics)

He said he would caution the UK Government to move much more slowly on the decision and warned the impact on intelligence arrangements was to be determined if the UK involved the company.

In a sign of divisions within Cabinet over the issue, Home Secretary Sajid Javid said he would not want any company, whichever country its from, that has a high degree of control by a foreign government, to have access to our very sensitive tech communications.

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt also expressed concerns, telling US TV station CBS the UK would never take a decision that affected our intelligence-sharing capability with the United States.

He added: We have to ask as Western countries whether it is wise to allow one country to have such a commanding monopoly in the technologies that were all of us going to be depending on.

It is thought Mr Trump and Mrs May will discuss the issue this week.

The PM is expected to attend a state banquet hosted by the Queen at Buckingham Palace on Monday evening, where Mr Trump and the monarch will make speeches.

On the eve of his visit, the PM said: This is a significant week for the special relationship and an opportunity to further strengthen our already close partnership.

During his state visit to the UK the president and I will be taking part in an historic commemoration of the D-Day landings and the sacrifice our armed forces made 75 years ago.

And as we reflect on our shared history and honour those who fought so bravely on the beaches of Normandy, we also look to the future.

She said the relationship between the two countries had underpinned their security and prosperity for many years and will continue to do so for generations to come.

We do more together than any other nations in the world. We are the largest investors in each others economies and our strong trading relationship and close business links create jobs, opportunities and wealth for our citizens.

I look forward to welcoming President Trump to the UK and to building on the strong and enduring ties between our countriesTheresa May

Our security relationship too is deeper, broader and more advanced than with anyone else. Through joint military operations, unrivalled intelligence-sharing and our commitment to Nato, our global leadership remains at the heart of international peace and stability.

So I look forward to welcoming President Trump to the UK and to building on the strong and enduring ties between our countries.

Mr Trump and his wife Melania will arrive on Monday morning and be officially welcomed by the Queen, the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall at Buckingham Palace.

He will then 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, accompanied by 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.The sun rises over Juno beach near Graye-sur-Mer in France (Steve Parsons/PA)

Thousands of people are preparing to mark the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings at a series of commemoration events in the UK and France this week.

Senior politicians and members of the Royal family as well as hundreds of veterans are set to attend ceremonies to remember what is considered one of the most important events of the Second World War and the biggest amphibious invasion in military history.

More than 200 veterans have boarded a cruise ship charted by the Royal British Legion to attend the events while others are descending en masse on Portsmouth and Normandy.

Expand Close The shadow of a Royal Navy rating falls on the names on one of the panels on the Portsmouth Naval memorial in Southsea (PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp The shadow of a Royal Navy rating falls on the names on one of the panels on the Portsmouth Naval memorial in Southsea (PA)

Key ceremonies acknowledging the operation  which saw thousands killed and injured after it launched on June 6 1944  include the UKs national commemoration event on Wednesday which will be attended by the Queen and Donald Trump.

Representatives from other allied countries as well as Germany are expected to attend the event at the Portsmouth Naval Memorial involving 4,000 military personnel, 11 Royal Naval vessels and 26 RAF aircraft.

US president Mr Trumps attendance has led to a mass security operation and claims his presence will take the focus away from veterans.

The Hampshire port city will be the focus of other commemorative events throughout the week while international attention shifts to France.

Other events are planned for Poole and Duxford alongside hundreds of smaller gatherings around the UK.

Later in the afternoon, veterans Harry Read, 95, and John Hutton, 94, will parachute into Normandy in honour of comrades they lost when they first made the descent 75 years ago.

Expand Close D-Day veteran Harry Read, 94, is helped into his skydiving harness at Old Sarum Airfield, Salisbury, Wiltshire (Ben Birchall/PA) PA Archive/PA Images / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp D-Day veteran Harry Read, 94, is helped into his skydiving harness at Old Sarum Airfield, Salisbury, Wiltshire (Ben Birchall/PA)

Alongside around 280 paratroopers they will take part in the descent onto fields at Sannerville  the drop zone for the 8th Midlands Parachute Battalion during D-Day.

Mr Read, a 20-year-old wireless operator with the Royal Signals, said: I will enjoy the jump.

It might be a little bit tricky, but Im willing to have a go.

But also in my heart I will be thinking of my mates.

I have lived one of the most fulfilled lives that its possible for a person to live and they havent.

Mr Hutton  known by his friends as Jock  was 19 when he served in the 13th Lancashire Parachute Battalion. The experienced parachutist is not at all fazed by the prospect and said there was nothing strange about the task.

Expand Close (PA Graphics) Press Association Images / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp (PA Graphics)

That evening a vigil and silent march will take place at Pegasus Bridge which was the scene of a 15-minute skirmish to take hold of the pathways over the Caen Canal and River Orne. This was the first British objective to be achieved on D-Day.

On Thursday, a service of remembrance takes place at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire.

Theresa May will make one of her final official appearances as the British Prime Minister during the D-Day commemoration events.

She will begin her tour on Thursday morning at an inauguration ceremony which will see a sculpture unveiled at the British Normandy Memorial site overlooking Gold beach which is being built to honour those who died during the Battle of Normandy between the D-Day landings and August 31 1944.

Then she will join the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall for a service of remembrance at Bayeux Cathedral.

Expand Close Dignitaries will pay their respects at Bayeux (Jonathan Brady/PA) PA Archive/PA Images / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Dignitaries will pay their respects at Bayeux (Jonathan Brady/PA)

This is followed by a second service at the the Bayeux War Cemetery  the largest Commonwealth War Graves Commission site of the Second World War in France  where wreaths will be laid.

Later that day, an international ceremony takes place at Juno beach  which has led to criticism for French president Emmanuel Macron over his refusal to attend.

Instead, he plans to emphasise the role played by French soldiers and resistance fighters in the invasion.

His critics described his absence as an affront to allied veterans. Officials in Paris said French presidents only take charge of international D-Day commemorations on round number anniversaries, such as the 60th.

Mr Macron will participate in a series of Franco-British and Franco-American commemorative events with Mrs May and Mr Trump, but is leaving his prime minister Edouard Philippe to take charge at Juno beach.

As a result the ceremony, which had been expected to be one of the high points of commemorations, is being avoided by most other world leaders too, with only Justin Trudeau, the Canadian prime minister, and Charles Michel, his Belgian counterpart, expected to join Mr Philippe.

Expand Close French president Emmanuel Macron sparked controversy over his refused to attend a ceremony at Bayeux War Cemetery (Stefan Rousseau/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp French president Emmanuel Macron sparked controversy over his refused to attend a ceremony at Bayeux War Cemetery (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

On the same day, he will join Mr Trump at Omaha Beach to award the Legion dhonneur, Frances highest honour, to five US veterans aged between 94 and 100.

Meanwhile, many veterans will flock to the Normandy town of Arromanches for the week.

This overlooks where one of the Mulberry harbours  the concrete portable blocks towed over from Britain to allow vehicles to land  called Port Winston was set up, allowing 2.5 million men to arrive there.

Activities on Thursday will mark key events in the operation including the exact moment the first British soldier landed on Gold beach. That afternoon, veterans will parade through the town before enjoying a display.

The Voices of Liberation sound installation, capturing the recollections of those who fought and the families of those who died, is also available for visitors to hear in Portsmouth and Bayeux from Wednesday to Sunday.Sajid Javid says he has the broadest appeal of any of the Tory leadership candidates (Jane Barlow/PA)

Tory leadership hopeful Sajid Javid has said he would consider scrapping the top rate of income tax in a bid to boost the economy.

Speaking to the Sunday Telegraph, Mr Javid said: Im a low tax person, adding: I think [cutting taxes] can pay for itself, it leads to more dynamism in business.

Mr Javid points to George Osbornes move to cut the top rate of tax from 50p to 45p, which saw tax revenues increase.

If it can be demonstrated that a further cut in the additional rate can raise more taxable revenues that should be looked at, he said.

Meanwhile, his leadership rival Michael Gove is said to be prepared to delay Brexit until the end of next year rather than leave without a deal on October 31.

A source close to Mr Gove told the Telegraph: Simply trying to go for no deal before the UK is properly prepared will lead to a general election with Jeremy Corbyn in Downing Street and risks Brexit being cancelled altogether.

Expand Close Environment Secretary Michael Gove is reported to be prepared to delay Brexit rather than leave without a deal on October 31 (Jonathan Brady/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Environment Secretary Michael Gove is reported to be prepared to delay Brexit rather than leave without a deal on October 31 (Jonathan Brady/PA)

Mr Javid said he would step up planning for a no-deal Brexit if he becomes the next prime minister, but said Parliament would do everything to try and stop no deal as an outcome.

He said his absolute focus would be on getting a deal, but added he would focus on mitigating the effect of no deal on the economy if he was unable to reach an agreement with the EU.

I would prepare for a no-deal Budget, which would include a significant amount of economic stimulus, he says.

That would include significant tax cuts for business, for personal income, it would include stepped up infrastructure investment.

Mr Javid  the son of a Pakistani bus driver  is trying to position himself as someone who can win over both traditional Tory supporters and new voters.

My background, my own story allows me to connect in a very special way with the vast, vast majority of the electorate, he said.

I would prepare for a no-deal Budget, which would include a significant amount of economic stimulusSajid Javid

He added: I think Britain over many decades has changed into what I would easily call the most successful, multi-racial democracy in the world.

So I dont personally feel that [my ethnicity] is an impediment in any way.

Others in the leadership race promising tax cuts to boost their appeal include Dominic Raab and Jeremy Hunt.

Mr Raab has pledged to cut income tax by a penny a year  5p over the course of a Parliament to just 15p in the pound for the basic rate  which critics have claimed would cost 25 billion.

Mr Hunt, on the other hand, is using tax cuts to woo businesses, suggesting slashing corporation tax to Irish levels of 12.5% from the 19% it sits at currently.

Chancellor Philip Hammond expressed his concern over too many pledges to cut taxes.

Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, he said: If we are tempted down this route, we abandon one of our partys proudest achievements and most enduring hallmarks: fiscal responsibility.

And then, when the next General Election comes, we will find ourselves standing naked in front of a Labour Party which knows no fiscal discipline at all and will always outbid us in a war to borrow the most.

So far, a dozen Conservatives have joined the race become the next prime minister after Theresa May resigns as Tory leader on June 7.

Former Commons leader Andrea Leadsom, like fellow contender Mr Javid, has said she would be prepared to leave the UK without a deal and that she would not advocate an extension of any kind.

She has set out a three-point plan to deliver Brexit, including introducing legislation to guarantee citizens rights for Brits in the EU and Gibraltar and EU citizens in the UK.

Writing in The Sun on Sunday, she said: As Prime Minister, it will be clear that in all circumstances the UK will leave the EU at the end of October.

We owe it to the country, and to our strong democratic tradition, to fulfil the instruction that our voters gave us.

I am a passionate, pragmatic and positive believer in Brexit, and with my three-step plan, we can decisively leave the EU.

Expand Close Andrea Leadsom has set out a three-point plan to deliver Brexit (Victoria Jones/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Andrea Leadsom has set out a three-point plan to deliver Brexit (Victoria Jones/PA)

Meanwhile, Chief Secretary to the Treasury Liz Truss has announced she is backing Boris Johnson to be the next PM.

In an article for the Mail on Sunday, she said: Boris Johnson is the person with the credibility and oomph to lead at this crucial time and bring Britain with us.

We share a deep optimism about the power of individual creativity and enterprise to deliver progress and prosperity, she added. Only by standing up and making the case for popular, free-market conservatism will we have any hope of winning the next election and leading Britain into the future.Pope Francis has apologised to the Roma ethnic minority for their history of discrimination in Europe.

The pontiff also paid homage to Romanian Catholics persecuted during communist rule as he wrapped up the third and final day of his visit to the country with a message of forgiveness.

Francis reached out to the minorities of Transylvania during the deeply symbolic visit about 20 years after St John Paul II made the first papal trip to the majority Orthodox country.

In his final stop before heading back to the Vatican, Francis visited a community of Roma, also known as Gypsies, in a newly built Catholic church that was so small organisers asked the clergy to leave to make more room for Gypsy families to get in.

Expand Close Pope Francis visited a Roma community on the last day of his visit to Romania (Andreas Solaro/Pool Photo via AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Pope Francis visited a Roma community on the last day of his visit to Romania (Andreas Solaro/Pool Photo via AP)

There, Francis apologised for the many experiences of discrimination, segregation and mistreatment experienced by your communities, a reference to the second-class status of the Roma minority in Romania and throughout Europe, where Roma are more likely to be poor, uneducated and at risk of harassment, according to European Union studies.

Francis recently met members of Roma communities in the diaspora at the Vatican and knows well the hardships they face.

History tells us that Christians too, including Catholics, are not strangers to such evil, Francis said, in an apparent reference to World War Two-era deportation of Roma along with Romanian Jews that is commemorated by a Holocaust memorial in Bucharest.

I would like to ask your forgiveness for this, Francis said. I ask forgiveness  in the name of the Church and of the Lord  and I ask forgiveness of you. For all those times in history when we have discriminated, mistreated or looked askance at you  and were unable to acknowledge you, to value you and to defend you in your uniqueness.

Francis has made it a point to use his trips and meetings with foreign leaders to ask forgiveness for past injustices, just as John Paul did.

Expand Close Pope Francis apologised for the mistreatment of Roma people (Andreas Solaro/Pool Photo via AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Pope Francis apologised for the mistreatment of Roma people (Andreas Solaro/Pool Photo via AP)

He apologised to indigenous peoples for the colonial-era conquest of the Americas while in Bolivia and during a Vatican meeting with the president of Rwanda, apologised for the failures of Catholics in the Rwandan genocide.

Roma are often among the poorest and least educated citizens in Central Europe.

Neighbouring Hungary, for example, has been warned by the EU about the discrimination of Roma children in education.

The EU Agency for Fundamental Rights reported last year that 80% of the Roma population in Europe is at risk of poverty, and that hate-motivated crime and harassment were preventing their inclusion in society.

Francis began the day by beatifying seven Greek-Catholic bishop martyrs in Blaj, a stronghold of the Greek-Catholic Church that was outlawed during communism. The seven bishops had been arrested and imprisoned between 1950 and 1970 for adhering to their faith.

Expand Close Pope Francis presides over the beatification of seven martyred bishops (Vadim Ghirda/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Pope Francis presides over the beatification of seven martyred bishops (Vadim Ghirda/AP)

Francis held them up as models for the Romanian faithful today, saying they gave their lives to oppose an illiberal ideological system.

These lands know well how greatly people suffer when an ideology or a regime takes over, setting itself up as a rule for the very life and faith of people, diminishing and even eliminating their ability to make decisions, their freedom and their room for creativity, he said.

He warned that new ideologies were threatening Romanian families today  an apparent reference to gender issues, gay marriage and other secular trends that Francis has previously blasted as Western ideological colonisation over others.Donald Trump claims Mexico has taken advantage of the United States for decades (Evan Vucci/AP)

A top White House official has said US President Donald Trump is deadly serious about slapping tariffs on imports from Mexico.

But he acknowledged there are no concrete benchmarks being set to assess whether Mexico was stemming the flow of migrants enough to satisfy the administration.

Acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney told Fox News Sunday: We intentionally left the declaration sort of ad hoc.

So, theres no specific target, theres no specific percent, but things have to get better. They have to get dramatically better and they have to get better quickly.

He said the idea is to work with the Mexican government to make sure that things did get better.

Mr Trump claims Mexico has taken advantage of the United States for decades but that the abuse will end when he slaps tariffs on imports next week in a dispute over illegal immigration.

Mr Trump tweeted on Sunday: America has had enough.

The president said last week that he will impose a 5% tariff on Mexican goods on June 10 to pressure the government of Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador to block Central American migrants from crossing the border into the US.

Mr Trump said the import tax will increase by 5% every month until October, topping out at 25%.

Hes absolutely, deadly serious, Mr Mulvaney said.

Mexican officials are due to meet later this week with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in a bid to come to a resolution.

Mr Mulvaney said Mexico could take various steps to decrease the record numbers of migrants at the border.

Mick Mulvaney on the President's threat to impose tariffs on Mexico:

He is absolutely, deadly serious. I fully expect these tariffs to go on to at least the 5 percent level on June 10th the President is deadly serious about fixing the situation at the southern border. #FNS pic.twitter.com/edZNTteiEW  FoxNewsSunday (@FoxNewsSunday) June 2, 2019

He suggested the Mexican government could seal its southern border with Guatemala, crack down on domestic terrorist organisations and make Mexico a safe place for migrants seeking to apply for asylum.

There are specific things that the Mexicans can do, he said.

Economists and business groups are sounding alarms over the tariffs, warning they will hike the costs of many Mexican goods Americans rely on.

But Mr Mulvaney downplayed those fears, saying he doubts business will pass on the costs to shoppers. American consumers will not pay the burden of these tariffs, he said.

He also suggested the tariffs were an immigration issue, separate from the trade deal the US is trying to negotiate with Mexico and Canada.US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says the Trump administration is willing to talk to Iran with no preconditions.

But he added that the United States will continue its campaign of pressure against the Islamic Republic.

Tensions have risen between the two countries, and that has led to fears of open conflict.

Mr Pompeo is in Switzerland for talks with Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis. Switzerland represents US interests in Iran.

Expand Close US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis (Samuel Golay/Keystone/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis (Samuel Golay/Keystone/AP)

Americas top diplomat says the US is prepared to engage in a conversation with no preconditions. Were ready to sit down with Irans leaders.

But Mr Pompeo also made clear that the American effort to fundamentally reverse the malign activity of this Islamic Republic, this revolutionary force, is going to continue.

President Donald Trump has signalled willingness to talk with Irans leadership.

Iranian officials have hinted at the possibility but have also insisted they will not be bulled.BILD am SONNTAG: Mr Juncker, what are the three most important characteristics a Commission President has to have?

Jean-Claude Juncker: He has to be a good listener, he has to know the Member States very well, or else he wont hear whats going on at grass-roots level, and he has to be able to sleep little but well. 

Does Manfred Weber have these characteristics?

Juncker: He is a good listener and has sufficient knowledge. 

Lesen Sie auch Chef de lUE Juncker exige Plus de femmes, moins de commissaires Monsieur Juncker, quels sont les trois qualites les plus importantes que doit posseder le president de la Commission?

Will he be your successor?

Juncker: The President of the European Commission is proposed by the European Council and elected by the European Parliament. I am only involved on the margins. 

Do you want him to succeed you?

Juncker: There are several candidates, so theres no sense in me favouring one of them, but like Manfred Weber I am a member of the European Peoples Party, which is the largest political group, so its logical that he will become President. 

Your Competition Commissioner, Margarethe Vestager, didnt state that she would also like to be Commission President until after the elections. Unlike Mr Weber she didnt stand as a lead candidate. Is she eligible nonetheless?

Juncker: I dont interfere in my Commissioners life plans. Ms Vestager has been a very competent Commissioner, and now that she has expressed her willingness to lead the Commission she is one of the people eligible to be elected. 

Lesen Sie auch Interview with Juncker How was that with the Greeks, Mister Juncker? The head of the European Commission shares humorous and shocking secrets from his decades at the top level of European politics

EU-Commissioner Margrethe Vestager  Next President of the Commission should be a woman Margrethe Vestager (51) ends her term as EU antitrust chief this year, but ... Maybe 2019 will become HER year?

Could she be a good President?

Juncker: Yes, she could, and so could my first Vice-President Frans Timmermans, the Social Democrats lead candidate. 

Auch Interessant



Up to now the Commission has been somewhat of a mens club - only nine of your twenty-eight Commissioners are women.

Juncker: When I put my Commission together five years ago, the Member States only proposed one woman! I made sure that at least nine women had posts out of the twenty-eight. I agree, this situation is ridiculous, there are still too few women. That applies to all the other top jobs in the EU. Sixty percent of all graduates are women, so the minimum is that half the Commissioners should be female. 

What about the size of the Commission? Does every Member State really need its own Commissioner?

Juncker: I have called several times for the number of Commissioners to be reduced. There is simply not enough work to keep 28 Commissioners busy all day. This is why I revamped the Commission, appointed Vice-Presidents and greatly reduced the number of portfolios. My successor will have to take similar measures if the Member States cannot agree to reduce the number of Commissioners. 

During your term in office the UK voted for Brexit and the number of right-wing populists in the European Parliament rose sharply. What went wrong?

Juncker: Its too easy to blame the Commission President for everything. The UK government is responsible for Brexit. 

Are the national governments also to blame for the rise of populism?

Juncker: Governments have a habit of congratulating themselves for what goes right and blaming Brussels for what goes wrong. Its no wonder that anti-European tendencies are on the rise. The question now is how to deal with populists. Theres only one way: to take a clear stand against them. Our opposition will be a factor in whether they become a threat to Europe. 

Anti-Europeans will make up a quarter of the new Parliament.

Juncker: We have to differentiate between Eurosceptics and anti-Europeans. Theres certainly nothing wrong in a healthy scepticism about the EUs everyday activities. I become a Eurosceptic at least once a day. 

Can you give me an example?

Juncker: A recent example is that probably five of my Commissioners will now become Members of the European Parliament. However, the Commissions term will not end until November. Each Member State has the right to appoint a new Commissioner for the remaining four months. This would cost the European taxpayer a million euro per Commissioner, for relocation, staff and the lifelong pension which every Commissioner gets, no matter how long he or she has been in office, because the Member States have decided that this is so. Im trying to stop this. 

How do you think the Commissioners should be replaced then?

Juncker: The work of the departing Commissioners can easily be shared out among the remaining Commissioners for four months. If heads of state or government insist on replacing them, no citizen will understand this! 

What advice would you give to your successor?

Juncker: I would advise him or her to make more energetic public statements to counter the repeated attempts to smear the EU. The Commission should set up an anti-fake-news department which would do nothing else but expose these lies. We have been too hesitant about this in the past. 

You were heavily criticised in Hungary and Poland because of the EUs migration policy, Orban even had anti-Juncker posters put up.

Juncker: Hungary is attacking me because of a decision made by the other Member States based on a Commission proposal. People always act as if the Commission were allowed to take decisions on its. This would be good, but its not the case. 

On climate protection, its Germany who is violating the objectives of the Paris Agreement. Shouldnt there be scope for stronger sanctions in such cases?

Juncker: Im no great fan of sanctions, as they make the conversation more difficult. Countries are like wild horses, punishing them is not the way to tame them. 

What was your most difficult decision during your term as Commission President?

Juncker: The Greek rescue. 

Your most difficult interlocutor?

Juncker: Donald Trump says I was his worst interlocutor. He calls me a brutal killer. But I knew how to get along with him - like killers do. 

What will you miss most about Chancellor Merkel?

Juncker: She is a lovable work of art, and I feel sad when a work of art is taken from me. But that wont happen any time soon. 

Where do you see the EU twenty years from now?

Juncker: I would like people to treat the EU with greater respect and affection instead of constantly doing it down. I would also like the Member States to try to learn more about each other. I am sad that the Luxembourgers know nothing about the Sami and the Bavarians nothing about the Sicilians. After all, we have a common European destiny! 

Is it true that you have been living in a hotel for the past five years?

Juncker: Yes, thats true - the Commission President doesnt have a residence. I have been living in a hotel apartment measuring 50 square metres for 3250 euro [per month]. Donald Tusk doesnt have a residence either, by the way. The NATO Secretary-General, on the other hand, lives in a stately home, and invites us there sometimes when we need a rest. All the ambassadors have residences too - I know many of them. 

That means you did a lot of visiting.

Juncker: 'A lot' would be overdoing it. The biggest problem was that I couldnt invite anyone home. I cant talk to official visitors sitting on my bed! On the other hand, when I flew to visit them by commercial airliner, I was always invited to their private residences. 

The Commission doesnt have its own aeroplane?

Juncker: No. When I was talking to Donald Trump, I was constantly looking at my watch so that I wouldnt miss my flight home. Trump kept saying, Your plane can wait! He didnt realise that I didnt have my own aeroplane. Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 2/6/2019 (941 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

In this undated file photo, provided by DreamWorks, American forces storm Omaha Beach during the World War II D-Day landing in France in a scene from the 1998 film "Saving Private Ryan." THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP/DreamWorks, David James, File

OTTAWA - A selection of films and books about the Normandy invasion:

FILMS

Storming Juno (2010): Movies mentioning Canada's role in the D-Day landings are hard enough to come by, let alone one actually focused on Juno Beach. Storming Juno attempts the feat, focusing on a group of Canadian soldiers who land in Normandy. Described more docudrama than feature film, it includes re-enactments and interviews with some of those who were there when the landing craft ramps dropped.

D-Day: The Sixth of June (1956): The biggest invasion in history isn't plot enough for this film, which uses it as merely the backdrop for one of those three-way wartime romances. Robert Taylor is the Yank and Richard Todd the Brit who are both in love with plucky Red Cross worker Dana Wynter. Both men end up part of the same British-American-Canadian operation that goes ashore ahead of the invasion to take out a big German gun, and only one comes back alive.

The Longest Day (1962): Arguably the most comprehensive and authentic film about the Normandy invasion. Darryl F. Zanuck's three-hour-plus, star-studded epic shows events from the German and French perspectives, but it is largely an American story featuring the likes of John Wayne, Henry Fonda and Robert Mitchum. There are two brief references to the Canadian involvement, and a brief scene showing a pair of Luftwaffe fighters strafing Juno and Sword beaches. Apart from that Canada is represented by Paul Anka, who wrote the theme song.

Up From the Beach (1965): A sequel to The Longest Day but rather nondescript. It features some of the same cast as the original, including Red Buttons, as it tells the story of American GIs working their way up to the Normandy villages.

A Foreign Field (1994): Leo McKern and Alec Guinness star in this little-known, highly emotional BBC-produced drama about British and American veterans gathering for the 50th anniversary commemoration of D-Day.

Saving Private Ryan (1998): Steven Spielberg's seminal war epic hailed as opening with the most realistically brutal filmed depiction of the Normandy landing ever. But it's American all the way in its story of a squad of GIs assigned to find a private somewhere amid the chaos of the invasion and return him to America.

Band of Brothers (2001): This epic HBO miniseries is a sort of followup to Saving Private Ryan, produced by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg, with the same eye for bloody combat detail. The second chapter, entitled Day of Days, is quite visceral as members of the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne parachute into France on the eve of the invasion to take out some German shore guns.

Ike: Countdown to D-Day (2004): A bald Tom Selleck stars as Gen. Dwight Eisenhower overseeing the Normandy invasion plans. Several brief references to the Canadians are made but no actual battle scenes. Filmed in Australia by veteran writer-producer Lionel Chetwynd, a McGill University graduate who was also part of The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz.

BOOKS

The Juno Beach Trilogy. By Mark Zuehlke. Douglas and McIntyre.

D-Day: Juno Beach, Canadas 24 Hours of Destiny. By Lance Goddard. Dundurn.

Lena's Story: The D-Day Landings. By Patricia Sinclair. Driverworks Inc.

Fields of Fire: The Canadians in Normandy. By Terry Copp. University of Toronto Press.

On Juno Beach: Canada's D-Day Heroes. By Hugh Brewster. Scholastic/Madison Press.

Guns of Normandy: A Soldier's Eye View, France 1944. George G. Blackburn. McClelland and Stewart.

D-Day June 6, 1944: The Climactic Battle of World War II. By Stephen Ambrose. Touchstone.

The D-Day Landing Beaches: The Guide. By Georges Bernage. Heimdal.

D-Day 1944, Vol. 4: Gold & Juno Beaches. By Ken Ford Oxford. Osprey.

D-Day: The First 24 Hours. By Will Fowler. Lewis.

Bloody Victory: Canadians and the D-Day Campaign. By J.L. Granatstein and Desmond Morton. Lester Publishing.One minute, it was dangling off the back of an icebreaker into the waters of the High Arctic. The next, the crucial piece of gear was gone.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 2/6/2019 (941 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Seismic gear is deployed from the CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent in the Arctic Ocean in a 2015 handout photo. A 2,100-page report has been submitted to the United Nations that Canada will use to argue for control over a vast region of the Arctic sea floor. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO- Geological Survey of Canada, Natural Resources Canada MANDATORY CREDIT

One minute, it was dangling off the back of an icebreaker into the waters of the High Arctic. The next, the crucial piece of gear was gone.

"We got pinched," recalls Mary-Lynn Dickson. "You're clearing a path, but the ice moves in and we got pinched."

Dickson was the lead scientist on a 2,100-page report just submitted to the United Nations that Canada will use to argue for control over a vast region of the Arctic sea floor.

It was 2016. She was on her third expedition far north of Ellesmere Island, and the ice had just clipped the team's last underwater microphone, called a streamer.

Without it, there was no way to record signals rebounding off the sea floor  the whole point of the trip.

They were hundreds of kilometres from anywhere. The first rule of Arctic science was in force: If something breaks, you fix it or you don't have it.

Dickson threw the ball to her technical team.

"By the next morning they said, 'We can build a new one out of spare parts,'" she says. "We called it the Frankenstreamer. It wasn't pretty, but it worked."

Thanks partly to the Frankenstreamer, Canada makes a strong case that the North Pole is part of its True North, Dickson says.

All coastal nations claim 200 nautical miles off their shores as exclusive economic zones.

Beyond that may lie something call the extended continental shelf. If a country can prove that the shelf exists off its coast and that it's connected to the country's land mass, it can be claimed.

Peering through sometimes thousands of metres of icy water to prod the bottom beneath was what Dickson and her colleagues on the Coast Guard's Louis St. Laurent were trying to do.

The task was large and time was short. The science agenda was packed and almost every hour of the cruise was accounted for.

Researchers looked at the thickness and origin of sediment layers.

They made precise measurements of water depth.

They analyzed geochemistry.

They considered the type, age and structures of rocks hauled from the deep. "They're so precious they're like moon rocks," Dickson says.

They reconstructed how the modern sea floor was built from ancient tectonic plates.

They compared the rocks they were finding with data collected on High Arctic islands.

"It all pulled it together in making a complete package and, I think, convincing arguments as to why this continental margin is part of the land mass," Dickson says. "It's connected to the Canadian continental margin off of Ellesmere Island  physically connected."

All this happened through ice so tough it sometimes stymied two icebreakers and so unpredictable the team lost two locator beacons when the ice pan they were on drifted away. They were recovered nine months later east of Greenland by the Danish navy.

Scientists worked on the St. Laurent's back deck through freezing winds, blizzards, thick fog and bright sun.

"It was beautiful," Dickson says. "I loved it."

Russia and Denmark, which have made competing submissions to the United Nations, also argue that two undersea ridges beneath the Arctic Ocean are connected to their land masses. Maybe they're right, says Dickson.

"They can be. You can all be right. I don't want to speak for the Russians or the Danes, but I think we all agree the Lomonosov Ridge is continental material."

The work, which cost $43 million over the three cruises, is now before the UN commission that is to examine data from the three countries to ensure the science has been done correctly.

It will take years of negotiations between the three to draw any lines on the map. The action will move to meeting rooms and conference centres.

Dickson much preferred the rear deck of a windswept icebreaker. She calls her Arctic sailings a highlight of her career.

"I was 20 years old again on the back of that ship."

 Follow Bob Weber on Twitter at @row1960VANCOUVER - As wildfires raged near the central British Columbia community of Lac la Hache, emergency officials struggled to transmit life-saving information to residents.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 2/6/2019 (941 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The community of Lac la Hache in central British Columbia is set to receive faster internet service as part of a trial by ABC Communications using Huawei technology. A view of a lake in Lac la Hache is shown in a handout. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Monika Paterson, *MANDATORY CREDIT*

VANCOUVER - As wildfires raged near the central British Columbia community of Lac la Hache, emergency officials struggled to transmit life-saving information to residents.

Slow and spotty internet meant some people couldn't download maps telling them where dangerous fires had broken out in the summer of 2017, said Al Richmond, director of the electoral area that contains the town.

"So much of the information we send out is very detailed and in large packages, so if you have slow internet service it takes a great deal of time to get that," Richmond said.

The community will soon have faster wireless service through a trial project from ABC Communications using Huawei Technologies equipment. The Chinese company is pushing ahead with a strategy to enhance connectivity in rural and northern Canada, despite the political firestorm surrounding its presence in Western markets.

While much of the debate has focused on whether Huawei should participate in building the next generation of wireless technology in Canada, known as 5G, the company's already extensive presence in the country's 3G and 4G networks has faced less scrutiny.

Huawei is continuing to supply equipment to improve internet access in underserved markets. Remote communities and telecommunications companies are eager to install the technology, but a security expert says Canada should be wary of Huawei expanding its influence.

"There are security concerns relating to Huawei generally as a corporation," said Richard Fadden, a former national security adviser to the prime minister. "Everything they do and all their technology is susceptible to being used by the security authorities of the Chinese state.

"The older the equipment, the more focused it is, the more limited it is, the lesser the threat. But I would argue that the issue isn't only 5G ... it's the idea that Huawei, as a Chinese corporation, is required by Chinese law to assist the Chinese security authorities."

China has a law that requires companies to co-operate and assist with national intelligence investigations. Its government has a very aggressive approach to information and intelligence gathering, so there is always a risk, Fadden said.

Huawei's chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou, was arrested at Vancouver's airport in December at the request of U.S. authorities who want to extradite her on fraud charges. Soon after, China detained two Canadians, Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, who were formally arrested and accused of spying.

On Thursday, U.S. Vice-President Mike Pence pledged to urge China to release the two Canadians during his government's free-trade talks with the People's Republic.

The Trump administration has broadly banned companies from buying any Huawei equipment, forcing carriers to scrap or rethink rural connectivity projects. Canada has not indicated it's contemplating a similar ban, although it is reviewing security concerns associated with 5G technology.

Huawei, founded by Meng's father, Ren Zhengfei, began its business serving rural areas in China, said the company's public affairs director, Christopher Pereira. The company has been in Canada since 2008, employing hundreds of people, and Pereira said it has never had a security incident in Canada.

The company submits to third-party scrutiny in multiple locations around the world and meets or exceeds all network cyber security standards, he said in an email.

"Huawei could very well be the most closely scrutinized company in the world right now. If there was any evidence whatsoever of a security risk, you can be sure it would be publicized widely and loudly. But zero evidence has been presented."

Pereira said companies choose Huawei's equipment in rural and northern parts of Canada because of its reliability and affordability. The company's 3G and 4G technology has been deployed across the Far North including in Iqaluit and Inuvik, he said.

Bob Allen, CEO of ABC Communications, said Huawei provided its Massive MIMO Rural Broadband System for the Lac la Hache trial at no cost and in turn ABC is providing the labour. There was no financial incentive provided for the trial, but ABC will provide feedback to Huawei that will help with product development, he said.

There are only a handful of companies worldwide providing state-of-the-art equipment for LTE networks, Allen said, adding Ericsson and Nokia do not target the rural market globally so there are really no technology partners other than Huawei for ABC to use.

"The amount of R&D required to be a leader in this space takes massive capital and size and no Canadian companies are in that position," Allen said.

Huawei's roots in Canadian wireless internet run deep. Bell and Telus have deployed the company's equipment, and Saskatchewan's Crown-owned telecommunications firm, SaskTel, has spent millions on Huawei technology.

Ryan Meili, leader of the Opposition NDP in Saskatchewan, has asked the government for a clear accounting of how much Huawei technology is in place in the province and an analysis of what the impact would be if Canada bans the company from 5G.

SaskTel said in a statement that it uses Huawei equipment for components of its 4G/LTE wireless network, but not in its core network. It also noted the equipment is tested regularly for malicious software.

Bell conducted a 4G service trial using Huawei technology in the Ontario towns of Orangeville, Feversham and Bethany last year. It has since expanded service to more than 60 communities in Ontario and Quebec and will reach about 140 by the end of the year.

The service is intended to be 5G capable in the future, said Bell spokesman Nathan Gibson in an email.

"Our wireless network is supported by more than 20 infrastructure partners (Nokia, Netcomm, Huawei, Juniper, Cisco and Ciena to name a few), and all of them must adhere to Bell's strict security standards and federal government regulations," he said.

Orangeville Mayor Sandy Brown said internet access is still inadequate in his town and he's open to any company, including Huawei, playing a role in improving it, as long as their equipment has been federally approved.

"I think internet is becoming part of the infrastructure, like water and sewer lines. If you don't have good internet, then businesses aren't attracted to your community."

 Follow @ellekane on Twitter.OTTAWA - Andrew Scheer says he has removed Michael Cooper from the justice committee over comments the Conservative member of Parliament made last week.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 1/6/2019 (942 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Conservative MP Michael Cooper rises during question period on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on October 6, 2016. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

OTTAWA - Andrew Scheer says he has removed Michael Cooper from the justice committee over comments the Conservative member of Parliament made last week.

The Tory leader says it was "insensitive and unacceptable" for Cooper to quote the suspected Christchurch shooter to a Muslim witness during a parliamentary hearing.

Cooper has apologized for reading an excerpt from a manifesto written by Brenton Tarrant, accused of killing 51 people at two New Zealand mosques, to the witness.

He says he "quoted the words of a white supremacist anti-Muslim mass murderer in an ill-advised attempt to demonstrate that such acts are not linked to conservatism."

Cooper says he should not have said those words or named the perpetrator.

Scheer says he told Cooper, who represents St. Albert-Edmonton, that as a consequence of his actions he will no longer sit on the justice committee.

He also says he now considers the matter closed.OTTAWA - Some facts and figures about the D-Day landings in Normandy on June 6, 1944:

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 2/6/2019 (941 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

German prisoners taken by Canadian troops at Juno Beach, D-Day, during the invasion of Europe, on June 6, 1944. THE CANADIAN PRESS/National Archives of Canada, Frank L. Dubervill, PA-133754, *MANDATORY CREDIT*

OTTAWA - Some facts and figures about the D-Day landings in Normandy on June 6, 1944:

TARGET: Allies land on French channel coast along five Normandy beaches stretching about 80 kilometres west from River Orne.

BEACHES: From west to east, Utah (U.S.); Omaha (U.S.); Gold (Britain); Juno (Canada); Sword (Britain).

FEATURES OF JUNO: Eight-kilometre strip of summer resorts and villages scattered over flat land behind low beaches and a sea wall. Many Canadians in first wave race to cover of sea wall. D Company of Queen's Own Rifles loses half its strength in initial sprint from water to seawall about 180 metres away.

ENEMY AT JUNO: About 400 soldiers of 716th Infantry Division man concrete gun positions sited to fire along beach. Zones of fire calculated to interlock on coastal obstacles intended to rip bottoms out of invading boats. Gun positions protected by mines, trenches, barbed wire.

SHIPS: More than 7,000 vessels manned by 285,000 sailors. Royal Canadian Navy contributes 110 ships and 10,000 sailors.

SOLDIERS: 130,000 ashore by nightfall, including about 14,000 Canadians.

VEHICLES: 6,000 tracked and wheeled vehicles and 600 guns land.

PLANES: More than 7,000 bombers and fighters available. Allied planes fly about 14,000 sorties June 6, against about 250 by Luftwaffe.

D-DAY CASUALTIES (killed, wounded and missing): Canada: 1,074, including 359 killed; U.S. 6,000; Britain: 3,200. Germany figures unreliable because of confusion in retreat.

CAMPAIGN CASUALTIES (killed, wounded and missing): In 2-plus months of Normandy campaign (June 6-Aug. 21) Germans lose 450,000 soldiers, Allies 210,000. Canadian casualties total more than 18,000, including more than 5,000 dead.

ALLIED LEADERS: Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower (U.S.), Supreme Commander, Allied Expeditionary Force. Gen. Sir Bernard Law Montgomery (Britain), Field Commander, D-Day Forces.

CANADIAN LEADERS: Gen. Harry Crerar, Commander 1st Canadian Army. Maj.-Gen. Rod Keller, Commander 3rd Canadian Infantry Division.

DIVISIONS INVOLVED: Canadian 3rd Infantry Division; British 3rd and 50th Infantry Divisions; U.S. 1st and 4th Infantry Divisions. (All had armoured units attached).Gardai are hunting for a gunman who shot a man in the stomach in west Dublin last night.

It happened outside a busy Lidl shopping centre on Blakestown Road in Blanchardstown.

The victim of the attack, a man in his 40s, looked for shelter in the busy Lidl supermarket where he was soon assisted by Dublin Fire Brigade paramedics before being rushed to hospital.

His condition has been described as "serious but not life-threatening". It is understood the man suffered a gunshot wound to the stomach.

The incident occurred around 5.20pm yesterday evening.

A spokesperson for Lidl said last night they were not in a position to comment at present as the incident is under investigation by gardai.

A large garda presence remains in the area today and a car found burned out nearby is also being examined to see if it may be connected to the attack.

Sinn Fein Councillor Paul Donnelly said it is sadly becoming an all too frequent occurrence in Dublin 15, adding that action is needed to stop the drugs gangs that are ripping the local community apart.A 50-year-old man is expected to appear before a sitting of the Dublin District Court on Monday, charged in connection to a fatal hit and run in Dublin.

The man, who was arrested on Friday, remains in Garda custody.Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size The Morrison government is defying calls from a key crossbench senator to intervene on behalf of a newlywed whistleblower due to face court this week. The whistleblower, Richard Boyle, faces more than 160 years in prison if convicted of breaching laws on handling public documents and recording phone calls when he spoke out on the Australian Taxation Offices mistreatment of taxpayers. Speaking for the first time since being charged, Mr Boyle said he felt he had been persecuted by the ATO and Centre Alliance senator Rex Patrick has described the governments whistleblowing protections a sham. Mr Boyle, a former tax employee, became a whistleblower last year, exposing a toxic culture and abuse of power inside the ATO. Since then he has lost his job, had a breakdown, suffered insomnia and a series of stress-related heart issues after being charged with 66 offences, totaling 161 years in jail, more than some of the countrys worst murderers and rapists. In a joint media interview with The Age, Sydney Morning Herald and ABC 7.30, Mr Boyle described his battle with depression.

Advertisement

"I feel like I almost died from the stress. I feel like they almost killed me and were trying to kill me," he said. "Ive had some dark moments. Its taken a huge toll on my mental health. I couldnt work. I couldnt sleep and my health spiralled into what I describe as a devastating situation." I feel like I almost died from the stress. I feel like they almost killed me and were trying to kill me Richard Boyle He married his sweetheart of seven years Louise Beaston last weekend, in spite of their uncertain future. "I received the charges in January and we decided we couldnt wait any longer," he said. "We have been incredibly stressed and we decided we needed to celebrate the little things in life and continue on together." ATO whistleblower Richard Boyle marries fiance Louise Beaston in Adelaide. Ms Beaston said they had been together for seven years and they decided they couldnt wait any longer. "It was just a total leap of faith to go ahead and make this day happen this year and our friends and family couldnt be happier for us," she said.

Advertisement

"It was the best day of my life It was just nice to have a day where you didnt have to think about things." Mr Boyle became an internal whistleblower in 2017 when he made a disclosure under the provisions of the Public Interest Disclosure (PID) Act 2013 to the ATO. His allegations were investigated by a senior ATO investigator and dismissed. He alleged that some ATO staff were instructed to use an aggressive debt collection practice, known as garnishee notices, which allows the ATO to seize funds from the bank accounts of Australian taxpayers, without notice or consideration of their circumstances. Loading "When we were categorically instructed to take money out of peoples bank accounts when due process hadnt been followed, I couldnt stomach that. I had to go public because the ATO didnt take my claim seriously," he said. The ATO offered Boyle a settlement over an alleged breach of the Public Service Code of Conduct, offering him a payout and a statement of service, with no admission of liability.

Advertisement

But he would have to sign a gag order to prevent him speaking publicly about what he knew. He declined and went public in a joint Age, Herald and Four Corners media investigation. His home in Edwardstown, south west of Adelaide, was raided and his laptop and phone seized. At the time, the ATO said protecting taxpayer confidentiality was critical for the integrity of Australias tax and super systems. It turned Mr Boyles world upside down. "From the raid I have been in a state of anxiety wondering what was going to come next." But he said if people didnt speak up, "how are we going to change things?" In January he was charged with counts including telephone tapping without the consent of all parties and making a record of protected information. In a statement the ATO said it would be inappropriate to comment on a matter that was before the courts. It said its process and procedures in relation to making Public Interest Disclosures were up-to-date and fully compliant.

Advertisement

"The Commissioner of Taxation undertook an investigation into Mr Boyle which led to charges being laid by the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions (CDPP) alleging a range of breaches of the law," the statement said. "The ATO cannot comment on prosecution decisions, which are made by the CDPP, however, we note that the charges relating to Mr Boyle concern the alleged disclosure of confidential taxpayer information, recording and disclosing tax file numbers, and the use of listening devices." Centre Alliance Senator Rex Patrick says whistleblower policies a sham. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen / Fairfax Media Senator Rex Patrick, whose Centre Alliance party is set to hold two crucial seats in the Senate following last month's election, has become a powerful ally for Mr Boyle. He has called on Attorney-General Christian Porter to use his powers of intervention to halt the prosecution of Boyle on the grounds of public interest. This is a truly tragic and chilling situation for whistleblowers in Australia. Senator Rex Patrick "This is a truly tragic and chilling situation for whistleblowers in Australia," he said. "Theres a very strong message thats being sent to people inside the ATO  if you blow the whistle, youre history.".

AdvertisementEchinacea. Garlic. Vitamin C. Everyone has a cold and flu remedy they swear by.

But a top pharmacist says there is little evidence these so-called natural remedies actually work.

And some common ingredients, such as echinacea and turmeric, can cause more harm than good.

Mixing prescription medicines with complementary remedies can make matters worse. Credit:Chepko Danil

If people insist on taking them, it is important they consult a pharmacist to check the supplements they are taking don't interact with other drugs, warns top pharmacist Geraldine Moses in an editorial published in Australian Prescriber on Monday.A man in his 20s has refused to speak with police after he was found at the Gold Coast University Hospital with a gunshot wound to his leg.

Police were called at 5.30pm on Saturday to investigate but a police spokesman said the man was not co-operating with officers.

The spokesman said despite not having a complaint filed with them, police were continuing investigations.

"They have had to work around him to try to understand what happened," he said.

"A crime scene was also set up at the man's home in Helensvale yesterday because we believe the incident may have occurred there."Doctors in palliative and aged care facilities may be walking away from their fields out of fear of being punished for overprescribing opioids or accused of facilitating voluntary assisted dying.

Anecdotal evidence of a "perfect storm" of "two converging fronts" - a national crackdown on high prescription rates for opioids, and fears of palliative care being misconstrued as assisted dying - shows some practitioners are scared of being falsely accused when trying to provide quality care to their patients.

Doctors who administer opiods to patients at the end of life may fear being accused of over-prescribing or assisting death. Credit:Michel O'Sullivan

Queensland Professor Geoffrey Mitchell, along with peers from QUT, the University of New England and the University of Technology Sydney studied the consequences of these two issues in a new paper.

Published in the peer-reviewed Medical Journal of Australia on Monday, the paper concluded that in Australia, out of 12 death cases taken to court, no doctor had been criminally charged.The Liberal Party is conducting a secret investigation into sitting senator Jim Molan's rogue re-election campaign which could lead to disciplinary action against him and key acolytes.

Molan allies including party elder Walter Villatora, John Crawford and Sean Burke could face repercussions for their unauthorised campaign that asked voters to disobey Liberal how-to-vote cards and instead vote below-the-line in support of Senator Molan.

Liberal senator Jim Molan ran an unsuccessful campaign encouraging supporters to vote for him below the line. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

In a separate matter under review, former Liberal MPs Joanna Gash and Ann Sudmalis are under the microscope for campaigning for the Nationals' candidate Katrina Hodgkinson - instead of the Liberal candidate Warren Mundine - in the seat of Gilmore.

Senator Molan is accused of confusing voters, undermining or breaching the Coalition agreement with the National Party and jeopardising the Liberal campaign by recruiting volunteers who should have been helping other candidates.Labors new Home Affairs spokeswoman, Kristina Keneally, has vowed to put a blowtorch on Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton over the largely overlooked blowout in asylum seekers arriving by plane over the past four years.

Senator Keneally, one of the winners among new Opposition Leader Anthony Albaneses frontbench appointments, quickly had to defend herself against verbal attacks from Mr Dutton, who said she had a record of not supporting tough border protection measures.

Kristina Keneally during Labor's failed election campaign. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

She said she supported boat turnbacks, offshore processing and regional resettlement but insisted they had to be done humanely.

Mr Dutton had been taking credit for stopping asylum-seeker boats with measures that had in fact been the work of now Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Senator Keneally said.Hong Kong: China was "correct" to send the army into Tiananmen Square in 1989 because it led to "stability", China's Defence Minister Wei Fenghe has declared.

The public comments on the eve of a sensitive 30th anniversary of the crackdown have broken the usual silence from Beijing about the Tiananmen Square bloodshed that resulted in the deaths of thousands of students. It showed the confidence of the Chinese military to say that "pressure worked", said one analyst.

General Wei is the first Chinese defence minister to attend the ShangriLa security summit in Singapore in a decade, where senior defence figures from 20 nations gathered.

His approval of the Tiananmen Square crackdown came in response to questions at the end of a provocative speech in which he attacked US President Donald Trump's trade policy and US moves to get closer to Taiwan.She described the ship "advancing slowly but inevitably towards the dock." She said "the bow of the ship crashed hard into the bank with its massive weight crushing a big piece of it. Sirens were wailing loudly; it was a very dramatic scene." When the cruise ship rammed the river boat, she said the smaller vessel looked like it was "made of plastic or paper" rather than steel. Venice is a tremendously popular site for both tourists and cruise ships, especially during the summer tourist season. The collision happened at about 8:30am on the Giudecca Canal, a major thoroughfare that leads to Saint Mark's Square. Credit:Italian Firefighters In footage shot on board the ship by Australian tourist Robert Lauretti, the vessel is seen ramming into the pier with its horn blasting as people below run for their lives.

A number of Australians can be heard exclamining "oh my god" and telling each other to hold on. "I don't know what happened, I've got no idea what happened," one passenger can be heard saying. "What happened is the dickhead steering the boat didn't steer it right ... I just hope nobody got hurt down below," another passenger can be heard saying. Mr Lauretti spoke with Nine's Today Show on Monday morning, and said he was surprised that the impact of hitting the pier "didn't jolt that much."

"We were all bracing quite hard, but oddly enough you could hardly feel the actual impact," he said. Mr Lauretti said he and his fellow passengers had received apologies from the cruise ship company, but no explanation yet for why it happened. The crash happened in "the first 24 hours of the first cruise" he had ever been on, Mr Lauretti said. However, while he said he wouldn't come to Venice by boat again, he was confident enough in the ship's seaworthiness to want to continue to the next port. The cruise is now due to leave Venice on Monday morning local time (Monday afternoon in Australia).

"Hopefully the next port will be slightly less of a bang getting in," Mr Lauretti said. A spokeswoman for Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Australia said the department is "aware of reports that five tourists, including two Australians, may have been involved in the cruise ship accident in Venice, Italy overnight. "We stand ready to offer consular assistance." The cruise ship's owner, MSC Cruises, said the MSC Opera was about to dock at a passenger terminal in Venice when it had a mechanical problem. Two tugboats guiding the cruise ship into Venice tried to stop the ship, but they were unable to prevent it from ramming into the river boat.

"The two tugboats tried to stop the giant and then a tow cable broke, cut by the collision with the river boat," Davide Calderan, president of a tugboat association in Venice, told the Italian news agency ANSA. Calderan said the cruise ship's engine was locked when the captain called for help. MSC Opera, which rammed into a dock and a tourist river boat in Venice on Sunday. Credit:AP Following the collision, calls for banning cruise ships in Venice, long a source of contention in the over-extended tourist city, were renewed. For many, the crash served as a wake-up call. Opponents say cruise ships are out-of-scale for Venice, cause pollution, and endanger the lagoon's ecosystem.

"Obviously, we've seen today that our worst fears have come true," said Jane Da Mosto, an environmental scientist and executive director of We Are Here Venice. Her group backs efforts to ban cruise ships from Venice. "There were 111 people on the river cruise boat that the big ship crashed into. They could have all died," she said. She said the cruise ship could have ploughed through the concrete embankment and "hit houses, monuments and crowds of people." "The port authority, the government ministers, the other institutions have often tried to ridicule the resistance movement against the cruise ships, saying that an accident like this could never occur. The government shouldn't be so weak in giving in to the pressure of the lobby groups, like the cruise ship companies." Italian Coast Guard officers inspect a tourist boat that was struck by the cruise ship. Credit:AP The collision occurred four days after a river cruise ship collided with a sightseeing boat carrying South Korean tourists in Hungary's capital, killing seven and leaving 21 others missing.

Not everyone in Venice is opposed to the cruise ships. Pasqualin, the woman who witnessed the collision, counted herself among those prior to Sunday's crash. "I've always been positive about the ships, but I have to admit I've started to change my mind now, because this was a tragic, terrible and dramatic scene," she said. Italian officials said the collision underscored the need to ban cruise ships from using the busy Giudecca Canal, but they stopped short of calling for a ban on cruise ships. "Today's accident in the port of Venice proves that cruise ships shouldn't be allowed to pass down the Giudecca anymore," said Danilo Toninelli, Italy's transport minister. "After many years of inertia, we are finally close to a solution to protect both the lagoon and tourism." The incident comes after the street artist Banksy shared a video of a person setting up an installation of paintings in Venice, depicting a giant cruise ship blocking the view of the city and capsizing the city's famous gondoliers. In the footage, a sign next to the paintings described the installation as: "Venice in oil".Beirut: The Israeli military says its aircraft have struck Syrian army targets after rockets were fired at the Golan Heights, and Syria's state media said three soldiers were killed in the second such flare-up in a week.

Syrian television reported big explosions near Damascus before dawn and said air defences had "confronted the enemy".

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Credit:AP

The Israeli military said it struck Syrian artillery and aerial defence batteries in retaliation for Saturday's firing of two rockets at the Israeli- occupied Golan Heights.

An Israeli military spokeswoman said it was still unclear who had fired the rockets but the Syrian army was held responsible for any attack launched from Syrian territory.Virginia Beach: Four were engineers who worked to maintain streets and protect wetlands. Three were right-of-way agents who reviewed property lines. The others included an account clerk, a technician, an administrative assistant and a special projects co-ordinator. In all, they had served the city of Virginia Beach for more than 150 years.

These 11 city employees and one contractor were wiped out Friday when a fellow city worker opened fire inside a municipal building. A day after the shooting, city officials sought to honour them by sharing their job titles and years of service in a sombre slideshow.

The 12 victims of the Virginia Beach shooting. Top row from left are Laquita C. Brown, Ryan Keith Cox, Tara Welch Gallagher and Mary Louise Gayle. Middle row from left are Alexander Mikhail Gusev, Joshua A. Hardy, Michelle "Missy" Langer and Richard H. Nettleton. Bottom row from left are Katherine A. Nixon, Christopher Kelly Rapp, Herbert "Bert" Snelling and Robert "Bobby" Williams.

"They leave a void that we will never be able to fill," said City Manager Dave Hansen, who had worked for years with many of the dead.

Police Chief James Cervera identified the assailant as DeWayne Craddock, who had been employed for 15 years as an engineer with the city's utilities department. He declined to comment on a motive for the rampage, which ended with Craddock's death in a gun battle with officers. City officials uttered his name just once and said they would not mention it again.Honiara: Australia will fund $250 million worth of urgently needed projects across the Solomon Islands, as Scott Morrison tries to convince our Pacific neighbours not to open diplomatic channels with China.

The Prime Minister will announce the grants in Honiara on Monday, as part of his first post-election overseas trip. The money will finance a range of projects over 10 years, and will complement the $2 billion infrastructure fund Mr Morrison has established for the Pacific.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison and his wife Jenny greet Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare (right) after arriving in the Solomon Islands on Sunday. Credit:AAP

The Chinese government is pressuring the Solomon Islands to cut ties with Taiwan and sign up to Beijings multibillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative.

The Solomons is one of a handful of Pacific nations that recognises Taiwan as an independent state, rather than a province of China.Latest News MoneyMe to acquire SocietyOne Deal brings together two of the fastest-growing brands in the non-bank space

Resimac makes key broker channel hires Two new GMs to bolster broker support

The Mortgage & Finance Association of Australia (MFAA) has announced the appointment of a new director, effective immediately.

Mark Haron, director of mortgage aggregator Connective, will bring his extensive knowledge covering strategic management, operations, sales, relationship management, compliance and governance to the association.

Over the past year, throughout the tumult of the royal commission, the MFAA has shown itself to be a true industry leader, having created, organised and activated the highly effective Dont Kill Competition campaign, Haron said.

I am pleased to be able to lend my experience and expertise to the efforts of the MFAA as it continues to play a critical role in assisting our great industry to evolve and reform, he added.

Before joining Connective in 2006, Haron was CEO of mortgage aggregator FAST, but his experience spans back to 1996 when he started out as a mortgage broker.

MFAA chairman Donna Beazley said that the new appointment will strengthen the associations ability to face the challenges involved in continuing to strengthen and grow" the industry in the future.

Mark is an experienced and highly-regarded professional who has been a stalwart of our industry for many years. The MFAA will benefit greatly from his leadership abilities and intricate knowledge of the industry, she said.Bashar al-Assad assassinated! shouted a man as he cycled past Manaf Tlass, an exiled Syrian general once a member of Assads inner circle, as he sat in an outdoor cafe in Paris in 2017. A childhood friend of the Syrian presidents, Tlass had fled Syria five years earlier, denouncing the government that he expected to fall at any moment. The cyclists cry may have suggested that this outcome was finally at hand, but Tlass greeted the news with a pained smile. Thats Ali, the guy I buy my newspapers from. He tells me this every time I see him, he ...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This is the moment the US technology superpowers surely knew was coming: The US government is preparing to crawl all over Google to figure out whether it is an abusive monopolist. Google parent company Alphabet Inc. and the other tech giants should be quaking in their fleece vests.

Bloomberg News and other news organizations reported late Friday that the US Department of Justice is preparing to open an investigation into Googles compliance with antitrust laws. If it goes forward, an investigation will no doubt be broad, lengthy, messy, and impossible for Google and its investors ...An Indian rescue team has been sent to search for eight missing climbers who had been trying to climb the summit of Nanda Devi, the second-highest peak in India, and were probably hit by a large avalanche, two state government officials said. The officials said that they had been told that those missing include climbers from Britain, the United States, Australia and India. The rescue effort began on Saturday when the climbers failed to return to base camp. It may take days to trek to the area where they were last known to have been, said Vijay Kumar Jogdanda, the top civil servant ...The Indian government said on Saturday it will continue to seek to build strong economic ties with the United States despite a decision by US President Donald Trump to end preferential trade treatment for India from June 5. In a relatively tame response to the announcement from Washington on Friday, the Indian government said it was "unfortunate" that its attempts to resolve significant U.S. requests had not been accepted. Indian officials had previously raised the prospect of higher import duties on more than 20 US goods if Trump dropped India from the program but there ...Prince Mohammed bin Zayed, the 29-year-old commander of the almost negligible air force of the United Arab Emirates, had come to Washington shopping for weapons. In 1991, in the months after Iraqs invasion of Kuwait, the young prince wanted to buy so much military hardware to protect his own oil-rich monarchy  from Hellfire missiles to Apache helicopters to F-16 jets  that Congress worried he might destabilise the region. But the Pentagon, trying to cultivate accommodating allies in the Gulf, had identified Prince Mohammed as a promising partner. The favorite son of the ...Vardhan has been at the forefront of the battle against tobacco and drug abuse and in the enactment of several laws, including the Delhi Prohibition of Smoking in Public Places. Usually investors in tobacco stocks are worried about imposition of higher taxes. Now, they also have to worry about steps the health ministry might take to cut down the consumption ...

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Israel Army on Sunday attacked Syria's military position killing three soldiers and wounding seven others.

An unnamed Syrian army official told the official state-media SANA: "Some hostile aerial targets appeared coming from the direction of the occupied Golan; immediately our air defences confronted them and downed the hostile missiles that were targeting our positions in the southwestern Damascus."

The Israeli military has also confirmed the attacks.

"The attack was in response to two rockets fired from Syria at Mount Hermon late on Saturday. One of the rockets landed in Israel, no damage or injuries were reported," tweeted Israeli army.

The Israeli military said the targets included two artillery batteries, observation and intelligence posts and an air defence unit.

This comes amid heightened tensions in the reason as Syria-ally Iran is engaged in a nuclear conflict with Israel-ally US.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Responding to Congress president Rahul Gandhi's appeal to his MPs to be aggressive in the parliament, BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain on Sunday alleged that the Congress wants to stall the parliament.

"For Rahul Gandhi, fighting against BJP is to stop parliament to function and abuse the Prime Minister and raise questions over the valour of the Army," he said.

He cautioned the Congress and said that if they continued to stall parliament proceedings, it will be difficult to get even five of their candidates elected to Lok Sabha in 2024. "Rahul Gandhi will not be able to stall Parliament this time," he stated.

Addressing a meet of Congress' newly-elected MPs, Gandhi had on Saturday said, "You are going to enjoy yourself, you are going to shout a little more than usual. You are going to have to be a little more aggressive."

He had also said: "There is no institution that is going to support you in this country, no one is going to support you. It is like during the British period, when not a single institution supported the Congress party. Yet we fought and won and we are going to do it again."

Endorsing Gandhi's views, Congress leader Tariq Anwar said that the ruling BJP has in a way captured "all institutions of the country". "That is why we should not expect to get justice from anyone," Anwar said.

Maharashtra BJP leader Madhav Bhandari reiterated Hussain's comments and said that Congress' debacle in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections is a fallout of what the party did in parliament in the last five years. "The public has seen what Congress under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi have done in the parliament in the last five years," he said.

"If Rahul and Sonia have the same attitude again in the Parliament, there will no trace of Congress in 2024 elections," he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Delhi High Court has issued notice to St Stephen's College on a plea by three faculty members challenging the decision to have an additional Christian member nominated by the institution's supreme council to be a part of the interview panel for admission of students.

Teacher members of the college governing body -- NP Ashley, Abhishek Singh and Nandita Narain -- had challenged the decision taken by the council at its meeting dated March 12, their lawyer Sunil Mathews said.

Justice C Hari Shankar on Saturday issued notice to St Stephen's and Delhi University (DU) and fixed June 12 as the next date for the hearing, according to a press release issued by him.

"The Stephen's teachers were represented by Sunil Mathews, Sabah Iqbal Siddiqui and Babita, who argued that the decision of the Supreme Council went against the constitution of Stephen's college which expressly prohibited interference of the Supreme Council in the administration of the college," it said.

"The counsel also pointed out the observation of the Supreme Court in the St. Stephen's case of 1992 where the Supreme Court had held that admission of students was an essential facet of the administration of the college," the release said.

"It had also approved of the selection mode which at that time only had the principal and teachers of the department concerned conducting the interviews for admission of students," it said.

On May 17, the student union and staff association of the college staged a protest against the alleged interference of the church authorities along with a member of the institution's supreme council in a panel to select students.

They also wrote an open letter to the college principal, urging him to develop communication opportunities with them.

The supreme council is a subset of 6 members of the governing body of the Church of North India. The chairperson of both the council and governing body is the Bishop of Delhi and the member secretary is the principal.

According to the college constitution, the supreme council will control the religious and moral instruction of the students and all matters affecting its religious character as a Christian college of the Church of North India. It shall have no jurisdiction over the administration of the college.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu has appealed to the people to study, analyse and debate the draft of New Policy and not to come to hasty conclusions.

Observing that core issues of were very important and deserve the attention of all stakeholders, he said that reducing the load of school bags, promoting sports, inculcating morals, scientific and rationale temperament, history and the contribution of the freedom fighters should become a part of the curriculum.

Inaugurating a two-day conference on 'Industry Academy Interaction for Improvement of Quality of Academics' organised by the Indian Institute of Petroleum and Energy (IIPE) here, Naidu called for establishing a symbiotic relationship between academia and the industry to create an ecosystem for innovation to thrive and generate employment for the youth.

Calling for a revamp of the system so that the graduating students were fully equipped with skills to meet the needs of the industry or agriculture or have the aptitude and skills of a risk-taking entrepreneur, the Vice President said the students must not only be employable but also possess life skills, language skills, technological skills, and entrepreneurial skills to enable them to be gainfully employed or self-employed.

Pointing out that the Indian universities did not figure in the top 100 ranking global universities, the Vice President urged universities and educationists to introspect and improve the standards.

"We cannot have a system that operates at a sub-optimal level. We cannot have an education system that produces a large number of unskilled and unemployed youth. Every year, lakhs of students are passing out of the portals of higher education institutions with a majority of them lacking employable skills," he said.

"All stakeholders need to work together to vastly improve the quality of education and research. There is also a need to promote academia-industry knowledge clusters for promoting innovation-oriented research. India should be among the leading countries in publishing quality research papers in peer-reviewed international journals, and in obtaining patents for innovations.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)White House counsel Emmet Flood, who had been Trump administration's point person dealing with the investigation into the Russian meddling in the 2016 US Presidential election, will leave his post on June 14, President Donald Trump announced on Saturday.

In a tweet announcing his departure, the US president thanked the veteran lawyer for doing an "outstanding job" in handling the investigation.

"Emmet Flood, who came to the White House to help me with the Mueller Report, will be leaving service on June 14th," Trump tweeted. "He has done an outstanding job -- NO COLLUSION - NO OBSTRUCTION! Case Closed! Emmet is my friend, and I thank him for the GREAT JOB he has done," Trump wrote on his official Twitter handle.

[{923e52c1-c6dc-4d0d-bd5b-c4045309245d:intradmin/tweet_1_exSaa8A.JPG}]

Flood's departure was expected, as he had been looking for the exits since the waning days of the Mueller investigation and had indicated to Trump weeks ago that he was likely to leave soon.

Trump and Flood met on Friday in the Oval Office to discuss the timing of the latter's exit from the White House, a source familiar with the meeting told CNN.

"Flood's role has been winding down since the release of the Mueller report," said the source. "Mr. Mueller himself has stated that the investigation is over and he is returning to private life. And so over the next couple of weeks, Emmet will wind down his role as well."

Flood was also the part of a team of lawyers who represented former US president Bill Clinton during his impeachment proceedings.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Everything is fine between Janata Dal-United (JDU) and the BJP, said Chief Minister Nitish Kumar here on Sunday while negating the growing perception of a rift between the two allies after his party did not join Prime Minister Narendra Modi led NDA government at the Centre.

Kumar, who was talking to media persons after the oath-taking ceremony of eight new ministers, Kumar said: "There were vacancies from the JD-U quota in the ministry. So, JDU leaders were inducted. There is no issue with the BJP. Everything is fine between the two parties."

Echoing similar sentiments, Deputy Chief Minister and BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi said: "JDU has inducted ministers from its own quota. We have our vacant slots in the state Council of Ministers, which will fill in the future."

Eight new ministers who were inducted in the state's Council of Ministers are Ashok Chaudhary, Shyam Rajak, Laxmeshwar Prasad, Bhima Bharati, Ram Sevak Singh, Sanjay Jha, Neeraj Kumar, and Narendra Narayan Yadav. They were administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor Lalji Tandon at Raj Bhavan on Sunday.

Earlier, negating talks of a rift between BJP and JDU over the allotment of only one ministerial berth in Prime Minister Modi's new Cabinet, Rajak told ANI: "The Democratic Alliance (NDA) is intact. People are merely spreading rumours."

Another JDU leader Neeraj Kumar, who also took oath as a minister today, had said: "JDU will never leave the NDA. Ministry formation is the prerogative of the Chief Minister."

Former Bihar unit Congress chief Ashok Chaudhary, who was inducted in the ministry today, also said the NDA is intact in Bihar.

The JDU on May 30 decided to not be a part of Prime Minister Modi's new ministry, rejecting the BJP's offer of only one ministerial berth.

"BJP wanted only one person from the JDU in the Cabinet. It would have been just symbolic participation. We informed them that we do not need the Cabinet berth," Chief Minister Kumar had said.

The JDU chief, who later attended Modi's swearing-in ceremony on May 30, had said: "It is not a big issue. We are in the NDA and are not upset at all. We are working together. There is no confusion."

In the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections, JDU won 16 seats in Bihar, while the BJP bagged 17. Despite being a part of the NDA, the party was also not a part of the last Central government.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A month after Anamika Arutala from the city who committed suicide after failing in the Intermediate examinations, a re-evaluation of her answer sheet by the Telangana State Board of Intermediate Education (TSBIE) declared her passed. Even as the student's family blamed it for her death the Board put out a fresh update claiming the updated passing marks were a "clerical error".

The family of the deceased student said they, along with the families of those students who has like Anamika committed suicide after the results of the Board exams were declared, will hold a protest against the state government on Sunday.

Anamika's sister Udaya Arutala told reporters here : "On April 18 the results were released in which she got low marks in Telugu, after which she committed suicide. We filed a re-verification and today the marks were updated and she was declared passed. Everyone can see whose fault it is. There was no other reason behind her death. It is all the board of Intermediate's mistake."

TSBIE, however, denied the veracity of the updated result and claimed that Anamika had got only one extra mark- much below the passing level, after re-verification of her exam sheet.

Anamika was given 20 marks in the Telugu paper when the results were first announced but was awarded 48 marks upon re-evaluation. According to the latest update by the Board, the student has got only 21 marks in the subject.

In a press statement released by the TSBIE, the Board said it was not responsible for the student's death.

"Family is alleging TSBIE responsible for Anamika's suicide. We deny this allegation and will provide proof of answer scripts in which marks have changed from 20 to 21 after re-verification. The subject experts of Telugu subject have re-verified answer scripts of Anamika in the board exam. After completion of re-verification, she secured 21 marks. But her marks were wrongly uploaded as 48 instead of 21 because of clerical mistake in the spot valuation camp."

The TSBIE has also constituted a committee to inquire the issue and the error committed in uploading the marks.

"The Board will initiate action against those responsible for this error", the board said.

After Intermediate Board results were released on April 18, thousands of students were declared failed and reportedly around 26 students committed suicide for failing.

Later after a High Court order, the TSBIE conducted a re-verification of exam sheets of all the students who failed and found that 1137 students had passed and their initial results were uploaded wrongly.

Telangana Congress Working President and MP Revanth Reddy also hit out at the Board and tweeted, "Inter board mistake costed Anamika her life. Reverification proved she didn't fail. Globarina & Inter Board should be held responsible for her death and Sections 302, 304A & 306 should be booked.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)US President Donald Trump on Sunday claimed that his recent remark on Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, was misinterpreted.

Trump sparked a new debate, prior to his first official state visit to the United Kingdom (UK), when he called Markle 'nasty' in an interview with the Sun tabloid last week.

On Sunday, Trump suggested that his remarks on Meghan had been taken out of context.

"I never called Meghan Markle 'nasty'," the President tweeted.

"Made up by the Fake News Media, and they got caught cold! Will @CNN, @nytimes and others apologize? Doubt it!" he added.

Trump had previously used the same word to describe his Democratic opponent during a 2016 Presidential debate, calling Hillary Clinton a "nasty woman," words that later sparked controversies and became an outcry of the anti-Trump movement, The Washington Post reported.

In addition, during the 2016 election campaign, Markle had also called Trump "misogynistic" and "divisive." The then American actress also said that she might move to Canada if Trump was elected President. Instead, two years on, she married Prince Harry and became part of Britain's royal family.

But in Britain, Trump's remarks ahead of the trip also echoed concerns that Markle's past political activism might make things awkward for the royal family, which is not supposed to voice political views publicly.

She started to speak out against sexism as a child and never hid her other personal convictions throughout her acting career, including her thoughts on US politics.

However, by breaking a royal protocol, Markle has opted out of the British royal family's meeting with the Trumps.

The Duchess, who just gave birth a couple of weeks ago, is likely to be hanging out at Frogmore Cottage with her newborn son, Archie, enjoying the peace and privacy of her maternity leave.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa will begin a four-day visit to Sweden, beginning June 3.

"Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa is embarking on a four-day official visit to Sweden from June 3 to June 6. The bilateral goodwill visit is on the invitation by the Chief of the Swedish Air Force," the IAF said in a statement on Sunday.

Dhanoa is scheduled to visit various operational and training units and interact with senior functionaries of the Swedish Air Force among others.

The visit is expected to provide an impetus towards defence cooperation and pave the way for greater interaction and cooperation between the Air Forces as well as strengthen relationships and enable engagement in productive exchanges between the two Air Forces, read the statement.

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had visited Sweden in February this year. During her visit, India and Sweden signed defence cooperation and security protection agreements.

Interestingly, Swedish Company SAAB is a contender in the Indian Air Force's multi-billion dollar 114 fighter aircraft programme.

The Swedish company is fielding its Gripen fighter jet in the contest and is pitted against American F-16, F-18A, Russian MiG-35, and French Rafale jets.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Conference leader Omar Abdullah on Sunday reacted to the row over Indian High Commissioner's Iftar party in Islamabad urging both the countries to "stop this nonsense".

Omar's response came after sources said that guests were "aggressively turned away" by Pakistani security officials from an Iftar party hosted by the Indian High Commission in Islamabad on Saturday and even calls were made to stop many of them from attending it.

Criticising the Pakistani side for their "tit for tat diplomacy", Omaar tweeted, "Stupid tit for tat diplomacy. It was stupid when we did it outside the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi & it's stupid when it's done outside our's in Islamabad. Now that it's 1-1 perhaps it's time to move on & stop this nonsense."

Indian envoy Ajay Bisaria told ANI on Sunday that "such intimidatory tactics" are "counter-productive" for bilateral relations.

"We apologise to all our guests who were aggressively turned away from our Iftar party last evening. Such intimidatory tactics are deeply disappointing. They not only violate basic norms of diplomatic conduct and civilised behaviour, but are also counter-productive for our bilateral relations," he said.

Media reports claimed that additional scrutiny was thrust upon the guests attending the party by Pakistani security officials, who also forced many to return from the event.

"Pakistani agencies virtually laid a siege on Hotel Serena on Saturday, harassed, intimidated and turned back hundreds of guests," sources told ANI on Sunday.

"Before that, they called invitees from masked numbers and threatened them with consequences if they attended the Iftar. They sunk to a new low of harassment, mostly of their own people," they added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Delhi Police Cyber Cell have arrested one man, named Rakesh, who is an IIT post graduate, for making a fake website which claimed that two crore laptops will be distributed by the central government after the formation of the new government.

CyPAD, high-tech facility of the Special Cell of Delhi Police, received information that someone had created and hosted a website by the domain name "www.modi-laptop.wishguruji.com" which was promising distribution of millions of free laptops on the occasion of the formation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's new government. A fake, promotional multimedia message using 'Make in India' logo was posted on the website to lure the website visitors to register themselves for getting the free laptop, the police said.

CyPAD registered a criminal case under applicable sections of IT Act and an investigation was taken up using technical assistance from labs of CyPAD. Later, the accused, who created the website was identified and his location was zeroed in to VPO Pundlota, Degana in Rajasthan's Nagaur district.

A team of CyPAD reached Pundlota, Nagaur, and apprehended the accused.

Rakesh, 23, is an IIT postgraduate of 2019 batch. During initial interrogation, he disclosed that he created the website to earn web advertising revenue from increased website traffic. He was aiming to capture personal data of millions of gullible citizens which could be later traded to various cyber criminals to cheat the victims and extort money from them on various pretexts.

"The accused had cleverly used Google Adsense, a program that allows bloggers and website owners to make money by displaying Google ads. There are two ways to make money from Adsense viz. Impressions (based on the number of page views) and Clicks (on the ads). The more attractive the ad, the more traffic it generates and hence, larger the revenue generated. Adsense publishers receive 68 percent of the click cost and Google takes 32 percent as commission," the statement from police read.

So far, the accused had managed to get 1.52 million views on the website and more than 68 thousand clicks. The relevant devices of accused have been seized. Further investigation is underway.

In order to popularise his website, the accused chose to launch a website offering a 'Free laptops government scheme' to general public and tried to lure them by stating that these were being distributed by the Government of India on the occasion of formation of new government. Using the Make in India logo and the picture of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he had created a website which was offering free laptops to 20 million registered users.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Chhattisgarh minister and senior Congress leader TS Singh Deo on Saturday questioned BJP's mammoth victory in the recent general elections, stating that even the winning party wasn't expecting such results and was unaware of how they managed to win.

Speaking to reporters here, Deo said, "We discussed many issues but couldn't shortlist any which may seem like a cause of defeat. People were of the view that for the first time, even BJP workers did not burn crackers after their win. They weren't even expecting these results. No sweets were distributed and despite getting 300 seats, BJP's celebration wasn't as it used to be before. When even they don't know how they won, how would we know?"

Deo also spoke against the usage of electronic voting machines (EVMs) in the election and said, "After results, it is useless to discuss this, although I personally believe that the EVM has become very controversial. Japan, Germany, US have left it, why are we still using it ?"

Taking a jibe on the usage of the EVMs, he further said, "I have political experience of 45 years. Previously we were able to predict polling with near-exact accuracy. Now the times have changed, this is new, electronic time and don't know what is happening."

Deo also said that the state Congress has passed a resolution urging Congress president Rahul Gandhi to take back his resignation from the post of party's chief.

In the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections BJP has won nine seats out of 11 in Chhattisgarh.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)An elderly Pakistan national, who was apprehended from Jammu and Kashmir's Sunderbani area, died here on Sunday.

According to the Border Security Force (BSF), the deceased had probably strayed from his territory and was struck by the heat wave.

"The man was barely conscious when he was apprehended on Saturday. Though he was given medical treatment, he couldn't survive," BSF said.

Further details are awaited.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Jordanian and Palestinian authorities on Sunday slammed Israel for allowing Jews into the Al Aqsa Mosque compound in the capital's Old City -- in the holy month of Ramadan.

It was the first time in the past three decades when non-Muslims entered the site during the final days of Ramadan, which coincided this year with the 52nd anniversary of the 'Jerusalem Day', when Israelis celebrate the anniversary of their occupation of East Jerusalem at the end of the six-day Arab-Israeli war in 1967, The Times of Israel reported.

Police said that after the decision was made to let the Israelis enter in on early Sunday morning, Palestinians inside the compound started a riot "that included hurling of stones, chairs and various objects.

Subsequently, Jerusalem District Commander Major General Doron Yadid ordered police forces to enter the Temple Mount and deal with the rioters."

Al-Aqsa Mosque, located in the Old City of Jerusalem, is the third holiest site in Islam. The mosque was built on top of the Temple Mount, known as Haram esh-Sharif in Islam.

Palestinian reports further stated that at least five people were detained and removed from the site.

Jordan's Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it "unequivocally condemns the continuation of Israeli violations against Al-Aqsa, by the break-in of extremists [to the Temple Mount] in a defiant manner with the backing of security forces," according to a Hebrew translation by the Ynet news site.

The ministry also warned of "the dangerous ramifications of the provocative Israeli policies, which could lead to a new escalation of violence that threatens the entire region."

Jordan is recognised as the custodian of the holy site as part of the 1994 peace treaty with Israel and is often quick to attack Israel when clashes erupt at the holy site.

Under an arrangement in place since Israel's victory in the 1967 war, non-Muslims are allowed to visit the Temple Mount but not to pray there. Jews are allowed to enter in small groups during limited hours, but are taken through a predetermined route, are closely watched and are prohibited from praying or displaying any religious or national symbols.

The flashpoint site is always closed to non-Muslims especially on the last ten days of Ramadan when large numbers of worshipers are at the compound. The last time the Temple Mount was closed to Jews on Jerusalem Day was in 1988 when it also coincided with the end of Ramadan.

Sunday's events followed a Palestinian terror attack in the Old City on Friday, in which a teenager stabbed and wounded two Israeli civilians -- one of them seriously -- before he was shot dead by police.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Police on Sunday seized illicit liquor worth over Rs 50 lakh and arrested one man from Farid Nagar area of Lucknow.

The illicit liquor was seized from a truck, said Kalanidhi Naithani, SSP Lucknow.

"Police has seized illicit liquor worth over Rs 50 lakh from a truck, today. A man has been arrested in connection with the case, while two others are absconding. The truck has been seized," Naithani said.

Further investigation is currently underway.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Bajrang Dal workers on Sunday stalled a Christian event and handed over its organisers to police levying accusations of religious conversion on them.

Speaking to ANI, one of the Bajrang Dal workers said, "We learned that in Kamal Barat Ghar near Jhanjhanpur police station a convention was being organised by some Christian clerics. It has been happening for the last three months and every Sunday new women are lured into it. They are persuaded to adopt Christianity and are offered to convert for good health and money. We have caught them red-handed and have brought them to the police. We will also register a case."

A woman was among the people rounded up and brought to the police station by the Bajrang Dal workers on complaints of religious conversion.

The woman, however, refuted the allegations of conversion.

Speaking to ANI, she said, "There is no such thing. We only gather at that place to pray. Most people who attend it are our relatives."

A Balyan, the dial-100 in charge of the area said, "We received information that some religious conversion was happening at a place. Both Bajrang Dal workers and the organisers have been brought to the police station and matter will be investigated.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)20.05.2019, 10:44, "anastasiya1nikolaeva1@gmail.com" < anastasiya1nikolaeva1@gmail.com > : my love, I can call you my love?

My love I with a smile have read your letter and I hasten to give you

my answer! I like your photo!

Today is my last day of work, tomorrow I'll be on vacation and I can totally dedicate yourself to our meeting!

I with the big interest expect our meeting!

I am happy, because the destiny has given us chance to be together!

I think that this happens only once in our life!

Our meeting will give the chance to us to get acquainted better with each other and to develop our relations!

Today i have good news for you!

I received a reply from Embassy:

My visa application was approved and I should go for interview in Moscow!

I have collected necessary documents for interview and Now all will depend on interview with the visa officer!

First of all, I should visit personally embassy in Moscow to begin process of official registration of papers and pass an interview with a visa officer!

I soon will go to Moscow, to begin official registration of papers for the visa.

I wrote to you about the invitation, but for reception of the tourist visa, the invitation is not required!

Now I know what direction to go and what I need to do in order for us to be together!

Our meeting will happen very soon and our meeting will be unforgettable and romantic!

Between us there are sincere feelings and I am assured, that our feelings will grow.

I know, that ours with you feelings are mutual and these feelings are real!

My world have changed, when I have met you, I no longer feel alone!

I realize that there is a person in the world who understands and supports me and this person is you!

I never felt anything similar!

I smile every time I think about you!

Yesterday I was in shop and have bought to you a gifts!

I think you'll like my gift!

I will present to you my gift in day of our first meeting!Ok?

You cannot present to yourself as I wish to meet you!

I would want that our meeting was unforgettable and I will make everything that our meeting remains in our memory for all life!

I want, that you were happy!

I wish to be the most beautiful for you! I wish to be the most desired for you

I did not have relations from the man more than 3 years! When I have met you, I have understood, that our meeting, it is my destiny!

I believe that between us there will be a big passion and we can construct beautiful love! I very much it want!

Our meeting with you is a big step forward!

I always listen to the heart, and my heart says, that together we will be happy.

What do you think about this? Do you agree with me?

My family are happy, that I have got acquainted with you and now we plan to be together!

I want, as soon as possible to be near to you!

I do not wish to lose any day from my vacation!!!

Our meeting, is the best way to get acquainted with each other!

I very much miss on you and I think of our first meeting with a smile, at me now pleasant excitement!

I hope my news will make you happy!

I send you millions my sweet and hot kisses!I'm sure my kisses reaches your lips!

I will finish my letter with thoughts of you and i with excitement shall wait for your letters!

With love Ana!



22.05.2019, 18:13, "anastasiya1nikolaeva1@gmail.com" < anastasiya1nikolaeva1@gmail.com > :

my love, I want start my letter with the good news!

This morning I have safely arrived to Moscow! I rented a small room in Moscow and the mistress of the room is a very nice woman! So do not worry about me, here I feel safe!

Now the main news: I successfully passed the interview at the embassy!

I got permission to get a visa, I got international medical insurance for all occasions, I paid a visa fee, I paid a state fee, now that I give tickets to the embassy, aaI will get a visa!

but, my expenses were higher than I originally thought, and I can not

afford to buy plane tickets! the cost of tickets 580 $, and I do not have this money! I do not know how to tell you, but I have to ask for help from you, and I'm very ashamed to do it, it's humiliating my principles, but I do not know any other way out of this situation!

I tried to find money on my own, but the banks in Moscow refused to issue a loan because I do not have a residence permit in the city of Moscow! I also asked for help from my mother and sister, but my family said that they gave me all the last money so that I could make my meeting with you, and they can not help me anymore! and now our meeting is in your hands!

I understand what I'm asking of you, but I'm asking you for help not for yourself, I ask you for help for our meeting, for our future, for the sake of our love!

I understand how my request sounds, and I hope I will not push you away from me by my request! I hope for your understanding and your help ?!

You can send your help to my Bank account.

To transfer funds, you will need the following information.

Beneficiary Customer: NIKOLAEVA ANASTASIYA VALEREVNA

Last name: NIKOLAEVA

My name: ANASTASIYA

Middle name: VALEREVNA

Account number: 40817840814094002982

Beneficiary Bank: VTB 24 (PJSC), Moscow, Russia

SWIFT: VTBRRUMM

Address of the bank: Postcode 101000, Russia, Moscow Myasnitskaya street, 35.

Address recipient-My home address: Khanti-Mansiysky Autonomous Region, city Nizhnevartovsk, Dzerzhinsky street 17, apartment 148, 628615 RU

This information will be enough so that you can make your transfer.

I hope for your help, and as soon as you help me, I'll buy tickets for the next flight, get a visa and we will be together to fulfill all our dreams and desires!

I apologize for my request again, believe me, for my part I did everything that was in my power and now our meeting is in your hands!

We have to do one last step and we will be together but this step we have to do together!

let me finish my letter, I'm very tired today and want to rest!

I will wait for your letters and answer you as soon as I have a rest! ok?

with my letter I send you all my love, from heart to heart! I send you millions of your kisses

Sincerely yours Ana!













23.05.2019, 09:24, "anastasiya1nikolaeva1@gmail.com" < anastasiya1nikolaeva1@gmail.com > :

my love, first of all I wish to tell to you Good morning, and I hope that I will be the first who will tell to you these to words in this morning!

If it is fair, I do not know from what to begin my letter, it was very a shame to me to ask you about the help because it humiliates my vital principles, and I very much was afraid to push away you from myself my request! I really did not think that I will have financial difficulties, and I will be compelled to address for the help to you, but it happens, and now I very much hope for your understanding!

I have attentively read your letter, and I really understand everything, that you wish to tell to me! Believe to me, I understand about what I ask, and I understand your doubts and anxiety, but I have coped with these doubts and anxiety, I have listened to my heart and have made the most important choice in my life, I have gone on a meeting to you! I did not regret forces and means because the love is invaluable! Yes, I have feeling of love in my heart to you and this feeling is matchless! I never felt anything similar and I hastened on a meeting to you! I hope you understand me????

Any relations are under construction on trust and mutual understanding, and I have trusted in you when have dared at this step, I have opened to you my feelings, my heart and my soul, I have opened to you my life, and I all it have made, because I trust you! Now we are in such situation where each of us has identical chances, and our future right now dares! If you want, that I was a part of your future, you should decide on, that you are ready for the sake of our love and our future!? I have done the utmost, that we were together and here now all in your hands, be not afraid to take this responsibility in hand, and you will understand that have made a correct choice!! If you doubt, then listen to your heart, it will not deceive you!

I think to you is over what to think, and I hope you will make a correct choice!!

Today we are on the threshold of our meeting and that our dreams were carried out we should make only one step, and it will be the most important step to our relations! Our destiny is under construction since this moment and the base of our destiny, this trust to each other!

I wish to write history of my love and my life together with you! I do not wish to be only a page in your life! I wish to be a part of your life! I ask you about the help not for the sake of me, I ask you about the help for the sake of our love and for the sake of our general future!

Allow me to finish my letter, but before I once again wish to tell, I love you and it not mere words! I very much hope for your understanding and your support! Please do not leave me, all only in your hands! I promise to you, that if you will help me, we will be together!

With we give to drink the letter I send you all my love, from heart to heart! Today, tomorrow and always, only yours Ana If you received a similar letter, please ignore it. Do not answer it. If you do, you will end up on more of the mailing lists used by the criminals behind this fraud. Read more....Maharashtra BJP leader Madhav Bhandari on Sunday said that Muslims were given their share in 1947, a reference to the partition of the country and formation of Pakistan.

Responding to AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi's statement that Muslims are not tenants in India, Bhandari said, "It would be good if Owaisi Sahab speaks before due consideration. No one has called him a tenant. But if he talks about the share, it was given to them (Muslims) in 1947. Now, the matter is over."

Addressing a gathering on Friday in Hyderabad, Owaisi had said that Muslims were not tenants in India and that they cannot be denied the rights guaranteed to them by the Constitution.

"We have to keep India prosperous, we will keep India prosperous. We (Muslims) are equal residents and not tenants. We are equal stakeholders here," he had said.

The Hyderabad parliamentarian had also said that Muslims need not worry after Modi's return to power at the Centre as the Constitution guarantees every citizen's rights.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)North Korea fired the same type of short-range missiles during the two weapons tests last month, according to South Korean Defence Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo.

"We see the weapons (North Korea fired on May 4 and May 9) as nearly the same type, though we are analyzing some differences," Yonhap News Agency quoted the minister as telling reporters here on Saturday.

The South Korean minister, however, stressed that more analysis was needed to verify if the missiles were ballistic in nature.

"Some have pointed out that they appear to be the same type of Russia's Iskander, and they bear many similarities. But there are some differences," he said.

This is the first time South Korea recognised that short-range missiles were test-fired by Pyongyang. The United States, on the other hand, claimed that short-range ballistic missiles were tested by the reclusive state in early May.

Furthermore, Washington strongly criticised the weapons tests, with acting US Secretary of Defence Patrick Shanahan stating that UN Security Council resolutions were violated by North Korea. The country is banned from firing ballistic missiles as per the sanctions.

North Korea's projectiles launches were largely perceived as the country's displeasure at the breakdown of the second US-North Korea summit in Vietnam in February this year. Denuclearisation talks have come to a standstill ever since.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)An Air India flight overshot the main runway of Tribhuvan International Airport here on Sunday morning.

The Airbus A320-214, which took off from Delhi in the morning for Nepal, miss-approached the runway while landing. However, it was landed back safely, said airport authorities.

"Air India's flight from Delhi on Sunday morning had over-shoot while landing at around 8:55 am. It went to Nijgadh and returned back from there at around 9:45 am," Tribhuwan International Airport General Manager Raj Kumar Chettri confirmed.

"Due to various operational reasons, in the best interest of safety, a pilot decides to Go-around. This was one such case," said Air India spokesperson Dhananjay Kumar.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Foreign Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday said the Central government "respects all languages" and "no language will be imposed," while stating that all stakeholders - general public and state governments - would be consulted before taking a final call on the three-language norm.

"The Education Policy as submitted to the Minister HRD is only a draft report. Feedback shall be obtained from the general public. State governments will be consulted. Only after this, the draft report will be finalised. GoI respects all languages. No language will be imposed," said Jaishankar in a tweet.

In another tweet in Tamil, Jaishankar said: "It is only after the recommendation of the people, the Union government will take forward the Education Draft policy. The government will promote all Indian languages. There is no intention of the government to impose any language in any part of the country."

Education Secretary R Subrahmanyam on Saturday had also clarified that no policy decision has been taken by the Central government yet and there would be no "imposition of any language in educational institutions."

"This is a draft policy submitted by the committee and is placed for the views of the general public. It is not the policy announced by the government. After getting feedback from the general public, and after consulting State governments, the Educational Policy will be finalised by the government," Subrahmanyam had said in a tweet.

"The government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is committed for equal development and promotion of all Indian languages. There will be no imposition of any language in educational institutions, nor discriminations against any language," he had added.

Even Union Human Resource Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' had on Saturday said that no language would be imposed on any state.

"The committee had been formed for drafting the New Education Policy. That committee has given its report. The report of the committee is only received by the Ministry. That is not the policy. No language will be imposed on any state," HRD Minister Pokhriyal had told ANI.

"We have received the draft report to take suggestions from the people. Somewhere this misunderstanding has happened. People think that this has become policy," he had added.

"Secondly, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and our government have decided that we will respect all Indian languages with full power and develop them. There shouldn't be any controversy over this matter," he said.

Several political parties had warned the Centre of a language war over 'attempts' to impose Hindi. Leaders cutting across party lines in Tamil Nadu have said the state has a history on the language issue and would not tolerate any imposition.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Former Bihar Chief Minister and RJD leader Rabri Devi on Sunday hosted an iftar party at her residence here.

"We hosted this iftar party in order to maintain a peaceful relationship between all the communities and to develop brotherhood among the people. I pray to God that peace and prosperity prevail in Bihar," she said while talking to reporters here.

Talking about the poor performance of the grand-alliance in the state, she said, "I am not at all worried about the results that came from the Lok Sabha polls. This situation was not only in Bihar but the condition was the same in the entire nation."

Terming people's mandate of "supreme importance", she said, "Whenever a party loses an election, the party workers and leaders do feel bad."

Several senior leaders from the party and grand-alliance including Jeetan Ram Manjhi, Shivanand Tiwari were present during the party. RJD leader Tej Pratap Yadav who was reported to be upset with his younger brother Tejashwi Yadav during the Lok Sabha polls was also present during the party.

The yearly iftar party is generally hosted by RJD president Lalu Prasad Yadav but since he is in jail, the iftar was organised by Rabri Devi this time.

RJD failed to win a single seat in the state during the recently held Lok Sabha polls while its ally Congress could win only one seat.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala on Sunday asked Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to initiate action against an IAS officer who praised Mahatma Gandhi's killer Nathuram Godse.

Citing a media report, Surjewala tweeted, "First BJP Parliamentarian Pragya Singh Thakur, then lawmaker Usha Thakur and now Maharashtra IAS officer Nidhi Chowdhary has praised Mahatma Gandhi's killer Nathuram Godse. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis should immediately initiate action against her."

The IAS officer in her tweet had praised Godse saying, "What an exceptional celebration of 150th Birth Anniversary year is going on. High time, we remove his face from our currency, his statues from across the road, rename institutions/roads named after him! That would be a real tribute from all of us! ThankU Godse for 30.01.1948."

The Godse controversy isn't new as earlier in past BJP MP from Bhopal Pragya Singh Thakur and another lawmaker from the party also gave a statement in favour of Godse while putting a negative remark on Gandhi.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Senior Congress leader Peter Alphonse on Sunday said that the regional languages in most of the non-Hindi speaking states will "die" if the three-language formula is implemented by the Central government.

Talking to ANI, Alphonse said: "The new draft for education policy recommends mandatory education of Hindi in all schools. The people of Tamil Nadu view it as an attempt to impose Hindi on those who are non-Hindi speaking. We have been fighting this since 1930s. We think that this three-language formula will virtually kill the Tamil language at one point of time."

Referring to Union Minister Prakash Javadekar's statement that there is no attempt to impose Hindi as this is only the draft policy, Alphonse said: "But he has conveniently forgotten one aspect that already in most of Central government departments and PSUs, they prescribe working knowledge of Hindi as a basic fundamental qualification for jobs, which is an indirect imposition of Hindi."

"At one point of time, only Hindi and English speaking people will get jobs. So naturally, all the other languages will die. What I feel is that through this they are indirectly trying to impose the agenda of BJP," he added.

The Congress leader said that the Central government does not want "other regional languages to survive as the BJP has always said that they want one country, one culture, one religion, and one language. So, they don't want other regional languages to survive."

"The BJP wants to make the entire country as a Hindi speaking country. We know that the danger is waiting for the Tamil language. If they try to impose Hindi, then the entire Tamil Nadu will stand up and fight. We will not allow Hindi to enter Tamil Nadu. We will never support three-language policy," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)It was on this day in the year 1988 when the greatest showman of Hindi cinema Raj Kapoor passed away, leaving behind some iconic films and memorable characters that are cherished even today.

Remembering his late father today, the veteran actor Rishi Kapoor who is in New York for medical treatment for the past eight months, paid homage to him on Twitter.

"But we will always be yours! Khyber 14 1924 (Peshawar )- June 2 1988 (New Delhi)," he tweeted.

[{8df777dc-13ce-4e14-91c8-4412732f85b1:intradmin/Rishi.JPG}]

Shatrughan Sinha who worked with Raj Kapoor in the film 'Khaan Dost' also paid tribute to the late actor.

"Floral tributes, remembrances, salutes for the exceptionally powerful actor, director in the history of Indian Cinema #RajKapoor. He established himself at an extremely young age with his own studio & debut film 'Aag' as a director. He was known for his ostentatious style of film," Shatrughan tweeted.

[{41809d59-728f-4a9a-b371-332b3a22bc35:intradmin/Shatru.JPG}]

Raj Kapoor established his own studio, RK Studio and became the youngest director of his time with his directorial debut, 'Aag'.

West Bengal Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee also tweeted on the death anniversary of the late actor.

"Tribute to Raj Kapoor, legendary actor and director, and Debendra Mohan Bose, veteran physicist, on their death anniversaries," she wrote.

[{223831b1-dbff-439c-8057-34e253c02cf3:intradmin/Mamta.JPG}]

Raj Kapoor was born on December 1924 in Khyber, Peshawar and breathed his last in June 1988 in New Delhi.

Actor-filmmaker Raj Kapoor won three National Awards, and 11 Filmfare trophies, and was conferred with the Padma Bhushan and Dadasaheb Phalke awards.

Meanwhile, Twitterverse also paid tribute to one of the greatest Bollywood superstars.

"The Greatest Showman #RajKapoor was a supremely talented artist in all aspects of film making. He is also known as the #CharlieChaplin of Hindi cinema, as he often made films based on the common man's life & showed the protagonist to be happy & positive," tweeted one user.

[{9285db18-d80f-46b8-b975-ed75488db977:intradmin/One_user.JPG}]

Paying tribute to late Raj, another user wrote, "Tributes to the greatest showman Indian Cinema has seen #RajKapoor on his death anniversary. As a kid still remembers, post his sad demise on 2nd June 1987, DDNational showed all his movies back-to-back for 3-4 days. Kal khel mein hum ho na ho, gardish mein taare rahenge sada."

[{b7e1a5b6-e604-486f-bdd6-68b3bded488e:intradmin/USER2.JPG}]

" I am a traveller ; but comes once... i sing & dance to fill your heart with joy & then i go away... knowing you have had a hearty laugh "- Raj Kapoor ( 14 dec 1924 - 2 June 1988 )," tweeted another fans of the late actor.

[{478bab10-2aa9-4fba-ba50-1f2e42532a14:intradmin/USER3.JPG}]

Last month, the iconic RK Films & Studios in Mumbai, film studio of yesteryear actor and filmmaker late Raj Kapoor, was purchased by Godrej Properties for real estate development.

It was set up by the legendary actor in 1948, a year after India gained Independence from the British Raj.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)At least 82 people sustained injuries in a series of explosions and a consequent fire at a TNT production plant located in the Russian city of Dzerzhinsk on Saturday.

The incident took place at around 11:45 am (local time) at the "Kristall" explosive factory in Dzerzhinsk, about 400 km east of Moscow, in Russia's Nizhny Novgorod region, reported TASS news agency.

The Russian Health Ministry said that 15 people were hospitalised, while 67 others are seeking treatment at outpatient clinics. One person is in serious condition.

The Russian Investigative Committee has confirmed that the blasts were industrial. The accident is being investigated as a violation of industrial safety requirements at hazardous production facilities.

This is a third such explosion at a TNT factory in Russia in past one year.

Further details are awaited.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A 63-year-old madrassa teacher has been arrested for allegedly sexually abusing children after luring them with sweets, police said here on Sunday.

The accused, identified as Yusuf, a resident of Kochi's Aluva, was employed at a local mosque in the district. He was arrested from Kodungallur in Thrissur on Friday.

During the police interrogation, it was revealed that he lured minors with sweets and then sexually assaulted them at a private room when the main Imam of the mosque was away.

It was also revealed that he only trapped children below the age of 10 as they were an easy target.

"The matter came to the light when a student narrated the ordeal to his parents, who then took up the matter with the mosque management following which a complaint was filed and a case was registered," police said in a release.

Police said that the teacher used to invite the student to his room on the pretext of teaching him the lessons of the Quran and then abused the boy.

Upon sustained interrogation, police found that Yusuf turned into a habitual offender after he faced sexual. He revealed that he first assaulted his abuser's daughter in revenge and ultimately turned into a habitual predator.

Further investigation is on.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Congress MP and former Union Minister Shashi Tharoor on Sunday said the solution to the three-language formula is not by abandoning the idea but ensure its better implementation.

"The solution is not to abandon the three languages formula but to implement it in a better manner," said Tharoor when asked to comment on the new draft policy of Education, which recommends among other things three languages formula in schools.

Tharoor said that the three-language formula goes back to mid-1960s but it was never properly implemented. "Most of us in the South learn Hindi as a second language but nobody in the North is learning Malayalam or Tamil," he said.

In the draft Education Policy 2019, the three-language formula recommends inclusion of English and Hindi besides mother tongue in non-Hindi speaking states, while Hindi speaking states should include English and one Indian language from other parts of the country.

When asked about the guests who were aggressively turned away by Pakistani security officials from an 'Iftar' party hosted by the Indian High Commission in Islamabad, Tharoor said: "I am sorry. I was not aware of that incident. Unfortunately, the relationship between India and Pakistan is really in a bad shape. It's in a trough."

"The new government really needs to do a thorough review of our Pakistan policy and decide in what ways and how they will pursue the matter. As you know the Pakistani government was not among the one invited for the Prime Minister's swearing-in unlike 2014, so the question that comes up is whether we are going to allow a negative feeling on both sides or whether some serious efforts have to be made to change this relationship," he said.

On being asked about the US withdrawing preferential trade agreement with India, Tharoor said: "The US policy on trade has become much tougher or shall we see less generous than it used to be. Not only India, even with China the US is at a trade war at the moment and other countries are facing the brunt as well."

"I leave to our competent negotiators to figure out what kind of solution is possible. I am told that there are about 11,000 goods we sell to the US and more than 5,000 will be affected by the new tariffs that will hurt our economy, our exporters and businesses. It is in our interest to find some sort of compromising formula at least for the majority of these items," he added.

Replying about his visit to his constituency after the Lok Sabha poll victory, Tharoor said: "It is a lovely Kerala tradition where we do 'thank you' parade and tour the constituency. I will be spending one day in every assembly constituency meeting the people and thanking them for their support.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Launching a scathing attack on the Madhya Pradesh government, BJP leader Vishwas Sarang on Sunday said a "transfer racket" is flourishing under Chief Minister Kamal Nath.

"A transfer racket is flourishing in the Congress government under Kamal Nath and officials are at the centre of it. They are engaged in seat sale. Officials bid for seats. Congress is not running a government but a 'hawala udyog'," the BJP MLA from Narela in Bhopal told ANI.

He made the remarks after fifteen district magistrates and a dozen district police chiefs were transferred on Saturday.

Asked about the "Right to Water" Bill the state government is planning to introduce in the Assembly, Sarang, a former minister, said, "Kamal Nath is not giving the right to people but wants to control water. He does not want to help people."

The state government had on Saturday announced that it is planning to introduce the Bill with the aim of providing drinking water to all.

"We have decided to prepare a draft on the water issue with a vision to provide drinking water to every household in the state. Once it is drafted, we will present it in the Assembly," state Health Minister Sukhdev Pansy said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Michael R Pompeo, the US Secretary of State, on Sunday said that Washington is willing to negotiate with Iran "with no preconditions".

Addressing a joint press conference in Switzerland, in the presence of Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis, Pompeo said, "We are prepared to engage in a conversation with no preconditions. We are ready to sit down with them."

"The American effort to fundamentally reverse the malign activity of this Islamic Republic, this revolutionary force, is going to continue," Al Jazeera quoted Pompeo as saying.

Iran has repeatedly said it would not talk to the US while it is under renewed sanctions.

Pompeo's latest comments come amid continuing tensions between Washington and Tehran which recently heightened after Washington disposed carrier strike warships and B-52 bombers off the coast of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to counter an alleged and unexplained threat from Iran.

More troops have also been deployed in the Persian Gulf, one of the world's most strategic waterways, in what the US officials claimed was a reaction to photographs showing Iran loading missiles onto small traditional boats, according to The Times of Israel.

On Saturday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani suggested Iran may be willing to hold talks if the United States showed its respect.

Rouhani said Tehran would not be "bullied" into negotiations with Washington, the semi-official Fars news agency reported.

"We are for logic and talks if [the other side] sits respectfully at the negotiating table and follows international regulations, not if it issues an order to negotiate," Rouhani was quoted as saying.

"We have shown that we do not submit to bullying and covetous powers," he added.

In addition, US President Donald Trump, who unilaterally pulled the US out of a landmark deal curbing Iran's nuclear programme, has tightened sanctions on Tehran, eliminating waivers that had allowed some countries to buy Iranian oil, with the goal of reducing the country's crude exports to zero.

In April, Washington further designated the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) a "terrorist organisation".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Zalmay Khalilzad, the United States' Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation, arrived here on Sunday to facilitate a peace process that ends the 19 years of war in Afghanistan.

Samaa News agency reported that the US envoy is expected to attend a Pakistan-US advisory meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs here today in the presence of Pakistan government officials and military leaders.

Prior to his arrival, Khalilzad also held meetings with Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on the sidelines of OIC (Organisation of Islamic Cooperation) summit in Makkah, last week.

In a tweet, he said the meeting will "improve relations between the two countries and help to implement and capitalise opportunities for regional connectivity, integration, and development."

Khalilzad has long been trying to reach a peace deal with the Taliban to end the war in Afghanistan that has entered its 19th year. The envoy also held a series of meetings with the Pakistani leadership as a part of Washington's renewed push to bring the Afghan Taliban to the negotiating table.

The latest push for peace comes after President Donald Trump wrote a letter to Prime Minister Khan, seeking Pakistan's help for the negotiated settlement of the Afghan conflict, Express Tribune reported.

Meanwhile, in response to the Taliban leader Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada's annual message on Eid, Khalilzad also said that the statement provides "a desire to participate in dialogue with other Afghans and in a final political settlement that will require power sharing. "All good things," he added.

On Saturday, the Taliban leader stressed on his previous stance about an end to the presence of the US military in Afghanistan and said the group is open for talks but they expect "honesty" from the United States.

The leader said that "the Islamic emirate is not seeking to monopolize power but it wants all Afghans to have their real role in 'government."

Khalilzad continued to say in a tweet that the Taliban leader's statement suggests the US seeks violence. "We do not. The level of violence in Afghanistan is unacceptable and we have no desire to perpetuate it," he said.

"Let us find ways to work together to reduce or to immediately end the violence, as we continue negotiations to end the war. The killing of the Afghans must stop," the envoy added.

According to a press statement from the US Department of State, Khalilzad will travel to Afghanistan, Belgium, Germany, Pakistan, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates from May 31 to June 16, 2019.

The statement read, "He will work to build international support for the Afghan peace process and endeavour to ensure that any peace settlement reached will be sustainable.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Presidential hopeful Kamala Harris' microphone was snatched by an animal rights protester at the Big Ideas Forum here on Saturday.

The incident occurred merely 10 minutes into her speech, when a tall man dressed in black and donning a press badge stormed onto the stage, grabbing the Senator's microphone.

Harris remained calm all through the incident, stepping off the stage for a short time while the situation was taken care of, according to CNN. The man resisted getting off the stage after the security intervened. While the protester was removed from the venue, he has not been charged.

The Senator reassured the crowd, which was chanting the Presidential hopeful's name after she re-emerged on the stage a few moments later.

"I'm good, I'm good, it's all good," she said.

"We sincerely regret that a protestor was able to gain access to the stage at our forum today & we apologize to Sen. @KamalaHarris. The protestor was removed & the program resumed. MoveOn members were excited to hear Harris continue to discuss her Big Idea to achieve pay equity," the forum's organiser MoveOn tweeted.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) on Sunday rescued four of the 12 missing members of a Nanda Devi mountaineering team on the second day of the search operation.

Zachary Qauin (32), Kate Armstrone (39), Ian Wade (45) and Mark Taomas (44), all belonging to the United Kingdom (UK), were sent to Pithoragarh from Nanda Devi base camp with the help of an Indian Air Force helicopter.

They were administered first aid at the helipad.

Vijay Kumar Jogdande, District Magistrate (DM) of Pithoragarh, said the rescue operation would resume tomorrow since there was a possibility of an avalanche in the area.

"Four mountaineers have been rescued. Since there is a possibility of an avalanche in the area closer to Nanda Devi East, search and rescue operations for the remaining eight mountaineers will continue tomorrow or day after tomorrow depending on weather conditions," he said.

The team had left Munsiyari on May 13 to scale the 7,434-metre Nanda Devi peak.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A new study has shown that virtual reality session given to patients before and during locoregional anaesthesia for orthopaedic procedures significantly reduced pain and the requirement for intravenous sedation.

The study is being presented at the meeting 'Euroanaesthesia' (the annual meeting of the European Society of Anaesthesiology) in Vienna, Austria (1-3 June).

The randomised trial suggested that virtual reality hypnosis distraction (VRHD) could be a valuable drug-free alternative for reducing anxiety and procedure-related pain without the side- effects and longer recovery time associated with traditional intravenous sedation.

"Given the immersive and distracting nature of the virtual reality experience, this technology has the ability to act as a preventive intervention transforming local anaesthesia into a less distressing and potentially pain-free medical procedure," said Dr Dragos Chirnoaga from CUB Erasmus Hospital, Brussels, Belgium who co-led the research.

Along with many other procedures, having a local anaesthetic injection can be a stressful and painful experience, and it is often combined with intravenous sedation to help patients relax. However, the use of intravenous sedation is not without adverse effects such as headache, nausea, and drowsiness.

In this randomised trial, researchers tested the hypothesis that VRHD could reduce the requirement for intravenous sedation by at least 50 per cent during local anaesthesia at CUB Erasmus Hospital.

They randomised 60 adults scheduled for orthopaedic surgery (shoulder, hand or knee surgeries) with locoregional anaesthesia into three groups.

In the control group (20 patients), standard intravenous sedation during locoregional procedure was administered without VHRD; in the second group (20), VRHD was used during locoregional anaesthesia, and intravenous sedation was given if patients reported pain scores of greater than 3 out of 10; in the third group (20), VRHD before and during locoregional anaesthesia was used, and intravenous sedation was given if patients reported pain scores greater than 3.

VRHD therapy consisted of wearing virtual reality goggles and headphones to watch relaxing video content of a submarine ride and life under the sea, with a calming voice guiding the journey and focused on slowing the patient's breathing rhythm.

Analyses showed that just 25 per cent (5/20) of patients receiving VRHD during local anaesthesia required intravenous sedation, while only 10 per cent (2/20) patients given VRHD both before and during locoregional anaesthesia needed further sedation.

Additionally, patients receiving VRHD showed similar comfort and satisfaction before and during the procedure as those who were given intravenous sedation.

"Virtual reality hypnosis distraction is feasible, well tolerated, and liked by patients," said Dr Delphine Van Hecke from CUB Erasmus Hospital, Brussels, who co-led the study.

"While it is not clear exactly how virtual reality works to reduce anxiety and pain, it's thought that it creates a distraction that stops the mind feeling pain. Further studies should focus on other procedures suited for the use of VRHD, particularly its potential benefit in children as premedication or during low pain procedures," added Hecke.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)In the wake of the recent HIV outbreak in the Sindh Province of Pakistan, with nearly 700 cases registered thus far, an international team of experts from the Health Organisation (WHO) has initiated a probe to ascertain the source of the outbreak.

The team, which arrived in the country on Tuesday at the request of the Pakistani government, will also provide its expertise in areas of HIV testing, paediatric HIV treatment and family counselling, reports Xinhua.

The outbreak has stirred panic among residents of the area. Dr Masood Solangi, Director General Health Sindh, said that nearly 700 people have been diagnosed with HIV in the city of Ratodero, after the screening of around 2500 people in the past few weeks. Among them, 576 are children aged from neonatal to five years old.

"The team will work closely with the ministry of health and partners, including the Aga Khan University, Pakistan's Field Epidemiology & Laboratory Training Programme, UNAIDS and Unicef in Larkana," Dawn quoted a WHO spokesperson as saying.

Earlier this week, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on National Health Services Dr Zafar

Mirza had said that the recent spread of HIV among children was either caused by unsafe injections or for a reason unable to be determined so far.

Following the outbreak, the local authorities have arrested 17 quack doctors and shuttered 70 clinics in the Larkana city of the province.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Jim Cummings, the voice behind "Winnie the Pooh", has claimed that his ex-wife's accusations of rape and animal abuse are just an attempt to defame him.

His wife Stephanie Cummings claimed she was tortured emotionally and physically by her husband. "He engaged in physical, sexual and emotional abuse including but not limited to death threats, rape, and various sexual deviant behavior forced upon me without my consent," she said, according to Fox News.

The couple got separated back in 2011 and are still embroiled in a custody battle in Los Angeles court. Wife Stephanie came out later in 2013 to report that her husband forced himself on her. She also asserted that he mistreated the family dog by harming it with a broomstick and leaving him wounded outdoors in high heat for too long.

Earlier, Jim Cummings posted a letter to fans on his website stating that his legal team is working to sort the matter. "The propagation of these baseless accusations, outright [sic] lies, and false quotes -- all disseminated for Click bait at the very cost of my family, personal life and career," read the letter.

He also claimed all the allegations against him are an attempt to extort his image and he has contacted the FBI and local authorities for a solution to the matter.

In 2017, his wife and daughters shifted to Utah to steer clear of Jim's alleged behavior.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Britain's Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, who is widely considered a frontrunner to replace outgoing Theresa May, said on Sunday that he would not block the extradition of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange to the United States if he was chosen to lead the British Government.

Responding to a question by CBS journalist Margaret Brennan on the matter, Hunt replied, "Well we would have to follow our own legal processes just as the U.S. has to follow its own legal processes. But do I think- would I want to stand in the way of Julian Assange facing justice? No, I would not."

Assange is currently serving 50 weeks imprisonment sentence in UK's Belmarsh prison and the US is seeking his extradition on charges of conspiracy to hack into a classified government computer.

Hunt's statement came at the heels of the reports that the US State Department would likely back down on plans to charge Assange for the infamous Vault 7 leak due to time constraints and concerns that the move could result in the leaking of more classified documents, reported Sputnik.

Vault 7 refers to the collection of over 8,700 documents published by WikiLeaks in 2017 which detailed the CIA's cyber operations and stealth hacking tools, including viruses, trojans and other "weaponised" malware.

Although the CIA has neither confirmed nor contested the authenticity of the disclosed files, they are understood to be genuine, according to statements by former CIA staffer and whistleblower Edward Snowden, and other unnamed government officials.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)During his first Mass in Bucharest, Francis stressed the value of walking together, noting that Often problems of faith have little to do with a shortage of means and structures, of quantity, or even the presence of those who do not accept us; they really have to do with a shortage of joy. What is more, we reduce everything to our own problems. We forget that we are not orphans, for we have a Father in our midst, a powerful saviour.

Bucharest (AsiaNews)  Pope Francis celebrated his first Mass this afternoon in St Joseph Catholic Cathedral in Bucharest. The service was centred on walking together. In his homily, the pontiff said that Blessed are those who believe and who have the courage to foster encounter and communion, where all are sought out, because all are needed to reveal the Lords face.

Earlier in the day, Holy Father visited Bucharests Peoples Salvation Orthodox Cathedral. After he left the path he travelled was thronged with people. The visit marks an historic, and is receiving full media coverage.

Taking his cue from todays observance, the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Francis spoke about Mary journeys  from Nazareth to the house of Zechariah and Elizabeth. It is the first of Marys journeys, as related by the Scriptures. The first of many. She will journey from Galilee to Bethlehem, where Jesus will be born; she will go down to Egypt to save her Child from Herod; she will go up again every year to Jerusalem for the Passover (cf. Lk 2:31), and ultimately, she will follow Jesus to Calvary. These journeys all have one thing in common: they were never easy; they always required courage and patience. They tell us that Our Lady knows what it means to walk uphill, she knows what it means for us to walk uphill, and she is our sister at every step of the way.

Contemplating Mary enables us to turn our gaze to all those many women, mothers and grandmothers of these lands who, by their quiet sacrifices, devotion and self-denial, are shaping the present and preparing the way for tomorrows dreams. Theirs is a silent, tenacious and unsung sacrifice; they are unafraid to roll up their sleeves and shoulder difficulties for the sake of their children and families, hoping against hope (Rm 4:18).

When Mary visited Elizabeth, the younger woman goes to meet the older one, seeking her roots, while the older woman is reborn and prophetically foretells the future of the younger one. Here, young and old meet, embrace and awaken the best of each. It is a miracle brought about by the culture of encounter.

This is the culture of encounter; it urges us as Christians to experience the miraculous motherhood of the Church, as she seeks out, protects and gathers her children. In the Church, when different rites meet, when the most important thing is not ones own affiliation, group or ethnicity, but the People that together praises God, then great things take place. Again, let us state it emphatically: Blessed are those who believe (cf. Jn 20:29) and who have the courage to foster encounter and communion.

Mary, as she journeys to visit Elizabeth, reminds us where God desired to dwell and live, where his sanctuary is, and where we can feel his heartbeat: it is in the midst of his People. There he is, there he lives, there he awaits us. We can apply to ourselves the prophets call not to fear, not to let our arms grow weak! For the Lord our God is in our midst; he is a powerful saviour (cf. Zeph3:16-17). This is the secret of every Christian: God is in our midst as a powerful saviour. Our certainty of this enables us, like Mary, to sing and exult with joy.

Mary rejoices because she bears in her womb Emmanuel, God-with-us: The Christian life is joy in the Holy Spirit (Gaudete et Exsultate, 122). Without joy, we remain paralyzed, slaves to our unhappiness. Often problems of faith have little to do with a shortage of means and structures, of quantity, or even the presence of those who do not accept us; they really have to do with a shortage of joy. Faith wavers when it just floats along in sadness and discouragement. When we live in mistrust, closed in on ourselves, we contradict the faith. Instead of realizing that we are Gods children for whom he does great things (cf. v. 49), we reduce everything to our own problems. We forget that we are not orphans, for we have a Father in our midst, a powerful saviour. Mary comes to our aid, because instead of reducing things, she magnifies them in magnifying the Lord, in praising his greatness.

Here we find the secret of our joy. Mary, lowly and humble, starts from Gods greatness and despite her problems  which were not few  she is filled with joy, for she entrusts herself to the Lord in all things. She reminds us that God can always work wonders if we open our hearts to him and to our brothers and sisters. Let us think of the great witnesses of these lands: simple persons who trusted in God in the midst of persecution. They did not put their hope in the world, but in the Lord, and thus they persevered. I would like to give thanks for these humble victors, these saints-next-door, who showed us the way. Their tears were not in vain; they were a prayer that rose to heaven and nurtured the hope of this people.In a daring operation, the Ahmedabad Fire Brigade here around Sunday midnight rescued as many as 40 people stuck in a tall merry-go-round at a fun fare.

Minutes after getting a call, the staff of the Ahmedabad Fire and Emergency Services rushed to the west end of the Sabarmati Riverfront and brought down the people stuck in the tall ride.

The fire brigade used a 55-metre-tall snorkel. Those rescued included 14 children and eight women.

Fire brigade officials said they got a call from a person stuck in mid-air in the uppermost cubicle of the ride. The merry-go-round developed a technical snag when it was at its full pace.

--IANS

desai/kr

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A fake insurance policy gang operating here was busted in a joint operation by Gautambudh Nagar and Ghaziabad police and 15 persons - including three women - who had duped over 500 people in Uttar Pradesh and various states, arrested, a police officer said on Sunday.

"The accused persons were arrested on Saturday night when a joint team of Gautambudh Nagar and Ghazibad police raided an office namely 'NCR Insurance Policy' in Indirapuram area and arrested the 15 accused. 36 mobile phones, 28 debit cards, over Rs 6 lakh and other documents were recovered from the spot," Senior Superintendent of Police, Gautambudh Nagar, Vaibhav Krishna said.

The accused persons were identified as Sonu, Vickey, Rakesh, Prince, Ravi Kumar, Mohd Kasim, Anis Mirza, Suryakant, Siprince, Sohaib, Sanjay and Kapil, while the three women, who worked as telecallers, were identified as Renu Chaudhary, Nisha and Rachna, he said, adding all are residents of Ghazibad and Delhi.

"During investigation, the accused persons disclosed that they duped over 500 persons by luring them to invest in the share market, in lucrative insurance policies and also offered a loan scheme. They gave forged bank accounts details to victims to cheat them," he added.

According to the SSP, one of the victims, Harjeet Singh of Punjab, had filed a complaint against the gang with Gautambudh Nagar police after being duped by a "profitable" LIC policy they issued to him.

--IANS

sp/vd

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Algeria on Sunday cancelled the presidential polls, which was to be held on July 4, as both the candidates failed to meet requirements to contest elections.

The papers submitted by Abdelhakim Hammadi, a doctor specialising in pharmacy, and Hamid Touahri, a retired aircraft maintenance engineer, in May had been rejected as both did not meet the requirements, the Algerian Constitutional Council said in a statement, reported Xinhua news agency.

Amer Rekhila, a law expert, said the deadline for new presidential elections shall be extended for a maximum of 60 days according to Article 103 of the Constitution.

Algeria has been plagued by wide-spread protests since February 22, which forced then President Abdelaziz Bouteflika to resign on April 2 and led to cancellation of presidential polls scheduled for April 18. Protesters later started expressing objections to elections on July 4.

The protesters are demanding guarantee for free and fair elections, after a short transitional period of at least six months led by honest and clean authorities.

Algeria's interim President Abdelkader Bensalah shall remain in office until the new elected President takes oath.

--IANS

pg/pcj

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale has appealed to the TRS and YSR Congress Party to join the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre in the interest of the people of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

Athawale told reporters here on Sunday that Telangana Chief Minister and Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief K. Chandrashekhar Rao and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and YSR Congress Party leader Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy should extend support to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The leader of Republican Party of India (A) said though National Democratic Alliance (NDA) with 353 seats in Parliament required no support from any party, its doors were still open for those who want to join. He said it will be in the interest of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh if the ruling parties of both states join the NDA.

"I want to tell KCR that there is no meaning in starting another 'gathbandhan'," he said referring to TRS chief's plans to form a Federal Front.

Athawale advised Jagan Mohan Reddy not to repeat the mistake committed by his predecessor and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief N. Chandrababu Naidu. He said Naidu attacked Modi and left the NDA but people of Andhra Pradesh rejected him.

The Union minister said the NDA government would extend full support to Andhra Pradesh for its development.

Athawale said the opposition parties were indulging in a false propaganda against the NDA government that it was trying to change the Indian Constitution. He claimed that there is no threat to the Constitution as the government remained committed to protect it.

He said the NDA was not against any community and it believed in carrying all sections of society with it.

--IANS

ms/kr

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Crime Branch team probing the death of violinist Balabhaskar will question Prakash Thampi, who was arrested by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) in a gold smuggling case.

Thampi was the programme coordinator of Balabhaskar's shows and, according to the probe team, also the last person to call Balabhaskar before his car met with the accident. Vishnu, another associate of the musician, is on the run.

Balabhaskar, 40, was travelling with his wife and two-year-old daughter in the city, when their car met with an accident in the wee hours of September 25 last year. While the daughter died on the spot, Balabhaskar passed away on October 2. His wife and driver escaped with injuries.

While the musician's father C.K.Unni has alleged foul play in the accident, one of his relatives, in a Facebook post recently, questioned his wife's silence on Thampi and Vishnu.

According to sources in the know of things, the DRI officials will also meet Unni to take his statement. "I have doubts over the manner in which my son died. I am told that the DRI officials will be meeting me. One thing I know is that both Thampi and Vishnu were my son's managers," said Unni.

Though the police initiated a probe in the tragedy on Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's orders, the case took a new turn last month, when the DRI officials arrested a Dubai-based beautician Sareena Shaji smuggling 25 kg gold from Oman at the Thiruvananthapuram airport.

Her arrest led to several more arrests, including that of Thampi as well as a senior Customs officer at the airport.

The police team is still clueless as to who was at the wheel of the car when the accident took place. While his wife claimed it was the driver, the driver said the musician himself was driving the vehicle.

On Saturday, stage artiste Kalabhavan Soby told TV channels that he saw two men suspiciously moving around the accident site when he passed through the area soon after the tragedy. Soby said he would be glad to give a statement to the probe team.

--IANS

sg/rtp

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Democratic presidential candidate and former US Vice President Joe Biden has accused President Donald Trump's administration of endangering the LGBTQ community by failing to defend their rights and safety.

In a speech on Saturday to the Human Rights Campaign on the first day of Pride Month, Biden described the difficulties still faced by many transgender people, including lack of access to health care and social services, as well as transphobic violence that he said was enabled by the Trump administration, reports CNN.

"We've already had five, just this year, five black transgender women killed violently in 2019 -- that's outrageous. It must, it must, it must end," Biden said as the supportive crowd broke into applause.

"And the fastest way to end it is, end the Trump administration," he said, before referencing Trump's transgender military ban and move to withdraw protections for transgender students.

Biden argued that the Trump administration was at odds with the notion of America as a beacon of decency and stood "on the wrong side of history".

He also went after Vice President Mike Pence's stance on LGBTQ issues as "wrong" and "immoral".

"The current Vice President uses religious freedom as an excuse to license discrimination," he continued. "It's wrong and it is immoral what they're doing."

--IANS

ksk

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Attacking West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for the way she is reacting to "Jai Shri Ram" chants, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Mukul Roy said on Sunday that the Trinamool Congress supremo has "lost her mental stability".

The Trinamool, on the other hand, said the chant was being used to "spread terror" and alleged that by resorting to the slogan, the saffron party was "tarnishing" Lord Ram's name.

"It is strange that someone is reacting against some chant. If anyone says 'Ma, Maati, Maanush' (Trinamool's slogan) in front of me, will I lose my cool? By using undesirable words on hearing the slogan, Trinamool is destroying Bengal's culture," Roy said.

Banerjee on Thursday lost her cool for the second time and chased a group of youth shouting 'Jai Shri Ram' in front of her convoy enroute Naihati in the North 24 Parganas district.

Referring to Banerjee's speeches during the recent Lok Sabha poll campaign, Roy said it was not Bengal's culture to utter something like "will slap the Prime Minister" or "will make the Prime Minister do sit-ups".

"I have mentioned earlier that there is some sort of an imbalance in her state of mind," Roy said.

Countering BJP's allegations that the Trinamool members have a problem with "Jai Shri Ram" chants, West Bengal Urban Development Minister and Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim said: "There is nothing wrong in 'Jai Shri Ram' but if people resort to spreading terror by chanting it, it becomes a crime."

Elaborating further, Hakim said there is "no problem in saying Allah Hu Akbar" but when terrorists kill innocent people and utter "Allah Hu Akbar", it becomes a crime.

The people of Bengal are used to "Jai Ma Kali" and "Jai Baba Taraknath" chants, but the BJP workers' behaviour is not in sync with Bengal's culture, he said.

"They (BJP) are tarnishing the name of Lord Ram by chanting 'Jai Shri Ram' this way. His name is uttered in temples and it is pronounced with devotion. The way hooligans standing on roads are shouting Lord Ram's name to showcase their strength is utterly disgraceful," Hakim said.

Even those who believe in Hindutva are protesting against it, Hakim added.

Meanwhile, BJP MP from Barackpore Arjun Singh on Sunday announced that he will send 10 lakh postcards to Banerjee with "Jai Shri Ram" written on them.

In a counter, state Food and Supplies Minister Jyotipriyo Mullick said that he is planning to send 20 lakh postcards to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah with "Jai Hind" and "Jai Bangla" written on them.

--IANS

bnd/ssp/arm

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Sandwiched between the ongoing US-China trade war, Chinese telecom equipment major Huawei is frantically looking to salvage its prestige and fast cover the lost ground.

The company is bullish on shifting gears towards its India operations to revive its reputation as a reliable smartphone manufacturer and a 5G player.

With the digital-friendly Narendra Modi government back at the helm, it would be interesting to see what would be the reaction towards Huawei - without offending US President Donald Trump who is going after Huawei and its 5G dream.

India, with a stable technology scenario, is where Huawei has decided to place its maximum energies on - for both the devices and 5G technology segments where the US ban is set to make it bleed profusely in the coming quarters.

Huawei predicts there would be the 2.8 billion 5G users by 2025, and looks seriously at India to offset losses it is going to incur in the wake of US ban.

"Unlike the headwinds it has been facing elsewhere, India remains a potentially positive hotspot for Huawei," Prabhu Ram, Head, Industry Intelligence Group (IIG), CMR, told IANS.

"Unlike 4G, 5G is a completely new terrain and India would need to test various use cases for 5G adoption in India. As such, it would need to depend on the capabilities of a variety of vendors, including Huawei," Ram said.

Although India is targeting 2020 for 5G roll out, the country is yet to allocate 5G spectrum to operators even for 5G trial of use cases.

"Huawei has been working with the Indian telecom players in the market to start 5G field trials. As such, I anticipate Huawei to be allowed to participate in the trials," added Ram.

When it comes to 5G smartphones, an absence of a 5G-ready ecosystem in the country would hamper any manufacturer.

The situation at hand has dashed hopes of Indian consumers willing to acquire the just-released foldable phone Mate X from Huawei any time soon.

The company says it is not planning to bring a 4G version of the Mate X shortly and that its availability will depend on the 5G network in the country.

Huawei pipped Apple as the second largest smartphone seller in the first quarter of 2019 after Samsung. It clocked 17 per cent market share in the global smartphone market, according to Counterpoint Research.

"I think the situation, if escalated further, will make it challenging for Huawei irrespective of the country it operates in. China can only be an exception in the short term.

"The problems with supply chain and sourcing, especially at the operating system (OS) level, can have potential impact on Huawei in its global operations including in India," Tarun Pathak, Associate Director at Counterpoint Research, told IANS.

When it comes to smartphones, consumer sentiment in India towards Huawei will potentially continue to be ambivalent in the face of Android ban.

"Huawei's India smartphone business will see marginal to no impact in the short-term. From a long-term perspective, the Android ban may potentially have significant ramifications for Huawei devices," suggested Ram.

(Nishant Arora can be contacted at nishant.a@ians.in)

--IANS

na/prs/kr

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Amid uproar over the draft National Policy that recommends making teaching of Hindi compulsory up to class 8, Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu on Sunday urged all stakeholders to go through the entire report, instead of reacting hastily.

"I urge everybody... don't be hasty before coming to conclusions. Go through entire report, study, discuss and analysis and react so that government can act after the discussions," he said while addressing the "Industry Academy Interaction for Improvement of Quality of Academics" organised by the Indian Institute of Petroleum and Energy (IIPE) here.

He said that the core issues of agitating minds of the people were very important and they deserve attention by all concerned.

"In our country some people for political or other reasons have the habit of immediately saying something by seeing newspaper headlines," he said in an obvious reference to reaction by political parties from Tamil Nadu, which alleged that the proposed policy is aimed at imposing Hindi.

"We should not be seen quarrelling on languages," he remarked.

Venkaiah Naidu suggested that north Indians should learn one south Indian language and south Indians should learn one north Indian language for national integration.

He pointed out that draft policy proposed that children up to class five at least and ideally up to class eight must be taught in their mother tongue.

"Children are able to understand basics better in mother tongue. Learning English is also required but that should be after laying the foundation," he said.

He lauded Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao for announcing that Telugu will be a compulsory subject and advised the Andhra Pradesh government to think of making Telugu compulsory as an official language.

Naidu said many graduates were ending up "neither here nor there" by forgetting their mother tongue in the craze for English but lacking communication skills even in English.

Calling for revamping the entire educational system, he said it should ensure industry and academy interface, academy and agriculture interface and reduction of syllabi for children as they were carrying loads of books and some of them ending up with cervical or orthopaedic problems.

Reducing the load of school bags, promoting yoga and sports, inculcating morals, scientific and rationale temperament, history and the contribution of the freedom fighters should become part of the curriculum, he suggested.

He also called for establishing a symbiotic relationship between academia and the industry to create an ecosystem for innovation to thrive and generate employment for the youth.

Pointing out that the Indian universities did not figure in the top 100 ranking global universities, the Vice President urged universities and educationists to introspect and improve the standards.

Observing that India was once known as 'Vishwaguru', he said that India must once again become the global hub for knowledge and innovation.

--IANS

ms-bns/vd

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)US President Donald Trump on Sunday denied that he called Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, "nasty" and blamed the news media for making up the whole episode.

"I never called Meghan Markle 'nasty.' Made up by the Fake News Media, and they got caught cold! Will @CNN, @nytimes and others apologize? Doubt it!" Trump said in a Twitter post, the Efe news reported.

Trump tweeted after the subject of Markle came up in an interview he gave to a tabloid ahead of his three-day state visit to the United Kingdom this week at the invitation of Queen Elizabeth II.

The US leader said he was not aware that Markle, a former actress who married Prince Harry in May 2018, supported his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election and had vowed to shift to Canada if he won the White House.

During the 2016 campaign, Markle said Trump was "misogynistic" and "divisive." "You're not just voting for a woman if it's Hillary. 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," Markle said.

Trump said he was not aware of the comments that the former actress had made about him. "I didn't know that. What can I say? I didn't know that she was nasty," Trump said.

The President, however, said he thought Markle would make "a very good" American princess. "It is nice, and I am sure she will do excellently. She will be very good. I hope she does (succeed)," Trump said, referring to Markle's role as a member of the British Royal Family.

During his state visit, Trump will be welcomed with full honours and is scheduled to meet several members of the Royal Family.

The Duchess of Sussex, however, will not participate in the events because she gave birth a few weeks ago to her first child, Archie.

Security will be tight during Trump's visit and many protests, including a huge demonstration on Tuesday in London's Trafalgar Square are planned while he meets Prime Minister Teresa May at 10 Downing Street.

--IANS

rs/pcj

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Francis dedicated the last leg of his visit to Romania to the Roma community. For all those times in history when we have discriminated, mistreated or looked askance at you, with the look of Cain rather than that of Abel, and were unable to acknowledge you, to value you and to defend you in your uniqueness.

Bucharest (AsiaNews)  Pope Francis wrapped up his three-day visit to Romania early this afternoon with a meeting with the countrys Roma community, many of whom live in Transylvania, and with the dedication of a new church to Saint Andrew the Apostle and to the Blessed Ioan Suciu (pictured), in Barbu Lautaru, a neighbourhood of Blaj, home to many Roma.

Welcomed by a Roma priest and a choir of children, Francis, in his greeting, began by asking forgiveness of you. For all those times in history when we have discriminated, mistreated or looked askance at you, noting that in Christs Church, there is room for everyone. The Church is a place of encounter. We need to keep this in mind, not as a pretty slogan but rather as part of our identity card as Christians.

My heart, however, is heavy. It is weighed down by the many experiences of discrimination, segregation and mistreatment experienced by your communities. History tells us that Christians too, including Catholics, are not strangers to such evil.

How many times do we judge rashly, with words that sting, with attitudes that sow hatred and division! Whenever anyone is left behind, the human family cannot move forward. Deep down, we are not Christians, and not even good human beings, unless we are able to see the person before his or her actions, before our own judgments and prejudices.

The history of humanity is never without Abel and Cain. There is the hand held out and the hand raised to strike. There is the open door of encounter and the closed door of conflict. There is acceptance and there is rejection. There are those who see in others a brother or a sister, and those who see instead an obstacle standing in their way. There is the civilization of love and the civilization of hate. Each day we have to choose between Abel and Cain. Like a person standing at a crossroads, we are faced with a decisive choice: to go the way of reconciliation or the way of vengeance. Let us choose the way of Jesus. It is a way that demands effort, but the way that brings peace. And it passes through forgiveness. May we not let ourselves be dragged along by the hurts we nurse within us; let there be no room for anger. For one evil never corrects another evil, no vendetta ever satisfies an injustice, no resentment is ever good for the heart and no rejection will ever bring us closer to others.

At the end of the meeting Francis flew by helicopter to Sibiu airport where his plane was waiting to take him home to Rome.Academicians and writers in West Bengal on Sunday opposed the draft National Policy that recommends making teaching of Hindi compulsory up to class 8, saying efforts to impose any language would meet with all-round protests.

Former Rabindra Bharati University Vice-chancellor and renowned linguist Pabitra Sarkar said the K. Kasturirangan Committee's suggestion with regard to mandatory teaching of Hindi would "put more pressure" on the students of primary classes.

He said while students of class 6, 7 and 8 could be taught Hindi, it was not be proper to make the language compulsory from class 1. "The present system already puts too much burden on the students. Let us not increase it," Sarkar told IANS.

He said it was wrong to "impose anything from above", and pointed out that the southern states had already protested against any such move.

Instead, Sarkar suggested that in non-Hindi speaking states, the Hindi speaking people should also learn the main regional language.

"For instance, in Bengal, the Hindi speaking population should learn Bangla. This will help in the spread of regional languages as well as in national integration by upholding India's core philosophy of unity in diversity," he said.

Legendary Bengali author Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay took heart from the Central government's assurance that there would be no imposition.

"This is only a draft. I think if there are protests, they won't impose this on us. South India is already protesting. There will hopefully be protests in Bengal too.

"Imposing anything is not right. What language an individual should learn must be a voluntary decision," Mukhopadhyay told IANS.

The Sahitya Akademi awardee also refused to say if the NEP draft was part of the Centre's efforts to "saffronise education".

"Efforts to impose Hindi on the country's non-Hindi speaking people have been going on for a long time. Some sections in the Hindi belt have been doing this. So I don't think this is saffronisation of education," said the octogenarian, who has penned nearly 100 books of short stories and novels for the adult readers, and 34 for teenagers -- most of them bestsellers.

Jadavpur University vice-chancellor Suranjan Das refused to comment, saying he was yet to go through the complete draft.

Famed poet and academician Subodh Sarkar had a different take on the controversy. "If they want to make Hindi compulsory upto class 8, I'll ask why not Bangla? With 25 crore speakers, it is a more international language. In the world ranking of languages, Bangla mostly figures above Hindi," Sarkar told IANS.

Sarkar said any imposition of Hindi would not be acceptable in a country like India. "There are so many other languages like Marathi, Urdu, Malayalam and so on. Why just Hindi? These languages must be given their due importance," he said.

Dividing states into Hindi speaking and non-Hindi speaking, the Kasturirangan Committee recommends teaching of Hindi in non-Hindi speaking states in addition to the regional language and English.

In the case of Hindi speaking states, the Committee suggests teaching of Hindi, English and one of the modern Indian languages from other parts of India.

However, it has not specified what the modern Indian language would be. Tamil has been accorded a classical language status by the Central government.

--IANS

ssp/rtp

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Clobbered and bloodied in the Lok Sabha elections, the Maharashtra Opposition is now preparing to confront another major electoral challenge -- the Assembly polls -- and the prospects of their very survival in October.

For the two main parties -- the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) -- which bagged one and four seats, respectively, of the 48 Lok Sabha seats in the state, the next target is to wrest the Assembly from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-Shiv Sena combine.

Both sides have started preparations in right earnest, virtually since the day after Parliament poll verdict was announced, for this exercise, with 288 Assembly seats at stake.

After the customary 'autopsy' of the Lok Sabha poll outcome, leaders of the Congress-NCP are devising ways and means to ensure they put their (limping) best foot forward for the state poll festival due to begin by mid-September.

Leaders, like Congress chief Ashok Chavan and NCP chief Sharad Pawar, are giving pep talks to boost the workers' deflated morale, while Leader of Opposition (Council) Dhananjay Munde even wrote a poem: "Bas Tu Ladna Mat Chhodna" (don't give up the fight).

For starters, the Congress-NCP must shield their few remaining 'sheeps' from the wolfing eyes of the ruling combine.

Prominent among those who have left the Opposition flock are Sujay Vikhe-Patil, son of former Congress Leader of Opposition Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil, and now the father may follow in the son's footsteps to join the BJP.

Ditto with Ranjitsinh Mohite-Patil, son of NCP ex-Deputy Chief Minister Vijaysinh Mohite-Patil, who joined the BJP and now his father may follow suit.

Needless to mention, the lure of power has made many greedier in the shrinking Opposition camp, and a spate of defections over the coming weeks are not ruled out by the Congress-NCP.

The second is to strengthen various alliances since the 56-party 'Mahagathbandhan' failed before the "56-inch chest" of the BJP, as pointed out by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis during the Lok Sabha campaign.

The Congress-NCP have extended invites to the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) combine of Prakash Ambedkar's Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh (BBM) and Owaisi brothers' All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM).

In their post-mortem, the Congress-NCP realised that the VBA played a crucial role in their rout in more than 15 seats, a charge dismissed with a wink by Ambedkar.

Others like Maharashtra Navnirman Sena President Raj Thackeray -- considered a 'pariah' before the Lok Sabha -- is being wooed fervently to join the Opposition ranks officially. Twice shy now, aggressive campaigner Raj Thackeray is keeping his options close to the chest, for now.

Last week, Pawar called on Congress President Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi. There was wild speculation that the two parties were set to merge, but the NCP dismissed these as 'rumours'.

Even the ruling BJP-Sena is not taking any chances for the Assembly elections and is gearing up to batter the Opposition further.

With Sena President Uddhav Thackeray reportedly unhappy over a single minister and a repeat portfolio (Heavy Industries) in the second-term cabinet of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the BJP is planning to make amends at the state level.

Thackeray-Fadnavis are in talks to expand the Maharashtra cabinet and include a few more ministers from the Sena as they unitedly go to the poll battle after four months.

Fadnavis will have to wrack his brains even more as several high-profile defections from the Opposition ranks are expected in the coming weeks, and each would seek their pound-of-flesh.

For instance, heavyweights like Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil and Vijaysinh Mohite-Patil would have to be accommodated as per their stature, no mean task given the clamour for ministerial berths from within the BJP, too.

Nevertheless, Fadnavis has confidently announced that the BJP-Sena alliance would bag as many as 220 of the 288 Assembly seats, dismaying the Opposition even more.

(Quaid Najmi can be contacted at q.najmi@ians.in)

--IANS

qn/pg/pcj

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A US man who posed as a Saudi prince for nearly 30 years has been finally exposed and jailed for 18 years for fraud.

For years, Anthony Gignac lived a life of luxury fit for a royal.

He wore expensive jewellery, travelled in private jets or cars with diplomatic licence plates, and carried business cards referring to himself as "Sultan".

But the story of the self-proclaimed prince finally unravelled on Friday, as he was jailed for 18 years for fraud, the BBC reported.

A Florida judge said Gignac, 48, was a con man who posed as a Saudi royal to swindle $8 million from investors.

"Over the course of the last three decades, Anthony Gignac has portrayed himself as a Saudi prince in order to manipulate, victimise, and scam countless investors from around the world," US Attorney Fajardo Orshan said in a statement.

"As the leader of a sophisticated, multi-person, international fraud scheme, Gignac used his fake persona - Prince Khalid Bin Al-Saud - to sell false hope. He sold his victims on hope for their families, careers, and future. As a result, dozens of unsuspecting investors were stripped of their investments, losing more than $8 million," Orshan added.

Born in Colombia, Gignac was adopted by a family in the US state of Michigan at the age of seven.

By 17, he had already started taking on the persona of a Saudi royal, using his alter-ego to con credit card companies, shop staff and investors.

According to court documents, he has been arrested 11 times in the past three decades for "prince-related schemes". From as early as May 2015, he has been using the name Khalid Bin Al-Saud, the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida says.

To support his fraudulent persona, he purchased fake diplomatic licence plates and papers for his bodyguards. He wore traditional Saudi clothes and expensive rings and watches. He often travelled on private jets or luxury yachts, and collected expensive artwork.

His fake life was chronicled on an Instagram account, where he shared photos of his dog sitting in designer bags and Saudi royals with captions like "my dad".

When meeting with investors, he would refer to himself as a prince and demand that royal protocols such as gift giving were followed.

Prosecutors said Gignac used his fake royal persona to convince people to invest in non-existent business ventures around the world.

However, the scheme started to fall apart in May 2017, when he tried to invest in a luxury hotel in Miami.

Over the course of the negotiations, the hotel's owners became suspicious of Gignac, in part because of his willingness to eat pork products that would normally be off-limits to a devout Muslim prince.

They then hired a private security group to investigate him, which ultimately led to a federal investigation.

Gignac pleaded guilty earlier this year to wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and impersonating a diplomat, court documents show.

In her statement, Orshan said "justice spoke for the victims" in Friday's verdict.

--IANS

kr

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant here on Sunday said he would meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Mines Minister Pralhad Joshi to seek ways to restart mining in the state.

"We will meet the Prime Minister and the Mines Minister after some time so that he (Joshi) has time to understand his ministry," Sawant said, adding resolving the mining deadlock was a priority for his government.

Mining in most leased areas was banned by the Supreme Court in 2018. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) promised early resumption of mining in Goa during the recently-concluded Lok Sabha elections.

In May, Sawant said harvesting mining dumps -- heaps of low-grade iron ore dumped by mining companies near their mining leases over decades -- was one of the options his government was examining to kick start the industry, despite the apex court ban on mining in 88 leases.

Over 736 million tonnes of iron ore are dumped in mountain-like heaps in Goa's mining belt. Sawant is expected to finalise the mining dump harvesting policy by July.

--IANS

maya/mag/

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Indian Air Force chief, Birender Singh Dhanoa will embark on a four day official visit to Sweden from June 3 to 6, an official statement said on Sunday.

"Air Chief Marshal Dhanoa is scheduled to visit various operational and training units as well as interact with senior functionaries of the Swedish Air Force amongst others," it said, adding that the bilateral goodwill visit comes on an invitation from his Swedish counterpart.

The visit would provide an impetus towards defence cooperation and pave the way for greater interaction and cooperation between the two air forces as strengthening relationships and enabling engagement in productive exchanges, the statement said.

--IANS

bns/vd

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)India on Sunday denounced the sabotage of the traditional iftar hosted by India's envoy to Pakistan, saying it violated "all notions of civilized behaviour", and lodged a strong protest with Islamabad.

"The disappointing chain of events on June 1 not only violate basic norms of diplomatic conduct but are against all notions of civilized behaviour," a statement from the Indian High Commission here said.

"Stopping diplomats and officials of the High Commission of India in Pakistan from discharging their diplomatic functions by intimidation and coercion is entirely counter-productive for our bilateral relationship," the statement said.

Pakistani security personnel forcibly stopped some 300 visitors, mainly Pakistanis, from attending the iftar hosted by Indian High Commissioner Ajay Bisaria at Hotel Serena here on Saturday. They also misbehaved with Indian diplomats.

"The security forces stationed on the main road outside Hotel Serena rudely rebuffed and intimated officers and diplomatic staff of the High Commission of India who tried to ascertain from the security personnel the reasons for harassment of the guests," the statement said.

"Some officials were jostled, pushed, abused and aggressively threatened with bodily harm. In some cases, mobile phones belonging to officials were snatched."

The statement said: "Guests faced unprecedented harassment and intimidation at the hands of security agencies."

It said a concerted campaign was launched by Pakistani security agencies in the days preceding the iftar to reach out to invitees to actively dissuade them from attending the event.

"Those guests who did reach the function venue, in some cases from places as far as Lahore and Karachi, were intimidated and physically stopped from attending the iftar by Pakistani security forces, who had virtually laid the Serena Hotel under siege.

"Further, many guests from the diplomatic community based in Islamabad were also subjected to harassment.

"In complete violation of diplomatic norms, a large Pakistani security detachment, equipped with forklifts, was detailed outside Serena Hotel to aggressively turn away Pakistani civilians.

"In some cases, cars used by invitees were lifted and removed using forklifts. The more than 300 esteemed Pakistani guests who were turned away included MPs, government officials, media representatives, retired military officials and businessmen and retired diplomats, in addition to citizens from all walks of life."

The High Commission said India "has strongly protested to Pakistan" over "the gross intimidation of guests".

The mission urged the Pakistani government to "urgently investigate these ugly events and share the results of the exercise with it.

"Further, we have emphasized to the government of Pakistan the need to ensure that diplomats and officials of the High Commission of India are allowed to discharge their diplomatic functions without fear of coercion or harassment."

Later on Saturday, Bisaria told the media: "I want to apologize to all the friends who were subject to some extra scrutiny outside (the venue)."

Witnesses said the operation was carried out by Pakistani security agencies including intelligence personnel not in uniform.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and President Arif Alvi were among those invited to the event but they skipped it.

As soon as the guests started arriving at the venue, they were stopped outside and prevented aggressively from going in by the security agencies.

Pakistani security officials reportedly also telephoned members of the Karachi Federation of Chambers of Commerce, the Faisalabad Chambers of Commerce and the Lahore Chambers of Commerce not to attend the iftar party.

The Pakistani media did not report Saturday's incident, which comes days after Islamabad accused Indian security personnel of obstructing Indians from attending an iftar party thrown by the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi.

India-Pakistan relations have been badly hit after an Islamist group based in Pakistan claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing that killed 40 troopers in Jammu and Kashmir in February.

--IANS

rak/mr/vd/pg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A day after assuming charge, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday visited the National Police Memorial here to pay tribute to the police personnel who have died in the line of duty and said the "nation is indebted to them for their supreme sacrifice".

"I visited the National Police Memorial and paid tributes to our martyrs of the central and state police forces who have sacrificed their lives in the line of duty. I salute their valour and courage. A grateful nation is indebted to them for their supreme sacrifice," the Minister tweeted.

In another tweet in Hindi, Shah said it was his first public programme after taking charge as the Union Home Minister on Saturday.

"I paid tribute to over 34,000 personnel from police and security forces who sacrificed their lives. Our country is safe because of the sacrifice of these personnel.

"...I am feeling energetic after visiting here. Also, the feeling to do everything for the country has become more strong."

Shah was accompanied by Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba and Intelligence Bureau chief Rajiv Jain among other senior officials.

During his visit, he wrote in the visitors' book and offered flowers in front of the Wall of Valour.

Former Home Minister and now Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday paid tribute at the memorial before taking charge.

The National Police Memorial commemorates 34,844 police personnel from all the central and state police forces in India who have died in the line of duty since India's Independence in 1947.

--IANS

rak/mr

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The sweeping victory of Narendra Modi and his party in this General Election - that went far beyond any conventional poll arithmetic - was transformational in the sense that for the first time the Indians at the grass roots level believed that the promise made by a leadership earlier had been sincerely pursued by it. Prime Minister Modi had post- 2014 called for 'sabka saath sabka vikas' and declared that he would put the 'nation first' in handling the issues of governance. The development schemes that he announced aimed at benefiting the common man regardless of rural-urban distinctions and what is truly modernistic - using the power of technology as a great equaliser.

He was able to establish that while he engaged in serving the people he could deal with threats to the nation's security with an iron will and a fierce response. In a long time Indian masses - more aware than ever before of the environ around, thanks to the Age of Information - were first able to see things for themselves without the tinted mentoring of political parties. They understood the two basic needs of citizens in a democracy - economic improvement and security against external and internal threats - and felt reasonably assured that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was selflessly geared to working for both. The results of the 2019 Parliamentary polls showed a wide undercurrent of acceptance of Modi's leadership that many observers missed out on - it was left to the exit polls to reveal it in full measure.

Now that the Modi regime is in place, it would do the Prime Minister good if he straightaway got down to completing what he had set out to do - and reassemble a team that worked on his mission-oriented grid. In India, there has been too much in governance - the elected representatives even as ministers becoming excessively dependent on their constituencies and losing sight of what was so clearly in the larger interest of the nation. The kind of majority Modi is now presiding over would not allow much room for ambiguity in policy making or flaws in the execution of development projects. In his first tenure, Prime Minister Modi concentrated on international relations rightly pursuing a foreign policy that was essentially focused on bilateral relations based on mutual interest in the spheres of economic progress and national security. Foreign policy can be classically defined as the product of national economic and security concerns and Modi gets full credit for implementing it to that end - with countries big or small - and creating for India a huge space of its own in the post-Cold War era. However, in India, internal governance is a running challenge and in its new innings, a lot more will be required to be done by the Modi regime on the domestic front.

If India has to turn its demographic profile into a lasting asset it will have to put special focus on health, education and skill training. Also, the ordinary farmers constitute a major segment of our national life and the country's economic progress and self-sufficiency in food depends on them. They must receive total attention of the Centre and the states. Further, our defence forces, who safeguard the borders and deal with the threats originating from beyond our frontiers, have to have a seamless liaison with the paramilitary that protected the country from the enemy operating on our own soil. A lot has been achieved in this direction already but in the age of covert offensives and proxy wars a coordinated implementation of policies of defence and internal security will remain an extremely important aspect of exercise of sovereign power by the Centre. Kashmir is a key testing ground for this.

In an overall perspective, five areas stand out for organised and sustained action by the new government. First, Prime Minister Narendra Modi owed his 2014 victory to the expectations of the people that he would deliver a death blow to big time corruption indulged in by leaders in public life - almost always with the collusion of bureaucrats or public servants. The fear of punishment was still not there in part because the agencies concerned were yet not fully geared to uncovering the complex mesh that surrounded all the scams and financial frauds. The renewed mandate should be used by the Modi regime to chase out the corrupt wherever they are and liberate the country from the malaise of corruption that has been the primary reason why India's development was stilted all these years. Prime Minister Modi has done well to emphasise on the probity in public life by telling his new MPs not to fall for 'VIP Culture'.

Secondly, the law and order situation in India has remained unsatisfactory in recent years and even though in terms of Constitutional responsibility police and law enforcement were an area of accountability primarily for the states, the fact is that the image of the country took a beating on this count affecting somewhere even the climate of investment for outside businesses. The frequency of offences like organised murders and gang rapes committed in public view have had the effect of demoralising the law abiding citizens and creating social destabilisation. The spread of political violence in some states has tended to affect the play of democracy during and outside of the election period. The Centre has no reason to remain uninvolved - there was enough happening by way of violence on the streets in some states to warrant use of Art 256 of the Constitution for issuing a 'directive' and not a mere advisory to the state government to perform better on the law and order front. Article 355 of the Constitution is there to deal with an exceptional situation where the state government was just not able to control political violence. Also, the time has come for the Government of India to tighten the screws on the officers of the All India Services in the states who failed to put down cases of violence in public that caused internal instability.

The third crucial area of governance relates to the delivery of development projects in time - whether they belonged to the Centre, state or the local bodies. Corruption and politicisation of economic initiatives have created an opaqueness about fixing responsibility for unacceptable delays. A good way out is to bring in the district administration - the Collector-SP duo - in the monitoring mechanism. The young IAS-IPS officials who hold these positions are still fired by idealism - being relatively unspoiled by political influences - and are in a position to report periodically on whatever was coming in the way of any development project - from land-related matters to law and order disruption - in their segment. The Centre has enough concurrent powers to take suitable action on their reports. In the Modi regime this should become a prime paradigm of good governance.

Fourth is the handling of the challenge relating to the condition of ordinary farmers. While the systemic improvement in the availability of water, electricity and fertilisers goes on, the farmer must get the market price of whatever he had produced and timely financial aid in the event of a crop failure. India has to create its own model of administration to prevent farmers' suicides. At the sub divisional level, a procurement centre should operate to accept the produce and cycle it further and to identify farmers whose crop had failed due to some unavoidable reason. This arrangement would be needed for about 4-6 weeks around harvest time - an efficient state government should manage it by designating the SDOs as Special Officers for Procurement and Compensation for the period. Politicians only think of a system of 'doles' for farmers which does not help.

Finally, the long range solution of the problems of Education and Health must be found on an urgent footing - these should be declared as areas of strategic import at par with Defence and Internal Security to provide for an effective oversight of the Centre on them. These vital services make a nation strong and both government and private sectors handling them must come up to the mark and keep malpractices out of the system. For Corporates, universities and speciality hospitals are good business too but these must subserve the nation by helping the people at large. The thrust of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funding should be on underwriting new schools in panchayat circles wherever needed. The Modi government must achieve the declared goal of giving free education to all needy children of up to the age 12 and provide access to primary healthcare to all minors in the country. It must bring 'cooperative federalism' into play - its resounding victory in this General Election has assured it of people's support for all of its mega missions. The nation would look for visible progress every six months in these five areas of priority.

(The writer is a former Director Intelligence Bureau)

--IANS

pathak/am/ksk

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)India's High Commissioner to Pakistan Ajay Bisaria offered a public apology after numerous Pakistanis trying to attend an iftar party hosted by him were harassed and forced to leave the venue.

"I want to apologize to all the friends who were subject to some extra scrutiny outside," Bisaria said on Saturday, using diplomatic language. "Thank you so much. Many friends have been stopped outside."

Bisaria later told a media outlet that the incident was counter to better relations between India and Pakistan.

The virtual sabotage of the Indian iftar party at Hotel Serena here was carried out by Pakistani security agencies including intelligence personnel not in uniform.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and President Arif Alvi were among those invited to the event but they skipped it.

Others who were invited included politicians, community leaders, heads of Sufi shrines, academics, writers and civil society activists.

As soon as the guests started arriving at the venue, they were stopped outside and prevented aggressively from going in by the Pakistani security agencies.

Pakistani security officials reportedly also telephoned members of the Karachi Federation of Chambers of Commerce, the Faisalabad Chambers of Commerce and the Lahore Chambers of Commerce not to attend the iftar party.

Some Pakistanis, however, made it to the event.

The Pakistani media did not report Saturday's incident, which comes days after Islamabad accused Indian security personnel of obstructing Indians from attending an iftar party thrown by the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi.

India-Pakistan relations have been badly hit after an Islamist group based in Pakistan claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing that killed 40 troopers in Jammu and Kashmir in February.

--IANS

mr/pg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has indicated that Iran could agree to hold talks if the United States shows respect and follows international rules, but said Tehran would not be coerced into negotiations.

Iran has repeatedly castigated Washington's withdrawal from Tehran's nuclear deal with world powers as a breach of international laws and has condemned US sanctions as attempts to force the Islamic republic into agreeing to talks for a new agreement.

On Saturday, Rouhani said: "We are for logic and talks if (the other side) sits respectfully at the negotiating table and follows international regulations, not if it issues an order to negotiate," the semi-official Fars news agency reported.

--IANS

kr

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)On his last day in Romania, Francis beatified seven Greek Catholic bishops, martyred under the Communist regime. May you be witnesses of freedom and mercy, allowing fraternity and dialogue to prevail over divisions, and fostering the fraternity of blood that arose in the period of suffering, when Christians, historically divided, drew closer and more united to one another.

Bucharest (AsiaNews)  On his last day in Romania, Pope Francis visited the city of Blaj, in Transylvania. The highlight of his visit in the morning was the beatification of seven Romanian Greek Catholic bishops. The pontiff used the occasion to slam the ongoing cultural colonisation and oppose the "new ideologies" that devalue the person, life, marriage and the family [. . .] with alienating proposals as atheistic as those of the past, which deny especially young people their cultural and religious roots, and make everything irrelevant unless it serves our immediate interests.

Blaj is the heart of the Greek-Catholic Church, that is to say the Romanian Orthodox community that in 1700 decided to become Catholic, whilst keeping its rituals. Even today the Mass follows the same tradition, a solemn rite in front of more than 60,000 people who filled every corner of the Field of Liberty, as the large square is aptly called, too small for all the faithful. Hundreds of priests are present.

On this occasion, the Pope proclaimed blessed seven bishops, victims of the persecution of the Communist regime: Mgr Iuliu Hossu, Mgr Vasile Aftenie, Mgr Ioan Balan, Mgr Valeriu Traian Frentiu, Mgr Ioan Suciu, Mgr Tit Liviu Chinezu, and Mgr Alexandru Rusu. Their story began in 1948. In Romania, as in all other countries under Soviet control, the Communist regime sought to erase the Catholic Church because of its uncontrollable link with Rome.

Everywhere, nunciatures were closed, as were seminaries, religious homes, parishes, schools. Associations were created to incorporate Catholic believers and priests on the orders of the regime. Where Eastern Catholic Churches existed, like in Ukraine and Romania, the authorities tried to integrate them into local Orthodox Churches, more malleable because they were national Churches.

The Greek-Catholic Church of Romania had a million and a half members, little more than half remains. Stripped of all resources, she was legally dissolved and her faithful "passed" to the Orthodox. But the bishops were greatest obstacle to integration. They were asked to break with Rome. They received blandishments and threats. Faced with a firm refusal, the regime responded with prison, privations and tortures that led to death. Mgr Aftenies body was found without arms.

In the face of fierce opposition from the regime, they demonstrated an exemplary faith and love for their people. With great courage and interior fortitude, they accepted harsh imprisonment and every kind of mistreatment, in order not to deny their fidelity to their beloved Church. These pastors, martyrs for the faith, re-appropriated and handed down to the Romanian people a precious legacy that we can sum up in two words: freedom and mercy.

With regard to freedom, I cannot help but note that we are celebrating this Divine Liturgy in the Field of Liberty. This place, filled with meaning, evokes the unity of your people, which is found in the diversity of its religious expressions. All these things constitute a spiritual patrimony that enriches and distinguishes Romanian culture and national identity. The new Beati endured suffering and gave their lives to oppose an illiberal ideological system that oppressed the fundamental rights of the human person. In that tragic period, the life of the Catholic community was put to a harsh test by a dictatorial and atheistic regime. All the Bishops and faithful of the Greek-Catholic Church and those of the Latin-rite Catholic Church were persecuted and imprisoned.

The other aspect of the spiritual legacy of the new Beati is mercy. Their tenacity in professing fidelity to Christ was matched by their readiness to suffer martyrdom without showing hatred towards their persecutors and indeed responding to them with great meekness. The words spoken by Bishop Iuliu Hossu during his imprisonment are eloquent: God has sent us into this darkness of suffering in order to offer forgiveness and to pray for the conversion of all. These words are the symbol and synthesis of the attitude with which these Beati, at the time of testing, sustained their people in confessing the faith without compromise or retaliation. The mercy they showed to their tormentors is a prophetic message, for it invites everyone today to conquer anger and resentment by love and forgiveness, and to live the Christian faith with consistency and courage.

Dear brothers and sisters, today, too, we witness the appearance of new ideologies that quietly attempt to assert themselves and to uproot our peoples from their richest cultural and religious traditions. Forms of ideological colonization that devalue the person, life, marriage and the family (cf. Amoris Laetitia, 40), and above all, with alienating proposals as atheistic as those of the past, harm our young people and children, leaving them without roots from which they can grow (cf. Christus Vivit, 78). Everything then becomes irrelevant unless it serves our immediate interests; people are led to take advantage of others and treat them as mere objects (cf. Laudato Si, 123-124). Those voices, by sowing fear and division, seek to cancel and bury the best that the history of these lands have bequeathed to you. I think, for example, of the Edict of Torda in 1568, which forbade all forms of radicalism and was one of the first in Europe to promote an act of religious tolerance.

I would like to encourage you to bring the light of the Gospel to our contemporaries and to continue, like these Beati, to resist these new ideologies now springing up. May you be witnesses of freedom and mercy, allowing fraternity and dialogue to prevail over divisions, and fostering the fraternity of blood that arose in the period of suffering, when Christians, historically divided, drew closer and more united to one another.

In the afternoon, the Pope is scheduled to meet with the Roma community, before leaving for Rome, where he should arrive around 7pm, local time. (FP)Amid raging controversy over the draft national education policy, which favours making teaching of Hindi compulsory up to class 8, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, here on Sunday, reiterated the government's stand that it respected all languages and no language would be "imposed".

"The national education policy as submitted to the HRD Minister is only a draft report. Feedback shall be obtained from general public. State governments will be consulted. Only after that the draft report will be finalised. The government of India respects all languages. No language will be imposed," he said in a tweet.

The minister's remark come in the wake of apprehensions expressed by political parties and academicians in Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal over the draft education policy. They have cautioned the Centre against imposing any language against the wishes of states.

Earlier, the central government said it had not taken a decision on the draft education policy and had no intentions to impose any language.

The Kasturirangan Committee has recommended teaching of Hindi, English and one regional language in the non-Hindi states; and Hindi, English and one modern Indian language from other parts of the country in Hindi-speaking states.

--IANS

bns/rs/pcj

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)There is rising discontent in the West Bengal BJP against the induction of Trinamool Congress' Labhpur legislator Monirul Islam, with a key district level functionary even threatening to quit with his supporters if the leadership did not show the door to the MLA.

Islam, said to be a prominent Muslim face of Trinamool, had crossed over to the Bharatiya Janata Party in Delhi on Wednesday.

But his inclusion sparked off protests in the BJP, with a large section of workers and supporters taking to micrblogging site Twitter to express their dismay at Islam's inclusion.

They recalled Islam in 2015 publicly threatened to behead a Congress functionary from Birbhum and went on to claim how he had "squashed" three people under his feet for committing atrocities against women.

"Ashamed", "bad decision" were some of the comments posted by the Twitterati.

"Do you know he is triple murder accused ? All garbages are joining BJP. Bengal BJP will die on this own very soon," said a dismayed supporter.

Kalosona Mondal, BJP's Birbhum district General Secretary, was aghast at the party's decision.

"Through the media, I have been telling my party leadership that Monirul is simply not acceptable to us. He is unacceptable to the people of Birbhum," Mondal told IANS over phone.

Accusing Islam of being involved in all sorts of violence and "nefarious activities", he said: "We all want our party to expand, and new people to come. But their background should be checked. If people against whose activities we have been fighting are taken in, then our struggles all through these years become meaningless."

Mondal, who got attracted to the Rashtriya Sawamsevak Sangh during the Ram Janambhoomi movement, said: "Posts don't mean anything to me. If I fail to make my party leadership see reason, I will step down from my post. I will not be part of the BJP any more. But I won't join any other party. I will work in some arm of the Sangh Parivar."

Pointing a finger at BJP leader Mukul Roy for roping in Islam, he said: "What he fails to understand is that people like Monirul are now joining us for their political survival, as they know the ruling Trinamool Congress' days are numbered."

He also sought to caution the party leadership about allowing entry to elected councillors or panchayat functionaries of the Trinamool into the BJP, adding that of the 167 gram panchayats in the districts, 50-70 panchayats now ruled by the Trinamool, could land in the BJP's lap anytime now.

However, state BJP chief Dilip Ghosh defended the decision to take in Islam and hinted that more such leaders may be inducted in the future.

"More such people may enter in future. You may not like it. I myself often don't like it. But to win one needs both manpower and muscle power. So for the party's expansion, all kinds of people have to be admitted. We will digest all that," he said.

Meanwhile, district political sources said the immediate trigger for Islam quitting Trinamool is the party leadership's refusal to give him a commitment that his son would be nominated from Labhpur in the next assembly polls, slated for 2021.

"Islam is not keeping well He suffers from serious ailments. So he is keen to anoint his son as his successor from Labhpur. When that failed, he decided to cross over. The Trinamool's setbacks in the state in the Lok Sabha polls also came at an opportune time for him," a source added.

--IANS

ssp/vd/kr

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Brazil and Paris Saint-Germain forward Neymar bas been accused of raping a woman at a hotel in Paris last month, according to Brazilian police.

The incident allegedly took place in the hotel on May 15, according to a report filed with police in Sao Paulo on Friday.

Neymar's father strongly denied the accusation and said it was an attempt to extort his son, reports Xinhua news agency.

"This is a tough moment. If we can't show the truth quickly it will be a snowball. If we have to show Neymar's WhatsApp messages and the conversations with this lady, we will," Neymar Santos Sr told TV Band.

According to the woman's testimony to police, Neymar paid for her to fly from Sao Paulo to Paris after meeting her on Instagram.

She states that he booked her into a suite at the Sofitel Paris Arc de Triomphe, where the offence allegedly occurred.

The woman says she returned to Brazil two days later and did not file a report in Paris because she was too emotionally upset.

The document affirms that the woman will undergo medical tests as part of the police probe.

Neymar is currently preparing for the Copa America with Brazil's national squad at a training camp in Terespolis, near Rio de Janeiro. The continental tournament will be held in Brazil from June 14 to July 7.

--IANS

aak/ksk

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)One person was stabbed to death while several others were injured as political violence continued in West Bengal on Sunday, the police said.

Reports of houses being ransacked and activists of both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the ruling Trinamool Congress sustaining injuries surfaced through the day.

A 36-year-old man, said to be a BJP worker, was stabbed to death in Baduria in North 24 Parganas district. "Ajay Mondol (37) was stabbed on Sunday morning when he stepped out of his residence," an officer at the Baduria police station said. However, he added that the complaint did not mention any political connection and that the matter was under investigation.

A Trinamool Congress party office was ransacked in Diamond Harbour in South 24 Parganas district. In another incident, a Trinamool member was beaten up on Saturday in Ghola in North 24 Parganas district. Two people have been arrested in connection with the case, the police said.

Meanwhile, BJP MP from Barrackpore Arjun Singh protested against the police restoring to lathi charge in North 24 Parganas district by holding demonstrations outside few local police stations.

"Since the time Mamata Banerjee's candidates tasted defeat in the Lok Sabha polls, the police and other miscreants are beating up our workers and ransacking their houses. The officers in Amdanga and Duttapukur police stations are even interrogating people for joining the BJP," he told reporters.

Singh, who defeated Trinamool's Dinesh Trivedi to win the Barrackpore seat, also alleged that the police were threatening to "arrest and file false cases against BJP workers."

Trinamool leader Alo Rani Sarkar, on the othe other hand, alleged that bike-borne BJP supporters roamed outside her residence in Kanchrapara in North 24 Parganas district and threatened some of her party workers with dire consequences over the phone.

"There were as many as four people on a single bike raising 'Jai Shri Ram' chants. But since Rapid Action Force (RAF) officers were inside the gate, they couldn't do anything. They also threatened to kill our party workers. Their main aim is to help Mukul Roy and his son Subhrangshu Roy continue terrorising people in the Bijpur area," Sarkar said.

However, the local police denied receiving any such complaints.

A clash between BJP and Trinamool workers was also reported from Pidra village in Purulia district.

In another incident, some Trinamool workers were allegedly injured in Arambagh in Hooghly district while the disturbance in East Medinipur district's Khejuri continued on Sunday.

On Saturday, a Trinamool party office was vandalised, allegedly by BJP workers, in Khejuri, which is notorious for political violence. Some police vehicles were also damaged by the agitators.

--IANS

bnd/arm

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)In his first visit outside the national capital as Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh will on Monday interact with soldiers at the Siachen base camp and review the security situation along the borders with Pakistan.

"Raksha Mantri Shri @rajnathsingh will visit the Ladakh region in Jammu and Kashmir tomorrow. During his visit he will interact with jawans at a forward post and pay his tributes to fallen soldiers at Siachen War Memorial. He will also interact with the jawans at the Siachen base camp," the Defence Minister's Office tweeted.

According to sources, Singh will be accompanied by army chief General Bipin Rawat and senior Defence Ministry officials. Singh will be apprised of the operations being conducted by the army in the Ladakh region and the Siachen glacier area.

Siachen is a glacier in the eastern Karakoram range in the Himalayas where the Line of Control (LoC) between India and Pakistan ends. The army has deployed a brigade in the area where some posts are located at an altitude of 6,400 metres.

The army has been controlling the Siachen glacier since April 13, 1984 when Operation Meghdoot -- the code name for a military action -- was launched to capture the peaks by defeating the Pakistan Army.

The Defence Minister is also expected to visit the nearby areas of the Siachen glacier.

After taking charge on Saturday, Singh had asked Defence Ministry officials to prepare detailed presentations on all the divisions and set time-bound targets to achieve desired outcomes.

--IANS

rak/arm/pcj

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A young man who did not complete his school education but pretended to be an IPS officer and delivered motivational speeches on how to crack IIT and UPSC examinations has finally landed in the police net.

The Special Operations Group (SOG) here arrested Abhay Meena, who investigators found out had even been felicitated by some organisations in different states on the strength of his fake bio-data and ability to speak.

He came on the police radar after a person doubted his police identity when his card mis-spelt the word 'branch' as 'branche'.

Additional Superintendent of Police, SOG, Karan Sharma said his men learnt that Meena, in his early 20s, was extorting money on the pretext of being an IPS officer.

"We formed different teams to chase Meena. While one team traced Meena's record, the other studied his social media profile and the third team personally chased him. And he was arrested on Thursday," he added.

Preliminary investigation revealed that Meena introduced himself as an officer of the Indian Police Service (IPS) and on his Facebook claimed he was an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) posted with CB-CID.

He also had a live-in partner: a women from Uttarakhand.

Meena, according to police officials, attended many parties in different states. He posted pictures of these parties and different award functions on his Facebook page, which described himself as an IIT-Delhi graduate with a BTech degree now posted in Jaipur.

He belonged to Piloda village in Sawai Madhopur. In Jaipur, he had a plush flat from where police seized an IPS uniform, a wireless set, three airguns and a fake ID card.

With his fake identity, he obtained free service from five-star hotels.

Police officials believe that many other cases will open up after a through investigation.

--IANS

arc/mr/vd

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)With the arrest of seven persons, including a Nepalese national, Delhi Police have busted a gang of mobile phone thieves who used to steal cellphones from here and smuggle them to Nepal.

A total of 311 high-end cellphones worth Rs 60 lakh, including 90 iPhones, were recovered from their possession, a police officer said on Sunday.

"The accused, identified as Rohit (23), Naresh Kumar (27), Rajan (28), Naresh (30), Gopal Pathak (31), Mukesh (38) and Ram Singh (58), are residents of different areas in Central and East Delhi. They were arrested from their shops and residents following separate raids conducted on Saturday and Sunday," said Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Rajesh Deo.

"As many as 211 mobile phones were recovered from Naresh Kumar's possession after a Crime Branch team headed by Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Jasbir Singh and Inspector Gurmeet Singh raided his residence in Karol Bagh following a tip-off. Naresh used to purchase stolen mobile phones and send them to Nepal with the help of Ram Singh, a native of Nepal, to avoid IMEI tracing," the DCP said.

"Based on the information provided by Naresh, the police succeeded in arresting the other six accused," he said.

According to the police, it was Ram Singh who told the gang members that there was huge demand for iPhones and other high-end phones in Nepal. He was the man who used to arrange the selling of the stolen cellphones in Nepal at a reduced price than the original cost.

"Ram Singh was a salaried employee of the gang in Delhi who used to coordinate the movement of the stolen phones from the capital to Nepal. He used to also facilitate payments for the stolen phones via illegal channels of monetary transaction," Deo said.

"The majority of the accused used to repair mobile phones in Gaffar Market in Karol Bagh. But after regular raids by the police and the drop in prices of mobile phones, their job slowed down, following which they set up the gang and started smuggling high-end cellphones," the DCP said.

The gang members were active in Mangopuri and other crowded markets in east Delhi, the police said.

"The gang members were also in touch with pickpockets, robbers and drug addicts whom they paid good commissions in exchange of stolen mobile phones. A hunt is on to nab them too," the police said.

--IANS

sp/arm

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)US President Donald Trump has said the UK should walk away from the European Union (EU) without a deal if it cannot secure the terms it wants.

The US President was speaking to the Sunday Times ahead of his arrival in the UK on Monday for a state visit, the BBC reported.

"If you don't get the deal you want, if you don't get a fair deal, then you walk away," he told the daily.

Trump suggested that the UK should not pay the 39 billion pounds ($49 billion) Brexit "divorce" bill laid out in the current withdrawal agreement.

"If I were them I wouldn't pay $50 billion, it's a big number," he said.

To compensate for lost trade with the EU, Trump vowed to "go all out" to secure a free trade deal between the UK and US within months of Britain leaving the bloc.

The first day of Trump's state visit to the UK is set to include a private lunch with the Queen, tea with the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, and a state banquet at Buckingham Palace.

Trump also said that the UK should include Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage in talks with the EU, describing him as "a very smart person".

His comments came after he said former Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson would be an "excellent" Conservative Party leader to replace outgoing Prime Minister Theresa May.

--IANS

ksk

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Just days before the 30th anniversary of the crackdown on a pro-democracy demonstration in Tiananmen Square on June 4, Twitter suspended a large number of accounts, including those belonging to Chinese political commentators, the media reported.

Twitter later apologised for the error.

Twitter's action, which affected more than 100 users, came over several hours late Friday and early Saturday, The New York Times reported citing a human rights worker. As a result, accounts of several human rights lawyers, activists and students, among others, got suspended.

"Among the accounts suspended are some prominent, long-time Chinese-language tweeps: @Sasha_Gong, @wmeng8. Both live in the US. More accts have been suspended than I can keep up," wrote one user.

Twitter said the accounts it suspended "as part of its work to protect the health of the public conversation" were not mass reported by the Chinese authorities.

"Sometimes our routine actions catch false positives or we make errors. We apologise. We're working to ensure we overturn any errors, but we remain vigilant in enforcing our rules for those who violate them. As always, account holders can appeal," Twitter said in a statement.

--IANS

gb/pcj

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)India's new Finance Minister Sitharaman might not have revealed her plans to accelerate economic growth, but the avid Twitterati have been giving notes and advice about her next moves on the social media platform.

Inundated with congratulatory messages, the handle of the new Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs also contains in-depth advices on the next level of economic reforms and growth-oriented moves that she should undertake.

As per Sitharaman's handle, messages with themes such as the upcoming Budget 2019, disinvestment, new economic reforms such as GST 2.0 have been gaining traction.

This is understandable, as in the last 48 hours, macro data points have painted a gloomy picture of the economy, showing a slowdown in the GDP growth rate and contraction in core industries' production.

Additionally, farm distress, unemployment and subdued consumer sentiment have aroused fears of a short-to-midterm slowdown. The slowdown has become evident in sectors such as automobile, FMCG and aviation.

On the other hand, the relief came from another set of data which showed that met its revised fiscal deficit target for the last fiscal year.

Even the various employee associations of the many departments under her ministry assured Sitharaman of their support, which she will require to boost revenues and control expenditure.

However, on whether any advice was adhered to or not will only be known once the hustle-and-bustle of the appointment subsides, and work begins on the full Union Budget for 2019-20.

The Finance Bill will be presented on July 5, in which the new government's priorities and programmes will be known.

Besides the Budget, the Economic Survey, which gives the status of the country's economy, will be presented in Parliament on July 4.

On Friday, Sitharaman after serving as India's second woman Defence Minister, the first being Indira Gandhi, became the second woman to head the Finance Ministry, after the former Prime Minister.

Sitharaman was among the three women who became part of the in the 17th Lok Sabha.

Before Sitharaman, was Finance Minister for a short period.

Prior to the Defence Ministry, Sitharaman held the Commerce and Industry portfolio.

(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.)June 2;

1983  US Congressman Lawrence McDonald (D-GA) proposed that a user-tax be imposed on people with AIDS to finance research, saying that since they caused the epidemic they shouldnt expect others to pay for the research necessary to find treatments.

McDonald, who considered himself a traditional Democrat cut from the cloth of Jefferson and Jackson, was known for his ultra-conservative views, even by southern standards and was more conservative than many members of the Republican Party at the time. In fact, one scoring method published in the American Journal of Political Science named him the second most conservative member of either chamber of Congress between 1937 and 2002.

McDonald sponsored amendments to stop government aid to homosexuals and also co-sponsored a bill expressing the sense of the Congress that homosexual acts and the class of individuals who advocate such conduct shall never receive special consideration or a protected status under law.

MacDonald was also the second president of the John Birch Society and opposed the establishment of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day saying the FBI had evidence that King was associated with and being manipulated by communists and secret communist agents.

On September 1, 1983 Lawrence McDonald boarded Korean Air Lines Flight 007. to attend a celebration of the 30th anniversary of the United StatesSouth Korea Mutual Defense Treaty. McDonald and the rest of the passengers and crew of KAL 007 were killed when Soviet fighters, under the command of Gen. Anatoly Kornukov, shot down KAL 007 near Moneron Island after the plane entered Soviet airspace.when it was shot down by Soviet interceptors and all passengers were dead.

Who said there is no such thing as Karma?

1987  A Chorus Line creator Michael Bennett died of complications from AIDS at age 44 in Tucson, Arizona

1989  The first annual Lambda Literary awards ceremony was held. The Lammy is the most prestigious, competitive, and comprehensive literary award offered specifically to LGBT authors writing about queer lives across multiple genres published by large and small presses.

1998  The Rhode Island legislature voted to repeal the states sodomy law. The prison sentence under the law had ranged from 7-20 years.

2000  Bill Clinton, the first U.S. President to proclaim June as Gay and Lesbian Pride Month, issued his final pride proclamation. Clinton took the occasion to renew his call for passage of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and the Hate Crimes Prevention Act. Four years earlier in 1996 Clinton signed the Defense of Marriage Act which prevents the Federal Government from recognizing same sex marriages in America.

2008  Charges of crimes against nature were dropped against two men who were arrested for having consensual sex in Wake County, N.C. since it was in private. Though the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Lawrence v. Texas in 2003 that consensual gay sex is not a punishable offense, North Carolina still classified sodomy as an illegal activity. Raleigh police were told that they could continue to arrest gay men for having public sex, but not private sex.Nearly all applicants for US visas will have to submit their social media details under new rules by the State Department.

The State Department regulations say people will have to submit social media names and five years' worth of email addresses and phone numbers.

When proposed last year, authorities estimated the proposal would affect 14.7 million people annually. Certain diplomatic and official visa applicants will be exempt from the stringent new measures.

However, people travelling to the US to work or to study will have to hand over their information, the reported.

"We are constantly working to find mechanisms to improve our screening processes to protect US citizens, while supporting legitimate travel to the United States," the department reportedly said.

Previously, only applicants who needed additional vetting - such as people who had been to parts of the world controlled by terrorist groups - would need to hand over this data.

But now applicants will have to give up their account names on a list of social media platforms, and also volunteer the details of their accounts on any sites not listed.

Anyone who lies about their social media use could face "serious consequences", according to an official.

The first proposed the rules in March 2018.

At the time, the American Civil Liberties Union - a civil rights group - said there is "no evidence that such social media monitoring is effective or fair", and said it would cause people to self-censor themselves online.

US made cracking down on a key plank of his election campaign in 2016.

He called for "extreme vetting" of immigrants before and during his time in office.

On Friday Trump vowed to impose gradually rising tariffs on unless the country curbed illegal at the US southern border.

(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.)Prime Minister Narendra Modi has mourned the death of Bollywood action director Veeru Devgan, calling it "a great loss for the industry".

In a letter to his son and actor Ajay Devgn. Modi wrote: "I am deeply saddened to learn of the demise of Veeru Devgan who was widely respected for his outstanding work across various domains in the Hindi film industry. This is a great loss for the industry.

"Devgan worked as a stuntman, action choreographer, director, producer and more. This is the sign of a man who completely dedicated himself to his chosen field and hence, kept discovering new ways of contributing to it."

Modi added that there was something deeply moving about people like Devgan, who took great risks to enthrall audiences in the era of no visual effects.

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 May 27. He was 85.

The letter further stated that Devgan was known for his "personal daredevilry, for pushing the limits as an action choreographer as well as being meticulous about the safety of his team".

"I convey my deepest condolences to Veeru Devgan's family, friends, admirers and the film industry as a whole. May he continue to inspire risk takers in the world because it is those who take risks that define the direction our world takes."

Ajay captioned the image: "My mother and the entire Devgan family are deeply touched and humbled in silence by this thoughtful gesture from our Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Thank you Sir."

--IANS

dc/nn/mr

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A woman principal, Savinder Kaur, of a Pune-based school was killed in an alleged property dispute, here on Sunday, the police said.

Kaur, a resident of an upscale area of Palam Vihar, had come home on summer vacation and was staying with her family, comprising husband Sukhbir Singh and son Prabsharan Singh.

According to Assistant Commissioner of Police (crime) Shamsher Singh, on Sunday, when Prabsharan was returning from work, he received a panic-stricken call from his mother. He immediately called his father but Sukhbir was out for some work.

"After receiving Savinder's call, Prabsharan rushed and reached home at 7.50 p.m. He knocked at the door of her bedroom on the first floor of the bungalow. But it was locked from inside. While he was beating the door, Sukhbir too returned home at 8 p.m." Singh said.

They broke the door and found Kaur lying unconscious on the sofa with two blunt injuries on her head. They immediately informed the police who took her to a hospital where she was declared brought dead, said Singh.

The post-mortem report confirmed the injuries as cause of death, he said.

According to the police, Sukhbir claimed of a property dispute, which is in the court, with brother Jasprit Singh. Sukhbir also told the police that he suspected role of Jasprit, his wife Prity Kaur, and their daughter Paramjeet in the murder.

The deceased, earlier a head mistress in a private school in Gurugram in 2000, had gone abroad. On her return to India some four years ago, she joined a reputed school in Pune.

--IANS

str/rs/pcj

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Uttar Pradesh police has arrested 15 people from a fake call centre in Ghaziabad for allegedly duping hundreds of people by promising huge returns on their investment, an official said on Sunday.

The arrests were made on Saturday 8 pm when the police raided the fake call centre in Indirapuram here, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Aparna Gautama said.

The accused used to take money from people promising to multiply the amount through investment in insurance policies, credit market and equities, police said.

Thirty-six mobile phones, 28 debit cards, nine Aadhaar cards, seven PAN cards, nine cheque books, four voter ID cards and Rs 6.3 lakh cash were seized during the raid, the ASP said.

The main accused, Sonu, told the police that they received the investment amount in different accounts and have so far cheated around 500 people.

The police action followed after one of the victims, Sardar Harjit Singh of Punjab's Bhatinda, lodged a complaint at Surajpur police station in Uttar Pradesh's Gautam Buddh Nagar district.

The accused took a huge amount of money from Singh and promised good returns through investment.

They were sent to jail after a case was registered against them under sections 420 (cheating) and 406 (criminal breach of trust) of the Indian Penal Code and section 66 of Information Technology Act, the ASP added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Two policemen were killed when a speeding luxury car hit their motorcycle in Uttar Pradesh's Bareilly district, police said on Sunday.

The accident occurred late Saturday night in Fatehganj on the Lucknow-Delhi road, they said.

Sub-inspector Rajveer Singh (45) and head constable Rajneesh Kumar (35) died on the spot after the speeding car hit their motorcycle near a roadside eatery, police said.

Anand Sharma, the car driver, has been taken into custody, Deputy Inspector General (DIG), Bareily, RK Pandey said.

A case has been registered and necessary action is being taken, the DIG added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The arson in front of Arunachal Pradesh BJP chief's private residence was linked to the Permanent Resident Certificate (PRC) issue, the police said Sunday after arresting three persons in connection with last Friday's incident.

A person drove a car, parked it in front of Arunachal BJP president Tapir Gao's private residence here Friday morning and set it on fire before slaughtering a dog.

It was found out that the person, Tongam Jomoh who was one of the three arrested persons, set his own car afire and the dog he had slaughtered was also owned by him, Capital SP Tumme Amo told reporters here.

During interrogation, Jomoh claimed that he was against Gao as he was behind the PRC issue and he had also given party tickets to two non-tribals in the recently held assembly polls in the state, the SP said.

The PRC issue had rocked the state in February. Violent protests broke out in Itanagar and Naharlagun towns after the BJP government announced that it was considering issuing PRC to members of six communities who are not natives of Arunachal Pradesh, but are living in the state for decades.

Jomoh was arrested from Assam's Lakhimpur district early on Sunday while his two accomplishes were apprehended on Saturday, the SP said.

Five mobile handsets and the vehicle which they used to flee the scene were also seized, the SP said.

The accused were produced before the magistrate and remanded to police custody for further interrogation, Amo added.

CCTV footages showed that the arson and slaughtering of the dog happened in front of Gao's residence around 6 am when the streets were empty.

Gao has been elected from Arunachal East Parliamentary constituency in the recent Lok Sabha polls.

The BJP state unit had condemned the incident and appealed to the administration to take stringent action against criminal "elements". It also asked the authorities to ensure exemplary punishment to them as per law.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)In the wake of a controversy over the draft National Education Policy recommending to teach Hindi in non-Hindi speaking states, the CPI(M) Sunday said such forcible imposition will lead to feelings of "linguistic chauvinism" detrimental for the unity of the country.

The draft of the new National Education Policy (NEP)- proposed by a panel constituted by Union Human Resources Development Minister Prakash Javadekar during his previous term under the Modi government - was released on Friday and it suggested imposition of a three-language formula.

In a statement, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) said, "The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) is unequivocally opposed to the imposition of the three-language formula from primary level of school education as proposed in the Draft National Education Policy released by the HRD ministry."



The party said it is of the "firm opinion" that the "opposition is not to any particular language but for ensuring the opportunity for all Indian languages to develop and thrive".

The CPI(M)'s reaction comes after parties in Tamil Nadu, including the DMK, Saturday strongly opposed the three-language formula's continuation with add-on features - as proposed in the draft National Education Policy - alleging it was tantamount to "thrusting" Hindi.

The DMK said since 1968, Tamil Nadu has been following the two language formula only, wherein English and Tamil is taught to students in schools.

Reiterating the demand of parties based out of Tamil Nadu about junking this draft of the policy, the CPI(M) said, "Given the extremely sensitive nature of the issue, the government must withdraw the current draft and come out with a fresh one setting the controversy to rest."



"The CPI(M) strongly feels that such forcible imposition will only lead to feelings of linguistic chauvinism detrimental for the unity of our people and the country," it said.

Meanwhile, the party also commented on the recent US decision to end special trade status for India, calling it "unwarranted and uncalled for".

"This is part of a series of measures on US-India trade initiated by the Trump administration, to coerce India into accepting favourable trade terms for the United States," the CPI(M) said.

President Donald Trump on Saturday terminated India's designation as a beneficiary developing nation under the key Generalised System of Preference (GSP) trade programme after determining that it has not assured the US that it will provide "equitable and reasonable access to its markets".

The 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.

"Though the announcement (about GSP withdrawal) was made in early March, the Modi government did nothing to prevent or counter this move," the Left party said.

"Like in the case of the US prohibition to buy oil from Iran, now too the Modi government is adopting a surrenderist approach," it added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Three hundred kilograms of cannabis, worth Rs 15 lakh, was seized and three persons were arrested in this connection in Mahasamund district of Chhattisgarh, a police official said Sunday.

The action was taken on Saturday evening based on a tip-off, police said.

"There was information that the contraband was being transported to Raipur from Odisha via Mahasamund through National Highway(NH)-53. After getting the information, local police swung into action," Mahasamund Superintendent of Police Santosh Singh told PTI.

A goods pick-up vehicle was intercepted during the checking of vehicles in front of Singhoda police station and 300 packets of cannabis, each one weighing 1 kg, were seized from it. Later, its driver and his two associates were arrested, he said.

"The cannabis was packed in plastic bags that were concealed under the containers used in carrying vegetables in the vehicle," he added.

Those arrested were identified as Karan Lahre (21), the driver, who is from Basna area of Mahasamund, Jaisingh Satnami (33) of Bargarh in Odisha, and Ramlal Verma (29) of Raipur, he said.

Three mobile phones, cash worth Rs 2,900 and the vehicle have also been seized from their possession, he added.

Preliminary investigation has revealed that the cannabis worth Rs 15 lakh, was being transported to Raipur for its supply to various places in the state capital, he said.

A case has been registered in this connection, Singh said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Dozens of activists rallied in front of the Chinese embassy in Washington on Saturday to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the crackdown on the Tiananmen Square protests in Beijing.

Holding aloft banners and battery-powered candles, about 50 activists including Chinese political dissidents spoke of their hopes for democracy after the failure of the 1989 student protests that ended when the military intervened.

"I feel that people around the world are getting more and more impatient with the communist regime. And I feel that people start to realise that they can no longer tolerate this regime," said Wei Jingsheng, chairman of the Oversea Chinese Democracy Coalition.

The protests by students and workers demanding democratic changes and the eradication of corruption ended on June 4, 1989 when soldiers and tanks chased and killed demonstrators and onlookers in the streets leading to Tiananmen Square.

The government still keeps a lid on what really happened and the number of dead. But estimates from academics, witnesses and human rights groups have put the figure between several hundred to over a thousand.

In the years since, the country has grown more prosperous but the crackdown is seldom referred to by the government or in media and there's little chance of public commemorations being held in the country.

"When I came here... I was shocked because the information about that movement was completely blocked by the government of China, so I wasn't even informed of that when I was in China," said a member of the Chinese Democracy Party who gave her name as Shirley.

The government has expressed few regrets over the killings, with China's defence minister saying ahead of the anniversary that cracking down on the protesters was a "correct policy."



Rights groups also say that several activists have been detained in the country ahead of the anniversary, including artists and a writer, while popular livestreaming sites are shutting down around the anniversary for "technical reasons.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Air India Express, international budget arm of the national carrier Air India, said Sunday that half of its international flights logged a record 100 per cent occupancy last Friday.

Significantly, all these flights were operated from different overseas destinations into India, it said in a statement.

The airline, in another historic feat, achieved a load factor (seat occupancy) of 99 per cent on six days of the last month, it said.

On May 31, all seats on all Air India Express flights into India were sold and not a single seat was vacant, it said.

"Air India Expressoperated a total of 103 flights including 90 international ones on May 31. Of these, 45 flights were from India and the rest 45 into India from various destinations.

"These 45 incoming flights logged 100 per cent load factor, which is a record of sorts," Air India Express said.

Air India Express mainly flies to Gulf countries, which have a large Indian expatriate population,besides flying to some South-East Asian countries.

"The airline's overall performance in May was truly commendable as it scored a double hat-trickwith 99 per cent load factor on six days of May," the statement added.

The Kochi-headquartered budget carrier is the market leader in India-Gulf sector.

With a fleet of 25 Boeing 737 800 NG aircraft, it flies to 13 international and 20 domestic destinations.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal B S Dhanoa will begin a four-day visit to Sweden on Monday to broaden defence cooperation with the European country.

He will visit various operational and training units of the Swedish Air Force and interact with top military brass of the country, officials said.

It will be the first visit abroad by Air Chief Marshal Dhanoa after he became chairman of the powerful chiefs of staff committee (CoSC) last week.

The CoSC comprises the Army, Navy and the IAF chiefs.

"The visit would provide an impetus towards defence cooperation and pave the way for greater interaction and cooperation between the Air Forces," IAF spokesperson Group Capt. Anupam Banerjee said.

"This would also strengthen relationships and enable engagement in productive exchanges between the two Air Forces," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Air cooler makers are expecting a double-digit growth in sales this season, led by north and central Indian market as acute continues across the country.

Branded air cooler makers are offering latest technologies which include (Internet of Things), touch digital control panel, multistage air purification, high efficiency cooling pads, intelligent remote, anti-bacterial tank in several sub-categories such as personal, window, tower and desert

Besides, they are also spending a good amount on branding to promote their products.

Air cooler makers expect a shift in leading markets with a huge replacement demand for branded coolers.

"This year the market is showing higher traction, compared to last year, due to a strong summer, and is expected to grow in double digit," Voltas MD & CEO Pradeep Bakshi told PTI.

He further said: "The market for air cooler in west and south is growing faster. However, the volumes are more in north and central India."



Echoing the same view, Executive President & Country Head, Consumer Products Atul Sharma said: "We expect a very healthy season this year and hope that the industry will grow by 10-15 per cent between April-June 2019."



" Limited is expected to grow by 3-4 times of the industry growth rate in the current season," he added.

Symphony, the market leader in the segment, is also witnessing higher air cooler sales this season.

"Though we cannot get into specifics, April this year was a lot better than April last year which anyway was a disaster," Symphony Founder, Chairman and Managing Director Achal Bakeri said.

Although unorganised segment players continue to dominate the air cooler market, gradually branded coolers are making inroads in the segment, helped by factors such as introduction of GST, which has helped reduce the price gap.

"With the introduction of GST, the price gap between the unorganised market product vs organized have shrunk and consumers are getting more exposed to branded coolers," Sharma said.

expects 30 per cent of its sales to come from rural areas this season and remaining 70 per cent from urban markets.

"While the unorganised market in is as big as the organised market, the rural market is slowly graduating towards purchase of plastic branded body air coolers," said Sharma.

Bakshi said: "There is also a huge replacement demand for branded coolers in the organised segment from the unorganised segment."



Bajaj Electricals is the first company to introduce an enabled air cooler in the Indian market.

"This technology extends consumer benefits like controlling all the functions of the cooler with a smartphone app from anywhere in the world, a smart sensor installed in the cooler detects the actual humidity and temperature inside the room and adjusts the cooler setting accordingly, and various other features like auto mode, tank water level notifications, performance dashboard on the mobile app," Sharma said.

Meanwhile, Voltas has introduced 39 new SKUs of its Voltas Fresh this season, which is "powered by a smart humidity controller, triple filter advantage, and anti-bacterial tank" across various sub-categories such as personal, window, tower and desert air coolers.Air passenger traffic across five airports in Madhya Pradeshspiked 23 per cent to 42.83 lakh in the last fiscal over the financial year ended March 2017-2018 amid rising connectivity with different parts of the country, as per AAI data.

According to the AAI data, a total of 42,83 people travelled from five airports --Indore, Bhopal, Jabalpur, Khajuraho and Gwalior --during the last financial year as compare with 32.89 air passengers in 2017-18.

The growth was highest at theIndore Airport among the five airports which saw a whopping 74 per cent increase in passenger traffic to31.58 lakh during the previous fiscal.

The capital city Bhopal's Raja Bhoj airport saw 8.09 lakh passengers flying in and out of the aerodrome during the period whilepassenger traffic at Jabalpur's Damna airport stood at 2.40 lakh in the reporting year, as per data.

Meanwhile, the union Home Ministry has cleared the decks for setting up of immigration counters at the AAO-run Indore's Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Airport here, paving the way for international flight operations from here, a senior airport official said.

"After the Gazette notification of the Union Home Ministry on May 27, our airport is prepared for the first international passenger flight. We have already got the requisite approvals for the operation of international flight," said Aryama Sanyal, director Indore Airport.

Sanyal said that Air India has already submitted a proposal to connect Indore with Sharjah with a direct daily flight, adding the airline is expected to make an announcementsoon about the commencement of the new flight after taking necessary approvals.

Meanwhile, the Secretary of Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI), Madhya Pradesh-Chhattisgarh, Hemendra Singh Jadaun told PTI on Sunday, "In the last one year, new flights have been started from different cities of Madhya Pradesh for the different destinations like Chennai, Jaipur, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Vadodara, Chandigarh, among others".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has reiterated his demand for a national policy to tackle drug abuse.

In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, Singh urged him to advise ministries of Home, Social Justice and Empowerment, and Health and Family Welfare to address the issue.

"This important issue needs to be addressed with a little more seriousness than it has received so far," he wrote, according to an official statement released here.

The chief minister sought Modi's personal intervention for the formulation of a national policy focusing on three components -- enforcement, de-addiction and prevention -- to tackle the menace of drug abuse in the country.

Singh said a national policy would enable all states to follow a similar, if not the same, approach on drug abuse, which, he said, "has substantially hampered the health of the people, particularly the youth".

The chief minister expressed his state's willingness to associate with the officers concerned of the Centre not only to evolve the policy but also to put in place an effective mechanism for its implementation.

Besides, the chief minister also raised security concerns emerging out of narco-terrorism, saying these were rather grave in the context of Punjab, which shares a 553-km border with Pakistan.

Singh said substance abuse was undoubtedly a global problem entailing heavy socio-economic costs to both individuals and society.

"In the last two decades, the prevalence of illicit drug trafficking has assumed alarming proportions in India too," the chief minister said.

Citing a survey report, titled 'Magnitude of Substance Abuse in India', released in February 2019 by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment in collaboration with National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre, AIIMS, Singh said, "Drug abuse in India is a significant problem and multi-pronged and coordinated policy interventions are required to tackle it effectively."



In his letter to Modi, Singh also touched upon several steps which the Congress government in Punjab has taken during the past two years to check the drug menace and to expand its outreach at the grassroots to make towns and villages "drug-free".

He also sought financial support from the Centre to increase the number of Outpatient Opioid Assisted Treatment (OOAT) clinics in Punjab, which he said, are currently being run on "meagre state resources".

Speaking at an event in New Delhi in October last year, Singh had said that Pakistan was "pushing" drugs through the borders to destroy the youth in the northern states and had called for a national policy to tackle the menace.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Union Minister and RPI (A) chief Ramdas Athawale Sunday urged ruling TRS and YSR Congress in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh respectively to join the BJP- led National Democratic Alliance for development of the states.

Though the present NDA's strength in Lok Sabha was 353 and there was no necessity for support from any other party, for the development of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh states, both TRS president K Chandrasekha Rao and YSRC chief Y S Jaganmohan Reddy should and join NDA, he said here.

The BJP chief Amit Shah has announced if any other party wants to join NDA our doors are open. This is my suggestion to KCR (as Rao is referred to) and Jagan to support leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modiand NDA. To support or not to support is for them to take a decision, he told reporters.

The Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment said the Central government was committed to the development of both the states.

Describing Modis leadership as "very strong", he said despite the attacks by several opposition parties, the prime minister led the NDA to an emphatic win.

Asserting that there was no meaning to form another gatbandhan (alliance) now, he appealed to KCR and to support the NDA.

Athawale dismissed opposition's allegation that the NDA government would change theConstitution, saying Modi himself had said a tea-seller would not have become the Prime Minister had Babasaheb Ambedkar's Constitution hadnot been there.

The Opposition has no other issue left and hence been making such allegations, he added.

The RPI (A) leader also said Modi was not against the Muslim community, pointing to his address to the NDA MPs on his agenda to study the problems of minorities.

Replying to a question on the damage caused to a statue of Ambedkar here in April, Athawaleexpressed his displeasure and said he would write to the Municipal Commissioner to get the matter solved.

The statue, removed by the civic staff after being installed in Hyderabad without permission, was allegedly carried in a garbage truck and found damaged. Two people, including the truck driver, have been arrested.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)British Airways (BA) resumed its flights to Pakistan on Sunday, more than 10 years after it halted the service to that country following a bomb blast.

Britain's flagship carrier stopped flying to Pakistan after the Marriott hotel in the capital, Islamabad, was bombed in 2008, killing more than 50 people.

But the airline is now scheduled to fly three times a week, with Boeing 787 Dreamliners, to the Pakistani capital from London Heathrow.

It is the only western airline to resume its service to Islamabad. Pakistan's flag carrier, the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) was the only airline to run direct flights between Islamabad and London.

"We'll be operating this route with our newest long-haul aircraft, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner," a BA spokesperson said.

In September 2008, a bomb was detonated in a dumper truck outside the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad. A total of 54 people were killed and more than 250 others injured in the blast.

Shortly after the blast, the BA suspended all its flights to Islamabad, declaring: "We will not compromise on the safety of our customers, staff or planes."



The airline in December last year, announced that it would restart its flights to Islamabad, saying the new airport opened in Pakistan's capital has reportedly eased concerns about both security and congestion.

British High Commissioner to Pakistan, Thomas Drew, said BA was joining "an increasing number of British companies doing business in Pakistan".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Alleging indifferent attitude on part of banks in providing loans to distressed farmers, a Maharashtra government body has appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to "empower" Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to take action against bank officials concerned.

Kishore Tiwari, who heads the Vasantrao Naik Sheti Swavlamban Mission, demanded that Fadnavis be made chairman of the State Level Bankers' Committee (SLBC).

The SLBC is expected to discuss issues, consider alternative solutions to the various problems in the field of banking development and evolve a consensus for co-ordinate action by the member institutions.

The VNSSM, set up by the state government, is empowered to recommend and ensure implementation of a host of measures for the welfare of farmers to prevent more incidents of suicides in the parched farmlands in 14 districts in its jurisdiction.

"Despite the chief minister's stress on providing bank finance to all farmers, public sector and other commercial banks continue to ignore the credit issue of distressed farmers who are committing suicides. On an average, five farmers kill themselves per day as per the government data," Tiwari stated in a release.

He claimed that most of the PSU banks are yet to start disbursement of fresh crop loans or reconstruction of pending crop loans as per the orders of the RBI and NABARD in drought-hit districts in Vidarbha and Marathwada regions.

Tiwari requested the PM to "sensitise" the nationalised banks in meeting the farm credit targets fixed by the government.

"The Centre has set a target of Rs 13 lakh crore for agricultural loans while Maharashtra's share is Rs 1.20 lakh crore.

With this speed of disbursal, bankers will meet only half of this target as on today, as loan accounts are yet to be re-structured in drought-affected areas.

"District administration and banks should be held accountable for failure to provide crop loans to farmers seeking credit," Tiwari demanded.

Fadnavis had last month approved Rs 4.24 lakh crore annual credit plan for the year 2019-20, at the 143rd SLBC meeting in Mumbai.

The plan includes annual credit plan for agriculture of Rs 87,322 crore.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) has approved the planned merger of tower company with Indus Towers, according to a regulatory filing.

"... Company Law Tribunal, Chandigarh Bench, vide its order dated May 31, 2019, has sanctioned the scheme of amalgamation and arrangement between Indus Towers Ltd (Transferor Company) and Ltd (Transferee company) and their respective shareholders and creditors...," said in a filing.

The proposed merger, which will create a mega tower company in India, will also require approval from the Department.

"The scheme shall become effective on the date on which certified copy of the order of... is filed with Registrar of Companies upon fulfillment/waiver of other conditions prescribed in the scheme. The effective date will be communicated to the stock exchanges for further public dissemination as and when the scheme becomes effective," it said.

Last year, Bharti Airtel, Group and Idea Cellular (now Idea Ltd) had agreed on the merger that will create the largest mobile tower operator in the world, outside China.

The mega tower company born from the merger will have an estimated 1.63 lakh towers in 22 service areas in the country.

Last month, Bharti and Group had named Bimal Dayal as the chief executive officer of the tower company proposed to be formed from the merger of Indus Towers and Bharti Infratel and had said the merger process is in "advanced stage of completion".Saffron allies BJP and Shiv Sena will share equal number of seats in the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections, a senior BJP leader has said.

Talking to reporters here Saturday, Revenue Minister Chandrakant Patil also said Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was the "natural choice" of the people, the BJP and the Sena for the top post again.

He said the two parties would contest 135 seats each in the 288-member House, and leave 18 seats for other allies.

"Both Amit Shah and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had given a word that BJP and Shiv Sena will fight the assembly polls together. Our party doesn't go back on its word," Patil said.

"We have 122 sitting MLAs and eight independents are supporting the BJP, whereas the Shiv Sena has 63 sitting MLAs. We will get only five additional seats," he said.

Fadnavis is the natural choice of the people, of the BJP as well as that of the Shiv Sena, he said, adding, the chief minister has balanced relations with Shiv Sena very well. "He has good equations with Uddhav Thackeray."



"When 'Saamana' (Sena mouthpiece) wrote critical editorials, he would tell the party not to make their criticism public in the newspaper, but express it internally," Patil said.

In the recently-concluded Lok Sabha polls, the saffron parties together won 41 of the 48 seats. While the BJP secured 23 of the 25 seats it contested, the Sena managed victory in 18 of the 23 seats it fought.

Assembly elections in Maharashtra is scheduled to be held between September and October this year.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)State-owned (BoB) plans to raise Rs 11,900 crore during the current fiscal through share sale, including Employee Share Purchase Scheme to shore up capital for meeting business expansion requirements.

The bank expects to garner Rs 1,500 crore from Employee Share Purchase Scheme (BoB-ESPS).

It has been decided to raise size of ESPS scheme to 15 crore shares with a face value of Rs 2 each as against 10 crore shares proposed in January this year.

ESPS will be within overall limit of capital plan 2019-20 of Rs 11,900 crore of the bank, BoB said in its Annual General Meeting (AGM) notice to its shareholders.

The remaining capital would be raised by way of various modes such as Qualified Institutional Placement (QIP) or Follow on Public Offer (FPO) or rights issues or any other mode or combinations of these with the existing paid-up equity share capital remaining within the total authorized capital of the bank of Rs 3,000 crore, it said.

The decisions in this regard will be taken by shareholders of the bank on June 21 at the AGM.

The size of ESPS was enhanced with a view to provide an opportunity to the employees of erstwhile and Vijaya Bank, which were merged with BoB.

It will help the bank raise equity capital to shore up capital adequacy and to fund the general business needs, it said.

Besides, it will enable the bank to attract, retain and reward employees by sharing the value created by them and motivate them to contribute to the growth and profitability of the company, it said.

At the same time, the move to offer ESPS will create a sense of ownership and participation amongst the employees.

It is to be noted that the maiden three-way amalgamation became operational with the merger of and with BoB from April 1.

With the first ever three-way merger, BoB has now become the second-largest public sector lender after the State Bank of India with over 9,500 branches, 13,400 ATMs and 85,000 employees to serve 12 crore customers.

The consolidated entity started the operation with a business mix of over Rs 15 trillion on the balance sheet, with deposits and advances of Rs 8.75 trillion and Rs 6.25 trillion, respectively.The body of a man, suspected to be a Pakistani intruder, was recovered along the Indo-Pak border in Jammu district, officials said Sunday.

The body was found when the Border Security Force troops were patrolling along the International Border (IB) late Saturday night at Bhag Nallah in Pargwal-Khour sector of the district, they said.

According to the officials, two pension passbooks and Pakistani currency worth Rs 20 (two 10-rupee notes) were recovered from the deceased.

The body was handed over to Pargwal Police Post and after examination, it was shifted to the mortuary of Government Medical College (GMC), Jammu, they added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The world is Biking Queens' oyster and proving it right this time are its three women motor bikers, who begin a gruelling 25-nation tour across three continents on June 5.

The journey, covering over 25,000 km, is to be flagged off by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in Varanasi and will conclude in London.

The group during the expedition will drive through Nepal, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, China, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Spain and Morocco.

"We have been preparing for this trip for the past one year now. There are a lot of obstacles -- weather, food, terrain, documentation etc -- that come your way during such expeditions and to tackle all of it requires a lot of homework. I read books, talked to riders and local communities there to acquaint myself with the routes and cultures of all these different countries.

"Yes, I am very happy with our preparations," Sarika Mehta, the founder of 'Biking Queen', who will be joined by Jinal Shah and Rutali Patel in the expedition -- all hailing from Surat -- told PTI.

Mehta, a mother of two and a clinical psychologist, in 2016 spearheaded a 10-nation tour promoting Prime Minister Narendra Modi's message of 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao'. This time around it is for "women's pride", she said.

"Today, we see women flourishing in each and very field, but yet you come across cases of woman abuse, exploitation and what not. With this journey of ours, we want to inspire women across the world and tell them that if we, coming from a small town like Surat, can achieve this, so can you," she added.

The mega journey spanning 90 days will see the brave women meeting many government officials and dignitaries of different countries.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Centre will help the government in setting up 1,000 foreigners tribunals by July 31 when the final list of Register of Citizens (NRC) will be published, officials said Sunday.

Those left out in the final can challenge their exclusion in these tribunals to be set up across

Secretary (Border Management) in the Home Ministry B R Sharma recently held a meeting to discuss the proposal of the government of for creation of e-Foreigners Tribunals and creation of 1,000 additional Foreigners Tribunals, a home ministry official.

The tribunals will be required after the publication of the final NRC, a list of Assam's residents, on July 31.The central government is also in the process of giving its approval to the state government's proposal to set up e-Foreigners Tribunals for those who were declared illegal immigrants.

When the draft was published on July 30, 2018, there was a huge controversy over the exclusion of 40.7 lakh people from it. The draft included the names of 2.9 crore people out of the total 3.29 crore applications.

The home ministry will help the Assam government in setting up the 1,000 foreigners tribunals, the official said.

The move came after the recently questioned the state government's plan to set up 1,000 foreigners' tribunals, pointing out it would be difficult to find 1,000 legal officers to preside over them.

The state government, along with the home ministry and other agencies, have been tasked to identify retired judicial officers for the purpose. The tribunals will require nearly 12,000 personnel including judicial officers.

The new tribunals would ease the burden of 100 existing tribunals as cases of those languishing in detention centre will be disposed of faster.

Some 30 lakh of the 40.7 lakh people, left out of the draft NRC, filed for inclusion of their names in the document. Around 600 objections were submitted by individuals who suspect the citizenship of others who made it to the list.

The Supreme Court, which is monitoring the NRC update process, has made it clear that the final NRC has to be published on July 31, 2019.

Of the 40.7 lakh people whose names did not figure in the draft NRC, 37.59 lakh names were rejected and the remaining 2,48,077 were on hold.

However, they were given an opportunity to prove their Indian citizenship with 1971 as the cut-off year. The verification process is being carried out for these people who had submitted documents afresh.

The Supreme Court-monitored NRC exercise, aimed at identifying illegal immigrants in the state that borders Bangladesh, was carried out only in Assam, which faced an influx of people from since the early 20th century.

When the NRC was first prepared in Assam way back in 1951, the state had 80 lakh citizens.

According to the 2011 census, Assam's total population is over 3.11 crore.

The process of identification of illegal immigrants in the state has been widely debated and is a contentious issue in state politics.

A six-year agitation demanding identification and deportation of illegal immigrants was launched by the All Assam Students Union in 1979. It culminated with the signing of the Assam Accord on August 15, 1985, in presence of the then prime ministerChina has "very strict laws" to protect personal information in big data industry, a senior cyberspace administration official said here, amid increasing global concerns over privacy in the big data business.

The Chinese government is a major collector and user of privacy data. According to IHS Markit, a London-based market research firm, China had 176 million surveillance cameras in operation in 2016 and the number was set to reach 626 million by 2020.

As part of its efforts to crack down on misuse of private data, China's national cyberspace administration in May introduced a new data protection law, further tightening regulations amid growing data privacy concerns.

In an interview to PTI, Chen Benrong, Deputy Director of Guizhou Provincial Cyberspace Administration, said, "In China, we have very strict laws to protect our civil privacy, especially in the sector of big data industry. We have exclusively included big data privacy into our concerns."



Big data is a field that treats ways to analyse, systematically extract information from, or otherwise deal with data sets that are too large or complex to be dealt with by traditional data-processing application software.

The use of big data has raised concerns that sensitive personal information can be compromised.

"We need to make sure that our data is open to the public and it needs to be processed and classified, and then we can decide whether it is for scientific research and to maximise the security of our people's privacy," Chen said.

When asked about the concerns over localisation of data by Chinese companies, Benrong said China has the same strict laws for international data protection as well.

At a recent 'International Big Data Expo', which concluded on May 29, China showcased its latest scientific and technological achievements in big data industry.

Several experts at the conference have suggested that customers should have the right to know what they are giving up and what they are getting back.

Nobel Prize Winner and technological expert Paul M Romer had said with these two principles, technology of big data can help everyone and produce a better life for the whole society.

On partnership with Indian companies, Chen said there has been better collaboration between companies of both the countries.

"Many Chinese companies have established collaboration with Indian enterprises," he said.

Nearly 15 Indian companies were among the 470 companies which had participated in the Big Data Expo, which was a flagship event of the Chinese government.

Adressing the participants, Wang Chen, a member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, had said big data is the next stage in the data revolution, which ensures sustainable development.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Amid ongoing with the and tension over the South Sea, Chinese Defence Minister General Wei Fenghe said on Sunday that Beijing's door is still open for talks but warned that it was "ready to fight till the end" if a fight is what America wants.

Addressing the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue here, Gen Wei also said that telecom giant is not a military company and defended the Tiananmen Square massacre where Chinese army tanks were used on protestors 30 years ago.

The and are locked in a bitter, year-long trade dispute which has seen the Trump administration recently boost tariffs on $250 billion of Chinese goods.

President is demanding to reduce the massive trade deficit which last year climbed to over $539 billion. He is pressing for verifiable measures for protection of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), technology transfer and more access to American goods to Chinese markets.

"On the trade friction started by the US: if the US wants to talk, we will keep the door open. If they want to fight, we are ready," General Wei said while speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore.

He asserted that is not a military company despite despite its founder Ren Zhengfei's previous career in the army.

" is not a military company. Do not think that because the head of Huawei used to serve in the military, then the company that he built is part of the military," General Wei said.

"It doesn't make sense because these sorts of ex-servicemen, upon their retirement, a lot of them have set up companies in countries across the world," said Gen Wei, the first Chinese defence minister to attend the forum since 2011.

The US placed Huawei on an "entity list" on grounds of national security on May 16, a move that curbs its access to US-made components it needs for its equipment. The Department of Commerce alleged that Huawei was engaged in activities that are contrary to US national security or foreign policy interest.

The Trump administration later issued a 90-day reprieve on its ban on dealing with Huawei, saying breathing space was needed to allow for software updates and other contractual obligations.

China's commerce ministry last week said it will release its own list of "unreliable entities".

Gen Wei also defended the 30-year old Tiananmen Square massacre, saying it was correct decision for stability in his country.

"That incident was a political turbulence and the central government took measures to stop the turbulence which is a correct policy," he told the forum.

"The 30 years have proven that China has undergone major changes... because of the government's action, China has enjoyed stability and development," he said.

Pointing out that he was at the Dialogue for the first times as China's defence minister, Gen Wei began politely "I am here for mutual confidence, cooperation and peace. I am glad to speak on China and Security Cooperation."



But went on to say: "We take note that the US expounded on its perspective on regional affairs yesterday (Saturday). We believe that any such perspective should take into account the common security and interests of regional countries.

"No approaches to regional issues should resort to military blocs, nor should they undermine the interests of others.

"We hold different views with the US side on several issues, and firmly oppose its wrong words and actions concerning Taiwan and the South China Sea," he said, responding strongly on the Taiwan question.

China claims that Taiwan which broke away in 1949 is part of Chinese mainland and is opposed to any country having diplomatic contacts with Taipei.

He stressed that China and the self-ruled island must be reunified.

"If anyone dares to split Taiwan from China, the Chinese military has no choice but to fight at all costs for national unity," the defence minister said.

China claims almost all of the South China Sea. Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have counter claims over the sea.

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.

US military officials, meanwhile, have vowed to continue enforcing a free and open Indo-Pacific.

China doesn't accept the Indo-Pacific, coined by the US, as a region and prefers to have it called Asia Pacific, delegates at the Shangri-La Dialogue noted.

US Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick M Shanahan, in his speech at the Dialogue on Saturay, underlined his country's strong presence in the region at the displeasure of Beijing.

"We are a Pacific nation. We are a resident power, with deep economic, cultural, and personal connections that inextricably link us with the growth and vitality of the world's most dynamic region," he said.

The Shangri-La Dialogue has become a China-US front with confrontational exchanges by top speakers in recent years.Washington's escalating trade war with has not "made great again" and has instead damaged the American economy, said Sunday, stressing that while it wants resolution through talks it will not compromise on core principles.

The comments came in a white paper released by the a day after it hit USD 60 billion worth of US goods with new punitive tariffs ranging from five to 25 per cent, in retaliation for raising duty on USD 200 billion in Chinese goods to 25 per cent.

"The (US) tariff measures have not boosted American economic growth. Instead, they have done serious harm to the US economy," the paper said, pointing to what it described as increased production costs and consumer prices in the and threats to economic growth.

and resumed their bruising trade battle last month when the latest round of talks ended without a deal, with American negotiators accusing their Chinese counterparts of reneging on previous commitments.

But said the US should bear "sole and entire responsibility" for the breakdown, accusing of repeatedly changing its demands and of making "reckless" allegations about Beijing's conduct during the negotiations.

The world's top two economies have so far exchanged tit-for-tat tariffs on two-way trade worth hundreds of billions of dollars, and the spat has spooked markets and sparked worries about global economic growth.

The trade conflict has been upstaged in recent weeks by Washington's blacklisting of Chinese tech titan over national security concerns, and in an apparent response to that move, said Friday it would release its own list of "unreliable entities".

(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.)Uttar Pradesh chief secretary Anup Chandra Pandey Sunday asked officials to ensure that the Purvanchal Expressway project is completed by August 2020.

Inspecting the ongoing works of the ambitious project of the Yogi Adityanath government, Pandey told officials that no negligence will be tolerated at any level.

"Officials should ensure appropriate action to acquire the remaining land by June 15. Works related to power connection, installation of transformer and shifting should be completed by in the end of this month," he said.

"The expressway should be ready for use by the public by August, 2020," he added.

Pandey said the total length of the expressway is 340.824 km, out of which 10 per cent of the physical work has been completed.

He also said that 96.06 per cent of the land has been acquired from the farmers and the remaining will be taken soon.

Chief Executive Officer of Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) Awanish Kumar Awasthi said the construction has been divided into eight packages.

He also said that the Purvanchal Expressway will start from village Chand Sarai in Lucknow and end in Haidariya village in Ghazipur district.

Concerned district magistrates and senior officers were present during the ground inspection and review meeting.

The six-lane Purvanchal Expressway, expandable to eight lanes, will connect Lucknow with the economically less developed districts like Azamgarh, Mau, Ghazipur, Faizabad, Sultanpur, Ambedkar Nagar and Amethi.

It will bring about development of the state's eastern districts by connecting them to the state capital and further to Agra and New Delhi, through the Lucknow-Agra Expressway and the Yamuna Expressway, officials said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Congress's social media in-charge Divya Spandana has deleted her Twitter handle, along with the tweet history, triggering speculation over her future plans.

Twitter was abuzz with speculation over her political future as none of her controversial tweets were available on the microblogging website.

While her official Twitter handle disappeared, all the tweets from her verified Twitter handle showed as deleted.

Spandana had led the Congress's social media campaign during the just-concluded Lok Sabha election, in which the grand old party managed to bag only 52 seats, eight more than what it had secured in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

The Congress did not say anything officially on Spandana's action, but sources close to the former MP and actress said she was taking a break from for some time.

Spandana was not available for comments.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)With Assembly polls due early next year in the city, the Aam Aadmi Party government is considering to make metro and bus travels free for women in Delhi "to encourage them to use public transport".

At a public meeting in New Delhi Saturday, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also said his government is in touch with city's power regulator to bring down fixed charge component of electricity bill.

"The government is considering to waive fare for women in DTC buses and Delhi Metro to encourage them to use public transport in view of their safety. An announcement in this regard will be made on June 3," the chief minister said at the public meeting in New Delhi.

A Delhi government official said Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot has already taken meetings to discuss various aspects of fare-waiver to women in all public transport buses -- run by DTC and DIMTS -- and Delhi metro.

However, Transport Department officials point out that while allowing free travel in Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) and cluster buses run by the Delhi Integrated Multi Modal System(DIMTS) may not be difficult, it will be "challenging" to do so in Metro trains.

The Delhi government and the Centre are 50:50 equity partners in the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation.

An official pointed out that the Delhi government and the centre's Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry have not been on the same page over several issues related to metro, including fare hike and Phase-IV of the Metro network.

"Besides other factors like technical and financial feasibility of such a move, the persisting disagreements between the two sides may also play a crucial role in going ahead with the proposal for giving free ride to women in Metro trains," said a senior official.

Chief Minister Kejriwal also claimed that the fixed charge component of power tariff were raised by the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Authority (DERC) last year "without consulting" the Delhi government.

"Next month new tariff is to be fixed. We have asked the DERC to bring back fixed charges to previous levels and they are likely to agree to it," he said.

The monthly fixed charges were raised for domestic consumers having up to 2 KW load from Rs 20 to Rs 125. The Delhi government provides subsidy to such consumers. However, in other categories, consumers pay higher fixed charges.

The hike in fixed charges for other slabs were -- for 2-5 kw, from Rs 35 to Rs 140; 5-15 KW, Rs 45 to Rs 175; 15-25 kw, from Rs 60 to Rs 200; and for more than 25 KW, from Rs 100 to Rs 250.

In the just-concluded Lok Sabha polls, the AAP won only one seat out of over 40 it contested in nine states and Union Territories. The poll results came as a jolt to the party as it builds up for the assembly elections in Delhi early next year.

Stung by the dismal performance, the AAP government swung into action just a day after the Model Code of Conduct was lifted with Chief Minister directing his ministers on May 27 to speed up work on flagship schemes like Mohalla Clinic, procurement of buses and the CCTV project.

Senior Aam Aadmi Party leader Gopal Rai has, however, has dismissed suggestions that the LS poll results would have an impact on Delhi assembly elections, asserting there is no alternative to Kejriwal in the national capital.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Union has asked educational institutions, especially secondary schools, to designate "Tobacco Monitors" from among students and staff in a bid to boost implementation of tobacco control initiatives among adolescents.

Under the revised guidelines for 'Tobacco-free Educational Institutions' , the ministry will also award a 'ToFEI' (Tobacco free educational institution) certificate to those institutes who are found to have equal or more than the bench-mark score after verifying implementation of norms.

The guidelines call for educational institution managements to ensure that no tobacco product is sold inside premises and in an area within 100 yards from the premises and any violation in this regard is reported to the Quitline at 1800-11-2356, it stated.

"The management should also, if possible, with the help of local law enforcement authorities and community, including parents, make efforts to stop such sales. It may be noted that the head of the institution is also authorised to collect fine for violation of section 6 (B) -- sale of tobacco products within 100 yards of an institution," the recommendations stated.

A ToFEI must not participate in any event sponsored by any firm or a subsidiary of a firm or a seller which promotes use of or manufactures or sells tobacco products in any form. Educational institutions and students should not also accept any prize or scholarship instituted by such firms, they stated.

"All educational institutions should designate tobacco monitors from among their staff or a student representative (from class IX onwards). The name, designation and phone numbers of tobacco monitors should also be mentioned on signage boards displayed at institution premises.

"Multiple tobacco monitors may be designated and in fact it might be a good idea to do so. For example, appointment of a tobacco monitor for each class from amongst students in the class. Participation of most important stakeholder, the students secondary school would be key to successful implementation of the initiative," the guidelines stated.

The ministry asked institutions to ensure tobacco users are not designated as tobacco monitors and stressed that management and tobacco monitors must also be vigilant to note tobacco substitutes such as e-cigarettes and devices like heat-not-burn devices, Vape, and flavoured hookah are not used.

"These products are usually marketed as being safer alternatives for conventional cigarettes but such notion of safety is false. There is evidence that these products induce adolescents and young adults to nicotine use leading to addiction.Any use of such products on the campus may be reported to the Quitline," the recommendations read.

The institution may use self-evaluation score card for tobacco-free educational institution given to assess the status of implementation of ToFEI guidelines in their institution to get a certificate to this effect and can participate in the ToFEI award scheme.

A ToFEI certificate will be awarded to a institute if its score is found to be equal or more than the benchmark score after verification.

The revised guidelines, which were released on the World No Tobacco Day on May 31, provides a series of activities that schools and educational institutes can undertake.

These include holding assemblies for taking pledge against tobacco, poster/slogan/quiz/debate competitions and street plays and giving certificates of appreciation or awards to students, teachers or other staff for taking initiatives against tobacco use among others.

Signages in the form of boards or wall paints should be displayed at prominent places outside and in premises where the management thinks that these would communicate the intended message effectively.

Tobacco products can't be sold within a radius of 100 yards of any educational institution.

As per the Global Youth Tobacco Survey, 2016-17, 28.6 pc of adults (15 year and above) in India use tobacco.

In India, over 13 lakh people die from tobacco use every year.

Consumption of tobacco is responsible for 3.7 million cases of lung diseases and around 1.5 lakh cancer cases in the country.From a teenager in love with movies to becoming a global star, Chris Hemsworth says he has finally reached the point in his career where he can take a breath and enjoy the moment.

The Australian actor is one of the biggest stars of his generation after playing Thor in a number of movies from the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Hemsworth, 35, says when he was 14, he loved movies like "Men In Black" and "Lord of the Rings", so it feels surreal to be now a part of such films.

"When I was 14, I didn't even know I wanted to be an actor. I just loved movies. And as a kid I wanted to live in these worlds like 'MIB' or 'Lord of the Rings'... It's quite strange now to be this. From the Marvel experience to 'MIB', being employed as an actor and to be working with the people I've worked with, it has been quite a trip for me.

"If you'd have asked me 10 years ago what was my dream or where I would hope to be in 10 years... this would be it. For the first time in my career, I'm really sort of pausing and just enjoying this moment," Hemsworth said in an interview here.

The understanding and the passion for cinema he developed while working on films like "Rush", "Thor","Thor: The Dark World", "Thor: Ragnarok" and other "Avengers" movies has made Hemsworth a more secure performer.

"I've been looking ahead for so long at just how I'm going to do this or do that. And if I do that, then this will be a better choice.

"I could have done that for the rest of my life, and never really live in the moment or experience and enjoy and appreciate what I have achieved. But finally I feel more comfortable with it than ever before," he adds.

Even though he enjoys and appreciates the love his characters have brought his way, the actor says his recent experience in India, where he was shooting for Netflix project "Dhaka", was "a little intense".

"I look comfortable and I am so appreciative of that sort of reception. I have never experienced anything like that ever like, to that level. But it also kind of made me go - 'wow, so many people'. If they sort of wanted to swamp the set, they could have easily."



Hemsworth adds while people were "all warm and welcoming" in India, he was intimidated by the size of the crowd that had gathered to catch his glimpse.

"No matter how disruptive we were to their daily lives, shooting scenes, they were cheering at the end of every take. I am just thankful that people weren't furious that we were shooting. I felt that the people were wonderful - but that kind of crowd is intimidating. It was a mixture of excitement and a little bit of fear."



The actor, who went to the US with a dream to make it big in movies, decided to move back to his home country in 2014 with model, wife Elsa Pataky and children -- seven-year-old daughter, India Rose, and five-year-old twin boys Tristan and Sasha.

He says even though his decision to move to Byron Bay was driven by his wish to keep his kids away from the media glare and fan frenzy, he would not mind bringing them to India.

"I would love to take my kids to India. I will take them there for sure. I felt very safe there."



Hemsworth was in Bali to promote his upcoming release "MIB: International", which also stars Tessa Thompson, Emma Thompson and Liam Neeson.

The Sony Pictures project is slated to be released on June 14.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Fifteenth Finance Commission will visit Meghalaya on Monday and will hold meeting with state government officials and representatives of urban and rural local bodies, officials said Sunday.

Commission's chairman N K Singh and members A N Jha, Ashok Lahiri, Anoop Singh, Ramesh Chand besides senior officers will also meet Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangm and his cabinet during the course of their three-day stay here, they said.

The Commission will also separately meet representatives of rural local bodies, representatives of urban local bodies, representatives of trade and industry bodies of Meghalaya, according to an official statement.

The Commission will also meet the representatives of the political parties of the state besides separate meeting with the Women Self Help Groups and the Aqua Entrepreneurs supported by the Meghalaya State Aquaculture Mission (MSAM), it said.

The Commission will also inspect MNREGS works in the state and interact with members of the Village Employment Councils (VECs).

The Commission is scheduled to visit the Hortihub of Meghalaya among other itineraries outside of their meetings.

Meghalaya Government had submitted its memorandum to the Fifteenth Finance Commission.

The Commission had also received a detailed presentation from the Principal Accountant General (Audit) of Meghalaya on the Finances of the State Government.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Four persons, including a notorious criminal, were arrested on Sunday for allegedly stabbing a man in Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi district, police said.

The accused were identified as Kapoor Singh, Vishav Rasyal, Rajinder Singh alias Rinku and Sachin Singh, who is a history-sheeter, they said.

The four had been on the run after they intercepted and stabbed a youth, Irfan Iqbal, on May 29 over an old rivalry, a senior officer said.

A case was registered and after hectic efforts, police succeeded in nabbing all the four accused, he said.

Following disclosures by the accused, a sharp weapon was recovered from Baradari Reasi, the police said, adding that two cars used in the commission of the crime were also recovered.

Of the four accused, Sachin is facing trial in many cases. He had been booked under the Public Safety Act and was released about six months ago, the police said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Overseas investors pumped in a net amount of Rs 9,031 crore into the Indian capital in May on expectations of more business-friendly measures following the BJP's landslide victory in the general elections.

Interestingly, foreign investors were net sellers for the first three weeks of May, but the tide turned just ahead of the announcement of election results.

According to the latest depositories data, foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) infused a net sum of Rs 7,919.73 crore into equities and Rs 1,111.42 crore in the debt market during May 2-31, taking the cumulative net investment to Rs 9,031.15 crore.

Prior to this, they had invested a net Rs 16,093 crore in April, Rs 45,981 crore in March and Rs 11,182 crore in February in the capital (both equity and debt).

Last week, the (BJP) won over 300 seats on its own out of 542 seats in the Lok Sabha elections -- the first back-to-back majority for a single party since 1984.

The victory of the Narendra Modi-led coalition will ensure continuation in reform measures initiated during the NDA's first term, experts said.

During May 2-17, foreign investors pulled out a net Rs 6,399 crore from the amid pre-election uncertainty.

However, "FPIs started to come back into Indian equities anticipating a return of NDA-led government and the flows intensified when their expectation became reality after the election results were announced on May 23, 2019," said Himanshu Srivastava, senior research analyst, manager research at Morningstar.

" inflows saw heightened volatility ahead of election results and settled after there was evidence of a clear mandate. From here on, while there may be residual inflows awarding certainty in governance, budget related and policy related issues besides earnings would likely be the primary focus for fresh investments," said Vidya Bala, Head - Mutual Funds Research at FundsIndia.

Echoing the views, Srivastava said, "Now with elections behind, the focus would gradually shift towards government's policies on economic reforms, its impact on economic growth and corporate earnings, besides global factors.

(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 French national was Sunday apprehended by the CISF at the Delhi airport for allegedly carrying a satellite phone, which is banned under the law, in his luggage, a senior official said.

Pierre L Bouihol was intercepted during frisking at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) at about 3 am as he was about to take a flight to Leh in Jammu and Kashmir, he said.

The man was handed over to the Delhi Police by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) as carrying a satellite phone is banned under law, the official said.

The communication gadget is allowed only for defence and other authorised category of people, he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Thirty years after they fled the bullets and tanks, Tiananmen exiles say their dream of returning to a democratic China are more distant than ever as their homeland descends further into authoritarianism and state surveillance.

Zhou Fengsuo has always erred on the side of optimism.

Five years ago, to mark the 25th anniversary of Beijing's deadly crackdown, he took advantage of a 72-hour transit visa to sneak back into China on his American passport.

It was an act that would be unthinkable now.

Under President Xi Jinping, China has returned to a level of oppression not seen since the Mao era, its security apparatus bolstered by cutting edge technology and the party's ability to silence critics virtually unchallenged.

"There is no reason to be optimistic for China now if you look at what's happening," said Zhou, a former student leader who was number five on Beijing's 'Most Wanted' list in the aftermath of the crackdown and who now lives in the United States. "It's darkening day by day, (what) was unimaginable a year ago, now it's becoming reality.

Even '1984', the novel, couldn't go that far," he told AFP in New York, referencing George Orwell's seminal novel on life in a totalitarian state.

Most of those young protesters drawn to Beijing's streets in the spring of 1989 are now in their early fifties and there is a profound sense of urgency that time is running out to keep alive the memory of what happened.

The 'Great Firewall' and eagle-eyed party censors have proven adept at scrubbing the web inside China of any reference to Tiananmen.

And in more recent years university campuses in the West have witnessed increasingly strident nationalist rhetoric from overseas Chinese students.

"There is nothing to be optimistic about the younger generation at campus today, they grew up completely under the shadow of the firewall, so that means they are indoctrinated by the brainwashing when they are babies," Zhou told AFP.

Fang Zheng, a Tiananmen survivor who lost his legs when they were crushed by a tank, is similarly grim in his projections.

The last thing he remembered before losing consciousness was seeing the shattered white bones of his legs exposed to the air.

Few survivors have suffered so physically as Fang. Yet each spring he has flown all over the world to tell his story.

But he has little hope for China's future.

"I'm getting more and more pessimistic," he told AFP by phone from his home in San Fransisco.

"Especially since Xi became leader, the government now uses all sorts of means to control residents. High-tech devices help the government to monitor the people." Most of the politically active Tiananmen survivors have made their homes in the States, often after serving prison sentences and years spent persuading the Chinese authorities to give them passports.

Wu'er Kaixi stayed closer, chosing the democratic island of Taiwan. Hailing from China's Uighur minority -- who now face unprecedented levels of forced incarceration and state surveillance in western Xinjiang province -- Wu'er became one of the most outspoken student leaders during the 1989 protests.

He famously rebuked Premier Li Peng on national television, an unprecedented dressing down of a top party official, one who later went on to oversee the deadly crackdown.

Wu'er said he had spent the last three decades watching with horror as western nations embraced China, hopeful that economic growth might nudge the party towards political liberalisation.

"They call it engagement, I call it appeasement, and that has led to the consequences that China is a clear threat to the world order and universal values," he told AFP at the sidelines of a Tiananmen conference in Taipei. There is a sense of fatigue in his voice, that every June it has been up to a small coterie of survivors to remind the world of Tiananmen's legacy.

"It is no longer just the Chinese democracy activists' responsibility to bring China to freedom and democracy, nowadays the whole world share a piece of blame and responsibility," he said.

In an illustration of China's growing ability to counter dissidents, the conference which Wu'er was attending used to be held in Hong Kong. But with the international finance hub witnessing its own crackdown, organisers moved it to Taipei.

Years of exile have taken a heavy toll on the Tiananmen survivors, especially when it comes to being so far away from ailing parents.

Fang's father died in February and he desperately wanted to return to China for the funeral.

To his surprise he was initially given a visa by the consulate in San Francisco only to see it rescinded hours later.

"I was very disappointed. And my daughters, they dislike China even more now," he recalled.

Wu'er dreads getting that call from family members in China.

"My parents couldn't see their boy for 30 years," he said. "I can take the consequences for the path I have chosen, but (the) barbaric Chinese regime has prevented my parents from seeing their child, their grandchildren, so the sacrifice is great." Of the Tiananmen survivors AFP interviewed, Wang Dan remained the most optimistic.

Like Wu'er, he emerged one of the most prominent student leaders and was rewarded with being placed at the top of Beijing's most wanted list. He spent four years behind bars before eventually making it the US.

He describes Xi as "a second Mao" but he takes solace from the fact that even Mao's reign of repression came to an end.

In the long term, he believes, China's party cannot control the population indefinitely.

"Any kind of dictator or authoritarian regime cannot change human nature," he said. "Believing in this, I still have hope for the future. I don't know when or how it will happen, but I know it will happen." Long term, Zhou also thinks China's authoritarianism will fold, but it is not something he expects to see in his lifetime. "I believe history is on our side," he said. "But I don't know how long it will take, how many generations.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Murad Nagar Police have arrested a gang of five robbers from the bypass road in Surana village here, police said Sunday.

Muntrim, Someen, Kaley, Nabi and Amir, all natives of Baghpat district, were arrested Saturday night from the bypass road, which connects Murad Nagar with Baghpat, and 300 bags of stolen cement were recovered from them, they added.

Two country-made pistols and three live cartridges were also seized from their possession, they said.

Superintendent of Police (rural) Neeraj Kumar Jadaun said truck driver Ratan Singh Yadav, of Sikndrarau town in Hathras district, was found dead on Friday.

The accused looted Yadav's canter truck, which was ferrying a cement consignment from Bulandshahar to Noida, on the intervening night of May 30 and 31, he said.

The accused allegedly shot dead Yadav and dumped his body near the Delhi-Meerut road in Duhai village, which is under Murad Nagar Police Station limits, the SP said.

The accused confessed to the crime, and said they used to sell stolen iron bars and cement in Baghpat and Meerut districts, the officer added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)In a significant development, Governor E S L Narasimhan Sunday ordered re-allocation of all government buildings here that were earmarked for Andhra Pradesh at the time of its bifurcation in 2014, to Telangana government.

Since the AP government was functioning from its capital Amaravati, the official buildings allocated to it were lying vacant, an official release said.

Andhra Pradesh and Telangana Governor Narasimhan issued orders reallocating the buildings to the newly carved out state in accordance with the provisions of AP Reorganisation Act, 2014 following the consent given by the Chief Ministers of the two neighbouring states, it said.

At the time of bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, government buildings in Hyderabad were allocated equally to the two state governments.

However, the AP government was paying electricity bills and other maintenance costs of the buildings though it was not utilising them.

The order was issued as per Section 8 of the APRA, 2014, after the two Chief Ministers - Y S Jaganmohan Reddy and K Chandrasekhar Rao consented to the re-allocation of the buildings.

Hyderabad remains the common capital of AP and Telangana till June 1, 2024 as per the APRA, 2014.

The release said most of the buildings were in a "dilapidated condition" since they were not utilised.

Two buildings, one for the police and another for other department offices would be earmarked in Hyderabad for use by the AP government, it added.

Welcoming the Governor's orders, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao termed it as an "auspicious sign."



"It is a welcome and auspicious sign that both the state governments have decided to move forward with mutual good will and fraternity with people's welfare in mind and development of both the states as the main aim," Rao said.

Since the buildings were not utilised they were in a dilapidated state.

Against this backdrop, the Telangana Cabinet on Sunday urged the Governor to re-allocate the office buildings given to the AP government.

Rao said his aim, ambition and effort would be to see to it that both the states develop with its people living in peace and prosperity and all the issues between the two states be amicably solved.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)An assistant sub-inspector, providing security to a witness in a murder case, was killed here after three men fired on them on Sunday, police said, claiming that their target was the witness.

Suresh Pal had been assigned to provide security to Rambir, who is a witness in a 2018 murder case of a private school teacher, they said.

Police said Rambir was getting threats from unknown persons and therefore, he was provided security cover.

On Sunday afternoon, Rambir was sitting at his car service centre in Naraingarh when three persons came on a motorcycle and enquired about issues related to the servicing of their vehicle, they said.

One of the assailants pulled out a gun and took aim at Rambir and fired, but the bullet hit Pal, police said.

The assistant sub-inspector was rushed to the civil hospital where doctors declared him brought dead.

Some people tried to chase the assailants, but they managed to escape leaving behind their motorcycle, police said.

Police have registered a case in this regard and further investigation is underway.

On July 9 last year, the teacher was shot dead by unknown assailants when he was on his way to school near Naraingarh, near here, police said.

The teacher's wife is a village sarpanch in Naraingarh, where the trial in the case is taking place.A few persons have been arrested in the matter, they said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Intense heat continued to paralyse normal life in Rajasthan where a farmer died of sunstroke Sunday, as Churu remained the hottest place after recording a maximum of 48.9 degrees Celsius.

Hanuman Jat (45), a farmer, fainted in his farm at Necchwa in Sikar district. He was rushed to a hospital where he was declared brought dead, a police official said.

"The cause of the death was heatstroke," he said.

Ganganagar, Bikaner, Jaisalmer, Kota and Barmer in the state recorded a high of 48.6 degrees, 48.1 degrees, 47.8 degrees, 47.5 degrees and 47.2 degrees Celsius, respectively, the MeT department said.

Jodhpur, Jaipur and Ajmer registered maximum temperature of 46.4 degrees, 45.5 degrees and 45.2 degrees Celsius, respectively, it said.

The weatherman said severe heat wave conditions prevailed at isolated places in western Rajasthan.

The MeT has predicted no respite from the severe heat conditions in the desert state in the next 48 hours.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The controversial Four Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUP), which was scrapped in 2014, may make a come back as a panel constituted by the has recommended the programme among undergraduate courses reforms for the new Policy.

The ministry officials, however, maintained that the committee has submitted its draft and no final decision has been taken yet.

The draft of the new Policy (NEP), formulated by a panel led by former ISRO chief K Kasturirangan, was handed over to HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank. He took charge as the Union Human Resource Development minister on Friday.

The panel has recommended re-introduction of the four-year course as part of the undergraduate reforms.

"Both three-year and four-year courses will be allowed to co-exist, but with multiple exit and entry options. The four-year programme will provide for greater rigour and allow students to conduct research optionally," the draft said.

"Students will graduate with a four-year Liberal Arts Science degree with Honours, or may graduate with a B Sc, BA, B Com or B Voc after completing three years with a suitable completion of credits within their subject," it said.

The four-year programme, the BLA or BLE in the chosen major and minors, will provide students the opportunity to experience the full range of liberal arts education. The three-year programme will lead to a Bachelors degree.

Both programmes may lead to a degree "with Research", if the student completes a rigorous research project as specified by the Higher Education Institute (HEI). HEIs may choose to call their three-year undergraduate degree a Bachelor of Arts, or Science, or Vocation, or the appropriate professional field, the draft report suggested.

The Four Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUP) introduced by the Delhi University under the regime of previous Vice Chancellor Dinesh Singh was scrapped by former HRD minister Smriti Irani.

The panel has also recommended an overhaul of the teacher education system with the introduction of the four year programme.

"Teacher preparation for all school stages will be offered only in multidisciplinary universities through a four year programme, with the curricula and processes being revamped to address current issues with teacher preparation.

"Institutions currently offering the two year programme will either transition to this mode or be phased out; no new two year programmes will be given recognition," it said.

The existing NEP was framed in 1986 and revised in 1992.

A new education policy was part of the Bharatiya Janata Party's manifesto ahead of the 2014 general election.

Apart from Kasturirangan, the committee had eight members, including mathematician Manjul Bhargava. The experts also took into account the report of a panel formed by former HRD minister Smriti Irani and headed by ex-cabinet secretary T S R Subramanian.Motor India on Sunday said its domestic sales declined 5.6 per cent in May this year to 42,502 units from the year-ago period.

had registered domestic sales of 45,008 units in May 2018, it said in a statement.

However, the company's total sales (domestic and exports) grew by 5.5 per cent helped by strong exports.

Total sales stood at 59,102 units in May 2019 as compared to 56,016 units in the year-ago period, the statement said.

exported 16,600 units in May 2019 as against 11,008 units in the same month last year, an increase of 50.8 per cent.Two men were arrested after illicit liquor worth Rs 42 lakh was seized from two different places here within a span of 12 hours, police said on Sunday.

"In a join operation, teams of Vrindavan Police and SWAT recovered illicit liquor worth Rs 40 lakh on Sunday. Another team of Govind Nagar Police Station seized illicit liquor worth Rs 2 lakh late Saturday night," SP (City) Rajesh Kumar Singh said.

He said, Vrindavan Police nabbed Sukhbinder, a resident of Patiala in Punjab, with a truck containing 996 boxes of illicit liquor hid under POP bags, near the 100-bed hospital on Sunday.

Efforts are underway to arrest the kingpin, Ranjodh, a resident of Panchkula in Hariyana, he said.

In another incident, a team of Govind Nagar Police Station along with SWAT team intercepted a Charcoal tanker near Masani crossing and recovered 960 bottles of foreign brand whisky from it, the SP said.

Singh said the whisky was being transported to Agra from Sonipat in Haryana.

He said that the tanker driver, Roop, who is a resident of Rohtak, was arrested.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)US tech giant is bullish on growth trajectory of its India business and remains confident of the country contributing about 10 per cent of its global revenue in the next few years.

The networking solutions provider, which is engaged in a number of government projects in the country, counts India among its major growth markets and has a workforce of over 10,000 people here.

Speaking to PTI, CEO said India has been "one of the most consistent growth markets" for the company.

"We're on track, in my opinion, for India to be 10 per cent of our business in 5-10 years. The teams have done a great job, the business continues to accelerate. And when you look at the position of India, the government, the stability, the belief in technology, we remain incredibly optimistic," he said.

He, however, did not comment on India's current contribution to the global revenue as the company does not give country-wise numbers.

Cisco, which follows August-July financial year, had clocked revenue of about $13 billion in its third quarter. Of this, Americas accounted for $7.6 billion, Europe, Middle East and was at $3.3 billion, while Pacific, China and region (including India) contributed $1.9 billion revenue in the said quarter.

Asked about his expectations from the new government, Robbins said he views India to be in a very good position.

"...you have the stability, the leadership that has the understanding of the power of technology...relative to all the initiatives that the government here is trying to drive, that naturally leads to more investment. As long as we continue to see those kinds of opportunities, we will continue to invest here," he said.Several Indian-Americans in Texas have welcomed the appointment of S Jaishankar as the External Affairs Minister, saying he was instrumental in negotiating India's civil nuclear agreement with the US.

The 64-year-old former foreign secretary's appointment to the key post is seen as Prime Minister Narendra Modi's attempt to add further strategic heft to India's external engagement.

"Houston was the first city he visited when he was appointed India's Ambassador to the US in 2013," Indo-American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston (IACCGH) Founding Secretary/Executive Director Jagdip Ahluwalia said.

During his trip, Jaishankar had said that Houston has a special relationship with India as its trade with the country is about USD 8 billion, more than some countries, he said.

"The Chamber looks forward to welcoming him back to Houston on the Chamber's 20th anniversary this year," said Chamber President Swapan Dhairyawan.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, in his first official Twitter post, said on Saturday that he was "proud to follow on the footsteps" of his predecessor Sushma Swaraj.

Jaishankar, considered an expert on China and the US, served as foreign secretary from January 2015 to January 2018 and both he and Swaraj were credited for bringing vibrancy in India's foreign policy.

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.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A 36-year-old Indian man has been arrested in Nepal for illegally operating international calls that caused millions of rupees loss to the Himalayan nation's telecom department, police said on Sunday.

Khursed Ansari, a resident of Sunauli in Uttar Pradesh, was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation of Nepal Police from Kathmandu on charges of operating call bypass, a statement issued by the Nepal Police said.

The police also recovered a laptop, airtel 4G device, routers and 16 simcards from the accused, the statement said.

The police have initiated further investigation into the matter after taking Ansari in custody.

Meanwhile, a 69-year-old Canadian national was arrested from the Tribhuvan International Airport on Sunday as she was about to board a Hong Kong bound aircraft carrying illegal foreign currency.

The police seized USD 20,630, 1,400 Hong Kong dollars and 10,000 Nepali currency from Jeannia Gaw during a security check at the airport, the statement said.

As per Nepal's law, a foreign tourist cannot carry more than USD 5,000 without special permission while travelling.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Tehran on Sunday ruled out talks with Washington unless it changes its "general behaviour", after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said his country was ready for negotiations with Iran.

"The change of the general behaviour and actions of the United States of America regarding the Iranian nation is the criterion" required for any talks to take place, said foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran ignores word games and the use of new language to express secret aims," said Mousavi.

"Mr. Pompeo's emphasis on maintaining maximum pressure on Iran reflects the continuation of the same faulty behaviour that must be corrected," the spokesman said, quoted in a ministry statement.

Pompeo, who is considered a hawk on Iranian issues, appeared to soften the US stance somewhat on Sunday following weeks of escalating tensions with Tehran.

"We are prepared to engage in a conversation with no preconditions," Pompeo said in Switzerland, which in the absence of US-Iranian diplomatic ties represents Washington's interests in the Islamic republic.

"We are ready to sit down with them," he said.

But Pompeo appeared to immediately back-pedal on the offer of conditions-free talks, stating that Washington was "certainly prepared to have (a) conversation when the Iranians will prove they are behaving as a normal nation.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Israeli military confirmed Sunday it had attacked Syrian military positions in response to rockets fired from Syria at Mount Hermon in the occupied Golan Heights.

A statement from the military said it held the Syrian regime accountable "for every action taken against Israel," with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterating Israel's policy to "respond forcefully to any aggression against us." Two rockets were fired at Mount Hermon late Saturday, with the army saying on Sunday that one of them was "located within Israeli territory."



In response the army attacked "two Syrian artillery batteries, a number of observation and intelligence posts on the Golan Heights, and an SA-2 aerial defense battery," the Sunday statement said.

"During the strikes, an Israeli aerial defense system was activated due to Syrian anti-aircraft shooting. None of the rockets exploded in Israel." Netanyahu said he had ordered the attack following the rockets.

"We won't tolerate fire at our territory," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)An Italian navy ship docked Sunday in the northern port city of Genoa carrying 100 migrants rescued from the Mediterranean Sea, where the number of migrant crossings has picked up in recent weeks.

The Italian agency ANSA reported that 23 minors and 17 women, including a few who are pregnant, were among the migrants. They were rescued Thursday from a dinghy in distress off Libya's coast.

Italy's hard-line interior minister, Matteo Salvini, said that the migrants would be transferred to five other European Union nations and taken in by the Vatican.

Since taking office last year, Salvini has vowed to stop migrants from arriving in Italy.

The migrants who arrived in Genoa were from Libya, Cameroon, Somalia, the Ivory Coast, Mali and Nigeria, ANSA reported.

Paolo Cremonesi, the director of emergency services at the Galliera hospital, said the migrants described suffering while they were at sea for two days and that people on the dinghy with them died.

Meanwhile, Dutch sea rescue services said they saved a migrant trying to cross the English Channel on a makeshift raft.

The Royal Netherlands Sea Rescue Institution, or KNRM, tweeted that the man was picked up Sunday morning near Ijmuiden, west of Amsterdam.

Dutch media reported that the man appeared to be a 26-year-old refugee from Eritrea who wanted to reach England. The raft he had built had no engine and only a sail made from a piece of plastic.

It was discovered on a busy shipping route used by freighters.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A joint search was launched Sunday by the Border Security Force, Indian Coast Guard and the Marine Police in the creek area of Kutch in Gujarat for heroin packets dumped into the sea by Pakistani smugglers.

Eleven packets of the contraband, worth crores of rupees in illicit markets, have been found in the area in the last few days, said an official.

Smugglers threw heroin packets into the sea when their boat was intercepted by the Indian Coast Guard on May 21.

"The DRI (Directorate of Revenue Intelligence) has informed that 330 packets of heroin were on board the Pakistani boat, of which 136 were thrown into the sea," said Inspector General of Border Range D B Vaghela.

"Eleven of these packets were found washed ashore in the last few days," Vaghela said.

"A joint search operation of ICG, BSF and Kutch police was launched today to find remaining packets at one go," he said.

Nakhatrana Deputy Superintendent of Police V N Yadav, who is leading the operation, said they were focusing on the creek area as most of the drug packets have been found there.

"Due to bad weather we could not find any packets today," he said, adding that the search would continue.

On May 21, six Pakistani nationals were arrested by the DRI off Jakhau port for trying to smuggle heroin into Gujarat after the Coast Guard intercepted their boat.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Jammu and Kashmir Police has forwarded to the Centre a Kashmiri man's application for bringing back his business graduate son, who had joined terror outfit ISIS and is now in the custody of the US-allied forces in Syria, to India, officials said Sunday.

Adil Ahmed, a Kashmir-resident who had completed his MBA from Queensland in Australia, was captured by the US allied forces in Syria after he had surrendered along with many ISIS activists earlier this year, the officials.

Ahmed had moved to Syria in 2013 and informed his family that he was working with an NGO there.

His father Fayaz Ahmed, who works as a contractor and runs a departmental store, still cannot believe that his son had joined the deadly terror group and has been moving from pillar to post for the return of his son.

"I am hopeful that since the new government has taken over in New Delhi, things will move on (in bringing back his son)," he said.

The officials said the application filed by Fayaz Ahmed has been forwarded to central security agencies in New Delhi for necessary action.

"If Adil is brought back, he can give us a deep insight into the functioning of ISIS and their nefarious plans," an official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said.

Adil, along with a few hundred ISIS cadres, had surrendered before the US-led forces in Syria and has since been jailed.

Having completed his MBA from Queensland in Australia, Adil left for Turkey via Jordan on June 21, 2013 on an Indian passport after he allegedly got in touch with some radical groups based in Australia.

Adil, after migrating to ISIS-controlled Syria, ostensibility on the pretext of working for an NGO, married a Dutch woman who had also joined the terror group.

The couple gave birth to a son in 2014, who died during the turmoil in Syria.

His family had been claiming that Adil was working in Syria and neighbouring countries, till his father received a message from his Dutch wife that she and their son were in custody of the US-allied forces.

The wife, according to the officials, was given access to the International Committee of Red Cross which facilitated contact with her husband's family.

"I have now approached the state authorities seeking help to bring back my son," Fayaz Ahmed, "I have been informed that a formal process will start only after the new government assumes office in New Delhi."



Adil is the first Kashmiri to have joined the ISIS.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Kurdish administration in Syria on Sunday said it plans to hand 800 local women and children, including relatives of jihadists, to their families tomorrow in the first such transfer from an overcrowded camp.

The women and children -- all Syrians-- are living among the dregs of the Islamic State group in the Kurdish-run Al-Hol camp in northeast Syria.

Their release comes at the request of local Arab tribes, according to Abd al-Mehbach, co-chair of the Kurdish administration's executive council.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A letter threatening to kill Prime Minister Narendra Modi before his swearing-in ceremony on May 30 was received at the BJP office here, but the police found after investigation that it was a "mischief" committed by somebody, a senior officer said Sunday.

Rajasthan BJP chief Madan Lal Saini had received the letter on May 29.

"The sender threatened to shoot the prime minister. I handed over the letter to the police immediately," Saini said



The police traced the address mentioned in the letter and four men were interrogated but it turned out that they were not involved, Deputy Commissioner of Police Yogesh Dadhich said.

"It appears to be a case of mischief," the DCP added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)NCP president Sharad Pawar Sunday demanded "exemplary" action against IAS officer Nidhi Choudhari for her controversial tweet on Mahatma Gandhi.

In a letter addressed to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Pawar said, "If the government doesn't take action it would be deemed that its policy and intention has reached its lowest ebb".

In the tweet, which has since been deleted, BMC Deputy Municipal Commissioner Nidhi Choudhari had called for removal of Mahatma Gandhi's statues from across the world and his images from the Indian currency notes. She also "thanked" the Mahatma's assassin Nathuram Godse for 30.1.1948.

After a row erupted, the officer clarified the tweet was "sarcastic" and that it was "misinterpreted".

"A government official in a progressive state like Maharashtra making such insulting comments against Mahatma Gandhi, and the state government turning a blind eye to it is a serious matter," Pawar said.

Her comments were not only condemnable but were fit for action against her, the former Union minister said, adding that he was shocked to hear about the contents of the tweet.

Pawar said he expected an "exemplary action" against the bureaucrat from the chief minister.

The Congress and Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) have already demanded suspension of Choudhari over the tweet.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari on Sunday held a roadshow in Northeast Delhi to thank voters for their support in the general election and said his party will dislodge the Aam Aadmi Party government here in 2020 assembly polls.

Tiwari successfully defended his Northeast Delhi Lok Sabha seat against Congress veteran Sheila Dikshit and Dilip Pandey of the AAP in the May 12 election. He beat Dikshit by 3.66 lakh votes and the AAP candidate by nearly six lakh votes.

Tiwari said by ensuring victory for BJP on all the seven seats of Delhi, people had expressed their trust in BJP.

He apologised to the people of his constituency that they were not getting the benefits of Centre-run Ayushman Bharat health scheme since it has not been implemented by the Delhi government.

"This is betrayal of the people of Delhi and the BJP workers have pledged to dislodge the Kejriwal government in the next assembly elections in 2020 and make the party victorious to ensure total development of Delhi," he said.

Tiwari's roadshow started from Paanchwa Pushta, Mother Dairy at Gawndi and passed through Arvind Nagar, Ghonda, Bhrahmpuri, Seelampur, Chauhan Banger, Maujpur, Babarpur, Rohtash Nagar, Durgapuri, Ram Nagar, Ashok Nagar and concluded at Teg Bahadur Hospital, where he addressed the party workers.

"We contested the elections on the issues of nationalism and development. On the other hand, the objective of Congress and Aam Aadmi Party was to remove Narendra Modi for which they compromised the national interest and the country's integrity.

"They also announced to change the law related to treason and were even seen with anti-national forces. But the people of the country used their power (vote) against these anti-national elements and defeated them," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Conservative businessman Nayib Bukele took office Saturday as president of El Salvador, tasked with turning around grinding poverty and rampant gang violence that are sending thousands fleeing to the United States.

Bukele was sworn in by the speaker of the National Assembly in a square in downtown San Salvador, as a large, boisterous crowd applauded and shouted "We did it!" The telegenic Bukele, 37, was elected in February to succeed Salvador Sanchez Ceren, a leftist former guerrilla who maintained close relations with his Nicaraguan and Venezuelan counterparts.

Bukele has said he will seek closer ties with the United States, home to 2.5 million Salvadorans.

With only 6.6 million people living in the small Central American country, its fortunes are closely linked to the United States which nearly a third of its citizens call home.

"I will be the president of all Salvadorans," Bukele pledged.

"Our country is like a sick child, we all have to take care of it." US President Donald Trump, who has railed against the waves of migrants flooding into his country from El Salvador as well as Honduras and Guatemala, wished Bukele well on Twitter.

"Congratulations President Bukele on your inauguration! The United States stands ready to work with @NayibBukele to advance prosperity in El Salvador and the hemisphere," Trump said.

Official estimates indicate an average of 200 Salvadorans leave the country per day to enter the United States without documents.

Some analysts have called Bukele a millennial president: above all because he is at ease on social media, but also because he often adopts a casual appearance, ditching a tie and wearing his hair in a ponytail.

Critics say Bukele, former mayor of the capital San Salvador, is light on policy and substance.

He has said a priority of his five-year term is cracking down on gangs that recruit young people into their ranks, while profiting off drug trafficking and extortion.

El Salvador last year tallied 3,340 homicides. That was 15 percent less than in 2017, but still amounted to a rate of 51 killings per 100,000 inhabitants, making it one of the world's most violent countries not at war.

The fearsome gangs, with an estimated 70,000 members, are blamed for much of the violence.

The son of a Muslim imam and a Christian, Bukele describes himself as believing in God rather than an adherent to a religion, an apparent effort to steer clear of any anti-Muslim sentiment.

Delegations from 83 countries attended Bukele's swearing-in.

The United States was represented by Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The new government in Andhra Pradesh has raised hopes of an amicable settlement of all contentious issues between the state and the neighbouring Telangana, which celebrated its sixth formation day on June 2, 2019.

In the last five years, there was more hostility than cordiality between the TRS government in Telangana, carved out of Andhra Pradesh, and the Telugu Desam Party dispensation in AP essentially due to political reasons.

Consequently, none of the issues sharing of river waters and division of assets and liabilities among others could be settled between the two Telugu-speaking states.

Last year, the TDP had even gone on a collision course with the central government.

The governor, common to both the states, arranged a couple of meetings with the chief ministers and subsequently a three-member ministers group was formed on each side to resolve the issues but no headway was made.

In the four years that it remained part of the NDA government at the Centre, the TDP failed to achieve much according to the provisions of the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014.

But now, the YSR Congress government headed by Y S Jaganmohan Reddy has begun with an advantage of having a non-confrontationist, if not friendly, relationship with both the TRS government and the Centre, springing hope of ending the impasse.

With Reddy at the helm, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao too sounded positive over settlement of outstanding issues with AP, particularly over sharing of river waters.

Rao, who attended the swearing in of Reddy as AP chief minister on Friday, however, he did not publicly commit anything about division of assets and liabilities between the two states.

"It will take some time but we are hopeful of a positive solution. We don't have a confrontationist stance and things will sure move forward," YSRC MP and party general secretary V Vijayasai Reddy told PTI.

Once the new chief minister settles down, he would open dialogue with the Telangana government, he added.

Sources said Jaganmohan Reddy might hold a formal meeting with his Telangana counterpart later this month or early next month to set the process in motion.

Former chief secretary I Y R Krishna Rao, who negotiated on behalf of AP with the Telangana government many times during his two-year term, said political willingness was required to resolve the disputes between the states.

It takes time after a state bifurcation for things to settle.

But political willingness is important. Now, there could be a better climate between the two states and a solution to the long-pending issues is possible, Krishna Rao said.

As per a White Paper released by the AP government in December last year, there is a dispute over division of assets worth Rs 1.97 lakh crore, related to government companies and corporations and state institutions, listed under Schedules IX and X of AP Reorganisation Act, 2014.

The Supreme Court, in 2015, passed an order in favour of Andhra Pradesh over division of assets related to AP State Council of Higher Education, listed in the Schedule X.

Till date, the Telangana government did not honour it even as the AP government filed a fresh petition over it in the high court.

The dispute over division of properties of AP Bhavan in New Delhi also was not settled.

AP is also aggrieved over the non-settlement of a debt liability of Rs 33,478 crore which should have been in Telangana's account that was passed on to the state post bifurcation.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Nine French jihadists are now on death row in Iraq after a court sentenced two more to death on Sunday for joining the Islamic State group, rejecting a claim of torture.

Fodil Tahar Aouidate and Vianney Ouraghi were among 11 French citizens and one Tunisian handed over to Iraqi authorities in January by a US-backed force fighting the jihadist group in Syria.

Described as violent and ready to die for the extremist IS ideology, Aouidate first appeared in court on May 27 but a judge delayed his trial and ordered a medical examination after the 32-year-old claimed he was tortured into confessing.

"The medical report shows that there are no signs of torture on his body," the judge told the court before handing down his sentence.

His trial was quickly followed by that of 28-year-old Ouraghi, who acknowledged in court that he "worked with" IS but said he did not participate in any fighting.

Baghdad has handed capital punishments to seven of the other French jihadists and the Tunisian over the past week.

Hearings for the last two suspected French IS members to be tried in Baghdad are set for Monday.

Iraq has sentenced more than 500 suspected foreign members of IS since the start of 2018.

Its courts have condemned many to life in prison and others to death, although no foreign IS members have yet been executed.

Those convicted have 30 days to appeal.

Ouraghi, who has Algerian roots, left France for Syria in 2013 and joined the Al-Qaeda affiliate there before jumping to IS when the latter declared its "caliphate" in 2014.

"Yes, I worked with IS, but I did not participate in any combat in Syria or Iraq," Ouraghi said in classical Arabic, which he picked up in Egypt.

Sporting thick glasses and a light brown goatee, he pleaded that he was only an "IS administrative officer" in charge of "widows and families" of the jihadist group.

Aouidate showed no reaction when the judge handed down his death sentence, according to an AFP journalist at the trial.

He first went to Syria in 2013 and returned in 2014 with 22 members of his family to join IS, according to the French judiciary.

Authorities also linked him to Belgium's Salafist movement including Abdelhamid Abaaoud, the presumed mastermind of the 2015 Paris attacks.

Interrogated for four months, he alleged during his first hearing that he was beaten to "confess" to the charges levelled against him.

Human Rights Watch on Friday accused Iraqi interrogators of "using a range of torture techniques... which would not leave lasting marks on the person's body".

It also condemned France's "outsourcing" of trials of IS suspects to "abusive justice systems" and criticised Iraq's "routine failure... to credibly investigate torture allegations".

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.

French government spokeswoman Sibeth Ndiaye reiterated Sunday that officials were intervening "at the highest level" in the cases.

"France's position has been constant... As soon as our citizens around the world face the possibility of a death sentence after a conviction, we intervene at the highest level of state," Ndiaye told Europe 1 television.

Iraqi law provides for the death penalty for anyone joining a "terrorist group" -- even those who did not take up arms.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)US President Donald Trump denied on Sunday that he had called Meghan Markle "nasty" just days before heading to Britain to be hosted, and lavishly feted, by other members of the royal family.

And yet the remark about the American-born Dutchess of Sussex is heard clearly on a tape of a Trump interview with the British tabloid The Sun.

Trump's tweet Sunday came a day before his three-day state visit is to begin with a pomp-filled ceremony at Buckingham Palace followed by lunch with 93-year-old Queen Elizabeth I.

He tweeted: "I never called Meghan Markle 'nasty.' Made up by the Fake Media, and they got caught cold! Will @CNN, @nytimes and others apologize? Doubt it!"



On the tape, the interviewer points out that Markle, who married the queen's grandson Prince Harry in 2018, had been critical of Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign, saying "she'd move to Canada if you got elected; turned out she moved here."



"Well, a lot of people are moving here, so what can I say," Trump replied. "No, I didn't know that she was nasty."And yet he went on to say he thought that as princess "she'll do excellently, she'll be very good, she'll be very good. I hope she does."An official Trump campaign Twitter account had rather bizarrely called attention to the "nasty" comment on Saturday by linking to a video of the interview and suggesting the president had not used the word; it urged people to "Listen for yourself!"Markle will not be meeting with Trump, though the official reason given is that she remains on maternity leave with her three-week-old son Archie.

Trump further roiled the waters ahead of his visit by weighing in on Britain's unending Brexit woes, throwing his weight behind former London mayor Boris Johnson to succeed Prime Minister Theresa May and suggesting Britain should leave the European Union without a departure deal if better terms can't be reached.

In addition to her remark about moving to Canada, Markle had also called Trump "misogynistic" and "divisive" during the 2016 campaign, feelings that a good number of Britons appear to share.

Large anti-Trump protests are expected during his visit, and a huge blimp of Trump as a baby in diapers is being readied to fly over the city if police allow it.

Markle's absence may be conspicuous in one way: Trump is bringing all four of his adult children and their spouses to London and, according to The Sun, said he wants them to hold a "next generation" meeting with Princes William and Harry.

"I think my children will be meeting them," Trump said. "It would be nice.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Seven persons have been arrested after more than 300 stolen mobile phones worth Rs 60 lakh were seized from them, police said Sunday.

The accused have been identified as Naresh Kumar (30), Mukesh Kumar (38), Naresh Kumar (27), Rajan (28), Ram Singh (58), Gopal Pathak (31) and Rohit (23), they said.

According to police, the gang worked in a systematic manner. After stealing mobile phones, they used to hand them over to a middle man who then handed these phones to another person to be sent to Nepal.

The receiver in Nepal had a salaried employee in Delhi who coordinated the movements of the phones and would also facilitate the payment through illegal channels, Rajesh Deo, deputy commissioner of police (crime), said.

The gang was busted during an investigation into a complaint about snatching of mobile phones filed on May 25, he said.

The accused used to repair mobile phones at a shop in Gaffar Market, the DCP said.

In the last couple of years, there has been a rise in demand for used high-end mobile phones in Nepal and other neighbouring countries. As the IMEI search is restricted within India, it gave the accused a new channel to dispose the stolen phones, the officer said.

They used to transport the mobile phones via road, making use of the regular bus services between the two countries, the officer added.

In total, 311 mobile phones worth Rs 60 lakh have been seized from them, police said.

IMEI numbers and other details of the seized phones are being uploaded on Delhi Police website for the public to identify their phones.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Guests invited to Indian High Commission's in Islamabad faced "unprecedented harassment and intimidation" due to enhanced security checks by the Pakistani officials who stopped some invitees on one pretext or other, the said here on Sunday, as it strongly protested the "ugly" incident and sought "urgent" investigation into the matter.

Indian High Commissioner Ajay Bisaria hosted the annual event on Saturday at Serena Hotel for which guests were invited from all over Pakistan.

"The guests faced unprecedented harassment and intimidation at the hands of security agencies," the Indian High Commission said in a statement



It said the guests who made to the venue from places as far as Lahore and Karachi were "intimidated and even physically stopped" from attending the party by Pakistani security forces, who had virtually laid the Serena hotel under siege.

"A concerted campaign was launched by Pakistan's security agencies in the days preceding the iftar function to reach out to the invitees to actively dissuade them from attending the event," it said.

The High Commission said security officials stationed on the main road outside the hotel rudely rebuffed and intimidated" officers and diplomatic staff of the IHC who tried to ascertain from the security personnel the reason for the harassment of the guests.

"Some officials were jostled, pushed, abused and aggressively threatened with bodily harm. In some cases, mobile phone belonging to the officials were snatched away, it said.

Many guests from the Pakistan's diplomatic community were also subjected to harassment.

"In complete violation of diplomatic norms, a large Pakistani security detachment, equipped with forked lifts, was detailed outside Serena hotel to aggressively turn away Pakistani citizens," the said, adding that in some cases, cars used by guests were lifted and removed using forklifts.

Over 300 Pakistani guests, including parliamentarians, government officials, media representatives, retired military officials, businessmen and retired diplomats, were prevented from attending the function, it said.

Protesting the incident, the High Commission said the incident "not only violated the basic norms of diplomatic conduct but was against all norms of civilized behaviour...and entirely counter-productive for our bilateral relationship".

It also asked the Pakistani government to "urgently investigate these ugly events" and share the result of the exercise with it.

Meanwhile, those attending the event also said that additional security deployment was made around the luxury hotel.

A journalist said he saw more than usual security presence but those having invitation cards and identity documents were allowed to attend.

"My invitation card was checked and I was asked questions about profession and residence, and allowed to go in," he said.

"Unprecedented level of harassment at @serena_hotels Islamabad. #India embassy iftaar happening & police & anti terrorism force misbehaving with anyone trying into get in the hotel. Got screamed at, my driver abused. Sorry, not being an entitled prick. This was genuine harassment," tweeted noted journalist Mehreen Zahra-Malik.

Another journalist, on condition of anonymity, told PTI that he did not attend as he feared about questioning and security checks.

He also said that there were reports that some invitees were called by anonymous callers and told not to attend the event.

Senior Pakistan People's Party leader Farhatullah Babar said every gaze deflected towards odd visitors in hotel's lobby.

"Came to Serena for iftar hosted by Indian HC. Hotel seems barricaded. Told that iftar cancelled. When insisted, I was told to use other gate. Other gate also closed and told to go back to front gate again. What's going on, something fishy," he tweeted.

Babar said that he somehow managed to attend the Indian mission's iftar despite efforts by the local authorities to stop invitees on one pretext or other.

High Commissioner Bisaria in his brief address to the audience said that some of the guests could not make to the party.

"I want to apologize because some of you faced a lot of trouble to come here and some of our friends could not come," he said.

Bisaria also said that people had come from Lahore and Karachi to attend the event and thanked them for coming.

India has not been engaging with Pakistan following the attack on the Air Force base at Pathankot in January of 2016, maintaining that talks and terror cannot go together.

Tensions flared up between the two sides after a suicide bomber of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Muhammed killed 40 CRPF personnel in Kashmir's district on February 14.

Amid mounting outrage, the Indian Air Force (IAF) carried out a counter-terror operation, hitting the biggest JeM training camp in Balakot, deep inside Pakistan on February 26. The next day, retaliated and downed a MiG-21 in an aerial combat and captured an IAF pilot, who was handed over to India.

(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.)Pakistani-origin London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who has been a vocal critic of Donald Trump, on Sunday branded the US President as one of the "fascists of the 20th century" and said Britain should not be rolling out a red carpet to a leader like him for a state visit to the UK.

Trump, along with his wife Melania and his adult children, will be a guest of Queen Elizabeth II during his three-day official visit to the UK starting Monday. The visit is expected to provoke massive protests in London on Tuesday.

"President Donald Trump is just one of the most egregious examples of a growing global threat. The far right is on the rise around the world, threatening our hard-won rights and freedoms and the values that have defined our liberal, democratic societies for more than 70 years," Khan writes in the 'Observer'.

"Viktor Orban in Hungary, Matteo Salvini in Italy, Marine Le Pen in France and Nigel Farage here in the UK are using the same divisive tropes of the fascists of the 20th century to garner support, but with new sinister methods to deliver their message. And they are gaining ground and winning power and influence in places that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago," he says.

When asked whether the president should have been invited to London, he replied: "Not on a state visit, no."



Khan likened the US to a best friend who needed to be "called out".

He said: "I think it's important for us to have good relations with our closest ally, and important for our allies to be here for the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings; we've got to have good relations with the US - but I don't think we should be rolling out the red carpet.

"Our closest ally is akin to a best friend - and the thing about a best friend is that you stand shoulder to shoulder with them in times of adversity, but you've got to call them out when you think they're wrong."



In an interview with the 'Sun' on Saturday, Trump defied diplomatic convention -- which dictates that leaders do not weigh in to the domestic of other nations, particularly ahead of visits -- by backing Boris Johnson to succeed Theresa May as British Prime Minister.

In the same interview, he described Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, as "nasty". The American-born former actress has previously referred to Trump as a divisive figure in 2016, threatening to move to Canada if Trump won the presidency.

Markle, who is still on maternity leave after giving birth to her and Prince Harry's first child Archie, will not be joining the rest of the royal family during a series of events planned during Trump's state visit.

Over the three days, the US president will be hosted by British royalty and politicians. He will also take part in commemorations to mark the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Home appliance and consumer electronics maker Panasonic India is aiming to position itself as a "solution technology company" in the coming years rather than being a product company, a top company official said.

Panasonic India, a subsidiary of Japan-based Panasonic Corporation, has identified five pillars to drive growth, which includes - growing consumer business, developing solutions for living spaces, coming out with products and technology solutions in the supply chain segment and expanding energy business.

As part of its strategy, Panasonic is expecting an increased push from its consumer durable business in its revenue in the coming years along with a special focus on its solutions business which may contribute almost one-fourth of its B2B business in the next five years.

Panasonic India, which is expecting a revenue of Rs 12,000 crore this fiscal, would also expand its retail footprint focusing tier-III & -IV places and introduce products catering those small markets with local R&D push as per its strategy.

"We would expand our portfolio of appliances dramatically and rapidly. Currently within the consumer durable business, half of the revenue comes from electronics and the other half from appliances. In the next three years, 65 per cent of this would come from appliances," Panasonic India President & CEO Manish Sharma said.

Products such as TV, audio products, AV accessories come under electronic segments, while appliances include refrigerator, AC, washing machine etc.

"We are looking to double our appliances revenue in three years. TV business would not double but it may continue to grow in line with the market growth," Sharma said adding "TV would continue to be our identity. This would not change."



Presently, Panasonic has around 9 per cent market share in TV, while in appliances, it has 8.5 per cent in AC, and 6 per cent in washing machine.

"In three years, we are aiming to increase our market share to around 10 per cent in all categories," he added.

Over expansion of sales network, Sharma said that in the next one year, Panasonic is going to penetrate small towns of the country.

"Currently, we operate in around 500 towns of the country and we have identified 480 towns with a population of more than one lakh. Our strategy was around 500 towns and now we are going to enter into tier III & IV towns also and for that, we need products which are suitable for those markets," he said.

The company is introducing products such as semiautomatic washing machines and single door refrigerators and many more products with the help of local R&D push.

"Global products can go into the urban area and locally developed can go into small towns," he added.

Panasonic, which had marginal growth in its sales number in the last fiscal to Rs 10,300 crore impacted by factors which include low demand, weak rupee etc, now expects over 15 per cent increase to Rs 12,000 in the current fiscal.

"Panasonic has an aim of clocking Rs 12,000 crore revenue by FY2020 spurred by key strategic initiatives," said Sharma adding that it expects its B2C businesses to contribute Rs 8,900 crore and B2B to contribute Rs 3,100 crore in the current fiscal.

Recently, Panasonic has merged its two verticals - welding business and SMT (Surface Mount Technology) equipment business to offer integrated Smart Manufacturing Solutions.

It has Integrated smart homes solution, a new vertical created by Panasonic and is bringing connected solutions for the home with its step down firm Anchor Electricals.

"If you look Panasonic today, outsiders feel that this is a company which makes TV, appliances and those kinds of products. The transformation, which is going to happen ... we would become a solutions technology company from being a product company. Of course, it would make many years but we would move towards that in the next five years time, we are considering that 25 per cent of our b2b revenue, should come from solutions business."



"Idea is to leverage the diversity of the portfolio of Panasonic," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Qatar's foreign minister said on Sunday that Doha rejected the outcome of the recent Mecca talks on mounting regional tensions with Iran as it had not been properly consulted.

Saudi Arabia hosted three summits in the holy city over the weekend critical of Iran after King Salman warned that "terrorist" attacks in the Gulf region could imperil global energy supplies.

"The statements of the Gulf and Arab summits were ready in advance and we were not consulted on them," Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani told the Al-Araby broadcaster.

"Qatar has reservations on the Arab and Gulf summits because some of their terms are contrary to Doha's foreign policy."



Tehran has strongly denied involvement in recent attacks on oil infrastructure and regional shipping -- incidents that prompted Riyadh to convene the three crisis summits.

In a tweet just before the start of the summit, the king vowed to confront "aggressive threats and subversive activities".

Qatar is the subject of a two-year Saudi-led economic embargo including bans on direct air, land and sea travel between the boycotting nations and Qatar, as well sanctions.

The alliance, which also includes Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, accuses Qatar of supporting Islamist movements and Iran -- claims it denies.

But Doha has looked to Tehran to ease its economic isolation, sourcing key imports from Iran and re-routing many flights by its flag carrier Qatar Airways over the Islamic republic.

"We hoped the Mecca summits would lay the groundwork for dialogue to reduce tensions with Iran," the foreign minister added in comments reposted on Twitter by his ministry.

"The Mecca summit ignored the important issues in the region, such as the Palestine issue and the war in Libya and Yemen.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The main event of International Yoga Day on June 21 this year will be held in Ranchi with Prime Minister Narendra Modi attending it, official sources said.

It will be the government's first mega public event after Modi became prime minister for a second term.

Five cities -- Delhi, Shimla, Mysore, Ahmedabad and Ranchi -- were shortlisted by the Ayush ministry and were sent to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) for final selection.

"The PMO finalised Ranchi as the venue for the main function of International Yoga Day to be held on June 21," an official sources said.

A senior AYUSH ministry official said, "We have already started the preparations and the event will be organised in a large scale."



In the lead-up to the event, a two-day yoga mahotsav is being organised in Delhi by the Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga from Saturday. It is expected that about 10,000 people, including yoga teachers, professionals, enthusiasts among others will attend the event.

"The aim is to build an atmosphere of yoga in the lead-up to the main event and sensitise the people about the June 21 function," the official said.

The United Nations declared June 21 as the International Day of Yoga in 2014 after Modi called for the day to be adopted as a global celebration of yoga, an ancient practice that began in India more than 5,000 years ago.

Last year, the main event of International Day of Yoga was held at the ground of Forest Research Institute, Dehradun, in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated.

The first International Yoga Day celebration was organised at Rajpath in New Delhi on June 21, 2015, in which representatives of 191 countries took part. In 2016, the main function was held in Chandigarh and in 2017 it was held in Lucknow.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Indian corporate giant has resumed lobbying among US lawmakers through a new lobbyist for advocating its position on the "US economic trade sanctions policies".

Billionaire Mukesh Ambani-led (RIL) had earlier terminated its lobbying activity in US in January 2013 after engaging with the US lawmakers for nearly four years for its business activities and other causes through its registered lobbying firm Barbour Griffith & Rogers LLC (BGR) at that time.

According to the new 'lobbying report' filings made with the US Senate, has now engaged Eversheds Sutherland (US) LLP, which filed a 'lobbying registration' report on behalf of its client on April 26.

According to the filing, the effective date of registration is February 2, 2019.

The registration filing has been followed up with the first quarter lobbying report filed by Eversheds Sutherland on behalf of on May 29, 2019.

In the filing, the lobbyist has disclosed total income of $140,000 from RIL for lobbying activities for the three-month period ended March 31, 2019.

It has disclosed "US economic sanctions policies" as the specific lobbying issue for the period, while the US Department of State has been mentioned as the department contacted for the purpose.

On its website, Eversheds Sutherland describes itself as "an international top 15 law practice helping a global client base ranging from small and mid-sized businesses to the largest multinationals solve their biggest challenges and reach their business goals".

Lobbying in government departments and other institutions is a legal activity in the US, but all registered lobbying firms are required to make a disclosure every quarter about the payments received by them, as also the details of their lobbying activities.

The exact trigger for RIL to engage in lobbying on this issue could not be immediately ascertained. The US had recently ruled out giving exemption from punitive sanctions to any country buying oil from Iran.

In October 2018, RIL had said it had halted import of Iranian crude ahead of the US sanctions, which were re-imposed in November that year.

In April this year, RIL said it did not violate the on Venezuela and had purchased crude originating from the Latin American nation from such as Russia's Rosneft in full knowledge of the US authorities.

US imposed economic sanctions on Venezuela in late January 2019 with a view to curb the country's crude exports and put pressure on socialist President Nicolas Maduro to step down.

Prior to that in March, RIL had said it had stopped all oil exports to US sanctions-hit Venezuela and will not resume sales until sanctions were lifted.

RIL, whose twin refineries at Jamnagar in Gujarat were major importers of Venezuelan crude oil, has reduced purchases by about a third.

The company has investments in US shale gas projects and trades fuel in North America.

RIL began lobbying in US through leading lobbying firm, Barbour Griffith & Rogers LLC (BGR), in January 2009 for its business activities and other causes and had spent nearly $2 million (over Rs 10 crore) in about four years.

However, the company had put its lobbying activities on hold here for at least five quarters before terminating its lobby registration in January 2013.

RIL has been expanding its presence in global markets over the years, including in the US, and has interests in businesses ranging from energy, polyester and retail to telecom.

BGR has also been a registered lobbyist for the Indian government for several years.

According to the latest filing, the Indian government paid BGR an amount of $180,000 towards lobbying activities in the first quarter of 2019 and the amount has been the same for several past quarters.

BGR has mentioned "bilateral US-India relations" as the specific lobbying issue in its latest filing on behalf of 'Republic of India', while those contacted during the latest quarter include the US Senate, the US House of Representatives, the Department of Commerce, the Department of State and the US Trade Representative.A woman was attacked with a blunt object and killed at her home in Palam Vihar area of Gurgaon allegedly over a property dispute in the extended family, a police officer said Sunday.

Savinder Kaur, the principal of a Pune-based private school, was found dead in her bedroom on the first floor of the bungalow with couple of injuries on her head, said Shamsher Singh, ACP (crime).

According to her son Prabsharan Singh's statement to police, Kaur had called him up when he was returning home from his office. She told him she was attacked with a blunt object and sought immediate help.

The son informed his father Sukhbir Singh, who had gone to the Sector 22 market nearby, to rush home immediately.

Sukhbir Singh reached home at 7.50pm but could not enter the residence as the door was locked from inside. About 10 minutes later, Pransharan Singh also reached home and both of them forcibly opened the door. They found Kaur unconscious on the floor and informed police.

The attacker, meanwhile, had escaped through the balcony.

"The victim was declared brought dead at a hospital," the ACP added.

Sukhbir Singh said he has a dispute over property with brother Jasprit Singh and they are fighting court cases.

"We have strong suspicion that Jasprit, his wife Prity Kaur and their daughter Paramjeet Kaur may be involved in the murder," he alleged.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Former Chief Minister and Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) supremo Pawan Kumar Chamling Sunday said the party lost the recently held Assembly elections due to "complacency".

SDF's loss was not because of Sikkim Krantikari Morcha's (SKM) "strength" but because of it's own "complacency", Chamling told party leaders and workers at the central executive committee (CEC) meeting here.

"The SDF's alternative is SDF. SKM can never be our alternative," he said and urged the party cadres not to get disheartened at the loss of political power in Sikkim.

Like a wounded tiger, the SDF party workers must work harder and more passionately to regain its position as the ruling party which has been lost to the SKM for the time being, Chamling, who was Sikkim's chief minister for a record five terms, said.

He claimed that the SDF has not been rejected by the electorate in the Assembly elections, but had its role reversed.

"Our party has not been totally rejected by the electorate in Sikkim, but had its role reversed as now we will sit in the opposition," Chamling said.

He claimed that the the SDF era in Sikkim shall be remembered as the "golden era".

Referring to alleged incidents of violence against his party workers recently, the former CM said that the party supporters need not fear anything as he will be with them all the time.

In the recently held Sikkim Assembly election the SKM won 17 seats in the 32-Member Assembly while the SDF could bag 15 seats.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)With an aim to check frivolous appeals against its orders with the sole aim of delaying their execution, capital market regulator Sebi is seeking a mandatory deposit of 10 per cent of the penalty amount before filing of any appeal before the appellate tribunal.

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has sought an amendment to the Sebi Act to provide for a "pre-deposit" by any entity seeking to challenge its order relating to a monetary penalty or orders relating to refund, recovery, disgorgement and compounding, officials said.

The regulator is of the view that many a times provision to file an appeal before the Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT) is used as a device to delay the execution of the Sebi order.

"To curb such a practice, a new provision of pre-deposit needs to be inserted in the section of the Sebi Act that allows filing of appeal before the SAT against orders involving quantifiable money as a penalty, refund, recovery, disgorgement or impounding," an official said.

Sebi feels that such measures would help avoid frivolous appeals and expedite disposal of the statutory appeals, the official said, while pointing out that similar provisions are there in other legislations like the Central Excise Act, the Income Tax Act, the Securitisation and Reconstructrion of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Securities Interest Act.

The Finance Ministry is also in agreement with the proposal, which has been approved by the Sebi's board, the officials said.

According to the new proposal, no appeal should be admitted against an order of Sebi relating to any monetary penalty, refunds, recovery, disgorgement or impounding, unless the appellant deposits with the SAT at least 10 per cent of the corresponding amount at the time of filing the appeal.

The proposal also seeks to provide that in any particular case where the SAT is of the opinion that a pre-deposit would cause hardship to the appellant, the tribunal can dispense with or reduce such a deposit, subject to necessary conditions that can be imposed to safeguard the interest of the investors.

According to the latest data, as many as 340 appeals were filed against Sebi orders before the SAT during 2017-18. During the year, a total of 306 appeals were dismissed in favour of Sebi, while 17 were allowed or ruled against the regulator.

There were 223 appeals pending with the SAT as on March 31, 2018.

Against the SAT's orders, Sebi filed 13 appeals before the Supreme Court during 2017-18, while 42 appeals were filed by other parties before the apex court.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Sunday said security of health services in the country was as important as securing the borders of the country.

Addressing a gathering after inaugurating Yashoda Cancer Hospital in Sanjay Nagar and Raj Nagar area here, Singh noted the present set-up for medical services in the country was not "adequate".

He said private investment in the sector should be promoted through public private partnership ventures.

The medical faculty (doctors and nurses) to population ratio was poor and needed urgent improvement, he said at the function, which was his first public meet in Ghaziabad after the 2019 Lok Sabha results were declared.

He said the government is mulling over increasing the health budget.

Speaking on the defence sector, Singh said countrymen are living safely due to the efforts of the Army and paramilitary forces.

He said police, intelligence and other forces were working in tandem to check terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.

Lastly, the defence minister noted that communalism is dangerous for the country.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Nearly four lakh people are expected to converge at the historic Raigad fort in Maharashtra to celebrate the anniversary of the Maratha warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's coronation ceremony on June 6, organisers of the event said.

Shivaji Maharaj was coronated on 6 June, 1674 at the Raigad fort, which served as the capital of the Maratha empire.

During 'Raigad Shivrajyabhishek-2019', a series of events have been planned on June 5 and 6 at the Raigad fort located in neighbouring Raigad district, around 170 kms from Mumbai.

"The World Environment Day falls on 5 June and anniversary of Shivaji Maharaj's coronation on 6 June. We are clubbing various issues related to forts and their conservation, heritage, history, environment," Sambhajiraje Chhatrapati, Rajya Sabha MP, who is the chairman of Raigad Development Authority (RDA), said.

"Englishman Henry Oxenden was present when Shivaji Maharaj was coronated. This year, we are going to have diplomats from five countries," he said.

Sambhajiraje Chhatrapati belongs to the Kolhapur royal family and is a descendant of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

According to him, diplomats from China, Poland, Greece, Bulgaria and Tunisia will be attending the event on Thursday.

From Wednesday, people will start converging around the fort.A 'puja' would be conducted in the presence of sarpanchs (village heads) and people from 21 villages around the fort, he said.

There will be a display of Shivaji-era martial arts and an exhibition on Raigad fort. Besides, there would be a presentation on works being undertaken by the RDA followed by cultural events.

On Thursday, there would be flag hoisting followed by the arrival of 'palkhi' of Shivaji Maharaj, he said.

Shivaji Maharaj's descendents will also attend the event.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Puducherry Assembly Deputy Speaker V P Sivakolundhu is set to be elected Speaker of the House on Monday.

The 68-year old Congress leader will assume office of Speaker during a special session of the House convened by the Lt Governor.

With Sivakolundhu, who won from Lawspet MLA, alone filing the nomination before the Assembly Secretary A Vincent Rayar Sunday, he is for all practical purposes elected 'unopposed' as the Speaker of the House, official sources told PTI.

Ministers and Legislators of the Congress and its ally, the DMK proposed and seconded his name for the post of Speaker, which had been lying vacant after senior Congress leader V Vaithilingam quit the post on March 21 to contest the Lok Sabha poll.

Chief Minister V Narayanasamy told reporters that Sivakolundhu's candidature was approved by the Congress president Rahul Gandhi.

He said Congress MLA M N R Balan elected from Uzhavarkarai constituency would be fielded for the post of Deputy Speaker and the Congress high command had also approved his candidature.

Meanwhile, AIADMK leader A Anbalagan protested against the "violation of the rules of procedure" in the conduct of Speaker election.

He told reporters that a joint delegation of AIADMK, the BJP and the AINRC had presented a memorandum to the Lt Governor and also to the Secretary to the Assembly taking strong exception to the "haste with which the election of Speaker had been arranged.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)DMK president M K Stalin Sunday



greeted United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi on her election as leader of the Congress Parliamentary Party.

"I extend my hearty greetings to respected Annai (mother) Sonia Gandhi," he said in a Facebook post.

Congress leaders in Tamil Nadu usually refer Sonia Gandhi as "Annai Sonia" as a mark of respect.

Stalin said "no power" can remove the Congress party's excellent work from the good hearts of the Indian people.

The Dravidian party chief said Congress was the "permanent guarantee for pluralism, secularism, social justice and equality enshrined in the Constitution".

Also, the poor, middle-class and marginalised sections reposed their faith on Congress party, he said.

Sonia Gandhi was elected leader of the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) on Saturday in Delhi. Former prime minister Manmohan Singh proposed her name and it was unanimously endorsed by all party MPs.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Two people were killed and dozens more wounded in Kabul on Sunday as a wave of bombings hit civilian targets -- including a university school bus -- across the Afghan capital.

The yellow bus had been heading to Kabul Education University in the western part of the city Sunday morning when it was hit by a sticky bomb -- a growing menace in Kabul, where insurgents and criminals use magnets to slap explosives on vehicles.

The device had been placed under the bus, interior ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi said.

In the immediate aftermath, as people rushed to help victims, two more bombs that had been planted by the side of the road went off, he added.

Among the wounded was an Afghan journalist who appeared to have been live-streaming the aftermath of the first explosion when he was hit in a secondary blast.

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility.

Initial reports said the bus was carrying university officials, but Kabul police spokesman Firdaws Faramarz later said students had been on board.

According to health ministry spokesman Wahidullah Mayar, two people were killed and 24 more wounded. Among those wounded were five Afghan security forces.

The journalist was expected to recover from his leg wounds. Last year, nine journalists including AFP Kabul's chief photographer Shah Marai were killed in a secondary explosion after rushing to the scene of an initial blast.

A fourth blast rocked Kabul later Sunday, when yet another sticky bomb hit a vehicle in the western part of the city. Initial reports said three people were wounded.

President Muhammad Ashraf Ghani condemned the attacks, saying the "enemy" cannot "weaken the faith of our people for a bright and progressive future of Afghanistan."



Afghanistan's IS affiliate, known IS-K, has claimed responsibility for a string of horrific bombings targeting numerous civilian, religious and political targets in recent years.

The continued violence in Afghanistan comes even as the Taliban and the US are set to begin a new round of peace talks in Doha this month.

On Friday, a Taliban car bomber killed at least four Afghan civilians and lightly wounded four US troops in an attack on a US convoy in Kabul.

A day earlier, at least six people were killed and 16 more wounded in an IS-claimed suicide blast outside a military academy in the capital.

And eight Afghan police were killed Saturday and seven others wounded in a suicide attack in the eastern city of Ghazni, provincial police spokesman Ahmad Khan Seerat told AFP.

Ghani had proposed a nationwide ceasefire at the start of Ramadan early last month, but the Taliban rejected the offer.

Last year, the Taliban observed a three-day ceasefire over Eid and many Afghans -- exhausted by decades of war and violence -- had pinned their hopes on another truce this year.

Taliban head Haibatullah Akhundzada said Saturday there would be no "cold water" poured on the insurgents' military efforts.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Sri Lanka's suspended police chief has petitioned the Supreme Court, accusing President Maithripala Sirisena of failing to prevent the Easter bombings and claiming that his dismissal was unfair.

Jayasundera was sent on compulsory leave by Sirisena for his alleged inaction on the intelligence shared by India, which warned of an impending attack by Islamic militants, and thereby, failing to prevent the serial blasts that killed over 250 people.

In the petition submitted to the court last week, Jayasundera revealed serious lack of communication between intelligence agencies and security arms of the government, all which fall under Sirisena, and claimed he was sidelined was excluded from attending National Security Council meetings since a political rift between the President and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe emerged in October last year.

In October 2018, Sirisena had sacked Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. The police was under the control of Wickremesinghe.

In the 20-page complaint, the former police chief said Sirisena had asked Nilantha Jayawardena, the head of the State Intelligence Service (SIS) -- country's premier spy agency, to report directly to the president on matters of national security.

Jayasundera claimed despite having intelligence inputs from India about an impending attack, the SIS chief did not take the warning seriously and take any action on it.

On April 9, Jayasundera said he received a letter from Sisira Mendis, the chief of national intelligence, giving information on the planned attack. He also received a phone call from the Secretary to the then Defence Minister Hemasiri Fernando on the impending attacks. Fernando was also sacked by Sirisena for his alleged failure to prevent the attacks.

The former Inspector-General claimed despite the SIS not sharing security warning information with the police department, he alerted Jayawardena about the impending threat but the SIS head did not ask him to take any action.

More than 250 people were killed in eight coordinated suicide bomb attacks carried out by local Jihadi group National Thowheed Jammath (NTJ) linked to the ISIS on April 21.

Two days after the attacks, Jayasundera said, Sirisena asked him to take the responsibility for the failure to prevent the bombings and step down in exchange for a diplomatic posting.

However, he refused to do so following which Sirisena sacked him "illegally".

Earlier on Thursday, Sirisena said he was not privy to an intelligence warning on the Easter suicide bombings, contradicting the national intelligence chief Mendis' testimony before a parliamentary probe panel.

A parliamentary select committee was appointed to probe the events leading to the April 21 attacks and any lapses by those responsible following reports that India had alerted the Sri Lankan defence establishment on the impending attacks.

Testifying before the committee on Wednesday, Mendis said that at an intelligence coordination meeting on April 9 discussed the information received on the impending attacks, however, it "was never a main point for discussion".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Amid a continuing crackdown on Swiss bank account holders with suspected illicit money, Switzerland has stepped up its process to share details of such individuals with Potluri Rajamohan Rao being the latest Indian national to get a notice in this regard.

At least 14 Indians, with accounts in Switzerland-based banks, were issued notices by the Swiss authorities last month, in which they have been given one last chance to appeal against sharing of their details with India.

According to officials, many more such notices are in the offing in the coming weeks as India has sought details about a large number of Indian clients of Swiss banks who are suspected to have indulged in illicit financial activities.

The latest such notice was issued to one Potluri Rajamohan Rao on May 28, asking him to file an appeal, if any, within ten days in connection with the 'administrative assistance' sought by the Indian authorities.

In the preceding week, at least 11 such notices were issued on a single day, May 21, to various Indian clients of the Swiss banks, as per the Swiss government gazette notifications.

Switzerland has been striving hard to re-establish its global financial centre position after clamping down on secrecy walls of its banks and there has been a significant surge in the number of cases where it has initiated process to share information on Indians with Swiss bank accounts.

Except for his date of birth (July 15, 1951) and his Indian residency, the notification issued by the Federal Tax Administration, Switzerland, did not disclose any further details of Rao. However, officials said Rao has been associated with various businesses in southern states of India, including in the telecom business.

An analysis of the notifications issued by the FTA, the nodal department for sharing of information on foreign clients of Swiss banks, shows that the Swiss government has stepped up its efforts in sharing such details with a number of countries in the recent months, but the surge in India-related cases is noticeable in the past few weeks.

However, the gazette notifications of the Swiss government has redacted full names for several of them while making public only their initials besides the nationality and the dates of birth.

The Indians whose names have been mentioned in full also included Krishna Bhagwan Ramchand, Kalpesh Harshad Kinariwala, Ratan Singh Chowdhury, Kuldip Singh Dhingra and Anil Bhardwaj.

However, no further details have been disclosed about them as well.

In these notices, the individuals or their authorised representatives have been asked to file their appeals, if any, within 30 days (10 days in some cases) with necessary documentary proof to support their case against providing 'administrative assistance' to India, which broadly means sharing of their banking and other financial details.

Several of these names are said to have figured in the leaked HSBC lists and Panama papers which allegedly contained names of Indians with Swiss bank accounts and are being probed by Indian authorities in alleged black money cases.

While some notices were issued in April also, Switzerland had issued such notices in March to Mumbai-based Geodesic Ltd and its three directors (Prashant Sharad Mulekar, Pankajkumar Onkar Srivastava and Kiran Kulkarni), as also to Chennai-based Aadhi Enterprises Pvt Ltd, who are being probed by the Indian authorities for alleged money laundering and other financial irregularities.

Switzerland was widely known as an alleged safe haven for black money before it bowed down before the global pressure and agreed to bring down the famed secrecy walls that had historically surrounded the Swiss banks, provided the requesting country gave proof for financial irregularities done by the concerned person or the company.

Along with several other countries, India has also been making use of this change in the stance of Switzerland by seeking details of suspected black money hoarders in Swiss banks and it has already got back information in a large number of cases in the last few years.

While the Swiss government documents did not disclose specific details related to the information and assistance sought by the Indian authorities regarding these Indian companies and individuals, such an 'administrative assistance' follows submission of proof about financial and tax-related wrongdoings and typically involves sharing of information relating to bank account details and other financial data.

While Switzerland has always denied being a safe haven for black money, it has begun sharing details for last few years with several countries including India after submission of evidence about financial and tax-related wrongdoings of the clients of Swiss banks.

Besides, a new framework of automatic information exchange has been now put in place and the details can be accessed under the new system from this year.

According to Switzerland's State Secretariat for International Finance, the global standard for the automatic exchange of information (AEOI) on financial accounts is expected to increase the transparency and prevent cross-border tax evasion.

The global standard makes provision for the mutual exchange of information on financial accounts between states and territories that have agreed among themselves to the AEOI. Besides Switzerland, over 100 states and territories, including all major financial centres, have declared their intention to adopt the standard.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Syrian army's anti-aircraft defence was activated Sunday against "enemy missiles" fired from Israel at "positions" in southwest Damascus, the official Sana agency quoted a military source as saying.

"At dawn Sunday, enemy air targets arrived from the occupied Golan", the military source said.

"Our air defence blocked and shot down these enemy missiles which targeted our positions in southwest Damascus.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Three suspected criminals were arrested after an encounter with police at southeast Delhi's Hazrat Nizamuddin area on Sunday afternoon, an officer said.

The bike-borne men were stopped by a police team at the Lala Lajpat Rai Marg and one of them fired three rounds while trying to escape. He was shot in the leg in retaliatory firing and has been admitted to a hospital, police said.

The team overpowered the other two after a brief chase, they said, adding that the arrested have been identified as Faizan (22), Salmaan (22) and Shuaib (21).

The team was deployed on the carriageway from Moolchand to Lodhi Road of Lala Lajpat Rai Marg following a tip-off, police said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southeast) Chinmoy Biswal said at around 3.50 pm, police spotted the three suspects on a motorcycle.

When they tried to stop them by closing the barricades, Faizan got down from the motorcycle and started running.The other two tried to escape on the motorcycle, but both of them were chased by the team and caught at the Lodhi Road flyover, he said.

Faizan fired three rounds and in retaliation, police fired two rounds -- one in the air and then one below the waist in self defense, Biswal said.

He said after chasing him for half-a-kilometer, he was nabbed near Basti Nizamuddin. He suffered bullet injury on his right leg and has been admitted to the AIIMS Trauma centre, the officer added.

Faizan is a resident of Mustfabaad. He is involved in 13 cases of snatching, robbery and the Arms Act while Salmaan and Shuaib are residents of Bhajanpura, the DCP said.

Salmaan is involved in 15 cases of robbery, snatching and the Arms Act while Shuaib is involved in a snatching case, he said.

Three fire arms have been seized from them, including the pistol from which Faizan had fired on the police team, Biswal said.

Police have registered a case and the matter is being probed.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Power discom TPDDL has claimed dues worth Rs 7 crore from NDMC and DSIIDC for the maintenance of around 50,000 street lights in unauthorised areas under its jurisdiction.

It has also threatened to stop work if the dues are not paid immediately.

The Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited (TPDDL) always strives to give the best of services to its customers, but in this case non-payment of dues is severely hampering the regular maintenance of street lights, Sanjay Banga, CEO, TPDDL said.

"In such a scenario, we will not be able to maintain these street lights any further. I appeal to the Delhi government to resolve the issue by directing both NDMC and DSIIDC to release the payment at the earliest," he said.

North MCD commissioner Varsha Joshi, who earlier held the post of principal secretary of Power Department, said she will look into the matter and it will be "sorted out" soon.

The discom is following up for the payment of



Rs 7 crore dues pertaining to maintenance of 50,000 street lights installed in unauthorized areas in its licensed jurisdiction with the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) and Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC), for last one year, said a TPDDL spokesperson.

"Over the past one year, the company has written several letters to both the entities, requesting them for an immediate release of payment, but to no avail," he said.

A senior DSIIDC officer, however, claimed the Corporation had overpaid the discom and was mulling options to get back the extra money.

"We are exploring ways to get back the extra amount paid to TPDDL. One option is legal recourse," he said.

Both NDMC and DSIIDC have denied the ownership of the street lights, resulting in accumulation of huge arrears, claimed the TPDDL spokesperson.

"Even without the payment of dues, TPDDL is continuously maintaining these 50,000 street lights in order to avoid inconvenience and ensure safety and security of the general public, at the cost of Rs 68 lakh per month," he said.

The discom has written to the chief secretary of Delhi Government for an early resolution of the issue and immediate release of the payment, the spokesperson added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The trial in the case of rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir is nearing completion nearly a year after it began at a court in Punjab's Pathankot, officials said Sunday.

Defence lawyers are likely to complete their final arguments on Monday, followed by a brief concluding statement from the prosecution team led by J K Chopra, they said, adding that the verdict is expected thereafter.

The day-to-day in-camera trial began in the first week of June last year at the district and session court in Pathankot after the Supreme Court directed that the case be shifted out of Jammu and Kashmir after lawyers in Kathua had prevented crime branch officials from filing the charge sheet in the case.

A political turmoil was witnessed in the Jammu region last January after the Jammu and Kashmir Police's crime branch took over the case and arrested eight people, including a juvenile and two police officials who were accused of destruction of evidence.

The case became a bone of contention between then ruling alliance partners PDP and BJP. The BJP had to sack two of its ministers, Chowdhury Lal Singh and Chander Prakash Ganga, for participating in a rally of Hindu Ekta Manch in support of those arrested by the crime branch in the case.

The crime branch arrested village head Sanji Ram, his son Vishal, juvenile nephew and his friend Anand Dutta, and two special police officers Deepak Khajuria and Surender Verma. Head constable Tilak Raj and sub-inspector Anand Dutta, who allegedly took Rs 4 lakh from Sanji Ram and destroyed crucial evidence, were also arrested by the crime branch.

Charges of rape and murder were framed by the district and sessions judge against seven out of the eight accused. The trial against the juvenile is yet to begin as his petition regarding his age is to be heard by the Jammu and Kashmir High Court.

In its May 7 order, the apex court said "the pivotal fact around which the controversy centres, is abduction, rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl. An FIR was lodged at Hiranagar Police Station, Kathua...The investigating agency, namely, the Crime Branch, which took over the investigation on 22nd January, 2018 from the local police has already filed the charge-sheet on 9th April, 2018, in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate, Kathua in the State of Jammu and Kashmir".

However, the country's top most court did not say anything about handing over the case to the CBI and rather transferred the trial to the District and Sessions judge in Pathankot in Punjab, 30 km from Kathua.

"The learned district and sessions judge, Pathankot, shall himself take up the trial and not assign it to any additional sessions judge and shall fast-track the trial and take it up on day-to-day basis so that there is no delay in trial," the three-judge bench of the Supreme Court had said in April last year.

All the accused, barring the juvenile, have been shifted to Gurdaspur jail following an intervention by the Supreme Court which also restricted appearance of the defence lawyers and limited it to one or maximum of two per accused.

The crime branch had submitted the charge sheet in the crime on April 9 before the Kathua court.

The case hit the headlines after lawyers tried to prevent the police from filing the charge sheet.

According to the charge sheet, the eight-year-old girl, who was kidnapped on January 10 this year, was allegedly raped by in captivity in a small village temple in Kathua district after having been kept sedated for four days before she was bludgeoned to death.

The abduction, rape and killing of the child was part of a carefully planned strategy to remove the minority nomadic community from the area, the 15-page charge sheet says.

During trial, the prosecution presented opinions of doctors to suggest that an overdose of sedatives, forcibly administered to the victim before murder, could have led her into "coma" (loss of consciousness).

The crime branch of the Jammu and Kashmir Police had sent a sample of viscera to examine the effect of "mannar" candies (believed to be local cannabies) and "Epitril 0.5 mg" tablets for further opinion to a forensic laboratory.

The crime branch had decided to seek further medical opinion after it was claimed by the accused people and their lawyers in the court as well as on social media through their supporters that it was virtually impossible that the eight-year-old girl could not have cried for help when such an alleged brutal attack was happening on her.

The doctors after examining the viscera, which contains internal organs of the body, specifically those within the chest (as the heart or lungs) or abdomen (as the liver, pancreas or intestines), opined that medicine administered to the victim contains Clonazepam salt and has to be administered under medical supervision keeping in mind the age and weight of the patient.

"Considering her (victim) of 30 Kgs body weight, the therapeutic dose of 0.1 to 0.2 mgs per day divided in three dose for patient (is recommended)," it said.

"She was forcefully administered five tablets of Clonazepam 0.5 mg each on January 11, 2018 which is higher than the safe therapeutic dose. Subsequently more tablets were given...the signs and symptoms of an overdose may include drowsiness, confusion, impaired coordination, slow reflexes, slowed or stopped breathing, coma (loss of consciousness) and death," the opinion of the doctor had said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Sunday visited the Tughlakabad Assembly constituency in South Delhi where he told the residents that the work of laying pipelines in the area has been completed and water supply will start within a week.

As of now, people in the area mostly rely on tankers and illegal borewells for water.

Kejriwal Saturday kicked off a public outreach campaign, under which he will take out foot marches in all 70 Assembly constituencies in the national capital.

The residents of Tughlakabad told the chief minister that though Delhi Jal Board water tankers reach them regularly, they would like to get water directly in their taps.

Kejriwal said, "Pipelines have been laid. You will get water in your taps within a week. There's no need for water tankers now."



The area will get water from the Sonia Vihar water treatment plant.

On Saturday, Kejriwal told the residents of Deoli that they will get steady water supply through DJB pipelines in four months.

"Once the pipelines are laid, you will start getting water from Sonia Vihar... I have got to know that DJB tankers don't come here regularly and you have been buying water from private tankers," the chief minister, who is also the utility's head, had said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Terming the Trump administration's decision to end preferential treatment to India an attempt to "bully" the country, RSS-affiliate Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM) Sunday claimed that the US wants India to tweak its policies in interest of Walmart and Amazon.

The US has said it will withdraw incentives to Indian exporters provided under its Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) programme with effect from June 5.

"What the US is trying to do is bully India on certain issues where India cannot take a decision in favour of the US," SJM co-convener Ashwani Mahajan said.

US retail giant Walmart is trying to enter India in a big way after acquiring majority stake in e-commerce firm Flipkart, while another US-based e-commerce major, Amazon, has already acquired a big market in the country.

Both these multi-national companies are "apparently upset with our government's e-commerce policy", Mahajan said.

The new e-commerce regulations, which came into effect earlier this year, bar online marketplaces with foreign investments from selling products from retailers in which they hold stakes.

The regulations also prohibit the e-commerce players from entering into any exclusive agreement for the sale of a product, a decision which has not gone down well with the US-based multi-national giants.

"The US wants India to tweak its policies in interest of Walmart and Amazon, which India cannot do. This is one of the reasons why the US has withdrawn the benefits given to Indian exporters," Mahajan alleged.

The SJM has been opposing expansion of US-based e-commerce players in India as the Sangh offshoot believes it is severely impacting small shopkeepers across the country.

India exports goods worth USD 5.6 billion under the GSP, and the duty benefit is only USD 190 million annually.

As many as 1,900 Indian products from sectors such as chemicals and engineering get duty-free access to the US market under the GSP, introduced in 1976.

Talking about the economic reforms required in the second tenure of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP government, Mahajan said the first step should be to reduce the repo rate by 50 basis points.

"The RBI should reduce the repo rate by 50 basis points to provide much needed boost to the economy," he said.

The RBI's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is slated to announce its bi-monthly policy on Thursday.

The central bank cut the short-term lending rate (repo rate) by 25 basis points in each of the last two policy reviews.

The MPC headed by RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das will meet for three days beginning June 4 to firm up the second bi-monthly monetary policy.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Washington is willing to speak with Iran "with no preconditions", US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Sunday, but stressed his country would continue working to rein in Iran's "malign activity".

"We are prepared to engage in a conversation with no preconditions. We are ready to sit down with them," Pompeo told a joint conference in Switzerland with Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis, adding however that "the American effort to fundamentally reverse the malign activity of this Islamic Republic, this revolutionary force, is going to continue.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Nearly all applicants of US visas will have to provide information on their use of social media under the new rules adopted to enhance vetting of foreign nationals seeking entry into America.

The State Department adopted a new policy on Saturday under which most visa applicants, including temporary visitors, will be required to list their social media identifiers in a drop down menu along with other personal information.

Applicants will have the option to say that they do not use social media if that is the case.

If a visa applicant lies about social media use, they could face "serious immigration consequences" as a result, a US Department of State official told Hill.TV.

For now, the drop down menu only includes major social media websites, but the applicants soon will be able to list all sites that they use.

This is a critical step forward in establishing enhanced vetting of foreign nationals seeking entry into the United States," the official told Hill.TV.

"As we've seen around the world in recent years, social media can be a major forum for terrorist sentiment and activity. This will be a vital tool to screen out terrorists, public safety threats, and other dangerous individuals from gaining immigration benefits and setting foot on US soil."



The social media identifiers will be incorporated into a background check review against watchlists generated by the US government.

Applicants will also be required in the future to turn more extensive information on their travel history.

The policy stems from a March 2017 executive order issued by President Donald Trump intended to put "extreme vetting" into place.

The State Department published its intent to implement the policy in March 2018.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu Sunday welcomed the camaraderie of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana Chief Ministers Y S Jaganmohan Reddy and K Chandrasekhar Rao and expressed hope it would lead to resolution of outstanding issues between the two neighbouring states.

Chief Ministers of the two states talking to each other with open hearts and trying to find speedy resolutions to the disputes which remained contentious for the past five years



through negotiations is a move that should be welcomed.

"If they could settle things without the need for the Centres intervention, it is all the more better, the Vice-President said in a post on his official Facebook page.

Venkaiah Naidu, who hails from Andhra Pradesh, said he had expressed this desire even earlier but somehow it did work out "for whatever reason.

He said the move by Reddy and KCR, as Rao is popularly known, to address the contentious issues together was a happy thing for people of the two Telugu states.

Both the Chief Ministers discussing issues like brothers and co-operating with each otherthinking of resolving the peoples problems is desirable and joyful. I wish their efforts succeed, Venkaiah added.

The Vice-President said he wanted all Telugu people to stay united despite geographical division of the states for administration ease and faster development.

Rao had attended the swearing in of Jaganmohan Reddy as chief minister in Vijayawada on Thursday and assured his new counterpart of all cooperation, saying the two Telugu states should now shake hands and march forward instead of "brandishing swords".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Vice PresidentM Venkaiah Naidu Sunday appealed to people to study,analyse and debate the Draft New Policy and not to come to hasty conclusions.

Noting that core issues of were very important and deserve the attention of all stakeholders, he said reducing the load of school bags, promoting sports, inculcating morals, scientificand rationale temperament, history among others should become part of the curriculum.

His comments come in the backdrop of a controversy over the recommendation of a HRD ministry panel to teach Hindi in non-Hindi speaking states.

The draft of the new National Policy, proposed by the panel constituted by Prakash Javadekar when he was HRD minister in the previous Modi government, had suggested teaching of Hindi in non-Hindi speaking states.

The DMK and other parties in Tamil Nadu have strongly opposed the three language formula's continuation with add-on features proposed in the draft National Education Policy alleging it was tantamount to "thrusting" Hindi and wanted it junked.

Inaugurating a two-day conference on 'Industry Academy Interaction for Improvement of Quality of Academics' organized by the Indian Institute of Petroleum and Energy (IIPE),Naidu called forestablishing a symbiotic relationship between academia and the industry to create an ecosystem for innovation tothrive and generate employment for the youth.

For this to be achieved, he wanted the industry to play a more pro-active role and establish astrong organic link with the academic institutions.

The Vice-Presidentasked the Industry and academia to look at long-term collaborations rather than join hands for limited purposes and one-off projects to promote the culture of research in a big way in our universities and other important academic institutions.

Naidu suggested to the corporate entities to identify specific areas of interest and fund doctoraland post-doctoral research connected to them.

He also urged them to set up a special corpus or fund for financing research projects that would lead to innovations, benefit the society and economy of the country.

Pointing out that many students passing out of the portals of higher education institutions were lacking employable skills, Naidu said organisations hiring young graduates were forced to impart further on-the-job training from six months to one year.

Calling for a revamp of the education system, the Vice President said students must not only be employable but also possess life skills, language skills, technological skills andentrepreneurial skills to enable them to be gainfully employed or self-employed.

Expressing concern over instances of atrocities against women and gender discrimination,he said the education system should produce socially responsible citizens and called for bringing about a change in the mindset.

Programmes like 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padao' and Swachh Bharat should become people's movements, he added.

Observing that India was once known as 'Vishwaguru,' Naidu said the country must once again become the global hub for knowledge and innovation.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has arrested wanted criminal Chaand Babu from the domestic airport here, the special police force said Sunday.

In a statement issued here, Superintendent of Police, ATS, UP, Rajkaran Nayyar said, "On the request of the UP ATS, the Intelligence Bureau had issued a Look Out Circular (LOC) against Chand Babu. The ATS arrested him late on Saturday night from the Amausi airport."



The arrested person had got a passport by furnishing fake documents, officials said.

"Chaand Babu is a resident of Barabanki district, but he had furnished papers showing that he is a resident of Kaisarbagh in Lucknow. A case under various sections of the IPC and Passport Act was registered against him in 2009," officials said.

Look-out circulars are issued by several authorities, including the Ministry of External Affairs,Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Income Tax Department and Enforcement Directorate, to keep a watch on arrival and departure from India of both Indian and foreign nationals.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Water storage in reservoirs of most states in west and south India has dipped to less than the average of last 10 years, the Central Water Commission said, indicating a worsening water crisis in these parts of the country.

According to the commission, the water level in 91 major reservoirs in the country in the week ending May 30 was one percentage point down compared to the week before.

"The water storage available in 91 major reservoirs of the country for the week ending on May 30, 2019, was31.65 billion cubic meters, which is 20 per cent of total storage capacity of these reservoirs. This percentage was at 21 per cent for the week ending on May 23, 2019," the Central Water Commission (CWC) said.

Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu have better storage than last year while the water in storage in Karnataka is similar to what it was in the corresponding period last year.

"States having lesser storage than last year for the corresponding period are Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Tripura, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Kerala," the CWC said.

In western region, which includes Gujarat and Maharashtra, there are 27 major reservoirs with total live storage capacity of 31.26 billion cubic metres (BCM).

"The total live storage available in these (western region) reservoirs is 3.53 BCM which is 11 per cent of the total live storage capacity of these reservoirs. The storage during the corresponding period last year was 15 per cent and the average storage of the corresponding period in last 10 years was 19 per cent of its live storage capacity.

"Thus, water storage during the current year is less than the storage of last year and is also less than the average storage of last 10 years during the corresponding period," the CWC said.

In southern region, which includes Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, 31 reservoirs are under CWC monitoring with a total live storage capacity of 51.59 BCM.

The total live storage available in these reservoirs is 5.91 BCM which is 11 per cent of its total live storage capacity. The storage during the corresponding period of last year was 12 per cent and average storage of last 10 years during the same period was 15 per cent of live storage capacity of these reservoirs.

"Thus, the storage (in souther region) during the current year is less than last year and also less than the average storage of last 10 years during the corresponding period," the CWC said.

Last year, several parts of Gujarat and Maharashtra received deficient monsoon showers. The situation is particularly grim in the Marathwada region of Maharashtra where water level in reservoirs have dipped to an all-time low.

Private weather forecaster Skymet, in its region-wise prediction last month, said this year, rainfall in Vidarbha, Marathwada, west Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat will be "poorer than normal" while southern India is expected to receive below normal rainfall.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A 28-year-old Dalit man has complained that his wife was forcibly being kept under "house arrest" by her relatives for marrying a person from a lower caste.

Shaji, a native of Pattambi in Palakkad district, said he married a woman from Ezhava community in Malappuram on May 2, defying stiff opposition by her kin.

Though her relatives had registered a police complaint saying she was missing, the woman had told the law enforcers she wanted to live with her husband.

Based on her statement, police had let her go with him last month, Shaji told a television channel.

"But, soon after that, her relatives forcibly took her to her parents' house and she has been kept under house arrest there since then," he said.

He also alleged even though he had approached the police seeking release of his wife, the response was not positive.

When the issue triggered a controversy, the Kerala Women's Commission Sunday registered a case suo moto against the women's relatives.

"We have registered the case based on media reports. We will meet the woman and record her statement, only after which we will know the exact details," Commission member Shiji Sivaji told PTI.

"If the complaint is proved true, we will initiate strict legal measures against the relatives," she said.

The government also sought a report from the Palakkad Superintendent of Police regarding the incident.

A senior police official told PTI that Shaji had filed a complaint before a court in Palakkad to produce his wife.

"We have got information that the woman would be produced in court Monday. Though the police had tried to trace her, we cannot find her," he said.

Based on the man's complaint, a case had been registered against the woman's relatives under various sections of IPC and SC/ST Act, the official added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Pakistan on Sunday told the US that it will continue to play the role of a mediator for establishment of peace in war-torn Afghanistan and in the region.

Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Aftab Khokhar, during his meeting with the visiting US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad, also said,"Islamabad encourages all sides to seize the moment to end the prolonged conflict through political settlement".

Khalilzad, who is leading US President Donald Trump's push to broker a peace deal with Taliban, arrived in Pakistan on Sunday.

He is on a 17-day long peace mission during which he will visit Afghanistan, Belgium, Germany, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates in efforts to end the long-running Afghan war.

The US envoy will resume peace talks with Taliban in Doha, where the terror group has a political office. He has met with Taliban six times to broker a deal under which the US will pull out troops who were first deployed following the September 11, 2001 attacks.

Ahead of Khalilzad's two-weeks tour, the US State Department had said that he will resume talks with the group after a break of around a month to move the peace process forward.

Khalilzad, during his meeting with Khokhar, appreciated the pivotal role played by Pakistan for establishment of enduring peace in the region.

"In line with Prime Minister Imran Khan's vision, Pakistan reiterated its commitment for peace. It encouraged all sides to seize the moment to end the prolonged conflict through political settlement," Foreign Office spokesman Mohammad Faisal said.

Khokhar said, "Pakistan will continue playing its mediatory role in establishment of peace in the region, including Afghan peace process."



Khalilzad was lead a US delegation which include representatives from the Defense and the State departments, while Khokhar led the Pakistani side.

The two sides also discussed bilateral issues.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Newly-inducted Union Minister of State for Defence and North Goa MP Shripad Naik Sunday said he would initiate efforts to ensure that Goa gets to host the next edition of defence exposition.

Goa had last hosted the mega exhibition in 2016 when late Manohar Parrikar was Defence Minister.

The 2018 edition of the exposition was held in Tamil Nadu.

"The priority will be to get back Defence exposition in Goa as it contributes for employment generation," Naik said, adding that he would initiate efforts to host the next edition of Defence exposition.

He also said investment by Defence ministry in Goa would be given a priority to create employment opportunities for locals.

Responding to a query, Naik said both Pakistan and China are hostile, but the latter is less aggressive.

"The Chinese aggression is in a lesser degree. But Pakistan and other terrorist groups are being tackled by the government," he said.

Naik said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had prioritised curbing of "rising terrorism and infiltration".

"Government has started a strategy to tackle infiltration, especially in regions like Kashmir. Government wants infiltration to stop and (wants to) eliminate divisive forces," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A woman was "wrongly" diagnosed with cancer and subjected to chemotherapy at a Government Medical College Hospital here, following which a probe has been ordered by the Kerala government.

Kerala Health Minister K K Shailaja has ordered an inquiry into the allegations that the middle aged woman was subjected to chemotherapy treatment at the hospital on the basis of a report from a private lab where her sample was tested, officials said Sunday.

According to the woman from Mavelikkara, she had undergone treatment at the General surgery department of the hospital on February 28 for a lump on her breast.

Her samples were taken and sent for testing at the hospital laboratory as well as a private lab.

Chemotherapy was started immediately after the doctors at the Oncology department of the hospital received the report from the private lab, which said she had been diagnosed with cancer.

However, the report from the hospital lab came two weeks later and it said it was not cancerous.

Chemotherapy was immediately stopped and the Oncology department referred her back to the General Surgery department where the lump on her breast was removed performing a surgery.

The samples tested at the private lab were again tested at the hospital lab as well as a lab at the Thiruvananthapuram Regional Cancer Centre (RCC).

The reports from both the labs confirmed that it was not cancerous.

Subsequently, the woman complained to the Health Minister about the the incident and the health issues including serious side-effects she has been facing after the wrong treatment at the hospital.

The Minister has ordered the Principal of the Government Medical College to probe into the case and submit a report.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Himachal Pradesh Health and Family Welfare Minister Vipin Singh Parmar Sunday said the hill-state had an "immense wealth of medicinal herbs" and was working towards strengthening Ayurveda.

The minister was speaking at the free multi-purpose medical camps and exhibition of herbs organised by the Ayurveda Department on the occasion of Shahid Jagdish Singh Rana's martyrdom day at Jandrah near here.

Rana had died in a Naxalite attack in Bihar's Patna in 1999. Parmar announced that a free health check-up camp will be organised every year on June 2.

He also said that the Shaheed Jagdish Singh Rana Ayurvedic Health Centre in Jandarah will be upgraded to a 10-bedded Ayurvedic hospital, in which special facilities of Panchkarma and Marma medicine will be provided.

"Himachal has immense wealth of medicinal herbs and plants and the government is working to ensure its proper use," Parmar said, stressing that the state government is trying to strengthen Ayurveda, the ancient Indian system of medicine.

"I have already instructed the forest and Ayurveda department to form a joint project for the protection and promotion of these plants. Soon, a centre for the collection of herbs will be set up in Jandarah," he added.

The minister further said, "We should learn discipline, dedication and commitment from the brave soldiers of the Indian Army. They are safeguarding the country in difficult circumstances even in remote areas.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)State-owned lender Oriental Bank of Commerce (OBC) on Saturday said it plans to raise an estimated Rs 3,000 crore through the sale of equity shares to qualified institutional investors. The board of directors of the bank, at its meeting on June 1, approved the proposal to raise capital from the market through Qualified Institutional Placement (QIP) or such other mode.

"The board of directors in the meeting has approved the plan for raising capital for an amount upto Rs 3000 crore by way of issue of equity shares in the form of Qualified Institutional Placement (QIP) or such other mode," OBC said in a filing to the Bombay Stock Exchange.

The timing of the issue would be decided by the board in due course depending upon market conditions, it said.

The board of OBC also approved the appointment of Ashwani Kumar as chief financial officer of the bank with effect from June 1, 2019.

"Ashwani Kumar has been designated as the Chief Financial Officer of the Bank with effective from June 1, 2019 in place of Mahesh Dhawan pursuant to the approval of the audit committee of board in its meeting held on June 1, 2019," OBC said in the exchange filing.

Ashwani Kumar, General Manager, is a Chartered Accountant and possesses vast experience in banking and finance, the bank said.

Edited by Chitranjan Kumar

Also Read: Slowdown blues: Tata Motors domestic sales drop 26% to 40,155 units in May; weak market sentiment weighs

Also Read: M&M sales down 3% at Rs 45,421 units in May, exports decline 22%A tweet by an IAS officer in Maharashtra has sparked row, with both opposition parties in the state, Congress and NCP (National Congress Party), demanding strong action against the woman officer. Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation Deputy Commissioner Nidhi Choudhari, in a tweet she has deleted now, said that all statues of the father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi, should be razed and that the government should also remove his images from the currency notes. The officer also thanked Nathuram Godse, who assassinated Gandhi in 1948.

NCP leader Sharad Pawar has written to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, demanding "exemplary action" against Choudhary.

NCP leader Jitendra Awhad said the government should suspend Choudhari for posting the "derogatory" tweet and "glorifying" Godse. "She glorified Godse by posting a derogatory tweet about Gandhiji. This shouldn't be tolerated," he said.

"The tweet is condemnable. It only shows her low thinking. The need of the hour is to stop such a thought," Maharashtra Congress President Ashok Chavan said, adding that the state government should make its stand clear on the issue, which would be seen into what action it takes against the officer.

He said that the government should tell the people of the country whether it was with Gandhi's ideology or that of Godse. Meanwhile, the officer said it was just a "sarcastic" tweet, which was "misinterpreted".

"I don't think I did anything wrong or any of my tweets until date are wrong. Check my earlier tweets also. It's my personal handle and I can manage trolls head-on. I am sad coz (cause) they took it absolutely opposite to what it meant 2019 must be a celebration of Gandhi in true sense," she tweeted.

The Godse controversy had erupted after BJP leader Pragya Thakur, during her election campaigning, had said Nathuram Godse was a "deshbhakt and will remain a deshbhakt". The BJP had asked her to apologise after her remarks left the party embarrassed.

Edited by Manoj SharmaIn good news to thousands of Jet Airways employees left jobless after the airline shut down its operations in April, rival airlines like SpiceJet and IndiGo are looking to hire eligible candidates for several roles, including pilots, managers, cabin crews among others. SpiceJet alone has decided to hire over 2,000 Jet employees. These employees include pilots, cabin crew and those from airport services and security. The no-frills carrier, as part its expansion programme, has also bought around 22 Jet Airways planes so far.

As per SpiceJet CEO and MD Ajay Singh, the company had recently hired many well-qualified ad professionals. "We will continue to take more Jet staff in the times to come," he told PTI in an interview, adding the company had hired around 1,100 professionals and planned to appoint 900 more. The crisis in Jet Airways has left space for rival airlines like SpiceJet and IndiGo to grab the opportunity. SpiceJet is the third airline -- excluding now-defunct Jet -- to have a fleet of over 100 aircraft after Air India and IndiGo.

In a recent notification, the airline has also invited applications for ground staff (airport services and aviation security). The minimum qualification for the post is a graduation, and the applicant's age should be between 18 and 27 years. As per the eligibility criteria, both experienced and freshers can apply for these posts. Those interested in ground staff job can walk into Indian Aviation Academy (NIAMAR Society) in New Delhi on June 4. Here's more information related to these vacancies in SpiceJet.

Give wings to your imagination. #SpiceJet is hiring female & male Ground Staff for Airport Services and Aviation Security positions. Walk in to Indian Aviation Academy (NIAMAR Society), Behind ISIC, Nangal Devat Road, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi on 4th June, 2019. #Aviation #crewlife pic.twitter.com/xM98OXxp4i - SpiceJet (@flyspicejet) June 1, 2019

Budget carrier IndiGo is also offering jobs to pilots of Jet Airways along with compensation for overdue salaries from the cash-strapped full-service airline. The airline, which is the biggest one in terms of market share in India, is also planning to fill several vacancies, including managers (network planning), senior first officer, engineers, junior technicians, lead cabinet crew, and cabin crew. To know more about these vacancies, log on to the official website of IndiGo (goindigo.in). Go to 'careers' option on the website and click on the link mentioning a particular vacancy to check the required experience, education qualification, etc.

Crisis-hit Jet Airways has not paid salaries to its pilots, engineers and other senior management for more than five months now.

Besides, soon after Jet Airways shut down its operations, Air India had hired around 150 cabin crew staff of Jet Airways for its international routes on Boeing 777 and Boeing 787 aircraft. Premium carrier Vistara is also planning to hire around 500--100 pilots and 400 cabin crew -- mostly from the grounded Jet Airways. Air India Express has also inducted around 25 commanders from the grounded airline's and plans to induct 20-25 more pilots. Its parent Air India has been discussing an internal proposal to lease five of the 10 Boeing 777s of Jet to expand its international footprint.

Edited by Manoj Sharma

5 key factors that will affect Indian equity markets this week

PepsiCo to invest $70 million to set up food manufacturing plant in Uttar Pradesh

Applying for US visa? Now you need to furnish 5-year social media detailsA technical glitch forced budget carrier GoAir to divert its city-bound flight from Patna to Aurangabad, where it made an emergency landing. Theflight G8-586 had 158 people on board including the crew, GoAir said in a statement.

"GoAir flight G8-586 from Patna to Mumbai made an emergency landing at Aurangabad airport due to technical glitch," the airline said in the statement. All the 158 passengers on board, including crew, landed safely and will be accommodated on an alternate flight to their destination, it added.

5 key factors that will affect Indian equity markets this week

PepsiCo to invest $70 million to set up food manufacturing plant in Uttar Pradesh

Applying for US visa? Now you need to furnish 5-year social media detailsPakistan said on Sunday that there was no official communication with India about the opening of the airspace and Islamabad will wait for New Delhi's decision to lift the air restriction on its flights before taking a final call on lifting its airspace ban.

Pakistan has already indicated that it may lift the airspace ban along its eastern border with India, imposed on February 27 after the Balakot airstrike, to reciprocate India's decision to remove all restrictions on all air routes in the Indian airspace.

"We have already opened this point, Telem (near Ahmedabad), about two months ago, for India. It was India that has to open it now, enabling the flights to use this airspace," the Pakistani government official told PTI.

He said since there is no official communication between the two countries in this respect taken place yet "we will see what Notam (notice to airmen) it (India) issues today."

When asked about the opening of other around 10 routes (points), the official said: "Once the Indian government lifts the air restriction on Pakistani flights on these routes, Pakistan will certainly follow suit."

It is expected that these points will gradually be opened this month.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) Friday said that temporary restrictions on all air routes in the Indian airspace, imposed by it on February 27, have been removed.

The IAF said it had removed restrictions that were imposed on all routes a day after its 12 Mirage 2000s crossed over to Pakistan and conducted air strikes in Balakot. Pakistan fully closed its airspace on February 27.

On March 27, Pakistan opened its airspace for all flights except for New Delhi, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur. On May 30, Pakistan extended its airspace ban for flights to India till June 15.

As a result of the ban, foreign carriers using Indian airspace have been forced to take costly detours because they cannot fly over Pakistan. The closure mainly affects flights from Europe to Southeast Asia. The flights from Europe and the US flying in and out of New Delhi have been the worst hit.

Since Pakistan's airspace closure, the airfare on many routes has gone up significantly, including Delhi-Kabul, Delhi-Moscow, Delhi-Tehran and Delhi-Astana.

Two Indian airline companies, Air India and SpiceJet, have already stopped their Delhi-Kabul flights due to Pakistan airspace closure.

Pakistan had given special permission to India for then External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to fly directly through Pakistani airspace to attend the SCO meet in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on May 21. However, the airspace for other commercial airliners remains closed.

Also Read: 5 key factors that will affect Indian equity markets this week

Also Read: PepsiCo to invest $70 million to set up food manufacturing plant in Uttar PradeshWith an aim to check frivolous appeals against its orders with the sole aim of delaying their execution, capital market regulator SEBI is seeking a mandatory deposit of 10 per cent of the penalty amount before filing of any appeal before the appellate tribunal.

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has sought an amendment to the Sebi Act to provide for a "pre-deposit" by any entity seeking to challenge its order relating to a monetary penalty or orders relating to refund, recovery, disgorgement and compounding, officials said.

The regulator is of the view that many times provision to file an appeal before the Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT) is used as a device to delay the execution of the SEBI order.

"To curb such a practice, a new provision of pre-deposit needs to be inserted in the section of the SEBI Act that allows filing of appeal before the SAT against orders involving quantifiable money as a penalty, refund, recovery, disgorgement or impounding," an official said.

SEBI feels that such measures would help avoid frivolous appeals and expedite disposal of the statutory appeals, the official said, while pointing out that similar provisions are there in other legislation like the Central Excise Act, the Income Tax Act, the Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Securities Interest Act.

The Finance Ministry is also in agreement with the proposal, which has been approved by the SEBI's board, the officials said.

According to the new proposal, no appeal should be admitted against an order of Sebi relating to any monetary penalty, refunds, recovery, disgorgement or impounding, unless the appellant deposits with the SAT at least 10 per cent of the corresponding amount at the time of filing the appeal.

The proposal also seeks to provide that in any particular case where the SAT is of the opinion that a pre-deposit would cause hardship to the appellant, the tribunal can dispense with or reduce such a deposit, subject to necessary conditions that can be imposed to safeguard the interest of the investors.

According to the latest data, as many as 340 appeals were filed against Sebi orders before the SAT during 2017-18. During the year, a total of 306 appeals were dismissed in favour of Sebi, while 17 were allowed or ruled against the regulator.

There were 223 appeals pending with the SAT as on March 31, 2018.

Against the SAT's orders, Sebi filed 13 appeals before the Supreme Court during 2017-18, while 42 appeals were filed by other parties before the apex court.

Also Read: 5 key factors that will affect Indian equity markets this week

Also Read: PepsiCo to invest $70 million to set up food manufacturing plant in Uttar PradeshJune 2, 2019 - Ottawa, Ontario - Global Affairs Canada

The Honourable Chrystia Freeland, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today issued the following statement:

As Venezuela slides deeper into dictatorship, and as Venezuelans continue to suffer at the hands of the illegitimate Maduro regime, the regime has taken steps to limit the ability of foreign embassies to function in Venezuela, particularly those advocating for the restoration of democracy in Venezuela.

Unfortunately, at the end of this month, Canadian diplomats in Venezuela will no longer be in a position to obtain diplomatic accreditation under the Maduro regime, and their visas will expire. Therefore, we are left with no choice but to temporarily suspend our operations at the Embassy of Canada to Venezuela, effective immediately.

We are also evaluating the status of Venezuelan diplomats appointed by the Maduro regime to Canada.

Notwithstanding this temporary suspension, Canada, together with its partners in the Lima Group and the international community, will continue to stand up for the rights of the Venezuelan people and for a full return to democracy in Venezuela.

Canada continues to provide consular assistance to Canadians in Venezuela through the Embassy of Canada to Colombia, in Bogota. For several months, we have advised Canadians to avoid all travel to Venezuela.

Canadians in need of consular assistance in Venezuela should send an email to sos@international.gc.ca or contact the Embassy of Canada to Colombia, in Bogota, at +57 (1) 657-9800. Canadians can also contact Global Affairs Canadas 24/7 Emergency Watch and Response Centre in Ottawa by calling collect +1 613 996 8885. For Travel Advice and Advisories for Venezuela, visit travel.gc.ca.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.A crowd of several hundred attendees mostly filled up the the lower level of First-Cententary United Methodist Churchs nave Saturday afternoon to pay tribute to noted Christian author Rachel Held Evans of Dayton, Tenn.

Not previously announced publicly, the main sermon during the 90-minute service was delivered by the Rev. Nadia Bolz-Weber, the best-selling Christian author and noted speaker, who gained national attention as the former pastor of the well-known church, the House for all Sinners and Saints, in Denver.

The Colorado church has garnered attention for uniquely reaching out to everyone from the LGBT community, to those battling drug addiction and depression.

During the sermon, Ms. Bolz-Weber, a self-proclaimed recovering drug abuser known for wearing tattoos, related while wearing blue jeans under her robe the story from the Gospel of John of Jesus appearing shortly after the Resurrection. She compared this story of Mary Magdaline meeting Jesus in the darkness to the life of Ms. Evans. Bolz-Weber, a self-proclaimed recovering drug abuser known for wearing tattoos, related while wearing blue jeans under her robe the story from the Gospel of John of Jesus appearing shortly after the Resurrection. She compared this story of Mary Magdaline meeting Jesus in the darkness to the life of Ms. Evans.

Mrs. Evans, who had made the New York Times bestseller list for A Year of Biblical Womanhood, had grown up in Dayton and graduated from Bryan College, but she later broke from some of the fundamentalist Christian views she had been raised on and became supportive of the LGBT community.

She died at the age of 37 on May 4 after a severe reaction to medication while being treated for a flu-like illness.

Offering eulogies during the service were her former youth pastor, the Rev. Brian Ward, and her younger sister, Amanda Held Opelt of North Carolina, who also sang a song in tribute to her while playing her acoustic guitar.

Other musicians performing during the Requiem Eucharist service were Audrey Assad and Solveig Leithaug. Jeff Chu gave the prayers of the people, and several scriptural readings were done.

Also officiating the service along with the Rev. Bolz-Weber was the Rev. Winnie Varghese, who is a priest and staff member at the well-known Trinity Wall Street Episcopal Church in Manhattan. Rev. Varghese was the celebrant for Holy Eucharist.

Rev. Bolz-Weber is an Evangelical Lutheran Church in America pastor.

Mrs. Evans was not connected to First-Centenary UMC, but her family chose it to have a larger and suitable venue for her funeral. A number of First-Centenary members served as greeters and communion ushers, and associate minister the Rev. Will Lauderback welcomed funeral attendees at the start.Its almost summer, and you know what that means: Its time for Netflix to release some new romantic comedies. Naturally, the streaming service does this year round, but it seems to put out some of the best in the warmer months. For instance, fresh arrival Always Be My Maybe. This is what you need to know about this film, and how the story came to be.



Heres what the movie is about



If you havent seen a trailer, fear not: Here it is. The film stars Ali Wong (Netflix comedy specials Baby Cobra and Hard Knock Wife) and Randall Park (Fresh Off the Boat) as Sasha Tran and Marcus Kim, childhood best friends who reconnect after the former, a celebrity chef, moves back to San Francisco to open a new restaurant.



The title, which naturally is derived from the Mariah Carey hit Always Be My Maybe strikes a chord with its Gen-X/Millennial audience. So does the cast, which also includes Daniel Dae Kim (Lost), Karan Soni (Deadpool), and John Wick star Keanu Reeves as a heightened version of himself. But theres even more that makes this film special.



This isnt Park and Wongs first time working together



The stars of the film have never played love interests on screen before, but they have worked together. Both attended UCLA (though years apart), and when Wong came along, she joined a group that Park started: LCC Theatre Company. They met through others who were a part of it and became fast friends.



More recently, Park and Wong have worked together in a different dynamic. For the first few seasons of Fresh Off the Boat, Wong was a writer for the show. Park portrays Louis Hang, the patriarch of the family at the center of the story.



Was Always Be My Maybe based on a true story?



The film, which was co-written by Wong, Park, and Michael Golamco, isnt exactly autobiographical for the stars, who have, by Parks own admission, Always [just] good friends. But many elements from their friendship and other parts of their own lives made their way into the story in a way that Park calls organic.



Wong talks about how Park would visit her when she moved to New York, which happens in the film. Park was, like Marcus, really in a band at one point, and Wong went to his shows. And just in general, Wongs childhood experiences growing up in San Francisco were incorporated.



Youve never seen someone like Jenny, [Marcus] girlfriend [in the movie], who has the dreadlocks, on camera, said Wong. And thats someone Ive been dying to put on camera for the longest timecause I grew up in the Bay Area. I know, like, ten Jennys who are so out there. But theyre real people to me.

Could there be a sequel?



Randall Park and Ali Wong attend the world premiere of Netflixs Always Be My Maybe at Regency Village Theatre on May 22, 2019. | Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for Netflix

As we know, Netflix is keen to create franchises where it can, now that its losing shows like Jessica Jones and the other Marvel series, as well as numerous other properties. The streaming service capitalized on the success of last summers rom-com hit To All the Boys Ive Loved Before by commissioning a sequel. So could it do the same for this movie? Its hard to say, but Wong and Park are at the helm again, we bet Netflix is interested.



Check out Showbiz Cheat Sheet on Facebook!

MTVs 16 & Pregnant and Teen Mom television series have documented the last ten years of Amber Portwoods life. She had one of the most significant transformations from any of the Teen Mom girls as she made it through a drug addiction, jail stint, and a couple of bad relationships. However, Amber seems happier than ever in her new relationship with boyfriend and father of her son, Andrew Glennon. Does Amber Portwood want to have another baby?



Amber Portwood | Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images

Amber Portwood on MTVs 16 & Pregnant and Teen Mom



Amber rose to fame after she starred in the first season and third episode of MTVs 16 & Pregnant at 18-years-old. The show chronicled the lives of teenage girls who got pregnant in high school. MTV then released a spin-off series, Teen Mom, where Amber continued documenting her life for MTV cameras alongside Farrah Abraham, Maci Bookout, and Caitlyn Lowell. After releasing several other Teen Mom spinoffs, MTV renamed the show to Teen Mom OG.



TONIGHT: Amber gets emotional when Leah can only make one Christmas ornament and brings it to Gary's house. pic.twitter.com/5XyTOxm27q  #TeenMom2 (@TeenMom) May 7, 2017

At 18-years-old Amber welcomed her daughter, Leah Leann Shirley, into the world with then-boyfriend, Gary Shirley. Much of Ambers story documented on Teen Mom OG revolves around her failed engagement with Gary, shady ex-boyfriend Matt Baier, and her new relationship with Andrew Glennon.



Amber Portwoods history of tumultous relationships



Gary proposed to Amber on television a couple of times, but the relationship never worked out. In one of Teen Moms craziest moments, an episode aired showing Amber attacking Gary, and Gary not defending himself.

Because their child, Leah, was present in the room, police investigated, and MTV had to surrender the unedited footage. Indiana officials charged Amber with a misdemeanor and two felonies, and CPS awarded Gary full custody of their daughter.



Matt and Amber began talking on Twitter in 2014, and he moved from Las Vegas to Indiana to live with her. The following year, they were already engaged. In one Teen Mom episode, Gary exposed Matt for having several children, which he did not let Amber know about or pay child support. Amber continued to stay with Matt and believed him. However, she eventually had him take a polygraph test over cheating allegations.

Catelynn Lowell is setting the record straight on the drug drama involving Amber Portwood's fiance, Matt Baier: https://t.co/DuOfK17D8v pic.twitter.com/e7b9eDtHM8  E! News (@enews) July 11, 2017

The test revealed Matt did attempt to hook up with another girl. Amber freaked out, and security guards had to hold her back, but she still stuck by him. She chose to finally break it off when she found out that Matt offered castmate Caitlyn Lowell a Xanax.

He did not have a prescription for the pill, and it upset Amber because they both struggled with a drug-addicted past. They also appeared on Marriage Boot Camp where they tried to fix their relationship, but they called it off during the show.



Does Amber Portwood want another baby with Andrew Glennon?



Amber and Andrew met on the set of Marriage Boot Camp, where Andrew worked as a crew member, and they started dating in 2017. Shortly after they started their romance, while on vacation, Amber found out she was pregnant with her second child. She gave birth to James Andrew Glennon in May 2018.



Teen Mom's Amber Portwood and her boyfriend Andrew Glennon have welcomed their baby boy James into the world! https://t.co/PfJdVFo3Lz pic.twitter.com/tz3tmbItfs  E! News (@enews) May 8, 2018

Amber is in the best place she has ever been, and she credits that to Andrew and James. When talking to UsWeekly, Amber called Andrew her soulmate and said she might have another kid with him. Although they are not engaged yet, Amber is happy with her life and believes there is no one else she could even mesh with after him.

Watch the Teen Mom OG Season 8 premiere Monday, June 10th, at 10 P.M. EST on MTV!Queen Elizabeth has been on the throne for an incredible 67 years, making her the longest-reigning monarch in British history. As we get closer to the end of her reign, many people are wondering about the line of succession, and rumors have swirled that the Queen prefers her grandson, Prince William, over her son, Prince Charles to succeed her on the throne. Does Queen Elizabeth have the power to skip over Prince Charles and make Prince William the next British monarch?

Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge | Photo by Dominic Lipinski-WPA Pool/Getty Images

An act of Parliament

While polling suggests that Prince William is more popular than his dad with citizens of the Commonwealth, the line of succession is a matter of British law and not a popularity contest.

According to International Business Times, history teacher Chris Smith says that Queen Elizabeth does not have the power to choose her successor. Instead, it takes an act of parliament from numerous countries.

The succession is determined by parliament  and not just the British parliament but that of the other realms as well, such as Australia and Canada, says Smith.

Despite the rumors that the Queen prefers Prince William to succeed her over Prince Charles, this does not line up with what she has said publicly. While speaking to the Commonwealth Heads of Government last year, Queen Elizabeth urged them to select Prince Charles as their next leader, which is not automatically given to the British monarch.

It is my sincere wish that the Commonwealth will continue to offer stability and continuity for future generations, and will decide that one day the Prince of Wales should carry on the important work started by my father in 1949, said the Queen.

Prince Charles has been preparing to be King his entire life

Queen Elizabeth became the monarch in 1952 at the age of 25 when her father, King George VI passed away. At the time, Prince Charles was just three years old. His mother granted him the title of Prince of Wales in 1958  the title commonly given to the heir apparent  but his investiture didnt take place until 1969.

In 2017, Charles officially became the longest-serving Prince of Wales. And, when he does become King, he will be the oldest person ever to take the British throne. Prince Charles is currently 70 years old, and the current record holder is William IV, who was 64 years old when he was crowned King in 1830.

Prince William had no idea he would become King until he went to school

The late Princess Diana wanted her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, to have as normal of a childhood as they could possibly have, and she protected their innocence as long as she could by not telling them about their future roles in the royal family.

But when William started school, he started noticing that people were treating him differently.

In Andrew Mortons book, William and Catherine: Their Lives, Their Wedding, he writes: Before William attended school, he genuinely had no idea that he was any different from anyone else. His innocence of his position was soon ended by fellow pupils, who left him in no doubt who he was.

Morton also recalled the time a fellow student asked Prince William if he knew Queen Elizabeth, to which the young royal replied, Dont you mean Granny?

The author also claims in the book that William wanted to be a police officer when he grew up so he could look after his mother, but Harry told him that wasnt possible because he had to be King.

Prince Harry offered to take the job

According to Jeremy Paxmans documentary Paxman on the Queens Children, William would often say when he was younger that he didnt want to be King, so Harry offered to take the job.

Prince Charles explained during a 1969 radio interview that he didnt wake up one day and say Yippee! about the idea of becoming King after Queen Elizabeth.

Instead, he says it just slowly dawns on you that people are interested in you and your life, and then you eventually come to understand that you have a certain duty and responsibility.

What a cute future King!https://t.co/56izW1YQOC  dpbrown1953 (@dpbrown1953) June 2, 2019

As for Prince George, Prince William and Kate Middleton have chosen to keep his future a secret from him for now.

Therell be a time and a place to bring George up and understand how he fits in, in the world. But right now its just a case of keeping a secure, stable environment around him and showing as much love as I can as a father, said Prince William.

Queen Elizabeth has not commented on the rumors about the monarchy.President Donald Trump is set to visit England for a three-day state visit and, ahead of the trip, some unsavory comments he made about Kate Middleton in the past are getting attention again. The tweets, posted in 2012, could make for an awkward moment with Middleton, should she meet with the president.

President Donald Trump | Kiyoshi Ota  Pool/Getty Images

Trumps Twitter posts about Kate Middleton resurface

Back in 2012, while Prince William and Kate Middleton were on a holiday in the south of France, the paparazzi snagged photos of Middleton sunbathing topless. The French tabloid Closer published the images, with the palace suing the tabloid.

Among the many people who shared their opinions over the images was Donald Trump, who took to Twitter to slam Middleton and side with the paparazzi and tabloid.

He tweeted at the time: Kate Middleton is great - but she shouldnt be sunbathing in the nude  only herself to blame.

He followed it with another tweet, noting: Who wouldnt take Kates picture and make lots of money if she does the nude sunbathing thing. Come on Kate!

It took five years following the lawsuit for a verdict, with a judge ordering that the magazine pay the couple 100k in damages.

Kate Middleton is greatbut she shouldn't be sunbathing in the nudeonly herself to blame.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 17, 2012

Trumps comments about Princess Diana surface again

In addition to his comments about Middleton, a 1997 interview with Howard Stern has also resurfaced, in which Trump says he could have nailed Princess Diana.

Stern asked: Why do people think its egotistical of you to say you couldve gotten Lady Di? You couldve gotten her, right? You couldve nailed her.

Trump responded: I think I could have, adding, She was actually really beautiful. I thought she was supermodel beautiful.

He added, She had times when she didnt look great and she had times when she looked better than anyone in the world. But she had the height, she had magnificent skin, she was a great beauty.

Broadcaster Selina Scott, a friend of Dianas, said that Trump gave Diana the creeps and she felt like he was stalking her.

Scott noted in the Sunday Times in 2015: He bombarded Diana at Kensington Palace with massive bouquets, each worth hundreds of pounds.. They were accompanied by handwritten notes expressing sympathy, his great regard for her and the suggestion that they get together.

She added: 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 noted that Diana once said of Trump, What am I going to do? He gives me the creeps.

Fake News CNN is at it again, falsely claiming President Trump called Meghan Markle "nasty." Here is what he actually said. Listen for yourself! pic.twitter.com/kLuPXBLMhf  Official Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) June 1, 2019

Trump called Meghan Markle nasty

Of course, Trumps most recent comments about a member of the royal family are rubbing many the wrong way, as he called Meghan Markle nasty for comments she made about him during his presidential run.

He responded, I didnt know that, no. So what can I say? No, I didnt know that she was nasty.

Today, he took to Twitter to say the reporting was fake news, tweeting: I never called Meghan Markle nasty. Made up by the Fake News Media, and they got caught cold! Will @CNN, @nytimes and others apologize? Doubt it!With the Elton John biopic Rocketman potentially an Oscar contender next year, its worth taking a bit of time to look back at Johns other life moments not covered in the film. One of those was his strong association with the Windsors, especially Princess Diana.

Elton John | Leon Neal/AFP/Getty Images

Many will say singing a new version of Candle in the Wind at Dianas funeral in 1997 will be inexorably linked to John. However, the story of how he met her and their relationship isnt really remembered enough in vivid detail.

Lets take a moment to look back to how Elton and Diana met, not long after the latter married Prince Charles.

The beginnings of Diana and Johns close royal friendship

Elton John scored a #1 when he rededicated "Candle in the Wind" to Princess Diana in 1997. So few remember his '85 re-release "B-B-B-Bernie and the Goetz" pic.twitter.com/OMBKwCVTqx  Jordan Hoffman (@jhoffman) May 31, 2019

You have to go back to 1981 to see how Elton John and Diana first met. Johns story with the royals goes back a number of years earlier, though. Did you know the royal family were already fans of Johns music in the 1970s?

He attended events with both the queen and Princess Margaret. There was even one surreal story John recounts about dancing with the queen to Rock Around the Clock. This particular event happened to be the first night he met Diana.

Prince Andrew was just turning 21, and the royals hired John to perform a set there. When John arrived early, he only encountered the band and Diana. They bonded immediately by dancing to the Charleston all by themselves on the dance floor.

Stories like this would have been great to dramatize in Rocketman, but you cant have everything.

The royal friendships continued beyond Diana

Sting, Princess Diana and Elton John at Gianni Versaces funeral pic.twitter.com/j0OmAvJKDp  the catcher in the rye (@jungenautor) May 25, 2019

We all know how much the world mourned when Diana died, including Elton John. One key moment in their relationship many forget is that they had a brief falling out due to a book John had published with Gianni Versace. Pictures of the royals were in the book next to pics of nude models, something Diana became concerned over.

Some might think they shouldnt have severed any friendship over a book not intended as a royal hit piece. Diana was still apparently concerned the book would ruffle the queens fascinator feathers.

Later, Diana and Elton reconciled at the funeral of Versace. No doubt you remember the famous photo of Diana embracing John while they sat together at the Versace funeral service. Little did the world know Diana would die in a car accident just weeks later.

After John performed at Dianas funeral for billions watching around the world, his friendship with the royals extended into performing at numerous other royal events.

Becoming close friends with Harry

"Nobody needs to die of AIDS anymore," Elton John says.



He took to the stage with Prince Harry at a conference in Amsterdam and launched a $1.2B partnership called the MenStar Coalition that will work to boost HIV diagnosis and treatment among young men. https://t.co/gnc4ckcbR7 pic.twitter.com/y5nZ6uzYOo  CNN (@CNN) July 25, 2018

A friendship with Diana back then usually meant friending Harry and William as well. Elton John ultimately developed a closer friendship with Harry. Theyve worked together on AIDS causes, then John performed at the Harry-Meghan wedding last year.

Their charity work together is part of the anchor of keeping Dianas memory alive, which also included performing at a concert noting the 20th anniversary of her passing.

Perhaps its one reason Harry and Meghan wouldnt mind spending more time in America since Elton John lives here most of the time. John has owned a condo in Buckhead within Atlanta, Georgia since the 1990s.

Elton John is still relatively close to the queen

Jump back to 2012, and you likely remember seeing Elton John performing for the queens diamond jubilee. He was also knighted by her in 1998.

Arguably, Elton John is one of the few people in the world able to interact with the queen on a more personal level without staid protocol. How many people outside the royal circles can say they danced with her to a classic rock song in the early 80s?

They likely wouldnt do that now, even if it would make a perfect photo finish to two fascinating British lives.Plenty of co-stars do press together. While most tend to get along, there is sometimes a stiffness there if they arent close who havent spent much time together. This definitely isnt the case for Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler, two of the most popular actors of the last two decades. Right now, theyre promoting their new movie. Heres what you need to know about how they met and what projects theyve worked on together.



This is how they met



Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston | Franziska Krug/Getty Images

These two have known each other for a very long time. Speaking on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Aniston reveals that they first met at Jerrys Deli, a famous Los Angeles establishment, in the 1990s. She doesnt reveal exactly what year, but agrees when Kimmel declares, You were friends before Friends.



The circumstances of their meeting were also unconfirmed, but according to Sandler, they had breakfast, and Aniston was dating one of his friends. He didnt say who, but he did mention that his frequent collaborator, Allen Covert, was there.



Theyre still very close friends



Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler attend the Jennifer Aniston Hollywood Walk Of Fame Induction Ceremony on February 22, 2012. | Steve Granitz/WireImage

Despite how many years have passed, Aniston and Sandler have stayed close. Sandler confirms that they know one anothers families (Sandler is married with two children), and Aniston says, We must have been real family in another life. Sandler even spoke at Anistons Hollywood Walk of Fame Star Ceremony in 2012.



Clearly, they really do care about one another, in addition to having great chemistry as co-stars. Aniston and Sandler riffed off of each other, joking about partying, endorsement deals, and much more. And Sandler said that his daughters, Sadie and Sunny, would spend time hanging out with Aniston while filming their latest flick in Italy.



What movies have they been in together?



Aniston and Sandler have been in two movies together. The first was 2011s Just Go With It. Sandler plays a man who has been jaded by heartbreak, and now conducts schemes to get women to sleep with him. His best friend, Katherine (Aniston), agrees to help him out with one of them. They end up falling for one another.



Now, the two are playing an average couple who end up in a difficult situation. In Murder Mystery, which is part of Sandlers major deal with Netflix, the Spitzs go to Italy and find themselves on a yacht. They then become suspects after the owner is murdered.



Who is Aniston dating?



While her co-star has been happily married since 2003, romantic life has always been a huge topic of discussion in the tabloids. She has been in two high-profile marriages: With Brad Pitt from 2000-2005 and Justin Theroux from 2015-2017.



As far as the media concerned, Aniston isnt dating anyone right now. In addition to her ex-husbands, she has dated celebrities such as Vince Vaughn, John Mayer, and Gerard Butler. Aniston does, however, have a tight group of friends, including Courteney Cox and Kimmels wife, Molly McNearney, who she considers part of a soul cluster. It seems like shes doing just fine without a beau right now.



Check out Showbiz Cheat Sheet on Facebook!

Prince William and Kate Middleton dated for nearly a decade before they tied the knot in 2011, but the relationship was not always smooth sailing. The couple broke up two different times before their engagement, and after the second split, Middletons friends were thrilled.

Prince William and Kate Middleton | Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images

Prince William and Kate Middleton split for the first time in 2004

The couple started dating in the spring of 2002 after she caught his eye by modeling a see-through dress during a charity fashion show. William and Kate were already friends, but it wasnt until this moment that William realized Kate was something special.

They managed to keep their relationship private for a year-and-a-half before the media caught on. But, the young couple were just not ready to take things to the next level, and by the summer of 2004 William wanted some space, and they agreed it was time for a trial separation, says royal expert Katie Nicholl.

I went to the school and put it to William, particularly, that if you find someone you love in life, you must hang onto it, and look after it, and if you were lucky enough to find someone who loved you, then you must protect it. ~ Diana, Princess of Wales  #KateMiddleton pic.twitter.com/HGqIe5sNeB  katecambridge24 (@JulsP24) May 29, 2019

The separation only lasted six months, and by Christmas of that year, they were back together.

Thank goodness thats over!

By April 2007, the couple had hit another rough patch in their relationship, and they broke up for a second time, with Clarence House unofficially announcing that the romance had come to an end after five years.

According to The Express, royal biographer Andrew Morton wrote in his book, William and Catherine, that the reaction from most of Kate Middletons friends was: thank goodness thats over!

For years they had watched helplessly as Kate, whose university dissertation had been on Lewis Carroll, had gradually disappeared down the royal rabbit hole into the Windsor wonderland, leaving her friends out in the cold, wrote Morton.

One of Kates friends claimed that she upset a lot of her pals because she didnt make an effort to see them after starting her royal romance. Others werent happy with how William treated Kate, and Morton wrote that even the future Duchess of Cambridge felt at times that William treated her like a servant instead of his girlfriend.

Another friend of Kates said that William expected her to run after him and kept her on a tight leash, while a third called the relationship edgy because they were always in and out.

Kate Middleton wanted a commitment

When the second split occurred, Morton says it was because William was unsure about his future with Kate, and he thought that living a bachelor life might be better.

There was an emotional conflict, writes Morton. While Kate had made it clear that she wanted a commitment from her man, Prince William, according to close friends, was not so sure. Siren voices were calling suggesting that the grass was greener on the other side of the fence.

Morton explained that Prince William was spending a lot of time away from Kate Middleton due to his military training, and the temptation to live a single life came from his fellow officers of the Blues and Royals  also known as the Booze and Royals.

Here's how Kate Middleton became the Duchess of Cambridge. pic.twitter.com/lWWQP2DCnU  Harper's Bazaar (@harpersbazaarus) May 26, 2019

Nicholl said in the documentary Prince William at 30 that when pictures surfaced of William dancing with a beautiful blonde, Kate made it clear that he couldnt have it both ways. And, this is when William decided it was time for another break.

The Concert for Diana

Just like the first split, the second one didnt last long. On July 1, 2007, Prince William and Prince Harry celebrated what would have been their late mothers 46th birthday by hosting the Concert for Diana, which included performances from numerous artists including Elton John, Kanye West, Duran Duran, Lily Allen, and Take That.

The show also featured speeches from prominent world leaders like Nelson Mandela, Bill Clinton, and Tony Blair.

It was at this event that the public saw Prince William and Kate Middleton back together again. And, as Nicholl points out, when Take That sang their hit Back for Good, Kate was seen swinging her hips and singing along to the lyrics.

I suppose thats all anyone needed to know they were back for good, said Nicholl.

Later that summer, William and Kate enjoyed a romantic getaway to the Seychelles, where they reportedly made a commitment to one another. And, three years later, William proposed to Kate  with his mothers engagement ring  while they were backpacking in the Kenyan mountains.

Prince William and Kate Middleton married in April 2011, and are now the parents of three children  Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.Its been over a year since Jonathan Scott of Property Brothers fame split up with his ex-girlfriend, Jacinta Kuznetsov. Since then, Scott seems to have remained single. For many Property Brothers fans, this may come as a surprise  Scott does seem to many like something of a romantic. But hey, if Jonathan Scott is single, that means fans still have a chance, right? And the best news yet  Scott recently revealed his personal preferences and rules when it comes to dating. Care to try your hand?

Ready for love again

Though Jonathan Scott has remained relatively quiet on the details of his breakup with Kuznetsov, they did part on amicable terms. Despite that, it wasnt easy for Scott when he learned that Kuznetsov had found love again.



I was upset, I wont lie. I was not ready to date. It wasnt even on my radar, Scott told People. But Im a realist, and I knew that it was not for me to say when and who she would date.



Scott went on to add, Regardless of what we had, Ive come to terms with the fact that we were not right as life partners. Though we dont speak regularly, we are on good terms and both know we are there if needed.



However, it seems as if Scott is ready to date again. Im very blessed in a lot of ways. I can buy what I want and I can go anywhere in the world. But at the end of the day, coming home to that one person that you know has your back, theres no better feeling, said Scott to People.

Keeping it personal

Before you try to make a move on Scott, youve got to know that he prefers to keep things face-to-face. Scott has already turned down offers to star on The Bachelor three times. Ive been asked twice to go on The Bachelor  and once in Canada as well and I was like, It would literally be my nightmare to be put on display and dated out. Its the opposite of anything I have ever wanted, Scott told People.



Additionally, Scott has expressed that he is not a fan of dating apps, preferring to keep it real. My friends always say, Oh you have to try it, said Scott. But Im like, No. Theres nothing in me that wants to do that. I mean, yes, people can find love on those apps, but for me, no.



Jonathan Scotts big rules

So what is Scott looking for in a lover? For starters, its certainly not self-absorption. Scott has admitted to creeping on the social media profiles of women hes interested in  who doesnt? However, he doesnt appreciate too many selfies. If someones profile has more than 20 percent selfies, I wont date them, says Scott.

According to Scott, he also needs to be with someone who enjoys phsyical activities. Hiking, scuba diving. I just love getting out and doing things.



In addition, any future lovers have gotta be dog people. I dont trust people who dont like dogs, he says. How could you not love a creature that is always excited to see you?



Two more requirements? Independence, and an outgoing nature. No wallflowers here. The person who sits in the corner would never work for me, says Scott.



So what do you think, are you down to try your luck with Jonathan Scott? Who knows, you may be able to get a house renovation or an HGTV deal out of the relationship, if you play your cards right!Fans considered YNW Melly to be the next big talent out of Florida because of his contagious voice and honest lyrics about his troubled life. He also collaborated with some of the biggest names in hip hop, including Kanye West and Kodak Black. However, YNW Mellys successful music career could end already. He is currently in jail, facing double murder charges in connection with the deaths of his longtime friends. Who is YNW Melly, and how did he get famous?



YNW Melly | Browards Sheriffs Office via Getty Images

YNW Mellys troubled background



Jamell Maurice Demons was born May 1, 1999, in Gifford, Florida to a 14-year-old single mother. His mother and grandmother raised him, and they struggled with a life of poverty. Demons always loved music, and he admired Chris Brown and Michael Jackson. He also became fascinated with guns in 4th grade after finding his uncles revolver. He says he took the weapon with him everywhere, including school.



Demons was convicted of discharging a firearm in public and three counts of aggravated assault because he shot at a group of students by Vero Beach High School at 15-years-old. Demons never revealed the motive behind the shooting, and he served almost a year in prison for the charges.



YNW Mellys music potential cut short



While Demons served time for the shooting, he wrote the first song he gained public attention from, Murder On My Mind. Demons said no one knew he could rap before the song, but shared the song with another inmate. He then went on to release the song on Soundcloud and YouTube in 2017. The song ended up going viral mostly due to the haunting lyrics that chronicles a fictitious murder.



Demons also began going by YNW Melly in 2016; alongside his longtime friends Anthony YNW Sakchaser Williams, Chris YNW Juvy Thomas Jr., and Cortlen YNW Bortlen Henry. The YNW stands for Young N***** World or Young New Wave.



IdgafThis Song Go

YNW Melly x Murder On My Mind pic.twitter.com/6680Z7Lc6G  Alex Ceniceros (@alexc_0501) February 18, 2019

Following the success of Murder On My Mind, Demons obtained a manager. He also began collaborating with established rappers including Kanye West, Kodak Black, Tee Grizzley, and Lil B.



In 2018, he performed for several sold-out shows and dropped music videos for Melly the Menace and Virtual (Blue Balenciagas). Both singles currently have over 22 million YouTube views. He was also arrested alongside YNW Bortlen for possession of fewer than 20 grams of marijuana and possession of a weapon by a convicted felon. However, Florida prosecutors reduced the charges to misdemeanors, and Demons and Henry bailed themselves out. However, officials arrested them again in January 2019 for missing a mandatory court date.



In August 2018, Melly dropped his first full-length album, I Am You, which included Murder On My Mind and Virtual (Blue Balanciagas). A month later, YNW Sakchaser and YNW Juvy were shot to death in Fort Lauderdale. Demons publicly mourned the death of his friends on social media and released a documentary in December 2018, where they were featured heavily.



In January 2019, Demons released his sophomore project, We All Shine including the Kanye West-assisted, Mixed Personalities. Both of his albums streamed very well, and people thought Demons would land a spot in the coveted 2019 XXL Freshman Class. Since March 2019, Demons has accumulated over 200 million streams on Spotify.

#YNWMelly was arrested earlier this month for allegedly killing fellow artists YNW Sakchaser and YNW Juvy.

New evidence suggests Melly concocted an elaborate plan to make it look like his two friends were killed in a drive-by shooting.(Full story in bio) pic.twitter.com/08JZyk3BnG  Von (@djvontv) February 27, 2019

However, in February 2019, Demons and YNW Bortlen turned themselves in ontwo counts of first-degree murder in connection with their friends shootings.



YNW Mellys pending double murder trial



Public court documents show the evidence prosecutors have that supports their charges. Investigators concluded, using autopsy reports, that Demons shot his friends from inside the car, and then staged the scene to appear like a drive-by shooting. Officials also arrested YNW Bortlen on charges related to helping Demons cover up the murders. Florida has filed the necessary paperwork to pursue the death penalty for Demons if found guilty.



New Lil Keed (feat. Lil Uzi Vert & YNW Melly) "Pull Up" now on soundcloud pic.twitter.com/I4bPjbOLWU  Eternal Leaks (@LeaksEternal) May 29, 2019

Even though Demons remains behind bars without the possibility of bail, his music continues to stream well. Murder On My Mind reached number one on U.S. Apple Music in February 2019 and certified double platinum in March. He also recently appeared in the new single, Pull Up by Lil Keed featuring Lil Uzi Vert, released in May 2019.

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.Bethel Church pastor Bill Johnson warns satanic 'spirit of insanity' replacing biblical truth

Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

Bethel Church Senior Pastor Bill Johnson has highlighted the need for revival across the United States, warning that the spirit of insanity perpetrated by Satan is actively fighting to silence the message of the Gospel.

Speaking at Bethel Musics third annual "Heaven Come" conference in Los Angeles, Johnson said there are very few places in the world that have as significant of a revival history as Southern California.

He told attendees about various revival movements over past decades, such as the Azuza Street Revival in the early 1900s and the late Rev. Billy Graham, who launched his global ministry at the Big Tent Revival almost 70 years ago.

The Lord pays attention to the cries, the prayers, the lives that were poured out 30 years ago, 40 years ago in this area to make a mark, Johnson said.

But something tragic happened, the pastor said: the move of God that was released here was not sustained, he said, and anytime the house is clean and swept and it's not occupied, the enemy that was driven from the place comes back seven times worse.

Today, he continued, in the place of the spirit of revelation stands a spirit of insanity that is now being embraced as the message of truth. And it grows in the absence of a yes from a sold-out people.

Johnson said that while he loves corporate gatherings, he believes true evangelism happens when believers live out the Gospel at work, on the streets, and in everyday life.

And I believe the Lord has brought us together because we share a conviction in our heart for what we want God to do, he told thousands gathered at the Microsoft Theater. I'm so thankful that Jesus is returning. I don't want anyone to misunderstand me, but the hope of the world is not the return of Christ. It's the power of the Gospel, unadulterated, declared by [believers].

The Gospel truth changes a life without power, Johnson emphasized.

It's not a philosophy, he said of Christianity. It's not a group that we joined because we agree philosophically. It is something we become a part of because the actual spirit that raised Jesus from the dead took up residence in us and did so with a purpose of demonstrating the power of resurrection as we confront the impossibilities of life.

This, he said, is the assignment of every believer ... remove the lies, remove the disappointment and you find out  we are alive for such a time as this."

The world today is aching for a solution, Johnson argued, constantly looking for an antidote to issues like cancer, addiction, and economic crisis.

How do we get a generation to be free of addiction and all these kinds of things? You and I have access to the secret places of God, the secret things of God, where He's already announced to us it is his good pleasure to give us the mysteries of the Kingdom of God. It's already written in your inheritance, he said.

The Redding, Calif., pastor pointed out that the entire ambition of Scripture is to get the people of God to accurately represent who He is.

This is the invitation for every single believer, he said, adding: I can see the heart of God over this part of the land.

The spirit of God is in us, and He wants out, Johnson declared. This spirit of God longs to reveal who Jesus is, and He longs to do it through a people who have said 'yes.'

"Restore us a place of revival," he concluded. "Restore us as a people of revival ... Im going to ask you to upgrade your 'yes' to God."

The "Heaven Come" conference was held May 23-25 and was hosted by Bethel Music co-founders and worship pastors Brian and Jenn Johnson.

The goal of the conference is to see Heaven invade Earth, according to the event website.

We believe that a moment in Gods presence can cause a reaction in the heart that will shift the course of your life, it says, in part. A surrendered life that is destined to shape the course of history. His will is healing, prophecy, miracles and intimacy. Through worship, dynamic teaching and personal ministry, our prayer is that together we will have a fresh revelation of His nature and display the possibility of the impossible through the power of the Holy Spirit.

In addition to Johnson, featured speakers included Steven Furtick, Christine Caine, Robert Madu, Kris Vallotton, and Lindy Conant-Cofer. There will be another Bethel's Heaven Come conference meeting in Dallas, Texas, at the end of August.Francis Chan warns Satan is 'getting the victory' amid lack of unity in US churches

Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

Francis Chan has issued a warning to the body of Christ against division, stating that Satan is getting the victory" as theological divisions, slander, and gossip continue to divide the U.S. Church.

During a sermon delivered at the 2019 Church Leaders Conference, held at the Zacharias Institute in Alpharetta, Georgia, Chan, former teaching pastor of Cornerstone Community Church in Simi Valley, California, first emphasized that unity is important to Jesus.

If He had it His way, we would be so united in this room ... He wants oneness among us, Chan said, citing Jesus words in the Gospel of John: We are one  I in them and You in Me  that they may be perfectly united, so that the world may know that You sent Me and have loved them just as You have loved Me.

Disunity and division are among the things God says He hates, Chan said, adding: God wants unity; so its an abomination when theres some stirring up among the brothers, the pastor emphasized. He wants so badly for His glory to be seen; He wants so much for people to see who Jesus is, and our oneness is vital to that.

Yet, the Crazy Love author acknowledged that division is so much easier."

Some of us grew up in different denominations, he explained. And its easy if you grew up a conservative evangelical to just stay in your circle and talk about how those charismatics dont know the Word of God; they just go by feelings, they dont care about hard truths, theyre just all about their visions.

Likewise, those in charismatic circles are tempted to stay in their circles and talk about how conservatives are so arrogant and divisive and powerless, he said.

We all agree in our little circles, he said. Were just in our own little world, and thats so much easier.

Chan admitted that recently, he watched an old video of himself teaching and was brought to tears by his own arrogance and division.

I apologize for my lack of clarity sometimes, he said, adding that now, he sometimes comes under fire for appearing on the same stage as those with controversial theological viewpoints.

If I have an opportunity to go anywhere and present the life-saving, soul-saving Gospel of Jesus Christ, I will go there at the risk of being misunderstood. Youve got to understand the greater risk of the Gospel not going into some of these places. Thats my heart.

Chan exhorted the audience to fight against some of this divisiveness.

Sometimes it can feel impossible, he admitted. Are there charismatics out there that do not know the Word of God and dont even care to and just want to dream tonight? Sure. Are there are conservatives that are so stinkin arrogant and just think that anyone who speaks in tongues is an idiot? Sure. I was one of them.

But then there are those in so many different camps who really seem to love [Jesus], he continued. Weve got to work toward this oneness because something is supposed to happen when we become perfectly one that Satan doesnt want.

Unity is what God wants, its what Jesus prayed for, and we cant be paralyzed by the magnitude of it, Chan declared. How are we going to fix all of these hundreds of years of division? I dont know. I just know this is my start.

He hates this fighting, and when we become one, thats when the Enemy is going to lose, he concluded. Thats when the world is going to believe in the Messiah. Thats when that fire is going to come down on the temple like it did in Acts 2 and fall upon His church, His temple, which is us. Theres something about that unity.

I just want to be one of those voices, he said. My prayer is that some of you hear me screaming today ... to use your voice to say, we gotta stop fighting. This is not what Dad wanted of His church. This is huge. Satan is getting the victory right now, and we can do something about it.

The theme of the 2019 Church Leaders Conference was Blessed Are the Peacemakers and was held May 23-24.

The event description states: What does it look like for the church to be reconciled to God, to forgive one another as the Lord forgave, and to live out our message of reconciliation in a deeply-divided culture?

In addition to Chan, speakers included Ravi Zacharias, Becky Pippert, John Bechtel, Michael Ramsden, Lisa Fields, Abdu Murray, Judy Dabler, Vince Vitale and other members of the RZIM team.Iraqi Christian burned alive by ISIS three times miraculously survives, sees Jesus in vision

Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

An Iraqi Christian experienced a series of miracles while persecuted for his faith at the hands of Islamic extremists, including an encounter with Jesus and surviving terrorists attempts to burn him alive  three times.

The Yazidi man was interviewed for a documentary, "Heart and Hands: Iraq," by Sean Feucht, head of the non-profit Light A Candle Project, and Bethel Music. In it, Feucht travels the world to hear the stories of those persecuted for their faith.

In a preview of the documentary aired at the Heaven Come conference in LA, the Yazidi man reveals there was pressure from ISIS to convert to Islam. But amid persecution, Jesus appeared to him in a dream.

Thanks be to God for that, he said. He spoke to me[but] I cannot tell you what He said. Its a promise between me and Christ.

I asked Jesus one thing, he continued. And He answered me.

Later in the interview, the man revealed that once ISIS found out he was a follower of Christ, they began stoning him.

They were hitting me with big rocks on my body, he recalled. The stones were fine, not affecting me.

The man said that after stoning him, ISIS members drenched him in 20 gallons of gasoline. But even though he was burned alive a total of three times, he said he somehow survived unharmed.

"And they burned me, but I didn't burn," he said, crediting Jesus for his miraculous survival.

The Yazidi man was one of many Christians interviewed by Feucht, who said he believes he is called to the most persecuted, closed, dark, marginalized places, Fox News reports.

Feucht said he is encouraged by the growth of the church in Iraq, China, and India  three countries where its most difficult to be a Christian, according to persecution watchdog Open Doors USA.

"Our teams 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. Weve 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."

Feucht said that so far, his group has 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.

We want to re-define missions for a generation to where were actually the first ones to respond," Feucht said. "Thats the essence of the gospel to go into places where no one else is willing to go.

Today, less than 200,000 Christians remain in Iraq when there were over 1.4 million Christians in Iraq in 2002 and 500,000 Christians in Iraq in 2013.

The genocide also impacted Iraqs Yazidi minority. An estimated 60,000 Yazidis fled to Europe while there are still about 550,000 Yazidis still in Iraq with 280,000 of them remaining displaced.

In October, the U.S. Agency for International Development announced it would partner with the nation's leading Catholic fraternal organization, Knights of Columbus, to bring support to persecuted communities in Iraq.

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.

But unless Christians in the United States and elsewhere continue to support those persecuted or suffering from the effects of persecution, these communities could literally cease to exist, he warned.

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, he said.This week in Christian history: first black Catholic bishop; Indian evangelist; England bans Christmas

Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

Christianity is a faith with a long and detailed history, with numerous events of lasting significance occurring throughout the ages.

Each week brings the anniversaries of great milestones, horrid tragedies, amazing triumphs, telling tribulations, inspirational progress, and everything in between.

Here are just a few things that happened this week, June 2-8, in Church history. They include the consecration of the first African American Catholic bishop, the birth of a notable twentieth century Indian evangelist, and England banning Christmas.

1

2

3

4

Next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."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.Head teacher says 'mass arrests' are a possibility after High Court bans LGBT lesson protests

The head teacher of a school where parents have protested LGBT awareness lessons says she is bracing herself for mass arrests after the High Court moved to halt the protests.

The High Court order bans protests from taking place outside the gates of Anderton Park Primary School in Birmingham - the first in the UK to have a legally enforceable exclusion zone.

Birmingham City Council said it had applied for the injunction "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".

It added: "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."

Head teacher Sarah Hewitt-Clarkson, who says she has been subjected to verbal abuse over the LGBT lessons, told The Times that the police should make arrests if the order is breached.

"Now the judge has granted the power of arrest, mass arrests are a possibility," she said.

"Police are very keen not to arrest lots of people outside a primary school but they will have to work through that."

Protester Shakeel Afsar was seen in a video on social media vowing to continue the protests, despite the risk of arrest.

"Parents, don't be disheartened by this . . . we will carry on moving forth until we bring change," he said.

Education secretary Damian Hinds, who has been accused of not doing enough to stop the protests, said he welcomed the High Court's decision to grant the injunction.

"It is not right to protest in front of schools - it is frightening to children and disrespectful to hard working teachers," he said.

"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.

"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."

Catholic journalist Caroline Farrow said that while she felt "conflicted" about the protests, she shared the concerns of the parents and defended their right to decide what their children should learn about gender and sexuality, and when.

"Many parents massively resent having to talk to children far earlier than they would prefer, about sex, gender and sexuality, thanks to it being forced on them in school. The state needs to stop trying to interfere in parenting decisions and choices," she said on Twitter.

"There is also a notable absence of trust and good-will directed at parents. Not wanting young children to receive the full gamut of rainbow-wash doesn't mean they are going to turn out hateful, bigoted or misinformed."

Relationships and sex education lessons that cover LGBT relationships will become compulsory in schools from September 2020.

The lessons have been defended by Ofsted chief Amanda Spielman, who has called on parents with objections to engage in dialogue instead of staging protests.Fiction

1. Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

In a quiet town on the North Carolina coast in 1969, a young woman who survived alone in the marsh becomes a murder suspect.

2. The 18th Abduction by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro

The 18th book in the Womens Murder Club series. Lindsay Boxer investigates the disappearance of three female teachers.

3. The Night Window by Dean Koontz

The fifth book in the Jane Hawk series. The former FBI agent pursues a slew of bad guys, including a Vegas mob boss.

4. Redemption by David Baldacci

The fifth book in the Memory Man series. The first man Amos Decker put behind bars asks to have his name cleared.

5. Blessing in Disguise by Danielle Steel

Isabelle McAvoy faces challenges as she raises three daughters from three separate fathers on her own.

RELATED: Publishers Weekly best-sellers

6. The Guest Book by Sarah Blake

Evie Milton uncovers a story going back a couple generations that may shatter a family myth.

7. Sunset Beach by Mary Kay Andrews

Drue Campbell inherits a rundown beach bungalow and takes a job at her estranged fathers personal injury attorney office.

8. Neon Prey by John Sandford

The 29th book in the Prey series. Lucas Davenport goes after a serial killer.

9. Fire and Blood by George R.R. Martin

The first volume of the two-part history of the Targaryens in Westeros.

10. Normal People by Sally Rooney

The connection between a high school star athlete and a loner ebbs and flows when they go to Trinity College in Dublin.

Nonfiction

1. Howard Stern Comes Again by Howard Stern

The radio interviewer delves into some of his favorite on-air conversations from the past four decades of his career.

2. The Pioneers by David McCullough

The Pulitzer Prize-winning historian tells the story of the settling of the Northwest Territory.

3. Becoming by Michelle Obama

The former first lady describes her journey to the White House, and how she balanced work, family and her husbands political ascent.

REVIEW: Michelle Obama's 'Becoming' is a political spouse's memoir like no other

4. Educated by Tara Westover

The daughter of survivalists, who is kept out of school, educates herself enough to leave home for a university.

5. The British Are Coming by Rick Atkinson

The Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and journalist begins his Revolution Trilogy with events from 1775 to 1777.

6. The Moment of Lift by Melinda Gates

The philanthropist shares stories of empowering women to improve society.

7. The Second Mountain by David Brooks

A New York Times Op-Ed columnist espouses having an outward focus to attain a meaningful life.

8. Sacred Duty by Tom Cotton

The veteran and Republican senator from Arkansas describes the services enacted by the Army unit known as the Old Guard.

9. Furious Hours by Casey Cep

Harper Lees work on the true-crime story about a rural preacher accused of murdering five of his family members.

10. Life Will Be the Death of Me by Chelsea Handler

The comedian chronicles going into therapy and becoming an advocate for change.

New York Times

STAY IN THE KNOW: Get caught up on what's going on around Houston. From sports to news and entertainment, check out the newsletters we're offering.As Texas reels from the devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey, hundreds of new state laws went into effect Friday, Sept. 1, including a statewide ban on texting while driving.

By the time the 2017 Legislature gaveled out in May, they had sent Gov. Greg Abbott more than 670 bills with a Sept. 1 effective date that he opted not to veto.

Those bills include House Bill 62, a statewide texting-while-driving ban that creates a misdemeanor offense for the operator of a motor vehicle who uses a portable wireless communication device to read, write, or send an electronic message while operating the vehicle, unless the vehicle is stopped. First-time violators could be fined up to $99 or $200 for a repeat offense.

Another law - one that has drawn concern among some Harvey victims - is House Bill 1774, which could reduce the penalties insurance companies face for late payments if a policyholder files a lawsuit. Under the law taking effect Sept. 1 - intended to cut down on frivolous insurance lawsuits - those penalties would drop from 18 percent of the claim to a rate determined by a market-based formula and capped at 20 percent. Yet two of the most high-profile bills of the legislative session did not go into effect Sept. 1 as intended because of federal injunctions issued this week at the request of critics of those measures.

On Wednesday, a federal judge halted major provisions of Senate Bill 4, which seeks to outlaw "sanctuary" entities, the common term for local governments that don't enforce federal immigration laws. As passed, it forbids police chiefs, sheriffs, and jail administrators from preventing law enforcement officers from asking about a person's immigration status during an arrest or detention. It also requires jail officials honor all requests from Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials to hold an inmate for possible deportation.

U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia halted the part of the bill that required jail officials to honor all detainers. He let stand the part of the law allowing police officers to question the immigration status of people they detain but said officers are limited in what they can do with that information.

On Thursday, a different federal judge temporarily stopped Texas officials from enforcing Senate Bill 8, which banned the most common second-trimester abortion procedure. With the injunction in place, Texas doctors and health care providers can continue using the dilation and evacuation procedure  deemed the safest by medical professionals for second-trimester abortions - until a more permanent decision is made by the court.

Here's a handful of other laws which took effect Sept. 1:

New school buses must have shoulder-to-lap seat belts for all riders (SB 693)

When Texans get or renew their driver's licenses, they will have the option to donate $1 or more to fund the testing of thousands of backlogged rape kits. (HB 1729)

Fees to obtain handgun licenses have dropped from $140 to $40. (SB 16)

Financial institutions now have more power to stop transactions they suspect are aimed at defrauding elderly or disabled clients. (HB 3921)

It is now legal for Texans to carry more kinds of knives in public. (HB 1935)

With the help of a measure dubbed David's Law, school officials hope they will have more tools at their disposal to fight cyberbullying. (SB 179)

Under a newly created loophole in state law, school employees can give leftover food to hungry students. (SB 725)

This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at https://www.texastribune.org/2017/09/01/673-new-state-laws-take-effect-today-texas.

The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans - and engages with them - about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.A Delaware mother is opening up about a brutal attack that nearly took her life.

Tammy Lawrence-Daley told KYW she was attacked while at a resort in the Dominican Republic.

I feel so guilty, I blame myself. If I didnt go down there by myself it wouldnt have happened. I wouldnt have put my family through that, said Lawrence-Daley.

She and her husband, Christopher Lawrence-Daley, went to Majestic Elegance Resort in Punta Cana in January with friends.

Tammy Lawrence-Daley said she went downstairs at the resort just before 11 p.m. to buy a snack when a man wearing a resort maintenance hat strangled and beat her.

He put something around my throat and he proceeded to strangle me unconscious. But before I went out, Ill never forget the last breath I took because it had some water in it and I just remember, 'Im never going to see my kids again, Im never going to see my husband again, and theyre never going to find me here,' she said.

Tammy Lawrence-Daley was missing for eight hours. Her husband urged security to help him look for her, which they did, but they reportedly thought she was "drunk somewhere."

She drifted in and out of consciousness the whole time.

"It was hell," she said.

Resort staff finally found her when she woke up in an underground crawl space filled with rocks and waste water, and began screaming.

Tammy Lawrence-Daley suffered a broken nose, fractured eye socket, nerve damage throughout her head and her mouth had to be sewn back together.

When we first found her at the infirmary, it was unreal. I just lost control, Christopher Lawrence-Daley said.

Tammy Lawrence-Daley urges others to be "safe and smart" when on vacation.

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, Tammy Lawrence-Daley told People. I hate to say that, but its the truth. What I went through, I would never wish on anyone.

BREAKING NEWS | ALERTS Find out first: Get breaking news sent directly to your inbox. See More Collapse

She penned an emotional Facebook post, that includes graphic images, about her experience that has been shared more than 200,000 times.

"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?"

Tammy Lawrence-Daley said the resort didn't offer to reimburse her for her vacation or medical bills.

"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," she wrote.

Multiple news outlets have reached out to Majestic Elegance Resort for comment but have not heard back.SAN FRANCISCO - House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., was just moments into her speech Saturday when a man shouted out from the back of a convention hall stuffed with thousands of delegates to the state Democratic Party convention.

"Impeach Donald Trump!" he screamed, uttering a battle cry Pelosi has rebuffed, despite growing demands from her party's activist wing.

"President Trump will be held accountable for his actions," she said. The I-word never left her lips.

Less than an hour later, Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., stepped to the same podium to deliver a very different message. "We need to begin impeachment proceedings!" the presidential candidate bellowed. The crowd roared.

The party's deep divisions, refreshed when last week's remarks by former special counsel Robert Mueller raised new questions about whether Trump had committed impeachable violations, played out time and again during the first full day of the weekend convention as they have across the nation.

Democrats' dueling messages highlighted the dilemma confronting the party's congressional leaders and presidential hopefuls: how to balance the demands of a fervently anti-Trump activist base without alienating the more moderate voters who helped hand them the House in 2018 and could deliver the presidency in 2020.

Saturday was the first of two days that in total will feature speeches by 14 Democratic presidential candidates in the self-styled home of the Trump resistance. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., electrified the crowd with a fiery address that appeared to take a swipe at former vice president Joe Biden, who did not attend. Three of the candidates are scheduled to speak Sunday, rounding out the largest gathering of 2020presidential contenders to date.

Among activists, fury with Trump reached the boiling point after Mueller reiterated Wednesday that he could not clear the president of obstructing justice in his probe of Russian interference in the 2016 election. Trump's defiant attitude toward congressional oversight has stoked further anger.

"That's adding salt to the wounds," said Maria Elena Durazo, a Democratic National Committee vice chair and California state senator.

It has also opened a fissure between Democratic congressional leadership and the party's White House hopefuls, who were once largely united in opposition to impeachment. After Mueller's comments, the list of presidential candidates calling for impeachment grew, even as House Democratic leaders stood firm.

Pelosi and her top lieutenants are seeking to persuade Democrats that the best action is to stay the course they have charted - to continue to investigate Trump and rely on the courts to intervene when they are stonewalled by the administration.

"Our investigations are breaking through the Trump administration's coverup to get the truth. We want the truth for the American people," Pelosi said Saturday. She noted two recent court victories and Mueller's public statement.

"Why is it that the president won't defend our democracy?" she asked. But rather than appease activists, her words prompted some in the crowd to chant "Impeach!"

"I tell you, this is like coming home for me," Pelosi joked, in reference to San Francisco's cutthroat politics.

Warren, who was among the first of the major presidential candidates to come out in favor of impeachment proceedings, did not mention the word in her address.

She did, however, offer a line used by several of the speakers, including Pelosi, when she called for a party that "believes no one is above the law, not even the president."

On Friday, Warren unveiled a new plan to ensure that a sitting president can be indicted on a charge of criminal conduct. A Justice Department finding that a president cannot be indicted played a role in his refusal to accuse Trump of criminal acts, Mueller has said.

The senator from Massachusetts, who has been climbing in the polls, also attracted attention with a sharp critique of unnamed figures in her party she deemed unwilling to think big and take dramatic steps to improve the country.

"Some say that if we just calm down, the Republicans will come to their senses. But our country is in a crisis. The time for small ideas is over," Warren said. The crowd booed at her allusion to caution and offered Warren the biggest applause of the day.

The comments appeared to be a dig at Biden, who has vowed to work with Republicans he contends are a different breed than the president. He has predicted that Republicans will have an "epiphany" on bipartisanship after Trump leaves office.

Biden, the leading candidate in the polls, was far away on Saturday, scheduled to be in Ohio to speak at a dinner hosted by the Human Rights Campaign, which promotes LGBTQ rights.

Like Warren, former Texas congressman Beto O'Rourke also spoke Saturday but did not bring up the topic of impeachment. In a gesture of deference to the heavily Hispanic state Democratic Party, he started his address by speaking in Spanish.

"We have a president who seeks to further divide," said O'Rourke, holding up California and the dozens of lawsuits it has filed against the administration as a strong example of how to stand up to Trump.

At a forum near the convention, sponsored by the liberal group MoveOn, presidential candidate and Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., said that the country was facing a crisis and that the president would keep flouting the law unless he were stopped. The tug-of-war over potential impeachment is perhaps best exemplified by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who was scheduled to speak Sunday. While he represents the most liberal facets of the party on policy, the presidential candidate has long warned that pursuing impeachment could overshadow the issues Democrats are hoping to underscore as the 2020 election approaches.

"The House of Representatives should move toward impeachment proceedings," said Booker, who first embraced that stance on Wednesday after Mueller's statement.

But following Mueller's statement, Sanders said at a campaign stop in Nevada that Congress "should begin impeachment inquiries" to "determine whether or not Trump has committed impeachable offenses."

At the same time, he did not abandon his concerns, saying it would be challenging for Democrats to walk down that road and also champion the issues they hope will help propel them to victory in 2020.

Democratic candidates for the House found a formula for success in 2018 with a focus on what they called "kitchen table" issues such as health care and economic matters rather than campaigning on more polarizing topics.

Some party strategists see a road map for similar success in 2020 and fear that possible impeachment proceedings and an appeal based on animosity toward Trump will not only overshadow their policy platforms but could turn away suburban swing voters who sided with them in the midterms.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, D, who has both taken on Trump and sought to work with him since his 2018 election, sought to thread the divisions after his morning address.

"We're in the middle of a process," Newsom told reporters, defending Pelosi's cautious approach to potential impeachment. "This is the not the end of a process."

Asked if Trump should be impeached, Newsom gave a long-winded answer that referred to Pelosi's comments and to what he just said. He would not say yes or no.

A short time later back in the convention hall, however, billionaire environmentalist and party donor Tom Steyer demanded that Democratic leaders embrace calls for impeachment - but his remarks were drowned out by music meant to signal the end of his speech.

"This is one of those things where you don't get to duck," Steyer, a longtime advocate of impeachment, said in an interview.

- - -

The Washington Post's David Weigel contributed to this report.Last month in Manhattan, Beto O'Rourke held a private reception for supporters who had paid the maximum amount to his campaign or brought in as much as $25,000 by persuading others to do the same.

It was the first such fundraiser of O'Rourke's presidential bid - and a contrast from the early days of his campaign, when he emphasized that he had "no large-dollar fundraisers planned, and I don't plan to do them."

Across the Democratic field, candidates are embracing the big donors they distanced themselves from early on - a sign of increasing doubt that the small online donations the campaigns have been chasing will be sufficient to sustain two-dozen primary contenders.

Many of the candidates previously had held a handful of high-dollar fundraisers or avoided them altogether, seeking to tap into the populist sentiment that has animated the Democratic base. They tried to capitalize on the deluge of online donations that helped fuel the midterm elections, rather than making the traditional overtures to wealthy donors, once a staple of early presidential campaigns.

But after a disappointing fundraising haul in the first quarter of the year, and as the primary drags on with no clear front-runner, many of the candidates are turning their focus to wealthy donors - a strategy that could help keep their campaigns viable but may hamper their ability to connect with base voters.

"There's not an unlimited pool of cash, even in the small-dollar sense," said Tom Nides, former deputy secretary of state for management and resources under President Barack Obama and a longtime Democratic fundraiser. "The candidates have no choice now. They're going to have to do both, like it or not. They're all doing it."

The eventual Democratic nominee will challenge President Donald Trump's giant fundraising machine, which has already raised more than $168 million on the strength of small-dollar and wealthy backers.

The stakes are getting higher, with just one month to go until the next deadline for campaigns to report fundraising figures. The numbers made public after June 30 are expected to help sift potential front-runners from the rest.

"Everyone got a bit of a free ride in the first quarter because expectations were low across the board," said Ami Copeland, former deputy national finance director for Obama's 2008 campaign. "If there's any dip in what they raised before, that will be a telltale sign of them having some problems."

This weekend, several candidates were scheduled to appear at fundraisers in the San Francisco Bay Area, including South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York and Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who famously built his campaign around small donations in 2016, on Saturday held his first fundraiser of the primary this weekend in San Francisco. He has priced the lowest-tiered ticket at $27 - the average donation to his campaign in 2016.

Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey, Gillibrand and Klobuchar recently schmoozed with the "Hillblazers," people who raised at least $100,000 for Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign, at a gathering at the District of Columbia home of Esther Coopersmith, a major Clinton ally, according to an attendee.

And on Wall Street, a group of Democratic donors recently met with Buttigieg. One person who was present and spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the private meeting said: "It felt like bringing Marilyn Monroe into the room and all these guys saying, 'Who's she? Where's she from? And when is she coming back?' "

Some of these efforts are already bearing fruit.

In Los Angeles, some of the wealthiest Democratic donors have made maximum $2,800 contributions to more than a dozen Democratic presidential candidates, according to someone familiar with the contributions. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe private matters.

In New York, a group of wealthy and prominent Democratic donors recently opened their homes and offices in Manhattan to host O'Rourke, Buttigieg, Klobuchar, Booker and Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado for private "salons," according to a person familiar with the gatherings, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private events.

Many of those donors have made maximum donations to multiple candidates, the person said.

One of those donors is Robert Wolf, a former investment banker and Obama supporter. He said he has met with about a dozen candidates, which included a recent one-on-one confab with O'Rourke, and has given money to 10 presidential contenders.

"We are more interested in beating President Trump than we are in getting the candidate we like and/or know well," he said.

The big checks from such donors are becoming crucial to surviving the primaries. With such a large field, the limitations of raising tens of millions of dollars from donations of under $200 at a time are beginning to show. Fundraising figures released after the first three months of 2019 showed that the 16 Democratic candidates in the race at the time had collectively raised nearly $90 million - slightly more than what eight Democrats raised at the same point in the 2008 cycle.

The field has ballooned since first quarter, to 24, and shows no sign of winnowing.

"People are really trying to find out: What is the ideal recipe to be successful?" said Taryn Rosenkranz, founder of the political-fundraising consulting firm New Blue Interactive. "Every candidate is like, 'Wow, there's just so much more I have to do, because it's that much more competitive.' "

Campaigns are also finding that, despite what felt like an endless spigot of small-dollar donors to tap, they are, in fact, vying for the same pool of supporters: loyal Democratic primary voters.

The digital firm Bully Pulpit Interactive found that campaigns are competing for the same pool of donors on Facebook. It found that 43% of the money spent by campaigns is targeting base voters in 14 Democratic-stronghold states, rather than trying to reach broader audiences.

Despite the fundraisers he has planned, O'Rourke remains committed to grassroots donors - a strength he showed in his Senate candidacy, according to his campaign.

"Beto held zero fundraising events during the first two months of his campaign as he visited 14 states and held 150 town halls, where he took over 1,000 questions from those he wants to serve," said Chris Evans, an O'Rourke campaign spokesman.

O'Rourke is one of the few Democratic candidates to publicly disclose portions of his private fundraisers. His remarks at the New York event last month aired on Facebook Live, though the question-and-answer portion and the prefunction receptions were not shared publicly. The video has been viewed more than 42,000 times, including by those who donated to his campaign online while watching in real time, according to the Facebook comments.

Like most Democratic candidates, O'Rourke pledged early in his campaign not to take money from certain special-interest groups and political action committees. He had not ruled out holding fundraisers.

Now that O'Rourke has begun holding such events, he will be able to tap into the network of donors who coalesced around his 2018 Senate campaign, which shattered fundraising records.

The only candidate who has completely shunned in-person fundraisers during the presidential primaries is Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts.

Recognizing that Warren is at a disadvantage, smaller groups of fundraisers are forming in various parts of the country to help collect larger amounts of money. These volunteer fundraisers said they have notified the campaign of their efforts to hold events, make calls and send emails on her behalf.

For example, in Los Angeles, a group of about 50 television writers are coordinating their efforts through Slack, a messaging app, to raise money for Warren. They are planning to launch "Warren Wednesdays" to hold weekly fundraisers and are hoping she might bend her rule against in-person fundraisers by appearing via Skype.

Eric Spiegelman, who is leading the effort, said Warren's no-fundraisers pledge is a challenge her supporters can take on to raise money on her behalf.

"She's made it clear that she doesn't want to show up at the big-dollar fundraisers. I know exactly the types of events she's talking about," Spiegelman said. "It makes me feel as though she really needs our help."

- - -

The Washington Post's Michael Scherer contributed to this report.Secretary of State Mike Pompeo delivered a sobering assessment of the prospects of the Trump administration's long-awaited Middle East peace plan in a closed-door meeting with Jewish leaders, saying "one might argue" that the plan is "unexecutable" and it might not "gain traction." He expressed his hope that the deal isn't simply dismissed out of hand.

"It may be rejected. Could be in the end, folks will say, 'It's not particularly original, it doesn't particularly work for me,' that is, 'it's got two good things and nine bad things, I'm out,' " Pompeo said in an audio recording of the private meeting obtained by The Washington Post.

"The big question is, can we get enough space that we can have a real conversation about how to build this out," he said.

The remarks are the most unvarnished comments to date from a U.S. official about what President Donald Trump has called the "deal of the century," an effort to resolve the intractable Israeli-Palestinian dispute he has entrusted to his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and former lawyer Jason Greenblatt.

The unveiling of the plan has been repeatedly delayed, a point Pompeo noted.

"This has taken us longer to roll out our plan than I had originally thought it might - to put it lightly," he said at a meeting on Tuesday of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, a New York-based group that addresses concerns to the Jewish community.

In trying to manage expectations, he said there are "no guarantees that we're the ones that unlock it," he said, referring to the frozen conflict. "I hope everyone will engage in a serious way."

He also recognized the popular notion that the agreement will be one-sided in favor of the Israeli government. "I get why people think this is going to be a deal that only the Israelis could love," he said. "I understand the perception of that. I hope everyone will just give the space to listen and let it settle in a little bit."

Since the U.S. president announced plans to solve the decades-old conflict, the United States has taken a series of actions vehemently opposed by the Palestinians, including recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital without a final status agreement, cutting funding to the Palestinian Authority and the U.N. refugee agency that serves them, forcing their diplomatic office in Washington to close, and recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights.

Two attendees said they left with the impression that Pompeo was not optimistic that the plan would succeed. "He was not in any way confident that the process would lead to a successful conclusion," said one of the attendees; both spoke on the condition of anonymity because the terms of the meeting were declared to be off the record.

Elan Carr, the State Department's special envoy to fight anti-Semitism who also attended the meeting, expressed a different view, saying he thought Pompeo "provided a hopeful assessment over the prospect of a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians."

"It was an excellent briefing that was very well received by the conference," he said in a statement offered by the State Department.

Aaron David Miller, a former negotiator and analyst on Middle East issues for Republican and Democratic administrations, said the remarks were "the most revealing and real assessment of the plan that I've heard so far."

"The fact that Pompeo so easily conceded the perception - and likely the reality - that the plan was strongly structured and tilted toward the Israelis is striking," Miller said.

The CEO of the group that hosted the event, Malcolm Hoenlein, said he thought Pompeo's remarks reflected his awareness of allegations of a pro-Israel bias but not the secretary's own view of the plan. "He was saying it's too easy to fall into the trap of these negative assessments," he said.

Pompeo, unlike previous secretaries of state, is not overseeing the peace effort, but he told the group he is kept closely abreast of the proposal, including a game plan for what to do if Israel proceeds to annex territory in the West Bank. "I have seen what I believe are all of the details of what it is we are going to roll out," he said.

Kushner, a real estate investor from New Jersey, and Greenblatt, the former chief legal officer to Trump and the Trump Organization, have led the initiative since the president took office. The two men, both practicing Orthodox Jews, did not come in with political experience but have shared a long interest in and connection to the state of Israel.

Pompeo said the administration never believed that achieving a lasting peace agreement would be easy. "We're under no illusions (that) we're going to show up with this thing and everyone's going to say, 'Tell me where to go for the signing ceremony,' " he said. "It doesn't work that way."

If the peace plan had appeared to be an uphill battle when Pompeo spoke on Tuesday night, it hit another significant hurdle a day later as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to form a governing coalition and Israel's parliament voted to dissolve itself, sending the country back to elections in September.

Now, if the White House wants to avoid rolling out a peace plan during a sensitive election campaign period for Netanyahu, it will have to wait until at least November, when a new Israeli government is expected to be formed. By that time, Trump will be stepping up his own reelection campaign.

Pompeo said the State Department had given "quite a bit of consideration" to what it would do if the plan "doesn't gain traction."

"I don't want to call it failing," he said. "Call it whatever. I fail a lot, so it's not about not using a word like that."

The contingency planning includes how to respond if the Israeli government decides to annex territory in the West Bank, a move many believe would be a final death knell to a two-state solution.

As part of his election campaign, Netanyahu pledged to annex Israeli settlements in the West Bank if he won, a move considered illegal by much of the international community. He also may face pressure from right-wing coalition partners to take advantage of the remaining time before the next U.S. election.

A peace plan that lays down Israel's right to sovereignty over certain areas of the West Bank could bolster calls from those pushing for annexation.

If Israel did go ahead with annexation, the administration would then consider "what would be the best ways to achieve the outcomes that we think are in America and Israel's best interests," Pompeo said.

After a participant asked whether there was any effort to bring the Palestinians on board, Pompeo responded that "everyone will find something to hate about the proposal" but that everyone, including the Palestinians, "will find something that they say that's something to build upon."

Palestinian officials see the White House plan as inevitably biased against them. In a speech broadcast on Palestine TV recently, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said the "deal of the century" and the Trump administration's upcoming economic summit for the Palestinians in Bahrain could "go to hell."

The goal of the Bahrain summit is drum up support for the economic component of the administration's peace plan without getting bogged down in the more contentious territorial issues.

Abbas has said Palestinian officials will boycott the summit.

Pompeo said that if Kuwait signs up, all of the Persian Gulf states will be represented in Bahrain "to at least come to listen." He said it was hard to expect Gulf nations to come out in "full-throated support" for the process when they haven't seen the whole plan.

Critics of the Trump administration's approach have picked up on the fact that the economic summit is not being held in tandem with political discussions.

"You can't do serious economic development without resolving the security and political issues that allow investors and internal economic growth and employment," Miller said.Gov. Greg Abbott has signed a law that bans red-light traffic cameras in Texas.

Abbott on Saturday tweeted that he'd signed the law approved during the legislative session that ended on Memorial Day. The ban takes effect Sept. 1.

TEXAS TAKE: Catch the political news you need every weekday, delivered to your inbox

Such cameras take images of vehicles entering intersections when red stoplights are illuminated. Drivers are usually fined $75.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Red light cameras, hated by many, outlawed by Texas senate

Critics say red-light cameras are unconstitutional and contribute to traffic accidents. Supporters say red-light cameras help make streets safer and generate funds for cities and other government entities.

An amendment lets cities keep operating the cameras until their contracts with vendors expire, although some communities have begun negotiations to terminate the deals earlier. The law also prevents counties and Texas officials from refusing to register a vehicle amid unpaid red-light camera tickets.VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - After an unremarkable career spent tending the water and sewer systems beneath this city of 450,000 residents, DeWayne Craddock quit on Friday morning.

The engineer for Virginia Beach's municipal government informed his bosses in an email that he was resigning, city officials said. But Craddock made one last visit to the drab brick building where he worked and methodically killed his colleagues.

Investigators, Craddock's former co-workers and residents of this stricken oceanside community continued Sunday to grasp for clues to what precipitated the deadliest mass shooting in the United States since November. Armed with two .45-caliber pistols, at least one of them equipped with a sound suppressor and extended magazine, Craddock killed 12 people before dying in a gunfight with police.

Some killers leave behind manifestos, YouTube videos or social media profiles that display a mind moving inexorably toward violence. What Craddock left was a resignation letter, according to city officials, and a work history that gave no hint of his intentions.

"Right now we do not have anything glaring," Police Chief James Cervera said at a news conference Sunday. He cautioned that investigators are still trying to determine a motive.

Officials would not discuss what Craddock wrote in his resignation, but a person familiar with the email said it was short and there was "nothing out of the ordinary."

"He merely submitted his two weeks' notice," said the person, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing. "There was no foreshadowing of anything that resulted the rest of the day."

City Manager Dave Hansen said "a very thorough review" of Craddock's personnel file had revealed no problems. "To my knowledge, the perpetrator's performance was satisfactory," Hansen said, adding that Craddock "was in good standing within his department . . . there were no issues of discipline ongoing."

The mystification behind that coolly bureaucratic assessment is shared by others who knew Craddock. A 40-year-old veteran of the Virginia Army National Guard, in which he served for six years as an artillery cannon crew member, Craddock had a shaved head, bodybuilder's physique and cameras in the windows of his house on a peaceful cul-de-sac.

Christi Dewar, a public utilities account clerk for the city who worked across the hall from Craddock, said she knew of no incidents or arguments involving Craddock in the days before the shooting.

"There was absolutely no warning whatsoever," Dewar said.

A 2003 report in Dolan's Virginia Business Observer said Craddock had joined a consulting firm called MSA and was a project engineer. Firm partner Scott Acey declined to comment Saturday beyond confirming that Craddock worked for the company for three to four years before going to work for Virginia Beach.

Shortly before Craddock began Friday afternoon's massacre, he was in the office bathroom, brushing his teeth, said city engineering technician Joseph Scott, who recalled exchanging pleasantries with him.

"Hi, how you doing? Any plans for the weekend?" Scott recalled saying. "That was pretty much it. Then we went our separate ways."

Not long afterward, about 4 p.m., officers received calls about a shooter in Building 2 of the Virginia Beach Municipal Center, a cluster of government offices just east of a golf course in this sprawling city that has a suburban feel. The police headquarters is at the municipal center, and two detectives quickly entered the building, followed by a pair of K-9 officers.

On Sunday, Cervera spoke of the challenges the officers faced as they ventured inside the building, a hivelike complex that was built in the 1970s and whose interior has since undergone additions and renovations.

"It's a maze where the workers are," Cervera said.

Without a clear idea of the shooter's whereabouts, officers entered that maze, eventually encountering Craddock on the second floor. A protracted firefight ensued, and at 4:19 p.m. one officer was hit but was saved by his protective vest. Craddock, cornered in an office, began firing through the door.

Police ultimately broke down the door and began trying to save the life of Craddock, who was wounded. He was taken to a hospital and died.

Between the time police were called to the scene and the time Craddock was subdued, 36 minutes had passed, officials said.

Craddock had killed 12 people - among them the mother of a 22-month-old, civil servants at the end of three-decade careers, a bagpipe enthusiast, an immigrant from Belarus who helped his friend with yardwork - in what authorities described as an indiscriminate killing rampage.

His first victim was a contractor in the parking lot, there to file a permit. The second was a woman on her way out of the office. Craddock, who was still an active employee, was able to use his badge to gain access to the building's second floor, where most of the killings occurred.

Within about an hour of the initial attack, Cervera said, all of the wounded had been transported for emergency care. In addition to those killed, four people were wounded and hospitalized. All have undergone surgeries, officials said Sunday.

"They are progressing, and our prayers are with them," said Hansen, the city manager.

Authorities identified those killed as Virginia Beach residents Michelle "Missy" Langer, Ryan Keith Cox, Tara Welch Gallagher, Mary Louise Gayle, Alexander Mikhail Gusev, Katherine Nixon, Joshua Hardy and Herbert "Bert" Snelling; Chesapeake residents Laquita Brown and Robert "Bobby" Williams; Norfolk resident Richard Nettleton; and Powhatan resident Christopher Kelly Rapp.

Officials said they were still piecing together Craddock's whereabouts and timeline on Friday. It was not clear when and where he picked up the guns before the massacre began. Officials with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said his two pistols were legally purchased in 2016 and 2018.

They found another legally purchased firearm at his home and a second gun that investigators were working to trace. At the scene of the shooting, police found a sound suppressor, commonly known as a silencer, and extended magazines.

At Sunday's news conference, city officials disclosed that Craddock resigned Friday morning but did not share details of how or why he did so. "He notified his chain of command that morning," Hansen said. "My understanding is he did that via email."

The municipal center will remain closed Monday, but Virginia Beach's other city offices will be open. All Municipal Center buildings other than Building 2, where the attack took place, will reopen Tuesday.

"Our recovery is underway," Hansen said. "Our grieving is underway."

But as church services and vigils were held Sunday across Virginia Beach, the state's largest city and a tourist destination where jets from the naval air station regularly roar overhead, many residents said they were still struggling to come to terms with what had happened.

Hundreds gathered Sunday morning near the iconic Neptune sculpture on Virginia Beach's sandy coast for an evangelical service hosted by Trinity Church.

Patty Richards said she had been praying since she heard that people had been shot at the municipal center not far from her house. Her husband, a contractor, had planned to go to that building on Friday for a permit but put it off until Monday.

Richards, a former critical cardiac nurse at a nearby hospital, said she understood too well what the medical professionals treating the victims would be facing.

"I know about that kind of pain," she said.

Cassandra Ellis, 47, stopped at the grocery store with her boyfriend for a dozen roses - one for each victim - adding them to the stack of flowers left in front of the Police Department.

"I go on my Facebook feed and that's all there is," Ellis said. "The vibes, the emotion is totally different. We're in a deep place, a bad place."

It was the deadliest shooting in the city's history, and the latest in the series of American gun massacres that now arrive with numbing frequency. The Virginia Beach shooting was the deadliest in the United States since a November shooting at a bar in Thousand Oaks, California, in which 13 people, including the gunman, were killed.

Robert Richardson, 39, a retired Navy veteran, said he had been drawn to the tightly knit community in Virginia Beach. "It has a big-city feel, but it doesn't act like a big city," he said.

On Sunday, Richardson brought his four children to see the flowers at the police station. "My kids go to school a block down the road," he said. "I fear for my kids when they go to school."

Richardson said he lived through the shooting at Fort Hood, Texas, in 2014 and never thought he'd see another workplace slaying like that one.

Now that more have taken place, he can't say he's surprised.

"If we didn't learn from Sandy Hook, where all these innocent children died, we'll never learn," he said.

- - -

The Washington Post's Moriah Balingit, Rachel Chason, Alice Crites, Jim Morrison, Gregory S. Schneider, Julie Tate and Matt Zapotosky contributed to this report.The 3-year-old son of a state trooper is recovering after being shot in the stomach on Saturday in Montgomery County, officials said.

It's not clear where or when the child was shot, but Department of Public Safety spokesman Sgt. Erik Burse described it as an "accidental" shooting and said the boy's father did not pull the trigger.

"We are investigating the circumstances surrounding the accidental shooting of a 3-year-old child of a DPS trooper," Burse said Saturday evening, as he drove to The Woodlands Medical Center to see the boy's family.

On Sunday, Montgomery County District Attorney Brett Ligon said the child would survive.

"As a parent, my first thought is for the kiddo," Ligon said. "I got word early this morning that he was going to make it."

He said the Texas Rangers would be taking the lead in investigating the shooting and that any charges would be pending their findings.

Officials did not release the name of the tot or his parents, and declined to say whether it's believed the child shot himself or whether someone else fired the weapon.

The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office and the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office are also investigating the incident.

Less than six months ago, the 2-year-old child of a Montgomery County Sheriff's Office deputy was similarly wounded in an accidental shooting in Conroe.

Staff writer Nicole Hensley contributed to this report.CLEVELAND, Ohio  Four people were injured during a shooting at a social gathering in Pepper Pike early Sunday, police say.

Officers were called at 12:05 a.m. to North Landerwood Plaza on Pinetree Road in the eastern suburb. Mayor Richard Bain said in a brief interview that three people suffered gunshot wounds and one was injured by broken glass.

None of the injuries were life-threatening, police said in a news release. Bain said no suspects have been arrested.

The mayor said none of the victims, whom he described as young, live in Pepper Pike.

Anyone with information can call (216) 831-1424.

This story was corrected to reflect the nature of the injuries sustained during the shooting.

If you would like to comment on this story, please visit Sundays crime and courts comments section.CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Trump administration sunk to a new low when they ordered the USS John S. McCain to be hidden from view during President Trumps visit to Japan.

The Wall Street Journal reported the story Wednesday, showing the ship with a tarp covering its name on the back. The Navy Destroyer was named after the late Senator John McCain, his father and grandfather, both Navy Admirals.

In the future, look for the launch of the USS Deferment Donald dinghy next to the Trumptanic.

Sailors wearing USS John S. McCain caps were also reportedly given the day off for Trumps visit and turned away from his address.

The WSJ later reported that when senior naval officers became involved, efforts to hide the ships name were suspended and the tarp was removed.

It would be more appropriate to throw the tarp over the Trump occupied White House.

Petty Commander in Chief, Deferment Donald, went from denying issuing the order and saying the person who did was well meaning to tweeting that the story was possibly fake news.'"

What was really fake, was the diagnosis of Trump having bone spurs, which he used to win multiple deferments from serving in the Vietnam War, according to reports from the diagonsing New York city podiatrists daughters. The daughters claimed their father diagnosed Trump with bones spurs as a favor to Fred Trump, who was the doctors landlord.

While Deferment Donald hit the NYC nightclubs during the Vietnam war, trying to avoid getting STDs, by his own admission, Vietnam guards were hitting Navy Pilot turned POW John McCain in torture sessions during his stay at the Hanoi Hilton prison.

In response to the WSJ story Trump told reporters, "I dont know what happened. I wasnt involved. I would not have done that. Now somebody did it because they thought I didnt like him, OK, and they were well meaning. I will say.

After Trump tweeted about the validity of the story being questioned, and it possibly being fake news, the U.S. Navy issued a statement confirming the request from the White House had in fact been made.

A request was made to the U.S. Navy to minimize the visibility of USS John S. McCain, however, all ships remained in their normal configuration during the Presidents visit. Rear Admiral Charlie Brown, chief of information said in a statement.

After being tortured as POW in Vietnam, Sen John McCain was unable to raise his arms above his shoulders. Now McCains children, wife and mother are having to endure verbal Trump torture from Deferment Donald that hasnt allowed the war hero to rest in peace in the week following Memorial Day and ahead of the D-Day anniversary.

Meghan McCain tweeted: Trump is a child who will always be deeply threatened by the greatness of my dads incredible life. There is a lot of criticism of how much I speak about my dad, but nine months since he passed, Trump wont let him RIP. So I have to stand up for him. I makes my grief unbearable.

On The View McCain expanded.

I will say the presidents actions have consequences, and when you repeatedly are attacking my father and war heroes, it creates a culture in the military where people are clearly fearful to show my fathers name in one way or another. And that, I think is what has started this chain of events.

Only Trump would call ordering the USS John S. McCain to be hidden, well meaning." There is nothing well meaning about what happened. Its more evidence of Trump administration dysfunction that borders on psychotic.

You would think Trump and his administration had bigger concerns. While they were trying to purge the USS John S. McCain, it was reported Trump BFF Kim Jong Un was having his top aides from the failed Summit purged, to hard labor, execution and unknown fates.Some of our political leaders on both sides of the aisle in the Ohio Statehouse dont care about the environment or our place in the clean and green economy. They have voted against our collective future by supporting failing nuclear plants and propping up unhealthy coal plants (Ohio Senate needs to fix the state Houses troubling Clean Air bill, editorial, May 31). If that wasnt bad enough, they have voted against our ability to have access to energy efficiency programs and investment into the standards that save money in the short-term and long-term life span of our homes. Our elected officials were voted in by brown, black and white communities that dont want nuclear waste to stay in our state. We want to have clean energy thrive at the utility level and at the individual level.

When we act responsibly for land, air, and water, were truly all better off together, no matter what certain politicians and their greedy lobbyists say to distract us from their corporate failures. By acting now, we can demand that we want clean jobs that grow our economy and ensure our well-being for generations to come. Join me in calling our state senators and asking them not to support any version of House Bill 6.

Chad Stephens,

ClevelandNORTH RIDGEVILLE, Ohio -- Darlene Rishel of North Ridgeville saw the future and took steps to move into a new career. Rishel originally attended cosmetology school part-time while she worked full-time in an office in the mid-2000s.

By 2009, she knew cosmetology was no longer for her, and was drawn to the idea of another career.

I wanted to go into the medical field. I wanted to be taking care of people, she said.

No stranger to change, Rishel embarked on a three-week class at Lorain County Community College (LCCC) to become a nursing assistant in her quest for a medical career.

That enabled me to get a job at a nursing home, which helped me complete the two-year program for surgical technology, Rishel said.

Her daughters are now teenagers and have been supportive of their mothers goals.

They think its amazing, and now both want to look into the medical field for themselves, she said.

Rishel said her plans worked out well at LCCC.

(The school) was only 10 minutes away from my house -- a very close commute. And the tuition is one of the least expensive anywhere around and (its) known for having a good medical program.

Rishel said those factors helped her go into the nursing program with high hopes. Now she is working at Fairview Hospital.

I am scrubbing in every day, and we have approximately three to six surgery cases per day, she said. I scrub in with the surgeons and set up the tables. My job is to be accountable for all the instruments, as well as maintaining a sterile field, which means opening all the packages of basins, drapes and instruments.

Rishel said she is a second hand to the surgeons, giving them what they need to complete the surgery by handing instruments to them as needed.

Though the days are sometimes long, said Rishel, At the end of each surgery, I just love my job, because its very satisfying to know we are changing lives.

Rishel has only good words to say about LCCC and the resources available to begin or to change a career.

They actually have a lot of resources -- programs to do resumes at no charge, posting of internships, job fairs and a job-connect program, she said.

She also noted that teachers write letters of recommendation and are very supportive even after students graduate from the program.

Rishel was asked what advice she has for others just beginning college or looking to change careers.

I say, youve got to start somewhere. And LCCC also has a university partnership so that you can get your (four-year) education at less cost while trying to figure things out.

Rishels own plans now include continuing on to finish her bachelors degree to become a physicians assistant.

That will allow me to stay in the operating rooms and to see patients, too. I want to continue my education through my masters degree and then on to board certification, as well, she said.

As for her daughters, Rishel said: I am setting an example for them. I hope that is what they see. I tell them, If you want it, go for it.

Read more news from the Sun Sentinel.The ban on plastic bags that Cuyahoga County Council just adopted may never be enforced, if a couple of legislators from southern Ohio have anything to do with it, but passions are still high in Greater Cleveland about the issue.

On the latest episode of This Week in the CLE, the cleveland.com podcast about the latest news, reporters and editors discuss what motivated the council to adopt the bag ban along with some pros and cons.

However the issue ends up, the council took an emphatic stand for the environment, possibly the boldest move the council has taken since a new form of government began in the county nearly a decade ago.

You can download the podcast here or, on many devices, click on the player below to begin listening. Or you can read a transcript of the discussion.

Chris Quinn: Missing the point of our first story seems to be a hazard in discussions about it. That story is the ban on plastic bags voted into law by the Cuyahoga County Council this week. Every time this discussion comes up, seemingly, people get twisted up in the energy and water it takes to make disposal bags versus paper or multiple-use bags, but a big part of this issue is actually about our waterways and Lake Erie. Plastic bags are fouling them and harming the fish. Courtney, let's start with the specifics. What does this legislation do and when would it take effect?

Courtney Astolfi: This legislation got tweaked. It's no longer going to take effect in October now. It's going to start January 1st of 2020. And it'll ban what they're calling single-use plastic bags, the ones we all are familiar with from stores. There are exceptions for different things, like bags for pet waste, for carry-out food, a handful of different exceptions. But really this does what similar laws in California and New York have set out to do.

Chris: So what are the penalties for stores that violate it?

Courtney: The consumer affairs portion of Cuyahoga County is going to be enforcing that. There's escalating fees over time. I think on the third offense it's up to $500. So there's not going to be really, I don't think, enforcement efforts where they're going out and looking for violations. It's going to be more of a passive, when they complaints, if they're in the stores for other reasons they may find a violation if stores are still using them.

Chris: We'll get to some roadblocks this in a minute, but what, generally, was their discussion about the need for this? What are they trying to do?

Courtney: The discussion is hugely on the number 320,000,000 plastic bags are used by Cuyahoga County residents every year was thrown out quite often in the discussion. The goal, particularly from Councilwoman Sunny Simon, who's been a main driver of this, is the effect on Lake Erie. The plastic bags get in the waterways, get out into the lake, they break down from the sun, and it puts out chemicals into our water supply. When it passed this week, she really talked about Cleveland's legacy and how the river fires gave birth to the EPA. She was just talking about how Cuyahoga has a responsibility to nature.

Chris: To do something. Mary and Mark, you both have done reading about this and about the arguments that are kind of counterintuitive, that getting rid of the plastic bags works against some of the environmental concerns. What have you been reading?

Mary Kilpatrick: So there's this one study out of the UK in 2011 that showed, and I believe that this is correct, but one plastic bag equal ... Sorry. A paper bag would have to be used three times to negate its effect on the environment that the same plastic bag would use. So it's questionable whether or not paper bags are better than plastic bags. Reusable bags, I think it's a much higher percentage. They would have to be used several times in order for them to be negated. Negate the plastic bag.

Chris: But you're back to the energy and resources needed to make them. Does what's happening in the river and, especially, the lake, does that make it a worthwhile investment to spend the extra money on paper bags and other alternatives just to save the waterways?

Mary: Well, Cuyahoga County decided that it was worth it. I talked to Jeff Heinen, the owner of Heinen's. He is disappointed with county council's decision to ban plastic bags not because he thinks plastic isn't a problem, but he believes that this isn't the right solution. A couple of years ago, he was in favor of a fee, both on paper and plastic bags at stores. That ultimately didn't go forward. He said that moving exclusively to paper bags is going to cost Heinen's $2 million extra annually, which is real money.

Chris: Does that cost Heinen's $2 million or does it cost their customers $2 million extra? I imagine they'll be passing that along.

Mary: Yeah, well see.

Want our podcasts delivered directly to your phone? We have an Apple podcasts channel exclusively for this podcast. Subscribe here.

You can also access This Week in the Cleveland through Pinecast, Spotify, Stitcher, RadioPublic and other platforms.COLUMBUS, OhioA planned LGBTQ teen arts event at an Ohio library has been canceled after Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder demanded the library not teach teenage boys how to become drag queens.

Meanwhile, similar criticism has led a Delaware County library to move an upcoming Drag 101 class to another location.

In a letter released Friday, Householder, a Perry County Republican, called the events a stunningly bizarre breach of the public trust.

Our libraries are an incubator for thought and ideas, for debate and discussion. On this point, we can all agree, Householder wrote. But I can also assure you the taxpayers arent interested in seeing their hard-earned dollars being used to teach teenage boys how to become drag queens. I expect this to end immediately.

I sent this letter to the Ohio Library Council today. Our public libraries are great resources for young & old alike. But they should not be a resource for teenage boys to learn how to dress in drag. I demand it stop now !!! pic.twitter.com/RpM8Wds1KB  Speaker Larry Householder (@HouseholderOH) May 31, 2019

Householder didnt list any particular libraries by name in the letter, which was addressed to whom it may concern. But House GOP spokeswoman Gail Crawley stated in an email that the speaker penned the letter in response to a Drag 101 class that was initially scheduled to be held at the Delaware County District Library next Wednesday, as well as a planned Galaxy of Diversity: A LGBTQ Teen Event next Friday at the Emerson R. Miller library in Newark (which is near, but not in, Householders district).

Organizers of the Delaware County class, taught by former Miss Gay Ohio America and local drag queen Selena T. West, have moved it to a local comics shop after library officials said they received hundreds of calls and emails, some of which included what they called veiled threats, according to the Columbus Dispatch.

Licking County Library Director Babette Wofter, meanwhile, told the Newark Advocate that she canceled the Galaxy of Diversity event because it became too difficult for the organization to control the misinformation circulating about it.

The Newark County Pride Coalition, which was co-sponsoring the Galaxy of Diversity event, stated in an open letter of its own that the event was meant to be an arts and crafts project and safe-sex educational program, with only an optional make-up tutorial. The coalition noted that no public money would have been used for the program, which would have been funded by a non-governmental grant.

The coalition asked Householder to respect the civil liberties of Newark residents, noting that the U.S. Supreme Court has affirmed the freedoms of speech and expression for the LGBTQ community.

We also ask that, in the future, Speaker Householder take the time to gather accurate facts, prior to issuing a factually inaccurate response to a program hosted by and for our community, the coalition stated in its letter.

Householder, though, dismissed criticism that he was looking to squelch free speech.

Let me be crystal clear: This isnt about banning books or banning thought or any other red herring argument, he wrote. This is about right and wrong. This is about being good stewards of the publics money.

A group of House Democrats from Central Ohio, in a release, called Householders comments unfortunate.

Lets be clearthe promise of America is not that we all agree on everythingbut that we all agree to let everyone have their voice. That is certainly true for the nearly 500,000 LGBTQ Ohioans," the Democrats said in a statement "At a time when the national political discourse has reached new lowslet us in Ohio embrace our diversity so that all can flourish.COLUMBUS, Ohio  Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden told a crowd here Saturday night that President Donald Trump wants to roll back the clock on LGBTQ rights and that its time to push for full equal rights for LGBTQ people at the state and federal level.

Yes, in this dangerous moment for our nation, the very idea of America is at stake," Biden told more than 700 people gathered at Ohio State Universitys student union for the 36th Human Rights Campaign Columbus Dinner.

His speech Saturday in Columbus was the former vice presidents first appearance in Ohio since he announced he was running for president on April 25.

Biden threw his support behind the federal Equality Act, legislation that would prohibit discrimination against people based on their sex, sexual orientation or gender identity. The U.S. House passed the measure May 17. Biden called on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to hold a vote on the bill.

As with federal law, state law doesnt protect LGBTQ Ohioans from discrimination at work, housing, school and other activities in everyday life.

Some Ohio cities have nondiscrimination ordinances in place to protect the LGBTQ community, Biden said.

He noted that in the Ohio General Assembly, Sen. Nickie Antonio, a Lakewood Democrat, has again introduced a nondiscrimination bill, Senate Bill 11, which is currently in committee.

Biden visits Ohio, which has been considered a swing state, after other Democratic candidates. U.S. Sens. Kamala Harris, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, former U.S. Rep. Beto ORouke and South Bend Mayor Pete Buttegieg have already campaigned in the state. And of course, Democratic U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan calls Niles home.

Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley, who is endorsing Buttegieg, hosted his husband, Chasten Buttigieg, this weekend, for the citys gay pride events.

It is always a great start to the weekend when you spend it with the Rubi Girls and @Chas10Buttigieg #Pete2020 pic.twitter.com/s7Y7fkV2rP  Nan Whaley (@nanwhaley) June 1, 2019

The 2020 presidential primary in Ohio is March 10.

The Human Rights Campaign hasnt officially endorsed any candidate for the 2020 election, but has hosted other Democratic presidential candidates at other fundraising events. The gay-rights organization will endorse the Democratic nominee with the focus on defeating President Trump, an HRC spokesman said.

In Columbus Saturday night, Biden was popular among the crowd -- with people shouting out Youre awesome! several times during his speech.

Biden was introduced by HRC President Chad Griffin, who described his work as a longtime ally of the LGBTQ community.

Biden was an early public supporter of marriage equality -- more open to it than President Barack Obama was at the time. Two years ago, Biden said transgender equality is the civil rights issue of our time. His foundation works to promote acceptance and safety of LGBTQ people.

Equal rights are important not just because theyre the right thing to do, Biden said, but because people look to the United States as a moral beacon. In too many parts of the world, gay rights are eroding, he said.

Just like with racial justice and womens rights, were seeing pushback with all the progress weve made towards equality, he said. Progress youve worked so hard for decades on.

But Biden said that there is reason for hope -- despite Trump seeking to kick transgender soldiers out of the military, deny birthright citizenship to children of same-sex couples, lift Obama guidance to schools to respect transgender childrens gender preferences in bathrooms and locker rooms, among other actions.

Ten years ago, straight allies rarely spoke out when people made fun of gays. Today, major corporations boycott states that enact anti-LGBTQ legislation.

My God, youve already changed the environment in such a fundamental way, he told attendees.CLEVELAND -- Reminder: Abortion is still legal in all 50 states, including Ohio. And the majority of Americans want to keep it that way  in fact, most Americans believe that when someone has decided to have an abortion, they should be able to get care in their community, without shame or judgment.

Nonetheless, over the past few weeks, weve seen multiple states join the race to outlaw abortion and marginalize vulnerable people. Ohios in the race to win  in April, Gov. Mike DeWine signed into law a bill that would ban abortion after six weeks  effectively banning all abortions.

Georgia, Alabama, Missouri and Louisiana have followed, passing bans that render abortion essentially inaccessible.

Chrisse France is executive director of Preterm.

Alabama has even criminalized medical providers with up to 99 years in prison for offering the safe and compassionate care women need.

These actions tell women and pregnant people that their bodies, lives, and futures dont matter. They say that women shouldnt be trusted to make their own decisions.

None of these immoral laws  including Ohios  is in effect. And before Ohios becomes official on July 10, Preterm, the largest independent abortion provider in Ohio, was proud to join our colleagues at the ACLU, Planned Parenthood, and other providers, as the lead plaintiff in a challenge to the law. We are fighting this harmful, dangerous abortion ban with everything we have.

At Preterm, we see patients daily who struggle financially and already face barriers to health care: They are young, low-income, people of color, LGBTQ, immigrants, or people with disabilities. Moreover, Ohioans experience some of the highest maternal and fetal mortality rates, particularly women of color.

Ohios law would hurt these people the most. Without access to safe abortion and sexual health care at all stages of pregnancy, people are unable to make decisions about when and whether to parent. They deserve to get health care safely and with support from caring medical professionals.

Recently, a young woman from rural Ohio came to Preterm in search of abortion care, alone in her car with only a few dollars. Our volunteers and staff helped her through protesters and helped her complete her paperwork and navigate legal hurdles. They also helped her find a safe place to stay while waiting through the cruel 24-hour waiting period imposed by the state. And donations from supporters helped her pay for her abortion.

Pregnant Ohioans need access to safe, high-quality abortion  and they should be able to access it within their communities. Ohios ban on abortion will force patients to leave the state for care, which requires them to pay for travel and take time off work and away from family  a luxury many cant afford.

Physicians, nurses, social workers, and medical experts agree that access to comprehensive health care, including abortion, is critical for healthy communities. A recent report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) found that abortion is a safe procedure and that medically unnecessary regulations, like the myriad imposed by Ohio politicians, negatively impact the quality of care.

Ohio politicians ignored the voices of the medical community, patients, clinic staff, and constituents who have spoken out against this ban. Instead, emboldened by the Trump administration and its allies, theyre focused on cheap political gains  at the expense of public health and human dignity.

At the center of our legal challenge are real people  past, current and future patients who need abortion care. If allowed to move forward, this ban will strip patients of the safety and respect they need. Often at Preterm, we hear from patients who appreciate that we, unlike politicians, treat them like human beings, acknowledging the complex decision-making process they face.

While we continue to see dehumanizing laws pass across the country and here in Ohio, we are also seeing organizations push back and succeed. Courts have blocked nearly identical six-week bans in Kentucky, North Dakota, and Iowa. A lawsuit has been filed against the Alabama restrictive abortion law and attorneys intend to sue in Georgia in the months to come.

Gov. DeWine and his allies are wrong on abortion and wrong on how they treat women and vulnerable people. Well see them in court. And in the meantime, well be here, providing patients with the empathetic, high-quality care they deserve.

Chrisse France is the executive director of Preterm, Ohios largest abortion provider, an independent, nonprofit abortion and sexual health clinic in Cleveland.

..........................

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.Austin Chiang has a unique role as a chief medical social media officer Austin Chiang

The antidote to fake health news? According to Austin Chiang, the first chief medical social media officer at a top hospital, it's to drown out untrustworthy content with tweets, pics and posts from medical experts that the average American can relate to. Chiang is a Harvard-trained gastroenterologist with a side passion for social media. On Instagram, where he refers to himself as a "GI Doctor," he has 20,000 followers, making him one of the most influential docs aside from TV personalities, plastic surgeons and New York's so-called "most eligible bachelor," Dr. Mike. Every few days, he'll share a selfie or a photo of himself in scrubs along with captions about the latest research or insights from conferences he attends, or advice to patients trying to sort our real information from rumors. He's also active on Twitter, Microsoft's LinkedIn and Facebook (which owns Instagram).

One of Chiang's social media campaigns Austin Chiang

But Chiang recognizes that his following pales in comparison to accounts like "Medical Medium," where two million people tune in to the musings of a psychic, who raves about vegetables that will cure diseases ranging from depression to diabetes. (Gwyneth Paltrow's Goop has written about the account's creator glowingly.) Or on Pinterest and Facebook, where anti-vaccination content has been far more prominent than legitimate public health information. Meanwhile, on e-commerce sites like Amazon and eBay, vendors have hawked unproven and dangerous health "cures," including an industrial-strength bleach that is billed as eliminating autism in children. "This is the biggest crisis we have right now in health care," said Chiang. "Everyone should be out there, but I realize I'm one of the few." According to Chiang, doctors have historically been reluctant to build a following on social media for a variety of reasons. They view it as a waste of time, they don't know how, or they fear they might say the wrong thing and get in trouble with an employer. Others prefer to spend their time communicating with their peers via academic journals. But as Chiang points out, most consumers do not pore over the latest scientific literature. So health professionals need to take the time to start connecting with them where they do spend their time  and that's on Facebook and Instagram. So he's working to recruit an army of physicians, nurses, patient advocates, and other health professionals to get online. He's primarily starting on his home turf at Jefferson Health, and with other doctors in his specialty. He was appointed to his "new and unique role" in the summer of 2018, which he got after a series of conversations with the health system's CEO Stephen Klasko. Klasko is a physician and avid social media user himself, with both professional and personal accounts. He's also a notorious straight-talker in the industry who openly discusses some of the more broken aspects of the heath-care system online and at conferences, including things like the inflated costs and the flaws of medical education.

Jefferson Health's Steve Klasko walking through campus. Jefferson HealthOn weekdays, "Shark Tank" star and self-made multimillionaire Kevin O'Leary wakes up at 5 a.m. then rides his exercise bike and reads the day's financial news before heading off to work.

On Sundays, however, he switches things up a bit. He still wakes up at 5 and exercises, but instead of reading about the markets, he watches CBS's "Sunday Morning," which "takes my mind off business," O'Leary tells CNBC Make It.

"Then I watch at least two political shows, to just see which way the wind is blowing," he adds. "Politics matter. If you're an investor like me, you want to know which direction the country's going."

For the rest of the day, O'Leary indulges in his hobbies. "I want to do things that interest me, my hobbies, my watch collection, my wine business," he says.Scenes of the mountains in front of the hollywood sign On March 5th 2017 in Los Angeles, United States of America. James D. Morgan | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty Images

A contentious anti-abortion law proposed in Georgia is throwing Hollywood into turmoil as it mulls over how to respond. Enticing tax incentives in the state following the 2008 financial crisis made Georgia a go-to filming location for massive blockbusters like "Avengers: Endgame," "Black Panther," "Hunger Games" and "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle." It has also been a hub for popular television programs like "The Walking Dead," "Ozark," "Stranger Things" and "Queer Eye." However, a number of prominent Hollywood studios have said this week that they will reconsider filming their projects in the state if the "Heartbeat Law" is enacted. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed the bill on May 7, but it won't go into effect until January 2020, if it stands up to legal challenges. The law bans abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected, something that can occur before most women even know they are pregnant. A number of groups are challenging it, saying violates the 1973 landmark Supreme Court case, Roe v. Wade, which protects a woman's right to an abortion up until when the fetus is viable. Georgia's law could reduce the time when a woman can get abortion to about 6 weeks from between 24 and 25 weeks. A potential boycott of Georgia wouldn't just hurt the state, which currently reaps around $9.5 billion in economic benefits from film production, it would also hurt Hollywood, inflating budgets and leading some projects to be dropped entirely. "A boycott on production in Georgia on a grand scale is possible, one could even say imminent," said Tom Nunan, a lecturer at the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television. "The real question is whether or not that will have any influence on local politics."

Y'allywood, Georgia

There's no doubt that high profile companies like Disney, Netflix and Amazon leaving Georgia or deciding to produce future films and television programs in other states would be bad news for the state's economy. Georgia has become known as "Y'allywood" and has infrastructure in place specifically for film and television production. Not to mention, the state has a tremendously skilled workforce of crew members, craftsmen and technicians working on sets. Already, Georgia-based film industry employees are losing work as some studios ditch projects in the area or seek alternative sites for filming. Amazon's "The Power," which spent months location hunting in Savannah, decided to cease pre-production in the state and look for an alternative filming site. "We had no problem stopping the entire process instantly," director Reed Morano, told Time last week. "There is no way we would ever bring our money to that state by shooting there."

For the most part, film studios are sticking to their current commitments, and will continue shooting already scheduled shows and films in the area. Although several actors, like Alyssa Milano, who works on the show "Insatiable," have said they will not film in the state if the law is passed. Others who have committed to film in the area, like J.J. Abrams and Jordan Peele, have said they will donate all of their episodic fees to Fair Fight Georgia and ACLU of Georgia, organizations that are planning to challenge the law in court. "They're not punishing the crews. They're not punishing the people who own sound stages in Georgia, who have nothing to do with state politics. They are just working men and women who are trying to pay their bills," Nunan said. "So, I do think some of these artists are taking the right approach, which is use these resources that you are earning so handsomely in Georgia towards fighting Georgia politics." Nunan said that simply leaving the state won't actually effect change in the area. In fact, if liberal and moderate locals leave to seek out other work, the state could become even redder. "The truth is that pulling out essentially just abandons Georgia to ... the conservative Republicans in the state," said Molly Coffee, creative director of Film Impact Georgia and a 10-year film industry veteran based in the state. "We would not only be pulling out the economic power that we've had in making change here, but we would also be abandoning all the women who work here." "If the film industry goes away then [Republicans] get back control of the state, they are no longer in danger of [liberals] flipping the seats," she said. It should be noted that not everyone who works in the film industry is automatically against Georgia's anti-abortion law, Williams pointed out.

Not so peachy

However, the biggest economic issue for Georgia would be the loss of future productions. "If this [abortion ban] does become law in the state, then I think companies that are considering coming to Georgia, maybe they've only done pre-production or location scouting, they haven't put their main tent pole in the soil and started building, they're probably already looking at other locations to go to," Russell Williams, professor of film and media arts at American University, said. The state gets just under $3 billion in direct spending from film and TV production, but another $6.5 billion in additional economic impact. This money goes to hotels, restaurants, gas stations, vehicle rentals and lumber purchases, all things needed for companies to make and produce their projects.

Lionsgate

While the majority of folks who work directly in the film industry tend to be freelancers and can travel for the next job, the local population who provide the goods and services purchased from the film workers could suffer. "If Disney leaves, if Sony leaves, if Netflix leaves, the state of Georgia will feel that," Williams said. Of course, Nunan points out that just because big studios leave, doesn't mean that smaller companies will be deterred from staying or entering the state. "Georgia's tax incentives are so appealing and the local professional crews that they offer there are so high level that I suspect many other companies may come in and not suffer any blow back from the Hollywood community because they just aren't high profile," he said.

The cost of taking a stand

Georgia won't be the only one to suffer financially. If Hollywood companies do boycott and leave the state, they are walking away from cost-saving incentives. Currently out of state productions earn a base 20% transferable tax credit for filming in Georgia and an additional 10% uplift on that by embedding the Georgia logo into the credits of the film. "I think that Hollywood studios are really going to have to regroup because the other option that they have are often in state with similarly draconian bills that are either being enacted or about to enacted," Nunan said. "So, they really are in a tight spot."

Jackson Davis | NetflixGoogle CEO Sundar Pichai speaks during the GDC Game Developers Conference on March 19, 2019 in San Francisco, California. Google announced Stadia, a new streaming service that allows players to play games online without consoles or computers.

This week, Google issued several new policies meant to improve user privacy and safety, from restricting third-party data collection to banning apps that help users buy marijuana.

The moves come as Google faces backlash from advertisers for failing to monitor certain types of content, especially with its YouTube subsidiary, whose issues with some of its largest advertisers have only recently come to light.

The company also faces looming regulation from Washington, whose tensions with Silicon Valley have grown over the last year. This week, presidential candidate Senator Elizabeth Warren, who has been increasingly vocal about her concern over the scale of Google and Facebook, sponsored billboards that read "Break Up Big Tech" in their own backyard in San Francisco and Oakland. On Friday night, several publications reported that the Department of Justice is beginning to prepare an antitrust investigation against the company.

Privacy was also the resounding theme of Google's annual developer conference Google I/O in May, as executives tried repeatedly to assure the audience that they care about privacy and issuing new policies for products like Google Nest. During that same keynote, a plane hovered over the Mountain View conference venue with a banner that read "Google control is not privacy."

"To make this ecosystem successful, people need to be confident their data is secure, and developers need clear rules of the road," Google Fellow and VP of Engineering Ben Smith wrote in an announcement Thursday.

Here's a rundown:

Chrome extension crackdown: On Thursday, the company announced new policies for its Chrome browser, requiring third-party Chrome extensions to only request access to "the least amount of data" needed to implement their features. In the past, it was only an encouragement and not a requirement. There are more than 180,000 extensions in Chrome Web Store, according to the company.

Google also said it will require more extensions to post their own privacy and data use policies. In the past, the company only required extensions that handle personal or sensitive user data to post a privacy policy, but now it will require extensions that handle "user-provided content" and personal communications.

Both changes will go into effect starting this summer.

Restricting access to info in Drive and Gmail: In the same announcement, Google said it will tighten restrictions on how developers can access Google Drive, which allows users to store and sync files across devices. The change, which will kick in early next year, will force third-parties to limit the apps they can access data from.

Starting June 25, the company will make widely available to G Suite customers a new privacy feature called "Confidential Mode," which aims to keep sensitive information from unauthorized access. Google announced the feature in April amid reports that users' email content was being collected.

Weed whacking. Also this week, Google said it has banned and will continue to ban apps that facilitate the sale of marijuana or related products, deeming it "Inappropriate Content" that compromises user safety. Existing apps will have 30 days from their launch to comply with the policy.They're not as ubiquitous as cocktail bars and souvenir shops, but chapels and interfaith prayer spaces, many with full or part-time chaplains, are among the amenities offered by more than three dozen airports around the country.

Some prayer rooms occupy what has, over time, become prime real estate in pre- or post-security areas of airport terminals. Others are tucked away and may be hard to find on mezzanines, down back corridors or in baggage claim areas.

But a recent rise in violence at churches, mosques and synagogues prompted Orlando International Airport to rethink holding religious services at its interfaith chapel and reflection space, prompting some concern about whether other airports will make similar changes.

In 1951, Boston Logan International Airport was the first U.S. airport to set aside dedicated space for prayer. "It was explicitly meant for people working at the airport. A neon light pointed to the chapel," said Wendy Cadge, an expert in contemporary American religion in "A Brief History of Airport Chapels."

Today Logan's appropriately named Our Lady of the Airways is located in the airport's public area. It seats 250, is open around-the-clock and offers mass daily for passengers, airport and airline employees and the general public.

At Orlando International Airport, an interfaith chapel with a Tree of Life stained glass window dates to the airport's 1981 opening. A second reflection space for prayer, with accommodations for Muslim travelers, was added in 2015, as part of a customer service enhancement project.

Both spaces are located post-security and for many years Catholic mass has been offered in the airport's chapel each Sunday morning and during holidays. But, citing increased passenger volume, space allocation and safety, the airport board recently revised its policies. Now, while ticketed passengers and employees are welcome to visit the prayer spaces anytime, organized religious services of any kind are not permitted.

"Every airport authority has to make the decisions that they think are the best for their environment and location," said Susan Schneider of the Interfaith Airport Chapels of Chicago, which offers religious services and passenger support services at both O'Hare and Chicago Midway airports. "If Orlando feels this is something they must do at this time, you have to trust the decision. You just hope it's the right decision."

Reverend Rodrick Burton, a pastor in St. Louis, is certain the authorities at Orlando International Airport have made the wrong decision.

"I believe Orlando's actions are stunning in their shortsightedness and in an effort to be politically correct or to misinterpret the constitutional right of freedom of religion," said Burton, who serves as president of the St. Louis Airport Interfaith Chaplaincy, an organization that has offered "prayer, religious services, spiritual guidance, empathetic listening" and other assistance at St. Louis Lambert International Airport for more than 33 years.An aerial photo shows Boeing 737 MAX airplanes parked on the tarmac at the Boeing Factory in Renton, Washington, U.S. March 21, 2019. Lindsey Wasson | Reuters

More than 300 Boeing 737 jets, including the Max, may have faulty wing parts that don't meet strength and durability standards, the Federal Aviation Administration said Sunday, following a joint investigation with the aircraft manufacturer. The FAA plans to order airlines to remove and replace the parts if their aircraft are affected, the agency said. As many as 148 parts made by a Boeing supplier could be "susceptible to premature failure or cracks," the FAA said in a statement about the slat tracks. Slats are pieces on the front of the wing and move along a track to create lift. They are important during take-off and landing. Boeing shares fell 0.8% to close at $338.89, recovering from a nearly five-month low hit in morning trading.

The FAA said that while "the complete failure of a leading edge slat track would not result in the loss of the aircraft, a risk remains that a failed part could lead to aircraft damage in flight." Worldwide, 133 NG and 179 Max planes are affected and of those, 32 Boeing 737 NG and 33 Boeing Max planes are in the U.S. Boeing said it found that a lower number of planes likely have the suspect parts installed but that it recommended that dozens of others be checked "to ensure a thorough assessment." The FAA said it will issue an airworthiness directive mandating service actions to remove the parts and that airlines will have to comply within 10 days. The agency said it has alerted international civil aviation authorities of the issue. Three of Southwest Airlines' 737s NGs and a similar number of its Max planes are affected, according to spokesman Chris Mainz. The carrier is preparing to review the planes' slat tracks "and will fully comply with any service and regulatory requirements," he said in statement. Southwest operates an all-Boeing 737 fleet of about 750 planes.

Peak season

The requirement to remove the parts in question on certain 737s creates a new wrinkle for some airlines that are scrambling to ensure they have enough aircraft during the peak summer travel season. Airlines that fly the 737 Max have had to cancel thousands of flights through August as the planes remain grounded. Boeing said it is planning to provide replacement parts for its airline customers affected by the slat track issue "to help minimize aircraft downtime while the work is completed," a process it said should take a day or two. The 737 NG is the model that preceded the 737 Max, which Boeing first delivered to airlines in 2017. Boeing's CEO, Dennis Muilenburg, last week said the company had to regain the public's trust and apologized to the relatives of victims in the two recent crashes. Executives at some carriers that operate the 737 Max, including United Airlines and Southwest, said they would not charge change fees or fare differences for travelers who are booked on a Max, to switch to a flight on another type of plane.

Boeing's woesDonald Trump during bilateral meetings in Beijing in late 2017. Jonathan Ernst | Reuters

BEIJING  China took a firm official stance against the United States on trade on Sunday, issuing a white paper that illustrates a widening gap between the two sides. The paper argues that trade disruptions  which the document claims were launched by the United States  negatively affect the world. It claims that the United States is an untrustworthy negotiator and that the Chinese government wants talks that are equal, mutually beneficial and trustworthy. U.S. media outlets have reported that Beijing backed out from basically all negotiating points during talks with the United States several weeks ago.

Nothing is agreed until everything is agreed. Wang Shouwen Chinese vice commerce minister

At a press conference Sunday, Vice Commerce Minister Wang Shouwen said U.S. actions in the past month are the primary reason for the lack of progress in negotiations. "During the consultations, China has overcome many difficulties and put forward pragmatic solutions. However, the U.S. has backtracked, and when you give them an inch, they want a yard," Wang said. Last month, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods would go up from 10% to 25%. The U.S. has also begun investigating whether $300 billion of other Chinese goods could be subject to tariffs. Finally, the U.S. put Chinese telecom giant Huawei on an list that essentially prevents it from conducting business with U.S. companies. Wang would not confirm at a press conference Sunday whether Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping would meet at the G20 meeting at the end of June. Wang said only that China will send representatives to those coming meetings in Japan.

On Friday, China's Commerce Ministry announced it would create a list of what it calls "unreliable entities." State news agency Xinhua subsequently reported that China is investigating Memphis, Tennessee-based FedEx. CNBC confirmed that the shipping giant diverted packages destined for Huawei addresses in Asia. Wang would not elaborate on details about the unreliable entities list or its implementation, saying such details would be disclosed later. Wang said Sunday that any foreign companies that act against Chinese law will be subject to Chinese investigations, according to a CNBC translation of his Mandarin-language remarks.Lufthansa airplanes at waiting position on the first of a two-day strike at Frankfurt Airport on November 23, 2016 in Frankfurt, Germany.

SEOUL  Europe's airline industry is ready for consolidation, and Lufthansa expects to be part of the action, the German airline's CEO told CNBC's Chery Kang on Sunday.

"There is a need and room for more consolidation in Europe. Probably looking at North America somewhat shows how the industry could develop," Carsten Spohr said during the International Air Transport Association (IATA) AGM in Seoul.

Lufthansa has been an active participant in the mergers and acquisitions (M&A) space, with Spohr pointing to previous activity with Swiss Air, Austrian Airlines, and Brussels Airlines.

"We have been active on this for many years," he said. "If there are opportunities, we surely will be ready."

The carrier currently has a bid in for Thomas Cook's Condor unit, which Lufthansa previously sold its shareholding to Thomas Cook between 2000 and 2007.

At this year's IATA AGM, industry players have been facing a slowdown in profits on the back of higher costs and global trade wars. Lufthansa is expecting single-digit earnings growth for the year, saying it is optimistic, despite posting a pre-tax loss for the first quarter of 336 million euros ($376 million).

"We had a disappointing (first) quarter in Europe, mostly dominated by overcapacity. But with strong booking outlook for the summer, we maintain optimism for the rest of the year."

Meanwhile the carrier has switched its focus to profitability from capacity growth when it comes to its low cost carrier, Eurowings, which Spohr said had been the growth driver for the group.

"We made sure we achieved the market position in important markets, and we are now going for profitability which has been somewhat neglected for the past years while we made sure we achieved strategic position."Investors are overlooking the threat posed by the U.S.-China trade war, which could send the global economy into recession in less than a year, according to a research note published Sunday by Morgan Stanley.

"Investors are generally of the view that the trade dispute could drag on for longer, but they appear to be overlooking its potential impact on the global macro outlook," wrote Chetan Ahya, the investment bank's chief economist.

President Donald Trump last month raised the tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods from 10% to 25%. U.S. officials have also threatened to impose tariffs on $300 billion in remaining Chinese imports.

Ahya noted that the outcome of the trade war at the moment "is highly uncertain" but warned that if the U.S. follows through with 25% tariffs on the additional Chinese imports, "We could end up in a recession in three quarters."

"Is such a prognosis alarmist? We think otherwise," Ahya wrote.

In particular, investors are not fully appreciating the effect of reduced capital expenditures, which could drive down global demand, according to the bank.

An economic slowdown in early 2020 could hamstring Trump's electoral chances. Trump has campaigned on boosting growth and lowering unemployment, and made his deal-making abilities a signature aspect of his 2016 campaign. American voters head the the polls in November of next year.

While policymakers are likely to act to stem the effects of a trade war, "given the customary lag before policy measures impact real economic activity, a downdraft in global growth appears inevitable," according to Ahya.

Talks between the U.S. and China have stalled as the world's two largest economies trade rhetorical barbs and punishing tit-for-tat economic measures.

Earlier Sunday, the Chinese government released a white paper accusing the U.S. of starting the trade war and of being an unreliable negotiating partner. The document warned that the dispute had global implications.

On Saturday, the Chinese Xinhua news agency reported that state authorities were investigating American delivery giant FedEx. That news followed the Trump administration barring Chinese telecom giant Huawei from dealing with American suppliers.

Markets have tanked amid the trade uncertainty, with the S&P 500 down more than 6% last month and the Dow, as of Friday, marking losses for six straight weeks, the longest such streak in eight years.

The hit to equities was compounded last week by Trump's threat of new tariffs on Mexico if it does not take new action to prevent unlawful immigration into the U.S. Trump has said the U.S. will impose escalating tariffs on Mexican imports starting at 5% on June 10.

That threat, made via Twitter on Thursday evening, sent the major American indexes down more than 1% on Friday.

Much hangs on whether Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, or their representatives, are able to hash out a deal during the G-20 summit of world leaders in Japan later this month.

It is not yet clear if the two leaders will meet one-on-one. During a press conference Sunday, Chinese Vice Commerce Minister Wang Shouwen declined to confirm if a meeting will take place.On Thursday, Recorded Future -- a threat intelligence company little known outside cybersecurity circles -- announced its sale to venture firm Insight Partners for $780 million.

The deal bought out high-profile investors in the company, including Alphabet's GV (formerly Google Ventures), the CIA's In-Q-Tel and Reed Elsevier, among others.

The acquisition comes companies are looking to grow a neglected tool in their cybersecurity arsenal: predictive intelligence, which can help them tell where and how the next cyberattack will come.

Recorded Future collates data from a wide variety of sources, including dark web forums, company infrastructure and international news alerts, and turns it into information that customers can use to predict new attacks. It's a little bit like a financial services terminal, only focused on threats instead of market moves.

It's not unlike battlefield intelligence, CEO Christopher Ahlberg said, where the goal is to understand the current geography and movements of criminals or rogue nation-states.

The product fills a common gap in many cybersecurity organizations. Most mid-size and large companies have a security operations center or SOC, which typically handles the most immediate problems -- denial of service or ransomware attacks, or incoming email phishing attempts. Companies also focus their spending on regulatory functions and practical, nuts-and-bolts security measures, like triaging and cleaning up significant problems.

But in the process of focusing on the "now," companies often outsource or ignore the "before" picture of gathering intelligence and the "after" picture of investigating cybercrimes.

Ahlberg says that's starting to change.

"It used to be that five years ago, we were basically selling threat intelligence to threat intelligence people," Ahlberg said. "The big breakthrough is how we do security today, [cybersecurity executives] have started looking at having an intelligence-driven security program. Who would go to war without an intelligence capability? We have to find a way to outsmart the bad guy, whether that's in some sophisticated way or some really obvious way."

The market for threat intelligence tools could grow from $3.83 billion in 2017 to $8.94 billion by 2022, or around 18.4% yearly, according to an estimate by research firm Reports and Reports.

Ahlberg envisions competing with the largest intelligence agencies by digging deeper across the internet, "down to the damn electrons if we have to," he said.

As threat intelligence becomes more common, Ahlberg hopes the company will be able to "punch of its weight" and compete with companies like Palo Alto, FireEye, Cisco and IBM that also offer threat intelligence as part of broader operations platforms.

Customers already include government agencies and Fortune 500 companies from a cross-section of industries, including Fujitsu, T-Mobile, Fannie Mae, Gap, Accenture, Regions and Verizon.

"We are looking at getting into the high school cafeteria, and getting a seat with the cool kids," he said. "We are also looking at building out a profession of threat intel."U.S. President Donald Trump answers questions on the comments of special counsel Robert Mueller while departing the White House May 30, 2019 in Washington, DC.

President Donald Trump encouraged the United Kingdom to "walk away" from any negotiations with the European Union

if the country is unable to secure a favorable Brexit deal.

"If you don't get the deal you want, if you don't get a fair deal, then you walk away," Trump said in an interview published Sunday in The Sunday Times ahead of his first official state visit to the U.K.

Trump's comments come as British politics remain on edge. The country is scheduled to leave the E.U. on October 31, after delaying its original departure date by months due to a lack of political consensus in Britain.

Prime Minister Theresa May announced her resignation earlier last month after repeatedly failing to gain support for the withdrawal deal she negotiated with the E.U. Parliament rejected the withdrawal deal three times and May was unable to win backing for it to pass in a fourth vote.

Trump also said he "wouldn't pay" the $50 billion so-called "divorce bill" to settle the U.K.'s financial obligations with the E.U.: "I'm only saying this from my stand point. I would not pay, that's a tremendous number," Trump said.



A number of leading Brexit supporters are calling for the U.K. to prepare to leave the E.U. without any deal at all, which means Britain would have no trade arrangement with the bloc, likely resulting in economic disruption.



Former British foreign secretary Boris Johnson, who has thrown in his hat to succeed May as Conservative Party leader, has said that Britain will leave the E.U. in October with or without a deal.



Trump praised Johnson's bid to succeed May in an interview with The Sun newspaper published on Friday. The president said that Johnson would make an "excellent" prime minister.

"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.

Trump dangled a trade deal between the United States and Britain, saying his administration would "work on it very, very quickly."

"I'd go all out," Trump told The Times. "It would be a great advantage for UK. One of the advantages of Brexit is the fact that you can deal with the number one country by far, we're the number one by far in terms of every metric in terms of an economy."

The president's three-day visit to the U.K. begins Monday.If You Go

What: Art in the Park, featuring art, crafts, caricatures, face-painting and food vendors. Entertainment includes magicians and multiple performances from Jabberwocky hip-hop and swing dancers.

When: From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.

Where: Stephens Lake Park, 2001 E. Broadway.

More information: Columbia Art League website.The decision came in lawsuits by California and several cities in the state that asserted the citizenship question was politically motivated and should be kept off the census.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.Gove prepared to delay Brexit until 2020

M

Vote Conservative, get Labour, warns Farage  Sunday Telegraph

Gove ally hits out at President over Johnson endorsement  Sun on Sunday

Send for the Brexit Party leader, urges Trump  Sunday Times

ichael Gove has told Cabinet ministers he is prepared to delay Brexit until late 2020 rather than leave without a deal on October 31, The Telegraph has learned. The Environment Secretary has told colleagues that a no-deal Brexit in October risks triggering a General Election that will put Jeremy Corbyn in Downing Street. His position puts him directly at odds with other Brexiteer leadership candidates including Boris Johnson, the former foreign secretary, who have committed to leaving on time with or without a deal. It comes as ministers are braced for Donald Trump, the US President, to say during his State Visit this week that Britain must be prepared to walk away from the EU without a deal.  Sunday Telegraph

>Today: MPs Etc.: Leadership election candidate MP support numbers: Gove 29, Hunt 29, Johnson 29, Raab 23, Javid 17, Hancock 11

>Yesterday:

as Hancock sets out five-point plan to deliver a deal

Matt Hancock has unveiled a five-point plan to deliver Brexit by the end of October. But, unlike many of his Tory leadership rivals, the health secretary is not threatening to leave without a deal. In an attempt to reset the leadership debate, Hancock would see the UK demand both a time limit on the proposed Irish border backstop and a new free-trade deal. In exchange, he would offer the EU a say over Britains border controls between Northern Ireland and the republic and give people on both sides of the border 1bn. Hancock, in an interview with The Sunday Times, fired a shot at no-dealers such as Boris Johnson, Dominic Raab, Esther McVey and Sajid Javid, saying they are not being straight with MPs and grassroots supporters.  Sunday Times

Rudd warns candidates against no-deal exit  The Observer

whilst Hunt says he would choose it over no Brexit  Sun on Sunday

Public opinion swings behind hard Brexit  Mail on Sunday

>Yesterday:

and Johnson prepares to unveil high-speed Brexit masterplan

Boris Johnson will unveil his masterplan for a high-speed Brexit and warn EU chiefs: Its Bo deal or no deal. The Tory leadership favourite has been working for months on details for a sensible and responsible new withdrawal agreement. It includes a ideas from a series of listening workshops with other MPs. BoJo will step up his drive for the top job this week by revealing a list of top MPs endorsing him But Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd wont be his running mate because he insists on leaving the EU by October 31.  Sun on Sunday

Comment:

We must choose Johnson, the big beast with the human touch  Kwasi Kwarteng MP, Sunday Times

Why Im backing Boris to be Britains freedom fighter  Liz Truss MP, Mail on Sunday

Prosecution marks the point our politics went Latin American  Daniel Hannan MEP, Sunday Telegraph

Editorial:

Plan can only work if hes ready for no deal  Sun on Sunday

>Today: ToryDiary: D-Day and T-Day

>Yesterday: Royston Smith MP in Comment: Why I am voting for Malthouse

Iain Duncan Smith and Priti Patel: Nobody who wont take us out by October 31 deserves to lead the Party

Candidates are answering the wrong question. They are being asked: do they want no deal and, if not, then what? Their answers have been all over the place. Some have chosen the ridiculous position of saying no deal would be a disaster but that we must keep it on the table, while others have said they are prepared to leave without a deal. Yet to cut through the guff and understand their actual position, the real question is far simpler. What we need to know is: are they prepared to rule out now a further extension of Article 50 beyond October 31? For that is what will define this debate. Our only chance of rebuilding our prospects depends on our delivering Brexit at the latest by October 31.  Sunday Telegraph

Why the next Prime Minister absolutely must lead us out  James Cleverly MP, Sunday Express

Parliament will find a way to insist we dont leave without a deal  Amber Rudd MP, The Observer

Brexit Britain will walk tall in the world  Jeremy Hunt MP, Sunday Telegraph

Editorial:

The importance of being earnest about Brexit  Sunday Times

Policy 1) Javid hints at scrapping top rate of income tax

S

Gove pledges 1 billion to schools  Mail on Sunday

ajid Javid today says he is prepared to scrap the top rate of income tax as he argues he has the broadest reach of any of the candidates for the Tory leadership contest. In his first interview since announcing his leadership bid, the Home Secretary today tells The Telegraph that he believes Britain is ready for its first ethnic minority Prime Minister. He positions himself as tomorrows leader, capable of winning over traditional Tory voters while being able to connect in a very special way with the vast, vast majority of the electorate. Mr Javid indicates that he is willing to scrap the 45p rate of income tax entirely in a bid to inject more dynamism into the economy.  Sunday Telegraph

Policy 2) Raab will make consumer king with tough stance on utility providers

Tory leadership hopeful Dominic Raab has hailed himself as the man who can seal a great deal for Britain  and not just from the EU. The former Brexit Secretary believes he can save Brits up to 4billion a year by tackling big firms which rip off customers on energy bills, insurance cover or mobile phone contracts. Mr Raab, a 7-2 shot to be next PM, said the consumer will be king In an exclusive interview with The Sun on Sunday, he revealed his first mission after leading Britain out of the EU will be to take on the firms that keep prices artificially high. If he becomes PM, he will lead a relentless drive to break the grip of corporate giants and free up small firms to challenge the big players so they can offer customers more choice and cheaper deals.  Sun on Sunday

He plans tax cuts and tougher action on knife crime  Sunday Telegraph

Comment:

Raabs rivals have him on the ropes  Camilla Long, Sunday Times

Lee is latest MP to face no-confidence vote

A Remainer Tory former minister has become the second Conservative MP to suffer a vote of no confidence by his local association. Phillip Lee, who quit the Government last year over its Brexit policy, said he may or may not decide to continue serving as a Tory MP for Bracknell. He is the second Conservative to lose such a vote, following former attorney general Dominic Grieve earlier this year.The Bracknell Conservative Association said in a statement on its website on Saturday: Bracknell Conservative Association today held a special general meeting to discuss and vote on a motion of no confidence in Dr Phillip Lee, MP for Bracknell.  Sunday Express

>Yesterday: MPs Etc.: Motion of no confidence passed in Lee

Labours by-election candidate liked antisemitic post

A fresh anti-semitism row overshadowed the Labour leader Jeremy Corbyns trip yesterday to Peterborough, in Cambridgeshire, to campaign for Thursdays by-election. Lisa Forbes, the Labour candidate, had liked an anti-semitic post on Facebook in April that claimed Theresa May has a Zionist Slave Masters agenda. Forbes also commented under a post whose author claimed that Islamic extremists were the creation of the CIA and Mossad, the Israeli intelligence service Approached by The Sunday Times, Forbes apologised wholeheartedly for not calling out these posts. She said that she had liked the video attached to the post, not the views expressed in the accompanying text.  Sunday Times

Corbyn warned his position untenable if by-election is lost  Mail on Sunday

More antisemitism:

Party suspends NEC member over Israeli agent claims  The Observer

Countdown star sues oppositions complaints chief over tweet  Sunday Times

Comment:

Labour is dying, crushed in Corbyns coils  Sarah Baxter, Sunday Times

Its his allies, not his enemies, alarming the Labour leader  Andrew Rawnsley, The Observer

Is Labour about to declare itself the party of the smug, metropolitan elite?  Dan Hodges, Mail on Sunday

as Corbyns office is accused of blocking sexual harassment complaint

Jeremy Corbyn was plunged into a new crisis last night after it emerged that his office had blocked the suspension of a senior aide accused of sexual harassment by a female Labour MP. Leaked emails reveal that Corbyns team surprised the partys governance chiefs by rejecting a formal request to suspend the Labour membership of David Prescott, 49, the leaders trusted aide and son of former deputy prime minister John Prescott. The disclosures will reignite claims that Corbyns inner circle delays or waters down investigations into his allies on issues such as anti-semitism and harassment. The Sunday Times can disclose that in November 2017 a young female MP secretly met Corbyn and Karie Murphy, his chief of staff, to share her experience of David Prescotts

unwarranted sexual advances.

Process shrouded in mystery  Sunday Times

Leader must sack incompetent advisers, says Blunkett  Sunday Times

  Sunday Times

More:

Corbyn making a mistake if hes not Americas friend, says Trump  Sunday Times

Labour leader hits back  Sunday Express

Bercow could face new bullying probe if he doesnt quit by the summer

John Bercow is being warned to stick to his original plan to quit by the summer or face a fresh row over allegations he bullied staff. The Speaker sparked fury last week by announcing that he would stay in the post to oversee the Brexit drama despite repeated claims he is biased against Brexit. But last night, Tory MPs vowed to fast-track new anti-bullying procedures which would make it easier to investigate so-called historic allegations of bullying. They say the new system will allow a proper investigation into claims that Mr Bercow bullied his staff  claims he has repeatedly denied.  Mail on Sunday

Davey calls for end internal flights in swipe as Swinson

Party tops poll for the first time in nine years  Sun on Sunday

Sir Ed Davey has called for an end to internal flights in the UK as he set out his pitch to make the Liberal Democrats outgreen the Greens. The leadership candidate, who was energy and climate change minister in the coalition government, said that the single action any individual should take for the environment was to stop flying  and that making this possible would require greater funding for rail His leadership rival, Jo Swinson, sometimes flies when travelling from Westminster to her constituency of East Dunbartonshire in Scotland. She said after the hustings that she could not promise to stop taking planes.  Sunday Times

Comment:

Only a national government can end the Brexit nightmare  Sir Ed Davey, The Observer

Bloodbath across the floor makes life rosy for the Liberal Democrats  Adam Boulton, Sunday Times

News in Brief:Chris Penney is a freelance writer covering aviation and military history, and is a member of Taunton Deane Conservatives.

In one of her last acts as the Conservative Partys leader, Theresa May will attend the D-Day 75th anniversary commemorations at Southsea in Hampshire on Wednesday. Surrounded by fellow leaders, she will doubtless derive some comfort from the fact that they represent NATO partners rather than EU antagonists. But as she looks out over the Solent and the English Channel beyond, I wonder what shell be thinking? If only Brexit had proved as successful as D-Day, perhaps?

To the casual observer, D-Day is the story of a mighty multinational force unleashed from southern England successfully landing in Normandy with the result that, less than a year later, the war in Europe had been won. Yet at almost every stage of the preparations for this assault on occupied Europe, there was disagreement and division.

From before its start, those nations taking part had very differing outlooks on the conduct of the war, and these had to be ironed out before detailed planning could commence. Other factors at play were command rivalries, clashes of personally and egos, arguments on every level about strategy and goals, conflicting advise from experts and even a breakdown in collective responsibility that needed addressing. Such was the task facing the wartime allied commanders working up their D-Day plans.

In trying to decide when, where and how to assault Nazi Europe the allies had some experience to call on. As early as 1940, Britain and France had attempted a landing in Norway. The debacle lead to the famous Norway Debate in the Commons that sealed Neville Chamberlains fate. The fatally-flawed Dieppe raid in 1942 lead to grievous Canadian losses, and proved that a defended port couldnt be taken from the sea. The Sicily landings highlighted problems of friendly fire, and the later Anzio landings exposed the tragic decision not to push inland at the earliest opportunity. Its often overlooked that by the time of D-Day on June 6 1944, the Allies were already ashore and fighting their way up the spine of Italy in what many veterans often cite as the forgotten European campaign.

Once it had been decided that the US would take the lead on D-Day, with the appointment of General Eisenhower as overall commander, he had to bang service heads together to achieve his aims of delivering the assault at a time and place of choosing. Some factors were outside his control. The weather would dictate suitable conditions for a landing, and the operation was tied to a period of moonlight for the nightime parachute and glider landings and lowest tide level for the dawn beach landings. This severely restricted the number of nights each month when conditions were right to launch D-Day.

The Dieppe raid had also highlighted that control of the air over the Normandy area was a prerequisite for the landings to take place. Trying to persuade the strategic bomber arms of both the RAF and US Army Air Force to redirect their heavy air power in support of the operation proved nigh on impossible, and Eisenhower had to threaten to resign to force the issue and get his way. The bomber barons didnt like it, but they had no choice: the cause was momentous. There were then arguments about the bomber target list  oil versus transport. Air commanders had to be summoned to a council of war meeting in March to be told taking out rail and road links in the assault area would be the most effective way of reducing German fighting capacity in Normandy, even though intelligence staff thought otherwise.

There were also some big personalities involved in the chain of command, all keen to stamp their authority on proceedings. Churchill, remembering Gallipoli, ensured he had his say on matters that would rebound on him were they not successful. Montgomery was his own man, and US army commanders viewed him with suspicion, saying that he lacked confidence. Leigh-Mallory, who was in charge of the ground support air operations, had to be carefully sidestepped, to avoid empire-building ambitions getting in the way of the real military objectives, and always in the background there was the enigma that was de Gaulle.

To ensure D-Day was successful, ingenious out of the box ideas were required. It was recognised that reinforcements had to be landed during the follow-up phases fastr than the Germans could concentrate their reserves to repel the landing force. This led to the design of the Mulberry floating harbours constructed in England, and towed across the Channel to form an instant port for the unloading of fresh troops and supplies and the evacuation of causalities. If there was one invention that contributed to D-Days overall success then surely this was it.

Behind the scenes, there were the unsung heroes. The naval planners that had the unenviable task of ensuring that over 5,000 ships were convoyed to deliver a simultaneous landing. The army logisticians who had to make sure that every soldier and tank was where it was supposed to be when the army demanded it. The air intelligence analysts who provided the targeting information upon which the supporting air attacks were based. And in an era without computers, the typists who had to create the orders of the day upon which everything happened. Years and years of planning and staff work came together to ensure nothing had been left to chance, and Eisenhower didnt need the speech he had prepared announcing to the world that D-Day had failed. As a result, Churchill never had to face a Norway-style grilling by parliament.

D-Day was never a guaranteed success, and there is much to admire about the single-mindedness of military purpose that overcame so many obstacles to accomplish it. A year later, the only fighting still taking place was in the Far East. Its a lesson from history that is still relevant today.Victoria Prentis is MP for Banbury.

When I announced my support for Rory a week ago, he seemed a real out-rider. But there is energy and enthusiasm building behind his campaign.

Over the weekend, the great and good have been coming out in his support. Im pleased that Ken Clarke, one of our best post-war Chancellors of the Exchequer, is impressed by Rorys fiscal conservatism. David Gauke, in whose Department he served, supports him because of the way he handled the difficult prisons brief. Nick Soames admires Rorys record in national security that stretches from his public service in the Balkans and Iraq to his chairmanship of the Defence Select Committee.

But what has impressed me has been the reaction of those outside Westminster. So many of my constituents have got in touch to say I have chosen the right candidate. Rory has demonstrated an ability to connect with a broader electorate and the younger generation in a way that it seems others cant.

The home-made nature of his campaign doesnt seem to put people off; his video on Brexit has been watched by 1.7 million people over the last two days, and his ideas for adult social care are trending on Twitter. The public senses that his style of listening and getting things done is completely different to that of anybody else in the race. And as the contest goes on, its increasingly clear that he is the candidate who can win back the voters we need to win the next general election.

The main reason to support Rory is that he stands for everything that I believe in. His values are my values. He believes in the Union, and rightly puts the environment at the top of the agenda. He does not support HS2. He knows we must deliver Brexit, and quickly. He will be strong in negotiation and, importantly, able to communicate the results and the plan to the wider public. And at a time when we all understandably feel anxious about the future, its critical we choose a leader who we can trust to be honest with us.

But this isnt just about principles; its also about winning. His message and his approach will go down well in Banbury and Bicester. He appears to appeal to both urban and rural voters. I do not want a Corbyn government, and I believe that Rory is the best person to get Brexit done and win the 2022 election.100%

Website radiorebelde.cu uses latest and advanced technologies like: Boostrap. It is very popular on the web, it's within the 1 million most visited websites of the world at position 92459 by Alexa. It supports HTTPS. The main html page has a size of 60405 bytes (58.99 kb uncompressed).

This CoolSocial report was updated on 2021-11-07, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want.100%

Website uiu.ac.bd 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 150620 by Alexa. It supports HTTPS. The main html page has a size of 135914 bytes (132.73 kb uncompressed).

This CoolSocial report was updated on 2021-10-13, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want.BRIDGEPORT  A city resident was recently sentenced to serve two months in prison and has been ordered to pay more than $2 million in restitution for her role in a health care fraud scheme, according to the state Department of Justice.

Toshirea Jackson, 50, of Bridgeport, will serve her 24-month sentence, followed by three years of supervised release, the DOJ said in a news release on Thursday.

Court documents said that beginning in January 2012, Jackson and Juliet Jacob operated two businesses at 360 Fairfield Ave. in Bridgeport. The two businesses  Transitional Development And Training and It Takes A Promise  provided social and psychotherapy services.

An investigation found that Jackson and Jacob used the businesses to bill Medicaid for psychotherapy services that were never rendered, the DOJ said.

As part of the scheme, the DOJ said, Jackson and Jacob used the Medicaid provider numbers of two licensed health care providers who had not provided or supervised any of the series Jackson and Jacob billed to Medicaid.

Jackson and the two licensed providers were employees of the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services.

tThe DOJ said the two providers didnt authorize Jackson or Jacob to get provider numbers for them at the two Bridgeport businesses and were unaware that the businesses were billing Medicaid as if they were involved in the services being rendered.

Further investigation showed that in March 2012, Nikkita Chesney started to steal the personal identification information of Medicaid clients who were patients of her employer. The DOJ said she was employed by a health care provider that offered substance abuse treatment, including a detoxification program in Bridgeport.

The personal information Chesney stole from patients included their dates of birds, Medicaid identification number and Social Security numbers.

From there, Jackson, Jacob and Chesney used the stolen information to bill Medicaid for psychotherapy services provided by TDAT and ITAP, when the clients never received that treatment, the DOJ said.

Jackson admitted the scheme involved stealing the identity of more than 150 Medicaid clients. She said her and her co-conspirators billed Medicaid for about half of those clients. She also admitted that she and her co-conspirators billed Medicaid for services to other services that were never provided to those clients.

Jackson was ordered by a judge to pay $2,496,618 in restitution. She pleaded guilty to one count of health care fraud on Dec. 13, 2018. She was released on a $25,000 bond and will report to prison on July 12.

On Oct. 18, 2018, Jacob pleaded guilty to the same charge for her role in this scheme and a separate Medicaid fraud scheme. Chesney pleaded guilty to one count of health care fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft on Oct. 23, 2018. They both await sentencing.

Five others have been charged in convicted of health care fraud offense as a result of this and related investigations, according to the DOJ.

Anyone who suspects health care fraud can report it by calling 1-800-HHS-TIPS.In the thick humidity of the natatorium that holds the swimming pool of the Bridgeport YMCA at 850 Park Ave., 78-year-old Jatin Mehta, of Trumbull, strokes and strokes and strokes some more.

Though he contends with the cancer multiple myeloma and the unpleasant side effects of his immunotherapy, he swims  backstroke, sidestroke, strokes that have no official name  as a pledge to raise money to help the Bridgeport public school system.

Heres part of what put Mehta in the pool: For decades, the nooks and crannies  outside the classrooms  of Bridgeports public school system were convenient spots for politicians to sow the seeds of good will  and power, of course  by embedding friends, neighbors, in-laws, outlaws.

Showing up for some of these jobs was a requirement that could vary widely depending on the clout of the job holder and/or patron. Lucrative contract were also to be had.

What never varied, though, was the requirement that the holders emerge from their nooks and crannies and report for duty on primary and general election days and bring all their friends with them.

These sinecures cost money. Not only were there the salary and benefits, but the void of service performed with no special zeal, if at all.

It adds up. And it did. As time went on, the school systems reputation as the maw of a creature that ate money by the bale with little explanation of where it was going was well settled in Hartford.

It was going to come back some day. And it has.

Im not suggesting the dark days of payback suddenly descended. No, the days just have been getting progressively dimmer in the long run-up to today.

The current iteration of the Bridgeport Board of Education is in such dire straits it has had to consider closing schools. Over the last few years, the board has eliminated positions, programs, services as it tries to provide education to 21,000 children  about half of whom qualify for free or reduced-price lunch  in the states most populous city. As it strains to put together a budget for the 2019-20 school year, more painful decisions await.

Eliminated from the current years budget was a $170,000 line item for administration of the School Volunteer Association, which puts some 800 volunteers in the schools to boost the efforts of SVA. The organization, a certified nonprofit founded in 1967, dipped into savings to give the school board a grant to cover the expense for the current academic year.

But the accumulated savings would not be enough to keep the program running next year.

Hence, the fundraising effort that included Mehtas intended 150-lap swim designed to raise money.

So, on Tuesday, May 14, he slogged the first 50 laps in front of maybe 20 supporters who cheered him on in various ways, including, of course, a few attempts at The Wave.

Two days later, the 78-year-old fell at his home, dislocating his left pinky. So, on May 21, the day scheduled for his next 50 laps, a substitute swimmer hit the water and Mehta walked 50 laps alongside the pool.

Last Tuesday, though, his splint removed, Mehta was back in the drink for 50 laps. The numbers are not yet in, but SVA officials estimate he raised about $25,000, a nice chunk of the money they raised in other ways to fund the SVA through the 2019-20 year, one headache eliminated for school officials.

Mehta is native of Mumbai, India. And his voice still has the trilling inflection of his native land. He is the treasurer of the SVA and a two-time past president of the Bridgeport Rotary Club.

While I am treasurer, the SVA will survive. A lot more work has to be done. The kids deserve it, he said the other day.

He added, If youll pardon my use of the American vernacular, its a damn good cause.

Asked how he was feeling physically, he said the immunotherapy, aside from some very uncomfortable side effects, is working. My cancer numbers are doing fantastic.

He was supported at the pool by, among others, his wife, Joy.

Joy is the Americanized version of the Indian name Jyotsna.

In the Indian language, he said softly, it means moonlight.

He paused. You know, I am so lucky, he said.

Michael J. Daly is retired editor of the Connecticut Post editorial page. Email: Mike.Daly@hearstmediact.com.Connecticut should be proud to be on the right side of history.

The state Senate, voting 32-4, recently banned the importation, sale, possession and transportation of Africas Big 5  elephants, lions, leopards, rhinos and giraffes  and their body parts in Connecticut.

Thats monumental news that comes on the heels of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officially considering listing the giraffe as an endangered species, a move long sought by wildlife advocates alarmed by the their precipitous decline and a growing domestic market for giraffe products. However it could take years before the United States gives them any protections.

Shockingly, in the last four years, 443giraffe trophies/products came into the designated ports in nearby New Jersey and New York.

And earlier this week, the government of Botswana announced elephant hunting will resume after a five-year prohibition despite intense lobbying by some conservation advocates to continue the ban.

Connecticut does not have clean hands when it comes to pushing Africas Big 5 closer to extinction. The state is supplying customers to the grave, immoral trophy hunting industry.

From 2005-2015, 59 trophy hunting permits were issued to Connecticut residents by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service so people could hunt and kill leopards for their trophies. Six additional permits were provided to Connecticut residents to kill African elephants in Botswana, Tanzania and Zimbabwe. And from 2005-2016, Connecticut residents killed 39 lions and one giraffe and imported their trophies.

The Connecticut communities that have been issued the most permits for trophy hunting are: Greenwich, North Haven, Norwalk, Berlin, Stamford, Westport, Weston, Easton, Southington and Middletown.

As soon as you put a price tag on these threatened, vulnerable and endangered animals, you send a mixed message about whether or not they need to be protected at all, and thats detrimental to actual conservation. Shooting animals full of bullets does not increase their population or expand their habitat. Trophy hunters are just poachers with permits.

Now its up to members of the House of Representatives to pass the bipartisan bill co-sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff and state Rep. Brenda Kupchick and drafted by Friends of Animals. We hope they too concede the importance of SB20  that it recognizes legal trophy hunting as one of the main reasons that Africas Big Five face extinction. These species are already fighting for their lives because of poaching and habitat loss.

Its more crucial than ever for states to take action because when it comes to trophy hunting, federal law is not protective enough.

On Dec. 21, 2015, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed two lion subspecies as threatened and endangered under the Endangered Species Act. But overall the listing continues to promote trophy hunting because it allows for the importation of the body parts of the sport-hunted threatened lion species.

Additionally, while the July 6, 2016 near-total ban on commercial trade in African elephant ivory that went into effect in the United States looks good on paper, it still allows for two sport-hunted elephant trophies per hunter per year.

The only difference between poachers and trophy hunters is wealth and public perception. While poachers are willing to slaughter magnificent animals to make a buck, well-heeled vainglorious trophy hunters spend lots of money to hunt for bragging rights and prizes.

The newest data reveals that trophy hunting is economically useless. While the Safari Club boasts that revenues from hunting generate $200 million annually in remote areas of Africa, most of the money goes to trophy hunting operators/outfitters and government agencies, many of which are corrupt. The most recent study reveals that a measly 3 percent of expenditures actually goes back to African communities.

Its time for the Nutmeg state to stop supporting a useless industry. It would be the first state to do so through the legislature, making it a role model for other states to follow suit.

Rowayton resident Priscilla Feral is president of Darien-based Friends of Animals and Weston resident Richard Wiese is president of the Explorers Club and executive producer/host of Born to Explore.On Nov. 6, 2015, a Willistown woman saw something that very few people are ever lucky enough to see.

Three months before, someone had broken into her home on Grubb Road and packed up all the jewelry in her bedroom, more than 50 pieces in all, worth more than $200,000.

The burglary was a professional one, with no evidence to show who had committed it  no fingerprints, no DNA, no witnesses. Willistown police investigating the break-in conducted a thorough canvass of the home and area looking for clues, but found none.

With no leads, they cautioned the homeowner that she should temper her expectations about ever seeing her valuables again.

But on that fall day four years ago, the woman  whose name is being withheld by MediaNews Group  decided to take a walk down Jewelers Row in Philadelphia during a lunch break from a business meeting. She wanted to see whether she could find anything that might replace those treasured items that had been stolen from her. And there, in a jewelry store in the 700 block of Sansom Street, appeared that which she had been told was likely gone for good.

In the display window was a choker-necklace that she immediately recognized as her own. Excited, she went inside the shop and was greeted by the sight of a Rolex watch with distinctive marking that had also been part of the collection that had been stolen from her bedroom.

She called Willistown Detective Robert Will with the news of her find.

Within hour, Will and Detective Sgt. Jeffrey Heim were at the store, only to discover several other items that had been stolen from the womans home. The store owner, initially hesitant, agreed to remove the items from his sale displays, and later told the investigators that he had purchased the items from a fellow jeweler whose store was down the street.

The woman, hearing the news, ran down Samsom Street to the other shop, RPN Jewelers, and found even more of her stolen jewelry, according to a description of the case laid out in a prosecution memo reviewed last week by MediaNews Group. In total, the woman was able to recover 23 of the 53 pieces of jewelry stolen from her home that summer.

On Thursday, the man responsible for that burglary, as well three others in Bucks and Montgomery counties, was sentenced to a state prison term of eight to 20 years.

Chester County Common Pleas Court Judge Patrick Carmody, who had accepted his guilty plea earlier this year, also ordered him to pay restitution to his four victims  including the Willistown woman  of more than $86,000.

The defendant, 46-year-old Shane Dougherty of Philadelphia, is not your average home burglar, breaking into residences indiscriminately to get a few pieces that can be hocked for quick cash that he or she will use to buy the drugs they are addicted to.

A graduate of West Chester University with a degree in business, Dougherty claims that at the time the was committing the burglaries he was also working as a salesman for a Delaware County firm, Holganix Inc., that manufactures plant probiotics. His attorney, William Brennan of Philadelphia, said he was making $75,000 a year at the company, after having previously worked in the mortgage and insurance industry.

Willistown police and state police at the Skippack barracks in Montgomery County charged Dougherty with four counts of burglary in 2017, after an investigation that lasted two years. In addition to the Willistown burglary, he was also charged with home burglaries in Warwick Township, Bucks County, and Worcester Township, Montgomery County. Those three occurred in November 2015, days after the Willistown women discovered her stolen jewelry.

According to a pre-sentencing memorandum written by Assistant District Attorneys John McCaul and Vincent Cocco, who prosecuted the case, all four of the burglaries bore striking similarities. None of the homeowners were present at the time they occurred. The homes were set back from the road, and obscured by large trees that shielded them from the road. Dougherty had used a pry bar to open a door to the homes, after verifying that there was no security system in place. He took largely only jewelry, and left behind no DNA or forensic evidence.

Willistown police were able to identify Dougherty and link him to the Bucks and Montgomery robberies because of the cooperation of the owner of RPN Jewelers, Roberto Pupo. The owner told police that he had known Dougherty for a numbers of years, thought he was a student at Temple School of Law, and had bought jewelry from him on multiple occasions over the years.

According to the prosecution memo, Pupo alerted police that Dougherty had called him on Nov. 18, 2015, the day he broke into the Bucks County home and took two boxes of jewels. Dougherty told Pupo he had some jewelry to sell him, and a few hours later, as police watched from Samson Street, Dougherty arrived at RPN with a load of items that contained jewelry stolen from the Warwick home.

Dougherty was not a stranger to Willistown police. In 2011, he was charged with a 2009 burglary at a Willistown home on Dutton Mill Road in which he stole a television set. He was identified through DNA evidence obtained by blood smears at the home, and was also charged with burglarizing the home of his former in-laws in East Bradford.

He was arrested by Philadelphia police and charged with receiving stolen property, charges that were later dismissed by a Philadelphia judge for lack of evidence. In an interview in March 2016 with Willistown police, Dougherty denied any knowledge of the Willistown case  contending that the circumstantial evidence that tied him to that burglary was an unfortunate coincidence.

But a year later, in March 2017, Heim and state Trooper Richard Sanzick of the Skippack barracks charged Dougherty with the four burglaries. Contacted by Heim, Dougherty promised to turn himself in the following week. He never did, and was eventually apprehended in March 2018 sleeping outside a La Quinta Inn hotel in Edmond, Okla., where he apparently was working as the regional sale representative for Holganix.

In a letter Dougherty wrote to Carmody before his sentencing, Dougherty expressed remorse for his criminal behavior, but contended that he had been forced to commit the burglaries to pay off a street loan of $30,000 he received from a Delaware County drug dealer in 2008, when the Great Crash occurred and he lost his savings.

He begged Carmody to sentence him to the tie he had already served since his apprehension, and allow him the chance to start paying back the money he owed to the four victims. If more time was warranted, he asked that he ben given a sentence in Chester County Prison so that his family could continue to visit him.

This horrible chapter in my life and behaviors ended in 2015 and under no circumstances will remotely be repeated again in my life, Dougherty wrote. You will never see me in front of your court or any other court for the rest of y life.

But Carmody, at last weeks proceeding, noted that Dougherty had used the same street loan explanation for his 2011 conviction, and that he had never paid any restitution in that case  despite having a lucrative job that paid him $75,000 annually.

In their memo, McCaul an Cocco laid out the entirety of Doughertys crimes, past and current and urged Carmody to impose stiff state prison sentence of 14 to 40 years.

If given the opportunity to burglarize again, (he) will undoubtedly make adjustments, pawning the stolen goods at different jewelry stores, they wrote. He will learn from his past mistakes and evolve. There will be more burglaries. (He) will have more victims.

Based on his record and conduct, (Dougherty) will be a risk to the safety and security of those who live in Chester County and in the general southeastern Pennsylvania area.

To contact staff writer Michael P. Rellahan call 610-696-1544.We have a massive task ahead of us over the next six months. We must leave the European Union, deal or no deal, by October 31. At the same time, we must unleash the dynamism and talent of Britain to make a huge success of our economy by taking full advantage of the new freedom we will have.

This task is not for the faint-hearted. It will take bravery and a strong platform of policies that can deliver. Boris Johnson is the person with the credibility and oomph to lead at this crucial time and bring Britain with us. I am proud to be working with Boris on a policy platform based on popular free-market conservatism that can take us through Brexit and beyond.

In recent years, weve lost confidence to make the argument that Conservative principles can change peoples lives. Weve let Labour tell us that more red tape, public spending and higher taxes are inevitable. Were told that the country is beset by misery, young people are all flag-waving revolutionaries, wealth creators are the enemy, and only the coming of Jeremy Corbyns Socialist utopia can solve our problems.

We have a massive task ahead of us over the next six months. We must leave the European Union, deal or no deal, by October 31, writes Liz Truss. (Pictured) Liz Truss outside Downing Street last month

We need a leader who can fight Labours negative and destructive worldview head-on. Boris has proven hes a winner, and now we need someone to win the battle of ideas. Hes on the side of the challenger, the start-up, the sole trader.

We share a deep optimism about the power of individual creativity and enterprise to deliver progress and prosperity. Only by standing up and making the case for popular, free-market conservatism will we have any hope of winning the next Election and leading Britain into the future.

To succeed, we must harness that enterprising spirit. By cutting taxes like stamp duty that hold back home ownership and growth, we can boost the economy to deliver more jobs and higher wages.

Where business regulations are having little to no benefit, they should be scrapped and there should be a high bar for new regulations coming in.

Likewise, we should embrace freeports and free planning zones  areas where firms can import raw materials, make finished goods and then export them, with none of the border taxes the rest of the country has to pay.

They have the potential to create new hotbeds of economic growth in all corners of the UK.

At the same time, we must unleash the dynamism and talent of Britain to make a huge success of our economy by taking full advantage of the new freedom we will have, writes Liz Truss. (Pictured) Liz Truss visits apprentices at Southport College, near Liverpool

Conservative mayors in Birmingham, Tees Valley and elsewhere have shown us how its done. By unleashing enterprise and building world-class infrastructure, we can make the UK a country of 20 global cities, not just a handful. From Bolton to Walsall, Plymouth to Inverness, our nation is full of pent-up economic potential.

We wont make Britain greater by punishing high-growth business or regions. Instead, we need to raise every part of Britain up by giving them freedom to succeed.

To do that, we must make sure every person has the basic tools to lead a successful life. That means a good school, opportunity for a great degree or apprenticeship, better local roads and public transport, and ultra high-speed broadband for everyone. But it shouldnt mean tax hikes. As Treasury Chief Secretary, I know theres still waste to cut, and every pound wasted on a vanity project is a pound that cannot be spent on a classroom teacher or road upgrade. We need to be prepared to stand up to the vested interests who have come to rely on Government handouts, and if Boris has proven one thing, its that he doesnt shy away from a fight.

Finally, Im backing Boris because hes the candidate who best represents the future of Britain. As someone who grew up in a Left-wing household, my first political act was rebellion. Its why Ive always believed people should be free to live their lives as they see fit, without being told what to think, how big their pizza should be, or what to view online.

If theres one thing young people value more than ever, its their personal freedom in a world that has never been more open. Boris is a British freedom fighter. Hes the original champion of the social freedoms brought in by Conservatives since 2010. Hes the candidate to carry the Conservative torch to the next generation and win young people over to the cause of freedom in a world where people like Jeremy Corbyn want to take it away. As Ive travelled the country talking to working people about public spending, they, by and large, tell me the same thing. They dont want government to control every part of their lives or hand them everything on a plate. They want the opportunity of a good job, to keep more of their own money, to get from A to B without breaking the bank, and a good school place for their child. And they want reasons to be cheerful about the future of their country.

Boris Johnson, and the platform on which he stands, is the candidate who can deliver that. He has massive appeal to people in Britain who ask nothing more than for the opportunity to lead a better life.

Hes the leader who can get us out of the EU, but also give people hope and optimism about their future and the countrys future. Theres only one person for the job, and thats why Im backing Boris.Several years ago, when I was working for the GMB trade union, I had a conversation with one of Tony Blairs No 10 advisers. Their turbo-charged, Third Way agenda was in danger of alienating the partys traditional base, I warned. Its not a problem, the aide responded. Those voters dont have anywhere else to go.

They did. It took New Labours demise, and a decade of unbroken Conservative rule, to finally expose the arrogance and complacency of that statement.

From the moment Tony Blair proclaimed on the steps of a London arts centre that a new dawn has broken, Labours working-class Northern supporters have been turning their back on the party of their parents and grandparents.

And this morning Jeremy Corbyn  urged on by the messianic mass that is his partys ultra-Remain faction  is preparing to deliver the final blow that will drive them away for good.

Jeremy Corbyn is preparing to support a second Brexit vote, after the party's poor showing last week's EU elections

For a decade there has been a consensus on all wings of the Labour Party that a crisis was brewing outside of their metropolitan fortresses. Call it The Bolsover Effect. In 1997 Dennis Skinner  the politically feral former miner representing the old pit constituency  won his seat with 74 per cent of the vote.

His Conservative rival secured 17 per cent. In 2010, the Tory vote had risen to 25 per cent. At the last Election  supposedly a Corbynite triumph  the Conservatives won 40 per cent, and Skinners majority had been slashed from 27,000 to 5,000.

Everyone  svelte Blairites, weather-beaten Brownites, zealous Corbynites  came to see the truth. Labours working-class base was crumbling, and the partys very survival depended upon them preventing its total collapse.

But they had reckoned without the Kamikaze Remainers. No sooner had the first of last Sundays European election results begun trickling in than Emily Thornberry was out leading the charge.

We should have said simply that any deal that comes out of this Government should be put to a confirmatory referendum, she said. That Remain should be on the ballot paper; and that Labour would campaign to Remain.

Thornberrys view of the British working man is well documented  she had to resign from the Labour frontbench over a snobby social media post of white van man on the day of a 2014 by-election.

The new mum who could end Corbyn's dream As the Tory leadership race rolls on, Labour MPs have begun ruminating on which of the candidates they fear the most. Ironically, the contender who fills them with the most trepidation isnt even in the House of Commons. Ruth Davidson would be our worst nightmare, a Shadow Minister tells me. Our liberal supporters absolutely love her. Shed finally make us extinct in Scotland, and Jeremy doesnt know how to deal with women politically. Another candidate who earns respect from his opponents is Health Secretary Matt Hancock. Hes fresh, hes got energy, hes got a bit of the young Blair about him, says a backbencher. But even among this hostile constituency, theres no escaping the blond elephant in the room. Boris could give us real problems, a senior Shadow Minister concedes. Hes not quite got that magic he had back when he was Mayor [of London], but people do respond to him. I definitely think hed beat Jeremy. Ruth Davidson with her baby son Finn Advertisement

But she at least managed to show more restraint than leading Corbynite Remainer Paul Mason. Labour should no longer be interested in securing the support of an ex-miner sitting in the pub calling migrants cockroaches, he raged.

Britains unending Brexit nightmare is driving people on both sides of the debate mad. But what sort of cruel sickness could possibly force otherwise sane people to decide Labour must stick two fingers up to its natural constituency, and officially proclaim itself the party of the entitled metropolitan elite?

What planet  never mind what country  have these people been living on for the past ten years? The rise of the BNP. The rise of Ukip. Brexit. The triumph of Trump. The surge of populism. The global repudiation of the establishment and the smug political class. Did they sleep through it? How can any Labour politician see Nigel Farage and his Brexit Party secure more than five million votes  nearly two million more than their closest rivals  then conclude the way to stop him is to abuse our white, working-class supporters and come out hard for Remain?

In fairness, a Labour politician with leadership ambitions just might. The partys membership is very London-centric, and some frenetic EU flag-waving is an excellent way of playing to the gallery. Theres also some logic for the small number of Labour MPs threatened by a Lib Dem resurgence. Some more Machiavellian Labour MPs also see Remain as the wedge issue that could bring down Corbyn himself.

But then there are the other Labour MPs, the ones who have not taken total leave of their senses. This could mean the extinction of the party, one told me.

Another added: The people pushing this are worse than the crazy Blairites who wanted to break the trade union link. To be successful, or even survive, we have to be in the business of building coalitions. You cant just lurch towards these absolutist positions.

In the immediate aftermath of last Sundays results, it was those shunting Corbyn towards unequivocal support for Remain who were setting the agenda.

But I understand theres about to be a fightback from Labour MPs not prepared to see seats in Bolsover, Ashfield and Stoke sacrificed to shore up huge Labour majorities in Islington and Hackney. A delegation of MPs is preparing to meet Corbyn this week to urge him to halt the dash towards a second referendum. Theres a lot of concern about this proposed change, and its growing, one Shadow Minister told me.

There should be. As another Shadow Minister  a strong Remain supporter  acknowledged: Theres no escape now. Even if we change our position, with Jeremy as leader, theres no way of getting back the people weve lost. A month ago we could probably have done something if wed made a clear shift. But they just dont trust him. Its too late.

Dan Hodges says working class voters will throw their support behind Nigel Farage if Labour support a second referendum

Someone needs to wake up and recognise that fact. Labour is preparing to abandon the North. Its preparing to abandon millions of supporters who have helped sustain the party over generations.

And its about to create a political vacuum that will see whats left of a once-proud party implode.

The best-case scenario is that vacuum is filled by a new Conservative Prime Minister, or even Nigel Farages Brexit Party. But Tommy Robinson  last seen scuttling away from Manchester Central having secured a paltry two per cent of the vote  is watching and waiting.

Labours traditional voters havent got anywhere else to go? Sorry but they haveIn his final moments, Stan Eckerts thoughts were for his brother, Cyril  fighting somewhere else on this vast battlefield  and for his poor mother, Mary, waiting and worrying back at home.

Holed up in a Normandy ditch, with the Germans about to overrun his position at any minute, the 19-year-old paratrooper scribbled a quick letter promising to make her proud on his return.

Even 75 years on, it makes for difficult reading. Do you know mum dear, I have never realised how much you meant to me, until now? Stan wrote in pencil. If I can get home again, you will see a very different Stan, just wait and see. There is one thing that worries me, and that is what happened to Cyril. I hope and pray that he is safe and well

In his final moments, a letter penned by Stan Eckert reveals he was thinking of his brother, fighting somewhere else on the battlefield, and his mother, Mary, who was waiting at home. (Pictured) Peggy Eckert with a photo of her two brothers, Cyril and Stan, that she lost in the war. Both were buried feet apart at the airborne cemetery at Ranville

Today, Stan and Cyril  both non-commissioned officers in the Parachute Regiment  lie a few feet apart in the Commonwealth Cemetery at Ranville. It is a few miles from where Stan was killed in the early hours of D-Day, moments after writing those moving words.

Cyril fought on until August 23 when he was killed, aged 22, at Pont LEveque. But the brothers have never been forgotten and this week their doting sister, Peggy, 86, is on her way to Normandy carrying a copy of that treasured letter.

This year will be a particularly special one. Not only is it the 75th anniversary of D-Day but Peggy is thrilled that there will now finally be a national memorial in Normandy to all 22,442 British servicemen and women killed on D-Day and in the subsequent months of brutal fighting which secured the liberation of France.

I think its terrible that we have had to wait so long for this memorial, she says at her West London home. But I was delighted to read in the Mail that they are finally going to build it and I am so proud that the names of my bothers will be on there.

The first phase of the memorial, which is being supported by the Mail and its generous readers, will be inaugurated on Thursday morning  the very moment when thousands of troops were charging ashore on June 6, 1944.

D-Day veterans gather at Portsmouth Historical Dockyard preparing to be taken across the channel on a Royal British Legion chartered boat to celebrate D-Day's 75th anniversary

The Prime Minister, Theresa May, and the French president, Emmanuel Macron, will join veterans and their families at the spectacular site overlooking Gold Beach, the centre of the Normandy battlefront.

Peggy, who was 11 when her brothers were killed, cannot wait to see it. Thanks to Stans heartbreaking letter she has also formed an enchanting friendship with the children from Hymers College, a school in Hull, who have embraced the story of her brothers, too.

Andrew Taylor, who teaches English and history at Hymers junior school, has been taking his Year 5 pupils to visit the Normandy battlefields for many years. A group of pupils were in the cemetery at Ranville some years ago where they found a photocopy of Stan Eckerts letter, left at his grave by a well-wisher. The letter has inspired successive parties of Hymers College students to learn the brothers story.

For Peggy, and for so many like her, it is immensely reassuring to know that the younger generations will remember the sacrifice of her loved ones.

Hence the importance of the magnificent Normandy Memorial which is finally taking shape  though it still urgently needs our support.

All donations to normandymemorialtrust.org or cheques to The Normandy Memorial Trust, c/o The Secretary, 56 Warwick Square, London. SW1V 2AJA travel writer has revealed how she secured the job of a lifetime to spend every day reviewing luxury resorts while living in the Maldives.

Former teacher Kristie Murray, 30, currently lives on an island called Thulusdhoo which is surrounded by crystal clear waters and has a population of just 1,900.

And although she's been been a travel blogger for five years, she also runs her own travel guide business that has turned over $75,000 in just 10 months.

When she first moved to the Maldives in 2015, local island tourism was relatively new and she hardly had a dollar to her name.

But in 2018 she and her boyfriend launched a lucrative travel website that offers budget tips and holiday planning for those heading to the Maldives, and in early 2019 she woke up to a very enticing offer from the Forbes Travel Guide.

A travel writer has revealed how she managed to secure the job of a lifetime and spend every day reviewing luxury resorts while watching the sunrise in the Maldives

Australian writer Kristie Murray , 30, currently lives on an island called Thulusdhoo in the Maldives which is surrounded by crystal clear waters and has a population of just 1,900.

'Earlier this year I couldn't believe when I woke up to an email from the Executive Editor of Forbes Travel Guide,' she told FEMAIL.

'They had found my blog and were asking me to be the Maldives Luxury Travel Correspondent. They are flying me all around the Maldives later this month to five of the finest resorts to write resort reviews for the guide.'

Although most of her days are spent working and doing admin with her boyfriend for their company, Indulge Maldives, she is often able to play on the sun-drenched beaches that make up her backyard.

She starts her morning with a surf after she's checked her emails and will then plan upcoming resort or local island trips and content for her websites.

'So earlier this year I couldn't believe when I woke up to an email from the Executive Editor of Forbes Travel Guide,' she told FEMAIL

'I also like to meet our guests that visit Thulusdhoo Island. Sometimes I will join our guests at a sandbank island excursion or for turtle snorkelling,' she said.

'My boyfriend Hupa and I will make sure that we watch the sunset together every day and we go out for dinner most nights as local island restaurants are inexpensive, just $5 to $10 per meal.'

Then before bed she will reply to her last emails and set a to-do list for the following day.

This dream life came about thanks to her initiative to visit local island properties and write reviews on her blog when she first moved to the island.

'My boyfriend Hupa and I will make sure that we watch the sunset together every day,' she said (pictured together)

What are Kristie's best budget travel tips?  Go local! Stay on a local island like Thulusdhoo to stretch your budget. You will find cheap accommodation & visit the same places as resort guests.  Visit a luxury resort on a day pass - this way you won't need to pay for expensive accommodation.  Use local ferries & public speedboats to travel between islands  Stay at local islands close to the airport as these are the most budget friendly  Use a Maldives travel agent - they can recommend a suitable island for you as every island is very different to the next & they can offer cheaper than online rates. Advertisement

This eventually led her to be invited to a variety of luxurious events and conferences and she started to make a name for herself in the industry.

Last year she made the decision to combine her talents with that of her Hupa, who is local man and a photographer.

'Over the four years that we have been together we have travelled to many countries writing and photographing luxury properties. We work really well together, so we decided to combine our talents,' she said.

'I rebranded my blog from you.theworld.wandering to Luxury Island Traveller (LIT). Luxury Island Traveller now has a luxury travel focus and inspires people to fall in love with life and live out their wildest dreams.'

The talented duo also made the decision to start a travel agency together in 2018 as they noticed a gap in the budget travel market for the Maldives.

Although most of her days are spent working and doing admin for her and her boyfriends company Indulge Maldives, she is often able to play on the sun-drenched beaches that make up her backyard

This dream life came about thanks to her initiative to visit local island properties and write reviews on her blog when she first moved to the island

They wanted to combine Kristie's love for writing and Hupa's interest in video and photography to teach people in Australia that the Maldives is a 'super affordable' destination to travel to.

'This year Hupa and I have been invited to many of Maldives' top luxury resorts together to see if they are a good fit for our Indulge Maldives guests,' she said.

'I write reviews for each resort on Luxury Island Traveller and we film short videos of each resort on our Instagram to show the unique holiday experience offered at each resort, we have visited nine just this month!'

Kristie and her boyfriend Hupa also made the decision to start a travel agency together in 2018 as they noticed a gap in the budget travel market for the Maldives

They wanted to combine Kristie's love for writing and Hupa's interest in video and photography to teach people in Australia that the Maldives is a 'super affordable' destination to travel to

'This year Hupa and I have been invited to many of Maldives' top luxury resorts together to see if they are a good fit for our Indulge Maldives guests,' she said

Kristie's life is completely different to when she moved to the island to teach English after a 'quarter life crisis'.

The 30-year-old had spent her early 20s as a special education teacher but by the time she was 25 she was feeling burnt out.

She also realised at this point in life that she wanted more than what her hometown could provide so took on a teaching job in the Maldives.

This provided her with an apartment, a monthly salary and she could walk to school each day so she didn't need a car or motorbike.

This was when she decided to start her blog, in hopes that she would inspire other people to get out of their comfort zone.

Kristie's life is completely different to when she moved to the island to teach English after a quarter life crisis

The 30-year-old had spent her early 20s as a special education teacher but by the time she was 25 she was feeling burnt out

'I would spend my savings on discovering more of Maldives and surfing the most beautiful waves I had ever seen in my life!' She said.

'Every weekend I seemed to fall more and more in love with Maldives. I even met my Hupa while I was surfing.'

He was a surf guide at the Australian Surf Camp on the island and they would they would make sure they went surfing every weekend together.

Although Kristie spent this time working hard so she could maintain her dream life she has also managed to fall in love.

'We feel in love really quickly and four years on, he's my biggest inspiration in life and love,' she said.

'I would spend my savings on discovering more of Maldives and surfing the most beautiful waves I had ever seen in my life!' She said

Although they have done long distance in the past they now spend almost every hour of every day together and still manage to run a successful business.

Kristie said that the life she has created isn't too far out of reach for other people either.

'Someone wise once told me: "If your dreams don't scare you, then you're not dreaming big enough" and "Live your life as though you will die tomorrow but live your life as though you will live forever",' she said.

'I think we should go through life doing the things that bring us the most happiness.

'If you have a dream no matter how big or small, go for it and persevere it with all you have until it turns into something beautiful!'Self-taught baking queen Bernadette Gee, 35, has revealed how she became a best-selling cookbook author despite having no formal training - and the recipe of her 'best chocolate cake ever'.

The mother-of-three, from Auckland, New Zealand, has built up a cult following of more than 195,000 Instagram followers after she quit her office job to pursue her passion as a professional baker seven years ago.

And the idea to start her own baking brand Magnolia Kitchen came to mind after she offered to bake a cake for a colleague for just $20.

Speaking to FEMAIL, the entrepreneur opened up on juggling her booming business, her battle with Multiple Sclerosis and motherhood.

Self-taught baker Bernadette Gee (pictured) has revealed how she became a best-selling cookbook author despite having no formal training

'I've always just loved being in the kitchen. I just love making sh*t up and seeing the results,' Ms Gee told FEMAIL.

'I do tend to have a pretty high success rate but if I don't I am super determined and will work at something until I succeed.'

Proving that anything is possible, Ms Gee said she's a firm believer that education isn't the single defining factor in anyone's life.

She left high school at the age of 16 'without achieving much', didn't go to university and by 18, she fell pregnant with her daughter Charlotte.

Six years later, Ms Gee was hit with a frightening setback.

She began experiencing feelings of numbness in her, pain which slowly spread down her leg.

'I went to the hospital with "mysterious" symptoms and after many tests was given a diagnosis of myelitis - a precursor to multiple sclerosis,' she said.

'I was told if it happened again this would likely lead to a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis.'

Ms Gee (pictured with her teenage daughter Charlotte) dropped out of school at 16 and became a mum at 18

Ms Gee's 'signature chocolate cake' (pictured) - was the first cake she sold for money

She recalled having to teach her daughter how to call an ambulance and who to call to look after her, if 'mummy couldn't wake up'.

Despite the difficulty she faced, a return to 'normal' life was top of her agenda and she said after her initial diagnosis, she refused to let her illness be part of her life.

'After my rehab, I carried on. I knew it was there and it may become a thing but I didn't see the point in worry about something I had no control over,' she said.

She didn't have another relapse for the next five years - but in 2014, her symptoms returned, and she would be diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.

While Ms Gee 'was devastated', she realised her illness didn't need to affect her day-to-day life - and she could manage this with medication.

'My general thoughts on MS is it doesn't require my brain power as long as it's not stopping me from being a mum or working on my business,' she said.

Her cafe, Magnolia Kitchen, located in Auckland, has been running since 2016 and has become a must-visit spot for locals and tourists alike

Ms Gee realised she had the potential to turn her skills into a profitable business after she convinced a colleague she was working with the time to purchase some of her baked goods

Fast forward to today and her business is booming.

She now heads up the popular cafe called Magnolia Kitchen.

Being 'bitten by the entrepreneurial bug' was something which happened by accident although she reveals she has always baked - whether it's whipping up a birthday cake for Charlotte or cooking for colleagues.

In fact it was stepping in and offering to make a cake for a friend who she worked alongside that sparked the idea there might be a market for her delicious treats.

'I convinced a colleague to let me make a cake for $20 instead of him ordering an online mass produced cake,' she said.

'It was like a light bulb went on and I realised this baking, caking, fudge hobby could be a business.

'So in 2016, I set up Magnolia Kitchen and started taking orders. I also signed up for markets to sell my sweet treats.'

The unconventional baker makes no excuse for the fact she is an 'emphatic swearer' - and said this is one way her personality shows in the book.

Ms Gee's ability to turn basic ingredients into works of art stems from a willingness to experiment - and not from a degree in pastry making.

'I do tend to have a high opinion of my baking at the very least so I knew it would be well received,' she said.

'My recipes are somewhat off script from traditional techniques and methods but somehow they just work and I like to think I am making baking easier by cutting out all the bullsh*t rules.'

Her 'organic' and down to earth approach has also won her thousands of fans online.

'I always used social media as an outlet for me,' she said of her success, 'it was a way to show my art and also just show my feelings and who I am.

'I love that feeling of just saying how I feel and putting it out in the world - I think that resonates with people.'

Ms Gee's book has been divided into chapters covering doughs and loaves, cakes, icing, curds and fillings, Italian macarons, brownies and cookies

Ms Gee's first book Magnolia Kitchen is priced at $39.99 and available through all booksellers

Ms Gee's 'brand' has also seen her become a best-selling author after her book Magnolia Kitchen was released earlier this year.

Her book published by Allen & Unwin is divided into chapters covering recipes to make doughs and loaves, cakes, icing, curds and fillings, Italian macarons, brownies and cookies.

Staying true to herself, Ms Gee makes no excuse for the fact she is an 'emphatic swearer' - and said this is one way her personality shows in the book.

'I conversationally and emphatically swear, this is just who I am and it's who I've always been,' she said.

'It felt right to ensure my authentic voice was felt and heard through my writing and recipes.'

As well as running the cafe and jetting off for book signings, Ms Gee is also a wife and mum to sons James, five and Edward, four.

While life is hectic, Ms Gee takes a moment to celebrate her hard won success with bubbly

Her husband Harley is someone she describes as her 'rock' and said 'without him, I wouldn't survive'.

'He has his hectic full-time job to uphold but he still manages to cook dinner every night and be there for the kids,' she said.

Her daughter Charlotte is now 17 and can be seen helping out Ms Gee at the cafe - a part-time job the high achiever fits around school.

While Ms Gee is a firm believer that everything in life happens for a reason, she also urges anyone with a dream to 'just do it'.

'No one ever regretted trying. I would be much more satisfied in life to say I tried something and failed rather than not to have tried at all.

'If you don't follow an idea or follow that dream how will you every know how incredible it could be.'

As for her 'best chocolate cake ever', she said only her staff members and daughter Charlotte know about her signature recipe.

'It is rich and chocolatey, but at the same time light in texture. It has served me well for so many years and was the first cake I sold for money way back when,' she said.An New Zealand photographer has had one of her stunning engagement photos recognised in an international competition.

Bethany Howarth, 32, won a place on the Junebug Weddings Engagement Photos of The Year list with a photo taken overlooking a harbour in Christchurch and its rolling hills.

The impressive photo won the hearts of judges thanks to the fact that it depicts two dogs in the back of the car while a couple kiss under a rainbow.

'The light hit both the dogs and the couple in such a perfect way, everything just came together,' Ms Howarth told FEMAIL.

'The cherry on the top was the rainbow that appeared for about 30 seconds as I was photographing the scene and was completely unexpected. Clearly it was meant to be!'.

The impressive photo that won the hearts of judges with the two dogs in the back of the car while the couple kiss under a rainbow (overlooking Christchurch's Port Hills and Lyttelton Harbour)

This is the third year in a row that she's won the award, which Ms Howarth said is 'incredible, mind-blowing' and that she feels 'very grateful' (Karekare Falls pictured)

This is the third year in a row that Ms Howarth has won the accolade, which she said is 'incredible, mind-blowing' and that she feels 'very grateful'.

The 32-year-old is mainly a wedding photographer but sometimes she will do engagement photo shoots as she said they are a great way of learning how she will work with a couple before their big day.

When it comes to coming up with ideas Ms Howarth said she will often suggest a variety of locations that she knows will look great in photos and then she and the couple will choose together.

Once in the location they will go for a walk and she will use the light and conditions on the day to capture the perfect moment.

This is the third year in a row that she's won the award, which Ms Howarth said is 'incredible, mind-blowing' and that she feels 'very grateful' (Jokulsarlon)

The 32-year-old is mainly a wedding photographer but sometimes she will do engagement photo shoots as she said they are a great way of learning how she will work with a couple before their big day (Bethells Beach)

What are Ms Howarth's top photo tips? - Make sure you book a photographer who is a good fit for your personalities and whose work you really love - If it's a sunny day, I tend to suggest doing the engagement photoshoot either really early in the morning (in the hour after the sun rises), or in the evening (in the hour before the sun sets),- this will give you the most beautiful, soft, glowy light - Try also to pick a location that has meaning to you Advertisement

'It's normally spontaneous and a matter of me getting a bit overexcited about beautiful light and gorgeous locations and exclaiming: "Oooh that looks pretty, let's go over there",' she said.

'Sometimes couples bring their animals - I love it when this happens because I am a huge animal lover.'

Ms Howarth thinks her photos stand out from the crowd because she likes to keep them quite natural.

She wants the couple to look back on them and remember how happy and in love they felt in that moment, rather than remembering 'the photographer told me to do this'.

It's normally spontaneous and a matter of me getting a bit overexcited about beautiful light and gorgeous locations and exclaiming: "Oooh that looks pretty, let's go over there",' she said (Muriwai Beach)

Ms Howarth thinks her photos stand out from the crowd because she likes to keep her photos quite natural (Kaiteriteri Beach)

'I try to use the light in the best way possible in any given scenario and try to keep my editing and colours quite natural looking so the images (hopefully) have a timeless feel,' she said (The North Shore)

'I try to use the light in the best way possible in any given scenario and try to keep my editing and colours quite natural looking so the images (hopefully) have a timeless feel,' she said.

'New Zealand has some of the best landscapes in the world, we are so spoiled for choice - we have mountains, snowy scenes, beautiful beaches, rainforests, hills.

'The winning image was taken in the hills overlooking Christchurch. It's amazing to have access to a location so beautiful so close to a main city.'British makeup artist to the stars Charlotte Tilbury has revealed just how to achieve a flawless highlighted complexion.

The London-based beauty guru, 46, divulged that the secret to the perfect glow is to get the right shade to match your skin tone.

Charlotte explained that darker skin tones suit bronze and rose god, while fairer skin tones should opt for peachy golds. She shared her secret tip - dipping your make-up brush into water to turn the highlight into a 'liquid shimmer'.

It comes after Tilbury's latest collection Glowgasm - which includes face and eyeshadow palettes, cheek colours and lip glosses - racked up a 17,500 waiting list before it hit the shelves at the beginning of this month.

British makeup artist to the stars Charlotte Tilbury (pictured with Catherine Zeta-Jones) has revealed how to achieve that flawless highlight look

The London-based beauty guru (pictured with Nicole Kidman), 46, divulged that the secret to the perfect glow is about getting the right shade to match your skin tone

Speaking to MailOnline, Tilbury revealed how to math your perfect shade to your highlighter, explaining: 'When choosing a highlighter you have to work with your skin tone to get the perfect, gorgeous glow.

'Bronze, deep gold and rose gold shades look gorgeous on darker skin tones; very fair skin tones should look for a pearlescent finish.'

Meanwhile, fair skin tones work well with 'champagne, pale golds' and medium to dark skinned women look best when wearing a 'peach gold finish', according to Tilbury.

She also disclosed where to apply highlighter to achieve the best results.

Ahead of its UK release earlier this month, Tilbury's range Glowgasm had thousands of women across the country desperate to get their hands on the set

'For the perfect, glowgasmic highlight, I always apply to the cheekbones, cupids bow, inner corners of the eyes, decolletage, arms, and even legs.

Tibury's highlighting tips Dip your brush into water before application to turn it into a liquid highligher Darker skin tones should go for Bronze, deep gold and rose gold Fair skin tones work well with champagne, pale golds Highlighter should be applied to cheekbones, cupids bow and inner corner of eyes Advertisement

The makeup artist continued: 'A gorgeous highlight can instantly lift dull looking skin for a natural looking glow!'.

Offering her 'top tip' for when using powder highlight, Tilbury said beauty enthusiasts should dip their brush into a little bit of water before applying.

'The smooth, creamy formula glides across the skin like a liquid highlight but sets like a powder and captures the light beautifully', she added.

Ahead of its UK release earlier this month, Tilbury's range Glowgasm had thousands of women across the country desperate to get their hands on the set.

A staggering 17,500 people signed up to the collection's waiting list, with most the product's receiving 4 star ratings upon release on her website.A young Miss Universe Australia finalist has revealed how she was relentlessly body-shamed by cruel trolls online.

Diana Hills, 21, who's running for the coveted Miss Universe Australia title, said she has always had a svelte physique - but people didn't hold back on their opinions.

The journalism student from the Central Coast of New South Wales was faced with nasty comments shortly before she won the Miss Tourism Australia crown in 2017 at the age of 19.

Diana Hills, a national finalist for the Miss Universe pageant, has revealed how she handled being body shamed by cruel trolls

'People were saying things like, "If that was my daughter I'd be concerned,", "She looks like she's on her death bed",' Diana told Yahoo.

'One person called me emaciated. It was really surprising.'

She said while the comments had an effect on her, she simply ignored them.

Diana puts her thin frame down to genetics.

'I've always been thin, my mums thin, it's just my genetics. But I've always known I'm healthy,' she said.

Diana said was surprised when she realised the majority of the awful comments were coming from 'older people'.

'People were saying things like, "If that was my daughter I'd be concerned,", "She looks like she's on her death bed.",' Diana told Yahoo

Since this experience Diana has become determined to stop people from body shaming others and this has motivated her even more to succeed

Since the backlash, Diana has become determined to stop people from body shaming others, motivating her even more to succeed.

Now she is turning these negative comments into something positive.

One of her goals in the Miss Universe competition is to be an advocate for positive body image and encouraging women to empower each other which she hopes the platform of the competition will allow her to do.

This isn't the first time Diana has spoken out about the online trolls as she once revealed that it's helped her become who she is today.

'I was surprised to see the comments at first but there were so many people with positive comments that it outweighed the negative,' Diana previously told The Daily Telegraph.

'I have heard it my whole life so I've had to grow a thick skin. I've always been thin, my mum is thin. I know I'm healthy though so I'm OK with that. I know I'm fine.

'I never thought Australians had a look - I'm an Australian and I represent Australia.'Princess Eugenie and her sister Beatrice played happy families with their mother Sarah Ferguson yesterday as they watched Prince Andrew rehearse for the Trooping of the Colour.

Eugenie, 29, took to Instagram to post a series of photos of her father with full uniform on and also a family photo of them - while claiming how proud she was of him while he performed his duties as colonel of the Grenadier guards.

She also posted a picture of her, her mother and Beatrice watching their father while he rehearsed.

While The Duchess of York posted a series of similar pictures - with fans hoping that it meant that 'marriage' was back on the cards for the couple.

She also posted a picture of her, her mother and Beatrice watching their father while he rehearsed

Sarah Ferguson, Beatrice and Eugenie watch on as the Duke of York rehearsed yesterday

Eugenie said on the post: 'Today, the Yorks were really proud of Papa @hrhthedukeofyork as Colonel of the @grenadier.guards

'He reviewed the parade and took the salute at the Colonel's Review. The Grenadier Guards will troop their colour next week in front of their colonel-in-chief, Her Majesty The Queen.

Sarah Ferguson, who divorced Prince Andrew in 1996 after 10 years of marriage, stood beside her ex-husband in a navy blue outfit and a hat.

Beatrice also donned a hat and paired it with a mid length black and white dress, while Eugenie dressed more for the weather with a yellow short sleeved dress.

Prince Andrew yesterday rehearsing for the Trooping of the colours next week - Eugenie said how proud she was of him

The Duchess of York also posted a series of similar photos to her Ingram account later in the day saying how proud she was of the duke

Posing as a family, despite the couple splitting over twenty years ago, they all looked happy to be together.

The Duchess of York also posted a series of similar photos to her Instagram account later in the day saying how proud she was of the duke.

Royal fans were excited for the reunion with one commenting: 'Wonderful photos - now all you have to do is get married again please!!'

Prince Andrew rides on horseback as he salutes troops during the Colonel's Review which is is the second of two rehearsals ahead of Trooping The Colour

The Duchess of York, 59, was seen standing next to her former husband Prince Andrew, as she talked to clergy before entering the chapel

Soldiers parade during the Colonel's Review on the mall in London just before the Duke of York, Colonel of the Grenadier Guards, salutes them

Another replied: 'I've never seen a non-couple look so much like a couple like these two. Go on, time to remarry!!!!'

A third said: 'Thanks so much for sharing these photos !!! You all look so great and so happy!!! Such a wonderful family. I'd just love to see you and the Duke remarry or at least officially get back together.

'You two are soul mates and in my eyes The Greatest Royal Love Story. You two are meant to be.'

Last month the couple made a rare public appearance together after denying romance rumours - during the royal wedding of Lady Gabriella Windsor and Thomas Kingston.

Soldiers and musicians take to the streets of London to rehearse at the Colonel's Review on June 1 ahead of the Queen's official birthday

The Household Division take their position as rehearsals commence for the Trooping the Colour for the Colonel's Review

The pair have remained extremely close, sharing Andrew's official residence, Royal Lodge at Windsor, and buying a luxury ski chalet in Verbier. But Fergie has denied there is anything more to their relationship than being friends.

Yesterday two guardsmen had to be helped to their feet after collapsing in sweltering heats during rehearsals for the Trooping the Colour ceremony.

The Household Division soldiers, who had been taking part in a second round of rehearsals ahead the Queen's official birthday event next week on the Horse Guards Parade in London, had to be lifted to their feet after fainting in the capital's heat.

As the troops, who were dressed in full uniform, including a bearskin hat, took position the two guardsmen were seen falling to their knees as temperatures began to hit 77F in central London.

With their colleagues maintaining their position as the rehearsals came to a standstill, three comrades were seen rushing to one of the soldiers aid, removing his heavy bearskin hat and trying to bring him to his feet.Every so often a shoe style comes along that you simply cant afford to ignore.

You might look at this shoe and think: Really? Im not sure I can manage that. Or, alternatively, you may be thrilled.

Either way, its this shoe that will make your trousers and skirts and dresses look fresh and contemporary for the foreseeable future. And this time that shoe is the Marmite of footwear: mules.

If, like me, youre firmly in the No, Please Not Them camp, then here are a few things to bear in mind. Of all the mules out there  and there are an awful lot, from flat and rope-soled to black leather with four-inch heels  the ones that will suit our needs best have a mid-block or kitten heel. Youre no more likely to slip off these (always an anxiety with mules) than fall out of a kitten-heeled slingback.

Shane Watson advised on how to embrace this season's trend for mules, pictured left: Skirt, 49.99, and sandals, 29.99, zara.com; Bag, 795, mulberry.com right: Dress, 79.99, sandals, 29.99, and sunglasses, 9.99, all zara.com; Bag, 367, elleme.com

If youre still not convinced, there are plenty with a big toe strap, or an extra bar across the bridge of the foot, for added security. These mules are made for walking.

A shoe with no back is, admittedly, a hazard in the rain, but no one is suggesting you wear these if its pouring. Pick your moment, and maybe carry a spare pair of shoes in case it turns nasty. Its not a reason to be put off is all were saying, especially as we are heading into summer fast.

There is the issue of not being able to wear tights or socks with mules (thats non-negotiable), but compulsory foot bareness is a big part of why theyre going to be so useful in the weeks ahead.

You put on your summer party frock and realise even your lightish leather heels are in another fashion postcode, and its at this moment that a pair of cornflower-blue suede mules with a green buckle (225, lkbennett.com, not pictured) are just what youre looking for. Not too solid, not too naked, lighter than a shoe, lower than your other heels, and elegant in a new way.

Left: Shorts, 35, and watch, 29.50, marksandspencer.com; Sandals, 79.99, zara.com; Bag, 195, beatriceb.com Right: Shorts, 29.99, mango.com; Shoes, 22, asos.com; Bag, 195, beatriceb.com

The message is unavoidable: mules look like Summer 2019, and we had better get used to them.

So, where to start? Maybe swap your snake-print ankle boots for zebra-print two-strap mules. If you want to go lower, there is the similarly striped Moroccan-style mule (both pictured above).

The joy of mules is you can stick with monochrome, as theyre automatically so much lighter, and a black leather mule cut high on the foot, with a tan heel (89, whistles.com), already looks like a city classic.

The naked sandal is also big for summer, as you know, so if you want to combine the two looks  barely there and backless  try Topshops black sandals. Most of us will go for something between the two extremes  a mid-slim heel and a cross-strap are the details that make a mule easy and versatile, and the olive-green of the ones above from Topshop make them extra chic.

Left: Shorts, 49.50, marks andspencer.com; Sandals, 59, and bag, 25, topshop.com; Watch, 199, rotary watches.com Right: Skirt, 99, uterque.com; Shoes, 12, tuclothing. sainsburys.co.uk; Bag, 19.99, zara.com; Sunglasses, 125, cubitts.com

That said, if youve got a long day ahead of standing in marquees or church halls, a soft suede mule with a slim platform (29.99, zara.com) has summer party stayer written all over it.

The more slide-like styles  lower with one broad strap  are undoubtedly more casual, but not so casual you cant wear them to the office with a midi dress. But keep the flat rope-soled mules for the weekend. The Duchess of Cambridge may wear her espadrille wedges for every occasion, but thats a different thing altogether.

As for the bag you might wear with these mules, this summer the choice is between a neat wicker bag (more casual) or something boxy in ice cream-coloured leather. It could be doll-sized and plain, or blinged up like a drum majorette but, either way, youre probably carrying it by the handle or tucked under your elbow like a trophy toy dog.

This crop of bags are a feminine flourish  prettier and less functional than what weve been used to. A bit like mules, really.Someone I know once arrived bang on time at their friends home, to where they had been invited for a relaxed weekend lunch. As they reached up to ring the doorbell, they heard the man of the house bellowing up the stairs: The selfish ****ers are here already! He was still pulling on a shirt as he opened the door, wreathed in smiles.

For most of us, entertaining is a bit stressful. The ideal guest will be sensitive to the fact you may not have achieved all you had intended in advance of their arrival.

So, spare a sympathetic thought for outgoing Prime Minister Theresa May, who this week will be entertaining U.S. President Donald Trump and his extended family entourage.

Literary expert Patricia Nicol, shared a selection of books focused on tricky visitors including Mikhail Bulgakov's The Master And Margarita (pictured left) and Sadie Joness The Snakes (pictured right)

One of the things Mrs May had intended to get sorted before The Donald inevitably blew in was Brexit  and he doesnt seem a man to let that pass unnoticed. Can you imagine a more awkward gathering? Trump, who seemingly signals his Scottish heritage by using Irn Bru as fake tan, Day-Gloing and glowering, and May having to endure it all as one last self-immolating act of patriotism for the country I love.

From Paris bearing off Helen of Troy, to the Cat In The Hat, and Pride And Prejudices unctuous Lady Catherine De Bourgh, literature is full of horrendously overbearing visitors.

In the Soviet satire The Master And Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov, Satan and his henchman Behemoth, a huge, fast-talking cat, arrive in Moscow and wreak havoc among the citys liberal elite.

In Sadie Joness engrossing recent novel The Snakes, young London couple Bea and Dan go to stay with her recovering junkie brother Alex at his falling-down hotel in France.

Things feel like they could not get any worse  but then Bea and Alexs bullying, damaging parents arrive.

Sometimes, at least, a put-upon host turns the tables. In Richmal Cromptons Just William story William Makes A Night Of It, Mr Bennison, a patronising, middle-aged bore, comes to stay. William gets rid of him by waking up Mr Bennison through the night, flattering him that he is fascinated by his world knowledge. Worth a try, Theresa.Linda Jayne Pilkington, 48, founded fine fragrance house Ormonde Jayne in 2001. She lives in London with her husband, who works in finance, and two sons, aged 13 and 11.

Ive always been entrepreneurial. Growing up in Cheshire I made beeswax candles and face masks to sell for pocket money.

When I moved to London in the Nineties, I bumped into a family friend working for Chanel Fine Jewellery. He remembered my love of candle making and commissioned me to create a scented candle for Chanel. Id mix, melt, and mould candles in my kitchen.

Linda Jayne Pilkington (pictured), 48, from London, was inspired to launch Ormonde Jayne after being commissioned to make a scented candle for Chanel

Chanel ordered 50, and kept re-ordering. I had to register a company to raise an invoice. That was when Ormonde Jayne was born. My husband came up with the name, combining my middle name with the street we lived on. We wanted something personal, easy to remember and English.

I started selling candles and room sprays at Portobello Market. Before long I had designers and hoteliers on my books, so I moved into my first studio.

In 2001, I opened my own boutique in Mayfair. My light bulb moment came when a client wanted me to make her a tuberose perfume. I said: There are already lots on the market. Dont you want something more exotic or unusual? I promised I would find a flower as heady as tuberose, but rarer  one not widely used in the industry.

I realised thats what I should do for Ormonde Jayne. I would find unusual flowers, resins and woods. But, of course, the perfume still had to be drop-dead gorgeous.

It took two years to put the first four perfumes together (Ormonde Woman, Tolu, Champaca and Frangipani). I travelled to Morocco, India and the Far East looking for ingredients no one had thought of, such as Indias champaca flower.

Everyone uses sandalwood or cedar, but no one has a perfume made from black hemlock, which is used in Ormonde Woman. I also introduced oudh to the British fine fragrance market, when I launched Ormonde Man in 2004.

All the candles, oils and perfumes are handmade in London by my own team. I also have a mini lab in the shops basement to create made-to-measure perfumes. Ive paid myself modestly and put the profit back into the company.

The ideas have developed from my passion for travel. But I know when weve found the right ingredients because I feel a sense of excitement and anticipation.Watch out, the copycat websites are back - and this time they are looking to trick you into paying for your National Insurance number.

Anyone who wants to work or claim benefits in the UK - or register to vote - needs a National Insurance number, or 'Nino' for short.

At this time of year, youngsters looking for their first job or holiday work are being asked for this crucial number so that their employers can tax them correctly and ensure they build up entitlement to benefits.

Website nationalinsurancenumbers.co.uk offering a 'fast track' National Insurance offer. One reader said she was nearly charged 42 for an application

The number is usually posted out by the Department for Work and Pensions about three months before a child's 16th birthday - so long as parents have claimed Child Benefit.

But many parents have opted out of receiving Child Benefit because since 2013 if one of them is a higher rate taxpayer they have to pay the whole lot back via their tax return.

This means more children are not receiving an automatic notification and falling through the net.

Families who do not receive the number by post are naturally tempted to use an online search engine to find one. But the internet is now awash with money-grabbing 'copycat' websites ready to trap the unwary.

HOW TO AVOID THE CHEATS' WEB AVOID using a search engine when applying for a National Insurance number - or other official documentation such as a European Health Insurance Card, passport or driving licence. Instead, search via the Government website gov.uk. Tap gov.uk into the address bar. BE AWARE that if you do carry out an online search, paid-for adverts will invariably appear at the top of listings. These should be easy to spot as they usually carry a little box containing 'Ad' to the top left of the listing. The official websites will usually appear further down the page. ALWAYS take your time when reading through the wording on a website. Ironically, copycat websites often use disclaimers with statements such as 'we are not affiliated to the official website' - and some even include a link to the correct website - to lend an air of authenticity to their operations. DEMAND a refund if you do get caught out. Even though some websites say they do not offer refunds, many operators calculate that returning a one-off payment is better than having their dubious practices exposed in a national newspaper by an angry reader. REPORT bogus or misleading websites to search engines such as Google so they can shut them down or at least not promote them.

Personal assistant Jenny Black, 50, used a search engine to find the number for her daughter, who needs it to take a Saturday job at a karate club in September, when she turns 16.

Jenny says: 'When I tapped in the words "apply for a National Insurance number" several websites appeared at the top of the listing, all indicating I could apply online through them. One of them said it would cost "only 29.99".'

Jenny was suspicious, as she did not expect to have to pay anything for a number that is compulsory for almost everyone in Britain.

She was right to be wary. Only at the end of applying through the website nationalinsurancenumbers.co.uk do users find they might be charged 41.99 for the privilege of using its 'two hour' fast track service plus an SMS alert costing 1.99.

Had Jenny wanted an interpreter to help with the application, a further 3.99 would have been added. This is an indication that the websites are also setting out to trap migrants into paying for the numbers when applying for work in the UK.

Another website, ninumber.uk charges 35 for a so-called fast track service - which laughably takes 'just a few weeks'.

Though not all such websites are acting illegally, many are sailing close to the wind by charging to arrange paperwork via the official Government service which individuals can easily organise themselves - even the copycats have to use the official channels.

Revenue & Customs says there is no such thing as a fast track service for National Insurance numbers and that there is no faster way to get a number than via its official routes.

Mike Andrews, at the National Trading Standards eCrime team, says the number of people falling victim to National Insurance copycat websites is hugely underreported.

The taxman says there is no such thing as a fast track service for National Insurance numbers and there is no faster way to get a number than via official routes

Fortunately, Jenny was not one of them. She looked further down the Google listing and found the official website: gov.uk. She says: 'I'm expecting my daughter's number to arrive in the post in the next few weeks.'

There are plenty of websites ready to snare you as you search for details on how to get hold of a National Insurance number.

Often they do not reveal what fees they charge until an application is completed. And along the way, applicants will have revealed important personal information such as their address and credit card details.

One website - ninoapply.org.uk - does not state what charge it applies. But in its terms and conditions it warns: 'We can charge interest if you pay late. If you do not make any payment to us by the due date, we may charge interest to you on the overdue amount at the rate of 8 per cent a year above the base lending rate of the Bank of England from time to time.'

Like many copycat websites, it uses a 'disclaimer'.

Buried at the bottom of verbose terms and conditions - and in a refund policy that doesn't even mention the cost of the service - it states: 'We have no affiliations with the Department for Work and Pensions, Job Centre Plus, any UK government body or the government of UK.

You can apply directly at the DWP or contact Job Centre Plus for a NI Number where there is no fee payable. Our agency provide the best possible service for our clients. For the government Ni Number website https://www.gov.uk.'

Why a 'Nino' is vital

Don't let copycat websites put you off applying for a NI number - they're vital

You should not let the existence of copycat websites put you off applying for a National Insurance number, however. This unique string of letters and numbers is vital and you will keep it for the rest of your life. It never changes.

The Government uses it to record National Insurance contributions made during your career so you can build entitlement to benefits and the State pension. It is also used to collate information on other taxes you have paid and any relief you might be qualified to receive.

You need to provide your National Insurance number when you go to work for a new employer. You also need it to open an Individual Savings Account or pension to prove your entitlement to the tax breaks on these investment wrappers.

Those registering to vote for the first time are also asked to provide it so officials can check their identity. And youngsters heading off to university need to state the number when applying for loans from the Student Loans Company.

If you have lost or forgotten your number, you can find it on a payslip, or P60 (your end of tax year statement), or any letter about tax, the State pension or benefits. If you still cannot find it, complete the form CA5403 at gov.uk. The Revenue will not reveal your number over the phone, but will send it by post, usually within three weeks.

Some copycat websites invite people to pay for a plastic card with their National Insurance number etched on it. This serves as an instant red flag because official cards have not been issued by the Government since 2011 and in none of the cases above is one required.

A Revenue spokesman says: 'No one should pay to apply for or get a reminder of their National Insurance number. The Revenue and Department for Work and Pensions do not accredit or approve any agents that charge for doing so. Apply for free at gov.uk.

'Most children receive a National Insurance number automatically, just before their 16th birthday, if Child Benefit has been claimed for them. If they do not receive it, they should contact the Revenue.' Adults who need to register for a number should apply to the Department for Work and Pensions.Tony Hetherington is Financial Mail on Sunday's ace investigator, fighting readers corners, revealing the truth that lies behind closed doors and winning victories for those who have been left out-of-pocket. Find out how to contact him below.

T.B. writes: I received a cold call from a Mr Stuart Walker, then a letter claiming to be from Infinity Capital Markets. I suspect this is a scam and have given Action Fraud full details. Would you like to comment?

You are absolutely right. This is a fraud. Thank you for the details, which are almost a carbon copy of those I warned against last Sunday, concerning an equally fake investment firm, Global Spread Exchange.

The address used by fake firm Infinity Capital Markets is in Kensington, London, but the phone number went through to an engineering company in Milton Keynes (pictured)

Like last Sunday's fraudsters, the people behind Infinity Capital Markets (ICM) have simply stolen the identity of a genuine business. They have even forged the signature of Mark Beaney, the boss of the genuine ICM.

According to the call and letter you received, ICM has found a buyer for the near-worthless carbon credits you were tricked into purchasing for 5,000 some years ago. It claims a big Italian pharmaceuticals company wants to buy them for 13,220 - but first you have to fork out 1,555 plus VAT for a fictitious 'escrow discharge supplement'.

Of course, if you handed this over, the crooks would vanish. But, just like last week's scam, they need an address, phone number and bank account.

The address used by the fake ICM is in London's Kensington and belongs to a firm that takes in mail for anyone who pays.

The phone number was one for inner London, but when I dialled it, after some hesitation I was put through to an engineering company in Milton Keynes.

That leaves the bank account.

You were asked to send payment by bank transfer to account number 79 19 87 41 at sort code 08-71-99. Surprise, surprise - this sort code belongs to Cashplus, the same company that featured in last weekend's warning.

Cashplus is authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and told me it employs the same checks as big banks to stop accounts being used for fraud. But it refused to say whose account would have taken your cash and what action it has taken now I have sounded the alarm.

Another victim of this scam is Mark Beaney of the genuine ICM. He did manage to get the fraudsters' website at infinitycapitalmarkets.com shut down, only to see them instantly resurrect it under its current name, infinitycapitalmarketsltd.com.

He told me: 'We have been in touch with Action Fraud and had the issue officially documented. Unfortunately there seemed limited appetite on its behalf to take the issue further.' This tallies with last Sunday's report, when Ken Munro, whose genuine company was cloned, told me how he was turned away when he tried to report the scam to Action Fraud.

He said then: 'It seems that it can only accept reports from individuals who have been duped and not from businesses that have been cloned in order to carry out the fraud.'

This is rather like telling the police you are watching someone break into your neighbour's house, only to be met with shrugs and the answer that it is up to your neighbour to file a report after the burglars loot his home.

The fake Infinity Capital Markets claims on its resurrected website to employ 2,700 people and to be listed on the London Stock Exchange. It says it was founded in 1878 and provides banking and investment services from eight offices around the country.

All this has been copied from the website of the legitimate investment business Close Brothers Asset Management.

At one time, lies like these put out by a bogus business would have been enough to spark an investigation, if not by the police then at least by the FCA. Today it seems, we are all on our own.

BA price pledge flies against fact

M.W. writes: I saw that you recently published my letter about British Airways. I have now had a call from BA, which has agreed to issue me 80,000 Avios points that can be used to book seats. Finally, I have a compromise I can accept. Thank you for all your efforts.

When we published your letter at the end of April, BA had refused to comment on your complaint. You are a regular customer and a member of its Executive Club, which offers perks. On top of this, BA advertises a 'price guarantee' that means it should not be undercut by cheap tickets sellers.

So when you booked two return tickets to Seattle for 5,869, only to find a website quoting 5,526 for the same tickets, it was a let-down to be told the airline would only give you a voucher that could not be used to reserve seats. So you would still have been better off using the cut-price website.

Incredibly, what used to be promoted as 'the world's favourite airline' refused to explain how it could offer a price guarantee that could still work against you.

It told me it would only give an explanation direct to you. That explanation seems to be an offer of points that you can only spend by staying a BA customer. When we published your letter, I warned that anyone tempted to rely on BA's price promise should be careful.

Nothing has changed.

'This will not be tolerated'...except by the watchdog

Dodgy: Ricky Burgess, right, with a business associate, Daniel Racey

Three weeks ago I reported that the Insolvency Service had begun court proceedings to close down Asset Backed Management Ltd, a dodgy investment company.

I named the men behind the firm as Amir Damoussi, 28, and Ricky Burgess, 29, both from Southend-on-Sea. Both were linked to previous scams before this latest company, which has been marketing risky fixed interest bonds.

I warned against Burgess in March 2016 when I linked him to a diamond investment business run by pal Daniel Racey which was struck off in 2015.

The Insolvency Service has now quite rightly won its case in court and the firm is being wound up. What is extraordinary is that chief investigator Helen Cosgrove stated: 'Asset Backed Management traded in wilful breach of Financial Conduct Authority rules that exist to protect investors. Many members of the public have been impacted by their actions. This behaviour will not be tolerated.'

Those are strong words - spot on.

But what action has the regulator itself taken? Has it prosecuted Damoussi, the firm's sole director or any colleagues? Has it sought to recover their ill gotten gains for their victims? I asked, but there was no reply.

The financial watchdog failed to whimper, let alone bark.

If you believe you are the victim of financial wrongdoing, write to Tony Hetherington at Financial Mail, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TS or email tony.hetherington@mailonsunday.co.uk. Because of the high volume of enquiries, personal replies cannot be given. Please send only copies of original documents, which we regret cannot be returned.Should savers keep faith with Neil Woodford?

That is the question vexing the army of private investors who have entrusted their savings to the legendary fund manager, who until recently seemed to be an infallible money-maker.

Not any more. When he left his long-term berth at Invesco to set up his own asset management firm in 2014, he exerted a Pied Piper-like sway over savers.

After a run of dire performance he is having the opposite effect.

Billions of pounds have flowed out of his equity income fund as savers' faith in the investment discipline to which he religiously adheres is being severely tested by a run of terrible performance.

Should savers keep faith with Neil Woodford? That is the question vexing the army of private investors, says Ruth Sunderland

The marketing frenzy created around him by some financial advisers when his funds were launched was cynical and unhealthy.

Now the unthinking stampede out is equally dangerous.

Woodford has never made any bones that his funds require commitment. Every investment decision he makes is based on the principle of valuation. He devotes enormous amounts of time and energy to trying to find businesses that are under-valued and that therefore will deliver attractive returns in future.

For the last couple of years he has been failing badly. The issue is why. Is it because his decisions are the correct ones, but are taking longer than expected to come good?

Might he be the victim of the fashion for momentum investing, where people try to cash in on big market trends rather than looking at the fundamental value of individual firms?

Or is his strategy a good one, but poorly executed  in other words, has he picked the wrong companies?

He would probably emphasise the pernicious effect of the momentum investors, but there is an element of all the above. Some of the companies he backs, such as doorstep lender Provident Financial, currently embroiled in a messy takeover bid, look questionable.

He also has illiquid holdings that create problems at times like this when investors want to make large withdrawals.

In his equity income fund, he has taken a big bet on the post-Brexit UK economy, with holdings in housebuilders such as Barratt and Taylor Wimpey.

His rationale is that the odds of a softer Brexit have increased substantially because of the political sclerosis. If this is the case, he believes there will be a rally in sterling.

The UK economy will surge and so will companies exposed to it, which are in his view deeply undervalued.

He predicts it will be his rivals  and by implication the savers who desert him  who are about to suffer a rude awakening. Taking an investment stance that is in direct opposition to the majority and sticking to it while the value falls demands huge conviction and strength of character.

Being a contrarian investor also demands a certain humility. Sometimes it is you and not everyone else who is wrong.

Let's suppose Woodford is right about everything and keeps his nerve. Even then, if too many of his savers lose theirs, it won't help him. Supposing the flight from his funds continues, it could create a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Woodford has endured periods of awful underperformance in the past. He has so far bounced back. In 25 years at Invesco he turned a 10,000 investment into 230,000. There are no guarantees this will happen again.You would usually want a qualified doctor to look after your health rather than your wealth, but Doctor Carl Harald Janson is the exception.

For the past 13 years, Janson, who qualified as a medical doctor 38 years ago, has devoted his working life to investing in healthcare companies on behalf of a variety of investment houses.

Since late 2013, he has been lead manager on International Biotechnology, a 230million investment trust investing in a portfolio of biotechnology and life science companies. His track record is impeccable.

Trust: International Biotechnology is a 230million investment trust investing in a portfolio of biotechnology and life science companies

Over the past five years, the trust has delivered a return of 146 per cent.

To put this in perspective, the FTSE All-Share Index has returned 30 per cent over the same period.

While Janson accepts that such stunning numbers may not be repeated  and admits the economic backdrop is a challenging one  he is confident the biotechnology sector offers long-term investors exciting growth prospects.

The trust was launched a quarter of a century ago, says Janson.

Then the risk profile was higher because essentially the fund was investing in start-up businesses, some of which did not survive. Now, the biotechnology universe is a more diverse one, comprising some 500 firms we are interested in, many of which are well-established. That in turn has made the investment area more cornerstone than peripheral. 

Janson believes an ageing world population will fuel ever higher healthcare spending which in turn will increase the demand for new drugs from leading biotechnology companies.

To back his point, he says that last year a record number of new drugs were approved by the Food and Drug Administration in the US, while clinical trials of new drugs worldwide rose to a record 31,000. All good signals, according to Janson.

Given most biotechnology companies are based in the US, the trusts portfolio is dominated by US companies such as Gilead, a pioneer in the treatment of HIV.

Its a disease that will not go away, says Janson, and Gilead is a leader with a pill called Genvoya. It is the trusts biggest holding at just over seven per cent.

Janson likes companies such as Gilead whose new drugs are hard to beat by rivals or which are operating in specialist areas where competitors are few and far between.

Another such company  a top ten holding  is Stemline Therapeutics, which late last year had a drug (Elzonris) approved by the FDA for treating an aggressive cancer that attacks the bone marrow.

Since the turn of the year, Stemlines share price has risen by more than 50 per cent although the company is still making losses.

Janson runs the trust on behalf of SV Health Managers, a leading healthcare and life sciences investment house with offices in Boston and London.

To take full advantage of SVs specialism, the trust not only holds more than 60 listed companies and some 13 unquoted stocks, but it also has a stake in one of the firms venture capital funds (SV Fund VI) which in turn invests in start-up biotech companies. In the next three years, Janson wants to shift the portfolio so that it is just built around holdings in listed businesses and the companys venture capital funds.

The investment trust pays shareholders an annual income of four per cent from the profits it makes on its investments.

SV Health Managers also manages a 250million venture capital fund which aims to invest in companies intent on discovering breakthrough treatments for dementia.On February 27, Marks & Spencer announced it was joining forces with online retailer Ocado  acquiring half its UK business for up to 750million.

M&S said back then that the deal would be largely financed by a 600million rights issue and that this years dividend would be cut.

On May 22, both events duly came to pass. Alongside yet another set of disappointing full-year results, chief executive Steve Rowe unveiled a 26 per cent cut in the dividend to 13.9p and a one-for-five rights issue at 1.85.

Tough times: In recent years, M&S has consistently struggled to find its way

That means shareholders are entitled to one new share at 1.85 for every five they hold  and they have until June 12 to decide what to do about it.

Rights issues are complicated because there are several routes that investors can pursue  each involves different mathematical calculations  and the sums change as the share price moves.

First, shareholders can subscribe for all their rights. If they own 500 shares, for example, they will be entitled to 100 new ones at a cost of 185.

Second, they can take up some of their rights, purchasing, for example, 50 new shares for every 500, at a price of 92.50.

This is cheaper than going the whole hog but it means that they will end up owning a smaller proportion of M&S stock after the rights issue than before it.

Third, they can sell their rights in the stock market. These are known as nil-paid rights and their value fluctuates in line with the M&S share price.

Deal: On February 27, Marks & Spencer announced it was joining forces with online retailer Ocado

When the rights issue was launched, M&S stock was trading at 2.71 so the new shares it was offering investors were 31 per cent cheaper than the pre-announcement price.

The discount was designed to entice shareholders to take up their rights and, if the price had remained at 2.71, shareholders would have been able to sell their nil-paid rights (under a complex formula) for 71.7p each, or 71.70 for every 500 shares they owned.

By last Friday, however, the shares had fallen to 2.25. Some decline was to be expected, given that the company is issuing 20 per cent more shares at a cut-price rate. But the extent of the fall suggests the market is in two minds about this rights issue. Equally worrying, the nil-paid rights were changing hands at just 39p by close of play last week.

If the share price continues to fall as the June 12 deadline approaches, the nil-paid rights are likely to fall too. If shareholders want nothing to do with this rights issue, therefore, they are probably best advised to sell the nil-paids now.

Investors can also sell enough nil-paid rights to finance the purchase of new shares without having to fork out any fresh cash, a process known as tail-swallowing.

At current levels, an investor with 500 shares would need to sell around 83 nil-paid rights to acquire 23 new shares at no extra cost.

Finally, shareholders can decide they have had enough of M&S entirely and sell all their shares. None of these decisions is straightforward. M&S was once synonymous with quality and reliability. Customers loved the stores. Shareholders loved the shares.

Bottom line: Even though Ocado sells a lot of products, it has never made a profit

In recent years however, the business has consistently struggled to find its way. The stock rose to more than 7 before the financial crisis but the price plummeted to below 2 in the ensuing recession and there has been little joy since, even though This Morning presenter Holly Willoughby was brought in earlier this year to back new ranges.

At the annual results last month chief executive Steve Rowe said the company was judging itself as much by the pace of change as by the trading outcomes. He has a plan  based around selling more of what customers want, closing down stores, cutting costs and moving into the digital age.

Having been at M&S since 1989 and held the top job for the past three years, Rowe should know what needs to be done.

Yet the pace of change has been painfully slow so far. The shares are down more than 40 per cent since Rowe was promoted and shareholders have every right to feel impatient.

At his side is Archie Norman, a veteran retailer and turnaround specialist, appointed chairman in September 2017. Norman has form but there has been little sign of it to date at M&S, either in the financial results or the share price.

Now Norman and Rowe are hoping Ocado will make a difference, at least in M&S food, which accounts for more than half the groups sales.

They point out that M&S shoppers account for a third of Britains online grocery spend and suggest that the tie-up with Ocado will provide the best of two worlds  Ocados top-notch online service and Markss top-quality food.

But that logic assumes that M&S shoppers will seamlessly switch to Ocado, even if they have been happily using other online options, such as Tesco or Sainsbury.

It also assumes that Ocado shoppers will remain loyal, even though Ocado has been associated with Waitrose for the past 19 years.

Anecdotal evidence suggests neither assumption is watertight. The deal has already caused consternation among Ocado groupies and Waitrose is bound to try its hardest to lure them to its online site.

It is also worth noting that, even though Ocado sells a lot of products, it has never made a profit.

MIDAS VERDICT

M&S shareholders have had a rough time, as the company has tried time and again to regain its position as the star of British retailing. But success has proved elusive and, at 2.25, the stock is at a ten-year low.

M&S loyalists may decide to subscribe for all or some of their rights and hope for the best. Other shareholders may well be better off selling their nil-paid rights and thinking long and hard about whether they want to keep the shares they started off with. There are higher growth and better value retailers on the market.If something looks too good to be true, it probably is. Its an adage that regularly applies to financial products which attract the headlines for promising savers or investors the earth, only to implode shortly afterwards.

This important phrase could currently be applied to a slice of the UK stock market where shares in some of the countrys biggest listed companies seem to be offering investors the opportunity to enjoy a feast of dividend income.

That is, double digit annual income in percentage terms  way in excess of anything available from a high street bank or a trusty building society where you will be lucky to earn more than a paltry 0.2 per cent a year on your savings.

So, too good to be true? Sadly, in many cases, a resounding yes. Buyer beware.

Chasing this high yield may well end in bitter disappointment  a result of a subsequent weaker share price, a possible reduction in dividend payments, or a toxic combination of the two.

Let me try to explain what on earth is going on (it is all rather complex) and what these figures are telling investors.

Back to the start. Analysis of the stock markets 100 biggest companies indicates that there is a rump of businesses whose shares are yielding an attractive seven per cent or more.

This rump includes some household names such as housebuilders Barratt Developments, Persimmon and Taylor Wimpey as well as insurers Aviva and Direct Line. Companies we all very much associate with UK plc.

High yielders can also be found among those smaller companies that sit outside the FTSE100 index.

For example, the FTSE250, comprising the next largest 250 listed businesses in the UK, includes the likes of Plus500, Bovis Homes and Galliford whose shares are all offering up yields of 10 per cent plus.

So, what exactly is this dividend yield and what should we read into it? Is it a true reflection of the income we are going to get on our investments? And is it bullet proof?

Be careful: If something looks too good to be true, it probably is

In basic terms, the dividend yield is an indication of the annual income payments a shareholder has received  or is projected to receive over the next 12 months.

The payments are expressed as a percentage of the businesss current share price, so if the share price shoots up, the yield falls.

And if a companys share price falls, then the dividend yield will automatically rise.

It is no coincidence that most of these highest yielding companies have issues that have resulted in some wretched share price performance over the past year (the tables above say it all).

In some cases, share price falls of 50 per cent plus  compared with a gentler 7 per cent decrease in the FTSE100 index  have driven their resulting dividend yields skywards.

Some of these share price corrections stem from all the uncertainty caused by Brexit  with many domestically focused businesses such as housebuilders shunned by investors because of concerns over the future health of the UK economy.

Others reflect more specific problems such as a loss of customers (Standard Life Aberdeen and Centrica, owner of British Gas) and fiercely competitive marketplaces  for example, Direct Line and car insurance, Tui and holiday travel.

Worryingly, as far as income-seekers are concerned, a weak share price and correspondingly high yield can also be an indication that the market (professional investors, investment analysts) expects the company in the near future to disappoint shareholders by cutting its dividend.

As Rebecca OKeeffe, head of investment at Interactive Investor, says: A high dividend-paying stock may be a good investment, but it is equally likely that a juicy dividend yield could be a warning sign that all is not well with the business.

For example, it might be indicating that the cash being generated by the business is insufficient to sustain the dividend or that the company faces significant challenges, again compromising its ability to keep paying a generous dividend.

So, what should income-hungry investors do? In a nutshell, they should not blindly chase high yielding shares. At the very least, they should do a lot of homework, trying to establish whether the businesses behind these shares are in a financial position to keep paying dividends  and just as importantly turn around their fortunes, resulting in a share price recovery.

One useful financial indicator is a companys dividend cover, a figure readily available via investment platforms such as AJ Bell, Hargreaves Lansdown and Interactive Investor. This calculates how many times a companys annual dividend payments are covered by profits.

Experts say a figure of 1.5 is acceptable while anything under one is a red flag, indicating a company is having to dig into its reserves to meet dividend payments  an unsustainable situation. Of the companies in the tables, Aviva, Barratt, Crest Nicholson, Galliford, Plus500 and Tui all have cover at or above 1.5.

Laith Khalaf, investment expert at Hargreaves Lansdown, says a better approach for many income investors is to look at companies with less appealing headline yields, but where dividend payments look more resilient. Companies such as insurer Legal & General  a very British success story  and Lloyds, a bank in rude health according to Khalaf. The dividend yields are 7 per cent and 6.1 per cent respectively.

Interactive Investors Richard Hunter also likes Lloyds as well as Shell. Both are traditional cornerstone dividend payers, he adds, notwithstanding Lloyds decision to suspend its dividend after the 2008 financial crisis.Hermann Hauser, former Acorn Computers employee who founded Arm Holdings

The row over Chinese firm Huawei will be 'incredibly damaging' for Arm, the founder of the British technology giant has claimed.

Cambridge-based computer chip designer Arm has been forced to suspend business with Huawei after President Trump placed the Chinese company on a US 'banned entity' list amid security concerns.

It followed a similar move by Google and others as American companies that count Huawei as a client severed ties following the President's clampdown.

Arm, whose chips are used in Huawei's smartphones and servers for data centres, was sold to Japanese investment giant SoftBank for 24billion in 2016 in the largest ever deal for a British technology company.

Arm is affected by the new restrictions because of the number of components used in its chips that are designed in the US.

Hermann Hauser - an icon in the computer industry who co-founded Arm when it was spun out of Acorn Computers - told The Mail on Sunday it would have an 'absolutely enormous' impact on Arm.

He claimed other customers would start limiting their exposure to products that contain technology which originated in the US, such as Arm products.

'It really is quite damaging for Huawei in the short term, and longterm it's going to be incredibly damaging for Arm and Google and the American industry,' he said.

'Every single supplier in the world will start thinking of how to reduce the threat of their production being terminated by an American president. All the discussions I have with companies in Europe at the moment are about them going through their intellectual property portfolio and designing American intellectual property out, which is terribly sad and destructive.'

He said that included Arm. 'Most of Arm's intellectual property was created in Europe, but some of it, without thinking, we created in the US. Many Arm products have American intellectual property in them - Arm had to follow the instructions of the American president,' the 70-year-old added.

Hauser, who is now co-founder and venture partner of technology start-up investor Amadeus Capital, said it was 'not an acceptable position to be in for a non-American company'.

Arm Holdings was bought by Japanese investment giant SoftBank in 2016. SoftBank pledged to keep Arm based in Cambridge as part of the takeover

Arm is owned by Japanese tech investment giant SoftBank, which is run by eccentric billionaire Masayoshi Son. However, as part of the takeover, SoftBank pledged to keep Arm's headquarters in Cambridge and increase the workforce in the UK.

Hauser added: 'If America can stop a Chinese company, of course they can stop any other company in the world. By exercising this incredible power they have over other companies, all the companies in the world are now thinking: "Do I want to be in a position where the American president can shut me down?" When I talk to people in the industry, they are being very careful about not buying American products.'

Critics fear Huawei's equipment could be used by the Chinese state for spying. The company denies this and also denies having close links with the Chinese government. Supporters of the firm argue America is using Huawei as a pawn in its trade war with China.

The British Government has reportedly approved the use of Huawei equipment in 'non-core' areas of the 5G network such as antennae. A subsequent row and leak from a top-level meeting led to the sacking of Gavin Williamson from his defence post.

Last week, EE became the first mobile operator in the UK to launch 5G by rolling out the next generation data network in six cities. Vodafone has confirmed it will launch 5G in July.

Neither EE nor Vodafone is including Huawei smartphones in their 5G launches due to the row.

A spokesman for Arm said: 'Given the evolving nature of the situation, it's premature at this point to forecast what impact it will have on Arm's business. We are watching the situation very closely, engaging in dialogue with policymakers, and hoping for a swift resolution.'Former chancellor Alistair Darling could be called to give evidence in the High Court this month in a 1.25 billion showdown between the Government and a state-backed Iranian bank.

Bank Mellat, which is part-owned by Iran's government, is suing the Treasury for compensation over financial restrictions that were imposed on the lender in the UK in 2009.

The sanctions were ordered by Labour Ministers who believed there was evidence linking Mellat with the financing of state nuclear weapons development.

Former chancellor Lord Alistair Darling

The trial, due to commence on June 17 and last for five weeks, could see several high-profile Government figures take to the stand, including Lord Darling, who was Labour's Chancellor at the time of the order.

Mellat denies allegations that it is linked to the financing of nuclear weapons. The bank claims the sanctions led to losses of $1.6billion (1.25billion) - mostly in lost future business.

The restrictions had limited UK-based entities from dealing with Bank Mellat and its subsidiaries.

The Supreme Court quashed the curbs in 2013, leading Mellat to launch a damages claim in the High Court.

Mellat is being represented by London law firm Zaiwalla and Co, which is led by Sarosh Zaiwalla, a 70-year-old solicitor who famously sacked a young Tony Blair and once carried out work for the Dalai Lama.

The bank alleges that the UK Government also lobbied other international authorities to impose financial restrictions, leading to 'copycat' sanctions being introduced by the United Nations, the European Union and others.

Mellat had been subject to an asset freeze in the US since 2007, but it claims that frosty relations between the US and Iran meant Washington's restrictions had 'little material effect' on the bank's reputation or its profits.

However, it alleges that the UK's actions 'substantially damaged the bank's reputation' and led to the loss of profits, customers and access to international banking services.

The Treasury claims that, following the US sanctions, financial institutions were already reluctant to work with Mellat.

In its defence document, the Treasury asserts that Iran's nuclear weapons development 'posed a risk to the UK's national interest'.

The Treasury also expressed concerns that, due to 'opacity' around the ownership of Mellat, it cannot tell how much of any damages awarded would go to the Iranian government.

Defending its decision to impose the sanctions, the Treasury said: 'Given concerns as to Bank Mellat's involvement in providing services to Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programmes, and even the risk posed by these programmes, HM Treasury considered that there was ample justification for taking action to prevent the UK financial sector being involved in transactions of concern through Bank Mellat.'

The Treasury and Lord Darling declined to comment.A restaurant forced an 12-year-old Maryland boy to leave when he brought his own gluten-free meal on a school field trip to Colonial Williamsburg, a lawsuit claims.

The suit says the Colonial Williamsburg living-history museum violated the Americans With Disabilities Act when the boy was forced to sit outside after the Shields Tavern said it had a rule against bringing in outside food.

He and about 60 classmates planned to have dinner at the tavern, which offers a traditional 18th-century experience with actors and musicians, during the May 2017 trip.

A federal appeals court has reinstated a lawsuit alleging that a restaurant in Colonial Williamsburg forced 12-year-old J.D. from Maryland boy to leave when he brought his own gluten-free meal on a school field trip

Staff at the Shields Tavern told the boy was not allowed to eat his own food there and would have to let the kitchen prepare him a gluton-free meal. He did not trust them to do so properly

The restaurant refused the boy's request and offered to prepare him a gluten-free meal.

The boy turned it down because he 'didn't trust the restaurant to safely prepare' his food, the court filings states. He ended up eating it outside and felt humiliated, he said.

A judge had previously dismissed the lawsuit, but the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned that ruling Friday and said the case should be decided by a jury.

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 III.

The district court was wrong, the appeals court said, in finding that the boy's homemade meal or 'proposed modification was not necessary to have an experience equal to that of his classmates.'

The ruling sends the case back to the district court in Virginia for a jury trial.

The youngster ended up having to eat outside on his own. A U.S. Court of Appeal has ruled that the 12-year-old has a disability, and that it was reasonable for him to request they allow him to eat his own gluten-free food on their premises

The boy was identified in court papers only by his initials J.D. He suffers from severe health problems when consuming gluten, 'including significant constipation, abdominal pain . . . and temporary loss of consciousness,' the ruling says.

The lawsuit says that Colonial Williamsburg discriminated against the boy 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.

J.D.s father Brian Doherty, was a chaperone on the trip, and says that he and his son were forced to eat their homemade food outside in the rain.

In testimony, Doherty described J.D. crying, and feeling humiliated and excluded from the 60 other students enjoying the colonial tavern experience.

'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.

'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.

A spokesman for Colonial Williamsburg said the foundation was disappointed by the court's decision.

Colonial Williamsburg has said it never asked the boy and his father to leave the restaurant. The living history museum says they chose to leave and refused to accept a gluten-free meal the restaurant offered to make

'We have a long and successful track record of preparing gluten free meals for our guests and believe doing so is a reasonable accommodation, as noted by the dissenting judge,' spokesman Joseph Straw said in a statement. 'We are analyzing the decision and considering our options.'

Colonial Williamsburg has said it never asked the boy and his father to leave the restaurant.

The living history museum says they chose to leave and refused to accept a gluten-free meal the restaurant offered to make.

In response to the ruling, the boy, who is now 12, said in an interview with The Washington Post that he hopes his case will ensure that 'nobody has to go through what I have gone through.'

With the lawsuit, the boy said, 'I am trying to make a change so that people can be themselves without being forced to be who they aren't.'Advertisement

This Missouri mans home may be submerged in nearly a foot of water, but he insists he isnt going anywhere as floods continue to plague the Midwest.

Al Boatman moved to Clarksville well aware of the towns susceptibility to flooding and in preparation this year he built a wall around his home and installed pumps to combat any incoming water.

But his efforts werent enough, and now the retired resident finds his kitchen submerged in nearly 12 inches of water.

Despite the profound flooding, Boatman says hes refusing to evacuate his homestead  and is refusing to let the rising water break his spirit.

This isn't bad. It's like camping out, Boatman told WLOX-TV. I've got my coffee maker upstairs, I've got the internet upstairs and I have to take care of my two cats because my wife would kill me if anything happened to them.

Scroll down for video

With his legs submerged in water, Al Boatman says hes refusing to evacuate his homestead  and is refusing to let the rising water break his spirit

I have a philosophy of life: You control what you can control and what you cant control, you let go, Boatman added. His flooded kitchen is seen above

The elderly retired resident finds his kitchen submerged in nearly 12 inches of water. The exterior of his home is seen above

Al Boatman moved to Clarksville well aware of the towns susceptibility to flooding and in preparation this year he built a wall around his home and installed pumps to combat any incoming water - but it wasn't enough

I have a philosophy of life: You control what you can control and what you cant control, you let go, Boatman added.

Fellow member of the towns emergency management committee Bill Sterne says others in the waterlogged town have adopted similar optimistic outlooks.

Oh, the spirit of the town is unreal, Sterne told the station. Almost everyone has found something to be grateful for, even in a bad situation, and thats what we have to do in this time.

It's traumatic, I know but we'll get through it.

Meanwhile in Arkansas, crews were making a last ditch effort on Saturday to save low-lying parts of a small city from floodwaters pouring through a breached levee, and authorities downstream were warning people to leave a neighborhood that sits across the swollen river from the state capital.

The river has been widening the levee breach and floodwaters have been slowly approaching homes, officials said. Water from some creeks and tributaries has already flooded some houses (pictured: Warren Ryan canoes through floodwater from the Mississippi River to get to his home on June 1, 2019 in West Alton)

Floodwater from the Mississippi River rises around a business in West Alton on Saturday

Further north in Iowa, a flood barrier along the swollen Mississippi River failed Saturday, flooding four to six blocks of downtown Burlington, a city of about 25,000 people that is 170 miles (274 kilometers) southeast of Des Moines.

On Friday, the Arkansas River, which has been flooding communities for more than a week, tore a 40-foot (12-meter) hole in a levee in Dardanelle, a city of about 4,700 people roughly 100 miles (160 kilometers) upstream from Little Rock.

Mayor Jimmy Witt said Saturday that officials don't believe a temporary levee being constructed will stop the water from flooding the south side of Dardanelle, but he hopes it will buy time for residents of up to 800 threatened homes to prepare.

We have started a last ditch effort to try and protect the southern borders of the city, he said at a news conference.

The river has been widening the levee breach and floodwaters have been slowly approaching homes, officials said. Water from some creeks and tributaries has already flooded some houses, they said.

Yell County Judge Mark Thone said flooding has surrounded about 25 people in a rural community a few miles south of Dardanelle, and several roads have closed due to high water.

Meanwhile in North Little Rock, which is just across the Arkansas River from Little Rock, officials were going door-to-door Saturday to tell people in the Dixie Addition neighborhood to consider leaving.

The river isn't expected to crest in the Little Rock area until Tuesday, but North Little Rock officials said on Facebook that they believe the river will back up storm drainage areas and cause roads to become inaccessible in and around Dixie Addition, possibly for more than a week.

City spokesman Nathan Hamilton said there are about 150 homes covered by the evacuation recommendation. He said other homes also could be affected by flooding, but officials were currently focusing on only the most pressing neighborhood.

The evacuation recommendation followed a false alarm overnight that a nearby levee had breached and that flash flooding was possible. Officials quickly reversed themselves, though, and said that it hadn't failed and wasn't in danger of doing so.

Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Friday that officials were working to identify higher-risk spots in the Arkansas River's levee system.

Obviously the breach in Dardanelle is a sign that there could be more of these breaches that will happen as the pressure continues to mount in the coming days, Hutchinson said.

The river isn't expected to crest in the Little Rock area until Tuesday, but North Little Rock officials said on Facebook that they believe the river will back up storm drainage areas and cause roads to become inaccessible (pictured: Jacob Walton and and Hank Elder bring a load of sandbags to help a neighbor trying to save his home from rising floodwater from the Mississippi River on June 1, 2019 in Old Monroe, Missouri)

Barricades keep traffic from travelling down a road covered with floodwater from the Mississippi River in West Alton

Record-breaking flood levels in Fort Smith, Arkansas' second-largest city, remained steady through the morning, with the National Weather Service predicting the water would begin to recede Saturday night into Sunday morning.

The Arkansas River isn't the only one causing problems in the region.

In Burlington, Iowa, officials confirmed that a large, sand-filled barrier failed Saturday afternoon, forcing some businesses in the downtown area to evacuate. The National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning for the area until 10 p.m. Saturday.

Parts of the tiny northwestern Missouri town of Levasy were under water Saturday after a levee breach along the Missouri River. Officials there were conducting water rescues by boat, but no injuries were reported.

Officials in Illinois issued an urgent plea to residents of river communities to prepare for potential evacuations (pictured: Clemens Field in Hannibal, Missouri, submerged in water)

Water rushes through the levee along the Arkansas River Friday, May 31, 2019. Officials say the levee breached early Friday in Dardanelle

Officials in Illinois issued an urgent plea to residents of river communities to prepare for potential evacuations. The state's Emergency Management Agency director, Alicia Tate-Nadeau, called flooding a life-safety issue, and the agency said levees along the Illinois River were in critical condition.

Flooding along the Missouri River in central Missouri prompted officials to issue a mandatory evacuation order Friday for some residents of Howard County, where the river had topped a levee. A topped levee along the Mississippi River, in northeastern Missouri, flooded several thousand acres of farmland Thursday.

In Oklahoma, water levels continued to drop as residents who were forced from their homes made plans to return. The weather service reported that the Arkansas River in Tulsa dipped below flood stage for the first time since flooding began.The mother of convicted drug kingpin Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman said Saturday that the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City granted her a visa so she can visit her son in prison.

Sitting in a wheelchair in front of the embassy, Consuelo Loera said she and two daughters were both approved Saturday for visas to travel to the United States.

'Thank God, the U.S. Embassy gave me the permission,' she said in a feeble voice while surrounded by a throng of journalists.

Loera, 91, said she hasn't seen her son in more than four years. She added that she has yet to receive the actual visa or set a date for her trip.

A U.S. official declined to confirm that the visa was granted.

Consuelo Loera, mother of Mexican drug lord Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman, is pictured arriving at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City on Saturday

Loera was granted a visa so she can visit her son in prison

Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman is due to be sentenced this month and faces a life term in a maximum-security U.S. prison selected to guard against another of the jail breakouts that made him a folk hero in Mexico

Jose Luis Gonzalez, a lawyer for Guzman, said Loera was given a paper after the interview stating that U.S. officials would get in touch if they need more information. Gonzalez also said the three women were approved for travel.

'Did you see how excited she was?' said Gonzalez, repeating Loera's statement that she wants to hug her son.

If she could bring him anything, Loera said, it would be his favorite Mexican food dish: enchiladas.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador lobbied for the visa to be issued after receiving a letter in February from Loera asking for assistance. In the letter, passed to Lopez Obrador while he was in Guzman's home state of Sinaloa to announce a highway project, Loera described herself as 'suffering and desperate' to see her son.

The president said he intervened out of empathy for the mother. When Guzman was convicted in the U.S. in February, Lopez Obrador said: 'Let this serve as a lesson to show that money doesn't buy true happiness.'

If she could bring him anything, Loera said, it would be his favorite Mexican food dish: enchiladas

Loera, 91, said she hasn't seen her son in more than four years

El Chapo's mom has said she would like to bring him some home-cooked enchiladas, a dish made with vegetables stuffing, wrapped with tortilla and garnished with red sauce and cheese

'El Chapo,' who led the Sinaloa drug cartel and twice escaped from Mexican prisons before he was extradited to New York, was convicted of running an industrial-scale smuggling operation. The three-month trial heard tales of grisly killings, political payoffs, cocaine hidden in jalapeno cans and jewel-encrusted guns.

Guzman's lawyers did not deny his crimes but argued that he was a fall guy for government witnesses who were more evil than their client.

He is due to be sentenced this month and faces a life term in a maximum-security U.S. prison selected to guard against another of the jail breakouts that made him a folk hero in Mexico.

Loera reiterated that she would like her son to be returned to Mexico and to be set free. Both possibilities seem highly unlikely.

Loera added that she has yet to receive the actual visa or set a date for her trip

'Thank God, the U.S. Embassy gave me the permission,' she said in a feeble voice while surrounded by a throng of journalists

Guzman escaped from a Mexican prison in 2001 after having served eight years. He moved between hideouts for years until being imprisoned again in 2014, only to escape a year later through an expertly dug tunnel leading to his prison cell shower.

Part of his success moving drugs across the U.S.-Mexico border also involved sophisticated tunnels.

Gonzalez said that Loera brought financial statements as well as proof of property ownership to show that she had the means to travel to the U.S., and reason to return to Mexico. Loera owns a ranch with cows and pigs, he said.

The U.S. Department of Justice is seeking forfeiture of a fortune that Guzman's indictment valued at $14 billion.A Louisiana Catholic school principal has been arrested after visiting a strip club while on a school field trip to the nation's capital.

Elementary school principal Michael Comeau, 47, was arrested early Friday morning at Archibald's Gentlemen's Club, in Washington, DC, while he was in the city during a field trip with students from his Holy Family Catholic School in Port Allen, Louisiana.

According to an arrest report, obtained by The Advocate, officers were dispatched to Archibald's at 2.20am on a complaint about 'an intoxicated man refusing to pay his bill'.

Catholic elementary school principal Michael Comeau, 47, was arrested early Friday morning at a Washington, DC, strip club while he was in town for a school field trip. Comeau (at right), dressed as Aladdin, for the elementary school's Transformation Tuesday in 2014

Officers said that Comeau was standing in the street, 'refusing to move,' even though he'd been asked to do so multiple times.

He was then arrested on charges of public intoxication and possession of an open container of alcohol.

Sources told 9News that Comeau had a service dog with him inside the strip club, however it was also said that the police report did not mention the presence of a dog.

Dan Borne, a spokesperson for the Diocese of Baton Rouge, said in a statement that the school's students - seventh and eighth graders - were being supervised by other field trip chaperones in their hotel rooms when Comeau was at the strip club and being arrested.

Comeau was reported to have resigned via text message on Friday morning.

Police were called to Archibald's Gentleman's Club (interior pictured) at 2.20am on a complain of 'an intoxicated man refusing to pay his bill'

Comeau was said to have been in the street, refusing to move, despite being told to do so. He was said to have resigned from his principal position via text later on Friday morning

While Comeau was at the strip club, the students were back at the hotel under the care of additional chaperones that were on the field trip

It's unclear why Comeau allegedly refused to pay his bill, but previous Archibald's patrons have posted negative reviews about the strip club's pricing policies on Yelp

Comeau had been principal of the kindergarten to eighth grade elementary school for five years before the incident occurred

Borne's statement confirmed that Comeau, who had been principal of the kindergarten to eighth grade school for five years, had tendered his resignation and that an interim principal would be appointed.

Comeau was also said to have resigned from his position as a reserve police officer with the Brusly Police Department.

Although it's unclear why exactly Comeau allegedly refused to pay his bill, multiple Yelp reviewers within the last year and a half gave the strip club unfavorable reviews, specifically calling out the venue's pricing.

'This place used to be a decent strip club but now it's just a money pit,' wrote reviewer Stephen C. in April 2018, who then claimed that a waitress tried to charge him $29 for two drinks that were supposed to have cost $12.50 each, thereby attempting to 'hustle' him for an extra $3.

Yelp user Jeff C. had a similar complaint in October 2018, writing, 'Stay away!! 100% hustlers...they mislead and all out lie. They charged us a completely different and extremely higher amount than what we were told and what we signed out for, to the toon [sic] of several thousand dollars.'

The most recent Yelp review, however, was complimentary.

'I've been coming here on and off for four years now and it's soooo much better now,' 'This place has come so far,' Jennifer S. wrote in February 2019. 'I heard there was a new owner and it was renovated so I had to check it out...I love all the featured bartenders and guests as well.'Australia's worst ever paedophile Ruecha Tokputza (pictured), 31, targeted young boys in both Australia and Thailand

The detective who brought Australia's worst ever paedophile to justice has revealed how the sick child sex tourist was 'obsessed' with his victims and had a 'shrine to each child'.

Ruecha Tokputza, 31, from Mile End in inner-west Adelaide raped 13 babies and boys - some as young as 15 months of age - over six years, and shared footage of his horrific attacks online.

The twisted sex predator was sentenced to 40 years and three months behind bars with a non-parole period of 28 years earlier this month, in the longest ever sentence in Australian history for a single course of child sex offending.

Detective Brevet Sergeant Stephen Hegarty, who was forced to sift through 900,000 pictures of underage boys in a bid to examine each piece of potential evidence against Tokputza, said the imagery depicted the paedophile's warped mind.

Mr Hegarty said Tokputza would share a number of seemingly innocent images to his social media account, but after scrutinising his Facebook page the detective said the 'dark side' to the pictures soon became apparent.

'He became quite obsessed with his victims it was almost like there was a shrine to each child,' Mr Hegarty told The Advertiser.

'This was not someone who cared for children this was an obsessive collector of children [and] to him they were trophies.'

Detective Brevet Sergeant Stephen Hegarty, who was forced to sift through 900,000 pictures of underage boys in a bid to examine each piece of potential evidence against Tokputza (pictured)

Mr Hegarty first became aware of Tokputza in November 2017 when Interpol reached out to the South Australia's Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team (JACET).

Interpol and the Department of Special Investigations in Thailand had been conducting an 11-month operation which worked on the identification of child victims who appeared in a series of exploitative videos.

It was during the investigation that they tracked down two IP addresses, one in Thailand and one in Adelaide, which linked to a subscription server in Bulgaria.

The server was behind a child exploitation website, with 63,000 subscribers, which investigators were determined to take down.

In January 2018, the investigators made the move to take down the IP address and to apprehend Tokputza, who had been found to be behind the sever which powered the sickening website.

In January 2018, the investigators made the move to take down the IP address and to arrest Tokputza (pictured)

Mr Hegarty described Tokputza's (pictured) initial response as 'minimalistic' and said his demeanor was difficult to deal with

At the time Mr Hegarty noted that Tokputza was a 'tool' for officers to use to gather more information - more than he was a suspect.

He said the priority was to arrest him before he could seize the opportunity to warn any of his co-offenders.

Mr Hegarty and his partner found Tokputza in his bedroom and proceeded to ask him a number of questions.

Mr Hegarty described Tokputza's initial response as 'minimalistic' and said his demeanor was difficult to deal with as he refused to offer any information.

But it was when the officers examined the contents of Tokpuzta's phone that the true extent of his crimes was revealed.

They found scores of child exploitation material with some featuring Tokpuzta himself.

Horrifyingly the images appeared to show the abuse had taken place in the very place they were currently standing  Tokpuzta's bedroom.

Eventually Tokputza revealed the identity of the child who appeared in the images, which then allowed officers to undertake a rescue operation.

Tokputza (pictured) pleaded guilty to 50 charges including aggravated indecent assault and unlawful sexual intercourse with a person under the age of 14

Following the initial findings Mr Hegarty and his colleagues identified more victims and set-up multiple rescues.

Mr Hegarty said from the evidence the investigators had uncovered it was 'clear' Tokputza had committed 'every crime that you could' against a child.

Investigators also discovered Tokpuzta's long-term partner Suthipong Saleesongsom had also been involved in the abuse.

The sick couple had prayed upon the same children  sometimes alone, or together.

Mr Hegarty said Tokputza's abuse had been so prolific detectives were able to trace his 'travel movements' based on the trail of abuse.

He said Tokputza was relentless in his abuse and had showed no emotion or empathy about his crimes.

'He's a pure sociopath as far as I'm concerned,' he said.

The evidence investigators found from Tokpuza led to a further nine arrests and allowed for the rescue of at least 50 children.

At his hearing Tokputza pleaded guilty to 50 charges including aggravated indecent assault, unlawful sexual intercourse with a person under the age of 14, having sex with children outside of Australia, persistent exploitation of a child outside Australia and transmitting child exploitation material.The girlfriend of a 34-year-old man who allegedly lured a young girl into an abandoned home before attempting to undress her says he is 'caring' and 'plays with young children'.

Christopher Irwin was arrested on Friday after grabbing the seven-year-old girl by the hand and leading her away from the front yard of her grandmother's place at Macquarie Fields, in Sydney's south, police allege.

Irwin's partner, mum-of-two Amanda Thompson, 37, said she is 'shocked' by the alleged incident and revealed the man has Asperger's syndrome.

'He works a lot. He is caring and he looks after me. He plays with young children. He is young himself', Thompson told the Sunday Telegraph.

Christopher Irwin (pictured), 34, allegedly abducted a seven-year-old girl and led her into an abandoned home at Macquarie Fields, in Sydney's south, about 4pm on Friday

Irwin's partner, mum-of-two Amanda Thompson (pictured) 37, said she is 'shocked' by the alleged incident and revealed the man has Asperger's syndrome

Irwin faced Parramatta Bail Court on Saturday morning where it was revealed he has previously been convicted on charges of accessing child pornography.

He was charged with taking a child with intent to remove parental control and remain in building with intent to commit an indictable offence.

Magistrate Annette Sinclair said there was concern in granting him bail because Irwin is on the Child Protection Register.

It is alleged the victim had been rollerblading on the cul-de-sac when Irwin convinced her to go with him by asking, 'Do you want to see something cool?'

A neighbour who had allegedly seen the youngster being led away raised the alarm with the girl's grandmother.

Together they ran down the street in search of the terrified young girl.

The grandmother of the young girl (pictured) told media she was 'still in shock' at the incident which happened 'so quick'

Inside the abandoned home Irwin allegedly removed the girl's jumper and when he heard her grandmother outside, told her: 'Be quiet and wait for your Nan to go and I'll let you go'.

Soon other neighbours rushed at the abandoned home and forced their way inside, detaining Irwin until police arrived.

Irwin was charged with intent to remove parent control and remain in building with intent to commit indictable offence.

He was refused bail and will face Campbelltown Local Court this Wednesday.

The girl's grandmother told the paper that her granddaughter is doing 'OK' but is too young to understand the situation.

'You think that your kid understands stranger danger, they don't', she said.

On Saturday, she had told media she was 'still in shock' at the incident which happened 'so quick'.

Irwin (pictured) allegedly told the young girl 'come with me, I want to show you something' in an effort to lure her away from the home

'It happened literally in ten minutes,' the woman said.

'It was so quick... I'm still in shock and I can't talk right now.'

A white ute parked on the street was spray-painted with the words 'mutt dog' and 'gronk dog', hours after Irwin's court appearance.Catholic schoolgirls are being taught that God is gender-neutral and banned from using the words 'Lord', 'Father' and 'Son' in prayers.

A number of elite Catholic schools in Brisbane are making moves to teach their students to use inclusive language when referring to God.

Top schools including All Hallows, Stuartholme, Loreto College and Stuartholme School are leading a push towards a feminist interpretation of the Christian Bible.

Students at Stuartholme School in Brisbane's inner-city, which charges upwards of $40,000 a year, are taught to use the word 'Godself' instead of 'himself'.

The Brisbane schools - such as Stuartholme, Loreto College at Coorparoo, All Hallow's and St Rita's College Clayfield - are all making moves to teach their students inclusive language when referring to God (stock image)

'As we believe God is neither male or female, Stuartholme tries to use gender-neutral terms in prayers  so that our community deepens their understanding of who God is for them, how God reveals Godself through creation, our relationships with others and the person of Jesus,' a spokeswoman told The Sunday Mail.

Loreto College in Coorparoo has taken the word 'Lord' from their prayers as it is a 'male term'.

The school's principal Kim Wickham said prayers written for use within the college didn't assign God a gender.

Ms Wickham said the school had a commitment to inclusive language, but admitted there were instances where gendered language is appropriate.

St Rita's College Clayfield tries to use gender-neutral terms but for traditional prayers still uses gendered language.

The assistant principal Richard Rogusz said context is important and helps decide what language is appropriate.

Stuartholme School (pictured) uses gender-neutral language when referring to God

The Catholic Office for the Participation of Women director Andrea Dean told the publication that she was 'thrilled' and it was 'terrific' schools were moving towards inclusive language.

The Queensland Catholic Education Commission does not provide guidelines for what language is appropriate but the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference did suggest schools use gender-neutral terms where appropriate.

Brisbane's top Catholic boys' school St Joseph's College has replaced the term 'brothers' with 'sisters and brothers' and 'brotherhood' with 'international community'.

'This has been an area of growth for us in recent times,' a spokesman told Sunday Times.

'We have made changes to a number of prayers to be more gender-inclusive.'A Melbourne man who was trying to flag down a bus has died after tripping and falling onto the road underneath the vehicle.

The commuter was reportedly trying to hail the bus when he slipped and was struck by the vehicle as it drove east on Ferntree Gully Road in Notting Hill about 7.30pm.

The 62-year-old Glen Waverley man, who is yet to be identified, tragically died at the scene, according to Yahoo News.

A Melbourne man who was trying to flag down a bus has died after tripping and falling onto the road underneath the vehicle

Major Collision Investigation Unit detectives have since located the vehicle and are not looking to speak with any other drivers.

A report will prepared for the coroner.

The man is the 138th person to die on Victorian roads so far this year - 50 more than the same time last year.

Police have urged anyone who may have witnessed the crash or has dash cam footage in the area at the time of the crash to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.A woman seeking an ice cream for her son at a North Carolina Burger King drive-thru got a window seat to a brawl instead.

Rebecca Ramsey, of Charlotte, North Carolina, posted a video to Facebook of the surprising incident which she said occurred on May 26 at a local Burger King and it went viral.

The video shows two men - believed to be Burger King employees - arguing and grappling with each other, slamming against the drive-thru window multiple times and even throwing things at each other.

North Carolina woman Rebecca Ramsey caught dramatic video of a brawl inside the Burger King drive-thru where she had stopped to get her six-year-old son an ice cream

Two female employees can be seen attempting to separate the men, while other drive-thru workers look on or wade into the fray.

Ramsey told Fox 46 that she had stopped at the Burger King to get her six-year-old son an ice cream and saw 'everything unfold' upon pulling up to the drive-thru window.

'The older man in the red shirt tells the younger guy, "You're not going to disrespect women. I don't care if she's a customer or not," starts cussing at him they start having words,' Ramsey told the news station, adding that she whipped out her phone and started recording because she anticipated a fight would kick off.

The fight appeared to have started when a female customer inside the restaurant complained about her order.

The incident was said to have started over the treatment of a customer inside the restaurant. Other Burger King employees stepped in to separate the two men who were fighting

After getting her video, Ramsey said she drove off to get ice cream at a nearby Dairy Queen instead.

On the drive back, however, she said she saw fighting in the parking lot, but didn't know if it involved the same people that she had seen earlier.

In a statement, Burger King's corporate office confirmed to NBC Charlotte that the two men involved in the incident were fired, noting that 'the behavior demonstrated on the video does not reflect our brand values and is unacceptable'.

Burger King also said that all employees at the Charlotte Burger King where the incident occurred will be made to 'complete supplementary guest experience training.'

It's unclear if any charges have been filed in connection with the incident.Alastair Campbell is a great man, but not in a good way. And thanks to his quarrel with Jeremy Corbyns Labour Party, I think the time has come to wonder openly why we know so little of this enormously powerful and influential individual.

Because of the caricature of Mr Campbell in The Thick Of It, people often think that it is just a joke to suggest he was really the executive power in the Blair government. On the contrary, it is the sober truth.

I met both men before they were famous. Anthony Blair (as his wife used to refer to him until he adopted the name Tony to make him more appealing to Labour voters) was and remains a rather boring, ordinary, vague man with a limited mind.

Alastair Campbell is a great man, but not in a good way, writes Peter Hitchens

He performs well on a stage or in front of a TV camera, and he was a Trotskyist in his student years, but politics has never really been his main interest. He went into the power game because he had failed as a barrister.

Alastair Campbell, by contrast, is a thoughtful, troubled, driven and deeply revolutionary person, filled with an energy he can barely contain. Like many such people, this has caused him personal troubles, about which he has been commendably frank. But these are just outward signs of the furnace of ambition and idealism which burns inside him.

He is enormously quick-witted. He has immensely sharp focus and executive ability. He was, for several decisive years, the true centre of power in Downing Street.

It was mainly for his benefit that the Blair government violated the constitution, through the Civil Service (Amendment) Order in Council 1997. This cunning, slick device (who thought of it?) allowed Mr Campbell, who was not an elected MP or a Minister of the Crown, to give orders to civil servants.

I do not believe this had ever happened before, and I hope it never happens again.

nd thanks to his quarrel with Jeremy Corbyns Labour Party, I think the time has come to wonder openly why we know so little of this enormously powerful and influential individual, writes Peter Hitchens. (Pictured) Tony Blair and Alistair Campbell leave Downing Street in January 2001

The simple reason for it is this: in modern Britain, nobody like Alastair Campbell could get elected to major office. Personally, I think this is a pity, but it is true. Whereas someone like Anthony Blair, seemingly bland and safe, can all too easily rise to the top. How, then, do people such as Alastair Campbell actually get power? By the methods he used.

Nobody has yet been able to get any details or minutes of the instructions he gave while in office. I suspect they went a good deal further than ordering new computers. While he was there, two things happened. What was left of the old impartial government information machine was laid waste and turned into a propaganda organ for Blairism. And the rest of Whitehall was placed firmly under the thumb of a presidential Downing Street.

Mr Campbell even had the power to force the then Foreign Secretary, the late Robin Cook, to choose between his wife and his mistress, when the press discovered he was having an affair.

What ideas drive him? We can only guess the details. We know he pushed furiously for what he saw as an idealist war in Iraq. He is, we know, a fervent zealot for the European Union. Many revolutionaries love this because they hope conservative Britain, and indeed all remaining traces of traditional Europe, will, in the end, be dissolved in the EU soup.

Many members of the Blairite apparatus were student Marxists who remained radical for the rest of their lives. But if he has some specific commitment, it is a mystery. There is no information about Alastair Campbells political origins that I have ever seen.

It is interesting that he has never married Fiona Millar, mother of his three children. Could this be because both of them, like many radicals of my generation, are opposed to marriage as a conservative institution? New Labour certainly did no favours to traditional marriage.

Both have also maintained a ferocious attachment to Labours single most fanatical revolutionary policy, comprehensive schools. And Fiona was once reported to have sighed, after the singing of the Communist anthem The Internationale at the 2001 memorial service of Tony Benns wife Caroline: Great to hear language we arent allowed to use any longer.

In the lost youth of people like this, the opinions were formed, the plans were made and the alliances forged which led in the end to the revolution we are still rather painfully undergoing.

In the meantime, I fully back Jeremy Corbyn in his efforts to chuck Alastair Campbell out of the Labour Party. For heres the really disturbing fact. Alastair, like his mate Anthony Blair, is far more Left-wing than Jeremy. And he is better at it.

The praiseworthy Baroness Newlove has once again shown that she is her own woman and not a patsy of the Useless Tories who put her into the Lords after her brave husband was kicked to death in the street by louts.

She has pointed out the thing that cannot officially be said  that almost all prison sentences are lies, and those convicted will usually serve only half of the time stated by the judge.

If Boris Johnson can be prosecuted for overstating the cost of EU membership, how about prosecuting the judges who 30 times a day tell a far worse untruth?

Khuram Butt, leader of the London Bridge murder gang, turns out to have been a marijuana smoker, like almost every other Islamist terrorist, and like thousands of other violent criminals.

The authorities, as usual, are uninterested in this because they have given up prosecuting its use and in many cases have swallowed the billionaire propaganda for legalisation. They dare not admit that they have made a ghastly mistake.

If anyone asks for your vote in future, ask them for their views on this. They need to be frightened into thinking.

Will BBC ever make a drama that rings true?

The word 'preposterous' might have been invented to describe the BBC2 drama Summer of Rockets, which stars Keeley Hawes as the batty wife of an unhinged Tory MP, and is infested with Rolls-Royces and top hats.

There is not a single event in this supposed portrayal of the 1950s which rings true to me, and I was alive then. How does this expensive rubbish get chosen?

The word 'preposterous' might have been invented to describe the BBC2 drama Summer of Rockets, which stars Keeley Hawes as the batty wife of an unhinged Tory MP, and is infested with Rolls-Royces and top hats, writes Peter Hitchens. (Pictured) Keeley Hawes in The Summer of Rockets

If someone at the BBC really wants to do a gripping drama about this interesting era, they should serialise the superb Aims For Oblivion novels of Simon Raven, who betrayed and satirised his establishment friends with wit and style.

One of the characters is a thinly disguised portrayal of Jacob Rees-Mogg's father William.

If you want to comment on Peter Hitchens, click here.Charlotte Lindstrom confidently strode up to the Sydney Town Hall steps holding a bulging envelope and an ice-cold demeanor.

Clad in blue jeans and dark sunglasses, the blonde model from Sweden looked like she should be on a catwalk - but she had other business in mind.

The 23-year-old was there to meet a hitman, who was actually an undercover cop, to offer him $200,000 to murder two drug trial witnesses.

Charlotte Lindstrom, then 23, was jailed for three years for offering an undercover cop posing as a hitman $200,000 to kill two witnesses

She handed 'Rob' the envelope containing photos of the targets (one of which was the wrong person), their addresses, and where they worked.

'I've got to know exactly what he wants done. Does he want these people in the hospital or in the cemetery?' the man asked her.

'I think more so the cemetery,' she replied, Rob recalled to the Daily Telegraph of the fateful meeting on May 25, 2007.

She was trying to get her fiance, drug kingpin Steven Spaliviero, off meth and ecstasy manufacturing charges

Lindstrom was appeared cold and determined but was well out of her depth making a desperate bid to get her fiance out of jail.

She had arrived in Australia in 2003 as a teenage backpacker and within a year was dating drug kingpin Steven Spaliviero.

He was more than 20 years older than her, but she was attracted to the fast cars, piles of cash, and exhilarating criminal lifestyle he offered.

'He fascinated me. He made me feel important and special. He knew so much about everything, and he was manly. I felt really safe with him,' she told a psychologist while in jail.

By 2007 they were engaged and she was so devoted to him she would stick her own neck out to spare his as he faced doing serious prison time.

Spaliviero was one of Australia's biggest meth and ecstasy producers, mixing batches so big his men needed a forklift to tip in the chemicals.

Everything was going smoothly but by his own admission he got too greedy and left himself exposed when a drug lab blew up.

The two witnesses could tie him to the massive enterprise and needed to be silenced, Lindstrom later told a court.

Police alleged Spaliviero was having trouble arranging the hit and his cellmate cut a deal to set him up for conspiracy to commit murder.

With few options, she agreed in September 2007 to testify against her fiance and in return got four years and nine months jail

He put him in touch with the cop posing as a hitman and Lindstrom was asked to arrange everything outside the prison walls.

After sifting through the envelope's contents at the Town Hall, Rob asked her for $5,000 or $10,000 in expenses to get the job started.

Her agreeing to pony up the cash, which he said was for surveillance, gear, and a flight out of the country, was what the police needed to show her intent and secure a conviction.

Lindstrom showed up the next day empty handed, but promised to have the cash and everything else he needed 'by Monday'.

'He definitely wants them in the cemetery?' Rob asked. The young woman replied: 'Yep. He definitely wants it done.'

Just a few dozen steps after she left the meeting, Lindstrom was arrested by officers watching her every move, and thrown in jail.

The case immediately made headlines in Australia and her native Sweden, and all but guaranteed Spaliviero would be done for drug manufacturing.

Lindstrom (right) at the Taronga Foundations 2007 Establishment Dinner at Establishment Hotel on May 24, 2007, just a day before she met the 'hitman'

Spaliviero's mother offered to put up $2 million bail money to get her out of jail and pub baron Justin Hemmes pledged that she could keep her bartending job.

They were refused amid fears Lindstrom would abscond back to Sweden, or worse.

With few options, she agreed in September 2007 to testify against her fiance and in return got four years and nine months jail.

On August 2008 she testified at Spaliviero's trial, emaciated from developing anorexia behind bars and bulked out only by a bulletproof vest.

She testified that the hits were Spaliviero's orders and even read out a love letter she wrote to him in February 2007 as she cried on the witness stand.

Spaliviero managed to wriggle out of the murder charge by producing tapes of prison phone calls where he told her not to meet the hitman.

Lindstrom met the supposed hitman on the Sydney Town Hall steps on May 25, 2007, and again the next day when she was arrested

He argued he only wanted to find information on the witnesses to discredit their testimony, not have them bumped off.

The drug charges stuck, however, and Spaliviero spent 11 years in jail and now ironically works as a bartender on a friend's boat.

Lindstrom was released on May 25, 2010, three years to the day after the Town Hall meeting, and deported back to Sweden.

They exchanged letters in prison, the last one from her begging him to find her when he got out of jail: 'I still want the fairytale'.

Spaliviero tracked down his former flame on Facebook under a different name months before his release, but messages he sent via her friends were never returned.Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has compared Donald Trump's language to that of 'a 20th century fascist' and accused him of 'shamelessly' interfering in the Conservative party leadership race.

Ahead of the US President's three-day State visit to the UK, starting tomorrow, Khan also condemned the decision to roll-out the red carpet for the UK's closest ally.

It is the latest instalment in a long-running feud between the multimillionaire and Tooting-born Labour Mayor that dates back to 2016.

Trump failed to mention the London mayor in an interview with The Sun last week, ahead of his State visit, where he described Meghan Markle as 'nasty'.

Writing in the Observer, Khan said: 'President Trump is just one of the most egregious examples of a growing global threat.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, pictured last night at the Champions League final, has compared Donald Trump's language to that of 'a 20th century fascist' and accused him of 'shamelessly' interfering in the Conservative party leadership race

'The far right is on the rise around the world, threatening our hard-won rights and freedoms and the values that have defined our liberal, democratic societies for more than 70 years.

'This is a man who also tried to exploit Londoners' fears following a horrific terrorist attack on our city, amplified the tweets of a British far-right racist group, denounced as fake news the robust scientific evidence warning of the dangers of climate change;

'And is now trying to interfere shamelessly in the Conservative party leadership race by backing Boris Johnson because he believes it would enable him to gain an ally in Number 10 for his divisive agenda.'

The pair's feud was sparked in 2016 when Trump challenged Sadiq to an IQ test after the Mayor said his views on Islam were 'ignorant'.

The comments were made ahead of the US President's three-day State visit to the UK, which starts tomorrow

Speaking to the BBC shortly afterwards, Sadiq Khan said: 'Look it was Donald Trump that began this by saying his blanket ban on muslims would make an exception for me as Mayor of London.

'And the point I made with respect to Donald Trump is there's nothing exceptional about me. What about other Londoners who are business people, men and women, who happen to be muslim and want to do business in America?

'What about other Londoners who want to go and study in America but happen to be muslim?'

They clashed again in June 2017 when the US President called Khan's response to the London Bridge terror attack 'pathetic'.

Khan had previously warned Londoners that there would be an increased police presence on the streets and that there was 'no reason to be alarmed'.

Hundreds of thousands of protesters are expected in central London when Trump comes to meet Prime Minister Theresa May in Downing Street.

The 'Trump baby' blimp and a giant robot Trump sitting on a gold toilet are also likely to make an appearance.A graduate has won a legal battle against her former university after claiming that she ended up with a 'Mickey Mouse degree'.

Pok Wong, 30, has received an out-of-court settlement worth 61,000 after complaining that Anglia Ruskin University 'fraudulently misrepresented' a business course for which she enrolled in 2011.

Ms Wong graduated with a first-class degree in international business strategy in 2013 but felt claims in the university's prospectus that it was a 'renowned centre of excellence' that offered a 'high quality of teaching' were untrue.

Pok Wong, 30, has received an out-of-court settlement worth 61,000 after complaining that Anglia Ruskin University 'fraudulently misrepresented' a business course for which she enrolled in 2011

Anglia Ruskin University, which has campuses in Chelmsford, Cambridge and London, strongly disputed her allegations but has now agreed to pay her a 15,000 settlement plus 46,000 towards her legal fees.

She had been seeking 60,000 in damages plus her legal fees.

Experts believe that her success could tempt others who are unhappy with the quality of teaching they received at university to take legal action.

Ms Wong, who now lives in Hong Kong, told The Sunday Telegraph: 'The payout means this is a victory for me, despite the university strenuously fighting my case and denying any responsibility.'

She added: 'In light of this settlement I think universities should be careful about what they say in prospectuses.

'I think they often make promises which they know will never materialise or are simply not true.'

Speaking ahead of the settlement last year, she said: 'Although I graduated with a first-class degree in 2013, it is a Mickey Mouse degree.'

Anglia Ruskin University, which has campuses in Chelmsford, Cambridge and London, strongly disputed her allegations but has now agreed to pay her a 15,000 settlement plus 46,000 towards her legal fees

She argued that it had proved useless in her efforts to secure 'a rewarding job with prospects'.

Anglia Ruskin, which holds a mid-ranking in UK university league tables, said that because the settlement was out of court, nothing had been proved in law.

A spokesman said: 'Ms Wong's longstanding litigation... has been settled at the instruction of our insurers to draw a line under these matters and to prevent a further escalation of their legal costs.

'The claims were wholly without merit and resulted in cost orders made against Ms Wong by the Central London County Court on two occasions.'

In 2017, the Advertising Standards Authority upheld complaints against six universities  Leicester, East Anglia, Strathclyde, Falmouth, Teesside and the University of West London.

It said that universities had to be able to prove claims that they made about their status.

A spokesman for the National Union of Students said Ms Wong's case 'indicates a way students can seek recourse'.

According to the Institute for Fiscal Studies, students typically graduate with debts of about 50,000.

Some, particularly those who attended lower-ranking universities and studied arts or humanities, end up earning less than non-graduates.Sir John Major successfully lobbied Margaret Thatcher to deny Government compensation to patients infected with deadly diseases from tainted NHS blood products, official papers reveal.

In a letter to the then Prime Minister, her eventual successor strongly advised Mrs Thatcher not to approve the payments because it would set an expensive precedent.

Writing in September 1987 when he was Chief Secretary to the Treasury and a rising star at Westminster, Sir John said: While all of us must have every sympathy for haemophiliacs who have been infected with the HIV virus, I do not feel it would be wise to set a general precedent by accepting that the Government should provide a special compensation scheme.

John Major (right) was Chief Secretary to the Treasury in 1987 when he wrote to Mrs Thatcher (left) saying the government should not set a 'general precedent' for providing compensation to victims of the NHS tainted blood scandal

The revelation comes just days before the resumption of a public inquiry into what has been called the worst treatment scandal in the history of the NHS.

Chaired by judge Sir Brian Langstaff, the inquiry has so far heard how 4,800 people with haemophilia were infected with hepatitis C or HIV in the 1970s and 1980s. Thousands of others may also have been exposed through blood transfusions after an operation or childbirth, and up to 3,000 people have died as a result. Most of the infected blood came from the United States.

Sir John, who was knighted in 2005, is among Ministers and former Ministers who will be called to give evidence later this year or next, and he may be questioned about the letter in which he described the growing scale of the scandal.

Ironically, one of John Majors first acts after succeeding Mrs Thatcher in November 1990 was to approve a compensation scheme. It eventually cost 76 million - over 25 times his estimate in 1987

Despite acknowledging the ordeal facing victims, Major pointed out that there has never been a general State scheme to compensate those who suffer adverse effects from medical treatment and urged the Prime Minister not to create one.

Arguing that judges were unlikely to force the Government to pay compensation, he added: Compensation can only be awarded by the courts if negligence is proved. He estimated that compensating victims could cost a minimum of 3 million and could only be funded at the expense of other priorities.

As the death toll rose during the next three years, the Government came under mounting pressure to reverse its decision. Ironically, one of John Majors first acts after succeeding Mrs Thatcher in November 1990 was to approve a compensation scheme. It eventually cost 76 million  more than 25 times his estimate in 1987.

4,800 people with haemophilia were infected with hepatitis C or HIV in the 1970s and 1980s through blood transfusions

Sir Johns letter was unearthed in the National Archives by Jason Evans, the founder of campaign group Factor 8. He was only four when his father Jonathan, 31, died of AIDS and hepatitis C in 1993 after being given infected NHS blood products.

To me, this letter shows Major failed to look at what went on in a human way, Mr Evans told The Mail on Sunday.

Last night a spokesman for the former Prime Minister said: Sir John will, in due course, be giving written evidence to the infected blood inquiry.

It would therefore be inappropriate for him to comment until it has completed its work.Lawrence Ho and James Packer are both billionaire casino moguls with ruthless business minds and powerful father figures to contend with.

The business heavyweights first crossed paths when Mr Ho was just starting out in the gaming industry, but were reacquainted at an event in Los Angeles this year.

The chance encounter led 42-year-old Mr Ho  the eldest son of one of Asia's richest and most colourful billionaires Stanley Ho  to make James an offer on the controlling stake in his company.

The Hong Kong-based businessman quietly slipped into the equation after Wynn's attempt to take over the hotel and casino complexes in Melbourne, Perth and the project in Sydney was leaked in April, and caused negotiations to come to an abrupt halt.

But the improbable friendship is based on more than just a business deal, with Lawrence - whose father famously founded the gaming industry Macau over 50 years ago - even going so far as to call Packer his 'brother'.

'Brothers for life': James Packer and long-time business associate Lawrence Ho pictured above with Ho's wife Sharen and Packer's now-ex Mariah Carey

James Packer with Lawrence Ho and filmmaker Brett Ratner at the opening of a Melco Crown casino in Macau

Lawrence Ho is the eldest son of one of Asia's richest and most colourful billionaires Stanley Ho, who famously founding the gaming industry Macau (pictured) over fifty years ago

Referring to his father's phenomenal success and the similar prestige held by James' father Kerry, who was instrumental in securing controlling interest in Nine Television Network and the Australian Consolidated Press, Lawrence said both he and James bonded over the need to step out of their father's shadows.

'We both had legendary fathers with massive legacies, and I think for us it was always trying to step out of that massive shadow and at same time build our own legacy,' Lawrence told The Sydney Morning Herald.

It can only be presumed that the stark similarities between the two men played a large part in the deal for Mr Ho's Melco to take 19.9 per cent of Crown being agreed in as little as three weeks.

'There [were] no banking advisers whatsoever. Unlike the Wynn and Crown deal where they had a whole bunch of lawyers and a whole bunch of bankers involved, we didn't have that,' he said.

Given the ease in which the men's most recent deal has been brokered it appears there is no hard feelings between the pair who were almost crippled by the pressure to launch their first joint venture Melco Crown.

Lawrence, 42, (pictured left) made James, 51, (pictured right) an offer on the controlling stake in his company earlier this year

The Hong Kong based businessman stealthy slipped into the equation after Wynn's attempt to take over the hotel and casino complexes in Melbourne, Perth and the project in Sydney (Barangaroo pictured) was leaked

In 2006, James and Lawrence succeeded in taking the last available Macau casino licence from Wynn for a hefty $900 million USD.

'Most people thought we were just insane. These two young guys are going way over their head. But it was a defining moment when we bought our licence,' Mr Ho said.

The project hit hard times in 2008 when the global financial crisis struck, but both Mr Ho and Mr Packer, who have inherited relentless traits from their famous fathers, continued on.

There persistence paid off and in 2015 they were able to open a second project named Studio City.

But Packer sold his shares in Melco Crown in 2016 after 19 Crown staff members were arrested in China.

Almost three years later the pair are back in partnership, and Mr Ho describes working with James again as one of the 'greatest moments' of his life.

It hasn't all been so easy for Mr Ho who has been forced to openly state his father has had no part in his casino business.

'Brothers for life': James Packer and long-time business associate Lawrence Ho first met in 2004

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

It's presumed Lawrence's decision to publicly distance his business from his larger-than-life father, Stanley Ho, is because of the scrutiny Stanley faces from American and Canadian authorities.

In the past Stanley 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.

He 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).'

Stanley, who, at age 97, fathered 17 children among four wives, built more than 15 casinos, and amassed a $HK50 billion (AUS$9 billion) fortune.

Stanley 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

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 recently retired from the company business - but is still in the building as 'chairman emeritus (above, leaving hospital after a surgery in 2010)

But it was in the 1960s when Stanley began to change Macau forever.

Stanley 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'.

Stanley 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.

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.

Mr 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.Former MP and convict, and now ordained chaplin, Jonathan Aitken says he would prefer to be in prison than in Westminster

The present political atmosphere is poisonously unpleasant. Pessimism rules. The problems of both of our two major parties look close to insoluble. Remainers and Brexiteers are at daggers drawn, to the point where either leaving or staying in the EU may both be missions impossible. What a mess!

Perhaps its an indication of the state were in that the view from a jail cell seems so relevant now.

Twenty years ago this week, I was starting my 18-month sentence for perjury. My life was worse than a mess. I had hit rock-bottom after plunging down a self-created vortex of defeat, disgrace, divorce, bankruptcy and jail. Yet somewhere deep inside me I knew that all was not quite lost.

Britain is not completely lost, either. The values and virtues of our national character are still remarkably strong, as are many of our institutions and achievements. Even current economic and employment figures are good.

Todays crisis is all too real, however. Panic is rippling through the demoralised ranks of the political classes. Her Majestys Opposition is mired in allegations of anti-Semitism, while the process of electing a Conservative leader and new Prime Minister has become an absurd free-for-all.

When, recently, I was asked if I would like to be back in politics, I replied: No, I would rather be back in a cell at Belmarsh Prison than back in todays House of Commons!

I had meant it as a joke. The audience laughed. But humour often contains truth and, on reflection, I was making a serious point.

To achieve the kind of turnaround we need requires a momentous journey of change, a massive shift of personalities and the painful acceptance of sweeping reforms.

Too many of todays politicians are in denial. It is time to face reality. Lets start with the personalities. The political stage has shrunk and so have many of its actors.

When I became an MP in 1974, the House of Commons was filled with men and women who had achieved success before entering Parliament. Several senior colleagues had fought for their country in the war.

Almost a third of MPs continued, as backbenchers, to pursue their previous careers on a part-time basis, whether they were QCs, doctors, solicitors, company directors, entrepreneurs, small-business owners, skilled craftsmen or trade union officials.

Aitken says too many MPs get into parliament without ever having real world experience in the private sector

In this way, they brought much wisdom and experience into the Commons, yet they were driven out when having outside interests became a form of denigration in the 1990s.

Surely the House of Commons should not consist exclusively of 650 MPs who get out of bed every morning asking themselves: What should I do politically today? A mixture of full- and part-time politicians with their feet in the real world would create a far better legislature.

Then there has been the tendency among far too many MPs of all parties to climb into Westminster by what used to be called the office boy ladder. I mean the ever-expanding army of political gofers, staffers, researchers, PR consultants, aides to MPs, special advisers to Ministers and so on. These junior political classes, all paid for by the taxpayer, have steadily morphed into the senior political classes.

Short of experience, they are also short of independent judgment and character. They are terrified at the prospect of losing their seats because so many are unemployable in the real world. A career in Parliament, which should be an exciting vocation for first-rate people, has slowly deteriorated into a cushy billet for second-raters.

Aitken said he used to be spellbound when listening to MPs such as Enoch Powell, but there are no equivalents today

Modern parliamentarians work shorter hours. Who nowadays hears of late-night, let alone all-night, sittings? Lengthy debates have no great merit in themselves, but can be essential for proper scrutiny of legislation. Abysmally low attendance in the chamber prevents new MPs from learning their trade.

As a young backbencher I used to listen spellbound to giants of oratory like Michael Foot, Enoch Powell, Tony Benn, Jo Grimond and one Deputy Opposition Treasury spokesman, Margaret Thatcher, going head-to-head with Chancellor Denis Healey on the Finance Bill. Where are their equivalents today?

It is not just the politicians who should be criticised for devaluing the currency of public life.

Until the last years of the 20th Century, to climb the greasy pole of promotion, you had to show gravitas. Parliamentary speeches were seriously reported and analysed.

Radio and TV interviews were grillings, not sneerings. Just compare memories of Brian Walden and Robin Day roasting Cabinet Ministers on a slowly turning spit with the superficial disdain of Jeremy Paxman or the multi-interruption style of John Humphrys.

Lightweights climb swiftly at Westminster when experience is at a discount and slick self-presentation is at a premium.

Aitken received an 18-month prison sentence in 1999 for perjury

He rose without a trace was an unfair jibe applied to David Frost in his meteoric youth. Yet it is a cap which fits at least half the crowded field of Conservative aspirants who have declared themselves as runners in the race for No 10. Come off it! How can there possibly be 12 (so far) serious candidates for Prime Minister?

This contest is degenerating into the farce of an Alice In Wonderland dodo race where even the extinct must have prizes.

It is a symbol of our national political decline that so many who have achieved so little should now be striving for the highest office.

Margaret Thatcher learned these lines by Longfellow in her childhood and repeated them often:

The heights by great men reached and kept were not attained by sudden flight,

But they, while their companions slept, were toiling upward in the night.

Toiling upward in the night is one essential ingredient of serious politics. But industry alone is insufficient unless accompanied by character, vision and patriotism.

How do we square such qualities with the anti-Semitism infecting the Labour Party? The Labour that I knew and respected would never have given an inch to it.

Jeremy Corbyn, a fair and decent backbench Left-winger throughout our 14 years together in the House, must make his deeds match his words and eradicate this poison from his party.

As for Brexit, we should be grateful to Nigel Farage for the wake-up call he has given the political establishment. Whether we are Leavers or Remainers, it should be a matter of national honour for Parliament to keep faith with the British peoples vote. How to do this is the greatest challenge serious politicians now face. I question whether our MPs are up to it.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has attracted much criticism over the past year for Labour's handling of antisemitism allegations within the party

WAKING up in Belmarsh Prison was my very lowest point. I was housed on a wing nicknamed Beirut because of its violent inhabitants, while the cell next door contained a career criminal called Noel Razor Smith, who later described my demeanour as like a hamstrung lamb surrounded by hungry wolves.

It was essential for me to move on from the doldrums of denial and chart a new course  and this is also true for our politicians. Radical change is required.

Ideals proved vital. The concept of a life of service had always inspired me, so I started to look for opportunities. I wrote letters for fellow prisoners with poor literacy skills. I became the wings cleaner, the best job in a jail because you are a sort of concierge and father confessor in between scrubbing duties with the Harpic. I became chums with Noel, who would later change course and become a successful author and editor.

After my release, I threw myself into charity work. Then, in an interesting career change, I spent two years studying theology and seeking God. Now I am an ordained prison chaplain at Pentonville, a tough nick with huge challenges. I love my pastoral work there because I have found a calling far greater than myself.

I still see enough of present and former parliamentary friends to know that some of them are talented idealists who are fully capable of serving and leading our country.

But to reach those heights, they may need to stay a little longer in todays depths, have the humility to sort out Brexit through sensible compromises, and dedicate themselves to public service  the true vocation of politicians.The parents of a baby boy dragged by his head from a camper van by dingoes on a picturesque holiday island have publicly told of their night of terror for the first time.

Luke and Sarah Allister have retraced the incident for Nine's 60 Minutes, telling reporters 'there was a lot of blood' as their 14-month-old son, Hunter, was attacked by wild dogs.

The Allisters had taken their family to Fraser Island for a week-long Easter camping trip but were woken in the early hours of Friday, April 19, by their son's screams.

Luke Allister saved his son, 14-month-old Hunter, after he was dragged by dingoes from the family's camper van by his head on Queensland's Fraser Island

Two dingoes had snuck into the family's camper van just after midnight, grabbed baby Hunter by his head and dragged him outside.

Mother-of-two Sarah Allister said she didn't know what went through her head as she sat up and told her husband the baby was outside.

'His cry went from being inside the camper to outside,' Sarah said in the interview, to be broadcast on Sunday night.

Luke and Sarah Allister returned to Fraser Island to retrace the scene for 60 Minutes. The attack was the ninth attack in the last two decades and the third so far this year

Luke and his wife, Sarah, were terrified their son would die after the attack

Luke chased the wild dogs for about 15m, heading towards the sound of his son's cries until he was confronted by a wild dingo with his baby boy in its jaws, dragging him into the bush.

'The dingo's got him by the back of the head, dragging him,' he said.

'That's when a pack of them circled me and they were getting more cocky.'

Luke wrestled the baby to safety where the horrified young family found he was covered in puncture wounds and blood.

Sarah's mother Shaurne Keast (pictured in a re-enactment), made the urgent call to emergency services, with the remote line dropping in and out of service

Fraser Island attacks There have been nine dingo attacks on Fraser Island in the last 20 years but three in the last year alone: January: a six-year-old boy was hospitalised after being bitten several times on the legs by a pack of four dingoes. March: a grandmother fought off two dingoes for half an hour with a stick to protect her daughter and 10-year-old grandson while her son ran for help. Her daughter, 24, suffered puncture wounds to her arms while her grandson had deep cuts to his leg and face. Two dingoes were euthanased. April: 14-month-old Hunter Allister was dragged by the head from his family's camper van by two dingoes, suffering cuts, puncture wounds and a fractured skull before being rescued by his father. Advertisement

'There was a lot of blood,' he told 60 Minutes.

Shaurne Keast, Sarah's mother, also on the camping trip, made the urgent call to emergency services, with the remote line dropping in and out of service.

'We're on Fraser Island, a dingo has dragged the baby from the campervan,' she said in the recorded conversation.

'There's dingoes everywhere.'

The family thought the baby was dying.

'I remember his cries just starting to fade,' said Sarah.

The baby boy had suffered multiple puncture wounds to his head and neck, and a fractured skull.

He was flown to Hervey Bay by emergency rescuers about 2.30am then transferred to the Queensland Children's Hospital in Brisbane for surgery.

The toddler survived the attack and was last month in a stable condition and recovering well.

14-month-old Hunter Allister was flown to Hervey Bay by RACQ LifeFlight Rescue about 230am after his attack, then transferred to Brisbane for surgery for multiple puncture wounds on his head and neck and a fractured skull

In the wake of the attack, the Environment Department said 40 rangers were sent to patrol the campsites.

It is the ninth dingo attack on Fraser Island in the last 20 years and the third so far this year.

The 15kg dogs have been described as highly capable predators despite their size and on Fraser Island where they are treated kindly they have become unafraid of people, often raiding eskies and campsites for food scraps.

The latest incident is an eerie reminder of a case which captivated Australia in 1980, when Lindy Chamberlain's nine-week-old baby Azaria was taken by a dingo in the Northern Territory.

Ms Chamberlain was accused of killing her child and tried for murder, spending more than three years in jail.

She was not exonerated until a piece of Azaria's clothing was found near a dingo lair. She later received $1.3 million in compensation.A Love Island contestant has been pictured in black face while dressed as Mr T as it's revealed that another contestant, Tyson Fury's brother, sent text messages discussing buying cocaine.

Gym owner Anton Danyluk, 24, from Airdrie, dressed up as the A Team character Mr T for Halloween in 2014 - in black face.

The picture has emerged from Danyluk's gym Facebook page - The Ranch - and shows him posing with other dressed-up members of a themed 'boot camp'.

Gym owner Anton Danyluk, 24, from Airdrie, dressed up as the A Team character Mr T for Halloween in 2014 - in black face

The picture has emerged from Danyluk's gym Facebook page - The Ranch - and shows him posing with other dressed-up members of a themed 'boot camp'

Alongside the picture is a caption that reads: 'The Halloween Boot Camp this year will be Monday 3rd November.

'It's entirely your choice if you want to dress up however if you don't you might get burpees!!!'

The revelation comes on the same day a text message from Tommy Fury exposed him discussing the purchase of cocaine.

Fury, who is the younger brother of heavyweight champion Tyson, sent a text message that was revealed to the Sun on Sunday which said: 'Anyone want a lot of coke for the night?'

The text message was in relation to a discussion about an upcoming holiday with friends in the Lake District over the May 6 Bank Holiday.

A source told the Sun: 'When he sent the message to the WhatsApp group everybody just kind of ignored it. He hadn't taken part in any of the conversation and it was such a random message.

The revelation comes on the same day a text message from Tommy Fury exposed him discussing the purchase of cocaine. Fury, who is the younger brother of heavyweight champion Tyson, sent a text message that was revealed to the Sun on Sunday which said: 'Anyone want a lot of coke for the night?'

'He clearly wanted to have a wild weekend and get anybody else he could involved as well.'

Fury also stands accused of pretending his mother was dying of cancer to try and bed a 19-year-old student.

Loughborough student Olivia Wells claims Fury told her his mother was dying of Stage Three cancer and even discussed bogus funeral plans.

Ms Wells told the Sun on Sunday that these messages were interspersed with voice notes from Fury in which he detailed wanting to sleep with her.

A Love Island spokesman said: 'We have no means of contextualising these messages or indeed verifying that they have even come from Tommy.'Advertising agency bragged that this would increase searches for the brand

Its rugged jackets are favoured by the famous  from Prince William to Angelina Jolie. But outdoor clothing firm North Face was under a cloud last night after a marketing stunt backfired.

The fashion brand was forced to make a grovelling apology after it emerged it had digitally altered Wikipedia entries to get free advertising and rocket to the top of Google searches.

North Face exploited the online encyclopaedias open-to-all editing function to alter images of popular destinations so they featured models wearing its clothing.

Clothing company North Face and advertising agency Leo Burnett Tailor Made have been slammed for 'manipulating' Wikipedia's free-to-change webpage to include pictures of their models, which boosted their prevalence in search engines

North Face exploited the online encyclopaedias open-to-all editing function to alter images of popular destinations so they featured models wearing its clothing

It meant the firms pictures would appear at the top of internet search results when Google was used to look for images of top nature sites such as Brazils Guarita State Park.

Branding experts believe North Face gained millions of pounds worth of exposure by hijacking the non-profit website.

The stunt ran undetected for almost a month but emerged when advertising agency Leo Burnett Tailor Made released a video last week boasting about its exploits.

But the bragging backfired when angry consumers took to social media to say they would boycott the brand.

Wikipedia blasted North Face for unethical manipulation of its website. The clothing company pulled the ad campaign and said: We believe deeply in Wikipedias mission and integrity  and apologise for engaging in activity inconsistent with those principles.The ex boyfriend of controversial Fiat heir Lapo Elkann has launched a lawsuit saying he was sexually assaulted after his former lover organized a cocaine-fueled transgender orgy for his birthday.

Celebrity chef Travis London, 30, says he was left with 'severe emotional distress' after Elkann, 41, allegedly made him join group sex with two trans prostitutes as part of a gift in Milan in July 2018.

Elkann, who once said he was being 'stalked' by London and denied their relationship, is then said to have tried to silence the celebrity chef over the alleged incident. He has denied any wrongdoing.

He is accused of paying the prostitutes to take down their social media profiles in the wake of the debauched evening, according to London, who has cooked for Justin Timberlake, and Mary-Kate Olsen.

Travis London, left, says he was left with 'severe emotional distress' after Lapo Elkann, right, allegedly made him join group sex with two trans prostitutes as part of a birthday gift in Milan

In 2016 troubled Elkann, who is worth a reported $800million, spent the Thanksgiving holiday in a Manhattan housing project, where he allegedly was supplied with a steady stream of cocaine, marijuana and alcohol.

But when it came time for Elkann to settle up for the goods and services he had been provided during his two-day binge, the cash-strapped millionaire is said to have attempted to get his hands on $10,000 by allegedly calling up his family rep and claiming he had been kidnapped.

After investigating the matter police charged Elkann with a misdemeanor for falsely reporting an incident. Prosecutors later dropped the charges.

A $10 million Brooklyn Federal Court lawsuit filed by LA born London says one of the two escorts 'aggressively' tried to have sex with him. He claims he was pulled down and accosted, The New York Post reports.

The night spun out of control, according to London, after society fixture Elkann made a phone call in Portuguese and two 'transsexual' prostitutes and their madame arrived.

They were in Milan when Elkann made a call and prostitutes arrived, London says. One of the two prostitutes then 'aggressively' tried to have sex with him, he adds

Elkann is accused of trying to silence the interior designer over the debauched evening

London, who does not speak Portuguese, says he had just had sex with Elkann when the night took a dark turn and the others arrived.

He says he refused to take part in the group sex, according to legal papers, but Elkann had sex with one of the prostitutes and gave them both cocaine.

London, who is said to have once dated Rihanna, says it was then one prostitute 'aggressively endeavored' him to take part before he fled Elkann's home.

He alleges it was the 'latest in a series of abusive, manipulative, demeaning, and harmful episodes initiated by [Elkann] during the course of an abusive multi-year courtship'.

His lawyer, Christopher Marston, said London has 'ample evidence of abuse from pictures, texts, emails and other information'.

He told the DailyMail.com 'in this case, the emotional abuse and physical assault spanned over the course of years'.

In 2014 Elkann said of London: 'The reality is he is a stalker, and he is someone who is obsessed with me. Whatever he is saying is a nuisance and unreal. He has been stalking [me] for a year and a half.'

Elkann overdosed on a mixture of heroin and cocaine while in the company of a 53-year-old transsexual prostitute in 2005.

He is one of two sons born to writer Alain Elkann and Countess Margherita Agnelli de Pahlen, whose father Gianni Agnelli was the head of Fiat.

Elkann once said he was being 'stalked' by London and denied their relationship

In 2017 prosecutors dropped charges against Elkann after he was accused of faking his own kidnapping while doing drugs with transgender escort in NYC

London says one prostitute 'aggressively endeavored' him to take part before he fled Elkann's home. He alleges it was the 'latest in a series of abusive, manipulative, demeaning, and harmful episodes initiated by [Elkann] during the course of an abusive multi-year courtship'

Elkann - who was born in New York City, spent his youth and teenage years in London and at the age of 17 moved to Turin - secured a job in the family business back in 2003 when he was named Fiat's Director of Marketing.

He was only in that position for two years however, stepping down after his 2005 overdose in the Turin apartment of transsexual prostitute Donato Broco, who was known as Patrizia in her professional life.

Patrizia was just one of three transsexual escorts that Elkann had been partying with that night before falling into a coma, with two other women named Cinzia and Tani also joining the group.

She would later reveal in an interview with Chi that the night of the overdose was the fifth evening she had spent with Elkann, who paid each of the women 1,000 euros according to one report.

Elkann spent two days in a coma, and checked himself in a rehab facility immediately after his release from the hospital.

He later said of the incident in an interview with Vanity Fair: 'I am very p***ed off with myself because I made a huge mistake, but nobodys perfect.'

A spokesman for Elkann said: 'This is an entirely baseless lawsuit filed by an individual who has been stalking Lapo for years in an effort to extract money.

'Lapo has denied any wrongdoing and has refused to make any payment. As a result, London has filed this lawsuit in an effort to embarrass Lapo with salacious made-up details. He will defend against it strongly.'A national poll has put the Brexit Party on top for the first time ever, with leader Nigel Farage hailing it as an 'historic moment'.

The Opinium poll had the party on top with 26 per cent of the vote, ahead of Labour on 22 per cent.

It is the first ever national poll to have the Brexit Party, fronted by Mr Farage, 55, on top.

The new poll has the Conservatives down in third with just 17 per cent of the vote, and the Liberal Democrats in fourth on 16 per cent.

According to a seat predictor by the Electoral Calculus website, the result would leave Farage with 306 MPs, 20 short of a majority.

Nigel Farage hailed the new Opinium Poll as a 'historic' moment as it showed his Brexit Party on top

The Conservatives would be left with a paltry 26 MPs, while Labour would capture 205 seats.

Mr Farage believes his party could be on the verge of its first seat in parliament as it contests the Peterborough by-election on June 6, and has tried to woo voters by warning if they vote Conservative, they will end up with Labour.

He has been campaigning ahead of the by-election after Labour MP Fiona Onasanya was ousted.

Mr Farage believes the election on Thursday will be a two-horse race between the Brexit Party and Labour.

In a bid to avoid splitting the vote, he has urged otherwise Tory voters to back the Brexit Party to prevent Labour from retaining their vacated seat.

Mr Farage told The Telegraph: 'The Tory party in Peterborough are nowhere. But Labour have a massive election machine and they are throwing everything at this. And I mean everything.

Mr Farage believes his party could be on the verge of its first seat in parliament as it contests the Peterborough by-election on June 6

'Our key message these last few days to conservative voters in the north of the constituency, is vote Conservative, get Corbyn. Only the Brexit Party can beat Labour here.'

The by-election comes in a monumental week for British politics with US President Donald Trump embarking on a state visit and Theresa May stepping down on Friday.

But Farage said he trusts none of the potential successors to Mrs May to manage a No Deal exit from the EU.

He also said his party is readying itself for a general election if the time comes and the new prime minister fails to deliver Brexit.

Mike Greene is standing in the Peterborough by-election for the Brexit Party.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump sensationally urged the British government to involve Mr Farage in Brexit negotiations with the EU.

The President hailed the Brexit Party leader as a 'very smart person' who could have bolstered Theresa May's botched deal which she failed to push through Parliament.

On the eve of his state visit to the UK, his criticism of the Prime Minister's decision to omit Mr Farage from talks with Brussels will likely put noses out of joint in Downing Street.

'I like Nigel a lot. He has a lot to offer. He is a very smart person. They won't bring him in,' he told the Sunday Times.

'Think how well they would do if they did. They just haven't figured that out yet.'

Mr Farage struck up a friendship with Mr Trump in 2016 when he endorsed his Presidential campaign and even spoke at one of his Mississippi rallies.Pamela Ramsey Taylor, the woman who made headlines in 2016 when she made a racist remark about then-First Lady Michelle Obama, is on her way to prison.

Taylor, 57, falsely registered for FEMA benefits that were meant for those who were impacted by the June 2016 floods that killed 20 people along the Elk River.

The former charity director managed to snatch up more than $18,000 in bogus claims, court documents revealed.

But on Friday, Taylor was sentenced to 10 months behind bars for the embezzlement scheme after admitting to misappropriating the cash when she falsely claimed she was forced to abandon her flooded home in Clay County and more into a temporary rental unit.

Scroll down for video

Pamela Ramsey Taylor, the woman who made headlines in 2016 when she made a racist remark about then-First Lady Michelle Obama, is on her way to prison

On Friday, Taylor was sentenced to 10 months behind bars for the embezzlement scheme after admitting to misappropriating the cash when she falsely claimed she was forced to abandon her flooded home

The Clay County woman falsely registered for FEMA benefits that were meant for those who were impacted by the June 2016 floods that killed 20 people along the Elk River

A news release from U.S. Attorney Mike Stuart's office in February stated that Taylor had been claiming that her primary residence was damaged in the flood and that she was living in a rental property.

Her plea deal required her to pay $18,149.04 in restitution and an additional $10,000 fine

In the plea agreement, Taylor explained that she registered with FEMA around July 2016 while at Clay County High School.

She told FEMA that her primary address was on Main Street while her 'permanent residence' on the Elk River in Procious had been damaged by flooding.

Taylor actually lived in Bickmore. The area was not impacted by flooding.

Taylor and her husband do own the Procious property, but no one was living inside at the time.

She also told authorities that her work address for the Clay County Development Corporation was her primary address.

Her plea deal required her to pay $18,149.04 in restitution and an additional $10,000 fine.

Theres no such thing as a little bit of FEMA fraud, said U.S. Attorney Mike Stuart. Taylors fraudulent scheme took FEMA dollars away from those who needed it the most.

Taylor was removed a nonprofit, which helps low-income and aged people in Clay County, following an agreement with its board of directors and after her November 2016 post.

The woman told FEMA that her primary address was on Main Street while her 'permanent residence' on the Elk River in Procious had been damaged by flooding.

'It will be refreshing to have a classy, beautiful, dignified First Lady in the White House. I'm tired of seeing a [sic] Ape in heels,' Clay County Development Corporation director Pamela Ramsey Taylor wrote in a diss to former First Lady Michelle Obama

Taylor made national headlines in November 2016, when she penned a racially-charged Facebook post comparing then First Lady Michelle Obama to an 'ape'.

'It will be refreshing to have a classy, beautiful, dignified First Lady in the White House. I'm tired of seeing a [sic] Ape in heels,' Taylor wrote after Donald Trump's election.

She was later fired as Clay County Development Corp. director - a nonprofit which helps low-income and aged people in Clay County - in the wake of the scandalous status.

Shortly afterward, Taylor issued a half-hearted apology to 'any one individual that took offense to my post,' she tried justifying it by claiming she was 'entitled to my own opinion, as afforded under the Constitution of the United States; as well as every citizen of this country.'

The racist post wasn't the first time Taylor, who had worked at the CCDC since the late '90s and became director in 2007, had seen trouble there.

She was dismissed in 2002 after being accused of taking fundraising money, but then hired back again shortly after, according to a lawsuit deposition seen by the Gazette-Mail.

Once she has served her prison term, Taylor must serve three years of supervised release.

For the first two months she will be limited to home confinementSan Francisco is about to get a pop-up bar which will allow patrons to drink with rodents.

San Francisco Dungeon - a popular venue known for recreating historical moments with sets and special events - is opening the temporary establishment on June 13.

Those who pay $49.99 for tickets are able to sip cocktails as rats run all over them.

Ticket-holders will have 30 minutes to pet the vermin, who have been housed by Ratical Rodent Rescue - a non-profit shelter for small animals that have been abandoned.

Also included in the price is the pop-up bar's signature drink - an 'Ama-RAT-O Sour', which features a 'rats tail garnish', according to a media release spruiking the pop-up.

San Francisco Dungeon - a popular venue known for recreating historic events with sets and special events - is opening a pop-up bar with live rats

Patrons will be able to sip alcoholic drinks as the rodents scurry around the venue

A 60 minute live show detailing the 'weird, twisted, dark side of the citys history' is also a part of the package.

It's not the first time that San Francisco Dungeon has put on a pop-up with vermin.

They previously opened 'Rat Cafe' - an immersive establishment where visitors could drink coffee as rats scurried over them.

Those tickets famously sold out in just 45 minutes.

Speaking this week, Matthew Clarkson, regional head of marketing at San Francisco Dungeon's parent company, stated: 'Lets be honest  pastries and coffee were nice and all when we hosted the Rat Cafe but that was a lot of work.

'We thought, F it. This time, get drunk, see our show, touch rats and get drunk some more'.

With the Californian city known for all things weird and wonderful, the new pop-up bar is already exciting local residents.

Tickets for the three-day pop-up are already on sale.The husband of a tourist who says she was savagely beaten at a Dominican Republic resort says authorities bungled the investigation and they failed to carry out a rape test until two days after terrifying ordeal.

Christopher Daley spoke out after shocking images of his wife Tammy were made public on social media Wednesday following the horror attack in January.

The Delaware couple were staying at the Majestic Elegance all-inclusive resort in Punta Cana when victim Lawrence-Daley, 51, says she was strangled, beaten and left for dead in the brutal attack.

She detailed a vicious hours-long assault by a man she said was wearing the uniform of an all-inclusive resort.

The Dominican Republic Attorney General's Office said Tammy declined to file a formal complaint.

But Christopher says this is a lie. He said they filed a complaint at a Higuey courthouse, adding: 'We were supposed to get a police report in February and we didn't get that.'

Tammy Lawrence-Daley made the attack public on social media, detailing a vicious hours-long assault by a man she said was wearing the uniform of an all-inclusive resort

Christopher Daley, left, spoke out after shocking images of his wife Tammy, right, were recently made public on social media following the horror attack in January

The resort where Lawrence-Daley was staying, the Majestic Elegance Punta Cana, said in a statement it was cooperating with authorities and would not comment further out of respect for the 'dignity and integrity' of Lawrence-Daley

He also told NBC10 claims they found 'discrepancies' in his statements 'crazy' after the couple were interviewed together.

And the devastated husband also questioned officials' determination that his wife was not sexually assaulted after doctors took two days to conduct the exam.

He says they are also yet to receive the rape kit results back.

Lawrence-Daley herself has said she's still not positive if she was sexually assaulted after she showered before the test.

'We had to force them to do a rape kit and that didn't happen until 48 hours later. And even at that point it was an external swab, that was it,' she said.

Police in the Dominican Republic have confirmed they are investigating the attack.

Spokesman Col. Frank Duran said that immediately after authorities heard of the January attack investigators went to the hospital the mom-of-two was being treated, took her testimony and collected evidence from where she said the assault took place.

'There is a lot of conjecture about the case, a lot of information that doesn't match some of the statements,' Duran said Friday. 'We have to wait for the investigation to end.'

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

The resort where Lawrence-Daley was staying, the Majestic Elegance Punta Cana, said in a statement it was cooperating with authorities and would not comment further out of respect for the 'dignity and integrity' of Lawrence-Daley.

Lawrence-Daley posted this week on Facebook about the attack in the thriving Dominican tourist area of Punta Cana, showing grisly pictures of the damage done to her face. She said she had been vacationing with her husband and a couple of friends.

During the assault in a maintenance area of the beachfront resort, her mouth was ripped apart, requiring numerous stitches, she said.

One tooth was knocked out and others were pushed out of position, she said. Her nose was broken in several places and she sustained an orbital fracture. There were teeth marks on her hip.

She said she decided to go public with her story now to help other women and perhaps warn Caribbean tourists about what to expect from resort management in the wake of a similar attack on their properties.

The mother of two teenage boys said she decided to go public with her story now to help other women

Lawrence-Daley, an insurance company employee in Wilmington, said she arrived at the Majestic Elegance resort in January.

On her second night there, she said she walked alone through a rotunda on the property at about 10:30 p.m. intending to take some pictures of the moon over the water and perhaps grab a snack. She was attacked from behind, her assailant starting to choke her before dragging her into a nearby maintenance room.

'The only opportunity I got to turn was when he was strangling me. And that's when I saw the uniform. And when I tried to look up I couldn't just because I was passing out at that point,' she said.

She said any conscious moments that followed she was unable to make out the assailant's face because she had already been so savagely beaten that her eyes were swollen shut.

But she's positive that her attacker was wearing a uniform with the resort's name embroidered on it. 'He was definitely wearing a uniform of the resort,' she said.

Just as she was starting her long path toward a physical recovery, she said she was told that Dominican authorities would not investigate her assault unless she testified in a local court. She said she managed to testify at a court before flying back home.

The devastated husband also questioned officials' determination that his wife was not sexually assaulted after doctors took two days to conduct the exam

Lawrence-Daley claims she was attacked by a hotel employee because she remembers seeing him in a uniform with the resort logo on it

But after a three-month investigation and a failed attempt to negotiate an out-of-court settlement, the resort's insurance company eventually sent a letter saying Majestic Elegance bore no responsibility since she couldn't identify her assailant as an employee. She now has until late July to find a Dominican lawyer to take up the case.

During her ordeal, her husband and friends went to the resort's front desk three times before security would agree to make even the most cursory search for her, she said, suggesting that she was drunk and sleeping it off somewhere.

She was eventually discovered in the basement of the maintenance room when she came to.

'If they install cameras that's at least one step closer to really helping people,' she said.The New Zealand Defence Force has detonated a suspicious package found at an international mail center within the grounds of Auckland Airport on Sunday.

Emergency services evacuated the NZ Post International center on Lawrence Stevens Drive, Auckland Airport, after NZ Police received a call at 1.50pm reporting the suspicious package, NZ Police said on Sunday.

Fire trucks from Auckland Airport, Papatoetoe and Mangere fire stations were called to the scene and a cordon was put in place on Geoffrey Roberts Rd and Laurence Stevens Drive.

The NZ Fire Service (stock photo) were called to the NZ Post International center after a suspicious package was found. The package was exploded by the NZ military

The NZ Post International center where the suspicious package was found is within the ground of Auckland Airport, New Zealand's major air hub

NZ Police spokeswoman Siobhan Keogh-Dwyer told Daily Mail Australia the New Zealand Defence Force explosive ordnance disposal team blew up the package at 3.15pm.

'It looks like they have detonated the package,' she said via telephone from Auckland.

Flights were not disrupted and NZ Police later advised that the package had been incorrectly labelled and was no threat to the public

It was not immediately clear what the package was or why it was considered suspicious.

NZ Police advised that the package was later found to have been incorrectly labelled and was of no threat to the public.

Auckland International Airport is the major airline hub for New Zealand with a capacity of about 45 flights per hour and moving over 21 million passengers in the year to March.Bill Shorten and his former deputy Tanya Plibersek will stay in Anthony Albanese's shadow cabinet after their election drubbing.

Ms Plibersek will shadow education and training and Mr Shorten look after National Disability Insurance Scheme and government services.

Kristina Keneally will be Labor's first spokeswoman for home affairs, immigration and citizenship on top of her deputy senate leader job.

Anthony Albanese announces his shadow cabinet two weeks after Labor's shock election loss

The former NSW premier got the latter role after Labor frontbencher Ed Husic controversially stepped aside to make room for her last week.

Mr Albanese elevated three other women in the shadow ministry after Labor was criticised for not having enough women in leadership positions.

Katy Gallagher will be shadow minister of finance and of public service and Terri Butler the new shadow minister for the environment and water.

Madeleine King was granted the trade shadow ministry in what Mr Albanese said was a 'major promotion' that was 'most deserved'.

Catherine King - who had health for a record six years as a shadow minister - will now look after infrastructure, transport and regional development.

Senator Penny Wong retains the Shadow Foreign Affairs portfolio.

Kristina Keneally will be Labor's first spokeswoman for home affairs, immigration and citizenship on top of her deputy senate leader job

Outgoing leader Bill Shorten will look after National Disability Insurance Scheme and government services

Mr Albanese's deputy Richard Marles will be shadow defence minister and factional heavyweight Jim Chalmers displaces Chris Bowen as shadow treasurer.

Mr Bowen will instead be demoted to health, joining Mr Shorten and his allies in far less relevant positions to those before the election.

He was central to the financial policies Labor took to the election - such as changes to franking credits and negative gearing.

The policies were the focus of the government's election campaign and were pivotal in Labor's loss.

Mr Albanese would not say if Mr Shorten tried to snatch the shadow health ministry, as earlier reports suggested.

'Bill Shorten is in an entirely appropriate portfolio. I had respectful discussions with Bill and the whole team,' he said.

Katy Gallagher will be shadow minister of finance and of public service

Terri Butler is the new shadow minister for the environment and water

Madeleine King was granted the trade shadow ministry in what Mr Albanese said was a 'major promotion' that was 'most deserved' (pictured with former Shadow Assistant Minister for Road Safety Glenn Sterle)

'He looks forward to it with enthusiasm and he will do the job well. He is an important part of our team.'

Tony Burke will return to the front bench for the first time since his 2013 exile and take on industrial relations and the arts.

In a sign that the new ALP leader was concerned about how badly Mr Shorten's anti-coal stance in the election hurt the party, outspoken mining industry supporter Joel Fitzgibbon will be shadow resources minister.

Andrew Leigh, who was dumped from the shadow ministry in the post-election reshuffle, will become shadow assistant minister for Treasury and charities.

Mr Albanese bristled at his announcement press conference when asked about the back room deals that created his shadow ministry.

'I don't talk about private conversations,' he said repeatedly, along with 'if you ask the same question you'll get the same answer'.

In a sign that the new ALP leader was concerned about how badly Mr Shorten's anti-coal stance in the election hurt the party, outspoken mining industry supporter Joel Fitzgibbon will be shadow resources minister

Mr Albanese said he wanted Ms Keneally on his front bench following criticism over the number of women the party had appointed to leadership positions.

She played a prominent role in the election campaign, and Mr Albanese said the 'best team' he could have would include her.

Labor rules dictate there are a certain amount of spots for members of the party's Left and Right factions, so for her to take a spot, someone would have to step down.

Ms Keneally stood down from the NSW state leadership after leading her party to a catastrophic loss in 2011 - which saw them thrown from power with the biggest swing in Australian political history. There was a 16.5 per cent swing against them.A bushland spot just metres from Australia's 'most haunted highway' and the scene of two grisly murders was also once a Nazi spy camp.

The suburban bushland nestled in Sydney's northern beaches at Deep Creek in Narrabeen is thought to have once been home to German sailors who flocked from merchant ships docked on Australian shores in the 1930s.

But the camp is understood to have been run by 'hard-line Nazis' who kept watch on the sailors and Australian activity in the years leading up to the war.

The only remaining sign the sailors had ever ventured to the inconspicuous area is the Swastika symbol and the names of locations in Germany etched into rock faces (pictured)

Individuals in charge of the camp tried to shield the outside world from the sinister goings-on by claiming the camp was a 'home away from home' for Germans - but it's believed the almost-desolate camp housed a German intelligence network.

The only remaining sign the sailors had ever ventured to the inconspicuous area is the Swastika symbol and the names of locations in Germany etched onto rock faces.

Greg Clancy, from Sydney, has studied Nazi espionage and said the Germans had sent spies all around the world, noting the camp was overrun with 'hard-line Nazis'.

'The Germans were keen on learning the movement of Australian and British ships in this part of the world, industrial production and Australia's defences,' Mr Clancy told Nine News.

Greg Clancy, from Sydney, has studied Nazi espionage and said the German's had sent spies all around the world and noted the camp was overrun with 'hard-line Nazis' (etchings on the rock face pictured)

'The seamen would gather at the camp and relay what they had learned. It would then be transmitted to German authorities by radio.'

He said the 'hard-line Nazis' had been sent over to keep an eye on susceptible sailors.

'The big wigs in Germany were worried about these seamen being exposed to western, liberal values in countries such as Australia. To keep them in line, they put a [hard-line] Nazi from the feared Gestapo [secret police] on every ship,' Mr Clancy said.

Mr Clancy said files kept in the National Archives which were kept by individuals within the camp detail 'every activity' undertaken.

He added that every report was signed off with the chilling phrase: 'Heil Hitler'.

Mr Clancy said files kept in the National Archives which were kept by individuals within the camp detail 'every activity' undertaken (Swastika symbol pictured)

And anyone who dared to stray from the party line were flogged (beat) at the 'German Gestapo headquarters' in Narrabeen, according to a 1945 edition of The Canberra Times.

But in the late 1930s the Australian Security Services had been made aware of the camp.

Australian authorities put the camp under surveillance and later raided it when war was officially declared against Germany.

The bushland is near the Wakehurst Parkway which has also been the subject of many eerie myths.

Motorists who have driven down Wakehurst Parkway have reportedly experienced strange occurrences when driving in the area.

People have claimed their windscreen wipers have randomly failed, while others say doors have started locking and unlocking without any assistance.

One witness even said they saw the ghost of a woman wearing an 'old timey' uniform.

The bushland (pictured) has also been the subject of many eerie myths which claim spooky goings-on have often been seen at the particular spot

It's no surprise the area has garnered a reputation for paranormal activity, as two grisly crimes were committed in the area in the 1990s.

In 1994, Stephen Dempsey, 34, was shot in the heart by a bow and arrow in parkland near to the Wakehurst Parkway.

Mr Dempsey's body was left in the creek, before his killer, Richard Leonard, came back to dismember it and put it in a freezer.

Around one year later, the naked body of Frances Tizzone, 21, was found just metres away from the Wakehurst Parkway.

It later transpired that the university student had been strangled by her former flame John Cerratore.

He's since been found guilty of her murder but denies the allegations.A 63-year-old man and his seeing eye dog have died after being hit by a car while walking on a highway in Victoria.

Raymond Meadows, of Bendigo, and his black Labrador Gerry, were struck by a Hyundai sedan while walking along Calder Highway in rural Wedderburn, north of Melbourne, around 6.40am, police said.

Meadows had been wearing a hi-vis vest with flashing lights and was taking his usual route to the gym, Mercury reported.

Highway patrol officials said the man was walking in an area with no street lighting and was hit in the dark.

Raymond Meadows, of Bendigo, and his black Labrador Gerry, were struck by a Hyundai sedan while walking along Calder Highway (pictured) in rural Wedderburn, north of Melbourne

Meadows had been wearing a hi-vis vest with flashing lights and was taking his usual route to the gym

'He had his guide dog, a cane and was wearing a high-vis vest with flashing lights but we are unsure if they were working at the time,' Campaspe Highway Patrol Senior Constable Paul Nicoll said.

Police said it was possible Meadows had been walking in the southbound lane and was not seen by the driver.

An air ambulance crew arrived at the scene but could not save the man. His two-year-old guide dog, provided by Vision Australia, also died at the scene.

The driver of the car, a man in his 20s, stopped to render assistance before being taken to hospital for shock.

Friends and family are now mourning the man, who was described as 'very friendly' and was known to walk to take long walks to the newsagency every morning.

'He will be dearly missed', a relative told the publication.

Mr Meadows's wife rushed to the scene after learning of the accident and was reported to be 'extremely sad'.

The two were struck by a Hyundai sedan while walking along Calder Highway (pictured) in rural Wedderburn, north of Melbourne

Vision Australia released a statement in the wake of the accident saying the man and dog duo had 'touched the hearts of many' at the organisation.

'This is a terrible tragedy and our thoughts and prayers go out to Rays family, our staff, puppy carers and all that knew them', general manager David Speyer told the Herald Sun.

The older man is the second pedestrian to die on Victorian roads in less than 12 hours.

Another man was killed when he was hit near a bus stop on Ferntree Gully Road in Notting Hill about 7.45pm on Saturday.

The car involved drove off and police are investigating.

Victoria's road toll now sits at 139 compared to 88 this time last year.U.S. antitrust regulators have divided oversight of Amazon.com Inc and Alphabet Incs Google, putting Amazon under the watch of the Federal Trade Commission and Google under the Justice Department, the Washington Post said on Saturday.

Amazon could face heightened antitrust scrutiny under a new agreement between U.S. regulators which puts the e-commerce giant under the watch of the trade commission, the newspaper reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

The development is the result of the FTC and Justice department quietly dividing up competition oversight on both of the American tech giants, Amazon and Google, the newspaper said, adding that the FTCs plans for Amazon and the Justice Departments interest in Google were not immediately clear.

The news comes after Reuters and other media reported on Friday that the Justice Department is preparing an investigation into Google in order to ascertain whether the company broke antitrust law in operating its online businesses.

The Federal Trade Commission is reportedly scrutinizing Amazon for any potential antitrust violations. The image above shows an Amazon logistic center in Boves, France last month

Google said it had no comment on the report while Amazon, the FTC and Justice Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the report.

Officials from the Justice Departments Antitrust Division and Federal Trade Commission, which both enforce antitrust law, met in recent weeks to give Justice jurisdiction over Google, said the sources, who sought anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on the record.

The potential investigation represents the latest attack on a tech company by the administration of President Donald Trump, who has accused social media companies and Google of suppressing conservative voices on their platforms online.

One source said the potential investigation, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, focused on accusations that Google gave preference to its own businesses in searches.

A spokesman for the Justice Department said he could not confirm or deny that an investigation was being considered. Google declined comment.

Early in 2013, the FTC closed a long-running investigation of Google, giving it a slap on the wrist.

Meanwhile, the Justice Department is preparing an investigation into Google in order to ascertain whether the company broke antitrust law in operating its online businesses

Under FTC pressure, Google agreed to end the practice of scraping reviews and other data from rivals websites for its own products, and to let advertisers export data to independently assess campaigns.

Googles search, YouTube, reviews, maps and other businesses, which are largely free to consumers but financed through advertising, have catapulted it from a start-up to one of the worlds richest companies in just two decades.

Along the way, it has made enemies in both the tech world, who have complained to law enforcers about its market dominance, and in Washington, where lawmakers have complained about issues from its alleged political bias to its plans for China.

TripAdvisor chief executive and co-founder Stephen Kaufer welcomed news that Google could face Justice Department antitrust scrutiny.

TripAdvisor remains concerned about Googles practices in the United States, the EU and throughout the world, Kaufer said in a statement.

U.S. Justice Department is preparing an investigation of Google to determine whether it broke antitrust law after Donald Trump accused them of 'bias'. Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google, is pictured right

For the good of consumers and competition on the internet, we welcome any renewed interest by U.S. regulators into Googles anticompetitive behavior.

Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren has pushed for action to break up Google, as well as other big tech companies. Senator Kamala Harris, who is also running for president on the Democratic ticket, has agreed.

This is very big news, and overdue, Sen. Josh Hawley, a Republican Google critic, said on Twitter, regarding the investigation.

Google has faced a plethora of overseas probes.

Europes competition authority, for one, hit Google with a $2.7billion EU fine two years ago for unfairly promoting its own comparison shopping service.

Google has since offered to allow competitors to bid for advertising space at the top of a search page, giving them the chance to compete on equal terms.Advertisement

These shocking pictures from downtown Los Angeles capture the growing problem it faces with trash and rodents in a desperate city also trying to contain a typhoid fever outbreak linked to worsening sanitary conditions.

A decision to not cap the total amount of property that homeless people can keep on Skid Row was announced last Wednesday and it sparked fury among some officials who say it will 'only perpetuate the public health crisis that already exists' there.

That, coupled with the news a Los Angeles police detective has been diagnosed with typhoid fever, has sparked concern among LA's residents.

The city has now said it will dispose of sofas, refrigerators and other large items in the 50-block area of downtown.

But councilmen Joe Buscaino slammed the decision, saying: 'The settlement will only perpetuate the public health crisis that already exists in Skid Row and will set a precedent for the rest of the city that will normalize encampments.

'The city is sending a clear signal that we are turning the sidewalks in Skid Row into free, unlimited public storage, doing a disservice to the residents of Los Angeles, especially to those living on the streets.'

Images from the downtown area show trash piling up as workers struggle to keep the area sanitized. They are pictured wearing face masks among the dirt and grime.

Rows and rows of tents line the sidewalks of Skid Row in the sprawling 50-block area, home to around 4,200 homeless people, many in tents and shantytowns.

Some lay passed out in the street, seemingly from the effects of drugs as others are pictured lugging their property around, in search of the next spot to set up.

Belongings of the homeless crowd a downtown Los Angeles sidewalk in Skid Row. The city of Los Angeles on May 29 agreed to allow homeless people there to keep their property and not have it seized, providing the items are not bulky or hazardous

Piles of trash remain near the intersection of 25th St. and Long Beach Ave. Images from the downtown area show trash piling up as workers struggle to keep the area sanitized. They are pictured wearing face masks among the dirt and grime

A law had been passed in 2016 which limited the amount of belongings a homeless person can store on the sidewalk to 60 gallons. Piles of trash remain near the intersection of 25th St. and Long Beach Ave

The city has said it will dispose of sofas, refrigerators and other large items in the 50-block area of downtown known as Skid Row. Piles of trash remain near the intersection of 25th St. and Long Beach Ave

But the decision to not cap the total amount of property that homeless people can keep sparked fury among some officials who say it will 'only perpetuate the public health crisis that already exists in Skid Row'

Images from the area show trash piling up as workers struggle to keep the area sanitized. They are pictured wearing face masks among the dirt and grime. Some lay passed out in the street, seemingly from the effects of drugs

A cleaning crew sweeps up in front of LAPD Central Community Police Station in downtown Los Angeles on Thursday

The union that represents the LAPD is demanding a cleanup of homeless encampments in the city after one detective who works downtown was diagnosed with typhoid fever and two others are showing similar symptoms. Pedestrians cross a street lined with trash near LAPD Central Community Police Station in downtown Los Angeles on Thursday

The division where a Los Angeles police detective has been diagnosed with typhoid fever polices downtown Los Angeles, including the notorious Skid Row area where hundreds of homeless people camp on the streets

A law had been passed in 2016 which limited the amount of belongings a homeless person can store on the sidewalk to 60 gallons.

A spokesman for the Los Angeles Community Action Network, who had been campaigning for the new rules regarding property, said: 'I hope this is the signal this is the sign, the proverbial crossroads, that insists we spend our money and our time on things that actually get people off the street.

'In the interim, it is our hope that at least this provides some legal guardrails both for houseless people on the street as well as those public servants who are paid to treat the public humanely and responsibly.'

On Thursday it was revealed a Los Angeles police detective has been diagnosed with typhoid fever, a rare illness typically spread through contaminated food or water, and at least five other officers who work in the same station are showing symptoms.

Piles of trash remain at the corner of Compton Ave and E 16th St., downtown. A spokesman for the Los Angeles Community Action Network, who had been campaigning for the new rules regarding property, said: 'I hope this is the signal this is the sign, the proverbial crossroads, that insists we spend our money and our time on things that actually get people off the street'

'In the interim, it is our hope that at least this provides some legal guardrails both for houseless people on the street as well as those public servants who are paid to treat the public humanely and responsibly' the spokesman added. Piles of trash remain at the corner of Compton Ave and E 16th St., downtown

Dustin DeRollo, a union spokesman, said officers who patrol Skid Row 'walk through the feces, urine and trash'. Piles of trash remain at the corner of 10th and Naomi downtown

The six officers work in the Central Division station, where a state investigation into unsafe and unsanitary working conditions led to penalties and more than $5,000 in fines earlier this month, documents show.

The division polices downtown Los Angeles, including the notorious Skid Row area where hundreds of homeless people camp on the streets. The police union says homeless encampments must be cleaned up following the recent diagnosis and other cases where officers contracted hepatitis A and staph infections.

'The last thing I need is my members coming to work worried about contracting an infectious disease and bringing it home to their families,' Los Angeles Police Protective League treasurer Robert Harris said.

Dustin DeRollo, a union spokesman, said officers who patrol Skid Row 'walk through the feces, urine and trash' - conditions that 'should alarm everyone and must be addressed.'

The police union says homeless encampments must be cleaned up following the recent diagnosis and other cases where officers contracted hepatitis A and staph infections. A homeless man is pictured walking along a street lined with trash across the street from LAPD Central Community Police Station in downtown Los Angeles

In this May 29 photo homeless people move their belongings so city crews can disinfect and clean the area they were living in

'The last thing I need is my members coming to work worried about contracting an infectious disease and bringing it home to their families,' Los Angeles Police Protective League treasurer Robert Harris said

A homeless man sleeps on the front walkway of LAPD Central Community Police Station. In an op ed for The LA Times Steve Lopez called it 'the collapse of a city that's lost control'. He called the city 'a giant trash receptacle'

An estimated 4,200 people live in the 50-block district known as Skid Row, many in tents and shantytowns. The city adopted a law in 2016 permitting authorities to clean up homeless sidewalk encampments and store items to be reclaimed later

A lawsuit claimed that tents, clothes, medication and other essentials were improperly being seized. A judge barred seizures unless the property is illegal, abandoned or threatens public safety

In an op ed for The LA Times reporter Steve Lopez called it 'the collapse of a city that's lost control', writing: 'We've got thousands of people huddled on the streets, many of them withering away with physical and mental disease.

'Sidewalks have disappeared, hidden by tents and the kinds of makeshift shanties you see in Third World places.'

He called the city 'a giant trash receptacle'.

The police union has demanded better protective equipment for officers and called for the station to be regularly sanitized.

The Police Department said exposed areas of the Central Division were being disinfected and officials were reviewing the state's 'concerning' report that found health violations at the station.

The building lacked an effective extermination program and had 'rats/rodents, fleas, roaches, flies, gnats, mosquitoes and grasshoppers,' according to the state Division of Occupational Safety and Health's May 14 report.

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says typhoid fever isn't common in the U.S. but affects 22 million people annually in other countries.

It is different from typhus, which can spread from infected fleas and caused an outbreak earlier this year that sickened homeless people who live near City Hall and a deputy city attorney.

There have been other cases where officers contracted hepatitis A and staph infections the police union say

'Sidewalks have disappeared, hidden by tents and the kinds of makeshift shanties you see in Third World places', one local reporter said. Pedestrians walk past a tent for the homeless on a sidewalk in Skid Row, downtown Los Angeles

Dr. Abinash Virk said homeless people could have a slightly higher risk of typhoid fever than others because of limited access to clean bathrooms or being immigrants from countries where the illness is more prevalent

An abandoned sleeping bag and blanket is left in on the grounds of Los Angeles City Hall across the street from Los Angeles Police Department headquarters

A man gestures while seated beside a Skid Row painting on a sidewalk in downtown Los Angeles

Dr. Abinash Virk, an infectious disease specialist with the Mayo Clinic, said it's likely the officers were infected through contaminated food or drinks from the same cafeteria or restaurant.

She said homeless people could have a slightly higher risk of typhoid fever than others because of limited access to clean bathrooms or being immigrants from countries where the illness is more prevalent, but she doubted that the officers got sick from their work on Skid Row.

'You're not just going to get it from shaking hands,' she said.

The LAPD said it only had reports of the confirmed case of typhoid fever and two other officers showing typhoid-like symptoms. The union says five officers are showing symptoms.

'Whether the issue is bad plumbing or something else, the mayor is working with the department to get to the bottom of this situation and will take every possible step to protect the health and safety of all our employees,' Alex Comisar, a spokesman for Mayor Eric Garcetti, said in a statement.Israel carried out air strikes in Syria on Sunday in response to rare rocket fire from the neighbouring country, its military said, with a war monitor reporting 10 killed including Syrian soldiers and foreign fighters.

Israel's army said two rockets were fired from Syria at Mount Hermon in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights late Saturday and one had been 'located within Israeli territory.'

In response, the army attacked 'two Syrian artillery batteries, a number of observation and intelligence posts on the Golan Heights, and an SA-2 aerial defence battery,' its statement said.

Israel carried out air strikes in Syria on Sunday in response to rocket fire from the neighbouring country

The Israeli attack left three Syrian soldiers and seven foreign fighters dead, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

According to the Britain-based war monitor, which did not specify the nationality of the foreign fighters, they died in missile strikes close the capital Damascus where Syrian troops, Iranian forces and Hezbollah fighters are stationed.

Syrian anti-aircraft defences fired against 'enemy missiles' from Israel targeting positions in southwest Damascus, the official SANA news agency quoted a military source as saying.

The Israeli army said its own aerial defence systems were activated due to the Syrian anti-aircraft fire, but none of the Syrian fire hit Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had ordered the strike.

Israel's army said two rockets were fired from Syria at Mount Hermon in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights late Saturday and one had been 'located within Israeli territory

'We won't tolerate fire at our territory and will respond forcefully to any aggression against us,' he said.

Israel has carried out hundreds of air strikes in Syria, most of them against what it says are Iranian and Hezbollah targets.

Israel says it is determined to prevent its arch foe Iran from entrenching itself militarily in Syria, where Tehran backs President Bashar al-Assad in the country's eight-year war which has killed more than 370,000 people.

Israeli soldiers manoeuver a mobile artillery cannon in the Golan Heights on Sunday

The Jewish state insists that it has the right to continue to target positions in Syria held by Iran and its Lebanese ally Hezbollah out of self-defence.

On May 27 Syria said Israel carried out a missile attack in Quneitra, in what the Israeli army said was retaliation for anti-aircraft fire targeting one of its fighter jets.

Syrian air defence batteries also intercepted projectiles from Israel and downed a number of them on May 17, according to SANA.

The Syrian province of Quneitra includes the Golan Heights, most of which is occupied and annexed by Israel.

In January, Israel hit Iranian positions in Syria, saying it was in response to Iranian missile fire from the war-torn country. According to the Observatory, 21 people, mainly Iranians, were killed in those raids.

The latest reported strike comes amid soaring tensions between Iran and the United States.

The stand-off had been simmering since the United States last year withdrew from the 2015 nuclear treaty which Iran reached with major world powers.

In recent weeks the United States has accused Iran of alleged threats and deployed an aircraft carrier group and B-52 bombers to the Gulf.Johnson & Johnson must pay $325million to a cancer patient who claims she got sick by using the companys baby powder which contained asbestos, a jury has ruled.

Donna Olson, 65, and her husband, Robert, filed a lawsuit against the health care giant in 2017 after she was diagnosed with terminal mesothelioma.

A jury in New York City ruled last week that Johnson & Johnson must pay Olson $25million in compensatory damages.

Her lawyers told the New York Post that the jury then awarded the couple $300million in punitive damages.

The Olsons, who lived in Brooklyn, now live in Delaware.

We are extremely grateful for the dedication of the jury, and hope that our case raises awareness about asbestos in talc, the couple said in a statement.

Johnson & Johnson was ordered by a Manhattan jury to pay $325million in damages to a Delaware woman who claims she contracted terminal mesothelioma after years of daily use of the company's baby powder (seen in the above stock image)

Donna Olson was too ill to attend the trial in Manhattan. Her husband, however, did attend and even testified in court.

She always - it was her ritual. After shower, she would use the baby powder, he said.

The times I saw it, she would pour it on her hand, apply it to her chest and pour it on her hand and do her underarms.

Robert Olson testified that his wife kept using the powder until 2015, when they saw a commercial on television about the possible connection between talc and incidences of cancer.

In 2016, Donna Olson was diagnosed with cancer. As part of her treatment, she needed to have a lung removed.

Olsons lawyer, Jerome Black, released a statement saying: With this verdict, yet another jury has rejected J&Js misleading claims that its talc was free of asbestos.

But a company representative said on Friday that it is confident it will win on appeal because decades of tests by independent experts and academic institutions repeatedly confirm that Johnsons Baby Powder does not contain asbestos or cause cancer.

Olsons suit is one of many that link cancers to asbestos in Johnson & Johnsons talc-based products and contend that the company concealed the health risk for decades.

Earlier this year, a California jury awarded $29million to a woman who also claimed that Johnson & Johnson baby powder gave her terminal cancer.

Johnson & Johnson is facing some 13,000 similar lawsuits around the country.

The company has insisted that its talc-based products are demonstrably safe but it has lost a string of court cases.

Last year, a Los Angeles jury awarded $25.7 million to a woman who blamed her cancer on the powder.

A jury in Missouri last year awarded $4.69 million to 22 women.Three people have died in a high speed crash after a car veered on to the wrong side of the road and collided head-on with an oncoming car travelling at 100 km/hr.

The horror collision happened on Childers Road in the Bundaberg region of Queensland on Sunday morning just after 9am.

A 60-year-old man behind the wheel of a Holden Commodore crossed on to the wrong side of the road slammed into a Honda Jazz.

Three people, all in their 60s, have died after a Holden Commodore veered onto the wrong side of the road, colliding with an oncoming car at 100km/hr in Queensland

The Honda then rolled and hit a tree on the side of the road, before being hit by a Hyundai that was travelling behind it.

The Givelda man driving the Holden died at the scene. Police say they don't know what caused him to cross onto the wrong side of the road.

The driver of the Honda, a 62-year-old South Bingera woman, and her 63-year-old female passenger, also died at the scene.

Another passenger from the Honda, a 65-year-old man, survived the crash but had to be freed from the car.

He was taken to Bundaberg Base Hospital with serious injuries.

A 65-year-old Pine Creek woman who was behind the wheel of the Hyundai suffered minor injuries, and is now recovering in hospital.

Authorities say the high speed collision happened while both cars were traveling at 100km/hr

Wide Bay Senior Operations Supervisor Gavin Becker said the high speed collision happened on a stretch of road with an 100km/h limit.

'Consequences of a high-speed impact like this are often fatal, if not fatal, (occupants can be) left with severe injuries that are long lasting,' he told the Courier Mail.

'These three vehicles have had a significant impact which has resulted in five patients being injured. Of those five patients unfortunately three are deceased.'

The police forensic crash unit is investigating.A punk rock band who wrote a song called Kill Tory Scum before encouraging fans to wear t-shirts with the words emblazoned on the front have been booked to play at this year's Glastonbury festival.

Killdren, a two-person band with songs titled Work Hard F***er, Empires all Crumble and Profits of Doom have been invited to perform at Glastonbury at the end of June.

But Kill Tory Scum, a song they released in 2018, features a music video which shows the band acting out chainsawing a Tory voter to death.

Killdren, a two-person band with songs titled Work Hard F***er, Empires all Crumble and Profits of Doom have been invited to perform at Glastonbury at the end of June

It also depicts Theresa May being assassinated.

And a post on their Facebook page, that has since been removed, showed an image of Somerset MP Jacob Rees Mogg and his children alongside a caption that called for them to be killed.

The band describe themselves as 'sitting uneasily between straight-up nihilism and fresh-faced naivety'.

Killdren (pictured) was founded in 2017 by Efa Thomas, 27, a Welsh musician and political activist , and Nick Ronin, 40, a north London DJ

They told the Times people were criticising their stance saying 'leave the kids alone'. They added: 'Erm ok, what about the f****** kids relying on food banks for dinner over summer holidays? Or being bombed in Yemen by British-made bombs?'

Killdren was founded in 2017 by Efa Thomas, 27, a Welsh musician and political activist , and Nick Ronin, 40, a north London DJ.

The band said yesterday that the comments about Rees-Mogg's children had been posted to Facebook by someone else and had been deleted.

Punk rock band Fat White Family, from Peckham, southeast London, who said Conservative voters have 'blood on their hands' and 'execute the f****** lot of them' will also be playing

It said that its work was 'cartoonish and over the top', 'consciously crude' and 'a counterpoint to the circus of UK politics'.

But Catherine Anderson, chief executive of the Jo Cox Foundation, said their language was 'completely abhorrent' and 'wrong'.

Jo Cox, a Labour MP, was murdered by a political extremist during the Brexit referendum campaign three years ago.

Ms Anderson added: 'The direct incitement of violence and abuse, on any platform and in any sector, is wrong and something that we absolutely reject.

A post on their Facebook page, that has since been removed, showed an image of Somerset MP Jacob Rees Mogg and his children alongside a caption that called for them to be killed

'We're seeing a legitimising and normalising of harmful words and actions, and this is leading to a decay in our shared language and ultimately our values, and that concerns us very much.

'We cannot but think of what happened to Jo, after whose murder we believed things would improve; instead, things have got a lot worse.

'All of us need to call out this kind of language, until we return to a more civil way of being able to debate difference of opinions - without having to resort to threats and intimidation.'

Acts booked for Glastonbury, from Wednesday, June 26 to Sunday, June 30, include Kylie Minogue and Janet Jackson.

Fat White Family are known for outrageous on-stage behaviour which has included stripping off naked, smearing themselves in faeces and throwing a pig's head in to the crowd

Punk rock band Fat White Family, from Peckham, southeast London, who said Conservative voters have 'blood on their hands' and 'execute the f****** lot of them' will also be playing.

They are known for outrageous on-stage behaviour which has included stripping off naked, smearing themselves in faeces and throwing a pig's head in to the crowd.

And after Lord Lloyd-Webber voted in favour of the Government's plan to reduce tax credits, the band tweeted: 'May he become terminally ill as soon as possible.'

The bookings caused a media storm as shocked Twitter users took to the site to express their concern.

Paul Kustow said: 'What is this world coming to when 'bands' like Killdren and Fat White Scum are given a platform at Glastonbury for their violent, hate-filled, hard-left political views?'

Glastonbury Festival have been approached for comment.An inner-city resident has been branded a 'f***wit' in a note left on their car after they were accused of parking across two lanes.

A photo of the passive aggressive note found in the city suburb of Newtown, Sydney, was posted online by a woman on Sunday.

The image posted to the local Facebook group read: 'I am a f***wit taking up two (2) parking spots. I am a f***wit', according to Yahoo News.

A photo of the passive aggressive note found in the city suburb of Newtown, Sydney, was uploaded to a community page

People who leave aggressive notes on cars often want to remain anonymous - but that was not the case for this frustrated resident.

'(I'm) guilty of the notes, although not the profanities,' the person commented.

The inner-city area of Sydney is notoriously congested with many locals complaining of a lack of parking even when trying to find a spot near their own homes.

'We've only got parking on one side of the street, and it p****es me (off) to no end when locals... do it (take up two parking spaces),' one man said.

Others said the accused double-parker was selfish and behaviour like that made owning a car a daily battle.

It is unknown if the person actually double parked in the city street but locals agreed that parking etiquette was lacking.The body of Freddie Starr, pictured in one of the last photos taken before his death, has been repatriated to Britain from Spain

The funeral of Freddie Starr is to be held in a theatre instead of a church, where friends and family will crack jokes in honour of the comic in his home town of Liverpool.

Unusually the funeral will have an audience full of his fans, rather than a congregation, as the family work to give Freddie the farewell gig that he wanted.

Two of Freddie's ex wives are expected to attend Sophie Lea, 38, his fourth wife who split from the star in 2013 but remained married to the 76-year-old until his death, and Donna, his third wife who he was married to twice.

Some of his six children; Carl, Stacey, Donna, Tara, Jody and Ebony, are expected to attend.

Friends including celebrity comedians will be invited to the stage to share tributes.

Freddie Starr's closest friend and fellow stand-up comedian Jim Davidson will be attending along with Starr's Bulgarian housekeeper Nely Georgieva, 47, who found the comic dead in his Spanish home.

A date for the funeral is expected to be released following a meeting between funeral director Micheal Fogg and the undisclosed venue on Tuesday.

Mr Fogg, who is organising and paying for the funeral told The Mirror: 'We are talking to a theatre. They've said, 'He was on stage here, you can use this'.

'They worked closely with him. It's a good possibility, but I need to meet them first. Hopefully we will be able to make this happen.

Funeral director Michael Fogg announced that Starr's body had been repatriated on May 20

Sheffield-based undertaker Michael Fogg, pictured, arranged the repatriation of Starr's body to the UK and will organise the funeral amid fears he would end up in an 'pauper's grave'

'It would be a fitting tribute to Freddie if we could. He spent most of his life on stage and his family have said he wouldn't want it to be in a church. So they'd love it to be in another venue.'

Friends and family will travel in a limousine following the hearse.

Starr will be laid to rest next to mother Hilda and father in Liverpool and poppy seeds will be scattered on his grave, reports The Mirror.

Starr died of a heart attack aged 76 in a 380,000 apartment in Mijas in Malaga, Costa del Sol, that he shared with his Bulgarian housekeeper Ms Georgieva, and four cats, one of whom was named Freddie after the comedian.

Freddie's ex-wife Sophie Lea who split from the comic in 2013 but was not able to finalise a divorce after his move to Spain meaning they remained married until his death

The comedian, one of the biggest stars of the 1980s and 1990s, owed thousands of pounds in unpaid water bills and community fees when he died.

He faced bankruptcy in 2015 after losing a historic court case against 57-year-old Karin Ward, who claimed he groped her when she was 15.

Instead of paying her legal fees and court costs as he was ordered to by the judge, Starr liquidated his assets and left the country for Spain.

The body of late comedian was repatriated to Britain May 20 following his death in Spain earlier this month.

Family of the TV personality feared he would be given 'a pauper's funeral' in Malaga after he died without life insurance and with little money to his name.

Freddie Starr filmed outside his Costa Del Sol apartment before his death

However, a funeral director in Sheffield, who is a fan of the comic brought Starr's body back to the UK and is arranging a funeral.

Undertaker Michael Fogg wrote on Facebook following the repatriation: 'Seven days ago today we was in contact with Freddie Starr's family and told them it would be a privilege and a honour to repatriate and conduct the funeral for one of England's best loved comedians.

'At 18:00 hours today the first part of this promise is completed. We have repatriated Freddie Starr from Spain to Michael Fogg Family Funeral Directors in Sheffield.

'We as a family would like to thank each and every one of you who have posted messages on our Facebook page. The funeral details will be posted on our page at a later date.'A teenager has spoken of her devastation at losing her 18-year-old boyfriend to cancer, just four weeks after a diagnosis that gave him up to six months to live.

Zoe Meadowcroft's partner Lucas Issa had been battling various forms of cancer while he attended high school in Lewisham, in Sydney's inner west.

But on Friday - less than a month short of his 19th birthday - he died in hospital surrounded by his family and distraught girlfriend.

'I didn't believe we would only have days left together when we were supposed to have months. We were supposed to grow old together,' Ms Meadowcroft said.

She said she has 'prayed for a miracle' every day since his diagnosis.

A teenager has spoken of her devastation at losing her 18-year-old boyfriend to cancer, just four weeks after a diagnosis that gave him up to six months to live

On Friday - less than a month short of his 19th birthday - Lucas Issa died in hospital surrounded by his family and distraught girlfriend

Lucas had been given between three and six months to live only four weeks prior to his death, after a trip to the emergency room found a tumour on his spine and another eight scattered throughout his body.

She said despite the diagnosis, she never thought Lucas would 'lose his battle', and has since created a GoFundMe page to help raise funds for his family.

'Lucas fought the toughest and longest battle with cancer, and never did I think I'd be here writing this today, none of us did,' she said.

'We were so happy together, everyone that knows us knows there wasn't a minute we were apart.

'We were so in love and nothing was ever going to take that away from us.'

Ms Meadowcroft said she and Lucas were inseparable, in love, and were planning to grow old together (pictured together)

'I didn't believe we would only have days left together when we were supposed to have months. We were supposed to grow old together,' Ms Meadowcroft said

Lucas was initially diagnosed with cancer in his right leg.

After multiple surgeries to remove the tumour and a stint in a medical institution in Germany for treatment, his medical team decided the best course of action was amputation.

Within two weeks of the amputation, which took his leg from his hip down, Lucas was 'up, home and walking around on crutches'.

Despite everything, he was determined to graduate from high school and sit his HSC exams.

By December 2018, he and his family were told the cancer had returned, this time in his lungs.

He again opted for surgery to remove the spot. Surgeons were forced to take 20 per cent of his lung, but by the time the operation had finished, he was cancer-free.

Lucas was initially diagnosed with cancer in his right leg. After multiple surgeries to remove the tumour and a stint in a medical institution in Germany for treatment, his medical team decided the best course of action was amputation

Within two weeks of the amputation, which took his leg from his hip down, Lucas was 'up, home and walking around on crutches'

Despite everything, he was determined to graduate from high school and sit his HSC exams

Things were looking up again and after he had recovered from surgery, he began the tenuous task of learning to walk using his prosthetic leg.

'I had never had more of a proud girlfriend moment in my life,' Ms Meadowcroft said.

'I went to every appointment with him from the first time he tried it on, to the last one where he was walking on the crutches off the bars with it.

'I shed a tear almost every single time... I knew everything he had been through was all worth it.'

But only two months later, Lucas woke up complaining of chest pains.

Ms Meadowcroft said she went to work at 5am, and when she returned Lucas insisted she take him straight to the hospital.

Ms Meadowcroft said her last days with the man 'she thought she would spend the rest of her life with' went by too quickly

Medical staff initially found the tumour on Lucas' spine. They told his family it was significant in size

'Little did I know that was the last time we would ever have a drive together, the last time I would ever get to sleep beside him.

'Our lives changed.'

Medical staff initially found the tumour on Lucas' spine. They told his family it was significant in size.

They then found a further eight tumours throughout his body.

Within a week of the diagnosis, the tumour on Lucas' spine had grown so big that it paralysed him from the chest down.

Doctors said he was terminal, but Ms Meadowcroft said her last days with the man 'she thought she would spend the rest of her life with' went by too quickly.

She hopes his GoFundMe page will help recoup some of the family's out of pocket expenses, and said excess donations will go toward cancer research

'At 6:30am you kissed me and told me you loved me. At 7:30am I woke up and noticed your chest wasn't moving. I know it was you that woke me up,' Ms Meadowcroft said

'At 6.30am you kissed me and told me you loved me. At 7.30am I woke up and noticed your chest wasn't moving. I know it was you that woke me up'.

'I held your lifeless body for nine hours until they took you away yesterday afternoon.

'You fought like hell but I knew you were tired, I knew it was time for you to be in a better place.'

Ms Meadowcroft shared the details of Lucas' funeral on her social media page, asking friends and family to avoid wearing black and to see the gathering as a celebration of his life rather than a goodbye.

She hopes his GoFundMe page will help recoup some of the family's out of pocket expenses, and said excess donations will go toward cancer research.

Ms Meadowcroft shared the details of Lucas' funeral on her social media page, asking friends and family to avoid wearing black and to see the gathering as a celebration of his life rather than a goodbyeGhislaine Maxwell has been found guilty of sex trafficking and other charges. After six days of deliberation, a jury of six men and six women found the British socialite guilty on five of six counts - all except enticing an individual under the age of 17 to travel to with intent to engage in illegal sex acts. She faces a maximum sentence of 60 years in prison. It was a sensational trial filled with tearful testimony, a trove of never-before-seen photos submitted into evidence, and shocking claims that the British socialite was a 'sophisticated predator'. From the beginning of the trial that kicked off on November 29, Maxwell remained relaxed and confident, giving hugs to her lawyers or waving to her sister Isabel in the public gallery. She wore a series of turtleneck sweaters and was noticeably tactile with her attorneys, often putting her arm around them in a gesture they reciprocated. Maxwell barely reacted when her accusers took the stand to testify of the horrific abuse at the hands of her and Jeffrey Epstein. Epstein's pilots Larry Visoski and Dave Rodgers told the court that in the 30 years they flew Epstein on his private planes, including the Boeing 727 known as the 'Lolita Express', they never saw him engage in sexual activity of any kind. But both men said that the door to the passenger cabin was closed at all times.A major technical glitch has seen some customers charged huge fees when withdrawing money from ATMs across Australia.

Customers with St.George Bank were slugged with the incorrect fees on Sunday.

Some customers were reportedly charged twice as much in fees as they withdrew.

Customers with St.George Bank were slugged with the incorrect fees on Sunday

One customer posted on the bank's Facebook page claiming they were $150 out of pocket.

'Any ideas on why you're allowing non St George ATM's to charge "fees and charges" of $50 and $100 for a withdrawal?' the woman asked.

St George Bank responded to one customer's post that there was an issue where an ATM which would 'normally charge a small service fee to use has charged the full withdrawn amount instead'.

St.George Bank's general manager Ross Miller said the institution was aware of some customers reporting incorrect ATM fees after using non-St George Bank ATM's on Sunday afternoon.

'We are currently investigating the cause of this issue and working with third party ATM suppliers as a priority.

'We would like to assure any St.George customer who has been incorrectly charged that they will be refunded.'Coles and Woolworths will be getting rid of a number of one-off half price specials to make way for permanently cheaper prices, leaving some shoppers outraged.

Customers have flocked to the supermarket giants for their regular flash sales that offer half price products in their weekly catalogues.

But now, the two competitors are both working towards cutting prices on everyday stock permanently while slashing flash sales.

Despite Australia's top supermarkets confirming that popular promotions will be here to stay, shoppers are threatening to boycott for cheaper alternatives like Aldi.

Coles and Woolworths will be getting rid of a number of popular half price specials to make way for permanently cheaper prices

Shoppers have flocked to the supermarket giants for their regular flash sales that offer half price products in their weekly catalogues

'Well, Aldi... has great quality products at usually better prices than Coles and Woolworths anyway,' one man wrote on Facebook.

'Oh well, back to IGA,' another comment read.

'Alot of us lower class try and survive on the specials, as everything else is too dear,' one woman said.

'I'm so disappointed, I've come to rely on the half price sales,' another noted.

Despite Australia's top supermarkets trying their best to convince customers that promotions will be here to stay, shoppers are threatening to opt for cheaper alternatives like Aldi

Some customers are unhappy with the supermarket giants cutting down their number of specials

Other disgruntled customers took the opportunity to point out that shoppers should be spending their money in locally owned grocers instead of big companies.

'Here's an idea, the Australian people return to the local corner stores, small family owned businesses providing better services, almost the same prices as these mega companies and yet will do so much more for the communities.. boycott ALDI, IGA, Coles and Woolworths,' one man wrote.

Coles says they're shifting their focus away from one-off promotions, to guarantee low prices every day

A Woolworths spokeswoman revealed to Daily Mail Australia that they will still continue to offer half price specials, but the amount of promotions will be reduced.

'But specials are only a great deal for that individual week, and we're increasingly focused on delivering customers fairer and more consistent prices each and every week,' Director of Buying Peter McNamara said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Coles says they're shifting their focus away from one-off promotions, to guarantee low prices every day.

Coles general manager for grocery Anna Croft said the retailer had an 'over reliance' on sale items, and were cutting prices in categories 'we shouldn't be promoting,' the Australian Financial Review reported.

She said that Coles won't cut out promotions altogether, but they're looking at ways to offer cheaper prices across the board.

A Woolworths spokeswoman has revealed to Daily Mail Australia that they will still continue to offer half price specials, but the amount of promotions will be reduced

'We know it's hugely important to customers and we need to do it in a sustainable way and manage the decline [in promotions] over time versus going cold turkey.'

Nielsen Pacific chief executive Justin Sargent said heavily discounted sales cost the sector more than $10 billion a year in wasted revenue, because customers would have bought the reduced items at full price anyway.

'We spend more on promotions in Australia than any other country around the world and a lot of it is inefficient,' he said.

'It's essentially a consumer giveaway.'Henry VIII may have ended his marriage to fourth wife Anne of Cleves because she had already conceived a baby with another man, a historical novelist has claimed.

Alison Weir, 67, who has written several bestselling historical novels as well as historical accounts of Henry's six wives, made the claim in her latest book; 'Anne of Kleve'.

Henry married Anne - who became Queen of England through the marriage - in January 1540, but the union was declared unconsumated and annulled just seven months later.

Henry VIII may have divorced his fourth wife Anne of Cleves because she had already conceived a baby with another man, a historical novelist has claimed. Above: Anne in 1539

Henry had initially agreed to marry Anne after commissioning a portrait of her, which was painted by Hans Holbein.

But he then argued he was so disgusted by Anne's real physical appearance that he could not carry out his marital obligations by consumating the marriage.

Anne had previously been set to marry the Duke of Lorraine's son, but the marriage was cancelled in 1535 after being declared unofficial.

However, Henry got out of his own union by claiming Anne was still betrothed to the Duke's son, because there was no document present which declared it dissolved.

Alison Weir, 67, who has written several bestselling historical novels as well as historical accounts of Henry's six wives, made the claim in her latest book; 'Anne of Kleve'

But Weir claims in her most recent novel that Henry may have discovered Anne was not a virgin but kept it under wraps so as not to cause a scandal, the Telegraph reported.

She argued depictions and descriptions of Anne from the time suggest Anne was very beautiful, therefore giving Henry no basis to his claims of her ugliness.

Mrs Weir, speaking at the Hay Festival, said: 'Was some scandal locked away in Anna's past? It is inconclusive, and speculative but I think you might find it convincing.'

In her book, Weir says Henry told courtiers on the morning after his and Anne's wedding night that he did not believe Anne was a virgin.

He told Thomas Cromwell, who as Lord Privy Seal was one of his closest advisers, that: 'I liked her before not well, but now I like her much less, for I have felt her belly and her breasts and as I can judge, she should be no maid.'

Weir said that Henry's 'vast experience' of women - he had previously been married to Catherine of Arragon, Anne Boleyn and Jane Seymour - meant he must have been able to tell whether or not a woman had given birth already.

'Were Anna's loose breasts and belly indicative of her being pregnant?,' Weir said.

She added: 'Loose flesh can be the consequence of losing weight and its common for a bride to lose weight before her wedding.

'But the other tokens Henry mentions, which included stretch marks, might argue against a more innocent explanation.'

Instead, Weir's book lays out the hypothesis that Anne may have already been 'seduced' by a cousin while living in the court of her brother, William V, Duke of Julich-Cleves-Berg, a state of the Holy Roman Empire in Germany.

She may also have followed in the footsteps of grandfather, William of Cleves, who had 63 children outside of his marriage and was known as the 'babymaker'.

Rather than placing emphasis on non-consumation - which would have resulted in a physical examination of Anne - during his annulment attempts, Henry instead had focused on her being contracted to the Duke of Lorraine's son already.

Henry married Anne - who became Queen of England through the marriage - in January 1540, but the union was declared unconsumated and annulled just seven months later

Weir says this may have been to avoid a previous pregnancy being revealed in the examination, because accusing of her of already having had sex would rupture relations with the duchy of Cleves.

Alongside Weir's claims, Henry's 17th Century biographer, Lord Herbert, said there were 'secret causes' as to why the King had ended his marriage to Anne.

Lord Herbert is known to have had access to sources which have since been lost.

Weir suggested at the Hay Festival that these secret causes may have been related to Henry's doubts about Anne's virginity.

Following their separation, Anne was referred to as 'the King's Beloved Sister' and received both Richmond Palace and Hever Castle as part of her settlement.

Henry and Anne became friends and she was invited to his court frequently by way of gratitude of her not contesting the annulment.A Chinese family has offered a $200,000 reward to anyone who finds their missing son dead or alive.

Laurence Wu, 23, hasn't been seen for the past three months. He was last spotted at St Lukes Liquor Centre in central Auckland on the afternoon of March 10.

That day, Laurence spoke to his ex-girlfriend and told her he was going to Piha, a black-sand surf beach on the West Auckland coast.

His car, a Grey Hyundai Santa Fe, was later found at the beach car park following an aerial and ground search.

Laurence Wu, 23, has been missing for the past three months. He was last seen at St Lukes Liquor Centre in central Auckland on the afternoon of March 10

Laurence's father Zhen Zhou Wu and mother Gui Ting Huang travelled from China to Auckland in March to help with the search.

They hired a helicopter and a boat to locate their missing son. They searched for him everyday before returning home at the start of May.

Now they have offered a $200,000 reward for anyone leading the police to Laurence.

'Right now we are hoping to find him alive, we don't think he is the kind of person to commit suicide, maybe he is hiding somewhere with his friend or has gotten out of Auckland,' Ms Huang told Stuff before returning to China.

The family will be paying the reward themselves.

Laurence (pictured) last spoke to his ex-girlfriend and told her that he was going to Piha, a black-sand surf beach on the West Auckland coast

Laurence's brother Lucas Wu said the family believes the reward will result in a lead.

Laurence and his siblings arrived in New Zealand for studies in 2012. They all lived together.

Laurence is in his last year of a computer science degree at the University of Auckland. He attended Mount Albert Grammar School.

Nigel Farage says the UK would be in 'a better place' if President Trump had handled Brexit negotiations after a new poll put his party on top for the first time ever.

Mr Farage was speaking to a caller on his weekly LBC show about the impending arrival of Donald Trump for his state visit this week, when he suggested the US president might have been more successful in the Brexit negotiations.

The Brexit Party leader said: 'If Donald Trump's team had been in charge of these negotiations we would in a much better place than we are.'

Prior to his visit Mr Trump had suggested Mr Farage 'has a lot to offer' in negotiations with the EU and should be included in talks.

It comes as a new Opinium poll had the Brexit Party on top with 26 per cent of the vote, ahead of Labour on 22 per cent.

It is the first ever national poll to have the Brexit Party, fronted by Mr Farage, 55, on top.

On LBC the Brexit Party leader said: 'If Donald Trump's team had been in charge of these negotiations we would in a much better place than we are'

Anne Widdecombe, appearing on Ridge on Sunday, said the reason the Brexit Party has become so successful is voter fury at the two main parties

The new poll has the Conservatives down in third with just 17 per cent of the vote, and the Liberal Democrats in fourth on 16 per cent.

According to a seat predictor by the Electoral Calculus website, the result would leave Farage with 306 MPs, 20 short of a majority.

The Conservatives would be left with a paltry 26 MPs, while Labour would capture 205 seats.

Earlier today the Brexit Party's Anne Widdecombe has slated the Tories saying they have 'gone mad.'

Ms Widdecombe, appearing on Ridge on Sunday, said the reason the Brexit Party has become so successful because of voter fury at the two main parties.

And insisted Nigel Farage's new group would not disappear because she said there was a lack of trust in politicians to deliver Brexit.

And the veteran politician shook her head with dismay at the amount of candidates running for the Tory leadership - now at 13 after Sam Gyimah announced himself in the running this morning.

She said: 'I think you have to face the fact the nation's pretty angry, that is why its turned against the two main parties.

'They are angry with the fudge, angry with the obfuscation, my former party has gone mad.

'They've now got 12 candidates.'

Widdecombe is promptly interrupted by presenter who reminds her that Sam Gyimah threw his hat into the ring for the leadership, causing the Brexiteer to shake her head with dismay.

Ms Widdecombe added it was right that the Brexit Party had not yet published a manifesto, and said the party was unlikely to have a policy on 'gay sex changes' after being asked about previous comments she has made on the subject.

'I do not imagine for one moment that the Brexit Party will be putting forward a policy on gay sex changes in its manifesto.'

Earlier this morning Sam Gyimah became the 13th person to throw their hat into the ring to be the future leader of the party, and is the first to back a referendum on any Brexit deal.Two people have been arrested after allegedly forcing their way into a Cardiff mosque in the early hours of Sunday morning.

The incident took place at 1.30am at the Dar Ul Isra community centre in the student area of Cathays.

It has been reported that another man has been stabbed to death in a what is said to be an unrelated incident earlier on.

In a joint statement with the Muslim Council of Wales, the mosque said: 'Nobody from the mosque was injured and the police have arrested the two individuals who were involved.

The incident took place at 1.30am at the Dar Ul Isra community centre. Police were pictured outside and have arrested two people in connection with the incident

South Wales Police said that two men, aged 18 and 19 who are both from the Cardiff area, are in custody after the incident at the mosque (pictured)

More than 100 worshippers were inside the building as part of Ramadan when the men turned up.

'The police are now dealing [with] this situation and continuing their investigations.

'We thank South Wales Police for their swift response.'

For Muslims, it is currently the holy month of Ramadan when many fast from dawn until sunset.

It is traditional to gather in mosques and community centres to break the fast at the end of each day.

In a joint statement with the Muslim Council of Wales, the mosque said: 'Nobody from the mosque was injured'

South Wales Police said that two men, aged 18 and 19 who are both from the Cardiff area, are in custody.

Police said they were quickly arrested and officers are not currently looking for anybody else in connection with the incident.

Worshipper Dr Mohammad Al-Amri, said: 'This morning was terrifying and stressful moments for all of us and our kids.'

Journalism student Yusef Khan said: 'I was walking passed around 1.30am and there was three police cars and a van.

'A person was carried out by police.'

Officers went to a lane behind Cathays Railway station at around 12.30am after being told a man has been stabbed

A spokesman for South Wales Police said: 'Officers responded to a disturbance which took place outside the Darul Isma Muslim Community Centre at 1.23am on 2nd June, 2019.

'Two men, aged 18 and 19, both from the Cardiff area, have been arrested in connection with the incident and they are currently in police custody.'

Officers went to a lane behind Cathays Railway station at around 12.30am after being told a man has been stabbed.

The victim was taken to the University Hospital of Wales but later died of his injuries.

A murder investigation has been launched into his death.

Dar Ul Isra community centre has received up to 400 worshippers a night to break fast during Ramadam.

Police also sealed off the nearby Cathays train station and a huge section of road surrounding Cardiff University but insist it was not related to the mosque attack.Advertisement

This is the terrifying moment passengers fall from a tourist boat after it was struck by a towering cruise ship on a busy canal in Venice - injuring four tourists.

The collision, which saw the luxury MSC Opera cruise liner crash into the small River Countess and the San Basilio dock, took place at about 8.30am Sunday on the Giudecca Canal - one of the major canals in the ancient city.

Horrifying images showed the hulking cruise ship sounding its horn as petrified tourists attempted to move out of its way.

Passengers can be seen leaping from the river boat which was smashed in the head-on collision - leaving it severely damaged.

Medical authorities say four female tourists - an American, a New Zealander and two Australians between the ages of 67 and 72 - were injured falling or trying to run away when the cruise ship rammed into the tourist boat.

MSC Cruises said the 2,679-passengers onboard the 177-ft high and 902-ft long long liner, which dwarfed the Venice skyline, were approaching the terminal when the ship hit the dock after a technical problem.

The collision comes days after seven people were killed and 21 remain missing after the Mermaid, a sightseeing boat, capsized on the River Danube in Budapest, Hungary.

Four female tourists, an American, a New Zealander and two Australians, were among those injured in the horror crash on Sunday

The passengers are seen toppling from the the river boat during the crash after it collided with the enormous cruise ship

The damaged boat, River Countess, pictured with a twisted bow after it was hit in the head-on collision on Sunday morning

Shocking images show the cruise ship ploughing into the much smaller river boat on Sunday after a technical issue

Panicked tourists were filmed running away in shock as the huge cruise liner sounded its booming horn to warn them to get clear

The damaged harbor quay after the MSC Opera smashed into the concrete structure leaving it and the smaller boat severely damaged

In another video, terrified passengers can be heard shouting 'hold on' as the luxury cruise boat crashes into the river boat and then the pier.

The cruise ship's owner, MSC Cruises, said the ship, the MSC Opera, was about to dock at a passenger terminal when it had a mechanical problem.

The ship then appeared to lose control after a steel cable that tied it to a tugboat snapped.

Two towboats guiding the cruise ship into Venice tried to stop the massive cruise ship, but they were unable to prevent it from ramming into the small and powerless river boat.

President of a towboat association in Venice, Davide Calderan, told the Italian news agency ANSA: 'The two towboats tried to stop the giant and then a tow cable broke, cut by the collision with the river boat.'

Mr Calderan said the cruise ship's engine was locked when the captain called for help.

Following the accident, Italian firefighters were deployed to the scene as shocked spectators watched on in horror from the dock.

Elisabetta Pasqualin was watering plants on her terrace when she heard warning sirens and stepped out to see the crash.

'There was this huge ship in a diagonal position in the Giudecca Canal, with a tugboat near which seemed like it couldn't do anything,' she said.

She described the ship 'advancing slowly but inevitably towards the dock.'

She said: 'The bow of the ship crashed hard into the bank with its massive weight crushing a big piece of it. Sirens were wailing loudly; it was a very dramatic scene.'

The international cruise ship line with its headquarters in Geneva, says its ship, the MSC Opera, experienced a mechanical problem as it was docking at a passenger terminal and says it is cooperating with authorities to figure out what happened.

The incident has now reignited calls to ban cruise ships in Venice which have been a source of contention in the over-extended tourist city.

Danilo Toninelli, Italy's transport minister, said 'today's accident in the port of Venice proves that cruise ships shouldn't be allowed to pass down the Giudecca anymore.'

He added: 'After many years of inertia, we are finally close to a solution to protect both the lagoon and tourism.'

The MSC Opera was built in 2004 and can carry over 2,675 passengers in 1,071 cabins.

According to its sailing schedule, the cruise ship left Venice on May 26 and travelled to Kotor, Montenegro, and Mykonos, Santorini and Corfu in Greece before returning on Sunday to the popular tourist destination of Venice.

Emergency teams rush to the scene after the large cruise boat collides with a tourist river boat near the pier on Sunday

Passers-by watch on in horror after the cruise boat crashes into the small boat. Two towboats guiding the cruise ship had initially tried to stop the massive cruise ship, but they were unable to prevent it from ramming into the small boat

The luxury MSC Opera cruise liner stands by a tourist boat following a shocking collision in Venice, Italy, this morning

The towering cruise ship remains at the dock following the collision early this morning which saw at least four injured

The MSC cruise ship loses control and crashes against a smaller tourist boat at the San Basilio dock in Venice this morning

The two boats remain at the dock after the MSC cruise ship loses control and crashes against the smaller tourist boat at the San Basilio dock in Venice

The damaged harbor quay after the luxury cruise boat collides with the pier and a small tourist boat in Venice on Sunday

The cruise ship moored at the Venice harbor in Italy after losing control and ramming into a dock and a tourist river boat

Spectators take pictures after the tourist river boat is struck by a towering cruise liner in Venice, Italy, on Sunday

Terrified passengers shout 'hold on' as the MSC Opera crashes into a dock and a tourist river boat following a technical issue

San Basilio dock in Venice after the MSC Opera cruise ship crashes into it and leaves four tourists injured in the early hours on Sunday

Shortly after the crash, members of the city's 'No Big Ships' Committee were seen standing next to the MSC Opera cruise ship and staging a protest against large cruise boats that sail close to the shore in the area.

Campaigners of the 'No Grandi Navi' movement have long since argued that cruise ships in the area damage the iconic city's ecosystem and disturb the ancient city's buildings.

The crash comes days after seven people were killed and 21 remain missing after the Mermaid, a sightseeing boat which had 35 people onboard, including 33 South Korean tourists, capsized in just seven seconds on the River Danube in Budapest on May 29.

Following the tragedy in Hungary, officials said there was a slim chance of locating the missing people after the sightseeing boat, sank almost instantly upon impact with a cruise ship called the Viking Sigyn outside the Hungarian Parliament building.

Seven South Korean tourists onboard the Mermaid died and 21 are still missing, including a six-year-old girl, with searches still ongoing in the Hungarian capital.





Officials confirmed that 30 South Korean tourists, three South Korean tour guides and two Hungarian crew were onboard the sightseeing boat.





The captain of the Viking Sigyn, identified only as Yuriy C, 64, was taken in by police following the Danube tragedy, after authorities suspected him of 'endangering water transport leading to a deadly mass accident'.

19 South Koreans are still among the 21 missing.

The damaged tourist river boat, River Countess, following its collision with the luxury cruise ship earlier this morning

Shocked passengers on the large cruise ship look on in horror as they witness the damaged tourist river boat below them

Angered members of Venice's 'No Big Ships' Committee take to the streets and stage a protest by the MSC Opera cruise ship

Campaigners stand near the dock following the shocking crash this morning and protest against big ships being used in the area

Members of the 'No grandi navi' movement protest from the docks after the MSC Opera cruise ship crashes into the small boat

Protesters take to the streets after a small river boat is hit on June 2 by the MSC Opera cruise ship following a technical issue

Passengers are taken to a terminal in Venice after a tourist river boat and a cruise liner are involved in a collision on June 2

A worker is seen operating his boat after a tourist river boat and a cruise liner collide near a Venice dock on Sunday morning

The damaged tourist river boat is docked next to a cruise liner after a collision that took place on June 2 in Venice, Italy

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.'

Following the collision, CCTV footage showing the larger boat colliding with the 89ft Mermaid, which had 35 people on board, began to emerge on social media.

During the video, The Viking appeared to hit the Mermaid from behind, before the smaller Soviet-era vessel spun sideways on impact.

Following the tragedy Pal Gyorfi, a spokesman for the Hungarian national ambulance service, told the M1 state broadcaster: 'I wouldn't say there is no hope, rather that there is a minimal chance (of finding survivors).

'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.'

Earlier this week seven tourists were reported dead and 21 remain missing after the Mermaid, a sightseeing boat, capsized in just seven seconds in the River Danube in Budapest, Hungary

A woman looks out onto the Danube as the search continues for the missing people of the boar crash earlier this week

A man jogs passed as people lay flower tributes on the bank of the Danube river where a sightseeing boat capsized a few days ago

A man lights a candle near the riverbank after a sightseeing boat carrying South Korean tourists crashed by a large river cruise ship and sank in River Danube

Two women sit on the banks of the River Danube river in Budapest, where a sightseeing vessel capsized on WednesdayA devastating blaze has torn through a home on Sydney's North Shore.

More than 50 firefighters have been battling to get the blaze at the North Sydney home under control in what those on the scene describe as 'difficult conditions'.

A spokesman for NSW Fire and Rescue told Daily Mail Australia they were working in precarious circumstances due to the location.

'We're side by side with heritage listed homes and a high rise building,' he said.

More than 50 firefighters have been battling to get the blaze under control in what those on the scene describe as 'difficult conditions'

'The street itself is also very narrow and very steep, making it all the more difficult'.

When they arrived, fire crews were initially told up to five people were trapped inside the home, which was well and truly up in flames.

Two occupants were found in the 'tiny backyard' and had managed to escape through the back door.

Fire crews managed to rescue them and winch them to safety over the back fence.

Three crews then entered the home searching for the three unaccounted for occupants.

When they arrived, fire crews were initially told up to five people were trapped inside the home, which was well and truly up in flames

They noticed the fire had spread into the roof, making the situation more dangerous.

Eventually they made their way back out, confident nobody was left inside the home.

The remaining occupants were eventually accounted for, and said they had left their phones inside.

Firefighters said anything inside the home was likely lost, and turned their attention to ensuring the safety of surrounding properties.

They are now hoping to 'surround and drench out the fire'.

More to come.Tory leadership hopeful Michael Gove has told cabinet colleagues he is prepared to delay Brexit until late 2020 rather than crash out without a deal in October.

The Environment Secretary's position puts him at odds with Brexiteer leadership candidates such as Boris Johnson and Andrea Leadsom and has already won him some support from Tory Remainer cabinet members.

A source close to Mr Gove told the Telegraph: 'Simply trying to go for no deal before the UK is properly prepared will lead to a general election with Jeremy Corbyn in Downing Street and risks Brexit being cancelled altogether.'

Meanwhile Sajid Javid said his Brexit plan hinges on a change to the Withdrawal Agreement - it comes as Sam Gyimah became the 13th person to announce their candidacy this morning and Andrea Leadsom made her pitch for a 'managed exit' from the EU.

Speaking on The Andrew Marr Show, Mr Javid said: 'I will focus on the one Brexit deal that has already got through Parliament - that was the withdrawal agreement with a change to the backstop.'

Leadership Michael Gove is prepared to delay Brexit until 2020 rather than crash out without a deal in October 31

Conservative former minister Sam Gyimah who has become the 13th MP to throw their hat into the race to replace Theresa May as party leader. Pictured leaving the Sky studios in Osterley, west London after appearing on Sky's Sophy Ridge on Sunday

Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May and her husband Philip arrive at church today as Brexit turmoil continues

A smiling Javid has insisted the EU withdrawal agreement can be renegotiated and has proposed a change to the Irish backstop

Others in the leadership race promising tax cuts to boost their appeal include Dominic Raab and Jeremy Hunt

'We need final say on Brexit deal': Sam Gyimah becomes 13th Tory leadership candidate Conservative former minister Sam Gyimah has become the 13th MP to throw their hat into the race to replace Theresa May as party leader. The Remain supporter announced his intention to run on Sky's Sophy Ridge On Sunday, telling the programme he wanted to 'broaden the race'. Sam Gyimah appeared on Sky's Sophy Ridge on Sunday, saying he wanted to 'broaden the race' He said: 'I will be joining the contest to be the next Conservative leader and prime minister to broaden the race. 'There is a wide range of candidates out there but there is a very narrow set of views on Brexit being discussed. 'And over the last few weeks I have watched on discussing with colleagues in frustration that while there's a broad sweep of opinion in the country on how we move forward at this critical time that is not being reflected in the contest at the moment.' Mr Gyimah, the MP for East Surrey, quit the Government at the end of last year over Mrs May's Brexit plan, and has since become a vocal advocate for a second referendum. Advertisement

He added: '[Ireland] is the tail that wags the dog on this and we need to make sure we can do more to build that good will in Ireland and build their confidence.'

Mr Javid continued: 'In my department at the moment I've got border force and we've done work for months on what an alternative to that arrangement could look like and what's missing is that good will.

'What I would do is make a grand gesture to Ireland that we would cover all their costs - the upfront costs, the running costs - of a new digitised border.

'I think it could be done in a couple of years but I think we could cover their costs.'

Amber Rudd, the Work and Pensions Secretary, is thought to be considering giving her support to Mr Gove, who will announce her Brexit strategy this week.

Meanwhile Mr Gove's leadership rivals have been busy setting out their stalls, with Sam Gyimah becoming the 13th person now challenging for the leadership of the party.

The Remain supporter announced his intention to run on Sky's Sophy Ridge On Sunday, telling the programme he wanted to 'broaden the race'.

He said: 'I will be joining the contest to be the next Conservative leader and prime minister to broaden the race.

'There is a wide range of candidates out there but there is a very narrow set of views on Brexit being discussed.

'And over the last few weeks I have watched on discussing with colleagues in frustration that while there's a broad sweep of opinion in the country on how we move forward at this critical time that is not being reflected in the contest at the moment.'

Andrea Leadsom arrives at the BBC for the Andrew Marr Show this morning

Mr Gyimah, the MP for East Surrey, quit the Government at the end of last year over Mrs May's Brexit plan, and has since become a vocal advocate for a second referendum.

'What most of the candidates are offering is to offer no-deal and a fudge on Theresa May's deal which has been heavily defeated.

Tory leadership candidates set out their policy proposals A number of the candidates cajoling to replace Theresa May have used Sunday to set out their main policy positions - with Brexit, predictably, front and centre. Michael Gove has told cabinet colleagues he is prepared to delay Brexit until 2020, rather than crash out in October. His position has already won the support of Remainers within the party concerned about a No Deal. Sajid Javid has said his plan hinges on coming up with an alternative to the Irish backstop Javid has also said he would consider scrapping the top rate of income tax in a bid to boost the economy. Andrea Leadsom said she would not take Britain out of the EU without a deal, instead insisting she would follow her 'three-step plan for a managed exit'. Health Secretary Matt Hancock wrote to MPs setting out his 'Brexit Delivery Plan', saying a no-deal exit was 'not an available choice' to the next PM. He said he would seek a time limit to the Irish backstop, set up an Irish Border Council, and propose a 'Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement' as the basis of the UK's long-term relationship with the EU. Sam Gyimah joined the race to become Tory leader today and supported the idea of a second referendum on any Brexit deal. Meanwhile foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt is using tax cuts to woo businesses, suggesting slashing corporation tax to Irish levels of 12.5% from the 19% it sits at currently. And Dominic Raab has pledged to cut income tax by a penny a year - 5p over the course of a Parliament to just 15p in the pound for the basic rate - which critics have claimed would cost 25 billion. Advertisement

'Parliament is deadlocked, we all know that, we want to move forward, and we want to be able to bring the country together and so that is why I think a final say on the Brexit deal is the way to achieve that and for the Conservative Party I think what we need to be doing is putting the country first.'

He insisted he was not positioning himself for a cabinet post and said he would find it 'very difficult' to serve as a minister under a leader pursuing a no-deal Brexit.

Tory leadership hopeful Andrea Leadsom said she would take the UK out of the EU by the end of October in a 'managed exit' - as she ruled out renegotiating the PM's deal.

The former Commons leader, whose decision to quit the Government triggered Theresa May's resignation, said she would not pursue a no-deal, but rather her 'three step plan for a managed exit'.

'I think it's based on the premise that, number one, we have to leave the EU at the end of October, and, number two, the Withdrawal Agreement Bill is dead - the EU won't reopen the Withdrawal Agreement and the UK Parliament won't vote for it,' she told BBC One's The Andrew Marr Show.

She said she was not going for a no-deal exit, but rather a 'managed exit' which would include introducing legislation before the summer recess on 'sensible measures'; ramp up preparations for all eventualities; and travel as a ministerial delegation to meet with the EU 27.

She also ruled out holding a general election this year and said she would not support a second referendum or an alliance with the Brexit Party.

Sajid Javid has also said he would consider scrapping the top rate of income tax in a bid to boost the economy.

Speaking to the Sunday Telegraph, Mr Javid said: 'I'm a low tax person,' adding: 'I think [cutting taxes] can pay for itself, it leads to more dynamism in business.'

Mr Javid points to George Osborne's move to cut the top rate of tax from 50p to 45p, which saw tax revenues increase.

'If it can be demonstrated that a further cut in the additional rate can raise more taxable revenues that should be looked at,' he said.

Mr Javid said he would step up planning for a no-deal Brexit if he becomes the next prime minister, but said Parliament would do everything to try and stop no deal as an outcome.

He said his 'absolute focus' would be on getting a deal, but added he would focus on mitigating the effect of no deal on the economy if he was unable to reach an agreement with the EU.

WHAT ARE THE KEY DATES FOR BREXIT NOW - AND CAN A NEW DEAL BE AGREED BY OCTOBER 31? There might be five months left until the next deadline for the UK to leave the EU, but in fact time is short to prepare the ground for it to happen. The new Tory leader is unlikely to be in place before the end of July. And then they will have just two months - including August, when much of the continent downs tools - to overhaul the Brexit deal Theresa May thrashed out with Brussels. Success in this process would still mean a frantic race against time to pass legislation through Parliament in October. Here are the key dates in the process: June 7 - Theresa May formally steps down June 10 - Tory leadership contest begins The battle to succeed Mrs May as Tory leader should formally kick off early in June. Nominations to stand will close in the week beginning June 10 before it is put to several rounds of votes. The final two candidates are then offered to the Tory membership at large for an election. It could take two to six weeks for MPs to whittle down the leadership contenders From 24 June - Top Two Tory candidates are offered to Tory members Once Tory MPs have whittled the leadership contenders down to the top two in a series of votes - the lucky two will be be put to a vote by Conservative Party members. July 26 - New Tory leader selected and becomes PM The Tory party hierarchy has said it wants a new Tory party leader to be selected by the Parliamentary recess - which is likely to be on July 26. The new leader will become Prime Minister and form a government.

September 29-October 2 - Conservative Party conference The Tory gathering in Manchester this autumn will be the natural time for a new leader to take the stage and try to unite the fractured party. Assuming no way has been found to force a Withdrawal Agreement through Parliament by this point, they will need to spell out how they intend to approach the Brexit process. October 31 - Britain leaves the EU? The Brexit extension Mrs May thrashed out with the EU expires on October 31. Unless another postponement can be agreed, the UK is still scheduled to leave the bloc at this point. Advertisement

'I would prepare for a no-deal Budget, which would include a significant amount of economic stimulus,' he says.

'That would include significant tax cuts for business, for personal income, it would include stepped up infrastructure investment.'

Mr Javid - the son of a Pakistani bus driver - is trying to position himself as someone who can win over both traditional Tory supporters and new voters.

'My background, my own story allows me to connect in a very special way with the vast, vast majority of the electorate,' he said.

He added: 'I think Britain over many decades has changed into what I would easily call the most successful, multi-racial democracy in the world.

'So I don't personally feel that [my ethnicity] is an impediment in any way.'

Others in the leadership race promising tax cuts to boost their appeal include Dominic Raab and Jeremy Hunt.

Mr Raab has pledged to cut income tax by a penny a year - 5p over the course of a Parliament to just 15p in the pound for the basic rate - which critics have claimed would cost 25 billion.

Mr Hunt, on the other hand, is using tax cuts to woo businesses, suggesting slashing corporation tax to Irish levels of 12.5% from the 19% it sits at currently.

Chancellor Philip Hammond expressed his concern over too many pledges to cut taxes.

Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, he said: 'If we are tempted down this route, we abandon one of our party's proudest achievements and most enduring hallmarks: fiscal responsibility.

'And then, when the next General Election comes, we will find ourselves standing naked in front of a Labour Party which knows no fiscal discipline at all and will always outbid us in a war to borrow the most.'

So far, a dozen Conservatives have joined the race become the next prime minister after Theresa May resigns as Tory leader on June 7.

Former Commons leader Andrea Leadsom, like fellow contender Mr Javid, has said she would be prepared to leave the UK without a deal and that she would 'not advocate an extension of any kind'.

She has set out a three-point plan to deliver Brexit, including introducing legislation to guarantee citizens' rights for Brits in the EU and Gibraltar and EU citizens in the UK.

Writing in The Sun on Sunday, she said: 'As Prime Minister,... it will be clear that in all circumstances the UK will leave the EU at the end of October.

'We owe it to the country, and to our strong democratic tradition, to fulfil the instruction that our voters gave us.

'I am a passionate, pragmatic and positive believer in Brexit, and with my three-step plan, we can decisively leave the EU.'

Meanwhile, Chief Secretary to the Treasury Liz Truss has announced she is backing Boris Johnson to be the next PM.

In an article for the Mail on Sunday, she said: 'Boris Johnson is the person with the credibility and oomph to lead at this crucial time and bring Britain with us.'

'We share a deep optimism about the power of individual creativity and enterprise to deliver progress and prosperity,' she added. 'Only by standing up and making the case for popular, free-market conservatism will we have any hope of winning the next election and leading Britain into the future.'

No Deal? No fear! Public opinion swings behind hard Brexit as voters flock to back Tory frontrunner Boris Johnson because of his uncompromising stance on leaving EU

by Harry Cole , Deputy Political Editor and Glen Owen, Political Editor for the Mail on Sunday

Leaving the European Union without a deal will pose no threat to public safety, the Security Minister has declared  as a new Mail on Sunday poll shows voters are becoming less concerned about the effects of a hard Brexit.

A total of 45 per cent agree that a No Deal scenario is 'nothing to fear' or would cause only 'short term problems' with 'few or no consequences for the UK'.

That compares with 30 per cent who believe that it would cause 'severe' problems, according to the Deltapoll research.

Those advocating for such a hard Brexit will be bolstered by Minister Ben Wallace's insistence today that such a result will have no major downside for national security.

A new Mail on Sunday poll shows voters are becoming less concerned about the effects of a hard Brexit

The poll also indicates that Boris Johnson's stance on Brexit has boosted his chances of becoming Prime Minister

He told The Mail on Sunday that the British intelligence community would be ready for such a situation 'because very little would change'.

The former Remain supporter, who ran Boris Johnson's 2016 leadership campaign, said while law enforcement tools such as the European Arrest Warrant could be affected 'sub-optimally' by a hard Brexit, there were mitigating benefits from walking away from Brussels.

He insisted that 'our ability to protect ourselves increases, because unilaterally we can do things to defend our borders that we cannot currently do as members of the European Union'.

Asked directly if public safety would be an issue in a No Deal Brexit, Mr Wallace stressed: 'I don't believe it would be significantly affected.

'I think there will be some downsides to it  but every variant of the deal has some winners and losers.

'To give your readers some comfort, our European partners know that security is not a competition, it's a partnership.

Among all voters, Boris Johnson is regarded as three times as likeable as Mr Hunt, and also tops the measures for competence and trustworthiness

Those advocating for such a hard Brexit will be bolstered by Minister Ben Wallace's (pictured) insistence today that such a result will have no major downside for national security

'It's in both our interests to resolve security issues very quickly because it's not an economic advantage.

'This is not about who's going to sell each other more cars, this is about helping each other. Our European partners have given us all the indications that when it comes to security, it's professional.'

His views were echoed by Brexit Minister James Cleverly, who said: 'As the Minister in charge of No Deal planning, let me assure you that we are much better prepared for a No Deal departure than some would have you believe.'

The leadership contender insisted that a hard Brexit was not his first choice, but added: 'Both businesses and the Civil Service have been working hard for more than two years, getting ready for this possibility.'

Brexit Minister James Cleverly said the government is prepared for a No Deal departure

In a further development last night, Tory leadership rival Dominic Raab announced he would appoint a special 'Minister for No Deal' at Cabinet level if he became Prime Minister to toughen our negotiating stance with Brussels.

The former Brexit Secretary also set out his battle plan for dealing with the anticipated fallout if we leave the EU without a deal, including emergency COBRA meetings.

Mr Raab said: 'To give ourselves the best shot of a deal, we must be willing to walk away.

'We will not be taken seriously in Brussels unless we are clear that we will leave on WTO [World Trade Organisation] terms if the EU doesn't budge.'

And he claimed fears that the Channel ports would grind to a halt were overstated as customs officers would not need to carry any more checks than they do currently.

Mr Raab added that even if there were delays at ports, fewer than one in ten food items would be directly affected.

Today's Mail on Sunday poll also shows No Deal is now more popular in the country than the deal which Theresa May negotiated with Brussels.

If a second referendum were held tomorrow, just 28 per cent of voters would support her deal  lower than the 33 per cent who would leave on WTO terms.

The proportion wanting to Remain is 42 per cent.

In a further development last night, Tory leadership rival Dominic Raab announced he would appoint a special 'Minister for No Deal' at Cabinet level if he became Prime Minister to toughen our negotiating stance with Brussels

The poll also indicates that Boris Johnson's stance on Brexit has boosted his chances of becoming Prime Minister.

Of Tory voters, 35 per cent say his belief that the UK should leave the EU by the October 31 deadline, 'deal or no deal', has made them more likely to support him, compared with 30 per cent who said it made them less likely.

Polling also suggests that Jeremy Hunt has been damaged by his inconsistency. The Foreign Secretary has 'flip flopped' on No Deal, first saying that he was relaxed about it before describing it as 'political suicide'.

What does hard Brexit really mean? What is a hard Brexit? Should Britain and the EU fail to secure a withdrawal agreement, they will trade with each other on World Trade Organisation terms. This rules-based trading system involves 164 countries which guarantee to keep their markets open to all other members. Every nation has a list of tariffs (taxes on the imports of goods) and quotas (limits on these goods which it applies across the board). How will it work? A Under the WTO's 'most favoured nation' rules, the UK cannot discriminate between members. If we lowered tariffs for the EU, or any specific country, we must do it for all nations  unless we agree a trade deal. While Britain would no longer be bound by EU rules, it would have to face the same tariffs on trade with the EU as any other external nation. The Irish border issue remains unresolved, with the Government saying it does not intend to collect customs duties or have any other controls after a No Deal Brexit. How will it affect me? A Under the WTO tariff regime, the price of some goods from countries such as China and the US would fall, with oranges, TVs and batteries all enjoying zero per cent tariffs. However, tariffs on EU goods like beef, Volkswagen cars and cheese would be introduced, hiking up prices. Mobile roaming charges in EU countries are likely to rise and pharmacists are advising patients to order medicines in advance. Advertisement

A total of 31 per cent said that they were less likely to support him as a result of his vacillation, with just 14 per cent more likely to back him.

The changes mean Mr Johnson has opened up a commanding lead over his rivals, topping the poll for best Tory leader both among Conservative voters and the wider electorate.

Mr Johnson has the backing of 39 per cent of Tory voters compared to 15 per cent for Mr Hunt and 13 per cent for Environment Secretary Michael Gove.

A total of 32 per cent of all voters say he would be best placed to succeed Mrs May  nearly three times the level of support of second-placed Mr Gove.

Of the rest of the field, Jeremy Hunt and Sajid Javid are tied in third place with nine per cent.

Dominic Raab, who is performing strongly among the Tory MPs who will decide which two candidates will be put forward to the party membership for a final decision, is on five per cent.

Rory Stewart, the leadership contender most critical of No Deal, has the support of just one per cent of Tory voters, and four per cent amid the wider public.

Mr Johnson wins on every measure asked by the pollsters. Among all voters, he is regarded as three times as likeable as Mr Hunt, and also tops the measures for competence and trustworthiness.

The poll, which had a larger-than-usual sample size of 2,449, confirms the earthquake which has rocked the two-party system since Mrs May delayed Brexit beyond the end of March.

Labour are in the lead with 26 per cent, just ahead of Nigel Farage's Brexit Party on 24 per cent.

The Conservatives are in third on 20 per cent, while the Liberal Democrats, who have surged as a result of backing from Remain supporters, are on 16 per cent.

Deltapoll interviewed an online sample of 2,449 adults across Britain aged 18-plus on May 29-30. The results have been weighted to the profile of all adults.

Michael Gove pledges 1billion to help Britain's schools as he tries to mend fences with teachers

Leadership hopeful Michael Gove is pledging a 1billion increase to the schools budget

Michael Gove will today pledge a 1 billion increase to the schools budget as the former Education Secretary attempts to unpick his unpopularity among teachers.

The Tory leadership hopeful has vowed to restore the amount of money spent per pupil to 2015 levels in real terms, following a three-year slump.

Following the education reforms he brought in between 2010 and 2014, Mr Gove has been deeply unpopular within the sector and among parents, and was demoted amid fears his reputation could cost the Tories at the ballot box.

But his latest policy has earned him the endorsement of fellow former Education Secretary Nicky Morgan, who says Mr Gove is 'ready to lead the nation'.

She told The Mail on Sunday: 'Michael is determined that as the Prime Minister, we will find that extra money.'

Backing the campaign of Mr Gove, who has been Environment Secretary since 2017, Ms Morgan said: 'You have got him as a former Education Secretary, me as a former Education Secretary  education absolutely has to be at the total heart of the Conservative Government's policies going forward.'

Former Education Secretary Nicky Morgan says endorsed Mr Gove and said he is 'ready to lead the nation'

She added: 'I followed Michael into the Department for Education, I absolutely know what it takes to turn a department around, to make it deliver and Michael has done that in successive departments.

'In No 10 now, you want someone with a real track record of delivery and I think Michael absolutely has to be the strongest person.'

Last night Mr Gove's campaign manager, Commons Leader Mel Stride, called him 'the outstanding Minister of our time'.Horrific details about the terrifying Qantas flight where passengers were tossed into the air as the plane suddenly lost control have been revealed.

Passengers were left covered in blood when flight QF72 'went psycho' on October 7, 2008, after the Airbus A330 nosedived twice with experienced pilot Kevin Sullivan at the helm.

Becky Bradbury has been haunted by the chaos on board the doomed flight for more than a decade.

She was just 17 and had barely seen the world when her life was almost cut short on board the flight from Singapore to Perth.

'I thought it was the end,' she told Sunday Night.

When the autopilot disconnected, Mr Sullivan did not know what to do as he wasn't trained for such an error. The plane began to nosedive 150 feet towards the ground, which the pilot managed to correct after taking manual control and a mayday call was issued

One crew member and 11 passengers were seriously injured while eight crew and 99 passengers suffered minor injuries

'I think being so young and not having experienced life outside of high school yet, you don't really know what to expect in the big world, and honestly I just thought that was it.'

For 50 minutes passengers were in a state of terror as the pilot struggled to stop the plane plunging thousands of feet over the Indian Ocean.

When the plane first lost control and began nosediving, Ms Bradbury was one of the passengers tossed from her seat and pinned to the ceiling.

There were holes in the ceiling and blood on the walls - but the horror was far from over.

The plane nosedived again, this time 400 feet. One of the three computers operating the autopilot was malfunctioning.

Becky Bradbury has been haunted by the chaos on board the doomed flight for over a decade

Mr Sullivan and his co-pilot were able to land the plane 50 minutes later after utilising landing strategies he learned when flying fighter jets. He was finally able to see the full extent of the damages and injuries after he successfully landed the plane

The captain of flight QF72, Kevin Sullivan (pictured), whose on-flight computer malfunctioned causing the plane to lose control nearly killing everyone on-board, has spoken publicly for the first time about the incident

Mr Sullivan forced the plane into manual control and managed to correct it before a mayday call was issued.

He then made an emergency landing at Learmonth RAAF base in Western Australia.

His passengers and crew, including 115 of whom had sustained non-fatal injuries, cheered and clapped when it touched down without further incident.

At least 20 passengers and crew aboard the flight were seriously injured - some with spinal injuries and others with broken bones and lacerations.

When he was finally able to enter the cabin, Mr Sullivan described the scene as looking like 'the Incredible Hulk had gone through there in a rage and ripped the place apart'.

'The parents were holding their children, trying to console them as I walked past and the look of 'look what you did to my kid' will never leave,' he told Sunday Night.

'I'm the head honcho, I'm the one who has to show leadership and strength but it's pretty hard when emotional chunks are being ripped off you as you move through the plane.'

The plane was flying from Singapore to Perth on October 7, 2008 with 303 passengers and 12 crew. The pilots were forced to make an emergency landing at Learmonth RAAF base after control of the plane was lost due to the autopilot disconnecting while they were 37,000 feet in the air

Mr Sullivan left Qantas after three decades of service and is now living in Sydney but said his near-death experience in 2008 changed his life forever and he developed post-traumatic stress disorder

Ms Bradbury was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder a short time later and medicated up until her first pregnancy.

She now refuses to fly and still gets emotional when she speaks of the horrifying day.

Ms Bradbury was not alone, with the near-death experience in 2008 changing many lives.

Mr Sullivan said the incident still haunts him too, especially the sight of injured children on the plane.

Though the accident was eleven years ago, Mr Sullivan and other crew members are part of an ongoing lawsuit against Airbus and Northrop Grumman, an American global aerospace and defence technology company.

The injured passengers have already settled their compensation claims.Ruby Wax has revealed how her parents' escape from the Nazis led to her own struggles with depression.

She said she blamed herself when she witnessed her family's chaotic behaviour as a child.

Ruby's mother Bertha and father Edward had escaped Austria in 1938 as Hitler seized power.

Ruby Wax, 66, has revealed how her parents' escape from the Nazis led to her own struggles with depression

Bertha was later diagnosed with hysteria, which Ruby believes was caused by witnessing Kristallnacht, the period of time when Nazis destroyed Jewish businesses and homes.

Edward had been imprisoned and tortured for his Jewish faith.

Conditions in the jail where he was kept were so tough that many inmates jumped out of windows and committed suicide.

'They escaped that, so you can imagine what they brought over,' Ruby told the Express.

'They never realised they had problems but they did. My father was abusive and my mother was hysterical. She screamed all the time. It was mayhem.

'And when you're a kid your natural mental health reaction is to blame yourself.'

Ruby Wax (pictured as a child with her parents) says she grew up 'feeling like a freak of nature'

It was only when Ruby appeared on TV show Who Do You Think You Are? in 2017 that she discovered what'd happened to her parents before she was born.

Ruby said her parents' marriage haunted her throughout her life, sparking a long struggle with depression.

The comedian and mental health campaigner said she grew up feeling like a 'freak of nature.'

'I used to sit with my dog looking out watching people in groups in the park and I felt alienated.

Ruby Wax believes her parents Edward and Bertha (pictured) didn't realise the extent of their mental health problems

'I wasn't good looking so I couldn't get boys, until one day I was funny and everything changed.'

Ruby said her mother would hide love letters she was sent from boys.

'She did weirder stuff too,' Ruby said.

When Carrie Fisher read Ruby's memoir How Do You Want Me?, she told her 'this is the weirdest family I've ever heard about.'

Ruby's current tour How To Be Human touches on her own mental health issues and presents a life-lessons manual, following on from her book How To Be Human The Manual.

She addresses our fixation with social media, claiming it is to blame for people living in a 'cocoon of self-importance.'

She says people should come offline and make connections in real-life.

'The Me-generation started in the Sixties. But human beings are social animals and we're healthier in tribes.

'Social media is the opposite of that. You're alone with hundreds of people who are judging you all the time.

Ruby Wax says her father was abusive and her mother had hysteria

'We need to start working as a bonding tribe again and being nicer to each other because that will make us happier.'

American-born Ruby, who moved to England in the 60s, married TV produced Ed Bye in 1998 and they went on to have three children.

She has a psychology degree from Berkeley and is a visiting professor in Mental Health Nursing at the University of Surrey.

Ruby has also set up the Frazzled Cafe charity, whose 10 cafes support those suffering with mental health issues.

'It's a place where small groups can talk, replacing what people used to have - communities,' she said.

'Depression isn't to do with anxiety or sadness or stress. It's a disease. You're ill and you need to get help. Not getting help is like having cancer and not doing chemo.'

Ruby's current tour How To Be Human is at Lowry Quays Theatre, Salford Quays, today, 2.30pm and 7.30pm, and is on tour until November.



A father was left heartbroken after he woke up during a camping trip to find his only company and best friend had been shot dead.

Coby Ray, 22, had set up at Rumpffs Flat Camping Ground in northern Victoria last month. He was with his dog Brindle and wanted to stay away from his family and friends for five days to clear his head.

Mr Ray said two spotlight hunters shot dead Brindle, a Kelpie cross Labrador, mistaking her for a wombat or a deer.

He said a bad shot could have killed him instead.

Scroll down for video

Coby Ray (pictured) had set up a small camp at Rumpffs Flat Camping Ground in northern Victoria last month. He was with his dog Brindle and wanted to stay away from his family and friends for five days to clear his head.

Brindle was chained up six-feet from Mr Ray's swag.

Mr Ray said he thought hunters were firing at a wombat or a deer.

'He [one of the hunters] must have realised he was shooting at a camp and then they drove off,' Mr Ray said in a video he shot after the incident.

Coby said two spotlight hunters shot dead Brindle (pictured) mistaking her for a wombat or a deer. He said a bad shot could have killed him instead.

Mr Ray said the next morning he called for his dog Brindle, but she never came.

'She had a massive hole in the side of the chest. Her eyes were sucked into her head and there was a pool of blood,' he said.

'I thought I must have done the chain too tight. And then it clicked, they didn't shoot a wombat or a deer. They shot my dog thinking it was a deer because of her eyes.

'She was chained up right next to my bed. They shot from nearly 100 metres. If they had missed two foot to left, they would have shot me through the leg or something.

'A really bad shot could have killed me.'

Mr Ray said couldn't call anyone as the camping ground is out of phone's network area. He was later picked up by his girlfriend (pictured) with whom he has a two-year-old daughter

Mr Ray said he had done a lot of spotlighting and hunting in the past and asked others to take precautions and shoot only when they are sure.

'There are three campgrounds in the area and what if they had shot a little kid or something,' he said.

Mr Ray said he had Brindle since he was a child. He buried her along the river and cried all day.

Mr Ray said he had done a lot of spotlight and hunting in the past and asked others to take precautions, look and take shot only when they are sure

He couldn't call anyone as the camping ground is out of phone's network area.

Mr Ray was later picked up by his girlfriend with whom he has a two-year-old daughter.

His friends have launched an appeal to raise funds for a new dog.Pilates instructor Katie Surridge (pictured above) has been seen for this first time since Philip Green was charged

The mother-of-three who accused Sir Philip Green of 'vigorously spanking her bottom', has been pictured for the first time since the 67-year-old was charged with assault.

Katie Surridge was pictured with her husband Josh in Arizona, as police interviews allege that Green may have also inappropriately touched two other women.

Sir Philip Green has been charged with four counts of misdemeanour assault in the US, following the 37-year-old pilate instructor's claims.

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 Ms 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'.

Katie Surridge was pictured with her husband Josh (right) after documents were revealed detailing Philip Green's behavior (Philip Green, left)

The couple walked hand in hand in Arizona after Ms Surridge revealed extracts from a 56-page transcript

According to The Sun, documents show that Ms Surridge said: 'Last time it was, like, six girls from Switzerland. They're all in their 20-somethings and they're, you know, cute, blonde girls wanderin' around with him, taking sessions and getting massages, and having, you know, their spa time.'

The claims were revealed in a 56-page transcript, which also detail that Ms Surridge saw Green slap the bottom of a woman bending over near gym equipment.

She added: 'He comes into the room and goes, 'Oh you put her in this position just for me, didn't you? You naughty girl.' And he comes in and slaps her ass very fiercely.'

She also claimed that she told her bosses that he grabbed another woman's bottom on a treadmill.

The pilates instructor (pictured) has alleged that the Arcadia fashion mogul touched her inappropriately

Ms Surridge (left and right) claimed that she told her bosses that Green grabbed another woman's bottom

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, with her husband Josh, above, said Green had made uncomfortable comments

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.

'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.

One witness corroborated Ms Surridge's (pictured) allegation and said he grabbed her bottom as if 'testing a piece of fruit'

The charges are not serious enough for Green to be extradited to the US from his Monaco mansion.

Earlier this week Green vehemently denied the allegations.

Responding to the claims, 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

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 I've 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 wasn't 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 Philip's 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.'

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.'The parents of a baby who was dragged out of their caravan by a dingo have recalled their terror during a frantic Triple-0 call pleading with officers to save their boy.

Sarah and Luke Allister considered themselves experienced campers, and took 'all the necessary precautions' when they took their daughter, Harper, and son, Hunter, camping on Fraser Island off the Queensland Coast on April 19.

But at about midnight, Ms Allister was woken to the sound of her 14-month-old son's cries - and they were becoming more distant with each passing second.

She woke her husband, who agreed Hunter was no longer in the tent and sprung into action.

Hunter is fully recovered now, and a happy and healthy little boy. He still has scars on his head, but they're covered by a mop of blonde curls

When he got outside, he saw a dingo had their baby by the scruff of his neck and was dragging him into dense bushland.

Mr Allister told 60 Minutes he was prepared to do whatever it took to get his baby back, but the dingo 'cowered' when he got close enough.

'I picked him up and realised there was a lot of blood. And he was screaming, but I was so glad he was crying because I was so scared of what it meant if he stopped crying,' Mr Allister said.

Ms Allister and her mother ran off in the pitch black in an attempt to get a better signal to call emergency services.

Eventually, Hunter's grandmother got through. The harrowing phone call reiterated how concerned his family were.

His mother and grandmother feared he was going to die before the ambulance arrived.

When he got outside, he saw a dingo had their baby by the scruff of his neck and was dragging him into dense bush land

But at about midnight, Ms Allister was woken to the sound of her 14-month-old son's cries - and they were becoming more distant with each passing second

'We need an ambulance,' she said.

'Please get a helicopter, the baby is dying.

'He is wet all through with blood, it's dripping off my hand, it's everywhere... My son-in-law has a towel pressed against his head.

'There are dingoes everywhere.'

Emergency services responded quickly and were able to get a helicopter to a nearby helipad, but Ms Allister said the 10-minute drive was the worst of her life.

Of the entire night, she said those minutes were the most clear in her mind, and she recalled the moment Hunter's cries began to wane.

'That drive was only 10 minutes but it honestly felt like an hour. I remember his cries starting to fade and I honestly thought when we got there he wouldn't be alive,' she said.

The parents (pictured) of a baby boy who was dragged out of their caravan by a dingo have broken their silence on the moment they almost lost their child

Ms Allister and her mother ran away from their campsite in the pitch black in an attempt to get a better signal to call emergency services

Fraser Island attacks There have been nine dingo attacks on Fraser Island in the last 20 years but three in the last year alone: January: A six-year-old boy was hospitalised after being bitten several times on the legs by a pack of four dingoes. March: A grandmother fought off two dingoes for half an hour with a stick to protect her daughter and 10-year-old grandson while her son ran for help. Her daughter, 24, suffered puncture wounds to her arms while her grandson had deep cuts to his leg and face. Two dingoes were euthanised. April: 14-month-old Hunter Allister was dragged by the head from his family's camper van by two dingoes, suffering cuts, puncture wounds and a fractured skull before being rescued by his father. Advertisement

'At the time we honestly thought we'd lose him. Even though everything turned out okay we were so close to losing him.'

Hunter is fully recovered now, and a happy and healthy little boy. He still has scars on his head, but they're covered by a mop of blond curls.

While the family consider the outcome of their horrific ordeal a lucky one, it is reminiscent of claims Lindy Chamberlain made in 1980 when her nine-week-old daughter Azaria disappeared on a family camping trip at Uluru, in central Australia.

Ms Chamberlain said a dingo took her baby but she was sentenced to life behind bars in 1982 after she was found guilty of murder.

She was not exonerated until a piece of Azaria's clothing was found near a dingo lair. She later received $1.3 million in compensation.

The very near-miss with Hunter was the ninth recorded dingo attack on Fraser Island in 20 years, and the third in the past year.

A D-Day veteran whose medals were stolen from his home will be attending events to mark the 75th anniversary with a set of replacements thanks to the Royal British Legion.

Jim Kelly, 92, was left devastated when his 1939-1945 Star, France and Germany Star, Defence Medal, War Medal 1939-1945 and Legion d'Honneur were taken from a locked cupboard at his house in Birmingham.

The great-grandfather-of-six, who served with 6th Airborne Division, said he would not be able to go to Normandy for services to commemorate the anniversary without them.

He spoke to the Royal British Legion about the theft and the charity arranged a set of replacements free of charge for Mr Kelly, which were presented to him in front of his proud granddaughters.

Jim Kelly, who will be attending events to mark the 75th anniversary of D-Day, pictured after his stolen medals were replaced by the Royal British Legion

'I don't think I'd have gone without them,' he said.

'It means everything to have them back, especially the Legion of Honour.'

Mr Kelly noticed his medals were missing in March, when he went to put them on a new blazer and saw the locked door of the cupboard where he kept them was open.

His family got in touch with their local MP Andrew Mitchell, who worked 'very hard' to replace the medals but was unable to, Mr Kelly said.

In April, case worker Andrew Hodson of the Legion visited Mr Kelly to speak to him about going on board a ship chartered by the charity to mark the 75th anniversary of D-Day.

'Andrew said to me 'I'll see you on parade with your medals',' Mr Kelly said.

'I said 'That's a sore point because I haven't got them'. He moved heaven and earth with the Legion to get me replacements.'

Mr Kelly noticed his medals were missing in March, when he went to put them on a new blazer and saw the locked door of the cupboard where he kept them was open

The veteran was handed his replacement medals at the charity's Birmingham pop-in centre on May 23.

Mr Mitchell, MP for Sutton Coldfield, was present when Mr Kelly received his Legion d'Honneur medal.

He said he was 'delighted' that the Legion had been able to replace the stolen medals.

'I know that Mr Kelly will now be able to wear a full set of medals in Normandy with huge pride and it is Royal Sutton Coldfield which will also take huge pride in him,' he said.

Mr Kelly first attempted to join the Army when he was aged 14, telling the recruiting officer that he was 18 and giving the false name James Henry Bromwich - his mother's maiden name.

Jim Kelly, aged 18, who served with 6th Airborne Division during the second world war

He returned months later and was accepted but his mother came and pulled him out of primary training when she found out where he was.

'When I went back again I was nearly 16,' Mr Kelly said.

'The recruiting sergeant can't have remembered me. I said I was 23. I didn't even look 14.

'He asked me for my birth certificate. I had changed the date of birth on it and made a right mess but they accepted it.

'I didn't tell my parents until I wrote home two months later, when I was training in Chesterfield.'

Mr Kelly said he struggled with training as he did not have the strength of his 23-year-old comrades.

He was aged 17 on D-Day, when he served as a machine gunner with 1st Battalion Royal Ulster Rifles as part of 6th Airborne Division.

'I wasn't frightened for the simple reason that I was brought up before the war on Hollywood films, where when people were shot it was only a flesh wound or a scratch,' he said.

He was aged 17 on D-Day, when he served as a machine gunner with 1st Battalion Royal Ulster Rifles as part of 6th Airborne Division

'I thought that was what it was all about. I thought I couldn't get killed. I was 17 and I wasn't frightened.

'It was only after when I saw what the war was like.'

Mr Kelly will take his son Keith Kelly, 58, to Normandy for the first time on the Legion's chartered ship, MV Boudicca.

The ship departs Dover on June 2 and will call at Poole and Portsmouth before heading to Normandy.

He has previously visited the region with his granddaughters Samantha, 28, Natalie, 33 and Becky, 25.

'I always look forward to visiting the Royal Ulster Rifles memorial - it holds a special memory for me,' he said.

'A lot of our chaps were killed.'

While on board the ship, Mr Kelly will keep up his fitness routine, which he started at the age of 69.

He first enlisted in tap dancing and keep fit classes before going to the gym in his 80s.

'I do the treadmill, rowing machine, press-ups and sits-ups - I've already checked that there is a gym on board,' Mr Kelly said.

'The nearest chap at my gym is I think 20 years younger and he says he can't keep up with me.'DeWayne Craddock massacred 12 innocent workers at the Virginia Beach municipal center on Friday

The Virginia Beach shooter who killed 12 people in a government office building on Friday used a suppressor to muffle the sound of his gunfire in the devastating attack.

Gunman DeWayne Craddock, 40, wielded two legally purchased .45 caliber pistols and used a suppressor, also known as a 'silencer', to mute his shots as he opened fire on three floors of the city building before he was killed by police.

While a gun 'silencer' doesn't eliminate the sound of gunfire, it diminishes the sound by 20 to 35 decibels which could have helped the the shooter escape detection immediately and inflict more damage.

Some gun-rights advocates and law enforcement experts say that Craddock's suppressor likely had no effect on his ability to carry out the shooting.

However, the suppressor could have explained the initial confusion in the shooting. One witness described hearing a sound similar to a nail gun.

He used two .45 caliber pistols and a gun suppressor in his bloody attack on Friday where he killed 12, which would have muffled the sound of his shots. A suppressor pictured attacked to a Glock firearm

'This is the concern we were talking about when Republicans were trying to deregulate silencers as "ear protection,"' David Chipman, a retired agent with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and now the senior policy adviser with gun-control lobbying group Giffords said to the Huffington Post.

'Especially on a handgun, a suppressor will distort the sound in such a way that it would not immediately be recognizable as gunfire to people who sort of know what that sound is,' he added.

Others say that Craddock was able to carry out his attack armed with his familiarity with the building and possibly his military background - not the suppressor.

'A suppressor does not alter the lethality of the weapon at all. All it does is just limit the noise it makes,' retired FBI agent Gregory Shaffer said. 'It doesnt increase the rate of fire. It doesnt do anything other than make it more comfortable to shoot because its not so loud.'

The suppressor, also known as a gun silencer, could have explained the initial confusion in the attack where one witness described hearing a noise similar to a nail gun

It's not clear where or when he got the suppressor - which requires an extensive background check that can take up to eight months. Mourners pictured at a prayer vigil on Saturday in Virginia Beach

Craddock killed 12 people in his frenzied attack. Mourners pictured about praying at a parking lot near the Virginia Beach Municipal Center on Saturday

FBI pictured above at the scene f the Virginia Beach Municipal Center

A makeshift memorial rests at the edge of a police cordon in front of the Virginia Beach Municipal Center where the shooting took place Saturday

Craddock, described as a 'loner ex-National Guardsman' legally purchased the .45 caliber pistols in 2016 and 2018. It's not clear where he got the suppressor.

When buying a firearm, authorities have three days to conduct a background check.

Purchasing a suppressor requires an extensive background check that can take upward of eight months or more before a sale. Suppressors are regulated by the National Firearms Act, which also governs the sale of machine guns.

The sale of suppressors have gone up over the past decade.

Twelve people were tragically killed in Friday's shooting. They are (from top left to bottom right): Laquita C. Brown, Ryan Keith Cox, Tara Welch Gallagher and Mary Louise Gayle. Middle row from left are Alexander Mikhail Gusev, Joshua O. Hardy, Michelle 'Missy' Langer and Richard H. Nettleton. Bottom row from left are Katherine A. Nixon, Christopher Kelly Rapp, Herbert 'Bert' Snelling and Robert 'Bobby' Williams

In 2008 the Utah based SilencerCo Company was founded selling about 18,000 devices a year. The company controls about 70 percent of the market and now sells that same amount of suppressors a month.

The 12 victims are named Laquita C. Brown - Public works - Right-of-way agent

Tara Welsch Gallagher - Public works - Engineer

Mary Louise Gayle - Public works - Right-of-way agent

Alexander Mikhail Gusev - Public works - Right-of-way agent

Katherine A. Nixon - Public utilities - Engineer

Richard H. Nettleton - Public utilities - Engineer

Christopher Kelly Rapp - Public works - Engineer

Ryan Keith Cox - Public utilities - Account clerk

Joshua O. Hardy - Public utilities - Engineering technician

Michelle 'Missy' Langer - Public utilities - Administrative assistant

Robert 'Bobby' Williams - Public utilities - Special projects coordinator

Herbert 'Bert' Snelling - Contractor Advertisement

'Clearly this was an individual who did understand and have experience with firearms and had given potentially some forethought into the advantage that using a suppressor would offer him, particularly the suppressor coupled with the caliber of weapon he was using,' Thor Eells, executive director of the National Tactical Officers Association and a retired law enforcement officer with the Colorado Springs Police Department, said to the outlet.

Craddock opened fire around 4pm in the municipal building in Virginia Beach. He first shot someone in a car then entered the building and fired at people on three floors before he was finally gunned down by police.

Authorities have not released a motive behind the attack.

Craddock had worked for the city for 15 years as an engineer and was familiar with the building, where the police department is also housed.

He was still employed at the time of the shooting, meaning he possessed a security pass allowing him access to nonpublic areas of the municipal building.

Craddock enlisted in the Virginia National Guard in April 1996, according to spokesman A.A. Puryear, after graduating in 1996 from Denbigh High School in Newport News. He was assigned to the Norfolk-based 1st Battalion, 111th Field Artillery Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team as a 13B cannon crew member.

Some 11 city employees and one contractor, Herbert 'Bert' Snelling, were killed in the shooting.A retired city council member was arrested after allegedly hitting a gay Pride organizer with his truck ahead of the Delaware Pride Festival parade on Saturday, in what police believe to have been a road rage incident.

Reuben Salters, age 90, is accused of hitting a white male worker, age 43, with his truck after the volunteer told him he couldn't pass through blocked off streets ahead of the state's first ever Pride parade.

Pride month, which honors riots that took place 50 years ago at New York City's Stonewall Inn and celebrates the LGBTQ+ community, kicked off on June 1 across the country.

Dover police told Fox News they did not believe Salters actions to have been a hate crime.

Retired Dover City Council member Reuben Salters, age 90 (pictured), was arrested after allegedly hitting a gay Pride organizer with his truck ahead of the Delaware Pride Festival parade on Saturday

Dover Police Cpl. Mark Hoffman said in a statement released on Saturday that Salters drove up to blocked off streets near the intersection of Forrest and West streets at around 8.15am on Saturday.

The area had been blocked off by barrel barricades and cones for The Pride Festival Parade.

While driving a red Ford Ranger, Salters, who retired from Dover City Council after more than 20 years of service in 2011, is said to have approached the closed-off area and disregarded the barrels, before approaching a series of cones that were blocking the street where a large crowd of parade goers and participants had gathered.

Police said Salters got out of his vehicle and moved several cones near the intersection of Forrest and West streets when he was stopped by a while mage, age 43, who was an organizer for the event. The general area where the incident occurred is shown

The man is said to have advised Salters that he could not pass through due to the event, crowd, and the cones that were closing the street. Participants in Delaware's Pride parade are shown

Salters (pictured then allegedly got back into his vehicle and drove forward, striking the man, knocking him to the ground and causing injury to his legs

Police said Salters got out of his vehicle and moved several cones when he was stopped by an organizer for the event.

The man is said to have advised Salters that he could not pass through due to the event, crowd, and the cones that were closing the street.

Salters then allegedly got back into his vehicle and drove forward, striking the man.

The impact is said to have knocked the man to the ground and injured his legs. He was not hospitalized.

Salters then proceeded to drive through a large crowd of gatherers before stopping.

Salters (pictured) was arrested and booked on 3rd degree vehicular assault and failure to obey a traffic control device charges and later released on his own recognizance. Dover police said they did not believe Salters actions to be a hate crime

Dover's event on Saturday was part of the kickoff of a larger nationwide movement, with this year marking 50 years since riots occurred in 1969 after police raided a bar in Manhattan called the Stonewall Inn. A participant in Delaware's Pride event is pictured

The Stonewall Inn had come to be known as a place of refuge for the most marginalized in the community, including transgender people of color, gender-nonconforming individuals and homeless youth. Participants in Delaware's Pride event are pictured

Following Salters' alleged actions at the Dover parade, he was booked on 3rd degree vehicular assault and failure to obey a traffic control device charges and later released on his own recognizance.

Dover's event on Saturday was part of the kickoff of a larger nationwide movement, with this year marking 50 years since riots occurred in 1969 after police raided a bar in Manhattan called the Stonewall Inn.

The Stonewall Inn had come to be known as a place of refuge for the most marginalized in the community, including transgender people of color, gender-nonconforming individuals and homeless youth.

Today, the entire month of June is celebrated as Pride month as cross the country, with different states holding events on different days to honor their LGBTQ+ community members.Two teenagers aged 18 and 19, have been arrested after a man was stabbed to death outside of Cardiff University.

Police have launched a murder probe following the alleged knife attack and also appealed to students who may have been witness to the incident in Cathays, Cardiff.

Officers have sealed off roads surrounding the students' union at the university as well as the nearby Cathays railway station.

It is understood the victim - who has not yet been named - was not a student at the university.

A murder probe is underway after a man was stabbed to death outside one of Britain's top universities (police pictured at the scene

Two police vans were pictured on the scene. Police have appealed to students to come forward with information

It comes as two people were also arrested after allegedly forcing their way into a Cardiff mosque in the early hours of Sunday morning.

The incident took place at 1.30am at the Dar Ul Isra community centre.

A spokesman for South Wales Police said: 'Police have launched a murder investigation following the death of a man in Cardiff in the early hours of this morning.

'Officers were called to a lane adjacent to the railway line which links Park Place to Corbett Road at approximately 00:24hrs, following reports that a man had been stabbed.

Police and forensic officers were also pictured at the scene today and the roads were closed

'The man - who has not yet been formally identified - was taken to the University Hospital of Wales where he died from his injuries.

Two men, aged 18 and 19, both from Cardiff, have been arrested in connection with the incident and are currently in police custody.

'Officers are appealing for information, believing the area to be busy at the time of the incident.

'They would like to speak to anybody who may have witnessed the incident, or who may have seen anything suspicious before or after it.

Detective Superintendent Rich Jones, said: 'We are aware that there were a number of people in the area at the time, near the Student's Union in Park Place and on Corbett Road in the vicinity of the Woodville pub, so we are hoping that people will be able to assist our murder investigation.

'I'm asking for anyone who saw or heard anything that they think could have been relevant to call us.'

Cardiff University is the number one ranked university in Wales and the 32nd in The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2019.Ex-Labour home secretary David Blunkett has said Jeremy Corbyn needs to sack his top aides in order to save the party from collapsing.

Blunkett has called on trade unions as well as grassroots Labour movement Momentum to stop the party from 'imploding'.

It comes as the Labour party faced backlash in recent weeks, following its lacklustre performance in the European elections, its handling of antisemitism and the controversial decision to expel Alastair Campbell.

Blunkett, 71, has said the party has a confusing stance on Europe and stated that it needed to clarify its position, and to stamp out so-called 'incompetence' at the top.

David Blunkett (pictured above with Alastair Campbell in 2018) said the party needs to stamp out 'incompetence' at the top

Jeremy Corbyn (pictured left) has been told that he needs to sack his top aides. He was pictured with councillor Shabina Qayyum (right) this week where he outlined Labour's 'key values'

'Together with Jeremy Corbyn himself, Seumas Milne [his director of strategy], Karie Murphy [chief of staff] and the leader of Unite, Len McCluskey, must surely be held to account for the direction Labour has taken.'

Writing in the Observer, he added that there wouldn't be an 'attempted coup' against Corbyn and that there would need to be another way of saving the party.

'In my view there are two forces within the Labour movement - the unions and Momentum - who must now act to get rid of those key advisers who are a block on policy changes and who are responsible for the incompetence we are seeing.

'The major unions have historically played a key role in the stability of the Labour party, taking difficult and sometimes painful action when failure had to be dealt with. This is such a moment.'

The comments from Blunkett come as Alastair Campell (pictured above) was expelled from the party for voting for the Liberal Democrats in the European elections

This is while a spokesperson for Labour said that this attack 'needs to be seen for what it is'.

'An attempt to weaken and undermine Jeremy Corbyn by people who know they are unable to oust him and are prepared to damage the Labour party in the process.'

This is while the backlash following the European elections continued to plague the party with David Martin, who lost his seat in Scotland, leaving the Labour with no Scottish MEPs, highlighted that Corbyn needs to change policy on Brexit or make Labour a remain party.

Speaking to the Observer he said that unless Corbyn ordered the change, Labour would be 'wiped out in Scotland and in other parts of the country'.

David Martin (pictured above) said that Labour could be 'wiped out' in Scotland and in other areas of the country

Karie Murphy (left) and Seamus Milne (right) are said to be shaping the Labour party from within

He added: 'If Jeremy Corbyn is not prepared to make this change he should his consider his position. The buck stops with the leader.'

Both Milne and Murphy are said to be shaping the party from within, as well as shaping its Brexit policy.

There had also been controversy last week after what one shadow cabinet member called the 'bureaucracy' around Corbyn, after Campbell was expelled from the party after he revealed he had voted for the Liberal Democrats.

Corbyn is said to be facing demands to reinstate Campbell, and several members of the shadow cabinet also revealed they will insist on it. They will also demand that Corbyn make a speech to clarify policy on Europe.

Jeremy Corbyn's leadership (pictured campaigning in Peterborough) is 'doomed' if Labour crashes to defeat in this week's by-election, his allies admit

Jeremy Corbyn campaigning with Lisa Forbes who faced calls to stand down after 'liking' social media posts that suggested Theresa May had a 'Zionist Slave Masters agenda'

The added pressure on Corbyn comes ahead of a by election in Peterborough, following the conviction of the former Labour MP Fiona Onasanya, who lied about a speeding ticket.

Earlier this week, Corbyn's allies also hinted that Corbyn's leadership would be 'doomed' if Labour crashes to defeat in this week's Peterborough by-election.

They said yesterday that they conceded last night that his position would be 'untenable' if the Labour-held seat fell to the Tories or the Party.

A senior Labour MP said: 'Lose on Thursday and it's basically the beginning of the end for Jeremy.

'If we can't win a by-election in a seat we already hold, even if it's a marginal, then it's really all over for Jeremy. His morale is already very low.'

Nigel Farage made a final push to follow up his Brexit Party's extraordinary European elections triumph into its first seat at Westminster

Blunkett also added that it was time that Corbyn acted on his promises to listen to members on European policy.

'Corbyn has rightly adopted the slogan 'The many not the few', but steadfastly refuses to listen to the many and listens only to the few. Certainly not MPs, the vast majority of whom want a confirmatory people's vote with the option of staying in. Certainly not the members, who want the same and who want to see leadership not acquiescence on Brexit.'

Just yesterday, during a visit to Peterborough, Corbyn said the party's campaign was focused on 'core Labour values'.

The area has traditionally been fought over by Labour and the Conservatives. However the Brexit Party is gaining speed.

Nigel Farage has also made a final push to follow up his Brexit Party's extraordinary European elections triumph into its first seat at Westminster.

Addressing a packed rally in the constituency yesterday, Mr Farage boasted that the European result had 'absolutely mortified' the established parties, but suggested winning the by-election would be an even bigger result.

But despite bookmakers making Mr Farage's party the favourite, there are also predictions that the Tories, who lost the seat by just 607 votes to Labour in 2017, could snatch it back.

Well-placed sources said the Labour leader was 'shaken' when the Lib Dems managed to top the European poll even in his North London backyard of Islington.

Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell spoke publicly of his anger over Labour's failure to deal with anti-Jewish prejudice, saying: 'We weren't fast enough, we weren't ruthless enough.'

There are also reports of a growing rift between Mr McDonnell and Milne, Mr Corbyn's strategy director and closest adviser.

And Northern Labour MPs in Brexit-backing seats are furious over Mr Corbyn's move towards supporting a second referendum in the wake of the European elections disaster.

Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell spoke publicly of his anger over Labour's failure to deal with anti-Jewish prejudice

One said: 'If we lose Peterborough because Corbyn panicked ten days before the by-election, it'll be unforgivable.'

But a source close to Mr Corbyn dismissed talk of any threat to the Labour leader's position as 'nonsense and mischief'.

Mr McDonnell friends also denied talk of any rift with Mr Milne.

In poll published today, the Brexit party was in first place, overtaking Labour.

The poll, run by Opinium and the Observer found that it was the first time the party achieved a top position in a national poll with 26 per cent.

Labour held 22 per cent, the Conservatives 17 per cent and the Lib Dems 16 per cent.

When asked what they wanted their parties position on Europe to be, 65 per cent of Labour members said they wanted a second referendum or to remain, with just 17 per cent wanting a soft or hard Brexit.

Adam Drummond, of Opinium, said: 'All of the big winners from the European elections have seen some sort of a boost, with the Brexit party adding another two points to move into first place while Labour have fallen back significantly, losing seven points. While the Lib Dems have experienced a boost, the under-reported story from the elections and since then has been the Greens, who have gained eight points since our last poll.

'While the Brexit party and the Lib Dems have been taking votes from Leavers and Remainers respectively, the Greens are unique in taking votes from both sides of the Brexit divide.

'While the usual caveats should apply about how much to read into Westminster voting intention polls given the proximity to the European elections, the fact is that we might be less than six months out from a general election, so these might become relevant very quickly.'Dozens of nude models protested against the Facebook and Instagram ban on female nipples with New York City gathering that was coordinated by controversial artist Spencer Tunick.

In collaboration with the National Coalition Against Censorship, for their #WeTheNipple campaign, Tunick took photos of the models during a Sunday morning demonstration outside the Astor Place subway station in Manhattan.

Several photos show the naked men and women holding nipple signs in the air while lying on the ground.

The women were shielding their own nipples with images of male nipples that Tunick calls 'donated nipples'.

Dozens of nude models (pictured) protested against the Facebook and Instagram ban on female nipples with New York City gathering that was coordinated by controversial artist Spencer Tunick

In collaboration with the National Coalition Against Censorship, also known as #WeTheNipple, Tunick took photos of the models during a Sunday morning demonstration outside the Astor Place train station in Manhattan

Several photos show the models standing in a group gripping the signs as Tunick captures every moment

The women were shielding their own nipples with images of male nipples that Tunick calls 'donated nipples'

Artists Andres Serrano and Paul Mpagi Sepuya, Bravos Andy Cohen, Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith and Tunick himself all donated photos of their nipples for the signs.

Other photos show the models standing in a group gripping the signs as Tunick captures every moment.

In April, Tunick put out a call for an army of models to join him in New York City at a top secret location to hold the demonstration.

Details of the protest were kept secret until Sunday when the models gathered outside the Alamo, the Astor Place Cube.

The protest came about after Facebook and Instagram banned photographic representations of the nude body.

Both social media platforms only allow nudity in depictions of paintings and sculpture. They do not allow nude photos.

Artists Andres Serrano and Paul Mpagi Sepuya, Bravos Andy Cohen, Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith and Tunick himself all donated photos of their nipples for the signs

In April, Tunick put out a call for an army of models to join him in New York City at a top secret location to hold the demonstration

Details of the protest were kept secret until Sunday when the models gathered outside the Alamo, the Astor Place Cube

The protest came about after Facebook and Instagram banned photographic representations of the nude body. Both social media platforms only allow nudity in depictions of paintings and sculpture. They do not allow nude photos

But the problem is social media is where many artists share their work, with Instagram being the most popular.

According to #WeTheNipple, social media 'has dramatically increased artists ability to reachand buildtheir audiences. Unless their medium is photography and their subject is the body'.

'The nudity ban prevents many artists from sharing their work online. It particularly harms artists whose work focuses on their own bodies, including queer and gender-nonconforming artists, and the bodies of those in their communities,' their website reads.

#WeTheNipple and artists like Tunick are calling on both social media platforms to 'create an exception to their nudity restrictions to allow for art in the medium of photography'.

'Platforms like Instagram allow up-and-coming artists, and all artists without access to traditional methods of distribution, to reach global audiences on a scale unimaginable to earlier generations,' the organization said.

Though there are photos of barely covered breasts all over social media, it is still a big no-no for women to show their nipples.

However, photos of male nipples are fine.

Tunick is known for his controversial photo shoots that make statements across the world. He has created similar en masse nude art installations in several iconic locations.

Tunick (pictured) is known for his controversial photo shoots that make statements across the world. He has created similar en masse nude art installations in several iconic locations

This photo shows naked men and women under sheer red cloth in Melbourne in 2018

These Melburnians are seen posing naked under a sheer pink cloth in 2018Renown chef known as the 'Queen of Creole Cuisine' and civil rights activist Leah Chase has passed away at the age of 96.

Chase was a beloved chef, praised for her soul food at the famed Dooky Chase's Restaurant in New Orleans, who broke down barriers with her cooking and violated segregation laws by seating black and white patrons together.

She passed away Saturday evening surrounded by her family.

Chase's family released a statement saying she was a 'believer in the Spirit of New Orleans'.

'Her daily joy was not simply cooking, but preparing meals to bring people together,' the family's statement read. 'One of her most prized contributions was advocating for the Civil Rights Movement through feeding those on the front lines of the struggle for human dignity."

Chef Leah Chase passed away Saturday night surrounded by her family at the age of 96

She was a praised chef known as the 'Queen of Creole Cuisine' and ran Dooky Chase's Restaurant in New Orleans, Louisiana

She took over the restaurant from her father in law in 1946 transforming it from a simple sandwich shop into a fine dining experience, creating the first white-tablecloth restaurant for black patrons and breaking segregation laws by seating white and black patrons together

The Chase family shared this statement announcing her death Saturday evening

People came from far and wide for a bite of her food at Dooky Chase's Restaurant, which she took over from her father-in-law.

She transformed the small sandwich shop into a state of the art Creole kitchen. Even in her 90s she dutifully attended to the restaurant every day, using a walker to greet customers and supervise in the kitchen.

Locals, tourists, even presidents like Barack Obama, freedom riders, and civil right activists like Thurgood Marshall and Martin Luther King Jr have passed through her restaurant doors for a taste of her Southern cuisine.

Ray Charles frequented the restaurant and even mentioned it in his song Early in the Morning.

'I love people and I love serving people. It's fun for me to serve people. Because sometimes people will come in and they're tired. And just a little plate of food will make people happy,' Chase said in an interview with the Associated Press in 2015.

Chase's restaurant was much more than good food, she fought for equality through her meals.

Not only did she create the first white-tablecloth restaurant for black patrons, but she used her restaurant as a space for the civil rights movement to strategize and to allow people of different races to mix side by side.

Her Southern dishes won her national acclaim and she's fed presidents like Barack Obama, freedom riders, and activists like Martin Luther King Jr

Barack Obama pictured getting ready for a bowl of gumbo at Dooky Chase's in February 2008

Jay-Z, Beyonce and Solange Knowles pictured with Chase after visiting her restaurant in 2017

Chase pictured above in sitting in a regal chair in Beyonce's Lemonade visual album which featured a slew of empowering black women

She was the culinary extraordinaire behind the iconic Dooky Chase's Restaurant in New Orleans

She married local jazz musician Edgar 'Dooky' Chase in 1946 and together they took over his father's sandwich shop in the black neighborhood of Treme

Chase was born and raised in Louisiana during the segregated Jim Crow era and worked as a server in New Orleans' French quarter in the 40s.

She married local jazz musician Edgar 'Dooky' Chase in 1946 and together they took over his father's sandwich shop in the black neighborhood of Treme.

They upgraded the shop into a sit-down restaurant with tablecloths and silverware and African American art gallery, emulating the fine dining experience in the French Quarter.

'I said well why we cant have that for our people? Why we cant have a nice space?' she said. 'So I started trying to do different things.'

In the 1960s the restaurant became one of the few public places where races were allowed to mix. It was also a key location in the civil rights movement and held black voter registration, NAACP meetings and political gatherings, according to CNN.

'Nobody bothered them once they were in here. The police never, ever bothered us here,' Chase said. 'So they would meet and they would plan to go out, do what they had to do, come back -- all over a bowl of gumbo and some fried chicken.'

Chase pictured above with her husband Edgar Dooky Chase

Chse and her husband Edgar Dooky Chase pictured with chef Padma Lakshmi

'It was a haven for them to refresh themselves with wonderful gumbo and it was a place where they could strategize after a hard days work,' Chase's longtime friend Sybril Morial, who was courted by her late husband Ernest 'Dutch' Morial, the city's first black mayor, at Dooky Chase's said.

When civil rights leaders landed in jail, she'd send them food, sniffing her nose at the prison food they'd be forced to eat.

But Chase wasn't one to boast, saying simply she did what she thought she had to do.

Chase's talent in the kitchen and contributions to her community earned her a slew of accolades including from the prestigious James Beard Foundation, the NAACP and Southern Foodways Alliance.

The Southern Food and Beverage Museum even has a permanent gallery named after Chase.

New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell led tributes to the beloved chef on Saturday hailing her as a 'legend, icon, and inspiration'

Chase's career was so admirable she inspired the character for Princess Tiana in the 2009 Disney film The Princess and the Frog.

She was also included in Beyonce's music video for Lemonade, which featured a myriad of empowering black women.

At the celebration of her 90th birthday she famously said: 'I like to think we changed the course of America in this restaurant over a bowl of gumbo.'

New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell led tributes to the beloved chef on Saturday.

'Leah Chase was a legend, an icon and an inspiration. It is impossible to overstate what she meant to our City and to our community. At Dooky Chases Restaurant: she made creole cuisine the cultural force that it is today,' she tweeted.

'Leah Chase served presidents and celebrities, she served generations of locals and visitors, and she served her community. She was a culture-bearer in the truest sense. We are poorer for her loss, and richer for having known and having loved her. She will be badly missed,' she added.A small plane carrying only its pilot made an emergency crash landing on a beach in New Jersey on Saturday.

The plane came down at around 8.35am on the beach at 49th street in Ocean City, authorities told ABC News.

It's not yet known why the pilot, who was not injured, was forced to land on the sand.

The plane can be seen in video shot by bystander Joan Samonisky touching down on the beach before coming to an abrupt stop.

The plane then tipped up onto its wing momentarily, before stopping again upright on its landing gear.

The pilot then exited the plane, seemingly unharmed. The aircraft sustained minor damage in the landing.

A small plane carrying only its pilot made an emergency crash landing on a beach in New Jersey on Saturday. It's not yet known why the pilot, who was not injured, was forced to land on the sand

The plane can be seen in video shot by bystander Joan Samonisky touching down at around 8.35am on the beach at 49th street before coming to an abrupt stop. The plane then tipped up onto its wing momentarily (shown), before stopping again upright on its landing gear

Federal Aviation Administration was called to the scene to investigate the downed plane.

The unexpected emergency landing in Ocean City occurred after another plane crashed on Wednesday in the area of South Cape May Meadows Path, at the southwest tip of the Cape May peninsula, ABC reported.

That Mooney M20J single-engine plane had departed from Trenton-Robbinsville Airport in Robbinsville, New Jersey, at around 8am.

It went down in the water approximately before 11.30am.

A recovery operation for that pilot was suspended late on Wednesday.Acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney said Sunday no one would be fired for requesting the USS John S. McCain Navy ship be moved out of sight ahead of President Donald Trump's visit to Japan last week.

Mulvaney told NBC's Meet the Press host Chuck Todd that it wasn't an 'unreasonable thing' for an advance team aide to suggest moving the ship due to the president's outwardly sour feelings toward the late Republican Senator John McCain.

'I absolutely believe it was someone on the advance team,' Mulvaney said when asked who gave the order to move the ship out of sight.

'An advance team is hundreds of people,' he continued. 'The fact that some 23 or 24-year-old person on the advance team went to that site and said, 'Oh my goodness. There's the John McCain, we all know how the president feels about the former senator, maybe that's not the best backdrop. Can somebody look into moving it?' That's not an unreasonable thing to ask.'

Acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney said Sunday that it wasn't 'an unreasonable thing' for a lower-level advance aide to ask if the USS John S. McCain naval ship should be moved ahead of the president's visit

Mulvaney told Chuck Todd (right) that no one would be fired to disciplined because of the request to move the ship since the president's negative feelings toward former Sen. John McCain are so well known

The Navy confirmed that there was a request from the White House Military Office to move the ship ahead of Trump's planned visit to the naval base in Yokosuka, Japan, where the it is ported

The acting chief of staff also said Trump's feelings toward the late senator are well known, and suggested no disciplinary action would be taken against anyone who made the request for the ship's movement.

Last week the Wall Street Journal reported that the White House Military Office directed Navy officials to move the ship, named after McCain's grandfather and father, who were both admirals in the Navy, so it would be 'out of sight' during Trump's visit to Japan.

The reports indicated a U.S. Indo-Pacific Command official included instructions in an email to Navy and Air Force officials regarding Trump's Memorial Day weekend visit.

'USS John McCain needs to be out of sight,' the email read, according to the Journal.

On Saturday, the Navy confirmed the report and acknowledged it received a request to hide the USS John S. McCain.

'A request was made to the U.S. Navy to minimize the visibility of USS John S. McCain, however, all ships remained in their normal configuration during the President's visit,' Rear Admiral Charlie Brown, chief of information, said in a statement to NBC News.

'There were also no intentional efforts to explicitly exclude Sailors assigned to USS John S. McCain,' the statement said.

The president made a state visit to Japan, and during his stay made a stop at a Naval base outside of Tokyo. The ship's homeport is at the Yokosuka Naval Base in Yokosuka, Japan.

WATCH: Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney tells Chuck Todd that moving a Navy ship out of sight from the president was "not an unreasonable thing to do." #MTP #IfItsSunday



Mulvaney: "The president's feelings towards the former senator are well known." pic.twitter.com/kohFeQflaU  Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) June 2, 2019

Trump told reporters, and tweeted, that he was not aware of the plans to move the ship, but said whoever made the request was 'well-meaning'

Acting Department of Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said he did not authorize the ship's movement, adding his staff was investigating the matter

Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan told reporters on Thursday that he did not authorize any attempts to move or hide the ship from the president and said his staff is investigating the matter.

'I never authorized, I never approved any action around the movement or activities regarding that ship,' Shanahan said during his remarks in Indonesia.

He added that the military 'needs to do their job' and stay out of politics.

Trump says that he was not involved in the matter and had no idea there was a request to move the ship.

Mulvaney repeated that claim on Fox News Sunday, saying that he was just as unaware of the request as the president.

'The president didn't know about it, I didn't know about it,' Mulvaney told Fox News's Chris Wallace Sunday morning.

'The fact that a low-level person might have asked the question, shouldn't surprise anybody. We think it's much to do about nothing,' he continued.

Trump had a long-standing feud with McCain, who served in the Senate from 1987 until his death in 2018. The president even criticized the lawmaker when he was running in 2016, saying he preferred soldiers who weren't caught.

McCain was a prisoner of war in Vietnam.

Trump and McCain had a longstanding feud, with the president even insulting the Republican senator before he became president, claiming he preferred war heroes who were not captured, in reference to McCain's time as a prisoner of war in Vietnam

McCain was famously one of the only Republicans to vote against the president's efforts to kill former President Barack Obama's health care law. He died on August 25, 2018

Trump tweeted Wednesday night he 'was not informed about anything having to do with the Navy Ship USS John S. McCain during my recent visit to Japan.'

Trump told reporters he 'was not a big fan' of the Arizona Republican and onetime presidential nominee 'in any way, shape or form,' but added he 'would never do a thing like that.'

'Now, somebody did it because they thought I didn't like him, OK? And they were well-meaning, I will say,' he said, while insisting he was kept in the dark about the plan.

He added 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.'

McCain broke with the president in a lot of key areas, including health care.

He voted against Republican and the presidents efforts to repeal former President Barack Obamas health care law.

The order that a Navy destroyer be kept out of sight reflected what appeared to be an extraordinary White House effort to avoid offending the president.Advertisement

Palestinian worshippers clashed with Israeli police at a highly sensitive Jerusalem holy site on Sunday as an Israeli holiday coincided with the final days of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Muslim worshippers at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound were angered over Jewish visits to the site holy to both religions, with some even taking to the dome of the mosque to shout Muslim slogans as the clash took place.

According to police, protesters barricaded themselves in the mosque, from where they threw chairs and stones at forces who 'dispersed' them but a Muslim organisations claimed that police chained the mosque doors.

Video footage appears to show a large crowd of people inside the building throwing objects towards the door as smoke bombs are launched into the room.

A man cowers on the ground as Israeli police officers run during clashes with Palestinians by the Dome of the Rock Mosque in the Al Aqsa Mosque. Muslim groups said a sacred agreement was broken and over 1000 Jews visited the site

Israeli police officers arrest a Palestinian during clashes with Palestinians by the Dome of the Rock Mosque in the Al Aqsa Mosque compound

Another man is arrested. The Muslim Waqf organisation - which oversees the site - said police used rubber bullets and pepper spray, adding that seven people were arrested and 45 wounded

The Muslim Waqf organisation - which oversees the site - said police used rubber bullets and pepper spray, adding that seven people were arrested and 45 were wounded.

It said that police shut the mosque's doors and chained them.

After the clashes, police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said calm had returned and visits continued.

Worshippers inside the mosque watch on as smoke grenades appear to be launched through the doors by Israeli police

Israeli police fire tear gas canisters as Jews, under Israeli police protection, enter the Al-Aqsa Mosque Compound in Jerusalem

Al-Aqsa mosque director Omar al-Kiswani accused Israel of violating an agreement not to allow such visits during the last days of Ramadan.

He said that around 1,200 Jews visited the site on Sunday, while a Jewish organisation that arranges visits there reported a similar number.

The clashes took place as Israelis marked Jerusalem Day, which commemorates the country's capture of the city's mainly Palestinian eastern sector in the 1967 Six-Day War.

Clashes erupted after Israeli nationalists visited the contested site, revered by Jews as the Temple Mount and by Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary, during Jerusalem Day

Muslims shout slogans as Jews, under Israeli police protection, enter the Al-Aqsa Mosque Compound. According to police, protesters barricaded themselves in the mosque but the Muslim worshipers say they were barricaded by police

This year's holiday coincided with the final days of Ramadan, the Muslim month of fasting.

The Al-Aqsa compound, known to Jews as the Temple Mount, is located in east Jerusalem and its status is one of the most sensitive issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

It is the holiest site in Judaism and the third-holiest for Muslims after Mecca and Medina.

Jewish youth wave Israeli flags as they participate in a march marking 'Jerusalem Day', near Damascus Gate in Jerusalem's Old City

Surrounded by debris, Israeli police close Kiblah Masjid's entrance with a chain after Jews entered the compound

The photographer captured the Kiblah Masjid's entrance being locked by Israeli army personnel as the clashes ensued

Sunday's visit was the first time since Tuesday that Jews were allowed into the site, according to activists.

Jews are allowed to visit the site during set hours but not pray there to avoid provoking tensions. Jewish visits to the site, particularly by religious nationalists, usually increase for Jerusalem Day.

Israeli Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan said his policy was to do everything possible to keep the site open to visits, especially for Jerusalem Day.

An injured Muslim is being carried away with Palestinian health care members, after Israeli police officers intervene them with tear gas canisters and rubber bullets

He said preparations to avoid serious unrest included arrests ahead of Sunday based on intelligence in addition those in connection with the clashes.

Jordan, the custodian of the holy site and one of only two Arab countries with a peace treaty with Israel, condemned what it said was Israel's 'flagrant violations' there, calling the visits 'provocative intrusions by extremists.'

Such actions risked setting off violence in the region, a statement from Jordan's foreign ministry said.

Police stand with a group of Jews at the compound which houses Al-Aqsa Mosque. The Jews eventually entered, leading to clashes with Muslim worshippers

An injured Muslim is being carried away with Palestinian health care members using a stretcher to rush him to safety

Muslim women shout slogans as Jews, under Israeli police protection, visit Al-Aqsa Mosque Compound in Jerusalem

Israeli police officers' tear gas canisters are seen after the clash resulted in seven arrests and dozens of people injured

Later on Sunday, thousands of Israelis were expected to mark the day by marching through the city, culminating in celebrations at the Western Wall, which is below the Al-Aqsa compound.

The wall is the holiest site where Jews can pray.

Following its seizure in 1967, east Jerusalem was annexed by Israel in a move never recognised by the international community.

Israel proclaims the entire city as its united capital, while the Palestinians see the city's eastern sector as the capital of their future stateHer parents Mark and Julie Wallace plan to retrace her steps on the anniversary

The grieving parents of an Australian woman who was killed during the London Bridge terror attacks have revealed their commemoration plans on the second anniversary of her murder.

Sara Zelenak, 21, was killed when three men ploughed a van into pedestrians on the bridge before attacking dozens of people with kitchen knives on the night of June 3, 2017.

Her parents Mark and Julie Wallace will spend the evening - two years on from the attack - retracing their daughter's steps.

Sara Zelenak (pictured), has been confirmed as killed in Saturday night's terrorist attack on London Bridge

Mark and Julie Wallace will spend the evening - two years on from the attack - retracting their daughter's steps

They told the Herald Sun they will eat spaghetti and meat balls, which was her final meal.

They will also visit the London Grind where their daughter had sheltered from the rain before the violence began.

'We dont want to spend too much time in and around that area, but its not something that frightens us,' Mr Wallace said.

'We take it as what it is.'

The couple have been in London for an inquest into the attack.

The pair were seated in court as her friend Priscila Goncalves described the horror of the attack.

'It was like a loud crash. It sounded like something big, that is why we went back to take a look. At the time it seemed to be coming from my right.

'I think, I thought I had seen the van but now I don't think I had, actually I was just confused. I had no idea what was going on.

'We were together. I started running, I thought she was with me but when I looked, she was not. Everybody was running.'

The graphic above shows the various points in the London Bridge and the surrounding areas which were affected

Pictured: terrorists Khuram Shazad Butt, Rachid Redouane and Youssef Zaghba

The inquest heard how Ms Zelenak had suffered multiple stab wounds during the attack but the fatal blow was to her neck, which severed her spinal cord.

Ms Zelenak had been on a night out with friends when the horror began to unfold.

She had been running away from her attackers when she stumbled and turned her foot.

Ms Zelenak had only been in London for a few months where he was working as a nanny when she was brutally killed.

Her mother had flown to London in a desperate attempt to find her daughter following the attack.

She later shared the heartbreaking news on Facebook that her body had been identified.

'Sara Zelenak is confirmed dead, they found her body and has DNA tests confirmed. Thank you for all the overwhelming love and support from everyone,' she wrote.

Before leaving for UK in March 2017, Miss Zelenak worked with her stepfather Mark as a crane truck operator in Brisbane to save up for her trip.

Her parents have since set up Sarz Sanctuary to help other families to cope with grief.

Who were the victims of the London Bridge terror attack?

Spaniard Ignacio Echeverria was stabbed to death as he tried to fight off the terrorist attackers with his skateboard.

The 39-year-old had been in the UK for over a year was working as a financial crime analyst at HSBC.

Mr Echeverria joined unarmed police constables Wayne Marques and Charlie Guenigault in fighting off the three attackers as they set upon Marie Bondeville, hitting at least one terrorist with his skateboard.

'His courageous efforts were to seek to stop the attack,' Chief Coroner Mark Lucraft said.

Kirsty Boden

Mr Echeverria was the youngest of five siblings and was a Catholic who went to mass every week. He could speak English, German and French fluently.

Nurse Kirsty Boden was fatally stabbed as she tried to tend to the wounded and the dying.

Miss Boden, 28, moved to London in 2013 from the small town of Loxton, in South Australia.

She was a senior staff nurse at Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital and lived with her British boyfriend James Hodder in a flat in Hampstead.

Mr Hodder said: 'She loved people and loved her life helping others. To Kirsty, her actions that night would have been an extension of how she lived her life.'

Alexandre Pigeard

Alexandre Pigeard was working as a waiter at Boro Bistro when he was attacked.

The 26-year-old Frenchman had moved to London to further his ambitions as a dance music DJ.

Minutes before he was fatally stabbed, he video-called his father Philippe during a break from work at the French restaurant.

Mr Pigeard had planned to return to France in the autumn of 2017 to help open a restaurant in Nantes and to record an EP with his musician father.

Mr Pigeard senior told the inquest: 'I'm present here as a devastated father who has lost a child in such circumstances - an inconsolable father.'

James McMullan

James McMullan was stabbed in the chest near the Barrowboy and Banker pub while he was celebrating getting financial backing for his online education company.

The British-Filipino entrepreneur was watching the Champions League final with friends in the pub.

The 32-year-old, from Hackney in East London, was attacked when he stepped outside to have a cigarette.

He had dreamed of helping children without access to education through his e-learning company.

Mr McMullan's father Simon described his son as 'funny, charming and clever' and said 'his fearlessness could never be underestimated'.

Sebastien Belanger

The mother of chef Sebastien Belanger said she does not forgive the terrorists who 'mutilated and killed him'.

Her 36-year-old son was drinking at the Boro Bistro when he was stabbed repeatedly in the chest.

His mother Josiane Belanger said: 'We miss him so much, his smile, his joie de vivre. I do not forgive what they did to him.'

Originally from Angers in western France, Mr Belanger started work at the Coq d'Argent in the City and was promoted to the role of head chef.

Australian au pair Sara Zelenak was on the 'trip of a lifetime' when she was stabbed to death while on a night out with a friend.

Sara Zelenak

Miss Zelenak's mother Julie Wallace said 'every sliding door' put her daughter in 'harm's way'.

'She was meant to be working and at the last minute she got the night off,' Mrs Wallace said.

'At 10pm Sara's phone rang and her friend said 'I've finished at the rugby' and so she left her safe haven and walked out into a terrorist attack and was stabbed to death.'

Before leaving for UK in March 2017, Miss Zelenak worked with her stepfather Mark as a crane truck operator in Brisbane to save up for her trip.

Her parents have since set up Sarz Sanctuary to help other families to cope with grief.

Xavier Thomas

Xavier Thomas was walking over London Bridge with his girlfriend Christine Delcros when they were hit by the van.

The 45-year-old father-of-two was catapulted into the Thames and his girlfriend suffered life-changing injuries. His body was recovered downstream three days later.

Mr Thomas, who had arrived in London on the day of the attack, lived near Paris and worked for American Express.

Miss Delcros said: 'Since Xavier disappeared in such tragic and traumatic circumstances our whole world has fallen apart.'

Canadian tourist Christine Archibald told her fiance Tyler Ferguson she loved him seconds before she was mowed down.

Christine Archibald

Miss Archibald and Mr Ferguson were walking across London Bridge after dinning at a nearby restaurant when the atrocity unfolded.

Her fiance said: 'At one point Chrissy stopped me out of nowhere, grabbed me close and gave me a passionate kiss after telling me she loved me.

'I remember it being a warm summer's evening and the sun had just gone down.. And then the attack took place and Chrissy was killed.

'No words can express how I felt when this happened. I was absolutely devastated and inconsolable. Nothing has ever been the same since.'

Miss Archibald's engagement ring was lost during the attack, but later recovered from the bridge. Mr Ferguson now wears it on a chain around his neck.Almost 200 day care centres have been shut down in NSW alone as police investigate links to Islamic State, motorcycle gangs and large-scale fraud.

Suburbs in south-west Sydney were home to the worst-offenders, with four suburbs in the region claiming 114 of the 188 private facilities that were closed.

Police shut down 49 facilities in the Canterbury-Bankstown region, another 25 in Liverpool, 23 in Fairfield and 17 in Auburn.

In one case, the director of the supposed day care was intercepted at Sydney airport, believed to be on his way to fight alongside Islamic State.

Almost 200 day care centres have been shut down in NSW alone as police investigate links to Islamic State, motorcycle gangs and large-scale fraud

Hussain Dandachi, 28, was arrested in relation to a police investigation into a $27 million fraud syndicate and the funnelling of funds into Islamic State.

He pleaded guilty to supplying fake invoices worth more than $100,000 for children who were not in his care, and was sentenced to a minimum jail term of 10 months.

Another family day care was supposedly running in a house with no electricity, while a third address led investigators to an abandoned garage, The Daily Telegraph reported.

The closures have seen the number of NSW Family Day Care services slashed by more than half since 2016, from 420 to 197.

Alee Farmann was charged with knowingly directing the activities of a criminal group - in the form of his alleged Red Roses Day Care scam, which pocketed government subsidies

Handcuffed: Farmann was taken away by police after being arrested at his home

One source described a licence to run a day care centre in NSW as a virtual 'licence to print money'.

The federal government is expected to save more than $674 million annually as a result of the investigation.

They will avoid paying out fraudulent applications for children who were not even students at the facilities applying for funding.

Last month, coordinated raids throughout the south-west led to the arrest of more than 20 people believed to be involved in running or facilitating fraudulent day care centres.

The syndicate is accused of going to extraordinary lengths to conceal the operation

Red Roses Family Day Care director Alee Farmann and two other females were charged for their involvement.

Some 150 parents are now also being investigated in relation to that case after it was determined parents had sold or provided their child's information to the accused.

The NSW government has now implemented a similar process to approving applications for new facilities to Queensland.

Rather than the old online application and cross-checking process, potential applicants are now required to pass a mandatory face-to-face interview.EU President Jean Claude Juncker has complained again that unlike the US President he doesn't have his own plane, and said it is 'ridiculous' there are so few women at the top levels of European politics.

In a wide-ranging interview the outgoing head of the European Commission also compared German Chancellor Angela Merkel to a 'lovable work of art', implied Commissioners don't all deserve their lifelong pensions, and said he hoped that 20 years from now people would have greater 'respect and affection' for the EU.

And he said he had been living in a 50 square metre (540 sq ft) hotel room which left him taking meetings at other leaders' residence because, he said, 'I cant talk to official visitors sitting on my bed.'

Mr Juncker told Bild magazine: 'The Commission President doesnt have a residence. I have been living in a hotel apartment measuring 50 square metres for 3250 euro [per month]. Donald Tusk doesnt have a residence either, by the way.'

He was quick to add: 'The NATO Secretary-General, on the other hand, lives in a stately home, and invites us there sometimes when we need a rest. All the ambassadors have residences too - I know many of them.'

The President of the European Commission said he 'can't talk to official visitors sitting on my bed' after describing his 50-square-metre hotel room

Explaining he had spent time 'visiting', he went on: 'The biggest problem was that I couldnt invite anyone home. I cant talk to official visitors sitting on my bed' On the other hand, when I flew to visit them by commercial airliner, I was always invited to their private residences.

'When I was talking to Donald Trump, I was constantly looking at my watch so that I wouldnt miss my flight home. Trump kept saying, "Your plane can wait!", he didnt realise that I didnt have my own aeroplane.'

This is not the first time he has complained about not having his own private jet.

In 2014, while campaigning for the position of President of the European Commission, he tweeted: 'The Americans have Air Force One. I don't. But I am still campaigning all over Europe! #withJuncker'

He used private jets for almost half of his official visits in 2018, with one overnight trip to Tunisia racking up a bill of 32,000. This despite EU laws which ban 'air taxis' unless there are no other flights available. Mr Juncker chartered private jets for 21 out of 43 official trips between January and November.

He sparked fury when, in 2017, it emerged he chartered a 24,000 private jet to Rome with a delegation of nine.

In 2014, while campaigning for the position of President of the European Commission, he tweeted: 'The Americans have Air Force One. I don't. But I am still campaigning all over Europe! #withJuncker'

Mr Juncker also touched on Commissioners' gender and pensions in the Bild interview. Only nine of the 28 Commissioners are women.

He said: 'When I put my Commission together five years ago, the Member States only proposed one woman. I made sure that at least nine women had posts out of the twenty-eight.

'I agree, this situation is ridiculous, there are still too few women. That applies to all the other top jobs in the EU.

'Sixty percent of all graduates are women, so the minimum is that half the Commissioners should be female. 

And he implied golden goodbyes should cease or be tempered, explaining that five Commissioners have been elected MEPs, so member states have the right to propose replacement Commissioners for the remaining five months of the Commission's term.

He said: 'This would cost the European taxpayer a million euro per Commissioner, for relocation, staff and the lifelong pension which every Commissioner gets, no matter how long he or she has been in office, because the Member States have decided that this is so. Im trying to stop this.'

One of the Commission President's most important relationships is with the leader of the EU's biggest economy, Germany, and with Chancellor Angela Merkel having said she will not seek re-election at the end of her terms in 2021, Mr Junkcer reflected he was 'sad' she would be 'taken' from him.

Asked what he would miss most he said: 'She is a lovable work of art, and I feel sad when a work of art is taken from me. But that wont happen any time soon.'

He was quick to doge any blame for Brexit, saying: 'Its too easy to blame the Commission President for everything. The UK government is responsible for Brexit.'

But asked whether he should take some responsibility for the rise of populism across Europe during his tenure as Commission President, he said: 'Governments have a habit of congratulating themselves for what goes right and blaming Brussels for what goes wrong. Its no wonder that anti-European tendencies are on the rise.'

Mr Juncker and Theresa May. He said the UK government was responsible for Brexit, not the EU, then insisted national governments were too quick to shift blame to the EU

Mr Juncker said his most difficult time had been the Greek bailout and the hardest world leader to speak with was President Trump, adding that he would advise his successor to establish an EU-wide department for countering 'fake news'.

He said he hoped that 20 years from now there was more integration bnetween peoples of Europe and warmer feelings about the EU itself.

Asked about the future he told Bild: 'I would like people to treat the EU with greater respect and affection instead of constantly doing it down.

'I would also like the Member States to try to learn more about each other. I am sad that the Luxembourgers know nothing about the Sami and the Bavarians nothing about the Sicilians.

'After all, we have a common European destiny.'Advertisement

Back then, they put their lives on the line for liberty and crossed the Channel for an invasion that changed not just the course of the war, but history.

Yesterday, on now frail legs but with their spirits unbowed, 255 Normandy veterans boarded a cruise liner in Dover for a luxury, week-long, all-expenses-paid Voyage of Remembrance to mark the 75th anniversary of D-Day.

The MV Boudicca, named after the British warrior queen, has been chartered by the Royal British Legion so the veterans  the youngest is 91 and the oldest 101  can attend commemorative events in both England and France, and return to the beaches where they landed.

AS many as 255 Normandy veterans will be taken across the channel on the MV Boudicca to mark the 75th anniversary of D-Day and return to the beaches where they landed. (Pictured) The veterans gather under an 'embracing peace' statue

The veterans - aged between 91 and 101 - will be attending events in both the UK and France to commemorate D-Day. (Pictured) Celebrity photographer Penny Lancaster, 49, with a veteran on the ship. Her husband Sir Rod Stewart, 74, was performing his 1975 hit song 'sailing'

The ship, MV Boudicca, departed on Sunday evening ahead of a week of events to mark the anniversary of the biggest amphibious invasion in history. Above: Veteran John Roberts, from Whitstable, as he arrives to board the MV Boudicca ahead of its departure

Her bows have been decorated with the charitys red poppy insignia and the veterans, each accompanied by a guest or carer, have comfy cabins, two swimming pools, and a choice of three restaurants to dine in during the poignant pilgrimage.

Yesterday the cruise terminal was decked out in flags and bunting as they arrived in coaches from across the country to be greeted by a guard of honour formed by sea cadets.

Later, Sir Rod Stewart, a passionate Legion supporter, surprised everyone by popping up on deck to sing his hit  Sailing  to the veterans, backed by the Central Band of the Royal British Legion. And the Forces sweetheart Dame Vera Lynn, 102, sent them a recorded message, saying: Hello boys... rest assured we will never forget all you did for us.

Rod Stewarts photographer wife Penny Lancaster joined him on board and took pictures of veterans before he sang. She also cuddled up to veteran Len Williams, 93, from the Isle of Wight, who appeared to be enjoying the former models attention.

Discussing the day, Mr Williams said: Im overwhelmed by the welcome weve received today. What have we done to deserve this?

Sir Rod Stewart with a group of three women performing his hit 1975 song 'sailing' on board the ship chartered by the Royal British Legion to take the veterans to France

D-Day veterans gather under an 'Embracing peace' statue during a commemorative event at Portsmouth Historical Dockyard

To a man, they were looking forward to the voyage. Blazers had been pressed, medals polished, regimental cap badges buffed up.

The Legion even presented old soldier Jim Kelly, 92, who was a 17-year-old machine gunner with the 6th Airborne Division on D-Day, with a set of replacement medals after his were stolen from his home in March.

He didnt want to go to the commemorative events without them pinned to his chest. Now he has a new set he is looking forward to keeping up his fitness routine  involving the treadmill and rowing machine  in Boudiccas on-board gym during the voyage.

Eric Strange, 95, had dusted off and brought with him the actual pair of boots he wore on June 6, 1944 when he was a Royal Navy sub-lieutenant. Theyre very good boots  Ive used the quite a bit for gardening, he said.

Equally chipper was Jim Grant, 94, who was in the elite SBS  Special Boat Service  manning one of the anti-aircraft pom-pom guns on a landing craft as it escorted and protected Canadian craft as they landed on D-Day. His craft was hit three times. Before boarding Boudicca yesterday he said: It will be nicer this time  because nobody will be shooting at us, I hope.

US D-Day veteran Bert Chandler meetsmembers of the Charlalas close harmony group during the D-Day event in Portsmouth

But beneath all such jollity, there was a far more sombre undertone. For while this certainly isnt like their invasion of Normandy in 1944, the deafening noise of aircraft and falling bombs, the beaches where German machine guns and artillery cut down thousands of their comrades, loom large in their memories.

Mr Grant, a Brummie who now lives in Stowmarket, Suffolk, said: I was 19 and you didnt feel the danger at that age, you thought itd happen to someone else. Ill be thinking of them all this week.

Mr Strange, from Crawley West Sussex, said: I have mixed feelings about returning to Normandy. When you look at the cemetery at Bayeux you realise that you were ruddy lucky and they were unlucky.

John Worthington, 94, landed on Juno beach at dawn on D-Day, survived when his craft was struck by a mine, and was given the perilous job of mine-detecting to clear a path for the Army  by (very carefully) sticking a bayonet into the sand.

Yesterday he said: As far as I know all my comrades were killed who were on the same landing craft. It got to the beach, the other chaps went up the beach but I dont know what happened to them. An officer told me to transfer to other duties. I was the lucky one.

I had to search for mines. You pushed a bayonet in the sand at an angle and had to hope you didnt hit the detonator.

The veterans will have the opportunity to visit beaches in Dunkirk on Monday before watching a display by the Royal Navy in Poole Harbour on Tuesday. Above: Veterans with relatives and are greeted by a drum band

The veterans will also attend the National Commemorative Event in Portsmouth on Wednesday before travelling to Normandy for events in Bayeux and Arromanches. The ship returns to Portsmouth on Saturday before concluding its journey in Dover on Sunday. Above: Tony Snelling arrives with a relative before boarding the MV Boudicca

Other events have also been held commemorating the Normandy landing including a gathering of veterans at Portsmouths Historical Dockyard. The journey from Dover will cost the veterans nothing as it is being paid for by the Legion and the Libor Fund - money from fines paid by banks for manipulating interest rates. For Jim Doherty, 94, it will be his first visit to Normandy since he was an able seaman with the Royal Navy on board HMS Obedient on D-Day.

He was invited on the Boudiccas voyage five months ago - which was the first time his son, Joe, 67, found out about his fathers involvement in June 6, 1944, too.

Mr Doherty senior said: I never thought Id go back. I might meet some of the people I used know.

Two D-Day veterans in their nineties are to parachute into Normandy 75 years after they first landed there.

Harry Read, 95, from Bournemouth, and John Hutton, 94, from Larkfield in Kent, will take part in the descent on Wednesday to commemorate the anniversary of the landings. Mr Read, who served with the Royal Signals, and Mr Hutton, a former member of the 13th Parachute Battalion, will perform a tandem jump and land in fields used as a drop zone for the 8th Parachute Battalion.

Last night the Boudicca  a Fred Olsen cruise ship  began its voyage by heading off towards Dunkirk. It will then sail to D-Day events on the South Coast before heading over to Normandy for the anniversary itself on Thursday.The family of a British mountain guide, who is missing along with the climbers he was leading in the Himalayas, have said they are 'deeply saddened' after an avalanche on the mountain range.

Martin Moran, who is originally from Tyneside, was leading a party of eight who were attempting to reach the top of an unclimbed summit in a remote area.

While his family said it was 'not entirely clear' what had happened to the group - which included another three British climbers - they said there was 'clear evidence that a sizeable avalanche had occurred on the mountain'.

British mountaineer and group leader Martin Moran (left) has been reported missing after his team didn't return to base camp on Friday at Nanda Devi, India's second highest mountain. (Pictured) Friend of 20 years Nigel Vardy who said Mr Moran is an 'experienced climber'

Mr Moran has been a mountain guide since 1985 and set up his company Moran Mountain, which is based in Strathcarron in the Highlands, together with his wife Joy - with the couple's grown up children Hazel and Alex both also working with the family business.

Searches have been taking place in a bid to find the missing climbers after the alarm was raised on Friday morning.

In a statement, the Moran family said: 'We are deeply saddened by the tragic events unfolding in the Nanda Devi region of the Indian Himalayas.

A Facebook post from their second base camp, at 16,000 feet, said the group were going to try to scale a previously unclimbed peak

'As a family, we share the same emotions that all next of kin are experiencing in not knowing the whereabouts or well-being of those closest to us.'

Academic Richard Payne from the University of York is believed to be among the group of missing climbers.

The university said it was 'extremely concerned for his safety', adding: 'Our thoughts are with his family, friends and colleagues at this difficult time.'

The Moran family said the climbing group 'had set out to attempt an unclimbed, unnamed summit, Peak 6477m, and the last contact intimated that all was well'.

They added: 'It is not entirely clear what happened from this point onwards or indeed the timeline of events.

Ruth McCance, from Sydney, and seven other climbers failed to return to base camp at Nanda Devi, the second highest mountain in India

The group, which is led by experienced UK-based climber Martin Moran, last shared updates to social media on May 22. 'The Nanda Devi team has reached their second base camp at 4870m, their home for the next week,' the update said

'We do know that a British mountain guide who was in the area leading a trekking group, as part of the same expedition, was informed that the climbing group had not returned to base camp as expected.

'He immediately went on the mountain to search for the missing climbers.

'There was clear evidence that a sizeable avalanche had occurred on the mountain and it seemed to be on or very near the route that would be taken by the climbing group.

'The mountain guide gave instructions to base camp to alert rescue authorities. The alarm was raised early on Friday morning, May 31.'

Ms McCance's group includes three men from the UK, two American men and an Indian guide

The Morans said they were 'grateful to the Indian Mountaineering Foundation who are coordinating search and rescue efforts on the ground and in the air under extremely difficult conditions in a very remote area of the Himalayas'.

They added: 'Today we have been informed by the Indian Mountaineering Federation that an air search by helicopter has revealed the scale of the avalanche but no sign of the climbers, their equipment nor their tents.

'We are pressing for the search area to be widened and continued until such time as firm evidence is found to ascertain the well-being or otherwise of all those in the climbing group.'

A spokesperson from The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade told Daily Mail Australia they are in communication with the family of an Australian

As well as four Britons, the group is thought to include two American climbers, one Australian and one person from India.

Indian authorities also confirmed they had airlifted four other climbers off the mountain today. They opted not to leave base camp with the group of eight who are still missing.

Climber Nigel Vardy, who has known Mr Moran for 20 years, described him as 'an absolute professional and genuinely a really, really nice guy'.

He said: 'Martin is a fantastic guy but if the weather and the conditions are not with you, then no matter how skilled you are the mountain is going to have its way.'

At Mount Everest, where queuing chaos has been blamed for fatalities, 11 climbers lost their lives 13 days. Pictured: Climbers queue to stand on the summit of Everest on May 22

Mark Charlton, president of the British Association of Mountain Guides (BMG), said in a post on the organisation's Facebook page that Mr Moran had been leading six clients and an Indian national.

'The BMG is assisting where possible and is in contact with the Indian authorities,' he said.

'At the moment this is all the information we have as communication is very difficult.'

A spokeswoman for the Foreign Office said: 'We are in contact with the Indian authorities following reports that a number of British nationals are missing in the Indian Himalayas.

'We will do all we can to assist any British people who need our help.'The Most Extensive and Reliable Source of Information Related to the Mexican Drugs Cartels.



You will not find this level of coverage anywhere else, join us!





Send information, pictures or videos, you remain 100% anonymous.

Envia fotos, videos, notas, enlaces o informacion todo 100% Anonimo.



Borderland Beat?



We love to have you in our team, send Sol Prendido or HEARST an email! Want to be a contributor or citizen reporter forBorderland Beat?We love to have you in our team, sendoran email!





WARNING:

Posts may contain strong violent material, discretion is advised.





COMMENTS:

We do not publish all comments, and we do not publish comments immediately.



Officials announced Sunday that he was not terminated but gave in his two week resignation notice via email Friday and went to work as usual

DeWayne Craddock, 40, resigned from his 15-year job with the Virginia Beach's public utilities department Friday morning, hours before he launched his deadly shooting

The Virginia Beach gunman who killed 12 as he unleashed a hail of bullets in a government building on Friday had resigned from his job just hours before the deadly attack.

Gunman DeWayne Craddock, 40, had handed in his two week notice of resignation on Friday morning via email after working as an engineer for 15 years.

Just hours later, at 4pm, he opened fire, killing 12 people, including one of his own supervisors, at the Virginia Beach Municipal Center.

Speaking of Craddock's resignation, City Manager Dave Hansen said: 'He notified his chain of command that morning. My understanding is he did that via email.'

He said officials are now trying to determine where that letter is.

Hansen said that Craddock had not been fired and described him as a satisfactory worker in good standing in his department. He had no disciplinary issues in the workplace.

But a source previously told the New York Times that Craddock had recently been getting into physical scuffles with other city workers and had got into a violent altercation on city grounds in the last week.

Officials announced Sunday that he was not terminated from his city job but gave in his two week resignation notice via email Friday and went to work as usual. Police Chief James A. Cervera pictured above

'He notified his chain of command that morning. My understanding is he did that via email,' City Manager Dave Hansen said at a press conference Sunday morning. He said officials are now trying to determine where that letter is

Craddock was described as a satisfactory worker by his employers. He's also been described as a 'disgruntled employee'. He worked at Virginia Beach Municipal Center where he launched his shooting on Friday

His resignation and apparent good work standing makes his motive behind the devastating shooting all the more unnerving.

'There werent any clues I was aware of or that were being funneled to the top,' director of Virginia Beach's public utilities department Bob Montague said. 'I certainly didnt have a reason to believe that anything like this would happen.'

Craddock has previously been described as a 'disgruntled employee' and a 'loner ex-National Guardsmen'.

Police Chief James A. Cervera said officials are looking at his professional and personal life for a possible motive.

Craddock had bizarrely chatted with a colleague as he brushed his teeth in an office bathroom just moments before the rampage began on Friday.

Shots were fired just after 4pm and cops arrived to the scene within two minutes of the call.

Craddock killed a woman who was on her way out of the office, used his badge to access the building's second floor, and opened fire indiscriminately.

Cops found him about five to eight minutes after entering the building and engaged in a 'gun battle' with Caddock on the second floor of Building 2 - which was built in the 1970s and was described by police as a 'honeycomb maze'.

Craddock, pictured left in his school yearbook in 1995 and right in 1996, was spotted brushing his teeth in the office restrooms where he exchanged pleasantries with a colleague and wished him a good weekend

Boards secure the front door of a house of shooting suspect DeWayne Craddock on Saturday

Samantha Anderson (front), six, looks up at her mother Christine Anderson, 40, as she pray's in front of the memorial near the site of Friday's mass shooting at the Virginia Beach Municipal Center

DeWayne Craddock, a longtime city employee, opened fire at the building Friday before police shot and killed him

David Moore wipes tears away while praying with community members, left. Tears run down the face of Deta Green, right

Craddock killed 12 people in his frenzied attack. Mourners pictured about praying at a parking lot near the Virginia Beach Municipal Center on Saturday

Cervera said the number of rounds fired was 'well into the double digits'.

The gunman shot as he moved, firing through doors and walls. At 4.19pm he hit an officer, who was wounded but saved by his protective vest.

Finally cops got to him in an office where they broke down the door and engaged in gunfire exchange. He was finally subdued, taken into custody, and administered First Aid.

He died on his way to a nearby hospital. A total of 36 minutes had passed from the time of police dispatch to the time the suspect was in custody and administered aid.

Within an hour of the attack, all the wounded had been transported for emergency care.

Twelve people were tragically killed in Friday's shooting. They are (from top left to bottom right): Laquita C. Brown, Ryan Keith Cox, Tara Welch Gallagher and Mary Louise Gayle. Middle row from left are Alexander Mikhail Gusev, Joshua O. Hardy, Michelle 'Missy' Langer and Richard H. Nettleton. Bottom row from left are Katherine A. Nixon, Christopher Kelly Rapp, Herbert 'Bert' Snelling and Robert 'Bobby' Williams

Craddock wielded two legally purchased .45 caliber pistols and used a suppressor, also known as a 'silencer', to mute his shots as he opened fire on three floors of the city building before he was killed by police.

Craddock enlisted in the Virginia National Guard in April 1996, according to spokesman A.A. Puryear, after graduating in 1996 from Denbigh High School in Newport News.

He was assigned to the Norfolk-based 1st Battalion, 111th Field Artillery Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team as a 13B cannon crew member.

Yesterday, officials released the name of the 12 victims. They are: LaQuita Brown, Tara Gallagher, Mary Gayle, Alexander Gusev, Katherine Nixon, Richard Nettleton, Christopher Rapp, Ryan Cox, Joshua Hardy, Michelle 'Missy' Langer, Robert 'Bobby' Williams and Herbert 'Bert' Snelling.

The investigation is ongoing.House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff still doesn't feel impeaching President Donald Trump is the best move right now.

'The speaker hasn't reached a conclusion  and I haven't either  that it's best for the country to put us through an impeachment proceeding that we know is destined for failure in the Senate,' Schiff told ABC's Chuck Todd Sunday morning.

'There may be some additional cost to going through that process. It is, in a way  even if unsuccessful in the Senate  the ultimate form of censure in the House. But we're not there yet,' he continued.

Both Schiff and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi have not fallen in line with other Democratic lawmakers who have called for Trump's impeachment.

House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff said Congress 'isn't there yet' on impeaching President Donald Trump

Schiff agrees with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that the House should continue it's investigations into Trump and oversight in general outside the realm of impeachment

Schiff suggested it could be a waste of time, and not worth it to put the country through impeachment proceedings if it would most likely fail in the Republican-controlled Senate

'We have important oversight work we can do outside the context of impeachment, and I think at this point that is still the preferred course,' Schiff said.

After Special Counsel Robert Mueller made public remarks this week regarding his investigation, which included an announcement that he was resigning from the Department of Justice, several 2020 Democratic candidates for president said impeachment proceedings needed to begin 'immediately.'

Second-tier candidates like Sens. Kamala Harris, Cory Booker and Elizabeth Warren and former Texas Rep. Beto O'Rourke, all made impeachment calls after Mueller's statement.

Front-runner Joe Biden's campaign has been much more measured on impeachment calls.

Following the former special counsel's appearance, Pelosi maintained her stance that Democrats should continue their investigations in Congress and wait until there is something more solid to bring about impeachment proceedings on.

She has faced backlash from those who feel the president should be impeached on grounds of obstruction of justice.

Although Mueller's report found that there was no evidence that Trump had conspired with the Russian government, there were 10 'episodes' laid out that could be instances where he obstructed justice throughout the investigation.

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff tells @GStephanopoulos "we're not there yet" on impeachment.



"We have important oversight work we can do outside the context of impeachment and I think at this point, that is still the preferred course" https://t.co/1KA7z13fgZ pic.twitter.com/ZkYfHkeHJS  This Week (@ThisWeekABC) June 2, 2019

House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn says the House is not 'waiting on the Senate' and said it's Congress's job to 'educate the public.' He says he believes impeachment will happen 'at some point'

Despite Schiff and Pelosi's stance that Congress should not begin impeachment proceedings yet, House Majority Whip James Clyburn feels impeachment will happen 'at some point.'

'It sounds like you think that the president will be impeached, or at least proceedings will begin in the House at some point, but just not right now?' CNN's Jake Tapper asked Clyburn Sunday morning.

'Yes, exactly what I feel,' Clyburn responded.

Schiff and Clyburn differ, it appears, on how to move forward with bringing about the proceedings.

The House Intelligence chairman feels it would be a waste to begin impeaching Trump if it will ultimately fail in the Republican-controlled Senate, while Clyburn says he isn't' 'interested in the Senate.'

'We aren't particularly interested in the Senate,' Clyburn told Tapper. 'We do believe that, if we sufficiently, effectively educate the public, then we will have done our job, and we can move on an impeachment vote, and it will stand, and maybe it will be what needs to be done to incent the Senate to act.'

'So we aren't waiting on the Senate,' he continued.Furious British holidaymakers left a 3,000-a-week Spanish hotel after just 24 hours when they arrived to find a building site.

They were greeted with unfinished construction work and diggers when they arrived at the four-star SuneoClub hotel in Lloret de Mar on the Costa Brava.

One tourist even said there were cranes moving pieces of metal over the water park and builders walking through the swimming pool area.

Recruitment consultant Liam Stuart, 28, and fiancee Kelsie, 27, a building firm manager, were appalled when they had to be transferred to another hotel.

Scroll down for video.

Furious British holidaymakers were greeted with unfinished construction work and diggers when they arrived at the four-star SuneoClub hotel in Lloret de Mar on the Costa Brava

The tourists were expecting to arrive at a newly refurbished hotel but instead they were appalled at what they found. One group was so outraged that they flew straight home

Recruitment consultant Liam Stuart, 28, and fiancee Kelsie, 27, a building firm manager, were appalled when they had to be transferred to another hotel

The couple, who live in Andover, Hampshire, had shelled out 2,600 for a two-week trip to celebrate Mr Stuart's recovery from a stroke.

They booked the holiday through TUI.

Mr Stuart told the Mirror: 'The hotel looks nothing like the pictures on the website. There are walls where plasterboard is hanging off and plaster all over the floor. Its just an absolute building site.'

The couple instantly asked to be moved to a different hotel and didn't even unpack their suitcases.

The couple had expected to arrive at a newly refurbished hotel that was advertised on the TUI website. Mr Stuart told the Mirror: 'I think they must have digitally enhanced the photos on the website because the hotel looks very white and clean looking, nothing like the real thing'

The couple, who live in Andover, Hampshire, had shelled out 2,600 for a two-week trip to celebrate Mr Stuart's recovery from a stroke

One tourist even said there were cranes moving pieces of metal over the water park and builders walking through the swimming pool area

Mr Stuart claimed that TUI were still advertising the hotel on their website but according to the Mirror they have since admitted that the construction work won't be finished until next week

He said that he and his fiancee instantly asked to be moved to a different hotel and didn't even unpack their suitcases

Mr Stuart added: 'I think they must have digitally enhanced the photos on the website because the hotel looks very white and clean looking, nothing like the real thing'.

He claimed that TUI were still advertising the hotel on their website but according to the Mirror they have since admitted that the construction work won't be finished until next week.

A spokesman said: 'We are really sorry some holidays have been affected by ongoing construction work.

'This was due to be completed before customers arrived but due to unforeseen circumstances there was still significant disruption.

'A small number of customers chose to fly home and will receive a full refund.'

A TUI spokesman said: 'We are really sorry some holidays have been affected by ongoing construction work'A seven-year-old boy who was critically injured after falling from a rollercoaster last week is breathing on his own again.

The youngster's condition 'continues to improve', said North Yorkshire Police, following treatment for head injuries at Leeds General Infirmary.

He was airlifted to the hospital after plunging up to 15 feet from the Twister rollercoaster at Lightwater Valley theme park near Ripon, North Yorkshire, on Thursday.

In a statement the police said, following treatment at the scene, his condition was 'initially believed to be non-life threatening'. However, when he was airlifted to hospital it was described as 'stable but critical'.

Boy, seven, who was critically injured after falling from the Twister rollercoaster (pictured) is breathing on his own again in hospital

The youngster plunged 15-foot from the rollercoaster at Lightwater Valley theme park near Ripon, North Yorkshire. One witness said they saw his mother in hysterics, looking down on her child from the car above

Officers are assisting the Health and Safety Executive with their investigation, they added.

At the time, one witness said they heard a loud scream before seeing a child on the ground.

Another said the boy's hysterical mother was left 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.

In a statement on Friday, Lightwater Valley said: 'We are devastated by this news and our thoughts are with the family'.

The police force said in a statement on Friday: '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.

He is receiving treatment for head injuries at Leeds General Infirmary hospital (Pictured)

Mr Philo and an off-duty police officer were among the first two people to come to the boy's aid after he fell from the ride

'The child remains in a critical but stable condition in hospital.'

On Thursday, 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 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.'

Mr Philo pictured with paramedics as they attend to the boy who fell from the roller coaster at Lightwater Valley

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.

'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.'

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 at the time: '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 seven-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 luke.a.andrews@mailonline.co.uk **The Foreign Secretary has said a government he lead would not block Julian Assange's extradition to the USA, where the Wikileaks founder faces the prospect of dying in jail if found guilty of espionage.

Jeremy Hunt, one of the front-runners to replace Theresa May as Prime Minister, said Mr Assange was 'alleged to have committed some very serious crimes, alleged to have led to people's deaths', adding 'he has no more reason to escape justice than anyone else who is alleged to have committed crimes.'

Mr Hunt told Face The Nation on US network CBS that what has happened to the Australian in recent weeks is the 'right thing'.

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt told Face The Nation on US television network CBS that he would not stand in the way of Assange facing trial in America for 'very serious crimes'

It comes after a UN special report concluded the abuse Assange has faced in the press and online amounted to 'psychological torture' and 'inhuman and degrading treatment.'

Mr Assange, 47, was moved to the hospital wing of Belmarsh prison last week and was 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.

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.

Julian Assange was sentenced to 50 weeks in jail in the UK for skipping bail, after the Ecuadorian Embassy threw him out in April

Professor Nils Melzer, the UN Special Rapporteur on torture, warned the Australian could not expect a fair trial in the US

Julian Assange is jailed at HMP Belmarsh, pictured. He has been moved to the hospital wing

Pressed on the U.S. government's extradition request for Assange, Mr Hunt said: ''Well, we would have to follow our own legal processes, just as the U.S. has to follow its own legal processes.

'But would I want to stand in the way of Julian Assange facing justice? No, I would not.'

Last month, a federal grand jury in Virginia indicted Assange on 17 felony counts for allegedly violating the Espionage Act by working with solider Chelsea Manning to release thousands of classified U.S. diplomatic and military cables.

They were published without redaction and Assange has been criticised for irresponsible journalism which may have endangered the lives of US military and intelligence personnel and assets.Kim Kardashian has angered the mother of an 11-year-old boy who was killed by the man the reality star is trying to get freed from a California prison.

On Thursday, Kim posed for a photo alongside convicted killer, Kevin Cooper, 61, who is on death row at the notorious San Quentin prison after launching a legal campaign to secure his release.

She spent two hours talking with the quadruple murderer in an 'emotional' meeting that has Kim convinced Cooper has been framed.

But Mary Ann Hughes, the mother of Christopher Hughes, who was one of the four people killed in 1983, says she's disgusted by the thought of Kim trying to help Cooper.

'It makes me feel sick to my stomach and I pity her,' Hughes told TMZ. 'For what she's doing to us, there's nothing to justify what she's doing to us, the immense pain she is causing us.'

Kim Kardashian has angered Mary Hughes (right), the mother of, Christopher Hughes (seen on the photo right), 11, who was killed by Kevin Cooper (left with Kim on Thursday) in 1983. Kim is on a mission to get Cooper freed from a California prison

Kim took to Twitter to reaffirm her stance on Cooper's innocents on Friday

After meeting with Cooper for the first time in person, Kim tweeted on Friday: 'I had an emotional meeting with Kevin Cooper yesterday at San Quentin's death row. I found him to be thoughtful, honest and I believe him to be innocent of the crimes for which he was convicted.'

In a second tweet, she wrote: 'I am hopeful that Kevin will be exonerated since DNA testing has now been ordered on Kevins case and I remain grateful to Governor Newsom for ending capital punishment in California.'

Hughes says she believes that Cooper's attorneys 'are using her for her reality show status because they can't use the truth to try to help Kevin Cooper.'

'The truth just condemns him,' she told TMZ.

Hughes' son, Christopher, was killed in 1983 while he was staying at a friend's house.

He was murdered alongside Douglas and Peggy Ryens and their 10-year-old daughter Jessica, at their house in Chino Hills in San Bernardino County.

Hughes says she believes that Cooper's attorneys 'are using her [Kim] for her reality show status because they can't use the truth to try to help Kevin Cooper'. He was convicted in 1985 of murdering two children and two adults

Hughes said that it's obvious that Kim has 'not read all of the actual evidence'.

'She has bought into half truths perpetrated by the defense. If she actually sat down and read the transcripts of all the trials and appeals, she would be sick to her stomach to be in the same room with him,' Hughes told TMZ.

Ever since his arrest, Cooper has vehemently protested his innocence.

Family photo of Peggy, Doug, Jessica and Joshua Ryens, who was the lone survivor of a hatchet attack in 1985

The California man has been fighting to have evidence in his case re-examined for years, with San Bernardino Count District Attorney Michael Ramos filing a 94-page response to one such petition for executive clemency in May of 2018, arguing against retesting in Cooper's case.

In October, Kim asked then-Governor of California Jerry Brown to re-open Cooper's case to investigate new potential evidence that may prove he's not the responsible culprit, prompting Brown to conduct a DNA test on Cooper and evidence found at the scene.

California's new Governor, Gavin Newsom - who is staunchly against capital punishment - ordered additional testing in February.

Kim stopped by the maximum security facility last week to get to know Cooper while the pair anxiously await the results.

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 could had been put there from the inside of a test tube that contained Cooper's blood, not splattered on during the quadruple murder.

Advocates argue that the San Bernardino Sheriff's 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.

Cooper has been awaiting death since 1983 for the grisly murders

A source said she stayed at San Quentin (pictured) for several hours meeting inmates and staff

While Cooper is Kim's latest recipient of good will, she began her social justice bids by petitioning President Donald Trump over the release of Tennessee grandmother Alice Marie Johnson in June of last year.

Since Johnson, age 63, 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 her advocacy for former sex slave Cyntoia Brown, Jeffrey Stringer and Johnson, who spent 21 years in prison for a non-violent drug offense before she was freed.

Kim met Trump (pictured) to highlight the case of Alice Johnson, prompting her release

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.

At the time, she 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.

Additionally, Kim has helped free 16 more male inmates who were serving life sentences for federal drug charges between February and May by secretly funding a criminal justice campaign started by the Buried Alive Project, it was revealed by TMZ in May. Her advocacy for Stringer was part of this campaign.

The Buried Alive Project has tweeted updates on those it has helped free as part of its 90 Days of Freedom campaign, following Trump's signing of the First Step Act into law in December. The act allows some people who have been imprisoned on federal drug offenses, particularly those serving life sentences, to seek sentence reductions.

Beneficiaries of the program have included Terrence Byrd, Jamelle Carraway of Illinois and Eric Balcom from Florida.

Kim with Alice Marie Johnson, who was pardoned by Trump after he met with the reality star at the White House in June of 2018

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 as a potential career path.

The Keeping Up With The Kardashians star has since registered with the California State Bar to study law to become a full-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.Robert Plomin, a professor of behavioural genetics at Kings College London, said prestigious schools dont add anything to childrens grades

A leading geneticist has told parents they dont need to send their children to top schools like Eton  because genetics has already determined how well they will do in academics.

Robert Plomin, a professor of behavioural genetics at Kings College London, said prestigious schools dont add anything to childrens grades.

Speaking at the Hay Festival, he said that a childs success is pre-determined by their genes, and nature plays a much larger part in our lives than nurture or external environmental factors.

When asked why a parent would spend money sending their child to Eton, he replied: The reason why education is universal is literacy and numeracy are innate  children need to learn to read. Were talking about what makes them different. So the issue is do differences in the quality of school make a difference in outcomes like GCSE scores or getting into universities?

Theres a correlation there  kids who go to selective schools have a GCSE score that is one full grade higher than kids who go to comprehensive schools. Thats a correlation though and correlations dont necessarily imply causation and in this case they dont.

If you correct for what the schools selected on, theres no difference in GCSE scores. Its a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you select the very best kids academically, yes they go on and do well. But have you added value? The answer is no.

So why send your kids to Eton? Dont. If all youre doing it for is educational achievement. But if you scratch the surface and talk to the parents it isnt just for that. Its for reasons like I want them to be with the right sort of people, I want them to get access and credential, more than actual achievement.

But achievement itself  they [Eton] dont add anything. Schools matter  kids have got to learn all this stuff. But do they make a difference? The answer is no.

Eton, which costs 42,500 a year in tuition fees, has seen the likes of David Cameron, Eddie Redmayne and Boris Johnson grace their halls.

Professor Plomin said schools such as Eton College (pictured) do not improve students' grades as results are only based on DNA

Prince Harry and Prince William also attended the college.

But Professor Plomin argues they would have achieved the same grades if they had gone to a public school.

In his book, Blueprint: How DNA makes us who we are, he writes: Students select schools and are selected by a school in part on the basis of the students prior achievement and ability, which are highly heritable.

Prince Harry and Prince William both attended the 42,500-a-year Eton College for their schooling

Students in selective and non-selective schools differ in their DNA. Because the traits used to select students are highly heritable, selection of students for these traits means that students are unintentionally selected genetically.

Even though schools have little effect on individual differences in school achievement, some parents will still decide to pay huge amounts of money to send their children to private schools in order to give their children whatever slight advantage such schools provide.

I hope it will help parents who cannot afford to pay for private schooling or move house to know that it doesnt make much of a difference in childrens school achievement.This is the shocking moment a locked up man at a New York police station steals a taser from a cop by reaching through the bars of his holding cell and swiping it from the officer's vest.

Andrew Lawrence, 22, was being held at the 120 Precinct police station house on May 26, when he pounced on a cop and quickly grabbed the taser as the officer stood outside his cell.

The Staten Island man then pointed the taser at the two cops, sticking his hand out of the bars, threatening to zap the passing officers.

The two officers are seen fleeing to the next cell for their safety.

Andrew Lawrence, 22, was in a holding cell at a Staten Island police station when he reached through the bars and grabbed a taser from a cop's vest

When two officers approached him he sneakily reached through the bars and quickly grabbed the cop's taser

The shocking incident took place on Mary 26 at the 120 Precinct Station house

After he grabbed the taser the two cops ran for protection in an adjacent cell

The incident lasted for several minutes and ended when commanding officer of the precinct Deputy Inspector Isa Abbassi intervened and convinced Lawrence to surrender the taser, according to the New York Daily News.

No one was hit with the taser.

Lawrence was charged with reckless endangerment and menacing police, according to court records.

The Staten Island man then pointed the taser at the two cops, sticking his hand out of the bars, threatening to zap passing cops. The incident lasted for several minutes and ended when commanding officer of the precinct Deputy Inspector Isa Abbassi convinced Lawrence to surrender the taser

Lawrence was charged with reckless endangerment and menacing police, according to court records. He was also ordered to receive a psychiatric evaluation by a judge

He was also ordered to receive a psychiatric evaluation by a judge.

The incident is currently under internal review, according to an NYPD spokeswoman.

Lawrence was arrested after he was allegedly seen breaking into a car. Once in the holding cell, he began to act irrationally.

'The Emergency Services Unit were notified to assist in transporting the subject to the hospital,' the Spokeswoman said.

'He took his taser right off his vest. That's bad,' one cop who saw the video said.Samuel Little, 78, who has confessed to killing 90 women across the US was indicted Friday in Ohio for the strangulation deaths of two women decades ago

A man who has confessed to killing more than 90 women across the US was indicted Friday in Ohio for the strangulation deaths of two women decades ago.

Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O'Malley 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,' O'Malley said in a statement.

'His heinous disregard for human life is incomprehensible.'

If all 90 confessions are confirmed, Little would be the deadliest known US serial killer, surpassing the likes of John Wayne Gacy, Ted Bundy and Green River's Gary Ridgway.

He 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 in 2005, O'Malley said.

The Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Office's Cold Case Unit was able to identify Peyton and Evans as Little's victims and is trying to determine with other law enforcement agencies the identity of the third woman, O'Malley 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.

Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O'Malley said Little has confessed to killing 32-year-old Rose Evans (pictured) in 1991 in Cleveland

Little also confessed to killing 21-year-old Mary Jo Peyton (pictured) in 1984, authorities said

The FBI said Little targeted 'vulnerable women who were often involved in prostitution and addicted to drugs'.

The FBI has been working with federal, state and local agencies to match Little's confessions to unsolved murders across the country.

Ector County District Attorney Bobby Bland in Odessa, Texas, said 50 cold homicide cases have been closed as a result of Little's confessions and that most of the remaining unsolved slayings occurred in California.

'He's talking about things, cases that happened up to 50 years ago, and he's giving details on all these different murders, and none of the statements he's made have proven to be false.'

Little was convicted in California of three slayings in 2013 and pleaded guilty to another killing last year in Texas, where he's currently incarcerated.

In December 2018, it was reported that Little pleaded guilty to the 1994 murder of Denise Christie Brothers in Odessa - the case that initially led to his extradition to Texas and spurred him to confess.

Little was convicted in California of three slayings in 2013. In November 2018, the Marion County, Florida Sheriff's Office closed the cold case of the 1982 homicide of Rosie Hill (left and right), 20, after Little confessed to that killing

In 2014, Pearl Nelson, 38, (left) held the photo of her mother and victim Audrey Nelson, as she is hugged by Mary Louise Frias, whose Godmother, Guadalupe Apodaca Zambrano was also Little's victim, shortly after he was convicted

At the time, authorities said Little used the confession as a bargaining chip because he wanted to move from the California jail to one in Texas, though they did not give his reasons for wanting the transfer.

In September 2018 Little was transferred to Texas to face trial for Brothers' murder

Authorities also said Little admitted to the Texas murder after Bland agreed to waive the death penalty in that case, a concession made 'to gain his trust,' the prosecutor said.

His murder spree took place across a dozen states. The former boxer also known as Samuel McDowell was first arrested at a homeless shelter in Kentucky in 2012 and extradited to California to face drug charges.

The former boxer also known as Samuel McDowell was first arrested at a homeless shelter in Kentucky in 2012 and extradited to California to face drug charges

Once there, DNA evidence linked him to three cold cases and he was convicted in 2013 of murdering three women in Los Angeles between 1987 and 1989.

All three had been beaten and strangled.

Agents say Little, who uses a wheelchair and is in poor health, will likely remain incarcerated in the state until he dies.

When Little first requested his transfer he only mentioned the Brothers murder, but his attitude changed after he met Texas Ranger James Holland, who was dispatched to extract the confession.

The two men formed an unlikely bond and what followed were a series of near-daily admissions in which Little often recalled the exact car he was driving during the murder, and even sketched some of the victims.

Little usually stunned or knocked out his victims with powerful punches before he strangled them while masturbating.

'With no stab marks or bullet wounds, many of these deaths were not classified as homicides but attributed to drug overdoses, accidents, or natural causes,' the FBI said in a statement in November 2018.

That, coupled with queries over the dates, means it is proving difficult to connect Little to some of the killings.

In the case of the 1972 murder of an unidentified Jane Doe, Little described the signs he saw, the dirt roads he drove and the U-turn he took, and then explicitly pinpointed the spot where he left the woman's body, all of which was on point with what police knew about the murder site.

'The FBI is working with the Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance, the Texas Rangers, and dozens of state and local agencies to match Little's confessions with evidence from women who turned up dead in states from California to Florida between 1970 and 2005,' the report read.

Little grew up in Ohio, dropped out of high school and lived a 'nomadic life,' shoplifting or stealing to buy alcohol and drugs, the FBI said. His criminal record dates back to 1956 with arrests for shoplifting, fraud, drugs and breaking and entering

'Little's run-ins with the law date back to 1956, and there are clear signs of a dark, violent streak among his many shoplifting, fraud, drug, solicitation, and breaking and entering charges. But law enforcement has only recently begun unraveling the true extent of his crimes.'

In one murder confession of a 20-year-old Florida woman, Little told an investigator 'God put him on this earth to do it.'

During the course of an interview in May 2018, Little 'went through city and state and gave Ranger Holland the number of people he killed in each place,' FBI crime analyst Christina Palazzolo said.

'Jackson, Mississippi - one; Cincinnati, Ohio - one; Phoenix, Arizona - three; Las Vegas, Nevada-one...' Palazzolo said.

On November 15, the Marion County, Florida Sheriff's Office closed the cold case of the 1982 homicide of Rosie Hill, 20, after Little also confessed to that killing, the agency announced in a Facebook post.

Prior to Little's confessions, the deadliest known US serial killer was believed to be Gary Ridgway, the so-called 'Green River Killer' convicted of 49 murders who is serving a life sentence in Washington state.

Little grew up in Ohio, dropped out of high school and lived a 'nomadic life,' shoplifting or stealing to buy alcohol and drugs, the FBI said.

His criminal record dates back to 1956 with arrests for shoplifting, fraud, drugs and breaking and entering.

He was accused of murdering women in Mississippi and Florida in the early 1980s but was not convicted.Ann Widdecombe has been accused of stirring up 'poisonous bigotry' by fellow politicians following a controversial TV interview where she said that science could one day explain homosexuality.

The fiery Brexit Party MEP was being quizzed over historic remarks she had made regarding gay conversion therapy which she then tried to justify.

She said: 'The fact that we think it is now quite impossible for people to switch sexuality doesn't mean that science might not be able to produce an answer at some stage.'

The ex-Tory minister - who defected to Nigel Farage's new hardline party last month - has come under fire for her 'sick' remarks from fellow politicians.

Scroll down for video

Ann Widdecombe's controversial TV appearance has sparked a furious backlash from fellow politicians after she said that science could one day explain homosexuality

The fiery Brexit Party MEP was being quizzed over historic remarks she had made regarding gay conversion therapy which she then tried to justify

Sadiq Khan was the most high profile figure to condemn Widdecombe's 'bigoted' comments.

The Mayor of London tweeted: 'She may have changed her party, but she hasn't changed her stripes.

'Ann Widdecombe is still peddling homophobic, bigoted, anti-LGBT and anti-science nonsense.'

Social media erupted today as several MPs also piled in to hit out at the former shadow home secretary, including Independent Nick Boles, who entered a civil partnership in 2011.

The Granthom and Stanford MP tweeted: 'If only science could produce an answer to the blight of poisonous bigotry that is Ann Widdecombe.'

She said: 'The fact that we think it is now quite impossible for people to switch sexuality doesn't mean that science might not be able to produce an answer at some stage'

And Labour's Luke Pollard wrote: 'Utterly ashamed to be represented by this vile woman. Being gay isn't a disease to be cured. Ann Widdecombe is continuing her sick anti-LGBT campaign.

Widdecomb was elected to represent the South West in the European Parliament as part of the Brexit Party wave which swept to victory in last week's vote.

Speaking to Sky's Sophy Ridge on Sunday this morning, she said: 'I also pointed out that there was a time when we thought it was quite impossible for men to become women and vice versa and the fact that we now think it is quite impossible for people to switch sexuality doesn't mean that science may not be able to produce an answer at some stage.'

Sadiq Khan was the most high profile figure to condemn Widdecombe's 'bigoted' comments

'I don't know and I've never claimed - and this is where I am misrepresented quite often - I've never claimed that such science already exists, I've never claimed that.

'I've merely said that if you simply rule out the possibility of it, you are denying people who are confused about their sexuality or discontented with it, the chances that you do give to people who want to change gender.

'Now that's all I've said. I do not imagine for one moment that the Brexit Party will be putting forward a policy on gay sex changes in its manifesto.'Marine Veteran and 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Seth Moulton brought mental health and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in U.S. veterans to the forefront of his campaign.

The Massachusetts representative described his time serving and his experience with PTSD after returning home after four tours in Iraq  specifically after seeing children wounded in the war-torn country.

'I admit, this is a place where I did not have the courage to share my own story, because I was afraid of the political consequences,' Moulton told CNN's Jake Tapper in an interview that aired during State of the Union on Sunday morning.

He is just one of the 24 Democratic candidates running for president in 2020, and usually doesn't even poll within the top half of candidates among likely Democratic primary voters.

Presidential candidate Seth Moulton said he didn't talk a lot about suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder because he was 'afraid' of the 'political consequences'

Moulton is a Marine veteran and he spoke to CNN in an interview about his experience with PTSD after serving four tours in Iraq  specifically after seeing wounded children in the war-torn country

Moulton detailed an experience in the interview where he made the decision to leave a wounded Iraqi boy behind, a decision he says haunts him to this day and contributed to his mental illness.

'The Marines just a few hundred yards ahead of us shot up some cars and buses that they thought were full of enemy troops. But at least one car was an Iraqi family, just fleeing the violence,' the presidential candidate recalled.

'There is a boy, probably about five years old, lying in the middle of the road, wounded and writhing in pain,' he continued. 'At that moment, I made one of the most difficult decisions of my entire life, which was to drive around that boy and keep pressing the attack because the stop would have stopped the entire battalion's advance.'

'It would have endangered the lives of dozens, if not hundreds, of Marines,' he said. 'But there is nothing I wanted to do more at that moment than just get out of my armored vehicle and help that little kid.'

The veteran said he thought about that particular instances all the time after completing his last tour and being discharged.

'There was a time when I got back from the war when I couldn't get through a day without thinking about that 5-year-old boy, leaving him in the middle of the road,' Moulton opened up. 'I'll remember his face until the day that I die.'

Even though he admitted to suffering from PTS, Moulton says he has gained back control of his life by seeing a therapist.

The Massachusetts congressman is a long-shot candidate who doesn't even rank in the top 12 in most polls and has not yet qualified for the Democratic debates in June and July

'After I got back from the war, there were times when I woke up with cold sweats when I had had flashbacks, have bad dreams,' he said. 'I decided to go talk to someone to see a therapist. And now those issues are under control. Now I control when I want to think about these things.'

'They're still very emotional,' he conceded. 'They'll stay with me for the rest of my life. But I have a handle on them.'

Last week, Moulton unveiled a plan that would improve mental health coverage ahead of a multi-day veterans mental health tour where he made stops in his home state, South Carolina and Nevada.

The plan includes making mental health checks for active duty military and veteran the same as a routine physical check ups.

The plan also proposes doubling the number of Defense Department health professionals and increase the budget by $500 million for those suffering from mental health issues.

The funding also would create yearly mental health screenings for all high school students and establish a new National Mental Health Crisis Hotline for veteran and civilian use.

At this point in the election cycle, it's not likely Moulton will win the primaries as he has still not qualified for the first two Democratic debates in June and July.

To participate in the first round of debates the Democratic National Committee set the polling threshold at 1 per cent in at least four of the major qualifying polls. To qualify by fundraising, the candidate must hit 35,000 donors with at least 200 unique donors from 20 different states.

The DNC capped the first two debates at 20 participants, and currently 17 qualify.

Despite the unlikely shot at president, Moulton is bringing the issue of mental illness  particularly in veterans  to the spotlight when it's not usually one of the bigger issues in campaigns.Google experienced several major technical problems Sunday that left YouTube down for many users in the US, South America and Europe.

The Alphabet-owned search engine company said its tech troubles began at 12.25pm on Sunday. YouTube's was first reported down at 2.50pm, according to downdetector.com.

YouTube, Google Cloud and G Suite services including Gmail were affected, but Google said it believes it has identified the cause of the issue in its cloud network.

Some users also said they were having issues with third-party sites and applications including Snapchat, Pokemon Go, Uber, Uber Eats, Vimeo and Discord.

You-Tube crashed Sunday afternoon and remained down for more than an hour before the site restored service around 4.40pm

Users who visited YouTube's homepage were only able to view a blank screen

The outage mainly affected users in the US northeast, but problems were also reported along the west coast near California, in Europe and South America

Some users were gifted with grayed out video recommendation graphics in addition to the menu tabs column

The platform's tech team said it was experiencing a 'cloud networking issue,' and 'a multi-region issue'.

'We are experiencing high levels of network congestion in the eastern USA, affecting multiple service in Google Cloud, GSuite and YouTube,' the company said.

'Users may see slow performance or intermittent errors. We believe we have identified the root cause of the congestion and expect to return to normal service shortly,' the statement concluded.

#YouTubeDOWN ranked first among trending topics in the US Sunday afternoon.

Instead of seeing the usual menu of recommended videos, users who visited the YouTube homepage were gifted with a blank screen.

Most of the outages were reported along the US northeast coast, but many users in southern California, South America and Europe reported the site being down as well.

Users reported YouTube being back online after about two hours.

Twitter users were quick to drag YouTube for crashing.

'Is #YouTubeDOWN because its [sic] the sabbath and they are all good Christians in church?' YouTuber Tim Pool tweeted.

'YouTubeDOWN i need to watch my kpop videos' Twitter user @Angie88835471 said.Michael Goves Tory leadership campaign appeared to be building momentum last night despite Brexiteer fury over his No Deal stance.

The Environment Secretary now has the declared support of 26 MPs  three more than his nearest rival Boris Johnson.

Mr Gove has yet to publicly set out his Brexit strategy but sources made clear yesterday that he believed a chaotic No Deal could let Jeremy Corbyn into No 10.

Environment Secretary Michael Gove (left) now has the declared support of 26 MPs in the Conservative Party leadership race  three more than his nearest rival Boris Johnson (right)

His campaign team played down reports that he would not take Britain out of the EU before late 2020, saying he was committed to leaving at the earliest possible opportunity.

However, one source said that going for No Deal before Britain was ready could, in Mr Goves view, have disastrous consequences.

That triggered a backlash yesterday as Brexiteers, including Priti Patel and Iain Duncan Smith, warned against any kind of extension beyond October 31.

But Mr Goves camp appeared to shrug off the row as he received the backing of former education secretary Nicky Morgan, following an endorsement by Cabinet minister Mel Stride.

Amber Rudd, the Work and Pensions Secretary, was also said to be on the brink of supporting Mr Gove after talks with ex-foreign secretary Mr Johnson foundered over his support for No Deal. Yesterday, it was claimed Mr Gove had told Cabinet colleagues he wanted the UK to leave the EU by late 2020 to avoid a catastrophic No Deal Brexit.

One campaign source played down that suggestion but said it was true that Mr Gove believed there were substantial risks in going for a No Deal scenario before Britain was ready.

Amber Rudd, the Work and Pensions Secretary, is said to be on the brink of supporting Mr Gove

Michael is ready to deliver Brexit at the earliest possible opportunity, the source said. Simply trying to go for a No Deal before the UK is properly prepared will lead to a general election with Jeremy Corbyn in Downing Street and risks Brexit being cancelled altogether.

These are the most complex negotiations in our peacetime history. Its not enough to believe in Brexit  youve got to be able to deliver it.

Former international development secretary Miss Patel was among Mr Goves critics yesterday, saying delaying Brexit beyond October 31 would betray voters.

She said: The British people voted to take back control and for Britain to be free, independent and self-governing. They did not vote for a political class to continue to betray them. Their lack of confidence in our country and trust in our people is astonishing as they continue to seek the comfort of the EU making our laws rather than making the decisions themselves.

Former Tory leader Mr Duncan Smith criticised all candidates considering an extension, tweeting: Any Tory who wont take us out of the EU by October 31 doesnt deserve to be PM.

Yesterday Mr Gove attracted the support of Mrs Morgan, who was education secretary until her sacking by Theresa May when she became Prime Minister in 2016. Mr Gove was ready to bring some reality to the debate and would deliver on Brexit, she told the BBC.

The Remain supporter said: I think that Michael  based on his Cabinet experience [and] the fact that he led the Vote Leave campaign  is ready to lead and to bring some reality to this debate but also to deliver on Brexit, which is what we need to see happen.

Mr Gove leaving his West Kensington home to go for a morning run

At the weekend Mr Stride, the Leader of the Commons, also backed Mr Gove, saying: He is the person who in Government has demonstrated the grip, the ideas, the vision to get so many things done as the outstanding minister of his time.

Rumours that Miss Rudd was set to back Mr Gove were sparked on Friday when she shared a photo of the pair at the beach. The Remain-backing Work and Pensions Secretary said she was thrilled Mr Gove had supported her campaign by designating Beachy Head East a conservation zone.

Yesterday it emerged that she had held talks with Mr Johnson the night before  but they had collapsed after he refused to ditch his plans to pursue No Deal.

Allies said Miss Rudd was now likely to back Health Secretary Matt Hancock in the first round of the contest. If he is knocked out, she would shift to Mr Gove.

And although he threw his weight behind International Development Secretary Rory Stewart, Justice Secretary David Gauke suggested he would vote for Mr Gove later in the contest if Mr Stewart is eliminated. I have a very high opinion of Michael, Mr Gauke said.

Last night, Mr Johnson was expected to launch his education policy. He also gained the support of Liz Truss, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury.Two American climbers have been pictured as the search for their party of eight mountaineers continued for a second day on Sunday.

Searches have been taking place in a bid to find the missing group which include 63-year-old Anthony Sudekum from Missouri and Ronald Beimel, 34, from Los Angeles.

The alarm was first raised on Friday morning but hopes are fading fast and Indian rescuers say the chances of finding them at all in the Himalayas are 'bleak'.

Ronald Beimel, 34, is one of two Americans missing in a group of eight following an avalanche

American, Anthony Sudekum, 63, pictured, from Missouri was in the group that had been led up a 25,000 ft trail

Two Indian air force helicopters were searching the mountains, but officials said the operation had to be suspended due to unfavorable conditions.

The rescue effort for the climbers  the two from the United States, four from Britain and one each from Australia and India  began on Saturday when they did not return to their base camp on Friday.

The climbers went missing on the Indian side of the Himalayas near the end of a climbing season that has been particularly deadly.

The casualty rate in the region is almost five times higher than on Mount Everest and it may still take several days to trek to the avalanche-hit area where they climbers were last known to have been according to NBC News.

A Facebook post from their second base camp, at 16,000 feet, said the group were going to try to scale a previously unclimbed peak

The first helicopter mission of the day on Saturday spotted tents but no human presence.

The second aerial mission on Sunday ended after tracing the climbers 'last-known location and footmarks' on the other side of the Nanda Devi East Peak.

'Chances of survival are bleak,' said Vijay Kumar Jogdande, the top civil servant in the Pithoragarh district of India's rugged state of Uttarakhand.

'The route is extremely dangerous and risky. There have been multiple avalanches on the route,' Jogdande said.

The district magistrates's office in the area has identified the eight missing as Martin Moran who was leading the expedition, John Mclaren, Rupert Whewell and Richard Payne all from Britain, Anthony Sudekum and Ronald Beimel from the United States, Ruth McCance from Australia, and Chetan Pandey of the Indian Mountaineering Foundation.

British mountaineer and group leader Martin Moran (left) has been reported missing after his team didn't return to base camp on Friday at Nanda Devi, India's second highest mountain. (Pictured) Friend of 20 years Nigel Vardy who said Mr Moran is an 'experienced climber'

Ruth McCance, from Sydney, and seven other climbers failed to return to base camp at Nanda Devi, the second highest mountain in India

The team had trekked into the heart of the Nanda Devi region with the 'ambition of summiting a virgin peak', British adventure company Moran Mountain, which ran the expedition, said in a Facebook post.

Moran was leading the group in an attempting to reach the top of an unclimbed summit in a remote area.

While his family said it was 'not entirely clear' what had happened to the group - which included another three British climbers - they said there was 'clear evidence that a sizeable avalanche had occurred on the mountain'.

Mr Moran has been a mountain guide since 1985 and set up his company Moran Mountain, which is based in Strathcarron in the Highlands, together with his wife Joy - with the couple's grown up children Hazel and Alex both also working with the family business.

The group, which is led by experienced UK-based climber Martin Moran, last shared updates to social media on May 22. 'The Nanda Devi team has reached their second base camp at 4870m, their home for the next week,' the update said

Ms McCance's group includes three men from the UK, two American men and an Indian guide

In a statement, the Moran family said: 'We are deeply saddened by the tragic events unfolding in the Nanda Devi region of the Indian Himalayas.

'As a family, we share the same emotions that all next of kin are experiencing in not knowing the whereabouts or well-being of those closest to us.'

Academic Richard Payne from the University of York is also believed to be among the group of missing climbers.

The university said it was 'extremely concerned for his safety', adding: 'Our thoughts are with his family, friends and colleagues at this difficult time.'

The Moran family said the climbing group 'had set out to attempt an unclimbed, unnamed summit, Peak 6477m, and the last contact intimated that all was well'.

They added: 'It is not entirely clear what happened from this point onwards or indeed the timeline of events.

A spokesperson from The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade told Daily Mail Australia they are in communication with the family of an Australian

'We do know that a British mountain guide who was in the area leading a trekking group, as part of the same expedition, was informed that the climbing group had not returned to base camp as expected.

'He immediately went on the mountain to search for the missing climbers.

'There was clear evidence that a sizeable avalanche had occurred on the mountain and it seemed to be on or very near the route that would be taken by the climbing group.

'The mountain guide gave instructions to base camp to alert rescue authorities. The alarm was raised early on Friday morning, May 31.'

The Morans said they were 'grateful to the Indian Mountaineering Foundation who are coordinating search and rescue efforts on the ground and in the air under extremely difficult conditions in a very remote area of the Himalayas'.

'We are pressing for the search area to be widened and continued until such time as firm evidence is found to ascertain the well-being or otherwise of all those in the climbing group.'

At Mount Everest, where queuing chaos has been blamed for fatalities, 11 climbers lost their lives 13 days. Pictured: Climbers queue to stand on the summit of Everest on May 22

Climber Nigel Vardy, who has known Mr Moran for 20 years, described him as 'an absolute professional and genuinely a really, really nice guy'.

He said: 'Martin is a fantastic guy but if the weather and the conditions are not with you, then no matter how skilled you are the mountain is going to have its way.'

Mark Charlton, president of the British Association of Mountain Guides (BMG), said in a post on the organisation's Facebook page that Mr Moran had been leading six clients and an Indian national.

'The BMG is assisting where possible and is in contact with the Indian authorities,' he said.

'At the moment this is all the information we have as communication is very difficult.'

A spokeswoman for the Foreign Office said: 'We are in contact with the Indian authorities following reports that a number of British nationals are missing in the Indian Himalayas.

'We will do all we can to assist any British people who need our help.'A radical seek and destroy treatment could extend the lives of thousands of men with advanced prostate cancer.

The approach  described by experts as game changing  uses high-tech molecules to track down tumours anywhere in the body and blast them with a radioactive payload.

The breakthrough PSMA radiotherapy treatment became available privately in Britain for the first time last week  with two men already treated.

Thousands more are expected to benefit if global trials currently under way come back with positive results, providing the key to NHS approval.

The breakthrough PSMA radiotherapy treatment became available privately in Britain for the first time last week  with two men already treated

Experts at the American Society of Clinical Oncology congress in Chicago said the treatment provided hope for men for whom all other options had run out. Without it they are simply referred for palliative end-of-life care.

Considered the most promising new treatment for prostate cancer in 15 years, it could benefit at least 5,000 men a year if made available on the NHS.

Australian oncologist Arun Azad, who is testing the treatment on 200 men in one of ten trials taking place around the world, said: It is potentially game changing.

If the results are positive, it really will change the landscape of how we treat prostate cancer.

Man, 77, who became first prostate cancer patient in UK to be given the 'seek and destroy' treatment hails it as 'fantastic' When Hans Schaupp was diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer seven years ago, he was determined to carry on living life to the full. Im still working and running my business, said the 77-year-old, who has an equestrian equipment company which he runs from his home near Liphook, Hampshire. Hans Schaupp, 77, was diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer seven years ago Just over a week ago, Mr Schaupp, left, became the first person in the UK to be treated with the seek and destroy radiotherapy treatment called PSMA. It was fantastic, he said. Because it is targeted it makes so much more sense. Rather than poisoning your whole body with chemotherapy it goes straight to the tumours. I feel absolutely perfect. No side effects, nothing. Mr Schaupp, whose treatment is partially funded by his BUPA insurance, said: If it works then great. It really is a fantastic treatment and it is marvellous that it is now available here. Advertisement

Dr Azad, associate professor at the Peter Mac Cancer Centre in Melbourne, said about half of the 10,000 men diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer in Britain each year might benefit from the treatment.

And eventually he wants to give it to patients at an earlier stage of the disease  potentially opening it up to thousands more men.

The Daily Mail is campaigning for an urgent improvement of prostate cancer treatments and diagnosis, which are lagging years behind other diseases such as breast cancer. Despite rapid advances in other cancer types, which have resulted in falling death rates, the prostate figure is going up, with 11,800 men in Britain dying each year to the disease.

Some 15,000 men with prostate cancer receive traditional radiotherapy every year. But that type of radiotherapy is used for only early, low-risk disease  when the cancer is still confined within the prostate  and it comes with severe side effects because it also radiates healthy tissue.

Once the cancer has left the prostate it spreads throughout the body, making it impossible to treat with external radiation.

The new treatment targets a protein on the surface of prostate cancer cells called PSMA, or prostate-specific membrane antigen.

The treatment contains a molecule, known as PSMA-617, which seeks out and binds to PSMA. The molecule also carries a payload  a nuclear isotope called Lutetium-177  which delivers a powerful blast of radiotherapy.

Crucially, the radiotherapy travels only 1mm  ensuring only prostate cells are damaged and healthy tissue is spared.

Professor Johann de Bono of the Institute of Cancer Research in London, who is co-leading another study of PSMA radiotherapy, said: It is a huge deal. It is one of the next big things.

A pilot study of 50 men in Australia has shown the treatment extends the life expectancy of men with advanced prostate cancer from nine months to an average of 13.3 months. But a fifth of patients responded extremely well  and were still alive after 33 months.

Paul Villanti, of the Movember cancer foundation, which is funding several trials, said: PSMA is one of the most exciting areas in prostate cancer research. It gives us the ability to find and destroy cancer.

Australian company Genesis Care has started offering the treatment at its clinic in Windsor. Most men get between two and six treatments, spaced out every six weeks. Privately, it costs 12,000 to 13,000 per treatment.

Thousands more are expected to benefit if global trials currently under way come back with positive results, providing the key to NHS approval. Stock pictureTheresa May is facing humiliation over her Huawei stance today after Donald Trump demanded the Chinese firm be barred from involvement in the 5G network.

After the US president warned transatlantic security cooperation could be at risk, two of the Tory leadership favourites voiced doubts about the company being involved in the huge project.

Jeremy Hunt and Sajid Javid signalled they are ready to U-turn on the policy if they take over from Mrs May this summer.

Mr Trump has made clear he intends to push Mrs May to tear up the plan during his three-day state visit. Downing Street is braced for a bruising round of talks - with the PM's power ebbing quickly after she announced her resignation.

Mr Trump warned ministers to 'be very careful' and to seek 'alternatives' to Huawei. He could confront publicly confront Mrs May over the issue in a press conference at No10 tomorrow unless she drops the plan.

The US ambassador to Britain also warned there would be consequences for trans-Atlantic intelligence sharing if ministers did not reverse the outgoing Prime Minister's controversial decision.

Mr Javid told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show he would scrap the Huawei deal if he becomes prime minister

Foreign Secretary Mr Hunt warned of buying telecom products 'from a specific country' that may be a 'backdoor to espionage'

As Mr Trump arrived for what promises to be a dramatic state visit:

The President's ambassador triggered a ferocious backlash after suggesting America would want access to the NHS as part of any post-Brexit trade deal;

Brexiteers, including Esther McVey, backed Mr Trump's advice to go for a No Deal departure from the EU;

It was expected the President will try to find time to meet both Boris Johnson and Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage;

Labour was accused of putting the trans-Atlantic 'special relationship' at risk with its 'disgraceful anti-Americanism';

A raft of senior Labour MPs were preparing to lead up to 250,000 anti-Trump protesters in this week's mass demonstration;

Mr Trump denied calling the Duchess of Sussex 'nasty' in response to alleged past criticisms.

Mr Hunt said the UK would make its own decision on whether to use Huawei, but said the UK 'wouldn't take any decisions that affected our intelligence-sharing relationship' with the US.

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'We will decide what is right in the British national interest and, in reality, we will always make sure that intelligence sharing is done in the most secure channels.'

Last night, Home Secretary Mr Javid suggested he would scrap the Huawei deal if he becomes prime minister.

Mr Hunt said: 'We have to look at the technical issues which are around whether buying products from a specific country could be a backdoor to espionage'

In an interview on the eve of his visit, Mr Trump called on Britain to seek 'alternatives' to Huawei.

US officials believe the Chinese government is using the technology giant to spy on Western countries.

Asked what the consequences would be if the UK presses ahead with the deal, US ambassador Woody Johnson said: 'I think, to be determined.'

Mr Javid told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show he would scrap the Huawei deal if he becomes prime minister.

He said: 'I would not want any company, whichever country it's from, that has a high degree of control by a foreign government, to have access to our very sensitive tech communications.'

And Mr Hunt said: 'We have to look at the technical issues which are around whether buying products from a specific country could be a backdoor to espionage.

'And we have to ask as Western countries whether it's wise to allow one country to have such a commanding monopoly in the technologies that we're  all of us  going to be depending on.'

The Home Secretary is vying to replace Theresa May as Tory leader and Prime Minister

Defence Secretary Penny Mordaunt  seen by many as a potential leadership candidate  also expressed her concerns, saying: 'There are vulnerabilities with just having one supplier, so all nations facing these decisions have to look at the detail, and they have to weigh that up.'

Last week the Mail revealed the close relationship between Mrs May's Government and Huawei.

Since she became Prime Minister, no fewer than 14 ministers have held meetings with officials from the firm.

Last night, in advance of her meeting with Mr Trump, Mrs May spoke of the importance of the intelligence-sharing relationship between the two countries.

'Our security relationship is deeper, broader and more advanced than with anyone else,' she said.

'Through joint military operations, unrivalled intelligence-sharing and our commitment to Nato, our global leadership remains at the heart of international peace and stability.'

Mr Johnson told the BBC that he would 'caution' the British Government to move 'much more slowly' on the Huawei decision.

'I think what you've heard from the President and other members of his staff is concern about the risk of allowing your infrastructure to be built by a country that has a totally different setup than we do,' he said.'

Asked if he wants to see the next prime minister take a different stance, Mr Trump told The Sunday Times: 'You have other alternatives and we have to be very careful from the standpoint of national security. You see that maybe now more than ever before.

Defence Secretary Penny Mordaunt  seen by many as a potential leadership candidate  also expressed her concerns

'National security is so important, so we all have to be very careful together. And the UK understands that very well.'

Tory MP Bob Seely said: 'Donald Trump will read the riot act to our Government over the Chinese tech giant Huawei.

We  and especially the main Conservative leadership contenders  would be well advised to listen.

Let's remember who our real friends are; the US, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and others.

We need to hold off on this decision, think about it, and then say no to Chinese hi-tech in our 5G infrastructure.

'Trade matters, but so do our allies. We don't have to choose between the two.'

A Number 10 source said the Huawei issue was being reviewed and an announcement would be made 'in due course'.A YouTube prankster who tricked a homeless man into eating Oreos filled with toothpaste was sentenced to 15 months in prison by a Spanish court on Friday.

A Barcelona court ordered Kanghua Ren to also pay $22,300 in compensation.

Since he is a first-time offender, Spanish law usually suspends prison time for those sentenced to less than two years, according to The New York Times.

The court, however, did order Ren's social media accounts on YouTube and other platforms to be suspended for five years.

Ren, who video blogs as RetSet, filmed himself in January 2017 replacing the white filling in a whole packet of the biscuits with toothpaste and re-packaging it.

YouTube prankster Kanghua Ren, 21, who tricked a homeless man into eating Oreos filled with toothpaste in January 2017, was sentenced to 15 months in prison and was ordered to pay restitution

The then-19-year-old gave the Oreos to a homeless man named Gheorge L (pictured) he found on the streets of Barcelona in January 2017

The then-19-year-old then gave them to a homeless man named Gheorge L he found on the streets of Barcelona.

Gheorge, 53, said he felt sick and threw up five minutes after eating them, and feared for his life as he didn't know RetSet or what was in them.

'Maybe I've gone a bit far, but look at the positive side: This will help him clean his teeth. I think he hasn't cleaned them since he became poor,' RetSet joked in the video.

RetSet earned $2,200 in advertising revenue through his channel that has more than a million subscribers, according to court documents seen by El Pais.

RetSet filmed himself scraping off the filling inside a packet or Oreos for the prank

He then squeezed toothpaste on them to mimic to filling, put them back together, and re-sealed them in their packaging

The blogger was charged with a 'crime against moral integrity' with prosecutors initially seeking a two-year jail term and restitution to Gheorge.

After facing backlash from his viewers, RetSet went back to Gheorge in another video to see how he liked the toothpaste-filled Oreos.

'People exaggerate over jokes in the street (played) on a beggar, when surely if it's done to a normal person they wouldn't say anything,' he said.

He intended to spend a night on the street with the homeless Romanian man but a witness called police.

RetSet later deleted the videos and offered Gheorge about $380 to keep quiet so he could 're-establish his image' and 'ingratiate himself with public opinion'.

The blogger was also ordered off of social media platforms, including YouTube, for five years

Gheorge said no one had ever treated him so badly in all the time he had lived on the street.

RetSet filled sandwiches with cat feces and fed them to schoolchildren and elderly people in another sick prank, the court heard.

He defended himself in court, saying: 'I do things to mount a show: People like what is morbid.'

'This was not an isolated act,' the judge, Rosa Aragones, said when handing down her verdict.

According to Spanish media, Ren was born in China, but grew up in Barcelona.Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton has taken a stab at Kristina Keneally after she backtracked on her stance on asylum seekers who arrive in Australia by boat.

Mr Dutton slammed Labor's new home affairs spokeswoman because she claimed she supported turning asylum seeker boats around and offshore processing - despite labelling both as 'cruel' in the past.

'Its not for me to offer KK advice, but it might be a good idea to get a security briefing from the Dept before she makes any more embarrassing statements or policy on the run,' he tweeted on Sunday about Senator Keneally.

The former NSW premier and said that offshore processing would remain a key element of Labor's asylum seeker policy.

Mr Dutton took to Twitter on Sunday to slam Senator Keneally (pictured) after she voiced support for boat turnbacks and offshore detention, despite labelling them 'cruel' in the past

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton (pictured) has taken a stab at Kristina Keneally after claims she has walked back on her stance on asylum seekers

'It ensures that we are clear: if you come here by boat you will not be settled in Australia,' Senator Keneally said.

The 50-year-old had previously expressed her dislike at boat turnbacks and even called for a royal commission into the treatment of asylum seekers in a series of Guardian Australia columns.

In a July 2015 opinion piece, Senator Keneally wrote that turning back the boats went against Australian values.

'Such action dishonours our past commitments to compassionate welcome and violates our international treaty obligations.'

In a February 2015 column, she put out a call for a royal commission into asylum seekers and offshore detention.

The comment followed after the Australian Human Rights Commissions report into the offshore processing of children.

Then in a January 2017 column, Senator Keneally suggested then-prime minister Malcolm Turnbull bring refugees to Australia over doubts of a US and Australia refugee swap deal.

At the time, the US agreed to take in asylum seekers intercepted at sea, and in turn, Australia would accept asylum seekers being held at the US naval base Guantamo Bay.

'There is a solution to [Malcolm] Turnbulls Nauru and Manus Island problem that doesnt depend on the whims of an idiotic and unpredictable US president: bring the refugees to Australia,' Senator Keneally wrote.

She has since defended her previous stance and said she is not opposed to boat turnbacks, The Australian reported.

'Lets be clear, Labor fully supports boat turnbacks when safe to do so, regional resettlement and offshore processing.

'Boat turnbacks are an essential part to making sure people dont drown at sea.'

Senator Keneally explained that her opinions on border control had changed since she made the comments.

Mr Dutton took to Twitter to take a stab at Kristina Keneally after she voiced support for boat turnbacks following previous comments where she labelled the policy as 'cruel'

The former NSW premier said that offshore processing would remain a key element of Labor's asylum seeker policy (stock image)

She said she no longer believed a royal commission was necessary as all the children had been moved off Nauru and Manus Island.

She also explained she supported the US and Australia refugee swap agreement and only had reservations about the deal.

'Boat turnbacks looked to be a cruel instrument,' she told The New Daily.

'But the conclusion of that article is actually that it is the right thing to do.

'One, it disrupts the people-smuggling trade and, two it prevents people dying at sea.'

Senator Keneally said she also backed a deal with New Zealand to resettle refugees.

'I would strongly urge the government to sit down as soon as possible with New Zealand  there is a solution that can be reached regarding the special visa class (to ban them from then entering Australia),' she told Daily Telegraph.

Senator Keneally's run-in comes moments after new Labor leader Anthony Albanese unveiled his shadow frontbench.

Mr Albanese has divided his shadow cabinet between 12 men and women, all of whom he says, were given the role based on merit.Sajid Javid admitted yesterday that he had changed his mind on the link between police numbers and crime and pledged to put up to 20,000 more bobbies on the beat.

Last year, the Home Secretary and Tory leadership candidate claimed in a TV interview there was no connection between the rise in crime and a fall in police numbers.

But yesterday he said: What Ive realised is that you do need many more police resources.

Sajid Javid admitted yesterday that he had changed his mind on the link between police numbers and crime and pledged to put up to 20,000 more bobbies on the beat

In an interview with the BBC, Mr Javid also revealed he would scrap Theresa Mays immigration target, set up a 100billion infrastructure fund to boost areas outside London, and consider scrapping the top rate of income tax.

But he refused several times to rule out extending the date that Britain leaves the EU beyond October 31.

At the weekend Mr Javid said he wanted to put an extra 1billion into policing, which would translate into 20,000 more police officers. He described this as a no brainer as it would help counter the surge in crime.

But when challenged on his changing position, he said: Being Home Secretary now for a year, Ive been able to look a lot more at the evidence, speak to a lot more police officers.

Weve seen a significant rise in the last few years in what I would call the more complex crimes. Things like cybercrime, reporting of historic sexual offences, modern slavery.

These are all very, very serious crimes but they are very complex. So what Ive realised is that you do need many more police resources for this.

I knew this for a while, but obviously, you know, if Im not the prime minister I cant make these decisions on what should be the overall spending priorities for a government.

A campaign source said: We recognise that police resources is an issue  we always have.

In an interview with the BBC, Mr Javid also revealed he would scrap Theresa Mays immigration target, set up a 100billion infrastructure fund to boost areas outside London, and consider scrapping the top rate of income tax

This has to be part of a wider programme to give youngsters the chance to see a path away from crime. We are looking to transform education.

Refusing to rule out extending Britains departure from the European Union beyond the end of October, the Home Secretary said he did not want to delay Brexit but admitted Parliament could force his hand.

We are a parliamentary democracy and what weve seen in the last few months is Parliament taking on some extraordinary powers to initiate its own legislation so if its statute, if its the law, I would not break the law if I was prime minister.

When pressed to rule out a further delay to Brexit, he said: I cannot envisage a circumstance where I would want to have an extension.

Mr Javid also announced a new 100billion national infrastructure fund, which will sit outside London with an independent board. Its aim will be to close the regional divides that have opened up in Britain.

It will look at a new national fibre optic network, and consider ways to improve connections between northern cities, including HS3.

He also said he would consider scrapping the top rate of income tax, saying: Im a low tax person. I think [cutting taxes] can pay for itself, it leads to more dynamism in business. If a further cut in the additional rate can raise more taxable revenues that should be looked at.

Mr Javid  the son of a Pakistani bus driver  wants to position himself as someone who can win over traditional Tory supporters and new voters.

My background, my own story allows me to connect in a very special way with the vast, vast majority of the electorate, he told the Sunday Telegraph.The baby boy who was cut from his mother's stomach in a shocking Chicago 'womb raider' attack has breathed without the help of a machine.

Yovani Lopez, who is now six weeks old, was near death when he was ripped from the stomach of his mother, Marlen Ochoa-Lopez, after she was strangled by Clarisa Figueroa on April 23.

Figueroa then pretended to be Yovani's own mother, taking the dying infant to The Advocate Christ Medical Center, as he was struggling to breathe. He was promptly placed in intensive care.

Figueroa was not arrested until May 15, after a DNA test was performed on baby Yovani, who was then reunited with his father, Yovani Lopez Sr.

Yovani Lopez, who is now six weeks old, was near death when he was ripped from the stomach of his mother. He can now breathe without the help of machines. He is pictured in a photo taken several weeks ago.

While it was initially believed that young Yovani would not survive, his slow recovery has been heartwarming news for his distraught family, still grappling with the murder of Ochoa-Lopez.

Late last month, Yovani's family said he was displaying zero brain function but claimed they were praying for a miracle and would not turn off his ventilator.

Speaking on Friday, the attorney for Lopez Sr told ABC Chicago: 'It's still a long way to go for the baby, but the baby is fighting and surviving.'

Meanwhile, the attorney also stated that Lopez Sr and his family have still have concerns about how Figueroa was able to maintain that the baby Yovani was hers for so long.

The hospital is now officially under investigation for not calling police after examining Figueroa brought Yovani to the hospital and they found no signs that she had given birth.

Baby Yovani has been reunited with his father, Yovani Lopez Sr, who is grieving the death of his wife, Marlen Ochoa-Lopez

Marlen Ochoa-Lopez (left) was strangled on April 23, before baby Yovani was ripped from her womb by Clarisa Figueroa (right)

After murdering Ochoa-Lopez on April 23, Figueroa called 911 claiming she had given birth to the boy.

Paramedics and firefighters went to her home, where Ochoa-Lopez's body was stuffed in a trash can in the yard, and took her and the baby to the hospital where she was examined by an OB technician in the Labor and Delivery Section of the hospital, according to prosecutors.

WOMB RAIDER TIMELINE April 23: Marlen Ochoa-Lopez goes to Clarisa Figueroa's house to collect baby clothes and is strangled to death Clarisa takes her unborn baby to the hospital, claiming he is her own, and he is put in the NICU with zero brain function April 24: Marlen's husband reports her missing May 7: Marlen's friends tell Chicago PD about her Facebook contact with Clarisa Figueroa after discovering it. Officers go to her home, find her daughter there, she says she is in the hospital with her new baby. They find Marlen's car near the house and order DNA tests for the baby in hospital. May 8-13: Police order DNA tests and subpoena hospital records May 9: The hospital alerts child services about the police investigation May 15: Marlen's body is found at the home in a trash can. The Figueroas are arrested May 16: The Figueroas are charged Advertisement

Despite having blood on her 'arms, hands and across her face' which belonged to Ochoa-Lopez, and despite not showing any physical signs that she had given birth, neither the police nor the Department of Children and Families was alerted.

In their bond proffer, prosecutors described what happened when she got to the hospital on April 23.

'While at the Labor and Delivery Section at Christ Hospital Defendant was examined but showed no signs consistent with a woman who had just delivered a baby.

'Defendant Figueroa did have blood on her arms, hands and across her face which was from the murder of victim and the removal of the Vs baby.

'The blood was cleaned off by an OB Technician who treated Defendant Clarisa at the hospital,' it read.

For the next several weeks, she pretended the baby was hers and even set up a GoFundMe account to pay for his care.

It was only on May 7, when Ochoa-Lopezs friends, who were still looking for her, alerted police to her Facebook contact with the Figueroa family that the truth beagn to emerge.

Figueroa's daughter and her boyfriend have also been arrested and charged with aiding in the 'womb raider' attack.Barnaby Joyce beamed with joy during his first public appearance since the birth of his second son with partner Vikki Campion.

The New England MP and his former media adviser welcomed baby boy, Thomas Michael Timothy on Saturday night.

The 52-year-old proud dad appeared on Sunrise on Monday morning where he was congratulated over the new addition to his family.

Mr Joyce and Ms Campion had their first son, Sebastian, last year.

'He's still in the hospital and I've got Seb here. Seb was a very good alarm clock this morning. He started kicking the crap out of me at about 6.30am so I can get up and do you guys', he quipped.

When asked how he'll cope with two kids under the age of two plus working in Canberra, Joyce replied: 'It will work.'

Scroll down for video

Barnaby Joyce, 52, and his partner Vikki Campion, 34, (pictured together with their first child Sebastian) have welcomed a second son

The former Nationals leader and his former media adviser remain together even after their affair was exposed in early 2018

The newborn weighed in at just under four kilograms and was 54cm long.

Sebastian was born in April 2018, and Mr Joyce has four daughters from his marriage with now estranged wife Natalie.

Joyce told reporters on Sunday he is 'looking forward to Tom and Seb knocking paint off each other in the backyard'.

The New England MP resigned as deputy prime minister and Nationals leader last February revelations surfaced of his affair with Ms Campion - who was pregnant with his child at the time.

During his resignation, the former Deputy Prime Minister asked that his departure be the 'circuit-breaker' for coverage on his new relationship and unborn son.

'I'd like to say that it's absolutely important, it's incredibly important that there be a circuit-breaker, not just for the parliament but more importantly, a circuit-breaker for Vikki, for my unborn child, my daughters and for Nat', he said.

'This has got to stop. It's not fair on them. It's just completely and utterly unwarranted, the sort of observation that's happened.'

The New England MP resigned as deputy prime minister and Nationals leader in February last year after revelations surfaced of his affair with Ms Campion - who was pregnant with his love child at the time

The politician issued a public apology to his wife and children saying he was 'deeply sorry for all the hurt this has caused'.

He also apologised to his electorate for the 'personal issue' going into the public arena'.

Natalie Joyce later addressed the scandal in a bombshell interview with Women's Weekly, revealing she had confronted her husband's mistress after getting wind of their affair.

'I turned to her and said, ''My husband is out of bounds, off-limits, he's a married man with four children'', and then I called her a home-wrecking wh***. It was not one of my finer moments but, looking back, I'm proud I stood up to her.'

Joyce had been married to now estranged wife Natalie Abberfield for 24 years. The two have four daughters together

Mrs Joyce (pictured with Barnaby and their four daughters Bridgette, Julia, Caroline and Odette) later broke her silence on the scandal revealing she had confronted her husband's mistress after catching wind of their affair

The 49-year-old mother also revealed she and her husband always planned to name their boy Sebastian should they ever have a son.

When the name of their love child was revealed, Ms Joyce said it felt like 'another malicious taunt in a very long line of appalling behaviour'.

She told the publication she decided to break her silence to defend her family's 'fine name'.President Donald Trump's eldest daughter has arrived in London ahead of her father's state and shared a photograph of herself playing tourist at a museum.

Ivanka Trump, 37, posted a photograph of herself outside the Victoria and Albert Museum this afternoon wearing a yellow floral dress from New York sister designers duo Ai Ly and Wayne Lee - aka Les Reveries.

She paired the pure silk-crepe frock that falls to a flattering midi length with blue high heels as she stepped out to see the Mary Quant exhibit of over 200 pieces of clothing and accessories from the British designer.

Ivanka's dress was listed at $655 but is now available for a bargain $458 on Net-a-Porter.

Scroll down for video

Ivanka Trump arrived in the UK today and visited the V&A Museum in Kensington, London

Ivanka Trump boarding flight to London to meet the Queen of England. She will be joining her Father, President Donald Trump, On his State Visit. #Ivanka #London pic.twitter.com/PoMlk9DsvR  Edward Lawrence (@EdwardLawrence) June 2, 2019

The First Daughter was spotted traveling through the airport Saturday in a black ensemble

She stepped out to the Mary Quant Exhibit at the V&A Museum once she arrived in London

Guests to the V&A exhibit can see miniskirts and hot pants, vibrant tights and makeup from the designer.

The V&A, founded in 1852, holds the world's largest collection of applied and decorative arts and design.

Her visit to the museum came after Ivanka was spotted walking through the airport on Saturday pulling her hand luggage while dressed in all-black.

The President, who is known for his love of extravagant decor, has booked an entire floor of the Corinthia Hotel - which has 225 rooms, 51 suites and seven penthouses - in Whitehall Place Westminster. His family and extended entourage will stay there for this week's state visit to Britain.

The US President will be accompanied by wife Melania and four of his five children for the visit, which begins on Monday.

The President and his wife are expected to stay at Winfield House, the US Ambassador's official residence in Regent's Park, but sources say other members of his family will stay at the five-star Corinthia.

Celebrity guests have included Mariah Carey, James Corden and Cuba Gooding Jr.

Trump's visit begins on Monday morning when he will be received by the Queen before three days of meetings and ceremonial pomp which will include a state banquet at Buckingham Palace.

Guests to the V&A exhibit can see miniskirts and hot pants, vibrant tights and makeup

Designer Mary Quant launched a fashion revolution on the British high street. One of her pieces are seen above

The exhibit showcases over 200 garments and accessories, including unseen pieces from the designer's personal archive

Mr Trump and his wife Melania are being given the full red carpet treatment, with the Queen hosting no fewer than four events in tribute to them.

Royal gun salutes will fire in Trump's honor at the Tower of London and in Green Park, while Prince Charles, Prince William, Prince Harry and the Duke of York will be heavily involved too.

The Duchess of Sussex, previously a vocal critic of Donald Trump, will stay at home with baby Archie rather than meet the US President during his state visit to the UK.

The President is due to receive a ceremonial welcome in the garden, inspecting the Guard of Honour, formed of Nijmegen Company Grenadier Guards.

It was arranged for Royal Gun salutes to be fired in Green Park too.

The Queen is also scheduled to host a private lunch at the palace, after which the President and Mrs Ivanka Trump were to view a special exhibition in the Picture Gallery, showcasing items of historical significance to the United States from the Royal Collection.

The President and Mrs Trump, accompanied by the Duke of York, were also set to visit Westminster Abbey where the President would lay a wreath at the Grave of the Unknown Warrior and then have a short tour of the Abbey.

Prince Andrew will accompany Mr Trump for two of the three days of his trip, with officials hoping the Duke can defuse any political problems with conversations about golf, the Sunday Telegraph reported.

Mr Trump is believed to have so far spent over 100 days of his 862-day presidency playing golf while Prince Andrew is qualified to a professional level.

The Corinthia Hotel is one of London's most luxurious hotels, and is expected to be a home away from home for Donald Jr, Ivanka, Eric and Tiffany during their State Visit to the UK this week

The royal-suite penthouse (pictured) costs 22,000 ($27,000) a night, and boasts four bedrooms

The men met 20 years ago at the president's Mar-a-Lago estate and golf course in Palm Springs, Florida, and are already well-acquainted sharing a mutual friend in disgraced millionaire Jeffrey Epstein, who was was jailed on child prostitution charges in 2008.

While the men make polite conversation, hundreds of thousands of activists are preparing to paralyze London with mass demonstrations.

Fears for Mr Trump's safety have meant he will not be involved in a carriage procession down the Mall or the official welcome on Horse Guards Parade - which will instead take place in Buckingham Palace's garden.

More than 20,000 police officers will be deployed at 20 separate protest events planned across the country in a security operation expected to cost about 18million ($22,744,800).

On the itinerary were plans for the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall to host afternoon tea for Trump at Clarence House.

The president's refusal to accept claims of climate change is likely to bring about some debate with Prince of Charles who has championed environmental causes for decades.

Earlier this month Prince Charles said he was prepared for a frank exchange of views with Trump regarding climate change during the US President's State visit to Britain next month, The Mail on Sunday revealed.

According to a source close to the Prince, Charles will be 'very happy' to talk about climate change if the subject is raised by the President.

The source told The Mail on Sunday: 'Climate change is a subject that the Prince has talked about for 40 years and he will look forward to discussing it with the President should it come up. He would be very happy to have the opportunity to talk about it.

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

Full details of Trump's state visit to Britain have now been revealed, including all the royals he will meet over the three days

In the evening on Monday the Queen will give a state banquet at Buckingham Palace. The Queen and Mr Trump will both make speeches at the start of the banquet.

On Tuesday, the President and Prime Minister Theresa May will co-host a business breakfast meeting, attended by The Duke of York, at St Jamess Palace, with senior UK and US business leaders.

Mrs May will then host President Trump and Mrs Trump at 10 Downing Street to hold talks and they will all have lunch together.

President Trump and Mrs May will hold a press conference at 10 Downing Street.

In the evening, The President and Mrs Trump will host a dinner at Winfield House, the residence of the American Ambassador to the UK. The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall will attend the dinner on behalf of the Queen.

On Wednesday, the Trumps will spend the day with the Queen and the Prince of Wales at the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings commemorations in Portsmouth, which will include a fly-past of 25 modern and historical aircraft.

The Queen will formally bid farewell to President Trump and Mrs Trump in Portsmouth in the afternoon.

The President and Mrs Trump will depart on Air Force One later in the day.Claims by the US ambassador that America would want access to the NHS as part of any post-Brexit trade deal prompted a huge backlash last night.

MPs on both sides of the political spectrum criticised Woody Johnson after he said the 'entire economy' would have to be part of any trans-Atlantic free trade agreement.

The row came with President Trump just hours away from arriving in the UK for the official three-day state visit starting today, which will include a banquet at Buckingham Palace. With the US President about to touch down in London:

The Queen and the royal family will greet the US President, who will meet Her Majesty, Charles, William and Harry as well as fellow golf enthusiast the Duke of York during his visit.

Trump waded into the Tory leadership battle by saying in an interview that Boris Johnson would be an 'excellent choice' as leader

The Labour Party was accused of risking the special relationship as senior figures prepare to lead an anti-Trump march on Tuesday

More than 20,000 police officers are gearing up for a security operation expected to cost more than 18million

The President denied he had called the Duchess of Sussex 'nasty' after hearing her past comments about him - despite The Sun having released the audio recording of him saying it

Theresa May prepares for Tuesday's working breakfast with Trump at which serious policy disagreements over the NHS, post-Brexit trade deals, Chinese telecomms giant Huawei, and his history of climate change skepticism are all likely to be on the agenda

Woody Johnson the United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom appeared on The Andrew Marr Show today and said the 'whole economy' would be included in trade talks

TRUMPS' UK STATE VISIT SCHEDULE THIS MORNING, Monday June 3 President Trump and the First Lady arrive in London.

The Queen, joined by the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall, will officially welcome them at Buckingham Palace.

The President will receive a ceremonial welcome in the Buckingham Palace garden and, accompanied by The Prince of Wales, Mr Trump will inspect the Guard of Honour, formed of Nijmegen Company Grenadier Guards. Royal Gun salutes will be fired in Green Park and at the Tower of London. THIS AFTERNOON, Monday June 3 The Queen will host a private lunch at the palace, after which the President and Mrs Trump will view a special exhibition in the Picture Gallery, which will showcase items of historical significance to the United States from the Royal Collection.

The President and Mrs Trump, accompanied by the Duke of York, will visit Westminster Abbey and the President will lay a wreath at the Grave of the Unknown Warrior and then have a short tour of the Abbey.

The President and Mrs Trump will then join the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall for afternoon tea at Clarence House.

In the evening the Queen will give a state banquet at Buckingham Palace. The Queen and Mr Trump will both make speeches at the start of the banquet. TOMORROW MORNING, Tues June 4 The President and Prime Minister Theresa May will co-host a business breakfast meeting, attended by The Duke of York, at St Jamess Palace, with senior UK and US business leaders.

Mrs May will then host President Trump and Mrs Trump at 10 Downing Street to hold talks. They will all have lunch together. TOMORROW AFTERNOON, Tue Jun 4 President Trump and Mrs May will hold a press conference at 10 Downing Street.

In the evening, The President and Mrs Trump will host a dinner at Winfield House, the residence of the American Ambassador to the UK. The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall will attend the dinner on behalf of the Queen. WEDNESDAY MORNING, June 5 The Trumps will spend the day with the Queen and the Prince of Wales at the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings commemorations in Portsmouth, which will include a fly-past of 25 modern and historical aircraft. WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON, June 5 The Queen will formally bid farewell to President Trump and Mrs Trump in Portsmouth.

The President and Mrs Trump will depart on Air Force One later in the day. All times local Advertisement

After his comments about the 'entire economy' being up for negotiation, Ambassador Johnson was asked by Andrew Marr if this included healthcare and replied: 'I would think so.'

Last night Tory leadership contenders joined with Labour in telling the Americans that 'the NHS is not for sale'.

Matt Hancock, the Health Secretary, said: 'My American friends, know this. The NHS is not for sale. Yes we'd love to make it cheaper to buy your life-saving pharmaceuticals  but the NHS will not be on the table in any future trade talks.'

And Labour health spokesman Jonathan Ashworth said: 'The ambassador's comments are terrifying, and show that a real consequence of a No Deal Brexit, followed by a trade deal with Trump, will be our NHS up for sale.

'This absolutely should not be on the table. Nigel Farage and the Tories want to rip apart our publicly funded NHS. Labour will always defend it.'

Mr Johnson said the US was already looking at all the elements of a trade deal 'to get everything lined up so when the time comes'.

'We're going to have a great relationship with your country whatever happens,' he added.

Asked whether healthcare has to be part of the deal, he replied: 'I think probably the entire economy, in a trade deal all things that are traded will be on the table.'

Pressed on whether this includes healthcare, he replied: 'I would think so.'

Mr Johnson added: 'Your national healthcare service is the pride of the country. It's a highly emotionally charged issue.'

Lib Dem leadership candidate Ed Davey said: 'The US ambassador today let the cat out of the bag. Our NHS is indeed up for sale under the Conservatives.'

In an interview with the Sunday Times, President Trump said he would be keen to offer the next PM a trade deal if they head for a No Deal Brexit.

'We have the potential to be an incredible trade partner with the UK,' he said. 'The numbers they can do will be tremendous. We're doing relatively little compared to what we could. I think much bigger than European Union.'

When asked if he thought a trade deal could be concluded within a year, Mr Trump said: 'We could work on it much faster, we could work on it very, very quickly. '

The row over the NHS broke out with just hours to go until Air Force One is due to touch down in London, with the capital decked out to greet the US President with US and UK flags adorning The Mall and a ring of steel erected around the Ambassador's Regent's Park residence.

Prince Andrew will accompany Mr Trump for two of the three days of his trip, with officials hoping the Duke can defuse any political problems with conversations about golf, the Sunday Telegraph reported.

Mr Trump is believed to have so far spent over 100 days of his 862-day presidency playing golf while Prince Andrew is qualified to a professional level.

The men met 20 years ago at the president's Mar-a-Lago estate and golf course in Palm Springs, Florida, and are already well-acquainted sharing a mutual friend in disgraced millionaire Jeffrey Epstein, who was was jailed on child prostitution charges in 2008.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock (left) and shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth (right) both hit back at the remarks

Police officers and Guardsman from the Horse Guards move past U.S. and British flags as they stretch along The Mall towards Buckingham Palace in central London in advance of U.S. President Donald Trump State visit to Britain

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

A family enjoying a picnic in the park today did so up against the ring of steel enclosing the ambassador's residence, where President Trump is expected to stay

While the men make polite conversation, hundreds of thousands of activists are preparing to paralyse London with mass demonstrations.

Fears for Mr Trump's safety have meant he will not be involved in a carriage procession down the Mall or the official welcome on Horse Guards Parade - which will instead take place in Buckingham Palace's garden.

More than 20,000 police officers will be deployed at 20 separate protest events planned across the country in a security operation expected to cost about 18million.

Full details of Trump's state visit to Britain have now been revealed, including all the royals he will meet over the three days

The president's refusal to accept claims of climate change is likely to bring about some debate with the Prince of Wales who has championed environmental causes for decades.

Earlier this month Prince Charles said he was prepared for a frank exchange of views with Trump regarding climate change during the US President's State visit to Britain next month, The Mail on Sunday revealed.

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

According to a source close to the Prince, Charles will be 'very happy' to talk about climate change if the subject is raised by the President.

The source told The Mail on Sunday: 'Climate change is a subject that the Prince has talked about for 40 years and he will look forward to discussing it with the President should it come up. He would be very happy to have the opportunity to talk about it.

Meanwhile 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.'

Mr Trump and his wife Melania are being given the full red carpet treatment, with the Queen hosting four events in tribute to them.

Royal gun salutes will fire in Trump's honour at the Tower of London and in Green Park, while Prince Charles, Prince William, Prince Harry and the Duke of York will be heavily involved too.

The Duchess of Sussex, previously a vocal critic of Donald Trump, will stay at home with baby Archie rather than meet the US President during his state visit to the UK.

The President branded Meghan as 'nasty' after hearing comments she made about him in 2016.

Meghan, who called president Trump 'divisive' and a 'misogynist', will miss a private lunch with the Queen, Prince Harry and the president on Monday.

She is also expected to skip Monday evening's state banquet where members of the royal family will be joined by guests with American links for a lavish white tie dinner.

The ups and downs of the Special Relationship during the May/Trump years Donald Trump's state visit will mark the latest chapter in the US president's turbulent relationship with the UK during the Premiership of Theresa May. Here are some of the key events: The President and Prime Minister walked hand in hand along the Colonnade of the West Wing in January 2017 January 2017: Theresa May becomes the first foreign leader to meet the president for talks just a week after his inauguration and they are pictured in Washington holding hands as they walked. In a joint press conference at the White House, the pair hail the US-UK 'special relationship' and Mrs May says Mr Trump has accepted an invitation from the Queen for the president to make a state visit to Britain later that year. May 2017: A row erupts between the US and British authorities after sensitive information was leaked to American news outlets in the wake of the Manchester Arena terror attack. Two days later, Mrs May says Mr Trump has made it clear the leaks were 'unacceptable'. June 2017: The Prime Minister condemns Mr Trump's Twitter attacks on London Mayor Sadiq Khan after the London Bridge atrocity. Mr Trump had mocked Mr Khan for saying there was 'no reason to be alarmed' over armed police on the streets of the capital. September 2017: Mrs May delivers a rebuke to the US president after he claimed the Parsons Green Tube bomber was 'in the sights' of Scotland Yard. The Prime Minister said: 'I never think it's helpful for anybody to speculate on what is an ongoing investigation.' November 2017: Downing Street and the White House fall out after the president shared an anti-Muslim videos posted online by far-right group Britain First. In response to a Downing Street rebuke, Mr Trump told the Prime Minister 'don't focus on me, focus on the destructive radical Islamic terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom'. Mrs May rebuked the President after he shared this video from a Britain First extremist. He later replied that she should 'focus on the destructive radical Islamic terrorism that is taking place within the the United Kingdom' December 2017: American ambassador Woody Johnson expresses his desire to have the US president at the opening of the country's new embassy on London's South Bank in January. January 2018: The US president says he has cancelled plans to travel to the UK to open the embassy, and hit out at the location of the project. February 2018: Mr Trump uses the NHS as an example of why universal healthcare should not reach US shores, claiming it was 'going broke and not working'. March 2018: The response from Mr Trump is initially ambiguous after Russia is blamed for the nerve agent attack on Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury but the White House later states it 'stands in solidarity' with the UK and joins Western allies in expelling diplomats. May 2018: Mr Trump, defending US gun laws, claimed a London hospital was 'like a war zone' because of the rate of stabbings in the capital. 'They don't have guns, they have knives,' he said. July 2018: The president arrives in the UK for a working visit and immediately lobs a political hand grenade at Mrs May by criticising her approach to Brexit negotiations and lavishing praise on Boris Johnson - saying he would be a 'great prime minister' - just days after the Leave campaigner walked out of her Cabinet. Mr Trump sought to repair the damage after talks at Chequers, saying the 'incredible' Prime Minister and was 'doing a fantastic job'. Mrs May later revealed Mr Trump's advice on negotiating Brexit was to 'sue the EU'. During the visit, Mr Trump was again spotted holding the Prime Minister's hand as they attended a banquet at Blenheim Palace. President Trump praised Boris Johnson - then newly resigned from May's Cabinet - on the even of his 2018 state visit. Pictured: the two men at the UN in 2017 November 2018: Mr Trump says the draft Withdrawal Agreement reached by the UK and EU setting out the terms for Brexit damaged the chances of a UK-US trade deal. March 2019: The president said he was surprised how badly Brexit has been handled and warned that another referendum would be 'unfair'. Speaking during a visit to the White House by Irish premier Leo Varadkar, Mr Trump said 'I'm not sure anybody knows' what was happening with Brexit. May 2019: The president said Mrs May was 'a good woman, she worked hard' after the Prime Minister was forced to set out the timetable for her exit from Number 10. But Mr Trump also suggested he would use his forthcoming visit to the UK to raise allegations that GCHQ was involved in spying on his presidential campaign - something the intelligence agency has dismissed as 'nonsense' and 'utterly ridiculous'. Just days before the visit Mr Trump praised Nigel Farage - whose Brexit Party helped inflict an electoral humiliation on Mrs May's Tories earlier in the same week - and Boris Johnson, frontrunner in the race to replace the Prime Minister. 'They are two very good guys, very interesting people,' he said, describing both men as his 'friends'. Advertisement

Tonight's banquet: Six glasses each, four menus... and 12 pipers By Harry Cole and Charlotte Wace for The Mail on Sunday President Trump and his family will be wined and dined by the Queen and other Royals tonight, along with 170 guests picked for their cultural, diplomatic or economic links to the US, in the opulent Buckingham Palace Ballroom. Former Buckingham Palace chef Darren McGrady described such events as 'military operations', with menus planned months in advance. All food will be the 'best of British' but there is likely to be a nod to Trump's Scottish heritage  with perhaps traditional shortbread or salmon. The exquisite menu served on priceless silver-gilt dinner plates and cutlery from the Grand Service made for George IV, take three days to lay at the vast U-shaped table, each place setting exactly 18in from the next, checked for precision with special measuring sticks. Chefs will have been given some rough guidelines, and then prepared four menus. These will have been given to the Queen, who decides which she wants. The opulent Buckingham Palace Ballroom where President Trump and his family will be wined and dined by the Queen and other Royals tonight The Queen will be seated next to Mr Trump at the top end of the table, along with his wife, Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall. Other Royals will be spread between the guests. Speeches start at 8pm when the Queen and Mr Trump will both formally address the gathering and propose toasts to one another, followed by the playing of the national anthems. President Trump will be accompanied by First Lady Melania and four of his five children  Donald Jnr, Eric, Ivanka and Tiffany A string orchestra usually provides the musical backdrop and the end of the banquet is signalled by the arrival of 12 pipers in a procession around the room, a tradition begun by Queen Victoria. The dress code is white tie and tiaras. Members of the Royal family wear sashes and badges known as orders if they have been given them in recognition of Royal service. The footmen must make sure every chair is exactly the same distance from the table and each glass is the same distance from the front edge of the table. Detailed diagrams are used to illustrate the serving plans and a list of special instructions sets out any dietary requirements and requests for the Royals and other guests. President Trump will be accompanied by First Lady Melania and four of his five children  Donald Jnr, Eric, Ivanka and Tiffany. Just before the banquet, members of the Royal family will be lined up in the White Drawing Room to be introduced and shake hands with Mr Trump and the First Lady. The Queen and the President will then make their way into the Ballroom side-by-side. Nineteen serving stations are set up around the walls of the room, each manned by four staff  each station linked to a traffic light system to co-ordinate the serving of courses The footmen must make sure every chair is exactly the same distance from the table and each glass is the same distance from the front edge of the table Four large silver gilt scallop shell soup tureens (below), each surmounted by a triton blowing a conch shell horn, are some of the most striking pieces in the Grand Service Two silver gilt three-branch candelabra, each cast as a fruiting vine stem, will adorn the table Each guest has six glasses  for water, red and white wines, a champagne toast, a dessert wine and port, all embossed with the Royal crest Advertisement

Chlorine chicken alert: health and safety issues in US poultry farms Serious health and safety issues have been revealed in American chicken plants that want to send meat to Britain following Brexit. Mr Trumps administration insists that Britain would be expected to open its shops to American food, including chlorinated chicken, as part of a free trade deal. The US government, farmers and processors insist their chicken is perfectly safe. However, an undercover investigation at a US processing plant operated by Americas biggest poultry producer, Tyson Foods, has revealed a series of hygiene issues. Chicken will be a major talking point in UK-US trade negotiations Concerns have focused on whether the industry operates to the same environmental standards as in Britain. One key issue has been the use of various washes, some containing chlorine, to disinfect slaughtered chicken. The investigation by Channel 4 Dispatches, to be shown tonight, found piles of chicken on conveyor belts for long periods of time, or stacked in a way that could lead to cross contamination; chicken innards on the floor; blocked drains; and supervisors touching raw chicken with their hands. Ron Spellman, of the European Food and Meat Inspectors Association, said he was surprised at the findings. It would appear that the EU are right  the US are working to much lower standards than weve got. When asked if he thought these were acceptable, he said: Definitely not. Tyson Foods said: Were producing good food thats safe to eat. We have a robust quality and safety programme. Advertisement

The Trumps book an ENTIRE floor at 22,000-a-night five-star London hotel for state visit: Four of the president's children will stay at the Cornithia that offers 200 jetlag-revival treatments and workouts with a Hollywood trainer

By Katie Hind and Mark Hookam for The Mail on Sunday and Andrew Court for DailyMail.com

It's the lavish London hotel favoured by oligarchs and a A-list celebrities where the most opulent suite costs 22,000 ($27,000) a night.

So it is perhaps fitting that Donald Trump, known for his love of extravagant decor, has booked an entire floor of the Corinthia Hotel for his family and extended entourage for this week's state visit to Britain.

The US President will be accompanied by wife Melania and four of his five children for the visit, which begins on Monday.

The President and his wife are expected to stay at Winfield House, the US Ambassador's official residence in Regent's Park, but sources say other members of his family will stay at the five-star Corinthia in Westminster.

The Corinthia Hotel is one of London's most luxurious hotels, and is expected to be a home away from home for Donald Jr, Ivanka, Eric and Tiffany during their State Visit to the UK this week

The Corinthia is located in the heart of London, meaning that the Trump children will be able to take in jaw-dropping views of the historic city

Corinthia (pictured) features two restaurants, including one headed up by Michelin-starred chef Tom Kerridge

The luxurious hotel, which has its own branch of department store Harrods and a huge spa spread over four floors, featured last year in the two-part BBC1 documentary A Hotel For The Super-Rich And Famous.

Trump's children, Donald Jr, 41, Ivanka, 37, Eric, 35, and Tiffany, 25, are all expected to check in to the Corinthia.

The President has reportedly booked out an entire floor for his brood and and their entourage.

It's royal-suite penthouse costs 22,000 ($27,000) a night and boasts four bedrooms, a dining room that seats ten, a full-sized bar stocked with champagne and a bathroom fitted with marble and onyx surfaces.

It's unclear whether the Trumps will stay in that lavish suite, but it features its own private internal lift, meaning they would not have to mingle with members of the public and other guests.

The royal-suite penthouse (pictured) costs 22,000 ($27,000) a night, and boasts four bedrooms

The Trumps are used to the finer things in life, and would no doubt fit right in staying inside the royal-suite penthouse. The suite's dining room is pictured

Pictured: One of the royal-suite penthouse's bathrooms, which is complete with marble and onyx surfaces

In addition to boasting its own private, internal elevator entrance, the royal-suite penthouse also has a balcony with incredible views

However, should the siblings wish to escape their suite, they'll be able to make the most of the Corinthia's opulent amenities.

The hotel features a decadent indoor swimming pool, as well as a lavish spa and wellness center.

One service on offer inside the wellness center is known as 'the jet lag reviver' - a 220 ($280) treatment that includes a scalp massage and body exfoliation, aimed to re-energize the weary traveler.

Should the Trump clan wish to work out during their time in London, they'll be able to employ the services of an elite personal trainer.

A health center at the Corinthia was designed by David Higgins - a trainer who has worked with some of Hollywood's biggest stars, including Margot Robbie and Claudia Schiffer.

The hotel features a decadent indoor swimming pool (pictured) as well as a lavish spa and wellness center

Crystal Moon Lounge, where guests take afternoon tea, is dominated by a huge Baccarat crystal chandelier

The Corinthia boasts several bars and restaurants, featuring some of the most sumptuous food in the United Kingdom

The Trumps have reportedly booked out an entire floor of the luxury five-star hotel. A hotel bedroom is seen above

Meanwhile, the Corinthia boasts some of the finest dining experiences in London, with a number of bars and restaurants located inside the hotel.

Crystal Moon Lounge, where guests take afternoon tea, is dominated by a huge Baccarat crystal chandelier.

Meanwhile, Michelin-starred chef Tom Kerridge last year took over one of the two restaurants, where the most expensive item on the wine-list is a 7,000 ($8,846) bottle of 1982 Petrus.

Celebrity guests have included Mariah Carey, James Corden and Cuba Gooding Jr.

Will.i.am, the Black Eyed Peas star and judge on the The Voice ITV talent show, is also a regular guest, staying for up to ten weeks at a time. Rather than bringing suitcases, he has kept a collection of clothes at the hotel.

For security reasons, the Trump entourage is understood to have reserved all of the rooms across one of the hotel's floors.

Unlike Claridge's or The Ritz, which have been attracting the world's super-rich for decades, the Corinthia, which has 225 rooms, 51 suites and seven penthouses, only opened eight years ago.

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

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

But its building, on a triangular site between Trafalgar Square and the Thames Embankment, has a rich history.

Originally built as the Metropole hotel, the building was leased by the Government as offices in 1936 and used by M19  British military intelligence  during the Second World War. Located close to the Ministry of Defence, it housed defence intelligence staff until 1992.

A spokesman for the Corinthia said: 'As you can appreciate, we do not comment on guest bookings.'

Ring of steel goes up in Regent's Park in face of mass protests

President Trump will be surrounded by a ring of steel this week while he stays at Winfield House, the American Ambassador's London residence.

Workmen were yesterday completing a 6ft security fence around the mansion and its 12-acre garden opposite London Central Mosque in Regent's Park.

One entry gate was quickly plastered with 'Bollocks to Brexit' protest stickers.

Up to 10,000 police officers, many drafted in from provincial forces, will mobilise in the capital to cope with the mass protests expected to accompany the President's state visit.

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

Anti-Trump activists will be allowed within yards of Downing Street when the US President has lunch with Theresa May on Tuesday. Police had banned the protesters from Whitehall, but relented last week to allow the rally as far as the Women's War Memorial, within shouting distance of the Downing Street security gates.

The rest of Whitehall leading to Parliament Square will, however, be closed off.

The Mail on Sunday can reveal that a coalition of Left-wing groups, including Extinction Rebellion activists and a campaign called Milkshakes Against Racism, have formed to protest against Trump and his policies. Some of the groups have a history of being arrested at previous protests.

The movement, organised by the Stop Trump Coalition, is planning a 'carnival of resistance' for 250,000 protesters outside No 10.

Road blocks are assembled around Winfield House in Regent's Park, London, were security measures are being enforced ahead of Donald Trump's arrival

They have threatened to 'bring Central London to a standstill' and follow Mr Trump around the UK to cause maximum disruption.

Last night, the organisers of the Stop Trump Coalition would not rule out breaking the law to get their message across and instead praised tactics used by climate change protesters last month.

'Extinction Rebellion, along with other groups, have done a brilliant job of bringing the climate crisis into the spotlight in the UK,' said a spokesman. The protesters will meet in Trafalgar Square at 11am on Tuesday, where there will be areas themed around the activists' objections to Mr Trump, including migrant's rights, racism and misogyny and climate justice.

One 'bloc' hosted by the charity Global Justice Now will focus on chlorinated chicken, with activists dressed up as chickens in protest. Another will be made up of activists dressed as handmaids from Margaret Atwood's dystopian novel The Handmaid's Tale.

Amnesty International will also unfurl five 'Resist Trump' banners from Vauxhall Bridge, which faces the US embassy.

However, organisers for the Together Against Trump protest are expected to raise the 30,000 needed to fly the Trump baby blimp over London once again.

All the Presidents Ma'am! How the Queen has charmed 13 occupants of the White House (and their wives) and helped to keep the 'special relationship' alive

By Robert Hardman for the Daily Mail

First conceived by Winston Churchill after the end of World War II, it has been at the heart of British foreign policy ever since: our special relationship with the United States.

But no one has done more for this great trans-Atlantic alliance than the woman who has known a staggering 13 occupants of the White House.

Indeed, as I explain in my latest book, Queen Of The World, there is nobody in either Britain or the U.S. who can claim to have met, conversed and dined with 12 serving U.S. Presidents  plus a retired one (Herbert Hoover).

She has hosted most of them, too, and today will welcome Donald Trump at Buckingham Palace. It is their second meeting, yet presidential visits here were few and far between before the invention of the jet engine.

No one has done more for the great trans-Atlantic alliance between the UK than the US than Queen Elizabeth II

The Palace entertained its first U.S. President in 1918, when Woodrow Wilson met George V at the end of World War I. But it would not be until 1961 that another president came through the gates.

That was John F. Kennedy, on a flying visit (The Queen had met Hoover, Truman and Eisenhower by then but JFK was her first palace visitor). He was accompanied by the First Lady, Jackie Kennedy, for a private dinner. The Queen would never see JFK again.

His assassination touched her deeply at the time when she was heavily pregnant with Prince Edward.

Doctors advised her against attending the national memorial service at St Pauls, so she held her own at Windsor and invited 400 U.S. servicemen.

She would take a close personal interest in the Kennedy memorial, erected nearby at Runnymede, and made a stirring speech at its inauguration, saluting a man who championed liberty in an age when its very foundations were being threatened.

Prince Philip held the hand of John Junior  the little boy who moved the whole world by saluting his fathers coffin at the funeral in Washington DC in November 1963.

The Queen has met with 13 sitting US presidents, including John F. Kennedy and his wife Jackie in 1961

Hence the added poignancy when that same four-year-old gave a respectful bow to the Queen.

Britains decision to stay out of the Vietnam War led to a cooling between London and Washington, so the Queens path never crossed that of Kennedys successor, President Lyndon B Johnson.

But it was the Queen who helped soothe any bilateral bruising when she invited Johnsons successor, Richard Nixon, to lunch during his visit to London in 1969.

Both my daughters follow you very closely, the President joked with Prince Charles.

Gerald Ford was in the White House when the Queen crossed the Atlantic to mark the bicentenary of the U.S. Declaration of Independence. It was, though, under President Ronald Reagan that the relationship would be as special as it had been at any stage since D-Day  thanks again to that personal touch of the monarch.

Ronald Reagan was very comfortable on a horse when he visited, a skill that would lead to one of the most celebrated photographs of the Queens reign

Reagan was very comfortable on a horse, a skill that would lead to one of the most celebrated photographs of the Queens reign when the worlds press arrived at Windsor to see the two heads of state on horseback.

Reagan enjoyed some cheerful banter with the photographers.

If you stand still, Ill take it over the top [of you], he yelled from astride Centennial.

The Queen set off on Burmese, her Canadian mare, with Reagan in hot pursuit, followed by teams of bodyguards on four legs and four wheels.

Reagan became the first U.S. President to address both Houses of Parliament.

The White House had wanted him to address MPs and peers in Westminster Hall, the great hammer-beamed medieval chamber. However, use of the hall would require cross-party support, and the Labour leader, Michael Foot, would not agree.

The then prime minister, Margaret Thatcher, duly arranged for the Royal Gallery to be used and it was a tour de force by Reagan, the former Hollywood actor with the common touch. He joked that when he had dined with Mrs Thatcher beneath a portrait of George III at the British Embassy in Washington, she had urged him to let bygones be bygones.

Later as 158 guests gathered for a banquet in St Georges Hall, Windsor, the Queen had a George III joke, too, as she recalled the warmth of her reception during the bicentenary: Had King George III been able to foresee the long-term consequences of his actions, he might not have felt so grieved about the loss of his colonies.

Of all the U.S. presidents, George Bush Senior was closest to the Queen in age. Like her (and Prince Philip), he served in World War II.

On the 1991 state visit, she became the first British monarch to address a joint session of Congress. It was his son, George W. Bush, however, who became the first American president to pay a full state visit to the United Kingdom, in 2003.

By then, two seismic events had taken place. The Royal Family had been through the maelstrom of the Nineties, culminating in the death of Diana, Princess of Wales in 1997. There were few places where Dianas star had shone brighter than in the U.S. And four years later, the U.S. endured the worst terrorist attack in its history: 9/11. Tony Blair had been the first world leader to visit Washington after the attacks.

The morning after the atrocities, the Queen ordered the Union flag on Buckingham Palace to be lowered to half-mast and asked the band to play the Star-Spangled Banner during Changing the Guard. As former President Bill Clinton reflected later: It took my breath away. It was wonderful. It was something I will never forget.

Against this backdrop, George W. Bushs state visit was always going to be congenial, regardless of the (smaller-than-expected) protests against the Iraq War.

That evening, after theyd dined on halibut, chicken and praline ice cream at the Buckingham Palace state banquet, the Queen saluted: the depth and breadth of our partnership.

The return dinner the next night according to then Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, was an intimate affair for around 60 guests at the U.S. Ambassadors residence, Winfield House in Regents Park. Tortillas, lamb and fudge brownies were served and Andrew Lloyd Webber provided entertainment.

Straw added that his wife, Alice, found herself having one of those Im sure weve met before conversations with a familiar-looking guest. Im Michael Caine, he replied.

With the arrival of the next occupant of the Oval Office, the gloss on the relationship appeared to be in danger of fading.

There were early reports that Barack Obama had evicted the bust of Winston Churchill from the White House (not entirely true; there had been two busts and he returned one). Inevitably, it was the custodian-in-chief of

the special relationship who turned things round.

Cameras picked up a faux pas moment, when Michelle Obama was seen to put her arm around the Queen in 2009

The Obamas enjoyed their first royal encounter when they arrived in London in 2009 for the G20 summit. During the reception that followed, cameras picked up a faux pas moment, when Michelle Obama was seen to put her arm around the Queen.

In fact the Queen simultaneously put her arm around the U.S. First Lady, too. It turned out theyd been swapping notes about heel sizes.

A while later, when Michelle Obama and her daughters paid a private visit to London, the Queen gave them a private tour of the Palace.

In Spring 2011, the Obamas returned on a state visit. After the welcome lunch, the Queen showed the couple a special display of American-themed treasures from the Royal Collection. It included George IIIs handwritten lament after the loss of the American colonies: America is lost!

Mr Obama laughed and said: That was just a temporary blip in the relationship!

There was no shortage of glamour that evening at the Queens state banquet.

Former Foreign Secretary William Hague recalls that his wife, Ffion, helped actor Tom Hanks navigate the bewildering assortment of cutlery and crystal.

What sticks in Lord Hagues mind most of all, however, was the Queens announcement that it was bedtime.

When the Queen said it was time for the whole thing to be over  it was only teatime for Obama, being jet-lagged  he said: Is she serious? But off they all went.

The President of the United States would probably not defer to anyone else in the world!

Five years later, as the Queen celebrated her 90th birthday, a huge helicopter landed outside Windsor Castle. Family aside, the first people who had come to extend their best wishes in person were Barack and Michelle Obama.

It wasnt certain that America and Britain would be as close under Obama as it turned out to be, the then Prime Minister David Cameron would later comment.

That they were, he says, was down to that pivotal figure at the heart of the relationship. Today, at the age of 93, she will do it all over again.

Extracted from Queen Of The World by Robert Hardman, published by Arrow on June 13 at 9.99.  Robert Hardman 2019. To order a copy for 7.99 (valid to 10/6/19), call 0844 571 0640. P&P free on orders over 15.

The Donald's dynasty: From the 'Melaniabot' and Ice Queen First Daughter to the rabble-rousing son, TOM LEONARD takes a look at the US President's family as they prepare to accompany him to UK for his state visit

Love me, love my kids. Thats a guiding principle of the Donald Trump presidency, one of the most nepotistic in U.S. political history.

Trump values loyalty above all and who better than his offspring to show how its done. His three older children work for him, as do their partners.

Given The Donalds fond memories of his Scottish-born mother  a big fan of royalty, apparently  its inevitable that his state visit would be a family outing that even includes young Tiffany, the so-called invisible Trump.

So whos who in the Presidents very personal entourage?

Meet the Trumps: (From left) Donald Jr, wife Melania, President Donald, Ivanka, Eric and the lesser-spotted Tiffany at the Trump International Hotel in Washington

Stylishly aloof, Melania's a mystery

Melania Trump, 49

First Lady Melania Trump walking from her airplane to her motorcade wearing a Zara design jacket with the phrase 'I Really Don't Care. Do U?' on the back last year

Family ranking: Donald Trumps third wife had a hesitant start as First Lady. Its been reported that she never encouraged her husband to run for office and burst into tears on election night 2016 when he won, a claim she has fiercely denied.

She then remained in New York for six months, insisting their son Barron finished his school year. Even now, shes rarely seen at her husbands side while insiders say she barely sees him.

Image: Glamorous and mysterious. Nobody knows what she thinks of her husband and his presidency, his hard line on immigration (shes one herself) and his alleged philandering. Interestingly, she has chosen to campaign against child cyber-bullying  though her husband is arguably one of the biggest Twitter tormentors of them all.

Monosyllabic in public, the Slovenian-born ex-model hopefully hasnt seen Tracey Ullmans BBC comedy series, which portrays her as the robotic Melaniabot.

Mother figure: Hugely protective of Barron, her only child,who is 13. Hes expected to stay in Washington DC.

Queen of protocol: Aides say her great White House interest is interior decoration and the placement at state dinners. Shes taken a special interest in protocol on this visit, especially over what presents to give, and the flowers, menu and seating plan when the Trumps entertain Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall at Winfield House, the U.S. ambassadors Regents Park residence.

Wardrobe: A renowned clothes horse, Mrs Trump will have planned her wardrobe with just as much precision as her place settings, so watch out for at least one British-designed frock.

Be prepared for surprises, too, as the First Lady is also famous for the odd fashion faux-pas, such as the Manolo Blahnik stilettos she wore en route to visit hurricane victims in Texas in 2017.

Itll be a bad news for the special relationship if she wears her notorious Parka coat with I really dont care. Do U? scrawled on it which she donned to visit illegal immigrants on the Mexican border.

Ambitious daddy's girl who's made enemies

Ivanka Trump, 37

The 'Unofficial First Daughter' Ivanka Trump (pictured with husband Jared Kushner) will be one of the four Trump children tagging along for the state visit

Position: Americas unofficial First Daughter by Trumps first wife Ivana, the unflappable Ice Princess is the absolute apple of her fathers eye. She has the best figure in his opinion and he once said hed consider dating her  if, erm, she wasnt his daughter. Shed also be very, very hard to beat if she ran for President. Hed like to have made her head of the World Bank or U.S. ambassador to the UN were it not for the public rows.

Family ranking: Stratospheric. She and her husband Jared Kushner (both pictured left), 38, are senior White House advisers, with the Presidents ear.

Image: Javanka, as the couple are known, were once seen by Left-wingers as the acceptable face of Project Trump, glamorous, sophisticated and liberal-minded New Yorkers counselling moderation. The gloss has since come off. An insider described them as a toxic mix of arrogance and ignorance, with an insatiable lust for power and the source of some of the Presidents most controversial policies.

Work life: White House colleages reportedly cant stand them, allegedly dubbing Jared the Secretary of Everything thanks to his insistence on having a finger in each pie, and Ivanka Habi, meaning Home of All Bad Ideas.

Home life: The couple live in a Washington DC mansion with their three photogenic children  Arabella, Joseph and Theodore. Despite occasional whispers the couple want to return to New York, theyve stuck it out.

Money: Lots of it. Shes a successful ex-fashion entrepreneur and hes a multi-millionaire property developer.

The couple earned at least 61 million in outside income during their first year as unpaid advisers to the President. She sold her fashion firm last year, and he has stepped back from the day-to-day running of his business.

Theyve been accused by some critics of being utterly brazen in their determination to use the Presidency to advance themselves.

Ambitions: Enormous. Ivanka believes she may one day be President, too, and has told people that her fathers administration is the beginning of a great American dynasty.

A loose cannon, just like Pop

Donald Trump Jr, 41

Donald Jr is the Presidents oldest son and the first of his three children with Ivana

Position: The Presidents oldest son and the first of his three children with Ivana. A former boardroom judge on his fathers reality TV series The Apprentice, he and brother Eric took over the reins of the multi-billion-dollar Trump Organisation when their dad became President.

Father's footsteps: A chip off the old block in private and public. He isnt exactly regarded as an intellectual heavyweight, but seems determined to try to live up to his father.

Rabble rouser: Inherited his fathers flair for causing trouble on Twitter, once posting a message comparing Syrian refugees with a bowl of the multi-coloured sweets Skittles, sprinkled with a few that would kill you.

Russian Ties: Donald Jr has been issued with a congressional subpoena over his dealings with Russia in the 2016 election, in particular his arranging for a Kremlin-linked Russian lawyer to meet senior campaign figures to discuss getting dirt on Hillary Clinton.

Family man: Last year, his wife Vanessa (with whom he has five children) filed for divorce after 12 years of marriage. Insiders blamed his long absences from the family home. Donald Jr was asked, just before his first child was born, what he was going to be like as a father. Trumps dont do diapers, he replied. Its claimed their marriage failed as long ago as 2011 when Mrs Trump discovered he was allegedly having an affair with Aubrey ODay, a contestant on Celebrity Apprentice.

Cheap date: Don Jr is alleged to have treated his ex-wife like a second-class citizen, giving her so little money she had to ask her mother for help. He proposed with an engagement ring he got free from a jeweller after agreeing to publicise the business.

His new girlfriend is a former Fox News presenter, Kimberly Guilfoyle, 50, who has become a senior advisor on the Trump 2020 re-election campaign.

Future leader: He lacks his sisters finesse but some say that if any Trump child is going to take up their fathers political baton, it might be Donald Jr. Rank-and-file Trump supporters adore him. He rants about what they rant about  hes one of them, they say. Hes accessible, hes in the trenches . . . hes the one you want to have a beer with, one activist told a magazine recently.

On safari, he's a big shot

Eric Trump, 35

Eric Trump is involved in the Trump business along with his older brother, looking after the winery in Virginia and also running the golf clubs

Position: President of the Trump winery in Virginia and also runs the Trump golf clubs.

Image: Generally portrayed by comics as the dunce of the bunch. Lacks the aggressive political instincts of Donald Jr and Ivanka.

Business savvy: Washington ethics campaigners are demanding to know how much public money was spent when Eric flew dozens of U.S. Trump golf club members over for a tour of his Scottish courses. In 2017, The Eric Trump Foundation was accused of shifting money meant for cancer patients to family businesses, notably its golf clubs. Eric denies wrongdoing and promises to co-operate.

Hobbies: Same as Donald Jr  game hunting. In 2010, an animal rights group attacked them for going on a safari killing spree.

Spousal support: Wed TV producer Lara Yunaska in 2013. She is pregnant with their second child. Laras a rising star in Team Trump.

Rare outing for Tiffany

Tiffany Trump, 25

The second youngest Trump after Baron, Tiffany has not been in spotlight as much as the other children, and is currently finishing a law degree at university

Position: Donald Trumps only child from his marriage to his second wife, model Marla Maples.

Nickname: The Invisible Trump. Tiffany, named after the jewellers, acquired this moniker because shes barely seen. She didnt even get a mention in a documentary about her dads life that was shown at the Republican National Convention. And she was the only adult Trump not invited to join his team after his election. Her inclusion on the London trip is unusual.

Family ranking: While Trump was able to mould his other children, Tiffany was raised by her mother in California after her divorce from Donald. He once admitted he was proud of her to a lesser extent than his other children.

Career: Difficult to identify. Though shes studying law in Washington DC, shes done little to budge perceptions of her as a spoilt rich kid.

Hobbies: Posting vacuous pictures of all the glamorous places she goes.

Other half: Shes split up with Ross Mechanic, a boyfriend at university who had Democrat sympathies. New beau Michael Boulos is from a Franco-Lebanese billionaire business family and is studying finance at Londons City University. They recently holidayed on a yacht in the South of France, and shes been introducing him to the Trump family.

Ambitions: After a failed attempt to be a pop star, sources say she would settle for becoming closer to her father and half-siblings. And getting married.

A VERY fashionable arrival! Ivanka is the first of the Trump clan to land in London for state visit and she plays tourist and takes in the Dior and Mary Quant exhibit at the V&A museum

The US President's eldest daughter has arrived in London in advance of her father's state and even shared a photograph of herself at a design museum.

It was after she was spotted walking through the airport on Saturday pulling her hand luggage while dressed in all-black.

Ivanka Trump, 37, posted a photograph of herself outside the Victoria and Albert Museum this afternoon wearing a yellow floral dress from New York sister designers duo Ai Ly and Wayne Lee - aka Les Reveries.

She paired the pure silk-crepe frock that falls to a flattering midi length with blue high heels as she stepped out to see the Mary Quant exhibit of over 200 pieces of clothing and accessories from the British designer.

The stand-out item was listed as $655 but is now available for a bargain $458 on Net-a-Porter.

Ivanka Trump arrived in the UK today and visited the V&A Museum in Kensington, London

Ivanka Trump boarding flight to London to meet the Queen of England. She will be joining her Father, President Donald Trump, On his State Visit. #Ivanka #London pic.twitter.com/PoMlk9DsvR  Edward Lawrence (@EdwardLawrence) June 2, 2019

The First Daughter was spotted traveling through the airport Saturday in a black ensemble

She stepped out to the Mary Quant Exhibit at the V&A Museum once she arrived in London

Guests to the V&A exhibit can see miniskirts and hot pants, vibrant tights and makeup from the designer.

The V&A, founded in 1852, holds the world's largest collection of applied and decorative arts and design.

Donald Trump, known for his love of extravagant decor, has booked an entire floor of the Corinthia Hotel - which has 225 rooms, 51 suites and seven penthouses - in Whitehall Place Westminster for his family and extended entourage for this week's state visit to Britain.

The US President will be accompanied by wife Melania and four of his five children for the visit, which begins today.

The President and his wife are expected to stay at Winfield House, the US Ambassador's official residence in Regent's Park, but sources say other members of his family will stay at the five-star Corinthia.

Celebrity guests have included Mariah Carey, James Corden and Cuba Gooding Jr.

President Donald Trump's visit begins this morning when he will be received by the Queen before three days of meetings and ceremonial pomp which will include a state banquet at Buckingham Palace.

Guests to the V&A exhibit can see miniskirts and hot pants, vibrant tights and makeup

Designer Mary Quant launched a fashion revolution on the British high street. One of her pieces is seen above

Mr Trump and his wife Melania are being given the full red carpet treatment, with the Queen hosting no fewer than four events in tribute to them.

Royal gun salutes will fire in Trump's honor at the Tower of London and in Green Park, while Prince Charles, Prince William, Prince Harry and the Duke of York will be heavily involved too.

The Duchess of Sussex, previously a vocal critic of Donald Trump, will stay at home with baby Archie rather than meet the US President during his state visit to the UK.

The President is due to receive a ceremonial welcome in the garden, inspecting the Guard of Honour, formed of Nijmegen Company Grenadier Guards.

It was arranged for Royal Gun salutes to be fired in Green Park too.

The Queen is also scheduled to host a private lunch at the palace, after which the President and Mrs Ivanka Trump were to view a special exhibition in the Picture Gallery, showcasing items of historical significance to the United States from the Royal Collection.

The President and Mrs Trump, accompanied by the Duke of York, are set to visit Westminster Abbey where the President would lay a wreath at the Grave of the Unknown Warrior and then have a short tour of the Abbey.Social media posts liked by the candidate reference 'Zionist Slave Masters'

She also said she 'enjoyed reading' about an anti-Semitic conspiracy theory

Labour Against Anti-Semitism said behaviour was 'shocking, but not surprising'

It demanded she be dropped ahead of close vote in Cambridgeshire

Miss Forbes is contesting the by-election on Thursday in Peterborough

Previous Labour MP Fiona Onasanya lost the seat after lying about speeding

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt also weighed in to the row as Trump visit started

Labour faces a growing backlash today for failing to take action against its Peterborough by-election candidate after she made a grovelling apology for appearing to endorse anti-Semitic material.

Social media posts by Lisa Forbes, Labour's candidate in Thursday's contest, include one from April in which she 'liked' a claim that Prime Minister Theresa May had a 'Zionist Slave Masters agenda'.

ADVERTISEMENT

She also commented under a post whose author championed conspiracy theories that Islamic extremists were created by the CIA and Israel's intelligence service Mossad writing: 'I've enjoyed reading this so much.'

She is standing in Thursday's vote in the close marginal seat after the previous Labour MP, Fiona Onasanya, was thrown out of the Commons and the party after being jailed for lying to police.

Onasanya took the seat from the Tories by just 607 seats in 2017 and Ms Forbes has a chance of winning the seat for Labour - but Nigel Farage's Brexit Party is currently the bookies' favourite to snatch its first Westminster seat.

Jewish groups and Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt tore into the party and leader Jeremy Corbyn today demanding she me removed as a candidate.

The Jewish Labour Movement, which is affiliated to the party, said today it would not campaign for Ms Forbes in Peterborough.

A spokeswoman said: 'To do so would be inconsistent with the views of our members, who have understandably and clearly called for a culture of zero tolerance to anti-Semitism within the Labour Party.'

Jeremy Corbyn pictured campaigning on Saturday with Lisa Forbes, who has been forced to apologise for appearing to endorse anti-Semitic material

Social media posts by Lisa Forbes include one from April in which she 'liked' a claim that Prime Minister Theresa May had a 'Zionist Slave Masters agenda'

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt also weighed in to the row as Trump visit started

Yesterday, Miss Forbes apologised 'wholeheartedly for not calling out these posts'

A spokesman for campaign group Labour Against Anti-Semitism (LAAS) said the revelations against her were 'shocking, but not surprising' .

'If Mr Corbyn was in any way interested in upholding decent British values of tolerance and fairness, he would have immediately demanded that Ms Forbes stand down as Labour candidate when this information emerged,' he said.

'Instead, he travelled to Peterborough and campaigned for her in person - a tacit endorsement of her apparently appalling racist views.

ADVERTISEMENT

'We are once again witnessing an example of the Labour establishment failing to show moral leadership on the issue of anti-Jewish discrimination.'

Yesterday, Miss Forbes apologised 'wholeheartedly for not calling out these posts'.

Regarding the post about Mrs May, she said she had liked a video attached to it of 'children praying in solidarity' with victims of the Christchurch gun rampage in New Zealand and 'not the views expressed in the accompanying text'.

Mr Hunt blasted Labour today, contrasting its boycott of the state visit of Donald Trump on morality grounds with its lack of action over Ms Forbes.

Mr Hunt, who greeted Donald Trump at Stansted Airport this morning, told Sky: 'For the Labour Party to be boycotting this visit on the grounds of sexism and racism on a day where, in the newspapers, their candidate in the Peterborough by-election is being accused of liking an anti-Semitic post on Facebook, when they are being accused of turning a blind eye to terrible behaviour in the Labour party HQ, shows, Im afraid, that this about virtue signalling on Labour's side, this is not about any position of principal.'

In a joint statement last night, Marie van der Zyl, the president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, Simon Johnson, the chief executive of the Jewish Leadership Council, and David Delew, chief executive of the Community Security Trust, said the posts 'bring into question her suitability for public office'.

They added: 'We are fed up hearing that Labour opposes anti-Semitism while repeatedly hearing excuses that its members accidentally missed the racist that was staring them in the face.

Click here to resize this module

Miss Forbes is standing in Thursday's vote because the previous Labour MP, Fiona Onasanya, was thrown out of the Commons after being jailed for lying to police

Onasanya was jailed in January after being convicted of perverting the course of justice by lying to avoid a speeding charge

'Unless Labour disown Lisa Forbes as a candidate, it will only confirm the party's shameful descent into the racist mess for which they are now being investigated by the Equality And Human Rights Commission.' Last night Miss Forbes apologised again, adding: 'Anti-Semitism is abhorrent and has no place in our society.'

ADVERTISEMENT

The Peterborough by-election was triggered when Fiona Onasanya lost the seat after she was jailed for lying about a speeding offence.

On Friday, senior Labour official Pete Willsman was suspended over a recording of him making allegedly anti-Semitic comments.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who was canvassing in Peterborough with Miss Forbes, refused to comment on whether his friend would be kicked out of the party.Paris Saint-Germain and Brazil star Neymar has been accused of rape by a woman he reportedly met through Instagram.

Brazilian publication UOL Sport says Neymar held a conversation with the woman through the social media platform and, through a friend, arranged for her to travel to France.

It is alleged Neymar arrived drunk at her hotel, the Sofitel Paris Arc de Triomphe, where she was staying on May 15 before becoming aggressive and violent and then raping her.

Paris Saint-Germain and Brazil star Neymar has been accused of rape

The woman, it is claimed, was left shaken by the experience and returned to Brazil on May 17.

Her complaint is reported to have been filed last Friday in Sao Paulo.

Neymar is currently in Brazil, training with the international team ahead of this summer's Copa America.

The incident is alleged to have occurred on May 15 at the Sofitel Paris Arc Du Triomphe

A report emerged appearing to show the complaint that was lodged against Neymar

The 27-year-old moved to PSG in France from Barcelona in 2017 in a world record 200m transfer.

He is reportedly paid around 600,000-a-week by the French club.

Sportsmail has contacted Neymar's representatives for comment.Was ones horse a winner  or a close second?

Hard to tell as the Queen gesticulates and roars with the crowd, lost in the excitement of the action at the Epsom Derby meeting yesterday.

Dressed in a very summery yellow and blue floral outfit, topped off with a shimmering blue hat, the Monarch went to the meeting to urge on her horse Sextant who was running in the 5.15.

But she got very animated as she cheered on the runners and riders in an earlier race.

The Queens day out at Epsom ended in disappointment in the Royal Box when Sextant finished fourth.

The Queen gesticulated and roared with the crowd, lost in the excitement of the action at the Epsom Derby meeting yesterday as she cheered on the runners and riders in an earlier race

The Monarch dressed in a very summery yellow and blue floral outfit, topped off with a shimmering blue hat for the event. The Queens day out at Epsom ended in disappointment in the Royal Box when Sextant finished fourth

Police dog Finn is all set to wow the judges in tonights final of Britains Got Talent, but I can reveal that he has a secret celebrity claim to fame  he once found a cache of valuables stolen from Shaun Of The Dead actor Simon Peggs house.

Finn tracked down the loot, including 30,000 worth of jewellery, near Peggs Hertfordshire home in 2014.

The clever canine also found the suspect hiding in nearby woodland and he was arrested  still wearing one of Peggs watches.

It was a hot day, but even in the heat Finn did an amazing job, finding the bad man when a 5 million police helicopter couldnt, said his handler PC David Wardell.Nicole Kidman's Big Little Lies co-star had fears she would 'trigger' the 'fragile' actress while filming intense scenes discussing domestic violence.

On Sunday, Robin Weigert, 49, who plays therapist Dr Amanda Reisman on the show's second season, made the claims while discussing working with Nicole.

Speaking to The Sunday Telegraph, Robin explained she feared 'any small misstep' acting out the emotional script would cause a 'flight or fright' response from Nicole.

'I was worried it would cause flight or fright': Nicole Kidman's Big Little Lies co-star feared she would 'trigger' the 'fragile' actress while filming intense scenes about domestic violence

'I would have these thoughts [she would be triggered],' Robin told the publication.

Robin explained that Nicole kept in character throughout filming, which put her in a precarious place during the emotionally intense scenes.

'Because it remained a possibility I could trigger her and she would leave [the room because it became too much]. That kept those scenes vital,' she added.

'It remained a possibility I could trigger her and she would leave [the room because it became too much]': Actress Robin Weigert (pictured), who plays Nicole's character's therapist, said

On the series, Oscar winning actress Nicole plays Celeste Wright, who is still in tormented grief following the murder of her abusive husband, Perry Wright.

At the end of last season, Bonnie Carlson (Zoe Kravitz) pushed Perry (Alexander Skarsgard) to his death, after he raped Jane Champman (Shailene Woodley).

Celeste must now try and comprehend what has happened as she struggles with the fear, guilt and shame associated with abuse.

It's back! On the series, Oscar-winning actress Nicole plays Celeste Wright, who is still in tormented grief following the murder of her abusive partner

It comes after Nicole revealed a huge spoiler for the show during a fan event ahead of the premiere of season two of the show.

During a panel at the event, she said, '[Alexander Skarsgard] was the most incredible acting partner, and then he came back for season 2.'

Spoiler: It was reported Nicole's co-star Alexander Skarsgard (pictured) will make a return to season two of the show, according to a report in People magazine

And American magazine People reported that when Kidman divulged the secret, her co-star in the series Reese Witherspoon appeared uneasy.

The report comes after co-star Reese revealed that it was Nicole talked her into talking the role of Madeline Martha Mackenzie, according to BW magazine.

'I've always had fun playing Madeline even though I was reluctant to play the character initially,' Reese told the publication.

'I'm so glad she did': Reese Witherspoon (L), 43, told BW magazine that Nicole Kidman (R), 51, talked her into playing Madeline on Big Little Lies. Pictured in November 2017

'It was Nicole who talked me into playing her, and I'm so glad she did,' said Reese.

'She's a mother trying to do the best she can, so playing her is kind of like second nature to me.'

The award winning drama is based on a novella by Australian writer Liane Moriarty and co-stars Laura Dern, Shailene Woodley and Zoe Kravitz.The Today show's Deborah Knight has hit back at a troll who accused her of being 'disrespectful' and having 'some influence' on 'who runs the Labor Party'.

Responding to the Twitter critic on Sunday, the breakfast TV co-host said she is simply a journalist and is 'not a mouthpiece for any political party'.

During an interview with Labor's new leader Anthony Albanese on Friday, the 46-year-old suggested his job was already in danger.

'I am NOT a mouthpiece for any political party': The Today show's Deborah Knight (L), 46, hit back at a troll who accused her of being 'disrespectful' to Labor's new leader Anthony Albanese (R) on Friday's program

'I am a journalist - NOT a mouthpiece for any political party,' Deborah stated. 'I simply question politicians and hold them to account.

'It's not OK to be so nasty toward me for simply doing my job,' she continued. 'What YOU have written is rude and disrespectful.'

Deborah was responding to comments made by a Twitter troll, following her interview with Labor's new leader Anthony Albanese on Friday's Today show.

Vocal: 'I am a journalist - NOT a mouthpiece for any political party,' Deborah stated. 'I simply question politicians and hold them to account'

Online criticism: Deborah was responding to comments made by an online troll, following her interview with Labor's new leader Anthony Albanese on Friday's Today show

'So you think you have some influence on who runs the Labor Party?' the Twitter user directed at Deborah. 'What a rude, disrespectful blonde bimbo you are.'

The troll went on to claim that journalists have 'no respect' and their interaction in the media creates chaos.

He raged in another post: 'Who do these people think they are? When journos show no respect to our leaders, the whole social interaction descends into crassness. Are you guys an item?

'When Deborah apologises to Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese for her unprofessional behaviour on-air, and sends me the clip, I might consider an apology.'

Opinion: The troll went on to claim that journalists, including Deborah, have 'no respect' and their interaction in the media 'creates chaos'

Sources within the Labor Party have confirmed to Daily Mail Australia that Bill 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, Albanese appeared on the Today Show, where Deborah suggested his position may be 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,' Deborah said on-air.

Deborah reminded 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.She recently announced she's expecting her first child with husband Matty Fahd.

And Gogglebox star Sarah Marie Fahd looked radiant as she debuted her baby bump in a glamorous one-shoulder navy gown on Saturday.

The make-up artist, who is 15 weeks pregnant, proudly posed with her hand on her stomach in a clip shared to her Instagram Stories.

Mum-to-be: Pregnant Gogglebox star Sarah Marie Fahd (pictured) looked radiant as she debuted her baby bump in glamorous navy gown on Saturday

Letting her statement gown do all the talking, Sarah accessorised with drop earrings and plenty of rings.

The brunette beauty swept her dark hair into a voluminous ponytail and framed her striking features with smokey eyeshadow and a slick of taupe lipstick.

Sarah and Matty announced they were expecting their first child together on Friday in a heartwarming gender reveal Instagram post.

Looking good! The make-up artist, who is 15 weeks pregnant, proudly posed with her hand on her stomach in a clip shared to her Instagram Stories

Preened to perfection: The brunette beauty swept her dark hair into a voluminous ponytail and framed her striking features with smokey eyeshadow and a slick of taupe lipstick

'The family is about to have a new couch potato as we we welcome our first human son into the world this November,' the reality TV pair wrote on Instagram.

The husband and wife went all out for the moment they found out their baby would be a boy - sharing a picture of them gasping with joy as blue confetti rained down.

The couple added their excitement that British bulldog Bane - who is known for his boisterous behaviour on the Channel Ten show - was about to be a big brother.

In another cute photo, the young dog wore a sign which read 'Big Brother'.

'A new couch potato!' Sarah and her husband Matty announced they were expecting their first child together on Friday in a heartwarming gender reveal Instagram post

New addition: The couple added their excitement that their British bulldog Bane (pictured in announcement post) - who is known for his boisterous behaviour on the Channel Ten show - was about to be a big brother

'Sarah is enjoying a far less sickly second trimester and Bane has already started acting like a protective big brother,' the duo said in a joint post.

In a separate post, Sarah said she was finally starting to feel herself again after three months of morning sickness.

'I know we are blessed to be pregnant and I pray for all out there trying to also start a family.'

Reality stars: Sarah is a make-up artist while Matty (centre and right) is a media manager, and they shot to fame when they debuted with their friend Jad (left) in Gogglebox's sixth season in 2017

Sarah is a make-up artist while Matty, 32, is a media manager, and they shot to fame when they debuted with their friend Jad in Gogglebox's sixth season in 2017.

The loved-up couple married in a lavish ceremony at Sydneys lavish harbourside venue, Doltone House, in January 2018.

Their dog was actually a gift from Matty on their wedding day, with the groom having the pup brought in after his speech.Little People, Big World star Tori Roloff used her Insta Stories this Friday to give her burgeoning baby bump its social media debut.

She and announced last month via Instagram that she and her husband Zach Roloff are expecting a daughter in November.

Tori, 28, and Zach, 29, got married in 2015 at Roloff Farms in Oregon and two years later they welcomed their firstborn son Jackson into the world.

'Starting to make her appearance': Little People, Big World star Tori Roloff used her Insta Stories this Friday to give her burgeoning baby bump its social media debut

Last October, Tori revealed on her Insta Stories that she had been '34 weeks pregnant' when she was informed that Jackson inherited his father's dwarfism.

Zach floated the possibility of more children in an Us Weekly interview this April, saying: 'We have plans. We want a family. I would love four or five kids.'

The reality star, whose show is airing its 14th season, continued: 'I want a little pack. Right now, were just kind of [like], if it happens, it happens.'

Growing family: Tori, 28, and Zach Roloff, 29, got married in 2015 at Roloff Farms in Oregon and two years later they welcomed their firstborn son Jackson into the world

His parents and co-stars Matthew and Amy have two different types of dwarfism - Zach shares his achondroplasia with his mother.

Zach's siblings - his fraternal twin Jeremy, 25-year-old sister Molly and 22-year-old brother Jake - are of normal height and have all left Little People, Big World.

Molly currently lives in Washington state, separating her from the action of the TLC series, and Jake stopped appearing on the program several seasons ago.

History: Last October, Tori revealed on her Insta Stories that she had been '34 weeks pregnant' when she was informed that Jackson inherited his father's dwarfism

He wrote on Instagram in 2016 that he would 'never' rejoin the show, saying that 'the family that is filmed is not my family. They are the Roloff Characters and I have scarcely anything in common with them, nor do I want to be a character myself.'

Jake clarified that 'As soon as the cameras drop however, its almost like they never played the part,' and that his off-screen relations with his family are good.

Jeremy announced on Instagram last June that he, his wife Audrey and their toddler daughter Ember were also going to leave Little People, Big World.Halle Berry was spotted enjoying a bit of family time with her 11-year-old daughter Nahla in Los Angeles this weekend.

The agelessly beautiful 52-year-old movie star was bundled up in a white hoodie and grey sweats, rounding off the look with Miu Miu shades and black leather boots.

As she headed up the street, the Oscar-winning actress wrapped an arm warmly around her little girl, whom she shares with her ex Gabriel Aubry.

So sweet: Halle Berry was spotted enjoying a bit of family time with her 11-year-old daughter Nahla in Los Angeles this weekend

Gabriel, a hunky model from Montreal, was linked to Halle for about five years between her second and third marriages.

After she and Gabriel broke up in 2012, Halle took up with French actor Olivier Martinez, whom she was married to from 2013 to 2016.

Halle and Gabriel waged a rancorous custody battle culminating in her having to pay him monthly child support, among other expenses.

Once Halle got engaged to Olivier, she wanted to move herself and Nahla to France in order to make her new marriage work - to which Gabriel strongly objected.

Movie star glamour: The agelessly beautiful 52-year-old was bundled up in a white hoodie and grey sweats, rounding off the look with Miu Miu shades and black leather boots

The tension grew to such a point that Gabriel was arrested after getting in a fight with Olivier on Thanksgiving 2012, landing both men in the hospital.

Halle has lately been doing the publicity rounds for John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum, co-starring Keanu Reeves and Anjelica Huston.

While appearing with Anjelica on The Late Late Show With James Corden together, Halle let slip about a movie she regrets having made.

The way they were: Halle shares Nahla with Gabriel Aubry, a model from Montreal who was linked to Halle for about five years between her second and third marriages

She confessed that she knew during the shoot that her 1996 crime drama The Rich Man's Wife would turn out to be a disappointing movie.

In the film, Halle plays the young housewife of a Hollywood producer with a drinking problem, portrayed by Thelma And Louise actor Christopher McDonald.

Halle's character Josie is having an affair with a man named Jake played by Clive Owen, who unbeknownst to her enlists thugs to kill the producer, Tony.

The idea is that Tony's money will go to his widow, and that she will then marry Jake, transferring the fortune over to him - but all does not go as planned.He was known for his long, luscious locks on Married At First Sight.

And now, Michael Brunelli, 27, has revealed he is set to shave his hair off in a bid to raise $20,000 for the Sydney Children's Hospital Foundation.

Speaking to Nine Honey on Sunday, Michael said being a primary school P.E. teacher meant the issue of sick kids was close to his heart.

MAFS star Michael Brunelli, 27, revealed on Sunday that he will cut his hair off live on TV in a bid to raise $20,000 for the Sydney Children's Hospitals Foundation

'As much as I absolutely love my hair I didn't hesitate when an opportunity to raise money for the kids at the Sydney Children's Hospital came about,' Michael said.

He continued: 'I know there are many children who aren't able to enjoy the amazing experiences that come with being at school every day.

'By cutting off my hair, I hope it helps the sick kids receive the best medical treatment possible, enabling them to return to school happy and healthy.'

'By cutting off my hair, I hope it helps the sick kids receive the best medical treatment possible, enabling them to return to school happy and healthy,' Michael said to Nine Honey on Sunday

The hunky TV star concluded: 'My world revolves around kids and to give back this way is a dream come true.'

Michael gave hints that he would be shaving his hair off for charity earlier this week, but was light on the details.

Taking to Instagram, he wrote: 'Been waiting 5 years to say this... I'm shaving my hair off for charity! Details coming soon,' the hunk wrote in the caption.

Tease: The PE teacher hinted earlier this week he would be snipping his luscious locks for charity, but didn't reveal any of the details on his Instagram account

Many of fans took to congratulate the teacher for his charitable work.

Michael's girlfriend Martha Kalifatidis made no secret about her desire to give him the big chop on an episode of Talking Married in April.

'Next thing we're doing is putting clippers to it and it's coming off!' Martha, 30, joked.

Michael was then asked if he'd ever say goodbye to his locks for charity, to which he said: 'Maybe, but let's keep that on the down low.'She's currently filming the action-thriller The Doorman, in which she plays a Marine officer who clashes with a gang of thieves.

And Ruby Rose seemed to be feeling the strain of doing her own stunts, as she documented her bruised knees in her Instagram Stories on Saturday.

The Orange Is The New Black star, 33, claimed her knees looked like 'angry faces' thanks to the marks left by her ultra-tight knee pads.

Perils of being an actress: Ruby Rose seemed to be feeling the strain of doing her own stunts on the action-thriller The Doorman, as she documented her bruised knees on Saturday

'My knees are so angry from stunts, first they turned into actual angry faces,' the Australian actress wrote.

She then joked that they resembled, 'an actual penis,' while posting another close-up of her legs.

Ruby later displayed the deep grooves in her skin and wrote: 'Think my knee pads are too tight? Everything is swollen like a Christmas ham.'

In The Doorman, Ruby plays a Marine who returned home after encountering traumatic events.

Ouch! The Orange Is The New Black star, 33, claimed her knees looked like 'angry faces' thanks to the marks left by her knee pads

She seeks refuge as a doorman at a historic apartment building in New York and befriends a family there.

However, she soon finds herself in trouble once again when she has to stop a gang of thieves plotting to steal the family's valuables.

It comes after Ruby recently wished her ex-fiancee, model Catherine McNeil, a happy birthday, almost nine years after they ended their engagement.

Get her some ice! Ruby later displayed the deep grooves in her skin and wrote: 'Think my knee pads are too tight? Everything is swollen like a Christmas ham'

Ruby took to her Instagram Stories to share a number of sweet throwback snaps of the pair together, gushing about her former flame.

'Happy birthday to my favourite person. 17 years later and our friendship is still closer than ever,' she wrote.

She added in her posts: 'Forever my favourite idiot. Welcome to thirty.'Paris Hilton pulled out all the stops for her airport look when she was glimpsed this weekend heading out of South Korea.

The 38-year-old hotel heiress wore an elaborate floral dress with a white cowl and a matching white frill above the hem.

Flinging her trademark blonde hair over one shoulder, she accessorized with a large pair of sunglasses and a pair of peekaboo fingerless gloves.

Joy: Paris Hilton pulled out all the stops for her airport look when she was glimpsed this weekend heading out of South Korea

Paris balanced on white stilettos as she posed up a storm outside Incheon International Airport, which is located just outside of Seoul.

She was in the South Korean capital to promote her skincare line, which she held a launch party for at the cocktail bar Urban Space.

Her trip abroad comes about a week after her former friend and current feud-mate Lindsay Lohan responded to Paris calling her 'beyond,' 'lame' and 'embarrassing.'

Last Friday, Lindsay, 32, posted a throwback photo with Paris' sister Nicky - then another with Paris herself taken in 2005.

In transit: The 38-year-old hotel heiress wore an elaborate floral dress with a white cowl and a matching white frill above the hem

Alongside the photo with Paris, Lindsay wrote: '#beyond friends are true. Love @parishilton congratulations on your new song!'

Paris recently released a single called Best Friend's A** with a music video co-starring her pal and fellow sex tape icon Kim Kardashian.

Back in the aughts, Kim drew media attention as a member of Paris' entourage before falling out with her and becoming a global sensation in her own right.

Paris and Kim rekindled their friendship in the intervening time and have been seen palling around on multiple occasions, but Lindsay has not been so lucky.

Keeping busy: Flinging her trademark blonde hair over one shoulder, she accessorized with a large pair of sunglasses and a pair of peekaboo fingerless gloves

On an episode of Watch What Happens Live this month, Andy Cohen asked Paris to 'say three nice things about Lindsay Lohan.'

'She's...beyond,' said Paris haltingly after a long pause, and then eventually added: '....lame and embarrassing.'

Near the end of last year, Paris went on Andy's SiriusXM radio show and gossiped about why her friendship with Lindsay went kaput.

'Back in the day we were friends,' said Paris, sniping that Lindsay 'is just, like, one of those people I just don't really trust.'

Globetrotter: Paris balanced on white stilettos as she posed up a storm outside Incheon International Airport, which is located just outside of Seoul

Paris, who also fell out with her The Simple Life co-star Nicole Richie, added: 'And I only like to be around positive energy and good people - good vibes only.'

One evening in 2006, Paris and Britney Spears were going out of an evening, only for Lindsay to attach herself to them uninvited.

'We were all at the Beverly Hills Hotel at the bungalows and we were at an after-party and then Britney and I wanted to leave to go home,' Paris told Andy.

Swank: She was in the South Korean capital to promote her skincare line, which she held a launch party for at the cocktail bar Urban Space

Lindsay then made for Britney and Paris and 'squeezed' herself into the 'two-seater' car they were taking to get away from the party venue.

Paris said that she allowed Lindsay to get into the vehicle because 'I didn't want to humiliate her in front of all the paparazzi and be like: "Get out of my car."'

The photo Lindsay posted this Friday of herself with Paris was taken at a 2005 birthday tribute to Marilyn Monroe at the Los Angeles restaurant Meson G.

Hectic schedule: Her trip abroad comes about a week after her former friend and current feud-mate Lindsay Lohan responded to Paris calling her 'beyond,' 'lame' and 'embarrassing'

Some valuables from Marilyn's estate were being displayed ahead of auction at the event, where Lindsay hobnobbed with Hillary Clinton.

Marilyn's old pal, aging pinup Jeanne Carmen, met Lindsay there and told her: 'I just got chills - you remind me of Marilyn,' People reported.

'Oh my God, thats the best compliment Ive ever gotten in my whole life,' gushed Lindsay, who like Marilyn was plagued by addiction.She's long helped to care for her reality star daughter amid a series of turbulent relationships and poor decisions, and now she's caring for her grandchildren.

Barbara Evans, 66, posted some sweet family photos of her daughter Jenelle Evans' children on Saturday after she assumed custody of Jace, nine, and Ensley, two.

The 27-year-old Teen Mom 2 fixture lost custody of her children after her husband David Eason viciously beat their French Bulldog before shooting and killing it in April.

Doing their best: Barbara Evans, 66, posted some sweet family photos of her 27-year-old daughter Jenelle Evans' children on Saturday after she assumed custody of Jace, nine, and Ensley, two

Barbara posted a photo of Jace and Ensley, along with their cousin Gabriel, as the family attended Coast Guard Day, apparently an event where Coast Guard members put their helicopters and equipment on display.

Jace and Gabriel looked like they were having a great time as they stood in front of a helicopter and hung out on an airboat, though Ensley looked a bit concerned as she stood by the elevated seats.

Another photo showed the two siblings from behind as they assessed a toy boat named 'Coastie.'

'Having fun at coast guard Day,eating hot dogs,frozen ice,and learning about rescue equipment,' wrote Barbara.

Fun outing: Barbara posted photos of Jace and Ensley, along with their cousin Gabriel, as the family attended Coast Guard Day, apparently an event where Coast Guard members put their helicopters and equipment on display

A little small: Another photo showed the two siblings from behind as they assessed a toy boat named 'Coastie'

Family bonding: 'Having fun at coast guard Day,eating hot dogs,frozen ice,and learning about rescue equipment,' wrote Barbara

Taking care of Jenelle's children is no new task for Barbara.

The grandmother has had custody of Jace for the majority of his life (though he had frequent visitations with Jenelle and David), so she was presumably prepared to care for young children.

But she has reportedly prevented Jenelle from seeing her son from a previous relationship with Andrew Lewis after David murdered one of the family's dogs.

She and David are reportedly only seeking to regain custody of little Ensley and four-year-old Kaiser, who now lives with his father, Nathan Griffiths.

Following the May 28 court hearing in which Jenelle and David failed to regain custody, Barbara told E! News, 'Of course I would like for Jenelle to get them all back eventually, but certain things have to happen first.'

Safety net: Barbara has already had custody of Jace for most of his life, so she was prepared to care for Jenelle's youngest daughter Ensley, who's her only child with husband David Eason; Barbara and Janelle pictured in 2015 in LA

David has also allegedly claimed he no longer cares about custody with his 11-year-old daughter Maryssa, who comes from a previous relationship.

According to Us Weekly, the mercurial reality fixture stormed out of a supervised visitation with their other children after she refused to see him.

'He said hes done with Maryssa, and that she can stay with her grandmother for good,' a source told The Ashley's Reality Roundup.

Earlier on Saturday, TMZ reported that Eason is getting a psychological evaluation to find the root of this anger issues.

He and Jenelle have also signed up for parenting classes and marriage counseling in hopes of impressing a judge enough to regain custody of their children.

According to Us Weekly, David stormed out of a supervised visitation with their other children after his 11-year-old daughter Maryssa, who's from a previous relationship, refused to see him; (L-R) Maryssa, Jenelle and EnsleyHome And Away's Sarah Roberts and Zoe Ventura got up close and personal while filming upcoming scenes together earlier this week.

The actresses, who play unlucky-in-love Willow Harris and newcomer Dr Alex Neilson, got intimate as they embraced each other against a wall.

The pair couldn't keep their hands off each other and almost kissed in one particularly passionate scene, shot at Sydney's Palm Beach.

Steamy: Home And Away's Sarah Roberts (R) and Zoe Ventura (L) got up close and personal while filming upcoming scenes together earlier this week

Sarah looked phenomenal as she flaunted her toned figure in a mauve velvet minidress with a plunging neckline and strappy heels.

The 34-year-old actress wore her dark hair in a tousled half-up 'do and framed her features with smoky eyeshadow.

Zoe matched her colour scheme with a printed mauve midi dress and ankle boots teamed with a velvet bag.

Their characters looked utterly caught up in the moment as they held each other, before linking arms and walking off.

Talented pair: The actresses, who play unlucky-in-love Willow Harris and newcomer Dr Alex Neilson, got intimate as they embraced each other against a wall

Hot: The pair couldn't keep their hands off each other and almost kissed in one particularly passionate scene shot at Sydney's Palm Beach earlier this week

PDA: Their characters looked caught up in the moment as they held each other

The tactile scene comes after Sarah appeared to drop a huge bombshell about character Willow's latest storyline.

'Happy days are coming. There is something really exciting coming up for her!' Sarah hinted when she appeared on The Morning Show at the end of May.

Sarah, who is set to wed her co-star James Stewart in 2020, didn't say what the big news is - but did tease that Willow has been paying less attention to men.

Turning heads: Zoe rocked a printed mauve midi dress and ankle boots teamed with a velvet bag

Looking good: Sarah looked phenomenal as she flaunted her toned figure in a mauve velvet minidress with a plunging neckline and strappy heels

Glam: The 34-year-old actress wore her dark hair in a tousled half-up 'do and framed her features with smoky eyeshadow

'I felt like lately on air at the moment she's just been giving all the men that's she's been with her blessings to move on!' she said.

Meanwhile, former Packed to the Rafters' favourite Zoe joined the Home And Away cast in April.

She plays Dr Alex, taking over from Penny McNamee's character while Penny is on maternity leave, as the new doctor head of ED.

Hinting: The tactile scene comes after Sarah appeared to drop a huge bombshell about character Willow's latest storyline

Hmm: 'Happy days are coming. There is something really exciting coming up for her!' Sarah hinted when she appeared on The Morning Show at the end of May

'I felt like lately on air at the moment she's just been giving all the men that's she's been with her blessings to move on!' she said

Newbie: Meanwhile, former Packed to the Rafters' favourite Zoe joined the Home And Away cast in April

She previously revealed she was in Los Angeles when her agent told her about a new role on the soap.

'I was sent the character information and asked if I was interested. I immediately loved the character  that's what got me in,' she recently told New Idea.

'She's strong and bold and smart and compelling. I loved how they have created her and written her on the page, and the storyline they have planned for her.'

She added: 'It just seemed like a no-brainer.'

All fun and games: Sarah rocked chic activewear while filming next to the beach in another scene

There he is! Her husband-to-be James Stewart (right) shot a scene with Jake Ryan nearbyShe rose to fame as the face of Foxtel's Channel V.

And following a successful career in the media industry for over 10 years, Carissa Walford is launching her own TV network, In Bed With Carissa.

The 31-year-old, who will feature fashion designer Pip Edwards as her first guest, revealed she has her sights set on getting to know the real Kim Kardashian.

Branching out! Media personality Carissa Walford, 31, has launched her own TV network, In Bed With Carissa

Carissa told News Corp on Thursday that she would love 'to get to know the real, unpolished version' of Kim, 'without her thought-out PR plan'.

'That would be more interesting to me and the rest of the world to see her quite differently,' she explained.

The online network, In Bed With Carissa, set to launch on June 2, will see Carissa interview media and TV personalities in their most raw form.

Carissa told Daily Mail Australia that she hopes the TV network will 'guide people to their true self, raising consciousness and awareness through both storytelling and creativity'.

In bed with Kim: Carissa told News Corp on Thursday that she would love to interview Kim Kardashian and 'get to know the real, unpolished version'

'Hopefully I'll be able to give people clarity, meaning and more purpose in their life through the offerings on this platform,' she added.

The first of the online series will see Carissa interview co-founder and director of P.E. Nation, Pip Edwards.

In a teaser provided to Daily Mail Australia, Pip, 39, spoke about the freedom in being able to design pieces on her own terms and with her own visions.

Candid: The first of the online series will see Carissa interview co-founder and director of P.E. Nation, Pip Edwards (pictured), 39

'There's something so incredible about the founder seed,' she began.

'My whole career I've worked for other people and I've been able to adopt other visions and carry through and implement their vision, and I've been able to take that on as my second skin.

'And then for the first time with P.E. Nation, it's my vision. Claire (Tregoning) and I, this is ours. It's unadulterated, it's uncompromised. It's what we stand for.'

In Bed With Carissa launches Sunday June 2 with Pip Edwards.The Talk's Sara Gilbert gave her wife of five years - Linda Perry - a touching tribute as she was honored at the 18th Annual Chrysalis Butterfly Ball in Brentwood on Saturday.

'My wife's guilt over having money when others didn't, meant that she looked for ways to help [LA homeless],' the 44-year-old former child star said at the benefit which raised $1.5M.

'And as she's made more money, her over-generosity hasn't changed.'

Supportive: The Talk's Sara Gilbert (L) gave her wife of five years - Linda Perry (R) - a touching tribute as she was honored at the Chrysalis Butterfly Ball in Brentwood on Saturday

The 44-year-old former child star said onstage: 'My wife [Linda]'s guilt over having money when others didn't, meant that she looked for ways to help [LA homeless]. And as she's made more money, her over-generosity hasn't changed'

The two-time Daytime Emmy winner originally met the 54-year-old Grammy nominee in 2011 through a yoga instructor, and they share four-year-old son Rhodes Emilio.

'I'm still trying to figure out how I got married to Sara. I mean, she's so not my type. I'm used to like tattooed girls, you know, damaged, really messed up,' Linda told ET Canada on May 22.

'You know, I need to be the hero. And I met Sara, I instantly had this attraction and connection to her...I just loved her! She's so brilliant, really talented, super funny.

'Sara was the opposite of what I always went with and none of those ever worked out. I'm getting old. What am I gonna do keep chasing strippers and saving the day? Sara just made sense. When she showed up in my life, it just made sense. I don't regret one moment.'

'When people ask what inspires me': The two-time Daytime Emmy winner originally met the 54-year-old Grammy nominee in 2011 through a yoga instructor, and they share four-year-old son Rhodes Emilio (pictured May 3)

Linda told ET Canada on May 22: 'I'm still trying to figure out how I got married to Sara. I mean, she's so not my type. I'm used to like tattooed girls, you know, damaged, really messed up'

Perry continued: 'I met Sara, I instantly had this attraction and connection to her...I just loved her! She's so brilliant, really talented, super funny...I don't regret one moment'

Linda concluded: 'Sara was the opposite of what I always went with and none of those ever worked out. I'm getting old. What am I gonna do keep chasing strippers and saving the day?'

Linda speaking onstage: By the end of the night, Chrysalis' Butterfly Ball raised $1.5M 'to help change lives through jobs'

Perry - who relies on stylist Gara Rose Gambucci - gave her 5ft3in stature a big boost thanks to a pair of sky-high platform boots and one of her many towering Gunner Foxx hats.

And Gilbert (born Abeles) donned a conservative green sweater beneath a black silky pant suit and a cute pair of Oxfords.

After announcing she was leaving the Talk as creator/host, it took CBS less than a month to announce Sara's replacement was Marie Osmond (beginning September).

'Last season, I did The Conners and was also producing and (hosting) here. I loved it and felt totally empowered,' the Yale grad explained on the April 9 episode.

Larger than life: Perry gave her 5ft3in stature a big boost thanks to a pair of sky-high platform boots and one of her many towering Gunner Foxx hats

Same pose! Gilbert (born Abeles) donned a conservative green sweater beneath a black silky pant suit and a cute pair of Oxfords

Beginning September: After announcing she was leaving the Talk as creator/host, it took CBS less than a month to announce Sara's replacement was Marie Osmond (M)

The Yale grad explained on the April 9 episode: 'My life was slightly out of balance. I wasn't able to spend as much time with my three kids as Id like, or take time for myself'

Mother-of-three: The SoCal native also has a son Levi, 14; and daughter Sawyer, 11 (R, pictured May 12) - with her ex-partner of a decade, Dynasty producer Ali Adler

'But also, if Im being honest about it, my life was slightly out of balance. I wasn't able to spend as much time with my three kids as Id like, or take time for myself.'

The SoCal native also has a son Levi, 14; and daughter Sawyer, 11 - with her ex-partner of a decade, Dynasty producer Ali Adler.

Gilbert will continue executive producing and starring as Darlene Conner Healy in the 19-episode second season of Roseanne spin-off The Conners, which premieres this fall on ABC.

Aside from Linda, Chrysalis honored film/TV producer Suzanne Todd as well as members Antonio & Suzette Donaldson, who received the night's John Dillon Award.

Premieres this fall! Gilbert will continue executive producing and starring as Darlene Conner Healy in the 19-episode second season of Roseanne spin-off The Conners on ABC

The former 4 Non Blondes frontwoman also made sure to pose with Chrysalis co-chair Rebecca Gayheart-Dane and her latest musical protegee Willa Amai.

The 47-year-old Jawbreaker actress brought along her two daughters - Georgia, 7; and Billie, 9 - from her 14-year marriage to estranged husband Eric Dane.

And British belter Natasha Bedingfield was 'so excited to perform' a cover of Prince's Purple Rain at the charity gala 'honouring my friend and musical soul mate' Linda Perry.

Ziggy Marley and his Melody Makers covered his famous father Bob Marley's reggae classic One Love during the outdoor ceremony.

Congrats! Aside from Linda, Chrysalis honored film/TV producer Suzanne Todd (L) as well as members Antonio & Suzette Donaldson (M), who received the night's John Dillon Award

Hey girl! The former 4 Non Blondes frontwoman also made sure to pose with Chrysalis co-chair Rebecca Gayheart-Dane (L) and her latest musical protegee Willa Amai (R)

Cute: The 47-year-old Jawbreaker actress brought along her two daughters - Georgia, 7; and Billie, 9 - from her 14-year marriage to estranged husband Eric Dane

Lady in red: British belter Natasha Bedingfield was 'so excited to perform' at the charity gala 'honouring my friend and musical soul mate' Linda Perry

RIP purple one: The 37-year-old Grammy nominee closed out the night with her cover of Prince's Purple Rain

We extend our sincere gratitude to tonights #ButterflyBall attendees and sponsors who helped Chrysalis raise more than $1.5 million in support of our clients. Stay tuned for our online photo album! #ChangeLives @natashabdnfield pic.twitter.com/jaHkDtphRg  Chrysalis (@ChrysalisLA) June 2, 2019

14-year-old Black-ish starlet Marsai Martin served hosting duties for the homeless benefit clad in a black halter cocktail dress selected by stylist Jason Rembert.

Set It Up starlet Zoey Deutch donned a black puff-sleeved Valentino mini-dress selected by stylist Elizabeth Stewart.

Lethal Weapon actress Jordana Brewster got into the spirit in her butterfly-print white mini-dress as AfterBuzz TV CEO Maria Menounos opted for a white wrap dress.

It was date night for Midnight, Texas actor Jason Lewis and Along Came the Devil actress Liz Godwin, whom he 'loves to the moon and beyond.'

Mini-me: Ziggy Marley and his Melody Makers covered his famous father Bob Marley's reggae classic One Love during the outdoor ceremony

'Is everyone having a good time tonight?' 14-year-old Black-ish starlet Marsai Martin served hosting duties for the homeless benefit clad in a black halter cocktail dress

Bardot style: Set It Up starlet Zoey Deutch donned a black puff-sleeved Valentino mini-dress selected by stylist Elizabeth Stewart

White out: Lethal Weapon actress Jordana Brewster (L) got into the spirit in her butterfly-print white mini-dress as AfterBuzz TV CEO Maria Menounos (R) opted for a white wrap dress

Wheel of Fortune hostess Vanna White donned a LBD and hit the purple carpet with her boyfriend since 2012, building developer John Donaldson.

Five Feet Apart actress Claire Forlani coordinated her gown with her Scottish husband Dougray Scott's necktie for the party just ahead of their 12th wedding anniversary on June 8.

Also suited up were Punky Brewster alum Soleil Moon Frye in black and Once Upon a Time alum Jennifer Morrison in a grey Dzojchen creation.

Isn't It Romantic funnyman Adam DeVine looked boyband ready in his light grey suit, sans tie, with white gleaming sneakers.

Sex and the City alum: It was date night for Midnight, Texas actor Jason Lewis and Along Came the Devil actress Liz Godwin, whom he 'loves to the moon and beyond'

Evergreen: Wheel of Fortune hostess Vanna White donned a LBD and hit the purple carpet with her boyfriend since 2012, building developer John Donaldson

Matchy: Five Feet Apart actress Claire Forlani coordinated her gown with her Scottish husband Dougray Scott's necktie for the party just ahead of their 12th wedding anniversary on June 8

Attendees: Also suited up were Punky Brewster alum Soleil Moon Frye in black and Once Upon a Time alum Jennifer Morrison in a grey Dzojchen creationShe released her much-anticipated EP She Is Coming earlier this week.

And Miley Cyrus put on an extremely energetic show on Saturday as she performed a handful of her hits at the Orange Warsaw Festival in Poland.

The Disney Channel alum, 26, looked all parts the A-lister in tight, patent leather trousers and a very tiny slogan crop top.

Energy: Miley Cyrus, 26, put on an extremely energetic show on Saturday as she performed a handful of her hits at the Orange Warsaw Festival in Poland

Miley, who married Liam Hemsworth, 29, last year, paired her all-white ensemble with grey heeled sock boots and opted for a thick black belt with a silver LA buckle.

The daughter of Billy Ray Cyrus had her eclectic tattoos on show as she danced around the bustling stage to four tracks from her latest EP and hits Party in the USA and Wrecking Ball.

Later in the set, the Hannah Montana songstress donned a pair of eccentric, square framed glasses and a fringed jacket as she continued her performance.

Daring: The Disney Channel alum looked all parts the A-lister in tight, patent leather trousers and a very tiny slogan crop top

Star: Miley, who married Liam Hemsworth, 29, last year, paired her all-white ensemble with grey heeled sock boots and opted for a thick black belt with a silver LA buckle

It comes after the beauty was spotted greeting fans at Warsaw Airport as she arrived in the city with her husband Liam on Saturday.

The Black Mirror actress looked stylish in flared blue jeans and a black bucket hat as she posed for photos and signed autographs.

Miley teamed the outfit with a bejeweled top and a black jacket as she made her way through adoring fans with Liam.

The songbird has celebrated the release of her latest EP, She Is Coming, with a slew of racy shots posted to social media.

Dance: The daughter of Billy Ray Cyrus had her eclectic tattoos on show as she danced around the bustling stage to four tracks from her latest EP and hits Party in the USA and Wrecking Ball

Eccentric: Later in the show, the Hannah Montana songstress donned a pair of eccentric, square framed glasses and a fringed jacket as she continued her performance

She debuted her album at the stroke of midnight on Friday and took to Instagram with a belly baring shot.

'SHE HAS ARRIVED ! #SHECAME,' Miley captioned the post.

In the photo, the 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.

Adoring fans: It comes after the beauty was spotted greeting fans at Warsaw Airport as she arrived in the city with her husband Liam on Saturday

Stylish: The former Hannah Montana star looked stylish in flared blue jeans and a black bucket hat as she posed for photos and signed autographs

Crop tops have become a theme surrounding the new EP, with Miley wearing one on the black and white album cover.

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.

Cute couple: Miley and her husband Liam appeared in high spirits as they greeted fans upon arrival

She Is Coming: Miley celebrated the release of her newest album with a slew of racy shots posted to social media on Friday

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.

Miley 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 in May.

Personalised: 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

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.They're the famous twins who graced Australian TV screens on Neighbours 30 years ago.

And now, Gayle and Gillian Blakeney are set to make a return to the popular soap.

The duo will return to their roles as Christina and Caroline Alessi, according to a post shared by the official Neighbours Instagram page on Sunday.

'It's going to be a great story line': Twins Gayle and Gillian Blakeney set to make a return to their roles on Neighbours after THREE decades

Speaking to Ten Daily, Gayle gushed over the new story line set for them in Ramsay Street.

'We knew if they wanted to reprise the characters after nearly 30 years, it had to be for a great story line - which it is,' she told the publication.

'We're really looking forward to filming it,' Gayle added.

Get ready! The duo will return to their roles as Christina and Caroline Alessi, according to a post shared by the official Neighbours Instagram page on Sunday. Pictured on Neighbours about 30 years ago

'Strangely enough, it feels just so comfortable and familiar despite the obvious changes ... the cast and crew have been so welcoming.'

Sharing a snap of the two stunning brunette's, the Neighbours Instagram page captioned the post: 'Guess who's coming back to Ramsay Street! #Neighbours'.

Identical twins Gayle and Gillian joined the show in 1990 as troublesome sisters Caroline and Christina.

'We knew if they wanted to reprise the characters after nearly 30 years, it had to be for a great story line - which it is,' Gayle told Ten Daily on Sunday

At the time, their complicated plot line involved everything from the assumption they were one person, vying for love from Paul Robinson and a stint in witness protection.

They left the show in 1992 and headed to the UK in an attempt to simulate the success of Australia's sweetheart Kylie Minogue, but didn't succeed.

As of mid-2017, the pair lived in Los Angeles with their families where they worked in business, launching companies and building brands.Mayor of Fundong and Boyo UCCC President, Denis A. Ndang Whatsapp

Community representatives in Boyo Division, North West region, have been rushing to offer assistance to Internally Displaced Persons(IDPs) from Boyo, scattered around other towns in the country, after many accused them of abandoning the suffering masses

The Honourable member of Parliament for Boyo, Njong Evaristus will this Sunday June 2, hand over FCFA 1million to some quarter heads in Bamenda, hosting a good number of IDPs.

Honourable Njong Evaristus, who doubles as Regional Chairman for the leading opposition party, SDF, will be handing over the money to 18 newly elected and installed Kom Quarter Heads throughout Bamenda City, whom he believes know and can better identify vulnerable Boyo IDPs in Bamenda.

In January, he contributed FCFA 500000, to the Gamti Boyo Initiative Group of Kom, which has been taking care of IDPs of Boyo extraction throughout Cameroon. Mayors of the four subdivisions that make up Boyo yesterday June 1, distributed basic humanitarian needs to IDPs based in the nation's capital, Yaounde.

Coming under the banner of the United Councils and Cities of Cameroon(UCCC), the mayors of Fundong, Bum, Belo and Njinikom, led by the Divisional President of UCCC and mayor of Fundong, Denis Awoh Ndang called on the people who showed up to collect aid, to remind those still in the bushes to drop their arms and join the disarmament centre as indicated by President Paul Biya. He also said a cease fire, was important for peace to return to their municipalities, so that those displaced can return home.

They reaffirmed their commitment to assist Boyo IDPs around the nation, as Yaounde was just a stepping stone.

Senator Honore Ngam, on may 16, met with Boyo IDPs in Bamenda, where he offered them basic house needs as well as money to enable them start up small businesses.

With the projected holding of the regional, municipal and legislative elections this hear in Cameroon, many critics think the rush to assist IDPs now, is another campaign strategy.She has reportedly split up from her toyboy beau Pete Davidson.

And Kate Beckinsale indulged in a little retail therapy as she stepped out in Brentwood, Los Angeles on Saturday.

The actress, 45, covered up her gym-honed physique in a chic monochrome pyjama co-ord which was embossed with a stylish swirled print.

Glam: Kate Beckinsale indulged in a little retail therapy as she stepped out in a chic monochrome co-ord in Brentwood, Los Angeles on Saturday

Kate added a boost to her height with white stilettos, which complemented her white leather handbag.

Styling her brunette hair back in a high bun, the Widow star finished off her look with black cat-eye shades and a bronzed palette of make-up.

Kate showed no signs of heartbreak amid her reported recent split from Pete, flashing a smile as she tottered around the shops.

High spirits: The actress, 45, showed no signs of heartbreak amid her reported recent split from Pete, flashing a smile as she tottered around the shops

Kate's outing comes after it was revealed she is yet to finalise her divorce from American director Len, 46, after they called time on their 11 year marriage in 2015.

According to The Blast, the court has now put the exes on notice that they must appear in court in July to finish the divorce proceedings.

Court documents obtained by the website reportedly state 'IF YOU FAIL TO TAKE THE APPROPRIATE STEPS in your case the Court may dismiss your case for delay.'

The couple have reportedly taken no further steps in the case since Kate filed her response back in 2017 after Len initially filed for divorce in October 2016.

Exes: Meanwhile, Kate is still legally married to director Len Wiseman, despite splitting over three years ago, as it's revealed the exes have yet to finalise their divorce (pictured in 2014)

The couple started dating in 2003 after meeting on the set of Underworld which Len directed and Kate starred in.

They married on May 9, 2004 and separated in November 2015.

Kate was previously in a long-term romance with fellow actor Michael Sheen, who she began dating in 1995 before breaking up in 2003. They share a daughter Lily, 19.

More recently Kate's romantic life has hit the headlines thanks to her romance with SNL star Pete Davidson, 25.

They began dating in January, but their casual romance was said to have 'fizzled out' late last month because Kate struggled with the 'attention' surrounding the union.She kicked off the Spice World reunion tour in Croke Park, Dublin last week.

And Geri Horner was left awestruck ahead of the band's third Manchester concert on Saturday when a young dance troupe performed a Spice Girls inspired dance outside her hotel.

The star, 46, had been heading towards an Aston Martin parked outside the Lowry Hotel in Salford when four girls suddenly began dancing to a medley of her band's hits.

Wow! Geri Horner was left awestruck ahead of the band's third Manchester concert on Saturday when a group of young fans performed a Spice Girls inspired dance outside her hotel

Ginger Spice, who was with her husband Christian and her daughter Bluebell, 13, and son Monty, two, turned to watch the performance with her hand held over her heart, commenting 'wow, amazing'.

The girls, who had waited outside the hotel for four hours for Geri, didn't miss a beat as the music changed from a remix of 1996 hit Wannabe to Who Do You Think You Are.

Geri, who was dressed in a chic white blazer and blouse, then grinned at the 'Spicealicious' troupe as a girl in red, Kaitlen Williams, performed solo stunts.

Surprise: The star, 46, had been heading towards an Aston Martin parked outside the Lowry Hotel when four girls suddenly began dancing to a medley of her band's hits

Amazing: Ginger Spice turned to watch the performance with a grin on her face and her hand held over her heart, commenting 'wow, amazing' at the energetic dance

She said 'You've got it girls!' as they rounded off their energetic dance with a series of handsprings to Spice Up Your Life - to much applause from onlookers.

The 90s superstar then told the girls 'well done, you were amazing' and brought them in for a group hug before she was ushered away by a security guard.

Jake Land, who caught the moment on camera, said the parents of Kaitlen, Macy Turner, Demi Aughey and Zara Baptiste had approached Geri's bodyguard to ask if she would be happy to stop and watch the dance.

Hug: The 90s superstar told the girls 'well done, you were amazing' and brought them in for a group hug before she was ushered away by a security guard

Star struck: The 90s icon bend down to speak to the four young girls after their performance

He said: 'They came to the hotel and waited hours to meet Geri and to perform their dance moves in front of Geri herself.

'They brought a big portable speaker along with them practiced and practiced before Geri showed, you could tell they wanted to impress her.

'The parents of the girls approached Geri's bodyguard and asked him to ask her if she will stop for them so they can perform a dance routine to Spice Girls music.

'There was no hesitation Geri was completely happy with stopping to watch the group dance.

Perform: The girls, who had waited outside the hotel for four hours for Geri, didn't miss a beat as the music changed from a remix of 1996 hit Wannabe to Who Do You Think You Are

Permission: Jake Land, who caught the moment on camera, said the parents of the girls had approached Geri's bodyguard to ask if she would be happy to stop

'It was so cute, Geri just stood there and watched on and hugged all the girls at the end.'

The sweet moment comes after Geri's bandmate Mel C belted out Wannabe in a Liverpool FC shirt during the girl group's Manchester gig on Saturday.

Sporty Spice lived up to her nickname when she appeared on the stage at the Etihad Stadium to perform the band's debut smash single in the cropped shirt, which showed off her toned midriff.

He said: 'They came to the hotel and waited hours to meet Geri and to perform their dance moves in front of Geri herself'

Overwhelmed: Geri was clearly touched by the impromptu trubute as she watched the dance

She swept her mane back into her trademark ponytail and thrilled fans as she supported the team, who won 2-0 against Tottenham Hotspurs in the Champions League final.

Saturday's show was the fifth of the tour so far, and the third to take place at Manchester's 55,000 capacity Etihad Stadium.

Mel and her bandmates Emma Bunton, 43, Melanie Chisholm, 45, and Geri Horner, 46, are now set to take the tour to Coventry, Sunderland, Edinburgh, Bristol and London.She was spotted packing up her Los Angeles home on Friday.

And Alessandra Ambrosio was back to her usual antics on Saturday as she headed out to dinner at Giorgio Baldi in Santa Monica.

The Brazilian model, 38, cut a colourful figure in a vibrant blue, red and white fringed cardigan as she arrived at the Italian restaurant with friends.

Social butterfly: Alessandra Ambrosio, 38, was back to her usual antics on Saturday as she headed out to dinner at Giorgio Baldi in Santa Monica

Alessandra paired the statement 'peace' jacket with brown leather trousers and carried a tan cross-body bag for the occasion.

The beauty finished off her look with a pair of simple white trainers and threw her sleek brunette locks into a messy bun.

And, never one to forgo the glamour, the mother-of-two wore a light layer of make up and opted for a natural pink lip.

Vibrant: The Brazilian model cut a colourful figure in a vibrant blue, red and white fringed cardigan as she arrived at the Italian restaurant with friends.

It comes after Victoria's Secret model Alessandra appeared to pack up her home in the Brentwood neighbourhood of the city on Friday.

The Brazilian beauty was seen walking out of her home with some items in hand and placing them into a half-full moving truck.

Alessandra oozed style in a white jeans paired with a loose-fitting, black button-down shirt as she got to work.

The fashionista also wore thin-framed sunglasses and wrapped a black-and white patterned scarf around her neck.

On the move: It comes after Alessandra was spotted packing up at her home in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles on Friday

She styled her brown tresses long and flowing to the middle of her back, with some natural soft waves and a part in the middle.

Her apparent move came a day after she treated her son Noah, seven, and daughter Anja, ten, to a day at Universal Studios.

The model chronicled her time at the theme park with her kids on Instagram, with the caption: 'Hogwarts, Class of 2019!!! "We all have magic inside of us".'

Hard at work: The Brazilian beauty was seen walking out with some items and placing them in a half-full moving truck

Busy: The fashionista also wore thin-framed sunglasses and wrapped a black-and white patterned scarf around her neck

In the snaps, she gave Noah a piggy back ride while Anja dressed up in an oversized yellow Despicable Me hoodie.

She also flashed the peace sign as she took selfies with Anja in front of the Hogwarts Castle at Universal's The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

While the model was soaking up the fun in the sun with her children on Thursday, police were called to deal with a naked man who was sunbathing on the beach in front of her Santa Monica beach house.

Packing up: A moving truck was seen parked outside the model's home on Friday morning

When approached by officers, the man apparently told them he was naked because he was drying his wet clothes, according to TMZ.

The cops didn't buy the story, ordered him to put on his clothes, and watched while he dressed and then headed off without further incident.

Alessandra shares her two children with former fiance Jamie Mazur, 38.

She has been dating Nicolo Oddi since last August. He's the founder and CEO of Alanui, a knitwear fashion label based in Milan which he created with his sister Carlotta Oddi in 2016.It's long been rumoured that Joanna Burgess and her sister-in-law Phoebe Burgess aren't the best of friends.

And on Sunday, the apparent 'feud' between the women appeared to continue, with Joanna holding a baby shower from which Phoebe was seemingly absent.

Joanna, who is expecting her third child with NRL star George Burgess, posed in Instagram snaps with Tahlia Giumelli, who is the girlfriend of Joanna's brother-in-law Tom Burgess.

Omission: Joanna Burgess (left) celebrated her baby shower in Coogee on Sunday with Tom Burgess' girlfriend Tahlia Giumelli (right) but sister-in-law Phoebe Burgess appeared absent

Tahlia is also pregnant and their two women are expecting their babies just ten days apart.

No such photo was shared with Phoebe, who is married to Joanna's brother-in-law Sam, and it's unclear if she attended the event.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Joanna Burgess for comment.

Fun day: Joanna, clad in a white silk ensemble, also posed with Tessa Boehm at the event

Nice digs: Other social media photos show the women enjoying the baby shower at Sugarcane Restaurant in Sydney's beach side suburb of Coogee

Yum: Joanna shared photos of elaborate cakes from the event, one of which featured an ultrasound photo of her unborn baby

Other social media photos show the women enjoying the baby shower at Sugarcane Restaurant in Sydney's beach side suburb of Coogee.

Joanna shared photos of elaborate cakes from the event, one of which featured an ultrasound photo of her unborn baby.

Other snaps showed the trendy eatery decorated with pink balloons and the women enjoying large plates of food.

Loved up: Tahlia Giumelli, who is the girlfriend of Joanna's brother-in-law Tom Burgess (left). They are expecting their first child

Happily married: Joanna is the wife of NRL star George Burgess (left)

Rumours of a feud began when Joanna shared an Instagram post about the Burgess family's annual Christmas lunches, leading to speculation that she had taken a 'swipe' at Phoebe.

In a post shared to Instagram late last year, Joanna had claimed the most recent get-together, which took place at a restaurant in Watson's Bay, 'was the best one yet'.

Phoebe wasn't pictured in the family photo, leading fans to wonder whether Joanna's post was a thinly-veiled swipe at her sister-in-law.

Family ties: Phoebe is married to Joanna's brother-in-law Sam, and it's unclear if she attended the event. Sam is the brother of George Burgess

But Joanna clarified in another Instagram post earlier this year: 'It is not in my nature to take a dig at someone.

'Phoebe has never joined the Burgess side for previous Christmas festivities. Therefore it couldn't possibly be aimed at her!'

She continued: 'My last year's Christmas upload I used a similar caption as it was our son's first Christmas. This year we had our daughter join the three of us, hence it being the "best one yet"'.

Joanna later deleted the post.

Taking a swipe? In this post shared to Instagram late last year, Joanna had claimed the Burgess family's most recent get-together 'was the best one yet'. Phoebe wasn't pictured in the photo, leading fans to wonder whether Joanna's post was a thinly-veiled swipe at her sister-in-law

But Joanna clarified in another Instagram post earlier this year: 'It is not in my nature to take a dig at someone. 'Phoebe has never joined the Burgess side for previous Christmas festivities. Therefore it couldn't possibly be aimed at her!'

In January, Daily Mail Australia revealed that Phoebe had unfollowed Joanna and George Burgess on Instagram.

Shortly afterwards, Joanna likewise unfollowed Phoebe.

That same month, journalist Phoebe 'liked' an Instagram post from her manager Sharon Finnigan, which read: 'It's funny how you're nice to my face. It's hilarious how you talk s**t behind my back. And it's downright comical that you think I'm unaware.'

The feud came after a brief split between Joanna and husband Sam Burgess, just three weeks after the birth of their second child, Billy Mark, in December.She regularly keeps fans updated with her sun-kissed travels on social media.

And Georgia Harrison looked nothing short of sensational as she enjoyed a day by the pool during a trip to Portugal.

The former Love Island star, 24, cut a stylish figure in a yellow and white striped one-piece swimsuit with a cut-out at the centre.

Style: Georgia Harrison, 24, looked nothing short of sensational as she enjoyed a day by the pool during a trip to Portugal

Cinching her waist with a yellow belt, Georgia styled her blonde locks into a ponytail which she tied with a matching scrunchie.

The TV star struck a series of poses as she went for a dip in the pool as she soaked up the sun.

She recently denied ever having a fling with Sam Gowland after it was reported he had a tryst with a Love Island star days after he split from Geordie Shore's Chloe Ferry.

Georgia told OK! Magazine: 'After the rumours began that Sam spent the night with a Love Island star, so many people have been asking if its me.

Pool: The former Love Island star cut a stylish figure in a yellow and white striped one-piece swimsuit with a cut-out at the centre

Beauty: Georgia styled her blonde locks into a ponytail which she tied with a matching scrunchie

'Me and Sam were a couple in the villa, but outside we were nothing. I have no idea who the person is or if its true, but it definitely isnt me.

'I wish Chloe and Sam all the best and its a shame things didnt work out.'

It was reported that Geordie Shore's Sam and a Love Islander had the rendezvous during a wild night out in Soho last month and it continued with the pair heading back to his hotel room after partying until the early hours.

Georgia took to social media in April o tell her legions of followers that she would be undergoing the facial transformation at Beyond Medical Centre in Kensington, London.

Speaking out: Georgia recently denied ever having a fling with Sam Gowland after it was reported he had a tryst with a Love Island star days after he split from Chloe Ferry

Stunning: The beauty cinched her waist with a yellow belt as she struck a variety of poses in the pool

Georgia said: 'Me and Sam were a couple in the villa, but outside we were nothing. I have no idea who the person is or if its true, but it definitely isnt me'

Transformation: Georgia took to social media in April o tell her legions of followers that she would be undergoing the facial transformation at Beyond Medical Centre

After attending the clinic's opening, she explained: 'I fell in love with the surgery (at Beyond Medical Centre). The doctors are all amazing and they really do know what they're talking about.

'Therefore, after having a consultation I decided to cop myself a new chin!

'I'm going there today and they're going to put a little bit of filler in my chin, and maybe something else, I'll get the doctor to explain when we're there, but, big day for me. How exciting!Meshel Laurie has revealed her nine-year-old son Louis racked up a $1,000 credit card bill on a gaming website.

The Project panellist, who was left 'broke' last year after a trip to Africa, was horrified after she recently discovered the debt.

In a piece penned for Sunday Life, Meshel, 46, who is a mum to twins Louis and his sister Dali, said she feels responsible for her son's actions because she encouraged his gaming hobby.

Shocked: Meshel Laurie, 46, has revealed her nine-year-old son Louis racked up a $1,000 credit card bill on a gaming website

'My nine-year-old son just spent $1,000 on a Counterfeit Domino Crown and some Mid-Summer Horns for the virtual identity he's created in an online gaming platform,' she wrote.

'I guess it's our turn to be that family. The one with the big credit card bill thanks to the kid who figured out how to bypass parental sign-in procedures when using the card online.'

She added: 'I have to take responsibility for this mess. I allowed him to become obsessed with this terrible game because it kept him occupied.'

Motherhood: Meshel shares nine-year-old twins Louis (right) and Dali (left) with her ex-husband, Adrian Lewinski

Meshel said she told Louis he could only spend up to $15 on the gaming website, so she was understandably shocked by the $1,000 debt.

'He obviously has no idea how much $1,000 is [or] how long a person has to work to earn it,' she wrote.

It comes after the TV presenter revealed she was left 'broke' last year after donating money to people in need following a trip Africa for the fourth season of SBS' Go Back To Where You Came From.

Financial struggles: It comes after the TV presenter revealed she was left 'broke' last year after donating money to people in need following a trip Africa for the fourth season of SBS' Go Back To Where You Came From

'I sent a lot of money to South Sudan, sent about three times as much as I got paid for the gig on SBS,' she told McKnight Tonight earlier this month.

'And I'm not showing off, because I am now quite broke by the way.'

Meshel has always been open about struggles in her personal life.

In 2017, she recalled how her IVF experience ended her marriage to husband-of-19-years Adrian Lewinski - the father of her nine-year-old twins.

'I don't think he was necessarily ready for parenthood but I was 37, I needed to move - he definitely felt pressured into that process so I essentially went it alone,' she told WHO magazine.

'It ended it, really and truly,' she said, adding: 'I think the last five years to six years [of the marriage] weren't great and it was just the process of letting go that takes a long time... over the course of those 19 years we became different people.'James Corden put his own spin on the classic 1980s musical Les Miserables for Crosswalk: The Musical in Paris on Saturday.

The Late Late Show host led the peasant's revolt as Marius Pontmercy marching near the Arc de Triomphe with his group of rebels, while the enemy brandished baguettes as filming for the spoof got well under way.

James, 40, later transformed into Fantine and hacked at his brunette wig, to portray the single mother's plight of trying to source funds for her daughter.

At the end of the day: James Corden put his own spin on the classic 1980s musical Les Miserables for Crosswalk: The Musical in Paris on Saturday

Dressed in some of the iconic French costumes for the revolutionary segment, James looked the part as he threw himself into the role of Marius.

The Gavin and Stacey star sang with gusto, surrounded by his rebels as they tried to overturn the enemy.

Dressed in a orange tailcoat, waistcoast and crest of the students' rebellion, James got in character as he stormed through the streets of the French city.

I dreamed a dream: James, 40, transformed into Fantine and hacked at his brunette wig, to portray the single mother's plight of trying to source funds for her daughter

In character: James looked the part as he threw himself into the role of Marius

Red and black: The Late Late Show host led the peasant's revolt as Marius Pontmercy marching near the Arc de Triomphe with his group of rebels

Period drama: He was dressed in some of the iconic French costumes for the revolutionary segment

Do you hear the people sing? The Gavin and Stacey star sang with gusto, surrounded by his rebels as they tried to overturn the enemy

Plumet attack: The group were confronted by the French government

The first attack: The police pretended to ride horses as they confronted the rebels

The group were then confronted by the French government, who pretended to ride horses and brandished baguettes at the angry mob.

In another scene, James transformed Fantine and portrayed the moment she turned to selling her body in a bid to raise money for her daughter Cosette.

Complete with a full face of stubble and muddied dress, the father-of-three wandered around Paris looking lost and forlorn

Clash: They brandished baguettes at the angry mob

The tigers come at night: In another scene, James transformed Fantine

Poignant: He held scissors in his hand, ready to chop off his wig

Having a laugh: James chatted to a crew member in-between takes

In character: James wandered around Paris' busiest streets and certainly turned heads with his period costume

Lost: Complete with a full face of stubble, the father-of-three looked lost and forlorn as Fantine

He then held a pair of scissors in his hand, ready to chop off his brunette wig.

James' Crosswalk: The Musical skits have been a huge hit on his show.

The talented vocalist has performed everything from Aladdin to Broadway to Beauty And The Beast.

Smart: Dressed in a orange tailcoat, waistcoast and crest of the students' rebellion, James got in character as he stormed through the streets of the French city

Fight: James put on an animated display as he played Marius

Latest spoof: James' Crosswalk: The Musical skits have been a huge hit on his show

Singing his heart out: The talented vocalist has performed everything from Aladdin to Broadway to Beauty And The Beast and has now taken on Les Mis

Exciting: Corden's trip to Paris comes after he announced earlier this week that Gavin & Stacey will return for a Christmas Special

Return: The star, who created the sitcom alongside Ruth Jones, made the announcement that the show will return to television screens nine years after it concluded on BBC One

Corden's trip to Paris comes after he announced earlier this week that Gavin & Stacey will return for a Christmas Special.

The star, who created the sitcom alongside Ruth Jones, made the announcement that the show will return to television screens nine years after it concluded on BBC One.

After years of requests from fans, the beloved sitcom, which starred Mathew Horne and Joanna Page, will return later this year for a Christmas Special and viewers will once again get to hear Nessa's famous catchphrase: 'What's occuring?'

Funny: The host shared a joke with cast members inbetween takes

Reenactment: During the filming, James performed a number of songs from the musical

Seething with fury: He clenched his fist in anger

James made the announcement in a Twitter statement on Tuesday, sharing a picture of the new script.

He said: 'Ruth Jones and I have been keeping this secret for a while... Were excited to share it with you. See you on Christmas Day @BBCOne #GavinandStacey.'

While in a joint statement, co-creators Ruth and James said: 'Over the last 10 years we've talked a lot about Gavin and Stacey - where they might be today and what their lives might look like.

Skit: James Corden was filming a spoof version of the hit musical Les Miserables in Paris

Moody: James looked serious as he played his part

Set in 19th-century France: Les Mis is the story of Jean Valjean, a French peasant, and his desire for redemption after serving nineteen years in jail for having stolen a loaf of bread

'And so in secret we took the plunge and wrote this one-hour special. We've loved revisiting Barry and Essex again and bringing the characters back together has been a joy.

'We're 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.'

Actress Joanna Page, who plays lead character Stacey, tweeted: 'Its happening!!! Im so excited! Cant wait to get on the slots down Barry again!! #gavinandstacey #christmasspecial #barryisland.'

Moving: Valjean decides to break his parole and start his life anew after a bishop inspires him by an act of mercy, but he is relentlessly tracked down by a police inspector named JavertShe's set to return to the small screen with her role as Princess Margaret in the new series of The Crown, expected to air later this year.

And Helena Bonham Carter, 53, enjoyed some time off her busy schedule with her loved ones as she jetted into New York's JFK Airport with her boyfriend Rye Dag Holmboe, 32, and her mother Elena over the weekend.

The actress maintained her typically quirky style sense as she wrapped up in a black padded jacket, tied in with a patterned dipped hem skirt.

In good company: Helena Bonham Carter, 53, enjoyed some time off her busy schedule with her loved ones as she jetted into New York's JFK Airport with her boyfriend Rye Dag Holmboe, 32, and her mother Elena over the weekend

Injecting a hint of elegance into her look, The King's Speech star complemented her look with a black lace blouse.

The Lady Jane actress opted for comfort in the footwear department as she sported a pair of chunky platform boots.

With her brunette tresses styled into a tousled updo, Helena complemented her youthful-looking complexion with smudged dark brown eyeshadow and faint pink lipstick.

Kooky fashion: The actress maintained her typically quirky style sense as she wrapped up in a black padded jacket, tied in with a patterned dipped hem skirt

Helena is thought to have struck up a relationship with academic Holmboe last summer after meeting at the wedding of a mutual friend.

They have since been spotted out and about together a number of times, and the writer visited the actress on the set of The Crown in Spain at the end of 2018.

Everyone thought it was a fling but it now seems to be hotting up as they are joined at the hip, a source told the Mail on Sunday.

The ex files: The Crown star had a famously unconventional 13-year relationship with director Tim Burton which ended in 2014

Some people are surprised that Helena has found someone who is younger and from a different walk of life, but others are less surprised as it is very like her to do the unexpected.

Helena had a famously unconventional 13-year relationship with director Tim Burton which ended in 2014.

The pair, who are parents to children Billy, 15, and Nell, 11, lived in two adjourning houses in London during their relationship.He is set to star as Agent H in the hotly-anticipated Men In Black spin-off.

And Chris Hemsworth looked all parts the A-lister as he joined his co-star Tessa Thompson at a photocall for Men In Black: International in London on Sunday.

The Avengers: Endgame star, 35, cut a suave figure in a plaid, royal blue suit as he posed ahead of idyllic scenes of the River Thames and London Eye.

Star power: Chris Hemsworth 35, smiled in a blue plaid two-piece as he posed ahead of idyllic scenes at a photocall for Men In Black: International in London on Sunday

The father-of-three paired his statement suit with an open-collar white shirt and matching blue shoes, and donned a pair of aviator-style sunglasses for the shoot.

Chris was accompanied by his co-star Tessa, 35, who wore a glittering silver shirt dress which featured an oversized tie around her middle.

The Thor: Ragnarok favourite, who appears as Agent M in the film, paired her three-quarter sleeve gown with matching crystal covered heels.

Co-star: Chris looked suave in his royal blue suit as he posed alongside his co-star Tessa Thompson, 35

Gorgeous: The Thor: Ragnarok favourite wore a glittering silver shirt dress which featured an oversized tie around her middle

Tessa wore her brunette locks in mismatched space buns as she posed alongside Chris and the film's director F. Gary Gray at the Corinthia Hotel.

The long-awaited fourth film in the sci-fi franchise will see leads Tessa and Chris join forces to defeat an array of creatures in a bid to save the world.

A recent trailer for the flick saw Emma Thompson's returning character Agent O as speak with Agent M about the elusive organisation.

Bold: The father-of-three paired his statement suit with an open-collar white shirt and matching blue shoes, and donned a pair of aviator-style sunglasses for the shoot

Pals: Tessa wore her brunette locks in mismatched space buns as she posed alongside Chris and the film's director F. Gary Gray at the Corinthia Hotel

She says: 'We are a rumour, recognisable only as Deja-vu and dismissed just as quickly. Were the best kept secret in the galaxy.'

Determined to get herself a spot on the team, Agent M responds: 'I want in. 20 years ago you erased my parents memories but you didnt get mine.'

As Tessa's character, unlike Will Smith's Agent J, has found her way to the agency rather than get headhunted, she goes on: 'Id like to be recruited, I want to know the truth of the universe.'

Plot: The hotly-anticipated fourth film in the sci-fi franchise will see leads Tessa and Chris join forces to defeat an array of creatures to save the world

Starring role: A recent trailer for the flick saw Emma Thompson's character Agent O speak with Tessa's Agent M about the elusive MIB organisation

Emma's Agent O eventually relents, and as Tessa dons one of the agency's trademark suits she tells her: 'Suit up, welcome to the Men In Black.'

The trailer goes on to give quick glimpse at gorgeous artwork which depicts the action-packed fight against Edgar The Bug in the finale of the original Men In Black.

Another nod to the original trilogy saw the return of Frank the Pug, who has the appearance of a canine but is in fact an alien in disguise.

Cast: The spin off is directed by Straight Outta Compton filmmaker F. Gary Gray, and also stars Rebecca Ferguson, Liam Neeson, Rafe Spall and Kumail Nanjiani (Pictured)

Will's Agent J and Tommy Lee Jones' Agent K from the original MIB trilogy will not return in Men In Black: International, with this movie to focus on new, original characters.

The only connection to the previous movies will be Emma, who reprises her role from 2012's Men in Black 3 as Agent O, the head of the Men in Black organization.

The spin off is directed by Straight Outta Compton filmmaker F. Gary Gray, and also stars Rebecca Ferguson, Liam Neeson, Rafe Spall and Kumail Nanjiani.

Men In Black: International arrives nationwide on Friday, June 14.She recently returned home to London following her sun-soaked Miami trip with boyfriend Iain Stirling.

And Laura Whitmore was back to the work grind as she was pictured leaving the BBC Radio 5 Studios in London, England, on Sunday afternoon.

The Irish TV presenter, 34, commanded attention as she slipped into a colourful striped turtle-neck jumper, which she toned down with a pair of black ankle-grazing trousers.

Off she goes: Laura Whitmore was back to the work grind following her recent Miami trip as she was pictured leaving the BBC Radio 5 Studios in London, England, on Sunday afternoon

Nailing sporty chic with her choice of footwear, the former I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! NOW! host sported a pair of chunky white trainers.

The 2016 Strictly contestant took a walk on the wild side with her choice of accessories as she toted an animal print handbag and matching skinny sunglasses by Ray-Ban.

With her shoulder-length tresses styled into loose waves, the Survival of the Fittest presenter accentuated her radiant complexion with light strokes of neutral-toned make-up.

Standing out: The Irish TV presenter, 34, commanded attention as she slipped into a colourful striped turtle-neck jumper, which she toned down with a pair of black ankle-grazing trousers

Laura's outing comes as she spent some quality time with his Love Island voiceover beau Iain, 31, as the couple jetted to Miami for a sun-soaked break earlier this month.

Their lavish holiday was well-documented on their respective Instagram pages, offering their followers a sneak peak into their adventurous trip with daily updates, which included theme park dates and visiting the Versace mansion.

The couple met in 2016 but things did not heat up between the two until the following summer when Iain gushed about his girlfriend in March last year.

Casual display: Nailing sporty chic with her choice of footwear, the former I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! NOW! host sported a pair of chunky white trainers

All in the details: The 2016 Strictly contestant took a walk on the wild side with her choice of accessories as she toted an animal print handbag and matching skinny sunglasses by Ray-Ban

Initially coy over their budding romance, rumours were swirling for weeks before the lovebirds went public with their affections for each other in 2017.

In December, Laura revealed the lovebirds had moved in together when she posed a snap of the couple inside a removals van as they loaded up their belongings.

Comedian Iain 'happily' recently admitted that he was punching above his weight by developing a romance with the blonde beauty during an appearance on the Chris Ramsey show.Muslims during a feast in Cameroon Facebook

Cameroon's council of Imams and other Islamic institutions known by its French acronym, COCIMAI has announced the feast of Ramadan will be celebrated this Tuesday June 4, 2019 across the country.

According to these leaders, the moon is expected to appear on Monday 3rd of June which is a prerequisite for the feast to hold.

The leaders led by the President of Imams, Dr. Ibrahim Moubarak Mbombo, say it is an occasion to celebrate peace and social cohesion in Cameroon.

With the announcement of the feast of the Ram for Tuesday, it is customary for Cameroonians to have two public holidays on Monday 3rd June and Tuesday 4th.

According to the 1973 ordinance on public holidays, a day between a weekend day and a public holiday, automatically is a public holiday. Hence Monday June 3, might be a public holiday in Cameroon.

Ramadan is the holiest month for Muslims. It is the ninth month in the Muslim lunar calendar. For a month, Muslims have been fasting from drinking, eating, immoral acts and anger. Other acts of worship such as prayer, reading the Quran and charity are also encouraged during the holy month.

Muslims also believe the Quran was revealed in Ramadan. The feast of Ramadan and other Muslim and other international Muslim feasts are often observed in Cameroon as a public holiday.Beyonce and her daughter Ivy Blue went all out on Saturday for this year's Wearable Art Gala in Santa Monica.

The theme of the bash this time was 'A Journey to the Pride Lands,' and Beyonce and seven-year-old Blue certainly nailed their costumes.

The 37-year-old musical icon slayed in a golden ensemble with a lion face on the chest and feathers that acted as the lion's mane while Blue Ivy donned a yellow dress with traditional African bead work in an incredible homage to Disney's The Lion King.

A Journey to the Pride Lands: Beyonce Knowles and 7-year-old Blue Ivy looked fabulous for this year's Wearable Art Gala in Santa Monica on Saturday

Beyonce's sheer, short sleeved golden jumper featured golden beads and sequins.

The ensemble included a golden cape and gold stilettos with beaded detail.

The Crazy in Love hitmaker wore her sleek brunette locks down in chic middle part.

Blue Ivy donned more traditional African garb in a stunning, larger-than-life yellow dress that featured huge puffy sleeves and colorful bead work around the neck and down the front.

The Lion King: The Crazy in Love hitmaker wore her sleek brunette locks down in chic middle part

Detailed from head-to-toe: Beyonce's ensemble included a golden cape and gold stilettos with beaded detail

The daughter of Beyonce and Jay Z wore her hair up in a double bun with a matching headband and large golden headpiece.

She also sported a chic pair of kitten heels and gorgeous gold earrings.

In an adorable video posted to Beyonce's Instagram stories, Blue Ivy prepped herself for the event through song.

'In the circle, the circle of life!' she lip syncs and her mom can be heard giggling next to her.

Stunning: The Formation hitmaker's makeup featured nude lips with a brown smoky eye

The event was thrown by Where Art Can Occur (WACO), an organization founded by Beyonce's mother Tina Lawson and stepfather Richard Lawson.

'Wearable art has to be over-the-top,' Tina told the Los Angeles Times, continuing, 'It cant just be a dress with a little necklace. Youve gotta really go there with it!'

Also in attendance were former Destiny's Child bandmates Michelle Williams and Kelly Rowland, Girl's Trip star Tiffany Haddish and former co-host of The View Star Jones.

Tina, who shares Beyonce with her ex-husband Matthew Knowles, was a feathery sensation in a floor-length gown.

Side by side: The event on June 1 was thrown by Where Art Can Occur (WACO), an organization founded by Beyonce's mother Tina Lawson and stepfather Richard Lawson

Legendary: Michelle Williams' ultra-glam look featured a long train at the back and a dangerously high slit up the front, allowing her to show off her shapely legs.

The extravagantly frilly black ensemble had a triple-tiered skirt and an elegant cowl, as well as a shiny corset that emphasized her trim figure.

Lawson, taking a cue from Black Panther, donned a warrior king look, complete with a towering crown.

Williams' ultra-glam look featured a long train at the back and a dangerously high slit up the front.

Rowland was smashing in a blue short-sleeved blazer that fell to her thighs with a pair of split legwarmers and short shorts that matched her blazer.

Unique: Kelly Rowland was smashing in a blue short-sleeved blazer that fell to her thighs and featured short sleeves

Beneath the blazer she wore a monochrome top with a swirling pattern and flared out cuffs, rounding off the look with black and white striped heels.

Tiffany Haddish also opted for some plumage in an off-the-shoulder gown that was covered in red feathers above the waist and black fur below, donning a fuzzy black headdress that resembled a traditional Aso Oke hat on her head.

And Star Jones was beautiful in blue, wearing a textured floor-length gown with a flowing shawl.She shocked fans in April after she became the fifth Coronation Street star to leave the cobbles in the recent mass cast wipe out.

And Faye Brookes, 31, has now defended her shocking decision to quit the soap at the British Soap Awards on Saturday night in Manchester.

The actress, who is engaged to Gareth Gates, announced that she would be leaving her role as Kate Connor in April but has now revealed that it may not be the end.

Quit: Faye Brookes, 31, has defended her shocking decision to quit the soap at the British Soap Awards on Saturday night in Manchester

Speaking at the British Soap Awards in Manchester on Saturday, Faye opened up about her decision to leave the long-running soap.

The actress told The Sun: 'It's the end of my contract. Its come to an end. I want to go out on a high.'

Faye's comments come after the popular soap's mass cast exodus, which has seen the exit of seven cast members in just three months.

However, Faye has revealed this may not be the end for Kate and shes happy ITV bosses have left the door open.

Confusing: The actress, who is engaged to Gareth Gates, announced that she would be leaving her role as Kate Connor in April but has now revealed that it may not be the end

Shocking: Her character recently lost the love of her life on their wedding day and its only now been revealed who is to blame for Ranas death

She said: 'I've had a lot of storylines to be fair. Ive loved my four years. Im really grateful to Corrie to leave it open ended because it means I can come back.'

Faye joined the hit ITV soap in 2015 as the sister of late Aidan Connor, played by Shayne Ward, and half-sister of Carla Connor, played by Alison King.

Her character recently lost the love of her life on their wedding day and its only now been revealed who is to blame for Ranas death.

Wipe out: Faye's comments come after the popular soap's mass cast exodus, which has seen the exit of seven cast members in just three months

An ITV representative confirmed Faye's departure to MailOnline in April, they said: 'Faye is a very talented actress who has put her all into the portrayal of Kate Connor for the past three and a half years, we wish her every success for the future.

'She will be on screen until early Autumn and the door will be left open.'

The actress also announced the news on Twitter and revealed that she is off to 'explore new opportunities'.

Leaving: The actress first announced the news that she was quitting after four years on the soap in a Twitter post back in April

Coronation Street: Who's Quit? Gone: Lucy will leave Corrie in 2020, after five years of playing Bethany Platt Lucy Fallon - plays Bethany Platt Lucy is set to leave the soap in 2020, five years after joining the cast as teen Bethany. In a statement the star said she's made the 'extremely difficult decision' to leave the show, after earning much praise for a 2017 storyline which saw her character be groomed and abused. Katie McGlynn - plays Sinead Tinker It has been reported that Katie will be leaving Corrie later this year after six years on the show. The star is currently playing out a storyline which has seen her character battle cervical cancer. A source told MailOnline: 'This story still has a long way to go. Any speculation threatens to undermine the storyline for viewers' Faye Brookes - plays Kate Connor Faye took to Twitter to announce that she was 'off to pastures new,' four years after joining the cast as Carla Connor's half-sister Kate. Leaving: Tristan Gemmill is also set to leave his role as chef Robert Preston The character - who has had much support from the soap's LGBTQ fanbase - has had a fair share of heartache, following her brother Aidan's suicide, and fiance Rana's death in the factory roof collapse. Tristan Gemmill - plays Robert Preston Tristan has also tweeted he will be leaving Corrie later this year, four years after joining as Tracy Barlow's ex-husband. The hunky chef is currently a prime suspect in the Underworld Factory collapse. Kym Marsh - plays Michelle Connor In February Kym told The Sun she would be leaving Corrie later this year to explore other roles. Michelle has been at the centre of many hard-hitting storylines, including the stillbirth of her son Ruari in 2017. Off she goes! Kym Marsh will also leave the cobbles after 13 years on the soap Bhavna Limbachia - played Rana Habeeb Rana exited Corrie in March after she was brutally killed off in the Underworld Factory roof collapse. Bhavna had previously announced she would be leaving the soap, but it had been implied she had several more months before her exit would air. Connie Hyde - played Gina Seddon Gina's exit also aired following the factory collapse, after she struggled to reconcile with her sister Sally and was repeatedly blamed for the tragedy. After her exit scenes aired, Connie announced she had quit the soap after two years in the cast. Advertisement

She tweeted: 'Thanks to everyone for your amazing support, but after 4 fabulous years in Weatherfield it's time for me to explore new opportunities.

'I've loved playing Kate Connor, but she needs a break for a little while and so with a song in my heart I'm off to pastures new. #kana #corrie.'

Kate is one of the seven stars to quit Coronation Street this year, joining co-stars Lucy Fallon, Kym Marsh, Tristan Gemmill, Bhavna Limbachia, Connie Hyde and Katie McGlyn.

Power couple: Faye recently rekindled her romance with fiance Gareth Gates after they had a brief split following their six-year relationship. The couple plan to get married imminently

Only recently, Faye rekindled her romance with fiance Gareth Gates after they had a brief split following their six-year relationship.

The couple, who got engaged in January, plan to have a lavish wedding imminently and want to travel the world together.

The beauty said she is 'completely committed' to her fiance and is set to do what it takes to make their marriage work.

A source told the Sun: 'She nearly lost him once when they split up so shes determined to make it work this time but its really hard with her filming schedule and their academy.'

'Gareth travels a lot for work so she wants to be able to go with him and see more of the world.

'They're also looking to the future and starting a family, which would be tricky when she's still on the show'.

Faye and Gareth split in September of last year, but were back together by November.She has just returned from a sunny trip in the South of France during Cannes Film Festival.

And Millie Mackintosh was once again topping up her tan as she enjoys a break away with her husband Hugo Taylor, 33, in Rome, Italy - where she was staying at the lavish Rome Cavalieri resort.

The former Made In Chelsea star, 29, ensured she turned up the heat by slipping her lithe figure into a racy red swimsuit that featured a flirty bardot neckline and lace-up detail across the chest.

Sizzling: Millie Mackintosh, 29, slipped her figure into a red swimsuit as she enjoyed a break with her husband Hugo Taylor, 33, in Italy - where she was staying at the lavish Rome Cavalieri resort

The South-West London native continued her bright look by donning red-rimmed sunglasses for her day of sizzling in the sunshine.

Millie looked every inch the English rose as she left her strawberry blonde tresses down in a relaxed style and showcased her long pins as she posed in front of a magnificent pool.

Joining the Chelsea girl on her getaway is her other half, who celebrated his birthday on 1 June.

To commemorate the special day during their couples break, Millie posted a loved-up snap of the pair on Instagram as they cuddled up alongside the Trevi Fountain.

Birthday boy: Joining the Chelsea girl on her getaway is her other half, who celebrated his birthday on 1 June

She captioned the social media offering: 'Happy Birthday mio amore! My moon and stars.'

Millie wed Hugo at his uncle's country estate over the summer of 2018, and the couple opted for a religious blessing as they had married formally at Chelsea's Old Town Hall in London three days prior to the celebration.

The couple favoured a 'rock n roll' themed nuptials, which saw their tables named after nightclubs - an ode to their wild younger years on the London party circuit - and guests served a fried chicken breakfast, as Hugo gushed about his 'angel' bride in his wedding speech.

Happy couple: Millie wed Hugo at his uncle's country estate over the summer of 2018. They dated in 2011 while on Made In Chelsea, but split up when it emerged he had cheated on her

Millie and Hugo dated in 2011 while on Made In Chelsea, but split up when it emerged he had cheated on Millie with her friend Rosie Fortescue, who attended the wedding alongside a bevy of their other co-stars.

They reunited in the second half of 2016 and Taylor proposed during a holiday in Mykonos, Greece, in July last year. She was previously married to musician Professor Green, real name Stephen Manderson, in September 2013.

The couple announced their split in February 2016 after two-and-a-half years of marriage and finalised their divorce in May 2016 - the same week that Millie went public with Hugo during a trip to Monaco.The Secret Life Of Pets 2 premiere brought out a bevy of stars to L.A. on Sunday.

And Kevin Hart led the luminaries as he was joined by his family for the fun-filled event at the Regency Village Theater in the tony neighborhood of Westwood.

The 39-year-old comedian was flanked by his wife, Eniko, 34, and his daughter Heaven, 14, son Hendrix, 11, and one-year-old son Kenzo.

Family man: Kevin Hart, 39, was joined by wife, Eniko, 34, and his daughter Heaven, 14, son Hendrix, 11, and one-year-old son Kenzo for the premiere of Secret Lives Of Pets 2 in Los Angeles on Sunday

The gorgeous family coordinated their casual chic outfits with a color combination of white, teal, and purple.

Eniko married Kevin in 2016 and stuck by him after he confessed to cheating on her while she was pregnant with their child.

They share Kenzo together and Hart had Hendrix and Heaven with Torrei Hart whom he divorced in 2011.

The Ride Along's star is currently working on My Own Worst Enemy and The Great Outdoors.

Lovely pastels: The gorgeous family coordinated their casual chic outfits with a color combination of white, teal, and purple

Forgiving: Eniko married Kevin in 2016 and stuck by him after he confessed to cheating on her while she was pregnant with their child

Matinee idol: Harrison Ford looked every inch the ruggedly handsome matinee idol as he cut a dapper figure in a navy suit

Family affair: Tiffani Thiessen was a delight in stripes as she posed with her gorgeous family

And the actor has signed on to star in and produce an adaptation of the Monopoly board game.

The comedian will produce the movie through his own HartBeat Productions company - serving as his first project since the Oscars controversy.

Lionsgate is teaming up with AllSpark Pictures, Hasbro's film division, for this adaptation, according to Deadline.

Graceful guest: Tiffany Haddish was the picture of demur as she posed to impress in a wildly eccentric dress

Candy-colored: Her look seemed to be stitched together from multiple other outfits, with strips of black and purple floral patterns connected to a kaleidoscopic multicolored section over her mid-riff

Life of the party: Tiffany even seemed to get the usually stone-faced Harrison Ford in a good mood with her antics

Chic stars: Beverly Mitchell was summer time chic in a floral frock while Sofia Reyes rocked a graphic top with black pants

Story details are yet to be revealed, there is no indication as to who Kevin will play in the upcoming film.

Meanwhile, the red carpet for the premiere of Secret Life Of Pets 2 continued to showcase a plethora of celebrities.

Harrison Ford looked every inch the ruggedly handsome matinee idol as he cut a dapper figure in a navy suit.

Hello sunshine: Lake Bell was a bright spot of sunshine in a strapless yellow gown

Stunners: Roselyn Sanchez and Dania Ramirez were stunners in their sensational couture, with Dania opting for a Gretel Z suit and Lilou shoes

Beverly Mitchell was summer time chic in a floral frock while Sofia Reyes rocked a graphic top with black pants.

Tiffani Thiessen was a delight in stripes as she posed with her gorgeous family.

Tiffany Haddish was the picture of demur as she posed to impress in a wildly eccentric dress.

Roselyn Sanchez and Dania Ramirez were stunners in their sensational couture.

Casual chic: Adina Porter was casual chic in light top and pants

Smiling stars: CaCee cobb, Donald Faison, Kaya Faison and Rocco Faison posed for a family photo on the green lawn

CaCee cobb, Donald Faison, Kaya Faison and Rocco Faison posed for a family photo on the green lawn.

Lake Bell was a bright spot of sunshine in a strapless yellow gown as Adina Porter was casual chic in light top and pants.

And Meredith Salenger and Patton Oswalt looked every inch loved up at the event.

The original Secret Life Of Pets opened in 2016 and grossed $875 million worldwide, becoming the sixth-highest-grossing film of 2016.

Secret Life Of Pets 2 opens June 7th.It's been six months since Karl Stefanovic was axed from Channel Nine's Today show and replaced with all-female hosting duo Georgie Gardner and Deborah Knight.

And network bosses are said to be planning another 'shake-up' in light of plummeting ratings, with The Australian reporting on Monday that newsreader Tom Steinfort has been promoted to the anchor desk.

According to the publication, Today will undergo significant on-air changes as of Monday June 3, with Tom featuring more prominently alongside Georgie and Deborah.

Is this the end of Today's all-female gamble? Channel Nine bosses are reportedly promoting Tom Steinfort to the anchor desk and giving Steve Jacobs a more significant role - as Georgie Gardner and Deborah Knight (pictured) continue to deliver low ratings

'Today's hosting duo Deb Knight and Georgie Gardner will effectively become a trio,' the newspaper alleged.

'Expect to see more of Steinfort in all facets of Today from now on, breaking up what viewers perceive to be a competitive dynamic between Gardner and Knight.'

Weather presenter Steve Jacobs is also said to be taking on a more significant role on the breakfast program.

Claims: According to The Australian, Today will undergo significant on-air changes as of June 3, with Tom Steinfort (left) featuring more prominently alongside Georgie and Deborah. Furthermore, Steve Jacobs (right) is also said to be taking on a more significant role

A Channel Nine insider told The Australian that audiences were always going to struggle to accept an all-female hosting duo on Today.

'Viewers have had decades of a male-female combination. It takes time to change that sort of habit,' they said.

When contacted for comment, a Nine spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia: 'Our promos, marketing and publicity has been consistent in its messaging of "wake up with Georgie, Deb and Tom" since we launched in January. Nothing has changed.'

'Viewers have had decades of a male-female combination. It takes time to change that sort of habit': A Channel Nine insider claimed that audiences were struggling to accept an all-female hosting duo on Today

On Saturday, Channel Nine's Director of News and Current Affairs Darren Wick told The Daily Telegraph that the Today show 'hasn't got it quite right' with co-hosts Georgie and Deborah, but insisted they aren't 'panicking about ratings' just yet.

Meanwhile, viewership has continued to plummet since Karl's departure from Today, particularly in the 44-year-old's home state of Queensland.

Robert McKnight, the editor of industry website TV Blackbox, said in April that Nine will be pulling 'every trick out of the bag' to boost ratings in coming months.

Tanking: Viewership has continued to plummet since Karl Stefanovic's departure from Today, particularly in the 44-year-old's home state of Queensland. Pictured: Today's 2019 lineup

Meanwhile, it's not the only rumour circulating about Today's lineup.

On Monday, New Idea claimed that Karl was recently in the midst of negotiating a return to the program - before being dumped in favour of his friend Ben Fordham at the last minute.

'The bosses have been trying to woo Fordo over for years. But no matter how sweet they make the deal he keeps knocking it back,' an insider told the magazine.

Rumours: On Monday, New Idea claimed that Karl (pictured) was recently in the midst of negotiating a return to the Today show - before being dumped in favour of his friend Ben Fordham at the last minute

Upon its debut in January, the revamped Today show was smashed in the ratings by Channel Seven's Sunrise, drawing in a paltry 197,000 metro viewers.

In early March, the show was attracting just 167,000 viewers across the five capital cities, which marked the lowest figures since 2006.

In a recent statement to TV Tonight, Nine's Head of Content Production and Development, Adrian Swift, said viewers should give the Today show a chance.

'The reality is when you change your lineup it takes a long time to bed in,' he said. 'We're not concerned. We are absolutely convinced we will get there.'She has sparked speculation she could make a dramatic return to Love Island after she posted a cryptic Instagram post on Sunday.

However, it is evident that Georgia Steel is not in Mallorca as she was seen entering the Hammersmith Apollo in London after snapping up a VIP ticket to the live final of Britain's Got Talent on Sunday.

The reality TV star, 21, ensured she commanded attention by wearing a white mini-dress with a silver sequined blazer wrapped tightly over the top.

Dazzling: Georgia Steel, 21, was seen entering the Hammersmith Apollo in London after snapping up a VIP ticket to the live final of Britain's Got Talent on Sunday

Flaunting her glowing tan, the confident beauty allowed her bare legs to take centre stage due to her garment's short hemline.

Georgia continued her glamorous look by stepping onto the pavement in white heels.

She styled her long hair in a half up ponytail that was complete with loose curls that cascaded down to her waist as she sported a face of bronzed make-up.

Ensuring she would not get thirsty once in the audience, the Celebs Go Dating contestant carried a plastic cup in her hand filled with bubbly.

Confident: The reality TV star, 21, ensured she commanded attention by wearing a white mini-dress with a silver sequined blazer wrapped tightly over the top

Leggy: The reality TV star flaunted her tanned pins thanks to the short length of her dress

Georgia sent fans into meltdown as she returned to Majorca to 'shoot something very exciting' last month.

Sharing a bikini-clad snap on a sandy beach, she wrote: 'Mid shooting for something very exciting back at the island where it all began.'

And Georgia did little to dispel the rumours as she took to her Instagram stories to share a snap of her recent flights.

Glam: She styled her long hair in a half up ponytail that was complete with loose curls that cascaded down to her waist as she modelled a face of bronze make-up

She wrote: 'All within a weeks work... London to NYC, NYC to London, London to Majorca, Majorca to London.

'London to (the next location), and eluding to the mystery, she added a secretive shush emoji.

After dropping the cryptic hint, one fan wrote: Hope you do Love Island again if you want to.'

Is she coming back? Georgia recently sparked speculation she could make a dramatic return to Love Island after she posted a cryptic Instagram post in May

Interesting: Georgia, who appeared on last year's show, sent fans into meltdown as she returned to Majorca to 'shoot something very exciting' (pictured last year)

While another said: 'Is she going back?'

It comes after Ex On The Beach star Stephen Bear has reportedly been begging the Love Island beauty for a date and showering her with texts.

The reality star, 29, met the brunette beauty on a photo shoot and is hoping to spark a new romance after admitting he has his eye on her.

Keeping coy: Georgia later took to her Instagram stories to share a snap of her recent flights, eluding to the mystery, she added a secretive shush emoji about her next mystery destination

Love-struck: It comes after Ex On The Beach star Stephen Bear has reportedly been begging the Love Island beauty for a date and showering her with texts (pictured earlier this month)

Speaking about his latest crush at the GHX launch party, Stephen told the Sun: 'She's on a reality show yeah, she's quite big.

'She said to me "everyone says you're like the boy version of me", and I'm like, "really?"'

He also added the mystery girl was 'very well liked and very pretty' and had 'brown hair'.

Stephen confessed he messaged Georgia soon after meeting her, and is planning on taking her on a date by the end of this month, according to The Sun.

He told the publication: 'I like her, I like her, I do man. I've met her in a work environment so that's how I know her, but we get on.'

The Love Island star has just appeared on Celebs Go Dating after splitting from ex-boyfriend Sam Bird in 2018 after moving in to their very own love pad together following the hit ITV2 show.The world knows 15-year-old English actress Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven, a girl in the Netflix series Stranger Things who possesses powerful psychokinetic abilities.

Brown's next role is in Godzilla: King of Monsters playing the daughter of an animal behaviour expert (Kyle Chandler) and paleobiologist (Vera Farmiga) who finds herself in the middle of titanic battles between creatures taller than skyscrapers.

It begs the question: Who would win a fight between Eleven and Godzilla?

"If Eleven met Godzilla, I would want to get out of there quickly," Brown laughed in a recent interview in Hollywood.

"That would be bad.

"Eleven has actual powers and would fight it out for sure while Godzilla physically hurts you and has atomic breath.

"I'd be rooting for ... I can't tell you!"

The teenager, who describes one of her talents as being able to cry not just on cue but with so much control she can determine if a tear falls from her left or right eye, has become one of Hollywood's leading young stars.

She picked up an Emmy nomination last year for playing Eleven and was named a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.

The Godzilla set was a change from the Stranger Things set where scenes are shot on a fast schedule and she is surrounded by other child actors.

She was the only teenager on the Godzilla set and a simple scene could take days to shoot.

To ease the boredom she turned the Godzilla set into a "full prank war".

"I was like 'OK. I'm going to make everyone laugh'," Brown said.

"That was my thing. I'm going to make this set so light-hearted and so genuine and so fun, so that's what I did.

"I pranked everyone.

"I put rats in their fridges.

"Very small colourful balls in their trailers so they would have to pick them up individually.

"That's tedious work.

"I put cockroaches in their food, eyeballs in the cherry bowl and snakes in their coolers, and a full-sized Exorcist doll in their trailers."

Godzilla: King of Monsters continues on from 2014's Godzilla film where the giant amphibious creature saves the world from two monsters known as MUTOs.

In the new film, he is called on to save the world from the three-headed dragon Ghidorah and other over-sized monsters who awake in different areas of the globe, including Australia.

Brown enjoyed her monster experience so much she has just finished shooting the sequel, Godzilla vs Kong, in Australia and Hawaii.

She also wouldn't mind a Stranger Things/Godzilla crossover movie.

"Why not," she says. "That would be fun."

* Godzilla: King of Monsters is playing in Australia.Suspended Sri Lanka police chief Pujith Jayasundara has blamed President Maithripala Sirisena for failing to prevent the Easter bombings that killed 258 people

Sri Lanka's suspended police chief has petitioned the Supreme Court, accusing President Maithripala Sirisena of failing to prevent the Easter bombings that killed 258 people.

In a 20-page complaint, Inspector-General Pujith Jayasundara disclosed serious communication gaps between intelligence agencies and security arms of the government, all which fall under Sirisena.

In the petition submitted to court last week and seen by AFP Sunday, Jayasundara said the country's premier spy agency, the State Intelligence Service (SIS), ordered him last year to stop ongoing police investigations into Islamic militants.

The SIS, which reports directly to Sirisena, wanted the police Terrorist Investigation Department to stop all inquiries into extremist Muslim factions, including the National Thowheeth Jama'ath (NTJ), which was blamed for the Easter Sunday bombings.

Jayasundara said the head of the SIS, Nilantha Jayawardena, did not take seriously the intelligence shared by neighbouring India which warned of an impending attack by the NTJ.

Jayasundara said despite the SIS not sharing information warnings with the police department, he had initiated action to alert his senior men, but he had no input from the main spy agency.

Sirisena suspended Jayasundara after he refused to accept responsibility for the deadly attacks. The Attorney General has asked for a full bench of the apex court to decide the case.

Jayasundara said he was offered a diplomatic post if he took the fall and stepped down, but he refused as he said he was not responsible for the catastrophic intelligence failure.

He said he had been sidelined by the president since a political rift between the President and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe emerged in October.

Jayasundara's petition came days after Sirisena publicly rebuked another intelligence official, Sisira Mendis, after he told a parliamentary panel that the Easter suicide bombings could have been avoided.

Mendis's testimony appeared to put Sirisena in a poor light by implying he had not held National Security Council meetings to review threats such as the attacks carried out by Islamic State.

In a statement, Sirisena denied claims by Mendis that the country's highest security body had not met as often as it should have around the time of the attacks, which were blamed on Islamic State-backed militants.

Sirisena, who is also defence minister, said in a statement he held NSC meetings twice a week, contradicting Mendis who told parliament the last meeting was on February 19, more than two months before the April 21 bombings targeting three churches and three luxury hotels.

Sirisena said he met with the national police chief and his top brass 13 days before the Easter Sunday attacks and no officer raised warnings which had been relayed by India.

Sri Lanka has been under a state of emergency since the attacks, but Sirisena announced last week that it will end in a month.JERUSALEM (AP) - Israeli police shot and killed a 16-year-old Palestinian near the West Bank separation barrier on Friday, Palestinian health officials said, while in Jerusalem's Old City, an alleged Palestinian attacker was killed after stabbing and injuring two Israelis, according to Israeli police.

The outbreak of violence came as tens of thousands of worshippers flocked to Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque for noon prayers on the last Friday in the holy fasting month of Ramadan.

Israeli police shot and killed 16-year-old Abdullah Ghaith near the West Bank city of Bethlehem, the Palestinian Health Ministry said, adding that another 21-year-old Palestinian was wounded by a live bullet to the stomach.

Israeli police said the Palestinian teenager was shot while attempting to climb over the heavily guarded separation barrier from Bethlehem into Jerusalem. The police added that they were launching a probe into the incident.

The boy'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 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 I've been raising him."

Israeli border police officers walk near the scene of a stabbing attack outside the Damascus Gate in Jerusalem's Old City, Friday, May 31, 2019. The incident occurred just hours before weekly Friday prayers at the nearby Al-Aqsa Mosque, when tens of thousands of people are expected for Ramadan prayers. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)

COGAT, the Israeli defense body responsible for Palestinian civilian affairs, said it eases tight movement restrictions on Palestinian residents of the West Bank traveling 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 is difficult to obtain.

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 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 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.

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," when the Quran says the archangel Gabriel descended from heaven.

In other countries across the Mideast, rallies took 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 celebrates capturing the Old City in the 1967 Mideast war and annexing it. Tensions run high during the holiday, as a nationalist Israeli march passes 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 recognized Israel's annexation of the eastern part of the city, which the Palestinians claim as their capital for a future state.

Jerusalem's sacred compound, known to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary, is considered the third-holiest site in Islam, after the cities of Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia.

___

Associated Press writer Eyad Moghrabi contributed reporting from Bethlehem, West Bank.

Israeli police officers gather at the scene of a stabbing attack near the Damascus Gate in Jerusalem's Old City, Friday, May 31, 2019. The incident occurred just hours before weekly Friday prayers at the nearby Al-Aqsa Mosque, when tens of thousands of people are expected for Ramadan prayers. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)

Israeli border police officers stand guard near the scene of a stabbing attack outside the Damascus Gate in Jerusalem's Old City, Friday, May 31, 2019. The incident occurred just hours before weekly Friday prayers at the nearby Al-Aqsa Mosque, when tens of thousands of people are expected for Ramadan prayers. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)By Rik Sharma

MADRID, June 1 (Reuters) - Liverpool's unlikely hero Divock Origi is starting to make a habit of turning up trumps.

The Belgium striker is not one of Liverpool's most feted attacking players but he is proving to be a decisive figure, sealing his team's sixth European Cup triumph with the second goal in a 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur in Saturday's final.

Origi finished clinically in the 87th minute to seal Liverpool's success at the Wanda Metropolitano in Madrid, killing off Mauricio Pochettino's side's hopes of forcing extra-time and lifting the trophy for the first time.

Having starred in Liverpool's remarkable semi-final, second leg comeback against Barcelona with a brace, Origi put the finishing touch on the victory against Spurs at the Wanda Metropolitano in the sweltering Spanish capital.

"It's unbelievable. Winning a Champions League is so hard," said Origi. "Today we're here, we pulled together with the team and supporters and we have to celebrate all together. I think we just did it as a team, we made a positive step forward.

"We have a good mix of talent and experienced players and today was just about enjoying it and we did."

Signed by Liverpool in 2014 from Lille for 10 million pounds ($12.64 million), and immediately loaned back to the French side for a season, he was sent to Wolfsburg last term after two years struggling to make an impact at Anfield.

The forward helped the German side battle relegation from the Bundesliga and was nearly sent out again in the summer, but ended up staying at Anfield as a squad player for this campaign.

Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino are Liverpool's star trio of forwards and their goals powered Juergen Klopp's side in a fascinating Premier League title tussle against eventual champions Manchester City, but on the rare occasions he was called upon Origi made an impact.

The forward was brought on with six minutes left against Everton in a derby which was goalless and nodded home a bizarre 96th minute winner after keeper Jordan Pickford's mistake.

Starting just four Premier League matches all season, Origi kept the title race going until the final day as he netted again as a substitute, grabbing the winner in a dramatic 3-2 triumph over Newcastle United in the penultimate match.

Three days later, with Firmino injured, Origi sent Liverpool into the Champions League final with a double against Barca.

He slotted home from close range and then fired home from Trent Alexander-Arnold's clever corner routine, helping the Reds to a 4-0 win at Anfield and overturning the 3-0 first-leg defeat at the Nou Camp on one of the club's greatest European nights.

Brazil striker Firmino was deemed fit enough to return for the final against Tottenham but struggled to make an impact and was replaced by Origi after 58 minutes.

Keen to make his mark, Origi brought energy to a game which lacked it and fired home from an acute angle to seal victory.

($1 = 0.7910 pounds) (Editing by Ken Ferris)By Vladimir Soldatkin

MOSCOW, June 2 (Reuters) - Russian oil output fell to 11.11 million barrels per day (bpd) in May, its lowest level since June 2018, from 11.23 million bpd in April, Energy Ministry data showed on Sunday.

The production fall resulted mainly from the closure due to oil contamination of Russia's Druzhba pipeline, which usually ships 1 million bpd, or 1 percent of global oil demand.

As a result, Russian oil production during May fell by more than stipulated in a global deal with the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

The Energy Ministry data showed Russian oil pipeline exports in May fell to 4.209 million bpd, from 4.494 million bpd in April, as supplies via the Druzhba pipeline almost dried up, while seaborne exports jumped by 11.5 percent.

Russia expects to clean up the pipeline, which was built in the 1960s and carries Russian oil to Europe, including Germany, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia, within six to eight months.

June 2018 production was 11.06 million bpd.

In tonnes, oil output reached 47.004 million in May versus 45.975 million in April, which is one day shorter than May. Reuters uses a tonnes/barrel ratio of 7.33.

Russia's largest oil producer Rosneft accounted for most of the cuts, with a month-on-month reduction of 2.9 percent in May, while domestic output at Russia's No.2 oil producer Lukoil edged up 0.7 percent last and Gazprom Neft boosted its output by 4.7 percent.

Both Lukoil and Gazprom Neft have their own exporting terminals in the Arctic.

BELOW QUOTAS

OPEC and other large oil-producing countries led by Russia agreed to curb output by a combined 1.2 million bpd for six months from Jan. 1, in order to balance the global oil market.

Of this, Russia pledged to cut its production by 228,000 bpd from the deal baseline of the October 2018 level, to 11.18 million bpd.

OPEC and Russia are excepted to gather in Vienna later this month or in early July to discuss what to do in the second half of the year.

Top oil exporter Saudi Arabia has raised production in May, a Reuters survey found, but not by enough to compensate for lower Iranian exports that collapsed after the United States tightened the screw on Tehran.

The 14-member OPEC pumped 30.17 million barrels per day (bpd) in May, down 60,000 bpd from April and the lowest OPEC total since 2015, the Reuters survey showed.

Oil prices slumped by more than 3% and posted their biggest monthly drop in six months on Friday after U.S. President Donald Trump stoked tensions by threatening tariffs on Mexico, a key U.S. trade partner and major crude oil supplier.

Russian natural gas production was at 63.28 billion cubic metres (bcm) in May, 2.04 bcm a day, versus 64.3 bcm in April. (Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin; Editing by Clarence Fernandez and Alexander Smith)By Marton Dunai

BUDAPEST, June 2 (Reuters) - Hungarians took to the streets of central Budapest on Sunday to protest plans to overhaul the country's leading scientific research body, which they see as part of a wider government attempt to curb academic freedom.

Right-wing Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who took power in 2010, has tightened controls over public life, including the courts, the media, universities and scientific research, putting him on a collision course with the European Union.

In its latest move, the government has said it plans to strip the 200 year-old Hungarian Academy of Sciences of its network of research institutions and hand over their buildings and assets to a new governing council. News website Index.hu reported on Tuesday that the government was now drawing up draft legislation for the plan.

The academy said on Wednesday that the government wanted "total political control" of vital research.

"If it was up to Orban, there would be no free thought in this country, and I can't let that just happen without raising my voice," Maria Lantos, a 45 year-old teacher said as a crowd gathered to march past the main institutions affected by the government's moves: from several public universities to the Academy.

There appeared to be up to several thousand people on the streets, but there were no official or police estimates of the size of the demonstration.

The government has said it wants to shake up funding of research institutes to encourage more lucrative and innovative research.

"Nationalisation is not innovation," read one banner held up by one of the protesters.

"We will not allow government bureaucrats to decide about research, scientific work," Judit Gardos, a member of the Academic Worker's Forum, which organised the demonstration, told protesters. "That is unheard of anywhere in the democratic world," she said. The forum is a group set up by scientists in January to protect their freedoms.

The European Commission said on Tuesday that it would monitor developments in Hungary's public research system and urged authorities "to refrain from any decision restricting scientific and academic freedom."

The planned new government council for the Academy - to be chaired by Innovation and Technology Minister Laszlo Palkovics - would set out areas of research that would receive funding, website Index.hu said on Tuesday.

In recent years, Orban's ruling Fidesz party also changed the law to force Central European University (CEU), a top international graduate school and liberal thought centre, to move much of its activity to Vienna.

It also centralised the operations and curriculum of lower level education and banned teaching in subjects that are ideologically alien to its perceived Christian nationalist politics, such as gender studies.

While popular protests and diplomatic problems accompanied most of those moves, including a massive march of several tens of thousands of people in support of CEU two years ago, the government ultimately has gone ahead with its plans.

CEU was one of the main issues that led to the ruling Fidesz party's suspension in the European People's Party, a pan-Europe party, which has moved to isolate Orban and Fidesz as they drift further to the nationalist populist fringes of European politics. (Reporting by Marton Dunai; Editing by Susan Fenton)SemGroup Corporation provides gathering, transportation, storage, distribution, marketing, and other midstream services for producers, refiners of petroleum products, and other market participants. The company operates in three segments: U.S. Liquids, U.S. Gas, and Canada. The U.S. Liquids segment operates crude oil pipelines, truck transportation, storage, terminals, and marketing businesses; stores, blends, and transports refinery products and refinery feedstock through pipeline, barge, rail, truck, and ship; and operates a residual fuel oil storage terminal in the U.S. Gulf Coast. This segment has 18.2 million barrels of storage capacity on the Houston Ship Channel; and 7.6 million barrels of storage capacity at the Cushing Interchange. It also operates a 460-mile crude oil gathering and transportation pipeline system in Kansas and northern Oklahoma; 75-mile crude oil gathering pipeline system that transports crude oil from production facilities in the DJ Basin to the pipeline owned by White Cliffs Pipeline, L.L.C.; 2 parallel 527-mile pipelines that transports crude oil from Platteville, Colorado to Cushing, Oklahoma; 3 pipelines with an aggregate of 106 miles of pipe; 30-lane crude oil truck unloading facility in Platteville, Colorado; and crude oil trucking fleet of approximately 245 transport trucks and 235 trailers. The U.S. Gas segment provides natural gas gathering, processing, and marketing services. It operates 842 miles of gathering lines in Oklahoma; and a 53-mile high pressure gathering pipeline located in the STACK play. The Canada segment owns and operates natural gas processing and gathering facilities with approximately 530 miles of natural gas gathering and transportation pipelines in Alberta, Canada. SemGroup Corporation was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Read MoreKBR, Inc. engages in the provision of differentiated professional services and technologies across the asset and program life-cycle within the government services and hydrocarbons industries. It operates through the following segments: Government Solutions, Technology Solutions, Energy Solutions, Non-strategic Business, and Other. The Government Solutions segment provides full life-cycle support solutions to defense, space, aviation, and other programs and missions for military and other government agencies. The Technology Solutions segment combines KBR's proprietary technologies, equipment, and catalyst supply and associated knowledge-based services into a global business for refining, petrochemicals, inorganic, and specialty chemicals as well as gasification, syngas, ammonia, nitric acid, and fertilizers. The Energy Solutions segment provides full life-cycle support solutions across the upstream, midstream and downstream hydrocarbons markets. The Non-strategic Business segment represents the operations or activities which the company intends to exit upon completion of existing contracts. The Other segment includes corporate expenses and general and administrative expenses not all

Read MoreXcel Energy, Inc. operates as a holding company, which engages in the generation, purchase, transmission, distribution and sale of electricity. It operates through the following three segments: Regulated Electric Utility, Regulated Natural Gas Utility and All Others. The Regulated Electric Utility segment generates, transmits and distributes electricity primarily in portions of generates, transmits and distributes electricity in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, North Dakota, South Dakota, Colorado, Texas and New Mexico. In addition, this segment includes sales for resale and provides wholesale transmission service to various entities in the United States. It also includes commodity trading operations. The Regulated Natural Gas Utility segment transports, stores, and distributes natural gas primarily in portions of Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, Michigan and Colorado. The All Others segment engages in steam, appliance repair services, nonutility real estate activities, processing solid waste into refuse-derived fuel and investments in rental housing projects that qualify for low-income housing tax credits. The company was founded in 1909 and is headquartered in Minneapolis, MN.

Read MoreFedEx Corp. is a holding company, which engages in the provision of a portfolio of transportation, e-commerce, and business services. It operates through the following segments: FedEx Express, FedEx Ground, FedEx Freight, FedEx Services, and Corporate, Other & Eliminations. The FedEx Express segment consists of domestic and international shipping services for delivery of packages and freight. The FedEx Ground segment focuses on small-package ground delivery services. The FedEx Freight segment offers less-than-truckload freight services across all lengths of haul. The FedEx Services segment provides sales, marketing, information technology, communications, customer service, technical support, billing and collection services, and certain back-office functions. The Corporate, Other & Eliminations segment includes corporate headquarters costs for executive officers and certain legal and finance functions, as well as certain other costs and credits not attributed to the firm's core business. The company was founded by Frederick Wallace Smith on June 18, 1971 and is headquartered in Memphis, TN.

Read More11 hours ago

Texas oil billionaire William 'Tex' Moncrief Jr. dead at 101

DALLAS (AP)  William Alvin Moncrief Jr., a Texas wildcatter who helped build a father-son venture into an oil and gas empire over more than 70 years in the industry, has died. He was 101. A spokeswoman for Moncrief Oil confirmed his death to The Associated Press Wednesday but could not immediately provide further details.

Read ArticleGeorge Weston Limited provides food and drug retailing, and financial services in Canada and internationally. The company operates through three segments: Loblaw Companies Limited (Loblaw), Choice Properties Real Estate Investment Trust (Choice Properties), and Weston Foods. The Loblaw segment provides grocery, pharmacy, health and beauty, apparel, general merchandise, and financial services. It operates retail drug stores under the Shoppers Drug Mart. This segment also provides credit card services, insurance brokerage services, guaranteed investment certificates, and wireless mobile products and services; and operates merchandisers, warehouse clubs, e-commerce retailers and businesses, mail order prescription drug distributors, limited assortment stores, discount stores, convenience stores, and specialty stores. The Choice Properties segment owns, develops, and manages commercial, retail, industrial, office, and residential properties consisting of 731 properties. The Weston Foods segment produces fresh, frozen, and specialty bakery products, such as bread, rolls, cupcakes, donuts, cookies, cakes, pies, cones and wafers, artisan baked goods, and other products through national and regional supermarkets, wholesale and club stores, dollar stores, convenience store chains, food service distributors, and outlets, as well as other food retailing customers. This segment also supplies control brand products to retailers and distributors; ice cream cones and sandwich wafers to manufacturers in the frozen novelty category; and Girl Scout cookies. It provides products under the Wonder, Gadoua, Weston, Rubschlager, ACE Bakery, Casa Mendosa, Country Harvest, All but Gluten, and D'Italiano brands. The company was founded in 1882 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. George Weston Limited is a subsidiary of Wittington Investments, Limited.

Read MoreICICI Bank Ltd. engages in the provision of banking and financial services, which includes retail banking, corporate banking, and treasury operations. It operates through the following segments: Retail Banking, Wholesale Banking, Treasury, Other Banking, Life Insurance, General Insurance, and Others. The Retail Banking segment includes exposures of the bank, which satisfy the four qualifying criteria of regulatory retail portfolio as stipulated by the Reserve Bank of India guidelines on the Basel III framework. The Wholesale Banking segment deals with all advances to trusts, partnership firms, companies, and statutory bodies, by the Bank which are not included in the Retail Banking segment. The Treasury segment handles the entire investment portfolio of the bank. The Other Banking segment comprises leasing operations and other items not attributable to any particular business segment of the bank. The company was founded on January 5, 1994 and is headquartered in Mumbai, India.

Read MoreNabors Industries Ltd. engages in the provision of platform work over and drilling rigs. It operates through the following segments: U.S. Drilling, Canada Drilling, International Drilling, Drilling Solutions, and Rig Technologies. The U.S. Drilling segment includes land drilling activities in the lower 48 states and Alaska, as well as offshore operations in the Gulf of Mexico. The Canada segment consists of land-based drilling rigs in Canada. The International segment focuses in maintaining a footprint in the oil and gas market, most notably in Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Argentina, Colombia, Kazakhstan, and Venezuela. The Drilling Solutions segment offers drilling technologies, such as patented steering systems and rig instrumentation software systems that enhance drilling performance and wellbore placement. The Rig Technologies segment comprises Canrig, which manufactures and sells top drives, catwalks, wrenches, drawworks, and drilling related equipment, such as robotic systems and downhole tools. The company was founded by Clair Nabors in 1952 and is headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda.

Read MoreThe following companies are subsidiares of Procter & Gamble: "Procter & Gamble Services" LLC, "Procter & Gamble" LLC, Agile Pursuits, Agile Pursuits Franchising, Arbora, Arbora & Ausonia, Arborinvest, Billie, Braun (Shanghai) Co., Braun GmbH, Braun-Gillette Immobilien GmbH & Co. KG, Celtic Insurance Company, Compania Procter & Gamble Mexico, Compania Quimica S.A., Corporativo Procter & Gamble, Cosmetic Products Pty. Ltd., Detergent Products B.V., Detergent Products SARL, Detergenti S.A., Eurocos Cosmetic GmbH, FPG Oleochemicals Sdn. Bhd., Fameccanica Data S.p.A., Fameccanica Industria e Comercio Do Brasil LTDA., Fameccanica Machinery (Shanghai) Co., Fater S.p.A., Fountain Square Music Publishing Co., Gillette (China) Ltd., Gillette (Shanghai) Ltd., Gillette Aesop Ltd., Gillette Australia Pty. Ltd., Gillette Canada Holdings, Gillette Commercial Operations North America, Gillette Diversified Operations Pvt. Ltd., Gillette Egypt S.A.E., Gillette Group UK Ltd, Gillette Gruppe Deutschland GmbH & Co. oHG, Gillette Holding Company LLC, Gillette Holding GmbH, Gillette India Limited, Gillette Industries Ltd., Gillette International B.V., Gillette Latin America Holding B.V., Gillette Management LLC, Gillette Nova Scotia Company, Gillette Pakistan Limited, Gillette Poland International Sp. z.o.o., Gillette Poland S.A., Gillette U.K. Limited, Gillette del Uruguay, Giorgio Beverly Hills Inc., Hyginett KFT, Industries Marocaines Modernes SA, LLC "Procter & Gamble Novomoskovsk", LLL "Procter & Gamble Distributorskaya Compania", Laboratorios Vicks, Liberty Street Music Publishing Company, Limited Liability Company 'Procter & Gamble Trading Ukraine', Limited Liability Company with foreign investments Procter & and Gamble Ukraine, MDVIP, MERCK KGAA NPV, Marcvenca Inversiones, Modern Industries Company - Dammam, Modern Products Company - Jeddah, New Chapter, New Chapter Canada Inc., Olay LLC, Oral-B Laboratories, P&G Distribution Morocco SAS, P&G Hair Care Holding, P&G Industrial Peru S.R.L., P&G Innovation Godo Kaisha, P&G Israel M.D.O. Ltd., P&G K.K., P&G Northeast Asia Pte. Ltd., P&G Prestige Godo Kaisha, P&G Prestige Service GmbH, P&G South African Trading (Pty.) Ltd., PGT Health Care (Zhejiang) Limited, PGT Healthcare LLP, PPI ZAO, PT Procter & Gamble Home Products Indonesia, PT Procter & Gamble Operations Indonesia, Phase II Holdings Corporation, Procter & Gamble (Chengdu) Ltd., Procter & Gamble (China) Ltd., Procter & Gamble (China) Sales Co. Ltd., Procter & Gamble (East Africa) Limited, Procter & Gamble (Egypt) Manufacturing Company, Procter & Gamble (Enterprise Fund) Limited, Procter & Gamble (Guangzhou) Consumer Products Co. Ltd., Procter & Gamble (Guangzhou) Enterprise Management Service Company Limited, Procter & Gamble (Guangzhou) Ltd., Procter & Gamble (Health & Beauty Care) Limited, Procter & Gamble (Jiangsu) Ltd. China, Procter & Gamble (L&CP) Limited, Procter & Gamble (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Procter & Gamble (Manufacturing) Ireland Limited, Procter & Gamble (Shanghai) International Trade Company Ltd., Procter & Gamble (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Procter & Gamble Acquisition GmbH, Procter & Gamble Administration GmbH, Procter & Gamble Algeria EURL, Procter & Gamble Amazon Holding B.V., Procter & Gamble Amiens S.A.S., Procter & Gamble Argentina SRL, Procter & Gamble Asia Pte. Ltd., Procter & Gamble Australia Proprietary Limited, Procter & Gamble Azerbaijan Services LLC, Procter & Gamble Bangladesh Private Ltd., Procter & Gamble Blois S.A.S., Procter & Gamble Brazil Holdings B.V., Procter & Gamble Bulgaria EOOD, Procter & Gamble Business Services Canada Company, Procter & Gamble Canada Holding B.V., Procter & Gamble Chile , Procter & Gamble Chile Limitada, Procter & Gamble Colombia Ltda., Procter & Gamble Commercial LLC, Procter & Gamble Commercial de Cuba S.A., Procter & Gamble Czech Republic s.r.o., Procter & Gamble DS Polska Sp. z o.o., Procter & Gamble Danmark ApS, Procter & Gamble Detergent (Beijing) Ltd., Procter & Gamble Deuttschland GmbH, Procter & Gamble Distributing (Philippines) Inc., Procter & Gamble Distributing New Zealand Limited, Procter & Gamble Distribution Company (Europe) BVBA, Procter & Gamble Distribution S.R.L., Procter & Gamble Eastern Europe, Procter & Gamble Ecuador Cia. Ltda., Procter & Gamble Egypt, Procter & Gamble Egypt Distribution, Procter & Gamble Egypt Holding, Procter & Gamble Egypt Supplies, Procter & Gamble Energy Company LLC, Procter & Gamble Espana, Procter & Gamble Europe SA, Procter & Gamble Export Operations SARL, Procter & Gamble Exportadora e Importadora Ltda., Procter & Gamble Exports, Procter & Gamble Fabricacao e Comercio Ltda., Procter & Gamble Far East, Procter & Gamble Finance (U.K.) Ltd., Procter & Gamble Finance Holding Ltd., Procter & Gamble Finance Management S.a.r.l., Procter & Gamble Financial Investments LLP, Procter & Gamble Financial Services Ltd., Procter & Gamble Financial Services S.a.r.l., Procter & Gamble Finland OY, Procter & Gamble France S.A.S., Procter & Gamble Germany GmbH, Procter & Gamble Germany GmbH & Co. Operations oHG, Procter & Gamble GmbH, Procter & Gamble Grundstucks-und Vermogensverwaltungs GmbH & Co. KG, Procter & Gamble Gulf FZE, Procter & Gamble Hair Care, Procter & Gamble Hellas Ltd., Procter & Gamble Holding (Thailand) Limited, Procter & Gamble Holding France S.A.S., Procter & Gamble Holding GmbH, Procter & Gamble Holding S.r.l., Procter & Gamble Holdings (UK) Ltd., Procter & Gamble Home Products Private Limited, Procter & Gamble Hong Kong Limited, Procter & Gamble Hungary Wholesale Trading Partnership (KKT), Procter & Gamble Hygiene & Health Care Limited, Procter & Gamble Inc., Procter & Gamble India Holdings, Procter & Gamble Indochina Limited Company, Procter & Gamble Industrial - 2012 C.A., Procter & Gamble Industrial Colombia Ltda., Procter & Gamble Industrial S.C.A., Procter & Gamble Industrial e Comercial Ltda., Procter & Gamble Interamericas de Costa Rica, Procter & Gamble Interamericas de Guatemala, Procter & Gamble Interamericas de Panama, Procter & Gamble International Operations Pte. Ltd., Procter & Gamble International Operations SA, Procter & Gamble International Operations SA-ROHQ, Procter & Gamble International S.a.r.l., Procter & Gamble Investment Company (UK) Ltd., Procter & Gamble Investment GmbH, Procter & Gamble Italia, Procter & Gamble Japan K.K., Procter & Gamble Kazakhstan Distribution LLP, Procter & Gamble Kazakhstan LLP, Procter & Gamble Korea, Procter & Gamble Korea S&D Co., Procter & Gamble Lanka Private Ltd. Sri Lanka, Procter & Gamble Leasing LLC, Procter & Gamble Levant S.A.L., Procter & Gamble Limited, Procter & Gamble Manufacturing (Thailand) Limited, Procter & Gamble Manufacturing (Tianjin) Co. Ltd., Procter & Gamble Manufacturing Belgium N.V., Procter & Gamble Manufacturing Berlin GmbH, Procter & Gamble Manufacturing GmbH, Procter & Gamble Manufacturing Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Procter & Gamble Manufacturing SA (Pty) Ltd, Procter & Gamble Marketing Romania SRL, Procter & Gamble Marketing and Services doo, Procter & Gamble Maroc SA, Procter & Gamble Mataro, Procter & Gamble Mexico Holding B.V., Procter & Gamble Mexico Inc., Procter & Gamble Middle East FZE, Procter & Gamble Nederland B.V., Procter & Gamble Netherlands Investments B.V., Procter & Gamble Netherlands Services B.V., Procter & Gamble Nigeria Limited, Procter & Gamble Nordic, Procter & Gamble Norge AS, Procter & Gamble Operations Polska Sp. z o.o., Procter & Gamble Overseas India B.V., Procter & Gamble Overseas Ltd., Procter & Gamble Pakistan (Private) Limited, Procter & Gamble Partnership LLP, Procter & Gamble Peru S.R.L., Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals France SAS, Procter & Gamble Philippines, Procter & Gamble Polska Sp. z o.o, Procter & Gamble Portugal - Produtos De Consumo, Procter & Gamble Product Supply (U.K.) Limited U.K., Procter & Gamble Production GmbH, Procter & Gamble Productions, Procter & Gamble Productos de Consumo, Procter & Gamble RHD, Procter & Gamble RSC Regional Service Company Ltd., Procter & Gamble Retail Services BVBA, Procter & Gamble S.r.l., Procter & Gamble SA (Pty) Ltd, Procter & Gamble Satis ve Dagitim Ltd. Sti., Procter & Gamble Seine S.A.S., Procter & Gamble Service GmbH, Procter & Gamble Services (Switzerland) SA, Procter & Gamble Services Company N.V., Procter & Gamble Services Ltd., Procter & Gamble Share Incentive Plan Trustee Ltd., Procter & Gamble South America Holding B.V., Procter & Gamble Spol. s.r.o. (Ltd.), Procter & Gamble Sports and Social Club Ltd., Procter & Gamble Sverige AB, Procter & Gamble Switzerland SARL, Procter & Gamble Taiwan Limited, Procter & Gamble Taiwan Sales Company Limited, Procter & Gamble Technical Centres Limited, Procter & Gamble Technology (Beijing) Co., Procter & Gamble Trading (Thailand) Limited, Procter & Gamble Tuketim Mallari Sanayii A.S., Procter & Gamble UK, Procter & Gamble UK Group Holdings Ltd, Procter & Gamble UK Parent Company Ltd., Procter & Gamble Universal Holding B.V., Procter & Gamble Verwaltungs GmbH, Procter & Gamble Vietnam, Procter & Gamble d.o.o. za trgovinu, Procter & Gamble de Venezuela S.C.A., Procter & Gamble de Venezuela S.R.L., Procter & Gamble do Brasil S/A, Procter & Gamble do Brazil, Procter & Gamble do Nordeste S/A, Procter & Gamble-Rakona s.r.o., Progam Realty & Development Corporation, Redmond Products, Richardson-Vicks Real Estate Inc., Richardson-Vicks do Brasil Quimica e Farmaceutica Ltda, Riverfront Music Publishing Co., Rosemount LLC, SPD Development Company Limited, SPD Swiss Precision Diagnostics GmbH, Scannon S.A.S., Series Acquisition B.V., Shulton, Surfac S.R.L., Sycamore Productions, TAOS - FL, TAOS Retail, Tambrands Inc., Temple Trees Impex & Investment Private Limited, The Art of Shaving - FL, The Dover Wipes Company, The Gillette Company, The Gillette Company LLC, The Gillette co., The Procter & Gamble Distributing LLC, The Procter & Gamble GBS Company, The Procter & Gamble Global Finance Company, The Procter & Gamble Manufacturing Company, The Procter & Gamble Paper Products Company, The Procter & Gamble U.S. Business Services Company, This is L., US CD LLC, Vidal Sassoon (Shanghai) Academy, Vidal Sassoon Co., WEBA Betriebsrenten-Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH, Walker & Company Brands, and iMFLUX Inc..iShares MSCI EAFE ETF's stock was trading at $56.05 on March 11th, 2020 when COVID-19 reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Since then, EFA shares have increased by 41.2% and is now trading at $79.12.

View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19.There is not enough analysis data for Telford Homes.

4.4 Community Rank

Outperform Votes Telford Homes has received 210 outperform votes. (Add your outperform vote.)

Underperform Votes Telford Homes has received 111 underperform votes. (Add your underperform vote.)

Community Sentiment Telford Homes has received 65.42% outperform votes from our community.

MarketBeat's community ratings are surveys of what our community members think about Telford Homes and other stocks. Vote Outperform if you believe TEF will outperform the S&P 500 over the long term. Vote Underperform if you believe TEF will underperform the S&P 500 over the long term. You may vote once every thirty days.

Previous

NextThe following companies are subsidiares of TransUnion: Accupost Corporation, AppLock Limited, Auditz, Autolocator (Pty) Ltd., Beheer en Beleggingsmaatchapij Stivaco B.V., CIFIN S.A.S, [email protected] plc, Callcredit Data Solutions Limited, Callcredit Information, Callcredit Lead Generation Limited, Callcredit Marketing Ltd., Callcredit Public Sector Limited, Callcredit Spain S.L.U, Centro de Informacion y Estudios Estrategicos Empresariales S.A., Centro de Operaciones Servicios de Informacion Estrategica S.A., CheckMend Ltd., Coactiva Limited, Collection Africa Ltd., Confirma Sistemas de Informacion S.L., Credit Bureau of Carmel & Pebble Beach Inc., Credit Information Services Limited, Credit Information Systems Company Limited, Credit Reference Bureau (Holdings) Limited, Credit Reference Bureau Africa (Pty) Ltd., Credit Reference Bureau Africa Ltd., Credit Reporting Services Limited, Credit Retriever LLC, Crivo, Crown Acquisition BidCo Ltd., Crown Acquisition Consumer Ltd., Crown Acquisition MidCo Ltd., Crown Acquisition MidCo. 2 Ltd., Crown Acquisition TopCo. Ltd., DMWSL 617 Ltd., DMWSL 618 Ltd., DMWSL 619 Ltd., DMWSL 620 Ltd., DataLink Services, Datalink Services Inc., Decision Systems Inc., DecisionMetrics Limited, Diversified Data Development Corporation, Drivers History Inc., Drivers History Information Sales LLC, FT Holdings Inc., FactorTrust, FactorTrust Inc., GMAP Japan KK, GMAP Marketing Consulting Shangahi Co. Ltd, Healthcare Payment Specialists, INSDEC LLC, IS Resources Inc., Immobilise.com Limited, L2C Inc., L2C Inc., Link Marketing Inc., Link2credit Inc., Moussoro Participacoes Ltda., RTech, RTech Healthcare Revenue Technologies Inc., Recipero, Recipero Inc., Recipero Limited, Regional Data Systems Limited, RentPort, Rubixis, Rubixis Inc., Rubixis Technologies Private Limited, STS Vail Beheeren Administracion S. DE. R.L. DE C.V., Servicios y Asesoria S CO BC SA de CV, Signal, Soluciones de Informatica de Centroamerica (SICE) S.A., Source USA Insurance Agency Inc., Tenant ID Limited, Title Insurance Services Corporation, Trans Union Central America S.A., Trans Union Chile S.A., Trans Union Content Solutions LLC, Trans Union Costa Rica S.A., Trans Union Guatemala S.A., Trans Union Honduras-Buro de Credito S.A., Trans Union International Inc., Trans Union LLC, Trans Union Nicaragua S.A., Trans Union Real Estate Services Inc., Trans Union Software Services Private Limited, Trans Union de Puerto Rico Inc., Trans Union of Canada Inc., TransUnion (Mauritius) Limited, TransUnion (Proprietary) Ltd., TransUnion Africa (Pty) Ltd., TransUnion Africa Holdings (Pty) Ltd., TransUnion Analytic and Decision Services (Pty) Ltd., TransUnion Asia Ltd., TransUnion Auto Information Solutions (Pty) Ltd., TransUnion Baltics UAB, TransUnion Brasil Sistemas em Informatica Ltda., TransUnion CIBIL Limited, TransUnion Colombia Ltda., TransUnion Consumer Solutions LLC, TransUnion Credit Bureau (Pty) Ltd., TransUnion Credit Bureau Namibia (Pty) Ltd., TransUnion Data Solutions LLC, TransUnion Digital LLC, TransUnion El Salvador S.A. de C.V., TransUnion Exchange LLC, TransUnion Financing Corporation, TransUnion Global Holdings LLC, TransUnion Global Holdings LP, TransUnion Global Technology Center LLP, TransUnion Healthcare Inc., TransUnion Holding Cyprus Ltd., TransUnion ITC (Pty) Ltd., TransUnion Information Group Limited, TransUnion Information Services Limited, TransUnion Information Solutions Inc., TransUnion Information Technology (Beijing) Co. Ltd., TransUnion Intelligence LLC, TransUnion Interactive Inc., TransUnion Intermediate Holdings Inc., TransUnion International Holdings LLC, TransUnion International UK Limited, TransUnion Kenya Limited, TransUnion Limited, TransUnion Ltd., TransUnion Marketing Solutions Inc., TransUnion Netherlands I B.V., TransUnion Netherlands II B.V., TransUnion Rental Screening Solutions Inc., TransUnion Reverse Exchange S de R.L. de C.V., TransUnion Risk Advisory Inc., TransUnion Risk and Alternative Data Solutions Inc., TransUnion Rwanda Limited, TransUnion S.A., TransUnion Soluciones de Informacion Chile SA, TransUnion Soluciones de Informacion S de R.L de C.V., TransUnion Teledata LLC, TransUnion UK Holdings Ltd., Tru Optik, TruSignal, TruSignal Inc., TrueLink, Trustev, Trustev Limited, Vail Holdings UK Ltd., Vail Systemen Groep B.V., Verifacts LLC, Visionary Systems Inc., Worthknowing Inc., eBureau, eBureau LLC, iovation Inc., iovation Ltd., and process benchmarking limited.It wasnt until Cynthia, his wife, fell ill that he took up woodworking again and began to do more with the sticks than just cutting them off the tree.

Hedricks inventory is kept in his backyard. All the trees on his three-acre property are used for making the walking sticks. Its as simple as that. Trees outside his house include maple, sugar maple, cedar and alder.

As he works in the yard, he can occasionally hear cars zipping by. But in the summer months, the fullness of the trees drowns out the noise, leaving him to work in peace. The singing of birds is the only music he needs as he sits scraping bark off the limbs.

A large shed holds a pile of limbs in the process of being dried out, a pile for those ready to be worked on as well as various tools and blocks of wood.

* * *

Hedrick starts by sealing off the two ends of the branch, which keeps the wood stronger and keeps the sap inside the wood. Then he just lets it sit for a couple of months, depending on the wood.

Before ever starting on that piece of wood, he steps on it and bends it to make sure it wont snap.R.A. Yancey Lumber Corp. in Crozet was fined $24,294 after an employee died at the facility last July.

The company was cited by the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry for four violations that were found while investigating the death of Floriberta Macedo-Diaz, 46.

According to investigation documents, Macedo-Diaz was walking to her work area before the start of her shift when she passed by a stack of lumber pieces that weighed about 260 pounds each.

A witness heard the lumber fall and then saw Macedo-Diaz lying under multiple pieces of lumber.

The documents said the medical examiners pathological diagnosis indicated that she received multiple and severe blunt-force trauma injuries to her head area, chest, abdomen and extremities.

The investigation report details the chain of events after the lumber fell, when, ultimately, a supervisor tried to assist Macedo-Diaz and another employee was told to run to the office to call 911.Members of the public began to drop off flowers Saturday afternoon for an unofficial memorial outside police headquarters.

The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said Saturday that two weapons were used in the attack. Both were .45-caliber pistols and were purchased legally in 2016 and 2018, respectively. Two other guns were found at Craddocks home, Cervera said.

Cervera said the suspects name just once on Saturday, and vowed to never utter it publicly again.

He will be forever referred to as the suspect because our focus now is the dignity and respect to the victims in this case and to their families, Cervera said.

Crime scene tape still surrounded the building Saturday as police  now led by the FBI  collect evidence inside and outside. About 40 FBI agents are here overseeing evidence collection.

Some people attending the vigils said they didnt know any of the victims but wanted to show up for their community. For others, though, the shooting hit close to home.Why have UVa and Charlottesville benefited so much from their connections to western colonization but have given back so little to the understanding and inclusion of the original nations of the region that the nation acquired or explored under local famous figures? Why is the only space devoted to American Indians at UVa a park and a statue that celebrate their destruction?

For many area residents, the philanthropic contributions of Paul G. McIntire were not so much a gift as they are damning evidence of the racism of the formerly well-entrenched white segregationist and colonialist society that once ruled Charlottesville and Virginia. These fading tattoos of yesteryear were glorious in their day, but now we find that their meaning in history has changed. We no longer need to treat these edifices as permanent altars upon the historic landscape.She was a Shoshone youth when she was kidnapped by a neighboring tribe. Later, with her French Canadian husband, she became translator and, still later, tracker for the Corps of Discovery, a westward expedition commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson to explore the U.S.s Louisiana Purchase from France and led by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark.

Her name was Sacagawea.

For 100 years, she has been represented in a monument on Charlottesvilles West Main Street entitled Their First View of the Pacific.

Critics view the image of Sacagaweas crouching posture as her subjugation to the white leaders, a demeaning slap at both her gender and ethnic origin.

Others, like the authors of this op-ed, view Lewis and Clark gazing west while Sacagawea squats to perform the practical tasks of tracking animals and humans, discovering a route across the seemingly impenetrable Rockies to the Pacific.

In our view, the statue is a memorial not only to the leaders but also remarkably to Sacagawea, the enslaved man York, and the others of the expedition.That is, public officials first duty is to provide information to the public. After all, the taxpayers actually own this information  just as theyre the ultimate employers of the police and other officials.

When officials receive an FOIA request, their first impulse should be yes, release. Then they can review the details to determine whether the document will be released in full. If it contains material protected from view according to law, they can redact that material. Then they simply release the redacted document.

The Virginia State Police took the opposite approach. Theyve been fighting for a year and a half to hide data about their plans for Aug. 12, clawing every step of the way to circumvent Freedom of Information.

Why? What are they trying to hide? Their own errors?

The very intensity with which they resist raises suspicions.

Recently  and for the second time  a judge told the state police they must release their plans. Those plans are a public document.

Police can redact sensitive information  but theres been disagreement even about that."The proposed resolution approving the Scheme was passed by the requisite majority of the equity shareholders of the Company," said GSK Consumers in a BSE filing.

New Delhi: GSK Consumers Healthcare Ltd said on Sunday that its shareholders approved its proposed merger with FMCG major HUL.

The company has received 99.99 per cent votes in favour of the scheme of amalgamation among the company and Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) in the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) convened meeting of the equity sharehoders on June 1, 2019.

"The proposed resolution approving the Scheme was passed by the requisite majority of the equity shareholders of the Company," said GSK Consumers in a BSE filing. Earlier in January, GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare had informed that it has received approval from the fair trade regulator CCI for its merger deal with HUL.

On December 3, 2018, Anglo-Dutch FMCG giant Unilever had announced the acquisition of health food portfolio, including popular brands Horlicks and Boost, from GlaxoSmithKline in India and over 20 other markets for 3.1 billion pounds (about Rs 27,750 crore).

Under the deal, Unilever's Indian arm, HUL is acquiring GSK CH India via an all-equity merger, valuing the total business of the latter at Rs 31,700 crore. GSK CH India is the market leader in the health food drinks (HFD) category, with popular brands such as Horlicks and Boost.Ficci congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a new pension scheme for five crore farmers as one of the first decisions of his new administration. (Representional Image)

New Delhi: Industry body Ficci on Saturday hailed the Centre's decision to extend benefits under PM-KISAN scheme to all farmers, saying Indian agriculture is yet to realise its full potential.

The government on 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 Lok Sabha elections promise.

The industry body also congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a new pension scheme for five crore farmers as one of the first decisions of his new administration.

With agriculture as top priority, Ficci has been advocating the extension of PM- KISAN to all farmers in its 100 days agenda to government.

The government had announced Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Siddhi (PMKSS) in the interim Budget to provide Rs 6,000 per year to about 12.5 crore small farmers holding land up to 2 hectares.

The revised scheme will now cover 2 crore more farmers increasing the coverage to around 14.5 crore beneficiaries.

Ficci also said that Indian agriculture is yet to realise its full potential and welcomed the government's resolve to address challenges in the sector in a comprehensive manner.

Direct income transfer is recognised as one of the most effective ways of targeting support to the farm sector, it said.

The body supports a gradual shift from loosely targeted input subsidies to direct benefits transfer to enable farmers to make choices in expenditure based on local priorities and exigencies.

"We urge the Prime Minister to follow up this excellent decision with further reform measures in a time bound manner to kick start a virtuous cycle of growth and value addition in the agriculture sector," Ficci President Sandip Somany said.Mumbai: Bollywood superstar Hrithik Roshan shared a riveting new poster of his upcoming movie, Super 30 and the poster has set the tone right with the image of Hrithik standing right behind his pride of students, talking a million stories from the glimpse.

While recently calling Super 30 as a story of the triumph of spirit, Hrithik Roshan took to his social media handle and shared the poster for the already awaiting audience, saying Haqdaar bano! #Super30Trailer coming on June 4"

The poster has definitely got all the Hrithik fans excited with the rough yet engrossing look of the actor. Reprising the role of a Mathematician, Anand Kumar who trains students for IIT-JEE in Bihar, the actor would be essaying the role of a teacher in this biographical next. 

On his recent visit to China for the release of his movie Kaabil in Sino lands, Hrithik had expressed, Super 30 is something that talks about the power and the value of education and teachers. And, I think that is another place where I think there is a similarity between China and India as both these countries give a lot of respect to teachers. The teachers form the top of the societal chain in both these worlds.

With the poster setting the right note amongst the audience who have been awaiting the release of its trailer now, Hrithik has definitely given the best weekend gift to his fans with the release of his exciting poster.

Superstar Hrithik Roshan has always surprised the audiences and critics, alike with his portrayal of versatile roles in his various movies.

Super 30 which is set to release on July 12, 2019.Chennai: It is not often that one comes across a non-academic work of critical exposition of history laced with personal life-world experiences and a constructive reconstruction in finding an optimal solution to the over seven decades long Kashmir imbroglio between India and Pakistan.

While re-imaging the vision of Kashmiriyaat (the spirit of tolerance to diverse points of view) where multiple religions and cultures have flourished, using mathematical tools like Game Theory to show an optimal solution acceptable to all stakeholders in J and K, which includes keeping the soul of Article 370, is the charm of this balm, Kashmir As I See it, From Within and Afar by Ashok Dhar, a reputed technocrat in the Energy sector and founder-director of Kolkata chapter of the Observer Research Foundation.

Hailing from a family of suffering Kashmiri Pundits in Srinagar, Ashok Dhars reflections of 210-odd pages in this work are unique, a blend of the real and the ideal. They effortlessly juxtapose his personal, experiential dimensions with the major historical landmarks, besides the philosophical and cultural ethos of Kashmir. This multi-layered narrative also throws light on the soul of Kashmiriyaat, as much as it brings out enlightening informational nuggets, rhetoric that paraded as substance and little known anecdotes in the lives of key players in the Kashmiri drama, particularly in the 20th century from late Maharaja Hari Singh, Jawaharlal Nehru to Sheikh Abdullah, Mrs Indira Gandhi and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto (there is a very insightful chapter on the Simla Accord- The Real Story) and so on. Again, not many may know in Indias new millennium that it was poet-scholar Mohammad Iqbal who first backed the two-nation theory much before Jinnah would even consider it. And Pakistan after Zia-ul-Haq is very different from Jinnahs Pakistan.

The Hindu-Muslim camaraderie has been an integral part of this spirit of Kashmiriyaat, one reason why Kashmir, its people led by Sheikh Abdullah could never really accede to Pakistan after Great Britain carved out two dominions in the run-up to the Independence of India and Pakistan in August 1947. This was notwithstanding the fact that Hari Singh initially toyed with the idea of joining Pakistan for reasons of geographical contiguity and demographic composition.

Even today, I remember the soothing aarti at the temple (in Srinagar), (Om Jai Jagdish Hare) and the azan recital of the Taqbir from the mosque. It was a common thing for Kashmiri Pundits (Hindus) and Muslims to meet at a shop serving halal meat after offering prayers. Such was our life while growing up in Kashmir, full of stories of religious tolerance and cultural amalgamation, recollects Ashok Dhar as he begins describing his long journey in this book.

Kashmir Shaivism as propounded by Abhinavagupta in a society that was for several centuries Vedic until Buddhism came on to the scene, the emergence of the Mayahayana sect of Buddhism in Kashmir, subsequent revival of Hinduism after Adi Sankaracharya started it in the South, the influence of Lal Ded (1330-1392), the mystic poetess whose aphorisms  Lal Vaakh and later Sufi mysticism, all these and more are at the heart of Kashmirs composite culture, he says.

Cutting through all this rich pack of details on various efforts to solve a multi-dimensional problem, where perhaps Ashok Dhar seeks to make a difference is his attempt to distil a mathematical way, as extracted from Game Theory, to outline a pathway for a permanent solution acceptable to all stakeholders.

The disputed region as the author puts it comprises of Jammu, the Kashmir Valley, Ladakh, northern Kashmir and PoK (Pakistan occupied Kashmir). However, it is also important to recognize that Jammu, Ladakh and Kashmir are three different and distinct regions with different languages, cultures and religions. Jammu, Ladakh and Kashmir came together only after the Dogra rule. It is not a state which is bound by a commonality that unifies to create a strong linkage of allegiance. The creation of J and K was a force-fit solution enforced by the British to serve their geopolitical interests, mainly because of the Anglo-Russian fallout. Cut back to mid-14th century, post the arrival of Islam, Ashok Dar underscores that the reign of Zain-ul-Abidin (1420 -1470 CE) stands out as best.

The Game theory jargons come in at this point. It was during his period that the Valley had reached its own Nash Equilibrium, analyses the author. The Nash Equilibrium is a concept where the optimal outcome of a game is one where no player has the incentive to deviate from his chosen strategy after considering his choice of opponent, explains the author.

Quoting from global models of conflict resolution that could help resolve the Kashmir dispute, the author unveils a simple Dove-Hawk game to illustrate the possible scenarios. A Dove-Dove scenario would be one in which both sides (India and Pakistan) agree to a bilateral solution based on the Simla Agreement. It would mean the territory of PoK and Gilgit Baltistan would be given to Pakistan, and Kashmir, Jammu and Ladakh to India, to convert the ground reality (LoC) to the de jure situation.

Dhar argues that a Dove-Hawk scenario would mean India making territorial concession and Pakistan not accepting to abide by the Simla Agreement. The third possibility, Hawk-Dove scenario, envisages India continuing to fence along the LoC or retaliating with its military might (ultra Hawk) and Pakistan agreeing to comply with the Simla Agreement. The fourth, Hawk-Hawk scenario, is more or less what is happening currently, with both sides being unable to enforce the Simla Agreement. In such a scenario, a tit-for-tat strategy is dominant, writes Dhar. Lack of trust, national pride and identity issues makes a Dove-Dove constructive framework, a bilateral solution very difficult now, he writes little knowing a Pulwama and a retaliatory attack were not far away.

Building on this line of argument, Dhar goes on to lay bare five alternatives, including status quo. These are reforms decisions required to be taken across some key areas. These would cover the status of Article 370, scope of Article 370, the level of autonomy and merging Jammu and/or Kashmir with the Union of India by the abrogation of Article 370. Each alternative is then validated by a set of criteria, knowing what each stakeholder prefers. Each solution is then ranked on a scale of 1 to 5 (with 1 being least preferred and 5 being most preferred).

In this matrix, the author shows how the fourth option, Middle ground gets the highest weighted average score of 3.42, the most preferred solution by all stakeholders. It involves Article 370 having a temporary status with an eventual vision of integration. The Scope of Article 370 is to be limited to Kashmir. While Jammu and Ladakh are to be made independent states of India, Kashmir valley is to remain separate with greater autonomy. With even late Jan Sangh leader Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee not ruling out autonomy for Kashmir, this middle ground option could help solve Kashmir imbroglio, contends Dhar.

Ashok Dhar emphasises it is time to shift from management of the crisis to its resolution.

He underscores that a leader like Atal Bihari Vajpayee was on the same wavelength as Jawaharlal Nehru on this issue, by trying to build public opinion in J and K and the rest of India for deeper understanding and an amicable solution to the problems that plague the state. They left pearls of wisdom to guide us, he sighs. Seeing Kashmir from within and afar opens a new window.With fewer side effects and better survival rates than traditional cancer treatments like chemotherapy and radiation, is immunotherapy on its way to becoming the next big thing in Cancer treatment?

Cancer immunotherapy is a powerful form of treatment that uses the power of a persons own immune system to fight the dreaded disease. This relatively new treatment is swiftly gaining ground worldwide for having fewer side effects and better survival rates than the traditional chemotherapy and radiation treatments.

The revolutionary procedure, which has been making waves even in India has, however, now come under the scanner for a troubling side effect. Reports have estimated that one percent of the patients receiving immunotherapy have developed diabetes as an irreversible side-effect. The treatment in some patients has led their bodies to stop producing the glucose-regulating hormone insulin, thereby causing diabetes.

This implies that with the increasing popularity of immunotherapy, there is also an increase in the likelihood for people undergoing the treatment to develop forms of diabetes involving dangerously high to extremely low glucose levels which in turn entails a lifetime dependency on insulin injections.

This discouraging finding led the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, JDRF, and the Helmsley Charitable Trust to announce a $10 million research initiative last week, designed to identify what was causing drug-induced diabetes among cancer patients.

A rough estimate of the current scenario in India indicates that roughly 80 lakh Indians report suffering from cancer every year, and around 80,000  90,000 of these happen to be from Hyderabad.

As immunotherapy is set to become more prevalent in India, we spoke to doctors to understand their views on the treatment and its side-effects.

Dr Vamshi Krishna, consultant medical oncologist, Apollo Cancer Hospital, Hyderabad, underlined that immunotherapy is an evolving treatment that is usually prescribed during the final stage of the disease, and sometimes in its earlier stages. Although diabetes can be a possible side effect, it is still rare and found in less than one percent of the patients undergoing the treatment. A more common side effect is thyroid dysfunction, while the most dangerous one happens to be hypopituitarism  which affects the pituitary gland at the base of ones skull, he said.

Even though immunotherapy is not yet as widely used as surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy, it has been approved for the treatment of many types of cancer.

Even though it is clearly a good alternative, its fairly expensive, especially in India  where most of the drugs used in the therapy are imported from abroad. The cost of treatment will certainly decrease after pharmaceutical companies begin manufacturing biosimilars in India, he said.

Dr Mohit Agarwal, consultant and unit head, medical oncology at Fortis Hospital, Delhi, added that the benefits of immunotherapy outweigh its risks. Not every patient will experience deadly side-effects. It is obviously important, however, to keep monitoring patients for symptoms. If a patient shows signs of abnormality, then we modify treatment accordingly, he said.

Immunotherapy has been around in India for four to five years now. With increasing research, the drugs are being found to cover a larger spectrum  nearly all parts of the body. It will form the backbone of advanced cancer treatment in the times to come, Dr Aggarwal added.

Scientists claim that one of the primary reasons why cancer is so difficult to treat is that cancer cells hide very effectively from a persons immune system. Immunotherapy bridges this gap in treatment by marking cancer cells. However, according to Dr Jaskaran Singh Sethi, director and head of department, radiation oncology at Fortis Hospital, Shalimar Bagh, Delhi , immunotherapy is not quite likely to overtake conventional treatments anytime soon. It is a good treatment with fewer side effects. My view is that immunotherapy will be part of a multi-modality treatment, he said.A hawker, who used to mimick politicians while selling toys on trains, was arrested at Surat Railway station on Friday by the Railway Protection Force (RPF). (Photo: Twitter/ ANI)

Surat: A hawker, who used to mimick politicians while selling toys on trains, was arrested at Surat Railway station on Friday by the Railway Protection Force (RPF). Toy vendor Avdhesh Dubey's videos imitating politicians was widely shared on social media.

"Avdhesh Dubey was apprehended at Surat Railway station on Friday. A case was registered against the accused under different sections of Railways Act 1989," said an RPF official.

The RPF produced him before a local court on Saturday. He accepted his guilt in the court and was sent to 10-day judicial custody. The court directed him to pay Rs 3,500 fine.Hyderabad: A month after Anamika Arutala from the city who committed suicide after failing in the Intermediate examinations, a re-evaluation of her answer sheet by the Telangana State Board of Intermediate Education (TSBIE) declared her passed. Even as the student's family blamed it for her death the Board put out a fresh update claiming the updated passing marks were a "clerical error".

The family of the deceased student said they, along with the families of those students who like Anamika committed suicide after the results of the Board exams were declared, will hold a protest against the state government on Sunday.

Anamika's sister Udaya Arutala told reporters here: "On April 18 the results were released in which she got low marks in Telugu, after which she committed suicide. We filed a re-verification and today the marks were updated and she was declared passed. Everyone can see whose fault it is. There was no other reason behind her death. It is all the board of Intermediate's mistake."

TSBIE, however, denied the veracity of the updated result and claimed that Anamika had got only one extra mark- much below the passing level, after re-verification of her exam sheet.

Anamika was given 20 marks in the Telugu paper when the results were first announced but was awarded 48 marks upon re-evaluation. According to the latest update by the Board, the student has got only 21 marks in the subject.

In a press statement released by the TSBIE, the Board said it was not responsible for the student's death.

"Family is alleging TSBIE responsible for Anamika's suicide. We deny this allegation and will provide proof of answer scripts in which marks have changed from 20 to 21 after re-verification. The subject experts of Telugu subject have re-verified answer scripts of Anamika in the board exam. After completion of re-verification, she secured 21 marks. But her marks were wrongly uploaded as 48 instead of 21 because of clerical mistake in the spot valuation camp."

The TSBIE has also constituted a committee to inquire the issue and the error committed in uploading the marks.

"The Board will initiate action against those responsible for this error", the board said.

After Intermediate Board results were released on April 18, thousands of students were declared failed and reportedly around 26 students committed suicide for failing.

Later after a High Court order, the TSBIE conducted a re-verification of exam sheets of all the students who failed and found that 1137 students had passed and their initial results were uploaded wrongly.

Telangana Congress Working President and MP Revanth Reddy also hit out at the Board and tweeted, "Inter board mistake costed Anamika her life. Reverification proved she didn't fail. Globarina & Inter Board should be held responsible for her death and Sections 302, 304A & 306 should be booked."Mumbai: Have you missed any news today? Here are the top national, international headlines of the day.

Sakshi Maharaj criticises Mamata: BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj, on Sunday, said that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee "belongs to the family of demon king Hirankashyap," an ancient Hindu ruler who is believed to have put his son Prahlad behind the bars and tortured him for believing in God.

Read: 'Mamata belongs to family of Hiranyakashipu' says Sakshi Maharaj

Cong ministers to address workers: Following the Lok Sabha polls debacle, the Chhattisgarh Congress on Sunday decided that a minister, by rotation, would be made available at the Pradesh Congress office for hearing the grievances and suggestions of party workers.

Read: Ministers would be available for party workers: Chhattisgarh Congress

Telangana-Andhra issues to be resolved by Jagan: The new government in Andhra Pradesh has raised hopes of an amicable settlement of all contentious issues between the state and the neighbouring Telangana, which celebrated its sixth formation day on June 2, 2019.

Read: Jagan to resolve issues between Andhra and Telangana

Andhra CM Jaganmohan Reddy seeks revenue report: Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy asked the officials to prepare reports on financial conditions of the state to place before the 15th finance commission "stressing the need for special category status to Andhra Pradesh.""The officials should explain the present financial situation and why the state needs special category status to overcome the financial crisis," Reddy said at the review meeting for higher officials of finance and revenue departments on Saturday.

READ: Reddy seeks revenue report to pitch special status need for Andhra Pradesh

JD(U) to never be part of NDA led Cabinet: Calling it a "final decision", Janata Dal (United), a crucial ally of BJP in Bihar, on Sunday decided that the party will never be a part of the NDA-led Union Cabinet. JD(U) secretary general and chief spokesperson K C Tyagi told ANI that the proposal of one Cabinet berth given by the NDA was unacceptable by the party, hence, they took this decision.

READ: 'Will never be a part of NDA-led Union Cabinet', says JD(U)s K C Tyagi

Indian envoy for Iftar party turned away by Pakistani agencies:

Guests were aggressively turned away by Pakistani security officials from an Iftar party hosted by the Indian High Commission in Islamabad on Saturday and even calls were made to stop many of them from attending it, sources said. Indian envoy Ajay Bisaria told ANI on Sunday that "such intimidatory tactics" are "counter-productive" for bilateral relations.

READ: Indian envoy's guests invited for Iftar party turned away by Pak agencies

IAS officer praises Nathuran Godse, Opposition demands action: Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala on Sunday asked Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to initiate action against an IAS officer who praised Mahatma Gandhi's killer Nathuram Godse. Citing a media report, Surjewala tweeted, "First BJP Parliamentarian Pragya Singh Thakur, then lawmaker Usha Thakur and now Maharashtra IAS officer Nidhi Chowdhary has praised Mahatma Gandhi's killer Nathuram Godse. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis should immediately initiate action against her."

READ: IAS officer praises Gandhi's killer; Oppn demands action against her

CM Kumaraswamy to visit villages to know ground realities: After the party's debacle in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections, Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy will restart 'Grama Vastavya' programme from next month to get closer to the common man and re-build a solid base support for the Janata Dal (Secular) (JD(S)). During 'Grama Vastavya' programme, Chief Minister Kumaraswamy will visit several villages and will stay there for some time in a bid to understand the problems of the locals.

READ: Karnataka CM to resume 'Grama Vastavya' programme to stay tuned to ground realities

Bihar cabinet expanded, added 8 new ministers: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar expanded his Council of Ministers on Sunday, with the inclusion of eight new Ministers from the Janata Dal(United). Ashok Chaudhary, Shyam Rajak, Laxmeshwar Prasad, Bhima Bharati, Ram Sevak Singh, Sanjay Jha, Neeraj Kumar and Narendra Narayan Yadav were administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor Lalji Tandon at Rajbhavan in Patna.

READ: 8 new ministers inducted into Bihar cabinet, NDA-JD(U) coalition intact

Rajnath's first visit to Siachen as Defence Minister: As Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh's first visit outside the national capital would be to the Siachen Glacier-- the world's highest battlefield - to review the security situation along the borders with Pakistan. During the visit, the Defence Minister would be accompanied by Army Chief General Bipin Rawat and other senior officials from the Defence Ministry, government sources told ANI.

READ: Siachen to be Rajnath Singh's first visit as Defence Minister

CM Reddy attends Iftar hosted by Governor: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao attended the Iftar party hosted by the State Governor E S L Narasimhan here on Saturday evening at Raj Bhavan. The duo can be seen praying together, offering sweets to each other, and exchanging pleasantries.

READ: Andhra CM Reddy, Telangana CM Rao attend Iftar party hosted by Governor

Driverless train goes the wrong way, injured 14: Fourteen passengers were injured after a driverless five-car train in suburban Tokyo went in the wrong direction and crashed into a buffer stop, Japanese police said on Sunday. Local media reported that some injuries  the first resulting from an accident involving an automated train in 30 years  appeared to be serious but non-life-threatening.

READ: 14 injured as driverless train goes wrong way in JapanGuests outside the Serena hotel in Islamabad being stopped from attending Iftar hosted by the Indian High Commissioner. (Photo: Via web)

New Delhi: Diplomatic relations between India and Pakistan further nose-dived on Sunday after the Pakistani security forces harassed, coerced and turned back several guests invited for an Iftar party by Indian high commissioner Ajay Bisaria in Islamabad on Saturday night.

The Indian government has strongly protested about the matter, and said that besides the guests, the Pakistani security forces also misbehaved with the Indian diplomatic staff and had snatched their mobiles.

India said such acts of intimidation and coercion violate the basic norms of diplomatic conduct and are counter-productive for the bilateral relationship between the two nations. India also asked the Pakistan foreign office to investigate the incident and share its findings.

The incident on June 1 by the Pakistani side in Islamabad is seen as a direct retaliation for recent incidents in New Delhi where Indian sleuths and policemen were accused of intimidating and turning back guests from the Iftar hosted by the Pakistan high commissionon on May 28. About the June 1 incident in Islamabad, the Indian government has issued a note verbale to Pakistan saying while the guests faced unprecedented harassment and intimidation at the hands of security forces.

India strongly protested to Pakistan gross intimidation of guests invited for an iftar event in Islamabad on Saturday... Guests faced unprecedented harassment and intimidation at the hands of security agencies. A campaign was launched by Pakistans security agencies in the days preceding the Iftar to reach out to invitees to dissuade them from attending the event. Those guests who did reach the function venue, in some cases from places as far as Lahore and Karachi, were intimidated and physically stopped from attending the Iftar by Pakistani security forces, who had virtually (put) the Serena Hotel under siege, the Indian high commission said in a statement.

The Indian high commission said in a statement that many guests from the diplomatic community based in Islamabad were also subjected to harassment. In complete violation of diplomatic norms, a large Pakistani security detachment, equipped with forklifts, was detailed outside Serena Hotel to aggressively turned away Pakistani citizens. In some cases, cars used by invitees were lifted and removed using forklifts. The more than 300 esteemed Pakistani guests who were turned away included parliamentarians, government officials, media representatives, retired military officials, businessmen and retired diplomats, in addition to citizens from all walks of life, the high commission said.

The security forces stationed on the main road outside Hotel Serena rudely rebuffed and intimidated officers and diplomatic staff of the High Commission of India who tried to ascertain from the security personnel the reasons for harassment of the guests. Some officials were jostled, pushed, abused and aggressively threatened with bodily harm. In some cases, mobile phones belonging to the officials were snatched away, the statement added.

On Saturday in Islamabad, journalists, politicians and other guests invited for the iftar dinner at Hotel Serena were screamed at, abused and threatened by Pakistani security agencies and ISI men. Several teams of the ISI, Pakistan Military Intelligence and the Special Branch of the Islamabad Police was spread outside Serena Hotel, which intimidated Pakistani guests.

when they started arriving for the iftar. While several went back for fear of harassment, those who refused to get intimidated were given wrong directions for the entry to the hotel to get them diverted. Even foreign diplomats were not spared.

The harassment led to low attendance at the iftar. But several Pakistanis took to the social media to expose their government and express anguish.

Unprecedented level of harassment at @Serena_Hotels Islamabad. #India embassy Iftaar happening & police & anti terrorism force misbehaving with anyone trying into get in the hotel. Got screamed at, my driver abused. Sorry, not being an entitled prick. This was genuine harassment, wrote journalist Mehreen Zahra-Malik.

Came to Serena for iftar hosted by Indian HC. Hotel seems barricaded. Told that iftar cancelled. When insisted, I was told to use other gate. Other gate also closed and told to go back to front gate again. Whats going on, something fishy, Senator Farhatullah Babar, another invitee, tweeted. Managed to come to Sheesh Mahal for Indian HC Iftar despite efforts to stop invitees on one pretext or other. It is nearing iftar time. Only foreign diplomats have come so far. Not more than half a dozen Pakistani guests able to come. Sad manifestation of tit for tat, pettiness, Senator Babar, who was press secretary to former President Asif Zardari, added.

Addressing the gathering, Indian high commissioner Ajay Bisaria apologised to the guests, saying: I would like to apologise to all our friends who had to face a lot of trouble while coming in and many of them could not even manage to come inside despite having come from Karachi and Lahore.

He added there was a new government in New Delhi a couple of days and with a new government comes a new hope of new beginnings. We are positive that this new government in India, we have Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a new and very positive external affairs minister, who was the foreign secretary, Dr S. Jaishankar. This government has come with a strong mandate of development and prosperity for the people, Mr Bisaria said.

Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Imran Khan are set to meet in Bishkek on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit later this month.New Delhi: Defence minister Rajnath Singh will visit the Siachen glacier and Srinagar on Monday to review security preparedness along the borders with Pakistan as well to take stock of anti-terror operations in Jammu and Kashmir, official sources said Sunday.

Raksha mantri Rajnath Singh will visit Ladakh region in Jammu and Kashmir tomorrow. During his visit he will interact with jawans at a forward post and pay his tributes to fallen soldiers at Siachen War Memorial. He will also interact with the jawans at Siachen base camp, the defence ministry spokesperson said on Sunday.

The Siachen Glacier in the Karakorum range is known as the highest militarised zone in the world where the soldiers have to battle frostbite and high winds.

Accompanied by Army chief gen. Bipin Rawat, Mr Singh will also visit the headquarters of the Armys 14 Corps in Leh and 15 Corps in Srinagar where he will be briefed about the overall security situation along the Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan and apprised about the anti-terror operations in Kashmir.

Meanwhile, Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa will be on a four day bilateral goodwill visit to Sweden from June 3 to June 6 on the invitation of the Chief of the Swedish Air Force. The IAF Chief is scheduled to visit various operational and training units and interact with senior functionaries of the Swedish Air Force amongst others.

The visit would provide an impetus towards defence cooperation and pave the way for greater interaction and cooperation between the Air For-ces. This would also stre-ngthen relationships and enable engagement in productive exchanges betwe-en the two Air Forces, the IAF said in a statement.New Delhi: Donning the new hat of external affairs minister, Dr S. Jaishankar has started following the footsteps of his illustrious predecessor Sushma Swaraj and taking to Twitter to respond to distressed Indians abroad.

Though present on Twitter from May 2017, Mr Jaishankar actually got active just two days back (on May 31) with his first tweet after being sworn in as Indias new external affairs minister, and immediately started responded to distress calls.

In the past two days, he has arranged for travel documents for an Indian family that lost its passport while on a trip to Italy and Germany, and organised help for some Indian workers trapped in Oman.

We are on a family trip to Germany and Italy. Now Im in Torbole, Italy. My, my husbands and my sons passport were stolen along with my bag. We are going to Munich by 3rd and travelling to India by 6th. Please help, wrote a woman named Mahalakshmi on Twitter on June 1.

Mr Jaishankar replied on Twitter: Our Embassy in Rome/ Consul General in Munich will extend all assistance. Please be in touch with them @IndiainItaly @cgmunich.

The Twitter trail had both Indian missions in Italy and Germany (Munich) responding promptly to Mahalakshmi, giving her contact details of the officials concerned.

There was another distress message for Mr Jaishnakar on Sunday from Oman, to which he responded promptly and directed the Indian embassy there to help.

Our Embassy in Oman is trying to resolve this. Please continue to stay in touch with them @IndEmb_Muscat, Mr Jaishankar responded to a tweet from one Mr Vineeth Nair, saying: Sir please help us we are 3 persons are trapped in Oman please help.

The Indian embassy informed both Mr Nair and Mr Jaishnakar that it was already in contact with the employer who has agreed to visit the embassy after Id-ul-Fitr.

Hello Sir.... please please please help me. I want my husband to be back to India he is not responding to court summons escaping and staying peacefully in Kuwait. Neither his parents allowing me to stay at their place, wrote a woman through Twitter handle Afim. Mr Jaishankar replied to her saying the Indian embassy in Kuwait was already working on it and asked her to be in touch with them.

Apart from responding to Indians in distress, the new minister also came to the rescue of his government to allay fears of imposition of Hindi in southern states through the National Education Policy.

In response to a debate and threat to hold protests over the issue, Mr Jaishankar tweeted first in Tamil and then its translation in English, saying: The National Education Policy as submitted to the Minister HRD is only a draft report. Feedback shall be obtained from general public. State Governments will be consulted. Only after this the draft report will be finalised. GoI respects all languages. No language will be imposed.

Former external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj was one of the most followed foreign ministers in the world, with a Twitter following of 12.8 million. Mr Jaishankar, in just a short span of time, has 167, 704 followers. His Twitter following is increasing on a daily basis, so is the work on the social media for the man who as Indias foreign secretary had always worked behind the scenes.Srinagar: Rouf Ahmed Dar, a Kashmiri tourist guide lost his life while rescuing 5 tourists after their rafting boat capsized in Lidder River in Pahalgam on May 31.

Dar's body was fished out the next morning from near Bhawani Bridge at Pahalgam in Anantnag district.

Rouf's brother who was on the boat with him during the mishap said the tourists insisted for rafting even after being warned about a rise in the water level. The boat flipped 2-3 minutes after it entered a rapid. Though Rouf rescued the tourists, he got stuck in the whirlpool and lost his life.

According to the manager of Adventure group, there were two guides in the boat already but owing to high water levels, Rouf and his brother went as 'extra guides'.

"Kashmir has a bad image when it comes to tourism, but Rouf has set an example. He made it clear that our guests are no less than our family members for us. He was the only earning member in his family and I appeal to the Governor to extend some help to his family members," said Rouf's neighbour.

Governor Satya Pal Malik saluted the valour of Dar describing him as 'a real-life hero' who sacrificed his life for saving lives of others.

Hailing from Yanaar, a scenic spot downstream Pahalgam, Dar had been working as a professional assistant guide for river rafting which is a popular adventure sport. He was a postgraduate and was the only earning member of his family.Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday visited the National Police Memorial to pay tribute to the policemen who sacrificed their lives in the line of duty. (Photo: ANI)

New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday visited the National Police Memorial to pay tribute to the policemen who sacrificed their lives in the line of duty.

The 54-year-old stalwart laid wreath at the memorial which is located in New Delhi's Chanakyapuri area.

The memorial is spread over 6.12 acres and has a 30-foot tall heavy black granite central sculpture, a museum and a 'Wall of Valour' bearing the names of policemen who have died while serving the nation since Independence.

Earlier on Saturday, the new entrant to the North Block, Shah took charge as Home Minister in the Modi government 2.0.

Shortly after taking charge, Union Home Minister Amit Shah held a meeting with top officials of the ministry, followed by a call on him by Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satyapal Malik.The duo can be seen praying together, offering sweets to each other, and exchanging pleasantries. (Photo: ANI)

Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao attended the Iftar party hosted by the State Governor E S L Narasimhan here on Saturday evening at Raj Bhavan.

The duo can be seen praying together, offering sweets to each other, and exchanging pleasantries.

Succeeding the TDP government led by N Chandrababu Naidu, Jagan took oath as Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh 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.They not only violate basic norms of diplomatic conduct and civilised behaviour, but are also counter-productive for our bilateral relations, Indian envoy Ajay Bisaria said. (Photo: ANI)

Srinagar: National Conference leader Omar Abdullah on Sunday reacted to the row over Indian High Commissioners party in Islamabad urging both the countries to "stop this nonsense".

Omar's response came after sources said that guests were "aggressively turned away" by Pakistani security officials from an Iftar party hosted by the Indian High Commission in Islamabad on Saturday and even calls were made to stop many of them from attending it.

Criticising the Pakistani side for their "tit for tat diplomacy", Omaar tweeted, "Stupid tit for tat diplomacy. It was stupid when we did it outside the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi & it's stupid when it's done outside ours in Islamabad. Now that it's 1-1 perhaps it's time to move on & stop this nonsense."

Indian envoy Ajay Bisaria told ANI on Sunday that "such intimidatory tactics" are "counter-productive" for bilateral relations.

"We apologise to all our guests who were aggressively turned away from our Iftar party last evening. Such intimidatory tactics are deeply disappointing. They not only violate basic norms of diplomatic conduct and civilised behaviour, but are also counter-productive for our bilateral relations," he said.

Media reports claimed that additional scrutiny was thrust upon the guests attending the party by Pakistani security officials, who also forced many to return from the event.

"Pakistani agencies virtually laid a siege on Hotel Serena on Saturday, harassed, intimidated and turned back hundreds of guests," sources told ANI on Sunday.

"Before that, they called invitees from masked numbers and threatened them with consequences if they attended the Iftar. They sunk to a new low of harassment, mostly of their own people," they added.Tumkur District Congress president R Ramakrishna on Saturday wrote to general secretary KC Venugopal blaming party leaders for the defeat of Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) coalition candidate HD Deve Gowda in the Lok Sabha constituency. (Photo: File)

Tumkur: Tumkur District Congress president R Ramakrishna on Saturday wrote to general secretary KC Venugopal blaming party leaders for the defeat of Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) coalition candidate HD Deve Gowda in the Lok Sabha constituency.

He has also recommended expulsion of leaders like former MLA KN Rajanna, and state Youth Congress vice president Rajendra from the party.

"The person who is responsible for all this is KN Rajanna, Youth Congress president R Rajendra, Gram Panchayat member J J Rahana, Chudappa Shantla Rajanna, Manjula Narayana Reddy, Taluk panchayat president, vice-president, and members," Ramakrishna wrote in his letter.

As a part of the seat-sharing deal between Congress and JD (S), Tumkur Lok Sabha seat was contested by JD(S) leader and former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda. However, he lost to BJP's GS Basavraj.

In his report to Venugopal, the district Congress president termed the lack of unity between JD (S) and Congress workers as one of the reasons for the loss.

"Although the coalition party announced Deve Gowda as the coalition candidate, former MP Muddahanumegowda, KN Rajanna filed nomination earlier, which created confusion. After much drama, they withdrew their nomination but their followers never supported the coalition candidate," Ramakrishna said in his report.

He further alleged that Muddahanumegowda campaigned at only two places and did not campaign in the rest of the places, which helped the BJP.

"Sahakar Mahamandala president N Ganganna and others distributed money in favour of the BJP. The money which was given by the Congress was also distributed to favour the BJP," Ramakrishna said in his report.

"I request the party high command to take strict stringent action against the above-mentioned people," he urged.

BJP won 25 of 28 Lok Sabha seats in the state while the Congress-JD(S) coalition could win only two seats.The Modi tsunami of 2019, where for the first time since 1971 a party has come back to power with an absolute majority larger than what it had before, has opened up a new paradigm of politics. The contours of this change need to be understood, especially by Opposition parties, for only then can they internalise the magnitude of the change that confronts them. If they choose not to see, or understand, the new political landscape, they do so only at their own peril.

There are two principal takeaways from this election. The first takeaway is that the politics of entitlement, and of dynastic politics, has received a major challenge. The political battlefield is littered with fallen dynasts. The most visible setback is to the Congress, the principal Opposition party, where Rahul Gandhi is at the helm, solely because he is a member of the Gandhi family. Rahul lost his own election from the family bastion of Amethi. His party has been decimated, increasing its paltry tally of 44 in the last elections by a meagre eight seats. The Congress party is in urgent need of surgical introspection, and needs a new leadership, a new narrative, a new operational strategy, and a new cadre.

The fate of other dynasts is equally pitiable. Akhilesh Yadav, who runs the Samajwadi Party (SP) only because he is the son of Mulayam Singh Yadav, performed terribly in Uttar Pradesh. His wife lost the elections, as did other members of his family. Ajit Singh, son of Chaudhary Charan Singh, lost too in UP, as did his son, Jayant Singh. Tejaswi Yadav in Bihar, at the helm of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) only because he is the anointed son of Lalu Prasad Yadav, could not win a single seat in Bihar. In Haryana, the scions of the famous political clans of the state  the Chautalas, Hoodas, and Bhajan Lal  bit the dust.

Naveen Patnaik, who came to power in Odisha as the son of stalwart Biju Patnaik, managed to retain a majority of the seats both for the Lok Sabha and in the state Assembly, but not without seeing serious inroads into his state by the BJP. True, some dynasties have survived. Jagan Reddy, son of former state Chief Minister, the late Y.S. Jagan Reddy, swept Andhra Pradesh. In Tamil Nadu too, Stalin, son of Karunanidhi, the towering satrap of Tamil politics, did extremely well. At the individual level, too, many newly elected MPS are the progeny of influential politicians. However, the hitherto unchallenged thesis that progenies have an ordained right to inherit the political mantle from their influential parents has suffered a definitive setback.

A second takeaway is that old equations of caste arithmetic have been overwhelmed by the political chemistry of the new politics. In UP, the conventional expectation was that a gathbandan of Yadavs, Dalits, Jats and Muslims, would be invincible, purely in terms of the numerical aggregation of caste. The alliance was decimated. In Bihar, the RJD had thought that it could pose a formidable challenge due to the time-tested coalition of Muslims and Yadavs. That coalition too was decimated. Leaders mired in old political equations could not understand that members of their captive flock could transcend caste fealties and take an independent view of who they would wish to vote for. The vertical prism of caste blinded many old school leaders to the fact that horizontal aspirations would escape the silos to which conventionally they had been confined. The result is that henceforth the two plus two equals four calculations of parties that refuse to see beyond caste and creed, will need a serious rethink, and while caste will not entirely go away in the calculation of all political parties, its pivotal importance  as it used to be in the past has suffered serious erosion.

What were the strengths of the Modi Tsu-NaMo, that it largely swept aside entrenched dynasties and caste citadels? Certainly, the most important single element is leadership. This election was Narendra Modi's election. People voted for him, and in his name. That was because he combined  whether you like him or not  eloquence, charisma, energy, vision, will, decisiveness, and above all, a cultural rootedness that spoke in the idiom ordinary people could identify with. There was

just no one in the Opposition that came even close to challenging his appeal.

The crafting of a definitive narrative was also important. That narrative consisted of identifiable elements. Firstly, it focused on the tangibles that were delivered in the last five years touching the quality of lives of the poor  toilets, housing, electricity, direct cash transfers, gas cylinders, health schemes, roads and other infrastructure projects. Secondly, it tapped into a widespread angst among ordinary Hindus that  starting from the Shah Bano case of 1985  there has been a deliberate attempt to forsake the secular principle of respect for all religions and adopt a policy of appeasement of the minorities  read Muslims  for only vote-bank politics. Thirdly, following the Balakot attack, it evoked nationalism, and the paramount importance of the security of the nation against external threats. And, lastly, it raised the hopes of the young by the slogan New India. This was especially relevant since India is one of the youngest nations of the world, with some 65 per cent of the people below the age of 35. The young are impatient, aspirational and tired of the formulas of the past. Even though the concept of New India was never spelt out in great detail, the idea was appealing, for it brought into play the possibilities of new avenues, new opportunities, and a new vision of transforming the country. These elements of the narrative were projected and disseminated by a highly motivated, disciplined, and huge cadre  for which the credit must go to party president Amit Shah.

A mandate so huge also bestows great responsibilities and raises very large expectations. It is hoped that the NDA government will rise to the occasion. In particular, it must work to create an India of social harmony, where there is the fullest respect for all faiths, and discordant voices of hate and divisiveness are kept in check. The dictum of the great strategist Chanakya must always be remembered: a nation is only as strong as the harmony it fosters within.Days after the Bharatiya Janata Party rode to a stunning victory in the recent Lok Sabha election, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party president Amit Shah called on veteran leaders L.K. Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi to seek their blessings and also to mollify them as they were known to be unhappy at being marginalised in the new dispensation. After the last 2014 general election, the seniors were made members of a non-functioning margdarshak mandal. This time they were denied tickets. But BJP insiders bemoaned that despite the BJPs massive victories in two successive elections, anyone who is considered an Advani loyalist continues to be suspect. They said as many as 25 party leaders at different levels of seniority have been especially identified. This group, which is waiting to be rehabilitated by the BJP leadership is not sure if its members will make the cut. They cite Sushma Swarajs example who topped this list and was accommodated in the last government as external affairs minister because of her stature and experience but was denied functional autonomy. Ms Swaraj opted out of the Lok Sabha election for health reasons.

Just when the Congress was congratulating itself on keeping its motormouths in check during the recent poll campaign, the irrepressible Mani Shankar Aiyar landed the party in the thick of a roaring controversy before the last phase of the election. The party found itself fending off the Bharatiya Janata Partys sharp attack following the publication of an article by Mr Aiyar in which he attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and repeated his neech remark. Writing that Mr Modi would be ousted in this election, Mr Aiyar said, That would be a fitting end to the most foul-mouthed prime minister this country has seen or is likely to see. Remember how I described him on 7 December 2017? Was I not prophetic? Mr Aiyar had made a similar statement in the midst of the Gujarat assembly for which Congress had suspended him. Given his reputation to shoot his mouth off, Mr Aiyar was asked to keep a low profile during the general election and stay away from television news channels. Finding himself out of the election hurly-burly, Mr Aiyar decided to give vent to his views in an article. But it transpires that he had sent advance copies to Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhis offices for their approval, which was duly given. Little wonder Mr Aiyar was upset when he was publicly upbraided by Rahul Gandhi for what was seen as his latest transgression.

The Bharatiya Janata Partys most visible and aggressive spokesperson, Sambit Patra, lost in the recent Lok Sabha election though it was not for want of trying. Mr Patra, who was fielded from Puri in his home state Odisha, went the extra mile to connect with the electorate, especially since he is based in Delhi. While banking on the high profile he has acquired, courtesy his frequent participation in prime time debates on television channels, Mr Patra shifted base to his constituency for the entire period of the poll campaign. He moved around in a cavalcade of vehicles and set up camp in different villages on his route and never returned to the city for the night. Mr Patra also made it a point to take a dip in the local pond every morning while wearing a saffron dhoti, making sure the villagers did not miss this ritual. In addition, he visited every temple during his travels and got himself photographed extensively while offering prayers, complete with vermillion paste on his forehead. But Mr Patras efforts proved futile as he was defeated by Biju Janata Dals Pinaki Mishra. He can, however, draw solace from the fact that he lost by a narrow margin.

Bharatiya Janata Party general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya, who was in charge of West Bengal affairs, is understandably the toast of the town after the saffron party made huge inroads in this eastern state, winning as many as 18 Lok Sabha seats. Mr Vijayvargiya had declined to contest in the recent general election so that he could focus on expanding his partys footprint in West Bengal. However, he has always nursed ambitions of occupying the chief ministers gaddi in his home state Madhya Pradesh. Now that he has proved his mettle, he is hoping to be rewarded for his efforts by BJP president Amit Shah who is learned to have taken a shine to Mr Vijayvargiya. But his return to Madhya Pradesh will depend on how the BJP moves ahead in destabilizing the Kamal Nath government which cannot be ruled out as the Congress has a wafer-thin majority in the assembly. Moreover, the Congress state unit is in turmoil after the partys humiliating defeat and there is every possibility that its disgruntled legislators could be ready to switch sides. But the ever-popular former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who also wants his old post back, could prove to be a stumbling block.There was something pathetically unreal in the sustained press speculation about a resumption of talks between India and Pakistan after the Indian elections. Even a cursory study of the record of the Modi governments policy on the talks would have injected some realism in the minds of the hopefuls.

It is, of course, very true that India and Pakistan had established a tradition in the past of offering congratulations after their respective general elections, coupled with an offer of talks which the other side gladly accepted. Neither country wanted a stand-off or confrontation. However, it should have been obvious by 2016, if not earlier, that Narendra Modi was out to break tradition in domestic as well as foreign policies.

Foreign secretary talks were cancelled in 2014 on the pretext that Pakistans high commissioner had invited a Hurriyat leader for talks. This was but par for the course.

But one must ask, given the Modi governments basic approach towards Pakistan and Kashmir, what talks will achieve?

India has systematically undermined Saarc and vigorously promoted Bimstec though it is not a member; but, then, neither is Pakistan. This is part of Indias proclaimed policy of isolating Pakistan. It surely cannot parley with Pakistan while urging the world to keep it out at bay. The policy is certain to fail.

Pakistan has won new friends like Russia. It has a standing in the Middle East, Europe and elsewhere. Donald Trump notwithstanding, the US needs it badly if it is to stage a dignified retreat from Afghanistan. Indias massive efforts in Afghanistan will not alter the facts of geography, history and the compulsions of politics. And there is the rising superpower China, whom India courts.

If the policy of isolation is doomed to failure, expectation of a dialogue is unreal. What will India and Pakistan talk about? There is no common ground on the core issue of Kashmir. It was finally established in 2005-2007 by Musharraf and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the realistic and innovative four-point formula  but wrecked by a rabble of vicious, small minds. In Kashmir, Geelani led a vicious bunch, but one that did not point out any defects or suggest improvements.

It was the same story in Pakistan sung by critics of Musharrafs domestic policies and by the BJP in India. At a great moment, small minds operated viciously to destroy a historic achievement. Imagine the scene in South Asia today if it had succeeded.

However, Kashmir is not the sole issue between the two countries. There are the joint statements of 1987 and 2001 which list them. Alas, there is no prospect of a dialogue on these either, although common ground was achieved on Sir Creek, Wullar barrage and Siachen. Other matters are also very susceptible to settlement. That is what Modi and his advisers do not want. All or nothing is their policy. Their demands are: Pakistan must wash its hands of Kashmir and those fighting there must surrender. On this diplomatic graveyard India will build peace  settling these issues with Pakistan and imposing on Kashmir a constitutional order which accomplishes the BJPs goal of erasure of Article 370 and ensures Kashmiris integration with India  the peace of the graveyard.

By arrangement with DawnSingapore: China on Sunday defended the bloody Tiananmen crackdown on student protesters in a rare public acknowledgement of the event, days before its 30th anniversary, saying it was the correct policy.

After seven weeks of protests by students and workers demanding democratic change and the end of corruption, soldiers and tanks chased and killed demonstrators and onlookers in the streets leading to Beijings Tiananmen Square on June 4 1989.

Hundreds, or possibly more than 1,000, were killed, although the precise number of deaths remains unknown.

That incident was a political turbulence and the central government took measures to stop the turbulence which is a correct policy, Chinese defence minister General Wei Fenghe told a regional security forum in Singapore.

Wei asked why people still say that China did not handle the incident properly.

The 30 years have proven that China has undergone major changes, he said in response to a question from audience, adding that because of the governments action at that time China has enjoyed stability and development. Bonnie Glaser, a China expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in US, said she was surprised at the question on Tiananmen raised at an open forum after Weis speech, but the fact that the general answered it was unusual.

People may dispute Weis answer but at least I can give him credit for taking the question, Glaser added.

Inside China an army of online censors have scrubbed clean social media, removing articles, memes, hash-tags or photos alluding to the Tiananmen crackdown ahead of June 4.

Discussions of the 1989 pro-democracy protests and their brutal suppression are strictly taboo, and authorities have rounded up or warned activists, lawyers and journalists ahead of the anniversary each year. Talking privately with family and friends is possible, but any commemoration in public risks almost certain arrest.Jayasundara said he was offered a diplomatic post if he took the fall and stepped down, but he refused as he said he was not responsible for the catastrophic intelligence failure. (Photo:AP)

Colombo: Sri Lankas suspended police chief has petitioned the Supreme Court, accusing President Maithripala Sirisena of failing to prevent the Easter bombings that killed 258 people.

In a 20-page complaint, Inspector-General Pujith Jayasundara disclosed serious communication gaps between intelligence agencies and security arms of the government, all which fall under Sirisena.

In the petition submitted to court last week and seen by AFP Sunday, Jayasundara said the countrys premier spy agency, the State Intelligence Service (SIS), ordered him last year to stop ongoing police investigations into Islamic militants.

The SIS, which reports directly to Sirisena, wanted the police Terrorist Investigation Department to stop all inquiries into extremist Muslim factions, including the National Thowheeth Jamaath (NTJ), which was blamed for the Easter Sunday bombings.

Jayasundara said the head of the SIS, Nilantha Jayawardena, did not take seriously the intelligence shared by neighbouring India which warned of an impending attack by the NTJ.

Jayasundara said despite the SIS not sharing information warnings with the police department, he had initiated action to alert his senior men, but he had no input from the main spy agency.

Sirisena suspended Jayasundara after he refused to accept responsibility for the deadly attacks. The Attorney General has asked for a full bench of the apex court to decide the case.

Jayasundara said he was offered a diplomatic post if he took the fall and stepped down, but he refused as he said he was not responsible for the catastrophic intelligence failure.

He said he had been sidelined by the president since a political rift between the President and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe emerged in October.

Jayasundaras petition came days after Sirisena publicly rebuked another intelligence official, Sisira Mendis, after he told a parliamentary panel that the Easter suicide bombings could have been avoided.

Mendiss testimony appeared to put Sirisena in a poor light by implying he had not held National Security Council meetings to review threats such as the attacks carried out by Islamic State.

In a statement, Sirisena denied claims by Mendis that the countrys highest security body had not met as often as it should have around the time of the attacks, which were blamed on Islamic State-backed militants. Sirisena, who is also defence minister, said in a statement he held NSC meetings twice a week, contradicting Mendis who told parliament the last meeting was on February 19, more than two months before the April 21 bombings targeting three churches and three luxury hotels.

Sirisena said he met with the national police chief and his top brass 13 days before the Easter Sunday attacks and no officer raised warnings which had been relayed by India.Contrary to its connotation, the term shadow banking does not mean something thats illegitimate or a system that indulges in undesirable activities. Shadow Banking is an essential arm of the financial markets and contribute to the credit access especially in the developing economies.

In Indias case, shadow banking primarily consists of NBFCs and housing finance companies (HFCs). Over the last decade, the shadow banking system has seen exponential growth and has been successful in filling the void that was created after the formal banking system got mired in the NPA crisis.

NBFCs play an important role in providing credit to areas that do not have access to formal banking channels and also cater to the credit needs of sectors such as the MSMEs which are often ignored by traditional banking.

Over the years NBFCs share in overall commercial lending has witnessed tremendous growth, as per industry reports NBFCs today contribute approximately one fifth of the total credit extended to commercial activities.

Everything seemed to be going perfect until June 2018 when the first signs of stress in the shadow banking system emerged when the leading infrastructure operator-financier - Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services Ltd. (IL&FS) defaulted on some of its debt. The collapse of the highly rated IL&FS Group exposed the fault lines under Indian shadow banks impressive credit edifice, the contagion soon spread to leading HFCs such as Dewan Housing, India Bulls Housing Finance among others.

Since the shadow banking system has now become an integral part of the financial setup, it does pose a systemic risk to the entire system and to avert any such crisis the Government had to step in and take over the troubled IL&FS group.

Post-June 2018 the entire sector is in stress as liquidity has dried up; NBFCs and HFCs are finding it hard to roll over their short-term debt and therefore are unable to extend any new credit. In addition, to service their existing debt and avoid default, companies have been forced to engage in a fire sale of assets, which directly impacts their profitability.

A common man has already been affected by the crisis in many ways; some of the effects or repercussions that are the consequence of the crisis are direct whereas some other hardships are a result of the ripple effect.

Wealth erosion

The first category of losses that the common man has incurred is in the form of investment loss, equity investors have lost huge amounts of money in their investments in the shadow banking stocks, the situation is not very different for debt investors who are witnessing losses in the form of reduced NAVs of their debt mutual fund holdings as more and more AMCs are forced to categorize their exposure to NBFCs particularly IL&FS as NPAs. Recently, on April 30, UTI MF has marked down its IL&FS SPV exposure by 50% and the NAV of six debt schemes were therefore hit by 2-6%.

Curbed lending

The second set of hardships perhaps impacts a large section of the common populace, in the recent past shadow banking system accounted for 40% of all consumer loans, which included loans for white goods, vehicle loans, housing loans, etc, since the liquidity crunch in the space these loans are not available as easily which has led to consumers making fewer purchases.

Loan volumes for some of these lenders have dropped to 10% of the levels seen before the crisis. Fewer loans from shadow lenders have already made automobiles, consumer goods, and real estate sectors especially vulnerable. Companies in these sectors are witnessing declining profits and volume growth and are forced to cut production.

Job losses

Though the crisis in shadow banking seems to be a problem within the financial sector, it leads to the tightening of lending standards and curbs on fresh credit both to the corporates and individuals and the ripple impact can be seen as a reduction in production and consumption cycle, value erosion in personal wealth and ultimately lower GDP of the nation. If the crisis lingers on in the next phase we anticipate massive retrenchments and job losses that would directly impact a larger section of the economy and individuals.

In a vibrant economy, all industry sectors have a complex interplay and money in the hands of the customers drive the whole system, therefore a healthy shadow banking system is highly desirable and a must for economic growth in the current context.

Going forward once the new government is sworn in in May, we expect that the crisis will be addressed more proactively. The Central Bank RBI is already doing its a bit to keep the liquidity tap open through its OMO operations, however, we expect that it will at least take a quarter or two for things to materially improve until then the common man should brace himself up for more hardships.

(The writer is Director Wealth Discovery at EZ Wealth)One hundred years ago this weekend, the Salvation Army was established in Kelowna.

To celebrate the milestone, the organization held a free community carnival in Stuart Park Saturday, complete with bouncy castles, live music, fire truck tours and more.

In addition to being a local church, we also provide community support services and so we have a supportive food bank for those needing additional support, we offer supportive counselling services, grief support groups, said Darryl Burry, lead pastor and executive director of Salvation Army Central Okanagan.

One of the more visible services they provide is assisting during times of disaster.

When there's fires and floods, we provide support to evacuees who are impacted, as well as services for first responders, Burry said.

I think 2003 was a pivotal year for the Salvation Army in this community and across B.C., in regards to what we do with our (Emergency Disaster Services)."

During the 2017 fire season, more than 3,000 evacuees from across the province used the services at the Sutherland Avenue Salvation Army.

We just want to be there to be able to support people in their time of need. When you are impacted in those ways, to be able to have someone who can just give you a bottle of water or a cup of coffee and just listen, it's very meaningful.

The first Kelowna Salvation Army church was located where the Queensway bus loop is now. There are now five locations across the Central Okanagan.

Burry says they couldn't provide the support they do without the assistance of other groups in the community, like Emergency Support Services, Kelowna Fire Department, Freedom's Door, Kelowna Gospel Mission and Teen Challenge.

(The event) is a way for us to say thank you to those who continue to support all of our various operations, Burry said. Thank you to this community for 100 years of support and service.Upset over shabby treatment meted out by the BJP while proposing the JD (U) to join the Union Cabinet, the Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday expanded his Cabinet and inducted eight new ministers. However, all these eight ministers were from the JD (U).

Nitish is miffed with the BJP ever since JD (U) was offered one ministerial berth in the Narendra Modi Government last week. In a tit for tat, Nitish on Sunday offered one berth to BJP too. But no minister from the BJP took oath as the saffron party said the minister from BJP quota would be sworn in later.

The eight ministers who joined Nitish team include Sanjay Jha, whom Nitish wanted to be the JD (U) nominee from Darbhanga Lok Sabha constituency but could not do so as BJP fielded its own candidate from Darbhanga.

Two days back, Nitish made Jha an MLC, and on Sunday made him Bihars Water Resources Minister. The other seven who were made ministers include Ashok Choudhary (former Bihar Cong chief), Shyam Razak, Narendra Yadav, Neeraj Kumar, Ram Sevak Singh, Laxmeshwar Rai and Bima Bharti.

Though Nitish later said there was no anger and the expansion has taken place after due consultation with the BJP, sources who are in the know of things aver this was Nitishs way to send a terse message to the top BJP leadership for ill-treating allies.

Nitishs angst with the BJP could be gauged from the fact that soon after his return from New Delhi he said that his party wont join Narendra Modi Government even in future. They offered JD (U) one ministerial berth in the Union Cabinet as symbolic representation. However, we insisted on proportional representation as the JD (U) had won 16 out of 17 Lok Sabha seats it contested, Nitish said earlier.

The ruling party leaders in Bihar insisted that the BJP should differentiate between a one MP-party like RPI and 16-MP party JD (U).Saffron alliance partners in Maharashtra the BJP and the Shiv Sena will go to the 288-member Maharashtra Legislative Assembly elections, scheduled during September-October, by sharing equal number of seats.

"The BJP and the Shiv Sena will contest 135 seats each, an equal share and leave 18 seats for its allies," said senior BJP leader and Revenue Minister Chandrakant Patil.

Patil's disclosure assumes significance as he a close confidante of Union Home Minister and BJP president Amit Shah and is also the number two in the Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis-led saffron alliance government in the state.

Patil, a senior strategist of the BJP, also claimed that Fadnavis is the "natural choice" of the BJP, the Shiv Sena and the people for the post of chief minister.

The Shiv Sena or other allies Republican Party of India led by Ramdas Athawale, Rashtriya Samaj Paksha of Mahadev Jankar and Shiv Sangram led by Vinayak Mete have not yet reacted to Patil's statement, which has come ahead of the monsoon session of the Maharashtra legislature and an impending Cabinet expansion.

In 2014, the BJP and the Shiv Sena contested the polls together but split ahead of the state Assembly polls. Later, they came together to form a government.

In March 2019, they decided to contest both the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections together.

In the Lok Sabha polls, BJP contested 25 seats and won 23 while Sena contested 23 and won 18.

The Sena has got the heavy industries ministry in the Narendra Modi government.

"We have 122 sitting MLAs and have support of 8 Independents whereas Sena has 65. We are getting just five additional seats," Patil said.

It may be recalled that after Shah, Fadnavis and Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray sealed the deal and made the announcement, several Sena leaders had claimed that the party will get the post of chief minister.India just had yet another round of consultation with United States, Japan and Australia on Indo-Pacific, but refrained from joining them in not-so-subtly criticizing China  once again signalling its keenness to avert irking the communist country.

The diplomats of India, United States, Australia and Japan met in Bangkok on Friday, indicating a continuation of the 'quad'  as the consultation mechanism launched by the four nations in 2017 to counter China in Indo-Pacific is popularly known. New Delhi, however, did not join Washington, Canberra and Tokyo to stress on universal respect for international law and freedom of navigation and overflight  the jargons of diplomatese, which are often used by the international community to oppose hegemonic aspirations of the communist country in the region.

The four nations reaffirmed their shared commitment to preserving and promoting the rules-based order in the region, the US Department of State said in a press release issued in Washington D.C. after the meeting in Bangkok. They highlighted their efforts to maintain universal respect for. The press release issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Japanese Government on the four-nation consultation on Indo-Pacific was also almost similar to the one issued by the US State Department.

The press release issued by the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi, however, did not use the phrases like rules-based order and respect for international law and freedom of navigation and overflight, which have been often used by the international community to oppose expansionist moves of China.

China has been accused by the United States, Japan and other nations of undermining the rules-based order in Indo-Pacific.

Beijing's territorial disputes with its maritime neighbours in East and South China Sea and its reluctance to resolve the disputes in accordance with the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of Sea (UNCLOS) often prompted the other nations, not only to criticize it for not adhering to the international laws and flexing military muscles, but also to call for rules-based order in Indo-Pacific.

The US has been criticizing China for militarizing the South China Sea by building military installations on artificial islands and reefs. China claims it built military installations only for defending itself against any misadventure by the US or its allies.

Beijing blames the US for escalating tension by sending warships and military aircraft near the islands claimed by China

The US has been conducting Freedom of Navigation Operation or FONOP in East and South China Sea to counter expansionist moves by China. The US Navys missile destroyers, USS Preble and USS Chung Hoon, on May 6 sailed near Johnson and Gaven reefs of the Spratly Islands in South China Sea on May 6. China claims Spratly Islands as part of its own territory and built military installations on both the reefs, which are also claimed by Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan. Chinas Peoples Liberation Armys Navy stated that it had detected and warned off both the US warships. The USS Preble conducted another FONOP on May 19, near Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea. Philippines and Taiwan counter Chinas claim on Scarborough Shoal. China strongly protested the US moves on both the occasions.

New Delhi dropped the phrases to avert hurting the sensitivities of Beijing and any setback in the process that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping initiated during an informal summit at Wuhan in central China in April 2018 to mend the bilateral relations. Though India-China ties hit a new low over the 72-day-long military stand-off between at Doklam Plateau in western Bhutan, the two nations have been trying to bring it back on track though a series of engagements, including at the level of the leaders. Modi is set to host Xi for the second informal summit later this year.

This was the second time this week India carefully avoided annoying China. New Delhi did not invite any official of the Tibetan Government in Exile (TGiE)), which is based at Dharamshala in India, to the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Thursday to witness Narendra Modi being sworn-in for his second term in the office of Prime Minister. When Modi Government had taken oath for its first term on May 26, 2014, the TGiE Sikyong (president) Lobsang Sangay had been among the guests in the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi. China had served a demarche to India strongly protesting against the invitation to the political leader of the exiled Tibetans.

India, however, did join United States, Australia and Japan in reaffirming commitment towards a free, open, prosperous and inclusive Indo-Pacific region based on shared values and principles. The MEA in New Delhi also stated that the officials of India, Japan, US and Australia, who met in Bangkok, 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 quad reaffirmed strong support for centrality of the ASEAN (Association of South-East Asian Nations) and for the mechanisms led by it in the regional architecture for the Indo-Pacific. It also welcomed the initiative of ASEAN towards a common vision for the Indo-Pacific.

The US State Department stated that the four nations underscored their intent to continue close coordination and collaboration in support of sustainable, private-sector led development, maritime security, and good governance. They also 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 also expressed desire to work with like-minded partners and allies to promote a transparent, rules-based approach to trans-boundary challenges, according to the press release issued by the US State Department.Language matters when we talk about abortion. We have skirmishes over whether someone is pro-life or anti-choice, pro-choice or pro-abortion, pro-baby or anti-woman. Much of the most vitriolic debate is over whether the thing within a womans uterus is a person or a fetus or a clump of cells. As Humpty Dumpty said in Through the Looking Glass, When I use a word  it means just what I choose it to mean  neither more nor less. Thats particularly true when discussing abortion, because the words we use help us frame the debate: humanity of the fetus versus rights of the mother.

That was the first thought I had when I learned that the Supreme Court had affirmed the constitutionality of an Indiana law that, in part, mandated the burial or cremation of fetal remains. Before, fetal remains were commonly incinerated along with medical waste, dumped in landfills and even burned to generate energy. Mike Pence signed the law in 2016 while governor. It was blocked by several lower courts, but the Supreme Court issued an order on Tuesday letting the provision concerning burial or cremation take effect (the court postponed consideration of another provision that banned certain abortions based on disability or sex.) Justice Clarence Thomas wrote that I would have thought it could go without saying that nothing in the Constitution or any decision of this court prevents a state from requiring abortion facilities to provide for the respectful treatment of human remains.

This is monumental, even though it might not seem as dramatic as affirming a ban on abortion or overturning Roe v. Wade. The high court recognized that the product of an abortion is human, and that it is entitled to the same respectful treatment as any other deceased human. We dont even need to worry about using the words person or fetus or clump of cells. Thomas used the phrase human remains, and that is unambiguous. This rhetorical distinction will have an impact on future cases because we now have a precedent referring to aborted fetuses as human remains.

Ironically, earlier this week I learned of an effort on the part of a local married couple to erect a memorial to the remains of the victims of Kermit Gosnell, the West Philadelphia abortionist. John and Loida McKeever of Abington found out that the Philadelphia Medical Examiners office had taken custody of the fetal remains after Gosnell had been arrested, and they hoped to visit the grave site to provide prayerful witness and leave a remembrance. But when they finally located the plot where the remains had been buried at Laurel Hill Cemetery, they saw no marker, no memorial, nothing that would indicate that these tiny lives had ever existed. Other than a few water logged Teddy Bears and some flowers, the plot was abandoned, and hidden from view behind a tree.

Saddened by the fact that the victims of a horrific crime were not even given the dignity of a marked resting place, the McKeevers contacted the medical examiner and asked to be able to erect a memorial headstone, which they offered to pay for themselves. After getting no initial response, they visited the office earlier this month to make a formal request. A few minutes after leaving the office, they received an email from David Quain, Forensic Services director, which they shared with me: I appreciate your request to place a marker, memorial or headstone on the site where the remains of the Gosnell fetuses are buried at Laurel Hill Cemetery. Unfortunately, the Philadelphia Medical Examiners Office cannot grant your request. Thank you. No reason was given.

I called the Medical Examiners Office myself and left a message, and also sent an email, and this is the response I received from James Garrow, communications director for the Philadelphia Department of Health:

Thank you for reaching out, Christine. The Medical Examiners Office and Health Department have no comment on this request.

Id like to give the city the benefit of the doubt and assume that it doesnt want to give strangers the right to erect memorials on public property, and set a precedent. There could be a legitimate legal reason of which Im unaware, but its hard to know what that might be because Mayor Jim Kenney has built a wall of silence around his employees as if they were encamped in some Soviet Gulag.

I wish I had a plausible reason for the fact that the city of Philadelphia is actively opposing these benign attempts to bring closure and dignity to the infant victims of a serial killer that it allowed to operate with impunity for many years.

But given the controversial nature of Gosnells crimes and the fact that this city has been pushing its agenda of abortion as health care, which is laughable in the context of murdered infants, its fairly clear that Philadelphia doesnt want to recognize the humanity of the victims, unlike Indiana and at least one Supreme Court justice.Photo: The Canadian Press A paper bag used to collect the tears of those testifying, to then be burned in a sacred fire, is seen at the final day of hearings at the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, in Richmond, B.C., on Sunday April 8, 2018.

The final report of a national inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls is calling for broad and widespread changes to the way the justice system handles cases, including standardized response times, better communication with family members and strict protocols to ensure investigations are thorough and complete.

The report is scheduled for release Monday, but a leaked copy was obtained by The Canadian Press, as well as other media outlets. It's the result of a years-long inquiry into the systemic causes of violence against thousands of Indigenous women and girls in Canada, and includes  like the Truth and Reconciliation Commission into residential schools before it  a lengthy list of recommendations to address them.

Canadian society has shown an "appalling apathy" towards addressing the issue, say the inquiry's commissioners, who reach the explosive conclusion "that this amounts to genocide."

The report urges all actors in the justice system, including police services, to build respectful working relationships with Indigenous Peoples by "knowing, understanding, and respecting the people they are serving."

Actions should include reviewing and revising all policies, practices, and procedures to ensure service delivery that is culturally appropriate and reflects no bias or racism toward Indigenous Peoples, including victims and survivors of violence, says the report.

During the course of the inquiry, it notes, policing representatives acknowledged the "historic and ongoing harms" that continue to affect First Nations, Metis and Inuit families, as well as the need to make changes to how non-Indigenous and Indigenous police work to protect safety.

The report also concludes that colonial violence, racism, sexism, homophobia and transphobia against Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people has become embedded into everyday life, resulting in many Indigenous people becoming normalized to violence.

The office of Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Carolyn Bennett declined to comment on the contents of the report until after Monday's ceremony.

"The commission will publicly present its findings and recommendations on June 3rd, and we very much look forward to that," Bennett's office said in a statement. "Out of respect for the independent national inquiry and the families, we won't comment on the details of the final report before then."

Families, however, are finally getting the answers they have been looking for after decades of demanding a national inquiry, the statement noted.

In an interview earlier this week, Bennett said the need to ensure families and survivors weren't let down has always weighed on her. She said the release of the final document will in no way mark the end of the journey.

"You can't hear the stories, you can't sit with them in ceremony without just knowing we have to prevent this," Bennett said. "This is too much hurt and the patterns were there for a long time. We just want to thank the people that started pushing."

Monday's formal release of the commission's findings is sure to be an emotional trial for the families of victims, survivors and advocacy organizations, who called for years for an inquiry to be conducted.

In 2005, the Native Women's Association of Canada created a database tracking cases, and it produced a 2010 report documenting 582 missing and murdered Indigenous women. In 2014, the RCMP released a national overview and pegged the number at nearly 1,200 between 1980 and 2012. Other estimates suggest the true number is far higher.

The inquiry report says that despite best efforts to gather information related to missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, it concludes that "no one knows an exact number."

"Thousands of women's deaths or disappearances have likely gone unrecorded over the decades, and many families likely did not feel ready or safe to share with the national inquiry before our timelines required us to close registration," the report says.

It says, however, that one of the most telling pieces of information is the amount of people who talked about either their own experiences or their loved ones' publicly for the first time.

"Without a doubt there are many more," it says.SALT LAKE CITY  When author Graeme Simsion first sat down to write his future bestseller The Rosie Project, he had no intention of writing an autistic main character.

More than a decade later, hes coming out with the third book in the series, The Rosie Result (Text Publishing, 384 pages), with a story that centers around autism. Simsion will visit The King's English book shop in Salt Lake on Wednesday.

Simsion, who resides with his wife in Australia, said his colleagues from his former career in information technology inspired the idea for The Rosie Project. One co-worker in particular had a wife project the same way Simsions main character, Don Tillman, does  he had a long questionnaire for prospective women, attended lots of singles events, and was deliberate about meeting somebody.

But, as far as Simsion knows, this co-worker was never diagnosed as autistic. Simsion said hed been around a lot of guys like Don as hed joined the radio club and studied physics in school.

They were just geeks, he said, and had no more clinical label applied to them.

Since The Rosie Project was published in 2013, the conversation around autism has changed dramatically, Simsion said. For one thing, Asperger's syndrome has been absorbed into the broader spectrum of autism. For another, social media, especially Twitter, has become a platform for autism activists to come together and make the world more aware of their experiences.

"It's a good way for people on the spectrum to communicate in writing rather than having to worry about body language," Simsion said. "They have become a really powerful minority group."

And so, Simsion has in recent years come to see that Don in fact would be considered autistic, and he brought that issue forward in "The Rosie Result," especially in dealing with Don's 11-year-old son, Hudson.

When Don's family makes the move from the United States to Australia, Hudson struggles to cope with the transition. In fact, his school calls and suggests they should look into diagnosing him as autistic. Don then launches the "Hudson Project" to determine if he can help his son learn to fit in and decide if they should look into treating his behaviors. But if Hudson is autistic, is that something to treat or something to accept?

Simsion said he was really worried about writing about an 11-year-old in "The Rosie Result." His kids are grown up, so he's "at that awkward age where you don't hang out with 11-year-olds." To make it easier, he decided to base Hudson on himself at that age, though Simsion himself doesn't identify as autistic.

"It was quite confronting, because I don't (usually) consciously put myself into characters," he said. "It was challenging because I had to revisit my past."

Prior to writing "The Rosie Result," Simsion had been invited to write a personal essay on a defining moment in his life for an anthology titled "Split." Simsion decided to write about when he moved from New Zealand to Australia when he was 11.

"It was only a 6,000-word essay, but it killed me," he said. "It was more work than writing the whole book."

In the end, his essay, called "Rewiring," was the therapy Simsion had to work through in order to write Hudson, without having that heavy stuff on the pages of his more light-hearted novel.

The most rewarding part of writing, Simsion said, is always the responses he gets from individual readers. He knows that often the books that change your life are not necessarily the greatest works of literature, but happen to be what you pick up on the day you need them.

"Out of 5 million books out there, sometimes they land in just the right place at the right time," he said.

He's had readers tell him that because of his books, they went out and got an autism diagnosis, or they were better able to understand their spouse through Don's perspective. One woman read it as she was dying so she would feel happy at the end of her life.

"If I had known that when I was writing the book, I couldn't have done it," Simsion said. "I don't write because of that. The reason I write is I want to tell a story."

But, in the end, knowing he made a difference to his readers makes it all worth it.

He hopes that all readers will walk away from his book seeing that, "autism is another legitimate way of being, with its own strengths and weaknesses that we all have. It's a difference, not a disease."

Out of his five-city tour for "The Rosie Result" this June, Simsion made sure to stop at "The King's English" in Salt Lake City because, he said, it's his "favorite bookstore in the whole world." His first visit there in 2013 was in December, and the picturesque snow outside combined with the warmth and the packed crowd inside the little store left him with pleasant memories.

"It was the best time and the best event," he said. "I will always go back to Salt Lake City."

If you go 

What: Graeme Simsion book signing

When: Wednesday, June 5, 7 p.m.

Where: The Kings English, 1511 S. 1500 East

Web: kingsenglish.com

Note: Places in the signing line are reserved for those who purchase a copy of the featured book from The Kings English.With the distractions of summer fun, only masochistic political junkies (like us) are paying attention to the current national and local political machinations. So, for the truly diehard, we review as few headlines relevant to Utahns.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has officially opposed the federal Equality Act, stating that in its failure to protect religious freedom it is not balanced and does not provide "fairness for all." The legislation adds sexual orientation and gender identity as protected classes under federal civil rights law. Democratic Congressman Ben McAdams was the only Utah delegation member to support the bill. Does this endanger McAdams reelection next year?

Pignanelli: "We will never have true civilization until we learn to recognize the rights of others.  Will Rogers

Some things never change. Congress continues to excel at obliterating potential resolutions of contentious dilemmas.

The Equality Act is imperative legislation that benefits the entire nation. But legitimate concerns from religious organizations require a deliberative and inclusive process to ensure greater acceptance. (Utah accomplished this in 2015 when passing antidiscrimination amendments.) Instead, Congress weaponized the issue. Democrat leadership arrogantly rushed the bill through the House, thereby guaranteeing no consideration in the Senate. GOP activists pounced, targeting McAdams (a devout member of the church) while claiming supporters were antagonistic to faith.

Republican members of our delegation expressed a desire to accomplish protection for LGBT Americans but were frustrated with the process surrounding the federal legislation. They clearly understand many Utahns do not want the local LGBT community to suffer discrimination. This indicates campaign attacks against McAdams are problematic to message. Further, he will artfully explain to constituents the need for the bill, his concern how it passed and suggestions for improvements. This matter evolves into a nonissue for McAdams.

Another wonderful consistency in Washington again proves the Utah way of merging constitutional protections is superior.

Webb: This issue illustrates the tightrope McAdams must walk as he tries to keep conservative voters at home happy while voting on leftist legislation promoted by his party leaders in Washington. He has been a champion of LGBT rights his entire political career, so its not a surprise he would vote for the Equality Act.

But with this vote he has handed his opponents a great big club to attack him with.

The church was clear and firm in its opposition to the bill McAdams supported, stating: While providing extremely broad protections for LGBT rights, the Equality Act provides no protections for religious freedom. It would instead repeal long-standing religious rights under the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act, threaten religious employment standards, devastate religious education, defund numerous religious charities and impose secular standards on religious activities and properties. It called the act unbalanced, fundamentally unfair and a path to further conflict.

McAdams will face criticism that he voted to force women athletes to compete against men who identify as women, and to allow males who identify as females to enter womens bathrooms and locker rooms. Even some liberal feminists oppose the Equality Act because they believe it will dilute hard-fought progress for women, such as Title IX, which ensures that women have the same opportunities as men in sports.

While McAdams has been careful to qualify his support for the Equality Act and profess his support for religious freedom, the fact is he voted for the bill and was even a co-sponsor of it. Hes going to hear a lot more about the Equality Act in the upcoming election.

In the 2018 election, Utah skyrocketed from 45th to 13th in voter participation, and Democrats won a few key victories. Further, more Utahns are describing themselves as unaffiliated or independent. Some politicos claim that Utah is transitioning to a "purple state. Is this really true?

Pignanelli: Utah is always "right of center"  even when governed by Democrats. This continues. However, the political realignment occurring nationwide is creating opportunities for candidates of either party. Aspiring politicians who articulate policies that truly concern Utahns, while distancing themselves from the fantasies of high-profile national politicos, can attract votes. Further, traditional electioneering (i.e. television, social wedge issues, etc.) are declining in effectiveness. Over time, various flavors of Republicans and Democrats (and Independents) who understand these dynamics, will be elected.

Webb: Utah remains a heavily Republican state and is in little danger of turning red or even purple. With new party leadership and more unity, the Utah GOP will be more effective in candidate recruitment and campaign support.

Still, much depends on the quality of candidates. In a swing district, or even in a Republican-leaning district, a terrific Democratic candidate will beat a lackluster Republican.

The Utah Supreme Court officially reprimanded a municipal court judge with a six-month suspension without pay, for making disparaging comments about President Donald Trump. Is this an overreaction?

Pignanelli: The court made a terrible mistake  the judge should have been removed permanently. Our democracy depends on the fundamental bulwark of a judiciary free from political subjectivity. This judge, through social media, also labeled Trump a fascist and implied Republicans were Nazis. Judges have First Amendment rights of speech, but wearing the robes constrains how expressed.

Webb: Utahs Supreme Court is highly circumspect, cautious and erudite. The comments made by the municipal court judge were clearly out of line and the reprimand was justified.I would never discourage a young person from going to college. The value of a college degree can be immense when you look at lifetime earnings. High school graduates can expect, on average, to earn $1.2 million during their careers, while those with a bachelor's degree will earn $2.1 million; and people with a master's degree will earn $2.5 million, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

However, for many young people in Utah, college may not be the best career pathway. Despite Utah being the only state with an average student loan debt of less than $20,000, taking out sizable student loans to attend a four-year college or university can leave many students in a financial hole for decades, delaying major life milestones like marriage, buying a home and having children.

That is why Gov. Gary Herbert and the Governors Office of Economic Development launched Talent Ready Utah and the Career Pathways Programs. These programs provide opportunities for young people to receive training and certification in high-demand occupations that pay good wages such as IT, diesel tech, aerospace, medical innovations and, most recently, construction. While still in high school, students can take classes and participate in job shadows with leading industry partners like Dell EMC, Domo, Pluralsight, Microsoft, Qualtrics and Vivint Smart Home.

The newest offering from Talent Ready Utah  the Utah Architecture, Engineering and Construction Pathways Program  launched earlier this year to create a pipeline of jobs for the states construction industry. Up and down I-15, new office buildings are being erected, but construction companies are fighting for skilled laborers to complete many of these projects. To address this shortfall, the program encourages students to begin developing valuable trade skills and credentials as early as the eighth grade that they can continue to expand through high school and college.

The burden of training the next generation of workers should not fall just on government programs and our schools. When Stadler Rail expanded its Salt Lake facility, the company promised to not only create 1,000 jobs here in Utah during the next decade, it also launched an apprentice program to help students gain on-the-job training and mentorship during their junior and senior years of high school. If students pursue a college degree, Stadler will pay their wages and reimburse their tuition. This is a model that more businesses in Utah, and across the country, should emulate.

Job training programs like these are important because there is a direct connection between doing well in high school and being able to transition smoothly to postsecondary opportunities or getting a good job when a student graduates. Students acquire the skills necessary for entry-level positions that lead to well-paying careers, increased levels of responsibility and a high degree of personal satisfaction. Being able to learn on the job, get school credit and possibly get paid is a combination that very few students have anywhere else in the country, but students can right here in Utah.

Older workers who are unemployed, underemployed or just looking for a career change can participate in these programs as well. With the U.S. economy shifting further away from one centered around the creation of goods to providing services, many established workers need to have the same opportunities as younger workers to develop new skills and remain employable.

Job-training programs have been a resounding success for the state by keeping some of our best and brightest in Utah after they graduate from high school. More than $15 million in Talent Ready Utah grants have funded 94 projects and created 573 new partnerships, providing work-based training opportunities for 13,000 Utahns during the last decade.

These programs are also critical to fill gaps in the states workforce. Utah's tech industry leads the nation in job growth, but there are 6,000 unfilled jobs in Utahs tech sector alone, according to data from the Department of Workforce Services. Talent Ready Utahs goal is to fill 40,000 new jobs by 2020 to address gaps like this across numerous sectors and underserved areas of the state.

At GOED, its our mission to expand job-training programs beyond the Wasatch Front because apprenticeships can help every corner of the state. The Morgan County School District has been a great partner, extending the programs reach to new schools and students. No student should miss out on an opportunity just because of where they live.

This year, the Department of Workforce Services will allocate $1 million in 2019 Talent Ready Utah grants. I encourage education leaders and trade associations from across the state to apply for a grant because we need partners in every community to achieve our goals and build a workforce for the 21st century. Every student in our state deserves a pathway to a well-paying job right here in Utah, and the only way we can accomplish that is building bridges between students, educators and business.Last year I found myself in need of some family history information for something I was working on. As I started to go through documents and stories, it dawned on me how little I really knew about my family history.

That may seem surprising coming from someone who takes pride in their heritage, but its not unusual. Ancestry.com recently found that roughly a third of Americans cant name all of their grandparents. Off the top of my head, I could name three of mine. Only one of my great-grandparents names came to me immediately when I tried to remember them, and it was only because my own father was named after him.

Confronted by my own lack of familial knowledge, I spent a few hours looking through some old documents and stories that had been written down. I learned a couple things: My great-grandmother was adopted and I had a grandfather somewhere down the line that had been killed by being run over by a train. But the amount I didnt know still far outweighed that which I did.

Family history is a source of identity for a lot of us. Over time, Ive been able to track down and learn more about my dads side of the family, but theres a chasm full of the unknown when it comes to my moms. In a somewhat serendipitous twist of fate, I found myself traveling back to her home country of the Philippines last month, Asian Pacific American Heritage Month.

The oral tradition is especially prevalent in Asian, South Pacific and African countries. This makes it hard to track down documents, many of which have been lost or ruined over time due to extreme weather conditions. I recently learned that my Filipino grandfathers grave was moved sometime in the last few decades, but nobody knows where.

In an effort to preserve the stories of my heritage, I decided to speak with my now 90-year-old Filipino grandmother and record her telling me as much as possible about her life. We sat down one evening and I listened as she unveiled an entire library of stories and information I had never heard before. She told me about her own family growing up, how her mother died due to complications from childbirth and what it was like to be a teenager during World War II with the Japanese taking over their village.

Ive had a lot of experiences that made me feel less than others, experiences that taught me to be ashamed or embarrassed of my background. Recently Ive tried to reclaim a love for the heritage that makes up a large part of who I am. As I listened to my grandma relay the story of her life, I felt a swell of pride. I was so proud to come from such a rich background, and simultaneously humbled by the fact I had never taken the time to care before now.

I dont pretend to speak for the more than 21 million Asian residents (alone or in combination)in the United States, but I know that my story isnt an anomaly, either. Theyre the reason that observances like Asian Pacific American Heritage Month have value and reason to exist. Each of us has a unique background and family history that helps shape who we are, but many have been made to feel ashamed or told to forget where they come from.

Until about a month ago, I wasnt even aware Asian Pacific American Heritage Month existed. Finding out about it almost immediately sent me on a mental, emotional and ultimately physical journey contemplating what that heritage means to me. Im pleased to say that its finally something I see as a strength, not a weakness or black mark.

Everyones heritage is worth remembering and preserving. Some of us just need that reminder more than others.Americans are deeply divided regarding the importance of religious liberty. Democrats refused to include the protections for religious liberty in the Equality Act, which was ironically designed to protect the rights of minorities. Republicans, in turn, profess to support religious liberty, but fail to understand its purpose.

Religious liberty has become fodder for the partisan bickering that dominates America, a nation in great need of a unifying principle. Americans know little about the origins and purpose of religious liberty specifically and the right of conscience generally. The Annenberg Public Policy Center recently found that only 15 percent of adult Americans know that the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects religious liberty.

James Madison, the principal author of the First Amendment, referred to the right of religious conscience as our most sacred property or soul, a natural right given to every human being by a loving creator. He added that it is the duty which we owe to our Creator. According to the Pew Forum more than 75 percent of Americans are religiously affiliated and over 90 percent are religious, with fewer than 10 percent identifying as non-religious.

The Oxford Dictionary also defines soul as the spiritual ... part of a human being and as the emotional or intellectual energy or intensity. Black American culture or ethnic pride is included as an example of the broader definition of the soul.

It is surprising that a decreasing number of Americans are genuinely committed to protecting the soul. Indeed, an express premise of the Equality Act is the belief that religious liberty undermines national progress toward equal treatment regardless of sex, sexual orientation or gender identity.

Even Justice Scalia, a conservative icon, authored the majority opinion in Employment Division of Oregon v. Smith, which did more to limit religious liberty than any other recent Supreme Court decision. He wrote, The mere possession of religious convictions which contradict the relevant concerns of a political society does not relieve the citizen from the discharge of political responsibilities. For Scalia and a growing number of Americans the discharge of political responsibilities, imposed by transient majorities, is more important than ones soul or duty to God.

Religious exercise, the duties prescribed by God, is often viewed as being divisive rather than unifying, even though 3 out of 4 Americans continue to self-identify as religious. Many Americans clearly fail to understand the value of the right of conscience.

Madison was vexed by the tyranny of the majority whenever it directly or indirectly regulated the right of religious conscience. He understood that no just government would take a persons soul, except when the interests of the state were manifestly endangered.

Madison makes the case in two ways. He argues that religious liberty is our most sacred property. Virtually all Americans believe government must justly compensate a person for the taking of property, even if that property is taken for some public good. Government, however, cannot compensate an individual for the taking of her soul. Madison believed everyone has a soul, whether they recognize it or not. It is a shared value of the most intimate kind, placing it largely beyond the reach of government power.

Madison also argued that every right protected by the First Amendment  the freedom of the speech, the freedom of the press, the right of assembly (association), and the right to petition ones government  was designed to protect the soul as well as matters of emotional or intellectual energy or intensity, including ones racial or sexual identity. Madison understood what most contemporary Americans do not  that the First Amendment is designed as a means of exercising ones conscience. The environmentalist, for example, uses his or her intellectual ... intensity to support environmental causes by exercising some or all of rights secured in the First Amendment. LGBTQ advocates also rightfully employ the First Amendment rights to further their interests. The same is true of every minority group.

We all share equally in the right of conscience, in one form or another. To limit any of those rights, particularly the preeminent right of religious conscience, threatens the exercise of every other right, leaving every individual and minority in jeopardy, at the mercy of a transient majority. That should vex every American, as it did Madison.

The liberty of conscience, as Madison understood it, ought to remain the great unifying American principle, because every minority depends on it. To take such liberty is to take ones soul, her most intimate and sacred property. If we fail to protect the right of religious conscience and conscience generally, we threaten to deprive all Americans of the very liberties that ought to unite us.SALT LAKE CITY  If youre at Star Wars: Galaxys Edge looking for a lightsaber, dont announce it to the world. The First Order might hear you.

Chris Plante wrote for Polygon that Savis Workshop, a location where guests can build custom lightsabers, is incredibly well-hidden. In-character cast members quietly led Plante to the shop, which resembles a little junk shop with a blue banner. Inside, a shop employee, or a Gatherer, chastised Plante for asking for a lightsaber, instead recommending he purchase some junk parts.

Scrap. We deal in scrap. Perhaps we have the sort of scrap youre looking for, the employee said.

The secrecy and difficulty finding the shop all seem to be part of the elaborate roleplaying directive cast members and guests are encouraged to follow. On Disneylands website, guests are encouraged to keep quiet to avoid being discovered by the First Order!

But if youre able to keep a secret, the lightsaber workshop can be a unique  if expensive  thematic experience.

A video from the Los Angeles Times posted on YouTube shows the full process of building a lightsaber. Guests start by picking their scrap, which determines your lightsaber style.

According to the parks website, four lightsaber archetypes are available:

Peace and justice : Utilize salvaged scraps of fallen Jedi temples and crashed starships in Republic-era lightsaber designs that honor the galaxys former guardians.

: Utilize salvaged scraps of fallen Jedi temples and crashed starships in Republic-era lightsaber designs that honor the galaxys former guardians. Power and control : Originally forged by warriors from the dark side, objects used in this lightsaber style are rumored to be remnants from the Sith homeworld and abandoned temples.

: Originally forged by warriors from the dark side, objects used in this lightsaber style are rumored to be remnants from the Sith homeworld and abandoned temples. Elemental nature : Craft your lightsaber from special components born from the Force  an energy created by all living things, like Brylark trees, Cartusion whale bones and even Rancor teeth.

: Craft your lightsaber from special components born from the Force  an energy created by all living things, like Brylark trees, Cartusion whale bones and even Rancor teeth. Protection and defense: Incorporate hilt materials bearing mysterious motifs and inscriptions that reconnect users with the ancient wellspring of the Force.

Youre then led to a workshop housing a circular table, where you select a green, blue, red or purple Kyber crystal (which determines the color your blade takes) and hilt, sleeve, switches, emitters and pommels, all of which have a hefty, premium feel, according to Plante.

After constructing the lightsaber, guests screw the hilt into an opening in their construction table. In the abovevideo, guests wait in reverence while their completed, ignited lightsaber is revealed. From there, Plante noted padded carrying cases were passed out  for the better, considering each premium, customized lightsaber costs $200.

And theres the rub  while the price isnt unexpected, its worth noting that guests are expected to pay for their lightsaber up front, which means guests with larger families or less cash flow may never get to experience the 20-minute blade-building ceremony.

Either way, it seems like the reception for the attraction is relatively positive. CinemaBlend notes that the experience was a highlight, but isnt for everybody. Io9 calls the experience downright spiritual and allows for one guest per builder, but warns that the limited capacity could lead to long wait times.

For visitors who might not be able to afford a custom lightsaber, Dok-Ondars Den of Antiquities offers blades modeled after lightsabers from the Star Wars movies for $110, according to AllEars.net.

The shop also carries $13 Kyber crystals (including yellow and white) that can be placed into custom lightsabers. Finally, force-sensitive holocrons aligned with either the Sith or Jedi cost $50 and can hold Kyber crystals, each of which will reveal a message from a "Star Wars" character.WASHINGTON  Despite pushback from U.S. business, Mexico and Capitol Hill, President Donald Trump is doubling down on his threat to slap a 5% tariff on Mexican imports unless America's 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."

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.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo spoke with his Mexican counterpart via telephone Friday, said State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus, who's traveling with Pompeo in Bern, Switzerland. Ortagus said the department doesn't comment on details of diplomatic conversations.

"We maintain an ongoing dialogue and close cooperation with Mexico on a wide range of issues, including border security efforts," she said. "The United States and Mexico recognize that managing our shared border is a challenge common to both countries."

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 Friday. "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.

"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 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.

"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 Trump's 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 Trump's actions.

Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn supports the president's 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 administration's 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 president's 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, I'm afraid progress to get this trade agreement across the finish line will be stifled," she said.

___

Associated Press writers Lisa Mascaro, Kevin Freking and Paul Wiseman in Washington and Maria Verza in Mexico City contributed to this report.SALT LAKE CITY  Between 2005 and 2014, nearly 26 percent of pregnancy-associated deaths were drug-induced, making opioid abuse the leading cause of death in new Utah moms and pregnant women, according to a University of Utah Health study published this month.

Researchers found that the postpartum period is "critical" time for women with substance abuse problems.

Most women are able to stop using substances during their pregnancy, but in that postpartum period there's a perfect storm of (relapse), said Marcela Smid, lead author of the study and assistant professor of maternal-fetal medicine at University of Utah Health.

That perfect storm of issues can include the struggle of having a newborn, partner-relationship strain, postpartum depression, sleep deprivation, loss of insurance providers or substance abuse treatment, Smid said.

Pregnancy-associated deaths are defined as the death of a woman during pregnancy or within one year from the end of the pregnancy, according to the study in the medical journal Obstetrics & Gynecology. The majority of drug-induced deaths were attributed to opioids, prescription opioids or misuse of multiple substances. Half the women in the study were known to have misused drugs, it noted.

The study found that the number of drug-induced deaths equal those from other leading causes like thromboembolic disease and car accidents combined. Eighty-nine percent of those deaths occurred during the postpartum period, with most in the late postpartum period  the time period between 43 days and a year after the end of the pregnancy.

Out of the all the drug-induced deaths, over half were accidental, 26 percent were intentional and 20 percent could not be determined. Smid said 9 percent of women had multiple substances in their system.

Pregnant Utah women insured by Medicaid also face "the highest rate of any state in the nation," as 42 percent are prescribed opioids, according to information cited in the study.

"The most common reasons for opioid prescriptions during pregnancy are back pain, abdominal pain, headache or migraine, joint pain or other pain diagnosis," the study states.

Fewer than half of the women received social work consultation or mental health services, despite most of them having a mental health condition or the fact that 1 in 5 of the women had a prior suicide attempt.

"No woman was documented as having been screened for drug use with a validated screening tool during prenatal, delivery or postpartum care," the study stated.

According to the study, none of them received pharmacotherapy for their opioid use disorder.

Every provider needs to be screening all of their patients and not assuming they know what their patients are doing based on how they look, how much money they have or where they live, Smid said.

It was also found that drug-induced deaths were irrespective of age, race, educational level, geographic location or number of prenatal visits.

"It speaks to the fact that we dont have an epidemic, we have a pandemic," said Smid. "Its not poor people, middle class, rich people  it's all people."

Its not poor people, middle class, rich people  it's all people.  Marcela Smid, assistant professor of maternal-fetal medicine at University of Utah Health

Jasmin Charles, clinical director of the Substance Use in Pregnancy Recovery Addiction Dependence Clinic at the University of Utah, said people wrongly assume a person with a substance abuse disorder comes from a lower-income class.

"It is an epidemic that affects every single walk of life. It's not related to race, or socioeconomic status. It affects everyone," Charles said.

Smid emphasized that substance abuse in pregnancy is a medical issue, but has historically been miscategorized as a social or criminal one.

Charles mirrored Smids statements on how substance abuse should be treated like a medical condition.

It's a chronic disease, it's similar to diabetes or having high blood pressure, Charles said. It changes your brain.

Charles, who opened the specialty prenatal clinic along with Smid, its medical director, said the idea of the clinic stemmed from seeing a need to manage the treatment of women with substance use disorders or dependency.

Charles said it takes a multidisciplinary team to provide great care and the clinic provides maternal-fetal medicine services, peer support, social workers and addiction consultants.

She said it's common to see women who are self-referrals visit the clinic for the first time, to handfuls of others who have been in treatment programs and referrals from the Salt Lake County Jail.

Christina Choate, Project ECHO senior program coordinator, is looking to spread awareness about substance abuse disorders to primary care providers, mental health professionals and clinicians in Utah.

Project ECHO is a free service that connects community health providers with University of Utah health specialists through interactive video conferencing technology and provides accessibility to health providers seeking to learn about specialty medicine.

This is free for community providers and easily accessible so that we can meet them where they are, Choate said. She said the sessions are collaborative and everyone who joins the call has a voice.

Choate said the Opioid, Addiction and Pain Echo is one of seven branches under the Project Echo umbrella. It was created as a spinoff of the projects Behavioral Health Echo after it was decided that addiction medicine deserved its own branch due to the amount of discussion and questions the topic prompted. Questions the health community had about substance use disorder went beyond the nine weeks originally allotted and its own branch was created last summer.

Now, the program is a series that lasts a year, with two sessions occurring monthly that last an hour each. Its goal is to help providers manage patients with chronic pain and substance abuse issues.

We wanted to tackle substance use disorders and also pain management and how the two intersect, Choate said.

Choate said opioid use in pregnant women and new moms has been a topic of discussion the last two years in Project Echo and has been discussed in the pregnancy care, behavioral health and opioid, addiction and pain management branches.

Smid said women might be reluctant to seek help due to the lack of accessibility to get treatment, the stigma associated with substance abuse or fear of the consequences from the Division of Child and Family Services.

"None of the women in our study were actually in treatment or were receiving medications, which is shown to improve outcomes," said Smid.

Smid said the best outcomes are associated with mothers getting treated for their addiction. She recommends that women looking for treatment talk to their doctors to to find a treatment program.SALT LAKE CITY  The Utah Department of Health is hoping to understand more about why so many people are dying from opioid-related overdoses in Utah.

To do that, a team of professionals is studying overdose deaths one at a time  looking at toxicology reports, which pills were found near the individual who overdosed when they died; and whether they were incarcerated or experienced a dry period before their death.

The important thing is that these deaths aren't viewed as data points, but as people, said Joey Thurgood, opioid fatality review coordinator with the Utah Department of Health.

"Thorough review of opioid-related deaths informs prevention efforts statewide," she said, adding that knowing the circumstances surrounding specific opioid-related overdose deaths can help prevent future similar fatalities.

Thurgood is part of the Utah Opioid Overdose Fatality Review Committee, formed by the Utah Department of Health's Violence and Injury Prevention Program in 2018 to find ways to improve the current system and possibly keep more people from dying preventable deaths.

Since its inception, the committee has reviewed 58 opioid overdose deaths and has generated more than 50 recommendations for prevention.

The committee has released a series of reports and has identified what it calls "hot spots" where there is an increased incidence of overdose-related deaths in certain areas of the state. It found that a higher concentration of these deaths occur in Carbon and Emery counties, as well as in downtown Ogden.

The majority (94 percent) of overdose-related deaths in southeastern Utah between 2014 and 2016 resulted from prescription opioids; and 6 percent were due to heroin.

In Ogden, 58 percent of the overdose deaths studied were because of prescription opioids, 32 percent resulted from heroin and 10 percent involved both, according to one report.

The review committee also found that an increasing number of people who overdose are also taking gabapentin, a differently classed drug that is believed to be a "safe alternative to opioids," according to the committee. When taken together with pain pills, anxiety medication or muscle relaxants, the effects of gabapentin can be fatal.

"The greatest threat of gabapentin occurs when used with an opioid, because both drugs have been identified and shown to suppress breathing, which can be fatal," another report states. "If gabapentin is taken with an opioid there is a 49 percent higher risk of dying."

Another common precursor to opioid-related overdose deaths, the committee found, was whether the decedent was recently released from an institution, correctional facility, or a mental health care facility, where they might have experienced a period of abstinence from opioids, when their body's tolerance to the drug is lowered.

The committee recommends increased education for anyone who works with people who have substance abuse disorders, as well as physicians who are qualified to dispense methadone and other medications that can help to wean people from opioid dependency. It also points increased understanding of Utah's Good Samaritan Law, which removes the penalty for someone associated with a potential overdose death if they call for help.

Other recommendations from the committee include better monitoring of prescription opioids, as well as more prescriptions for naloxone, which can reverse the effects of a potential overdose if taken in time.

The committee also thinks policymakers should seek for more funding to offer help to families, to provide for increased numbers of interventions and to expand crisis services throughout the state.

It will continue to study overdose deaths in Utah, looking specifically at how veterans are impacted next.SALT LAKE CITY  It was the day before Mother's Day when Deseret News reporter Gillian Friedman arrived at the Pullman, Washington, home of Jill and Matt McCluskey, the parents of University of Utah track star Lauren McCluskey, who died last year at the hands of her former boyfriend.

"Track star" was just one identifier of Lauren, albeit a big part, as evidenced by her childhood home that retains the ribbons, medals and pictures associated with coming first across a finish line. Our reporter was here as an invited guest, having worked over weeks with the family to learn more about Lauren and the events that led up to her tragic death.

The facts of the story have been chronicled in the Deseret News, including challenges to the police department's response. What wasn't really understood was how could this happen? Why did this happen? And from that, can we build understanding to prevent it from happening again?

To truly understand and get the answers to those questions one needs to know Lauren, and through the graciousness of her family and from days and weeks poring over police records, timelines and the failures that led to her death, new understanding is revealed in the profile of Lauren's life and the circumstances of her death.

"I was sincerely interested in understanding who Lauren was, not just as the victim of a terrible tragedy  reduced to a murder victim but as a whole person," said Gillian, as we discussed the story in the newsroom this week and the public's reaction to it.

"By understanding who Lauren really was we could show the world what was truly lost when she was murdered and why it was so significant that she reached out so many times for help and didn't get it."

That's the answer to the question why we write about such crimes. There is a journalistic watchdog role, challenging the failures of the police department and the university. But such stories often land in processes and procedures. That's important, but there is a bigger question to unravel: Why isn't the word of a woman taken seriously? #MeToo was born from frustration about imbalance of power, and from the reality that victims' complaints and concerns go unheard. And in that reality, fear prevents women from coming forward.

Lauren's story is another sad chapter and there are subtleties in the story that reveal so much. Some have (wrongly) accused her of "risky" behavior. But she behaved like most 21-year-olds: meeting a person who showed interest in her, giving him her number and seeing him.

When she learned he wasn't who he said he was, she tried to extricate herself from the relationship. But her boyfriend manipulated her and abused her. Lauren's lack of experience with dating perhaps got her into the relationship. Yet she was strong enough to try and get out. Police and the university and the lack of urgency in their response to her contributed to this terrible outcome.

Five years ago both the state of Utah and Salt Lake City came under fire for their backlog of hundreds and hundreds of rape kits. The state is still working on its backlog. Salt Lake City completed processing its 10-year backlog of 768 kits last summer, according to a reportby Deseret News reporter Katie McKellar.

It took public disclosure and acts by both entities to work on the problem. That dealt with process and procedure  more money and more staff were needed. But the real problem wasn't money or staff. It was a lack of respect for the victims of these crimes. Why such a low priority for helping women?

As our reporter wrote May 7, quoting a report on the issue: "New policies and training aimed at changing police response to focus on the victim was a needed change to our response to sexual assault victims."

One reader emailed me this week discouraged at the front pages of the Deseret News. She wrote:

I am a longtime reader of the paper.

I am also fed up with the long-term reporting of horrible crimes in the Deseret News. Lauren McCluskey, Susan Powell, how long are you going to keep throwing these horrific stories in our faces?

I sympathize with the difficulty reading about tragic stories. The day before our story appeared in print detailing the life and circumstances of Lauren's death, we wrote about the horrifying death of 5-year-old Elizabeth "Lizzy" Shelley, who had been missing for days in Logan. The arrest of her uncle led to the discovery of her body.

It's as difficult for our reporters to report on as it is for readers to read. The layout artist in our newsroom who put Page 1 together this week was in tears as she expressed hope that such a death of a child will stop happening.

Lauren's story has an equally strong effect on our staff. But there is a greater good in trying to find lessons and be better people.

"I don't think her story has any lessons to share about how to be more careful.  I think it has everything to do with the fact that Lauren is very much like yourself or many many people you know," Gillian said.

"We live in a society where women who are trying to protect themselves and do everything right to escape are still ignored and still dismissed."

That day in Washington as Gillian sat with Lauren's parents at their dining room table, she asked about the proximity of Mother's Day and the tender feelings it must generate. Lauren's mother's response was telling and concluded Gillian's article on their beautiful daughter:

I think I miss her every day, Jill McCluskey says. So I dont know that Mother's Day is much different.Birthday wishes

Call 281-422-8302 or email david.bloom@baytownsun.com to wish someone a happy birthday. We will print your birthday wish on Page 2 of The Sun.

Happy Birthday WishesPhoto: Wayne Emde

A large crowd of dignitaries, family members, and regimental friends watched Saturday as Lt.-Col. Mike McGinty turned over command of the B.C. Dragoons to Lt.-Col. Kevin Mead at Vernon Military Camp.

McGinty served as commanding officer of the regiment for three and a half years and is currently the lead liaison for domestic operations in British Columbia as the territorial battalion group commanding officer for 39 Canadian Brigade Group.

Mead joined the Dragoons as regimental operations major in May 2015 and has since served as the G5 collective training officer for 39 Brigade Group headquarters as exercise planner and regimental second-in-command.

The change of command parade on Sicily Parade Square was presided over by Col. Paul Ursich, commanding officer of 39 Brigade Group.WASHINGTON  Exasperated by reports of a flood of illegal border crossings, President Donald Trump summoned his top immigration advisers to demand action. Responding to his mounting concern, including his extreme threats to entirely close the U.S.-Mexico border, they prepared an alternative but still-inflammatory plan to levy escalating tariffs on all Mexican imports to the United States.

Thursday night's surprise announcement of the plan by Trump, threatening to upend ratification chances for his own revised North American free trade pact, demonstrated the lengths to which the risk-taking president is willing to go to crack down on illegal immigration, even in the face of bipartisan criticism, legal challenges and polarized public feelings.

He's setting the tricky politics of immigration and trade  the two issues that defined his candidacy and bedevil his presidency  on a collision course and injecting new tensions into his relations with political allies as he struggles to show results in his campaign for a second term.

"Mexico has taken advantage of the United States for decades," Trump declared anew in a tweet on Friday. That was the morning after he announced the 5% tariff would kick in on June 10  and increase monthly to 25% "until the Illegal Immigration problem is remedied."

"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!" he said.

Debate over solutions aside, indicators at the border have indeed been getting worse. For May, officials said Thursday, apprehensions are expected to hit their highest level in more than a dozen years and "significantly surpass the record 109,000 in April," said acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan.

On Wednesday, a group of 1,036  including families and unaccompanied children  was appended after crossing from Juarez. That was the largest group ever apprehended at the border.

Nonetheless, Trump's tariff prescription for the problem was instantly panned across the political spectrum . Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, a usual Trump ally and the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, said it was a "misuse of presidential tariff authority" that would burden American consumers and "seriously jeopardize passage" of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada pact to modify the North American Free Trade Agreement.

"Imposing tariffs on goods from Mexico is exactly the wrong move," said Neil Bradley, executive vice president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce , the establishment lobbying giant that now is exploring legal action to block 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," Bradley said, imploring Congress and the president to work together to address border problems.

To both allies and critics, the tariff escalation marks the latest manifestation of Trump's increasing reliance on instinct and his aides' increasing unwillingness or inability to constrain an impulsive leader. Many of the people who had once talked Trump out of going through with his most radical ideas, such as completely shutting down the southern border or renewing the controversial immigrant child separation policy, have been pushed out of the administration, including former Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen.

The tariff announcement was made with a striking amount of secrecy for the leak-prone Trump administration, with barely two dozen officials in the West Wing aware of what was to transpire. Trade Representative Bob Lighthizer and other officials with trade portfolios were not included in the final discussions Thursday and privately expressed opposition to the move, according to three people familiar with the matter who spoke only on the condition of anonymity.

Trump is mindful that many of his efforts to clamp down on illegal immigration have been stymied by courts or Congress, and that his promise to build a border wall will be far from fulfilled by the time voters decide his political fate next year. With his campaign depending on even more of his hard-core supporters turning out in 2020 than in 2016, Trump's team is worried that the spike in crossings could prove to be a political headache with his base.

But in aiming for progress on that front, Trump is now throwing into the wager another campaign promise: approval of his renegotiated North American trade pact.

Sandwiched between two presidential foreign trips, and with senior adviser and Mexico liaison Jared Kushner out of the country, the tariff announcement caught many in the White House and on Capitol Hill unawares. Press secretary Sarah Sanders insisted that the White House had briefed key lawmakers and allies on the plan before it was announced, though some complained they found out only at the last moment, with no time to provide feedback.

While the announcement was a surprise, Trump's ire over a sharp increase in southern border crossings and his demand for increasingly drastic action were not. Trump attorneys, including White House Counsel Pat Cipollone, had been studying how to fulfill the president's wish for weeks and settled on the tariff plan as a more legally-sound move than Trump's push to close the border.

White House officials assert that the tariff announcement was a negotiating tool, designed to get Mexico to act. And, perhaps seeking to calm anxious markets, they suggest the taxes might never take effect.

"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.

Asked what Mexico can do to avoid the levies, press secretary Sanders said a good start would be for Mexico to send home Central American migrants crossing through their country to get into the United States.

"They can return them back home," she said. "They can stop these massive caravans from coming through their country into ours. That would be a very big first step."SALT LAKE CITY  Downtown Salt Lake City donned its rainbow colors Sunday for the 44th annual Utah Pride Parade.

Tens of thousands turned out for the event that celebrates love and unity between the LGBTQ community and supporters.

"It's Pride.  We have to come out. This is our day to celebrate who we are and just celebrate being accepted more and more in Utah," Larry Herndon said while watching the parade go by.

"This is kind of our day, our weekend. We're here, you know, and we're quiet for 363 days," Ross Owen added. "This is our tribe."

He said one of the things that meant the most was seeing all the support of the straight community show up as well.

The diverse crowd included all ages and orientations, many of those both in the parade and watching it sporting rainbow attire, costumes and carrying balloons. Police officers passed out rainbow stickers along the long line of viewers spanning 200 South.

I feel a lot of love toward the LGBT community. My daughter is gay, and I think that we just need to love more and show more compassion and respect and I just want to be a small part. I want to be a small part of that effort.  Rob Page, who marched with the group Mormons Building Bridges

Matt Difrancesca, who attended with his family, said, "This is the first of many years of raising our child to learn to love everybody, and to be loved by everybody. In this political climate, I think it's the most important thing."

He said his family plans on returning to the parade "year after year after year."

Dozens of companies and organizations marched in the parade, representing a variety of backgrounds. Marchers showed off an array of costumes, from ballgowns to "Star Wars" apparel. Each group was met with excited cheers and waves.

Many viewers expressed that they were there to support their LGBTQ friends and family members.

"My friend is bisexual and we do have two gay besties, so we're here just to support them," said Jasmine Lorocca, who was there with a group of friends.

Among the same group, Riley Kroening, who was there with Everett Hyde, said he feels welcome in Utah.

"It's quite an accepting area to my knowledge. I mean, sometimes when we're out in public we find some dirty looks and stuff like that. But other than that, it's nothing really that I know of."

Hyde explained, "Since it's such  an LDS population here, it's kind of like hard to come out. But honestly, since I did, it's been awesome. Everyone's been so accepting of it."

Others also explained that they feel Utah has generally become more accepting in recent years.

"The parade was great," said Morgan Lim, a marcher with the Utah AIDS Foundation. "It was so nice to see such a good reception from everyone. This year I was our little parade marshal thing, so I was in the front.  I could just feel the energy from everyone, and it was really nice."

That supportive turnout "means a lot. It means that we have the community here that is celebrating us, and celebrating LGBT existence and everything that that entails.  It was so evident that our presence was appreciated, and so I really like that," Lim said.

He called it "providence" that Sunday provided beautiful weather for the marchers and paradegoers.

Andy Anderson, a marcher with the Rebel Legion, a "Star Wars" charity group, explained why he's returned to the parade for years. "It's a community of people coming together to celebrate everybody's individual uniqueness  and yet their willingness to come together and support one another," he said.

For the Bonella family, it's a chance to celebrate unity.

"We wanted to show off that we are allies for these groups. I'm a social worker and professor with Weber State, and I wanted to show off our involvement and support," Barrett Bonella said. "I think the best part of it is how it celebrates love in general and the importance that has in the community."

"The importance of acceptance," his wife, Giovanna Bonella, added. They brought their three kids.

"On top of that, I think it brings the community together in a way that is kind of out of the norm, but still provides kind of a sense of meeting that need, meeting the need that we have for community," Barrett Bonella said.

Spencer Calloway, who also attended with his family, said, "I'm from Seattle, and I walked in the parade up there every year." In Salt Lake's parade, there were "a lot more people than I thought," he said.

Among the parade's thousands of marchers, many held signs indicating they were there to support a gay child.

For the Indish family, that chance to see others' support makes a difference.

"Well, I'm nonbinary, my (brother) is trans and pan. It's just for Pride, it's so wonderful to see so many people being themselves. And haters are gonna hate, but we're just gonna keep loving each other. We all love each other, everyone's so nice," Kit Indish explained.

Indishs father, Jason Indish, is part of Dragon Dads, an organization for fathers with LGBT children. "This Pride actually shows them that, hey, there's people here that are accepting of who you are instead of, like, you're a bad person," he said. "So this is something for them to feel that positivity and see that not everything is as ugly as it seems."

Seeing the parade grow within the past four years the family has attended helps him understand that "there are more people that are becoming more accepting," Indish said.

Rob Page, who marched with the group Mormons Building Bridges, also said he was there for his daughter.

"I feel a lot of love toward the LGBT community. My daughter is gay, and I think that we just need to love more and show more compassion and respect and I just want to be a small part. I want to be a small part of that effort," Page said.SALT LAKE CITY  Mike Styler is a farm boy and a diplomat, a manager and coalition builder whose quiet humility is a common thread in all he does.

"That soft-spoken demeanor is what lured many people to work for him, to work with him over the years," said Sterling Brown, vice president of public policy for the Utah Farm Bureau.

"He is humble, and that endeared folks to work for him, and with him for a common cause."

Styler retired Friday as executive director of the Utah Department of Natural Resources after more than 14 years at the helm of an agency with 1,300-plus employees and seven divisions that include wildlife, water rights, state parks, forestry and fire, oil, gas and mining, and the geological survey.

He leaves as the longest-serving director in a post he said he never wanted, but now concedes if he could envision a dream job, this would have been it.

"We deal with all the issues that people are really passionate about. Even if they are angry, they're angry because they're passionate," said Styler, 66.

Pick the fight.

Over the years, Styler's mucked through such flashpoints as wolves, the Lake Powell Pipeline, the greater sage grouse, wild horses, the Bear Lake Development, wildfire management, groundwater pumping in the Snake Valley, the Utah prairie dog and one of the most contentious and complicated brawls  management of water resources in the nation's second-driest state.

Styler, who grew up on land that his grandfather established as a farm in 1907 in a little patch of ground called Oasis, Millard County  population about 100  was a schoolteacher, county commissioner for eight years and Utah lawmaker for 12 years.

It was while he was in the Utah Legislature that then-Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. approached Styler, asking if he would serve as head of the Utah Department of Natural Resources.

Styler told him no because he didn't want to trade in his life on the farm for life in Utah's capital city.

Time passed and Huntsman asked Styler a second time to take the position. Styler refused again.

"I loved teaching school. I enjoyed being in the Legislature. I just was very comfortable with that. It allowed me to have summers off so I could farm, and I thought I was in the perfect situation," he said.

The third time, Huntsman didn't ask Styler, but told the lawmaker he was taking the position.

"When he just insisted, I said, 'Yes sir," Styler recalled. "You don't turn down a forceful leader like Gov. Huntsman.  I told my wife, 'I think we are going to take this job.'"

Efforts to interview Huntsman  now U.S. ambassador to Russia  were not successful but he did praise Styler in a voice mail message.

"Mike is one of my favorite human beings and someone who is probably the best Department of Natural Resources directors in recent history," he said.

"Mike deserves all the credit in the world for what he has done on land and water, two of the most important issues the state faces, certainly in its past, and faces going forward."

Under his watch, the department launched the Watershed Restoration Initiative, a collaborative effort with multiple partners, including federal agencies that since 2006 restored 1.6 million acres through nearly 2,000 projects.

One of those partners is the Bureau of Land Management, whose Utah director Ed Roberson praised Styler's vision on resource management.

"He is a problem-solver who brings diverse groups together to develop practical solutions to complex natural resource issues," Roberson said. "A shining example of this is Utahs watershed restoration initiative. Mike has led this initiative from infancy to a premier program that is highly respected by states across the West.

Styler's parks division also weathered a 79 percent cut in general fund appropriations over a five-year period that could have led to closures of some of the 44 parks or other crippling action.

Instead, he and then-state parks Director Fred Hayes regrouped and developed a business plan to make the parks self-sustaining and succeeded in a few short years.

"Fred took that challenge and parlayed into changing the culture at state parks," Styler said. "Fred caught the vision."

Styler, when he spoke of Hayes, paused for a moment, tearing up.

The popular, affable parks director died suddenly March 2, 2018, at his home. Starvation State Park was renamed in his honor this year.

Styler's ascent to head caretaker of the state's natural resources meant delegating most of his farming responsibilities to family members and purchasing a condominium to spend most of his time in Salt Lake City with his wife, LuAnn.

Brown noted that leaving farming, even if a person knows it is temporary, is often tough.

"He (Styler) comes from agriculture as a boy and as an adult. His boots are dirty. He understands the mentality of a rancher and farmer, yet he is a polished diplomat," Brown said.

It is Styler's ability to bring people together and forge solutions on tough issues that a diversity of people he's worked with over the years say will be his legacy.

When he began leading the agency, its seven divisions operated quite independently and at times at odds with each other, he said.

It was Styler's task to break up the tribalism and set them on the course of commonality.

He also noticed problems within the Division of Oil, Gas and Mining that he knew needed correcting, so he asked for a legislative performance audit, stunning that office because few bureaucrats ask for such scrutiny.

Styler was publicly called out by the Utah Rivers Council and is repeatedly accused of being a water lobbyist for his support of two controversial water development projects mandated by the Utah Legislature  the Lake Powell Pipeline and the Bear Lake Development project.

Both multimillion-dollar projects are state-sponsored water infrastructure developments eyeing future water needs.

His agency's divisions were also soundly criticized for water resource management, particularly how they tracked water reporting from individual water companies. Reforms and stronger reporting requirements have since been implemented.

Styler said he knew parts of the system lacked sophistication and needed better oversight, with some tooth in the regulations to force better reporting. And since he's been at natural resources, there's been 90 fixes to Utah's water laws, and the department is taking on the massive task of adjudicating water rights  figuring out who owns what water where and if it is being used.

It is in this complicated arena of water that people who know Styler say he's made the most impact  an impact that is akin to a tsunami when it comes to changing Utah water law.

During the 2018 summer interim, he oversaw a task force and four subcommittees of dozens of policymakers, attorneys, water managers, state division leaders, advocates and others trying to arrive on compromise on surplus water contracts, a city's control of water outside its boundaries, private property rights as they relate to water and amending a 127-year-old water law.

"It was like the Hatfields and McCoys," Styler said, referencing the famous feuding family from the 1800s and some of disagreements among subcommittee members.

Paulina Flint, mayor of the White City metro township and chairwoman of the White City Improvement District, was on one of those committees.

"He tried very hard to bring a win for all the water users," she said.

In particular, she praised Styler and Rep. Kim Coleman, R-West Jordan, for successfully eking out a compromise on the requirement that cities declare their service area and provide maps.

"They accomplished what we have been trying to do for 28 years in one year's time," she said. "That will be a legacy way into the future."

Laura Briefer, director of Salt Lake City's Department of Public Utilities, has worked closely with Styler over the years.

Salt Lake City, she added, was targeted by some of the 2018 Legislature measures due to its management of its watershed and water supply, which some critics say is excessive.

"Mike came in pretty open-minded," she said, adding even though there may have been areas of disagreement, conversations continued.

"Because of his civility it never escalated and we were able to work our way through it," she said. "I have been impressed with his civility and integrity."

Ted Wilson, former Salt Lake City mayor and former environmental adviser to Utah Gov. Gary Herbert, also had areas of disagreement with Styler.

Wilson says he's not a "pipeline" guy, but he praised him for having a "workable core."

The two back go back more than 30 years to the late 1980s when Wilson was director of the Hinckley Institute of Politics and Styler was a young schoolteacher taking a refresher course on constitutional government.

A bunch of the teachers and Wilson went to the Navajo reservation on a field trip, but Wilson warned them all to be careful because of an outbreak of hantavirus, which can cause life-threatening breathing problems.

Wilson had to leave for a while and when he returned he was stunned.

"Mike had these teachers sweeping out a dusty garage because he felt sorry for this woman. He has this tender disposition and people appreciate that in him. And no one got the virus."

Wilson, too, lauded Styler for his work on water law reform over 2018.

"The guy is a real able guy when it comes to solving difficulties, so I give Mike an A and I think I even gave Mike an A in the class, even though he almost killed us with the hantavirus."

On Friday, Styler was cleaning out his desk, preparing to close out a long and varied government career.

He was wistful to leave the job he never wanted.

"I have been sad for a month," he said. "But this summer I will be farming."Apple to shut down iTunes for good, launch dedicated media apps: Report

Apple is about to sunset one of its most popular and long-standing media software products to make way for new dedicated media apps, reads a recent Bloomberg report. It refers no doubt to Apple iTunes, a media library and player that has been around for nearly two decades, allowing users to purchase, manage, and play multimedia files on their Macs and Windows PCs. The official news of its closing is expected to come tomorrow at Apple's WWDC 2019 event.

This year, Apple is finally ready to move into a new era. The company is launching a trio of new apps for the Mac  Music, TV, and Podcasts  to replace iTunes. That matches Apples media app strategy on iPhones and iPads. Without iTunes, customers can manage their Apple gadgets through the Music app, writes Bloomberg in its Apple WWDC prediction report. The Apple TV app was recently made available in India on iOS 12.3, MacOS 10.14.5, and watchOS 5.2.1.

While Apple Music patrons can currently listen to music and internet radio on the Apple Music app on their iOS and Android devices, they still have to use iTunes to do the same on their Macs and Windows PCs. Unlike Spotify and Amazon Prime Music, Apple Music cannot be accessed through a website. But the upcoming dedicated app could change this. We will know more about Apple's plans for Apple Music tomorrow.

iTunes was launched for macOS in early 2001, followed by a Windows version in 2003. Every iPod model that does not support Apple Music natively (i.e., every iPod except the iPod Touch line-up) is, to this day, dependent on iTunes for media management. iTunes allows a user to transfer songs, videos, photos, and other data to their iPods and even iPhones. Apple has yet to announce how users will be able to manage media on their iPods after it pulls the shutter on iTunes.Nokia 6.2 with 46MP camera could be announced on Thursday

After bringing the Nokia 4.2 and Nokia 3.2 to the Indian smartphone market earlier this year, Nokia brand owner HMD Global Oy seems poised to launch the Nokia 6.2. The Finnish smartphone maker posted a teaser video on Twitter yesterday in which only the curved edge of a glossy smartphone is seen. The detail it reveals is the presence of a 3.5mm jack. #GetAhead with a sleek design & customizability. Stay tuned! wrote Nokia, in the tweet's caption. Nokia also suggested that more information would be revealed to the public on June 6.

In all probability HMD Global Oy is preparing to launch the Nokia 6.2, a mid-range smartphone known in other markets as the Nokia X71. The phone was first announced in Taiwan in early April with three cameras on the back panel, one of which was a 48-megapixel sensor. According to an online tipster, the Nokia 6.2 is expected to cost approximately Rs 20,150 at the time of launch. Since it's not confirmed by Nokia, we suggest you view that figure with the difference of a couple of thousands here or there.

The Nokia 6.2 is expected to be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 chipset with an octa-core processor and 6GB of RAM. The phone should run Android 9 Pie out of the box and receive regular software updates for up to two years after launch, thanks to Google's Android One programme. On a Geekbench Browser listing that we recently spotted, the Nokia 6.2 scored 1455 on the Single-Core test and 5075 on the Multi-Core test. In comparison, the recently launched Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 powered by the same chipset scores 1642 and 5796 on the same two tests respectively.

The Nokia 6.2 is expected to be aimed at photography enthusiasts. What we know so far about the device is that it has three cameras on the back panel, one of which is a 48-megapixel sensor made either by Sony or Samsung. The other two should take on wide-angle photography and depth sensing tasks. Internal storage is expected to be 128GB with the option of expanding it to 256GB using a microSD card. The battery on it is said to be a 3,500mAh unit with an 18W fast-charging setup. At any rate, all of this should be confirmed on Thursday.A towering, out-of-control cruise ship rammed into a dock and a tourist river boat on a busy Venice canal on Sunday morning, injuring four tourists and sparking new calls for placing restrictions on cruise ships in the famed but strained tourist city.

The collision happened about 8:30 a.m. on the Giudecca Canal, a major thoroughfare that leads to St. Mark's Square in the northeastern Italian city.

The cruise ship, apparently unable to stop, blared its horn as it plows into the much smaller river boat and the dock as dozens of people run away in panic.

Elisabetta Pasqualin was watering plants on her terrace when she heard warning sirens and stepped out to see the crash.

"There was this huge ship in a diagonal position in the Giudecca Canal, with a tugboat near which seemed like it couldn't do anything," she said.

She described the ship "advancing slowly but inevitably towards the dock." She said "the bow of the ship crashed hard into the bank with its massive weight crushing a big piece of it. Sirens were wailing loudly; it was a very dramatic scene."

When the cruise ship rammed the river boat, she said the smaller vessel looked like it was "made of plastic or paper" rather than steel.

Medical authorities say four female tourists  an American, a New Zealander and two Australians between the ages of 67 and 72  were injured falling or trying to run away when the cruise ship rammed into the tourist boat, the River Countess.

The cruise ship's owner, MSC Cruises, said the ship, the MSC Opera, was about to dock at a passenger terminal in Venice when it had a mechanical problem. Two tugboats guiding the cruise ship into Venice tried to stop the massive cruise ship, but they were unable to prevent it from ramming into the river boat.

"The two tugboats tried to stop the giant and then a tow cable broke, cut by the collision with the river boat," Davide Calderan, president of a tugboat association in Venice, told the Italian news agency ANSA.

Calderan said the cruise ship's engine was locked when the captain called for help.

Following the collision, calls for banning cruise ships in Venice, long a source of contention in the over-extended tourist city, were renewed.

"There were 111 people on the river cruise boat that the big ship crashed into. They could have all died," she said. She said the cruise ship could have plowed through the concrete embankment and "hit houses, monuments and crowds of people."

"The port authority, the government ministers, the other institutions have often tried to ridicule the resistance movement against the cruise ships, saying that an accident like this could never occur," she added. "The government shouldn't be so weak in giving in to the pressure of the lobby groups, like the cruise ship companies."

The collision came four days after a river cruise ship collided with a sightseeing boat carrying South Korean tourists in Hungary's capital, killing seven and leaving 21 others missing.

Not everyone in Venice is opposed to the cruise ships. Pasqualin, the woman who witnessed the collision, counted herself among those prior to Sunday's crash.

"I've always been positive about the ships, but I have to admit I've started to change my mind now, because this was a tragic, terrible and dramatic scene," she said.Photo: The Canadian Press

A Chinese company's $817-million investment in a northern Alberta heavy oil project nine years ago has collapsed in value to less than $80 million, based on the price its Canadian partner has negotiated for the sale of its majority stake.

The fall to less than one-tenth of original value is shocking but consistent with the general record of poor performance from China's Alberta oilpatch investments, said Gordon Houlden, director of the China Institute at the University of Alberta in Edmonton.

And it helps explain why China's spending in the sector has slowed to a trickle since China-based CNOOC bought Calgary's Nexen Energy for $15.1 billion as spending peaked in 2013.

Mid-sized Calgary oil and gas producer Obsidian Energy Ltd. struck a deal on May 17 to sell its 55 per cent stake in the Peace River Oil Partnership (PROP) to junior producer Highwood Oil Company Ltd. for $97 million.

The other 45 per cent is held by China Investment Corp., a sovereign wealth fund created by the Chinese government in 2007.

CIC made its investment in PROP in June 2010 when Obsidian was a much bigger company called Penn West Energy Trust. Along with its $817 million, CIC bought $435 million worth of Penn West trust units, later converted to shares which Obsidian says appear to have been sold about three years ago.

The drop in value of the project, which includes 96,000 hectares of oilsands leases in northern Alberta, comes despite growth in production from 2,000 to over 8,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day over the past nine years.

Indeed, PROP might be considered a core business if not for the higher profits the company expects to realize from its Cardium light oil drilling program in central Alberta, said Obsidian CEO Mike Faust.

"It's a great asset. It makes money," he said. "(But) it needs love and it's not going to get it from us because we can make a lot more money by playing in the Cardium, full-tilt."

PROP was worth more in 2010 when benchmark U.S. oil prices were higher and there was less volatility in heavy oil markets, said analyst Cody Kwong of GMP FirstEnergy. He added Obsidian is a motivated seller because of its high debt load and that also might have affected the price.

A simpler answer is that China paid too much for PROP and other Alberta assets as part of its drive to create big international companies and diversify its energy sources beyond the Middle East and Russia, said Houlden.

"They got several things wrong," he said. "They believed our propaganda that there's going to be pipelines. And they mis-timed  easy to do  in terms of pricing."

Amid falling oil prices, a major pipeline leak and a fatal accident, CNOOC shut down the upgrader at Nexen's centrepiece 50,000-barrel-per-day Long Lake oilsands project in 2016 and has never restarted it, although it continues to produce raw bitumen.

Under the PROP joint venture agreement, CIC has the right for 30 days to step up and buy Obsidian's stake, and 15 days after that to offer its interest to the same buyer in a "tag-along" deal.

The company did not respond to a request for comment but it seems unlikely it would take over the project given its lack of a Canadian office and its stated goal on its website to act as a "financial investor" and not seek control over companies it invests in.

The China Institute estimates China has invested a total of $55 billion in Alberta, the majority in energy projects, out of $85 billion in Canada.The first scheduled service from Cologne with Ryanair to the West of Ireland arrived on Saturday and passengers were given a very warm and special welcome.

Among those greeting the passengers on their arrival were Minister for Community Development Michael Ring TD, Mayo Co Council Cathaoirleach Cllr Blackie Gavin, Sligo Co Council CEO Ciaran Hayes, Mayo Co Council CEO, Peter Hynes, Airport Manager Joe Gilmore and Donegal Head of Tourism, Barney McLaughlin.

Between June and September Ryanair will operate direct flights to and from Cologne every Tuesday and Saturday. Cologne is Germanys fourth largest city and the largest city of the State of North RhineWestphalia. Centred on the left bank of the Rhine, Cologne is regarded as Germanys capital of carnivals reflecting the lifestyle of its inhabitants, who make Cologne the incredibly energetic spot that it is. Cologne is ideally located just an hours train journey from Frankfurt and only 90 minutes from Brussels providing easy onwards travel options for visitors.

This new service is a major boost for tourism in the West and North West regions of Ireland as it provides the only direct access to the West Coast from the North Rhine-Westphalia region. Germany is the third-largest market for tourism to the island of Ireland with a record year forecasted in 2018 of over 650,000 German visitors with 50% of German holidaymakers visiting the West and North West of Ireland during their stay.

On hand to greet arriving passengers were representatives from the Gourmet Greenway Food Trail who provided samples of delicious locally produced cuisines. The food trail has been devised by the Mulranny Park Hotel, in association with Mayo food producers, to showcase the wonderful artisan food in the vicinities of Mulranny, Newport, Westport and Achill.

Accompanying passengers on the first flight from Cologne were a selection of media representatives from some of Germany's biggest media organisations who will be taking part in a three-day familiarisation trip around the West and North West of Ireland during their stay..

For further airport information log onto www.irelandwestairport.com; and for information on fares and to book flights log onto www.Ryanair.com.In 1881, after Lincolns Tax War, Jefferson Davis told the Mississippi Legislature: "The principle for which we contended is bound to reassert itself, though it may be at another time and in another form."

Today, President Donald Trumps Tariff War looks more and more like Abraham Lincolns Tariff War of 1861.

In his First Message to Congress on April 29, 1861, Confederate States President Davis declared: The people of the agricultural Southern States perceived a tendency by the Northern States to make the federal government impose tax burdens on imports to enrich the manufacturing and shipping classes of the North at the expense of the South. Long and angry controversies grew out of these attempts.

The Federal Reserve says the average American family will pay $831 a year in higher prices just for Trumps new 25 percent tariff on some products made in China, and will pay over $2,000 a year if all of Chinas imports are taxed.

Lincoln is Trump's favorite president. Whether imported or made in the U.S., consumers ultimately pay this federal sales tax through higher prices.Anna Kavanagh, Sandy Grove, Blackrock, who has died, sang in Blackrock Choir and had a long career in the health service in Louth County Hospital.

Aged 54, she passed away peacefully at home on March 12, 2019.

Originally from Dublin, Anna moved with her family to Blackrock in 1971, where she attended the local national school before going to Saint Vincents secondary school in Dundalk.

Afterwards she continued her education at Dundalk Regional Technical College.

Anna worked for three years with Anglo Irish Beef Processors before taking up employment at Louth County Hospital where she remained for 34 years.

She was a member of the administration staff and spent a lot of time in the A&E Department.

Anna joined the Blackrock Vigil Choir in 1989 and was also a member of Blackrock Musical Society.

The choir sang movingly at the funeral Mass in a fitting and emotional tribute to their former colleague.

Away from work and her pastimes, Anna enjoyed foreign holidays; and as a teenager spent most of her time in Blackrock swimming pool.

She was predeceased by her mother, Olive five years ago, and for 10 years before that she lovingly looked after Olive at home.

Anna is survived by her father, Kevin, sister, Susan, nephew, Zach, brother-in-law, Harry, relatives and many friends in Blackrock Choir and the HSE in Louth County Hospital.

After reposing in McGeoughs funeral home, Jocelyn Street, her remains were removed to Saint Furseys Church, Haggardstown, where the funeral Mass was celebrated by cousin, Father Brendan Comerford.

He was assisted by Father Brian White who gave the eulogy.

Annas best friends, Catherine and Fiona gave the readings, while prayers of the faithful were led by nephew, Zach.

Burial took place afterwards in the adjoining cemetery.

Masses will be said for all who attended the ceremonies.Photo: Darren Handschuh On Sunday morning, close to 100 people gathered at Polson Park in Vernon for the annual Kidney Foundation of Canada fundraising walk.

It's called the silent killer.

For those with kidney disease, they can lose 80 per cent of kidney function before showing any signs something is wrong.

And one in 10 people will have kidney disease to some degree in their lifetime.

On Sunday morning, close to 100 people gathered at Polson Park in Vernon for the annual Kidney Foundation of Canada fundraising walk.

More than $22,000 was raised locally.

Sid Adams, local organizer, said the walk is designed to not only raise money for kidney research but to encourage people to become organ donors.

Several kidney donors and recipients were on hand for the event.

More information on kidney disease can be found online.CLOVIS  The Clovis Municipal Schools Board of Education began its transition from retiring Superintendent Jody Balch to incoming Superintendent Renee Russ on Tuesday, approving a pair of contracts for Russ during its Tuesday meeting.

If the cro...PORTALES  Commissioners on Thursday narrowly passed a resolution opposing the potential relocation of asylum seekers at the border to Roosevelt County and calling upon border patrol to re-open checkpoints in New Mexico and west Texas.

Roosevelt...She sees the big ripoff and knows only a plan beats power

After Elizabeth Warren refused to do a town hall on Fox News, I wrote a column where I argued, There has been no candidate for president in my lifetime who has better matched her countrys needs. The piece ends up making the case for a two-woman ticket led by Warren, a digression I still agree with but regret.

The senior Senator from Massachusetts being a woman with an excellent set of proposals to save abortion rights is definitely important at this moment. You may have noticed that we are on the verge of the mass criminalization of abortion. But gender is definitely not near the center of her growing appeal.

The core of Warrens rise is that she gets how power works and thus how to most effectively resist it. On The View, she demonstrated this with an excellent explication of her decision not to lend her credibility to Fox News, a channel that exists to destroy anything that preserves the middle class.

Warrens I have a plan mantra recognizes that the left in this country has been getting its ass kicked for decades. Big structural change isnt just a nice campaign promise; its necessary.

With her clear-eyed view of corruption, she saw the financial crisis coming and then warned of the dangers of not taking aggressive action against the perpetrators of the greatest ripoff in American history long after it was over.

Theres been such a sense that theres one set of rules for trillion-dollar financial institutions and a different set for all the rest of us, Warren has often said. Its so pervasive that its not even hidden.

You could easily believe that that this quote came from Bernie Sanders. The Senator from Vermont also proposes structural solutions while going even further than Warren at points. For instance, theres his defining belief that every American should have Medicare along with his heroic call for putting an end to endless wars.

Sanders has a inspiring vision that Republicans can be defeated anywhere a candidate runs on a full-throated embrace of programs like Medicare for All and free college. The problem is that model has not yet been proven anywhere Democrats do not normally win.

I think hes right that Democratic policies are widely popular and expanding them could bring in voters who have been left behind by the compromises of the past. But this ignores the systematic manipulations  from Fox to voter suppression to money in politics  that ensure Republican wins.

Sanders willingness to go on Fox speaks to a naivety. He doesnt seem to recognize that trading your brand for an hour of Fox air is a bad deal when they then use it find more advertisers and employ out-of-context clips to propagandize its viewers against your candidacy for weeks.

Where does Warrens firmer grasp of the mechanics of power come from?

It could be from her background working as lawyer and academic dealing with bankruptcy, the issue that dragged her into public prominence. It could be seeing how her decade long fight to put the financial system protections in place that could prevent unnecessary financial crises culminated with a GOP Senate filibustering her out of contention to lead the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

A more cynical part of me suggests that it could be from her political background. She was a Republican until 1996. That isnt to say that you have to have a conservative background to grasp the sort of amorphous cunning and greed that have ensured minority rule for the right. But it doesnt seem to hurt.

Calling Warren the best candidate of my lifetime seems like an unnecessary shot at Barack Obama, who I not was uniquely suited for his historic win in 2008 when even his name seemed to be a firm rejection of Bush/Cheneyism. And if his no blue states/no red states ethos had prevailed against the awesome forces of division, I wouldnt dare make this assertion.

But democracy is on the ropes, along with the basic rights won over the last century. Despite a hard-won recovery and massive victories like Medicaid expansion, the working class is still struggling, one crisis away from doom. And the right loves it this way.

We need someone who sees how we got us in this mess and makes us believe its possible to get out of it. Elizabeth Warren has the power to do that.

[Photo by Chuck Kennedy for Warren 2020](Reuters/Fayaz Aziz)Pakistani Christians hearing mass.

The Pakistan government has honored a Roman Catholic priest for his "exemplary services" to promote interfaith harmony and peace in his own country and worldwide.

Father James Channan, a priest in the Dominican order who has spent 50 years following the spirituality of St. Dominic, received an award at the Interfaith Conference 2019 in Lahore on May 17, UCANews reported.

More than 300 people, including Muslims, Christians, Hindus and Sikhs attended the ceremony.

Noor-ul-Haq Qadri, Pakistan's federal minister for religious affairs and interfaith harmony in the overwhelmingly Muslim country, presented the award.

Catholics make up a tiny minority of Pakistan's estimated population of 208 million people. Muslims, most of whom are Sunnis, make up more than 96 percent of the population, while Christians and Hindus make up less than 3.6 percent of the people.

"Many people helped me to reach this place. I praise God, the Church, my community of Ibn-e-Mariam Vice Province of Pakistan, and all my friends," said Channan.

"I especially thank my Muslim friends who always supported me and my work and keep on appreciating me to continue my mission to promote peace and harmony among the people of Pakistan.

"I am actively serving in this mission to build bridges between Christians and the people of other religions, especially with our Muslim brethren, but still I see there is an urgent need for interfaith dialogue."

Channan said his work to promote peace and interfaith harmony brings him peace and mental satisfaction.

"I keep on thinking about ways to bring people of various faiths together, to help them to nurture and strengthen peace among them," he said.

"Everybody is my neighbor and being a follower of Jesus Christ I have to love everybody  it keeps me motivated and zealous." Said Channan.

"We always have to share this message that we are one human family, following different religions and faiths but living our faiths we have to promote love, unity and peace."

Channan is the director of Lahore's Peace Center, which was inaugurated by the late Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, then president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue.

"I work to provide facility to the people of various professions and age groups to come together for dialogue, which helps to remove discrimination, fundamentalism and extremism from our society," he said.

The Pakistani priest also serves as a regional coordinator of United Religions Initiative (URI) in Asia which serves in 109 countries including Pakistan.

"We have 63 active groups of religious leaders, lawyers, journalists, youth, women and children. Our Peace Center is always available for programs or events to promote peace, interfaith harmony, interreligious harmony and Christian-Muslim dialogue," he said.Manx charity wins award

A Manx charity has been honoured with the Queens Award for Voluntary Service (QAVS).

The award is the highest given to volunteer groups in the UK and Crown Dependencies.



Manx Breast Cancer Support Group has been recognised for raising more than 2.8 million to improve the experience of patients in the Isle of Man since 2012.

The group is one of 281 volunteer-led groups to receive the award this year.

Manx Breast Cancer Support Group will receive their award from the Lieutenant Governor at an event in their honour at Government House later in the year.Assad regime forces killed four civilians in N.Syria

According to the Syrian opposition, the attack on Khan Shaykhun was carried out by a Russian warplane that took off from the Khmeimim airbase in Latakia.

Four civilians were killed in airstrikes by Bashar al-Assad regime forces and Russia on de-escalation zones in northern Syria on Sunday, according to the White Helmets civil defense agency.

FOUR CIVILIANS KILLED

An airstrike targeted the town of Khan Shaykhun in the Idlib province, leaving two civilians dead, the White Helmets said. One civilian was also killed in another airstrike in the village of Fleife, and another in the village of Sheikh Dames, it said.

Turkey and Russia agreed last September to turn Idlib into a de-escalation zone in which acts of aggression would be expressly prohibited. The Syrian regime, however, has consistently broken the terms of the ceasefire, launching frequent attacks inside the de-escalation zone.Britain must leave the EU this year, says Trump

Trump has called on UK to leave the EU without a deal if Brussels refuses to meet its demands, as he urged the government to send Nigel Farage into the negotiations.

Donald Trump said Britain should refuse to pay its 39 billion pound EU divorce bill and walk away from Brexit talks if Brussels does not give the UK what it wants.

"THEY HAVE GOT TO GET THE DEAL CLOSED"

In an interview with the Sunday Times newspaper ahead of his state visit to Britain starting Monday, Trump said the next British leader should send arch-Brexiteer Nigel Farage to conduct talks with the EU.

Trump said Britain must leave the EU this year. Theyve got to get it done, he said. They have got to get the deal closed. If they dont get what they want, I would walk away. If you dont get a fair deal, you walk away, Trump added.

Trump repeated his backing for those candidates to succeed Prime Minister Theresa May who have said Britain must leave on the due date of Oct. 31 with or without a deal.

Those candidates include former foreign secretary Boris Johnson, whom Trump praised in an interview with the Sun newspaper on Friday, along with former Brexit minister Dominic Raab and interior minister Sajid Javid.

Trump also said it was a mistake for the Conservatives not to involve Farage, the Brexit Party leader, in negotiations with Brussels after his success in European Parliament elections last month. I like Nigel a lot. He has a lot to offer - he is a very smart person, Trump said. They wont bring him in but think how well they would do if they did. They just havent figured that out yet. On the Brexit divorce bill, Trump said: If I were them, I wouldnt pay 50 billion dollars. That is a tremendous number.

Trump also said he would have to know veteran Socialist Labour opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn before authorizing US intelligence to share its most sensitive secrets with a hard-left government.

He warned British ministers they must be careful not to jeopardize intelligence-sharing by letting Chinese firm Huawei Technologies Co Ltd into Britains new 5G mobile phone network.Mexico hints at migration concessions to controls US trade

Mexico hinted his country could tighten migration controls to defuse Trumps threat to impose tariffs on Mexican goods, and said he expected good results from talks planned in Washington.

Trump says he will apply the tariffs on June 10 if Mexico does not halt the flow of illegal immigration, largely from Central America, across the US-Mexican border.

"WE EXPECT GOOD RESULTS"

His ultimatum hit Mexican financial assets and global stocks, but met resistance from US business leaders and lawmakers worried about the impact of targeting Mexico, one of the United States top trade partners.

In a news conference in the Gulf of Mexico port of Veracruz, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said Mexico could be ready to step up measures to contain a recent surge in migration in order to reach a deal with the United States.

Mexico President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador

A major Mexican delegation led by Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard will discuss the dispute with US officials in Washington on Wednesday, and Lopez Obrador said he expected good results from the talks, and for a deal to emerge.

The main thing is to inform about what were already doing on the migration issue, and if its necessary to reinforce these measures without violating human rights, we could be prepared to reach that deal, Lopez Obrador said. His comments follow those of Jesus Seade, deputy foreign minister for North America, who told Reuters on Friday that Mexico wanted to sharpen existing measures to curb the flow of Central Americans trying to reach US soil.

Trumps threat to inflict pain on Mexicos economy is the biggest foreign policy test to date for Lopez Obrador and a tall order for Mexican authorities struggling not only to contain migration but also to fight record gang violence.

Mexicos economy relies heavily on exports to the United States and shrank in the first quarter. Under Trumps plan, US tariffs that could rise as high as 25 percent this year.Military drills with South Korea still on hold

Patrick Shanahan says that so far he sees no need to restore large-scale military exercises with S.Korea that have been curtailed over the past year as a diplomatic olive branch to N.Korea.

Acting US Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said on Sunday that for now it was not necessary to resume major joint military exercises with South Korea that were suspended in the last year to support diplomatic efforts with North Korea.

MILITARY EXERCISES ARE SUSPENDED

US and South Korea have suspended a number of combined military exercises in the past year after talks between Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. However, since then negotiations between US and North Korea have stalled. I dont think it is necessary, Shanahan told reporters traveling with him to Seoul when asked about restoring any of the major exercises.

Shanahan said he had been told by senior military leaders that troops on the Korean peninsula had the required military readiness despite the suspension of the exercises.

I want to make sure that the plan that we put in place is sufficient, Shanahan said. He added that he would have more to say after discussions in South Korea on Monday. He will meet his South Korean counterpart and the head of US forces in South Korea.Taiwan forces holds military exercise

Taiwans air, sea and land forces conducted a drill to repel an invading force on Thursday, as its defense minister pledged to defend the self-ruled island against Chinas rising military threat.

Taiwans air, sea and land forces conducted a drill to repel an invading force on Thursday, as its defense minister pledged to defend the self-ruled island against Chinas rising military threat.

GREAT MEASURE AGAINST THE CHINESE WAR

Fighter jets launched strikes and warships opened fired to destroy an enemy beachhead, while more than 3,000 soldiers took part in the live-fire drill in the southern county of Pingtung.

During annual military exercises across the island this week, fighter jets have landed on Taiwans main highway and air raid drills have shut its major cities.

While it was just a mock exercise, Defence Minister Yen Teh-fa left no doubt where the greatest perceived threat lay. The military force of the Chinese Communist Party has continued to expand, without giving up the use of force to invade Taiwan, Yen told reporters while observing the drill.

China sees Taiwan part of one China and has never renounced the use of force to bring the democratic island under its control.

Yens comments follow a spike in cross-strait tensions. During recent months, Chinas military staged extensive drills with warships, bombers and reconnaissance aircraft near the island, moves Taipei denounced as intimidation. Yen said it was Beijings intention to destroy regional stability and cross-strait security.

Taiwan is one of a growing number of flashpoints in the US-China relationship, which include an escalating trade war and Chinas muscular military posture in the South China Sea, where the United States also conducts freedom-of-navigation patrols.Venezuelas FM invites EUs special advisor

Venezuela government, the opposition held two meetings, waiting for EUs advisor for Venezuela crisis, Jorge Arreaza says.

Venezuelas foreign minister invited Friday the newly appointed European Union special advisor for the crisis in the Caribbean country, amid both government and opposition looking for a solution through dialogue.

BILATERAL RELATIONS HAVE BEEN DISCUSSED

Jorge Arreaza said on Twitter that he talked about a process that is being developed in Oslo, Norway government and opposition was held two mediation meetings with Enrique Iglesias over phone call and invited him to Venezuela.

According to a delegation of opposition leader Juan Guaido, no agreement was reached in these meetings yet.

"The parties have shown their will to move forward in the search of a concerted and constitutional solution for the country," Arreaza posted a statement submitted by the Norwegian government in social media.

Venezuela has been rocked by protests since January when President Nicolas Maduro was sworn in for a second term following a vote boycotted by the opposition. Tensions escalated days later when Juan Guaido declared himself acting president, a move supported by the US and many European and Latin American countries. Russia, Turkey, China, Iran, Bolivia, and Mexico have thrown their weight behind Maduro.

OTHER RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN THE CONTINENT

On Tuesday, Germany held the first edition of "Latin American and Caribbean initiative", a conference which aimed to strengthen diplomatic and trade ties with the region. More than 20 foreign ministers from Latin America and the Caribbean attended the conference in Berlin, while Venezuela was absent.

The Argentinian Foreign Minister, Jorge Faurie met with his counterpart Heiko Maas, to discuss the ongoing crisis in Venezuela during the conference in Berlin.

The Lima Group, a bloc comprising 14 Latin American nations focused on finding a resolution to Venezuela's long-standing crisis, also decided in Berlin to schedule its next summit on June 6 in Guatemala.

On May 20, Mexico and UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) presented a Comprehensive Development Plan for Southern Mexico and the Northern Triangle of Central America (PDI). The plan aims to address unemployment and violence in the region, which are the primary causes of migration.

ECLAC also recommended reorienting the subsidies towards "the promotion of investment on essential social matters", through a "renewed macroeconomic policy" that will boost employment.People admitted to NHS hospitals with a cardiac arrest over the weekend do not face a higher risk of dying compared to those admitted during the week, according to new research presented today at the British Cardiovascular Society (BCS) Conference in Manchester.

The research led by Dr Rahul Potluri, founder of the ACALM study unit at Aston University, investigated 4,803 people going to hospital with a cardiac arrest.

The team looked at five-year survival for people suffering a cardiac arrest and being treated in an NHS hospital. They found that there were no differences in survival for those admitted on the weekend.

The research was adjusted to account for external factors which could influence death rates, such as age, gender, ethnic group, and the most common causes of death in the UK.

A cardiac arrest is when an electrical fault in the heart occurs, causing it to suddenly stop pumping blood round the body. The chances of surviving an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest are around 1 in 10, but with swiftly-administered CPR and the use of a defibrillator, a huge difference can be made to the chances of survival.

This study follows on from work previously presented at the BCS conference suggesting that there is a 'weekend effect' in people going to hospital with heart failure or atrial fibrillation, the most common type of abnormal heart rhythm. However, the presence of cardiac arrest teams working 24 hours a day, all year round, could be responsible for the same standard of care and outcome of those suffering a cardiac arrest whether they are being treated in the week or at the weekend.

Dr Rahul Potluri, Clinical Lecturer in Cardiology at Aston Medical School, said:

"No matter which day of the week someone goes to hospital with a cardiac arrest, they have the same chance of survival, and that should be hugely reassuring to the public.

"By no means is the weekend effect a blanket phenomenon. We know that it does exist for people affected by other heart conditions. It's therefore important to tease out who is affected by the weekend effect through research in order to ensure that specialist healthcare services are delivered when and where they are needed most."

Professor Metin Avkiran, Associate Medical Director at the British Heart Foundation said:

"This is a success story, and shows the life saving importance of specialist teams working in the NHS. A cardiac arrest is a medical emergency and statistics show that for every minute that passes without CPR and defibrillation, a person's chance of survival decreases by around 10 per cent.

"If you see someone who has suddenly collapsed and is unresponsive, it is vital that you call 999 and start administering CPR immediately to increase their chances of survival. When the emergency services arrive, you can rest assured that you've done your bit and the specialists are ready and waiting to take over."

Dr Shajil Chalil, Consultant Cardiologist at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and co-author, said

"You can't choose when you're struck down by a devastating cardiac arrest. But our research potentially highlights the major value of cardiac arrest teams in hospitals set-up to ensure optimal care for these heart patients every minute of every day."

###

To request interviews or for more information please call the BHF press office on 020 7554 0164 (07764 290 381) or email newsdesk@bhf.org.uk.

Notes to editors:

Cardiac arrest patients presenting to hospitals at weekends are not subject to the weekend effect: Insights from ACALM Big data, United Kingdom, presented at the BCS Conference, 3rd June 2019 by Dr Rahul Potluri, Aston University. Abstract available on request.

About the British Cardiovascular Society (BCS)

BCS is the voice for those working in cardiovascular health, science and disease management in the UK; we aim to promote and support both the healthcare professionals who work in cardiology and the patients for whom we want to encourage the best possible treatment. Our members are healthcare professionals, working in the field of cardiovascular health.A new study shows how a non-profit research organisation has been deployed by its backers from major food and beverage corporations to push industry-favourable positions to policy makers and international bodies under the guise of neutral scientific endeavour.

The study, published today in the journal Globalization and Health, analysed over 17,000 pages of emails obtained through Freedom of Information requests made between 2015 and 2018. The documents captured exchanges between academics at US universities and senior figures at a non-profit organisation called the International Life Science Institute, or ILSI.

Comprising of 18 bodies, each of which cover a specific topic or part of the globe, ILSI has always maintained its independence and scientific rigour, despite being funded by multinational corporations such as Nestle, General Mills, Mars Inc, Monsanto, and Coca-Cola.

Founded by former Coca-Cola senior vice president Alex Malaspina in 1978, ILSI states on its website that none of its bodies "conduct lobbying activities or make policy recommendations". As a non-profit organisation ILSI is currently exempt from taxation under US Internal Revenue codes.

However, researchers from the University of Cambridge, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, University of Bocconi, and US Right to Know, found emails explicitly discussing tactics for countering public health policies around sugar reduction, as "[T]his threat to our business is serious".

These include exchanges with an epidemiology professor at the University of Washington, as well as the US Centre for Disease Control's then director of heart disease and stroke prevention, all strategising how best to approach the World Health Organisation's then Director-General Dr Margaret Chan, to shift her position on sugar-sweetened products.

"It has been previously suggested that the International Life Sciences Institute is little more than a pseudo-scientific front group for some of the biggest multinational food and drink corporations globally," said the study lead author Dr Sarah Steele, a researcher at Cambridge's Department of Politics and International Studies.

"Our findings add to the evidence that this non-profit organisation has been used by its corporate backers for years to counter public health policies. We contend that the International Life Sciences Institute should be regarded as an industry group - a private body - and regulated as such, not as a body acting for the greater good."

In one email, Malaspina, who also served as long-time president at ILSI, described new US guidelines bolstering child and adult education on limiting sugar intake as a "real disaster!". He writes: "We have to consider how to become ready to mount a strong defence". Suzanne Harris, then executive director of ILSI, was among the email's recipients.

James Hill, then director of the Center for Human Nutrition at the University of Colorado, was involved in a separate exchange on the issue of defending industry from the health consequences of its products. Hill argues for greater funding for ILSI from industry as part of "dealing aggressively with this issue". He writes that, if companies keep their heads down, "our opponents will win and we will all lose".

The FOI emails also suggest ILSI constructs campaigns favourable to artificial sweeteners. Emails reveal Malaspina passing on praise from another former ILSI President to a former Coca-Cola employee and the Professor, describing both as "the architects to plan and execute the studies showing saccharine is not a carcinogen", resulting in the reversal of many government bans.

The FOI responses suggest that ILSI operates strategically with other industry-funded entities, including IFIC, a science communication non-profit organisation. "IFIC is a kind of sister entity to ILSI," writes Malaspina. "ILSI generates the scientific facts and IFIC communicates them to the media and public."

"The emails suggest that both ILSI and IFIC act to counter unfavourable policies and positions, while promoting industry-favourable science under a disguised front, including to the media," said Steele.

In fact, the emails suggest ILSI considers sanctioning its own regional subsidiaries when they fail to promote the agreed industry-favourable messaging. Correspondence reveals discussion of suspending ILSI's Mexico branch from the parent organisation after soft drink taxation was debated at a conference it sponsored. Mexico has one of the highest adult obesity rates in the world.

Email conversations between Malaspina and the CDC's Barbara Bowman are open about the need to get the WHO to "start working with ILSI again" and to take into account "lifestyle changes" as well as sugary foods when combatting obesity.

Further exchanges between Malaspina and Washington Professor Adam Drewnowski support ILSI's role in this. Drewnowski writes of Dr Chan that "we ought to start with some issue where ILSI and WHO are in agreement" to help "get her to the table".

In a further email, Malaspina points out that he had meetings with the two previous heads of the WHO, going back to the mid-90s, and that if they do not start a dialogue with Dr Chan "she will continue to blast us with significant negative consequences on a global basis".

The tide has begun to turn against ILSI in recent years. The WHO quietly ended their "special relations" with ILSI in 2017, and ILSI's links to the European Food Safety Authority were the subject of enquiry at the European Parliament. The CDC's Bowman retired in 2016, in the wake of revelations about her close ties with ILSI. Last year, long-time ILSI funder Mars Inc. stopped supporting the organisation. Much of the study's correspondence precedes these events.

"It becomes clear from the emails and forwards that ILSI is seen as central to pushing pro-industry content to international organisations to support approaches that uncouple sugary foods and obesity," added Steele.

"Our analysis of ILSI serves as a caution to those involved in global health governance to be wary of putatively independent research groups, and to practice due diligence before relying upon their funded studies."

###

Reference

Are industry-funded charities promoting "advocacy-led studies" or "evidence-based science"?: a case study of the International Life Sciences Institute. Globalization and Health; 3 June 2019; DOI: 10.1186/s12992-019-0478-6Some doctors fear litigation and professional ruin if they are seen to have overprescribed opioids to terminally ill patients, according to a University of Queensland researcher

Some doctors fear litigation and professional ruin if they are seen to have overprescribed opioids to terminally ill patients, according to a University of Queensland researcher.

Palliative care expert Professor Geoffrey Mitchell said opioid overuse and some states' new assisted dying legislation had put end-of-life care clinicians created a "perfect storm" of fear for clinicians involved in end-of-life care.

"Some are choosing to abandon end-of-life care altogether rather than risk professional ruin should they persist in the use of any opioid therapy," Professor Mitchell said.

"The fear is that the use of medicines to minimise suffering and distress at the very end of life may hasten death and be construed by critics as euthanasia by stealth.

"The reality is that the person is dying.

"While treatments such as opioids may theoretically shorten life marginally, it is the disease that causes death, not the treatment."

Professor Mitchell said a study he co-authored should alleviate doctors' fears and help ensure patients received proper medical care.

"The research indicates regulatory bodies are not seeking to blame practitioners when a patient dies in the presence of opioid administration," he said.

"In fact the researchers found no such criminal proceedings had been brought in Australia against doctors.

"It is reassuring that doctors' intentions to alleviate suffering and adhere to good clinical practice has been respected."

Professor Mitchell said an overcautious attitude could result in people suffering needlessly at the end of their lives.

"The study identified 12 cases in publicly available electronic databases across all Australian jurisdictions, and of those, only two had adverse findings recorded, and neither led to criminal proceedings," he said.

"This indicates regulatory bodies are not seeking to blame practitioners when death occurs in the presence of opioid administration.

"Practitioners should use treatments and doses that are clinically indicated to alleviate the person's suffering.

"Opioids should not be avoided, and the minimum dose that achieves pain relief or reduction of chronic breathlessness should be prescribed.

"Clinical practice that seeks to alleviate suffering will be respected by the law and not punished.

"Practitioners can be assured that the law does not constitute a hazard to safe practice, but an ally to be valued."

###

Professor Mitchell's opinion piece was published today in the Medical Journal of Australia.

The systematic review, published in October 2018, was led by Professor Lindy Willmott and Professor Ben White from Queensland University of Technology's Australian Centre for Health Law Research.

The National Health and Medical Research Council funded the study.

Contact: Faculty of Medicine Communications, med.media@uq.edu.au, +61 7 3365 5118, +61 436 368 746.GBP/ZAR FORECAST UPDATE #3: The UK Pound to South African Rand exchange rate saw out Monday's session lower with Brexit-related concerns and soft UK data offsetting trade-related concerns to maintain downside pressure on the cross. Into Tuesday, GBPZAR continued to drift lower with Sterling last seen trading at R18.29, down marginally (0.06%) from open.

Tuesday holds some key SA data with first quarter GDP growth figures due. Following a deceleration in growth to 1.4% (last print), ABSA economists are projecting a further decline - forecasting a contraction of 2.2% for Q1.

"High frequency data point to a sharp %q/q saar contraction in GDP growth in Q1 19. Moreover, business and consumer confidence fell in Q1 19, boding ill for GDP growth," wrote ABSA economist Peter Worthington.

In the UK, the latest construction sector PMI is due ahead of Wednesday's service sector figures. Monday's manufacturing release which failed to impress, falling into contraction territory to print at 49.4 as firms unwound Brexit-stockpiles and new order inflows declined.

Despite the pressure on EMs stemming from global trade concerns, analysts remain upbeat on the prospects for the Rand moving forward. According to a Bloomberg survey of investors, median forecasts put the ZAR 3% higher (against the USD) by year-end with 75% confidence.

GBP/ZAR FORECAST UPDATE #2: The Pound to South African Rand (GBP/ZAR) exchange rate traded narrowly on Monday, with the pairing stuck at around 18.3630 following the publication of the UKs latest manufacturing PMI.

According to IHS Markit, the UKs factory index plummeted from 53.1 to 49.4 in May, with Brexit and global trade concerns pushing the index into contraction territory for the first time since July 2016.

However helping to cap any losses in GBP/ZAR is the ongoing USD-China trade dispute, which saw investors reluctant to buy into the risk-sensitive Rand.

GBP/ZAR FORECAST UPDATE: The Pound to South African Rand exchange rate kicked off the week directionless with Sterling last seen trading at R18.42491, up a shade from last weeks close.

It's a data heavy session for the cross with manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) releases due for both. In the UK, the index is expected to fall but remain above the neutral 50 level, with consensus pointing to a 52.5 print.

Meanwhile, having fallen into contraction territory, the SA PMI rose last month on stabilising power supplies. A similar increase this month would put the PMI a whisker below the 50 level.

Tuesday's South African gross domestic product (GBP) growth figure for the first quarter will be the key data point for the ZAR this week.

GDP fell to 1.4% in Q4 2018 with analysts predicting a continuation into contraction territory. With a forecast of -2.2%, ABSA economist Peter Worthington wrote "High frequency data point to a sharp %q/q saar contraction in GDP growth in Q1 19. Moreover, business and consumer confidence fell in Q1 19,boding ill for GDP growth."

Meanwhile, President Trump's visit to the UK will likely take some of the focus away from Brexit chaos. Any comments of post-Brexit trade between the UK and US could partially allay market concerns.

The South African Rand (ZAR) fell heavily against the Pound (GBP) this week, as market risk aversion and domestic cabinet uncertainty punished the Rand.

The Rand was initially subdued at the start of the week, with investors remaining wary of the currency as political uncertainty remained heighted after President Cyril Ramaphosa delayed the announcement of his new cabinet the previous week.

The Rand then collapsed on Tuesday, with ZAR/GBP falling more than 1% after deputy president David Mabuza was sworn into Parliament, with investors raising concerns over allegations of corruption against the key Ramaphosa ally, despite being cleared by the African National Congress of bringing the party into disrepute.

The Rand was able to pare some of these losses in the mid-week however as Ramaphosa finally revealed his new, smaller cabinet late on Wednesday.

This saw him retain Tito Mboweni as finance minister and Pravin Gordhan as public enterprises minister, whilst removing some of the old guard who have been accused of corruption.

The move was welcomed by markets on hopes his new Cabinet will help Ramaphosa to push through some much needed reforms to help revive South Africas ailing economy.

Razia Khan, chief Africa economist at Standard Chartered Bank said: In all, the cabinet appointments announced tonight speak of a new confidence in the Ramaphosa administration. Should this momentum and seemingly new-found confidence be built on with the pursuit of further structural reform, then markets would be correct to react positively.

However the Rand then fell back again in the tail end of the session as the emerging market currency was undermined by fresh trade tensions as Donald Trump announced plans to impose tariffs on exports from Mexico in an effort to curb immigration.

Pounds (GBP) Gains Tempered by Political Uncertainty

At the same time, while the Pound (GBP) was able to advance against the South African Rand (ZAR) this week, it struggled to replicate this success in broader trade.

This came as a result of heightened political uncertainty in the UK as a result of speculation over who will replace Theresa May as PM following the announcement of her resignation last week.

The resulting political jockeying between leadership candidates prompted analysts to warn that the risks of a no-deal Brexit have risen as bookmaker odds suggest the next PM is likely to be a committed Brexiteer.

Further dampening the appetite for Sterling this week were comments from Bank of England (BoE) Deputy Governor Dave Ramsden as he suggested that the banks recent growth forecasts may be too optimistic as he speculated investment and productivity are likely to undershoot expectations this year.

Ramsden said: Relative to the best collective judgment expressed in the MPC's central forecast I am ... a little more pessimistic on GDP growth than my colleagues on the MPC.

GBP/ZAR Exchange Rate Forecast: Rand to Sink as South African GDP Contracts?

Looking ahead to next weeks session, the recent uptrend in the Pound South African Rand (GBP/ZAR) exchange rate looks likely to persist following the publication of South Africas latest GDP figures.

Economists forecast that South Africas economy will have suffered a sharp drop off at the start of 2019, with growth potentially contracting up to 1.4% in the first quarter and applying some significant pressure to the Rand.

Meanwhile, Sterling may be hampered through the first half of the session by the publication of the UKs latest PMI figures.

These are expected to show that the UKs private sector remained close to stagnation in May, likely dampening the appeal of the Pound as it suggests economic growth is likely to have slowed in the second quarter.

Further capping any upside in GBP exchange rate will be the ongoing political uncertainty in the UK, with the Conservative leadership contest set to formally begin next week as Theresa May steps down as leader on Friday.GBP/NZD FORECAST UPDATE #2: The British Pound to New Zealand Dollar exchange rate edged off two-month lows into Tuesday's session with Sterling last seen trading at NZ$1.92145, up 0.1%.

Overnight gains in the cross reversed post-RBA meeting with the Kiwi strengthening in tandem with its antipodean neighbour. With both the RBNZ and RBA cutting rates, the outlook for the Kiwi hinges on expectations for further cuts.

"With US-China trade conflict risks rising we are not convinced that just one rate cut will be the key to returning New Zealand to above potential growth. Market participants also appear sceptical. The OIS curve indicates a further 25bp cut is now fully priced over the coming twelve months," wrote head of research at MUFG, Derek Halpenny, adding "If the RBA cut twice and if China growth decelerates and tensions with the US remain high, another RBNZ rate cut looks plausible to us. But like Australia, with that priced, we do not see a big downside move for NZD from here."

Meanwhile Brexit remains at the fore for the British Pound amid a data-light schedule. With the Tory leadership contest heating up, the likelihood of a pro-Brexit, no-deal-accepting, replacement when PM May resigns has prompted a rise in short positioning on the GBP with shorts at their highest level since March.

"We now have 13 Tory politicians standing for leadership, and Boris Johnson in particular is attempting to hammer in his popularity; aided a little by Donald Trump who is talking up Farage and Johnson, wrote Rabobank FX strategist, Jane Foley.

FORECAST FOR GBP/NZD UPDATE: Despite the risk-off market undertone, an above-forecast Chinese manufacturing PMI helped to support the New Zealand Dollar against the British Pound as markets opened with the cross dropping to a fresh six-week low. At the time of writing, Sterling was last seen trading at NZ$1.92995, hovering just above the low.

Sterling losses could be reversed though on an above-forecast print of the UK manufacturing PMI, due for release (0930 GMT).

Furthermore, the continued flight to safety as global trade concerns escalate could limit NZD gains as the US opens up a multi-front trade war.

On UK politics, US President Donald Trump is set to arrive in the UK today. Ever-willing to provide his perspective, Trump criticised the UK government's handling of Brexit, stating he would walk away from the negotiations.

"If they dont get what they want, I would walk away. If I were them I wouldnt pay $50billion," said Trump ahead of the three-day state visit.

Pound New Zealand Dollar (GBP/NZD) Exchange Rate Flat as UK Consumer Confidence Hits Eight-Month High

At the start of last week, the Pound was under pressure as Brexit turmoil continued.

Many Tory leadership candidates expressed they would consider a no-deal if Brussels would not renegotiate the Withdrawal Agreement.

The pairing rallied on Tuesday evening following the release of the Reserve Bank of New Zealands (RBNZ) Financial Stability Report.

The report revealed risks have not changed much over six months, and highlighted the harm ongoing problems overseas such as trade disputes will have on the financial system.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday US-China trade tensions increased as Chinese media suggested China could use its dominant position as an exporter of rare earths to hit back at the US.

In the Peoples Daily, the media outlet addressed the US, stating Dont say we didnt warn you! which dampened sentiment in the risk-sensitive Kiwi.

At the start of Thursdays Asian session, data showed that New Zealands building permits plummeted by -7.9% in April.

On Thursday, the Pound was volatile as the European Unions Chief Brexit Negotiator, Michel Barnier warned that Theresa Mays Withdrawal Agreement was not up for renegotiation.

This heightened the risk of a no-deal Brexit as many Conservative leadership candidates expressed that they would be willing to leave the EU on 31 October with or without a deal.

Meanwhile, the Kiwi likely benefitted from comments from US President Donald Trump, who claimed China would love to make a deal with us.

At the end of last weeks session the pairing remained muted despite UK GfK consumer confidence rising to an eight-month high.

Despite sentiment rising to -10, GfK stated that further gains are likely to be limited while Brexit uncertainty plagued Sterling.

Will Sterling (GBP) Exchange Rates Slide on a Disappointing Construction PMI?

This week, the Pound (GBP) could rise against the New Zealand Dollar (NZD) following the release of the Markit manufacturing PMI.

If manufacturing rises above expectations it could buoy Sterling.

Meanwhile on Tuesday the construction PMI could cause the UK currency to slide against the Kiwi.

If growth in the construction sector stagnates or slides into contractionary territory it could weigh on Sterling.

Looking towards Wednesday, the Pound could edge up following the release of the UK services PMI.

If data reveals that the UK services sector has expanded at a faster than forecast rate in May, the Pound New Zealand Dollar (GBP/NZD) exchange rate could rise.

New Zealand Dollar (NZD) Exchange Rates Tipped to Slide on Disappointing NZ Dairy Prices

Looking towards Tuesday, the New Zealand Dollar (NZD) could slide against Sterling (GBP) following the release of the Global Dairy Trade Price Index.

If New Zealand dairy prices plummet further than forecast, it could dampen sentiment in the Kiwi.

Meanwhile, developments in the ongoing trade tensions between the US and China is likely to have an impact on the risk-sensitive New Zealand Dollar.

If reports suggest that trade tensions are increasing further after the US hit Mexico with 5% tariffs, the Pound New Zealand Dollar (GBP/NZD) exchange rate could rise.From: American Evaluation Association (AEA) For Immediate Release: Dateline: Washington , DC Sunday, June 2, 2019

Susan M. Wolfe and Kyrah Brown. Susan is a community consultant at

Many of the collaboratives we work with are working to eliminate health, education, or other disparities, which requires a focus on equity and justice. To achieve equity and justice, collaboratives employ a community development approach whereby those who are most affected by inequities and injustices are fully engaged in leadership and making decisions about the matters that affect their lives.

In an

Principle 2: Employ a community development approach in which residents have equal power in determining the coalitions or collaboratives agenda and resource allocation.

Principle 3: Employ community organizing as an intentional strategy and as part of the process. Work to build resident leadership and power. In this blog, we share some resources and tips for evaluating the extent to which collaboratives are fully implementing these principles.

Rad Resource: In his book Principles Focused Evaluation: The GUIDE, Michael Quinn Patton (2018) introduces concepts and shares examples that are helpful for thinking through and framing an evaluation that includes assessing principles.

Evaluators assessing community inclusion need to understand and have insight into what community inclusion really means. At the lowest level, is may be forming community advisory groups that look good, but have no actual power, or convening community residents to help implement a program or campaign designed by outsiders to change the residents, not conditions.

Hot Tip: Advisory groups that have no voice about actions taken are not true inclusion. If you are evaluating a collaborative and there is a community advisory group, examine related documents to determine the extent to which this group has final say over what will be done. If they have none, then it is not true inclusion.

A somewhat higher level of engagement may involve community members by bringing them together to share information or gather their input on issues via surveys or focus groups. Another strategy is to hand pick worthy or suitable community members for boards and executive committees.

Hot Tip: Surveys and focus groups can yield useful data, but they are not true community inclusion. Additionally, if the data are being interpreted through the lens of individuals with privilege, the findings may not truly represent the community voice. Community members should be included in the development of the measurement tools and on the analysis team, with final decision authority over what is reported.

More tips tomorrow!

The American Evaluation Association is celebrating CP TIG Week with our colleagues in the Community Psychology Topical Interest Group. The contributions all week come from CP TIG members. Do you have questions, concerns, kudos, or content to extend this aea365 contribution? Please add them in the comments section for this post on the aea365 webpage so that we may enrich our community of practice. Would you like to submit an aea365 Tip? Please send a note of interest to aea365@eval.org. aea365 is sponsored by the American Evaluation Association and provides a Tip-a-Day by and for evaluators.

About AEA The American Evaluation Association is an international professional association and the largest in its field. Evaluation involves assessing the strengths and weaknesses of programs, policies, personnel, products and organizations to improve their effectiveness. AEAs mission is to improve evaluation practices and methods worldwide, to increase evaluation use, promote evaluation as a profession and support the contribution of evaluation to the generation of theory and knowledge about effective human action. For more information about AEA, visit www.eval.org. We areand. Susan is a community consultant at Susan Wolfe and Associates, LLC where she provides evaluation and capacity building services to nonprofit organizations and community collaboratives. Kyrah is an assistant professor at the University of Texas at Arlington where she conducts community-based maternal-child health (MCH) research and provides evaluation capacity building support to local MCH coalitions and collaboratives.Many of the collaboratives we work with are working to eliminate health, education, or other disparities, which requires a focus on equity and justice. To achieve equity and justice, collaboratives employ a community development approach whereby those who are most affected by inequities and injustices are fully engaged in leadership and making decisions about the matters that affect their lives.In an AEA365 blog July 27, 2017, we introduced six principles to promote equity and justice from the January 2017 article titled Collaborating for Equity and Justice: Moving Beyond Collective Impact. Two of the principles address community inclusion:In this blog, we share some resources and tips for evaluating the extent to which collaboratives are fully implementing these principles.In his book Principles Focused Evaluation: The GUIDE, Michael Quinn Patton (2018) introduces concepts and shares examples that are helpful for thinking through and framing an evaluation that includes assessing principles.Evaluators assessing community inclusion need to understand and have insight into what community inclusion really means. At the lowest level, is may be forming community advisory groups that look good, but have no actual power, or convening community residents to help implement a program or campaign designed by outsiders to change the residents, not conditions.Advisory groups that have no voice about actions taken are not true inclusion. If you are evaluating a collaborative and there is a community advisory group, examine related documents to determine the extent to which this group has final say over what will be done. If they have none, then it is not true inclusion.A somewhat higher level of engagement may involve community members by bringing them together to share information or gather their input on issues via surveys or focus groups. Another strategy is to hand pick worthy or suitable community members for boards and executive committees.Surveys and focus groups can yield useful data, but they are not true community inclusion. Additionally, if the data are being interpreted through the lens of individuals with privilege, the findings may not truly represent the community voice. Community members should be included in the development of the measurement tools and on the analysis team, with final decision authority over what is reported.More tips tomorrow!The American Evaluation Association is celebrating CP TIG Week with our colleagues in the Community Psychology Topical Interest Group. The contributions all week come from CP TIG members. Do you have questions, concerns, kudos, or content to extend this aea365 contribution? Please add them in the comments section for this post on the aea365 webpage so that we may enrich our community of practice. Would you like to submit an aea365 Tip? Please send a note of interest to aea365@eval.org. aea365 is sponsored by the American Evaluation Association and provides a Tip-a-Day by and for evaluators.

Anthony Sierra, a techican for AT&T, said he that while performing home installations he has seen the couches and other places children call beds. On Saturday, he was alongside more than 200 colleagues and friends who volunteered to construct twin-size bunk beds in the hopes of giving children better places on which to sleep.

You see a lot of things when you go into houses, kids who could use beds and other things  linens, he said. We just want to do something to help out.

The effort known as a build day was led by Sleep in Heavenly Peace, or SHP, a national nonprofit that focuses on building and delivering beds to children who do not have a proper place to sleep. The volunteer event was coordinated alongside AT&T at its field operations site on 6445 W. Hausman Road.

Eddie Arnold is president of the San Antonio chapter and said the group has been helping local children for more than a year. The organization has almost 1,000 applications for their beds and is working with the San Antonio Housing Authority to host a build-and-delivery event next month.

Arnold said that SAHA estimates more than 3,000 children are in need of a bed.

We dont really know how many kids in San Antonio need beds, but its a lot, Arnold said. We have a lot of work to do.

He said the group is looking to partner with other organizations, churches and companies like AT&T to host future build days.

Scott Miller, director of field operations for AT&T, said his team along with an internal organization known as Women of AT&T raised $15,000 for Saturdays build day, and a local hardware store donated some of the wood.

Volunteers put together the parts for 50 beds overall. They also delivered and assembled 40 beds that were already prepared prior to the event.

Although many of the AT&T volunteers were familiar with the tools used to construct each piece, the assembly plan established by the nonprofit helps reduce any learning curve for volunteers unfamiliar with woodworking. Its pretty repetitive. Once they show you what to do, you just get to it, Sierra said as waited for the next piece of lumber to drill onto a headboard.

More than 12,000 pieces of stick lumber moved through the volunteer assembly line with different stations measuring, cutting, sanding and drilling. The wood also is oxidized with a combination of vinegar and steel wool.

Weve had people who have never even touched a drill, or a saw or a sander. and theyre building a bunk bed, Arnold said.

The total package also includes pillows, blankets and other necessities for a good nights rest.

Miller said they deliver beds to the West Side, East Side and past Southeast Loop 1604. He was encouraging the volunteers working on assembly to make at least one delivery to see the difference a bed can make in the homes theyre destined for.

It tears your heartstrings, Miller said. Youre going into a home, and youre seeing the value of what youre bringing to that person.

Sleep in Heavily Peace is planning an event called Bunks Across America on June 15, during which it hopes to build 2,500 beds in a nationwide effort. More information can be found at www.shpbeds.org or by visiting the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/SHPSanAntonio/.

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As Mayor Ron Nirenberg was shepherding his first city budget through its last meetings in 2017, first-term Councilman Greg Brockhouse made an eyebrow-raising proposal.

Brockhouse wanted to slash some $13.9 million from the spending plan by eliminating several city offices, including the Center City Development and Operations Department, which manages downtown.

The savings would have allowed for a small cut in the city property tax rate, another ambulance for the fire department and even more money for street maintenance, which was expected to receive a hefty increase in the proposed budget.

The budget, approved one day later, was the first to use an equity lens, which directed extra funds to the citys most needy areas rather than an even division among each council district. It boosted street money by $35 million, though none of that extra money went to Brockhouses district. It was instead directed to the five district with the poorest quality of streets. The budget also added new police officers and firefighters.

Brockhouses motion quickly drew the rebuke of all but one of his colleagues, who protested that it was an 11th-hour pitch that didnt leave adequate time for analysis or collaboration.

But the effort was emblematic of the vastly different approach Brockhouse has promised to carry to City Hall if he is elected mayor over Nirenberg in the June 8 runoff.

They just have a different viewpoint of how expansive (city government) should be, or where its priorities should be, said former state Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, who ran and fell short of becoming mayor herself in 2015.

Both of them love the city, but their style is very, very different. How they would act as mayors is very different.

The campaign between Nirenberg and Brockhouse has been combative and polarizing, with arguments about accomplishments and character playing out in public view.

Since Brockhouse announced he would run Feb. 9, the men have always agreed on one uncontested fact: They disagree on just about everything.

That hasnt changed, even as the election has swayed in momentum, dominated in one turn by the controversial decision to remove Chick-fil-A from an airport contract and at another by domestic abuse allegations against Brockhouse.

Nirenberg, who has favored moving cautiously and studying issues thoroughly during his two years as mayor, emphasizes his vision for guiding the city into the next generation. To him, rapid population growth and other near and long-term challenges demand a thoughtful approach.

Brockhouse sells a right-sized alternative to what he views as government overreach: a City Hall focused on its core responsibilities  public safety, chief among them. He often says hes more worried about the 1.5 million people here now than the million-plus expected to join them by 2040.

The two represent clearly delineated visions in terms of scope and strategy: the difference between an aspirational government and a limited one.

Public safety unions

Perhaps nowhere do the two candidates diverge more than when it comes to the citys police and fire unions.

Nirenberg has taken a hard stance against the unions and their leadership, who he once derided in a debate as political hacks.

When the police union settled its contract dispute with the city in 2016, then-Councilman Nirenberg was one of two No votes. He argued the deal wouldnt save the city enough money on legacy budget costs.

He also led the charge last year against a set of charter amendments pushed by the fire union, which is locked in its own years-long contract dispute with the city.

But voters approved two of those measures, setting pay and tenure caps for city managers and giving the union sole authority to declare an impasse in contract negotiations.

On ExpressNews.com: Years-long contract stalemate for San Antonio firefighters reaches new crossroads

The mayor has said he hopes a win in this election will force members of the fire union, in particular, to re-evaluate their leadership.

Negotiators with the fire union and city continue to work on a new contract in closed-door mediation after their public talks stalled.

Brockhouse, who was a political consultant for the unions before he was elected to the council, has been their biggest backer at City Hall. They have now put their powerhouse political machines behind him in his bid to unseat the mayor.

The councilman has said a victory for him would restore trust with the unions, allowing the two sides to move past their fractious relationship.

But Nirenberg has said Brockhouse is a puppet who will give the unions the farm while in office. Brockhouse has rejected that characterization, and has said there are natural checks and balances that would prevent him from doing so.

He argues voters would never re-elect a mayor who approves such an obvious quid pro quo. And more importantly, he argues, the full City Council must approve a contract, and it would never rubber-stamp an irresponsible deal.

But to many, that question still lingers.

I think thats just a deal breaker. It certainly is for me, said Joe Krier, a former city councilman and longtime president of the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce.

Property taxes

Brockhouse has advanced an aggressive proposal to cut the citys portion of property taxes. When he rolled out his Action Plan SA, laying out what he would do as mayor, the first item promised tax relief.

He has pledged a meaningful cut in the citys property tax rate during his first budget season. The council will begin work on that spending plan two days after it is sworn in on June 19.

Brockhouse has also pledged to move forward on a citywide homestead exemption. Though San Antonios tax rate is lower than all but one of Texas five largest cities, it is the only one that doesnt offer such an exemption.

But that measure would carry a tight deadline. If the city were to include it in the next budget, it would have to submit a request to the state by July 1. Brockhouse has acknowledged that would be difficult to do, while pledging to return to it in the future.

The councilman said he would cut government waste and redundancies to pay for the tax breaks. He didnt identify examples because he said he wants to leave room for discretion for staff and colleagues.

The citys portion of property taxes accounts for about a fifth of the average San Antonians bill. Most of it  about half  comes from school districts.

On ExpressNews.com: Brockhouse promises meaningful cut to property taxes if elected San Antonios mayor

Nirenberg has said he is open to a homestead exemption as well, supporting a measure from Councilmen John Courage and Clayton Perry that instructed city staff to study the subject.

Frequently in debates, Brockhouse has pointed out that he has twice tried to lower the tax rate in the last two years, and both times Nirenberg opposed the efforts.

But the mayor has rebuffed those attempts as last-minute proposals aimed more at political soundbites than real reform. As a councilman, Nirenberg voted to reduce the property tax rate in 2015.

Transportation

Nirenberg and Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff created ConnectSA last year, a nonprofit charged with charting a course on transportation.

The groups framework advises city leaders to forgo light rail for an advanced rapid bus system, which would give buses dedicated lanes and the ability to move past traffic. The blueprint also calls for constructing new sidewalks and lanes for bikes and scooters, and boosting VIA bus service, among other strategies.

Nirenberg has said he hopes to bring a final ConnectSA plan to voters for approval sometime in 2020.

The mayor has touted increased funding for street maintenance  from $64 million to $110 million  as a key success during his first term, along with an initiative spearheaded by Councilman Rey Saldana that devoted $10 million more to VIA to increase the frequency of certain routes.

Brockhouse has said he would discard ConnectSA. Instead, hed concentrate his efforts on building up VIA, which is underfunded when compared to other large cities in Texas.

His transportation plan calls for correcting that disparity, along with seeking more federal funds for highways and coordinating with employers to create a flex time program to disperse peak traffic across larger spans of time.

Climate change

One of Nirenbergs first actions as mayor was a measure affirming support for the Paris climate accord. Soon after, he led City Council in beginning work on what is now SA Climate Ready, a plan that aspires for San Antonio to reach carbon neutrality by 2050.

The plan, still in the works, lays out a roster of strategies the city can take to reach that goal. Those policies will require future council votes to actually take effect if the blueprint is approved.

The strategies include retiring coal and natural gas as electricity sources and transitioning the citys fleet of vehicles into electric ones.

SA Climate Ready drew criticism from the business community, which worried about its economic costs, and environmentalists, who worried it doesnt go far enough.

On ExpressNews.com: Mayoral contenders spar on climate change policy

Brockhouse has ridiculed the plan and promised to drop it if elected. In its place, he would implement what he calls a pro-business climate plan, pledging to plant 10,000 trees and form a 30-day working group of stakeholders to implement best practices.

He said some of those best practices could spring from the work already put into SA Climate Ready.

Nirenberg scoffed at Brockhouses proposal, saying it basically amounted to what the city is already doing. But Brockhouse maintains it is different in terms of scope.

Were not going to do 200 things in this plan, Brockhouse said.

Affordable housing

Last August, Nirenbergs Housing Policy Task Force presented a 53-page report on how City Hall could tackle the growing costs of homes in San Antonio.

It called for dramatically increased funding in city budgets and creating an executive position in the city managers office to spearhead the approach, among other ideas.

The first part of that plan was incorporated in last years budget, with $25 million in resources devoted to addressing housing affordability.

Brockhouse has said hes skeptical of that far-reaching plan. He is particularly opposed to creating a new position or office at City Hall to address it. He believes that cutting development fees and reducing property taxes would do more to help make housing more affordable.

Transparency

One of Brockhouses most prominent campaign appeals has been a promise to return power to the people.

He has called out what he sees as backroom deals and consequential decisions made in executive session, such as passing on the 2020 Republican National Convention.

Brockhouse promised to limit those closed-door sessions to legal concerns and bidding processes. He would also have those sessions recorded for future legal review.

He said he would also pilot later council meetings to boost public participation and mandate council attendance at Citizens to Be Heard, a meeting where public residents can address members.

Nirenberg also has championed transparency. Early in his term, the City Council strengthened financial disclosure requirements for council candidates.

The mayor has also partnered with Councilwoman Ana Sandoval on a slew of transparency-related policies, including streaming all council meetings live online.

He has promised to pursue charter reform if re-elected, and has said he wants to create an independent Ethics Review Board. The board is currently made up of people appointed by the City Council.

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Struggling to describe the fire that destroyed Notre Dame Cathedral, I keep looking at a now famous image of the golden cross distinctly present as if emerging from the destroyed interior, standing proud over the rubble.

Below the cross, the most sorrowful Virgin Mary holds the battered, emaciated body of her son while statues of Louis XIII and XIV look upon them, reminiscent of John the Apostle and Mary Magdalene, whose presence marked the destruction of the temple of the body of Christ.

These four figures are distinctly present  in statue and meaning  in photographs of the cathedral, the cross over the saddened onlookers conveying a sign of strength. The figures are both sad and hopeful, offering visitors solace through trying times, as the faithful grapple with their damaged cathedral and others seek comfort away from the violence inherent in the modern world.

In those early images of the Notre Dame catastrophe, the floor of the cathedral was laden with rubble. Piles of wood mimicked the remains of a house made of sticks torn from its foundation by the destructive winds of nature.

Although the fire at the cathedral may have been by accident, much of the rubble of the world is not.

Much of the rubble of our lives is caused by those who seek strength in the weakness of others. Our freedom, safety and dreams are overshadowed by the darkness of hate and ignorance. Fear grips all of us now. We are no longer distant from the destruction of war, mass immigration, imprisonment of the innocent and the taking of innocent life. We can no longer take for granted eating at the corner cafe, worshipping at holy places or even going to school. The global result of which we in the United States are now a part  a sadness that weve seen again and again but mostly about faraway places  has reduced our lives to destruction, despair, fear.

Columbine, Sandy Hook, Parkland. Charlottesville, Sutherland Springs, Las Vegas. These are not places in Syria, Venezuela, Russia or France. They are here at home. The destructive entities are citizens, not illegal immigrants.

As written in John 2:19, Jesus answered and said to them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.

Rubble there is  at Notre Dame, at the borders, in places of war, at our schools and in our places of worship. Yet there are also those seeking to rebuild not only places but people. Lawyers, politicians, soldiers, aid workers and everyday citizens who feel compelled to assist the immigrant, the imprisoned, the homeless, the dying. They are those who, out of the rubble, seek a better world. All of us can face these demons of despair and destruction.

We can be the builders of hope and love.

Our common humanity  for which we can show peace, love and charity  can provide the leaven for our bread, the mortar and bricks for our homes and schools. With faith, hope and love, we all can share in providing the strength to seek what is whole and good.

We need to renew ourselves in order to distinguish the evils of destruction so that we, too, can rise to better days for all. We can do this through the sacred unity of the human race.

We can achieve even more greatness together, standing firm. We can rebuild a world full of care and love, compassion and giving.

Out of the rubble, we can rebuild our nations, our faiths, our world and our humanity.

Alicia Cordoba Tait is the Beirne Director of the Center for Catholic Studies at St. Marys University and a professor of music.Most of us are as good as were required to be. Some of us are better than absolutely necessary. But humans tend to do less well unless forced to do better. A worker who is left unsupervised may work more slowly, less carefully or not at all. If there are no standards of performance, or if those standards are unenforced, performance often suffers.

We know this about human nature, so we understand that if we want high-quality work from others, we must expect it, supervise it, enforce it. Consequences for breaches of work rules are not only intended to correct the worker, but are necessary to convey to every other worker that standards are valued and required.

This simple understanding  which seems universal  is often applied selectively. It has been reported that President Donald Trump has requested the U.S. Department of Justice prepare the paperwork necessary to pardon certain military service members who have been charged with war crimes. It was speculated that Trump would pardon this latest group of service members on Memorial Day, a day reserved to honor those who have fallen in military service to our country.

No pardons were issued on that day, perhaps because the president was on a visit to Japan. But there also was no denial by the White House that pardons are being considered.

The alleged misconduct by members of our military includes the murder of an unarmed Afghan national, the desecration of bodies of Taliban fighters and the fatally knifing of an enemy captive.

Those accused of these atrocities are members of special operations units and include a Navy SEAL and Army Green Beret. Others include Marine snipers and a Blackwater security contractor operating in Iraq. Most have not yet been tried for these crimes.

A presidential pardon would legally wipe away the possibility of punishment for these acts, all of which occurred outside the United States. The pardons would stand as tacit admissions that these people, while representing the United States of America, in fact violated norms of domestic, international and natural law, but without consequence. In several cases, it would mean they literally got away with murder.

I served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam era. My family tree is filled with service in virtually all of the military branches. I understand that war is a horrible business that causes the best of people to sometimes do terrible things. Of course, we want to understand and even forgive acts committed in the passion of a moment or under the psychological pressure of combat.

But I also remember the My Lai massacre during my own era in the military, after which an American soldier was convicted of murdering more than 20 civilians in a Vietnamese village. As a young platoon leader, I carried the shame of what another young platoon leader, Lt. William Calley, had done, and the anger I felt that his punishment was so light. President Richard Nixon changed Calleys life sentence to a short term of house arrest. I felt Calley had dishonored the United States and the entire junior officer corps of the Army. I understood why public sentiment favored Calley, but I couldnt understand why deliberately killing innocent civilians, even in wartime, could be treated so lightly. Why do we look the other way when soldiers commit the most serious of crimes?

In part, the answer lies in an appreciation of how difficult it is to function in a civilized manner under uncivilized circumstances. The rules we are taught to play by are hard to follow when we have to deal with people playing by very different rules  or no rules at all.

But our willingness to readily excuse the actions of our military service members is also fueled by the distance that separates them from civilian society. I have lived in times in which the military was disliked, reviled and dishonored, as well as in times in which strangers feel compelled to thank me for my service and refer to the military as heroes.

The truth, of course, is that soldiers are neither heroes nor villains. They are humans who do difficult jobs and make mistakes. Some perform heroically, but most just do the job honestly and competently. Some  in my experience, most  are good people, but even good people sometimes do bad things. Some do criminal things.

When those bad actions are overlooked, covered up or excused, the message to others who do their hard jobs honorably, following the laws and values that reflect the country we aspire to be, is that society doesnt expect them to make difficult choices. The easy path, even if it is the wrong path, carries no risk.

We are a nation with a professional military, a warrior class. Less than 10 percent of Americans have served in the military at any point in our lives. The actions of those few will be judged by the many who are grateful not to have been burdened with that hard job. Perhaps from a sense of guilt, or from a misunderstanding of the pressures and the choices the role entails, society is quick to pardon what is done to others in our names. They are the same things that would be condemned if done to us.

If Trump pardons these service members, will pardons for these atrocities honor the values for which others gave their lives? Will it encourage those in difficult service to act honorably, humanely and compassionately?

In an often-quoted and equally often-ignored passage, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis wrote, In a government of laws, existence of the government will be imperiled if it fails to observe the law scrupulously. Our government is the potent, the omnipresent teacher. For good or for ill, it teaches the whole people by its example.

What lessons will be learned by pardons? That some lives dont matter? That honorable service is optional? Or that the rule of law can be suspended at will?

Gerald S. Reamey is a professor of law at the St. Marys University School of Law and an expert in criminal law.DARIEN  Thirty-eight years after Darien Police Officer Kenneth E. Bateman Jr. was shot and killed during a routine call, his department is still hoping to catch his killer.

On May 31, 1981, 34-year-old Bateman was sent to handle an activated burglar alarm at the Duchess Patio Restaurant on the edge of town near the border with Norwalk. It was 3:25 a.m.

When Bateman pulled his police cruiser into the parking lot, he was met with anything but a routine alarm call. The side door of the restaurant had been pried open. Backup had not yet arrived.

Bateman, a seven-year veteran with the force, soon spotted the suspected burglar breaking through a plate-glass door in an effort to escape. The patrolman shouted for the suspect to stop before unloading seven shots from his gun.

But by the time Bateman had pulled the trigger that seventh time, he had fallen to the ground, shot through the neck by a .38-caliber bullet. The shot severed his carotid artery, voice box and windpipe.

When Bateman was found at the scene, after losing a significant amount of blood, he was rushed to Norwalk Hospital. Within an hour and a half, he was pronounced dead.

Batemans killing remains an ongoing investigation for Darien police. His is the only unsolved homicide of a Connecticut police officer on record.

Although an arrest has never been made, one prime suspect has always been on the minds of law enforcement for Batemans murder: West Haven resident Anthony Sabato.

Despite the belief that Sabato was the one to pull the trigger, police officials said they never had enough evidence to pull together a provable case against him, despite an extensive rap sheet of dozens of arrests on burglary, weapons, drug and assault charges, dating back to 1975.

Sabato has been a suspect since day one.

Sometime in the afternoon of May 31, 1981, Darien police confronted Sabato in the Cove neighborhood of Stamford. He refused to answer any questions.

He was someone police focused on as a potential suspect after learning he was also a suspect in several burglaries on the Post Road around the same time of Batemans death.

Doctors were able to pull the .38-caliber wad cutter slug  used for target practice  that killed Bateman out of his body, undamaged. The flat-headed slug had a coating of brass or copper on it. Police officials said its a unusual slug.

A .38-caliber revolver stolen from the Stamford home before Bateman was shot and killed had those same unique bullets taken, too.

Sabato was a suspect in that Stamford home burglary before his name was ever linked to the Bateman case. The gun was never found.

Some former police officials close to the case have said the only way the case will be solved is with a dying declaration from the shooter or an accomplice.

Others police officials close to the investigation have said what police need is significant proof to lead them to the weapon or the suspect.

Only one thing is certain: Darien police will never stop searching for Batemans killer.

Bateman, a Stamford native, joined Darien police in 1973. Before becoming a police officer, he served as a member of the United States Navy.

At the time of his death, he left behind his wife, Barbara, and his parents, Kenneth Sr. and Gladys Bateman.

This story includes previous reporting by staff writer John Nickerson.

Anyone with information about his death is asked to call the Darien Police Department Detective Division at 203-662-5330.Fairfield, MT (59436)

Today

Cloudy skies. A few flurries or snow showers possible. Morning high of 13F with temps falling to near 5. W winds shifting to N at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Cloudy skies with a few snow showers later at night. Low -7F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 30%.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.

It was recently reported that Boney Kapoor will be remaking Mr. India with a contemporary twist. Mr. India starred Anil Kapoor and Boney Kapoors wife, late Sridevi in the lead roles and was a massive hit in its time. Now the ace producer has come out and spoken about how it was back then to shoot with Sridevi. Talking about it during a recent interview, he revealed, The most special memory is, of course, meeting my wife Sridevi for the first time for the film and the first day of shooting with her. He added, "My only condition was that I needed 60-65 days, but we ended up shooting for 125 days because she was passionate about the project and knew it needed that kind of time."











Boney Kapoor also went on to reveal how this project will be his tribute to his late wife. He said, Itd be my ode to Sri and to Veeru (who died recently) and Amrish Puri and everyone who contributed to the film. But the most to Sri, because she was the sole selling factor of the film. Of course, Anil will be a part of the film. In fact, Id want most people from the original to be a part of this. Itd mean a lot to me if they contributed to the film. We are super excited about this one, what about you?









TORONTO, June 1, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- JHI Associates, Inc. ("JHI") and Mid-Atlantic Oil & Gas, Inc. ("MOGI") wish to clarify the details concerning the award of the Canje Block offshore Guyana in 2015. As a statement of record, the block was awarded on March 4, 2015, using the standard Guyana Model Production Agreement. The Liza-1 well on the adjacent Starbroek Block was very high-risk and did not begin drilling until after the Canje Block licence was signed. Prior to this, there were no discoveries anywhere offshore Guyana. JHI and MOGI followed all applicable laws and regulations in their application for the licence for the Canje Block.

Neither JHI nor MOGI has received any request for information, and neither company has been notified of any pending investigations into the award of the licence for the Canje Block. Both companies welcome the opportunity to discuss this matter with duly authorized agencies of the Government of Guyana at any time.

JHI and MOGI value our reputations as good corporate citizens and are committed to operating all aspects of our businesses in an open, cooperative and transparent manner. We recognize the importance of this resource to the people of Guyana and take our responsibility to explore for oil and gas offshore Guyana very seriously.

The founders of JHI, Mr. John Cullen, and MOGI, Dr. Edris K. Dookie, each have over 20 years' experience exploring for oil offshore Guyana as the original co-founders of CGX Energy. Through CGX, they both served Guyana exceptionally, through the drilling of several offshore wells, and especially in relation to the pivotal role they played in the successful resolution of the maritime boundary dispute with Suriname.

For the Canje Block licence application, Cullen and Dookie brought a technical team with over 130 years of offshore petroleum exploration experience, and significant financial capabilities based on prior successes in raising USD$100's of millions of dollars for oil and gas exploration projects in Guyana and elsewhere. JHI's and MOGI's qualifications certainly met the Guyana Government's requirement that licence applicants must demonstrate technical expertise and financial capabilities.

Additional information regarding our technical expertise and financial capabilities can be found on our website www.jhiassociates.com.

Below is a timeline of events surrounding the Canje Licence:

Negotiations for the Canje Block began in March 2013 .

The Canje Block licence was awarded on March 4, 2015 .

The Liza-1 well began drilling on March 5, 2015 . On May 20, 2015 , the Liza-1 well was announced as a "significant discovery."

Over 40 wells had been drilled offshore in the Guyana-Suriname Basin prior to Liza-1, and none encountered commercial quantities of oil or gas.

For additional information, please visit our website at www.jhiassociates.com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.Subcutaneous formulation also showed reduced administration time and lower rates of infusion-related reactions compared to intravenous administration

The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson Johnson announced today results from the Phase 3 COLUMBA (MMY3012, NCT03277105) study, investigating a subcutaneously (SC) administered formulation of Darzalex(daratumumab), co-formulated with recombinant human hyaluronidase PH20 (rHuPH20) [Halozyme's ENHANZE drug delivery technology], in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma. The results showed non-inferior efficacy and pharmacokinetics for the SC administered formulation of daratumumab compared to intravenous (IV) administration, the only currently approved formulation of daratumumab (Abstract #8005).1 The data presentation the first for this Phase 3 study with SC formulation is being featured in an oral session at the 55thAmerican Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting in Chicago, and was selected for the Best of ASCO 2019 Meetings.

"This study showed that the subcutaneous formulation of daratumumab resulted in non-inferior pharmacokinetics and efficacy compared to the current intravenous formulation, and also importantly offers the potential for a fixed-dose administration, shorter infusion times and a lower rate of infusion-related reactions," said Maria-Victoria Mateos, M.D., Ph.D., COLUMBA primary investigator and Director of the Myeloma Unit at University Hospital of Salamanca-IBSAL, Salamanca, Spain. "Daratumumab IV has proven to be an important medication in the treatment of multiple myeloma, and a new subcutaneous formulation may offer patients a different experience, including a shorter administration time."

At a median follow-up of 7.5 months, the overall response rate (ORR) was 41 percent for the SC administered formulation of daratumumab compared to 37 percent for daratumumab IV (95 percent confidence interval [CI], 1.11 (0.89-1.37); P<0.0001).1 The ORR was similar across all clinically relevant subgroups, including bodyweight.1 The ratio of geometric means of C trough for SC daratumumab over IV daratumumab was 108 percent (90 percent CI, 96 percent -122 percent).1 The progression-free survival was comparable between the SC administered formulation of daratumumab and the current IV formulation of daratumumab (Hazard Ratio [HR] 0.99; 95 percent CI, 0.78-1.26; P<0.9258).1 The median duration for each SC injection was five minutes, compared to more than three hours with IV infusions.1

The most common (>5%) Grade 3/4 treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) were thrombocytopenia (14 percent vs. 14 percent), anaemia (13 percent vs. 14 percent) and neutropenia (13 percent vs. 8 percent).1 A lower rate of infusion-related reactions was observed in the arm that received the SC administered formulation of daratumumab compared to daratumumab IV (13 percent vs. 35 percent, respectively) (Odds Ratio 0.28; 95 percent CI (0.18-0.44); P<0.0001).1 The primary reasons for treatment discontinuation included progressive disease (43 percent in the SC arm vs. 44 percent in the IV arm) and adverse events (7 percent in the SC arm vs. 8 percent in the IV arm).1

"Our ambition in multiple myeloma has always focused on improving outcomes, but also experience for patients, and we are therefore incredibly pleased to see these results which confirm the potential for a new, and shorter, route of administration," said Dr Patrick Laroche, Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) Haematology Therapeutic Area Lead, Janssen-Cilag France. "We look forward to submitting these data for regulatory review in coming months, to extend the reach of daratumumab to patients who could benefit from this novel formulation."

ENDS

In Europe, daratumumab is indicated:2

in combination with bortezomib, melphalan and prednisone for the treatment of adult patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma who are ineligible for autologous stem cell transplant

as monotherapy for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma, whose prior therapy included a proteasome inhibitor and an immunomodulatory agent and who have demonstrated disease progression on the last therapy

in combination with lenalidomide and dexamethasone, or bortezomib and dexamethasone, for the treatment of adult patients with multiple myeloma who have received at least one prior therapy.

About the COLUMBA Trial3

The randomised, open-label, multicentre Phase 3 study included 522 patients with multiple myeloma who had received at least three prior lines of therapy including a proteasome inhibitor (PI) and an immunomodulatory drug (IMiD), or whose disease was refractory to both a PI and an IMiD (median age of 67). In the arm that received the SC administered formulation of daratumumab (n=263), patients received a fixed dose of daratumumab 1,800 milligrams (mg) co-formulated with recombinant human hyaluronidase (rHuPH20) 2,000 Units Per millilitre (U/mL), subcutaneously weekly for Cycles 1 2, every two weeks for Cycles 3 6, and every four weeks for Cycle 7 and thereafter. In the daratumumab IV arm (n=259), patients received daratumumab for intravenous infusion 16 milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg) weekly for Cycles 1 2, every two weeks for Cycles 3 6, and every four weeks for Cycle 7 and thereafter. Each cycle was 28 days. Patients in both treatment arms continued until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Co-primary endpoints were ORR (analysed by Farrington-Manning test, with non-inferiority 60 percent retention of ORR) and pre-dose C3D1 DARA C trough (non-inferiority lower bound of 90 percent CI for the ratio of the geometric means [GM] =80%).

About daratumumab

Daratumumab is a first-in-class4 biologic targeting CD38, a surface protein that is highly expressed across multiple myeloma cells, regardless of disease stage.5 Daratumumab is believed to induce tumour cell death through multiple immune-mediated mechanisms of action, including complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC), antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) and antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis (ADCP), as well as through apoptosis, in which a series of molecular steps in a cell lead to its death.2 A subset of myeloid derived suppressor cells (CD38+ MDSCs), CD38+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) and CD38+ B cells (Bregs) were decreased by daratumumab.2 Daratumumab is being evaluated in a comprehensive clinical development programme across a range of treatment settings in multiple myeloma, such as in frontline and relapsed settings.6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13 Additional studies are ongoing or planned to assess its potential in other malignant and pre-malignant haematologic diseases in which CD38 is expressed, such as smouldering myeloma.14,15 For more information, please see www.clinicaltrials.gov.

For further information on daratumumab, please see the Summary of Product Characteristics athttps://www.ema.europa.eu/documents/product-information/darzalex-epar-product-information_en.pdf.

In August 2012, Janssen Biotech, Inc. and Genmab A/S entered a worldwide agreement, which granted Janssen an exclusive licence to develop, manufacture and commercialise daratumumab.16

About Multiple Myeloma

Multiple myeloma (MM) is an incurable blood cancer that starts in the bone marrow and is characterised by an excessive proliferation of plasma cells.17 In Europe, more than 48,200 people were diagnosed with MM in 2018, and more than 30,800 patients died.18 Almost 60 percent of patients with MM do not survive more than five years after diagnosis.19

Although treatment may result in remission, unfortunately, patients will most likely relapse as there is currently no cure.20 Refractory MM is when a patient's disease progresses within 60 days of their last therapy.21,22 Relapsed cancer is when the disease has returned after a period of initial, partial or complete remission.23 While some patients with MM have no symptoms at all, most patients are diagnosed due to symptoms that can include bone problems, low blood counts, calcium elevation, kidney problems or infections.24 Patients who relapse after treatment with standard therapies, including proteasome inhibitors and immunomodulatory agents, have poor prognoses and few treatment options available.25

About the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson Johnson

At Janssen, we're creating a future where disease is a thing of the past. We're the Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson Johnson, working tirelessly to make that future a reality for patients everywhere by fighting sickness with science, improving access with ingenuity, and healing hopelessness with heart. We focus on areas of medicine where we can make the biggest difference: Cardiovascular Metabolism, Immunology, Infectious Diseases Vaccines, Neuroscience, Oncology, and Pulmonary Hypertension.

Learn more at www.janssen.com/emea. Follow us at www.twitter.com/janssenEMEA for our latest news. Janssen R&D, LLC, Janssen Biotech and Janssen-Cilag France are part of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson Johnson.

Cautions Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 regarding the benefits of daratumumab for the treatment of patients with multiple myeloma. The reader is cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations of future events. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or known or unknown risks or uncertainties materialise, actual results could vary materially from the expectations and of Janssen Research Development, LLC., Janssen-Cilag France and any of the other Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies and/or Johnson Johnson. Risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: challenges and uncertainties inherent in product research and development, including the uncertainty of clinical success and of obtaining regulatory approvals; uncertainty of commercial success; manufacturing difficulties and delays; competition, including technological advances, new products and patents attained by competitors; challenges to patents; [product efficacy or safety concerns resulting in product recalls or regulatory action; changes in behaviour and spending patterns of purchasers of health care products and services; changes to applicable laws and regulations, including global health care reforms; and trends toward health care cost containment. A further list and descriptions of these risks, uncertainties and other factors can be found in Johnson Johnson's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 30, 2018, including in the sections captioned "Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" and "Item 1A. Risk Factors," and in the company's most recently filed Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, and the company's subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Copies of these filings are available online at www.sec.govwww.jnj.com or on request from Johnson Johnson. Neither the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson Johnson nor Johnson Johnson undertakes to update any forward-looking statement as a result of new information or future events or developments.

EHNANZE is a registered trademark of Halozyme, Inc.

______________________

1 Mateos MV, Nahi H, Legiec W, et al. Efficacy and safety of the randomized, open-label, non-inferiority, phase 3 study of subcutaneous (SC) versus intravenous (IV) daratumumab (DARA) administration in patients (pts) with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM): COLUMBA. Presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, Chicago, IL, USA, 31 May 4 June 2019.

2 European Medicines Agency. DARZALEX summary of product characteristics, January 2019. Available at: https://www.ema.europa.eu/documents/product-information/darzalex-epar-product-information_en.pdf Last accessed May 2019.

3 ClinicalTrials.gov. A Study of Subcutaneous Versus (vs.) Intravenous Administration of Daratumumab in Participants With Relapsed or Refractory Multiple Myeloma. NCT03277105. Available at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03277105 Last accessed May 2019.

4 Sanchez L, Wang Y, Siegel DS, Wang ML. Daratumumab: a first-in-class CD38 monoclonal antibody for the treatment of multiple myeloma. J Hematol Oncol. 2016;9:51.

5 Fedele G, di Girolamo M, Recine U, et al. CD38 ligation in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of myeloma patients induces release of protumorigenic IL-6 and impaired secretion of IFNgamma cytokines and proliferation. Mediat Inflamm. 2013;2013:564687.

6 ClinicalTrials.gov. A study to evaluate daratumumab in transplant eligible participants with previously untreated multiple myeloma (Cassiopeia). NCT02541383. Available at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02541383 Last accessed May 2019.

7 ClinicalTrials.gov. A study comparing daratumumab, lenalidomide, and dexamethasone with lenalidomide and dexamethasone in relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. NCT02076009. Available at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02076009 Last accessed May 2019.

8 ClinicalTrials.gov. Addition of daratumumab to combination of bortezomib and dexamethasone in participants with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. NCT02136134. Available at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02136134 Last accessed May 2019.

9 ClinicalTrials.gov. A study of combination of daratumumab and Velcade (bortezomib) melphalan-prednisone (DVMP) compared to Velcade melphalan-prednisone (VMP) in participants with previously untreated multiple myeloma. NCT02195479. Available at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02195479 Last accessed May 2019.

10 ClinicalTrials.gov. Study comparing daratumumab, lenalidomide, and dexamethasone with lenalidomide and dexamethasone in participants with previously untreated multiple myeloma. NCT02252172. Available at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02252172 Last accessed May 2019.

11 ClinicalTrials.gov. A study of Velcade (bortezomib) melphalan-prednisone (VMP) compared to daratumumab in combination with VMP (D-VMP), in participants with previously untreated multiple myeloma who are ineligible for high-dose therapy (Asia Pacific region). NCT03217812. Available at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03217812 Last accessed May 2019.

12 ClinicalTrials.gov. Comparison of pomalidomide and dexamethasone with or without daratumumab in subjects with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma previously treated with lenalidomide and a proteasome inhibitor daratumumab/pomalidomide/dexamethasone vs pomalidomide/dexamethasone (EMN14). NCT03180736. Available at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03180736 Last accessed May 2019.

13 ClinicalTrials.gov. Study of carfilzomib, daratumumab and dexamethasone for patients with relapsed and/or refractory multiple myeloma (CANDOR). NCT03158688. Available at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03158688 Last accessed May 2019.

14 ClinicalTrials.gov. A study to evaluate 3 dose schedules of daratumumab in participants with smoldering multiple myeloma. NCT02316106. Available at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02316106 Last accessed May 2019.

15 ClinicalTrials.gov. An efficacy and safety proof of concept study of daratumumab in relapsed/refractory mantle cell lymphoma, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, and follicular lymphoma. NCT02413489. Available at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02413489 Last accessed May 2019.

16 Johnson Johnson. Janssen Biotech announces global license and development agreement for investigational anti-cancer agent daratumumab. Press release August 30, 2012. Available at: https://www.jnj.com/media-center/press-releases/janssen-biotech-announces-global-license-and-development-agreement-for-investigational-anti-cancer-agent-daratumumab Last accessed May 2019.

17 American Society of Clinical Oncology. Multiple myeloma: introduction. Available at: https://www.cancer.net/cancer-types/multiple-myeloma/introduction Last accessed May 2019.

18 GLOBOCAN 2018. Cancer Today Population Factsheets: Europe Region. Available at: https://gco.iarc.fr/today/data/factsheets/populations/908-europe-fact-sheets.pdf Last accessed May 2019.

19 De Angelis R, Minicozzi P, Sant M, et al. Survival variations by country and age for lymphoid and myeloid malignancies in Europe 2000-2007: results of EUROCARE-5 population-based study. Eur J Cancer. 2015;51:2254-68.

20 Abdi J, Chen G, Chang H, et al. Drug resistance in multiple myeloma: latest findings and new concepts on molecular mechanisms. Oncotarget. 2013;4:2186-207.

21 National Cancer Institute. NCI dictionary of cancer terms: refractory. Available at: https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms?CdrID=350245 Last accessed May 2019.

22 Richardson P, Mitsiades C, Schlossman R, et al. The treatment of relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma. Hematology Am Soc Hematol Educ Program. 2007:317-23.

23 National Cancer Institute. NCI dictionary of cancer terms: relapsed. Available at: https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms?CdrID=45866 Last accessed May 2019.

24 American Cancer Society. Multiple myeloma: early detection, diagnosis and staging. Available at: https://www.cancer.org/content/dam/CRC/PDF/Public/8740.00.pdf Last accessed May 2019.

25 Kumar SK, Lee JH, Lahuerta JJ, et al. Risk of progression and survival in multiple myeloma relapsing after therapy with IMiDs and bortezomib: a multicenter international myeloma working group study. Leukemia. 2012;26:149-57.

June 2019

CP-94167

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190602005073/en/

Contacts:

Media Enquiries:

Noah Reymond

Mobile: +31 621 38 5718

Email: NReymond@its.jnj.com

Investor Relations:

Christopher DelOrefice

Phone: +1 732-524-2955

Lesley Fishman

Phone: +1 732-524-3922By Dr. Mike Evans, Founder and Chairman of Friends of Zion Heritage Center

JERUSALEM, June 2, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- On Jerusalem Day, the Israeli people will be celebrating the reunification of Jerusalem after the 1967 Six-Day War, but they will also be remembering the courageous move President Donald Trump made to move the American Embassy to Israel's capital - Jerusalem.

On May 14, 2017, President Trump surpassed the odds under tremendous pressure, as he had done in the 2016 Presidential Election. Since 1995, when the Jerusalem Embassy Act was passed, the American people have heard dozens of presidential candidates promise to complete the move, but only President Trump kept his word. On May 14th, the United States of America recognized Jerusalem as Israel's eternal capital and boldly moved their embassy there.

On May 14, 2019, the Friends of Zion Museum in Jerusalem held a commemorative event "Annual Night of Heroes" in honor of the One-Year Anniversary of the Opening of the US Embassy in Jerusalem. The event was attended by Prime Minister Netanyahu, US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman, and Chief Rabbi of Israel David Lau.

In December 2017, Dr. Mike Evans, founder of the FOZ Museum, honored President Donald Trump with the "Friends of Zion Award" in a special ceremony in the Oval Office for moving the US Embassy to Jerusalem. Dr. Mike Evans is also a #1 New York Times bestselling author, journalist and member of the Trump Faith Initiative, President Trump's evangelical advisory board.

This Jerusalem Day, American, Israeli and global supporters of Israel will be celebrating Jerusalem as the eternal and undivided capital of the State of Israel, knowing that it has been recognized by Israel's greatest ally, the world's most powerful nation and has the full support of the leader of the free world: President Donald J. Trump.

Friends of Zion Museum, 20 Yosef Rivlin Street, Jerusalem. A reservation is recommended for museum visits. Website: www.fozmuseum.com, email: reservations@fozhc.com, or phone: +972-2-532-9400

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/896240/Friends_of_Zion_Museum.jpgBoeings best-selling jet was grounded in March after two crashes over five months killed a total of 346 people.

Seoul: Global airlines urged regulators on Sunday to coordinate on software changes to the Boeing 737 MAX, thus avoiding damaging splits over safety seen when the aircraft was grounded in March.

The International Air Transport Association, whose 290 carriers account for 80 percent of world flying, said trust in the certification system had been damaged by a wave of separate decisions to ground the jet, with the U.S. last to act.

Airlines are worried further splits between regulators over safety could confuse passengers and cause disruption.

Any rift between regulators is not in anyones interest, director general Alexandre de Juniac told an IATA annual meeting in Seoul.

Boeings best-selling jet was grounded in March after two crashes over five months killed a total of 346 people.

The Federal Aviation Administration initially resisted the decisions led by China, then Europe and others, to ground the plane, but later followed suit.

Airline officials say any new bout of staggered decisions could cause problems in operations and code-sharing.

But the European Unions top transport official said it reserved the right to plot its own course. The European Aviation Safety Agency has emerged as one of the toughest regulators during the crisis.

Certainly EASA will take a very close look at the results (of proposed design changes) and then make a decision and that message was very clearly passed, Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulc told Reuters.

We always work together with other regulators and we certainly will take joint moves, but EASA will reserve the right to take an individual look at the results and then of course engage with the rest of the regulators.

Asked how long it would take to end the crisis, she said, I hope as soon as possible, because we do need to restore order and trust and move on.

The FAA says it has no target but has indicated privately to other regulators that it aims to certify new software by end-June, after which it could take weeks to get planes flying.

However, Tim Clark, president of Emirates, one of the worlds largest airlines, warned it could take six months to restore operations as other regulators re-examine a practice of taking their cue from the FAA on Boeing jets.

That is why it is going to take time to get this aircraft back in the air. If it is in the air by Christmas Ill be surprisedmy own view, he told reporters.

A person familiar with the plans said the FAA wanted an orderly process, with a steady sequence of approvals rather than one global decision. If confirmed that could see 737 MAX aircraft back in the air this summer, the person said.This is the third consecutive month in which GST collections have crossed Rs 1 lakh crore mark

New Delhi: GST collections grew 6.67 percent to touch Rs 1 lakh crore in May, as compared to Rs 94,016 crore in the year-ago period, the government said on Saturday.

The gross Goods and Services Tax collections in May at Rs 1,00,289 crore is, however, lower than Rs 1,13,865 crore collected in April, which was the highest-ever collection since roll out of the GST from July 1, 2017.

This is the third consecutive month in which GST collections have crossed Rs 1 lakh crore mark. In March mop-up was Rs 1.06 lakh crore.

As many as 72.45 lakh summary sales return or GSTR -3B were filed in May, higher than 72.13 lakh filed in April.

"The total gross GST revenue collected in the month of May, 2019 is Rs 1,00,289 crore of which Central GST is Rs 17,811 crore, State GST is Rs 24,462 crore, Integrated GST is Rs 49,891 crore and cess is Rs 8,125 crore," Finance Ministry said in a statement.

An amount of Rs 18,934 crore has been released to the states as GST compensation for the months of February-March, 2019.

The ministry said revenue in May, 2019 is 2.21 percent higher than the monthly average of GST revenue in fiscal 2018-19 (Rs 98,114 crore) and 6.67 percent higher than May 2018 collections.

During May 2019, the government has settled Rs 18,098 crore to CGST and Rs 14,438 crore to SGST from IGST as regular settlement.

The total revenue earned by the central government and the states after regular settlement in the month of May, 2019 is Rs 35,909 crore for CGST and Rs 38,900 crore for the SGST, the ministry added.

EY Tax Partner Abhishek Jain said: "The continuing trend of collections above Rs 1 lakh crore signifies the growth story of GST and also the reaping benefits of this new tax era".

For 2019-20, the government proposes to collect Rs 6.10 lakh crore from CGST and Rs 1.01 lakh crore as compensation cess. The IGST balance has been pegged at Rs 50,000 crore.

The CGST collection in 2018-19 was Rs 4.25 lakh crore, while compensation cess was over Rs 97,000 crore.

"The trend in collections indicates revenue stabilisation, however, since this is short of the targets, more focus on compliance and anti-evasion can be expected by businesses," M S Mani, Partner, Deloitte India, said.MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico's president on Saturday hinted his country could tighten migration controls to defuse U.S. President Donald Trump's threat to impose tariffs on Mexican goods, and said he expected 'good results' from talks planned in Washington next week.

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico's president on Saturday hinted his country could tighten migration controls to defuse U.S. President Donald Trump's threat to impose tariffs on Mexican goods, and said he expected "good results" from talks planned in Washington next week.

Trump said on Thursday he will apply the tariffs on June 10 if Mexico does not halt the flow of illegal immigration, largely from Central America, across the U.S.-Mexican border.

His ultimatum hit Mexican financial assets and global stocks, but met resistance from U.S. business leaders and lawmakers worried about the impact of targeting Mexico, one of the United States' top trade partners.

In a news conference in the Gulf of Mexico port of Veracruz, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said Mexico could be ready to step up measures to contain migration in order to reach a deal with the United States.

A Mexican delegation led by Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard will discuss the dispute with U.S. officials in Washington on Wednesday, and Lopez Obrador said he expected "good results" from the talks, and for a deal to emerge.

"The main thing is to inform about what we're already doing on the migration issue, and if it's necessary to reinforce these measures without violating human rights, we could be prepared to reach that deal," Lopez Obrador said.

Trump's threat to inflict pain on Mexico's economy is the biggest foreign policy test to date for Lopez Obrador and a tall order for Mexican authorities struggling not only to contain migration but also to fight record gang violence.

Mexico's economy relies heavily on exports to the United States and shrank in the first quarter. Under Trump's plan, U.S. tariffs that could rise as high as 25% this year.

Lopez Obrador said Mexico would not engage in any trade wars with the United States, but noted that his government had a "plan" in case Trump did apply the tariffs to ensure the country was not impoverished. He did not provide details of the plan.

(Reporting by Dave Graham; Writing by Alistair Bell; Editing by Paul Simao and Alistair Bell)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.Gadkari, who has also been given charge of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, said that he has set a new target of laying 40 kms of road everyday over the next one-and-a-half years.

Nagpur: Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Minister Nitin Gadkari on Saturday said he would work with full strength to increase job opportunities in the sector.

Gadkari, who has also been given charge of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, said that he has set a new target of laying 40 kms of road everyday over the next one-and-a-half years.

The minister was speaking to reporters at his residence here.

On his new responsibility of the MSME Ministry, he said, "This portfolio is associated with the most important issuethe country's growth rate and employment potential. And it is the PM's expectation that employment should increase from this sector, which is very low now and there should be creation of employment".

"I will work with my full strength on this factor," he added.

The minister also said that he has decided to create roadside amenities across the country.

"I got an opportunity to work on road transport...this time, I have decided to plant 125 crore trees, as much as the country's population, along the roads in the next five years.

"I am thinking to work on creating roadside amenities in a big way and 2,000 such amenities would be set up. Work has started on the Mumbai-Delhi Expressway and 12 other expressway projects will be completed in next three months," he said. The Vaigai river's basin covers an area of about 7,009.13 square kilometres. However, it now remains dry very often.

As several parts of the country reel under a scorching heat wave, the condition of a major river in Tamil Nadu's Madurai is a manifestation of the current situation. Images put out by ANI show that the river Vaigai in the district is completely dry, and animals are seen grazing on the river bed.

Tamil Nadu: River Vaigai in Madurai dries up due to intense heat wave in the region pic.twitter.com/iBUnmroiiv  ANI (@ANI) June 2, 2019

The agency reported on Saturday that a special music function praying for rainfall was held at the centre of the river. Going by the present weather conditions, residents of the district would hope that the prayers are answered sooner rather than later.

The Vaigai river's basin covers an area of about 7,009.13 square kilometres. A document on the website of the National Water Mission had described it as the main river originating from the Varushanadu valley, and noted that it, along with its tributaries, forms a well-defined, compact drainage basin.

As noted in a report by The Times of India, the Vaigai river was never a perennial one. However, tributaries earlier augmented its flow and the British had built a drinking water project on it in 1898. However, in the past five years, catchment areas in the Megamalai forests of Theni district got scanty rainfall, due to which the river mostly remains dry.

In fact, recently, many citizens from Madurai expressed anger over the river being used a parking lot and alleged that the civic body is paving the way for misuse of the river by contractors, according to The Times of India.

Tamil Nadu faces water scarcity

Due to rising temperature, several districts in the state are facing acute water shortage. According to reports, there has been a 40 percent cut in the piped water supply in Chennai. Several reservoirs across the state have witnessed a decrease in water levels.

"Tamil Nadu is facing a very big disaster in terms of water, water resources and planning. It is facing the worst-ever drought in the last few years. There are four major reservoirs which supply water to Chennai having a combined storage of about 11 tmc. Other than that, there are small reservoirs too. But nothing was done to augment the capacity," said Sundarrajan of NGO Poovulagin Nanbargal.

"Chennai should have got about four tmc of water from Krishna district till April. But we got only 0.8 tmc and the rest is not yet supplied. Similarly, Tamil Nadu should have got 20 tmc of water from Kaveri river in the last four-five months. Kaveri is the drinking water source for at least five crore people of Tamil Nadu. It's a very dire situation now," he added.

Heat wave likely to continue in South India for two days, says IMD

Several parts of the country reeled under heatwave conditions that claimed one life in Rajasthan, where Churu recorded a high of almost 49 degrees Celsius Sunday, with the IMD saying there will be no respite for the next two days.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said heatwave conditions are likely to continue over the northern plains, and central and southern parts of the country for two more days and abate gradually.

With inputs from agenciesWhen contacted, Sandeep Bhagat, Konkan region coordinator of the Bajrang Dal, said the allegation was a 'political conspiracy'.

Mumbai: The Bajrang Dal, youth wing of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, claimed Sunday that no firearm training was given at a camp held by it at a school in neighboring Thane district last week.

An NGO had complained to police that the right-wing organisation imparted gun training to students at a camp at a school in Mira Road area. Navghar police are probing the matter.

When contacted, Sandeep Bhagat, Konkan region coordinator of the Bajrang Dal, said the allegation was a "political conspiracy".

"The participants at `Shourya Prashikshan Varg 2019' which was held at the school did not handle guns," he said. "Some of our activists had brought air-guns, which do not require a license," he said.

"We gave training to students in rappelling, stick- fighting, running, long jump....We had given a letter to police about this before the camp was held," he said.

Police also sought response from the shop from where the air-guns were procured, Bhagat added, and it was confirmed that these guns did not require any kind of license, he said.

Sub Divisional Police Officer Atul Kulkarni said police had contacted the organizers and asked them to produce licenses for weapons, if any, used at the camp. Preliminary inquiry revealed that air-guns were used for training, he said.

"We are conducting further probe," he added.

The school where the camp was held is run by a BJP MLA, said another police official.With Narendra Modi's phenomenal victory in the 2019 elections, theories, everyday conversations, stories and celebrations speak of a significant notion: the 'Hinduisation' of society.

With Narendra Modi's phenomenal victory in the 2019 elections, theories, everyday conversations, stories and celebrations speak of a significant notion: the "Hinduisation" of society. Be it docile Hindus, who believe Muslims will be safe in a Hindu nation, or ardent Hindutva ideologues, who claim there is no difference between Hinduism and Hindutva, one message is clear  a New India is here and it is a Hindu Rashtra.

We are too quick to give credit to the Narendra Modi-Amit Shah duo for actualising the dream of many who were trained at RSS camps and shared the ideologies of the Sangh Parivar. Over 180 years of sustained efforts by Sangh Parivar reformists has, in a sense, contributed to this victory. Shah and Modi only find themselves at the right moment of the Sangh Parivar's history.

However, out of all that is being spoken about in this victory  Shah, Modi, New India and a Hindu nation  the Muslims of the country are left with a question: Where are we in all this?

Contradictions are fascinating, especially when they are within a group. Shortly after actor-turned-politician Kamal Hassan said, "India's first terrorist is a Hindu. His name is Nathuram Godse," Pragya Singh Thakur, now the BJP MP from Bhopal, claimed that Godse was a patriot. Modi had condemned Thakur's statement, saying he would never forgive her for her remarks on Mahatma Gandhi's assassin.

Thakur and others are easily identified as being of the Sangh Parivar, but Modi's history of RSS training is not as immediately apparent. Merely constructing the 2019 elections as a one-man show cloaks the saffron robes behind BJP's success. The victory is the discourse that took shape over the years.

Gandhi and his image have been an impediment in the Sangh Parivar's way towards a Hindu nation. The India that was created on the plank of socialism and (in absent-present) secularism after its Independence was not the India that the Hindu Mahashabha and Sangh Parivar desired. They fought for a rashtra that would be the pitr-bhumi of Hindus. The rashtra was merely a project needed to reform Hinduism on the lines of modernity: one nation, one father and one pitr-bhumi.

Reformist movements like the Brahmo Samaj and Arya Samaj wished to reform Hinduism on the lines of monotheism. This reformation was not to obtain a universal god but to make Hinduism attractive like the Abrahamic religions. The Suddhi movement feared conversion of lower caste Hindus into Christianity and Islam and what the two religions offered  a universal god and one truth to hold on to.

Hence, the fear of Muslims today is rooted in the Muslim imagined to have what Hindu doesn't  Abraham as its father and a land of its own, Pakistan. In truth, Muslims have just one image they cling to: that of the Abrahamic father. This forms the primary animus of a Hindu in BJP's New India. For Hinduism to be attractive, it needs India to belong only to the Hindu, an Indian nation state and a father.

Independent India was first disintegrated with the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi. While the symbolic meaning of 'Gandhi' outlives him, as many of us know, under the BJP's regime, the idea of Gandhi is being appropriated to an extent that the very spirit of Gandhi and of Independent India is waning. Read in such a manner, the BJP's manifesto of 2019 doesn't call for a New India but is a declaration that New India is here.

While Sarvarkar and Dayanand Saraswati could only imagine bringing a land for the Hindus, Modi and Shah have actualised this imagination of the Sangh Parivar, their family. This is a "perversion" in the Freudian sense, wherein that which is only fantasised by a normal person is actualised by the one that perverts the idea under consideration.

The Indian Muslim is a hybridity. His roots are one but imagined to be many. To a Hindu mind, he can simultaneously belong to India, Pakistan, Arabia and Syria, and this scares him. The Indian and Pakistani heretical Muslim tradition is traumatising even for Islamic fundamentalists like terrorists of the Islamic State. He is confusing to the Hindu psyche, which is in search of an integral unity and a modernist vision. However, the radicality of Muslim resistance today lies in staying as confusing as ever, that is to read Arabic and Urdu and yet belong to the Indic civilisation.

Today, any conversation about the Muslim has to eventually lead to discussions on the Hindu, Hinduism and Hindu Rashtra. The Muslim exist but only against the Hindu Rashtra, and hence, the Muslim does not exist in/for himself and is being systematically erased from the social space.

The barbaric Muslim, hard to tame, is an impediment in the way of New India. The New India wants to civilise Muslims but not through a pedagogy of table manners but through conversion, elimination and extermination. Every lynching of the Muslim becomes an act towards development, vikas. It is in constructing the Muslim as barbaric and Hindutva as the ideology of the State that the developmental logic of New India is formed. In actuality, what we are witnessing is a modernist reform of Hinduism using the Indian State and nationalism as its logic. It is the making of a religion, modernistic Hinduism. The critique and the dissenter are lost in New India, and believers and followers are invented.

To erase the memory of Independent India was a sustained effort of the Sangh Parivar. While RSS pracharaks are on the front line, making headlines and talking about development, secularism and nationalisms in Parliament, karyakartas are in the background gossiping about the Mughal rule, reinventing the spirit of developmental and national spirit in the everyday person. In such a way, the Sangh Parivar gives an imagination and a leader for the everyday person to connect to.

This 180-year mission no longer needs RSS camps, where the ideology of the Sangh Parivar is preached to young minds. In New India, every citizen is a karyakarta. The future utility of RSS camps is beyond the scope of imagination of an ordinary Muslim like me who is just clinging onto her survival. The modernistic Hinduism is indeed a threat to Indian Muslims in New India.

The author is a PhD student, specialising in science and technology studiesDMK president MK Stalin on Saturday said that the BJP government at the Centre should not even think about the three language policy and warned that such 'greedy' things will cause 'disaster'.

Chennai: DMK president MK Stalin on Saturday said that the BJP government at the Centre should not even think about the three language policy and warned that such "greedy" things will cause "disaster".

A controversy broke out in Tamil Nadu on Saturday over the new Draft Education Policy of the Centre that has recommended a three language formula with political parties opposing "imposition" of Hindi in the state.

"The BJP government should not even think about the three-language policy in Tamil Nadu. In Tamil Nadu, having a two-language policy, is like honeycomb and BJP is trying to throw a stone at it by inflicting a three-language policy again. BJP should not even think about it in their dreams. Such greedy and wrong thing will cause disaster," Stalin said.

His comment comes in the wake of the draft education policy prepared by the Kasturirangan Committee, released yesterday, which spoke of continuation of the three language formula in the schools.

In the Draft National Education Policy 2019, the three language formula recommends inclusion of English and Hindi besides mother tongue in the non-Hindi state, while the Hindi-speaking states should include English and Indian language from other parts of India.

The draft policy said multilingualism is a necessity of India as of much of the developed world and must be considered a boon and an opportunity for learning and expanding one's horizons rather than a burden.

Children learn languages extremely quickly when immersed early and multilingual children in studies around the world have also been found to learn faster and be placed better later in life than those who are unilingual, it said.'The guests faced unprecedented harassment and intimidation at the hands of security agencies,' the Indian High Commission to Pakistan said in a statement.

Islamabad: Guests invited to Indian High Commission's Iftar party in Islamabad faced "unprecedented harassment and intimidation" due to enhanced security checks by the Pakistani officials who stopped some invitees on one pretext or other, the Indian mission said here on Sunday, as it strongly protested the "ugly" incident and sought "urgent" investigation into the matter.

Indian High Commissioner Ajay Bisaria hosted the annual event on Saturday at Serena Hotel for which guests were invited from all over Pakistan.

"The guests faced unprecedented harassment and intimidation at the hands of security agencies," the Indian High Commission said in a statement

It said the guests who made to the venue from places as far as Lahore and Karachi were "intimidated and even physically stopped" from attending the party by Pakistani security forces, who had virtually laid the Serena hotel under siege.

"A concerted campaign was launched by Pakistan's security agencies in the days preceding the iftar function to reach out to the invitees to actively dissuade them from attending the event," it said.

The High Commission said security officials stationed on the main road outside the hotel rudely rebuffed and intimidated" officers and diplomatic staff of the IHC who tried to ascertain from the security personnel the reason for the harassment of the guests.

"Some officials were jostled, pushed, abused and aggressively threatened with bodily harm. In some cases, mobile phone belonging to the officials were snatched away, it said.

Many guests from the Pakistan's diplomatic community were also subjected to harassment.

"In complete violation of diplomatic norms, a large Pakistani security detachment, equipped with forked lifts, was detailed outside Serena hotel to aggressively turn away Pakistani citizens," the Indian mission said, adding that in some cases, cars used by guests were lifted and removed using forklifts.

Over 300 Pakistani guests, including parliamentarians, government officials, media representatives, retired military officials, businessmen and retired diplomats, were prevented from attending the function, it said.

Protesting the incident, the High Commission said the incident "not only violated the basic norms of diplomatic conduct but was against all norms of civilized behaviour...and entirely counter-productive for our bilateral relationship".

It also asked the Pakistani government to "urgently investigate these ugly events" and share the result of the exercise with it.

Meanwhile, those attending the event also said that additional security deployment was made around the luxury hotel.

A journalist said he saw more than usual security presence but those having invitation cards and identity documents were allowed to attend.

"My invitation card was checked and I was asked questions about profession and residence, and allowed to go in," he said.

"Unprecedented level of harassment at @serena_hotels Islamabad. #India embassy iftaar happening & police & anti terrorism force misbehaving with anyone trying into get in the hotel. Got screamed at, my driver abused. Sorry, not being an entitled prick. This was genuine harassment," tweeted noted journalist Mehreen Zahra-Malik.

Another journalist, on condition of anonymity, told PTI that he did not attend as he feared about questioning and security checks.

He also said that there were reports that some invitees were called by anonymous callers and told not to attend the event.

Senior Pakistan People's Party leader Farhatullah Babar said, "Came to Serena for iftar hosted by Indian HC. Hotel seems barricaded. Told that iftar cancelled. When insisted, I was told to use other gate. Other gate also closed and told to go back to front gate again. What's going on, something fishy," he tweeted.

Babar said that he somehow managed to attend the Indian mission's iftar despite efforts by the local authorities to stop invitees on one pretext or other.

High Commissioner Bisaria in his brief address to the audience said that some of the guests could not make to the party. "I want to apologise because some of you faced a lot of trouble to come here and some of our friends could not come," he said.

Bisaria also said that people had come from Lahore and Karachi to attend the event and thanked them for coming.

India has not been engaging with Pakistan following the attack on the Air Force base at Pathankot in January of 2016, maintaining that talks and terror cannot go together.

Tensions flared up between the two sides after a suicide bomber of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Muhammed killed 40 CRPF personnel in Kashmir's Pulwama district on 14 February.

Amid mounting outrage, the Indian Air Force (IAF) carried out a counter-terror operation, hitting the biggest JeM training camp in Balakot, deep inside Pakistan on 26 February. The next day, Pakistan Air Force retaliated and downed a MiG-21 in an aerial combat and captured an IAF pilot, who was handed over to India.Pakistan said that there was no official communication with India about the opening of the airspace and Islamabad will wait for New Delhi's decision to lift the air restriction on its flights before taking a final call

Lahore: Pakistan said on Sunday that there was no official communication with India about the opening of the airspace and Islamabad will wait for New Delhi's decision to lift the air restriction on its flights before taking a final call on lifting its airspace ban.

Pakistan has already indicated that it may lift the airspace ban along its eastern border with India, imposed on 27 February after the Balakot airstrike, to reciprocate India's decision to remove all restrictions on all air routes in the Indian airspace.

"We have already opened this point, Telem (near Ahmedabad), about two months ago, for India. It was India that has to open it now, enabling the flights to use this airspace," the Pakistani government official told PTI. He said since there is no official communication between the two countries in this respect taken place yet "we will see what Notam (notice to airmen) it (India) issues today."

When asked about opening of other around 10 routes (points), the official said, "Once the Indian government lifts the air restriction on Pakistani flights on these routes, Pakistan will certainly follow suit." It is expected that these points will gradually be opened this month.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) Friday said that temporary restrictions on all air routes in the Indian airspace, imposed by it on 27 February, have been removed. The IAF said it had removed restrictions that were imposed on all routes a day after its 12 Mirage 2000s crossed over to Pakistan and conducted air strikes in Balakot. Pakistan fully closed its airspace on 27 February.

On 27 March, Pakistan opened its airspace for all flights except for New Delhi, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur. On 30 May, Pakistan extended its airspace ban for flights to India till 15 June.

As a result of the ban, foreign carriers using Indian airspace have been forced to take costly detours because they cannot fly over Pakistan. The closure mainly affects flights from Europe to Southeast Asia. The flights from Europe and the US flying in and out of New Delhi have been the worst hit.

Since Pakistan's airspace closure, the airfare on many routes have gone up significantly, including Delhi-Kabul, Delhi-Moscow, Delhi-Tehran and Delhi-Astana. Two Indian airline companies, Air India and SpiceJet, have already stopped their Delhi-Kabul flights due to Pakistan airspace closure.

Pakistan had given a special permission to India for then External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to fly directly through Pakistani airspace to attend the SCO meet in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on 21 May. However, the airspace for other commercial airliners remains closed.Twelve people, including the state deputy director of the social welfare department Anurag Shankhdhar, have been arrested over their alleged involvement in a multi-crore SC/ST scholarship scam in Uttarakhand

Twelve people, including former district social welfare officer, Haridwar and deputy director of tribal welfare Anurag Shankhdhar, have been arrested over their alleged involvement in a multi-crore SC/ST "scholarship scam" in Uttarakhand.

A Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the case accused Shankhdhar of abusing his power as a government employee to favour private educational institutes and misappropriate scholarship funds earmarked for students belonging to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

Investigation found that the modus operandi of the alleged scam, which has its origins to when Uttarakhand got statehood in 2000, was to siphon off scholarship funds allocated for SC/ST students by sending a fake list of candidates  belonging to the reserved categories  to the social welfare department. A majority of the institutes found to be involved are located in Haridwar, Udham Singh Nagar and Dehradun districts. The IMS Institute of Technology, Roorkee, is alone alleged to have siphoned off more than Rs 4 crore.

Prior to 2014, scholarships were given to students who were never enrolled in the institute, the SIT found. After 2014, when the process of availing of scholarships moved to the online platform, phantom students became beneficiaries. The funds were transferred to accounts of bogus students in the same bank branch. Additionally, an identical phone number was linked to these bank accounts.

How did the case come to light?

The matter came to light in the year 2016 when the state vigilance department ordered the arrest of officials of Mewar University, Chittorgarh, Rajasthan, on charges on siphoning off scholarships in the names of Uttarakhand students. Soon afterwards, fake documents of 278 SC and ST students  of which 250 and 28 belonged to Kumaon and Garhwal regions respectively  were presented to the social welfare department to claim scholarships.

The vigilance team found that these students, who were said to be residing in university hostels, were working as farm hands in Garhwal and Kumaon. The documents, including marksheets and pictures, were genuine, but these "students" had never enrolled in these institutes. The bank accounts of these "students" were traced to a branch in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh.

After being appointed the chief minister when the BJP government came to power in Uttarakhand two years ago, Trivendra Singh Rawat set up a SIT, headed by IPS officer Manjunath TC, to probe the matter. The panel was asked to submit a report in three months.

A public interest litigation (PIL) was filed in the Uttarakhand High Court after the SIT failed to make progress in the case till August 2018. The total scam runs into over Rs 500 crore and had taken root between 2011 and 2015. It is believed to have spread across seven states. Hence, we moved court, said Ravindra Jugran, a Dehradun-based activist.

What is the case all about?

After Uttarakhand was granted statehood, new private professional colleges mushroomed, which promised commissions to agents for ensuring admissions of students belonging to reserved categories. Soon, the agents fanned out across the state to obtain students credentials in lieu of a portion of the scholarship money, according to the PIL. The scam was said to have been perpetuated in connivance with officials from the education and social welfare departments.

Nainital-based RTI activist and advocate Chandra Shekhar Kargeti alleges that many "big fish" are involved in it. He said, Besides the government department, private agents and bank officials were working in tandem to loot the state exchequer. Data for just two years - 2014-15 and 2015-16 - suggests that 380 institutes in Haridwar, Dehradun and Udham Singh Nagar received scholarship and fee reimbursements worth Rs 106,35,12,149 for 45,701 students.

Though the SIT has arrested 12 people from Haridwar district alone, it is likely to crack down in other parts of Uttarakhand soon.

What is the scholarship scheme?

The post-matric scholarship scheme is sponsored by the central government and implemented through state governments and union territory administrations. The scholarships are awarded by the state or union territory government to which the applicant belongs. So, even if the student of one state is studying in another state, the scholarship is to be awarded by the state that he or she belongs to.

The social welfare department allots the scholarship as per a districts demand. It is the responsibility of the district social welfare officer to distribute the amount. The first to receive the scholarship amounts are government institutes of the district. The next are the state-aided institutes and lastly, private institutes and students studying other states.Omar Abdullah made the statement after guests invited to the Indian High Commission's iftar faced 'unprecedented harassment' by Pakistani security officials.

Srinagar: National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah Sunday said the harassment of guests at an iftar party hosted by the Indian High Commission in Islamabad was "stupid tit-for-tat diplomacy".

Stupid tit-for-tat diplomacy. It was stupid when we did it outside the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi & it's stupid when it's done outside our's in Islamabad. Now that it's 1-1, perhaps it's time to move on & stop this nonsense, Omar wrote on Twitter.

Guests invited to the Indian High Commission's Iftar party in Islamabad on Saturday evening faced "unprecedented level of harassment" due to enhanced security checks by the Pakistani officials who stopped some invitees on one pretext or other.

Indian High Commissioner Ajay Bisaria hosted the annual event at Serena Hotel for which guests were invited from all over Pakistan. Those attending the event said that additional security deployment was made around the luxury hotel.

A journalist said he saw more than usual security presence, but those having invitation cards and identity documents were allowed to attend. "My invitation card was checked and I was asked questions about profession and residence, and allowed to go in," he said.

"Unprecedented level of harassment at @serena_hotels Islamabad. #India embassy iftaar happening & police & anti terrorism force misbehaving with anyone trying into get in the hotel. Got screamed at, my driver abused. Sorry, not being an entitled prick. This was genuine harassment," tweeted noted journalist Mehreen Zahra-Malik.

Another journalist, on condition of anonymity, said he did not attend as he feared about questioning and security checks. He also said there were reports that some invitees were called by anonymous callers and told not to attend the event.

Senior Pakistan People's Party leader Farhatullah Babar said that every gaze deflected towards odd visitors in hotel's lobby.

"Came to Serena for iftar hosted by Indian HC. Hotel seems barricaded. Told that iftar cancelled. When insisted, I was told to use other gate. Other gate also closed and told to go back to front gate again. What's going on, something fishy," he tweeted.

Babar said that he somehow managed to attend the Indian mission's iftar despite efforts by the local authorities to stop invitees on one pretext or other.

High Commissioner Bisaria in his brief address to the audience said that some of the guests could not make to the party.

Bisaria also said that people had come from Lahore and Karachi to attend the event and thanked them for attending.Artist Mithu Sen's (Un)Mansplaining satirises the oppressive gaze and tongue of the male art critic through the triumphant, exultant privileging of female irrepressibility and the reclaiming of feminist agency.

On May 10, during the opening week of the 2019 Venice Biennale, Delhi-based artist Mithu Sen presented her newest performance piece, (Un)Mansplaining. It was part of a group show  aptly titled She Persists  that brought together 20 international rebellious female voices, at the Palazzo Benzon on the Grand Canal, curated by Mashael Al Rushaid and Sona Datta for Londons Heist gallery. Once again, Sen performed using aphasia-resembling non-language as her medium, wearing a vermillion outfit that consciously highlighted the dark intonations of her complexion, thus playing with how she is frequently received and labelled in the Western art world as exotic.

Firstpost spoke to Sen upon her return to Delhi from Venice. She shared with us the intentions behind (Un)Mansplaining, a performance that satirised the oppressive gaze and tongue of the male art critic through the triumphant, exultant privileging of female irrepressibility and the reclaiming of feminist agency.

Between the conception of the piece, (Un)Mansplaining, and its execution in Venice, what were the fears, challenges, barriers that you encountered, either intellectually or logistically?

I was provoked into doing a piece playing with the role of exotica and cult when a male art writer wrote about one my performances as if I were an unworldly, possessed woman, which is his/their fantasy about positioning me as an empowered witch/goddess/woman. Its easier to do that than to really try to understand the voice behind such bodies, which is to me a political act, a matter of existential agency. It is a conscious choice, a chosen surrender. That kind of critique is about not accepting my real agency but objectifying my body instead. This is how the idea came to be conceptualised as (Un)Mansplaining, a performance directly addressing the back story.

I have no fears, but I always am extremely vulnerable because I physically project myself and am constantly being labeled as an exotic presence by the so-called intellectual critics, which empowered me more to be fearless and play the same role, using humour to give it back to them... exhaust them fully, and then have a mischievous laugh in the green room.

I do everything an Unhuman can do.

You performed in gibberish or non-language upon a soundtrack constituted by audio excerpts of men pontificating. How did you go about stitching that soundtrack? What were some of your sources?

This performance (Un)Mansplaining involves pre-recorded excerpts from a plethora of male voices collected from lectures/comments on art, feminism and feminist art that have been collaged onto a soundtrack. Thus, the style of narrative speech is one we are so familiar with, from documentaries and other commentaries. This soundtrack played in the background while I intervened, raising my own voice with non-language gibberish, using empathetic, nonsense speech, delivering frustration to the onlookers who sought to grasp any meaning.

For the soundtrack, my main source was YouTube lectures on art/feminist art etc. by different male art scholars and critics. I listened to a number of lectures and selected a few excerpts from among them. I started noting down the most suitable words/sentences without their immediate context to create an abstract but convincing script, started working with a sound editor to create my collage. I also added atmospheric music and moments of silence for the whole storyline.

As you know, I dont do any rehearsal before any of my on-site performances, but create a narrative/background with the content I develop for each performance project. Like the film for the Guggenheim project [Aphasia (2016)], my slide show presentation for IAF project [100 (Un)Silent Ways (2019)] or this soundtrack for my Venice project. So, non-language execution remains a constant tool for establishing my physical/visceral presence, but the back story is my main content that I use to address the specific platform to which I am invited.

At Venice, you consciously staged yourself as the exotic, dark-skinned goddess you are frequently positioned as by various elements and forces within the art world; using your body as a cult, as you said. You were playing with the perception of you as a possessed being; and intriguingly, a possessed being is one, it could be argued, that no longer has agency, because her body is being temporarily controlled by forces that are external that take residence internally, within the self. It comes across as a powerful provocation against the insidious ways in which female artists are frequently slotted, or outrightly discredited by the so-called critical or intellectual male gaze. Can you walk us through the genesis of such a subversive performative act, perhaps amongst your most candidly hysterical so far?

Its not only the male gaze, but the whole politics of projection or myth-making, identity-creating politics for todays world to feed the market mainly through the internet and social media, where exotica exalts the female body to cultness, especially from the global south to the west.

Social media has been my medium/source of contemporary human/market psyche since the last few years.

Viewers always inject their biases into whatever they see, I try to indulge that so my presence is something explicitly convincing. So, before and after the very performance on site, I post about my position as an exotic goddess, playing the role, breaking out of usual patterns of behavior using my body as a cult on this platform as a provocation/trap for the world. It fed well since the show itself was based on feminist themes. Keywords worked!

The deeper the viewers (the onsite viewer and the online viewer, along with the live streaming) fantasy of the exotic goddess is fetishised and sexualised, the more likely they are to think I am possessed. But, in fact, it is they who are possessed with the idea of fantasy. I am playing with them all. I am playing with their need to always explain to me, to control and overshadow me. I wear my exotica and singular vulnerability with pride.

At the end of it, were there elements of the audience reception that proved the point you were making, about the Western art worlds orientalist perception and reception of third-world female bodies?

In a way it is as literal as that, but I think it is even beyond that perception. I should not limit myself only with the third-world exotica, playing a gender political/geopolitical role for the Western art world but to raise the question of how the whole myth-making policy works for the global market and how audience-consumers are easily trapped with that optic missing the real haptic. How they only grab the by-products of the real thing.

In my practice, the cognitive and sensory projections in the form of life and human experiences are the actual material that produces my art. The output in the format of drawing, poetry, sculpture, installation, and performance is what I call byproducts of art making. I use the word byproduct to term the tactile manifestations of my art. The intention is to relocate the focus on the conceptual  the mind, emotions, and senses that produce the art practice, and the byproducts are just a remnant of this process.

Your performances engage very directly with the process of othering. Do you consciously other yourself from your audiences by exaggerating or heightening the aspects of your identity that make you other? Are you at any point interested in building perceptual bridges, or do you find you revel in the differences?

One of my real challenges is to understand the body well and treat it well. Body means not just the flesh and blood but the entire nervous system and subconscious too. I keep my physical body free to truthfully embrace the instinctual part organically. Therefore no rehearsal is prepared which keeps me open at that very moment to respond/react instinctually with the immediate surroundings while keeping a well-thought contextual background with its specific social and political context (power, brutality, visceral matters, desire, danger, sadness, rage, political terror, male-induced violence etc.) as narrative clues.

In my practice, consciously keeping self/body/mind instinctual is the real intellectual feat rather than delivering the baggage of information which is already available on Google!

I dont become an other while am performing because its a true, conscious self which is away from the social conditioning and is organically, liberatingly coming out and I am not resisting that spontaneous action. I think rather than when I am living a codified, constructed civilised life, thats more being a self with otherness, where every act is taught/thought/instructed.

Rebecca Solnit, in A Field Guide to Getting Lost offers a definition of what it means to be lost: To lose yourself  a voluptuous surrender, lost in your arms, lost to the world, utterly immersed in what is present so that its surroundings fade away. In Benjamins terms, to be lost is to be fully present, and to be fully present is to be capable of being in uncertainty and mystery. And one does not get lost but loses oneself, with the implication that it is a conscious choice, a chosen surrender, a psychic state achievable through geography. That thing the nature of which is totally unknown to you is usually what you need to find, and finding it is a matter of getting lost Lost really has two disparate meanings. Losing things is about the familiar falling away, getting lost is about the unfamiliar appearing.

Finally, how do you prepare yourself emotionally and intellectually for a performance of this nature and scale?

I keep myself open for an unknown, unique experience that will never happen again to my body, where the manifestation and outcome cannot be known in advance. It is one-time and ephemeral.

I completely trust my consciousness, my cognitive and sensory feelings in my body. I concentrate to listen to what my flowing blood and the whole nervous system is letting me explore  the liberty and freedom of the body. It is transitory, its spontaneous, playful and often interactive. And its always an experience. It isnt, however, a tangible object. To me, performing within the crowd and audience, seeing them frozen at my otherly/'unworldly-ness, I actually feel immensely empowered and confident that no generalised robotic/AI data can really define my very basic humanly instinct that only I can deliver, thus challenging constructed institutional hierarchies.Experts' discovery of plastic in the faeces of the black-necked cranes has raised new concerns around the health, safety and long-term survival of the endangered species

By Nidup Gyeltshen

Bhutan reinforced its 20-year old ban on plastics in April this year. First introduced on the 25th year of the reign of the fourth King of Bhutan, Jigme Singye Wangchuck, the ban has been only partially successful. Part of the reason is that it was never comprehensive, and did not apply to goods packaged in Bhutan, only for single use plastic bags. Even this was poorly implemented.

The new phase of implementation will penalise shopkeepers for offering plastic bags, but still allow plastic packaging for goods produced by small farmers and businesses. This may not be enough as plastic has penetrated deep into Bhutans ecosystem. A team of researchers, in an ongoing study, have found plastic for the first time in the faeces of the endangered black-necked cranes.

Black-necked cranes are classified as vulnerable and globally threatened, and they are also considered sacred in many communities along the Western Himalayan region, from China to India. This new discovery has raised new concerns on the health, safety and long-term survival of the endangered species.

The new discovery

The team that made the discovery comprised researchers from the Ugyen Wangchuck Institute of Conservation and Environmental Research (UWICER), the Royal Society for Protection of Nature (RSPN) and the Bumdeling Wildlife Sanctuary (BWS). They collected more than 1,000 samples of faeces in Bumdeling, one of the major wintering grounds for black-necked cranes in Bhutan.

The study is part of the black-necked crane conservation project where RSPN, UWICER and BWS has tied up with the US-based International Crane Foundation (ICF).

Of the 95 percent of the samples that were analysed so far, researchers confirmed 5 percent had plastics in them. The analysis was carried out at Sherubtse College, Bhutans oldest and largest college, as well as at UWICERs own laboratory in Bumthang.

The faeces are soaked in distilled water overnight and then placed on a petri dish where the samples are examined and segregated. A microscope is then used to examine the segregated contents and to take pictures.

The team came across 6.6 grams of plastics in one of the samples on 16 May and is finding more plastics as the study progresses.

We found some more plastics today morning, said Sherub from UWICER, one of Bhutans top ornithologist who is leading the team of researchers, on Tuesday.

He said that although Bhutan has strong environmental regulations, it has not taken the responsibility of disposing plastics properly and they have found their way into the black-necked cranes habitat.

While already facing several other challenges in terms of habitat degradation, plastics being found for the first time in the cranes faeces is expected to push the government to step up its conservation policies.'When the people desperately needed succour, the government was in suspended animation,' a senior journalist in Odisha recalled.

Memories of horrific devastation on 29 and 30 October, 1999 continue to send shivers down the spine for people living in coastal Odisha. Heavy rains and furious winds, which at times crossed 260 kilometres per hour, left over 10,000 dead and shattered millions of dreams. The disaster also served a terrible blow to the Congress, which was then in power.

Cut to the present. Four more cyclones (Phailin of 2013, Hudhud of 2014, Titli of 2018 and Fani 2019) later, the state seems to have moved forward. However, the Congress party in the state is yet to recover from the cyclones shock as it continues to search for ways to get its shattered house in order.

The Congress was already unpopular for corruption, internal bickering and a poor law and order situation. However, many, including some Congress leaders, believe that it committed a huge blunder post the tragedy.

When the people desperately needed succour, the government was in suspended animation, as the Congress leaders fought among themselves for the chief ministers chair. It was a classic case of complete apathy towards the miseries of millions of people, recalled senior journalist Sandeep Sahu.

And all this happened just a few months before the state was to go for polls. According to a senior Congress leader, the faction-ridden party leadership did not allow the newly-appointed chief minister to get a grip on the administration. All they were concerned about, even when the state was suffering, was how to dethrone Giridhar Gamang.

In the process, the party prepared a solid ground for a change of guard. Naveen Patnaik and his newly-formed Biju Janata Dal (BJD) seized the opportunity with both hands and scripted a new chapter in Odisha politics.

Not surprisingly, the Congress felt the effect of the cyclone in the 2000 polls. From 80 Assembly seats in 1995, its numbers came crumbling down to 26. The BJD won 68 seats while its National Democratic Alliance (NDA) ally Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured 38 seats.

In October 2013, Phailin, the second severe tropical cyclonic storm since the infamous 1999 super cyclone, made landfall in Odisha. Phailin was dubbed as a super storm.

The timing of Phailin could not have been worse, as it came during the Durga Puja celebrations, the biggest religious festival in eastern India. It also struck just six months before the 2014 elections.

However, Patnaik, aware of the cyclones possible impact, ensured that his government swiftly moved into action. He told state officials to ensure zero casualties, hours before the cyclone was to hit the coast.

Patnaik personally reviewed the relief arrangements at Kalinga stadium in Bhubaneswar. He also visited the state emergency control room, in the office of the special relief commissioner of Odisha, from where all rescue and relief operations were to be monitored.

The administration carried out massive evacuation of approximately 1 million people from vulnerable pockets to safe shelters, with provisions of cooked food there. Relief materials were stocked up at cyclone shelters. The Odisha government had made arrangements for over a million food packets for relief. Warning signals were given at the ports of Paradip and Gopalpur.

Patnaik also wrote to the Union defence minister seeking support from the Air Force and Navy for rescue and relief operations. Indian Air Force helicopters were kept on standby in West Bengal to move in for help at short notice.

Patnaik did exemplary work and all credit should go to him for saving so many human lives. He had the right kind of officers in place for the moment and the task. He deserved and received accolades from all quarters national and international, noted Sahu.

As expected, Patnaiks efforts paid rich dividends in the 2014 polls, as his party secured an overwhelming majority  117 Assembly seats and 20 Lok Sabha seats. The Congress stood at a distant second position in the Assembly polls, with 16 Assembly seats.

To be fair, in terms of devastation and intensity, the 1999 super cyclone was much deadlier than the next four. Also, post 1999, the state has made a lot of progress and is considered the pioneer in disaster preparedness and management.

In 1999, without any warning system available, the government was caught off guard. However, since then, the Met departments cyclone warning system has worked wonderfully and its forecast has been spot on.

Patnaiks government used every piece of information to the best possible effect, and co-ordinated with all concerned departments to meet the challenge effectively, every time. And communication (telecom as well as road connectivity), considered to be key factors for post-cyclone disaster management, has improved a lot.

In 1999, even after a week of the cyclone, it was extremely difficult to reach the affected villages. However, that wasnt the case after Phailin or the other cyclones, said senior Congress leader Panchanan Kunungo.

However, most importantly, Patnaik displayed what the Congress government lacked or ignored  a strong political will to tackle the calamity. And the people of the state felt it. Senior BJD leader Amar Prasad Satpathy asserted, Our leader has always displayed the true qualities of a pro-people leader. In disaster management before and after cyclones, Patnaik is a role model globally.

However, Patnaiks zero casualty objective failed in the cases of Cyclone Titli and last months Cyclone Fani. Many people have criticised the government for its post-Fani response. Congress leader Kanungo said, The governments relief and rehabilitation measures have failed miserably. Its only busy creating an image through national and international media.

However, the administration, with the help of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), other agencies and volunteers, managed to evacuate, as the government claims, over 1.3 million people. The effort was hailed by the United Nations and international media too.

Incidentally, the poll process had already ended three days before Fani made landfall near Puri on 3 May. Three weeks later, as the results were announced on 23 May, the BJD once again emerged triumphant with a thumping majority of 112 Assembly seats and 12 Lok Sabha seats.

On the other hand, the BJP with 23 seats in the Assembly and eight in the Lok Sabha, eclipsed the Congress to take the second spot. The Congress managed to bag one Lok Sabha seat, and failed to reach even double digits in the Assembly, as it secured 9 seats, its lowest ever tally in the state. The party, it is widely believed, is at a point of no return in the state, at least in the next ten years.

However, some of the young faces of the party, while being baffled at the directionless movement of the state leadership, still believe that the Congress can overcome this bad patch in the future. In this regard, Kanungo said, We have to seriously introspect, bring in more young people to the fore, and start over again. The Congress has a base and it needs to work together with a new vigour. Like Buddhism, the Congress is a part of life in Odisha.

However, considering Patnaiks popularity and the resurgence of the BJP, the Congress will need a miracle to enable its turnaround in the near future. Prior to that, the party has to rebuild confidence in the minds of the people of the state.Nitish Kumar said the BJP was offered a berth in the Bihar cabinet for the expansion, but the saffron party was not too keen, which Sushil Kumar Modi confirmed.

Patna: Chief Minister of Bihar Nitish Kumar on Sunday expanded his cabinet with the induction of eight new faces  all from his Janata Dal (United). Members of allies, the BJP and LJP, were left out from the cabinet expansion.

Kumar, after the cabinet expansion, said the BJP was offered a berth in his cabinet, but the saffron party was not too keen. Seconding Kumar, Deputy Chief Minister and BJP senior leader Sushil Kumar Modi said the party was offered a ministerial berth, but it opted out of it for now.

"Nitish Kumar offered BJP a vacant ministerial seat. The BJP decided to fill it in future," the deputy chief minister tweeted.

The new ministers  Narendra Narayan Yadav, Shyam Rajak, Ashok Choudhary, Bima Bharti, Sanjay Jha, Ram Sewak Singh, Niraj Kumar and Lakshmeshwar Rai  were administered the oath of office and secrecy at a function at Raj Bhavan in Patna by Governor Lalji Tandon.

Kumar said the vacancies were majorly created by JD(U) ministers, who resigned from their posts for various reasons.

Tension seems to have been brewing between the alliance partners over allotment of berth in the Narendra Modi Cabinet, though Kumar asserted that there was "no unease" between the partners.

The JD(U), he had said, decided against joining the Modi ministry as allies were not given "proportional representation" in the cabinet.

Three seats in the Nitish Kumar cabinet fell vacant following the election of JD(U) ministers to the Lok Sabha. The three ministers who were elected to the Lower House of Parliament included Water Resources Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh, Disaster Management Minister Dinesh Chandra Yadav and LJP's Bihar unit chief and Animal and Fisheries Resources Minister Pashupati Kumar Paras.

One post fell vacant last year after Manju Verma resigned as social welfare minister in the wake of the Muzaffarpur shelter home case.

Among those who attended Sunday's swearing-in ceremony were Sushil Kumar Modi, Bihar Assembly Speaker Vijay Kumar Choudhary, RJD Bihar unit president Ram Chandra Purbey and several ministers of the Nitish Kumar government.

This is the second time in two years that Nitish Kumar expanded his cabinet.

On 29 July, 2017, he inducted 27 ministers from all three NDA constituents, the JD(U), BJP and LJP.Saffron allies BJP and Shiv Sena will share equal number of seats in the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is the natural choice for the top post again, Chandrakant Patil said

Mumbai: Saffron allies BJP and Shiv Sena will share equal number of seats in the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections, a senior BJP leader has said.

Talking to reporters here Saturday, Revenue Minister Chandrakant Patil also said Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was the "natural choice" of the people, the BJP and the Sena for the top post again.

He said the two parties would contest 135 seats each in the 288-member House, and leave 18 seats for other allies. "Both Amit Shah and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had given a word that BJP and Shiv Sena will fight the assembly polls together. Our party doesn't go back on its word," Patil said.

"We have 122 sitting MLAs and eight independents are supporting the BJP, whereas the Shiv Sena has 63 sitting MLAs. We will get only five additional seats," he said.

Fadnavis is the natural choice of the people, of the BJP as well as that of the Shiv Sena, he said, adding, the chief minister has balanced relations with Shiv Sena very well. "He has good equations with Uddhav Thackeray." "When 'Saamana' (Sena mouthpiece) wrote critical editorials, he would tell the party not to make their criticism public in the newspaper, but express it internally," Patil said.

In the recently-concluded Lok Sabha polls, the saffron parties together won 41 of the 48 seats. While the BJP secured 23 of the 25 seats it contested, the Sena managed victory in 18 of the 23 seats it fought.

Assembly elections in Maharashtra is scheduled to be held between September and October this year.Divya Spandana, head of the Congress social media wing, is believed to have deleted her Twitter and Instagram accounts. A search for her handles on the two websites gets redirected to pages that say the accounts do not exist.

Divya Spandana, head of the Congress social media wing, is believed to have deleted her Twitter and Instagram accounts. A search for her handles on the two websites gets redirected to pages that say the accounts do not exist. On Saturday, ANI reported that all the tweets were deleted from her Twitter account and her description did not have any mention of her post in the Congress.

The report also said there was ambiguity about whether she was still a part of the party's social media team, though was no confirmation from the Congress or Spandana. The Congress media department also declined to comment on Spandana's accounts being deleted.

"Your source is wrong," Spandana told ANI when asked about whether she had left the party.

Although her Twitter and Instagram accounts seem to have been deleted, her Facebook page is still active.

Spandana has been credited with turning around the Congress' social media presence. The BJP's robust media cell and strong online presence is attributed as one of the reasons for the Congress' heavy defeat in the Lok Sabha elections, in which the BJP-led NDA returned to power at the Centre with an even bigger mandate.

Similar speculation around Spandana's association with the party was doing the rounds in October 2018, when her Twitter account description had been taken down for a few hours. Her Twitter bio, which had read, "Actor, Former Member of Parliament and currently handles social media and digital communication for Congress," was removed on 3 October but later added after reports on the change.

The re-posted bio read: "Actor, Former Member of Parliament, currently handling Social Media & Digital Communications for the Congress party & I  it!"

Spandana had told Times Now that she had not stepped down from her post in the Congress and was on leave then. She had blamed a "bug issue" for her missing Twitter bio.

Her clarification had not stemmed the speculations flying thick and fast at the time.

According to Zee News, Spandana had resigned from the post of the Congress communications in-charge to be given some other responsibility. Meanwhile, NDTV had speculated that the move hinted at strains within the party. A local news channel had reported that Nivedith Alva, a former journalist and a digital media professional, would take up her post in the party.

However, none of these reports named their sources and an official confirmation was unavailable.The new BJP president, along with Narendra Modi and the home, defence, finance and foreign ministers, will control not only the future of the government and the party but also the country in large measure.

Narendra Modi's grand swearing-in as the Prime Minister of India was accompanied by two pieces of news on the economy  the first was that India's economic growth had fallen to a five-year low of under 6 percent, and that unemployment was at a multi-year high of over 6 percent; the second was that the new government will, within 100 days, deliver policies that will change India's labour laws (specifically meaning the ability of companies to easily fire workers).

The government also announced that it will acquire large plots of land that can be passed on to companies without agitations, such as the one in West Bengal's Singur against the Tatas for the establishment of a Nano plant. This is the sort of reform that would please investors, particularly foreign ones.

The advantage the Bharatiya Janata Party has is that the massive mandate Modi secured gives him political capital to spend on significant reforms quickly. But the problem with such sudden, drastic changes is that there are opposing interests. For instance, the labour unions and political parties that agitate against such reform. This has prevented such changes in the past.

However, Modi's electoral sweep in the 2019 polls and total control of India's politics and his own party mean he has the space to deliver such changes, and quickly. We should expect to see them happen in the next few weeks.

Today, let us look at the matter of the individuals who comprise the Cabinet Committee on Security  the prime minister and the four top Cabinet ministers. No one predicted these names  finance, home, defence and external affairs  correctly, showing how tight a control this government keeps on information.

Not even the media anticipated the selection of diplomat S Jaishankar as foreign minister. It can be seen as an extension of the presidential style of politics we have been told this election was about, like in the United States, where the Cabinet comprises experts handpicked by the president; they don't have to be elected.

The ease with which Modi transferred individuals from one ministry to another indicates this style of working. The prime minister personally provides the higher direction of the ministry, and the minister then works with bureaucrats on implementation.

The choice of Jaishankar is interesting and unusual as he is an intellectual, a PhD-holder from a family of distinguished scholars. He will either have to change himself to accommodate the BJP's emotional approach to issues like relations with Pakistan, or he has been hired to change this approach. The former is the more likely guess.

In the finance ministry, Nirmala Sitharaman received yet another promotion. She was given the defence minister's role in a surprise move in the last Lok Sabha, and now, she has one of the most important Cabinet positions. Sitharaman's placidity no doubt helped her progress.

Similarly, Rajnath Singh has been transferred to the defence ministry, a lateral move from home in terms of importance.

It is these three ministries  external affairs, finance and defence  that Modi has taken most keen interest in running personally. Decisions such as the surgical strikes and the Balakot airstrikes have the stamp of his style, as well as the frequent visits to foreign locations and building personal relationships with leaders such as Chinese president Xi Jinping and Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu.

However, it was the finance ministry that saw fewer changes after 2014 than businesses expected. When questioned about this in the past, Modi had said India had already carried out significant economic reforms, and that better governance, not policy changes, was the need of the hour. With the Modi 2.0 government's planned changes in labour and land laws, he will consider the process complete.

Furthermore, in the home ministry at the Centre, Amit Shah will do for Modi what he did for him in Gujarat.

Shah was the home minister (not given Cabinet rank) for about a decade in Gujarat, reporting to Modi. Now, with the home minister's portfolio, he becomes the default number two in the Central government. Only in his mid-50s, we can expect Shah to rise further in the next five years.

Another aspect of Shah's induction that needs consideration is what it means for the BJP in terms of the party's further growth. Shah, his strategy and energy, is credited with much of the BJP's spread into difficult states like West Bengal and its retention of all its seats from the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

The current party chief has been a different and much more successful BJP president than his predecessors, including Nitin Gadkari and Venkaiah Naidu, also managing to reduce the BJP's dependency on the RSS on the ground and widening the party membership and its fundraising abilities vastly.

The BJP has had a one man, one post rule for some time now. It has ignored this norm occasionally, but surely, even for a man of Shah's talents, holding both the home minister and BJP president's roles won't be an easy task.

The new party president, along with these four top ministers and the prime minister, will, in large measure, control not only the future of the government and the party but also the country.Amid talks of cabinet expansion to save the government in Karnataka, Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy Saturday met the Congress-JD(S) coalition coordination committee chief Siddaramaiah and held discussions.

Bengaluru: Amid talks of cabinet expansion to save the government in Karnataka, Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy Saturday met the Congress-JD(S) coalition coordination committee chief Siddaramaiah and held discussions. "Both leaders have met on cabinet issue and have held discussions. Whether it is expansion or reshuffle, it may take place only after 4 June," official sources said.

The Congress in Karnataka over the last couple of days had gone into a huddle to avert a potential existential crisis to the one-year-old coalition ministry, and discussed a possible cabinet rejig to address the dissent within. Kumaraswamy had also held discussions with Congress president Rahul Gandhi in Delhi.

Coalition leaders were initially unable to reach consensus on whether to go in for cabinet expansion by filling three vacant posts or reshuffle by asking a few ministers to step down and make way for the disgruntled lawmakers.

CLP leader Siddaramaiah, however, had indicated that reshuffle was on the cards. According to party sources, there are talks about first filling three vacant posts and then going in for reshuffle if the need arises.

Meanwhile, Independent MLA Nagesh and KPJP MLA R Shankar also met Siddaramaiah on Saturday and held discussions. There are reports that in case of cabinet expansion they are likely to be inducted into the Ministry.

During the meeting Siddaramaiah is said to have asked both legislators not to fall pray to any attempts by the BJP to woo them.

On Wednesday reports and pictures of Nagesh and Shankar meeting rebel Congress MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi, who is allegedly hobnobbing with the BJP, had added to the coalition's worry.

Shankar was inducted into Kumaraswamys cabinet, but was subsequently dropped during the reshuffle in December last year, following which both of them had withdrew their support from the government and sided with BJP.

Coalition worries have multiplied after the 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 JDS, which, despite a joint fight, were swept away by the Modi wave.

Also, growing unrest within the party and threat by Ramesh Jarkiholi to quit Congress along with other MLAs 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. Of the total 34 ministerial positions in Karnataka, the Congress and JD(S) have shared 22 and 12 respectively.

Currently, three posts are vacant, two from JD(S) and one from Congress. However, allaying fears that the BJP was trying to weaken the JD(S)-Congress government in Karnataka, the saffron party's state president BS Yeddyurappa Friday had said central leaders have asked the state unit not to indulge in any activity to "destabilise" it.BJP leader JP Nadda emerged as the front-runner for the post of BJP president after he was left out of the Union Council of Ministers.

Editor's note: This piece was originally published on 2 June, 2019. This has been republished in the light of JP Nadda taking over charge as full-time president of the Bharatiya Janata Party from Union home minister Amit Shah.

Amid congratulations for the Cabinet Ministers of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's second term, speculations are rife about who will take charge of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as president after Amit Shah. Shah was named the home minister in the NDA-II Cabinet, and is likely to resign from the post soon in keeping with the 'one-person-one-post' principle of the ruling party.

BJP leader JP Nadda emerged as the front-runner for the post of BJP president after he was left out of the Union Council of Ministers. Nadda, a leader from Himachal Pradesh, is reportedly trusted by the party's top brass and the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh  the party's ideological parent  and is known for a 'clean' reputation. He was the health minister in Modi's first tenure.

The 58-year-old Nadda maintains a low profile, which could work in his favour, as the new party president will be expected to run the organisation in cohesion with the government and carry on with organisational agenda firmed up by Shah, PTI reported.

He is a member of the BJP's parliamentary board, which is the party's top decision-making body having its most important members, that gives him requisite seniority for the job as well, party sources were quoted by the report as saying.

Nadda was also slated to be Himachal Pradesh chief minister in 2017, after the defeat of another BJP leader Prem Kumar Dhumal. However, that was not possible due to the political equations in the state.

A profile of Nadda by News18 notes, "Known for his managerial skills, Nadda didnt get knocked down. Instead, he ensured that his confidante Jairam Thakur makes it to the post. Nadda still continues to enjoy a strong hand in state politics like he does at the Centre. The victory in Uttar Pradesh, where he was the in-charge, is a testament to his strategy making skills."

Another likely contender for the post is BJP national general secretary and Rajya Sabha MP Bhupendra Yadav. Yadav was appointed the state in-charge of Bihar and Gujarat for the Lok Sabha election 2019. Both states delivered a landslide victory to the Narendra Modi-led party.

A contemporary of Modi and Rajnath Singh in the BJP, OP Mathur is also a possible candidate for the post of the party's president. He is a BJP leader from Rajasthan and is the party's in-charge of Gujarat. He worked closely with Modi in the Assembly elections in 2007 and 2012.

The party will also look for new presidents for its Uttar Pradesh and Bihar units as their current heads, Mahendra Nath Pandey and Nityanand Rai respectively, have been inducted in the Union Council of Ministers.

With inputs from agenciesFollowing the precedent set by his predecessor Sushma Swaraj, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar lent a helping hand to Indians abroad as he took cognisance of their plight on Twitter.

New Delhi: Following the precedent set by his predecessor Sushma Swaraj, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar lent a helping hand to Indians abroad as he took cognisance of their plight on Twitter.

Just a day after taking charge of the ministry, Jaishankar appreciated the promptness of the Indian Embassy in Riyadh in lending support to a Kolkata-based man stranded in Saudi Arabia.

"Appreciate the prompt action on this Suhel @IndEmbRiyadh. Pl keep me apprised," he tweeted. He has since quoted two other tweets of those seeking help and mentioned the handles of the concerned embassies.

Swaraj was the first to start this tradition which has been widely commended for bridging the gap between the elected government and the people.

Swaraj opted out of contesting in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections citing her health. She spearheaded various rescue operations during her term, including those in Libya and Yemen.

The former EAM was much-loved by people for being one of the most approachable ministers, known for hearing out and solving grievances on Twitter. Famous for her witty remarks, she surely left a lasting impression by constantly engaging with Twitter users.

"Ma'am, we thought you were our Foreign Minister. The only one most sensible in BJP. Why do you call yourself Chowkidar," one Twitter user asked her. "Because I am doing Chowkidari of Indian interests and Indian nationals abroad," was her reply.

She had famously told one Twitter user that they would be rescued by the Indian Embassy even if they were "stuck on Mars," a comment that not only won hearts but also earning her immense respect. Swaraj's popularity on the micro-blogging website was evident when she was missing from the Cabinet with users tweeting how much they will miss her.

The first career diplomat to be appointed as the EAM, Jaishankar paid tribute to his predecessor in his first tweet from his official account on 31 May. "My first tweet. Thank you all for the best wishes! Honoured to be given this responsibility. Proud to follow on the footsteps of @SushmaSwaraj ji," he tweeted.

A surprise addition to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's second Union Cabinet, the former Foreign Secretary certainly has big shoes to fill.Seeking opposition's cooperation in the smooth conduct of the upcoming Lok Sabha session, newly-appointed Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi Saturday said the government was ready for discussion on any issue.

Bengaluru: Seeking opposition's cooperation in the smooth conduct of the upcoming Lok Sabha session, newly-appointed Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi Saturday said the government was ready for discussion on any issue. The first session of the 17th Lok Sabha will be held from 17 June to 26 July, with the regular budget to be presented on 5 July.

"I request all the opposition parties, people have given unprecedented mandate in favour of Narendra Modi and the BJP. For five years lets successfully conduct the sessions and discuss on issues. The government is ready for discussion on any issue," Joshi said.

Speaking to reporters on his visit to the city after taking over as minister, he said it is a common belief that in the Lok Sabha there should be debates, discussions and not disruptions.

"So following the people's mandate lets all work together  is our request to all the Opposition parties. In the days to come we will call a meeting in this regard, so I seek their cooperation," Joshi said.

He pointed out that there are four ministers from Karnataka in the Modi cabinet and they will meet once in 15 days and discuss Karnataka related issues and follow up.

"We want to protect the interest of Karnataka that's our decision," he said, adding that the big result to the BJP led by Modi was a huge responsibility, "as expectations of people are very high."

Karnataka Lok Sabha members  Pralhad Joshi, DV Sadananda Gowda (Chemical and Fertilizer) and Suresh Angadi (MoS Railway) were inducted into the ministry Thursday, apart from Nirmala Sitharaman (Finance), who is a Rajya Sabha MP from the state.

Responding to a question on the Mahadayi river water issue, he said both the Karnataka and Goa governments have sought clarification and have appealed to the Supreme Court on the matter.

"...let the Karnataka government call an all-party meeting and legal experts, if they want notification, we will participate in it.

Legal experts, who had represented Karnataka, had earlier said since both states have filed an appeal, it cannot be done. But if experts say it is possible, lets try, we have no objection," he said. Mahadayi river tribunal had delivered its verdict allocating 13.5 tmc ft of water to Karnataka.

As all three riparian states (Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra) have sought clarifications from the tribunal on its final judgment and as states have also gone to the Supreme Court against it, the Centre has refused to notify the tribunals verdict citing legalities.

When pointed out that a BJP government was in power in Goa, Joshi said parties in the states would take a stand for their state. Earlier, too, Congress governments were there at the Centre, at Goa and here, he said. "The Mahadayi issue did not crop up after Modi came or Pralhad Joshi," he said.

Asked if the prime minister would intervene and solve the issue at this stage, Joshi, without giving any direct response, blamed the Congress for taking the matter to the tribunal. The minister, who also holds the coal department portfolio, said there would not be any shortage in supply of coal.

"...there is minimum stock of 15-16 days everywhere, whatever demand comes that will be supplied," he added.

On a query by PTI that a report was submitted by a Congress leader to the party leadership alleging that the BJP had distributed money to win the Tumkur Lok Sabha seat, Joshi said the Congress should stop levelling such "wild allegations", especially after the people have rejected them in the polls.

Former prime minister and JD(S) supremo HD Deve Gowda faced defeat from the seat. BJP candidate GS Basavaraj won by a margin of over 13,000 votes.

"What have they done (distributed money) in Mandya, Hassan, Bengaluru Rural and Tumkur? The people of the state know very well. Let us not talk about it. The people have already given the mandate and the time is now to work," he told PTI. On the Karnataka government, Joshi said, "We have told many times, we don't need to do anything. They will collapse on their own."

Asked what the options were for the BJP if the JD(S)-Congress government falls, Joshi said "There are many options. The BJP is the single largest party in the state. We will explore all options when the time comes, including going for fresh elections."

On AIMIM chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi's remarks that the BJP sees terrorists wherever there are Muslims, Joshi said it is inappropriate to link Hyderabad to Muslims. "Why should Owaisi link Hyderabad to Muslims when our cabinet minister from Telangana, Kishan Reddy, referred to Hyderabad. He did not mention or target Muslims, but terrorists," he said.

Newly-appointed Union Minister of State for Home Reddy has reportedly alleged that whenever a terrorism-related incident takes place in the country, its roots are traced to Hyderabad. Owaisi criticised him for the remarks.The Associated Press

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 Beijings 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. sanctions imposed on Huawei in mid-May amid an escalating trade war, whose backdrop is the two powers struggle for long-term technological and economic dominance.

Several leading U.S.-based global technology standards-setting groups announced restrictions on Huaweis participation in their activities under the U.S. Commerce Department restrictions, which bar the sale and transfer of U.S. technology to Huawei without government approval.

Such groups are vital battlegrounds for industry players, who use them to try to influence the development of next-generation technologies in their favor. Excluding Huawei would put the company at serious disadvantage against rivals outside China.

Also Friday, The Financial Times said the company had ordered employees to cancel technical meetings with Americans and sent home U.S. employees working at its Chinese headquarters.

Huawei is the worlds No. 1 network equipment provider and second-largest smartphone maker. U.S. officials claim Huawei is legally beholden to Chinas ruling Communists, which could use the companys products for cyberespionage, though the U.S. has presented no evidence of intentional spying.

In blacklisting Huawei, the Commerce Department cited the companys theft of intellectual property and evading of Iran sanctions. A 90-day grace period allows continued support of existing Huawei equipment. But under the export restrictions, U.S. suppliers including Qualcomm, Intel, Google and Microsoft cannot ship computer chips, software and other components for new Huawei equipment.

In apparent response, a spokesman for Chinas commerce ministry said Friday in Beijing that it was establishing a list of foreign enterprises, organizations and individuals deemed to be unreliable entities.

Entities are unreliable if they fail to comply with market rules, break from the spirit of contracts and block or stop supplying Chinese enterprise for non-commercial reasons, seriously damaging the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises, ministry spokesman Gao Feng told a news briefing. Gao said necessary measures against the transgressors would be announced in the near future.

He said the creation of Chinas list is justified by national security concerns and Beijings opposition to trade protection and unilateralism  a likely reference to the Trump administrations go-it-alone approach to global trade and security policy.

But Chinas options are limited.

Triolo of Eurasia Group said China doesnt have any retaliatory options that dont also hurt Chinas business climate. Cutting exports of rare earth minerals to the U.S., for instance, could also hurt China, as the country is the leading exporter of such materials.

In the latest blow to Huawei, the worlds largest association of technical professionals, IEEE, moved this week to restrict employees of the Chinese company from peer-reviewing research papers , citing the U.S. sanctions.

The New Jersey-based IEEE is a leading developer of telecommunications, information technology and power generation standards and claims 422,000 members in more than 160 countries , more than half of them outside the United States. It has about 200 different publications.

IEEE media officials did not return phone calls and emails seeking clarification on a leaked email widely circulated online . The email advises editors-in-chief of IEEE journals of potential severe legal implications if Huawei employees arent removed from the peer-review process on scientific papers.

Huawei had no comment on the IEEE action. But Chinas state news agency Xinhua said Chinese scientists have no choice but to leave IEEE, calling the decision a smear that will damage the scientific organizations objectivity and authority.

We all believe that IEEE is an international society, not just one belonging to the U.S, Zhang Haixia, a nanotechnology scientist at Peking University, posted on her labs social media account. She said she was leaving two IEEE editorial boards .

Also this week, two major international standards organizations  the Wi-Fi Alliance and SD Association  said they were temporarily restricting Huawei participation in activities covered by the U.S. restrictions.

Austin, Texas-based Wi-Fi Alliance, which has more than 550 members and certifies wireless network products, did not respond to questions seeking clarification on what activities it was restricting.

Kevin Schader, spokesman for the San Ramon, California-based SD Association , said Huawei is unable to participate in developing standards for memory cards. The group has 900 members worldwide.

The development of standards for next-generation 5G wireless equipment  in which Huawei has played a central role  is exempt from the U.S. restrictions until the grace period ends on Aug. 21. That exemption could be extended.

Many analysts consider the restrictions a pressure tactic by Washington to encourage a wholesale ban by European allies on Huawei equipment in their 5G rollouts, which countries including Britain, France and Germany have resisted.

The Financial Times, meantime, quoted Huaweis chief strategy architect, Dang Wenshuan, as saying that U.S. citizens working in research and development at the companys Shenzhen headquarters were sent home two weeks ago.

It said a workshop underway at Huawei at the time was hastily disbanded, and American delegates were asked to remove their laptops, isolate their networks and leave the Huawei premises.Reuters

By Diane Bartz

(Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department is preparing an investigation of Alphabet Inc's Google to determine whether the tech giant broke antitrust law in operating its sprawling online businesses, two sources familiar with the matter said.

Officials from the Justice Department's Antitrust Division and Federal Trade Commission, which both enforce antitrust law, met in recent weeks to give Justice jurisdiction over Google, said the sources, who sought anonymity because they were not authorised to speak on the record.

The potential investigation represents the latest attack on a tech company by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, who has accused social media companies and Google of suppressing conservative voices on their platforms online.

One source said the potential investigation, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, focused on accusations that Google gave preference to its own businesses in searches.

A spokesman for the Justice Department said he could not confirm or deny that an investigation was being considered. Google declined comment.

Early in 2013, the FTC closed a long-running investigation of Google, giving it a slap on the wrist. Under FTC pressure, Google agreed to end the practice of "scraping" reviews and other data from rivals websites for its own products, and to let advertisers export data to independently assess campaigns.

Google's search, YouTube, reviews, maps and other businesses, which are largely free to consumers but financed through advertising, have catapulted it from a start-up to one of the world's richest companies in just two decades.

Along the way, it has made enemies in both the tech world, who have complained to law enforcers about its market dominance, and in Washington, where lawmakers have complained about issues from its alleged political bias to its plans for China.

TripAdvisor chief executive and co-founder Stephen Kaufer welcomed news that Google could face Justice Department antitrust scrutiny.

"TripAdvisor remains concerned about Googles practices in the United States, the EU and throughout the world," Kaufer said in a statement.

"For the good of consumers and competition on the internet, we welcome any renewed interest by U.S. regulators into Google's anticompetitive behavior."

Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren has pushed for action to break up Google, as well as other big tech companies. Senator Kamala Harris, who is also running for president on the Democratic ticket, has agreed.

"This is very big news, and overdue," Sen. Josh Hawley, a Republican Google critic, said on Twitter, regarding the investigation.

Google has faced a plethora of overseas probes.

Europe's competition authority, for one, hit Google with a 2.4-billion-euro ($2.7-billion) EU fine two years ago for unfairly promoting its own comparison shopping service.

Google has since offered to allow competitors to bid for advertising space at the top of a search page, giving them the chance to compete on equal terms.

(Reporting by Paresh Dave in California, Diane Bartz in Washington and Kanishka Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Chris Sanders and Clarence Fernandez)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.Reuters

A U.S. judge on Friday denied Facebook Inc.s request to dismiss a lawsuit by the Washington, D.C. attorney general over the social media giants improper sharing of 87 million users data with British political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica.

The U.S. capital city sued Facebook in December, accusing it of misleading users because it had known about the breach for two years before disclosing it and had allowed third-party app makers to access user information without their consent.

Judge Fern Flanagan Saddler signed the order denying Facebooks motion to dismiss, or alternatively, stay proceedings, the court said in a brief statement on its website.

It was the second legal blow for the worlds largest social network on Friday, after a judge in Delaware ordered it to turn over to shareholders emails and other records on its handling of data privacy, also linked to the Cambridge Analytica scandal.

Facebook did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on the decision.

Cambridge Analytica, hired by U.S. President Donald Trumps 2016 election campaign, used a personality quiz distributed on Facebook to gather profile information in order to predict and influence voter behavior.

It shut down after the breach was disclosed. Several U.S. and European regulatory probes into Facebook ensued, including investigations by multiple state attorneys general.

The Washington, D.C. court could award unspecified damages and impose a civil penalty of up to $5,000 per violation of the districts consumer protection law, or potentially close to $1.7 billion, if penalized for each consumer affected.

The lawsuit alleges the firms quiz software had data on 340,000 D.C. residents, even though just 852 users had directly engaged with it.BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Hungarian police on Saturday said they have identified seven South Koreans who died in a Budapest riverboat crash on Wednesday, without releasing their names.

BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Hungarian police on Saturday said they have identified seven South Koreans who died in a Budapest riverboat crash on Wednesday, without releasing their names.

"We could do that first using finger and palm prints taken from them, the corpses, and cooperating with South Korean authorities, and second, using photographs shown to victims' family members, who identified their relatives," police spokesman Kristof Gal said.

Seven South Korean citizens survived the crash and seven died, while 19 South Koreans and two Hungarians have been officially listed as missing for three days, all of them feared dead amid hostile conditions on the Danube river.

(Reporting by Marton Dunai; Editing by Toby Chopra)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.The Centre said on Saturday it will continue to seek to build strong economic ties with the United States despite a decision by US president Donald Trump to end preferential trade treatment for India from 5 June.

New Delhi: The Centre said on Saturday it will continue to seek to build strong economic ties with the United States despite a decision by US president Donald Trump to end preferential trade treatment for India from 5 June.

In a relatively tame response to the announcement from Washington on Friday, the government said it was unfortunate that its attempts to resolve significant US requests had not been accepted.

Indian officials had previously raised the prospect of higher import duties on more than 20 US goods if Trump dropped India from the program but there was no mention of that in the response. India, like the US and other nations shall always uphold its national interest in these matters, the government said in a statement issued through Indias trade ministry.

The privileges come under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), which had been allowing preferential duty-free imports of up to $5.6 billion a year into the US from the South Asian nation. India is the biggest beneficiary of the GSP program.

The Indian government said that India viewed the issue as part of its ongoing economic relationship with the US and will continue to build on our strong ties with the US, both economic and people-to-people.

It added: We are confident that the two nations will continue to work together intensively for further growing these ties in a mutually beneficial manner.

An earlier version of the statement had used the words it is hoped rather than we are confident but was subsequently withdrawn and replaced.

New minister

The United States had put on hold a decision to withdraw the GSP benefits to India until 23 May, the day the results of the countrys 39-day general election that began 11 April were announced. But Prime Minister Narendra Modi only took the oath office on Thursday and on Friday named Piyush Goyal his new commerce and industry minister  the official who will handle trade matters.

New Delhi was making efforts to avoid withdrawal of the GSP benefits over the past few months, a senior government official said, adding that the US move was sudden and without communication.

Washington has been particularly irritated by Indias tightening of regulations that have undermined major US companies but favored domestic entities in the past year. In particular, tighter e-commerce rules that came in earlier this year hurt Amazon.com and Walmart, which last year bought Indian online retailer Flipkart for $16 billion.

Trump, who had first announced his intention to take away the privileges in early March, said in a statement on Friday that New Delhi has not assured the United States that India will provide equitable and reasonable access to its markets.

Twenty-four members of the US Congress sent the administration a letter on 3 May urging it not to terminate Indias access to the GSP.

A spokesman for Indias opposition Congress Party, which took a drubbing in the general election, said the US move has grave trade and economic implications for India and demanded Modi issue a comprehensive statement addressing the problem.By Sharon Bernstein and Tim Reid SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Fourteen Democratic presidential candidates sparked cheers and applause in the streets of San Francisco on Saturday as they worked the crowds at the California party's state convention, a sign of the state's heft in upcoming nominating contests. Their presence lent star power to a lowly state organizing convention that has become a window into the issues and rivalries at stake as Democrats compete for the nomination to run against Republican President Donald Trump in 2020. 'Oh my God, is that Bernie Sanders?' a young woman yelled as she walked passed the tousle-haired progressive icon, who was taking selfies with admirers after addressing a union group.

By Sharon Bernstein and Tim Reid

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Fourteen Democratic presidential candidates sparked cheers and applause in the streets of San Francisco on Saturday as they worked the crowds at the California party's state convention, a sign of the state's heft in upcoming nominating contests.

Their presence lent star power to a lowly state organizing convention that has become a window into the issues and rivalries at stake as Democrats compete for the nomination to run against Republican President Donald Trump in 2020.

"Oh my God, is that Bernie Sanders?" a young woman yelled as she walked passed the tousle-haired progressive icon, who was taking selfies with admirers after addressing a union group.

Following an evening of parties including one emceed by a drag performer in the LGBTQ-friendly city, presidential hopefuls including Sanders and fellow U.S. Senators Kamala Harris and Amy Klobuchar addressed members of the Service Employees International Union before heading into the main convention hall, where more than a dozen were set to speak to the party faithful Saturday and Sunday.

Harris, a native daughter who has been eclipsed in early polling in California by former Vice President Joe Biden and Sanders, made clear she was not taking her home state for granted.

Supporters with signs bearing her name and shouting "Kamala! Kamala!" formed a gauntlet outside of the SEIU event that Sanders was forced to walk through.

"I am here to earn everyones support, and Im going to fight to earn it," she said at a breakfast held by the party's women's caucus.

Notably absent from the event was Biden. As the convention opened on Saturday morning, his aides moved among reporters in the press area with glossy handouts featuring the former vice president's picture.

Biden leads in early polling in the state, but opted not to attend the convention, a move experts said could make him seem above the fray, but could also be risky if Californians come to see him as taking the state for granted.

As perhaps a sign of the campaign to come, however, the Biden handout led with a swipe at Sanders, a self-described democratic socialist who polls second behind Biden among Democrats.

A moderate, Biden appeared to be staking a position to the right of Sanders.

"I love Bernie, but I'm not Bernie Sanders," Biden says, adding that unlike Sanders he does not blame billionaires for the country's problems. "The folks at the top aren't bad guys," the statement said.

The convention opened with a moment of silence for the 12 victims of a gunman in Virginia Beach on Friday, the latest mass shooting in the nation.

"We absolutely insist on common-sense gun laws to end this epidemic of gun violence," Democratic California Governor Gavin Newsom told the crowd of 5,000 delegates, guests and press.

U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who represents the San Francisco congressional district, also spoke to the convention.

(Reporting by Sharon Bernstein and Tim Reid; Editing by Paul Simao)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has reiterated the grouping's support for the legitimate rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir in accordance with the United Nations resolutions, the Pakistan Foreign Office said in Islamabad on Saturday.

Islamabad: The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has reiterated the grouping's support for the legitimate rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir in accordance with the United Nations resolutions, the Pakistan Foreign Office said in Islamabad on Saturday.

The OIC is an international organisation of 57 member states, with 53 countries being Muslim-majority nations.

Several leaders of Muslim countries attended the 14th OIC summit was held in the holy city of Makkah on Friday. Prime Minister Imran Khan represented Pakistan at the summit.

The Pakistan Foreign Office said in a statement that the summit in Makkah reiterated the conference's principled support for the legitimate right to self-determination of the people of Jammu and Kashmir in accordance with UN resolutions.

India has made it clear that there is no scope for any third party role or mediation in Kashmir. The Ministry of External Affairs had said in March that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India and is a matter strictly internal to India.

The conference approved Yousef Aldobeay of Saudi Arabia as OIC's special envoy for Jammu and Kashmir.

The OIC also called for the adoption of a comprehensive strategy to combat Islamophobia, building on proposals made by Pakistan at the OIC Ministerial Executive Committee meeting in March 2019.

Prime Minister Imran Khan, in his address, articulated Pakistan's views on the situation in Kashmir, Palestine, Islamophobia and the need for science, technology and innovation for Muslim countries, the statement said.

Khan held meeting with Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, Afghan president Ashraf Ghani, Egyptian president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and other leaders on the sidelines of the summit, according to the statement.The United States will end preferential trade treatment for India from Wednesday (5 June), US President Donald Trump has announced, in a fresh economic headwind for New Delhi alongside slowing growth and record unemployment.

Washington: The United States will end preferential trade treatment for India from Wednesday (5 June), US President Donald Trump has announced, in a fresh economic headwind for New Delhi alongside slowing growth and record unemployment.

India has been the single biggest beneficiary of the decades-old US Generalized System of Preferences programme, allowing the country to export $5.7 billion worth of duty-free goods in 2017, according to figures from US Congress.

Trump said in a statement issued late Friday that he wanted greater access for US goods to the giant South Asian nation.

"I have determined that India has not assured the United States that India will provide equitable and reasonable access to its markets," Trump said. "Accordingly, it is appropriate to terminate India's designation as a beneficiary developing country."

Trump announced in March that he would be ending the preferential trade accord with India, but did not give a date.

Washington has sought to make India a closer diplomatic ally, but has long complained about limited access to the huge market of 1.3 billion people.

The US had a $26.7 billion trade deficit with India in 2017-2018.

The announcement is the latest headwind to threaten the Hindu nationalist government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was re-elected to his second term in a landslide just weeks ago after campaigning partly on his record as an economic reformer.

Official figures released Friday showed that India's growth slowed for the third straight quarter to 5.8 percent in January-March, while unemployment hit a 45-year high in 2018.

The Indian government made no immediate comment on Washington's move, but media reports said New Delhi was considering higher import duties on more than 20 US goods, including agricultural produce and chemicals.

Indian commerce secretary Anup Wadahan played down the move to end the country's GSP status in March, saying that preferential trade accounted for a fraction of its nearly $80 million in annual exports to the US.Name: Darryn Dunbar

Education: BSN-Illinois Wesleyan University; MS- University of Illinois at Chicago ; DNP- Johns Hopkins University

Current job: Director of Online Nursing Programs & Professor, Stratford University; Falls Church, Virginia

Q: Why did you become a nurse?

A: "I originally thought I wanted to become a physician. After spending a summer as a hospital volunteer at my grandmother's suggestion -- she was a nurse -- I learned that nurses care for people in a different way than physicians do -- a way that resonated so much with me that I pursued that career path directly out of high school, a bit atypical for men in the 1980s when nursing was more commonly a second career for men."

Q: What else about nursing appealed to you?

A: "Nursing provided me the opportunity to rely on my inclinations with math and science, pursue curiosity about technology, engage my emotional intelligence while comfortably being the friendly, funny extrovert that I was/am."

Q: Does being an extrovert help?

A: "Having a big personality can work against me at times, especially in leadership roles. I've learned when to reel it in and when to let it loose."

Q: What do you enjoy most about your job?

A: "As a professor, I enjoy observing students having those 'light bulb' moments when facts collide with critical thinking and suddenly several details become like framed art in a museum; when they no longer see just ferns and trees, rather the entire forest.

Today, I am no longer at the bedside, however, I am impacting health care in a broader sense by helping students develop critical-thinking skills, to consider innovative solutions to the ongoing dilemmas health care faces with diminishing resources to address increasing demands and to care for the whole person, not the 'diagnosis' or the person in the bed in 'room 522.'"

Q: What's the worst moment you've experienced as a nurse?

A: "Losing a patient because a physician would not respond to my concern. The cause of death was a condition that likely would have caused the patient's death anyway ... we may not have been able to prevent the patient's demise, however, that sense of powerlessness of 'I know what's happening right now and no one is freaking listening to me!' Then to have that physician tearfully apologize afterward. She honestly felt horrible for quite some time."

Q: How is your relationship with physicians in general?

A: "I feel fortunate to have grown up where professional collaboration between nursing and medicine has evolved to focus on what is necessary for the patients and families we care for. Becoming an advanced-practice provider in the early 1990s also provided me tools to speak their 'language.' I've held various positions in nursing so I feel comfortable directly addressing physicians with questions and concerns, or providing information I feel may be useful in their clinical decision-making. That comfort has served as an example to my nursing peers on how to collaborate with our physician colleagues."

Q: How about your relationship with patients? Do they respect what you do or do they insist on seeing the doctor?

A: "In my personal and social circle, friends would rather ask my opinion than call their providers! Otherwise, it depends on the patient. When practicing as a nurse-midwife, many Latina women would refer to me as 'Doctor,' regardless of how many times I explained to them I was a nurse-midwife.

There were times in the ER -- often related to intoxication, dementia or behavioral health issues -- that patients would insist on only dealing with physicians. Patients would ultimately realize that nurses really had an impact on how their stay in the ER went so it may behoove them to interact with their nurses after all."

Q: What are some of your favorite experiences as a nurse?

A: "Being connected to a family that I cared for six years ago when I diagnosed the mother as having premature rupture of membranes at 28 weeks pregnant. She delivered five days later. I have been part of this family's life ever since. They recently made a trip to Washington, D.C., where I now live and insisted we get together.

Another was being the only nurse or staff member that an actively suicidal patient brought to the ER in restraints responded to. My assignment was changed to care for him so that he would not escalate a third time. I visited him the next day, when he was admitted to intensive care on active suicidal watch on one-to-one supervision by a nurse technician, who later became my nursing student ... the coincidences in this universe!

He told me I was his guardian angel and that I gave him 'some things to think about.' Four months later while walking alone on the North Side of Chicago, I felt a tap on my right shoulder. It was this patient. I wasn't sure what to make of it at first. I had certainly seen previous patients in public before. I guess my look of startle made him step back a bit, but he went on to say, 'I just want to thank you. You saved my life. I'm doing well. I'm on medication, in therapy, living with my sister and am back to work. All because of you!'

I just wanted to melt like butter on a hot skillet. I kept it together and asked if I could give him a hug. He said, 'I was going to ask you the same thing.' We embraced. I had no idea the things I said to him those two days had such an impact. He asked where I was headed. I told him; we were headed to the same place, so we walked there together. He and I are remain friends today, 10 years later."

(C) 2019 Tribune Content Agency, LLC.The energy space is broad and diverse, with some areas doing well and others poorly. Right now, oil and gas-related names are still facing headwinds, which has opened up opportunities for investors interested in financially strong dividend-paying companies. Three that deserve your attention today are integrated energy giant ExxonMobil (NYSE:XOM), drilling services provider Helmerich & Payne (NYSE:HP), and midstream limited partnership Magellan Midstream Partners (NYSE:MMP).

1. Still looking pretty cheap

Exxon's stock is up 6% so far in 2019, but down 13% from the highs it reached earlier in the year. The stock is yielding roughly 4.3%, which is near the highest levels investors have seen here in roughly 20 years, which suggests that income investors could be looking at a bargain price today. Add in the energy company's incredible 36-year streak of annual dividend hikes (tops among its peers) despite operating in a highly volatile sector and now seems like a great time for a deep dive.

The oil giant isn't a risk-free investment, but it looks like it is dealing well with the biggest headwind it faces today. For a few years, its oil production was falling, which is bad for an oil company. In the second half of 2018, however, it appears to have stemmed the declines. Put simply, its massive investment plans are starting to bear fruit and the future here is starting to look much better.

But one other thing that really sets Exxon apart is its rock-solid finances. A quick look at the company's balance sheet tells an important story: Long-term debt makes up less than 10% of the capital structure, an incredibly low figure for any company. This conservative financial positioning should allow Exxon to support its growing dividend and capital investment plans even if oil prices fall into a bear market. Investors of all types would do well to take a good look at Exxon today.

2. Services take a hit

Giants like Exxon hire companies like Helmerich & Payne, which builds and leases out drill rigs, to help them pull oil and natural gas out of the ground. When energy prices are low, demand for drilling services generally falls, often dropping off dramatically as customers pull back on capital spending plans to save money. The sector has been pretty weak since the severe oil price decline in mid-2014. This helps explain why Helmerich & Payne's stock is down nearly 60% from the highs it reached that year. The yield, meanwhile, is a heady 4.8%, backed by 46 years' worth of annual increases. Like Exxon, Helmerich's yield is toward the high end of its historical range.

The problem here is that Helmerich only does well when its customers are drilling. And while the company's contracted rig count is up materially from the lows reached after the deep 2014 oil crash, it still only has around 62% of its fleet working today. However, the company is the market share leader in the U.S. land market, which is one of the world's hottest drilling areas today, and it has long focused on owning the most technologically advanced rigs. So, it is well positioned in the industry. It should be able to muddle through during tough times and provide superior performance in good times. Right now, it's somewhere in between those two extremes, but it generally looks like things are heading in a positive direction.

That said, one of the most enticing features of the company is its conservative balance sheet. Long-term debt makes up roughly 10% of the capital structure. That's much less leverage than its closest peers and gives Helmerich & Payne plenty of financial leeway to deal with tough times while still rewarding investors with hefty dividend payments. If you can stomach a little risk, Helmerich is worth a close look.

3. Moving energy from point A to point B

Last up here is Magellan Midstream, with its roughly 6.5% yield. That's toward the high end of the partnership's history, but notably around twice what it was roughly five years ago. That increase in the yield, however, wasn't all about unit price declines in a sector that's been out of favor. In fact, Magellan's units "only" fell around 25% over that span (the broader MLP sector was down roughly twice as much). Also helping to push the yield higher was the distribution increasing an impressive 60%.

There's something of a disconnect going on here. Magellan's business is largely backed by fee-based assets so there is ample and reliable cash flow to cover and grow its distribution. In fact, distribution coverage is targeted at a strong 1.2 times. Meanwhile, its leverage is toward the low end of the industry, with debt to EBITDA of just 2.4 times. Magellan and its distribution appear solid.

Magellan also has plenty of growth potential. Its primary business is helping domestic energy companies get products from where they are drilled to where they get used. Not only is U.S. onshore drilling a hot global market, the United States is also short on the needed infrastructure to move all the oil and natural gas it's generating. That helps underpin Magellan's plans to spend roughly $1.25 billion on growth projects in 2019 and 2020, with another $500 million or so waiting in the wings. That, in turn, should allow this high yielder to keep increasing its distribution over time. Conservative investors looking for a big yield should like what they see here.

Down but hardly out

Exxon, Helmerich & Payne, and Magellan are all high-yield energy stocks that look pretty cheap today. But finding inexpensive energy stocks isn't all that hard to do right now. What is hard is finding energy stocks worth owning. This is where this trio really stand out. They not only offer high yields, but the conservative financial positioning to keep paying you to own them even when times get rough. Exxon and Magellan are good options for just about any investor, while Helmerich would be best for more aggressive types. All in, it's likely that at least one of these energy stocks, with yields at the high end of their historical ranges, will be of interest to you.Brookfield Infrastructure Partners (NYSE:BIP) has created significant value for its investors over the years by acquiring and operating critical infrastructure assets like pipelines, ports, and powerlines. While the company owns these assets for the long term, it does turn over its portfolio by selling mature businesses and using those proceeds to acquire faster-growing assets. One area where it sees lots of growth potential is in data infrastructure.

CEO Sam Pollock laid out why the company wants to invest in that sector on its first-quarter conference call, including providing a detailed look at the four types of data infrastructure that Brookfield seeks to own.

The case for data infrastructure

Pollock started his deep dive into why Brookfield is investing in data infrastructure by stating that the "sector continues to offer interesting investment opportunities given the large amounts of capital that need to be deployed in the space." He pointed out that:

Data has been one of the fastest growing commodities in the world and we expect this rapid growth to persist for the foreseeable future driven by a number of factors including greater smartphone penetration, increasing data consumption, advent of 5G networks and other new and evolving uses such as Internet of Things, AI and other applications that depend on low latency. We have identified this exponential growth in data users worldwide as a significant opportunity, particularly with the large-scale infrastructure investments that will be required to support data transportation and storage.

As Pollock noted, the main reason why Brookfield wants to invest in data infrastructure is its growth potential. We're using more data across more applications, which is driving the need for the systems to transport and store all this information. That's creating a significant opportunity for companies like Brookfield to invest in building out these critical assets. The CEO commented that:

[O]ur belief is that as people, places, and objects become increasingly more interconnected, the importance of data infrastructure assets will rise. Given the ongoing evolution and innovation taking place in the telecom sector, we are seeking to detach these assets from their corporate owners and focusing on contractual arrangements that hold attractive infrastructure characteristics and bear limited technology and obsolescence risk.

Zeroing in on four specific opportunities

Brookfield's CEO then took some time to discuss how his company aims to take advantage of this opportunity by focusing its efforts on investing across four main themes:

Wireless infrastructure, such as telecom towers Fiber networks, such as high-speed internet networks. Data centers, which store information for large corporate customers like cloud computing Integrated data operations, such as mobile carriers and broadband service providers

On wireless infrastructure, Pollock pointed out that the company bought 7,000 towers in France in 2015, which was its first data-related infrastructure investment. He then noted two key aspects of towers that Brookfield finds attractive.

First, Pollock said that

[G]rowth in this business is driven by the requirement for mobile network operators to increase their site coverage to meet spectrum license obligations and improve network capacity to support higher data speeds and usage. We believe investments in wireless infrastructure are attractive as these are long-life assets, which benefit from natural barriers to entry due to location scarcity and challenging permitting environments.

Next, he stated that "customers are willing to enter into the long-term contracts of up to 20 years with embedded indexation to secure capacity." As a result of those two factors, Brookfield can generate stable, growing cash flow by operating telecom towers.

Brookfield has also made some investments in fiber networks through its existing portfolio companies. Its U.K.-regulated distribution business, for example, has been deploying fiber-to-the-home in new housing developments as part of a multiutility offering, which also includes electric, gas, water, and sewer connections. Meanwhile, the company's French communications business has been building out fiber networks in that county.

The reason Brookfield is investing in building out fiber networks is that, "like traditional utilities, broadband is becoming a basic household need as society demands reliable connectivity." As such, it can generate steady cash flow on its investments to expand these networks.

Data centers, meanwhile, are a new focus area for the company. Brookfield has acquired businesses on three continents over the past year, including buying data centers from AT&T and partnering with Digital Realty to acquire data centers in South America. It likes these assets because companies continuously need more data storage capacity, which is why data center tenants typically sign "long-term take-or-pay contracts of 10 years or longer," according to Pollock. He further noted that these agreements "allow us to achieve attractive risk-adjusted returns within the initial contract term and significantly derisk the investments."

Finally, Pollock stated that:

A potential area of opportunity for us in this type of asset class is the acquisition of asset heavy integrated telecom operators. As the name implies these are businesses that provide utility like broadband and wireless services to customers through owner operated tower and fiber networks. These businesses will have customer-facing activities, similar to our distribution companies.

In other words, the company would consider acquiring a mobile carrier or broadband service provider that also owns significant infrastructure like cell towers or a large-scale fiber network. The company could then separate the infrastructure assets from the consumer-facing business or continue operating the integrated enterprise.

Expect data infrastructure to become an increasingly important growth driver

Brookfield Infrastructure has invested several hundred million dollars over the last year to build out its data infrastructure platform. Three main factors are driving these investments.

First, data infrastructure has tremendous growth potential. Second, the company can earn attractive returns on its data-focused investments. Finally, it can generate relatively steady cash flow on these assets backed primarily by long-term contracts.

This compelling blend of returns, stability, and growth should enable Brookfield to create significant value for its investors in the future as it continues pouring money into data infrastructure.It is a threshold two dancers would later fully pierce in Dances with Words and Music, a world premiere created in collaboration with the Poetry Foundation, visual artist Frank Vodvarka, animator Kelli Evans and three musicians: Morehead, soprano Christina Kaloyanides and guitarist Brian Torosian. This multisensory experience is just as the title says: dances with words and music. Stifler layers artistic interpretations of poems by Dorothy Parker, e.e. cummings, Federico Garcia Lorca and Langston Hughes with animations of their words choreographed across the back wall of the stage. Musical interludes set the mood for each poem: delicate and somewhat bluesy for Parker and somber for Lorca, for example. The beautiful intricacies of this five-part piece far outweigh its oddities, which include the aforementioned choice to send two dancers into the audience, and near-complete negligence of the musicians by leaving them in the dark, even as they exquisitely played and sang. Dances with Words and Music was not the only instance of too-dark, thoughtless or haphazard lighting choices, but it was the one that bothered me the most.I truly appreciate all of the encouragement I received from people around the nation urging me to consider making a run for president in 2020, Hogan said in a statement. However, I will not be a candidate. Instead, I am dedicated to serving my second term as Maryland governor and in my new role leading Americas governors as the incoming chairman of the National Governors Association.The bottom linemy bottom line, at least, is always read and pay attention to the fine print.

Its so easy to confuse trends with replacements. I think we in the media have a tendency to do that, particularly in short television stories.

Automation in personal vehicles has been ongoing for decades. Some of it is fine and helpful. Some of it, in my view, isnt really necessary, but we get used to it and carmakers can charge more for it.

In a San Diego car museum recently, another old pal and I were looking at all the tasks drivers had to do in their cars. For example, in the 1910s and 20s, there was a hand crank to get the motor spinning, a spark advance lever to control the ignition timing and a hand choke to change how much gas the car got to get going. And on and on.

Did you know that when windshield wipers came in, there were cars with a small knob and the driver had to reach up and turn the knob to make the wiper wipe?

One by one, these tasks disappeared, and driving became easier. That meant there were fewer tasks to learn just to hop in the car and drive down to the store for a loaf of bread.Expect overnight delays around the U.S. 17 interchange in Stafford County during the next two weeks.

Crews are scheduled to set concrete beams onto the Interstate 95 overpasses, which are being rebuilt as part of the southbound Rappahannock River crossing project, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation. The work will require crews to move the beams over the travel lanes, which will be closed.

The dates for the overnight work are Monday through Thursday of this week and June 10-16.

U.S. 17, I95 and the ramps will be impacted by the work.

U.S. 17

Overnight lane closures on U.S. 17 around the overpasses are set for Monday through Thursday. A single lane will be closed at 9 p.m. Then intermittent full traffic stops of up to 30 minutes will take place from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m.

The same lane closure schedule will be in place on the southbound side from June 10-13.

Southbound I95"So many things are going on, and all the questions so far have been focused on whether or not he was fired and whether or not he was in the process of being fired. That's a hard 'No,'" she said. "And there's a huge difference. People leave to go to other jobs all the time."Galveston, TX (77553)

Today

Cloudy skies early will become partly cloudy later in the day. Areas of patchy fog. High 77F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Cloudy. Low around 70F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph.Country chart topper Steve Holy will be the featured performer at the 110th Lebanon Strawberry Festival.

Holy, 47, will take the main stage at Cheadle Lake Park at 8:30 p.m. Friday, May 31. The evening's festivities will begin with the crowning of the Strawberry Festival Queen at 5:30 p.m. followed by a performance by the Dusty Rhoades Band at 6:45 p.m.

Holy is best known for his No. 1 singles "Good Morning Beautiful' and "Brand New Girlfriend."

Jami Cate, the chair of the Lebanon Strawberry Festival Board, said the festival is thrilled to bring in a performer of Holy's ability.

"He's a big step up for us and an indication of where we want to go in the future," Cate said.

A native of Dallas, Texas, Holy got his first break as a young artist when he won the prestigious Johnnie High Country Review in 1993. That contest had earlier proven crucial for rising artist LeAnn Rimes and it provided a similar early encouragement for Holy.

After signing with Curb Records, he released his debut album "Blue Moon" in 2000. The album peaked at No. 7 on the U.S. country charts and featured the singles "Blue Moon" and "The Hunger."

But it was the success of "Good Morning Beautiful" which defined the album. The song stayed atop the country charts for five weeks and was later recognized as one of the top 10 hits of the decade by Billboard.

There was no sophomore slump with his follow-up album, "Brand New Girlfriend" which was released in 2006. The title song climbed to the top of the charts and the album reached No. 2 on the country charts.

Remaining with Curb Records, Holy dropped his third studio album "Love Don't Run" in 2011 and the title cut reached the top 20 on the country singles charts.

A fan of the country music of the 1950s and 60s, Holy's first two albums leaned heavily on that traditional sound. "Love Don't Run" finds inspiration in 1970s country and includes a cover of Kris Kristofferson's "Help Me Make It Through the Night."

In 2014, Curb Records released a compilation album, "Best of Steve Holy" a 10-track collection of his biggest hits.

Holy is no stranger to the Pacific Northwest and was one of the featured performers at the 2007 Oregon Jamboree in Sweet Home. For the past several years, Holy has taken a hiatus from touring to focus on raising his family.

"This is his first show back and we're excited to have him," Cate said.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0"We dragged him out. Looks like the bullet vest stopped most of it, but he still got a shot to the chest, stomach area," someone said a few minutes later. The bullet had broken skin.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.U.S.-Australia-India-Japan Consultations ("The Quad")

Media Note

Office of the Spokesperson / May 31, 2019



Senior officials from the United States, Australia, India, and Japan met in Bangkok on May 31, 2019 for consultations on their collective efforts to advance a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific. 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. Meeting participants 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 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.

In reviewing recent developments in the region, they welcomed ASEAN's efforts to develop an Indo-Pacific Outlook. The four countries further 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 four countries underscored their intent to continue regular consultations on Indo-Pacific engagement and initiatives together and with other interested countries and institutions.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address





Investigators said another vehicle, described only as white in color, was traveling the same direction when one or more of at least two occupants began firing at the men in the other car, according to a police spokesman.Pakistan and Afghanistan Leaders Hold Rare Talks

By Ayaz Gul May 31, 2019

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani held their first face-to-face talks Friday on the sidelines of an annual summit of Islamic countries in Saudi Arabia.

The rare interaction at the highest level is the latest sign of easing tensions in traditionally acrimonious relations between the neighbors.

The animosity stems from mutual accusations of supporting militant attacks against each other.

An Afghan presidential spokesman said the meeting in the Saudi city of Makkah was a prelude to Ghani's official visit to Islamabad scheduled for next month. The Afghan leader has previously visited Pakistan but the upcoming trip will be his first since Khan took office last August.

"Afghanistan is ready to leave its bitter history with Pakistan behind, and move toward constructive state-to-state ties based on mutual respect rather than recrimination and hostility," tweeted spokesman Samim Arif.

A Pakistani foreign ministry statement said that both Khan and Ghani agreed on the need to work closely for intensifying cooperation on such issues as energy, security, trade, and cultural collaboration.

The prime minister, it said, reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to a peaceful and stable Afghanistan. "He reiterated the belief that an Afghan-owned and Afghan-led peace process was indispensable for a political solution," the statement added.

Earlier this week, Afghan national security advisor, Hamadullah Mohib, visited Pakistan where he held extensive discussions with the country's military chief, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, on bilateral security matters and Afghan peace.

Afghan officials routinely allege leaders and fighters of the Taliban use sanctuaries on Pakistani soil to orchestrate insurgent activities inside Afghanistan.

Islamabad rejects the charges and, in turn, accuses Kabul of providing shelter and support to anti-state militants plotting cross-border attacks in Pakistan.

Pakistani officials take credit for arranging ongoing negotiations between the United States and the Taliban to help promote a negotiated settlement to the deadly Afghan war.

The months-long dialogue, however, has not offered any major breakthrough.

The Taliban wants a complete withdrawal of U.S.-led foreign forces from Afghanistan before it stops fighting and engages in intra-Afghan peace talks.

Washington insists a final agreement must cover not only a troop withdrawal timetable, but a ceasefire by the Taliban and their engagement in talks with the Kabul government.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address





OIC condemns any decision to recognize Quds as Israel's capital

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, June 1, IRNA -- The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) said it condemns any position adopted by an international body that supports prolonging occupation of the Palestinian territories, including a US decision to recognize Quds as Israel's capital.

The OIC summit in Mecca said in its final statement on Saturday that it opposes all illegal Israeli measures aimed at changing facts in occupied Palestinian territories, including Quds, Reuters reported.

It urged member countries to take "appropriate measures" against countries that move their embassies to Quds.

The OIC also refused to accept any proposal for peaceful settlement that did not correspond with Palestinians' legitimate inalienable rights, the final statement said.

The OIC stressed the importance of amassing support for the budget of the Palestinian government to continue its work.

Meanwhile, summit's final statement said that it noted with concern growing Islamophobia in many parts of the world.

OIC said Islamophobia "as a contemporary form of racism and religious discrimination continues to grow in many parts of the world, as evident by the increase in incidents of religious intolerance, negative stereotyping, and hatred and violence against Muslims".

OIC also condemned a "terrorist attack" on Saudi Arabia's oil pumping stations which targeted global oil supplies, according to final statement.

The summit also condemned "sabotage operations" against four vessels near the territorial waters of the United Arab Emirates, which it said threatened international maritime traffic safety, the statement added.

8072**2050

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address





President in a message to heads of Islamic states attending Mecca Summit: Deal of the Century a plot to destroy Palestinian cause, promote occupation, aggression against all Islamic countries

ISNA - Iranian Students' News Agency

Sat / 1 June 2019 / 10:45

Tehran (ISNA)  Iran's President described Deal of the Century as a conspiracy to destroy the Palestinian cause, and promote occupation aggression against all Islamic countries, stipulating, "I call on heads of Islamic states to use the opportunity of this summit to counter the dangerous conspiracy of Deal of the Century".

President Hassan Rouhani also called on them "not to let the occupation of the first qibla of Muslims by the Zionist Regime be pushed to the margin, or, God-forbid, their governance over the Holy Quds become established".

In the message that was sent on Friday, the President continued, "As the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, I announce my country's full readiness to accompany and cooperate with the great family of the World of Islam on this holy cause".

"I call on the heads of the World of Islam not to let unimportant matters deviate the minds of Muslim government and nations from paying attention to the future of the oppressed people of Palestine and the threats of the Zionist Regime," he continued.

President Rouhani's message is as follows:

In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

Hello and may peace and blessings of Allah be with you,

Excellencies,

On the last days of the month of mercy, I wish you and all Muslims the best.

I am sorry that I was not able to be present in that gathering because of the lack of conformance to standard conventions, but I wish you success in addressing the issues of the World of Islam, especially the issue of Palestine and the Holy Quds.

Excellencies,

In conditions when the World of Islam requires maximum convergence, coherence and cooperation in dealing with the common enemy, we are unfortunately witnessing divisive measures to deviate the public opinions of the World of Islam from Palestine as the most important issue; a matter than requires attention and support of the World of Islam and its leaders more than ever.

The move by the US government to announce al-Quds as the capital of the Zionist Regime and move US embassy there, and recognising Syria's Golan Heights to the occupied lands by the Zionist Regime are amongst the blatant hostilities against not only Palestine, but also the entire World of Islam, which is in clear violation of the fundamental international laws and all resolutions and decisions of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), starting a dangerous process against the Islamic community. It is regretful that these moves have not received proper response from Islamic states; if it did, the United States could not easily trigger the plan of Palestine's destruction under the disguise of "Deal of the Century".

The ominous conspiracy of Deal of the Century is to destruct the Palestinian cause and promote occupation aggression against all Islamic countries. This plot has dangerous regional aspects and its proposers are trying to eliminate the right of the Palestinian people for determining their future and form a sustainable independent government in their own historical land with the Noble Quds as the capital. It is surprising that the designers of this conspiracy are attempting to pay its cost from the pockets of the World of Islam and countries of the region.

Excellencies,

I believe that the Islamic, moral and even national responsibility of Islamic countries requires that we put domestic discords of the Word of Islam aside and stand against this ominous conspiracy against the Palestinian nation and country and the World of Islam in united lines. Any move to deviate the World of Islam from this main, emergency priority will serve the Zionist Regime and other enemies of the World of Islam and the dear Palestine

On the day of Quds, I call on leaders of Islamic states to find a swift solution to this grave threat to the World of Islam and all OIC member states to defend the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Holy Quds to use the opportunity of this dangerous threat named Deal of the Century, and not let the occupation of the first qibla of Muslims by the Zionist Regime be pushed to the margin, or, God-forbid, their governance over the Holy Quds become established.

Hassan Rouhani

President of the Islamic Republic of Iran

End Item

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address





China, Cambodia to jointly advance South China Sea COC consultation

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 10:12, June 01, 2019

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.

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.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address





Guaido renews call for Maduro to resign after Norway talks produce no deal

Iran Press TV

Sat Jun 1, 2019 04:37PM

Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido has renewed call for the ouster of President Nicolas Maduro following the failure of inconclusive talks in Norway to end the country's political and economic crisis.

During a brief speech before a handful of followers in the small town of Sabaneta on Saturday, Guaido said the real solution is for Maduro "to leave once and for all and let Venezuelans live in peace."

He also called for a "large mobilization" of protesters to rally against the government over what he called shortages of gasoline and prolonged blackouts in the country.

On Wednesday, representatives of the Venezuelan government and opposition failed to reach an agreement in Norway to resolve the Latin American country's crisis.

The talks failed after opposition delegates repeated calls for Venezuela's democratically-elected President Maduro to step down and allow a transitional government to organize new presidential elections.The talks are set to resume soon.

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





China says US actions threaten stability in East Asia

Iran Press TV

Sat Jun 1, 2019 02:57PM

A senior Chinese military official says the actions of the United States on Taiwan and the South China Sea threaten the stability of the region, rejecting accusations made by acting US Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan that Beijing is a threat to East Asia.

Shao Yuanming, a senior official of the People's Liberation Army, made the comments on Saturday after Shanahan's speech at a defense forum in Singapore.

"He (Shanahan) has been expressing inaccurate views and repeating old tunes about the issues of Taiwan and the South China Sea," Shao told reporters. "This is harming regional peace and stability."

Shao also said that China would defend its sovereignty at any cost should anyone try to separate Taiwan from its territory. Beijing views the self-ruled island as a renegade province and has not ruled out the use of force to return it to the fold.

"China will have to be reunified," Shao said. "If anybody wants to separate Taiwan from China, the Chinese military will protect the country's sovereignty at all costs."

Shanahan told delegates at the defense forum earlier on Saturday that the United States would no longer "tiptoe" around Chinese behavior in Asia, with stability in the region at threat on issues ranging from the South China Sea to Taiwan.

Shanahan did not directly name China when he spoke of "actors" destabilizing the region, but went on to say the United States would not ignore Chinese behavior.

However, Shao responded by saying it was the United States that was destabilizing the region with its recent actions.

In May, a US warship sailed near the disputed Scarborough Shoal claimed by China in the South China Sea, angering Beijing at a time of tension over trade between the world's two biggest economies.

The administration US President Donald has launched an escalated trade war against China, imposing 25 percent tariffs on billions of dollars worth of Chinese goods.

Earlier this month, Trump took the trade war to another level by adding Huawei Technologies to a list of firms with which US companies cannot engage in trade unless they get a license from authorities.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address





Israel's land grab policies obstacle to peace: EU

Iran Press TV

Sat Jun 1, 2019 02:21PM

The European Union has denounced as "illegal" Israel's settlement activities on occupied Palestinian territories, saying that the Tel Aviv regime's land grab policy is an obstacle to peace.

In a statement released Saturday, the EU said it is "strongly opposed to Israel's settlement policy, including in East Jerusalem, which is illegal under international law and an obstacle to peace."

The statement came after Israel's Housing Ministry this week issued construction tenders for over 800 new housing units in East Jerusalem al-Quds.

"The policy of settlement construction and expansion in East Jerusalem" al-Quds undermines the so-called two-state solution, the statement from EU Spokesperson Maja Kocijancic read.

About 600,000 Israelis live in over 230 illegal settlements built since the 1967 Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and East Jerusalem al-Quds.

The UN Security Council has condemned Israel's settlement activities in the occupied territories in several resolutions.

The Israeli move comes as the US administration prepares to unveil the first phase of its so-called Middle East peace plan, rejected by the Palestinian leadership, in an economic conference in Manama, Bahrain, on June 25-26.

All Palestinian factions have boycotted the event, accusing Washington of offering financial rewards for accepting the Israeli occupation.

Saudi Arabia and the UAE have said they will send delegations to the Manama forum and Israel's Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon has said he intends to attend.

The United States has kept the so-called "deal of the century", 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

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address





Taliban chief vows to keep up war on foreign forces until goals met

Iran Press TV

Sat Jun 1, 2019 10:30AM

The leader of Taliban militant group has vowed to continue battling US-led foreign forces in the country until its objectives are fulfilled, stressing that the group did not plan to sit down for talks with Kabul.

Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada claimed in a message on Saturday that the Taliban sought an end to decades of war and a government that represented the entire Afghan population, but offered no sign of agreeing to a ceasefire or negotiating with the central government.

"No one should expect us to pour cold water on the heated battlefronts of Jihad or forget our 40-year sacrifices before reaching our objectives," he said in the message, adding that the Taliban aimed for "an end to the occupation and establishment of an Islamic system."

He also gave little sign that the militants would repeat last year's truce over the three-day Eid al-Fitr holiday, which led to unprecedented scenes of Taliban members and government soldiers mingling and even embracing in the streets of Kabul.

The development came as representatives of the terrorist group have been negotiating with American diplomats for months about withdrawing more than 20,000 US and NATO coalition troops in exchange for guarantees that Afghanistan will not be used as a base for attacks against Western targets in the region and elsewhere.

Taliban representatives have also met senior Afghan politicians and civil society representatives, most recently in the Russian capital of Moscow this week, as part of a so-called intra-Afghan dialogue to discuss the country's future.

However, the Taliban has demonstrated no sign of giving into demands for a ceasefire and formal talks with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's government, which Mullah Haibatullah accused of trying to sabotage dialogue between what he referred to as "the Islamic Emirate" and Afghan political figures.

"The Islamic Emirate shall pay no heed to such futile efforts and diplomatic obstructions being created for the intra-Afghan dialogue," he underlined in his message.

"The Islamic Emirate seeks the establishment of a sovereign, Islamic and inclusive government acceptable to all Afghans in our beloved homeland," the message further claimed.

The Taliban leader also offered assurances that the Taliban did not seek a monopoly over power and would respect the rights of all Afghans and develop education, commerce, employment and welfare.

He did not, however, tackle one of the key concerns in Kabul, that is, whether the Taliban would accept the current constitutional framework of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan or insist on a so-called "Islamic Emirate," the name given to their own system.

This is while Afghan officials have also been suspicious of the US negotiations with the militant group, which they regard as a means of reinforcing the Taliban and powerful regional politicians while sidelining the legitimate government in Kabul.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address





OIC breaks with Saudi line on Iran to focus on Palestine

Iran Press TV

Sat Jun 1, 2019 10:09AM

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has urged member countries to take "appropriate measures" against countries that move their embassies to Jerusalem al-Quds.

The OIC summit in Mecca, in its final statement Saturday, condemned US recognition of Jerusalem al-Quds as the "capital" of Israel as well as any position that supports prolonging occupation of Palestinian territories.

Saudi Arabia tried to hijack the summit's agenda for its Iran-bashing campaign, creating sharp differences among OIC member-states on a gamut of issues.

But the final statement left out the kingdom's political grandstanding, instead stressing support for a future Palestinian state.

It also rejected any deal or plan that prolongs Israeli occupation and undermines the right of return for Palestinian refugees, in an implicit rejection of a US plan touted by President Donald Trump as "the deal of the century".

Saudi Arabia and the UAE are the special privy among the Arab states to Washington's plan which is reportedly riding roughshod on Palestine's core issues, including its statehood and return of refugees.

A meeting next month in Bahrain aimed at rallying Arab economic support for the US plan is being boycotted by the Palestinians, but Saudi Arabia and the UAE are attending amid growing ties with Israel.

Saudi Arabia's King Salman used the summit's opening to attack Iran over recent mysterious blasts which he described as "terrorist acts" that targeted oil tankers off the UAE coast of Fujairah.

Iran has called for the clarification of the exact dimensions of the incident the vigilance of regional states "in the face of any adventurism by foreign elements", and warned against "plots by ill-wishers to disrupt regional security".

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 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 "deal of the century".

Iran had a representative present at the 57-nation OIC summit. On Friday, it regretted "Saudi Arabia's abuse of its privilege as the host" of the OIC "to sow division between Islamic and regional countries".

In its final statement, the OIC refused to accept any proposal for peaceful settlement that did not accord with Palestinians' legitimate inalienable rights.

It also underlined the need to protect the right of return for Palestinian refugees under UN General Assembly Resolution 194.

The group further opposed Israel's illegal measures aimed at changing facts in the occupied Palestinian territories and undermining the so-called two-state solution.

Israel's claim to Syria's Golan

Elsewhere in its statement, the OIC rejected any decision to change the legal and demographic status of Syria's Golan Heights, especially the recent US move to recognize Israeli "sovereignty" over the occupied territory.

The organization called for Israel's complete withdrawal from the Golan and its return to the 1967 borders in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions.

Back in March, Trump signed a controversial decree recognizing Israeli "sovereignty" over the occupied Golan in a move which is in obvious contravention of international law.

Islamophobia concerns

Additionally, the OIC expressed concerns about growing Islamophobia across the world.

Islamophobia, "as a contemporary form of racism and religious discrimination, continues to grow in many parts of the world, as evident by the increase in incidents of religious intolerance, negative stereotyping, and hatred and violence against Muslims," it said.

The OIC also condemned the inhumane situation of Myanmar's Rohingya Muslims, demanding a halt to violence against the minority group.

Myanmar's government has the responsibility to protect its citizens, it noted.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address





Military Police Open Fire on Protesters in Sudan's Capital - Correspondent

Sputnik News

15:48 01.06.2019(updated 16:32 01.06.2019)

The situation in the country remains tense after in April the Sudanese military arrested President Omar Bashir and dozens of high-ranking officials, establishing a transitional military council.

According to a Sputnik correspondent in the Sudanese capital, military police have opened fire at protesters in the capital city of Khartoum. The incident occurred near the Headquarters of the Armed Forces, where the officers attempted to dismantle barricades made by protestors and, after a few clashes with them, started shooting.

Hundreds of protesters have reportedly taken refuge in a Mosque near the Blue Nile Bridge.

At the moment, there is no official information about the casualties.

The protest leaders earlier announced a sit-in near the military's headquarters, urging the Transitional Military Council to give power to the civilian government.

The mass demonstrations against the government have continued since the army deposed President Omar Bashir, who had been in power for 30 years.

The opposition "Forces for the Declaration of Freedom and Change" and the military council has held several rounds of negotiations about the transfer of power, however, according to opposition spokesman Satia Alhaj, the talks stopped a week ago, as the sides could not reach an agreement. He also said that the movement is planning to establish a parliamentary republic with expanded powers of the government and parliament for a transitional period.

 Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address





A woman stood next to a car parked on Madison, waiting for two others to gather information from officers on where the gunshot victims ended up. When she found out they were taken to Mount Sinai and Stroger  hospitals where the most serious West Side shooting victims are often transported  she groaned, Oh no.Over 20 Taliban Fighters Killed by Afghan Security Forces in Ghazni - Reports

Sputnik News

11:11 01.06.2019

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - At least 21 members of the Taliban radical movement have been killed in an airstrike conducted by Afghan security forces in the country's southeastern province of Ghazni, Khaama Press reported on Saturday, citing military sources.

The sources said that the airstrike was carried out in the province's densely-populated Qarabagh district, the Khaama Press News Agency reported. No comments regarding the airstrike and casualties have been provided so far by the Taliban movement, the news agency added.

The news comes just a day after the militants attacked a convoy of vehicles belonging to the US-led coalition in Kabul, killing at least four civilians and wounding several others.

The Afghan forces carried out the strike amid new armed clashes between the government and the radical movement. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani previously proposed a nationwide ceasefire due to the start of the holy month of Ramadan, but the Taliban rejected the offer.

 Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address





US, Poland Close to Deal on Boosting US Presence by 1,000 Troops - Reports

Sputnik News

07:13 01.06.2019(updated 07:19 01.06.2019)

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  The United States and Poland are close to inking a deal on increasing the number of US troops stationed in the Eastern European country by at least 1,000 people, media reported.

On Friday, the Financial Times reported, citing people familiar with the matter that the agreement might be signed during Polish President Andrzej Duda's visit to the United States, planned for June 12.

The outlet added that the move would be accompanied by enhancing the capabilities of the forces, adding a special forces unit and a joint training site.

Poland currently hosts around 4,500 US troops, deployed as part of a NATO mission in the wake of Crimea's reunification with Russia in 2014.

During Duda's visit to Washington in September 2018, US President Donald Trump announced that the United States was considering establishing a permanent military base in Poland. The Polish president offered to pay around $2 billion of the total costs and suggested that the base be named Fort Trump.

Western politicians, especially those from the Baltic States and Poland, have repeatedly stated that Russia allegedly constitutes a threat to their security. At the same time, Russia has repeatedly stressed that it will never attack any NATO country. According to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, NATO is well aware of the absence of Moscow's plans to attack anyone and simply uses the alleged threat as a pretext to deploy more equipment and troops near Russia's borders.

 Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address





UN chief urges donors to boost support for post-cyclone recovery in Mozambique

1 June 2019 - Mozambique and its people desperately need support to recover from the powerful back-to-back cyclones that recently tore through the southern African country, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told a donors conference on Saturday, as he also sounded the alarm about the urgency of tackling climate change.

The Government-led International Pledging Conference, which opened on Friday, wrapped up today in the coastal city of Beira, one of the areas worst hit by cyclones Idai and Kenneth, which struck this past March and April respectively, killing hundreds and impacting close to two million.

The post-disaster needs assessment carried out by the UN Development Program (UNDP), the European Union, the World Bank and the African Development Bank, estimated that Mozambique would need some $3.2 billion. dollars for post-cyclone reconstruction in affected areas.

Cyclone Kenneth made landfall on April 25 inflicting substantial damage to the economic and social life in the Cabo Delgado province. With maximum sustained wind speed of 225 km/hour and gusts that reached 270km/hour, the storm ripped off roofs and generated heavy rainfall resulting in massive flooding.

That disaster came as the country was still reeling less than two months after Cyclone Idai devastated central provinces, killing more than 600 people, unleashing a cholera epidemic, wiping out crops in the Mozambique's breadbasket, forcing a million people to rely on food assistance to survive, and causing massive destruction of homes, schools and infrastructure in one of the world's poorest countries.

Sending warm greetings to the Conference, Mr. Guterres said in a message that he was certain he shared with all a deep sense of distress at the loss of life, the devastation and the suffering caused by the deadly cyclones.

He reiterated his condolences and deep solidarity with the Government and the people of Mozambique, especially the communities most affected by these natural disasters.

"I would also like to express my sincere appreciation to all those who have contributed  and continue to do so  to alleviate the suffering of the people who have been deprived of their goods, houses, infrastructure and livelihoods," said Mr. Guterres, noting that the UN and its humanitarian partners had been on the ground since the start of the crisis.

The world body's support to the Government's efforts included contributing to the coordination of international support; distributing food, drinking water and medicine; and providing shelter to those displaced.

But Mr. Guterres stressed that while the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) allocated $24 million to Mozambique, it was necessary to recognize that to face the scale of the disaster, large additional resources are needed.

"The means at our disposal are not at all enough. We face enormous challenges: people's basic needs remain unmet; the risk of disease outbreaks is evident; and the negative impact on food security due to the loss of crops will be very significant," he said in his message.

He also noted that in order to strengthen the response to the tragedy, the United Nations launched an emergency humanitarian appeal of $282 million, which remained deeply underfunded.

Against this background, Mr. Guterres reiterated his appeal to the generosity of the international community, saying "this is the moment to translate into concrete gestures our solidarity with a country affected by one of the worst weather-related catastrophes in African history  and which also warns us about the urgency of tackling climate change."

UNDP actively supported the Conference, with policy and technical expertise, having provided assistance in recovery efforts from the very beginning. Going forward, UNDP said it would be working with all partners to advance recovery and help build resilience.

About 700 participants from international organizations, development partners, private sector and civil society organizations were expected to be present at the conference. Mozambique President Filipe Nyusi and several senior ministers also were expected to participate.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address





Taliban Chief Wants US to Accept 'Logical Proposals', End Stalemate

By Ayaz Gul June 01, 2019

The chief of the Taliban is calling on the United States to accept his insurgent group's "logical proposals" for advancing peace negotiations between the two adversaries on ending the 17-year-old war in Afghanistan.

Hibatullah Akhundzada made the remarks in his annual message ahead of next week's Muslim festival of Eid al-Fitr in Afghanistan as the months-long dialogue process has stalemated over the Taliban's insistence it would not stop fighting and engage in intra-Afghan peace talks until all U.S.-led foreign troops withdraw from the country.

"The Islamic Emirate (Taliban) with its peaceful policy invites America to adopt a policy of reason and understanding, to remain a sincere partner in the negotiations process and accept the logical proposals of the Islamic Emirate for advancement of this process," said the Taliban chief.

Washington says American negotiators, led by special reconciliation envoy Zalmay Khalilzad, have reached a preliminary draft agreement with the insurgent group on how and when foreign forces would leave in exchange for Taliban guarantees to disallow transnational terrorists from using Afghan soil to attack other countries.

Khalilzad has stated that a final agreement, however, must cover not only a troop withdrawal timetable, but a cease-fire by the Taliban and their engagement with representatives of the Afghan society, including the government, for finding a durable political settlement to decades of hostilities in the country.

"No one should expect us to pour cold water on the heated battlefronts of Jihad (holy war) or forget our forty-year sacrifices before reaching our objectives," stressed Akhundzada in his Eid message, evidently responding to cease-fire demands by U.S. and Afghan officials.

No word from Washington

There was no immediate U.S. reaction available to the Taliban chief's assertions.

A State Department announcement Saturday said that Afghan-born U.S. chief negotiator Khalilzad has left on a new 16-day visit to regional countries that will also take him to Qatar where he will continue talks with the Taliban "to move the peace process forward." The insurgent group maintains an informal political office in the Qatari capital, the venue of the ongoing U.S.-Taliban dialogue. "We are moving forward. I am optimistic. Success will require other parties to show flexibility," he wrote.

Akhundzada accused the Western-backed Kabul government, which the insurgent group rejects as American "puppets", of blocking efforts the Taliban is making to engage with Afghan politicians outside of the government as well as civil society representatives to discuss peace and the nature of future political governance setup in the country.

"The Islamic Emirate shall pay no heed to such futile efforts and diplomatic obstructions being created for the intra-Afghan dialogue," Akhundzada vowed.

The latest round of intra-Afghan talks, involving the Taliban, took place in Moscow earlier this week but it did not produce any substantial outcome in terms of whether insurgents would observe a cease-fire during the three-day Eid festival, similar to what they did last year.

U.S. and Afghan officials insist peace talks to end the war must be held within the current constitution to preserve gains the country has made since the ouster of the fundamentalist Taliban from power 17 years ago by a U.S.-led military invasion of Afghanistan.

But Akhundzada explained the Taliban is seeking the establishment of "a sovereign, Islamic and inclusive government acceptable to all Afghans." It is for this purpose, he noted, insurgent negotiators are engaged in talks with the American side and "we pray to Allah that our compatriots witness its positive outcome."

Longest US overseas war

The Afghan war is the longest overseas U.S. military intervention and is said to have killed more than 150,000 people, including combatants and civilians, costing Washington nearly one trillion dollars.

The Taliban currently controls or influences more than half of 407 Afghan districts, and it continues to inflict dozens of casualties on embattled Afghan security forces daily. President Ashraf Ghani revealed last year that since he took office in 2014, government forces have lost more than 45,000 personnel while battling the insurgents. The United Nations say Afghan civilians also continue to suffer record levels of casualties.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address





UN Distributes Food to Yemenis in 'Inaccessible' War Zones

By Lisa Schlein June 01, 2019

The World Food Program (WFP) says it has delivered food in the rebel-held militarized zone of Nihm for the first time since civil war broke out in Yemen more than four years ago. Nihm governorate is northeast of the rebel Houthi-held capital, Sana'a, close to the Saudi Arabian border.

WFP spokesman Herve Verhoosel says persistent negotiations have paid off. He says WFP and a partner organization, Islamic Relief, have distributed food to an estimated 5,000 people living near the front lines in the Nihm district. He says the agencies gave out two months of rations at two food distribution points.

"This is an important achievement for WFP as the district has been a front line conflict area, which is very difficult to access and that since a long time," he said. "However, reports by NGOs working in Nihm indicated some populations where hostilities are more intense had no access to the food distribution point."

In another bit of good news, Verhoosel says WFP has been able to provide humanitarian aid to vulnerable civilians around Dhuraimi city in Hodeidah governorate for the first time in a year.

The rebel-held port of Hodeidah is the principle entry point for vital humanitarian relief, including food, water, medicine and medical supplies. The area has been engulfed in intense conflict between the Houthis and government-supported Saudi-led coalition forces.

Verhoosel says WFP has provided a two-month supply of food, water, hygiene kits and dignity kits from the U.N. children's fund and U.N. Population Fund. He says both parties to the conflict have helped WFP gain access to the area.

The United Nations calls Yemen the world's worst humanitarian crisis. It warns around 14 million people, or half the country's population, are on the brink of famine. WFP says it is distributing food to 10 million people a month. It says it hopes to boost that number to 12 million.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address





New Blast Kills Six Police In Ghazni As Taliban Reject Calls For Afghan Holiday Truce

By RFE/RL June 02, 2019

Violent bomb blasts continued to shake Afghanistan as Taliban militants have rejected calls for a holiday truce.

At least six police officers were killed after a car loaded with explosives blew up in Afghanistan's southeastern Ghazni Province on June 1.

At least eight other police officers were injured in the blast at a police compound in the southern part of the Ghazni city, the provincial capital, council chief Nasir Ahmad Faqiri said.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but the blast was the latest in a series of deadly car bombs and suicide explosions to rock Afghanistan around the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and Eid, the festival that ends the Ramadan period.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for a May 22 car bomb explosion in Ghazni that left four people dead, including two police officers, and injured 17 others.

Blasts on successive days killed or wounded dozens of people in the capital, Kabul, on May 30-31.

Last year, the Taliban observed a three-day cease-fire during Eid. Many Afghans have hoped for another truce this year.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani had proposed a nationwide cease-fire at the start of Ramadan, but the Taliban rejected the offer.

Taliban head Haibatullah Akhundzada on June 1 ruled out calling a cease-fire anytime soon, saying, "No one should expect us to pour cold water on the heated battlefronts of jihad or forget our 40-year sacrifices before reaching our objectives."

Akhundzada also asserted that foreign forces in Afghanistan were "condemned to defeat."

But Akhundzada, who has led the militant group since Akhtar Mansour was killed in a 2016 U.S. drone strike, also said that Islamist fighters would continue talks with the United States.

U.S. envoy Zalmay Khalilzad was traveling to Afghanistan and also Germany, Belgium, Qatar, Pakistan, and the United Arab Emirates as part of continuing efforts to end the long-running war.

The State Department said Khalilzad will meet again with Taliban negotiators for a new round of talks in Doha, where the group has a political office.

U.S. officials said Khalilzad will consult with the Afghan government and other Afghans while in Kabul. The Taliban has refused to negotiate directly with the Kabul government, calling it a puppet of the West.

With reporting by Tolo News, AFP, and dpa

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/blast-kills-six- police-in-afghanistan-as-taliban-reject- truce-offer/29976748.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





Taliban Head Rejects Call For Holiday Truce; U.S. Envoy Heads To Region

By RFE/RL June 01, 2019

The head of the Taliban ruled out calling a cease-fire anytime soon, as the United States envoy headed to the region for new round of efforts to end the long-running war in Afghanistan.

In his comments on June 1, Haibatullah Akhundzada also claimed that foreign forces in Afghanistan were "condemned to defeat." However, he also said Islamist fighters would continue talks with the United States.

The Taliban's fight "and resistance against the occupation is nearing the stage of success, Allah willing," Akhundzada said in a message timed for Eid, the festival that ends the holy month of Ramadan.

"No one should expect us to pour cold water on the heated battlefronts of jihad or forget our 40-year sacrifices before reaching our objectives," Akhundzada said.

Last year, the Taliban observed a three-day cease-fire during Eid. Many Afghans have hoped for another truce this year.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani had proposed a nationwide cease-fire at the start of Ramadan, but the Taliban rejected the offer.

Meanwhile, U.S. envoy Zalmay Khalilzad was heading to Afghanistan and also Germany, Belgium, Qatar, Pakistan, and the United Arab Emirates as part of continuing efforts to try and end the war.

The State Department said Khalilzad will continue talks with the Taliban in Doha, where the group has a political office.

The Taliban has refused to negotiate directly with the Kabul government.

In Kabul, Khalilzad was expected to meet representatives of civil society and women's rights groups.

With reporting by AFP and dpa

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/taliban-head- rejects-call-for-holiday-truce-u-s-envoy -heads-to-region/29976261.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





Islamic Group Condemns U.S. Transfer Of Israeli Embassy To Jerusalem, Urges 'Appropriate Measures'

June 01, 2019

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has condemned decisions by the United States and other countries to move their Israeli embassies to Jerusalem, the divided city that Palestinians hope to make the capital of their future state.

The group of 57 countries, meeting at a summit in the Saudi holy city of Mecca, on June 1 also blasted the March 25 U.S. move to recognize Israel's annexation of Syria's Golan Heights, which was captured by Israel in the Six-Day War of 1967.

Israel also captured East Jerusalem during the 1967 war and has declared the entire city its capital. Palestinians claim East Jerusalem as the capital for their proposed independent state.

In 2017, U.S. President Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital and ordered the U.S. Embassy to relocate there from Tel Aviv, sparking international criticism as well as Palestinian and Arab anger.

A small number of other countries, including Guatemala, have also indicated similar plans.

In its final communique, the OIC summit condemned the "transfer of embassies of the United States and Guatemala to Jerusalem" and urged all members to "boycott" countries that have opened diplomatic missions in the city.

Saudi Arabia's King Salman, who hosted the summit, also reiterated his support of the Palestinians.

In 1981, Israel extended its laws to the 1,800-square-kilometer Golan Heights that it captured from Syria in the Six-Day War, effectively annexing it in a move not recognized by the international community.

Trump in March signed the formal proclamation recognizing Israel's sovereignty over the strategic heights.

The OIC consists of countries in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.

Based on reporting by AFP and Reuters

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/islamic-group -condemns-u-s-transfer-of-israeli-embassy-to- jerusalem-urges-appropriate-measures-/29975644.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





Exile: Data Dump Shows More Russian Political Meddling

By Danila Galperovich, Pete Cobus May 31, 2019

A prominent exiled Russian opposition figure says recently leaked documents show Russian meddling in U.S. affairs was more sophisticated, ambitious and potentially more dire than the social media influence campaigns during the 2016 election.

First reported by NBC, the documents involve Kremlin-linked oligarch Yevgeny Prigozhin and other figures whom special prosecutor Robert Mueller has already indicted for interfering in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

Released by Mikhail Khodorkovsky's London-based Dossier Center, the latest communications reveal a 2018 plot to radicalize African-Americans, stoke violence and train politically disaffected ethnic minorities to carry out domestic terror attacks ahead of the 2020 U.S. elections.

Khodorkovsky, a self-exiled Russian oligarch-turned-Kremlin opponent, told VOA's Russian service in a Skype interview that the material suggests a drastic escalation of Russian meddling in U.S. affairs.

"From a legal point of view, there are sufficient grounds to declare an investigation" of an international criminal conspiracy, Khodorkovsky said. "If I were an American citizen, I would say that my security rights are now being neglected."

No Kremlin response

The documents have not been forensically assessed by an independent third party, though the Dossier Center's own analysis seems to verify their authenticity. Widely published reports on the material by major Russian news outlets such as Novaya Gazeta have yet to prompt a Kremlin response.

NBC News contributor Frank Figliuzzi, a former assistant director of counterintelligence at the FBI who reviewed the documents, said they may represent nothing more than "an amateurish thought experiment." Even so, he said, "the fact that these people are talking about doing this should disturb Americans of all stripes."

Prigozhin, known as "Putin's Chef" for catering presidential events and sometimes personally waiting on high-profile Kremlin figures and guests, has personally known Russian President Vladimir Putin since his days as a deputy mayor of St. Petersburg in the early 1990s.

He has been indicted by U.S. officials for funding the St. Petersburg-based "troll factory" that used social media to sow discord in the U.S. political system during the 2016 presidential election campaign. He also operates Wagner, a private security contracting firm whose paramilitary operations in Central African Republic and Sudan are well-documented.

According to the latest communications, Prigozhin's associates thought the election of President Donald Trump had "deepened conflicts in American society" and set out to exploit that discord by recruiting African-Americans to be sent to guerrilla-combat training camps in Africa.

Once trained, the Americans would be returned to the U.S. to carry out terror attacks and campaign for a pan-African state throughout the southern United States.

Although there is no evidence of efforts to enact the plan, Russia has tried to leverage U.S. racial tensions before. An October 2017 report to the Senate Intelligence Committee profiled Russian influence campaigns that undertook extraordinary measures to target African-Americans.

The report was commissioned by a bipartisan group of legislators and produced by the Texas-based cybersecurity firm New Knowledge in partnership with researchers at Columbia University and Canfield Research LLC. It said "the most prolific [troll factory] efforts on Facebook and Instagram specifically targeted black American communities and appear to have been focused on developing black audiences and recruiting black Americans as assets."

@blackstagram

In some cases, social media ads were programmed to target users interested in topics such as the Black Panther Party, Louis Farrakhan, Malcolm X and the Weather Underground. Among the most popular Russian Instagram accounts was @blackstagram, which had over 300,000 followers.

One Russian social media campaign coincided with the 2017 riots in Ferguson, Mo., over the fatal police shooting of a young black man by a white officer. The Senate report says Russian operatives paid unwitting U.S. personal trainers to run self-defense classes marketed to African-Americans in an apparent attempt to stoke fear and gather contact details of Americans potentially susceptible to their propaganda.

In his interview with VOA, Khodorkovsky acknowledged that the ideas proposed in the Dossier Center documents sound far-fetched, but said they are consistent with actions by Prigozhin's employees at the troll factory. He added that the oligarch's well-funded paramilitary groups on the ground in Africa, Syria, Ukraine and Venezuela possess the necessary skills to guide such an enterprise.

"When I first saw these documents, to be honest, my first reaction was laughter," he said, adding that he would have disregarded them if he had not "been familiar with a whole range of other documents related to operations on the African continent," and other Prigozhin-backed campaigns in Ukraine, Syria and the U.S.

"But since I saw them, and I saw these totally delusional, phantasmagoric things turn into real life, I passed from laughter to real recognition and reflection," he said. "And real reflection tells us that the infrastructure for this kind of project is, in fact, already in place. And as we know, American society is absolutely not immune to such a project."

Khodorkovsky says he believes Prigozhin's efforts to undermine U.S. society are "without a doubt an instrument of the Kremlin, the instrument of Vladimir Putin personally."

The outsourcing of dirty tactics to a third party shields Russian intelligence and military personnel from risk and gives Kremlin officials plausible deniability.

"Putin says it without blinking: 'It's not us, it's some private traders,' " he told VOA.

Life in danger

Khodorkovsky persists in his efforts to expose Russian wrongdoing in spite of considerable personal risks. Last fall he told Moscow-based Daily Beast reporter Anna Nemstova he has been living under a kill order.

In January, three Russian journalists hired by Khodorkovsky's now-defunct Investigation Control Center were fatally shot while reporting on activities of Prigozhin's mercenaries in Central African Republic. The Russian Foreign Ministry has said the journalists were killed in a botched robbery attempt.

This story originated in VOA's Russian service.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address





Report: US Homeland Security Agents Heading to Guatemala

By VOA News June 01, 2019

The United States is reportedly sending dozens of Department of Homeland (DHS) security agents and investigators to Guatemala to help stem the flow of unauthorized migration from Central America to the U.S.

The Washington Post, citing anonymous U.S. officials with knowledge of the situation, reports DHS personnel will advise Guatemalan police and migration authorities on how to halt human smuggling. The intent of the effort, the Post reports, is to close heavily-traveled routes to the U.S. and discourage migrants from embarking on journeys to the U.S. through Mexico.

The reported plan has not been publicly disclosed, but DHS said in a statement Friday that acting secretary Kevin McAleenan finalized an agreement during a recent meeting with Guatemalan officials that included "a provision on law enforcement training to improve criminal investigations that disrupt human trafficking."

U.S. President Donald Trump threatened stiffer tariffs on Mexico on Thursday if it does not stop illegal migrants, mostly from Central America, from crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. He also threatened to cut off aid to Central American countries.

Mexican Deputy Foreign Minister Jesus Seade said Friday his country wants to combat the issue by using "traditional mechanisms and better exercise(ing) existing rules." Seade will attempt to resolve the dispute when he meets on Wednesday in Washington with a U.S. delegation headed by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

Caravans of migrants, mainly from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador began coming to the U.S.-Mexican border in large numbers last fall. The U.S. says an average of 4,500 migrants arrive at the border each day, the largest migrant surge on the border in a decade. DHS says 109,000 migrants were arrested at the border in April.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address





Chinese State Councilor and Defense Minister Wei Fenghe on Sunday reiterated China's firm position on Taiwan, warning against any forces' attempt to separate the island from the country.

Wei Fenghe [Photo: mod.gov.cn]

The Taiwan question bears on China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and China must be and will be reunified, said the minister during a speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue being held in Singapore.

"If anyone dares to split Taiwan from China, the Chinese military has no choice but to fight at all costs for national unity," said the state councilor.

Wei said no attempts to split China shall succeed and foreign intervention in the Taiwan question is doomed to failure.

"Any underestimation of the PLA's (People's Liberation Army) resolve and will is extremely dangerous," he said.

"We will strive for the prospects of peaceful reunification with utmost sincerity and greatest efforts, but we make no promise to renounce the use of force. Safeguarding national unity is the sacred duty of the PLA," he noted.

Officially known as the Asia Security Summit, the Shangri-La Dialogue has been organized and convened annually by the British think tank International Institute for Strategic Studies and the Singaporean government since 2002.

At the event this year, defense ministers, policy makers, experts from about 40 countries gathered here from Friday to Sunday to discuss security issues in the Asia-Pacific.WASHINGTON  It was the bow that launched a thousand blog posts.

But while conservative commentators complained that President Barack Obama should not have bowed to Japanese Emperor Akihito during his first presidential trip to Asia, experts on protocol say the president's real faux pas came when he combined the bow with a handshake, a breach of Japanese custom.

Advertisement

With that, Obama took unwitting part in a long U.S. tradition. Though the federal government pays a staff of dozens to instruct chief executives on how to deal with foreign leaders, presidents often follow their instincts -- sometimes with embarrassing results.

"They can get the best advice possible on every aspect of how to deal with these countries," said Pamela Eyring, a former U.S. protocol officer and president of the Protocol School of Washington. "Sometimes they just want to do it their own way."

Advertisement

One of the cardinal rules of protocol has always been: Don't get too familiar with royalty.

But when President Jimmy Carter first met the mother of Queen Elizabeth II of England, he greeted her by planting a full kiss on her lips. "Nobody has done that since my husband died," the Queen Mum objected later.

"She was mortified," said Barry Landau, a White House protocol officer for nine presidents, who was there at the time.

Primary responsibility for protocol lies with the State Department's Office of the Chief of Protocol, which keeps voluminous files on the customs of each country. Before a presidential trip, the office sends detailed recommendations on how foreign leaders should be approached, addressed and fed, and what kinds of gifts they are given.

On its State Department Web site, the office warns diplomats that they need to heed customs on kisses, bows and handshakes. "Failure to abide by tradition may be interpreted as rudeness or a lack of respect for colleagues," it says.

Eyring said it is not protocol for heads of state to bow to each other. But American leaders seemed to frequently feel the temptation.

President George H.W. Bush, who was shot down by the Japanese in World War II, bowed to Emperor Hirohito's coffin at his state funeral. Bush explained that he was paying respects to a former enemy who had become an ally.

Other presidents have erred on the side of informality. President George W. Bush alarmed German Chancellor Angela Merkel in July 2006 by administering a back rub during a break at a summit.

Advertisement

-----------

prichter@tribune.comRussia says new US limits on space launch contracts aimed at forcing it out of market

Iran Press TV

Sat Jun 1, 2019 08:08AM

Russia has censured efforts by the US Defense Department to restrict space launch contracts with Russian firms, accusing Washington of trying to unfairly grab market share in the space services industry.

The Pentagon on Friday banned contracts for Russian commercial satellite services that it deemed as posing an unacceptable cyber security risk, according to a notice published on the US government's Federal Register.

"The United States has long conducted a policy of trying to squeeze Russia out of the market for launch services," said the director of Russian space corporation Roscosmos, Dmitry Rogozin, as quoted in a Friday report by Moscow-based TASS news agency.

Russia's space agency Roscosmos also criticized the move by the US military, describing it in a Thursday statement as the "latest case of unfair competition by Washington on the international market for space services."

"The Pentagon wants to destroy what has been created with such difficulty," it further added.

The development came as the US continues to rely on Russian Soyuz rockets -- launched from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan -- to reach the International Space Station.

The new rule will put Russia next to China, Iran, North Korea, Sudan and Syria as countries that can't provide "satellite services, such as satellites and launch vehicles" to American firms.

The document further stated that the restrictions apply to launches carried out effective December 31, 2022.

'Pentagon to immediately cease contracts with Russian firms'

Meanwhile, Pentagon spokesman Army Major Chris Mitchell announced that he anticipated that the US military would immediately avoid contracting Russian commercial satellite providers.

"This policy relates specifically to the Department of Defense, which is not responsible for the space station," he added, directing other questions to NASA.

This is while space remains one of the few areas in which Moscow and Washington still cooperate despite deteriorating ties in recent years to post-Cold War lows amid rising tensions over variety of issues, including the Ukraine crisis and allegations of Russian meddling in US elections.

US dependence on Russian space technology

The US remains heavily dependent on Russian rocket engines to lift satellites. It also increasingly uses Russia's in-space propulsion system to place satellites in their orbit.

The in-space propulsion system allows satellites to maintain the right position and attitude so that they can do their assigned tasks. It also allows satellites while destined for "geostationary" orbits to transfer from their initial elliptical arcs to circular orbits so they can remain above specific locations on the Earth's surface.

According to a 2018 report by Forbes, Russia remains "the key offshore provider" of electric propulsion systems to American firms.

Even as Congress has long sought to end the US military's reliance on Russian rocket engines and other technologies, the Pentagon's satellites are becoming more dependent on the electric in-space propulsion systems, where Russia has emerged as the global leader.

The electric technology has proven superior to chemical thrusters, an older solution that the US could easily purchase from allies such as Japan.

Earlier this month, a US-based think tank released a report sponsored by the US Army, unveiling that Washington could use a variety of economic, military and ideological strategies to divide and destabilize Russia.

The US and its allies could employ "nonviolent, cost-imposing options" to weaken Russia's economy, military and government structures, said the study conducted by the Rand Corporation.

The Rand report, titled "Overextending and Unbalancing Russia," further said the US should fund operations with the secondary aim of unsettling Russia and diverting it to less-threatening pursuits that deplete its budget.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address





Pentagon To Stop Use Of Commercial Satellites Launched By Russia Starting in 2023

By Todd Prince June 01, 2019

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) will stop utilizing commercial satellites launched with Russian rockets beginning in 2023 as relations between the two countries deteriorate.

The order, published on May 31 in the U.S. Federal Register, could deal a blow to Russia's industry while also helping U.S. startups like SpaceX and Blue Origin founded by billionaires Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, respectively.

The move highlights the growing distrust between Washington and Moscow since Russia seized and annexed Ukraine's Crimea region in 2014 and U.S. attempts to use its economic influence to penalize the country for its actions.

The United States "realizes that Russia is not going to be a friend and that anything we do that helps their aerospace sector can possibly come back to bite us because they are trying to undermine our security in every way they can," Todd Harrison, the director of the Aerospace Security Project at the CSIS think tank in Washington, told RFE/RL.

"They are trying to steer satellite operators away from using Russia. It is not a sanction, but it is in the same vein," he added.

The Pentagon already limits launches of dedicated U.S. military satellites to U.S. companies. However, it contracts with commercial satellite operators to use some of their capacity for military needs.

Some of those commercial satellites may have been lifted into space by Russian rockets. The DOD rule will end that practice as of 2023.

'Unacceptable' Risk

International Launch Services (ILS), a U.S.-based subsidiary of the Russian space agency Roskosmos, told RFE/RL that Soyuz and Proton rockets have been used to launch satellites for operators, including the U.S. government.

The Pentagon said the rule was necessary to protect national security.

"The objective of the rule is to prohibit award of contracts for commercial satellite services to a foreign entity if entering into such [a] contract would create an unacceptable cybersecurity risk,'' the Pentagon said in a statement e-mailed to RFE/RL.

International Launch Services, which markets the Russian-built Proton and Angara launch vehicles to U.S. companies, dismissed the impact that the new order would have on its business.

"While a significant subset of ILS customers either have, or plan to, provide commercial satellite services under [Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement], this has been somewhat mitigated due to the presence of long-term legally binding contracts that were put in place before the rule," the company said in a statement to RFE/RL.

This is not the first time the U.S. has sought to squeeze Russia's space industry. Washington already announced it will stop the use of Russian-made engines to launch military satellites beginning in 2023.

Some U.S. military satellites have been put into space aboard American Atlas rockets that utilize Russian engines, an arrangement overseen by United Launch Alliance, a joint venture of defense contractors Boeing and Lockheed Martin.

The ban was a reaction to Russia's recent foreign policy, including the 2014 annexation of Ukraine's Crimea Peninsula and its support for separatist fighters in eastern Ukraine.

The new rule will indirectly help private U.S. companies, such as Blue Origin and SpaceX, said Harrison,

Those companies have been moving quickly to build viable launch vehicles that would replace Russian rockets, not only for satellite launches but also for servicing the space station.

The satellite launch vehicle market is expected to grow quickly in the coming years and reach $2.4 billion by 2024, according to an August report by research firm Global Market Insights.

Russian rockets recently carried satellites into space for U.S. companies Planet Labs, a provider of Earth imagining services, and OneWeb, a communications startup.

Neither company responded to an RFE/RL request for comment on whether the new DOD rule will have an impact on their launch plans.



Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/pentagon-to-stops -use-of-commercial-satellites-launched- by-russia/29975490.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





China's second carrier conducts possible takeoff, landing tests: reports

Global Times

By Liu Xuanzun Source:Global Times Published: 2019/5/31 19:13:40

China's second aircraft carrier returned to the shipyard on Friday after completing its sixth sea trial, which might have featured warplane takeoff and landing tests for the first time, reports said.

The first domestically developed aircraft carrier Type 001A moored back to its dock at the Dalian Shipyard in Dalian, Northeast China's Liaoning Province Friday morning, six days after the vessel set out for its sixth sea trial on May 25, news website wenweipo.com reported on Friday.

Photos provided on Chinese image service provider IC on Friday showed tire prints of warplanes on the carrier's flight deck.

This is an indication that the second aircraft carrier could have undertaken its first fighter jet takeoff and landing test, the report said.

When aircraft land on the carrier, they usually leave tire prints. When China's first aircraft carrier Liaoning undertook similar tests, such prints were also spotted on its flight deck.

Another possibility is that carrier-based aircraft conducted touch-and-go landings, which means the aircraft may have landed on the flight deck but took off without stopping, a Chinese military expert who asked not to be named told the Global Times on Friday.

Either way, tire prints indicate the aircraft carrier is one step closer to its combat readiness and commissioning, the expert said.

In the previous five sea trials, the Type 001A successfully tested its main functions, including the propulsion system, combat and supply capabilities, China Central Television reported in April. No tire prints were spotted after those trials.

Military experts previously told the Global Times that the Type 001A will be commissioned into the People's Liberation Army Navy within the year. The wenweipo.com report predicted that might come as soon as next month.

It is not yet known if the second carrier will make another sea trial, or if it is waiting to join naval service directly.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address





PLA delegation hits out at Shanahan's remarks at Singapore security forum

Global Times

By Li Aixin in Singapore and Yang Sheng, Liu Xuanzun in Beijing Source:Global Times Published: 2019/6/1 20:35:12

The People's Liberation Army (PLA) delegation to the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore pulled no punches in responding to remarks by Acting US Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan on Saturday.

The Pentagon official's speech included hot-button issues such as the Taiwan question, South China Sea row and the nuclear standoff on the Korean Peninsula.

While welcoming Shanahan's wish to develop stable relations between the Chinese and US militaries, a senior Chinese military official made no reservation to say that China strongly opposes his wrong views on the Taiwan question and South China Sea.

Chinese analysts said Saturday that the main reason China and the US differ on regional security issues is Washington's role in creating tensions, which it uses to justify its military presence and hegemony in the region.

In order to prevent differences spiraling out of control into a military conflict, dialogue and exchange between the two militaries are extremely important under the current circumstances, and this is why both sides want to make military ties a source of stability in bilateral relations, said analysts.

Taiwan question

Lieutenant General Shao Yuanming, deputy chief of the Joint Staff Department of China's Central Military Commission, said in Singapore on Saturday that Shanahan called for continually developing stable relations between the Chinese and US militaries during his speech, which China welcomes.

"But we also noted that he struck up the same old tune on topics like Taiwan and the South China Sea, making some wrong remarks. We strongly oppose this."

Shanahan in his speech earlier in the morning said, "We continue to meet our obligations under the Taiwan Relations Act to make defense articles and defense services available to Taiwan for its self-defense."

Shao added, "I must point out that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China from ancient times. The One-China Principle is the political basis of China-US relations, and the consensus of the international society."

"A series of negative actions and remarks on the Taiwan question by the US side recently have violated the One-China Principle and three joint communiques between China and the US, harmed the sovereignty and national security of China, sent wrong signals to Taiwan secessionists, and sabotaged regional peace and stability," Shao said.

"China must and will reunify. This is an irreversible historical trend, the righteous cause of the nation. If anyone intends to separate the island of Taiwan from China, the Chinese military will resolutely protect the motherland's integrity at all costs," he remarked.

Zhang Junshe, a senior research fellow at the PLA Naval Military Studies Research Institute, said, "Both countries are trying to push for more dialogues and communications, so it is not likely the two militaries would clash as of now."

"But if the US does give the Taiwan secessionists support to an extent that they attempt to separate the island of Taiwan from China in an extreme act, the mainland will be bound to take actions, which will hugely impact the relations between China and the US as well as the two militaries," he said.

South China Sea

On the South China Sea, Shanahan talked about the so-called "disturbing freedom of navigation and militarization of islands."

Reaffirming China's undisputed sovereign rights over the islands in the South China Sea and the adjacent waters which is abundantly backed by historical and legal bases, Shao said, "For a long time, all countries' normal navigation and overflights on the South China Sea have been kept unimpeded, so the freedom of navigation and overflights were of no problem at all," he said.

The US has frequently sent vessels and aircraft into the waters and air space near the islands of the South China Sea, conducting frequent close-in reconnaissance and pointed military exercises, he added. "This is against peace and stability in the region."

Deploying necessary defense facilities based on the security situation on the islands is the natural right of a sovereign country, and also a necessary reaction to the provocative actions by the US, Shao responded.

Li Haidong, a professor at China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times on Saturday that "in order to make countries in the region accept the Indo-Pacific strategy of the US, Washington has to hype up and create tensions, to let some countries believe that they need US military presence to protect them."

But this will bring two unavoidable consequences, Li said. "First, having serious differences and risk of military conflicts with China; second, making the US unwelcome in the region after countries in the region realize the US is the real trouble maker."

Shao also said China is working together with countries in the region to alleviate tensions in the South China Sea, and the situation and mutual trust between China and these countries have improved.

"Countries within the region absolutely have the will, the wisdom and the ability to control differences and promote peace together, making the South China Sea a sea of peace, of friendship and cooperation," he said.

Stabilizer of ties

Chinese State Councilor and Minister of National Defense Wei Fenghe and Acting US Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan had a short but "constructive" meeting on Friday in Singapore.

Both sides agreed that the meeting was positive and constructive and that military ties between the two nations should be promoted to be a stabilizer of China-US relations, according to the PLA delegation.

Because the two sides have differences on many sensitive issues, and to prevent these differences from becoming real conflicts, military ties between the two sides should become a stabilizer, Li said.

Zhao Xiaozhuo, a senior fellow from the Institute of War Studies, Academy of Military Science, also a member of the PLA delegation to the Shangri-La Dialogue, said that "comparing with previous remarks delivered by Shanahan's predecessor, the US tune is softer, because Shanahan didn't directly name China when talking about those sensitive issues."

This proves that the US doesn't want to add to security tensions with China as the two countries have so many rows at the moment, Zhao noted.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address





China, US defense chiefs meet at Shangri-La Dialogue

Global Times

By Li Aixin and Guo Yuandan in Singapore Source:Global Times Published: 2019/6/1 0:38:39

China's devt benefits world: Singaporean PM

Chinese State Councilor and Minister of National Defense Wei Fenghe and Acting US Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan had a short but "constructive" meeting on Friday during the 2019 Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore.

This is the first time for China's defense chief to attend the Dialogue in eight years, and the meeting has attracted wide attention as the world keeps a close eye on how the world's most influential powers would interact at the security event.

Both sides agreed that their meeting was positive and constructive and that military ties between the two should be promoted to be a stabilizer of China-US relations, Chinese Ministry of National Defense spokesperson Wu Qian told reporters on Friday.

Though the meeting did not last long, both sides were satisfied and expressed willingness for further communications and exchanges, said Wu.

During the meeting, Wei stressed affairs related to the island of Taiwan, saying China resolutely opposes the recent "negative" words and deeds from the US on such affairs and that the US should never underestimate the Chinese military's determination and capability to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity, Wu said.

Chinese analysts warned that Shanahan is unlikely to tone down regarding China on issues like the South China Sea and affairs related to the island of Taiwan in his Saturday speech for the event.

Reuters reported Shanahan said on Friday that Chinese "militarization" of the South China Sea was "excessive" and that he would be calling out such Chinese actions in a speech on Saturday.

However, Chinese analysts point out that such accusations are groundless. The South China Sea situation is gradually easing as China is improving relations with countries such as the Philippines. It is actually the US instigation that has caused uncertainty in the region.

China will have no choice but to repudiate if Shanahan makes malicious attacks and groundless accusations on issues affecting China's core interests in his speech, He Lei, former deputy head of the Academy of Military Sciences of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and lieutenant general in the PLA, told reporters on Friday.

He Lei also told reporters that the annual Dialogue is a multilateral security and defense platform organized and dominated by the West. "Over the years, the gathering has almost become a platform which allows the West to spread the so-called China threat theory and to point an accusing finger at China."

The Chinese military has to win the battle not only in real war, but also in the battleground of public opinion, said He.

Sending senior Chinese military officials and observers to the event in the past years has helped the international community understand China in a more objective and fair manner, said Chinese analysts.

As tensions between China and the US mount, worldwide attention is focused on interactions between China and the US at the annual defense summit.

Observers attending the forum share the same feeling. "China" and "US" were the most frequent words heard at the Shangri-La Hotel Friday.

"It is important for both sides not to mix their military relationship with the trade war, the tech war and all other differences," a German observer, who requested anonymity, told the Global Times on the sidelines of the dialogue.

"The frequency of military meetings between the two sides was disrupted in the past years. Some visits were canceled and there were some incidents at sea, but it would be very alarming if they did not meet on the sidelines of this dialogue," said the observer.

Not taking sides

The US is talking openly about containing China, and those who consider China positively are marginalized, Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said in a keynote speech Friday night.

China's development and success has benefited the world, said Lee. The rest of the world has to adjust to China's larger role. It will continue to grow and strengthen. It's neither possible nor wise to prevent this from happening, said Lee.

When asked how small countries can avoid taking sides, Lee said that "we do our best to maintain our relationship with both." But it also requires limited pressure for them to take sides, he said.

China is growing, and other countries must adjust. Then you have to discuss specific issues like trade, one by one. There is no magic solution, Lee said.

Liu Weidong, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of American Studies, told the Global Times that although US President Donald Trump has not explicitly asked other nations to choose a side, he has threatened them to do so by putting pressure on them.

Huawei's case is an example. The US demanded that other countries follow its lead. Otherwise, sanctions could follow, said Liu.

Ge Hongliang, director of the China-ASEAN Maritime Security Studies Center in Guangxi University for Nationalities, said smaller countries used to be very experienced in striking a balance between major powers.

But today, they face profound geopolitical changes, said Ge.

If Trump forces them to take sides, the pressure will be unprecedented, Ge noted.

Officially known as the Asia Security Summit, the Shangri-La Dialogue has been organized and convened annually by the British think tank International Institute for Strategic Studies and the Singaporean government since 2002.

Senior officials, defense representatives and experts from countries like China, India, the United States, France, Germany, Britain, Japan and Australia will speak at the event.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address





Chinese state councilor meets U.S. acting defense secretary on military relationship

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 10:24, June 01, 2019

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.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address





CPC launches campaign to stress Party's founding mission among members

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 10:07, June 01, 2019

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.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address





Pentagon Chief Claims Huawei 'Too Close' to Beijing to be Trusted in New Attack on Tech Giant

Sputnik News

20:52 01.06.2019

The US has barred Huawei equipment from American soil and forbid the transfer of US-made technology to the Chinese tech giant by any firms, citing security concerns as a pretext.

US Acting Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan claimed during his speech in Singapore on 1 June that Huawei is "too close" to the Chinese government for it to be entrusted with building communications networks, fearing they could be tapped by Beijing.

"The integration of civilian businesses with the military is too close. China has national policies and laws where data is required to be shared", he said.

Shanahan further added that in the light of this situation, he "can't trust" networks built using Huawei's equipment, to be fully protected against espionage.

His words come amid an ongoing US pressure campaign against the Chinese tech giant. Washington claims the company cooperates with the government and installs backdoors in its equipment for Beijing's espionage and cyberattacks. Both the Chinese government and the firm have denied the US allegations.

Nevertheless, the US barred Huawei's equipment from the country and banned the transfer of technologies and software to it by US companies. This resulted in Google cutting Android support for future Huawei devices and caused chipmakers to stop selling their production to the tech giant.

Some foreign firms have also cut ties with Huawei, fearing sanctions from the US for selling equipment which partially contains US-made technologies. In the light of the White House's move, the Chinese company filed a suit against the American government.

Washington also pressured its European allies to deny the Chinese tech giant access to the construction of 5G networks, threatening to limit intelligence sharing efforts otherwise. So far the US' efforts have proved to be fruitless.

 Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address





Acting US Defense Chief Criticizes China's Bad Behavior

By Carla Babb June 01, 2019

Since the first week acting U.S. Defense Secretary Pat Shanahan took the reins at the Pentagon, he's said his top concern is "China, China, China."

On Saturday, Shanahan told an audience at the annual Shangri-La defense forum that the U.S. would not ignore Chinese behavior, which he says has threatened prosperity in the region.

"It's not about conflict. It's not about building walls. This is about security," Shanahan said.

China is infamous for its theft of other nations' military and civilian technology, and the U.S. secretary said he took issue with Beijing's cyber attacks and state-sponsored stealing of intellectual property.

Experts say China has used this theft to narrow the gap between some critical American and Chinese military abilities.

"The kind of advantage that we had against China and the western Pacific during the Cold War is gone for good," Michael O'Hanlon, a senior defense expert with the Brookings Institution, told VOA.

China also has continued to project more military power beyond its borders, most notably by constructing artificial islands in the South China Sea and placing heavy weapons on them to support territorial claims not recognized under international law.

Speaking to reporters Friday, Shanahan called the moves "excessive," saying that while the Chinese "argue that it's defensive, it looks like it's a bit overkill."

Recently, the U.S. has pushed for more international patrols in the South China Sea, including one last month with Japan, India and the Philippines.

Bradley Bowman, of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said working with allies to combat Chinese aggression in the region will bolster the U.S. position of protecting international waterways key to global trade.

"I think we need to characterize this conflict for what it is. It's not a conflict between China and the US. It's a conflict with China and the world," he said.

Speaking to VOA at the conference, Rep. Adam Smith, the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said China has to some extent "overplayed their hand."

"They are seen as a bully in the region by a lot of people. They encroached on people's territory in a variety of disputes...and in doing that, those countries have turned to the U.S.," Smith said.

In his speech Saturday, Shanahan stressed that the U.S. doesn't want any nation in the region to have to choose positive relations with one partner over another, but, he said, the world deserved a fair playing field.

U.S. allies at the conference expressed anxiety over rising tensions between the two powers, and as one leader pointed out, many believe that if China and the U.S. won't work together, they risk upending the global system.

VOA Mandarin service's Libo Lui contributed to this report

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address





North Korea's leader visits key missile site, orders 'higher modernization plan'

Iran Press TV

Sat Jun 1, 2019 10:06AM

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has reportedly ordered a "higher modernization plan" for the country's main ballistic missile factory during a visit to several facilities and factories, shortly after he suspended denuclearization talks with the United States.

The North's official news agency KCNA reported on Saturday that Kim visited several factories that were used to build ballistic missile launchers and other weapons. The report did not specify when the visits took place.

Among the sites Kim visited was the site the so-called February 8 General Machine Factory, which Pyongyang has used to manufacture launchers for ballistic missiles.

The machine factory was also the site of a July 28, 2017 inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM) launch personally observed by Kim.

"Even though the factory has made remarkable progress as against the past, we should not be contented with this," the leader was quoted by KCNA as saying.

A researcher at the US-based James Martin Center for nonproliferation studies (CNS) described the site as "the heart of North Korea's defense industry."

"These are the kind of visits we saw in 2016 and 2017 as North Korea moved toward ICBM testing," researcher Jeffrey Lewis told Reuters.

Back in January CNS listed the plant in a report as one of several sites visited by the North Korean leader in the past.

Pyongyang has not fully disclosed the location or the purpose of the site, according to Lewis.

The development came after Kim declared last month that he suspended the denuclearization talks with Washington until it changes its "arbitrary and dishonest" stance.

US National Security Adviser John Bolton has ruled out a change of position.

At the same time, he called for the military to boost its strike capability and "keep full combat posture to cope with any emergency."

The call for "full combat posture" came a day after he observed the test fire of two long-range ballistic weapons that were initially presumed to be short range missiles.

Pyongyang had put a halt on its missiles and nuclear test launches, shortly before a diplomatic thaw began between Pyongyang and Seoul and led to the first ever summit between Kim and US President Donald Trump in Singapore last June.

The halt was among a number of other that Pyongyang has taken to move forward in denuclearization negotiations with the US, but the talks have made little progress, mainly because Washington refuses to lift its harsh sanctions on North Korea.

In February, Trump and Kim met for a second time at a summit in Vietnam's capital, Hanoi, but the meeting broke up without an agreement or even a joint statement.

The North had warned before that it was considering ending talks on denuclearization and resuming nuclear and missile tests over "the gangster-like stand" of the US.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address





The Rolling Stones have been credited with turning America on to its rich heritage of blues music. Muddy Waters thanked the band personally for their focus on the blues. Howlin Wolf made his first ever TV appearance on U.K. television due to the Stones. Maybe Ian should have asked Buddy Guy his thoughts before posting his article. The Rolling Stones touring band has several African-American members. Back-up vocalists, Bernard Fowler, Lisa Fischer and Sasha Allen are all persons of color. Their bass player, Darryl Jones, (a Chicago native) has been with the band for 25 years now. He's African American as well.Trump strips India of special trade status

Iran Press TV

Sat Jun 1, 2019 01:49PM

The administration of US President Donald Trump has announced that it would no longer allow India to have special trade status, amid a deepening row over protectionism.

President Donald Trump confirmed on Friday that his administration will cut off special treatment of India, which is currently exempt from billions in tariffs, on Wednesday. India had been the largest beneficiary of a scheme that permits it to send some goods to the United States duty-free.

"It is appropriate to terminate India's designation as a beneficiary developing country," Trump said.

The White House notice claimed that India did not allow the US "equitable and reasonable access to its markets."

According to the New York Times, the US will also tax Indian solar panels and washers.

India's Ministry of Commerce in a statement on Saturday called the development "unfortunate."

"India as part of our bilateral trade discussions, had offered resolution on significant US requests in an effort to find a mutually acceptable way forward," it said. "It is unfortunate that this did not find acceptance by the US."

In March Trump announced that he would scrap preferential treatment programs for India and Turkey because they had failed to provide adequate access to its markets.

The US "intends to terminate India's and Turkey's designations as beneficiary developing countries under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program because they no longer comply with the statutory eligibility criteria," the US Trade Representative's Office (USTR) said in statement on March 4.

The GSP program allows "certain products" to enter the US without facing any tariffs, given that countries meet eligibility criteria such as "providing the US with equitable and reasonable market access."

Established in 1974 and having covered 120 countries, the GSP is the largest and oldest US trade preference program.

India is known to be the world's main GSP program beneficiary. Ending the program for the country may be the strongest punitive action taken against New Delhi during Trump's presidency.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address





Zarif says Iran needs "no mediator" to talk to U.S.

ISNA - Iranian Students' News Agency

Sat / 1 June 2019 / 15:57

Tehran (ISNA)  Iran's Foreign Minister says Tehran needs "no mediator" for negotiating with the U.S., but the prerequisite for a dialogue is for Washington to abide by the 2015 nuclear agreement.

In an interview with Arabic speaking Iranian TV, al-Alam, on Friday, May 31, Mohammad Javad Zarif reiterated, "We have already said that we do not need a mediator," adding, "America has started an economic war against our people...this should stop. Whenever (Washington's) policy changed, then, the atmosphere will also change."

Furthermore, Zarif accused Washington of "show off" by pretending that it is ready for talks with Iran.

He said that the US blocked purchase of food and medicines and airplane parts ignoring the provisional measures given by the International Court of Justice following the Iranian complaints against US wrongful sanctions.

Zarif noted that ICJ gave Provisional Order to US Administration to allow Iran to purchase food and medical equipment, but, the US is pursuing maximum pressure blockade against the great Iranian nation

Rebuking the US false and provocative policies in the region, Zarif emphasized that the main issue is that US has violated the International Law, has imposed economic war on Iranians and is preventing imports of many goods by bullying policies.

Tehran has always welcomed negotiations with regional states and proposed to sign non-aggression treaty with them, he said, adding that Iran is keen on friendship with all regional countries especially the Persian Gulf states.

He urged the international community to come to senses and understand that Iran always advocates peace, is committed to international regulations and cannot stand idle to the US aggressive policies.

Zarif said that the US Administration has entered a serious economic war against Iran, and that Iranian powerful standing in the region created concerns for the US.

Zarif said negotiations with neighbors are aimed to settle disputes, saying that the disputes originated from different views Iran has against US policy. He said that Washington aims to escalate tension in the region.

The Israeli officials, few people in the US and two or three states in the Persian Gulf have adopted another way which is very dangerous, we think, he said

Tehran offered negotiations with neighboring countries for the first time, but after the end of nuclear talks about which some regional countries were concerned, even the Saudi crown prince Mohammad Bin Salman said that they will have no talks with Iran and will take war into Iran's soil.

Zarif went on to say that after the nuclear deal, Iran refused any talks with the US and announced that it will continue talks with neighboring countries, but Bin Salman said that they will hold no talks with Iran.

Tehran for the first time offered signing non-aggression treaty to the neighboring countries, but they thought that the US will be able to solve their problems in the region, he said.

Iran's foreign policy has always been clear, he said, adding that the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said that Iran can continue negotiations.

Pointing to US economic war against Iranian people, he said it threatens logical relations with Iran and forces the Europeans to walk away for Iran nuclear deal.

US is always following policy of threat, pressure and economic terrorism against Iranians, he said urging the US to stop all these threats.

In a new show, Americans suggested to hold talks with Iran when the US foreign policy is not clear, he said.

Stressing the fact that Iran powerful enough to stand up to any threat, Zarif said that political and military threat is meaningless for Iran.

Iran is not seeking conflict in the region, he said adding that the US left the negotiating table and pulled out of the nuclear deal but a group in the region showed that they do not want to fulfill the US interests.

Today Americans are involved with policies adopted by Israeli Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and some rulers in the region.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Zarif referred to Holy Quds, saying Quds does not belong to US to give it to Israeli regime.

Emphasizing that Iran has common religion and culture with regional countries, Zarif said that the World Arrogance is aiming to escalate conflict in the region.

Due to Iran mistrust to US, the nuclear deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) has been set in 150 pages and in 36 articles to let Iran not to implement some of the commitments if US does not comply, Zarif said.

He pointed to US withdrawal from NAFTA, Paris Climate Change Convention and Pacific Trade Agreements, saying Tehran was aware of the fact that US does not comply with its commitments.

Iran has never set any ultimatum for European states but announced them that if they do not respect Iranians' economic rights, Tehran will not comply with its commitments under the JCPOA, he reiterated.

Meanwhile, Zarif said that the so-called 'Deal of Century' is aiming to violate the Palestinians' rights.

He stressed that Iran will not support any move against Palestine.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Iranian foreign minister said Iran has never imposed its opinion to Iraqis, saying the history has proved that existence of foreign forces in the region is very dangerous.

Tehran believes that Iraqi and Afghan people should decide their fate.

On Syria, he said that the Iranian and Russian forces are in Syria upon Syrian government's request.

This is while the US and some regional countries complain about it since US is supporting terrorism in the region and ISIS terrorists are provided with American weapons, according to IRNA.

He expressed deep concern about the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Yemen especially the Yemeni children exposed to famine and deadly epidemic of cholera, saying that Iran has called for ceasefire in Yemen to stop the humanitarian plight and provide humanitarian assistance in the run up to setting up an inclusive government in Yemen.

End Item

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address





IAEA report once again says Iran continues to comply with JCPOA

ISNA - Iranian Students' News Agency

Sat / 1 June 2019 / 10:09

Tehran (ISNA) - The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) once again says Iran continues to comply with a landmark 2015 nuclear deal.

The finding by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is included in its latest quarterly report distributed to member states.

In its report on May 31, the agency said the IAEA found Iran had stayed within key limitations spelled out in the agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA.

The fresh IAEA quarterly report, however, found Iran continued to comply with the JCPOA and said its inspectors had been given unfettered access to Iranian nuclear facilities.

"Timely and proactive cooperation by Iran in providing such access facilitates implementation of the additional protocol and enhances confidence," the report stated, referring to the procedure detailing safeguards and tools for verification.

According to the IAEA report, Iran's heavy water stockpile rose from 124.8 tons in February to 125.2 tons as of May 26. That's still below the 130-ton limit.

Its stock of low-enriched uranium was 174.1 kilograms as of May 20, up from 163.8 kilograms in February, the IAEA found. The limit set out by the JCPOA is 202.8 kilograms.

It added that Iran had not enriched any uranium above the level allowed by the JCPOA.

End Item

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address





King Salman At OIC Summit Accuses Iran Of Supporting 'Terrorist Militias'

By RFE/RL June 01, 2019

In one of his harshest attacks yet on Iran, King Salman of Saudi Arabia accused Tehran of supporting "terrorist militias" that he said were a threat to global oil supplies and regional security.

The king, speaking on June 1 at a summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Mecca, described a recent attack on oil tankers off the coast of the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) and an armed drone assault on Saudi pipeline facilities as "terrorist acts."

"We confirm that these subversive terrorist acts are aimed not only at the kingdom and the [Persian] Gulf region, but also on the security of navigation and energy supplies to the world," the king told the gathering.

He said the drone attack on the pipeline was carried by Huthi rebels in Yemen, which he described as a "terrorist militia backed by Iran."

Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia, backed by the United States, is an archrival of Shi'ite-majority Iran and competes for influence in the region.

In recent weeks, tensions have risen in and around the Strait of Hormuz, a key petroleum shipping route at the mouth of the Persian Gulf that Iran has threatened to block.

Earlier this month, Washington announced the deployment of an aircraft carrier battle group and a bomber task force to the Gulf to counter what U.S. officials called "clear indications" of threats from Iran to U.S. interests or its allies in the region.

Iran, which had a representative at the Islamic summit, has denied any involvement in the recent attacks.

"Saudi Arabia has used the holy month of Ramadan and the holy city of Mecca for political gain in order to put to the world baseless claims against Iran," Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi told Iran's ISNA news agency.

On May 30, King Salman told an emergency summit of Arab leaders in Mecca that the international community must use "all means to stop the Iranian regime from interfering in the internal affairs of other countries."

The king accused Iran of "harboring global and regional terrorist entities and threatening international waterways."

Saudi Arabia had called for the emergency summit to help project a unified position by Muslim and Arab nations against Iran.

Iraq, which has strong ties to both Iran and the United States, objected to the hard line taken against Tehran, saying that the security and stability of Iran was "in the interest of Muslim and Arab states."

With reporting by AP, AFP, and Reuters



Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/saudi-king-at-mecca -summit-accuses-iran-of-supporting- terrorist-militias/29975502.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





US Forces in Mideast Will Be 'Annihilated', Region Will 'Burn', if Iran Attacked, Hezbollah Warns

Sputnik News

21:03 01.06.2019(updated 21:11 01.06.2019)

The US has been building up its military presence in the Middle East to counter Iran's "threat", causing concerns that one wrong move could spark a war between the two countries and plunge the whole region into instability.

Hezbollah's leader Hassan Nasrallah has cautioned the US against striking Iran in a TV address on Al Quds Day. He insisted that if Washington attacks the Islamic Republic, the whole region will rise against it and its interests in the Middle East.

"The US knows well that any war on Iran will not remain confined to Iran's borders. The entire region will burn, leading to all US forces and interests in the region being annihilated", he said.

Nasrallah further reminded US President Donald Trump that when the Middle East is "on fire", oil prices can spike up to $200 or even $300 per barrel, referring to the 1973 oil crisis, which almost quadrupled the crude prices after the OPEC states embargoed countries that supported Israel.

At the same time, the Hezbollah leader voiced doubts that the US would dare to initiate a war with Iran, because it understands the possible consequences for all parties involved.

Tensions between Iran and the US have escalated recently over Washington tightening its sanctions against the Islamic Republic's oil trade and its increasing regional military presence. The US recently sent an aircraft carrier strike group, 1,500 troops and a regiment of B-52 bombers to the Middle East in a bid to deter the Iranian "threat".

Tehran slammed Washington's moves, cautioning it against trying to attack the country and vowing retaliation in response to any aggressive move. At the same time, Iranian leader Ali Khamenei stated that Iran seeks no war with the US. Tehran insists that is ready to hold talks with Washington if the Trump administration changes its policies and starts acting in accordance with international law.

 Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address





Iran Willing to Talk if Other Side Shows Respect, Follows Int'l Rules - Rouhani

Sputnik News

20:22 01.06.2019(updated 20:45 01.06.2019)

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif stated earlier in the day that Tehran does not need mediators in its negotiations with Washington, but the decision on dialogue should be made at the highest level.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has stated that Tehran is willing to hold talks if the other side shows respect and follows international rules, but not if it issues orders to negotiate, Fars News Agency reported.

"We are for logic and talks if (the other side) sits respectfully at the negotiating table and follows international regulations, not if it issues an order to negotiate", Rouhani said.

The statement comes after Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif noted that to ensure meaningful talks, Washington should return to fulfilling its obligations on the nuclear deal, from which it withdrew last year.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in turn, stressed on 29 May that Tehran would not negotiate with the United States. However, Rouhani did not rule out the possibility of negotiations with the United States if Washington lifts sanctions on Tehran and abandons its policy of 'oppressing' Iran.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump stressed that he was open to negotiations with Iran, if Tehran showed such a desire. The US State Department pointed out that Washington was not against the possibility of using mediators that can present its position during this dialogue.

In recent weeks, the United States has stepped up its forces in the Middle East in what US National Security Adviser John Bolton has called a clear and unmistakable message to Iran. The new US deployments in the region include an aircraft carrier strike group, Patriot missiles, B-52 bombers and F-15 fighters, according to the Pentagon.

 Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address





Iran Shows Off Bond-Like Bunker Where MISSILES Launch From  Reports

Sputnik News

14:17 01.06.2019(updated 14:27 01.06.2019)

The Islamic Republic previously released a rare video of a missile factory resembling a sprawling underground city back in February, causing concerns in the West over its ongoing efforts to beef up its military capabilities, amid a long-standing spat with the US.

Amid rising tensions with the US, Iran has released a video showcasing an underground bunker packed with the weapons and parts that appear to belong to the Qiam-1 ballistic missile system. Although the footage was first reportedly shown by Iranian state television last week, it started making rounds on the Internet only on Friday, first popping up on YouTube.

The video opens with the view of the entrance to the cavernous old-school base made of reinforced concrete and sitting deep under the crust of the Earth, with huge posters sporting the Islamic Republic's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Hassan Rouhani hanging to the right and to the left of the solid metal entrance door.

The camera then focuses on the military uniform-clad staffers assembling the Qiam-1, which has a stated range of 750 km (about 470 miles), in the launch room of the facility, which seems to be borrowed from a Bond film. Once fitted together, the missile is seen being launched from the base and soaring into the sky.

Back in February, Iran released rare footage of its missile factory, part of a whole "underground city." It is not immediately clear whether the fresh video was shot at the same location or somewhere else.

Addressing the festering issue in Iran-US ties on Thursday and his country's military capabilities, Khamenei, warned that negotiating the military aspect with the US would bring nothing but harm.

Meanwhile, US President Trump arrived Friday in Colorado Springs, Colorado, to discuss the Iranian threat.

There have been several recent exchanges of threats between the two countries, with the US accusing Iran of masterminding a series of incidents including alleged sabotage of oil tankers off the United Arab Emirates' coast. Iran countered announcing that it is beefing up its production capacity of low-enriched uranium.

The Islamic Republic also gave Europe and China a 7 July deadline to work out new terms for a nuclear deal, arguing that if there is no revision to the nuclear deal, it will enrich uranium at even higher levels, which will bring it closer to obtaining weapons-grade material.

Separately, earlier this month, the US introduced more anti-Iranian sanctions and sent its USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group, a squadron of B-52 bombers, and Patriot interceptors to the Gulf to grapple with what Washington branded as a threat arising from Iran.

In addition, Trump confirmed that the Pentagon would deploy an additional 1,500 troops to the region.

The Trump administration has increased pressure on Tehran since pulling out of 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, for fear that the country may pose a nuclear threat in the region. Israel has also been central to the spat, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, an ardent critic of the deal, boasting in July 2018 that Israel was responsible for US President Donald Trump's decision to quit the Iran nuclear deal.

 Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address





At Least 18 People Injured in Two Blasts Near LNA HQ in Derna  Reports

Sputnik News

04:38 02.06.2019(updated 04:41 02.06.2019)

CAIRO (Sputnik)  At least 18 people were injured after two bomb-laden cars exploded in Libya's eastern city of Derna, local media reported Sunday citing medics.

The blasts occurred near the headquarters of the Libyan National Army, according to Al Arabiya broadcaster.

In April, Khaftar's forces, backed by the parliament installed in the east of Libya, began their offensive to recapture the city from the forces loyal to the rival western Government of National Accord (GNA). The GNA forces responded by launching their own offensive against the Libyan National Army (LNA).

Since then, clashes in the vicinity of Tripoli have been continuing. According to the World Health Organisation, the number of people killed in the clashes exceeded 450 people while over 2,100 people sustained injuries.

 Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address





Russia stages air force drills in Crimea

Iran Press TV

Sat Jun 1, 2019 10:40PM

Russia staged large-scale aviation drills at the Crimea peninsula this week with crews from Aerospace Forces from four Russian military districts and the Northern Fleet taking part.

The Aviadarts 2019 air drills are held at Chauda training ground some 50 kilometers from the Black Sea resort town of Feodosia between May 24 and June 9. The drills feature almost sixty air crews of Russian MiG and Sukhoi fighter jets as well as helicopters competing in hitting various targets and performing manoeuvres.

Russian Defense Ministry said over 5,000 people came to watch the demonstration part of the drills branded Aviamix on Saturday (June 1). The spectators saw flyovers of Sukhoi Su-35C jets, Su-34 jets dropping concrete-piercing bombs and Berkuts aerobatic helicopter group firing projectiles and performing stunts in the air.

Ties between Moscow and the rest of Europe have deteriorated since 2014, when Crimea rejoined Russia.

The rejoining of Crimea to Russia came following deep political changes in Kiev where a pro-Western movement staged weeks of street protests that led to the ouster of the pro-Russia government.

People in Crimea and in the industrial eastern territories of Ukraine, areas which are dominated by ethnic Russians, effectively refused to endorse the new administration in Kiev. Crimea decided to rejoin Russia in a referendum in March 2014 and two provinces in the east revolted by establishing self-declared republics.

Pro-Russians have turned the two regions of Donetsk and Lugansk in the east  collectively known as the Donbass  into self-proclaimed republics.

The West and Kiev lambast the reunification as annexation of the territory by Russia, accusing Moscow of having a hand in the bloody conflict in eastern Ukraine. Moscow, however, strongly dismisses both accusations.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address





Two Projectiles Launched Toward Northern Israel From Syria - IDF

Sputnik News

20:57 01.06.2019(updated 21:36 01.06.2019)

The news of the launch comes after the Israeli military said on Monday it had hit what it called a Syrian military target in Quneitra province in response to a missile which was fired at an Israeli Air Forces jet.

The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) reported on Twitter on Saturday evening that two projectiles were fired from the Syrian territory in the direction of Mount Hermon in Northern Syria.

There is no information about casualties, with the military specifying that the incident is being probed.

The incident follows a report the IDF released on Monday, saying it had launched an attack against a Syrian military target in Quneitra after an Israeli fighter jet was targeted by the Syrian military. The Lebanese media reported that an Israeli drone had hit a surveillance system in the south of Lebanon.

Also on Monday, Syrian state TV reported that several people had been injured as a result of an Israeli missile strike on a village in Quneitra province.

Israel has been launching air raids against Hezbollah positions within Syria. Hezbollah, an Iran-backed Shia movement with a presence in Lebanon and Syria, is considered to be a threat to national security by the Israeli authorities.

 Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address





10 killed, 20 wounded in twin Daesh car bombing in Syria's Raqqa

Iran Press TV

Sun Jun 2, 2019 12:24AM

The Takfiri terrorist group Daesh has launched two major car bombings in northern Syria, killing 10 people and injuring 20 more.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a London-based group reporting on anti-government operations in Syria, said late on Saturday that half of those killed in the city of Raqqa were members of the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) who were caught in a major car bombing at the city's al-Naim square.

It said several people had been wounded in a separate car bombing in another part of Raqqa where Daesh has been launching recurrent attacks over the past months.

Raqqa, the former de facto capital of Daesh in Syria, has been controlled by SDF forces since October 2017.

The SDF, which also includes many Arab militants on its ranks, has been backed by the United States in an alleged mission to purge Daesh and other militant groups from areas in north and northeastern Syria.

The group is also busy fighting Turkish military and its associated militants as Ankara sees Kurdish militants in Syria as an extension of militancy inside its own territories.

Daesh has been almost purged from entire territories it used to control in Syria and neighboring Iraq. However, sporadic attacks by the group are still reported in the two countries.

The terrorist group launched a double car bombing in April in Raqqa, killing a total of 13 people.

Syria, gripped by a militant war since 2011 that has left hundreds of thousands killed, has managed to take back control of many territories from Daesh and other terrorist groups. The devastating war has also displaced millions of people inside the Arab country and into other places.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address





U.S. reaffirms its defense obligations to Taiwan

ROC Central News Agency

2019/06/01 17:53:35

Singapore, June 1 (CNA) The United States said Saturday it would continue to meet its defense obligations to Taiwan at the 18th Shangri-La Dialogue-the leading security forum in the Asia-Pacific region.

Acting U.S. Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan made the remark during the three-day dialogue, which gathers defense ministers and high-ranking military officials from around the world.

Commenting on the U.S.' cooperation with countries in the Asia region, Shanahan said Washington would continue to meet its obligations under the Taiwan Relations Act to make defense articles and defense services available to Taiwan for its self-defense.

"This support empowers the people of Taiwan to determine their own future," he said.

The U.S. maintains that any resolution of differences across the Taiwan Strait must occur in the absence of coercion and accord with the will of the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, the Pentagon chief added.

Shanahan did not name any country specifically but said that some nations were using a toolkit of coercion to destabilize the region, including deploying advanced weapons systems to militarize disputed areas and promoting state-sponsored theft of other nations' military and civilian technology.

Shanahan later suggested that China was responsible for destabilizing activities in the region at Asia's biggest security gathering.

"China can and should have a cooperative relationship with the rest of the region ... but behavior that erodes other nations' sovereignty and sows distrust of China's intentions must end," he said.

Until China changes, he said, the U.S. stands against a myopic, narrow, and parochial vision of the future, and stands for the free and open order that has benefited us all - including China.

In response, Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) on Saturday expressed its appreciation for the continued support of the U.S. as the two countries celebrate the 40th anniversary of the enactment of the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA).

The TRA was enacted by the U.S. Congress in 1979 after Washington cut diplomatic relations with Taiwan and forms the cornerstone of bilateral relations.

Since U.S. President Donald Trump took office on January 20, 2017, MOFA said, Washington has reaffirmed its commitment to Taiwan under the TRA and Six Assurances for three consecutive years.

As a responsible member of the Indo-Pacific region, Taiwan will continue to strengthen security cooperation with countries such as the U.S. and to contribute to the long-term stability, peace and prosperity of the region, it said.

The "Six Assurances" were issued by then U.S. President Ronald Reagan in 1982, stipulating that the U.S. would not set a date for termination of arms sales to Taiwan; alter the terms of the TRA; consult with China in advance before making decisions about arms sales to Taiwan; mediate between Taiwan and China; alter its position about the sovereignty of Taiwan or pressure Taiwan to enter into negotiations with China; or formally recognize Chinese sovereignty over Taiwan.

According to Singapore's Chinese language paper Lianhe Zaobao, Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe () and Shanahan met on the sidelines of the forum on Friday, adding that Wei emphasized the issue of Taiwan during the exchange, citing Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Wu Qian ().

(By Huang Tzu-chiang, Elaine Hou and Chung Yu-chen)

Enditem/AW

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address





U.S. to continue pursuit of strong partnership with Taiwan: Pentagon

ROC Central News Agency

2019/06/01 14:52:35

Washington, May 31 (CNA) The U.S. Department of Defense said Friday that it will continue to build a strong partnership with Taiwan in the Indo-Pacific region as part of its efforts to maintain security in the region.

In its Indo-Pacific Strategy Report released Friday, the Pentagon said at a time when China is escalating its pressure against Taiwan, the Washington-Taipei partnership has been critical to the region and the U.S. will continue to ensure Taiwan will have sufficient capability to defend itself.

"The United States has a vital interest in upholding the rules-based international order, which includes a strong, prosperous, and democratic Taiwan," the report said.

"The United States is pursuing a strong partnership with Taiwan and will faithfully implement the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA), as part of a broader commitment to the security and stability of the Indo-Pacific," the report added. "Our partnership is vital given China's continued pressure campaign against Taiwan."

The TRA, which provides the legal basis for unofficial relations between the U.S. and Taiwan, was signed into law on April 10, 1979 by then U.S. President Jimmy Carter, several months after the U.S. switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing.

The report mentioned that Taiwan lost three diplomatic allies -- the Dominican Republic, Burkina Faso, and El Salvador -- in 2018, and some international forums continued to deny participation to Taiwan's representatives.

Although China has maintained it will pursue peaceful unification with Taiwan, Beijing has never given up the use of military force to reach the goal of unification by continuing to develop and deploy military capability against Taiwan, the report said.

"The salience of defense engagements has increased as the PLA (The Chinese People's Liberation Army) continues to prepare for contingencies in the Taiwan Strait to deter, and if necessary, compel Taiwan to abandon moves toward independence," the report said.

"As part of a comprehensive campaign to pressure Taiwan, China has increased military exercises in the vicinity of Taiwan, including circumnavigation flights by the PLA Air Force and naval exercises in the East China Sea.," the report added.

According to the Pentagon, the goal for the U.S. Department of Defense's defense engagement with Taiwan is to ensure that Taiwan remains secure, confident, and free from China's coercion, and to enable Taipei to engage Beijing peacefully and productively on its own terms.

"The Department is committed to providing Taiwan with defense articles and services in such quantity as may be necessary to enable Taiwan to maintain a sufficient self-defense capability," the report said.

"DoD is continually engaged in evaluating Taiwan's defense needs to assist Taiwan in identifying capabilities that are mobile, survivable, and effective in resisting the use of force or other forms of coercion," the report added.

Since 2008, the U.S. administrations have notified the U.S. Congress of more than US$22 billion in arms sales to Taiwan.

In the report, the Pentagon also cited U.S. Vice President Mike Pence as saying: "America will always believe that Taiwan's embrace of democracy shows a better path for all the Chinese people."

(By Chiang Ching-yeh and Frances Huang)

Enditem/cs

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address





Officials Hope for Strife-Free Trump Visit to London

By Jamie Dettmer June 01, 2019

U.S. President Donald Trump and Britain's Theresa May will want a strife-free, three-day state visit to London for the American leader starting Monday, their aides say.

To reduce the possibility of mishaps, with protesters getting too close to the American leader, the traditional ride in a horse-drawn carriage down the tree-lined Mall to Buckingham Palace for visiting heads of state has been axed  although Trump's predecessor, Barack Obama, also dropped the jaunt because of "security concerns."

A huge London police operation is being planned to try to ensure the state visit goes off without a hitch.

Other risks to contain

But aside from protests, there will be other risks on this presidential trip that British officials are keen to contain as they press the U.S. leader for more details on a possible post-Brexit trade deal, and as they seek to ease strains in what British politicians especially like to dub the "special relationship" between Britain and the U.S.

London and Washington are at odds on a range of global issues, including climate change, policy toward Iran and Britain's trade dealings with China.

The differences haven't been helped by the lack of personal chemistry between the two leaders; Trump once complained May was too "politically correct," triggering a transatlantic spat, and his aides have confided in the past that her "school mistress" manner makes the U.S. leader bristle. The two leaders have clashed publicly over several of Trump's tweets, and in 2018 the U.S. President declined to have a one-on-one meeting with her at the G7 summit.

The U.S. leader's free-wheeling style contrasts with May's cautious, risk-averse and detail-oriented approach.

Like many of her European counterparts, she's found it hard to know how to react to a U.S. leader who largely sees foreign policy as a zero-sum game and is unsentimental about America's traditional alliances, admits a Downing Street aide.

Looking beyond May

Not that the U.S. president is spoiling for a fight on this trip, say U.S. officials, or eager to wage an ideological skirmish, as he did nearly a year ago at a NATO summit, where he shook up Europeans as he berated them over greater alliance burden-sharing.

But Trump appears now to be looking beyond the Brexit-fouled May, who will leave office shortly after his trip. He's unlikely to hold back on offering a norm-breaking running commentary about the British Conservative leadership race or repeating his lavish praise Saturday of key British Brexiters Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage. Johnson is running to succeed Theresa May, and Farage, leader of the Brexit Party, is soon to run for a seat in the House of Commons.

Although there's nothing listed in the official schedule, Trump has raised the possibility of meeting both men privately this week, possibly at a dinner at the U.S. envoy's residence in central London, in what diplomats say would be a breach of convention. In an interview with Britain's Sun newspaper Trump shied away from formally endorsing Johnson but made clear he was his favorite, saying Johnson is a "very good guy" and would be an "excellent" prime minister.

Asked by Britain's Sky News whether Trump should refrain from praising Brexit leaders during a politically charged time in Britain, which is split down the middle over whether to exit the European Union or not, U.S. national security adviser John Bolton said: "The president will do what the president wants."

Some analysts in London have speculated that Trump will urge Johnson and Farage to forge a political pact.

Iran nuclear deal

Aside from Brexit, President Trump will be pressing for British support in his escalating standoff with Iran, U.S. officials say.

So far the British government has sided with the other major European powers in their efforts to bypass U.S. sanctions on Iran in an effort to preserve the 2015 Iran nuclear deal authored by Barack Obama, an agreement President Trump withdrew from last year, arguing it had failed to restrict Iran from waging foreign wars or backing international terrorism.

According to Nile Gardiner, a former aide to Margaret Thatcher and now an analyst at the Heritage Foundation, a Washington-based think tank, May's opposition to Trump's Iran strategy "has damaged the U.S.-U.K. alliance."

He  as some Brexit-favoring aides of the U.S. president, as well as Conservative Euro-skeptics in London  believes some of the policy differences between London and Washington are the consequence of Britain being pulled in two directions between Europe and the U.S. a state of affairs he hopes will end if Britain exits the EU.

But it isn't clear that would be the case, say other analysts. Most senior British policymakers, regardless of whether they're pro-EU or are Brexiters, share European qualms about the U.S. leader's approach to Iran, and also are critical of Trump's withdrawal of the U.S. from the Paris climate accord.

Leaving EU? Still neighbors

Further, whether Britain is a member or not of the EU, they say, the country's future would continue post-Brexit to be intertwined with fellow European nations.

"The irony of Brexit is that the U.K. will end up having Europe as its principle external relationship in the future," Robin Niblett, director of Chatham House, said last week at an event at the London-based think tank.

At the same event, former British prime minister, John Major, said: "Europe's success matters to us, because whether we are part of the European Union or not, they are our biggest neighbor, their security and our security are inextricably linked, and we need the best possible relationship with them."

China and Huawei

Another source of dispute that will likely feature in behind-the-scenes bilateral discussions in London this week will be whether the West should confront China. British officials expect Trump and his top aides to push hard for a reversal in a provisional British decision to allow Chinese telecom giant Huawei to develop Britain's fifth-generation (5G) mobile phone network.

U.S. officials fear Beijing will use Huawei, which ultimately is answerable to the Chinese government, to eavesdrop and to sweep up data passing through Britain's 5G network. The prospect is alarming to U.S. security chiefs, who fear Chinese spies will be able to penetrate, via Britain's 5G, American communication networks and capture intelligence shared with Britain.

On a visit last month to London, America's top diplomat, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, bluntly warned British officials against allowing Huawei to participate in building Britain's 5G network, cautioning them that the tech giant's political master Beijing wants "to divide Western alliances through bits and bytes, not bullets and bombs."

If Britain went ahead, he said, it would put at risk the longstanding intelligence-sharing arrangement London has with Washington.

Pompeo's threat sent shockwaves through the British establishment.

Intelligence ties bind

Britain is a key member of the so-called Five Eyes alliance, the U.S.-led Anglophone intelligence pact also linking Australia, Canada and New Zealand. Norman Roule, who was in the CIA's Directorate of Operations for 34 years, and served as a division chief and chief of station, says "the U.S. intelligence relationship with the British is the closest on the planet."

And for the British it is the foundation stone of the "special relationship." When relations have soured between individual U.S. presidents and British prime ministers, the transatlantic partnership has endured thanks largely to the tight intelligence-military partnership between London and Washington.

"The U.K.-U.S. relationship is far less about the dynamics between two leaders, and far more about daily interactions between thousands of officials and military personnel who work closely together in person or electronically," according to a former top British defense official in a commentary for the Royal United Services Institute, Britain's influential international defense and security think tank.

Of equal concern for Britain's spy chiefs is another explosive issue which is likely to be raised by the U.S. leader this week about whether Britain's MI6 foreign espionage service helped the FBI to spy on his presidential campaign, something the president alleges. British officials have denied the charge.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address





BOSTON, May 29, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Anaqua, the leading provider of innovation and intellectual property management solutions, today announced that Canon Inc, the global imaging solutions company, has selected the ANAQUA platform to manage its global patent portfolio.

Headquartered in Tokyo, Canon is a pioneer in the provision of innovative consumer, business-to-business, and industrial digital imaging solutions worldwide. The companys businesses include the development and manufacture of such imaging and optical products as digital cameras, camcorders, multifunction office devices, printers, semiconductor lithography equipment and medical equipment. Canon will use ANAQUA software to ensure the efficient management and prosecution of the companys valuable intellectual property assets. The company will also utilize Anaquas AcclaimIP patent search and analysis tool.



Canon is a true industry pioneer and innovator, which is reflected in the companys substantial patent portfolio, said Bob Romeo, CEO of Anaqua. We are honored to have been selected by Canon to assist them in managing and protecting these valuable IP assets, and are delighted to welcome another of the worlds most innovative companies to our client community.



About Anaqua

Anaqua is a premium provider of integrated, end-to-end innovation and intellectual property (IP) management solutions, serving more than 50% of the top 25 U.S. patent filers, more than 50% of the top 25 global brands, and a growing number of the most prestigious, forward-looking law firms. The companys global operations are headquartered in Boston, with offices across Europe and Asia. Anaquas IP platform is used by nearly one million IP executives, attorneys, paralegals, administrators, and innovators globally. Its solution suite merges best practice workflows with big data analytics and tech-enabled services to create one intelligent environment designed to inform IP strategy, enable IP decision-making, and streamline IP operations. For additional information, please visit anaqua.com.

About Canon

To find out more about Canon, please visit global.canonGinny Neal, Tunstall High School FFA vice president, was selected to receive her Virginia FFA State degree.

The State FFA Degree is awarded to FFA members who have demonstrated the highest level of commitment to the Virginia State FFA Association and have made accomplishments in their Supervised Agricultural Experiences.

Neal will receive her degree at the 93rd State FFA Convention in Blacksburg on June 19.

Jacob Bowden, Tunstall High FFA secretary, was selected by the Virginia Tech Collegiate FFA to receive his FFA jacket courtesy of the Virginia Tech Collegiate FFA Jacket Scholarship.

Chapter members Jacob Bowden, Megan Pollok, Malik Thornton and Casey Toney will be competing in a variety of career and leadership development events while attending the state convention.Rep. Denver Riggleman, R-5th, and law enforcement personnel are taking major steps to address drug trafficking in Central and Western Virginia.

In a speech last month on the House floor, Riggleman urged Congress to designate Nelson County and the region as a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, which would allow area law enforcement access to a variety of resources.

Riggleman said his home county of Nelson has been hit hard by drug trafficking and that the effects have been far-reaching and long-lasting.

The Skyline Drive corridor has become the center of drug trafficking activity that is ravaging the 5th District, Riggleman said, which led to the creation of the Skyline Drug Task Force in 2016.

This counter-drug team has carried out searches and made arrests, including of an individual suspected to be a high-level member of a Mexican drug trafficking organization or cartel, who had, according to the judge, caused unfathomable damage to the community, Riggleman said in his speech.

The HIDTA program currently operates in all 50 states and in 18 regions within the Washington/Baltimore area.

The grant program is administered by the Office of National Drug Control Policy. As of 2017, there were 28 HIDTAs, which include approximately 18% of all counties in the United States and 66% of the U.S. population.

The process to be designated as a HIDTA is fairly involved, according to Tom Carr, executive director of the Washington/Baltimore-area HIDTA.

Petitioners must put together a set of separate requests for each locality seeking the designation that includes an assessment of the threat. Because HIDTA is a federal program, the petitioners must establish how drug trafficking is also affecting other states and by showing involvement from gangs, such as MS-13.

After the petition has been put together, it needs to be approved by an ONDCP panel of law enforcement experts. The process can take six months to a year, from start to finish, Carr said.

HIDTA designees can receive anywhere from $100,000 to $350,000 annually, Carr said, on top of a swath of equipment such as satellite trucks, surveillance equipment and analytical support.

Believe it or not, most recipients have a difficult time spending all the money, Carr said.

In an interview, Riggleman said he has been in contact with law enforcement officials in the area and they already have begun to put together a petition.

The U.S. 29 corridor is a particular area of concern, Riggleman said, and if the region receives HIDTA designation, the plan is to set up the office in Albemarle County.

The price of methamphetamine has skyrocketed in the last couple decades and so has trafficking, he said. Its sad, but I think we have a very good chance of getting the designation, he said.

Work is being done already to combat drug-trafficking in the 5th District, Riggleman said, pointing to the efforts of Capt. Michael Martin of the Waynesboro Police Department and Sheriff Bob Mosier of the Fauquier County Sheriffs Department.

Just this past week, a 45-year-old Waynesboro man was charged with a swath of trafficking-related charges and is facing at least 20 years in prison following a multijurisdictional investigation in which authorities seized more than 2 pounds of meth estimated to be valued at more than $100,000.

According to The News Virginian of Waynesboro, Martin, who operates as the WPD special operations division commander, said that though the amount of meth wasnt as much as seen in some recent busts, it still speaks to the capacity for rings to move large amounts of drugs in the area.

This is a significant amount for this area, he said.

Tyler Hammel is a reporter for The Daily Progress. Contact him at (434) 978-7268, thammel@dailyprogress.com or @TylerHammelVA on Twitter.BEDFORD  An ex-lieutenant and paramedic with the Bedford Country Department of Fire & Rescue was sentenced Friday to three years in prison for having sexual contact with two 17-year-old girls.

One of the victims, now 18, testified at Larry Scott Hawkins' sentencing hearing in Bedford Circuit Court. He pleaded guilty in February to one count of soliciting a minor in relation to that victim and one count of assault and battery in relation to a second victim.

Reading from a prepared statement from the witness stand Friday, the victim said she's suffered from PTSD, severe anxiety and depression since Hawkins had sexual conversations with her online for a four-month period starting in late 2017.

She said she's also sleeping poorly and having trouble communicating with her father after her contact with Hawkins.

As a fire & rescue volunteer in Bedford County, she said she's encountered tensions in that circle since the case has progressed.

I can't go to any fire functions without being stared at or called names, she said.

Bedford County Administrator Robert Hiss said Friday that Bedford County Department of Fire & Rescue employees went through mandatory discrimination and harassment training in June 2018, in response to investigations and about four months after Hawkins' arrest. Jack Jones, chief of Bedford County Department of Fire & Rescue, was unavailable for comment Friday.

The victim told Hawkins from the stand that she forgives him and won't let his actions keep her from pursuing her dreams of being a police officer like her father.

I do not like you, but I do not hate you, she said.

Other witnesses who've responded to calls with Hawkins from the Montvale Volunteer Fire Company, where he was chief for 10 years, spoke of all the people he's helped and lives hes tried to save as a first responder. They said he has mentored a number of young people involved with fire and rescue, both male and female; one said Hawkins is one of the best paramedics I've ever seen.

Hawkins, 53, was terminated from county employment weeks after his arrest in February 2018. He said Friday hes been working as a truck driver after he was granted bond.

He apologized to the victim and insisted he wasn't grooming her or the other victim to lower their inhibitions toward sexual contact.

It's just one of those things of being misled, he said.

When needled by Deputy Commonwealth's Attorney Stacey Stickney on that statement, Hawkins said the victim told him she was 18 on multiple occasions. He also acknowledged he knew she was a high school student in late 2017 when he met her and learned she was taking college courses.

He claimed their relationship was just a friendship, thats all it was.

The second victim also interactedwith Hawkins in a fire & rescue setting: Stickney said Hawkins rubbed her thighs, kissed her neck and rubbed up against her sexually in a vehicle bay. Search warrants indicated his conduct with her was caught on camera.

Stickney called him a predator wearing a uniform who would prey on the girls by gaining their trust.

Dirk Padgett, who represented Hawkins, said no other young people his client has mentored have made similar allegations against him. He asked for suspended time for Hawkins so he can continue to take care of his mother, who lives next door to him in Montvale.

After the hearing, Padgett said Hawkins is not a predator and merely experienced a lapse in judgment. He said he expects Hawkins to do well once he gets out of incarceration and return to being a productive member of society.

Hawkins will be required to turn himself in on June 7. After he serves three years in prison, he'll be on supervised probation for four years and need to be on good behavior for 10 years or else face more prison time that Updike suspended.

Hes forbidden from unsupervised contact with any minor, any contact with the two victims and will need to register as a sex offender.Writer: Be more presidential, Mr. Trump

To the editor:

When President Trump sided with the dictator of North Korea saying former Vice President Joe Biden has a low IQ, to me was un-American.

Trump should have told him to mind his own business and stay out of our politics, something he also should have told Vladimir Putin in 2016. Instead, he agreed with Kim, rather than standing up to a fellow American. Regardless of your politics, you know this wasnt right to side with a brutal dictator who has killed his own family members and has many of his own citizens locked up in concentration camps.

Trump sucks up to people like this, believing Putin when he said Russia didnt interfere with the 2016 election. Trump said, I tend to believe him knowing what his own intelligence agency had told him. The same with the Saudi crown prince when Trump was told that he had The Washington Posts columnist murdered.

Trump could have been the man that John McCain was when he told a woman who said Barack Obama was a no good Arab. McCain, being the man he was, told her instead that Obama was a good family man who just had differences in policy with him. McCain was a true hero that Trump said he wasnt. Trump should have taken lessons from McCain.

Likewise, Biden has been a lawyer and a respected senator for years, as well as a vice president where Trump has been nothing but a failed businessman. Its funny when Trump says Biden has a low IQ  this coming from a man who has had the bankruptcy court bail him out six times and lost billions of dollars in his ill-fated business deals. Trumps father made smart deals and made money, while his low-integrity son lost money most of the time.

Trumps name-calling needs to stop. He needs to act like a president for a change and just stick to policy that all Americans really want to hear from all sides. What can you do to make my life better?

ROBERT HAYDEN

BlairsThat supports the equivalent of 5,963 full-time jobs and generates nearly $15.6 million in government revenue.

Theres a significant economic development piece to arts and culture, Hoffmann said. Artists are business people and arts organizations are businesses.

Hoffmann and Jacquie Gilliam led the volunteer community task force that prepared the master plan to sustain and grow the local arts scene.

The 10-year plan titled Creative Greensboro calls for city government to take a more active, focused role in supporting local arts and culture, in collaboration with other organizations.

Its first recommendation: Create a city Office of Arts and Culture, with a full-time director who reports to the office of the city manager. There, the citys efforts related to arts and culture will be consolidated and focused.

The successful applicant will serve as a steward of city-owned arts facilities, advance the citys cultural life, and develop policies on arts and culture with a new Cultural Affairs Commission.

Judging by the job description, the successful candidate will have plenty to do.That was new to me, she said. And of those 10,000, 4,000 were repatriated  many not because they wanted to, but because they were traded for American Jews and civilians trapped behind enemy lines.

The idea that the American government traded people for people seemed scandalizing to Meissner. It showed a lack of humanity, she thought, so she knew she had to write about it. I think we have to look at what we as a nation did, she says. Lessons from the past are only lessons if you look at them and learn from them.

***

The book: The Lost Girls of Paris, by Pam Jenoff

Jenoff loves writing about women during war for various reasons. For starters, their lives would have been so different had history followed a more peaceful path, so her characters end up shaken and tested in ways that they never could have imagined.

But its also that so many of the typical war stories leave women out. Case in point: the subjects of her most recent novel, who were female spies doing dangerous work while embedded in Nazi-occupied France.Its obviously different in school with a plastic mannequin than with your child, she said. Its hard when theres a clinical instructor watching. When its your child sitting there looking at you, its a whole other story.

About three months into the program, tragedy struck the family again. At age 20, Zach took his own life.

It happened on an otherwise normal day, Kathy said. Zach had come home from his apprenticeship as an electrician. He was going to go out with his girlfriend. He had ordered parts for his pride and joy  a big, black Dodge truck  and had made an appointment to have a tattoo filled in.

Kathy was studying for a test when she got the news.

We were just starting to find our new normal, she said. It was the last thing I expected.

The family searched for reasons. Zachs brother had died months earlier of a disease that could affect Zach at any time. He had been in counseling, but stopped going when he turned 18, choosing consultations with the familys pastor. Whether his final act was the result of a bad relationship, grief or guilt, the result was the same. Both boys were gone.I dont go, said Tobar Ortega with a sadness in her eyes.

Such has been the life of Tobar Ortega. The church is a refuge from deportation, but it may as well be a prison without bars.

Every day Im hoping that I arrive here and they say, Its over. Go home,  said Randy Neustel, a St. Barnabas church member who volunteers to be there in case she needs anything or to run interference with anyone who knocks at the door. We saw a need and we wanted to help. We had no idea it would last this long. Im not complaining. I just know she wants to go home.

Tobar Ortega is the face of a movement that has rallied supporters against what they see as unfair immigration policies that separate families and return people to situations many had fled out of fear for their lives.

The mother of four from Asheboro had steady employment as a seamstress, was an active member of her Pentecostal church and doesnt have a criminal record.

Shes asking for the opportunity to fix her immigration status, said Lori F. Khamala of the American Friends Service Committee, an organization that advocates for immigrant rights. She isnt a threat to anyone.Leanna Lawson of Ruffin was recently awarded the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Womens Clubs highest award  the Soujourner Truth Award for Meritorious Service.

First vice president of the associations Greater Greensboro/Reidsville Club and Ruffin resident, Lawson is a retired associate professor of nursing at Rockingham Community College and has been active in her community and church for many years. A researcher and trainer, Lawson also has presented papers on diversity training, health awareness and spiritual empowerment.

Nursing has been a passion for Lawson, the only girl in a family of nine boys, for as far back as she can remember.

In the early days, my grandmother and an aunt were midwives and helped deliver babies, Lawson said. I received a scholarship to nursing school from the Business and Professional Club my senior year in high school.Initially, the most likely primary challenger was believed to be Congressman Mark Walker, a favorite among North Carolina conservatives. But in recent weeks, Walker, who lives in Greensboro, has downplayed speculation about a Senate bid.

Enter Garland Tucker III, a Raleigh-based author and retired chief executive officer of Triangle Capital Corp. A graduate of Harvard Business School, Tucker is wealthy and has extensive ties to the states conservative network. He was a senior fellow at the John Locke Foundation and has served on the board of the Civitas Institute. Both institutions are well-respected on the right.

Tucker is a prolific writer with a couple of books to his credit. In Conservative Heroes: Fourteen Leaders who Shaped America  Jefferson to Reagan, he identifies five fundamental principles of conservative thought, including such staples as ordered liberty and limited government.

Tuckers commentary has appeared in multiple high-profile forums, including the National Review and The Daily Caller. Among his influences are three giants of the intellectual right: Edmund Burke, Russell Kirk and William F. Buckley Jr. The influence of such men bodes well for the political newcomers prospects.The president is a criminal.

Thats what they said in 1973. I was in junior high school in South Carolina at the time, and the allegations were so shocking, so explosive that I remember that for several days our history teacher actually set aside other history lessons she might have taught. Instead, she had a television brought into the classroom so that we could watch the proceedings and history being made.

I was a kid. So I dont remember much about the hearings, but I do remember one of our elected representatives from North Carolina, the chairman of the U.S. Senate Watergate Committee. U.S. Sen. Sam Ervin, liked to drawl that he was just a simple country lawyer (he also just happened to have a law degree from Harvard).

Ervin was brilliant and flawed. His record on civil rights and the womens rights of women was uneven. He made mistakes.

So Nixon thought Ervin might be a good conservative who would side with him, protect him from the crimes he had committed.

He found out otherwise. Ervin rose to the occasion to help bring down Nixon. He made us proud.With the news that North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein has filed a lawsuit against Juul Labs, it is clear that more needs to be done to address teen e-cigarette use.

Teenagers captivation with vaping nowadays is proof of George Santayanas maxim, Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.

There is considerable data confirming concurrent usage of both combustible cigarettes and e-cigs. Worse yet, among teens, vapers are almost four times more likely to advance to combustibles than those who do not vape.

So, contrary to any intimation of therapeutic utility for smoking cessation, e-cigarettes are gateways.

E-cigarettes are essentially disguised tobacco products with just enough distinction from their cousins to obscure their own toxic characteristics. Recognizing this, North Carolina should aggressively reinvest in its tobacco-prevention education programs.

Over the past decade, lawmakers have slashed these funds from more than $17 million annually, allocating only $500,000 for youth-prevention efforts last year. Simultaneously, vaping by high school students has increased by 894%. Lets learn from our past.Does the spin of a news story matter?

In an article in todays (May 29, It Was Unbearable! Witnessing Carnage in Tiananmen Square ) New York Times, Jaing Lin (military journalist) recounts her memories of the demonstrations in Tiananmen Square, in Bejing, 30 years ago.

Since that time the Chinese government has denied that there was a demonstration, or that hundreds of civilian protesters were killed by the military, under orders by the Chinese government. Stories of that were prohibited.

While the United States today is nowhere near the authoritarian regime the Chinese people are under, by discrediting factual news sources, labeling them as fake news or alternate facts, we lose the transparency required for an informed electorate to function.

With the acrimony there is in politics today are we willing to surrender the truth so that our sides spin on the news is the only one heard?

Neither political party has all of the answers. Both have some. If we as voters stay informed, with the truth, and our elected officials are willing to consider the will of all the people, we will have the government and life we deserve.If passed, House Bill 464 would offer small businesses a real solution that they deserve by utilizing Association Health Plans. These plans would allow small businesses and independent contractors to group together through their trade associations to purchase health insurance. As a result, small businesses would receive rates and plans that are nearly identical to ones that larger businesses receive. Instead of being forced into a faulty one-size-fits-all market, small businesses would once again have a choice with their healthcare options.

Under this proposed legislation, small businesses will receive a broad range of coverage. In fact, House Bill 464 requires that AHPs in North Carolina cover preexisting conditions, preventative care and both hospital and primary care doctor visits. House Bill 464 would provide opportunity to the thousands of small business owners across the state who have been forced to pay higher costs or go without proper care. Most importantly, this legislation does not diminish quality of insurance, but instead creates choice and delivers the care that our small businesses need.

I believe in solutions. Its time to enact legislation like House Bill 464: The Small Business Healthcare Act. Small businesses are a pillar of North Carolinas growing economy. Lets do the right thing and give them the healthcare options they deserve.

Kyle Hall is a state representative for the 91st State House District, which is made up of Stokes County, portions of Surry County and a western portion of Rockingham County.

Catch the latest in Opinion Get opinion pieces, letters and editorials sent directly to your inbox weekly! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.ENFIELD  Police are asking visitors to Scantic River Park to be vigilant after a hiker was reportedly attacked by animal at the park Sunday morning.

According to the Enfield police Facebook page, about 10:45 a.m. Sunday, a hiker was attacked by a possible coyote or fox in the Scantic River Park West off of Route 190. The hiker was treated and released at a local hospital.The Pentagon doesn't need to investigate a White House directive for the U.S. Navy to move the warship USS John S. McCain from view before President Donald Trump's recent trip to Japan, Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said Sunday.

The White House military office requested that the Seventh Fleet keep the warship "hidden from view," Shanahan told reporters en route to South Korea. But the directive wasn't carried out, and "all ships remained in normal configuration during the visit," he said.

"No, I am not planning any IG investigation," Shanahan said when asked if the inspector-general would investigate. No investigation was needed "because there was nothing really carried out," he said.

Trump said on Thursday that a "well-meaning" person appears to have made the request, but said he personally would not have done so. The ship carries the name of the late Sen. John McCain, a Republican from Arizona who was a frequent critic of Trump, as well as his father and grandfather.

Trump's animosity toward McCain is well known. Early in his presidential campaign Trump referred to the senator's years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam by saying, 'I like people that weren't captured." The president wasn't invited to McCain's funeral in 2018.

Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, on "Fox News Sunday," called the USS McCain incident "much ado about nothing."

The unidentified staff member behind the request wouldn't be disciplined for asking if the ship should be visible given the president's "well known" feelings about the late senator, he said.

"If you understood how any people were involved in this, you understand the number of folks who could have asked this question," Mulvaney said. He said neither he nor Trump knew about the request and suggested it may have come from a low-level White House staffer.

"If a 23- or 24-year-old person says, 'Look, is it really a good idea for this ship to be in the background?' that is not an unreasonable question to have," Mulvaney said.

According to a Politico report citing the chief of Navy information, there was a request "to minimize the visibility of USS John S. McCain, however, all ships remained in their normal configuration."

The USS John S. McCain is currently docked for repairs after a crash off the coast of Singapore in August 2017, in which ten sailors died.

Shanahan also said he couldn't confirm a report from a South Korean newspaper last week that North Korea's top envoy for nuclear discussions with the U.S. had been executed after Trump's summit with leader Kim Jong Un abruptly ended without a deal.

Kim Hyok Chol, who led working-level negotiations for the February summit in Hanoi, was executed by firing squad after being charged with espionage for allegedly being co-opted by the U.S., the Chosun Ilbo newspaper said Friday, citing an unidentified source.

"First of all, I haven't seen or heard anything that confirms" the execution, Shanahan said, adding the U.S. needs to get some facts on what happened.

Asked about Trump's close relationship with Kim Jong Un - in 2018, Trump said the pair "fell in love" - Mulvaney said on Fox that "having a relationship with a person" can never be a bad thing "regardless of what they might be doing domestically or internationally."

Shanahan, who plans to meet with South Korean officials on Monday, said it wasn't necessary to restart major military exercises with the longstanding U.S. ally.

"I am confident that we have the readiness that we are required to have," he said.

---

Bloomberg's Ben Brody contributed to this report.This editorial appears in Sunday's Washington Post:

- - -

There was already little doubt that the Trump administration acted in bad faith when it moved to add a citizenship question to the 2020 Census. For those still unconvinced - including Supreme Court justices resistant to examining the administration's nakedly partisan motivations - the revelation of new evidence Thursday made such willful blindness even less tenable. The court cannot let the Trump administration get away with manipulating the census in a barelydisguised partisan power play.

Opponents of the citizenship question provided in federal court on Thursday documents elaborating on the partisan inspirations for the change. According to The New York Times, the daughter of Thomas Hofeller, a recently deceased Republican gerrymandering expert, discovered files on her late father's hard drives suggesting that GOP operatives hoped to do more than simply depress the census count. They also wanted to give themselves an edge in legislative line-drawing.

Hofeller had concluded in 2015 that switching the way states distribute political representation - basing it on where eligible voters are, rather than on total population, whether voting-eligible or not - would benefit Republicans. Many Hispanics and their children would be excluded from consideration as legislative lines were drawn. Democratic districts would have to expand in order to encompass the same number of people. The result would be districts that skewed less Democratic. But Hofeller concluded that Republicans would need better data on the voting-age population - from, say, the census - in order to make the switch.

The documents reveal that Republicans could gain doubly from the Trump administration's concerted campaign to add a citizenship question to next year's census. First, the question would undoubtedly depress the count among immigrants fearful that the government would hassle them if they revealed their noncitizen status. That in itself would deprive Democratic-leaning areas of representation in the next redistricting cycle.

The data could also enable states to move away from considering non-voters at all in their line-drawing in the way Hofeller envisioned. It is little wonder, then, that Hofeller's daughter revealed documents suggesting that he helped cook up the administration's flimsy excuse for adding the citizenship question - to better enforce the Voting Rights Act, as though that were a priority for the Trump Justice Department.

It is unclear whether the Supreme Court would consider evidence submitted in federal district court at this late stage in its pending ruling on the move to add the citizenship question. Ideally, it should not matter much; the justices were already offered a crystal-clear picture of an administration searching for excuses to meddle with the census for partisan ends, over the concerted objections of government experts about what the shift would do to the accuracy of the count.

But, at this point, anyone paying attention would have to be purposely obtuse to conclude that the Trump administration acted for legitimate purposes. The court must not let this pass.Huawei is going through tough times, but it has found strong support. It was re-instated in the SD Association, as well as the Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and RAM governing bodies. Most fans are staying by Huawei's side too  more than half of voters in last weeks poll are sticking with Huawei.

Its not just words either, Huawei sales in India are strong, with one of the biggest local retailers, Croma, saying they arent worried about software support. 15% of voters are looking to score some deals as prices of Huawei and Honor phones are currently down (which will be temporary, if the trade ban is lifted soon).

European and Japanese carriers are less certain, but they are in talks with Huawei and Google to determine how this will affect after sales support. Still, about 1 in 3 voters plan on switching to a different brand.

In the first three months of 2019 Huawei was the second largest smartphone maker, maintaining its lead over Apple. It even aspired to top Samsung and become the largest smartphone vendor.

This trade ban is certainly slowing down its growth, but so far the signs are good that the company will make it through this. And you know what they say  what doesnt kill you, makes you stronger. This could push Huawei to be even more independent (it already trademarked Ark OS, a replacement for Googles Android).



Haiti - Security : Message of sympathy from Quisqueya University





Quisqueya University has learned with "very strong emotion and immense sadness" the murder of Me Ramus Sainvil, shot dead on May 30, 2019, at the wheel of his vehicle in the locality of Nerette, commune of Petion-ville, by armed individuals on motorbikes, who fled once their crime was perpetrated https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-27872-haiti-news-zapping.html



Quisqueya University recalls that Sainvil, former Colonel of the Armed Forces of Haiti (FAd'H), spoke on May 17 at the Quisqueya University "Governance and Security" Retreat, stressing that security is one of the strong missions of the State which, according to the amended Haitian Constitution of 1987, has the imperative obligation to guarantee the right to life, health, respect for the human person, to all citizens without distinction in accordance with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.



"Quisqueya's academic community expresses its pain, its indignation and protests with the greatest energy against the violence that is taking hold the society every day and which is dragging it into the spiral of death. It protests against the impunity that allows criminals and aggressors of all kinds to commit the worst crimes and appeals to the highest authorities for strong measures to be taken as soon as possible in order to put an end to insecurity that falls on the country.



It asks the authorities in charge of public security to take their responsibilities, to open a thorough investigation to know the circumstances in which Me Ramus Sainvil was assassinated and shed light on the motives of this heinous act.



The Quisqueya University and its Rector present to the family of Me Sainvil struck today by the misfortune, as well as his colleagues, their most sincere condolences and assure them of their deep sympathy."



HL/ HaitiLibre





















Haiti - Cap-Haitien : 5th Edition of the Diner in White selection, registrations open





The Dinner in White, this very chic and elegant picnic is back in Haiti. On Saturday, August 10, Haiti will celebrate the 5th edition of this select event in Cap Haitien in a secret location. The new organizing team is already at work to offer guests another unforgettable evening !



Beyond the historical importance of the place, Le Diner en Blanc in Cap-Haitien is for many a return home. The coordination of the team involved in bringing it together is the work of super organizers such as Fabienne Alphonse-Reid, Annie Melissa Etienne and Johanna Auguste.



The co-organizer Annie Melissa Etienne, from Haiti, is indeed excited about the tourism impact that Le Diner en Blanc will have on the city of the North "The White Dinner by its concept is a question of community and this community also has a significant impact. We are honored to be part of this long-standing tradition of Le Diner en Blanc, as the event helps promote tourism and Haiti's rich heritage without forgetting Haitian cuisine."



Registration to participate in this unique event takes place in three phases :



Phase 1: For members of the previous edition;

Phase 2: Phase 1 members can sponsor a new member;

Phase 3: For people on the waiting list.



To have the chance to take part in this milestone event, register now on the waiting list at register.dinerenblanc.com/haiti/fr/register



White Dinner guests must follow certain rules :



Once registration is confirmed, the presence of each guest is mandatory, regardless of the weather forecast. The event will take place, whether weather is good or bad.



Dress code : all in white and elegant. Originality is encouraged as long as the outfit remains chic and tasteful.



Table decor : all white !



Wine and/or champagne (beer and spirits are forbidden).



According to the laws and regulations, guests wishing to taste wine and champagne can book it via the online shop of the Dinner in White.



To keep the location of the event secret until the last moment, guests have an appointment at different starting points and from there are escorted by a White Dinner volunteer.



In order to leave the venue as clean as they arrive, guests leave at the end of the evening with all their belongings, leftovers and trash.



Guests must bring :

A picnic basket containing quality food, white dishes, glassware and appropriate cutlery. The option of a meal prepared by a catering service is available for those who wish it. Upon registration, guests can reserve their picnic basket via the White Dinner online shop.



About the Dinner in White :

In June 2018, The White Dinner in Paris celebrated its 30th anniversary. To mark the occasion, a record guest list of 17,000 guests gathered at the Esplanade des Invalides. Launched by Francois Pasquier and a handful of his friends in 1988, Le Diner en Blanc is now an international phenomenon celebrated on six continents. Dinner in White, this chic and secret picnic, is organized in more than 80 cities in 30 countries.



HL/ HaitiLibre

















Published on 2019/06/02 | Source

Lotte has shifted the focus of its overseas business operations from China to Southeast Asia after a boycott in the world's most populous country dealt it a devastating blow.

Advertisement

The Korean-Japanese conglomerate's sales totaled W84 trillion last year, and 10.6 percent was generated by overseas businesses, up 7.6 percent from the year before when the boycott struck (US$1=W1,190).

Now Malaysia ranked at the top and accounted for 30.3 percent of overseas revenues, followed by Indonesia (13.5 percent), the U.S. (nine percent) and China (7.9 percent).

In 2016, China was still the top market, accounting for 25 percent of Lotte's overseas revenues, but they fell from W2 trillion to W700 billion last year.

Instead Malaysia, which is home to Lotte Chemical Titan, accounted for W2.7 trillion worth of revenues, up around W500 billion. Together, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines accounted for 58.4 percent of total overseas revenues.

But Lotte is also expanding its share of advanced markets. Lotte chairman Shin Dong-bin said in a New Year's address to staff this year vowed to "expand markets in advanced countries" while reconsidering the longstanding strategy of focusing on emerging markets.

Read this article in KoreanA COUPLE who run a doctors practice in Caversham are retiring.

Drs Harold and Janet Chadwick will leave the Peppard Road Surgery on June 30 after 28 years and the practice will close.

The couple moved from Redbourn, near St Albans, in 1991 to take over the patients of Dr Conrad Latto, a former surgeon at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading, who had practised from his home in The Mount, Caversham. They now look after about 2,600 patients.

Mr Chadwick, 64, said: I think its the right time really for us to go. It has been lovely to have the practice all these years but at 64 we dont know how fit were going to be over the next few years.

We want to go in a controlled way and at the right time.

He said he and his wife had set out to provide a friendly and convenient service for patients, adding: They want to be seen when they want to be seen and, if possible, by the same doctor.

Thats how we have tried to run our practice. It has been a joy dealing with the patients and the staff have been great and very loyal.

What hasnt been so great is that over that almost 30-year period we have had to do more and more administrative and clerical tasks  there has been more and more of what I call the nonsense.

The NHS authorities dont want to encourage small practices, they want to build them into bigger units. They want to provide what they call an extended range of services.

Mrs Chadwick, 66, said: Over the years we have gained the confidence of the community. Hopefully, were going to continue to do locum work. Im sad to be retiring having started at medical school in 1970. Im a third generation medic and its the end of a generation really.

I think Harold has been absolutely diligent  it has been his idea and his method and he has led. Ive tried to modernise him the best I can!

We mustnt knock the NHS  when youre seriously ill its there for us.

The couple, who have four children and eight grandchildren, are looking forward to spending more time with their family.

Mr Chadwick said he wanted to teach his grandchildren to sail and take a part-time maths course. His wife said she wanted to practise her French.

The couples patients will be allocated new surgeries.We brought this back, and this our third year in this building, he said. To me, this is something that we need to do more of as we need to get to know one another. I really admire the discipline of Ramadan, but even more that Muslims pray five times a day throughout the year.Its fishing season, when the water is warm enough for waders, and the fish easily come snapping at your line.

Spring also means flipping pages on a good book  whether youre whiling away a Sunday afternoon at a picnic or slipping down to the lakeshore at Jacobs Creek.

You might even be packing an apple and a book with your fishing pole while en route to Whitetop Laurel Creek in Virginia or the South Fork of the Holston River in Tennessee. Both are famously known for their fly fishing.

And, if youre packing a book, consider Yellow Stonefly (Swallow Press, 2018), a recent novel by Tim Poland.

This author is a resident of Radford, Virginia  incidentally, my old college town, which stands about 100 miles north of Bristol on the banks of the New River.

In this 267-page book, Poland writes from his own experience as a fly fisherman.

And, wow, youll like the characters name at the heart of it all  Sandy Holston, whom readers first met in Polands 2009 book, The Safety of Deeper Water.Alzheimers Tennessee is hosting a Caring and Coping Caregiver Conference, which offers support and strategies for family and professional caregivers.

The conference will be held at Munsey Memorial United Methodist Church, 201 S. Roan St. in Johnson City, on June 13, with registration beginning at 8 a.m. and a welcome at 8:30 a.m. The event will end at 4 p.m.

Speaker Melanie Bunn will present on these topics:

 Overview of Alzheimers and Related Dementias as well as available treatments

 How to Manage Challenging Behaviors and Maximize Communication

 Legal Issues Important to those facing Alzheimers and their families

 Put on Your Oxygen Mask: How to Take Care of Yourself as a Caregiver

Advance registration is required, and seating is limited. Cost is $25 for family caregivers and $45 for health care professionals (5.5 CEU credits are available). The fee includes materials, lunch and refreshments. For more information or to sign up, call 423-330-4532 or visit www.alzTennessee.org.Infrared cameras in a nature reserve in northwest China's Gansu Province have captured three images of snow leopards, according to the reserve Sunday.

A snow leopard is spotted in Anxi national natural reserve in Gansu Province [Photo provided by Anxi national natural reserve]

The footage was captured at Anxi national natural reserve in Guazhou County on Sept. 27, Sept. 28 and Nov. 17 last year.

Whether it is the same big cat on the three images is uncertain.

A snow leopard is spotted in Anxi national natural reserve in Gansu Province [Photo provided by Anxi national natural reserve]

A total of 62 infrared cameras have been set up by a joint research team of the reserve's administration and Lanzhou University since 2012, covering an area of 50 square kilometers in the reserve.

Images show that the snow leopards walking at an altitude of around 2,600 meters close to a plain desert, "which provides new scientific evidence to the study of its habitats," said Wang Liang, researcher of the team.

A snow leopard is spotted in Anxi national natural reserve in Gansu Province [Photo provided by Anxi national natural reserve]

It is the first time that such images have been caught in the reserve since it was established in 1987.

Snow leopards are a Class A protected animal in China and are classified as "vulnerable" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. They live in the Himalayas in central and south Asia at an altitude of 2,500 to 4,500 meters.Anicich said she always knew Cooper would one day be convicted in the murder of her daughter and her unborn granddaughter, Ava. But Monday, Anicich said she was still angry that Cooper had put her family through the ordeal of two trials instead of just confessing.Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park will offer a Civil War Bus Tour from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 8.

Adventures in History: Civil War Bus Tour will roughly follow Daniel Ellis ever-changing routes of the Civil War, from Moccasin Gap near Gate City, Virginia, to Clover Fork, Kentucky. Ellis piloted thousands of loyal East Tennesseans across Southwest Virginia to Eastern Kentucky where they could join the Union Army. Dr. Brian D. McKnight, Ph.D of history at the University of Virginias College at Wise, will lead this tour.

The Civil War Bus Tour will depart the park and travel to Moccasin Gap near Gate City, Virginia. The tour will include stops at the Clinch River, Wildcat Valley, Seminary, Keokee and Clover Fork, Kentucky.

The tour fee is $25 per person. Participants may bring their own lunch, or purchase a lunch from the Dutch Treat. Seating is limited.

For more information or to register, call the park at 276-523-1322.President Donald Trump has been obsessed with the stain Russias interference in the 2016 election has left on his presidency. His refusal to recognize that interference, his willingness to accept Russian President Vladimir Putins propaganda denying responsibility, and his incessant lying about his family and his campaign staffs Russian contacts  during the campaign, during special counsel Robert Muellers investigation and post-Mueller  can be seen as pieces of one giant effort to dispel the idea that he didnt win fair and square. Of course, he didnt win fair and square.

My Washington Post colleague Philip Bump writes, In the past, Trump has often claimed that Russia didnt affect the 2016 vote, but, as we detailed shortly after Muellers report came out, the hacking and WikiLeaks dumps almost certainly did affect how Americans voted, perhaps to a significant degree. Bump explains, Discussion of the material stolen from (Clinton campaign leader) John Podesta swamped other coverage for much of October 2016, despite there being relatively little information in the documents that offered much insight into Clintons candidacy. And most damning, Trump eagerly hyped the ongoing WikiLeaks releases during October, declaring at one point that he loved WikiLeaks for its efforts.For Subscribers The Ritchie Boys to be featured again on CBS's '60 Minutes'

The CBS newsmagazine "60 Minutes" plans to air another segment about the men trained in intelligence matters at Camp Ritchie during World War II.With this years parade only just passed, organizers are already looking ahead with a new Gofundme.com page, Keeping the Parade Alive. The online fundraising platform allows anyone to contribute whatever they like. The goal is $35,000 and with a week in the parade has already raised nearly $3,000.Carrying a sack in one hand, Count made his way up to the top of the long slide and used his free hand to wave at his twin sister, Varsity, and then yelled at his father to let him know he was taking yet another turn on the attraction.Then Chester Wronski joins the chorus by claiming I am a truth denier, yet stated he still believes Trump "colluded" with Russia when Mueller and his team of Democrats, despite their mightiest efforts, failed to find a shred of evidence to support the charge. Are you getting the pattern here? Their hate for Trump is so great they simply go on the attack.

I'll cut to the chase. Leftists like Baldwin and Wronski are reluctant to debate real issues. My writings reveal why I believe left-wing socialist policies are wrong and are destroying America, and why conservative principals and policies are superior. But Baldwin and Wronski only want to attack their opponents. Instead, explain how the Democrats would improve on a 3.2 percent GDP growth rate, or lower even further record unemployment rates for all Americans, including African Americans, Latinos and women. Defend the $94 trillion "Green New Deal" which includes stopping cows from farting. Defend funding "Medicare for all" or a socialized medicine system that failed at the VA. Defend Democrats' support for open borders and "free" health care for illegals (see Biden and other democrat presidential hopefuls.) Defend Democrats' support of infanticide. Defend the growing Democrat support of antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiments (see congresswomen Talib and Omar.) Defend the rising Democrat support for legalizing recreational marijuana which makes zombies of our youth. (Again, see Biden and others.) Defend 90 percent tax rates, abolishing the Electoral College. And sanctuary cities.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To me, Im not hurting my organs or hurting myself. Id much rather take the holistic approach, Flynn said.

Deedee Reitzel, a Carolina Valley employee, said her pain clinic doctor recommended she replace pain drugs with CBD products. She takes two half-drops a day and never looked back.

I actually ran out of drops for three days and was hurting so bad, and then it dawned on me that I hadnt taken them, Reitzel said.

Carolina Valley customer Peyton Smith shopped at the store three times within the first week of its opening. I had a massive stroke about a year ago now and it hurts to touch my left side, Smith said.

She uses salve from Frannys Farmacy and said almost instantly, she doesnt experience pain when touching her left side.

The FDA held a hearing Friday to collect information about cannabis compounds such as CBD, which is already available in candy, syrups, oils, drinks, skin patches and dog food in stores and sold online, the Associated Press reported.

No decisions are expected immediately, but the hearing is seen as an important step toward clarifying regulations around the ingredient, according to the Associated Press.He has fervent bhav for Shriram and the will to sacrifice mind, body, wealth and even lay down his life for the Ram Mandir !

HH (Adv) Hari Shankar Jains son Vishnu Shankar Jain (age 33) and grandson Chi. Vrishank (1y 10m) attain 61% spiritual level !

Unprecedented event where the father is declared a Saint while the son and grandson attain 61% spiritual level !

HH (Adv) Hari Shankar Jain becomes the first proHindu to attain Sainthood in the All India Convention for the Hindu Rashtra !

Goa : Adv. Hari Shankar Jain (President of Hinu Front for Justice, Supreme Court advocate) is a mine of qualities like intense desire to protect Dharma, rendering service sans expectations, fountain of energy, and wholly committed to the establishment of Ramrajya (Hindu Rashtra)! He has intense bhav towards Shriram and the will to sacrifice mind, body, wealth and even lay down his life for the Ram Mandir. He has been completely immersed himself in this cause for the last 29 years. If he has to be described in one word then Adv. Hari Shankar Jain is a Dharmayoddha who is incessantly working for the establishment of the Hindu Rashtra ! On 30th May, 2019, during the 8th All India Convention for the Hindu Rashtra, HJS National Guide Sadguru Dr Charudatt Pingale said that his 65th year this selfless karmayogi has attained Sainthood and will henceforth be known as HH (Adv) Hari Shankar Jain. It was also announced that HH (Adv.) Hari Shankar Jains son Adv. Vishnu Shankar Jain (33y) has not only followed his illustrious fathers footsteps in the trade, but also in spirituality and has attained 61% spiritual level (meaning, being liberated from the cycle of birth and death), while HH Jains grandson Vrishank (1y 10m) also has attained 61% spiritual level and is a divine child. This announcement doubled the bliss of the attendees. HH Neelesh Singbal (HJS Coordinator, North and North east India) honoured HH (Adv.) Hari Shankar Jain, and felicitated Adv. Vishnu Shankar Jain and Chi. Vrishank. HH (Adv) Hari Shankar Jains wife Sou. Uma Jain, daughter in law Sou. Donna Jain, daughter Sou. Vaishnavi Dave and son-in-law Shri. Soham Dave were also present.

Virtues of HH (Adv.) Hari Shankar Jain as shared by Sadguru Dr Charudatt Pingale

Sacrificial : For the last 40 years, he has been fighting self funded PILs in favour of the nation, Dharma and the society.

For the last 40 years, he has been fighting self funded PILs in favour of the nation, Dharma and the society. Competent : A few years ago when the topic of how the constitution of Hindu Rashtra was being discussed in Nepal, experts from Nepal availed the expertise of HH (Adv.) Hari Shankar Jain to prepare the constitution of Hindu Rashtra.

A few years ago when the topic of how the constitution of Hindu Rashtra was being discussed in Nepal, experts from Nepal availed the expertise of HH (Adv.) Hari Shankar Jain to prepare the constitution of Hindu Rashtra. 2 days ago when he was addressing the National level Advocates Convention, many attendees experienced Chaitanya (divine consciousness).

HH (Adv.) Hari Shankar Jains thoughts

1. This honour is due to the grace of Param Pujya Guruji (Paratpar Guru Dr Athavale) !

After being declared a Saint, HH (Adv.) Hari Shankar Jain said that this moment is extremely blissful. Param Pujya Guruji (Paratpar Guru Dr Athavale) bestowed this honour on me. This honour has only increased my responsibilities. This honour has prompted me to strive harder and with more heart and soul. If there have been any shortcomings in my seva till date, they have to be overcome and have to dedicate the rest of my life to the cause of Ram mandir. I never had even thought that I will be honoured as a Saint. This has become possible due to the love of all those present here, the blessings of God and the Rambhakts, as well as the grace of Param Pujya Guruji (Paratpar Guru Dr Athavale).

2. Divine vision of Seeta and Hanuman prompted me to take up the Ram janmabhoomi case !

In the 1990s the Ram janmabhoomi issue has not yet gained importance. However the case was in court. I was also interested in this case. When the Ram Mandir case came to the Lucknow High Court, I had a divine vision in my dream. I got the indication from Seeta and Hanuman to participate in the case, after which I requested the Hindu Mahasabha to allow me to fight the case. The Hindu Mahasabha allowed me to do so. Since then, I have been fighting this case on behalf of the Hindu Mahasabha for free.

3. Duty of every Hindu to work for Dharma !

It is the duty of every Hindu to work for Dharma. The one who does not work for Dharma, does nothing to protect Dharma is not a human being at all. It is our fundamental duty to protect Dharma. With the blessings of Param Pujya Guruji I will handle my responsibility with greater determination.The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders and activists must be proud on seeing the saffron-splashed map of India. But party president Amit Shah is bound to look at the areas which are not all saffron, namely the south.

The BJPs vote share has indeed gone up. But, the three states of Tamil Naidu, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have been represented strongly by regional parties rooted in a combination of linguistic pride and sub-nationalism, a sense of an evolved culture, distinct movies and a uniquely local flavour of social justice and welfare governance. These factors, in conjunction, proved to be difficult for the BJP to surmount. In these states, the party is still seen as a Hindi party. And being perceived as an upper caste Brahminical party is not an advantage in a Dravidian culture.

Keralas leftist orientation and secular outlook have proved to be a deterrence. Karnataka had given the BJP a chance, but the leadership the party provided and the governance it offered left much to be desired.

When Tamil Nadu reeled under protests against a Supreme Court verdict on jallikattu, the BJP was nowhere to be seen. When the Cauvery water disputes erupt, the party was unable to take a position. When a separate Telangana was demanded or when Andhra Pradesh demanded special category status, the BJP did not know how to respond.

It was elated when it found a foothold through the Sabarimala issue in Kerala, and was hoping this, along with its strong Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) network in the state, would lead to it gaining some parliamentary seats. This did not happen, but this was the first real emotive issue which gained the BJP some public traction.

Leaders are created by movements. And it takes smart local leaders to identify potential issues  the BJP has not had a surfeit of these.

Unlike in West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh, where there are socioeconomic problems which political parties can cash in on, the southern states are relatively well managed.

The various governments here, despite the corruption and caste-riddled sociopolitical contexts, have delivered sound economic growth, jobs opportunities, better infrastructure and welfare that actually reaches people. This has meant that there has never been a strong political vacuum for the BJP to fill.

In the south, leaders like MG Ramachandran, M Karunanidhi, J Jayalalithaa, NT Rama Rao and YS Rajasekhara Reddy held sway over the political narrative, their party and governance; they were in touch with the masses and had a grip on the media giving little scope for a party like the BJP to grow.

The ability of regional parties to support governments at the Centre over the last 25 years has meant that national parties needed them.

For example, when the BJP became the first party to support the cause of Telangana, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) was not even born, but the alliance with N Chandrababu Naidus Telugu Desam Party (TDP) meant it could never push for it locally as long as the central government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee needed the support of the TDP.

A second straight majority for a single party with the hunger, ambition, meticulousness and focus of an Amit Shah, with an icon like Narendra Modi to propel the narrative, offers the BJP a historic opportunity in the south.

MK Stalin and YS Jaganmohan Reddy have both tasted success but are not invulnerable. If Karnataka sees a change of power, it will give the BJP a base camp to expand further south. It will focus on Telangana where it won four seats. In Andhra Pradesh, the TDPs defeat creates a vacancy for an opposition party.

Despite registering a huge surge in Telangana, with four wins and coming second in several other seats, the BJP is yet to become even the principal opposition to the TRS, and has only one legislator in the 119-seat Assembly. Unless they find a leader to match the stature of K Chandrasekhara Rao in Telangana, or YS Jaganmohan Reddy in Andhra, the party will not be able to make further inroads. The lack of leaders remains a concern even in Tamil Nadu, where MK Stalin has emerged as an undisputed leader in the state. In Karnataka, where it has built a strong cadre, leader base and worked on relevant issues, it has seen a surge in its presence.

It now has a clear opening to move ahead in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh and create a stronger party in Tamil Nadu. It can try to build on its existing vote base in Kerala. The rise of the BJP in the south has been slow, but Amit Shah will welcome the challenge of hastening the pace.

Sriram Karri is an author and columnist

The views expressed are personalNew Delhi has made extraordinary efforts to reconnect with the region in recent years. Under the neighbourhood first policy, the mindset changed positively towards connectivity and Prime Minister Narendra Modis outreach to leaders from Bimstec (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) countries for his swearing-in ceremony indicates that there is political will to keep prioritising the region and make further commitments. But beyond good intentions and commitments, Indias real test in the neighbourhood will be to expand its capacity to implement, open its economy, and stop reacting to Chinese inroads.

Slogans aside, credit is due to Modis political outreach to the neighbourhood since 2014. Before him, no Indian prime minister had visited Nepal and Sri Lanka on proper bilateral visits since the late 1990s and 1970s, respectively. When Pakistan obstructed Indias connectivity agenda at Saarc (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation), New Delhi pragmatically moved on to cooperate with like-minded neighbours under Bimstec and BBIN (a sub-regional grouping of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal).

Land boundary and shipping agreements were finally concluded with Bangladesh, which hosted the first-ever visit of an Indian defence minister in 2016. India also became a net electricity exporter to its neighbours and opened four new Integrated Check Posts (ICPs) to facilitate cross-border trade, with 13 more planned on the borders with Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan.

Such initiatives reflect a new focus on the periphery and a growing understanding that Indian economic and security interests can only be achieved through greater regional integration. Even if only belatedly, reacting to Chinas sudden appearance in the neighbourhood, New Delhi seems to have finally woken up to connectivity as a strategic imperative. Paradoxically, however, neighbourhood first has also exposed tremendous capacity deficiencies. Whether it is the ministry of external affairs (MEA) or several line ministries, the bureaucratic machinery has been struggling more than ever to realise Modis bold commitments to neighbours on the ground.

Indias first and foremost challenge will, therefore, be to bridge the growing gap between increasing political commitments and its stagnant administrative capacity to follow up. India will continue to underdeliver until it expands its capacity to implement. Nowhere was this more apparent than in 2016, when Modi announced Bimstec as a priority even while it took India two years to depute its director to the organisations secretariat. Failure to deliver on commitments has thus begun to affect New Delhis reputation and, in some cases, perversely incentivised neighbours to further deepen their outreach to China.

To reduce this implementation gap, India must start to massively expand its diplomatic cadre at the MEA but, at the same time, also curtail its role as an international gatekeeper. Other ministries, the armed forces and state governments must be given greater autonomy to directly engage with their cross-border counterparts. Another way to speed up implementation would be to appoint a cabinet-ranked prime ministers special envoy on regional connectivity, with political clout to reach out directly to leaders in neighbouring capitals and overcome bureaucratic hurdles.

Second, as the subcontinents predominant power, Indias investment in connectivity will only succeed if there is also economic openness. However much it may hurt, Modi will have to invest political capital for India to lead by example and open up its economy to the neighbours. He alluded to this in 2018, when he emphasised that India is ready to work as the Sherpa for Nepal. This may be easy to say, but to concede asymmetric advantages to neighbours will be costly, both at home and abroad, where cross-border mobility will affect protectionist interests and demographic balances. Political leadership will be required to sustain positive discrimination towards Indian neighbours as a strategic investment in interdependence.

This can be pushed through, for example, by eliminating all bureaucratic, tariff, security and any other barriers to trade and transportation between Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh through Indian territory. Another would be to adopt the pending Bimstec free trade agreement. In several other areas, New Delhi will fail to connect unless it concedes. Why should Nepal keep begging for more air transport corridors across India or keep its border open according to an outdated bilateral treaty from 1950? And why should the Maldives refrain from further trade liberalisation with China, if India is not able to offer better terms?

Finally, India will have to regain the initiative over China, which is now a resident power in South Asia, whether through its optic fibre connecting Nepal across the Himalayas; the 99-year lease of Sri Lankas Hambantota port; or its shareholding in the Dhaka Stock Exchange. While adjusting to Beijings growing influence in its backyard, India has often oscillated between the extremes of hopeful inaction, waiting for Chinese initiative to fizzle out, and obsessive obstruction of Chinese projects as alleged security threats. Beyond such short-termism, New Delhi must invest in ways that can shape neighbouring countries long-term incentives to connect with India first.

This will require more focus on capacity-building programmes that increase technical self-sufficiency and institutional resilience in neighbouring countries. Let China pay for hard connectivity, and instead explore Indias comparative advantage in cross-border infrastructure, soft connectivity and democratic governance. India will also have to prioritise trilateral partnerships with like-minded Indo-Pacific powers, especially Japan and the United States but also the European Union, if it wants to offer reliable alternatives to China. Finally, if it is serious about regional cooperation beyond just Bimstec, New Delhi will also have to recommit to Saarc to avoid its own diplomatic isolation in the region.

Constantino Xavier is a fellow at Brookings India, New Delhi

The views expressed are personalActor-filmmaker Raghava Lawrence, who had opted out of directing Akshay Kumar starrer horror-comedy Laxmmi Bomb after he felt disrespected, on Saturday withdrew his decision after all the issues were sorted.

Lawrence took to Twitter to announce that hes back on board as director of Laxmmi Bomb, a remake of his own Tamil blockbuster Kanchana.I am back on board as a director of Laxmmi Bomb. A big thank you to Akshay Kumar sir to understand my feelings and sorting all issues. Another thank you to my producer Shabinaa Khan for the same. Thanks to both for giving me respect, Lawrence said.

Hi Dear Friends and Fans...!

As you wished I would like to let you know that I am back on board as a director of #LaxmmiBomb with @akshaykumar pic.twitter.com/9HRHF5y2VV  Raghava Lawrence (@offl_Lawrence) June 1, 2019

He added that hes really happy to be part of the project again. In May, Lawrence chose to exit after the makers unveiled the films first look without his knowledge. In a statement, he said he cant be part of the project as he felt disrespected and disappointed. He had tweeted to say: Dear Friends and Fans..!I In this world, more than money and fame, self-respect is the most important attribute to a persons character. So I have decided to step out of the project, #Laxmmibomb Hindi remake of Kanchana.

Also read: Katrina Kaif tells Neha Dhupia that shes worried about Janhvi Kapoors very, very short shorts in the gym

Dear Friends and Fans..!I

In this world, more than money and fame, self-respect is the most important attribute to a person's character. So I have decided to step out of the project, #Laxmmibomb Hindi remake of Kanchana@akshaykumar

@RowdyGabbar @Advani_Kiara pic.twitter.com/MXSmY4uOgR  Raghava Lawrence (@offl_Lawrence) May 18, 2019

He even asked the makers to find a replacement for him and said that he will hand over the script to Akshay. In Laxmmi Bomb, Akshay plays a character that will be possessed by a ghost of a transgender. Kiara Advani has been signed as the leading lady.

(This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.)

Follow @htshowbiz for moreActor Priyanka Chopra and her husband Nick Jonas PDA can get anyone jealous. The Quantico actor has shared a new picture with Nick which only illustrates the point. The picture shows Priyanka and Nick close together.

Putting it up on Instagram, Priyanka wrote: Where to next baby? #travelbug or #lovebug. Priyanka often shares such pictures on social media and is unapologetic about displaying her affections in public.

Also read: Katrina Kaif tells Neha Dhupia that shes worried about Janhvi Kapoors very, very short shorts in the gym

On Friday, Priyanka left a message on Twitter denying reports that she had met her friend and Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle and her young son Archie in England. It had been extensively reported that not only did Priyanka and Nick meet Meghan and Archie, they also lavished him with gifts including a silver bubble blower worth $250 from the top jewellery brand Tiffany & Co. Although Priyanka acknowledged that the gifts wouldve been a great idea, the actor shut down the rumours, noting that she was only in London for work.

While these are great gift ideas... this story is untrue, and I was actually in town for work. I hope whoever this "source" is starts checking their facts more often. https://t.co/S2sDlEiLaZ  PRIYANKA (@priyankachopra) May 31, 2019

Priyanka remains as busy as it gets, be it for her films or her charity work. In May, she was in Ethiopia as a Unicef ambassador. However, her Ethiopia visit drew the attention of trolls as well, one of whom asked her what she had done for Indian children. A follower had asked, I really adore your work Mam. But what about our motherland? To this, the actor replied, I believe a child is a child and we all are global citizens and we need to care about the future of children all over the world. I have worked with UNICEF in India for many years and will continue to do so.

Prior to that, she made a spectacular debut at the Cannes Film Festival. Her camp look at the Met Gala 2019 too came up for much praise. Priyanka will begin work on her Hollywood film with Mindy Kaling, which is reportedly based on the big, fat Indian wedding. She has completed shooting for Shonali Boses Bollywood film, The Sky is Pink, where she co-stars with Farhan Akhtar and Zaira Wasim.

(With ANI inputs)

Follow @htshowbiz for moreActor Sunil Grover, who has entertained audiences through the years as part of Kapil Sharmas comedy show, will feature in his first big commercial release with Bharat. Ahead of its Eid release, Sunil spoke about the experience. He admitted that with a huge star like Salman Khan in the film, nobody would bother if he is there or not in the film.

Speaking to Mid Day, Sunil was his candid best. He said, It is a Salman Khan film and nobody bothers if Sunil Grover is a part of it or not. People will throng theatres to watch him, but it excites me to be just part of this world and exploring genres.

Salman is a huge star. Whether Bharat is released with or without me, it wouldnt make a difference. If not me, somebody else would have done the role. I have put in my best for the film. I want to stay humble and just enjoy the moment, he continued.

Also read: After Katrina Kaif speaks about Janhvi Kapoors very short shorts, Sonam Kapoor comes to cousins defence

Sunil accepted that Bharat is easily the biggest film in his career. He said: I was lucky to get the offer, considering I have never been part of big commercial set-ups. This was an opportunity to experience the larger-than-life cinema that Salman Khan usually brings on screen. Combined with Ali Abbas Zafar, it adds a different commercial value to a film. Ali is a great filmmaker and displays aesthetics in all his films. I am fortunate to be working with them.

Sunil has been around for quite a while making his debut in Pyar To Hona Hi Tha back in 1998. While his career as a comedian took off when he joined Kapil Sharmas show, it was only with last years Patakhaa that people noticed him as an actor.

Taking about the experience, he told Mid Day, I received a lot of appreciation (for my work) in Pataakha. It boosted my confidence and it was all possible because Vishal (Bhardwaj) sir always encouraged me. It has been a life-long dream to work with him. He gave me the opportunity to explore different facets of acting, which was earlier restricted to comedy. I have experimented a lot with comedy, also a tough genre, but I have done it all my life. And Pataakha came as a great change. I am enjoying being part of good stories.

Bharat, which stars Salman and Katrina Kaif as main leads, has been directed by Ali Abbas Zafar. Releasing on June 5, it will see Salman in a varieties of avatars including a circus artist, a miner and a naval officer among others.

Follow @htshowbiz for moreActor Tara Sutaria, who recently made her debut with Student of the Year 2, has shared an old childhood picture on Instagram. Among those who commented was actor Arjun Kapoor, who found her looking similar to Kareena Kapoors son, Taimur Ali Khan.

Sharing the picture, Tara captioned it, Butterball Baby, and Arjun commented on it: Taimur. The young kid in the picture is chubby like Taimur. Several others thought on similar lines.

Tara was seen in Student of the Year 2 alongside fellow debutant, Chunky Pandays daughter Ananya Panday and Tiger Shroff. Directed by Punit Malhotra, the is a sequel to Karans 2012 directorial Student of the Year, which launched the careers of Alia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan and Sidharth Malhotra.

After SOTY2, Tara bagged Marjaavaan where she will be seen opposite Sidharth Malhotra. She will soon begin work on a Hindi remake of the hit Telugu film RX100 that stars Suniel Shettys son Ahan. Tara is also expected to sing in the film. Tara had also auditioned for Aladdin, the 2019 Hollywood film which featured Will Smith as the genie. She had sung for the audition.

Also read: Sonam Kapoor comes to Janhvi Kapoors defence after Katrinas comment

Its a really exciting time for cinema now with so much crossover happening. There are amazing films being made the world over, and artistes from different parts of the world are collaborating. Im looking forward to doing an international film, but dont think that can happen before next year. Im keeping myself updated regarding the films that are being made and the auditions that are happening, Tara had recently said.

Follow @htshowbiz for moreUS president Donald Trump urged Britain to be very careful about involving Chinese tech giant Huawei in its new 5G network, in an interview published Saturday ahead of his state visit to London.

Asked about reports that Britain is planning to give the firm a limited role, Trump told the Sunday Times newspaper: Well, you have other alternatives and we have to be very careful from the standpoint of national security.

He added: You know we have a very important intelligence gathering group, that we work very closely with your country (Britain) and so you have to be very careful.

The US has long voiced suspicions that Huawei is controlled by the Chinese government and thus a global security threat -- charges strongly denied by the firm and by Beijing.

Prime Minister Theresa Mays government has insisted a decision has not yet been made on Huaweis involvement in building a 5G network in Britain. Trump said he believed things will all work out, youll see.

In a wide-ranging interview, the president also repeated previous criticism of Mays strategy for taking Britain out of the European Union.

She is due to step down in the coming weeks over her failure to deliver Brexit on time. Trump suggested her as-yet unchosen successor should abandon talks with the bloc if they do not get a better deal.

I would walk away. If you dont get the deal you want, if you dont get a fair deal, then you walk away, he said.

-Protests planned

Trump on Friday used another newspaper interview to endorse former foreign minister Boris Johnson to succeed May.

Opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who is boycotting a state banquet with Trump, called it an entirely unacceptable interference in our countrys democracy.

On Saturday, the president suggested another leading Brexit supporter, Nigel Farage, should help negotiate with Brussels. He said that Farage, whose Brexit party caused a major upset in recent European elections, has a lot to offer.

Trump will be welcomed to London on Monday by Queen Elizabeth II at the start of a three-day state visit that will also include talks with May and a ceremony marking 75 years since the D-day landings.

Large protests are planned and London Mayor Sadiq Khan said Sunday it was wrong to be rolling out the red carpet.

Writing in The Observer newspaper, Khan -- who has had several Twitter spats with Trump -- said the president was one of the most egregious examples of a growing global threat from the far-right.

He said leaders such as Hungarys Viktor Orban and Farage are using the same divisive tropes of the fascists of the 20th century to garner support, but are using new sinister methods to deliver their message.

Khan said Trumps divisive behaviour flies in the face of the ideals America was founded upon -- equality, liberty and religious freedom.

(The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text, only the headline has been changed)A 51-year-old woman was found dead in suspicious circumstances at her house on Saturday evening in Sector 23, the police said.

The womans brother-in-law, his wife and their daughter have been booked on charges of murder after the womans husband filed a complaint with the police, alleging that she was murdered. There has been no arrest so far in the incident.

The deceased, a former headmistress of a private school in the city, had undertaken several senior teaching positions (vice-principal and principal) of private schools in the city and Pune, as well as in cities of Dubai and Singapore.

Before she was allegedly murdered, she was working on a project pertaining to school curriculum along with a senior person in the field, an acquaintance. According to the police, the incident was reported at 9.10pm and the woman was found lying on a sofa-cum-bed on the first floor of her house. Police said a property dispute could be the reason behind the alleged murder. The police are still awaiting the autopsy report.

The womans son said that she had got in touch with him a few hours before she died. At 6.07pm, she had sent him a message on Instagram that read, IPC contact them.

Unfortunately, I was at work and saw the message later. I think it meant immediately police call. She logged onto Instagram after a month and within minutes of logging in, she sent that message, he said.

I had spoken to her around 5pm and everything was alright at that time. At 7.12pm, I called her on her phone. She was out of breath and mumbled disconnected words bachao, balcony, light on, maar diya, bhag gya (save me, balcony, lights switched on, they ran away from the spot). The call got disconnected after 21 seconds. She did not answer subsequent phone calls, he said.

He added that he suspects that someone broke into their house and escaped after allegedly killing his mother.

In the police complaint, the womans husband said that he was returning from the Sector 23 market when he received a call from his son at 7.13 pm, asking him to rush to the house. The FIR mentions the woman telling her son bachao, bachao, maar diya, mene bailcony ki light chala di hai aur wo balcony se bhag gya. (save me, I have been injured, I switched on the balcony light and they fled).

I reached home around 7.30pm and found the door was locked from the inside. I kept knocking on the door till 7.55pm but there was no answer. Around 8.15pm, my son reached home. After struggling for at least half an hour, we managed to break into the house and saw that my wife was lying on the sofa-cum-bed. Her clothes were covered in dust, her hand had a blood clot and her forehead had two marks from a rod. At 8.50pm, we called the police and an ambulance, the womans husband told the police.

The womans husband alleged that his brother, his sister-in-law and their daughter had killed his wife as they had a property dispute with them, which was sub judice in a lower court as well as the high court.

He further alleged that they had frequent discords with them. He alleged that his brother used to stalk his wife online and when she went to work.

Sumer Singh, deputy commissioner of police (DCP) west, said the police is verifying the contents of the complaint and looking into the details of the property dispute.

A probe has been initiated and the cause of death would be known after the post-mortem examination report is out. The samples have been sent for forensic analysis. No arrest has been made, said DCP Singh.

A police officer privy to the investigation, requesting anonymity, said that the woman did not have any external injury. Her spectacles were found in the balcony and a chair was found toppled, the officer said.

A case was registered against the three suspects under sections 302 (murder) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at Palam Vihar police station on Saturday night.If any Church investigation is still required after police and prosecutors are finished, Catholic officials need to be completely transparent about what is being investigated, what the findings of the investigation are, and why the Church reached that conclusion, Sakoda said. Too much has been hidden from the faithful, and the public, in the past, to the great detriment of countless children.In the wake of excessive heat and unscheduled power cuts, residents of the city are opting to move out to places with cooler climate. While some are making quick and spontaneous travel plans, others say they had anticipated the harsh weather and made elaborate travel plans in advance to be out of the city during these months.

On Sunday, the maximum and minimum temperatures in Gurugram were 46 degrees Celsius and 31 degrees Celsius, respectively.

Sriparana Chakraborty, a photographer and DLF Phase 3 resident, is currently in Paris. She said, It is a blessing that I could leave the 45 degrees Celsius gas burner that the city becomes every year. I am in a city that currently has 16 degrees Celsius temperature with my family. After Paris, we will be going to the cooler countries of Switzerland and Italy.

Like Chakraborty, entrepreneur and Sector 30 resident, Ritu Gupta, too, travels to Europe every summer to beat the heat.

She said, We usually go to Europe during summers, but this year, we wanted a slightly shorter trip. As the city has become excessively hot, we are going to Phuket in a week or two. The temperatures will not be extremely low there, but in comparison to Gurugram, it will be pleasant and comfortable.

However, it is not just international destinations that residents are flocking to, but cooler destinations in the country. Along with heat, another primary factor residents are battling is high pollution levels. Namita Gupta, an air pollution expert, said, Usually, pollution levels are expected to dip in summers, but that has not been the case. Increasing levels of dust storms in the summer has led to significant air pollution. So along with the heat, people also dont have clean air to breathe.

In quest of cleaner air, Pardeep Kathuria, a corporate professional and Sector 30 resident is looking to step out of the city next week. He said, The heat is excessive. I am looking for a quick holiday to Ooty with my family next week to escape the heat as well as to take a break, as my childs vacations are also going on.

For some of the first-timers in the city, the heat is something they believe they were unprepared for. Nishita Baruah, a South City 1 resident and marketing professional, said, This is my first year here. I was warned about the heat and the cold here. But, I have been falling ill constantly in this season. I am taking a four day trip to Mcleodganj to really feel a little better and escape the heat and electricity cuts in my area.Search teams have rescued four foreign mountaineers from Nanda Devi peak base camp in Pithoragarh on Sunday. The rescued mountaineers were a part of the 13 mountaineers team, of which eight mountaineers are still missing and one porter returned safely on his own on Friday, said Pithoragarh district administration officials.

The four rescued mountaineers , all citizens of the United Kingdom (UK) , have been identified as Zachary Quain, 32, Kate Armstrone, 39, Ian Wade, 45, and Mark Thomas, 44. Thomas was the expeditions British deputy leader. They were rescued by one of the two helicopters of Indian Air Force (IAF), which have been pressed into the rescue operation.

The four foreign mountaineers rescued were admitted in the district hospital of Pithoragarh but were discharged after minor treatment, said RC Gautam, sub-divisional magistrate, Munsiyari. The four rescued mountaineers refused to talk to the media persons.

There was no headway in finding the missing eight mountaineers, including seven foreigners and one Indian mountaineer, Gautam added.

The team, led by British climber Martin Moran, began its ascent May 13 to summit up a previously unclimbed peak on Nanda Devi East at 6,477 metres, news agency Associated Press quoted Moran Mountain, Morans Scotland-based company, as saying.

The route to the Nanda Devi peak begins from the Munsiyari area, about 130 kilometres from Pithoragarh. Mountaineers traverse on foot about 90 kilometres from Munsiyari to the Nanda Devi base camp.

Vijay Kumar Jogdande, a civil administrator, said the mountaineers were supposed to return to the base camp on Friday. But when they failed to return, an alert was sounded and the rescue operation was launched, Jogdande told AP.

He added that trekking has been called off in the region due to inclement weather and an avalanche.

He added that the rescue operation, launched on Saturday, was called off Sunday due to bad weather. The search would resume on Monday, using tips provided by the four team members brought down from the base camp.

According to Gautam, It [rescue operation] is on but hindered due to bad weather conditions. Desired number of sorties by the IAF choppers also could not be made due to bad weather.

A team of the Indian Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), stationed at the Namik Glacier, 40 kms from Munsiyari reached Laspa village, near Nanda Devi base camp on Sunday and are expected to take part in the search and rescue operations from Monday, added Gautam.

On Saturday night, Almora-based well known mountaineer, Dhruv Joshi also left for Munsyari to assist in the rescue operations.With the rift in the special investigation team (SIT) probing the 2015 police firing cases putting the Captain Amarinder Singh-led government in a tight spot, acting director general of police (DGP) VK Bhawara called a meeting of all the five team members on Monday to iron out differences among them, it is learnt.

It is being seen as a damagecontrol move by the government after four SIT members wrote to DGP Dinkar Gupta and dissociated themselves from the chargesheet filed by their colleague IG Kunwar Vijay Pratap in a Faridkot court on May 28 in the Kotkapura firing case.

One of the SIT members confirmed the development.

DGP (intelligence) Bhawra, who is holding the charge of the state police chief as Gupta is on leave, will listen to the SIT members and is likely to submit a report to chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh the same day.

Bhawras decision to summon the SIT members comes in the wake of the criticism the state government faced after fissures in the probe team came out in the open. A government spokesperson, however, has termed it a routine meeting in which the acting DGP will review the case proceedings so far.

DIFFERENCES NOT NEW

The rift in the SIT is not new as earlier the differences among its members were resolved after the intervention of senior officials, it is learnt.

The rift cropped up in the team for the first time in November last year over summoning of former CM Parkash Singh Badal, his son Sukhbir Badal and actor Akshay Kumar. The summons was issued by Kunwar Vijay even as ADGP Prabodh Kumar, the senior most SIT member, was not in favour of the summoning Badal senior.

Also read: Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh will not attend Prime Minister Modis swearing-in

Then there were differences over the place of questioning of Sukhbir who was quizzed in the Punjab Police headquarters in Chandigarh. Some of the SIT members were in favour of questioning him at his residence.

The SIT was also divided in the Behbal Kalan police firing case whether to name the Faridkot-based Sohail Singh Brar, at whose house bullets were fired on a police vehicle to create fake evidence in favour of the police party led by then Moga SSP Charanjit Sharma.

PRABODH LIKE ANY OTHER MEMBER

ADGP Prabodh Kumar, who is believed to have conveyed the resentment of the four other members to the DGP, is not the head of SIT, as per a state government notification dated September 10, 2018, on its formation.

It says he is just a member of the team along with Kunwar Vijay, IG (crime) Arun Pal Singh, Kapurthala SSP Satinder Singh and Bhupinder Singh, a PPS officer.

SAD GETS FRESH AMMO

The rift has given fresh ammunition to the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) which has been claiming that IG Kunwar was biased against them and was not carrying out a fair probe.

Since day one, we have been saying that he was taking directions from his political masters in the Congress government and the only agenda is to show the Akali Dal in a bad light. The cat is out of the bag now. It has become clear as why the government protected Kunwar and did not adhere to the directions of the Election Commission of India (ECI) to transfer him out of the SIT, said party spokesperson Maheshinder Grewal.

He said the party will move ECI as the state government has not followed the election watchdogs April 8 order to shift the IG out of SIT.

PLOY TO PROTECT BADALS : CHEEMA

Leader of opposition in the Punjab assembly, Harpal Singh Cheema, slammed the state government for putting hurdles in the way of a fair probe by SIT.

Cheema, in a press release, said objections raised by other members against Kunwar Vijay at a time when a challan was filed against the accused, was a mere design to derail the justice delivery and protect the highprofile accused.

Also read: Navjot Singh Sidhu hits back at Capt Amarinder Singh for unfairly singling him outThe teenager had lost all hope of meeting his family. He knew only the name of his village. Trafficked to Delhi at the age of 10, he was beaten frequently by his employer, who also gave him electric shocks. After being rescued by a Delhi -based non-government organisation in July 2015, he needed counselling.

It took the boy, who is now 15 years old, four years in a shelter home to come up with little clues about his village. He did not know where the village was located. Last month, the NGO staff managed to trace his village to Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh and took him there.

The boy was overjoyed to meet his 23-year-old brother again after being apart for five years but returned to Jaipur to complete his studies and also to find his sister ,who was trafficked along with him. The boys parents are dead and he has six siblings. Police and NGOs have not been able to identify the traffickers yet. Hindustan Times is not naming the boy to protect his identity.

I used to live with my brother when a person known to us brought my sister and me to Delhi in a train. After reaching Delhi in 2014, my sister was placed to work as domestic help while I was asked to work at an electricians shop. There were instances when I was given electricity shocks and didnt get treatment after that. I tried to run away but they always used to find me. Finally, in July 2015, I managed to escape, the boy said over the phone from a shelter home in Jaipur. He was rescued by the Bachpan Bachao Andolan.

He recalled the name of his village in 2019 and his maternal uncle was found in the nearby village of Chunar in Mirzapur. We conducted a door-to-door survey of the village and found his home. He was reunited on May 8 with the family, said an NGO member on condition of anonymity.

The boy, when he was 10-year old, was told by a close uncle that he could earn thousands of rupees and get a proper school education in Delhi . Born into extreme poverty in Chunar, Mirzapur district, the boy trusted him and came to Delhi along with his sister. But I was tortured here. My employer not only used to beat me but never gave me proper food. I also dont know where and how my sister is. I want to find her. I want to complete my education and dont want any child to suffer like me, he added.

According to the NGO member, he was forced to work for 15 hours a day. In October 2015, he was brought to Bal Ashram in Jaipurs Viratnagar. Being a bright student, he was soon admitted to a government school.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ONThree Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief ministers  Devendra Fadnavis, Manohar Lal Khattar and Raghubar Das  have emerged stronger after an impressive showing in the general elections, enabling them to tighten their grip in Maharashtra, Haryana and Jharkhand respectively ahead of assembly elections later this year, two senior party leaders said.

All three are first-time chief ministers handpicked by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014 and had initially faced opposition from within the party. The result of the Lok Sabha elections has established their leadership in the state, the first leader said.

Also Read | Direct tax reform to take centre stage in Modis second term

Fadnavis (48) led the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance to a huge victory in Maharashtra, winning 41 out of 48 seats. The BJP bagged 23 of the 25 seats it contested. The BJP chose Fadnavis, a Brahmin, as CM ignoring seniors like Nitin Gadkari. He had a rough start with farmer protests and quota agitations, and resignation by veterans such as Eknath Khadse.

Fadnavis has now established his leadership by delivering a string of victories in local body polls, assembly and parliamentary elections, the first BJP leader said. The way he dealt with the tricky issue of an alliance with Shiv Sena also earned him respect. Fadvanis is likely to have a greater say in the Maharashtra assembly elections due in September-October, he added.

The BJP also won all 10 Lok Sabha seats in Haryana, where Manohar Lal Khattar (65) took over as chief minister on October 26, 2014. The BJPs decision to appoint a non-Jat chief minister in Haryana did not go down well with the community, but it helped the party consolidate the support of communities, which resented the influence Jats wielded in the previous Congress and Indian National Lok Dal governments.

After initial troubles and some controversial remarks, Lal has managed to emerge as a no-nonsense politician. The victory in the Lok Sabha election will help him firm his grip over the state, the second BJP leader said. The Haryana elections are also due in September-October, and Lal will be in command.

Also Read | NDA seeks Speaker who can represent Parliament globally

In Jharkhand, the BJP won 11 of the 13 seats it contested in the general election, and this should take the pressure off chief minister Raghubar Das, the first leader said. Das (64) was chosen for the hot seat after his bete noire and former CM, Arjun Munda, lost the 2014 assembly election. Das, too, faced opposition from colleagues. Losses in some bypolls put him in a difficult position, but LS results would have changed that. He is a non-tribal CM of a state with a sizeable tribal population. The results will help Das silence the critics who predicted his political demise with a grand alliance in the Opposition, the first leader said. Jharkhand goes to the polls in November-December. Das is expected to remain the chief ministerial face of the party.

Experts say the three leaders have earned respect even outside the BJP by delivering in LS polls. All three were known as organisational men, but their ability to deliver victory in the electoral battle will help them emerge as leaders with a certain amount of mass appeal, said Sidharth Mishra, president of the Centre for Reforms, Development and Justice.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ONThe Andhra Pradesh government on Sunday surrendered all its buildings located in the common capital of Hyderabad to Telangana, exactly five years after the bifurcation of combined state.

An order to this effect was issued by Governor E S L Narasimhan, invoking his powers under Section 8 of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014, following a request made by the Telangana cabinet in the afternoon.

The combined state of Andhra Pradesh was bifurcated to carve out separate state of Telangana on June 2, 2014. As part of the bifurcation act, Hyderabad remains a common capital for both the Telugu states for a period of 10 years, that is till 2024. As such, the government buildings in Hyderabad were divided between the two states to continue their functioning from the common capital.

However, the Telugu Desam Party government which was formed in 2014 decided against waiting for 10 years to run the administration from Hyderabad and ordered shifting of entire administration to Vijayawada, Guntur and its surroundings, as it started constructing the new capital of Amaravati.

Apparently, then chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu felt running the administration of Andhra Pradesh from the soil of neighbouring state was not practically possible. As the entire secretariat, other departments and corporations moved to Amaravati capital region gradually, the buildings allocated to Andhra Pradesh remained vacant for the last couple of years.

However, the buildings continued to be in the possession of the AP government, which has been paying electricity, water supply and other charges, besides property tax to the Telangana government.

According to an official statement from the Telangana government, the state cabinet which met under the leadership of chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao adopted a resolution on Sunday, requesting the Governor to use his discretionary powers to transfer all the buildings allotted to Andhra Pradesh government to Telangana.

The new Andhra Pradesh government headed by chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy also gave its consent to the transfer of its properties to Telangana. Accordingly, the Governor issued orders.

However, the Governor asked the Telangana government to earmark a couple of buildings to Andhra Pradesh for the use of police department and other official wings for contingency purposes. He also suggested waiver of all taxes, including property tax and other utility charges on the buildings of the AP government.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ONA day after the author of an inquiry report which labelled an ex-Indian Army subedar a foreigner told a local channel in the northeast that it was a case of mistaken identity, Indian Army officials reached out to the detained man, Mohammed Sanaullahs family, offering support.

Based upon an inquiry report conducted by the border organisation of Assam Police in 2008, which identified Sanaullah as a labourer and marked as a suspected illegal immigrant, his case was referred to the foreigners tribunal, a quasi-judicial body which adjudicates on cases of illegal immigrants identified either by Assam Police or the Election Commission of India (ECI).

After the tribunal in Kamrup Rural district declared him a foreigner on May 23, Sanaullah, 52, who has been serving as sub-inspector with the border organisation since retirement from the Indian Army, was detained last week by his own colleagues at the border organisation and sent to a detention centre.

I want to see my husband before we celebrate Eid. This is what I told the army officers, the ex-army men and the public who have been reaching out to me, said Sanima Begum, Sanaullahs wife.

The hopes of the family, however, rest on the writ petition filed in the high court on Saturday against the tribunals order declaring him a foreigner, which Sanaullahs lawyers say, may come up for hearing this week.

Joshi Narain Dutt, director of Assam Directorate of Sainik Welfare, who has been following up on the developments, said the family will have to seek legal recourse (which it has done, by moving the HC) but that the DSW is offering broad guidance.

Also read | NRC: Ensure fair procedure adopted

According to Sanima Begum, Joshi and a group of ex-servicemen met the family on Saturday and promised support. If after 30 years of service by my husband, the army will not come forward to help, who else would ? said Sanima Begum.

Another army official Hindustan Times spoke to, said they will not be able to help the family directly unless they received orders from their superiors.

However, he dismissed the possibility of an illegal immigrant getting appointed in the Army. In 1987, when Sanaullah was appointed, police verification report must have verified his antecedents, the official said.

A senior official at the headquarters of the border organisation said a report has been sought from the district officials on the case. It is possible that the local field official filed an erroneous inquiry report, this official said.The newly formed Arunachal Pradesh cabinet on Sunday decided to recommend the assassination case of National Peoples Party (NPP) MLA Tirong Aboh and 10 others to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

In its first meeting held in Itanagar the cabinet headed by chief minister Pema Khandu condemned the killing of Aboh, the sitting legislator from Khonsa and the NPP candidate from the same seat for the assembly polls held on April 11.

Thorough investigation should be carried out in a time bound manner and justice should be delivered expeditiously to the bereaved family members by booking and nabbing all the culprits urgently, the government said in a statement.

The cabinet also approved providing for Group C post in the government to the next of kin of the deceased and an ex-gratia of Rs 20 lakh each to their family members.

Aboh and 10 others were killed in an ambush by suspected Isak-Muivah faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) cadres at Bogapani in Tirap district of the state on May 21. The NSCN (I-M) denies carrying out the hit.

The police has so far failed to make a headway into the assassination probe.

Two days after his death, Aboh, who had contested from the Khonsa seat, was able to retain it by beating the BJP candidate Phawang Lowang by a margin of 1055 votes.

Bye-election to the seat will take place in few months.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ONAsansol municipal corporation mayor and Trinamool Congress MLA Jitendra Tiwari on Saturday lodged a police complaint saying Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Union minister Babul Supriyo abused him and threatened him in a phone call.

In his letter to Asansol (south) police station, Tiwari alleged that around 1pm on Saturday he received a call on his mobile from a number displayed as private number.

Sudipta Pramanik, officer-in-charge of Asansol south police station said, A complaint has been registered on the basis of the complaint. We are probing the matter.

The caller, claiming himself to be the member of Parliament, Asansol Constituency, and Honble Minister of Govt. of India, Shri Babul Supriyo abused me in filthy languages and threatened me with dire consequences, Tiwari said in the letter.

Supriyo accepted that he called Tiwari, but denied that he abused or threatened.The death of a tribal man in Tonk district has taken on a political hue. Bharatiya Janata Party MPS Kirori Lal Meena and Sukhbir Jaunapuria on Saturday warned of an agitation if justice was not done while Congress MLA Harish Meena is already staging a sit-in with angry villagers since the past three days.

BJP Rajya Sabha MP Kirori Meena, Tonk MP Sukhbir Jaunapuriya and former MLA Prahlad Gunjal reached Lakshmipura village to meet family members of the deceased, Harbhajan Meena.

His family alleges that Harbhajan, a tractor-trolley driver, was thrashed by police on May 29. They said police beat up Harbhajan and then took him to hospital where doctors examined him and declared him dead.

Harish Meena, the MLA from Deoli-uniyara has joined villagers in the dharna since the past three days. On Saturday, BJP leaders too came out in support of the protest. The villagers are refusing to hand over the dead body for post mortem till their demands are met. They are demanding that a case be lodged against the guilty policemen,Rs 25 lakh compensation and a government job for a family member of the deceased.kirori Meena said a case of murder should be lodged against the guilty.

Also read: After 5 years, 15-yr-old UP trafficking victim reunites with family

He said if the government did not accept the demands of the family members then he and other BJP leaders would launch an agitation from June 5.

Meanwhile, state BJP president Madanlal Saini Saini said the Congress government is trying to suppress the case.

He formed a three-member committee comprising Tonk MP Jaunapuria, BJP Tonk district president Ganesh Mahur and former MLA Kanhiya Lal to conduct a probe and submit its report in three days.

The government is paying no heed to our demands. The driver was murdered. The indefinite strike will be called off only after our demands are met, BJPS Gopichand Meena said.

The police, meanwhile, have denied the allegations, saying he died due to an injury after falling from the tractor-trailer when they stopped him for checking it.

Meanwhile, Tonk collector R C Dhenwal said the government is ready to meet their demands.a compensation of Rs 8 lakh will be given as per rules. Besides, the government will give an additional ~5 lakh from the CMS relief fund, he said.

Also read: Medical college of Barmer gets MCI nodDo you want to put an end to abortion? How about you start holding the men as accountable as you are the women? It takes both to make a baby, and yet you are only punishing the women. Why dont they force men to get vasectomies? Doesnt that seem like such an easy solution to this problem?The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) remains indecisive about letting a Madhya Pradesh legislator resign following his election to the Lok Sabha, according to people aware of developments. It fears the by-election Guman Singh Damors resignation may allow ruling Congress to consolidate its position in the state assembly, where it has a wafer-thin majority.

The Congress has 114 lawmakers and is a seat short of the half-way mark in the 230-member state assembly. The BJP has 109 seats. One Samajwadi Party, two Bahujan Samaj Party and four independent lawmakers support the Congress government.

One of the independents is a minister in chief minister Kamal Naths government.

Damor, who won the Ratlam Lok Sabha seat, admitted the BJP was in a dilemma whether he should take oath as Lok Sabha member or retain his Jhabua assembly seat. My party will take a decision within a few days if I have to resign from the state assembly, he said. He said he is supposed to resign within 14 days of the notification of his election on May 23.

The BJP had on May 20 asked Madhya Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel to convene a special assembly session saying the Congress government in MP did not have a majority.

The move came three days before the BJP returned to power with a bigger mandate at the Centre. The BJP swept the Lok Sabha polls in Madhya Pradesh, where it won 28 out of the 29 seats.

State Congress spokesman, Santosh Gautam, said his party has as no doubt its government enjoys a majority. BJP leaders are desperate to grab power despite the mandate going against them in assembly polls held last year, said Gautam.

His BJP counterpart, Rajneesh Agrawal, said Damor will decide in the next one week or so. The BJP will win Jhauba seat if a by-poll is held, he said.A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) worker was stabbed to death in the Baduria area of Bengals North 24 Parganas district on Sunday, police said.

The BJP alleged that Ajay Mandal (48) killed by Trinamool Congress-backed criminals. Mandals body was found in a jute field in Bajitpur village on Sunday morning a few hours after he left home. He is the seventh man to die in the state since the Lok Sabha election results were declared May 23.

Local TMC leaders claimed the murder is the outcome of either family or business dispute and has nothing to do with politics.

Talking on condition of anonymity, an officer of Baduria police station said the investigation has started. The man was killed with sharp weapons. Several stab wounds were found on the body, the officer said.

My husband worked for BJP. I suspect he was killed by TMC men, Tumpa Mandal, the victims wife, said.

Dulal Ghosh, a local BJP leader, said, Ajay was our active member. This was a well-planned murder.

Koushik Das, a local TMC leader, accused the BJP of trying to colour the crime with politics.

The murder could be the fallout of family or business dispute. The BJP is trying to add political color to the crime.

Also read: BJP worker killed, fifth death since Lok Sabha results, in Bengal

Several political clashes have taken place in Bengal since Saturday.

Aman Roy, a TMC worker sustained bullet injury when BJP workers allegedly fired at him in the Gangarampur area of South Dinajpur district on Saturday night. Bablu Roy, the accused, was absconding, local police said.

On Sunday, Ranjit Mandal, the TMC MLA of Khejuri in East Midnapore district, was accosted by angry BJP workers when he went to Kanthibari where ten people were injured in a clash between TMC and BJP workers on Saturday. The MLA was rescued by police. The mob damaged two police vehicles.

A TMC office was ransacked at Raichawk in South 24 Parganas district and a TMC panchayat pradhans house was attacked in the Mohammed Bazar area of Birbhum district on Saturday. A TMC office at Udaynarayanpur in Howrah district was also ransacked.

At Arambagh in Hooghly district, three TMC men were injured in an attack by BJP workers. Three men were injured in similar clashes at Kharagpur in West Midnapore district.In order to escape from the action of National Commission for Protection of Child Right (NCPCR), officials of the district administration and Fertiliser Corporation of India (FCI) in Sindri have engaged in blame game over the safety of 1,400 students.

NCPCR had on April 18 directed deputy commissioner of Dhanbad, A Dodde, to take action for the safety of Sindri DAV School students and inform to the commission within 20 days of receiving the letter. Since deadline of NCPCR (May 8) has lapsed and no step has been initiated in this regard till date, officials of the district administration and FCI have began passing the buck on each other to escape the action of the commission.

Baliapur block circle officer (CO) Md Aslam, whom deputy commissioner had assigned in March to solve the safety issue of the students, has charged that FCI Sindri unit in-charge D Adhikari did not provide papers of school land which is why action for resolving the land dispute has been delayed.

However, D Adhikari said, he had provided all relevant paper of the land to CO Baliapur last month in wake of NCPCR notice.

NCPCR New Delhi took a serious note of safety of 1400 DAV Sindri students after school management and Jharkhand Abhivawak Sangh had lodged in February that some local people stopped fencing of the school playground claiming it to be a public playground.

FCI Sindri had given land to DAV in 1999 under agreement. In wake of complaint, however, NCPCR sought an explanation from Dhanbad district administration and asked them to take a proper action.

Moreover, CO has sent a letter to FCI officer, D Adhikari, to provide the land papers in two days from which plot FIC Sindri had given 4.5 acre of to DAV Sindri so that proper action could be taken. A copy of letter has also been given to DAV school management.

FCI general manager headquarters New Delhi, Sion Kongari said, the land has been given to the school but the detailed information can be given by FCI Sindri incharge D Adhikari only.

Since the school playground is open, students have been injured due to the invasion of stray animals and street dogs. School management and Jharkhand Abhivawak Sangh had requested district administration to ensure fencing of the ground before schools resume from summer vacation on June 17.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ONA day after the Chhattisgarh government appointed Satish Chandra Verma as the new advocate general, his predecessor Kanak Tiwari alleged that he had been unceremoniously removed from the post because of his opposition to the functioning of the government, which was not working as per law and constitution.

Chief minister Bhupesh Baghel said on Friday that Tiwari had resigned from the post and his resignation had been accepted. Tiwari maintained that he had not offered his resignation. Tiwari was appointed AG after Jugal Kishore Gilda resigned from the post following the formation of a Congress government in the state in December.

I challenge the government to show the resignation letter. The government is frustrated and hence they are taking this decision, Tiwari said.

The BJP termed the situation a constitutional crisis that reflected the failure of the Congress government. (It) has created a constitutional crisis...Governors office has accepted that he (Tiwari) has not given any resignation, then how come CM Bhupesh Baghel accepted the resignation?, asked former CM Raman Singh.

The Janata Congress Chhattisgarh (J) party accused the Congress government of creating constitutional crisis .

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ONPune police commissioner has taken an aggressive stance against bribes. In multiple instances across the city, six police officials were suspended on charges of corruption in a single day.

With these suspensions, K Venkatesham, Pune police commissioner has urged the residents of Pune to approach the police if they face trouble from policemen asking for bribes. The residents can lodge anonymous complaints against policemen on the WhatsApp- based complaint system.

People should not pay bribes. If a resident has paid a bribe, he or she should not boast about it. Instead, the resident should approach a senior police official or lodge a complaint on the WhatsApp number and we will take strict action against the policemen who asked for the bribe. We have to work together to maintain the integrity of the city, said Venkatesham.

WhatsApp number has been provided to citizens to file their grievances against the department or its personnel. Complaints regarding bribery and other kinds of complains can be sent to the police through WhatsApp on 8975283100. The commissioner ensures cognisance of all such complaints.

The Case

Atul Shete, Vikas Temgire, Krishna Nanavare and Balu Yadav of Wanowrie police station and Sumit Tamhane and Namdeo Bundgar of Hadapsar police station were suspended for allegedly asking for settlement money in different cases.

The first case was reported in the Wanowrie police station where cops had picked up a few youngsters for allegedly creating ruckus under the influence of alcohol. The youngsters were celebrating one of their friends birthday.

The youngsters were under the influence of alcohol when the police officials from Wanowrie police station picked them up for questioning and made them stay in the police station for hours on end.

Their presence in the police station was not documented either. The policemen demanded money from the youngsters to settle the

The case from Hadapsar was filed by residents who were made to pay money in order to avoid police action, in a noise pollution complaint registered against them. The two policemen demanded  20,000 but settled for 5,000 in cash.With the Delhi University (DU) set to implement 10% reservation for economically weaker section (EWS) candidates in general category in the undergraduate and post graduate admissions this year, officials across the colleges have raised concerns over lack of resources, infrastructure and faculty members.

The 10 % EWS quota in general category will lead to an increase of 25 % seats in the Delhi University. However, the university is implementing the increase in seats in two phases 10 % this year and 15 % next year. With the new quota in place, there will be over 6,000 more seats in undergraduate courses this year.

The colleges are planning to divide the sections from this academic session as the existing classrooms will not be able to accommodate the additional strength. The classrooms in most of the DU colleges are meant to accommodate not more than 40-50 students. The colleges will not be able to increase the strength of these classrooms and hence we will have to divide the sections to accommodate the students, said principal of a south Delhi college, who requested anonymity.

In some colleges, principals said that they do not have sufficient number of rooms to run multiple sections, simultaneously. If we will not be able to build new rooms then we will have to extend the college timing. We are discussing with the college administration to decide what best can be done, said another principal.

Also read: In Delhi University, Mother- daughter duo receive PhD degrees together

Hansraj Suman, a former member of the universitys academic council (AC), said that 800 to 1,000 more teachers are required in colleges across the university to meet the increase in number of students. The quota will lead to division in sections and it will further increase the burden on existing teachers. How will the colleges manage with the existing human resources. There is lack of space in existing laboratories in the colleges and the lab equipments are also insufficient. The colleges will need funds for that as well, he said.

Manoj Sinha, principal of Aryabhatta College, said that the immediate solution is that the University Grants Commission (UGC) gives the DU some additional teaching positions and funds it has yet to release under the second round of Other Backward Class expansion. When the OBC expansion was implemented in government education institutions in 2006 the university was given additional teaching positions and funds by the UGC. However, the second tranche of the OBC expansion is still pending. So, if UGC gives us that pending tranche immediately, colleges will be able to manage for a while, he said.

In 2006, under the OBC expansion to ensure 27 % reservation of the OBCS in public sector employment and higher education. The Universities were provided additional teaching posts and finds to implement the same.

A senior official in the administration, requesting anonymity, said that the university is expecting some funds from the UGC soon. DU is already at the risk of getting its funds curtailed by the UGC because we are the only institute out of 40 central universities which has not signed the MOU of funds with the UGC and the Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD). But, we are expecting to receive some fund for the implementation of EWS quota from the goverment. We have also asked the colleges to give their requirements, said the official.

Also read: Delhi Universitys transgender Centre fails to attract aspirants

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ONWith Assembly polls due early next year in the city, the Aam Aadmi Party government is considering to make metro and bus travels free for women in Delhi to encourage them to use public transport.

At a public meeting in New Delhi Saturday, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also said his government is in touch with citys power regulator to bring down fixed charge component of electricity bill.

The government is considering to waive fare for women in DTC buses and Delhi Metro to encourage them to use public transport in view of their safety. An announcement in this regard will be made on June 3, the chief minister said at the public meeting in New Delhi.

A Delhi government official said Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot has already taken meetings to discuss various aspects of fare-waiver to women in all public transport buses -- run by DTC and DIMTS -- and Delhi metro. However, Transport Department officials point out that while allowing free travel in Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) and cluster buses run by the Delhi Integrated Multi Modal System(DIMTS) may not be difficult, it will be challenging to do so in Metro trains.

The Delhi government and the Centre are 50:50 equity partners in the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation.

An official pointed out that the Delhi government and the centres Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry have not been on the same page over several issues related to metro, including fare hike and Phase-IV of the Metro network. Besides other factors like technical and financial feasibility of such a move, the persisting disagreements between the two sides may also play a crucial role in going ahead with the proposal for giving free ride to women in Metro trains, said a senior official.

Chief Minister Kejriwal also claimed that the fixed charge component of power tariff were raised by the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Authority (DERC) last year without consulting the Delhi government.

Next month new tariff is to be fixed. We have asked the DERC to bring back fixed charges to previous levels and they are likely to agree to it, he said.

The monthly fixed charges were raised for domestic consumers having up to 2 KW load from 20 to 125. The Delhi government provides subsidy to such consumers. However, in other categories, consumers pay higher fixed charges.

The hike in fixed charges for other slabs were -- for 2-5 kw, from 35 to 140; 5-15 KW, 45 to 175; 15-25 kw, from 60 to 200; and for more than 25 KW, from 100 to 250. In the just-concluded Lok Sabha polls, the AAP won only one seat out of over 40 it contested in nine states and Union Territories. The poll results came as a jolt to the party as it builds up for the assembly elections in Delhi early next year.

Stung by the dismal performance, the AAP government swung into action just a day after the Model Code of Conduct was lifted with Chief Minister directing his ministers on May 27 to speed up work on flagship schemes like Mohalla Clinic, procurement of buses and the CCTV project.

Senior Aam Aadmi Party leader Gopal Rai has, however, has dismissed suggestions that the LS poll results would have an impact on Delhi assembly elections, asserting there is no alternative to Kejriwal in the national capital.To counter Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singhs tag of non-performing minister, state local bodies minister Navjot Singh Sidhu has prepared a comprehensive report card showcasing how he captained a rudderless ship to a self-sustaining department. It also lists achievements of the last two years and vision for coming three years.

The simmering Amarinder- Sidhu tussle had escalated soon after the results of Lok sabha elections after the Congress won eight of 13 seats in state. The CM had hinted that he would seek a change in Sidhus portfolio from the party high command, blaming the minister for lack of development in urban areas.

Apparently isolated in the cabinet after several Amarinder loyalists chided him for his subtle jibes at chief minister, Sidhu got support of a section of Punjabi NRIs on Saturday.

In a statement, Sydney-based NRI World Organisation said Punjabis worldwide will protest any move by the Congress high command to change his portfolio. Its convener Amarjit Tanda said Sidhu was being targeted unfairly over his performance and credited him for making the Kartarpur corridor a reality. He also demanded that other ministers also come out with their report cards.

But Sidhu says he will speak only on work of his department and not of other ministers.

Also read | Navjot Singh Sidhu hits back at Capt Amarinder Singh for unfairly singling him out

My department is self sufficient now. In first six months of taking over, we stalled all old projects with irregularities and began afresh. The previous SADBJP regime was not putting states share to avail funds under

central schemes. We started leveraging central funds. We also tapped our own revenue sources. In Ludhiana, for instance, just 90,000 house owners paid property tax. Through satellite mapping, we have found the figure to be 4.2 lakh. Our new advertisement policy has fetched Rs 34 crore from Ludhiana alone while the previous government mopped up Rs 17 crore from pan Punjab. Our revenue will cross Rs 200 crore annually from ads alone, Sidhu says.

The dossier shows the local bodies department that survived on annual value added tax (VAT) of Rs 1,600 crore from the state exchequer is now flush with funds and development projects worth Rs 10,000 crore are in the pipeline. It shows that water supply and sewerage projects worth Rs 2,397 crore have been tendered or in the process of being tendered out for 16 cities and towns, under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) scheme against Rs 817 crore on March 31, 2017, when the Congress came to power.

Another Rs 4,571 crore is underway for 24-hour water supply in four cities  Jalandhar,

Ludhiana, Amritsar and CMs home turf Patiala  which got Rs 699 crore, from both the schemes.

Jalandhar, Ludhiana and Amritsar are also getting a makeover worth Rs 758 crore under the smart city project while sewerage and treatment plants worth Rs 1,540 crore have been sanctioned for all 117 assembly segments in the state under the loan procured from HUDCO. Another Rs 298 crore has been earmarked under the Punjab Urban Environment Programme.

He also countered the allegations that files were not moving in his department. Only 36 CLUs were cleared in 2016 when Akalis were in power. We cleared 92 CLUs last year and this year, 22 CLUs have been cleared and the figure is likely to reach 100. Punjab topped the list in Swachh Bharat Survey last year in the north zone and finished in the Top 10 states. All 167 urban local bodies (ULBs) in the state have been declared open defecation-free in March 2019. To fight corruption, 68 services have gone online. Till May, 8,823 applications for online building plan approval have been filed, of which 4,000 have been sanctioned, he added.

Also read: Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh will not attend Prime Minister Modis swearing-in

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ONJust 50 years ago, villagers refused to let contractors cut down their trees in a small village in Uttarakhand.

That became the Chipko movement.

Now, for the last few years, we see quite the opposite  the forests of Uttarakhand are burning, and theres no one to douse them from the villagers.

Fires are not unusual or new, but the scale and frequency is new, as is the trend of villagers watching these as if they are bystanders.

What to do?

It is unreasonable and impossible that the forest department keeps putting out forest fires. This challenge needs a different engagement with the locals.

First of all, the locals have to once again, become custodians of these forests.

This means that van panchayats have to be further empowered and active, and villagers have to enjoy tangible goods to improve their lives from the forests.

This could be eco-tourism or access to minor forest produce.

Second, they must be rewarded and recognition for saving the forests from fires etc on one hand, while being encouraged not to cause or allow such fires if they are man-made.

Third, many villages are feminised, with women staying back and men in towns for jobs.

This should specifically be part of the rewards, such that womens lives are easier.

For example, women should not have to travel nine hours with an excruciating toothache to seek medical help.

Instead, mobile medical clinics should be available. All this is part of saving our forests.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ONIndia registered a strong protest with Pakistan on Sunday over the gross intimidation of guests invited to an iftar in Islamabad, saying more than 300 people, including lawmakers and journalists, were turned away from the event by security agencies.

The Indian side made its protest through a note verbale or unsigned diplomatic note, which also called on Pakistan to urgently investigate these ugly events and share its findings with the Indian high commission.

The disappointing chain of events of June 1 not only violate basic norms of diplomat conduct but are against all norms of civilised behaviour, said a statement issued by the Indian high commission.

Pakistani officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said security agencies had checked guests invited to an iftar at the Pakistani high commission in New Delhi on May 28 and to the National Day reception in March, and described the incidents in Islamabad as an act of diplomatic reciprocity.

The row comes against the backdrop of heightened tensions following the suicide attack by the Jaish-e-Mohammed in Pulwama on February 14 that killed 40 CRPF troopers and the subsequent Indian air strike on Balakot on February 26. It also comes days ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan where PM Narendra Modi is expected to come face to face with his Pakistani counterpart Imran Khan. The Indian side has ruled out a formal bilateral meeting.

The statement from the Indian high commission said Pakistani security agencies had launched a concerted campaign in the days ahead of the iftar hosted by high commissioner Ajay Bisaria at Hotel Serena on Saturday. The agencies reached out to invitees to actively dissuade them from attending the event, it said.

Guests faced unprecedented harassment and intimidation at the hands of security agencies...Those guests who did reach the function venue, in some cases from places as far as Lahore and Karachi, were intimidated and physically stopped from attending the iftar function by Pakistani security forces, who had virtually laid the Serena Hotel under siege, the statement said.

Many guests from the diplomatic community based in Islamabad were also subjected to harassment in complete violation of diplomatic norms, it added.

A large Pakistanis security detachment, equipped with forklifts, was detailed outside Serena Hotel to aggressively turn away Pakistani citizens..., the statement said.

The more than 300 esteemed Pakistani guests who were turned away included parliamentarians, government officials, media representatives, retired military officials, businessmen and retired diplomats, in addition to citizens from all walks of life.

Some Indian officials were jostled, pushed, abused and aggressively threatened with bodily harm. In some cases, mobile phones belonging to officials were snatched away, the statement said.

Indian officials pointed out that none of the guests attending the Pakistani missions events in March or May were physically stopped or harassed. During the National Day reception, guests were informed that India was boycotting the event and they should refrain from attending.

Among the people stopped from attending the Indian envoys iftar was former chief Pakistani military spokesman Maj Gen (retired) Athar Abbas. Former presidential spokesman Farhatullah Babar tweeted about the harassment and hurdles he faced in accessing the venue.

Indian envoy Bisaria said: We apologise to all our guests who were aggressively turned away from our iftar yesterday. Such intimidatory tactics are deeply disappointing.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ONA 5G-themed pavilion will make its debut at the 12th China-Northeast Asia Expo to be held from August 23 to 27 in Changchun, capital city of northeast China's Jilin Province.





The pavilion will showcase cutting-edge technologies in the Internet of Things, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, as well as the latest scientific and technological achievements and applications in the new era of 5G, according to a government press conference Friday.





Industry leaders from home and abroad including Huawei, ZTE, FAW and Nokia will display information and communications technologies, intelligent transport and system solutions.





This year's expo, with a total exhibition area of 70,000 square meters, will have five other pavilions with themes ranging from northeast China revitalization and imported merchandise to healthcare product and services.





The first China-Japan-ROK Entrepreneur Summit will also be held during the five-day event.





Since its first launch in 2005, the expo has attracted more than 700,000 merchants and 7,000 exhibitors from over 130 countries and regions and serves as a platform to promote economic and trade exchanges and cooperation in the Northeast Asia region.



After a poor showing in the Lok Sabha elections, Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) chief Om Prakash Chautala on Saturday expressed confidence that the party would bounce back and perform well in the Haryana assembly elections later this year.

With hard work and by reinvigorating itself, the party will shed the disappointment of Lok Sabha elections and rise again in the assembly elections, Om Prakash Chautala, who is out of jail on a furlough for 14 days, told INLD workers at a meeting in Sirsa and Hisar districts.

The former Haryana chief minister said the party had never thought it would face defeat in Sirsa, considered to be a stronghold of Chautalas. Every section of people was upset with the BJP. Yet, it managed to win the seat, he said, asking the INLD workers to start preparing for the upcoming assembly elections.

I will visit every place in Haryana and remain in touch with party workers. I know my workers are the backbone of the party and will bring the old days back, the INLD chief said.

Om Prakash Chautala said he expected to be with the party workers by August.The new external affairs minister, S Jaishankar, believes Indias foreign policy set-up has to be nimble while responding to a changing world order and forging issue-based alignments with like-minded states at a time when multilateralism is facing greater challenges.

The former foreign secretary, who took over as the minister on Friday, is yet to publicly spell out his foreign policy priorities, but his remarks at an event organised by the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) on April 24 provide insights into his views on Indias role in a rapidly changing world.

Jaishankar, 64, was the surprise addition to Prime Minister Narenda Modis cabinet, replacing Sushma Swaraj. As a former envoy to the US and China, he is well equipped to take forward ties with both the powers that are currently engaged in a trade war.

Speaking at the launch of the book Indian Foreign Policy: The Modi Era by Harsh V Pant, the head of the strategic studies programme at ORF, Jaishankar listed building strong partnerships with like-minded states on specific subjects or issue-based alignments, managing great power relationships and increasing Indias global footprint and using unpredictability to enhance value among the 10 big takeaways regarding changes in foreign policy in the past few years.

Also read: Proud to follow in Sushma Swarajs footsteps, says Jaishankar in 1st tweet

Among the other takeaways were making pragmatic decisions based on risk-benefit calculations, a willingness to use military power, making defence policy an integral part of diplomacy, making business and investments central to diplomacy and playing the diaspora card more extensively and effectively.

India, he said, will have to nimbly expand the space to pursue its interests and not be caught flatfooted by dogma. The country will have to position itself by optimising ties with all the major players, and this will include cultivating America, steadying Russia, managing China, enthusing Japan and attending to Europe, he said.

There will be more issue-based alignments as the world has moved into an era of greater plurilaterals and stronger bilateral, with multilateralism perhaps paying the cost, he added.

Jaishankar appeared to indicate that a breakthrough in the relationship with Pakistan was unlikely in the immediate future, saying the new normal with regard to Pakistan is in the making. There was, he said, no global comparison for Pakistans obsession with India since the 1980s though things had changed in recent years.

Pakistan is in a special category, the Pakistanis had gamed us and its important not to behave predictably...We are trying to out-think them, which has historically not been the case, he said.

Also read: US, China ties key tasks for S JaishankarThe opposition Bharatiya Janata Party will continue to bait West Bengal chief minister Mamta Banerjee with chants of Jai Sri Ram during her tours in the state, party leaders said on Sunday even as Banerjee accused the saffron party of mixing religion with politics,

In a Facebook post on Sunday, Banerjee said she has no problem with the slogan of Jai Sri Ram if used in religious connotations. The BJP is using religious slogan such as Jai Sri Ram as their party slogan in a misconceived manner by mixing religion with politics. We do not respect this forcible enforcement of political slogans on others in the name of so called RSS which Bengal never accepted. This is a deliberate attempt to sell hate ideology through vandalism and violence which we must oppose together, Banerjee said.

The BJPs strategy to use the slogan at her public events comes after Banerjee got out of her car on two occasions --- in East Midnapore district on May 5 and in North 24 Parganas district on May 30 --- and started shouting at people chanting the slogan. She alleged that it was an invective meant to insult her and asked police to take action. Police detained a few people before releasing them for want of evidence.

In North 24 Parganas district, three TMC turncoats - BJPs newly-elected Barrackpore MP Arjun Singh, the partys election strategist Mukul Roy and the latters son and MLA Subhranshu - have wrested a Lok Sabha seat, an assembly seat and are now eyeing to take control of at least four municipalities. Banerjee refers the trio as gaddar (traitor) at every public meeting.

Arjun Singh said that the party workers will welcome her with Jai Shri Ram slogans whenever she tours the state. Thousands of men and women will chant Jai Sri Ram. Women will also blow conch shells in keeping with tradition. I dont think police will allow us to use loudspeakers. We will make up with our numbers, Singh said, adding that about a million post cards with Jai Sri Ram written on them will also be sent to her.

Elaborating the strategy, another BJP leader, said, women workers will lead the crowd along the route to be followed by Banerjees motorcade and also at the venue of the meeting. Every time she loses her cool we will make videos and circulate them on social media, said the leader, who did not want to be named.

Banerjees close aide and Kolkata mayor Firhad Hakim, who was greeted with the Jai Sri Ram slogan at a religious function on Sunday, said: There is nothing wrong if a pious man chants Jai Sri Ram. But here, hooligans are using it to spread unrest.

Had people chanted Bharat Mata Ki Jai, the traditional slogan of the Rashtriya Shyamsevak Sangh, the ideological parent of BJP, Banerjee could not have said anything. Her reaction is not unexpected because those chanting Jai Sri Ram are actually throwing a political challenge at her. It is an open challenge and she is retaliating openly, said economics professor at Calcutta University and political observer Sarthak Roychowdhury.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ONA Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) jawan was killed and four other security personnel were injured after Maoists opened fire on security forces in Kathalia area of Dumka district on early Sunday morning.

The slain jawan, Niraj Chhetri was from Assam. Two constables, Rajesh Kumar Rai and Karan Kumar, received serious injuries.

They were airlifted to Ranchi, and admitted to the Medica Hospital. Police constables Satish Gujar and Sonu Kumar, the other two injured, were admitted to a government hospital in Dumka, he said.

YS Ramesh , Dumka superintendent of police, said forces had received a tip that a Maoist squad was camping in the area between Shikaripara and Ranishwar police station limits. When a team of SSB and state police was conducting a joint operation, Maoists suddenly opened fire.

The security forces retaliated, and around five Maoists were shot at. However, the Maoists had retreated in the forests by then. Search operations were being conducted in the area, the SP said. SSB commandant, Sanjay Kumar Gupta said till late evening, forces were continuing search operations in the area. Efforts were on to nab the Maoists. But no arrest or seizure has been made yet.

Hospital authorities said Rai had received injuries in both the thighs. A surgery was conducted, following which his condition was stable. Karan had received injuries in the upper limbs and head, and doctors were going to operate on him on Monday. He is also said to be out of danger.

Around afternoon, the body of Chhetri was brought to the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences in Ranchi. Urban development minister CP Singh, along with SSB senior officers, police and state administration paid homage to him in Angara.

His body will be sent to Assam on Monday.

This is the second Maoist attack in the state within a week. On May 28, at least 26 security personnel of central police force and state police were injured after Maoists triggered a series of improvised explosive device blasts in Rai Sindri Hills under Kuchai police station limits of Sarikela-Kharsawan district.

On May 20, three Jharkhand Police personnel were airlifted to Ranchi after they were injured in an attack by Maoist squad led by sub-zonal commander Maharaj Pramanik, near Hudungada village in Seraikela-Kharsawan district.

On May 3, Maoist blew up the election office of BJP candidate from Khunti, Arjun Munda, on Kuchai Road, barely 200 metres from Kharsawan police station.Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday inducted eight Janata Dal (United) MLAs as ministers in the state government, a move that came days after his party decided not to join Prime Minister Narendra Modis new government because it was offered just one berth in the council of ministers.

While there was speculation that the Bihar cabinet expansion signalled a rift between the JD(U) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), both parties appeared to play down the issue, with the Bihar CM saying the BJP will induct a minister from its quota later.

Kumar, who heads the JD(U) and was present for the oath-taking ceremony of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Thursday, earlier said his party will not be part of the Union council of ministers as the BJPs offer of participation was symbolic representation. He said leaders of his party did not agree to the offer of one berth.

The JD(U), which rules Bihar 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.

Kumar has maintained that the JD(U) will remain part of the NDA.

On Sunday, the Bihar CM said: BJP has decided that induction of their quota in the [Bihar] Cabinet would be done later.

There was a large number of vacancies in the JD(U) quota. The quota of allies with departments is decided at the very outset. At present, only the JD(U)s quota has been filled, as the House session is on the cards and some key portfolios were vacant. All these portfolios were with the JD(U), he added.

There was no representation from allies BJP and the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) in the latest Bihar cabinet expansion. Three ministerial berths remain vacant  one each for the JD(U), BJP and LJP.

The new ministers  Narendra Narayan Yadav, Shyam Rajak, Ashok Choudhary, Bima Bharti, Sanjay Jha, Ram Sewak Singh, Niraj Kumar and Lakshmeshwar Rai  were administered the oath of office and secrecy at a function at the Raj Bhavan by governor Lalji Tandon.

BJP leader and Bihar deputy chief minister Sushil Modi said the BJP was not part of Sundays cabinet expansion as it decided to fill its vacant slot later. Nitish Kumar offered the BJP to fill the seat, but we will do it at a later stage. NDA is one and everything is alright. We will consider filling our quota in future, as we already have 13 ministers. We have just one to fill, he said.

Commenting on the JD(U)s decision to stay out of the government at the Centre, JD(U) spokesperson KC Tyagi told ANI on Sunday: The proposal that was given was unacceptable to the JD(U), therefore we have decided that in future also JD(U) will not be a part of the NDA led Union Cabinet, this is our final decision.

News agency IANS quoted a senior JD(U), who spoke on condition of anonymity, as saying that the timing of the Bihar cabinet expansion was a clear sign that Nitish Kumar is unhappy with the BJP leadership.

Former director at the AN Sinha Institute of Social Studies, DM Diwakar, said the JD(U)s decision to stay out of the Union cabinet could lead to political developments that could have an impact on next years assembly elections in the state. The BJP has got what it wanted  a comfortable majority at the Centre and a landslide in Bihar. The JD-U also benefited. It was a mutual benefit in the election. It will be premature to say if it could lead to realignment or attempt to go it alone by either the BJP or JD-U. But in politics, nothing can be ruled out, he said.

(With inputs from agencies)A 37-year-old man in Ladpur village of Jhajjar district shot dead his wife and a four-year-old daughter before killing himself at his residence on Saturday.

The man has been identified as Dinesh Kumar and worked as a private security guard with a company in Delhi.

His wife has been identified as Kavita, 34, and daughter as Trisha, who were shot with his licensed pistol, police said.

The initial investigation has indicated that Kumar killed his wife and daughter while they were sleeping, police said.

Kumars elder brother came to his house on Saturday morning and broke open the door when no one responded. He spotted the bodies of Kavita and Trisha lying on the bed and Kumars on the floor. He then informed the cops.

Police said Kumar also left a suicide note in which he took responsibility of killing his wife and daughter and committing suicide. In his suicide note, he requested the cops to not disturb anyone. Based on a suicide note and complaint by a family member, police have booked Kumar for murder. The villagers said Kumar had not been going to work for over a month. DSP Ashok Dahiya said the police were suspecting fight between the couple as reason behind the incident. The couple has been survived by a son, who was sleeping at his grandmothers house on the night of the incident.

Also read: Mumbai crime branch to probe junior doctors suicide case

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ONAfter a suspected case of Nipah virus was reported from Ernakulam district of Kerala, the District Collector issued a statement on Sunday, dismissing reports of resurgence of the virus in the state.

The statement comes after reports suggesting that a 23-year-old patient had been moved to an isolation ward in a private hospital after he displayed symptoms of viral infection triggered an uproar on social media.

Confirming the reports, Ernakulam district medical officer Dr MK Kuttappan said blood samples of the patient were sent to two virology institutes for testsManipal Virology Institute and Kerala Institute of Virology and Infectious Diseasesand there was no need for any panic.

The results are likely to be in by Monday. Kuttappan said they were alerted about the incident on Saturday night. It is not confirmed but initial symptoms show similarities to Nipah. The mans relatives said he had gone to the neighbouring district for a training programme and has been down with fever for than 10 days, he said.

Referring to social media reports, Ernakulam Collector K Mohammed Y Safirulla issued a statement, clarifying that usual medical examinations were carried out on patients coming with the symptoms of Nipah virus.

Terming the social media reports as baseless, he said there was no need for any concern. If the disease is confirmed based on such examinations, the public will be officially informed and necessary precautions will be taken to control its spread, news agency IANS quoted the statement as saying, and appealed to all to keep away from spreading panic among the people.

In May 2018, Nipah outbreak had claimed 17 lives, including that of a nurse who treated one of the patients. Though the deadly virus claimed many lives in a span of few days, health officials and volunteers in Kerala took the fight head on and contained the outbreak. The virus that causes high fever, headache and coma in extreme cases is spread by fruit bats. Body fluids can cause human-to-human transmission of Nipah, which has a mortality rate of 70% and has no vaccine.

Kuttapan said many suspected cases were reported earlier too and they tested negative. Health minister K K Shailaja and other senior officers are closely monitoring the situation.

(With agency inputs)A 39-year-old man was beaten to death in Jalandhar on Sunday for allegedly raping an 11-year-old girl.

Police said the girl was alone at her house while her parents were away for work when Pappu Kumar Rai, a migrant labourer from Bihar, sexually assaulted her in an inebriated condition.

The accused was drunk when he entered the girls room and committed the crime, assistant police commissioner (Central) Harsimrat Singh said.

Singh cited a preliminary probe and said some people rushed to rescue the girl when they heard her screams. He added they thrashed the accused. By the time police reached the spot, a mob had thrashed the man seriously, he said. He added the accused died during treatment at a hospital.

Singh said the exact cause of his death will be ascertained after a postmortem.

Doctors treating the girl said her condition is stable and she is under observation due to excessive bleeding.

The police have asked the Child Welfare Committee to ensure the girls care and safety and the District Legal Service Authority to make arrangements for financial assistance to her per the procedure under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.

Deputy police commissioner (investigation) Gurmeet Singh said they have recorded the girls statement and registered a case.

The family of the accused is yet to be traced. Gurmeet Singh said a murder case will be registered once his relatives record their statements. A case under Section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) has been registered against unidentified people, he said. Further investigations are under progress, the officials said

This is the fourth such rape case in a week in the region.

A 16-year-old girl was allegedly raped on the pretext of marriage on May 28. On the same day, a 55-year-old man was arrested for raping a three-year-old girl in Kapurthala. On May 24, a 35-year-old man allegedly raped a three-year-old girl.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ONAn angry mob thrashed a 39-year-old migrant labourer to death after he was caught raping a minor at Dinesh Nagar locality here on Sunday.

Police said the accused, identified as Pappu Kumar Rai of Bihar, was in an inebriated condition when he raped the 11-year-old victim, also a migrant.

The accused entered the victims room when she was alone as her parents had gone out to work, said inquiry officer and assistant commissioner of police (central) Harsimrat Singh.

The officer said the incident took place around 1 pm. Some people heard screams of girl and found the accused in her room. He was caught and badly thrashed. A police team rushed him to a nearby hospital but he succumbed to his injuries, he added.

Deputy commissioner of police (investigation) Gurmeet Singh said on basis of familys statement and inquiry report, a rape case was registered against the accused. He said that no murder case has been registered so far as the police are trying to trace the deceaseds family. A case would be registered after proper inquiry and recording statements of Rais family, he said.

Girl undergoing treatment

The girl is undergoing treatment at a hospital and her condition is stated to be stable. There were some visible injury marks on her body, said a doctor. While police have informed the child welfare committee to ensure her proper care, the district legal service authority is making arrangements for financial assistance to the girl as per the procedure under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ONAs many as 2,678 cases of stubble burning have been reported till Friday from Majha region, but not a single farmer has been penalised by the agriculture department yet.

As per the agriculture department, Amritsar tops the chart among the four border districts of Majha region with 1,019 cases of stubble burning. Tarn Taran is on second number with 875 cases. Gurdaspur and Pathankot districts recorded 673 and 111 cases .

These cases , however, till May 31 were almost the same as last year. The agriculture department had recorded 2,743 cases of stubble burning in Majha last year till May 31. As per the officials of the department, no farmer has been penalised or booked by the police this year as the officials were busy in election duties. However, last year, hundreds of farmers were penalised and several booked in the region.

We have deployed coordinator officers in every village and cluster officers for a cluster of eight villages. As these staff were busy with the election duties, they could not monitor stubble burning incidents in the region. We have called a meeting of these officials on Monday and action will be taken against the erring farmers after the meeting, said Tarn Taran chief agriculture officer (CEO) Harwinderjit Singh.

Amritsar CEO Vinay Kumar has the same story to narrate . The CEO of Gurdaspur and Pathankot districts, Amrik Singh, said we are yet to impose fine on the erring farmers.

Also read: Why stubble burning in Haryana and Punjab has intensified in last 10 years

A senior agriculture official said, The government is not serious about the issue. Due to lack of will of political leaders, the farmers are setting their fields on fire without fear. This is causing severe damage to the environment and people. It is up to them to direct the department to take action against those violating the orders.

We have been organising back to back awareness camps in every village to make farmers aware about damages caused by stubble burning. Last year, we gave 600 machines to the farmers of Tarn Taran on subsidised rate, said the Tarn Taran CEO.

Farmers of the region, however, continue to resort to stubble burning alleging no suitable alternative. They are of the view that until the state government provides them alternative solution to manage stubble, they are not left with much choice. Farmers continue to burn stubble as they rely on wheat and paddy rotation. It is on the government to break the rotation and do something for diversification. The government should give a guarantee to the farmers for purchasing diversified crops. This will encourage farmers to adopt diversification, said Kisan Sangarsh Committee (KSC) state convener Kawalpreet Singh Pannu.

He said, The government should also give a minimum of Rs 6,000 per acre compensation to farmers for managing stubble. If the government fails to implement the suggestions, the farmers will be forced to set their fields on fire in future too.

Also read | Stubble burning cost $150 billion in 5 years: Study

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ONChina's technology giant, Huawei, and the African Union (AU) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to consolidate their information and communication technology (ICT) cooperation.





The MoU primarily aims at strengthening partnership between the two sides on broadband, internet of things (IoT), cloud computing, 5G and artificial intelligence, according to a statement issued by Huawei late Friday.





The MoU covers ICT project management and delivery in support of African continental ICT development, including cybersecurity, e-health, e-education and other related applications.





Signed for a three-year period by Thomas Kwesi Quartey, the deputy chairperson of the AU Commission, and Philippe Wang, Huawei's vice-president for northern Africa, the latest agreement builds on an MoU signed in February 2015, the statement said.





It aims to establish closer collaboration and information exchange between Huawei and the AU.





Both parties are also working together to source local talent to train them for future digital challenges in the tech ecosystem, the statement said.





It also aims to increase employment opportunities for young people by providing them with ICT knowledge and skills.





The collaboration between the AU and Huawei shows the AU's continuous trust in Huawei, Wang said.





"And by this action should we put a total end to the rumours of data leakage from AU by Huawei equipment, as AU has totally audited their IT system for the whole organization, and nothing corroborates what was said in media reports one year ago," he said.





"Huawei, strategic partner for the digitalization of Africa, is committed to providing the African Union with a unique experience that meets their expectations and needs, especially in terms of technology transfer and connectivity," Wang said.





Quartey, for his part, said the latest agreement will consolidate the partnership between the AU and Huawei.





The two sides will work closely to address challenges facing Africa in the digital transformation, he said.





"Under this agreement, we are pleased to consolidate our existing partnership with Huawei, a leading group in the fields of innovation and technological research," Quartey said. "It is essential that we work closely with our partners to meet the digital transformation challenges of Africa."





Digital transformation offers huge opportunities and will allow connections to be distributed with a high density on the entire African continent, the statement said.





The deployment of new technologies in Africa will also improve the performance of key sectors that have a significant impact on the daily lives of Africans, such as health, transport, media and energy, the statement added.



Congress MP and former Union Minister Shashi Tharoor on Sunday said the solution to the three-language formula is not by abandoning the idea but ensure its better implementation.

The solution is not to abandon the three languages formula but to implement it in a better manner, said Tharoor when asked to comment on the new draft policy of National Education, which recommends among other things three languages formula in schools.

Tharoor said that the three-language formula goes back to mid-1960s but it was never properly implemented. Most of us in the South learn Hindi as a second language but nobody in the North is learning Malayalam or Tamil, he said.

In the draft National Education Policy 2019, the three-language formula recommends inclusion of English and Hindi besides mother tongue in non-Hindi speaking states, while Hindi speaking states should include English and one Indian language from other parts of the country.

When asked about the guests who were aggressively turned away by Pakistani security officials from an Iftar party hosted by the Indian High Commission in Islamabad, Tharoor said: I am sorry. I was not aware of that incident. Unfortunately, the relationship between India and Pakistan is really in a bad shape. Its in a trough.

The new government really needs to do a thorough review of our Pakistan policy and decide in what ways and how they will pursue the matter. As you know the Pakistani government was not among the one invited for the Prime Ministers swearing-in unlike 2014, so the question that comes up is whether we are going to allow a negative feeling on both sides or whether some serious efforts have to be made to change this relationship, he said.

On being asked about the US withdrawing preferential trade agreement with India, Tharoor said: The US policy on trade has become much tougher or shall we see less generous than it used to be. Not only India, even with China the US is at a trade war at the moment and other countries are facing the brunt as well.

I leave to our competent negotiators to figure out what kind of solution is possible. I am told that there are about 11,000 goods we sell to the US and more than 5,000 will be affected by the new tariffs that will hurt our economy, our exporters and businesses. It is in our interest to find some sort of compromising formula at least for the majority of these items, he added.

Replying about his visit to his constituency after the Lok Sabha poll victory, Tharoor said: It is a lovely Kerala tradition where we do thank you parade and tour the constituency. I will be spending one day in every assembly constituency meeting the people and thanking them for their support.

(This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.)Ignoring the demand of Valley- based political parties to halt counterterror operations during Ramzan has reaped dividends. Security forces have neutralised 23 local and foreign militants in Kashmir during this period, taking the number killed in the counterterror drive to more than 100 in 2019. This also resulted in largely peaceful congregations in the Valley during Jamat-ul-Vida, the last Friday before Eid next week.

Last year, due to the imposition of non-initiation of combat operations (NICO) in the Valley, only 11 militants were killed during the Ramzan month and that too on the Line of Control (LOC) in Kupwara and Handwara districts.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) pulled out of its coalition government with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on June 19, 2018, after the Eid-ul-Fitr festival, citing increased violence and radicalisation in the Valley.

Although PDP leader, Mehbooba Mufti, wanted the Centre to declare NICO during Ramzan this year, the Narendra Modi government ignored the call and turned up the heat on militants in the Kashmir Valley. Until Friday, 23 terrorists had been killed by the security forces in the Ramzan period, including Zakir Musa of Al Qaeda affiliate Ansar Ghazwat ul Hind. Others were gunned down in Shopian, Pulwama, Avantipora, Sopore, Kulgam and Anantnag areas of the Valley.

All the encounters were conducted on the basis of human intelligence that originated from the ground, according to senior home ministry officials.

While the security forces expect more encounters with local and foreign militants in June due to a rise in infiltration during summer months, the situation in the Valley has improved as militant numbers have gone down.

With no let-up in counterterror operations, security forces have ensured that foreign terrorists do not have a chance to regroup and plan during the Ramzan month.

Although Muslims largely keep the peace during the pious month, Pakistan-based terror groups use a different interpretation to launch attacks against India both in the state of Jammu and Kashmir and the hinterland.

The interpretation being that the crucial battle of Badr was fought by the Holy Prophet against the Quraish tribe of Mecca, which led to the rise of Islam in Saudi Arabia. Islamic radicalisers use this analogy to launch attacks against their enemies and hence some of the biggest terror attacks globally have taken place during the holy month.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ONThe Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG)-appointed committee investigating the appointment of 1,756 outsourced employees since November last year has received replies from only 1,300 employees so far, raising suspicions of the presence of ghost employees, said officials of the civic body on Friday.

A ghost employee is a term used for a person who draws salary without actually working in an organisation, with the authorities being unknown of his or her existence.

RS Rathee, head of the MCG-appointed committee, said that he has issued the seventh reminder to the heads of all wings in the MCG, such as the engineering wing, the horticulture wing, the tax wing and the planning wing, to direct their remaining outsourced employees to present themselves before the committee for investigation within the coming week.

Otherwise, a final report on the matter will be submitted to the officials of the Urban Local Bodies (ULB) and presented before the next MCG house meeting for its perusal.

We are yet to receive information of nearly 500 employees. We have given them a weeks time to come forward. Otherwise, we will submit our findings to the MCG and the ULB who can subsequently investigate the status of the missing employees. While there may be a few employees who have simply decided not to turn up for the investigation, we suspect that there could be many posts that have been filled by ghost employees who are drawing salary sanctioned by the MCG each month, said Rathee.

In a house meeting in January last year, while referring to the possibility of ghost employees being found in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and improprieties observed in their hiring process, Rathee had asked the MCG to verify its outsourced staff on these aspects as well.

In October last year, the MCG had formed a five-member committee consisting of MCG councillors, RS Rathee, Ravinder Yadav, Brham Prakash, Sanjay Pradhan and Subhash Singla to look into the matter.

In February this year, the Haryana Crime Investigation Department (CID) contacted members of the committee and procured details of outsourced employees.

Transparency is of utmost importance in the MCG. The heads of each wing have been asked to direct the remaining outsourced employees to present themselves before the committee for an interview. If ghost employees and irregularities are found, then necessary action will be taken against such employees, said Yashpal Yadav, commissioner of the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram.

Apart from 456 employees not being accounted for, other discrepancies such as the hiring of incompetent workers, the appointment of multiple workers against one vacant post, disproportionate distribution of workers across departments, and unnecessary posts have surfaced during the seven-month investigation, said Rathee.

For instance, there are two computer clerks working on a single post. The number of outsourced employees in the horticulture wing is 15 in zones 1 and 2 but 85 in zones 3 and 4(nearly six times more).

In January, Vivek Kalia, former joint commissioner of MCG, had written to the present MCG commissioner Yashpal Yadav, asking for a complete overhaul in the manner such outsourced employees are hired by the civic body.

This happened after no action was taken against illegal constructions despite repeated reminders.

Earlier in the month of May this year, the MCG had also initiated an inquiry against 15 of its outsourced employees in its water division for not showing up for work.

The civic body also withheld their salaries until the investigation process was completed.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ONA nine-year-old Dalit rape survivor was unable to record her statement in a local court in Dehradun after the Uttarakhand police took her and the 28-year-old person accused of raping her in the same vehicle on Saturday. The public prosecutor criticised police negligence.

Inspector general, Garhwal range, Ajay Rautela said, the police vehicle had broken down that forced them to hire a private vehicle.

The police stations vehicle had broken down after which they took them in a private vehicle, he said.

Public prosecutor Bharat Negi termed the police action wrong and said, As per law, in any case, the victim cannot be brought before the accused in sexual crimes. She can only be brought before the accused just for a few seconds during his identification process before the court. Whatever may be the reason, the police action in this incident was wrong, he added.

Singh also accused police of gross negligence and said, The victim and the accused were in the same vehicle for at least three to four hours till they reached the court. Due to this, she got traumatised and couldnt give her statements before the court.

The girl had complained of severe stomach pain on Sunday morning after which she was rushed to a hospital in Mussoorie, which further referred her to a Dehradun hospital. She was brought to Dehradun for treatment from Mussoorie late on Sunday evening. It seems that she is in trauma. However, she would be given precautionary treatment, said Dr KK Singh, additional chief medical officerNearly two years after the Delhi government announced 14 resource centres for school children with disabilities, the facilities are yet to see the light of day.

In addition to teaching facilities delivered by Special Education teachers in Delhi government schools, the resource centres would provide services of physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists and clinical psychologists.

When details were sought about the operational status of these resource centres, director of education Binay Bhushan said, We are in the process of getting the manpower and it should take another one month. The centres are almost ready and they are likely to be operational after vacations.

Students under Children with Special Needs categories suffering from autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, speech and language disability, intellectual disability, multiple disabilities, hearing impaired, severe specific learning disabilities will get intensive services in these resource centres.

Another official from the inclusive education branch said that coordinating between school shifts and the sessions at resource centres was also proving to be a challenge as due to lack of infrastructure, some buildings have schools running in double shifts.

Also read: Students turn teachers at this summer camp for govt schools

The directorate is also planning to create 17 more such centres. We did district and cluster wise mapping of schools and will begin with 31 resource centres for Delhi government school students. If need be, we can increase the number of centres later, Bhushan said.

Dr. Ajay Kumar Singh, the state coordinator for Inclusive Education Branch, said that one resource centre would cover 35 Delhi government schools. Each centre will have four professional therapists and one resource centre coordinator who would coordinate with the special education teachers in government schools to assess the childs learning abilities and the work, he said.

Singh further explained that each of the four professionals speech therapist, occupational therapist, physiotherapist, and clinical psychologistwould hold eight sessions per day of 45 minutes each taking the minimum number of sessions to 32 per day.

The four categories of professionals will give their own work and do their own interventions. Say if a child has speech problem, the speech therapist would do their own interventions, Singh said. In order to tackle the problem of doubleshifts, Singh said they devised a policy that the students studying in the morning shifts would come in the evening and viceversa.

We want to make sure that students do not have to leave the school premises and miss regular classes. There will be a timetable for their sessions in the resource centres as well in consultation with the special education teacher who would provide assessment on their learning stage.

Government officials said there are over 12,000 disabled students in Delhi government schools and out of the 1,747 special educators needed for the government-run schools, only 411 regular teachers and 618 guest teachers have been appointed so far.

They added that appointments for 279 regular teachers was currently underway.

Also read: Government officials said there are over 12,000 disabled students in Delhi government schools

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ONThe Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) conducted a forensic psychological assessment and forensic statement analysis on the accused advocate Sanjiv Gajanan Punalekar arrested in the murder of rationalist Dr Narendra Dabholkar. The court on Saturday also extended Punalekar and his aide Vikram Vinay Bhaves CBI custody till June 4.

Earlier, on May 26, the court had extended Punalekar and Bhaves custody till June 1.

The tests were conducted at the Central Forensic Laboratory, Navi Mumbai. The results of both the tests are awaited, according to SR Singh, additional superintendent of police, who is investigating the case.

The information was revealed by Prakash Suryavanshi, special public prosecutor, during a hearing in the case in a court in Pune on Saturday.

While Subhash Jha, represented Punalekar, Bhave was represented by advocate Ghanshyam Upadhyay.

The custody was extended by additional sessions judge AV Rotte in the absence of special judge Kishore Vadane.

The two were arrested on May 25 by the CBI based on an alleged confession made by Sharad Kalaskar, who is one of the two

accused shooters of Dabholkar. Kalaskar allegedly made the confessional statement on October 12, 2018 - seven months before Punalekar and Bhaves arrest - while he was being interrogated by Karnataka special investigation team (SIT) in the murder case of journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh.

The defence lawyers raised the point of seven-month delay in the arrest of the two and Kalaskars alleged confession.

However, Suryavanshi claimed that the seven months were spent in substantiating the allegation and gathering information.

In an hour-long argument against extension of the CBI custody, the two defence lawyers also claimed that the advice given by Punalekar to Kalaskar was information privileged under Section 126 of Evidence Act. However, in their submission to the court, CBI said, The accused is not only an advocate, but is also related to Sanatan Sanstha and has conspired with others/chargesheeted in this murder.

It further added, In this case, he has not acted as an advocate, but has crossed limits and advised the accused, who shot Dabholkar to destroy the weapon as well.

The CBI, in its submission to the court, claimed that they have seized a mobile phone and two laptops from the possession of Punalekar.

Their custody, said Suryavanshi, is necessary for further course of the investigation as the data seized from the mobile phone is under investigation.

The CBI is now investigating the conspiracy and trying to verify whether anyone else was involved in the 2013 murder case.Nearly 10 days after garbage segregation was initiated in 10 wards of the city, segregated collection of waste could still not become a reality.

Where garbage collection vehicles are still irregular in several parts of the city, citizens often have no awareness reading wet and dry collection of waste. Several garbage collection vehicles taking rounds of the city often do not have properly bifurcated compartments for the collection of wet and dry waste, said residents and ward corporators.

Segregated collection of waste was initiated in ward number 21, 24, 43, 40, 61, 87, 84 and 45 on May 20.

According to the JMC officials, the step was taken up to secure better score in the segregated waste collection category in the Swachh Survekshan Suvey-2020. City scored 44th rank in the Swachh Survekshan Survey2019.

Surendra Singh, corporator of ward number 84, JMC said that the door-to-door garbage collection vehicle does not frequent the ward where garbage depots have come up in several areas of the ward.

Collection of segregated waste will be a formality when people have no awareness as to what is the difference between wet and dry waste. The garbage collection vehicle is also irregular in the area due to which several garbage depots have come up. One of the depot is also in front of the Pondrik Park where the compost machine for waste has been installed. Several health issues might develop in the residents if this continues, said Singh.

Also read: BJP, Congress unite to fight for dead driver

Residents also claim that the garbage collection vehicles lack proper compartment to differen-

tiate wet waste from the dry waste. The garbage collection vehicle visit the area only after the complaints are made. People in my locality do not know what comprises wet and dry waste. How do they expect us to dump segregated waste in the vehicles. The vehicles also so not have proper compartment to differentiate wet waste from dry waste. The most problematic aspect of all this situation is the setting up of garbage depots at several places, said Sanjay Rawat, a resident of Brahmapuri.

Corporators also said that the work has been initiated on a low level where the attempts are being made, but will take some time to deliver the results. Ramesh Lal Gurjar, corporator of ward number 24 said that nearly 20-30% waste collected in my ward is segregated. Since the people do not know the difference between the wet and dry waste properly, the collection vans should mention the specifics clearly. Even as I take rounds to monitor garbage collection in my ward where we also announce to specify the difference between wet and dry waste, the initiative e will take its due course to become successful.

Special pamphlets have been printed by the JMC in order to be distributed to let the residents understand the difference between wet and dry waste. Mayor Vishnu Dutt Sharma said that the initiative is being followed in eight wards of the city, however, will continue in the other wards as well in several phases. We understand that there is a lack of awareness among the residents, therefore, we have got several pamphlets printed to be distributed in individual houses when the garbage collection would be carried out. Moreover, advertisements will be sent out in public interest to let the people understand the basic concepts of waste segregation, said Sharma.As Defence Minister, Rajnath Singhs first visit outside the national capital would be to the Siachen Glacier-- the worlds highest battlefield - to review the security situation along the borders with Pakistan.

During the visit, the Defence Minister would be accompanied by Army Chief General Bipin Rawat and other senior officials from the Defence Ministry, government sources told ANI.

At the glacier, Rajnath Singh would be briefed about the operations being conducted by the Army, along with the support of air effort by the Indian Air Force.

Northern Army Commander Lt General Ranbir Singh, 14 Corps Commander, and Kargil war hero Lt General YK Joshi are also expected to brief him about the security situation in the region.

The Indian Army has deployed a brigade in the area where some posts are located above the altitude of 23,000 altitude which even poses difficulty in breathing.

Also read: Rajnath Singh pays tribute to jawans at National War Memorial ahead of taking charge as Defence Minister

During the UPA-1 regime, there were calls for demilitarising the glacier but the Army had put its foot down against the step. The Indian Army has been maintaining the Siachen Glacier since 1984 under the Operation Meghdoot where Army soldiers doubled as mountaineers to reach the peaks and capture them defeating the Pakistan Army.

The Defence Minister is also expected to visit the nearby areas of the Siachen Glacier.

Soon after taking over yesterday, Rajnath Singh asked the officers-in-charge of different departments to prepare a detailed presentation for him on the ongoing projects and programmes and brief him on them soon. The officers have also been asked to complete the projects in a time-bound manner to move effectively towards modernising the armed forces.

On Saturday, he was briefed about the different projects and works being undertaken by the Ministry and services by Defence Secretary Sanjay Mitra and the three services chiefs.

Also read: 5 frontbenchers gone, Lok Sabha has new-look seating plan

(This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.)Three teachers of Delhi Universitys St Stephens College have approached the Delhi High Court challenging the decision of the colleges Supreme Council to have its representative in the interview panel that selects Christian students during the admission process.

The three teachers, who are members of the colleges governing body  NP Ashley, Abhishek Singh and Nandita Narain  had objected to the decision taken by the Supreme Council at its meeting on May 13. The teachers were also issued warning letters by the college principal a day after.

Narain said the petitioners supported the minority status of the institute but challenged the interference of church in the admission process. In our petition, we have demanded withdrawal of the Supreme Councils decision of having its representative on the interview panel. St Stephens was allowed by the Supreme Court (SC) to conduct interviews in the admission process on condition that only teachers do so. We want to maintain the academic integrity of the admission process, she said.

The matter will be heard on June 12. The Delhi University Teachers Association (DUTA) on Saturday issued a statement extending support to the teachers. DUTA is in compete support of colleagues from St Stephens College to protect the academic integrity of admission process, DUTA president Rajib Ray said.

The council had decided to have an additional Christian member nominated by it  either from the Supreme Council or the governing body  to be a part of the interview panel in respect of admission of Christian students in all subjects. The council comprises six members of the Church of North India (CNI).

The council pointed out the SC observation in the St Stephens case of 1992 where the court held that admission of students was an essential facet of the administration of the college. Despite several attempts, chairperson of the supreme council Warris Massih and St Stephens college principal John Verghese did not respond to request for a comment.Chinas defence minister Wei Fenghe on Sunday defended the military crackdown on the student-led protests at Beijings Tiananmen Square in 1989, saying the Communist Party of Chinas (CPC) decision to quell the protests have resulted in stability since then.

Next Tuesday, June 4, will mark 30 years of the pro-democracy and reform protests, which ended after the CPC ordered a crackdown by the military, allowing them to use armed personnel and tanks on the students.

Wei was responding to a question on the protests from a member of the audience at the dialogue. The Tiananmen protests were political turmoil that the central government needed to quell, which was the correct policy, reports quoted him as saying.

It is rare for top Chinese officials to publicly acknowledge the Tiananmen protests and mention of the protests is scrubbed from Chinas social media platforms.

Defence minister, Wei Fenghe, made the comments after delivering his speech at the Shangri La Dialogue in Singapore earlier on Sunday. Everybody is concerned about Tiananmen after 30 years, reports quoted the Chinese defence minister saying.

Throughout the 30 years, China under the Communist Party has undergone many changes  do you think the government was wrong with the handling of June 4th? There was a conclusion to that incident. The government was decisive in stopping the turbulence. Due to this, China has enjoyed stability, and if you visit China you can understand that part of history, said Wei Fenghe in Singapore.

Sporadic protests broke out after the sudden death former CPC general secretary, Hu Yaobang in April that year. Subsequently, the protests spread with hundreds of thousands of students and citizens marching, and then camping, at Tiananmen Square. They called for political and economic reforms and transparency.

The protests ended violently after soldiers and tanks pushed them out of the Square and surrounding areas. The Chinese government has never revealed the casualty figures; estimates range between hundreds and thousands.

Also Read| War with US would be a disaster: Chinese defence minister

Thirty years after the Tiananmen Massacre, Chinese authorities have not acknowledged the atrocity or provided justice for the victims and their families, said Yaqiu Wang, China researcher at New York-based Human Rights Watch.

The whitewash of Tiananmen and heightened repression across China have fueled activists determination to fight for human rights, Yaqiu said in a statement.

A 2019 University of Toronto and the University of Hong Kong study found that at least 3,237 keywords referencing the Tiananmen massacre are censored.

A 1990 Cantopop song, Humans Path, was scrubbed from Chinese online music stores, including Apple Music, even though the lyrics only reference Tiananmen indirectly, the HRW added.A trade fair in Beijing has shown that China is making a steady steering on growth in knowledge and technology-intensive services.





The five-day 2019 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) drew the curtain on Saturday in Beijing, with intended contracts worth 105 billion U.S. dollars signed.





The contracts, involving financial services, communication services, information technology services, cultural services and legal services, signal China's upbeat momentum in the growth of the non-manufacturing sector.





Over the week, the world's largest services trade fair hosted some 240 forums and business talks, which occupied nearly all major conference venues in the Chinese capital.





Yan Ligang, the fair's spokesperson, said 11 venues saw more than 400,000 visits by participants from 137 countries and regions and 21 international organizations.





He said in total, 306 domestic projects worth 87.512 billion dollars were signed at the fair. There were also 134 overseas projects with a total value of 17.55 billion dollars.





As the non-manufacturing sector sustains an ever-expanding growth, the Chinese government, from this year, upgraded the biennial fair formerly held by the municipal government of Beijing since 2012 to a national fair for trade in services, which will be held annually ever since.





TIDING OVER ODDS





Many foreign visitors described CIFTIS as crucial for addressing the challenges facing the world economy.





"As national barriers to trade in services are mounting in numbers, CIFTIS gathers us together to discuss this issue in a timely manner and jointly explore the path to promote trade in service and create a favorable trading environment," said Ludger Schuknecht, deputy secretary-general of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, in his speech delivered at the fair.





"At these difficult times in global trade, keeping the door open is a contribution that China can do to boost confidence in international trade and stabilize global demand," said Dorothy Tembo, deputy executive director of the International Trade Center (ITC), at CIFTIS.





She said as a joint agency of the United Nations and the World Trade Organization, ITC is dedicated to supporting SMEs around the world. It supported 100 companies from developing countries to attend the first China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai last year. These companies initiated deals worth over 116 million U.S. dollars after the event.





At a forum discussion at CIFTIS, Tembo said a WTO study finds that by lowering costs and increasing productivity, digital technologies could provide an additional boost to trade by up to 34 percent by 2030. China is by all means a global champion in retail e-commerce.





FUTURE HAS COME





At an e-commerce themed exhibition area of CIFTIS, visitors were welcomed at the doorway by an exhibition of a smart home with intelligent furnishing presented by Gome Intelligent Technology Co. Ltd., the tech arm of Chinese home appliance retailer GOME.





From door locks and lighting to home appliances, everything is voice-controlled and connected to the Internet for remote control via a mobile app.





Nearby, the booth held by China's online retail firm of JD exhibited the fully automated "whole in- and ex-warehouse process" of small and medium-sized packages.





Even pictures on walls at the fair give a touch of new tech. Beside photos illustrated as China's poverty-stricken areas, visitors paused to scan QR codes underneath to find not only details but also local specialties that could be immediately ordered online, such as tea and pear syrup, as the e-commerce sales of farm produce is a part of China's poverty relief efforts.





The fair's organizer held an auction of the agricultural goods and futures orders of the goods, which garnered 1.4 billion yuan (202.8 million U.S. dollars) of fund for assisting the growers' poverty relief endeavors.





Worawit Techasupakura, a tourist official from Thailand, said a cohort of enterprises from Thailand's competitive industries including food, medical services and environmental protection participated in this session of CIFTIS.





He said 10.5 million trips were made by Chinese tourists to Thailand in 2018, up 7.4 percent from 2017 and bringing in 18 billion U.S. dollars of tourist income.





STRATEGIC TRANSITION





China has worked to steer away from the old growth driver of export-oriented manufacturing to power the new engine of trade in services.





The Ministry of Commerce released at the opening of CIFTIS on Tuesday that China's service trade rose 2.6 percent to 1.29 trillion yuan (about 191 billion U.S. dollars) in the first quarter of 2019, after making a robust growth of 11.5 percent to 5.24 trillion yuan in 2018, a historic high and ranking second in the world for five consecutive years. The share of service trade in the country's total foreign trade has reached 15.6 percent.





In 2018, China's service export in transport, insurance, intellectual property royalties and other business service sectors all posted double-digit growth, with the export of computer and information soaring 69.5 percent year on year.





China has taken a slew of measures to open up the service sector and push forward services trade with overseas partners. Its service trade with countries and regions along the Belt and Road (B&R) reached over 120 billion U.S. dollars last year, according to the ministry.





Beijing is China's pilot city for the expansion and opening-up of the service trade industry. In 2017, it saw the launch of China's first foreign-controlled joint venture in aircraft maintenance, set up by Air France Industries KLM Engineering and Maintenance and Beijing General Aviation Co. Ltd.





In 2018, the added value of Beijing's service trade accounted for 81 percent of the city's GDP.





In March, the Bank of Beijing announced plans to join hands with global finance company ING Bank N.V. to invest 3 billion yuan in setting up a banking joint venture, in which ING Bank holds a 51 percent stake.





Speaking at CIFTIS, Norman Sze, Deloitte China Government Affairs lead partner and Northern Region managing partner, said China's development of trade in services would bring huge opportunities to the world. Deloitte hopes to share its specialty with Chinese firms in the sector.At an early age, Deepak Kumar contracted polio. After class four, he dropped out as his crutches had broken and his family could not afford another.

Now 25, Kumar uses a wheelchair. He never thought he would be appreciated for his work in a room full of people. Nor did he ever imagine that he will be able to launch a business of his own.

But on Saturday he played a motivating Bollywood number from a multi-functional bluetooth speaker, which he manufactured, and that doubles up as an emergency light and a power bank to charge a mobile phone.

He is one of the around 150 such participants in the city battling disabilities and the odds of life that come along, who were trained in entrepreneurial skills and encouraged to be financially independent by set up their own businesses over the last two year.

ATPAR (Alliance to Promote Abilities and Rehabilitation LLP), a social enterprise company provides the Entrepreneurship Development Training (EDP) for persons with disabilities in collaboration with the governments National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC) centre at Okhla. ATPAR launched NEDAR (Network of Entrepreneurs with Disabilities for Assistance and Rehabilitation) to enable such participants to come together as a forum on Saturday.

Deepak had enrolled in the Entrepreneurship Development Programme (EDP) last year and has now set up a small workshop out of his home.

I learnt to repair electronic devices and made around 3,000-4,000 a month earlier. It was only after I enrolled for this training that I realised I could set up my own venture, said Deepak, a resident of Jaitpur in southeast Delhi. I sell my speakers to be used as audio systems in auto-rickshaws and e-rickshaws. I now make around 8,000 -9,000 out of my business.

Also read: Out as free men, these inmates long for a prison term to return home

For class 12 pass Ranjeeth Kumar, who suffers from lower body disability, it has now become much easier to provide for his family after he underwent the training. He owns R K Fashion, a garments manufacturing unit in Jaitpur and has engaged a staff of 12.

I had a small shop earlier but I never drew my own salary out of the profit. In the training, I learnt how to keep records and maintain employees. I have expanded my business from just manufacturing t-shirts and track pants to school uniforms and have started getting bulk orders. I am now able to make around 22,000- 25,000 a month from 10,000-12,000 earlier, said Ranjeeth, who got the opportunity to address his colleagues for the first time from the stage.

Many others like them have been able to either set up or expand their small-time businesses. Others have got business ideas to be materialised.

Nazish, 23, who has to use crutches to walk and has completed a computer course from Industrial Training Institute (ITI), said she wants to open her own dairy farm and plans to apply for a loan for the same.

Differently abled people face multiple challenges such as lack of support both from government and society. Even in case of reservation, only specific jobs are reserved in the public sector, which are not suited for all kinds of disabilities.

A large number of persons with disabilities are unable to access the job market and derive benefits from the skill development and open employment opportunities. Nedar was to provide an inclusive training platform to help people turn their talent into enterprise. We aim to create a network of such people, who would act as a support group to enable businesses to grow and promote self-employment, said, Thilakam Rajendran, co-founder, ATPAR.

Ira Singhal, a 2015 batch IAS officer, who currently appointed as deputy commissioner, North Corporation, was the first differently-abled candidate to top the civil services exam and had attended the event to address the participants, said, Disability is no bar to realizing ones dreams. Differently-abled must not have this fixed idea of just depending on government jobs. Starting a venture of your own could help transform your life. Though there are still challenges in the ecosystem needed for boosting opportunities for the disabled, becoming self-reliant is the only solution.

Also read: Child rights panel, NGO tie up for aftercare to juveniles

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ONThe wife of an Indian Navy personnel was arrested late Saturday night for murder after she bludgeoned her husband to death following years of domestic violence, Goa Police said on Sunday.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Vasco Sunita Sawant said that Kaushalendra Singh, an aircraft handler posted at the Navys INS Hansa base allegedly had a history of alcohol-fueled domestic violence.

Sawant informed that Singh was murdered by his wife with a kitchen appliance while he slept after yet another drunken quarrel.

In the evening he had walked in drunk and had picked a quarrel with her and had also broken the cooler and thrown things at her. In the night when he slept, her anger got better of her, and she hammered him. Since he was intoxicated he could not respond, and also fell off the bed, she added.

The woman later called the neighbours who rushed Singh to the naval hospital. He was declared brought dead. The post mortem has shown there are 12 to 14 deep injuries on the head and lot of blood loss, and he seems to have died due to the beating. We have recorded her statement and placed her under arrest, Sawant added.External affairs minister S Jaishankars Chinese name Su Jiesheng (pronounced Jie Shang) could be broadly interpreted as excellent student.

If he is, it will surely help as he takes over the reins of the ministry from Sushma Swaraj at a time when New Delhis ties with the US and China are going through  as the Chinese could say  interesting times.

Here in Beijing, Jaishankars surprising appointment was greeted with a brief Chinese foreign ministry statement that seemed forced and often-repeated; the statement in Chinese was shared with Beijing-based Indian media close to midnight on Friday.

Also Read | Issue-based alignments may be the focus of Jaishankars foreign policies

We congratulate Mr. Su Jiesheng (S Jaishankar) on his appointment as Foreign Minister of India. Mr. Wang Yi, the State Councilor and Foreign Minister have sent him a message, the statement said.

Mr. Su Jiesheng served as the Foreign Secretary of India and Ambassador to China, making a positive contribution to the development of Sino-Indian relations. China is willing to work with India to implement the consensus of the leaders of the two countries, promoting Sino-Indian relations and practical cooperation in various fields to make new progress, so as to better benefit the peoples of the two countries, the statement added.

The reaction from Chinese academics, on the other hand, was an uneasy mix of wariness and guarded optimism  his work in Washington was under sharp focus.

The fact is that Jaishankar knows China and its ways well; he was the longest serving Indian envoy here (2009-2013).

That could well be an advantage for New Delhi when he sits on the same negotiating table with Wang  as an equal  the next time they meet, and not just as a bureaucrat like before; he is not a politician without any domain knowledge.

Also Read | Proud to follow in Sushma Swarajs footsteps, says Jaishankar in 1st tweet

I think he himself thinks he understands China well. He was also ambassador to the US. He has very good relations with the US. Now, Sino-India relations at the top level are guided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping themselves. If anything is decided by President Xi and PM Modi, the minister is just the implementer, said Liu Zongyi, general secretary of the Centre for China-South Asia Cooperation Studies at the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies.

Cannot say good or bad (the decision to appoint Jaishankar). It shows PM Modis trust in Jaishankar. If we have confidence in China-India relations in Modis second term, we should have confidence in the person handpicked by the PM, said Li Li, south Asia expert at Tsinghua Universitys Institute of International Relations.

It has been widely reported that it was his briefing to the Cabinet Committee on Security in 2010 regarding Chinas refusal to issue a visa to the Northern Army Commander which led to the temporary suspension of Sino-India defence co-operation before the matter was resolved in April 2011.

Unlike his successors AK Kantha, Vijay Gokhale and Gautam Bambawale in Beijing, Jaishankar didnt speak any Mandarin. But as an excellent student, Beijing knows that he did pick up the nuances of Chinese diplomacy pretty well.A 23-year-old woman and her 21-year-old live-in partner were arrested on Friday for allegedly murdering her four-year-old son and burying his body after cooking up two different stories  one for her family and another for neighbours  to pass it off as an accidental death, the police said.

The police said the childs body with his head and left arm missing was dug out from the burial ground at Wazirabad cremation ground on May 2  eight days after he was murdered. They are now probing how the childs head and arm are missing, despite the body being buried.

The couple are being interrogated to ascertain if they had severed the head and dumped it somewhere to destroy evidence and avoid arrest, the police said.

They suspects have been identified as Komal and her live-in-partner Ravikar.

The couple was arrested on Friday, 38 days after the incident, from southwest Delhis Om Vihar Extension, where they lived in a rented flat. Ravikar allegedly murdered the child in front of her by smashing the childs head against a wall. A case of murder was registered on Friday.

The police said the two confessed to the crime and disclosed that Ravikar wanted to marry Komal, but did not accept her son, Saksham. However, Komal was insistent he accept both of them. Since the couple often had altercations over that matter and Ravikar considered the child a hindrance in the marriage, he murdered the child in a fit of rage.

The couple then cooked up stories to pass off the death as accidental, Anto Alphonse, deputy commissioner of police (Dwarka), said.

On April 23, the couple informed their neighbours that Saksham succumbed to serious head injuries that he suffered when he slipped and fell from the staircase three days ago. On Ravikars request, the neighbours accompanied him to the Wazirabad cremation ground where the childs last rites were performed and his body buried on April 24.

The neighbours initially did not suspect any foul play as they were not aware that the couple was in a live-in relationship and not married, as they had claimed while renting the flat. But as the couple locked the flat went missing after the childs cremation, some neighbours became doubtful, said an investigator.

The police learnt about the childs death on April 24, after Komals relative contacted them and suspected he was murdered. The police said that they got suspicious when they learnt the woman told her family her son died after being hit by a car.

Thereafter, the police directed Komals family members and neighbours to alert them whenever the couple contacts them or returns to their home or the rented home.

The two were arrested on Friday after a neighbour spotted them in the area.Nothing excites them more than the musty smell of ageing books, which they treat as objects of beauty. They travel across continents to track down rare books that rolled off the press hundreds of years ago. They can tell you many fascinating tales of bibliomania, some involving their` own hunts for books. Welcome to the quaint world of antiquarian book dealers.

In India, most people do not understand what we do; they feel we sell secondhand books. Ours is a dying breed; only a few are left in the country, says Delhi-based Sanjiv Jain, whose family owns Southex Books, one of the countrys oldest and well-known antiquarian booksellers in South Extension. Not many people know what it takes to find a rare book. Our search often takes us from the pavement book markets in Delhi and Kolkata to fellow antiquarian dealers in remote European villages.

On many occasions, Jain says, his search ended at the houses of commoners in England. Some of them simply refused to sell their books, others asked an astronomical price. I often told them I needed it for personal use, and they relented, says Jain.

His father GC Jain, an electrical engineer, got into the trade in 1967 in Kolkata and later shifted to Delhi in 1984. Today, the Jains sell mostly to collectors and government institutions. Delhi and Mumbai have the maximum number of rare book collectors, says Jain.

Antiquarian booksellers say that a rare book is one which is difficult to find, but is much sought after. Even a book from 1850 is not rare if no one wants it. A rare book can cost anywhere from a few thousands to a few lakhs.

In fact, most antiquarian booksellers in India got their early collections in the 1940s from the departing Britishers. Kolkata, Indias publishing hub during the 19th and a major part of the 20th century, and Shimla, once the summer capital of British India, were the places where they found some of the rarest books.

Raju Singh at his book store, Chapter 101, in Gurugram. (Yogendra Kumar/HT PHOTO)

My father started the bookshop in the 1950s and his initials collections came from the personal libraries of British families who were leaving India. Since the weather is good in Shimla, the quality of antiquarian books, and their preservation, has never been a problem, says Rajiv Sud, proprietor of Maria Brothers, one of the countrys oldest antiquarian bookshops in Shimla, which boasts over 4,000 rare books  most of them Himalayan travelogues. Among his collection is a 1552 brief history of India published in French.

The internet, these antiquarian book dealers say has upended their trade, changing how books are found, valued sold and bought. There are several websites such as Abe, Shapero, Alibris that allow one to search for a rare book using keywords such as author, title, published date, and attributes such as the first edition, signed, jacket, among others.

While such online platforms have made it very easy to locate books, they have led to a great spike in their costs, making it difficult to buy and offer them to collectors at reasonable prices, says Raju Singh, who runs Chapter 101 in Gurgaon, a bookshop, which offers a wide range of rare books. The mahogany- panelled bookstore has large posters of Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela and Bob Dylan. One can hear soft classical symphonies as one enters the shop.

I have been collecting books since my school days, and the idea behind the shop was to create a beautiful space that inspires people to build their own personal collection. An antiquarian bookseller always keeps an eye out for bookshops. I acquire my rare books from the US and the UK. I like to touch and feel a book before I buy it, says Singh, who opened the shop in 2016.

Antiquarian booksellers will proudly tell you that the rare books trade is not a business but a cultural enterprise as it helps preserve some of the historys greatest printed materials.

But many rue that the Internet has diminished their trade in many ways.

Now everyone who approaches us think they know more than us regarding sourcing, valuation, and preserving books. But I do not think we will ever become irrelevant; the internet cannot replace the knowledge acquired through being in the trade for generations, says Jain. Antiquarian book dealers will remain relevant as not more than 60 per cent of rare books are available online, says Govindraju, 83, who runs Rare Books, a bookstore in Chennais R A Puram. Interestingly, he sold his entire collection of 20,000 books to a fellow dealer in Chennai a few years back. I thought I was done with book collecting and selling, but soon I realised collecting is an addiction one can never get over, and built my collection again from scratch.

Every antiquarian book dealer has his own speciality  if some specialise in literature, others in history. Maria Brothers, for example, specialise in Himalayan travelogues. A rare book dealer must be a booklover. For me, there is no joy like holding a book that was printed centuries ago, says KKS Murthy, who runs Select Book Shop in Bangalore. Set up by his bibliophilic father KBK Rao in 1945, it is one of the most famous antiquarian bookshops in the country.

The 90-year-old Murthy talks with childlike passion about what he calls his adventures in finding rare books while he worked as an aeronautical engineer abroad.

I used to buy rare books for my fathers shop from dealers, pavement shops, and auctioneers in France, US, Spain, says Murthy, who took over the shop in 1977. In Paris, I was most happy when I found a large colour illustrated book on Dasara celebrations during the rule of Sri Krishnaraja Wodeyar, the Maharaja of Mysore. The renowned physicist Sir CV Raman, who was a regular client of my father, had asked for the book.

The Select Book Shop has a collection of 9,000 rare books  some of them from the 15th century. While Murthy no longer goes book hunting, he says the reputation and sources he has built all over the world ensure that his rare books collection remains as good as ever.

I cannot travel at this age, but I have a network of friends, relatives, writer, publishers and dealers, who help me locate and buy rare books. Building sources is very necessary in this profession, says Murthy. He believes that the internet has been good for rare books business as it has made the world of rare books less rarefied. Unlike in the past, a lot of youngsters now come to my shop. A few days ago, a young engineer walked into my shop out of curiosity. Now he works with me on the weekends. He helps me sell books online. Only yesterday, I sold 15 books online. I share a part of the profits with him, says Murthy.

These antiquarian booksellers will tell you that one of the joys of their trade is that sometimes they find tucked inside the pages of rare books notes, love letters, tram tickets, and sometimes, important documents. My father found a copy of the American Declaration of Independence drafted by Thomas Jefferson in 1776 among a stack of rare books he had bought, says Sud.

Many of these antiquarian booksellers, who pride themselves on their book scouting abilities say there are books they have been searching for decades, but failed to find. The first edition of Birds of America by John James Audubon is one such book. Similarly, Shakespeares First Folio is much sought after, but almost impossible to find, says Jain. Both he and Sud also deal in rare maps. Jain has a huge collection of maps from the 16th century, by different cartographers including those by Abraham Ortelius, who published his first map in 1564. Maps of India by James Renell are most sought after.

Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ONThe district secretary of the Samajwadi Party was allegedly shot at by unidentified assailants near the Tilpata crossing in Greater Noida on Friday night, making it the second incident within 12 hours in the district wherein a political party leader was attacked.

The victim was identified as Brajpal Rathi, the Gautam Budh Nagar district secretary of the party. His condition was stated to be stable.

According to police, Rathi was on his way to his house in Eta 1 sector in Greater Noida with a friend and driver in his SUV when the incident occurred.

The incident occurred around 9.30 pm. Rathi was sitting in the second row of the car when unidentified bike borne assailants fired from behind, breaking the rear windshield. A bullet hit the victim on his right hand after which the driver and his friend rushed him to a private hospital in Kasna area of Greater Noida. His condition is stated to be stable, said a police spokesperson.

Police also said that Rathi had a security cover since 2017 based on an order from the High Court which was then lifted in March due to the general elections 2019.

A complaint was given by Rathi against unknown men. He has not mentioned any specific reason as to why this attempt on his life may have happened. An investigation in the matter is underway, said superintendent of police (rural), Vineet Jaiswal.

A case was registered at the Surajpur police station under section 307 (attempt to murder) of the IPC.

On Friday afternoon, the president of Samajwadi Partys Dadri assembly segment 30-year-old Ramtek Kataria was shot dead outside his house.

The family has accused six relatives in the matter. A probe is going on and we will make the arrests soon, said Jaiswal.

Senior party leaders belive that their members are being targeted. This was the second incident in the district within 24 hours. Another of our member was shot dead in Jaunpur district which proves that our party people are being targeted , said Surender Singh Nagar, Rajya Sabha MP and all India general secretary of the Samajwadi party.

A delegation of Samajwadi Party leaders also met the senior superintendent of police on Saturday to discuss these issues. I have assured them of a thorough investigation in both the cases and we are working on arresting the accused soon, said SSP Vaibhav Krishna.During the last days of his tenure as the union minister for consumer affairs in the previous Modi government, Ram Vilas Paswan had expressed regret that the much awaited Consumer Protection Bill, 2018, meant to replace the existing consumer protection law of 1986 , could not be passed by both Houses of Parliament.

He now has a chance to fulfil that promise made to consumers and bring in the new law. But more important, since the Bill has to be introduced afresh in Parliament, he also has an opportunity to improve on the Bill and thats an option he must exercise.

During the Bills long journey from its first draft in 2014 to 2019 when it finally lapsed with the dissolution of the 16th Lok Sabha, the Bill was tweaked several times. Yet, some of the basic flaws in the Bill remained and some of the changes brought about subsequently weakened the proposed law . So much so that I would describe the lapsing of the bill as a blessing in disguise as it gives the ministry time to review the Bill once again, rectify the flaws, remove the anomalies and turn it into a law that truly empowers consumers.

The Bill, for example, does not address the fundamental problem of protracted and complicated litigation, the bane of consumer forums constituted under the Consumer Protection Act of 1986. Instead, it provides an alternative to the consumer forums, in the form of mediation. Ironically, when the law was first enacted, the lawmakers promised that it would provide consumers with an alternate system of consumer justice that enabled them to seek resolution of their disputes with manufacturers and service providers in a simple and quick manner without the help of lawyers.

But consumer justice has turned out to be anything but simple, quick or inexpensive and several studies that went into the reasons for this , have blamed the large presence of lawyers in these forums for the delays as well as the complicated nature of the proceedings. Yet, the Bill does not simplify procedures and prohibit lawyers or even restrict their presence to complaints of high value.

Another major flaw with the 1986 law was the absence of a regulator to enforce the rights of consumers. The Bill does provide for a regulator, but there is no proper focus on the duties of the regulator.

Even though one of the first rights of consumers listed in the CP Act of 1986 is the right to safe goods and services, the enforcement of this right does not get due importance, despite the fact that the markets are flooded with unsafe products and we urgently need to protect consumers from the harm caused by such products. .

On the other hand, there is over-emphasis on unfair trade practices and misleading advertisements to the extent that the law even prescribes imprisonment (fine and jail term of two to five years) for false and misleading advertisements . In fact in most countries, unfair trade practices , including misleading advertisements are handled by the Competition Commission.

Today the world over, there is emphasis on simplifying laws, so that it is easily understood by all.

This is particularly important in respect of consumer protection law , but unfortunately, even the definition of consumer rights in the Bill is not simple and straight forward, so that consumers at least know what their entitlements are.

Lastly, it is important to remember that this is not an amendment to the 1986 law, but a new consumer protection law and this is truly an occasion to rectify the mistakes of the past and come up with a new, dynamic law in keeping with the changing times and needs. And this opportunity should not be frittered away.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ONFresh off their success in getting the Canadian government to remove all references to Sikh/Khalistani extremism in its 2018 Public report on the terror threat to the country, some Sikh groups are now applying pressure on the Justin Trudeau dispensation to declare a nationwide Sikh Genocide Remembrance Day.

These groups will use activities during their observation of the 35th anniversary of Operation Bluestar to pursue their objective.

Among the groups behind the move is the Ontario Gurdwara Committee or OGC, which had also been active during the lobbying campaign to have the reference deleted from the public report after it was released in December last year.

Pro-Khalistani figures like Sukhminder Singh Hansra are also involved in the campaign, as he is the coordinator of the umbrella body, United Front of Sikhs, which is backing it.

As they hold a rally in Ottawa, the Canadian capital, a memorandum will be sent to the office of the Prime Minister asking him to declare the first Saturday of June every year as the Sikh Genocide Remembrance Day.

At the same time, they plan on starting an email campaign which will target MPs in the House of Commons.

Hansra said he was hopeful that a private members bill in this regard will be tabled in the House.

Also read | Operation Bluestar: Seven people who changed the course of Indian history in 1984

With Federal elections in Canada due this October, they see a window of opportunity to attain their goal, as Hansra said, We are targeting key MPs ahead of the upcoming federal election to support this bill and our cause.

Relations between India and the Trudeau Government first began to suffer when a private members bill to recognise the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in India as genocide was passed by the legislature in Ontario in the summer of 2017.

A similar motion had been moved in the House of Commons by Sukh Dhaliwal in 2010, but that was defeated. Dhaliwal is a sitting Liberal Party MP from the province of British Columbia.

Another sitting MP, Jagmeet Singh, leader of the New Democratic Party (NDP) had moved such a motion in the Ontario legislature in 2016 (he was a provincial legislator at the time), but that had also been voted down.

However, it set a precedent for the successful motion brought the next year by then Liberal Party member Harinder Malhi.

Also read | Operation Bluestar Jodhpur detainees: 34 yrs on, 4.5 cr compensation for 40 Sikhs, Punjab agrees to pay half but Centre files challenge

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ONWhen it comes to Taiwan, Chinas generals say they are simply following the example of US President Abraham Lincoln.

Chinas Defence Minister Wei Fenghe on Sunday invoked Lincolns efforts during the US Civil War to justify Beijings approach toward Taiwan, which it sees as an integral part of its territory that must be unified by force if necessary.

American friends told me that Abraham Lincoln was the greatest American president because he led the country to victory in the Civil War and prevented the secession of the US, Wei said on Sunday at the Shangri-La Dialogue, a security conference in Singapore. The US is indivisible, so is China. China must be and will be reunified.

Tensions over China and Taiwan have increased in recent months, with the US regularly sailing warships through the Taiwan Strait. The Trump administration has defended the moves as demonstrations of free passage allowed by international law, while China sees them as provocations.

The US is obligated to sell arms of a defensive character to Taipei under the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act. Trump administration officials have given tacit approval to Taipeis request to buy more than 60 Lockheed Martin Corp. F-16s, Bloomberg reported in March, prompting a fresh protest from China.

Wei said that China could find no justifiable reasons for the US to get involved with China through its domestic law.

No attempts to split China shall succeed, he said, adding that foreign intervention in the Taiwan question is doomed to failure.An eight-member mountaineering team, including seven foreigners, has gone missing on its way to the 7,434 metre high Nanda Devi East peak, prompting a massive search and rescue operation amid bad weather.

The team led by well-known British mountaineer Martin Moran includes three other climbers from the UK, two from the US and one from Australia, besides an officer from the Indian Mountaineering Foundation, New Delhi.

The team had left Munsiyari near Pithoragarh on May 13 to scale the peak but did not return to the base camp on May 25 as scheduled.

The missing climbers are Martin Moran, John McLaren, Richard Payne and Rupert Havel from the UK, Anthony Sudecam and Rachel Bimmel from the US, Ruth Macrain from Australia and IMFs Chetan Pandey, said Pithoragarh District Magistrate V K Jogdande.

The team leader Martin Moran is a well known climber who has already scaled the peak twice in the past, he said.

The district administration launched the search operation after people at the base camp alerted authorities late Friday night.

The team is said to have been missing since May 25 when it was supposed to return to the base camp, Jogdande told reporters Saturday. The route to the peak begins from Munsiyari about 132 km from the district headquarters. Besides the Indo-Tibetan Border Police search teams, a 14-member search and rescue team from Munsiyari too has been sent to the spot this morning, said the district magistrate.

The team comprises men from State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), medical profession, revenue police and local villagers, he said.

Another SDRF team left Dehradun in a helicopter this morning to conduct an aerial survey of the area but inclement weather hampered the operation, Jogdande said.

It has been raining in the district. The helicopter which arrived from Dehradun to conduct an aerial survey could not take off due to bad weather. An air search will be conducted tomorrow if the weather permits, he said. An ITBP search team has reached Martoli village about 21 km from Nanda Devi base camp, he said. We have also sought helicopter sorties from neighbouring districts of Chamoli and Rudraprayag to trace the exact location of the mountaineers,  he said.

(This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.)You are here: Business

German carmaker Mercedes-Benz will recall 44,900 automobiles in China due to a tyre problem, according to China's market regulator.





The recall, starting from Oct. 25, was filed by Mercedes-Benz (China) Automotive Sales Co. and Beijing Benz Automotive Co. It involves its imported and parts of domestically-produced cars manufactured between April 20, 2016 and May 4, 2019, according to the State Administration for Market Regulation.





In the process of driving, the defective tyres may bulge due to external forces, causing safety risks.





The company said it would replace the defective parts free of charge.



Sri Lankas suspended police chief has petitioned the Supreme Court, accusing President Maithripala Sirisena of failing to prevent the Easter bombings that killed 258 people.

In a 20-page complaint, Inspector-General Pujith Jayasundara disclosed serious communication gaps between intelligence agencies and security arms of the government, all which fall under Sirisena.

In the petition submitted to court last week and seen by AFP Sunday, Jayasundara said the countrys premier spy agency, the State Intelligence Service (SIS), ordered him last year to stop ongoing police investigations into Islamic militants.

The SIS, which reports directly to Sirisena, wanted the police Terrorist Investigation Department to stop all inquiries into extremist Muslim factions, including the National Thowheeth Jamaath (NTJ), which was blamed for the Easter Sunday bombings.

Jayasundara said the head of the SIS, Nilantha Jayawardena, did not take seriously the intelligence shared by neighbouring India which warned of an impending attack by the NTJ.

Jayasundara said despite the SIS not sharing information warnings with the police department, he had initiated action to alert his senior men, but he had no input from the main spy agency.

Sirisena suspended Jayasundara after he refused to accept responsibility for the deadly attacks. The Attorney General has asked for a full bench of the apex court to decide the case.

Jayasundara said he was offered a diplomatic post if he took the fall and stepped down, but he refused as he said he was not responsible for the catastrophic intelligence failure.

He said he had been sidelined by the president since a political rift between the President and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe emerged in October.

Jayasundaras petition came days after Sirisena publicly rebuked another intelligence official, Sisira Mendis, after he told a parliamentary panel that the Easter suicide bombings could have been avoided.

Mendiss testimony appeared to put Sirisena in a poor light by implying he had not held National Security Council meetings to review threats such as the attacks carried out by Islamic State.

In a statement, Sirisena denied claims by Mendis that the countrys highest security body had not met as often as it should have around the time of the attacks, which were blamed on Islamic State-backed militants.

Sirisena, who is also defence minister, said in a statement he held NSC meetings twice a week, contradicting Mendis who told parliament the last meeting was on February 19, more than two months before the April 21 bombings targeting three churches and three luxury hotels.

Sirisena said he met with the national police chief and his top brass 13 days before the Easter Sunday attacks and no officer raised warnings which had been relayed by India.

Sri Lanka has been under a state of emergency since the attacks, but Sirisena announced last week that it will end in a month.Chinese Defence Minister Wei Fenghe criticised the United States on Sunday for its support for self-ruled Taiwan and for naval operations in the disputed South China Sea, but said conflict or war between the two countries would be a disaster.

Wei told the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Asias premier defence summit, that China would fight to the end if anyone tried to split China from Taiwan, which Beijing considers a sacred territory to be taken by force if necessary.

No attempts to split China will succeed. Any interference in the Taiwan question is doomed to failure, said Wei, who was dressed in his uniform of a general in the Peoples Liberation Army.

China-U.S. ties have become increasingly strained due to a bitter trade war, U.S. support for Taiwan and Chinas muscular military posture in the South China Sea, where the United States also conducts freedom-of-navigation patrols.

On Saturday, acting US Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan told the meeting that the United States would no longer tiptoe around Chinese behaviour in Asia.

Wei, in a clear reference to the United States, also said: Some countries from outside the region come to the South China Sea to flex muscles in the name of freedom of navigation.

In a combative speech, Wei said China would fight to the end if the United States wanted to fight on trade issues. But if Washington wanted to talk, we will keep the door open.A Russian prince piloting a modified Spitfire for the RAF targeted a Junkers JU-86R during World War IIs highest aerial combat

In the summer of 1940, a challenging new opponent appeared in the skies over Britain. A prototype German reconnaissance airplane, it flew at a leisurely 200 mph but could climb to an altitude of 41,000 feetwell out of reach of the Royal Air Forces best interceptor, the Supermarine Spitfire. The Junkers Ju-86P flew so high that the Germans considered defensive armament unnecessary. These diesel-powered recon planes made sporadic overflights of Britain, but by early 1941 they had been transferred to Eastern Europe to conduct covert operations over the Soviet Union in preparation for Operation Barbarossa, Germanys invasion of June 1941. By the late summer of 1942, however, they were back over Britain, this time carrying bombs. The high-flying Junkers reappearance in the West, and their deployment over Egypt at that critical juncture in the war, had been prompted by two very different imperatives: propaganda-driven revenge over England, and strategic reconnaissance in the Middle East.

The high-altitude Ju-86 variants had their beginnings in an innovative but ultimately mediocre twin-engine bomber of the mid-1930s. That aircrafts technical distinction lay in its 600-hp Junkers Jumo diesel engines, which Hugo Junkers spent years developing. Diesel power plants offered excellent fuel economy but were heavy, resulting in a very poor power-to-weight ratio in aviation applications. To solve that problem, Junkers created a two-stroke design that used opposed pistons in a single bore. His weight-saving measures made it possible to produce diesel engines only marginally heavier than their gasoline-powered equivalents.

Despite Junkers innovative design, the new diesel was the primary reason for the Ju-86s lackluster performance during its introduction to combat in the Spanish Civil War. The diesel power plant proved to be unreliable, requiring careful maintenance to avoid seizing pistons and exhaust port erosion. As a result, most Ju-86s had been relegated to training units by the time World War II began.

Junkers had also been at the forefront of high-altitude research during the 1930s, building two experimental aircraft in an effort to develop pressurized cabins. In addition, by 1939 the company was developing a high-altitude version of the Jumo 205 diesel engine, the 900-hp Jumo 207A equipped with two superchargers.

Seeking a market opportunity for their now obsolescent bomber airframes, in September 1939 Junkers proposed to the German Air Ministry a modification of the basic Ju-86D bomber for use at high altitude. The prototype featured the new diesels driving three-blade propellers and the military worlds first pressurized cockpit. The self-contained cockpit seated a two-man crew and maintained pressure equivalent to that at an altitude of 10,000 feet. Bleed air from the port engines supercharger was used for pressurization, and warm air ducted between the cockpits sandwiched windows prevented their frosting over at altitude.



A crewman climbs aboard a Ju-86P prior to taking off on a reconnaissance mission over England. (Luftkrieg.net) A crewman climbs aboard a Ju-86P prior to taking off on a reconnaissance mission over England. (Luftkrieg.net)

In early 1940, two prototypes flew to test the new systems. They were soon joined by a third version equipped with wings extended by 10 feet. With its nearly 84-foot wings, the third prototype was capable of reaching 40,000 feet. Though the pressurized cockpit and new engines worked well, the extremely low temperatures at those unprecedented altitudes resulted in numerous equipment problems. Airspeed and climb rate indicators, altimeters and engine instrumentation all failed due to icing and cold. The extreme operating altitudes also brought the very slow Junkers into contact with jet-stream winds that considerably reduced their range. Still, the success of the prototypes resulted in a contract for the conversion of 40 Ju-86Ds into two variants of the P model: the P-1 bomber, capable of carrying four 551-pound bombs, and the P-2 unarmed reconnaissance version. Both could reach just 186 mph at altitude, but like the much later Lockheed U-2, they relied on their high-altitude performance for immunity from interception.

During the summer of 1940, one of the prototypes was assigned to the Luftwaffe high command for operational trials, in the course of which it reached 41,000 feet during a sortie over England. Throughout the winter of 1940-41, both the reconnaissance and bomber versions flew a handful of missions over Britain without notable success. By the spring of 1941, most of those aircraft had been transferred to the East, where they conducted reconnaissance flights over the Soviet Union.

Development of the high-flying Ju-86 continued in anticipation of better-performing enemy interceptors. The further improved R model boasted more powerful engines and a tapering wing extension that increased the span to 105 feet. The use of nitrous oxide injection at altitude enabled the diesels to produce more power at 40,000 feet than had the P models engines at 32,000 feet (750 hp vs. 680 hp). With the addition of four-blade propellers, the new engines and wings allowed the Ju-86R to fly as high as 47,000 feet. Like its predecessor, the R model appeared in both bomber and reconnaissance versions.

After most Ju-86 units had been diverted to support preparations for Operation Barbarossa in the winter of 1940-41, Britain enjoyed a prolonged respite from the overflights. By mid-1942, however, with Germany increasingly targeted by British raids, the Luftwaffe sought to retaliate, if only symbolically. In August it began sending Ju-86R-2 bombers over southern England, never more than two at a time. The single 551-pound bomb each plane carried was meager retribution for the havoc wrought by the RAFs night bombing campaign, which on May 30 had reached a milestone with the first thousand-bomber raid on Cologne.

The Germans began their nuisance bombing campaign on August 24, when two Ju-86R-2s took off from Beauvais, France, for a meandering survey of Englands south coast. Two bombs, dropped on Camberley and Southampton, did little appreciable damage, but the Spitfires of a Polish RAF squadron scrambled to intercept the Ju-86s failed to curtail their malicious tourisma propaganda boon for the Germans that they touted without mentioning the operations small scope.

During the ensuing three weeks, the R-2s conducted 10 more missions over England. In view of the Junkers light bombloads and ineffective bombing from the stratospheric altitudes at which they flew, the British at first implemented a policy of not sounding air raid sirens for single aircraft. Then, during the morning rush hour of August 28, a Ju-86 dropped a bomb in the heart of Bristol, wrecking several buses, killing 48 civilians and wounding 56and providing further impetus for the development of a defense against the raids.

The primary British interceptor, the Spitfire Mark V, simply couldnt reach the altitude necessary to attack the bombers. The Mark IX, which had recently begun to enter squadron service, enjoyed a considerably improved service ceiling due to its new Rolls-Royce Merlin engine with a two-stage supercharger, but even that fighter could not reach the Ju-86s.

As part of its campaign to intercept the high-flying Junkers, the RAF established a Special Service Flight at RAF Croydon, outside London. Six pilots were selected for a unit commanded by Flight Lt. Jimmy Nelson, an American member of the Eagle Squadrons who had chosen to remain in the RAF after the U.S. entered the war. The units most colorful member, Pilot Officer Emanuel Galitzine, was an expatriate Czarist Russian prince. The pilots received specialized high-altitude training, including sessions in an altitude chamber and lectures on high-altitude physiology.



On September 12, 1942, RAF Pilot Officer Emanuel Galitzine intercepted a Ju-86R-2, flying a Spitfire Mark IX, specially modified for the task. (HistoryNet Archives) On September 12, 1942, RAF Pilot Officer Emanuel Galitzine intercepted a Ju-86R-2, flying a Spitfire Mark IX, specially modified for the task. (HistoryNet Archives)

Meanwhile, two Spitfires were specially modified in an effort to increase their ceiling. Each planes weight was reduced by 450 pounds by installing a wooden propeller and removing all armor and the four .303-caliber machine guns. That left only two 20mm cannons as armament. The fighters were given a coat of lightweight light blue paint for camouflage. Galitzine recalled that the modified Spitfire was a delight to fly. During his sole training flight, he attained 43,000 feet, enjoying spectacular views of southern England and across the English Channel into occupied France.

On September 12, Galitzine set out on his first operational flight in the refurbished Spit after radar detected an aircraft climbing to great height over the French coast before crossing the Channel and penetrating British airspace. At 9:27 a.m. Galitzine scrambled from Northolt and, climbing rapidly, was vectored south toward Portsmouth. He was still climbing through 40,000 feet when he spotted a gray-blue Ju-86 with an enormous wingspan slightly above him. At 42,000 feet it became apparent that the German pilot, Sergeant Horst Gotz, had seen the Spitfire.

Gotz, a veteran of missions in which Spitfires had attempted interception but failed, was shocked to see that this one could reach his altitude. The German immediately jettisoned his bomb and injected nitrous oxide into the engines to boost power, trying to outclimb the Spit. But after Galitzine dropped his 30-gallon external tank, he still had a climbing advantage over the bomber.

The RAF pilot began his attack from slightly above and 200 yards astern. But soon after he opened fire, his left cannon jammed. The resulting asymmetric force of his functional starboard weapon caused the fighter to yaw to the right and into the Ju-86s contrail, which instantly frosted the Spitfires canopy and sent the plane out of control.

After the canopy cleared, Galitzine renewed his attack three times against the highly maneuverable German aircraft, climbing as high as 44,000 feet. But each attack ended the same way: with his canopy frosted and the Spit out of control. After 45 minutes, with his fuel running low, the frustrated RAF pilot broke off the engagement and the Ju-86 disappeared into clouds over the Channel. Thus ended the highest combat engagement of WWII.

Gotz made it back to France, landing at Caen to assess minor damage to his aircrafts left wing from a 20mm shell before returning to Beauvais. But now that the Luftwaffe realized the Ju-86s were vulnerable to interception, they were never sent across the Channel again.

In comparison to their nuisance raids over Britain, Ju-86s presented a far more tangible strategic threat in the eastern Mediterranean. The summer of 1942 represented the nadir of British fortunes in that theater. Two years of seesaw battles across the deserts of northern Egypt and Libya had culminated in a temporary stalemate at El Alamein, 60 miles west of Alexandria. During the desperate battles around El Alamein, as both sides attempted to reinforce and resupply their armies, the Luftwaffe relied on the Ju-86P-2 for reconnaissance. The Ju-86s ranged far and wide behind enemy lines, providing the Germans with vital intelligence on the pace and scope of the frantic British buildup.

Flying from Kastelli, in occupied Crete, the Ju-86s of the 2nd Squadron of Long-Range Reconnaissance Group 123 had begun operations over North Africa in May, as the fighting moved from Libya to El Alamein. The squadrons operations over Egypt remained unchallenged by the RAF until late August. Attempts by local RAF commanders to counter the enemy recon planes were handicapped due to the scarcity of the Spitfire Mark IXs that had been used to defend England. But since the Germans were still using the relatively less capable P model in Egypt, an atmospheric quirk allowed even the Mark Vs a chance to reach the high-flying Junkers.



Luftwaffe personel stand beside a Ju-86R undergoing testing in Germany. (Luftkrieg.net) Luftwaffe personel stand beside a Ju-86R undergoing testing in Germany. (Luftkrieg.net)

That atmospheric quirk had to do with the tropopause, the boundary between the lowest atmospheric layerthe troposphereand the higher stratosphere. Below the tropopause, the ever-cooler air remains relatively dense as altitude increases, providing adequate oxygen for engines as they climb. But upon reaching the stratosphere, aircraft performance rapidly dwindles. Since the altitude of the performance-robbing tropopause varies inversely with latitude, at Egypts lower latitude the tropopause occurs at a higher altitude than it does over England. That meant the Mark Vs maximum ceiling was considerably higher over Egypt than it was over England.

As in Britain, significant modifications were required to increase the Spitfires performance. The RAFs 103 Maintenance Unit made the modifications at Aboukir, near Alexandria, where three Spitfire Mk. Vbs were stripped of all extraneous equipment, beginning with their armor. The four machine guns were removed, and the heavy 20mm cannons replaced with two lighter .50-caliber guns. A four-blade propeller took the place of the standard three-blade prop, and the engines compression ratio was increased. Finally, the wings were extended by fitting the Mark VIs pointed tips.

On August 24, one of the modified Spits, flown by Flying Officer George Reynolds, encountered a Ju-86 near Cairo at 37,000 feet. The German plane climbed to 42,000 feet in an attempt to evade the Spitfire, which managed to get close enough to open fire with its machine gunsapparently without effect, as the Ju-86 escaped.

While that inconclusive confrontation seemed like a promising start, it also suggested the need for additional modifications. The Spits were further lightened by removing the heavy radio and its drag-inducing antenna masts. A lighter battery was installed, and the already short-ranged interceptors would take off with 30 fewer gallons of fuel.

To direct the now-radioless Spitfires, the RAF employed them as part of a two-aircraft team. Each fully lightened Striker would be accompanied by a lighter but radio-equipped Marker aircraft. Flying as a team, the Striker would shadow the Marker from several thousand feet above until he was in visual contact with the target aircraft.

The first test of this new stratagem came on August 29, when Pilot Officer George Genders got into position below a Ju-86 just long enough to fire a short burst before his weapons jammed. While Genders made no claim, German records indicate he must have damaged the enemy aircraft, since it eventually ditched in the sea short of Crete and its crew was rescued.

A week later Genders again encountered a Ju-86 at altitude, beginning a chase that led 80 miles out over the Mediterranean. The RAF pilot fired on the enemy plane, forcing it to descend to an altitude where the trailing Marker aircraft, flown by Pilot Officer Arthur Gold, could inflict further damage. The Ju-86 crash-landed in the desert behind German lines. Genders extended pursuit had exhausted his fuel supply, however, forcing him to ditch off the Egyptian coastfollowed by a 21-hour swim to shore.

The next month saw two more inconclusive encounters between the Spitfires and Ju-86s. But by downing two of the three operational Ju-86s on Crete, the Spits had effectively negated the German reconnaissance planes value and stopped their sorties over defended targets. The high-flying Junkers war was over.

Pittsburgh-based writer Pete Lehmann is a hang-gliding and sailplane devotee who has pursued his passion for 30-plus years on five continents. Further reading: Warplanes of the Third Reich, by William Green; and Spitfire Mark V Aces of 1941-1945, by Alfred Price.

This story was published in the January 2017 issue of Aviation History magazine. Subscribe here.

Ready to build your own Ju-86R? Take a look at our exclusive online modeling feature!Hong Kong: Vetting of fugitive law backed

Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung today said the Government will fully co-operate with the Legislative Council in its vetting of the fugitive bill.

Mr Cheung made the statement after the LegCo Secretariat received more than 200 amendments from legislators to the bill.

He noted the LegCos summer recess will start in mid-July and hoped legislators could handle the issue in a practical manner.

Mr Cheung also pointed out there is an urgency to pass laws that would allow the Government to engage in a formal dialogue with Taiwan authorities regarding the homicide case.

This story has been published on: 2019-06-02. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 2)  The police detail of the Tulfo brothers have been pulled out following directives from Interior Secretary Eduardo Ano.

Ano, in a message to CNN Philippines Sunday, confirmed the pullout of the security detail of the broadcast personalities Raffy, Erwin, and Ben Tulfo, as well as ACT-CIS Party-list Representative Jocelyn Tulfo.

In a statement, the Philippine National Police said the two security personnel -- who fall under the Police Special Protection Group -- assigned to Erwin Tulfo will undergo the regular inspection, interview and debriefing this week

"Based on standard protocols, the two (2) PNP security personnel assigned to Erwin Tulfo will undergo the regular inspection, interview and debriefing this week following an assigned schedule among all PSPG personnel on security detail," PCol. Bernard Banac, PNP spokesperson, said in a statement.

Banac added that the review of security personnel applies to "all authorized protectees," and that the continuation of security detail will largely depend on the outcome of this regular review process and the revalidation of the level of threats against the protectees.

Moreover, the military also pulled out two marines assigned to the special envoy to China Ramon Tulfo, who were among those recalled in response to a lack of personnel in the Marine Corps.

Armed Forces of the Philippines Spokesperson Brig. Gen. Edgar Arevalo explained Sunday that the recall of security details to Ramon has nothing to do with his brother Erwin's criticisms against the social welfare secretary.

These recalls come after the radio broadcaster Erwin apologized to the Department of Social Welfare and Development for his on-air tirades and threats against Secretary Rolando Bautista on his television radio program. But, Tulfo refused to take back his remark that the Cabinet official is inefficient.

The Philippine Military Alumni Association said it would file libel and defamation cases against the broadcaster.

Arevalo added that they released the order to recall personnel since last year but its recent implementation bares no connection to the controversy surrounding Erwin Tulfo.

The fact that it took effect only recently is part of the process, stated Arevalo.You are here: Business

BMW will recall 319,045 vehicles in the Chinese market due to defective PCV valve heaters, according to China's market regulator.

The recall, set to begin on Aug. 30, involves 174,027 domestically-produced sedans and 145,018 imported cars, according to a statement on the website of the State Administration for Market Regulation.

Due to defective materials and manufacturing mistakes, internal elements of PCV valve heaters may short-circuit, overheat and melt, increasing risks of fires, the statement said.

BMW promised to replace all the defective parts of the affected vehicles free of charge.You are here: China

China will issue a white paper about its stance on economic and trade talks with the United States Sunday morning.

The white paper, titled China's Position on the China-U.S. Economic and Trade Consultations, will be released at 10 a.m. on June 2 by the State Council Information Office, which will also hold a press conference.The last we've heard of Donald Trump, he was getting dragged all over social media for calling the Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle "nasty." The comment was made during an interview with The Sun, shortly before Donnie was off to England, France, and other European countries. When a reporter asked Trump about his feelings with regards to Markle not wanting to meet with him, he said: "I didn't know that she was nasty." Although he tried to somewhat sugarcoat his statements with the following: "I am sure she will go excellently [as a royal]. She will be very good." It did not stop the drag from occurring.

Reports by UPROXX now indicate the current US president is vehemently denying ever saying that. In the familiar "Fake News" post he loves to make on Twitter, Trump shared via a tweet: "I never called Meghan Markle nasty. Made up by the Fake News Media, and they got caught cold! Will @CNN, @nytimes and others apologize? Doubt it!" The gag is, however, that there is actual audio evidence that supports he did say it. The president's war room shared the audio and we can clearly hear him saying it. Hence, confusion is the word here.

[Via]Ava DuVernay's When They See Us has officially hit Netflix and the ensuing reactions were explosive. The miniseries explored the events underlying the infamous case of the Central Park Five where five black teenagers were wrongfully accused of raping a Central Park jogger. Since the series launched, fans have taken their concerns their social media to express their sadness, anger, and disgust. Moreover, since its release, several fans have shared their outrage at the legal authorities' lack of professionalism and care when it comes to the lives of the Black & Brown. Now with the limited series out for the world to see and despite the 2002 exoneration of the wrongfully incarcerated youth involved, the fans are calling for greater justice.

Linda Fairstein, the ruthless prosecutor behind the wrongful conviction, is now being dragged to filth. Those who have watched the powerful series want to take down the woman who played an essential part in their incarceration. Fairstein currently holds a distinction of a New York Times bestselling author for numerous crime novels which she penned. Though now, fans have called for Amazon, Barnes & Noble and more to pull her books off the shelves. A viral post entitled "Justice for the Central Park Five" has gone viral and is being shared by major influencers. Even celebrities such as Yandy Smith from Love & Hip Hop and more have retweeted it.

It looks like social media has its own way to deliver justice. We expect more details on what happened next in the future.

https://twitter.com/_/status/1134667582072602624

https://twitter.com/_/status/1134514240910385152

https://twitter.com/_/status/1134704098455015424

https://twitter.com/_/status/1132707181583884289

https://twitter.com/_/status/1134638365763153921

https://twitter.com/_/status/1134399118263148547

https://twitter.com/_/status/1134435952787697664



[Via]Kanye West hopes to help supporting artists on the rise with a new incubator program. The program will provide support, through financial assistance, as well as guidance, through mentorship, to budding talent in the area of fashion and design. The incubator has already chosen its first beneficiary of the grant: Chicago-born, Parsons graduate Maisie Schloss - who was one part of the Yeezy womenswear design team.Yeezy is a really special environment for growing and developing a career. When I started I was just an assistant, but the highly creative and unconventional atmosphere allowed for me to have visibility and input in a wide variety of projects, Schloss told Vogue.

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

Kanye very generously offered to support me; he truly cares about sharing resources, creating opportunities for creatives to grow and be recognized, she continued. Schloss will debut the collection for her brand, Masie Wilen, in Los Angeles, and then later in Paris. The capsule will include 85 pieces, ranging from $100 to $950. My first collection is inspired by rhythmic gymnastics and robotics, specifically studying how elegant fluidity emerges from rigid systems. Strongly driven by print, the clothes themselves are playful and fashion-forward but rooted in very wearable shapes, she detailed, in her interview with Vogue.

Rich Fury/Getty Images

Most recently, Kanye appeared in David Lettermans Netflix series, My Next Guest Needs No Introduction. Their discussion touched upon Kanye's experience with being bipolar, with Ye explaining: "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," Kanye explained, according to Entertainment Tonight. "And you start acting erratic, as TMZ would put it."After reemerging from the shadows earlier this year, Latrell James has properly issued something of a comeback tour, dropping off a series of noteworthy tracks and lengthening a catalog that was left untouched for some time.

With "Tracphone," James asserted his talents from behind the mic with fortitude and this time around he keeps it up with his latest "One Call" track. Once more, you can find James spitting soulful on his own experiences while dishing out food for thought as "One Call" dwells on the significance of checking in with those around you.

"'One call is a reminder that mortality is real," the Boston emcee says of the track. "We all get caught up in living our own lives that we forget to check in on others."

Quotable Lyrics

Ain't no space, ain't no time

if I ever cross your mind

Hit my line

I'm just one phone call awayWe recently reported on Meek Mill's racist encounter with the well-known Las Vegas Cosmopolitan Hotel. The facility staff threatened to have Meek arrested for trespassing and denied his entry to the hotel because of an alleged previous altercation with a security guard. The claim itself was made on shady grounds and no proof was provided to support it. Since then, a slew of back and forth occurred wherein Meek announced he would sue the hotel for their racial profiling and their discriminative treatment of him. The hotel also first denied all claims, stating Meek Mill was rejected due to capacity and not racism. In the end, however, the Cosmopolitan Hotel opted for a public apology where they emphasized "zero tolerance for discrimination."

A new update offered by Hip Hop Wired indicates that Meek Mill accepted the apology. The confirmation came from Philly-bred artist's lawyer, Joe Tacopina, who affirmed that his client received and accepted the mea culpa. Moreover, as Meek had previously threatened to sue the hotel, the lawyer also added that he will no longer do so. Hence all is well and it is good to see Meek Mill is forgiving. Though, we are certain he will never forget.

[Via]It's no surprise that songstress and business mogul, Rihanna, has had a lot on her plate lately, with the launch of her luxury partnership with LVMH, Fenty, her big move to London, as well as the continual release of new, sexy lingerie pieces to her SAVAGExFENTY brand. However, despite all this, fans continue demanding that the star go back to her roots and RELEASE NEW MUSIC (!!!).

Her last album release, ANTI, was all the way back in 2016, and since then, she's been taking fans on an emotional rollercoaster regarding whether or not there really is new music on the way. Back in September of last year, Rihanna's response to a fan left the Navy hopeful once more that the songstress was working on something, but unsure as to when exactly it would be released. "I know I know sis. I'm doing music. Simultaneously doing lingerie, makeup, film, amongst a couple other things that I enjoy. when the music is ready, you won't have to ask for it. But it's coming. Just not today sis. I'm hype too tho, it can't come soon enough for me. #Navy4Life," the response to the Instagram comment read.

Rihanna's also known for trolling her fans though, taking to lightheartedly teasing them about whether or not she's cooking up something. Two months after her response to the fan, she took to Instagram once more to post a muted clip of her dancing and singing along to what could be assumed was a new single. After that, the star continued having her fun with fans trolling them with comments and clips of her teasingly disregarding their requests for new music.

Most recently though, Rih took to Instagram to post a short clip of her exhausted looking face with the caption "behind the scenes of 'Where's the album?'" with a 5:40 am timestamp. Could this mean we can be expecting a badgal drop soon?UPDATE: Sephora has issued the following statement regarding the store closures: "Sephora is a client-centric company and creating a welcoming space for our all our clients is our top priority. The We Belong to Something Beautiful campaign has been in the works for a year, and the plan to close our U.S. stores, distribution centers, call centers and corporate office for a one hour inclusivity workshop with our 16,000 employees has been in development for over six months, timed with our first campaign chapter debuting on June 6th. This store closure is part a long journey in our aspiration to create a more inclusive beauty community and workplace, which has included forming employee resource groups, building Social Impact and philanthropic programs, and hosting inclusive mindset training for all supervisors.

While it is true that SZAs experience occurred prior to the launch of the We Belong to Something Beautiful campaign, the campaign was not the result of this Tweet. However, it does reinforce why belonging is now more important than ever. Our entire organization is excited to set aside this time to re-commit to building an environment of inclusion. Well be discussing what it means to belong, across many different lenses that include, but are not limited to, gender identity, race and ethnicity, age, abilities, and more. This week marks the first step in our journey, and with the goal of ensuring everyone feels welcome in the beauty category, we hope that We Belong to Something Beautiful helps further foster that belief, for the benefit of our clients, for the betterment of the industry and our communities at large."



Brian Ach/Getty Images

---

Sephora is making company-wide changes following the incident which happened at their Calabasas location with TDE songstress SZA. As you may recall, SZA called out "Sandy Sephora" for having her followed through the store and calling the police out of the belief that she was stealing. The racial profiling incident led to much outrage on social media, with users calling for the boycott of Sephora. And since SZA was simply attempting to purchase her Fenty Beauty, Rihanna herself chimed in with a gift card which cited "go buy your Fenty in peace, sis." Ever since the ordeal occurred, Sephora has been doing major damage control.

https://www.instagram.com/p/ByLzOJ6Fkfi



According to USA Today, Sephora is planning on closing all its stores on June 5th to place workers in a sensitivity and diversity training. The initiative was prompted by SZA's incident and will hopefully serve to prevent any similar incidents from happening in the future. Approximately 16K employees will be trained on the brand's values which includes, based on a released statement, "building a community where diversity is expected" because the makeup supplying company "believes in championing all beauty." Moreover, the training will not only take place in the retail stores but also at the distribution and corporate levels.

[Via]The TSU Riot of 1967 was a formative experience for many Houstonians swept up in the vast social changes of the '60s. Fifty years later, though, a lack of historical markers or public recognition of the incident, official or otherwise, represents a kind of collective shrug towards reconciling that past.

Local and national newspapers, including the Houston Chronicle, labeled the incident a riot. Visit the Texas State Historical Association's Handbook of Texas History Online, and there, under "Riots," a brief description reaffirms parts of the prevailing narrative: On the night of May 17, 1967, TSU students rioted. (They were black.) Police officers responded. (They were mostly white.) All of which resulted in thousands of shots fired, the arrest of nearly 500 students, traumatic injuries on both sides and the tragic death of a rookie police officer, Louis Kuba. (He was white. And young. And an expectant father.)

What was often left out of press coverage is that the students weren't actually rioting. There were no reports of looting, destruction of property or mass resistance of arrest, all essential hallmarks of a riot.

Bettman Corbis Images

More accurately, this was a protest, followed by the alleged throwing of debris at a police car, followed by a police invasion of campus, followed by an isolated shooting of a police officer, which then escalated into an Alamo-scale shootout  all of which, while complex, does not constitute a riot.

Nor was there much discussion on how the so-called "TSU Five"  the five students charged with conspiracy and incitement to riot  were exonerated due to insufficient evidence.

Or that Officer Kuba was shot and killed with a .30 caliber bullet, which was not only incompatible with confiscated guns from the dormitory, but, in fact, indicated HPD ricochet fire, confirmed in ballistic and coroner reports.

Much of the press coverage failed to mention that HPD officers were reportedly roughing up students and intimidating protesters due to protests concerning an illegal dump site earlier that day, or that tensions were already high due to increased police surveillance on campus, or any mention of myriad other factors that came into play that evening.

Nevertheless, most reports confirm that HPD fired somewhere around 3,000 rounds into Lanier Dormitory. That was followed by a police raid which caused tens of thousands of dollars in property damage.

Houston Chronicle

Ultimately, in this early-morning raid, HPD officers arrested 488 students, many of whom were half-naked or in pajamas. It was the greatest mass arrest in Houston history.

Most accounts tended to reiterate a story which pitted seemingly angry black students against officers of the law.

Cultural productions such as music, art, folklore, literature and oral histories offer ways to rebut such one-sided narratives to create more meaningful and impactful stories of who we are  as citizens of shared spaces, cities, states and nations.

TSU professor Thomas Meloncon and his early-1970s folk songs, perhaps some of the greatest protest songs from Houston, provide some insight into the city's Civil Rights-era counterculture, often overlooked in discourses on postwar Houston.

Meloncon honed his folk-singing craft shortly after enrolling as one of the first African-American students at previously segregrated South Texas Junior College in the fall of 1967, just a few months after that fateful incident. He later transferred to TSU.

In "400 Years," a spirited ballad which conjures Woodstock-era Richie Havens, Meloncon bemoans the continued existence of slavery through stories of his antecedents, who are all too familiar with the pains of racism and anti-black violence.

In a recent interview at his office at TSU, next to Lanier Dormitory, Meloncon discussed "400 Years" and documenting the story of twentieth-century Black Houston through cultural art forms. "It was the idea that for 400 years, we were brought here, in slavery, against our will, and trying to endure all of that. And yet at the same time, trying to hold on to our sanity."

Meloncon's subsequent recording, "Bullets of a Gun," a powerful song of uplift and liberation, condemned the assassination of black leaders, including Martin Luther King., Jr., Malcolm X and Carl Hampton  the local activist famously killed in a gun battle with HPD in 1970.

"All of those songs reflected what was going on here and the larger condition that African Americans were caught in," Meloncon recalled. "Here in Houston, I observed a lot of things around me, and there were a lot of African Americans who were doing progressive things. Even so many years later, this music is a reflection of our history, and talking about people like Carl Hampton, you know, is a way of preserving it."

Fifty years later, the collective memory of the TSU Riot remains foggy. But songs of social consciousness and other cultural art forms can sometimes contextualize such contested histories. And they can serve as a reminder to reconcile the sometimes-painful past, so that, if we're doing it right, we can avoid its repetition.

Houston Chronicle

Alex LaRotta is a first-generation Colombian-American and native Houstonian. A deejay as well as a history Ph.D. student at the University of Houston, he is working a dissertation on the history of Texas soul.

Bookmark Gray Matters. It offers ways to rebut one-sided narratives to create more meaningful and impactful stories of who we are.

You are here: China

Five trapped workers have been confirmed dead following a collapse at a metro tunnel construction site in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, according to the project management company.





Qingdao Metro said the last trapped victim was found dead at 9 p.m. Saturday.





The collapse occurred at 5:40 p.m. Monday at a construction site of the No. 4 Metro Line, trapping five workers. By Tuesday morning, rescuers had found the bodies of three victims.





The search and rescue work has been finished.



WASHINGTON - A group of District of Columbia lawmakers wants to make the nation's capital the first jurisdiction to restore voting rights to prisoners while they're still incarcerated.

Democratic Councilman Robert White, with support of a majority of the 13-member body, plans to introduce legislation Tuesday to repeal language in a 1955 law that disenfranchises D.C. residents upon felony convictions. Every state except Maine and Vermont has stripped voting rights from prisoners.

"Unfortunately, in the District and across the country, incarcerated people make up a sizable population of residents," White said. "They don't lose their citizenship when they are incarcerated, so they shouldn't lose their right to vote."

D.C. already has some of lowest restrictions on felons voting. Felons in D.C. and 14 states have their voting rights automatically restored when they are released from prison, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Elections officials visit the D.C. jail to help nonfelons cast absentee ballots.

White's bill thrusts D.C. to the vanguard of the felon enfranchisement movement. Bills to eliminate lifetime voting bans on felons and to restore voting rights to those on parole or probation have won bipartisan support in statehouses and at ballot boxes.

But allowing people to vote in prison remains controversial and tests the limits of the movement.

The issue briefly flared up in the Democratic presidential primary when Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., backed prisoner voting during a CNN town hall. The rest of the field has been cool to the idea, although some suggested allowing nonviolent offenders to vote.

President Donald Trump criticized prisoner voting, which he and other conservatives have used to deride Democrats as wanting the Boston bomber and incarcerated terrorists to vote.

White said he's bracing for similar arguments against his bill.

"The Constitution makes no statement directly or indirectly that the right to vote is somehow contingent on behavior," White said.

"It is a very slippery slope when we start to decide who does and does not have the fundamental rights of democracy based on what we see as the level of crime they commit, nor do I believe that any of these extreme examples of who should not vote would tip an election."

Six of 13 D.C. Council members have agreed to help introduce White's bill: Council members.

Representatives for Mayor Muriel Bowser and Attorney General Karl Racine, both Democrats, issued statements supporting expanding voting rights generally, but they did not take a stance on White's bill.

National advocates said D.C. could elevate prisoner voting from the fringe of the felon enfranchisement debate.

"In D.C., a city where elected officials claim progressive governance and want to be viewed as a model in expanding rights, this would be a significant example that others states and jurisdictions could point to," said Nicole Porter, policy director for The Sentencing Project, a criminal justice advocacy group.

White says the discussion around criminal voting restrictions should focus on the racist motivations of the laws and how they disproportionately disenfranchise black residents. In Virginia, one of the drafters of a 1902 constitution that imposed a lifetime voting ban for felons cited the need "to eliminate the darkey as a political factor."

"For 164 years ,there was no law on the books preventing incarcerated residents from voting, and it's only been on our books for 64 years," said White. "When we start to reframe our point of view on this and understand that voting is a basic tenet of our democracy, people will have a more reasoned view of this issue."

D.C. is also unique because it has no prisons, meaning about 6,000 residents are locked up in federal facilities outside the city.

"D.C. people are already disenfranchised and separated from their fellow residents and citizens, so it's important that they have a chance to practice citizenship," said Ronald Moten, an activist for anti-violence causes and returning citizens in D.C. "We forget all about what they need when they come home from prison because they are not here. If you knew that their vote counted, that would be a whole different ballgame."

The federal Bureau of Prisons allows prisoners to receive mail from government agencies, including absentee ballots from Maine and Vermont.

"Eligibility to vote is determined by each voting locality," a spokesman for the agency said in response to an inquiry about the D.C. bill. Flash

The Russian warplanes struck a town in the countryside of the rebel-held Idlib province in northwestern Syria on Saturday, a war monitor reported.

The airstrikes targeted the Khan Sheikhun in the countryside of Idlib, killing at least two people and wounding four others, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

This comes amid shelling and battles between the Syrian army and the rebels in the southern countryside of Idlib and the nearby northern countryside of Hama province in central Syria.

There has been no independent confirmation of the airstrike.

Areas in the countryside of Hama, Idlib and the western countryside of Aleppo are included in the de-escalation zones deal which was reached between Russia and Turkey in September 2018.

The deal failed to materialize as the al-Qaida-linked Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group expanded in Idlib and started attacks on Syrian military positions instead of withdrawing from the designated zone which combines Idlib with Hama and Aleppo countryside as well as mountain areas in the eastern countryside of Latakia province.

The military operation started in the aforementioned areas in late April 2019.



A tropical disturbance in the southern Gulf of Mexico could bring some wet weather to Southeast Texas this week.

The system is currently moving toward southern Mexico and wet weather may land in the Houston region Tuesday through Thursday, with widespread showers and increased chances of thunderstorms, according to the National Weather Service.A Houston man drove home from a club Sunday morning with a gunshot wound to the head, police said.

Police found the man at 6:45 a.m. in the parking lot of his apartment complex in the 7900 block of Streamside Drive.

Derrick Graham, 49, was taken to an area hospital, the official said.

Graham's girlfriend told officials he had been out Saturday evening at a club she could not name. The girlfriend told police that Graham called to say he'd been shot and he was coming home. Police encountered him in the lot of his building.

HPD has no information on a motive or suspect. Officials have asked anyone with information about the shooting to call police.Mary Gonzalez wanted to know why there wasnt an alarm when a tank holding toxic chemicals caught fire in Deer Park in March.

When theres an accident, we dont know about it, she said during a town hall meeting at Milby High School to talk about the Intercontinental Terminals Co. fire, which sent a plume of dark smoke over the Houston area for days.

Shes not alone in her frustration.

Residents have grown increasingly wary and distrustful of the petrochemical companies that help power the local economy, demanding more accountability and transparency about fires and environmental incidents and telling officials that they often feel left in the dark.

There have been three major plant fires  one fatal  in recent months, as well as a vessel collision in the Houston Ship Channel that spilled more than 11,000 barrels of a gasoline blend, renewing concerns about air and water quality in the region. The incidents come less than two years after the Arkema plant explosion and fire during Hurricane Harvey led to a chemical release, prompting Harris County prosecutors to bring criminal charges against the company and top executives.

These incidents have highlighted the lack of a central system for notifying the public as already exists for severe weather or missing children. Some say a better system is critical in constantly evolving situations where a community can suddenly be exposed to cancer-causing chemicals in a split second if the wind blows in a different direction.

Decisions about chemical alerts are now left up to local agencies, with a patchwork of systems that largely depend on communities knowing how to get the information. Localities, for their part, depend on a timely and accurate flow of information from companies  something that officials say can be lacking.

Gonzalez relies on the media to find out whats happening, but she wonders, What about people who dont watch the news all the time like me?

Unique challenge

It was 10:03 a.m. March 17 when the city of Deer Park, about 20 miles east of downtown Houston, received the first call.

Have yall been notified about a fire at one of the plants? the caller asked.

There was no information, the Deer Park police dispatcher said.

Emergency and law enforcement personnel were calling to know if anyone knew anything. Nothing in La Porte. What about Pasadena? Baytown?

At 10:11 a.m. a caller who was in a nearby plant told dispatch that the fire was on Independent Parkway, but thats all he knew.

Well get somebody out there to check it out because at this point you are the only thing that has given us anything with an exact location, the operator told him.

The calls kept coming from passersby and residents seeing a black plume of smoke.

Im a concerned citizen. Whats on fire in Deer Park? a woman asked at 10:14 a.m.

We dont have any information currently, the dispatcher responded.

Moments later, the confirmation came that the fire was at the Intercontinental Terminals Co. plant. Still when residents called, the response was the same.

Im off East Boulevard. I see a large smoke cloud in the sky and I dont know if I should be concerned or not, if its in the neighborhood or something, a woman said at 10:18 a.m.

We are currently aware of it, dispatch said. We currently dont have any information regarding it.

All emergency crews knew was that the company was handling it internally.

At 10:21 a.m., ITC sent out the first electronic notification saying that there had been an incident at the facility, but that the type of chemical was unknown.

Meanwhile, deputy constables were sent to direct traffic near the plume without knowing what chemical was burning.

At 10:29 a.m., Robert Hemminger, director of Deer Parks emergency services division, was still trying to find someone at ITC.

Ive tried reaching out to the plant manager and the emergency response guy, but neither one are answering, he said.

And we still dont know what the chemical is? the operator asked.

Right, Hemminger replied.

Shelter in place

By 10:47 a.m., Deer Park city officials knew it was a nasty chemical, based on what Assistant Fire Chief Phillip Arroyo had said, but still no name.

The city of Deer Park issued a shelter-in-place out of caution.

I got an alert saying to shelter in place. I need to know why, a caller told the citys dispatch at 11:01 a.m.

Maam, I dont have any information other than you need to shelter in place, the operator said.

But you dont know why? the caller asked.

No maam, I dont have any information, the dispatcher responded.

And while La Porte and Deer Park officials were posting on social media that they were aware something was happening, the information available was limited.

It would be up to an hour and a half from the first call until emergency personnel were told that the initial tank that caught fire at the petrochemical facility was holding naphtha, a highly flammable component in gasoline that can irritate the nose and throat when inhaled.

Where to go for more information? For a complete list, contact the county or city directly. Baytown: https://www.baytown.org/city-hall/departments/fire/emergency-management/swiftreach Deer Park: https://public.coderedweb.com/CNE/en-US/BF095B5EF1AC Galena Park: https://portalv4.swiftreach.com/portal.aspx?c=202443 La Porte: http://laportetx.gov/list.aspx or download the app "ReadyLP" Harris County: https://www.readyharris.org/ Community Awareness Emergency Response: https://www.ehcma.org/caeronline/ See More Collapse

ITCs top priority is the safety of the community, employees and first responders, an ITC spokesman said. Before any specific announcement to the public, incident commanders, including ITC personnel physically on site, moved quickly to assess the situation, determine the scope of the incident and identify immediate resources needed.

Gonzalez was sitting outside her house in south Houston with her black chihuahua, Lady, about 14 miles from ITC, but she didnt pay much attention to the fire.

I figured Im far away, she said. But air travels. Wind travels.

Since then, she said, shes had a sore throat that wont go away.

Guard against complacency

Emails obtained through a public records request show the coordination going on among the different agencies while the fire was burning  with constant discussions about shelter-in place-decisions, evacuations, school closings and air quality to address public concerns.

There were also conference calls several times a day. In total, more than 100 responders and 50 agencies were involved, according to Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo.

While cities such as La Porte were regularly updating their social media accounts and sending telephone notifications, there was a day where the information was not made readily available, said Kristin Gauthier, La Portes emergency management coordinator.

We have to guard against complacency in a long event like this, and understand the publics concerns when they are aware of an ongoing situation, then they begin to experience an odor at their home or business, she said during a recent citizens advisory meeting in La Porte. We are working together to better understand what we could have done better to communicate the risk and other factors that concerned the public.

She said they could have done a better job explaining the coordination and information-sharing process, as well as the science behind decisions such as why one city was under a shelter-in-place but another was not.

This event was a huge test of our ability to manage public information and collaborate with numerous agencies to ensure the information being shared was factual and consistent, she said.

In the end, Harris County officials determined they werent prepared to deal with an incident of this magnitude, which involved concerns not only about the stop-and-start fire and burning chemicals but also a containment-wall breach that sent contaminants into the ship channel, closing it temporarily.

The system in place has been long-neglected, Hidalgo wrote in an email. We need to build up our understaffed agency and improve outdated technology.

The county created a website on the spot that could report air-quality readings from local, state and federal sources in real time. Hidalgo also ordered a gap analysis to help identify whats needed, from equipment to strategic overhauls.

How it works

After the ITC fire, some state lawmakers criticized the time that it took ITC to report which chemicals were burning, delaying notices to the public.

During an April 5 hearing, state Rep. Mary Ann Perez, D-Houston, and other lawmakers suggested companies should be required to report basic information about chemical fires almost immediately. Since then, Perez said, shes spoken to company officials, who addressed some of her concerns.

She still thinks the company should have provided information in a more timely manner.

She said the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and Harris County have air monitors and all of this stuff is public knowledge. If any constituent is concerned, they can go and see what those readings are.

When theres an industry-related incident, the company is supposed to let officials know via a system called e-notify within 15 minutes and post it on the Community Awareness Emergency Response, or CAER, an online platform run by the East Harris County Manufacturers Association.

Good follow-up communication is always needed after the fact, said Jeff Suggs, emergency management communications chairman for EHCMA.

There are also local emergency planning committees  volunteer organizations composed of emergency responders and industry, government, education and community groups that are supposed to provide joint emergency planning, training and outreach.

There are nine in east Harris County, but not all operate the same, and some environmental advocates view them as too industry-friendly.

The use of CAER, while considered a best practice, is not required, and information posted is often not specific.

Only about 4,000 people have downloaded the CAER app, but Suggs said many news outlets use it and push the messages to their audiences.

It is then up to local jurisdictions to determine how to inform the public when something happens. In cases such as the ITC fire that affect multiple jurisdictions, Harris County can help amplify messages, said Francisco Sanchez, the countys deputy emergency management coordinator.

Some cities have systems that include sirens; alarm beacons in schools; email, telephone and text notifications; designated websites; and use of social media to notify residents. But not all localities have the same capacity.

The biggest challenge, though, is making the public aware and trusting of the information.

During a community meeting for Harris County Precinct 2 on May 22, a Baytown resident said a better alert system was needed, not because officials dont have one now, but because everybody is so used to getting them, we dont pay attention to them anymore.

People start losing sight of whats normal and whats not because they grow accustomed to the odors and flares, said Adrian Shelley, director of Public Citizens Texas office.

Its entirely conceivable that something is happening next door, that theres a release of an invisible gas and people do not recognize its dangerous because they are accustomed to it, he said.

Public knowledge

Gonzalez has lived in the same southeast Houston house for 40 years and has never heard of CAER or opted in to one of the notification systems.

Unless theres a meeting like the one we went to or you have kids in school, you dont find out, said Gonzalez, 73.

Her cousin, Margaret Arrizola, lived in an apartment complex in Crosby, less than 2 miles from the specialty chemical company KMCO, where a chemical tank ignited on April 2. She didnt find out until Gonzalez called her.

Hours later, many neighbors still didnt know what had happened at the plant, about 25 miles northeast of downtown Houston. A plant worker was killed and several others critically injured.

These areas sit near the heart of the countrys petrochemical industry, surrounded by plants that produce and use different chemicals, which may be transported on highways, pipelines and railcars. The risk for a chemical incident is always there.

Local governments send out information about alert systems in utility bills, pass out flyers and do outreach campaigns.

In La Porte, Gauthier said, the city has an emergency preparedness guide that it distributes to new residents when they go to City Hall to turn on the water. It also offers videos about the alarm system and sheltering in place.

But because there are so many entities often involved in an incident, Shelley said, residents get varying information at different times.

In most cases, it requires some pre-planning from the average community member to be plugged in. They have to opt-in, they have to know what CAER is and most people are not prepared in that way, he said.

And the information gap widens for non-English speakers.

The information is not adequately made available to residents, and when it is, its often too technical or incomplete, said Marcelys Perez, an advocate with the East End environmental organization TEJAS.

She found out about the ITC blaze after a friend happened to drive by the area. But typically, people find out from television, said Perez, who also runs a group for mothers called Love Without Obstacles.

Not everyone is in a position to follow the news or be in front of a computer, she said. Some of the moms in her group are illiterate. She would like to see more campaigns and for localities to search for alternative ways of informing diverse communities.

In some areas in east Harris County, more than 40 percent of the adult population doesnt speak English at home.

La Porte created a video in Spanish instructing residents when to shelter in place and what they have to do. But their alerts are in English only, giving residents the option of calling directly to get the information in Spanish, Gauthier said.

During the ITC fire, the company translated some of its updates into Spanish, and news conferences were held in both languages.

Because we had multiple agencies providing information, coverage to non-English-speaking communities or even the hearing impaired was greatly improved over previous incidents, said Hemminger, with the city of Deer Park.

The information is there, Gauthier said. I just think, as a region not just city of La Porte, we can do a better job getting the information out there.

Solutions

State Sen. Carol Alvarado, D-Houston, grew up in the east end of Manchester, a neighborhood surrounded by gas and chemical plants.

Many times there were things going on, we would see emergency vehicles coming in and out and we didnt know what was going on, she said.

About 20 years ago, she was among those who challenged the companies and negotiated a good-neighbor agreement that included an emergency notification system.

An alarm would sound that the entire community could hear and would turn on the radio to the station the company bought, she said. A bilingual message about what to do would follow.

If we could do it back then, we could certainly do something that fits with todays way of communicating, she said.

Juan Parras, who runs TEJAS, says people dont always know what the alerts mean.

They always tell us we have an adequate alert system to notify people, but we find all of that information to have little impact on communities, Parras said. In some cases, people dont know whether its an alarm or change in shifts.

The number of different systems creates confusion, with people unsure of where they need to subscribe or where they can get the most accurate information, Shelley said. He said Houston received many calls from concerned residents during the ITC fire even though it was not located inside the city.

The groups position, he said, is that emergency management officials should share as much information as they can as quickly as possible, even if they have to make it clear they are publishing initial readings that have not been verified.

Theres also a responsibility from the public to register for those alerts, said Sanchez, with Harris County.

But for Shelley, the onus shouldnt fall on underserved communities.

Quite the opposite  its the responsibility of emergency managers and companies creating these risky situations to meet community members where they are and ensure systems are put in place to keep communities safe that are well-known by communities, Shelley said.

In 2017, the nonprofit Public Citizen was behind a bill to push toxic alerts to mobile phones.

The bill directed the State Emergency Response Commission to develop a statewide system to inform the public of chemical emergencies using traditional and social media and wireless emergency alerts, where phone users would get the alerts unless they chose not to, just as some receive Amber Alerts and weather warnings.

But opponents, including industry representatives, maintained that another alert system would create confusion, Shelley said.

The bill was in part modeled after Alert Iowa, an emergency managing system made available to cities and counties about five years ago when officials were looking at their own communication gaps, said John Benson, chief of staff with the Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. While some communities had some type of alerting system, not all of them did or could afford it.

When the bill was proposed, about half of the counties used some type of alert system at a total cost of $600,000, he said. The system, now funded by the state, cost $400,000.

Currently 88 of the states 99 counties use it and 2.3 million phone numbers have been registered. It has become a valuable tool not only to reach the public, but also volunteer responders, he said.

It is voluntary and messaging is done at the local level. What the system offers, Benson said, is uniformity and the ability to reach people in multiple jurisdictions at once in case of a fast-breaking emergency and when theres little time to coordinate.

There are multiple messaging and alerting systems out there, Benson said.

You need to take into account all of them and dont rely upon one to think this is going to be the silver bullet thats going to solve everything. To paraphrase, youve got to have multiple arrows in the quiver, Benson said.

The idea of establishing a statewide system has not gained much traction in Texas.

The East Harris County Manufacturers Association is not completely opposed to the idea, Suggs said, but he felt there needed to be more conversations about how it would actually work.

Ultimately, he said, communication is better left to each jurisdiction to know how to best communicate with its residents.

Frank Bengochea, emergency management coordinator with the city of Pasadena, said that while improvements can always be made, the current system works. Pasadena relies on a telephone messaging system that residents can sign up for as well as social media and a siren system in parts of the city.

Deer Parks Hemminger said emergency warning messages are only efficiently disseminated at the local level, closest to the incident.

In Harris County, Sanchez said coming upgrades to the Wireless Emergency Alerts system should address some of the concerns for people who dont take the time to opt in to other systems.

The updated system will increase the allowed character count and include the option to send messages in Spanish and to a specific area.

If they had capabilities to geotarget push alerts, Sanchez said, they could draw a polygon over communities such as Deer Park or Pasadena to send shelter-in-place messages, or whats happening and where to go for more information.

With the system, officials could target residents who may be seeing a plume of smoke but are not impacted and dont need to shelter in place.

In Harris County, Hidalgo, who took office in January, wants to streamline communication by bringing together all resources, including alert messaging and monitoring data, with a cohesive platform that residents can easily access. Part of it will be revamping the countys emergency management website, ReadyHarris.org.

We need a better balance, Hidalgo said, between having a thriving petrochemical industry and living next to it.

perla.trevizo@chron.comSlam dunk asylums Scarred by brutal beatings, hundreds of transgender migrants have been detained at the border, spurring ICE to create a special unit southwest of San Antonio where a drag show lightened a uniquely perilous situation.

Slam dunk asylums Scarred by brutal beatings, hundreds of transgender migrants have been detained at the border, spurring ICE to create a special unit southwest of San Antonio where a drag show lightened a uniquely perilous situation.

She was walking alone, a block from her house in San Pedro, Honduras, in a fuchsia-colored dress, when three strangers leaped on her in the dark.

They ripped open my dress, they insulted me, they threw me to the ground. They punched me, they threw combustibles over me, and they lit me on fire, said Estrellita Escobar, clasping her scarred forearms at the memory.

As a transgender woman in Honduras, she was constantly at risk. She narrowly escaped being abducted, and then would endure another brutal beating on the streets. Escobar said she reported all three incidents to the police. When nothing was done, she fled to the United States.

In December, Escobar, 25, was placed in a special immigrant detention unit where people like her  born male, but identifying as women  wait for their asylum hearings. At the South Texas Detention Complex in Pearsall, 55 miles southwest of San Antonio, she ate and slept with dozens of transgender women for five months until she was granted asylum and released.

The special unit for transgender women, which officials say is only temporary, opened in December at the facility as the number of migrants crossing the southern border surged and Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention centers were flooded with new arrivals identifying as LGBTQ.

By the numbers The number of transgender migrants booked into ICE facilities by fiscal year: 2016: 166 2017: 228 2018: 240 2019 (as of May 28): 282

In 2016, Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained 166 transgender asylum seekers. So far this fiscal year, which started in October, the number is 282. More than 900 transgender migrants have been booked into detention centers since November 2015, around the time ICE began tracking the population.

ICE has only one other detention facility with a transgender section, the Cibola County Correctional Center in New Mexico.

Bearing injuries and tales of brutality in their home countries, their cases are often slam dunks for asylum, said Allegra Love, executive director and immigration attorney for the Santa Fe Dreamers Project.

At Pearsall, 16 transgender women represented by pro bono lawyers from the San Antonio-based Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services have been granted asylum since February, and five have been denied, according to Cristian Sanchez, a RAICES staff member who has been caring for Pearsall's released transgender migrants. Many more are in detention or free on bond as they await final asylum rulings.

LISTEN: Immigration reporter Silvia Foster-Frau details her investigation into the hardships transgender migrants face as they travel to the US to seek asylum. on the EN-Depth podcast.

The transgender unit is designed to protect the women from discrimination and harassment. It centralizes the resources ICE provides specifically for that group.

We need dedicated housing that allows them to be, one, authentic to themselves, but two, that we have the appropriate trained staff that knows how to deal with them sensitively, said Andrew Lorenzen-Strait, the deputy assistant director for custody management at ICE. He leads a team in charge of LGBTQ custody.

Transgender migrants from Central America typically bear profound mental and physical scars.

The Express-News interviewed five transgender women who are in the Pearsall detention center or were recently released. Their stories mirror Escobars.

"We're seen as people that aren't part of society. Like we're a disease. Inhuman."

Jennifer Mariena, 45, a transgender woman from Honduras, has a long, jagged scar on her chest from when a stranger attacked her with a piece of glass. She's missing a front tooth -- a reminder, she said, of when a police officer struck her in the mouth with a gun.

She said being detained in Pearsall was another intense trauma.

Weve been mistreated; weve been hit and almost killed. We bring the trauma of rape and sexual abuse. And now, being detained and enclosed like that, its like everything turns around in your head and heart, Mariena said.

She was released on bond in early May after about a week in Pearsall.

This countrys attitude toward its transgender citizens has become a source of contention. The Trump administration has banned them from serving in the military, and it recently proposed a rule that would allow homeless shelters to shut their doors to transgender people.

Transgender people in the U.S. have high rates of suicide, homelessness and sexual violence. At least 26 transgender people were killed in the U.S. last year, according to the Human Rights Campaign, an LBGTQ advocacy group.

But Central American transgender migrants  the great majority of them transgender women  continue to arrive at the U.S. border, hoping life will be better here.

An attacker poured alcohol on Escobar and lit her on fire during an attack in the Honduran streets.

Photo: Courtesy Estrellita Escobar

Its either be killed or come to a country where you have a chance of being safe and having an existence, said Madison Fairchild, legal services director for the TransLatin@ Coalition, a Los Angeles nonprofit that aids transgender migrants. We do have a problem with trans people dying in the United States, but its not as horrific as the countries from which these people come from.

Last year, the Border Patrol began a transgender health screening. Those who say they identify as transgender are asked a set of questions, including whether they're taking hormones, whether they've been exposed to any infectious or sexually transmitted diseases, and whether they've been victims of human trafficking.

Escobar was a leader of the LGBTQ contingent in the highly publicized caravan through Mexico last fall. She has long, multicolored hair in the hues of a sunrise: light yellow, orange and faded pink. The burns she suffered in 2016 are now scars running up and down her forearms and across her face.

I really thought I was going to die, Escobar said of the night she was burned on the street.

They said, Here youre going to die. Youre not going to keep living. But I did.

Her best friend was a transgender woman who was stabbed in the throat and killed in Honduras. Her last image of her friend is her lying dead in a grocery store.

Now that shes free, Escobar can hide her blemishes, with powders and blush, often wearing eye shadow that matches the color of her clothes.

I dont like to remember what happened. It makes me sad and worse, she said. But there are things in life that you have to confront with bravery.

Transgender and in detention

About a dozen transgender women at the Pearsall unit pulverized crayons, mixed the powder with water and smeared the colors on their faces and hair.

They pulled curtains from windows and blankets from beds to fasten them around their bodies.

As they strutted down the hallway on Valentines Day, some pretended to fall as though they were wearing heels, though they werent. Others pretended to trip on their dresses, though the only clothes they owned were jumpsuits.

All pretended, for that hour, that they werent locked up.

They were putting on a drag show.

Escobar said the event wasn't just an uplifting experience in detention. Drag shows have long been a source of empowerment for her community.

"It shows society that we, too, as trans girls, have talents, and intelligence and beauty," she said.

"We had fun and laughed together," said Lisbeiry Arguetta, 24, a Honduran migrant who said she won first place in the contest.

"There, we forgot we were trapped, and how horrible it all was," she said.

The Pearsall center is a blue and gray compound surrounded by razor wire, run by the private company GEO Group Inc., group, a Florida-based government contractor. Detainees are counted every day, and the lights are on around the clock. Movements are tightly controlled.

They are given womens prison uniforms and sex hormone supplements. Those who have HIV receive treatment and medication.

Who someone decides to love or how they decide to present their gender identity, the agency is agnostic to  but we have to make sure theyre free from sexual assault, sexual violence, and treated respectfully, Lorenzen-Strait said.

The transgender women who have been released from Pearsall say some of the guards were nice, others were cruel, using derogatory terms. And all said a guard had referred to them using male pronouns.

ICE said it has a zero-tolerance policy for abusive or inappropriate behavior in its facilities.

But some transgender migrants dont have the luxury of a dedicated unit for detention. They remain in the general male or female units that correspond with their sex at birth or in what ICE calls protective custody.

Lorenzen-Strait said ICE has added specialized units for transgender people to avoid  the use of protective custody, which is a solitary environment.

Transgender migrants who arent segregated could be vulnerable to sexual assault and discrimination by other migrants.

More than 110 transgender migrants are scattered across 28 different detention facilities. More than half are either put in solitary units or general population ones. Only 39 are in the dedicated units at Cibola or Pearsall. The agency expects to soon select a facility for a permanent transgender unit.

Only a handful of the migrants in custody are transgender men, the rest are transgender women.

The Pearsall trans unit fostered a sense of solidarity, the women said. They said being able to put on a drag show  which they werent always allowed to do  was empowering.

They want to express their true, authentic self.

And not having that expression can lead to depression, can be demoralizing, can cause them to not be able to have the wherewithal to advocate for themselves, Fairchild said. This is a vestige they cling to.

Living free

Flor Tzun, 21, checked into Pearsalls detention center on Dec. 2 speaking no English, some Spanish and fluent in kiche, an indigenous language in Guatemala.

She spent about five months in detention, attending court hearings and meeting with lawyers, to see if she could win asylum.

Wearing a blue jumpsuit and no makeup, Tzun entered her final asylum hearing in Pearsall shaking as she sat at the witness stand opposite her lawyer, Smaranda Draghia.

Immigration Judge Stuart Alcorn called her sir throughout the hearing, saying it was Department of Justice protocol to do so.

She spent the next hour explaining in excruciating detail how her brother had raped her when she was 11, and how her father had held her hostage years later.

Sir, did your father tell you why he was locking you up and beating you? Alcorn asked.

How to help RAICES is accepting donations of womens clothes, makeup and other toiletries for the transgender women migrants. It is also in need of volunteers who can take them shopping, pick them up when theyre released from detention, and help out with other errands, spokesman Cristian Sanchez said.

He insulted me, calling me an (expletive) and saying he did not want a son that was a woman. He wanted a son that was a man, Tzun said on the witness stand.

Tzun, who traveled to the U.S. with the large caravan last fall, was in detention for months because she was denied parole and bail, Draghia said.

When Alcorn told Tzun she was being granted asylum, she clasped her hands to her face.

Gracias, she said, trembling and beginning to cry. She struggled to take off her headphones, which she had been using for translation. She made the sign of the cross. She clutched her heart, looking upward.

I felt like the world opened up, she said later in a room at Pearsall, a day before she was released. Wow, what a happiness. Everything seemed different now. I felt a strong sense of calm.

Escobar had pictures taken of her injuries before she fled to seek asylum in the U.S. Escobar had pictures taken of her injuries before she fled to seek asylum in the U.S. Photo: Courtesy Of Estrellita Escobar Photo: Courtesy Of Estrellita Escobar Image 1 of / 11 Caption Close 'Like we're a disease, inhuman': The slam dunk asylum cases crossing the border 1 / 11 Back to Gallery

Tzun went to join people she knew in Houston, while Escobar decided to stay in San Antonio, where she is hoping to start a crisis shelter for transgender women who are released from Pearsall.

She started a Facebook page called Casa Sin Fronteras, where she posts about the groups daily experiences. Last week, she posted photos of the trip she and four other transgender women took to the department store to buy luggage for the next leg of their journey. She also has posted about the donated haircut they got and puts out regular calls for donations.

Like most 25-year-olds, shes constantly on her phone, texting and sending voice messages to other trans women who were recently freed from Pearsall.

Despite of everything Ive suffered, all Ive went through, I think it only gives me strength to move forward and help others, Escobar said.

We just want to be who we are.

Tzun, whose biological name is Vicente, picked the Spanish word for flower for her female name because, she said, I like thinking of them blooming in the morning. Mariena, whose biological name is Luis, named herself after Jennifer Lopez. She said she fell in love with her after watching her as the star in the Selena movie, and she hopes to move to New York because thats where the actress is from.

And Escobar, whose birth name was Jairo, picked her female name Estrellita because it means little star.

After they burned me, after they beat me, when I felt alone and like I wasnt worth anything  that I was someone that shouldnt exist. When I was like that, I looked at the stars, she said. And I thought, one day Ill be like a star. Free.

Silvia Foster-Frau covers immigration news in the San Antonio, Bexar County and South Texas area, and she is the paper's lead reporter on the Sutherland Springs mass shooting. In 2018 she won the Express-News' Reporter of the Year award and Texas AP's Michael Brick Storytelling Award. In 2019 she won Texas AP Star Reporter of the Year in the biggest newspaper category. Read her on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | sfosterfrau@express-news.net | Twitter: @SilviaElenaFF



Design by Joy-Marie Scott.

A version of this article will appear in print on June 2, 2019, on Page A1 of the San Antonio Express-News. | Today's Paper

Subscribe

Real news. Real trust. Real community. Subscribe to the San Antonio Express-News to support quality local journalism.

Regarding On Memorial Day, who will recall sacrifice? (Opinion, May 27): Every year I send words to friends and family who served this country with valor and duty. They make up an increasingly small segment of our population and yet play a crucial role in the defense of our nation.

Age and history have made me more mindful of the cost of their sacrifice and the cause for which they served. The Gulf of Tonkin misinformation in 1964 which began the 11-year war in Vietnam also made me wary of saber rattling by the inept and unstable.

James Wilson, Houston

Whatever it takes

Regarding Mexican imports hit with 5% tariff (Front page, Friday): President Donald Trump has threatened to impose new tariffs on Mexico if that country does not act to stem the flow of migrants to our southern border. This is a move that will severely threaten his own United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement and will come at a great cost to our nation.

While regrettable, the president is left with very few options in dealing with the crisis at the border. Congress, on the other hand, could end this standoff with ease.

It would seem that the never-Trumpers on both sides of the aisle are hellbent on destroying the man and his presidency to the point that they are willing to accept a Pyrrhic victory in order to achieve their ends.

Rick Fontes, Waller

Far from a petty quarrel

Regarding Final word restarts impeachment tiff (Front page, Thursday): I looked up the definition of tiff. The first definition that appeared on the Google search was petty quarrel. I read the article to the end, searching in vain for something that would justify calling a possible impeachment of the president a petty quarrel. Theres nothing petty about it.

I ardently hope for impeachment. This presidents behavior, every day and in every way, is an affront to decency, not to mention our Constitution. But even if you dont share my opinion, its not a petty quarrel; its a question about what kind of country we want to be and whether this person is fit to represent us.

Jacqueline Clark, Houston

Presumption of innocence?

Apparently, according to Robert Mueller, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other like-minded folks, the new standard for jurisprudence is no longer the burden to prove guilt, but rather to prove non-guilt.

Just months ago the same standard was applied to Brett Kavanaugh. I think all Americans, whether for or against the current president, should be direly concerned when political persuasion inspires the usurpation of the fundamental right to a presumption of innocence and the rule of law.

Raymond Ruiz, Manvel

Mounting criticism

Regarding Activists protest Exxon, Chevron (Business, Thursday): Exxon and Chevrons attempt to portray themselves as good citizens, reducing emissions and at the same time meeting the growing worldwide need for fossil fuels, should be seen for what it is: two-faced.

The worlds scientists, through the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change , tell us we must reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent by 2030 and to net zero by 2050 to avoid the most catastrophic consequences of climate change. This is a crisis. Merely reducing emissions wont cut it. How can the oil majors pretend to be fighting climate change while at the same time planning to increase production of oil and gas?

Even the owners, the stockholders, dont buy it. You cant burn down the world and still make a profit. You cant raise ocean levels and not foresee massive destruction to billions of dollars worth of refineries all along the Gulf coast only a few feet above sea level. When 30 percent of the shares voted at a stockholder meeting ask for meaningful reporting and planning, thats not getting shot down, thats barely holding back the flood tide.

.

Jimmy Pryor, HoustonI was honored, earlier this month, to be named Houstons poet laureate. My work is rooted in this city, and in the lives my family and I have made here.

I am a Houston native, and generations of my family were born and raised in Houston since the early 1900s. My great grandfather, Florencio Martinez Contreras, owned a blacksmith shop where the current Downtown Aquarium now stands. My great-aunts, Della and Dionnes, were artists  one a pianist, the other a painter (Dionnes actually painted the flowers on the panels surrounding the room of the Ideson building)  and their brothers, including Carlos Contreras, my grandfather, were some of the first Mexican-Americans to attend the University of Houston and receive degrees.

Im saying all this because I associate this city with the idea of family and community, and the belief that opportunity through education, study and hard work could be obtained in the city of my birth. I grew up in Aldine, attended Aldine schools, graduated from Eisenhower High School, and later attended Rice University.

I found support in seeing myself as a poet, from the teachers and administrators who supported me when I presented my first poem at the Acres Homes Library in northwest Houston, to the encouragement of my older brother, who gave me his college literature-class books when I was a young teen.

My childhood was also filled with the sounds of my dad playing the oldies and the blues on guitar, and my mother, a naturally creative person, as a master seamstress, able to make a wedding dress or a costume with ease. Both of them emphasized the importance of education and the beauty and importance of the arts.

Our personal connections to poetry and literature keep bringing us back to its power. From the time I was a child, when my father read the same dog-eared books to me each night , I understood the power of words existed not in a vacuum, ink on a page, but in the contexts in which we experience them. And to me, the writing, reading and appreciation of poetry, will always be experienced in joy, in understanding, in connecting with other people in ways that are often difficult in conversation, in day-to-day interaction.

In a way, you can say I have studied and written poetry to retain the feeling of being a child next to father, reading to me, the same nursery rhymes full of humor and life, reminding me each night that there can be beauty, that one can find beauty between the pages of a book, and in the careful voice of someone you love dearly who wants new ways to say they love you.

Like the stitches in the handmade clothes my mother sewed for us, art and creativity hold a language of life, an expression of emotions that make us human, and more humane. Let me clothe you, our creations say, or, Let me soothe you. Let me tell you how it felt.

Who can argue against the need for more beauty, more creativity in this world, this city? Perhaps more important , poetry, through its beauty and power, also has the potential to create change by empowering people, providing opportunities to create and to express deeply held ideas, beliefs and share experiences  across all walks of life, across economic and ethnic, racial, and religious backgrounds, across educational or language proficiencies, across any circumstances a person is born into.

I believe that art, including poetry, belongs to and is available to everyone  and it certainly belongs in Houston.

Contreras Schwartz is poet laureate of Houston, appointed by Mayor Sylvester Turner in April. The poet laureate program is co-funded by the Mayor's Office of Cultural Affairs and the Houston Public Library. This op-ed was adapted from a speech she gave earlier this month. To keep up with her projects, follow the Houston Poet Laureate Facebook page, and read her work and bio at lesliecschwartz.com.You are here: World

 Flash

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said Saturday that talks with the United States over the spiky issues are likely if the latter shows respect, official IRNA news agency reported.

"We favor logic and negotiations if they sit at the negotiation table with full respect and follow international regulations," Rouhani said.

"Otherwise, we will not be forced into negotiations," he was quoted as saying.

Rouhani stressed that the Iranians' resistance will frustrate the enemy.

U.S. President Donald Trump's administration has called for renegotiation of the Iranian 2015 nuclear deal as well as Tehran's developing missile program and it regional role.

On Wednesday, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ruled out the possibility of negotiations with the United States over the existing mutual issues.

"We will not negotiate with the United States as it will be fruitless and a loss," Khamenei said, adding that negotiations are the "U.S. tactic to complement its pressures policy on Iran."Translations:

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines acogera la 76 AGM de la IATA en Amsterdam (pdf)

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines realizara a 76 Assembleia Geral Anual da IATA em Amsterda (pdf)

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines sera lhote de la 76e AGA de lIATA a Amsterdam (pdf)

Seoul  The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that KLM Royal Dutch Airlines will host the 76th IATA Annual General Meeting (AGM) and World Air Transport Summit in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, on 22-23June 2020.



This will be the third time that the Netherlands will host the global gathering of aviation's top leaders (Following events held in the Hague in 1949 and Amsterdam in 1969). KLM is a founding member of IATA and is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.



It is absolutely wonderful that Amsterdam was chosen for the IATA gathering in 2020 and that we as KLM can host IATA in 2020. This year in October 2019 KLM celebrates our 100th anniversary. A very special moment for all KLM colleagues. We are ready and fit for the next century andas one of the founders of IATAvery proud to welcome everyone in Amsterdam next year, said Pieter Elbers, President and CEO of KLM.



"The aviation industry looks forward to meeting in Amsterdam for the 76th IATA AGM. The Netherlands has a rich aviation history with its vibrant economy driven by connectivity. It is particularly significant that we will be hosted by KLM. While we work together to achieve sustainability, build the infrastructure needed to support growth and evolve smarter regulations, KLMs century of success reminds us of the constant innovations that have underpinned the development of global aviation, said Alexandre de Juniac, IATAs Director General and CEO.



The decision to host the 76th IATA Annual General Meeting and World Air Transport Summit was made at the conclusion of the 75th AGM and World Air Transport Summit in Seoul, which attracted 1,000 aviation leaders from IATA member airlines, industry stakeholders, strategic partners and members of the media.



For more information, please contact:

Corporate Communications

Tel: +41 22 770 2967

Email: corpcomms@iata.org



Notes for editors:

Translation:

Carsten Spohr, nuevo presidente de la junta de gobierno de la IATA (pdf)

Carsten Spohr e o novo Presidente do Conselho da IATA (dpf)

  IATA     (pdf)

Carsten Spohr, nouveau president du Conseil de lIATA (pdf)



Seoul  The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that Lufthansa Group Chief Executive Officer, Carsten Spohr, has assumed his duties as Chairman of the IATA Board of Governors (BoG) for a one-year term effective from the conclusion of the 75th IATA Annual General Meeting in Seoul, Republic of Korea. Spohr is the 78th chair of the IATA BoG. He has served on the BoG since May 2014.

Spohr succeeds Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive His Excellency Akbar Al Baker, who will continue to serve on the BoG.

Im honored and excited to take on this role at this important time for our industry. We face a number of challenges, including growing protectionism, high taxes and trade wars. Probably the greatest challenge of all is sustainability. The Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) is a major achievement that will stabilize our carbon emissions from 2020. Now we must map out the path to achieving our much more ambitious 2050 goal  to cut net emissions to half 2005 levels. Aviation is serious about its climate change commitments. And we will be pushing hard for governments to do their part by sorting air traffic management inefficiencies and laying the policy framework for the commercialization of sustainable aviation fuels, said Spohr.

Spohr has been Chairman of the Executive Board of Deutsche Lufthansa AG since 1 May 2014. In this role, he manages the Lufthansa Group comprising the business segments Network Airlines, Eurowings and Aviation Services, with around 135,000 employees worldwide. Spohr began his aviation career after receiving a graduate degree in business engineering at the University of Karlsruhe and holds an A320 family captains license.

I look forward to working with Carsten as Chair of the IATA Board of Governors. As we continually seek to broaden the IATA membership, his experience within the Lufthansa Group will be particularly valuable. I also want to thank Akbar Al Baker for his strong leadership and support as Chairman over the last year. Under his leadership, IATA has made progress on a number of IATA initiatives including New Distribution Capability, One ID and digital transformation. Akbar also encouraged our gender diversity initiatives, leading to the creation of the associations Diversity and Inclusion Awards to recognize those companies and individuals who are leading in this effort, said Alexandre de Juniac, IATAs Director General and CEO.

IATA also announced that JetBlue Airways President and CEO Robin Hayes will serve as Chairman of the BoG from June 2020, following Spohrs term.

The full list of the 2019-2020 IATA Board of Governors is as follows: 



Vitaly Saveliev

Director General and CEO

AEROFLOT

Calin Rovinescu

President and CEO

AIR CANADA

Maria Jose Hidalgo Gutierrez

CEO

AIR EUROPA

Benjamin Smith

CEO

AIR FRANCE/KLM (REPRESENTING AIR FRANCE)

Yuji Hirako

President and CEO

ALL NIPPON AIRWAYS

Douglas Parker

Chief Executive Officer

AMERICAN AIRLINES

Rupert Hogg

Chairman and CEO

CATHAY PACIFIC

Liu Shaoyong

Chairman

CHINA EASTERN AIRLINES

Wang Changshun

Chairman

CHINA SOUTHERN AIRLINES

Pedro Heilbron

CEO

COPA AIRLINES

Ahmed Adel

Chairman and CEO

EGYPTAIR

Tewolde GebreMariam

CEO

ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES

Donald F. Colleran

President and Chief Executive Officer

FEDEX EXPRESS

Christine Ourmieres-Widener

CEO

FLYBE

Luis Gallego Martin

CEO

IBERIA

Yuji Akasaka

President

JAPAN AIRLINES

Robin Hayes

President and CEO

JETBLUE AIRWAYS

Sebastian Mikosz

Managing Director and CEO

KENYA AIRWAYS

Walter Cho

Chairman and CEO

KOREAN AIR

Enrique Cueto

CEO

LATAM

Carsten Spohr

Chairman and CEO

LUFTHANSA

Mohamad El-Hout

Chairman/Director General

MIDDLE EAST AIRLINES

Mehmet Tevfik Nane

CEO

PEGASUS AIRLINES

Alan Joyce

CEO

QANTAS

Akbar Al Baker

CEO

QATAR AIRWAYS

Rickard Gustafson

President and CEO

SAS

Saleh Nasser Al Jasser

Director General

SAUDI ARABIAN AIRLINES

Goh Choon Phong

CEO

SINGAPORE AIRLINES

Ajay Singh

Chairman and Managing Director

SPICEJET

Oscar Munoz

CEO

UNITED AIRLINES

For more information, please contact:

Corporate Communications

Tel: +41 22 770 2967

Email: corpcomms@iata.org



Notes for editors:



IATA (International Air Transport Association) represents some 290 airlines comprising 82% of global air traffic.

You can follow us at https://twitter.com/iata for announcements, policy positions, and other useful industry information.



The Two hundred thousand (1). That is the number of people who will arrive safely by air at their destination before I complete this report.

Some will be reuniting with friends and family. Others will be on journeys of discovery, rejuvenation or learning. Still more will be on businessexploring markets or closing deals. A few will be starting a new life in a new land. And some will be travelling to solve political crises, share ideas or deliver help to those in need.

Flying generates infinite possibilities that enrich our society. Because of the hard work of the leaders in this roomand the 2.7 million airline employees (2) who stand behind themthe world of 2019 is more connected than ever.

Flying is freedom!

And we can be proud that it is our business. Flying contributes to 15 of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (3). And two recent events underscored how valued aviation is:

In January, the longest government shutdown in US history ended when it appeared that air traffic controllers were not going to report for work (4), and

In March the UK and the European Union agreed that international air services would continue uninterrupted, irrespective of what kind of Brexit finally unfolds (5).

Unfortunately, creeping protectionist or isolationist political agendas are on the rise. And they threaten to compromise the value our industry creates. For aviation to be a catalyst of prosperity, borders must be open to people and to trade.

Aviation enables globalization. Since 1990, on average, globalization has lifted 130,000 (6) people a day from poverty. The more people connect through flying, the greater the benefits to all the people of this world.

Thats an important message for governments to hear.

Financial State

Solid financials are also needed for aviation to deliver its best.

As an industry, airlines have been in the black since 2010 (7). And since 2015 (8), returns to shareholders have exceeded their aggregate cost of capital.

The performance is not uniform. Some regions continue to struggle. But our sustained normal financial performance is a major shift from the boom and mostly bust cycles of the past.

2019 will see airlines make a $28 billion profit (9) thats $6.12 (10) per passenger. Its a solid profit under challenging conditions. Passenger demand is robust. But trade wars and protectionist measures are taking their toll on the cargo business. And rising costs for fuel, labor and infrastructure are squeezing margins.

Returns will still exceed the cost of capital, but only just. And the industrys 3.2% (11) net margin is modest and fragile compared to the margins of 20% (12) or more that Apple and Google regularly enjoy.

Looking to the future, the outlook is optimistic. Demand is forecast to double over the next two decades. With the cost of travel 40% (13) lower than a decade ago, the freedom to fly is reaching more people than ever. Aviation today is far from being an industry for the rich. The developing markets are expected to provide the majority of additional passenger demand. India and China alone are forecast to account for around 45% (14) of all additional passenger trips over the next two decades. Even more than today, the travelers of the future will come from all walks of life and economic means.

Meeting Demand

Meeting the demands of the future will test our industrys capabilities.

We need a solid platform to spread the benefits of aviation with efficient infrastructure and a diverse workforce,

We need the capability to meet customer expectations with modern global-standard processes,

And we must earn our license to grow with safety and sustainability.

These issues need action today to be ready for the future.

And, as an industry built on global standards, that action must be coordinated among stakeholders and across geographies.

Infrastructure

Lets start with infrastructurethe physical platform to spread aviations benefits. Our requirements for airport and air traffic management are not complicated:

Sufficient capacity

Quality and efficiency aligned with airline expectations, and

Affordable costs

We are far from that today.

European air traffic management shortcomings illustrate the problem. In 2018 aircraft flying in Europe experienced 19.1 million (15) minutes of en-route delays. Thats 36 years of wasted time that unnecessarily added 5.6% to our European carbon footprint. The prime causes are inadequate capacity and staff rostering. These are fixable. And that makes poor performance all the more disappointing.

Unfortunately, this is not an isolated example. Air traffic bottlenecks are found in China, the US, the Gulf and elsewhere.

On the airport side, Mexico City (16) is the poster child for deficiencies. We were midway through the construction of a solution for the citys infamously congested airport. Then the newly-elected government pulled the plug with no viable alternative.

Critically congested airports are spread the world over. Sao Paolo, New York, London, Amsterdam, Mumbai, Bangkok and Sydney are all examples of airport bottlenecks due to capacity constraintsboth real and artificial.

There is some good news. Some governments do understand the importance of infrastructure:

Istanbul opened a major new hub earlier in the year and Beijing will soon follow.

Poland (17), Italy (18) and France (19) have published national airspace strategies.

And the Republic of Korea demonstrates what implementing an ambitious vision for connectivity can achieve. This country moved from poverty to the worlds 11th largest economy in a few decades. Strong transport links supported a successful export-led strategy. Incheon Airport is part of that successfamous for customer centricity, efficiency and affordability. Other governments should take note. Developing infrastructureairports or air traffic managementlays an economic cornerstone. Careful planning, broad consultation with users, examination of funding options and a keen focus on affordability are the keys to making it successful. The right decisions today will determine the economic and social benefits that will be realized in the future. In the meantime, shortfalls in airport capacity must be managed transparently to ensure that consumers benefit from competition even at the most congested airports. The Worldwide Slot Guidelines (20) have done this for decades. Just look at the evolution of the low-cost sector around the world for proof (21). Working with Airports Council International (22) and the Worldwide Airport Coordinators Group we have made the system even better. The soon-to-be re-named Worldwide Airport Slot Guidelines are a major modernization of the system with a focus on delivering even more benefit to consumers. An industry-managed system, administered through independent slot coordinators, is the most responsive to consumer needs. And you will be asked to endorse a resolution (23) reminding governments of this. Human Capital

Sustainable growth will also create fantastic employment opportunities. Currently some 10.2 million (24) people are employed in the broad aviation sector. And millions more rewarding careers will be created to meet the growing demand for sustainable connectivity. But one important hurdle must be overcome. Women are not equally advancing into senior management. And thats a big problem. Diversity is strength. We are missing out on the insight and innovation that gender balance would bring. And we are not taking full advantage of a talent pool that can help us with the skills we need to grow sustainably. Our industry must engage the female half of the worlds population much more effectively. Progress is being made. Tomorrow we will honor inspirational leadership with the inaugural IATA Diversity and Inclusion Awards (25). And we are working with partners across the industry to document and share best practices that have made a difference. This work should help us articulate an industry strategy on gender diversity against which we can measure progress. Customer Experience Aviation is a service industry. Our success depends on meeting customer expectations. They want innovationdigital transformationat 5G speed. And its a real challenge for global standards to keep pace. Our cargo customers, for example, eagerly await modernization. But, a decade and a half after setting a vision for e-freight, we still struggle to implement an electronic documentthe e-air waybill. The goal is digital transformation. That means using electronic documents in optimized processes to deliver better results. By that measure, we have a lot of ground still to cover. The passenger business has made more progress. In June 2008 we converted to 100% e-ticketing (26). And today we are on the cusp of a digital transformation with the New Distribution Capability (NDC) (27) and ONE Order (28). Thanks to your support, these programs will liberate the industry from a century of accumulated legacies. Together, they will usher in a new world of retailingcreating value for customers and airlines. Thats exciting! What else can we do? Two resolutions (29) before you today call for passenger experience improvements using technology and data: The first demonstrates our commitment to Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) (30) for baggage. RFID has the potential to reduce mishandlingalready rareby a quarter. And when things do go wrong, we will know where the bag is. Its what passengers expect.

The other supports One ID (31)  a single biometric token that will reduce the hassles of identifying yourself as you move through the airport. This will boost efficiency from check-in to boardingto the benefit of passengers, airports and the control authorities. To make this happen we must work with governments to agree global standards, harmonize approaches, sort out privacy issues, integrate with existing infrastructure and agree the implementation process. A further resolution will improve the experience for passengers with disabilities. Airlines can be proud that the industry has collaborated for decades to make the freedom of air travel accessible to passengers with disabilities. Todays resolution (32) reconfirms this commitment. And it asks governments to harmonize regulation so that travelers know what to expect regardless of where they travel and to protect the system from abuse so it is fully available for the passengers who need it. Earning our License to Grow Our success in modernizing processes, attracting talent or convincing governments to invest strategically in infrastructure relies on airlines earning their license to grow. The freedom to fly makes our world a better place. For that, aviations reputation is solid. But in recent months, there is increased scrutiny on how we do our business in two fundamental areas: safety management and sustainability. These are our key elements of our license to grow. Safety Safety is always the top priority. And the numbers tell us categorically that flying is safe. In 2018 there was one major accident for every 5.4 million flights (33).

The 430 IOSA (34) - registered carriers outperformed non-IOSA carriers on safety by a factor of two (35).

And over the last decade the fatal accident rate has improved by 59% (36). These facts, however, give no comfort to those who have lost family or friends in aviation tragedies. Thats why we must always strive for a zero-accident future. The recent Boeing 737 MAX accidents have put our reputation in the spotlight (37). Serious questions arise with two accidents of a new aircraft model in quick succession. Investigations will ultimately reveal the cause. And a remedy will be found. The consequences of these tragedies, however, go far beyond the technical. Trust in the certification system has been damagedamong regulators, between regulators and the industry and with the flying public. Everyone must be confident that processes are sufficiently thorough not to warrant duplicative and redundant examinations jurisdiction by jurisdiction. While Boeing and the US Federal Aviation Administration are at center stage, the close collaboration of counterpart manufacturers and civil aviation authorities around the world is essential. Any rift between regulators is not in anybodys interest. This is about more than restoring confidence in how aircraft are certified. When issues arise, coordination among regulators and with industry must improve. People were confused as grounding decisions rolled out in some markets while it was business as usual in others. Put yourselves in the shoes of travelers and I am sure anyone would expect better. To be clear, I am not advocating for knee-jerk reactions. But governments and industry must find a way to maintain public confidence in safety with fast and coordinated responses. Last month we met with 737 MAX operators (38). Both of these topicsshoring-up trust among regulators and improving coordinationwere identified as priorities. They will be among the topics at a follow-up summit that will gather airlines, manufacturers and regulators. Environment Environment is the other great challenge of our time. It is also a fantastic example of what aviation can achieve when stakeholders combine forces to tackle a common problem. The environmental impact of an individual traveler has been cut in half compared to 1990 (39).

CORSIA (40)  the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation  will facilitate carbon-neutral growth from 2020.

And by 2050 (41) we will cut our net emissions to half 2005 levelsirrespective of growthaligning ourselves with the goal of the Paris agreement.

This is a great story in progress. How will we reach its very ambitious end?

Modernizing air traffic management (42) could cut fuel burn if governments make investments to eliminate inefficiencies.

Electric propulsion has potential. But even the most optimistic dont see this playing a role outside of some regional flying in the near future. Our biggest and most practical opportunity is sustainable aviation fuels. They can reduce our carbon footprint by up to 80% (44). A chicken or egg situation of high price and limited supply, however, remains. Reaching 2% (45) sustainable fuel system-wide by 2025 would be a tipping point. Some airlines are moving us towards this with significant forward purchase agreements (46). I urge all of you to consider similar action. Governments also need to act. They should build supportive policies to invigorate the sustainable fuels industry. But too many are focused on punitive environment taxes instead. This is climate hypocrisy. Putting money into general government coffers does nothing to reduce carbon. And it undermines CORSIA: Which delivers real reductions,

Will generate $40 billion (47) in climate financing by 2035, and

Was agreed by governments to be the single global market-based measure. Public concern on environment issues has spiked worldwide with the publication of a UN report (48) on the impacts of not meeting the Paris Agreement goals. That has been reflected most acutely in Northern Europe. Sweden, for example, is the birthplace of flight shaming those who travel by air. Unchallenged, this sentiment will grow and spread. Along with reducing emissions, we must collectively engage and tell our story more effectively. That means articulating a much clearer path towards our 2050 goal. I want to emphasize that I am not proposing to communicate the climate problem away. We have targets to meet. And we must engage in out-of-the-box thinking to see if there are opportunities to work with governments to do even more. Today you will be asked to support a resolution (49) reconfirming our commitments on sustainability. And we call on governments to deliver CORSIA along with promoting the use of sustainable aviation fuels, new technology and more efficient operations. It is our duty to protect the planet from the disastrous impacts of climate change. Some say that the answer to climate change is to stop or heavily reduce flying. That would have grave consequences for people, jobs, and economies the world over. It would be a step backward to an isolated society that is smaller, poorer and constrained. I say, lets work together to make flying sustainable. CO2 is the problem. We can and are doing something meaningful to reduce it. And we must not keep that a secret. Securing the Future Flying is freedom. The society we live in is better for it. To protect that freedom for future generations We must commit to make flying unquestionably sustainable.

We must build the infrastructure capable of accommodating a further democratization of sustainable flying.

We must ensure that our industry places no barriers in front of anyone seeking to make a career in aviation.

We must evolve the processes to improve the convenience, accessibility and efficiency of flying.

And we must do everything possible to keep flying safe and public confidence strong. These are no small challenges. But we are used to challenges. And when aviation unites in a common cause we have always delivered outstanding solutions. Since I began these remarks some 200,000 people have arrived safely at their destination by air. And enormous value has been created as a result. That is aviation in action. We are the stewards of a truly amazing industry. And we must confidently work together to secure aviations future as the safe, secure, efficient and sustainable business of freedom. Thank you Thank you

Footnotes

1. Total passenger figures as per speech from IATA DG December 2018

2. Aviation Benefits site

3. UN sustainable development goals

4. CNN

5. EASA

6. Based on The World Bank Taking on Inequality 2018 edition

7. IATA Economics report (pdf)

8. IATA Economics report (pdf

9. IATA Economics report (pdf

10. IATA Economics report (pdf

11. IATA Economics report (pdf

12. Macrotrends and Ycharts

13. IATA Economics report

14. IATA press release

15. Eurocontrol

16. IATA Press release

17. IATA Press release

18. IATA Press release

19. IATA Press release

20. IATA Press release

21. Eurocontrol

22. ACI

23. Resolution release

24. ATAG - Aviation  Benefits Beyond Borders Report 2018

25. IATA press release

26. IATA press release

27. www.iata.org/ndc

28. www.iata.org/oneorder

29. IATA press release

30. www.iata.org/rfid

31. www.iata.org/oneid

32. IATA press release

33. IATA press release

34. www.iata.org/iosa

35. IATA safety fact sheet (pdf)

36. Comparing 2018 with 2009 (10 years), the fatal accident rate (per million sectors) decreased by 59%

(0.24 in 2018 vs 0.59 in 2009). Source: GADM: www.iata.org/gadm

37. Bloomberg

38. Reuters

39. IATA World Air Transport Statistics

40. www.iata.org/corsia

41. IATA CORSIA fact sheet (pdf)

42. IATA Air Traffic page

43. IATA Technology Roadmap

44. IATA Alternative Fuels fact sheet (pdf)

45. IATA Alternative Fuels fact sheet (pdf)

46. Flight Global

47. www.iata.org/corsia

48. UN Climate Change report

49. IATA resolution press release

 Flash

China firmly rejects the "false remarks" on Taiwan-related issues made by U.S. Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan at the ongoing 18th Shangri-La Dialogue, Chinese Lieutenant General Shao Yuanming said in Singapore on Saturday.

China welcomes the U.S. wish to develop a stable relationship between the militaries of the two countries, but "we resolutely reject" some "false remarks" on Taiwan made by Shanahan when addressing a plenary session at the dialogue, said Shao, deputy chief of the Joint Staff Department of China's Central Military Commission.

Taiwan has been an inseparable part of China since ancient times, Shao noted, saying that the one-China principle constitutes the political foundation of Sino-U.S. relations, and is also a universal consensus of the international community.

However, the U.S. side once again claimed at the Shangri-La Dialogue that it will offer necessary support to Taiwan according to the so-called "Taiwan Relations Act."

"The series of negative acts and comments recently made by the U.S. side on Taiwan-related issues violated the one-China principle and the three joint communiques between the two countries, jeopardized China's sovereignty and security, and damaged regional peace and stability," Shao said.

He emphasized that China must and will certainly realize its unification, and if anyone intends to separate Taiwan from China, the Chinese military will resolutely safeguard the unity of the motherland at all costs.

Officially known as the Asia Security Summit, the Shangri-La Dialogue has been organized and convened annually by the British think tank International Institute for Strategic Studies and the Singaporean government since 2002. Flash

The Islamic Summit starting on Friday in the Saudi Arabian city of Mecca discussed unified stance on events in the Islamic world, Al Arabiya TV reported.

The 14th summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) this year is titled "Mecca Summit: Together for the Future," with the attendance of Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and several heads of state from the Islamic world.

The main topics for the summit focused on the issues of Palestine, Islamophobia, countering extremism and terrorism, and the situation of Muslims around the world.

During the opening speech, King Salman highlighted that the Palestinian issue remains the priority of the OIC's work.

"We reaffirm our unequivocal rejection of any measures that would affect the historical and legal status of Jerusalem," he said.

In December 2017, U.S. President Donald Trump declared that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel and moved the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to the city in May last year, which made the relations between the United States and the Palestinian Authority deteriorated.

In addition, the Trump administration has been preparing for a new peace plan called "Deal of the Century" to end the prolonged Palestinian-Israeli conflict, which the Palestinians have repeatedly voiced their rejection.

The OIC summit was held following two Gulf and Arab summits in Mecca on Thursday to discuss recent regional developments and measures to be taken regarding them.Imperial Valley News Center

Houston Patient Recruiter Sentenced to 188 Months in Prison for Role in $20 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme

Houston, Texas - A Houston, Texas patient recruiter was sentenced to 188 months in prison Wednesday for her role in a $20 million scheme to pay illegal health care kickbacks to physicians and Medicare beneficiaries in order to fraudulently bill for medically unnecessary home health services, and to launder the proceeds.

Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Departments Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Ryan Patrick of the Southern District of Texas, Special Agent in Charge Perrye K. Turner of the FBIs Houston Field Office and Special Agent in Charge C.J. Porter of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector Generals (HHS-OIG) Dallas Field Office made the announcement.

Egondu Kate Koko, 54, of Houston, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal of the Southern District of Texas. Judge Rosenthal also ordered the defendant to pay $12.9 million in restitution and to forfeit $1,378,552.00. Koko pleaded guilty in October 2018 to one count of conspiracy to pay and receive health care kickbacks and one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments.

As part of her guilty plea, Koko admitted to being a patient recruiter for Criseven Health Management, Beechwood Home Health, JMM Home Health and Trinity Healthcare Service, home health agencies that operated in the Houston area. Koko was also the owner and operator of Circuit Wide Home Health Services, a home health company. Koko admitted that she paid illegal kickbacks and bribes to physicians and patients for paperwork necessary for Criseven, Beechwood, JMM, Trinity and Circuit Wide (collectively, the HHAs) to bill Medicare. Koko and her co-conspirators submitted and were paid more than $9.5 million but less than $25 million in claims to Medicare for home health services purportedly provided by the HHAs, Koko admitted.

Koko further admitted to committing money laundering by opening a bank account under the identity of Person A, a Nigerian national. Koko transferred proceeds from her fraud on the United States from accounts controlled by Koko into the bank account of the Nigerian national. To further the scheme, Koko purchased a home using the funds from the Nigerian nationals account, which were proceeds from the fraud, she admitted.

This case was investigated by the FBI and HHS-OIG. Trial Attorneys Drew Pennebaker and Catherine Wagner of the Criminal Divisions Fraud Section prosecuted the case.

The Medicare Fraud Strike Force is part of a joint initiative between the Department of Justice and HHS to focus their efforts to prevent and deter fraud and enforce current anti-fraud laws around the country. Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, which maintains 14 strike forces operating in 23 districts, has charged nearly 4,000 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for more than $14 billion. In addition, the HHS Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers. Flash

Police on Saturday identified the shooter who killed 12 people in a Friday carnage at a municipal building here as a longtime city employee, as they recovered more weapons believed to belong to him.





At a press conference Saturday, Virginia Beach police chief Jim Cervera identified the gunman as DeWayne Craddock, 40, a city engineer who had been employed with the city's public utility department for the past 15 years.





City Manager Dave Hansen said Craddock was still employed in the department at the time of the shooting and had a security pass and "was authorized to enter the building."





Several U.S. media outlets had described Craddock as a "disgruntled employee."





The suspect, who died in a "long gunbattle" with four police officers after roaming three floors and shooting "indiscriminately" at terrified people, was said to have used a .45 caliber pistol equipped with a "sound suppressor" device and extended ammunition magazines.





"This is a large-scale crime scene, it's a horrific crime scene," Cervera told reporters, adding that investigators who spent the night inside the building endured a "physical, emotional and psychological toll."





The scene was like a "war zone," Cervera said, adding that more weapons were recovered at the scene and from the suspect's home.





The police chief declined to comment on any possible motive.





"Right now, we have a lot of questions. The whys, they will come later. Right now, we have more questions than we have answers," Cervera said.





The FBI is assisting local police in conducting the investigation, he added.





Eleven of the 12 deaths in Friday's shooting were employees of the city, Hansen said. The other was a contractor seeking a permit.





"I have worked with most of them for many years," he said. "They leave a void that we will never be able to fill."





Vigils in memory of the victims were planned for Saturday evening.





Four people, including a police officer, were also injured in the melee that broke out Friday afternoon in the popular Virginia resort city with an estimated population of some 450,000, which is about 300 kilometers south of Washington, D.C.





The shooting occurred in Building No. 2 of the sprawling Virginia Beach Municipal Center, which includes several city facilities, including the police department.





Building No. 2 houses offices for planning and public works and is adjacent to city hall.





U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted Saturday that he has spoken to state and city officials to offer condolences to the community.





The Virginia Beach shooting was the worst mass shooting in the United States since November 2018, when a dozen people were killed at a California bar.





"This is the most devastating day in the history of Virginia Beach," Mayor Bobby Dyer said on Friday. "The people involved are our friends, coworkers, neighbors and colleagues."



Justice Department Settles Immigration-Related Discrimination Claim Against California County

Washington, DC - The Department of Justice Tuesday announced that it has reached a settlement agreement with Stanislaus County, California. The settlement resolves the Department of Justices investigation into whether the Stanislaus County Sheriffs Department engaged in prohibited hiring practices in violation of the anti-discrimination provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).

The Departments investigation concluded that the Sheriffs Department improperly delayed rehiring a former deputy sheriff who was a lawful permanent resident (LPR) because he was not a U.S. citizen. The INA prohibits employers from discriminating in the hiring process based on citizenship status against certain categories of individuals, including recent LPRs, unless necessary to comply with a specific legal requirement. Because the affected individual was an LPR who had applied for and was eligible for naturalization, he met all applicable citizenship requirements under California law and should have been rehired.

The investigation also concluded that Stanislaus County posted job advertisements for deputy probation officers, deputy sheriffs, trainees, and interns with language that unlawfully excluded applications from some eligible LPRs, in violation of the INA.

Under the terms of the settlement agreement, Stanislaus County will pay $7,000 in civil penalties, engage in training its human resources staff on the anti-discrimination provision of the INA, and review and revise its job advertisements and questionnaires to ensure compliance with the anti-discrimination provision of the INA. The settlement agreement also acknowledges that, after receiving notice of the investigation, the Sheriffs Department rehired the affected individual with back pay for lost wages.

We commend Stanislaus County for its cooperation and corrective action, said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband of the Civil Rights Division. Qualified non-citizens who meet all legal citizenship requirements and wish to protect and serve their communities should not face unnecessary and unlawful barriers based on citizenship status. We are pleased that Stanislaus County has committed to ensuring compliance with the anti-discrimination provision of the INA.

The Civil Rights Divisions Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER) is responsible for enforcing the anti-discrimination provision of the INA. Among other things, the statute prohibits discrimination against individuals who are authorized to work based on citizenship status and national origin in hiring, firing, or recruitment or referral for a fee; unfair documentary practices; retaliation; and intimidation.

Employers can find information on how to avoid unlawful discrimination based on citizenship status or national origin here. Workers can find information about their rights under the anti-discrimination provision of the INA here. For more information about protections against employment discrimination under the INA, call IERs worker hotline at 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); call IERs employer hotline at 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); sign up for a free webinar; email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; or visit IERs English and Spanish websites. Subscribe to GovDelivery to receive updates from IER.

Applicants or employees who believe they were subjected to discrimination based on their citizenship, immigration status, or national origin in hiring, firing, or recruitment or referral for a fee; discrimination in the employment eligibility verification process (Form I-9 and E-Verify) based on their citizenship, immigration status, or national origin; or retaliation can file a charge or contact IERs worker hotline for assistance.Justice Department Settles Immigration-Related Discrimination Claim Against Central California Agricultural Company

Washington, DC - The Department of Justice Tuesday announced that it reached a settlement agreement with WesPak Inc., an agricultural company located in Dinuba, California. The settlement resolves the Department of Justices investigation into whether the company discriminated against workers based on their citizenship status in violation of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) when verifying their authorization to work.

The investigation concluded that WesPak discriminated against lawful permanent resident workers by unnecessarily requiring them to re-prove their work authorization when their original documents expired, even though the workers original documents  such as Permanent Resident Cards  demonstrated that they were permanently authorized to work in the United States. The anti-discrimination provision of the INA prohibits employers from making unnecessary requests for documentation to prove work authorization based on a workers citizenship status or national origin.

Under the settlement, WesPak will pay a civil penalty to the United States, train its human resources personnel on the requirements of the INAs anti-discrimination provision, and be subject to compliance monitoring by the Department of Justice.

Employers must carefully examine their procedures for reverifying continuing work authorization to ensure that they protect workers against discrimination based on citizenship status, and we are pleased with WesPaks agreement to do so, said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband of the Civil Rights Division.

The Civil Rights Divisions Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER) is responsible for enforcing the anti-discrimination provision of the INA. Among other things, the statute prohibits discrimination against individuals who are authorized to work based on citizenship status and national origin in hiring, firing, or recruitment or referral for a fee; unfair documentary practices; retaliation; and intimidation.Governor Newsom Issues Executive Order to Support Communities Recovering from Wildfires

Sacramento, California - Governor Gavin Newsom today signed an executive order to further assist communities across the state recovering from devastating wildfires in 2017 and 2018. The order extends the states prohibition on price gouging for counties recovering from numerous fires, including the Mendocino Complex, Carr, Tubbs, Nuns, Atlas and Thomas fires.

EXECUTIVE ORDER N-12-19

WHEREAS in 2017 and 2018, California faced unprecedented wildfires, causing widespread destruction; and

WHEREAS following these wildfires, impacted communities faced an extremely difficult and challenging recovery process; and

WHEREAS on November 28, 2018, Governor Brown issued Executive Order B-59-18, which extended price gouging protections for numerous counties impacted by wildfires in 2017 and 2018; and

WHEREAS recovery efforts are ongoing in these counties and it is imperative protections remain in place to ensure communities impacted by these wildfires are able to fully recover; and

WHEREAS under the provisions of Government Code section 8571, I find that strict compliance with the various statutes and regulations specified in this order would prevent, hinder, or delay the mitigation of the effects of the wildfires.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GAVIN NEWSOM, Governor of the State of California, in accordance with the authority vested in me by the Constitution and statutes of the State of California, and in particular, Government Code sections 8567 and 8571, do hereby issue the following order to become effective immediately:

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED THAT the prohibitions on price gouging in time of emergency set forth in Penal Code section 396, subdivisions (b), (c), (e), and (f), shall be in effect through December 31, 2019, in Mendocino, Napa, Santa Barbara, Shasta, and Sonoma counties.

This Order is not intended to, and does not, create any rights or benefits, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity, against the State of California, its agencies, departments, entities, officers, employees, or any other person.

I FURTHER DIRECT that as soon as hereafter possible, this Order be filed in the Office of the Secretary of State and that widespread publicity and notice be given of this Order.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of California to be affixed this 31st day of May 2019.

GAVIN NEWSOM

Governor of California

ATTEST:

ALEX PADILLA

Secretary of StateTop U.S. Environmental Enforcement Officials Meet With Officials in China

Beijing, China - Senior leaders from the Department of Justices Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) traveled to China last week to meet with Chinese prosecutors, judges, academics and other officials to promote cooperation on enforcement of environmental laws and the importance of the rule of law.

On May 20, 2019, Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey Bossert Clark and Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Jonathan D. Brightbill met with personnel at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, including the Deputy Chief of Mission Robert Forden and the Legal Advisor of the Department of Justice to the U.S. Embassy, Richard Daynes. The visit to the Embassy included an evening presentation to the general public at the Beijing American Center about ENRDs robust enforcement of the United States environmental and wildlife protection laws. The presentation was followed by a question and answer session with an audience of over 100, including area law students and interested parties. A focus of discussion was recent changes to Chinas environmental enforcement laws and public interest litigation practices.

Later that week, Assistant Attorney General Clark and Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brightbill addressed Chinese prosecutors, judges, academics, and other Chinese officials at the National Prosecutors College of China. They discussed the relationship of constitutional law, federalism, and the separation of powers to the practice of environmental law and enforcement in the United States, highlighting the importance of the rule of law. Mr. Clark and Mr. Brightbill also participated in a two-day conference on U.S.-China Watershed Management and Public Interest Litigation, co-sponsored by the U.S.-Asia Partnerships for Environmental Law at Vermont Law School. The Assistant Attorney Generals presentations and remarks emphasized the Trump Administrations role in reinvigorating the ideals of individual liberty, respect for private property rights, valuing the role of state and local governments, advancing the ability of people to be self-reliant and economically productive, and the appropriate use of the United States abundant natural resources.

While in China, Assistant Attorney General Clark, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brightbill, and Department of Justice Legal Advisor Daynes also met with environmental enforcement officials from the Chinese Supreme Peoples Procuratorate and judges of Chinas Supreme Peoples Court. The Assistant Attorney General and Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General also lectured at the Law School of the China University of Political Science and Law.Therapy Clinic Operator Convicted of Health Care Fraud for Role in Occupational Therapy Fraud Scheme

Los Angeles, California - A federal jury found a Brea, California, woman guilty Tuesday of fraud charges for her role in a $6 million Medicare fraud scheme involving billing for occupational therapy services that were not medically necessary and not actually provided.

Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Departments Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Nicola T. Hanna of the Central District of California, Special Agent in Charge Christian J. Schrank of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector Generals (HHS-OIG) Los Angeles Region and Assistant Director in Charge Paul D. Delacourt of the FBIs Los Angeles Division made the announcement.

After a five-day trial, Grace Hong, 53, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and three counts of health care fraud. Sentencing has been scheduled for July 29, 2019 at 8:00 a.m. before U.S. District Judge George H. Wu of the Central District of California, who presided over the trial.

According to evidence presented at trial, from 2009 to 2012, Grace Hong and her husband, Simon Hong, 57, operated a therapy clinic in Walnut, California, known as JH Physical Therapy, Inc. As part of the scheme, Grace Hong and her co-conspirators provided uncovered services like acupuncture and massage to Medicare beneficiaries. Even though the beneficiaries did not receive actual occupational therapy, Grace Hong and her co-conspirators billed Medicare for physical and occupational therapy services that had not been provided, and then funneled most of the Medicare reimbursements to companies owned by Simon Hong. Grace Hong also directed co-conspirator therapists in falsifying medical records to make it appear as if the services billed had been provided, the evidence showed.

Through this scheme, Grace Hong and her co-conspirators billed Medicare from October 2009 until December 2012 approximately $6,014,281 in false claims, and received approximately $3,981,014, the evidence showed.

Grace Hong was charged along with Simon Hong and Keith Canlapan, 40, of West Covina, California, in an indictment returned on June 16, 2016. Charges against Henry Penaranda, 39, formerly of Pasadena, California, were added in a superseding indictment returned on July 11, 2017. Simon Hong pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud on Dec. 15, 2016, and was sentenced on March 6, 2017, to 63 months in prison. Canlapan pleaded guilty on Oct. 24, 2016, to one count of health care fraud conspiracy and is awaiting sentencing. Penaranda is a fugitive. In a related case, Roderick Concepcion, 44, of Anaheim, California, pleaded guilty to health care fraud on April 4, 2016, and is awaiting sentencing.

This case was investigated by HHS-OIG and the FBI. Assistant Chief Niall M. ODonnell and Trial Attorney Emily Culbertson of the Criminal Divisions Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.

The Medicare Fraud Strike Force is part of a joint initiative between the Department of Justice and HHS to focus their efforts to prevent and deter fraud and enforce current anti-fraud laws around the country. Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, which maintains 14 strike forces operating in 23 districts, has charged nearly 4,000 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for more than $14 billion. In addition, the HHS Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers.Phone Provider Found Guilty for Role in $7 Million International Telemarketing Scheme

Charlotte, West Virginia - An Ohio man was found guilty this week for his role in an $7 million telemarketing scheme that defrauded primarily elderly victims in the United States from call centers in Costa Rica.

Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Departments Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney R. Andrew Murray of the Western District of North Carolina, Inspector in Charge David M. McGinnis of the U.S. Postal Inspection Services Charlotte Divison, Acting Special Agent in Charge William Cheung of the IRS Criminal Investigations (CI) Cincinnati Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Matthew D. Line of the IRS CI Charlotte Field Office and Special Agent in Charge John Strong of the FBIs Charlotte Field Office made the announcement.

Following a five-day jury trial, Donald Dodt, 76, originally of Cleveland, Ohio, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud, two counts of mail fraud, eight counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit international money laundering and 10 counts of international money laundering.

According to evidence presented at trial, Dodt worked in a call center in Costa Rica in which co-conspirators, who posed as representatives of the District of Columbia Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs and federal agencies, including the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, and who also posed as federal judges, contacted victims in the United States  primarily senior citizens  to tell them that that they had supposedly won a substantial sweepstakes prize. After convincing victims that they stood to receive a significant financial reward, the co-conspirators told victims that they needed to make a series of up-front cash payments before collecting, purportedly for items like insurance fees, taxes and import fees. Co-conspirators used a variety of means to conceal their true identity, such as Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services provided by Dodt that made it appear that they were calling from Washington, D.C., and other places in the United States.

As the evidence presented at trial illustrated, Dodt was an integral part of this scheme in that he knowingly provided services that were necessary for the scheme to operate and that facilitated the concealment and, ultimately, success of the scheme for many years. Specifically, Dodt provided and maintained VoIP phone technology and assigned phone numbers associated with locations in the United States through which members of the conspiracy were able to make the fraudulent calls to victims in the United States and conceal their identities and location. Dodt specifically assigned virtual phone numbers with area codes associated with Washington, D.C., to make it appear that the calls originated from within the United States and that also bolstered conspirators misrepresentations that they were representatives of government agencies located in Washington. Dodt also warned the co-conspirators if certain numbers were hot  i.e., there were customer complaints or law enforcement inquiries  and replaced those phone numbers with new phone numbers that the co-conspirators then used in furtherance of the scheme, the evidence showed.

Dodt and his conspirators stole more than $7 million from victims, the evidence showed.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation and the FBI with assistance from the Federal Trade Commission and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements Homeland Security Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Fraud Section Trial Attorneys William Bowne, Jennifer Farer and Philip Trout. The U.S. Attorneys Office for the Western District of North Carolina provided substantial assistance with this matter.Secretary Pompeos Meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel

Berlin, Germany - Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel yesterday to discuss key shared priorities, including supporting Ukraine and countering Russian aggression. The two discussed the Iranian regimes escalating threats in the region against American interests and the need to counter Irans missile activities and regional aggression.

The leaders also discussed our countries shared interests around efforts to forge a political settlement that ends the conflict in Afghanistan, while preserving the gains of the last 18 years. Both Germany and the United States recognize the importance of genuine intra-Afghan dialogue and negotiations as a key step forward in the peace process.Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad Travels to Afghanistan, Belgium, Germany, Pakistan, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates

Washington, DC - Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad will travel to Afghanistan, Belgium, Germany, Pakistan, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates from May 31  June 16, as part of an overall effort to facilitate a peace process that ends the conflict in Afghanistan.

In Kabul, Special Representative Khalilzad will consult with the Afghan government and other Afghans, including representatives of civil society and womens rights groups, to encourage all parties to work towards intra-Afghan negotiations that lead to a final peace settlement. In Brussels, Berlin, Islamabad, and Abu Dhabi, he will work to build international support for the Afghan peace process and endeavor to ensure that any peace settlement reached will be sustainable. In Doha, he will continue talks with the Taliban to move the peace process forward.Global retailers deploy Citrus to disrupt $200B digital advertising industry

Citrus co-founder and CEO Brad Moran

Major retailers globally are deploying the Australian-developed Citrus eCommerce advertising platform to grab a greater share of the online advertising revenue dominated by companies such as Amazon, Google and Facebook.

Tier one retailers in the US, Latin America, Europe, Asia and Australia have launched the Citrus eCommerce ad platform, delivering extraordinary growth for an Australian tech company that launched the first retailers on its platform just 18 months ago.

Brisbane-based Citrus https://www.citrusad.com/ has won business from leading international retailers such as online supermarket Ocado in the UK, global retail media sales & technology company Triad, technology distributor TechData in Europe and a leading Asian online fashion retailer. Citrus is working with 20 major retailers in 11 countries and across seven different industry verticals accounting for over 1.3bn page views per month.

Citrus has also continued its success in Australia by deploying its retailer advertising platform for national supermarket group Coles.

Citrus CEO Brad Moran said Citrus equipped eCommerce retailers with the technology to challenge US tech companies such as Amazon, Facebook and Google that have dominated the online advertising space to date. Citrus is an eCommerce advertising platform designed from day one to empower retailers with the most targeted digital advertising system in the world for their suppliers, both big and small, to utilise, he said.

Dominated by Amazon, Facebook and Google, the global online advertising industry is worth an estimated US$200 billion today, with projections this will top US$300 billion by 2020-21.

Brad said suppliers globally were demanding precise measurement of their digital advertising spend, Citrus empowers retailers with the technology to provide this measurement in real time, he said. Now suppliers can launch sponsored product and targeted banner ads right at the point of sale with the transparency and ease that the digital advertising world demands.

Founded in 2017 by CEO Brad Moran, CMO Nick Paech and CTO Mohammad Alinia, Citrus now has offices in Australia, the US and Europe. The Citrus eCommerce advertising platform equips retailers to monetise their digital real estate and create a new revenue stream by enabling suppliers to target customers better by bidding in a live auction for prime product positioning and banner advertising on retail websites. The proprietary Citrus real-time relevancy engine personalises and enhances the shopping experience for consumers, bringing personalisation and monetisation together.

The Citrus eCommerce advertising platform is now used by international companies including:

Ocado - the worlds largest dedicated online grocery supermarket, with a delivery service that reaches more than 70 per cent of the UK, powered by a unique fulfilment and logistics machine. Globally, Ocado licenses its technology to companies including Sobeys, Casino Group, Kroger and Morrisons. Ocado recently announced a partnership with Coles.

- the worlds largest dedicated online grocery supermarket, with a delivery service that reaches more than 70 per cent of the UK, powered by a unique fulfilment and logistics machine. Globally, Ocado licenses its technology to companies including Sobeys, Casino Group, Kroger and Morrisons. Ocado recently announced a partnership with Coles. Triad  Part of the WPP Group, Triad is a global media and technology company that specializes in growing brands in retail environments, including retailers Sams Club, CVS and Bed Bath & Beyond.

 Part of the WPP Group, Triad is a global media and technology company that specializes in growing brands in retail environments, including retailers Sams Club, CVS and Bed Bath & Beyond. Tech Data - one of the worlds largest technology distributors is using the Citrus platform to service 125,000+ retail customers in 100+ countries with 50,000 daily transactions.

Ocado head of grocery merchandising and product Alice Mannion said Ocado aimed to provide the best place to launch brands. Citrus ticks all the boxes for us, she said. Its scalable, secure, easy to integrate and crucially delivers better-optimised exposure for our smaller to medium-sized brands, she said.

Tech Data senior vice president, Digital UK & Ireland, Andy Gass said Citrus helped make Tech Datas best-in-class eCommerce platform even better for partners and vendors alike. Supported by Citruss cutting-edge digital advertising system, we can now provide more granular analytics and richer insight on user behaviour, helping them to choose digital marketing activities that deliver clear return on investment, he said.

Brad Moran said the proof of Citrus impact was demonstrated by its performance. Suppliers using Citrus have generated average return on advertising spend (ROAS) of 1000 plus per cent, with conversion rates in the grocery industry as high as 60 to 70 per cent, he said.

The beauty of the Citrus platform is in its simplicity, its scalability, it can be self-managed and it gives suppliers the opportunity to get their products in the top selling positions on eCommerce platforms.

For media assistance, call John Harris on +61 8 8431 4000 or email john@impress.com.au.

About Citrus https://www.citrusad.com/

Citrus is the world leading white label eCommerce advertising platform that enables retailers to monetize their digital assets and suppliers to increase sales by launching more targeted and cost-effective digital campaigns right at the point of purchase. Since it was launched in December 2017, Citrus has become the global retail industrys preferred sponsored product and banner ad platform. Citrus has partnered with successful Tier 1 retailers in the US, South America, Europe, Australia and Asia to empower the potential of their online shelf space. Citrus brings personalization and monetization together for the very first time. For more information, visit https://www.citrusad.com.Absurdly Driven looks at the world of business with a skeptical eye and a firmly rooted tongue in cheek.

"Do you know how long it's been?" said my editor.

"We talked last week," I replied, a touch confused.

"Here, take a look," he said, wisely ignoring my every word.

I waded through the links he gave me and confess I was taken aback.

June 2019 marks 40 years since McDonald's launched the Happy Meal all across America.

Yes, it's been 40 whole years since our children were first subjected to the joyous union of fried food and toys.

I hadn't really thought where Happy Meals had come from.

I'd merely assumed that one day someone at McDonald's had decided that the children are our future and created a little play box for them. Just to be nice.

The history and the psychology are, however, both entirely fascinating and contain some competing stories, which I can't say I managed to entirely get to the definitive bottom of.

One involves the apparent role of a Chilean woman in Guatemala.

Please, though, come along with me for a little Happy ride.

Here's a Tulsa World interview with Joe Johnston, who, in 1972, worked on an ad team that created something called the Fun Meal.

He describes a tantalizing America back then:

Imagine a world in which there is almost no children's marketing, aside from breakfast cereal and Ovaltine -- a world in which children have no influence on family spending. Sound bizarre? It's not 'The Twilight Zone.' It was the American marketplace of 1972.

Can you imagine an America where food purveyors didn't peddle their wares manipulatively at children?

My, how the Deep (Fried) State worked in strange ways back then.

Toying With An Idea.

Still, the task at hand for the ad people was to expand McDonald's business without putting new things on the menu.

That would have been far too tiresome a revolution, far too torturous for franchisees and employees. So, Johnston says, the ad people wondered whether to attract kids with toys.

Ah, but that would cost money. Instead, then, they designed a white receptacle. Said Johnston:

We created a white sack with mazes, games and puzzles printed on it, pretty much like the ones McDonald's still uses today. At that time, the only burger in a box was the Big Mac. It was a nominal cost to put burgers in boxes rather than paper wrappers, so that became our premise: decorated boxes for kids.

So gullible, those kids.

Oh, it was popular when it was tested, but McDonald's management rejected the whole thing.

Let's drift, then, to Guatemala.

The story goes that in the mid-70s, Yolanda Fernandez de Cofino, a McDonald's franchisee there, created something called the Menu Ronald.

She had the idea of bundling together a burger, fries and a sundae to make kids, well, happy.

It was all about giving the parents some light relief.

This idea seems to have drifted to a man called Bob Bernstein, who consulted for McDonald's. It gave him much food for thought.

Johnston, too, gives Bernstein credit for finally managing to brand something called the Happy Meal and, most importantly, deliver it in a palatable form to McDonald's management.

Bernstein observed how his kids were fascinated with cereal boxes and the toys inside, so he commissioned children's illustrators to bring the Happy Meal world to life.

The Happy Meal was tested in Kansas in 1977. Two years later, it became became a national thing.

Brams On The List.

But wait, who was Dick Brams? As I tried to delve more deeply, I saw that this McDonald's St. Louis Regional Advertising Manager is credited by some as "the Father of the Happy Meal."

Ah, he seems to have been the one who hired Bernstein to perform his happy tricks.

Successful ideas have many parents.

Tracking it all is so exhausting, so let's pause to see one of the first Happy Meal ads from that era.

What kid could have possibly resisted the colorful boxes and, goodness, prizes?

From our obesity-laden perch, it's easy to see why everyone thought this was a good idea at the time.

So clever, so economical and just so darned happy.

America loves this sort of exciting mixture.

Of course, American parents began to realize that hooking kids on Happy Meals -- and toys tied to big, happy movies like Star Trek and Star Wars -- wasn't the healthiest thing to do.

Still, McDonald's persisted. Please look at this joy.

And Then The Reckoning. Well, Some Reckoning.

In 2010, Johnston ended up testifying in a case when the Center for Science in the Public Interest sued McDonald's, insisting it had marketed its way into causing a public health crisis.

Explained Johnston:

I testified for them and told them that our conclusion was it doesn't work without the toy, so in effect, you are advertising the toy.

It wasn't, you see, the food that created fascination with the toy. It was the other way around.

What a way to sell nourishment. Can you imagine that one of the great contributors toward childhood obesity was toys?

Municipalities began to ban the practice of toys in fast-food meals.

Of course, McDonald's wasn't alone in such practices. Corporations love to copy successful ideas. It's so much less work.

Yet, despite that particular lawsuit failing, McDonald's -- and many others -- started to take steps to wean kids off (at least some of) the worst side-effects of Happyness.

The company has begun offering healthier Happy Meals. Meanwhile, its rivals -- no saints, they -- are now offering healthier meals for everyone, with radical creations like Burger King's Impossible Whopper (which still has around the same number of calories as a meat burger.)

It's easy now to look back and fear that so much damage was done.

Perhaps many parents now feel guilty about how they allowed their kids to bathe in a Happy world that contributed to making them overweight.

Johnston himself admitted to qualms:

I can't say that it's a contribution to a better life for humanity, but I will say that a lot of parents and a lot of families have had a lot of fun with it.

And that's also true. It was a very clever -- if, some might say, an existentially horrible -- piece of marketing, something that lasted decades.

Perhaps we're now entering a time when marketing is becoming far more socially conscious. Perhaps we can thank millennials for that.

Yet the Happy Meal marketing principles haven't exactly died.

Why, so many apps do their darndest to get kids to buy virtual toys and weapons and wait for their parents to pay the bill.

It's true of the latest technologies, just as it's true of the Happy Meal. Flash

The United States is now requesting nearly all visa applicants to submit their social media information in stepping up the security screening of prospective immigrants and travelers.

The additional information for the background scrutiny include social media usernames, email addresses and phone numbers used in the previous five years. Visa applicants also have to report international travel and deportation status during the same period, as well as whether their family members have been involved in terrorist activities.

"National security is our top priority when adjudicating visa applications, and every prospective traveler and immigrant to the United States undergoes extensive security screening," the U.S. State Department said. "We are constantly working to find mechanisms to improve our screening processes to protect U.S. citizens, while supporting legitimate travel to the United States."

The new visa policy, first proposed in March 2018, has just taken effect after approval of updated application forms. The only exemptions are certain diplomatic and official visa applicants.

The policy applies to virtually all applicants of immigrant and nonimmigrant visas, including on the purpose of business or education. The U.S. State Department estimates it would affect 710,000 immigrant visa applicants and 14 million nonimmigrant visa applicants each year.

Similar measures in the past only targeted about 65,000 applicants categorized into extra scrutiny each year, such as those with a history of travelling to terrorist-controlled areas.

The U.S. State Department said the list of social media, which comprises 20 social media platforms of ASKfm, Douban, Facebook, Flickr, Google+, Instagram, LinkedIn, MySpace, Pinterest, QZone, Reddit, Sina Weibo, Tencent Weibo, Tumblr, Twitter, Twoo, Vine, Vkontakte, YouKu and YouTube, may grow in the future.MPs will have to debate returning vast swathes of land to wildernesses after a petition calling for mass rewilding gained more than 100,000 signatures.

It calls for the government to make a bold financial and political commitment to natures recovery to help slow climate breakdown.

Expanding habitats for native plants, trees and animals such as beavers and allowing wildlife to return will help remove from the atmosphere the carbon dioxide that is largely driving up global temperatures, organisers Rewilding Britain, said.

Rewilding and other natural climate solutions can draw millions of tons of CO2 out of the air through restoring and protecting our living systems, the petition says.

The group plans to establish at least three pilot projects over the next 10 years, with the aim of returning at least a million hectares to their natural state  twice as much land as the government has already pledged to restore.

Endangered and threatened species of Britain Show all 10 1 /10 Endangered and threatened species of Britain Endangered and threatened species of Britain Hedgehog In 1950 there were an estimated 36 million hedgehogs in the UK, there are now only one million Getty/iStock Endangered and threatened species of Britain Hazel dormouse The population of the hazel dormouse is thought to have declined by over one third since 2000. It is threatened by loss of habitat Getty Endangered and threatened species of Britain Red squirrel Famously ravaged by the North American grey squirrel, the red squirrel is nowadays very rare with a population of around 140,000 Getty Endangered and threatened species of Britain Mountain hare The population in Scotland stands at 1% of its 1950 level and only one colony remains in England in the Peak District Getty Endangered and threatened species of Britain Natterjack toad Threatened by the disappearance of their coastal habitats, the natterjack toad is now only found at a handful of site across the UK Getty Endangered and threatened species of Britain Water vole Once found across Britain, the water vole is no longer anywhere to be seen in 90% of waterways Getty Endangered and threatened species of Britain Turtle dove On the Red List of conservation concern, the turtle dove population has declined by 97% since 1970 Getty Endangered and threatened species of Britain Small tortoiseshell butterfly Amid a general decline in butterfly population since records began in the 1970s, the small tortoiseshell saw a 38% drop in population in 2018 Getty Endangered and threatened species of Britain Noble chafer beetle Classed as vulnerable, the noble chafer beetle became increasingly rare throughout the 20th century due to habitat loss. Members of the public are encouraged to report any sightings to the People's Trust for Endangered Species gbhone Endangered and threatened species of Britain Stag beetle Their population is not known but due to habitat loss and other threats they are a protected species. Members of the public are encouraged to report any sightings to the People's Trust for Endangered Species Getty

MPs are obliged to debate any petition on parliaments website that attracts at least 100,000 names.

In October, scientists from the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warned the world needs to cut carbon pollution as much as possible, as fast as possible.

Reinstating ecosystems such as peatlands, heathland, native woodlands, salt marshes, wetlands and coastal waters can all make a significant contribution to carbon sequestration (the capture and storage of carbon dioxide), according to a recent report by Rewilding Britain.

A key aim is to reintroduce beavers, lynx, osprey and pine martens, which would help absorb carbon by shaping habitats, creating wetlands and increasing species diversity.

The report proposes a new system of subsidies for farmers and other landowners who increase carbon absorption methods on their land and restore degraded ecosystems.

The schemes would provide opportunities for communities to flourish, it says.

Meeting the UKs climate emissions goals can be achieved without the loss of high-quality productive farmland or a net reduction in agricultural output, the authors argue.

 Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events

Last month the governments own advisers on climate strongly advised ministers to set a new target to bring down Britains carbon emissions to zero by 2050.

In a response to the petition before it hit its 100,000 goal, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said the governments 25-year environment plan, launched in January last year, committed the government to improving the condition of the protected sites network and to creating or restoring 500,000 hectares of wildlife-rich habitat in England.

Our manifesto committed to planting 11 million trees by 2022, and in addition a further million trees in our towns and cities, and we also have a long-term aspiration to increase woodland cover from 10 per cent to 12 per cent by 2060, it added.Alex Depledge knows a thing or two about start-ups and what it takes to make them a success.

The Bradford-born serial entrepreneur first made a name for herself with home-cleaner booking website Hassle that she co-founded with her former colleague Jules Coleman.

Their business idea was born in 2011, after a phone conversation in which Coleman complained about the difficulty of finding a good piano teacher online. The two had long been thinking about leaving their jobs to launch a business of their own and suddenly the opportunity was there.Inspired by reports of a second patient apparently freed of infection with HIV, the virus that causes Aids, scientists are pursuing dozens of ways to cure the disease.

But now, researchers must reckon with a long-standing obstacle: the lack of women in clinical trials of potential HIV treatments, cures and vaccines.

Women make up just over half the 35 million people living with HIV worldwide, and the virus is the leading cause of death among women of reproductive age. In Africa, parts of South America and even in the southern United States, new infections in young women are helping to sustain the epidemic.

Women and men respond differently to HIV infection, but clinical trials continue to rely heavily on the participation of gay men. Trials of potential cures fare particularly poorly in this regard.

A 2016 analysis by the charity Amfar found that women represented a median of 11 per cent in cure trials. Trials of antiretroviral drugs fared little better; 19 per cent of the participants were women.

Recommended More than 500 people told to get HIV tests after visiting dentist

Vaccine studies were the closest to equitable participation, at 38 per cent.

If were going to find a cure, its important that we find a cure that actually works for everybody, says Rowena Johnston, Amfars director of research.

There are well-known differences in the immune systems of men and women. The flu jab produces a much stronger immune response in women, for example.

The response to HIV infection seems also to differ. The immune system in women initially responds forcefully, maintaining tight control over the virus for five to seven years.

Rowena Johnston, vice president and director of research at Amfar (Getty) (Alexandre Schneider/Getty Images for amfAR)

But over the long term, this state of high alert takes a toll. Women progress faster to Aids than infected men, and are more likely to have heart attacks and strokes.

There are all sorts of differences between men and women, probably mediated partially by hormonal effects, says Dr Monica Gandhi, professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco.

For example, the female hormone oestrogen seems to lull HIV into a dormant state. That may sound like a good thing, but the dormant virus is harder for the immune system, or drugs, to kill.

Some differences may be evident even before puberty: in one study, all but one of the 11 children who were elite controllers  people who seem to suppress HIV to undetectable levels without drugs  were girls.

Women also respond differently to some drug treatments.

Dolutegravir may increase the risk of neural tube defects in children born to women taking the drug, researchers have found. Nevirapine is far more likely to cause a severe rash in women than in men  yet men accounted for 85 per cent of the trial subjects in which the drug was tested.

These sex differences are likely to be germane to trials of potential cures, most of which are exploring ways to energise the immune system to kill HIV.

The number of men  and gay men in particular  in HIV trials has always surpassed the number of women. Early on, the epidemic was largely concentrated in gay men, who enrolled to gain access to new drugs as early as possible.

Gay men were literally dying to get into these trials, says Jeff Taylor, 56, an HIV advocate in Palm Springs, California, who enrolled in dozens of trials after his diagnosis in 1982.

Jeff Taylor, HIV advocate (AccessHIV/YouTube)

Now, 30 years later: Its the same group of people, who understand the value of clinical trials, he says.

Gay men have formed strong support networks that alert potential participants to clinical trials, and they often live in cities where the research is conducted.

By contrast, women with HIV tend to be isolated, and may not advocate for themselves. They may need help with child care or transportation, or be more comfortable with female doctors  accommodations few trials offer.

mothers2mothers helping to educate families dealing with HIV diagnosis Show all 9 1 /9 mothers2mothers helping to educate families dealing with HIV diagnosis mothers2mothers helping to educate families dealing with HIV diagnosis mothers2mothers (m2m) Mentor Motherincluding Sylvia Mdluli (45)lead a group play session with children aged 0-5 years as part of m2m's Early Childhood Household Stimulation (ECHS) Project in Phola Township, Mpumalanga Province, South Africa. These playgroups are designed to improve children's cognitive, social, emotional, motor and language development, and physical growth through drawing, toy-making sessions and playing mentally stimulating games. Hazel Thompson mothers2mothers helping to educate families dealing with HIV diagnosis Mother and baby from Dark City Clinic in GautengSouth Africa. mothers2mothers mothers2mothers helping to educate families dealing with HIV diagnosis Mentor MotherMartha, with her adolescent clientChancy Magumbo and his grandmother, after a follow-up visit to Chancys home. Chancy was diagnosed with HIV after his circumcision wound did not heal and his health deteriorated. Martha suggested he gets tested and after his diagnosis, Chancy started treatment and his health has since improved. Keli Van Der Weijde mothers2mothers helping to educate families dealing with HIV diagnosis A baby from Malamulo Hospital in Thyolo DistrictMalawi happily sits on his mothers lap while his mother has her middle-upper arm circumference (MUAC) measured to check for signs of malnutrition. Keli Van Der Weijde mothers2mothers helping to educate families dealing with HIV diagnosis Former m2m client and current Mentor Mother, Femia, with her mother, father, and son outside her home in Malawi. Keli Van Der Weijde mothers2mothers helping to educate families dealing with HIV diagnosis Mentor Mother from Nkhaba Clinic at The Kingdom of Eswatini (formerly known as Swaziland) educated adolescent girls on the importance of practicing safer sex and how to use condoms. Karin Schembrucker mothers2mothers helping to educate families dealing with HIV diagnosis Mentor Mother, Dolcar Henwood, with pregnant client at Siphofaneni Clinic in The Kingdom of Eswatini (formerly known as Swaziland). Karin Schembrucker mothers2mothers helping to educate families dealing with HIV diagnosis Peer Mentors from Soshanguve Community Health Centre lead a health education session for young mothers. Peer Mentors are young women between, aged between 18  24, employed by mothers2mothers to provide HIV education and support to adolescent girls and young women (AGYM) in their communities. Karin Schembrucker mothers2mothers helping to educate families dealing with HIV diagnosis Sylvia Mdluli. Hazel Thompson

For women of colour, there is an additional hurdle: mistrust resulting from a long history of exploitation by medical researchers. Its a lot of stigma still in our community around research, says Ublanca Adams, 60, who is living with HIV in Concord, California.

Scientists do not seem to know how to gain that trust, she says: How information is given out to our community and our people is just not in a way to be inclusive, nor is it inviting.

Women walk past a mural painted to raise awareness on HIV and Aids in Nairobi (EPA) (EPA/DAI KUROKAWA)

Adams says she has enrolled in a few observational studies, but does not trust scientists enough to participate in tests of a treatment or cure.

In the rare cases where scientists go the extra mile to enrol women, they face additional scrutiny from the Food and Drug Administration. (The agency has strict rules for including women of childbearing age.)

Most researchers simply opt for the easy way out and enrol men, collecting data from women only after a drug is on the market.

Two recent trials of long-acting antiretroviral drugs  which can be injected monthly instead of taken by mouth daily  have managed to attract significant numbers of women: 33 per cent of participants in one study, and 23 per cent in the other. But because of the promise of less frequent treatment, these trials were hugely popular and so had an easier time recruiting women than most.

Patients lined up outside the clinic, says Dr Kimberly Smith, head of research and development at ViiV Healthcare, the company that led the research.

A woman of Maiti Nepal, a rehabilitation and orphanage home for HIV-affected children and women (EPA) (EPA/NARENDRA SHRESTHA)

In general, though, Smith says, trials in the United States struggle to enrol women, because about 75 per cent of the infected still are men.

Anticipating the need to test cures in young women, Bruce Walker and his colleagues at the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard have set up a group called Fresh in South Africa. Nearly 2,000 young women in the Umlazi Township check in twice weekly to be tested for HIV.

The researchers provide preventive therapy, but a small proportion of the women still become infected. Walkers team is tracking their infections from the start and planning to test cures in the group.

Generally, however, it is difficult to get scientists to take the need to enrol women seriously, says Dr Eileen Scully, assistant professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University.

Some of the hard scientists dismiss this type of discussion as being more socially determined, or some sort of womens liberation thing, she says.

Scully led the only cure trial so far to focus solely on women, testing whether a drug that blocks oestrogen makes it easier to kill HIV. From the start, the investigators had to make some concessions.

 Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events

To skirt the restrictions limiting participation by women of childbearing age, Scully and her colleagues recruited menopausal women. But these participants have lower levels of circulating oestrogen, which may skew the results.

Still, the team has already made one key discovery.

We were one of the fastest trials ever to enrol, Scully says. Women are ready to be engaged.

 The New York TimesA huge mural depicting teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg submerged in icy water has been unveiled in Bristol.

The artwork took Jody Thomas more than a fortnight to create and stretches the entire height of the Tobacco Factorys 15-metre tall building.

Mr Thomas, who was part of Barton Hill youth centres legendary Aerosol Art Project alongside Banksy in the 1980s, created the piece as part of Summer Editions by Upfest, Europes largest street art festival, which has seen creatives decorate the city since mid-April.

Shes very much in the limelight, very current, very contemporary and shes obviously clearly leading a very, very important issue which affects all of us on the planet, Mr Thomas told Huffington Post.

She has a very fearless style, tells it exactly how it is and lets everyone have it with both barrels.

Extinction Rebellion supporters Show all 19 1 /19 Extinction Rebellion supporters Extinction Rebellion supporters Extinction Rebellion supporters at the closing ceremony in Hyde Park on Thursday 25 April 2019 Extinction Rebellion supporters An Extinction Rebellion supporter dressed as Charlie Chaplin at the closing ceremony in Hyde Park on Thursday 25 April 2019 Extinction Rebellion supporters An Extinction Rebellion supporter at the closing ceremony in Hyde Park on Thursday 25 April 2019 Extinction Rebellion supporters An Extinction Rebellion supporter dressed as Charlie Chaplin at the closing ceremony in Hyde Park on Thursday 25 April 2019 Extinction Rebellion supporters An Extinction Rebellion supporter at the closing ceremony in Hyde Park on Thursday 25 April 2019 Extinction Rebellion supporters Extinction Rebellion supporters at Marble Arch on Saturday 25 April 2019 Extinction Rebellion supporters An Extinction Rebellion supporter dressed as Charlie Chaplin at the closing ceremony in Hyde Park on Thursday 25 April 2019 Extinction Rebellion supporters An Extinction Rebellion supporter at Marble Arch on Saturday 20 April 2019 Extinction Rebellion supporters Extinction Rebellion supporters at Marble Arch on Tuesday 23 April 2019 Extinction Rebellion supporters Extinction Rebellion supporters at Marble Arch on Tuesday 23 April 2019 Extinction Rebellion supporters Extinction Rebellion supporters at Marble Arch on Tuesday 23 April 2019 Anu Shukla/The Independent Extinction Rebellion supporters An Extinction Rebellion supporter at Marble Arch on Tuesday 23 April 2019 Anu Shukla/The Independent Extinction Rebellion supporters Extinction Rebellion supporters at Marble Arch on Tuesday 23 April 2019 Anu Shukla/The Independent Extinction Rebellion supporters Extinction Rebellion supporters at Marble Arch on Tuesday 23 April 2019 Anu Shukla/The Independent Extinction Rebellion supporters An Extinction Rebellion supporter at Marble Arch on Tuesday 23 April 2019 Anu Shukla/The Independent Extinction Rebellion supporters Extinction Rebellion supporters at Marble Arch on Saturday 20 April 2019 Anu Shukla/The Independent Extinction Rebellion supporters An Extinction Rebellion supporter at Marble Arch on Saturday 20 April 2019 Anu Shukla/The Independent Extinction Rebellion supporters Extinction Rebellion supporters at Marble Arch on Saturday 20 April 2019 Anu Shukla/The Independent Extinction Rebellion supporters Extinction Rebellion supporters at Marble Arch on Saturday 20 April 2019 Anu Shukla/The Independent

The Swedish environmentalist became a household name after her decision to skip Friday classes to protest alone outside Swedens parliament kick-started a wave of international school strikes.

Ms Thunberg, 16, was invited to address business leaders at Davos and met with Jeremy Corbyn, Michael Gove and Caroline Lucas during Extinction Rebellions April protests, which prompted the government to declare a climate emergency.

Given the subject matter, Mr Thomas tried to minimise his use of conventional aerosol paint.

65-70 percent of the wall was painted with water based paint with an electric spray gun powered by the Tobacco Factories solar cells, he explained on Instagram.

I used a minimum of conventional spray paint  around 25 full cans Ive counted as this was a big consideration given the theme of the wall.

An Upfest spokesperson wrote on Twitter: Pictures say a thousand words, but in this instance the words of Greta Thunberg paint a thousand pictures.They are weddings that are, officially speaking, not even legally recognised.

But such a small detail, it seems, is not stopping increasing numbers of couples from opting for humanist marriage ceremonies across England and Wales.

Such weddings have risen by more than 250 per cent in the last 15 years, according to new figures from the Office for National Statistics.

The massive rise makes it the fastest growing type of wedding in the country  and comes as the number of faith-based ceremonies fell in the same period.

While humanist weddings went up 266 per cent between 2004 and 2016, Church of England weddings fell by 28 per cent, Catholic by 34 per cent and Baptist by 42 per cent.

Chimney sweeps at weddings - in pictures Show all 4 1 /4 Chimney sweeps at weddings - in pictures Chimney sweeps at weddings - in pictures Kevin Giddings has been a chimney sweep since he was 21 Chimney sweeps at weddings - in pictures Giddings has been appearing at weddings to wish couples luck for over three decades Chimney sweeps at weddings - in pictures The sweep has had over 12 cats during his career Chimney sweeps at weddings - in pictures He admits some couples aren't sure how to respond when he appears at their big day

The rise  from 287 such ceremonies to 1,051  comes despite the fact that humanist marriages are classed as atheist or agnostic, and are therefore not officially recognised in England and Wales.

Couples who have one must also go through an official process at a registry office either before or after.

But the new figures look set to add weight to campaigners who have long-called for humanist marriages to be recognised in England and Wales, as they already are in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

 Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events

We knew from the huge popularity of our funerals that there was enormous public appetite for humanist ceremonies but the scale of the demand for weddings, especially in the last 15 years, has blown us away," Andrew Copson, chief executive of Humanists UK, told The Guardian.

In a way it is a demonstration of what we know about todays society  many people are humanist in their approach to life without knowing the word."

He added: "Theyre not religious but they want a ceremony at one of the most important moments in their lives that reflects the positive beliefs and values they hold.A gigantic balloon which depicts Donald Trump as an angry orange baby has been given the go-ahead to fly over London during the US presidents state visit.

The Greater London Authority, headed by the capitals mayor, Sadiq Khan, gave the green light for the huge inflatable effigy to be released.

Organisers plan to fly the Trump Baby which depicts the world leader in a nappy clutching a mobile phone, over Parliament Square on Tuesday.

This is the second day of the US presidents state visit and thousands are expected to march in protest against the three-day trip.

The protesters are now waiting permission from Londons Metropolitan Police who allowed the Trump Baby to fly during Mr Trumps visit to the capital last July.

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 Trump Baby team, which is part of the Stop Trump coalition, have said they are confident police will allow the balloon to fly again.

The organisers had said they would only fly it, if the public donated 30,000 for charities pushing back against the politics of hate and division.

Having successfully reached that total, they said it will now take to the skies.

The money will go to three UK and three US groups. In the UK, it will go to the UK Student Climate Network, Jawaab, which fights racism and Islamaphobia, and Sisters Uncut, which addresses domestic violence.

In the US, climate change activists the Sunrise Movement, immigrant support group, United We Dream and abortion rights group Planned Parenthood, will also receive some of the money.

The organisers are now hoping to raise 50,000.

Lets just say things didnt go so well for Donald last time round, as Trump Baby spread around the globe like a climate change fuelled wildfire  publicly torching his fragile ego before sending him packing with two fingers firmly raised, they added. Well, if Trumps back, then Trump Baby needs to be there to greet him, they said in a statement.

Mr Trump was also greeted by massive protests during his state visit to the UK last year.

At the time, the president said that although he used to love London as a city, he felt unwelcome because of the demonstrations.Ann Widdecombe has been accused of poisonous bigotry after she suggested science might produce an answer to being gay.

The Brexit Party MEP made the comment after being questioned in a Sky News interview on an article she wrote about gay conversion therapy in 2012.

She began by comparing it to changing gender adding: There was a time when we thought it was quite impossible for men to become women and vice versa.

The fact that we think it is now quite impossible for people to switch sexuality doesnt mean that science might not be able to produce an answer at some stage.

Ms Widdecombe claimed that the possibility of changing sexuality should not be ruled out in future.

The best destinations for LGBT+ holidaymakers Show all 10 1 /10 The best destinations for LGBT+ holidaymakers The best destinations for LGBT+ holidaymakers Sweden 62 per cent Getty Images The best destinations for LGBT+ holidaymakers UK 62 per cent Getty Images The best destinations for LGBT+ holidaymakers France 63 per cent Getty Images/iStockphoto The best destinations for LGBT+ holidaymakers Portugal 66 per cent Getty Images The best destinations for LGBT+ holidaymakers Norway 68 per cent Getty Images The best destinations for LGBT+ holidaymakers Denmark 68 per cent Getty Images/iStockphoto The best destinations for LGBT+ holidaymakers Finland 69 per cent Getty Images/iStockphoto The best destinations for LGBT+ holidaymakers Luxembourg 70 per cent Getty Images/iStockphoto The best destinations for LGBT+ holidaymakers Belgium 73 per cent Getty Images/iStockphoto The best destinations for LGBT+ holidaymakers Malta 90 per cent Getty Images/iStockphoto

She added: You are denying people who are confused about their sexuality or discontented with it, the chances that you do give to people that want to change gender.

I do not imagine for one moment that the Brexit Party will be putting forward a policy on gay sex changes in its manifesto.

Labour MP Luke Pollard, whose Plymouth constituency is part of the southwest area represented by Ms Widdecombe in Europe, said the MEP was continuing her sick anti-LGBT campaign.

He tweeted: Utterly ashamed to be represented by this vile woman. Being gay isnt a disease to be cured.

Independent MP Nick Boles tweeted: If only science could produce an answer to the blight of poisonous bigotry that is Ann Widdecombe. The actor Stephen Fry made a similar comment.

Labour MP Stephen Doughty said: Widdecombe is sick, disgusting and dangerous. Her comments put vulnerable LGBT+ at risk  especially young people. Surely she will now he expelled from the Brexit Party?

Conservative MP Justine Greening responded: We dont need a cure for love.

 Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events

During her political career, Ms Widdecombe repeatedly voted against significant equality legislation including civil partnerships, reducing the age of consent for homosexual sex and adoption by gay couples.

Last year she criticised Prince Harry and Meghan Markle for saying they want to prioritise LGBT+ rights.

Theresa May vowed to eradicate the abhorrent practice of gay conversion therapy last July after announcing the results of a nationwide LGBT+ survey.The Brexit Party has topped a general election voting intention poll for the very first time, according to a new survey.

Nigel Farages insurgent outfit was found to be the most popular party on 26 per cent, ahead of Labour on 22 per cent, in the poll asking voters how they will cast their ballots at the next Westminster election.

The Conservatives are third on just 17 per cent, with the Liberal Democrats on 16 per cent and the Greens on 11 per cent, according to the poll carried out by Opinium for The Observer.

The results suggest pro-Leave voters are not ready to abandon Mr Farages party at a general election after granting him victory at last weeks European parliamentary elections.

The Brexit Party has increased its backing by two points since the last Opinium survey two weeks ago, while Labour and the Conservatives have seen support fall by seven and five points respectively.

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

The latest polling does show a significant boost in support for the pro-Remain parties, however. The Greens are up eight points and the Lib Dems up five since the since the companys last survey.

There was bad news for Change UK, however, with support for the independent MPs group down two points to just 1 per cent.

The results would, hypothetically, give the Brexit Party 306 seats in the House of Commons, according to the Electoral Calculus website. Labour would be on 205 and the Tories would be left with just 26 seats.

Launched only six weeks ago, Mr Farages party has rapidly absorbed the support of millions of voters angry over Britains failure to leave the EU. After winning 32 per cent of the vote and gaining 29 MEPs at the European elections, the former Ukip leader insisted his new organisation had the capacity to stun everybody in a general election too.

On Saturday Mr Farage has said winning the upcoming Peterborough by-election would be even bigger than the European results. His party is the bookmakers favourite to win the seat on 6 June.

The new poll comes as Donald Trump make his second dramatic intervention in British politics in as many days, calling on the UK to leave the EU without a deal if Brussels refuses to meet its demands, and urging the government to send Mr Farage into the negotiations.

He told the Sunday Times it was a mistake not to the involve Brexit Party leader Mr Farage in talks, saying he has a lot to offer and is someone he likes a lot.

Despite current excitement and fear about the Brexit Party, several leading experts have predicted success at a general election would be a much tougher task for Mr Farages group.

When youre fighting a general election with 650 constituencies, you need an organisation with grassroots organisational zeal, Liverpool Universitys professor of politics Andrew Russell told The Independent.

The Brexit Party just dont have that. It is always going to be difficult for them to win from a standing start. Its very difficult to see them getting more than one or two seats.Jeremy Corbyn must sack his closest aides in the wake of "catastrophic" election results to save the party from collapse, Lord Blunkett has said.

In an extraordinary intervention, the Labour grandee called on Momentum, the grassroots activists network, and the trade unions to put pressure on Mr Corbyn to oust his "little clique" of advisers.

Lord Blunkett, a former home secretary, said Labour was imploding over its confused Brexit stance and condemned incompetence at the top of the party.

And he accused senior figures in Mr Corbyn's inner circle of being a block on changes to policy.

"Together with Jeremy Corbyn himself, Seumas Milne, Karie Murphy and [Unite chief] Len McCluskey, must surely be held to account for the direction Labour has taken," he wrote in The Observer.

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 amid angry recriminations over Labour's Brexit stance, after the party slumped to third place behind the pro-EU Liberal Democrats and the Brexit Party in the European elections.

Lord Blunkett said: "In my view there are two forces within the Labour movement  the unions and Momentum  who must now act to get rid of those key advisers who are a block on policy changes and who are responsible for the incompetence we are seeing.

"The major unions have historically played a key role in the stability of the Labour Party, taking difficult and sometimes painful action when failure had to be dealt with. This is such a moment.

"The leadership of Momentum has always proclaimed that it was a popular social movement keen to reflect rank-and-file views. If they meant it, now is the time to prove it."

A Labour source said: "This attack should be seen for what it is: an attempt to weaken and undermine Jeremy Corbyn by people who know they are unable to oust him, and are prepared to damage the Labour Party in the process.

"The irony of former spin doctors and politicians orchestrating a good-leader-bad advisers narrative is obvious."

Mr Corbyn faces a stormy meeting of the parliamentary Labour Party on Monday, as MPs will meet for the first time since the European elections, and the divisive expulsion of Alastair Campbell.

Tony Blair's former spin doctor was ousted from the party for openly admitting he had voted for the Liberal Democrats in an act of Brexit protest.

His expulsion, which is now being reviewed, drew anger from party grandees.Donald Trump's British envoy has sparked fury with claims that access to the NHS would be "on the table" in a post-Brexit trade deal with the US.

Woody Johnson, the US ambassador to the UK, said the "entire economy" would be included in transatlantic negotiations, which could include allowing American private firms to bid for NHS contracts.

In an interview ahead of Mr Trump's state visit, Mr Johnson said the US was already "looking at all the components of the deal and trying to get everything lined up so when the time comes were ready to go".

Asked if healthcare would be part of the deal, he told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show: "I think probably the entire economy, in a trade deal all things that are traded will be on the table."

Mr Johnson also said chlorinated chicken - which is permitted under American regulations but banned in the EU - was "completely safe".

Who could succeed Theresa May as Conservative leader? Show all 9 1 /9 Who could succeed Theresa May as Conservative leader? Who could succeed Theresa May as Conservative leader? Boris Johnson Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson has long been hopeful, he previously stood in the leadership contest that followed the Brexit vote and has at many times since been thought to be maneuvering himself towards the goal. He remains a darling of the party's right wing, particularly those in the ERG, and is the most popular choice among Tory voters but his leadership bid would be fiercely opposed by many MPs PA Who could succeed Theresa May as Conservative leader? Michael Gove Environment secretary Michael Gove is another member who has long wanted to be leader. He has lately been known for rousing his party in the commons, his recent speeches on the Brexit deal and Labour's no confidence motion have overshadowed the Prime Minister's. He has been loyal to the Prime Minister, partly to shed his reputation as a backstabber who abandoned Boris Johnson to stand against him in the 2016 leadership election Getty Who could succeed Theresa May as Conservative leader? Dominic Raab Former Brexit secretary Dominic Raab has emerged as a favourite to be the Brexiteer candidate in a contest to succeed to Ms May. He displayed a grip on detail in his role as Brexit secretary. When asked recently if he would like to become prime minister he replied "never say never" Getty Who could succeed Theresa May as Conservative leader? Rory Stewart International development secretary Rory Stewart is pitching himself as the sensible candidate, promising to rule out both a second referendum and a no-deal Brexit. He was only recently promoted to the cabinet, previously serving as prisons minister, where he caught headlines with a pledge to resign if he could not reduce levels of violence within a year PA Who could succeed Theresa May as Conservative leader? Esther McVey The former work and pensions secretary announced that she will be standing for the leadership when May leaves. McVey is the first to explicitly state that she intends to stand. She resigned from the cabinet in protest over May's Brexit deal AFP/Getty Who could succeed Theresa May as Conservative leader? Sajid Javid Home secretary Sajid Javid is said to have a plan in place for a leadership race. He made headlines over Christmas when he declared that people smuggling over the English channel was a "major incident" and more recently when he revoked the citizenship of ISIS bride Shamima Begum. Son of a bus driver, he wants the Conservatives to be seen as the party of social mobility PA Who could succeed Theresa May as Conservative leader? Jeremy Hunt Foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt was recently thought to be the favourite in the event of a leadership race as he could sell himself as the man to unite the party. Critics worry that his long stint as health secretary could return to haunt him at a general election. He has reportedly been holding meetings with Tory MPs over breakfast to promote his leadership PA Who could succeed Theresa May as Conservative leader? Andrea Leadsom Following the Prime Minister's second defeat over her Brexit deal, Leader of the house Andrea Leadsom hosted a dinner party at which "leadership was the only topic of conversation", The Times heard. Leadsom ran against Theresa May in the 2016 leadership election before dropping out, allowing May to become Prime Minister AFP/Getty Who could succeed Theresa May as Conservative leader? Priti Patel Former international development secretary Priti Patel is thought to be positioning herself as a contender. One MP told The Independent "she knows she's from the right of the party, the part which is going to choose the next leader, so she's reminding everyone she's there." Patel left the government late in 2017 after it emerged that she had held undisclosed meetings with Israeli officials PA

He added: "Once again, you can have a choice. We have five million Brits, British people, coming over to the US every year and Ive never heard a complaint, one complaint about anything to do with chicken."

Matt Hancock, the health secretary, waded into the row to insist the NHS would not be flooded with private bidding from US pharmaceutical giants and healthcare firms.

He said: "My American friends, know this: The NHS is not for sale.

"Yes wed love to make it cheaper to buy your life-saving pharmaceuticals - but the NHS will not be on the table in any future trade talks."

But Labour seized on the comments as a sign that the NHS was "up for sale" under a new Conservative leader, as Theresa May's tenure comes to an end on Friday.

Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said: The ambassadors comments are terrifying, and show that a real consequence of a no deal Brexit, followed by a trade deal with Trump, will be our NHS up for sale.

"This absolutely should not be on the table. Nigel Farage and the Tories want to rip apart our publicly funded and provided NHS.

Environment committee chairwoman Mary Creagh said: "Brexit has always been a recipe for the destruction of our NHS.

"What Cameron started, Trump will finish..."

Liberal Democrat leadership contender Sir Ed Davey said the "cat was out of the bag" over future US trade deals.

He said: "I worry that the government is desperate to sign pretty much anything. We must ensure that access to the NHS is not up for grabs in return for a trade deal.

 Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events

"A Brexit Britain standing on our own will be in a far weaker negotiating position against Trump and his America First agenda."

Trade is likely to be a key part of discussions during Mr Trump's three-day state visit, which begins on Monday. Flash

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said Saturday he was optimistic about reaching an agreement with Washington over the proposed punitive tariffs on imported goods coming from Mexico.

"There is a willingness on the part of U.S. officials to establish a dialogue and reach agreements," Lopez Obrador told reporters at a press conference in Veracruz, a major port city on the Gulf of Mexico.

On Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that the United States will impose 5 percent tariffs on all Mexican imports on June 10 and gradually lift the tariffs only if "the illegal migration crisis is alleviated through effective actions taken by Mexico."

In response, Lopez Obrador called for high-level bilateral talks to discuss the issue.

"I think (the talks) are going to have good results because there is a favorable environment for dialogue, both in Mexico and in the United States. It benefits us all to reach an agreement and not apply these measures," he said.

Leading the Mexican delegation to Washington on Friday, Mexican Foreign Affairs Minister Marcelo Ebrard said in a tweet translated from Spanish that "Mike Pompeo will head up the U.S. delegation. I will head the Mexican. There is a willingness to dialogue."Conservative leadership hopeful Michael Gove is reportedly prepared to delay Brexit until the end of 2020 rather than crash out of the European Union without a deal.

The environment secretary is said to have told colleagues pursuing a no-deal exit risked triggering a general election or seeing Brexit cancelled altogether.

Simply trying to go for no deal before the UK is properly prepared will lead to a general election with Jeremy Corbyn in Downing Street and risks Brexit being cancelled altogether, a source close to Mr Gove told The Telegraph.

The stance puts Mr Gove at odds with many of his rivals in the race to replace the outgoing Theresa May, who have claimed they are prepared to leave the EU without an agreement if necessary.

The home secretary, Sajid Javid, another Tory leadership candidate, said on Saturday he would step up planning for a no-deal Brexit if he becomes the next prime minister, but said Parliament would do everything to try and stop no deal as an outcome.

Brexit culture: film posters reimagined Show all 5 1 /5 Brexit culture: film posters reimagined Brexit culture: film posters reimagined The Hunchback of Notre Dame with a Brexit spin Jeff Moore / Rooftop Film Club Brexit culture: film posters reimagined Les Miserables reimagined Jeff Moore / Rooftop Film Club Brexit culture: film posters reimagined A Room with a View of Britain's future Jeff Moore / Rooftop Film Club Brexit culture: film posters reimagined Roman Holiday relocated Jeff Moore / Rooftop Film Club Brexit culture: film posters reimagined The Sound of Music reimagined Jeff Moore / Rooftop Film Club

arliament would do everything to try and stop no deal as an outcome.

He said his absolute focus would be on getting a deal, but added he would focus on mitigating the effect of no deal on the economy if he was unable to reach an agreement with the EU.

I would prepare for a no-deal budget, which would include a significant amount of economic stimulus, he said.

That would include significant tax cuts for business, for personal income, it would include stepped up infrastructure investment.

Meanwhile, Mr Javid has also said he would consider scrapping the top rate of income tax in a bid to boost the economy.

He pointed to George Osbornes move to cut the top rate of tax from 50p to 45p, which saw tax revenues increase.

If it can be demonstrated that a further cut in the additional rate can raise more taxable revenues that should be looked at, he said.

Others in the leadership race promising tax cuts to boost their appeal include Dominic Raab and Jeremy Hunt.

 Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events

Mr Raab has pledged to cut income tax by a penny a year - 5p over the course of a Parliament to just 15p in the pound for the basic rate - which critics have claimed would cost 25 billion.

Mr Hunt, on the other hand, is using tax cuts to woo businesses, suggesting slashing corporation tax to Irish levels of 12.5 per cent from the 19 per cent it sits at currently.

Chancellor Philip Hammond this week expressed his concern over too many populist pledges by his colleagues to cut taxes.

Additional reporting by PALabour has been urged to disown its candidate in the Peterborough by-election after it emerged she had endorsed an antisemitic Facebook post.

Lisa Forbes apologised wholeheartedly for liking a social media post that claimed Theresa May had a Zionist Slave Masters agenda. The Labour candidate said it included a video of children praying following the Christchurch attacks.

Ms Forbes had also commented under an older thread, which claimed Isis was created and funded by the CIA and Mossad. She said: I have enjoyed reading this thread so much.

Jewish leaders said the move called into question her suitability for public office, ahead of the critical by-election on Thursday.

The row comes after the equality watchdogs announcement of a formal probe into the handling of anti-Jewish sentiment in Labour.

It also comes after the party suspended a member of its ruling body over antisemitism claims.

Ms Forbes apologised for failing to call out the posts and vowed to deepen her understanding of antisemitism, regardless of whether she was elected.

She said: I apologise wholeheartedly for not calling out these posts. I liked a video of school children praying in solidarity with the Christchurch attacks, not the views expressed in the accompanying text.

I am sorry. Antisemitism is abhorrent and has no place in our society.

Standing up against hatred towards one group of people must never be allowed to become hatred of another.

Recommended Labour suspends official over antisemitism comments

In a joint statement, Marie van der Zyl, president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, Simon Johnson, chief executive of the Jewish Leadership Council, and David Delew, chief executive of the Community Security Trust, said it stretches the limits of credulity that she had not seen the words.

The trio said: We are fed up hearing that Labour opposes antisemitism while repeatedly hearing excuses that its members accidentally missed the racism that was staring them in the face.

Unless Labour disowns Lisa Forbes as a candidate, it will only confirm the partys shameful descent into the racist mess for which they are now being investigated by the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

Voters will head to the polls in Peterborough on Thursday to find a successor to disgraced MP Fiona Onasanya.

 Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events

The former Labour MP was sacked by constituents through a recall petition after she was jailed for lying over a speeding offence.

The marginal seat will be a test for both Labour and the Tories, against Nigel Farages insurgent Brexit Party.Former minister Sam Gyimah has become the first Tory leadership hopeful to back a new referendum as the number of candidates to succeed Theresa May swelled to 13.

Mr Gyimah put calls for a fresh Brexit vote at the heart of his leadership pitch, saying he would be the only candidate supporting a Final Say vote.

Having resigned as universities minister in protest over Brexit, Mr Gyimah said he wanted to broaden the race, to offer an alternative to Brexiteer candidates.

His unexpected intervention came as ex-cabinet minister Andrea Leadsom said she would pursue a managed no-deal Brexit, while another rival, Sajid Javid said he was willing to crash the UK out of the EU in October.

Mr Gyimah told Sky Newss Sophy Ridge on Sunday: We face a very stark and unwelcome choice. It is either no deal or revoke, via a second referendum, possibly.

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

But what most of the candidates are offering is to offer no deal and a fudge on Theresa Mays deal which has been heavily defeated.

Now parliament is deadlocked, we all know that, we want to move forward, we want to bring the country together.

Thats why I think a final say on the Brexit deal is the way to achieve that.

The Independent has been calling for a new Brexit referendum, with its Final Say campaign attracting more than a million supporters.

Mr Gyimah, the MP for East Surrey, insisted he was not attempting to win a cabinet role, saying he would find it very difficult to serve as a minister under a leader pursuing a no-deal Brexit.

No deal will be an abject failure, he said.

In the referendum campaign people were promised a deal. In our election manifesto, people were promised a deal.

So far, cabinet ministers Jeremy Hunt, Michael Gove, Sajid Javid and Matt Hancock have thrown their hats into the ring to replace Ms May, while up-and-comers such as Brexit minister James Cleverly are trying their luck.

Outside candidate Rory Stewart, the international development secretary, has won praise after he set off around the country to meet the public, armed with a selfie stick.

His hopes were bolstered by an endorsement by justice secretary David Gauke, who said Mr Stewart was a strong contender.

Mr Gauke also said he could not serve in a cabinet that was pursuing a no-deal Brexit but acknowledged it was important to keep the idea on the table.

Former cabinet minister Andrea Leadsom said she would take the UK out of the EU by the end of October in a managed exit  and ruled out renegotiating Ms Mays deal.

Ms Leadsom, whose resignation triggered Ms Mays departure, said the prime ministers deal was dead as the EU would not reopen it and MPs have rejected it.

 Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events

Mr Javid, the home secretary, said he wanted to leave the EU on 31 October as planned but he did not explicitly rule out a delay to Brexit.

He told the BBCs Andrew Marr Show: I want to leave with a deal but if I have to choose between no deal and no Brexit, I would pick no deal.

Pressed on the matter, he said: Thats not something I would do, but we are a parliamentary democracy and what weve seen in the last few months is parliament has taken on some extraordinary powers to initiate its own legislation so if its statute, if its the law, I would not break the law if I was prime minister, of course I would observe the law.

Elsewhere, Amber Rudd, the work and pensions secretary, warned candidates against supporting a no-deal exit as they had a brief opportunity to reset the political agenda.

Ms Rudd is regarded as a possible kingmaker in the upcoming contest, as she heads up a 60-strong caucus of moderate Tories.Donald Trump has called on Britain to leave the European Union without a deal if Brussels refuses to meet its demands, as he urged the government to send Nigel Farage into the negotiations.

In his second extraordinary intervention into British politics ahead of this weeks state visit, the president suggested the UK should walk away from talks and refuse to pay the 39bn divorce bill if its requests are not met.

He told the Sunday Times it was a mistake not to involve Brexit Party leader Mr Farage in negotiations, saying he has a lot to offer and is someone he likes a lot.

Mr Trump added: He is a very smart person. They wont bring him in. Think how well they would do if they did. They just havent figured that out yet.

The president, who will arrive in London on Monday, said the British government has to get the deal closed.

The Queen with US presidents: Truman to Trump Show all 23 1 /23 The Queen with US presidents: Truman to Trump The Queen with US presidents: Truman to Trump Eisenhower President Dwight D Eisenhower welcomes the Queen to Washington on 18 October 1957 AFP/Getty The Queen with US presidents: Truman to Trump Truman President Harry Truman welcomes then Princess Elizabeth to Washington on 4 November 1951 PA The Queen with US presidents: Truman to Trump Eisenhower President Dwight D Eisenhower and the Queen inspect a Guard of Honour at the gates of Balmoral Castle on 28 August 1959 Getty The Queen with US presidents: Truman to Trump Eisenhower President Dwight D Eisenhower with the Queen at Balmoral Castle on 29 August 1959 PA The Queen with US presidents: Truman to Trump Kennedy President John F Kennedy and wife Jacqueline with the Queen and Prince Philip at Buckingham Palace on June 5 1961 PA The Queen with US presidents: Truman to Trump Nixon The Queen and then Vice President Richard Nixon share a laugh at a Thanksgiving Dinner at Winfield House, the US ambassador's residence in London on 27 November 1958 PA The Queen with US presidents: Truman to Trump Nixon President Richard Nixon meets the Queen and Prime Minister Edward Heath at Chequers on 3 October 1970 Getty The Queen with US presidents: Truman to Trump Ford The Queen waves to the crowd as she and Prince Philip are welcomed to the White House by President Gerald Ford and wife Betty Ford on 7 July 1976 PA The Queen with US presidents: Truman to Trump Carter President Jimmy Carter and the Queen at a state dinner at Buckingham Palace on 7 May 1977 PA The Queen with US presidents: Truman to Trump Reagan President Ronald Reagan goes riding with the Queen at Windsor on 8 June 1982 PA The Queen with US presidents: Truman to Trump Reagan President Ronald Reagan riding with the Queen at Windsor on 8 June 1982 PA The Queen with US presidents: Truman to Trump Reagan President Ronald Reagan addresses a banquet at Windsor Castle on 8 June 1982 PA The Queen with US presidents: Truman to Trump Reagan President Ronald Reagan is pictured with the Queen and Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher before a banquet at Buckingham Palace on 9 June 1984 PA The Queen with US presidents: Truman to Trump Bush (H W) President George H W Bush waves to the crowd as he takes the Queen and Prince Philip to a baseball game in Baltimore on 15 May 1991 AFP/Getty The Queen with US presidents: Truman to Trump Bush (H W) The Queen shares a joke with former first lady Barbara Bush as she and former president George H W Bush attend an awards ceremony in London in November 1993 AFP/Getty The Queen with US presidents: Truman to Trump Clinton First Lady Hillary Clinton talks with the Queen at Buckingham Palace on 30 November 1995 AFP/Getty The Queen with US presidents: Truman to Trump Clinton President Bill Clinton and the Queen pose for a photo at the Guildhall in London before a banquet to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the D-Day invasion in 1995 AFP/Getty The Queen with US presidents: Truman to Trump Bush (W) The Queen waves to the crowd as she and Prince Phillip are welcomed to the White House by President George W Bush and wife Laura Bush on 7 May 2007 PA The Queen with US presidents: Truman to Trump Bush (W) President George W Bush and wife Laura Bush with the Queen and Prince Philip on a state visit on 19 November 2003 AFP/Getty The Queen with US presidents: Truman to Trump Obama President Barack Obama looks on as the Queen signs a guestbook after a dinner at Winfield House, the US ambassador's residence in London on 25 May 2011 AFP/Getty The Queen with US presidents: Truman to Trump Obama The Queen and President Barack Obama arrive at a state banquet at Buckingham Palace on 24 May 2011 AFP/Getty The Queen with US presidents: Truman to Trump Obama The Queen and Prince Philip welcome Barack and Michelle Obama at Buckingham Palace on 1 April 2009 AFP/Getty The Queen with US presidents: Truman to Trump President Donald Trump and the Queen inspect a Guard of Honour at Windsor Castle in July 2018 PA

He suggested: If they dont get what they want, I would walk away... If you dont get the deal you want, if you dont get a fair deal, then you walk away.

Mr Trump added that if he was in charge, he would not pay the EU divorce bill, and he claimed it is not too late to sue the EU to give Britain greater ammunition in the talks.

He told the paper: If I were them I wouldnt pay $50bn. That is me. I would not pay, that is a tremendous number.

Meanwhile Mr Trump vowed to go all out to secure a free trade deal between the UK and US within months of Britain leaving the EU.

Defying diplomatic norms for the second time in as many days after telling The Sun he backs Boris Johnson to become the next prime minister, Mr Trump also said he would have to know Jeremy Corbyn before authorising the sharing of highly sensitive US intelligence.

He also urged the Labour leader to get along with the United States if he wants Britain to continue to benefit from US military and intelligence support, the paper reported.

His intervention comes as a dozen MPs battle it out to replace Theresa May as Conservative leader, with several candidates pledging they would be prepared to take the UK out of the EU without a deal.

Meanwhile, London mayor Sadiq Khan compared the language used by Mr Trump to that of the fascists of the 20th century.

Writing in the Observer, Mr Khan said: President Donald Trump is just one of the most egregious examples of a growing global threat.

 Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events

The far-right is on the rise around the world, threatening our hard-won rights and freedoms and the values that have defined our liberal, democratic societies for more than 70 years.

Viktor Orban in Hungary, Matteo Salvini in Italy, Marine Le Pen in France and Nigel Farage here in the UK are using the same divisive tropes of the fascists of the 20th century to garner support, but with new, sinister methods to deliver their message.

And they are gaining ground and winning power and influence in places that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago.

Press AssociationSenior politicians from all of the main parties have warned Donald Trump against distasteful interference in British politics during an already controversial state visit this week, with the Tory leadership race and future Brexit policy hanging in the balance.

Mr Trump was accused by party leaders and MPs past and present of breaking a longstanding convention by praising Boris Johnson, claiming he would make an excellent prime minister, ahead of a three-day trip to the UK which begins on Monday.

Speaking to The Independent, Sir Malcolm Rifkind, a Tory former foreign secretary, said the comments by the narcissistic and egocentric Mr Trump were unprecedented for a president of the United States.

Jeremy Corbyn and Sir Vince Cable also condemned the remarks, and one MP suggested the Queen should rescind Mr Trumps invitation to a state banquet on Tuesday night.

It is highly unusual for a sitting US president to comment on a UK political election, although Mr Trump has previously drawn fire over his vocal support for Brexit and his criticism of Theresa May.

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

The Independent has learnt that MPs will be among thousands of people taking part in protests against Mr Trump this week, with Labour frontbencher Clive Lewis one of those having vowed to join demonstrations in London.

Anger over the visit is likely to have deepened following the US presidents latest comments.

Criticising the intervention, Sir Malcolm said: No other prime minister or president would dream of doing it. He knows perfectly well that that applies to American presidents as well, but the man is so narcissistic and egocentric that he likes believing that he sways the future of the world.

Theres nothing illegal about it, theres nothing unconstitutional about it, its just distasteful interference in other peoples business.

He added: Its unprecedented for a president of the United States but its not unprecedented for Trump. Trump has been making remarks of this kind about other peoples democratic choices since day one. If he had the slightest bit of sensitivity he would not be doing so.

If Theresa May were to recommend the virtues of Joe Biden as a potential president of the United States, most people in America, not just Trump, would say mind your own business.

These are sensitive issues and the only people who will decide the next prime minister of the United Kingdom or president of the United States will be the citizens of the countries concerned.

He suggested that the comments could harm Mr Johnsons chances of becoming prime minister, because nobody likes other people interfering in their election campaigns. Tory MPs worried about losing their seats to the Liberal Democrats may be concerned if the party leader was backed by Mr Trump, he added.

Joining the growing backlash, Mr Corbyn said: President Trumps attempt to decide who will be Britains next prime minister is an entirely unacceptable interference in our countrys democracy.

The next prime minister should be chosen not by the US president, nor by 100,000 unrepresentative Conservative Party members, but by the British people in a general election.

And Sir Vince Cable, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, said Eurosceptic Tories who expressed anger at Barack Obama warning against Brexit in 2016 should also condemn Mr Trumps comments.

He said: Brexiteers expressed outrage at Obama telling a few truths during the referendum campaign.

I look forward to hearing them pour the same opprobrium on bully boy Trump for intervening in the contest to become Tory leader.

If ever a reason were needed to keep Boris Johnson out of Downing Street, it is Trumps endorsement of him and of Brexit  both of which are bad for Britain.

Liberal Democrat MP Sir Ed Davey, who is vying with Jo Swinson to succeed Sir Vince this summer, added: The Queen would be perfectly entitled to cancel Trumps dinner given hes insulted the Duchess of Sussex and interfered in the selection of our next prime minister at a time of national crisis. We dont need friends like that.

 Here's what Donald Trump has to say about Brexit

Mr Trump stopped short of fully endorsing Mr Johnson, the current frontrunner in the race, but said of the former foreign secretary: I think Boris would do a very good job ... I think he would be excellent.

Speaking to The Sun, he added: I like him. I have always liked him. I dont know that he is going to be chosen, but I think he is a very good guy, a very talented person.

He also said he was a fan of Jeremy Hunt, the foreign secretary, but had harsher words for Michael Gove, the environment secretary, who recently criticised his stance on Iran.

The Republican claimed that other Conservative leadership candidates had asked for his support, although all of the leadership campaigns contacted by The Independent denied having asked for his backing.

The comments risk sparking a diplomatic row on the eve of the state visit, although some senior Tories questioned whether the remarks would help or hinder Mr Johnson given the US presidents reputation in the UK.

Andrew Mitchell, a former cabinet minister and Conservative chief whip, said: It is certainly unusual but then Trump is a most unusual president. The electorate at Westminster is a sophisticated if serpentine one and so I doubt it will move many votes.

It is certainly unprecedented and could indeed backfire.

Bob Seely, a member of the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, who is backing Michael Gove for leader, said the comments were not appropriate but added: Its Donald Trump and hes probably always going to do it.

During his visit, Mr Trump will hold talks with Theresa May in Downing Street on Tuesday before attending a state banquet hosted by the Queen at Buckingham Palace.

On Wednesday he will join Ms May for talks with business leaders, and on Thursday he will travel to Portsmouth to take part in events to mark the 75th anniversary of D-Day.He was a priest just out of seminary. She was a nurse. They were both from the slopes of Mount Kenya, but their paths improbably crossed in Rome.

He became unshakable in his desire to marry her, even though he had taken the Catholic churchs mandatory vow of celibacy for priests.

When he returned to preach in Kenya, Peter Njogu was shocked when fellow priests told him that many of them had broken that vow, marrying and having children.

In hushed tones, they spoke of their secret families, kept hidden in distant homes. The thought of doing so pained him.

As the Catholic church goes through a global crisis brought on in part by the revelation of widespread sexual misconduct by its clergy, self-proclaimed Bishop Njogu believes he has figured out how to save Christianitys largest church from its own sins  let priests marry and raise families.

A secret shame: Inside the latest scandal to rock the Catholic church Show all 4 1 /4 A secret shame: Inside the latest scandal to rock the Catholic church A secret shame: Inside the latest scandal to rock the Catholic church 213462.bin KALPESH LATHIGRA A secret shame: Inside the latest scandal to rock the Catholic church 213463.bin AP A secret shame: Inside the latest scandal to rock the Catholic church 213464.bin AFP/Getty Images A secret shame: Inside the latest scandal to rock the Catholic church 213465.bin

Njogus breakaway faction, the Renewed Universal Catholic Church, is Catholic in every way except in having optional celibacy for its priests.

Its growth in Kenya is rooted in opposition to the practice of keeping secret families but reflects a growing worry among some Catholics that the celibacy requirement  to many an non-negotiable tenet of the priesthood  creates a harmful culture of sexual secrecy.

The Vatican has shown no interest in re-examining the issue for all priests, and Pope Francis has called celibacy a gift to the church.

But the pontiff has also signalled that he is open to ordaining married men in remote parts of the world with a severe shortage of priests.

More radical voices in the church have called for the church to rescind the requirement altogether.

Most of our members are ex-Catholics, says Njogu. They are tired of the hypocrisy. Some of our people call us the church of the future.

Nearly 20 priests and more than 2,000 parishioners have joined Njogu since 2011, he claims, mostly in the towns and villages that dot the fertile slopes of Mount Kenya, the 5,200m high extinct volcano right in the centre of this country.

Now that Ive come out, these other priests tell me: The problem with you is you went public, he said on a recent Sunday after celebrating mass. And I say: I am not the problem, I am the solution. Join me.

To his flock, he said: This is where you find your freedom from all that hypocrisy.

The church in the hilltop village of Gachatha where Njogu preaches his reformation is a far cry from a cathedral.

The pews, pulpit and church itself are all made of wooden planks nailed together. The floor is sawdust on top of dirt. On a clear day, the ice-capped peak of Mount Kenya glimmers through a glassless window.

While Catholicism has declined in numbers in some former bastions in the west, such as Ireland, it is growing more rapidly in Africa than anywhere else.

Africans make up nearly a fifth of the worlds Catholics.

Njogus sermons hark back to Catholicisms pre-celibacy era while appealing to the faiths future in Africa, where he believes it will have to reconcile with local customs as it grows.

 Catholic Church kept more than 500 sexual abuse cases in Illinois hidden

No one in the Vatican understands the African soul. They do not understand that for the African man, priest or not, the worst sin is to leave this world without siring a child, says Njogu.

Mandatory celibacy is thus the root of priestly sin, but they pretend all is well while their house is burning to the ground.

The Catholic church ex-communicated Njogu after he defected for alleged unbecoming behaviour, including purchasing land and speaking openly about his intention to marry Berith Kariri, who remains his wife.

These priests are not sincere, they are pursuing personal interests, says Father Daniel Kimutai Rono, general secretary for the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Recommended Church of England told to print sex abuse helpline on service sheets

There is nothing about African-ness or European-ness.

The vow of celibacy, he says, is about the vocation, about the call to serve God and the sacrifice which entails in serving God.

Dozens of Njogus followers have said in interviews that they left the mainstream church because they doubted their former priests devotion to the vocation.

As a parent, I had to fear that a priest would impregnate my daughter if I took them to my old churches, says Margaret Kimondo, who was one of Njogus first converts.

In front of the altar they may look one way, but at night, you dont even want to hear those stories.

Philip Muiga, 78, had been a Catholic priest for decades before joining the Renewed Universal church last year.

One day I met a priest in the street who I have known for a long time, and he was drunk, he says. When I went home and looked at myself in the mirror, I just saw darkness. I could not justify continuing to call these men my colleagues.

Rono, who represents the Kenyan Catholic Church, denied any sort of systemic abuse or existence of secret families but acknowledged a global church-wide trend of infidelity to the priestly vocation and said priests should avoid any kind of cover-up.

The Vatican deferred to its Kenyan representatives for comment.

 Catholic exorcism in Mexico

Celibacy has been expected of Catholic priests since its origins in the first century after Jesus Christs death, but the 12th-century imposition of a celibacy vow was necessitated primarily by a priesthood that had begun using the church as a family business, says Chris Bellitto, a professor and church historian at Kean University in New Jersey.

Priests were handing their parishes along to their illegitimate sons as if they were training them as cobblers, who inherited your shop and tools when you died.

This complicated the integrity of the sacraments  what if the son didnt have a vocation or disposition as a spiritual leader?  and the independence of the church, since the bishop was supposed to be naming parish priests, says Bellitto.

But the vow always seemed at odds with certain parts of the Bibles teachings, leading many within the church to question its purpose.

Njogus faction is certainly not the first to try charting a new course without the celibacy vow, says Kim Haines-Eitzen, a historian of early Christianity at Cornell University.

In Catholicism, theres always been a pronounced preference for asceticism to prove devotion. But how do you square that with, say, be fruitful and multiply, from Genesis? Are priests expected to be separate from all other humans? she says.

That enforced detachment from the lives of their flock is what drives priests in Kenya to adopt secret families, says Father Matthew Theuri, 73, who was a catechist for nearly four decades before joining Njogus church as a priest.

But it also presents a quandary in being a good priest, he said.

Our churchgoers come to us with questions about wayward children, trouble paying school fees, marital issues  how can we help them if we know nothing of that life? he says, while sitting at home with his wife, Jane, and two of his grandchildren.

Speaking after Njogus mass on a recent Sunday in Gachatha, Joseph Macharia, a coffee farmer, says he thanks God every day for the new church.

This is a more open way of being, he says. The others, the ones who keep secret families, they come to the pulpit to lie. Maybe they think we are stupid.

The Washington PostThe mother of Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman has been granted an American visa allowing her to visit her son in prison in New York.

Consuelo Loera told reporters she and her two daughters were both approved for travel by the US embassy in Mexico City.

The 91-year-old  who is thought to have last seen her son in 2015  said she would like to take him his favourite meal of enchiladas.

The US has neither confirmed or denied if such a visa has been approved.

But it is known that the Mexican president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador had lobbied for such a visit to be permitted.

Inside Mexicos top drug lord El Chapos hideout Show all 4 1 /4 Inside Mexicos top drug lord El Chapos hideout Inside Mexicos top drug lord El Chapos hideout Inside El Chapo's hideout Pictures reveal how the Mexican drug lord had been living since his escape Getty Inside Mexicos top drug lord El Chapos hideout Inside El Chapo's hideout The inside of a house searched by marine special forces where Guzman was hiding Getty Inside Mexicos top drug lord El Chapos hideout Inside El Chapo's hideout Inside a house searched by marine special forces during the military operation to recapture Guzman Getty Inside Mexicos top drug lord El Chapos hideout El Chapo's attempted escape A marine stands guard next to a manhole of the sewer system through which drug kingpin Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman tried to escape Getty

He said he had done so out of empathy for an elderly woman.

El Chapo was, until his jailing this year, the worlds most powerful drugs lord leading the famously vicious Sinaloa Cartel in running an industrial-scale smuggling operation between Mexico and America.

When he was finally extradited to the US, his three-month trial  held amid unprecedented security in New York City  heard tales of grisly killings, political payoffs, cocaine hidden in jalapeno cans and jewel-encrusted guns.

Guzman's lawyers did not deny his crimes but argued that he was a fall guy for government witnesses who had more blood on their hands than he did.

The 62-year-old is due to be sentenced this month and faces a life term in a maximum-security US prison, selected to guard against the sort of jail breakout he twice executed in his home country.

Guzman escaped from a Mexican prison in 2001 after serving eight years. He moved between hideouts for more than a decade until he was imprisoned again in 2014 - only to escape a year later through a tunnel dug from his prison cell shower.

 Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events

The US Department of Justice is now seeking forfeiture of his estimated $14bn [11bn] fortune.

Of Ms Loeras visa, her lawyer Jose Luis Gonzalez, said she had proven to authorities she had the means to travel to the US and reason to return to Mexico.The ACLU of Iowa has filed a lawsuit challenging a new state law that prohibits the use of Medicaid funding for gender reassignment surgery.

Governor Kim Reynolds signed a bill on 3 May that included language amending the Iowa's Civil Rights Act so that the state is not required to pay for gender reassignment surgery.

On Friday, The ACLU sued Mr Reynolds, the state and the Iowa Department of Human Services on behalf of One Iowa, a group that advocates for transgender rights, and two transgender Iowans who qualify for Medicaid and whose doctors say they need the surgery to treat gender dysphoria.

The lawsuit filed in state court asks a judge to declare the measure invalid because it's unconstitutional and order the state to halt enforcement. It claims the law violates the inalienable rights to liberty, safety and happiness and equal protection sections of article 1 of the Iowa Constitution.

Rita Bettis Austen, the Legal Director of ACLU of Iowa, says the measure "has no basis in medicine or science. She said that major medical associations agree that surgical treatment is medically necessary, and not an elective procedure, for some transgender people.

Recommended White House seeks to roll back healthcare protections for trans people

"This is an extraordinarily ugly law and an extraordinarily dangerous law because it acts to take away rights that have previously been given under the state civil rights act," Ms Austen continued.

In March, the Supreme Court ruled that the Iowa Department of Human Services cannot block Medicaid from paying for gender reassignment surgery for two transgender women whose doctors recommended the procedure.

Republicans in the Iowa Legislature passed the law being challenged as part of a last minute addition to a human services budget bill responding to that ruling.

A transgender mans journey Show all 24 1 /24 A transgender mans journey A transgender mans journey Massie, when he was 22, poses on his bed in St Louis, Missouri. He says: Im extremely fortunate to have the people in my life and to even have the transition I've had Reuters A transgender mans journey Aged 22, posing with Heaven. Heaven and I had a very brief relationship, which was always more of a friendship, we went through some very hard times together Reuters A transgender mans journey Its beyond luck, karma, blessed, whatever you believe in. I honestly never thought I would get to this point in my life. Massie, aged 21, in 2011 Reuters A transgender mans journey With Heaven when he was 24 Reuters A transgender mans journey Massie poses in the shower at his mothers apartment. My mother has always supported me. Even if it took a minute Im the favourite Reuters A transgender mans journey Testosterone, a needle and an alcohol swab. When I first started it was painful and scary because Ive never liked needles or shots, but you just get used to it. Its everyday life now Reuters A transgender mans journey My dad has always been my person, I fully believe I get my strangeness and my weirdness from him. Massie, 28, and his father Robbin Reuters A transgender mans journey Aged 21 in 2011. At my private school, I was the pretty girl who fell in with the wrong crowd. I remember the most popular girl at the time saying she didnt know why I hung out with lesbians Reuters A transgender mans journey Growing up in Saint Louis shaped me as a human... Its truly my home. Massie with his car, aged 25 Reuters A transgender mans journey Fiancee Sandra and Massie, 28, at their home in 2018 Reuters A transgender mans journey In 2015, aged 25. I want surgery because Ive never had an attachment to the fat that has been on my chest since puberty. I will finally be able to go outside without a binder. Finally be able to swim Reuters A transgender mans journey Massie, at 26, talks with Elle (left) and Mackenzie (centre) in Elles apartment in 2015. I have very long-lasting friendships in my life. About nine of us have been friends for over 10 years now Reuters A transgender mans journey In 2012, aged 22 Reuters A transgender mans journey Massie and Sandra joke around in their backyard in 2017 Reuters A transgender mans journey Giving himself a testosterone shot in his bedroom in 2017, aged 27 Reuters A transgender mans journey Massie serves a cocktail at Planters House in St Louis. When I first started transitioning I couldn't find a job for the life of me Reuters A transgender mans journey Posing behind a curtain on the day before his 22nd birthday Reuters A transgender mans journey Massie smiles as Reeny prepares his testosterone shot on the day before his birthday in an alley in St Louis Reuters A transgender mans journey Massie, 27, and Sandra at a Pride in St Louis. Its the rarest of the rare, and the most healthy relationship I could ever hope for. Were not just partners, were best friends. Sandra is my everything Reuters A transgender mans journey I started shaving before any hair had shown itself, because I wanted more to grow. Harrison, 22, looks in the mirror as he applies shaving foam Reuters A transgender mans journey Massie, aged 24, wears a binder in 2013. After seven years of binding Im having back, shoulder, collar bone, and sternum issues Reuters A transgender mans journey Wanting a beard was one of my first ways of letting my friends know I was going to transition. Now, I have a beautiful red beard that I am very proud of. Aged 25 Reuters A transgender mans journey Massie, 25, eats breakfast with his cat Reuters A transgender mans journey Sandra has her head shaved Reuters

Aiden Vasquez, 51, is one of the transgender Iowans the ACLU is representing in the lawsuit. He said surgery is necessary to treat anxiety and depression caused by gender dysphoria.

"I am participating in this lawsuit to get the medical care I desperately need, and to pave the way for other transgender Iowans who need it too," he said. "Tragically, society shames transgender people just for being who they are. But I'm not hiding anymore. I'm determined to help myself, and in that way, help others."Former Colorado governor John Hickenlooper found a way to stand out at a crowded gathering of California Democrats  he denounced socialism, and got booed.

If we want to beat Donald Trump and achieve big progressive goals, socialism is not the answer, Mr Hickenlooper said at a Saturday afternoon session of the state partys annual convention.

As the jeering grew louder, Mr Hickenlooper added: You know, if were not careful, were going to end up re-electing the worst president in American history.

Mr Hickenloopers presidential campaign had previewed the remarks hours before he spoke.

The Coloradan, who was a geologist and a brewer before entering politics, has repeatedly argued for Democrats to embrace and reform capitalism.

The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Show all 25 1 /25 The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Bernie Sanders The Vermont senator has launched a second bid for president after losing out to Hilary Clinton in the 2016 Democratic primaries. He is running on a similar platform of democratic socialist reform Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Joe Biden The former vice president recently faced scrutiny for inappropriate touching of women, but was thought to deal with the criticism well and has since maintained a front runner status in national polling EPA The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Elizabeth Warren The Massachusetts senator is a progressive Democrat, and a major supporter of regulating Wall Street Reuters The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Amy Klobuchar Klobuchar is a Minnesota senator who earned praise for her contribution to the Brett Kavanaugh hearings Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Michael Bloomberg Michael Bloomberg, a late addition to the 2020 race, announced his candidacy after months of speculation in November. He has launched a massive ad-buying campaign and issued an apology for the controversial "stop and frisk" programme that adversely impacted minority communities in New York City when he was mayor Getty Images The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Tulsi Gabbard The Hawaii congresswoman announced her candidacy in January, but has faced tough questions on her past comments on LGBT+ rights and her stance on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Pete Buttigieg The centrist Indiana mayor and war veteran would be the first openly LGBT+ president in American history Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Deval Patrick The former Massachusetts governor launched a late 2020 candidacy and received very little reception. With just a few short months until the first voters flock to the polls, the former governor is running as a centrist and believes he can unite the party's various voting blocs AFP/Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Beto O'Rourke The former Texas congressman formally launched his bid for the presidency in March. He ran on a progressive platform, stating that the US is driven by "gross differences in opportunity and outcome" AP The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Kamala Harris The former California attorney general was introduced to the national stage during Jeff Sessions testimony. She has endorsed Medicare-for-all and proposed a major tax-credit for the middle class AFP/Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Bill De Blasio The New York mayor announced his bid on 16 May 2019. He emerged in 2013 as a leading voice in the left wing of his party but struggled to build a national profile and has suffered a number of political setbacks in his time as mayor AFP/Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Steve Bullock The Montana governor announced his bid on 14 May. He stated "We need to defeat Donald Trump in 2020 and defeat the corrupt system that lets campaign money drown out the people's voice, so we can finally make good on the promise of a fair shot for everyone." He also highlighted the fact that he won the governor's seat in a red [Republican] state Reuters The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Cory Booker The New Jersey Senator has focused on restoring kindness and civility in American politics throughout his campaign, though he has failed to secure the same level of support and fundraising as several other senators running for the White House in 2020 Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Wayne Messam Mayor of the city of Miramar in the Miami metropolitan area, Wayne Messam said he intended to run on a progressive platform against the "broken" federal government. He favours gun regulations and was a signatory to a letter from some 400 mayors condemning President Trump's withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord Vice News The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Kirsten Gillibrand The New York Senator formally announced her presidential bid in January, saying that healthcare should be a right, not a privilege Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: John Delaney The Maryland congressman was the first to launch his bid for presidency, making the announcement in 2017 AP The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Andrew Yang The entrepreneur announced his presidential candidacy by pledging that he would introduce a universal basic income of $1,000 a month to every American over the age of 18 Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Julian Castro The former San Antonio mayor announced his candidacy in January and said that his running has a special meaning for the Latino community in the US Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Marianne Williamson The author and spiritual adviser has announced her intention to run for president. She had previously run for congress as an independent in 2014 but was unsuccessful Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Eric Swalwell One of the younger candidates, Swalwell has served on multiple committees in the House of Representatives. He intended to make gun control central to his campaign but dropped out after his team said it was clear there was no path to victory Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Seth Moulton A Massachusetts congressman, Moulton is a former US soldier who is best known for trying to stop Nancy Pelosi from becoming speaker of the house. He dropped out of the race after not polling well in key states Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Jay Inslee Inslee has been governor of Washington since 2013. His bid was centred around climate change AFP/Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: John Hickenlooper The former governor of Colorado aimed to sell himself as an effective leader who was open to compromise, but failed to make a splash on the national stage Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Tim Ryan Ohio representative Tim Ryan ran on a campaign that hinged on his working class roots, though his messaging did not appear to resonate with voters Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Tom Steyer Democratic presidential hopeful billionaire and philanthropist Tom Steyer is a longtime Democratic donor AFP/Getty

In a May op-ed for The Wall Street Journal, he wrote that he was running to save the only economic system that can support a strong middle class.

In an interview, Mr Hickenlooper said he had spoken inartfully, and that he did not mean to single out any of his opponents, though Bernie Sanders is the only self-identified democratic socialist seeking the White House.

Weve got to clearly show that we reject socialism, Mr Hickenlooper said. Weve got to do that because Republicans will try to make us into socialists even if were not. If were not willing to draw a bright line and say were not socialists, we could quite possibly re-elect this president.

Some in the audience disagreed with Mr Hickenloopers thinking.

Jonathan Tasini, a labour activist who endorsed Mr Sanders in 2016 and published a book about the senators ideas, said that Mr Hickenlooper had effectively talked his way out of the 2020 race.

Mr Hickenlooper had also been booed for saying that Democrats should not [remove] private insurance from over a hundred million Americans, a reference to Medicare-for-all legislation.

Every single presidential candidate came into this hall was treated with respect, Mr Tasini said. He red-baited us and got down in the mud, and I think it finished him.

Mr Hickenloopers allies saw it differently, speculating that the cold reception at a convention dominated by liberal activists would help distinguish the governor to moderate Democratic voters.

Asked how the booing might play on Fox News, which has devoted hours of coverage to the rise of socialists inside the party, Mr Hickenlooper said it would help.

I think what it says is that we are having that discussion as Democrats, and my hope is that we will clearly say, a result of those broadcasts, that Democrats are not socialists, he said.

 Glenn Beck compares socialism to the Friday the 13th movies

Other Democrats have taken opportunities to distinguish themselves from the partys left flank.

Michael Bennet of Colorado, who joined the race last month, told one of his New Hampshire audiences that he had stood and applauded during the State of the Union, when President Trump said that America would never be a socialist country.

I was the first person out of their chair, Bennet said. Bernie was right behind me, and he was kind of grimacing...[but] what I was trying to do was not allow the president to disqualify Democrats.

In my part of the country, when you call somebody a socialist, or when they call themselves socialists, it makes it harder for them to get elected.

The Washington PostThe Pentagon has ordered the White House to stop politicising the military, following a row over an order to have the USS John McCain hidden from view during Donald Trumps recent visit to Japan.

The Navy had been instructed by the White House military office during the trip to obscure the identity the vessel, named for the late US senator John McCain.

After details of the order became public, Patrick Shanahan, Mr Trumps acting defence chief, is now considering sending out formal guidance to military units in order to avoid similar problems in the future.

Mr Shanahan confirmed details about a Navy email that said the White House wanted the USS John McCain kept out of sight of Mr Trump. The internal message came to light last week, triggering a storm of outrage.

Mr Trump, who refused to halt his long and bitter feud with Mr McCain even after the senator's death in August 2018, claims he had no idea about the directive.

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

However, the president later commented: somebody did it because they thought I didn't like him, OK? And they were well-meaning, I will say.

The order to hide the Navy destroyer reflected what appeared to be an extraordinary White House effort to avoid offending an unpredictable president known for holding a grudge.

Mr Shanahan told reporters travelling with him to South Korea on Sunday that he is not planning to seek an investigation by the Pentagon's internal watchdog into the matter because there was nothing carried out by the Navy.

He added that he still needs to gather more information about exactly what happened and what service members had done.

How did the people receiving the information  how did they treat it, Mr Shanahan said. That would give me an understanding on the next steps to take.

Mr Shanahan did not detail what those steps could be, but a defence official said Shanahan is considering a clearer directive to the military about avoiding political situations.

According to his spokesman, Lt Col Joseph Buccino, Mr Shanahan told his chief of staff on Friday to speak with the White House military office and reaffirm his mandate that the department of defence will not be politicised.

Asked directly if members of his senior staff were aware of the White House request before the president's visit, Shanahan said hes been told they did not know.

 Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events

He also has said he was not aware of the request and that he would never have authorised it.

What is still unclear, however, is who at the Pentagon may have known about the request and either agreed with it or chose not to discourage it.

Its also not clear whether Navy leaders deliberately chose the McCain crew as one of the ships to be on holiday leave during Mr Trumps visit, or if other measures were taken to ensure that the McCain was not visible from where the president stood when he arrived on the USS Wasp to make remarks.

The warship, commissioned in 1994, was originally named for the senator's father and grandfather, both Navy admirals named John Sidney McCain. Last year, the Navy rededicated the ship to honour the late senator as well.

Additional reporting by APMetro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 2)  The Bureau of Immigration on Sunday reiterated its warning against illegal recruiters after two individuals bound for Saudi Arabia were intercepted at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport for falsifying their ages.

Minors are more vulnerable to be duped by these syndicates, we reiterate our warning to those who want to work abroaddo not fall for these illegal schemes," BI Commissioner Jaime Morente was quoted as saying in a statement.

Immigration officers at the NAIA Terminal 1 on Wednesday barred a 15-year-old girl and a 20-year-old woman from boarding a flight to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia after they presented documents with false ages. The two who were supposed to work as domestic workers posed themselves as 25 years old.

Filipinos opting to work as domestic workers in the Middle East need to be at least 23 years old, BI said.

They were in possession of valid passports, employment contracts, overseas employment certificates, and working visas.

"It was learned that the minor passenger, whose year of birth in her passport is 1994, admitted that she was actually born in 2003 while the other passenger, who claimed she was born in 1994, confessed that her real year of birth is 1998," the BI said.

Medina urged members of the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking to file cases against the recruiters of the intercepted workers.

We have to stop these recruiters from victimizing others," he said.

Meanwhile, Glenn Ford Comia--head of BI-NAIA 1 Bureaus Travel Control and Enforcement Unit--asserted that airport security remains vigilant against illegal schemes.

He said human trafficking syndicates have temporarily stopped faking the ages of their victims, especially since the scheme was uncovered by BI-NAIA officials last year.

They probably thought we will let our vigilance down after the issue has died down. They are wrong. This is a very serious issue as it involves young women being victimized by these unscrupulous individuals, Comia was quoted as saying. Flash

A paramilitary trooper belonging to Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) was killed and four others wounded Sunday in a gunfight with Naxals in India's eastern state of Jharkhand, police said.

The gunfight broke out inside Taldangal forest area in Dumka district, about 285 km northeast of Ranchi, the capital city of Jharkhand.

"Early today a gunfight broke out inside Taldangal forest area between Naxals and a joint team comprising of SSB personnel and police, during which five SSB personnel were wounded," superintendent of police Dumka, Y S Ramesh said. "The injured personnel were immediately removed to hospital, where one of them was declared brought dead."

Ramesh said they had reports that four to five Naxals were hit with bullets during the stand-off and a search operation was underway in the area.

According to police, of the critically wounded, one SSB person had been airlifted to Ranchi, while others were being treated at the Dumka district hospital.

Police said the SSB team and police initiated a search operation in the area following intelligence information about camping of Naxals inside the forests.

On Tuesday, 11 government force personnel -- eight Central Reserve Police Force personnel and three policemen were wounded, after Naxals triggered an improvised explosive device (IED) blast targeting them in Kuchai area of Saraikela Kharsawan district.

New Delhi has deployed several companies of its paramilitary forces to take on Naxals in their strongholds.

The insurgency reportedly has claimed more than 6,000 lives and rendered thousands of poor inhabitants homeless.Nearly all travellers to the US will be required to produce details of social media accounts they have used in the previous five years, as well as present and past phone numbers and email addresses.

After the approval of revised visa application forms, the US State Department is now requiring nearly all applicants for US immigrant and non-immigrant visas to list their Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and other social media usernames.

The change is expected to affect some 15 million foreigners who travel to the US each year, including those who do so for business or education.

Only applicants for certain diplomatic and official visa types are exempted from the requirements.

National security is our top priority when adjudicating visa applications, and every prospective traveller and immigrant to the United States undergoes extensive security screening, the State Department said. We are constantly working to find mechanisms to improve our screening processes to protect US citizens, while supporting legitimate travel to the United States.

Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California Show all 20 1 /20 Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California The prototypes for President Trumps border wall are being demolished. AP Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California The US Customs and Border protection had built the eight 30-foot tall steel and concrete models near San Diego on the US-Mexico border. Reuters Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California A 2018 report from the Government Accountability Office found that the construction challenges presented by the four concrete models would be extensive and those presented by two of the other models would be substantial. Reuters Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California It was intended that Mr Trump would choose his favourite of the designs after testing had been completed. AFP/Getty Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California The President is yet to comment. AFP/Getty Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California Each prototype cost $300,000 to $500,000 to build and they are being knocked down in order to make way for the San Diego Secondary Wall project which will see up to 14 miles of barrier being built to support the existing steel border fence. AP Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California The new barrier will not employ the design of any of the prototypes, instead being built of the favoured steel bollards which make up the current section of the wall at San Diego. Reuters Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California The new secondary barrier being built near San Diego. Reuters Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California The rubble of one of the demolished prototypes. Reuters Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California A steel wall prototype AFP/Getty Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California A wall prototype made from a mix of steel and concrete AFP/Getty Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California A wall prototype made from a mix of steel and concrete AFP/Getty Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California A concrete wall prototype AFP/Getty Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California A steel wall prototype AFP/Getty Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California A concrete wall prototype AFP/Getty Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California A concrete wall prototype AFP/Getty Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California A concrete wall prototype AFP/Getty Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California A digger approaches the prototype wall AFP/Getty Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California Aerial view of the wall prototypes at the US-Mexico border after they were torn down AFP/Getty Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California An aerial view showing Tijuana, Mexico on the left and the demolished wall prototypes on the right AFP/Getty

Collecting the additional information from more applicants will strengthen our process for vetting these applicants and confirming their identity," it added.

The change would affect some 14 million foreigners that apply for non-immigrant visas each year, as well as some 710,000 immigrant visa applicants.

In the past, social media, email and phone number histories had only been sought from applicants who were identified for extra scrutiny, such as people whod travelled to areas controlled by terrorist groups. Around 65,000 applicants had fallen into that category each year.

In addition to their social media histories, visa applicants are now asked for five years of previously used telephone numbers, email addresses, international travel and deportation status, as well as whether any family members have been involved in terrorist activities.

Civil rights groups have long opposed the move.

The American Civil Liberties Union said in a 2018 statement there was no evidence that such social media monitoring is effective or fair, and that the rules would lead to self-censorship online and would be used discriminate against specific groups, such as travellers from Muslim-majority countries.

The government has failed to disclose how this information  accurate or not  may be shared across government agencies and have consequences for individuals living in America, including US citizens, it said.

The State Department first published its intent to implement the policy in March 2018. US President Donald Trump promised a crackdown on immigration during his election campaign in 2016.

Additional reporting by Associated Press.A Virginia bill designed to ban sales of large capacity gun magazines similar to those used by the Virginia Beach shooting suspect died in committee in January on a party-line vote.

The fate of the legislation, known as SB 1748, was so widely expected that the outcome drew virtually no public attention.

For more than 20 years, Republicans and a few rural Democrats in the Virginia General Assembly have killed almost every measure aimed at restricting gun ownership.

The Republicans blocked a major push for gun control after the 2007 Virginia Tech shootings, where 33 people died.

They chose instead to respond to that shooting by joining Democrats to enact mental-health reforms.

America's worst mass shooting incidents Show all 11 1 /11 America's worst mass shooting incidents America's worst mass shooting incidents pp-orlando-victims-1-ap.jpg AP America's worst mass shooting incidents ohio.jpg AP America's worst mass shooting incidents hance.jpg AP America's worst mass shooting incidents westroadsCCTV.jpg AP America's worst mass shooting incidents virginia.jpg AP America's worst mass shooting incidents gale.jpg AP America's worst mass shooting incidents red-lake.jpg AP America's worst mass shooting incidents beltway.jpg AP America's worst mass shooting incidents columbine.jpg AP America's worst mass shooting incidents hennard.jpg AP America's worst mass shooting incidents Pough.jpg AP

Although there are signs that public opinion has been shifting in favour of gun control in Virginia, the state has a history of support for gun rights, symbolised by the location in Fairfax of the headquarters of the National Rifle Association (NRA).

Each year, Democrats propose multiple gun-control measures, such as strengthening background checks, limiting handgun purchases to one per month and allowing localities to regulate guns in public buildings.

They call these common-sense measures to save lives.

Each year, Republican majorities in one or both chambers of the legislature vote them down, usually in committee. Republican legislators say their goal is never to infringe on peoples second amendment rights.

Recommended Virginia attack is latest of 568 mass shootings in two years in US

Theres been no tragedy that has got the [Republican] majority to think twice and consider reasonable efforts, said Adam Ebbin, a Democrat from Alexandria, who sponsored SB 1748 and is co-chair of the group Gun Violence Prevention Caucus.

A big reason, he said, is the political influence of gun rights organisations.

Part of the problem is that the [Virginia] Citizens Defence League and the NRA have a stranglehold on the votes of the Republicans, Mr Ebbin said.

League president Philip Van Cleave, whose organisation prides itself on taking stronger positions than the NRA, defended his groups record.

Gun control does not save lives. It endangers innocent life by making it harder for good people to defend themselves, Mr Van Cleave said in an email. The Republican leadership understands that basic truth.

Mr Van Cleave said his group opposes all magazine restrictions, such as the 10-round limit proposed by Mr Ebbins bill. DC has those 10-round restrictions and eight times the murder rate of northern Virginia, which has no limits on magazine size, he said.

The NRA did not respond to requests for comment. It typically maintains a low profile in the days immediately after a highly publicised shooting incident.

After the Virginia Tech slayings, then the worst mass shooting by an individual in US history, gun-control advocates led by then-governor Tim Kaine, a Democrat and now a US senator, pushed hard to change some laws.

The centrepiece of his package was a proposal to require gun sellers to conduct background checks on all buyers at gun shows.

 'What action will you take to protect people like me and my classmates?' Tearful student asks Beto O'Rourke how he'll stop mass shootings

Instead, with Republican support, the legislature lowered the standard under which a mentally ill person can be forced into treatment, and expanded the criteria under which a mentally ill person can be barred from buying or owning guns.

It also boosted funding by $42m (33m) for community-based mental health treatment.

The response disappointed gun-control advocates, including relatives and friends of Virginia Tech victims, who said people diagnosed with mental illness are less likely than others to commit violence with a firearm.

Recommended Columbine shooting forever changed the way Americans go to school

The gun lobby likes to blame the gun violence problem on persons with mental illness, and nothing could be further from the truth, Lori Haas, state director for the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, whose daughter was shot and injured at Virginia Tech, said. While resources are necessary to increase services, and warranted for those state agencies and private organisations providing services, doing so is not going to stop the gun violence problem in Virginia, Ms Haas said.

Virginia Senate Majority Leader Thomas Norment Jr, a Republican from James City, said it was too soon after the Virginia Beach shootings to talk politics.

It is offensive, disrespectful, and tasteless that anyone  including Senator Ebbin and Ms Haas  would use a tragedy like this to promote a political agenda less than 24 hours after families and an entire community have suffered a loss of this magnitude, Mr Norment said in an email.

Virginia Beach police said their officers shot and killed the suspected shooter after a lengthy gun battle in which he used two .45-caliber semi-automatic handguns that had been purchased legally.

Along with the weapons at the scene, investigators found a sound suppressor and extended magazines, which contain more than the standard number of rounds. Police have not identified a motive for the shooting.

Mr Ebbins bill would have prohibited any person from importing, selling, bartering or transferring a firearms magazine designed to hold more than 10 rounds of ammunition.

Eight Republicans voted it down, with six Democrats in favour, in the Senate Courts of Justice Committee on 28 January.

 NRA spokeswoman Dana Loesch previously said journalists 'need to be curb-stomped'

Police have not said how many rounds were contained by the Virginia Beach shooters extended magazines.

Internet advertisements for extended magazines for .45 semi-automatic handguns list standard magazines as holding seven to 15 rounds, and extended ones as holding 15 to 33 rounds.

Another bill that died in the Virginia General Assembly in January would have allowed localities such as Virginia Beach to ban firearms from government buildings such as the one where the Friday shootings took place.

Virginia Beach Council member Guy King Tower said after the shootings that it was regrettable that the city needed state approval to take such actions.

Democratic governors have used executive powers at times to strengthen gun restrictions. In 2015, then-governor Terry McAuliffe ordered a ban on guns in state office buildings.

The biggest change in gun laws in Virginia over recent years has been one that relaxed controls. In 2012, the then-governor Bob McDonnell signed a bill repealing the states one-per-month limit on handgun purchases.

Democrats have repeatedly sought to restore the limit, but without success.

New York and other states have complained that the change has contributed to Virginias status as a major centre of gun trafficking on the East Coast.

Gun control advocates believe public sentiment is moving their way.

They said they hit a major milestone in the 2017 elections by turning out as many of their supporters as their opponents did. Democrats won all of the states top three elective offices that year: for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general.

Some of those Democrats continued their efforts on Saturday.

Governor Ralph Northam, in an interview with NPR, said he would continue to push lawmakers to pass gun safety legislation.

 Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events

Mr Northam noted that the Republican-controlled General Assembly killed gun-related bills he had proposed earlier this year as well as the year before.

Earlier in the day, Virginia attorney general Mark Herring told MSNBC that it was time to enact red-flag legislation, background checks and other gun regulations.

So far, it has not translated into success in the legislature. Both parties are expected to use gun control as an issue to mobilise their bases in the November elections, when all seats in the General Assembly will be up for grabs.

At present, Republicans hold two-seat majorities in both the House and Senate. Based on experience, Democrats would have to win control of both chambers to change the status quo.

The Washington PostChinas defence minister has defended 1989s bloody crackdown on protesters in Tiananmen Square, which he said was justified in the name of stability.

Referring to the demonstrations as political turbulence, Wei Fenghe said it had been the correct policy for troops with assault rifles and tanks to fire at the unarmed, student-led protesters.

Estimates vary on how many people died on 4 June 1989, but it is thought between 1,500 and 4,000 demonstrators were killed and 10,000 wounded.

Throughout the 30 years, China under the Communist Party has undergone many changes, General Wei said in a hardline speech about trade and security at a regional forum in Singapore.

Do you think the government was wrong with the handling of 4 June? There was a conclusion to that incident. The government was decisive in stopping the turbulence.

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

He said the Tiananmen protests were political turmoil that the central government needed to quell, which was the correct policy, and claimed that Chinas stability and development justified the actions.

It is rare for Chinese authorities to even acknowledge the demonstrations, which saw students and workers occupy Beijings Tiananmen Square in a massive pro-democracy protest.

The protest was joined by 1 million people at its peak, but on the night of 3 June 1989, tanks and troops moved into the square and opened fire on unarmed protesters in and around the central Beijing square.

Two days after the massacre a single protester, known as Tank Man or the unknown protester, stood in front of a convoy of tanks leaving Tiananmen Square.

As the lead tank manoeuvred to pass him, he repeatedly shifted his position in order to obstruct the tanks attempted path around him.

Film of the incident was smuggled out of the country and broadcast all over the world.

Afterwards, the authorities blamed the protests on counter-revolutionaries seeking to overthrow the Communist Party and claimed no one had been shot dead in the square itself.

The country has never released an official death toll.

Reporting on the events of 4 June 1989 and mentioning them on social media are heavily censored in China.

 Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events

Every year, police detain dozens of activists, journalists and critics in the run-up to the anniversary.

Chinese Human Rights Defenders (CHRD), a US-based group supporting activism in China, said 13 activists had been detained or forced into disappearance ahead of the anniversary to silence any expression or thwart any action this year.

CHRD said Shen Linagqing, a dissident writer, was denied food, water and the use of a toilet for 24 hours.On some days, life as a young woman in Kabul can feel suffocating for Hadis Lessani Delijam, a 17-year-old high school senior.

Once, a man on the street harangued her for her makeup and western clothes; they are shameful, he bellowed. A middle-aged woman cursed her for strolling and chatting with a young man.

She called me things that are so terrible I cant repeat them, Delijam says.

For solace, Delijam retreats to an unlikely venue  the humble coffee shop.

This is the only place where I can relax and feel free, even if its only for a few hours, Delijam said recently as she sat at a coffee shop, her hair uncovered, and chatted with two young men.

Trendy new cafes have sprung up across Kabul in the past three years, evolving into emblems of womens progress.

The cafes are sanctuaries for women in an Islamic culture that still dictates how they should dress, behave in public and interact with men. Those traditions endure 18 years after the toppling of the Taliban, who banned girls education, confined women to their homes and forced them to wear burqas in public.

These days, conversations at the cafes often turn to the Afghan peace talks in Doha, Qatar, between the United States and the Taliban. Many women worry their rights will be bargained away under pressure from the fundamentalist, all-male Taliban delegation.

We are so frightened, says Maryam Ghulam Ali, 28, an artist who was sharing chocolate cake with a friend at a coffee shop called Simple. We ask each other what will happen to women if the Taliban come back.

When we come to cafes, we feel liberated, she added. No one forces us to put on our headscarves.

Truck bomb strikes Kabul's diplomatic quarter - May 2017 Show all 10 1 /10 Truck bomb strikes Kabul's diplomatic quarter - May 2017 Truck bomb strikes Kabul's diplomatic quarter - May 2017 Afghan security forces attend the scene of the truck bombing in Kabul AFP/Getty Truck bomb strikes Kabul's diplomatic quarter - May 2017 Security forces and resident look on at the crater left by the bombing AFP/Getty Truck bomb strikes Kabul's diplomatic quarter - May 2017 Afghan security forces personnel attend the site of a truck bomb in Kabul on May 31 2017 AFP/Getty Truck bomb strikes Kabul's diplomatic quarter - May 2017 Foreign security forces and Afghan private security personnel attend the scene of a truck bomb in Kabul on May 31 2017 AFP/Getty Truck bomb strikes Kabul's diplomatic quarter - May 2017 An Afghan resident sits inside a damaged car at the site of a truck bomb attack in Kabul on May 31, 2017 AFP/Getty Truck bomb strikes Kabul's diplomatic quarter - May 2017 Injured Afghan men receive medical treatment at a hospital in Kabul the day after the attack AFP/Getty Truck bomb strikes Kabul's diplomatic quarter - May 2017 A wounded man is assisted at the site of the truck bombing AFP/Getty Truck bomb strikes Kabul's diplomatic quarter - May 2017 A dog is seen running at the site of a truck bomb attack in Kabul on May 31 2017 AFP/Getty Truck bomb strikes Kabul's diplomatic quarter - May 2017 A victim of the bombing is carried to an ambulance on May 31 2017 AFP/Getty Truck bomb strikes Kabul's diplomatic quarter - May 2017 A victim of the bombing is carried to an ambulance on May 31 2017 AFP/Getty

Many young women in Kabuls emerging cafe society were infants under Taliban rule. Delijam had not yet been born. They have come of age during the post-Taliban struggle by many young Afghans to break free of the harsh contours of a patriarchal society.

I dont want to be recognised as someones sister or daughter, I want to be recognised as a human being Farahnaz Forotan

The women have grown up with mobile phones, social media and the right to express themselves freely. They cannot imagine returning to the puritanical dictates of the Taliban, who sometimes stoned women to death on suspicion of adultery  and still do in areas they control.

Farahnaz Forotan, 26, a journalist and coffee shop regular, has created a social media campaign, #myredline, that implores women to stand up for their rights. Her Facebook page is studded with photos of herself inside coffee shops, symbols of her own red line.

Going to a cafe and talking with friends brings me great happiness, Forotan said as she sat inside a Kabul coffee shop. I refuse to sacrifice it.

But those freedoms could disappear if the peace talks bring the Taliban back into government, she said.

I dont want to be recognised as someones sister or daughter, she said. I want to be recognised as a human being.

Beyond cafe walls, progress is painfully slow.

Even today, we cant walk on the streets without being harassed, Forotan said. People call us prostitutes, westernised, from the democracy generation.

Afghanistan is consistently ranked the worst, or among the worst, countries for women.

One Afghan tradition dictates that single women belong to their fathers and married women to their husbands. Arranged marriages are common, often to a cousin or other relative.

In the countryside, young girls are sold as brides to older men. Honour killings  women killed by male relatives for contact with an unapproved male  still occur. Protections provided by the Afghan Constitution and a landmark 2009 womens rights law are not always rigorously enforced.

Only a few cafes in Afghanistan allow women to mingle with men (Getty ) (Getty)

In 2014, the Taliban launched a series of attacks against cafes and restaurants in Kabul, including a suicide bombing and gunfire that killed 21 customers at the popular Taverna du Liban cafe, where alcohol was served, and Afghan men and women mingled among westerners.

Afterward, the government forced a host of cafes and guesthouses to shut down for fear they would draw more violence.

Human instinct is as powerful as religion  the need to connect, to share and love, to make eye contact, is instinctual Fereshta Kazemi

For the next two years, much of westernised social life in Kabul moved to private homes. But in 2016, new coffee shops began to open, catering to young women and men eager to mingle in public again.

Still, except for urban outposts like Kabul, Herat and Mazar-e-Sharif, there are few cafes in Afghanistan where women can mingle with men. Most restaurants reserve their main rooms for men and set aside secluded family sections for women and children.

That is why the Kabul cafes are so treasured by Afghan women, who seek kindred souls there.

A handwritten message on the wall of the Young Women For Change internet cafe (Getty)

Human instinct is as powerful as religion, said Fereshta Kazemi, an Afghan-American actress and development executive who often frequents Kabul coffee shops.

The need to connect, to share and love, to make eye contact, is instinctual, she said.

After the Taliban fell in 2001, those instincts were nurtured as girls and women in Kabul began attending schools and universities, working beside men in private and government jobs, and living alone or with friends in apartments. The Afghan Constitution reserves 68 out of 250 seats for women, at least two women from each of 34 provinces.

Protecting those achievements dominates cafe conversation.

Mina Rezaee, 30, who opened the Simple coffee shop in Kabul a year ago, makes sure no one harasses her female customers for wearing trendy clothes or sitting with men.

Women make the culture here, not men, she said.

She gestured to a table where several women, their headscarves removed, sat laughing and talking with young men.

Look at them  I love it, Rezaee said. Its the Taliban who needs to change their ideology, not us. Thats my red line.

Tahira Mohammadzai, 19, was an infant in the southern city of Kandahar, the Taliban headquarters, when the militants ruled Afghanistan. Her family fled to Iran and returned seven years ago to Kabul, where she is a university student.

I heard stories from my mother about how different life was then, she said at the Jackson coffee shop, named for Michael Jackson. Its impossible now to go back to the way things were.

I wish there was a cafe full of male politicians who had one priority  peace Forotan

Her red line? She said she would rather continue living with the war, now in its 18th year, than face a postwar government that included the Taliban.

 Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events

If they come back, Ill be the first one to flee Afghanistan, Mohammadzai said.

Forotan, the #myredline founder, said she was determined to stay no matter what happens. Relaxing inside the coffee shop, her short dark hair uncovered, she longed for another type of cafe.

I wish there was a cafe full of male politicians who had one priority  peace, she says.

 New York TimesLove him or hate him, Nigel Farage has had more impact on the political scene than most of the politicians I have covered in 37 years on the Westminster beat. Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair changed Britain. But remarkably, a man who has failed on seven occasions to become an MP has twice shifted the tectonic plates.

The shockwaves caused by Farages victory in the European elections are bigger than in 2014, when Ukip under him topped the poll. A year later, the Conservatives won an overall majority at a general election, and Ukip won no seats. No one is betting that Farages Brexit Party would suffer the same fate now, even though first-past-the-post is cruel on smaller parties. A YouGov survey putting it in second place behind the Liberal Democrats would give the Brexit Party 141 seats, Labour 202, the Lib Dems 119 and the Tories 110.

These are fantasy figures, not least because the Tories would be mad to allow an election. But the Farage threat is the grim reality for Tory MPs. More than half of the 2017 Tory voters who took part in the European elections backed the Brexit Party.I dont think there are many who have seen a horrific Isis video or read about their seemingly bottomless violence without having an angry flash of desire for revenge.

The average citizen could be forgiven for the knee-jerk cry of strip their citizenship, let them burn, they deserve it since the group lost their physical caliphate and their members have been rounded up.

And while that collective horror and anger from a civilian population is understandable, the fact that this is translating into actual government policy in Europe is not.

The implications of treating European terrorism suspects in Syria and Iraq like this means were violating the very human rights that separate us from such brutality.

It means were potentially breaking international law, which is one of few bulwarks we have against the spiral of violence and revenge.

Syrian government offensive in Idlib Show all 8 1 /8 Syrian government offensive in Idlib Syrian government offensive in Idlib Syrians, including a member of the White Helmets civil defence rescue teams, run for cover during an air strike by pro-regime forces on the market town of Kfar Ruma in Syria's southwestern Idlib province, on May 30, 2019. - Regime forces and their Russian allies have over the past three months escalated bombardment of Syria's last major jihadist bastion in the province of Idlib and adjacent areas AFP/Getty Syrian government offensive in Idlib Syrian rescue teams and civilians search for survivors amid the rubble in a freshly bombarded area following a reported air strike by regime forces and their allies on the market town of Kfar Ruma in Syria's southwestern Idlib province, on May 30, 2019. - Regime forces and their Russian allies have over the past three months escalated bombardment of Syria's last major jihadist bastion in the province of Idlib and adjacent areas. AFP/Getty Syrian government offensive in Idlib Syrian rescue teams and civilians search for survivors amid the rubble in a freshly bombarded area following a reported air strike by regime forces and their allies on the market town of Kfar Ruma in Syria's southwestern Idlib province, on May 30, 2019. - Regime forces and their Russian allies have over the past three months escalated bombardment of Syria's last major jihadist bastion in the province of Idlib and adjacent areas AFP/Getty Syrian government offensive in Idlib Syrian rescue teams and civilians look for survivors in a heavily damaged area following a reported air strike by regime forces and their allies on the market town of Kfar Ruma in Syria's southwestern Idlib province, on May 30, 2019. - Regime forces and their Russian allies have over the past three months escalated bombardment of Syria's last major jihadist bastion in the province of Idlib and adjacent areas. AFP/Getty Syrian government offensive in Idlib This photo provided by the Syrian Civil Defense White Helmets, which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, shows Civil Defense workers searching for victims under the rubble of a destroyed building after an airstrike by Syrian government forces, Maaret al-Numan, a town in south Idlib, Syria, Thursday, May 30, 2019. Rescue workers and activists say at least five, including three from the same family, have been killed in Syria's last rebel stronghold when warplanes targeted the building they live in, leveling it. AP Syrian government offensive in Idlib A Syrian girl cries as she runs for cover during an air strike by pro-regime forces on the market town of Kfar Ruma in Syria's southwestern Idlib province, on May 30, 2019. - Regime forces and their Russian allies have over the past three months escalated bombardment of Syria's last major jihadist bastion in the province of Idlib and adjacent areas. AFP/Getty Syrian government offensive in Idlib Syrians run for cover during an air strike by pro-regime forces on the market town of Kfar Ruma in Syria's southwestern Idlib province, on May 30, 2019. - Regime forces and their Russian allies have over the past three months escalated bombardment of Syria's last major jihadist bastion in the province of Idlib and adjacent areas. AFP/Getty Syrian government offensive in Idlib A man rescues a child while members of the Syrian civil defence known as the White Helmets search the area for survivors following following a reported air strike by regime forces and their allies on Maaret al-Noman in Syria's southwestern Idlib province. AFP/Getty

And most worrying of all, I believe it means we are not securing proper justice for Isiss victims.

We arent breaking the cycle and preventing a group like this rising again. Were actually feeding the hatred that was exploited to build the caliphate. And were destroying any efforts to counter violent extremism.

This Friday, Human Rights Watch (HRW) issued a heartfelt plea to the French authorities to stop outsourcing management of their terrorism suspects to Iraq.

HRW called on France to ensure French nationals return home to face proper justice as they are being tortured or coerced to confess in Iraqi jails where they face unfair trials and execution.

On the same day, the family lawyer of British Isis bride Shamima Begum accused Sajid Javid, the home secretary, of human fly-tipping over his decision to revoke Begums citizenship. Right now that will likely leave her stateless, an action which is against international law.

So what? Many will say. Isis courts saw people flogged to death, thrown off buildings, burnt alive, beheaded.

But this is a dangerous logic.

For a start, if we disregard the rights of some, no matter how unpleasant those people are, we disregard the rights of all  and that is a slippery slope.

If we break our own laws, we undermine them.

But, from a more practical perspective, how can Europe truly understand, and so learn from what happened, if European terrorism suspects are tortured into confessing and forced to sign statements they cannot even read in short trials that end at the hangmans scaffold?

Last month, seven French citizens were sentenced to death in Iraq during trials HRW say were unfair.

What possible intelligence can be gathered if they are executed, what lessons learned?

I dont believe leaving people in camps in Syria, or putting them through unfair trials in Iraq and having them executed, will allow European governments to understand the logic of these people and then try to develop an effective anti-extremism programme, Belkis Wille, HRWs Iraq researcher, told me.

The problem of young people in Europe joining extremist groups is not going to disappear if there isnt very serious engagement on the side of governments and intelligence services to really understand why they went in the first place.

Iraqi Isis trials, she added, do not allow for the participation of Isis victims or witnesses, which means they do not even secure proper justice.

The French justice system with robust investigation features is better placed to conduct investigations.

Stripping someone of their citizenship, particularly if they have no second nationality, meanwhile, leaves people floating around northern Syria and Iraq, forcing the hand of the local authorities to take drastic action such as the death penalty.

Its almost as if countries are purposefully leaving no alternative beyond having them transferred to Iraq where they face the death penalty and forcing the Iraqis to deal with them in a more permanent way, she added.

As Tasnime Akunjee, the Begum family lawyer told me, this second point actually damages our international standing with our partners in Syria and Iraq.

 Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events

Abandoning hundreds of European citizens (both Isis members and their children, who are likely innocents) in camps run by Kurdish forces, means the Kurds have to shoulder the financial and security burden.

The Kurds are burdened with looking after our citizens and their offspring, [its] the Kurds who have bled funds, human resources, who have lost 100s of thousands of their people. This is how we show our gratitude, to dump more suspects them? he said.

The Kurds have repeatedly asked for countries to take their citizens and deal with them at home.

He added that the security implications are also huge.

Leaving people to drift around war-torn lawless Syria with nowhere to go or packing them off to the death penalty in Iraq will do nothing to fight radicalisation.

These people may have had a perceived or historic grievance that drew them to Isis, Akunjee concluded. Now they have a personal one, that is far more motivating than a historical narrative or issue.Press tours for feature films can be tiring at the best of times for all involved. Cramped in a small media room for hours on end, various journalists do their best to eke out quotes and heavily media-managed actors give little away in return. This week, however, it was striking that during a interview with Sky News, X-Men: Dark Phoenix actor Sophie Turner announced a strong political stance: that she would be supporting the film industry boycott of Georgia in light of the states new restrictive abortion laws.

Mid-interview, Turner, the former Game of Thrones actor, laughs as she says she has yet to tell her agent, but that she would be joining her X-Men co-star Jessica Chastain in signing a statement boycotting any state where hard-won womens rights are being rewritten.

The interviewer then interjects, remarking that obviously Northern Ireland has similar laws  there was a lot of work for Game of Thrones there, wasnt there? She somewhat stumbles over a response, concluding luckily were moving on.

Much of the public online remained unconvinced by this response, pulling out the same gotchas as seen in the interview and highlighting the hypocrisy of a British woman not having come out in support of abortion rights for Northern Ireland after a decade filming there.

Northern Ireland abortion protest in Westminster Show all 7 1 /7 Northern Ireland abortion protest in Westminster Northern Ireland abortion protest in Westminster Derry Girls cast members Siobhan McSweeney and Nicola Coughlan (right) join MPS and women impacted by Northern Ireland's strict abortion laws PA Northern Ireland abortion protest in Westminster Heidi Allen (second right) joins the protest PA Northern Ireland abortion protest in Westminster A luggage tag on a suitcase, symbolising the women who travel from Northern Ireland to England for terminations PA Northern Ireland abortion protest in Westminster The campaigners march across Westminster Bridge PA Northern Ireland abortion protest in Westminster Counter-protesters Rebecca Morgan (left) and her daughter Helen, one, demonstrate in favour of Northern Ireland's current laws Getty Images Northern Ireland abortion protest in Westminster Protesters supporting Northern Ireland's abortion laws at Parliament Square Getty Images Northern Ireland abortion protest in Westminster Demonstrators pull suitcases to symbolise the women who travel from Northern Ireland to England for a termination AFP/Getty Images

Others took aim at Chastain who, they argued, clearly seemed unconcerned with the countrys strict abortion laws when she filmed Miss Julie there in 2014.

What few acknowledged, however, was that, among other regions, Game of Thrones also filmed in Malta, a country with just as strict legislation and substantially more conservative views on abortion. A 2018 survey found that only 12 per cent agreed with abortion in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy in limited cases. Even when a mothers life is in danger, less than half of those surveyed stated they would agree with abortion.

In contrast, 80 per cent of the Northern Irish public believe that a woman should have the choice of an abortion when her health is at risk, and two thirds think that abortion should be decriminalised.

The majority of the Northern Irish population support abortion, however, it has been the government (from Harriet Harman blocking a vote to liberalise abortion laws in 2008 to Penny Mordaunt continually citing respect for devolution as a reason for inaction) that has repeatedly let them down.

If Turner were to extend her support beyond the States, would it be of most use to a country like Malta where abortion is a publicly unspeakable and politically untouchable subject or should it stop at Northern Ireland? That is not a question that she should have to answer, but one we should consider ourselves when we see hundreds of people demanding greater support from from a young actor.

That many of those chastising Turner forgot to mention the current plight of Maltese abortion rights is just an example of how, even among those deeply embedded in campaigns, international solidarity can sometimes be imperfect, the voices of some may be amplified while others are left behind.

Sadly, being left behind is something that has been far too common for people in Northern Ireland, which makes recent events in states like Georgia and Alabama all the more painful to watch.

Seeing anyone have their hard-won rights eroded is difficult, but especially when you know that the UK press will give them more coverage than the long-standing draconian laws in place in one of its own countries.

 Independent Minds Events: get involved in the news agenda

While peoples attention is on the issue of abortion, it gives a brief chance to demand people stay as outraged about abortion laws within the UK. In the aftermath of the anti-choice bill being signed into law in Alabama the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) reported that up to hundreds of people an hour were emailing their MP asking them to act to end similarly cruel and barbaric legislation in Northern Ireland.

It can be heartening and may help a cause when celebrities speak out, but while celebrities have a platform, pro-choice campaigners have a whole movement behind them and know clearly the target of their rage.

The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women and the governments own Women and Equalities Select Committee have argued that current law in Northern Ireland breaches human rights and in the absence of a functioning Stormont the government must act.

Hypocrisy is not an actor speaking out about the laws of a country in which she first started filming at the age of 13. True hypocrisy is politicians such as Penny Mordaunt giving a speech stating that Leadership means not shying away from issues like safe abortion when the evidence shows us these services will save womens lives and then refusing to take action for Northern Ireland  it is that which we should always ensure to challenge and call out.Farmers really got into gear this month with a large amount of first-cut silage already made.

The really good weather of recent weeks has given great opportunities to make what will hopefully be top-quality silage.

My silage was cut on May 14 - probably the earliest ever on our farm. All the factors came together at the right time: the weather was dry and warm, fertiliser was spread almost seven weeks and sugar levels were above five.

While walking through the silage field with my Teagasc adviser, he pointed out that the first leaf had died off and the fifth leaf, which contains the seed head, was appearing.

It is so important to walk into silage fields and pick up grass plants to see the stage of growth rather than just looking at the grass from the vehicle window or over the gate.

I have been disappointed with silage results in the past so I am hoping the earlier cutting will improve quality.

The quantity and yield were respectable enough too.

The grass samples taken showed nitrogen levels at 100 for a small percentage, but less than 10 for the majority of it.

I decided not to tedd the grass out this year as I reckoned it was drying enough.

It was mowed out flat on Tuesday, raked into rows on Wednesday and harvested on Thursday. No additive was applied.

Good help ensured the pit was covered with care. I continue to check the pit daily, tightening down the cover along the walls. Slurry at about 2,500 gals/acre was applied a few days later and fertiliser will be spread soon to keep the second cut growing.

I hosted the third meeting of the Grass 10 programme on May 13.

It was a real eye-opener of a meeting as I was underestimating some grass covers. Grass had grown rapidly within a few days and with high dry matters, swards were very dense and heavy.

I thought I was in a position of grass scarcity, but before the day was out I had a paddock taken out and 10 bales made. Everybody in the group agreed on the importance of measuring properly, and measuring twice a week when there is high growth rates.

At the meeting speakers emphasised the importance of going into covers of 1,400 rather than 1,600 or higher. There is a huge loss in energy resulting in milk solids and yield reduction where cows graze heavy covers.

Last week the farm cover was at 874 with a cover/LU of 161 and cows are being grazed at 5.51Lu/ha. The 90 milking cows are currently producing 29.44 litres at 3.71pc BF, 3.40pc PR giving 2.16kg MS/cow/day, TBC 5000, SCC 91, Therm. 100, Lactose 4.92pc. They are getting 12kg grass and 6kg of a 16pc nut/beet pulp mix. I am entering covers of around 1,400 this week.

I had been spreading 18-6-12 up to now, but now I will be spreading 30 units of CAN+S.

Calving

All cows finished calving in early May. Breeding is continuing with AI. It has slowed down with just 10 cows left that haven't showed heats. One is a February calver which needs checking, while the rest are later calvers.

I will continue with Friesian AI until June 12 and then switch to dairy beef AI. I purchased a Hereford bull with good star ratings and he is with the maiden heifers.

The first batch of this year's calves have gone to grass. They were very quiet despite it being their first time outdoors. More will be joining them shortly.

I am organising a TB herd test soon as I have to test every three months after a TB incidence.

The day after the silage was made I had my Bord Bia audit which went very well. I did make a big effort in preparing for the audit. I got the parlour power-washed and free of all cobwebs.

A point highlighted at the last audit was some rust underneath feed hoppers. These were painted, along with the purlins in the dairy which had some spots of rust showing. The paperwork did involve a few late nights, but it all came together in the end. The next one will be due in December 2020.

Over the coming weeks many children and young people will be finishing school and looking forward to their summer holidays.

Many will be helping out on our farms which is great to see, but we must remain always vigilant about safety.

Tomorrow two weeks (June 12) all roads will lead to my neighbour's dairy farm in Emyvale for an open day. Darren McKenna and his family were the NDC and Kerrygold Quality Milk Award winners for 2018. Many farmers are travelling from all over Ireland to witness dairy farming and milk quality at its best in north Monaghan.'Legal & General Ireland CEO Eve Finn said the company had worked on securing the best talent possible following its clearance from the financial regulator.' Photo: Dominic Lipinski/PA

One of the world's largest asset managers, Legal & General, has expanded its Irish office to more than 20 people.

The group has also made three appointments to its Irish management company board in Lee Toms, global head of investment operations, Volker Kurr, European distribution chief, and John Craven, its finance head.

The company received authorisation from the Central Bank last year, which allows it to manage UCIT funds and AIF funds across Europe. Legal & General Ireland CEO Eve Finn said the company had worked on securing the best talent possible following its clearance from the financial regulator. "The recent hires we have made are predominantly from the Irish market," she said. "We now have a strong and diverse team in place, covering a wide variety of areas, including investments, risk, compliance, legal, finance, product, operations and client servicing." The company will look to make diversified investment portfolios in schemes such as REITs more accessible to overseas investors.In the heart of Sandyford, south Dublin, sits a facility made of corrugated steel and concrete blocks decorated in bold colours. Inside is a community of people dedicated to exercise, something that has rapidly become almost a new religion.

When Raw Gyms opened in 2008 it was one of the first of its kind to cater to the demands of high-intensity niches such as body building. It has gone on to become one of the most recognisable brands in the country and will later this week open a two-storey underground facility with a twist in Donnybrook.

It is one of many businesses targeting a range of people with 'boutique' exercise propositions.

The company is tapping into the new worker bee mentality, the same train of thought that has driven down the level of alcohol consumption among young Irish people.

"Donnybrook will be something completely different and unseen in the Irish market to date," says Raw's marketing manager, Sinead Kavanagh, of the company's latest location.

"We're going a lot more premium, it's going to be a mix between a gym and a nightclub and it's taking a sense of what New York and London gyms are like.

"There's nothing here like it. We'll be two floors below ground, and we'll have live DJ sets going on and we'll have night-club neon style lighting. It's going towards making fitness fun again."

While the idea of a live DJ in a gym might sound like a gimmick, more and more brands are using in-house DJs with even Nike's 'Niketown' store in London boasting its own DJ.

Kavanagh insists the DJ is part of the brand's bid to make the exercising experience more communal and inviting.

She says the gym's community is already very strong but that integrating the social and fitness elements will open the doors to far more potential members. It doesn't hurt either that the new premises will sit just down the road from Facebook's Fibonnacci Square development, the single-largest office letting in the history of the State.

"What we've always been known for is our sense of community. We were here on Christmas day and this place was packed, people come in and train with their friends and then they all sit in the communal area and chat," she says.

Raw is looking at an additional five new gyms within the next three or four years and they're far from the only investors eyeing growth in the sector.

According to a recent study from Deloitte and not-for-profit EuropeActive, 500,000 people are members of 710 health and fitness clubs in Ireland, with an average of 704 members per club. Ireland's members per club ratio is one of the lowest in Europe, with the top 10 operators accounting for a fifth of all members in the country.

One leading player is FlyeFit, a network of gyms that lets people work out wherever they like for 31 a month. It has become the fastest-growing chain in the country with 60,000 members in total. Since starting in 2011, 14 premises have opened with another two planned this year.

A spokesman says it plans on opening another five a year "into the future" with each gym costing around 2m to establish.

"Our gyms are generally 20,000 sq ft in size with each gym fitted out to a premium standard and packed with the latest and highest quality equipment so members get to enjoy the best workouts and results," he said.

"We opened our 14th location on Oliver Plunkett Street in Cork, which is indicative of our plans to expand outside of Dublin. We're going to continue opening in city centre and suburban locations. The expansion has been financed organically by a combination of shareholder funds, bank debt provided by AIB, and retained profits."

FlyeFit's co-founders and majority shareholders Brendan O'Hagan and Se Kennedy are low key but have backgrounds in a ranges of businesses including telecoms, property and distribution.

The company's most recent accounts for the 2017 financial year showed a 50pc bump in sales to 8.7m and a profit of 1.6m. Now one of the best-known brands in Dublin, Flyefit has also attracted the interest of Paul Keenan's corporate finance business Capnua, which is now a shareholder in the business.

Flyefit's continued expansion in the budget gym sector has certainly gotten under the skin of high-profile businessman Ben Dunne who has been in the gym business since 1987. Hardly a day goes by where the airwaves aren't treated to Dunne's radio ads, which lay down the gauntlet to Flyefit directly, proudly boasting of his gyms' 20-a-month price tag.

But his competition is not just the indigenous gym groups - it's international rivals."The hardest thing to do is to monitor ourselves against the English and European gyms," Dunne said.

"The going price for one of their gyms is about 20 to 23. I run our business taking into account that our Vat rate, which is currently at 9pc, will eventually rise to 21pc and you want to be able to compete with them when they come in."

Dunne said that anyone who believed the reduced 9pc Vat rate on gyms was going to stay for the long haul had their "head in the sand". The former Dunnes Stores boss compared the cyclical nature of gyms to the retail sector where the period either side of Christmas was at its most busy. But he says that's beginning to change.

"Much like retail, if you have the wrong merchandise, you won't do business. The equipment that's being used today is completely different to what it once was," he says,

"Classes are very important and you need to be able to strike a good mix between males and females, because it's becoming a place where people meet people."

Dunne has 10 gyms in his network with another two opening next year.

"Our plan is top open up more gyms in the Dublin area because you need population. You can open a gym down the country and have 3,000 members but if you open one in the right area in Dublin you can have 6,000."

He spends around 800,000 fitting out his premises and has set his sights on another 10 in Dublin in the coming years, which should greatly boost his member count from its current 53,000 level.

Dunne said there is plenty of room for growth for more of the population to begin exercising more regularly, insisting that Ireland "has a climate where it's far more comfortable to work out indoors than out".

He also left the door open to a potential exit from the gym business in its entirety.

"What I think will happen is that an overseas brand will come in here and buy some existing businesses out, that could include mine," he says. "I'm a businessman, so I'm open to suggestions."

The exercise revolution has sparked the development of numerous franchises too, from CrossFit to F45, all of which looking to make people healthier and happier. Australian-based F45 is the fastest-growing franchise. It offers a high-intensity 45 minute workout with 27 variations and has become wildly popular. It offers franchisees a low-cost barrier to entry and access to premium equipment and one Irish business has landed a bumper contract to provide the software for its 1,500 studios.

"The common theme is that group exercise and the experience that comes with boutique fitness is very strong," Glofox founder Conor O'Loughlin says.

"The boutique franchises are similar to what you see in retail and restaurant chains where the offer more durable business models. You can charge a premium for these offerings too because it's more personalised. These concepts can be quite profitable on 300 to 400 member because their outgoings are quite small."

O'Loughlin's business has just completed a 10m fundraising to back its expansion into the US. Glofox provides specialised gym software for the boutique industry. It has reported 200pc year-on-year growth over the last five years. The former Connacht rugby player also has some fairly ambitious goals for the business.

"Getting to the other side of a fundraise requires a lot of effort and it nearly becomes a full-time job in itself, so I'm looking forward to getting my life back," he says.

"In terms of our ambition and what we can achieve, if we can bring in some large accounts we potentially might not need to do another raise. For us, we see a path to an initial public offering in the next four to five years, which may be a potential exit for our current investors."

He says that Glofox has only "scratched the surface" and said that there is a huge growing market for boutique fitness offerings, all of whom will need software to manage their customers.

One such offering is BikeRowSki, which does exactly what it says on the tin. Founded by Stephen Weinmann in late 2018, the class monitors users' heart-rates in a heated room to help people get the most out of their session.

"We opened our first studio in August 2018 and our next four franchise locations are opening in Glasnevin, Balbriggan and Fairview in Dublin, and Douglas in Cork this summer," Weinmann says.

"We have had interest from overseas in the UK, the US, and as far as Russia but we are focusing on the Irish fitness market first."

He says the industry has never been as "busy and exciting" as it is now and that the traditional market has changed in recent years due to the "rise in popularity of the boutique fitness experience".

Weinmann's offering is testament to Ireland's new exercise industry. A whole of new businesses have emerged that have contorted themselves to service the niche needs and desires of the evolving population.

The shared and social aspect of classes has completely changed the way people exercise. Once limited to team sports, the "we're all in this together idea" has now proliferated itself through modern day fitness.

One industry that was once viewed as intimidating, and exclusive, having a gym membership is a must-have for a new generation of health and body conscious consumers.The Owners of the Kildare Village retail unit expect its latest expansion of 30 new boutiques to add up to 380 new jobs and generate around 140m in revenue.

Value Retail Dublin was granted planning permission late last year for a sizeable capital investment - believed to be around 70m - to expand and upgrade its outlet mall.

The development, which is expected to be completed by 2021, will have 130 units. The company has performed strongly, despite the challenges posed by traditional retail registering double-digit annual growth last year.

Desiree Bollier, chairwoman of the Bicester Village Shopping Collection, of which Kildare is a part, said that a series of "cumulative bad decisions" caused the downturn in the fortunes of retail.

"People took the customer for granted, sales people disappeared because it was costing money, seating areas were costing areas of selling, the whole thing went away from being customer- centric to being so bottom-line driven," she told the Sunday Independent.

"The customer bit by bit began asking 'what is this?' And it was at that point digital was rising. Retail became a distribution channel, no longer an experience, and digital came in for a distribution channel. It did not happen overnight."

Bollier said Kildare Village had been "extremely successful" in helping customers discover brands for the first time.

"We are a major recruiter of full-price customers for a lot of these brands," she said.

"When we opened here first, many brands didn't have a flagship here, like Ted Baker - we were a point of entry in the marketplace for them. I'm envisaging the same scenario will happen with the next phase."

Paris-based clothing brands Sandro and Maje will open this summer.

More brands are set to be named in the coming months.Q My wife and I are both retired. I have a private pension - plus my State pension. My wife was a public servant and has the appropriate pension - but no State pension. We are both in the PAYE system and paying tax at the higher tax rate on our pensions. We have always been resident in Ireland and we have a mortgage-free property.

About eight years ago, we bought a second home in Portugal. The cost was about 250,000 and we took out a mortgage to buy the property. We now spend about 20 weeks a year in Portugal. The Portuguese authorities offer very generous tax terms on foreign income from private pensions. I believe that you must own a property in the country and spend a minimum of 183 days per year in Portugal in order to declare as a non-resident taxpayer over there. We are spending more time in Portugal each year, so the 183-day requirement could be easily met. We would continue to live in Ireland for the remainder of the year. My understanding is that the income from my State pension and the total income from my wife's pension would not be eligible for the zero percent Portuguese tax rate.

However, I would still make a substantial saving on the tax payable on my private pension - if my pension was taxed in Portugal rather than Ireland. There may well be additional savings in future years in terms of Capital Gains Tax, income from dividends and so on. Would you have any advice on me making arrangements to have my private pension taxed in Portugal, rather than in Ireland - including any pitfalls or disadvantages? Also, how would I approach the Revenue Commissioners in Ireland to make such arrangements? John,Dublin

An individual who is tax resident in Portugal can be exempt from Irish tax on a private pension under the terms of the Ireland-Portugal double taxation treaty. However, there are a number of complications.

Firstly, you cannot pre-agree your change of tax residence with the tax authorities. You have to become tax resident in Portugal and get a certificate from the Portuguese authorities to that effect. Then you can make a claim to the Irish Revenue Commissioners for a tax exemption or refund. This claim is made on the form IC2. (You will find the IC2 form - together with instructions on where to send it - on the Revenue Commissioners' website). By the time you make this claim, you may have paid further PAYE on your pension - which will need to be reclaimed.

A further complication arises if you also continue to live for part of the year in Ireland. This could mean that you continue to be tax resident in Ireland (as well as in Portugal). Even if you spend less than 183 days in Ireland in a given year, you can still be tax resident in Ireland if the total number of days in a year - plus the total number of days in the previous year - come to 280 or more. Any part of a day counts as a day here. If you are tax resident in Ireland, you might still be able to claim the tax exemption in the Ireland-Portugal double taxation treaty for your private pension, but there are detailed rules. Broadly speaking, you can do so if you don't retain a residence for your use in Ireland. If you do retain a house or other residence available to you in Ireland, then you will have to prove that your personal and economic interests are closer to Portugal than Ireland. This is a somewhat vague concept so in practice, it can be difficult to prove this.

You will need to get Portuguese advice on the tax rules there. However, there are two points to note. Firstly, the favourable Portuguese tax regime which you mention doesn't generally cover Capital Gains Tax - it only does so in some narrow circumstances. Secondly, the laws and rules for interpreting tax treaties are evolving. It is therefore possible that cases where taxpayers end up not paying tax in either country could be severely curtailed, so it is best not to assume that the current situation will continue to exist into the future.

So if you plan to spend most of your time in Portugal, by all means claim the tax exemption under the Ireland-Portugal double tax treaty when the time comes - if there is nothing to lose by doing so. However, as you will see, there are complications and risks so it does not seem advisable to go very far out of your way to do so.

Travel guide tax limbo

Q My son has been working as a travel guide since 2017 for a company based in London. He is not an employee and is paid a daily rate in sterling, which is converted to euro when lodged to his account. His work is mostly on the continent with the odd trip to Ireland and the UK. He hasn't lived in Ireland since early 2017 and he does not have an address in the UK as he is constantly travelling. The company [which he acts as a tour guide for] provides him with accommodation and meals (similar to that provided to the tourists on the trip). He gets tips. Previously he was a PAYE worker.

My son wants to bring his tax affairs up to date, but is unsure how to do so. Firstly, is he liable for tax in Ireland or the UK? Assuming it's Ireland, how would he go about making a tax return? Padraig, Co Wicklow

As you say, the first question is whether he is subject to Irish or UK tax.

Let's take Ireland first. You have to decide if he is resident in Ireland for tax purposes. The rules are that for any given year he was Irish resident if either he was in Ireland in that year for 183 days or more - or if he was in Ireland for 280 days or more in that given year and the year before it combined.

For the above purposes, any part of the day in Ireland counts as a day.

So assuming your son lived in Ireland in 2016, it is likely that he was tax resident in Ireland in 2017 - as taking 2016 plus 2017, he likely was resident for 280 or more days in Ireland. For 2018 and later years, it looks like he will not be tax resident in Ireland if he stays in this job.

So for Ireland, he should submit a tax return and pay tax on his 2017 income. The best way to do this is to register through the Revenue Online System (ROS) on the website of the Revenue Commissioners. The tax return can be done online and the tax paid. The Irish tax return for 2017 should have been done in late 2018 so there could be some small amount of penalties and interest on late payment of tax. However, when the taxpayer volunteers themselves to the Revenue Commissioners without too much delay in a case like this, the penalties and interest should not be too big.

The rules for tax residence in the UK are more complicated and he will need to check these. (The website of the UK tax authority, the HM Revenue and Customs, is a good starting point). From what you say, if he does not have accommodation in the UK and spends very little time there, it looks like he is not tax resident there and would not in that case have to pay UK tax.

Michael Gaffney is a tax expert with KPMG

Email your questions to lmcbride@independent.ie or write to 'Your Questions, Sunday Independent Business, 27-32 Talbot Street, Dublin 1'.

While we will endeavour to place your questions with the most appropriate expert for your query, this column is not intended to replace professional advice.Irish drivers who take their car abroad with them on holiday could be out of pocket to the tune of thousands if their car breaks down or is damaged abroad - even if they are insured to drive it on holiday.

Most car insurers - including Aviva, Allianz and Zurich - do not cover drivers for a replacement car if their car is damaged or written-off after they've been in an accident when driving it on holiday in mainland Europe. Most car insurers don't cover drivers if their car breaks down in mainland Europe either.

This could see a driver hugely out of pocket if they need to arrange a replacement car so they can carry on with their holiday - or if they simply need a car so they can drive to a nearby ferry port or airport and return home. In such cases, the driver is very likely to have to cover the cost of a replacement car themselves - particularly if it's a crash they are liable for, or a breakdown.

The driver is also likely to have to arrange the replacement car themselves - not an easy feat if you, or others travelling with you, have been injured or are badly shocked after an accident.

It could cost thousands of euro to hire a replacement car, particularly at short notice - which is likely to be the case if you've been in an accident or if your car has unexpectedly broken down. (Remember, should another driver have accepted full liability for the accident, that driver's insurance should cover the cost of a replacement car and towing charges - though you may have to wait until you get home to get that money back).

By contrast, you will usually have no problem getting a courtesy car from your insurer - at no cost to yourself - if you have comprehensive car insurance and your car is damaged whilst driving it in Ireland. Your insurer will also usually arrange that replacement car for you - and may even drive the courtesy car to your home, rather than requiring you to pick it up at a nearby car dealer.

This shortfall in cover for a courtesy car when on holiday could catch many Irish drivers out.

Hundreds of thousands of holidaymakers a year take the car ferry from Ireland to France - and since last year, it has been possible to take the car ferry to Spain too.

So with this bank holiday weekend marking the beginning of the annual exodus of Irish holidaymakers to sun getaways, here are some important steps you should take to ensure you will be in the best possible financial position in case things go wrong on holiday - whether you're driving abroad or not.

Check car cover

Take any blanket statements from your car insurer that it will provide you with identical cover when you drive your car in the EU with a pinch of salt. With most comprehensive car insurance policies, you are automatically covered to drive your car in the EU for a certain amount of time - typically for 30 to 60 days, depending on the insurer. However, the cover provided is usually the minimum required by law for you to drive the car in any EU country. That minimum cover usually won't provide a courtesy car - or cover towing charges - in the event that your car breaks down or is damaged while you are driving it in mainland Europe. (FBD and Zurich cover towing charges abroad - up to certain limits).

FBD is one of the few insurers which provides its policyholders with a courtesy car in the event that their car is written off in an accident when holidaying in mainland Europe. "In such cases, we will provide a courtesy car for up to 10 days in a row if the insured's car is damaged beyond economic repair or stolen and not recovered," said a spokesman for FBD. "The courtesy car will typically be up to a 1.2 litre, subject to availability, and may not match the size, value or performance of the insured's car." The FBD spokesman said it would "make every effort" to arrange the replacement car in such circumstances. "If for some reason we are unable to provide a vehicle, the policyholder may hire a vehicle and FBD will cover the cost of this as per the policy limits."

Bear in mind that even if your insurer does provide you with a courtesy car, if that car is smaller than the one which you initially took on holiday, you could struggle to fit all of your luggage into the car - and if travelling with young children, you could struggle to fit them all safely into car seats in the back row of the car.

Pack your EHIC

The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) allows you to get public healthcare for free - or at a reduced cost - in another EU or EEA (European Economic Area) state if you are on holiday or a short-term stay over there. It also covers Switzerland. The EHIC is invaluable if you find yourself in hospital in the EU, EEA or Switzerland as a result of an accident, injury or illness. Even if you are not covered for the full cost of public healthcare, the EHIC will cover a good chunk of it. For example, in France, the EHIC usually covers you for up to 80pc of the cost of hospital treatment. You may not have to pay the balance at the time you receive the hospital treatment either - hospital bills (for the balance) may be posted to you at your home address a month or two later (or longer).

Apart from Switzerland, the EHIC won't cover you for public healthcare received outside the EU or EEA - so it will be no use to you in the US or Australia for example. The EHIC is free and you typically apply for it at your local health office or by post. You may also be able to apply for it online.

Get travel insurance

Having a good travel insurance policy in conjunction with private health insurance could save you tens - if not hundreds - of thousands if tragedy or misfortune hits on holiday.

The cost of a lengthy stay in hospital abroad could run to more than 100,000 - particularly in the United States. The cost of repatriation (getting remains flown home) could be more than 10,000, depending on the holiday destination.

This is why the cover provided by travel insurance for medical expenses is so important. With travel insurance, you are usually covered for millions - and in some cases, tens of millions - of emergency medical expenses arising from hospital treatment. Private health insurance however will typically only cover you for up to 100,000 of expenses that arise from a medical emergency abroad so it is a mistake to rely solely on private health insurance when travelling. Travel insurance usually covers repatriation too.

Making a successful travel insurance claim can be time-consuming and difficult. Travel insurance policies are long and complicated - so unless you read a policy in its entirety, and fully understand it, you may not be covered as well as you think you are. Despite these shortcomings, you should still get travel insurance before heading off on holiday - but get a good policy and read the small print before you buy. Buy an excess waiver if you have the option to do so as this will prevent you from being hit with an excess (the first part of a claim you must pay for yourself) should you make a claim. Without this, often there is no point making a small travel insurance claim (for a few hundred euro or less) because the excess on your policy could be higher than the actual claim.

Should you have a medical condition, disclose it to your travel insurer before you buy the policy - even if you believe you don't need to. Otherwise, you could find that you're not covered if you later make a claim. There are a number of medical conditions which must usually be disclosed to travel insurers before you buy their policy. For example, some of the medical conditions which must be disclosed to Blue Insurance before buying its travel insurance include Type 2 Diabetes, asthma, epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, arthritis, high blood pressure, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and cancer.

You could face a higher premium after disclosing a medical condition but this is better than not being covered at all. You could also find that your travel insurer will cover you - but not for any claims related to your condition. With some medical conditions, you may need to arrange specialist travel insurance cover.

You may not need to disclose a medical condition to your travel insurer, or pay any additional premium as a result of that condition,if you have private health insurance which includes a certain amount of overseas cover. It is always worth checking directly with your travel insurer what needs to be disclosed though. Better safe than sorry, particularly when on a foreign holiday.

5 must-do's ahead of your holiday

Have emergency numbers to hand

Have all of the following numbers to hand when on holiday: the 24-hour contact numbers of your car insurer (if driving abroad), travel insurer and private health insurer; the number of the emergency services - and the Irish embassy - in the country you are visiting; and the number of a close friend or relative. You will need to be able to get these numbers quickly if you are in an emergency. Pack your credit card too as the costs incurred during an emergency can be high and so your spending money may not cover them.

Pack the right driving papers

Pack your driving licence and Vehicle Registration Certificate if planning to drive your own car on holiday. Have a front and rear dashcam on your car. Make sure you have comprehensive car insurance and that the policy will be valid for the entire duration of your trip. With Aviva, you're covered to drive your car in the EU for up 31 days; with Allianz, it's for up to 60 days; with FBD, it's up to 40 days; with Zurich, it's up to 30 days.

Buy car breakdown cover

Buy car breakdown cover which will cover you if you will be driving your car in mainland Europe. Allianz Global Assistance offers such cover for 99 a year.

The car breakdown cover included in standard car insurance policies usually only covers you in Ireland and the UK. This is the case with the standard car insurance of Aviva, Allianz and FBD for example. Zurich's breakdown cover only applies in the island of Ireland. Breakdown cover covers you when your car breaks down as a result of a mechanical fault, punctures and so on.

Book with a Licensed travel agent

Should you be planning to book your holiday through a travel agent or tour operator, only use one that it is licensed with the Commission for Aviation Regulation (CAR). The CAR runs a scheme which protects customers of Irish-licensed travel agents and tour operators from losing their money or being stranded abroad should the agent or operator go out of business. As long as a company is licensed by the CAR, you should get a refund for the cost of your holiday if the company goes bust before you head off on holiday. Similarly, if stranded abroad at the time of the collapse, you should be covered for the cost of alternative travel arrangements home.

Be fussy with travel cover

To protect yourself from any financial fallout as a result of strikes or airline insolvency when on holiday, buy good travel insurance before you head off - but make sure that policy covers scheduled airline failure and strikes, advised Martina Nee, spokeswoman with ECC Ireland. Not all travel insurance policies cover strikes or the collapse of an airline so check the small print.'With significant investment in APAC infrastructure, particularly in South East Asia and China, its too good an opportunity to miss' Stock image

Irish exporters not considering the markets of the Asia Pacific region may be missing out on a major opportunity. Thats a fact that Ambition Asia Pacific, a major event taking place at Dublins Aviva stadium on June 13, aims to rectify.

The region, commonly known as APAC, includes markets such as China, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, India and Australia. It is now one of the fastest-growing regions for Enterprise Ireland-backed companies.

The region is home to more than half of the worlds population and two of its three largest economies. Within a decade it will account for almost two-thirds of the worlds middle class and GDP growth across the region averages 6pc, compared with just 2pc in Europe and the United States.

What Ambition Asia Pacific will show Irish businesses is that, although these markets are distant, firms are not in fact blazing trails by focusing on them.

More than 600 Enterprise Ireland-supported companies already export to the region, between them adding 1bn in new exports there in the last five years alone.

It will also show that this is an opportunity that spans many of the sectors in which Ireland has a world-class reputation.

That includes aviation and travel technology, sectors that are already alert to the fact that, over the next two decades, half of the worlds air traffic growth will be driven by travel to, from or within, the APAC region.

Ireland is also a well-established fintech hub. Here too, APAC offers unprecedented opportunity from a growing middle class of eager and early adopters of new technologies, including in payments.

It isnt just APAC consumers who have an appetite for fintech either. Its investors do too. In the past two years, fintech financing in Asia Pacific has surpassed that of North America and stands at four times that of Europe.

With fewer legacy systems to labour under, there is demand across the region to introduce innovative digital solutions for everything from banking to healthcare.

Education is another area in which Ireland excels, and in APAC demand is strong for English-speaking third-level education. If the UK leaves, Ireland will become the largest English-speaking education market in the EU.

Ireland has an exemplary record in global construction and engineering services too. With significant investment in APAC infrastructure, particularly in South East Asia and China, its too good an opportunity to miss.

Equally, Irelands agritech innovators offer an ideal recipe for markets in which growing middle classes are putting pressure on food production.

There are, of course, challenges. This is not a quick-win region, but one that is based on identifying and building relationships with strong local partners. It, therefore, requires time and resources, and ultimately boots on the ground.

Such challenges are more easily surmountable than you may think, not least because Irish businesses typically enter the market through Australia, Singapore and Hong Kong.

All are familiar places with strong Irish networks. There are more direct flights now too, including to Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Beijing.

Enterprise Ireland is playing its part to help businesses capitalise on this fast-growing opportunity, offering connections, market advice and funding supports.

This autumn will see trade missions to Japan, South Korea and China, as well as the opening of new offices in Ho Chi Minh City and Melbourne. This brings to 10 the number of teams Enterprise Ireland has on the ground in APAC.

A huge part of what we do is provide Irish exporters with practical information, meet the buyer events, networking opportunities and the hard-won insights gained from experience that help ease your passage.

All of this will be in abundant evidence at Ambition Asia Pacific. If your business has ambitions in the region, you wont want to miss it.

Ambition Asia Pacific takes place on June 13 at the Aviva Stadium Dublin. Places are limited so register now at: www.enterprise-ireland.com/ambitionasiapacific

Tom Cusack is regional director Asia Pacific at Enterprise IrelandTwo months ago, Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg wrote an op-ed in The Washington Post. In it he stated that four troublesome issues - harmful content, election integrity, privacy and data portability - were proving too hot to handle for Facebook. "I'm looking forward to discussing them with lawmakers around the world," Zuckerberg wrote.

This week he got his first opportunity to do just that when the Canadian government invited him to testify before an international committee examining Facebook's role in spreading misinformation. Despite his eagerness to talk to legislators, Facebook's CEO couldn't make it. Neither could chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg.

Instead, two less high-profile executives answered the call. Kevin Chan, Facebook's public policy director for Canada, and Neil Potts, the company's global public policy director, showed up. "Mark and Sheryl, our CEO and COO, are committed to working with government in a responsible manner. They feel that we have their mandate to be here today before you to engage on these topics," Potts stated with admirable conviction. The committee was not impressed.

But they weren't surprised. It's not the first time this has happened. Last November, when Zuckerberg didn't show up to a hearing of the same international parliamentary group in the UK, Richard Allan, Facebook's vice-president of policy solutions, also a member of the House of Lords, had the good grace to admit that Zuck's non-attendance was "not great".

British MP Damian Collins, co-chair of the committee, went a little further this week. "Mark Zuckerberg's persistent refusal to appear in front of this committee shows he does not want to be held to account for the record of his company, nor even to engage openly in the debate about the future regulation and oversight we need in this sector," he said.

But let's be fair. Top brass from companies other than Facebook stayed at home too. The committee also invited Google's Sundar Pichai and Eric Schmidt, Apple's Tim Cook, Jeff Bezos from Amazon, Jack Dorsey from Twitter and Evan Spiegel from Snap. None of them turned up to engage with the elected representatives. Snap and WhatsApp didn't even bother sending any executives at all. So what was discussed? Well, many companies welcomed further regulation. Google called for greater international co-operation, standardised definitions of unlawful content and proportionate penalties for non-compliance.

Jim Balsillie, retired co-CEO of Research In Motion and chair of Canada's Centre for International Governance Innovation, had all the best lines: social media's toxicity is not a bug - it's a feature; the online advertisement-driven business model subverts choice and represents a foundational threat to markets, election integrity and democracy itself; data is not the new oil - it's the new plutonium.

He also recommended CEOs and directors are made legally responsibility for activity on their platforms. "As a businessman, I can assure you when a senior executive or board member must affix their name to a document that has personal liability, this immediately changes behaviour to one of greater prudence and caution," he said.

But, as ever, Facebook was the main s**t-magnet. It drew the ire of the legislators for refusal to remove doctored videos of Nancy Pelosi, refusal to share details of its algorithms, implications of back-end mergers of WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook, and, of course, the Cambridge Analytica scandal and when senior management became aware of the scale of the data harvesting.

It's telling that Facebook seems so unwilling to engage with this particular group of international parliamentarians, which includes legislators from the UK, Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, France, Latvia, Singapore and Ireland. Collectively this committee represents more than 400 million people. Perhaps such a motley crew of legislators is too unruly for Facebook. That is, highly paid lobbyists would find it hard to exert the levels of influence Facebook can expect in the US. If that's the case, Zuckerberg would be better advised to pay lip-service to the idea of engaging with legislators in the US only.

"This week saw further advances in our efforts to ensure people's data is kept secure and that users of social media can do so safely," said Hildegarde Naughton, who was at the hearing as chair of the Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and the Environment. "We will meet again in Dublin in November when we will discuss these issues and our global efforts to protect free speech while ensuring our democratic processes are free from malign outside influences."

So, we'll see you in Dublin in November, Mark? Yeah, I wouldn't count on it.Irish water tech company H2Ozone expects to hit 5m a year in sales within the next three years following the launch of two new chemical-free treatment devices.

The Wicklow-based business has invested 15m in the development of RainSafe and AgriSafe, which provide clean drinking water in domestic and farming scenarios. H2Ozone will sell around 200 units this year, but has pinned the bulk of its expansion on its agricultural solution.

H2Ozone business development manager Sean Lynam said that the results of an early clinical trial at the University of Bristol demonstrated the "potential of our product for animal health".

"In a controlled environment, birds provided with water from AgriSafe were 10pc heavier with an enormous reduction in the level of intestinal infection," he told the Sunday Independent.

"When we first introduced the AgriSafe in 2017 we knew we had a transformative technology for animal health, but we needed to trial the machine in different sectors.

"Field trials are expensive, but proved an essential learning curve for us and while we did have positive results with both dairy cows and pig trials, it is in the poultry sector that the benefits of the AgriSafe came into their own."

Lynam said the tests showed reductions in mortality among the birds as well as a sizeable drop in the level of antibiotics used in poultry production.

The H2Ozone manager said the business was well-placed to capitalise on growing demand for chicken meat. The OECD has tipped poultry consumption to top 133 million tonnes by 2024, up significantly on the 111 million tonnes in 2015.

"There is an increasing consumer awareness on issues of animal welfare and antibiotics overuse in the food chain," Lynam said. "Poultry farmers and major food-producing groups are increasingly aware of the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance and how it threatens their business. Also, the EU has moved to ban the practice of preventive use of antibiotics in farming."

Lynam also said the products help reduce the level of plastic waste on farms, which can help significantly reduce a farmer's footprint.

"Right now, H2Ozone are focusing the next phase of the roll-out of the AgriSafe in the UK and France though their distributors Grant Water in the UK, CWT Preval in France and global distribution partner Xylem," Lynam said. "We anticipate sales of 500 units in these two markets alone in 2020."

The company's domestic water treatment solution, RainSafe, has been focused on the Belgian market to date but the company has shipped to more than 10 countries so far. "We see the biggest growth for the RainSafe over the next 12 months will be with the water utility companies in the UK. We currently have RainSafe in evaluation with Scottish Water," added Lynam.When the verdict came through at the Cour d'Assises last Friday, the family of Sophie Toscan du Plantier clasped hands and embraced.

Ms Toscan du Plantier's extended family were there - her son, parents, brothers, aunt, uncle and her first husband. They were very happy with the verdict, which came in after a week-long trial in a small, stuffy courtroom in central Paris, near the recently scorched Notre-Dame cathedral: a 25-year prison sentence for the man found guilty of murdering the French film producer and a new warrant to be issued for his arrest.

"She should be here now, walking free," said Ms Toscan du Plantier's aunt, Marie-Madeleine Opalka. "It's important for justice to be done."

Within minutes of that verdict, according to Ian Bailey who, since last Friday is a convicted murderer in France, the new arrest warrant had been dispatched electronically to the extradition section of the Department of Justice in Dublin. "It is my understanding the warrant came into the Irish State within minutes of the decision," Bailey said yesterday from his home on the Prairie in west Cork, a couple of miles from where Ms Toscan du Plantier was murdered in December 1996.

Read More

Ian Bailey has firmly maintained his innocence throughout.

He spent Friday pottering about in the dappled sunshine, insisting he could not comment but unable to resist repeating his mantra, "I am staying calm in the eye of the storm", and more, to calling journalists.

"It could be a busy week," he said on the phone from a market in west Cork where the sunshine had turned to rain.

The conviction of Ian Bailey for murder should have provided closure for her family but it is only the beginning of another prolonged legal drama.

Ms Toscan du Plantier's body was found two days before Christmas in 1996, by a neighbour. Her body, dressed in nightclothes and boots, lay on a path outside her home in Toormore, Schull. There was a clump of hair in her hand, and hair and blood beneath her fingernails. Yet there was no forensic evidence. Ian Bailey - an English journalist who lived nearby with his partner Jules Thomas and the first journalist at the scene - emerged within weeks as the Garda's prime suspect. He was nominated as a suspect by a garda because of his clothes and allegedly strange behaviour. Witnesses claimed he told local people she had been murdered before it was widely known. His hands and face were scratched: he attributed these to cutting down a Christmas tree and killing turkeys, not the marks left by a victim who put up a fight. Bailey had no alibi: on the night Sophie was killed, he was at the pub with Jules, they went home. While she slept, he went out to his shed to write, alone.

Elsewhere in these pages, the former Director of Public Prosecutions, James Hamilton, sets out in detail the consideration he gave to the evidence against Ian Bailey and why he refused to accept it as sufficient grounds to prosecute.

That the conviction was secured is down to Ms du Plantier's family, who have been campaigning for more than 22 years to find out the truth about her killing.

Read More

They persuaded the French authorities to set up their own criminal investigation.

The French twice tried to extradite Ian Bailey and failed each time, which was why the trial went ahead in his absence.

Evidence that was insufficient to charge Ian Bailey with murder in Ireland was found to be sufficient in France. Marie Farrell, the only witness to put Ian Bailey close to the scene of the murder on the night Ms Toscan du Plantier died, later withdrew her statements.

In Ireland she was a discredited witness, but French magistrates took her evidence into account to convict Bailey.

The prosecution also relied heavily on Bailey's "confessions", overheard by three separate witnesses, including then 14-year-old schoolboy Malachi Reed. Mr Reed - who did not give evidence but was represented in court last week by his mother, Amanda - said Ian Bailey had admitted to "smashing her f**king brains in with a rock" when driving him home on February 4, 1997. His mother was one of two witnesses who travelled from Ireland to testify against Bailey, of the 22 witnesses summoned.

Read More

A theatrical and impassioned Maitre Dose, another of the family's lawyers, put it to the court that Mr Bailey's motives were "sexual", though there was no evidence of sexual assault. "Sophie Toscan du Plantier was everything that excited Ian Bailey," Maitre Dose said. "She was French, she was famous, she was an artist and she was the wife of one of the most famous film producers in France."

If Ian Bailey's information is correct, he expects the warrant for his arrest will be activated by the courts possibly as early as Tuesday. Once activated, he will be arrested and brought before the High Court where he would be hopeful of being released on bail pending a full extradition hearing.

Legal sources expect the previous Supreme Court ruling that he should not be extradited will stand. Maitre Pettiti, one of three lawyers for the family, said French lawyers are sceptical too about Ireland's willingness to extradite Ian Bailey.

Despite Bailey's "understanding" that the warrant has landed, most commentators believe the process may take months. The extradition hearing is unlikely to be the only piece of litigation he will face.

On Tuesday, the same court that found Bailey guilty of murder will rule on what damages Ms Toscan du Plantier's family will be entitled to. Under French law, the family are entitled to damages for the murder of a loved one.

Alain Spilliaert, a long-standing legal advisor to the family, submitted pleadings to the three magistrates after Friday's verdict.

He submitted that Ms Toscan du Plantier's parents, Georges and Marguerite Bouniol, should be awarded 75,000 each; her son, Pierre Louis Baudey-Vignaud, should be awarded damages of 70,000; and her two brothers, 60,000 each. The family has already been awarded 115,000 award in a civil courts in France in 2013, and the French authorities are now entitled to claim this money back.

Alain Spilliaert, who confirmed the figures for the Sunday Independent, expects the sums outlined will be upheld by the court. The award is "symbolic", he says.

Ian Bailey, as his solicitor Frank Buttimer, has pointed out, has no money as he has been unable to gain any meaningful employment since he became linked with this brutal murder.

Nevertheless, Ms Toscan du Plantier's family, and indeed the French state, may register judgments against him in the Irish courts.Banks need to change how they lend money to customers seeking to renovate homes so climate change targets can be met, according to EU officials.

Under new proposals, the European Commission will fund collateral for banks to lend money for 'greener homes' innovations. Officials believe this will be more cost effective than issuing grants.

The Commission's director general for climate action, Mauro Petriccione, believes economies will have to make drastic changes if energy targets are going to be met.

He said home renovations were key to protecting the environment but many of the positive changes were out of reach for most families.

The Government is preparing to launch its Plan to Tackle Climate Disruption in the coming weeks. The plan is set to feature a low-cost loan scheme to retrofit homes.

Mr Petriccione said the private sector should also play a role in making homes more energy efficient, saying financial institutions must make loans available to fund "greener homes" renovations.

"There are huge energy inefficiencies and a lot of disadvantages in housing across the board," he told the Sunday Independent.

"Most houses are owned by people who cannot access the necessary funding to carry out renovations that would make their homes more energy efficient, because these are expensive. It can be hard to access the finances through the banks to make changes to a home and make it more efficient.

"We need to teach commercial banks how to deal with small-term loans for customers, and how their policies play a role [in green energy].

"This is cheaper than giving out grants because the money from the banks used as collateral would be circular. Once it is paid off the money is there for other renovations."

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has estimated it will cost 50bn to retrofit and insulate homes in line with energy-efficiency standards.

Among ideas being considered is a "pay and save model", where low-cost loans would be paid back through energy bills over 10 to 20 years.

Mr Petriccione, who met politicians in Dublin last month to discuss EU targets for a climate-neutral Europe by 2050, said economies must change in order to address climate change.

He highlighted greenhouse gas emissions dropping by 22pc between 1990 and 2017, with GDP increasing by 58pc. However, he said this rate of improvement was not enough to meet future energy targets.

"We need new plans, new infrastructures," he said. "We are not going to implement new legislation left, right and centre. The focus will be on green investment. What can we do as an authority to help with the risks? There are risks there for regional institutions, for legislators, for innovation and regulation and for financial institutions. The problem is not just local, it is widespread and there is a need to share the associated risks.

"We need to change how the economy works in depth, we need new plans, new infrastructures. The current rate of economic change is not enough to get to where we want to be by 2050."

The introduction of a carbon tax was not enough to address the issue. "It is one instrument among others - it doesn't always work," he said.

"There is no Europe-wide support for a Europe-wide carbon tax. There are several examples of member states with a carbon tax at different levels with different effects. Some have worked, some have not but they can be effective.

"Carbon pricing is effective because they make the alternatives to carbon more attractive."The former Director of Public Prosecutions has rejected claims by the French authorities that Ireland "failed" to prosecute Ian Bailey for murder.

James Hamilton, who retired as DPP in 2011, concluded that there was insufficient evidence to prosecute Mr Bailey for the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier under Irish law.

The DPP's refusal to prosecute Mr Bailey was repeatedly presented by French prosecutors as a "failure" during the former journalist's trial in absentia for murder. Mr Bailey was convicted by the Paris court last Friday.

In a statement to this newspaper, Mr Hamilton noted that "evidence means facts" and "does not include material which is merely prejudicial such as hearsay, rumour, innuendo, speculation, suspicion, gossip and evidence of bad character lacking any evidential link to the offence charged".

After being asked to comment, Mr Hamilton provided a statement to the Sunday Independent.

It begins: "I do not think it would be appropriate for me to make any comment on the trial in his absence in Paris of Ian Bailey for the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier. My sole source of information about that trial is contained in the press reports of it. However, I noted that in the course of the trial the prosecution authorities in Ireland were criticised for their 'failure' to bring Ian Bailey to trial for the murder in Ireland.

"Sophie Toscan du Plantier was brutally murdered in December 1996. My predecessor as DPP, the late Eamonn Barnes, decided in 1997 that there was not sufficient evidence to try Ian Bailey for the murder. However, he deferred a final decision to enable the Garda Siochana to conduct further enquiries.

"In 1999, following my appointment as DPP and having considered the result of those further enquiries, I decided that there was still insufficient evidence to prosecute Ian Bailey. Before making that decision I had the benefit of the advice of senior counsel who had arrived at the same conclusion. My decision was subsequently reviewed by me again some years later following a Garda re-examination of the case but my decision remained that the evidence was still insufficient to warrant a prosecution.

"It is important to emphasise that these decisions did not amount to any failure by me or my predecessor to exercise our functions but rather were made in exercise of our duty to determine whether there was a proper basis in Irish law to bring a prosecution. The decisions were also fully in accordance with the DPP's own published guidelines."

The statement continued: "In Irish law it is possible to convict a person only on the basis of admissible and credible evidence given orally in court by witnesses which is relevant to the offence charged and a jury must be convinced of the case against the accused beyond a reasonable doubt.

"Evidence means facts which prove the case against the accused and does not include material which is merely prejudicial such as hearsay, rumour, innuendo, speculation, suspicion, gossip and evidence of bad character lacking any evidential link to the offence charged. The Irish courts will refuse to admit into evidence material which is prejudicial but lacking in evidential value.

"A large quantity of such material does not, in the Irish legal system, add up to a case.

"I do not propose to comment further on the substance of the case alleged against Ian Bailey in the Garda Siochana file. My reasons for the decision not to prosecute were fully set out in a memorandum prepared in my office and approved by me which was sent to the Garda Siochana and my decision was never challenged by the Garda to me. That memorandum was provided to Ian Bailey's solicitor when his client was at risk of being extradited and has, I believe since entered the public arena."

The memo referred to is the now infamous 44-page critique of the Garda's evidence.A number of gardai have come forward with new information to an internal anti-corruption probe after three colleagues were suspended during an investigation into alleged collusion with criminals.

A superintendent, an inspector and a detective were arrested on May 16 following a lengthy undercover investigation into claims that crime gangs were being tipped off about impending Garda raids.

Several gardai who either worked directly with the suspect gardai or on investigations in which they were involved have come forward to the National Bureau of Criminal Investigations (NBCI), the elite Garda unit running the inquiry, the Sunday Independent has learnt.

The information they have supplied "supports" suspicions that criminals were being tipped off, according to one informed source. "It is basically backing up the claims around collusion," he said. A small number of gardai have been interviewed and provided voluntary statements to investigators.

The development marks a widening of the highly sensitive investigation that began late last year after gardai became concerned that planned drugs operations and raids had been compromised.

The investigation initially focused on a detective. A team monitored his phone calls and kept him under surveillance for several months, and misinformation about Garda operations was circulated as part of the covert inquiry. The detective was arrested and questioned in January on suspicion that he accepted a 20,000 bribe from criminals in return for confidential Garda information.

The investigation then broadened out to include two higher ranking officers, a recently promoted inspector and a superintendent. All three were arrested last month, the detective for the second time.

The detective was arrested on suspicion of perverting the course of justice, the superintendent for unauthorised disclosure of information and the Garda inspector on suspicion of breaches of the mis-use of drugs act.

The names of those arrested and the Garda divisions they are attached to cannot be disclosed for legal reasons. Files are being prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions.

The detective has featured in internal Garda inquiries in the past but has never faced disciplinary action. The detective is separately being sued in the High Court over his alleged activities as a garda, in a case that pre-dates the events that led to his arrests and suspension.

"The primary focus is on suspected collusion with criminals [and] to get a file to the Director of Public Prosecutions on that," said an informed source.

The arrests of the three gardai have generated shock across the force. The fact that two were senior officers is unprecedented in an inquiry of this nature.

The investigation into the gang's activities and whether they benefited from insider garda information is expected to delve back into specific garda operations set up to target them.

Many expect that more gardai will be arrested as part of the probe, and criminals are also likely to face questioning.

The organised crime gang that is suspected to have benefited from information is involved in drug trafficking and money laundering.

The Garda Commissioner Drew Harris is setting up a new anti-corruption unit to investigate gardai before the end of this year. The new unit will investigate complaints but also actively seek out corruption.

He said major threats that could affect the integrity of the organisation included "drugs, inappropriate associations with criminal gangs and inappropriate behaviour towards vulnerable victims, towards vulnerable females in particular".

"As an organisation we want to be proactive, we want to show that we are very serious about making sure we have a healthy workforce, which is an honest workforce," the Commissioner said when he announced the new unit.

It will be based in the Garda's Phoenix Park headquarters in Dublin. The unit will concentrate first on gathering intelligence on alleged wrongdoing in the force, but is expected to develop into pro-active investigations team.The RNLIs latest lifeboat arrives at Clogherhead, County Louth. Pictured are the Crew, Gerard Sharkey, Sean Reilly, Thomas Whelahan, Padraig Rath and Sean Flanagan. Picture: Patrick Browne.

A GENEROUS donation helped foot the bill for a new 2.5m lifeboat that has been delivered to Clogherhead.

Hundreds turned out on a sunny afternoon in Co Louth yesterday to welcome the latest in RNLI lifeboat technology after its delivery from Dorset in the UK.

The 2.5m lifeboat and its launching rig represents a major investment by the RNLI in the station and moves it from a 15-knot lifeboat to a 25-knot one, cutting vital minutes off the time it takes for the crew to reach an emergency.

A significant chunk of the funding for the vessel has been provided through a generous legacy by Wexford farmer Henry Tomkins, who was a lifelong supporter of the RNLI.

Expand Close The RNLIs latest lifeboat arrives at Clogherhead, County Louth. . Pictured is the lifeboats Mechanic Padraig Rath with his granddaughter Anna Browne. Picture: Patrick Browne / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp The RNLIs latest lifeboat arrives at Clogherhead, County Louth. . Pictured is the lifeboats Mechanic Padraig Rath with his granddaughter Anna Browne. Picture: Patrick Browne

Mr Tomkins stipulated the lifeboat be named after his long-time friend, the former Arklow RNLI coxswain Michael OBrien.

RNLI coxswain at Clogherhead, Tomas Whelahan, said: We were thrilled with the welcome we received on our journey home in our new Shannon class lifeboat.

I want to thank the many people who came down to Clogherhead to see our arrival, which made it an incredibly special homecoming.

We have had a great week with the new lifeboat, getting to know it and seeing what it can do on the open sea.Boris Johnson is no fool. Although written off as the clown of British politics, the calculating politician is now the firm favourite to become Britain's next prime minister.

It is no surprise then that, ahead of President Donald Trump's visit to the UK and Ireland this week, the media are cooing over the fact that Johnson has gone one step further and won over the world's most-powerful man.

With his famous wit and charm, he has made a puissant ally in the US president, a man friends say, "picks up very quickly on whether people like him or not." Meanwhile, back in Ireland, some people are intent on making a dog's dinner of our welcome before he even arrives.

For a start, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and officials have refused to meet him at his hotel in Doonbeg, despite his personal request.

Too concerned with kowtowing to the PC brigade, the snub even caused the president's detractors in the US media to note that his meeting with our leaders "won't be a fancy affair" because, they scoffed - it will be "at the airport". Pretty toe-curling when you think about it.

And to add salt to the wound, protesters will be allowed to bring a Trump 'baby blimp' to Ireland to fly while the president visits.

Now I know the capabilities of the Irish Army are the equivalent to a child's pea shooter next to the might of America's military superpower, but if we had any sense we would dust off a tank and blow the nuisance straight out of the sky.

Because bad manners, immature demonstrations and cutting off our nose to spite our face, will not bring favours when we go cap in hand to President Trump. And mark my words - the day will come. Ireland is already trying to convince US authorities we are not a trade threat, after being placed on a watch list of nine nations that America regards as potential currency threats.

We have so many US companies located here, the last thing we want to do is provoke a backlash. Would it have hurt so much to go to the president's resort when talking about a trillion-dollar issue?

Meanwhile, the future of the Irish diaspora in the US is facing serious challenges. Attempts to secure the Irish E3 visa scheme is on a knife edge.

The programme, doggedly being pursued by TDs such as Mark Daly, will enable Irish citizens to live and work in the United States. Preferential treatment that every other country is looking for but none, bar Ireland, has a hope of getting.

And if that wasn't enough, our peace process is at a dangerous crossroads. Given that the US government made sure it happened 21 years ago - and Johnson wants to leave Europe, with or without a deal, we need the US administration on side to keep the agreement alive.

I laughed this week when it was reported that Trump would not be placing the Doonbeg Hotel on lockdown during his visit. Never a man to turn his nose up at a good business opportunity, he is insisting guests can have full access to the resort, which will be at full capacity when he and his beautiful wife, Melania, arrive.

Meanwhile, in the same week, Ireland passed over the opportunity to create 1,000 extra jobs via a US company owned by billionaire Time magazine owner Marc Benioff, because outdated planning laws would not allow two extra floors to a building.

The juxtaposing attitudes to business says everything about the difference between our two nations and their ability to grasp an opportunity when it lands on their door.

President Trump will be on our welcome mat soon. We should follow the lead of the village of Doonbeg, who have been experiencing a thriving economy and an influx of jobs and tourism since the US leader looked favourably on their community.

Let's not be ingrates, act for the sake of good will and good business and drape ourselves in American flags to extend him a Cead Mile Failte.

- Niamh HoranIt's like an episode of House of Cards, shot in a former minister for justice's house in Dundrum. Sitting with a cup of coffee, a denim-clad Alan Shatter says we live in a world where truth and fake news are seen through a different prism because of Donald Trump.

Without missing a beat, he adds: "Well, I found my good self confronted with issues of this nature two years before Trump emerged as president.

"His version of fake news seemed to be to accuse people of telling falsities when they are in fact telling the truth. It is a way of deriding his opponents and undermining the credibility of the media. My problem of fake news was people asserting as facts things I knew to be untrue and asserting as lies the truths I was telling."

Shatter was elected to the Dail in 1981. He has since questioned whether he should have gone into politics or joined Fine Gael. "I have been part of the Fine Gael family for 39 years. I don't think anyone should be treated by a political party the way I was treated by the Fine Gael party."

Is Shatter's new book, Frenzy and Betrayal: The Anatomy of a Political Assassination, about settling scores or revenge? "I have no interest in that. That's not what it is about. I have absolutely no doubt that someone will depict it that way.

"They are fantastic people in the Fine Gael party throughout the country," he adds. His problem is with the leadership.

"The way people are treated by those in charge of the Fine Gael party. The manner in which issues are dealt with in Fine Gael headquarters. I believe that people aren't treated as human beings. They are just seen as pawns on a chess board to be moved around for electoral purposes. This is a lack of humanity in all of that. And, of course, for public view of addressing issues, there is a pretence of humanity and concern."

Our two-hour conversation is never dull. Asked about Maria Bailey, Shatter responds: "This isn't Iran. We are not going to put Maria Bailey in a hole and throw stones at her.

"She made mistakes. I don't know the full story behind it any more than I suspect a lot of people do... I don't want to get involved it because I have no role in any of it. I just think that when you've had the extent of media attention that has happened over the last 10 days, there is a moment in time when there is a need to recognise that if she made mistakes she doesn't deserve to be publicly pilloried.

"I have no doubt that whatever she is being subjected to on social media is horrific and I would hope that she simply stops looking at it.

"I think there is a moment where perhaps those in government who find what she did embarrassing stopped perceiving that attacking her was politically advantageous to the Government. You have to be careful, I think, of the psychological well-being of someone."

How have the past five years affected his mental health? "The truthful answer is that the last five years have been extraordinarily unpleasant."

Shatter resigned as minister for justice on May 7, 2014, following receipt of the report by Sean Guerin into allegations made by Garda Sergeant Maurice McCabe.

Asked how the time since has been for his wife, Carol, he says: "Horrendous. Both my children," he adds, of Kelly and Dylan, "were adults at that stage, but they were conscious of what was going on.

"My son was in Australia and he was following it from there. I think my daughter got very upset. She was in Dublin... She found the whole thing very stressful."

A short time after his resignation, he was having lunch with his daughter in what used to be Pasta Fresca on Chatham Street. A photographer took photos when they left and followed them down Grafton Street. "He was literally stalking us. My daughter was very stressed. I told him in the end to 'f**k off.' He thought that was very amusing. And he took more photographs.

"People often forget that politicians themselves are human beings. And their families are human beings. And because you are in politics and you are used to the rough and tumble of politics, it doesn't mean that you are not emotionally impacted by events that take place.

"Every time I told the truth about an issue, I was then vilified for telling lies or covering something up. It is an extraordinarily difficult position in which to find yourself."

Then he was accused of arrogance. "So all of this affected me personally. I tried to cover up the extent to which it was affecting me but it certainly caused a great deal of upset to Carol and to my children.

"But the ultimate climax to all this was the Sean Guerin report where I was condemned without any hearing, without knowing what his concerns were, and who reached a whole series of negative conclusions about my engagement with issues that had been raised by Maurice McCabe.

"And here we are five years later where I have only just concluded court proceedings, where it has been established irrevocably that he has no remit, jurisdiction, terms of reference, whatever you want to call it, to condemn me, or condemn anyone, and that he didn't remotely afford me a fair hearing.

"Mr Guerin was given a job by government to independently conduct a preliminary inquiry. He wasn't asked to reach conclusions. He wasn't asked to condemn anybody. He did both of those things. And they have had a profound impact on my life.

Shatter claims: "The Fine Gael party has a vested political interest in looking the other way... my colleagues looked the other way. There is a vested interest in the Dail in silence."

He says later that even though he has been vindicated, no member of the Oireachtas has acknowledged any mistake. "There is something wrong with our politics. It is right that people are held to account if there are issues of concern. They can be raised in the Dail. But when people make allegations that are proved to be entirely wrong and when those allegations effectively destroy the reputation of someone..."

Does he think he has done reputational damage to Leo Varadkar by claiming in the book that Varadkar betrayed him to further his leadership bid for Fine Gael?

"I'm not intent on doing reputational damage to anybody. I didn't actually say that. That's not what the book says. What the book details is his opportunistically pursuing certain issues in circumstances, where if he was genuine about them as a colleague, Leo could have sat down and discussed them way before he felt the need to make a public comment."

Frances Fitzgerald resigned as Tanaiste in November 2017 in similar circumstances to Shatter's resignation in May of that year. They were both vindicated. Last week, Fitzgerald was elected as an MEP while his political career is over.

"The difference is very simply explained. Frances was, I believe, treated badly. She was also the subject of a media frenzy and condemnation that she did not deserve. But she was out of government at the beginning of December 2017 and within six weeks, January 2018, the issue she had been given grief over was being addressed in the Charleton Tribunal and it was quite clear from the evidence that she had been wrongly condemned.

"So within two months she merged out of that. I had two years from the time of the Guerin Report being published until the O'Higgins Commission report was published, during that time I was under a continuous shadow and regularly vilified in the media. Any Garda issue remotely related to my time and articles would reprise the events that I was condemned for. So Frances was able to emerge out of that in a way that I couldn't. And by the time I had been fully vindicated, the election was over and I had lost my seat. I also believe that it wasn't appreciated that I contradicted the evidence of Enda Kenny before the Fennelly Commission. So, I have, I'm afraid a belief that you tell the truth."

Did he believe he was left to hang in the wind? "Yes. Essentially so."

Shatter writes in Frenzy and Betrayal that former Taoiseach Enda Kenny had "a self-serving relationship with the truth". Did he think Enda sacrificed him to save his own skin in 2014?

"Firstly, that wouldn't have been my perception of Enda in all the years I was working with him. But events that happened subsequent to my forced resignation from government gave me some new insights about how he deals with issues."

Did he feel abandoned by Enda as Taoiseach? "At the time when the Guerin Report was furnished to him and he gave it to me, I explained to him that I was being condemned without any hearing, and that Mr Guerin's conclusions were wrong. I engaged with him. I understood from my engagement with him that these were serious issues that he was going to follow up. I discovered in the end that he was just plamasing me by meeting with me and that he never seriously pursued those issues. So, I'm afraid at that point I started getting a greater insight into his character."

Did Carol ever say, 'Let it go, we've been through enough?' "No. Carol was very supportive. She took the view that I had spent 36 years as a lawyer battling on behalf of other people and that I had an entitlement to set the record straight. But, listen, I am not under any illusions. There are people still today wedded to a false narrative."

Does his book not perpetuate the 'frenzy' a bit? And might Enda and Leo say he had a "self-serving relationship with the truth"?

"I don't think Enda has ever said that about me. I hope Enda has some thoughts about how he dealt with this issue and recognises the mistakes he made.

"I had great admiration and affection for Enda Kenny; and when others were critical of him I saw him as a person who was very committed to the job."

He and Enda haven't spoken since two weeks before the 2016 General Election. "He contributed in a very substantial way to my not retaining my seat. Despite all the grief I had, I might well have retained my seat if he hadn't interfered in that election," Shatter says.

"And he never had the decency or courage to make any contact with me after that election."

Asked what the biggest misconception people have about him, he says: "I am not going to get into other people's heads." How would his wife describe him? "She puts up with me! We are 46 years' married. She obviously thinks I'm okay."

There must have been dark nights of the soul? "There were a lot of sleepless nights, I think is the best way to describe it. I found myself in a space I never wanted to be. I never wanted to be engaged in ligation.

"I believed I had to be. I never expected that I would be giving evidence in two separate commissions of investigation. I never expected that relationships that I had, that I believed were close with Fine Gael colleagues, such as Frances Fitzgerald, would disintegrate."

Does he believe she was told to stop talking to him? "We had been friends for a lot of years before we were in government. And I did whatever I could to be of assistance to her when she was children's minister because I was children's spokesperson at some stage.

"You know I can't understand why she failed to even respond, let alone take seriously, to what I had to say on June 19, 2014, about the Guerin Report. It has all now been established to be true. She didn't even give me the decency of a response."

Asked whether some people don't like him, Shatter says he is beyond caring. "I think it is really important in a constitutional democracy that the rule of law prevails, that people aren't condemned without a fair hearing and that there is some value attached to truth, as opposed to seductive exciting narratives that may generate attention."

But he must have known putting that claim about Leo in the book was going to generate frenzy and attention.

"The Leo issue was very simple and straight-forward. All I'm doing is documenting events as they occurred and the background to those events and the complexities that either at the time weren't known or people didn't want to know. It is no more complicated than that."

Did he have any friends in politics? "I had a few closet friends who would quietly wish me well."

But not publicly? Alan Shatter shakes his head. "No. I am not sure who I recognise as a friend in politics in the context of Leinster House."The chairman of a major hospital group has said he was asked not to highlight significant under-reporting of delayed discharges from hospital beds, one of the main causes of the trolley crisis, the Sunday Independent can reveal.

In an astonishing claim to the Minister of State in the Department of Health Jim Daly, Graham Knowles of the University of Limerick Hospitals Group said he was told by a HSE official it was important not to damage confidence in the HSE.

Mr Knowles, who was appointed by the department to head up a national working group on the delayed discharge issue, told Mr Daly in a four-page letter that the HSE officials behaviour was unacceptable.

Mr Knowles said the HSE official concerned accepted there was under-reporting of delayed discharges, but was presumably hoping that it would not be highlighted.

In a scathing email to the minister who established the independent expert group, Mr Knowles raised serious concerns about HSE data on delayed discharges.

He revealed he was even forced to delay the publication of the report after clashes with Department of Health officials, and struggled to get internal documentation from the HSE. I fully accept we are a small State and individuals have many connections but as the review has progressed, issues, followed by behaviour, have undermined the independence considerably, he said.

However, his most extraordinary claim is that a HSE official asked him not to emphasise the high number of under-reported cases of delayed discharges over fears it would undermine confidence in the health service.

He said the official wanted to highlight to me that whilst we (HSE) know that delayed discharges are under-reported, it was important not to damage public confidence in the HSE and that the HSE needed extra capacity.

I find it unacceptable that [an official] called me accepting there was under-reporting but presumably hoping that it would not be highlighted, he added.

The Government established a working group on delayed discharges in the aftermath of record-high numbers of people forced to wait for medical attention on hospital trolleys in the winter of 2017/2018.

A delayed discharge is a patient who has been deemed clinically fit to leave a hospital bed but requires ongoing medical care and cannot be immediately discharged. It is a major contributory factor to hospital overcrowding.

Correspondence released under the Freedom of Information Act shows Mr Knowles raised concerns about the scope of his review and the information he was asked to audit soon after he was appointed.

In a email sent to Mr Daly on June 10, 2018, Mr Knowles said he was "extremely concerned" about the figures available on delayed discharges as they "don't reflect the reality on the ground".

He also insisted his review should not solely focus on delayed discharge but also explore measures which encourage people to stay away from hospitals if they are not in need of acute care.

"I would have believed all angles were being reviewed, particularly after the recent winter experience," he said.

In August, he wrote to the minister asking him if he could "use his office to expedite" the release of delayed discharge figures because HSE officials told him they could not release the data because of "governance issues".

The following month, Mr Knowles sent a blistering email to Mr Daly outlining a litany of problems he encountered during his review. He said the figures for delayed discharges were "significantly flawed" and this was "limiting the ability for analysis and recommendations".

Mr Knowles noted that the interviews he conducted with consultants and senior nurses showed there were "significantly more" patients who were delayed than was reported.

He said there was a "policy vacuum" in the Department of Health which had led to hospital groups and community health organisations "making it up as they go along".

Mr Knowles said there were "clear tensions" at a meeting with Department of Health officials when he said they had a role in relation to policy on delayed discharges.

The officials said they would be "reviewing deeply to seek to identify delayed discharge policies (which of course they had already done)," according to Mr Knowles.

They also said they would be forced to make their own public statement if the final report included references to the need for the Department of Health to be involved in drafting policy.

"They suggested not issuing the report at the end of August, giving them time to ensure no policy existed and time to enhance the report," he said. Mr Knowles said he did not want a "public debate" so he agreed.

"With regard to policy, since then I have not received any policy information or documentation from the department, although references to what is and what isn't policy continue to be made," he added. He also detailed difficulties he encountered when seeking audits on delayed discharges from the HSE's special delivery unit. At a crucial meeting, he was told the audits would not be available for weeks.

However, the following day he was forwarded an email from the head of the special delivery unit, which was sent four minutes after the previous day's meeting started, which said the audits would be available the following week.

"I called one of the secretariats to express my surprise at having received an email a day-and-a-half after it was sent, and to clarify that this was different from what I heard at the meeting," he said.

"He was clear that (both) note-takers independently made notes stating that the HSE said in the meeting that the audits would be released the following week," he added.

Mr Knowles said he decided to call three consultants who also attended the meeting and found their recollection was the same as his.

"When considering the issue of policy and numbers reported, it is of interest to look at the current situation and consider who gains," he wrote.

"Where through omission or commission, if the absence of policy enables the under -reporting of delayed discharges, what organisation and/or individual benefit."

In November, the working group's report was published. It revealed there was a "significant under-reporting" of delayed discharges because the system in place for recording figures was "not fit for purpose".

The group made a series of recommendations including that the Department of Health should establish a national policy which ensures that delayed discharges are recorded consistently and accurately.

Last Friday, a HSE spokesperson said: "The HSE welcomes the report of the Independent Review on Delayed Discharges and is working to implement its recommendations."

The HSE did not respond to questions about the claim or whether it would be investigated.Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Prime Minister Theresa May leave the funeral service of murdered journalist Lyra McKee

THE Irish and British governments say there is now a "genuine but narrow window of opportunity" in which to restore the Northern Ireland Assembly.

In a joint statement tonight, Taoiesach Leo Varadkar and Prime Minister Theresa May claimed progress has been made in the all-party talks that began after the murder of journalist Lyra McKee.

But they also indicated that there hasn't been a major breakthrough that would allow the DUP and Sinn Fein share power at Stormont.

"It is clear to us that the Northern Ireland political parties wish to see the institutions of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement restored, but operating on a more credible and sustainable basis," the two leaders said.

"While broad consensus has been reached on some issues, other areas remain to be resolved."

Mr Varadkar and Mrs May, who is due to step down as Conservative Party leader later this week, said they will "continue to monitor progress closely".

They have tasked Tanaiste Simon Coveney and Secretary of State Karen Bradley with providing regular updates.

Their statement concluded: "We believe it is imperative that the parties now move without delay to engaging substantively on the shape of a final agreement."

It is now almost two and a half years since the Assembly collapsed. And despite the threat of Brexit the two main parties  the DUP and Sinn Fein  have refused to work together.

Sinn Fein has refused to back down on its demand for an Irish language act and equality provisions such as same-sex marriage. The DUP steadfastly oppose such moves.

The latest round of talks began in April after the funeral of Lyra McKee, who was murdered by the New IRA heard from a rallying call from a Catholic priest.

Fr Martin McGill said the killing had struck a chord for everybody on this island when he asked the political leaders to get their act together.

And he asked: "Why in God's name does it take the death of a 29-year-old woman with her whole life in front of her to get to this point?Two years ago, after the news broke of the 150m acquisition of their company Voxpro by Canadian firm Telus International, Dan and Linda Kiely went out for dinner. Halfway through the meal, Dan asked Linda what people were looking at.

"I said, 'They're looking at us,'" says Linda in her quiet voice and her drily, witty way.

"We were 'that couple'," says Dan, adding quickly that they didn't want to be 'that couple'.

Firstly, it wasn't as simple as being handed a huge, novelty-size cheque and walking away into the Caribbean sunset: the deal was in two stages, with the final stage next year in 2020.

Second, as far as the Kielys were concerned, very little materially changed for them. Their life was comfortable before and their life was comfortable after; but, certainly, people's attitudes to them were altered.

"I just wanted the deeds to my house and the business premises," Linda says. "Not too much to ask," says Dan.

"And we owed a lot," Linda continues. "Also, you couldn't [sell the business] just for money. It was always about all the employment we were creating in Cork, expanding, all the mouths that people had to feed. When you build a business and you employ more and more people, you increase your sense of responsibility. To them.

"But people don't think of it that way - they think you've just won the lotto one day. They don't think of all the years you've been at it," Linda concludes.

"For a while I thought I was getting Alzheimer's," says Linda. "The asks were incredible. People were coming up to me and I didn't know who they were."

I ask if it changed how she was with people. "Well, I don't go to the supermarket any more," she says with a laugh.

The way you are with and about money is formed very early on in life, Dan and Linda, both Cork natives, agree. And they are not people to over-value it, or waste it, or think it raises them above anyone else.

"Even now," Dan says with a laugh, "if I say to Linda that such-a-body has whatever sort of car, she'll say, 'Ah, but they're loaded'."

Dan and Linda met 30 years ago in Cork, when both were working in the The Examiner. "I was his boss," says Linda.

In 2002, they founded Voxpro, offering call-centre support to businesses, a service that proved to have international value, particularly in the age of the internet. Their heart is always in Cork, but now they have bases in Dublin and across Europe and in the United States, providing customer-service and call-centre support to brands such as Google and Airbnb. The business is huge, but when it comes to success and wealth, their focus seems very fixed on the responsibility that comes with both.

"With the money comes extra responsibility," Dan says. "One of the things we'd both like to do, when we get around to it, is start our own foundation and leave a legacy that could do a lot of good for a lot of people. And we'll work on that when we have time, for sure."

Do enough people with big money think that way?

"No," they both answer.

"Look," says Dan. "I've met some amazing people across the world who talk the talk and walk the walk. Richard Branson would be one of them, he just wants to make a difference in the world and treats everyone the same. But then I've met people who are the opposite. They are entitled and have an expectation that people will be deferential and I just hate that and hate to see it."

They think that money makes them different, he explains.

"But it's only money," says Linda.

They don't want to be that couple.

Voxpro has always had a strong culture of giving back, which they call Give Where You Live. It has two strands, Dan explains, in that it's about supporting charity and supporting start-up businesses.

"There are a lot of entrepreneurs I come across now who have amazing ideas and they get series-A funding and then sometimes they run out of cash - I passionately think the Government should do something around having a fund there for entrepreneurs with great ideas but a bump in the road and no one to turn to," Dan says, "because the banks won't support them. It's stopping a lot of these people."

Is it harder to start up a business now than when they got going? "Well I remortgaged my house at 18pc for the business, so I don't think it gets much tougher than that," says Linda, who reminds me that she also cashed in her pension many years ago in difficult times.

Their attitude to helping people in charity is the same as their attitude to helping entrepreneurs. It's about the greater good and it's something they observe and are quick to praise in the millennial generation who make up a huge proportion of their workforce.

"To get top talent these days, it's not enough to say, 'We pay well and we work with some of the most iconic brands in the world'," says Dan. "They want to know what you're doing to give back to the community. They'll ask it and the answer matters to them. What is your CSR (corporate social responsibility) policy? Who do you support and how does it work? It's important to them to see how the company is a force for good and that's going to become the norm if you want to attract top talent."

Every year, Voxpro does one big charity event where the staff push up their sleeves and actively get supportive. Telus, as it happens, does similar around the world, so that was an area in which the acquisition was a good match.

This year, the Give Where You Live day was at the Field of Dreams in Cork, where adults with Down syndrome develop their work and life skills primarily through horticultural work.

In May, hundreds of employees headed out to the Field of Dreams at 6am and stayed until evening, erecting new buildings, building a new polytunnel, helping to plant pumpkin seeds, a crop they can sell.

"People are very quick to point the finger at the Government and ask them to fix every problem," says Dan, "but I think businesses have to step up too.

"You know, big businesses can make a big difference to the community. We were looking for something where we could make an impact, and Field of Dreams was somewhere we thought we could make an impact and a real difference in a single day. In real terms, that day enabled Field of Dreams to take on nine more students."

"They loved that day," says Linda of the Voxpro gang. "Being creative, making people happy, doing something positive. They're very good, the millennials."

It meant a lot to Dan and Linda personally, too, particularly as Linda's nephew, John, has Down syndrome. John is 33 and works one day a week in McDonald's in Douglas. Through him, Dan and Linda understand the full meaning of the fact that less than 5pc of Irish adults with Down syndrome have paid employment.

"Companies need to get behind these things." Dan says.

"You can't expect the Government to do everything and they won't anyway," says Linda. "They can't get a bed in a hospital, they can hardly build a Field of Dreams all over Ireland."

Is there the heart in Irish big business to get behind meaningful projects for change?

"It depends on the top," says Linda. "If the very top isn't committed, you won't get far."

Words to listen to, which seem to have worked well, on every front, for that couple.History was made on June 6, 1944, when an irresistible force collided against an immovable object. More than 150,000 Allied troops - among them thousands of courageous Irishmen - hurled themselves headlong into a deadly onslaught against the huge concrete German defence fortifications of Hitler's Atlantic Wall.

The future of Europe was at stake, the terrible tyranny of the Nazi regime must be ended, and this would come at an unfathomable human cost. This was D-Day.

Expand Close US forces advance towards the beaches on the morning of June 6, 1944. / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp US forces advance towards the beaches on the morning of June 6, 1944.

In the vanguard was Captain Redmond Cunningham from Waterford. He was among the first on the beaches to breach those defences and clear the way for the assaulting infantry and armour. The Germans had prepared well but did not expect the assault when it came. Rommel's strategy for any invasion was to halt the Allies as they got off the landing craft; to bring the invasion to a sudden standstill on the blood-soaked beaches and end it before it began. Rommel intended to conduct the defence of Nazi-occupied Europe at the water's edge.

The organisational ability of the Allies to marshal this military might undetected had taken the Germans completely by surprise. The British landings on Sword Beach went smoother than on Juno Beach. The aerial bombardment and withering naval salvos of suppressing fire on to German shore strong points curtailed the damage the defenders could inflict on the assault. However, it was not without its difficulties. Losses were inflicted from indirect artillery fire hitting landing craft and causing casualties on the beach.

The pouring of heavy small-arms fire by a determined German defence of their strong point at La Broche took three hours to overcome. However, on Sword, the specialised assault armour carried out their tasks to good effect. The first five or six waves arrived as programmed, before confused intermixing occurred. The British 3rd Infantry Division got off to a good start.

At its forefront, clanking down the Land Craft Ramp at 0710 hours, was Cunningham, who was to become one of the most highly-decorated Irish officers in the British Army during World War II.

Expand Close A Duplex Drive Sherman tank / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp A Duplex Drive Sherman tank

Five minutes before this specialised armour of the 79th Assault Squadron of the Royal Engineers deployed, their "swimming tanks" were released. These were called Duplex Drive ('DD') tanks. The canvas sides of a DD tank protruded a foot above water level and wrapped completely around it. This canvas wraparound contained tubes that when inflated with compressed air allowed the tank to float. The Sherman tank's engine was connected to two propellers, allowing it to then ''swim''. Nothing had been seen like it before, and they gave very welcome close-in support to landing infantry.

These armoured vehicles (AVREs) were the brainchild of General Sir Percy Hobart, whose father was from Dublin and mother from Co Tyrone. His widowed sister Betty married General Bernard Law ''Monty'' Montgomery, who had himself deep Irish family connections in Co Donegal.

''Hobart's Funnies,'' as the American GIs called them, were custom-designed on mostly Sherman tank chassis to clear minefields, burst open concrete bunkers, fill in large dug-out tank traps, transverse soft terrain, act as terrifyingly effective mobile flame-throwers, and otherwise tackle obstacles to advancing infantry and armour.

Disembarking close to where they had planned, Captain Cunningham's armoured vehicles went ashore and fought their way forward. This was not without difficulty, damage and death, but Cunningham marshalled matters well. Cpt Cunningham's Number 1 Troop Leader's summary of Breaching Operations for his sector of Sword Beach gives his account of the struggle to successfully clear lanes through the obstacles for the later arriving waves of tanks and infantry. These waves included members of the 2nd Battalion, Royal Ulster Rifles - so it was an Irishman clearing German obstacles on French beaches for fellow Irishmen in a war where Ireland itself was neutral.

Of course, Ireland's neutrality did not stop thousands of Irishmen from being centrally involved in the conflict. Around noon on D-Day, having successfully cleared gaps in the beach obstacles and cleared safe lanes in the minefields, Cpt Cunningham, with 10 armoured vehicles from 79th Assault Squadron, was ordered to advance on, seize, and hold the bridge and canal lock gates at Ouistreham.

They caught the Germans on the near side of the lock gates by surprise but were met with far stiffer resistance from Germans on the far side. Using the firepower of the 10 armoured vehicles, they had an intense exchange, and the bridge and lock gates were at last wrestled from the Germans. They held them successfully overnight.

Captain Redmond Cunningham fought out the rest of World War II, earning a bar to the Military Cross award for his actions on D-Day. Back home in Waterford he became a successful architect and businessman. He died in 1999.

'A Bloody Dawn: The Irish At D-Day' by Dan Harvey, published by Merrion Press. Retired Lt Colonel Harvey has 37 years' service with the Irish Defence ForcesTRAVEL is one of life's great pleasures, so it is little wonder travellers are more interested in researching which sites to see and which restaurants to visit than finding out what scams they have to watch out for.

In a foreign country or city, people let their guard down, relax and often behave in a way they never would back home, leaving them open to highly organized tourist scams.

That's why online travel consultants Cheapflights.com (www.cheapflights.com) have put together a list of the top 10 travel scams to watch out for around the world. Reuters has not endorsed this list:

1. Fake Police

If, as a traveller, you find yourself being accused of a crime you didn't commit, chances are you're dealing with a counterfeit cop. For example, fake police might charge an over-the-top, on-the-spot fine for putting out a cigarette in public. Always check the officer's ID and contact the real police if you have any doubts. 2.

2. Faux Gems

En route to their official destination, dodgy tuk-tuk or taxi drivers take travellers to stores where they are offered deals that are literally too good to be true. The so-called 'Gem Scam' can actually involve any high-priced or desirable item such as leather goods or "authentic" carpets. Victims soon discover their "jewels" may be nothing more than polished glass and those larger items, well, they never make it back home.

3. Distraction

This can be anything from a child waving a newspaper in your face to an old woman needing assistance or a local helping you wipe a mess off your shirt. While you are distracted, a second crook comes in and swipes your stuff. The key to making it out with all your valuables intact is to pay careful attention to your belongings and others around you.

4. Bar Scams

These can take a variety of forms, but the basics involve a traveller, usually male, being approached by local women (sometimes a group of seemingly friendly men) who invite him for a round of drinks at a local bar. After a few beverages the locals are gone and the traveller is left with a ridiculously large bill! 5.

5. Tricky Taxi Drivers

Unfortunately for all the good ones, cab drivers have a bad rep for ripping off travellers, but they do have a lot of tricks associated with their profession. Some of the most common cons are inflating fares or telling passengers their selected hotel/bar/restaurant is closed, but never fear, they know a better one just down the road. Always travel in licensed cabs and, if possible, agree on a fixed fare. Also, insist on going to your original destination and see if it is actually closed for yourself.

6. The Struggling Musician

They can pop up anywhere, but are most often found around New York City's Times Square or on the Las Vegas Strip. CD bullies approach passers-by asking them to check out their music, handing over what appears to be a free copy of their CD. However, once the disc is in your hands, the aspiring superstar (often surrounded by friends) refuses to take it back and expects you to pay for the pleasure of listening to their unsigned gem. Try to ignore these guys, but if one of the 'musicians' does manage to get a CD in your hand and refuses to take it back, gently put it on the ground and walk away.

7. Photo Ops

You've just arrived at an amazing site and are happily snapping away, trying to get that winning shot, when a local in costume or with an intriguing prop shows up and offers to pose for a photo. This person isn't just doing this for a bit of fun. The costumed conman is after your cash. Once the photo has been taken he or she will demand a crazy amount of money from you. Even worse, if the person in costume has a partner who took the picture he might not return your camera until you've paid up big time.

8. Packed Trains

All ideas of personal space are thrown out the window when riding a train crowded with people. You tend to ignore passengers bumping and knocking into you and it's in this environment where you have to pay extra attention to your belongings - was that an accident or someone going for your wallet?

The busy public transport networks of New York, Paris and London are particular hotspots, but light-fingered thieves can be found around the world.

One particular scam is common in certain parts of Italy. Your train pulls into the station so you jump aboard; but there are a few minutes to wait until it is due to depart. In this time, dozens of what seem like passengers squeeze their way into the carriage, but just before the doors close and the train leaves the platform, they jump off taking the valuables of unsuspecting travellers with them.

9. Where Are You From?

When wandering through an exotic marketplace, you know there's going to be haggling in store. However, what you might not know is that store keepers start working out how much to charge you from the moment you open your mouth.

Almost every shop owner will start a conversation with 'Where are you from?' and you need to be careful with your answer.

If you say something obvious like England, America or Australia, they will assume you have a lot of money and, as a result, will instantly push up the price of their stock.

The best answer to give is something a little obscure such as the name of your city or suburb. This will throw off the seller and leave you to haggle on a level playing field.

10. Bracelet Scheme

A charming person comes up to you offering directions or sightseeing advice when, suddenly, he or she ties a woven bracelet around your wrist in a double knot then demands payment. If you refuse, the scammer starts yelling that you're stealing the bracelet. Victims are often so shaken by the experience that they end up paying the perpetrator.

Be wary of overly friendly people offering services you neither want nor need and tell them to remove the bracelet before you call the police.The backlash against the backlash against Maria Bailey has started. Certain commentators suggest the level of criticism levelled against the Fine Gael TD (who is subject to investigation by her party) over her now withdrawn claim against The Dean hotel was unwarranted and amounted to bullying.

"No one should have to put up with this level of vitriol! This is a distraction from real politics," they say. "If you want to lambast the Government party on something, make it homelessness or healthcare. Don't go all holier-than-thou on a woman for taking a possibly 'ill-judged' legal action before she was even a TD. This is a relatively minor issue. Move along, nothing to see here."

But I'll tell you why they're wrong.

Unquestionably, we have a compo culture in this country. People who have sustained an injury outside the four walls of their own home immediately wonder who is to blame for what has befallen them and how much money they might get for it.

So within our homes 'accidents' happen - but outside of our home, it's 'negligence'.

Yes, I've seen the stats that say that three-quarters of us do not sue when we are injured - but a quarter of us do and it's enough to cause huge rises in insurance premiums for businesses and events around the country.

Wholly separate to the Maria Bailey case, there has always been a tolerance for a cute hoor mentality here. We quite like the idea of sticking one to the man.

But when are we going to realise in the case of insurance claims that we are the man. And not everyone deserves money just because they got hurt.

Isme has said that the Irish legal system has "a bonkers concept of what constitutes negligence and duty of care". And they're right. Our courts seem willing to find negligence if you can make even a ridiculously laughable claim regarding what a premises should be responsible for.

Or how else do you explain Maria Bailey's legal team attempting to argue that The Dean hotel should have had adult supervision and written instructions beside the swing she fell off?

If that had been allowed to stand, we may as well close down every playground in the country right now. None of them will be allowed to operate - they're simply too dangerous.

And that is the nub of the problem. It isn't only insurance premiums that are affected. The viability of businesses and events such as play centres and festivals are under threat.

Rulings or indeed settlements that concede 'negligence' when a child, happily sliding down a slide, sprains their wrist mean slides may be closed for all. And whose interest is that in?

Serving the needs of the few who have sustained a minor injury at the cost of the many who will pay for it - or worse, miss out on being able to do almost perfectly safe things because they are legally hazardous - is bad for our society as a whole.

Yes, there are other issues here, too. The insurance industry needs to become more transparent about its fees. It often settles claims too quickly. And legal fees in the country are a barrier to all but the rich or the poor having access to justice in our courts.

But all of these things are creating a situation where a minor injury on a business premises is seen as a source of easy money to many. This is a gravy train doctors, lawyers, claimants and, yes, insurance companies are all on. The only ones losing out are the fools paying the premiums, businesses that can no longer stay open and customers who can no longer frequent them.

Maria Bailey fell off a swing. She hurt herself when she fell. Those things are not in dispute. But that a grown adult should need supervision or written instructions to use one most certainly is.

Furthermore, Deputy Bailey's claim patently exaggerated her situation. In her court papers - which, she suggested to Sean O'Rourke on radio last week, were a kind of movable feast open to amendments until the last minute - she said she was an avid runner who was unable to run for three months after she fell.

This was simply not the case. She ran 10k in under an hour, within weeks of that fall, though she told O'Rourke that it was not a good time 'for her'.

Bailey also refused to confirm or deny whether she was holding drinks bottles in both her hands - as has been suggested - at the time she was on the swing.

When she was asked about that, she said that was a matter for the judge. No, Maria. Legal issues are a matter for the judge. What you were holding in your hands is simply a matter of fact.

We possibly would not even know about this case had The Dean hotel not decided to fight it. The Dean could perhaps afford to do so. Many small businesses cannot. So they accept their insurance company settling claims and suck up the costs in their premiums rather than incurring the exorbitant legal costs that fighting claims - even ones they themselves believe are spurious - might lead to.

Deputy Bailey did not only want to blame The Dean for her fall that night. In her follow-up interview, she wanted to blame the media, political opponents, keyboard warriors and misogynists for the plight she found herself in over the past two weeks.

Personal responsibility should not become an outmoded idea. There isn't always someone to blame other than yourself when things go wrong. We should not lose sight of that. And neither should she.

People have said that Maria Bailey made a mistake. But mistake implies doing something inadvertently. Maria Bailey did not make a mistake in any of her actions - she made a choice.

They say we get the politicians we deserve - and we deserve better than this.

@ciarakellydoc'Anybody who thinks this is not a scam must be blind. We are a laughing stock among defence forces around the world." So said the late chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, Jim Mitchell. He was speaking about the more than 16,000 serving and retired members of Oglaigh na hEireann who received compensation, paid for by their fellow citizens, because their hearing had been negligently impaired when going about their soldiering duties.

The scale of the army deafness claims saga in the 1990s and 2000s was staggering in many ways. One such was the share of serving and retired personnel who won payouts - the numbers serving in the Defence Forces at any given time has stood at 9,000-13,000 in recent decades.

The wider global context is as staggering. Nowhere else in the world did military personnel receive large-scale payouts because of the noisy business of battle, and training for battle, had impaired their hearing. Even in the country best-known for its rapacious lawyers, the United States, no such payouts were ever made.

That is because in the US, soldiers cannot sue the taxpayers they have signed up to defend. The Feres Doctrine established by the US Supreme Court in 1950 bars lawsuits against the military by members of the armed forces arising from military service. Irish judges often follow the lead of their American counterparts. They have never done so on this matter.

The army deafness awards highlighted a bigger issue: all available comparative evidence points to Ireland being an outlier in the world when it comes to litigation and the scale of compensation awarded to those who make claims.

This country's extreme culture of litigation has serious negative consequences for many people, businesses, organisations, the State and, ultimately, for society.

The normalisation of the belief that any accident or misfortune turns a person into a victim deserving of significant sums of money from their fellow citizens has magnified these negative consequences. That is reflected, inter alia, in the growing number of businesses and non-profit organisations whose very existence is threatened by high insurance costs.

Unless the wider framework around litigation and compensation is thoroughly reformed and made more proportionate, something that will necessitate the Government tackling the legal- judicial complex, the costs will continue to rise. That is reflected, among other things, in the concerns of the medical profession in recent weeks over a High Court ruling which could open the door still wider to multi-million euro medical litigation claims.

Before setting out more of the evidence, which shows Ireland's compensation payouts and related costs are disproportionate relative to peer countries, the debate needs framing.

Societies need to balance competing rights. The balance of rights between tenants and landlords, to take a topical example, illustrates the point. If the balance tips excessively towards the latter, many of the former will spend much of their lives in fear of being evicted at a moment's notice and some will suffer that fate. In a society with a welfare state such as Ireland's, the cost of increased homelessness will be taken on by the welfare state.

If the balance of rights is skewed too far towards tenants, owners of properties won't receive rent they are rightfully due and some will be left in financial distress - think of a retiree who depends on a single rental property for her pension. Again, there are wider costs. If landlords have too few rights, fewer people will invest in rental properties and housing supply will tighten.

The rights of defendant and litigant when injury is suffered need careful balancing. All available international evidence points to rights in Ireland being heavily skewed towards litigants. I can find no reliable evidence pointing in the other direction.

Last year the final report of the Personal Injuries Commission (PIC) did a detailed comparison of compensation awards between Ireland and the UK. It found that payouts in Ireland were not 20pc higher than the UK, or 50pc higher, or even double UK awards. The study found they were multiple times the sums awarded in the neighbouring jurisdiction.

Nicholas Kearns, who led the commission and is a former judge, wrote: "The multiple which has emerged from the benchmarking exercise is of such a magnitude that the PIC is satisfied that it calls for a response that is effective and achievable in the shortest possible time."

Just last week, a study by academics at NUI Galway found that over a 15-year period, 97pc of those making claims for whiplash injuries stopped visiting medical specialists once their legal cases had been concluded. The implications of these findings are obvious.

The costs to society of the current litigation system are as obvious. People work hard to start businesses and to grow them. They create jobs for others. They create the wealth that forms the basis of a society's prosperity. If those who run businesses are negligent, then they should pay proportionate damages when injuries occur as a result.

But the Irish system as it stands is skewed against them because it creates such huge incentives to litigate and has essentially no sanctions for those found to be taking fraudulent or exaggerated claims. It is not an exaggeration to describe such a system as a morally corrupting mechanism because it erodes trust between citizens by tempting ordinarily decent people to succumb to the lure of easy money at the expense of fellow citizens.

Ireland's compensation culture does not just affect businesses (and non-profit organisations). A huge range of State functions is also affected. Hundreds of millions of euro that could go into services, such as healthcare and education, instead go to paying large compensation claims and inflated legal fees.

One of many examples is the redress scheme for those who suffered abuse as children while in care. A study by Comptroller and Auditor General compared Ireland's scheme to others elsewhere. As the 2016 report noted, many countries around the world - from New Zealand to Iceland - have initiated similar redress schemes. The C&AG study focused on three such schemes: one in Canada and two in Australian states.

Average awards in Ireland were 64,000. That was twice the average in Canada. It was four times higher than in the Queensland case. It was nine times the average award in Western Australia. It is for readers to judge whether Ireland was right to award higher sums than elsewhere to those who were abused at the most vulnerable stage in their lives, but it should not be forgotten that the 1bn paid out meant 1bn that was not spent in other ways that could have improved lives.

It is also noteworthy, if not at all surprising, that legal expenses in Ireland accounted for a greater share of total redress costs than in any of the other cases analysed by the C&AG. Lawyers received 15pc of the Irish package (146m). In Canada they took 13pc and in both Australian cases, a mere 4pc. It is equally unsurprising that the lawyers' lobby has not been silent in the current debate on compensation culture. One of its tactics has been to attribute the blame to the insurance industry for high and rising premiums.

Last week, Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan - a lawyer by profession - ill-advisedly weighed into the debate. Not known for exercising his ministerial powers in a way that his own profession dislikes, Flanagan accused the insurance industry of "profiteering". This is an extraordinary charge for a Cabinet member to make of an entire sector without incontrovertible evidence.

Players in the insurance industry were subject to dawn raids last year by the cartel busters from the European Commission. This was a welcome development. If anti-consumer collusion is found to have taken place, those involved will get their just deserts. That is as it should be.

It is not as it should be for the Justice Minister to be taking his own profession's side in this debate. Flanagan's intervention illustrates just how powerful the lawyerly lobby is, all the way up to the Cabinet table. Fairly balancing the rights of defendants and litigants in awards cases faces opposition of the most formidable kind.The author Neil Gaiman once said that if someone tells you your book isn't working, they're almost always right, but when they tell you why it isn't working, they're almost always wrong. The same surely holds true in politics.

There will be plenty of wise sages right now offering unsolicited advice to Mary Lou McDonald about why Sinn Fein did so badly at the local and European elections. She herself says: "I'm determined that we will learn the lessons."

But what are those lessons? Clearly something went terribly wrong, but it's actually quite hard to pinpoint what that was.

In fact, the most honest assessment of what happened may have come from Matt Carthy, who did retain his seat as MEP for Midlands North-West, and who, when asked for an explanation of the party's poor performance elsewhere, said: "I really, really don't know."

It was easy when Gerry Adams was leader. Every setback could be put down to the smell of sulphur which he carried over with him from the Troubles. These days, analysts will have to struggle harder to find reasons why so many of the party's former representatives at council and European level are now "resting" between engagements, as unemployed actors say.

It has even been suggested in some quarters the Greens' support for a carbon tax, while Sinn Fein is against one, was crucial to the result - which would be very convenient, if the Greens hadn't polled a measly 5.5pc in the locals. It's hard to argue on those figures that the country is crying out for a tax on greenhouse gases.

It shows how important early impressions can be. Initial exit polls showed the Greens polling magnificently and that story stuck, even as party leader Eamon Ryan's boast about having a 50/1 bet on Saoirse McHugh becoming MEP for Midlands North-West became a cautionary tale about the perils of reckless gambling.

Where it did occur, surely what the rise in Green support shows again is that it's crucial to be transfer-friendly. No one minds transferring to the Greens, because most people think, wrongly, that it's like voting for Santa Claus.

Sinn Fein remains transfer-toxic, partly because Mary Lou, who rode in as the great white hope to decontaminate their terrorist legacy, bottled the challenge but seemed to hope it wouldn't be noticed.

What can be put down as absolute fact is that, where Sinn Fein has wielded power in local councils, they failed to hold on to seats, because voters were able to see for themselves that they talk big, but rarely deliver. There's an emptiness at the heart of all that high-faluting rhetoric. Mary Lou epitomises that problem. If you want someone who can talk, she's your only woman, but what has she ever actually done? Her enduring preoccupation with the North is key.

People are worried about what will happen after Brexit, but they're not lying awake at night longing for a Border poll. That's an indulgence which doesn't answer their immediate economic concerns.

Insofar as the North has impacted on perceptions of Sinn Fein, it has been to recast it as wreckers since bringing down the power-sharing Assembly with, it's obvious now, no clue how to restore it. The party's strength in the North fools Sinn Fein into thinking of itself as bigger than it really is. Mary Lou talks about Sinn Fein as if it's comparable in size to Fine Gael and Fianna Fail.

The party also still has a quasi- militaristic view of campaigning picked up in Northern Ireland. That is, you take an area, set down a camp and then move on to conquer new territory. Sinn Fein forgot that territory won needs to be continually defended. Again, that's because it doesn't face the same level of competition in the North - though even there, without opposition, it is going backwards, dropping more than 33,000 votes in the European election - while in the Republic there's an abundance of rivals.

They don't do nearly so well in a crowded field. They don't think fast enough to keep up and imagine that, once they have voters, they'll stay loyal, as they've generally done in West Belfast. That doesn't happen any more, and certainly not south of the Border, where no seat is safe.

That they still haven't grasped how badly they were damaged by claims of bullying by former members, and by a litany of IRA abuse and rape scandals, was demonstrated again last week when Carthy declared these were "just media-generated issues". In politics, blaming the media is the last refuge of the loser.

Headlines don't rape children. It's republicans who did that.

One could go on forever listing reasons why Sinn Fein took such a hammering at the polls, and perhaps that's the point. It wasn't one thing. It was an omnishambles, in which everything went wrong. That's why they lost ground to all parties - Greens, FF, even Labour.

One thing which does bear singling out is that so many of those who left the party over bullying claims won their seats as independents this time round. That gets to the heart of what is wrong with the party. David Yamada is a professor of law at Suffolk University in Boston and a renowned authority on workplace bullying. He has identified common features among those who get this issue wrong.

The first is a lack of accountability. Bad organisations regard allegations of past misconduct as ancient history, with those who want to face up to them being accused of dwelling in or on the past, even if that past was relatively recent. Sinn Fein does that all the time.

The second is the turning of those who criticise the organisation into "unpersons". Peadar Toibin TD, who left the party to form Aontu after being disciplined for his pro-life stance on abortion, had an encounter last month with a Sinn Fein official in Leinster House, during which he was told to "f**k off out of this office before something happens". Toibin observed caustically: "21 years I gave these people."

It's a wonder he never noticed this nasty side to them before. Even so, it illustrates a point. Critics are ostracised, cast out, blacklisted.

The third common feature of bad organisations, according to Prof Yamada, is that they hold to the theory the good things they've done in some way excuse all the bad things. That was how republicans tried to cope when found guilty of covering up sexual abuse. They declared they may have made some mistakes but were on the side of justice in other areas, so why not let the bad stuff slide?

This retreat into "rose-coloured memories" is invariably fatal.

Carthy has promised the party will now have an "intensive discussion internally" and "ask big questions" about what went wrong but, ultimately, it could be the real reason Sinn Fein has gone into such sharp reverse is simply because it's no longer relevant.

Its representatives complain when they're subject to media attacks, but at least that proves they're worth attacking. Nowadays, the party feels a bit surplus to requirements. It's not 2014 any more. The age of protest has given way to a more nuanced economic analysis than it seems capable of providing. Insofar as discontent still exists, the Greens are riding the zeitgeist, while Leo Varadkar has the nationalist tub-thumping on Brexit covered. What Sinn Fein really needs is another recession to give it back momentum, and no one should make the mistake of imagining it is not callous or fanatical enough to wish for one.Who won last week's elections? If your diet of politics was restricted to media analysis you'd presume it was the Green Party. Copy-editors may be suffering carpal tunnel syndrome following their extensive consultation of thesauruses to describe the green wave, tsunami, rising, upheaval, and whatever metaphor you have that best captured the Green surge.

But this was for a party that finished as the sixth largest grouping in terms of seats won across the 31 city and county councils. Barely more than one in 20 voters gave the Greens a first preference. Yes, they had a better day in Europe but for now it looks like they will be sending just one MEP to Brussels.

Outside of Fine Gael, the largest cohort of Irish MEPs will be from the Independent ranks. Before the 2019 elections, the only other countries to elect Independent MEPs were Romania and Estonia.

We are pretty exceptional in sending Independents to the European Parliament, in part due to our unusual voting system, but also because Independents have proven to be an integral part, if not pillar, of Irish politics.

Clare Daly and Mick Wallace announced their candidacies only in April yet both managed to oust sitting Sinn Fein MEPs.

While the two Independent 4 Change TDs have prominent profiles, their victories were no mean achievements in the absence of party organisations to canvass the large populations in their constituencies.

Wallace accrued 4,000 votes in Clare, for example, despite the county being a fair distance from his home base of Wexford. These victories by Independents were replicated across the local councils, placing them firmly in third place nationally, behind Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, but ahead of everyone else.

Altogether, Independents won more seats than the combined total of Sinn Fein, Labour, the Greens, Aontu, the Workers' Party and Renua.

Yet these achievements largely went unnoticed. We now take it as a given that there is an Independent politician in almost every constituency.

On Galway County Council, Independents won 11 of 39 seats, the same number as Fine Gael. In Galway city, Independents won more seats than any of the parties. In Roscommon, they went one better, winning 50pc of seats.

Independents won as many seats as Fine Gael in Dublin City Council and they're now the largest grouping in South Dublin. Independents won the most seats in Wicklow. They hold 10 seats on Meath's 40-seat council and eight of Wexford's 34 seats.

And I haven't even mentioned the Healy-Raes and the Lowry organisation.

At the last Dail election, Michael Healy-Rae's 20,378 votes in Kerry was not only the largest first preference in the country but the largest since Kevin O'Higgins and Richard Mulcahy in 1923.

Last weekend, his son, Jackie Jr, received a quota and a half on the first count in Castleisland. Jackie's first cousin, Johnny Healy-Rae, whose father Danny is also a TD, attracted more than 3,000 first preferences in Kenmare. Johnny's sister, Maura, won almost two full quotas in Killarney. Between them, the three young Healy-Raes won five quotas. Had two more family members been running, the clan could have had more seats than Sinn Fein on Kerry County Council.

Meanwhile in Tipperary, the eponymous Lowry organisation of the local TD and former Fine Gael minister comfortably won five seats on the local council. Michael Lowry's son, Micheal, topped the poll in Thurles; while John 'Rocky' McGrath was elected in Newport; Micheal O'Meara in Nenagh; with both Shane Lee and Eddie Moran winning seats in Roscrea-Templemore.

In total, Independents won over 190 of the 949 local government seats, pretty much the same as in 2014. While Independents have always fared well at local elections, that particular performance five years ago was exceptional.

Despite the repeat performance of Independents last weekend, there were no such repeat headlines this time, which goes to show how their electoral feats are taken for granted now. Imagine the media frenzy if any of Sinn Fein, Labour or the Greens had come close to winning 200 seats.

I have written before that this success of Independents is relatively unique to Ireland but it is also something of a paradox. On the one hand, the Irish electorate's tendency to vote for an alternative to a party is out of kilter with most other democracies, and indicates a potentially radical dimension to voting behaviour.

On the other hand, it also indicates an innate conservatism by voters, who prefer transferring their allegiance to an Independent over switching to a new party.

While those dissatisfied with the establishment in other countries might switch to newcomers, in Ireland they look to Independents. Shifting loyalties to a new party is too much of a crossing of the Rubicon.

Voting for an Independent instead is far less of a radical act, especially if the candidate is from the gene pool of a party close to a voter's heart.

Hence disillusioned Fine Gael supporters in Tipperary would rather vote for a Lowry candidate than a new party, and the disgruntled Fianna Failers in Kerry would prefer the Healy-Raes.

Of course, getting elected is the easy part. Doing something in office is a different matter and this is where many are critical of Independents.

Since most Independents are pretty much one-man bands, there is a school of thought they make the working of politics more difficult. Lacking a united front, it can be more problematic to achieve working majorities.

Some of this is based on past performance, when Independents were isolated maverick figures. Things have changed now, with some Independents willing to come together to achieve influence.

Shane Ross showed with his Independent Alliance what can be achieved. He and his colleagues have now been in government for three years.

No doubt some of the Independent councillors elected last week would like to replicate these achievements.

The success of Independents at the last local elections in 2014 laid the foundation for their success in 2016. There aren't many obvious reasons to believe why it will be any different next time round.

Dr Liam Weeks is a political scientist at University College Cork and author of 'Independents in Irish Party Democracy' by Manchester University PressSir - I read this past week, with the greatest of dismay, some of the proposals for the Phoenix Park - such as the Office of Public Works' suggestion of a lodge change of use for holiday lettings, and other proposals for increased car parking and retail outlets of some sort.

The Phoenix Park - as far as I know - belongs to the people of Ireland and should not be turned into a car park or rental accommodation park or retail outlet in any form, be it small or large.

I have never been involved in any manner with groups or bodies of people objecting to anything in this wonderful country of ours - but, on the face of it, this really is a step too far.

Have we not learned anything from the children who have been standing on the streets of capitals over the last few months calling for change to protect our environment?

Do we really want to turn the Phoenix Park into a car park and private letting accommodation area?

This may be my first foray into revolution - but I hope sense prevails.

Patrick Kelly,

Dublin 15

Dubs go dotty, country is dotless

Sir  When the Healy-Raes were first elected to the Dail, they celebrated by playing a melodeon on the roof of a car outside Leinster House. I felt at the time that I had nothing in common with them.

The past few weeks, however, have made me realise that the Healy-Raes are right. Our Government has entirely lost touch with the rest of Ireland.

I did a simple exercise. I took a blank map of Ireland and put dots in where ministers are located. There are a lot of dots in Dublin and south Dublin. The rest of the country is dotless.

Our Government seems populated with people who lack emotional intelligence. They lack selflessness and empathy. They have more spin than an industrial washing machine.

Flippant remarks about homelessness, bizarre obsessions with Kylie Minogue and recommendations that young people ask their parents for deposits to buy houses serve to amplify my concerns.

So, I never thought that when I saw the Healy-Raes standing on that car roof with their melodeon that I would one day be in their corner.

It is time to take the country back from south Dublin.

Xavier McCullough,

Mount Green, Limerick

Mary Lou needs to have another bash

Sir  The reason why Sinn Fein did not do as well as expected in the local elections and indeed the European elections also is, in my opinion, very evident.

Mary Lou is a great orator and she can hold her own with anyone in Leinster House.

However, talking about issues around this and around that will not get it done for the real Shinner.

He or she needs more than that.

There has to be Brit bashing, and Free State politics bashing and Come Out Ye Black and Tans and a few other old tunes... coupled with the housing problems, and the state of the Dept of Health, and Simon Harris bashing, and Eoghan Murphy bashing.

Now youre talking, Mary Lou...

Get with the programme, a chailin.

Pat Burke Walsh,

Ballymoney, Co Wexford

Recount a waste of time and money

Sir  How utterly appalled I was to read of the recount requested by Liadh Ni Riada in the European election in the Ireland South constituency.

This recount will take three weeks at a rough cost of 1m. This is despite the fact that the recheck last Thursday of 200,000 papers resulted in Ms Ni Riada picking up ONE solitary vote.

So now the results will be delayed by a further four weeks with considerable resources and money involved.

When we see homelessness growing, special needs children unable to gain access to suitable education, and cutbacks in home help, how can this be justified?

Surely common sense should have prevailed and Sinn Feins need to have full confidence in the outcome should have been overruled. There is no way the results are going to be changed in any significant manner.

What a monumental waste of time, energy and money that could have been used so much more wisely.

Mary Quinn,

Johnstown Road, Dun Laoghaire

Is it only me who thinks like this?

Sir  The wisest one, Socrates, said we should always ask tough questions. So here goes:

1. Why is Ireland, and other countries, getting more MEPs, following Brexit, when the EU will be smaller, and have millions of inhabitants fewer?

2. Are we not already adequately represented in the European Parliament?

3. Is this not just a lot of expensive nonsense?

4. Am I the only person raising this issue?

Sean Quinn,

Blackrock, Co Dublin

Colm speaks sense on Green matters

Sir  In the wake of the recent electoral Green Awakening, Colm McCarthys supreme salience and assiduous attention to the realities of all things climatic bodes poorly for those who are seriously motivated. His commentary last week (Sunday Independent, May 26) should be compulsory reading and demands an urgent statutory response.

It is all very well for Dail Eireann to declare a climate emergency, but there are serious policy issues which have not been addressed, concludes McCarthy. Hes right. Speaking out of both sides of the mouth seems de rigueur in terms of climate action. Power-station vagaries apart, Ireland is fooling itself in its drive for electric vehicles, since the current grant incentives cannot last if uptake soars, and further demands on the national grid ignite.

Whatever happened to the Reduce-movement of yester-year?

The over-obsession with welcoming electricity-greedy data centres will blow demand out of the water  25pc of European capacity for data centres looks suspiciously high.

All this could scupper the efforts of even the most well-intentioned green folk, given the universal lassitude of governments to seriously approach climate issues.

They do so with aspirational zest, rather than a practical commitment to action. What is immediately required is a dynamic crusade of outspoken querying and harrying of all major developments in this country and abroad. We may be minor culprits in the global league, but we must collectively strive to do our own utmost best.

Ireland enjoys an enhanced influence in several zones of international kudos. So while we must embrace the climate charge with sustained vigour ourselves, we must also embark on a relentless exhortation to all and sundry elsewhere.

We have only just begun. We can now make a renewed, vibrant start by acquainting ourselves fully with the realities and ramifications identified by Colm McCarthy. Keeping these in mind at all times, will not allow our sensibilities dwindle. Time and truth are of the essence.

Jim Cosgrove,

Lismore, Co Waterford

Our soldiers need a good rise in pay

Sir  I was listening on the radio last week about the pay Irish soldiers receive.

Its less than minimum pay guidelines, less than the living wage. This is unacceptable.

In the interest of natural justice and pay equality, this has to be rectified. Our Army, our soldiers, should be valued.

No procrastination, please.

Margaret Walshe,

Clonsilla, Dublin 15

Moral case lies in boost to Defence

Sir  Commandant Cathal Berry, now retired, is to be commended for his stance in highlighting the persistent difficulties and challenges facing the Defence Forces and its members and the disingenuous attitude of the Department of Defence, An Taoiseach and the Government. In particular, I admire his moral courage in addressing the issues of pay and of civilian management  moral courage which, in my experience, is less valued and appreciated than gung-ho demonstrations of physical courage in the defence community.

Its time now for the Taoiseach and his Government  knowing that the Defence Forces cannot, by tradition and statute, exert the more physical industrial relations methods available to nurses, teachers and other public servants  to show a comparative level of moral courage and decency and promptly address the embarrassing state of our Defence Forces.

Michael Gannon,

(retired colonel), Kilkenny

Journalists keep society accountable

Sir  Adrian Wecklers excellent column (Sunday Independent Business section, May 26) on the future of the media, asks many questions on the relevance of news in modern society.

In the not-too-distant past, news and information were sought after and had a monetary value.

Along with daily and weekly newspapers, many households also had subscriptions to Time magazine or Readers Digest. Door-to-door salesmen sold Encyclopedia Britannica and the World Book.

But the availability of free information online has now destroyed that business model  just as internet shopping has led to the closure of many shops and businesses throughout the country.

When the National Broadband Plan is delivered and every home in Ireland has fibre broadband, further casualties are likely.

Irelands journalists provide an important service to the population, uncovering many stories of national importance and investigating scandals, with the late Veronica Guerin giving her life for the cause.

Our journalists keep society accountable for their actions.

We cannot afford to lose them in the vast abyss of the internet.

James Harnett,

Abbeyfeale, Co Limerick

How to handle Trumps big ego

Sir  Like many, I hope Donald Trump declines (as he would see it) to grace us with a visit.

However, I dont think it would be wise for political and economic reasons if there were public demonstrations opposing his visit.

Given his large adolescent ego, it would make him feel stumped if he were ignored by most of the citizens of our republic.

Tony Moriarty,

Harolds Cross, Dublin 6

Roots of a solution to citys tree debate

Sir  Two items in the Sunday Independent of May 26 have combined to prompt me to air a view Ive held for quite some time and it is in regard to trees.

Your correspondent on the Letters page, David Hennessey, advocates the retention of urban trees in addition to the planting of new ones to enhance the beauty of the city. And on the other hand, Zozimus (aka Liam Collins) would be in favour of the removal of the trees on Merrion Road to accommodate a bus corridor. Both David Hennessey and Zozimus make good points to my mind.

Im not familiar with Merrion Road nor of course the trees; my concern is that there seems to be no policy by the civic authorities to monitor the age of the citys trees by removing and replanting. I have a personal interest in this matter for there are trees  London Plane, I believe  on my road, probably planted when the houses were built and thats more than 100 years ago! As Zozimus says: Roots are destroying large sections of pathways. The trunks on our trees take up one half of the footpath, creating a difficulty for pedestrians and people with children in buggies.

The lack of moisture means that autumn comes on our road in June with the fall of the leaf-clogging roof gutters and street drains.

An old tree is a hazard. I have occasion to remember a tree falling on Waterloo Road some years ago, for I drove up that road at approximately 3pm and two hours later a large tree fell, unfortunately resulting in a fatality.

Briefly, to sum up, for Dublins trees, retain and plant  remove if they impede road transport, if old, remove and replant.

Patrick Fleming,

Glasnevin, Dublin 9

Coombe Hospital offers terminations

Sir  It was unfortunate that Sarah Cadens article, In a situation of no hope was there just one choice?, (Sunday Independent, May 26) contained a significant inaccuracy about services being provided at the Coombe Women & Infants University Hospital.

The article claimed that only two of the Dublin Maternity Hospitals are offering medical terminations and stated that the Coombe Hospital is not offering the [medical termination] service.

This is inaccurate and wholly misleading as medical terminations are offered in the Coombe.

I should be grateful if you would draw your readers attention to this.

Dr Sharon Sheehan,

Master, Coombe Women & Infants University Hospital,

Dublin

Proud record of hidden warriors

Sir  Were the Irish at Waterloo? Yes, indeed. We had the top man there  a Dub  plus maybe 10,000 Inniskilling Fusiliers.

Were the Irish at Rorkes Drift? Yes, indeed. Surgeon Reynolds from Kingstown and Castleknock won a VC there.

Did any Irishmen turn up at D-Day? What a silly question. Dan Harvey has just written a timely book on the Irish at D-Day  to mark the 75th anniversary of the Normandy landings.

You dont have to look too far to find a list of the 111 Trinity College War Dead in 1939-1945  however, dont look in Trinity, as the college is still without a memorial to them in the place that they loved and honoured.

We are still campaigning for a memorial for them.

We owe an enormous debt to Dan Harvey in telling the world how much we have to be proud of here in Ireland and how much has been hidden from view in our long and tragic history.

Gerald Morgan,

Dublin 4Katie Taylor - the undisputed world champion in her chosen sport - is clear evidence of that change and a true role model. Photo: Sportsfile

Carl Frampton has branded Katie Taylor's controversial victory over Delfine Persoon as a "disgraceful decision".

Taylor unified the four belts in the women's lightweight division with a 95-95, 96-94, 96-94 victory over an extremely tough opponent in Persoon, with many experts claiming the Belgian was the winner.

Persoon was relentless in an enthralling 10-round bout that was widely acclaimed as one of the fights of the year.

But Frampton, a friend of Taylor's, was among several respected commentators to suggest the judges got it wrong. David Haye went further, suggesting Taylor secured the victory as a result of "political power".

"In my opinion, the judges have got it wrong," said Frampton.

"It is heartbreaking to see Delfine Persoon in tears. I thought she won that fight by miles and that was a disgraceful decision."

David Haye added: "That is not the sight you want to see where someone has given everything in the gym but they do not get the decision because of the political power. Delfine Persoon is going to be heartbroken by that."

Fight promoter Eddie Hearn also disagreed with the scoring, stating that he had scored the fight level. He added that Taylor would be willing to fight Persoon again, telling reporters: "She (Taylor) said to me 'If there's any doubt that I didn't win the fight we've got to do it again.' She asked me, I told her that I had it a draw, and she turned around and said that we've got to do it again."MADRID, SPAIN - JUNE 01: Jordan Henderson of Liverpool prepares to lift the Champions League Trophy after after winning the UEFA Champions League Final between Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool at Estadio Wanda Metropolitano on June 01, 2019 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Matthias Hangst/Getty Images)

Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher joined a list of great Irish names to have a collected a Champions League winners' medal in Madrid, after he looked on as the Reds claimed a sixth victory in the competition.

At the age of 20, Cork-born Kelleher now has the gold medal that confirms he has been part of a side that conquered Europe, even though he was a long way from getting onto the pitch for the Reds in their Champions League campaign.

With Allison Becker and Simon Mignolet ahead of Kelleher in Jurgen Klopp's pecking order, his trip to Madrid was all about adding to his banks of experience ahead of what he hopes will be a first team future at Anfield.

Yet already he has the biggest medal of them all in his back pocket, as the list of Irish names who have been part of European Cup winning teams had a new addition.

What a moment for Corkman Caoimhin Kelleher. Champions League winner at the age of 20 @rtesport #LFC #UCLFinal2019 pic.twitter.com/mNVJWUIAHa  Paul O'Flynn (@OFlynnPaul) June 1, 2019

Minister of State with responsibility for Tourism and Sport, Brendan Griffin T.D. has congratulated Kelleher on his medal, stating: What a fantastic achievement for Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher tonight. Caoimhin joins an illustrious list of Irish players to win a Champions League medal. The Cork native certainly has a bright future ahead of him at both club and international level.

Roy Keane and Denis Irwin are prominent members of that list after they played a key role in Manchester United's Champions League wins in 1999, while John O'Shea can be added to the list after United's 2008 final win against Chelsea in Moscow.

Ireland international Mark Lawrenson, Michael Robinson and Ronnie Whelan were European Cup winners with Liverpool in 1984, while Steve Heighway was part of the Reds teams that won the trophy in 1977, 1978 and 1981.

Steve Finnan is also on the list as he started the 2005 Champions League final for Liverpool, even though he was off the field long before Liverpool's famous second half comeback.

Shay Brennan is also on the list of Irish winners after he was a part if Manchester United's iconic 1968 European Cup winning side, alongside compatriot Tony Dunne.

Now young Kelleher has a medal that he will cherish for the rest of his life, with the Champions League glory Liverpool secured with their win against Tottenham in Madrid giving him a night he will never forget.They want to phase out petrol and diesel cars and ban oil and gas exploration in Irish waters.

Instead of building roads, they want to spend the money on public transport, and they will seek to reduce the number of cattle in Ireland and put taxes on air travel.

The Greens are celebrating victories in elections across Ireland and in many parts of Europe.

Encouraged by campaigners such as the 16-year-old Greta Thunberg, a large number of voters decided it was time for action on climate change.

Expand Close Vision: Green Party leader Eamon Ryan. Picture by Damien Eagers / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Vision: Green Party leader Eamon Ryan. Picture by Damien Eagers

But what would the effects on our everyday lives be if this popular movement manages to implement some of its policies?

Read More

Already in Europe, Green policies are being put into practice. A survey by Climate Action Network last year showed that Thunberg's home country Sweden leads the pack when it comes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Over half of all energy in Sweden comes from renewable sources including hydropower, wind or solar, and the country regularly hits its targets on greenhouse gas emissions.

One of the heaviest carbon taxes in Europe has encouraged consumers to move from fossil fuels to renewable sources.

Sweden's towns will soon be allowed to ban old diesel cars from their town centres in an effort to improve the environment.

Tax on flying

And since last year, the Nordic country has slapped an ecological tax on flying. Passengers boarding a flight departing from Sweden will have to pay an added charge of between 6 and 39.

The Irish Green Party supports a tax on flying, because of the high C02 emissions.

An aviation tax is also advocated by John Gibbons, a member of An Taisce's Climate Change Committee. He says the tax exemption on fuel is extraordinary, given the high environmental cost of aviation.

Gibbons estimates that fuel taxes and VAT would add 26 to the price of an average 80 plane ticket. Would holidaymakers be prepared to put up with that even if they gave their vote to a Green?

While Sweden is at the forefront of tackling climate change, its neighbour Norway also has ambitious plans to cut emissions. If the streets of Oslo seem quiet these days, it is because one-third of all new cars sold in Norway are electric.

While the Irish target to move away from petrol and diesel by 2030 still seems remote, in Norway they plan to introduce a fully electric fleet of cars by 2025.

The Norwegian government has encouraged a boom in electric cars by making them as cheap as petrol and diesel cars through tax exemptions.

There are much higher duties on petrol and diesel cars. Drivers of electric cars also enjoy free parking and tolls in many places, and they can travel in the bus lane.

The Greens support a move away from fossil fuel cars to electric vehicles, but Eamon Ryan believes we should not be relying on these cars to meet our transport needs.

"Simply replacing an internal combustion engine car with an electric vehicle is not sustainable," he says.

"We support switching spending expenditure away from roads so that it is two-to-one in favour of public transport.

"At the moment we are widening every approach road into Dublin, and then cutting down trees to cope with the traffic. That does not make any sense at all."

Since the green wave swept over Ireland last weekend, exaggerated in its scale by an RTE exit poll, there has been much discussion about whether well-meaning individuals who voted for the party are really prepared to live with the perceived costs of going green.

But the Green Party leader Eamon Ryan retorts that we cannot afford to live with the costs of climate change if we do nothing - and we have already been given hints of it through summer droughts and damaging winter floods.

"If we fail to meet targets for greenhouse gas emissions, we will also face penalties of up to 600m per year," he says.

The real test of the Green influence on the Government will come when Fine Gael decides on its approach to a carbon tax.

We already have a carbon tax levied on fossil fuels such as petrol, diesel, coal and peat at 20 per tonne of CO2, and it costs the average household 200 per year.

Last year, the Government planned to increase the tax in Budget 2019 to 30 per tonne which would have added about 1 to a bag of coal and about 25 cent to a bale of briquettes, as well as hiking fuel prices.

Fine Gael ducked the issue, possibly frightened by the potential reaction of consumers. But will they change their minds amid the public clamour to tackle climate change and the surge in the Green vote?

Read More

'Gilets jaunes' protests

Leo Varadkar's Government is likely to proceed cautiously after the furious public reaction in France when President Emmanuel Macron tried to introduce increased taxes on petrol, diesel and heating oil.

The tax led to the "gilets jaunes" protests across France that have at times turned violent.

Macron did not make the imposition of environmental taxes any easier by simultaneously cutting corporate and wealth taxes, creating the impression that he was targeting the low-income earner. He eventually backed down.

Eamon Ryan says a carbon tax in Ireland should be introduced in a different way, so that households are given money back in a direct payment.

"What people worry about is what it is going to cost them in their pocket," says the Green Party leader. "All the evidence shows that if you give money back, those on low incomes would benefit the most."

Ryan says the environmental movement has come to realise that tackling climate change is not about putting pressure on the individual to behave in a certain way.

It will not just be achieved by worthy citizens cleaning out their yoghurt pots and dutifully placing them in the green bin.

"It's about making it easy for people to do the right thing. That is about changing the system organised by government. If it is just down to individual choice, it won't work."

The Green Party has called for the immediate closure of the coal-fired power station at Moneypoint in Co Clare.

The UCD environmental scientist Dr Cara Augustenborg says: "Moneypoint has been closed for long periods of time for servicing recently and we got by just fine without it. That begs the question about whether we really need it when we have so much wind on stream?"

The Green Party wants an end to turf cutting on bogs, which act as a carbon sink through their absorption of CO2.

Peat plant closures

John Gibbons of An Taisce says peat bogs are some of Ireland's most important carbon sinks and can sequester more atmospheric carbon dioxide than an equivalent area of rain forest.

While commentators dwell on the cost of Green policies, Gibbons says burning peat to generate electricity is uneconomic and inefficient and that Irish taxpayers are currently paying massive subsidies to keep peat plants running.

The inevitable closure of the peat plants could lead to massive job losses in the midlands.

In order to tackle this, the Green Party supports the involvement of Bord Na Mona in supplying renewable energy, and retraining workers to meet the demand for retrofitting homes to make them more energy efficient.

Those with long memories will wonder whether the Green Party can achieve much if they are part of a government again.

Their previous outing from 2007 to 2011, in coalition with Fianna Fail, proved to be extremely difficult. Before the government formed, Ciaran Cuffe, then a Dun Laoghaire TD, warned that the unlikely alliance would be a "deal with the devil", and the Greens were limited in what they could achieve by the time of the economic crash.

John Gibbons of An Taisce says one of the achievements of the Greens in government was to introduce improved building standards in new homes so that they saved energy.

"This had a significant impact and has led to much cheaper energy bills," says Gibbons.

The Greens will push for greater incentives for retrofitting homes so that do not rely on fossil fuels and they also want to encourage the installation of rooftop solar panels.

Cara Augustenborg says Ireland is missing out on a rooftop revolution such as that in Germany.

Up to a million homes and businesses in Germany now use solar, and a growing number are capable of storing energy and redistributing it to the power grid.

Solar power

Dr Augustenborg says solar power presents many opportunities for Irish farmers, but so far the big energy companies are not keen to deal with small operators feeding electricity into the grid.

Farmers might be concerned that the Greens will target them with their policy of scaling down meat and dairy production.

Eamon Ryan believes farmers should still be supported through the EU's Common Agricultural Policy, but the payments should be made to provide environmental services such as improving water quality and biodiversity.

He also believes there should be a greater focus on organic farming. "We should be following the example of Austria where 20pc of agriculture is organic and farmers are thriving."

The agronomist Dr Richie Hackett says the farming sector can work constructively with the Greens on the issue of climate change.

"The Greens are right to a certain extent. We have to ensure that Irish beef is produced well and it is not damaging to the environment."

Sustainability may be a buzz word in Brussels, but threats to reduce the number of cows can raise hackles.

"For many farmers it is a cultural thing with them," says Dr Hackett. "You could talk to any farmer even if they are in tillage, and they love to keep a few cattle."

As well as the big issue of climate change, the Greens have promised to tackle other issues at local level, appointing a "night czar" to revitalise night-time culture.

They would appoint "street officers" to monitor dog poo, and provide 10,000 drinking fountains so that we would not have to buy plastic bottles. They have also pledged to extend the amount of time given to the green man at pedestrian crossings. Motorists might be fuming in the traffic, but walkers would be eternally grateful for that.Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp celebrated his sides Champions League glory by breaking out into song during a television interview.

Klopp ended a run of six successive final defeats and claimed a first trophy as Reds boss when his side beat Tottenham 2-0 in Madrid.

It was also the clubs sixth European Cup title, taking them third on to the all-time list behind Real Madrid and AC Milan and he commemorated the achievement by tinkering with the lyrics to Salt-N-Pepas Lets Talk About Sex song.

Talking to former Barnsley and Sheffield United striker Jan Aage Fjortoft, who works for Norwegian television station Viasport, Klopp was mid-answer when he was struck by a musical mood.

He said: There are always a couple of people who can tell you, Yeah, but you didnt win, but now.. Lets talk about six, baby, lets talk about you and me, lets talk about all the good things and all the bad things there may be.ICONIC: A man walked from the crowd and blocked the Chinese government tanks in Tiananmen Square in 1989

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 Beijing's 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.

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.

Last Tuesday, six artists from Beijing went missing while on a "national conscience" tour, according to the wife of one of the men, Zhui Hun. He 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.

Wang Yaqiu, a China researcher at Human Rights Watch, said authorities still refuse to recognise the atrocities 30 years ago and had failed to compensate victims and their families.

"Concealing the truth 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."

 IndependentThe Italian government is confident it can reach a compromise with Brussels and avoid sanctions over its deteriorating public finances, the economy minister said as talk of a looming government crisis grew.

The European Commission wrote to Italy last week asking it to explain why its public debt rose in 2018 instead of falling as required, a move that set the stage for a possible legal clash with the ruling eurosceptic coalition in Rome.

In his response to Brussels, Economy Minister Giovanni Tria blamed an economic downturn for the rising debt and vowed to respect the EU's fiscal rules in the next budget.

But a report in La Repubblica daily on Sunday said the EU Commission had found Tria's letter too vague and non-committal, and was likely to take the first steps towards a disciplinary procedure this week.

Speaking to Reuters on the sidelines of a ceremony at the presidential palace in Rome on Saturday night, Tria said he believed the government could still avert such punitive measures.

"Italy does not want to clash with the European Commission, and I hope the opposite is also true, that is to say that no one in Brussels intends to engage in a fight with us," he said.

"Our position is reasonable and I think we will eventually reach a compromise with the Commission," he added.

He also reiterated a pledge that the 2019 budget deficit would come in below a government forecast of 2.4pc of gross domestic product - a level the Commission deems too high.

Tria is a former academic with no affiliation to either of the two ruling parties governing Italy - the right-wing League and the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement, which are both backing tax cuts that would likely inflate the deficit.

The League's anti-EU rhetoric in particular has gone up a notch after its victory in European parliamentary elections, with its chief Matteo Salvini insisting that Rome should cut taxes to boost growth, rather than abide by "obsolete" EU fiscal rules that could choke the economy.

The League won 34.3% of the vote in last week's European elections, trouncing its coalition partner and fuelling speculation it might ditch 5-Star and seek a fresh national election at the head of a bloc of smaller conservative parties.

DISCIPLINARY PROCESS

La Repubblica said the start of an EU disciplinary procedure against Italy this week was "almost inevitable" unless the government could come up with a convincing set of commitments to keep its rising debt and deficit in check.

The EU Commission declined to comment on Sunday, saying it would publish its views on Italy's public finances on Wednesday.

If it says on Wednesday that there is room to launch a disciplinary procedure that would be the first step in a drawn-out legal process that could lead to financial sanctions and a stricter oversight of the country's fiscal policy.

European Economic Commissioner Pierre Moscovici said on Sunday that he preferred dialogue to sanctions as a means to enforce the bloc's budget rules.

"If they do not respect the rules at all, it will be necessary for the European Commission and the European states to take their responsibilities. Europe is also a co-ownership, there are rules that everyone must respect," he said on FranceInter radio, when asked about Italy.

"For now my motto is: dialogue, dialogue, dialogue," Moscovici said.

Rome recorded public debt of 132.2pc of gross domestic product last year, up from 131.4pc in 2017, the highest in the EU after Greece. Italy's debt is also set to expand this year and next, according to the EU Commission's forecasts.

Daily Il Messaggero's front-page headline on Sunday read "Government crisis around the corner", adding Salvini could use the fight with the EU to sink the ruling coalition, which has been in power since last year, and seek early elections.

Salvini has pledged that the government would serve its full five-year term, but a League minister told Reuters on condition of anonymity that he did not expect the executive to last another year.Rudolf von Ribbentrop, who has died aged 98, was the son of Hitler's foreign minister, Joachim von Ribbentrop, and became a highly decorated soldier in the Waffen-SS.

When Joachim was appointed German ambassador to London in 1936, Sir Robert Vansittart of the UK's Foreign Office, tried to get the gawky, bespectacled 15-year-old into Eton. He believed "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 at Westminster School, where a contemporary, Brian Urquhart, later under-secretary-general of the United Nations, described him as "doltish, surly and arrogant", recalling he "arrived each morning in one of two plum-coloured Mercedes-Benz limousines. On arrival, both chauffeurs would spring out, give the Nazi salute and shout 'Heil Hitler!'"

In his memoirs Rudolf claimed he had been sent to Westminster so he could inform his father about the true feelings of the British upper echelons towards Hitler and how the British were preparing their officer class for war.

One day "a sympathetic young teacher, wearing a captain's uniform", invited him to join the school's officer training corps: "Father was as surprised as I was. In Germany, until the war broke out, there had been no pre-military training of young people. In my view, a great mistake. We could have saved a great deal of bloodshed."

Von Ribbentrop senior gave his permission, provided his son was allowed to wear a German uniform. The school politely declined.

Another schoolmate was Peter Ustinov, whose anti-Nazi father had given up his job as press attache at the German embassy and subsequently worked for MI5. The actor described young Rudi as "a pleasant lad who, no doubt under his father's instructions, wore a red diamond-shaped badge with a swastika as its crowning glory in his lapel".

Yet it was said to have been Ustinov who leaked the boy's presence at his school to The Times. Rudolf was withdrawn for his own safety and sent to a boarding school in Germany.

He was born Rudolf Ribbentrop on May 11, 1921, in Wiesbaden, the oldest of five children of Joachim Ribbentrop and his wife, Anneliese, daughter of a wealthy Wiesbaden wine-producer.

When World War II broke out in September 1939, Rudolf volunteered for the SS Infantry and served in Czechoslovakia, during the invasion of France and in the Finnish campaign against the USSR.

In 1942, he was assigned to the panzers of the Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler, and in early 1943 was a tank commander in the Third Battle of Kharkov, the last major engagement the Germans won on the Eastern Front.

Von Ribbentrop was shot through the lung at Kharkov. Later, he was transferred to the SS 12th Panzer Division, where he was awarded the German Cross in Gold for, commanding another tank platoon in Normandy. He also led a tank platoon in the Battle of the Bulge. Altogether he was wounded five times and in 1944 was awarded the Nazi Wound Badge in Gold.

Von Ribbentrop ended up a British prisoner in Hamburg, where conditions, he recalled, were worse than those he had endured at Westminster.

On October 16, 1946, his father became the first of those sentenced to death at Nuremberg by hanging after being found guilty of war crimes. In his memoir, Rudolf dismissed the trials as "so structured as to make unequivocally sure that the process taken was directed to capital punishment".

After the war Rudolf's mother Anneliese tried to get her son a job in the family wine business. Other family members felt the Ribbentrop name would be bad for business and Anneliese took a successful court action that the company should accept him as a full partner and director.

No such qualms affected Rudolf-August Oetker, who had also served in the SS and afterwards ran his family's baking company, Dr Oetker.

In 1958 Rudolf von Ribbentrop was appointed to the Oetker family's private bank, Bankhaus Lampe, in Bielefeld. He became a director of the bank. In 1960, Rudolf von Ribbentrop married Baroness Ilse-Marie von Munchhausen, who died in 2010. Rudolf von Ribbentrop died on May 20, 2019.The call was from Donald Trump. It came just hours after the US president met Boris Johnson at UN headquarters in September 2017.

Footage of the New York brush-by gave little insight into their chat, though the signals were positive - a warm shake of hands and a pat on the back for the British Brexiteer. But speaking to his friend Chris Ruddy on the phone later, Trump was glowing. "I really like him," he said of Johnson, according to Ruddy. "I've heard good things about him."

The conversation had only been brief, not even a formal sit down. But for a president who has boasted of being able to judge character in an instant, it had resulted in a tick.

"Boris is unconventional. Donald gravitates to people that are unconventional," said Ruddy, chief executive of Newsmax Media who has known the president some 20 years. "Donald's taken a liking to him".

Tomorrow, nearing two years on from that meeting, the Trump-Boris relationship will be back in the spotlight as the president begins his visit to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy.

Trump has not held back his warm words for Johnson despite the Tory leadership battle raging, praising his "friend" on the eve of the trip and pointedly not ruling out a meeting.

Should the bookies be proved right and Boris Johnson become the next British PM, by the end of the summer the two men will be the linchpin of a very special relationship indeed.

How has Johnson won over Trump? Why has he connected in a way Theresa May failed to? And would the bond actually help if he gets the top job?

The story that emerges of their relationship is one of Johnson's political charisma, a savvy strategy of befriending the president's inner circle and a hard Brexit vision that has created common ground.

Trump and Johnson do not know each other well. They have spent little time together and come from starkly different backgrounds - one Eton and Oxford University, the other Manhattan and reality TV. Beyond the UN chat, they did have a brief discussion at a Nato gathering in Brussels in May 2017, but that is pretty much it. Theresa May, not Boris Johnson, handled the US relationship in office.

Yet as foreign secretary Johnson made a deliberate and sustained effort to ingratiate himself with Trump's most influential allies, according to well-placed sources.

He started from a disadvantage. In late 2015, Johnson had called then-candidate Trump unfit for office after he said London had no-go areas, joking: "The only reason I wouldn't go to some parts of New York is the real risk of meeting Donald Trump."

But after Trump's unexpected 2016 election victory, Boris saw how the wind was blowing. Within days he had criticised the "whinge-o-rama" emanating from Europe over the result and praised the president-elect's "deal-maker" reputation.

A speedy visit to New York followed. Before Trump was even sworn into office Johnson was meeting chief strategist Steve Bannon and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, followed by senior Washington Republicans.

Johnson's political celebrity undoubtedly helped him develop friendly relations, as one UK source who saw his free-wheeling visit to the White House's west wing in May 2018 attests.

"Boris basically was just roaming the White House. He was opening doors and saying hello to people. They would say 'oh my God it's Boris, it's Boris'," said the source who saw the scenes.

"He met Trump's daughter Ivanka. He met Jared. Someone would grab him. They would say 'come in to a meeting'. A White House staffer told us that no one else could do this."

British officials tried to capitalise on Johnson's US fame. During visits he would be put on Fox News in the hope that UK policy messages - such as keeping the Iran nuclear deal intact - would be spotted by the mercurial US president and his team.

There was discussion of getting Boris to give Donald a tour of the Churchill War Rooms in London during his first UK visit. It never happened, but he has shown other leading Republicans around.

Johnson's allies say he used the influence to secure policy wins. He played a key role in getting the US to expel 60 Russian diplomats after the Salisbury poisoning and ensuring UK citizens were not hit by Trump's border-tightening policies which focused on Muslims.

Those who saw Johnson buttering up US counterparts say he largely dismissed the personal conversation topics which the UK embassy briefed as ice-breakers, instead adopting his own unconventional approach.

When he first met Paul Ryan, then the most senior Republican in the House of Representatives, Johnson's opening words according to one UK official were: "Paul, I hear you're great, why aren't you running for the presidency?"

The campaign worked. A strong relationship was struck with Rex Tillerson, his counterpart as US secretary of state. The pair talked on a secure line every month - Tillerson preferred that to text messages. One former Tillerson adviser said they "got along well".

Others in the Trump camp are fans. Larry Kudlow, Trump's top economic adviser, is understood to have read Johnson's book on Churchill and to be an admirer. So too is John Bolton, the hawkish White House national security adviser. Jared Kushner also used to talk semi-regularly to Johnson about his Middle East plan.

Trump, critically, also picked up on Johnson's warm words. He made no secret of the fact, last year saying: "I have a lot of respect for Boris. He obviously likes me and says very good things about me."

Aides noticed Trump's positivity, too. Sebastian Gorka, a former deputy assistant in Trump's White House, recalled: "Boris's name came up more than once in passing with the president. It was clear that his style and outspoken nature is sympathetic to the president."

Boris Epshteyn, a former special assistant to Trump, said: "Johnson is someone who is strong, he's not afraid to speak his mind, and he's pro-Brexit. Those traits combine to make him popular with those who believe in the 'Make America Great Again' agenda."

Their similar positions on Brexit helped. Both men led successful outsider movements in 2016 - Johnson fronting the Leave campaign (and making claims which see him now summonsed to face criminal charges arising out of his referendum claims); Trump running for the White House (and not facing criminal charges after US special investigator Robert Mueller said charges were "not an option") - and both ended up disdainful of Theresa May's Brexit deal.

But does it all matter? Do good personal relations with Trump bring policy wins? French President Emmanuel Macron had a budding bromance with Donald but failed to convince him on the Iran nuclear deal, Paris climate change accord or staying in Syria.

Ruddy accepts the men have clear policy differences. "They don't agree on everything," he said, but added: "This is one of the key things for Trump - he picks up on very quickly if people like him or not."

Boris Johnson, Donald Trump appears to have concluded, likes him. Until that perception changes, expect the compliments to keep coming.

 Telegraph

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2021]Claus von Bulow, who has died aged 92, figured in one of the most sensational trials of the 20th Century. The case, among the first to be televised in the United States, had all the ingredients of a soap opera - adultery, drugs, murder and fabulous sums of money.

Its principal characters included the heiress to a $75m fortune, a wicked stepfather, two mistresses, minor European nobility and a daughter who stood by the father accused of attempting to kill her mother.

Expand Close Sunny, who spent the last 28 years of her life in a coma / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Sunny, who spent the last 28 years of her life in a coma

After two trials, Von Bulow was acquitted, though public opinion was sharply divided as to his guilt. Meanwhile, the wife he was said to have tried to murder lay in a coma, never to awaken, in a guarded room in a Manhattan hospital. Twice a week, her hairdresser came in to dye her hair and re-apply her make-up.

The drama began on December 21, 1980 when Von Bulow's wife Martha, known as Sunny, was found unconscious on the marble floor of the bathroom of their Rhode Island mansion.

She was the only child of George Crawford, a Pittsburgh businessman who had made a vast fortune in the 1920s in gas and electricity.

Her first husband had been an Austrian princeling, Alfie von Auersperg, whom she married in 1957. Although they had a son and daughter, they soon grew apart and by the early 1960s she had taken up with Danish-born Von Bulow, a 40-year-old bachelor four years her senior, who worked in London for John Paul Getty I. Following her divorce, the pair were married in 1966. They had a daughter, Cosima, the next year.

The von Bulows lived in fabulous style. They settled in Sunny's 14-room apartment on Fifth Avenue, New York, and spent the holidays at Clarendon Court, a replica of an enormous 18th-Century mansion, on Rhode Island Sound, where von Bulow assembled one of the best collections of European furniture in the United States. The house and its 10-acre grounds provided the setting in 1956 for the film High Society.

Although their life appeared, in the words of that film, a swell party, all was not well. As her friend Truman Capote later revealed, Sunny was "very pretty but a psychological wallflower".

She increasingly took refuge from her shyness in drink and drugs, remedies that also provided a refuge from knowledge of her husband's infidelities. For his part, Von Bulow found the conversation of his wife's circle stultifying compared with what he had known in Europe - he had a connoisseur's knowledge of opera - and claimed Sunny licensed his extensive marital diversions after she lost interest in sex following the birth of their daughter.

In December 1980, Sunny was discovered in a comatose state. She lapsed into a permanent vegetative state from which she was never to recover but in which her life was sustained at a cost of $500,000 a year until her death 28 years later.

After an investigation by police and a separate one by Sunny's children from her first marriage, Von Bulow was arrested for attempted murder and sent for trial in February 1982.

The prosecution contended Von Bulow, aware that his wife suffered from low blood sugar, injected her with insulin, knowing this could be fatal. His motive was some $14m which he stood to gain from her will, as well as the freedom to marry his mistress, Alexandra Isles, a television actress.

The defence claimed Sunny brought events on herself with a secret binge of drugs and sweets, topped off by a "sugar bomb" of egg-nog made from 12 fresh eggs and a bottle of bourbon.

The most damning witness against Von Bulow was his wife's long-serving German maid, Maria Schrallhammer. She testified Sunny had also become ill at Clarendon Court exactly a year before lapsing into her coma. For more than four hours on that occasion, Von Bulow had refused to send for a doctor and by the time one was summoned, Sunny had stopped breathing. Although she was revived, tests showed a high level of insulin in her blood.

Her suspicions aroused, Maria Schrallhammer began to check a small bag Von Bulow carried. In it, she said, she found hypodermic needles and a bottle marked Insulin. After his mother became comatose for the second time in 1980, her son, Prince Alexander von Auersperg, broke into Von Bulow's bedroom cupboard and discovered the bag.

Inside was a needle encrusted with insulin. The evidence seemed overwhelming and the jury convicted Von Bulow of attempted murder. He was sentenced to 30 years' imprisonment. He appealed, however, and enlisted the help of a new team of lawyers, including a Harvard academic, Alan Dershowitz.

He helped to persuade the Rhode Island Supreme Court that the judge had been wrong to admit several key pieces of evidence, including the bag, which, having been illegally seized by Von Auersperg, should not have been examined by the police until they had a search warrant. The court ordered a retrial, which began in May 1985.

This time the defence wiped the floor with the prosecution. Many who had known Sunny gave evidence of her frail mental state. Less than three weeks before she fell into her coma, she had taken a deliberate aspirin overdose.

Despite the testimony of Alexandra Isles, who related how Von Bulow had telephoned her during the first coma in 1979 to tell her he was watching his wife die, the defence discredited many prosecution witnesses, including Maria Schrallhammer.

Most tellingly, they showed a needle is always wiped clean of insulin when pulled from the skin. The implication was that someone tried to frame Von Bulow.

Television audiences were riveted by the trial, while outside court, crowds gathered to hiss or cheer Von Bulow and his adherents, including Cosima von Bulow and his new mistress, Andrea Reynolds, a thrice-married Hungarian adventuress with whom he posed - both clad in leather - for Vanity Fair.

Cosima stood by her father and was disinherited by her grandmother, Sunny's mother, whose estate was worth $110m. (She was later reinstated as a beneficiary.)

This time the jury acquitted Von Bulow but popular opinion was divided, in the main because he appeared such an unsympathetic figure.

In truth, when he chose to exercise it, he possessed considerable charm and wit and could do a fine imitation of Queen Victoria.

"It's not that I'm stiff upper lip," he said. "I'm frozen-rigid upper lip."

He was born Claus Cecil Borberg in Copenhagen on August 11, 1926. His mother, the daughter of a Danish cabinet minister, had a weakness for men in power. His father, a theatre critic, was just as admiring of the German nation, a view he retained after the Nazis' occupation of Denmark. In consequence, he was imprisoned in 1945 as a collaborator. Claus never quite managed to shake a rumour that he had been a page at Hermann Goering's wedding.

Claus's parents divorced when he was four and in 1940, when the Germans invaded, his mother was living in England. She used her connections to have Claus, dressed in his Boy Scout uniform, smuggled from Denmark to Sweden and then to London by RAF courier flight.

Having taken the surname of his maternal grandfather, to which he later added a more aristocratic-sounding "von", Claus was admitted to Trinity College Cambridge at 16, undergraduate numbers being low because of the war.

There he read Law but when he left in 1946, he was too young to study for the Bar and spent a year at university in Paris and another working for Hambros bank before being called as a barrister. He then joined the chambers of Quintin Hogg, later Lord Hailsham.

The demands of his practice never impinged on his social life. He and his mother shared a large apartment in Belgrave Square, London, which became a regular haunt of the Clermont Set, centred on John Aspinall, whom Von Bulow allowed to use the flat for illegal gambling parties.

Von Bulow regularly incurred large debts at cards but he was also acquiring useful contacts and in the late 1950s, he was invited to become an administrative assistant to John Paul Getty.

Unkind friends later suggested that his tasks were simply those of an errand boy whose presence was necessitated by the oil magnate's fear of flying.

The work continued to ensure Von Bulow's entree into the beau monde, although his income did not yet allow him to fulfil his undoubted wish to be one of its brightest stars. Then, in 1963, he was introduced to Princess Sunny von Auersperg.

Following the second trial, Von Bulow was sued by his two stepchildren, both of whose parents - in a bizarre twist - were now in irretrievable comas, Prince Alfie's being the result of a motoring accident in 1983.

Von Bulow settled the action by agreeing never to discuss the trial, and by divorcing Sunny.

In the late 1980s, he moved back to London, where he once more became a familiar figure at parties, his friends insisting that he was loyal, generous, intelligent, cultivated and kind.

He lived in a flat in Knightsbridge and would host large dinner parties at his daughter's house.

Von Bulow had a fanatical love of the theatre - no production above a pub in Hammersmith was too obscure for him - and he was for many years the Catholic Herald drama critic.

He poured scorn on the film version of the case, Reversal of Fortune (1991), in which he was played by Jeremy Irons, yet he seemed not wholly displeased with the notoriety that dogged him.

Once, while dining in New York, someone at another table suffered a heart attack. As the victim was carried out, Von Bulow cried: "It wasn't me!" Another time, when discussing with the historian Anne Somerset her book The Affair of the Poisons, he observed: "I must read that. People always think it's my special subject."

Rather less well known was his devotion to the Catholic faith in later years and the charitable work he carried out tending pilgrims at Lourdes.

Von Bulow, who died on May 25, is survived by his daughter.MSC cruise ship is seen behind the Marittima port after a crash at the San Basilio dock in Venice, Italy June 2, 2019. REUTERS/Manuel Silvestri

The cruise ship MSC Opera loses control and crashes against a smaller tourist boat at the San Basilio dock in Venice, Italy June 2, 2019. REUTERS/Manuel Silvestri TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

MSC cruise ship loses control and crashes against a smaller tourist boat at the San Basilio dock in Venice, Italy June 2, 2019. REUTERS/Manuel Silvestri

A towering cruise ship collided with a dock and a tourist boat in Venice on Sunday, injuring four people and reigniting calls for large vessels to be banned from the lagoon city.

MSC Cruises said the 2,679-passenger Opera, a 54-metre high and 275-metre long liner which dwarfed the Venice skyline, was approaching a passenger terminal on the Giudecca canal when it hit the dock and a nearby ferry after a technical problem.

Footage of the incident showed passengers who had been waiting at a wharf in San Basilio-Zattere fleeing for safety as the huge ship, its horns blaring, crashed into the much smaller, moored "River Countess" boat, which had 110 people onboard.

"I thought the ship was going to crash into my house," a resident living nearby told Italy's state television.

Expand Close MSC cruise ship is seen behind the Marittima port after a crash at the San Basilio dock in Venice, Italy June 2, 2019. REUTERS/Manuel Silvestri / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp MSC cruise ship is seen behind the Marittima port after a crash at the San Basilio dock in Venice, Italy June 2, 2019. REUTERS/Manuel Silvestri

Pino Musolino, chairman of the northern Adriatic Sea port authority, said four people had suffered minor injuries in the crash. Emergency workers said the cruise ship appeared to have lost control after a steel cable that tied it to a tugboat snapped.

Local media said the four injured were female tourists from the United States, Australia and New Zealand aged between 67 and 72.

The accident rekindled a heated row in Italy over the risks to the fragile ecosystem and monuments of Venice posed by cruise ships that routinely sail very close to the shore.

The safety of big ships in European cities has been highlighted by the crash last week of a cruise liner with a pleasure boat on the Danube in Budapest. Twenty-eight people were presumed killed, nearly all South Korean tourists.

Expand Close The movement "No grandi navi - No big ships" protests in front of the MSC Opera cruise ship that early in the morning crashed against a smaller tourist boat at the San Basilio dock in Venice, Italy June 2, 2019. REUTERS/Manuel Silvestri / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp The movement "No grandi navi - No big ships" protests in front of the MSC Opera cruise ship that early in the morning crashed against a smaller tourist boat at the San Basilio dock in Venice, Italy June 2, 2019. REUTERS/Manuel Silvestri

Italian Transport Minister Danilo Toninelli said on Twitter the Venice incident was proof that big ships should not travel on the Giudecca, a major thoroughfare that leads to St. Mark's Square.

"After many years of inertia, we are finally close to a definitive solution to protect both the lagoon and tourism," he said.

Ships weighing more than 96,000 tonnes were banned from the Giudecca canal in 2013, while the number of smaller ships using the waterway was limited to five a day, but that legislation was overturned at the end of 2015.

The Italian government decided in 2017 that the largest ships weighing more than 100,000 tonnes would have to take a less glamorous route to the industrial port of Marghera, far from the Giudecca and Grand canals.

However, those plans were expected to take four years to come into forceUS Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says the Trump administration is willing to talk to Iran with no preconditions.

But he added that the United States will continue its campaign of pressure against the Islamic Republic.

Tensions have risen between the two countries, and that has led to fears of open conflict.

Mr Pompeo is in Switzerland for talks with Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis. Switzerland represents US interests in Iran.

Expand Close US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis (Samuel Golay/Keystone/AP) / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis (Samuel Golay/Keystone/AP)

Americas top diplomat says the US is prepared to engage in a conversation with no preconditions. Were ready to sit down with Irans leaders.

But Mr Pompeo also made clear that the American effort to fundamentally reverse the malign activity of this Islamic Republic, this revolutionary force, is going to continue.

President Donald Trump has signalled willingness to talk with Irans leadership.

Iranian officials have hinted at the possibility but have also insisted they will not be bulled.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.Iron Man and Spider Man are two of the most loved Marvel characters and the bond that they share is simply worth the praise. Tony Stark played by Robert Downey Jr is not only a mentor to Spider-Man AKA Tom Holland but also a good friend. Their epic father-son-like bond is a treat for the fans.

Tom Holland has recently turned the grand old age of 23, and his Avengers: co-star Robert Downey Jr unleashed the Iron Dad in him as paid the sweetest tribute to him.

Sharing a GIF from Captain America: Civil War, the film that marked the entry of Spider-Man into Marvel Cinematic Universe, Robert Downey Jr wrote, "@tomholland2013from Underoos to overlord, its been a thrill to watch you rise, and were all pretty darned glad u were born #happybirthday"

And fans are aww-ing!

Remember the scene from Avengers: Endgame where Spider-Man finally meets Iron Man during the battle? It was quite an emotional scene.

In fact, the behind-the-scene video of that scene was equally emotional.

Following the epic Avengers: Endgame, Tom Holland is about to reprise his role as the web-slinger in Spider-Man: Far from Home, which will hit the screens next month.Within a week of taking oath, PM Modi led government faces a huge challenge as the US has decided to end preferential trade agreement with India.

According to reports, the Trump administration is determined that India isnt quite forthcoming in providing the US an "equitable and reasonable access to its markets."

Twitter

The preferable trade agreement known as the Generalised System of Preference (GSP) is the largest and oldest US agreement which allows duty free entry of products that are numbers in thousands from a designated country which is the beneficiary if the agreement. India until now was the beneficiary of this trade preference programme. The news agency PTI reported.

"I have determined that India has not assured the US that it will provide equitable and reasonable access to its markets. Accordingly, it is appropriate to terminate India's designation as a beneficiary developing country effective June 5, 2019," the US President, Trump said in a proclamation on Friday, despite several top American lawmakers advocating otherwise

Trump had hinted at it earlier

On March 4, President Trump had said that his country is mulling to end Indias designation as a beneficiary developing nation of the trade agreement under the GSP programme and the US gave a 60-day notice to India which ended on May 3.

AP

Under this programme, nearly 2000 products which also includes auto components and textile material is allowed to enter the duty free, but the before availing the benefits, the country requires to meet the eligibility criteria, the US Congress had established.

India was the largest beneficiary

As per the Congressional Research Service report issued in January, in 2017, India was the biggest beneficiary of the programme as imports to the US worth $ 5.7 billion were give duty free status.

Turkey with $1.7 billion in covered import was the fifth largest beneficiary.

In a statement, Dan Anthony, director of the coalition for GSP executive said an additional tariffs of over $ 300 million will be borne by American businesses every year.

"Without GSP benefits American small businesses face a new tax that will mean job losses, cancelled investments and cost increases for consumers. Only a year after the Senate and House passed a three year reauthorisation of the GSP by a near unanimous margin, the Trump administration has kicked out the GSP country that saves American companies more money than any other," he said.

reuters

Anthony further told that Trump took the decision despite hundreds of American businesses and members of Congress advocating for the continuation of GSP eligibility for India.

"They also acted despite India's willingness to negotiate new market access for American exports. Thus, there are no winners from today's decision. American importers will pay more, while some American exporters will continue to face current market access barriers in India and others, including farmers, are very likely to be subject to new retaliatory tariff," Mr Anthony said.

Larger impact on India

The India-US trade stood at $74.5 billion in 2017-18 which was 15.5 percent more than previous fiscal of 2016-17 with trade between the two countries standing at $ 64.5 billion. The trade, however, is reportedly tilted in Indias favour.

For example, India reportedly exported items with $ 38.8 billion to the US whereas only imported goods worth $26.3 billion in fiscal year 2018-19 (between April to December).

According to experts, the move wont impact India as Commerce Secretary Anup Wadhawan had earlier said and was mentioned in a Businesstoday report, that the duty benefit or import tariff saving only amounted to $190 million annually.A Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) jawan was killed and four others were killed in an encounter in Dumka in Jharkhand.

The encounter happened in Kathalia village on Sunday when the Naxals attacked a joint team of SSB and state police. The martyred jawan has been identified as Neeraj Chhetri, a native of Assam. Read more

Rajasthan's Churu Grapples With Heat At 50.8 Degrees Celsius, Becomes Hottest Place In India

Churu in Rajasthan, meanwhile, recorded the highest temperature in the country today at 50.8 degree Celsius. Other cities in Rajasthan were also in the running with Ganganagar recording a maximum temperature of 49 degrees Celsius, and Bikaner recording 47.9 degree Celsius.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for the majority of the places in western Rajasthan and some parts of Eastern Rajasthan for the next five days. Read more

US Has Made It Mandatory For Visa Applicants To Declare Social Media History

As part of the enhanced screening process of visa applicants, the US Administration has made it mandatory for nearly all applicants to submit their social media details under new rules by the State Department.

It was originally proposed last year as part of the 'extreme vetting' process of the Trump Administration. Read more

Telangana Board Persists That This Girl Failed In Exam Despite Getting Passed In Revaluation

In a bizarre case of twists and turns, the Telangana State Board of Intermediate Education (TSBIE) has now claimed that Anamika a student who committed suicide after the results showed that she had failed in the exams, did not pass.

This comes after the board declared that Anamika who, in the original result has scored 20 marks in the Telugu paper secured 48 marks after re-verification. Read more

Internet 'Influencer' Held For Impersonating An IPS Officer & Giving Motivational Speech

The 20-year-old fake Indian Police Service (IPS) officer arrested by the Special Operations Group (SOG) was a motivational speaker and a social media star of sorts, who inspired youths to take up challenges in life.

A class-XII fail, Abhay Meena gave inspirational talks about how he studied for several long hours to crack IIT and UPSC exams in first attempt. Read more

As Trump Decides To End Preferential Trade Status For India, Here's What It Means

Within a week of taking oath, PM Modi led government faces a huge challenge as the US has decided to end preferential trade agreement with India.

According to reports, the Trump administration is determined that India isnt quite forthcoming in providing the US an "equitable and reasonable access to its markets." Read moreIn an unusual judgment, the Assam High Court has 'sentenced' a man accused of killing 25 vultures to plant and take care of 25 trees.

Dhanpati Das a resident of Kamalpur, around 40 km from Guwahati, was accused of poisoning to death 25 rare vultures using a got carcass laced with pesticide.

BCCL

He was arrested last month by the Forest Department last month under Section 429 of IPC and Section 51(a) of the Wildlife (Protection) Act.

And when the case came up for hearing he was let off by the court which asked him to plant the saplings and take care of them.

BCCL

Once found in large numbers across the country, the vulture population in India has seen a steep decline in the past few years.

Today, three of India's resident vulture species - the Slender-billed Vulture, White-rumped Vulture, and Indian Vulture are considered Critically Endangered.Sushma Swaraj was arguably the most popular minister in the previous Modi cabinet. For most of the people if there is one person that they are going to miss in the second Modi cabinet is Mrs. Swaraj.

As the Minister of External Affairs, Swaraj made a name for herself by effectively using social media as a tool to extend help to those who reached out to her. In fact, she had set an example which was then followed by a number of her cabinet colleagues.

With her opting out of the new cabinet, many had expressed their sadness and fear that there won't be another 'approachable' EAM like her. But S Jaishankar, the surprise package in the Modi cabinet who has succeeded Swaraj as the new minister seems to be following the example set by his predecessor.

On Saturday 1 June, a Twitter user named Rinky wrote to the minister on Twitter seeking help for her daughter who is in the USA.

@DrSJaishankar @smritiirani I need your help. My daughter is 2 years old. I'm struggling from 6 months. Please please help me. Contact me. She is in USA and I'm at India. Please... I'm waiting for your prompt reply.  Rinky (@Rinky43110125) June 1, 2019

Jaishankar, a career diplomat and former Foreign Secretary replied to her and asked the Indian ambassador to the US to help her out.

Our Ambassador @harshvshringla is on the job. Please share with him all the details @IndianEmbassyUS https://t.co/a55jI6XHiY  Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) June 1, 2019

He also assured help to another woman who alleged that her husband to who has skipped court summons and is staying in Kuwait.

@DrSJaishankar @smritiirani @narendramodi

Hello Sir.... please please please help me. I want my husband to be back to India he is not responding to court summons escaping and staying peacefully in Kuwait. Neither his parents allowing me to stay at their place. https://t.co/hVNXFIgkvy  Afim (@Afim45538113) June 1, 2019Stray dogs are certainly a problem in India, as even animal lovers can attest to.

Thanks to a combination of careless breeding, abandonment, and a lack of sterilization programmes, there are more of them in most cities than can be effectively handled.

But you can't just get rid of them, that would be terrible. If you want to keep them healthy though, and ensure they're not a harm to the human population nearby, you need to ensure they're vaccinated. So an ingenious student from Bengaluru decided she would adopt artificial intelligence to ensure that kind of initiative can be efficiently carried out.

Aparna Ajit Gupte, a grade 12 student of National Public School in Indiranagar, says she was drawn to the problem thanks to all the news articles she read about human deaths caused by rabid stray dogs. She found that the vaccination attempts by civic authorities could be made much more efficient if they had some sort of recording system. So she figured she'd just build one.

Gupte first set about obtaining pre-trained neural networks capable of identifying dogs in images extracted from video recordings. She then used a face recognition algorithm and modified it to instead detect unique markings and features of stray dogs. Then, all she had to do was classify them.

With her model, Gupte was able to obtain a 92 percent accuracy when it came to individually identifying the different dogs in a locality. To use it, all you have to do is keep updating the data you're working with by adding images of the dogs vaccinated. The next time, it'll be much easier to pick out the ones not tackled yet.

In fact, Gupte even suggests this system could be automated, by tracking the dogs using footage from street CCTV cameras. Her plan in the future is to track the dog population in an area as it ages by continuously updating the dataset with new images.When we need to navigate today, even if that's finding a building a few streets away, GPS is the go to technology.

Of course it is, seeing as we've gone way past navigating by the sun and stars and using a simple compass. But what do you do when your GPS fails?

Because GPS does occasionally fail. It relies on signals from multiple positioning satellites, orbiting about 20,000 km above the Earth. There are currently 73 of them in orbit, and your device can receive a handful of signals at any given time. But if there's something large enough to block these signals, like a tunnel or tall buildings, the positioning system can fail.

If you're just trying to find your way in a new city, it's a serious nuisance. But if you're for instance, an emergency responder, it could mean the difference between life and death. That's why researchers have been exploring other means of navigation that are more consistent.

One of those alternative means has been developed by researchers at the Aix-Marseille University in France. They've developed something they call the AntBot. Sure, it has six legs and moves by scurrying along on them. But the real reason it got that name is because of how it navigates.

The robot uses navigational tools inspired by two species of desert ants: the Cataglyphis fortis of the Sahara and Melophorus bagoti of Central Australia. Julien Dupeyroux, lead author on the paper, explains how these desert ants travel great distances in search of food.

Usually, ants leave a trail of pheromones they can follow back home, and other ants can follow to the food source. Except, the scorching heat of the desert makes this useless. So instead, these ants have adapted to using something scientists call "path integration".

The AntBot - French National Center for Scientific Research

The compound eyes these desert ants possess contain photoreceptors sensitive to UV radiation scattered by molecules in the air. That means they can figure out the position of the sun in the sky (based on the changes in polarization patterns), and therefore what direction they're going.

Additionally, these ants can actually track how fast the image of the ground is moving past their compound eyes to estimate the speed they're going. Ants can use this optic flow, in combination with the knowledge of how many steps they've taken, to estimate how far they've travelled.

So with an internal compass combined with a distance tracker, the ants always know exactly how far away they are from home base. Put those capabilities into a robot like the AntBot, and you get a mobile unit that can always make its way home

Then there's a group at the University of Sussex, that have developed a system that perfectly complements that of AntBot, one that relies on visual navigation.

University of Sussex researcher and roboticist Andy Philippides and his team discovered that, when these desert ants travel away from the nest, they periodically stop and scan the environment before moving on. They've figured out that these ants are sort of committing visual snapshots of the area to memory as they go. So in addition to their other navigation, when returning they're also following a trail of familiar surroundings back to their home

As such, Philippides and his team are working on a robot that can follow a familiar path home, just like you would when you first move to a new city.

Now, it's not just that these technologies could be used for navigation without GPS, or for autonomous robots, though that's obviously the case. Scientists also consider these discoveries to be invaluable for when we want to start mapping the Moon or Mars from ground zero. Both of those are far away from the GPS satellites we find so integral here on Earth.

But on Mars, we could just send a robot that maps the surroundings as it wanders aimlessly. And when it's time to turn back, all it has to do is follow its internal compass home, without the need for a dedicated satellite.After the demise of the internet's favourite feline - Grumpy Cat, social media and the meme world hasnt been the same place. Grumpy Cat passed away at the age of 7 due to complications from urinary tract infection.

News of her passing away broke many hearts. But, if you still miss Grumpy Cat, we have someone just like her.

Meet Louis, a 6-year-old Persian cat, who lives in Texas and has a permanently annoyed expression on its face. Irrespective of whether he is sleeping, playing or happy his expressions are always the same.

Check out some of the cute pictures of Louis:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

To everyones surprise, the cat is really friendly and loves being cuddled. Well, he even looks cute with his annoyed expressions.

I want to meet him!In good news for women commuters in New Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party government is planning to make bus and metro rides free for women. The move comes just months before Delhi Assembly elections.

The AAP government is a 50% equity partner in Delhi Metro along with the Centre and they are planning to make the rides free, according to a report in The Times Of India.

Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gehlot has met senior Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) officials and asked them to submit a proposal in this regard.

Representational Image

The transport minister also asked the DMRC officials to inform the state government about the revenue repercussions the move would cause to DMRC.

"The government is planning free travel for women in public transport and is going to bear the loss of revenue that Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, Delhi Transport Corporation and the cluster scheme buses would face due to this decision," a Times of India report quoted a Delhi government official as saying.

According to reports, around 30 lakh people commute by the Delhi Metro on a daily basis and an official also said that it would be too difficult to calculate the revenue loss. The reports also say that people in the National Capital use buses more than the Delhi Metro. Around 42 lakh passengers commute by buses.

Twitter

"More commuters use buses in Delhi compared to the Metro but the percentage of women travellers in buses is not more than 20%," TOI report quoted a DTC official as saying.

The move will soon be launched keeping in mind the safety of women, and to empower them so that more women passengers travel in the metro and the buses. Nice move by the Delhi government!There is no dearth of hate messages in the name of religion but humanity wins everytime.

The Sikh community of Kashmir, on Friday, threw an Iftaar party for local Muslims in Chandigram village of Tral town in South Kashmir. A large number of local Muslims participated in the celebrations, reports The Kashmiriyat.

The Sikh community made all the arrangements for their Muslim friends in the village. The village elders and the youth broke the fast together.

Religion never divided us in the town. We share each others happiness and sorrows. We enjoy their festivals and they ours, a local Muslim youth told The Kashmiriyat and thanked his Sikh brothers for their love and affection.

thedispatch.in

Tral has always been the epicentre of Sikh-Muslim unity. Eyewitnesses saw Muslims and Sikhs come together during the Iftaar party.

According to the report, a Sikh organiser said that the programme was arranged to promote religious harmony and show the world that different communities can live together.

"This iftar programme was arranged to spread happiness to the children, youth and all, a Sikh boy told The Kashmiriyat.Indian American student Rahul Arjun John Yates (second from left) gets a rare perfect score at Le Grand Concours 2019, receiving the Platinum Award for his accomplishment. Seen here with Yates are (from left) his French teacher Rosanna Whitmore, Punita Khanna and John Yates. (photo provided)Anthony Joshua has lost the fight to Andy Ruiz Jr., on Saturday night in New York yo the shock and disappointment of his fans especially Nigerians.

Although AJ had started off looking like he had it all covered  He put his opponent down in round three but Ruiz had gone on to put Joshua down twice in the same round.

Sadly being the bigger man in the match didnt spare Anthony Joshua, and Ruiz was eventually declared the new champion.

However, Festus Keyamo(SAN) has asked Nigeria to support Joshua, who needs all the support he can get now, more than ever.

According to the spokesperson of the President Muhammadu Buhari presidential campaign organization, Mohammed Ali was The Greatest, not because he was not defeated, but because he came back 3 times.

He tweeted on Sunday thus: Anthony Joshua needs our love & support more now in order to bounce back. As his native country, Nigeria must support him in good times and in bad times. Ali was The Greatest, not because he was not defeated, but because he came back 3 times after defeats to reclaim his crown.The CEO of Ovations Magazine, Dele Momodu, has shared the photos of Nollywood comic actor, Baba Suwe and Clergy, Ajayi Esther, during their meeting.

The comic actor went in search of the clergywoman after her donation to him when he was sick.

Dele Momodu who witnessed the meeting wrote:

It was all hearts and emotions as Iya Adura, Rev Esther Ajayi welcomed iconic comedian, Babatunde Omidina, popularly known as Baba Suwe from the journey to his treatment.

The comedian who was flown to a hospital in Rhodes Island near New York, U.S.A on a wheelchair, weeks ago for treatment, returned to Lagos, Nigeria, on Tuesday.

Arriving Sheraton hotel, Ikeja, Lagos, today to see his benefactor, Iya Adura, in the company of his son, Shola and younger brother Adegboyega, he expressed gratitude to Iya Adura, describing her a true Christian, with Christ-like virtues.

Also Read: Tonto Dikeh Spotted With Daniel Amokachi Again!

You will recall that a few weeks back, Baba Suwe publicly sought for help to raise funds for the treatment of his ailment, but to no avail.

Generously, Iya Adura Rev Esther Ajayi came to his rescue, with a donation of #10,000,000.00 (ten million naira) for his treatment in the United States of America.

The woman of grace also prayed for the talented actor, for perfect health.

See pictures below:Instagram blogger, Blessing Okoro, who has been embroiled in controversy all week long over her stunt on social media claiming to own someone elses house.

The blogger a few days ago shared that she built a house years after her ex-husband threw her out of his house.

However, her show off was busted by the real owner of the house who called her out on social media.

Also Read: Big Brother Star, TBoss Wants FG To Ban Social Media

Blessing Okoro has now taken to social media to apologize to her fans, while also explaining why she lied in the first place.

See her post below:Popular Nigerian senator, Dino Melaye who has been rumoured by many to be in the race to contest for the governorship seat in Kogi State, has officially declared himself as an aspirant.

Senator Dino Melaye has been of the frontline critics of the Yahaya Bello led administration in Kogi State and his declaration to contest against the incumbent comes as no surprise to many.

Also Read: He Wasnt A True Champion  Wilder Mocks Anthony Joshua

The senator was returned elected as Senator representing the people of Kogi central during the 2019 election.

The governorship election in Kogi State is scheduled to hold in November 2019.

See post below:Yakubu Dogara, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, has distanced himself from claims that he has joined the race for the speakership of the green chamber.

The Speaker said this on Sunday in Abuja in a statement released by his Special Adviser Media and Public Affairs, Turaki Hassan.

Our attention has been drawn to stories published in some national dailies to the effect that His Excellency, Speaker of House of Representatives Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara has joined the race for the speakership of the 9th Assembly, the statement read.

We wish to distance the Speaker from the fake news being pushed and circulated by mischief makers and enemies of progress who want to create confusion in order to benefit and feast on it.

The Rt. Hon. Speaker has always spoken for himself and would not be engaged in childish hide and seek games. When he contested in 2015 he openly sought for support and openly canvassed for votes and there is nothing stopping him from doing so now if that were the case 

According to the statement, if Dogara wanted to issue a statement on his interest for the speakership, he knew exactly how to go about it  While urging Nigerians to regard the news of his speakership ambition as fake.William Kumuyi, the General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry, has urged Christians not to attack President Muhammadu Buhari and other leaders in the country.

The Deeper Life General Superintendent gave the advice on Sunday during his sermon at the Deeper Life Bible Church, Headquarters, Gbagada, in Lagos.

According to Kumuyi, while delivering his sermon entitled The Believers Preservation Until the Day of Visitation, Christians are strangers and pilgrims in the world and must be Christ-like in their character, conducts and conversations.

He said: Dont attack the president of the country whether in words or in the newspapers or through the internet.

Honour kings; dont disrespect or dishonour the governors. Dont disrespect leaders of the community and leaders in the church.

If we are to honour the governors in the states, how much more the pastors. 

He also advised Christians not to worship money ad man brought nothing to the world and will not take anything out of it..

If we are going to heaven, we must be careful and thoughtful and run from all appearance of evil.

Dont be ignorant, careless, and thoughtless. Many are ignorant of the day of visitation, Kumuyi added.

The cleric urged Christians to shine as a light in the world through their lifestyles, saying Jesus Christ had given them an example to follow even when they are being persecuted in the world.Drama unfolded as a fan of Nigerian indigenous rapper, Oladips, took to the comment section begging to be unblocked by the rapper.

An allegedly rude fan of Oladips who created a new Instagram page because of the artiste has asked him to unblock his old account.

Also Read: Keep Your Son Away From Bobrisky If You Dont Want Him To Rob His Abomination Lifestyle On Him  Nollywood Actor Advises Tonto Dikeh

He wrote:

Oladipupo unblock me on my second account biko

The Rap Artiste actually replied him in a funny way by asking what the fan did wrong. He wrote:A 36-year old woman identified as Amaka Nwafor has told an Ado-Ekiti Customary Court how her husband, Friday Nwafor, was having sexual relations with a mentally deranged woman he helped to seek deliverance.

Amaka, who resides at Oke-Bola in Ado-Ekiti, said she got to know about the affair after the lady regained her sanity and confessed to her.

The woman went on to tell the court that her husband would accuse her of returning home from a boyfriends place.

Amaka, a MUMof 4, confessed that she truly does have a manfriend due to her husbands refusal to take proper care of her. She then begged the court to dissolve her 14-yeard-old marriage to the 47-year-old Friday. She added that her husband had threatened her life severally with a promise to hire thugs for N5,000 just to murder her.

Friday on his part denied all the allegations made against him by his wife adding that she is an adulterous woman who leaves her home to go sleep in a mans house for days.

He went on to give his consent to his wifes call for separation.

The President of the Court, Olayinka Akomolede dissolved the marriage on the grounds of constant fighting and beating, public disgrace, threats to life, and lack of regard for the wifes family by the respondent.

Akomolede, in her judgment, also observed that the marriage had broken down irretrievably. She ruled that the custody of the four children produced by the union should be awarded to the petitioner. She also ruled that the respondent should be paying N2,000 as the monthly feeding allowance on each of the children. The court president granted access to the respondent to see his children.American heavyweight fighter, Deotney Wilder, has taken to his Twitter handle to mock Anthony Joshua after the latter lost his fight against Mexican-American, Andy Ruiz, yesterday night.

Wilder in his reaction slammed the British fighter by describing him as a fake champion whose whole career has been full of lies, contradiction, and gifts.

The duo of Wilder and Joshua have long been expected to give each other a fight for quite some time now.

In his words:

He wasnt a true champion. His whole career consisted of lies, contradictions, and gifts. Facts and now we know who was running from who!!!! # TilThisDay

His tweet:Yakubu Dogara, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, has made it known that he is not interested in becoming the Speaker of the 9th legislative house when the new house is inaugurated.

Dogara who spoke through his media aide, Turaki Hassan, released a statement to debunk the news making the rounds that he is interested in the leadership of the 9th legislative house in Abuja today.

The statement reads:

Our attention has been drawn to stories published in some national dailies to the effect that His Excellency, Speaker of House of Representatives Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara has joined the race for the speakership of the 9th Assembly.

We wish to distance the Speaker from the fake news being pushed and circulated by mischief makers and enemies of progress who want to create confusion in order to benefit and feast on it.

The Rt. Hon. Speaker has always spoken for himself and would not be engaged in childish hide and seek games. When he contested in 2015 he openly sought for support and openly canvassed for votes and there is nothing stopping him from doing so now if that were the case Controversial Nollywood actor, Uche Maduagwu, has come out to slam former BBNaija housemate, Tboss, for calling on the Federal Government to ban the use of Social Media in Nigeria.

Uche who spoke in an Instagram post queried how the TV reality star would become famous without the advent of social media.

What he wrote:

Madam, take it easy, if not for social media, will you ever be popular through BBnaija?Omg, someone just sent me a post where @officialtboss_allegedly said Personally I think SOCIAL media ought to be banned in Nigeria. Just so many mean people on there. @officialtboss_ when these same Nigerians went out of their ways to VOTE for you in #BBnaija, when they spent their MONEY buying DATA despite the bad economic condition in #Naija just to show you, LOVE,,,they were not mean people,now that you are POPULAR, its now you allegedly think social media should be banned,omg, Aunty, let us always look back from where we are coming from oh,so we dont BREAK the same ladder we CLIMB  to SUCCESS.Back then, I remembered vividly, as the only popular actor in Naija that ever got @chrissyteigen attention,  I was among those who supported you via this same social media, @officialtboss_ Abeg, wash your thoughts with the blood of Jesus and be forever grateful to social media in Naija.The United States of America has made it clear that visa applicants to the country must submit their social media handles to stand a chance.

The applicants, according to the United States State Department, must also submit five years worth of email addresses and phone numbers.

This was to ensure that American citizens were safe, the BBC reports.

National security is our top priority when adjudicating visa applications, and every prospective traveller and immigrant to the United States undergoes extensive security screening, the department said.

We are constantly working to find mechanisms to improve our screening processes to protect U.S. citizens while supporting legitimate travel to the United States.

More details to comeSenator Shehu Sani representing Kaduna Central has reacted to a comment by William Kumuyi, the General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry, where he urged Christians not to attack President Muhammadu Buhari and other leaders in the country.

The Deeper Life General Superintendent had on Sunday, during his sermon at the Deeper Life Bible Church, Headquarters, Gbagada, in Lagos said Dont attack the president of the country whether in words or in the newspapers or through the internet.

Honour kings; dont disrespect or dishonour the governors. Dont disrespect leaders of the community and leaders in the church.

If we are to honour the governors in the states, how much more the pastors. 

He also advised Christians not to worship money ad man brought nothing to the world and will not take anything out of it..

If we are going to heaven, we must be careful and thoughtful and run from all appearance of evil.

Dont be ignorant, careless, and thoughtless. Many are ignorant of the day of visitation, Kumuyi added.

However, in his reaction, Sani said although Kumuyi is one respectable a d responsible man of God that he really likes, he faulted the cleric for his comments.

He said that people should be allowed to air their views about their leaders and not be cowered into silence.

The lawmaker added that speaking to truth to power is the only shield that the people have for defending democracy and propelling the wheel of freedom and justice.

He said: Pastor Kumuyi is a respectable and responsible man of God, I like him; But he should allow people to express their views about their leaders and speak truth to power; that is their only shield of defending democracy and propelling the wheel of freedom and justice.2017 BBNaija housemate Tboss is of the opinion that social media should be banned in Nigeria.

Taking to her Instastoies, the model and actress said this should be due to the many mean people the country seems to have.

In her words;

Personally I think social media ought to be banned in Nigeria. Just so many people on there.

Tbosss thoughts and wish are coming after it was announced that the US embassy in Nigeria is now requiring applicants to submit their social media handles as part of the visa process.

This has since been met with several reactions by Nigerians online.A British photographer identified as KYImages_ on Instagram has showered praises on Afro-pop star, Wizkid, for being compassionate about others.

The photographer who was present at Wizkids performance at Lloyd Park in London narrated her experience with the Nigerian star.

She recalled that while on duty taking pictures, she lost her balance exactly after capturing Wizkid and fell.

Also Read: Apologise, Take Down Ad  Kemi Olunloyo Threatens To Sue S*x Therapist, Jaruma

She pointed out that to her amazement, the Nigerian star took a moment to help her up to her feet. She described him as a true star for this act.

See her post below:A mural that underscores the importance of health sciences to Philadelphia's economy is unveiled Sunday at 11th and Sansom Streets. Read more

If youre looking for a brand new building-sized mural, swing by 11th and Sansom Streets in Center City.

The Promise of Biotechnology is the newest addition to Philadelphias renowned outdoor mural art gallery, unveiled on a sweltering Sunday afternoon as a way to promote life sciences and the role it plays in Philadelphias history and current business community.

At more than 8,000 square feet, the mural looms over the parking lot behind Target and near Jefferson University Hospital at 1101 Sansom St. The local artist, Eric Okdeh, worked with students from Philly schools to create a sweeping history of biotechnology and medicine and the growth of life sciences in the colonial-era city.

I asked the students to start drawing things they cant see  like viruses, bacteria, cancer cells, stem cells  as prompts, Okdeh said.

So we show all the developments in medicine and the sciences that started here, Okdeh said, such as the first college of physicians in 1787, and the father of modern psychology Benjamin Rush, all the way to current-day innovations at Jefferson and the University of Pennsylvania, such as stem cell and gene therapies to treat cancer.

CSL Behring, with headquarters in King of Prussia, sponsored the project that was spearheaded by Mural Arts Philadelphia. CSL employs roughly 20,000 people worldwide and is the fifth-largest biotech company in the world, specializing in so-called orphan disease drugs. Those are medicines treating less than 200,000 patients, said Dennis Jackman, a spokesman for CSL Behring.

Designed and created by Okdeh, the mural also featured work by dozens of students and inmates at SCI Phoenix. The teams worked separately to paint and assemble 190 interlocking panels over three months. The students attend the Edward Gideon School, Tilden Elementary and Mastery Charter Schools Shoemaker campus.

The dedication coincides with the opening Monday of the 2019 BIO International Convention, being held through Thursday at the Convention Center. Roughly 16,000 biotechnology and pharmaceutical employees from 70 countries, including industry, academia and government, come together at the networking and business convention.

The mural unveiling featured remarks from Jane Golden, Mural Arts founder and executive director, former Congressman James Greenwood, now president of the Biotechnology Innovation Organization, and City Councilman Mark Squilla.

We want young people, particularly women and people of color, to think about the nexus of art and science, and possibly about entering these fields, said Golden.

Tilden student Angelina Quintos, a fifth grader, drew a red blood cell for the project during an after school program with Mural Arts, a feat she called really challenging.

Okdeh praised the Mural Arts program overall, calling it an opportunity for artists to stay here in Philly and work, instead of having to leave for New York or L.A.Navient, the nations third-largest student-loan servicer, has been ripped for its customer service and is fighting lawsuits from the U.S. government, schoolteachers, and multiple state attorneys general who say the Wilmington-based company has routinely mistreated customers.

Now Navient is contending with critics on a new front: shareholders.

Noting that the companys performance has lagged the stock market, activist hedge fund Canyon Partners last year offered to buy Navient and take it private. Navient refused, and Canyon threatened a proxy battle, building up a stake of about 10 percent of the companys shares.

Instead, the two sides agreed last month to a cease-fire and jointly nominated two new directors. Navients board slate is expected to be approved at its annual meeting June 6.

The maneuvering raises many questions, among them: Will Navient change? And how will borrowers fare?

One clue comes from Navient CEO John Jack Remondi, who asserted during the public battle that Canyons approach would likely lead to lower servicing quality, more delinquencies and defaults, and more intense regulatory scrutiny.

Under Remondi, Navient expanded into collections of local and state government tax receipts, health-care bills, and other consumer debts.

But Canyon wants Navient to quit making costly acquisitions that perform poorly and to stick with student loans, which it accuses the company of neglecting.

Buying new businesses and ventures to fund what we regard as bloated overhead and unacceptable operating losses in some of those businesses" is a poor strategy, Canyon says in filings with regulators. In addition, Navient should have settled legal claims instead of allowing the suits to cast a shadow over the stock, Canyon said.

Navient ranks just after FedLoan and the merged Great Lakes-Nelnet as the largest student-loan servicers in the United States. But Navient is a publicly traded company, while FedLoan is run by state-sponsored PHEAA, the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency. Together those two service 47 percent of the nations $1.5 trillion in student loans. (Most student borrowers know them on statements as Navient and FedLoan.)

Navients customer-service ratings have been mixed. LendEDU, an online marketplace for student loans and other financial products, analyzed borrowers complaints and found that Navient had the worst record, with 2,239 complaints in 2018. Still, that represented a 64 percent drop in complaints from 6,274 the prior year.

Plus, Navient serves two different masters: student borrowers and public shareholders.

On the one hand, Navients mission is to service increasingly complex student loans, and much of its massive portfolio is backed by the U.S. government. Servicers have complained they arent paid enough by the feds to adequately help borrowers.

At the same time, Navient has come under pressure from Canyon and other Wall Street investors to spend hundreds of millions of dollars purchasing its own stock, rather than spending on acquisitions, technology, or better customer service.

Navients stock price has languished under Remondis leadership. After it spun off from student-loan lender Sallie Mae in 2014, Navients stock price has dropped 14 percent, while the S&P 500 has gained 67 percent.

Mission critical

Navients strategy has changed on the margins since the fight began with Canyon. Navient began buying back shares earlier than planned  $386 million in 2018 and $146 million in the first quarter of 2019.

Remondi on earnings calls repeatedly contends that our stock price trades below intrinsic value in the low $20s. And he admitted that regulatory issues also weigh heavily on the share price.

Attorneys general in Pennsylvania, Illinois, Washington, California, and Mississippi and the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau have sued Navient alleging widespread deceptive practices and predatory conduct. The suits allege that Navient pushed borrowers into short-term plans that postpone their required payments instead of helping them enroll in plans that cap payments based on income. The practices drive the overall cost of the loans up for student borrowers, the states allege.

Even Liars Poker author Michael Lewis recently highlighted Navients horrifying call-center practices in a podcast, called The Seven Minute Rule, in which its customer-service reps couldnt spend more than seven minutes servicing a student borrower, or risk being penalized.

Canyon, considered a savvy distressed company investor, and another fund proposed to buy Navient at $12.50 a share last year, but Navients board in February rejected the $3.2 billion offer, saying it was lower than the $14-to-$15 range discussed. The stock closed Thursday at $13.19. (down 0.30 percent).

Canyon has pounded away at Navients dismal stock performance over the last five years.

Responding in April, Remondi insisted, There is a significant difference between running a highly regulated, customer-focused service business and Canyons strategy of managing the student loan portfolio strictly as a runoff portfolio. We believe Canyons approach is likely to lead to reduced servicing quality, higher delinquencies and defaults, lower cash flow, and more intense regulatory scrutiny.

None of Canyons four nominees made it to the board of directors slate, but Canyon and Navient did agree to nominate Marjorie Bowen and Larry Klane. Bowen is a former investment banker and Klane is a financial technology investor and former banking executive. Management consultant Linda Mills becomes the chair of the board.

Under the cease-fire agreement, Canyon agreed to vote in favor of the slate nominated by Navient and call off its proxy war.

We can now return our full focus to building on our strong first-quarter result," Remondi said in a statement.

Bloated overhead

Analysts point to Navients high operating expenses, at roughly $230 million a year, at a time when the companys loan business is shrinking. To counter that, Navient bought Earnest, a start-up student-loan servicing company, a familiar sector.

When they bought Earnest, it wasnt a good acquisition because it added more employees and expenses, said Moshe Orenbuch, equity analyst with Credit Suisse in New York. Anything that causes them to be bigger in their expense base is a bad move.

Its also possible if Canyon wins a bid to cut costs, that could affect jobs at Navient. With thousands of employees in Wilmington and Wilkes-Barre, Navient earned $395 million in 2018 and $65 million in the first quarter of 2019.

Navient CEO Remondi, meanwhile, has profited handsomely.

In 2018, he was paid $6.9 million in total compensation, $6.4 million in 2017, $6.5 million in 2016, and $3 million in 2015. Over that same period, Navients share price dropped sharply.

Remondi had an entrenched board who did whatever he said, and he can get away with a lot, said another equity analyst, who asked not to be identified.

Based on its peer group of 16 public companies, Navient ranked 14 out of 16 on a net-income basis and 16 out of 16 on a market-capitalization basis.

Remondi often flew a corporate jet between Navient offices in Delaware and Virginia and his three homes in Massachusetts and Florida.

He and his wife live outside Boston, in the tony Needham suburb, in a $2.5 million home. They summer in Falmouth, Mass., on Cape Cod, in a $2.7 million home, and own a $4 million home in Naples, Fla., purchased in 2015.

Canyon Capital isnt the only hedge fund building up a stake. Barrow Hanley along with the mutual fund giant Vanguard and BlackRock each own roughly 10 percent of Navient.

Wall Street veteran Leon Cooperman of Omega Advisors expressed the hope and frustration of many Navient investors. He helped take Navients predecessor Sallie Mae public in the 1980s.

A few years ago, I was an investor, because they do a lot for society, but the government was beating the hell out of them, he said in an interview. He sold, but then started buying shares again last year after Canyons $12.50 bid. Cooperman now owns close to 500,000 shares.

We think its worth somewhere in the $30s, he said.

In the meantime, Navient continues to navigate two very different constituencies: borrowers and shareholders.DOVER, Del.  Democratic lawmakers are again proposing to legalize marijuana in Delaware after a failed effort last year.

The bill introduced Thursday is aimed at eliminating the black market for pot by establishing a state-licensed industry that would create jobs while padding state coffers with licensing fees and taxes.

We want to create a legal industry thats going to pay good jobs with good wages and benefits, said chief House sponsor Rep. Ed Osienski, D-Newark.

The bill would not allow Delawareans to grow their own marijuana for their personal use.

It has the potential to actually add to the black market, bill co-sponsor Sen. Trey Paradee, D-Dover, said of homegrown marijuana.

The new marijuana industry would be overseen by a state oversight committee and a Delaware marijuana commissioner, who would have the authority to adopt regulations and would submit an annual report to the governor and General Assembly.

Democratic Gov. John Carney, meanwhile, remains wary of legalizing marijuana for recreational use.

There are still unanswered questions, and he believes we should continue to monitor progress in other states that have legalized, Carneys spokesman, Jon Starkey, said in a statement.

Democratic Attorney General Kathy Jennings, however, is supportive of the idea.

People shouldnt be punished for smoking marijuana in the privacy of their homes, Jennings said in a statement. While important questions around the specifics of implementation  including impaired driving  need to be answered, I generally support legalizing marijuana as the logical answer to an outdated policy that has caused more harm than good, particularly in communities of color.

Under the legislation, adults over age 21 could buy and possess up to an ounce of marijuana, no more than 5 grams of which could be in a concentrated form such as that used in edibles and vape liquids.

The legislation calls for initial authorization of 50 indoor and outdoor cultivation facilities of various sizes, 10 product manufacturing facilities, 15 retail stores and five testing facilities.

The state would collect a tax of 15% of the retail sales price of the marijuana products sold, as well as licensing fees for each facility. Licensing fees for stores, manufacturing facilities and testing facilities would be $10,000 every two years. Cultivation facilities would pay two-year licensing fees starting at $2,500 and increasing in $2,500 increments up to $10,000, depending on their size.

Retail sale hours would be similar to those allowed for alcohol sales. The bill prohibits the use of marijuana in public and by drivers and passengers in vehicles. It also prohibits smoking pot anywhere where smoking tobacco or e-cigarettes is not permitted.

While the bill allows employers and some owners of residential housing  including college dorms  to prohibit the use of marijuana, Delawares business community remains wary.

The employer really isnt protected at all from liability issues related to the use of marijuana in the workplace, said James DeChene, government affairs director for the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce, which opposes legalization.

DeChene said legalization would have a significant impact on the manufacturing, construction and transportation industries.

Were worried about the impact on the tourism industry in this state and keeping our beaches family friendly, he added. Tourism is a billion-dollar-plus industry in this state, and anything thats going to jeopardize that is an unintended consequence of this legislation that I dont think has been taken into consideration yet.

A similar bill failed to clear the House by four votes last year, with the chief sponsor blaming opposition from the law enforcement community. Five lawmakers, all members of the Democratic majority, declined to vote on the measure, ensuring its failure.

That vote came after the original legislation stalled the previous year amid opposition from the law enforcement, business and medical communities. Bill supporters responded by establishing a task force to study issues surrounding legalization, but the panels final report did little to resolve opponents concerns.

Opponents have argued that legalization carries unknown health risks and would lead to more drug addiction and homelessness, affect school and workplace productivity, and lead to more impaired-driving accidents.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.Owners of some of Philadelphia's largest and most valuable buildings are suing the city over its 2018 reassessment of commercial properties, claiming that commercial properties were illegally and unfairly targeted. The case is scheduled to go to trial Monday, June 3. Read more

When Philadelphia reassessed commercial and industrial properties across the city for 2018, officials said the new values would raise $118 million in additional tax revenue.

About $63 million in taxes is now at stake as the city faces one of the largest assessment appeals in its history.

Owners of about 700 properties and some of Philadelphias largest and most valuable offices, hotels, and apartment buildings  including One Liberty Place and the Centre Square office complex  sued the city, alleging it illegally reassessed commercial and industrial properties in 2018 but not residential parcels.

A trial on their claims, which could affect Philadelphias valuation methods as well as the city and School District budgets, is scheduled to begin Monday in a City Hall courtroom.

Over about two weeks, Common Pleas Court Senior Judge Gene Cohen is expected to hear testimony from city officials, experts, and others about the 2018 reassessment and whether it violated the state constitution. In the end, he must decide: Did the reassessment unfairly target the owners of commercial properties? Or are they simply trying to get out of paying millions in tax hikes?

The trial will not have any impact on the thousands of other pending appeals filed after the city raised property assessments  and tax bills  for thousands of homeowners this year. But it is playing out as the Office of Property Assessment faces ongoing criticism in the wake of this years residential revaluation.

Thousands of tax bills are set to increase again next year under the 2020 values released in April. The Office of Property Assessment has also become the subject of a political fight between Mayor Jim Kenney and Council President Darrell L. Clarke. An independent audit commissioned by City Council found that the citys assessing practices are flawed and Clarke has called for new leadership in the office; Kenney launched a search for a new chief assessor and the Office of Property Assessment disputed the audits findings but committed to some reforms.

Pennsylvanias constitution requires that all properties are treated equally in assessments and that a county reassess all of its properties, residential and commercial, at the same time.

That requirement, enacted more than a century ago and known as the uniformity clause, is at the center of the property owners case. Their dispute is unique to Philadelphia because the city reassesses annually. Other counties in the state typically do so only once in a generation  Delaware County is currently undergoing a court-ordered countywide reassessment for the first time in 20 years  and spend a few years evaluating every property in their county, as is required by the uniformity clause.

Lawyers representing the appellants in Philadelphia say city assessors violated the uniformity requirement in 2018 by only targeting commercial properties. At a pretrial hearing Thursday, lawyer Laurence Shtasel of Blank Rome, which represents 300 property owners in the case, said news releases and officials testimony before City Council that year described the revaluation as only for industrial and commercial parcels.

The remedy should be that the city retracts those assessments that were made in 2018 for the commercial properties and move ahead properly with annual reassessments, said another Blank Rome lawyer, Peter Kelsen. This is not brand-new law. Its something thats been out there since the 1800s.

The city maintains that its assessments are constitutional.

Philadelphia, as the only city in the state that is also a county, has an exception that allows it to focus its revaluation efforts on one area or kind of property each year, rather than assessing each of the citys 580,000 properties annually, city spokesperson Mike Dunn said in an emailed statement.

Deputy City Solicitor Benjamin Field argued in court Thursday that the Office of Property Assessment did review all values, but decided that commercial and industrial parcels were under-assessed and most in need of revision.

We are allowed to revise a portion of the city in a given year, Field said.

Each side could have a valid argument to sway the judge, outside experts told The Inquirer.

The property owners appear to have a strong case because the uniformity clause requires that reassessments include all types of property countywide, said Mike Suley, a former chief assessor in Allegheny County.

If youre going to call it reassessment countywide, you just cant do it piecemeal, he said. "Its like painting a room when youre only painting two walls.

But Robert P. Strauss, a professor of economics and public policy at Carnegie Mellon University, said the city may prevail if it shows that it was correcting inequities. If the commercial values were so out of whack that they unfairly burdened other taxpayers, he said, the city may have the ability to fix them.

If the judge rules that the city was incompetent and has the authority to address its incompetency, then the question becomes what are the plaintiffs going to do? Are they going to appeal [to a higher court]? Strauss said.

The 700 properties that are referenced in the case saw their combined assessed value rise nearly 47 percent, or $2.7 billion, to a total of $8.45 billion after the 2018 revaluation.

The Centre Square office complex at 15th and Market streets is one of the highest-valued properties in the lawsuit. The property includes a 36-story east tower and a 43-story west tower, and increased in value from $247 million 2017 to $329 million in 2018; that 33 percent increase resulted in a new property tax bill of $4.6 million.

Such increases werent uncommon. Citywide, the approximately 60,000 nonresidential properties increased in taxable value by about 50 percent, or $14 billion between 2017 and 2018, according to the city.

Paying back the tax money if a judge rules in favor of the property owners, would be a great burden on the city, Field said.

Plaintiffs are essentially trying to leverage the Pennsylvania Constitution to avoid paying their fair share of taxes, said Dunn, the city spokesperson. By seeking to lower those values to what are in many cases 2014 levels, the owners of high-end commercial properties are trying to disproportionately shift the tax burden to residential property owners.

The School District of Philadelphia is watching the case closely, said spokesperson Lee Whack. The district receives 55 percent of real estate taxes collected citywide and also gets revenue from use and occupancy taxes, which are based on commercial property assessments.

Its important that we continue to have the resources to make important investments for children across the city, Whack said.

In the hearing Thursday, the judge gave no indication of how he might rule.

The question is, if were reassessing property, do we have to do it all at one time or can it be done differently and still stay within the uniformity clause?" Cohen said. The answer is, I guess well have to find out.

This story has been corrected to reflect the correct name of the office building at 1500-42 Market St. It is Centre Square, not the former Aramark Tower.In this photo provided by the United States Coast Guard, a pair of Sea Tow boats joins another vessel off Cape May Point, N.J., in the search for a single engine airplane that crashed into the Atlantic Ocean, Wednesday, May 29, 2019. The aircraft's owner says the male pilot was a regular customer who flew recreationally. (Petty Officer 2nd Class Ryan Keegan/United States Coast Guard via AP) Read more

New Jersey State Police have identified the pilot of a plane that crashed Wednesday off the coast of Cape May Point.

Lawrence Klimek, 58, of Howell, Monmouth County, flew the Mooney M20J aircraft, police said Friday. The small plane left Trenton-Robbinsville Airport in Mercer County on Wednesday morning and crashed in the ocean around 11:30 a.m. Police said Wednesday that one person was known to be on board the aircraft when it departed.

Police found the plane under roughly 18 feet of water using sonar. Klimek is presumed deadn and state police have been searching for his body. A private salvage company is handling the recovery of the plane.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board.Hurricane Harvey bears down on the United States as Rachel Hogan Carr, who studies people's responses to extreme-weather alerts, tracks its path on an interactive globe at Nurture Nature Center in Easton, Pa. Read more

For three very dark and dreary days last week, cell phones across the region became the pinging, blaring, digital version of Annoying Man.

They did not, like the famous Saturday Night Live character played by Jon Lovitz, swat and whine at us. But they all but dared us to ignore their dings of doom.

A POSSIBLE TORNADO!

A LIKELY THUNDERSTORM!

OH MY GOD A FLASH FLOOD!

RUN! RUN! RUN!!!!!!!

In the Philadelphia area and its sleepy suburbs? Our worst weather in these parts is heat and humidity. How were we suddenly Ground Zero for Climate End Times?

Our iPhones last week hit us with a hailstorm of hysteria. Alerts from weather apps sounded through pants pockets and handbags, desks and car consoles. So did a more ominous-sounding siren sound coming straight from cell-phone towers in the form of Wireless Emergency Alerts.

Recall how, in mid-April, our phones were all the chatter after our cell providers awakened us in the middle of the night with a Weather Service tornado warning that maybe half of us took seriously. Now this. I called the Chief Warning Guy at the National Weather Service. Whats the deal? I asked.

The weather, it turns out, isnt much worse than usual, he said. Nor are we getting more alerts than any other year, more or less. Its just that we now have smartphones  and access to the kind of real-time weather risk data that we previously lived without in mostly blissful ignorance.

The worlds not coming to an end, said Joe Miketta, whose actual title is warning coordination meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Mount Holly. Spring is, however, the busy time for really bad thunderstorms and possible tornado-like winds (though weve had only one deadly tornado here in decades).

Years ago the only way to get National Weather Service alerts in real time was to be so geeky (I know one of these people  veteran Inquirer scribe Anthony R. Wood) as to have a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration radio.

Now, though, you buy a smartphone, and the most severe warnings  for tornadoes, flash floods, tsunamis, and blizzards only  come right to your phone from the Weather Service (with an assist from your cell carrier).

Other alerts  including thunderstorm watches, tornado watches, flood watches  are what news and weather app providers decide to push out to us on their own. Lets call that the discretionary noise, shall we?

You can turn it off, Miketta said, but we hope people dont do that.  With something really quick or swift like a flash flood or tornado, youve got to take action now."

Problem is, I told Joe, its starting to feel as if these warnings are much ado about not so much, and people may soon lose patience in our All-Weather-All-The-Time media age. I reminded him about the viral video a few days ago of an Ohio weather forecaster who freaked out at viewers. Lounge lizards were complaining that the news broadcast had interrupted The Bachelorette to share that tornadoes were bearing down on the region.

Im done with you people, I really am," Dayton meteorologist Jamie Simpson said during a Fox TV broadcast. "This is pathetic.

The problem, or at least part of it, is that there is a lot of weather drama in our lives now. Its all over TV news, and now its all over our phones. And if just about everything is billed as a Scary Weather Event, only to turn out that it isnt, the human mind ignores it next time.

This is becoming enough of a problem, Miketta told me, that it has caught the attention of environmental researchers in Easton, Pa., whose job is to help forecasters figure out how to get people to act when severe weather is imminent.

I called the woman in charge of that effort, Rachel Hogan Carr of Nurture Nature Center, and just as a potential tornado-and-thunderstorm system was rolling out of Bucks County on Thursday and barreling toward her. Twitter was blowing up with alerts as we spoke. So was my phone in suburban Philly.

First of all, I asked Hogan Carr, perhaps half-seriously and half-jokingly, are you OK? Are you safe?

Ive got everything set to ding and dong, she said, so if anything happens Ill let you know.

Even before our phones became an instant-anxiety-inducing agent, people were turning numb to alerts, she said. When it happened in Joplin, Mo., in 2011, this proved devastating.

Weather forecasts went out forecasting the tornado in advance. But people took that warning info and did things other than prepare for that tornado, she said. "That was one of the most deadly tornadoes on record [158 people died, more than 1,000 people were hurt]. There were sirens that went off in the community that they had heard too many times and that they started to ignore.

As she said this, Hogan Carrs phone was blowing up with weather warnings. Shed already taken her kids out of school and come home. And as I joked, she soberly added that weather warnings, even if just more noise in a noisy digital age, are no joke.

We know," she said, that the forecaster who pulled that trigger has a very serious sense that there is an actual imminent threat.The Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania, whose offices have been in Philadelphia for centuries, is moving to St. John's Episcopal Church in Norristown. Read more

Ever since 1784, the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania has been headquartered in Philadelphia, most recently leading its 134 churches from offices adjacent to the denominations cathedral in University City.

This fall, however, the diocese, which represents 40,000 parishioners in the five-county Philadelphia area, will move its administrative base to the suburbs  to a Norristown church that was closed nearly four years ago.

The new headquarters will be St. Johns Episcopal Church, a Gothic-style cathedral steps away from the Montgomery County courthouse. The diocese also will set up a satellite office in Philadelphia at St. Stephens Episcopal Church, another congregation that had earlier closed its doors but is now reopened as a community resource center.

The Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral in University City will remain the worship center of the diocese.

Officials of the diocese and Cathedral Close Inc., the entity that operates the cathedral and the adjacent building, were unable to reach an agreement that would extend their five-year lease. Before settling in University City, Episcopal offices had been in Society Hill and Germantown.

We were not able to take on even the slightest [rent] increase, diocesan officials said in a statement. This move will help the diocese save a significant amount of money, provide more life and stability for St. Johns and extend our ability to focus on ministry. The new location also has ample space for meetings, is easily accessible, and has free parking.

Bishop Daniel Gutierrez maintained that the move was not just financially prudent, but one that he expects to inject new life into two churches that were shuttered in the wake of dwindling membership and resources.

St. Johns closed in 2015 and St. Stephens in 2016, before the bishop joined the diocese.

For St. Stephens, located at 10th and Ludlow Streets, Gutierrez has defined a community-oriented mission  with no Sunday services  in a busy Center City neighborhood; he envisions it also partnering with nearby hospitals and becoming a training center for deacons. At. St. Johns, the bishop touts the benefits of being headquartered at a church that is centrally located in the region, with a growing and diverse population that he says could be a launching pad" for a nimble church equipped to serve into the future.

I decided to open [them] because I have belief in the transformative power of Jesus Christ," Gutierrez said. "I have this profound belief that people in this day and age are bombarded by messages of negativity and loneliness and [are experiencing] a lack of community. We have a message that offers hope. "A woman who did not wish to be identified writes a note on the back of a cross for Michelle Langer, a victim of a mass shooting at a municipal building in Virginia Beach, Va., at a nearby makeshift memorial, Sunday, June 2, 2019. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky) Read more

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (AP)  The gunman who attacked his colleagues at a Virginia Beach government office building resigned by email hours before the shooting, a city official said Sunday as authorities sought a motive in the assault that killed 12 people.

Officials gave no indication why 40-year-old DeWayne Craddock had notified a superior of his intention to leave his job as a civil engineer in the utilities department. He was an employee "in good standing" and showed "satisfactory" job performance, City Manager Dave Hansen said.

Police Chief James Cervera described a chaotic scene as officers entered the building and pursued the assailant through a tightly packed warren of offices that the chief likened to a maze or a honeycomb. They exchanged fire in a protracted gunbattle. Cervera did not know how many rounds were fired but said it was "well into the double digits."

"In the police world, anything more than three to five shots is a long gunbattle," he said.

At one point, the suspect fired at officers through a door and a wall and hit one officer, who was saved by a bulletproof vest. Then the firing stopped, and police realized the gunman was holed up in an office.

When they got into the office, they took the wounded shooter into custody and gave him first aid, Cervera said. He was taken from the scene by ambulance 36 minutes after officers arrived and died at a hospital. A medical examiner will determine whether he was killed by an officer's bullet or his own, the chief said.

There was no indication he targeted anyone specifically. Cervera said investigators are retracing the gunman's activities on the day of the attack, using his electronic keycard to track his movements through secure areas of the building. They are also reviewing his personal and professional lives trying to find a motive.

"Right now we do not have anything glaring," he said. "There's nothing that hits you right between the eyes. But we are working on it."

Craddock appeared to have had no felony record, making him eligible to purchase guns. Government investigators identified two .45-caliber pistols used in the attack, and all indicators were that he purchased them legally in 2016 and 2018, said Ashan Benedict, the regional special agent for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. The police chief said at least one had a noise suppressor.

City officials uttered the gunman's name just once and said they would not mention it again.

Officers found victims throughout the building, on three floors. Among the dead were four other engineers who worked to maintain streets and protect wetlands and three right-of-way agents who reviewed property lines. Others included an account clerk, a technician, an administrative assistant and a special projects coordinator. In all, they had served the city of Virginia Beach for more than 150 years.

The 12th fatality was a contractor who was in the building seeking a permit.

At least four other people who were wounded remained hospitalized in critical condition Sunday.

A handwritten note was posted Saturday at the suspect's home expressing condolences to the shooting victims on behalf of his family. Co-workers described him as quiet, nice and polite, and neighbors said he was into cars and bodybuilding.

Two city workers said Sunday that they are lucky to be alive after coming face-to-face with the gunman during his rampage.

Terry Inman, an account clerk in the city's public utilities department, said he turned around and saw Craddock standing there with a gun. Inman said he told him, "DeWayne, stop!"

"He turned and looked straight at me, but he didn't see me. He looked straight in my face, and he did not see me standing there because he didn't raise the gun. He didn't even make an indication that he saw anyone there," Inman told The Associated Press. "To me, that was the Holy Spirit inflecting something on that man to the point where he didn't see Terry Inman standing there."

Inman's colleague, Ned Carlstrom, crossed paths with the gunman three times and made eye contact twice. He can only guess that Craddock spared him because they parked near each other and often had lighthearted conversations during the morning walk to the building.

"He had the gun down at his side. He was so close to me. He swung his arm out. He damn near hit me with the gun. That's how close we were," Carlstrom said. "But he never raised the gun at me. He looked up at me briefly."

Inman said he did not know of any turmoil in Craddock's life.

"It's so cotton-picking cliche you almost hate to say it, but he has always been rock-solid kind of positive guy. He always had a smile on his face," Inman said. "Nothing in (his) character would cause you to think, 'This guy is going to come in and kill 11 of my colleagues ... 12 people that work in the same building.'"

___

Kunzelman reported form Chesapeake, Virginia. Associated Press writers Regina Garcia Cano, Michael Biesecker, Michael Balsamo and Eric Tucker in Washington, D.C., also contributed to this report.Pennsylvania State Sens. Steve Santarsiero, left, and Art Hawood, right, inspect a rooftop solar installation along with Mark Bortman, the founder of Exact Solar, a Bucks County installer. Santarsiero and Haywood, along with State Sen. Tom Killion, are sponsoring a bill to increase renewable power incentives in Pennsylvania. Read more

The debate over Pennsylvanias proposed $500 million nuclear rescue package pits the natural gas and nuclear industries in an epic struggle between the states two energy giants. But renewable power advocates believe they hold the swing vote in a tight battle, and they want a seat at the table.

Several Philadelphia area legislators were set to introduce bills that will dramatically increase the share of solar and wind power included in any electricity sold in the state, which they say would strengthen support for green energy in the current Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards law (AEPS).

The time is now, while youre talking about the nuclear bill, to start talking about where do we want to be by 2030 and 2050 in terms of solar and wind in Pennsylvania, because otherwise, were going to be left behind, said State Rep. Steve McCarter, (D., Montgomery), who is sponsoring a house version of the legislation.

The green-power bills would require renewable energy to make up 30 percent of all power sold in the state by 2030, up from the current law that sets a target of 8 percent by 2021. That would put Pennsylvanias ambitions closer in line with other states that are leading the charge to reduce carbon emissions.

Solar energy would get a carve-out of 10 percent, an ambitious goal that would require a dramatic ramp-up from the current mandate, which sets a target of 0.5 percent by 2021. Three-quarters of the solar energy would come from large grid-connected solar systems, rather than residential rooftop systems.

Efforts to boost renewable energy mandates in Pennsylvania have stalled in recent years. But the composition of the General Assembly shifted leftward after the November elections. And divisions over a proposed nuclear rescue package that requires urgent action to avert a closure of Exelons Three Mile Island Unit 1 reactor create an opportunity for environmental advocates to leverage their power.

We have a proposal thats out there now on AEPS, and well see if theres an interest on the part of folks who are putting out the nuclear subsidy bill to have some kind of discussion about that, said State Sen. Steve Santarsiero, a Bucks County Democrat who sponsored the proposal, Senate Bill 600, along with Art Hayward, a Democrat whose district includes Philadelphia and Montgomery Counties, and Tom Killion, a Delaware County Republican.

Advocates of the nuclear rescue are unlikely to encounter unified support from Harrisburg Republicans, many of whom sympathize with the natural gas industrys call to allow power suppliers to compete unaided by ratepayer subsidies.

They need Democratic votes, and there are enough Democrats who care deeply about environmental climate issues that I think they wont be willing to vote for something related to nuclear that doesnt do something meaningful on climate issues, said Mark Szybist, a clean-energy advocate for the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Any negotiations over modifications to the Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards Act are more likely to occur closer to the June deadline legislators have set for a nuclear rescue. Exelon Generation says it will retire the 837-megawatt Dauphin County reactor, which employs nearly 700 people, if state support is not approved by June.

Its all about timing," said Killion, the Republican sponsor of the renewable energy expansion." Sometimes if you merge different issues that bring legislators together  somebody who may want a nuke bill but may not have been in favor of voting for an expansion of the AEPS  all of a sudden the two are combined. Its all about math, getting the votes for passage.

Under the 2004 AEPS act, alternative energy power generators are rewarded with an increasing number of credits each year based upon energy produced. Electric utilities and other retail power suppliers pass along the costs to consumers in their electric bills.

The consumer cost of the proposed 30-percent renewable energy mandate is unclear because the prices are market-based. In 2017, the AEPS mandate cost consumers about $122.7 million, or 0.7 percent of the statewide customer cost of electricity, according to a Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission report. The PUC estimates that costs will decrease to $103.7 million by 2017 because more alternative generators will be producing.

The cost is what the cost is going to be, said McCarter. The cost to do nothing is going to be a lot more, just in medical costs and the destruction of our state from climate.

The current AEPS assigns 18 percent of the market to two tiers of power producers by 2021. The first tier reserves 8 percent of the market for renewable producers including wind, low-impact hydro, geothermal, biogas, and wood waste, and includes a 0.5 percent market share for solar photovoltaic producers.

A second tier sets aside 10 percent of the market for alternative power producers, including large-scale hydro, waste-coal generators, and power plants that burn solid waste.

The renewable energy proposals introduced this week would increase the share of Tier I power sources to 30 percent, but would not change the 10 percent share for the second tier.

The law allows alternative power producers from outside Pennsylvania to get credits, so Pennsylvania generators actually received only 48.4 percent of the subsidies customers paid in 2017, according to the PUC. The law was changed in late 2017 to limit the solar credits to Pennsylvania producers, but out-of-state producers still qualify for other Pennsylvania renewable credits.

As with the current law, the amount of renewable energy required would increase each year, and the market price for the renewable energy credits would fluctuate, depending upon the available supply of qualifying power produced. If supply is insufficient, the price of the credits rises, and incentivizes producers to erect more wind turbines or install more solar panels.

The proposals to boost renewable energy mandates and its counterpart to subsidize nuclear industry are among several bills that would modify the AEPS. One proposal by State Rep. Jason Ortitay (R., Allegheny) would eliminate the AEPS subsidies altogether, and allow competition to determine which producers would prevail.

The nuclear rescue bills, which are now undergoing hearings, would create a third category of energy credits amounting to about 50 percent of the states current power demand. The bills include upper and lower limits on the price of credits, which set the annual cost to customers at about $500 million, or $3 billion over the six-year commitment that power producers would make as part of the deal.

The high cost of the nuclear subsidies, and the fact that much of the money would go to reactors that are currently profitable, has created considerable unease among legislators, according to discussions at public hearings on the proposals.

Its kind of a hard sell in the legislature to get them to pay a half-billion of dollars of ratepayer money, said Rob Altenburg, director of the PennFuture Energy Center, an environmental advocacy group. To get something that passes, there would have to be some way of scaling down that ask, whether through a means test, or just a more limited support for nuclear plants.

But the nuclear rescue bills sponsors, as well as the states three nuclear power generators, are adamant about framing the subsidies as a reward for nuclears zero-carbon production, not as a financial bailout for Three Mile Island and Beaver Valley Power Station, which owner FirstEnergy Corp. has promised to shut down by 2021 without state support.String Theory Schools, which runs the Philadelphia Performing Arts Charter on Vine Street, has been preparing to expand. (STEPHANIE AARONSON/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER) Read more

In its bid to open a third charter school in Philadelphia, the arts-centered String Theory Schools has encountered roadblocks from district officials who cite its mixed success.

But the charter operator has been extending its reach elsewhere  in the consulting business. It has signed a $60,000-a-month contract to help rescue the Charter High School for Architecture and Design, a 20-year-old charter in danger of being closed by the School District.

The struggling school, known as CHAD, is also prepared to hand over its management to String Theory, a nonprofit led by mother and son Angela and Jason Corosanite.

A proposed agreement would send 8 percent of the charters payments annually from the School District  which provides the bulk of its $8.7 million budget  to the company. String Theory and CHAD are represented by the same lawyer, David Annecharico of Sand & Saidel.

The arrangement provides a window into how charter schools are run; the degree to which the publicly funded schools, which educate one-third of Philadelphia public school students, are independent; the role of outside management organizations; and the extent to which the School District has authority over how the tax dollars that underwrite the schools budgets are spent.

While the district requires charter schools to get approval before hiring a manager, CHAD was able to sign the consulting contract on its own.

The arrangement could be a very lucrative deal for Angela and String Theory, especially over time, said Gary Miron, a professor of educational leadership, research, and technology at Western Michigan University who has studied charter management agreements.

For CHAD, the hope is that String Theorys involvement will help the charter stay open. A district evaluation last year found declining test scores and attendance, noncompliance with special-education requirements, and financial issues.

But the school board is moving ahead with the nonrenewal process, with hearings scheduled to begin June 12.

How CHAD might afford outside management is unclear. The charter is currently paying String Theorys consulting fees with $250,000 pledged by a benefactor, said Lance Rothstein, the president of CHADs board of trustees.

But it hasnt received the School Districts permission to hire String Theory as a manager  a proposal Rothstein said CHAD leaders floated in an effort to persuade the district they were serious about making changes.

CHADs board was doing everything in its power to save" the school, Rothstein said. If it meant that we needed to hire an EMO [education management organization] to do it  we were going to do it."

District spokesperson Megan Lello said it had "never received nor reviewed an amendment request for partnership with String Theory from CHAD.

How many charter schools are run by management organizations seems to be an open question. The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools said management organizations ran 35 percent of charters in 2016-17. Miron, in data he will publish this year, puts the number of EMO-run charters closer to half.

String Theorys leaders say management companies like theirs are necessary in an era of strict compliance requirements.

If charters "were to hire people to do what we do, they wouldnt be able to stay open, Angela Corosanite said. Because they couldnt afford the amount of people they need.

The organizations serve another purpose, Miron said, as "the vehicle for growth of charters. They attract philanthropic money, and districts that authorize charter schools may also approve "because the applications are complete. Theyve followed all the regulations, he said.

But the companies arent necessarily subject to the same requirements governing public schools. Their agreements can give them ownership of lesson plans and other assets, making it difficult for charters to ever end the management relationships, Miron said. And fee structures allow them to profit heavily, he said.

While CHADs board considered a number of management companies in Philadelphia, most would have required that you take on their flavor, Rothstein said. The board considered proposals from String Theory and American Paradigm Schools, which operates five city charters, and decided that String Theory fit best with its design-focused model.

String Theory, meanwhile, has been eager to expand. The organization, which says it began in 2011 and runs two charter schools, both in Philadelphia, spent two years distilling its model to six design elements" that staff are given on lanyards  including Pathways to Passion," Activator Culture, and Our Magic!

This model actually came from some folks we worked with that were involved in helping Ritz-Carlton grow and expand internationally, Jason Corosanite said.

The school board in February denied String Theorys application to open a third school in Philadelphia.

While String Theory reapplied in April for the Joan Myers Brown Academy in West Philadelphia, the district cited issues with the revised application, describing the curriculum as lacking and the schools relationship with String Theory as inconsistently described."

It also questioned the organizations statement that the growth of its existing charter schools  Philadelphia Performing Arts, a K-12 school that began in 2000 as an elementary and now enrolls 2,500; and Philadelphia Charter for Arts and Sciences, a former district elementary turned over to String Theory in 2012  bolstered its standing as a model for replication.

String Theory has had mixed success with those schools, the district said in its evaluation report. (The district is recommending the five-year renewal of String Theorys Performing Arts charter.)

Corosanite said the district was going to find a reason to say no to the proposal. He said the school boards February votes denying three charter schools represented a practical moratorium on new charters.

We want to give Philadelphia the opportunity to say yes to this, he said. Were going to exhaust our opportunities here, with still an eye toward other opportunities elsewhere.

As of 2017, String Theory reported 34 employees and $3 million in revenue. Audited financial statements show it received $2.5 million in management fees, and an additional $530,000 in educational consulting fees. Annecharico said the consulting fees reimbursed String Theory for employees it sent to its two charter schools.

If retained by CHAD for a year of consulting, String Theory would net an additional $720,000 under its contract. It assigns staff members to evaluate CHAD across a host of areas: from executive leadership, compliance, and diversity to testing and assessment, data and attendance, and facilities.

Corosanite told CHADs board that he has to look at everything, said Lisa Roberts, a board member.

On a tour last month of the Center City school, which was founded in 1999 with the goal of sending African American students into architecture, Roberts and chief of innovation Andrew Phillips highlighted student work on hallway walls. Phillips students had deconstructed an e.e. cummings poem, creating models that represented each line spatially.

We get absolutely no credit from the School District for students design work, Phillips said. That drives me nuts.

The schools proficiency scores in algebra, literature, and biology all fell between 2012-13 and 2016-17, the period reviewed by the district.

Some students come to CHAD because they think arts school might be easier, Roberts said. But they dont necessarily have interest in design, she said.

Asked how CHAD would address that issue, since charter schools are not allowed to set admissions standards, Roberts pointed to String Theory and its performing arts charter school.

They seem to have made it work, she said.A view into the Bella Vista neighborhood in South Philadelphia, near 8th and Catharine Street in Philadelphia. The neighborhood's median assessment of a single family home is set to increase 8.4 percent in 2020, according to The Inquirer's analysis of property data. Read more

Hundreds of thousands of Philadelphia homeowners learned in April that their taxes will increase in 2020, after the city released new property assessments that increased values for three-quarters of residential properties.

But the notices arriving in mailboxes informing owners of changes to their assessments leave one important question unanswered: What is my new tax bill?

Why doesnt the citys notice or online property record tell me my new tax bill?

The Office of Property Assessment has assigned 2020 market values, which will be used to calculate next years taxes, to every property in the city. More than 389,000 properties will see increases, while about 81,000 assessments will decrease. But none of the notices that arrived in residents mailboxes indicated the new values impact on taxpayers bank accounts.

Chief Assessment Officer Michael Piper told City Council at a hearing earlier this month that his office used to include predicted tax bills in assessment notices and online, but stopped doing so. Thats because there is supposed to be a divide between the Office of Property Assessment (OPA), which calculates property values, and the Revenue Department, which collects taxes.

We want to keep that line clear, Piper said.

Councilman Mark Squilla asked Piper at the budget hearing whether that policy could change, so that the constituent would now know the difference of what this assessment means to them.

Piper said it could be discussed. Council President Darrell L. Clarke, who has been critical of OPA and is calling for new leadership, including a replacement for Piper, suggested he may use legislation to make OPA include tax bill calculations.

While politicians explore their options, heres how to calculate your tax bill on your own:

Start by finding your market value

Property owners can find their market values in assessment notices mailed by the city or online at property.phila.gov.

Among other information, the page for an individual property will include a box like the one below, with the valuation history of the parcel.

The value that matters most is the total market value, or the second column from the left. For the property below, a three-story row home in Fairmount, the market value for 2020 is $528,500.

Next, multiply your market value by the tax rate

The citys current property tax rate is 1.3998 percent. The fiscal year 2020 budget does not contain any changes to the tax rate, so, the same tax rate as 2019 will be used to calculate next years tax bills.

Heres a basic formula:

Property tax bill = assigned market value x .013998

For the home in Fairmount listed above with a market value of $528,500, the homeowner would multiply that value by .013998 to calculate the 2020 tax bill: 528,500 x .013998 = $7,398.

What if I have a homestead exemption?

Many residents have homestead exemptions, which amount to a discount for owner-occupied properties. The homestead exemption increased in 2019 from $30,000 to $40,0000, and Mayor Jim Kenney and City Council agreed to increase it again to $45,000 in 2020. That means homeowners can subtract $45,000 from their market values before calculating their tax bills, resulting in a discount of $630 under the current tax rate.

Below, the records for a home on Summerdale Avenue in Rhawnhurst show how that exemption looks on your online property record. Under the exempt improvement column, $40,000 is listed  but the 2020 exemption will be $45,000.

Heres the formula to calculate a tax bill for a home with a homestead exemption:

Property tax bill = (assigned market value - 45,000) x .013998

For the Rhawnhurst home below, that formula results in a tax bill of $2,375.

What about tax abatements?

The citys tax abatement allows property owners to wait 10 years before paying taxes on improvements made to their building, or on new construction.

Those discounts are also reflected in online property records. Below, a screenshot from property records shows a home on Cleveland Street in Point Breeze that has a 10-year abatement for rehabilitation. The taxable land and taxable improvement columns show portions of the assessment on which the owner must still pay taxes. The exempt improvement column shows the amount by which the assessment is discounted for the purposes of calculating tax bills.

Heres a formula for calculating tax bills for a property with a 10-year abatement:

Property tax bill = (assigned market value  exempt improvement) x .013998

The Cleveland Street home listed below, therefore, would have a 2020 tax bill of $1,628.

How has my tax bill increased in the past few years?

Philadelphia, unlike other counties in the state, is not required to adjust tax rates when reassessing properties in order to make revaluations revenue-neutral. That means that reassessments can raise extra revenue for the city even as the tax rate remains the same.

Because the citys real estate tax rate has been 1.3998 percent since 2016, homeowners can use the same formulas as above to calculate past tax bills and compare to their predicted 2020 bills.

The home in Fairmount valued at $528,500 for 2020, for example, would have had a $6,340 tax bill in 2018 before its taxes rose to $7,160 in 2019 and an estimated $7,398 in 2020.

For properties with the homestead exemption, tax bills prior to 2019 should reflect a $30,000 discount. Homeowners with tax abatements may also need to account for other changes, depending on when their abatement took effect.

The city also offers a number of other relief programs that can decrease tax bills, including a tax freeze for low-income seniors and a program for longtime owner-occupants.

This article has been updated to reflect an increase in the homestead exemption beginning in 2020.Mayor Jim Kenney makes his budget address to City Council in March. Read more

Hundreds of thousands of Philadelphia homeowners received property tax hikes this year  and will again next year  even though the citys tax rate hasnt changed.

How is that possible? In Philadelphia, an increase in a propertys assessed value also raises taxes. Other counties must adjust their tax rates after reassessments, and are limited in how much additional revenue they can raise by revaluations.

So whom should city taxpayers hold accountable if they are upset about rising assessments and taxes?

As the May 21 primary for mayor and City Council approaches, heres what voters should know about their elected officials role in the assessment and property tax system.

How is the tax rate set?

Council sets the tax rate, and can reconsider it every year.

The annual budget process begins with a proposal from the mayor, followed by hearings and deliberations by Council, which passes a budget for the mayor to sign into law.

Last March, Mayor Jim Kenney proposed a property tax rate increase. Then in April, homeowners learned that a reassessment of all residential properties in the city would result in tax hikes for many, even if the rate did not change. Council members, citing anger about the assessment spikes, did not approve the rate increase.

Even without a rate change, the Kenney administration predicted that the reassessment would raise an additional $85 million for the city and School District.

The process is underway again this year, and Kenney has not proposed a rate increase. But taxes will be going up for most property owners anyway. According to the 2020 assessments released this month, hundreds of thousands of properties will have increases, while about 80,000 values will decrease. Assuming the tax rate stays the same, the administration estimates that the changes will raise an additional $53 million.

Can Council do anything to protect homeowners from rising assessments?

While Council rejected last years proposed tax rate increase, it also has the power to lower the tax rate.

Councilman Allan Domb said Council should be more transparent about that, rather than simply pointing fingers at the Office of Property Assessment for its valuations.

If we dont change the rate, and we raise the assessments, its really a tax increase, Domb said. And thats the administration and Councils choice. But we should just say what it is.

Mike Dunn, a spokesperson for Kenney, said the administration is open to proposals to adjust tax rates. But he warned that the city faces rising expenses, including costs of labor, pensions, and contracting.

Adjusting the millage would require the city to fill the resulting budget gap caused by rising costs by other means  such as increases to other taxes or by cutting city services," Dunn said.

What would it mean for Philadelphia to be revenue-neutral?

Other counties in Pennsylvania are required to adjust their tax rates after reassessments, and have limits on how much additional money they can raise as a result.

Delaware County, which is undergoing a court-ordered revaluation, has committed to making its changes revenue-neutral.

In Philadelphia, that is not the case; the city reassesses properties every year, and because the city is committed to keeping assessments in line with true market values, many homeowners can expect to see increases as long as the real estate market in their neighborhood is strong.

Are the citys elected officials willing to consider revenue-neutral assessments?

Council President Darrell L. Clarke said he would be open to discussions about adjusting the tax rate.

If it calls for a lowering of the rate to accommodate our ability to keep reasonable taxes for our residents, then so be it," he said.

But he was quick to add that school funding is often the biggest budget challenge: If it were not for the last several years where weve had to put close to a billion dollars of local revenue into schools because of lack of state funding  our need to raise the rate would have been much lower.

Dunn said Philadelphias regular reassessments lessen the impact of rising market values in any given year" and reduce the need for revenue neutrality.

The mayor believes that mandated revenue neutrality is not appropriate in Philadelphia in light of this commitment, and in light of the enormous range of relief programs that mitigate the impact of property tax increases for our most vulnerable homeowners.

Alan Butkovitz, the former city controller who is one of Kenneys challengers in the Democratic primary, held a news conference outside City Hall recently to call for revenue-neutral assessments.

Theres got to be a balance to it, he said. Part of it is, you need to run the city on an efficient management basis.

What else can the mayor and Council do about taxes?

The city has a number of taxpayer-relief programs to help homeowners who struggle to pay their bills.

And in the wake of a reassessment for residential properties that resulted in significant tax hikes for many homeowners, Council members blamed OPA, commissioned an audit that found its data are flawed, and called for new leadership of the department.

The Kenney administration disagreed with the audits findings and defended OPA, but did hire its own consultant to make recommendations for improvements. The mayor also gave in to calls for new OPA leadership and launched a search for a new chief assessor.

Clarke said pushing for greater accuracy and transparency in assessments is a top priority.

Youve got to fix OPA, because the bottom line is, with bad data, which is what weve been getting, the assessments are going to be flawed, Clarke said. The thing we need to be focusing on is fixing OPA.

Asked how he can ensure that the agency improves, Clarke acknowledged Council doesnt hold that power.

OPA, he said, is under the executive branch.Mae Krier, 93, who lives in Levittown, strikes a pose made famous by a World War II-era poster of a character known as Rosie the Riveter. Krier herlself was a riveter who helped make B-17 bombers during the war. Krier has been working to get a congressional gold medal for all the women who worked in factories to build ships, planes, and armaments for the war effort. Collectively, they're known as Rosie the Riveters. Read more

She fought Hitler by day and jitterbugged at night, working to win a war and prove womens worth along the way.

Mae Krier, 93, is an original Rosie the Riveter, a catchall for the women who flooded factories and shipyards during World War II to build the planes, ships, and bombs needed to vanquish Nazis and a bellicose Japan. As it happens, Krier, who lives in Levittown, was an actual riveter.

Rosies are best symbolized by an iconic 1943 poster by graphic artist J. Howard Miller. A woman in a blue work shirt displays her right bicep, on her head a red bandanna with white polka dots. The copy reads, We Can Do It!

Of her riveting days, Krier said, We worked, we danced, and we slept on Sundays. Most of all, we were duty-bound."

With so many men at war, it fell to women to build up the nations arsenal. That opened a previously closed-off opportunity. "Until 1941 [when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor], Krier said, "it was a mans world.

 MORE UPSIDE STORIES: Kids need bathing suits at the rec center? She bikes to the store to buy them

Then, an army of women occupied the workplace, many for the first time.

These days, Krier and the Rosies are being considered for the Congressional Gold Medal, a civilian honor to recognize the accomplishments of an estimated 12 million to 18 million women, most of whom are no longer alive. U.S. Sen. Bob Casey (D., Pa.) introduced a bill to confer the medal last term, but it stalled. Another version was recently introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives. Its not clear whether Congress will act.

Political dithering notwithstanding, theres no doubt the recognition is meaningful, according to Hershel Woody Williams, a combat Marine who received the Congressional Medal of Honor for valor while fighting on Iwo Jima in WWII.

Without these Rosie the Riveters, Williams wrote to Congress last spring, we would not have won the war.

Since the mid-1980s, after Krier realized her kids didnt really know what the Rosies did, she has worked to get the women their due. Its bittersweet, said Cole Kleitsch, a Hackettstown, N.J., consultant who teaches civics. Women like Mae dedicated themselves to service, and have yet to be formally thanked by their country. Mae is an American hero.

Eager for recognition for her sisters in armaments, Krier speaks to veterans groups and active-duty service members across the nation as a Rosie ambassador. Often, she goes into her own pocket to pay for the trips when organizations cant underwrite her travels.

These days, Krier spends a lot of time admonishing Congress to act. There arent many of us left, she said, as she prepared to travel to France to participate in the 75th anniversary of D-Day this week  a $30,000 trip for her and eight other Rosies and friends that she helped raise funds for.

If we dont get a medal soon" she says, "all the Rosies will be gone.

On a lark

Born in Dawson, N.D., in 1926, Krier, whose maiden name was Burkett, was the great-granddaughter of Austrian immigrants who pioneered the Dakota Territory in covered wagons in the 1880s.

They came for the amber waves of grain theyd heard about," she said. But no one told them you freeze your butts off up there.

By 13, Krier had endured the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl, two of the most catastrophic events in U.S. history. With the money gone and farms blowing through the air, most touchstones of permanence had disappeared. And that was just a few years before the onslaught of Japanese kamikaze pilots and Germanys blitzkrieg.

Given the grimness, how did anyone from the Greatest Generation ever smile?

We just didnt have unhappiness, said Krier, recalling upbeat parents  her father was in charge of a grain elevator, her mother delivered mail. My two sisters, brother, and I had nothing but happy days.

In 1943, after school ended for the summer, Krier, then 17, traveled west to Seattle on a lark with a friend. She explained, The boys had all left to fight the war; why would the girls hang around?

The women got jobs at the Boeing Aircraft Company, where Krier first saw the B-17 bomber.

Ive had a love affair with that plane, said Krier, her eyes sparkling behind silver-framed glasses. Theres just something there.

Maybe it was the muscular aircrafts lines, or just how important it was, especially for the D-Day invasion. But the four-engine Flying Fortress, bristling with machine guns and laden with bombs, captivated Krier.

To help build B-17s, she drove endless numbers of rivets into the planes metal sheathing for 93 cents an hour  half of what men got. She kept at it for two years, helping fill the skies with machines that saved the world.

Hitler once said American women were too interested in makeup to work, Krier said. We showed him what American women were made of."

When her shift ended at night, Krier would go out jitterbugging. One evening in 1944, she met a Trenton guy named Norman Krier, who was in the Navy. They came in second in a dance contest, fell in love, then married in 1945.

When the war ended, Krier said, Men came home to fancy parades but women in the factories got pink slips. Many of them were widows who were put out on the street. This angered me."

Someone once asked her, Did you go back to the kitchen? She responded, Yeah, and to the bedroom, too. Thats where all the baby boomers came from.

Dressmaking and feminism

Krier and her husband moved to Morrisville, where she spent most of her years as a homemaker. Norm worked as a machinist. They had two children, four grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren, and three great-great-grandchildren. Norman died at 93 in 2014 after nearly 70 years of marriage. "He was a genuine person who respected me, she said.

 MORE UPSIDE STORIES: These teenagers want to open their own convenience store. Heres why.

Ever admiring of Krier, granddaughter Lori Netland explained, My grandmother took a horse and buggy to school and now shes on Facebook every day. Netland, 47, who studied neuroscience at Temple University, is married to a radiologist and lives on a farm in Middleburg, Fla. Being a Rosie is a small part of what she is to me.

Netland said Krier introduced her to the writing of feminist Gloria Steinem. Shed tell me, By the time a man got what needs to be done thought out, I had it done.'

Krier taught her to shop flea markets, and make dresses and quilts. Shes sharp as a tack, filled with energy," she said. "The key to her happiness is to keep life genuine.

Military people love her, from grunts to generals. Veterans invite her to fly in their planes or march in their parades.

Shell go to the Pentagon and be hugged like a celebrity, said Deb Woolson, a curator at the nonprofit Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge, which offers educational programs on civics.

Krier, known for driving her red 2005 Chevy Colorado pickup truck around town, enjoys addressing students, especially the girls: I make sure to tell them, Dont think because someones a man, he can do things better.' I get thanked for opening doors for women.

Kriers home is filled with knickknacks, flowers, and innumerable pillows with animal faces, which she makes and sells. She displays photos of herself with the late Sen. John McCain, among others. She sews piles of the red We Can Do It! Rosie bandannas to distribute.

Im just having such a good time with this, she said. We Rosies lived through history."

"And, we deserve that medal.Celeste and Tom Revelli at Urban Village Brewing. The Revellis managed to pay down six figures in student debt and get married, while Tom opened Urban Village brewery with a co-owner. Celeste works as director of financial planning at eMoney Advisor. Read more

When it came to paying for college, Celeste Hernandez Revelli wishes she could go back in time  and tell her younger self to avoid all those mistakes.

Revelli is now the director of financial planning at eMoney Advisor in Radnor, and she creates interactive plans for financial advisers to help their clients avoid the errors she made.

Revelli grew up in Voorhees, the daughter of a nurse who emigrated from the Philippines. My mom actually wanted a career in finance, but that wasnt a traditional career path for women there," Revelli said. "So she became a nurse, and supported me and my brother and put us through college in the United States.

To pay for college, her mother, a single parent trying to do the right thing, went to a local bank and took out a federal Parent Plus loan.

What we didnt know was how much it would cost down the road, said Revelli, who graduated from Loyola University, a private Jesuit college in Maryland, in 2008 with $90,000 in debt.

Looking back, Revelli, 32, would have done things very differently.

I would have researched all the options for college instead of loans  such as grants, scholarships, and financial aid. Or perhaps I should have gone to a community college for two years. I would have looked much more closely at the costs ahead of time, calculated the loan repayment schedule. Now thats what I do for financial advisers" at eMoney Advisor, she said.

When she met her husband, Tom Revelli, he had a balance of $60,000 in school loans from the Art Institute of Philadelphia.

Neither of their parents had college savings plans set up, and so we had to figure out how to properly apply on our own, and we struggled with debt for years after, she said. Obviously, we would have made better choices about the schools we chose and the tuition we paid if we only knew more.

In about a decade, the couple have almost entirely paid down their combined $150,000 in school loans. Tom, 37, has just a few monthly payments left, and in 2017, he and a partner opened Urban Village brewery in Northern Liberties.

How did they do it?

A lot of money that we would normally have been saving went toward paying down more debt each month," Celeste explained. She contacted her lenders and initially went on an income-based repayment plan. And after she started working, she put extra money toward her loans from a second job, which she kept until 2016.

She worked in financial services while also tending bar on nights and weekends.

Now, every dollar that comes in to our household has a job, she said.

She also got a higher-paying full-time job at eMoney Advisor.

We both nearly tripled our incomes between then and now, she added.

Prioritize

Saving was key. We knew wed have to save to get married in 2017, and a week later the brewery opened, she said.

Tom and I just only recently started going on trips out of the country together. Before, we would take road trips and other things like that, but I have always wanted to travel more and never really had the means or the time to do so since we prioritized work, helping out our families, the wedding, and the brewery,

Many millennials think that they should be doing all these things right, like having a grand wedding, buying a house, and taking amazing trips, because it is what they see on social media, when in reality, to pay for these things on your own, it takes hard work," she said. "For years, Tom and I both worked on weekends, many times with no days off. I would work at Buddakan or Landmark Americana [restaurants] after working my day job during the week, too. We missed family get-togethers and nights out with friends, but in the end we ... knew that we wanted to be in a better place financially.

Savings as a percent of income may not be realistic  at first

Instead of beating yourself up for not saving, start with as little as you want  even $5 a month to get in the habit, she said.

Another method is to consult with counseling companies, such as Student Loan Hero and PayForEd, which promotes less borrowing to start out, and budgeting apps such as EveryDollar.

When we budget every dollar, I started using sealed envelopes for funds," Revelli said. "For example, one envelope had student loans, one dedicated to vacation, rent, a new car, computer. Then I had a second job, so I did it in my bank account, or different accounts that allow you to name your goals. I paid off my loans in eight years, instead of the typical 10 or 20 years.

Her student-loan servicer, Navient was just OK, but I definitely had to do all the reaching out to them. I never got a note that I paid off my loans. So I had to call them to make sure.

Parents, ask a financial adviser  before borrowing

Consider tackling the student loan with a financial adviser before you borrow. Some may offer help, while others may have no experience, but you should at least request a road map.

Some advisers arent used to this discussion, and, typically, they dont have experience, said Adam Holt, founder of Asset-Map.com, a software start-up for financial planners.

I tell my clients that mortgaging their own retirement for kids to go to expensive schools isnt a plan," said Holt, who is based in Philadelphia. Its not yielding clear results in terms of their kids making more money. I ask them, Can you afford another $1,200-a-month loan payment on top of your mortgage, and your spouse not working? If they cant, then they are dis-saving for their own life.

Also, sometimes paying for college instead of saving for retirement sets up a damaging future family dynamic.

We walk parents through the scenario: Youre 65 and have to sell your house to fund your retirement. You do that because you paid for your kids college. If you ask the now-adult child, Was it worth it?, the kid may say, You shouldnt have done that for me. Now the kids have to support you financially. Thats the fallout Im seeing, Holt said.

Holt, 45, was accepted to Bucknell, with no scholarship money, and to Drexel on a full scholarship.

But I wanted to row Division 1 crew at Rutgers. So my grandparents paid one quarter, each parent paid one quarter, and I paid a quarter. I paid by working full time for four years at the campus center information booth, and rowed crew.

He then went to Drexel for an executive MBA, which I paid for myself on my Amex card while I was working and making a salary. In 2003, I consolidated that debt and my Rutgers debt into one loan at 1.5 percent. Im still carrying those student loans because the cost of that debt makes sense all day long compared with investments, say, which can return 5 percent annually. His $14,000 balance is now down to $7,000.

Know the true costs  not just the sticker price

While the median tuition and fee price for full-time students attending private nonprofit four-year institutions in 2018 to 2019 totals $36,890, 11 percent of full-time students attend institutions with prices below $15,000. And an additional 20 percent attend institutions charging $51,000 or more, according to the College Boards latest Trends in Pricing.

Alex Bottom of Los Angeles, co-founder of LoanBuddy.us, says the "We are empowering financial advisors and CFPs, certified financial planners, with technology to help their clients with their student loan debt. Understanding what happens over the life of the loan in a federal income-based repayment plan is complicated and LoanBuddy has made this simple through automation with our advisor-facing technology. The software start-up is also about to launch a direct-to-consumer version to help parents and students.

As for Revelli, she stresses some basics. Even a tiny savings account will pay off in the long run, forming the habit now and auto-saving, or adding a company match, she said.

Many millennials think they cannot save anything right now, and are focused on debt and living expenses, which is so understandable, as I was definitely not saving anything during my first year or two after college," she said. "But pay yourself, too [into savings], along with everything else, and eventually with hard work and perseverance, you will end up earning more money, having less debt, and will have even more to save.Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell says goodbye to supporters after losing the Democratic primary for District 3 on May 21. Read more

Jamie Gauthiers primary victory over longtime Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell wasnt just an upset.

It was an earthquake, caused by tectonic demographic shifts that could reshape city politics in the years to come.

West Philadelphias 3rd Council District, shaped by gentrification, created a changing electorate with fewer ties to the politics of the past. The more an area within it had changed in recent years, the more likely it was to vote for Gauthier, according to a detailed Inquirer analysis of precinct data, the most granular level at which election results are available.

Gauthier won by 12 percentage points over the seven-term incumbent in the May 21 primary. She did best in younger and more affluent sections of the district, drawing voters who have also supported other antiestablishment candidates.

The analysis also showed:

The better-educated the precinct, the more likely it was to vote for Gauthier. She won 80 percent of the vote in areas where a majority of adults have a bachelors degree or higher, while Blackwell won 55 percent of the vote in areas where fewer than 1 in 5 adults have a bachelors degree.

The higher a precincts home values, the more likely it was to vote for Gauthier. She won 79 percent of the vote in areas with a median home value above $200,000; Blackwell won 54 percent of the vote in areas with a median home value below $100,000.

Precincts with more longtime registered voters were more likely to support Blackwell, while areas with newer voters supported Gauthier.

The younger the precinct, the more it voted for Gauthier; in precincts Gauthier won, the average age of active voters was 41.8, vs. 48.5 in precincts Blackwell won.

Precincts that voted for Gauthier also tended to vote for Rochelle Bilal, who unseated two-term incumbent Sheriff Jewell Williams. And the more a precinct voted for Gauthier, the more it had voted for Larry Krasner in the 2017 Democratic primary.

Demographics of Gauthier's 3rd District Win In the Democratic primary for the 3rd Council District, challenger Jamie Gauthier defeated longtime incumbent Jannie Blackwell by dominating in precincts with more expensive homes, higher incomes, and a high percentage of college graduates. Click on the map for more information.

SOURCES: Philadelphia City Commissioners; Esri Demographics JOHN DUCHNESKIE / Staff Artist

Of course, messaging and candidates matter, too. Gauthier also connected with voters on issues facing the district and ran a more robust campaign than Blackwell, who was unaccustomed to facing a credible challenger.

But without that base formed by demographics, development, and dissatisfaction, Gauthier likely wouldnt have stood a chance.

Ten years ago to 20 years ago, the demographics of the district would have been much tougher for a challenger, said Neil Oxman, the Democratic political consultant and president of the Philadelphia-based national media firm the Campaign Group. But things have changed, he said. All you have to do is drive down Chester and Baltimore Avenues to see it  that gave something of a base that wasnt there.

Changing neighborhoods, changing voters

Blackwell has represented West Philadelphia for 27 years, taking over for her husband, who held the seat for 18 years before that. While its Council representative hasnt changed, the Third District has, with 6 percent population growth over the last decade and brisk development in neighborhoods west and southwest of University City and along the Schuylkill waterfront.

Even neighborhoods seen as further behind in development, like long-impoverished Mantua, have seen glimpses of gentrification. Gauthier did well there, where there also is a large concentration of university students.

The district as a whole has gotten younger  35 percent of residents are millennials, compared with the 24 percent who are baby boomers or older.

The basic story of the University City revitalization is the outward expansion of the core institutions of Penn and Drexel, said Kevin Gillen, senior research fellow at the Lindy Institute for Urban Innovation at Drexel University. Thats occurred over two decades and pushed deeper to the west and to the south, he said, while the northern part has lagged somewhat.

That matches the political preferences of the voters as seen in votes for Gauthier and Blackwell.

There is something to a new generation of voters and creating some level of agency for themselves and their community, said Erica Attwood, a lifelong West Philadelphia resident who chaired Gauthiers campaign.

She added, though, that a part of Gauthiers win wasnt just younger voters, its the more established voters, the black voters in the district who I think were fatigued.

Indeed, even in areas Gauthier lost, she drew enough votes to keep Blackwells margin down, ultimately carrying her across the finish line: Gauthier got an average 65.9 percent of the vote in precincts she won, as well as 40.8 percent in those Blackwell carried.

An urban planner who formerly headed the Fairmount Park Conservancy, Gauthier has said she saw the race as a passing of the baton from one generation to the next.

She largely ran on the issues that come along with those changes, including protections for renters (shes a renter herself), reducing or eliminating the 10-year tax abatement, and curbing the exclusive power council members have over land deals. She pitched herself as able to combat the negative effects of gentrification in the district, while also appealing  overwhelmingly  to its gentrifiers.

Blackwell, a longtime champion of the homeless and the poor, did less to carry her message to voters, new and old. She also was slow to raise money.

Councilwoman Blackwell had a story to tell that could have appealed to the changing district, said State Sen. Vincent Hughes, whose district includes portions of West Philly and who endorsed her. He believes the new voters wouldnt have rejected Blackwell out of hand.

They, however, dont have the full history  and therein lies the problem, he said. "You dont tell them the story, theyre never going to hear it.  What student is not going to vote for someone who fights for low-income people on a daily basis? I think thats a compelling story and a compelling message, but theyve got to hear it.

He also cited an engaged digital and multimedia program by Gauthiers campaign, something Blackwell didnt match. On the digital side, Blackwell didnt even have a campaign website.

But, like the district, Gauthiers campaign was a mix of old and new, combining digital ads and street teams knocking on doors.

She also benefited from the political action committee Philadelphia 3.0, which spent at least $300,000 in the three weeks before the election on mailers, field organizers, and digital advertising. Josh Kopelman, a venture capitalist who is also chairman of the board of the Philadelphia Inquirer, is a primary funder of Philadelphia 3.0. The PAC did not coordinate with the campaign.

Theres nothing sexy to this, said Trevor Maloney, Gauthiers campaign manager. He said the campaign targeted people who voted in recent primaries and those who became politically engaged after President Donald Trumps election.

Every campaign worth its salt is going to pull a likely voter universe, and thats what we did, Maloney said. I genuinely think this is all based on Trumps election. The surge voters tend to skew younger. They are generally higher educated than the average citizen, and generally more affluent. Were seeing this across the country, so its no surprise wed see it here as well.

Residents received upward of 20 mailers from Gauthiers campaign or from Philadelphia 3.0 in support of her, while Blackwell sent out just a handful  in the final days.

Gauthier "had a hell of a promotion [effort], said DeWayne Drummond, president of the Civic Association in Mantua, which Gautier won. Youre getting stuff in your door. Youd see stuff go up on poles, which I hadnt seen since the early 90s when I was 12 years old, Drummond said. I think the whole marketing piece and the whole internet piece made a difference.

Implications for a changing city

Other insurgent candidates have assembled the same coalition as Gauthier did in the district, such as Bilal and Krasner.

Gentrification has been happening in West Philadelphia for years  For University City, its a fairly mature process already, Gillen said  and other sections of the city are in the throes of the process. Its possible, political strategists and analysts say, that eventually new voter coalitions will form in other neighborhoods, driving political change in a city that has had a stable  or stale, depending on the view  political leadership class.

It also seems likely that the issues and concerns surrounding change will become even more prominent in the ongoing political debate over the citys future.

For instance, in South Philadelphias 2nd District, the primary campaign conversation was also about development and how to balance neighborhood improvements with keeping people in their homes.

The demographics of neighborhoods that overwhelmingly backed Gauthier match those of the neighborhoods that voted for Lauren Vidas, a candidate running against Councilman Kenyatta Johnson in the district.

The races differed in many ways  Johnson ran a strong and well-funded campaign and more effectively communicated with voters than Blackwell did, ultimately winning reelection by 20 points. But some of the precinct-level demographic divides are the same and reflect the broader trend: As the city changes, its voter base will, too.

And the right candidate, the right campaign, can capitalize on it, said State Sen. Anthony Hardy Williams, who represents West Philadelphia and endorsed Blackwell.

But you still have to have all the tools in place  a message and a candidate that represents that, he said.

Staff writer Andrew Seidman contributed to this article.Takeout has new meanings now that plastic bags have been found to take out all sorts of marine life and are found even in the deepest ocean trenches. This weekend three Jersey Shore towns are joining the movement to ban plastic bags. Right on!

Editorial cartoons from this week include: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.Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 2)  Six people suffered minor injuries after an explosion hit a yogurt and tea shop in Sampaloc, Manila, Sunday morning.

Police reported an explosion from a possible gas leak at the Yogurt and Tea House beside a water refilling station on Dalupan Street at 8:10 am. The injured persons, including a 3-year-old, were escorted to the Mary Chiles General Hospital, authorities said.

Initial investigation showed there were no homemade explosives recovered from the area.

This is a developing story.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So this is how liberty dies  with a hideous, utterly shameless smirk on the face of arguably the most cynical political leader in American history, as the warriors in his political tribe cackle with laughter.

The end came Tuesday in about the most out-of-the-way venue you could imagine: a chamber of commerce luncheon in Paducah, Ky., where Mitch McConnell  the 77-year-old son of bluegrass country, now one of Americas three most powerful politicians as Senate majority leader  was finally asked a question thats long been on peoples minds, about how he might handle an unexpected Supreme Court vacancy if one occurs during the 2020 presidential election.

It was in 2016, you surely remember, that Justice Antonin Scalia died suddenly and McConnell wouldnt even allow then-President Barack Obamas nominee, a thoroughly decent federal appeals court judge named Merrick Garland, to get a hearing. This wasnt, McConnell insisted at the time, what it looked like  denying Obama his constitutional power to fill a vacancy that was never questioned for the 42 (cough, cough ... white) presidents who came before him, and a naked power play to make sure pro-business judges set our laws for the next 40 years.

No, the Senate leader told us, this was about the highest democratic principles, that "[t]he American people should have a voice in the selection of their next Supreme Court Justice, while also claiming political precedents that didnt really exist. Three years later, McConnell is now telling us that the peoples voice is only audible when its Republican voters looking to replace a Democratic POTUS.

Oh, wed fill it, McConnell said Tuesday, unable to suppress his laughter that quickly spread through a room of Kentuckians who also see the lighter side of 21st-century neo-fascism. He prattled on for a minute or two about the importance of a permanent wall of judges which, in his words, cannot be undone. Thats just proof of how a U.S. government that fails to enshrine one person, one vote (neither in the electoral college nor the small-state rural dominance of the Senate) can  with the aid of McConnells ruthless realpolitik  create a judiciary that will control womens bodies while cramming pro-corporate pablum down the throat of a nation that gives more popular votes to Democrats running for president (6 out of the last 7 times) and for our hopelessly gerrymandered Congress.

McConnells comment got some news coverage, but not as much as it should have. For one thing, the Senate leaders amoral political cynicism has been barely concealed (if at all) ever since the dawn of the Obama presidency, when he declared the goal of what was once known, years ago, as the worlds greatest deliberative body was no longer to pass laws but to deny Obama a second term. And a lot of important news gets drowned underneath the Iowa-level flooding that is President Trumps daily barrage of inane tweets and increasingly dictatorial policy pronouncements.

But May 28, 2019 should be marked on the calendar of American history as the day that democracy was taken off life support and officially declared dead  because theres no longer even the slightest pretense of pretending that the ancient words of the U.S. Constitution, fealty to the rule of law, and 243 years of imperfectly upheld democratic norms matter anymore. McConnell and Trump  soon to be helped, no doubt, by the Brett Kavanaugh Supreme Court  are now in an arms race to see who can blow up Americas founding documents faster, through illegal wars and arms deals, tariffs by dictatorial fiat, ignoring subpoenas and now judicial orders ... all with that same knowing smirk.

Lets quickly review a couple more of McConnells past and probable future crimes against democracy, lest you think that was an exaggeration:

 For all the (justified) talk about efforts to cover up the extent of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, arguably no actor did more damage than McConnell, who in September of that fateful year explicitly blocked the Obama administration from warning the public about Vladimir Putins ploy and from taking stricter measures to stop it. (Then, in a cynical ploy almost as shameless as his Supreme Court flip-flop, he used Aprils release of the Mueller report to blame it all on Obama.) In 2019, McConnell is blocking bills that might prevent Russian interference in 2020.

 What does McConnell get out of his less-than-vigilant approach to Russian meddling in our democracy? One of his biggest donors (a whopping $3.5 million to McConnells leadership PAC) is Russian-born U.S. citizen Len Blavatnik, whos maintained close ties in his homeland and has business partnerships with two Russian oligarchs whove figured prominently in Trump-tied scandals, Viktor Vekselberg and Oleg Deripaska. McConnell recently used his Senate clout to get U.S. sanctions lifted on Deripaska and his large aluminum company Rusal, which promptly announced a plan to invest $200 million in a new plant ... in McConnells Kentucky. (His biggest home state newspaper wrote flatly that Kentucky might be going into business with the Russian mafia.)

 Since Trumps election, McConnell has taken a running tit-for-tat with Democrats over judicial nominations to its ultimate nuclear extreme, ramming through not just the presidents two high-profile Supreme Court picks but more than 100 federal judicial nominees (the vast majority of them white men, naturally) while refusing to even consider a slew of progressive bills like the Equality Act sent over since this winter by a Democrat-led House. These judges will guarantee for decades a legal order that protects the white patriarchy and business elites, in opposition to the will of the American people who are becoming ever younger, more diverse, and less enamored with the inequality baked into todays capitalism.

 Believe it or not, things could get worse. This week there were reports that  if the House carries out its constitutional duty and votes to impeach Trump after airing the evidence in public hearings  McConnell and his Senate wont bother to conduct a proper trial as was held for Bill Clinton in 1999, but stage a brief kangaroo court to absolve the president. That would be the equivalent of firing another round of bullets into democracys already motionless corpse.

The contrast right now between the two centers of power on Capitol Hill could not be greater. In the House, Speaker Nancy Pelosi  with her ability to keep a ridiculously diverse Democratic caucus together, both to win votes and support her leadership  has been Americas best traditional lawmaker since LBJ. But the traditions that she honors  as shown by her reluctance to confront the ongoing assault on the rule of law with Trumps impeachment  are those of the 20th century, and they are getting steamrolled by the lack of respect that either Trump or McConnell hold for the unwritten rules of the democracy road.

As McConnells stranglehold on 21st-century American politics becomes clear, theres been something of a cottage industry to discover why Mitch does what he does  to somehow find the soul inside this democracy-crushing machine. Within the last year, the New York Times Magazine invested months of reporting on McConnell, including interviews, seeking to find the motive. There was nothing there. The Kentuckians life journey from a young man who was ambitious but with a dollop or two of idealism  learning from a popular center-left war hero, Sen. John Sherman Cooper, hearing the words of Martin Luther King if not absorbing them  to a power-crazed institutionalist isnt unique, but his long, strange trip has been even more amoral than most.

Its pointless to ask why about Mitch McConnell. The only question that matters going into 2020 is how  How can McConnell be stopped? In the long term, his rise and his unholy reign pose hard questions about the very nature of American democracy and its foundation  whether the constitutional checks and balances of a Senate that gives citizens in Wyoming so much more power than their fellow Americans in California makes sense in todays world.

But McConnells assault on democracy can also be stopped in the short run. For starters, the Senate majority leader is up for reelection in 2020, and even if you dont live or vote in Kentucky, any American can donate or volunteer to help his election opponents. But even if that falls short, Democrats can end McConnells reign as leader  and make sure hes not thwarting the replacements for aging Supreme Court justices like Ruth Bader Ginsburg or Stephen Breyer  with a net gain of three or four Senate seats.

For anyone who cares about keeping liberty alive, beating McConnell next year is every bit as important as beating Trump. Thats why its so frustrating that the elites of the Democratic Party dont seem to get it. Rather than making a reclamation of the Senate the national moral crusade that it needs to be, the allure of the Trumpian reality show has sucked the top tier of potential candidates  Beto ORourke and Julian Castro of Texas, Steve Bullock of Montana and Stacey Abrams of Georgia  into the presidential race or related pursuits. Vanity and shortsightedness could leave a President Warren or Harris or Biden one vote short in 2021 of the progress that their voters demanded.

The only good news is that the 2020 general election is still 16 months away  plenty of time for the Democrats and concerned voters to shift gears, make the Senate a priority, keep liberty alive ... and wipe the smirk off Mitch McConnells face.Workers from Prevention Point prepare to give a life-saving dose of Narcan to an unidentified man who was overdosing on Cambria Street off of Kensington Avenue on Wednesday. Read more

On Wednesday, 24-year-old Emma Semler was sentenced to 21 years in federal prison for her friends overdose death. The Inquirers Jeremy Roebuck and Aubrey Whelan reported that in 2014, Emma met up with Jennifer Rose Werstler, a friend she had met in rehab. The two used heroin together in a bathroom of a restaurant in West Philadelphia. Jennifer overdosed and died. Emma, who brought the drugs and left the scene, was later charged by federal prosecutors and convicted of heroin distribution -- which has a mandatory minimum of 20 years if it involves a death.

Emmas story is not rare in Pennsylvania. In an effort to deter drug use, prosecutors are charging people who provide a drug that causes an overdose with homicide -- often called drug-induced homicide or drug delivery resulting in death.

Pennsylvania district attorneys use this charge more than prosecutors in any state. Three out of the top five counties that use these charges most often are in Pennsylvania. Lancaster tops the list with 66 charges in 2018 -- a shocking number considering the estimated 107 overdose deaths in the county that year. According to the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts, charges of drug delivery in death increased 1,267 percent between 2013 to 2017.

The logic that such charges may prevent overdose deaths is rooted in the false idea that people who sell or provide drugs and people who use drugs are two distinct groups -- the former members of a criminal enterprise, the latter, people who are sick and need treatment. But people who use drugs often share them, or sell them to support their addiction.

The Health in Justice Action Lab at Northeastern University analyzed more than 200 drug-induced homicide cases. In about half of those cases, the person charged was a friend, family member, caretaker, or the partner of the victim -- not a traditional dealer.

The irony is that while there is no evidence that drug delivery resulting in death charges deter drug use, there is reason to believe that they deter another behavior -- calling 911.

In 2014, Pennsylvania passed a Good Samaritan law that provides immunity from certain state-level drug charges when a person seeks help in the event of an overdose. The purpose of the law was to ensure that people call 911 when someone next to them overdoses, even if they are in possession of drugs. But according to Leo Beletsky, the faculty director of Health in Justice and drug policy expert, the Pennsylvania law is very limited. For starters, like all state law, it doesnt offer any protection from federal prosecution. Nor does it provide protection from a drug delivery resulting in death charge.

The state Good Samaritan law can be amended to protect against homicide charges; this change could prevent the deaths resulting from people who are too afraid to call 911. Only a national Good Samaritan law can prevent a harsh sentence in federal court.

A common refrain from politicians and prosecutors in Pennsylvania is that addiction is a disease, not a crime. But by charging people in addiction who shared drugs as murderers, their action tells a different story.A scathing 2018 Inquirer report on the dangerous state of aging, crumbling, and hazardous schools throughout the city prompted something unusual: a fast response from both the city and the state. Gov. Tom Wolf and the Philadelphia School District devoted $15.7 million to cleaning up schools, and later, the city passed a law requiring schools to certify they are lead-safe. But all that was still not enough, and now State Sen. Vincent Hughes wants to devote $125 million to repairing and cleaning up schools throughout the state, with $85 million earmarked for Philadelphia schools.

Crumbling, aging, ill-maintained school buildings with lead paint, asbestos, outdated systems, and rodents are not just health hazards to our children, but physical symbols of the decades of shortchanging the education of our citys children, especially the most vulnerable. Environmental hazards make them even more vulnerable, both physically and academically.

Hughes worthy proposal could cover lead and asbestos abatement, heating, venting and air-conditioning, and the removal of chemicals and toxins from schools, though the money will be far from a slam dunk. Hughes wants to fund part of the cleanup from an $828 million surplus in the state budget, generated in part by high tax revenues. But Republicans are already saying not so fast and warning against spending sprees, preferring to park a big part of the surplus in the rainy day fund. The fight for those dollars will be fierce. Never mind that in terms of priorities, children being in unsafe and hazardous public buildings should be considered a very rainy day.

Hughes also has an alternate plan for where the money might come from, that would claim dollars from variety of existing state programs and funds -- which is the equivalent of lifting up sofa cushions and collecting the loose change. We should not be nickel-and-diming the health of children whose public schools put them at risk.

Gov. Wolf and others have also suggested devoting money from a proposed severance tax on gas drilling to repair and upgrade schools in Philadelphia and the state. But a severance tax, which should have been imposed before the states fracking boom began in 2005, remains a long shot. Besides, those revenues could be needed to mitigate the future environmental impacts of this industry, which require more attention and research.

Finding the money for making schools safe shouldnt be that complicated. For example, since 2004, the state has been generating billions of dollars in slots and table games. A percentage of those billions  currently, about $20 million a month  is earmarked for propping up the states horse-racing industry. Since gaming was legalized, the racing industry has gotten close to $3 billion.

Last we checked, that industry was faltering. Three billion dollars hasnt helped. Isnt it past time for the state to rethink its commitment to horses?

While those who bet on horse races may claim bigger winnings thanks to state support, children are being exposed to environmental hazards in their schools that put their health and ability to learn at risk. What do we value more: horses or children?LOS ANGELES -- As the Phillies took early batting practice Saturday afternoon at Dodgers Stadium, reliever Tommy Hunter trotted in from the right-field bullpen and announced that he had a terrific throwing session.

Phillies manager Gabe Kapler is hopeful that means Hunter will soon be ready to trot in from the bullpen and pitch in a game.

Tommy threw a bullpen, a really good one, Kapler said. Hes feeling really good about himself, which is encouraging for us. Its going to be difficult to slow him down because of how excited he is and healthy he looks and how the ball is coming out. Quite frankly, we have a need for Tommy Hunter, so when hes ready, well be ready for him.

Hunter will likely throw another bullpen session during the Phillies six-game road trip that continues in San Diego on Monday. He could begin a rehab assignment when the team returns from its West Coast trip.

This was the second straight season Hunter was unable to make it to opening day because of an injury sustained during spring training. A year ago, he missed the teams first 20 games with a strained hamstring. This season, he suffered a flexor strain in his right forearm in spring training and has been sidelined ever since.

There are a couple of reasons Kapler would love to have Hunter back in his bullpen. One is because the team has four other relievers on the injured list, including free-agent addition David Robertson and top lefty Adam Morgan. The other is because Hunter can get left-handed hitters out despite being a right-hander. A year ago, lefties hit just .236 with a .317 on-base percentage and .739 OPS against Hunter.

Extra bases

Center fielder Roman Quinn batted five times in an extended spring training game Saturday and came out healthy, Kapler said. All five of the at-bats were as a right-handed hitter as Quinn has abandoned switch-hitting after batting just .230 in 170 plate appearances as a left-handed hitter. ... Nick Pivetta will pitch for the Phillies against the Dodgers Rich Hill in the series finale Sunday at 4:10 p.m.For 12 consecutive days, the governments Storm Prediction Center has logged reports of at least eight tornadoes daily, a destructive and impressive streak that constitutes a record  for now.

The fact that its been persistent is unusual, said Bill Bunting, chief of the forecast operations branch at the storm center, in Norman, Okla., "but not unprecedented.

Whats unique about this year is that we have had day after day of severe storms in the same areas.

Yes, that includes parts of the Philadelphia region. And youre going to have another one Wednesday.

He said a stubborn pattern in the upper atmosphere has been particularly conducive to setting off the severe storms that spawn tornadoes. On Monday, 77 were reported.

A tornado touched down Tuesday evening near the Chester-Berks Counties border, bringing to 17 the number of confirmed twisters in Pennsylvania this year; the annual average is eight.

As for the U.S. 12-day record, Bunting cautioned that the data are preliminary and that it would take a few months to verify the sightings. He said some of the reports might be multiple sightings of the same tornado.

In addition, it is difficult to compare the volume of tornado reports today with those of the past. He said the closest comparable period would have been an 11-day streak of 10 or more tornadoes in 1980.

The tornado streak of all streaks  70 consecutive days of at least one tornado touching down somewhere in the country  ended on July 1, 1991.

Tornado numbers generally have increased, said Bunting, but the levels of radar sophistication, human development, social media, and pervasiveness of image-recording equipment continue to undergo quantum changes.

As for the hand of worldwide warming, tornado specialists point out that tornadoes are idiosyncratic storms that get their ferocious spin from a complicated matrix of conditions.

Its not a cop-out, said Bunting. We just dont know.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Transatlantic deals between the US and Europe have fallen since the end of 2017, although activity levels in the US domestic market have increased. Can this be attributed to US tax reform? And what has US tax reform meant for transatlantic M&A more generally? EYs James Hume and Joe Toce consider these questions and the broader impact on due diligence, financing and post-acquisition integration.Kinsale firm Blacks Brewery and Distillery believes it has come up with a way for investors to combine their love of Irish whiskey and a desire for a market bet. The husband and wife team of Sam and Maud Black set up the firm in 2013, offering consumers award-winning gin and Irelands first and only rum.

They have now launched a whiskey investment fund that claims guaranteed returns at the end of five years. After investing in two copper stills, Blacks Whiskey Founders Club is giving the first 500 whiskey and spirit enthusiasts the chance to purchase their very own cask, starting from 6,500 and resulting in around 400 bottles of their own pot-stilled single malt Irish whiskey.

According to Irish Spirits Association figures, whiskey comprised 42% of Irelands beverage exports in 2018 and the figure is expected to rise exponentially in the coming years. After five years of maturation, investors may decide to have their whiskey bottled for keeps, or alternatively, if they wish to sell their casks back to Blacks, they will receive a minimum 4% annually compounded, or around 280 a year per cask, return on their initial investment, according to the company.

Mr Black said: It has a guaranteed minimum return that is better than any bank at the moment.

You can never predict what will happen, but we believe with the rise in value of Irish whiskey, there is actually potential for a much higher return. There are options after the end of the five years, on top of the guaranteed minimum return.

For us, it gives us access to capital as we try and scale the business, plus it gives us brand ambassadors. Well have 500 people that we have a good relationship with. Weve sold to commercial entities like bars and restaurants with options for co-branded opportunities.

The company has so far sold into Australia and into the US and believes there is a good market for bars in the US with co-branded whiskey on the shelf, tapping into the cultural ties with Ireland. He said there is a finance package available to include people who might not necessarily be investors or have the necessary cash to hand.

The company has struck a contract with a finance company. The interest paid on the loan could be lower than the eventual returns at the end, Mr Black said.

If 300 or 400 bottles of whiskey  which is what the average cask produces depending on the cask strength  is too much to handle, then Founders Club investors have the option to sell their entire cask back to the distillery at the predetermined agreed value with a 4% per annum compounding return on investors initial purchase.

Based on one of the casks available, this return equates to a compound annual growth rate of 4% per year or a total gross return of 21.7% for the five-year period, he said.

We are so delighted and proud to have been awarded silver at @londonspiritcom  Thank you to everyone for your support  Join in our celebrations and upload yor G&T pics! pic.twitter.com/fY1EOEuq7s  Blacks Brewery & Distillery (@BlacksBrewery) May 1, 2019

Members also have the option to extend the maturation for additional years and allow the whiskey to continue to mature and grow in value as it ages, the firm said. Membership is now open, with production due to start in January 2020. Members can request to be present in the distillery on the day of distilling or cask filling, and once a year will be invited to Kinsale for the weekend to visit the distillery.

It is a far cry from the Valentines Day gift that Maud presented Sam some years ago. She gave him a home brewing kit, sparking their passion for brewing. This hobby developed into an obsession, they said, and in 2013, Blacks Brewery was founded. In 2015, a distillery was added to the site and they began producing a range of Irish craft spirits. Currently, Blacks produce a range of beers, gin, and Irelands first and only rum.

Mr Black said: What Maud got me for Valentines Day was very basic, an almost entry-level homebrewing kit. It was my first introduction to making beer, and I fell in love with it. I enjoy cooking but youd spend hours cooking before all the food would be gone in minutes, to be left with washing up. But youd spend the same time brewing and it could last you months on end, and a lot of fun to be had.

He said the distillery is an extension of what was originally a hobby.

When we started the business, there were not a lot of microbreweries, it was before the big boom. We thought there was enough of a market to sustain a business, he said. Maud Black said the firm was established at a good time for the industry, which was then on the cusp of a worldwide boom. There were 15 when we started and around 65 or so now. A lot more came along the year after we started.

In that way, we were very lucky as we got in ahead of the curve and were able to establish in a lot of the larger retail channels early on, which made it a lot easier. Its a great time to be involved, she said.The Government has earmarked up to 9m to fund an accommodation block for naval personnel stationed at Haulbowline.

The news comes in response to news that up to 50 sailors are sleeping on board ships during their time off because they can't afford soaring rents and there is not enough proper accommodation at the naval base in Cork.

PDFORRA, the association which represents enlisted personnel in the Defence Forces, said it is very concerned about the effects this is having on them.

Defence Minister Paul Kehoe has instructed officials in his department to proceed with an 8m-9m plan to invest in an accommodation block in Haulbowline. That, he hopes should definitely go some way to ensuring there is adequate accommodation in the Naval base.

A spokesman for Mr Kehoe told the Irish Examiner: The Minister is eager for this plan to progress as soon as possible and understands the Department is awaiting further information from Military Management.

Meanwhile, Fianna Fail, the Green Party and Sinn Fein all said yesterday that pay for members of the Defence Forces should be increased as they are a special case.

Speaking on RTE's The Week In Politics, Fianna Fail's Stephen Donnelly, Green Party Leader Eamon Ryan and Eoin O'Broin of Sinn Fein all said the situation of defence forces members pay needs to be addressed quickly.

There is a broad political consensus that the pay rates need to be increased given the high level of people leaving the army, navy and air corps.

Mr Donnelly cited an example of an officer who was offered double the rate of pay to work half the hours in a factory compared to his earnings in the Defence Forces.

Mr O Broin said there is a real crisis in terms of retaining members as for every one recruit coming in, there are two or three leaving the services.

Fine Gael MEP Mairead McGuinness accepted more needs to be done but expressed confidence in Mr Kehoe, who she described as the "best man for the job".

The Government is awaiting a review from the Public Pay Commission but is highly sensitive about any recommendation to increase salaries for members of the armed forces and the impact it would have on the wider public pay deal.

In the Dail, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said a 2% pay increase for the public sector could cost up to 400m at a time when there are significant demands on the public purse.A 32-year-old Vietnamese woman charged with cultivating cannabis at Tinarana House told Gardai that she was forced to do it.

At a special sitting of Ennis District Court this evening, Thuy Thi Nguyen was charged in connection with the discovery of a cannabis grow house at the Victorian mansion on the shores of Lough Derg near Killaloe in east Clare.

More than 500 cannabis plants at various growth stages were found at the 16-bedroomed property on Friday last and initial Garda estimates put a street value of 900,000 on the plants.

The operation involved members of the Clare Divisional Drugs Unit, local uniform and plainclothes Gardai, the Western Region Armed Support Unit and the Cork Garda Dog Unit including the units dog, Laser.

In court, Detective Garda Seamus Doyle of Kildare Garda Station said that when Ms Nguyen of no fixed abode was charged with the offence, she replied: I feel upset and scared because they forced me to do it.

Ms Nguyen required the assistance of an interpreter in court and her solicitor, John Casey, said that there would be no application for bail at this time.

Judge Marie Keane granted legal aid for Mr Casey to represent the accused.

The cannabis grow house at Tinarana House. Photo: An Garda Siochana

Ms Nguyen is charged with cultivating without a licence cannabis plants at Tinarana House on May 31st last contrary to Section 17 of the Misuse of Drugs Act.

Det. Doyle said that at 10.26pm on Saturday night at Ennis Garda Station, he arrested Thuy Nguyen for the purpose of charge and cautioned her.

Sgt Aiden Lonergan of Ennis Garda Station said the Garda application is for a remand in custody.

Judge Keane remanded Ms Nguyen in custody to re-appear before Ennis District Court on Wednesday, June 5.

Judge Keane also ordered that a Vietnamese interpreter be in court on Wednesday to assist with the case.Update - Sunday, June 2: John Donovan has been found safe and well.

Earlier: Gardai appeal for help in finding boy, 16, missing in Dublin

Gardai are seeking the public's assistance in locating a 16-year-old boy who is missing in Dublin.

John Donovan is missing from Ballymun, Dublin 11 since around 11pm on May 28.

He is described as 510" in height, of medium build, with brown hair, brown eyes and has a scar on the back of his neck.

Anyone with information on his whereabouts are asked to contact Gardai in Ballymun on 01 666 4400, The Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111 or any Garda Station.Who would have thought that the scum of fermented barley would prove so attractive a substance?

Someone, somewhere in the mists of time discovered that if you distil said scum, you will have concocted a beverage with a percentage of alcohol so high (up to 90%) that it could blow your britches off.

The illicit substance known as poitin, or anglicised to poteen, was a staple drink in the countryside for many generations and provided a heart-warming drink for many country people, as well as a source of income. Its more usual method of manufacture was using potatoes, sugar, and yeast. If taken in excessive quantities, of course, it could be lethal.

Its manufacture was deemed illegal by the State as it deprived it of revenues, as well as posing a substantial health risk.

The British passed the Illicit Distillation Act of 1831 and perpetrators could expect heavy fines. The practice continued long after independence, however.

Remote valleys and mountains, woods, or anywhere deemed difficult for the guards to access was perfect to make it.

And where is access more remote than on islands? The myriad islands in Kilkieran Bay, Co Galway, was one such area where the cottage industry thrived and where the gardai launched numerous attempts to quench its fires  but it always sprang up anew.

The Connacht Tribune reported in 1950 that the Garda boat was too well-known in the area to arrive with the element of surprise and everything illicit could be hidden by the time they arrived.

No locals would willingly row the guards in their boats, so on one occasion two guards dressed as fisherman arrived and inveigled a young girl into thinking they were looking for a drop of the crathur. She rowed them to Inisherk, where they duly arrested some poteen makers.

The Tribune reported that as they approached the island they saw men putting barrels into a boat and going out to sea on the far side of the island. Defendant Patrick Folan was fined 20 in court. The poitin cost 18 shillings for a five-naggin bottle on the islands. And on the mainland the illegal spirits fetched 1 pound a bottle.

The guards were making little progress, but one determined judge, TG Burke, at Derrynea Court in Connemara declared in 1961 that Ill have to put a stop to this when sample after sample were produced for him. He imposed sentences ranging up to six months on several defendants.

One woman said her son had the measles and that was why she had the firewater. A man said his doctor prescribed a certificate to drink the stuff and a man over 70 said everyone was drunk that night.

In 1960, around 60 raids were carried out on the islands in a matter of weeks.

Around 80 gallons of wash ready for the still was captured  hidden in earthenware jars or barrels under the rocks. Poteen makers were undeterred, and so were the guards.

The Connemara Tribune reported in 1961 that all-out war was declared on the poteen makers of Connemara as eight complete stills, a thousand gallons of beer, raw material for poteen, and poteen itself were seized. A case in 1963 saw the guards engage in a five-mile chase around the islands where they eventually apprehended a Patrick McDonagh and a 15-year-old boy from Inisherk who had three gallons of poteen in their boat. Both were fined in court.

The wave of raids only seemed to increase the resolve of the poteen makers and they devised ever more careful ruses to avoid detection  including distilling on windy days when the smoke from the still would be harder to spot.

The raids continued in 1972 with 200 gallons worth 75 found on Inisherk, along with other quantities on the unpopulated Freaghillaun More.

Radical treatment was proposed in Galway council chamber. It would serve us better if we cleared all the people from the islands, said Cllr Patrick Collins in 1957.

Perhaps the harassment of their way of life got too much for the inhabitants of the lovely island of Inisherk. The last person left in 1960. A row of houses at the waterfront is the only reminder left of its few former inhabitants.

How to get there: Inisherk is near Lettermullan in south ConnemaraPeople who receive a fine for a criminal offence but who fail to pay up are, in the vast majority of cases, getting away with it and the Courts Service believes the costly enforcement system is increasingly futile, writes Security Correspondent Cormac OKeeffe.

At first glance, youd think the fines system appeared to be working quite well.

Over the last three years, between 70,000 and 74,500 fines were handed down by the courts every year. The average value of these fines per year was around 23.8m.

Some 64% of the money due in 2016 was paid, 68% in 2017 and 72% in 2018. So far this year, some 91% of the fines have been paid.

The figures relate to the Fines Act 2014, which came into force in January 2016.

The fines are imposed by the courts on offenders as a sanction for a criminal offence and are a less severe option than community service and imprisonment.

A system allowing the payment of fines by installment was a key innovation of the Fines Act and was seen as a way of ending the mass committal to prison of people unable to pay their fines in one go.

These committals created a massive administrative burden, in terms of cost and resources, on the prison system, and also on gardai, with the bulk of those committed released within hours or the following day.

Numbers soared over a 10-year period, from 1,089 in 2006 to a peak of 9,883 in 2015.

Since the introduction of the installment system, committals have collapsed, from a height of 9,883 committals in 2015 to 2,261 in 2017 and to 455 in 2018.

Courts Service figures show that 2,286 fines were paid by installment in 2016, rising to 3,240 in 2017 and dropping to 2,908 in 2018.

The value of fines imposed, in the respective years, was 991,000, 1.3m and 1.26m.

Ironically, the percentage on installment fines paid is significantly less than with fines paid in full, with 14% of the money due in 2016 paid, 15.5% in 2017, rising to 34% in 2018.

So far in 2019, 70% of money due has been paid.

Scot free

But this is only one part of the story. Documents provided to the Irish Examiner by the Courts Service show the flip side.

This relates to how those who fail or who refuse their fines  they are, in the vast majority of cases, getting away scot free.

Official figures show only 10% of those who refuse to pay their fines show up at enforcement hearings and that less than 7% receive any kind of sanction.

Figures show that a total of 34,767 enforcement notices (involving 25,474 people) have been issued since January 2016 to those who have failed to pay fines (there is no sub-breakddown for those who failed to pay fines by installments).

But only 2,424 of these enforcement hearings  a mere 7% of all cases  ended up in any sanction being imposed on the offender.

These comprised of 1,571 prison orders, 773 community service orders, 65 attachment of earnings orders (where money is deducted from income at source) and 15 recovery orders (where assets are seized and sold to pay the value of the fine).

But, in the remaining of hearings, the offender is untouched.

This includes 3,000 cases where the matter is adjourned, many of them because the offender has not turned up.

The figures show that in 33% of cases (11,526 notices) the matter is stuck out, meaning the case is dismissed, often because no prosecutor has turned up to prosecute the case.

In a further 31% of cases (10,835 notices) a bench warrant is issued for the offender.

The documents show the extent to which the fines enforcement system has been causing alarm within the Courts Service, which, in turn, has been informing the Department of Justice, for years now.

Plan of action

In December 2017, Courts Service head of operations for the circuit and district court John Coyle told Kevin Condon of the Department of Justice that almost 57,000 fines were awaiting enforcement as of October 31, 2017.

This figure was increasing by around 3,000 fines a month, he warned.

Having considered this position in consultation with the President of the District Court, we are now of the view that we must commence addressing this backlog of fines awaiting enforcement, Mr Coyle wrote.

He said they had devised an enforcement strategy, which, he said, had been agreed in principle with the president of the district court, subject to the availability of judges, and, in Dublin, of courtrooms.

The strategy would require special court sittings, particularly in Dublin, Cork and Limerick.

Mr Coyle said that if the strategy was successful more than 43,000 enforcement notices would be listed for hearing and that by the end of 2018, the backlog would be cut to around 38,000.

He said the likely number of bench warrants that would be issued at these hearings would probably put a serious strain on garda resources.

But by the summer of 2018 the strategy had hit rocky waters.

An email from Margaret ONeill, circuit and district court operations, to Mr Condon pointed out that special court sittings had been put in place where there was high demand, such as Dublin, Cork and Galway.

But Ms ONeill said that the president of the district court, Rosemary Horgan, had told them she would no longer provide judges for special sittings as she was very short of judges, with at least three on sick leave and one vacancy.

In addition, a judge in Cork was questioning the Court Services right to issue enforcement notices in light of a Court of Appeal ruling.

Ms ONeill also said that a judge in the Court of Criminal Justice had struck out 125 cases over two days after they were previously adjourned.

Complete nonsense and futility

Ms ONeill said bench warrants were causing major problems:

Some judges were issuing bench warrants that included a provision for station bail  ie, allowing gardai to release the individual on station bail rather than bring them straight to court but when the new court date was set and the fined person didnt show up a further bench warrant had to be issued;

Gardai in Galway appeared to have told local court offices that they will not execute any bench warrants which didnt have a date of birth of the person. Ms ONeill said that if the prosecutor, often the gardai, give court officials a date of birth on the summons application it will be on the warrant. If they dont, the Courts Service has no way of getting one;

Some gardai were demanding an out of hours courts to execute enforcement of bench warrants, which, Ms ONeill said, was complete nonsense. She told Mr Condon that there was still one judge who was striking out cases for lack of someone to present them.

She said one judge was insisting that notices be reissued by registered post to those who dont appear for the hearing.

She said that on the day she was sending her email that a man had turned up for an enforcement hearing and had paid his fine just before the court.

The judge asked him what he had paid as he was going to strike it out, Ms ONeill said. He told him to lodge an appeal.

Concluding, Ms ONeill said: Overall, an enormous amount of time, both court and office, is being taken up on issuing, processing and resulting these cases for no benefit to anyone.

Very few of the outstanding fines are being paid and, because the majority of people are not turning up for the enforcement hearing, no penalty at all is being applied.

She added: The whole process is increasingly futile and needs to be reviewed urgently.

In a follow-up email in September 2018, she told Mr Condon that over 70% of enforcement notices are accounted for by either a bench warrant or a strike out.

If we add in the adjourned which have to come back before the courts to be finalised most probably as bench warrants or strike outs, the figure goes above 85%.

She said that attachment of earning orders, community service orders and recovery orders account for less than 2% of all enforcement notices and just barely 1% of fined persons.

She said: The waste of Court/Judicial time and Courts Service time and resources is incalculable for a collection rate of barely 10%.

By December 2018, instead of cutting the backlog to a target of 38,000, the number of outstanding fines awaiting enforcement stood at 57,850, higher than the number at the close of 2017.

Documents also show the minutes of meetings of a high level working group, comprising officials from the courts policy division of the Department of Justice, the Courts Service, An Garda Siochana, the Irish Prison Service, the Attorney General, the DPP and the Probation Service.

The purpose of the group as set out in the minutes of the December 2018 meeting was to propose immediate stabilisation and improvement measures to be taken in the first quarter of 2019 to deal with the serious issues that had arisen in relation to the enforcement of unpaid fines.

Updates from the agencies noted the poor attendance in court, with approximately 10% of fined persons attending court hearings on foot of enforcement notices, a total of 12,742 bench warrants being issued and a backlog of 57,850 district court fines awaiting enforcement.

It said since the commencement of the Fines Act in January 2016 there had been a significant drop in fines revenue.

An Garda Siochana told the meeting they were not prepared for the volume of bench warrants they were getting from the courts.

Gardai said warrants arrived in paper format and had to be inputted into the garda system manually, with data quality being an issue.

The minutes said that while non-appearance in court was considered to be the biggest issue it was clear that the absence of a prosecutor/presenter was a huge problem for the judiciary.

The group was told that Judge OLeary in Cork had taken a case regarding the absence of a prosecutor/presenter in enforcement hearings.

The Courts Service advised that with the case pending an increase in adjournments should be expected.

It said the Courts Service had stated that the enforcement system was not working at all and wondered if some legislative tweak might help, such as giving judges the power to issue a penal (prison) warrant to a fined person who does not engage with the process.

The minutes said it was also felt that not having a provision in the act to allow for attachment to social welfare payments was a problem, a loophole that was identified and publicly aired at the time of the Fines Act.

The Probation Service noted that because enforcement notices were issued by regular post there was no proof of receipt, resulting in strike outs by judges.

Calls for more powers

At a further meeting of the group last January, it was suggested that a recorded delivery project on the next batch of notices would be useful, although it was acknowledged it would be expensive.

Gardai wondered if a notice was accepted at an address was it legally deemed to have been served. Gardai were concerned about the lack of data available to ensure the proper person is served.

The minutes said the group felt it was unlikely that the President of the District Court would agree to proposals for special court sittings to help deal with the backlog.

Gardai again said they were not prepared for the volume of bench warrants being received.

Some legislative proposals were suggested, including an offence for non-appearance at an enforcement hearing, a contempt power for a second non-appearance and an increase of fine and possibly a penal warrant where the fined person does not engage.

The meeting was told it would be several months before Judge OLearys case was heard  with the Courts Service advising that pending the decision an increase in adjournments and/or strike outs should be expected.

In an email on January 18 to Peter Mullan, head of circuit and district court operations, Tom Ward, principal officer at the CCJ, said the use of bailiffs to enforce court-imposed fines was a regular feature in other jurisdictions.

If its the intention to solve this problem, I think it should now be on the table that if the fine isnt paid within 3 months and they dont avail of staged payments, its given to a debt collection agency to seize goods to the value of the fine, Mr Ward said.

Mr Mullan forwarded that email to Ann Hopkins in the department.

In his email, Mr Mullan commented on a proposal for a recovery order in cases of a second non-appearance at an enforcement hearing.

But he explained that this was not an option under the Fines Act.

He added: The only options available to the court when a fined person fails to appear is to issue a bench warrant or a further enforcement notice.

The law

The Fines (Payment and Recovery) Act 2014 was enacted in April 2014, but the provisions did not come into force until January 2016.

The act provides for the payment and recovery of fines imposed on people convicted of offences in the courts.

The act requires the courts, in imposing any such fine, to take into account the persons financial circumstances.

The act introduced a number of new features including the ability for people to pay fines by instalment.

Where fines are not paid, judges have a range of legal options, including attachment of earning orders (where money is deducted by employers at source); recovery orders (where receivers can take the property of the person fined and sell it to pay the fine), community service and ultimately, imprisonment.

Implementing the act, the Courts Service said it had three main objectives: To support the administration of justice when fines were imposed; to ensure that the fines imposed by the courts were collected; and to reduce, to the minimum possible, the number of people committed to prison each year for the non-payment of a fine.

The Courts Service put in place a competitive procurement tender for the payment process, which was awarded to An Post.

A second award, for printing and distribution legal documents, was awarded to PrintPost Ltd.Sexual and reproductive health can not be discarded from international strategies for the sake of expediency, writes Francoise Girard.

Healthcare is a human right, yet roughly half of the worlds population  3.5bn people  forgoes essential health services due to financial constraints or lack of accessible facilities.

Universal health coverage (UHC) could change this worrying statistic. But if its promise is to be fulfilled, sexual and reproductive health services must be included.

The UHC idea is simple and powerful: guaranteeing access to quality health services, essential medicines, and vaccines, and insuring people against catastrophic and routine health costs, would reduce poverty and improve health outcomes.

That is why UHC was established in 2015 as a central tenet of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The SDGs also enshrine sexual and reproductive health as an essential condition of gender equality; without it, women and girls cannot control other aspects of their lives.

But sexual and reproductive health is often discarded from health-care strategies for the sake of political expediency, threatening to derail efforts to ensure UHC by 2030.

As it stands, women face disproportionate political, social, and financial barriers to healthcare access.

Their out-of-pocket costs are consistently higher than mens, primarily due to non-coverage or limits on sexual and reproductive health services, and they are often prevented by law or custom from obtaining care.

These barriers are particularly high for LGBTQI individuals, women with disabilities, indigenous women, rural women, and adolescents.

Instead of sidestepping the issue of sexual and reproductive health governments must acknowledge their responsibility to address womens needs.

They must consider the central role that sexual and reproductive health plays in womens lives, the integrated nature of womens health, and its impact on communities.

And they must design UHC programs accordingly.

For example, to reduce maternal mortality, it is not enough to provide antenatal attention, safe delivery, and postnatal care; women also need access to safe, legal, and affordable abortion services and post-abortion care.

Likewise, reducing sexually transmitted infections (STIs), such as HIV and Aids, is not possible without expanding access to testing, care, and prophylactics, as well as addressing the gender and power dynamics that increase transmission.

Other vital sexual and reproductive health services include access to contraception; infertility prevention and treatment; treatment for reproductive tract infections and cancers; and services to address gender-based violence.

As governments negotiate a groundbreaking declaration on UHC this year, they should place the full range of sexual and reproductive healthcare services at the center of UHC strategies.

Doing so would reduce the burden of disease and mortality borne by women and girls, while empowering them to control their own health and reproductive lives.

The result would be more women in education, paid employment, and politics.

If, on the other hand, world leaders omit sexual and reproductive health from UHC strategies, they will send a powerful signal that womens health and lives dont matter.

Healthcare costs for many women and their families would remain prohibitively high, and public-health costs would rise, as women sought treatment for the life-threatening consequences of poor maternity care, untreated STIs, and inadequate access to contraception and abortion services.

These expectations are confirmed by experience.

Turkeys Health Transformation Program was specifically designed to improve maternal health, and led to a significant decline in maternal mortality, from 61 deaths per 100,000 live births when implementation began in 2003 to 15.5 deaths per 100,000 in 2011.

Ghanas UHC programme, by contrast, was not developed with a focus on womens needs, and did not lead to meaningful improvements in maternal mortality.

A study of community health insurance coverage in West Africa confirmed that when maternal care is not covered, health outcomes do not improve.

The right choice should be obvious, yet many governments continue to resist providing sexual and reproductive healthcare coverage.

For some, its a question of money: They fear the costs of investing in womens health, failing to realise that those costs are dwarfed by the costs of inaction.

For others, the opposition is ideological.

In the US, where a number of Republican state governments have been enacting draconian anti-abortion laws, Donald Trumps administration, which opposes UHC, is stripping sexual and reproductive health from public-health programs  for example, by seeking to cut funding for contraceptive programs for low-income populations.

Given such resistance from governments, the onus has often fallen on civil society and healthcare providers to make the case for centering UHC on the needs of women and girls.

As the global push toward UHC intensifies, more opportunities to make this case are arising, including the recent World Health Assembly  where the Alliance for Gender Equality in UHC put forward a 7th Ask to give higher priority to womens and girls health and rights  and this summers political negotiations at the UN.

These events will lay the groundwork for the UNs high-level meeting on universal health coverage in September, where governments will adopt a roadmap for establishing, financing, and delivering UHC programs worldwide.

Governments around the world have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to commit to providing quality, affordable health care  including the full gamut of reproductive and health services  to all. Seizing that opportunity will require strong political will.

But one thing is clear: only by emphasising the needs and rights of women and girls can any UHC strategy be truly universal.

Francoise Girard is president of the International Womens Health CoalitionLiberal lobby groups and commentators in our part of the world tend not unnaturally to be pre-occupied with what they regard as obnoxious political and social trends in Europe, which means that undesirable developments in more distant lands, such as Brazil, attract scant attention.

Widespread dismay was the initial reaction of environmental activists in October last year when Jair Bolsonaro won that countrys presidential election, since when  in the name of progress  he has been getting on with the job of laying waste to Brazils rain forests and the indigenous tribes, also known as uncontacted peoples, which until now have thrived in the forests without help from what we like to call civilisation.Only hearts of stone would be unmoved by the enduring distress with which the son of Sophie Toscan du Plantier, murdered in West Cork almost a quarter of a century ago, lives.

To the pain of losing a mother in his teenage years must be added the frustration caused by the inability of the Irish and French legal systems, after numerous police investigations and court hearings, to have the case closed with a convicted murderer behind bars.

Unhappily for Ms Toscan du Plantiers family, however, the guilty verdict passed by a French court on a UK citizen resident in Ireland takes the case not one centimetre closer to closure, since it serves only to highlight yet again the fundamental difference between our common law tradition and Frances Napoleonic code which  contrary to popular opinion in English-speaking countries  presumes innocence until a defendant is proven guilty but nevertheless allows courts to consider material and circumstances that would not normally see the light of day in ours.

That was seen at the Paris court hearing that found the accused man guilty and sentenced him in his absence to a 25-year prison term, having heard no facts unknown to the Irish prosecutors who have uncovered no evidence sufficient to justify laying charges.

Particularly alarming was the decision by the three French judges, sitting without a jury, to hear the evidence that took the form of a report written by two psychologists who felt able to reach an adverse assessment of the accused mans personality without actually meeting him.

Armed with that verdict, the next step for the authorities in France will be a request for extradition and a European arrest warrant.

It would be the third extradition attempt, the first two having been rejected by our courts. Ms Toscan du Plantiers son, understandably, is hoping that the murder verdict in Paris will help to produce a different result when the case returns to Dublin.

Of course France will succeed in extradition, he says confidently. I think Irish justice will see to that for sure; we are brothers, Ireland and France.

Any brotherly affection, any concept of a special relationship that might bind two European Union states, however, cannot be permitted to sweep aside the principles which underpin the legal system in our sovereign state.

While the outcome of a third attempt at extradition in this decades-old case cannot be predicted, it will undoubtedly spotlight familiar concerns about the EU-wide system that can, when it works well, ensure that criminals are brought to justice speedily, but which is flawed because it does not take account of differing criminal justice standards in member states.

Cross-border warrants can be, and are, issued without a shred of sound evidence that a prima facie case exists.

As the seemingly never-ending West Cork murder case has shown, the tests to which evidence is subjected in our country are markedly dissimilar from those accepted as standard in France.On This Day The Death of Independence Hero Col. Ba Htoo

Col. Ba Htoo

Seventy-four years ago today, Colonel Ba Htoo, who led the fight against Japanese forces in Upper Myanmar, died at just 29 years of age.

The Burma Independence Army originally planned to launch its attack against Japanese forces on April 2, 1945. But as Allied Forces arrived in central Myanmar earlier than expected, then-Major Ba Htoo declared war against Japanese forces on March 8, successfully diverting their attention away from General Aung San, who launched his campaign against the occupation on March 27.

Maj. Ba Htoos victory in around 20 battles, big and small, over the next two months contributed significantly to driving the Japanese fascist forces out of the country.

Commander of Allied Forces Lieutenant General Sir William Slim later said the victory over Japanese forces in Mandalay would not have been possible without the support of Myanmar troops led by Maj. Ba Htoo.

As Maj. Ba Htoo chased Japanese troops from Mandalay into southern Shan State, he contracted a severe case of malaria; he died in Aungban, Shan State, never having seen the letter informing him that Gen. Aung San had promoted him to colonel, nor having had a chance to bid farewell to his wife and three children, from whom he had been parted since joining the army in 1942.

Thirteen days after his death, a monument honoring him and all the soldiers who fell in the war in Upper Myanmar was put up in Aungban. The monuments demolition to make way for a highway-widening project earlier this year drew criticism.

March 27 marked the beginning of the final phase of fighting to end more than 100 years of colonial rule over Myanmar. At first, March 27 was celebrated nationwide as Antifascist Resistance Day. But on the 10th anniversary in 1955, military chief General Ne Win asked that the occasion be commemorated along with the new Armed Forces Day.

Armed Forces Day gradually became the more prominent of the two. But the National League for Democracy, led by Gen. Aung Sans daughter, State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, still marks the occasion using its original name.

After Myanmar regained independence, Ba Htoo garrison town was established in southern Shan State in honor of Col. Ba Htoo.The US Justice Department is considering whether to investigate Google for alleged anti-trust violations, a report in The New York Times claims.

A new anti-trust task force, which was commissioned in February, had been looking into the company's advertising practices and its influence in the online industry, the newspaper said, citing anonymous sources.

In May last year, as iTWire reported, US Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin acknowledged that the Justice Department needed to take a close look at technology companies like Google that may be monopolies.

A Washington Post report in March 2017 said Google's close ties to the White House had prevented a proposed 2012 probe into the company's alleged unfair competition from going ahead.

Staff from the Federal Trade Commission had recommended that enforcement action begin, saying, according to The Wall Street Journal, that "the 160-page critique, which was supposed to remain private but was inadvertently disclosed in an open-records request, concluded that Googles conduct has resulted  and will result  in real harm to consumers'.

The report said a WSJ investigation had pointed out that Google's executives had donated more money to the Obama campaign than any company.

Google has been hit with three fines by the European Union over activities deemed to breach EU anti-trust rules, the most recent being a 1.49 billion (A$2.38 billion) penalty for its AdSense advertising service.

In July last year, the EU fined Google 4.3 billion for allegedly breaching anti-trust rules over its Android mobile operating system.

In June 2017, Google was fined 2.42 billion for allegedly abusing its search engine dominance to give illegal advantage to its own comparison shopping service.

The company has said it will appeal against all three fines.Because the fulfillment center activities in Kernersville will be very similar to those in Kannapolis, Lighty said local residents could apply for openings in Kannapolis to get an earlier exposure to the work demands, and then apply for a transfer back here.

Lighty said the job training will be handled at the fulfillment center with the assistance of local community colleges.

Once the equipment is in the center, employees will be tasked with handling inventory to the point it is available to go live on our website for prepping, packaging and out the door, Lighty said.

Effect on delivery?

Triad consumers may not benefit from same-day delivery services  at least at first  from having the Amazon fulfillment center in their back yard.

However, it likely will increase the odds of receiving a delivery within 24 hours, depending on the products being purchased and what kind of goods the center will keep in constant inventory.

Lighty said that consumer demand and Amazons algorithm network help dictate where products are inventoried. Oftentimes, products are fulfilled at the site closest to the manufacturing and production sites of suppliers.For more information or to volunteer, call Holly Beck at 336-721-3411.

Medicare workshop Monday

Compass Financial Services will hold a Lunch and Learn workshop about Medicare Monday at Bleu Restaurant, 3425 Frontis St., Winston-Salem.

The workshop will begin at 11:15 a.m.; participants should arrive by 11 a.m.

Topics include the benefits and enrollment rules of Medicare Parts A and B; Medicare Advantage plans vs. Medicare supplement plans; and how Part D and the doughnut hole work. The workshop is for educational purposes only and solicitations will not be made.

The workshop and lunch are free, but registration is recommended. For more information or to register, call 336-768-5111.

Kernersville group needs volunteers

The Shepherds Center of Kernersville is looking for volunteers to help area adults who are aging and with disabilities. Volunteers are needed as transportation office assistants, drivers and handymen. Volunteers are also needed to visit with homebound recipients.Winston-Salem Police are searching for a missing teenager.

Quinntaejah Therene Rumph, 15, was last seen leaving on foot from 2758 Piedmont Circle for an unknown destination, police said Saturday. It is believed she may still be in the immediate area.

Rumph is 5 foot 6, 155 pounds. She was last seen wearing a blue dress and carrying a black backpack with white flowers and the word Fresh on the back.

A Silver Alert has been issued by the North Carolina Center for Missing Persons.

Anyone with information regarding her whereabouts is asked to call the Winston-Salem Police Department at 336-773-7700.Growing up in a poor town in Mexico, Tiffany Tzintzuns parents didnt have electricity or even beds to sleep in, she said. They both began working at age 11 to support their families.

But the struggles shaped them into who they are today, inspiring Tzintzun, 17, to realize the dreams they never could.

Not only will Tzintzun become the first in her family to attend college, but she will also become the first Walkertown High School student to ever attend Wake Forest University.

Ive always tried to do my best, for my parents and for my three younger siblings to show them they can do this, too, said Tzintzun, who will finish second in her class at Walkertown. Its been quite difficult. Being a first-generation, I had no one to ask questions to.

Tzintzun, 17, said she was a sophomore when she first learned what GPA and student rank were and how they could play an important role in getting her into college.

While she has always prided herself in working hard, she intensified her studying to prove to her classmates, her family and herself that she could be in the top five in her class.He and his team traveled the country looking for Weavers and happened upon Wilkes County through one of those friend-of-a-friend situations.

On a visit to the county last summer, Brooks met with a group that included Brooklyn Mounce, Ashley Barton, Michael Cooper, Carol Canter, Heather Murphy, Shane Seeley, George Smith and Prevette.

They are a group of community builders whose work runs the gamut, from prison re-entry programs to promoting the arts.

Prevette figures she caught the Aspen Institutes attention because of her unlikely, and ultimately, unsuccessful run as a Democrat vying for a seat on the board of commissioners in a heavily Republican county. The last time a woman held a commissioner seat was in 2004, and the last time a Democrat sat on the board was in 2010.

Prevette is also a lesbian, a fact that she does not hide in a socially conservative county.

She got slaughtered.

But what Brooks and others with the Aspen Institute found so intriguing was her willingness to insert herself in local politics and her track record of building community, person-by-person, through her many dinners.Last year, organizers added beer and live music to the event, rebranding it as the Spirits of Summer festival.

The atmosphere is wonderful. Weve worked out our strategy, starting with the beers and working our way to the wines to avoid the crowds, said Winston-Salem resident Kofi Goolsby, who has attended the festival the past three years. The last two years have had 90-degree days, so today is just perfect.

In its 14th year, the afternoon festival  on Fourth Street between Marshall and Spring streets  attracted an estimated 5,000 people who perused the different booths amid the temperate 80-degree temperature with wine glasses in hand.

The festival included food trucks, wine and beer tastings and alcoholic beverages for purchase, including the ever-popular wine slushies.

The crowds make it a lot of fun. We get to meet people from here to Tennessee, said Scott Young, event coordinator for Weathervane Winery, which has participated in the festival every year. Its been busy, but fun.

Throughout the six-hour event, cooking demonstrations were held at one of the festival tents, attracting the attention of many of the thousands of festival-goers.The N.C. Center for Missing Persons said Sunday it has cancelled a silver alert for a missing Winston-Salem teenager at the request of Winston-Salem Police Department.

The alert for Quinntaejah Therene Rumph, 15, was issued at 2:52 p.m. Saturday.

Police said Quinntaejah has been located, but did not have any further information as of 4:30 p.m.

She had been reported as being last seen leaving on foot from 2758 Piedmont Circle for an unknown destination.I find it difficult to keep up with events of the present week, let alone something that occurred a month ago. But I must confess that I cannot let go of Attorney General William Barrs May 1 testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Barr stated under oath: With the president, who has a constitutional authority to supervise proceedings, if in fact a proceeding  was based on false allegations, the president does not have to sit there constitutionally and allow it to run its course. The president could terminate that proceeding and it would not be corrupt intent because he was being falsely accused, and he would be worried about the impact on his administration.

Do Barrs comments suggest the executive branch has the constitutional discretion to obstruct justice? If his statement contains a scintilla of legitimacy, then we collectively owe James Madison an apology for his painstaking efforts to draft the Constitution.

Barr managed to condensed President Trumps ongoing contempt for the Constitution and megalomaniac desires of expanded presidential authority into a single phrase.RALEIGH  In an act of integrity that also proved to be politically shrewd, future President John Adams served as defense counsel for British redcoats involved in the Boston Massacre of 1770.

Adams was a prominent advocate of the Patriot cause. His cousin Sam was one of its top leaders. Still, John Adams insisted that the soldiers deserved legal representation. He also recognized that if they didnt get a fair trial, whatever justice got meted out by a Boston mob would harm rather than help the Patriots case for self-government.

During the trial, Adams offered a defense not only of the presumption of innocence and the right to counsel but also for seeking truth wherever it may be found. Facts are stubborn things, he said, and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence.

Modern politicians sometimes quote this passage solemnly before making a political point. But do they really practice what Adams preached? Or, if I may be so bold, do you?China Aviation Daily | Jun. 01, 2019

oneworld is rapidly moving ahead with its digital revolution, with more member airlines linking up its new digital platform and more capabilities added.

This fast progress in rolling out the global airline alliance's flagship customer initiative comes as:

- Discussions are at an advanced stage with a number of airlines from several global regions interested in signing as oneworld connect partners, less than six months after Fiji Airways became the debut airline to operate via this new membership platform.

- Implementation advances of Royal Air Maroc as oneworld's first full member recruit for six years and its first from Africa, targeting a joining date in the first half of 2020.

- The alliance is close to finalising the location for the first oneworld developed, branded and managed lounge, with talks progressing with several candidate airports around the world.

These initiatives - along with a fresh, contemporary and more inclusive approach to its brand positioning - form key elements of oneworld's transformation programme, unveiled in February and designed to generate more value for customer and member airlines as the alliance marks the 20th anniversary of its launch this year.

Switch planes, not apps - bringing oneworld's core customer promise to life digitally

oneworld's new digital platform, designed to make it even easier for travellers to fly across the alliance's 1,100-destination global network by harnessing the power and convenience of latest technology, has achieved a number of key landmarks since its launch in February, adding capabilities to the platform.

As it is progressively rolled out, it will bring to life in the digital era the alliance's core promise of seamless connectivity for customers flying on multi-sector, multi-airline journeys, via the convenience of their preferred member airline's mobile app or website - without having to download any additional app or enter more log-in credentials.

Cathay Pacific and Qatar Airways were the first oneworld members to connect up in this way, in January, enabling their customers to use either airline's app and/or website to check-in and receive boarding passes for connecting flights on either airline.

Now, it also offers the capability of delivering information and updates on passengers' connecting flights - with Qantas the first oneworld member to deliver flight status information to its oneworld partners this way.

Two other oneworld members are close to completing their links to the platform.

Iberia will in the coming days offer its customers the capability to check-in and receive boarding passes for connecting flights on the other airlines already linked to the platform, Cathay Pacific or Qatar Airways - with both those airlines now also enabling their customers to check-in and receive boarding passes for connecting flights on Iberia.

Finnair will very soon enable the other airlines connected - Cathay Pacific, Qatar Airways and now also Iberia - to provide customers with connections to or from Finnair to receive e-boarding passes via their Cathay Pacific, Qatar Airways or Iberia app or website.

At the same time, the alliance is working on adding other digital services, such as:

- Baggage tracking.

- Full seat selection, including when payments are required.

- The ability to pay for additional baggage.

As more airlines link to the platform and more capabilities are added, it will cover an increasing number of transfers between oneworld member airlines. With its full roll-out, every journey involving a connection between two or more oneworld member airlines will be supported by this level of ease and convenience.

Currently, more than 8 million passengers a year make journeys that involve connections between different oneworld member airlines - generating interline revenues of more than US$ 5.5 billion in the past year alone.

Up until now, the only way these passengers could check-in for multi-sector journeys involving a connection with another oneworld member airline via a single point of contact was to do so at a desk at the initial airport of departure. The alliance's new digital capability, when fully rolled out, means they will now, if they choose, be able to use their preferred member airline's app and/or website to do so, without having to download any additional app or enter more log-in credentials.

oneworld CEO Rob Gurney said: "The role of global alliances, like oneworld, is to connect the networks of airlines, making it easier and more rewarding for customers to travel to many more places beyond the reach of any single carrier. Our new digital platform brings our promise of seamless connectivity to life in the digital era - delivering multi-airline, multi-sector journeys the way they should be in this millennial day and age.

"Threequarters of oneworld's frequent flyers use at least one airline app. Half of them have at least three airline apps on their mobile devices - but there is a strong preference for using just one single app to cover a journey involving a transfer between different airlines. Yet, until today, the technology to support that has not been available. It is now - and oneworld is on track to be the first alliance to offer this capability across its entire network."

Contributed by oneworld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MEDFORD, Ore. -- The Kid Time Children's Museum in Medford is getting a new name. Employees held an unveiling at its new building, the old Carnegie Medford Library. Once it moves into that building, it will be called The Children's Museum of Southern Oregon. People were able to go inside the building to see what it will look like once it's open. Executive Director Sunny Spicer said the organization felt it needed a new name to show the community exactly what it does. Its been working on the plans for more than a year.

We've brought the Board into this. We've brought kids to identify what's most important to them. We've dug into some of the most important research into child development. This is something that is going to be an asset and is going to be around for 50 years. This is something that is really important and is needed in our community, said Spicer.

The preschool will be open at the new location for the 2019-2020 school year. The first phase of the museum will not open until spring 2020.Egg production value up in Nebraska

The value of egg production in Nebraska during 2018 was $198 million, up $67.3 million from $131 million in 2017, according to the USDAs National Agricultural Statistics Service.

Egg production in 2018 was estimated at 2.39 billion eggs, down 100 million from the previous year. Average number of layers for 2018 at 7.83 million was down 338,000.0 from 2017.

Nationwide, the value of all egg production in 2018 was $10.6 billion, up 39% from $7.60 billion in 2017. Egg production totaled 109 billion eggs, up 2% from 107 billion eggs produced in 2017.

The USDA also reported that the combined value of production from broilers, eggs, turkeys, and the value of sales from chickens in 2018, nationwide, was $46.3 billion, up 8% from $42.7 billion in 2017. Of the combined total, 69% was from broilers, 23% from eggs, 8% from turkeys, and less than 1% from chickens.

The value of broilers produced during 2018 was $31.7 billion, up 5% from 2017. The total number of broilers produced in 2018 was 9.04 billion, up 1% from 2017. The total amount of live weight broilers produced in 2018 was 56.8 billion pounds, up 2% from 2017.Grain sorghum is one crop option that can provide opportunity to growers in regions impacted by historically adverse weather during the 2019 planting season, according to the Nebraska Grain Sorghum Board.

Wet weather this spring has delayed corn and soybean planting. For some crops, such as corn, planting in June could cause later harvest problems in the fall.

Grain sorghum can typically be planted later than other crops, and sorghum is a lower risk option, specifically as it relates to seed costs. For example, sorghum seed typically costs $9 to $18 per acre depending on seeding rate, while corn seed typically costs $55 to $110 an acre depending on seeding rate and traits. Harvest costs are often lower, as well.

Grain sorghum provides a number of benefits to growers as we enter a replant and late/prevent plant time period for the 2019 growing season, said Brent Bean, Sorghum Checkoff agronomist, Ph.D. There is typically a yield benefit for soybeans, cotton and corn when planted after sorghum. In addition, its root system is often able to penetrate compacted soils and can reduce diseases and nematodes that plague other crops.I hope this paper will increase awareness of the NRD system and highlight to more people Nebraskas unique and special model for managing its groundwater resources, Sixt said. I believe strongly that the NRD system has a lot to teach other states.

Research included 34 interviews throughout June 2017 with experts from various NRDs; the Nebraska Association of Resources Districts; Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality and the Department of Natural Resources; University of Nebraska-Lincoln; agricultural producers; City of Hastings Utilities; Nebraska Extension and the Groundwater Foundation.

The research also focused on three groundwater nitrate management programs in Nebraska that collectively represent the broader NRD system.

n The Central Platte NRD Groundwater Management Area, which is the oldest nonpoint source nitrate program in the state, and has demonstrated a successful trend in reducing groundwater nitrate concentrations.

n The Bazile Groundwater Management Area, which brings together four NRDs to address nitrate pollution.State must step up to join others working to combat human trafficking

It sent a strong message. Law enforcement and elected officials standing behind U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil as he introduced his first bill, HR 2149, Exposing the Financing of Human Trafficking Act, at the Racine County Sheriffs Substation.

When we give foreign aid from the federal government to countries globally, we need to know theyre our partner in stopping illicit financing and human trafficking, said the freshman Republican representing the 1st Congressional District. Thats what this bill does. It holds countries accountable.

Steil, a member of the House Committee of Financial Services, is working with law enforcement in finding effective ways to slow down what has become a major concern. Human trafficking is a huge and growing issue in Kenosha County, located on the I-94 corridor between Chicago and Milwaukee.

Over the last two years, Ive learned how its riddled throughout Kenosha County, county sheriff David Beth said at the Racine news conference. We know it runs rampant along the interstate.

To hear the federal government and Congressman Steil is working at this to eliminate and curb and deal with this on a local and national level is wonderful for me and law enforcement in southeastern Wisconsin.

HR 2149 is co-sponsored by seven Republicans and seven Democrats. It must move through the Committee of Financial Services to get to the full House.

We know Steil will work on it in Washington, just as law enforcement and the community at large has been working on this issue locally. We recently reported on a community effort to open a safe house in Kenosha County. It would be the largest house operated by Selah Freedom, a Florida-based nonprofit with a mission to end sex trafficking.

The house will be staffed 24 hours a day and provide a safe residential program for survivors. Kenosha County was chosen because of its location between the two major cities.

There were more than 300 human trafficking victims --ranging in ages 13 to 62  identified in the last four years in Kenosha and Racine counties, according to Neal Lofy, a nationally recognized investigator with the Racine Police Department.

This problem needs everyone at the table, and its now time for the state to step up. As weve reported, Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul has called for six new positions at the Department of Justice to to help with human trafficking investigations.

Kauls personnel request is included in Gov. Tony Evers budget proposal. To date it has not come to a vote.

Theres sex trafficking and forced labor, Kaul told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. ... Its in my view an outrage that this is a crime that still exists. Its important was raise awareness of it.

Kaul has said that four of the positions would join the DOJs digital forensics unit, which focuses on recovering evidence from electronic devices. The other two would bolster the Internal Crimes Against Children Task Force, which receives tips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

There should be bipartisan support in Madison to add state support to the efforts being made in Kenosha County to combat human trafficking. Lets hope this is one area of a agreement among Republicans and Democrats.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0EUGENE, Ore. -- Richard Michael Hibbert was taken into custody after police say he barricaded himself in a home for hours.

Police say Hibbert went to Noodle and Cafe on Bailey Hill Road around 1:00 p.m. Saturday afternoon where he threatened employees with a knife.

Police tell KEZI 9 News he then fled the cafe and went into a home in the 3800 block of Kevington Avenue. After threatening those residents he fled and went into another home in the 200 block of Burlington Avenue.

Police surrounded the home on Burlington Avenue and used robots to try and communicate with him. They also used drones, OC vapor and called out the SWAT team.

Hibbert continued to refuse to give up and made additional threats to officers on scene.

The SWAT team deployed OC Vapor into a back bedroom where he had barricaded himself. Hibbert eventually gave up and surrendered.

Police say methamphetamine might have been involved.

Hibbert was transported to the hospital due to his exposure to the OC Vapor to be medically checked.

He was later lodged at the Lane County Jail on charges of Burglary, Trespassing, Menacing and Unlawful use of a Weapon.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.NEW YORK, May 31 (Reuters) - Hedge funds and money managers increased their net long positions in COMEX gold in the week to May 28, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) said on Friday. The speculators increased their net short position in silver and boosted their bearish stance on copper during the week, the data showed. (Reporting by Ayenat Mersie Editing by Tom Brown)

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."Lopez Obrador doesn't want to get involved in this, but it's impossible to avoid," said former foreign minister Jorge Castaneda, a longstanding critic of Lopez Obrador, who says he

has failed to grasp the significance of the U.S. relationship. "Relations with the United States in Mexico are not a foreign policy issue. They are a domestic policy issue." Around 80 percent of Mexico's exports are sent to the United States, whose businesses by far account for the biggest source of foreign direct investment to the country. U.S. business groups and lawmakers have said tariffs could be devastating to both countries. Lopez Obrador told his morning news conference on Friday he believes the U.S. government will ultimately "rectify" its position. Asked if he would change the country's migration policy to accommodate Trump's request, he said Mexico is already tackling the problem. Mexican officials have signaled they will respond in kind if Washington actually imposes tariffs, steps likely to target regions with high concentrations of Trump voters. But doubts are growing in Mexico about whether Lopez Obrador has taken the wrong tack by downplaying U.S. provocations. Agustin Basave, a former diplomat and ex-leader of the center-left Party of the Democratic Revolution, said Mexico had to put cooperation on security, combating drug trafficking and migration with Washington "on the table" to stand up to Trump. There was no point in trying to "appease" Trump because even if Mexico completely sealed its southern border with Guatemala, he would keep demanding concessions, Basave added. Trump has said this year he will cut off U.S. aid to Central America and threatened to close the Mexico-U.S. border. "He'll use Mexico as a scarecrow the whole time," Basave said. "And this will increase the closer the (U.S.) election gets."

UNPREDICTABILITY Mexico faces an uphill struggle to contain immigration, particularly in the wake of budget cuts to migration authorities made to fund Lopez Obrador's flagship welfare policies.

One Mexican official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the number of people seeking to reach the United States from the rest of Latin America through Mexico is now so great that Mexico could only hope to "administer" the problem. Hector Vasconcelos, a lawmaker from the ruling National Regeneration Movement (MORENA) who heads the Senate foreign relations committee, said Lopez Obrador was right to try to manage tensions by not reacting to Trump's broadsides. "It's always been a given for me that President Trump could do anything at any moment," Vasconcelos told Reuters, pointing to how the U.S. election process was influencing his rhetoric. "I think we need to get used to this being President Trump's way of governing. So I don't think there is a way out," he added, saying that if Mexico had taken a more combative approach to Trump, bilateral relations would today be even worse. Among diplomats and government officials, widespread unease about Lopez Obrador's attitude extends beyond his dealings with Trump to the international stage in general. In March, Lopez Obrador said he had asked Spain to apologize for crimes committed during the Spanish conquest of Mexico in 1519-1521, a step one foreign diplomat from a third country described as "nuts". The president's announcement this month that he wanted to ditch the so-called Merida Initiative, a framework for security cooperation with the United States, did little to cement stronger U.S.-Mexico ties. Sergio Alcocer, a former deputy foreign minister for North America, said the Merida scheme was beneficial to Mexico because it made Washington assume co-responsibility for security matters that have helped fan bilateral tensions over the border. "If you leave the mechanism, you lose that," he said. (Reporting by Dave Graham Editing by Daniel Flynn and Sonya Hepinstall)BREXIT On 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 on Thursday the United States did not want to "get in the middle" of Brexit or a discussion of the next government's policies. 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 if London 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 last month 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 an enduring alliance, 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 Trump as a snarling, nappy-clad baby will fly outside Britain's parliament during the visit while protesters plan a "carnival of resistance" in central London. "Trump is coming to Britain to commemorate the defeat of fascism after D-Day while at the very same time pursuing a dangerous far-right agenda and fanning the flames of hatred," said Matt Bonner, its designer. The first day of the visit, Monday, culminates in a lavish state banquet at Buckingham Palace - where men wear white tie coats with tails and women evening gowns.

Jeremy Corbyn, the socialist leader of Britain's opposition Labour Party, who has declined an invitation to attend the state banquet, scolded Trump for getting involved in British politics. "President Trumps attempt to decide who will be Britains next prime minister is an entirely unacceptable interference in our countrys democracy," Corbyn said. 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, Editing by William Maclean)Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 2)  Pasig City Mayor-elect Vico Sotto on Saturday welcomed the electoral protest filed by his rival Robert "Bobby" Eusebio.

In a Facebook post, the 29-year-old incoming mayor said he hopes Eusebio would find "inner peace to accept the truth."

"Nag-file na po ng electoral protest ang kalaban ko. Sa akin, [okay] lang dahil lalong makikita ng lahat kung gaano ka-accurate ang resulta," Sotto said.

[Translation: My opponent has filed an electoral protest. It's fine with me because the more everyone would see that the results were accurate.]

In the post, he shared a photo of the summons from the Commission on Election's Electoral Contests Adjudication Department.

"I'm just here, ready to work with him for a smooth transition, if [and] when he's ready," he added.

Sottothe son of actors Vic Sotto and Coney Reyesdefeated Eusebio in the mayoral race with over 80,000-vote lead, ending the 27-year reign of the Eusebio clan.

On the campaign trail, Vico propped himself up as an alternative to the ruling Eusebios, promising to deliver healthcare for all residents of the city, make access to government information easier, fight corruption, and end favoritism and fear.For the second night in a row, shots rang out near Fountain and Chelton in Colorado Springs.

Police do not yet know if the two incidents are connected.

The first shooting was a drive-by that happened late Saturday night in the 1300 block of Shasta Drive. One person was hit by gunfire in an apparent case of wrong place, wrong time: police say the victim was driving down the street a car drove past him and someone inside began shooting at a home. The structure was hit several times, but no one in the house was injured. The sole victim was hit in the leg and is expected to recover.

Police confirmed to 11 News that shots were again fired in the same area Sunday night. No other details were immediately available.

Anyone with information to call the Colorado Springs Police Department at 719-444-7000 or Crime Stoppers at 719-634-STOP.Gary's Super Foods had shoppers in a frenzy on Saturday.

The North Platte Noon Rotary Club hosted their second Grocery Grab.

3 winners were picked out of a raffle for the chance to load their carts with free items.

The first place winner was given three minutes, the second place winner was given two minutes and the third place winner was given one minute.

The Grocery Grabbers were excited for the opportunity.

The proceeds from the event will go to the North Platte Noon Rotary Club.Pictured, from left are Su Hohman, OFS; Deb Davis, OFS; and Barb Cain, OFS. On May 19, they made their permanent professions in the St. Charles fraternity of the Secular Franciscan Order at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church in Angola. The Rev. Robert Showers, Order of Friars Minor Conventual, was the Mass celebrant and ecclesial witness. Katie Herendeen, OFS, Minister of the St. Charles fraternity, received their professions.If you're interested in submitting a Letter to the Editor, click here.

SubmitInstagram blogger, Blessing Okoro has once again apologized to her fans for presenting to them a house which isnt hers on her 30th birthday. Blessing had posted a photo of the house on instagram saying she built it in celebration of her 30th birthday. Soon after the photo went viral, the real owner, an Igbo business man based in China, Onye Eze debunked the news saying the 7-bedroom mansion belonged to him.

Blessing went on to post a plan of a house, to prove the mansion belongs to her and even posted a photo of herself in her night wear in front of the house to prove its hers. At the end of it all, Blessing was apprehended, taking to the house, humiliated and made to confess in a video which has since gone viral.

Though she has apologized to her fans before, she is once again apologizing to them.



She wrote; Hey lovers.. I know it has been crazy lately and I am sincerely sorry.. I take responsibility for everything.. I hate that I had to put my friends and everyone else who looked up to me in this position.. Like everyone else I had goals set up for the year and one of them was to finish my house before my 30th birthday and it was a resolution I had layed out in public but because of certain reasons I couldnt meet up the dead line and that put me under a mental pressure for success.

I was impatient which led to beating myself too hard and I could have done better.. I AM REALLY SORRY I LET YOU ALL DOWNI know better now.. I know not to go ahead of my victory and have small wins celebration.. Heres to everyone under any sort of pressure.

I had to experience a major meltdown to learn that patience is virtue.. Its only going to take a little time but the lines will eventually fall in pleasant places.. And for the incessant calls and text messages from my loved ones that were terrified seeing me on cuffs I was never arrested or detained and no police officers was associated with the act .it was thier best form of proving a point.

But i am grateful to everyone who stood by me, I hope you still find a place in your heart to forgive ,love me and accept me as the crazy happy girl you have always loved .

Thanks for not giving up on me entirely

Follow Us on Facebook  @LadunLiadi; Instagram  @LadunLiadi; Twitter  @LadunLiadi; Youtube  @LadunLiadiTV for updatesInstagram Yoruba comedian, Abidemi Hope Nathaniel is mourning the death of her daughter. Abidemi broke down in tears on IG saying its hard to lose a child and its been really tough for her to get over it. She says she lost her 3 months ago. Too too sad! May Almighty God heal her!



She wrote;

You have never known any real pain until you have lost a baby.. The death of my baby is one pain that has refused to go away.

I have cried, I have mourned and I have tried to pull myself together.

I thought I was a strong woman, I thought I was strong enough to pray myself out of this pain & depression but it has really eaten me up.

Not even a loving & supportive husband, my beloved mother or my manager @tribemanglobal could help me get through this pain that is still coming back every time I see other female daughters run to their mother.

Dear Heavenly, I know you are up there in heaven praying for me. I just wish you could come back to me. Its been 3 months without you.

Oh God, please heal my wounds, I am too young to be this broken.. #Reverendsista #healing#

Follow Us on Facebook  @LadunLiadi; Instagram  @LadunLiadi; Twitter  @LadunLiadi; Youtube  @LadunLiadiTV for updatesDARIEN  State environmental regulators are moving to renew a permit for the Birds Eye Foods plant, despite long-running complaints about odor from the plant.

The state Department of Natural Resources has proposed reissuing Birds Eye a permit to continue discharging wastewater from its food processing plant at W880 County Road X.

The state permit is reviewed every five years.

The state is accepting public comments until June 23 on whether the permit should be approved to allow Birds Eye to continue to operate wastewater lagoons at the Darien plant.

No public hearing will be held on the permit unless five or more people request a public hearing or unless the state decides there is enough public interest to warrant a hearing.

Neighbors and local officials have complained for years about foul odor emanating from the Birds Eye plant, and Birds Eye officials have pointed to the wastewater lagoons as a source of the odors.

However, in preparing the new state permit, DNR officials said the agency did not examine the odor issue and did not establish any new requirements for Birds Eye to control odor problems.

DNR wastewater field supervisor Bryan Hartsook said foul odor problems are generally considered part of a factorys air emissions, not wastewater. Birds Eye gets a separate air pollution permit from the state, although the schedule for reviewing that permit was not immediately available.

The new wastewater permit also allows Birds Eye to continue spraying wastewater sludge on nearby fields as a disposal method.

Darien village administrator Rebecca Lemire said the village has requested a public hearing on the permit, but she said DNR officials have responded that it would be a waste of time to hear complaints about foul odors when considering a wastewater permit.

Personally, I feel that is disingenuous, Lemire said.

Lemire said odor problems from the plant are continuing, and seem to be related to the plants wastewater.

Birds Eye spokesman Daniel Hare said the company is working to address the odor problem in Darien.

We have made investments in upgrades to address odors, and we will continue to investigate ways to minimize the odor, Hare said.

He would not elaborate.

In recent years, neighbors have been pushing Walworth County officials, too, to take action against Birds Eyes county operating permit for the food processing plant.

County officials, however, have allowed the county permit to continue.

The County Zoning Agency is scheduled June 20 to revisit the matter.

Comments on the proposed state permit can be directed to Ian Hansen, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, 101 S. Webster St., P.O. Box 7921, Madison, WI 53707-7921, telephone 608-266-9239, Ian.Hansen@Wisconsin.gov.

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.Indira Marquez Robles felt helpless.

Just before her comparative politics class, the 19-year-old Oglethorpe University student learned that her stepfather had been arrested on suspicion of DUI and taken into Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody in Georgia. A tuition payment loomed. Legal fees would pile up. With the breadwinner behind bars, her whole family would feel the purse strings tighten.



For the record: This article incorrectly identifies Alice Marwick as a professor at Fordham University. Marwick left Fordham four years ago and works as a professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

So Marquez composed a tweet: hey all im trying to keep my cool here but my dad has just been arrested... Her mom needed money for gas to drive from Houston to visit him, Marquez wrote, and if anyone had anything to spare, they could find her on Cash App or Venmo, mobile payment apps that let users send cash to one another with just the click of a button.

hey all im trying to keep my cool here but my dad has just been arrested in georgia and is being sent to immigration and my mom is driving from houston to him so if you have any spare dollars for gas my cashapp is $lilnicol and vmo is @/ultnicole please help please share  endearing (@sojussid) April 8, 2019

Advertisement

With thousands of likes and retweets, donations broke $1,000 two days later  more than enough to cover gas for the drive.

Venmo, owned by PayPal, and Cash App, owned by Square, have surged in recent years, as cashless financial services moved into the mainstream. Some 40 million people use Venmo, and payments jumped by 73% to $21 billion in the first quarter of 2019 from a year prior. Cash App reported 15 million monthly active users as of December.

Most person-to-person payments are free, with the companies taking a cut from business transactions and those involving credit cards. Neither firm is profitable, but both boast sweeping popularity that PayPal and Square hope to monetize in the future.

The services frame themselves as tools that make it easy for their millennial and Gen Z user base to pay back a bar tab or split the cost of lunch. But some straddling tight budgets are also turning to payment apps as crowdfunding tools for bills, emergencies and the costs of daily life.

Tweets linking to Venmo and Cash App accounts are common in some pockets of Twitter, as users seek to crowdfund a few hundred dollars for rent or food, burdensome expenses such as medical bills, surgery, immigration fees, a family members funeral, and even a couple dollars for a cup of coffee or a trip to the nail salon.

Twitter user @queenofyelling summed it up with a tweet: millennial culture is just passing around the same $20 to whoever needs it at the time forever.

References to personal payment accounts are common on the social media profiles of people in online communities that coalesce around marginalized groups, including women, people of color, immigrants and LGBTQ-identifying individuals.

As gender pay gaps persist and racial wealth gaps widen, there is broader understanding of the toll that being female, transgender, black or brown has on ones finances.

That perspective comes through in appeals for money. On International Womens Day, for example, some Twitter users urged men to try to help level the playing field through Venmo.

Marquezs stepfather stayed in the country illegally. Marquez herself is a recipient of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA. When communities like hers come together on social media, they form a supportive network, she said.

I use Twitter a lot anyways, and the community Ive sort of met and connected with there is undocumented. They know the struggle, Marquez said.

Marquez raised a total of $1,500, the majority from strangers online.

Pauline Elevazo, a student at Western Washington University, posted on Twitter after learning a $1.99 magazine subscription charge had bounced. Elevazo had just paid rent, with a tuition payment and a third notice for a medical bill lurking in her mailbox.

She still had a full day of classes to get through and no money to buy food.

In her spare time, Elevazo teaches Tagalog, a language spoken in the Philippines, as part of an offshoot program from her campus Filipino American Student Assn. She figured that because she provides a service thats meaningful for her community for no pay, her followers might see the value in that. She had seen friends post on Twitter to crowdfund for tickets to raves, so why shouldnt she ask for lunch money?

Within a day, she had $150 in donations, Elevazo said, enough for three weeks worth of groceries.

Theres no shame in having to do it. Women of color, trans folks, queer folks  these institutions arent built to love us and support us. These institutions dont care about our well-being, Elevazo said. Sometimes you have to turn to folks on the internet and their generosity, and thats totally OK. Its one less thing to worry about.

Neither Venmo nor Square said they could provide data showing how often their applications were used for crowdfunding.

Were definitely not a GoFundMe and we certainly dont facilitate charitable payments, a Venmo spokesperson said. A lot of use cases for Venmo are people splitting a dinner bill or utility bills, and its really happening between friends. If someone was going through a difficult situation and might need help with medical payments, for example, Im sure that does happen, but we dont have data to support it.

Venmo, however, pointed to a few prominent, lighthearted examples of crowdfunding. Fans of The Bachelor sent contestant Becca Kufrin wine money on Venmo after she was dumped on national television, and more than 3,000 people sent a 23-year-old college student beer money after he held up a sign with his Venmo handle on the College GameDay telecast.

Such uses of Venmo and Cash App are an extension of the type of crowdfunding made popular by Kickstarter and Indiegogo, where people raise cash for particular projects, and Patreon, where creative workers seek compensation from their audiences, said Alice Marwick, a communication and media studies professor at Fordham University.

Crowdfunding platforms like GoFundMe and YouCaring have turned into popular avenues for Americans swimming in steep medical bills or funeral costs for loved ones.

In concept, crowdfunding from a Twitter community resembles a digital version of immigrant lending circles, or a modern version of a rent party  events that arose in the 1920s as African Americans migrating to Harlem leaned on their friends and communities to cover exorbitant, discriminatory rents.

Given todays harsh economic realities, younger generations are demanding compensation rather than pretending they dont exist, Marwick said.

Saddled with student debt and stagnant wages, young people are struggling to find the same level of financial security as older generations. Financial woes are often compounded for marginalized groups, with black college graduates, for example, owing $7,400 more on average than their white peers.

[Crowdfunding] recognizes the financial constraints people are under and structural inequalities under capitalism  that some people just have less than others, said Marwick, the Fordham professor. The difference here is if you are someone who has extra money, you might want to give that money directly to someone you have something in common with or whose politics you understand rather than an organization where you dont know what direct effect it will have.

Mario Pizarro Rojas, a graduate student at Cal State Los Angeles, has used Venmo and Twitter frequently to crowdfund, including for tuition payments, a study abroad program, and a DACA renewal fee. When an expense more than a couple of hundred dollars comes up, Pizarro said, he might not necessarily have the means to cover it.

It is hard to fund [a DACA renewal payment], but if I cant pay for it then I cant work legally in the country anymore, Pizarro said. Its a weird cycle of trying to make ends meet little by little.

Unlike Pizarros posts, some Twitter requests dont specify what the money will go toward. Instead, they serve more as reminders of individuals difficult lives and the work they do behind the scenes that is often unacknowledged and unpaid, said Sarah Abdeshahian, who worked as a student organizer at UC Berkeley.

Theres been a generational shift in the way young millennials and Gen Z discuss labor, wrote Terry Nguyen, who produces a newsletter on Gen Z culture. Through social media platforms, even the most niche hobbies and lifestyles can become monetized labor. Children grow up aspiring to be Youtubers. Teenagers rake in thousands of dollars selling slime, Nguyen writes. Nothing is done for free anymore. In fact, unpaid work is frowned upon and institutions that encourage free labor are shamed.

Nicole Silverberg, a writer for Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, flips the practice on its head: She sets aside money to send through Venmo specifically for people she finds through Twitter. She started about a year ago after reading a tweet on International Transgender Day of Visibility that said, essentially, pay transgender people directly, because verbal support and donations to transgender advocacy organizations only go so far.

On the day Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh was confirmed by the Senate and sworn into the U.S. Supreme Court, Silverberg felt inundated by upsetting conversations about sexual assault on the news and social media.

So she asked her female, transgender and nonbinary Twitter followers if there was anything she could pay for to help them  a massage, a Crock-Pot or money for rent, she wrote.

Madison Geihs was a two-hour drive from her home in Orange County with an empty tank of gas, and broke, when  as luck would have it  she saw Silverbergs tweet. Within minutes, Geihs received $40 from Silverberg through Venmo.

She was trying to support other women on a day that was very hopeless for a lot of us, Geihs said.

Silverberg doesnt think people should have to justify expenses some might perceive as trivial  say ingredients for a fancy dinner or a massage  over fundamental costs such as rent.

People who are concerned about money shouldnt spend their whole day thinking about not having money and restricting themselves from having any joy in their lives, Silverberg said. Its not like if you do that, suddenly your bills are paid.

Keanu Reeves didnt just casually pop by Ali Wong and Randall Parks Netflix rom-com Always Be My Maybe to turn in a quickie cameo like your basic movie star.

He stepped off the set of John Wick 3, flew to San Francisco to deliver two of the most surreal movie scenes of the year (and make out profusely with Wong at a dinner table)  then went right back into John Wick mode to finish filming his stabby hitman threequel.

All to commit an act of absolute screen theft as the most unexpected character in Always Be My Maybe, the buzzy rom-com packed with wall-to-wall scene-stealing talent.

[Always Be My Maybe spoilers follow. Youve been warned!]

Advertisement

Why is the internet obsessing anew over Reeves, weeks after John Wick: Chapter 3  Parabellum opened at No. 1 and days after going viral as a lonely guy looking for love in a now apparently debunked interview? Because in Always Be My Maybe Reeves doesnt play just anybody. He plays himself.

You might even say Reeves is playing with himself. Co-writers Wong, Park and Michael Golamco wrote a heightened version of the real Reeves into the script as one of the rival love interests complicating the already-complicated friendship between Sasha (Wong) and Marcus (Park).

Many folks already knew, but the Asian American-centered Always Be My Maybe makes it official: It proudly claims Reeves, who has Chinese and Hawaiian heritage, on behalf of the Asian delegation. Hes ours! exclaimed Park, chatting about the film on a recent day in Culver City.

We always knew we wanted him from Day One, Park explained. At that point in the story when Marcus finally knows he has feelings for Sasha and hes going to tell her but shes been dating somebody else, we thought, What would be Marcus worst nightmare?

Reeves, 54, enters the film much like one might imagine he walks the actual Earth: In slow motion, with every living soul taking notice and launching invisible heart eyes in his direction.

Thats what happens, to Marcus horror, as Reeves is introduced as the hot new guy Sasha has been dating. After an extremely PDA-filled reunion with Sasha, Reeves takes his seat at the perfectly pretentious restaurant Maximal, expertly negs Marcus, requests a dish that plays with time and proceeds to weep over his meal, listening to the recorded melancholy wailings of his dinner being slaughtered as he eats it.

We don't deserve Keanu Reeves pic.twitter.com/20Nm0lMrfw  Netflix US (@netflix) June 1, 2019

Hes Marcus worst nightmare, because Marcus also idolizes him  because everyone does, said a laughing Park, whos also up against Daniel Dae Kim as Sashas slick restaurateur fiance in the film. But to have him dating Sasha? It cant get any worse than that, especially at the moment when hes ready to tell her, after all these years, how he feels.

The filmmakers recruited Asian American creatives from varied disciplines, from rapper Lyrics Born to n/naka chef Niki Nakayama, to be a part of Always Be My Maybe. For this role they wanted an Asian American icon who could act, be funny and would be willing to poke fun at himself. Reeves was perfect. But would he get the joke?

Nahnatchka Khan, the Fresh Off the Boat show runner who makes her feature directing debut with Maybe, had pulled off a kindred trick getting James van Der Beek to play a heightened version of himself on her ABC series Dont Trust the B---- in Apartment 23.

Keanu completely got it, said Khan. First of all, he read the whole script. A lot of the time somebody of his stature will just read their section. He read the whole script and realized how his character fit in. Youre tracking Marcus during that section because hes trying to tell her how he feels and she throws this grenade, and it feels like his worst nightmare: Its literally Keanu Reeves that shes dating.

He trusted myself, Ali and Randall to make the joke into what wed talked about; he is not the butt of the joke  he is in on the joke with us, she said. Its like James van Der Beek in Dont Trust the B----. They all think its funny as well, and its their version of sending up that actor-star culture.

Plus his improv game was on point, riffing off seasoned comedians Wong, Park, and Vivian Bang as Marcus hippie girlfriend Jenny, whos equally smitten with Reeves. Because of course she is, because everyone is  everyone but Marcus.

The I missed your light/I missed your soul exchange? Improvised, according to Wong.

Those lensless glasses hes wearing for a role? All Reeves.

And thats in the movie, said Khan. When we were shooting on the day there were a lot of funny jokes he was pitching because he thought it would be funny if he knew a lot of Chinese dignitaries and started listing them. Of course Keanu would know that. He knows everything.

When tensions boil over into jealousy and violence during an innocent parlor game in Reeves penthouse suite at San Franciscos Fairmont hotel, Marcus does what few in movie history have done: He punches Reeves  who literally name-drops John Wick in the scene  and lives to tell.

It was the best, Park deadpans. It was great in part because Keanu was so into it. He was in John Wick mode.

Reeves, who could not be reached for comment regarding his cameo, was particularly amped for his big stunt, said Wong. I think he just loves doing action. When he reacts, like, Yeaaah!  thats real. I really think he feels alive when people strike him. (Shes kidding. Probably.)

Of course, it was never meant to be between Reeves and Sasha, who quickly realizes the fancy famous self-absorbed actor shes dating isnt The One and soon takes her shot with the non-fancy best friend shes always loved. Reeves seems to take it well too, calling Sasha and Marcus an Uber home. Well, an Uber Pool.

Reeves might not have anyone in his life at the end of Always Be My Maybe. But if it did occur, hed certainly respect and love the other person. Hopefully itll happen for him.

Hes very self-aware and hes aware of how hes perceived in our culture, screenwriter Golamco said appreciatively. The dudes a living legend. Hes somebody that has been beloved across generations He just gives. Thats what Keanu does. He gives.

Keanu Reeves, left, and Randall Park attend the after-party for the world premiere of Netflixs Always Be My Maybe on May 22, 2019, in Westwood. (Emma McIntyre / Getty Images for Netflix)

jen.yamato@latimes.com

@jenyamatoAfter devoting years of his life to making a seven-hour docuseries on child sex abuse in the Catholic church, Ryan White was in a dark place. He and his team had even worked on the Netflix project  called The Keepers  in a windowless office.

I felt like I was blinded, the director, now 37, recalled. I was disoriented and felt dizzy  a little stuck on how to continue storytelling when that world was so sad and felt like it hadnt been fixed.

Enter Dr. Ruth Westheimer. In 2017, just as The Keepers was being released, White was pitched the idea of making a documentary about the renowned sex and relationship therapist.

Advertisement

He didnt know much about Westheimer, other than that the 90-year-old spoke candidly about sex in a thick German accent. But as soon as he met her for dinner near her home in New York, White said, he was certain she would be the medicine he needed to emerge from his depression.

Dr. Ruth coming into our lives  I just knew that type of energy would be healthy for me and my team, he said, sitting in his Atwater Village office, where he employs a staff of more than a dozen. It sounds trite, but she is such a positive force that that has totally rubbed off on me. Thats why our office has so much light now.

His resulting film on Westheimer, Ask Dr. Ruth, is now streaming on Hulu. The movie is both a portrait of her storied career and a tale of resilience, revealing how after losing both her parents in the Holocaust at age 10, she went on to triumph over her circumstances and bring joy to the masses. The documentary premiered at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, where it received strong reviews as its subject went on a charm offensive around the Utah mountain town.

In April, with his pitbull Betty resting at his feet, White discussed the advice Westheimer gave him about his love life and why he thinks theyll always be friends for life.

REVIEW: Ask Dr. Ruth gently examines Americas most famous sex therapist 

Dr. Ruth Westheimer and director Ryan White at the Sundance Film Festival, where his documentary Ask Dr. Ruth premiered to rave reviews in January. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

What was that first dinner with Dr. Ruth like?

I didnt know what kind of shape she was in for, then, 89 years old. I was like, Oh, is she in bad physical shape? Is she all there? And the moment I arrived, she popped up out of the chair and was talking a mile a minute. I was like, Shes not just all there, shes on fire. We were sitting at a square table, and she immediately pulled her chair next to mine and we ate next to each other with her hand on my hand. She wasnt just trying to win me over as a documentary filmmaker but she was barraging me with questions about my life and where I was from, which she does with everybody. Asking if I was dating anyone, what my mom thought about the fact that I wasnt at the time. And then watching her interact with everyone  like the waiter, and asking him where hes from. And then the Uber driver.

After that dinner, as she was getting into the car  she calls every driver Mr. Uber whether its a Lyft, whether its a black car, she says, Hello, Mr. Uber. So Mr. Uber was waiting there as I was helping her into the car, and a man stopped her on the street. It was a gay gentleman who was probably 15 years older than me. It was a very short interaction, but he was like, I was secretly listening to you on my Walkman in my bedroom before bed and I want to thank you for everything you did for gay young people who were listening to your advice. I didnt realize the impact that she had until I met her and started learning more about her and her story.

Dr. Ruth has said shes rejected numerous requests from documentary filmmakers in the past. How did she take to the filming process?

I remember talking to Serena [Williams] and saying, I just want to follow you and be with you for a year on the tour. If you want me to make a biopic about your roots and where you grew up, Im not interested. And she was like, Totally. Thats what I want to do. And Dr. Ruth, when I was explaining I wanted to follow her life, she didnt understand that as much.

So I would arrive at her apartment and she would be like, What do we do? I would say, I observe and follow you to Boston when youre at the Forbes 30 Under 30 conference or go on your family vacation or hang out with you while you make phone calls all day. She just didnt understand at the beginning why I would want that type of access. So thats why the film totally breaks the fourth wall, because shes not a performer.

At the height of [her] fame, she was talking directly into the camera at a person speaking to her. Shes not an actor. She was like, What do you mean, just pretend youre not here? She constantly wanted to be connecting with everyone, which is what I think is so special about her. The most revealing moments about her are her breaking the fourth wall.

RELATED: Dr. Ruth is 90.5 and living her best life, but an Oscar would be nice 

White, 37, said he often talked about his relationship with his boyfriend with Dr. Ruth. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

At Sundance, you and Dr. Ruth seemed extremely close. Did you bond with her more than you have other documentary subjects?

I was the only Christian on the crew  my cameraman and sound man and Rafi [producer Rafael Marmor] are all Jewish. So she loved that there was a Christian with her when we followed her to Israel. I was learning the culture and the language and the religion and getting her to show me her roots. She just thought it was funny. We were only in Israel for seven days or something, and one of the days she was hellbent on going to the Kinneret, which is the Sea of Galilee, where Jesus was baptized and supposedly walked on water. She wanted to make me go in it.

When we mapped it out, we were like, Oh, this isnt close by. It was hours away from wherever we were, it had nothing to do with the film, and we didnt have a day. But she was like, I want to do it. So we took a road trip for a day to the Sea of Galilee ... mostly for a joke. Were gonna send Ryan down to the Sea of Galilee. Were gonna see if he can walk on water. He has to go in his underwear because he doesnt have his bathing suit. He has to return his wet underwear to me so I know he got in.

Did you agree to the trip because you thought it would help build trust with her, or because you just wanted to hang out with her as a friend?

It definitely wasnt calculated, like, Let me win her trust. It was like, This woman is so fun. Its Dr. Ruth. Youre not gonna say no. It reminds me of my own grandma, where she can find so much fun in something so random and weird. The movie be damned, we can take a day off to do something fun that entertains Dr. Ruth.

Do people come up to her on the street and ask for sex advice?

I think most people just want to say hello or get a photo, which she always says yes to. But Ive heard people ask her for sex advice for sure. Thats the only time I ever really hear her talk about sex. I always say that the most surprising thing about Dr. Ruth is that she never talks about sex.

Have you ever asked her for sex advice?

Never once. Ive talked to her about my relationship ad nauseam. She had already met [my boyfriend] David before we wrapped filming. When she first met him, she said, You told me he was Jewish but you didnt tell me he was short! She loves that hes short.  Her major concern with me in relationships is work. Shes like, I see how often youre here. Are you making time for your relationship? Shes always asking me about the time Im dedicating to my relationship and making sure Im putting enough time aside. Cellphones down. Dinners without devices. Things that are obvious, but theyre hard for me to do, at least.

In Ask Dr. Ruth, Westheimer travels to Switzerland and Israel to reflect on her childhood roots. (David Paul Jacobson / Hulu)

The one thing in the film she wont really talk about is her own love life since the death of her last husband, Manfred Westheimer, who passed in 1997. Why do you think that is?

She would never allow herself to get lonely. Shes so obsessed with human connection that theres very few windows of time where shes alone, and if she is alone, shes on the phone with someone. She doesnt like to be alone. She hates not being busy. People always ask me and her: Whats the secret to being so on fire at 90? My theory is if you never slow down, if every day youre going from morning to night  when do you have the time to slow down?

How often are you still in touch?

Almost every day. She doesnt text. In fact, we were going through her text messages and she didnt even know they were there. For years, texts have been coming in that just go into the ether. She doesnt do anything on her cellphone except talk on the phone. I think she would like texting if we could teach her how to do it, but shes not interested.

What do you talk about on the phone?

Theres always a mission, even if theres not. Its like, Lets go through the schedule together. Remind me, is there a section at the film festival? Where do I tell my guests to go? And then, Hows your mom? I think there will always be a mission  something on the agenda to talk about. She loves updating one on what shes done recently. So often its like, Had a wonderful lecture last night. 300 people there. It was an immense success! Everything is with such positivity, too. The best lecture. The best class shes ever taught. I think whatever happened most recently, she just wants you to know how great it went.

Do you think youll always remain in each others lives?

She always says that: Friends for life. We were in Washington, D.C., recently, and we said goodbye at the airport, and she hates goodbyes. As I was hugging her goodbye she was like, I dont like saying goodbye to you. I was like, Dr. Ruth, Im gonna see you in a week. Every time Im in New York Im going to call Dr. Ruth and try to have lunch with her. Why would I not want to be around that as much as possible?

Dr. Ruth Westheimer answers questions sent in from readers on Twitter at the L.A. Times Studio at Chase Sapphire on Main.

amy.kaufman@latimes.com

Follow me on Twitter @AmyKinLAMore than 35 people were arrested Friday night on suspicion of gambling, trafficking, possession of narcotics, sale of firearms and prostitution during a police raid at a building near downtown Los Angeles, authorities said.

A SWAT team accompanied police officers, armed with search warrants, at the scene in the 200 block of North Vermont Avenue, police said. One person tried to resist arrest by barricading, authorities said.

When that happened, we had to deploy tear gas, said Officer Rosario Cervantes, a Los Angeles police spokeswoman.

No one was hurt in the incident. The building houses an unnamed business.

Advertisement

Police launched a surveillance operation Friday afternoon before the arrests. Those not arrested were detained, questioned and let go, Cervantes said.

anh.do@latimes.com

Twitter: @newsterrierThe young Bangladeshi sitting in the dentists chair last October thought he was getting checked for diseases.

Dental staff examined his teeth, gave him a cleaning and sent him back to the juvenile facility where he had been held for months since illegally crossing the border in July.

But a checkup wasnt the real purpose of the dental work. The government wanted to figure out if I.J., as the young migrant has been identified, really was 16, as he said, or an adult.

Advertisement

The use of dental exams to help determine the age of migrants increased sharply in the last year, one aspect of the Trump administrations crackdown on immigration and illegal border crossings.

The accuracy of forensic testing to help determine the age of migrants is very much a subject of the debate. And with the stakes so high, the exams are becoming another legal battleground for the government.

Federal law prohibits the government from relying exclusively on forensic testing of bones and teeth to determine age. But a review of court records shows that in at least three cases  including I.J.s  the government did just that, causing federal judges to later order the minors released from adult detention.

In a case last year, a Guatemalan migrant was held in adult detention for nearly a year after a dental exam showed he was likely 18, until his attorneys fought to get his birth certificate, which proved he was 17.

For I.J., the results had serious ramifications. Based on the development of his teeth, the analysis showed an 87.70% probability that he had turned 18.

An immigration official reported that it was apparent to the case manager that I.J. appeared physically older than 17 years of age, and that he and his mother had not been able to provide a second type of identification that might prove his age.

The next month, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents took him away in shackles and placed him in a medium-security prison that houses immigrant detainees.

He spent about five months in adult detention and 24 of those days in segregated custody. Whenever he spoke with an officer, he would say he was a minor  unaware for more than a month that his teeth had landed him there.

I came to the United States with a big dream, I.J. said. My dream was finished.

But when the Arizona-based Florence Immigrant and Refugee Rights Project took I.J.s case to federal court, a district judge found that the Office of Refugee Resettlements age re-determination violated federal law and the agencys own guidelines.

In April, the judge ordered I.J. released back into Office of Refugee Resettlement custody, a program responsible for unaccompanied migrant children. He has since reunited with his family in New York. The Florence Project also filed another case in federal court that resulted in the government voluntarily returning a Bangladeshi minor to ORR custody and rescinding his age re-determination.

As the government grappled with an influx of the number of families and children arriving at the border in fiscal year 2018, approvals of ORR age determination exams more than doubled.

FY 2016 FY 2017 FY 2018 0 175 350 525 700 Immigration and Customs Enforcement Department of Health and Human Services 0 175 350 525 Approvals of age determination exams Data: abcdefg hijkl mnop qrstu vwxyz 1234 56789 @latimesgraphics Source: ICE, HHS -->

These handful of cases where a minor was released from adult detention is almost certainly an undercount, as most migrants held in adult detention do not have legal representation and are unlikely to fight their cases.

It is unclear how often migrants pretend to be minors and turn out to be adults. In a call with reporters earlier this year, a Customs and Border Protection official said that from April 2018 to March 25 of this year, his agents had identified more than 3,100 individuals in family units making fraudulent claims, including those who misrepresented themselves as minors.

Unaccompanied minors are given greater protections than adults after being apprehended. The governments standard refers migrants to adult custody if a dental exam analysis shows at least a 75% probability that they are 18 or older. But other evidence is supposed to be considered.

Dr. David Senn, the director of the Center for Education and Research in Forensics at UT Health San Antonio, has handled more than 2,000 age cases since 1998.

A program that Senn helped develop estimates the mean age of a person and the probability that he or she is at least 18. In addition to looking at dental X-rays, he has also looked at skeletal X-rays and analyzed bone development in the hand and wrist area.

He handled a larger number of cases in the early 2000s, but last year he saw his caseload triple  rising to 168. There appears to be a slowdown this calendar year for Senn, one of a few dentists the government uses for these analyses.

He said making an exact age determination is not possible.

We can only tell you what the statistics say, Senn said. I think the really important thing to note is that most people who do this work are not trying to be policemen or to be Border Patrol agents or immigration . what were trying to do is help. What were trying to do is protect children.

In 2007 and again in 2008, the House Appropriations Committee called on the Department of Homeland Security to stop relying on forensic testing of bones and teeth. But it was the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 that declared age determinations should take into account multiple forms of evidence, including the non-exclusive use of radiographs.

In a Washington state case, an X-ray analysis by Senn showed a 92.55% probability that Bilal, a Somali migrant, already had reached 18 years of age. ICE removed him from his foster home and held him in an adult detention center.

Not only were they trying to save themselves money, which they paid to the foster family, but they were wrecking this kids life, said Matt Adams, legal director for the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, which represented Bilal. They were just rolling the dice.

In 2016, a federal judge found that the Office of Refugee Resettlement relied exclusively on the dental exam and overturned the age determination for the young Somali.

Last year, in the case of an Eritrean migrant who said he was 17, Senns analysis of dental X-rays showed a 92.55% probability that he had turned 18, and provided a range of possible ages between 17.10 and 23.70.

It was enough to prompt his removal from a juvenile facility and placement into an adult one.

Again, a district judge found that the government had relied exclusively on the dental exam to determine his age and ordered the migrant released back into ORR custody.

Danielle Bennett, an ICE spokeswoman, said the agency does not track information on such reversals.

We should never be used as the only method to determine age, Senn said. If those agencies are not following their own rules, they should have their feet held to the fire.

Similar concerns over medical age assessments have sprung up in other countries, including the United Kingdom and Sweden.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees guidance about how adolescent migrants ages should be analyzed says that if countries use scientific procedures to determine age, that they should allow for margins of error. Michael Bochenek, an attorney specializing in childrens rights at Human Rights Watch, said that for adolescents, the margin of error in scientific tests is so big that it doesnt tell you anything.

An influx of Bangladeshi migrants claiming to be minors has contributed to the governments recent use of dental exams. From October through March 8, more than 150 Bangladeshis who claimed to be minors and were determined to be adults were transferred from the Office of Refugee Resettlement to ICE custody, according to the agency.

In fiscal year 2018, Border Patrol apprehensions of Bangladeshi migrants went up 109% over the year before, rising to 1,203. Similarly, the number of Bangladeshi minors in ORR custody increased about 221% between fiscal 2017 and fiscal 2018, reaching 392.

07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 0 325 650 975 1,300 0 325 650 975 Border Patrol apprehensions of Bangladeshi migrants Data: abcdefg hijkl mnop qrstu vwxyz 1234 56789 @latimesgraphics Source: U.S. Customs and Border Protection -->

Ali Riaz, a professor at Illinois State University, said Bangladeshis are leaving the country for reasons including high population density, high unemployment among the young, a deteriorating political environment and the quest for a better life.

In October, Myriam Hillin, an ORR federal field specialist, was told that ICE had information showing that a number of Bangladeshi migrants in their custody claiming to be underage had passports with different birth dates than on their birth certificates.

Bochenek said its common for migrant children to travel with fake passports that make them appear older, because in some countries minors are more likely to be intercepted or questioned by immigration agents.

While I.J. was able to regain status as a minor, three Bangladeshi migrants who crossed the U.S.-Mexico border illegally in the San Diego area in October 2018 are still trying to convince the government they are underage.

Their passports didnt match their birth certificates. Dental exams ordered by immigration officials found that each of them had about an 89% likelihood of being adults.

Both subjects were adamant that the passports were given to them by the agent (smuggler), however, there is little reason to lie to any of the countries they flew into, wrote one Border Patrol agent, describing the arrest of two of the migrants. Also, it is extremely difficult to fake a passport, especially for no reason. I have seen [unaccompanied children] fly into each of the countries (except for Panama and Costa Rica) and pass through with no problem. This is a recent trend with Bangladeshis. They do it in order to be released from DHS custody faster.

During interviews, the young migrants, Shahadat, Shahriar and Tareq, told asylum officers that smugglers had given them the passports, according to records from the interviews.

When asked why they had been given those birth dates, they said it had something to do with smugglers plans for their travel.

I dont have that much idea, Shahadat told an asylum officer, according to the officers notes in a summary-style transcript. When I asked why, they told me that if I dont give this [date of birth] there will be problems with travel.

Shahriar told the officer that the smuggler became aggressive when questioned.

The migrants have submitted copies of birth certificates, school documents and signed statements from their parents attesting to their claimed birth dates. An online database of birth records maintained by the government of Bangladesh appears to confirm their date of birth claims.

Shahriar also provided his parents birth certificates. If he were as old as immigration officials believe him to be, his mother would have been 12 years old when she had him.

In each case, immigration officials stood by the passport dates.

Shahadat and Shahriar are being held in Otay Mesa Detention Center. Tareq was held at the facility for months before being released on a $7,500 bond. All three are moving through the immigration system as adults, with asylum proceedings their only option to stay in the U.S..

At least one of the migrants, Shahadat, was placed in administrative segregation, a version of solitary confinement in immigration detention, when his age came into question, according to documents provided by their attorney.

A judge ordered him deported.

Morrissey writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune.Legendary New Orleans chef Leah Chase always had problems when customers asked if she served soul food. Well, that would depend on where your soul was, shed say. If it was in China, she couldnt really help you.

But if your soul was in New Orleans, that was different.

If your soul is in New Orleans, I know what to give you, Chase said during an interview. Im going to give you some jambalaya. I can give you some stewed chicken. I can give you some shrimp Creole.

Chase, who fed generations of New Orleanians and tourists alike at Dooky Chases restaurant, died Saturday. She was 96.

Advertisement

Chases family released a statement to news outlets Saturday night, sharing that the woman they called a believer in the Spirit of New Orleans died surrounded by family.

Her daily joy was not simply cooking, but preparing meals to bring people together, the familys statement read. One of her most prized contributions was advocating for the Civil Rights Movement through feeding those on the front lines of the struggle for human dignity.

Leah Chase transformed the restaurant bearing her father-in-laws name from a sandwich shop where black patrons could buy lottery tickets to a refined restaurant where tourists, athletes, musicians  and even presidents  of all races dined.

Chases determination propelled her from a girl with a small-town Louisiana upbringing to a celebrated chef who wrote cookbooks, appeared on cooking shows and fed civil rights greats such as Thurgood Marshall and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Well into her 90s, Chase could be found every day at the restaurant, using a walker while greeting customers and supervising the kitchen.

I love people and I love serving people. Its fun for me to serve people. Because sometimes people will come in and theyre tired. And just a little plate of food will make people happy, she said during a 2015 interview with the Associated Press.

Leah Chases restaurant became known as a place where white and black activists could meet and strategize about voter registration drives or legal cases. (Bill Haber / Associated Press)

At a time when other black Creole women were working in the citys garment industry, Chase worked as a waitress in the French Quarter, which exposed her to the segregated citys pricey restaurants frequented by white people.

When she married Dooky Chase Jr. in 1946, his family restaurant had been open for five years  largely under the guidance of his mother. But Leah Chase wanted to make it a fine dining experience for black patrons, along the lines of what she had seen in the Quarter. Gradually, she introduced silverware on the table, tablecloths and Creole dishes.

I said well why we cant have that for our people? Why we cant have a nice space? So I started trying to do different things, she said.

Dooky Chases became known as a place where white and black civil rights activists could meet and strategize about voter registration drives or legal cases. Although Chase and her husband were breaking the law by allowing whites and blacks to eat together, police never raided the restaurant.

She would also send food to jailed civil rights leaders, sniffing her nose at the notion of them eating prison food.

Sybil Morial, a longtime friend of Chases, said shes eaten hundreds of meals at Dooky Chases, where she was courted by her late husband and the citys first black mayor, Ernest Dutch Morial. On visits to New Orleans, Thurgood Marshall and other lawyers would work with Morials husband and NAACP lawyer, A.P. Tureaud, and then head to Dookys for lunch or dinner.

It was a haven for them to refresh themselves with wonderful gumbo and it was a place where they could strategize after a hard days work, Morial said.

Chase never boasted about her works, saying simply that she did what she thought she had to do.

Hurricane Katrina in 2005 devastated her restaurant, where 5 feet of water lingered in the dining room for weeks. When the waters eventually receded, mold was everywhere.

Chase was already into her 80s, but there was little question regarding the restaurants fate. Having evacuated to Birmingham, Ala., she and her husband returned to live in a FEMA trailer next to the restaurant for months, while they rebuilt Dooky Chases.

She and her husband had been married for seven decades when he died in 2016.

Her food always reflected her city, a Creole mixture of Spanish, French, African and other cultures that have influenced New Orleans. She also enjoyed new culinary influences in the city, like the growing number of Vietnamese and Jamaican restaurants.

With the exception of two photographs of former President Obama, the restaurant has little evidence of the celebrities and dignitaries who came to eat. Instead of surrounding herself with the past, Chase tended to look forward.

I want to do better, she said. I want to have the finest restaurant with the finest food. Thats all I want.Against the backdrop of a rising sun, NASAs next-generation Orion space capsule successfully blasted off Friday morning and later landed with a bulls-eye splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.

Liftoff at dawn, the dawn of Orion and a new era of American space exploration, said NASA announcer Michael Curie as the capsule, riding atop a powerful Delta IV Heavy rocket, rose into the sky over Cape Canaveral Air Force Station at 7:05 a.m. EST.

Four and a half hours later, his colleague Rob Navias declared the splashdown, 270 miles west of Baja California, a bulls-eye. America has driven a golden spike as it crosses a bridge into the future, Navias said.

The mission began flawlessly, and NASA repeatedly called its readings from the craft perfect. Six minutes into the flight, the Delta IV successfully jettisoned its three boosters and the second stage ignited. That stages burn ended 18 minutes into the flight as Orion entered Earth orbit.

Advertisement

The launch went off on NASAs second attempt after wind and technical problems scrubbed a Thursday morning try.

But that was forgotten as the rocket and Orion rumbled into the sky, to the delight of thousands of people along the waterfronts of Brevard County.

I have always dreamed of being an astronaut, said Lizzi Gunn, 24, of Kissimmee, Fla., who watched the liftoff from Kennedy Space Center. Im so proud of this country for doing it and deciding we are going to Mars.

The two-orbit unmanned mission gave NASA a chance to test the nations new designed-to-do-everything spacecraft. In coming decades, Orion is expected to carry astronauts deep into space to the moon, asteroids, Mars and beyond.

The launch has been touted as the beginning of NASAs next big thing -- deep space exploration -- culminating in a Mars visit in about 20 years.

This is Day 1 of the Mars era, proclaimed NASA administrator Charles Bolden.

At three hours and six minutes into the flight, Orion swung out to its peak height of 3,604 miles above the Earth, higher than any spacecraft designed to carry humans has gone since the days of the Apollo moon missions. A few minutes later, the craft jettisoned the last piece of the Delta rocket and its service module, flying free for the first time.

Shown in spectacular video provided from the capsule itself and a NASA drone, the returning Orion reached a reentry speed of 20,000 mph, deployed three sets of parachutes and splashed down in the ocean four hours and 24 minutes after liftoff.

NASA and Lockheed Martin, which developed the spacecraft, were able to gather much of the data they sought during the flight, but a lot more once Orion is recovered and experts can examine the capsules recorders.

The Navy is in charge of recovery. Once that is done, Orion will be taken to Kennedy Space Center, returning before Christmas, officials said.

Orions future is contingent on congressional funding. House and Senate appropriation bills now awaiting action include more money for the program than has been requested by President Obama.

After the launch, Sen. Bill Nelson, (D-Fla.), speaking at Kennedy Space Center, predicted that the Orion program will reignite popular excitement about the space program that was lost with the end of the space shuttle program in 2011.

As they envision Americans being in this spacecraft, the American people will get excited again, and they are already getting excited, Nelson said.

Orions next big test is scheduled for 2018, when NASAs powerful new rocket, the Space Launch System, is ready. That test is to take another unmanned Orion for a trip around the moon.

The SLS is capable of 8.4 million pounds of thrust, about four times as much as the Delta IV Heavy. Orion and the SLS are expected to be the backbone of NASAs long-term human space exploration plans.

Bolden said his granddaughter recently reminded him of this long-term potential and vision, telling him: Dont get hung up on Mars, because there are other places to go once we get there.

Marco Santana of the Sentinel staff contributed to this report.The gunman who opened fire in a Virginia Beach government building, killing 12 people, had notified a superior of his intention to leave his job, officials said Saturday.

The assailant, who worked as a civil engineer, was an employee in good standing in his department, said City Manager Dave Hansen, who described the mans performance as satisfactory.

In response to a reporters question, he said the shooter had notified his chain of command of his intention to quit via email on Friday, hours before the shooting.

Authorities have identified the attacker as 40-year-old DeWayne Craddock. He was killed following a gun battle with police.

Advertisement

Police Chief James Cervera said he had no information to indicate that the suspect targeted anyone specifically.

Among the victims were four other engineers who worked to maintain streets and protect wetlands and three right-of-way agents who reviewed property lines. Others included an account clerk, a technician, an administrative assistant and a special projects coordinator. In all, they had served the city of Virginia Beach for more than 150 years.

Police have declined to comment on the gunmans motive. City officials uttered his name just once and said they would not mention it again.

READ MORE: Virginia Beach shooting victims were veteran city employees 

Joseph Scott, an engineering technician with the utilities department, said he had worked with Craddock and had a brief interaction with him Friday, passing him in the mens restroom about five minutes before the shooting.

He was in there brushing his teeth, which he always did after he ate, Scott said. I said, Hey, how you doing? What are you doing this weekend? It was just a brief conversation.

Scott said he left for the day right after and learned of the shooting when a co-worker and then his son called him asking if he was OK.

I couldnt believe that it happened, he said.

One of the dead employees had worked for the city for 41 years. Six worked in the same department as the suspect, though authorities have declined to say if anyone was specifically targeted or if the suspect had issued threats before. The victims were found throughout the building, on three floors, police said.

The municipal building was open to the public, but security passes were required to enter inner offices, conference rooms and other work areas. As a current employee, Craddock would have had the pass to enter the inner offices, Hansen said.

One of the dead, Christopher Kelly Rapp of Powhatan, enjoyed Scottish music and joined a pipe band last fall. He played with the group in October during a Celtic festival in Virginia and marched with bandmates on St. Patricks Day.

Chris was reserved but very friendly, quietly engaging members one-on-one after our weekly practices, the band, Tidewater Pipes & Drums, said in a statement.

Another victim, Mary Louise Gayle of Virginia Beach, was described as a super sweet lady who always had a big smile. She would always be out there in the yard, working on something and talking to my daughters, John Cushman, Gayles next-door neighbor, told the New York Times.

(Los Angeles Times)

The other employees who were killed were identified as Tara Welch Gallagher, Alexander Mikhail Gusev, Katherine A. Nixon, Ryan Keith Cox, Joshua O. Hardy and Michelle Missy Langer, all of Virginia Beach; Laquita C. Brown and Robert Bobby Williams, both of Chesapeake; and Richard H. Nettleton of Norfolk. The 12th victim, Herbert Bert Snelling of Virginia Beach, was a contractor who was in the building to seek a permit.

At least three other people who were wounded remained hospitalized Saturday.

Craddock appeared to have had no felony record, making him eligible to purchase guns.

Government investigators identified two .45-caliber pistols used in the attack, said Ashan Benedict, the regional special agent for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.

All indications were that the shooter purchased the weapons legally, one in 2016 and one in 2018, Benedict said. The police chief said at least one had a noise suppressor.

Craddock, 40, graduated from Denbigh High School in nearby Newport News in 1996 and joined the Army National Guard, according to a newspaper clip from the time. He received basic military training and advanced individual training at Fort Sill, Okla. He later graduated from Old Dominion University with a bachelors degree in civil engineering.

Scott said he worked in a different division from Craddock, whom he described as quiet, polite and a nice guy. Scott said he thought Craddock was in good standing at work and had never heard negative reports about him.

A handwritten note was posted Saturday at the suspects home expressing condolences to the shooting victims on behalf of his family.

Hundreds of people attended Saturday prayer vigils for the dead. Scott said he, his wife and several others prayed for the shooter too.

He was a human too, and his family is hurting too, Scott said. Hes not evil ... he was just another guy who had problems.

Neighbors described Craddock as a car enthusiast and bodybuilder.

Amanda Archer, 22, and Cassetty Howerin, 23, lived in a Virginia Beach town home beneath Craddock for the past year and only got to know him in passing, exchanging the occasional greeting.

He wasnt much of a talker, Archer recalled. Hes a mystery to us. Hes a mystery to everybody, apparently.Some photos must be taken, some images must be seen. These thoughts must have motivated photographer Robert Capa 75 years ago as he plunged off a landing craft and onto Omaha Beach with an early wave of the D-day landings.

If your pictures arent good enough, Capa famously advised, then youre not close enough.

He was close enough on June 6, 1944, to secure what are now known as the Magnificent Eleven, the surviving images on four rolls of film delivered from Normandy to London just a day and a half after the Allied assault on Europe began. Five of the photos  slightly out of focus, in Capas words  were published in the next issue of Life magazine, dated June 19, 1944: Battle scenes in blurred black and white; frenzied, grim.

American forces arrive on Omaha Beach. (Robert Capa / Magnum Photos) U.S. troops assault Omaha Beach during the D-Day landings. (Robert Capa / Magnum Photos) U.S. troops assault Omaha Beach during the D-Day landings.(Robert Capa / Magnum Photos) Scenes from the U.S. landing on Omaha Beach in Normandy, France, 75 years ago. (Robert Capa / Magnum Photos)

The stark face of a helmeted soldier caught in swirling water, often cited as the iconic image of the longest day, captured the landings essential danger: drown or fight. Capas D-day shots reportedly inspired director Steven Spielbergs wrenching, realistic take on the landings in Saving Private Ryan. To pierce Hitlers Atlantic Wall, more than 16,000 Americans would die and 40,000 would be wounded by the end of July.

Great photos matter. They do two things, simultaneously: zoom us in on some frozen moment, and then widen our apertures to the world in a way that transcends words alone.

Often the pictures that hit us hardest depict violence. Of the 133 winners of the Pulitzer Prizes for photography, more than half  69  have been connected in some way to man-made conflict. Given a choice, the prize-givers honor such images because, as graphic and grisly as they may be, they are crucial to public understanding in a dangerous world.

During the Vietnam War, Eddie Adams image of a Saigon street-side execution during the Tet Offensive and Nick Uts of a naked child fleeing a napalm attack were as powerful as they were brutal. In 1991, Greg Marinovich captured the mayhem during the fall of apartheid in South Africa. He had pleaded with vigilante killers to stop, but when they didnt, he kept shooting, and the photograph of a machete splitting a victims flaming skull told the story to the world.

Seeing is still believing, as long as the image is authentic, which is another way of underlining Capas commandment to get close enough. Horst Faas, himself the winner of two Pulitzer Prizes, once described crawling to the forward trenches of a besieged outpost and waiting beside riflemen in night ambushes to get a good shot during the Vietnam War. We worked hard to be truthful, he wrote in a collection of Pulitzer images, and purposely avoided pictures of the bizarre and the atypical.

A photo might very well be real, it might be representative, but the final question is often the toughest: Is it relevant?

If it makes you laugh, if it makes you cry, if it rips out your heart, thats a good picture, said Adams.

Americans a world away from the battle are obliged to stop and stare at such pictures; never more so than in the 21st century. The post-9/11 war costs so far are tallied at just under $6 trillion, with about 7,000 U.S. troops killed in action, 50,000 wounded and a staggering quarter of a million civilian lives lost. Because fewer and fewer Americans are in uniform, those of us on the home front are less and less aware of wars terrible reality.

D-day photos like this one reportedly inspired Steven Spielberg's "Saving Private Ryan." Robert Capa / Magnum Photos

Of course, images of violence can carry a deadly dark side. Islamic State propaganda has relied on gory imagery to amplify its terror, as did the mosque shooter in New Zealand in March, who weaponized his attack once in person and then again on a Facebook feed.

In response, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is leading an effort to end terrorist and violent extremist content online. And yet even well-intentioned censorship of such images can sweep up important pictures, as we learned when Facebook took down, and then reinstated, Uts powerful Napalm Girl photo.

Army Gen. William T. Sherman once defined war as cruelty: You cannot refine it. Despite the risks and discomforts of seeing that cruelty, we must look at its ugly face squarely.

Bullets tore into the water around me, Capa wrote about his 90 minutes on Omaha Beach in the early hours of D-day. In that short time, shooting with a camera instead of a gun, he brought the war home to Americans. Seventy-five years later, we still get the picture.

Army Lt. Col. ML Cavanaugh is a non-resident fellow with the Modern War Institute at West Point, and co-edited, with Max Brooks and others, Winning Westeros: How Game of Thrones Explains Modern Military Conflict.

Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute 

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and FacebookThe last public execution in New York City took place on Friday, July 13, 1860, the summer before the start of the Civil War. The hanging took place on Bedloes Island in New York Harbor, where a crowd of 12,000 had turned out for the spectacle.

Public hangings were, at the time, a regular occurrence in the city. A tree at the northeast corner of Washington Square Park was known as Hangmans Elm, and the Marquis de Lafayette said hed seen 20 highwaymen swing in the park on a visit to Manhattan. At Executioners Corner  13th Street and 2nd Avenue  hangings were carried out in an empty field.

The events were often unruly. In 1824, for example, a crowd of 50,000 revelers turned out for the public hanging of John Johnson, a hotel-keeper who murdered one of his guests. And the public spectacles often seemed to have the opposite of their intended effect: Instead of somber events to deter people from crime, the hangings became parties. Meant to encourage right and punish wrong, they became excuses for drinking and debauchery.

Today, U.S. executions are more private, though they still occur regularly. In Alabama on Thursday, 46-year-old Christopher Lee Price was killed with a lethal injection for stabbing a Fayette County minister to death in 1991. The execution, the second in Alabama in May, was witnessed by relatives of Prices victim.

Advertisement

But even todays more private executions remain controversial, with the nation deeply divided by the death penalty. The Supreme Court is also split on the issue. In a recent case, the court rejected the petition of Russell Bucklew, who claimed the method chosen for his execution (lethal injection) would, due to a rare disease, cause him pain that violates the Constitutions 8th Amendment, which forbids cruel and unusual punishment. Justice Neil M. Gorsuch, writing for the majority, argued that the Constitution prohibits the state from inflicting terror, pain, or disgrace unnecessarily, but does not promise a painless death. Justice Stephen G. Breyer, the courts fiercest opponent of capital punishment, has written about how, after a long career in law, hes come to suspect that there simply is no constitutional way to implement the death penalty.

The last public execution in New York City was of Albert Hicks, a pirate.

The last public execution in New York City was of Albert Hicks, a pirate. In 1860, he joined the crew of the E.A. Johnson, an oyster sloop docked at Spring Street on the Hudson River. He waited until the boat neared Staten Island, then, taking an ax from the wall, killed everyone on board and dumped their bodies. When the police searched the decks, they found four fingers and a thumb, which the killer had overlooked in the dark.

The ensuing manhunt was a huge newspaper story, and Hicks was finally tracked to a boardinghouse in Providence, R.I. He was captured, returned to Manhattan and tried for piracy in federal court. By that time, the state of New York had quit holding public executions, but the federal government had no such ban, and many New Yorkers wanted to see Hicks hang. Three weeks after his conviction, the prisoner was taken to Bedloes Island to be executed.

Hicks, who had undergone a religious conversion after his conviction, approached his execution with tremendous stoicism, but the day itself turned out to be one of the wildest in New York City history. When he got to the island, tens of thousands of spectators on boats anchored in the harbor watched as he dropped to his knees on the beach, prayed for a minute, stood and spoke his last words. Hang me quick  make haste.

The executioner, standing beside the scaffold, slipped a black hood over the pirates head, secured a rope around his neck, then pulled the lever. At 11:15 a.m., the weights dropped and Hicks was yanked 20 feet into the air. His neck snapped at the third vertebra. His body danced at the end of the rope for three minutes, then was still. At 11:20, his body jerked once more  wildly  then was still again. A few minutes later, the hands of the pirate and the neck below the hood turned purple.

Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute 

The events of July 13, 1860, may seem gruesome, but many recent executions in the United States have also been unnerving, if less public. Take the 2018 lethal injection of Alabama prisoner Doyle Lee Hamm. Officials spent more than two hours searching for a suitable vein, leaving a dozen puncture wounds in Hamms arms and groin before calling it quits. Or the 2014 execution of Ohio prisoner Dennis McGuire, who struggled for 25 minutes after being injected. According to a lawsuit filed by the family, McGuire suffered repeated cycles of snorting, gurgling and arching his back, appearing to writhe in pain. Or the 1997 electrocution of Florida prisoner Pedro Medina, when a tower of flame shot out of his head and the chamber filled with smoke. In Gruesome Spectacles: Botched Executions and Americas Death Penalty, Amherst professor Austin Sarat reports that, of 8,776 executions carried out in the United States between 1890 and 2010, 276 (3.15%) were botched.

The way we treat the condemned may in time seem as barbaric as the way Albert Hicks was treated in 1860. The fact that the same island, under a new name, has for decades been the home of the Statue of Liberty, needs no additional comment.

Rich Cohen is the author, most recently, of The Last Pirate of New York: A Ghost Ship, a Killer and the Birth of a Gangster Nation.To the editor: The Los Angeles Times article on the recent storms gripping much of the country states that a lack of data on tornadoes makes it hard to conclude whether climate change is a contributing factor to the unusually large number of tornadoes that have occurred in the U.S. recently.

Tornadoes and other weather events  including droughts, floods, storms and more  are energy-exchange phenomena. The 1 degree Celsius increase in Earths global average temperature that has occurred during the past century, due to the greenhouse gas effect caused by burning fossil fuels, has caused an increase in the heat-energy content of Earths atmosphere equal to about 2 billion Hiroshima bombs since 1998, according to Skeptical Science.

It is highly likely that the increased energy content of Earths atmosphere has a causative correlation to the increase in the number of tornadoes.

Al Barrett, Santa Monica

Advertisement

..

To the editor: Hundreds of tornadoes in the past week. Record rain and floods. Record wildfires. Disappearing islands and coastlines. The planet gets hotter every year. It is a bad sign when we hear new names for terrible weather  think bomb cyclone, polar vortex or superstorm.

As I see it, Mother Nature is trying to warn us by demonstrating her power. Scientists are trying to warn us. Children hear the warnings, and they are getting angry about the fearsome future we are creating for them.

Still, we keep poisoning the planet by burning fossil fuels. We should heed Mother Natures warnings.

James Sallis, San Diego

..

To the editor: Drastic laws aimed at reducing abortion in the United States are advocated by the movement calling itself pro-life. Largely ignored by that movement are the floods, droughts, hurricanes, tornadoes and wildfires now common around the world as the result of human impact on the environment and atmosphere since the Industrial Revolution. Human society and nature are at risk as conditions worsen.

Climate and population scientists predict the global human population will significantly decline over the coming centuries, as needed action is blocked by those denying climate reality. Pro-life advocates might note that the Earth has lost about half of its animal life since 1970 as human need for living space and agriculture has displaced habitat.

What except greed, profits and willful ignorance can explain our governments refusal to take action in support of sustainability on our tiny planet?

Nathaniel Batchelde, Oklahoma City

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and FacebookTo the editor: With Robert S. Mueller III having finished his investigation and resigned as the Justice Department special counsel, whatever happens to President Trump is now in the hands of Congress, and that is scary in itself.

It seems that the House will never be satisfied until every shred of evidence concerning the president is exposed and examined, and perhaps impeachment or censure is recommended. It also seems clear that none of these is likely to succeed.

Meanwhile the president has made it clear he will not work with a Congress that is investigating him. So, does the legislative process just stop?

It seems to me that the responsible action for the House to take is to get on with all the legislative initiatives its members favor, subdue all these hearings, take care of the peoples business and see if one of these candidates can defeat Trump in 2020. Otherwise months will be wasted when much is needed on healthcare and immigration.

Advertisement

Tom Bond, Studio City

..

To the editor: No collusion, no obstruction, says Trump at his rallies. But, the Mueller report provides a damning assessment of his administration.

Six former Trump advisors were indicted. Some cases were referred out to other prosecutors. Although there was not enough evidence to make a criminal conspiracy charge, the Trump campaign did nothing to report irregularities and stonewalled attempts to investigate Russian intervention.

Muellers report depicts an administration rife with policy disputes, back-stabbing and attempts to circumvent Trumps worst decisions. If a publicly held company had constant turnover of upper management, or if rumors of chaos within the administration had become public, the stock would be tanking and the chief executive would be forced out.

Lucky for Trump, he is president of the United States and not a CEO.

Betty C. Duckman, Long Beach

..

To the editor: I agree with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) that, up to this point, getting a bipartisan impeachment victory would be a stretch and that a loss might strengthen the Trump base.

But momentum is building, Mueller has spoken, and the time is ripe for members of Congress to reach across the aisle to unite forces against the corruption of our American political system. Show the American people that we still have honest, law-abiding politicians on both sides by delivering a bipartisan consensus on impeachment.

Kelly Lowry, Topanga

..

To the editor: The L.A. Times editorial complains that Muellers public statement on Wednesday just wasnt enough.

If Mueller had essentially called for impeachment, he rather than Congress would have been viewed as the initiator of the process. This would have caused the White House to double down on its attempt to discredit the FBI as the source of an ill-motivated witch hunt.

It is a remarkable tribute to the resilience of our system that Mueller could have said what he did Wednesday from within Trumps own administration. He didnt have to make that statement at all, and it perfectly sets the stage if he does testify before Congress.

Mueller is elegantly insisting that the ball is in Congress court and responsibility to act should rest accordingly.

Glenn Pascall, Dana Point

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and FacebookTo the editor: Its no mystery why the presidents poll numbers have never reached 50%. As columnist Jonah Goldberg intimates, Trump conducts himself in a manner far less presidential than that of any of his predecessors.

The real question concerns how Trump, despite his inept, chaotic governance, manages to poll as high as he does.

The answer lies in how craftily he has cobbled together an unholy alliance of manipulable evangelicals, die-hard conservatives and greedy plutocrats that reliably sides with his mismanagement of our country.

That such a deeply flawed president has achieved any measure of political success augurs ill for preservation of our democracy.

Advertisement

P. Jane Weil, Sacramento

..

To the editor: Goldberg is correct when he says Trumps lousy poll numbers are his own fault, but he is way off base saying the only thing about the report by former Justice Department special counsel Robert S. Mueller III that has hurt him is his reaction to it.

If you bother to read the actual report instead of Atty. Gen. William Barrs stilted summary, you will see that it contains significant evidence of both misfeasance and malfeasance  enough, in fact, that if it concerned a Democratic president, conservatives such as Goldberg would probably be hollering for impeachment.

Emphasizing only Trumps reaction to the report is itself a Trumpian-style distraction.

Alan Abajian, Alta Loma

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and FacebookPresident Trump arrived in London early Monday to begin a five-day European tour that centers around a banquet hosted by Queen Elizabeth II and a visit to an American cemetery near the beaches in France where U.S. troops stormed ashore in the D-day landings 75 years ago.

Leaving behind the impeachment talk that dominates Washington and a Wall Street slump triggered by his trade tariffs, Trumps first state visit to Britain coincides with political upheaval over Brexit and the impending resignation of Prime Minister Theresa May on Friday.

But just as Air Force One was touching down at Stanstead Airport on the outskirts of London around 9 a.m. local time, Trump was already tweeting attacks against the citys mayor, Sadiq Khan, calling him a stone cold loser.

Trump added, in a second tweet in which he likened Khan to our very dumb and incompetent Mayor of NYC de Blasio and mocked Khans height, that he is glad to be in the United Kingdom.

Advertisement

In any event, I look forward to being a great friend to the United Kingdom, and am looking very much forward to my visit. Landing now! he wrote.

Even before he left Washington, however, Trumps now-familiar penchant for sharp insults and unsolicited advice about other countries politics overshadowed the planned pomp and rituals, at least in the British media.

During an interview with the British tabloid the Sun, Trump was informed that Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, who married Prince Harry in May 2018, had called him misogynistic and divisive during the 2016 presidential race.

I didnt know that. I didnt know she was nasty, Trump said of the former Meghan Markle, who was born in Los Angeles and is now a popular member of the royal family.

The Sun released audio of Trumps interview after he denied calling her nasty. He then tweeted that the fake news had invented his comment, although the audio makes clear he said it.

Asked on CBS Face the Nation if the kerfuffle would disrupt the presidents visit, Jeremy Hunt, the British foreign secretary, said the British have a whole list of disagreements with the Trump administration.

I dont think its going to disrupt the welcome at all because I think the other thing weve learned from the president is that you know regularly we have to agree to disagree, and theres a whole list of things that we dont agree with the administration on, he said. But it doesnt affect the fact that we have the most important partnership that there is in the world for freedom, democracy, the rule of law, the things that really matter, and thats what were celebrating.

The president set a similar caustic tone before his working visit to London in July, when, in another tabloid itnerview, he criticized May for her handling of Brexit. The presidents critique of his host was widely panned in the British media.

This is what he does, said Rachel Rizzo, a fellow at the Center for a New American Security, a nonpartisan think tank in Washington. He goes to other countries, takes part in diplomatic visits and throws jabs.

Trump jumped into British politics in a separate pre-trip interview last week, telling the Sunday Times that Britains next leader should make Nigel Farage, the far-right populist who had helped lead the Brexit movement, the countrys chief negotiator.

He also said Boris Johnson, the pro-Brexit former foreign minister, was a good candidate to succeed May when she steps down Friday. Trump and May are scheduled to meet at 10 Downing St. on Tuesday in one of her final official acts as prime minister.

Speaking to reporters Sunday evening before departing the White House, Trump shrugged off questions of impropriety as to his willingness to opine on British politics, blaming the media for compelling him to comment.

Well, people ask me questions, he said. Dont ask me the question if you dont want me to talk about it.

On Monday, politics may be temporarily sidelined when the president goes to Buckingham Palace for ceremonies intended to cement the historic bonds and so-called special relationship between the United States and Britain.

Following a welcoming ceremony, Trump is scheduled to have lunch with the 93-year-old monarch. He then heads to Westminster Abbey for a cultural event and then to Clarence House for tea with Charles, Prince of Wales and heir to the throne, and his wife Camilla Parker Bowles, Duchess of Cornwall.

Trump will be the guest of honor at a state dinner hosted by the queen on Monday night. She previously held state dinners for Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama.

Markle wont attend any of the functions. Officially, the reason is that she remains on maternity leave with her 3-week-old son, Archie.

Protests are expected around Buckingham Palace throughout the day, and Khan has authorized protesters to fly a giant inflated Baby Trump balloon over Parliament Square.

Khan, who has sparred with Trump in the past over immigration policies, made no secret that he wont be on hand to welcome Trump.

In years to come, I suspect this state visit will be one we look back on with profound regret and acknowledge that we were on the wrong side of history, Khan wrote in an opinion piece in the Guardian.

Khan called Trump part of the global rise of the far right that threatened our hard-won rights and freedoms and the values that have defined our liberal, democratic societies for more than seventy years.

The article was published online with the headline, Its un-British to roll out the red carpet for Donald Trump.

The latest from Washington 

More stories from Eli Stokols A top White House aide said Sunday that President Trump is absolutely, deadly serious about imposing a 5% tariff on Mexican goods next week in a bid to stop migrants from reaching Americas southern border, brushing aside Wall Street jitters, warnings by some GOP lawmakers and reported misgivings by senior White House aides.

The bellicose tone by Mick Mulvaney, the acting White House chief of staff, dampened speculation that the two sides might reach a compromise in coming days to avert a confrontation that could hurt the Mexican economy, penalize U.S. consumers and manufacturers, and potentially drive more migrants northward.

Trump is absolutely, deadly serious, Mulvaney said on Fox News Sunday. I fully expect these tariffs to go on to at least the 5% level on June 10. The president is deadly serious about fixing the situation at the southern border.

The White House announced Thursday that the import tax will increase by 5 percentage points every month through October, topping out at 25%, unless Mexico takes significant action to stem the flow of migrants, mostly from Central America, who have surged to the U.S. border in recent months.

Advertisement

Mulvaney refused to say precisely what the White House wants Mexico to do, a tactic that may give both sides considerable room for political maneuvering going forward.

We intentionally left the declaration sort of ad hoc, he said.

So, theres no specific target, theres no specific percentage, but things have to get better, he added. They have to get dramatically better and they have to get better quickly.

Mexicos foreign secretary, Marcelo Ebrard, rushed to Washington after the surprise announcement and will lead a delegation to meet with Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo and other U.S. officials on Wednesday, after Pompeo gets back from Europe.

White House officials have expressed confidence that the Mexican delegation would present proposals for helping stem the migrant flow, giving Trump a much-needed win on an issue that is central to his 2020 reelection bid.

Mexicos president, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, said he expected good results from the talks, and hinted his government may do more to block organized smuggling routes that have funneled hundreds of thousands of Central Americans toward the U.S. border.

In a news conference Saturday in Veracruz, Lopez Obrador said Mexico could step up its migration enforcement measures in order to reach a deal with the White House.

The main thing is to inform about what were already doing on the migration issue, and if its necessary to reinforce these measures without violating human rights, we could be prepared to reach that deal, Lopez Obrador said.

Lopez Obrador, who took office in December, said his government had a plan to ease the economic disruption in case Trump imposes the tariffs, although he did not provide any details.

Were doing all we can to reach a deal through dialogue, he said. Were not going to get into a trade war, a war of tariffs and of taxes.

Trump, who first made the tariff threat on Twitter on Thursday, repeated it Sunday, tweeting that Mexico is an  abuser of the United States. He added, America has had enough.

Many economists have publicly disputed the presidents understanding of how tariffs work. In an escalating trade confrontation with China, Trump has repeatedly claimed that Beijing, not American consumers, would bear the costs of tariffs on Chinese imports.

Business leaders, including Detroit automakers and big agriculture, have warned that the tariffs will be passed to U.S. consumers in the way of higher prices for cars, dishwashers, fruit and other household goods.

Mulvaney appeared to dismiss those concerns Sunday.

American consumers will not pay for the burden of these tariffs, he said, adding that theres already a price in the form of hundreds of billions of dollars for immigrants in the country illegally.

Trump has long blamed Mexico for failing to close its border with Guatemala to Central Americans fleeing violence and poverty in their homelands. The White House also wants Mexican authorities to make it safer for migrants to stay in Mexico rather than apply for U.S. asylum.

His administration also has slashed U.S. aid to El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras meant to improve living conditions and encourage people to stay home rather than making the perilous journey north.

Critics of Trumps tariff plan warned that causing economic pain in Mexico will only encourage out-of-work Mexicans to head north as well. The number of Mexican males apprehended at the border has dropped sharply in recent years as the countrys economy has improved.

The White House also deployed acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan to defend the presidents efforts to use trade tariffs as a cudgel against Mexico over immigration.

Appearing on CNNs State of the Union, McAleenan said Trump has made clear we need a vast reduction in the numbers crossing the border and demanded that Mexico take action at choke points on its southern border.

These crossings into Mexico are happening on a 150-mile stretch of their southern border, he said. This is a controllable area. We need them to put their authorities down there and interdict these folks before they make this route all the way to the U.S.

Mulvaney, in a separate appearance on NBCs Meet the Press, denied media reports that senior White House aides had tried to dissuade Trump from announcing the planned tariffs.

The Washington Post and other news outlets reported that Trump, acting in concert with immigration hard-liner Stephen Miller, had overruled concerns from Jared Kushner, his son-in-law and a senior advisor, as well as Robert Lighthizer, the U.S. trade representative.

laura.king@latimes.com

Twitter: @laurakingLATHollywood Burbank Airport officials have decided its aircraft rescue and firefighting services can maintain the same level of service with two fewer people.

The Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority voted 7-0 on Monday to reduce the minimum number of on-duty fire personnel at the airport to three firefighters and one captain on a 24-hour basis. Commissioners Bill Wiggins and Zareh Sinanyan were absent during the meeting.



For the record: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that airport officials reduced its minimum number of on-duty personnel to three firefighters and one supervisor. They reduced personnel to three firefighters and one captain. The story also stated that airport had operated with five firefighters and one supervisor since 2015. It had been operating with five firefighters and one captain.

The airport had been operating with five firefighters and one captain at all times since 2015. However, authority staff said the same level of service can be provided to the airport with fewer personnel while still meeting Federal Aviation Administration standards.

Authority spokeswoman Lucy Burghdorf said since Hollywood Burbank is an Index C facility, the FAA requires it to have a minimum of two firefighters and one supervisor.

We are as concerned about public safety as everyone else in this room, said Frank Miller, the authoritys executive director. We would not recommend to the authority or the commission to do anything that would jeopardize public safety. We feel confident with this recommendation and with my 35 years in this business, I feel very comfortable with this recommendation going forward.

However, that sentiment was not shared by a few members of the public. Lew Stone, the secretary-treasurer of the California Professional Firefighters, and Dan Kutsch, president of the International Assn. of Firefighters Local I-61 union, both told the authority that reducing the staffing levels would reduce the effectiveness of the firefighting services at the airport.

Stone said the airport should be increasing its staffing levels instead of lowering them. Kutsch added that other Index C airports in the Southern California region  Ontario California International Airport, Long Beach Airport and John Wayne Airport  have at least six firefighters on duty at all times.

As we upgrade this terminal, which were all going to be proud of, we should have a level of service that doesnt keep it at six [firefighters], Stone said. Thats what we should be doing.

anthonyclark.carpio@latimes.com

Twitter: @acocarpioThe swinging, psychedelic and groovy vibes of the 1960s are back in downtown Glendale and Americas favorite international spy and man of mystery is emceeing the party, baby. Yeah.

Richard Halpern, an Austin Powers impersonator, along with his go-go dancers and Fembots, are entertaining crowds at Electric Pussycat, the former space of 103 Lounge on East Broadway.

The two-story venue opened last month, and it is inspired by the London nightclub featured in the first Austin Powers film.

The decor of the approximately 3,200-square-foot space includes lava lamps, murals of laser sharks and Mini-Me as well as neon lights, disco balls, love beads, flashing lights, swirl patterns, candy colors and a Volkswagen Bug cut in half to house the DJ booth.

Theres nothing like this, said Zach Neil, co-owner. We came here for Glendale. A large portion of our customers come from Glendale. We dont want to make you drive a half an hour [to Hollywood], so this is something you can go do.

Neil is a pop-up restaurant and bar entrepreneur, who opened the Anchorman-themed bar called Stay Classy in New York City, the Star Wars-themed the Dark Side Bar and Beetle House, both in Hollywood.

His business partners who own some bars in Hollywood, Freddy Braidy and Spencer Kushner, were looking to create something fictitious with Electric Pussycat.

Coming to L.A. from New York, these were great guys to get involved with, Neil said.

Neil visited the space on Broadway last July, and it looked like it had been vacant for a while, he said.

I love Burbank and Glendale, he said. Its like Pleasantville for me. I said, Id like to open something here.

Starting with Stay Classy, Neil said his business model has been promoting themes he already follows and enjoys in cinema and music, adding that he recently got the licensing approval for a Spinal Tap-themed bar.

I wanted to bring something great to life from something I love, he said.

Electric Pussycat offers a food-and-drink menu that plays on the Austin Powers films.

The Foxy Lady sandwich is a big mover, Neil said, as it is essentially a grilled cheese bar. It is fontina, brie and sliced Granny Smith apples with salted caramel drizzle, Texas toast and garlic honey butter.

Another popular food item is the Odd Job, which is Asian-infused shiitake mushrooms cooked in homemade teriyaki.

For drinks, Neil said the boozy milkshakes are really over the top, such as its Pop-Tart milkshake. Popular drinks also include the Cryogenic Freezer and Man of Mystery.

On the restaurants opening night, Neil said they ran out of everything.

People were calling, saying they had an amazing time, and loved the bartenders and waitresses, he said.

On a Saturday night earlier this month, general manager Dan McDonald slid down the pole next to the DJ booth and greeted guests before 10 p.m. as the place continued to fill up.

Patrons ranging in age from early 20s to 60s were inside.

McDonald had worked at the Dark Side Bar and TCL Chinese Theatre before coming to Electric Pussycat.

People keep saying Glendale needs something like this, he said. I wanted to create, at best, a shadow of what these bars used to be. We want to be a time capsule to the 1960s.

McDonald added that he has plans to add more Austin Powers props  such as the time warp machine  to the space, as well as other attractions on the first floor.

The ubiquitous character of the hour, Austin Powers, came out shortly after 9 p.m. with his go-go dancers to entertain the crowd with various hits.

Halpern has performed as Powers in Hollywood and New York City, and the Electric Pussycat owners sought out his talents.

Its a nice crowd, Halpern said, who performs on Saturdays at the club. Mini-Me comes on Friday.

Electric Pussycat is open Wednesday through Sunday, 6 p.m. to 2 a.m.

For more information, visit electriccatla.com/.

Matt Sanderson is a contributing writer for Times Community News.New lay leadership has been named for the La Crescenta stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Kirk Malmrose, a former bishop, is the new president of the stake, or diocese, which includes congregations in Sunland-Tujunga, Glendale, La Crescenta, La Canada and Los Angeles.

Malmrose, a La Crescenta resident, will be assisted by Joe Grigg, of La Canada, who will serve as first counselor, and Brian Corrigan, of Los Angeles, who was named second counselor. Stake clerk Tom Corless and executive secretary Chris Hart will remain in their positions.

Church leaders at the stake and ward (congregation) level serve voluntarily with no pay or other compensation, taking care of church responsibilities on weeknights and during weekends. Stake presidents typically serve for about 10 years.

Join the conversation on Facebook >>

Malmrose, who was also former president of the stake young mens organization, is a senior vice president at Mutual of Omaha Bank. A Salt Lake City native, he holds a bachelors degree in computer science from Brigham Young University and a masters degree in business administration from UCLA.

Grigg, president of American Energy Operations Inc., also is a former bishop and past president of the stake young mens organization. A native of New Orleans, he has a degree in accounting from Brigham Young.

--

Mark Kellam, mark.kellam@latimes.com

Twitter: @LAMarkKellamChinas State Council issued an 8,300-word white paper Sunday morning blaming the U.S. government for trade war escalation and expressing the desire for continued talks.

Vice Minister of Commerce Wang Shouwen said at a rare press conference that the goal of trade negotiations should be a cancellation of tariffs on both sides, but that talks must proceed on a basis of equality, dignity, and mutual benefit.

The U.S. should take full responsibility for instigating and accelerating the trade war, added Guo Weimin, vice minister of the State Council Information Office. Chinas measures have been necessary and reactive, he said.

China doesnt want to fight, is not afraid of fighting, but will fight if it has no choice. This attitude has never changed, Guo said.

Advertisement

Chinas white paper comes amid a series of rapid escalations in the U.S.-China trade war. Last month, the U.S. increased tariffs on $250 billion of Chinese products. China raised retaliatory tariffs on $60 billion of U.S. goods.

Trump administration officials said last month that Chinese negotiators had backtracked on a draft version of the trade agreement, removing all parts requiring changes to Chinese law.

Wang said discussions before an official agreement did not constitute backtracking.

Nothing is agreed until everything is agreed, he said.

For the U.S. and China, its not a trade war anymore  its something worse 

Wang also said the U.S. had made unreasonable demands in the proposed deal that threatened Chinese sovereignty.

If one side doesnt respect the others sovereignty and wants to pressure the other to give in and then take one-sided benefit, this kind of negotiation cannot succeed, Wang said.

Analysts say the conflict comes down to the Chinese refusal to accept wording that appears to give U.S. control over Chinese laws. But U.S. negotiators dont want to make a deal with no enforcement mechanism.

U.S.-China trade relations are particularly on edge in the tech world. The Trump administration banned business with Huawei, Chinas largest telecom company, on May 15.

The U.S. government says Huawei is a national security threat because of the Chinese governments potential ability to spy on users of Huawei equipment through telecom networks.

Huawei has repeatedly denied having ties with the Chinese government.

On Friday, Chinas Ministry of Commerce announced it would create a list of unreliable entities, foreign companies that may pose a threat to national security or damage the interests of domestic companies by operating according to non-commercial motives.

China is making the blacklist 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, said Commerce Ministry spokesperson Gao Feng.

China has not yet announced what companies are on the list or what measures it would take against them.

But major U.S. companies like Apple, Google, Qualcomm and Intel could all be threatened, as well as non-American companies like Samsung and Toshiba.

On Saturday, state news agency Xinhua reported that China was investigating FedEx for undermining the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese clients.

The delivery company diverted packages of paperwork sent by Huawei to FedEx headquarters in Memphis, Tenn., instead of to Huawei offices in Asia.

FedEx actions were seriously damaging the lawful rights and interests of its clients and violating laws and regulations governing the express industry in China, the Xinhua report said.

FedEx apologized on Chinese social media, saying the rerouting was a mistake and that no outside party requested FedEx to reroute those packages.

Wang said that foreign companies should operate by Chinese law when working in China.

We welcome foreign investors to do legal business in China. But if they break the law, then we must investigate them according to Chinese law, he said. They must respect Chinese law and work within its framework.

Foreign companies have meanwhile complained that Chinas business environment is unfair, tilted by government support for state-owned companies and tolerance of domestic companies theft of intellectual property from foreign partners and investors.

China recently passed a new foreign investment law meant to equalize treatment of foreign and domestic companies in China, but foreign businesses and lawyers complain that the wording is too vague to be effective.

Wang also reiterated recent warnings made by an official from Chinas planning ministry that China could restrict exports of rare earths.

We are willing to satisfy other countries normal demands for rare earth. But if a country uses Chinese rare earth to make products that are then obstructing Chinese development, this is of course hard to accept, Wang said.

Rare earths are minerals used in a wide range of technological products including smartphones, wind turbines, electric cars and advanced precision weapons.

China currently contains a third of the worlds rare earth supplies but provides 80% of the United States rare earth imports, according to U.S. Geological Survey data.

China has invested heavily in rare earth processing, while the U.S. has no rare earth processing plants in operation.

The only rare earth mine in the U.S. is in Mountain Pass, Calif., and it ships its mined rare earth to China for processing.

The U.S. has excluded Chinese rare earth imports from recent tariffs, but China has raised tariffs on imports of U.S. rare earth metal ores to 25%.

During the press conference, Wang also disputed the Trump administrations claims that the U.S.-China trade imbalance is unfair.

You cant say one side is winning or losing because there is a deficit, Wang said, adding that the U.S. has a goods deficit but a services surplus with China.

He said that much of Chinese manufacturing is assembly of components that China first imports from elsewhere, and that U.S.-China trade deficit numbers dont reflect the costs China pays in other parts of the supply chain.

Tariffs are an ineffective form of pressure that will not make China back down and will harm American farmers, workers, and consumers as well as the global economy, Wang said.

This doesnt just hurt China. It will also hurt the U.S. and will damage the whole worlds economic development, he said.

From cars to avocados, consumers could pay the price for Trumps Mexico tariffs 

Will Huaweis loss be Samsungs gain in the China-U.S. trade war? 

Trumps Huawei ban  and the risk of retaliation  threatens the global tech industry German Chancellor Angela Merkels grand coalition government was plunged into turmoil Sunday when the leader of the Social Democrats resigned abruptly under pressure after her center-left party suffered a humiliating defeat in last weeks European Parliament elections.

Andrea Nahles, the first woman to head Germanys oldest party, announced she would quit as party chairwoman, parliamentary floor leader and even give up her seat in the German Parliament after her attempt to snuff out a brewing rebellion over the partys frightening slide backfired.

She had planned to ask her party members in Germanys Parliament for a vote of confidence Tuesday, but it emerged over the weekend that she would most probably lose the vote.

Talks within the parliamentary group and feedback from within the party itself have shown me that I no longer have the necessary support to carry out my duties, Nahles said a terse statement. I want to clear the path so that successors for both positions can be found in an orderly fashion. I hope you will all stick together and act prudently.

Advertisement

Merkel, a leader of the conservative Christian Democrats who was elected to a fourth four-year term in 2017 with the reluctant support of Nahles Social Democrats, does not usually comment on internal party changes. But because the upheaval in her coalition partners, a party that stood up to the Nazis and traces its roots to 1863, is causing tremors that could bring down her government and put an early end to her career, the chancellor appeared before reporters on Sunday evening.

Merkel has already announced she would not seek a fifth term after her current term expires in 2021.

I would like to express my respect for Andrea Nahles and her decision, Merkel said. Despite all that, I would like to take this opportunity to say that this government will continue its work with all earnestness and, above all, with a high degree of responsibility.

She added there were burning issues on the table that need to be resolved within Germany and across Europe. And in this spirit we will continue working on them.

Merkel nevertheless now faces the specter of new elections well before the next scheduled balloting in 2021; many Social Democrats have been clamoring for the center-left party to regroup in the opposition after watching its support crumble as the underappreciated junior partner. Social Democratic parties have struggled in several leading European nations in recent years, especially France and Italy.

Merkels conservative party, with 246 seats in Parliament, does not have enough seats in the 709-seat Bundestag to rule on its own and has relied on the 152 seats held by the Social Democrats to form a majority with 398 seats in total. There are no other coalition alliances on the horizon, although Merkel, 64, could try to continue on with a minority government  even though pollsters say risk-averse Germans are opposed to such an unstable government.

With Nahles out, it becomes more likely that the [Social Democrats] will leave Merkels grand coalition, potentially clearing the path for a new election, said Julius van de Laar, an independent political analyst in Berlin.

With all the international turbulence going on around her, Merkel was hoping for some stability at least in her own government, he said. Even though Merkel and Nahles didnt see eye to eye on some issues, Merkel has had a reliable partner in Nahles. That will most certainly change, regardless of whomever the SPD selects as its new leader.

Nahles, 48, took control of the party a year ago when it was still reeling from the shock of its historic poor showing of 20.5% of the vote in the 2017 elections. The rudderless Social Democrats fell even further in the May 26 European parliamentary elections to 15.8%  an especially bitter debacle because it represented a third-place finish in a nationwide election for the first time behind Merkels conservatives (28.9%) and the center-left Greens party (20.5%).

The Social Democrats have helped shape the country with a brand of socialism mixed with capitalism they call social market economy.

The party has elected three postwar chancellors: Willy Brandt, Helmut Schmidt and Gerhard Schroeder. But its hopes of leading another German government have faded in the last year.

The Forsa polling institute reported Sunday that the Greens had for the first time topped its weekly poll, with the conservatives second and Social Democrats third at 12%.

The alliance between the conservatives and Social Democrats is now finished, wrote Detlef Esslinger in a commentary for the Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspapers online edition. There was hardly any common ground to be found between the two parties and they were simply going through the motions. Does anyone seriously hope this will continue for another two years? Andrea lost her nerves in Germany and now the government that never really worked anyhow is about to fall apart.

Far-right parties and Greens gain ground in European Parliament election As many as 10 fighters were killed when Israel fired rockets at military sites in Syria early Sunday after rockets launched from Syria struck near a ski resort in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights.

The state-run Syrian Arab News Agency said that a military source reported three Syrian troops were killed and seven wounded in the Israeli airstrike.

The British-based watchdog group Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that 10 were killed in the Israeli strike, seven of whom were Iranian or Hezbollah troops.

Hezbollah is a Lebanese-based, Iranian-funded Islamist militia closely allied with Iran and Russia in the Syrian civil war, now in its ninth year.

Advertisement

The Israeli army confirmed in a statement that it had struck several military targets in Syria after two rockets were fired toward the Golan Heights, one landing near a popular winter resort.

The army said it holds the Syrian regime accountable for every action taken against Israel and will firmly operate against any activity from within Syrian territory against Israel.

Iran did not immediately comment on the reports.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also confirmed the strikes during a Cabinet meeting Sunday morning.

He said he had ordered strong action in retaliation for the rocket launches from within Syria, adding that we will not tolerate firing at our territory and we will respond with great force to any aggression against us.

On Monday, the Israeli army said it had struck a Syrian military target after the launch of an antiaircraft missile at an Israeli fighter jet on patrol over the Golan Heights, a disputed territory Israel took control of during the 1967 Middle East War.

Israels 1980 annexation of the Golan Heights is not recognized internationally, but in March, in the run-up to Israeli elections, President Trump recognized Israeli sovereignty over the plateau.

Israeli intelligence has recently warned that as part of Irans efforts to oppose U.S. sanctions and Israeli strikes against Iranian forces in Syria, Tehran and Hezbollah could provoke incidents intended to lead to an escalation of fighting in the Golan Heights.

The Trump administration and Iran have been on a diplomatic collision course since May 2018, when the United States withdrew from a multi-nation nuclear deal with Iran negotiated during the Obama administration.

Despite the escalating tensions, Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo said Sunday that the United States is prepared to negotiate with Iran with no preconditions.

At a meeting in Bellinzona, Switzerland, with Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis, Pompeo also said the United States expected to see Iran behave like a normal nation and until then, would continue to counter Irans malign activity.

In a statement, Irans Foreign Ministry said the offer amounted to mere wordplay.

Foreign Mnistry spokesman Abbas Mousavi was quoted by the state-run Mehr news agency as saying that the Islamic Republic of Iran does not pay attention to wordplay and expression of hidden agenda in new forms. What matters is the change of U.S. general approach and actual behavior towards the Iranian nation.

Trumps still-murky Israeli-Palestinian peace plan already meeting stiff opposition Chinas defense minister on Sunday rejected U.S. allegations of aggressive behavior in Asia and vowed Beijing would take military action to defend its claims over Taiwan and the contested South China Sea.

Wei Fenghe defended Chinas construction of limited military facilities on man-made islands in the South China Sea, rejecting smaller neighbors challenges of Beijings wide-ranging territorial claims in those waters.

There is no dispute as to Chinas legitimacy to build facilities on its own territories, Wei told an audience at the Shangri-La Dialogue, a security conference in Singapore.

Rising U.S.-China tensions dominated the annual gathering of Asian defense chiefs and policymakers, where a day earlier acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan accused Beijing of stealing other nations technology, trapping smaller countries in debt with unfair infrastructure deals and threatening force against its neighbors to assert territorial claims.

Advertisement

Behavior that erodes other nations sovereignty and sows distrust of Chinas intentions must end, Shanahan said.

The two defense chiefs held what both sides described as a constructive meeting on the sidelines of the conference, where they found common ground on issues such as enforcing North Korean sanctions. But their sharp public comments underscored the depth and breadth of the disputes dividing the worlds biggest powers.

Against the backdrop of a widening trade war, Weis closely watched speech  the first by a Chinese defense minister at the conference in eight years  reiterated longstanding Chinese policies but in an unapologetic tone that surprised U.S. officials and many of the delegates gathered in a cavernous chandeliered ballroom at Singapores five-star Shangri-La hotel.

We hold different views with the U.S. on several issues, and strongly oppose its wrong words and actions concerning Taiwan and the South China Sea, Wei said.

He called the warships and aircraft deployed by the U.S. and its allies near disputed islands  intended to demonstrate freedom of navigation  the most serious destabilizing and uncertain factors in the strategically vital and resource-rich South China Sea.

Chinas construction of military facilities in the waterway is for self-defense, Wei said. In the face of heavily armed warships and aircraft, how can we not?

Wei also cited U.S. arms sales to Taiwan  the self-governed island that Beijing maintains is part of China  as a hostile act.

If anyone tries to split Taiwan from China, the Chinese military has no choice but to fight at all costs  at all costs  for national unity, he said.

Wei accused the U.S. of unfairly targeting the Chinese telecommunications company Huawei, which has been barred from doing business with U.S. entities because of alleged links to Chinas Communist Party. Pentagon officials have said they might cease sharing information with allies that use Huawei technology because it could be used for espionage  an allegation Beijing denies.

Huawei is a private company, Wei said. China is opposed to the attempts of other countries to impose sanctions on a private company.

The frictions have escalated since the Trump administration declared in late 2017 that competition between great powers  the U.S., China and Russia  was a cornerstone of its foreign policy.

The shift has raised concerns across Southeast Asia, a region with close security, economic and diplomatic ties to the U.S. but increasingly important trade links with its giant neighbor, China.

Many regional states openly voiced fears that the U.S.-China rivalry, if not resolved, could trigger a military conflict that could draw in smaller countries.

The rivalry of the big powers aggravates tensions in the South China Sea, said Malaysian Defense Minister Mohamad Sabu. As a result, there is a greater risk of naval ships and aircraft encounters  that could spark major conflicts.

The Philippines, which has been the most assertive country in challenging Chinas militarization of the South China Sea, said it was still seeking greater assurances from the U.S. over a decades-old mutual defense treaty.

Some Philippine officials worry that the treaty would require the country to join the U.S. in any conflict with China, a possibility that Manila says has become more likely as U.S. warships make more frequent passages through the South China Sea.

We have to revisit it to be sure that it is still relevant in these modern times, said the Philippine defense secretary, Delfin Lorenzana. He called the great power rivalry between the U.S. and China a dangerous distraction from serious challenges such as battling climate change and transnational terrorism.

The U.S. position hasnt been helped by a disjointed diplomatic approach to the Asia Pacific region.

The Trump administration has tried to rebrand the region as the Indo-Pacific, signaling its desire to more deeply involve India as a counterweight to Chinese influence  but its ties with India were damaged when Trump abruptly withdrew the countrys preferential trade status last week over a tariff dispute.

The U.S. also has left many diplomatic positions in the region unfilled, including 11% of overseas posts in East Asia and the Pacific and 21% in South and Central Asia, according to a March report by the Government Accountability Office. Several Asian officials said that in meetings, Chinese diplomats have begun to make reference to the vacancies, citing them as a sign of a diminishing U.S. commitment to Asian affairs.They gathered at dawn in this railyard in southern Mexico, contemplating their next move: catching a ride on the roof of La Bestia (The Beast)  the name migrants use for the notorious freight train that winds its way through Mexico toward the United States.

Climbing on the top looks very difficult, especially with the kids, said a dubious Carlos Onan Galo Perez, who had traveled from Honduras with his wife and their three children. Im worried.

He had heard about the dangers: the criminal mobs that terrorize travelers, the risk of falling and losing an arm or leg, or worse. Mexican police recently reported that delinquents tossed several migrants from La Bestia in the state of Veracruz, leaving one dead and two with severed limbs.

But the train has reemerged in recent weeks as a preferred mode of travel for Central American migrants after the Mexican government, under pressure from the Trump administration, started making it more difficult for them to cross Mexico on their way to the U.S. border.

Advertisement

Just last year, legions of migrants traveling in caravans passed from Guatemala through the Mexican state of Chiapas largely unimpeded. Thousands more were given humanitarian visas early this year allowing them safe passage northward, keeping in line with campaign promises from Mexicos new president, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, that migrants would be treated with respect and compassion.

Now Mexican immigration agents and federal police staff checkpoints along the highways, and truckers and other motorists face fines if they give lifts to migrants. In April and May, Mexico detained a total of 43,258 foreigners, more than double the number during the same period last year.

Meanwhile, deportations have also risen significantly. The increases reflect both heightened enforcement and a surge in arriving migrants.

The trek north could become even more difficult this summer as President Trump has intensified efforts to strong-arm Mexico into taking additional action. On Thursday, he announced that the United States would impose a 5% tariff on all goods from Mexico as of June 10 and that the tariff would increase to 25% by Oct. 1 until Mexico substantially stops the illegal flow.

Galo and his group viewed La Bestia as less likely to be subject to raids than public buses or other vehicles  which is why they wound up in this railyard, amid idle boxcars and stray dogs, waiting for the train.

Galo and his wife, Lidis Reconco, knew how difficult it could be to reach the United States, 1,000 miles from here.

They had both already made the long trek to Mexicos northern border earlier this year, leaving their children at home with relatives to join separate groups of migrants traveling en masse from Honduras.

I heard about the caravans and thought, This was an opportunity for me and my family, a chance to better ourselves, explained Galo, 35, a slim, energetic figure who was a laborer back in Tegucigalpa, the capital, but struggled to find work.

Galo made it to the city of Piedras Negras, across the Rio Grande from Eagle Pass, Texas, where he was among some 1,800 migrants held in a factory-turned-shelter. His wife reached Tijuana, where she stayed with a brother she had not seen in six years.

Seeing throngs of migrants stranded at the border, Reconco said she experienced a kind of epiphany.

I first thought that the voyage would change our lives for the better, but then I felt differently, recalled Reconco, whose reserved personality contrasts with her husbands exuberant character. What would become of our children if we were away for a long time?

Her brother offered some counsel: Go back to Honduras, then bring the kids, and youll be able to cross much easier.

U.S. laws restricting child detention have helped fuel a surge in asylum-seeking families converging on the U.S.-Mexico border  to the ire of the Trump administration, whose officials have assailed the practice of bringing children as shields to get released in U.S. territory.

Trump accuses us of using children as shields, and maybe some do, Galo said. But Im doing this because it is the best hope for my family.

Galo and his wife reached a decision: The two would return to Honduras, rest, and embark on the long venture anew, this time as a family.

A crying child is handed up as migrants climb onto the roof of La Bestia for the trip across Mexico after the boxcars were locked to keep them from riding inside. (Liliana Nieto del Rio / For The Times)

They left Honduras in early April, soon arriving at Mexicos border with Guatemala, where they waited a month until the three children  Carlos, Sheri and Shirli, ages 15, 10 and 8  received visitor cards allowing them to travel in southern Mexico, but not beyond. Both parents already had temporary legal papers for Mexico  on humanitarian grounds  from their earlier attempts.

In early May, the family set out by bus for this sun-scorched town, a key terminus for La Bestia.

The comings and goings of the freight trains are a matter of mystery and speculation. There is no public schedule. But one evening, after Galo and his family had spent two nights outside a Catholic shelter here sleeping on cardboard mats and blankets, word filtered in: A train was expected to depart at 6 a.m.

At dusk, the migrants packed up their belongings, burned their trash and set out for the railyard, about a mile away. But there was an ominous portent: Galo had received a cellphone video clip of a police raid on a La Bestia spur outside the northern Mexican city of Monterrey.

Leave us alone! a woman pleaded in the video as Mexican authorities ordered migrants to descend from the train.

That evening, the Central Americans, numbering about 100 or so, crashed in the central plaza of Arriaga, across the street from the railyard. The children played on the swing sets and jungle gyms before huddling beneath them to get some sleep.

Then, as roosters heralded daybreak, the train arrived, its whistles and groans piercing the predawn. The migrants quickly gathered their belongings and crossed the street to the railyard. Galo and his group of about two dozen huddled in prayer, illuminated by ghostly locomotive lights.

Stay together, Galo advised. There is safety in numbers.

An assemblage of young men with sticks served as an ersatz security squad. Exhausted families gathered on scattered railway ties and a graffiti-splashed platform, waiting for the train to come to a halt. Women cradled infants in their arms.

Soon, many scrambled across the tracks into open boxcars, which were coated inside with cement dust, remnants of the previous cargo. Women and children entered first. The men placed wooden ties and stones by the doors to keep them ajar. All were elated to be on their way, finally.

But then railroad security men decked out in black arrived and chased them away. They sealed the boxcars, warning of the dangers of suffocation should the doors slam shut.

Now, the only option was to ride on top of the train, a death-defying endeavor. La Bestia is renowned for sharp curves and sudden braking, capable of sending rooftop passengers flying onto the rails. Low-lying branches can suddenly sweep riders into the abyss. There is no relief from the sun, rain or evening chill.

Reaching the top was itself a challenge. A gap of about six feet separated the top rungs of the ladders built into the boxcar exteriors and the roofs.

Daylight had broken.The yellow locomotive was running its engine. Some families had already formed human chains to mount the cars.

Abruptly, Galo and his group decided it was a go: Men clambered first to the top. Migrants standing beside the tracks or poised atop metal couplers between the cars tossed backpacks and plastic bags filled with clothes, water and food to comrades above.

Galo and other men lay flat on their stomachs atop the boxcars, straining to extend arms to grasp women and kids that were passed up, fire-brigade style. Children screamed. People shouted instructions, often contradictory or unintelligible in the cacophony.

Were going to the U.S.A.! came an unexpected cry, in English.

That was from Julio Cesar Doblado, 44, a Honduran who said he had been deported from New York. He wore stars-and-stripes shorts and had only half a right arm  he said the rest was cut off when he fell from La Bestia four years ago in Mexico.

Galo and the others used yellow plastic rope to help secure children and luggage atop the cars. Finally, La Bestia began lurching north, its rooftop stowaways flashing smiles of relief. Ahead lay a voyage teeming with peril, but also the hope of fresh beginnings.

Special correspondents Liliana Nieto del Rio in Arriaga and Cecilia Sanchez in Mexico City contributed to this report.

patrick.mcdonnell@latimes.com

Twitter: @PmcdonnellLAT- Traditional worshippers in Benin took to the street over the recent spate of kidnapping in the state

- The worshippers invoked the traditional method of dealing with such menace

- Animal sacrifices were offered to cleanse the land

Traditional worshippers and priests in Benin, Edo state have taken to offering animal sacrifices to cleanse the community against cases of kidnapping and cultism.

Vanguard reports that the traditional worshippers were seen parading the street to invoke the traditional practice of cleansing the land.

READ ALSO: Buhari government side-lining north, favouring southwest - Arewa youths

It was reported that they were disturbed by the upsurge in cases of violent killings occasioned by armed robbery, cultism, kidnapping, sacrilegious acts and the seeming inability of security agencies to stem the tide.

The native doctors and priests heaped curses on those they said were committing sacrilegious acts against the land.

Shortly after the slaughtering of animals and offering of sacrificial materials to ancestors, the various groups took turns to pray and lay curses on those violating the law of the land.

The exercise was reportedly presided by the Ewaise group headed by Chief Eguezigbon and Chief Ohen-Egie of Ogbeson.

Meanwhile, former president, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, tasked Nigerians to pray and support the federal government to overcome the spate of kidnapping, terrorism and banditry in the country.

He described as worrisome, the spate of kidnappings and insecurity in the country, saying that insecurity has been there before now, but has now assumed a wider dimension, NAN reports.

READ ALSO: NAIJ.com upgrades to Legit.ng: a letter from our Editor-in-Chief Bayo Olupohunda

Legit.ng gathers that Jonathan said this on Friday, May 17 in Abuja at the third session of the tenth Synod of the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, which held at St. Mathews Church, Gwarimpa Estate.

NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng: Same great journalism, upgraded for better service!

Buhari should put an end to banditry, unrest in Zamfara - Nigerians cry - on Legit TV:

Source: Legit.ng- Telecommunication giant has paid the final installment of its negotiated settlement to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC)

- The communication company paid N55 billion to the NCC as the sixth payment of the settlement it had with the commission

- The payment is part of the N330 billion fine negotiated settlement agreed between the NCC and the company in 2016

MTN Nigeria Plc says it has paid the sixth and final installment of N55 billion negotiated settlement to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the chief corporate relations officer of MTN Nigeria, Tobechukwu Okigbo, made the disclosure in a statement on Friday, May 31, 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 billion 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.

Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that

Source: Legit.ng- With elections out of the way, President Buhari is set to tackle the Boko Haram menace with full force

- During a bilateral meeting with the Chadian President Idris Deby in Saudi Arabia, both leaders agreed to urgently review strategies that will bolster onslaught against insurgents

- President Buhari and President Deby discussed how to tackle the challenge posed by rainy season to military operations against terrorism

President Muhammadu Buhari will host leaders of Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) to an informal summit.

The meeting will be on the side lines of Democracy Day and second term inauguration celebrations on June 12, in Abuja, The Nation reports.

According to a statement by the senior special assistant on media and publicity, Garba Shehu, the informal security meeting will focus on bringing up new strategies to end the menace of Boko Haram in the Lake Chad region.

Buhari made this known during a bilateral meeting with President Idris Deby Itno of Chad Republic in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, on the sidelines of the meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

READ ALSO: Dino Melaye declares for Kogi governorship election

The president said it was time for a new way forward that completely removes the threat of terrorism from Lake Chad sub-region.

President Buhari added that since elections were over, he would have more time to pursue the threat of terrorism with full force.

President Buhari and President Deby Itno agreed that there was need for sub-regional leaders to sit down and agree on changing the strategy for a more sustained operation, which will continue until the threat is brought to a permanent end.

The Nigerian and Chadian leader agreed on the need for sub-regional leaders to sit down and agree on changing the strategy for a more sustained operation, which will continue until the threat is brought to a permanent end.

The two leaders shared information on the oncoming rainy season and challenges that it poses for the ongoing military operations. They agreed on the need for urgent operational measures before that time.

They also talked about how the meeting in Abuja should respond to the infiltration through Libya of the displaced elements of the Daesh, which is an acronym of ISILs Arabic name al-Dawlah al-Islamiyah fi l-Iraq wa-sh-Sham into the Lake Chad area," Shehu said.

PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app

The LCBC, created in 1964, is an intergovernmental organisation that oversees water and other natural resource usages in the basin. There are eight member governmentsCameroon, Chad, Niger, Nigeria, Algeria, the Central African Republic, Libya, and Sudan.

President Buhari on Saturday, June 1, joined about 53 world leaders in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the opening of the OIC summit.

The Saudi Monarch, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, will be presiding over the summit which is the 14th in its series to be attended by all heads of state and governments of member countries.

NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng We keep evolving to serve our readers better.

Nigerians react as President Buhari fails to deliver speech at inauguration | Legit TV

Source: Legit.ngA Palmerton High School student brought a pocket knife to school property last week, state police said.

Pennsylvania State Police in Lehighton said troopers responded at 7:45 a.m. Wednesday when school officials reported the incident. The school is located at 3525 Fireline Road, in Palmerton, Carbon County.

Police did not release the name of the student or his age. Its unclear what led to the student bringing the knife to school.

The student is being charged with possession of a weapon on school grounds.

Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @pamholzmann. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.Br OMahoney has a special spot in the Portlaoise CBS story

Brother Nessan (Patrick Vincent) OMahony, who died recently, holds an unique place in the history of St Marys Secondary School, Portlaoise.

He was its last Superior before the introduction of free second level education.

That was in 1968 and the man responsible was Education Minister Donagh OMalley.

Before then, secondary schools, including those run by the Christian Brothers, charged a fee.

As a result, the percentage of people continuing their studies after primary level was quite low.

It was from 1961 to 1967 that Br OMahony was Superior of St Marys CBS.

Known to students as Jack - why is uncertain - he was small in stature but firm in character.

If he deemed it necessary, he would resort to the dreaded leather to enforce discipline, but, unlike a few of his colleagues, religious and lay, he wasnt addicted to its use.

Some students, succumbing to the spirit of the swinging sixties, began to grow their hair long.

Go home and dont come back until you get it cut, Br OMahony would bark in his Cork accent.

To be fair, in doing so he probably had the support of the majority of parents.

Of his dedication to his job there could be no doubt and he had the interests of all his pupils at heart, and he had a sense of humour.

He was devoted to Gaelic games and the CBS enjoyed quite a lot of sporting success during his time in Portlaoise.

Br OMahony taught for three years in St Marys before being appointed its Superior.

In an article he wrote for a special publication in 1994, he recalled,

When I arrived in Portlaoise in the summer of 1957 there were five Brothers in the community and about 120 students in the secondary school with a teaching staff of five - two Brothers and three devoted laymen, Chris Clerkin, Michael OBrien and Tom Bleach.

He noted,

My transfer to Portlaoise was a complete contrast for me as up to then I had been a member of the community of Synge Street in Dublin where there were over 30 Brothers and a pupil population of more than a 1,000.

Br OMahony said in that period the CBS primary and secondary schools were accommodated in the one building in Tower Hill.

He wrote, Yes, Portlaoise was a small, intimate, unsophisticated community then.

A few hundred yards in any direction from the Main Street were the green fields of the countryside.

Over the years, Br OMahony kept in touch with Portlaoise and visited occasionally, and was always pleased to meet past pupils.

Br OMahony, of North Monastery and Turners Cross, Cork, died at The Mercy University Hospital in Cork on February 27.

He was 93. Following Requiem Mass in The Church of the Resurrection, Farranree, he was interred in the North Monastery cemetery, on March 5.

Mourning him are his brother Bertie, nephews, nieces, grandnephews and grandnieces, relatives and colleagues in the North Monastery.

Seamus DunneSmart political operators, the kind who make it to be taoiseach (regardless of whether they blue shirts, or mohair ones) have a knack for seeing the prevailing wind and going with it.

The smarter the operator, the sooner they see the prevailing wind.

Fine Gael are always the last to see it. Thats why Fianna Fail always come back to beat them into long periods of genteel obsolescence.

So on Saturday, Leo Varadkar announced that the government had gotten what he called a very clear message from the public that they want us to do more on climate action.

There are some people who were taken by surprise by the success of the Green Party in the locals and Europeans, and there are some people who were taken completely by surprise. The Fine Gaelers are, I suspect, in the latter camp.

I dont see how they could have missed the tsunami of events, discoveries and announcements over the past few months and years that suggested that we had finally reached the moment where it was time to do something or else were in big trouble. But Fine Gael managed to miss it somehow.

The Taoiseachs next line was very telling: Thats going to require lots of changes on an individual level, community level and Government level.

Translation: Dear genteel Fine Gael voter, comfortable in your large gas-guzzling SUV and equally comfortable in your wasteful plastic lifestyle, this could get a bit rough. It turns out there are way more crusties and vegans than we thought, but hang onto your underwear and stick with us.

Varadkar is surely copped on enough to know that its science rather than sentiment thats driving this, but he has this notion that the plain people of Ireland arent ready yet to be told to knit their own breakfasts.

The results of the election tells him otherwise. People are looking for leadership and innovation and an aggressive ambition when it comes to tackling the whole thing.

When I was following the Green Partys Eoin Hallissey on the doorsteps in Clane it was instructive. The people on the doorsteps were engaged and knowledgeable about environmental issues and climate change. And most importantly, they understood that the emphasis of governments all over the world on telling the public to recycle their cotton buds is a cop out.

Steady progress

Governments need to be brave and do the right thing, but lets not get ahead of ourselves. Being brave aint really their thing. Its seen as radical, and lets face it, most Fine Gaelers are in that party because they opposed to the very core of their being the very notion of being radical.

Comfortable, seamless progress, steady growth going forward  thats their thing.

Here in Kildare, it was worse than Leo thinks. The Social Democrats have also managed to get a few elected, and they are green with a small g.

As an aside, arguably, there could well have been a considerably larger Social Democrat success if it werent for the Green success.

Theres been an entire shift in the public, possibly but not uniquely on a generational level, to green policies.

Its worse again  both parties infer, or indeed say out loud, that the market cannot be relied upon to steer the ship in the right direction. The market, as Bono says, is amoral  it doesnt care. It only goes where it can make money.

People are looking for government action, government interference in our lives.

Both parties also talk about building communities. The Green party actually says so blatantly, and says it is at the heart of how we solve numerous problems that the nation and society favours.(CNN)  A search is underway for seven climbers  four Britons, two Americans and an Australian  and their Indian liaison officer, who went missing a week during an expedition in the Indian Himalayas, local authorities say.

The group was attempting to scale Nanda Devi East, one of the highest and most difficult to climb peaks in India at just over 24,000 feet (7,400 meters) tall, local Uttarakhand District Magistrate, Vijay Kumar Jogdande, told CNN.

The missing eight were part of a larger team of 12 who set off from the village of Munsiyari on May 13. But 12 days later, on May 25, only four of the group returned to base camp, said Uttarakhand's Senior District Official, R.D. Paliwal.

The entire group was supposed to reach its base camp on May 26, according to Jogdande. The base camp is located at 19,685 feet (6,000 meters) above sea level.

The company which arranged the expedition, Himalayan Run & Trek, waited a few days after the remaining members of the team failed to arrive before alerting authorities of their disappearance on May 31, Jogdande said.

The Indian liaison officer who is among the missing is from the Indian Mountaineering foundation, based in New Delhi.

The UK Foreign Office said in a statement it was in contact with Indian authorities following reports that the climbers were missing.

Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade also said it was "providing consular assistance to the family of an Australian that may be among a group of trekkers missing in the Nanda Devi area of India."

Three search teams have now reached the first base camp, which is 25 kilometers below the peak. Another team, equipped with medical and civil supplies, is also on its way. A military aircraft is expected to be sent tomorrow to help with the rescue effort.

It is unclear whether the climbers went missing during their ascent or descent, or the cause of their disappearance.

It follows the deaths of 11 climbers on Mount Everest this year, amid extraordinary images of queues of people waiting to get to the summit, prompting fresh concerns over the increased commercialization of mountaineering expeditions.

This story was first published on CNN.com "Search underway for eight climbers missing in Indian Himalayas"AN astounding 1.02m has been raised over the past 30 years by the Askeaton Touring Club, money which has gone to support up to 50 different and mainly local, charities and good causes.

It is a formidable achievement which started out in a small way when a group of Wyeth employees got together to help a colleagues daughter who needed to go to Hungary for specialist treatment. They decided to cycle from Galway to Askeaton and raised just over 12,000, at that time a very considerable sum of money.

When we started we said we would do it year to year but three years in, we couldnt give it up, says Denis Madigan, one of the original group along with Bernie Murphy, Mike Costello, Seanie McGrath, Paddy Condon, Liam Sheahan and many others.

We never dreamt that it would get to over a million, Denis added.

It is a big source of pride, current chairman Mike Flynn said this week when they launched the 2019 charity cycle which will take place on the weekend of June 22 and 23.

This years cycle is in aid of the Denis Enright Fund, Mike continued. Denis, he explained, was an employee in Wyeth Nutrition which is now owned by Nestle, but in July 2011 at the age of 45, and with a young family at home, he suffered a catastrophic brain bleed with subsequent strokes.

Denis spent a year in hospital and since his return to his family home in 2012, he has required 24 hour care and the use of an electric wheelchair, Mike added. Despite a number of setbacks he remains in good spirits.

Any money raised from this years cycle will go towards maintaining and if possible improving Denis quality of life, Mike continued. The upgrading of his wheelchair is high on the list.  Denis wife Pauline and daughters Denise, Rebecca and Kellie are most appreciative of the ongoing support from Wyeth Nutrition and Askeaton Touring Club, Mike said.

Each year, the charity cycle attracts between 100 and 120 cyclists and the fundraising is down the old-fashioned way, through sponsorship cards.

All the money raised, past and present, goes directly to the chosen charity or charities. The bottom line for us is that 100% goes to the charity, Mike stressed.

He also stressed that it is not just Wyeth employees who take part. The committee members are all working in the plant, he explained, but the cycle is open to anyone and everyone.

And you dont even have to be a strong cyclist, he said. We travel at about 22 to 25kph and nobody goes ahead of the lead car. We also regroup before we go into every town and village.

A few years ago, the club began a new tradition, and built an overnight stay into the cycle, making it more of a weekend event. It is an opportunity to socialise and get to know people, Mike pointed out.

This year, the overnight is in the Charleville Park Hotel and there are still vacancies if people want to avail of this but it is at a cyclists own cost.

This years cycle will start in Askeaton on Saturday, June 22 and travel through Newcastle West, Dromcollogher, Liscarroll, Buttevant and ending, after approximately 100km, in Charleville for an overnight. The journey back to Askeaton on Sunday, June 23 will be 50km. Anybody interested in taking part in the cycle on either Saturday or Sunday, should contact askeatontouringclub@ gmail.com or ring Mike Flynn on 087 630 9300 or see their Facebook page.A LEADING hotelier left fighting for his life after a fall in Spain has taken part in a charity abseil from the top of a nine-storey building this Sunday.

Former GAA sponsor Athea man Tom Moran, who runs the landmark Red Cow Hotel, is bidding to raise 200,000 for St James' Hospital in Dublin, which helped him recover from a near-fatal brain injury.

The father-of-seven abseiled from the new nine-storey extension to his hotel from early morning this Sunday, June 2. It comes almost three years to the day since he was placed in an induced coma following his fall in Malaga.

Writing for the first time about his 2016 accident through his online fundraising page, the popular businessman has revealed he spent six weeks in hospital in Spain, before he was airlifted back to Ireland under the care of the neurologist Dr Colin Doherty.

"The outlook in Spain from the outset was very bleak and I was not expected to survive. Back in Dublin, the prognosis was no more positive. My family were told that if I survived, that there was every possibility I would need care for the rest of my life. The damage caused to my head was likely to result in me being brain damaged, blind and paralysed."

Despite all this, Tom has defied all the odds making an incredible recovery, and being dubbed the Miracle Man.

Now, he says he is determined to give back to the hospital that got him back on his feet and help others with brain related conditions.

Raising 200,000 will help the hospital pay to build a dedicated brain disease research and resource centre.

"St James's Hospital treat a large number of patients with a range of brain diseases, including epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, motor neurone and other complex brain diseases," he explained.

His proud daughter Tracey revealed Tom had to learn to walk, talk and eat again.

Dad kept on fighting. It was because of that fight dad was well enough to be airlifted back to Ireland six weeks later. Dad was under the care of Dr Colin Doherty. He spend 312 days recovering. But that determination plus the medical team at St James Hospital got dad to where he is today, We have a good quality of life. I have dad here today because of the care and attention he received in St James' Hospital and also because of the sheer determination he has for life. He's always pushed on, hes always had a drive, she said.

It's not the first time the businessman has taken part in charity challenges. Back in 2012, he walked from Limerick to Dublin on a 'Tomathon' charity walk to raise money for suicide prevention charity Pieta House.

Mr Moran previously owned many hotels in Britain, including the landmark Cricklewood Crown Moran Hotel in North-West London.

However, he sold the bulk of his group -which comprised Bewley's Hotels - to Dalata in a 455m deal. He kept hold of his first hotel though, the Red Cow after paying 8m.

For more information or to donate, contact the Red Cow Moran Hotel at 01-4593650. Alternatively, visit his fundraising page at https://tom-s-abseil-challenge.everydayhero.com/ie/tomAs May jumped into June and summer carousing gets into motion, eager partygoers lit up one of San Antonio hottest North Side rooftop nightclubs.

BurnHouse was the scene and a mix of EDM had the packed club moving.Former Army Reserve Capt. Jacob Ashby of Castleton, who served as a medical officer in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, received the Rev. Francis A. Kelley 2019 Home Town Hero Award.

The state Assemblyman received the award during a ceremony held by the Rev. Francis A. Kelley Society of Saint Joseph's Church, Troy, during a ceremony at the East Greenbush YMCA.

John W. Mullen and David O. Barnum of the Rev. Francis A. Kelley Society presented the award to Ashby. A Rev. Francis A. Kelley Society committee of St. Joseph's Church of Troy selected Ashby on the basis of his military and community service, according to Mullen, committee chairman. The award commemorates Kelley, a World War I veteran and recipient of a Distinguished Service Cross, who advocated for veterans upon his return to the Troy area.

First, Ashby had to win a battle of sorts even before he enlisted in the Army. After being disqualified for military service for having flat feet and a heart murmur, Ashby wrote Congressman Mike McNulty requesting an inquiry. Through McNulty's efforts Ashby received medical waivers that were granted by the Office of the Surgeon General, reaffirming his original attempt to enlist in 1998.

After he graduated from Hudson Valley Community College, Keuka College, and Union Graduate College he was commissioned as a first lieutenant in the Army Reserve on May 11, 2006 in Billings, Mont. He completed Officer Basic Leaders Course at Fort Sam Houston and Camp Bullis, Texas, in January of 2007.

Afterward, he was assigned to the 4225th U.S. Army Hospital at Ft. Harrison, Mont., as a staff medical officer. ln October of 2007 Ashby volunteered for deployment to lraq. In May of 2008 he deployed from Fort Benning, Ga., where he was assigned to the 1835th Medical Detachment.

While in lraq he was attached to 2nd Brigade Combat Team of the 1st Armored Division and 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team of the 25th Infantry Division, serving throughout Diyala Province, Salah ad Din Province, and Baghdad.

He traveled extensively throughout combat areas of operation while assisting in medical operations in aid stations and in the field. He often helped evaluate soldiers, who had traumatic brain injuries, and helped establish mobile aid stations. He also assisted in treating wounded soldiers and local nationals.

Upon returning stateside in 2009 he was promoted to captain and reassigned to the 403rd Civil Affairs Battalion in Mattydale, near Syracuse, serving as a civil affairs team chief.

Ashby also completed an Officers Civil Affairs Qualification Course and graduated from the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School in Ft. Bragg, N.C. in May 2010.

He assumed command of A Company in October of 2010 and was selected to lead a four-man civil affairs team to support a medical mission in Malawi, Africa in the winter of 2011. His Team Tusker partnered with a psychological operations team, USAID, World Food Program, the Red Cross, Malawi Defense Forces, and U.S. medical personnel to deliver aid and materials throughout Malawi. Capt. Ashby was the first U.S. soldier to brief the African Center for Strategic Studies on civil affairs.

ln the spring of 2011 Capt. Ashby volunteered for deployment to Khost Province, Afghanistan as a civil affairs team chief. Deploying out of Fort Dix, N.J., his five-man civil affairs Team lrish was attached to Comanche Company, lst Battalion, 501st Infantry of 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th infantry Division.

His team patrolled along the dangerous Pakistan border daily and worked with the Afghan National Army, Afghan Uniformed Police, and Afghan Border Patrol to plan and execute the first Afghan-led medical civic action program in Regional Command East Afghanistan.

ln the fall of 2012 Ashby returned stateside. He resumed civilian life and entered the Individual Ready Reserve. He was honorably discharged in 2014.

He earned two Bronze Star Medals, an Army Commendation Medal, an Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal, an Meritorious Unit Citation, a Combat Action Badge, a New York State Conspicuous Service Cross with one Cross Devise, a New York State Medal for Merit with three Silver Shields and a New York State Conspicuous Service Star.

As a civilian he worked as an occupational therapist at Sunnyview Rehabilitation Hospital and Albany County Nursing Home before opening his own practice. He also teaches at Maria College in the occupational therapy assistant department.

ln 2017 he was elected to the Rensselaer County Legislature, and then to the state Assembly in 2018. He is a life member of the VFW and past commander of VFW Post 7337 in Castleton. He is a catechist for Sacred Heart Church and serves in several community organizations.

News of your troops and units can be sent to Duty Calls, Terry Brown, Times Union, Box 15000, Albany, NY 12212 or brownt@timesunion.com.A week after being named the No. 1 port in the country, Laredo was flung back on the defense Friday as President Donald Trump upheld his plans to impose a 5% tariff on all goods coming from Mexico, starting June 10.

This came as a surprise to the local trade industry, and even to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which helps facilitate trade through the countrys ports of entry.

We were almost as surprised as you yesterday  a little bit of advanced warning ... but not much, said Brenda Smith, executive assistant commissioner at CBPs Office of Trade. One of the things that we have learned in this administration is that you have got to have your eyes open and your powder dry at all times, because the situation changes so quickly.

Smith, along with several other CBP and Border Patrol leaders, spoke at a town hall on trade Friday morning at Laredo College.

Here local U.S. customs broker Eduardo Lozano informed the panel that he has already received calls from importers who say they plan to double or triple their daily shipments and stockpile their goods in the U.S. before the tariffs kick in June 10.

Is CBP prepared to receive all the additional influx of shipments? Lozano asked.

Not today, Smith replied. There will be an impact at the bridge, she noted, but said that the commitment of the agency is to make that impact as small as possible.

READ MORE: Homeland Security requests 1,000-bed tent facility in Laredo

In the past, in the face of a disruption such as this, CBP has increased hours of operation or put more officers on duty, Smith said.

JD Gonzalez, also a local U.S. customs broker, said no one wants to pay these additional fees, so they expect the next two weeks to be busy.

Members of Laredos trade industry say they are waiting on the sidelines to see what the threat of these tariffs will cause for their businesses and customers. Most mention that the cost of the tariffs will just be passed on to consumers.

Gerry Schwebel, executive vice president for the International Bank of Commerce, said it is hard to measure what the local impact will be. It could mean less trucks crossing, or more consolidation, but no one will know until businesses develop their strategies, Schwebel said.

His worry lies in the ongoing negotiations between the U.S., Mexico and Canada for the USMCA, or NAFTA 2.0.

READ MORE: Local war veterans receive high school diplomas at Laredo ISD graduation

I think this new strategy sends the wrong message at such a critical time, when were so close to ratification, Schwebel said. I felt good until 5 oclock yesterday.

Mexico and Canada were working Thursday on ratifying the trade deal. But the agreement means little if the U.S. is going to impose tariffs under the guise of national security, Schwebel said.

People are working fine here at the local level, but Washington keeps throwing grenades, and they have to adjust, he said.

Laredo Mayor Pete Saenz, who is also chairman of the Texas Border Coalition, said in a statement that their analysis suggests that these tariffs may not rest on firm legal or constitutional ground.

While border communities are bearing the overwhelming burden of helping to deal with the crushing numbers of Central Americans seeking asylum in our country, the President's threat to impose tariffs is not an appropriate response and would likely make the situation worse, he said.

Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, also spoke out against Trumps threat, calling it a dangerous mistake.

Mexico is Americas leading trading partner, the second-largest buyer of U.S. goods, and the third-biggest consumer of U.S. agricultural products. In 2018, U.S. goods and services trade with Mexico totaled an estimated $671.0 billion. President Trumps decision to impose tariffs will only hurt Americas economy and security, he is quoted as saying in a news release.

Julia Wallace may be reached at 956-728-2543 or jwallace@lmtonline.comOn Saturday, the Albany Marching Falcons and their entourage left on the first leg of a trip to France to join in ceremonies marking the 75th anniversary of D-Day. According to the Albany school district, family members and well-wishers at the send-off at Albany School of Humanities were joined by Superintendent Kaweeda Adams and members of Patriot Flight Inc. The Falcons boarded buses for Boston's Logan Airport, where they'll fly to Frankfurt then Paris. After Paris, they'll travel to Caen, capital of Normandy. And on Thursday, the group will march along Omaha Beach from Vierville-sur-Mer to St. Laurent-sur-Mer, towns liberated during the invasion. They'll also participate in the wreath-laying ceremony at the Normandy American cemetery.The city of Houston is preparing to perform an asphalt overlay at the intersection of Northpark and Woodland Hills drives, Houston City Council Member Dave Martin said on Friday.

Construction is scheduled to begin the week of June 3, 2019 and is expected to be complete by the end of June, weather permitting, he said in a statement.

In the process of the project, Houston Public Works will resurface the asphalt street.

This process includes milling off an approximate 2 inch layer of old asphalt, repairing the base as needed, spraying tack coat and overlaying 2 inches of new asphalt surface pavement, Martin said in a statement. Crews are expected to work between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, in an effort to avoid peak traffic hours. Crews may also work weekends, if necessary.

Despite the construction, lanes will be open in each direction during peak traffic hours, he said. However, residents who travel through the busy intersection could experience temporary delays due to modified traffic signal timing, and may experience an increase in noise levels due to trucks and equipment in the area.

Tolls removed on Hwy. 242

Montgomery County commissioners were met with applause and cheers after unanimously agreeing to remove the tolls from the Texas 242 flyovers.

They ended last week.

Precinct 2 Commissioner Charlie Riley, who confirmed the Texas Department of Transportation last week would take over maintenance of the flyovers if the tolls were lifted, said he preferred an agreement in writing before removing the tolls but supported fellow commissioners to take the action immediately.

There is no reason this court cant take action today to cease tolling the 242 flyovers, finally, said Precinct 3 Commissioner James Noack.

County Attorney B.D. Griffin told the court, removing the tolls would not jeopardize an $18 million payment from TxDOT due this year to the county via the pass-through toll program. Once that payment is made, the state will begin putting an additional $56 million in an escrow account for the county.

The flyovers were generating about $100,000 a month. The county contracted with the HCTRA to manage the tolls for Montgomery County.

The action comes over a month after County Judge Mark Keough motioned to have the tolls removed during the courts April 9 meeting. That motion failed 3-2 with Riley, Precinct 1 Commissioner Mike Meador and Precinct 4 Commissioner James Metts agreeing the confirmation was needed after Griffin said the contract regarding the maintenance and tolls was unclear.

Lifting the tolls and maintenance of the flyovers is not a new topic for the commissioners. In February 2018, former Precinct 4 Commissioner Jim Clark urged fellow commissioners to remove the tolls and allow him to approach the Texas Department of Transportation about assuming responsibility of the flyovers. The court did not support Clarks motion.

The construction and tolling of the Texas 242 flyovers were approved by Montgomery County voters in the 2005 road bond referendum.

During the courts April 9 meeting, Keough called upon his Chief of Staff Jason Milsaps to present information to the court from the county agreement with TxDOT. Both Keough and Milsaps said they interpret the contract as TxDOT would take responsibility of the flyovers if the county lifted the tolls.

But Griffin said the court should not assume that is understood noting the contract is not clear on who would provide the maintenance. Additionally, the revenue for the tolled flyovers has been earmarked to fund the third connector at the intersection that will move traffic from Interstate 45 north to eastbound on Texas 242.

The Texas 242 direct connectors were funded through the pass-through toll program with TxDOT. The county has received state and federal reimbursement of more than $150 million through the pass-through toll program, which was part of the 2005 road bond referendum. The reimbursement rate is 7 cents per vehicle mile. Under the program agreement, the county also funded projects on FM 1484, FM 1485, FM 1488 and FM 1314.

chris.shelton@chron.comSPRINGFIELD (AP)  Illinois lawmakers are in line for a $1,600-a-year pay hike after what was described as a paperwork mix-up that wasnt reversed.

The House approved a $39.9 billion budget and adjourned Saturday night without taking action on a measure that would have prohibited a 2.4% cost-of-living increase in legislators base $67,836 salary, or about $1,600.

It would be the first pay increase for legislators since 2008 and would take effect July 1 if Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker signs the budget agreement. The Senate met Sunday afternoon and was scheduled to take up final pieces of the spending plan, which also include $45 billion in infrastructure improvements and billions of dollars of increased taxes and fees to finance it.

House Majority Leader Greg Harris, a Chicago Democrat, would not say why the House didnt vote on the separate salary-freeze legislation , noting only that the budget bill included appropriations to cover the COLA, or cost-of-living adjustment, and that the overall plan underwent committee and House-floor examination.

The COLA issue arose Friday night as the Senate debated budget-implementation language. The sponsor, Chicago Democratic Sen. Heather Steans, was surprised to learn that an agreed-to freeze on COLAs was absent from the legislation. Democrats remedied the omission by adding the prohibition to another bill they sent to the House, but the House took no action.

You should go and ask the House why they didnt pass the bill that we sent them, Steans said. Most folks get annual cost-of-living increases in their jobs, or are evaluated for them. Its not an outrageous expectation that more than once in a 10-year period wed get them.

Steve Brown, spokesman for Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan, said he was unaware of a pay increase. He said the budget included an increase in reimbursement for legislators district office expenses.

Rep. David McSweeney, a Republican budget hawk from Barrington Hills, was incensed.

Illinois citizens are sick and tired of secret insider budget deals that enrich Springfield politicians at the expense of hardworking taxpayers who are getting hit with massive tax increases, said McSweeney, who voted no on the budget.

The salary freeze plan that the Senate sent to the House required only a vote to concur. Rep. Thaddeus Jones, a Calumet City Democrat, filed a motion to non-concur in the freeze. Calling the motion for a vote would have forced House members to vote in favor or against rejecting the freeze.BLOOMINGTON (AP)  Whenever theres an attack on a synagogue, a mosque or a church, the Bloomington-Normal faith community has been quick to respond, to come together in support with a vigil.

This year alone, weve gathered four times for vigils, said Illinois Wesleyan University chaplain Elyse Nelson Winger.

But a group of faith leaders wanted to do more.

Vigil after vigil was the only time Id see the other clergy, said Rabbi Rebecca Dubowe of Moses Montefiore Temple in Bloomington, who decided, We need to get together.

So, about a year and a half ago, Dubowe connected with the Rev. Mollie Ward, director of mission and spiritual care at Advocate BroMenn Medical Center, to create the McLean County Interfaith Alliance.

When a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, turned violent in August 2017, thats what really catalyzed this group, said Ward.

About 300 people participated in a multifaith service at First Christian Church that included leaders from the Christian, Jewish, Muslim and Hindu faiths.

Seeing the turnout, Ward said the group thought we need to capitalize on the energy and passion people have here.

Dubowe and Ward already knew each other from their work with Not In Our Town as co-chairs of the faith and outreach committee.

Ward said, Were trying to be proactive, not reactive through the alliance.

Recently, members of the Interfaith Alliance participated in a Habitat for Humanity project at St. Johns Lutheran Church in Bloomington to help build walls for one of the newest Habitat homes in the Twin Cities.

Earlier this year, they helped repackage bulk containers of rice into smaller packages for food pantries. They are examples of the type of projects the alliance wants to be involved in  either organizing itself or partnering with other organization.

The group also is working on an interfaith picnic at Normals Fairview Park in September and an Interfaith Giving Thanks Service at IWUs Evelyn Chapel in November.

We need to eat together. We need to break bread together, said Ward.

She recalled an interfaith worship service last year on the Sunday afternoon of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend with fellowship afterward.

People wouldnt go home. It was funny, said Ward. There was so much energy.

The Interfaith Alliance is an accomplishment itself, said Dubowe. The group meets once a month at different locations. The time rotates between breakfast, lunch and evening meetings to accommodate the varied schedules of faith leaders, some of whom have other jobs in addition to their faith work, explained Ward.

The monthly meetings are a way of building relationships and supporting one another, said Ward. Weve laughed together. Weve cried together. . Weve celebrated with one another.

Dubowe said, Were all doing the same type of work.  We hold the hands of our congregation. Sometimes its important that we hold each others hands.

Through its monthly meetings and a newsletter that goes out to 67 people in various faith communities, the alliance shares information about events happening in their communities: speakers sponsored by the Bloomington-Normal Zen Group, a Jewish film festival, even garage sales. The newsletter also lists upcoming religious and spiritual observances. The group recently started a McLean County Interfaith Alliance Facebook page.

Last months meeting included not only members of Jewish and Christian congregations, but also people from the Bahai and Buddhist communities. Isaac Simmons, an IWU student who is a campus multifaith ambassador, happened to wander in during the meeting and, before it was over, he volunteered for a committee.

The goal is not to preach our beliefs, but seek what we have in common, said Dubowe.

The various violent attacks in recent years are very troubling, she said.

We live in challenging times. We need each other even more, said Dubowe. We must come together and talk.

Winger said, Its important that we come together, but its heartbreaking that on a continuing basis the gatherings have been needed to recommit ourselves to fighting hate. . Its urgent work.

Within hours of the attack on the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, people from other faith communities reached out to Dubowe asking what they could do.

Dubowe said she was numbed and overwhelmed when they offered to come and create a human chain around the synagogue.

Instead, I said were going to open up the building and offer doughnuts and coffee, recalled Dubowe.

The word went out through the Interfaith Alliance and we had over 100 people bring more coffee and doughnuts, said Dubowe.

She said the idea is to be there together in times of joy and in times of sorrow and sadness, and remind us that love will prevail and that were not alone.As Democratic presidential candidates have put out fresh policy proposals this year on a host of issues including education, child care, housing, climate change, student loan debt, taxes and inequality, President Donald Trump has put forward new ideas at much the same clip.

They just happen to be almost exclusively about one issue: immigration.

Trump has shut down the government, declared a national emergency over his proposed border wall, threatened to close the U.S.-Mexico border, cut off funding for Northern Triangle countries, sent additional troops to the border, fired his top immigration officials, selected an immigration "czar," pitched an overhaul of the legal immigration system and called for releasing immigrant detainees into so-called sanctuary cities.

On Thursday, he ratcheted up the pressure again by threatening to slap tariffs as high as 25 percent on all goods imported from Mexico - a move that risks harming the economy and undermining a trade deal he had been championing as a potential legislative achievement under divided government.

The wave of border policies flowing from the White House offers a clear signal that Trump's re-election bid is likely to focus on immigration more than any other topic - a cause that animates his base but also highlights his failure to contain the flow of Central American migrants coming to the United States in record numbers.

"He certainly believes that immigration is a key issue that got him elected and, looking at the 2020 election, he's trying to show that he's trying to do something," said Theresa Brown, a former policy official at the Department of Homeland Security who works at the Bipartisan Policy Center. "He knows that the situation that people are seeing every day shows that he's not been successful. He has not secured the border."

For a president who won an electoral college victory in 2016 based on a hard-line immigration message and a promise to make the Mexican government fund construction of a border wall, Trump's latest gambit is an attempt to cover for the lack of progress on a signature campaign pledge, Brown said.

At the same time, many Democratic presidential candidates have struggled with how to respond. Most have sharply criticized Trump's immigration rhetoric and approach, including the administration's policy last year of separating children from their parents and the humanitarian conditions surrounding the deaths in recent months of Central American children in U.S. custody.

Out of nearly two dozen major candidates, only three - former housing secretary Julian Castro, former Texas congressman Beto O'Rourke and Washington Gov. Jay Inslee - have released detailed plans for reforming the immigration system. Most have kept their focus on health care and other issues.

"A country comprised of immigrants, asylum seekers and refugees - that's our story, and we lose that story at our peril," O'Rourke said during a roundtable discussion in Dallas with immigration experts and advocates on Thursday. "It has allowed us to become the greatest country in the world today, and we will lose that place of pride if we lose our way and our ability to continue to be this land of immigrants."

Central American migrants with children are crossing into the United States at an accelerating pace, with more than 75,000 members of family units entering from Mexico in May, acting DHS secretary Kevin McAleenan told reporters on Thursday.

Trump announced Thursday that he would place a 5 percent tariff starting June 10 on all goods coming into the United States from Mexico, a move that would affect millions of products, including cars, produce and equipment. Trump said the tariffs would increase by five percentage points each month until Mexico stopped migrants from entering the United States.

"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," Trump said Thursday in a lengthy statement. "If Mexico does not take decisive measures, it will come at a significant price."

But business leaders, free-market conservatives and some Republican lawmakers warned that Americans ultimately will pay the price.

"Tariffs are taxes, plainly and simply," Adam Brandon, president of FreedomWorks, a conservative group, said in a statement that criticized Trump's announcement as an act of "usurpation" against congressional authority.

The president's allies say he is taking action to address an emergency that Congress has ignored. They blame Democrats and the Mexican government for not stepping up to solve the problem that has overwhelmed the government's capacity.

"President Trump's tariffs on Mexico are a necessary response to the undeniable crisis on our border," Trump campaign spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany said in a statement. "Mexico has the power to stop this, and President Trump's tariffs are a necessary step to catalyze action. Americans understand the crisis we face and the necessity of putting America First in addressing this crisis."

McEnany said Trump would also plan to campaign on "the hottest economy on record."

But the president's focus as he gears up for his 2020 bid - Trump announced Friday that he would launch his official campaign on June 18 in Orlando - has been squarely on immigration.

Asked Thursday about new legislation in Louisiana to restrict abortion, Trump quickly changed the subject to the border, previewing what he said would be his "biggest statement so far."

"We are going to do something very dramatic on the border, because people are coming into our country," Trump told reporters at the White House.

Critics say it is the president's flair for the dramatic that has worsened the situation at the border, as frenetic policies and statements emanating from the White House have added to a sense of chaos. Since December, Trump has attempted numerous strategies aimed at the border - from forcing a government shutdown to declaring a national emergency to threatening to close the border altogether.

None of it made a dent in the growing flow of migrants; border crossings are expected to surpass the April record of 109,000 in May.

As Trump has tried out different policy approaches, he has made his tough-on-immigration stance a centerpiece of his campaign speech. He often tells supporters at rallies that "the wall is being built," when, in fact, the government is primarily replacing existing fencing, and promises there will be 400 miles of steel slats constructed before voters head to the polls in 2020.

He rarely mentions that the number of migrants apprehended at the border has grown steadily each month under his watch, a sign that his efforts so far have failed.

"His gut response to these things is toughen up the border, send the military, build the wall," said Brown. "But the things he's attempted to do have not worked."

"The month of May is on pace to be the highest month in crossings in over 12 years and will significantly surpass the record 109,000 in April," McAleenan said Thursday.

Democrats seeking to challenge Trump next year have offered a variety of approaches to the crisis and are increasingly being pushed to explain their plans for immigration.

At an immigration forum on Friday in Pasadena, Calif., Castro, Inslee and Sens. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Kamala Harris, D-Calif., all promised to quickly pursue a comprehensive immigration overhaul if elected. Castro, a former Obama administration Cabinet member and the field's only Latino candidate, released his plan in early April and said that "the next president must start by reversing the cruel policies of the Trump administration - including the Muslim ban, wasteful spending on a pointless wall and cuts to the refugee program - and ending the vile rhetoric that has scapegoated and vilified immigrants."

Castro also has called for ending criminal penalties for migrants who enter the country illegally, a position that most other candidates have yet to embrace.

O'Rourke, who is from the Texas border town of El Paso, released his plan Wednesday and promised that, if elected, he would immediately reverse several of Trump's immigration-related executive orders and policies, including those that encourage detention and deportation and that limit the number of migrants who can claim asylum. O'Rourke said he would also halt wall construction along the southern border.

Pete Buttigieg, a 2020 Democratic hopeful and the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, has criticized Trump for using immigration as a political "wedge" to divide the country. He has said he believes a comprehensive immigration overhaul should include "a pathway to citizenship, a level of protection for "dreamers," a set of reforms to clear up the bureaucracy, and reasonable measures on border security" - though he has not released any policy details that delve deeper than that.

The latest candidate to weigh in was Inslee, who released a plan Friday that calls for many of the same points outlined by Castro and O'Rourke. It would also push Congress to limit the power of the president in ways that would have prevented Trump from making it difficult for refugees to resettle in the United States and slow the asylum process.

---

The Washington Post's Jenna Johnson and Amy Wang contributed to this report.The Bexar County Medical Examiner's Office on Friday identified the Bexar County Jail inmate who was killed in a fatal assault Thursday.

Shandrick Van Anthony Buckley, 31, is accused of killing Alexander Wise, a 29-year-old inmate who was a former member of the Aryan Brotherhood.

FIND OUT FIRST: Get San Antonio breaking news directly to your inbox

Both inmates were in a maximum security area of the jail for separate incidents they were involved in, Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said Thursday.

Wise was in jail on charges of fraudulent use of identification, credit card abuse, abuse of a controlled substance and theft. His criminal record also includes a prior conviction for arson, court records showed.

Buckley, who was in jail on a murder charge in connection to a stomping death in 2017, will now face an additional murder charge for Wise's death. Buckley is accused of stomping Jose Gustavo Hernandez, 55, in August 2017 near the Union Pacific railroad tracks.

READ MORE: Inmate faces new charges following fatal assault inside the Bexar County Jail Thursday

Salazar said a detention deputy noticed blood pooling out from a living unit while making cell checks at about 1:28 p.m. in the maximum security area of the jail.

Upon entering the cell he found Wise with "severe" facial and head injuries and Buckley asleep on another bed, Salazar said.

Deputies took custody of Buckley and administered first aid to Wise, who was later pronounced dead.

Salazar said the Texas Rangers are now investigating the inmate's death, which is a requirement of the Sandra Bland Act.

Reporter Jacob Beltran contributed to this report.

Fares Sabawi covers crime in San Antonio and Bexar County. Read him on our breaking news site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com | fsabawi@mysa.com | @FaresInSABefore we turn our attention to the demise of bail reform in Austin this session, take a moment to remember Jack Ule.

Homeless and schizophrenic, Ule died in the Bexar County Jail in April. His crime? Technically, the charge was criminal trespass, but his real offense was sitting in University Hospitals lobby and watching TV after being discharged. For this, he was jailed. A $500 bond would have gotten him out. It might as well have been $5 million.

Also take a moment to remember Janice Dotson-Stephens, a schizophrenic woman who died in jail in December. She spent 150 days behind bars on a criminal trespass charge. She lost 136 pounds while in custody. She appears to have never seen her attorney. Her bond was $300.

First and foremost, these two tragedies reflect how we have come to criminalize people with mental illness, placing them in jail rather than providing appropriate treatment and support. But they are also tragic reminders about the inadequacies of the cash bail system. Neither Ule nor Dotson-Stephens could afford their nominal bonds, and so they languished in jail at tremendous taxpayer expense until they died. Wealthier defendants could easily have paid these bonds and secured their release pretrial. Cash bail does not evaluate risk to the public. It only reflects wealth and access to credit. This is something Bexar County Judge John Longoria explained perfectly in February after local judges refused to embrace criminal justice reform.

There can rightly be somebody who sits in jail because he slaps his wife around and didnt have the money to pay for a bond, Longoria said to us at the time. Now, if somebody else (who) slaps his wife around and has the money, then, yeah, they are going to get out. Our current system is not going to bless somebody for being poor and slapping their wives around.

We still dont understand Longorias point. He was defending the current system, but this quote indicts it because it captures the inherent flaws in cash bail. No one wants a domestic abuser to be released from jail pretrial, but the current system rewards the wealthy wife beater who can make bond and, all too often, sentences the impoverished nonviolent defendant to pretrial incarceration.

One of the excuses Bexar Countys judges gave for failing to act on bail reform at the local level was the possibility of state action. And promising legislation was filed early in the session by state Rep. Andrew Murr, R-Junction, and state Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, who is very much an expert on criminal justice issues. This legislation was named after fallen State Trooper Damon Allen, who was killed in 2017 during a routine traffic stop. The suspect in that case had been released on a $15,500 bond for allegedly assaulting a county deputy.

Whitmires legislation would have mandated the use of a pretrial risk-assessment tool, a 48-hour bond review hearing, an additional review in cases when bail is denied and, importantly, when bail is warranted, underscored a presumption to make that bail as least restrictive as possible.

It was promising legislation, but it was torpedoed after Gov. Greg Abbott opted for a different Damon Allen Act, a vague piece of legislation that also required a pretrial risk-assessment tool, but would have shifted policy-making to the governors office and lacked any meaningful language about indigence or presumption that bail be as least restrictive as possible.

At one point, due to an amendment from Rep. Oscar Longoria, D-Mission, this legislation almost became a vehicle for locking up more people, rather than reforming the system. Longorias pro-cash bail amendment was eventually stripped out, but the final product of the second Damon Allen Act was lackluster and hardly anyones idea of reform. The legislation, appropriately, died in the Senate.

In practical terms, this means federal courts will continue to shape criminal justice reform in Texas. We have seen favorable rulings for proponents of bail reform in Dallas and Harris counties. But it also means the ball is firmly back in the hands of our local judges. They can continue to defend a broken system that locks up nonviolent defendants on nominal bonds pretrial while rewarding potentially violent defendants who have access to credit, or they can be proponents of meaningful change and reform. They can defend and tolerate a system that has allowed two mentally ill, nonviolent defendants to languish and die in jail, or they can be proponents of change.

Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff, the administrator of Commissioners Court, has been begging for reforms. So has Sheriff Javier Salazar. District Attorney Joe Gonzales has implemented his own reforms. And our judges? They have remained steadfast in their commitment to a broken system.Neymar accused of rape Ligue 1 Brazilian media outlet reveals claims

Paris Saint-Germain star Neymar Jr has been accused of rape, in an incident said to have taken place in the French capital.

The events are said to have taken place on 15 May at a hotel in Paris.

The female who came forward with the accusation claims to have met the former Barcelona player through Instagram, in a report revealed by Brazilian media outlet UOL.

It also claims that Neymar arrived in a drunk and aggressive fashion at the hotel where the two met.

Two days after the incident the woman returned to Brazil and did not make her story public until now due to fear for her own safety.

The meeting between the pair took place at the Sofitel Paris Arc Du Triomphe hotel.A raid on a site in Claudeville on Saturday led to the arrests of 70 individuals on charges of conducting illegal cock fights that investigators say have links to the Mexican drug cartels.

Cash, methamphetamine, firearms, multiple-edged weapons and assorted property, including vehicles, also were seized when 50 officers executed a search warrant at 435 Long Branch Road in Claudeville at 12:45 p.m., a Patrick County Sheriffs Office release said.

Patrick County Sheriff Dan Smith said the site was a known venue for cock fighting, which is a felony in Virginia, and that evidence collected during the investigation shows that the operation is Mexican-based and put on events in both North Carolina and Virginia.

The release said that participants from as far away as Texas and Georgia allegedly travelled to engage in the illegal activity.

Patrick County Sheriffs Lt. Eric OConnell led the investigation, which, he said, shows that the ring was an elaborate, well-organized operation. Large sums of money were bet on the fights, and methamphetamine was commonly dealt at the venue as well, the release said.

Evidence obtained leads us to believe that Mexican drug cartels operating in the region had a clear and definite presence, OConnell said in the release.

Patrick County Commonwealths Attorney Stephanie Vipperman said the case is being prosecuted under the states RICO statute (Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act).

Smith said that tactical teams from the Patrick County Sheriffs Office, Martinsville Police Department and Carroll County Sheriffs Office were inserted into adjacent woods well before daylight on Saturday morning to provide surveillance.

At 12:45, teams from the Henry County Sheriffs Office and Virginia State Police executed the search warrant. About half of the suspects were arrested near the fighting site, and half were arrested as they fled into the woods by the embedded perimeter teams.

The sheer number of people that we were dealing with, some of whom were armed, made this a very difficult mission, planning was extensive, Smith said in the release.

He said that some women and children were present, but the predominate makeup of the participants were Mexican males ranging in age from 20 to 65.

The property is owned by Phillip Baldwin, 53, who lives at the site and was present during the execution of the search warrant. Baldwin was among those arrested on Sunday, according to Smith.

The sheriffs office is communicating with ICE (Immigration Customs Enforcement) to determine the immigration status of many of those arrested. Deputies continued to work throughout the day on Sunday processing both arrestees and evidence.

We have been at this for two solid days, but we are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel, Smith said. A list of the arrestees is expected to be released by Tuesday.

In the release Smith said that conditions on the property were deplorable, adding that numerous chicken carcasses were found along with several caged chickens waiting to be fought. Gaffs, or elongated razors, were found attached to the spurs of both live and dead chickens.

Smith said that the live birds will be seized and housed until they will be euthanized. These animals cannot be reintroduced back into an agricultural setting, he said. They have been specifically trained to attack and kill. Euthanization is the only alternative.

The Patrick County Department of Emergency Management, Henry County Public Safety, Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, Danville Police Department, Surrey County NC Sheriffs Office and Surrey County EMS also participated in the raid.Massachusetts State Senator Michael Brady will appear in Quincy District Court this week as the drunken driving trial against him begins.

The 57-year-old Brockton Democrat was pulled over in the morning hours of March 24, 2018, on Route 18 in Weymouth. Officers said the politician was slurring his speech and his breath smelled of alcohol.

According to the Boston Globe, Brady told police he was drinking at a work event in Boston and told the officer that he was a state senator. The newspaper, citing police reports, said Brady failed multiple field sobriety tests.

Brady had his license suspended for almost six months because he refused to take a Breathalyzer test, the Globe reported.

Brady was then charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, negligent driving and a marked lanes violation.

After he was charged Brady released a statement.

He wrote:

While driving home, I was stopped early in the morning on Saturday, March 24 by the Weymouth Police on Rt. 18 in South Weymouth and placed under arrest. I was released later in the morning. I want to apologize to the Weymouth Police, my constituents, my friends and colleagues in the Legislature for any embarrassment and distraction that this incident causes. I know that as a Senator, I am held to a higher standard, and I will abide by the advice of my counsel as this matter is adjudicated by our judiciary. I am grateful for the fairness, integrity and transparency of that process. At this time, I anticipate making no further statements until that process has concluded.

The trial is expected to begin Tuesday.Note: After each game of the 2019 Stanley Cup final, well handicap whos leading the race for the Conn Smythe Trophy.

If the Conn Smythe was awarded today: Its probably still Tuukka Rask, but hes not as clear a choice as he was coming into the series. Rask has been solid, but not eye-popping in the series with a 2.29 GAA and .919 save percentage. He hasnt really had the opportunity to be. Some of the goals hes given up have been unlucky. But he might need more more dazzling effort to secure the honor.

Rising: Torey Krug. The defensemans play was at the heart of everything the Bruins did Saturday and his four points should get him some attention. Hes been the catalyst of the Boston power play and leads the team in assists. Hes close to being the front-runner.

Rising: Patrice Bergeron. A goal and two assists shook him out of his scoring slump. If he plays like himself the rest of the series, hell be in the mix.

Rising: Sean Kuraly and Charlie Coyle. The third and fourth line centers keep scoring big goals. Kuralys four points have him tied with Krug for most among Bruins in the Final.

Falling: Jordan Binnington. The Blues rookie goalie was bad Saturday giving up five goals on 14 shots before getting pulled.WEST SPRINGFIELD -- Police continue to investigate the death of a person found floating in the Connecticut River on Saturday.

The victim, who has not been publicly identified, was found by fishermen shortly before 8 a.m. in the water just south of the North End Bridge, Police Lt. Brian Pomeroy said.

West Springfield firefighters used the department's rescue boat to bring the victim to shore, he said.

The Massachusetts State Police attached to Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gullunis office is investigating with West Springfield Police, Pomeroy said.

The body was taken to the state Office of the Medical Examiner to be identified and for an autopsy. Police did not say if the victim was a man or a woman.

Officials for the District Attorney's Office have not returned requests for comment.

This is the second body discovered in the Connecticut River in a week. On Monday, two citizens found a person in the water at about 4:30 p.m.

The body was discovered about 20 feet off shore near the Pioneer Valley Yacht Club. The Longmeadow Fire Department assisted police in bringing the victim to shore.

Officials for the District Attorneys Office have not released any information about the identity of that victim or the persons cause of death.HOLYOKE -- Firefighters are on the scene of a fire at a large, vacant, three-story apartment building on Cabot Street on Sunday.

The fire was first spotted by bystanders who called the department at about 1 p.m. The fire started in the rear of the building, Fire Capt. Kevin Cavagnac said.

The building at 28 Cabot St. is boarded up and has been unoccupied for many years and is scheduled to be demolished later this year, Cavagnac said.

A sign on the front of the building says the work is being done with a federal Housing and Urban Development grant. The six-unit apartment complex was built around 1900 and foreclosed on in April 2013, according to city records.

Firefighters are battling the fire from the exterior because of the poor condition of the building. It is marked with a red X that identifies it as unsafe to enter, he said.

Firefighters were still pouring water on the smoldering fire at 3:30 p.m. The flames had extended into the buildings roof structure, Cavagnac said.

"The building is known to have homeless squatters enter, and is constantly being cleaned and re-secured," he said. "There has not been any reports of people in or around the building today."

Neighbors at the scene confirmed that they have seen drug addicts and homeless people sneaking into the building frequently.

There have been no known injuries in the fire, Cavagnac said.

Cabot Street is closed between South Bridge and South Canal streets and is expected to be shut down for several hours, he said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. The State Fire Marshals Office is on the scene and will work with the Holyoke Fire Department.Seventy-five years ago this week, 21-year-old Arthur R. Burrill Jr. landed on Omaha Beach with the Armys 29th Infantry.

Within two weeks, the Technical High School graduate was dead, killed in action in Normandy, France, one of an estimated 15 men from Springfield who went ashore in the D-Day invasion and lost their lives during that long-ago month of June as the Allies took on Adolf Hitler to turn the tide of World War II in Europe.

Another of the boys from Springfield, Frederick U. Snowman, is still missing in action. The 18-year-old has no grave, like Burrill does at the Normandy American Cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer, France, but Snowmans name is engraved in the tablets of the missing at Utah Beach.

Snowman was a motor machinists mate aboard the minesweeper USS Tide, which had crossed the English Channel the night before the invasion and survived the opening salvos of Operation Overlord, only to strike a mine the next day and sink. Burrill, with the 29ths 175th Regiment, hit the beach on D-plus-1, June 7, still in the thick of things as the battle for Normandy unfolded.

Mathieu Guillemant knows the stories of Burrill and Snowman well. Hes researched them, reached out to relatives and works to ensure they are not forgotten.

For the 31-year-old Guillemant, it is a labor of respect and appreciation for these soldiers who fell as they fought to free his country and the world from the Nazis.

I think that what these soldiers did, no one will ever do again. They left everything, their families, their jobs, their lives. They came far from their home to save unknown people, Guillemant says. They did what they did, serving their country proudly and also defending universal (values). Sure, they died too early, but I think that it might be the best time and the best place to die here in France for freedom. Dont forget that France is the land of freedom.

Early in 2018, Guillemant, who works as a front-desk clerk at a hotel in Normandy, joined an organization known in France as Les Fleurs de la Memoire, Flowers of Memory. The groups volunteers adopt the graves of the thousands of American soldiers who were killed during the Battle of Normandy in 1944 and are buried there in the cemeteries at Colleville-sur-Mer and St. James.

It was Burrills grave which Guillemant was assigned.

The only thing I have to do is to leave a bouquet of flowers at least one time during the year. But I have decided to do more, trying to find out details on Arthurs life before the war and during his service, he says. Who was he? What did he look like ? Where did he come from ? Finally, I think that the main goal is giving Arthur a second life.

During the past 18 months, Guillemant reached out first to the Springfield veterans services office and then to Maggie Humberston, curator of library and archives at the Lyman & Merry Wood Musuem of Springfield History. Humberston remembers the call she got from City Hall, asking for help on Guillemants behalf and then the emails which she began to exchange with Guillemant.

For most of last year, we went back and forth, Humberston says. This was unusual. I had never had anyone do it before. I was quite surprised because its quite admirable and interesting for someone who wanted to take care of these soldiers, someone youve never know anything about.

The efforts by Guillemant struck a chord, as she happens to be the daughter of a British World War II veteran. Humberstons parents lived through the death and destruction the war wreaked on England before emigrating to North America in 1949, first to Canada and then to Springfield.

While not always able to assist in such research efforts, Humberston discovered a photograph of Arthur Burrill, which was shared with the Frenchman and which he now cherishes.

Of course, you want to help in any way you can, Humberston says. I think we dont want to forget whats transpired, if for no other reason than to avoid its happening again. So many of these young men and women (in World War II) were very patriotic about it. You just have to think (that) if they lost their lives, they have to count for something, and those who came back were forever changed.

Guillemant says he finds it difficult to explain why the Battle of Normandy and his work to honor those who perished has become so important to him. He hopes to chronicle the lives (and deaths) of more of Springfields fallen and connect with families willing to share their stories with him.

I think this is a spirit that has grown within me over the years, and its part of my everyday life today. Everything I do is in relationship with the war, he says. It has just become part of my daily life.

As a little boy, he says he watched war movies, including Le Jour le Plus Long, The Longest Day, which chronicled the D-Day invasion, and grew up playing video games dedicated to World War II, like Medal of Honor and Allied Assault. His childhood was spent in the city of Saumur on the river Loire, a place immersed in World War II history for its citizens act of resistance in 1940 when 800 men stood together in a fight to halt the advance of three German Panzer divisions with about 10,000 men each. He recalls as a small child having gathered wildflowers to set at the villages war memorial each May 8 and Nov. 11, the dates which marked the end of the two world wars in 1945 and 1919, respectively.

Arriving in Normandy 10 years ago, I never took the time to visit the beaches and sites of the war until two years ago. I did not think I would feel what I felt at that moment, he says. The atmosphere is special. You understand that something happened, even if its so quiet now.

While his father served in the French Army, Guillemant says the occupation of their nation by the Nazis is not a chapter of history upon which the French people dwell. The occupation of France during the war was very tough as the life was not easy. We dont speak about that in France, he explains. At (that) time, French people lived with a bad spirit; some of them joined the resistance, but some of them helped the Germans and denounced those who helped Jews or the resistance. Were we happy with arrival of the Allies ? Yes, and no. They came to help us and to liberate the French people, but they also came with destruction and other bad things.

Today, the war and the memory are beginning to be forgotten, he says. Even if there are reenactments, associations, shops, celebrations, there is less and less interest these days, less and less TV documentary for example.

In Normandy, though, Guillemant says, The atmosphere is amazing when you are on the Normandy sites, with photos, flags, memorials, museums everywhere. And there is a special feeling, something you cant explain. You know that something happened there, and, when you leave the area, one has a very different feeling.

And, for him personally, Springfields fallen soldiers enhance that special feeling for him. Today, I have the impression that these two kids are part of my family, Guillemant says of Arthur R. Burrill Jr. and Frederick U. Snowman.

Cynthia G. Simison is assistant to the publisher and managing editor of The Republican. She may be reached by email to csimison@repub.com.NEW YORK  Nathan Eovaldi, who threw a simulated game here Friday at Yankee Stadium, will throw another one next week.

Mostly likely hes going to throw another sim game on Tuesday in Kansas City, Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Saturday. And then most likely after that well make another decision.

Cora indicated Friday that Eovaldi will need a minor league rehab assignment before returning to Bostons starting rotation.

The righty underwent an arthroscopic procedure to remove loose bodies from his right elbow in New York City on April 23.

Eovaldi threw all his pitches during his simulated game Friday and he said he felt normal.

My splitter felt really good, Eovaldi said Friday. Its been feeling probably the best out of all of them. My cutters been feeling good as well. I threw some curveballs. I felt like I was locating the fastball.It was Aug. 28, 2014, when the gruesome and disturbing scene hidden inside a Blackstone home was discovered. As the investigation continued, detectives discovered much worse, the death of three babies.

Authorities said a 10-year-old boy living at 23 St. Paul St. in Blackstone told a neighbor there were two severely neglected children inside.

Investigators found a house of horrors inside the single-family home.

A dead baby was eventually found stuffed inside a backpack, placenta and umbilical cord still attached, inside a bedroom closet. The skeleton of another baby was also found.

In total, three dead babies were discovered, authorities said.

Erika Murray, the mother charged in the deaths of two of the three babies, will be in Worcester Superior Court Tuesday as her trial begins. She is facing two counts of second-degree murder and other charges in the case.

A house where the skeletal remains of three children were found last month is torn down by order of the town's Board of Health Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2014 in Blackstone, Mass. Erika Murray, the woman who lived in the house with four children and her longtime boyfriend, is being held on $1 million bail on charges including fetal death concealment.

The first call to the House of Horrors home in Blackstone

A 10-year-old boy living in the home went to a neighbor and reported two children were being neglected in August 2014. The boy asked the neighbor how to get a baby to stop crying.

The two children, a 3-year-old girl and an infant girl were being kept in bedrooms. A 13-year-old child also lived there, authorities said.

The neighbor called the police. Officers arrived on the scene for the well-being check when they learned children were crying inside the house.

"Responding officers found the interior of the home to be in a state of squalor, with garbage, debris and dirty diapers stacked over a foot high in places and an out of control rodent and pest infestation," police said in a press release issued at the time.

The state Department of Children and Families were called. All four children were removed from the home.

A house where the skeletal remains of three children were found last month is torn down by order of the town's Board of Health Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2014 in Blackstone, Mass. Erika Murray, the woman who lived in the house with four children and her longtime boyfriend, is being held on $1 million bail on charges including fetal death concealment.

Erika Murray is initially charged with two counts of child endangerment then more charges were filed

Murray was first arraigned in district court in September 2014 on charges of child endangerment. Her boyfriend also living in the home, Ramon Rivera, who also goes by Raymond, was arraigned on multiple drug charges.

Two days after her first arraignment, Murray is then charged with fetal death concealment out of wedlock after authorities discovered the remains of the three babies.

Murray was also charged with two counts of permitting substantial injury to a child, witness intimidation and animal cruelty.

Photos released by the town of Blackstone showing the squalid conditions of a St. Paul Street home where three dead infants were found along with two severely neglected children and two other children living with Erika Murray.

The search of the home and the horrifying discoveries

When police first arrived, in August 2014, they discovered the 3-year-old girl looked like she had been dipped in feces. The female infant was severely malnourished, investigators said.

The next month, investigators returned to the home wearing Hazmat suits because of the deplorable conditions inside. A massive insect infestation and mounds of used diapers and feces were found inside the home, authorities said.

It was during that search investigators said they found the remains of an infant, placenta still attached, stuffed in a backpack in a closet in the trash-strewn and vermin-infested home, according to prosecutors. A subsequent search found skeletal remains of two more babies in the home.

Photos released by the town of Blackstone showing the squalid conditions of a St. Paul Street home where three dead infants were found along with two severely neglected children and two other children living with Erika Murray.

Prosecutors would later say the skeletal remains of one baby had a full head of hair. The skeletons of two of the infants were still clothed in diapers and onesies.

A dead dog was also discovered. Photos showed the squalor inside the Blackstone home. Garbage was piled up inside.

A house where the skeletal remains of three children were found last month is torn down by order of the town's Board of Health Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2014 in Blackstone, Mass. Erika Murray, the woman who lived in the house with four children and her longtime boyfriend, is being held on $1 million bail on charges including fetal death concealment.

Prosecutor says two children had been profoundly neglected

During an October 2014 hearing, a prosecutor described the living conditions for the 3-year-old girl and infant girl. The two girls were covered in their own feces.

The two had been profoundly neglected, a prosecutor said. They had never been taken outside of the house. The 3-year-old was not capable of walking, could not feed herself and was developmentally delayed to a huge extent.

Both children were severely malnourished, authorities said.

A house where the skeletal remains of three children were found last month is torn down by order of the town's Board of Health Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2014 in Blackstone, Mass. Erika Murray, the woman who lived in the house with four children and her longtime boyfriend, is being held on $1 million bail on charges including fetal death concealment.

Blackstone officials say the house needs to be demolished

In late September 2014, the Blackstone Board of Health determined the house will remain a health and public safety nuisance if it remains in place.

An order is sent to Kristina Rivera to demolish the home.

It was the next month, on Oct. 21, 2014, that the two-story, single-family house was destroyed.

The debris was watered down by Blackstone firefighters during the demolition because of dust and the rancid odor permeating from the site.

A house where the skeletal remains of three children were found last month is torn down by order of the town's Board of Health Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2014 in Blackstone, Mass. Erika Murray, the woman who lived in the house with four children and her longtime boyfriend, is being held on $1 million bail on charges including fetal death concealment.

Murder charges filed against Murray

In December 2014, the Worcester District Attorneys Office announced Murray was indicted on nine charges included two counts of murder. She was also indicted on two counts of assault and battery on a child causing substantial bodily injury, two counts of reckless endangerment of a child, two counts of cruelty to animals and one count of concealing a fetal death.

The case was then brought to Worcester Superior Court.

A prosecutor said during Murrays arraignment that two babies were likely alive anywhere from a week to a month.

The witness told the grand jury there were three babies living in home four to six years ago, the prosecutor said. All the evidence before the grand jury has suggested she had five children within seven-year time period.

The prosecutor added that Murray admitted to police she knew her boyfriend didnt want children after having the first two and she birthed the children inside the home.

A house where the skeletal remains of three children were found last month is torn down by order of the town's Board of Health Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2014 in Blackstone, Mass. Erika Murray, the woman who lived in the house with four children and her longtime boyfriend, is being held on $1 million bail on charges including fetal death concealment.

Murray placed the children in a trash-filled bedroom to hide them, a prosecutor said.

Defense attorney Keith Halpern argued at the time that there was still no concrete evidence as to how long and whether the babies were alive or how they died.

Raymond Rivera during December 2014 appearance in Worcester Superior Court.

Boyfriend also indicted on charges in the case

Along with the charges against Murray, the district attorneys office announced Rivera was indicted on seven charges: two counts of assault and battery on a child causing substantial bodily injury, two counts of reckless endangerment of a child, two counts of cruelty to animals and one count of cultivating marijuana.

This has been and will continue to be a difficult case, Worcester District Attorney Joseph Early Jr. said at the time. Our investigators followed the evidence where it led, we presented the case to the Grand Jury and resulted in these indictments.

Riveras case is ongoing in court.

Rivera claimed he didnt know about the two neglected children. In an interview with reporters, he had said he was largely confined to the basement of the Blackstone home. He only knew about the 3-year-old child, whom Murray told him she was babysitting.

At his superior court arraignment, a prosecutor said Rivera slept in a bedroom just eight feet away from where the children were kept.

Theres simply no way he could have lived in this house and slept seven to eight feet away without knowing about the existence of these two children," a prosecutor said.

DNA showed Rivera was the father of all seven children.

A house where the skeletal remains of three children were found last month is torn down by order of the town's Board of Health Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2014 in Blackstone, Mass. Erika Murray, the woman who lived in the house with four children and her longtime boyfriend, is being held on $1 million bail on charges including fetal death concealment.

Defense for Murray possibly raising insanity defense at trial

As the case continued in superior court, Murrays defense lawyer filed motions for funds in order to hire an expert psychiatric witness, the MetroWest Daily News reported. The lawyer also filed a notice that he planned to raise an insanity defense, according to the newspaper.

The defense attorney had also filed a motion in 2016 seeking the murder charges be dismissed. A judge denied the motion.

Murrays lawyer argued there was no evidence the babies even lived and no evidence that his client took any actions to harm them. The clothing on the babies was most likely Murray grieving the loss of her children, the lawyer said.

A judge disagreed and let the murder charges stand. The judge said in a ruling: "The commonwealth did present to the Grant Jury enough facts and circumstances to support a finding of probable cause that the children were born alive and that the defendants lack of care for them and the inhumane conditions she created and maintained for them to live in that house caused their deaths.Family of the woman who was slain Friday night in Worcester identified her as Cleucilene Alves da Silva.

Alves da Silvas son, Lucas da Silva, identified his mother as the victim in an interview with MassLive Sunday.

I dont understand it, he said in Portuguese.

Da Silva said his 41-year-old mother moved to the United States from Brazil 14 years ago. He arrived here just about a year-and-a-half ago and kept in touch with his mother regularly.

Da Silva said he is still searching for answers on why his mother was killed. Alves da Silva worked as a housekeeper while the mother and son stayed close, Silva said.

The former boyfriend of Alves da Silva, 40-year-old Antonio Lucas, was arrested Friday night after police were called to 27 County St. for a report of a stabbing around 9:10 p.m.

Lucas was caught at the scene as he tried to leave. Alves da Silva was found inside the home suffering from stab wounds. She died at the scene.

Lucas had a previous romantic relationship with the victim, police said. He will be arraigned on a murder charge Monday in Worcester District Court.

City records show Lucas owns 27 County St., which is a half of a duplex. A neighbor said he believed Lucas was a part-owner.

Neil Corey, who lives in the other side of the duplex on County Street, was home with his wife in the living room when they heard noises Friday night.

We heard some noise from the other side, but it was like running up and down stairs, he said. Im not sure what it was. It might have been the cops.

There was some type of altercation in the yard, Corey said.

Police were on scene and they forced Lucas to get down on the ground before they arrested him, Corey said.

We didnt hear anything before that. There wasnt any screaming or yelling, he said. It was quiet, like normal.

Lucas stayed to himself. Alves da Silva was at the home sometimes, but Corey said he only spoke to her once or twice in the past two years.

Its a little hard to get your head around. Its a quiet neighborhood, the neighbor said.by Rob Williams , May 29, 2019

This months indictment of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange for espionage and the police raid of freelance reporter Bryan Carmodys home in San Francisco show the latest threats to Americas press freedoms.

While the two mens circumstances differ, Assange and Carmody are similar in facing unjustified accusations from government authorities that see them as threats. Their treatment may have a chilling effect on all new organizations.

The Department of Justice last week filed 17 new charges against Assange under the Espionage Act, accusing him of soliciting, receiving and publishing hundreds of thousands of leaked documents in 2010. In other words, doing what reporters have been doing for years.

The Espionage Act is a relic of World War I, when the U.S. government sought to discourage antiwar efforts by criminalizing the disclosure of government secrets. The act rarely has been applied to media, and in those cases, was unsuccessful.

advertisement advertisement

The New York Times and The Washington Post published the Pentagon Papers, but their reporters didnt face any charges under the act, even as the Nixon administration investigated them.

The first indictment filed against Assange in March alleged he conspired with Manning to crack a code to access a classified database. Those allegations dont have many implications for reporters, who shouldnt engage in illegal activity to obtain information for publication.

The revised indictment last week seeks to punish Assange for allegedly soliciting leaks, receiving information from sources and publishing classified information has broader implications for reporters.

On May 10, the San Francisco Police Department raided the home and office of Carmody as part of a criminal investigation into what police called the illegal release of a report on the death of former Public Defender Jeff Adachi, who died suddenly in February.

The raids appear to have violated California's shield law, which specifically protects journalists from search warrants.

Faced with withering criticism, San Franciscos police chief, William Scott, apologized for the actions, saying the warrants didnt adequately identify Carmody as a journalist. Scott also said the officers who executed the warrants violated department policy by not first consulting with the district attorney's office.

Carmody has strong grounds for a lawsuit against the San Francisco Police Department. Assange faces a tougher slog to clear his name, but every news organization should worry about the outcome of his case.CHICAGO

June 2, 2019

June 4

Chicago, Illinois

Robert Fenstermaker

Michael Ciesielski

Manmeet Ahluwalia

Harvard Medical School

June 3

Philadelphia

Michael Ciesielski

Sunday, June 2

8 a.m. to 11 a.m. CDT

Manmeet Ahluwalia

Sunday, June 2

4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. CDT

/PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- With their phase II study in patients with aggressive brain cancer now completed, the developers of the cancer immunotherapy SurVaxM are sharing research results at the 55th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), reporting that combination therapy with the vaccine was more effective than standard therapy for nearly all patients. The meeting, which continues throughat McCormick Place in, is the largest clinical cancer research meeting in the world.SurVaxM was developed at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center by, MD, Chair of Neurosurgery, and, PhD, Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery. The vaccine is a new and unique cancer immunotherapy designed to stimulate a multifaceted immune response targeting survivin, a tumor-survival antigen not generally present in nonmalignant cells.In this five-center, single-arm phase II clinical trial (NCT identifier no. 024455557), 63 patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma (nGBM), median age 60, were followed for safety, six-month progression-free survival, 12-month overall survival and immunologic response. All patients underwent standard treatment, involving craniotomy, radiation and treatment with temozolomide both before and after surgery. Immune response was assessed by detection of a survivin-specific antibody and CD8+ T-cell levels.The team reports that, compared to a historical analysis of patients receiving standard therapy alone, combination therapy with SurVaxM generated encouraging efficacy and immunogenicity in patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma, with minimal toxicity or side effects. The vast majority of patients  96.8%  did not experience disease progression within six months of treatment, and 93.5% were alive a year after diagnosis, compared to expected 65% survival based on historical comparisons."We saw significant increase in both progression-free and overall survival, which is noteworthy in patients with such a notoriously aggressive and treatment-resistant disease," says Dr. Fenstermaker, senior author on the study."We were especially pleased to see that even patients with poor prognostic factors like high levels of survivin responded well to this combination of standard therapy plus SurVaxM," adds Dr. Ciesielski, who will present these findings in a poster presentation during the ASCO Annual Meeting.The results will also be highlighted in a poster discussion by first author, MD, Miller Family Endowed Chair in NeuroOncology at Cleveland Clinic. Researchers from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/and Massachusetts General Hospital also contributed to this research.Glioblastoma is the most common form of brain cancer in adults, and also the most aggressive. Median survival for patients treated with standard therapy is 14.7 months.SurVaxM was awarded orphan drug designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2017. New studies incorporating SurVaxM are expected to open at both Cleveland Clinic and Roswell Park in the coming months.Drs. Fenstermaker and Ciesielski gratefully acknowledge donations to Roswell Park in support of their work.Dr. Ciesielski will also give an invited presentation about SurVaxMduring the 2019 BIO International Convention in(session ID 537706) on behalf of MimiVax LLC, an early-phase Roswell Park spinoff company formed to develop the vaccine. Drs. Ciesielski and Fenstermaker are co-founders and equity shareholders in MimiVax.ASCO 2019 Presentation Details:SurVaxM with standard therapy in newly diagnosed glioblastoma: Phase II trial updateAbstract 2016Poster presentation: Presenting author:, PhD, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center Time/date:, fromLocation: Hall A Session: Central Nervous System Tumors Poster board: 205 Poster discussion session: Presenting author:, MD, Taussig Center Institute, Cleveland Clinic Time/date:, fromLocation: Room S404 Session: Central Nervous System TumorsThis release is also available on the Roswell Park website: https://www.roswellpark.org/media/news/phase-ii-trial-shows-favorable-response-patients-receiving-combination-therapy-survaxmRoswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center is a community united by the drive to eliminate cancer's grip on humanity by unlocking its secrets through personalized approaches and unleashing the healing power of hope. Founded by Dr. Roswell Park in 1898, it is the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center in Upstate New York. Learn more at http://www.roswellpark.org, or contact us at 1-800-ROSWELL (1-800-767-9355) or ASKRoswell@RoswellPark.org.SOURCE Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer CenterAdvertisement

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."Source: Eurekalert(CNN)  Less than 24 hours before Donald Trump is set to touch down in the United Kingdom on his first state visit to the country, the U.S. President has sent Britain's political establishment into a spin -- telling the UK it should "walk away" from Brexit talks if the European Union does not give it what it wants.

"If you don't get the deal you want, if you don't get a fair deal, then you walk away," the President told British newspaper the Sunday Times, ahead of his three-day state visit, which kicks off on Monday.

Trump said if he were in the UK's position he "wouldn't pay" the $50 billion Brexit divorce bill, adding "it's a tremendous number."

The President also repeated his suggestion -- previously made to Prime Minister Theresa May -- that the UK should sue the EU. When asked how this would work, Trump said he would have put "on the table" the "mistakes made by the EU that cost the UK a lot of money and a lot of harm."

Trump's visit comes at a delicate time in British politics, with Westminster in a deadlock over Brexit negotiations and the clock ticking towards an October 31 exit date.

Trump: Send in Farage

The President's comments will do nothing to ease May's last days in office, after she announced last month she was stepping down as leader of the governing Conservative Party in light of her failure to deliver on the result of the 2016 Brexit referendum.

Indeed Trump went as far as to say the government should send in the leader of the populist Brexit party, Nigel Farage, to negotiate with Brussels, calling him an "asset to your country."

"I like Nigel a lot and I think he's got a lot to offer," said Trump, adding that Farage was a "really terrific person" who he got to know early in his political career "when he liked my campaign and he actually came to a speech."

Farage was the first British politician to meet the new US President in 2016 -- the pair posed for a now famous photo together in a gold elevator at Trump Tower in New York.

Farage is a divisive figure in the UK. One of the most high-profile faces of the Leave campaign during the 2016 referendum, he recently made huge gains in the European elections with his newly-formed Brexit party.

But the Member of the European Parliament has also drawn scorn from Remain campaigners and EU leaders, with European Parliament liberal group leader Guy Verhofstadt previously calling Farage's salary "the biggest waste of EU resources."

London Mayor: Trump a 'global threat'

Long-time Trump critic, London Mayor Saqdiq Khan, took a swipe at the U.S. President on Sunday, calling him "one of the most egregious examples of a growing global threat," in an interview with the Observer newspaper.

Khan said it was "un-British" to be rolling out the red carpet for a President "whose divisive behavior flies in the face of the ideals America was founded upon -- equality, liberty and religious freedom."

"In years to come, I suspect this state visit will be one we look back on with profound regret and acknowledge that we were on the wrong side of history," said the Mayor who has made no secret of his disapproval of the President.

In January last year, when Trump said he had scrapped a planned visit to the British capital because he didn't want to open the new U.S. embassy, Khan suggested the real reason was because he wouldn't be welcome in the city.

After being delayed several times, Trump's four-day official visit to the UK last year was eventually met with large protests in London and throughout the country.

The capital's anti-Trump demonstrations featured a 20-foot "Trump Baby" blimp that flew outside Parliament -- having been given permission by Khan.

Khan, the first Muslim to be elected Mayor of London, has previously criticized the U.S. president for his proposed travel ban on citizens from several Muslim-majority countries.

Trump: Johnson would be 'excellent' PM

Trump's latest comments come on the back of a similarly explosive interview published in British tabloid newspaper The Sun on Saturday, in which the President expressed his support for former Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson as next Prime Minister, calling him "a very good guy, a very talented person."

"I think Boris would do a very good job," the President said. "I think he would be excellent."

Trump also weighed in on comments by Meghan, now the Duchess of Sussex, ahead of the 2016 election -- back when she was better known as actress Meghan Markle.

Speaking on "The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore," she called Trump misogynistic and said his politics were divisive, adding that she would move to Canada if he won the presidency.

Trump responded, "I didn't know that she was nasty. I hope she is OK..." But he later seemed to bury the hatchet adding, "I am sure she will go excellently (as a royal). She will be very good."

Buckingham Palace had no comment on Trump's remarks about the Duchess, who recently gave birth to her first son. She will miss Trump's state visit, as she is on maternity leave, but Prince Harry is expected to meet the U.S. President at a private lunch on Monday.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Trump tells UK he 'wouldn't pay' $50 billion Brexit divorce bill."Women Redefining Retirement to meet

MILFORD  Women Redefining Retirement will hold its next neeting at 7 p.m. June 10 at Golden Hill Rehabilitation Pavilion, 2028 Bridgeport Ave.

Speaker will be Alice Garlock, founder of Alices Reloved Workshop, who will demonstrate ways to use repurposed material that would otherwise be thrown away (such as clothing with holes) to make things to help others, such as toys and beds for animals in shelters, and rugs and blankets for refugees and the homeless, according to a release.

Food will be collected for the Food Pantry at the Milford Senior Center.

New members welcome. Visit wrrofmilford@google.com.

East Haven company helps comfort grieving children

Burzenski & Co., an accounting, tax and financial services firm in East Haven, recently purchased 110 teddy bears for children attending Camp Erin Connecticut, a program of The Cove Center for Grieving Children, according to a release.

Camp Erin Connecticut is a free, weekend-long bereavement camp for children mourning the loss of a significant person in their lives, the release said, and a teddy bear is placed on the bed of each camper as a comforting, welcome gift to the camp.

The camp this year will run from May 31 to June 2 and will be held at Camp Awosting in Morris. Five Burzenski & Co. employees Shelly Panico, Becky Cagley, Jill Cerravone, Eugenia Borta and Paul Falzone went to Cove Center headquarters in Meriden earlier this month to prepare the bears for the children; employee Heather Polyviou organized this to support The Cove Center, the release said.

The donation is part of Burzenski & Co.s 35 for 35 campaign marking the firms 35th anniversary. It represents our commitment to volunteerism, completing small but powerful actions throughout the year and to supporting our business commitment to non-profit organizations, according to the release.

For information on the company, visit www.burzenski.com. To learn more about The Cove Center and Camp Erin Connecticut, visit www.covect.org/camp-erin-ct.

Networking over breakfast

The Connecticut Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce will hold a Business Networking Breakfast from 8-9:30 a.m. June 6 at the Wheeler Clinic, 74 East Street in Plainville. To register, visit www.ctglc.org.

Orange Business and Community Expo set

WEST HAVEN  The Orange Economic Development Corporation will hold the 17th annual Orange Business and Community Expo from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 5 at the University of New Haven, 300 Boston Post Road.

The Expo is free and open to the public. All activities are free with the exception of One-on-One Speed Networking, moderated by Rob Thomas of Rob Thomas CT; cost for that event is $15 per person and includes goodie bag, refreshments and raffle entry.

For information, call the Orange Economic Development Corporation at 203-891-1045 or visit OrangeEDC.com/events_acivities.The state and its signature industry are headed for a reckoning.

Connecticut couldnt escape the insurance business even if it wanted to. It has the highest percentage of people in any state employed in the sector, with 60,000 jobs and tens of thousands more employed indirectly. The average annual salary is north of $90,000.

But the momentum in public policy is not moving in a direction that favors health insurance companies, which is only one part of the industry but a significant one. If the state and, eventually, the nation are going to move in a more progressive direction  if politicians are going to enact the policies theyve run on  Connecticut is looking at major upheaval, on the level the financial industry faced after the last recession.

For a state that lags on job growth, its not an opportune time.

We just saw such a clash play out in the brief life and ignominious death of Connecticuts plan for a health insurance public option. The proposal to open up the state employee plan to everyone as a way to force competition was a good idea, and would have made up for a missed opportunity on the national level.

First, though, the governor got involved, calling it the Connecticut Option and moving to bring private insurers directly into the plans operation. It made the plan massively more complicated and therefore less likely to work. And it marked the second time hed made such a move, following a veto threat on paid family leave unless private operators were brought on board, raising again the question of what value it brings to have his business perspective in the governors mansion.

Ned Lamont seems to want the private sector directly involved in otherwise perfectly fine government-run solutions, which has the effect of making them more cumbersome and pleasing to basically no one. Its not as though private companies are going to get on board if offered a half-measure  say, a chance to create the Connecticut Option  when what they really want is for the whole thing to go away altogether.

We might also consider the possibility that Ned Lamont is in way over his head.

In any event, the more complicated version of the public option didnt even last a week. The governor touted implicit support for the plan from the insurance lobby, support which didnt seem to exist, given that the industrys official position was, predictably, that it wanted no plan at all.

Soon even the patina of support dissolved. According to Comptroller Kevin Lembo, Cigna threatened  or maybe threatened to threaten  that it would leave Connecticut if the public option passed. Cigna says it did nothing of the sort. Whatever happened, the plan was first stripped of its essential elements and then killed outright, all apparently at the behest of a health insurance provider.

An opportunity was lost. And following Aetnas near-departure a few years ago, the notion of insurers as bastions of stability should probably be put to bed.

If the industry is going to these lengths to fight state policy that would hardly have touched it, given that the biggest companies do little health business here, imagine executives thoughts on the changing national scene.

Should Democrats win the presidency and control of Congress in 2020, they will make another run at overhauling health care. And then if something approximating Medicare for All, as many presidential candidates are proposing, comes to pass, Connecticuts bedrock industry faces an uncertain future, in that it may get pushed off a cliff.

Whether that would be good for the country is a separate question. People are generally more satisfied with Medicare and Medicaid than private options, and few would shed tears over the likes of Cigna and Aetna.

What is not in question is whether all that would be good for the Connecticut economy in the short term. It would not.

From the depths of the Great Recession, Connecticut has only recently bounced back to private sector job levels it had before the crash, even as states with similar profiles long ago blew past their pre-recession peaks. The jobs Connecticut has added tend to be lower-paying than the ones that have disappeared.

Finance, with its huge ups and downs, turned out to be a less-than-ideal industry to build a state economy around. Insurance, supposedly as staid and lasting a business as one could hope for, may not prove much more stable.

Hugh Bailey is editorial page editor of the Connecticut Post and New Haven Register. He can be reached at hbailey@hearstmediact.com.In driving to and from Hartford every day, I tend to get consumed by Connecticut politics. I spend the drive making calls to fellow legislators, discussing local issues with constituents and, on the late nights, doing my best to stay awake. Last week, I decided to tune into NPR. Suddenly, it felt like I was transported into a bygone era.

In Alabama, a handful of legislators trampled the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling and decided that nearly all abortions will be banned starting Jan. 1, 2020, even in cases of rape or incest. Alabama, sadly, is not alone in rolling back these fundamental rights. In Ohio, legislators suggested they could reimplant an ectopic pregnancy  a painful, life-threatening medical situation where a fertilized egg implants outside a womans uterus  using a medical process that doctors actually advise against.

Thankfully, I work in a building where we see things differently. While Georgia, Mississippi, Ohio, Missouri and Alabama are moving backwards, were pushing forwards. As I pulled into the Capitol complex, my mind turned to pending legislation that not only defends a womans right to make decisions about her own body, but also actually helps to strengthen reproductive health and freedom.

On May 16, the House passed a bill that would place tougher restrictions on crisis pregnancy centers. Some of these locations use deceptive advertising when offering counseling to pregnant women. Weve seen clinics in Connecticut draw women into appointments under false pretenses and dissuade them from having abortions. This legislation would prevent them from making false or misleading statements, which restrict the spectrum of reproductive choices that women out to be able to access in a free and healthy society. This isnt just about protecting womens rights  its about promoting public health and making sure that everyone can make an informed decision about their own body.

Last month in the Senate, we voted to advance legislation that allows for increased privacy in healthcare decisions. Currently, when a domestic violence survivor receives care, their information is shared with their health insurance policy holder  who could be their abuser. By closing a loophole, we prevent perpetrators from reacting, or retaliating, against their victims. One in four women and one in seven men experience severe physical violence from an intimate partner at some point in their lives. Those who seek healthcare deserve to do so with privacy. I was proud to support this bill to advance the health and wellness of Connecticut citizens.

Lately, it feels like were operating in two separate worlds. In Alabama, Roe v. Wade isnt considered a constitutional cornerstone but instead a target in the crosshairs. In Connecticut? We support a womans right to choose and we will fight to protect it. Moreover, well fight to advance the health and privacy of all women in our state. In the remaining days of the legislative session, well keep going  and we invite anyone and everyone who may lose their rights to come here. Were ready to fight for yours too.

State Sen. Will Haskell is a Democrat who represents the 26th District, which is comprised of Bethel, Redding, Ridgefield, Wilton, Weston, Westport and New Canaan.On June 30, 1908, eyewitnesses saw the sky split in two over a remote area of Siberia as a huge fireball flew across the sky, as bright as the sun.

No one knows conclusively what happened next.

But the geological evidence points to the object exploding in the sky near the Tunguska River, leveling 8 million trees in an 800-square-mile area with a force at least a hundred times more powerful than the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima or Nagasaki.

The only reason it incinerated hundreds of reindeer rather than people is that almost no one lived near the Tunguska River.

We dont want another Tunguska, said Monty Robson, director of the John J. McCarthy Observatory in New Milford. It was very, very fortunate that it happened in such an isolated area.

Which brings us to June 2019.

Astronomers have recently theorized a stray meteorite from the swarm of objects that create the Beta Taurid meteor shower in June could have broken loose and caused the Tunguska event.

Normally, nobody pays much attention to the Beta Taurids. Its a meteor shower that happens during the day. If a star falls in the sky and no one sees it, does it shine in our consciousness?

But this year, the earth will be closer to the Beta Taurid swarm than it has been since 1975. That year, seismographic instruments Apollo astronauts left on the moon recorded multiple shocks from Beta Taurid objects hitting the moons surface.

That suggests they may have been fairly big  about the size of a grapefruit, said Bill Cooke, manager of the meteoroid environment program at NASAs Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala.

So the question is: Whats exactly out there? Are there objects in the swarm big enough to cause serious damage if they hit the earth?

Thats what astronomers will be trying to find out, using both sophisticated radar tracking systems and by training telescopes on the moons surface during the Beta Taurids. Theyll be trying to see if any grapefruit-sized meteors  or maybe bigger ones  cause flare on the moons surface.

Both Robson and Bill Cloutier of the McCarthy Observatory said that if they can join in the watching, they will. One of the observatorys missions is observing asteroids, meteors and fireballs as they move across the sky, recording them on its two all-sky cameras.

That is a possibility, Robson said of joining in the Beta Taurid.

Im sure we can scrape up the equipment, said Cloutier.

The Beta Taurids are the summer version of the Taurid meteor shower that occurs in October and November. It will peak in the Northern hemisphere around Nov. 11 this year.

The Taurids are so named because the meteors flying across the sky seem to emanate from the constellation Taurus. It doesnt have a lot of meteors per hour, but it can produce some sizzling fireballs.

The Taurids  both spring and fall  happen when the Earth passes through the dirty path of Comet Encke, named after German astronomer Johann Franz Encke. He got naming honors in 1819 after he correctly calculated the comet orbited the sun every 3.2 years.

Bits of comet leavings no bigger than grains of sand create meteor showers  i.e. shooting stars  when they burn up as they hit the earths atmosphere. Comet Enckes wake has gravel-sized pieces, giving us autumn night-sky fireballs.

The power of Jupiters orbit and gravitational field can sometimes pull the debris from Comet Encke into a tighter cluster, NASAs Cooke said. Earth will be moving closer to that swarm this summer, giving astronomers a chance to study it.

Cooke, however, questions whether a Beta Taurid object could have caused the Tunguska event.

The Beta Taurids have a bad rap, he said.

Cooke noted people once speculated a flaming meteorite crashed into Chicago on Oct. 8, 1871, starting the Great Chicago fire and lifting the blame from Mrs. OLearys lantern-kicking cow.

The problem with that theory, Cooke said, is that by the time any space object reaches us, the earths lower atmosphere cools it entirely. Its merely a fallen rock, not a flaming molten orb of destruction.

That being said, Cooke also said there are only two meteor showers  the Taurids and the Geminids  that involve asteroid/comet fragments big enough to actually make it to earth.

All the rest you can go out and watch without worrying about being hit on the head, he said.

Contact Robert Miller at earthmattesrgm@gmail.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...UPDATE: Fort Hood's 'Hug Lady' To Be Honored Where She Met Soldiers

For 12 years, she was there for Fort Hood, Texas, troops going to and coming from deployments to combat zones with her engaging smile, words of comfort and, always, that great big hug -- maybe a half million of them.

Now, an online petition has been started requesting the Defense Department to rename the place that served as her second home -- the Fort Hood Arrival/Departure Airfield Control Group terminal (A/DACG) -- for Elizabeth Corrine Laird, aka the "Hug Lady."

The petition, launched last Saturday on the Change.org for-profit petition platform, had gathered more than 63,000 signatures through mid-morning Thursday.

Laird, an Air Force veteran who enlisted in 1950, was a volunteer with the Salvation Army and began coming to the A/DACG in 2003 during the big deployments to Iraq. She continued until her death in 2015 at age 83, after a long battle with breast cancer.

At first, she offered handshakes, but that quickly progressed to hugs from Miss Elizabeth, of Copperas Cove, Texas. She would also hand out cards printed with Psalm 91, which says in part: "Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night, nor for the arrow that flieth by day."

Christopher Peckham, of Savannah, Georgia, started the petition. He posted to the Change.org site Monday, "I am honestly shocked that this took off so fast in the last 48 hours. I am going to do further research so we can make this happen!"

Some of those signing the petition also wrote that they had been hugged by Laird.

Jonathan Glessner of Somerset, Pennsylvania, wrote: "3 deployments from Ft. Hood and at least 6 hugs from her. My last deployment, she sat with me and some friends and told jokes and stories. She was truly a wonderful person."

Matthew McCann of Maryneal, Texas, wrote: "She was there to say goodbye and give a hug when we left. She was a welcoming sight and a hug when we got home. She was a very special lady and she is sorely missed."

A month before she died, Laird told Today.com about how she approached her mission.

"When they enter the room, they give me a hug, and then we talk about anything from their family to what it was like overseas or if they got a civilian job upon returning," she said.

"My hugs tell the soldiers that I appreciate what they're doing for us," she added.

Her funeral in Killeen, Texas, was attended by hundreds of troops, including generals, and Cecilia Abbott, wife of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.

Former III Corps and Fort Hood Command Sgt. Maj. William "Joe" Gainey, who spoke at the funeral, admonished the troops in attendance, "You do not let her legacy die," the Killeen Daily Herald reported.

Gainey said he was certain that Laird had taken her mission to another venue in heaven.

"Miss Elizabeth is there now, hugging my scouts," he said, according to the Daily Herald.

-- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com.ANN ARBOR, MI  Ten goats. Three weeks.

Those are the basic details of Ann Arbors new plan to remove unwanted brush from Gallup Parks two islands using an old-fashioned, eco-friendly method.

Goats from Twin Willow Ranch of Milan will be arriving at the park Thursday, June 6, as Ann Arbors parks department launches a new goatscaping pilot initiative.

Goats like to eat invasive plants such as honeysuckle and buckthorn, as well as poison ivy (to which goats are not allergic), and pretty much any green plant within reach, city officials said.

This is a great way to help promote native plants in our parks, while at the same time decreasing the hours we spend on removing invasive brush, Scott Spooner, the citys deputy parks manager, said in a statement. This is not an area where we would use an herbicide. Everything would have to be removed by cutting and pulling, and the goats enable us to use that labor in other ways.

The goatscaping initiative is part of an ongoing effort to clear the overgrowth and invasive shrubbery as park staff work toward a long-term maintenance plan.

The islands and their footbridges will be closed through June 27, though there will be opportunities for the public to participate in guided tours and see the goats in action.

GIVE 365, the parks departments volunteer program, will be hosting three tours in conjunction with volunteer work days, allowing residents to walk amongst the goats while learning from the goat farmer and park staff, and doing some volunteer work.

The tour/volunteer opportunities take place 6-8 p.m. June 10, 10 a.m. to noon June 19 and 6-8 p.m. June 24.

Learn how to get involved and see photos and bios of the 10 Boer goats involved in the project.

Their names are Bling, Freckle, Little Red, Mae, Olive, Rosie, Salt, Sandalwood, Thimble and Windy.ANN ARBOR, MI - Crowds from around the State of Michigan got to experience the first ever TREEVERB Music Festival in Ann Arbor, Saturday.

The inaugural event offered free music to those who found their way to the parking lot at the intersection of First Street and Huron Street.

Tunde Olaniran, a musician hailing from Flint was stopped short of a full set when lightning could be seen in surrounding areas.

Severe weather cut stage performances by Detroit-based group JR JR and headliner Computer Games featuring University of Michigan alum, Darren Criss.

TREEVERB Music Festivals Twitter sent out a notification at 8:32 p.m. alerting attendees of a change of plans.

Sadly we have to cancel the festival because of lightning. We highly suggest coming to our after party at @BlindPigAA  Treeverb Music Festival (@treeverb) June 2, 2019

The event continued with performances and an after party scheduled at Ann Arbor bar, The Blind Pig on South First Street.

Tonight at @BlindPigAA

North 41 9:40-10:00

Jacob 10:10-10:30

Computer Games 10:40-11:05

Jr Jr 11:15 -12:00

Joe 12:15-1:15  Treeverb Music Festival (@treeverb) June 2, 2019

A full list of performances from TREEVERB can be found here.UPDATE:

FLINT, MI  A missing 14-year-old Flint girl helped police in California break up a human trafficking ring, police said.

San Jose police responded around 7:45 p.m. May 26 to a motel in the city after the girl reported to a crisis text hotline that she was being held against her will and forced to engage in prostitution, according to a department news release.

Her Crisis Counselor was able to contact emergency services and safely take down the trafficking operation, reads a May 31 tweet on the Crisis Text Line Twitter page.

The Crisis Text Line is a free 24-hour support line staffed by volunteers to support people in crisis, reads the organizations website.

This week, a teen texted us that she was being held hostage. Her Crisis Counselor was able to contact emergency services and safely take down the trafficking operation.



This is why every person needs to know they can get free support by texting 741741.https://t.co/ZlIN9ulVAX  Crisis Text Line (@CrisisTextLine) May 31, 2019

Patrol officers and Special Operations Division officers responded to the motel and located the survivor, police said. A 20-year-old woman and 23-year-old woman were also rescued at the motel.

The preliminary investigation revealed the 14 year-old survivor was reported as a missing runaway from Flint, Michigan on September 1, 2018, and went to Chicago, Illinois, per the news release.A few days later, the survivor was kidnapped from Chicago and taken to Gary, Indiana. Eventually, she was taken to various cities throughout California where she was forced to engage in prostitution.

One of the two additional females rescued told officers shed been forced to engage in prostitution, with a third female procured for the purpose of prostitution, notes the release. Detectives believe there may be additional survivors.

Three suspects -- Christopher Lyon Johnson, 39, of Sacramento, California; Antoine Williams, 43, of Merrillville, Indiana; and, Curtis Lee Russell, 59, of Natomas, California -- were taken into custody at the motel and lodged in the Santa Clara County Jail.

Johnson and Williams were arraigned on charges including human trafficking, pimping and pandering, and kidnapping. Russell faces human trafficking and pimping charges, police said.ADA TOWNSHIP, MI -- A home had significant damage after lightning struck a gas meter and caught the home on fire Saturday, June 1.

The fire was in the 7700 block of Leonard Street NE, a gravel and narrow section of road west of Honey Creek Avenue NE.

Ada Township Fire Chief David Murray said the line serving the meter was broken below the shutoff valve, so firefighters could not immediately shut down the gas and fire stemming from the line.

After about 10 minutes, the fire coming from the line blew itself out and workers from a gas company were able to temporarily plug the line.

By that time, however, fire had extended into the eaves and upper floor of the home.

No one was hurt. At least one person was inside the home and safely evacuated.

Murray said an Ada Township firefighter lives in a nearby home on Honey Creek Avenue and heard what he described as an explosion from the lightning strike.

The gravel road, hilly terrain and steep narrow driveway complicated the situation for firefighters. Most of the fire trucks were forced to park on Leonard Street near the end of the driveway.

Firefighters then ran a large hose up the driveway to serve firefighters.. Trucks hauled in more water as they fought the fire.MECOSTA COUNTY, MI  A 64-year old West Michigan man died Saturday evening after he became trapped underneath his tractor, according to the Mecosta County Sheriffs office.

The man was identified as Kerry Burggren, 64, of Sears, Michigan, according to a news release issued by the department.

Deputies responded at around 5:56 p.m. Saturday, June 1, to 22 Mile Road east of 30th Avenue in Mecosta Countys Fork Township on a report of a fatal crash.

Investigators wrote that they believe Burggren had been operating a small tractor to remove tree stumps when the vehicle tipped over and pinned him underneath, according to the release.

Burggren later died from his injuries, the release reads.

Fork Township fire and Mic 2 EMS assisted deputies at the scene.CASS COUNTY, MI  A 46-year-old Illinois woman was injured Sunday morning during a rollover crash in southwest Michigan, according to the Cass County Sheriffs office.

The crash occurred around 1 a.m. Sunday, June 2, on Marcellus Highway near Decatur Road in Cass Countys Volinia Township, according to a news release issued by the sheriffs office.

The crash remains under investigation.

Deputies responded early Sunday morning to the crash in Violina Township. Investigators wrote that they believe the woman was traveling eastbound in a vehicle on Marcellus Highway when she ran off the road, hit an embankment and rolled over multiple times, according to the release.

The woman was taken to Bronson Methodist Hospital in Kalamazoo by ambulance following the crash. She was wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash, the release reads.

Pokagon Tribal Police, Wayne Township fire and Pride Care Ambulance assisted deputies at the scene.ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, MI  A 23-year-old Indiana woman was injured Friday night after she flipped her vehicle during a crash in southwest Michigan, according to Michigan State Police.

The crash happened around 11 p.m. Friday, May 31, on eastbound U.S. 12 near St. Joseph Road in St. Joseph Countys Burr Oak Township, according to a news release issued by the department.

Police believe alcohol and drugs were factors in the crash, the release reads.

Troopers from the MSP Marshall Post responded to the crash on Friday night. Investigators wrote that they believe the woman from Howe, Indiana was traveling eastbound on U.S. 12 when she lost control of her vehicle.

The vehicle went into a skid, crossed the center line and overturned in a nearby field, according to the release.

The driver was taken to Parkview Health Lagrange Hospital in Lagrange, Indiana by ambulance to seek treatment for injuries sustained in the crash.

Burr Oak Township fire and Life Care EMS assisted troopers at the scene.China hit US President Donald Trump with his own catchphrase, saying that his sweeping tariffs hurt American businesses and ordinary people, which is the complete opposite of what MAGA was supposed to be about.

Trumps tariffs on Chinese goods not only failed to boost the economic growth in the US but caused serious harm to its people, the Chinese government said in a white paper on trade, published on Sunday.

The officials argued that the measures imposed by Washington make production costs go up, as many US manufacturers rely on Chinese raw materials. They also increased domestic prices because the tariffs make it harder to import affordable consumer goods from Beijing.

In other words, the trade war has not made America great again, the government said.

Also on rt.com Chinas retaliatory tariffs on $60bn of US products kick in

This was an obvious jab at Donald Trumps famous campaign slogan and catchphrase. The words Make America Great Again, often shortened to MAGA, appear on much of his merchandise, including the trademark red MAGA hats.

During the election and afterwards, Trump insisted that fighting Beijings unfair trade policies with tariffs will be one way to make the US great again.

Following up on his campaign promises, the president slapped China with tariffs last year. Beijing retaliated by placing duties on a number of US goods. The nations then held talks over trade but failed to reach an agreement, blaming each others negotiation tactics.

to RT newsletter to get stories the mainstream media wont tell you.The Israeli military has confirmed striking a number of Syrian Army targets in cross border raids that according to Damascus left at least three soldiers dead and seven others wounded.

"Israeli warplanes and combat helicopters attacked several military targets belonging to the Syrian army, including two artillery batteries, a number of observation and intelligence posts on the Golan Heights front," the IDF said in a rare press release, noting that it also targeted Syrian Army air defense posts.

Israel confirms strikes against multiple Syrian military targets (VIDEO)

Israel confirms strikes against multiple Syrian military targets (VIDEO)

Source : RT - Daily newsThe number of US-bound Chinese tourists, coveted for their huge spending power, has fallen for the first time in 15 years, dropping nearly 10 percent last year, compared to 2017.

Some 2.9 million travelers from China chose to go to the US in 2018, according to AP, which cited the National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO) data, which comes from US Customs forms. Thats 300,000 less than in 2017, the NTTO data shows.

Also on rt.com Medical tourism to Russia booms as high-quality, low-cost treatment attracts foreigners

Chinese tourism to the US has been on the rise since 2003. In 2017, the number of visitors from China was the fifth highest behind Canada, Mexico, Britain and Japan. However, the Chinese outpaced others with their sum total of travel exports for all purposes, including education. Last year, they spent $35.3 billion in the US  some 14 percent of the total $251.4 billion visitors spent last year.

The drop may be only temporary, due to Chinas growing middle class. It is expected that Chinese tourism to the US will grow 2 percent in 2019, and will reach 4.1 million visitors in 2023, according to AP.

However, Chinese citizens have shown less interest in travelling to the US, as the trade spat between the two countries was building momentum in 2018, and it has only escalated this year.

Also on rt.com Russia makes it into top three European destinations for Chinese travellers

The simmering row has also resulted in travel warnings from both sides. Last year, China issued a security advisory about the dangers of travelling to the US, warning about frequent cases of shootings and robberies. Washington responded with its own travel alert for China.

Both states issued other travel warnings in the beginning of this year. The new advisories cited risk of arbitrary detention and came after the arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou in Canada. The move provoked the ire of Beijing and was followed by arrests of Canadian citizens in China, widely seen in the West as a tit-for-tat response.

For more stories on economy & finance visit RT's business sectionAn emerald weighing some 1.6 kg, the largest to be found in nearly 30 years, has been unearthed at Europes largest emerald-beryllium ore field, located in Russia. The huge gemstone may be valued at up to US$500,000.

The rare crystal, which boasts both a unique form and size, was mined at a depth of 260-meters, Russias state hi-tech corporation Rostec, which owns the facility at Malyshevsky, announced in a press release about the discovery. Last year a smaller 1.5 kg stone was found at the same mine, while the largest emerald weighting more than two kg was mined back in 1990.

The gem even bypassed the technological process and came almost in its original form, with smooth straight edges. This indicates a significant rarity and uniqueness of the emerald, the chief of the facility, Evgeny Vasilevsky, explained.

Emeralds are the third most valuable gemstones after diamonds and rubies. Jewelry lovers have already shown interest in the recently unearthed unique gem, which, together with some smaller stones found, could be worth 32 million rubles (nearly $490,000), according to preliminary estimates.

The Malyshevsky mine is Russias sole facility of its kind and the largest emerald deposit in Europe. It processes 94,000 tons of ore annually, including precious stones: 150 kg of emeralds, 15 kg of color-changing alexandrite and more than five tons of beryl.

For more stories on economy & finance visit RT's business sectionThe US government has a tendency to hijack and weaponize revolutionary innovations, Edward Snowden said, noting that natural human desire to communicate with each other is now being exploited on an unprecedented scale.

Our utopian vision for the future is never guaranteed to be realized, Snowden told the audience in Dalhousie University in Halifax, Canada via live stream from Moscow this week, stressing that the US government corrupted our knowledge... towards a military purpose.

They took our nuclear capability and transformed it into the most horrible weapon that the world had ever witnessed. And were seeing an atomic moment of computer science... Its reach is unlimited...but its safeguards are not!

Also on rt.com Youve been warned: Widespread US face surveillance is imminent reality, says tech privacy report

The whistleblower, who in 2013 leaked a trove of highly classified information about global spying operations by the National Security Agency, argued that armed with modern technology and with the help of social media and tech giants the governments are becoming all-powerful in their ability to monitor, analyze and influence citizens behavior.

It's through the use of new platforms and algorithms that are built on and around these capabilities that they are able to shift our behavior. In some cases, they are able to predict our decisions and also nudge them to different outcomes.

Also on rt.com Privacy? Whats that? Facebook lawyer argues users have none

The natural human need for a belonging is being exploited and users voluntarily consent to surrender virtually all of their data by signing carefully drafted user agreements that no one bothers to read. Everything has hundreds and hundreds of pages of legal jargon that we're not qualified to read and assess and yet they are considered binding upon us, Snowden noted.

And now these institutions which are both commercial and governmental ... have structuralized and entrenched it to where it has become now the most effective means of social control in the history of our species.

WATCH Edward Snowdens full speech:

Like this story? Share it with a friend!Hezbollah leader has warned the US and their Middle Eastern allies against seeking a war with Iran, stressing that such conflict will set the entire region on fire and result in extermination of American, Israeli and Saudi forces.

Any war on Iran would mean the whole region will be set ablaze, Hassan Nasrallah warned Friday. All US forces and interests in the region will be exterminated and those who conspired [with US] will pay the price; first Israel, then Al Saud.

The leader of Lebanese Hezbollah, and a close ally of Tehran, made the comments on the day King Salman of Saudi Arabia gathered the kingdoms Arab allies in Mecca to reach a common position against Iran. Addressing the delegates of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) emergency summit, the monarch blamed Iran for sabotaging commercial ships in the Gulf recently, and claimed that Tehran may once again try to target the safety of navigation and world oil supplies.

Also on rt.com Iran lashes out at warmonger Bolton over ridiculous claims about UAE oil tanker attacks

While the Saudis try to form a united front against its arch-rival, the US military has already mustered a massive force in the region, including an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers, right on Irans doorsteps under the pretext of countering clear indications of threats to American interests from the Islamic Republic.

Iran, which strongly denies attacking four vessels off the coast of United Arab Emirates last month, rejected the accusations made at an Arab summit as baseless, and blamed the Saudis of joining the United States and Israel in a hopeless effort to turn public opinion against the Islamic Republic. Tehran, which called American military deployments and hawkish statements just a form of physiological warfare, claims however that it has enough capabilities to repel whatever unlikely US-led aggression.

Also on rt.com Moscow ready to facilitate non-aggression pact between Iran and Gulf states  Russian FM

Like this story? Share it with a friend!As the talks with ArcelorMittal to form auto-grade JV firm is getting delayed, state-owned SAIL has started talking to other global players, a top company official said.

SAIL is already in talks with a few global companies which are into auto-grade steel making, Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) Chairman Anil Kumar Chaudhary said.

The country's largest steel maker and Luxembourg-based ArcelorMittal had entered into an MoU in May 2015 to explore the possibility of setting up an auto-grade steel manufacturing facility under a joint venture in India.

About two and a half years later in December 2017, the SAIL board approved the proposal to enter into a joint venture with the world's largest steel maker ArcelorMittal for manufacturing high-end automotive steel.

However, definitive agreements in this regard were to be finalised in due course, subject to financial viability.

"Of course, the talks with ArcelorMittal have got delayed but that is not the end, there are many other companies in the world in the auto-grade steel making. So, we are already in touch with some of the Korean companies POSCO and Hyundai Steel," the chairman told PTI while replying to question related to delay in decision.

There are some Japanese firms as well - like Nippon Steel, Kobe Steel and JFE - with whom SAIL is in talks with, he said, adding that the JV with ArcelorMittal is still on.

"It (JV) is not closed. It is still on. May be they are too busy with Essar Steel Acquisition, they want to wait for some more time. When we talk to them verbally, they say we are open to discuss many more things but let first the fate of Essar Steel get decided," Chaudhary said.

Essar Steel is undergoing insolvency proceedings.

The chairman further made it clear that there is no delay from SAIL's side.

Even ArcelorMittal has not responded to a letter written by SAIL in February asking the former to expedite the process for signing a definitive agreement to set up a joint venture for high-end automotive steel plant, he said.

PTI had earlier reported that steel companies from South Korea and Japan have shown interest to invest in India for manufacturing value-added products.

The companies had also visited SAIL and RINL plants.

The steel ministry has also held several rounds of discussions to facilitate manufacturing of high-grade steel in India with the help of foreign companies especially from South Korea and Japan.

He also said: "If they scarp the JV plan, its all up to them. The world is open. We are not depended on ArcelorMittal".

Billionaire L N Mittal's ArcelorMittal, Chaudhary said, is very new to India while SAIL has been operating for 60 years now.

"May be ArcelorMittal the largest steel making company but they are not the only steel making company in the world," he said, adding that 'they can not get that type of material we can supply. Basically, the HR or hot rolled coil will be the input for the cold rolling mill which would be going to establish jointly. So, that kind of input can not come".

Recently, another domestic steel firm Tata Steel could not pursue its decision of forming a JV with German Steel Major ThyssenKrupp, following the response of the European Commision.GSK Consumers Healthcare Ltd said on June 2 that its shareholders approved its proposed merger with FMCG major HUL.

The company has received 99.99 percent votes in favour of the scheme of amalgamation among the company and Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) in the National Company Law Tribunal-convened meeting of the equity shareholders on June 1, 2019.

"The proposed resolution approving the Scheme was passed by the requisite majority of the equity shareholders of the Company," said GSK Consumers in a BSE filing.

Earlier in January, GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare had informed that it has received approval from the fair trade regulator CCI for its merger deal with HUL.

On December 3, 2018, Anglo-Dutch FMCG giant Unilever had announced the acquisition of health food portfolio, including popular brands Horlicks and Boost, from GlaxoSmithKline in India and over 20 other markets for 3.1 billion pounds (about ? 27,750 crore).

Under the deal, Unilever's Indian arm, HUL is acquiring GSK CH India via an all-equity merger, valuing the total business of the latter at Rs 31,700 crore.

GSK CH India is the market leader in the health food drinks (HFD) category, with popular brands such as Horlicks and Boost.Google, the tech giant known universally for its search engine, also has fingers in a number of other pies, like online advertising, email messaging and video. That gives US antitrust enforcers, who have reportedly evinced a new interest in pursuing competition charges against Google, lots to look at.

Governments around the world are becoming increasingly unnerved by the power amassed by major technology companies, with the dominance of Google in search, Facebook in social networking and Amazon in e-commerce raising the sharpest concerns.

In the most dramatic scenario, a case might be made for breaking the companies into smaller pieces.

The US Justice Department is readying an investigation of Google's business practices in search and other areas, and whether they violate antitrust law, according to news reports. Neither the company nor the Justice Department will confirm or deny that a probe has been launched.

The Federal Trade Commission, which shares competition oversight with Justice, made an antitrust investigation of Google but closed it in 2013 without taking action. The company made changes voluntarily after the FTC probe, including letting advertisers use information from their Google ad campaigns to create campaigns with rivals.

But an FTC staff report released years later showed that the agency staff had urged the presidentially-appointed commissioners to bring a lawsuit against Google. That never happened. It isn't clear what specific areas of Google's business the Justice Department might be probing. But here are some possible areas US antitrust cops might poke into.

Google commands the lead in digital ad revenue by a wide margin, controlling 31.1 percent of global digital ad dollars, according to eMarketer's 2019 estimates. Facebook is a distant second with 20.2 percent. European antitrust regulators slapped Google in March with a $1.7 billion fine for freezing out rivals in the online advertising business, the regulators' third big fine against the company in less than two years.

Still, the latest penalty isn't likely to have much effect on Google's business. It applies to a narrow portion of Google's ad business in which Google sells ads next to Google search results on third-party websites.

It involves practices the company says it already ended, and the amount is just a fraction of the $31 billion in profit that its parent, conglomerate Alphabet Inc., made last year. Google's search engine handles two out of every three queries in the US European regulators have found that Google manipulated its search engine to gain an unfair advantage over other online shopping sites in the lucrative e-commerce market, fining the company $2.8 billion. Google disputes those findings and is still appealing the 2017 decision.

The FTC staff report released after the agency's investigation showed that the staff legal recommendations rejected by the commissioners involved allegations of Google tinkering with its search results in a way that stifled competition. Lawmakers from both parties appear determined to examine whether Google rigs its search results to also promote its own political agenda.

Another huge antitrust fine from the European overseers, $5 billion, came against Google in July 2018 for a finding that it abused the dominance of its Android operating system by forcing handset and tablet makers to install Google apps, reducing consumer choice. The company appealed the ruling and also made changes to avoid additional fines.

It started this spring giving European Union smartphone users a choice of browsers and search apps on Android. Following an Android update, users will be shown two new screens giving them the new options. Android users who open the Google Play store after the update will be given the option to install as many as five search apps and five browsers. Apps are included based on their popularity and shown in random order.Last week marked a year since the implementation of European Union (EU)s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). It was a significant milestone as it started a conversation around privacy in boardrooms at a time when companies were taking for granted millions of bytes of consumer-generated data, every day.

The fact the many other countries have followed suit is evident enough to show how important privacy and data protection will be in the coming years to consumers. India was not an exception when it came up with a robust policy in 2018.

As the new government takes charge, it will be one of the key policies that industries are watching out for as implementation of data protection bill would change the way they operate.

In July 2018, Justice BN Srikrishna committee submitted the Draft Data Protection and Privacy Bill which is currently awaiting the Cabinet nod. It is quite an ambitious policy that not only upholds the Supreme Courts ruling that privacy is a fundamental right, but also draws a line on how corporates can access and process customer data.

If the policy were to be implemented, consumers will have ultimate authority over how their data is being used or if it can be used at all. It is not unlike EUs GDPR.

However, unlike how the companies were ready to comply with EUs GDPR, there have been voices of dissent after the Srikrishna committee submitted the draft. The voice of dissents, mostly from multinationals, were not against the entire idea of data protection but regarding a specific aspect of the Bill -- data localisation.

The draft bill states that all companies should ensure at least one copy of personal data is stored in India. In addition, the critical personal data can only be processed in the server located in India. Failing to comply will result in penalties in the range of 2-4 percent of companies global turnover or fines between Rs 5 crore and Rs 15 crore, whichever is higher.

This would mean that companies such as Google, Facebook and captives such as IBM, for whom India is a major market, will have to store data here. This is where companies and Indian government are not in sync.

When IBMs Ginni Rometty had come to India recently, she said that barrage of regulations would hinder growth and there is a need to differentiate between consumer and business data. It is yet to be clear how one can separate the two given that the boundaries are blurring.

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg in his blog in March said that the company will not set up local data centres in every country that has privacy laws. In his defence, certain countries have a track record of violating user privacy and setting up data centres in those regions will only make it easier for those governments to access citizens information.

He did not mention India specifically. However, it does give off the message that he is not entirely convinced about complying with the data localisation aspect of Bill in India.

Here is where the challenge for the new Communications and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, who will assume charge on June 3, lies. Not only should he find the right balance between interests of citizens and companies, but also need to put his foot down where it matters.

As far the track record goes, Prasad might be able to do just that. When the series of fake messages forwarded through messaging platform WhatsApp resulted in violence, and at times death, Prasad held several rounds of talks with the instant messaging company to resolve the issue. WhatsApp CEO Chris Daniels flew to Delhi frequently for the same.

Prasad laid out few conditions for WhatsApp to continue operating in India. These included installing India head for WhatsApp and add features that would reduce number of messages being forwarded. WhatsApp did both. We have WhatsApp Head for India now and you can forward message only to five people.

He has said that implementation of data protection will be one of the top priorities for the new government. Though he seems more than capable, we will have to wait and see how Prasad achieves this.The deadline for Jet Airways corporate insolvency resolution process is October 21

India is a big aviation market and Air India provides the important domestic network for our members but opportunities in the market are narrowing with Jet Airways being non-operational, Star Alliance CEO Jeffrey Goh said on June 2.

Star Alliance is a grouping of 28 airlines, including Air India, which became a member in July 2014.

Emphasising that Air India is an important representation for the alliance in the Indian sub-continent, Goh said the airline provides very important domestic network for its members to connect into.

"Indian market is a big market and is a very fast growing market... clearly things are changing very fast in the Indian market in connection with what has happened with Jet Airways. I think certainly to that degree possible, it will help (that)... Air India will have higher capacity and better yields because there is less capacity in the market," he said here.

Full service carrier Jet Airways, which had a significant number of international flights, temporarily suspended operations in April after running out of cash.

To a query on whether there could be a second Indian carrier such as low cost carrier IndiGo as a Star Alliance member, Goh said the grouping is positioned for having a full member as well as a connecting partner model.

"We also have the ability to integrate less traditional airlines whether they are hybrid, regional or low cost airlines. We are positioned to address both the situations. We are not closed for business, whether an airline in India is interested in full membership or connecting partner model. It is more a question of value proposition that you can bring to the network," he said.

Talking on the sidelines of an IATA (International Air Transport Association) event here, he stressed that an airline should prove its business case if it has to be a member or connecting partner.

"The challenge obviously is that there is IndiGo but in the Indian market there isn't such a credible portfolio of opportunities with Jet Airways not operating anymore... The market is narrowing in terms of opportunities but we are going to be convinced that if we have a member or another connecting partner they are bringing something that Air India doesn't.

"At this time, how fast the Indian aviation market is going to grow... We have got to be mindful how that market is trending and not integrate a member just for the sake of integrating," he said.

IndiGo is India's largest domestic airline with a market share of nearly 50 percent.

Star Alliance was founded in 1997, with the aim to offer worldwide reach, recognition and seamless service to international travellers.Amid talks of cabinet expansion to save the government in Karnataka, Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy on June 1 met the Congress-JD(S) coalition coordination committee chief Siddaramaiah and held discussions.

"Both leaders have met on cabinet issue and have held discussions. Whether it is expansion or reshuffle, it may take place only after June 4," official sources said.

The Congress in Karnataka over the last couple of days had gone into a huddle to avert a potential existential crisis to the one-year-old coalition ministry, and discussed about the possible cabinet rejig to address the dissent within. Kumaraswamy had also held discussions with congress president Rahul Gandhi in Delhi.

Coalition leaders were initially unable to reach consensus on whether to go in for cabinet expansion by filling three vacant posts or reshuffle by asking a few ministers to step down and make way for the disgruntled lawmakers. CLP leader Siddaramaiah, however, had indicated that reshuffle was on the cards.

According to party sources, there are talks about first filling three vacant posts and then going in for reshuffle if the need arises. Meanwhile, Independent MLA Nagesh and KPJP MLA R Shankar also met Siddaramaiah on Saturday and held discussions. There are reports that in case of cabinet expansion they are likely to be inducted into the Ministry.

During the meeting Siddaramaiah is said to have asked both legislators not to fall pray to any attempts by the BJP to woo them.

On May 29 reports and pictures of Nagesh and Shankar meeting rebel Congress MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi, who is allegedly hobnobbing with the BJP, had added to the coalition's worry. Shankar was inducted into Kumaraswamy's cabinet, but was subsequently dropped during the reshuffle in December last year, following which both of them had withdrew their support from the government and sided with BJP.

Coalition worries have multiplied after the 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 JD(S), which, despite a joint fight, were swept away by the Modi wave.

Also, growing unrest within the party and threat by Ramesh Jarkiholi to quit Congress along with other MLAs 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. Of the total 34 ministerial positions in Karnataka, the Congress and JD(S) have shared 22 and 12 respectively. Currently, three posts are vacant, two from JD(S) and one from Congress.

However, allaying fears that the BJP was trying to weaken the JD(S)-Congress government in Karnataka, the saffron party's state president B S Yeddyurappa on May 31 had said central leaders have asked the state unit not to indulge in any activity to "destabilise" it.With Assembly polls due early next year in the city, the Aam Aadmi Party government is considering to make metro and bus travels free for women in Delhi "to encourage them to use public transport".

At a public meeting in New Delhi on June 1, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also said his government is in touch with city's power regulator to bring down fixed charge component of electricity bill.

"The government is considering to waive fare for women in DTC buses and Delhi Metro to encourage them to use public transport in view of their safety. An announcement in this regard will be made on June 3," the chief minister said at the public meeting in New Delhi.

A Delhi government official said Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot has already taken meetings to discuss various aspects of fare-waiver to women in all public transport buses -- run by DTC and DIMTS -- and Delhi metro.

However, Transport Department officials point out that while allowing free travel in Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) and cluster buses run by the Delhi Integrated Multi Modal System(DIMTS) may not be difficult, it will be "challenging" to do so in Metro trains.

The Delhi government and the Centre are 50:50 equity partners in the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation.

An official pointed out that the Delhi government and the centre's Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry have not been on the same page over several issues related to metro, including fare hike and Phase-IV of the Metro network.

"Besides other factors like technical and financial feasibility of such a move, the persisting disagreements between the two sides may also play a crucial role in going ahead with the proposal for giving free ride to women in Metro trains," said a senior official.

Chief Minister Kejriwal also claimed that the fixed charge component of power tariff were raised by the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Authority (DERC) last year "without consulting" the Delhi government.

"Next month new tariff is to be fixed. We have asked the DERC to bring back fixed charges to previous levels and they are likely to agree to it," he said.

The monthly fixed charges were raised for domestic consumers having up to 2 KW load from Rs 20 to Rs 125. The Delhi government provides subsidy to such consumers. However, in other categories, consumers pay higher fixed charges.

The hike in fixed charges for other slabs were -- for 2-5 kw, from Rs 35 to Rs 140; 5-15 KW, Rs 45 to Rs 175; 15-25 kw, from Rs 60 to Rs 200; and for more than 25 KW, from Rs 100 to Rs 250.

In the just-concluded Lok Sabha polls, the AAP won only one seat out of over 40 it contested in nine states and Union Territories. The poll results came as a jolt to the party as it builds up for the assembly elections in Delhi early next year.

Stung by the dismal performance, the AAP government swung into action just a day after the Model Code of Conduct was lifted with Chief Minister directing his ministers on May 27 to speed up work on flagship schemes like Mohalla Clinic, procurement of buses and the CCTV project.

Senior Aam Aadmi Party leader Gopal Rai has, however, has dismissed suggestions that the LS poll results would have an impact on Delhi assembly elections, asserting there is no alternative to Kejriwal in the national capital.The 10 most valued domestic companies together added a whopping Rs 4,04,068.05 crore in market valuation last week, with RIL and HDFC Bank leading the gains. Here are the top 10 firms according to their market capitalisation for the week ended April 9:

Overseas investors pumped in a net amount of Rs 9,031 crore into the Indian capital markets in May on expectations of more business-friendly measures following the BJP's landslide victory in the general elections.

Interestingly, foreign investors were net sellers for the first three weeks of May, but the tide turned just ahead of the announcement of election results.

According to the latest depositories data, foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) infused a net sum of Rs 7,919.73 crore into equities and Rs 1,111.42 crore in the debt market during May 2-31, taking the cumulative net investment to Rs 9,031.15 crore.

Prior to this, they had invested a net Rs 16,093 crore in April, Rs 45,981 crore in March and Rs 11,182 crore in February in the capital markets (both equity and debt).

Last week, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won over 300 seats on its own out of 542 seats in the Lok Sabha elections -- the first back-to-back majority for a single party since 1984.

The victory of the Narendra Modi-led coalition will ensure continuation in reform measures initiated during the NDA's first term, experts said.

During May 2-17, foreign investors pulled out a net Rs 6,399 crore from the markets amid pre-election uncertainty.

However, "FPIs started to come back into Indian equities anticipating a return of NDA-led government and the flows intensified when their expectation became reality after the election results were announced on May 23, 2019," said Himanshu Srivastava, senior research analyst, manager research at Morningstar.

"FPI inflows saw heightened volatility ahead of election results and settled after there was evidence of a clear mandate. From here on, while there may be residual inflows awarding certainty in governance, budget related and policy related issues besides earnings would likely be the primary focus for fresh investments," said Vidya Bala, Head - Mutual Funds Research at Funds India.

Echoing the views, Srivastava said, "Now with elections behind, the focus would gradually shift towards government's policies on economic reforms, its impact on economic growth and corporate earnings, besides global factors."Representative image

Guests invited to Indian High Commission's Iftar party in Islamabad on June 1 evening faced "unprecedented level of harassment" due to enhanced security checks by the Pakistani officials who stopped some invitees on one pretext or other.

Indian High Commissioner Ajay Bisaria hosted the annual event at Serena Hotel for which guests were invited from all over Pakistan.

Those attending the event said that additional security deployment was made around the luxury hotel.

A journalist said that he saw more than usual security presence but those having invitation cards and identity documents were allowed to attend.

"My invitation card was checked and I was asked questions about profession and residence, and allowed to go in," he said.

"Unprecedented level of harassment at @serena_hotels Islamabad. #India embassy iftaar happening & police & anti terrorism force misbehaving with anyone trying into get in the hotel. Got screamed at, my driver abused. Sorry, not being an entitled prick. This was genuine harassment," tweeted noted journalist Mehreen Zahra-Malik.

Another journalist, on condition of anonymity, told PTI that he did not attend as he feared about questioning and security checks.

He also said that there were reports that some invitees were called by anonymous callers and told not to attend the event.

Senior Pakistan People's Party leader Farhatullah Babar said that every gaze deflected towards odd visitors in hotel's lobby.

"Came to Serena for iftar hosted by Indian HC. Hotel seems barricaded. Told that iftar cancelled. When insisted, I was told to use other gate. Other gate also closed and told to go back to front gate again. What's going on, something fishy," he tweeted.

Babar said that he somehow managed to attend the Indian mission's iftar despite efforts by the local authorities to stop invitees on one pretext or other.

High Commissioner Bisaria in his brief address to the audience said that some of the guests could not make to the party.

"I want to apologize because some of you faced a lot of trouble to come here and some of our friends could not come," he said.

Bisaria also said that people had come from Lahore and Karachi to attend the event and thanked them for coming. India has not been engaging with Pakistan following the attack on the Air Force base at Pathankot in January of 2016, maintaining that talks and terror cannot go together.

Tensions flared up between the two sides after a suicide bomber of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Muhammed killed 40 CRPF personnel in Kashmir's Pulwama district on February 14.

Amid mounting outrage, the Indian Air Force (IAF) carried out a counter-terror operation, hitting the biggest 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 IAF pilot, who was handed over to India.Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has reiterated his demand for a national policy to tackle drug abuse. In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 2, Singh urged him to advise ministries of Home, Social Justice and Empowerment, and Health and Family Welfare to address the issue.

"This important issue needs to be addressed with a little more seriousness than it has received so far," he wrote, according to an official statement released here.

The chief minister sought Modi's personal intervention for the formulation of a national policy focusing on three components -- enforcement, de-addiction and prevention -- to tackle the menace of drug abuse in the country.

Singh said a national policy would enable all states to follow a similar, if not the same, approach on drug abuse, which, he said, "has substantially hampered the health of the people, particularly the youth".

The chief minister expressed his state's willingness to associate with the officers concerned of the Centre not only to evolve the policy but also to put in place an effective mechanism for its implementation.

Besides, the chief minister also raised security concerns emerging out of narco-terrorism, saying these were rather grave in the context of Punjab, which shares a 553-km border with Pakistan.

Singh said substance abuse was undoubtedly a global problem entailing heavy socio-economic costs to both individuals and society.

"In the last two decades, the prevalence of illicit drug trafficking has assumed alarming proportions in India too," the chief minister said.

Citing a survey report, titled 'Magnitude of Substance Abuse in India', released in February 2019 by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment in collaboration with National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre, AIIMS, Singh said, "Drug abuse in India is a significant problem and multi-pronged and coordinated policy interventions are required to tackle it effectively."

In his letter to Modi, Singh also touched upon several steps which the Congress government in Punjab has taken during the past two years to check the drug menace and to expand its outreach at the grassroots to make towns and villages "drug-free".

He also sought financial support from the Centre to increase the number of Outpatient Opioid Assisted Treatment (OOAT) clinics in Punjab, which he said, are currently being run on "meagre state resources".

Speaking at an event in New Delhi in October last year, Singh had said that Pakistan was "pushing" drugs through the borders to destroy the youth in the northern states and had called for a national policy to tackle the menace.File image

In his first trip as Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh on June 3 will visit the Siachen Glacier - the world's most dangerous battlefield -- to meet the soldiers guarding the border beyond the heights of 12,000 feet.

Singh, to be accompanied by Army Chief Gen. Bipin Rawat, will also visit the headquarters of the Army's 14 Corps in Leh and 15 Corps in Srinagar, official sources said.

Top commanders of the Army will brief the defence minister about overall security situation along the Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan and apprise him about the anti-terror operations in Kashmir, they said.

Singh will first arrive at the high altitude Thoise airfield in Ladakh from where he will travel to an operational base and then go to the Siachen Glacier where he will interact with Army's field commanders and soldiers.

The Siachen Glacier in the Karakorum range is known as the highest militarised zone in the world where the soldiers have to battle frostbite and high winds.

Avalanches and landslides are common at the glacier during the winters and temperatures can drop to as low as minus 60 degrees Celsius.

According to official figure, the Army lost 163 personnel at the world's highest battlefield during the last 10 years. India and Pakistan started deploying troops at the strategically key glacier in 1984.

Sources said the defence minister will be given detailed and specific presentations at 14 Corps and 15 corps relating to India's preparedness to deal with any possible eventualities and misadventure by Pakistan.

The Army's 14 Corps guards the Line of Actual Control with China as well as the Line of Control with Pakistan. The Srinagar-based 15 Corp is mainly tasked with carrying out anti-terror operations in the Kashmir valley.

The defence minister is scheduled to return to New Delhi on June 3 evening.China will fight anyone who tries to interfere in its "reunification" with Taiwan, Defence Minister Wei Fenghe said on June 2 in a combative speech peppered with threats against the United States over its military presence in Asia.

Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Asia's premier defence summit, Wei said China would "fight to the end" if anyone tried to split China from Taiwan, which Beijing considers a sacred territory to be taken by force if necessary.

China has been incensed by recent moves by US President Donald Trump's administration to increase support for self-ruled and democratic Taiwan, including US Navy sailings through the Taiwan Strait that separates the island from mainland China.

"No attempts to split China will succeed. Any interference in the Taiwan question is doomed to failure," said Wei, dressed in his uniform of a general in the People's Liberation Army.

"If anyone dares to split Taiwan from China, the Chinese military has no choice but to fight at all costs ... The US is indivisible, and so is China. China must be, and will be, reunified."

The United States, like most countries, has no formal ties with Taiwan, but is its strongest backer and main source of weapons.

China translates the word "tong yi" as "reunification", but it can also be translated as "unification", a term in English preferred by supporters of Taiwan independence who point out the Communist government has never ruled Taiwan and so it cannot be "reunified".

China-US ties have become increasingly strained due to a bitter trade war, US support for Taiwan and China's muscular military posture in the South China Sea, where the United States also conducts freedom-of-navigation patrols.

On June 1, acting US Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan told the Shangri-La meeting that the United States would no longer "tiptoe" around Chinese behaviour in Asia.

In May, Taiwan's national security chief David Lee met White House national security adviser John Bolton, marking the first meeting in more than four decades between senior US and Taiwanese security officials.

Taiwan is gearing up for presidential elections in January, and Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen has repeatedly accused Beijing of seeking to undermine Taiwan's democracy and has vowed to defend the island and its freedoms.

SELF-DEFENCE

Wei, the first Chinese defence minister to speak at the Shangri-La Dialogue since 2011, said its military operations in Asia were purely aimed at self-defence, but it would not hesitate to counter an attack on its interests.

"China will not attack unless we are attacked," Wei said, cautioning that there would be dire consequences to any clash between China and the United States.

"The two sides realise that conflict, or a war between them, would bring disaster to both countries and the world."

Wei, in a clear reference to the United States, also said: "SomeA countries from outside the region come to the South China SeaA to flex muscles in the name of freedom of navigation."

On the ongoing trade war, which has shaken financial markets around the world, Wei said China would "fight to the end" if the United States wanted a fight. But if Washington wanted to talk, "we will keep the door open".The Hamad International Airport in Doha, Qatar; Tokyo Haneda International Airport in Japan and Athens International Airport in Greece top the 2019 annual best airports ratings by AirHelp. This list includes an Indian airport too. Check out the list of top 10 best airports in the world. (Image: Reuters)

10. Viracopos/Campinas International Airport, Sao Paulo  Brazil: This airport serves the municipality of Campinas, in the Sao Paulo State, outside the city of Sao Paulo. It is one of the busiest airports in South America. (Image: Reuters)

9. Tenerife North Airport, Tenerife  Spain: This is one of the two international airports on the Tenerife Island of Spain. In 1977, it was the site of the Tenerife airport disaster -- termed as the worst accident in aviation history. The accident killed 583 passengers and crew after two Boeing 747s collided on the runway amid heavy fog. (Image: Reuters)

8. Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Hyderabad  India: This airport opened in 2008, serves Telanganas capital Hyderabad. It is the sixth busiest airport in India. (Image: Wikimedia Commons)

7. Changi Airport, Singapore: This is not only Singapores premier airport but is also considered as the largest transportation hub in Southeast Asia. It serves as the hub for Singapore Airlines, Scoot and SilkAir, among others and has been consistently ranked as one of the best airports on various rankings. (Image: Reuters)

6. Sheremetyevo International Airport, Moscow  Russia: While Sheremetyevo is one of four major airports that serves capital Moscow, it is the busiest in the country. It was originally built as a military airbase and was converted into a civilian airport in 1959. (Image: Reuters)

5. Gdansk Lech Waesa Airport, Gdansk  Poland: It serves the Tricity metropolitan area that includes cities of Gdansk, Sopot and Gdynia. It is the third largest airport in the country in terms of passenger traffic. (Image: Wikimedia Commons)

4. Afonso Pena International Airport, Curitiba  Brazil: It serves the city of Curitiba and was built by the Brazilian Air Force in partnership with the US Army during the Second World War. (Image: Reuters)

3. Athens International Airport, Athens  Greece: This is the busiest airport in Greece by a distance. It serves the capital city and is a gateway for tourists travelling to the country. (Image: Reuters)

2. Tokyo International Airport, Tokyo  Japan: It is one of the two primary airports that serve the Greater Tokyo Area. Besides being the busiest airport in the country, it serves as the primary base for two of Japan's major airlines -- Japan Airlines (JAL) and All Nippon Airways (ANA). (Image: Reuters)June 02, 2019

CNN Sees Saudi Success In Disunited Gulf Summits That Made No New Statements

Last week Saudi Arabia hosted three international summits in Mecca. The first was an emergency meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) which includes six Arab countries of the Persian Gulf. It was followed by an Arab League meeting of its 22 countries minus Syria which is currently suspended. The third summit was of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) which has 57 member states.

The Saudis had hoped that they would be able to use those summits to demonstrate a united position against Iran. Saudi Arabia had accused Iran of ordering the recent drone attacks from Yemen on its trans-Saudi pipeline. The U.S. accused Iran of being behind the recent attacks on tankers near the UAE.

The Saudi King opened the first summit with an attack on Iran:

Saudi Arabias King Salman told an emergency Gulf Arab meeting on Thursday that Irans development of nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities threatened regional and global security. He said Tehrans actions threatened international maritime trade and global oil supplies in a glaring violation of UN treaties, following attacks this month on oil tankers off the United Arab Emirates and on oil pumping stations in the Kingdom.

If one is to believe CNN's Nic Robertson, the Saudis succeeded in uniting all countries behind their position:

King Salman of Saudi Arabia has pulled off in Mecca what many had thought unlikely -- getting 20 or so disparate Arab nations to unite in a common position against Iran. And while this achievement came without bellicose threats or new red lines, it is an important milepost on a road that may yet lead to regional conflict. In middle-of-night, back-to-back summits at Islam's holiest of sites, the aging but still-attentive Saudi monarch got a double endorsement of his claims that Iran is destabilizing the Middle East and a backing of his call for "the international community to shoulder its responsibility. The six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council and 21 Arab League nations present called for Iran to stop "interfering in the internal affairs" of its neighbors and denounced Tehran's "threat to maritime security" in the Persian Gulf.

...

What we saw in Mecca was a mark being set, that the status quo with Iran will no longer be tolerated by Saudi and its allies. What happens next is in Iran's court. Talks are an option, but terrorism, insofar as it is perceived as such by Tehran's neighbors, is not.

The Saudis must have bought Nic Robertson some of their rose-colored glasses. In fact each of the three summits failed to take a new position towards Iran. The GCC summit communique does not blame Iran for the recent attacks and uses only general language to note its concern:

The Council emphasized the positions of the Supreme Council and its firm decisions on relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran, stressing the need for Iran to abide by principles based on the Charter of the United Nations and international law, the principles of good neighborliness, respect for the sovereignty of states, non-interference in internal affairs and the non-use of force. The Council also called on Iran to stop supporting, funding and arming militias and terrorist organizations, and refrain from feeding sectarian conflicts, calling on the Iranian regime to exercise wisdom, staying away from hostilities and destabilizing security and stability.

While Anderson claims that the Iran's behavior "will no longer be tolerated by Saudi and its allies", the GCC statement does not make any such threat at all. The GCC members know that they can not do anything against Iran as their countries are vulnerable to retaliation. They thus call on others to do something about their problems:

The resolution called on the international community to shoulder its responsibilities to maintain international peace and security and to take firm action against the Iranian regime and more effective and serious steps to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear capabilities and to impose stricter restrictions on Irans ballistic missile program.

In total the general language of the current GCC summit statement is not significantly different from the one used in previous GCC summit communiques:

They also urged Tehran to revise its policies in the region by means of honoring relevant international conventions and treaties, and stop harboring terrorist groups, including Hezbollah, on its soil.

The Arab League Mecca summit communique is somewhat similar to one the GCC issued. But its language is also no different than the one used in previous Arab League statements. It condemns Iran for supporting the Houthis and for supporting Syria but issues no threat whatsoever. Iraq did not sign off on the Arab League communique.

The OIC communique of the third Mecca summit does not mention Iran at all. It focuses on Palestine and rejects the ever delayed U.S. 'deal of the century' that is supposed to buy off Palestinian rights for some meager economic promises.

Of the six GCC countries Qatar and Oman have friendly relations with Iran. Saudi Arabia and the UAE are still hostile to Qatar and both countries fail in their war on Yemen. The Arab League is as dysfunctional as ever. Its north-African member states are busy with interior trouble and the Arab League country with the most effective military, Syria, is still suspended. The OIC condemned the Kushner plan which Saudi Arabia's clown prince Muhammad bin Salman and the UAE support. Turkey's president did not take part in the OIC summit because of the Saudi hostility to the Muslim Brotherhood. Iran's president was not invited. Qatar's Prime Minister al-Thani was only allowed to join the summits because the U.S. had pressed for it.

Said differently - the two summits Anderson is so exited about were nothingburgers. Their statements were similar to the once made before and the GCC and the Arab League still lack the capacity to act together on any serious issue. That they call on outsiders to tackle Iran says all one needs to know. The OIC summit was outright hostile to the U.S. and Saudi plans for the destruction of Palestine.

As long as U.S. media deliver such bad 'analysis' of foreign state positions, the policies derived from it will continue to be unrealistic.

Posted by b on June 2, 2019 at 11:21 UTC | Permalink

CommentsJune 02, 2019

MoA Week In Review - Various Issues - OT 2019-31

Last week's posts at Moon of Alabama:

May 29 - Mueller Punts On Obstruction Charges - Impeachment Would Hurt The Democrats

May 31 - Death And Resurrection In North Korea

June 1 - Blog Housekeeping And Minor Renovations

June 2 - CNN Sees Saudi Success In Disunited Gulf Summits That Made No New Statements

---

Other issues:

Reuters headlined today: U.S. prepared to engage with Iran without pre-conditions: Pompeo

Reading the very first sentence one immediately learns that the headline is lie:

BELLINZONA, Switzerland (Reuters) - The United States is prepared to engage with Iran without pre-conditions about its nuclear program but needs to see the country behaving like a normal nation, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Sunday.

What does Pompeo mean when he uses the phrase "a normal nation"? We can discern that by reading his May 2018 speech, After the Deal: A New Iran Strategy. In it Pompeo lays out twelve "requirements" that the U.S. wants Iran to fulfill. Together they are a demand to Iran to 'regime change' itself, to lay down and play dead. Pompeo then goes on to say:

So were not asking anything other than that Iranian behavior be consistent with global norms, ...

"A normal nation" is one that behaves "consistent with global norms". Pompeo will only talk with Iran after it fulfills all the "requirements" he set out a year ago. How Reuters can sells that as "without pre-condition" is a mystery.

---

The New York Times has a long new piece on the Boeing 737 MAX: Boeing Built Deadly Assumptions Into 737 Max, Blind to a Late Design Change

Apart from some new quotes I find no fact in there that was not mentioned in on of the 737 pieces on this site. Meanwhile not one mainstream outlet has written about the safety problems of the 737 NG trim which we extensively discussed here. That piece also noted that it will take quite some time for the 737 MAX to be allowed back into the air. Other agencies than the FAA will want to check it out and that will take some time. The president of Emirates Airline agrees with that view:

Boeing Co.s 737 Max will likely not be back in the skies before the end of this year because of a fall-out in cooperation between the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and other national regulators, according to Tim Clark, president of Emirates. Youre going to have a bit of a delay in terms of regulators, Canada, Europe, China, Clark told reporters at the IATA annual meeting in Seoul. Its going to take time to get this aircraft back in the air. If its in the air by Christmas Ill be surprised.

The proven FAA failure to appropriately check Boeing's designs will have additional consequences:

Clark also said regulators are now set to take a more stringent view on Boeings next plane, the 777X, which is targeted to begin commercial flights in 2020. Boeing is seeking regulatory approval for the jet which, just like the 737 Max, is an update of an existing model.

---

The Trump administration wants to discourage all those nasty foreigners who want to spend their vacation money in the United States:

The State Department is now requiring nearly all applicants for U.S. visas to submit their social media usernames, previous email addresses and phone numbers. ... In addition to their social media histories, visa applicants are now asked for five years of previously used telephone numbers, email addresses, international travel and deportation status ...

The new rule will affect some 15 million visa per year. That is a lot of new data for the NSA to crosscheck.

---

Use as open thread ...

Posted by b on June 2, 2019 at 16:15 UTC | Permalink

Comments

next page Investors are demanding oil and gas producers focus on financial discipline, learning to live within cash flow.

Larger-capitalized companies may be able to live within cash flow and grow, but that's harder for smaller companies, said John White, managing director, senior research analyst with ROTH Capital Partners.

"It will be interesting to see what inflection point that sets up for later in 2019," he said during a visit to Midland last week.

A case in point is Midland's Ring Energy, which has seen its stock sink following its $300 million acquisition of North Central Basin assets from Wishbone Energy Partners.

"We think the downward movement in Ring stock after the Wishbone acquisition is due to Ring borrowing almost the entire purchase price," White said, of the $270 million cash and $30 million of issued stock.

"Investors took a negative view of the amount of borrowing to finance the deal. They also had some reservations or wanted to wait and see how Ring executes drilling and completion operations on the Wishbone acreage," he said.

Investors "want companies to maintain low leverage and forego acquisitions in favor of drilling their inventory; Ring management went against that preference," White said.

White said that he and others at ROTH consider Ring's acquisition a good move.

"The price they paid was in line with the market," he said.,

White said ROTH has been studying the horizontal San Andres play for several years and noted that it has divided into the southern portion  primarily Andrews and Gaines counties  and the northern part, covering Yoakum County and eastern Lea County, New Mexico.

Ring's legacy acreage is in the southern portion, while Wishbone's acreage was in the northern part of the play.

"It seems to us some of the best wells in the San Andres play are being drilled in the northern part," White said. "Ring spent two years drilling its Andrews and Gaines position. Likely it was time to expand is inventory," thus motivating the Wishbone acquisition.

Ring is the only large publicly traded company active in the horizontal San Andres, White said. He added that ROTH has anticipated consolidation in the play. and "it appears Ring has started that consolidation."

More consolidation seems likely, he said, pointing out that Steward Energy has put itself up for sale and much of its acreage is in close proximity to the Wishbone acreage Ring now owns.

Steward, "in our opinion drilled the very best wells in the San Andres play," White said, praising Steward CEO Lance Taylor for putting together an excellent team and acreage position.

Wishbone CEO Craig Clark is "one of the pioneers of horizontal San Andres drilling," he said.A 4,600-acre solar farm will soon make its way into Andrews County, initiated by Longroad Energy, which partnered with Facebook and Shell Energy North America. Longroad, a U.S. renewable energy developer, announced Thursday the financial close and start of construction of the Prospero Solar project  what will be one of the largest solar farms in the United States  with expectations of a 2020 completion date.

With a maximum output capacity of 379 MWdc (megawatts), the total financing package is approximately $416 million, according to a news release from the developer.

Longroad CEO Paul Gaynor said Andrews County  and most of West Texas  has a combination of resources that would be good for a solar farm. However, the two principle resources the community has that will benefit this project are lots of sunlight and easier access to electricity transmission lines.

There are many ways the project could benefit Andrews County in return, he said. First, it will deliver more than $21 million in property taxes to Andrews County, which includes more than $12 million to the school district.

Second, it will create hundreds of construction and facility operations jobs. This will provide more than $23 million in wages throughout the life of the project. And third, property owners will receive royalties for the use of their land, Gaynor said in a phone interview.

Additionally, most of the energy will be consumed locally. The rest will go to Shell, which has signed a 12-year power purchase agreement for the projects contractual energy, he said. This is one of the first off-take agreements of this type in the solar industry.

Facebook has committed to becoming the sole tax equity investor of the project. It has also committed to buying a portion of the renewable energy attributes that will come from the project.

Facebook has a strong commitment to clean energy and renewable energy, Gaynor said. (This) helps them achieve their corporate goals around renewable energy targets within their company.

Now that the Prospero Solar project is finally coming to fruition after two years of planning, Gaynor said Longroad is looking at other areas of West Texas to bring a solar energy project.

He said there is already a solar farm under construction near Kermit in Winkler County  about 50 miles southwest of Andrews County.

I think this is complementary to oil and gas development production in West Texas, Gaynor said. Theres a lot of that going on, and it requires a lot of electricity. This would be a good way to supply all that and the local need with local resources.While Midland and Odessa are no longer battling each other for largest year-over-year percentage increases across the nation, rent is still expensive in the two cities  by Texas standards, at least.

RentCafe reports that the two cities again were No. 1 and 2 in the state for average rent during the month of April. In Midland, that average rent was $1,607. Odessa followed with an average of $1,405.Two Odessans are turning storage containers into housing.

Matt Boden and Angela Wright-Webb, owners of Copious Creations, started talking last year about the idea of creating housing from storage containers.

She said with the price of oil up, the housing need was huge.

We knew there was a housing need here and knew there was a shortage, so we started the business here instead of in Colorado, Wright-Webb said.

Wright-Webb is from Midland but moved to Colorado a couple of years ago. She said she thought the company could help the Permian Basin.

We collaborate with Teen Challenge and Chosen Ministry, Boden said. Shayne Prisk leads them, and he is our manufacturer and brain behind the whole design 

Prisk founded Chosen Ministry -- a branch of Teen Challenge -- about eight months ago in Midland. He went through Teen Challenge and saw the need for learning skills, he said.

Teen Challenge is a faith-based rehab and discipleship, Prisk said. We teach Jesus Christ, and ex-drug addicts, like myself, turn our lives around. We use the Bible as a strength to be able to take on life. We take on the Bibles morals and go from there.

I teach the guys construction skills and different trades so that when (they) do go out back in society, (they) have a skilled trade, Prisk said. We can make some better money so there isnt stress with affording housing.

Prisk said they are trying to give the former addicts a whole new lease on life.

Copious Creations teamed up with us to be able to give us that opportunity by making housing, Prisk said. The guys get to learn a little bit about plumbing, electric work, welding, and it gives the guys a great opportunity to learn a trade. We have a higher turnover, so it is easier to be able to teach them in a smaller environment like those containers.

Prisk said they train up to 10 people at a time. The storage containers are turned into housing at their manufacturing site in Midland.

Boden said he and Wright-Webb are passionate about partnering with Teen Challenge and Chosen Ministry.

We are building quality homes at a low cost, and we are also helping others learn a valuable skill, he said.

Boden worked in interior construction when he was living in Colorado Springs, Colorado, he said. Wright-Webb said she worked in decorating and focuses on the decorating aspect of the refurbished containers.

She said Copious Creations isnt just looking at oil field housing but also housing for medical employees, teachers and other workers.

There are a lot of people out there who cant come here and work because they dont have housing, she said.

Everybody has been pretty excited about it when they see the final product, she said.

Boden said that the container homes are a third of the cost of a regular house and construction takes a third of the time.

Right now, we are doing single units, Boden said. We can build anything they want but we have been concentrating on studio apartments. We do hope to build a dorm in Colorado Springs where we have property there.

The couple also own a storage container unit that they are personally turning into a wood cabin.

Wright-Webb said the positives of buying a storage container is the fact that they are steady and water-, wind- and hail-resistant. And they can be moved.

Boden said the unit is affordable and offers minimalist living. He said a basic unit would cost just under $30,000. The cost would increase if the house is added onto or stacked upon to make a bigger house, they said.

Once you get into it, you can do anything with it, Boden said. A lot of people are passionate in construction. It is a niche like the tiny home movement.

In the long and short of it, it is all about what you want and what your budget can do, he said.

The companys tagline is Just add land, because owners need septic tank and electric hookup, Wright-Webb said.

Copious Creations is working with a company that would help them lease spots at their location, at 4609 Rosco Ave., to people who want to buy the homes but dont currently have land to put it on, Boden 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.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.Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 2)  Days before the 30th anniversary of the Tiananmen Massacre in China, Twitter apologized to the public for suspending accounts which have been critical of the Chinese government in the past week.

In a series of tweets, Twitter said Saturday it suspended "a number of accounts," with "a significant proportion" for engaging in spamming, "inauthentic behavior" and evading bans.

"However, some of these were involved in commentary about China. These accounts were not mass reported by the Chinese authorities  this was a routine action on our part," it said.

United States Senator Marco Rubio had tweeted about the massive takedown, in which he criticized the social media platform for being a "Chinese government sensor."

Twitter explained holders of suspended accounts can file for appeal.

"We're working today to ensure we overturn any errors but that we remain vigilant in enforcing our rules for those who violate them," he said.

On June 4, 1989, Chinese troops fired upon hundreds of people in Tiananmen Square -- the public space before the Forbidden City and the Great of the People in Beijing -- to end weeks of protests pushing for a democratic government after the death of Communist Party leader Hu Yaobang.

Protests calling for greater social freedoms in China began as early as April that year. An estimated 10,000 people were arrested during and after the protests, while several dozens were executed for taking part in them.SPRINGFIELD  Legislation that backers and detractors agree will be the most liberal reproductive health statute in the country is headed to the governors desk after about 80 minutes of impassioned debate by the Illinois Senate late Friday night.

The abortion repeal-and-replace measure was a source of controversy this session. From its introduction in February, the Reproductive Health Act drew calls of support from advocates looking to the General Assembly to respond to restrictions enacted by some states across the country, and those of warning from opponents concerned about protections being struck from current law.

Sen. Melinda Bush, a Democrat from Grayslake and the bills sponsor in that chamber, said she hopes passage of the legislation will make the state a beacon for the country.

Im so proud that Illinois is standing up and saying, were not going back, were going to continue to fight and were going to make sure that women are equal here. Their reproductive rights are part of that, she said.

In a statement, Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker said he will sign the measure.

In Illinois, we trust women to make the most personal and fundamental decisions of their lives  and now, that will be the law of the land, even as its under threat in other states, he said.

Pritzker was on the Senate floor after the vote, congratulating and hugging senators who pushed the bill.

Chicago Democratic Rep. Kelly Cassidy, the initiatives sponsor in the House, was on the floor during the debate. In the back of the chamber were a handful of other Democratic representatives who supported the legislation  they stood and joined hands during Bushs closing remarks.

That was amazing to have them all over here  I was there when it passed in the House  because it was so important to all of us, Bush said. To have that amazing camaraderie and support and really love for each other; Im just so proud of all these amazing women. It really felt like a sisterhood.

The measure received 34 Democratic yes votes. Twenty senators voted no, including lone Democrat, Bunker Hill Democrat Andy Manar. Three Democrats voted present.

Some of Bushs colleagues who asked her questions during floor discussions were helping her establish what is known as legislative intent  if a legal challenge is filed regarding the bill and the judge finds its language unclear, he will turn to the sponsors aim to help him decide the case.

They asked her to clarify whether women would be able to get an abortion procedure at any point during her pregnancy if the Reproductive Health Act became law  Bush said it would not  and if anyone besides doctors could perform a procedural abortion  Bush said no. She read prepared answers to several of these questions.

The measure, Bush said, codified current practices and repealed parts of Illinois law enjoined by courts.

Sen. Dan McConchie, a Republican from Hawthorn Woods, said if that was all the bill aimed to achieve, it would be one page  not 126.

Were trying to make sure that were protecting a womans fundamental rights, were trying to make sure that the RHA treats abortion like any other medical procedure under the law and I believe, frankly, that there is a war against womens rights going on, Bush said.

McConchie sought clarification on whether any provisions of the legislation would render toothless the Parental Notification of Abortion Law, which requires a minor to consult her parents before getting the procedure. Bush said no part of her bill would impact that statute.

This proposal leaves me stunned, McConchie said. For anyone who wants abortions to be legal and safe, this bill will do exactly the opposite.

Republican Sen. Jil Tracy, from Quincy, called the bill extreme.

It goes far beyond the current practice in Illinois. It has provisions that could endanger rather than protect a pregnant woman and its not needed under current Illinois law or federal law, she said. Once again in Illinois, we are passing bills looking to solve a problem that doesnt exist.

She was referring to a law former Gov. Bruce Rauner signed that allowed tax dollars to be spent on abortions. It also contained a provision that would allow the procedures to remain legal in Illinois should the U.S. Supreme Court overturn its ruling in 1973 legalizing abortion across the country.

The measure additionally creates access to diagnostic testing, contraception, pregnancy benefits and other related health care as a fundamental right, barring the state government from infringing women and mens access to those things.

As states across the nation rush to implement dangerous abortion bans, Illinois has responded  by recognizing reproductive health care as a fundamental right, and by removing outdated, long-blocked statutes that make providing many forms of abortion care and some contraceptives a crime, Colleen Connell, executive director of the states chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, said in a statement.

U.S. President Donald Trump weighed in on the Reproductive Health Act on his Facebook page Thursday.

The Democrat Party is unhinged, he wrote. Their radical position on abortion is horrible.

The bill sat in legislative limbo since March, assigned to a subcommittee in the House with all the other reproductive health care and abortion-related measures introduced this session. In the Senate, its twin measure was never assigned to a substantive committee.

Calls for action were spurred by laws approved by states such as Alabama, Georgia, Ohio and Missouri restricting access to abortion. Some of those states aim to get their statutes to the countrys highest court in an effort to challenge the 1973 case Roe v. Wade, which legalized abortion procedures nationwide.

To advance the Reproductive Health Act, Cassidy abandoned her originally-filed bill, House Bill 2495, and amended another one in a move referred to in the Statehouse as a gut and replace.

The language was added, with amendments, to Senate Bill 25. Those changes reflected concerns raised by legislators, insurance groups, health care professionals and others.

A coalition of organizations and activists have been working on this bill for a very long time, Jennifer Welch, president of Planned Parenthood of Illinois, said. We are confident that Governor Pritzker will follow through with his promise to make Illinois the most progressive state in the country on reproductive rights and sign the Reproductive Health Act into law.



By Washington Examiner, May 31, 2019





A government watchdog is warning of a potentially violent situation at one Border Patrol station on the U.S.-Mexico border where migrants are held in unsafe conditions. Even so, Homeland Security officials are not planning changes anytime soon.





The Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General released a report Friday that found dangerous overcrowding among adults being held at the El Paso Del Norte Processing Center in West Texas.The police and army recently mounted a joint operation to flush out violent illegal miners throughout the country, but the officers have quickly seized the opportunity to make dirty money, it has been revealed.

In early April this year, The Standard, working with Information for Development Trust, a non-profit media support organisation, revealed that armed illegal miners sponsored by powerful politicians were spreading terror in mining areas in the Midlands  President Emmerson Mnangagwas home area  and other provinces.

The investigation revealed how the police and other state security agents largely ignored the perpetrators of the violence who frequently attacked their rivals with machetes, guns, swords and other homemade arms with impunity.

The courts were being bribed to protect the machete militias too, some of the illegal miners alleged, and this has not been officially refuted.

In a follow up probe by The Standard, it was revealed that the police and army have since deployed officers to the hotspots of the machete violence on recommendations from the Joint Operations Command that brings together all the security units.

The epicentres of what is now popularly referred to as machete wars and where the police and army have been deployed following the media expose include Gaika Mine just outside Mnangagwas hometown of Kwekwe, some mining areas in Kadoma in Mashonaland West as well as Bindura and Mazowe districts in Mashonaland Central where illegal gold extraction dominates.

Gaika Mine, located along the Kwekwe-Bulawayo highway has been home to arguably the most notorious gang, Al Shabaab, whose operations of violence spread beyond the city.

In its formative days, Al Shabaab was rumoured to be Mnangagwas project, but he has repeatedly dismissed the allegation that was made by his rivals in the ruling Zanu PF party, human rights defenders, opposition members and residents of the Midlands city of Kwekwe.

Regular patrols are being conducted in other hotspots of machete violence in Kwekwe such as Mbizo 4 where a number of deaths have been recorded.

In Kwekwes Amaveni suburb where a machete gang called Anaconda has been terrorising its foes and residents alike, the patrols are also regular, with owners of night spots being forced to stop selling liquor in the evening.

While the police and army jointly made a deployment at hotspots of machete violence in the mining areas, stakeholders say the security agents are taking bribes from the illegal miners and allowing them to carry on with their criminal activities as well as protecting the militias from prosecution.

Sources revealed that government has since replaced the soldiers from 5 Brigade just off Kwekwe with those from 3 Brigade located in Mutare who are not familiar with the locals, as a strategy to stem the collusions.

A Zimbabwe Republic Police Support Unit officer, Danmore Nyashanu, was recently arrested for alleged illegal possession of gold ore suspected to be from Gaika Mine and his case is being handled at the Kwekwe Magistrates Court.

The Anti-Corruption Trust of Southern Africa (ACT-SA) that operates from Kwekwe hailed the state security organs for responding to the machete violence but is now concerned that they have spawned a new wave of corruption.

The courts have moved fast to uphold an earlier order to declare a Zanu PF led invasion of Gaika Mine illegal following the expose by The Standard.

The April story by The Standard indicated that a senior provincial Zanu PF official, Vongaishe Mupereri who, reportedy, has strong links to Mnangagwa and State Security minister Owen Ncube, was coordinating the machete violence from the ruling party offices in Kwekwe.

An earlier High Court judgment had barred him from interfering with mining operations at Gaika, but that ruling was ignored.

However, after the April expose, the same court insisted that Mupereri must back-off.

Obert Chinhamo, the ACT-SA director, said the security deployments had been made urgent by the subsequent High Court order that barred Mupereri from interfering with operations at Gaika.

Its indeed true that police officers and soldiers are now guarding the mine (Gaika) after the High Court order against Vongaishe Mupereri, but themselves (soldiers and police officers) are carrying out illegal mining activities and receiving bribes from illegal miners who continue (with) mining activities during the night, he said.

For instance, Danmore Nyashanu, a ZRP Support Unit operative, was arrested and appeared in court after he took advantage of his position to conduct mining activities and allegedly steal gold ore.

Added Chinhamo: Its sad when law enforcement agents are involved in illegal activities. This just demonstrates the systemic nature of corruption in Zimbabwe.

Chinhamo is concerned that junior officers might be taking a leaf from their seniors who are benefiting from the chaos in the mining sector and making overnight riches.

The army and police were deployed at the Chiadzwa diamond fields in 2009 and were reported to have made quick fortunes by forcing illegal miners to work for them, while sharing their loot with the bosses in the military and the ruling Zanu PF.

Police spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi, confirmed the joint operations between the army and police to suppress the machete wars, and said that indicated the security sectors seriousness in curbing the mayhem.

There is nothing sinister with the police seeking the assistance of its sister security arm to thwart any cases of machete violence, he said.

It is in line with the constitution and the deployments will continue in order to protect property of citizens and their rights (sic).

Nyathi promised that the police would act strongly against officers colluding with illegal miners, adding that the deployments were nationwide.

Colonel Overson Mugwisi, the Zimbabwe Defence Forces spokesperson, said he had been out of office for some time and was yet to get a full briefing on the deployments.

I have been in Victoria Falls for some time and am just getting into the office. It will be prudent if you sent written questions so that I can consult with my principals, he said.

However, at the time of going to print, he was yet to respond to the questions sent to him.

The media expose on the machete violence has also caught the interest of the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission.

At a stakeholder meeting held in Gweru in April, Netty Musanhu, a commissioner with NPRC, revealed that the body was appalled by the reports of machete violence in mining areas, adding that her commission would be investigating the problem.

Senators have also taken keen interest in the machete wars and condemned them after the publication of the story by this publication.

 The Standard

Breaking News via Email

Loading...

Related Zimbabwe Latest NewsJerri-Lynn here. Trump has pledged to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to fossil fuel drilling, and as this post describes, Interior Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management Joe Balash told an industry gathering last week in Alaska that leases will be offered for sale later this year.

This move will undoubtedly be subject to a legal challenge  which would at minimum delay the administrations timeline to offer leases for sale. US federal district court judge Sharon Gleason in March voided Trumps 2017 executive order opening Arctic waters to oil drilling. Gleasons order reinstates existing limits to offshore oil and gas leasing in the Arctic, which includes most of the Beaufort Sea and all of the Chukchi Sea, as reported by Arctic Today in Court ruling on offshore Arctic leasing creates new obstacle for planned Beaufort sale.

A bipartisan group of House members have introduced a bill to amend the 2017 tax bill to remove the section that opened the refuge to drilling, as reported by the Hill in Lawmakers introduce bill to ban drilling in Alaska wildlife refuge. This measure is not a serious obstacle to Tumps plans.. Even if the full House passed it, the Republican-controlled Senate would likely vote it down; and in the unlikely event that Congress passed the bill, Trump would certainly veto it.

By Andrea Germanos, staff writer, Common Dreams. Originally published at Common Dreams

Caribou graze on the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska. (Photo: USFWS/Flickr/cc)

Interior Dept. statement that lease sale will happen in 2019 comes as oil companies face heat over possible extraction on previously protected public land

Environmental and indigenous activists are hoping to make sure the Trump administrations promise to soon sell oil leases in the previously protected Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is never fulfilled.

Republicans laid the groundwork for the fossil fuel leases in the refuges 1.6 million-acre coastal plain in a deplorable provision in their 2017 tax law. The administration followed through in December with a draft environmental impact statement (EIS) for granting the leases. And with a final draft EIS expected in August, an administration official said Thursday that an oil sale would happen before the years over.

Speaking at an oil industry conference in Anchorage, Interior Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management Joe Balash said, Once we have a final EIS, we will be in a position to issue a record of decision and notice of lease sale. And that lease sale will happen in 2019.

Among the issues at hand: the land is sacred to Gwichin; it is the site of the planets longest land-based mammal migrationthat of the porcupine caribou herd; extraction and exploration would disrupt other wildlife; and it would add fuel to the climate crisis.

Morning read: Despite myriad internal issues and overwhelming public opposition, @Interior and Joe Balash promise to hold #ArcticRefuge lease sale in 2019. #ProtectTheArctic https://t.co/42wZvadFMz pic.twitter.com/4G50h5Isx0  AlaskaWild  (@alaskawild) 31 May 2019

A group of teachers and scholars wrote earlier this year about the potential threats, noting that the draft EIS failed to address the ecological impacts of drilling:

Fossil fuel development in the Coastal Plain would devastate an Arctic nursery of global significance. It would violate human rights, jeopardize food security, and threaten the health and safety of Indigenous communities. It would contribute to the escalating crises of climate change and biological annihilation. The Arctic Refuge is an irreplaceable ecological treasure.

Given such impacts, oil giants including BP and Chevron were targeted during shareholder meetings this week, where demonstrators demanded they not drill in the public lands. Bank behemoths that would finance the extraction have been targeted as well.

Among those who wanted to deliver a message to Exxon at a shareholder meeting this week was Donald Tritt, a representative of the Gwichin.

In a statement shared on Twitterthe oil company didnt let him speakTritt said that drilling in the Arctic Refuge would not only affect his family today, but future generations to come.

The cost of drilling in the coastal plains is just too high for my people and the reputation of any company that decide to lease there, he said. Leasing in the Coastal Plain is bad for business at a time the world is turning away from fossil fuel[s].

Donald Tritt, a Gwichin leader w/ @OurArcticRefuge, traveled from Alaska to Texas to be at the #ExxonAGM today to ask @ExxonMobil to stay out of the Arctic Refuge. Exxon wouldnt even let him speak. Heres what he would have said. RT to #StandWithTheGwichin! #ProtectTheArctic pic.twitter.com/NxWUjJm5iP  Sierra Club (@SierraClub) 29 May 2019

The Sierra Club agreed.

Major banks and oil companies will continue hearing from the public and their shareholders loud and clear that the Arctic Refuge is no place for drilling, said Ben Cushing, a campaign representative for the group, on Thursday.

Pursuing drilling in this unique wilderness would be bad for the environment, bad for human rights, and bad for their bottom line, he added. The public is watching and demanding that these companies commit to staying out of the Arctic Refuge.

The Wilderness Society, which also opposes drilling the refuge, suggested the leasing decision is a likely outcome given the Interior Secretary David Bernhardts record as a former oil industry lobbyist.

We said it once and well say it again, the group said. We cant trust an oil lobbyist to manage #PublicLands.By Jerri-Lynn Scofield, who has worked as a securities lawyer and a derivatives trader. She is currently writing a book about textile artisans.

Quartz this week reported in Scotland is on the front line in the fight against cash deserts on an active battleground in the ongoing war on cash: the increase in the UK of cash deserts   areas that banks have decided not to serve, so that those who need cash, and wish to withdraw it from their bank accounts, cannot do so.

The UK is on the frontline of the war on cash, with branches being shuttered and banks seeking to convince customers they should embrace lower-cost apps. Over to Quartz:

An average of 460 cash machines vanished every month in 2018, and the country has fewer than 8,000 bank branches now, down from nearly 18,000 in 1989. Around 1,500 previously banked towns no longer have one. The angst in these villages and towns shows that a swath of people cant, or dont want to, leave the analog world behind, even as the number of ways to manage money online is exploding. And they have a point: Research shows that online finance isnt yet a full replacement for its physical predecessor. Banks like RBS, Lloyds, and Barclays, meanwhile, are under pressure from impatient shareholders to cut costs, as digital rivals brag about their lack of costly physical branch networks. In banks eagerness to embrace more profitable digital alternatives, they are scrapping branches and ATMs faster than society is ready for. As they retreat, the UK is becoming a laboratory for what the rest of the developed world can expect as financial apps rise and storefronts get boarded up [Jerri-Lynn here: my emphasis].

The cash desert problem isnt limited to Scotland, as the Telegraph reports in Over 100 rural areas in the UK are cash point deserts without a single ATM:

More than 100 rural areas in the UK are cash point deserts without a single ATM, research shows for the first time. The study by consumer watchdog Which? found a total of 123 postcode districts with a combined population of 110,935 people did not appear to contain a single ATM. A further 116 postcode districts appear to have just one ATM, 37 of which charge a fee. In total there are around 2,900 postcode districts in the UK.

The BBC reports separately earlier this month that deprived areas are losing ATMs at a higher rate than are affluent areas, according to a study by the University of Bristol:

Researchers found two-thirds of the citys cash machines that began charging between October 2018 and March 2019 were in poorer neighbourhoods. Dr Daniel Tischer warned cash deserts were being created which further marginalised poor areas. The team added policymakers had to take the most vulnerable into account. The study showed bank branches and free cashpoints were concentrated in areas of economic activity, such as the affluent neighbourhood of Clifton. Cash machines in more deprived areas tended to be owned by companies that increasingly charge people to withdraw money. [Jerri-Lynn here: my emphasis.]

To expand further on the research, according to a University of Bristol press release, As cash declines, research shows the most deprived communities are left behind :

New research from the University of Bristols Personal Finance Research Centre shows deprived neighbourhoods, often those where people are most likely to rely on cash, are rapidly witnessing the disappearance of their free cashpoints. The study mapped the cash infrastructure within Bristol  one of the UKs largest and wealthiest cities, which also has areas with some of the highest levels of deprivation in the country.

Now, I should note, that banks can point to economic factors that determine their decisions not to site and maintain ATMs in certain areas, thus creating cash deserts. To site an ATM requires a bank to incur $25-50,000 in capital costs  with the total amount depending on the sophistication of the machine. Most operators depreciate them over 5 years and run them for 7 meaning they they get two free years out of them in terms of hardware costs. This means they spend $5-10,000 each year to cover that aspect.

But the real hit to run an ATM is in maintenance. Its necessary, at minimum, to replenish the ATM weekly, so that customers wont find a machine has run out of cash when they visit it. Nor do banks want to lock up huge cash balances in these machines: that would mean they both incur a too-high cost-of-cash hit and that the ATM might pose a tempting target for thieves.

Usually, the maintenance and management cost is at least equivalent to the capital cost. In really remote places, that management and maintenance cost is obviously higher because its a longer trip to load it with cash, do the balancing, do housekeeping jobs like cleaning and sorting out note jams, retained cards etc.

If an ATM is only doing a few hundred dispenses per week, the cost per transaction ends up very steep. Far more than can be clawed back from the card issuer banks.

The bottom line is that it costs money to site and maintain an ATM, and the cost curve is only going to get worse over time.

The Bottom Line

In the UK at least, the cash deserts problem looks like it will only expand, as the economics argue against siting and maintaining ATMS in certain areas, and customers alone are unable to convince their banks to do otherwise.

Where are the regulators?Everyones favourite food secrets are back for a fifth season! Go behind the scenes of the factories churning out delicious sweets, old-time classics and the new generation of artisanal treats.

Wednesdays from 9:30pm AEDT.NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg visited Tirana on Sunday (2 June 2019) for talks with Albanias leadership. Welcoming Albanias ten years of membership in the Alliance, Mr. Stoltenberg praised the nation for contributing troops to NATOs missions in Kosovo and Afghanistan, and to NATOs multinational battlegroup in Latvia. He paid tribute to the two Albanian soldiers who recently lost their lives in a tragic accident in Latvia.

Through hard work and dedication, Albania is setting an example in promoting peace and stability in the Western Balkans, he said. The Secretary General hailed the European Commissions recent recommendation to open EU accession talks with Albania and North Macedonia stressing: it is important that this progress continues. He called on all political actors to resolve differences through dialogue and established political processes, and to show the political consensus necessary for continued Euro-Atlantic integration.

Click here for the transcript of the press conference.Prime Minister Rama, Edi, it is great to see you again.

Thank you for that warm welcome. It is a pleasure to be back in Tirana.This year we mark NATOs 70thanniversary. And ten years since Albania joining the Alliance. So I really appreciate this opportunity and am glad to be able to mark this important anniversary together with you.

Ever since you joined, Albania has been a committed and highly valued NATO Ally. Albania has forces serving in NATOs multinational battlegroup in Latvia. And I want to pay tribute to the two brave Albanian soldiers who lost their lives in the tragic accident in Camp Adazi last month. So please accept my condolences. My thoughts and deepest condolences go out to their loved ones, and to the people of Albania. Your troops also help build greater stability as part of NATOs KFOR mission in Kosovo. And you help us fight international terrorism by contributing troops to our training mission in Afghanistan.

NATO is also committed to the security of Albania. We are investing 51 million euro to modernise the existing facilities at the Kucove air base. Including projects on fuel storage and logistics. This will help all of us to be more effective, more resilient, and more secure. And it shows how NATO, through its investment programmes, is investing in NATO countries such as Albania.

Through hard work and dedication, Albania is setting an example in promoting peace and stability in the Western Balkans. The European Commission has recommended that the EU open accession talks with Albania. It is important that this progress continues. NATO is an Alliance of democracies. In democracies there will always have differences and debates. This is not a weakness. It is at the heart of what makes our democracies strong.

But political violence contradicts our democratic values. It is absolutely unacceptable. So I call on all political actors to behave responsibly and with restraint. And to show the political consensus necessary for continued Euro-Atlantic integration; and to resolve any difference through dialogue and established political processes. Because this contributes to a better future for the people of Albania, and for the whole region.

Prime Minister, Dear Edi. It is great to be here. Thank you again for Albanias strong commitment to our Alliance. And for your personal commitment to our Alliance and your strong leadership in guiding Albania on its Euro-Atlantic path.

Question [Top Channel] [Translated]: [inaudible] Top Channel Television. A question for both Mr Stoltenberg and the Prime Minister: in the last months, we have seen a number of protests in Serbia, Montenegro and Albania, where opposition has handed over the parliamentary debate and has refused to take part in the upcoming elections on 30th June. From your information, are there data that suggests that there is a Russian influence in these protests, which seeks to have destabilised Balkans far from Euro-Atlantic standards? Thank you.

Jens Stoltenberg [NATO Secretary General]: So, political debate, political disagreement, thats part of democracy and that is not a sign of weakness, thats actually a sign of strength. But what is not acceptable is any use of violence and any attempt to undermine democratic institutions. And therefore I call on the full respect for our democratic institutions in all member countries. NATO is a political military alliance which is built on some core values, democracy, the rule of law, democratic institutions are of course an important part of that and therefore any disagreements have to be resolved through political dialogue and through participation in democratic processes, and elections are of course a core part of democratic processes in our member countries, in NATO Allied countries, including in Albania.

And therefore I call on all political actors to participate and to contribute in a dialogue and to resolve differences through dialogue and not by undermining democratic institutions. We have seen attempts by Russia to try to meddle in our democratic institutions and domestic political processes in different countries, including try to meddle in democratic processes in NATO Allied countries. When it comes to the situation in this country, in Albania, I will leave it to the Prime Minister to comment on that specifically. But any attempt to interfere, to meddle in domestic political processes, is always unacceptable. What we have to do is to support our democratic institutions and solve disagreements/differences through democratic processes and through political dialogue.

Edi Rama [Prime Minister of Albania] [Translated]: First, it's not a secret or maybe it's the biggest public secret I would say, that Russia's approach to NATO, to the European Union, to integration processes is not a friendly approach. Second, I would like to underline the fact that in no NATO member country there has been or there has happened what is happening here, and what some main opposition forces are warning of and apparently will try to stage it here, it would be unquestionably an indelible stain for our country as a NATO member, which is not a military Alliance, but it's a military Alliance of a number of countries that share values and principles that are not negotiated. Third, of course something like this is not in favour of a country, does not coincide with the interests, values, principles, neither of NATO or the European Union, and as such [inaudible] it will lead to the mill of those, it will bring water to the mill of those who dont want the full integration of the Western Balkans, either in NATO or in the EU.

Question [Report Television] [Translated]: Report Television. A joint question: how do you rate the political situation in Albania from internal domestic or external actors? Is there any risk to instability and, in this condition, will NATO speed up its investment in Kucove base?

Jens Stoltenberg [NATO Secretary General]: So, we will move on with the programme, with investments in the air base as planned. The political turmoil, the tensions we have seen will not affect that decision and will not affect the way we implement this decision. Because this is a decision made based on advice from our military commanders, from our military planners, and we have a budget, we have a programme and then we invest or upgrade military facilities, including this air base in Albania. And we will continue with that. So, for me, this is just an example of how NATO is important for Albania, but also how Albania is important for NATO. We support each other. NATO is a way to bring countries together, 29 Allies, and as long as we stand together, as long as we are united, we are safe.

And the reason for NATO to be strong and to also invest more in defence is that thats the best way to prevent a conflict. Deterrence and defence has kept us all safe for 70 years and will continue to do so in the future, as long as we continue to stay united. So, I once again thank Albania for its contributions to our Alliance, for the contributions to NATO missions and operations, and also for the people you send to different NATO activities, including the people you have at the NATO Headquarters, the ministers, the people that participate in NATO decision making, because you are around the table together with 28 other Allies. So, once again, thank you for your strong contribution to our Alliance.

Edi Rama [Prime Minister of Albania]: Just as Secretary General said, the decision to invest in the air base of Kucove and the investment programme to transform that base into an integral part of NATO infrastructure cannot be discussed. And I will add to that, that in Albania we will never allow to happen any form of destabilisation that might affect the image of our country, beyond the affection brought to this image by the organisation of violent manifestations, in a small perimeter and without popular support. I am sure when I say this, because I am sure that every citizen and every Albanian who loves this country, irrespective of what they think about this government, whether they vote of not, for the majority they are not going to participate in the process which would prove the notorious thesis of Albanian's enemies that Albanians are incapable of building a state and not respecting their own rules.

And the last thing, this is not a manifestation of major concern, popular concern, it is a political staging and it has no possibility or chance of going beyond the political stage. We are going to hold elections as an [inaudible] democratic process. If the opposition or whatever opposition party deliberately or legally is prevented to join elections, elections will not be democratic. But if someone does not like to join elections, this doesnt make elections undemocratic. It's time that we put an end to a very protracted history of political whims vis a vis the democratic process. Once again, I want to thank the Secretary General and, as I have assured him during our talk, I want to assure him again that all our commitments vis a vis the Alliance are commitments that we will abide by to the end. On the other hand, I am certain that even in this artificially staged process, Albania, as a NATO member, is not going to stain its image or the calm of Euro-Atlantic Alliance. Many thanks.(Natural News) Reading the defamation complaint Svetlana Lokhova filed last Thursday against Stefan Halper and three media giants felt like paging through a Nicholas Sparks novel. But instead of finding a formulistic young love tragedy turned epic romance, Lokhovas lawsuit exposed the outline the intelligence community used to spread the Russia collusion fiction. It also revealed that the United Kingdom held a prominent role in the plot development.

(Article by Margot Cleveland republished from TheFederalist.com)

Other than a blip of notoriety in 2015 when she won a 3.1 million award in a harassment case against her former employer, the Russian bank Sberbank CIB, Lokhova resided in obscurity at Cambridge University. At Cambridge, Lokhova focused on completing her PhD in Soviet Intelligence Studies under the tutelage of Professor Christopher Andrew.

According to Lokhovas complaint, all that changed on February 19, 2017, when her long-time mentor penned an article for the U.K.s Sunday Times, painting her as a Russian spy and possible paramour-in-waiting for Michael Flynn. These are the allegedly false and defamatory claims that formed the basis for her lawsuit.

In her lawsuit, Lokhova detailed the backdrop to Andrews article then laid out its aftermath, before blaming not just Andrew, but FBI informant Stefan Halper and three media powerhouses with embroiling an innocent woman in a conspiracy to undo the 2016 Presidential election and topple the President of the United States of America. But in sharing her story of how the intelligence community and press sucked her into the Spygate scandal, Lokhova also laid bare the formula used to fake the Russia collusion narrative and convince the public that President Trump conspired with the Kremlin.

The isolated nature of Lokhovas supposed involvement in the purported Russia collusion provides the perfect opportunity for outlining the formula used for more than three years to peddle the hoax. Heres the template.

Step 1: A Credentialed Individual Launches the Narrative

The first step to crafting a somewhat believable Russia collusion narrative involves the use of a credentialed individualan expert, someone connected, someone with credibility. Andrew, the author of the Sunday Times hit piece, easily served that role.

He touted his position as the former official historian of MI5 and an organizer of the Cambridge intelligence seminar, and proceeded to explain how he had met Flynn three years prior when Flynn was serving as the director of the Defense Intelligence Agency. It was at this seminar that Flynn also crossed paths with Lokhova, whom Andrew explained was a postgraduate student at Cambridge.

Step 2: Insert Factually Accurate Details

Next you need some factually accurate details. For Andrew, those consisted of background facts about Flynn, such as that he served as Obamas director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, before the former president fired him.

Then Flynn joined the Trump team as the presidents national security adviser, Andrew explained, until Trump also fired him. Andrews connection to Cambridge and the British counterintelligence group MI5 could also be readily confirmed, adding to the believability of the yarn.

Step 3: Wordsmith the Article for Maximum Innuendo

After laying this groundwork, its time for the innuendo. And Andrew excelled at innuendo. The title, Impulsive General Misha shoots himself in the foot, set the tone, with the foreign moniker Misha sensualizing the scene.

General Misha, Andrew claimed, was how Flynn signed email correspondence with Lokhova, the young Russian-born student with whom Flynn was especially struck, and with whom he showcased an evidence pleasure in engaging.

Andrew then sexualized this brief scholarly encounter by sharing that at the seminar Lokhova showed Flynn some rare Russian documents, including what Andrew described as an erotic postcard sent by Stalin to a 16-year-old girl. The card, Andrew explained, showed a passionate embrace between two partially clothed lovers. Stalin wrote that he was sending with it not just a simple kiss, but a hottttttttttt one (because there is no point kissing any other way).

With the theme now clear, Andrew told readers that At the end of the evening, Flynn invited the student to accompany him on his next official visit to Moscow, providing striking evidence of his spontaneity, and demonstrating Flynns instinct when he sees a new opportunity is to follow it up. But alas, that trip was cancelled in protest against Russian policy in Ukraine, Andrew noted to explain why the rendezvous never occurred.

Here again you see the factually accurate details used to bolster the storyline: Russias March 7, 2014, incursion into Ukraine and Flynns assertion that the intelligence community had predicted the likely Russia intervention a week earlier, timed perfectly to Flynns February 28, 2014, chance encounter with Lokhova. Yet, even with the trip canceled, Lokhova and Flynn stayed in touch, Andrew stressed, while implying impropriety.

Step 4: Hook to Real News Involving Russia

Intrigue alone is not newsworthy, so the next step requires hooking to a valid new story to suggest a Russian connection. Andrew hooked his tale of General Mishas meet-up with the Russian-born Lokhova to Trumps firing of Flynn a week earlier following revelations that Flynn had discussedsanctions with the Russian ambassador, although telling Vice President Mike Pence that he hadnt.

Then Andrew, in what could possibly be the non sequitur of the year, claimed Flynns meeting with Lokhova provides some context for his intercepted telephone conversation with the Russian ambassador in Washington.

Step 5: Playing the Saint While Suggesting Criminal Activity

Andrew quickly pivots from that point, lest readers ponder too long: Wait, what context? And in doing so, Andrew puts himself on the side of the angels by castigating those who leaked details of Flynns call to the media.

Andrew does this so deftly that he is able to simultaneously cast aside concerns that Flynns call was being recorded and imply that Flynn acted criminally: As a former intelligence chief, Flynn must have known [the call] would be routinely recorded under the US Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Whether or not Flynn behaved illegally, those who leaked intelligence about the call to the media clearly did so.

Read more at: TheFederalist.com(Natural News) Strange aircraft with a seeming ability to defy the laws of physics have reportedly been making routine appearances along the Eastern seaboard, and the United States military says it isnt sure where theyre coming from, or what they even are.

Following a series of upgrades to the radar systems of the Navys F/A-18 fighter jets, multiple pilots working aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier claim they spotted the unidentified flying objects (UFOs) nearly every day between the years of 2014 and 2015.

According to the official accounts, these UFOs had no visible engine or infrared exhaust plumes, and were able to reach 30,000 feet and hypersonic speeds  all while engaging in strange movements such as spinning like a top and moving directionally against the wind.

The alleged existence of these UFOs was first reported back in March 2018, several years after Navy pilots claim to have first seen them. But multiple witnesses insist that theyre real, and claim that what they saw them doing isnt possible with existing known technologies.

These things would be out there all day, Lieutenant Ryan Graves, an F/A-18 Super Hornet pilot whos been in the Navy for 10 years, told Congress and the Pentagon. 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.

In one instance, another Super Hornet pilot is said to have had a near collision with one of these UFOs, which prompted the filing of an official mishap report. In another instance, a planes camera apparently captured video evidence of one of these UFOs, which was reportedly seen zooming over the ocean waves.

Wow, what is that, man? one of the pilots is heard asking in the footage. Look at it fly!

For more stories like this, be sure to check out UFOs.news.

Navy pilots claim theyve also observed giant Tic Tac UFOs off the coast of California

Back in 2004, Navy pilots in San Diego claim to have observed another type of UFO that media reports describe, and video footage depicts, as a giant Tic Tac, roughly the size of a commercial airplane. Just like these more recent encounters, this UFO was never identified.

As it turns out, UFO encounters by the U.S. military are more common than most people probably think, though this type of thing is rarely discussed by the mainstream media.

People have seen strange stuff in military aircraft for decades, Lt. Graves says. Were doing this very complex mission, to go from 30,000 feet, diving down. It would be a pretty big deal to have something up there.

Perhaps the most inexplicable aspect to these UFOs is the way they move about, changing altitudes on a dime and demonstrating an ability to accelerate, slow down and then hit hypersonic speeds, official reports reveal.

Lt. Danny Accoin, another Super Hornet pilot like Lt. Graves, claims hes had two encounters with such objects, the first of which he tried to intercept with his own aircraft. But the UFO apparently evaded him in such a way as to outsmart Lt. Accoins radar.

I knew I had it, I knew it was not a false hit, Lt. Accoin recalls, adding that, for some unknown reason, he could not pick it up visually.

Early on, these Navy pilots simply chalked the whole thing up to being some kind of classified and extremely advanced drone program. But they would later learn that this was not the case, and that they were actually dealing with something so advanced and anomalous that it might just be non-human in nature.

We have helicopters that can hover, (and) we have aircraft that can fly at 30,000 feet and right at the surface, says Lt. Graves about the advanced technology that the military has. But what he and his fellow servicemen observed in these UFOs was a combination of all of this, along with some type with no jet engine, (and) no exhaust plume.

See more news about UFOs at UFOs.news.

Sources for this article include:

ZeroHedge.com

NaturalNews.com(Natural News) With Democrats, some Republicans, and Obama judges on federal courts aligned against POTUS Donald Trumps efforts to build new walls along the U.S.-Mexico border, a private organization has stepped in to erect new barriers were it can.

We Build The Wall, a group started by triple amputee and U.S. Air Force veteran Brian Kolfage, began construction of a half-mile section of new wall on private property over the Memorial Day holiday where hundreds of illegal aliens and tens of thousands of dollars worth of drugs were crossing into nearby El Paso, Texas, on a daily basis.

Just as the organization was getting its operation rolling, they were shut down by local city officials in neighboring New Mexico who claim that We Build The Wall did not have proper permitting and other government permissions to construct the barrier.

As The Washington Examiner reported:

A New Mexico town ordered the nonprofit We Build The Wall to cease and desist construction on a U.S.-Mexico border fence on Tuesday for lacking proper permitting.

The completed section of the privately-funded border fence, which runs about half a mile, violates a Sunland Park city ordinance. City officials were barred from inspecting the wall last week and the property owner submitted an incomplete application to build a fence on his land, Sunland Park Mayor Javier Perea said in a Tuesday press conference.

We have issued a cease and desist order to the owner of the property, Perea said. At this point, it will be turned over to the courts for follow-up on the matter.

City officials claimed that the organization didnt have survey data on their application to build the wall or a proper blueprint. In addition, the fence is larger than the six-foot maximum set by city law, the Washington Examiner noted.

A big win for America and border security

But Kolfage told reporters Wednesday that all of the permitting processes were correct, the appropriate paperwork had been filed, and everything was a go  until, suddenly, it wasnt.

What cartel paid off the Sunland Park City officials to lie and shut down our wall project?! THEY LIED! exactly why we kept it quiet, Kolfage tweeted. Its pretty bad when our legal team has to educate Sunland Park mayor on his own city ordinances. They dont even understand their own laws. Were about to embarrass them in front of the nation who is watching!

He was right.

On Friday, Kolfage tweeted, 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.

In an interview last week with Fox News, Kris Kobach, former Kansas secretary of state who is affiliated with We Build The Wall, said the organization was told by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that a wall could not feasibly be erected along the section where they wanted to build, but the group proved them wrong. (Related: Private border wall going up in vulnerable El Paso sector even as federal courts push open borders.)

The wall construction comes as POTUS Trump  who, unlike previous presidents, refuses to give up on his campaign pledge to secure the border  imposed a 5 percent tariff on all goods coming into the U.S. from Mexico beginning June 10, a tariff that will increase to 25 percent over the course of 2019 if the Mexican government did not do more to stop illegal immigration.

The tariffs will steadily increase after June 10 until the 25 percent maximum is imposed by the end of the year  if illegal immigration remains a problem.

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. Details from the White House to follow, he tweeted.

Read more about the invasion of illegal aliens into the U.S. thanks to open borders at InvasionUSA.news and OpenBorders.news.

Sources include:

TheNationalSentinel.com

WashingtonExaminer.com(Natural News) It is no coincidence that two days after the Trump administration announced a massive DOJ anti-trust investigation into Google, dozens of tech companies have been disrupted via sweeping internet outages that many are calling the internet kill switch.

Throughout the day today (Sunday), massive outages took down nearly all Google services (Gmail, Google, YouTube, Google Home, Google Hangouts etc.), and hard-hitting glitches hit all the following services, many of which are engaged in criminal activities that violate human rights and the freedom of speech in America:

Gmail / Google / Google services

YouTube

Facebook

Twitter

Amazon and Amazon Web Services

AT&T, T-Mobile, Comcast, Verizon and Spectrum

Apple Store and iCloud

The outages have affected literally millions of websites and e-commerce sites and demonstrate that all these tech companies have an Achilles Heel  a common infrastructure that can be crippled and taken down in seconds.

Two days ago, the DOJ essentially declared war against Google  which is exactly the right move  by announcing it had begun an anti-trust investigation into Googles anti-competitive practices. This took place barely two weeks after the White House announced an effort to collect case studies from people and businesses all across America who have been censored, de-platformed or economically sabotaged by Google and other tech giants.

You are likely watching a high-stakes WAR being waged between Big Tech and President Trump

ANALYSIS: What youre actually watching may be the Trump administration firing a warning shot over the bow of Silicon Valley and its evil tech giants. The message is clear: If you continue to censor the human rights and free speech of conservatives and Christians, you will be taken down and denied access to the internet infrastructure.

This is just the beginning of whats coming. I have publicly called for the arrest and prosecution of big tech CEOs like Jack Dorsey, Mark Zuckerberg and Tim Cook. These organizations  Google, Apple, Twitter, YouTube, Facebook  are openly engaged in massive, coordinated criminal fraud, election rigging and treason against the United States of America. These techno-fascists are operating online cartels that suffocate the speech of conservatives, Christians and Trump supporters.

These evil techno-fascists must be stopped. Their CEOs must be arrested, and their operations must be either radically reformed or completely dismantled and taken offline.

Its time for all humans on planet Earth to demand the dismantling of Big Tech and end its crimes against humanity. The systematic censorship of speech for political purposes is a criminal act of war against the human race. These tech giants must be stopped the same way we once stopped Adolf Hitler: Declare war, then defeat the evil fascists using the full power of the military. Its time for Trump to call for the military police to locate and arrest the CEOs of the tech giants, then hold them for prosecutions under military law.

Make no mistake: Zuckerberg, Dorsey, Pichai, Cook and others are truly enemies of humanity and the enemies of freedom all around the world. Its time to remove them from power and restore human freedom on a global scale.

See and share the memes at OnlineCivilRights.org:(Natural News) In April of this year, Natural News reported how U.S. hospitals were releasing deadly superbugs into the open air, infecting both patients and individuals in the local community with a deadly fungal strain known as candida auris. As I wrote then:

Its happening right now. And this pandemic has been silently spreading over the last four years, with virtually zero media reports, very little information from the CDC, and a coordinated cover-up by the hospitals of the western world to keep patients in the dark while theyre being infected and killed by a deadly pathogen.

Now, patients in an Ohio hospital have been infected with Legionnaires disease after the hospital was found to be circulating a potentially deadly bacterial strain through its water supply. Local media is reporting the details of the outbreak, and Dr. Amy Acton, who heads up the Ohio Dept. of Health, is reportedly leading the investigation into what happened.

InfoWars has covered the full story and reports the following (source):

SEVEN DIAGNOSED WITH LEGIONNAIRES AT NEW OHIO HOSPITAL

Seven patients have been diagnosed with the deadly Legionnaires disease at an Ohio hospital thats been open just over a month, according to reports.

Health officials have begun to disinfect the buildings water lines to stop the spread and are scrambling to identify the source of the bacteria, according to a Friday statement from Dr. Amy Acton, director of Ohios Department of Health.

To protect patients, employees, and visitors, we have acted swiftly today after my team discovered a connection between three confirmed cases of Legionnaires disease in former patients at Mount Carmel Grove City, said Dr. Acton. Working in collaboration with Franklin County Public Health, I issued an adjudication order to immediately reduce the risk of further infection.

It is our understanding that hospital officials have begun implementing the steps outlined in the order, tonight.

Specific maneuvers outlined in the statement include but arent limited to the following, according to local media:

 Flush all hot and cold water lines and fixtures throughout the entire seven-floor, 200-bed facility.

 Implement immediate remediation practices to disinfect hot and cold water lines and fixtures.

 Ensure the two on-sight cooling towers are cleaned and serviced.

Legionnaires disease is described as a severe form of pneumonia and is contracted by inhaling airborne water droplets containing the Legionella bacteria, which is why authorities are targeting the hospitals water supply.

Similarly, this brings to mind a recent superbug fungal outbreak that spread rapidly throughout U.S. hospitals, mainly New York and New Jersey.

During this outbreak in 2017, there were at least 61 reported cases of the deadly fungus that touts a 60% mortality rate and has the potential to become widespread due to conventional antibiotics being ineffective in treating it.

At the time, reported cases of the fungal superbug, called Candida auris, skyrocketed a staggering 800% from several months prior.

Its acting like a superbug, said Paige Armstrong of the CDC. Without appropriate infection control and really a rigorous response, [it] could lead to even more cases in the United States.

Watch the 45-minute documentary that reveals the full story on candida auris, the deadly superbug thats now spreading through U.S. hospitals

Watch the full candida auris mini-documentary here, via Brighteon.com, and stay informed about the threat of deadly superbugs at Superbugs.news.

Brighteon.com/6026835517001

A shorter podcast explanation is available here:

Brighteon.com/6024854551001There is an outbreak of flu at the San Diego migrant shelter located in a former county building in downtown San Diego.

On Thursday, officials confirmed that 234 people have had flu-like symptoms since May 19. That number has grown from the 16 cases reported on May 23.

"That constitutes an outbreak of flu in a congregate care setting like a shelter or a skilled nursing facility," said Dean Sidelinger, Deputy Public Health Officer for the County of San Diego.

Most of those suffering from influenza are children with ages ranging from 5 years old to adult.

Sidelinger said the people who are identified as suffering from the flu are removed from the shelter and placed in a hotel with their families, so they can be cared for by public health nurses and community partners.

Health officials confirmed that 2 families -- or 4 migrants -- were quarantined at hotels as of Thursday. The highest number of migrants quarantined since May 19 is 11.

"We know diseases like the flu can be spread very easily in settings with close contact - shelters, particularly large shelters where individuals are sharing the space," Sidelinger said.

The migrants in the downtown shelter include those that have been transferred to San Diego from Texas where the flu strain of Influenza A H1N1 has been circulating.

The asylum seekers from Texas have been arriving to San Diego since May 19.

The county is taking action, after a flu outbreak at a local migrant shelter. Doctors say three people have tested positive for the flu at a downtown shelter, and 16 people have flu-like symptoms. NBC 7's Llarisa Abreu has more.

Our early efforts to create a safe and professionally-staffed shelter for legal migrant families has protected the greater San Diego region, said County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher. Our rigorous screening process and attentive medical staff is what has allowed us to quickly identify this issue and take steps to address it.

Sidelinger said specimens had been taken from the individuals in San Diego and are being processed to determine the type of flu. It can take up to four days after exposure for flu signs to appear.

Please refresh this page for updates on this story. Details may change as more information becomes available.

Another plane filled with migrants touched down in San Diego coming from Texas. NBC 7s Danny Freeman has more on this new plan to redistribute migrants across border shelters.DNA analysis "conclusively proves" the mountain lion killed by wildlife officials this week was the animal that attacked a boy in Los Penasquitos Canyon Preserve, California Department of Fish and Wildlife officials confirmed Friday.

Results from the mountain lion matched the genetic profile of the animal that attacked the 4-year-old boy on Memorial Day, wildlife officials said.

The boy was hiking with a group of six adults and five children in the Los Penasquitos Canyon Preserve, in an area known as Carson's Crossing at the center of the preserve, when the animal attacked at about 2:30 p.m., SDFD Battalion Chief Rick Ballard told NBC 7.

The child escaped with non-life threatening injuries. He was rushed to Rady Children's Hospital for treatment. His family has requested that updates on his condition not be released to the media.

NBC 7's Dave Summers saw hikers and cyclist enter the trail after caution tape and warning signs were put up.

The day after the attack, wildlife officials spotted tracks of a mountain lion and were then approached by a mountain lion in the same area of the attack.

"The lion appeared to have little fear of humans, which is abnormal behavior for a mountain lion," officials said in a written release Friday.

The female mountain lion was shot and killed by wildlife officers.

Samples from the clothing of the child as well as scrapings from underneath the mountain lion's claws were sent for testing.

The boy's father "threw rocks and the animal left the scene," said CDFW spokesperson Lt. Scott Bringman.

The boy was, "Extremely lucky, I mean an 80-pound lion could really did some damage and luckily the dad was there and fended off the animal," he said.

Bringman said it was unusual that the animal returned to the same area just hours after the attack. Mountain lions are not typically spotted, even though they live in the area.

"Once it attacks somebody, and based on the evidence that this animal being habituated, wasnt scared of the wardens, it is a problem. We do not relocate them because that animal will be a problem somewhere else," he said.

Officials said the four-year-old boy was "extremely lucky" after a possible mountain lion attack.

The last time a mountain lion attacked in San Diego County was in Dec. 1994, when a 56-year-old woman was killed at Cuyamaca State Park, according to the DFW. The only other attack dating back to 1986 was of a 10-year-old girl in Sept. 1993.

The preserve is located between Rancho Penasquitos and Sorrento Hills, just north of Mira Mesa. It covers seven miles between the merge of Interstates 5 and 805 to just east of Interstate 15.

Bobcats and coyotes are known to live in the preserve. Residents hike through the area to see a waterfall, a freshwater marsh and a grove of sycamore trees.

With the addition of housing into the foothills in San Diego County, there have been an increasing number of reports of wildlife spotted in yards and near homes.

In October, one resident in Chula Vista contacted the state and the federal government when she noticed four bobcats in her Eastlake neighborhood.

One Poway homeowner shared video with NBC 7 after she said she spotted two mountain lions in her yard in July.

That same month two bobcats activated a Carmel Valley resident's home-security motion lights and could be seen jumping around playing with their dinner. The woman said they were in their backyard for about three hours overnight.

Some of the most striking video NBC San Diego received in 2018 showing a big cat near humans was the curious bobcat captured outside the Anza Borrego Desert Research Center.

In all of these reported incidents over the last two years, no humans were injured in the interaction.

In September 2016, a Carmel Valley woman was bitten by a bobcat that she had picked up when she saw it was injured.The California Democratic Party State Convention in San Francisco came to a close Sunday.

Three presidential hopefuls  Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro, and former Maryland Rep. John Delaney  capped the three-day event with speeches before those in attendance at the Moscone Center.

Sanders kicked things off in rousing fashion, firing up delegates eager to take back the White House.

"Let me thank everybody in this room for your determination to defeat the worst president in the history of this country, a president who is a racist, a sexist, a homophobe and a religious bigot," Sanders said.

Castro picked up where Sanders left off, telling delegates he was looking forward to President Donald Trump's last day at the White House.

"The helicopter will be there waiting in the distance to take him away, and right before he leaves, right before he walks away, I'm gonna tell him, 'Adios,'" Castro said, evoking cheers from the crowd.

But it was Delaney who stirred the hornet's nest, drawing boos for his views on medicare for all.

"Medicare for all may sound good, but it's actually not good policy nor is it good politics," Delaney said.

The three candidates were among 14 presidential contenders who made the trip to San Francisco for the gathering of the California Democratic Party, which featured thousands of fervent activists. Former Vice President Joe Biden was the only big-name candidate to skip the gathering, opting instead to campaign in Ohio. That allowed Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, California Sen. Kamala Harris and others a chance to grab the spotlight.

Whos Running for President in 2020?

The race for the 2020 presidential election is underway, and the field of Democratic candidates is packed. Those who have announced presidential bids include a vice president, senators, House members and three mayors. As for the GOP, a single Republican has announced his bid to challenge President Donald Trump for the party nomination: former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld, who ran for vice president (and lost) in 2016 on the Libertarian party ticket.

Click the photos to learn more

California has shifted its 2020 primary earlier on the calendar, to March 3, part of the Super Tuesday collection of contests, in hopes of giving the state more sway in choosing the partys nominee. California will offer the largest delegate haul, but it is a notoriously difficult state to campaign in, given its massive size and expensive media markets.

For coverage of Saturday's slate of speakers, click here.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.The Santa Clara City Fire Department was at the scene of a three-alarm fire caused by an explosion at a chemical facility Saturday afternoon.

The incident was reported at Silicon Valley Air Products on 1515 Norman Avenue at around 4:30 p.m., according to officials.

The company serves customers in the "including refining, chemical, metals, electronics, manufacturing, and food and beverage" industry, according to the company's website.

Videos posted on social media showed smoke coming out of the facility and witnesses reported hearing a big explosion prior to seeing smoke.

"At first, we thought it was an earthquake," said Harry Nguyen, a business owner around the corner from the facility. He told NBC Bay Area that his whole building "shook like hell."

Multiple tanker trucks were set for refueling at the time of the incident, and after hearing a hissing sound, employers went to shut off a hydrogen tank with up to 1,500 gallons of highly explosive gas.

"When the shutdown of the tanker happened there was an explosion that resulted in the damage of the emergency shut off," said Drew Miller from the Santa Clara Fire Department.

Officials ordered a two-block radius shelter in place for a couple of hours while they controlled the flames.

No injuries were reported and the company is investigating the matter.Teachers and administrators from the New Haven Unified School District are tentatively set to resume contract talks at 10 a.m. Sunday, a day after the two sides traded barbs about who should, and shouldn't, be part of the negotiations.

The district' teachers have been on strike for the past two weeks.

In a statement Saturday, school district Superintendent, Dr. Arlando Smith said he would leave the bargaining if New Haven Teachers Association president Joe Ku'e Angeles does the same.

"For the sake of the process, and the teachers, students and district that I love and care about, I will remove myself from the negotiating process if Mr. Angeles agrees to do the same and refrain from making any more incendiary comments, which seems to be his only contribution to the process thus far," Smith said in the Saturday statement.

In a statement from the teachers' union Saturday, Ku'e Angeles accused Smith of refusing to meet with state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, who took part in the negotiations Friday.

"Arlando Smith told our state Superintendent of Public Instruction that it was not his place to be involved, and that he didn't want him here. I can't believe he disrespected the superintendent of public instruction," Ku'e Angeles said in the teachers' union statement Saturday. "This situation, and Arlando's behavior, is getting more and more outrageous."

Ku'e Angeles could not be reached for comment Saturday to say whether he plans to attend Sunday's bargaining session. Superintendent Smith could not be reached for comment as to whether he actively boycotted a prospective bargaining session Saturday, or plans to bow out Sunday.

On Twitter Saturday, Thurmond said, "My team will remain involved & work with all parties for as long as it takes to get this resolved."

California Teachers Association spokeswoman Cynthia Menzel said Saturday night that she plans to be at Sunday morning's scheduled bargaining session in Hayward, regardless of Saturday's public bickering and bargaining session that didn't happen.

"It's been one of the most confusing, unusual things I've ever seen in my life, and I've seen a lot" of these negotiations, she said. "I've never seen bargaining sessions like this."

Both sides have moved from their original positions. Teachers originally asked for a 10% pay hike over two years, but are now proposing cost-of-living adjustments of 3.7% for this year and 3.26% for next year, according to New Haven Teachers Association officials.

The district originally countered with a 1%raise for 2019-2020 and a one-time 3% payment, along with an additional raise of up to 1% if it was able to add up to $2 million to its budget. The district is now offering a 3% increase for this year and a 2% pay hike in January 2020, according to district officials.

District officials say they cannot afford to meet the teachers' demands without needing to make significant cuts elsewhere in the district.

The New Haven Unified School district employs approximately 585 teachers at its 11 schools in Union City and Hayward. Approximately 11,000 students attend those schools.Four Americans and a Canadian pilot were killed when a small plane went down off the coast of Roatan island in Honduras, officials said Sunday.

Armed Forces spokesman Jose Domingo Meza confirmed the nationalities of those who died in Saturday's crash.

The Piper Cherokee Six plummeted into the Atlantic shortly after takeoff from the popular tourist destination of Roatan en route to the port of Trujillo. The military said in a statement that rescue boats with police divers and firemen recovered four bodies within minutes of the crash, and transported another to a hospital, where he died shortly after of internal injuries.

The U.S. State Department also confirmed the deaths of four U.S. citizens and Global Affairs Canada confirmed that a Canadian also had died. They did not release names.

Honduran authorities identified the pilot as Patrick Forseth, a Canadian national who developed tourism projects in the Trujillo Bay area.

Forseth was involved in a legal dispute with Afro-indigenous Hondurans who accused him of trying to develop their ancestral lands into vacation properties for international tourists. Forseth defended his company in a 2017 statement, saying it had purchased the land in 2013 and had made several attempts to reach an amicable resolution.Police are warning hikers near Scantic River Park West in Enfield to be aware of an aggressive animal after a person was attacked Sunday morning.

Authorities said a hiker was attacked by a possible coyote or fox in Scantic River Park West off of Route 190 around 10:45 a.m.

The hiker was taken to a local hospital and has since been treated and released, officers added.

The incident is being investigated by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

"If you plan on hiking in the area, please be cautious and any sightings of an aggressive animal in the park should be reported to D.E.E.P. at (860) 424-3333," Enfield Police said in a post on Facebook.

The west entrance to the park is currently closed.Police have arrested the estranged husband of Jennifer Dulos, a missing New Canaan woman, and his girlfriend in connection to her missing person case.

Jennifer Dulos, a 50-year-old mother of five children, was reported missing around 7 p.m. on May 24 and New Canaan police have been working with Connecticut State Police, federal law enforcement agencies and other law enforcement agencies to locate her.

The law enforcement team said they have launched both a missing person investigation and a criminal investigation and they have worked together throughout the state of Connecticut.

Based on facts and evidence gathered during the criminal investigation, police said arrest warrants were completed for 51-year-old Fotis Dulos and 44-year-old Michelle C. Troconis. The arrest warrants were reviewed by a State's Attorney and a Superior Court Judge, who found probable cause and signed both warrants, authorities added.

According to court documents, Troconis is Fotis Dulos' girlfriend.

The pair was taken into custody in in Avon around 11 p.m. Saturday and were transported to New Canaan Police Headquarters for processing.

Fotis Dulos and Troconis are both facing charges including tampering with or fabricating physical evidence and hindering prosecution in the first degree.

According to police, Fotis Dulos was transported to Bridgeport Correctional Center where he is being held on $500,000 bond. Troconis is being held on a $500,000 bond at New Canaan Police Headquarters. Both are expected to appear in Norwalk Superior Court on Monday.

On Sunday, Connecticut State Police were seen searching at a home on Mountain Spring Road in Farmington linked to the Fore Group, which is owned by Fotis Dulos. Authorities have not released details about if the search was connected to the missing person case.

Officers said both the missing person and the criminal investigations are active and dynamic.

As the criminal investigation progresses, authorities said additional criminal charges are expected.

Jennifer has not been located and the search for her is ongoing, police added.

On Sunday following the arrests, Jennifer's family spokesperson released a statement saying in part, "We have no comment at this time. Just urging people to please respect the privacy of Jennifer's family and friends."

Anyone with information is asked to contact New Canaan Police Tip Line at (203) 594-3544.Connecticut State Police are attempting to identify a suspect from an armed robbery in Salem early Sunday morning.

Troopers were called to the Henny Penny on New London Road in Salem around 4 a.m. after getting a report of an armed robbery.

The Connecticut State Police Eastern District Major Crime Squad is assisting troopers and said they are trying to identify the suspect pictured.

The suspect is described by police as a white man with a thin build, who is approximately 6'0" to 6'2" with a full black beard and black eyeglasses.

Anyone with information about the suspect is asked to contact Detective Lloyd Wright at (860) 465-5423. Calls may be made anonymously.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.Dallas police are investigating a body that was found early Saturday morning.

According to investigators, at 3:35 a.m., officers were dispatched to the 6500 block of Cliffbrook Drive for a male who was lying in the middle of the street.

Upon closer inspection, it was found that the male was unresponsive and was later pronounced deceased.

It is unknown what happened and this incident is still under investigation at this time.After spending a couple years behind a desk as a graphic designer, Jennifer Easterling decided she needed a change and found her passion in teaching.

"The rewards of teaching, as far as getting to interact with the kids, and getting to know them on a different level and helping to push them to find their passions, that's what does it," she said. "Thinking if I were to step outside the classroom, I don't know what I would do."

The Eagle reports Easterling, the middle school and upper school art teacher at Allen Academy in Bryan, has now been working in education for 10 years.

One of her goals is to get the students to learn to appreciate art and to get them to explore outside of their comfort zone. Since 2018, Easterling, who has worked at Allen Academy for three years, has overseen the Allen Explorers program, in which a group of students travel to another country for a week or so.

"My big thing is, and what I've done with the international travel and stuff, is using the world as their classroom," she said. "There are things that we learn here, and then taking those skills and applying them wherever else we may be or gaining skills from a living working artist. . Putting them out there and learning from other people, not just me sitting in a classroom lecturing and seeing how other people are applying those skills and how somebody's able to make a living out of it or even a lifetime."

It was a study abroad trip to Italy that unlocked Easterling's passion for art. She said her high school in Lubbock did not offer art, and her first true experience of an art museum was in college when she traveled to Florence and visited the Uffizi Gallery.

"We would never just travel to Dallas -- six hours away -- just to go to a museum. We just never did that, so I didn't even really know what the Uffizi was. . I walk around a corner and there is The Birth of Venus by (Sandro) Botticelli, and it's massive on this wall. It just hit me. It was one of those moments where, I don't know, just this powerful emotion just hit me. I had goosebumps and chills, and I just remember standing there in awe, just face to face with this massive artwork, and then it's sister piece right there beside it," she said.

In her class, she lets the students learn more about art from around the world with an art of the week in which she and the students look at the piece, discuss it and analyze it, noting the lesson exposes the students to more than just American or European art.

When students leave her class, Easterling said, she just wants them to have an appreciation for art.

"Art may not be your forte or your thing; you may not do it all of your life or you might in which I'd love to see that too, but if you can at least appreciate it and understand what people are doing and why they're doing it," she said.

Senior Kendall Kacal said Easterling brought a different energy to the art room, noting the previous teacher had a much more structured classroom.

"You get a lot of freedom when you're able to work underneath her," Kacal said. "You're still able to learn the techniques and all the new things . but I've been able to do crazy projects and just explore my own personality and style through art and learn about myself through learning through different art and finding my style by her teaching us her passion for it."

Though it is an art room, Easterling said, therapy sessions sometimes come out of the class.

"There are a lot of life lessons that, I think, happen in here," she said. "We chat about all kinds of things when kids are working on stuff. We have all kinds of, I guess, therapy sessions. It's fun because you do get to know the kids on a whole new level than if you're just up lecturing because you work and you chat and solve all of life's problems."

Kacal said those chats are some of her favorite things about Easterling's class.

"We talk a lot, just about family, about school. I've been at this school for 15 years, so I give her some context about why things are the way they are sometimes. . Me and her always have really deep conversations about anything really, what's going on, our interests. A lot about life," she said. "It just brings a sense of, we call it the 'Allen Family,' and she definitely brought that. I don't know if she expected to be immersed into the family that Allen is, but it is a family, and she fits in perfectly here."

That comfort Kacal has talking to Easterling and her other teachers is a skill, she said, she knows will help her as she moves on to college and beyond.S Band Radar & Maps | Forecast | Weather Alerts

Traffic | Send Us a Photo/Video | Live Cams

A slow-moving thunderstorm wreaked havoc across North Texas early Saturday evening, bringing small hail, flash flooding and high winds.

The National Weather Service reported wind gusts in Seagoville reached 80 mph, snapping tree limbs up to 2 feet in diameter.

Around 7:15 p.m., the Fort Worth Fire Department was simultaneously undertaking several high water rescues on the east side of Interstate 35W between Allen Avenue and Berry Street, according to the National Weather Service.

MedStar tweeted that it was at the scene of a flooded car with a person inside in the same area -- near the intersection of Allen Avenue and Main Street.

NBC 5 viewers also sent in numerous photos and videos of storm clouds, heavy rain and even hail from Weatherford all the way to Highland Park.

If you have a weather photo or video, please send it to isee@nbcdfw.com.

Latest Video Forecast

The latest video forecast from NBC DFW's team of Weather Experts will appear in the player above. Keep up with the latest changes to the weather by downloading the NBC DFW smartphone App for iOS and Android!

Read the latest forecast information from NBC 5's team of Weather Experts here.

Before the Storm

Stay Connected. Download the NBC DFW App

Set your push alert preferences.

Charge your phones and tablets so that if you lose power you can still watch live weather coverage in the App.

Weather SafetyMore than a dozen Democratic presidential hopefuls have flocked to California for the chance to make their cases to thousands of activists in the nation's largest liberal stronghold.

Candidates held rallies across the state before descending on San Francisco for a three-day gathering of the California Democratic Party.

Home-state Sen. Kamala Harris looked to make a show of force while Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Vermont independent who vied for the Democratic nomination in 2016, hoped to build on the fervent support he received in California during that race. Twelve others in the 2020 pack hoped to introduce themselves and spark interest among the party's most faithful voters.

Many of the leading candidates gathered for Move Ons Big Ideas Forum in San Francisco Saturday and it was a protester that stole the show. Christie Smith reports.

"I'm here again, to ask for you to stand with me in a fight," Harris told union workers on Saturday morning, before the party convention. She reminded them of her record while she was California's attorney general and highlighted her campaign proposals to support working families.

"It will not be easy  this will not be given to us," Harris said.

At the convention hall, dozens of Harris supporters chanted her name and waved signs. But at another event for advocacy group MoveOn, things didn't go smoothly for Harris when a demonstrator jumped on stage, took the microphone from her hand to ask her a question. The man was quickly escorted out by security.

A demonstrator in the crowd jumped on stage during MoveOn's #BigIdeas Q&A with Sen. Kamala Harris and was escorted out by security.

The protester told NBC Bay Area that he's a voter from Oakland and that he's frustrated the senator isn't prioritizing animal rights and climate issues. Over a thousand of other demonstrators were gathered outside San Francisco Civic Center to march for animal rights.

Sanders received an enthusiastic reception Friday night at a meeting of the Chicano-Latino caucus, which endorsed him during the close 2016 contest with Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Speaking to SEIU workers this morning, Sen. Kamala Harris reminded them of her record while she was Californias attorney general and highlighted her campaign proposals to support working families.

"This time we are going to win California," he declared.

California has shifted its 2020 primary earlier on the calendar, to March 3, part of the Super Tuesday collection of contests, in hopes of giving the state more sway in choosing the party's nominee. California will offer the largest delegate haul.

Among the major contenders seeking to challenge President Donald Trump, only former Vice President Joe Biden declined to attend the California convention. He was scheduled to speak at a Human Rights Campaign event in Ohio on Saturday night.

[BAY]Ive Got a Plan for That: Senator Elizabeth Warren Rallies in Oakland

Candidates usually rely heavily on California, home to Hollywood and Silicon Valley, to raise campaign cash. But the earlier primary is so far leading some candidates to spend more time in front of rank-and-file voters. Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren held a rally before thousands of voters in Oakland on the eve of the convention's main program.

Warren electrified California Democrats on Saturday with a pledge for bold action, matching if not outshining enthusiasm for Harris.

High-profile presidential candidates took the stage Friday in San Francisco with plenty of cheers and promises. Sam Brock reports.

"Some say if we all just calm down, the Republicans will come to their senses," Warren said in bringing the crowd to its feet with a thinly veiled shot at former Vice President Joe Biden, who has expressed hope the GOP will have "an epiphany" after President Donald Trump is gone. "But our country is in a crisis. The time for small ideas is over."

Harris too sparked a standing ovation when she declared, "We need to begin impeachment proceedings and we need a new commander in chief!"

Earlier, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi avoided mentioning impeachment in her remarks but said the House would hold Trump accountable.

Democratic presidential candidate Amy Klobuchar spoke briefly at SEIU Breakfast Forum in San Francisco on Saturday ahead of the Democratic California Convention.

Former Texas Rep. Beto O'Rourke also addressed the morning convention, slipping seamlessly between Spanish and English, a key move in a state with a large Hispanic population. He praised California Democrats for their massive turnout in the 2018 midterms, when the party flipped seven U.S. House seats held for years by Republicans and noted that his unsuccessful Senate bid drew record Democratic turnout as well.

"You, California Democrats, have offered the rest of the country an example," he said. "And in Texas we were right there with you."

Sanders wasn't scheduled to address the full crowd until Sunday, but he greeted union workers at a Saturday morning breakfast and received an enthusiastic reception Friday night at a meeting of the Chicano-Latino caucus, which endorsed him during the close 2016 contest with Hillary Rodham Clinton.

We will go where the facts take us...but no one is above the law. @SpeakerPelosi expends considerable capital & time addressing calls for pres. impeachment at #CADem2019. But Speaker never says the I-word, faces chants of impeach, impeach throughout address. @nbcbayarea pic.twitter.com/qfZbtEczzl  Sam Brock (@SamBrockNBC) June 1, 2019

"This time we are going to win California," he declared.

The other candidates attending the gathering are New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker; New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand; Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard; South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg; California Rep. Eric Swalwell; Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar; former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper; Washington Gov. Jay Inslee; former Obama housing chief Julian Castro; and former Maryland Rep. John Delaney.

Whos Running for President in 2020?

The race for the 2020 presidential election is underway, and the field of Democratic candidates is packed. Those who have announced presidential bids include a vice president, senators, House members and three mayors. As for the GOP, a single Republican has announced his bid to challenge President Donald Trump for the party nomination: former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld, who ran for vice president (and lost) in 2016 on the Libertarian party ticket.

Click the photos to learn moreA domestic violence suspect who led officers on a 60-mile chase from Riverside to Commerce, where he was eventually arrested at a casino, remained behind bars Saturday.

Ricky Mitchell of Riverside, 43, had been wanted since Wednesday when a woman reported that he had committed acts of domestic violence against her, according to Riverside Police Officer Ryan Railsback.

"Since then, he has made numerous threats to harm the victim and her family, causing them to remain in fear,'' Railsback said.

On Friday morning, police found the suspect driving near the intersection of Van Buren Boulevard and Arlington Avenue, but he sped off when officers attempted to pull him over.

Police tailed the suspect south on Van Buren Boulevard then onto westbound State Route 91 into Corona, where the California Highway Patrol eventually took over the chase.

The pursuit continued southbound on State Route 55 and then northbound on Interstate 5.

The suspect exited the freeway and pulled into the Commerce Casino, where he was arrested, according to Railsback.

Mitchell was booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside County on suspicion of domestic violence, stalking, criminal threats, willful endangerment to a child and felony evading a peace officer.

He remained behind bars in lieu of $100,000 bail.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."

-- Associated Press writer Jay Reeves

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.

-- Associated Press writer Jeffrey Collins

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 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.

-- Associated Press writer Juan A. Lozano

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."

-- Associated Press writer Kevin McGill

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, 69, 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."

-- Associated Press writer Freida FrisaroRescuers on Sunday searched for eight mostly foreign mountaineers who went missing while attempting to scale India's second-highest mountain, an official said.

The team, led by British climber Martin Moran, began its ascent May 13 to summit up a previously unclimbed peak on Nanda Devi East at 6,477 meters (21,250 feet), according to Moran Mountain, Moran's Scotland-based company. The team comprises four Britons, two Americans, an Australian and an Indian liaison officer.

Vijay Kumar Jogdande, a civil administrator in northern India's Uttarakhand state, said four other team members who had stayed back at the second base camp were brought down Sunday.

He said the rescue operation, launched on Saturday, was called off Sunday due to bad weather. He said the search would resume on Monday, using tips provided by the four team members brought down from the base camp.

The mountaineers were supposed to return to the base camp on Friday, Jogdande said. "But when they failed to return, an alert was sounded and the rescue operation was launched," he said.

Jogdande said trekking has been called off in the region due to inclement weather and an avalanche. "Choppers are carrying out sorties to bring back people from the base camp," he said from Pithoragarh, a town 400 kilometers (250 miles) southwest of Lucknow city.

The route to the Nanda Devi peak begins from the Munsiyari area, about 130 kilometers (80 miles) from Pithoragarh. Mountaineers traverse on foot about 90 kilometers (55 miles) from Munsiyari to the Nanda Devi base camp.

Moran "is an accomplished mountaineer and had climbed Nanda Devi peak several times," Jogdande said.

Moran's company wrote on its Facebook page on Sunday that it was working with authorities and the British Association of Mountain Guides to "gather information regarding the Nanda Devi East expedition team."

"Out of respect for those involved and their families, we will be making no further comments at this time," reads the post.

Amit Chowdhary, spokesman for the Indian Mountaineering Foundation, said the missing climbers' location was known up to May 26. He said they had been in radio contact with the other four expedition team members led by Mark Thomas, also a British mountaineer.

Chowdhary said when the Thomas-led team was no longer receiving radio updates from the other expedition team, Thomas went to look for the missing climbers the next day.

"There was a trail of the climbers there and the trail ended in an avalanche. There was evidence of a very large avalanche," Chowdhary cited Thomas as having said.

Chowdhary said he spoke with Thomas on Sunday after he and his three associates were brought down from the base camp.

He said that as Thomas accompanied rescuers in the chopper, they were able to spot the trail, but not the missing climbers. "They could see from the helicopter footmarks of the team, but nothing else," he said.A top White House official said Sunday that President Donald Trump is "deadly serious" about imposing tariffs on imports from Mexico, but acknowledged there are no concrete benchmarks being set to assess whether the U.S. ally is stemming the migrant flow enough to satisfy the administration.

"We intentionally left the declaration sort of ad hoc," Mick Mulvaney, the acting White House chief of staff, said on "Fox News Sunday."

"So, there's no specific target, there's no specific percentage, but things have to get better," Mulvaney said. "They have to get dramatically better and they have to get better quickly."

He said the idea is to work with the Mexican government "to make sure that things did get better."

On Monday, top officials from the two countries will start meetings in Washington. Mexican Economy Minister Graciela Marquez plans talks with Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross. Two days later, delegations led by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Foreign Relations Secretary Marcelo Ebrard will meet.

But Trump played down the effort. "Mexico is sending a big delegation to talk about the Border," the president tweeted Sunday. "Problem is, they've been 'talking' for 25 years. We want action, not talk."

Trump claims Mexico has taken advantage of the United States for decades but that the abuse will end when he slaps tariffs on Mexican imports next week in a dispute over illegal immigration.

"America has had enough," he tweeted.

The president said last week that he will impose a 5% tariff on Mexican goods on June 10 to pressure the government of Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador to block Central American migrants from crossing the border into the U.S.

Trump said the import tax will increase by 5% every month through October, topping out at 25%.

But the president has been here before, issuing high-stakes threats over his frustration with the flow of migrants only to later back off. They include his threat earlier this year to seal the border with Mexico.

Republicans on Capitol Hill and allies in the business community have signaled serious unease with the tariffs that they warn will raise prices for consumers and hurt the economy. Some see this latest threat as a play for leverage and doubt Trump will follow through.

GOP Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana, called the tariffs a "mistake" and said it was unlikely Trump would impose them.

The president "has been known to play with fire, but not live hand grenades," Kennedy said on CBS's "Face the Nation."

"It's going to tank the American economy," he said. "I don't think the president's going to impose these tariffs."

Mexican officials are due to meet later this week with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in a bid to come to a resolution.

"I think what the president said, what the White House has made clear, is we need a vast reduction in the numbers crossing," Kevin McAleenan, acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, said on CNN's "State of the Union."

Mulvaney, who also appeared on NBC's "Meet the Press," said Mexico could take various steps to decrease the record numbers of migrants at the border.

He suggested the Mexican government could seal its southern border with Guatemala, crack down on domestic terrorist organizations and make Mexico a safe place for migrants seeking to apply for asylum.

"There are specific things that the Mexicans can do," he said.

Mulvaney insisted that Trump's threat is real. "He's absolutely, deadly serious," Mulvaney said.

Economists and business groups are sounding alarms over the tariffs, warning they will hike the costs of many Mexican goods that Americans have come to rely on and impair trade.

But Mulvaney played down those fears, saying he doubts business will pass on the costs to shoppers. "American consumers will not pay the burden of these tariffs," he said.

He also suggested the tariffs were an immigration issue, separate from the trade deal the United States is trying to negotiate with Mexico and Canada.

The tariff threat comes just as the administration has been pushing for passage of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which would update the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Several top GOP lawmakers have expressed concerns that Trump's tariff threat could upend that deal. The chairman of the Finance Committee, Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, said last week the tariffs would "seriously jeopardize" passage of that agreement, which needs approval in Congress.What to Know About 2.6 million vehicles were shipped from Mexico to the U.S. in 2018, almost double the 1.33 million vehicles imported in 2011.

Mexico vehicle imports totaled more than $93 billion last year.

Mexico vehicle imports last year totaled about 15% of the total of 17.30 million vehicles sold in the states last year.

Hondas head of American operations, Henio Arcangeli, worries that President Donald Trumps latest proposal to slap a 5% tariff on auto imports from Mexico will price some Americans out of cars just when auto prices are near record highs.

The tariffs will be a problem for us and everyone else in the industry, Arcangeli said in an interview. Like many U.S. and foreign automakers, Honda imports much of its U.S.-bound autos from its manufacturing plants in Mexico. It imported 109,989 of its Fit and HR-V models from Mexico last year, a more than 600% jump since 2011, according to Mexicos Instituto Nacional de Estadistica y Geografia, or INEGI.

The North American Free Trade Agreement opened the borders between the U.S., Mexico and Canada in the early 1990s and paved the way for an international auto manufacturing industry between the three nations. Mexico is now one of the largest auto manufacturing countries in the world, and autos and auto parts are the largest single export, by value, to the United States.

About 2.6 million vehicles were shipped north of the border in 2018, valued at more than $93 billion, up from just 1.33 million vehicles in 2011, according to INEGI data. Thats about 15% of the total of 17.30 million vehicles sold in the states last year.

Trumps using the tariffs to pressure the Mexican government to stem illegal immigration over the southern border. Hes threatened to levy tariffs at 5% come June 10 and will gradually increase until the Illegal Immigration problem is remedied, at which time the Tariffs will be removed, Trump said in a tweet. By October 1, barring a resolution, the tariffs will jump to 25% which, for some Mexican-made cars and light trucks could translate into more than $10,000 per vehicle, he said.

Heres what you have to remember. Tariff equals tax hike, said Paul Ingrassia, a Pulitzer Prize-winning automotive journalist now working with the Revs Institute, said on CNBC Friday.

But even vehicles assembled in the U.S. -- including those bearing foreign brand names like Toyota, Honda, Mercedes-Benz and Hyundai -- would be hit by the tariffs if a resolution isnt found before they go into effect in less than two weeks. American assembly plants make extensive use of a significant number of Mexican-made parts and components, such as wiring harnesses, that are low value or which have high labor content. About 70% of the wiring harnesses used in the U.S. come from Mexico.

Those auto parts and components bring the total to $99.6 billion, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.

Even at 5%, the added tariff potentially could scrub the deal, especially for marginal buyers, said Joe Phillippi, head of AutoTrends Consulting, noting they could add about $1,500 to the cost of a typical Mexican-made Ram 1500 or Chevrolet Silverado pickup. That would jump fivefold if the tariffs arent removed by October. With some pickups and other Mexican imports topping $50,000 apiece, the tariffs could add on $10,000 or more  or force manufacturers to swallow a large share of their profit margins.

The average transaction price  what customers actually pay after factoring in options and incentives  will reach a near-record $33,457 for May, LMC Automotive forecast, a 4% year-over-year increase.

The auto industry gets hammered if the tariffs are enacted, with the situation getting worse each month as they are increased, Phillippi said.

It is possible that the auto industry may try to absorb some of the added costs, as has been the case with some of the Trump tariffs on imported aluminum and steel, but that would have a harsh impact on an industry facing a weakening market. Sales were off by 2.8% during the first four months of this year and are expected to be down another 2.1% when May numbers are released next week, according to a forecast by LMC Automotive.

Things get particularly complicated on the component side. It has become commonplace since NAFTA went into effect in 1994 for parts to move back across what has become a largely invisible border. Some may cross from Mexico to the U.S. and back again as often as seven times, said Steve Kinkade, a spokesman for Honda.

The Japanese automaker imported 107,989 vehicles from Mexico in 2018, a 611% increase since 2011. Its numbers pale when compared to General Motors, which led the industry by importing 666,765 vehicles from Mexico last year, a 109.6% increase since 2011. Next in line was Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, at 504,793 vehicles, a 206.2% increase during the same period, according to INEGI data.

A growing list of automakers now produce vehicles in Mexico, taking advantage of both cheap labor and that countrys extensive array of free trade agreements. Fully a third of the vehicles Nissan sold in the U.S. last year came from Mexico, while Audis new plant near Puebla serves as the sole global source of its latest-generation Q5 sport-utility vehicle.

Arcangeli sidestepped direct criticism of the presidents directive, saying only that Honda is very hopeful that a resolution will be found quickly, allowing a return to business as usual. Most of the other automakers CNBC approached declined to directly comment, referring instead to a statement by the trade group the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers.

Our position on tariffs remains unchanged: they are a tax on our customers, which means theyre harmful to our nations economy and the millions of American jobs that depend on cross-border trade, said a statement attributed to interim president and CEO Dave Schwietert.

In a Congress that has been polarized since the 2016 elections, even some Republicans took aim at the tariff plan on Friday. U.S. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley of Iowa said trade policy and border security are separate issues. This is a misuse of presidential tariff authority and counter to congressional intent.

The presidents announcement comes two weeks after he chose to delay by up to six months the possibility of enacting tariffs of up to 25% on European-made autos and auto parts following a Commerce Department study that determined they pose a threat to national security. Chinese-made autos and auto parts currently face tariffs due to the U.S.-China trade dispute.

CNBCs Emma Newburger, Michelle Fox, Phil LeBeau and Meghan Reeder contributed to this article.

This story first appeared on CNBC.com. More from CNBC:What to Know Police have arrested the estranged husband of a missing Connecticut mom, as well as his girlfriend, in connection with her disappearance

Jennifer Dulos, a 50-year-old mother of five, disappeared on Friday, May 24, after dropping her kids off at school

Her husband and his girlfriend have both been charged with tampering with physical evidence and hindering prosecution, police said

The estranged husband of a missing Connecticut mother and his girlfriend were arrested on charges of evidence tampering and hindering prosecution, police said Sunday.

Jennifer Dulos, a 50-year-old mother of five, disappeared on May 24 after dropping her kids off at school.

Her estranged husband, Fotis Dulos, and his girlfriend, Michelle Troconis, of Farmington, have both been charged with tampering with or fabricating physical evidence and hindering prosecution in the first degree, New Canaan police said.

The two were taken into custody in Avon late Saturday, police said, without providing details.

Both are being held on $500,000 bond and are expected to appear in court on Monday, according to police.

Their attorney information wasn't immediately available Sunday.

Jennifer was reported missing around 7:30 p.m. on Friday after she missed several appointments. She had been driving a black 2017 Chevrolet Suburban, which was later found on Lapham Road, near Waveny Park. The search for Jennifer is ongoing, police noted.

On Thursday, investigators searched at the New Canaan park and also checked a home in nearby Pound Ridge, New York. On Friday, detectives from Connecticut State Police assisted officers from New Canaan with multiple searches in the Hartford area.

Multiple state police cruisers were parked on Milford Street in Hartford on Friday night and investigators were 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 also searched nearby dumpsters in the area.

There was 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.

Jennifer and Fotis have been embroiled in a contentious divorce and child custody case for the past two years.

She and the children left the Farmington home, about 60 miles north of New Canaan near Hartford, around the time Jennifer filed for divorce in June 2017.

Court documents filed in the divorce case say Jennifer feared Fotis would harm her in some way in retaliation for her filing for divorce. Jennifer had primary custody of the children, with their father getting to see them every other weekend.

Fotis was asking the divorce case judge to grant him custody of the children. In a motion filed last week, he said the five children are staying with Jennifer's 85-year-old mother in New York City and are being protected by an armed bodyguard.Former New York Jets defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson was charged with driving while intoxicated after his arrest Saturday in New York City.

Rhe 29-year-old, 6-foot-4 player was arraigned in Manhattan Criminal Court and released on his own recognizance, a police spokesman told The Associated Press.

In addition to DWI, he's accused of ignoring a stop sign and driving while ability-impaired. Police said he was driving a 2019 Rolls Royce when he was pulled over Saturday at 3:40 a.m. in the Washington Heights neighborhood with a blood-alcohol level of .09; the legal limit is .08.

His attorney, Alex Spiro, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Linden, New Jersey, resident is scheduled to appear in court July 8, according to court records.

His arrest was first reported by the New York Post.

Wilkerson was drafted in the first round by the Jets in 2011 out of Temple University and made the Pro Bowl after the 2015 season. His time in New York was largely disappointing because of injuries, inconsistency and off-field issues. He broke his right leg in the Jets' regular-season finale in 2015, but was given a five-year deal worth $86 million and returned in time to start the 2016 season, though noticeably affected all year by lingering issues in his right ankle.

He got off to a slow start in 2017 while dealing with shoulder and toe injuries. The one-time fan favorite also fell out of favor because of what many perceived as a poor work ethic; he was disciplined for tardiness with the Jets and was benched for one quarter of a game in each of his last two seasons in New York.

After being released by the Jets following the 2017 season, Wilkerson signed a one-year deal with Green Bay as a free agent in March 2018. He played in only three games before injuring his left ankle and needing surgery. As a free agent, Wilkerson has not yet signed with any team this offseason.

For his career, Wilkerson has 44  sacks, one safety, 10 forced fumbles and 410 combined tackles.The international LGBTQ Pride celebration is coming to New York and Gov. Andrew Cuomo wants millions of visitors to get a warm welcome in the city that has been a leader in the struggle for gay rights.

Cuomo announced the opening of the WorldPride Welcome Center in the West Village on Saturday, at the start of Pride Month.

New York state is hosting WorldPride on the 50th anniversary of the uprising at Manhattan's Stonewall Inn that fueled the fire for a global LGBTQ movement.

Steps away is the new center on Christopher Street that features a timeline gallery tracing progress through the decades.

Cuomo signed the Marriage Equality Act into law in 2011 and some legislators are now fighting for protections for transgender people.The residents of Mosby, Missouri  a small riverside town about 30 miles north of Kansas City, Missouri  have become accustomed to watching floods swamp their streets, transform their homes into islands and ruin their floors and furniture.

Elmer Sullivan has replaced his couch, bed and television. He's torn up water-buckled floorboards. And he put a picket fence against the front of his house to cover up a gap left when waters washed out part of the stone foundation.

"I just don't want to mess with it anymore. I'm 83 years old and I'm tired of it, and I just want to get out of it," Sullivan said.

Finally fed up, Sullivan and nearly half of the homeowners in Mosby signed up in 2016 for a program in which the government would buy and then demolish their properties rather than paying to rebuild them over and over. They're still waiting for offers, joining thousands of others across the country in a slow-moving line to escape from flood-prone homes.

Patience is wearing thin in Mosby, a town of fewer than 200 people with a core of lifelong residents and some younger newcomers drawn by the cheap prices of its modest wood-frame homes. Residents watched nervously this past week as high waters again threatened the town.

"It really is frustrating, because here we are, we're coming through a wet season. There's a chance that we could possibly flood, and we're still waiting," said Jason Stooksbury, an alderman who oversees the town's efforts to curb flooding. "It's not a good situation, but what are you going to do  it's the government process."

Over the past three decades, federal and local governments have poured more than $5 billion into buying tens of thousands of vulnerable properties across the country, according to an Associated Press analysis of data from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The AP analysis shows those buyouts have been getting more expensive, with many of the costliest coming in the last decade after strong storms pounded heavily populated coastal states such as Texas, New York and New Jersey. This year's record flooding in the Midwest could add even more buyouts to the queue.

The purchases are happening as the climate changes. Along rivers and sea coasts, some homes that were once considered at little risk are now endangered due to water that is climbing higher and surging farther inland than historic patterns predicted.

Regardless of the risks, the buyouts are voluntary. Homeowners can renew taxpayer-subsidized flood insurance policies indefinitely.

With more extreme weather events, flooding "is going to become more and more of an issue, and there will be more and more properties that are at risk of total loss or near total loss," said Democratic U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio of Oregon, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, which has jurisdiction over FEMA. "Then the question is: Are we just going to keep selling them insurance and building in the same place?"

DeFazio wants to expand and revamp a buyout process that he describes as inefficient and irrational. He's backing a proposed pilot project that would give homeowners a break on their flood insurance premiums, as long as they agree in advance to a buyout that would turn their property into green space if their homes are substantially damaged by a flood.

Buyout programs rely on federal money distributed through the states, but they generally are carried out by cities and counties that end up owning the properties.

Most buyouts are initiated after disasters, but Congress has become more proactive. Appropriations for FEMA's Pre-Disaster Mitigation Grant Program which funds buyouts and other precautions, such as elevating homes before disasters strike  have risen from $25 million in 2015 to $250 million this year.

A recent study for the National Institute of Building Sciences found that society as a whole saves $7 in avoided costs for every $1 spent through federally funded grants to acquire or demolish flood-prone buildings. Yet it's harder to gauge the benefits for the individuals who move.

After Superstorm Sandy pummeled New Jersey and New York in 2012, Duke University graduate school student Devon McGhee researched what happened to hundreds of Staten Island homeowners who took buyouts. She found that all but two of the 323 homeowners she tracked relocated to areas with higher poverty levels. Three-quarters remained on Staten Island, and about one-fifth moved to homes that still were exposed to coastal flooding hazards.

"When people take the buyouts, sometimes the money they are given on their home is not enough to buy a comparable home in a lower-risk area," said McGhee, who now works as a coastal management specialist for an engineering and consulting firm.

The prolonged buyout process also can take an emotional toll on people who are uprooted.

"Maybe they find a home, and it's a good home, but it's not their home where their kids grew up and had birthday parties and that sort of thing. There are these losses that occur in that transition process that can have implications for years," said Sherri Brokopp Binder, an Allentown, Pennsylvania-based consultant who researches disaster buyouts.

Multiple layers of government bureaucracy can slow the buyout process. So can the typical hiccups that come with property sales.

In Kingfisher, Oklahoma, officials are still working to complete a buyout prompted by Tropical Storm Erin in 2007. The city initiated a buyout in 2010, then received additional money to buy more homes about five years later. It's purchased more than 80 so far, with about 10 more to go, said Annie Vest, a former Oklahoma state hazard mitigation officer who now works for an engineering firm administering Kingfisher's grant.

The process is just getting started in some Texas communities swamped by Hurricane Harvey in 2017. Officials in Liberty County, northeast of Houston, held a meeting with residents last month to discuss a $6.7 million HUD grant to buy out homes near the Trinity River. The county still must get appraisals of the homes, conduct asbestos inspections and take bids for a demolition contractor.

Local officials hope to start taking buyout applications by the end of the year, said David Douglas, the Liberty County engineering administrator and flood plain manager.

Formal discussions of a federally funded buyout likely are a long way off in Hamburg, Iowa, which was inundated in March by a breach of a Missouri River levee.

But local officials aren't waiting around. Mayor Cathy Crain said they are looking into the potential for a private developer to relocate some houses and to acquire higher land where new homes and businesses could be built.

Relocating to higher ground isn't likely in Mosby, unless residents are willing to go elsewhere. The entire core of the town is in a floodway, which means that new development is limited.

Located just northeast of Kansas City, Mosby began as a railroad town in 1887 and expanded with coal mines in the early 20th century. At one time, it had a school, bank, grocery store and lumber yard. Those are gone now, and the trains merely pass by. In 2015, financial strains led the town to eliminate its small police force.

Mosby experienced some of its worst flooding that same year, with three floods in less than six weeks. The next year, city officials began pursuing the buyouts, and more than 40 homeowners signed up. They've been in limbo ever since. Local officials sought nearly $3 million in funding, submitted a revised application, obtained property appraisals and conducted environmental reviews.

Some residents have been scouting for new housing. Others are waiting to see the bids, which are expected this summer.

Sullivan hopes to get $28,000 for his home. He would move near his sister in southeastern Missouri, but he's getting impatient.

"I'm just about ready to tell them, 'Take it and shove it,"' he said.

Sitting on the concrete porch of the white wooden house where she's lived for the past 36 years, Tammy Kilgore explains that "everybody's just really on edge and ready to leave."

"The floods, I'm tired of dealing with them, I really am," Kilgore said. "I think they should have bought out this town a long time ago."Like tens of thousands of Americans with failing kidneys, Antonio Calderon relies on dialysis awaiting a transplant donor from a registry.

"I had always been tired, fatigued, but it got a whole lot worse, Calderon said.

Calderon goes through nine hours of dialysis every night at home, he has a catheter that was installed via surgery.

It has already been two years of waiting for a kidney, and Calderon knows it could be a lot longer. He was told it would be about nine to 10 years.

Hopefully its shorter than that, or this billboard helps out, Calderon said.

The billboard can be found in West Los Angeles, California, on Barrington avenue just above Olympic boulevard.

Calderon is seeking a live donor willing to part with one of their two kidneys.

The idea came to him from a friend who had volunteered to donate one of his, but was medically ruled out--and no other friends of family could donate theirs.

"You just feel very powerless, said Ilya Polyakov, Calderons friend. You want to do something but what? It felt good to do something proactive with this whole thing."

Polyakov told us he got the idea from the outreach by the Riverside County family that succeeded in finding a kidney donor.

So for Calderon's 31st birthday, Ilya Polyakov set up a GoFundMe page and friends came up with $5,000 to make the appeal with this message: "You can't legally buy a kidney. So we bought this billboard to save our friend's life."

The billboard lists an email and a phone number for potential donors to contact.

They say the response has been overwhelming.

"I'm very grateful this is happening to me," Calderon said.

Calderon has been told transplant does not require a match of his O positive blood, but it is preferred.

They've been sending the contact information for the would be donors to the transplant center at Cedar's Sinai.

Calderon and Polyakov say they hope their campaign raises awareness and leads to more donors coming forward for others as well.Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden declared Saturday that the Equality Act would be his top legislative priority, an effort to enshrine LGBTQ protections into the nation's labor and civil rights laws.

The former vice president shared his hopes of signing the legislation as part of a keynote address to hundreds of activists at the Human Rights Campaign's annual Ohio gala on the first day of Pride Month. In a half-hour at the lectern, his remarks ranged from emotional tributes to his audience and their personal endurance to condemnations of President Donald Trump.

"It's wrong and it is immoral what they're doing," Biden said of the Trump administration. Among other Trump polices, he cited attempts to bar transgender troops in the U.S. military, allow individuals in the medical field to refuse to treat LGBTQ individuals, and allow homeless shelters to refuse transgender occupants.

"Just like with racial justice and women's rights, we are seeing pushback against all the progress we've made toward equality," Biden said.

The Equality Act would address many such discriminatory practices. It recently passed the Democratic-run House, but will not become law under Trump and the Republican Senate. That means LGBTQ residents in dozens of states are still subject to various forms of discrimination that are either specifically allowed or not barred by state law.

"It will be the first thing I ask to be done," Biden said.

Biden spoke in Ohio, a political battleground he was visiting for the first time since beginning his bid, on the same day that more than a dozen of his rivals were in San Francisco for the California Democratic Convention and a massive MoveOn.org conference. By the end of the weekend, 14 candidates will have addressed thousands of activists in California, which has more than 400 delegates to the 2020 convention, about a fifth of what it will take to win the nomination.

Among them, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Indiana, nodded to Biden's absence with subtle jabs.

"Some Democrats in Washington believe the only changes we can get are tweaks and nudges. ... Some say if we all just calm down, the Republicans will come to their senses," Warren said, an allusion to Biden's recent prediction that Republicans will have "an epiphany" once Trump leaves office.

Biden made no mention of his rivals, with his go-it-alone itinerary and his message signifying his burgeoning confidence at his position atop the pack of 24 presidential hopefuls.

Campaigning in a Midwest battleground is no surprise for Biden. One of the prevailing arguments for his candidacy is that his moderate, deal-making, "Middle Class Joe" brand offers Democrats their best shot to win back the industrial belt that Trump wrested from the party in 2016.

Yet the HRC event offered both Biden and his audience a chance to go beyond that simplified framing of the 2020 landscape.

"The thing that gets overlooked when the story is written about Ohio and the Midwest is that we're incredibly diverse," said Shawn Copeland, HRC's Ohio director.

Copeland said HRC has identified about 1.8 million "equality voters" in Ohio, including 400,000 LGBTQ citizens, plus their family members, friends and other allies. Trump got 2.84 million Ohio votes to Hillary Clinton's 2.4 million in 2016.

Biden, meanwhile, used the forum to underscore his long alliance with HRC and LGBTQ activists  a key to Biden's contention that he's more progressive than the party's left flank acknowledges.

The former vice president visibly enjoyed recalling the 2012 presidential campaign when he announced his support for same-sex marriage before his boss, President Barack Obama, had done so.

Biden recalled that most political observers "thought I had just committed this gigantic blunder." He said he'd let Obama know beforehand what might be coming. "I told the president if asked, I was not going to be quiet."

The rest of his remarks were less jovial, as Biden lamented the widespread discrimination that still exists in the U.S. and abroad. Noting recent killings of black transgender women, he roared: "It's outrageous. It must, it must, it must end. The fastest way to end it is to end the Trump administration."

He lowered his voice as he listed the percentage of LGBTQ children and teens who attempt or consider suicide. "I don't have to tell you how hard it is for these kids, because many of you were these kids," he said, "the terror in your heart as you spoke your truth."

Several Democratic hopefuls have addressed HRC state dinners this year. National officials with the organizations say they've worked with the campaigns and the state organizations to schedule the occasions.

A Biden campaign statement issued before the speech said the choice to go to Ohio proves Biden wants to have conversations about LGBTQ rights "not just on the coasts of this country, but in the heartland and with any and all Americans."

The venue also allowed him to push back, at least indirectly, at some of the jabs from California. He reminded the audience that he campaigned for many of the freshman House Democrats who helped the party to a net gain of 41 seats  mostly by winning swing or GOP-leaning districts.

"We didn't have to be radical about anything," he said. "They talked about basic, fundamental rights."

With the resulting House majority, Biden noted, the Equality Act has gotten further than ever before.U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Sunday that the Trump administration is ready for unconditional discussions with Iran in an effort to ease rising tensions that have sparked fears of conflict. But the United States will not relent in trying to pressure the Islamic Republic to change its behavior in the Middle East, America's top diplomat said.

Pompeo repeated long-standing U.S. accusations that Iran is bent on destabilizing the region, but he also held out the possibility of talks as President Donald Trump has suggested. Trump himself had raised the idea of talks "without preconditions" in July 2018, although that was well before tensions had reached their current point.

In the 11 months since then, the U.S. has imposed crippling sanctions on Iran, first in November and then again last month, targeting the most lucrative sectors of its economy. The action has drawn Iran's ire and strong words of threatened retaliation.

Iran's president, Hassan Rouhani, said the U.S. must return to the historic 2015 nuclear deal, which Trump withdrew from in May 2018. He was quoted by Iran's state-run IRNA news agency as saying that if the U.S. "realizes that the way it chose was incorrect, then we can sit at the negotiating table and solve any problem." Otherwise, he said, Iran has no choice but resistance.

While the latest offer may not pan out, Pompeo made it during a visit to Switzerland, the country that long has represented American interests in Iran, as part of a European trip aimed at assuring wary leaders that the U.S. is not eager for war .

"We're prepared to engage in a conversation with no preconditions," Pompeo told reporters at a news conference with his Swiss counterpart. "We're ready to sit down with them, but the American effort to fundamentally reverse the malign activity of this Islamic Republic, this revolutionary force, is going to continue."

Iran's foreign minister dismissed Trump's invitation for Iranian officials to contact him about possible talks.

"It's not very likely because talking is the continuation of the process of pressure. He is imposing pressure. This may work in a real estate market. It does not work in dealing with Iran," Javad Zarif told ABC's "This Week."

Separate from Pompeo's remarks about Iran, The Washington Post reported Sunday that the American secretary of state recently told a private gathering of Jewish leaders in New York that the administration's long-awaited Mideast peace plan might be argued to be "unexecutable" and might not "gain traction." Citing an audio recording of the remarks delivered Tuesday, the Post reported that Pompeo expressed his hope that the peace deal isn't simply dismissed out of hand.

The plan that Trump has called "the deal of the century" has been delayed several times, as Pompeo noted to the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations. Downplaying expectations for finding the key to an agreement ending the conflict, he told the group there are "no guarantees that we're the ones that unlock it."

In Switzerland, Pompeo's meeting with Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis in the southern Swiss town of Bellinzona came amid concerns about the potential for escalation and miscalculation with Iran  a situation that has many in Europe and the Middle East on edge.

Cassis, whose country has been an intermediary between the two before, made no secret of that nervousness.

"The situation is very tense. We are fully aware, both parties are fully aware, of this tension. Switzerland, of course, wishes there is no escalation, no escalation to violence," he said. "Both parties are now increasing the pressure, and for the rest this is a matter of worry, but we cannot do anything unless we get a mandate from both parties."

Cassis said Switzerland would be pleased to serve as an intermediary, but not a "mediator," between the United States and Iran. To do so, however, would require requests from both sides, he said.

Neither he nor Pompeo would say if such requests had been made of the Swiss.

Pompeo thanked Switzerland, which serves as the "protecting power" for the United States in Iran, for looking after Americans detained there. Trump administration officials have suggested they would look positively at any move to release at least five American citizens and at least two permanent U.S. residents currently imprisoned in Iran.

Pompeo declined to comment on whether he had made a specific request to the Swiss about the detainees. But, he said the release of unjustly jailed Americans in Iran and elsewhere is a U.S. priority.

Pompeo was in Switzerland on the second leg after Germany of a four-nation tour of Europe in which he is both trying to calm nerves and stressing that the U.S. will defend itself and not relent in raising pressure on Iran with economic sanctions.

Despite the firm stance, Trump has signaled a willingness to talk with Iran's leadership. Iranian officials have hinted at the possibility but also insisted they will not be bulled.

"If they want to talk, I'm available," Trump said last week, even as Pompeo and the White House national security adviser, John Bolton, were stepping up warnings that any attack on American interests by Iran or its proxies would draw a rapid and significant U.S. response.

The U.S. is sending hundreds of additional troops to the region after blaming Iran and Iranian proxies for recent sabotage to tankers in the Persian Gulf and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia's oil infrastructure.

Some analysts believe Iran is acting to restore leverage it has lost since Trump withdrew from the nuclear deal and the U.S. reimposed sanctions that have hobbled Iran's economy.

Last month, the administration ended sanctions waivers that had allowed certain countries to continue to import Iranian oil, the country's main source of revenue, without U.S. penalties. The U.S. also designated Iran's Revolutionary Guards a "foreign terrorist organization," adding new layers of sanctions to foreigners that might do business with it or its affiliates.

Despite the U.S. withdrawal, Iran has remained a party to the nuclear deal that involves the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, Germany and the European Union. Iran has continued to broadly comply with the terms, which called for it to curb its nuclear work in exchange for sanctions relief. On Friday, however, the United Nations' nuclear watchdog reported that Iran may be in violation of limits on the number of advanced centrifuges it can use.

Pompeo declined to comment on the findings of the International Atomic Energy Agency other than to say the U.S. is "watching closely" what is going on in Iran.

"The world should be mindful of how we are watching closely how Iran is complying with the requirements that were set out," he said.President Donald Trump is wading into the United Kingdom's 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 didn't 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 didn't know that he wouldn't 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 "didn't give the European Union anything to lose."

Trump's first visit to the UK as president was marred by similar critical comments he made to the same tabloid last year about May's handling of Brexit.

Trump is scheduled to arrive in London on Monday for a three-day visit.A Louisiana Catholic school principal has been arrested after visiting a strip club while on a school field trip to the nation's capital.

Diocese of Baton Rouge spokesman Dan Borne says Michael Comeau was arrested early Thursday in Washington, D.C., where he was with students from Holy Family Catholic School, a K-8 school in Port Allen.

According to an arrest report, officers were dispatched to Archibald's Gentlemen's Club on a complaint about "an intoxicated man refusing to pay his bill." The Advocate reports the 47-year-old faces charges of public intoxication and possession of an open container of alcohol. It was unknown if he has an attorney.

Borne says Comeau has resigned. An interim principal will be appointed.

Comeau also resigned from his position as a reserve Brusly Police officer.The victims of America's latest mass shooting in Virginia Beach, Virginia had been dead for less than a day when police and city officials released a detailed presentation with their names, photos, job titles and the cities or towns in which they lived.

In all, 12 people  11 of them city employees  were killed by the shooter who opened fire inside a municipal building.

Far less was revealed Saturday about the man who authorities say carried out the shootings. There was no photo. And authorities promised to utter his name only once: "DeWayne Craddock," a 40-year-old engineer who worked in the city's utilities department.

"We wanted to control that narrative," Steve Cover, Virginia Beach's deputy city manager of public safety, said of the news conference officials held the day after Friday's shooting. "We didn't want it to leak out piece by piece through family and friends and so forth through the media. We felt it was kind of our obligation to get that message out."

This sprawling city on Virginia's coast is employing an increasingly common public information strategy: Release more details about the victims of mass shootings than of the killers  at least initially  to limit the criminals' exposure and prevent copycat shootings.

A similar tack was taken in March after a mass shooting in New Zealand. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern promised to deny a platform for the white supremacist who authorities said gunned down 50 people at two mosques.

"The goal is to kind of interrupt the cycle of new mass shooters citing previous ones, and the new mass shooters who are becoming role models for even more attackers," said Adam Lankford, a criminologist at the University of Alabama.

Lankford has studied the influence of publicity on future shooters and has urged the news media to not name or release photos of the perpetrators.

"What the guy's face looks like is not the sort of information that will help stop the next mass shooting," he said.

But James Alan Fox, a professor at Northeastern University who has studied mass shootings, said it's appropriate for law enforcement officials to release basic facts.

"It is news," Fox said. "We provide basic details on other types of offenders."

It is the "act  not the actor" that influences others, he said. "The Columbine massacre, for example, inspired copycats, not the assailants' names and faces."

But there is a limit to how much should be reported, Fox said. Too much about a killer's background can "humanize" him or her and cross the line from news reporting to "celebrity watch."

Virginia Beach officials said more information about Friday's shooting will come out.

"And we will share our lessons learned," said Cover, the deputy city manager.

But first, officials want everyone to know the profound loss the city has suffered: four engineers who worked to maintain streets and protect wetlands; three right-of-way agents who reviewed property lines; an account clerk, a technician, an administrative assistant and a special projects coordinator. In all, they had served the city of Virginia Beach for more than 150 years. The 12th victim was a contractor who was in the building to seek a permit.

"They leave a void that we will never be able to fill," said City Manager Dave Hansen, who had worked for years with many of the slain

Sandra McDonald, 54, an event planner and nanny who lives in Virginia Beach, said she supports the city's strong focus on the victims.

"I think sometimes these people think going out in a blaze of glory is the way they are going to have their moment of fame," McDonald said, referring to the mass shooters. "I just think if we don't give them that moment of fame anymore, maybe they won't take innocent people with them."

Alice Scott, whose husband, Joseph Scott, worked with Craddock in the Public Utilities Department, said she can understand why people don't want to hear the shooter's name.

But she said maybe after some time has passed, "we can discuss why this happened."

"Maybe he needed someone to talk to," she said. "Maybe he needed to (talk) out his troubles like everybody else."

Associated Press writer Denise Lavoie contributed to this report.County officials reopened the Imperial Beach shoreline Sunday after a weeklong water contact closure due to sewage-contaminated runoff from the Tijuana River.

The San Diego County Department of Environmental Health lifted the closure from the south end of Seacoast Drive through Carnation Avenue and Camp Surf.

However, the shoreline from the south end of Seacoast Drive to the International Border will remain closed until further notice, the agency said.

On Sunday, county officials confirmed that recent water quality tests proved contaminated water from the Tijuana River was no longer impacting Imperial Beach.

Closures of the Imperial Beach shoreline are common after a storm, which can cause the Tijuana River to flow and push runoff from Tijuana into the U.S. A diverter, part of an agreement between the U.S. and Mexico, is shut down during heavy rainfall, according to the San Diego County Department of Environmental Health.

Contaminated waters can then flow northwest via the Tijuana River, which crosses the border just west of the Otay Mesa Port of Entry, through the Tijuana River Estuary and into the Pacific Ocean south of Imperial Beach.

The constant closures and contaminated flow from Tijuana has long sparked contention between the South Bay community and the International Boundary Water Commission, the agency that manages issues that affect both the U.S. and Mexico's waters.McDonalds is moving on to burger and better things by rolling out international cuisine to its San Diego stores -- with a new twist on the McFlurry and the return of a fan favorite.

Starting in San Bernardino, the Golden Arches have expanded to more than 100 countries, picking up unique specialty dishes along the way. Now, McDonalds is rolling out four of its global creations to San Diego for the summer:

The Netherlands Stroopwafel McFlurry

Spains Grand McExtreme Bacon Burger

Canadas Tomato Mozzarella Chicken Sandwich

Australias Cheesy Bacon Fries

Ik hou ervan. Me encanta. Im lovin it. No matter the language, the lovin it catchphrase has traveled around the globe, and now these worldwide menu items will too.

The four dishes were selected among the top-rated international specialties, McDonalds told NBC 7.

By bringing them to our U.S. menu for a limited time, we hope to give our San Diego and U.S.-based customers a taste of McDonalds abroad, said Vice President of the McDonalds Owners Association of Southern California Jamie Straza.

The international dishes will be available at every McDonalds throughout the county from June 5 to early August.

Stroopwafel McFlurry

McDonald's

Our creamy vanilla soft serve, mixed with a rich caramel swirl, featuring authentic chopped Dutch Daelmans Stroopwafel caramel waffle cookie pieces.

Grand McExtreme Bacon Burger

WPT

A quarter pound of 100 percent fresh beef topped with thick cut Applewood smoked bacon, smoky McBacon Sauce, real Gouda cheese and slivered onions served on a freshly toasted sesame seed bun.

Tomato Mozzarella Chicken Sandwich

McDonald's

Made with a grilled or crispy all white meat, juicy and tender chicken, the Tomato Mozzarella Chicken Sandwich is topped with tomato and herb sauce, creamy mozzarella cheese, slivered onions, fresh lettuce and sliced Roma tomatoes served on a freshly toasted artisan roll.

Cheesy Bacon Fries

McDonald's

Fries topped with real cheddar cheese sauce and chopped Applewood Smoked bacon.

The two sandwiches can be ordered as a meal from the Combo Meals menu, Straza said.

We are committed to creating everyday feel-good moments for customers no matter what McDonalds restaurant they walk into anywhere in the world, said Vice President of Menu Innovation Linda VanGosen.

While the global menu items are set to make their rounds for the summer, its not the first time their McPassports have been stamped in the States.

The Cheesy Bacon Fries is a dish you might Havarti seen before -- thats because the Australian meal already made its debut in McDonalds across the country earlier this year (but only for a short time).

On a smaller scale, those in South Florida got the inside scoop on the Stroopwafel McFlurry and the Grand McExtreme Bacon Burger, both of which had test runs across 50 locations in the region in late 2018.

And for the lucky few in Grand Rapids, Michigan, all four international menu items were available at the start of 2019.

With positive receptions in these test areas, McDonalds said it was ready to bring the four special dishes nationwide -- but only until early August, Straza told NBC 7.

As to the possibility of other global menu items visiting America, Straza said McDonalds is always innovating and looks forward to revealing what may be coming next for our menu.

But in the meantime, for those who want to try even more international fast food -- and happen to be in Chicago -- McDonalds global headquarters serves as a sort of embassy for its worldwide specialties with a rotating menu of fan favorites.

These dishes include Japans Matcha Green Tea McFlurry, Frances Double BBQ Chicken Sandwich, and the United Kingdoms Cheese Bites.

Back home in San Diego, every McDonalds restaurant in the county will have the four break-out menu items for the summer, the fast food chain told NBC 7.

To find a restaurant near you, visit McDonalds store locator.D.C.'s attorney general is asking for feedback from the community on whether notorious drug lord Rayful Edmond III should be released from prison early.

Police have said that Edmond, now 54, helped fuel D.C.'s crack epidemic in the 1980s. Notorious for leading a major cocaine trafficking ring in D.C. from about 1985 to 1989, he is currently serving a life sentence without parole for federal drug distribution charges.

An unprecedented hearing is set to happen Tuesday in D.C. Prosecutors are going to ask that Rayful Edmond III, a notorious drug lord who fueled the crack epidemic in the 1980s, be released from prison early. News4's Jackie Bensen reports.

But prosecutors have requested early release for Edmond, saying his cooperation with police since the late 1990s led to a recommendation that his sentence be reduced.

A new page on D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine's website says that community members can share their feedback on the issue in several ways, including via an online form.

They may also call 202-727-3400 to speak directly with a rep from the D.C. attorney general's office; mail a written statement to Office of the Attorney General, ATTN: Rayful Edmond Case, 441 4th St. NW, Suite 1100 South, Washington, D.C. 20001, or attend one of three community forums:

Thursday, June 13, 6-8 p.m. at Old Council Chambers (441 4th St. NW)

Saturday, June 15, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. at Martha's Table (2375 Elvans Road SE)

Saturday, June 29, 1-3 p.m. at Frank D. Reeves Center (2000 14th St. NW)

The U.S. Attorney's Office in D.C. filed a motion in February to reduce Edmond's life sentence, saying he has cooperated with authorities by providing testimony and information in narcotics and homicide investigations for years.

Edmond's cooperation "... ranged from assisting in the conviction of extremely violent individuals, to assisting in the conviction of ongoing narcotics trafficking to assisting in the institution of prison reforms," according to the court filing.

"If you would have told me back then that we would still be talking about this now, I would have told you, 'You've got to be kidding me,'" the D.C. police officer who went undercover with Edmond's organization told NBC Washington. "This was just a done deal."

One of D.C.'s most notorious drug lords is back in the news as prosecutors are asking for a reduction in his life sentence. News4's Jackie Bensen spoke to a retired D.C. officer who went undercover in Edmond's drug gang.

According to court documents, the judge ordered federal prosecutors to brief him on how to obtain the victim impact statements that are permitted when a sentence reduction is being considered. But, 30 years later, many of the victims are dead. Other victims were newborn babies born to crack-addicted mothers who abandoned them at the hospital.

Last month, Racine went before a judge to convince him that, as D.C.'s attorney general, he should be allowed to testify at any hearing on Edmond's possible release.

"This is the first time the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) has been appointed by a federal court to represent the views of the community in an adult criminal matter in which it does not have prosecutorial authority," Racine's website says.

The office will collect community feedback for the next several weeks and will submit a brief to the court that reflects those views by Aug. 30.

WAMU.org's Martin Austermuhle notes that the feedback would not be binding and that "... federal judges enjoy wide latitude to consider a number of factors in deciding whether to grant someone early release."President Donald Trump has waded into the most contentious issue in British politics by urging the U.K. government to leave the European Union without a deal if it can't get better terms from EU leaders.

Trump told the Sunday Times in an interview that Britain should "walk away" from talks and refuse to pay a 39-billion pound ($49 billion) divorce bill if it doesn't get better terms from the EU.

The president also says Brexit party leader Nigel Farage, an outspoken advocate of leaving the EU without a deal, should be given a role in the negotiations.

He told the newspaper that Farage "is a very smart person. They won't bring him in. Think how well they would do if they did. They just haven't figured that out yet."

Britain is scheduled to leave the EU on Oct. 31 unless both sides agree to an extension. Britain's position is in flux because Prime Minister Theresa May is stepping down as party leader Friday, setting in motion a race to succeed her and become prime minister.

Trump's comments come just before he begins a state visit Monday to Britain, hosted by Queen Elizabeth II. He will meet with May on Tuesday.

Trump has also taken the unusual step of saying that Conservative Party leadership candidate Boris Johnson would make an "excellent" leader for the U.K.

It is traditional for U.S. and other world leaders not to offer choices in other country's domestic political competitions.

U.S. Ambassador Robert "Woody" Johnson said Sunday that Trump's support of Johnson stems from their personal relationship.

"He's known Boris Johnson for a long time and what he's commenting on is his knowledge of Boris Johnson as a person," the ambassador said.

He also said that Washington would be ready to sign a strong trade deal with Britain once it's out of the EU.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.The leader of Rhode Island's Roman Catholic population took to Twitter early Saturday to remind his constituents not to partake in any Pride Month activities.

Bishop Thomas Tobin, who is based in Providence, tweeted that Catholics should avoid Pride Month activities.

"A reminder that Catholics should not support or attend LGBTQ Pride Month events held in June," wrote Tobin. "They promote a culture and encourage activities that are contrary to Catholic faith and morals. They are especially harmful for children."

In response to the bishop's tweets, Rhode Island Pride has organized a rally in Providence's Cathedral Square for 6:30 p.m. on Sunday.

"There have been a lot of calls today for Bishop Tobins resignation and I think thats something that should be seriously considered," Joe Lazzerini, president of Rhode Island Pride, told WJAR in Rhode Island.Residents at a Compton housing estate are in uproar after their bins reportedly went uncollected for seven weeks.

A compound set aside for waste disposal was apparently neglected by local authorities, leaving rubbish to spill out on to the street.

By Sunday, the waste build-up appeared to have become a hygiene concern.

Neighbours complained of rat infestations and of a persistent foul odour emanating from the site.

The Wilson Close estate  which is made up of around 16 households  is owned and maintained by Sovereign, one of the largest housing associations in the UK.

Waste collection duties have been contracted privately.

As a matter of policy, contractors are said to have informed locals that they will not collect from sites where waste is being left outside allocated bins.

In the case of Wilson Close, this is Sovereigns responsibility.

Theres not enough bins for the amount of people that live here, said one resident, who didnt wish to be named. The bins arent big enough.

But you tell the council, theyre not interested, and then we get people up here fly-tipping.

In response to claims of dumping, residents proposed that a keypad-secured door be fitted to the compound.

Instead, Sovereign installed a combination lock, which was quickly discarded.

Another resident, who lives next to the Wilson Close estate, has petitioned Sovereign, the council and the contractors repeatedly.

He complained that nobody takes ownership of the problem."

He said: As far as Ive been led to believe, theres only four bins [in the compound]  and its a fortnightly collection.

Now, clearly, one or both of those things arent enough."

Regional housing manager at Sovereigns West Berkshire branch Sarah Andrews told the Newbury Weekly News that action is to be taken.

She said: Were aware there have been issues with the bin store and rubbish disposal at Wilson Close.

Were working with West Berks Council and exploring ways to address residents concerns.

In the meantime, weve arranged for the rubbish to be cleared.Staff at The Bell Inn, Aldworth, are celebrating after winning a prestigious pub award.

The Bell was crowned West Berkshire Campaign for Real Ales (CAMRA) Pub of the Year.

Landlord Hugh Macaulay took the opportunity to praise his workers, who he described as part of the family.

Of the award, he stressed that it was a real family and staff endeavour.

The Pub of the Year award was originally designed to recognise pubs dedicated to producing authentic, high-quality beers and ales.

In recent years, however, judges have increasingly taken into account the role nominated pubs play in their communities.

West Berkshire CAMRA chairman Andy Pickard praised the pub for its exceptional service to Aldworth.

He added: Great beer is a given for The Bell Inn, as its continuing presence in the Good Beer Guide evidences, but [it] also stands out for its inclusive nature  a traditional pub in its pure form  great beer, wholesome food, and interesting conversation is the norm.

Also at hand to celebrate were The Bell Inns suppliers, represented by Nick Arkell (Arkells Brewery), Tim Wale (Tutts Clump Cider) and Kevin Brady (Indigenous Brewery).

The Bell Inn has been owned by the same family for more than 250 years.

While many brewery-owned pubs struggled to keep the beer flowing during the Second World War, the inn never ran dry, making it a favourite with American troops stationed at Basildon Park.

It has proven a staple of CAMRAs Good Beer Guide, appearing in every edition since 1979.

The pub now progresses to the county round of judging, where it will compete with The Nags Head, Reading; The Crispin, Wokingham, and the Craufurd Arms, Maidenhead.WATERBURY  One key to a better future for Connecticuts cities could lie beneath the ugly scars from its industrial past, blighted and often toxic pockets that mar city landscapes statewide.

The state has made strides to develop programs that have managed to attract developers to former industrial sites in cities, spending $206 million over the past decade alone.

But the states system of measuring the gains made by pouring millions into cleaning its polluted sites is flawed  the state doesnt track number of jobs created or taxes generated after cleanup.

It also doesnt accurately track the acres cleaned and theres no complete inventory of polluted sites.

These former industrial sites where fears of pollution, known and unknown, frighten off developers and the crumbling bricks and broken windows bring down property values for blocks all around are known as brownfields.

Gov. Ned Lamont, facing deep state deficits, has proposed significant cuts in brownfield funding at a time cities need all they can get to foster economic development.

We would love to be investing more in brownfield remediation, but with the realities of the budget I think the governor in his proposal wasnt able to invest as much as he would like, said Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz, during an April visit to Waterbury for the launch of a cleanup at a derelict 17 acre industrial site.

Waterbury holds a reputation of accomplishment in brownfield redevelopment. The citys most recent target is the former Anamet manufacturing complex. The city is using $3 million from the state to demolish most of the buildings in the complex. The city hopes a clean site will attract a developer.

Anamet is a good example of the challenges of the states urban brownfields. It had once been a bustling employment center before closing in 2000. More recently, it has looked like a relic from a fallen civilization as trees and shrubs reclaimed paved lots and buildings crumbled. Graffiti is widespread, windows are broken and garbage is collected in heaps.

Olga Jimenez, who lives across the street from Anamet, has come to expect litter near her apartment. She wont let her grandchildren play in her front yard because of the prostitutes and drug users who took advantage of the former factorys dark spaces.

Demolish it all, Jimenez said. If this is down they cant go back up in there and shoot drugs and do what they want to do, because its going to be an open spot, she said. Theres a lot of dumb stuff that goes on in the street, but that could be dangerous. Theyve already set it on fire a couple of times.

The blight has set the tone for the neighborhood, it speaks to what was lost, rather than what could be, said 20-year-old Emily Ramos. Her grandparents own a house across from the long-desolate and threatening Anamet site. She is happy to see heavy machines tearing down buildings.

For years, these buildings have just been taking up space that were once places where people had jobs, Ramos said. No matter what it turns into, whether its a place that will offer more job opportunities or more housing complexes, I think its just going to benefit this community in general bringing more people in.

The $3 million in state grants wont be enough to completely clean the site. The city is seeking another $2 million to finish the job.

Experts and state officials agree that state funding is the most important key to cleaning abandoned and polluted industrial sites. Without state backing, it often doesnt make economic sense for developers to spend millions of dollars for cleanup in depressed urban areas.

The state Department of Economic and Community Development is able to track money spent through its official brownfield programs, at least for the past decade. But it cant account for how much money has been spent on direct grants to pet project, such as Anamet.

The DECD is unable to provide a history of this type of brownfield funding stream. DECD spokesman Jim Watson said thats because these grants are often for a mix of projects in addition to brownfields.

Its also impossible to tell how many acres were cleaned through the states brownfield program. The states records mingle acreage cleaned with acreage of sites where studies of the extent of pollution have occurred, but where no cleanup work has been performed.

Lamonts current budget proposal would halve the amount of funding heading into the states brownfield programs, from about $20 million annually to $10 million in each of the coming two years, according to the DECD.

The General Assemblys Commerce Committee headed by Waterbury Democrat Sen. Joan V. Hartley, whose 15th District includes parts of Waterbury, Middlebury and Naugatuck, has proposed spending $100 million on brownfield cleanups in the coming four years.

The General Assemblys Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee forwarded a proposal that would pump $30 million into brownfields in fiscal 2020 and $10 million the following year.

Hartley expects a compromise.

We never run out of projects, we always just run out of program allocation, so we know there is a very robust populace of need and requests, Hartley said. When we are talking about the economy of the state of Connecticut, I cannot foresee any administration walking away from the brownfield program.

State legislative leaders announced a budget compromise Thursday. As of Friday, Hartleys office and the DECD were unable to say how brownfield funding fares under the compromise.

In Hartleys district, Middlebury doesnt have any sites on the states list of brownfields. Taken together, Naugatuck and Waterbury have 37.

Advocates for brownfield cleanups are keenly aware of Lamonts proposed cuts.

Arthur Bogen, president of the nonprofit Connecticut Brownfield Land Bank Inc., said state money is the key to making polluted sites feasible for investors.

Bogens group acts as consultants for municipalities, able to head brownfield redevelopment on their behalf.

Without the marketplace backing them, nothing will happen, Bogen said. They are blighted. They have environmental issues and they sap much of the tax bases of cities that need to improve those tax bases.

Bill Coleman, deputy director of Bridgeports Office of Planning and Economic Development, said state assistance has enticed companies to invest on polluted sites in his city.

Bridgeport received $16.7 million from state brownfield programs between July 1, 2009, and Dec. 1, 2018. That prompted $257.8 million in investment in Bridgeport brownfields from federal and local governments, as well as private business sources, according to DECD.

The good thing is we dont have market failure, Coleman said. In Connecticut cities, there are market impediments. If you remove those impediments, investment will happen.

Developers, nonprofits and municipalities have received more than $206 million from the states brownfield programs over the past decade. Thats drawn another $3.2 billion from other sources to redevelop brownfields, according to DECD.

Demand for the state programs and grants have been high.

In fiscal year 2018, 63 applications seeking $39.1 million for brownfield projects were submitted to the states brownfield programs. DECD was able to approve 27 applications totaling $15.2 million.

Around Waterburys Anamet site, residents said they hope for a productive use, something that will boost the neighborhood. But they could be happy with retail, housing or industry, just as long as the dilapidated factories are gone.

Once the old buildings are knocked down the city will look better, said 45-year-old Arixsa Vargas, owner of Marias Hairstyling on South Main Street, a short distance from Anamet.

Vargas took over the 33-year-old styling shop from her mother in March and the pair have long worked together. Customers have noticed the demolition work down the street, she said.

Theyre happy the ugliness is going away, Vargas said.

The Cities Project, a collaboration between CT Mirror, Connecticut Public Radio, Hearst Connecticut Media, The Hartford Courant, Republican-American of Waterbury, Hartford Business Journal and Purple States, will publish periodic articles exploring challenges and solutions related to revitalizing Connecticuts cities. Send comments or suggestions to ehamilton@ctmirror.org.Burnham Library in Bridgewater will present a program with Marty Podskoch, author of The Connecticut 169 Club: Your Passport and Guide to Exploring Connecticut, June 8 from 11 a.m. to noon.

Podskoch will discuss his book, which navigates readers from out behind the blue screen, off the interstate and onto Connecticut backroads to meet and merge with neighbors and uncover curiosities tucked into the 169 towns and cities in the Nutmeg State.Andrews Osborne Academy will be hosting a lobby dedication ceremony this week for one of its stalwarts  business leader and philanthropist Lynn Pippenger, who established the scholarship program bearing her name in 2018.

The Lynn Pippenger College Promise was created to incentivize students and families to visualize success at an early age and to encourage families to plan for the high cost of college.

Last June, the Florida resident pledged $1 million over a five-year period for student scholarships.

Pippengers roots with the academy run deeper, also, as she learned years ago that shes a descendant of Margaret St. John Andrews, the founder of the Andrews School, one of the two schools that merged to form Andrews Osborne Academy in 2007.

Pippenger also agreed to support the schools efforts to honor the leaders that came before her by setting aside the funds to establish the lobbys permanent exhibit recognizing the founders of the Andrews and Phillips-Osborne schools.

In a news release, officials from the Willoughby-based private school stated:

We care about our students future as we also care deeply about our schools legacy. This is why we have decided to dedicate our lobby to Lynn Pippenger and to use this space to honor the men and women who have made our school what it is today.

Head of School Larry Goodman said the institution is humbled by Pippengers generosity and by her abiding belief in AOAs ability to change students lives.

Ms. Pippenger learned of her connection to our school while researching her genealogy, so to commemorate Lynns amazing gift, we renovated the schools main lobby, showcasing the main branches of the (schools) family tree  those people whose efforts, leadership, and generosity made the school thrive for over 100 years, Goodman added.

The Lynn Pippenger Lobby now features portraits and displays of the following stars in the AOA firmament: Lynn Pippenger, Margaret St. John Andrews, Jerome T. Osborne, Gamaliel Cyrus St. John, Ralph O. Hibschman, Roberta Lee and Harry E. Figgie Jr.

The event takes place at 11:30 a.m., June 8, at the Osborne Building Lobby in the Main Building.

Call 440-942-3600 for more information.The Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF) announced today the first group of researchers who will receive funding through its Diagnostics Accelerator, a new research program that aims to fast-track the development of diagnostic tools and biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias.

With funding from a coalition of philanthropists, including ADDF Co-Founder Leonard Lauder, Bill Gates and Jeff and MacKenzie Bezos, among others, the ADDF will award up to $50 million over the next three years. Through its first Request for Proposals (released July 2018), which focused on biomarkers in the blood, eye, and other peripheral fluids and tissues, at least 10 awards are anticipated to be funded this year totaling up to $10 million. A second RFP around digital tests was released in April with the first funding awards expected at the end of the year.

We are thrilled to announce the first round of awards of the Diagnostics Accelerator initiative. After an extensive review, we selected research that showed promise in accelerating the development of innovative diagnostic tools, such as blood tests and eye scans. Unlike heart disease and cancer, we lack simple and cost-effective diagnostic tools and biomarkers that are critical to finding ways to prevent and treat Alzheimer's disease. Once we have them, we will better understand how Alzheimer's progresses and make clinical drug trials more efficient and rigorous." Howard Fillit, MD, Founding Executive Director and Chief Science Officer of the Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation

Award recipients will be recognized at the ADDF's Thirteenth Annual Connoisseur's Dinner held at Sotheby's in New York City, May 30th.

The first four awards from this first RFP total up to approximately $3.5 million. Nearly 300 letters of intent proposing new diagnostic strategies from 30 countries on six continents were reviewed by the ADDF working closely with external scientific reviewers and a Joint Steering Committee. Acclaimed researchers include:A grant from the McClay Foundation will enable Queen's researchers to work with clinicians to offer fast diagnostic testing to prevent meningitis and sepsis in maternity wards for the first time in Malawi.

Maternal health is a huge issue in developing countries where 99 per cent of all maternal and neonatal deaths occur. The neonatal mortality rate is also much higher in Africa, at four times higher than that of developed regions.

Women and babies die as a result of complications during, and following, pregnancy and childbirth, including infection.

Queen's University Belfast in collaboration with HiberGene Diagnostics and Belfast Health & Social Care Trust have developed an innovative rapid test for GBS using LAMP (Loop-mediated isothermal AMPlification) technology. The HiberGene test can identify GBS with very high accuracy within one hour, so it can be used during labor - a strategy called intrapartum testing.

Intrapartum is considered the most accurate time to test as it prevents unnecessary antibiotic use or missed GBS infections. The test is also simple enough to use as a "near patient" test, in a small lab or room next to a ward, without the need for extensive laboratory training. Queen's researchers will work with trained clinicians in a number of maternity wards in Malawi, to use the LAMP test.

Principal Investigator Professor Mike Shields from the Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine at Queen's University Belfast explains:

In developing countries, where access to laboratory testing is sparse, these tests could have a huge positive impact on the health of mothers and their babies. Detecting the GBS within the hour will mean that GBS positive women can be identified and given antibiotics to prevent transmission of GBS during delivery that could lead to serious infections including meningitis, sepsis and death."

Around 25 per cent of pregnant women are colonized with the bacterium Group B Streptococcus (GBS). The majority of pregnant women who carry this bacterium will never be aware. However, it can be fatal in instances when it is passed to babies during childbirth.

Although this is extremely rare in the developed world, in developing countries where there are many risk factors including inadequate services, distance and poverty, the prevalence of serious GBS infection to new-borns is much higher.

GBS can be difficult to detect as the mother who carries the bacteria often shows no symptoms. In many developed countries, testing for GBS in pregnancy is carried out two to four weeks before delivery, to enable GBS positive women to be given antibiotics to prevent transmission of the infection to the baby during childbirth. The turnaround for current tests is 48 hours, which means testing during labor is not feasible.

In the developing world, testing that requires a laboratory can be prohibitively expensive and very difficult to access in practical terms, particularly in rural settings. In reality, conventional testing for GBS is not available in most developing countries, meaning proven strategies to prevent GBS transmission cannot be used.

The McClay Foundation has supported this project enabling clinicians in the developing world to detect this life-threatening pathogen within an hour at a maternity ward using the HiberGene GBS test.After fighting in World War I, William Doyle, a Lynchburg native of Irish heritage and second-generation American, purchased a flower business in September 1919.

At the age of 24, Doyle created a business whose roots mark 100 years this year: Bloom by Doyles, now owned by Debbie Miller in the Boonsboro Shopping Center, where it has been located since 2013.

Miller, who previously owned Celebration Bridal, said she loves working with people and aims to give customers the same services they have been receiving over past 100 years from the Doyles.

Its amazing that it is 100 years old, but why did it survive? I think there are a lot of key elements, but one being the customer service throughout the years and knowing people personally, she said.

One long-time customer, for example, has been married for 60 years and every single month he sends his wife a peach rose bouquet.

Miller said it is amazing how people express traditions.

Were a part of peoples stories. Every day we type out their messages. The way people express their love, and its not always a romantic love. A teacher who changed a students life. I love that people express gratitude and appreciation in a message that is attached to a flower, she said.

According to research compiled by Miller, in 1920 Doyle built seven greenhouses on nearly seven acres outside Lynchburg city limits  now known as the home of Lynchburg Grows.

Five of these greenhouses still stand and are in good condition and the foundations of the two removed are still present.

Doyle also built a concrete root cellar, brick boiler plant, frame farmhouse and packing shed. All but the original packing shed still stand in good condition and look as they did nearly 100 years ago.

Doyles wife and three children helped run the business, which consisted of the wholesale production as well as Doyle Florist, a retail operation.

Doyle maximized engineering innovations of the time by heating his greenhouses year-round with steam produced in the power plant and sent to the greenhouses through underground pipes, which always kept the greenhouse temperature at 60 degrees.

The root cellar was used to coax the cool-weather flowers into bloom during the summer and as a simple form of refrigeration to preserve cut flowers once harvested.

Flowers produced during this period included lilies, roses, daisies, carnations and poinsettias.

The flowers were shipped by railway express from Lynchburg to retail stores along the Eastern seaboard from 1920 to 1951. During this time, the U.S. floriculture industry expanded from $62 million in wholesale sales in 1919 to $236 million in 1949. Virginias industry expanded from $616,000 in sales in 1919 to more than $3 million by 1949, according to Millers research.

In 1935, Doyle patented a peach-colored rose he developed that he named, Mrs. Carter Glass, for the wife of Carter Glass, a U.S. senator and U.S. Secretary of the Treasury under Woodrow Wilson.

During the Great Depression, Doyle did not lay off any workers and instead he curtailed their work week from six days to four days a week.

According to research by Miller, during this time, the Doyles would barter in Lynchburg, often receiving food or other furniture in exchange for their flowers. Doyle also was the president of the Lynchburg Rotary Club, Grand Exalted Ruler of the Elks and Grand Knight in the Knights of Columbus.

During the coal strikes by the United Mine Workers in the 1950s, the cost of coal inflated, making it harder to fuel the power plants boiler to heat the greenhouses. Due to this, in 1952, Doyle sold the wholesale business and greenhouse operations to Herman R. Schenkel Sr. and shifted his focus to the retail side of the business, Lynchburg Wholesale Floral Corporation, founded in 1949 and located at 2004 Memorial Ave.

The Doyles operated the business until 1999, when Bill and Sheree Bowen acquired the florist. In 2011, Debbie and Bob Miller became the third owners of the Lynchburg business.

For the past century, Doyles has been located all over the city, including on Main Street, Pittman Plaza, Waterlick Plaza, Langhorne Road and River Ridge mall.

All operations were consolidated to Langhorne Road in 1978 until 2013, when Miller moved the store.

In 2012 Miller took a deep look into the importance of the past, present and future of the business. She decided to rebrand the store to reflect the vision for the future.

Some people would call and ask to speak with Mrs. Doyle, she said. It took some analyzing on how to honor the legacy and make it more relevant for the younger generation. Were celebrating that but being forward thinking."

***

Bloom has 15 employees at its shop, and though its main focus is on flower arranging and delivery, it also does weddings and sells gifts.

The internet has caused florists to refocus and look at things differently, Miller said.

You see this in all of culture: Our customers want personal touch, they like that we know their name and design taste and thats something the internet cant do, she said.

At one time, Doyles was the only option to get flowers, but now theres more competition.

Competition can paralyze you or you can let it make you better, she said. I would be more concerned if I thought every household had fresh flowers on their table; I might feel like we were saturating the market. I feel like theres still so much business and opportunity to present the power of flower arranging and what it can do.

Michelle Simpson used Doyles for her own wedding in 1991 and when her daughter got engaged, the flower service was their first choice.

I selected Doyles because my family had a relationship with Doyles and when I decided to get married I knew Doyles would be the place to have my flowers done, Simpson said.

She said the staff made sure her daughter had exactly what she needed for her special day.

Simpsons family had always used Doyles anytime they needed flowers for anything at church. Her family would have flowers put in the sanctuary for special occasions and if anyone was sick, flowers from Doyles would be sent to the hospital.

My mom and I went over and talked to them and explained what we needed and they delivered. Its a little different now, because you get an appointment and I think they are so many more choices, she said.

For Miller, flowers make sense in every situation. Theyre there at the beginning of life and at the end, theyre sent to celebrate anniversaries, weddings and birthdays as well as to brighten someones day.

We send flowers because someone blew it and theyre in the dog house and sometimes you dont have the words but just simply sending flowers says it all, Miller said. So flowers are there for all of lifes moments. We feel like theyre the element that brings the joy. Flowers show up and warm the room. Its a fun, fun business and I think thats why its survived 100 years.

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 their family and friends in the audience screaming and clapping in support, at least 540 Lynchburg City Schools students took their final steps as high school seniors before receiving their diplomas and becoming E.C. Glass or Heritage high school alumni.

In front of E.C. Glass about 328 graduates, family and friends Sunday morning, the schools Principal Jeffrey Garrett shared a story of a heavy rock and the multiple purposes it could serve as people came along and found the rock. While some decided not to use it because of its weight, one person, he said, chose to use the rock to build the foundation of a home.

Like this rock, you possess so much more than what is seen on the exterior. You possess key ingredients to be so much more in life. You possess knowledge, skills, drive, strength and perseverance. You have the foundational elements to build whatever you desire in life, Garrett told the Glass graduates.

Graduate Margaret Gladieux, who described herself as a numbers person said the year 2019 in a way perfectly tells the story of our class.

What you might not realize about the class of 2019 is that we were born in the years 2000 and 2001, which makes us the first-ever high school graduating class to be born exclusively in the 21st century. We were the first babies of the century, and today we are closing out as the last graduating class of this decade, Gladieux said.

As a group of students growing up in the digital age sometimes misunderstood by other generations, Gladieux said its time for the class of 2019 to decide how we want our generation to be remembered.

Our story can be triumphant, tragic, riveting, we are allowed cliffhangers, plot twists and  despite what our English teachers may have told us  a few cliches here and there. But ultimately its up to us to stand up for ourselves and tell our story the way we want it to be told, she said.

Graduate Claire Podosek said she asked some of her classmates what their most memorable moments were, which included having to rap on the spot to get out of a tardy and counting the number of questions a student asked during one class period.

We definitely had some great laughs and memories, both good and bad over the past four years. Our long hours of studying academics helped us earn the diplomas we will receive today, Podosek said. But more importantly, in my opinion, the relationships we developed with teachers, parents and friends and the moments well look back on as the good old days have helped us learn so much more about ourselves and truly prepared us for whats out there.

Graduate Keondra Hurt called for a time of change in front of the hundreds that attended Glass ceremony. She mentioned a few students who were impacted by gun violence and questioned when this never-ending cycle resulting in another life will stop.

We need compassion in our city. We need understanding in our city. Put down the guns, put away the social media, and make a change out here. Uplift someone. Uplift yourself. Invest in our city. Start understanding each other instead of letting the barriers that have been set up even before our time continue to keep us from peace. We need peace. We need change, Hurt said.

At Heritage High School, where graduation started promptly at 2 p.m., three student speakers urged the class of 2019 to expand their horizons.

Graduate Debora Chagas shared her story of living in Senegal in Africa before relocating to Lynchburg after her freshman year and how she had to move out of her comfort zone.

Where you will be moving on to college, the work force or even if you still dont know what comes next for you, it will be different from the past few years. When I moved to the U.S., I had to choose to let go so that I could let my new experiences expand my horizon, Chagas said.

Chagas said over the past four years the graduates became comfortable with the routine of high school, but she challenged them to reach beyond what theyre familiar with and welcome the changes that lie ahead.

Graduate Teresa Michaels told the about 213 graduates sitting before her about her trip to Cairo, Egypt, and how it became her second home and how her passion for acting has taught her about society and herself.

For those of you who dont act and dont care to act and even those of you who do, I highly recommend you talk to as many different people as you can. Hear their stories, young, old and everywhere in between. Theres much to be learned outside of your own life, and if you dont care to, it will leave you lacking without you even being conscious of your loss, Michaels said.

Michaels encouraged her classmates to talk to as many people as they could and learn their stories because with every new experience, story and person, your horizon stretches a little more.

The farther you stretch your horizon, the more opportunities youll find when the sun starts to rise, she said.

Graduate Megan Hack, who is also Heritages valedictorian, said she was able to broaden her social and cultural horizon beyond the walls at Heritage by interacting with people whom she had never met before, reconnecting with childhood friends and hearing her classmates perspectives on the world.

As we all embark on our separate journeys following this memorable moment, I want you to remember something: your life is what you make it. Your horizon is as wide as you want it to be. Your geographic location doesnt define your horizon. Its the things within it that allow you to expand your possibilities, Hack said.Theres nothing more fundamental to a democratic republic such as ours as the act of voting: Citizens heading to the polls to elect their local, state and federal representatives, approve or reject referendums or weigh in on state constitutional amendments. The security, fairness and integrity of that process are  or should be  among the top priorities of our elected leaders.

Thats why recent changes at the State Board of Elections in Richmond should be welcome news to Virginia voters.

Many folks have been obsessed over the possibility of persons ineligible to vote gaining access to the ballot box  undocumented immigrants, non-citizens such as green-card holders or ex-felons whove not yet had their civil rights restored  or persons casting multiple votes. Out of those fears have come initiatives such as voter ID laws and curtailing of early voting or no-excuses absentee voting opportunities. The fact, though, there have been so few cases of ineligible voters casting a ballot pretty much invalidates those concerns weve heard so much about.

What we should be worried about, when it comes to security of the voting process, are the well-documented attempts by foreign actors, either on their own or on behalf of a foreign power, to access the computer networks and databases on which our election system depends.

We know, going back to the 2016 presidential election, that Russian parties  either state offices or affiliated agencies  were attacking the election systems of many states, if not the majority. Cyberattacks were detected both at the state and local levels, where security is often the weakest, and the American public still doesnt have a full picture of the extent of the problem. In Florida, for example, Gov. Ron DeSantis and U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio revealed earlier this month that Russian actors were successful in breaching at least two counties elections network, but the full extent of the breach is unknown to the public. Former Special Counsel Robert Mueller, as part of his investigation into Russian interference in the presidential election, informed Florida officials that it appeared as if Russians had accessed voter information databases, but not the systems dealing with tabulating the official results.

Florida has long been a battleground state in presidential elections  these days, officials of that state should expect to be on the frontline of any electoral cyberwar. But Virginia only recently has emerged as one of the key political battlegrounds of the 21st century in the presidential contests of 2008, 2012 and 2016.

But the 2016 battle, with no incumbent on the ticket, may well prove to have been a watershed for Virginia elections officials when it comes to running an election in the cyber age.

Back in 2017, Virginia was one of the states identified early on as a target of foreign actors with attempts to access  or at least test the security of  local municipalities networks. Exactly what took place is still classified by the federal government. After almost 40 years of being reliably in one partys column at the presidential level, it wouldnt be far off to say a degree of complacency had settled in at the State Board of Elections: We just werent prepared for the spotlights glare that being a battleground state brings.

We saw this not just in the news that Russian actors had targeted Virginia systems but also in more mundane ways. Remember the 2017 elections for the House of Delegates when residents of several districts discovered they actually lived in districts other than the one in which they had been voting since the 2011 redistricting? It was a problem known at the local level, to a degree, that had been passed up the chain of command to the board of elections but with little or no reaction. Then there is the matter of voting methods in the commonwealth. It has only been in recent years that the last of the old, mechanical voting machines was retired, while many localities use the once-touted touchscreen voting method thats now fallen out of favor because of security concerns. Localities now see systems such as the one used in Lynchburg  paper ballots that read by an OCR scanner  as the most reliable and secure.

So as Virginia and the nation prepare for the looming 2020 presidential election, we are glad to see recent changes at the state elections board that, we believe, put greater emphasis on both security and training of local election workers.

Beginning July 1, the elections board will have six new positions, created by the General Assembly to address deficiencies in the department identified by a state audit: two training positions to assist local registrars, an administrative position, two voter list maintenance positions and a position to work with GIS mapping systems used to assign voters and draw voting district lines. Also, earlier this year, Gov. Ralph Northam replaced all three commissioners of the state board with a mandate to hone in on election security.

The 2020 presidential election is only 18 months away, and Virginia, once again, will be a key battleground. We should spare no expense in being prepared for all contingencies.Are we a republic or the Wild, Wild West?

Its baffling. Since when is it OK to ignore the Constitution by thumbing ones nose at a congressional subpoena? Are we missing something? Is our nation a democratic republic, with all citizens subject to the laws set forth in the Constitution or not? Do we get to pick and choose which laws to follow? It feels like we are living in the Wild, Wild West.

The Constitution directs Congress, as one of the three co-equal branches of government, to perform presidential oversight. If the president (Republican or Democrat) does not uphold his sworn duty or performs in a manner that fails to support the Constitution, it is the duty of Congress to investigate such behavior. Making end-runs around Congress to fund a border wall after the House of Representatives denied this funding or instructing or encouraging government officials to ignore Congressional subpoenas is not how our elected leaders are expected to lead our country. Everyone, including the president, must be held accountable to the notion that no one is above the law.

As a nation so divided along political lines, we deserve  no, we must know  the truth.

It is great news for our country that the special counsel found no evidence to support Russian collusion. Hopefully, there will be no proof that the president or anyone on his staff engaged in obstruction of justice. However, the only way we will ever know is to let Congress fulfill its oversight duty without interference that would hinder its investigation.

We The People  Republicans, Democrats and independents  must know that our leaders comply with the laws established by our Constitution. If not, welcome back to the Wild, Wild West.

KEITH SCRUGGS and MYRA PISAREK

ForestKang saves the Marvel Universe and sets up a host of 2022 stories in Timeless #1

A whole host of teases for the future of the Marvel Universe including (again) the return of that long-awaited British superhero(Newser)  No, slapping and groping aren't part of Pilates. That's why Arizona prosecutors have charged British retail giant Sir Philip Green with four counts of misdemeanor assault for allegedly groping his instructor in class, CNN reports. "I felt very taken advantage of and like, you know, just a piece of meat there at his disposal," instructor Katie Surridge told the Telegraph last month. "It feels completely sexual in nature. And the waythe noises, and the 'Oh, you naughty girl.' Like, ugh, I can hear him saying it right now." Surridge says it happened twice, in 2016 and 2018, when the billionaire attended her classes at the Canyon Ranch resort in Tucson. And she complained to resort staff both times.

story continues below

The first time, she says the "creepy old man" slapped her behind "vigorously." Two years later, he allegedly wrapped his hands around her waist and grabbed her behind, leaving them there like "he's hugging me." The 67-year-old chairman of Arcadia Group has been dogged by similar accusations before, per the New York Times. Five ex-employees accused him in 2018 of racist and sexual abuse, sparking a British #MeToo scandal that led Beyonce to end a business venture with Green. Now, as his stores appear to be faltering, Green faces up to 30 days in jail, a year of probation, and a fine of up to $500 for each charge. Arcadia says he strongly denies all accusations. (Hostesses complained about groping at a charity event Green attended last year.)(Newser)  Amanda Eller has apologized for putting rescuers' lives at risk when she became lost in a Hawaiian forest and is dialing back her comments about the ordeal being a spiritual experience. Eller, a yoga instructor and physical therapist, spent 17 days in the forest after becoming disoriented on what was supposed to be a three-mile hike, NBC reports. She posted a seven-minute video Friday night on Facebook to address what she called misunderstandings about her comments after being rescued. "It was never my intention through any of this to put anybody in harm's way, to create a rescue effort out of my being lost in the woods," Eller said. "I want to apologize for putting anyone in harm's way." She had left her cellphone and water in her car when she began her hike, which she said in the video was irresponsible.

story continues below

Eller had likened her experience to a "spiritual journey," which had drawn criticism, per CNN. That comment ignored the reality of eating moths and berries and drinking water from streams, she said in the video. "This was never intentional, and I didn't set out that day on a spiritual journey." She lives in Maui but had gone to the Makawao Forest Reserve rarely. She had no compass and tried taking several paths to get back to her car; she then focused on trying to stay alive and getting the attention of rescue helicopters. Eller, whose feet and ankles are bandaged in the video, was treated in a hospital for two days for severe sunburn, a twisted knee, and ankle problems. She said in the video that she hopes her ordeal makes hikers "very aware of the preparation that they need when they choose to explore Maui." (The search for another hiker in Maui ended in heartbreak.)(Newser)  A Maryland couple vacationing in Punta Cana was found dead in their hotel room in the exotic Dominican Republic resort town, reports NBC Washington. Nathaniel Holmes, 63, and Cynthia Ann Day, 49, were engaged to be married and found on Thursday, the day they were due to return home; their bodies showed no signs of violence and a cause of death has yet to be determined. Holmes' sister said he'd told her a few days earlier that they were "having a great time." The mysterious deaths come in the wake of an American woman who said she was brutalized and left for dead at another hotel in Punta Cana. (Read more Dominican Republic stories.)(Newser)  Development, lack of maintenance, climate change and other factors have put historic American landmarks at risk, says the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which has compiled its 2019 list of the most threatened sites. It includes such famous places as the National Mall Tidal Basin in Washington, D.C., and Music Row in Nashville, as well as the Bismarck-Mandan Rail Bridge in North Dakota. The organization's annual compilation is a call to action. "As it has over the past three decades, we know that this year's list will inspire people to speak out for the cherished places in their own communities that define our nation's past," said a trust official, per CBS.

story continues below

The campaign to save the Tidal Basin could cost as much as $500 million, the trust says. There is no plan yet to save the Industrial Trust Company Building in Providence, known as the Superman Building; Rhode Island's tallest building has been vacant and deteriorating for seven years. The threat facing Music Row is development, the trust says. More than 300 historic sites have appeared on the lists over the years, the trust says, and fewer than 5% of them have been lost. (Route 66 made last year's list.)(Newser)  A small army of engineers, test pilots, and regulators missed a deadly flaw in the Boeing 737 Maxone that now seems unimaginable. "It doesn't make any sense," says an ex-test pilot who took part. "I wish I had the full story." Enter the New York Times, which dives into the development of a plane that was approved in 2017 and crashed twice last year, claiming 347 lives. The story hinges on MCAS, an automated system designed to make the 737 Max handle better at high speeds by lowering the nose. It was originally triggered by two sensorsone for G-force, the other for wind anglebut when the 737 Max handled poorly at low speeds, the G-force measurement was discarded. That left only one sensor controlling the nose of the plane.

story continues below(Newser)  Want to ingest sugar while feeling very relaxed? Ben & Jerry's has you covered, if the FDA approves. The famous Vermont ice-cream maker said Thursday it wants to sell ice cream infused with a hemp-derived compound called CBD, CBS News reports. "You probably know that we're fans of all things groovy," the company says, "...so it's no surprise that we can't wait to get into the latest food trend." Only problem is that CBD, or cannabidiol, isn't federally approved for food and drinks. States and cities have enacted their own rules and regsenabling Carl's Jr. to sell CBD-infused cheeseburgers in Colorado, for examplebut Ben & Jerry's wants the nation-wide OK.

story continues below

To that end, the company submitted a comment to the FDA ahead of its Friday hearing about legalizing CBD-infused products. FDA Commissioner Ned Sharpless called the hearing an "important step" but said no decision is imminent, per People. For those out of the CBD loop, it's made from cannabis but lacks the THC chemical that would make you "high." Advocates say it's medicinal for people with various problems, including depression and anxiety. (Read more cannabis stories.)(Newser)  Pope Francis apologized Sunday to the Roma ethnic minority for a history of discrimination in Europe and paid homage to Romanian Catholics persecuted during communist rule as he wrapped up his three-day visit with a message of forgiveness. Francis reached out to the minorities of Transylvania during a deeply symbolic visit to Romania about 20 years after St. John Paul II made the first-ever papal trip to the majority Orthodox country, the AP reports. In his final stop Sunday, Francis visited a community of Roma, also known as Gypsies, in a new Catholic church so small that organizers asked the clergy to leave to make room for Gypsy families to get in. There, Francis apologized for the "many experiences of discrimination, segregation, and mistreatment experienced by your communities," a reference to the second-class status of the Roma minority throughout Europe.

story continues below

"History tells us that Christians too, including Catholics, are not strangers to such evil," Francis said, in an apparent reference to World War II-era deportation of Roma along with Romanian Jews commemorated by a Holocaust memorial in Bucharest. "I ask forgiveness of you," Francis said, "for all those times in history when we have discriminated, mistreated or looked askance at you ... and were unable to acknowledge you, to value you, and to defend you in your uniqueness." Roma are often among the poorest and least educated citizens in Central Europe. Neighboring Hungary, for example, has been warned by the EU about discrimination against Roma children in education. The EU Agency for Fundamental Rights reported last year that 80 percent of the Roma population in Europe is at risk for poverty, and that hate-motivated crime and harassment were preventing their inclusion in society. (Vatican archives could soon reveal the actions of Pope Pius XII during World War II.)(Newser)  The Pentagon has told the White House to stop politicizing the military, amid a furor over a Trump administration order to have the Navy ship named for the late US Sen. John McCain hidden from view during President Donald Trump's recent visit to Japan, the AP reports. A senior Trump aide scoffed at the idea that anyone working for the White House might be punished, saying, "We think it's much ado about nothing." A US defense official said Patrick Shanahan, Trump's acting defense chief, is also considering sending out formal guidance to military units in order to avoid similar problems in the future. Shanahan confirmed details about a Navy email that said the White House military office wanted the USS John McCain kept "out of sight" when Trump was in Japan about a week ago.

story continues below

The internal Navy email came to light last week, triggering a storm of outrage. Trump, who long feuded with McCain, has said he knew nothing about the request, but added that "somebody did it because they thought I didn't like him, OK? And they were well-meaning, I will say." Shanahan told reporters traveling with him to South Korea on Sunday that he is not planning to seek an investigation by the Pentagon's internal watchdog into the matter "because there was nothing carried out" by the Navy. He added that he still needs to gather more information about exactly what happened and what service members did. "How did the people receiving the informationhow did they treat it," Shanahan said. "That would give me an understanding on the next steps" to take.

(Read more Pentagon stories.)Sorry!

This content is not available in your regionSingapore:

Amid ongoing trade war with the US and tension over the South China Sea, Chinese Defence Minister General Wei Fenghe said on Sunday that Beijing's door is still open for talks but warned that it was "ready to fight till the end" if a fight is what America wants. Addressing the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue here, Gen Wei also said that telecom giant Huawei is not a military company and defended the Tiananmen Square massacre where Chinese army tanks were used on protestors 30 years ago.

The US and China are locked in a bitter, year-long trade dispute which has seen the Trump administration recently boost tariffs on USD 250 billion of Chinese goods.

US President Donald Trump is demanding China to reduce the massive trade deficit which last year climbed to over USD 539 billion. He is pressing for verifiable measures for protection of intellectual property rights (IPR), technology transfer and more access to American goods to Chinese markets.

"On the trade friction started by the US: if the US wants to talk, we will keep the door open. If they want to fight, we are ready," General Wei said while speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore.

He asserted that Huawei is not a military company despite despite its founder Ren Zhengfei's previous career in the army.

"Huawei is not a military company. Do not think that because the head of Huawei used to serve in the military, then the company that he built is part of the military," General Wei said.

"It doesn't make sense because these sorts of ex-servicemen, upon their retirement, a lot of them have set up companies in countries across the world," said Gen Wei, the first Chinese defence minister to attend the forum since 2011.

For all the Latest Business News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday paid tribute at the National Police Memorial to the policemen who sacrificed their lives in line of duty. This came three days after he took oath for the first time as a cabinet minister.

Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah pays tribute at National Police Memorial pic.twitter.com/phIamgNd9m a ANI (@ANI) June 2, 2019

On Saturday, Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik briefed Amit Shah about the security situation in the state, which is currently under the President's rule.

During the 15-minute meeting, the Governor apprised the home minister about the preparation for the Amarnath Yatra.A A A A

The 46-day-long yatra will begin on July 1, the day of Masik Shivratri, and would conclude on August 15, the day of Shravan Purnima.

Discussions were also held between the two on the law and order situation in the Kashmir Valley and the border areas besides various development issues.

"I have discussed security matters and development issues with the Home Minister," Malik told reporters after the meeting.



Meanwhile, speculation is rife over who would succeed Shah as BJP president, with the names of JP Nadda being seen as a possible choice. Some other names are also being talked about for the post including Bhupender Yadav.A

Widely credited for BJP's spectacular victory in the recently held Lok Sabha elections, Shah took oath on Thursday along with 57 other ministers.A

Born into an affluent Gujarati family in Mumbai in 1964, the BJP chief lived and studied in his paternal village Maansa in Gujarat until the age of 16. Upon completion of his school education, his family shifted to Ahmedabad. Shah became an active member of the Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh (RSS) here.A



A few years later, Shah joined the BJP his first assignment was that of a poll agent at Ahmedabad's Naranpura ward followed by secretaryship of the Naranpura ward.

He later managed the poll campaigns of party veteran LK Advani in Ahmedabad and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in Gandhinagar, he earned himself the reputation of an astute election manager.

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.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

A Mumbai-bound GoAir flight from Patna made an emergency landing in Maharashtras Aurangabad on Sunday. All passengers are safe, according to news agency ANI. "The GoAir flight G-8 586 from Patna to Mumbai made an emergency landing at Aurangabad airport due to technical glitch. All the 158 passengers on the aircraft, including crew, landed safely and will be accommodated on an alternate flight to their destination," the GoAir spokesperson said.

This is a second emergency landing by a GoAir flight. On May 3, a flight to Patna made an emergency landing in Hyderabad, nearly 30 minutes after it took-off from Bengaluru, due to a technical snag. The flight G8 373an A320Neo modelwith 180 passengers on board made an emergency landing at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport at 10.40 am because there was an unusual disturbance in the aircraft.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi :

Divya Spandana, head of Congress social media cell, has deleted her Twitter account. Her Twitter account now says, "This account doesn't exist." The development comes days after she posted a congratulatory tweet for BJP leader and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

Spandana, who had over 800K followers on the micro-blogging site, had congratulated the BJP leader for becoming the first woman finance minister since 1970, when Indira Gandhi held the portfolio.

"Congratulations @nsitharaman on taking charge of a portfolio that was only last held by another woman, Indira Gandhiji in 1970 - makes us womenfolk proud! The GDP not looking great, I'm sure you will do your best to revive the economy. You have our support. Best wishes," the Congress leader had tweeted.

Some sources claim that Spandana, who never skipped the opportunity to take a jibe on the BJP and its policies, has parted ways with the grand old party. However, there is no official confirmation either from the Indian National Congress or from Spandana.

While the media wing of Congress remained silent on the issue, Spandana dismissed rumours of her departure from the national party, ANI reported.

It is also unclear whether her vanishing act from Twitter has any link to the Congress's month-long ban on spokespersons appearing on television debates.

"The Congress 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," the party's spokesperson Randeep Surjewala had tweeted.

A day after the Lok Sabha results, SP President Akhilesh Yadav too said that no channel should invite any of its leaders for debates.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa is all set to embark on a four day official visit to Sweden, beginning June 3.

In a statement, the Indian Air Force (IAF) said, Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa is embarking on a four day official visit to Sweden from June 03 to June 06, 2019. The bilateral goodwill visit is on invitation by the Chief of the Swedish Air Force.

BS Dhanoa is also scheduled to visit various operational and training units as well as interact with senior functionaries of the Swedish Air Force amongst others, it further said.

The visit would provide an impetus towards defence cooperation and pave the way for greater interaction and cooperation between the Air Forces. This would also strengthen relationships and enable engagement in productive exchanges between the two Air Forces, the IAF concluded.

Recently, BS Dhanoa was appointed as the new Chairman of Chiefs of Staff Committee. He succeeded Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba. The Chairman of Chiefs of Staff Committee is tasked with ensuring synergy among the three services and evolve common strategy to deal with external security challenges facing the country.

It is to be noted that earlier in February this year, the then Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had visited Sweden. During her visit, India and Sweden had signed defence cooperation and security protection agreements.

Interestingly, Swedish Company SAAB is a contender in the Indian Air Force's multi-billion dollar 114 fighter aircraft programme. The Swedish company is fielding its Gripen fighter jet in the contest and is pitted against American F-16, F-18A, Russian MiG-35, and French Rafale jets.

About BS Dhanoa

An alumnus of Rashtriya Indian Military College and the National Defence Academy, BS Dhanoa was commissioned in the flying branch of Indian Air Force in June 1978. He is a Kargil war veteran and top rated fighter pilot with over 3,000 hours of flying experience. During the Kargil war in 1999, he was the Commanding Officer of a frontline ground attack fighter squadron.

BS Dhanoa has primarily flown the MiG-21 aircraft with flying experience across the entire spectrum of fighter aircraft of the IAF. The IAF chief has also led many coveted operational and staff assignments that include command of a frontline fighter base and director of the fighter operations and war planning at Western Air Command.

He was the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of South Western Air Command and has also been the Vice Chief of the Air Staff.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

A day after several guests invited to Indian High Commission's Iftar party in Islamabad faced an "unprecedented level of harassment" owing to enhanced security checks in front of the event venue, the government of India on Sunday issued a strongly worded statement to protest against these "ugly events" in the capital city of Pakistan.

The press release, released by the High Commission of India in Islamabad, strongly criticised the "gross intimidation of guests invited for the Iftar event" on Saturday evening and also called on the Pakistani government to investigate the matter at the earliest.

"We have requested the government of Pakistan to urgently investigate these ugly events and share the results of the exercise with the High Commission of India. Further, we have emphasized to the government of Pakistan the need to ensure that diplomats and officials of the High Commission of India are allowed to discharge their diplomatic functions without fear of coercion or harassment," the letter read.

Dubbing the incident "a concerted campaign" by Pakistan's security agencies, the five-stanza-letter further alleged that "the disappointing chain of events of 1 June not only violated basic norms of diplomatic conduct but are against all notions of civilized behaviour".

"Some officials were jostled, pushed, abused and aggressively threatened with bodily harm while mobile phones belonging to officials were snatched away in some cases," it added.

The Iftar, traditionally held in the holy month of Ramzan was hosted by Indian High Commissioner Ajay Bisaria at the Serena Hotel, but ended up on a bitter note, with many of the invitees being stopped by the Pakistani officials on one pretext or other.

While several invitees were asked for their invitation card before entering the luxury hotel in the heart of Islamabad, others were inquired about their professions and residences. There are also reports that some of the guests could not make it to the party due to questioning and additional security deployment at the venue.

The more than three hundred esteemed guests who were turned away, included parliamentarians, government officials, media representatives, retired military officials, businessman, and retired diplomats, in addition to citizens from all walks of life.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

Odisha Chief Minister and BJD president Naveen Patnaik on Sunday resigned as legislator from the Bijepur Assembly seat and decided to retain his traditional bastion Hinjli Assembly segment. While retaining his membership from Hinjili, he also conveyed gratitude to the people of Bijepur for showing faith in him. This was the first time that the BJD chief had contested from the Bijepur Assembly seat. Whereas, in Hinjili, he had tasted electoral victory for five straight times. The chief minister has sent his resignation to Odisha Assembly Speaker Surya Narayan Patro.

"Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has resigned from Bijepur Assembly seat and has retained Hinjili Assembly seat. He had contested from two seats- Bijepur and Hinjili- in elections to the State Legislative Assembly," the news agency ANI reported.

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has resigned from Bijepur Assembly seat & has retained Hinjili Assembly seat. He had contested from two seats- Bijepur and Hinjili- in elections to the State Legislative Assembly. (File pic) pic.twitter.com/1PVjNej4Tx  ANI (@ANI) June 2, 2019

The development comes three days after the BJD chief announced several welfare schemes such as piped water supply and Rs 1,330 crore package for pucca houses to 34,000 households having kutcha houses in all the villages of Bijepur Assembly constituency.

Patnaik, who became the Chief Minister of Odisha for a record fifth consecutive term, emerged victorious from both Hinjili Assembly seat in Ganjam district and Bijepur segment in west Odisha during the recently concluded Assembly elections in the state.

Steering the BJD to a landslide victory, the Odisha chief minister defeated his nearest BJP nominee Pitambar Acharya in Hinjili constituency by 60,160 votes. In Bijepur, the BJD chief had defeated his BJP rival Sanat Kumar Gartia by 57,122 votes. The BJD had won 112 of the 147 Assembly seats in Odisha, which held along with Lok Sabha elections across the state.

READ | WATCH: Naveen Patnaik's exercise regime to stay fit during hectic election season

Patnaik has been winning from Hinjili in Ganjam district since 2000 when he entered state politics after serving as a Union Minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government. In 2014 Assembly elections, Patnaik had won from Hinjili defeating his Congress rival Sibaram Patra by a margin of 76,586 votes. The BJD chief had secured 73.14 per cent of the votes polled.

Meanwhile, Puri MP Pinaki Misra has been nominated as the parliamentary party leader of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in the Lok Sabha. Kandhamal MP Achyutananda Samanta has been nominated the BJD chief whip and Kendrapara MP Anubhav Mohanty as the party's deputy chief whip in the Lok Sabha.

(With inputs from agencies)

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has dismissed the speculations of a possible merger with the Congress party ahead of Maharashtra Assembly elections, scheduled to be held later this year. Addressing party workers in the state, NCP chief Sharad Pawars Nephew Ajit Pawar said, "There is no question of a merger. The NCP will retain its independent identity The Opposition is trying to spread a canard. Therefore, everyone (in the party) should say that there is no truth in it."

The speculations of NCPs merger with the Congress were triggered after a meeting between Sharad Pawar and Rahul Gandhi to discuss strategy for the upcoming Assembly elections in Maharashtra and the prevailing drought situation in the state.

Speaking to reporters, Maharashtra NCP president Jayant Patil also denied the speculations of merger, terming the reports as "false news". "The question of a merger does not arise. There is no such discussion. Who is spreading false news?" the state NCP president said.

The NCP, however, is firm on contesting the upcoming Assembly polls together with the Congress but following the Lok Sabha results, the party is likely to vie for more seats than what it got last time the two parties had contested the polls.

NCP had won four seats in the Lok Sabha elections, while the Congress won only one seat. It was the worst ever performance of the Congress party in Maharashtra. In 2014, the Congress had won only two seats while the NCP had bagged four.

Both NCP and the Congress had contested the Assembly elections in Maharashtra together in 2009. At that time, the NCP had contested the polls on 114 of the 288 seats. In 2014 Assembly elections, the alliance between the two parties broke after the NCP demanded equal number of seats, citing improvement in its strength on the ground.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi :

Pakistani officials allegedly harassed and intimidated guests invited for an Iftar party hosted by Indian High Commission in Islamabad. According to reports, several guests were even turned back and not allowed to enter inside Hotel Serena, where the party was being hosted.

"Pakistani agencies virtually laid siege on Hotel Serena on Saturday, harassed, intimidated and turned back hundreds of guests, reported ANI.

Sources on harassment of guests at Iftar hosted by Indian High Commission in Islamabad: Before that, they called invitees from masked numbers and threatened them with consequences if they attended the Iftar. (2/2) https://t.co/3dvYG4AdBY  ANI (@ANI) June 2, 2019

"Before that, they called invitees from masked numbers and threatened them with consequences if they attended the Iftar," people privy with the development were quoted as saying.

Indian High Commissioner Ajay Bisaria has confirmed the incident and also apologised for the inconvenience.

READ | India lodges protest with Pakistan over guests harassment at Islamabad Iftar party, seeks probe

I apologise to all our friends who came here from Lahore and Karachi and were subjected to additional scrutiny. I understand several of them had to return as well, Bisaria said.

"They not only violate basic norms of diplomatic conduct and civilized behaviour, they are counter-productive for our bilateral relations," Bisaria added.

Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan Ajay Bisaria to ANI: They not only violate basic norms of diplomatic conduct and civilized behaviour, they are counter-productive for our bilateral relations. (2/2) https://t.co/P38ualSWDj  ANI (@ANI) June 2, 2019

Meanwhile, the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi hosted the traditional 'Iftar' dinner on Tuesday evening to celebrate blessings of the holy month of Ramazan.

Individuals from all walks of life, including political personalities, community notables, Sajjadah Nasheens of several Sufi shrines in India, academics, writers, journalists, artists, civil society activists, Pakistani students and other prominent persons attended the dinner, it said in a statement.

Acting High Commissioner Syed Haider Shah welcomed the distinguished guests.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.Bengaluru:

Seeking oppositions cooperation in the smooth conduct of the upcoming Lok Sabha session, newly appointed Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi Saturday said the government was ready for discussion on any issue. 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.

I request all the opposition parties, people have given unprecedented mandate in favour of Narendra Modi and the BJP. For five years lets successfully conduct the sessions and discuss on issues.The government is ready for discussion on any issue, Joshi said.

Speaking to reporters on his visit to the city after taking over as minister, he said it is common belief that in the Lok Sabha there should be debates, discussions and not disruptions.

So following the peoples mandate lets all work together- is our request to all the opposition parties. In the days to come we will call a meeting in this regard, so I seek their cooperation, Joshi said.

He pointed out that there are four ministers from Karnataka in the Modi cabinet and they would meet once in 15 days and discuss on Karnataka related issues and follow up.

We want to protect the interest of Karnataka thats our decision, he said, adding that the big result to the BJP led by Modi was a huge responsibility, as expectations of people are very high.

Karnataka Lok Sabha membersPralhad Joshi, D V Sadananda Gowda (Chemical and Fertilizer) and Suresh Angadi (MoS Railway) were inducted into the ministry Thursday, apart from Nirmala Sitharaman (Finance), who is a Rajya Sabha MP from the state.

Responding to a question on the Mahadayi river water issue, he said both the Karnataka and Goa governments have sought clarification and have appealed to the Supreme Court on the matter.

... let Karnataka government call an all party meeting and legal experts, if they want notification, we will participate in it.

Legal experts, who had represented Karnataka, had earlier said since both states have filed an appeal, it cannot be done. But if experts say it is possible, lets try, we have no objection, he said.

Mahadayi river tribunal had delivered its verdict allocating 13.5 tmcft of water to Karnataka.

As all three riparian states (Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra) have sought clarifications from the tribunal on its final judgment and as states have also gone to the Supreme Court against it, the Centre has refused to notify the tribunals verdict citing legalities.

When pointed out that a BJP government was in power in Goa, Joshi said parties in the states would take a stand for their state.

Earlier, too, Congress governments were there at the Centre, at Goa and here, he said.

The Mahadayi issue did not crop up after Modi came or Pralhad Joshi, he said.

Asked if the prime minister would intervene and solve the issue at this stage, Joshi, without giving any direct response, blamed the Congress for taking the matter to the tribunal.

The minister, who also holds the coal department portfolio, said there would not be any shortage in supply of coal.

...there is minimum stock of 15-16 days everywhere, whatever demand comes that will be supplied, he added.

On a query by PTI that a report was submitted by a Congress leader to the party leadership alleging that the BJP had distributed money to win the Tumkur Lok Sabha seat, Joshi said the Congress should stop levelling such wild allegations, especially after the people have rejected them in the polls.

Former prime minister and JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda faced defeat from the seat. BJP candidate G S Basavaraj won by a margin of over 13,000 votes.

What have they done (distributed money) in Mandya, Hassan, Bengaluru Rural and Tumkur? The people of the state know very well. Let us not talk about it. The people have already given the mandate and the time is now to work, he told PTI.

On the Karnataka government, Joshi said, We have told many times, we dont need to do anything. They will collapse on their own.

Asked what were the options for the BJP if the JD(S)-Congress government falls, Joshi said There are many options. The BJP is the single largest party in the state. We will explore all options when the time comes, including going for fresh elections.

On AIMIM chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisis remarks that the BJP sees terrorists wherever there are Muslims, Joshi said it is inappropriate to link Hyderabad to Muslims.

Why should Owaisi link Hyderabad to Muslims when our cabinet minister from Telangana, Kishan Reddy, referred to Hyderabad. He did not mention or target Muslims, but terrorists, he said.

Newly-appointed Union Minister of State for Home Reddy has reportedly alleged that whenever a terrorism-related incident takes place in the country, its roots are traced to Hyderabad. Owaisi criticised him for the remarks.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

Days after winning the Lok Sabha election from Uttar Pradeshas Rampur seat, Samajwadi Party MP Azam Khan on Sunday said he is thinking of quitting the parliamentary post and contesting for the assembly elections, citing conspiracies to kill him by different governments and many high officials.

"I am thinking of quitting my parliamentary post and contesting for state assembly elections. It is possible that I will contest in the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Sabha elections," Khan told reporters.

A Khan won the Rampur seat, defeating BJP candidate Jaya Prada by a margin of 1,09,997 votes in the Lok Sabha elections 2019. While Khan secured 5,59,177 votes, Jaya Prada got 4,49,180 votes.A Congress candidate Sanjay Kapoor got only 35,009 votes. In 2014, BJP's Nepal Singh had won the Rampur seat.

A Khan, Rampur MP: No doctors or health facilities here. We're running a hospital&there can be attempts to dismantle it. Barrage should be constructed, it's construction is pending. Thinking of resigning from parliament,there's possibility that I might contest next Assembly polls pic.twitter.com/oUdGIMSzcK a ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) June 2, 2019

Khan also said the media was calling him the most criminal MP.

"To remove me from the state, every government has made efforts. An attempt at my life was made, my license was cancelled. Serious allegations were made and a conspiracy to kill me in an encounter was planned, where high officials complained that I was a danger to his life. This was all a ruse to murder me. Media reports have declared that I am the most criminal MP who has won the elections," he said.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.Lucknow:

After a series of arrests in a 2018 Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission exam paper leak case, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday said people trying to play with the future of youths will be put behind bars. His statement came after the commissions examination controller Anjulata Katiyar was arrested on Thursday in connection with the leak of a question paper of the LT Grade exam held in July 2018.

Katiyar was arrested after a Kolkata-based printing press owner, Kaushik Kumar Kar, revealed her role in the paper leak following his arrest by the special task force of police in Varanasi on May 28. Police have registered a case against Katiyar, Kar, and seven others in the matter. So far, nine people have been arreested in connection to the same.

Speaking to reporters in Lucknow, Adityanath said, "We will definitely act against those indulging in committing irregularities. During the previous regime, there were irregularities in different recruitment examinations".

"I would like to assure the youth of Uttar Pradesh that people who are trying to play with the future of the youth, will be sent behind bars. We will not allow anyone to play their future," he added.

Hitting out at the previous Samajwadi Party government in the state, the chief minister further said, "The irregularities in the (state) public service commission are a sin committed and mess created by the SP. A campaign has been launched to clean the mess. The government is working with a policy of zero tolerance and the guilty will be punished no matter how prominent or influential he is".

Adityanath said that no one will be allowed to rob the people of the state of their rights, adding that the administration acts as a bridge between the government and the public. The administration has great responsibility for executing the plans on the ground and for this it should be alert and functional, Adityanath asserted.

"We have to fight both crime and corruption in the state. In the last 15 years, previous governments had supported corruption. Politics was criminalised. Transfers and postings were business for them. But our government has taken stern actions from the beginning to prevent all the frauds and corruption that had been spread by the previous governments," media quoted Adityanath as saying.

The chief minister stated that his government will not allow anybody to "play with law and order in the state and we have worked in this direction". Adityanath said the work done by Uttar Pardesh in law and order has been appreciated across the country.

Actions have been taken against those who were found rigging the recruitment process of the UPPSC, he added. "Usually, the government does not interfere in the work of the public service commission, but it is also the responsibility of the government to maintain its autonomy, purity and transparency," the chief minister said.

Complaints were filed and the government has taken stern steps against the corrupt, Adityanath reiterated.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

At least seven people were arrested in Uttar Pradeshas Baghpat after they allegedly assaulted two Army personnel, one of them badly wounded, after an altercation while they were having lunch at a restaurant.

A video of the clash, posted by news agency ANI, which went viral shows a group of men beating up an army jawan (in green kurta) with sticks and rods, while another armyman (carrying a red bag) tries to stop the men from beating his colleague. The other jawan, however, was also beaten up.

#WATCH Baghpat: Two Army jawans(one with a red bag and one in green kurta) thrashed by restaurant employees yesterday after a minor argument.More than 7 people have been arrested by Police. (Note: Abusive language) pic.twitter.com/Of0oaDWdr5 a ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) June 2, 2019

In the video, the soldier in the green kurta can be seen bleeding profusely after the group thrashed him. The men attacking him can be heard hurling abuses.

A aTwo Army jawans were having lunch at a restaurant when they had an argument with a person, then the restaurant staff got involved and a fight broke out. A case has been registered and 7-8 restaurant employees have been arrested, further probe is underway,a police official Ramnand Kushwaha told the agency.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

A controversy broke out all over India, especially in most parts of Tamil Nadu, with political leaders from across party lines strongly opposing the alleged 'Hindi imposition' by the newly sworn-in government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Amid this widespread controversy over the new Draft Education Policy, recommending a three-language formula comprising Hindi, English and one regional language, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor pitched for a better implementation of the same.

Basically, the Thiruvananthapuram MP was of the opinion that if students in South India are learning Hindi as their second language then schools in North India should also include Malayalam or Tamil in their syllabus.

Speaking to news agency ANI, Tharoor said, "The solution is not to abandon the three languages formula but to implement it in a batter manner".

READ | Three-language row | Amid protests, Centre clarifies: 'Hindi will not be imposed' in schools

The Congress leader also claimed that the three-language formula, which goes back to mid-1960s, was never implemented properly in the country. "Most of us in the South learn Hindi as a second language but nobody in the North is learning Malayalam or Tamil," he argued.

The draft National Education Policy 2019, prepared by a panel led by eminent scientist K Kasturirangan, refers to the inclusion of English and Hindi besides mother tongue in non-Hindi speaking states and wants the Hindi speaking states to include English, Hindi and one Indian language from other parts of India.

The formula, which was unveiled on Friday, triggered a massive controversy in several parts of India, especially in Tamil Nadu as regional parties, including the main opposition DMK, warned of a language war on the issue.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.Houston:

Harmful particulate matter in the atmosphere may lead to birth defects and even fatalities during pregnancy, according to a study conducted in mice. Researchers at Texas A&M University in the US examined the adverse health effects of exposure to fine particulate matter consisting of ammonium sulphate commonly found in many locations around the world. During winter months in India and China, where severe haze events frequently occur, fine particulate matter levels are especially high at several hundred microgrammes per cubic metre, they said.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), nine out of 10 people worldwide breathe air containing high level of pollutants.

One out of every nine global deaths can be attributed to exposure to air pollution, totalling over seven million premature deaths a year, researchers said.

People typically believe that ammonium sulphate may not be terribly toxic, but our results show large impacts on female pregnant rats, said Renyi Zhang, a professor at Texas A&M University.

It is unclear yet what is causing these profound effects, but we speculate that the size of nanoparticles or even the acidity may be the culprit, Zhang said.

Sulphate is mainly produced from coal burning, which is a major energy source for much of the world in both developed and developing countries.

Ammonium is derived from ammonia, which is produced from agricultural, automobile, and animal emissions, so this certainly represents a major problem worldwide, Zhang said.

However, our results show that prenatal exposure to air pollution may not dispose offspring to obesity in adulthood, said Guoyao Wu, Texas A&M University Distinguished Professor and one of the lead authors of the study.

Nutrition and lifestyle are likely major factors contributing to the current obesity epidemic worldwide, Wu said.

Numerous previous studies have shown that air pollution is a serious public health threat throughout the world, with millions of people breathing air that is far less than standards set by the WHO.

Previous studies have shown such pollution to impair metabolic and immune systems in animal offspring.

However, the study shows definitive proof of decreased foetal survival rates, and also shortened gestation rates that can result in smaller body weight, in addition to damage to brains, hearts and other organs in the adult rat models.

The findings present obvious concerns and challenges on a multi-scale level, the researchers said.

While epidemiological studies have been widely adopted to assess the health effects of air pollution, these tend to yield little insight into adverse outcomes and long-term effects, Zhang said.

Furthermore, there is an absence of clinical recommendations for prevention and treatment of air pollution-related health issues.

Our study has demonstrated that well-controlled exposure experiments using animal models offer major advantages for future air pollution control and are promising in the development of therapeutic intervention and treatment procedures, he said.Washington:

A fungus genetically modified to produce spider toxin can rapidly kill over 99 per cent of the mosquitoes that spread malaria, a study has found. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 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.

Scientists from the University of Maryland (UMD) in the US carried the first trial outside the laboratory of a transgenic approach to combating malaria.

The study, published in the journal Science, showed that a naturally occurring fungus engineered to deliver a toxin to mosquitoes safely reduced mosquito populations by more than 99 per cent in a screen-enclosed, simulated village setting in Burkina Faso, West Africa.

No transgenic malaria control has come this far down the road towards actual field testing, said Brian Lovett, a graduate student at UMD.

This paper marks a big step and sets a precedent for this and other transgenic methods to move forward, Lovett said.

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 professor at UMD.

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 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, he said.

Laboratory tests suggest that the fungus will infect the gamut of malaria-carrying mosquitoes, researchers said.

The abundance of species that transmit malaria has hindered efforts to control the disease, because not all species respond to the same treatment methods, they said.

To modify the fungus Metarhizium pingshaense so that it would produce and deliver Hybrid, the 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 insects immune system.

Building that shell is costly for the fungus, so it only makes the effort when it detects the proper surroundingsinside 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.

For all the Latest Science News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

In the last five to ten years, you must have witnessed the effective advancement of computing technologies. In the meantime, malware attacks have also gradually become a cause of concern. After WannaCrys attack that brought the operation of many big multinational companies to a standstill for days, Microsoft has now foreseen a possible similar kind of cyber-attack of big scale. Yes, you read it right. Technology giant Microsoft has recently warned that nearly one million computers globally are still at risk of malware attack similar to WannaCry that spread worldwide in 2017 causing billions of dollars in damage.

It is to be noted that the warning comes days after the Microsoft discovered "wormable" vulnerability in Remote Desktop Services for Windows that can automatically spread.

According to TechCrunch, Microsoft has issued its second advisory, urging users to update their systems to prevent the "BlueKeep" malware attack.

"Microsoft is confident that an exploit exists for this vulnerability. It's been only two weeks since the fix was released and there has been no sign of a worm yet. This does not mean that we're out of the woods," warned Simon Pope, director of incident response at Microsoft's Security Response Center (MSRC).

"Our recommendation remains the same. We strongly advise that all affected systems should be updated as soon as possible," he said.

Importantly, the bug is a "critical" vulnerability that affects computers running on Windows XP, Windows 7 and on server operating systems. These operating systems are widely being used especially in corporate environments.

"The vulnerability can be used to run code at the system level, allowing full access to the computer -- including its data. Worse, it is remotely exploitable, allowing anyone to attack a computer connected to the internet," reports TechCrunch.

It is worth mentioning here that only Windows 8 and Windows 10 are not vulnerable to the new bug.San Francisco:

The US Department of Justice is preparing an antitrust investigation of Internet titan Google, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday. The Journal cited unnamed sources close to the matter as saying the department would look into Google practices related to web search and other businesses.

Justice department officials share antitrust oversight with the Federal Trade Commission, which conducted a wide-ranging investigation of its own into Alphabet-owned Google that ended in 2013 with no action taken.

Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

A new investigation would come as backlash grows against major tech companies that dominate key segments of the online economy.

Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren has argued that big firms such as Facebook, Google and Apple should be broken up through antitrust enforcement.

Alphabets profit in the first three months of this year sagged under the weight of a hefty antitrust fine in the European Union.

Alphabet said profit in the first-quarter fell 29 percent to $6.7 billion on revenue that climbed 17 percent to $36.3 billion.

The earnings took a hit from a European Commission fine that amounted to $1.7 billion at the end of March, according to the quarterly update.

Googles lucrative advertising platform remained the largest revenue driver for Alphabet, delivering more than $30 billion in revenue, but costs rose sharply as well.

But Google continues to face pressure around the world from regulators, notably in Europe amid multiple investigations over alleged abuse of its dominance in internet search, advertising and its mobile system.

The latest fine imposed by Brussels cited Googles AdSense advertising service, saying it illegally restricted client websites from displaying messages from ad service rivals.

Google is separately working to satisfy EU regulators investigating its hugely popular Android devices following a $5 billion fine last year.

Google earlier this year said it would offer smartphone users five browsers and search engines as part of the companys effort to meet EU competition concerns.

Brussels accused Google of using the Android systems dominance of smartphones and tablets to promote the use of its own Google search engine and Chrome browser and shut out rivals.

In the United States, Google has been a target of President Donald Trump and his allies who have accused the search giant of bias and silencing conservative voices, claims denied by the Silicon Valley firm.New Delhi:

Now-a-days, it has become really difficult for telecom companies to retain its customers especially in India due to having tough competition. Therefore, the telecom companies every now and then revises its offerings and brings in new pre-paid and post-paid plans to attract existing as well as new customers. And now, Vodafone has launched a Rs 229 prepaid recharge plan that brings 2GB data per day for 28 days. The new plan also includes benefits such as unlimited voice calls and 100 SMS messages per day throughout the validity of 28 days.

Vodafone, with the Rs 229 prepaid recharge plan, is offering 2GB of 4G/ 3G data per day alongside unlimited local, STD and roaming calls within India. The recharge plan also includes 100 SMS per day as well as access to live TV, movies and shows through the Vodafone Play app. It is to be noted that the recharge plan comes with a validity of 28 days.

Vodafone website confirms the availability of a new plan in some of the major circles, including Delhi & NCR, Mumbai and Rajasthan.

Vodafone, Indias largest network in terms of subscribers, had last month introduced a prepaid plan of Rs 139. The plan offers 5GB of high-speed data for a validity period of 28 days. It also offers unlimited voice calling facility and free live TV access via Vodafone Play app. The plan is valid in selected circles only which includes Delhi/NCR, UP East, Rajasthan, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana, Gujarat, and Andhra Pradesh.

Also, Vodafone last month launched a free doorstep delivery service for subscribers looking for its 4G connection. It is available to new prepaid subscribers with the first time recharge of Rs 249. The consumers need to recharge from the Vodafone site to avail the new service.The Charge daffaires of the Embassy of Bahrain to Italy, Hussain Mohammed Alam, took part in the annual fast-breaking (Iftar) banquet, hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Italy.

During the reception, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Republic of Italy, Enzo Moavero Milanesi, welcomed the representatives of the OIC countries. The Italian minister expressed hope that peace and harmony would prevail among the peoples of all sects and religions.

In a statement on behalf of the representatives of the OIC countries, the Arab League and the Islamic Center in Rome hailed the role of Italy in promoting the principles of cooperation and peaceful coexistence.His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa yesterday returned to Bahrain from Saudi Arabia after leading the Kingdoms delegation to the GCC and Arab emergency summits and the 14th Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Summit held in Makkah. HM, the King was received on arrival at the Sakhir Airbase by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Premier.

During the 14th Islamic Summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), held at Al-Safa Palace, HM the King reaffirmed Bahrains full-fledged support to Saudi Arabia in all its efforts to safeguard the region saying reaching a just and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian cause is at the forefront of all such issues.

The summit held under the chairmanship of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud confirms Saudi Arabias political and spiritual leader of the Islamic world, HM the King said adding that the current regional circumstances require the adoption of a practical formula for decisive and immediate solutions.The US Pentagon chief yesterday denied approving plans to hide a ship named for US President Donald Trumps late rival senator John McCain during a recent presidential trip to Japan. The comments from acting Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan came after US media reports said attempts were made to obscure the USS John McCains name during Trumps visit to a US military facility in Japan on Tuesday.

Crew serving on board the 154-metre (505-foot) vessel, whose uniforms carry its name, were even prevented from attending a speech Trump delivered from a neighbouring ship, the reports said. The Wall Street Journal, which first reported the story, said Shanahan was aware of concern about the ships name and approved measures to ensure it didnt interfere with the presidents visit.

But Shanahan, currently in Asia on a regional tour, denied any involvement. I never authorised and never approved any action around the movement or activity regarding that ship, he told reporters on a flight from Jakarta to Singapore. He said he would never dishonour the memory of a great American patriot like John McCain, and would never disrespect the young men and women that crew that ship.

He said he had asked his chief of staff to look into the matter. The military needs to do their job and their job is to stay out of politics.

Out of sight

The Journal said the request came from an official briefed by the White House and the Seventh Fleet, which is based in Japan. USS John McCain needs to be out of sight, the email seen by the Journal said. Please confirm #3 will be satisfied, it added, referring to the request. The order apparently posed a conundrum because the ship was undergoing repairs and would have been difficult to move before Trumps Tuesday visit.

In response, a tarpaulin was hung over the ships name, which also refers to McCains father and grandfather, the Journal said. The tarpaulin was removed before Trump arrived, but a barge was moved closer to the ship, blocking the view of its name. Contacted by AFP, a spokesman for the Seventh Fleet said that photos showing a tarp over the name of the ship were from Friday and that the barge was moved out of the way on Saturday, days before Trumps visit. All ships remained in normal configuration during the Presidents visit, Commander Clay Doss said.

The New York Times said sailors from the McCain were not invited to hear Trump speak, unlike those serving on other US warships at the base. And when several showed up anyway, wearing uniforms bearing the name of the ship, they were turned away. Trump tweeted shortly after the reports to deny any knowledge.

I was not informed about anything having to do with the Navy Ship USS John S. McCain during my recent visit to Japan, he wrote. Nevertheless, @FLOTUS and I loved being with our great Military Men and Women - what a spectacular job they do! Trump had a combative political relationship with McCain, who died in August and was taken prisoner and tortured during the Vietnam war.Bob Luckey Jr. / Hearst Connecticut Media

NEW MILFORD  The Litchfield County local group of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America will hold a candlelight vigil, remembrance and call to action at 7:30 p.m. Saturday 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.GA English on Sunday : News in Brief from Bonn and the region

Bonn The Museum Mile Festival in Bonn is very busy on only two days this year, the fire brigade was called to to Graurheindorfer Strae after smoke development in apartment building in Bonn-Castell, GAs first Bonn Vitality Fair was a success, police search for suspect after a man in Bonn was stabbed with knife  heres our news in brief on Sunday

Teilen

Teilen Weiterleiten

Weiterleiten Tweeten

Tweeten Weiterleiten

Weiterleiten Drucken

Busy Museum Mile Festival in Bonn: Only two days instead of four

BONN. Relaxed and in fine weather through the museums: Five Bonn museums opened their doors on Saturday and invited everyone to the Museum Mile Festival. On Sunday the festival continues.

What is new this year is that all museums are only open on the two weekend days. Less effort for the houses, for the visitors that means more crowds. "It's actually nicer to be able to visit the festival on four days," says family mother Kathrin Dresbach from Bornheim.

The festival continues on Sunday from 10 to 19 o'clock. The program can be found at www.museumsmeilebonn.de.

(Original text: Stefan Knopp)

Call-out to Graurheindorfer Strae: Smoke in apartment building in Bonn-Castell

BONN-CASTELL. The Bonn fire brigade was called out to a house in the Graurheindorferstrae in Bonn-Castell. The firefighters came with a ladder truck and breathing protection. The residents present, four adults and four children, had already rescued themselves and were outside. A pot on the stove in the kitchen with burnt-on food had caused strong smoke on the first floor of the house, which had spread rapidly. Careful passers-by had heard the smoke alarms and informed the fire brigade.

(Original text: GA Bonn)

Town hall Bad Godesberg: GA's first Bonn Vitality Fair a success

BAD GODESBERG: Vitality and joie de vivre: this undoubtedly appeals to the people of Bonn. As soon as the doors of the Stadthalle had opened on Saturday morning, numerous interested visitors flocked to Bonn's first Vitality Fair. It was a fair for the best years: The General-Anzeiger had invited visitors to get informed on topics like nutrition, health, disease prevention and sport. "Our trade fair is getting off to a very good start. We obviously hit a nerve with our offers," said a delighted GA Advertising Manager Martin Busch.

(Original text: Ebba Hagenberg-Miliu)

Police search for suspect: Man in Bonn stabbed with knife

BONN. On Thursday morning, a man injured a 19-year-old man with a cutter knife in a subway station in Bonn's main station. The two men had fought before. Police are still searching for the fugitive.

We are looking for a man about 1.80 meters tall, wearing a tracksuit and a cap at the time of the crime. According to Robert Scholten, police spokesperson, the investigation is still ongoing, "we are also investigating possible connections to the drug scene.Now that CBD products are on the shelves in many states, its only natural that people might wonder: Can using CBD get me fired?

The short answer is yes. Stories have already surfaced in the short time since CBD products began hitting the shelf about people losing jobs or failing drug test screenings that are part of the hiring process at some companies.

The results depend on the type of product you are using and the level of THC it contains. Unlike CBD, THC is the chemical ingredient in marijuana that gets people high. But without checking the packaging, some people might not realize how much THC is in their CBD product. It could be enough to fail a drug test, as multiple cases have shown.

Related: Why Athletes Are Using Cannabis for Training and Recovery

Examples around the country.

Its a bigger issue than many might realize. Recently, in Missouri, school worker Lorraine Jeffries said she got fired from her job as a school bus monitor after failing a drug test. The drug in question, according to Jeffries, is a CBD oil her doctor had recommended she take for joint pain.

She said a school official told her, You must have been smoking marijuana, Jeffries told WTKP News. I said, No, maam, I dont even know where to get marijuana at. I love my job. They took it away from me.

In another case, a video producer in Reno, Nevada, told Consumer Reports he lost the chance for a job because the drug test he took as part of the pre-work screening came back positive for marijuana. Like the school employee in Missouri, he said he had not used marijuana.

In Pennsylvania, a woman has sued a CBD products maker after losing her job over a failed drug test.

Theres also the issue of the test itself. In Alabama, a police department recently dropped a field test it was using to check for marijuana use. They made the move after they experimented with the test and found it registered a positive result for CBD-infused bottled water that contained no THC.

All of this has happened in a relatively short time. Congress just made hemp-derived CBD products legal late in 2018.

Related: Is There Actually Any CBD in That CBD Oil You Bought?

Reading the Labels

If you are using CBD products, the best step to take is to thoroughly read the label. Companies are required to list what is in the product, including the levels (if any) of THC, which is usually just a trace amount (far less than 1%).

However, you may also be rolling the dice, because apparently not every company is doing this accurately.

In a case involving truck driver Douglas Horn in New York City, a lawsuit has been filed alleging that the CBD product the driver took for pain had a higher level of THC than what was on the label, according to a lawsuit Horn filed.

For entrepreneurs in the marijuana industry, this is an increasingly important topic. Lawsuits such as Horns are likely to become more frequent, especially since many consumers might be unaware there is even a possibility of THC in the CBD products they buy.

However, the answer might involve improvements made to testing equipment and changes in government regulations. That latter issue is one that is coming up frequently.

"If you aren't regulated and you don't manufacture under strict standards for testing, we are seeing that there are people coming out with a lot more marijuana THC in it than what people thought," University of Illinois at Chicago toxicology expert Frank Paloucek told the ABC affiliate in Chicago.

To stay up to date on the latest marijuana-related news make sure to like dispensaries.com on Facebook

Related:

Can Taking CBD Products Cause You to Fail a Drug Test?

Managing Medical Marijuana in the Workplace

NFL Considers Options for Medical Use of Marijuana



Copyright 2019 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved3 1 of 3 Contributed / Orange Police Department Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Contributed / Orange Police Department Show More Show Less 3 of 3





ORANGE  A Stamford woman was arrested on drug and failure to appear charges last week while at the Orange Police Department.

According to police, shortly after 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, officers responded to the Orange Police Department to assist Danielle V. Gaetano, 33, of Stamford.MADISON  How do you say goodbye to a beloved neighborhood school?

With confetti, cotton candy, games, a live band, time capsules and much more.

On Saturday, June 8, from 3 to 6 p.m., Island Avenue students, their families, teachers, and the Madison community will celebrate the closing of Island Avenue School and leave to town history 68 years of growing the minds and hearts of Madison children.

On July 12, the keys to the red brick building that opened Oct. 23, 1950, will pass from the district to the town of Madison. Declining enrollment, the age of the building, and many studies resulted in a unanimous Board of Education vote on Oct. 17, 2017, to close the school.

Island Avenue School opened Oct. 23, 1950, during the population boom of the post-World War II era. The school was built on land known as the daisy fields.

Peter Lemley who entered Island Avenue School its opening year recalled how those fields became their joyful school playgrounds.

We played kickball and King of the Mountain. It was a lot of fun, and I made lifelong friends at Island Avenue. Great teaching, too! We had a full-time school nurse we all loved, and a dental hygienist came two times a week - Margaret Massini, shes a local friend since then, too. The school had a big gym and the juniors and seniors in the district held their proms there it was so big.

Lorey Walz who also entered Island Avenue in 1950 recalled, We were very excited with this bright new school building - the only elementary school in Madison. (Academy School previously housed all kindergarten through high school students.) Her four grandchildren now attend Island Avenue School. Walz remembers one of her teachers, Mrs. Seymour Page (Linnea), who is still living in Madison.

This last school year of Island Avenue School found principal, Rebecca Frost, her staff and the Parent-Teacher Organization focused on optimism.

Frost had become principal just this school year and faced the challenge with considerable planning.

We involved everyone in the school and in the community. We issued invitations to all to come and help us keep it positive. This staff has been amazing, and the parents gave their all. We kept the traditions going and started new traditions, she said. We want to take the positive feelings to our new school.

Frost will be moving with the kindergarten, first and second-grade Island children to Jeffrey Elementary School. She will become the principal this newly-configured as kindergarten through third grade in the fall. Current Island Avenue third and fourth-graders will move to Brown Elementary School, which will house fourth and fifth-graders in the district. (A group of current students at Jeffrey Elementary will transfer to Ryerson Elementary to accommodate the incoming Island Avenue children.)

In recounting the steps for the move Frost admitted, I was doing fine, but then the packing boxes arrived last week, and that hit a lot of us hard. We explained the boxes to the students to help them understand the process.

S witching on a bright smile, she showed off the list of ideas for a final Spirit Assembly that Frost and student leaders prepared on two large sheets of paper, just like corporate strategic planning committees use. (One student idea: keep it secret!) Students will visit their new schools, tour the classrooms, play games on their new playgrounds, and have an ice cream social  all part of the transition plan.

The kids are now excited! They see the advantages, the positives, said Frost. Even though the current teachers at Island Avenue will be moving to three different schools, theyve been very professional about it, even though they are leaving long-time colleagues and friends on the staff, said Frost.

Were sad and happy at the same time. Everybody just adores this school, but are looking forward to the next chapter, said Suzanne Murphy-Almouzayn, parent of a second-grader and co-president of the Island Avneue PTO. She attended Island Avenue Elementary in early grades with her sister.

This is a tight-knit community. I know all the parents in my childs class, added Liz Tucker-Plasky, PTO co-president. Families whose parents and grandparents, other relatives who all went to Island Avenue went through grieving stages. But Becky made it easy to get through this.

This was Frosts first experience in closing a school. I relied on the kids - the student leadership teams and the staff.

The school, originally called Madison Elementary School, was dedicated on Oct. 22, 1950, the day before it officially opened for students. The ceremony was solemn and included the laying of a cornerstone with local documents, a band playing the national anthem, and a speech by Robert T. Cairns, chair of the building committee, who quoted Aristotle on the purposes of education and referenced Abraham, Moses, Jesus, Locke, Paine and Jefferson.

A few weeks later, the local paper (then called The Shore Line Times) sent a reporter to see how things were going, reporting: The youngsters and the teachers are obviously happy and well-adjusted in the ideal surroundings which have been provided. Apparently most of the townspeople are also sharing the thrill and the pride which go with the new school.A man news reports say was an off-duty firefighter died Sunday morning while competing in a triathlon in Cape May County, officials said.

CBS Philly reported the man was an off-duty Philadelphia firefighter. An employee at the Philadelphia Fire Department, who declined to be identified, confirmed that a firefighter had died at the event.

The man had nearly completed the swimming portion of the Escape the Cape Triathlon event held in Lower Township when he was found unresponsive in the water by an event volunteer stationed near the course, according to Jim Salmon, a spokesman for the Delaware River and Bay Authority.

The cause of death was of an apparent cardiac arrest, Salmon said, but he declined to identify the man, saying family members had yet to be notified.

Adam Thiel, Philadelphias fire commissioner tweeted Sunday about two off-duty firefighters who died on Sunday. The second death is unrelated to the Cape May triathlon.

We @PhillyFireDept mourn the untimely loss of 2 active (off-duty) PFD members today; please keep their families, friends, & colleagues in your thoughts during this difficult time. (**Details may be released in the future, according to the families wishes.**)  Adam K. Thiel (@ThielAdam) June 2, 2019

The man was carried to the beach in Lower Township near David Douglass Sr. Memorial Park where attempts were made to resuscitate him, Salmon said.

The man was ultimately transported to Cape Regional Medical Center where he was pronounced dead at 10:20 a.m., Salmon said.

Salmon emphasized that the official cause of death is pending an autopsy.

Spencer Kent may be reached at skent@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SpencerMKent. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tipsA salvage official who helped recover the body of a 58-year-old man who crashed his single-engine plane this week into the ocean near Cape May said Saturday his divers found the man still strapped into his seat.

The discovery was made shortly after 7 p.m. Friday. The plane went down near the shore Wednesday.

A team of about 15 divers from Sea Tow Company discovered the plane and Lawrence Klimek, of Howell. Sea Tows Captain Jack Moran said he knew once the divers found the plane Klimek would probably be nearby.

Police identified Klimek as the pilot of the single-engine Mooney M20J propeller plane Friday. He took off Wednesday around 8 a.m. from Trenton-Robbinsville Airport, according to the Federal Aviation Administration, which is in charge of the investigation.

The director of the company Klimek rented the plane from told NJ Advance Media said Kilmek was an avid renter and that the plane was in working condition.

The cause of the crash is under investigation New Jersey State Police said.

Taylor Tiamoyo Harris may be reached at tharris@njadvancemedia.com. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips

Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters.New Jersey State Police said theyre continuing recovery efforts for the man who disappeared under the water on Lake Hopatcong Saturday.

State police Sgt. Lawrence Peele said Sunday crews resumed the search at 9 a.m. after a 9-hour search on Saturday yielded no results. Search teams are expected to work until it gets dark, he added.

Police have not identified the man and Peele said witnesses are still being interviewed to determine what the man was doing before he went under.

Police were first called to the scene at 10:51 a.m. Saturday after the man did not resurface from the water near Henderson Cove.

Karen Yi may be reached at kyi@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at @karen_yi or on Facebook. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters.By Jermaine Robinson

Many Jersey City residents have rightfully protested President Trumps proposed border wall. Why? Because it is immoral and tears at the fabric of our nation, and building a wall in Jersey City would certainly further tear our city -- one that has proudly welcomed people of all backgrounds for most of our history.

Sadly, though, many of our residents are unaware of plans to build a similar wall that would be just as destructive in Jersey City, permanently separating the affluent neighborhoods Downtown from the less affluent neighborhoods in the rest of the city.

Im talking about the current Bates Street Redevelopment Area. Located at the merging of Pacific Avenue and Grand and Merseles streets, the neighborhood (and I use that term loosely) for nearly two decades has consisted of vacant lots and old, mostly empty industrial buildings. The current redevelopment plan calls for a long box-shaped wall of luxury apartments, all facing inward.

This wall would make a stark separation between the perceived luxury neighborhoods Downtown and the many low-income neighborhoods in Bergen-Lafayette.

Worse, it will result in a series of buildings forming a similarly designed wall that will prevent the needed connectivity between neighborhoods. Additionally, it will erase the view corridor to the Jersey City and New York City skylines. Mayor Fulop, too, has spoken about the need to preserve this view corridor because it demonstrates the vitality of Jersey City.

Simply stated, this wall of midrise block buildings running the entire length of Center Street will further propel the stigma of a separated Jersey City and that must not happen. For years, we have heard of this modern day tale of two cities playing out. In 2015, the late Earl Morgan made this observation in The Jersey Journal: On one side there are luxury million-dollar brownstones; on the other side there are two housing projects, Booker T. Washington and Lafayette Village. On one side the signage on the train trestle proudly reads Welcome to Downtown Jersey City; the other side simply reads "Bergen-Lafayette.''

As a councilman in Jersey City, I will do whatever I can to ensure we are one Jersey City without borders. Residents from uptown must feel included Downtown and vice versa. I have held formal events at my restaurant, the Light Rail Cafe in the Greenville section of Jersey City, because the patrons didnt feel as comfortable at venues Downtown. Conversely, many Downtown residents have not ventured into the south side of Jersey City. We must remove these walls, whether psychological or physical, that separate our citys resources and people.

To move toward a reality of equity in Jersey City, I am aggressively engaged in discussions with all developers, especially those in the Bates Street, Canal Crossing and Morris Canal redevelopment areas, mandating aggressive community reinvestment plans that include on-site affordable housing and contribute to building equity for all residents in Jersey City.

It is necessary that 20 percent of all units include affordable low-to-moderate income housing. This is not necessary for just one demographic of the Jersey City population. Residents in all sections of Jersey City are sharing the burden of escalating rents and property values. The rent for the average three-bedroom apartment Downtown is nearly $4,500 and many living in those units are not related. Residents are paying high rents to just have a room in Jersey City, not even a home.

So, its time that this stigma of two cities in Jersey City gets washed away with the truth of one city. Jersey City should be affordable and equitable for all families. A wall separating the low-income and financially strapped from the higher-income and financially strapped will not serve anyone. We, as elected officials, have to make sure any developer looking to build makes sure that redevelopment doesnt divide the city but rather brings us closer to equity throughout the entire city.

Jermaine Robinson is Jersey Citys Ward F councilman.

Submit letters to the editor and guest columns to jjletters@jjournal.com.Judging from the comments I see on the internet, I must conclude that few of the common people in this great state are capable of figuring out just what is going on in Trenton of late.

A Democratic governor is in open warfare with the leadership of the Legislature  also solidly Democratic. The fight has become so bitter that each side is laying down what Trenton insiders call a line in the sand.

Thats a figurative line for now, but it could become literal on midnight of June 30. Thats the end of the current fiscal year. Unless Gov. Phil Murphy and Senate President Steve Sweeney compromise on a new budget by then, the state government will shut down.

That would of course include Island Beach State Park, which Chris Christie closed on July 1, 2017, after the Legislature failed to send him a budget to sign.

Unfortunately for Christie, airplanes do not observe lines in the sand. Our photographer Andy Mills hired one to take photos of the governor lounging at his beach house at the state park. The resulting picture is being photoshopped to this day.

Youd think there would be a lesson in that for the current governor. Nope. Murphy is itching for another showdown.

When asked at a press conference about his stated desire to have the new budget include a hike in the so-called millionaires tax, Murphy answered with his trademark cliches and mixed metaphors:

The line in the sand is without question, he said. Enough of the old stumbling ways of putting Band-Aids on our fiscal house.

Band-aids on a fiscal house? Thats more of a line in the mud than a line in the sand.

Sweeney spoke more directly when asked after a Senate session Thursday whether he intends to include that tax hike in the budget.

Im not doing it and youll find that out by June 30, Sweeney replied. Im not posting the millionaires tax.

Sweeney was equally blunt when questioned about another of the many fronts in his battle with Murphy. That concerns so-called dark money, contributions for political advocacy that do not have to be reported under current law.

Last month both houses of the Legislature sent the governor a bill that would bring that dark money into the light.

Murphy shocked the Trenton crowd when he used his veto power to send the bill back to the Legislature for revisions.

They were shocked even more when it came out a few days later that the the states largest public-sector union, the New Jersey Education Association, had pumped $2.5 million of dark money into a political advocacy group called New Direction New Jersey.

The group runs ads featuring none other than Murphy spouting yet more cliches. The central one is tax fairness. That sounds nice, but what does it mean?

Back in 2004, when the current millionaires tax was enacted, a shadowy group called The Fairness Alliance assured us that we would achieve fairness if we raised the rate on those making more than $500,000 a year to 8.97 percent.

Gov. McGreevey pushed that tax hike through and it remains in effect. Murphy wants a 1.78 percent hike for those earning more than $1 million annually. But when did McGreeveys tax hike become unfair?

We can get the answer in the words of a great president who opposed the idea that public-employee unions should be able to engage in collective bargaining.

"All Government employees should realize that the process of collective bargaining, as usually understood, cannot be transplanted into the public service," he wrote. "It has its distinct and insurmountable limitations when applied to public personnel management.

Donald Trump? Ronald Reagan? Nope. That was Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

FDR was a zealous advocate of the rights of private-sector unions. But he opposed extending those rights to public-sector unions.

That is the root of the current dust-up. In his short time in office, Murphy has made himself into perhaps the pre-eminent champion of public-employee unions in America.

Sweeney, by comparison, came up through the ranks of the Ironworkers Union, a group whose members have to compete in private enterprise  a much tougher task.

From the time he entered the state Senate, Sweeney has been openly advocating that the pensions and benefits for public-sector employees need to be brought in line with the private sector.

The math says hes right. Murphy campaigned on a platform of fully funding state pensions. But the budget he proposed shortchanges those pensions by $2 billion.

Sweeney has complied a Path to Progress that would bring pensions and benefits under control.

Murphy has yet to propose anything other than tax hikes  a Band-aid if there ever was one  to make up the shortfall.

That sort of thing may please the public-employee unions.

But its the public that will draw the line in the sand for Phil Murphy.

ADD - THE MILLIONAIRES TAX HAS ALREADY BEEN HIKED ON THE FEDERAL LEVEL:

For a guy who used to work on Wall Street, Murphy doesnt seem to be good at math. The reality is that the millionaires tax has already been hiked substantially since its adoption in 2004 under Jim McGreevey. That happened when the new federal tax law ended the deductibility for state income taxes against federal income taxes for high earners.

Prior to that change the effective rate of the state income tax was about 6 percent, not 8.97 percent. Thats because the federal tax deduction canceled out about a third of the state tax paid by those making more than $500,000 a year.

But now those taxpayers have to pay the full 8.97 percent. Thats chasing people out of the state already. And thats why Gov. Cuomo keeps the rate in neighboring New York below ours at 8.87 percent.

Perhaps Murphy should talk tax policy with his fellow Democrat next door.

Or he could just talk to Sweeney. Steve understands this perfectly.English French

OAK HAMMOCK MARSH, Manitoba, June 02, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ducks Unlimited Canadas (DUC) Rescue Our Wetlands campaign has made history as one of the countrys most significant conservation achievements. The seven-year effort conserved more than 650,000 acres (263,046 hectares) of wetlands and other natural habitat. On top of this, DUC collaborated with governments, industry, Indigenous communities and other conservation partners to positively influence another 96 million acres (39 million hectares). Together, its an area nearly the size of Newfoundland and Labrador.



The benefits of this habitat are powerful. Dr. Karla Guyn, chief executive officer of DUC, says wetlands provide solutions to some of the most pressing environmental issues.



The wetlands we conserve play an essential role in keeping Canadas lakes and rivers clean, Guyn says. They also guard against floods and droughts, mitigate climate change by storing carbon, buffer storm surges and sea level rise and provide critical habitat for species at risk. Wetlands benefit every citizen, and the campaign has helped create a healthier and more sustainable future for us all.

The Rescue Our Wetlands campaign was launched in 2012 as an ambitious response to the alarming trend of wetland loss across Canada. Up to 70 per cent of wetlands in settled areas of the country have been lost, and more are lost every day. The goal was to secure $500 million to deliver conservation programs from coast to coast to coast. DUC vastly exceeded this goal, raising $559 million.

We have our supporters and partners to thank for these incredible results, says Guyn. Its inspiring to witness peoples generosity when it comes to wildlife and the natural world. Its also extremely humbling to deliver the work they believe in.

DUCs conservation achievements in Canada are further amplified by successes across North America. Rescue Our Wetlands was a continental campaign that included Ducks Unlimited organizations in the United States and Mexico.

Working collaboratively across borders is a fundamental component of North American wetland conservation, Guyn says. Water and wildlife are resources we share, which means we have a shared responsibility to protect them. For more than 80 years, Ducks Unlimited organizations have been working in partnership to conserve wetlands in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico. The Rescue Our Wetlands campaign represents one of our greatest achievements to date.

Collectively, 2.2 million acres were conserved across North America.

Despite the success of the Rescue Our Wetlands campaign, these natural areas continue to be at risk. The need for wetland conservation never stops, and the work of DUC and its partners is not over.

Facts about DUCs Rescue Our Wetlands campaign

The campaign spanned seven years, from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2018. Official results were shared with the public and DUC supporters today.

DUC exceeded its conservation goals in every priority area across the country, with the following results:

- British Columbia: 45,157 acres conserved; 3.0 million acres influenced

- Alberta : 134,308 acres conserved; 1.0 million acres influenced

- Saskatchewan : 285,301 acres conserved; 7.2 million acres influenced

- Manitoba : 114,557 acres conserved; 1.9 million acres influenced

- Ontario : 49,703 acres conserved; 441,843 acres influenced

- Quebec : 11,721 acres conserved; 9.4 million acres influenced

- Atlantic Canada: 10,310 acres conserved; 8.2 million acres influenced

- Boreal Forest: 64.8 million acres influenced

45,157 acres conserved; 3.0 million acres influenced : 134,308 acres conserved; 1.0 million acres influenced : 285,301 acres conserved; 7.2 million acres influenced : 114,557 acres conserved; 1.9 million acres influenced : 49,703 acres conserved; 441,843 acres influenced : 11,721 acres conserved; 9.4 million acres influenced 10,310 acres conserved; 8.2 million acres influenced 64.8 million acres influenced In addition to habitat conservation programs, the campaign supported DUCs Institute for Wetland and Waterfowl Research. Its world-leading scientists are studying our changing environment and determining the best conservation actions. Examples of research include quantifying the role wetlands play in water quality, flood and drought mitigation, carbon storage and in supporting biodiversity. DUC scientists are also examining the effects of human activities on waterfowl populations and behaviours.

The campaign also supported education programs that are empowering young people to become conservation leaders through DUC-recognized Wetland Centres of Excellence. The centres (many located in schools) engage students in conservation projects, student-to-student mentored field trips and outreach in their communities. There are currently 25 DUC-recognized Wetland Centres of Excellence across the country, 14 of which were established during the campaign.

Rescue Our Wetlands was an all-in effort that brought together financial contributions from U.S. and Canadian governments, individual donors, foundations and corporations, grassroots fundraising and conservation activities as well as planned gifts.

Visit ducks.ca/rescue-our-wetlands to learn more.

Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) is the leader in wetland conservation. A registered charity, DUC partners with government, industry, non-profit organizations and landowners to conserve wetlands that are critical to waterfowl, wildlife and the environment.

For further information or interview requests, please contact:

Leigh Patterson

Ducks Unlimited Canada

204-467-3306

l_patterson@ducks.caIts time.

We have a rogue president, and it is time for the House to open impeachment hearings. Because we know now that President Trump tried his best to sabotage Robert Muellers investigation, a serious crime that cant be tolerated by any nation that wants to be governed by the rule of law.

Obstruction of justice is not some technical violation that we can wave away. It is a tactic used by criminals, one aimed at the heart of our legal system. As Mueller himself put it last week: It strikes at the core of (the) governments efforts to find the truth and hold wrongdoers accountable.

Muellers report is packed with compelling evidence that Trump is guilty of that crime. He tried to fire Mueller, and then conspired to hide the evidence by asking his chief counsel to lie. He tried to limit the scope of Muellers investigation so that it would exclude his own conduct. He tried to prevent witnesses from testifying, and dangled pardons to those who would keep quiet about what they knew. And remember, Trump refused to sit down and answer Muellers questions because his own advisors feared he would commit perjury.

This is the behavior youd expect from a mob boss, not a president of the United States.

The evidence Muellers team gathered was strong enough to convince more than 1,000 former federal prosecutors that several felony charges would normally be justified. But as Mueller made clear, he did not file charges because when it is a president in the crosshairs, it is up to Congress to vindicate the rule of law, not the Department of Justice, a branch of government under the presidents own control.

Boiled down, Muellers statement amounted to an impeachment referral, a challenge to Congress to do its job.

The Constitution requires a process other than the criminal justice system to formally accuse a sitting president of wrongdoing, Mueller said.

In the two months since Mueller released his damning report, Trump himself has forced the issue of impeachment. He has rejected every subpoena in an effort to harass and delay Congress as it seeks answers we must have. He has unleashed his Department of Justice to investigate his political enemies, channeling his friend Vladimir Putin. He has ensured that the Republican Senate has snuffed out every bill the Democratic House has sent its way  to lower health costs, to fight climate change, to promote gun safety, to secure our elections from foreign meddling.

It is not the House investigations that are blocking action on these core concerns. It is the Republican Senate, its members intimidated by Trump, now shrunken to a servile cog in his machine.

The federal government is at a standstill, with the health of our democracy in a scary decline. And all the while, the Mad King tweets about what a stable genius he is.

This is a man who welcomed Russias malicious interference in the 2016 election. While that is no crime, it is an abomination, made worse by his refusal to acknowledge the assault against our democracy, or to put up fresh defenses against a repeat in 2020. Hes a man who lies with nearly every breath, and is now blackmailing Congress by refusing to discuss pressing business, like the repair of our decrepit infrastructure, until the investigations of his wrongdoing cease. He has chosen thuggery over decency, demagoguery over the rule of law.

Its time for the House to splash cold water in his face, to try, once and for all, to put a stop to this.

* * *

What, you may ask, is the point of moving to impeach Trump when the Senate is so unlikely to convict him and remove him from office?

Because opening impeachment hearings could give Congress new muscle to force compliance with its subpoenas. Because televised hearings could scramble the politics by educating voters about the gravity of Trumps offenses. And because at this moment in history, when the rule of law is under such threat, Congress has an obligation to fight with all its might, even against long odds.

First, the subpoenas. The White House has rejected all demands for documents, including the full Mueller report, and for testimony from key figures like Donald McGahn, the former White House counsel who told Muellers team about Trumps efforts to fire Mueller. In a May 15 rejection letter the White House argued that Congress has no legitimate legislative purpose to make those demands, an argument that would be demolished by the opening of impeachment hearings.

Opening such hearings, other scholars say, could speed the court process, since judges would take into account the higher stakes as they consider requests for expedited hearings.

In our Constitutional structure, the impeachment power is mightier and more fundamental than virtually any interest the President might raise against it, Georgetown Law Professor Joshua Matz, who co-wrote a book on impeachment, told the Washington Post.

Congress could also strengthen its position by including the defiance of subpoenas as an article of impeachment, as the Watergate committee did when it faced the same kind of stonewalling, according to Michael Conway, counsel to the Judiciary Committee during the Watergate hearings.

History affords Congress maximum power only when it is investigating a possible impeachment, he wrote on NBC.com.

Granted, other experts disagree. Democrats have already won a few lower court decisions on the subpoenas, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has told fellow Democrats in caucus that impeachment hearings would do nothing to strengthen the legal case. Still, in the face of uncertainty, and with the stakes so high, why leave this tool in the box?

Court fights aside, holding televised impeachment hearings could sway public opinion in a way the written word cannot match. Think of the enormous political impact of John Deans testimony during the Watergate hearings, or Oliver Norths during the Iran-Contra hearings.

Muellers statement on TV last week speaks to the power of the medium: He underscored the responsibility of Congress to enforce the law against presidents, and that led several reluctant members to join the call for impeachment hearings last week. Note that Mueller said precisely the same thing in his written report two months ago; it simply did not penetrate as deeply.

Even if a TV tutorial on Trumps crimes fails to move the Senate, it will at least better inform the public before the 2020 vote.

Finally, there is duty. Rep. Tom Malinowski, D-7th, switched positions in the face of Trumps defiance of subpoenas, and now favors impeachment hearings, as does Rep. Bill Pascrell, D-9th, and Sen. Cory Booker.

Trump could shoot a guy on Fifth Avenue and the Senate wouldnt convict him -- thats the dilemma, Malinowski says. But there has to be some institution in our government that is willing to say this matters, that there are still rules. Some institution has to hold that line. Because if nobody holds that line, there is no line.

* * *

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi worries that impeachment hearings could backfire, helping Trump to win re-election by rallying his base, and by diverting attention from issues where Democrats have a clear advantage, like health care.

David Frum, a conservative writer at The Atlantic who opposes Trump, puts it this way: A Trump facing impeachment will rally reluctant Republicans to him, with the argument, so effective for Bill Clinton in the 1990s, Even if he did something wrong, it does not merit removal from office.

But those political predictions could be dead wrong. Where are the reluctant Republicans in this day of tribal politics? Trump has the approval of 90 percent of GOP voters in the latest Gallup poll. The die-hards already believe Democrats are staging a coup," as Trump describes it. How much more room for outrage exists?

The Clinton comparison is way off. He was popular before the impeachment hearings, with 66 percent approval. Trump is the most unpopular president in modern history, according to Gallup, with his latest approval rating at 42 percent. And Clinton was accused of lying to a grand jury about an affair with an intern, a trivial matter compared with obstructing an investigation into Russian sabotage of the 2016 election. Why would the political effect of impeachment hearings be the same?

The better comparison is to President Nixon, whose crimes were as serious as Trumps. Only 19 percent supported removing him from office when the Senate opened its hearings in May of 1973, but by the time he resigned 15 months later, the number had swelled to 57 percent. The hearings changed hearts and minds.

A final political concern that Pelosi must be considering as more Democrats press for impeachment hearings: What is the risk to Democrats if they dont hold impeachment hearings? That could inspire primary challenges from more militant candidates, draining money from the fight against Republicans, and potentially churning up more radical Democratic nominees who would face longer odds in a general election. It could even lead to independent challenges from the left, draining votes from Democrats.

I asked Malinowski how the political uncertainty plays into his thinking as he pushes the impeachment cause in the caucus.

Nobody knows what the political impact will be, and therefore it is a risk, he said. But when in doubt, its probably best to do the right thing.

Mueller has presented solid evidence that the man sitting in the Oval Office is a felon. The right thing to do is to resist him, with all our might. And that means Congress should open impeachment hearings and get to work.

More: Tom Moran columns

Tom Moran may be reached at tmoran@starledger.com or call (973) 836-4909. Follow him on Twitter @tomamoran. Find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook.Iftar, the breaking of a Ramadan daily fast, is about food. But sharing food around a table is also about community and conversation.

I was a guest at the North Hudson Islamic Educational Centers Interfaith Dinner on May 22 along with other clergy and community representatives.

Arif Khalil, a member of their mosque, chaired a discussion among 35 individuals who each had an opportunity to identify themselves and share something significant in their religious community. It was a litany of interfaith progress on the local front and reason to believe that mutual understanding of one another can lead to positive strides.

At the NHIEC, Khalil said there have been student field trips to the center so they can learn about Islam. Vigils have been held after tragedies, like the massacre of the Muslims in Christ Church, New Zealand. Community dinners, like the annual iftar, have been held. Religious spaces have been shared. Teens have dialogued. And there have outreach efforts in the community.

Rabbi Naomi Kalish of United Synagogue in Hoboken shared the 2019 Interfaith calendar, a product of a teen interfaith dialogue for peace program of Hudson Countys Brotherhood/Sisterhood Association. Kalish has directed the teen program since it was founded last year and oversaw the publication of the calendar, which chronicles the major feasts and celebrations of Bahai, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and Sikhism. It features teen art, explanations of each religion, prayers by the teens, Scriptural quotations from the major books of the religions and photographs of the teens visits and activities.

The Rev. Eugene Squeo -- the groups president, who founded the HCBSA after 9/11 and incorporated it in 2017 -- noted the importance of monthly gatherings to be on top of all the changes and events that make this group vital to continuing dialogue.

Retired Reformed Church Rev. Will Henkel of Secaucus acknowledged that this has been a difficult year for all of us, referring to many acts of terrorism taking innocent lives. He stressed the importance of standing up to hate language, citing the support for Asian Indians in Secaucus after prejudice reared its ugly head.

The community responded showing that Secaucus will not tolerate it, he said.

Lorna Henkel, his wife, spoke about her work at the PERC Shelter in Union City serving meals to the homeless and the communitys aid.

One night the NHIEC sent over a huge amount of rice and lamb, she said.

She also described the visits of First Friends to detained immigrants in the Elizabeth detention center and the county jails in Hudson, Bergen and Passaic.

Aly Bushrui, a Bahai, shared that his wife, now deceased, was Catholic and he learned so much about another faith. Pastor Barbara Perez of Iglesia Pentecostal La Glora del Altisimo Church in Union City talked about their Beginnings program to help people get off addiction. Professor Madeline Hoffman of Hudson County Community College is also a peace activist working for nuclear disarmament and pacifism.

I was touched by a Hispanic couple, Yoselin and Camilo Trujillo, who attended with their two young daughters, Matilda and Camilla. They belong to the Neo-Catechumenate movement out of Holy Redeemer Church in West New York.

Camilo spoke simply about how close-knit their members are, trying to live Christian values and staying close to the church.

Hamadi Bengabsia, a member of the Islamic Education centers executive committee, reminded all that while interfaith gatherings were good, we cannot rest on our laurels. More concrete steps are needed to bring people together.

We need to do more, he said.

Imam Mohammed Moussa of NHIEC listened intently to the sharing and invited us to dine once the call to prayer was over. I described the active young adults in Hoboken who attend our 7:30 Sunday evening Mass and their exchange last year with Imam Mohammed Al-Hayek, who was also at the dinner. They wanted to learn more about Islam.

I need to listen to you, Bushrui said to all of us. And thats what made this iftar so enlightening. We not only broke the fast, we also brokered peace.

The Rev. Alexander Santora is the pastor of Our Lady of Grace and St. Joseph, 400 Willow Ave., Hoboken, 07030, FAX: 201-659-5833; Email: padrealex@yahoo.com; Twitter: @padrehoboken.

Details ...

To order the 2019 Interfaith Calendar, send a free willing offering with your name and address to Rabbi Naomi Kalish, United Synagogue, 115 Park Ave., Hoboken, NJ 07030.The most rabid hardliners on immigration are usually found in areas with the fewest immigrants. Were witnessing just that today in Sussex County, one of the whitest regions in New Jersey.

The sheriff in Sussex, Michael Strada, is on a one-man crusade to fight phantom invaders. Hes warning that hell defy the Attorney Generals thoughtful policy on cooperating with federal immigration authorities, instead going his own way to bring a rogue brand of justice to Sussex  one that could land taxpayers in a losing lawsuit.

Thats right, a man charged with enforcing the law is charting a course to defy it, complete with the hateful rhetoric that cheap politicians use to rouse unfounded fears.

His motive is obvious: He is running for re-election in the Republican primary on Tuesday. It is a flagrantly political stunt.

The truth is, nothing in the AGs directive provides shelter to criminals. Commit a crime, and you go to jail, regardless of your legal status.

Yet Strada seems confused about the rules and is lunging at this political red meat, claiming he is protecting our citizens from legal anarchy, organized crime and terrorism  although he could not point to a single example in Sussex county.

Theres not a lot of illegal immigrants in our jail, he conceded. No.

Ive been there 21 years and cant tell you the last time I saw an ICE inmate come in, says Stradas challenger, Andrew Boden, a lieutenant in his own department who sensibly warns of the legal pitfalls of defying the AG.

The Legislature gave the Attorney General authority over criminal law enforcement in New Jersey, so his directives are orders that sheriffs must follow. If Strada doesnt agree, hes free to hold a rally; not to use the machinery of government to defy the rules of democracy.

Aside from the unlawfulness, his entire premise is a fraud. For perspective: Only 2 percent of Sussex residents are non-citizens, including many people here legally with green cards or student visas. And of those actually here illegally, an even smaller percentage commit crimes.

Statewide, of all those with a new deportation case in August 2017, only 318, or fewer than 7 percent, were in court because they were charged with or convicted of significant crimes. Apply this percentage to Sussex county, and its about 4 people.

Strada tells us hes had only three unauthorized immigrants in his jail this year. Sounds about right. Thats out of roughly 500 inmates, Boden, a longtime corrections officer, estimates.

Yet Stradas insurrection is focused on the jail. Under the AGs directive, jails can still alert ICE when an unauthorized immigrant charged with a serious crime, including assault or any significant theft, is about to be released. That hasnt changed.

What Strada is objecting to is what happens if ICE cant pick the inmate up right away. A detainer from ICE is not sufficient for the jail to keep holding someone, except in the most serious cases, the AG says. Whats needed is a court order from ICE.

This is because courts have ruled it unconstitutional to hold inmates past the final date of their sentences without judicial approval. If Strada does not demand a court order, he puts his county at risk of hefty legal penalties, paid for by local property taxes. And for what? Because ICE cant be bothered to get three or four court orders a year?

Thats not the only potential liability. Say theres an allegation of excessive force. A defense attorney would point to this sheriff and argue, if he openly flouts the law, why should we believe that his officers didnt do the same?

All this is a risk to taxpayers, who would pay a cost for lost lawsuits. Putting aside his grandstanding on immigration, a number of current or former officers say they were targeted and bullied by Stradas top deputy, NBC 4 New York recently reported.

Despite all this, the sheriffs allies on the freeholder board are happy to embrace his silly pandering. They know that if you say the right things, thats going to resonate with certain people, Boden notes.

Lets hope voters arent so easily played.

Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook.By Donna M. Nickitas, Robin Cogan and Donna Mazyck

Every day school nurses enter our nations schools ready to care for and serve 55 million children. Each day they wonder if their school will be next  next in the line of fire. They ask themselves: If not now, then when?

The fierce urgency of now, as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. so eloquently put it, calls on us to take immediate action in order to address gun violence for what it is: a public health crisis.

Who better to answer that call than nurses, who are at the forefront of this crisis, where community violence meets school violence in classrooms, hallways and on school grounds?

Whether its an active shooter ravaging the safety of our nations schools, or the slow mass shootings that happen in communities across the country, our children are suffering. Violence and revenge are partners in wreaking havoc on innocence and, when coupled with access to weapons, cause death and destruction in the most innocent of spaces.

It is time to stop and recognize the fierce urgency of now to address the heinous outcomes of gun violence that cause our children to lose their lives and deprive them of their futures.

As nurses, we interpret the fierce urgency of now to call on our president, Congress, and our nation to stop dithering and wasting time, and get down to the business of eradicating gun violence once and for all in our schools, in our communities, and in our places of worship.

Simply put, we call on our leaders to respond with deliberate action and speed. In no uncertain terms, we mean, Do it now! Produce results! We have no more time to waste!

We can start by providing federal funding for gun violence prevention research. We must have a clear path forward that is based in science, much like how public health research informed safe speed limits and seat belts. More data is crucial to crafting a public health approach  and devising a plan accordingly  that stems physical and emotional violence.

We can also address the safe storage of firearms today. Lets start by providing gun safety locks at all health fairs and back to school nights across the country.

Minute-to-minute, hour-by-hour, school nurses are faced with the root causes of violence, address suicide prevention, and find evidence-based solutions to secure the health and well-being of children and youth. However, underlying this effort is the question: Who will help keep our children safe? This question stays in and on our minds; it fuels the work that we do.

Nothing is more important than the safety and well-being of our nations children. School nurses remain relentless in their commitment to work with other health professionals, researchers, and policymakers in demanding results. Now is the time to do something about gun violence; lets make our call to action so loud it is impossible to ignore.

Donna M. Nickitas, Ph.D., RN, NEA-BC, CNE, FNAP, FAAN, is dean and a professor at Rutgers School of Nursing-Camden. Robin Cogan, MEd, RN, NCSN, is a school nurse in the Camden City School District, and adjunct faculty, Rutgers School of Nursing-Camden. Donna Mazyck, MS, RN, NCSN, CAE, is the executive director of the National Association of School Nurses.

Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow us on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and on Facebook at NJ.com Opinion. Get the latest news updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters.By Juliette Kayyem

What ends lives? Gunfire.

What saves lives? The sound of gunfire.

The Virginia Beach shooting on Friday, when an employee of the city government killed 12 people - 11 of whom were his co-workers - is notable only for its familiarity. Another mass shooting. In fact, it was the worst mass-casualty event anyone can remember since . . . November 2018, at the Borderline Bar and Grill in Thousand Oaks, California.

But details of the rampage include one fact unique to the growing list of active-shooter cases: the assailant used a .45-caliber handgun with extended magazines and a barrel suppressor. This small detail - that the loaded gun was fitted with simple, and lawful, "silencing" equipment - threatens to upend how we understand and train for active-shooter cases in the future.

Gun violence in America is unique not simply because of our culture but also because we have lawful weaponry that can kill many people very quickly. In terms of death-to-time ratio, single-shot weapons are preferable to multi-round handguns and handguns are preferable to the semiautomatic, and the favorite of mass shooters, the AR-15. It's a simple calculation of time.

But the Virginia Beach killer seemed to want the anonymity of silence, a tool of the coward, not one seeking fame or a blaze of glory. None of the videos or manifestos weve seen from New Zealand to Las Vegas appear to be part of the Virginia Beach story. The killer wanted silence.

Silence is the enemy of time. An entire "run, hide, fight" policy that governs every school, workforce and the first-responder community in active-shooter cases is conditioned on an important premise: that there is situational awareness that shots have been fired, bullets are flying and it's always best to run the other way. Once you know where the bullets are coming from, you can - as I tell my own kids - "sprint if you can; duck if you can't; and fight only if you must. I only have one of each of you."

Bystanders can run from the gunfire only if they know where it is coming from. This is why the best active-shooter training focuses on access to building or school exits and open, but protected, spaces so that potential victims can get out of the way.

For first responders, in a world that has adapted to lessons learned in school shootings, they no longer assume a potential hostage situation and now are trained to run toward the gunfire - assuming, of course, they know where it is. As Jonathan Wackrow, a former Secret Service agent, told me, this "is a major shift in the attack methodology. Now, absent having the situational awareness that an attack is taking place due to the sound of recognizable gunfire, we must reconfigure our ability to identify the immediate threat along with the corresponding response."

Survival is all about sound.

In a society with no movement toward sensible gun-control measures, the flight-and/or-fight reaction is one of the few elements in an attack that citizens can control. In some instances, flight is not possible; in other instances, potential victims engage. Recently, for example, in North Carolina and Colorado, brave bystanders have decided they had no choice but to "fight if you must," delaying the killer's spree; both young men saved the lives of others but died as a result.

It is true that suppressors do not quiet guns; industry experts often cringe at the popular reference to "silencers." Instead, suppressors act like a car muffler - both devices were pioneered by the same inventor, Hiram Percy Maxim - by cooling and dissipating the gases that emanate from the chamber as the trigger is being pulled. That alters the sound enough that the gunshot's normal sound - a suppressed gunshot can sound like a chair scraping on the floor - is difficult to identify.

Suppressors are legal in 42 states, though they are regulated under the National Firearms Act and therefore are treated like other specialty gun accessories, including requiring a background check and a $200 tax. Recently, making suppressors more easily accessible has become a focal point of gun rights activists who want to increase dwindling gun sales and hunting groups who argue that suppressors are actually a health necessity in that they reduce hearing loss. As recently as June 2017, the then-Republican-majority House was considering a law to make the regulation of suppressors less onerous. You know, for the sake of the auditory sensitivities of shooters.

One mass shooting with a suppressor does not make a trend, nor does it require us to alter how we train for or respond to them. But, it does mean we must continue to vigorously regulate and even eventually ban these devices as essential steps in adopting common-sense gun-control measures.

Gun rights advocates are correct when they say that laws will not end all gun violence. But they never finish that thought. Our gun safety goal, and homeland security goal, must be to minimize the increasing likelihood that lots of people can be killed in a matter of minutes, with no capacity for escape or rescue.

To protect life, time is of the essence. And sound adds precious seconds.

Juliette Kayyem is a former assistant secretary of homeland security and is faculty chair of the homeland security program at Harvards Kennedy School of Government.

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.Some bus commuters, who sit in traffic whenever the Xclusive Bus Lane backs up to the Lincoln Tunnel, say its time to add a second bus lane to reduce delays and long travel times.

But Port Authority of New York and New Jersey officials say there may be a different answer, one that uses the same technology that is leading to self-driving vehicles as a way to move more buses, without taking a lane away from cars and trucks.

The Port Authoritys 2016 Trans-Hudson study proposed adding a second New York-bound bus lane on Route 495 east to the Lincoln Tunnel in the mornings. Commuters who read the report, probably while sitting in traffic, said now is the time to open a second Xclusive Bus Lane. But the same report also recommended studying autonomous vehicle technology on buses to make the existing XBL run more efficiently and add bus capacity.

Why not have two bus lanes?

On weekday mornings, Route 495 has an eastbound bus lane to the Lincoln Tunnel thats created from one of the highways westbound lanes. The Trans-Hudson study proposed creating a second Xclusive Bus Lane from one of the existing Route 495 eastbound lanes.

That builds on an idea thats been around since 2006, to create a Route 495 High Occupancy Toll lane to the tunnel, where car drivers would pay a premium toll for a faster ride with less traffic to the tunnel. A second 2009 study proposed funneling buses from Route 3 east into the HOT lane.

The premium toll paid by car drivers using a HOT lane also could be additional revenue, the study said. Buses would not be charged a premium toll to use it. Bridge and Tunnel tolls are the Port Authoritys second highest money earner after airports.

#njcommute now sitting in XBL ( in park again) and traffic to tunnel on other side nice and clear pic.twitter.com/IJCuciC8OU  kelly rodriguez (@krod924) May 22, 2019

There would be drawbacks to another bus lane

When there is a crash, a disabled bus or other problem in the XBL, it brings bus traffic to a halt, causing cascading delays, commuters said. To add to the frustration, while buses are stopped, commuters said they often have to sit and watch traffic moving in the other lanes.

In the first three months of 2019, a total of 520,847 buses used the Lincoln Tunnel, according to Authority statistics. But more bus traffic is coming. The number of buses forecast to use the Port Authority Bus Terminal in 2040 is predicted to increase by 15% from 7,800 a day to 9,100, according to the authority.

The 2009 study said adding a second bus lane and High Occupancy Toll lane comes with a cost. Displaced car and truck traffic could divert to other congested Hudson River crossings. Loss of a lane could cause additional delays in the remaining lanes, at the entrance to Route 495 from the New Jersey Turnpike and at the Lincoln Tunnel toll plazas, the report said.

There are still a finite number of Lincoln Tunnel lanes going into NYC. A second XBL would have to ultimately merge with either the existing XBL or the (other) local bus lanes before going through the tunnel and that could result in congestion and reduced efficiency, said Steve Coleman, a Port Authority spokesman.

Day 6: @StewartMader @NJTRANSIT @NJTRANSIT_NBUS, the Exclusive Bus Lane to Lincoln Tunnel turns THREE heavy flows of buses into one single lane. Getting more drivers on the road isnt the solution @PhilMurphyNJ, getting a better system to the tunnel is. BUILD ANOTHER XBL  Disgruntled NJ Commuters (@MadNJCommuters) May 30, 2019

While the current XBL is over capacity, studies said there is insufficient volume to fill a second XBL, he said. If a second bus lane were created from another lane of Route 495 west, that would reduce traffic to one lane in that direction.

That "could create a congestion issue for vehicles traveling west during the a.m. rush, Coleman said.

Without a steady flow of buses in a second bus lane, it could cause westbound vehicles (cars) to use it, "resulting in an unsafe situation, Coleman said.

How does a new bus terminal fit in?

A second subsequent study said improving capacity in the Port Authority bus terminal in Manhattan was the only way to improve bus flow, which is why the Authority has made a new terminal a top priority, agency officials said.

Last week, officials announced the process is starting to evaluate three options to replace or rebuild the aging Port Authority Bus Terminal. The mid-town Manhattan bus terminal is over capacity and needs rehabilitation.

The added bus traffic from a possible second bus lane needs to be considered in the design of the new Port Authority Bus Terminal, said Nat Bottigheimer, the director of Regional Plan Association New Jersey.

Its a great question to be asked, given the experience of so many commuters and the risk we face with the deterioration of the Hudson River rail tunnels, Bottigheimer said. It would be responsible disaster planning to look at a second XBL.

But, he said, there are other considerations.

There are other questions to ask. With improvements in vehicle autonomy, is it possible to increase capacity in existing lanes?

Are autonomous buses the answer?

Technology thats made self-driving cars and trucks possible could be applied to buses with a system that is similar to truck platooning -- where several trucks are driving close together in a line. The lead truck communicates distance, speed and braking information with the following trucks. The trucks can react quickly to road and traffic conditions or give control back to the driver.

The technology is currently being tested in the U.S., Canada and Europe.

Its counterpart, called bus platooning is being studied by the Port Authority as a way to improve capacity in the existing XBL, officials said. The installation of autonomous vehicle technology on buses could increase the carrying capacity of the XBL by 30 percent, officials said.

Study results are expected in the second quarter of 2020, however the agency plans to meet with bus carriers first about the results to get their buy in before anything is made public, officials said.

Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @commutinglarry. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips.

Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters.Parts of New Jersey could get some severe weather on Sunday evening, as the National Weather Service has issued a thunderstorm watch for all of the state.

The National Weather Service offices in Mount Holly and New York have said that all of New Jersey, along with parts of Pennsylvania and New York, should be aware of the possibility of thunderstorms until 10 p.m. on Sunday.

A severe thunderstorm watch has been issued for parts of DE, MD, NJ, PA until 10 PM EDT pic.twitter.com/wmUVvP1Xt5  NWS Mount Holly (@NWS_MountHolly) June 2, 2019

Forecasters warned that storms Sunday night could bring hail the size of limes, lightning and wind up to 70 mph. They urged people to be alert to the possibility of strong storms into the night.

The potential for severe weather on Sunday comes after a week of rough storms, when New Jersey was battered with nasty weather for three consecutive days, prompting the weather service to issue flood alerts and storm watches and warnings. That also caused a series of tornado watches and warnings.

One tornado was confirmed in the Stanhope area of Sussex County.

Flooding concerns on Sunday will be minimal, forecasters said, as the storms are expected to pass quickly.

NJ Advance Media Staff Writer Karen Yi contributed to this story.

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.NEW YORK  Yankees manager Aaron Boone had a plan. It changed with a swing of Gary Sanchezs bat and ultimately was why Boones club was able to seal Saturday nights 5-3 victory over the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium.

But it might also leave the Yankees exposed for Sundays series finale.

Before Sanchezs two-run home run in the fifth inning snapped a 3-all tie and ultimately provided the final score, Boone was prepared to use long reliever Luis Cessa to at least keep the deadlock.

"We were going to go with Cessa if we were tied there and see how long we could go with him, Boone said. But once we got the lead, we felt like we had a chance to really roll out our guys.

So, thats what Boone did, using high-leverage relievers Tommy Kahnle, Adam Ottavino, Zack Britton and Aroldis Chapman each for the second straight night. They were especially needed since starting pitcher Domingo German went just 3 2/3 innings.

Its unlikely Boone will go to any his top relievers for a third straight night Sunday, even with Mondays off day looming before the team starts a three-game set in Toronto on Tuesday.

Buy Yankees tickets: StubHub, SeatGeek, PrimeSport, Ticketmaster

So Boone might be forced to drop either Jonathan Holder or Chad Green into the role of closer, with long men Cessa and David Hale each getting used in tighter spots than which theyre accustomed.

The Yankees will also be without reliever Nestor Cortes Jr. They demoted Cortes with CC Sabathias return from the injured list expected to happen so he can start Sunday.

Brendan Kuty may be reached at bkuty@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BrendanKutyNJ. Find NJ.com Yankees on Facebook.In less than 24 hours, the Dallas Keuchel (and maybe even Craig Kimbrel) sweepstakes each could be over.

At 12:01 a.m. Monday, the draft pick compensation tied to each of them will disappear. It appears the requirement of forfeiting a top draft pick to sign either player  both of whom rejected $17.9-million, one-year qualifying offers  was a huge hurdle for clubs.

Heres what Ken Rosenthal, reporting for Fox Sports, said Keuchel and Kimbrel should have received in free agency:

Keuchel, in the estimation of one agent, should have exceeded the four years, $75-million contract that the Padres awarded James Shields in 2015. Kimbrel should have fallen somewhere between Wade Davis (three years, $52 million) and Kenley Jansen (five years, $80 million), saying four years and $68 million. Neither pitcher is expected to get close to those numbers.

Last season, Keuchel went 12-11 with a 3.74 ERA in 34 starts for Houston. Meanewhile, Kimbrel notched 42 saves with a 2.74 ERA in 63 games for Boston.

Buy Yankees tickets: StubHub, SeatGeek, PrimeSport, Ticketmaster

Both teams are expected to have plenty of suitors from which to choose. Last week, the Yankees sent a scout to watch Keuchel throw a simulated game in Newport Beach, Cali. The Rays have also recently been connected to the 31-year-old lefty.

The Braves, Phillies, Twins and Rays each have been in contact with Kimbrel, MLB Networks Jon Heyman recently reported.

Brendan Kuty may be reached at bkuty@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BrendanKutyNJ. Find NJ.com Yankees on Facebook.Police arrested the 53-year-old man suspected in a shooting at a Bourbon Street daiquiri shop Friday afternoon (May 31).

Christopher Doty was booked on charges of aggravated second-degree battery, felon in possession of a firearm, and possession of a firearm in an alcohol beverage outlet. Officers were seen handcuffing Doty near the corner of Bordeaux and Constance streets Saturday afternoon (June 1).

Police said Doty walked into Mango Mango Daiquiris in the 200 block of Bourbon Street and ordered a beer at the bar around 12:15 p.m. Friday. The woman at the bar noticed he was previously banned from the bar and asked him to leave. Doty started to argue with the woman until he pulled out a firearm and shot her once in the stomach, police said.

The woman was transported to the hospital to be treated for what police called non-life-threatening injuries. NOPD Chief Shaun Ferguson said she was stable during a press conference held near the bar Friday.

Authorities found Doty standing at the corner of Bordeaux and Constance streets, wearing a green shirt, gray pants, boots and a Saints cap turned backwards. He had a gray duffle slung over his shoulder. A bag of groceries lay broken open at his feet, showing a loaf of bread and a big pack of cream pies. He appeared to be talking to himself. A neighbor came out of a driveway to look at him. As she did, several police cars came down Bordeaux and Constance. Doty raised his hands as one officer drew a weapon but kept it pointed down. The officers shouted at him to get down, which he eventually did. He was handcuffed and placed in the back of the car.

The charges related to Fridays shooting add to Dotys lengthy criminal history, dating back to 1991 when authorities accused him of manslaughter, according to jail records.

Authorities accused Doty of issuing worthless checks for $1,500 or more in January 1991. After initially pleading not guilty, he pleaded guilty to the charge in 1992 and was sentenced to one year behind bars.

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

Less than three months later, Dotys trial began in connection to manslaughter, jail records show. In 1992, he was sentenced to 12 years in prison, but the conviction was reversed by the Supreme Court three years later and he was released.

In 2002, he was booked with unauthorized entering of an inhabited dwelling, but was released from custody eight months later when prosecutors dropped the charges.

In 2009, he pleaded guilty to theft of goods under $1,500 and was sentenced to two years on probation after an initial sentence of two years in prison, jail records show. Seven months after his arrest, a judge revoked Dotys probation under the recommendation of his probation officer and sentenced him to 90 days in Orleans Parish jail under the condition that he complete a drug rehabilitation program and return to probation when released. It is unclear how long Doty was in jail.

The following year, a judge found him guilty of theft of goods under $300 and was sentenced to 43 days in Orleans Parish jail and in 2011, he pleaded guilty to simple burglary and was sentenced to six years.

Staff photographer Michael DeMocker contributed to this report.

Olivia Prentzel covers breaking news and criminal justice for NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune. Reach her at oprentzel@nola.com or find her on Twitter @olivepretzel.Oslo, 2 June 2019: Scatec Solar and partners have grid connected and reached commercial operation for another 65 MW of the 400 MW Benban project in Egypt. Scatec Solar now has 130 MW in operation in Egypt and expects to have completed the project during second half of 2019.

The Benban solar power plant is Scatec Solars largest project under construction and the first solar plant with bi-facial solar panels, capturing the sun from both sides of the panels to increase the total clean energy generation.

In April 2017, Scatec Solar with its partners KLP Norfund and Africa 50 signed a 25-year Power Purchase Agreements with the Government of Egypt for delivery of electricity from six solar plants, equal in size, totaling 400 MW. The estimated annual 870 GWh of electricity produced from Scatec Solars plants in Benban will avoid about 350,000 tons of CO2 emissions per year and provide energy for more than 420,000 households in Egypt.

For further information, please contact:



Mikkel Trud, CFO

tel: +47 976 99 144

mikkel.torud@scatecsolar.com

Ingrid Aarsnes, Communication & IR

tel: +47 950 38 364

ingrid.aarsnes@scatecsolar.com

About Scatec Solar

Scatec Solar is an integrated independent solar power producer, delivering affordable, rapidly deployable and sustainable clean energy worldwide. A long- term player, Scatec Solar develops, builds, owns, operates and maintains solar power plants and has an installation track record of more than 1 GW. The company has a total of 1.7 GW in operation and under construction in Brazil, the Czech Republic, Egypt, Honduras, Jordan, Malaysia, Mozambique, Rwanda, South Africa and Ukraine.

With an established global presence and a significant project pipeline, the company is targeting a capacity of 3.5 GW in operation and under construction by end of 2021. Scatec Solar is headquartered in Oslo, Norway and listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol 'SSO'. To learn more, visit www.scatecsolar.com.

This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to Section 5-12 the Norwegian Securities Trading ActA man who barricaded himself inside a Frenchmen Street hotel was arrested without injury Saturday night (June 1), New Orleans police said.

Police were called to the Royal Frenchmen Hotel and Bar, at Royal and Frenchmen streets, around 7:30 p.m. A man locked himself in a room, police said, prompting the department to send in SWAT officers who tried, unsuccessfully, to convince the man to come out. SWAT officers eventually entered and arrested the man. No one was injured and no weapons were found, police said.

The man was taken to an area hospital for evaluation.A 42-year-old New Orleans man has been identified as the person shot by a Louisiana State Police trooper after driving the wrong way on Bourbon Street Thursday night (May 30).

Eric Kullander is expected to face charges including resisting an officer with force or violence, aggravated flight from an officer and reckless operation, according to a State Police news release, which says Kullander has been booked into Orleans Parish jail.

Authorities say Kullander was behind the wheel of a Kia Forte heading the wrong way along the 200 block of Bourbon Street just after 7 p.m. Troopers tried to stop the car, authorities said, and a trooper fired on the driver after the car sped toward a crowd of people.

The driver, since identified as Kullander, was struck once and taken to the hospital. The shooting was captured on surveillance video from the area.

State Police and New Orleans police are investigating the shooting.Presidential candidate Donald Trump made it clear that he was no fan of the Obama administrations plans to replace the image of Andrew Jackson on the $20 bill with that of abolitionist Harriet Tubman.

In 2016 campaign appearances, he called the announcement an example of pure political correctness and suggested that Tubman, who escaped slavery and led hundreds of people to freedom through the Underground Railroad, might be better suited for a lesser denomination, maybe the $2 bill.

Andrew Jackson had a great history, and I think its very rough when you take somebody off the bill, said Trump, who is known to have a special affection for the nations seventh president. Andrew Jackson had a history of tremendous success for the country.

Abortion is wrong but so is this Louisiana ban

So, when Trump's Treasury secretary, Steven Mnuchin, announced last week that the release of the Tubman bill was being postponed from 2020 until 2028, few were buying his explanation that the delay was needed to focus on "counterfeiting issues with the $10 and $50 bills.

Who gets on U.S. currency and when is pretty much up to the secretary of the Treasury. Those honored have so far been prominent figures, such as presidents and Founding Fathers. But the only specific requirement is that the person on the cash must be dead.

The current lineup, which has been in place in 1929, all happen to be dead white men. Yes, Susan B. Anthony and Sacagawea, got some facetime on $1 coins, but the paper legal tender still remains all about the Benjamins ... the Georges, the Abrahams and the Andrews.

Martha Washington was featured alone on the face of the $1 silver certificate in 1886 but was later moved to the back of the bill and featured next to her husband, George.

Other than that, women have been left out of the folding money exchange. The United States is one of 84 countries and territories that dont feature any women on their banknotes. That list includes North Korea, Russia, China and Saudi Arabia.

That was the backdrop for the Obama administrations plans to put a woman on the $20 bill in 2020 to mark the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote.

In a campaign called "Women on 20s," selected voters were asked to choose three of 15 female candidates to receive the honor. Tubman was the top choice from a list that included former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, Civil Rights icon Rosa Parks, and Wilma Mankiller, the first female chief of the Cherokee Nation.

The plan was to put Tubman on the front and move Jackson to the back.

The switch would be filled with cultural significance: In addition to the long-overdue recognition of a woman on major currency, the white, slaveholding Jackson would be replaced by the fierce black abolitionist Tubman. The president who forced the Trail of Tears on American Indians would be displaced by a woman who freed so many of her people that she became known as the American Moses.

And in one final irony, Jackson was famously opposed to the Central Bank and used part of his farewell address to warn Americans about the evils of paper money. So, he might not be all that broken up about losing his place on the double sawbuck.

So, far from being political correctness run amok, Tubman could be the perfect choice for Trump to embrace. Given the times, she was much more likely to be a Republican than a Democrat, was a devout Christian and even has pretty solid Second Amendment bonafides. The GOP trifecta.

If anyone ever wanted to change his or her mind during the journey to freedom and return, Tubman pulled out a gun and said, Youll be free or die a slave! according to a Library of Congress account of her life. Tubman knew that if anyone turned back, it would put her and other escaping slaves in danger of discovery, capture or even death.

How do you like her now, Andrew Jackson?

Even the conservative Cato Institute has weighed in on Tubman's behalf.

Tubman fought enormous injustice and promoted human liberty, the group said in a post on its website. "She advocated genuine equality of opportunity, allowing women to vote, rather than the sort of PC notions of equality popular today.

St. Bernard caught discriminating  again

"She exhibited courage in fighting and breaking unjust laws. She was no ivory tower theorist but took the lead in putting her views into action. She never saw her work as done, but constantly joined anew the battle for freedom. Never did she wait for bureaucrats, politicians, judges, lawyers, and others to act. Instead, she acted to rescue the oppressed."

Congress should lobby the administration to reconsider the delay in the redesign. The only question is whether the $20 bill is good enough for Harriet Tubman.

Tim Morris is a columnist on the Latitude team at NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune. Latitude is a place to share opinions about the challenges facing Louisiana. Follow @LatitudeNOLA on Facebook and Twitter. Write to Tim at tmorris@nola.com.A 38-year-old man was killed Sunday (June 2) after his car crashed head-on into another vehicle on Louisiana 16 in St. Helena Parish, Louisiana State Police said.

Ronald Lee Davis of Greensburg was pronounced dead at the scene, where authorities say his eastbound 2002 Buick LeSabre crossed into the westbound lane and crashed into a 2002 Cadillac DeVille around 3:35 a.m.

The other driver, a 35-year-old man from Denham Springs, suffered serious injuries and a helicopter brought him to a hospital, police said. Davis 38-year-old wife, who was riding in the Buicks passenger seat, suffered moderate injuries and was transported to a hospital in an ambulance, police said.

Authorities do not believe that either driver was impaired, but a toxicology report is pending. The two drivers and passenger were not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash, police said.Beltone, a national hearing aid company, presented its award of highest honor to audiologist Dean Kent, the owner of several Beltone locations in the area, during its annual national conference.

The Presidents Cup is awarded to Beltone owners who demonstrate exceptional patient care, community involvement and professional business practices.

Kent has been a Beltone business owner since 1996, but he said his family has been helping the world hear better since 1938. Kent is the only fourth generation audiologist at Beltone, dating back to 1938 when his grandfather owned a practice and won the Presidents Cup Award in 1959. Kents father also won the award in 1986.

Several families have won the award only twice, but were the only practice that has won it three times because weve had three different owners, Kent said.

During the national conference in Florida, the President Cups Award winners are not disclosed until the award ceremony. Winning the award allowed Kent to attend an extra breakfast and lunch and participate in a roundtable discussion among a group of other Beltone owners.

We didnt know we were going to win, but thats the fun part, Beltone said.

Kents locations are spread among Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota and have contributed to numerous local awards, including Best of Omaha awards and The Daily Nonpareil Readers Choice awards.

I am so proud to receive the Presidents Cup Award and appreciate Beltone for recognizing our dedication and commitment to providing quality hearing care services to our patients, said Kent. Were a family-owned business so we treat our customers like they are family.

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.A recent survey conducted by Express Employment Professionals found how much employers would offer a star employee to stay with the company, according to a release from Jim Myers, franchise owner of Express Employment Professionals in Council Bluffs.

On average, the survey found employees want more than employers are willing to offer.

Job seekers were asked: If offered a new job, how much of a pay increase would it take to stay with your current employer?

20% said 16 to 20% pay increase

19% said 11 to 15% pay increase

19% said 5 to 19% pay increase

18% said 21% or more of a pay increase

7% said 3 to 4% pay increase

7% said other, noting they would be consider the specific job offer and benefits

6% said they would stay without a pay increase

3% said a 1 to 2% pay increase

On the other hand, employers were asked a similar question: If a star employee were offered a job with another company, how much of a pay increase over their current salary would you offer to retain them?

39% answered 5 to 10% pay increase

14% said 11 to 15% pay increase

11% said 16 to 20% pay increase

9% said 3 to 4% pay increase

7% said other, noting concerns such as individual circumstances and benefits

6% said 21% or more pay increase

1% said 1 to 2% pay increase

Overall, 57% of employees answered they would want a raise of more than 10%, while only 30% of employers said they would be willing to offer 10% to a star employee, the release said.

We continue to see wages increase in Southwest Iowa. Market forces have continued to push wages to unprecedented levels with the vast majority of the starting wages for entry level manufacturing and office services positions being 50 to 100% higher than the Iowa minimum wage, Myers said. Workplace culture, employee recognition, opportunities for advancement and benefits packages are all vital to reducing turnover; however, compensation is still the predominant factor in attracting, and potentially luring, good employees from the competition.

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.Mr. J.C. Hoffmayr, proprietor of the City Roller Mills, is the oldest miller in the West, the present business being established in 1856. This mill is supplied with the most modern machinery [1882] using the full Hungarian process. He manufactures the following well-known brands of flour: J.C. Hoffmayrs Fancy Patent, White Loaf, Busy Bee and Early Riser. Trade mark, Blue Rooster. A cut of the mill appears on this page. It is located corner Washington Avenue, Bryant and North Main Streets.

Julius C. Hoffmayrs obituary, The Nonpareil archives, city directories and Ancestry.com provide the highlights of his long and productive life.

Born in Prussia in 1834 to Charles and Emma (Von Treskow) Hoffmayr, he was educated at home until age 10 and attended public schools at Frankfort until the age of 14. He then went to work in the machine shops  first at Landsburg for a year, and at the locomotive works at Borsig  the largest of its kind in the country  at Berlin.

At age 16, he was hired by the Berlin & Stettin Railroad and learned to actually run the locomotives he had learned to build and maintain. After becoming an engineer, he went to work for the government railroad system between Berlin and St. Petersburg, was employed in locating and building the railroad bridges, and surveying and locating the road to Koenigsberg. On completion of the road, at age 17, he was given control of the first engine over the road to Koenigsberg.

A few days after the appointment, he was given the first train, the inauguration train, with the King of Prussia on board, who opened the road. This was considered a great honor, as he won the place in competition with the older engineers of the road.

He attended the polytechnic school at Berlin for a time and was then sent by his government to study the English methods of locomotive construction. Later, he was placed in the engineering corps of the royal navy and cruised along the Mediterranean coast subduing pirates on the North African coast and around the Cape of Good Hope to the East Indies. Then he returned home. (Obituary, The Nonpareil, March 18, 1918)

In June of 1855, Julius Hoffmayr came to America with Charles Seeger, the chief engineer of the eastern division of Prussian railroads. They landed at St. Mary in Mills County.

St. Mary flourished on the Iowa side of the Missouri River about three miles south of Bellevue, Nebraska. The town of St. Mary was founded in 1836 by Peter Sarpy and several other men. St. Mary was a thriving town second only to Glenwood in importance and size.

St. Mary died in the muddy swirling flood waters of the Missouri River, and by 1880 St. Mary was nothing but a memory to those who had once lived there. (Yellow Violets  memoirs of Clarice Summerfeldt as told to, and written by, Jackie Sukup.)

Hoffmayr assisted Seeger in the construction of mills in the timberlands, and then managed them until Seeger returned. He had the honor of blowing the first steam whistle on land in this part of the country.

He returned to Prussia in 1857, where he married Antonia Wolfram on April 21, 1858. They came back to this country on the ship Harmonia and settled in St. Mary. The mills which he had built had been sold to Peter Sarpy, who hired Hoffmayr to manage them. He continued in the milling industry, assisting in building more mills.

During this time, the area around St. Mary and Council Bluffs was also home to the Pawnee and Omaha Indian tribes. While on the plains with the Pawnee scouts in 1867, Hoffmayr was made an honorary member of the Pawnee and named Co-ka-titsta-kah.

The Hoffmayrs moved to Council Bluffs in 1862 where Hoffmayr took charge of City Mills for Officer and Pusey.

Built in 1856 by John Baldwin and Grenville Dodge, the mills, located near Indian Creek, supplied flour to the wagon trains going west. Hoffmayr secured ownership the following year (c.1863). In 1865, he sold the mill to Baldwin and returned to Europe for a year.

On his return, he contracted to furnish ties for the Union Pacific Railroad. The History of Pottawattamie County, published in 1883 by O.L. Baskin, gives this account: In 1865 to 1870 he was engaged in contracting to furnish ties and car timbers for the construction of the Union Pacific Railroad, operating steam saw mills, and from 150 to 200 men and as many teams, and thus consuming several thousand acres of the best timber in Pottawattamie County, near Honey Creek, for almost five years.

Then he regained ownership of the mill and operated it until 1882 when John Baldwin became a partner, at which time a fourth floor and an elevator were added, the building was refitted with the Hungarian roller process of grinding and the name was changed to City Roller Mills. Besides the local area, the mill supplied flour for Colorado, Utah, Wyoming and Montana.

During the war in 1864, when Governor Stone called out three regiments of state troops to protect the southern border of the state, Hoffmayr was commissioned a first lieutenant of Company A and was later commissioned lieutenant colonel of the regiment.

Antonia, whom he married in Prussia in 1858, died on July 8, 1876, leaving an infant daughter, Ellen, who died two weeks later; Harry (age 12) and Arthur (age 9).

On February 7, 1878, Julius Hoffmayr married Clara Tzschuck, native of St. Mary and the daughter of Hon. Bruno Tzschuck (former Nebraska Secretary of State) in Sarpy County. Their home was on Frank Street. Clara died five years later, on February 8, 1883, leaving a daughter, four-year-old Julia, who was born in 1879 and died at age 15, in 1904.

This one-story Queen Anne house at 1107 Seventh Avenue was built on one of several lots Hoffmayr purchased from Baldwin in 1879. Hoffmayr is shown to be living there during the 1890s. It was possibly built as a rental property, as other addresses listed in the directories, are Second Ward, S. Sixth Street and Frank Street. The bank took possession of the house in 1898, following the nationwide depression of 1893.

According to his obituary, Hoffmayr went to New Mexico in 1899 and later bought a fruit farm there. His name is not listed in the Council Bluffs directory after 1900, but is listed in the 1910 Ventura, California, directory by 1910. He died in Moorpark, California, on March 9, 1918, where he went something over a year before he died ... After the funeral, the ashes were forwarded to Council Bluffs, the home he loved for so many years, for burial.

J.C. Hoffmayr is buried with other family members in Fairview Cemetery.Starting this fall, school meals are going to get a lot cheaper for some students in the Council Bluffs Community School District.

The entire school district now qualifies for the Community Eligibility Provision  the program that allows students to eat free, Lisa Stewart, director of nutrition services, told the board of education Tuesday. The program is funded by the USDA.

Every single student in the district will get free breakfast and free lunch, she said.

That could save families as much as $700 per year at the elementary school level for the cost of breakfast and lunch or $425 for lunch only, according to Superintendent Vickie Murillo. It could save families up to $900 a year at the high school level for breakfast and lunch.

Although there will be no new charges for meals next year, families who have unpaid meal balances at the end of June 2019 are still required to pay the balance.

A state of Iowa decision implemented in March 2018 to accept certain classifications of Medicaid enrollees as automatically qualified for free lunches caused the number of students eligible to soar, Stewart said, adding that there was no sudden nose dive in the local economy. The additional students who qualified will allow the district to extend the CEP to all of its schools.

We were not expecting it, she said. We were hoping to be able to add one building.

Automatic qualification means families in the designated Medicaid classification do not have to apply individually for the program, Stewart said. That saves them a lot of trouble and also reduces the school districts paperwork. The state automatically notifies the district each month which students are eligible.

And the school district does not have to shoulder the cost of perhaps having more mouths to feed, Stewart said.

(Reimbursement) covers the entire cost of our operation, she said. Were really excited  and were happy to be able to offer this to everybody, regardless of what building they go to.

Because the program was already in place at 12 of the districts 15 schools, Stewart isnt expecting a huge jump in customers. Abraham Lincoln High School, College View Elementary and Crescent Elementary are the schools where she expects to see an increase.

Stewart hopes the free meals will motivate many habitual breakfast-skippers to start eating breakfast.

A lot of high-schoolers dont eat breakfast, she said.

Because the district is extending CEP to all of its schools, it is considered eligible for five years, Stewart said. However, the reimbursement rate is recalculated every April, so free meals may not be available every year.

The CEP does not affect textbook or other school fees, but families can complete the Fee Waiver form to see if those fees can be reduced or waived, based on household income.

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.Seven Council Bluffs cadets are about to embark on a journey to learn more about a war that forever changed the world.

The Abraham Lincoln High School students (and two recent graduates) are members of Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps Unit IA-951, which was invited by the National D-Day 75 Years Committee to send cadets to march in the 2019 D-Day Memorial Parade Thursday in Sainte-Mere-Eglise, France. Four cadets will serve as a color guard, and the others will march in formation behind them, according to Lt. Col Steven Ament, senior aerospace science instructor, who oversees the JROTC program.

Several world leaders, including President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, are expected to attend, said Master Sgt. Jeffrey Lane, aerospace science instructor, who, like Ament, spent 21 years in the Air Force.

Its a huge honor, I think, said Nathan Mortensen, a recent A.L. graduate.

Its a pretty big deal to see all the veterans  and what theyve done for us today, said junior Audrey Travers. They saved many people by serving their country.

Others taking the trip include cadets Jeannette Juarez, recent graduate; Evelyn Zuniga, junior; Tyden Rehfeldt, junior; Damien Schloesser, junior; and Aidan Reitz, sophomore. They are among 50 to 60 JROTC members going from the Council Bluffs-Omaha metro but the only ones from Iowa.

They will be accompanied by Ament, Lane and three other chaperones.

The village of Sainte-Mere-Eglise will also host the American Musical Salute to Liberation. The Brittany American Cemetery at Omaha Beach will host the opening ceremony.

While in Normandy, the cadets will tour two cemeteries where soldiers are buried, a historical museum and Omaha and Utah beaches, Lane said.

They left it just the way it was, with  the boxes the Germans were in  the pillboxes, he said of Utah Beach.

The Council Bluffs contingent will spend three days in Normandy and three in Paris, Lane said.

The immense amphibious invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944 was considered a turning point in World War II and led to the defeat of Nazi Germany the following spring, according to the Associated Press.

If D-Day hadnt happened, Nazi Germany would have taken over many more countries and probably taken over the world, Nathan said.

The students are looking forward to the trip. Lane taught students some history on D-Day in preparation for the event.

Im very excited to learn more, Nathan said. I think World War II is one of my favorite subjects. I really want to further my knowledge of it, because its part of our history and its important to know.

Thanks to numerous fundraisers, students will not have to pay for the entire cost of the trip, Lane said. They will pay $1,500 to $2,200, depending on how many fundraisers they helped with; but they will not have to pay for meals on the trip.

The cadets wont have to pay for anything out of pocket, except souvenirs, he said.

Neither Nathan nor Audrey plans to join the U.S. Armed Forces, although Nathan said he had intended to until he found out he is not medically qualified. Evelyn, however, plans to join the Air Force and become part of the medical corps, she said. But when she joined JROTC, it was for different reasons.

I saw ROTC as a way to develop my leadership skills, she said. I was very quiet in middle school, and here I had these opportunities to lead events like fundraisers and speak to organizations and people who attend benefits.

Audrey said JROTC members won her over.

When they visited our middle school, it seemed like a welcoming place, she said. It was something I could be a part of, and I put myself out there.

There are about 130 students in the JROTC unit, Lane said. About 21 are Thomas Jefferson High School students, and the rest are from A.L. St. Albert High School students have taken part some years, but no St. Albert students participated this year, Ament said.

Official partners of the D-Day Memorial Parade include the History Channel; Boeing; Military Order of the Purple Heart; and the Greatest Generation Foundation. For more information, visit ddayparade.org.

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 Harrison County Historical Village and Iowa Welcome Center brings back memories for some and creates new ones for others.

The complex, located three miles northeast of Missouri Valley on Highway 30, offers historical buildings and artifacts, Iowa souvenirs and information about Iowa attractions and byways.

The attraction includes a one-room school, general store and log cabin dating from the 1800s; a newer exhibit hall; and the Iowa Welcome Center & Gift Shop.

The village receives about 15,000 visitors a year, according to Kathy Dirks, program manager.

Usually every year we will have people from all 50 states and about 25 foreign countries, she said. We will get people sometimes that just stop for the welcome center and say oh, I didnt know all this was here.

School groups visit the village in late April and May every year, Dirks said.

We pretty much have schoolkids in the spring, because our buildings are basically outside and have no heat, she said.

Volunteers demonstrate skills settlers used to do everyday tasks for the students, such as washing clothes, churning butter, weaving and making rope, Dirks said.

It takes a large volunteer effort, she said.

The villages beginnings can be traced to 1920, when Preston A. Niles came to Harrison County to purchase the old Duer Orchard, according to an account on the Harrison County website. From 1921 to 1937, Niles worked the land and began his collection of western Iowa artifacts.

In 1937, Niles arranged for a log cabin built by Presley Craig and located along the Skunk River in Story County to be moved and rebuilt next to his apple orchard. A year later, it was opened as a museum, exhibiting three display cases of artifacts, a rope bed and an ancient cultivator used to break the prairie sod.

As the years passed, more buildings were added, the schoolhouse was moved to the site and hundreds of artifacts were collected, purchased and traded, the website summary stated. Original paintings by Niles are displayed with almost every collection. Painted in the primitive style of Grandma Moses, they show how the artifacts were used.

For 30 years, Niles operated his museum. In 1969, with his wifes health failing, he was forced to sell it. The museum was purchased by the Harrison County Conservation Board and has been operated as a public museum ever since.

The Iowa Welcome Center was built with state funds and opened in 1989. The state provides Iowa maps and visitor guides for the center but does not fund operations, Dirks said.

On Sunday, May 16, 1999, the village experienced the wrath of Mother Nature when it was struck by a tornado. All nine of the buildings suffered damage ranging from roofs, shingles and glass to total destruction. Repairs to the welcome center began immediately. It was able to remain open to the public, but the village was closed.

The conservation board decided to repair the general store where Mr. Niles first sold his cherry cider, the original one-room school and the original log cabin. Five other buildings having little historical significance were so badly damaged that they were removed. A new exhibit building was built, and repairs were completed by Memorial Day Weekend in 2000, when the village reopened.

In December of that year, the Harrison County Conservation Board acquired 14 acres that were added to the museum complex. The land became the site for the playground, walking trail, an accessible elevated observation deck and a Lincoln Highway surface demonstration area.

Despite its name, the general store is no longer a retail outlet, Dirks said.

That is more of a display building, she said. Now, its where we keep most of our historical artifacts.

The log cabin is currently undergoing a major restoration, Dirks said.

The village has information and exhibits on the Loess Hills National Scenic Byway, Lincoln Highway Heritage Byway and Western Skies Scenic Byway, Dirks said.

Were actually on three scenic byways, so we have interpretive panels on all three, she said.

There is a Lincoln Highway Interpretive Center and a transportation-themed playground to tie in to it, Dirks said. There is also a map that shows the highways 389-mile route through 13 states and its route through Iowa.

The Iowa Welcome Center & Gift Shop offers historical information and souvenirs from Iowa and the local area, Dirks said. The building has a small auditorium where short films on the Lincoln Highway and the Loess Hills are shown.

We have got a few different local food products, lavender from the farm, soaps and lotions, honey, jams, jellies, popcorn, teas, candles, she said. We have a lot of Iowa wines in here, too.

And, since were close to Nebraska, we also carry some Nebraska souvenirs.

A Welcome Center Farmers Market is held in the center parking lot during the growing season. This year, the market will be open from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. every Thursday through Oct. 17.

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.Editor's Note: This story first ran in print on June 2, 2019, as part of our annual Faces of the Community series, which highlights the unsung heroes of southwest Iowa.

One day in 1995, two men drove by the dental offices of Higginbotham and Ronk, 200 S. 29th St., then turned around and came back.

It wasnt two patients who realized they needed a checkup. It was actor/director Alexander Payne and his location manager scouting for a place to film a few scenes for their Independent Pictures movie, Citizen Ruth, and they thought the clinic would be a good place, said Bradley Higginbotham, who owns the facility and practices with Richard Ronk.

It was kind of a once-in-a-lifetime thing, I guess, he said.

The movie, originally called The Devil Inside, was Alexander Paynes directing debut and won Laura Dern a Best Actress Award at the 1996 Montreal International Film Festival. It also won producers Cary Woods and Cathy Konrad a High Hopes Award at the Munich Film Festival and Payne and Jim Taylor a share of the Best Screenplay award at the Thessaloniki Film Festival, according to the IMDb website.

Dern starred as Ruth Stoops, a drug addict with an unplanned pregnancy who suddenly finds herself being pulled from both directions by pro-choice and anti-abortion activists who want her to be their success story. The dental office represented an abortion clinic.

Several of the cast members were well known, Higginbotham said.

Laura Dern had just been in Jurassic Park, Tippi Hedren I knew from The Birds, the Alfred Hitchcock movie, and Kelly Preston had been in a number of movies, he said.

Other cast members included Swoosie Kurtz, Mary Kay Place, M.C. Gainey, Kurtwood Smith, Kenneth Mars, David Graf and Kathleen Noone. The film also starred Burt Reynolds, but he never came to Council Bluffs, Higginbotham said. (Incidentally, Payne and Kurtz were both born in Omaha, according to the IMDb website.)

They were all very nice people, he said. Laura Dern was very polite.

Initially, they wanted to use the building for three days, and we would have to be closed for three days, he said. Actually, they were here eight days, and we were here working.

On the first day, the clinic was closed, and Higginbothams children  Abbey, then 13; Nate, 12; and Alex, 7  were there watching, he said. Ronks children, Eric and Alison, then 14 and 13, respectively, were also there.

We were here and the kids, who were in junior high then, asked if they could meet Jeff Goldbum (who was visiting the cast), he said. So we walked over there, and a security person stepped between us and said (Goldbum) had to talk to Miss Dern. The security guy was new, and he was about my size, and Jeff Goldbum is a tall guy  hes probably 6-feet, 6-inches  and he reached over (the guards) head and started shaking hands with the kids. And the security guy said I guess its not that big a deal.

The crew took footage of the basement, a bathroom and the exterior, Higginbotham said.

(Dern) had been in a bathroom and was going out the window, so they showed her going out the window, he said.

Some other celebrities stopped by to visit, including John Travolta, Prestons husband, Higginbotham said.

The day John Travolta was here somebody came back from out front and said John Travolta was here, he said. My assistant wanted to go out and meet him, and I said OK  and my patient said well, Id like to meet him, too, so they all started out, and his security people stopped them. I guess he and Kelly Preston hadnt seen each other for a while, and they were getting rather affectionate in our waiting room.

A protest scene at the end of the movie was filmed outside, Higginbotham said.

There were probably a couple hundred people standing around watching, he said.

Dern told the crowd they needed more people for the scene, and Higginbothams oldest son, Nate, volunteered.

My son got to be in it and, at one point, hes running by Laura Dern  so thats his claim to fame, Higginbotham said.

All in all, having the property serve as a movie set was memorable and went pretty well, he said.

They were all very accommodating, and it was far less of a hassle than you might think.

The dental practice was founded by Higginbothams father, Robert, he said. Robert and Higginbothams uncle, Dennis Higginbotham, practiced together until Dennis became a full-time professor in general dentistry at Creighton University in 1993. Brad joined the practice in 1982. When his father died in 1988, Ronk joined the practice.

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 sky was blue, and then it wasn't.

Storm clouds blotted out the afternoon sun, turning the day into night. On Capitol Hill, in downtown restaurants and Metro cars, phones blared an emergency alert in unison: Seek shelter. Avoid windows. Office workers crowded at their windows anyway to watch the rain lash the streets and the trees bow in submission. And then, all of a sudden, it was over. Shopkeepers swept water out of doorways. The sun was back, the air was mild and full of the chirping of birds. Life in Washington, D.C., resumed as if nothing had happened.

It was at this very moment that a ghost in a gray suit strolled, alone and unnoticed, through Eastern Market, less than a mile from the Capitol.

PHOTO ARCHIVE: See some photos of Al Franken's past career as a comedian and politician in a gallery at the end of this story

"I'm not talking," Al Franken said, declining an interview request outside the studio where he was going to record an episode of the Al Franken Podcast.

Franken, 68, is talking, but only on his terms: into a microphone, in the studio, where he gets to set the agenda during the interviews and exercise editorial discretion afterward. He'll chat with Sarah Silverman about her dark sense of humor, and policy wonk Andy Slavitt about health care. He'll trade George H.W. Bush impressions with Dana Carvey and talk about climate change with Michael E. Mann, whom Franken dubbed "The Meryl Streep of climatologists."

He does have an audience: After he announced the podcast on Twitter, it quickly hit Apple's Hot and New chart, and according to the website Chartable was for a brief time the ninth most popular podcast in the country.

Notably absent, however, from the first batch of recordings has been any discussion of what happened; of why Franken spends his Fridays in a tucked-away recording studio instead of debating legislation on the Senate floor.

It's been nearly a year and a half since Franken, under pressure from fellow Democrats, resigned his Senate seat following allegations of sexual misconduct. Franken's was always one of the more hotly debated situations of the #MeToo era. The accusations against him ranged from unwanted kissing to groping during photo sessions and resulted in his resignation. But the decision was fraught: There were Democrats who didn't believe Franken's actions, especially considering who was president, required such a heavy punishment.

And now, his attempted return to relevance raises more difficult questions: Who deserves a second chance? What does he have to do to earn it?

"We don't have, as a culture, the vocabulary to deal with all the nuances of this moment," said Karen Finney, a former spokeswoman for Hillary Clinton. "If he chooses to do so, he has a real opportunity to again be part of moving the conversation forward."

Just because you can't hear it on Franken's podcast doesn't mean the conversation isn't happening elsewhere. On the presidential campaign trail, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., gets asked on a regular basis about her decision to call for Franken's resignation ("I had a choice to make whether to stay silent or not, whether to say, 'That's not OK with me,' and I decided to say that," Gillibrand said at a recent MSNBC town hall). Franken's friends, like Silverman, come to his defense in the pages of glossy magazines ("I'm so sad that he got bullied into resigning," she told GQ in a 2018 interview). And when the podcast isn't rolling, Franken will gripe, according to friends and co-workers, about what was "taken away" from him.

The accusations against Franken arrived in the midst of an Alabama Senate race in which stories of sexual misconduct against the Republican, Roy Moore, played a central role. Democrats, who called Moore unfit and pointed to the allegations that he had dated underage girls when he was in his 30s, had reason to be especially vigilant about holding the moral high ground.

And so they put Franken out during a storm. To Franken and his supporters, it felt like a political calculation, not a moral one. They want him back in the arena. But what the women said about the former Minnesota senator - about how he had groped them, or kissed them inappropriately - cannot be swept out of the doorways like rainwater.

How do you solve a problem like Al Franken?

"We all know Harvey Weinstein should go to jail and rot there," said Finney. "But Franken ... I don't think we know the answer yet for what is the process for returning."

That answer might depend on what Franken says next.

* * *

Because the world seems to be filled with men doing creepy things, it can be hard to remember exactly what Al Franken is accused of doing.

First came the allegations from Leeann Tweeden, a radio host out of Los Angeles, who posted a story on her station's website about a time in 2006 when she and Franken performed a skit together at a USO event overseas. The skit involved a kiss, and Tweeden said that during a rehearsal, Franken used the script as a means to forcibly lock lips against her will.

The story, published in November 2017, also featured a photograph taken from the tour: one of a wide-eyed Franken appearing to grab at Tweeden's chest while she slept in a helmet and Kevlar vest.

"I don't know what was in my head when I took that picture, and it doesn't matter," Franken wrote after the story published, calling for an ethics investigation into his own behavior. "There's no excuse. I look at it now and I feel disgusted with myself."

Three days later Lindsay Menz told CNN that Franken had grabbed her buttocks in 2010 while posing for a picture at the Minnesota State Fair, a claim echoed by two more anonymous women a few days after that. In total eight women accused him of misbehavior.

On Dec. 6, 2017, Gillibrand released a statement and gave a news conference calling on her friend and occasional squash partner to resign. By the end of the day the majority of Senate Democrats called for him to step down, too.

"Some of the allegations against me are simply not true," Franken said on the Senate floor announcing his plans to step down. "Others, I remember very differently."

After leaving the Senate, Franken has avoided talking about the subject in public. In private, though, according to friends and colleagues, he often can't shut up about it. Even with months to reflect, it would appear his feelings haven't much changed.

"I do know that he believes that he did nothing significantly wrong," said Norman Ornstein, a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and one of Franken's best friends.

For more than eight years, Franken had loved being a senator, and by most accounts, was a good one.

He'd made a name for himself as a deft interrogator in congressional hearings. In one particularly memorable moment, Franken questioned Jeff Sessions, then the nominee for attorney general, about possibile affiliations between the Trump campaign and the Russian government. The question prompted Sessions to call himself a Trump "surrogate," which would later lead to his recusal from Russia investigations, and introduce the country to Robert Mueller and his eventual report.

"Regardless of whether you think it was right or wrong for him to leave the Senate, his voice is missed in the midst of this Trump-created crisis of democracy we're living through," said Stephanie Cutter, political consultant and former deputy campaign manager for President Barack Obama.

Franken's name had even been bandied about as a possible presidential candidate for 2020, someone with progressive bona fides who happened to be from the Midwest.

And like that, he was just a guy splitting time between D.C. and Minnesota, spending time with his grandchildren, and trying to figure out how to get back in the fight. His entire legacy seemed to hang in the balance: his time as a staff writer and performer on "Saturday Night Live," his career as a best-selling author of lefty books and his work in the Senate all potentially overshadowed by his ignominious exit. He was, Ornstein said, "very depressed."

* * *

Franken never stopped thinking about how to re-enter, in his words, "the fray." He got encouragement out in public: a standing ovation when he showed up to his Harvard reunion last June, according to his longtime friend and Washington Post opinion writer E.J. Dionne; tweets of support from fans; and a poll of Minnesota voters showing more people wished he hadn't resigned than were glad he did. He surrounded himself with PR professionals like Mandy Grunwald, one of Hillary Clinton's top aides. He hired a digital firm to make him a splashy new website, where he recently began posting his writing (William Barr congressional testimony fan-fic, anyone?). And he watched comedian Louis C.K.'s ill-fated comeback into the comedy world for tips on what not to do.

"His takeaway was don't be an a--hole," said Ornstein. "But he knew that anyway."

And yet, not everyone is sure he's gotten that message.

"I think he made out like a bandit," said Tina Dupuy, a former congressional staffer who accused Franken of grabbing her waist during a photo in a way that made her uncomfortable. "He's not the victim here. And now we're talking about a comeback without him even being fully honest about what he's done."

Hilary Rosen, a Democratic consultant, says that for Franken to be fully welcomed back into the fray, he needs to take responsibility for why he's no longer in the Senate. Too many people, Rosen said, are blaming Gillibrand for his resignation, putting responsibility onto a woman for the actions of a man.

"He never comes to her defense," Rosen said. "I've heard through the grapevine that he blames her and is resentful. Shame on him."

For now, Franken has decided the podcast would be the best way to talk, or not, about the Issue.

"Let me ask you about taste," Franken said to Sarah Silverman in the most recent episode. "You do a lot of dark humor, and you get away with it for a number of reasons."

"I'm different from my first special which is, oof, pretty problematic," Silverman said. "But I feel like if you don't look back on old stuff and cringe you're not necessarily growing."

Being a good comedian requires feeling "safe enough to mess around," she said, to know that it's OK to make mistakes as long as you give yourself a chance to grow from them.

"There's something wrong right now," Franken said in agreement. "There's too much fear."

If he had any thoughts about how this conversation related to his own situation, he either kept it to himself, or it ended up on the cutting-room floor.

On the sidewalk after the storm, Franken said there was a reason he wasn't talking about the Issue, and that reason "will become clear in a little while."

"I can't explain it right now," he said. "There will be a certain point I give my first interview, and when it happens, I think you'll understand."

Maybe everybody will understand, then, what's to be done with Al Franken. Or maybe everyone will know but him.

Photo archive: Al Franken

Photos of comedian-turned-senator Al Franken through the years:Embattled Chinese smartphone maker Huaweis woes are no longer academic it seems. According to the South China Morning Post, Huawei smartphone assembler Foxconn has shut down several production lines that were making Huaweis market leading smartphones.

Working For Notebookcheck Are you a techie who knows how to write? Then join our Team! English native speakers welcome! News Writer (AUS/NZL based) - Details here

If you were wondering whether Huawei could continue to make smartphones that are worthwhile without Googles licensed version of Android onboard, it seems like it cant  at least in the short term. Following its addition to the US Entity List black banning US companies from doing business with Huawei without special authorization, it appears that Chinese smartphone maker has indeed hit a brick wall. The South China Morning Post is reporting that manufacturing partner Foxconn has stopped several production lines that were producing Huaweis smartphones.

"Foxconn, the Taiwanese electronics manufacturer that assembles handsets for many phone brands including Apple and Xiaomi, has stopped several production lines for Huawei phones in recent days as the Shenzhen company reduced orders for new phones," according to the Morning Posts sources. Although Huawei can run a version of Android derived from the Android Open Source Project (ASOP), it wont be able to run any of Googles apps or services including the Google Play Store. Even though Huawei devices sold before the ban are unaffected, it is a death blow for any new devices sold globally following the ban.

Even if Huawei ships smartphones with its homegrown HongMeng OS, inability to access the Google Play Store still makes the value proposition extremely limited regardless of how state-of-the-art Huaweis tech might be. Further, even though Huawei has the capability to design and manufacture its own mobile SoCs including modems, the loss if its ARM license as well as the inability to license cellular patens from US companies like Qualcomm leave it in a precarious position to say the least. Prior to the US ban, Huawei held the number two position on global smartphone sales charts behind behind Samsung, but ahead of Apple.The Torrington yards success gave impetus to the purchase of other small country stores in Wyoming (Yoder, Hawk Springs, LaGrange, Cheyenne and Douglas) and Nebraska (Alliance), which also changed the customer experience.

With the Torrington store becoming a backup supplier for all other stores, a team and wagon and later a truck were hired to make deliveries. As operations continued to grow and merchandise expanded, Alvin Bloedorn turned his attention from managing the Torrington store to developing what the general public knows the company as today  Bloedorn Lumber Co.

Bloedorns expansion eventually took the business to larger towns, cities and states. Today, Bloedorn and its subsidiaries continue to evolve and grow. From its beginnings a hundred years ago, Bloedorn Lumber Co. has set a standard of excellence and is proud to serve as a headquarters for building materials and home-improvement needs with 350 associates, 23 stores and three truss-manufacturing plants located throughout Wyoming, Montana, Nebraska and Colorado.

One hundred years in business is an amazing accomplishment, said Greg George, president of Bloedorn Lumber Co. We are proud of our humble beginnings and the growth and success weve sustained. The most aspiring aspects of Bloedorns growth and success has been based on two components: our loyal customers and our committed, dedicated, and hard-working employees. Thats why we are known within each community as the friendly place that provides serious service. The future is bright for Bloedorn. Heres to the next 100 years.CURTIS  They came to college prepared to work, ask questions, learn, and werent afraid to get their hands dirty.

Nebraskas Coordinating Commission on Postsecondary Education brought appointed members and staff to Curtis on Wednesday, making their first official visit in nearly a decade to the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture.

Their role: to see first-hand the programs, facilities and mission of the University of Nebraskas two-year campus which specializes in agriculture and veterinary technology.

This was more intense and very specific, more so than in the past, we have seen one or two buildings before, explained Mary Lauritzen of West Point, who has visited NCTA twice before during her 19-year tenure with the commission.

Its like a luxury to be able to actually wallow in this place, see the changes, touch the animals, visit with the students here this summer from Rwanda, which is a major accomplishment for NCTA, and again, to see NCTAs progress over the last 19 years in my eyes, Lauritzen added.Welcome to June. June means that summer is here and so are mosquitoes. Mosquitoes are a bane of summer that you just have to deal with. Dont forget that mosquitoes carry the West Nile and Zika viruses. It hasnt been in the news yet, but these mosquito-borne illnesses are still out there. However, when it comes to mosquitoes this summer, you can do it in style.

And every outdoor enthusiast needs light at some point. Sitting around in the dark all evening in camp is not fun, trying to find that killer lure that fell on the deck of the boat and bounced out of sight during a late-night walleye troll is never a good thing  needing a good way to make light is just part of enjoying the outdoors.

Now, imagine a rugged, dependable and inexpensive light you can carry on your outdoor adventures that would also kill mosquitoes  what would you think of that? Well, a light like this exists. It is called the Z Bug, by NEBO.

If you are a regular reader of this column, you know that I am a fan of NEBO lights. I have field-tested several models over the years and they can survive my trips afield. Thats not an easy task for any piece of equipment.North Platte Connect has announced its second annual International Bazaar that will be from 4-7 p.m. on July 27 at the Platte River Mall, 1000 S. Dewey St.

Organizers called the free event family-friendly in a press release issued on Friday.

New this year, North Platte Connect will be partnering with Mid-Plains United Way and the Walmart Distribution Center to host the bazaar.

This event is an effort to bring together the diverse cultures currently represented by individuals living in the Lincoln County area and beyond, allowing them to share their culture through food, music, dance and displays.

The bazaar not only allows immigrants to share their culture and how they have adapted to Nebraskan life, but it also allows natives to experience flavors and sounds from their bucket list destinations right here in North Platte, the release said.

Individuals and families will be able to sample global cuisine, world music and dance, arts and crafts, cultural displays and a kids corner.

Last year, about 800 adults and children were in attendance. About 1,000 individuals are expected this year.It has been four years since a flood took out a section of South River Road west of Buffalo Bill Avenue. Finally, money is coming from the federal government for its replacement.

At their meeting Monday, county commissioners will hear an update from County Highway Superintendent Carla ODell on Federal Emergency Management Agency Disaster Project No. 4225, then consider a date to accept bids for the work.

Members will consider adopting a resolution to allow participation in the cash-in-lieu health insurance option for employees during the fiscal year of July 1, 2019, to June 30, 2020. The option applies to employees on Medicare or who are covered by a spouses insurance. The board also will consider authorizing the chairman to sign the administrative agreement for the cash-in-lieu option with First Concord Benefits Group.

The board also plans to discuss the property valuation protest process for 2019.

In other business, commissioners will consider:

 Authorizing the chairman to sign the quarterly federal excise tax return for 2019.A former clerk/treasurer for the village of Stapleton has been charged with theft by deception, over $5,000, from the villages coffers.

State Auditor Charlie Janssens office has also completed an attestation of the villages finances and detailed a number of concerns about the way business was being conducted.

Amy Allen, who now works as an office clerk in the Logan County Clerks Office, was charged Wednesday in Logan County Court by County Attorney Colten Venteicher.

The formal complaint against Allen alleges thefts occurred between May 30, 2016, and Aug. 31, 2018, and that Allen intentionally destroyed or otherwise altered the availability of public records and used public funds for personal gain.

A report of the auditors attestation, or targeted examination, was published May 17 and is on the state auditors website, auditors.state.ne.us.

The attestation was prompted by a letter that Janssens office received from an unnamed concerned citizen on Jan. 22 about an agreement that Allen had made with the village on Jan. 7 to pay $15,000 in restitution for funds missing from the village.Recent passage of Nebraska Legislative Bill 155 provides landowners opposed to the R-Project a new means of challenging the power line in court. The inclusion of the term rebuttable presumption gives an opportunity to challenge in court whether the use of eminent domain to provide access to private property for construction of a power line for a privately developed wind turbine project is a public use.

Since this law has been enacted and the Nebraska Public Power District has not received any approval for R-Project construction, the project can be challenged in court.

One of the recognized purposes of the R-Project is to provide a means for power generated at private wind energy facilities to be added to an interstate power grid. There have already been plans indicated for construction of a large wind turbine facility  the so-called Cascade Project  in southern Cherry County north of Thedford. It would likely interconnect to the R-Project at Thedford.On the beach lay snarled rolls of telephone wire and big rolls of steel matting and stacks of broken, rusting rifles.

On the beach lay, expended, sufficient men and mechanism for a small war. They were gone forever now. And yet we could afford it.

We could afford it because we were on, we had our toehold, and behind us there were such enormous replacements for this wreckage on the beach that you could hardly conceive of their sum total. Men and equipment were flowing from England in such a gigantic stream that it made the waste on the beachhead seem like nothing at all, really nothing at all.

***

A few hundred yards back on the beach is a high bluff. Up there we had a tent hospital, and a barbed-wire enclosure for prisoners of war. From up there you could see far up and down the beach, in a spectacular crows-nest view, and far out to sea.

And standing out there on the water beyond all this wreckage was the greatest armada man has ever seen. You simply could not believe the gigantic collection of ships that lay out there waiting to unload.On Thursday night, President Trump announced that he was going to implement tariffs against Mexican goods until Mexico substantially stops the illegal inflow of aliens.

The proposed tariff is expected to start as a 5% tax on June 10 and would escalate by 5% each month until they reach 25%.

Economists expect that the tariffs will decrease trade between the two nations, slowing both economies, while Americans will likely face higher prices for goods imported from Mexico, including trucks, tractors, beer and fresh produce.

U.S. stock markets plunged on this announcement, with the Dow futures contract falling to a four-month low on Friday morning.

U.S. exporters who sell to Mexico could be exposed if Mexico counters with tariffs of their own. During the last trade dispute with Mexico, U.S. agricultural products were targeted by Mexican counter tariffs. Fears of a repeat attack on U.S. food exports helped to accelerate a selloff in hog futures this week, touching a three-month low on Friday under 83 cents per pound.

Corn careens higherJoseph S. Pete Business Reporter Joseph S. Pete is a Lisagor Award-winning business reporter who covers steel, industry, unions, the ports, retail, banking and more. The Indiana University grad has been with The Times since 2013 and blogs about craft beer, culture and the military. Follow Joseph S. Pete 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

Downtown Valparaiso's Fluid Coffeebar is expanding to provide a jolt of caffeine to downtown Michigan City.

The hip new-wave coffee shop will bring its single-origin coffees, pour-overs, nitro cold brew, hand-crafted lattes, local art shows, vegan food options and dark modern aesthetic to the Eagle Building at 518 N. Franklin St. in the Uptown Arts District.

"We're going to have a cafe similar in style to Valparaiso with a large roastery that will allow us to produce high-quality direct trade types of coffee," said Charles Scates, who owns Fluid along with his wife Alison Scates. "We've been roasting for more than a year or so, just finding unique varieties of coffee that are exciting and different from the same old thing."

The roastery will use equipment purchased from the acclaimed Tinker Coffee Co. in Indianapolis, which has been named the best coffee roaster in Indiana. Fluid will roast beans from all over the world to provide freshly roasted coffee to both the Valparaiso and Michigan City cafes. The coffee shop also will sell bags of beans for home brewing.

Fluid will mostly produce single-origin roasts but also offer a few dual-origin coffees some might find more palatable, such as a blend of Guatemalan and Brazilian beans.CHESTERTON  Chesterton has secured more than $1 million for the last link in expanding the Westchester-Liberty Trail.

The Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission awarded the $1.4 million grant, which will cover the majority of the costs of this final phase of the trail expansion. Chesterton will be required to cover about $300,000.

The Westchester-Liberty Trail runs from the Prairie Duneland Trail to the high school and the local Boys & Girls Club. The third phase will head east and cross Indiana 49 to connect the east side of the town to the west.

Councilman Jim Ton, the council's representative to NIRPC, said it was going to help improve safety for pedestrian and bike traffic, the most common form of transportation among high school students.

This will link up the high school, which is going to be great for these students. When you get over by Chesterton High School, there's really no sidewalks or paths for people who do go by foot. So where do they go? The street, he said.

Ton said the town's other big hope is bringing in joggers, bikers and more coming through the trail system, whether they're local or tourists up from the Dunes."I like solitude, too. I think to stay sane we all need moments of solitude and silence. It empowers me to go back into the ministry of serving and being with people."

There are definite spiritual goals Hying would like to accomplish in his own life.

"That would be just to fall more deeply in love with God to the point where the power of selfishness and sin just doesn't have a hold at all. We'll never be perfect this side of heaven, but I think just to grow in knowing how much God loves me and to give more and more of myself to him. We all aspire to do that as Christians. We're never done with that."

In listening to people and the cares of their hearts, Hying remembers something he was once told by a nun, which he keeps in mind at all times.

"When I was a very young priest, a wise, old nun told me that everyone you meet has a secret sorrow and they're looking for someone to tell their sorrow to," he said. "I found that to be true."

Words for today's youth

Hying is aware that these are challenging times for the youth of the Catholic Church.State Sen. Ed Charbonneau, R-Valparaiso, said many states with population centers near their borders are looking at similar issues, and it didn't make sense for Indiana to ink a payment deal with one Chicago hospital when several regions of the state are similarly affected.

Lawmakers from each chamber ultimately were unable to agree on a compromise measure that could again pass the House and Senate before the April 24 adjournment of Indiana's annual legislative session  leaving the issue unresolved.

State Rep. Mara Candelaria Reardon, D-Munster, is optimistic the study committee, composed of both representatives and senators with experience in state finance matters, will see the wisdom of the House proposal and help enact it next year.

"For parents of sick premature babies in Northwest Indiana, Comer is the closest place to obtain Level IV neonatal care," Candelaria Reardon said. "However, Comer has advised the state of Indiana that it may not be able to accept Hoosier children covered by Medicaid as patients if their reimbursement rates are not increased to match the rates that hospitals in Indiana presently receive."I can assure you that with this kind of investment were going to see more visitors, its going to improve your quality of life, its going to change the landscape of the businesses in the square and add to their value, Batistatos said.

He described Bulldog Park as one more feather in your cap as he congratulated Uran and the team involved in establishing the facility.

If we could clone all of these people and drop them throughout Northwest Indiana, wed have an incredible product to sell, Batistatos said.

He wasnt the only person commending city officials for what they accomplished with Bulldog Park.

Randy Palmateer, business manager for the Northwestern Indiana Building and Construction Trades Council, recognized the city for using local union labor to build the park.

Were extremely lucky to have a mayor like David Uran, who understands the importance of paying a living wage and benefits and also hiring a local workforce to keep the money in the local economy, Palmateer said.

It wasnt just those directly involved in the project that were having a good time Friday night.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.One hundred years ago, on June 4, 1919, 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, provides an opportunity for you 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.Muellers report most definitely does not exonerate Trump. In fact it clearly states: While this report does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him.

The report covers Russias interference in the 2016 presidential election, a propaganda operation meant to help Trump win, damage Hillary Clinton and undermine confidence in our democracy. The report concluded that the Trump campaign welcomed Russias help and sought to exploit it, but there was not enough evidence to bring formal charges of conspiracy.

On collusion, which is not a crime, the report confirms that there were multiple shady connections between Trump and Russia. Mueller explicitly concludes that the Campaign expected it would benefit electorally from information stolen and released through Russian effort. Trumps team responded to invitations to get dirt on Clinton and no one from the campaign ever contacted authorities. Trump publicly called for the release of hacked emails. Trump has denied Russias election interference. This is the essence of collusion.Many senior citizens can remember when gambling was illegal in Northwest Indiana. Playing policy was very popular. There was a basement casino enjoyed by many! Today, gambling is legal along with legal guns (to carry), liquor sales on Sunday and now legal marijuana in many states. What will become legal next? Many states are making abortions illegal now. Is this movement to stem the effect of a low population (which might occur) in the United States? All of our citizens must be concerned about the continued well-being of our country: Founded upon unity and Christian principles. We must be concerned about the direction in which our country is headed. We can not put the blame for any future failures only on our leaders  all citizens are responsible.WASHINGTON  Just before his state visit to Britain was to begin, President Trump subverted diplomatic norms by rattling an already precarious political situation there: He suggested that the next prime minister of Britain walk away from trying to reach a deal to withdraw from the European Union and that the far-right populist Nigel Farage be sent in to negotiate.

In an interview with The Sunday Times, of London, Mr. Trump also said he had told the current prime minister, Theresa May, who announced last month that she would step down after repeatedly failing to get her Brexit plan through Parliament, to sue the bloc for greater leverage in talks. Mrs. May left her government in a weaker position, he said, for not threatening to walk away in the form of litigation or in the form of a request.

The president and Melania Trump, the first lady, are set to arrive in London on Monday for a full state visit, which Mrs. May had been trying to arrange for years. Coincidentally, it will be her last week as the leader of the Conservative Party. With the government five months away from an exit deadline, uncertainly looms over her potential successor. The British economy has also taken several hits, which businesses have blamed on Brexit.

Across the Atlantic, Mr. Trumps comments only reinforced the degree of instability.

In the interview, the president posed the idea that Mr. Farage, the leader of the newly founded Brexit Party who has been a battering ram to traditional conservative politics in Britain and a rival and irritant to Mrs. May, should take over the negotiations.Why did you want to make this piece?

I dont make a decision to create a work unless I have four good reasons. The first here was that I had never worked with dancers, which I wanted to do. The second was that I wanted to use the scenic elements of John Cages Europeras, which I directed in 2012 when I was the director of the Ruhrtriennale. The third was Patrik Ouredniks book, Europeana: A Brief History of the Twentieth Century, which I had read and found fascinating.

The fourth source was a program called No Comment from the Euronews television channel. Every hour, it shows a few minutes of news footage without any comment. In the show, we use the live footage of the day. You see the date and location, but nothing else is explained. You might see someone throwing a milkshake at Nigel Farage, or a school strike for climate change, or students with signs. I am like the viewer: I am not prepared, I dont know what is coming. You have to make up your mind about what you see and hear. I love this, because its a strong intrusion of reality into the artificial world of performance, which I am always looking for.Henry Fountain is a science writer on the Climate desk of The New York Times. He toured the Chernobyl plant and the exclusion zone around it in 2014.

The first thing to understand about the HBO mini-series Chernobyl, which concludes its five-part run on Monday, is that a lot of it is made up. But heres the second, and more important, thing: It doesnt really matter.

The explosion and fire at Chernobyls Unit 4 reactor on April 26, 1986, was an extraordinarily messy and grim event, a radioactive dirty bomb on a scale that no one  certainly not anyone in the Soviet Union  was prepared for. It remains the worst disaster in the history of nuclear power, killing more than 30 people initially (and more in the years that followed, though the numbers are much disputed) and spreading radioactive contamination across large swaths of Soviet and European territory.

In the immediate panicked aftermath, and in the months of crisis and confusion until the completion seven months later of the concrete-and-steel sarcophagus that entombed the reactors lethal remains, the heroes and villains numbered in the hundreds, and the supporting cast in the hundreds of thousands.(Want to get this briefing by email? Heres the sign-up.)

Good morning. Because of technical problems, we look a little different today than usual  including not having pictures. We should be back to normal tomorrow.

The most powerful Arab leader: M.B.Z., not M.B.S.

Prince Mohammed bin Zayed, the de facto ruler of the United Arab Emirates, is arguably the most powerful leader in the Arab world. He controls sovereign wealth funds worth $1.3 trillion and props up reliable allies around the region, including Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia.

The prince has long been considered a crucial friend to the U.S. as well, influencing Washingtons foreign policy in the region.

Now, U.S. prosecutors are investigating his ties to President Trump. The special counsel has unearthed evidence that the prince tried to help the Russians open back channels to the Trump campaign.The paper was released less than a month after Mr. Trump raised tariffs on Chinese-made products and threatened to impose still more after accusing China of backing away from its earlier commitments. It also follows the announcement three weeks ago that the Trump administration would restrict Huawei, a Chinese telecommunications company that the United States considers a security threat, from access to essential American-made technology like chips and software.

Mr. Wang called the Huawei move a severe setback for negotiations between the two countries, saying it had unduly escalated trade frictions.

Beyond its own retaliatory tariffs, China has made no specific threats about how it might respond. Still, through official appearances and commentaries in the state-run news media, Beijing has suggested that it could target American companies that source key components in their supply chain from China, like the minerals known as the rare earths that are used to power batteries and smartphones.

Stressing the point, Mr. Wang told reporters on Sunday that while China has the biggest reserves of rare-earth metals, and we would like to meet the justified demands, it would be unacceptable for other countries to use the minerals to contain Chinas development.

In apparent retaliation for the ban on selling American technology to Huawei, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce said on Friday that it was putting together a list of foreign companies, individuals and organizations that it considered unreliable, without providing any details of which companies or entities the list would include or what the punishment would be.

The announcement sent many American companies scrambling to determine whether they might be considered for the list and what the ramifications would be.

Some American companies are already feeling official pressure. Over the weekend, the Chinese state news media reported that the government was investigating FedEx over what the reports said were wrongful delivery of packages. The issue is a sensitive one because American intelligence officials have hacked Huawei equipment in the past, leading to concerns among Chinese officials that Chinese-made equipment could be intercepted.The regulators moves are small and preliminary, and could easily come to nothing. But if the agencies pursue cases, Google and Amazon will almost certainly face reams of bad publicity, rising consumer distrust and falling employee morale. An inquiry would remind everyone that Google, with its early motto of Dont be evil, held itself to standards it sometimes could not match.

This is more of a warning to the companies that theyre being carefully scrutinized and they need to be careful not to play fast and loose given their dominant positions in the digital marketplace, said Gene Kimmelman, a former senior antitrust official at the Justice Department who is now president of the consumer group Public Knowledge.

A prospect that should really worry Google and Amazon is a replay of the governments case against Microsoft in the 1990s. Microsoft did not have to break itself into two, which was the governments goal. But the company was distracted for at least a decade, which allowed space for start-ups like Google. Microsofts reputation took a dive.

The damage to the monopolists position comes from the public airing of the facts, said Gary Reback, a Silicon Valley lawyer who was instrumental in the case against Microsoft and has worked with companies that argue they have suffered unfair competition from Google.

Even without formal government investigations, the political pressure for action has been mounting.

Its time to fight back, Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, a Democratic candidate for president, said after news of the Google developments emerged. Senators Josh Hawley, Republican of Missouri, and Richard Blumenthal, Democrat of Connecticut, each said the scrutiny of Google was overdue.Sarah Faith Habib and Eric Joseph Elias were married June 1 at Plum Street Temple in Cincinnati. Rabbi Lewis H. Kamrass officiated.

Ms. Habib, 29, is the founder and the chief executive of Mission2Move, a chronic stress prevention program for children, in Cincinnati. She graduated from Tufts.

She is a daughter of Elissa J. Habib and Mitchell J. Habib of Cincinnati. The brides father is the founder and chief executive of FCM, a consulting firm in Cincinnati that helps global companies maximize their cost efficiency. Her mother, who was a stay-at-home parent, is the president of Issac M. Wise Temple, and on the board of Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio Region.

Mr. Elias, 34, works in Chicago and Cincinnati as a director at FCM, where he focuses on the organizational structures of its clients. He graduated from Washington University in St. Louis.Diana Silvers has been seen in just three movies in her short career, but she has quickly ascended from a bit part in the superhero thriller Glass earlier this year to major roles putting her on thousands of screens this weekend: she plays a high school love interest in the female-centric comedy Booksmart, and the main teenager menaced by Octavia Spencers psycho in the horror tale Ma.

The name Diana Silvers may suggest a golden age of Hollywood starlet, but she is as au courant as they come. Discovered as a model on Instagram, shes beginning her film career in the #MeToo era. I feel lucky to be entering the industry at this time because people are being held accountable, the 21-year-old said over orange juice at a downtown Manhattan hotel recently. I just feel safe. Im not anxious about anything, except maybe saying something stupid in an interview. And so far, Ive been extremely lucky.

She also talked about female mentors, her love for Taylor Swift and fighting John Malkovich. Here are edited excerpts from the conversation.

You grew up in Los Angeles, but you dont come from a showbiz family. Your father is a psychiatrist, and your mother was an architect. How did you discover acting?Ms. Duloss husband, Fotis Dulos, also was engaged in a lawsuit with the estate of her deceased father over $1.7 million in loans that Mr. Dulos had failed to pay back, according to court documents.

Late Saturday night, Mr. Dulos, 51, and his girlfriend, Michelle C. Troconis, 44, were taken into custody and charged with hindering a prosecution and tampering with evidence in relation to the disappearance of Ms. Dulos.

The couple are being held on $500,000 bond and are scheduled to appear at Norwalk Superior Court on Monday, the police announced on Sunday morning.

Two lawyers associated with Mr. Dulos, Eugene Riccio and Michael Rose, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Sunday.

Image Fotis Dulos Credit... New Canaan Police Department

Court records show that Mr. and Ms. Dulos have been embroiled in a contentious divorce for two years and are locked in a custody battle involving their five children  three boys and two girls. Mr. Dulos recently claimed in a filing that their children were being kept under armed guard at their grandmothers apartment in New York.Things get worse for John when you consider that Alabama, along with other states that have passed embryonic heartbeat laws, grants personhood to fetuses as early as two weeks after a missed period.

If a fetus is a child, then John is a parent.

John cant abandon his child and is legally obligated to protect it. Current law gives Jane the exclusive right to decide whether to end her pregnancy. But if abortion is a crime, Johns obligations to the fetus may shift. If John walks away, knowing he got her pregnant and suspecting she will have an abortion, he may be committing child neglect. Or worse  mothers have been found guilty of murder for having failed to prevent their partners from fatally abusing their children. Its not clear what John is supposed to do. Nor is it clear whether John can avoid liability.

John may even have broken Alabama law before Jane got pregnant, by failing to take precautions to avoid unwanted pregnancy. Like most states, Alabama law criminalizes recklessly engaging in conduct which creates a substantial risk of serious physical injury to another person. When John ejaculated inside Jane without knowing whether she wanted a baby, he arguably showed a conscious disregard for the risks caused by pregnancy, whether from childbearing or abortion.

We know these prosecutions sound absurd. Indeed, we think they are a terrible idea. Prosecution wont deter men from having unprotected sex. And the threat of any abortion-related prosecution already jeopardizes pregnant womens lives, which is why the American Medical Association, the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology and many states oppose prosecuting those who end their own pregnancies. Prosecuting men would intensify those risks: if John is angry or panicked about his own legal jeopardy, he might threaten or hurt Jane to force her not to abort.

And surely the last thing we need is another way to fill the nations prisons with men  especially since, as so often happens, punitive laws are disproportionately enforced against low-income people and people of color.

Maybe Alabama prosecutors will head to the white fraternities in Tuscaloosa and begin to arrest young men for conspiring to recklessly endanger the lives of the partygoers they hope to have unprotected sex with. But we doubt it.

Think about it, though. The novelty of prosecuting men for abortion  despite the sound legal footing of such charges  tells us something important about the way we have, until now, framed the debate. Boys will be boys, but women who get pregnant have behaved irresponsibly.Even after 30 years, erasing the history of the massacre in Tiananmen Square remains an obsession of the Chinese Communist Party. To a degree, it has succeeded: The Chinese raised in the extraordinary boom times since that day often know little about what happened on June 4, 1989, or accept the official line that curbing the counterrevolutionaries was needed to facilitate the economic miracle.

But those who were there, and many of those who know what happened when the Chinese Army crushed the two-month-old democracy protests, cannot forget  and cannot accept that anyone else should. One of them is Jiang Lin, a former military journalist, who was in the square that night and has been consumed ever since by what she witnessed, and who shared her agonizing memories in a series of interviews with The Timess Chris Buckley.

Ms. Jiang is 66 now, and she left China last week . Had she not, it is very likely that she would have shared the fate of the many other Chinese who have been repressed because their conscience would not let them stay silent. The pain has eaten at me for 30 years, she said. Everyone who took part must speak up about what they know happened. Thats our duty to the dead, the survivors and the children of the future.

Hers is an anguish and a mission shared by many people around the world scarred by great atrocities, whether survivors of the Holocaust; or relatives of the disappeared in Argentina; or those who carry the memories of the Soviet gulag, the Armenian genocide in Ottoman Turkey , the Khmer Rouge killing fields of Cambodia, the massacres in Rwanda or any of the other mass murders of modern times.I was giving a talk about Tiananmen Squares legacy at an Australian university about two years ago when a young Chinese student put up her hand during the question-and-answer session. Why do we have to look back to this time in history? she asked. Why do you think it will be helpful to current and nowadays China, especially our young generation? Do you think it could be harmful to what the Chinese government calls the harmonious society?

She wasnt challenging the facts of what had happened on June 4, 1989. She was questioning the value of the knowledge itself. In the years since I wrote about Beijings success in erasing the killings of 1989 from collective memory, Ive often heard Chinese students defending the governments behavior as necessary. But this argument was different. The student was deftly sidestepping her governments act of violence against its own people, while internalizing Beijings view that social stability trumps everything else. At the end of the talk, a second Chinese student came up to ask whether the very knowledge of June 4 could be dangerous to our perfect society.

For the 660,000 Chinese students overseas, stumbling across these hidden episodes in their countrys history for the first time can be extraordinarily discombobulating, as if the axis of the world has suddenly shifted out of whack. For some, such discoveries are so disturbing that it is easier to discount them as Western conspiracies designed to undermine the Communist Party.Weve eradicated measles. Hurray! Oh, no! Now theres no way Ill go viral. Cheer up, Measles. No vaccine can hold you down. But everyone will take the vaccine and well be locked up in here forever. Not everyone will take the vaccine. But, Polio, who wouldnt want to protect their kids from us using the most studied, understood and effective medical advancements ever achieved in human history? Youd be surprised, Measles. The human brains got a lot of tricks that make bad ideas seem reasonable. Here, let me show you. Vaccines are dangerous. My sisters kids got sick every time they got a vaccine. Oh, I know that one. Thats called an anecdote. Thats right, Measles. People love stories that confirm their suspicions, and they cant help but remember that story instead of the many other stories with a different ending, because humans cant escape something called confirmation bias. And it works like this. This one commuter  he cant help but miss the train. Hes sure he loses and hes never won  Every time. Even though its 50/50 when hes gotten through. The story in his mind is said and done, yeah. He tends to count the hits and dismiss the misses. A picture forms in his mind. It fits the frame but the framer is suspicious, so caught up in his grind. Its natural for the brain to not clock the moment he got to work on time with ease. He cant recall the data that doesnt fit. He sees what he wants to see. But scientists have been wrong so many times. And they cant even be 100 percent certain. Its all just a theory. They call that the perfectionist fallacy, where people think that without complete certainty, all assumptions are equal. And boy, is that wrong. Well, its true there used to be phrenology. And remember alchemy was hip. Eggs were good, then bad, then good, then bad for you. Dont know whats what. The facts, they seem to flip. Yeah! Darn it. Yes, its a theory, but so is light, gravity, space and time. Evidence and experiments work to prove it and blow your mind. Its hard to comprehend that science might write a song and then change the key. Its a method to learn, not just be right. They see what they want to see. But its undeniable that as they increased the vaccine scheduling, autism diagnoses skyrocketed. That logical fallacy is called confusing correlation with causation. And humans do it all the time. When summers burning, ice cream sales  they go sky-high. Right beside it goes the murder rate. Yeah. We might conclude that frozen treats lead us to die, but thats not true. They really just relate. Yeah! The human mind is compromised when swayed by emotional weight. When youre a pattern-seeking primate, its second nature to conflate. The data is so close that it seems to prove that A plus B caused C. But A and B are just simultaneous. They see what they want to see. First, you mandate vaccines. Next, youre making all the choices for my family. Take that slippery slope argument far enough and Ill have a comeback. So you think its healthy to pump kids bodies full of toxins? Im going to buy that straw man a drink. Im sorry, theres no way Im vaccinating my children. Oh, its happening. Im really contracted, Polio. I knew you could do it. Well, goodbye, Polio. Enjoy it while you can, Measles. After a few outbreaks, theyll try vaccines again. [choir sings]Late May in Almaty Kazakhstan, a crowd of international participants form 50 different countries is pouring in to the Ritz Carlton for a 3 day intellectual feast. This is the 2019 Eurasian Media Forum and the audience, at least those who have been here before, are not to be easily surprised by what the event may have to offer. The forum has been prominent and unique in hosting debates between representatives of a wide spectrum of opinion and conduct, but the panel discussion most expected this year was definitely the one opening the final day

with veteran British political dissident and intellectual George Galloway and alt-right influencer and Trumpist Steve Bannon discussing Crisis of Confidence. Global Power Balance together with Benita Ferraro-Waldener former secretary of state and minister of foreign affairs of Austria, former EU commissioner and president of Euro-American foundation; Russian journalist and Deputy editor of TAS, Mikhail Gusman; German Foreign affairs expert Jeremias Kettner; The First Lady of Armenia and editor in Chief of Armenia Times Anna Hakubian; and Mark Siegel, former deputy assistant to the Us President Jimmy Carter.

Bannon had arrived to Kazakhstan from a tour of Europe where he aimed to influence European right wing leaders and nationalist-populist movements, and affect the EU elections.

Moderator Stephen Cole started the discussion by asking: Is the legacy of consensus builders being replaced by populist risk takers? Is there a crisis of international law and crisis solving? And  What is the global balance of power in 2019?

Bannon started with a disclaimer that he does not represent the Trump administration but he thinks Trump has a clear plan for the Post war, rules-based order, which he explained as a series of commercial relationships, capital markets, trade arrangements, and an America security guarantee* from North West Europe along the Persian Gulf to the South China Sea up to the North West Pacific. He continued to state that - to the benefit of the working class of the world - a restructuring of this rules-based order is going on around individual states in the Westfalian system, starting from Donald Trumps presidency to Brexit and the victory of the populist-nationalist sovereign movement in the EU parliamentary elections.

Cole then asked Mark Siegel if liberals agree with French President Macrons statement that Trump is dismantling the precious liberal rule based international order?

There is a crisis in the way traditional parties and governments view some of the issues that the populists have raised, answered Siegel. There are reasons that people are concerned about immigration, and its not just racism or antisemitism, but also economic reasons which should be addressed and not dismissed. Where ethnopopulists succeed is more to break down than build up.

Jeremias Kettner stated that many of the globally pressing problems we face today are too complex to be solved by any group of countries alone, and multilateralism is needed. A strong Europe would be an important player to work on solutions to hopefully lead to a better world.

Galloway started by saying that I was not happy that Donald Trump was elected as the President of the United States, but I was happy that Hillary Clinton wasnt, because the rules-based order she represented was far from rules-based. He continued by saying that A big sweep is going on against what is called liberalism and an era is coming to an end. Our people, of whatever colour and where they came from and however they pray, are asserting themselves and the elites day is done.

Benita Ferraro-Waldener, to the question from Cole that how she views the relation between Europe and America, quoted Anthonio Gram that The old is dying and the new is not yet born and that we are in a transformation phase where a new geopolitical, geotechnological and geoeconomical order is being born and she and the EU are of course in favour of a rules-based order. She then quoted Mogarini that there is now the risk of the rules of jungle prevailing. Reform is needed, she said; but rules are necessary and she hopes for a second referendum for Brexit so that the UK would stay in the EU.

On Americas relationship with China Steve Bannon said that The elite in Wall-street and elsewhere have been running a scam of financing Chinas CCP thats built up this Frankenstein monster created to gut the working class of the world, but a revolution is going on and the economic war against the working class people is over.

Benita said that of course a potential Russia threat is easier to understand for Europe than China as china is far away, but Europe was not naive. She agreed that there are problems with China, but EUs solution proposal is different. China has not fulfilled all and intellectual property and state subsidy questions, but EU has a different approach with peace and that the EU has to have unity and stronger leaders with more effective ways, and that the EU should be tough and clear on China, but no to go into a trade war.

Galloways take on China and the possibility of a clod war was that Trade wars are good for the elite. He thought China is fully entitled as a sovereign country to pursue its own policies and interests as so is the united states, but both should do so with the knowledge that the fearsome potential of trade war becoming a real war is a present and clear danger to everyone.

Now, the United States is not going to go to war with China; Said Galloway, that would be exceedingly foolish, but the united Staes is steaming towards a war with Iran, and I am here to tell them as someone who warned them about the consequences of war with Iraq, that a war against Iran would be 10 times, 15 times more destabilising than the war with Iraq was.

To a question by Cole that if Galloway thinks there is serious issue in terms of a collision course between Iran and the United States, Galloway answered: Its an extremely dangerous situation. Thanks to the destruction of Baghdad, Iran is much more powerful. A war with Iran, would be the biggest mistake in History. It will literally open the gates of hell. Iran is a young country, a big country and will under attack be a united country. It has military capacity of great strategic importance. If the united states or its proxies attack Iran, the oil fields of all Americas friends in the Persian Gulf will be on fire within the hour. The Straight of Hormuz will be blocked with a day, and the wheels of industry everywhere in the world will cease to turn. So I caution against it, I hope that Pres. Trump can reign in the the mustachio old buffoon, John Bolton before its too late and before the world is dragged into a bigger disaster than the war on Iraq was.

Bannon agreed with Galloway on Iran. I was on a destroyer in the Persian Gulf in 1979 off of iran during the hostage situation and I know how difficult and horrible that is.

At this point Cole asked Siegel if in his opinion Trumps war against Iran was at the behest of Saudi Arabia. The president's son in law (Jared Kushner) is very close to the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, so people speculate that. But it wasnt a surprise that trump ripped the Iran Nuclear agreement as he and Bibi Netanyahu where against it since his presidential campaign.

A good portion of the panels discussion was focused on nationalism, populism and globalism. On globalisation Bannon said that he believed that globalisation is nothing more than to find the cheapest source of labour for the elite, and despite what many assume, it can be undone. Bannon stated that the US does not want to be an imperial power and is looking for allies in the judeo-christian west, among others.

People understand that the highest amount of control they can have is at the national level, not in some amorphous transnational level. You see a rise in nationalism and that is positive. A Europe of nations would be stronger. Bannon continued.

Siegel disagreed and said that the populist movement is not uniting people but is designed to divide people into us and them, as what happened in the united states.

The Trump administration is allergic to multilateralism, and wants to walk away form international law, said Siegel. On Monday for instance Trump is going to pardon war criminals, and there is the same situation with the Iran agreement; he just rip it up!

Siegel believed that there was no decision making process in the white house, and Trump made decisions by whim and tweet.

Galloway took his time to express his support for Brexit. Brexit was a revolt of the working class, he said, and in the last 3 years all the elite have tried to reck Brexit, but we will have a stunning victory. Its not that Brexit is a sufficient condition to make a better Britain, but a necessary one. The more I listen to Benita, the more I recall the late and great railway mans words, Bob Crow If my auntie had balls shed be my uncle. If, if, if, if, says Benita, if we do this and this and that, things would be better. Well its too little and too late. Galloway continued. At the same time that you are investing in agencies to fight terrorism and instead of aligning with Russia to crush terrorism in Syria, the EU governments were arming and financing terrorism.

To these Benita responded, that those decisions were taken by foreign ministers of countries including Britain, and not the EU and also that a member of the audience was right to say that Brexitiers cheated people and the young people did not vote for it.

In response to a question from the audience about Trumps chances in the 2020 elections, Bannon responded that it will not be easy. The rust belt of the United States is going to decide the results of the next elections, but I believed that Trump will win.

In response to a question from and Israeli member of the audience that had any of the panelists had a good suggestion to build trust between Israel and the Palestinians, Galloway answered that: Only a recognition of the historic injustice - in the lifetime of many people that are still alive - that has been visited upon the Palestinian people, a recognition of their nationhood, a recognition of their right to exist as people, a recognition of the right of the Palestinian refugees that number 10 million, of their legal and moral rights to return to their homelands, would lead to peace. Until there is justice for the Palestinian people, there will be no peace.

To this Siegel commented that: This return to the homeland means that there would be no Jewish state in Israel! To which Galloway said: I thought you were against ethnostates?

Siegel: The whole world is talking about occupation of the West Bank, no one is talking about 10 million muslims in Kashmir occupied by India, and 3 million muslims in concentration camps in China, this is selective application of international standards and human rights and its absurd!

This made galloway exclaim that: My goodness you have changed! You see what lies beneath the liberal. Youve been railing against ethnoreligious states and now you are supporting one?

The debate can be seen in its entirety here.

This debate and similar ones are the hallmarks of the uniqueness and value proposition of the Eurasian Media Forum. No other event in the western world would have the guts or the wisdom to tackle same issues with a truly diverse repertoire of opinion leaders.

Eurasian Media Forum which was arranged for the 16th time this May in Almaty, Kazakhstan has been the place where East meets West and a wide range of opinions and ideas clash in a civilised and friendly environment. The forum brought together more than 7500 participants from around the globe and 600 international experts.

In addition to the participants of the above mentioned panel, among other prominent speakers of this years forum were Tomas Henrik Ilves, the 4th President of Estonia, Armen Sarkisian, President of Armenia and Evan Rogers, UKs permanent representative to the EU (2013 - 2017).

This years Eurasian Media Forum was once again a package of intriguing and thought provoking speeches, debates and encounters. One specific encounter which occurred off the forum stage however, supersedes all and passes the threshold to become weird, surprising and even ridiculous. Galloway and his wife are awaken by noise of someone trying to open the door to their hotel room at night. Astonished and worried, his wife piles up chairs behind the door and they call the hotel security. It is hard to recognise the man trying to break in through the spy-hole in the door as he is keeping his head down. Violent twitching of the handle turn into shoulder bumps up until the security arrives. This is when his face becomes visible and to the surprise of Galloway, the intruder turns out to be the former head of the CIA James Woolsey, (who was also speaking in the Forum) Shouting to the security taking him away: I am Ambassador Woolsey! Read the full story here.

Now, Galloway is indeed an outspoken critic of the western elitocracy and organised security apparatus of the western gang of The Five Eyes, but for the former head of the CIA to try to break into his room in the middle of the night so amateurishly is outright ridiculous and absurd. Was Woolsey lost and looking for his own room or did he intent to intimidate Galloway and his wife in their private room, we may never find out.

Bannons mention of the American Security guarantee is perplexingly reminiscent of the Mafia business model, where mafiosos would ask businesses to pay protection money, and if not paid would let harm happen to them, as a lesson to others. Trump himself has often brought this issue up with Nato members, Japan and South Korea among others, that they should pay more for the US security guarantee, when at the same time the perceived threats are mostly a reaction to or outcome of the US global militarism and bullying.

Alexis Kouros - HT

Photos: EMFIt was in my notes. But I had interviewed a dozen nonbinary people by phone before traveling to Maryland, one of several states where Gender X legislation was under consideration. Some of the biographical details had blurred in my mind. And now it seemed rude to ask.

After all, why did I need to know? Many nonbinary people I had talked with had already asked me not to mention whether they had been assigned female or male at birth, to deter readers from making false presumptions. I couldnt imagine how the information would change what I asked or how I acted. Yet I could not quiet the part of my mind that insisted on guessing. It felt too much like I was flying blind.

Mx. Fogel wore jeans and a button-down shirt. For the average woman, they were a bit tall, I calculated, or maybe they were a touch shorter than the average man. The pitch of their voice was moderate, their blond hair cut short.

It wasnt much to go on. I considered surreptitiously opening the file with my earlier notes, but I was busy taking new ones as they told me how information on nonbinary gender identities had been hard to come by just a few years earlier.Paul Mitchell, who runs a bipartisan political data company based in California, said the outcome would be decided even earlier than the March 3 calendar date would suggest because of the states early-voting rules. He projected that 5 percent of California primary votes would be cast before the New Hampshire primary, 25 percent before Nevada and a whopping 45 percent before South Carolina.

The idea that youre going to sail into California on a win that is late in those first four, its kind of fiction because such a huge portion of California will already have cast ballots, Mr. Mitchell said. They need to treat it as sometime between New Hampshire and Nevada.

That could spell trouble for Ms. Harris, whose campaign has signaled a focus on South Carolina, the first state on the primary schedule with a heavily African-American population.

Ms. Harris is working to build a home-state advantage, holding events in her native Bay area as well as in Los Angeles while also counting on a battalion of supportive local Democratic officials to act as her surrogates while she spends much of her time in the first early states. She rolled out a number of new California endorsements ahead of the convention, including more than half of the Democrats in the State Assembly, and in her speech she torched President Trump over what she called his pathological failure of leadership. The California-based strategists running Ms. Harriss national campaign have deep experience in the state, having overseen her past races as well as those of Mr. Newsom and a number of other Democratic lawmakers.

But she faces a challenge from candidates like Ms. Warren, who used the California convention to send a message of her own re-emergence, by holding the Friday rally in Oakland; buying a billboard in San Francisco calling to break up big tech; stuffing the convention hall with sign-wavers on Saturday; and lacing her stump speech with new lines that appeared aimed at Mr. Bidens talk of working with Republicans.

Some Democrats in Washington believe the only changes we can get are tweaks and nudges. If they dream at all, they dream small. Some say if we all just calm down, the Republicans will come to their senses, Ms. Warren said. The time for small ideas is over.One key bloc in the House, the Congressional Black Caucus, has taken no formal position, though some of its members are leading the charge on impeachment. Were probably going to wind up with no alternative but to move to impeachment, but I dont think we are there today, said the groups chairwoman, Representative Karen Bass of California, who is planning an educational session on impeachment for members when they return to Washington.

In another sign of momentum in that direction, Representative James Clyburn of South Carolina, the No. 3 House Democrat, said Sunday that in his view it was more a question of when than if the House would hold impeachment proceedings.

What I have said time and time again is, Mueller has developed the grounds for impeachment, Mr. Clyburn said on CNNs State of the Union. The House has to determine the timing for impeachment. Theres a big difference.

But he cautioned against moving too quickly, and the publicly declared supporters still fall well short of the 218 or so that would be required if Speaker Nancy Pelosi were to put it to a vote. More to the point, the backers of impeachment have not convinced the speaker that there is enough public support to warrant taking a step that will further cleave the country.

Impeachment is a political act, and you cannot impeach a president if the American people will not support it, Representative Jerrold Nadler of New York, the House Judiciary Committee chairman who leads the Democrats existing investigation into obstruction of justice and abuse of power, said during an appearance on Friday on WNYC.

But Mr. Nadler has privately made a case to Ms. Pelosi for opening an impeachment inquiry, and he suggested opinion could shift: The American people right now do not support it because they do not know the story. They dont know the facts. We have to get the facts out. We have to hold a series of hearings. We have to hold the investigations.WASHINGTON  Mick Mulvaney, President Trumps acting chief of staff, sought on Sunday to play down the White Houses directive to hide a Navy destroyer named after Senator John McCain during the presidents visit to a naval base in Japan last week.

Mr. Mulvaney said that a young White House staff member, knowing of Mr. Trumps animosity toward Mr. McCain, most likely made the request to the Navy to block the warship from view. The Navy at first complied, placing a giant tarp over the name and then hiding it with a barge before senior admirals reversed the decision.

If a 23- or 24-year-old person says, Look, is it really a good idea for this ship to be in the background? that is not an unreasonable question, Mr. Mulvaney said on Fox News Sunday, adding, We think its much ado about nothing.

Asked about the matter on NBC Newss Meet the Press, Mr. Mulvaney said it would be silly to fire the aide over the episode, which has drawn a torrent of criticism from retired military officers.James A. Cervera, the police chief in Virginia Beach, said investigators were focused on establishing what Mr. Craddocks motives were and whether his job status had anything to do with the horrific acts and events that he perpetrated.

At a news conference on Sunday, Chief Cervera offered a chilling timeline of what happened in Building No. 2, the stately 1970s-vintage brick structure where Mr. Craddock opened fire on three floors and where a small team of police officers rushed to confront an employee who had become an assailant.

The first urgent calls, the chief said, were received at 4:08 p.m., and less than two minutes later officers were outside the building, which over the years had become what he called a honeycomb of rooms and passageways. There was no time to consult a blueprint, no time to map out a strategy. They had to find the gunman.

By 4:18 p.m., the chief said, the officers had located Mr. Craddock, a 40-year-old former soldier who was armed with two handguns and plenty of ammunition.I do want to talk about our readiness, and ensure the things that we need to do to be prepared if diplomacy fails, Mr. Shanahan told reporters aboard his plane to Seoul, the South Korean capital. But, he added, Im confident that we have the readiness that were required to have.

The decision to continue offering the concession to North Korea came despite missile tests that Pyongyang conducted last month, and amid unconfirmed reports that North Korea has executed its special envoy to the United States on spying charges. A South Korean news daily also reported that Mr. Kim had ordered a sweeping purge of the countrys top nuclear negotiators after the breakdown in Hanoi, Vietnam, of his second summit meeting with Mr. Trump.

Still, after the failed meeting, which ended without an agreement on how, or whether, to shut down the Norths nuclear weapons program, Defense Department officials said the Pentagon would once again suspend two large-scale joint military exercises that were scheduled for this spring, to maintain the truce that Mr. Trump had struck with Mr. Kim.

But American military officials have long cautioned that suspending exercises can hamper readiness, so Mr. Shanahan is walking a tightrope as he tries to placate his boss, who has taken a more benign approach toward Mr. Kim in the past year, while reassuring commanders that they will have the tools they need to keep troops prepared.

In June last year, without consulting the Pentagon, the president suspended major military exercises with South Korea after meeting Mr. Kim for the first time, in Singapore. Two months later, Mr. Trump rebuked Jim Mattis, then the defense secretary, for opening the door to resuming the exercises.The leader of Germanys Social Democrats, the junior partner in Chancellor Angela Merkels governing coalition, announced her resignation on Sunday, raising new questions about the governments future, a week after the parties lost support in the elections for the European Parliament.

The party leader, Andrea Nahles, said in a statement sent to Social Democratic members on Sunday, The discussions within the parliamentary faction and feedback from within the party have shown me that I no longer have the necessary support to carry out my duties.

She said she would formally hand in her resignation on Monday.

Political observers noted that Ms. Nahless departure could strengthen the left-wing of the Social Democrats, spelling doom for the partys willingness to remain in the unloved coalition government.

The situation is dramatic, said Thorsten Faas, a professor of political science at Berlins Free University. The opponents of the grand coalition within the Social Democrats clearly have the momentum right now.BUCHAREST, Romania  Pope Francis, on the last day of his trip to Romania, on Sunday asked for forgiveness on behalf of his church for the suffering endured by the Roma people, saying his heart was weighed down by the many experiences of discrimination, segregation and mistreatment they have experienced.

The pope offered the apology at a newly consecrated church in a poor neighborhood of Blaj, a city in Transylvania, where a priest of Roma ethnicity welcomed him to the periphery of the peripheries.

History tells us that Christians too, including Catholics, are not strangers to such evil, Francis said. I would like to ask your forgiveness for this. I ask forgiveness  in the name of the church and of the Lord  and I ask forgiveness of you, for all those times in history when we have discriminated, mistreated or looked askance at you.

This was his first trip to Romania  and the first by a pontiff since John Paul II visited 20 years ago  and Francis sought to mend relations between the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches. He also took the opportunity to advocate for millions of Romanian emigrants, to hearten the countrys small Catholic population and to again position himself as a counterbalance to the tip toward nationalism around the world.ROME  A colossal cruise liner plowed into a smaller tour ship and a wharf on a canal in Venice on Sunday morning, injuring four people and reigniting arguments about the dangers of allowing the huge vessels to pass through the fragile lagoon city.

Footage of the crash showed the cruise liner, the approximately 900-foot-long MSC Opera, blaring its horn as it hit the wharf and crashed into the tour ship, the River Countess, which was docked at the San Basilio Terminal on the Giudecca Canal, where passengers often disembark from smaller vessels.

The accident occurred around 8:30 a.m. Videos taken from the dock showed the ship heading straight for the wharf, unable to stop, while people on the quay ran away in panic. Four people from the cruise ship were treated for light injuries, the Italian news agency ANSA reported.

The MSC Opera was approaching the cruise ship terminal in Venice to dock when it had a technical problem, the ships operator, MSC, said in a statement. The company said that the ship had been accompanied by two tugboats when it hit the wharf and the smaller boat at San Basilio.The guest list last December included former British Prime Minister Tony Blair; former French President Nicolas Sarkozy; former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice; Mr. Hadley, the Bush-era national security adviser; the American investors Mohamed A. El-Erian, David M. Rubenstein and Thomas S. Kaplan; and the Chinese computer scientist and investor Kai-Fu Lee.

Undeterred, the prince also included Mr. Dmitriev, the Russian businessman linked to Mr. Putin.

Prince Mohammeds post-Arab Spring interventions have hardly stabilized the region. An aide he sent to Cairo to help turn around the moribund economy has returned in frustration.

Egypts military-backed government still depends on billions of dollars a year in assistance from the United Arab Emirates and its Gulf allies, and despite Emirati help and Israeli airstrikes, Cairo has not yet quelled a militant backlash centered in the North Sinai.

The isolation of Qatar has failed to change its policies. In Libya, Khalifa Hifter is mired in a bloody stalemate.

Prince Mohammeds push in the Horn of Africa has set off a competition for access and influence among rivals like Turkey and Qatar. In Somalia, after allegations of bribery by the fragile central government, Emirati forces have shifted to the semiautonomous regions of Puntland and Somaliland.

Djibouti, alleging neglect, last year replaced its Emirati port managers with a Chinese rival.

He thinks he is Machiavelli but he acts more like Mussolini, said Bruce Riedel, a scholar at the Brookings Institution and a former official in the Central Intelligence Agency.

In Saudi Arabia, the Emirati prince has been embarrassed by the conclusion of American intelligence agencies that his Saudi protege had ordered the brutal murder of Mr. Khashoggi, a Virginia-based Saudi dissident and Washington Post columnist. Their joint, four-year-old intervention in Yemen is turning into a quagmire, with horrific civilian casualties.DURHAM, N.C. - 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 fares -- the damages it suffers -- may 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 communities -- Boulder, Longmont, Lyons, Estes Park, Loveland and Evans -- that 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."

@ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.BELLINZONA, Switzerland  In a second major softening of American policy toward Iran in recent days, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Sunday that the Trump administration was ready to negotiate with the countrys clerical leaders with no preconditions.

The statement followed President Trumps comment last week that he was ready to talk to Iranian leaders and was not seeking regime change, overruling a longtime goal of his national security adviser. Mr. Pompeos statement also recalibrated his earlier position that the United States would not lift sanctions on Iran unless it complied with a dozen sweeping demands, suggesting that those demands could be part of negotiations instead of preconditions.

Irans leaders consider the demands unacceptable.

Tensions between the United States and Iran have escalated sharply in recent weeks, raising fears that the two countries were edging toward war. The less combative language does not change the fact that the Trump administration has tightened economic sanctions on Iran, ordered 1,500 additional troops to the Persian Gulf and revised military plans against Iran.

Even in opening the door to talks, Mr. Pompeo said the United States would continue to try to counter Irans support of groups in the Middle East that undermine American interests.The United Arab Emirates has fewer citizens than Rhode Island, but its de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed of Abu Dhabi, is widely regarded as one of the most influential Arab leaders in Washington and across the Middle East.

He may be the richest man in the world: He controls sovereign wealth funds worth $1.3 trillion, more than any other country. His military is the most potent of any Arab state. His influence in the United States is legendary  and never more felt than under President Trump.

Prince Mohammed, 58, is obsessed with two enemies, Iran and the Muslim Brotherhood, and Mr. Trump has sought to move strongly against both. In fact, the president has repeatedly adopted positions favored by the prince over the reservations of cabinet members and career national security officials on subjects including Iran, Qatar, Libya, Saudi Arabia and the Muslim Brotherhood.

[Read our full report on Prince Mohammed.]

Now Prince Mohammed has caught the interest of American prosecutors as well. The special counsel investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election unearthed evidence that the prince tried to help the Russians open back channels to Mr. Trumps inner circle.I was like, This is really good food. Is this a franchise? he recalled.

Then in January of this year, Schier began praying hard for God to show him what to do in the community.

He decided to bring Another Broken Egg to the area.

I love the culture of this company, Schier said. Their motto, and its been from day one, is, Happy people sharing happiness. It sounds Disney-ish, but we take it very seriously to heart.

If someone comes in here, you want to be in a place where people are happy and they want to serve you. So it really worked out.

Soft opening

The Auburn location will have a soft opening on June 14 and 15.

You have to go online to sign up, but basically what were doing is, Teresa and I are going to donate about $10,000 worth of food and labor, Schier said. Were not going to take any money; were going to ask that people enjoy the meal. If they want to tip the waiter, please do. And then more importantly, leave a donationNeighbors of Collinwood Street and Collinwood Circle, a small community nestled in Opelika's historic district, have rallied together to support one of their own, Auburn police officer Webb Sistrunk.

Collinwood residents recently adorned their mailboxes with blue and black ribbons to honor Sistrunk, who is recovering at home from a gunshot wound he received while responding to a domestic disturbance on May 19.

We are overwhelmed, said Mark Sistrunk, the father of the injured officer. I didnt know it for two days because I was in the house several days. I went out early to work, and I noticed one or two out there. It was dark when I left. I didnt realize. The morning I came back, and the whole neighborhood flooded with them. It made you want to cry.

Black and blue

According to Mark Sistrunk, Trinity United Methodist Church, Trinity Presbyterian Church and Trinity Presbyterian School and neighbors have brought food every day to provide physical, spiritual and psychological support for his son."We are encouraged by the fact that this year's report continues to show declining cancer mortality for men, women, and children, as well as other indicators of progress," said Betsy Kohler, executive director of the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries, which helped with the report.

Other than calling for more pediatric cancer funding in his State of the Union address this year, President Donald Trump hasn't often talked about the dreaded disease. He was even criticized for suggesting windmills cause cancer, while speaking at a National Republican Congressional Committee fundraiser.

"If you have a windmill anywhere near your house, congratulations, your house just went down 75% in value" Trump said. "And they say the noise causes cancer."

There's been speculation that Joe Biden may bring the fight against cancer to the forefront of his presidential campaign. Through his Biden Cancer Initiative, the former vice president has been leading a focused effort towards finding cures that he first kicked off in 2015 as the Obama White House's "Cancer Moonshot."The Home Company builders just broke ground on a townhouse community they say brings a new concept to the Omaha metro area. They expect it to catch on with millennials as well as those looking to shed maintenance duties.

The new-construction, for-sale homes come attached in clusters of three or four. Theyll have two-car garages, open floor plans  and range in price from $180,000 to $220,000.

The first batch of 92 homes is being built on 10 acres in Fremonts Gallery 23 area, and some of those are expected to be ready to buy late this year.

But Dave Vogtman of the Home Company said the development team plans to launch similar ventures soon in up to four Omaha-area neighborhoods.

Next up, Vogtman said, is an 83-townhouse project expected to start later this year in the Bellevue area. Another 120 homes are planned on still-to-be-announced sites in northwest and southwest Omaha.

Vogtman said its the relatively lower first-time homeowner price range, the design and close-knit community vibe that set the townhouses apart from other housing.

The metro area, Vogtman added, has been hungry for affordable homeownership options.Upset with a smaller-than-anticipated tax refund this year? The IRS has a remedy for that.

The Internal Revenue Service is redesigning the key tax withholding form, the W-4, which tells employers how much to take out of your paycheck. The form is critical for filers to calculating withholding that wasnt updated to reflect new facets of the 2017 tax overhaul.

The new design reduces the forms complexity and increases the transparency and accuracy of the withholding system, according to a Treasury Department fact sheet. While it uses the same underlying information as the old design, it replaces complicated worksheets with more straightforward questions that make accurate withholding easier for employees.

The new form, which was released as a draft on Friday, will be finalized in about a month and becomes effective on Jan. 1, 2020, a Treasury Department official said. That means the forms wont be available to help calculate withholding for the 2019 tax year.

The form will be given to workers who start new jobs next year. Employees who do not switch employers arent required to fill out a new form, but can if they choose.

Bloomberg's Michael Trimarchi and Michael Baer contributed.Bellevue firefighters riding in the bucket of a front-end loader early Sunday rescued a woman and a dog from a vehicle that had driven into floodwaters covering U.S. Highway 34.

Firefighters originally responded to a water rescue call at 12:46 a.m. near Harlan Lewis Road and Highway 34 south of Bellevue, Battalion Chief Kurt Strachota said.

After searching the area and finding nothing, firefighters changed locations and found a vehicle that had driven about 200 yards into floodwaters east of the Missouri River Bridge on Highway 34 in Iowa.

They located a woman and a dog in a vehicle with water up to the window on the drivers side and halfway up the door on the passenger side, Strachota said. Two (firefighters) wearing water rescue gear and life jackets rode in the bucket of a front-end loader and extracted the dog and the patient.

The woman, whose name has not been released, was checked for injuries and refused treatment.

The incident is under investigation.

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.Omaha police announced an arrest Sunday in connection with the shooting of a 40-year-old man in north Omaha.

Willie Hatten, 40, was taken to Nebraska Medical Center in critical condition, although police said his injuries did not appear to be life-threatening. A hospital spokeswoman said Sunday that Hatten's condition has been upgraded to serious.

Police said Sunday that a 16-year-old male has been arrested in connection with the shooting that occurred just before 11 a.m. Friday near 24th Street and Kansas Avenue. The teen was booked into the Douglas County Youth Center on suspicion of first-degree assault, use of a weapon to commit a felony, possession of a stolen firearm and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.

Staff writers Alia Conley and Kevin Cole contributed to this report.

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.

Reece Ristau Reece covers Omaha City Hall, including the City Council and Mayor's Office, and how decisions by local leaders affect Omaha residents. He's a born-and-raised Nebraskan and UNL graduate. Follow him on Twitter @reecereports. Phone: 402-444-1127 Follow Reece Ristau 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Nancy Nylen accepts the Scarborough-Salomon-Flynt Community Service Award at May's annual town meeting in Williamstown.

Nylen Recognized with Community Service Award in Williamstown

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass.  This year's winner of the town's community service award said it was as much about community as it was about service.

"It isn't about me," said Nancy Nylen. "It's about you and all of us. The most important word in this award, to me, is 'community.' I feel so lucky to be part of this community, this green community, that I've come to love, where David and I raised our two sons, and where I've worked side by side with so many people, some who are in this room, some far away, some no longer with us.

"There's not a single thing I've ever done that hasn't involved another person, a group of people, many who have become dear friends. So it never is about one person, but it is about each of us, all of us, knowing that what we do together matters."

Nylen received the Scarborough-Salomon-Flynt Community Service Award at May's annual town meeting, where she was recognized for her work in environmental issues and other causes.

"You must have a direct source of renewable energy because yours never seems to run out," the citation honoring her read in part.

Nylen is a member of the board of directors of Pittsfield's Center for EcoTechnology. Closer to home, she helped found Williamstown's COOL (CO2 Lowering) Committee and Climate Action Committee and served on the town's Green Communities Task Force.

"You helped write the bylaw to enable community solar projects and stretch that code that led to hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants for projects in the community," the citation continued. "You helped lead the effort to inventory the town's carbon emissions, create a plan to reduce them and launch its implementation."

In addition to her extensive work in green causes, Nylen also served as co-president of the Mount Greylock Parent Teacher Organization, as a member of the town's Conservation Commission and on the board of the Williamstown Rural Lands Foundation.

Nylen said in her remarks that among the people she has come to respect and love in Williamstown are the annual award's namesakes: Faith Scarborough, Edith and Adolph Salomon and Hank and Mary Flynt.

And she concluded her brief acceptance speech with a call to continued action in the community.

"We still have lots to do, and by doing it together, we really will change the world," Nylen said.

"So I thank you for what you have given me from the bottom of my heart."

The Scarborough-Salomon-Flynt Award is one of two given at each year's town meeting.

The other, presented by the League of Women Voters, recognizes the work of a town employee.

This year, that honor went to Sam White of the Milne Public Library.

Anne Skinner of the League of Women Voters described White as a "cheerful face" with "a well informed mind and extremely helpful personality."

White could not attend the meeting, but Milne Director Pat McLeod accepted the award on his behalf.

"I would like to thank league for voting for Sam this year," McLeod said. "He has been with me for over 15 years. If you've ever been at library, you know he's a model of customer service. He always has a smile. He meets and greets you with whatever you need."

The 2019 town meeting will be remembered for passage of an accessory dwelling units bylaw amendment, but it also was the year the town implemented the concept of a "consent agenda" to pass most of the standard fiscal warrant articles that are on the agenda each spring.

Nearly 20 articles were passed in two different consent agenda votes, after residents had a chance to place "holds" on any one article and pull it out of the consent agenda block for further discussion.

Three such holds were utilized. One related to the town's debt service, one funded the town's apportionment of the Mount Greylock Regional School District budget and one was a Community Preservation Act expenditure in support of Sand Springs Recreation Center.

All three passed by unanimous or nearly unanimous voice votes after discussion and explanation from town and school officials.

David Rempell, a former member of the Select Board and principal at Williamstown Elementary School, said voters should expect more information about the school budget at town meeting.

"I understand that this is an omnibus [district] budget, but I'm curious if someone from the School Committee could tell us what amount is for the elementary school and what amount is for Mount Greylock," Rempell said. "What is the percentage increase for each and what is the administrative cost for our school system.

"We used to have more information in the warrant about the school budget, broken down to what the expenses are."

The Mount Greylock School Committee, by law, holds a public hearing on its budget in the late winter or early spring and presents the full budget to the Finance Committees of Williamstown and Lanesborough prior to town meeting. The Williamstown Finance Committee this year recommended the the budget to town meeting in an unanimous vote.Food trucks, carnival rides and crowds lined the downtown riverfront Saturday for the 22nd annual Taste of Omaha.

The skies were clear and sunny as festival attendees ventured through Heartland of America Park and Lewis & Clark Landing in search of good eats and a good time.

Event producer Mike Mancuso described the festival as a melting pot of Omahas cuisine.

We see so many different people coming together each year from all different parts of our great city, and then we see a lot of visitors coming as well, he said.

Mancuso said more than 100,000 people are expected to attend the three-day festival, where more than 50 food trucks and restaurants serve a variety of foods.

Emily Ewalt, a University of Nebraska-Lincoln student from Chicago, and her boyfriend, Daniel Kavanaugh, who moved to Omaha from Virginia, said they enjoyed their first time at the festival.

The couple tried brisket and rib tips from Smokin Gunz Bar-B-Que, fresh-squeezed lemonade and the Carsons Cookie Fix ice cream cookie sandwich.

Its awesome, Ewalt said. I wish there were food trucks here all the time.Mueller did not take questions from reporters but did say that if hed had confidence that the president did not commit a crime he would have made that clear.

Most Republicans in Congress are eager to move on from the matter, but Democrats seized on Muellers comments to press for further investigations.

His comments also drew reaction from Democratic candidates such as Ann Ashford, who is seeking the partys nomination in Nebraskas Omaha-based 2nd District.

Ashford called on Congress to take steps to prevent future election interference, such as criminalizing the failure to report foreign offers of assistance.

Above all else  including all political considerations  it is Congress job to do everything in their rightful power to protect the Constitution of the United States of America, Ashford said in a statement.

Kara Eastman, who is likewise seeking the Democratic nomination in the 2nd District, also weighed in.A sampling of other positives this session: A sound revamp of treasurers tax deeds will give people better protection against losing their property through miscommunication while enabling an efficient process for county governments. A carefully written bill meets a host of technical requirements so Nebraska can receive online sales tax from out-of-state firms. Nebraska continues to make incremental progress in easing licensing burdens while protecting public safety.

In addition, senators made needed adjustments to prevent protection-order applications from falling through the cracks and to make revenge porn a crime. The Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District received a five-year extension in its bonding authority. The Omaha area will be able to pursue regional transportation coordination.

The sessions disappointments included lawmakers failure to approve anti-discrimination protection against LGBTQ individuals and to allow creation of land banks in communities besides Omaha, where the concept has worked well.

Because lawmakers failed to find agreement on a tax policy overhaul, the one source of property tax relief is the states tax credit fund. While the fund was boosted to $275 million, that provides only a small measure of relief for individuals.Expanding access to wireless broadband is a pragmatic way to connect rural students to broadband, and the FCC will soon make a decision that could enable digital learning to reach more unconnected families. For decades, the FCC has allocated wireless spectrum for exclusive use by educational entities. That spectrum is now called the Educational Broadband Service, or EBS. Unfortunately, the FCC has not granted new EBS licenses  permission to use the wireless spectrum  since the 1990s. In the coming weeks, FCC Chairman Agit Pai and the other FCC commissioners will vote on whether or not to offer new EBS licenses in Nebraska and other states for the first time in a generation.

Last year, the Nebraska Department of Education, Nebraska Educational Telecommunications and Nebraskas chief information officer filed formal comments with the FCC, imploring the agency to make these licenses available to the state so that we can begin to connect more rural students to the broadband-supported digital learning opportunities they need to prepare for success in the workplace and in their communities. The FCC should not miss this important, once-in-a-generation opportunity to help rural Nebraskans achieve their full earnings potential and to ensure that all of our communities  regardless of location  can also reap the benefits of the increasingly technology-driven national and global economy. We urge the FCC to say yes to EBS and new wireless broadband licenses for Nebraska.The writer, of Omaha, is a practicing attorney and a board member of Common Cause Nebraska.

Our Nebraska Legislature is dropping the ball on legislation that is necessary for redistricting.

Even though four bills were proposed this session, no redistricting legislation made it out of committee. This, even though we have known for some time that such legislation has to be passed before district lines are drawn after the 2020 Census.

Voters need to be confident that legislators believe that everyone they represent is important and that all votes have equal value. In prior gerrymandering cases, the federal courts have said that voting maps should be proportionate and not based in any way on race. Electoral maps should also be drawn to protect and not dilute the vote of the underrepresented. A favored catchphrase of the political wonks is: Voters should pick their representatives. Representatives should not pick their voters.He just helped secure over $20 million from the Choice Neighborhood Initiative grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to revitalize the Spencer Homes in north Omaha.

We appreciate his expertise and commitment for north Omaha along with the backing of Warren and Susie Buffett, the City of Omaha, City Council, our local housing authority and many others partners who have assisted in transforming the Highlander development, which was the former site of Pleasantview homes.

Its exciting to see positive improvements in an area of the city that is coming to life again.

To everyone who has rolled up their sleeves to accomplish what has been done thus far, we are proud of you. Actions do speak louder than words.

Ernie Boykin, Omaha

Trump deserves publics support

I am so sick of the constant attempts to knock down the president.

It seems as though half the nation cant wait to see him impeached.6 convicted under MCOCA for running fake job syndicate

India

oi-Oneindia Staff

By Anuj Cariappa

New Delhi, June 02: A Delhi court has awarded varying jail terms to six people under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) for running a syndicate to cheat a large number of people in various states.

The convicts -- Vipin Sharma and his wife Hunny, Sachin Sharma, Harshad Alam and his son Aman, and Bhupender Singh -- were held guilty of cheating, forgery, impersonation and criminal conspiracy.

While Vipin was sentenced to 12-year rigorous imprisonment with a fine of Rs 55 lakh, the others have been awarded 10-year jail term with a fine of Rs 14 lakh each.

Is it possible to fail fake news industry?

Special Judge Rakesh Syal also ordered that the 10 victims be paid compensation of Rs 33.8 lakh by the members of the syndicate out of the fine imposed on them.

According to police, this was the first conviction under MCOCA in Delhi.

The convicts had cheated people of crores of rupees by assuring them jobs in New Zealand and European countries, the police said, adding that initially they were booked for cheating, criminal conspiracy, etc, but police later invoked MCOCA after finding out that 31 cases had been registered against the accused in Delhi, Haryana and Punjab.

Vipin was the kingpin of the syndicate and a large number of passports in the name of different people with work visas of New Zealand and fake documents such as PAN cards, debit and credit cards, shopping cards, mobile phones and SIM cards were seized from them, the police said.

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Sunday, June 2, 2019, 11:49 [IST]Williams President Maud Mandel poses with graduates for a selfie after the college's 230th commencement ceremony. Graduates make their way down Chapin Drive after receiving their diplomas. Mark Jacob Bingaman, biology and philosophy, of Williamstown. Anna Elaine Black, physics and statistics, of North Adams. David Lewis Burgess, computer science and German, of East Dorset, Vt. Sean Craig Dory, chemistry, of Troy, N.Y. Jake Bennett Foehl, statistics, of Williamstown. Jonathan Regan Hall, chemistry and mathematics, of Adams. Eric Daniel Hirsch, history, of Williamstown. Matthew John Hogan, economics, of Williamstown. Anna Keen Leonard, pyschology, of Pittsfield. Morgan Lee Michaels, English, North Adams. Merudjina Normil, comparative literature, Pittsfield. Jeffrey Alan Pullano, chemistry, of Dalton. Julia Grace Randall, English, of Albany, N.Y. Nyein Chan Thet Soe, physics, of Williamstown. PreviousNext

Williams College Grads Gear Up for 'Everything Change'



Geneticist Mary-Claire King tells the graduates not to narrow their focus but rather become immersed in society to use their abilities better. See more photos of the event here. WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass.  On the day that brings one of the biggest changes to any individual's live, Williams College graduates Sunday were reminded that the biggest changes are yet to come.

And they're inevitable. And they're inescapable.

"Author and environmental activist Margaret Atwood wisely said that 'climate change' should be called 'everything change,' " Williams' Phi Beta Kappa speaker Ari R. Ball-Burack told his fellow members of the class of 2019. "It will spur dramatic change in every facet of life.

"Terrifying as this is, I like the idea."

Ball-Burack of Berkeley, Calif., told the crowd gathered on the Library Quad for the college's 230th commencement exercises that the education the graduates received will help them help find solutions to the problems  known and unknown  that will come with global climate change.

"The global everything change will require a new wave of educators, activists, engineers, writers, doctors, economists and even art historians, all prepared to shape brand new scientific, political, cultural and financial paradigms for a world in flux.

"Williams has taught us to be critical, globally-minded thinkers who can dissect a problem in its myriad contexts. As we adapt to sweeping, global and personal everything change, this broad and interdisciplinary perspective will be crucial."

First-year President Maud S. Mandel and the college conferred bachelor's degrees on 512 seniors, including a dozen from Berkshire County: Mark Jacob Bingaman of Williamstown; Anna Elaine Black of Pittsfield; Jake Bennett Foehl of Williamstown; Rachel Burr Gerrard of Williamstown; Jonathan Regan Hall of Adams; Eric Daniel Hirsch of Williamstown; Matthew John Hogan of Williamstown; Anna Keen Leonard of Pittsfield; Morgan Lee Michaels of North Adams; Merudjina Normil of Pittsfield; Jeffrey Alan Pullano of Dalton; and Nyein Chan Thet Soe of Williamstown.

The ceremony's principal speaker echoed Ball-Burack's theme of encouraging the graduates to be "globally-minded thinkers."

Mary-Claire King, a ground-break geneticist known for discovering the breast and ovarian cancer gene, devoted her speech to talking about the life of a scientist and academic.

But she emphasized that no matter what professional or academic interest the graduates pursue, they should not narrow their focus.

"May you always have, in parallel with your life in science or in arts, a side life in the other, of [scientist and author] C.P. Snow's 'Two Cultures,' " King said. "If you are a scientist, read history or play an instrument or enjoy a play. If you are an artist  learn a bit about the science that we do and how it can be fascinating as well.

"May you be fully immersed in our society so that your brains and abilities are useful."

One grad who has immersed himself in Northern Berkshire society was singled out for special recognition on Sunday morning.

Williams recognizes the vast majority of its award-winners at the annual Saturday Ivy Exercises that precede commencement. But each year the president announces the winner of the school's William Bradford Turner Citizenship Prize on Sunday.

This year, the recipient was Joseph Steven Wilson Jr. of Augusta, Ga., who, Mandel said, has volunteered in North Adams' elementary schools "since his arrival on campus," in addition to serving as president of the Black STEM Student Association and a member of the black ministries and Gospel Choir.

Wilson, coincidentally, was chosen by his classmates to be one of three graduating seniors to address the ceremony.

He punctuated his remarks by sharing one of his musical passions, taking out his tambourine to play for the crowd.

Although he is known for his enthusiasm about the instrument, the psychology major said he just started playing a couple of years ago. But he said that is typical of how Williams can change a student and vice versa.

"While we have only been on this campus for a short time, our actions have impacted this institution's memory," Wilson said. "Our melodious rhythm has transformed our campus and community beyond the valley in meaningful, impactful and transformative ways.

"With each hit of our tambourines, we disrupt spaces and bring awareness to issues. And with each ring of the symbols, we use our experiences, knowledge and experience to produce change."

Speaking of change, despite opening his remarks with images of melting ice and a world "on fire," Ball-Burack closed with the kind of optimism fitting to a commencement ceremony.

"Through the bleary-eyed problem sets and papers, messy breakups, mental health struggles and constant barrage of scary news from beyond the purple bubble, we have become resilient," he said.

"I would suggest that hope is our best tool for coping with and innovating through the 'everything change.' Not to mention, it might be the only thing that can keep us sane. I'm confident that, fortified by perspective, community, gratitude and hope, we can rise to this fateful responsibility with purpose and poise."All political parties in Goa in cahoots with BJP: Mahua Moitra

TMC moves privilege motion against Justice Gogoi, says he is in contempt of Rajya Sabha

Who is Firhad Hakim? Know Kolkata's New Mayor Age, Education, Family and Other Details

A meeting between Kunal Ghosh and Mamata after 6 years

India

oi-Oneindia Staff

By Anuj Cariappa

Kolkata, June 02: After a gap of almost six years, suspended Trinamool Congress leader Kunal Ghosh on Saturday met party supremo Mamata Banerjee at her Kalighat residence here.

Ghosh said it was a "very nice meeting" and that he had discussions on several subjects with Banerjee.

The former TMC MP also met party leader and Banerjee's nephew Abhishek.

Here is BJP's counter to Mamata's objection to "Jai Shri Ram"

"It was nice meeting the chief minister after six long years. It was an open meeting. We had talks on several subjects," Ghosh told PTI.

Asked whether the meeting was a step towards him resuming party work, he said, "I do not want to get into all that... Though I had some differences with the party over certain issues, I have not changed my political affiliation."

Ghosh, was arrested by a special investigation team headed by the then Bidhannagar Commissioner of Police Rajeev Kumar in November, 2013, when he was a Rajya Sabha MP of the TMC, in connection with the Saradha chit fund scam. He was granted bail in 2016.

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Sunday, June 2, 2019, 10:20 [IST]Amarinder singh calls for a national policy to tackle drug menace

India

oi-PTI

Amritsar, June 02: Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has reiterated his demand for a national policy to tackle drug abuse.

In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, Singh urged him to advise ministries of Home, Social Justice and Empowerment, and Health and Family Welfare to address the issue.

"This important issue needs to be addressed with a little more seriousness than it has received so far," he wrote, according to an official statement released here.

Home Minister Amit Shah pays tribute at National Police Memorial

The chief minister sought Modi's personal intervention for the formulation of a national policy focusing on three components -- enforcement, de-addiction and prevention -- to tackle the menace of drug abuse in the country.

Singh said a national policy would enable all states to follow a similar, if not the same, approach on drug abuse, which, he said, "has substantially hampered the health of the people, particularly the youth".

The chief minister expressed his state's willingness to associate with the officers concerned of the Centre not only to evolve the policy but also to put in place an effective mechanism for its implementation.

Besides, the chief minister also raised security concerns emerging out of narco-terrorism, saying these were rather grave in the context of Punjab, which shares a 553-km border with Pakistan.

Singh said substance abuse was undoubtedly a global problem entailing heavy socio-economic costs to both individuals and society.

"In the last two decades, the prevalence of illicit drug trafficking has assumed alarming proportions in India too," the chief minister said.

Citing a survey report, titled 'Magnitude of Substance Abuse in India', released in February 2019 by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment in collaboration with National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre, AIIMS, Singh said, "Drug abuse in India is a significant problem and multi-pronged and coordinated policy interventions are required to tackle it effectively."

In his letter to Modi, Singh also touched upon several steps which the Congress government in Punjab has taken during the past two years to check the drug menace and to expand its outreach at the grassroots to make towns and villages "drug-free".

He also sought financial support from the Centre to increase the number of Outpatient Opioid Assisted Treatment (OOAT) clinics in Punjab, which he said, are currently being run on "meagre state resources".

Speaking at an event in New Delhi in October last year, Singh had said that Pakistan was "pushing" drugs through the borders to destroy the youth in the northern states and had called for a national policy to tackle the menace.

PTI

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Sunday, June 2, 2019, 15:49 [IST]Govt to help Assam govt set up 1,000 foreigners tribunals

India

oi-PTI

New Delhi, June 02: The Centre will help the Assam government in setting up 1,000 foreigners tribunals by July 31 when the final list of National Register of Citizens (NRC) will be published, officials said Sunday.

Those left out in the final NRC can challenge their exclusion in these tribunals to be set up across Assam.

Secretary (Border Management) in the Home Ministry B R Sharma recently held a meeting to discuss the proposal of the government of Assam for creation of e-Foreigners Tribunals and creation of 1,000 additional Foreigners Tribunals, a home ministry official.

Will bring NRC in West Bengal, throw out infiltrators, says Amit Shah

The central government is also in the process of giving its approval to the state government's proposal to set up e-Foreigners Tribunals for those who were declared illegal immigrants.

The tribunals will be required after the publication of the final NRC, a list of Assam's residents, on July 31.

When the draft NRC was published on July 30, 2018, there was a huge controversy over the exclusion of 40.7 lakh people from it. The draft NRC included the names of 2.9 crore people out of the total 3.29 crore applications.

The home ministry will help the Assam government in setting up the 1,000 foreigners tribunals, the official said.

The move came after the Supreme Court recently questioned the state government's plan to set up 1,000 foreigners' tribunals, pointing out it would be difficult to find 1,000 legal officers to preside over them.

The state government, along with the home ministry and other agencies, have been tasked to identify retired judicial officers for the purpose. The tribunals will require nearly 12,000 personnel including judicial officers.

The new tribunals would ease the burden of 100 existing tribunals as cases of those languishing in detention centre will be disposed of faster.

Some 30 lakh of the 40.7 lakh people, left out of the draft NRC, filed for inclusion of their names in the document. Around 600 objections were submitted by individuals who suspect the citizenship of others who made it to the list.

The Supreme Court, which is monitoring the NRC update process, has made it clear that the final NRC has to be published on July 31, 2019.

Of the 40.7 lakh people whose names did not figure in the draft NRC, 37.59 lakh names were rejected and the remaining 2,48,077 were on hold.

However, they were given an opportunity to prove their Indian citizenship with 1971 as the cut-off year. The verification process is being carried out for these people who had submitted documents afresh.

The Supreme Court-monitored NRC exercise, aimed at identifying illegal immigrants in the state that borders Bangladesh, was carried out only in Assam, which faced an influx of people from Bangladesh since the early 20th century.

Won't withdraw Central forces deployed in Assam for NRC work: Centre to SC

When the NRC was first prepared in Assam way back in 1951, the state had 80 lakh citizens.

According to the 2011 census, Assam's total population is over 3.11 crore.

The process of identification of illegal immigrants in the state has been widely debated and is a contentious issue in state politics.

A six-year agitation demanding identification and deportation of illegal immigrants was launched by the All Assam Students Union in 1979. It culminated with the signing of the Assam Accord on August 15, 1985, in presence of the then prime minister Rajiv Gandhi.

PTI

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Sunday, June 2, 2019, 13:44 [IST]Not 'Bird Dropping', its Congress's values that are dropping: BJP hits back

Former Congress IT Cell head Divya Spandana emerges after hiatus to mock PM-Cares

Congress's Divya Spandanas Twitter account deleted, days after post for BJP leader

India

oi-Deepika S

New Delhi, June 02: Speculation was rife on Sunday over the role of Divya Spandana, the social media head of the Congress after her Twitter account no longer existed on the microblogging site.

The profile page of Spandana, also known as Ramya, reads, "This account doesn't exist." Earlier on Saturday, her twitter account did not display any tweets and her Twitter bio also did not mention her as head of social media.

In her last tweet, Divya posted a congratulatory tweet to BJP leader Nirmala Sitharaman for becoming the first woman finance minister since 1970, when Indira Gandhi held the portfolio.

Has Divya Spandana relinquished her role as Congress' social media head?

There is also ambiguity on whether she is still part of the social media team. There is no official confirmation from either the Indian National Congress party or Spandana herself.

Divya, a former actor who went on to join politics, was appointed as the head of Congress' social media cell in May 2017.

Spandana has been credited with a turnaround of the Congress party's social media presence. BJP has a robust media cell and a strong online presence.

The Congress has drawn a blank in 18 states and Union Territories -- an indicator of its decimation in the Lok Sabha polls.

This is the Congress' second straight rout in Lok Sabha elections after it was decimated in the 2014 polls when the party ended up with a tally of 44 seats.Why is the ISI chief against the release of his photos and videos

Counter-productive for bilateral ties': Indian HC on harassment' of guests invited to iftar

India

oi-Vikas SV

By Vishal S

New Delhi, June 02: The Indian High Commission in Islamabad has registered a strong protest against the harassment of guests invited for an Iftar party saying that it "not only violates basic norms of diplomatic conduct but are against all notions of civilised behaviour."

Guests invited to Indian High Commission's Iftar party in Islamabad on Saturday faced "unprecedented harassment and intimidation" due to enhanced security checks by the Pakistani officials who stopped some invitees on one pretext or other, the Indian mission said on Sunday. The Indian High Commission sought "urgent" investigation into the matter.

Indian High Commissioner Ajay Bisaria hosted the annual event on Saturday at Serena Hotel for which guests were invited from all over Pakistan.

"The guests faced unprecedented harassment and intimidation at the hands of security agencies," the Indian High Commission said in a statement. It said the guests who made to the venue from places as far as Lahore and Karachi were "intimidated and even physically stopped" from attending the party by Pakistani security forces, who had virtually laid the Serena hotel under siege.

"A concerted campaign was launched by Pakistan's security agencies in the days preceding the iftar function to reach out to the invitees to actively dissuade them from attending the event," it said.

The High Commission said security officials stationed on the main road outside the hotel "rudely rebuffed and intimidated" officers and diplomatic staff of the IHC who tried to ascertain from the security personnel the reason for the harassment of the guests.

"Some officials were jostled, pushed, abused and aggressively threatened with bodily harm. In some cases, mobile phone belonging to the officials were snatched away," it said.

Many guests from the Pakistan's diplomatic community were also subjected to harassment.

"In complete violation of diplomatic norms, a large Pakistani security detachment, equipped with forked lifts, was detailed outside Serena hotel to aggressively turn away Pakistani citizens," the Indian mission said, adding that in some cases, cars used by guests were lifted and removed using forklifts.

["Stupid tit for tat diplomacy", says Omar on harassment of guests at India HC's iftar in Islamabad]

"Stopping diplomats and officials of the High Commission of India in Pakistan from discharging their diplomatic functions by intimidation and coercion is entirely counter-productive for our bilateral relationship," the statement further said.

High Commissioner Bisaria in his brief address to the audience on Saturday said that some of the guests could not make to the party. "I want to apologize because some of you faced a lot of trouble to come here and some of our friends could not come," he said. Bisaria also said that people had come from Lahore and Karachi to attend the event and thanked them for coming.

India has not been engaging with Pakistan following the attack on the Air Force base at Pathankot in January of 2016, maintaining that talks and terror cannot go together.Day one at Home Ministry, Shah discusses internal security, counter-radicalisation

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, June 02: Day one in office as the new Home Minister of India, Amit Shah met with senior officials and was briefed about various projects and schemes.

The issues that were touched upon related to internal security, counter-radicalisation, freedom fighters' pension and Jammu and Kashmir.

An officer privy to the developments said that there would be further meetings on Monday and they would be on particular topics. On Saturday, Governor of J&K, Satya Pal Malik called on Shah and briefed him about the ground situation in the state. There was no discussion on the elections in the state, he said.

Also Read | With Shah at Home, expect an iron fist-no nonsense-no appeasement policy

The immediate priority for Amit Shah would be to oversee the security arrangements ahead of the Amarnath Yatra which begins in the end of June. The intelligence has stated that the threat perception is very high although the security agencies have been successful in wiping out several terrorists in the state.

In another development, G Kishan Reddy and Nityanand Rai took over as ministers of state for home affairs.

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Sunday, June 2, 2019, 7:53 [IST]Even after 7 decades Nathuram Godse makes headlines every now and then

India

oi-Vikas SV

New Delhi, June 02: Nathuram Godse remains a controversial figure even seven decades after being sent to the gallows for a heinous crime. His act was something for which he would probably never be forgiven. Godse's crime shook the world in 1948 when he shot three bullets at Father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi from point-blank range. Godse assassinated messiah of non-violence and peace Mahatma Gandhi on January 30, 1948, plunging the entire nation into grief.

Godse is by and large loathed across the length and breadth of the country. Godse was hanged at Ambala Central Jail on 15 November 1949, but the strange thing is that even after seven decades he is not exactly a forgotten figure. He makes headlines every now and then, why? Well, reasons can be plenty, but one thing is for sure that invoking Godse's name is shortest path to hogging limelite and remaining in news for a few days.

Latest to make headlines for invoking Godse is Maharashtra IAS officer Nidhi Chowdhary who reportedly tweeted, "What an exceptional celebration of 150th Birth Anniversary year is going on. High time, we remove his face from our currency, his statues from across the road, rename institutions/roads named after him! That would be a real tribute from all of us! ThankU Godse for 30.01.1948."

Chaudhari's controversial tweet, which she has now deleted, has triggered a massive row. NCP has now demanded suspension of the Deputy municipal commissioner, saying "this should not be tolerated". The Congress has asked Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to initiate action against an IAS officer.

"First BJP Parliamentarian Pragya Singh Thakur, then lawmaker Usha Thakur and now Maharashtra IAS officer Nidhi Chowdhary has praised Mahatma Gandhi's killer Nathuram Godse. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis should immediately initiate action against her," tweeted Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala.

[If Godse a patriot, is Mahatma Gandhi anti-national, asks Opposition]

"We demand immediate suspension of IAS officer Nidhi Choudhari for her derogatory tweet against Mahatma Gandhi. She glorified Nathuram Godse, this should not be tolerated," NCP leader Jitendra Awhad was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

According to reports, Chaudhari, in her defence, stated that the tweet was sarcastic. She also issued several clarifications, saying she revered the Mahatma.

[Let them arrest me, says Kamal Haasan over Godse remark]

"I am a devout Gandhian and would never insult Gandhiji or any freedom fighter. They (critics) should have read the complete tweet to understand that it was sarcastic and against the ongoing social media slur against Gandhiji," a Hindustan Times report quoted her as saying.

Godse during election campaign:

Recently during the run up Lok Sabha elections, Godse's name made headlines. BJP's Pragya Thakur, now an MP from Bhopal, said Nathuram Godse was a "deshbhakt and will remain a deshbhakt". Her controversial comments left the BJP embarrassed and she apologised.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi then said he will never forgive Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur for insulting Gandhi.

In May, actor-politician Kamal Haasan stirred a hornet's nest by saying, "Godse, the first extremist of independent India, was a Hindu".

Kamal Haasan raked up Mahatma Gandhi's assassin's name during an election speech in Aravakurichi, Tamil Nadu.

Haasan drew severe backlash and Tamil Nadu the minister, K T Rajenthra Bhalaji, also said Kamal Haasan's tongue should be cut.

['Godse killed Gandhi, Pragya killed his soul': Kailash Satyarthi]

Again in May, six Hindu Mahasabha activists were arrested for allegedly celebrating the birth anniversary of Nathuram Godse at a temple in Surat's Limbayat area. Godse was born in Baramati in Pune district, then part of the Bombay Presidency, on May 19 in 1910. The Hindu Mahasabha activists had organised the celebration in the premises of Suryamukhi Hanuman temple in Limbyayat area of the city, following which they were arrested.

Godse is best forgotten and there is no point in raking up his name again and again. His act was despicable, loathable and it absolutely makes no sense to talk about it now after seven decades.Sad for myself happy for them: Babul Supriyo wrote after resigning as union minister

Digital Health ID Card 2021: How to apply, registration, benefits; all you need to know

Explained: What is three language formula in draft education plan?

India

oi-Deepika S

New Delhi, June 02: Language is an extremely sensitive issue and sometimes it can cause irreparable damage when wrongly addressed. The Narendra Modi government seems to have touched a raw nerve when the draft national policy on education has incensed political parties by calling for the adoption of a three-language formula in schools - Hindi, English and the local mother tongue in non-Hindi states.

And it has united leaders from the opposition Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) to the Left and actor Kamal Haasan's fledgeling Makkal Needhi Maiam on the issue of Tamil pride. Pro-Tamil parties projected it as a Dravidian versus Aryan fight.

As the row over three-language formula rages in, let us have a look at what the policy says

What is three language formula?

The draft National Education Policy, 2019 available on the government website said the three-language formula will need to be implemented in its spirit throughout the country, promoting multilingual communicative abilities for a multilingual country.

Schools in Hindi speaking areas should also offer and teach Indian languages from other parts of India, it said.

"No language will be imposed on any state": HRD ministry amid uproar in Tamil Nadu over Hindi

The three language formula, followed since the adoption of the National Policy on Education 1968 and endorsed in subsequent years will be continued.

Since research now clearly showed that children picked up languages quickly between the ages of 2 and 8, and moreover that multilingualism has great cognitive benefits to students, children will now be immersed in three languages early on, starting from the foundational stage onwards, it said.

"...students who wish to change one of the three languages they are studying may do so in Grade 6, so long as the study of three languages by students in the Hindi-speaking states would continue to include Hindi and English and one of the modern Indian languages from other parts of India, ... while the study of languages by students in the non-Hindi-speaking states would include the regional language, Hindi and English."

Also, every student will take a fun course on "The Languages of India" sometime in Grades 6-8.

The draft policy said India also has "an extremely rich literature in other classical languages, including classical Tamil, as well as classical Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, and Odia, in addition to Pali, Persian, and Prakrit; these classical languages and their literatures too must be preserved for their richness and for the pleasure and enrichment of posterity."

A choice of foreign languages like French and German, would be offered and available to interested students to choose as electives during secondary school.

Children learn languages extremely quickly when immersed early and multilingual children in studies around the world have also been found to learn faster and be placed better later in life than those who are unilingual, it said.

South states against Hindi imposition

The BJP-led NDA government at the centre still suffers from the perception that it is a party of the Hindi heartland. Issues like imposition of the Hindi language and focus on north Indian states have contributed to this image.

The anti-Hindi agitations beginning as early as 1937 in Tamil Nadu, said since 1968 the State was following the two-language formula of learning only Tamil and English.

And riding on this wave of protests, the DMK rose to power in the 1967 assembly elections. No national political party has since emerged as an alternative to the Dravidian parties of Tamil Nadu.

The issue of Hindi imposition has been a sore point in Tamil Nadu. The Congress lost power and aided the growth of the Dravidian movement courtesy this issue in the late 1960s. Since then, the base of the national parties in Tamil Nadu has steadily eroded.

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Sunday, June 2, 2019, 9:42 [IST]Praful Patel clears air over Ceejay House: "Not in-charge of the property at this stage"

Not NCPs decision: Praful Patel adds more drama to the twist

Happy to help: Praful Patel on ED probe

India

oi-Oneindia Staff

By Anuj Cariappa

Mumbai, June 02: NCP leader and former Union minister Praful Patel said he will be happy to cooperate with the Enforcement Directorate so that it understands the "complexities" of the aviation industry.

The ED earlier in the day summoned Patel, who was the civil aviation minister in the UPA government, over an alleged aviation scam.

ED summons former minister Praful Patel in aviation deal case

"I will be happy to cooperate with ED for their understanding of the complexities of the aviation industry," Patel told PTI over phone.

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Sunday, June 2, 2019, 11:36 [IST]Mamata Banerjee upset after not being allowed to speak during PMs meet

Missionaries of Charity itself requested SBI to freeze all bank accounts: Govt

Here is BJPs counter to Mamatas objection to Jai Shri Ram

India

oi-Oneindia Staff

By Anuj Cariappa

New Delhi, June 02: The BJP will send 10 lakh post cards with "Jai Shri Ram" written on them to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, a party leader said Saturday, in a move likely to add salt to the ruling TMC's wounds after a bruising performance in Lok Sabha polls.

"We have decided to send 10 lakh post cards with 'Jai Shri Ram' written on them to the chief minister's residence," newly elected lawmaker Arjun Singh told PTI.

Singh, a former Trinamool Congress MLA who joined the BJP before the general election, said this after police lathicharged a group of saffron party workers who were chanting "Jai Shri Ram" during a demonstration outside a property where TMC leaders were holding a meeting.

Not 50, only 6 councillors and 1 MLA joined BJP: TMC does fact check

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee lost her cool when her convoy was passing through North 24 Parganas.

TMC leaders had assembled in Kanchrapara in North 24 Parganas district to chalk out a strategy to retake party offices taken over allegedly by BJP workers, Trinamool sources said.

Kanchrapara comes under Singh's Barrackpore parliamentary constituency.

TMC leader and state minister Jyotipriya Mallick claimed Singh and Subhrangshu Roy, BJP leader Mukul Roy's son who quit TMC and joined the saffron party on Tuesday, had conspired to incite trouble in the area.

Police sources said those gathered outside the meeting venue raised slogans and alleged that the presence of Mallick and other TMC leaders like Madan Mitra, Tapas Roy and Sujit Bose was detrimental to peace in the area.

Police and Rapid Action Force personnel first tried to persuade the protesters but later restored to lathicharge when the situation started to slip out of their hands, the sources said.

"This is unprecedented. We had not seen this culture in Bengal. This is the culture of the BJP," Mallick said. Singh denied the allegation.

"The TMC leaders are talking nonsense. People rejected the TMC and this is their reaction," he said.

In the just-concluded election, BJP emerged as a political force in Bengal and won 18 seats out of the total 42. Since then, TMC leaders have been switching over to the saffron party.

Asked if TMC will file a police complaint over the protest, Mallick said his party will deal with it politically. The state minister also alleged that the protesters tried to attack his car.

A police officer said shops and markets were shut down as tension prevailed there.

"No one was arrested but a police picket has been set up. We are taking all measures so that peace is not distributed in the area," he said.

Will Mamata Banerjee government survive till 2021? No, says BJP leader

On Friday, the West Bengal BJP hit out at Banerjee for losing her temper when a group of men shouted 'Jai Shri Ram' in front of her car. It asked whether it is a crime to chant the phrase in the state.

On Thursday, Banerjee had lost her cool when some men shouted 'Jai Shri Ram' as her motorcade passed through Bhatpara area under Barrackpore Lok Sabha constituency.

Earlier this month in West Midnapore district, a video showed Banerjee getting angry when some men chanted 'Jai Shri Ram' at her motorcade.

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Sunday, June 2, 2019, 8:29 [IST]Home Minister Amit Shah pays tribute at National Police Memorial

India

oi-PTI

New Delhi, June 02: Home Minister Amit Shah Sunday visited the National Police Memorial here and paid tributes to over 34,000 policemen who laid down their lives while serving the nation.

Shah said India is secured because of the supreme sacrifice of the police martyrs.

"I visited the National Police Memorial this morning and paid tributes to our martyrs of the central and state police forces, who have sacrificed their lives in the line of duty," he tweeted after visiting the memorial located in the capital's Chanakyapuri area.

Day one at Home Ministry, Shah discusses internal security, counter-radicalisation

The home minister said he was overwhelmed after visiting the memorial which was erected as a mark of respect to over 34,000 policemen who sacrificed their lives protecting the nation.

"I salute their valour and courage. A grateful nation is indebted to them for their supreme sacrifice," he said.

Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba and Director of the Intelligence Bureau Rajiv Jain accompanied Shah.

The National Police Memorial, a 30-foot-tall and 238-tonne black granite structure, was unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 21 last year on the occasion of police commemoration day.

PTI

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Sunday, June 2, 2019, 13:51 [IST]Terrorist gunned down in encounter at Anantnag, J&K

Farooq Abdullah likely to fight J&K elections together with PAGD allies to defeat communal forces

Hyderpora encounter: SIT rules out any foul play by security forces

Hyderpora encounter: SIT warns of legal action over speculative remarks about probe

J&K: Terrorists hurl grenade at NC leader's house in Pulwama

India

oi-Vikas SV

Srinagar, June 02: Terrorists have reportedly hurled a grenade near the residence of National Conference (NC) leader Ghulam Mohi Ud din Mir in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama.

No one was injured as the grenade exploded outside the compound wall of Mir's residence.

A report in the 'Greater Kashmir' quoted a police official as saying that the incident occurred at around 5 pm.

[Terrorist killed in encounter in Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam]

Some months ago, terrorists hurled a grenade at the residence of a National Conference leader, Mohammad Ashraf Bhat, in Tral town in south Kashmir's Pulwama district.

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Sunday, June 2, 2019, 19:27 [IST]Will come back to haunt you: Jaishankar in veiled reference to Pakistan

India-Central Asia dialogue: Need to provide immediate humanitarian assistance to Afghan, says Jaishankar

Jaishankar follows Sushma Swaraj's footsteps, helps Indians in trouble abroad

India

oi-Deepika S

New Delhi, June 02: India's new External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar followed the footsteps of Sushma Swaraj as he addressed the grievances of several Indians facing issues abroad on Twitter.

A Twitter user, who marked Jaishankar in her tweet, had asked the new External Affairs Minister to help her find her husband in Kuwait. She went on to claim that her husband is not "responding to court summons" in the middle-east country.

"Our Embassy in Kuwait is already working on it. Please be in touch with them," said a prompt reply from the new foreign affairs minister.

Proud to follow in Sushma Swaraj's footsteps: Jaishankar in first tweet as foreign minister

In another tweet Jaishankar promised an Indian family to help find their passports that were lost in Italy during the trip.

Jaishankar in his first tweet as EAM had praised the work done by his predecessor Sushma Swaraj.

"Thank you all for the best wishes! Honoured to be given this responsibility. Proud to follow on the footsteps of @Sushm-aSwaraj ji," the new EAM tweeted.

Jaishankar is the second former Indian Foreign Servi-ce officer to become EAM, the first being K Natwar Singh who had become EAM in 2004 in the UPA-1 Government.

Jaishankar however is definitely the first former foreign secretary to occupy the post of EAM by virtue of which he will be in the Cabinet Committ-ee on Security (CCS) that is chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Jaishankar's appointment as EAM itself is evidence of PM Modi's faith in the former diplomat's expertise in the complex arena of external affairs.

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Sunday, June 2, 2019, 13:35 [IST]Fact check: Does UP have the highest conviction rate for women related crimes

UP govt narrative of protecting perpetrators of crimes against women has emboldened them: Priyanka

Kerala: Madrasa teacher arrested for sexually abusing several minors

India

oi-Deepika S

Kochi, June 02: In yet another case of crime against women from Kerala, a 63-year-old Madrasa teacher was arrested for sexually abusing several children for many years.

The madrasa teacher was identified as Yusuf, a teacher hailing from Aluva district. He was employed in a mosque in Thalayolaparambu where he was working for the past two years.

According to the reports, Yusuf was a repeat offender and has sexually abused more than a dozen kids. Police added that Yusuf was not apprehended before as parents fail to lodge a complaint.

Pakistan to bring 30,000 madrasas under government control

The incident came to light two weeks ago when a young boy was sexually abused by Yusuf in his private room in the Madrasa. A disturbed boy went home and after coercion from his parents, narrated the incident. He had taken the little boy to his room in the pretext of teaching him the Holy Quran.

This is not the first time such a case has happened in the contry. A nine-year-old girl was raped allegedly by a 67-year-old teacher inside a madrasa in Narela area in New Delhi on February 25, last year.

The incident is reported to have happened on February 25 inside the madrasa located in Narela area's JJ colony.

The accused was an Arabic language teacher who is teaching at the madrasa for the past several years.

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Sunday, June 2, 2019, 15:33 [IST]Many more leaders are in contact with me: Tejashwi Yadav after former MLA rejoins RJD from JD(U)

Make us an offer we cant refuse: JD(U) on joining Modi government

India

oi-Oneindia Staff

By Anuj Cariappa

Patna, June 02: With Bihar headed for assembly polls next year, JD(U) secretary general and chief spokesperson K C Tyagi said his party is against 'chhota bhai, bada bhai' approach in alliance, but will consider if BJP makes a "substantial proposal" for induction of its members in the Union Cabinet.

Commenting about JD(U)'s refusal in being part of the Modi government hours before the oath-taking ceremony, Tyagi said, "JD(U) was clear in its stand that we do not want any symbolic participation.

Amit Shah met Nitish ji ahead of the swearing-in ceremony and said even though BJP is in majority they want to give a symbolic representation to NDA allies. Nitish ji politely refused, but Shah again made a request on the morning of the day of oath-taking. The matter was once again discussed with the party's parliamentary board members and senior office-bearers, but everyone refused the offer of symbolic representation. JD(U) was not ready to accept 'chhota bhai, bada bhai' approach." Tyagi told TOI that JD(U) never made any demand in terms of the number of ministerial berths. "We were only saying JD(U) should be given proportionate representation so that we could give a fair representation to our social equation.

Proportional representation in cabinet needed, says Nitish Kumar

Joining the NDA-government isn't a big issue for the party, said Tyagi, adding, "Dialogues are open. If BJP makes any substantial proposal, we will consider it." Piyush Tripathi

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Sunday, June 2, 2019, 8:52 [IST]Naveen Patnaik resigns from Bijepur constituency, retains Hinjili

India

pti-PTI

Bhubaneswar, Jun 2: Odisha Chief Minister and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president Naveen Patnaik on Sunday resigned from Bijepur Assembly constituency and retained the Hinjli seat. Patnaik sent his resignation as legislator from Bijepur constituency in Bargarh district to Assembly Speaker S N Patro, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) general secretary Bijay Nayak said.

The BJD supremo had contested the recent Assembly elections, held along with Lok Sabha polls, from Hinjili in Ganjam district as well as Bijepur in west Odisha and emerged victorious from both the constituencies.

The chief minister had contested from two assembly constituencies for the first time. While retaining his membership from Hinjili, where he tasted electoral victory for the fifth consecutive time, Patnaik conveyed gratitude to the people of Bijepur for extending support to him.

Patnaik, who steered the BJD to a landslide victory in the assembly polls, had defeated his nearest BJP nominee Pitambar Acharya in Hinjili constituency by 60,160 votes. In Bijepur, the BJD chief had defeated his BJP rival Sanat Kumar Gartia by 57,122 votes. The BJD had won 112 seats in the 147-member House.

[Naveen Patnaik is the richest minister in Odisha]

The chief minister has been winning from Hinjili in Ganjam district since 2000 when he entered state politics after serving as a Union Minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government.

In 2014 Assembly elections, Patnaik had won from Hinjili defeating his Congress rival Sibaram Patra by a margin of 76,586 votes. The BJD chief had secured 73.14 per cent of the votes polled. Patnaik's resignation from Bijepur seat comes three days after he announced a Rs 1,330 crore package, including plans to provide pucca houses to 34,000 households having kutcha houses, for Bijepur Assembly constituency.

PTINot possible to order release, deport Rohingyas detained in Jammu without following law: SC

Nine Rohingyas arrested in Manipur

India

oi-Oneindia Staff

By Anuj Cariappa

Imphal, June 02: Nine Rohingyas have been arrested from Moreh town near the Indo-Myanmar border in Manipur's Tengnoupal district with fake Aadhaar cards, police said.

Superintendent of Police Vikramjit told PTI that following a tip-off police apprehended four Rohingyas including two women from the Tengnoupal check post, for possessing fake Aadhaar cards on May 27.

The police arrested five other Rohingyas including three women from a hotel in Moreh town on May 28, the SP said.

United Nations urges Bangladesh not to close door to Myanmar refugees

He said investigation revealed that one Tahir Ali, a Rohingya, had married a local Manipuri Muslim woman and was involved in arranging illegal transportation of these foreigners.

Ali was arrested from Sora locality in Thoubal district on Friday, the police said.

All the arrested except for the "mastermind" Tahir Ali had travelled from the state capital to the border town carrying fake Aadhaar cards, he said.

The arrested Rohingyas can neither speak Hindi nor English, leading to communication problems, the SP said, adding further investigation was on to find how they entered India and got hold of fake Aadhaar cards.

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Sunday, June 2, 2019, 11:54 [IST]Telangana: Gay couple enter into wedlock, say it has sent out a message

President Kovind, PM greet people of Telangana on Statehood Day

India

pti-PTI

New Delhi, June 02: President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday expressed their best wises on Telangana Day.

"Greetings and good wishes to the people of Telangana on statehood day. My best wishes to all the residents of the state for a bright and prosperous future," the official Twitter handle of the President of India said.

Telangana was carved out of Andhra Pradesh.

"On Telangana's Statehood Day, my best wishes to the people of this wonderful state. Telangana is known for its hardworking citizens who are making great contributions to our nation's development. I pray or the progress of Telangana," Modi tweeted.

Greeting the people of Andhra Pradesh, Modi said, from science to sports, education to enterprise, AP's contribution is immense."

May the state prosper in the coming years", the prime minister said.

This year marks the fifth Telangana State Formation Day. Telangana became the 29th state of the country after the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act was passed in the Parliament.

PTIFarooq Abdullah likely to fight J&K elections together with PAGD allies to defeat communal forces

Rajiv Gauba set to take charge as next Cabinet Secretary

India

oi-Oneindia Staff

By Anuj Cariappa

New Delhi, June 02: Union home secretary Rajiv Gauba is set to take charge as the next Cabinet Secretary, replacing P K Sinha, whose four year tenure comes to an end on June 12, officials said.

Chief secretary of Jammu and Kashmir, B V R Subrahmanyam, a 1987 batch IAS officer of Chhattisgarh cadre, seems to be the top contender for the post of Union home secretary after Gauba.

Gauba, one of the senior most bureaucrats, had served in various capacities in central government as well as in Jharkhand and Bihar governments, is supposed to complete his two-year tenure as home secretary on August 31.

Day one at Home Ministry, Shah discusses internal security, counter-radicalisation

There is all likelihood that Gauba will be the next Cabinet Secretary, the top post in the country's bureaucracy, an official privy to the development said.

If Gauba, a 1982 batch Jharkhand cadre IAS officer, is appointed as cabinet secretary, he will have a fixed two-year tenure, which can be extendable for further two years.

Incumbent Sinha was first appointed in 2015 for two years. He got an year extension of service in 2017 and again another year in 2018.

Both predecessors of Sinha - Ajit Kumar Seth and K M Chandrasekhar - had also served the post for four years.

Seth, who was appointed by the UPA dispensation in 2011 continued in the post till 2015 after the Narendra Modi government came to power in 2014.

As per the government rules, no government servant shall be granted extension in service beyond the age of retirement of 60 years but as per rule FR 56, extension in public interest may be given "for a period not exceeding four years in the case of Cabinet Secretary".

If Gauba's name is cleared by the Appointment Committee of Cabinet in the new government after it assumes charge on May 30, he will first be appointed as Officer on Special Duty, some time in first week of June before taking over the charge from Sinha, another official said.

In the central government, Gauba had served as secretary in the ministry of urban development, additional secretary in the ministry of home affairs, joint secretary in the ministry of environment.

He had also served as chief secretary of Jharkhand, Resident Commissioner of Jharkhand in Delhi.

With Shah at Home, expect an iron fist-no nonsense-no appeasement policy

Before bifurcation of Bihar, Gauba had also served as district magistrate of Gaya, Nalanda and Muzaffarpur districts.

Gauba had also served as private secretary to the then Defence Minister George Fernandes in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government.

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Sunday, June 2, 2019, 8:43 [IST]With terror, naxal cases on the rise, NIA sets up branch at Ranchi

Ten-year-old tiger dies in Ranchi zoo after fever, samples sent for testing after Covid ruled out

Ranchi to host main event of International Yoga Day: Report

India

oi-PTI

New Delhi, June 02: The main event of International Yoga Day on June 21 this year will be held in Ranchi with Prime Minister Narendra Modi attending it, official sources said.

It will be the government's first mega public event after Modi became prime minister for a second term.

Five cities -- Delhi, Shimla, Mysore, Ahmedabad and Ranchi -- were shortlisted by the Ayush ministry and were sent to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) for final selection.

Yoga best cure for stress says Guj CM Rupani

"The PMO finalised Ranchi as the venue for the main function of International Yoga Day to be held on June 21," an official sources said.

A senior AYUSH ministry official said, "We have already started the preparations and the event will be organised in a large scale."

In the lead-up to the event, a two-day yoga mahotsav is being organised in Delhi by the Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga from Saturday. It is expected that about 10,000 people, including yoga teachers, professionals, enthusiasts among others will attend the event.

"The aim is to build an atmosphere of yoga in the lead-up to the main event and sensitise the people about the June 21 function," the official said.

The United Nations declared June 21 as the International Day of Yoga in 2014 after Modi called for the day to be adopted as a global celebration of yoga, an ancient practice that began in India more than 5,000 years ago.

Last year, the main event of International Day of Yoga was held at the ground of Forest Research Institute, Dehradun, in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated.

The first International Yoga Day celebration was organised at Rajpath in New Delhi on June 21, 2015, in which representatives of 191 countries took part. In 2016, the main function was held in Chandigarh and in 2017 it was held in Lucknow.

PTI

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Sunday, June 2, 2019, 16:27 [IST]Security personnel killed in encounter with maoists in Jharkhand

India

oi-PTI

Dumka, June 02: A jawan was killed and four others were injured in an encounter between the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and Maoists in forests of Taldangal in Dumka district on Sunday, a senior police officer said in Dhumka.

A search operation was going on when Maoists opened fire on jawans around 3.30 AM, Superintendent of Police YS Ramesh said.

He said in the retaliatory action, at least five Maoists received bullets as they retreated into the forest.

Terrorist killed in encounter in Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam

SSB jawan Niraj Chetri was killed while Rajesh Kumar Rai, Sonu Kumar, Satish Gujar and Karan Kumar were injured, he said.

While Rai was airlifted to Ranchi for treatment, others were admitted to the Dumka Sadar Hospital, the police officer said.

PTI

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Sunday, June 2, 2019, 12:06 [IST]'There is no UPA now': Mamata Banerjee takes swipe at Cong, calls for unity of regional parties against BJP

Sharad Pawar rules out NCP-Congress merger

India

oi-Deepika S

New Delhi, June 02: NCP supremo Sharad Pawar has dismissed speculations of his party's merger with Congress by terming these as mere rumours.

Addresing the party workers at the meet convened to discuss the Lok Sabha debacle, Pawar said "These (speculations of NCP merging with the Congress) are rumours."

"The reports of the merger of our party with the Congress were shocking for us as there was not discussion on these lines either in Delhi or in Mumbai...I want to clarify here that there are no such talk or plans of any merger with any party. We are a prime party in the state with independent entity and will remain to be so," he said.

Rahul Gandhi meets Sharad Pawar in Delhi

Ajit Pawar, NCP's state legislative party leader, said: "There is no question of a merger. The NCP will retain its independent identity... The Opposition is trying to spread a canard. Therefore, everyone (in the party) should say that there is no truth in it."

The rumours started on Thursday following a meeting of Pawar and Congress president Rahul Gandhi. Reports had suggested that Pawar gave the offer to the Congress for the Opposition benches to claim the post of Leader of Opposition.

The strength of Congress is 52 in the 543-member Lok Sabha and to stake claim for the post of Leader of Opposition it needed 55 MPs.

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Sunday, June 2, 2019, 10:32 [IST]Rajnath Singh to DGDE: Roads, buildings in defence cantonments named after Brits should be renamed

Next CDS of India: Rajnath Singh to receive list of probables soon

India tells France, have the political will, ability to counter misadventure by China

Want to manufacture BrahMos so that no country has audacity to cast evil eye on us: Rajnath Singh

Siachen to be Rajnath Singh's first visit as Defence Minister

India

oi-Deepika S

New Delhi, June 02: Rajnath Singh on his visit as defence minister will be visiting the Siachen glacier on Monday along with Army Chief General Bipin Rawat to review the security situation in the region.

The minister is expected to interact with the soldiers and officers there and also know about the issues faced by them during their deployment on the world's highest military posts.

Singh has replaced Nirmala Sitharaman as the new Defence minister as the new Narendra Modi cabinet was announced on Friday.

Modi Sarkar 2.0: Full list of ministers and details

Northern Army Commander Lt General Ranbir Singh, 14 Corps Commander, and Kargil war hero Lt General YK Joshi are also expected to brief him about the security situation in the region.

The Indian Army has deployed a brigade in the area where some posts are located above the altitude of 23,000 altitude which even poses difficulty in breathing.

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Sunday, June 2, 2019, 12:50 [IST]Stupid tit for tat diplomacy, says Omar on harassment of guests at India HCs iftar in Islamabad

India

oi-Vikas SV

Srinagar, June 02: Several guests who were invited for an Iftar party hosted by the Indian High Commission in Islamabad complained that the official from Pakistani administration harassed them, making them go through elaborate security checks. Some alleged that the government personnel delayed them deliberately on some pretext or the other.

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah termed the entire episode as "stupid tit for tat diplomacy", hinting that a similar thing was done in New Delhi when Pakistani High Commission organises similar events.

"Stupid tit for tat diplomacy. It was stupid when we did it outside the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi & it's stupid when it's done outside our's in Islamabad. Now that it's 1-1 perhaps it's time to move on & stop this nonsense," Omar wrote on Twitter.

Kashmiri Pandits pin high hopes on Modi 2.0 Government

Indian High Commissioner Ajay Bisaria hosted the annual event at Serena Hotel for which guests were invited from all over Pakistan. Those attending the event said that additional security deployment was made around the luxury hotel. Guests invited to the Indian High Commission's Iftar party in Islamabad on Saturday evening faced "unprecedented level of harassment" due to enhanced security checks by the Pakistani officials who stopped some invitees on one pretext or other.

OneIndia News with PTI inputs

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Sunday, June 2, 2019, 16:16 [IST]Taking over the world of social media as one of the top young singers is Armaan Thakur

Chopper crash: One arrested for linking PM with the tragedy

Applying for US visa? Visitors will now have to hand over social media details

International

oi-Deepika S

Washington, June 02: Nearly all applicants for US visas will have to submit their social media user names, previous email addresses and phone numbers.

The change, first announced last year and taking effect this month, follows on a 2017 order by President Donald Trump requiring heightened vetting for visa applicants, according to a State Department official.

The change, which was proposed in March 2018, is expected to affect about 15 million foreigners who apply for visas to enter the United States each year.

Indian pleads guilty for attempted naturalisation fraud to obtain US citizenship

"National security is our top priority when adjudicating visa applications, and every prospective traveler and immigrant to the United States undergoes extensive security screening," the department said.

"We are constantly working to find mechanisms to improve our screening processes to protect U.S. citizens, while supporting legitimate travel to the United States," reports AFP.

Social media, email and phone number histories had only been sought in the past from applicants who were identified for extra scrutiny, such as people who'd traveled to areas controlled by terrorist organizations. An estimated 65,000 applicants per year had fallen into that category.

The new visa application forms list a number of social media platforms and require the applicant to provide any account names they may have had on them over the previous five years.

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Sunday, June 2, 2019, 8:59 [IST]Is China the reason why Pakistan opted to skip Summit for Democracy hosted by Biden?

US using democracy as 'weapon of mass destruction' to stoke confrontation: China slams Summit for Democracy

China begins military training exercises in South China Sea

International

pti-PTI

Beijing, Jun 2: China began two days of military training in the South China Sea on Sunday, as its defense minister warned that China's armed forces would "resolutely take action" to defend Beijing's claims over the area.

The China Maritime Safety Administration announced the drills were being held all day on Sunday and for half a day on Tuesday in an area near China's holdings in the Paracel island group. China claims virtually the entire South China Sea as its own territory and strongly objects to naval activity in the area by other nations.

Another five governments exercise overlapping claims, particularly in the Spratly islands to the east. The waterway rich in fishing grounds through which passes an estimated USD 5 trillion in global commerce annually has become a global security hotspot, largely due to growing Chinese assertiveness in pressing its claims.

[In 2019's first order, Xi Jinping calls on Chinese military to be combat-ready]

China has expanded through reclamation or built entirely new man-made islands atop coral reefs to cement its footprint in the area, equipping many of them with military installations and airfields. Speaking Sunday at an annual security conference in Singapore, Defense Minister General Wei Fenghe strongly criticized US activities in what China considers its sphere of influence, including supporting self-governing Taiwan and sending US Navy on freedom of navigation operations near Chinese island outposts.

The People's Liberation Army would not "yield a single inch of the country's sacred land," Wei told participants at the Shangri-La Dialogue.

PTIDear Liz: My parents and I are discussing the best ways to protect their assets if one of them must live in a nursing home. Their home is paid off, and we were wondering if adding my name on the deed will secure the home from a mandatory sale for caregiving expenses. Please note, I am the only child. Also, I may want to live there someday to care for the other parent. Looking for the best options for saving money and avoiding inheritance tax for this asset.

Answer: Please consult an elder law attorney before you take any steps to protect assets because the wrong moves could come back to haunt you (and your parents).

It sounds like youre contemplating the possibility that one of your parents may wind up on Medicaid, the government health program for the poor that covers nursing home costs. Medicaid has a very low asset limit and uses a look back period to discourage people from transferring money or property just so they can qualify. In most states, transfers made within 60 months of the application are examined and, if found to be in violation of the rules, used to determine a penalty period to prevent someone from qualifying for Medicaid coverage. In California, the look-back period is 30 months.

The state can attempt to recoup Medicaid costs from peoples estates by putting liens against their homes. You might see that as an inheritance tax, but inheritance taxes are taxes imposed in a few states on people who inherit money or property. Although all states try to recoup Medicaid costs, only six  Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Nebraska, New Jersey and Pennsylvania  have inheritance taxes, and these either exempt or give favorable rates to children who inherit.

Having your name added to the deed can cause problems, as well. Your creditors could go after the home if youre sued, and you could lose a portion of the step up in tax basis you would get if you inherited the house instead. If youre married and get divorced, your portion of your parents home could be considered a marital asset that has to be divided.

Its great that you and your parents are trying to plan for long-term care, but you should seek out professional guidance.

Liz Weston, certified financial planner, is a personal finance columnist for NerdWallet. Questions may be sent to her at 3940 Laurel Canyon, No. 238, Studio City, CA 91604, or by using the Contact form at asklizweston.com. DisSUNDAY

Axios The news series returns for a new season, this one starting with an interview with Jared Kushner. ( 6 p.m. HBO)

Luther: Idris Elba returns to his famous role for another season of the limited series exploring the further travails of the London detective. Heres a complication: Alice (Ruth Wilson) turns up. (8 p.m. BBC America)

NOS4A2: Zachary Quinto stars as Charlie Manx, a demon who feeds on the souls of children in this horror tale inspired by a novel by Joe Hill (whose father is Stephen King). (10 p.m. AMC)

Perpetual Grace, Ltd.: Ben Kingsley, Jacki Weaver and Jimmi Simpson star in a drama about con artists and phony religious schemes. (10 p.m. Epix)

The Weekly: A new half-hour series, which each week takes a documentary look at a New York Times journalist investigating a current issue. (10 p.m. FX)

MONDAY

Below Deck Mediterranean: The summertime reality show returns for Season 4. (9 p.m. Bravo)

TUESDAY

Americas Got Talent: The talent show continues its new season, with new judges Gabrielle Union and Julianne Hough joining the returning Howie Mandel and Simon Cowell. (8 p.m. NBC)

Songland: The show featuring aspiring songwriters pitching their tunes to established stars continues. (10 p.m. NBC)

Chasing Happiness: A documentary that follows Kevin, Joe and Nick Jonas from their early days to later boy band stardom. (Amazon Prime Video)

WEDNESDAY

NCIS: The Cases They Cant Forget: A new docuseries about how actual NCIS agents work cases and find crooks. (9 p.m. CBS)

Black Mirror: The creepy anthology series unveils three new episodes, with stars including Miley Cyrus, Anthony Mackie, Damson Idris and more. (Netflix)

The Handmaids Tale: The TV series that was originally inspired by Margaret Atwoods dystopian novel about a totalitarian society that forces women into sexual servitude and childbearing continues for a third season. (Hulu)

THURSDAY

Klepper: Host Jordan Klepper continues his show, the latest mash-up of a comedy performer who explores serious issues. (10:30 p.m. Comedy Central)

FRIDAY

The Big Stage: A new show featuring talented performers from various fields premieres. (9 p.m. The CW)

XY Chelsea: A documentary about Chelsea Manning, the former U.S. Army intelligence analyst who shared government documents with WikiLeaks. The film explores Manning being sentenced to prison, President Obama commuting the sentence, Mannings activism on behalf of the transgender community, and more. (9 p.m. Showtime)

Designated Survivor: The political drama canceled by ABC starts a third season, this time on Netflix. (Netflix)

Tales of the City: Laura Linney again heads the cast in a limited series thats a sequel to the earlier series inspired by Armistead Maupins books about life in San Francisco, issues facing the LGBTQ community, relationships and more. (Netflix)

The Chef Show: Actor/director Jon Favreau and chef Roy Choi take viewers on trips and inside delicious meals in a new food-centric series. (Netflix)

-- Kristi Turnquist

kturnquist@oregonian.com 503-221-8227 @Kristiturnquist

Visit subscription.oregonlive.com/newsletters to get Oregonian/OregonLive journalism delivered to your email inbox.A 7-month-old baby was killed and a toddler sustained critical injuries after a woman drove off of Interstate 84 in Morrow County early Sunday morning.

The woman, identified by Oregon State Police as 39-year-old Veronica Andrade of Boardman, was treated for minor injuries before she was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of intoxicants.

Authorities said that Andrade was traveling east on the highway around 3:15 a.m. near milepost 175 when the Cadillac CTS left the roadway, went onto the shoulder and flipped.

The younger child was ejected from the car and sustained fatal injuries, officials said.

The 3-year-old toddler suffered major injuries and was flown by helicopter to Randall Childrens Hospital at Legacy Emanuel in Portland. There was no update on the childs condition as of Sunday afternoon.

Andrade was being held in the Umatilla County Jail on suspicion of manslaughter, driving under the influence of intoxicants and reckless endangering, among other charges.

-- Kale Williams

kwilliams@oregonian.com

503-294-4048

@sfkale

Visit subscription.oregonlive.com/newsletters to get Oregonian/OregonLive journalism delivered to your email inbox.The regional government Metro is scheduled to vote next week on whether to refer a $475 million bond package to voters that would pay for improvements to parks and wildlife areas.

If approved, the bond vote would appear on the November 5, 2019 ballot. Voter approval would renew existing tax rates.

Metro  a unique government body that manages the Oregon Zoo, Oregon Convention Center and regional dump, among other responsibilities  already oversees more than 17,000 acres of parks, trails and nature areas. Notable areas under Metro management include Oxbow Regional Park, Blue Lake Regional Park and the Smith and Bybee Wetlands Natural Area.

But more needs to be done, according to a Metro analysis.

Treasured parks and trails need improvements to keep up with demand, the report states. And some communities  particularly communities of color and other historically marginalized communities  need a more equitable share of the benefits of public investments in parks and nature.

Its unclear what specific purchases would be funded by the $475 million bond package. The measures language states bond proceeds would be used to protect the headwaters of the Willamette, Tualatin and Clackamas rivers; restore wetlands to control flooding; and fund projects that improve water quality, wildlife habitat and park maintenance.

The $475 million sum is broken into six program areas: protect and restore land, $155 million; take care of Metro parks, $98 million; support local projects, $92 million; advance large-scale community visions, $50 million; Nature in Neighborhood grants, $40 million; and create trails for walking and biking, $40 million.

Voters have previously approved two Metro parks bonds. The first, a $135 million package adopted in 1995, paid for buying land in 14 natural areas and along six trails. The second, a $227 million package approved in 2006, focused on water quality projects and protecting fish and wildlife habitat.

Voters also approved an annual $10 million parks levy in 2013 and renewed it in 2016.

The staff report states the previous votes allowed officials to restore streams and wetlands to the benefit of fish, plants and wildlife, and supported hundreds of local projects that bring people closer to nature.

The Metro Council is scheduled to vote on ballot referral of the new bond package during its meeting at 2 p.m. on Thursday, June 6, at the Metro Regional Center, 600 Northeast Grand Avenue in Portland.

-- Gordon R. Friedman

GFriedman@Oregonian.comJammu, Jun 2 (UNI): The troops of BSF have recovered a body of a Pakistani national along the international border in Pargwal area of Khour.

Police said that body of unidentified Pak national was recovered by BSF on Saturday night at Bhag Nallah near BOP Nikowal in Pargwal area of Khour.

They said that the body was handed over to Pargwal Police Post and after examining the body, it was shifted to mortuary at GMC Jammu.

Two pension passbooks and Pak currency worth Rs 20 (two 10 rupees notes) was recovered from him, they said adding that as per details on his passbooks, he was identified as Rahim Baksh, resident of village Pul Bajwan, Sir, Pakistan.The members of the Canby High School marching band had been preparing for weeks, making sure their timing was just right, their instruments tuned correctly and their marching steps perfectly in sync.

But when they showed up at the high school Saturday night to make their way to Portland to compete in the Starlight Parade, a quirky procession that drew hundreds of thousands to Downtown Portland, there was a problem.

The bus that was supposed to take them there was nowhere to be found.

The Canby High School Band had plans to attend the Starlight Parade yesterday evening. We even called an extra (two hour) rehearsal yesterday to make double sure we were ready, band director Nick Luchterhand said in an email. Unfortunately, there was an issue with our bus transportation and we had no other options. We had to call it off.

In a statement from the school district, officials said they were investigating what happened, but it appeared their contracted transportation provider, Student Transportation of America, didnt know they were supposed to take a busload of well-prepared band members from Canby to Portland.

We understand how disappointed the entire CHS band community must be, officials said. The district will continue to look into the circumstances around the lack of transportation to the parade and will provide an update on the findings of the investigation when it is complete.

The band might still get its chance to march. The Portland Rose Festival Foundation said Sunday it would invite the band to play in the Spirit Mountain Casino Grand Floral Parade on Saturday.

Even though our line-up is complete, we will make a space for these dedicated young musicians to showcase the hard work they have put in to be in the Festival, spokesman Rich Jarvis said in an email. We know they had planned to complete their season in yesterdays Portland General Electric/SOLVE Starlight Parade, but were hoping they can squeeze in one more day and join us.

Before the Rose Festival extended its invitation, Luchterhand said he and the dozens of band members who assembled on Saturday werent ready to let all their prep work go to waste.

The Canby High School band students worked incredibly hard learning to march and memorize music these past weeks, Luchterhand said. Its a lot of admirable practice and dedication that I dont like throwing away. So, we put on the uniforms, put our instruments together, and marched around the school parking lot.

While they missed out on the crowds at Starlight Parade, the flautists, drummers and tuba-toting members of the band did their thing, marching in lockstep in front of Canby High Schools fine arts building.

Life doesnt always deal you the best hand of cards, but this was a teachable moment to make the best of your situation and persevere, Luchterhand said. I cant (say) enough (about) how proud I am of these kids. We see their hard work, we feel their frustrations, and we respect their maturity in handling difficult news.

-- Kale Williams

kwilliams@oregonian.com

503-294-4048

@sfkale

Visit subscription.oregonlive.com/newsletters to get Oregonian/OregonLive journalism delivered to your email inbox.Earl Blumenauer and Peter DeFazio

Blumenauer represents Oregons 3rd Congressional District in the U.S. House. DeFazio represents Oregons 4th Congressional District in the U.S. House. Both are Democrats.

Oregons Department of Fish and Wildlife  the agency tasked with protecting and enhancing Oregons wildlife for present and future generationscontinues to unjustifiably focus on the killing of wolves as a predator control tactic. With a biased commission overseeing the agency and a director willing to sabotage the species instead of treating it as an important part of our environment, the fish and wildlife department has lost its way.

After being hunted to near extinction, wolves are slowly fighting their way back. Theyve begun a fragile recovery across their former range, including our state, thanks in large part to protections under the federal Endangered Species Act. Currently, wolves number just 137 here, their growth hindered by a patchwork of inconsistent policies, poor enforcement, and the rejection of modern science and husbandry practices proven to protect livestock.

Wolves are both iconic and integral to improving the environment. When wolves were reintroduced into Yellowstone, the entire ecosystem improved. Elk and deer were no longer able to linger along streams, devouring vegetation and degrading fish habitat. Because these animals were no longer able to eat young willow trees and other plants without fear of predation, tree stands have recovered. It has also been an economic success story: wolf-related tourism around Yellowstone generates more than $35 million annually for local economies.

As an apex predator, and by competing with other species, wolves help restore natural balance. If we can prevent more wolf deaths in Oregon, well see this trophic cascade effect here. Ultimately, this benefits us all.

Despite this, Oregons fish and wildlife agency continues to dismiss wolves and their benefits. The agencys draft wolf plan opens the door to trophy hunting and trapping, guts requirements for non-lethal deterrence, and makes it easier to kill wolves accused of chronic depredation of livestock. Will the agencys dwindling budget be enough to support the wolf conservation efforts they promise? To the contrary, we fear that fish and wildlife officials calculate that fewer wolves means decreased competition with hunters who purchase licenses to hunt deer and elk, putting money back into agency coffers. The state wildlife commission, which appears to have become more of a political bargaining tool than a science-led, conservation-focused body, will vote on the plan in early June. The department of fish and wildlife is stacking the deck against wolves, and its a rough road ahead.

To add insult to injury, state agency director Curt Melcher recently endorsed the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services proposal to delist gray wolves across the lower 48 states  to Gov. Kate Browns strong objection. The governors clarification of her support for federal protection for wolves, makes clear that Melcher acted out of turn. But his initial support for this proposal is just another in a series of red flags from the agency. If delisted, gray wolves would lack federal protection and be subject to the state agencys destructive and myopic management practices.

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlifes primary job is conservation for the future, not sacrificing challenging species to appease private industry or pad budgets. Amid conflict with its mission, budget, and the governor, it is clear the agency needs a fundamental reset on wolves.By Michael C. Blumm and Mary Christina Wood

Blumm is Jeffrey Bain Faculty Scholar and Professor of Law at Lewis and Clark Law School. Mary Christina Wood is Philip H. Knight Professor of Law at the University of Oregon. They joined law professors from across the country in amicus briefs filed to support the youth in the case.

A federal case often called the biggest case on the planet will be heard by a Ninth Circuit panel of judges on June 4 in Portland. In Juliana v. United States, 21 American youths are challenging the governments fossil fuel policies, which are wreaking havoc on the climate system. So far, they have defeated every effort of Trump administration lawyers to make their case go away.

The Trump administration is in a frenzied rush to develop fossil fuels at a time when other countries are slamming on the brakes to reduce carbon emissions. In the face of scientific warnings that continued carbon pollution will destabilize the climate system and ultimately render the planet uninhabitable for humans, U.S. fossil fuel production soars because of federal subsidies, regulatory decisions and public lands and offshore leasing.

With only a narrow window of time remaining to decarbonize, this administration holds almost incomprehensible power over our childrens futures. Our home is on fire, and the fire chief is loading the fire hoses with gasoline.

The Juliana plaintiffs seek a judicially-supervised plan to slash emissions and take measures to stabilize the climate system. The case joins a rising tide of climate litigation brought by citizens worldwide against their governments. Successful cases in the Netherlands, Pakistan, Australia, Colombia, and other nations held governments accountable for fashioning remedies to reduce carbon emissions.

The district court found the plaintiffs claims rooted in both the Constitutions due process clause and the public trust principle that predates this nation, declaring that the right to a climate system capable of sustaining human life is fundamental to a free and ordered society . . . .  But the trial, scheduled for late October, was derailed by Trump administration lawyers who pursued extraordinary motions before all levels of the judiciary.

The issue in the Portland hearing is whether this case should go to trial. Evidence compiled by the youths lawyers show longstanding federal knowledge of the extraordinary danger created by the governments fossil fuel policies.

The public has a right to know what the government knew, and when it knew it. A trial will disclose this information and, equally important, will illuminate clean-energy solutions that are critical to a path forward.

Climate disruption presents an existential threat to human life and civilization. It would be hard to imagine an appeals court passively watching as the Trump administration pushes these childrens futures over a climate cliff  without so much as a trial.

Government lawyers insist that courts should leave all climate matters exclusively to the political branches  those same actors that brought about this climate emergency while ignoring decades of scientists warnings. That would be a recipe for continued inaction.

In a 2018 essay, Hawaii Supreme Court Justice Michael Wilson wrote that courts are equipped to supervise remedies in a climate emergency. He wrote, As the archetypal peril of earth with collapsing ecosystems approaches, legal narratives limiting judicial view . . . will become anachronisms.

As Tuesdays hearing approaches, youth plaintiffs pace that boundary between a stable world that their parents knew and a future world hurling towards unmitigated catastrophe.

Their planet and the publics right to know what its government has done will be on the docket in Portland on Tuesday.While everything that Robert Mueller said during his press appearance Wednesday was already apparent by reading his 448-page report, Mueller cut through it all to bring attention to the most important points. First, the report did not exonerate Trump, as the president and William Barr, Trumps hand-picked attorney general, have repeatedly claimed. Second, while there were numerous documented contacts between various people associated with the Trump campaign and Russian individuals, there was insufficient evidence to prove a conspiracy. Third, the report documented at least 10 instances of Trump possibly committing obstruction of justice. Mueller stated that he and his investigators were unable to charge Trump with those crimes because of Department of Justice rules preventing criminal charges to be brought against a sitting president. Finally, he made a point of stating that while his office was not able to pursue criminal charges of obstruction of justice, Congress has access to another process to address crimes.

In other words, impeachment. I call on my representative, Suzanne Bonamici, to join with her colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives and begin impeachment proceedings immediately. The time for fact finding hearings is long over. The American people deserve open hearings on the crimes of this president.

Micki Sparr, BeavertonPaducah, KY (42003)

Today

Partly to mostly cloudy. Areas of dense fog. High 57F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies during the evening will give way to cloudy skies overnight. Low 49F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph.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.Islamabad, June 2 (IBNS): India on Sunday complained of "gross intimidation of guests" invited for an Iftar event organised by the High Commissioner of India at a hotel in the Pakistani capital of Saturday.

The High Commission of India in Islamabad has issued a statement saying guests faced "unprecedented harassment and intimidation" by Pakistani security agencies.

"A concerted campaign was launched by Pakistan's security agencies in the days preceding the Iftar function to reach out to invitees to actively dissuade them from attending the event," the statement said. "Those guests who did reach the function venue, in some cases from places as far as Lahore and Karachi, were intimidated and physically stopped from attending the Iftar function by Pakistan security forces, who had virtually laid the Serena hotel under siege."

Many guests from the diplomatic community based in Islamabad were also subjected to harassment, the statement added.

"In complete violation of diplomatic norms, a large Pakistani security detachment, equipped with fork lifts, was detailed outside Serena hotel to aggressively turn away Pakistani citizens," it said.

More than 300 Pakistani guests who were turned away included parliamentarians, government officials, media representatives, retired military officials, businessmen and retired diplomats.

The security forces rudely rebuffed and intimidated officers and diplomatic staff of the High Commission of India who tried to ascertain why the guests were being harassed.

"Some officials were jostled, pushed, abused and aggressively threatened with bodily harm. In some cases, mobile phones belonging to officials were snatched away," it said.

India said what transpired on June 1 not only violate basis norms of diplomatic conduct but were against all notions of civilised behaviour.

"Stopping diplomats and officials of the High Commission of India in Pakistan from discharging their diplomatic functions by intimidation and coercion is entirely counter-productive for our bilateral relationship," it said.Algiers, Algeria (PANA) - The Algerian Constitutional Council said here Sunday it would not be possible to hold the presidential election scheduled for 4 July, insisting rather on the need to restart the organisational process of the pollTripoli, Libya (PANA) - The Libyan ministry of local authorities and the UN Childrens Fund (UNICEF) Sunday signed a two-year action plan to support youths to strengthen their commitment to social cohesion and peace in communitiesTripoli, Libya (PANA) - The 14th summit of the Organisation for Islamic Conference (OIC) has called for the cessation of all forms of foreign interference in Libyan affairs, an official source said here SundayMedicaid coverage, especially for minority and low-income women, plays a key role in improving the health of moms and babies, according to a new report.

By looking at the difference between womens insurance coverage and the health outcomes of moms and babies, researchers at Georgetown University Center for Children and Families show that states that have not expanded Medicaid have worse maternal and infant health outcomes compared with the states that have expanded Medicaid.

The message of the study is clear. Medicaid expansion can protect the lives and help women and their babies, especially for women of color, said Dr. Rahul Gupta, chief medical officer of March of Dimes, which contributed to the report. We have a policy option at our fingertips that can reduce health disparities and save lives.

The report shows that states that have expanded Medicaid, infant mortality rates have declined 50% more than non-expansion states. Also, in those states, the maternal mortality rates have dropped by 1.6 per 100,000 women and helped reduce racial disparities that are pervasive across the nation.

Black moms and babies are two to three times more likely to die within the first year after delivery compared with white moms. In states that have expanded Medicaid, that divide is narrowing.

Medicaid expansion is providing one of the few examples of an intervention proven to address these disparities, said Gupta. Infant mortality has declined much more dramatically in states that expanded Medicaid and those declines were actually greater among African American infants, something we havent seen with any other kind of an intervention.

The reports findings are not good news for Florida, one of 14 states that have resisted Medicaid expansion.

In a nationwide comparison, Florida ranked in the bottom quarter in maternal and infant mortality rates in 2018, according to Americas Health Rankings. Black moms and babies in Florida continue to be more than twice as likely to die in the first year after delivery, compared with white moms.

It seems like Floridas women and children are our real victims, said Anne Swerlick, senior health policy analyst at the Florida Policy Institute, hoping that the report can serve as an impetus for policymakers to consider expanding Medicaid. If were going to be a family-friendly state, one of the key things we need to do is to support families.

Rep. Nick Duran, D-Miami, said for a state that prides itself in being pro-life, we arent positioning ourselves to ensure that women are healthiest they can be when theyre young, all the way through.

The Affordable Care Act made it optional for states to expand Medicaid. By expanding Medicaid, states cover adults who earn as much as 138% of federal poverty level, or about $29,000 for a family of three.

But in states like Florida, those limits are set much lower.

Medicaid, a public health insurance for low-income people jointly funded by federal and state dollars, covers children, pregnant women, parents, seniors and people with disabilities. About 4 million people in Florida have Medicaid. The majority are children. Adults with no children, including women of childbearing age, no matter how low their income, are not eligible for Florida Medicaid.

Lawmakers in Florida have opposed Medicaid expansion for several reasons. Some have a strong political opposition to the Affordable Care Act, while others worry that the federal government could pull back from paying for most of the cost of the Medicaid expansion, leaving the states to figure out how to pay for it.

In Florida, once women become pregnant, they can qualify for Medicaid as long as their income is at or below 196% of the federal poverty level. Thats about a $42,000 annual income. That coverage expires at the end of the second month after the baby is delivered.

But studies have shown that health and mental care for moms should continue far beyond the early days after delivery, when complications such as high blood pressure or depression can affect moms and as a result, the babies care.

Its becoming increasingly clear that we cant just cover women while theyre pregnant, said Joan Alker, executive director of Georgetown University Center for Children and Families. Expanding Medicaid is not enough to address the many challenges our country faces with respect to the health of mothers and babies. But without it, and without the continuous affordable comprehensive coverage for women of childbearing age it provides, it will be near impossible to see sharp improvements.

Floridas uninsured rate has dropped by 10% since the Affordable Care Act went into effect in 2014, from 29% in to 19%. But according to the study, there are twice as many uninsured women in Florida between ages 18 and 44 compared with states that have expanded Medicaid. The rate of uninsured Florida women in that age range is 19%, compared to the average of 9% in states that have expanded Medicaid.

The states rate of maternal deaths has fluctuated over the years without a drastic change, from 17.8 deaths per 100,000 births in 1999 to 16.5 deaths in 2017, according to the state health department data. Thats 35 deaths in 1999 compared to 37 deaths in 2017. Black women in Florida are more than twice as likely to die within the first year of giving birth than white women.

In California, which has the nations lowest maternal mortality rate, about 5 in 100,000 women die during the first year after delivery.

Infant mortality rates in Florida have seen a somewhat of steady but small decline during the past two decades, dropping from 8.2% in 1999, or 1,443 deaths, to 7.8% in 2017, or 1,355 deaths, according to the Florida Department of Health. Again, black babies are more than twice as likely to die within the first year of birth than white babies.

Massachusetts has the nations lowest infant mortality rate at 3.7 in 100,000 babies.

Discussions about Medicaid expansion didnt go far in the most recent legislative session. Instead, the Florida House passed a bill for Medicaid work requirement, which could have led about to 100,000 low-income parents to lose their health insurance, Alker said. The bill did not get much traction in the Senate.

Duran, who introduced a bill during the most recent legislative session to expand Medicaid for certain individuals, said the report is just a great indicator of how easy the decision should be about us moving forward with Medicaid expansion.

Im an eternal optimist, said Duran. And I will always look at the next session as the opportunity to expand the conversation on Medicaid program.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0BLOOMINGTON  A statewide task force working to reduce the number of incarcerated women in Illinois will hold a forum this week in Bloomington to discuss the needs of such women and solutions to the problems that contribute to their legal issues.

The Illinois Women's Justice Task Force of Illinois, the League of Women Voters and the YWCA McLean County will host a "community listening and recommendations session" from noon to 2 p.m. Wednesday at the YWCA, 1201 N. Hershey Road, Bloomington.

The event is free and open to the public.

McLean County Circuit Judge Rebecca Foley, regional co-chair of the 100-woman task force, will join panelists Kara Alt and Vera Trave, of the YWCA, Heather Canuel, owner of Heather's Parlor, and Cassy Taylor, director of McLean County Probation and Court Services. Laurie Bergner with the League of Women Voters will moderate the discussion. Local service providers, law enforcement and formerly incarcerated women are among other scheduled speakers.

The listening session is the first of three events planned in the state to gather input on existing services and future needs for female ex-offenders.

According to the institute, 98 percent of women enter prison with a history of physical and sexual abuse, and are likely to be behind bars for "crimes of survival," such as drug and property crimes or offenses linked to an abusive relationship.

The task force is developing a seven-year plan to reduce the state's female population that totaled 2,335 last year. According to the Department of Corrections, Illinois saw its highest female population in November 2000 when 2,976 were in state custody  a sharp contrast to the 373 women in Illinois prisons in 1975.

The multi-faceted plan to support female offenders includes help for the families they leave behind when their role as caretakers is interrupted. An estimated 80 percent of female inmates are mothers. Female inmates at Logan Correctional Center, the state's largest women's facility, are mothers to some 3,700 children, according to the institute.

Locally, the McLean County jail opened a new unit this year for female offenders as part of the $39 million addition to the existing detention facility. As part of their transition back to the community, women receive a resource guide compiled by Dawn Beichner, professor of criminal justice sciences at Illinois State University, and graduate students. Beichner is co-chair of the state task force's working group looking at issues facing women before, during and after incarceration.

Contact Edith Brady-Lunny at (309) 820-3276. Follow her on Twitter: @pg_blunny

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 2

Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.BLOOMINGTON  Wind and solar energy experts are optimistic McLean County's energy boom can continue, but it may need legislative help.

Developers behind large renewable energy projects in the county told The Pantagraph they're bullish on the prospects for more, especially given proposals at the state and federal levels that could stimulate growth.

Smaller-scale solar projects, meanwhile, should continue to flourish thanks to ongoing incentives and another local group-buy program, officials said.

"We remain hopeful and optimistic about the growth of renewable energy in our county and in the state," said Larissa Armstrong, assistant director at the Normal-based Ecology Action Center. "People are going to end up saving money, using clean energy and creating sustainable jobs in our community."

Solar

After years of rooftop solar systems at local homes and businesses, McLean County's first large-scale solar farm is set to be up and running next year  but it could end up by itself without state help.

Moraine Solar, a 2-megawatt development near Downs, is now in design and engineering with construction set for 2020, said Scott Novack, a project developer at Santa Monica, Calif.-based Cypress Creek Renewables.

The $3.9 million project was among a small percentage of eligible solar farms to receive state credits in a lottery this year. Seventeen other solar farms already approved by the County Board were not selected, including four from Cypress Creek that Novack said are now in limbo.

"In all likelihood the additional projects that have been approved through the zoning process will be on hold until such time as they receive renewable energy credits," he said.

Renewable energy leaders believe, however, credits are set to dry up for the next few years. That's why they've formed the Path to 100 Coalition to advocate for more investment in wind and solar  named for its long-term goal of the state getting 100 percent of its energy from renewable sources.

The legislation got pushed off this spring's General Assembly calendar by other issues, but the coalition is optimistic about its chances going forward, said spokesperson Peter Gray.

The act could not only boost credits, which are funded by a surcharge on utility bills, but make them more stable. Novack said moving from a lottery to another selection system could be hugely beneficial for Cypress Creek.

"We're hoping for a landscape that is more steady and predictable for lenders so relevant companies understand what the opportunities are and don't view this market as kind of a one-and-done," he said. "We want to maintain a presence here for the long-term, not just operating a solar farm, but operating an office to develop properties and construct them."

Novack said Cypress Creek and others hope the state will learn from the lottery and improve the program going forward.

"Now we have a sense of how much people really do want to take part in this," said Gray. "We need to make sure it's a stable policy and not a flash in the pan."

Local officials hope to also keep growing rooftop solar through Grow Solar Bloomington-Normal, the successor to the Solar Bloomington-Normal group-buy program. Those interested can find a schedule of one-hour "Solar Power Hour" events at solarbloomingtonnormal.com.

Armstrong also is optimistic about the potential of Illinois Solar For All, a program launching this spring that could help low-income households, nonprofits and public facilities install solar arrays, among other goals.

"Illinois Solar for All programs ensure that there will be no upfront costs to participants and any ongoing costs or fees will not exceed 50% of the value of the energy produced," according to its website.

Wind

McLean County will soon have four wind farms, but that figure could continue to climb through the Path to 100 Act and a local lawmaker's federal bill.

"The Illinois Power Agency is required to procure an equal number of renewable energy credits for both wind and solar energy," said Gray, "so expanding the state's renewable energy program through the Path to 100 Act will benefit both wind and solar."

Three local wind developers said U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood's Renewable Energy Transferability Act will keep federal wind credits valuable as they phase out through 2021.

Those credits are helping EDP Renewables and Ivenergy build Bright Stalk Wind Farm and McLean County Wind Energy Center, respectively, to be operational next year near Lexington and Chenoa.

EDP also built and operates Twin Groves Wind Farm near Ellsworth, and Invenergy built and later sold White Oak Wind Farm near Carlock.

"We want to build on our track record of success in Illinois. We've got multiple wind and solar projects in various stages of development we're planning to bring online in the coming two to three years," said Jon Saxon, vice president of development, central region, for Invenergy. "We're in the early stages of development on a solar project in the area."

Another piece of state legislation, House Bill 2988, was signed into law in April clarifying that counties and municipalities should oversee wind farm development rather than townships, but it won't affect McLean County's process, said County Building and Zoning Director Phil Dick.

Elsewhere in Central Illinois, Tradewind Energy hopes to submit a new zoning plan for its Alta Farms II wind farm by the end of the year, said Development Director Tom Swierczewski. The DeWitt County Board voted down the $300 million project in April on a 6-5 vote.

Contact Derek Beigh at (309) 820-3234. Follow him on Twitter: @pg_beigh

Love 3 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 4

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.BLOOMINGTON  Anyone with a military service background deserves to be called a hero, but Jim Sengpiel of Bloomington is admired for his courage and achievements beyond the two years he served in the Army.

Jim has been a loving husband, a wonderful father, step-father and grandfather, said his wife, Esther. Our children love and admire him and he will always be my hero.

Sengpiel earned hero status by serving in the Army from October 1966 to August 1968. A Spec. 4, he was awarded a Vietnam Service Ribbon with two Stars, a Republic of Vietnam Campaign Ribbon, a Vietnam Tet Offensive Ribbon and a National Defense Ribbon.

After graduating from El Paso High School, he planned on attending Lincoln Christian College, but the draft changed that. He was shipped to II Field Force Headquarters, the largest corps command in Vietnam.

I supervised the military police that guarded II Field Force Headquarters, including Gen. William Westmoreland and Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara, he said.

Memories of those days still haunt him, he said.

There were a lot of times when bullets would fly past me, or they would hit right beside me, said Sengpiel. Sometimes a rocket would hit real close to me. Twice, two MPs standing beside me were shot.

When he returned home, he joined State Farm, working as a business analyst and retiring in 2006. Esther, a State Farm technician, retired in 2005. They have been married 28 years, are the parents of Christina Sengpiel, Bloomington; Aaron Wissmiller, Cooksville; and Derek Wissmiller, of Chicago; and have four grandchildren.

There must have been a reason why Sengpiels life was spared in Vietnam and on the night of July 1, 1973, he realized why.

I had attended my high school reunion and was driving back to my home in Normal, he said.

Meanwhile, Ray and Mary Killian of Ellsworth were headed to a Kappa restaurant and turned onto U.S. 51 at Hudson Road. Their car was hit from behind by another vehicle, spinning them around and into Sengpiels vehicle.

Sengpiel was not hurt, but he knew the Killians were in danger. Their car was on fire and they were trapped.

Without hesitating, Sengpiel pulled Ray from the wreckage through an open window, then did the same for Mary.

We would have burned to death if it hadnt been for Jim, Mary told The Pantagraph.

Sengpiel, who will turn 75 in August, is proud of his time in the Army, but equally as proud of saving the Killians. He was awarded the Carnegie Medal for Heroism a year later and recognized by the Town of Normal with a council resolution.

Being married to someone who dedicated a portion of his life in service to our great nation is something of which I'm incredibly proud, Esther said. Many soldiers like Jim never received the recognition that they deserved when they returned from the service. Its nice that he is being honored.

Contact Kevin Barlow at (309) 820-3238. Follow him on Twitter: @pg_barlow

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.Last week, the Trump administration announced the removal of steel and aluminum tariffs on our North American neighbors, Mexico and Canada, alleviating a burden on our agriculture producers and removing a barrier for passage of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).

With this positive step forward, now is the time for Congress to act and pass USMCA.

This latest move signals that relief for our agriculture industry that has endured a wet spring and low commodity prices, is on the horizon. If bipartisanship prevails, and with the passage of USMCA, Illinois top industry and our farming families will be able to take a deep breath as we take a big step forward by modernizing the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

Historically, trade with our neighbors has been a success story and USMCA strengthens these relationships. From 1993 to 2017, exports to Canada and Mexico tripled from $27 billion to $91 billion, with nearly one-third of US agricultural exports going to Mexico and Canada in 2017.

Aside from modernizing the 25-year-old NAFTA, current terms that have been negotiated for the USMCA would increase U.S. agricultural exports to Canada and the rest of the world by $2.2 billion, with $435 million of that estimated to come from just increased market access.

Illinois particularly has much to gain from passage of USMCA. Canada and Mexico are responsible for a 29 percent and a 14 percent market share of all Illinois exports, respectively. For Illinois agriculture, Canada accounts for 18 percent of all Illinois agricultural exports and Mexico accounts for 10 percent. With Canada and Mexico, alone, Illinois farmers export 40 percent of their corn, 13 percent of their beef and 34 percent of their pork to those two countries.

As the nations top soybean producer and a leader in corn production, market accessibility is key to getting Illinois commodities around the globe. If passed, USMCA will expand that access for agriculture producers and manufacturers, allowing them to better reach customers in North America. Under the new USMCA, more corn and soybeans would be sold to Mexico and Canada.

With agriculture as Illinois top industry, its easy to focus solely on our farmers, but in reality, USMCA is more than just ag. This also is about building on a record economy.

USMCA would increase U.S. real GDP by $68.2 billion and create 176,000 U.S. jobs, according to the US International Trade Commission (ITC), helping manufacturers and small business.

The time is now to pass the USMCA. Delay only hurts our farmers, job creation, and our economy. With tariffs now removed, Republicans and Democrats must come to the table to pass this agreement.

The USMCA means relief to farmers, it means jobs, and it means opportunity for Americans across the board, especially those in Illinois. Acting now will expand economic opportunity for the agriculture community in our state. Failing to do so, will make worse the current uncertainty our farmers are feeling.

Its time Congress work in a bipartisan fashion to get USMCA across the finish line and support the agriculture community in Illinois.

LaHood represents the 18th Congressional District in Central Illinois. Guebert is president of the Bloomington-based Illinois Farm Bureau.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0100 years ago

June 2, 1919: The boys of Company B, 124th Machine Gun Battalion, got a big welcome when they got off the train. The former National Guardsmen are home from Camp Grant near Rockford. They were given snacks at the depot and treated to a banquet at the Hills Hotel.

75 years ago

June 2, 1944: It was in the 90s for the eighth straight day as the Miller Park fishing season began. Seventy-five adults and 50 kids had bought tickets by 9 a.m. Many of the anglers were female. It was a bad day for crappie: lots of them were hauled in.

50 years ago

June 2, 1969: Local 63 carpenters went on strike and put up picket lines at 35 job sites around town. All major Twin City building sites were shut down except for two. Separate agreements are apparently in place at those two sites. The carpenters walkout involves a contract dispute.

25 years ago

June 2, 1994: Eagle Discount Foods is closing its store at 1211 Towanda Ave. Sales just werent what theyd hoped, company officials said. The store opened in 1973. (The building later became the main post office for Bloomington.)

Compiled by Jack Keefe; jkeefe@coldwellhomes.com.It's being reported that Foxconn, the Taiwanese electronics manufacturer that assembles handsets products for many phone brands including Apple and Xiaomi, has stopped several production lines for Huawei phones in recent days as Huawei has reduced orders for new smartphones, according to South China Morning Post sources.

The sources stipulated that "Smartphone manufacturers have flexibility built in their production schedules and can increase, or reduce, orders to meet changing conditions, and it is not clear whether the decreased production is temporary or part of a longer-term cut."

At a Friday event in Shanghai unveiling its flagship Honor 20 series for the China market following its global launch in London ten days earlier, Honor president Zhao refused to get caught up in the media questioning alleged slowdowns due to recent U.S. maneuvers against Huawei.

He simply stated that "All the difficulties make us stronger, no matter in mentality or in action."

The South China Morning Report adds a CNN video report wherein Sherisse Phan states that popular programs like Chromecast and the Google Play Store will no longer be available and affect Huawei's launch of their 5G phones. Phan points out that analysts are saying that without Google's Android OS and key apps, Huawei phones will become a brick.

At a meeting set with Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May this week, Trump will once again warn Britain that security cooperation could be hurt if London allows Chinas 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. With PM May stepping down, the U.S. want to impress on the next leaders of the U.K. the importance of working with them against Huawei.

It appears that the politics behind the U.S. stance against Huawei won't be softening in the near future.

This week Patently Apple reported that Huawei had filed for the "Ark OS" trademark in Europe. No information on the timing of such an OS to market is known. More importantly, it's a gamble that Android fans will even be interested in buying a Huawei smartphone running a first-Gen non-proven OS.

With confusion surrounding Huawei smartphones at the moment, it's believable that production lines for Huawei phones at Foxconn have closed until further notice.

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: It has almost become customary to have a protest rally and clash with the police after the declaration of each exam in Bihar. Thursday was no exception when hundreds of angry students, after flunking the Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB) Class XII exams, took to the streets of Patna alleging massive irregularity in the result while demanding re-evaluation of their test papers.

{gallery}newsimages2018/june/060718_2{/gallery}A day after the BSEB result came out, nearly 300 students protested outside the BSEB office in Patna demanding re-evaluation of their papers.

Chanting disparaging slogans against Bihar Education Minister Krishna Nandan Prasad Verma and BSEB chairperson Anand Kishore, protestors tried to break open the iron gate of the BSEB office.

When the police tried to stop them from storming the building, an all-out riot ensued as failed students, their parents and guardians pelted stones and other objects on the law enforcement officials.

Reacting forcefully, police ordered lathi-charge on the protesters and chased them away with batons to clear the area and allow normal traffic to resume.

Though better than the results of last year, almost half of the examinees across Bihar (47%) were declared fail in this year's exam.

Later, Kishore said that students who think their marks do not reflect their expectations then they could appeal for a second evaluation by filling out a form that is available on BSEB's website.

"They can fill out the form between June 9 and 16. This form is available on the BSEB's website or students can obtain it from the local BSEB offices in Patna, Gaya, Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur, Bhagalpur, Munger, Purnia, Chhapra and Saharsa. A group of teachers will re-evaluate the papers and if any anomaly or discrepancy is found, they would be properly corrected and the student would be duly notified," Kishore said.TOPCROFT, England  David Woodrow, 95, raises the American flag beside a memorial on his farm in eastern England every morning, weather permitting.

He makes sure that memorial is tip-top, too. Dedicated to the U.S. Army Air Force's 93rd Bombardment Group (Heavy), it is surrounded by irises and geraniums Woodrow planted himself. The grass is trimmed to the millimeter. The granite gleams.

"There's one thing for certain: If Americans hadn't come over here and went to Normandy with us in '44 and the Germans had pushed us back into the sea, we couldn't have gone back again for another two or three years," Woodrow, a D-Day veteran himself, said when asked why he put it there. "By that time, Germany would have had the bomb first and they would have won the war. They would have won the war then  if Normandy had failed."

As the wartime allies prepare to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings, people around Britain are also remembering the Americans who paved the way for the invasion, including sailors who helped keep supplies flowing across the North Atlantic and air crews that flew bombing missions over occupied Europe.

From 1942 to 1945, more than 2 million U.S. military personnel were stationed in Britain. People across the country still commemorate that friendly invasion, which bolstered the nation's defenses and gave many their first taste of America. From Portpatrick on the west coast of Scotland, where a plaque marks the site of a plane crash that killed 22 American airmen, to the Norfolk farm where Woodrow raises Old Glory, Britain is dotted with memorials to U.S. servicemen.

Some are formal affairs funded by public money, like the Cambridge American Cemetery, which houses the remains of 3,811 war dead, and the American Air Museum a few miles away, where the silhouettes of 7,031 lost aircraft are etched into a curving wall of glass.

But most are impromptu shrines built and tended by local people to honor those who died and to remember the thousands of others they drank and danced and fought with.

In this photo taken on Thursday, May 23, 2019, British D-Day veteran David Woodrow, 95, who landed at Gold beach and served in 652 squadron of the British Royal Air Force poses for photographs next to the memorial for the American 93 Bombardment Group (Heavy) on his family's farm, which during World War II served as part of Hardwick Airfield near the village of Topcroft, in Suffolk, eastern England. From 1942 to 1945 more than 2 million American military personnel were stationed in the U.K., and across the country people still commemorate their sacrifice. Britain is dotted with memorials, many built and still tended by local people who honor those who died and remember the thousands of others they drank and danced and fought with. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)AP

There was no government master plan to make this happen. The memorials just sprang up organically, particularly in southeastern England, where most of the U.S. air bases were located because of the proximity to occupied Europe.

Volunteers look after memorials in village squares, on corners of former airfields, at crash sites. Museums have been placed in former control towers. World War II memorabilia collections are preserved in pubs.

One of these personal monuments made headlines earlier this year, when 82-year-old Tony Foulds persuaded the U.S. Air Force to stage a fly-past to honor 10 American airmen who died in a crash in the northern city of Sheffield in 1944. Foulds, who believes the pilot saved his life by steering away from a field where he was playing with other children, has tended a memorial to the airmen since 1969.

Thousands rose at dawn in February to gaze at the fly-past.

No surprise there, said Briton Mike Warner, who serves as informal liaison between the U.S. Air Force and local communities.

"These individuals fought alongside our own forces," he said.

One place that decided to pay tribute is Redlingfield, a village 100 miles (160 kilometers) northeast of London, which built a black granite memorial to 2nd Lt. Kenneth Rongstad and the crew of a B-17 bomber that crashed into a farmhouse on Nov. 19, 1943.

Janet Norman-Philips, 66, and other locals make sure it is scrubbed and bordered with bright pansies.

"People wanted to remember them," said Norman-Philips, who worked with American veterans to erect the monument. "They were adopted, almost."

There's a reason the Americans made such an impression. Tiny rural communities, some with no running water, electricity or indoor plumbing, woke up to find construction crews pouring concrete on the flat farmland within striking distance of occupied Europe. Little Redlingfield soon had 3,000 servicemen from the Eighth Air Force as neighbors.

The Americans brought not just bombers but stuff the locals couldn't get their hands on after years of war, like clothing, tinned fruit and candy. Local girls danced to swing music with American servicemen and the bases held Christmas parties for local children.

It wasn't all songs and roses, though. The British were shocked by segregation in the U.S. military, and American manners  or the lack of them  sometimes clashed with the more traditional local culture.

But once they got over the shock, the Brits and the Americans generally got along.

James Clarey became fascinated with the story of the Americans in England as a teenager, when he found an airman's ID bracelet at a crash site near his home. He began collecting artifacts and eventually set up the 453rd Bomb Group Museum and 8th Air Force Heritage Gallery at the Old Buckenham Airfield.

It's the sort of place where a pilot can still land a small plane, park it on the grass and sit on picnic tables out front of the cafe. Actor Jimmy Stewart was stationed here during the war, as was Walter Matthau.

Here, surrounded by memorabilia and personal stories, one is reminded of the sheer poignancy of this D-Day, because the people who were there, the living links to a horrific conflict, are slipping away.

"This is kind of the twilight years for them," Clarey said. "You must remember what these people did 75 years ago."

Woodrow, who served in the Royal Air Force during the war, landed at Normandy to scout out locations for landing zones in northern France. Soon after leaving the RAF in the early 1950s, he bought the Hardwick Airfield and built his farm on it. The sergeant's mess now houses his pigs and other wartime buildings hold a greenhouse and community hall.

Veterans of the 93rd started trickling past in the 1960s, anxious to revisit the place they had served. By the 1970s, the flow of unannounced visitors had become a steady stream, but Woodrow always invited them in.

In this photo taken on Thursday, May 23, 2019, British D-Day veteran David Woodrow, 95, who landed at Gold beach and served in 652 squadron of the British Royal Air Force stands in the old mess hall, which during World War II served as part of Hardwick Airfield, on his family's farm near the village of Topcroft, in Suffolk, eastern England. From 1942 to 1945 more than 2 million American military personnel were stationed in the U.K., and across the country people still commemorate their sacrifice. Britain is dotted with memorials, many built and still tended by local people who honor those who died and remember the thousands of others they drank and danced and fought with. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)AP

When the memorial was dedicated in 1987, some 500 people came from the United States. There was, of course, a big party afterward.

One of Woodrow's proudest possessions is a plaque that the bombers' group gave him in 1995 "in gratitude" to him and his wife, Jean, for providing the staging post for men who wanted to remember.

Fewer veterans visit the memorial these days. There aren't many left. But their children do, and their grandchildren as well.

Woodrow and his family still do what they have always done for the Americans: They open the door and say "Welcome!"

___

Associated Press writer Danica Kirka wrote this story. Follow all the APs coverage of D-Day at https://apnews.com/WorldWarIIThe York County Coroners Office has identified the teenager who died in a stabbing Saturday.

Tre J. Hartman, 13, of Winter Haven, Florida, was visiting relatives in York when the stabbing occurred at a home on the 1000 block of E. Philadelphia St. around 1:40 a.m. Saturday in York, according to the coroners office.

Hartman died around 3:17 a.m. after being rushed to the York Hospital. An autopsy is scheduled for 10 a.m. Monday.

York police are investigating.ON OMAHA BEACH, France  All at once, Charles Shay tried to stanch the bleeding from a ripped-open stomach, dull the pain with morphine and soothe the mind of a dying fellow American army medic. It was a tall order for a 19-year-old who had just set foot on the European mainland for the first time.

But nothing could have prepared him for what happened on June 6, 1944, on five cold, forbidding beaches in northern France. It was D-Day, one of the most significant 24-hour periods of the 20th century, the horrifying tipping point in World War II that defined the future of Europe.

That morning, Shay could not yet fathom what the event would ultimately mean. He was more concerned with the bleeding soldiers, body parts and corpses strewn around him, and the machine-gun fire and shells that filled the air.

"You have to realize my vision of the beach was very small. I could only experience what I could see," he told The Associated Press, speaking from the now-glimmering Omaha Beach, where he landed 75 years ago.

International leaders will gather again this week to honor the dwindling number of D-Day veterans. U.S. President Donald Trump is set to join a commemoration Wednesday on the southern English coast in Portsmouth before traveling to Normandy and the U.S. cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer, which stands on a bluff overlooking the English Channel where some 160,000 made the perilous D-Day crossing.

There, Shay plans to be among the crowd Thursday to welcome Trump as he pays homage to 9,388 dead Americans, most of whom lost their lives on D-Day or in the aftermath of the Normandy offensive.

After World War II, Shay continued to witness history  fighting the Chinese during the Korean War, participating in U.S. atomic tests in the Marshall Islands and later working at the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna. With all the wisdom gathered in his 94 years, he knows another war can never be discounted.

"Some men cannot get enough of power," Shay said. "And it still continues today."

These days, crimson wild roses bloom where blood seeped into the Normandy dunes, and American flags whip in the westerly winds, many flown by locals still grateful to the U.S. soldiers who liberated the first French soil from four years of Nazi occupation.

Omaha and adjacent Utah Beach were America's to take, but similar acts of sacrifice and heroism happened on three other beachheads to the east where Britain and Canadian troops sought to break Hitler's stranglehold on the continent. In all, the invasion covered 80 kilometers (50 miles) of French shoreline.

Shay survived, but he did not talk about the experience for well over half a century.

"So many dead. So many young men, young boys, killed on the spot," he said. "It was difficult to see and absorb."

In this May 1, 2019, photo, World War II and D-Day veteran Charles Norman Shay, from Indian Island, Maine, poses on a dune at Omaha Beach in Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer, Normandy, France. Shay was a medic who on June 6, 1944, landed on Omaha Beach, where he helped drag wounded soldiers out of the rising tide, saving them from drowning. For his courage, he was awarded the Silver Star. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)AP

'Didnt know what I was gettingiInto

When Shay, a Penobscot native American from Indian Island, Maine, was born in 1924, the world was only starting to recover from World War I, which had been a coming-of-age moment for the United States. U.S. intervention proved decisive in beating Germany and heralded the century ahead.

Shay was barely 5 when the Great Depression hit. As a child, nicknamed Little Muskrat, he and his family performed in ceremonial native garb and sold traditional goods.

"My aunt employed me as a young Indian dancer," he said. Times were tough.

Across the ocean, Germany also faced economic misery that, together with lingering bitterness over its defeat in the war, paved the way for Adolf Hitler's rise.

When containment failed, war in Europe erupted again in 1939, and Hitler's Nazis swarmed over much of the continent. They took Paris and were quickly at the Normandy coastline. Britain, across the English Channel, remained out of reach.

The United States, which had slumbered into isolationism after its victory in 1918, entered World War II after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. Germany declared war on the U.S. in support of its ally.

The rumble of war was quickly closing on Shay. He was trained to be a machinist but could not get a job because he was expected to be drafted into the Army.

So before he knew what life was really about, Shay found himself in a hammock in the hold of the RMS Queen Elizabeth. He was sailing from New York to England, his final destination unknown.

"I never had a sense of fear because I didn't know what I was getting in to," Shay said.

To ease pressure on his homeland, Soviet leader Joseph Stalin had increasingly leaned on the United States and Britain to open a second front on Germany. In November 1943, he was promised as much for the upcoming spring. Soon, Shay found himself training for the biggest amphibious operation in history.

The Germans knew an invasion was coming but had no idea when or where, and the most likely options were 400 kilometers (250 miles) apart. Hitler prepared an Atlantic Wall of defenses.

England and Normandy's notoriously fickle weather thwarted possible attacks as April passed into May and June. Then, finally, it was time for Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower to distribute the orders that he had honed for months.

"The eyes of the world are upon you," he told his men. "You will bring about the destruction of the German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny." The death toll was sure to be enormous.

On the two American beachheads, the United States suffered 2,501 killed in action on June 6, 1944. In all, an estimated 4,414 men died on that single day, according to the latest figures.

"However, it was absolutely necessary," said Scott Desjardins, the superintendent of the American cemetery off Omaha Beach.

In this May 1, 2019, photo, a young boy runs down a path going through a World War II bomb crater at Pointe du Hoc, overlooking Omaha Beach, in Saint-Pierre-du-Mont, Normandy, France. On June 6, 1944, U.S. Rangers scaled the high coastal cliffs to capture a German gun battery. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)AP

Not too worried until the ramps went down

Few soldiers in the first wave fully realized the risks.

That night before D-Day, the men of Fox Company, 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment of the 1st Infantry Division, aka the Big Red One, had more immediate problems  sea sickness, finger-numbing cold and a dangerous descent into landing crafts using rope nets slung over the side of transports that were rolling in heavy seas.

"If you landed in the water between the boat and the troop transport ship, you were dead," Shay remembered.

The roar of planes dropping paratroopers and the boom of bombs trying to blunt the German defenses told them the fateful hour was near.

Shay can still recount that day as if it just happened.

It started at dawn when a Navy man shouted, "I am dropping the ramp." But they were nowhere near close enough to the beach.

"I wasn't too worried about it  until the ramps went down," Shay recalled.

He landed in water up to his chest. Many soldiers who were overloaded with equipment "sank immediately and a lot of men drowned," he said.

Those who stayed afloat had to face withering German gunfire. Many of the men standing in front "were hit immediately and killed on the spot," he said.

The Germans had built a barricade of metal tripods to stave off the landings. Shay moved from one tripod to another in the water. Once on dry land, he sought cover behind the "high portions" of the beach and started treating the wounded.

"While I was doing that, I happened to look back out to the water, to the ocean," he said. There, he saw many wounded men who were lying on the beach as the tide began rising. Without help, they would drown.

"So I dropped what I was doing, and I returned to the water," Shay said. Germans were still shooting at any American who moved under their protected Widerstandsnest 62, a bunker that still stands above Omaha Beach.

With bullets hitting the sand, he started pulling men  he doesn't know how many  out of the water. Many of the soldiers were much bigger and heavier than he was.

"In such a situation, the adrenaline starts to flow," Shay said. "It gives you strength that you did not know that you had." He received the Silver Star for his bravery.

"I have always said that my mother's prayers protected me," he said, the medal sparkling in the afternoon sun.

In this May 2, 2019, photo, the sun shines through storm clouds on Omaha Beach in St. Laurent-sur-Mer, Normandy, France. Allied troops first landed on Normandy's beaches on June 6, 1944, to begin the liberation of Europe from years of Nazi occupation. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)AP

Surrounded by dead people

When the shooting on the beach slowed, he found fellow F Company medic Edward Morozewicz, who had "an open stomach." Shay administered morphine and applied bandages. It was to no avail.

"I stayed with him until he died. I tried to converse with him a little bit. I tried to comfort him," he said.

He left the bloodied beach late that afternoon, completely separated from his company, which had lost all officers and many non-commissioned officers.

Wandering around in a daze of fatigue, "I fell down in a field someplace and I went to sleep. When I woke up in the morning, I saw that I was surrounded by dead people  American and German."

From that moment on, the war moved inexorably in the Allies' favor. D-Day was also the starting gun in a race with the Soviets to control as much territory as possible by the time Germany surrendered on May 7, 1945.

The competition between the Allies and the Soviets effectively set the stage for the Cold War lines that defined Europe for the next five decades and possibly right up to this day.

"This was democracy's beachhead," former President Barack Obama said in 2014. "And our victory in that war decided not just a century, but shaped the security and well-being of all posterity."

Such words would have been lost on Shay as he advanced into Germany, living from day to day. He was briefly taken prisoner after crossing the Rhine, but was soon liberated by U.S. troops and heading home.

All these decades later, he is back at the same shores, walking across the immaculate lawns covered with white gravestones and pondering the sacrifice.

"Oh, yes. Definitely it was worth it," he said. "It was a rogue regime that was trying to take over the world, and the people had to be stopped."

___

Raf Casert of The Associated Press wrote this story. AP photographer Virginia Mayo and video journalist Mark Carlson contributed to this report.

___

Follow all the APs coverage of D-Day at https://apnews.com/WorldWarIIThe regions newest congressman will be sworn into office Monday evening, filling the seat in the 12th District vacated in January by Rep. Thomas A. Marino.

State Rep. Fred Keller, who won a May 21 special election, said Saturday he was told House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will administer the oath at 6:30 p.m.

According to unofficial election returns, the Republican from Snyder County defeated Democrat Marc Friedenberg, a cyber security instructor at Penn State, 89,109 to 41,752, in the sprawling district that extends from Perry County to the New York State line.

Although the newly created 12th District has a huge Republican voter registration edge, President Trump held a rally in Montoursville the day before the election to show his support for Keller.

Once in office Keller said he and his staff will focus on the priorities of the citizens in the district. They include infrastructure, taking care of veterans, making the middle class tax credit permanent and job training, he said.

He has gotten to know members of the Pennsylvania delegation pretty well and said Marino has been there for me.

Keller is in the process of filling out his staff and said he will keep district offices in Williamsport, Selinsgrove and Tunkhannock.

The new congressman outraised and outspent Friedenberg during the campaign, according to reports filed with the Federal Election Commission.

They show Fred Keller for Congress raised $400,236 and spent $262,866 while Friends of Marc Friedenberg raised $153,998 and spent $121,208.

The Keller campaign received donations from more than twice as many individuals as did Friedenberg.

Much of the Friedenbergs money came through ActBlue, a non-profit organization that assists Democrats and progressives raise money on-line.

Besides individuals, the Keller campaign got donations totaling $22,065 from Club for Growth, $10,750 from Citizens for Prosperity in America, $4,893 from the House Freedom Fund and $3,315 from PA-12 Nominee Fund.

The first three are political action committees that support candidates who favor an open, accountable and limited government. The PA-12 fund was a PAC certain members of Congress established, Keller said.

A special election has been scheduled for Aug. 20 to fill Kellers state House seat.Police in Carlisle are looking for a juvenile male, who they said has been missing since Thursday.

Tariq Newhouse was last seen about 6:20 p.m. Thursday, according to a Saturday news release.

Police said Newhouse was wearing dark sweatpants and a gray Nike hat when he was last seen.

In the release, Carlisle police did not provide Newhouses age or his last known whereabouts.

On the phone Saturday, police said they could not provide that information, but speculated that he was last seen in Carlisle.

Anyone with information about Newhouses current whereabouts has been asked to call police at 717-243-5252.An arrest has been made in connection with the death of a western Pennsylvania who was on the front porch of a home when he was shot with a rifle.

Police in Swissvale have charged 21-year-old Charlton Mitchell in connection with the 2 a.m. Saturday shooting that killed a man in his early 20s and injured two others, WTAE is reporting.

According to reports the man who was killed had been at a party when he asked someone to leave. Shortly afterwards, another person arrived at the home while he was on the front porch, pulled out a rifle and fired before running away, reports indicate.

A 19-year-old woman is in critical, but stable, condition after she was struck in the shooting, and a 24-year-old man was hit by fragments and was treated and released, reports indicate.

Mitchell is facing charges of criminal homicide and aggravated assault.Sunday thunderstorms in central Pennsylvania should make way for a pair of nice days heading into next workweek, but then, its back to rain.

Thats according to Alan Reppert, a senior meteorologist with AccuWeather, who said the Sunday rainfall will be the result of cooler air moving into the region.

With that, we can see some heavy downpours and some damaging winds, he said.

Tornadoes  like the nearly 30 that have touched down in Pennsylvania since the beginning of the year  will be highly unlikely, Reppert said.

We are not looking at anything ... like what we saw with the severe weather this week, he said.

Stormy weekend weather pattern to precede brief shot of unseasonably cool air early next week. #PAwx pic.twitter.com/6e55qMZEdc  NWS State College (@NWSStateCollege) June 1, 2019

After the Sunday rain, the region should be largely dry, with high temperatures of about 70 degrees predicted for Monday and Tuesday.

After that, its a return to wet weather, with both Reppert and National Weather Service forecasters predicting at least a chance of rain through the remainder of the week.

And according to Reppert, it wont stop there.

For at least the next few weeks, we are looking at some more wet weather, he said.

Relief may be in sight, with early projections showing that mid- to late-summer is expected to be largely dry, Reppert said.

Potential for severe thunderstorms on Sunday across parts of the Northeast as a cold front moves through the region. Damaging winds will be the primary threat, but a few of the stronger storms will also have some potential to produce hail and perhaps a tornado. pic.twitter.com/wqjpEQQucd  NWS Eastern Region (@NWSEastern) June 2, 2019

The National Weather Service forecast for next week in the Harrisburg area is listed below:The Normandy American Cemetery is located at the north end of a half mile access road on a cliff overlooking Omaha Beach in Colleville-Sur-Mer, France. The nearly two-hundred-acre cemetery contains the graves of over 9,000 Americans who died on D-Day and related battles.

When you walk through the rows of crosses and Stars-of-David, you have a profound sense of quiet; an overpowering feeling that this is sacred ground.

Most families remember ancestors who landed on Omaha Beach or participated in some way in Operation Overlord. My colleague and column writing mate, Charlie Gerow has deeply personal stories about heroic General Leonard Gerow and his role in restoring freedom to the planet.

I also stood on Omaha Beach and looked up at the ramparts where the monstrous German cannons rained carnage down on the Allies. The invasion itself was the most complex military undertaking in history and, perhaps, the most dangerous.

On June 6, 1944, 160,000 Allied troops landed on 50 miles of exposed beaches in Normandy, France, to fight Nazi Germany. 13,000 aircraft and 6,000 ships participated in the action. Airman flew gliders into hedgerows; not landing strips. Paratroopers dropped behind enemy lines and had to fight their way back to secure roads and bridges. Infantrymen slogged through cold, windswept waters with little expectations of even reaching the beach.

In one day, the Allies had broken through the German lines, but thousands of Allied troops laid dead on the beaches or on the cliffs.

Stephen Ambrose wrote the definitive book on the D-Day invasion. In it, he relates the stories of hundreds of young soldiers who faced their deaths for something far greater than they could comprehend.

Our life expectancy was about zero, Pvt. John MacPhee declared. We were burdened down with too much weight . . .I could endure a lot of physical hardship, but I was so seasick I thought I would die. In fact, I wished I had.

Pvt. Warren Rulien came in with the second wave. Dead soldiers floated around in the water, which had risen past the first obstacles . . . The lieutenant yelled, Hey, Rulien, here I go! and began attempting to run to the shore. A machine gun cut him down. Rulien grabbed one of the bodies floating in the water and pushed it in front of him as he made his way to the shore.

Ambrose also pays tribute to a local hero, Lt. Richard Winters of Company E, 506th Parachute Division of the 101st Airborne. Winters parachuted in the darkness behind German lines and gathered a squad of others who had survived the jump. They secured their objective  a small town of strategic importance to the invasion and went on to attack entrenched enemy positions.

Winterss squad-sized group had one light mortar, two light machine guns, two tommy guns, and five rifles. But although Winters was outnumbered five to one and was attacking an entrenched enemy, he and his men prevailed . . . At a cost of four dead, two wounded, Winters and his men killed fifteen Germans, wounded many more, took twelve prisoners, and destroyed four German 105mm cannon.

In his order of the day, General Eisenhower had told the troops: The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you . . . let us all beseech the blessing of Almighty God upon this great and noble undertaking.

Another soldier who did not forget to invoke the deity was Lt. Winters. Just before midnight, after 18 hours of fierce fighting, Winters, as he wrote later, did not forget to get down on my knees and thank God for helping me live through this day and ask him for his help on D plus one.

And, according to Ambrose, Winters made a promise to himself that if he lived through the war, he was going to find an isolated farm in Central Pennsylvania and live in peace and quiet. Dick Winters found that farm in 1951 and lived peacefully in the Hershey area for the next 60 years.

One of the points that Ambrose makes at the end of his epic on D-Day is that the Allies brought the freedoms of their individual cultures to the battles with them. They were well trained and courageous but also capable of independent thought and innovation. The German officers were constrained to take orders from Berlin and their lock-step adherence to a flawed plan proved to be fatal.

Freedom matters.

People like Dick Winters, Leonard Gerow, John MacPhee, and Warren Rulien demonstrated that and secured liberty for the world.

Let us honor them and all who continue to serve this June 6 and every day of the year.

Mark S. Singel is a former Democratic Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania. He and Republican Charlie Gerow can be seen at 8:30 a.m. each Sunday on CBS21s Face the State.This Thursday, June 6, the world will observe the 75th anniversary of the D-Day invasion, one of the most vital military operations in history.

Operation Overlord, codenamed Operation Neptune and commonly referred to as D-Day, was the largest amphibious attack in the history of the world. The more than 150,000 Allied troops who stormed the beaches of Normandy that day attacked Hitlers Atlantic Wall, eventually broke through, marched and fought through Europe and on to victory over one of the most evil regimes humanity has ever known.

D-Day was the beginning of the end of Hitlers horrors. The Allied assault liberated Nazi-controlled France, later Europe, and paved the road to Berlin and triumph over Hitlers tyranny.

The invasion had been planned for months. The Germans knew it was coming. Hitler placed Field Marshall Rommel in charge of reinforcing and fortifying his Atlantic Wall. But weeks of military deception by the Allies left the Nazis not knowing the time or place of the attack.

When the attack came it began in the pre-dawn hours with massive aerial and naval bombardment, followed by aerial assault, dropping thousand of troops behind enemy fortifications.

At the first light of day came the infantry and armored divisions. There were five sectors of the Normandy invasion. Two, Omaha and Utah Beaches, were under American control.

Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Supreme Allied Commander, and Omar Bradley, commander of the First Army oversaw the American attack.

Although in previous wars, Corps commanders were well known and received great attention, that was not generally the case in World War II. However, the two Major Generals who oversaw Utah and Omaha Beaches were among the best.

J. Lawton, Lightning Joe, Collins commanded VII Corps on Utah Beach while Leonard, Gee, Gerow and his V Corps were on Omaha Beach.

Gerows V Corps consisted of the battle-hardened 1st Infantry Division, The Big Red One, and the fabled 29th Infantry Division. He had more than 35,000 men at his command. The action on Omaha Beach was among the very toughest and deadliest, but eventually they broke through and the march to victory was on.

Although I wont be able to attend the ceremonies this year, I had the privilege of being at Normandy with President Reagan for the 40th anniversary, and with President Clinton at the 50th.

The Great Communicators address at Pointe du Hoc on the 40th anniversary is one of the great presidential speeches.

There he paid tribute to the boys of Pointe du Hoc . . . the men who took the cliffs . . . the champions who freed a continent . . . (and) the heroes who helped end a war.

Reagan made two important points. First, that the men who fought there were propelled by their rock hard belief that Providence would have a threat hand in the events that unfolded . . . that God was an ally in this great cause. Reagan also reminded the world  . . . that isolationism never was and never will be an acceptable response to tyrannical governments with an expansionist intent.

On both of my visits to Normandy I vividly recall aging soldiers bending to scoop sand from the shores they had invaded. As one put his sand into a little plastic bag he was carrying, I quietly approached him and asked about what he was doing. I already knew the simple response I would get. With misty eyes and a shaky voice he told me it was for his grave.

For those heroes this was the defining moment of their lives. Few ever told their stories. They carried memories of their gallantry and the valor of their fallen comrades with quiet grace.

Let us all take a minute on Thursday to give thanks for the brave Allies who liberated Europe and ultimately the world from the clutches of a demonic regime.

Although General Eisenhowers message to the troops is far better known, for some reason General Gerows has always stuck with me:

You have been selected by the Supreme Allied Commander to perform the most important military operation in the history of the world, he told his soldiers. Your task will be to destroy the Nazi defenders of the gate to Western Europe and lead our victorious forces on to Berlin.

"The way has been well prepared for youthe Hun has been driven from the sea, annihilated by the Russians, kicked out of Africa, bombed from the air and is now nervously and hopelessly awaiting for you to deliver the final knockout blow . . . with your victory will come the eternal gratitude of freedom-loving nations the world over . . . We fight on Gods side and cannot fail.

Thank God he was right.

Charlie Gerow is the CEO of Quantum Communications. His column appears weekly in PennLive opposite Mark Singel. Charlie and Mark can be seen each Sunday morning at 8:30 on CBS-21s Face the State."There is no official opening date yet. We'll most likely have a soft opening, just to kind of get our feet wet," said owner Carl Helrich.Craig Varnell Gets a Title for his Birthday, Wins WPT Choctaw for $380K

June 01, 2019 Valerie Cross

Craig Varnell got quite the birthday gift this year, shipping his first WPT title in the WPT Choctaw $3,700 Main Event that played out its final table at the HyperX Esports Arena in Las Vegas on Friday, May 31. The 36-year-old from Colorado also made history with the win, becoming the first player to ever win both a WPT500, which he won in 2015, and a Main Tour title.

For Varnell, it seems the third time is the charm. His WSOP bracelet win in pot-limit Omaha last year came at his third WSOP final table, and in his third WPT final table, he closed it out again. Varnell now has over $2.2 million in live earnings, accumulated over the last five years, all that after a drug-related arrest and several years of probation gave him the wakeup call he needed a decade ago, he shared with WPT media.

"It was the best birthday present you could ask for.

Poker has helped him get his life on track, and his aggressive and intuitive style of play has been working out for him. The fact that the Choctaw final table was on his birthday just made it all the more special, and he ended up needing quite a bit of magic to bring him back from under four big blinds when they were five-handed.

When I found out the final table was on my birthday, I said, Well thats good," he told WPT. "And then the day didnt start out too well. I was down to three or four big blinds. I dont know what happened, I won a couple of all-ins and all of a sudden I was back in it. It was crazy. I had a big support group here. It was the best birthday present you could ask for.

WPT Choctaw Main Event Official Final Table Results

Place Player Country Prize Money 1 Craig Varnell USA $379,990* 2 Will Berry USA $243,330 3 Nick Pupillo USA $179,430 4 Trung Pham USA $133,770 5 Stacey Jones USA $100,850 6 Austin Lewis USA $76,890

* Includes $15,000 entry into Baccarat Crystal WPT Tournament of Champions.

A total of 577 entries were tallied in the event for a prize pool of $1,958,915 and the top 74 made the money. The field was whittled down to just six players a couple weeks back in Choctaw, and mid-stakes circuit grinder Will Berry bagged the biggest stack with 189 big blinds. Varnell was not far behind with 156 big blinds and these two were separated from the pack coming into the final day.

Among those to cash and fall short of the final table wereJoe Elpayaa (8th place), David Pham (17th place), Ping Liu (24th place), Eric Baldwin (29th place), Will Failla (49th place), Blair Hinkle (53rd place), Jared Jaffee (57th place), Darren Elias (63rd place), Sam Panzica (70th place) and Brian Altman (74th place).

WPT Choctaw Final Table

A couple short stacks found doubles early on and the first to bust was Austin Lewis, who lost a big flip with pocket jacks against the ace-king of Stacey Jones, according to the WPT live updates. Circuit crusher Nick Pupillo, who entered the final table third in chips, flopped a set of tens against Varnell, who had defended the big blind and flopped top and bottom pair with king-six. They played for stacks and when Pupillo got the double, Varnell was left on crumbs with less than four big blinds.

The bracelet winner wasn't out though, and after a lucky double, he won two flips and was right back in the race. Eventually, two short stacks clashed in a classic cooler situation and Jones was on the bad end, holding pocket kings against Trung Pham's aces. He couldn't find a king and made his exit in fifth place.

Four-handed, several lead changes took place with Pupillo taking over and then Pham taking his turn in the driver's seat. In hand #110, Varnell got in with pocket tens with over 30 big blinds and doubled through Pham, who couldn't get there with ace-queen. From there, Varnell never looked back.

Pham would be the next player out, again his ace-queen failing to catch up, this time against Berry's pocket kings. With Varnell and Berry sitting on healthy stacks, Pupillo was the low stack and pretty soon he was on the ropes. Varnell would take the last of his chips, flopping trips with king-seven in the big blind against Pupillo's two pair to send the two-time HPT champ and WSOP-C Main Event champ home with third-place money.

Varnell showed a lot of emotion when the final card was dealt.

Varnell started heads up leading 95 big blinds to Berry's 59 but the stacks evened out in the first hand when Berry got some value with a flush. Berry held the lead for a bit, but Varnell regained it when he called a four-bet and got a fold after check-shoving the flop. The match lasted just 14 hands, as Berry got his last 45 big blinds in with pocket eights and Varnell had him at risk with ace-ten suited.

A ten on the flop gave Varnell the best of it and Berry had to settle for second in his third WPT Main Tour cash. The $243,330 he earned for runner-up marks the biggest score of his career to date.

As for Varnell, you can bet it will be a birthday he won't soon forget. He is now a member of the WPT Champions Club, armed with more tournament ammo, and ready to battle with the best in the Baccarat Crystal WPT Tournament of Champions that kicked off today, June 1.

"When I play against good players I feel like it keeps your game sharp," said Varnell. "It helps you know what works against certain people and what doesnt. Thats how you learn. Playing with all these guys [in the ToC] is going to be great.

Craig Varnell celebrated his first WPT Main Tour win with his girlfriend, friends and family.

Photos courtesy of WPT.1.7k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

MILAN (Reuters)  Italys culture ministry has said it will revoke the lease on a state-owned monastery where a right-wing Roman Catholic institute close to former Trump White House adviser Steve Bannon had planned to train political activists.

In a statement on Friday, the ministry said it would revoke the concession on the mountaintop property outside Rome granted to the Dignitatis Humanae Institute, citing violations of various contractual obligations including a failure to pay concession fees and do maintenance work.

Benjamin Harnwell, director of the institute based in the Trisulti monastery, had told Reuters in September that Bannon was helping to craft the curriculum for a leadership course aimed at right-wing Catholic activists to be held in the 800-year-old monastery.

Bannon, who has launched a campaign to build a populist movement across Europe, has also been raising funds for the institute, Harnwell said.

An official at Italys culture ministry, Gianluca Vacca, said in the statement that inspections ordered by authorities had found a number of irregularities with the concession that allowed the institute to use the property.

Proceeding with the revocation is thus a duty, Vacca said.

The project for a right-wing leadership academy had been criticized by Italys left parties and local media had raised doubts over whether Harnwells institute fulfilled the requirements of its agreement with the government.

Vacca, a member of the anti-establishment 5-Star party which has been ruling Italy in a coalition with the far-right League since last year, said there were no political motives behind the decision to revoke permission for the institute.

He said the procedure to award the concession to Harnwells association  whose board of advisers is chaired by Cardinal Raymond Burke, a leading Vatican conservative  had been completed under the previous, center-left government.

(Reporting by Silvia Aloisi; Editing by Peter Graff)178 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

By Dave Graham

MEXICO CITY (Reuters)  Mexicos president and the top U.S. business lobbying group called on President Donald Trump to back down from a threat to impose punitive tariffs on Mexican imports, in a dispute over migration that could shock Mexicos economy.

Trump said he will introduce the tariffs on June 10 if Mexico does not halt the flow of illegal immigration, largely from Central America, across the U.S.-Mexican border, battering Mexican financial assets and denting global stocks.

The ultimatum from Trump is the biggest foreign policy test to date for Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and a tall order for Mexican security forces struggling not only to combat migrant flows but also to fight a record level of gang violence and homicide.

Mexicos economy, which is heavily reliant on exports to the United States, shrank in the first quarter and would reel under U.S. tariffs that could reach as high as 25% this year under Trumps plan.

Veteran leftist Lopez Obrador, who took office in December, predicted that Trump, who is also engaged in a worsening trade war with China, would ease up on his demand.

I tell all Mexicans to have faith, we will overcome this attitude of the U.S. government, they will make rectifications because the Mexican people dont deserve to be treated in the way being attempted, Lopez Obrador told reporters.

In April, Trump took a step back from an earlier threat to completely close the U.S. border with Mexico to fight illegal immigration, under pressure from companies worried it would cause chaos for businesses. The tide of migrants crossing from Mexico has swelled, with U.S. officials saying that an average of 4,500 are arriving daily.

Global equities tumbled and safe-haven sovereign bonds surged Friday after Trumps unexpected threat added to fears that escalating trade wars will push the United States and other major economies into recession.

Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said he would attend talks with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Washington on Wednesday to discuss the tariff issue.

The influential U.S. Chamber of Commerce is looking at ways to challenge Trumps tariff move against Mexico, including legal options. We have no choice but to pursue every option available to push back, Neil Bradley, the business groups executive vice president and chief policy officer, told reporters.

Other industry groups also criticized Trumps threat, saying it would hurt American businesses, farmers and consumers who have already borne the brunt of the U.S.-China trade dispute.

The White House called on U.S. companies to persuade their Mexican partners to lobby their government to cooperate.

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, spokesman Judd Deere said.

Underscoring the interconnected nature of the U.S. and Mexican economies, the U.S.-based Beer Institute said most Mexican beer sold in the United States is made from U.S.-grown barley and hops.

Whether it be the truck driver, farmer, distributor, local retailer or favorite tavern, every community in America will be affected by this decision, Jim McGreevy, the institutes president and chief executive, said of the proposed tariffs.

Mexico sends 600,000 to 700,000 barrels of oil to the United States every day, mostly to refiners, and buys more than 1 million barrels per day of U.S. crude and fuel, more than any other country. Analysts are concerned that retaliatory tariffs from Mexico could disrupt that trade.

STEEP TARIFFS

Trump, who has embraced protectionism as part of an America First agenda aimed at reshaping global trade, said in a tweet on Thursday he would ratchet up tariffs on Mexico until the Illegal Immigration problem is remedied.

The plan would impose a 5% tariff on Mexican imports starting on June 10 and increase monthly, up to 25% on Oct. 1.

Such levies would deliver a heavy blow to Mexicos economy, which is underpinned by exports to the United States of goods from avocados and tequila to televisions and cars made by companies such as Ford Motor Coand Nissan.

Mexico sends around 80 percent of its exports to the United States and is one of Americas top trading partners.

Mexican officials have signaled they will respond in kind if Washington actually imposes tariffs, steps likely to target regions with high concentrations of Trump voters.

Mexican stocks slid 1.4% on Friday as equities fell across the region, while the peso softened 2.3%.

Trump sought to turn up the pressure again on Friday.

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 vowed frequently during his 2016 election campaign to make Mexico pay for construction of a wall on the U.S.-Mexican border to curb illegal immigration, but successive Mexican governments have firmly rejected that idea.

The U.S. Congress also refused a request from Trump for $5.7 billion to help build the wall, prompting him to declare a national emergency and try to divert funds from other areas of the U.S. government. The issue is now in the courts.

Trump and fellow Republicans say something needs to be done to stem the biggest migrant surge on the border in a decade.

U.S. officials say 80,000 people are being held in custody, and the 4,500 mostly Central American migrants that on average are arriving daily are overwhelming the abilities of Border Patrol officials.

A senior White House official said Trump was particularly concerned that U.S. border agents apprehended a group of 1,036 migrants illegally crossing from Mexico on Wednesday, the largest single group since October, officials said. Before making the threat, Trump posted a video purporting to show the crossing on his Twitter feed.

Since taking office in December, Mexicos Lopez Obrador has urged Trump to help him tackle migration by promoting economic development in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, the poor Central American countries where most of the migrants apprehended on the U.S. border come from.

(Graphic: Trump vows high tariffs on all Mexican goods link: https://tmsnrt.rs/2Khd82D).

(Reporting by Dave Graham; Additional reporting by Stefanie Eschenbacher in Mexico City and Andrea Shalal, Steve Holland and Makini Brice in Washington; Writing by Alistair Bell and Sonya Hepinstall; Editing by Paul Simao and Leslie Adler)1.5k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) said the House isnt there yet on impeachment, but if Trump keeps stonewalling investigations, they may impeach even if it fails in the Senate.

Adam Schiff: The House Isnt There Yet On Impeachment

Rep. Schiff said on ABCs This Week, I think were going to whats right for the country, and at this point, the Speaker has not reached the conclusion, and I havent either, that its best for the country to put us through an impeachment proceeding that we know is destined for failure in the Senate. Now, that calculus may change if the president continues to stonewall, if the president continues to demonstrate his unfitness for office, there may be little additional cost to going through that process. It is, in a way, even if unsuccessful in the Senate, the ultimate form of censure in the House, but were not there yet, and if it is a close call, close calls go against putting the country through that.

Video:

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff tells @GStephanopoulos "we're not there yet" on impeachment. "We have important oversight work we can do outside the context of impeachment and I think at this point, that is still the preferred course" https://t.co/1KA7z13fgZ pic.twitter.com/ZkYfHkeHJS  This Week (@ThisWeekABC) June 2, 2019

Schiff raised two important points about impeachment

Impeachment is destined to fail in the Senate. Mitch McConnell is going to do the bare the constitutional minimum if the Housse impeaches Trump. There wont be a big long Senate trial. McConnell has stated that it is his goal to squash the impeachment charges as quickly as possible, so the idea that impeachment will provide a big trial and a spotlight on Trumps crimes isnt going to happen.

Secondly, the House may impeach anyway, if Trump continues on the path of his current behavior. The House may have no choice, but to impeach Trump. This path would be best for House Democrats and the country. Trump will make the impeachment decision for Democrats through his own conduct and decisions.

Impeachment is not a winning issue for anyone, and it good to see Democrats putting the country ahead of their own interests, unlike the White House, and doing the work of the American people.

For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.

Follow Jason Easley on Facebook4.5k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff said that he would like Mueller to voluntarily testify, but he will subpoena the former special counsel if he refuses.

Adam Schiff will subpoena Mueller

Transcript via ABCs This Week:

SCHIFF: Well I was disappointed to see during his statement the other day such a profound reluctance to testify. Now, I understand that but I think he has one last service to perform. Its not enough merely to speak for 10 minutes and say Im not going to answer questions for the Congress and the American people. There are a great many things that are not in the report.

We want to find out what happened to those counterintelligence findings that were sent back to headquarters. What other things did you learn during the investigation that ought to concern us in terms of whether the president is vulnerable to influence from Russia. Does the president still  did you find evidence whether the president still intends to build a Trump Tower in Moscow? Is that why that financial inducement why the president cant criticize Putin or take adequate steps to protect our elections?

There are any number of questions that we have every right, the American people have every need to have answered here.

So, I hope that Bob Mueller will understand, as painful as it may be, and as much as it may subject him to further abuse by the White House, he has a final duty here to perform, like any other witness, and its my hope that he will do so, and its my hope that he will do so voluntary.

STEPHANOPOULOS: And if he doesnt, subpoena?

SCHIFF: Well, it will be my recommendation, yes, but I hope that is not the case. That will be a decision, really, that well have to make collectively and with our leadership whenever theres use of compulsion, because it may lead to litigation. But I would hope none of that is necessary. Thats not how this process for Bob Mueller should end. Hes a dedicated public servant and I hope that hell come and testify voluntarily.

Video:

Mueller should testify before the House

Chairman Schiff raised a good point. There are counterintelligence aspects to Muellers investigation that arent in the report that the Intelligence Committee would like to ask about. It is understandable that at 74 years old, Bob Mueller wants to retire, and if he wants to avoid the grandstanding of a public hearing, he can testify in private, but Mueller does have the power to educate the country on the Russian attack on our election and the threat that will do so again in 2020.

Mueller has served his country with dignity and honor, but his last great act of service should be to help to protect democracy.

For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.

Follow Jason Easley on FacebookArmy Welfare Trust Real Estate AWT Rawalpindi Jobs 2019

Latest Army Welfare Trust Admin Clerical Posts Rawalpindi 2021 Army Welfare Trust Real Estate AWT Rawalpindi, Pakistan Army, Government of Pakistan are requires applications from experienced and educated candidates candidates for the posts of Patwari

How to Apply on Army Welfare Trust Job Advertisement

Apply as per details in job advertisement. In some cases, you may apply online at vacancies after registering at https://www.jobz.pk online.

Note: Beware of Fraudulent Recruiting Activities. If an employer asks to pay money for any purpose, do not pay at all and report us at contact us form. Apply as per instuctions & dates mentioned in official job ad. Govt jobs may not be applied online here. Human typing error is possible. Error & omissions excepted.9.1k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney admitted that they hid the USS John McCain from Trump because they knew he didnt like McCain.

White House Admits They Hid The USS McCain From Trump

Mulvaney said on Meet The Press, An advance team is hundreds of people. You know this better than anyone. Youve been overseas with the President Of The United States. The fact that some 23 or 24-year-old person on the advance team went to that site and said oh my goodness, theres the John McCain. We all know how the president feels about the former senator. Maybe thats not the best backdrop. Can somebody look into moving it? Thats not an unreasonable thing to askThe presidents feelings toward the former senator are well known. Theyre well known throughout the office. Theyre well known in the media, but to think youre going to get fired over this is silly.

Video:

WATCH: Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney tells Chuck Todd that moving a Navy ship out of sight from the president was "not an unreasonable thing to do." #MTP #IfItsSunday Mulvaney: "The president's feelings towards the former senator are well known." pic.twitter.com/kohFeQflaU  Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) June 2, 2019

Trumps feelings come before the troops

As Democratic presidential candidate, Pete Buttigieg said, It sends the message that once again our troops are going to be treated as props. Were talking about an active duty United States military asset, a naval vessel, and the sailors who serve on it, and to hold it against them. For the White House to believe the presidents ego is so fragile that for his protection  for his emotional protection  they have to basically mask the fact that [USS McCain] is in service shows you just how far out of whack the priorities of this White House are.

This is a White House where Trumps feelings come ahead of the troops, the country, and all else. In any other administration, the staffers who disrespected those who serve on the McCain would be fired. If the Trump administration, they are heroes who are rewarded, because they placed Trumps feelings ahead of the good of the country.

It is embarrassing that this is what the presidency has become under Trump, and it is even more shameful that Mick Mulvaney would go on national television and defend disrespecting those who serve our country.

For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.

Follow Jason Easley on Facebook1.1k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) has a three-part plan that would stop the Russians from interfering in future elections to help Republicans and Trump.

Mark Warner has a plan to stop Russian election attacks

Transcript via CBSs Face The Nation:

MARGARET BRENNAN: You are the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee. We heard from the special counsel this week for the first time we heard from the attorney general about the Mueller report. Is there any question in your mind that the counterintelligence probe involving the Trump campaign was not legitimate?

SEN. WARNER: would argue that there are three things we could do next week when- this week when we come back. First we ought to go ahead and pass bipartisan election security legislation to make sure for example that theres a paper ballot trail after every vote.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Theres been no floor time allotted for this.

SEN. WARNER: Theres been no floor time allotted. Second, we ought to put some guardrails on social media so theres not an ability for foreigners or other entities to create fake accounts and manipulate our whole political debate. And third, even if we accept the fact that Muellers said even though the one hundred and forty plus connections between Russians and Trump officials it didnt rise to the level of conspiracy, we ought to say on future federal elections if there is a foreign entity trying to intervene, there ought to be an affirmative obligation to report back to the FBI.

Video:

.@MarkWarner says there are 3 things Congress can do this week to protect future elections

Pass bipartisan election security

Put some guardrails on social media

On future federal elections, if there is a foreign entity trying to intervene, an obligation to report that to the FBI pic.twitter.com/vPzXhEGNI8  Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) June 2, 2019

Mitch McConnell Is Refusing To Secure US Elections

While Democrats have been debating Trump impeachment, Sen. Warner raised a vital point. American elections remain not secured from foreign interference. Senate Majority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell is refusing to bring any election security bills to the floor for a vote. McConnell is trying to keep Trump in the White House and his Senate majority by leaving the backdoor wide open for Russia, Saudi Arabia, North Korea or any other hostile foreign country to attack the 2020 election.

Sen. Warner was 100% correct. Sen. Warner is the Vice Chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee. He knows better than anyone outside of Mueller what the Russians did in 2016. Republicans arent going to secure our elections in 2020, so it will be up to Democrats to overcome the interference and make our elections safe by taking back the Senate and the White House.

For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.

Follow Jason Easley on Facebook2.9k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

London Mayor Sadiq Khan labeled Donald Trump a 20th Century fascist and argued that the UK should not hold their noses and tolerate Trumps visit.

Khan wrote:

Donald Trump is just one of the most egregious examples of a growing global threat. The far right is on the rise around the world, threatening our hard-won rights and freedoms and the values that have defined our liberal, democratic societies for more than seventy years. Viktor Orban in Hungary, Matteo Salvini in Italy, Marine Le Pen in France and Nigel Farage here in the UK are using the same divisive tropes of the fascists of the 20th century to garner support, but are using new sinister methods to deliver their message. And they are gaining ground and winning power and influence in places that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago.

They are intentionally pitting their own citizens against one another, regardless of the horrific impact in our communities. They are picking on minority groups and the marginalised to manufacture an enemy  and encouraging others to do the same.

Britain is rebelling against Trumps visit

Trump was denied the opportunity to address parliament. Britain really doesnt want him there, but it is rare to see a leader speak of Trump in such harsh factual and realistic terms. Donald Trump does operate on the same model as democracy hating fascists. Trump does intentionally try to turn his own people against each other.

Donald Trump believes that the president is above the law, and does not have to respect Congress, the courts, or the constitution. He is at war with every institution that tries to check him.

Trump is anti-democracy, and Khan is correct to argue that his nation should not be rolling out the red carpet for a president who is trying to destroy them.

For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.

Follow Jason Easley on Facebook3.3k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

Trump doesnt want to be impeached because he thinks that impeachment would be bad, not for the country, but for his personal brand.

Trump Thinks Impeachment Would Be Bad For His Brand

Jeremy Peters of The New York Times said on MSBNBCs Up with David Gura:

Having spoken to people who speak to the president, he does not want to be impeached. Its bad for his brand. But hes right about that. Its also bad as far as hes concerned because it would just be such a distraction and such a heavy undertaking. This is not like the Mueller report and the years they went through investigating him behind the scenes. This is all conducted in public. It would be such a spectacle, unlike anything that we saw with Watergate or even with Bill Clinton because the media environment right now is so different.

This president has such a singular ability to dominate coverage and to shift the narrative as he likes to. And really I think we as citizens have never seen anything like I think that would going back to what Betsy was saying, Im picking up on a lot of the same things from the Democrats in the house. What they are worried about is losing more seats in 2020. Thats a big concern because this president is able to have his voters, his people, take on his fights as if theyre their own fights. And by portraying this as a witch hunt, as a redo of the 2016 election while the 2020 re-election is taking place, I think that worries a lot of Democrats because they see that as an advantage for the president because hes saying theyre sore losers. And you know what, Americans really dont like sore losers.

Video:

Trump is still thinking like a reality TV star

Trump isnt thinking about the country or the political process when it comes to impeachment. He is worried about his brand. Trumps political and business brands are both in the gutter, but the thought process reveals a president who is still viewing the Oval Office as a stage and marketing opportunity. Democrats need to tread carefully with impeachment. Otherwise, they could lose the House and the nation could be back to total Republican control in 2021, but dont believe the hot air that Trump wants impeachment. Trump wants the fight over impeachment, but he doesnt want to be impeached.

For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.

Follow Jason Easley on Facebook4k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

The Pentagon is warning the White House that they need to stop politicizing the military, or they will take steps to issue formal guidance to stop the White Houses behavior.

According to the AP, The Pentagon has told the White House to stop politicizing the military, amid a furor over a Trump administration order to have the Navy ship named for the late U.S. Sen. John McCain hidden from view during President Donald Trumps recent visit to Japan. A U.S. defense official said Patrick Shanahan, Trumps acting defense chief, is also considering sending out formal guidance to military units in order to avoid similar problems in the future.

The guidance would likely involve setting up procedures so that the White House advance team couldnt show up and hide ships like USS McCain because McCains name will set Trump off.

The White House sees nothing wrong with treating the troops like props. As White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney said on Meet The Press, The fact that some 23 or 24-year-old person on the advance team went to that site and said oh my goodness, theres the John McCain. We all know how the president feels about the former senator. Maybe thats not the best backdrop. Can somebody look into moving it? Thats not an unreasonable thing to askThe presidents feelings toward the former senator are well known. Theyre well known throughout the office. Theyre well known in the media, but to think youre going to get fired over this is silly.

Trump has been treating the military like a prop since he was sworn into office. The White House is not going to do anything to treat the troops with respect, so it will be up to the Pentagon to protect the troops from Donald Trump and his crew of enablers.

For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.

Follow Jason Easley on FacebookCharleston, SC (29403)

Today

Clouds and some sun this morning with more clouds for this afternoon. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High near 75F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms early, then cloudy skies after midnight. Low 64F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.Karachi Institute of Medical Sciences KIMS Jobs 2019

Latest National University of Medical Sciences NUMS Education Posts Karachi 2021 Medical, health, mbbs, doctors and experienced personnel for the posts of General Medicine Professor, Ophthalmology Professor, Hematology Associate Professor, Chemical Pathology Associate Professor, Pharmacology Assistant Professor, Physiology Assistant Professor, Forensic Assistant Professor, Medical Education Assistant Professor, Accident Assistant Professor, Emergency Surgery Assistant Professor, Psychologist, Medicine Specialist, Social Worker required for Karachi Institute of Medical Sciences KIMS National University of Medical Sciences NUMS in Malir Cantt Karachi.

How to Apply on National University of Medical Sciences NUMS Job Advertisement

Apply as per details in job advertisement. In some cases, you may apply online at vacancies after registering at https://www.jobz.pk online.

Note: Beware of Fraudulent Recruiting Activities. If an employer asks to pay money for any purpose, do not pay at all and report us at contact us form. Apply as per instuctions & dates mentioned in official job ad. Govt jobs may not be applied online here. Human typing error is possible. Error & omissions excepted.Seneca Foods helped the Association of Letter carriers annual Stamp Out Hunger food drive deliver more than 79,000 pounds of food to the Channel One Regional Food Bank this year.

Rochester letter carriers literally brought in 39,680 pounds of food for the food bank. Seneca Foods donated an additional 40,000 pounds of food to the effort.

In its 27th year, the annual Letter Carriers Stamp Out Hunger is the largest one-day food drive in the U.S. Letter carriers in communities across the country collect food donated by people for area food banks and shelves.

Seneca foods augments what the carrier collect to machete day even bigger for Channel One.

"The Stamp Out Hunger food drive helps us gear up for the summer rush, a time when many school meal programs end, child care expenses increase, and people depend on organizations like Channel One to help feed their families," said Virginia Merritt, executive director of Channel One Regional Food Bank.

ADVERTISEMENT

"We are grateful to the National Letter Carriers Association, our local letter carriers, Seneca Foods and our community for supporting this outstanding event that will provide food for so many individuals in our region."Mark your calendars for June 8.

The Hyatt Regency Guam will join more than 130 countries in a global movement aimed at living well and building positivity. In honor of Global Wellness Day, the Hyatt will host a morning of free activities all aimed at positively impacting how people feel, fuel and function in all aspects of their lives, the hotel stated in a news release.

The activities, slated for 6:30 to 11 a.m., will jump-start the day of positive vibes with Hatha yoga on the beach to greet the morning sun. Fitness classes, a healthy living lounge complete with light refreshments, and express massages from Island Sirena Spa are on tap for those who register. Throughout the morning, attendees can attend sessions aimed at best feeding, healing and caring for their bodies from the inside out.

Those who take advantage of the morning will receive a bunch of goodies, according to the release. Retro Breezes drink bottles will be given to the first 50 participants to arrive.

Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request.

Complimentary light refreshments will be served throughout the event. Discounts are also available for the entire day. Those choosing to dine at the Hyatt will receive 20% off, and Sirena Spa is offering a 15% discount on its signature treatments.

Part of a social project dedicated to living well, the purpose of Global Wellness Day is to seek healthier and better living. Its main purpose aims to direct the thoughts and actions of both society and individuals toward living well and raising awareness.

The event, which started in Turkey in 2012, is now celebrated worldwide. In 2018, it was simultaneously celebrated in 130 countries at more than 5,000 locations with a variety of events from climbing Mt. Everest to giving medical care to children at the Thailand-Myanmar border.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Medical Cadet Jobs in Pakistan Army 2019

Latest Pakistan Army Medical Posts Lahore 2021 Pakistan Army is offering bright opportunities to join Pakistan Army as Medical Cadet through Army Medical College Rawalpindi and other army administered colleges in Lahore, Quetta, Multan, Karachi. Candidates can register till June 7, 2019.

How to Apply on Pakistan Army Job Advertisement

Apply as per details in job advertisement. In some cases, you may apply online at vacancies after registering at https://www.jobz.pk online.

Note: Beware of Fraudulent Recruiting Activities. If an employer asks to pay money for any purpose, do not pay at all and report us at contact us form. Apply as per instuctions & dates mentioned in official job ad. Govt jobs may not be applied online here. Human typing error is possible. Error & omissions excepted.I follow a number of museums on Instagram, including Bostons Museum of Fine Arts. That is how I learned about an incident involving the Helen Y. Davis Leadership Academy. MFA posted this on its account:

Throughout the past week, the MFA has implemented some immediate action steps in response to the recent incidents involving students from the Helen Y. Davis Leadership Academy. We are actively examining our visitor services protocols, have added staffing, revised our welcome messaging, and are expanding training. We understand that our work is far from done and that we have a long way to go. Please follow the link in our profile to read more details about our next steps. We invite you to continue to hold our institution accountable and welcome you to share your questions, concerns and suggestions in the comments below.

This is a particular style of groveling to which we have all become accustomed. It usually indicates that race is somehow involved. Sure enough: the story started with a Facebook post by Marvelyne Lamy, a teacher at the charter school:

On Thursday, May 16, 2019, some of the 7th grade students as well as the 7th grade teachers went on a field trip to the Museum of Fine Arts to look at some exhibits to enhance what theyve learned in their history class. I should add my students are ALL black and brown. At the very beginning of the tour, one of the staff gave an overview on what to expect and told the kids no food, no drink, and no watermelon (we didnt know they said this until the end).

So after the visit had turned into a racial incident, a student apparently volunteered the reference to watermelons. But wait! The MFA staffer who welcomed the kids was asked what happened:

[T]he MFAs report states that the staff member who greeted the students recalled saying that no food, no drink and no water bottles were allowed in the galleries.

Continuing with Ms. Lamys account:

There were other groups of students that were there, but those students were white. We were instructed not to touch any of the artifacts in the museum, yet the white students there touched the displays several times while security looked on without saying anything. The minute one of our students followed suit, the security guards would yell at them that they should not touch exhibits.

I dont actually believe this. Museum guards dont have much to do. The main thing they watch out for is people touching paintings or statues. If you do that, or look like you are about to, they will warn you not to touch anything. The idea that whites are allowed to touch artifacts in museums is ridiculous.

Throughout our walk through, they followed us. Many of our students grew agitated. At the end, we went through the gender bending exhibit where the security guard followed our every movement. It got so bad that I started gathering our students so we could leave. I was pulling one of my students to come out the exhibit, when she said that one of the visitors made a comment towards her when she was dancing to music included in the exhibit. The visitor said thats its a shame that she is not learning and instead stripping.

The girls said they were practicing their model walk, which sounds like they werent paying much attention to the art. (In a gender bending exhibit, that probably showed good judgment.) I dont know why a museum patron would bother to speak to a couple of 7th graders, but I also am not sure what this has to do with race. Do the people involved assume that strippers must be black? I dont believe that is generally the case.

As we were walking out, our students were standing in the doorway of the Africa exhibit. We had them clear out the doorway so people could pass by. This lady walks by and says, Never mind theres fucking black kids in the way.

This was the only time when anyone said something about race. The woman was at best thoughtless and at worst racist. But what if she had simply said, Never mind theres f***ing kids in the way. Would we still have had a racial incident?

MFA identified and canceled the memberships of the women who made the stripper comment and referred to the f***ing black kids in the way. But of course, that doesnt begin to go far enough, even though actuallyif you paid close attentionno employee of MFA did anything wrong. No matter:

In a public memo posted online on Friday, MFA officials outlined the institutions short and long term steps in response to the racist incident. Immediate actions include adding staff to the school groups entrance to improve our welcome, changing the orientation greeting, adding visitor services employees to the galleries to assist visitors and respond to any incidents while the guards continue their security function. The memo also said the museum was in conversation with local government officials about race and Bostons cultural institutions. The memo spelled out long term goals, such as expanding online mandatory training on unconscious bias and conflict resolution, including how to intervene when acts of racism, abuse or discrimination are seen or heard in public spaces.

This is my favorite reform:

Now the museum has eliminated the no water bottles phrase, so that theres just less room for any confusion or misunderstanding, Getchell said.

Water bottles, watermelon, who can tell the difference? Of course, nowadays half the people you see on the street are carrying water bottles, while it is rather rare to see anyone carrying a watermelon. But when a racial incident is in progress, common sense plays no role.

There is a more serious side to this story, I think. Marvelyne Lamys Facebook post continues:

The worse part about all of this is seeing the hurt look on my childrens faces as this was their first time experiencing racism first hand.

Think about that for a moment. None of the kids in the 7th grade class had actually experienced racism before. Thisa woman complaining that f***ing black kids are in the waywas literally their first experience of any such thing. Does this really need to be a life-altering experience? Or is it a bigger problem that these kids have fallen into the hands of the racial grievance industry?

The MFA lost no time falling in line with the zeitgeist:

The museum said it would train guards on patrolling and engaging with visitors, and would provide staff with unconscious bias training. Makeeba McCreary, MFA chief of Learning and Community Engagement, told the Herald the museum would hold roundtables on these issues with community members. This is an opportunity to explicitly talk about racism and talk about the lack of inclusion, McCreary said.

More troubling is what the childrens teachers say:

[Azaan Rodriguez] remembered the lessons of his mother and of his seventh grade teacher, Marvelyne Lamy. They would say that you have to be on your best behavior, Rodriguez said. Because no matter what, theyre gonna always see you as criminals.

***

Unfortunately, I wasnt surprised and I was glad it was those students, said school principal Arturo Forrest. Unfortunate to say it that way but we train them [the students] to handle moments like this and to speak out against injustice.

***

Seventh graders Trinity Raye, 13, and Ariani, 13, who preferred not to give her last name, were among the students who were told the comment about stripping in the Gender Bending Fashion exhibition. They said they were showing their model walk. My mom always taught me that even when somebody does you wrong, you still gotta treat them right because nobody ever wants to see you win, Raye said. Ms. Lamy also taught us in class, no matter how hard you try to meet certain standards, they still arent going to accept you based on the color of your skin. So you just have to go 10 times harder.

***

Some of the academys students were going to perform at the MFAs Juneteenth celebration on June 19. That is no longer going to happen, said case worker and seventh grade special education teacher Taliana Jeune, who also chaperoned the trip. She said one never forgets the first time one experience racism.

No matter what, theyre gonna always see you as criminals? Nobody ever wants to see you win? No matter how hard you trythey still arent going to accept you based on the color of your skin? Is this really the message we should be sending to 7th graderswho, their teacher says, have never actually experienced any racism? Am I the only one who sees a certain satisfaction in the reactions of school administrators, community engagement officers, and so on? From the Boston Herald: [Marvelyne] Lamy said her students have become social activists overnight. An unbiased observer might ask: whose prejudices, exactly, were confirmed by what happened at the Museum of Fine Arts?Judge Emmet Sullivan is presiding over the governments case against Michael Flynn, who has yet to be sentenced by the court following his plea. Judge Sullivan recently ordered the government to release all transcripts of recordings of Flynns phone calls with Russian officials (such as Russias ambassador to the United States) and of any other recordings of him. For some reason or other, the government has failed to produce these transcripts.

Adam Goldman covers this disregard of the court order in the New York Times story Justice Dept. Keeps Wiretaps Secret in Flynn Case, Rejecting Judges Order. According to Goldman, prosecutors asserted that they did not need to provide the transcripts because they were, in the end, not vital to the prosecution of Mr. Flynn. He pleaded guilty in December 2017 to lying to the F.B.I. after agents interviewed him about what was said on those calls.

Goldman quotes the prosecutors: The government further represents that it is not relying on any other recordings, of any person, for purposes of establishing the defendants guilt or determining his sentence, nor are there any other recordings that are part of the sentencing record.

I cannot make sense of the governments representations to the court. Goldman refers to the highly classified nature of the recordings, which is usually an incentive for the Times and the Washington Post to publicize such material. Indeed, the existence of these recordings was originally leaked to the Washington Post by current and former U.S. officials in February 2017.

Whats happening here? Goldman doesnt even raise the question. He simply takes the governments representations  accessible here on Scribd  at face value and moves on.Shuaibu Sani from Gidan Tsika village in Kiyawa Local Government Area of Jigawa State is a beneficiary of the government Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) programme. From the N10,000 he is paid bi-monthly, he manages to save N600.

Although Mr Sanis home is not far from the payment centre  just over two kilometres  he usually leaves his home early to beat the crowd at the payment centre. He told PREMIUM TIMES that on payment days, he abandons everything else just to get the governments handout which is given to beneficiaries in cash.

Isyaku Ibrahim, Mr Sanis compatriot from the same village, said he does not save anything from his CCT stipend. He spoke of the opportunity cost of not tending to his farmland and other businesses on the payment days. He complained of being extorted. He said recipients are required to give 10 per cent (N500) of their stipend to the village head.

The Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) programme was introduced in 2016 as part of President Muhammadu Buharis Social Investment Programme (SIP). The CCT involves the payment of N5,000 monthly, paid bi-monthly, to the poorest Nigerians, mostly in rural communities.

The National Cash Transfer Office (NCTO) wrote on its website that the cash-based payment is aimed at reducing poverty, preventing the vulnerable households from falling further down the poverty line and building their resilience to withstand shocks.

In April, the Special Adviser to President Buhari on National Social Investment Programme, Maryam Uwais, announced that over 300,000 persons have benefitted from the programme.

Temitope Sinkaiye, the national coordinator of the CCT, told reporters last December that the government has disbursed N15 billion in the 26 states the programme has been implemented in so far.

Tradermoni

Undoubtedly, the most controversial of the administrations social investment programmes is Tradermoni. Just like the CCT, Tradermoni is another cash-based payment. While the CCT is a non-refundable payment given to some of the poorest Nigerians, Tradermoni is intended to be a loan given to petty traders.

Hafizu Idris, motorcycle and bicycle spare parts seller, and TraderMoni beneficiary at Yan Tipper market Dutse, Jigawa state.

Tradermonis biggest ambassador is Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. Months before the recent presidential election, the vice president relentlessly travelled across the country, visiting markets and preaching Tradermonis gospel to market women and other petty traders.

The programme is coordinated by the Bank of Industry (BOI). At each market Mr Osinbajo visits, petty traders are encouraged to enrol into the programme and are given a cash interest-free loan of N10,000. Consequently, the opposition accused the government of using Tradermoni as a ploy to buy votes from ordinary Nigerians.

There are no credible data on the number of Tradermoni recipients or the amount already disbursed. Despite acknowledging receipt of our email, the BOI did not respond to questions on the amount so far disbursed. But at the inception of the programme, the government promised to give the loan to two million traders.

The initial recipients of the loan were expected to pay back the N10,000.00 to qualify for a second loan of N15,000.00 and recipients can get up to N100,000.00 if they continue repaying.

Although the government has announced the kick-off of the second phase of Tradermoni, it has not disclosed the number of the initial beneficiaries that repaid their loans. It merely vaguely described the repayment rate as high.

Shuaibu Sani 70-year-old CCT beneficiary at Gidan Tsika community, Kiyawa LGA. Jigawa state.

But reports across the country suggest that the rate of repayment may not be as cheery as the BOI wants Nigerians to believe. For instance, all of the beneficiaries of Tradermoni in Jigawa State who spoke to PREMIUM TIMES said they have not repaid the first loan.

Saidu Ali, a vegetable trader at Yan-Tipper market in Dutse, the state capital, said with the ease the money was handed out, he thought the government was distributing free cash.

I thought the government will not ask us to pay back the money, he said. Because unlike a bank loan which follows some processes, the Tradermoni loan was done in a day. I know many people who applied and got the money in a day.

Isyaku Ibrahim 72-year-old CCT beneficiary in Gidan Tsika Community, Kiyawa LGA. Jigawa state.

Hafizu Idris, a spare parts trader, said although he was ready to pay back the loan, he did not know how to do so.

I am ready to pay back because they told us that paying back attracts another bigger loan. I also received a text notifying me about paying back the loan, but we dont know how the process works.

Social Investment Programme and Financial Inclusion

According to the Enhancing Financial Innovation & Access (EFInA), a UK Department for International Development (DFID) funded organisation that promotes financial inclusion, at 39.7 per cent in 2018, Nigeria has one of the lowest ratio of unbanked population in the world.

The World Banks Global Financial Inclusion (Global Findex) 2017 gives a similar number. According to the Global Findex, 62.7 million Nigerians are without bank accounts, access to credit and other financial products.

Although the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) National Financial Inclusion Strategy launched in 2012 projected to increase the rate of financial inclusion in the country to 80 per cent in 2020, recent surveys (such as the Global Findex) suggests that the apex bank might have overestimated its projections.

Advertisements



Ironically, while the countrys financial authorities are playing catch up with its task of financially including most Nigerians, experts told PREMIUM TIMES the government missed a golden chance to include an estimated 2.3 million due to the shabby implementation of the SIP, especially, the CCT and the Tradermoni like countries with similar poverty alleviation programmes did.

For instance, Mexicos version of the CCT known as Progresa-Oportunidades-Prospera (POP) is a perfect example of how such programmes can be used to deepen financial inclusion. The programme which kicked off in 1998, was cash-based for the first five years until it began a gradual shift from cash-only payment to paying beneficiaries in savings accounts and later through a prepaid card.

From almost 60 per cent cash payment in 2010, POP eventually stopped paying beneficiaries in cash. By 2011, 80 per cent of payment was done via prepaid cards and 20 per cent paid into savings accounts.

Writing in the Journal of Development Studies, Serena Masino of University of Westminster and Miguel Nino-Zarazua, in the paper titled: Improving Financial Inclusion through the Delivery of Cash Transfer Programmes: The Case of Mexicos Progresa-Oportunidades-Prospera Programme explained how Mexico achieve the transition of POP from cash-based payment to savings and prepaid card payment:

In 2003, the National Savings and Financial Services Bank (BANSEFI), a state-owned development bank, entered a partnership with a network of non-banking institutions known as L@ Red de la Gente (Peoples Network) that includes credit unions, savings and credit associations (SCAs), savings and credit co-operatives (SACCOs), and microfinance institutions. They began, together with POPs National Co-ordination Unit, a pilot phase to deliver POPs grants in savings accounts.

The fact that BANSEFI and L@ Red de la Gente targeted communities where POP also operated provided the opportunity to introduce the pilot phase. In 2009, Visa debit cards were issued to pilot beneficiaries who had already been receiving the grant in savings accounts. Pre-paid cards were also distributed, especially among the rural poor who lived in localities with limited banking infrastructure. By 2011, all POP recipients throughout the country received their transfer in savings accounts with debit or prepaid cards.

Ms Masino and Mr Nino-Zarazau wrote that when beneficiaries of cash transfers are paid through the financial system, it eliminates some of the problems associated with handling cash to recipients such as long travelling and queuing times for many recipient households.

The repercussions were also in terms of opportunity costs for leaving productive activities unattended, and personal safety, as recipients carrying cash were exposed to the risk of theft and assault.

Overall, their study found that when money is paid through saving accounts or similar means such as electronic transfers or prepaid cards, cash transfer programmes in addition to their intended social impacts, can contribute to improving financial inclusion and risk management portfolios of the poor.

For cash transfer programmes to effectively facilitate financial inclusion, extending financial access per se is not enough. Providing incentives to get people to use a broader spectrum of financial services is also key.

Not all the governments SIPs have, however, failed to improve financial inclusion. A report by PREMIUM TIMES showed how the governments Anchor Borrowers Programme (ABP) led thousands of rural farmers to join Nigerias banking population.

Opportunities Missed

Finance experts who spoke to PREMIUM TIMES said the government, by its decision to pay beneficiaries of Tradermoni and CCT, who are mostly poor and unbanked, in cash, lost a huge opportunity to deepen the countrys abysmally low financial inclusion.

Iyinoluwa Aboyeji, the co-founder of Flutterwave, a fintech company, said the Nigeria government could have emulated India which used its own version of cash transfer programme to increase financial inclusion.

He said the implementation of the CCT and Tradermoni suffered from a dearth of innovation and expertise which left it open to corruption and exposed the beneficiaries to extortion and huge opportunity cost.

He said the programme was shabbily implemented.

I thought that was just a bad idea altogether, Mr Aboyeji said. There is a lot to learn about that implementation. Really it shows a dearth of competence, if you ask me in the social payment space and also some of the restriction that the World Bank and international organisations and that lack of innovative thinking that comes with the implementation of these programmes. I really think there was an opportunity to do something interesting. Unfortunately, it didnt happen.

Mr Aboyeji added that contrary to the argument that the government may have settled for cash payment due to poor internet penetration and connectivity in rural areas, the technology needed to digitalise the payment works perfectly offline.

The databases are not so large that one cannot store them remotely and securely on the device.

Another thing to keep in mind is that you dont need traditional banks to service anybody in rural communities. Every rural community you go to already has an established trust system. Why not tap into that trust system.

There is already somebody going around collecting Ajo payment, there is already somebody going around collecting age-grade dues and all that. Why not coopt those systems by making some of the technologies available?

To do these things securely, there are companies like Tap and Pay. This company, Tap and Pay, they collect revenue for local governments already, and there is no question of connectivity. So, there is a lot of organisations, there is a lot of technology out there that is conditioned for offline. We are not the only one that has connectivity problem in the world, India has too but they are able to find a way and get the right experts to leverage their data expertise and build a social registry that is digital and that works, I think those things are just excuses in my opinion.

He said the government also missed the opportunity of using the programme to open up the rural economy.

They should have included the local economy, included the local people. And it should have been open access in such a way that one can leverage the technology and tools to service other sectors. If you are FMCG, you can use it. After all the women are going to use the money they are given from the national cash transfer to buy food. So, there was no reason for them to have done a close cash programme.

Access to credit

Tunde Ajileye, a finance expert and partner with SBM Intelligence, said the CCT and Tradermoni, if implemented through the technology system, would have a wonderful chance to introduce beneficiaries to access to credit facilities, which would have helped combat poverty and uplift the economy.

One of the biggest incentives is that you are giving the person access to credit. And that was what Tradermoni and conditional cash transfer would have done for financial inclusion.

You must give the person an incentive to continue engaging with that system. If they continue to engage there is an impact on the amount they can access or the pool of fund available to them or the kind of transaction they are able to do that they would not have been able to do before.

That Conditional Cash Transfer, if it has been implemented through technology system, would have enabled you to track behaviour, which would have enabled you to offer well-behaved people more money and all of that.

You can then ask them for money but what really happens in Nigeria in terms of financial inclusion is that before you give incentive to make them want to be part of the system, you are already asking them to come and contribute or come and save money upfront. The first thing is access to credit and access to some kind of transactions that they usually would not be able to access because of their exclusion from the financial system; either some government service or some social benefits.

This Conditional Cash transfer would have been a fantastic opportunity but unfortunately what they were doing is handing out cash. It is a terribly wasted opportunity. How are they going to track behaviour if there is no system backing it?

And once you make anything cash based you clearly do not want any transparency and accountability on how funds are being used. Cash is fungible, nobody can trace it, he said.

No response from government

Ms Uwais and the NCTO did not respond to emails sent to them for comments. Ismail Imam, Ms Uwais aide, did not return multiple calls made to his telephone for comment. He later responded to an SMS, promising to provide his principals comment but did not act on the promise despite several reminders.The residents of Chibiri Community in Kuje Area Council have resorted to using herbalists for the treatment of their children due to lack of proper healthcare facility in the area.

The residents told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja that over the years they have lost children to seizure and other ailments.

Fatima Yusuf, a 52-year old female herbalist, said that she treated children in the community with herbs.

I treat children with seizure that parents bring here when they are almost dying and most times if they are taken to the hospital they die because this kind of seizure doesnt like injections.

I get my herbs mostly from the forest close to lakes and valleys and that has a lot of relevance to the effectiveness of the medicine I make from it.

She said that the children stop having seizures immediately she gives the parent some herbs to administer.

Musa Sarki, a 93-year old veteran herbal specialist in the community, said that he treats children who vomit and purge.

Mr Sarki said that he takes care of children that have teething problems especially those whose parents have taken them to the hospital and it still persisted.

I have been doing this all my life. It is a family secret that only those identified with it can do the medication. That is why parents cant just go and plug leaves and give their children.

I normally give the parents to boil and give them to the children at home and the medicines must not be taken with any tablets or drugs.

He said he gets his remedies from the forest and that it took two to three days for effectiveness.

Safia Abubakar, a mother of one of the patients at the herbalist centre, said she resorted to herbal treatment due to lack of proper medical facilities in the community.

Yes there is healthcare centre but there are not enough facilities. So I always go to the herbalist for treatment, especially for my children.

The antenatal here isnt really good and they dont even stay overnight so we sometimes mix the traditional and modern medicine together.

Habiba Ibraham, a nurse at the Chibiri Healthcare Centre, said that they lacked essential facilities to cater to all the needs of the residents.

Mrs Ibrahim said that the healthcare centre always refers patients to the Kuje Hospital for further care.

She said that reports had been made to the health secretariat of the FCT to ensure upgrading of services offered to the teeming residents of the community. (NAN)Kano discovers new polio case  first in three years

A fresh case of Circulating Polio Virus (CPV) has been discovered in 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, 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.

Poor welfare: Resident doctors threaten strike

The Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) has alerted of a brewing crisis in hospitals owned by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA).

The crisis is over alleged poor welfare and working condition of health workers.

Roland Aigbovo, the president of the association, said a lingering stagnation of health workers, stalled implementation of skipping policy and poor working condition were responsible for the proposed industrial action.

He said FCTA resident doctors had a meeting with the outgoing Minister of the FCT, Muhammad Bello, and the Permanent Secretary, Chinyeaka Ohaa.

He said while some of the complaints were resolved, the FCTA management has reneged on some of its promises.

JUTH undertakes first brain surgery using drilling machine

The Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) undertook its first surgery to remove a brain tumour, using a machine that drills the skull bone to gain access to the tumour.

The lead neurosurgeon in the operation, Origoya Binitie, said in the past they had to open the brain which was always risky and led to deaths because the brain is delicate.

It is the first Trans-labyrinthine approach to a posterior fossa tumour. We used the C-Arm machine to drill the skull bone so as to see what is behind even while facing the front of the head.

He said that the tumour had been in the woman for three years before the surgery.

JUTH operates 82-year-old woman, halts 50 years urine leakage

An 82-year-old woman was among 43 victims of Vesico Vagina Fistula (VVF), operated upon by medics of Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH), during a two-weeks medical outreach in Mangu, Plateau State.

VVF is an abnormal fistulous tract extending between the bladder (vesica) and the vagina which allows the continuous involuntary discharge of urine into the vaginal vault. Vaginal fistulas can be upsetting and embarrassing because they leak and cause bad smells.

The most common cause of VVF is usually an injury to the bladder at the time of birth.

The Chief Medical Director of JUTH, Edmund Banwat, said the 82-year-old woman had lived with the uncontrollable urine leakage for more than 50 years before undergoing the surgery that halted it.

Malaria Eradication: WHO, Monaco to inject 2 million euros in eight nations

As part of the measures to eliminate malaria in Africa, the Principality of Monaco and the WHO Regional Office for Africa have forged a new partnership which aims at reducing malaria-related deaths in the Sahel region.

Advertisements



According to WHO, two million Euros will be disbursed over five years to ensure the region is malaria-free.

The funds will support work in eight countries in the Sahel region to accelerate towards malaria elimination. They are Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Chad, The Gambia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, and Senegal.

Cholera: Nigeria identifies 83 local government areas as hotspots

As the rainy season begins, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has identified 83 local government areas as hotspots for cholera in the country.

The agency says three states, Bauchi, Kano and Zamfara, carry over 70 per cent of the burden of the disease in the country.

Cholera hotspots are places where the disease outbreak occurs on a regular basis.

The disease is endemic in more than 47 countries across the globe. In Africa alone, more than 40 million people live in cholera hotspots where outbreaks are (a) regular occurrence, WHO said.

Female Genital Mutilation thrives in Oyo despite laws banning it

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is still being practised in parts of Oyo State despite the global outcry against the practice.

A report issued by a Nigerian organisation working on youth and environmental health revealed this.

The outcome of the findings, acknowledged by a local and an international body, was made available to PREMIUM TIMES by the Executive Director, Value Re-orientation for Community Enhancement (VARCE), Ademola Adebisi.

It showed the prevalence of FGM in Ibadan North-east, Ibadan North, Akinyele and Afijio local government areas of the state.

Skin Health Day: Organic creams in Nigeria can cause cancer  Dermatologists

The Nigeria Association of Dermatologists have warned that using mixed skin creams, commonly known as organic creams, constituted more danger than good.

The dermatologists raised the alarm at a public sensitisation exercise at Bodija market, Ibadan, on Saturday.

The medical doctors held the campaign to commemorate the 2019 World Skin Health Day, tagged Skin Care and Sun Protection.

A consultant dermatologist, Ngozi Akueme, said that many of the organic skin products, which have become major beauty trends, contain high doses of steroids and harmful chemicals, including hydroquinone.RTHK: German coalition in danger after SPD leader quits

The leader of the junior coalition partner in Germany's government has resigned over her party's poor performance in last week's European elections, raising the possibility that Chancellor Angela Merkel's administration could collapse.

Andrea Nahles, who heads the centre-left Social Democratic Party (SPD), has come under intense pressure after following its worst European election results.

With an eye on three key state elections in eastern Germany in September, the SPD had initially planned to re-examine its partnership with Merkel's centre-right alliance in the autumn.

But ahead of a planned leadership vote on Tuesday, Nahles said she would give up her jobs as both party chief and head of its parliamentary group.

Ms Nahles' resignation could threaten the current government. If the SPD were to quit the coalition, the fall of the government would be likely to trigger fresh elections.

The alliance between Merkel's Christian Democrats and the SPD was fragile from the start, with the smaller party's left wing saying compromise has lost them votes. (AFP)

This story has been published on: 2019-06-02. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.Videos

Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos.Pakistan Air Force PAF Civilian Staff Jobs 2019

Latest Pakistan Air Force PAF Air Force Posts Rawalpindi 2021 Join Pakistan Ar Force as Civilian Officer for the post post of Carpenter Foreman, Lab Foreman, Nurse, Assistant Foreman, Civilian Religious Teacher, Charge Head MT Fitter, Charge Head Electric Fitter, Charge Head Carpenter, Charge Head Engine Fitter, Charge Head Smith, Charge HeadWelder, Assistant Storekeeper, LDC, Medical Assistant, Anti Malaria Supervisor, Male Nurse, Ground Superintendent, Mid Wife, HS 2 Machine Operator, Khadim Masjid, Technician, Driver, STM, Cook in Rawalpindi, Lahore Karachi, Peshawar, Multan and Other Regions of Pakistan .

How to Apply on Pakistan Air Force PAF Job Advertisement

Apply as per details in job advertisement. In some cases, you may apply online at vacancies after registering at https://www.jobz.pk online.

Note: Beware of Fraudulent Recruiting Activities. If an employer asks to pay money for any purpose, do not pay at all and report us at contact us form. Apply as per instuctions & dates mentioned in official job ad. Govt jobs may not be applied online here. Human typing error is possible. Error & omissions excepted.The Nigeria army will henceforth conduct polio vaccination in locations in Borno State made inaccessible to health workers by the Boko Haram insurgency, the Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, has said.

This decision was taken as the world looks up to Nigeria and sub-Saharan Africa to do the needful for the eradication of poliomyelitis in the world.

It is expected that if no new case of polio virus is detected in Nigeria by August, Africa will attain the wild polio eradication goal, thereby making the entire world polio-free.

But for the 2016 outbreak of polio virus in Borno State, Africa would have long ago celebrated the kicking out of poliomyelitis in its continent.

With Boko Haram holding several territories in the state and making health workers unable to get the polio vaccine to children in those community, it appeared that the August 2019 deadline may not be realised unless something extraordinary is done.

It is against the background that Nigeria looks up to its military to help Africa realise that goal.

To this end, Mr Buratai on May 14 re-inaugurated what he called The Theatre Command Buratai Initiative Task Force (TCBITF).

The task force was set up to help eradicate polio in Borno State. It could be recalled that the BITF was in 2016 inaugurated but its activities later went down.

According to the chief of army staff, Nigeria being one of the three countries in the world, with Borno as the only state with the last known case wild case of polio virus, warranted the establishment of the BITF.

Mr Buratai, a lieutenant-general, spoke in a keynote address at the opening of sensitisation training for soldiers on polio eradication.

The programme on Saturday was organised by the Nigerian army in collaboration with the Borno State Primary Health Development Agency and the World Health Organization (WHO).

The army chief said in the last three years, the initiative has reached many insecure communities with the oral polio vaccine, thereby enhancing the progress in polio interruption in the northeast.

Despite that achievement, Mr Buratai, who was represented by the Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, Benson Akinroluyo, said there still remain areas where children were not reached with the vaccine due to the insurgency by the Boko Haram terrorists.

The National Primary Healthcare Commission on May 14 urged the army to step up the activities of the BITF in the unreached areas in order to deescalate the risk of polio transmission.

In response, Mr Buratai instructed that a task force be set up at the Headquarters of the Theatre Command and replicated in all the sectors, brigades and units level across the theatre.

This is to ensure deep penetration of all settlements which were hitherto inaccessible are reached within three months as against six months proposed by the NPHC, said the Theatre Commander.

With this development, Mr Akinroluyo said the Theatre Commander BITF becomes the central coordinating task for the polio eradication in Northeast Nigeria.

Headed by Augustine Omogbethai, the commander 7 Division medical services and hospital, the BITF is charged to liaise and collaborate with the Borno state PHDA, to ensure the inaccessible settlements are reached, and also collate the implementation sectors reports.

Mr Akinrolyo said the task forces at the Brigade, units, divisional, brigade and battalion levels, are to be headed by the respective medical commanders with the support of their medical personnel and teams from the state and local government areas.

He said the idea is to ensure prompt and effective administration of polio vaccines to the unreached settlements.

PREMIUM TIMES gathered that Since May 14 when the task force was set up in Maiduguri, the BITF has mapped out its strategies which include clustering of the theatre environment into six zones, establishment of four levels of engagements to get the vaccines to the unreached settlements and further composition of the BITF at formations and unit levels.

The Theatre commander said he is optimistic that the sensitisation programmed for soldiers on polio will add impetus to the drive for the eradication of polio in Nigeria.

Earlier, the Executive Director, Borno State PHCDA, Sule Mele, said it was as a result of the commitments of the theatre Command that the state was able to achieve 32 months without any case of wild polio outbreak.

Advertisements



Mr Mele said about 37 per cent of the Borno state unreached settlements is still inaccessible due to the activities of the Boko Haram.

Weve also been able to reach 63 per cent of our inaccessible settlements with life-saving oral polio vaccines, he said.

Our civilian vaccination teams were able to visit inaccessible settlements due to the improved security situation in the state. Despite the successes; there is still more work to be done.

According to him, there are still an estimated 60,484 unreached children trapped in 2,622 settlements in the state.

We need to reach these children and communities before October this year.

Commending the Chief of Army staff for reinvigorating the BITF, Mr Mele said his directives would enable Nigeria to reach the children in those isolated communities by August.

He said the country and Africa are looking up to the military to access these settlements to achieve polio-free certification.

Head of the BITF, Mr Omogbethai said the task before him and his men is very clear.

The training seminar is to equip the military officers who will be in the forefront of the final administration of polio vaccines in unreached locations with the adequate knowledge and technicalities of administering the vaccine, said Mr Omogbethai, a medical doctor.

The officers being trained will further down step the knowledge gained at their various units and it is so designed so that we can get this done with within three months.A senator, Dino Melaye, has confirmed recent reports claiming he is poised to contest the forthcoming governorship election in Kogi State.

Mr Melaye, currently representing Kogi West Senatorial District, was reported late Saturday to be eyeing the position.

According to Punch newspaper, the senator made his intention public at a meeting in the residence of David Jemibewon, a retired major general.

The meeting was attended by leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the newspaper reported.

In a short SMS in response to PREMIUM TIMES inquiry late Saturday, Mr Melaye confirmed as very true the report about his intention.

He gave no further details.

If he emerges as PDP candidate, the senator will go head-to-head with his bitter rival and current governor of the state, Yahaya Bello. This also depends on if the ruling APC decides to field the governor as its candidate.

Gideon Ayodele, an aide to Mr Melaye told Punch that the senator was responding to the call from PDP leaders present at the meeting, asking anyone interested in contesting to signify intention within two weeks.

At this point, Senator Dino Melaye stood up and informed the meeting of his intention to join the race to Lugard House, the seat of Kogi State government come November, Mr Ayodele said.

Mr Melaye, a controversial senator, is being prosecuted by the police for allegedly aiding violence in Kogi and for allegedly attempting to commit suicide while being taken to Kogi by the police.

The Kogi governorship election holds on November 16.The menace of insecurity continued across Nigeria last week with at least 35 people killed in different attacks. There were also seven reported kidnap cases.

While President Muhammadu Buhari during the week blamed police failure and military deterioration for the security challenges, the army chief, Tukur Buratai, insisted that the Boko Haram terror group has been defeated.

While the blame game continues, however, many Nigerians continue to fall victims to armed criminals.

Sunday

Gunmen attacked Plateau State Polytechnic Staff Quarters and abducted a lady, identified as Murbi.

The gunmen held the entire polytechnic community hostage for hours with sporadic gunshots before making their escape with the victim, who was staying with her guardian at the staff quarters.

An Assistant Registrar of the Polytechnic, Ezekiel Rangs, whose sister was recently released after she was abducted by gunmen at the staff quarters, confirmed the fresh attack to Punch Newspaper.

Im provoked this morning. You people need to come and see what we are suffering in the hands of gunmen at the staff quarters. The situation is unbearable, he said.

In Bayelsa, the wife of a lecturer at the Niger Delta University (NDU) was kidnapped at Gbarantoru community in Yenagoa.

The gunmen reportedly entered the community through River Nun in a speedboat and headed to the residence of the lecturer, identified simply as Dr Charles.

While he escaped the abductors, his wife was kidnapped

The spokesman for the Bayelsa State Police Command, Asinim Butswat, confirmed the incident to journalists.

Also, police confirmed that no fewer than five persons were killed and 12 houses burnt last Sunday in violence that erupted in Jos, the Plateau State capital.

The Plateau police spokesperson, Tyopev Terna, said the violence broke out following the discovery of the body of one Enock Monday. The corpse was found between Dutse Uku and Anguwan Damisa communities in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State.

Monday

Gunmen attacked the house of one Gyang Dachung of Nakai Danwal Village in Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State, killing six members of the household.

Plateau State Police spokesperson, Terna Tyopev, in a statement confirming the incident said the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations in the Command, Aliyu Tafida, visited the scene for assessment.

He called on the public to help them with information that will be useful for their investigation.

Tuesday

Suspected armed bandits on Tuesday killed at least 23 people in attacks on Tunga and Kabaje villages in Sakajiki district of Kaura Namoda Local Government Area of Zamfara state.

Residents said dozens of gunmen arrived on motorbikes around 5:30 a.m. shortly after Sahur Islamic meal and they started shooting. They said some of the residents were trapped and got killed on farms.

Lawal Abdullahi, the council chairman of Kaura Namoda local government, while confirming the attack, said efforts were being made to bury the victims and ensure the security of other communities.

Boko Haram Terrorists used to illustrate the story.

Also, Grace Ucha, the mother of Terkaa Ucha, a member of the Benue State House of Assembly was kidnapped, the police confirmed.

Advertisements



Mrs Ucha was kidnapped at her country home in Tse-Ucha Tordima, Mbayongo in Vandeikya.

Two other persons were abducted at Dan-Ali village in the Danmusa Local Government Area of Katsina State.

The duo, Alhaji Musa and Alhaji Gambo, were kidnapped around 1 a.m.

Thursday

A lecturer of Hassan Usman Polytechnic in Katsina, Bashir Ruwangodiya, was kidnapped.

He was said to have gone to deliver the ransom demanded by the kidnappers of another lecturer in the school, Bello Birch, who was abducted earlier on the same day.

President Muhammadu Buhari

The chairman of Senior Staff Association of the Polytechnic, Mansur Garba, who confirmed the kidnap, described it as unfortunate.

Saturday:

Boko Haram insurgents in the early hours of Saturday stormed a mosque at Sajeri, near Ngomari, on the outskirts of Maiduguri, killing a worshipper.

They grabbed a male worshipper and slaughtered him in the open, as majority of the worshippers fled towards Ngomari, a source told Daily Trust newspaper.

Bello Danbatta, an official of the State Emergency Management Agency(SEMA), merely said: Only one person was injured in the attack but the Boko Haram fighters were chased away. However, the worshipers scampered for safety following sporadic gunshots

Buhari Speaks on Insecurity

While appearing on NTA last week, President Muhammadu Buhari blamed police failure and a decline in military efficiency for the insecurity across Nigeria.

Days after, the Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, said that the Boko Haram terrorist group has since been defeated but the Nigerian military is now fighting an international criminal gang known as Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP).A member of the House of Representatives, Olajide Olatubosun (APC-Oyo) has said that the National Assembly is faced with existential threat.

Mr Olatubosun seeks to be the Speaker of the 9th House of Representatives to be inaugurated next week.

Although his party has publicly endorsed Femi Gbajabiamila, a Lagos lawmaker, for the position, Mr Olatubosun vowed not to step down from the race.

Briefing journalists in Abuja, he said that he would fight against imposition with the last drop of his blood.

The APC has zoned the office of the Speaker to the South-west and endorsed Mr Gbajabiamila for the office.

Mr Olatubosun said that section 50 sub-section 1b of the 1999 Constitution as amended says that members shall elect from among themselves any member with legislative experience to become speaker.

He said the APCs endorsement of Mr Gbajabiamila was illegal.

Im a party man only to the extent that the decisions of the party conforms with the Constitution, he said.

He said that the doctrine of Separation of Power says that there are three arms of government with separate functions and responsibilities.

A member of the House of Representatives, Olajide Olatubosun

The lawmaker explained that the different arms of government should cooperate with one another without compromising the principle of Checks and Balances.

The executive is not superior to the legislature, no. Unfortunately, because of our long years of military rule, the legislative arm has been bastardised so much.

The legislature, which is the National Assembly in our case, came into continuous flow since 1999; this institution is faced with existential threat.

Many people in government do not think we should exist anyway; so it in our best interest and for future generation for us to allow people to decide who leads us.

The members of the House of Representatives are matured, well travelled with the required exposure to choose one of them to lead. So I will not support any form of imposition, he said.

The lawmaker said that he has friends from across political parties and that the support he enjoys is devoid of inducement.

He described the legislative arm as the backbone of democracy adding that the institution needed to run with a new approach.

Femi Gbajabiamila

He said he would be a servant speaker if elected and shall serve members, support staff, the media and all other stakeholders.

The legislator said if he is elected speaker, he would prioritise the budgetary process as the present system is not good enough.

He said that the process should be more inclusive for it to achieve the desired aims and objectives.

Mr Olatubosun also said that if he is elected speaker, he would ensure that the Security Trust Fund Bill is passed for better funding of security agencies.

Stressing the need for better funding, he said that the security agents are doing a lot, sacrificing their comfort and lives for citizens to walk freely.

He said that the issue of state police would be given adequate consideration as its existence in other countries has contributed to the security of lives and properties.

He said that attention would be given to fundamental Human Rights particularly for women, children, Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and the poorest of the poor.

Advertisements



(NAN)Nigerias erstwhile Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke, has signalled his intention to return to the country four years after proceeding abroad on self-exile.

In an exclusive interview with PREMIUM TIMES, the former minister dismissed suggestions that he was evading prosecution by the Nigerian authorities.

Mr Adoke said he was getting ready to return between July and September, after four years outside the country on self-imposed exile.

I am ready to submit myself to prosecution. I am not ready to submit myself to persecution, he said, as he justified his prolonged stay outside the country.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said some appointees of the Goodluck Jonathan administration, including Mr Adoke, have questions to answer concerning the infamous $1.1billion Malabu Oil scandal for which oil giants Shell and ENI are being prosecuted in multiple jurisdictions.

But the former attorney general has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and a Nigerian court ruled in April 2018 that he cannot be held personally liable for his role in the controversial deal.

In the judgement, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court agreed with Mr Adokes submissions that his involvement in the transaction, which resulted in the sale of Nigerias oil well, OPL 245, was in compliance with his constitutional duties as attorney general.

In his interview with this medium, the former minister said his stay abroad has little to do with the Malabu matter.

He said he initially left the country for further studies but that as he was planning to return after his academic programme, he received counsel from some influential well-wishers that there was a plot to unjustly incarcerate him and that he should stay away from harms way.

I would not put myself before a moving train, he said.  I needed to be heard because the modus operandi of those investigating was working to an answer, not investigative.

Mr Adoke said he also needed time to attend to his health while also documenting the story of his stewardship.

The former minister, who left Nigeria in June 2015, first headed to The Hague, where he undertook advanced studies in international criminal law, graduating in August 2016.

I worked on some very credible intelligence at that time from people from within and outside the government. I was advised not to come back at that time, he told this newspaper.

So, I had the option to go on for my PhD. I had even submitted my proposal for the PhD. At the same time, allegations were being made against me, which I needed to clear. At the end I opted for writing about my experience.

Former Attorney-General of the Federation, Bello Adoke.

Mr Adoke said he has just completed his memoir titled Burden of Service, which is due for release in July.

He described the book as a tell-all narrative which documented his five-year tenure as attorney general of the federation, and some key political and administrative moments of the country during the period of his stewardship.

Mr Adoke said many people accused of infractions were not being accorded fair hearing during investigation, hence his decision to first tell his own story.

The books title, he said, underlines the burden that comes with public office in Nigeria because it is really a burden to serve Nigeria as a country that is ungrateful to those who have served it.

Mr Adoke lamented that his job as attorney general was a tough and difficult one, with many expectations and difficult decisions to contend with.

From my experience, if people cant eat, it is the attorney general, he said. If people dont get appointment, it is the attorney general. If people didnt get this, it is the attorney general. So, it is a very difficult job and people who have passed through that office would tell you that it is very difficult.

Mr Adoke however commended former President Goodluck Jonathan for giving him free hands to operate as the countrys number one law officer.

But I was very lucky, I had a very understanding president. I had a president who allowed me to do my work. I had a president who has a listening ear.

I had a president who understood the fact that he was a constitutional president and must work within the confines of the law.

Advertisements



On issues of the law he deferred to me. If you tell the president something is illegal he would not go ahead and do it, no matter the prejudices or his preferences.The Sango-Ota Command of Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Ogun, has advised motorists to exercise patience in trying to get to their various destinations during the Eid-El-Fitr celebrations.

Akeem Gainya, the Sango-Ota Unit Commander, gave the advice in an Interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ota, Ogun State on Sunday.

NAN reports that the federal government has declared Tuesday and Wednesday as public holidays for the Muslims faithful to celebrate the Eid-el-Fitr.

Mr Gainya said the advice became necessary because of the increase of vehicular movement during the celebration capable of leading to unnecessary road accidents.

He advised motorists to refrain from reckless driving during the Sallah as the nation was in the rainy season.

Avoid speeding due to the wet nature of the highways to prevent unnecessary loss of lives. 

FRSC also wants to enjoin motorists to have consideration for other road users to avoid crashes during the Sallah celebration.

The unit commander further implored motorists to plan their journey by ensuring their vehicles were in proper condition before embarking on any trips.

(NAN)The General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry, William Kumuyi, on Sunday urged Christians not to attack the president of the country through any means.

Mr Kumuyi, who gave the admonition during his sermon at the Deeper Life Bible Church, Headquarters, Gbagada, in Lagos said that real Christians must obey constituted authorities and shun violence.

Delivering his sermon entitled The Believers Preservation Until the Day of Visitation, Mr Kumuyi said that Christians are strangers and pilgrims in the world and must be Christ-like in their character, conducts and conversations.

The cleric, who read from Biblical passage, I Peter 2: 11-25 said that Christians lifestyle must reflect Christ in civil society, saying that government derives their authority from God.

Dont attack the president of the country whether in words or in the newspapers or through internet.

Honour kings; dont disrespect or dishonour the governors. Dont disrespect leaders of the community and leaders in the church.

If we are to honour the governors in the states, how much more the pastors,  Mr Kumuyi said.

He said that such remains the will and command of God.

He said that God wanted Christians to submit to the leadership He had given to them in the Church, community, country and corporate organisations.

The cleric, who stated that the end of life on earth is not the end of existence, urged Christians to always think of the day of reckoning in their character and conduct.

He said, as strangers and pilgrims in the world, Christians affections, attention and focus must be in heaven, hence the need to shun all appearance of sins.

According to him, the greatest joy and reward of Christians is not in this world but is reserved in heaven for those would not be overcome by attractions of the world.

Mr Kumuyi admonished Christians to abstain from fleshly lusts, fornication, idolatry, anger among others that could pull them out of the highway of heaven just like Biblical character, Demas.

According to him, Christians should not give up the worship of God for money-making ventures, saying man brought nothing to the world and will not take anything out of it..

If we are going to heaven, we must be careful and thoughtful and run from all appearance of evil.

Dont be ignorant, careless, and thoughtless. Many are ignorant of the day of visitation, Kumuyi added.

The cleric urged Christians to shine as a light in the world through their lifestyles, saying Jesus Christ had given them an example to follow even when they are being persecuted in the world. (NAN)A contender for the position of Senate President in the 9th Senate, Ahmed Lawan, has expressed confidence that senators of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will endorse him.

Speaking with journalists in Abuja on Saturday, Mr Lawan said he expects all senators of the opposition party to support his bid.

Details of the briefing were shared with PREMIUM TIMES by journalists present.

The lawmakers comment came as a reaction to his endorsement by Peter Nwaboshi, a PDP senator.

Mr Lawan, who is currently the Senate Leader, said Nigerians only care about the betterment of their lives and not the political parties lawmakers represent.

He noted that what Mr Nwaboshi did is not a crack in the fence of PDP but a display of patriotism.

The senator also praised Ifeanyi Uba, a senator of the Young Peoples Party (YPP) for his support.

We are expecting the PDP senator-elects to  all of them  have an understanding with us and endorse me as a caucus, he said.

Let me first pay tribute first to Senator Ifeanyi Uba of the YPP. Senator Ifeanyi Uba identified with our aspirations the first day the idea of running for this office and he has been with us all through. We are campaigning together and sometimes he goes alone to spread our vision for the ninth assembly.

Particularly to the endorsement by Senator Peter Nwoboshi who is a serving senator and also a PDP senator. What the endorsement means is not a crack in the fence of the PDP but in the Senate. What the endorsement means is that feeling of patriotism, that feeling of the necessity of all of us that will be in the ninth Senate to work together in the national interest.

That feeling that Nigerians dont care what platform you represent in the Senate. What Nigerians care for will be what the ninth is able to do to better their lives.

What Nigerians care for is the improvement in the security of their lives and properties. What Nigerians care about is how the economy will be improved and enhanced and revitalised so that it is an all-inclusive economy.

An economy that will work for those at the lowest level of the ladder and those at the highest level. Those who will great the businesses and those who will need to be employed.

Mr Lawan said although the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari brought the country out of recession, a lot more needs to be done in collaboration with the National Assembly.

We know that this administration has done a lot in the last four years, getting out recession to a growth per cent of between two and three per cent of the GDP today. But we are still faced with that challenge if expanding the economy, diversifying the economy or providing employment for our teeming youth who need to have accommodation in the economy.

That is what Nigerians expect the National Assembly to do with the executive arm of government.

So our platforms are simply vehicles that will convey everybody [to parliament]. We have our belief and whatever our beliefs are and whatever your political party is, it must be central in looking at one thing  how do I work with my colleagues to making Nigeria better, he said.

Mr Lawan is a major contender for the position having emerged as candidate favoured by the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Senators Ali Ndume and Danjuma Goje are other APC aspirants, even though the latter has not publicly declared intention.

As experienced in 2015, the vote of opposition lawmakers is very crucial in the emergence of presiding officers of the Senate.

Even though Mr Lawan was the favoured candidate of APC in 2015, another party man, Bukola Saraki, was able to lobby the PDP lawmakers and eventually won.

Election of presiding officers of the 9th Senate is expected to hold on June 11.The Nigerian police are preparing to launch a mobile app which it says would help in its fight against the rising crime wave in the country.

At least 35 people were killed nationwide last week, as Nigerians continue to grabble with insecurity, alongside the insurgency in the North-east.

The app, called police-VGS, is in its test-running stage, the police said on Saturday via Twitter.

The police said in a promotional video that the app would help citizens do quick reporting of crimes like kidnapping, robbery, cultism, rape and domestic violence to the police.

The app would be helpful even where there is communal unrest, the police said in the video.

Within five seconds of reporting, the appropriate government security or emergency agency would be alerted and help would be deployed immediately, the video claims.

All that a citizen would do is to swipe the police-VGS app on his mobile phone when a crime, fire, medical emergency or natural disaster occurs, and then policemen would be alerted immediately and help would be sent your way promptly.

The app would be available on IOS and Google play store.

Some Nigerians, apparently prompted by the promotional video, have been visiting the Google play store for the app which has not been released yet.

One Nigerian who gave his name as Peter Osagie said he downloaded a similar security app called Smart Police while he was searching for the Police-VGS app.

It is only in this country that you advertised what is not there. After referring people to so-called app, it could not be found, said another Nigerian, Ibrahim Yunusa, who stumbled on the Smart Police app, while also searching for the Police-VGS app.

The Police-VGS App is part of broader technological tools being deployed by the Nigeria Police to smartly combat crimes in the country.

It will soon be formally launched by the IGP and thereafter made available for public use, the police said on Twitter, using its official handle @PoliceNG.Ahead of election for the presidency of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on June 4, President Muhammadu Buhari, on Sunday, sent a Federal Government delegation to support Nigerias candidate, Tijjani Muhammad- Bande.

If he wins, Mr Bande, who is the Permanent Representative of Nigeria to the UN, will become the second Nigerian to be elected President of UNGA.

Joseph Garba, a retired Nigerian Army major-general who previously served as foreign affairs minister under the then military government, held the position between 1989 and 1990.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mustapha Sulaiman, is leading the delegation, a press release by presidential spokesperson, Garba Shehu, stated.

Other members of the delegation are the Director-General, National Intelligence Agency, Ahmed Abubakar; Executive Secretary, Petroleum Technology Development Fund, Bello Gusau; and Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu.

President Buhari is confident that Nigerias Presidency of the 74th session of the UN General Assembly will provide a unique opportunity for Nigeria to lead the global call to tackle the political, social, economic and environmental challenges facing the world, Mr Shehu said in the statement.

Nigeria looks forward to working with UN member states to promote international peace and security, prevent conflict, strengthen global action to tackle climate change, ensure inclusion, human rights, and empowerment of youth and women.

Nigeria hopes to build on progress made under Ecuadors Presidency of the 73rd Assembly led by Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces, and further promote key themes that President Buhari has championed on the global stage since 2015, which include climate change, combating terrorism and violent extremism, and establishing functional anti-corruption mechanisms to assist countries like Nigeria to recover and repatriate stolen funds.President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday departed the royal terminal of King AbdulAziz International Airport, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, for Abuja, after attending the 14th summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Makkah.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the presidential aircraft conveying the president and members of his entourage left the Jeddah airport for Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, at about 2:45 pm local time.

Some senior officials of the Government of Saudi Arabia led by the Deputy Governor of Mecca Province, Abdullah Bin Bandar Bin Abdulaziz, were at the airport to bid the president farewell.

Also at the airport were officials of the Nigerian Embassy in Saudi Arabia.

While in Saudi Arabia, the president participated in the OIC summit where he noted with delight the decision of the organisation to support the Inter-Basin Water Transfer project, aimed at recharging the Lake Chad.

According to the Nigerian leader, the shrinking of Lake Chad to about 10 per cent of its original size had adversely affected over 30 million livelihoods in the sub-region.

He stressed that the shrinking had caused severe economic deprivation, fuelled illegal migration to Europe, caused displacement of communities and radicalisation of youth, forcing them to join the Boko Haram terrorist group.

President Buhari, during the summit, also thanked the organisation for its various interventions under the Special Programme for the Development of Africa and the Islamic Solidarity Fund for Development.

According to him, the robust interventions of the various OIC institutions, particularly the IDB group, had been effective in such key sectors as trade and investment, agriculture, rural development and food security.

He said: For instance, we in Nigeria appreciate the banks support for our National Food Security Programme and the various road and school rehabilitation projects and the second Niger Bridge.

He expressed confidence that the continued support of Nigerias multilateral partners, notably the OIC and the Islamic Development Bank group, would be most needed as the country redoubled efforts towards achieving rapid socio-economic development.

President Buhari, on June 1, had a bilateral meeting with the Chadian President, Idris Deby Itno, in Makkah on the sideline of the meeting of the OIC.

During the meeting, the president said he would host leaders of the Lake Basin Commission to an informal security summit on the sideline of his second term inaugural ceremonies on June 12 in Abuja.

According to the president, the summit is meant to fashion out new strategies to bring to a permanent end, Boko Haram terrorism, being faced by the countries of the Lake Chad region.

Shortly before leaving the Holy City of Makkah, President Buhari met briefly with the former Head of State, Abdulsalami Abubakar, who was in Makkah to perform the lesser hajj.

The Nigerian leader had, during the summit, expressed appreciation to the government and people of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the elaborate arrangements for the success of the summit.

Since Nigeria joined the OIC in 1986, President Buhari has become the third Nigerian leader to attend its conference, after late President Umaru YarAdua and President Goodluck Jonathan. (NAN)The All Progressives Congress senator representing Lagos West, Solomon Adeola, says any move to adopt the 2015 Senate Standing Order for the election of the leadership of 9th assembly of the Senate will be resisted.

Mr Adeola, who was speaking with journalists in Abuja on Sunday, said the proper procedure was not followed in amending the 2015 standing order, which the 8th Senate is currently using.

He noted that the 2011 standing order allowed for open ballot system, which is the practice in parliaments in other climes.

The lawmaker said one of the best things that would happen to the 9th Senate is to jettison the 2015 standing order and adopt that of 2011.

According to him, adopting the 2011 standing order will give room for open ballot system in the 9th Senate election, that will afford Nigerians the opportunity to know choices being made on their behalf by their lawmakers.

Mr Adeola, Chairman, Senate Committee on Local Content, said: in all parliaments of the world, lawmakers are allowed to at least mention who should be their presiding officers.

The rule book as it currently has not met the necessary criteria that can be relied upon to elect our new presiding officers.

It is on that note that we are all calling for open ballot system, where every lawmaker will stand up, mention your senatorial district, who you are nominating to be the next presiding officer in the 9th Senate.

That is the procedure we are all agitating for and that is the position we are going to maintain in electing our new president of the Senate by the grace of God.

The rule book for 2011 which is the rule book that ordinarily would have been used in 2015 was not properly amended.

It was done by the management of the National Assembly and not by the members of the Senate.

Meanwhile, the 2011 rule book was amended in line with the rules of the Senate and as such we will opt for it in the 9th assembly.

The lawmaker further said: the 2015 rule book will not be relied upon because it did not undergo the necessary process for it to be amended in accordance with the rule of the Senate.

So, it cannot be used to elect our new leaders and we are going for the open ballot system. That is allowed in a democratic system.

Lawmakers are allowed to stand up and address themselves and make known what position they are taking.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that recent calls by some groups for the 9th Senate to adopt open ballot system in the election of the president of the Senate and other presiding officers had caused heated debate among stakeholders, particularly lawmakers.

Some lawmakers believed that the 2015 standing order, used in electing members of the 8th Senate, did not follow due process and as such, the 2011 standing order should be used in the 9th session.

They believed that the use of secret ballot system in the 2015 Senate election was a charade, noting that the 2011 order which allowed for open ballot system was not properly amended.

Meanwhile, standing orders, also known as standing rules or rules, refer to the body of rules, ethics and customs governing legislative bodies.

In Nigeria, standing orders are rules made in line with Section 60 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), for the smooth operation of the National Assembly.

Section 60 states that Subject to the provisions of this constitution, the Senate or the House of Representatives shall have powers to regulate its own procedure, including the procedure for summoning and recess of the House.

The rules were binding on all members and if violated the offender would be severely punished based its provision.

However, it could be suspended, amended, or changed by majority voting depending on the situation under consideration.

(NAN)

Advertisements

The Nasarawa State Universal Basic Education Board has responded to a Freedom of Information request by Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), disclosing how the government spent Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) funds on primary school education between 2015 and 2019 including spending N45 million in one week to train one thousand primary school teachers.

This development was disclosed today in a statement by SERAP deputy director, Kolawole Oluwadare.

The governments response followed FOI requests SERAP sent last month to the Nasarawa State Universal Basic Education Board (NSUBEB), UBEC, and 35 other state universal basic education boards, seeking details of spending on primary education across the country, given the poor state of education in many states of the federation.

In the letter with reference number NS/UBEB/S/OFF-69/VOL.I/XX and signed by the Board Secretary, Yakubu Ahmed Ubangari, on behalf of the Executive Chairman, the Nasarawa State Education Board disclosed that Our counterpart fund for primary education in 2015 was N866,756,76 while the matching grant was N876,756,756,76. In 2016, our counterpart fund was N607,848,100.48 while the matching grant was N607,849,100.48. The total fund we accessed in 2015 was N1,753,513,513.52. For 2016, it was N1,215,698,200.96.

According to the letter, In 2015, we spent N45,000,000.00 in one week to train 1000 primary one and two teachers on Jolly Phonics teaching in our schools. The objective is to improve staff and pupils synthetic phonics in English language and to read and write effectively. The training took place in the 3 Senatorial district centres in the state.

The letter with accompanying documents dated 21 May 2019, but which SERAP said it received last Friday, read in part: We spent N13,925,336.36 to construct 3 classrooms with 1 office at Kwagshir Primary School. The construction was done by Gibbs Scientific Nigeria Limited. We spent N13,925,336.36 to construct 3 classrooms with 1 office at Riri Primary School; the construction was done by Muuru Puhu Services Nigeria Limited.

We spent N3,030,791.00 to construct toilet with 4 compartments; the construction was done by A. Odumu Unique. We spent N220,472,000.00 on supply of chairs and desk; the supplier was Innate Resources Services Limited.

We spent N13,925,336.36 to construct 3 classrooms block at Yarkadde Primary School, Keffi; the contractors name is Dan Dogara Oil Limited. The project is 100 percent completed. We spent N13,925,336.36 to construct 3 classrooms block at Feferuwa South Primary School, Lafia; the contractors name is Alfada Global Ventures Limited. The project is 96 percent completed; the balance of N526,213.68 to be paid.

We spent N13,925,336.36 to construct 3 classrooms block at Abebe Primary School, Keana; the contractors name is Calfez Nigeria Limited. We spent N13,925,336.36 to construct 3 classrooms block at Igyomuh Primary School, Keana; the contractors name is Suleimaniya Integrated Services Limited. We spent N13,925,336.36 to construct 3 classrooms block at Yelwan Bassan Early Child Primary School, Kokona; contractors name is Dougymarks Nigeria Limited.

In 2016, we received N165,000,000.00 which was spent as follows: N45,000,000.00 was spent on Training of Primary One, Two and one Jolly Phonics; N78,110,080.00 was spent on Training of Basic Education Teachers and Administration on Clusters; N20,000,000.00 was spent on Strengthening Mathematics and Science Education (SMASE); N10,000,000.00 was spent on Training of LGEA Quality Assurance Teachers; N8,250,000.00 was spent on Training of 165 ECCD Staff, while N3,639,920.00 was spent on LGEA Cluster Support Mechanism Training.

N78,110,080.00 was spent to train 1550 basic education teachers and school administrators on cluster model in 31 centres in the state. The training was for 13 weeks. We spent N20,000,000.00 to train 300 teachers to strengthen mathematics and science education (SMASE). The training was for six weeks. Also, we spent N10,000,000.00 to train 150 teachers on Quality Assurance in our schools; the training took 3 weeks. We spent N8,250,000.00 to train 165 teachers on the use of curriculum and teachers guide, and instructional materials; the training took one week.

We spent N13,925,336.36 to construct 3 classrooms block at Wayo Primary School, Wamba; the contractors name is First Trinity Integrated Services Limited. We spent N13,925,336.36 to construct 3 classrooms block at Apringbo Primary School, Doma; the contractors name is Honey Darl Pharmacy. We spent N13,925,336.36 to construct 3 classrooms block at Umme Primary School, N/Eggon; the contractors name is Abufat Global Ventures.

We spent N13,925,336.36 to construct 3 classrooms block at Nahuche Primary School, Nasarawa; the contractors name is Nlonnu Global SGL. We spent N13,925,336.36 to construct 3 classrooms block at Pesin Primary School, Toto; the contractors name is Sofian Al-Venture Limited. We spent N13,925,336.36 to construct 3 classrooms block at Mama Pilot Primary School, Wamba; the contractors name is VAASR Multi Venture. We spent N13,925,336.36 to construct 3 classrooms block at Mudu Primary School, Doma; the contractors name is Baba Muha Ventures.

We spent N13,925,336.36 to construct 3 classrooms block at Saura Mada Primary School, Kokona; the contractors name is Ayime Kweyi Enterprises. We spent N13,925,336.36 to construct 3 classrooms block at Tungan Nupawa Primary School, Lafia; the contractors name is Fas Field Investment Limited. We spent N13,925,336.36 to construct 3 classrooms block at Angwan Waje Lalle Primary School, Lafia; the contractors name is Husnil Husna Nigeria Limited.

SERAP said: We are studying the large documents on spending on primary schools in Nasarawa State, with several purportedly completed but also some uncompleted. Our team is analysing the total project sums, comparing the amounts spent on projects. We will publish the full information on our website and social media platforms shortly. We have also set up a national verification group to visit the state and other states of the federation to check the status of projects against the total amounts reportedly spent and to talk to all the contractors involved.

It would be recalled that SERAP had in an FOI request to the Nasarawa State Universal Basic Education Board stated that: Since assuming office, Nasarawa State Government has reportedly received over N3.4billion from Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC). Nasarawa State also reportedly received N47.6billion from Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) in 2018, at an average of N3.97billion monthly.

SERAPs FOI request read in part: Despite the huge resources available to the State Government and the massive budgetary allocations to primary education in Nasarawa State including from the UBEC funds, several of the around 1,310 schools across the State are in shambles, and with very poor teaching facilities, thereby jeopardizing the futures of tens of thousands of Nigerian children in in the State.

Nigeria is also a state party to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights, which require states parties to promote transparency and accountability in the spending on education, and take steps to improve and expand quality and free education for all.The Kwara State government has called on the people to cooperate and work together with the new administration in the task of developing the state.

The states Deputy Governor, Kayode Alabi, made the call on Sunday while addressing a congregation at the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Sabo-Oke, Ilorin.

Mr Alabi said the state could only progress with the support and prayer of the people.

He implored the people to embrace peace and love for one another to overcome all challenges.

He restated the desire and determination of the government to work assiduously for the progress and development of the state.

He said Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq is peace-loving and accommodating and is ready to uplift the state in all ramifications.

He promised that the administration would not deprive the people of their rights and entitlements.

Earlier, the minister in charge of the church, Akintunde Abdullahi, charged the people to always pray for those in leadership positions to succeed in repositioning the state and the nation. (NAN)The Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has reappointed three of his senior special assistants.

A government statement signed by the principal private secretary to Mr El-Rufai said the governor has begun making appointments to offices that do not require confirmation or approval by the State House of Assembly.

Samuel Aruwan, Senior Special Assistant-Media & Publicity, Maryam Abubakar, Senior Special Assistant-New Media and Saude Amina Atoyebi, Senior Special Assistant -Administration have been reappointed to the roles in which they served during the first-term.

The governor also approved the reappointments of the following persons who served in the media team during his first term:

1. Samuel Aruwan, Senior Special Assistant-Media & Publicity

2. Maryam Abubakar, Senior Special Assistant -New Media

3. Mukhtar Maigamo, Special Assistant -Public Affairs

4. Manasseh Istifanus, Special Assistant, Media

5. Nuhu John Gwamna, Technical Assistant and Official Photographer, is promoted to Special Assistant.

Samuel Aruwan has been government spokesman since May 2015 and has twice served as the spokesperson of the Kaduna APC Campaign Council. He was one of the first appointments announced shortly before Malam Nasir El-Rufai was sworn-in in 2015, transiting to the role from his position as spokesperson of the 2015 campaign. He was also the Director of Media and spokesperson of the 2019 Kaduna APC Campaign Council.

A graduate of Mass Communication, Aruwan has worked with LEADERSHIP and Blueprint newspapers. He has attended international training programmes at the School of Journalism, the University of Witwatersrand, South Africa on Investigative Reporting, Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, London, on Countering Religious Extremism and at the Drew Institute on Religion & Conflict Transformation, New Jersey, USA

Maryam Abubakar worked as a Technical Assistant to the Governor on Research and Documentation from 2015 and was appointed Special Assistant on New Media to the Governor in 2016, and was promoted to Senior Special Assistant in 2017. She was in the research team of the El-Rufai campaign in 2015. She has worked as a Technical Assistant in the Progressive Governors Forum. She holds an Executive Masters Degree in Business Administration from the United Arab Emirates and a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science from the University of Abuja, in Nigeria. She holds a certificate in Advanced Communication and PR Management, from the International School of Communication, Dubai.

From 2012, Saude Amina Atoyebi worked for Nasir El-Rufai as a researcher for his acclaimed budget series. She served as secretary of the Finance sub-committee of the 2015 Kaduna State Transition Committee before her appointment as the governors Personal Secretary and Senior Special Assistant, Administration. In these roles, she has provided support for the running of the Governors Office and has sometimes covered the duties of the Principal Private Secretary.

Saude Amina Mohammed, she graduated in Economics from ABU Zaria, close to her Wusasa roots, before taking a masters degree in Advertising and Marketing from Coventry University, United Kingdom.She has attended the Harvard Kennedy School Executive Education Programme on Adaptive Leadership and the Agha Khan Universitys Voice of Leadership programme.The Special Adviser to the President and Coordinator Amnesty Programme, Charles Dokubo, says his office would train 2500 ex-militants on fishing and other vocations.

He told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja that the ex-militants would be trained on modern fishing techniques under the fishermen training programme, which was officially launched on May 24, by the Federal Government as part of the Amnesty Programme.

Mr Dokubo said the training came with a shipbuilding transfer of technology component, with fish packaging and processing plants, adding that the amnesty office was working in partnership with Concept Amadeus Limited, to achieve the objectives.

According to him, Concept Amadeus Limited has a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a Greek University for the training and other Greek companies for the building of 100 state-of-the-art modern ships that can track fish.

It is not about fishing only, my office was created to maintain peace, security, stability and economic development in the Niger Delta region.

So, whatever, that will enhance peace and security in the area is also part of our programme, we train people on seafaring and fishing, which has been the way of life of the people.

The Niger Delta is a maritime environment and our predominant occupation is fishing and farming, so anything that will bring the fishing capacity of the people to the electronic age, will be of very big assistance to the people of the region.

We are going to train not less than 2,500 in the first batch from our database of 30,000 and after they have been trained and given jobs, we will delete their names from the programme to create room for another batch, he said.

He stressed that the new knowledge and technology of the 21st century was very important to people of the Niger Delta region, who he noted were accustomed to fish and fishing.

Mr Dokubo added that the trainees would, however, be paid stipends for a period of six months after their training to enable them to stabilise.

He said the programme could only be stopped if the Federal Government decided to, adding that the programme was very important to the government to achieve stability and security in the Niger Delta region.

According to him, the programme is a big opportunity for those who claim to have been marginalised, to acquire knowledge and build their individual capacity to work and earn money.

To earn money and the multiplier effect is the most important thing to me because they will pay tax, train their children in schools and buy things from the communities they live, he said.

He said that though fishing had been part of the life of the people of Niger Delta region, the Amnesty Office was working in partnership with other companies to bring knowledge that was not available in the country.

Mr Dokubo also revealed that though the Nigeria Navy was trying to provide maritime security, coordination of the Navies from the 18 countries in the Gulf of Guinea would enhance not only security but create a mutually benefiting environment for member countries.

He expressed optimism that a perfect security environment in the Gulf area would also enhance the capacity of the people and make training and fishing secured.

We believe in the sanctity of the maritime environment and we are going to work with others that will assist us so that we can be fruitful, he said.

He said though the Niger Delta environment had been polluted for long due to oil spillage and exploration, the Federal Government with the assistance of some foreign government was determined to begin the clean-up of the Ogoni region especially.

This, he added, was a pointer that environment was critical to the country.

He said that the Amnesty Office was at the phase of re-integration, where the plan was to nurse back communities and the people to health and to give them jobs through job placements organised by the office. (NAN)Those meetings were not violence-filled like something out of the old HBO series Boardwalk Empire. They were all about money, and business problems would be smoothed over, Devlin said.

A room Forkin, director of the AC Surf & SUP School, now uses as his downstairs bar was the place where Capone and Johnson used to meet.

The downstairs bar, we hand-sanded it. We repainted and re-varnished it. The house was literally built in 1920, Forkin said.

In close proximity to the outside deck is the dining/TV room. It used to be a dance hall back in the day, Forkin said. The chairs that surround the dining room table come from the Foundation House in the now-defunct House of Blues that was inside the Showboat Atlantic City, he said.

The dining room table is about as old as the house, but it didnt come with the residence, Forkin said.

Forkins house is very open, which allows for a nice breeze to blow through during the warmer months, but being right on the water means feeling the direct impact of an unforgiving winter and paying as much as $1,900 in gas-heating bills during the coldest months.I was going through a lot before He healed me, she said. I wouldnt be here speaking if God hadnt done work on the inside of me.

Rudolph called people who go into churches to kill others cowards.

We shouldnt think of doing people like that. You dont know them, and you want to do harm to them? Its time for this whole nation to really love each other and stop all the killing, Rudolph said, her voice deep and soft with a strong Southern twang.

Pinelands seventh-grader charged with sharing explicit video of classmate LITTLE EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP  School officials at Pinelands Regional are asking parents to ta

Questions for the assembly were prepared by Atlantic City journalism students.

Seniors Farhana Siddiquei, Gerald Angon-Posada and Na-Drai Brickhouse took the stage with Rudolph, her husband, George C. Rudolph, Northfield Councilwoman Susan Korngut, who helped facilitate the event, and Atlantic City High School Principal Lina Gil.

Gil said she was honored to have Rudolph at the school.

Having a survivor of a bombing share her story really puts a reality to what theyre experiencing as they see these events on social media and the news, Gil said.

Rudolph said the biggest lesson she learned from her traumatic experience was to love.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.Silva said a complaint had been filed against Thompson, and under the state Attorney Generals rules the county prosecutor investigated and declined to take action. Now the township is required to do its own investigation and is using an outside investigator, Silva said.

I can only tell you any allegations made against him are frivolous and are denied, said Thompsons attorney Michael Testa Sr. And no disciplinary charges have been filed against the chief.

The settlement resolution says the settlement is to avoid the possibility of a long and protracted disciplinary hearing or alternatively, if the statutory right was involved, a hearing before the Superior Court of New Jersey.

It does not describe any of the details of the settlement, or if any monetary payment is involved.

Also pulled were resolutions to amend the employment contracts of Thompson and Mullica Police Capt. Brian Zeck, who is Silvas son-in-law.

Hanselmann said the resolutions were pulled from voting because of late additions requested by the chief that the attorneys had not yet reviewed.Eugenie Turner of Kelowna, age 96, will be in France this week to participate in events to mark the 75th anniversary of D-Day. Turner is shown here in a 2014 photograph taken at the Okanagan Military Museum.Congressman Jeff Van Drew last week called for Congress to move on from investigations around the Mueller Report and talk of impeaching President Donald Trump, and begin doing the nations business.

There will be an election in 18 months, he said, and until then Congress needs to focus on issues both parties can work together to address.

But what I am done with, barring any new evidence, is any talk of impeachment, investigations, or divisive, unproductive politics, Van Drew said in a written statement. It is time to move forward.

People in the 2nd Congressional District want Congress to work on substantive issues, he said, including reducing prescription drug prices and other aspects of health care, relations with North Korea and Iran, net neutrality, border security and immigration, and the economy.

He reiterated his concerns on Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo on Fox News.

I have spent the past few days in my district speaking to a lot of people. They are worn out.  They have had enough and want to see results, Van Drew said. We should be getting something done.Boardwalk music rules raise issues in Ocean City

The April 25 Ocean City Council meeting was filled with histrionics. Each of the council members and mayor seemed hell bent on outdoing the others in their concern and work on the Boardwalk entertainer ordinance.

All instruments must be unplugged. How can an unplugged electric guitar be heard? Public pity was sought for their two years work on the ordinance. No matter noise is not defined.

Citizens during public comments raised issues that need to be considered: Sound transmits differently if there is fog or wind. Noise is not an objective measure but decibels are and can be measured by a decibel meter. Performance by Boardwalk entertainers might be protected by the First Amendment. The noise from Boardwalk rides and other businesses are not protected. Lawsuits might ensure if the city allows unprotected noise to exceed any deemed protected by the First Amendment. A blind keyboard player was granted an exemption to play his amplified instrument.

There is nothing in the ordinance protecting other disabled entertainers from discrimination, with potential litigation from violating the Americans with Disabilities Act.A Canadian airmass will cleanse out our atmosphere as we go into the new week. If youre a summer lover though, dont worry, itll be coming back for the second half of the week.

LISTEN: May in South Jersey warm again, wet New Jersey State Climatologist Dave Robinson on Friday for our podcast says South Jersey wil

The humidity, thermometer and cloud cover will be much different exiting the night early Monday morning than how we left it. Temperatures will be in the mid-50s everywhere, about seasonable for this time of the year. Dew points  a measure of moisture content in the atmosphere  will be around 50, known to many as dry. The sunshine will be plentiful.

As we go on throughout the afternoon, the strong June sun will splash down on South Jersey. High temperatures will be in the low 70s, about five degrees below average. Alas, when its comfortable even when its below average, you know it is summer.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.



Members of the Canadian Armed Forces help evacuate people of Pikangikum First Nation in Northern Ontario, as part of operation LENTUS on Thursday, May 30, 2019. Evacuees from Pikangikum First Nation will be taken to host cities in two provinces on Sunday while a wildfire continues to grow near the northwestern Ontario community. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-DND-LS Dan Bard 8 wing Imaging Trenton MANDATORY CREDITROLLING MEADOWS, Ill., June 2, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. today announced the acquisition of Liverpool, New South Wales-based The Protectors Insurance Brokers Pty Ltd and Regent Insurance Brokers Pty Ltd.; collectively referred to as The Protectors Group (TPG). Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Founded in 1982, TPG is a retail broker specializing in construction, hospitality and transport coverage for commercial and corporate clients in Greater Western Sydney. David Michell, Vince Gioiello and their associates will continue to operate from their current location under the direction of Sean Gallagher, Head of Branches for Gallagher Australia.

"TPG is a second-generation family business that represents a very good cultural fit for Gallagher and expands our geographical presence in the key growth area of Western Sydney," said J. Patrick Gallagher, Jr., Chairman, President and CEO. "We are very pleased to welcome David, Vince and their team to Gallagher."

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE:AJG), a global insurance brokerage, risk management and consulting services firm, is headquartered in Rolling Meadows, Illinois. The company has operations in 35 countries and offers client service capabilities in more than 150 countries around the world through a network of correspondent brokers and consultants.

Investors: Ray Iardella Media: Linda J. Collins VP  Investor Relations VP  Corporate Communications 630-285-3661/ [email protected] 630-285-4009/ [email protected]

SOURCE Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.

Related Links

http://www.ajg.com

New formulation also showed shorter administration time and lower rate of infusion-related reactions

CHICAGO, June 2, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson announced today results from the Phase 3 COLUMBA (MMY3012) study, investigating a subcutaneously (SC) administered formulation of DARZALEX (daratumumab), co-formulated with recombinant human hyaluronidase PH20 (rHuPH20) [Halozyme's ENHANZE drug delivery technology], in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma. The results showed non-inferior efficacy and pharmacokinetics for the SC administered formulation of DARZALEX compared to intravenous (IV) administration, the only currently approved formulation of DARZALEX (abstract #8005).1 The data presentation  the first for this Phase 3 study with SC formulation  is being featured in an oral session at the 2019 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting in Chicago, and was selected for the Best of ASCO 2019 Meetings, which highlight cutting-edge science and reflect leading research in oncology.

"This study showed that the subcutaneous formulation of daratumumab resulted in non-inferior pharmacokinetics and efficacy compared to the current intravenous formulation, and also importantly offers the potential for a fixed-dose administration, shorter infusion times and a lower rate of infusion-related reactions," said Maria-Victoria Mateos, M.D., Ph.D., COLUMBA primary investigator and Director of the Myeloma Unit at University Hospital of Salamanca-IBSAL, Salamanca, Spain. "Daratumumab IV has proven to be an important medication in the treatment of multiple myeloma, and a new subcutaneous formulation may offer patients a different experience, including a shorter administration time."

At a median follow-up of 7.5 months, the overall response rate (ORR) was 41 percent for the SC administered formulation of DARZALEX compared to 37 percent for DARZALEX IV (95 percent confidence interval [CI], 1.11 (0.89-1.37); P<0.0001).1 The ORR was similar across all clinically relevant subgroups, including body weight.1 The ratio of geometric means of C trough for the SC administered formulation of DARZALEX over DARZALEX IV was 108 percent (90 percent CI, 96 percent -122 percent).1 The progression-free survival was comparable between the SC administered formulation of DARZALEX and the current IV formulation of DARZALEX (Hazard Ratio [HR] = 0.99; 95 percent CI, 0.78-1.26; P<0.9258).1 The median duration for each SC injection was 5 minutes, compared to more than 3 hours with IV infusions.1

The most common (>5%) Grade 3/4 treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) for the SC administered formulation of DARZALEX compared to DARZALEX IV were thrombocytopenia (14 percent vs. 14 percent), anemia (13 percent vs. 14 percent) and neutropenia (13 percent vs. 8 percent), respectively.1 A lower rate of infusion-related reactions was observed in the arm that received the SC administered formulation of DARZALEX compared to DARZALEX IV (13 percent vs. 35 percent, respectively) (Odds Ratio = 0.28; 95 percent CI, 0.18-0.44; P<0.0001).1 The primary reasons for treatment discontinuation included progressive disease (43 percent in the SC arm vs. 44 percent in the IV arm) and adverse events (7 percent in the SC arm vs. 8 percent in the IV arm).1

"We are always exploring new ways to help patients, and these compelling findings reinforce the potential for a new route of administration for DARZALEX," said Mark Wildgust, Ph.D., Vice President, Global Medical Affairs, Oncology, Janssen Research & Development, LLC. "We look forward to pursuing regulatory submissions for this formulation and hopefully expanding the reach of DARZALEX for patients who may be candidates for this novel formulation."

About the COLUMBA Trial1

The randomized, open-label, multicenter Phase 3 study included 522 patients with multiple myeloma who had received at least three prior lines of therapy including a proteasome inhibitor (PI) and an immunomodulatory drug (IMiD), or whose disease was refractory to both a PI and an IMiD (median age of 67). In the arm that received the SC administered formulation of DARZALEX (n=263), patients received a fixed dose of DARZALEX 1,800 milligrams (mg), co-formulated with recombinant human hyaluronidase PH20 (rHuPH20) 2,000 Units per milliliter (U/mL), subcutaneously weekly for Cycles 1  2, every two weeks for Cycles 3  6 and every four weeks for Cycle 7 and thereafter. In the DARZALEX IV arm (n=259), patients received DARZALEX for intravenous infusion 16 milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg) weekly for Cycles 1  2, every two weeks for Cycles 3  6 and every four weeks for Cycle 7 and thereafter. Each cycle was 28 days. In the arm that received the SC administered formulation, DARZALEX was given as 15 mL over 3-5 minutes at alternating left/right abdominal sites. Patients in both treatment arms continued until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.

About DARZALEX (daratumumab)

DARZALEX (daratumumab), the first CD38-directed antibody approved anywhere in the world, is the only CD38-directed antibody approved to treat multiple myeloma.2 CD38 is a surface protein that is present in high numbers on multiple myeloma cells, regardless of the stage of disease.3 DARZALEX binds to CD38 and inhibits tumor cell growth causing myeloma cell death.2 DARZALEX may also have an effect on normal cells.2 DARZALEX is being evaluated in a comprehensive clinical development program across a range of treatment settings in multiple myeloma, such as in frontline and relapsed settings.4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11 Additional studies are ongoing or planned to assess its potential in other malignant and pre-malignant hematologic diseases in which CD38 is expressed, such as smoldering myeloma.12,13

In the United States, DARZALEX received initial FDA approval in November 2015 as a monotherapy for patients with multiple myeloma who have received at least three prior lines of therapy, including a proteasome inhibitor (PI) and an immunomodulatory agent, or who are double refractory to a PI and an immunomodulatory agent.14 DARZALEX received additional approvals in November 2016 in combination with lenalidomide and dexamethasone, or bortezomib and dexamethasone, for the treatment of patients with multiple myeloma who have received at least one prior therapy.15 In June 2017, DARZALEX received approval in combination with pomalidomide and dexamethasone for the treatment of patients with multiple myeloma who have received at least two prior therapies, including lenalidomide and a PI.16 In May 2018, DARZALEX received approval in combination with bortezomib, melphalan and prednisone for the treatment of patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma who are ineligible for ASCT, making it the first monoclonal antibody approved for newly diagnosed patients with this disease.17 More than 80,000 patients have been treated with DARZALEX worldwide.

In August 2012, Janssen Biotech, Inc. entered into a global license and development agreement with Genmab A/S, which granted Janssen an exclusive license to develop, manufacture and commercialize DARZALEX.18 For the full U.S. Prescribing Information, please visit www.DARZALEX.com.

About Multiple Myeloma

Multiple myeloma is an incurable blood cancer that affects a type of white blood cell called plasma cells, which are found in the bone marrow.19,20 When damaged, these plasma cells rapidly spread and replace normal cells with tumors in the bone marrow.20,21 In 2019, it is estimated that more than 32,000 people will be diagnosed, and nearly 13,000 will die from the disease in the United States.21 While some patients with multiple myeloma have no symptoms, most patients are diagnosed due to symptoms, which can include bone fracture or pain, low red blood counts, tiredness, high calcium levels, kidney problems or infections.22

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION2

CONTRAINDICATIONS

DARZALEX is contraindicated in patients with a history of severe hypersensitivity (e.g., anaphylactic reactions) to daratumumab or any of the components of the formulation.

WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS

Infusion Reactions  DARZALEX can cause severe and/or serious infusion reactions, including anaphylactic reactions. In clinical trials, approximately half of all patients experienced an infusion reaction. Most infusion reactions occurred during the first infusion and were grade 1-2. Infusion reactions can also occur with subsequent infusions. Nearly all reactions occurred during infusion or within 4 hours of completing an infusion. Prior to the introduction of post-infusion medication in clinical trials, infusion reactions occurred up to 48 hours after infusion. Severe reactions have occurred, including bronchospasm, hypoxia, dyspnea, hypertension, laryngeal edema and pulmonary edema. Signs and symptoms may include respiratory symptoms, such as nasal congestion, cough, throat irritation, as well as chills, vomiting and nausea. Less common symptoms were wheezing, allergic rhinitis, pyrexia, chest discomfort, pruritus, and hypotension.

Pre-medicate patients with antihistamines, antipyretics, and corticosteroids. Frequently monitor patients during the entire infusion. Interrupt infusion for reactions of any severity and institute medical management as needed. Permanently discontinue therapy if an anaphylactic reaction or life-threatening (Grade 4) reaction occurs and institute appropriate emergency care. For patients with Grade 1, 2, or 3 reactions, reduce the infusion rate when re-starting the infusion.

To reduce the risk of delayed infusion reactions, administer oral corticosteroids to all patients following DARZALEX infusions. Patients with a history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease may require additional post-infusion medications to manage respiratory complications. Consider prescribing short- and long-acting bronchodilators and inhaled corticosteroids for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Interference with Serological Testing  Daratumumab binds to CD38 on red blood cells (RBCs) and results in a positive Indirect Antiglobulin Test (Indirect Coombs test). Daratumumab-mediated positive indirect antiglobulin test may persist for up to 6 months after the last daratumumab infusion.

Daratumumab bound to RBCs masks detection of antibodies to minor antigens in the patient's serum. The determination of a patient's ABO and Rh blood type are not impacted. Notify blood transfusion centers of this interference with serological testing and inform blood banks that a patient has received DARZALEX. Type and screen patients prior to starting DARZALEX.

Neutropenia  DARZALEX may increase neutropenia induced by background therapy. Monitor complete blood cell counts periodically during treatment according to manufacturer's prescribing information for background therapies. Monitor patients with neutropenia for signs of infection. DARZALEX dose delay may be required to allow recovery of neutrophils. No dose reduction of DARZALEX is recommended. Consider supportive care with growth factors.

Thrombocytopenia  DARZALEX may increase thrombocytopenia induced by background therapy. Monitor complete blood cell counts periodically during treatment according to manufacturer's prescribing information for background therapies. DARZALEX dose delay may be required to allow recovery of platelets. No dose reduction of DARZALEX is recommended. Consider supportive care with transfusions.

Interference with Determination of Complete Response  Daratumumab is a human IgG kappa monoclonal antibody that can be detected on both the serum protein electrophoresis (SPE) and immunofixation (IFE) assays used for the clinical monitoring of endogenous M-protein. This interference can impact the determination of complete response and of disease progression in some patients with IgG kappa myeloma protein.

Adverse Reactions  The most frequently reported adverse reactions (incidence 20%) in clinical trials were: infusion reactions, neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, fatigue, nausea, diarrhea, constipation, vomiting, muscle spasms, arthralgia, back pain, pyrexia, chills, dizziness, insomnia, cough, dyspnea, peripheral edema, peripheral sensory neuropathy and upper respiratory tract infection.

In patients who received DARZALEX in combination with bortezomib, melphalan, and prednisone (DVMP), the most frequently reported adverse reactions (incidence 20%) were: upper respiratory tract infection (48%), infusion reactions (28%), and peripheral edema (21%). Serious adverse reactions (2% compared to the VMP arm) were pneumonia (11%), upper respiratory tract infection (5%), and pulmonary edema (2%). Treatment-emergent Grade 3-4 hematology laboratory abnormalities 20% were lymphopenia (58%), neutropenia (44%), and thrombocytopenia (38%).

In patients who received DARZALEX in combination with lenalidomide and dexamethasone, the most frequently reported adverse reactions (incidence 20%) were: upper respiratory tract infection (65%), infusion reactions (48%), diarrhea (43%), fatigue (35%), cough (30%), muscle spasms (26%), nausea (24%), dyspnea (21%) and pyrexia (20%). The overall incidence of serious adverse reactions was 49%. Serious adverse reactions (2% compared to Rd) were pneumonia (12%), upper respiratory tract infection (7%), influenza (3%), and pyrexia (3%). Treatment-emergent Grade 3-4 hematology laboratory abnormalities 20% were neutropenia (53%) and lymphopenia (52%).

In patients who received DARZALEX in combination with bortezomib and dexamethasone, the most frequently reported adverse reactions (incidence 20%) were: peripheral sensory neuropathy (47%), infusion reactions (45%), upper respiratory tract infection (44%), diarrhea (32%), cough (27%), peripheral edema (22%), and dyspnea (21%). The overall incidence of serious adverse reactions was 42%. Serious adverse reactions (2% compared to Vd) were upper respiratory tract infection (5%), diarrhea (2%) and atrial fibrillation (2%). Treatment-emergent Grade 3-4 hematology laboratory abnormalities 20% were lymphopenia (48%) and thrombocytopenia (47%).

In patients who received DARZALEX in combination with pomalidomide and dexamethasone, the most frequent adverse reactions (>20%) were fatigue (50%), infusion reactions (50%), upper respiratory tract infection (50%), cough (43%), diarrhea (38%), constipation (33%), dyspnea (33%), nausea (30%), muscle spasms (26%), back pain (25%), pyrexia (25%), insomnia (23%), arthralgia (22%), dizziness (21%), and vomiting (21%). The overall incidence of serious adverse reactions was 49%. Serious adverse reactions reported in 5% patients included pneumonia (7%). Treatment-emergent hematology Grade 3-4 laboratory abnormalities 20% were anemia (30%), neutropenia (82%), and lymphopenia (71%).

In patients who received DARZALEX as monotherapy, the most frequently reported adverse reactions (incidence 20%) were: infusion reactions (48%), fatigue (39%), nausea (27%), back pain (23%), pyrexia (21%), cough (21%), and upper respiratory tract infection (20%). The overall incidence of serious adverse reactions was 33%. The most frequent serious adverse reactions were pneumonia (6%), general physical health deterioration (3%), and pyrexia (3%). Treatment-emergent Grade 3-4 hematology laboratory abnormalities 20% were lymphopenia (40%) and neutropenia (20%).

DRUG INTERACTIONS

Effect of Other Drugs on Daratumumab: The coadministration of lenalidomide, pomalidomide or bortezomib with DARZALEX did not affect the pharmacokinetics of daratumumab.

Effect of Daratumumab on Other Drugs: The coadministration of DARZALEX with bortezomib or pomalidomide did not affect the pharmacokinetics of bortezomib or pomalidomide.

About the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson

At Janssen, we're creating a future where disease is a thing of the past. We're the Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, working tirelessly to make that future a reality for patients everywhere by fighting sickness with science, improving access with ingenuity, and healing hopelessness with heart. We focus on areas of medicine where we can make the biggest difference: Cardiovascular & Metabolism, Immunology, Infectious Diseases & Vaccines, Neuroscience, Oncology, and Pulmonary Hypertension.

Learn more at www.janssen.com. Follow us at www.twitter.com/JanssenGlobal. Janssen Research & Development, LLC and Janssen Biotech, Inc. are members of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson.

Cautions Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 regarding the benefits of DARZALEX (daratumumab) for the treatment of patients with multiple myeloma. The reader is cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations of future events. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or known or unknown risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results could vary materially from the expectations and of Janssen Research & Development, LLC, any of the other Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies and/or Johnson & Johnson. Risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: challenges and uncertainties inherent in product research and development, including the uncertainty of clinical success and of obtaining regulatory approvals; uncertainty of commercial success; manufacturing difficulties and delays; competition, including technological advances, new products and patents attained by competitors; challenges to patents; [product efficacy or safety concerns resulting in product recalls or regulatory action; changes in behavior and spending patterns of purchasers of health care products and services; changes to applicable laws and regulations, including global health care reforms; and trends toward health care cost containment. A further list and descriptions of these risks, uncertainties and other factors can be found in Johnson & Johnson's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 30, 2018, including in the sections captioned "Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" and "Item 1A. Risk Factors," and in the company's most recently filed Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, and the company's subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Copies of these filings are available online at www.sec.gov, www.jnj.com or on request from Johnson & Johnson. Neither the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson nor Johnson & Johnson undertakes to update any forward-looking statement as a result of new information or future events or developments.

ENHANZE is a registered trademark of Halozyme, Inc.

Media Inquiries:

Satu Glawe

Phone: +49 172 294 6264

Brian Kenney

Phone: 1-215-620-0111

Investor Relations:

Christopher DelOrefice

Phone: 1-732-524-2955

Lesley Fishman

Phone: 1-732-524-3922

U.S. Medical Inquiries:

1-800-526-7736

1 Mateos M-V et al. Efficacy and Safety of the Randomized, Open-Label, Non-inferiority, Phase 3 Study of Subcutaneous (SC) Versus Intravenous (IV) Daratumumab (DARA) Administration in Patients (pts) With Relapsed or Refractory Multiple Myeloma (RRMM): COLUMBA. 2019 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting. June 2019.

2 DARZALEX Prescribing Information, June 2018.

3 Fedele G et al. CD38 Ligation in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells of Myeloma Patients Induces Release of Protumorigenic IL-6 and Impaired Secretion of IFN Cytokines and Proliferation. Mediators Inflamm. 2013;564687.

4 Janssen Research & Development, LLC. A Study Comparing Daratumumab, Lenalidomide, and Dexamethasone With Lenalidomide and Dexamethasone in Relapsed or Refractory Multiple Myeloma. In: ClinicalTrials.gov [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Library of Medicine (US). 2000-[cited 2018 November 26]. Available at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02076009?term=mmy3003&rank=1 Identifier: NCT02076009.

5 Janssen Research & Development, LLC. Addition of Daratumumab to Combination of Bortezomib and Dexamethasone in Participants With Relapsed or Refractory Multiple Myeloma. In: ClinicalTrials.gov [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Library of Medicine (US). 2000-[cited 2018 July 24]. Available at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02136134?term=mmy3004&rank=1 Identifier: NCT02136134.

6 Janssen Research & Development, LLC. A Study to Evaluate Daratumumab in Transplant Eligible Participants With Previously Untreated Multiple Myeloma (Cassiopeia). In: ClinicalTrials.gov [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Library of Medicine (US). 2000-[cited 2018 November 26]. Available at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02541383?term=mmy3006&rank=2 NLM Identifier: NCT02541383.

7 Janssen Research & Development, LLC. A Study of Combination of Daratumumab and Velcade (Bortezomib) Melphalan-Prednisone (DVMP) Compared to Velcade Melphalan-Prednisone (VMP) in Participants With Previously Untreated Multiple Myeloma In: ClinicalTrials.gov [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Library of Medicine (US). 2000-[cited 2018 November 26]. Available at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02195479?term=mmy3007&rank=1 Identifier: NCT02195479.8 Janssen Research & Development, LLC. Study Comparing Daratumumab, Lenalidomide, and Dexamethasone With Lenalidomide and Dexamethasone in Participants With Previously Untreated Multiple Myeloma. In: ClinicalTrials.gov [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Library of Medicine (US). 2000-[cited 2018 November 26]. Available at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02252172?term=mmy3008&rank=1 Identifier: NCT02252172.

9 Janssen Research & Development, LLC. A Study of VELCADE (Bortezomib) Melphalan-Prednisone (VMP) Compared to Daratumumab in Combination With VMP (D-VMP), in Participants With Previously Untreated Multiple Myeloma Who Are Ineligible for High-Dose Therapy (Asia Pacific Region). In: ClinicalTrials.gov [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Library of Medicine (US). 2000-[cited 2018 November 26]. Available at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03217812?term=MMY3011&rank=1 Identifier: NCT03217812.

10 European Myeloma Network. Comparison of Pomalidomide and Dexamethasone With or Without Daratumumab in Subjects With Relapsed or Refractory Multiple Myeloma Previously Treated With Lenalidomide and a Proteasome Inhibitor Daratumumab/Pomalidomide/Dexamethasone vs Pomalidomide/Dexamethasone. (EMN14). In: ClinicalTrials.gov [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Library of Medicine (US). 2000-[cited 2018 November 26] Available at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03180736?term=MMY3013&rank=2 Identifier: NCT03180736

11 Amgen. Study of Carfilzomib, Daratumumab and Dexamethasone for Patients With Relapsed and/or Refractory Multiple Myeloma. (CANDOR). In: ClinicalTrials.gov [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Library of Medicine (US). 2000-[cited 2018 November 26] Available at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03158688?term=NCT03158688&rank=1 Identifier: NCT03158688.

12 Janssen Research & Development, LLC. A Study to Evaluate 3 Dose Schedules of Daratumumab in Participants With Smoldering Multiple Myeloma In: ClinicalTrials.gov [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Library of Medicine (US). 2000-[cited 2018 November 26]. Available at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02316106?term=smm2001&rank=1 Identifier: NCT02316106.

13 Janssen Research & Development, LLC. An Efficacy and Safety Proof of Concept Study of Daratumumab in Relapsed/Refractory Mantle Cell Lymphoma, Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma, and Follicular Lymphoma In: ClinicalTrials.gov [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Library of Medicine (US). 2000-[cited 2018 2018 November 26]. Available at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02413489?term=lym2001&rank=1 Identifier: NCT02413489

14 Janssen Biotech, Inc. "DARZALEX (daratumumab) Approved by U.S. FDA: First Human Anti-CD38 Monoclonal Antibody Available for the Treatment of Multiple Myeloma." Issued November 16, 2015.

15 Janssen Biotech, Inc. "DARZALEX (daratumumab) Approved by U.S. FDA in Combination with Two Standard of Care Regimens for the Treatment of Patients with Multiple Myeloma Who Have Received At Least One Prior Therapy." Issued November 21, 2016.

16 Janssen Biotech, Inc. "DARZALEX (daratumumab) Approved by the U.S. FDA in Combination with Pomalidomide and Dexamethasone for Patients with Multiple Myeloma Who Have Received At Least Two Prior Therapies." Issued June 16, 2017.

17 Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson. "Janssen Announces DARZALEX (daratumumab) U.S. FDA Approval for Newly Diagnosed Patients with Multiple Myeloma who are Transplant Ineligible." Issued May 7, 2018.

18 Janssen Biotech, Inc. "Janssen Biotech Announces Global License and Development Agreement for Investigational Anti-Cancer Agent Daratumumab." Issued August 30, 2012.

19 Kumar, SK et al. Leukemia. 2012 Jan; 26(1):149-57.

20 American Cancer Society. "What Is Multiple Myeloma?" Available at: http://www.cancer.org/cancer/multiplemyeloma/detailedguide/multiple-myeloma-what-is-multiple-myeloma. Accessed June 2019.

21 American Cancer Society. "Key Statistics for Multiple Myeloma." Available at: https://www.cancer.org/cancer/multiple-myeloma/about/key-statistics.html. Accessed June 2019.

22 American Cancer Society. "Diagnosing Multiple Myeloma From Test Results." Available at: http://www.cancer.org/cancer/multiplemyeloma/detailedguide/multiple-myeloma-diagnosis. Accessed June 2019.

SOURCE Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson

Related Links

https://www.janssen.com

PARIS, May 21, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Raffles Hotels & Resorts , renowned for bringing old world elegance, first class travel experiences and genuine charm to the world's most fascinating cities and desirable holiday hot spots since 1887, is pleased to announce the opening of two important new landmark hotels, Raffles Shenzhen and Raffles Maldives Meradhoo. Both hotels opened in early May and are now accepting reservations at raffles.com . Known as havens for royalty, film stars, writers and artists, many remarkable stories and cultural moments have taken place within the plush confines of Raffles hotels and resorts.

"The Raffles collection now includes 14 properties across 12 countries, with a carefully curated list of distinguished addresses in leading markets around the world," said Chris Cahill, Deputy CEO, Accor. "With a storied history spanning more than 130 years, Raffles is currently experiencing a renaissance, with a robust project pipeline that will see the portfolio add an additional 8-10 hotels over the next few years."

Raffles Shenzhen brings the height of luxury and bespoke service to the shining modern metropolis of Shenzhen. An extraordinary urban oasis discreetly perched on the top floors of a 72-storey tower in the prestigious One Shenzhen Bay complex, Raffles Shenzhen is the epitome of glamour and refinement. With 168 spacious guestrooms, as well as a selection of serviced residences, well-travelled guests will be enchanted by the exquisite dining venues, spectacular views of Shenzhen Bay and Hong Kong, and of course, the famous Raffles Butlers and the warm, graceful and personalized service for which they are known.

On the remote southern tip of the Maldives archipelago, Raffles Maldives Meradhoo is as removed from the rhythm of everyday life as can be. Surrounded by crystalline Indian Ocean waters and unspoiled reefs, the resort is a rare haven of 21 island beach villas and 16 ocean overwater villas. Guests take a domestic flight and are transported by speed boat to the pristine and private oasis of Meradhoo, where they receive the gentle and intuitive attentions of the legendary Raffles Butlers, along with an exclusive Marine Butler service, Children's Butlers and private chefs.

"With the doors now officially open at Raffles Maldives Meradhoo and Raffles Shenzhen, we are delighted to invite guests to experience the impeccable service, intuitive charm and extraordinary adventures upon which the Raffles legend has been built," said Jeannette Ho, Vice President, Raffles Brand & Strategic Partnerships. "The next few years will be very exciting for our guests and global ambassadors as we continue to expand our illustrious hotel collection, bringing Raffles to the most fascinating, attractive and culturally rich regions of the world."

COMING SOON TO RAFFLES

Adding to the recent openings in China and the Maldives, Raffles has also developed a smart and strategic growth plan which will see the luxury brand add a number of new and exciting hotels, resorts and mixed-use projects to its global portfolio over the coming years. Highlights include:

Scheduled for opening in 2020, 101-room Raffles Udaipur will be the brand's first hotel in India . Modelled after a palace, the hotel is set on a private island on the Udaisagar Lake in this stunning and romantic region known as the " Venice of the East". With spectacular vistas of lake, hillside and a neighbouring 400-year old temple, Raffles Udaipur is truly set to be an oasis for the well-travelled.





. Modelled after a palace, the hotel is set on a private island on the Udaisagar Lake in this stunning and romantic region known as the " of the East". With spectacular vistas of lake, hillside and a neighbouring 400-year old temple, Raffles Udaipur is truly set to be an oasis for the well-travelled. Raffles Jaipur, set to open by 2022, is a 55-room hotel being built at Kukas in the city of Jaipur, near popular tourist destinations such as Amer Fort , Jaigarh Fort, Nahargarh Fort and Jal Mahal palace. Secluded private residences and courtyards will join a larger complex that presently houses a hotel - Fairmont Jaipur - from one of Raffles' sister brands, Fairmont Hotels Resorts. The development is planned as a discreet destination where guests will feel pampered and privileged.





, Jaigarh Fort, Nahargarh Fort and palace. Secluded private residences and courtyards will join a larger complex that presently houses a hotel - Fairmont Jaipur - from one of Raffles' sister brands, Fairmont Hotels Resorts. The development is planned as a discreet destination where guests will feel pampered and privileged. Raffles The Palm Dubai, with its 125 hotel rooms and suites, will enjoy a coveted position at the tip of the Palm archipelago, providing 360 degree views of the Jumeirah coast and the Arabian Gulf. With planned opening in 2021, the hotel will be the tallest structure on Palm Jumeirah at almost 260 meters high. The property will also offer 359 branded residences.





Scheduled to open in 2021, Raffles Boston Back Bay Hotel & Residences is shaped by the creative and intellectual spirit of Boston , one of the most captivating cities in the United States. Located in the historical heart of the city, it promises to be a welcoming oasis of refined elegance in a striking new 33-story building. The project includes a distinctive 147 room hotel as well as 146 exquisitely appointed branded residences.





, one of the most captivating cities in the United States. Located in the historical heart of the city, it promises to be a welcoming oasis of refined elegance in a striking new 33-story building. The project includes a distinctive 147 room hotel as well as 146 exquisitely appointed branded residences. Currently under development, Raffles London will reside within the Old War Office building on Whitehall. The property is being transformed into a flagship Raffles hotel featuring 125 rooms and suites, restaurants, spa and 85 private residences.

About Raffles

Raffles Hotels & Resorts boasts an illustrious history and some of the most prestigious hotel addresses worldwide. In 1887, Raffles Singapore set the standard for luxury hospitality, introducing the world to private butlers, the Singapore Sling and its enduring, legendary service. Today, Raffles continues this tradition in leading cities and lavish resort locales, enchanting travellers with meaningful experiences and service that is both gracious and intuitive. Connoisseurs of life choose Raffles, not merely for its aura of culture, beauty and gentility, but for the extraordinary way they feel when in residence with Raffles. Each Raffles, be it Paris, Istanbul, Warsaw, Jakarta or the Seychelles, serves as a venerated oasis where travellers arrive as guests, leave as friends and return as family. Raffles is part of Accor, a world-leading augmented hospitality group offering unique and meaningful experiences in 4,800 hotels, resorts, and residences across 100 countries.

raffles.com | group.accor.com

Press Contacts: Line Crieloue, Senior PR Manager, [email protected], +33 1 45 38 18 11; Estelle Wimel, Communication Manager, [email protected], +33 1 45 38 18 29

SOURCE Raffles Hotels & Resorts

Related Links

http://www.raffles.com

"Some commonalities among American, French, and Israeli Jewry, comprising the great majority of world Jewry, are strikingly encouraging," said AJC CEO David Harris. "At the same time, there are clear differences among and within these three Jewish communities about key current issues of Jewish concern and about the challenges they are likely to face in coming years."

AJC, the leading global Jewish advocacy organization, has polled U.S. Jews annually for decades, and last year, for the first time, also polled Israeli Jews. The addition of French Jews to the mix this year provides a uniquely trifocal view of what Jews think.

Jewish Identity

Among U.S., French, and Israeli Jews there is large-scale agreement that being Jewish is mostly a matter of ethnicity and culture, with 59% of the American sample, 43% of the French and 51% of the Israelis agreeing. Roughly a quarter of respondents in each country24% of the Americans, 25% of the French, and 24% of the Israeliconsider Jewish identity a matter of religion. And, 16% of American, 27% of French, and 23% Israeli Jews consider both identity factors equally.

Most Jews in the U.S. and France say that caring about Israel is a very important part of their being Jewish, with 62% of Americans and 59% of French agreeing, and 35% of Americans and 37% of French disagreeing.

Almost all Israeli Jews, 91%, as compared to 72% of Americans and 53% of French, think that a thriving State of Israel is vital for the long-term future of the Jewish people.

Those who agree that a thriving Diaspora is vital for the long-term future of the Jewish people represent 74% of the Israeli sample and 65% of the American. About half of French Jews, 51%, said that a thriving Diaspora is vital for the future of the French Jewish community.

Anti-Semitism

The first-ever AJC survey of Jews in France showed a community highly concerned about rising anti-Semitism. Half say the situation of Jews in France in terms of security is worse than a year ago, with 20% saying that it is better and 25% responding that it is neither better nor worse. A majority, 58%, have personally experienced anti-Semitism in France, and 56% do not think that France is effectively combating that scourge.

Moreover, 55% of French Jews have considered emigrating over the past year21% for economic reasons, 17% fearing for the community's future, 12% worried about France's future, and 5% for religious or cultural attractions elsewhere. Forty-one percent have not considered leaving France.

Considering the future status of Jews in Europe, American Jews are more optimistic than are Israelis. Some 75% of Americans and 44% of Israelis say Jews have a future as Jews in Europe, while 17% of Americans and 46% of Israelis say they should leave now.

Yet, the past year also has seen an uptick in American Jewish concerns about their own security, with 65% of them stating they feel less secure than a year agoa ten-point rise since 2018while 15% say they are more secure and 17% about the same.

In addition, 57% of U.S. Jews say the climate on college campuses has become more hostile toward pro-Israel studentsa rise of four points over 2018with 9% saying it's less hostile and 17% about the same.

Israel-Diaspora Relations

French Jews appear more connected to Israel than American Jews.. Asked to use the metaphor of a family to describe how they view Israelis, 57% of the French sample viewed them as either siblings or first cousins, while less than half of that figure28%--of the U.S. sample gave one of those responses. And conversely, 28% of the Americans and just 16% of the French answered, "not part of my family."

Another indication of the closer Israel connection of French Jews is that 65% of them say they have visited Israel (21% more than once and 19% at least five times), as compared to 41% of the Americans (15% more than once and 10% at least five times.) Similarly, 48% of the French Jews and just 28% of the Americans report having family in Israel to whom they feel close.

U.S. and French Jews are more pessimistic than Israeli Jews about Israel-Diaspora relations. Those Jews who foresee a weakening of transnational ties over the next five years outnumber those anticipating stronger ties by 24% to 18% in the U.S., and by 32% to 24% in France. Among Israelis, though, 30% expect stronger ties and 23% think they will weaken.

Gaps in U.S., Israeli Views

The surveys of Israeli and U.S. Jews show, for the second consecutive year, a glaring gap over U.S. President Donald Trump's handling of U.S.-Israel relations, with 79% of Israelis approving (48% "strongly") and just 10% disapproving (4% "strongly"). Only 37% of the Americans approve (22% "strongly") and 59% disapprove (45% "strongly"). In addition, while 50% of American Jews support the Trump administration's recognition of the Golan Heights as Israeli territory, 88% of Israeli Jews do.

Overall, the U.S. survey showed a slippage in warmth toward Israel. In May 2018, 70% of American Jews agreed that "caring about Israel is a very important part of my being a Jew." That dropped to 62% this year, with the percentage strongly disagreeing rising from 9% to 15%.

Also, the percentage of U.S. Jews considering a thriving State of Israel vital for the long-term future of the Jewish people dropped since last year from 79% to 72%, and the proportion expecting ties between U.S. and Israeli Jews to weaken in the next five years rose from 15% to 24%.

Israeli and American Jews differ on the chances of peace with the Palestinians. Among the Israelis surveyed, 43% expect the chances for peaceful coexistence with a Palestinian state to decline over the next five years, 37% say they will remain the same, and just 14% think they will improve. Most American Jews51%--believe they will stay the same and 19% that they will improve, while just 27% expect a decline.

AJC's 2019 Survey of American Jewish Opinion, conducted by SSRS, is based on telephone interviews carried out April 10-May 7 with a national sample of 1,006 Jews over age 18. The margin of error is plus or minus 4.1%.

AJC's 2019 Survey of French Jews, conducted by Ifop, is based on telephone and face-to-face interviews carried out March 11  May 2, with a national sample of 771 Jews over age 18. The margin of error is plus or minus 2.1%.

AJC's Survey of Israeli Jews, conducted by Geocartography, is based on telephone interviews carried out April 10 to 17, with a national sample of 1,000 Jews over age 18. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.1%.

All surveys and an AJC analysis piece are available at www.ajc.org/survey2019.

SOURCE American Jewish Committee

Related Links

http://www.ajc.org

JERUSALEM, June 2, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- On Jerusalem Day, the Israeli people will be celebrating the reunification of Jerusalem after the 1967 Six-Day War, but they will also be remembering the courageous move President Donald Trump made to move the American Embassy to Israel's capital  Jerusalem.

THANK YOU PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP (PRNewsfoto/Friends of Zion Museum)

On May 14, 2017, President Trump surpassed the odds under tremendous pressure, as he had done in the 2016 Presidential Election. Since 1995, when the Jerusalem Embassy Act was passed, the American people have heard dozens of presidential candidates promise to complete the move, but only President Trump kept his word. On May 14th, the United States of America recognized Jerusalem as Israel's eternal capital and boldly moved their embassy there.

On May 14, 2019, the Friends of Zion Museum in Jerusalem held a commemorative event "Annual Night of Heroes" in honor of the One-Year Anniversary of the Opening of the US Embassy in Jerusalem. The event was attended by Prime Minister Netanyahu, US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman, and Chief Rabbi of Israel David Lau.

In December 2017, Dr. Mike Evans, founder of the FOZ Museum, honored President Donald Trump with the "Friends of Zion Award" in a special ceremony in the Oval Office for moving the US Embassy to Jerusalem. Dr. Mike Evans is also a #1 New York Times bestselling author, journalist and member of the Trump Faith Initiative, President Trump's evangelical advisory board.

This Jerusalem Day, American, Israeli and global supporters of Israel will be celebrating Jerusalem as the eternal and undivided capital of the State of Israel, knowing that it has been recognized by Israel's greatest ally, the world's most powerful nation and has the full support of the leader of the free world: President Donald J. Trump.

Friends of Zion Museum, 20 Yosef Rivlin Street, Jerusalem. A reservation is recommended for museum visits. Website: www.fozmuseum.com, email: [email protected], or phone: +972-2-532-9400

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/896240/Friends_of_Zion_Museum.jpg

SOURCE Friends of Zion Museum

Related Links

http://www.fozmuseum.com/

The newly introduced programs include a Master of Arts in Applied Islamic Ethics at the College of Islamic Studies, and a PhD in Humanities and Social Sciences at the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. Additionally, HBKU is offering a Master of Information Systems in Health Management and Master of Science in Sport and Entertainment Management (a joint degree with the University of South Carolina) at the College of Science and Engineering, and an LLM in International Law and Foreign Affairs and LLM in International Economic and Business Law at the College of Law. A Master of Science in Exercise Science at the College of Health and Life Sciences (a joint degree with the University of South Carolina) is now on offer, as well as a Master of Public Policy offered by the College of Public Policy.

HBKU's new degree programs are tailored to build specialized capacity that addresses the most in-demand current and future skills of local and international employment markets. The expansion of its degree offerings reflects a logical continuation of the university's consistent growth and leadership as an academic institution and a world-class provider of multidisciplinary education and research in Qatar.

Maryam Al-Mannai, vice president of student affairs at HBKU, said: "Each of HBKU's new programs were carefully selected with past, current and future challenges and trends in mind. The programs benefit from the expertise of top-tier faculty members, a nurturing educational ecosystem, and well-rounded curricula that integrate unconventional learning methods."

"With specializations spanning global ethics, social studies, health and exercise sciences, international law and affairs, and public policy, the programs are a testament to HBKU's robust growth. As the university nears its tenth anniversary, it cements important milestones and achievements that have materialized in a very short time span."

In recent years, HBKU has witnessed an unprecedented increase in its academic offerings and, subsequently, potential. The university continues to inspire and celebrate a growing number of alumni worldwide, each thriving in their respective fields.

Last year alone, the university celebrated the successful launch of six new degrees, falling under the umbrellas of the College of Islamic Studies and the College of Science and Engineering.

HBKU is tasked with a mission to provide specialized and highly distinctive graduate programs. As of Fall 2019, it will offer a total of 33 degrees at master's and PhD levels. The university's far-reaching alumni network comprises hundreds of graduates, each making a tangible impact in their respective areas.

To apply to the university's innovative programs, please visit admissions.hbku.edu.qa.

About Hamad Bin Khalifa University

Innovating Today, Shaping Tomorrow

Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), a member of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science, and Community Development (QF), was founded in 2010 as a research-intensive university that acts as a catalyst for transformative change in Qatar and the region while having global impact. Located in Education City, HBKU is committed to building and cultivating human capacity through an enriching academic experience, innovative ecosystem, and unique partnerships. HBKU delivers multidisciplinary undergraduate and graduate programs through its colleges, and provides opportunities for research and scholarship through its institutes and centers. For more information about HBKU, visit www.hbku.edu.qa.

SOURCE Hamad Bin Khalifa University

Related Links

http://www.hbku.edu.qa/

Washington, June 2 : Nearly all applicants for US visas will have to submit their social media details under new rules by the State Department.

The State Department regulations say people will have to submit social media names and five years' worth of email addresses and phone numbers.

When proposed last year, authorities estimated the proposal would affect 14.7 million people annually. Certain diplomatic and official visa applicants will be exempt from the stringent new measures.

However, people travelling to the US to work or to study will have to hand over their information, the BBC reported.

"We are constantly working to find mechanisms to improve our screening processes to protect US citizens, while supporting legitimate travel to the United States," the department reportedly said.

Previously, only applicants who needed additional vetting - such as people who had been to parts of the world controlled by terrorist groups - would need to hand over this data.

But now applicants will have to give up their account names on a list of social media platforms, and also volunteer the details of their accounts on any sites not listed.

Anyone who lies about their social media use could face "serious immigration consequences", according to an official.

The Trump administration first proposed the rules in March 2018.

At the time, the American Civil Liberties Union - a civil rights group - said there is "no evidence that such social media monitoring is effective or fair", and said it would cause people to self-censor themselves online.

US President Donald Trump made cracking down on immigration a key plank of his election campaign in 2016.

He called for "extreme vetting" of immigrants before and during his time in office.

On Friday Trump vowed to impose gradually rising tariffs on Mexico unless the country curbed illegal immigration at the US southern border.New Delhi, June 2 : India's new Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman might not have revealed her plans to accelerate economic growth, but the avid Twitterati have been giving notes and advice about her next moves on the social media platform.

Inundated with congratulatory messages, the Twitter handle of the new Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs also contains in-depth advices on the next level of economic reforms and growth-oriented moves that she should undertake.

As per Sitharaman's Twitter handle, messages with themes such as the upcoming Budget 2019, disinvestment, new economic reforms such as GST 2.0 have been gaining traction.

This is understandable, as in the last 48 hours, macro data points have painted a gloomy picture of the economy, showing a slowdown in the GDP growth rate and contraction in core industries' production.

Additionally, farm distress, unemployment and subdued consumer sentiment have aroused fears of a short-to-midterm slowdown. The slowdown has become evident in sectors such as automobile, FMCG and aviation.

On the other hand, the relief came from another set of data which showed that India met its revised fiscal deficit target for the last fiscal year.

Even the various employee associations of the many departments under her ministry assured Sitharaman of their support, which she will require to boost revenues and control expenditure.

However, on whether any advice was adhered to or not will only be known once the hustle-and-bustle of the appointment subsides, and work begins on the full Union Budget for 2019-20.

The Finance Bill will be presented on July 5, in which the new government's priorities and programmes will be known.

Besides the Budget, the Economic Survey, which gives the status of the country's economy, will be presented in Parliament on July 4.

On Friday, Sitharaman after serving as India's second woman Defence Minister, the first being Indira Gandhi, became the second woman to head the Finance Ministry, after the former Prime Minister.

Sitharaman was among the three women who became part of the Union Cabinet in the 17th Lok Sabha.

Before Sitharaman, Indira Gandhi was Finance Minister for a short period.

Prior to the Defence Ministry, Sitharaman held the Commerce and Industry portfolio.Rio De Janeiro, June 2 : Brazil and Paris Saint-Germain forward Neymar bas been accused of raping a woman at a hotel in Paris last month, according to Brazilian police.

The incident allegedly took place in the hotel on May 15, according to a report filed with police in Sao Paulo on Friday.

Neymar's father strongly denied the accusation and said it was an attempt to extort his son, reports Xinhua news agency.

"This is a tough moment. If we can't show the truth quickly it will be a snowball. If we have to show Neymar's WhatsApp messages and the conversations with this lady, we will," Neymar Santos Sr told TV Band.

According to the woman's testimony to police, Neymar paid for her to fly from Sao Paulo to Paris after meeting her on Instagram.

She states that he booked her into a suite at the Sofitel Paris Arc de Triomphe, where the offence allegedly occurred.

The woman says she returned to Brazil two days later and did not file a report in Paris because she was too emotionally upset.

The document affirms that the woman will undergo medical tests as part of the police probe.

Neymar is currently preparing for the Copa America with Brazil's national squad at a training camp in Terespolis, near Rio de Janeiro. The continental tournament will be held in Brazil from June 14 to July 7.New Delhi/London, June 2 : A search is underway for seven climbers -- four Britons, two Americans and an Australian -- and their Indian liaison officer, who went missing a week ago during an expedition to the Nanda Devi peak in Uttarakhand, CNN reported on Sunday citing local authorities.

The group was attempting to scale Nanda Devi East, one of the highest and most difficult to climb peaks in India at just over 24,000 feet tall, Uttarakhand District Magistrate, Vijay Kumar Jogdande, told CNN.

The missing eight were part of a larger team of 12, who set off from the village of Munsiyari on May 13.

But 12 days later, on May 25, only four of the group returned to base camp, said Uttarakhand's Senior District Official, R.D. Paliwal, said the report.

The entire group was supposed to reach its base camp on May 26, according to Jogdande. The base camp is located at 19,685 feet above sea level.

According to CNN, the company which arranged the expedition, Himalayan Run & Trek, waited a few days after the remaining members of the team failed to arrive before alerting authorities of their disappearance on May 31, Jogdande said.

The missing Indian liaison officer is from the Indian Mountaineering Foundation, based in New Delhi.

The UK Foreign Office said in a statement it was in contact with Indian authorities following reports that the climbers were missing.

Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade also said it was "providing consular assistance to the family of an Australian that may be among a group of trekkers missing in the Nanda Devi area of India".

Meanwhile three search teams have reached the first base camp, which is 25 km below the peak.

Another team, equipped with medical and civil supplies, was said to be on its way. A military aircraft was also expected to be sent to help with the rescue effort.

It was unclear whether the climbers went missing during their ascent or descent, or the cause of their disappearance, said the CNN report.

The incident follows the deaths of 11 climbers on Mount Everest this year, amid extraordinary images of queues of people waiting to get to the summit, prompting fresh concerns over the increased commercialisation of mountaineering expeditions.New Delhi, June 2 : Days after the announcement of Lok Sabha results, the official Twitter handle of Congress social media head Divya Spandana, known for targeting the BJP, has gone missing from the micro-blogging site.

A search for @divyaspandana on the micro-blogging site says "Sorry, that page doesn't exist!". There has been no official confirmation on the reason behind the Twitter account going missing.

Spandana was among the Congress leaders who took jibes at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders on Twitter.Post-election analysis is a part of every democracy. It's just 10 days since the Narendra Modi-led Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) swept to an even bigger victory than its triumph in 2014. Today the party has a simple majority on its own and a near two-third majority through its coalition National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

I was sure of this victory though with a lesser margin. In the past few years I often had arguments with several close friends in the media, arts, academia and business and was often accused of having sold out to the Saffron Brigade or even being a closet Rastriya Swayam Sevak Sangh (RSS) sympathizer. I have always prided myself of being a rational and independent thinker. The only anathema to me is Left or Socialist economic philosophy which has failed the test of time the world over.

Since 2014 the chatterati, media and academia closed ranks very conveniently and dubbed everyone who did not agree with them as right wing, as if being a rightist and being liberal are mutually irreconcilable. A chant went up with a singular agenda. Modi and the BJPare a national disaster. This led to a cleave in the media on public discourse.

Obviously, a larger proportion supported the new government and a sizeable part of it became bitter critics. The irony is that this group complained the most about loss of freedom yet went about damning the government by the minute. However, during the past five years, as I lauded various steps taken by the Modi government or defended actions like demonetization (I am still one of the few who still believe and with reason it was a good step) and the Goods and Services Tax (GST), I had the opinion of various experts thrown at my face.

Left-wing academics, biased articles and mothballed doctrines and partisan intellectual debates irrelevant data were cited. Dissent was the only qualification to be considered the right (left actually) interpretation all progress and social mores.

But this piece is not about me or my beliefs. It is my observations why Indian thinking elite (a bit of an oxymoron) repeatedly failed to read the tea leaves and why outdated metrics no longer work in 2019. The genesis of this goes back to the early years of our independence. India, consciously under the leader of Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru chose the socialist economy. Unlike some, I am an admirer of Nehru who definitely laid the foundations of several institutions and in a way led to resurgent post-colonial India. Nehru was quite a paradoxical person. While by upbringing he was an aristocrat, by interest a renaissance man and by political though a Gandhian turned socialist. Yet one thing which Nehru (and a trait followed by all his descendants) was to encourage Darbaris (courtiers). However, he made some fatal mistakes as well.

His futile quest of a Non-Aligned World Order led to a flawed diplomatic thrust including his mishandling of the Kashmir situation. He relied on an oversized Civil Service (with some remarkable officers though) inherited from the British together with some leftist (he was a Fabian socialist himself since his young days) intellectuals drew up the road map of Modern India. On the cultural front this was still fine but it was a monumental economic disaster in the making. By aligning too strongly to a flawed Soviet style planning he was hell bent on taking India India to commanding heights of Economy from where a free fall was the only exit. An aside here while a self-confessed agnostic Nehru may not have supported religiosity but was happy to be totemically seen to participate in rituals when politically expedient. In fact, he even supported a dubious Congress initiative called Bharat Sadhu Semaj. Secularism was more of a dream than a reality.

Nehru and later his daughter Indira Gandhi had a predisposition of working with coteries. Dilettantes and bon vivant(s) both promoted academia, intelligentsia and an upper crust English speaking social elite. Those who profess of the wonders of Pax Nehruviana forget that he has imprisoned a whole retinue of Communist ideologues, artistes and writers, He was friendly with some journalists but hated others including some eminent ones like.

Those who complain of censorship and Sanskari Film certification board should go and check records of how Nehru too banned books, films and other journals in his time. Of course, Mrs. Gandhi's infamous Emergency diktats and excesses needs no recounting. There were always the ruling elite, intellectuals and writers born out of a peculiar amalgam of colonial and Marxist values. All important leaders who dared too dissent - Subhas Chandra Bose, Sardar Patel, Ambedkar, Syama Prasad Mookerjee, Maulana Azad died early - C Rajagopalachari, Acharya Kripalani. Jai Prakash Narayan, Minoo Masani, Nath Pai, Piloo Mody, PC Joshi, Acharya Narendra Dev were successfully neutralized. Nehru was erudite and polished but he was fallible and two lost wars, famines and poverty are some of the relics of his legacy as are some fine institutions he set up.

His daughter though was more imperious and often naive At least Pandit Nehru was not vindictive, his daughter as time would reveal herself to be was quite Machiavellian. Be that as it may, both the father and daughter did many good things for the nation but also must share blame for what India turned has out to be in subsequent decades. The famous Hindu growth rate of sub 4 per cent in 1950s,60s,70s and 80s for one. A largely deprived, illiterate country with dozens of perpetually haemorrhaging public sector. A bloated bureaucracy and Soviet style state control of enterprise kept India wallowing in want. To her credit Mrs. Gandhi led the country to victory in 1971 war with Pakistan. When it suited her, she turned vicious and volatile and blatantly partisan.

(Amit Khanna is a media personality and reconteur)

(To be continued)New Delhi, June 2 : A day after assuming charge, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday paid visited the National Police Memorial here to pay tribute to the thousands of police personnel who have died in the line of duty.

"I visited the National Police Memorial and paid tributes to our martyrs of the central and state police forces who have sacrificed their lives in the line of duty. I salute their valour and courage. A grateful nation is indebted to them for their supreme sacrifice," the Minister tweeted.

In another tweet in Hindi, Shah said it was his first public programme after taking charge as the Union Home Minister.

"I paid tribute to over 34,000 personnel from police and security forces who sacrificed their lives. Our country is safe because of the sacrifice of these personnel.

"...I am feeling energetic after visiting here. Also, the feeling to do everything for the country has become more strong."

Shah was accompanied by Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba and Intelligence Bureau chief Rajiv Jain among other senior officials.

During his visit, he wrote in the visitors' book and offered flowers in front of the Wall of Valour.

Former Home Minister and now Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday paid tribute at the memorial before taking charge.

The National Police Memorial commemorates 34,844 police personnel from all the central and state police forces in India who have died in the line of duty since India's Independence in 1947.Lucknow, June 2 : Defeat, they say, is the best adhesive and the Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh is learning this the hard way.

After being sidelined for almost two-and-a-half years, party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav seems to be back in reckoning even as questions over the 'failed leadership' of Akhilesh Yadav start doing the rounds.

SP President Akhilesh Yadav has led the party to its worst defeats - in 2014 when he was Chief Minister the SP ended up with just five Lok Sabha seats, in 2017 when he became party President it was reduced to 47 seats in the 403-member Assembly and in 2019, despite allying with BSP, it could just hold on to its five seats.

Mulayam Singh Yadav won his Mainpuri seat with the lowest margin of his career - 95,000 votes.

After the Lok Sabha results came in, Akhilesh Yadav has been turning to his father for advice and guidance - something he did not do in the past.

The senior Yadav, to begin with, has asked Akhilesh Yadav to reconnect with non-Yadav leaders in the party and demolish the perception that SP is an all-Yadav party.

Senior leaders like Reoti Raman Singh, Bhagwati Singh, Om Prakash Singh, Manoj Pandey, Arvind Singh Gope, Narad Rai and Radhey Shyam Singh are being called for discussions with Akhilesh Yadav and Mulayam Singh Yadav.

Mulayam Singh Yadav also wants senior leaders in the party to be involved in decision making and has asked Akhilesh Yadav to ensure the return of those leaders who have left the party in the past two years.

If informed sources are to be believed, Mulayam Singh Yadav has asked his son to build bridges with his estranged uncle Shivpal Yadav.

Shivpal Yadav, who floated his own Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party Lohia (PSPL) last year after a prolonged feud with Akhilesh Yadav, failed to make his presence felt in the Lok Sabha elections.

Shivpal Yadav lost his own election in Ferozabad and none of his candidates could even rank second in the polls.

According to the sources, Shivpal Yadav has softened his stand towards Akhilesh Yadav but wants "issues and hearts to be clear" before he agrees to return to SP.

"These elections have a message for Akhilesh as well as Shivpal. They should realize that united they will stand and divided they will fall. Mulayam wants his son and brother to reunite so that the party remains relevant," said a senior SP leader known for his proximity to Mulayam Singh Yadav.

Akhilesh Yadav, the sources said, will soon open his doors for party workers and will be meeting them without prior appointment. The SP headquarters had become almost inaccessible for all -- including party workers and media persons-in the Akhilesh regime.Panaji, June 2 : The wife of an Indian Navy ground staffer was on Sunday booked for murder after she bludgeoned her husband to death following years of domestic abuse, an official said.

The deceased has been identified as Kaushalendra Singh, who was working as an aircraft handler at the INS Hansa, a naval base in South Goa's Vasco sub-district, according to Deputy Superintendent of Police Sunita Sawant.

"According to statements given by the neighbours, the deceased used to beat his wife after drinking alcohol," Sawant told reporters here.

On Saturday night, the accused had called neighbours to her home, after the deceased started beating her up again. But after he went off to sleep in a drunken state, the wife used a heavy kitchen implement to hammer his head until he died.

Kaushalendra Singh was later taken to a naval hospital, after the wife alerted them, but he was declared dead on arrival.

"Post mortem shows 12 to 14 deep injuries on the head and a lot of blood loss. We have recorded the statement of the woman and she is under arrest," Sawant said.Mumbai, June 2 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi has mourned the death of Bollywood action director Veeru Devgan, calling it "a great loss for the industry".

In a letter to his son and actor Ajay Devgn. Modi wrote: "I am deeply saddened to learn of the demise of Veeru Devgan who was widely respected for his outstanding work across various domains in the Hindi film industry. This is a great loss for the industry.

"Devgan worked as a stuntman, action choreographer, director, producer and more. This is the sign of a man who completely dedicated himself to his chosen field and hence, kept discovering new ways of contributing to it."

Modi added that there was something deeply moving about people like Devgan, who took great risks to enthrall audiences in the era of no visual effects.

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 May 27. He was 85.

The letter further stated that Devgan was known for his "personal daredevilry, for pushing the limits as an action choreographer as well as being meticulous about the safety of his team".

"I convey my deepest condolences to Veeru Devgan's family, friends, admirers and the film industry as a whole. May he continue to inspire risk takers in the world because it is those who take risks that define the direction our world takes."

Ajay captioned the image: "My mother and the entire Devgan family are deeply touched and humbled in silence by this thoughtful gesture from our Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Thank you Sir."Islamabad, June 2 : India on Sunday denounced the virtual sabotage of an iftar hosted by India's envoy to Pakistan, saying it violated "all notions of civilized behaviour", and urged Islamabad to "urgently investigate" the incident.

"The disappointing chain of events on June 1 not only violate basic norms of diplomatic conduct but are against all notions of civilized behaviour," a statement from the Indian High Commission here said.

"Stopping diplomats and officials of the High Commission of India in Pakistan from discharging their diplomatic functions by intimidation and coercion is entirely counter-productive for our bilateral relationship," the statement said.

Pakistani security personnel forcibly stopped visitors, mainly Pakistanis, from attending the iftar hosted by Indian High Commissioner Ajay Bisaria at Hotel Serena here on Saturday. They also misbehaved with Indian diplomats.

The statement said that India had strongly protested to Pakistan over the gross intimidation of guests invited for the event.Islamabad, June 2 : India on Sunday denounced the sabotage of the traditional iftar hosted by India's envoy to Pakistan, saying it violated "all notions of civilized behaviour", and lodged a strong protest with Islamabad.

"The disappointing chain of events on June 1 not only violate basic norms of diplomatic conduct but are against all notions of civilized behaviour," a statement from the Indian High Commission here said.

"Stopping diplomats and officials of the High Commission of India in Pakistan from discharging their diplomatic functions by intimidation and coercion is entirely counter-productive for our bilateral relationship," the statement said.

Pakistani security personnel forcibly stopped some 300 visitors, mainly Pakistanis, from attending the iftar hosted by Indian High Commissioner Ajay Bisaria at Hotel Serena here on Saturday. They also misbehaved with Indian diplomats.

"The security forces stationed on the main road outside Hotel Serena rudely rebuffed and intimated officers and diplomatic staff of the High Commission of India who tried to ascertain from the security personnel the reasons for harassment of the guests," the statement said.

"Some officials were jostled, pushed, abused and aggressively threatened with bodily harm. In some cases, mobile phones belonging to officials were snatched."

The statement said: "Guests faced unprecedented harassment and intimidation at the hands of security agencies."

It said a concerted campaign was launched by Pakistani security agencies in the days preceding the iftar to reach out to invitees to actively dissuade them from attending the event.

"Those guests who did reach the function venue, in some cases from places as far as Lahore and Karachi, were intimidated and physically stopped from attending the iftar by Pakistani security forces, who had virtually laid the Serena Hotel under siege.

"Further, many guests from the diplomatic community based in Islamabad were also subjected to harassment.

"In complete violation of diplomatic norms, a large Pakistani security detachment, equipped with forklifts, was detailed outside Serena Hotel to aggressively turn away Pakistani civilians.

"In some cases, cars used by invitees were lifted and removed using forklifts. The more than 300 esteemed Pakistani guests who were turned away included MPs, government officials, media representatives, retired military officials and businessmen and retired diplomats, in addition to citizens from all walks of life."

The High Commission said India "has strongly protested to Pakistan" over "the gross intimidation of guests".

The mission urged the Pakistani government to "urgently investigate these ugly events and share the results of the exercise with it.

"Further, we have emphasized to the government of Pakistan the need to ensure that diplomats and officials of the High Commission of India are allowed to discharge their diplomatic functions without fear of coercion or harassment."

Later on Saturday, Bisaria told the media: "I want to apologize to all the friends who were subject to some extra scrutiny outside (the venue)."

Witnesses said the operation was carried out by Pakistani security agencies including intelligence personnel not in uniform.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and President Arif Alvi were among those invited to the event but they skipped it.

As soon as the guests started arriving at the venue, they were stopped outside and prevented aggressively from going in by the security agencies.

Pakistani security officials reportedly also telephoned members of the Karachi Federation of Chambers of Commerce, the Faisalabad Chambers of Commerce and the Lahore Chambers of Commerce not to attend the iftar party.

The Pakistani media did not report Saturday's incident, which comes days after Islamabad accused Indian security personnel of obstructing Indians from attending an iftar party thrown by the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi.

India-Pakistan relations have been badly hit after an Islamist group based in Pakistan claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing that killed 40 troopers in Jammu and Kashmir in February.San Francisco, June 2 : Just days before the 30th anniversary of the crackdown on a pro-democracy demonstration in Tiananmen Square on June 4, Twitter suspended a large number of accounts, including those belonging to Chinese political commentators, the media reported.

Twitter later apologised for the error.

Twitter's action, which affected more than 100 users, came over several hours late Friday and early Saturday, The New York Times reported citing a human rights worker. As a result, accounts of several human rights lawyers, activists and students, among others, got suspended.

"Among the accounts suspended are some prominent, long-time Chinese-language tweeps: @Sasha_Gong, @wmeng8. Both live in the US. More accts have been suspended than I can keep up," wrote one user.

Twitter said the accounts it suspended "as part of its work to protect the health of the public conversation" were not mass reported by the Chinese authorities.

"Sometimes our routine actions catch false positives or we make errors. We apologise. We're working to ensure we overturn any errors, but we remain vigilant in enforcing our rules for those who violate them. As always, account holders can appeal," Twitter said in a statement.Kolkata, June 2 : One person was stabbed to death while several others were injured as political violence continued in West Bengal on Sunday, the police said.

Reports of houses being ransacked and activists of both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the ruling Trinamool Congress sustaining injuries surfaced through the day.

A 36-year-old man, said to be a BJP worker, was stabbed to death in Baduria in North 24 Parganas district. "Ajay Mondol (37) was stabbed on Sunday morning when he stepped out of his residence," an officer at the Baduria police station said. However, he added that the complaint did not mention any political connection and that the matter was under investigation.

A Trinamool Congress party office was ransacked in Diamond Harbour in South 24 Parganas district. In another incident, a Trinamool member was beaten up on Saturday in Ghola in North 24 Parganas district. Two people have been arrested in connection with the case, the police said.

Meanwhile, BJP MP from Barrackpore Arjun Singh protested against the police restoring to lathi charge in North 24 Parganas district by holding demonstrations outside few local police stations.

"Since the time Mamata Banerjee's candidates tasted defeat in the Lok Sabha polls, the police and other miscreants are beating up our workers and ransacking their houses. The officers in Amdanga and Duttapukur police stations are even interrogating people for joining the BJP," he told reporters.

Singh, who defeated Trinamool's Dinesh Trivedi to win the Barrackpore seat, also alleged that the police were threatening to "arrest and file false cases against BJP workers."

Trinamool leader Alo Rani Sarkar, on the othe other hand, alleged that bike-borne BJP supporters roamed outside her residence in Kanchrapara in North 24 Parganas district and threatened some of her party workers with dire consequences over the phone.

"There were as many as four people on a single bike raising 'Jai Shri Ram' chants. But since Rapid Action Force (RAF) officers were inside the gate, they couldn't do anything. They also threatened to kill our party workers. Their main aim is to help Mukul Roy and his son Subhrangshu Roy continue terrorising people in the Bijpur area," Sarkar said.

However, the local police denied receiving any such complaints.

A clash between BJP and Trinamool workers was also reported from Pidra village in Purulia district.

In another incident, some Trinamool workers were allegedly injured in Arambagh in Hooghly district while the disturbance in East Medinipur district's Khejuri continued on Sunday.

On Saturday, a Trinamool party office was vandalised, allegedly by BJP workers, in Khejuri, which is notorious for political violence. Some police vehicles were also damaged by the agitators.Thane, June 2 : A controversy erupted over alleged 'weapons training' being imparted to students at a Mira Road town school, owned by local Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator Narendra Mehta, here on Sunday.

In a letter to Atul Kulkarni, Assistant Superintendent of Police (Thane Rural), the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) has alleged imparting of weapons handling training to students and has sought a probe into it.

However, the police have raised doubts over the allegation. "As per our preliminary investigations, weapons could be models and not genuine ones," Kulkarni told IANS on Sunday.

However, one of the students -- Prashant Gupta, who had posted photographs of the 'training camp' on his social media accounts, was summoned for questioning. "Our probe is likely to be completed in a day. After that we shall decide the next course of action," Kulkarni said.

According to DYFI Mira-Bhayander Secretary Sanjay Pandey, the weapons training camp was organised by the Bajrang Dal at the Seven Square Academy, set up and managed by MLA Mehta. The school also has branches in Naigaon and Thane.

Despite repeated attempts by IANS, Mehta could not be contacted over phone till late evening.

Pandey said initially, when the DYFI activists approached the Mira Road police, their plea was ignored, compelling them to file a written complaint to Kulkarni, with copies of photographs of the Facebook posts.

"The pictures on the boy's Facebook account show children, some of them minors, handling rifles, guns, loading/unloading them and jumping across fires. It's not only illegal, but also dangerous for students," Pandey told IANS.

Stating that some of the pictures were not of the Mira Road school, Kulkarni said details would be revealed after completion of the police investigation.

Pandey suspects "pressures" on the police to dilute the matter since it involved an influential legislator, reportedly close to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. The Chief Minister is also the in-charge of home portfolio.

"Were the weapons used in the training seized and sent for forensic analysis before the police concluded that they were models," he demanded, adding there should be a blanket ban on any form of arms training in schools.

Demanding that the Mira Road Police lodge FIR against Mehta under the Indian Penal Code and the Arms Act, the DYFI threatened to seek legal recourse with the police as a party in the matter.New Delhi, June 2 : Amid raging controversy over the draft national education policy, which favours making teaching of Hindi compulsory up to class 8, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, here on Sunday, reiterated the government's stand that it respected all languages and no language would be "imposed".

"The national education policy as submitted to the HRD Minister is only a draft report. Feedback shall be obtained from general public. State governments will be consulted. Only after that the draft report will be finalised. The government of India respects all languages. No language will be imposed," he said in a tweet.

The minister's remark come in the wake of apprehensions expressed by political parties and academicians in Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal over the draft education policy. They have cautioned the Centre against imposing any language against the wishes of states.

Earlier, the central government said it had not taken a decision on the draft education policy and had no intentions to impose any language.

The Kasturirangan Committee has recommended teaching of Hindi, English and one regional language in the non-Hindi states; and Hindi, English and one modern Indian language from other parts of the country in Hindi-speaking states.Ahmedabad, June 3 : In a daring operation, the Ahmedabad Fire Brigade here around Sunday midnight rescued as many as 40 people stuck in a tall merry-go-round at a fun fare.

Minutes after getting a call, the staff of the Ahmedabad Fire and Emergency Services rushed to the west end of the Sabarmati Riverfront and brought down the people stuck in the tall ride.

The fire brigade used a 55-metre-tall snorkel. Those rescued included 14 children and eight women.

Fire brigade officials said they got a call from a person stuck in mid-air in the uppermost cubicle of the ride. The merry-go-round developed a technical snag when it was at its full pace.Tim Ancona received the award at the Harlem School board meeting on Tuesday, May 28, 2019. Its not an exaggeration to say that these contributions have been life changing for the students and their families" (Lisa Clark, Loves Park Elementary Principal)

Aptris announces today that, along with its sister company Ticomix, Harlem School District 122 has awarded it with honorable recognition for its contribution to Loves Park Elementary School. Aptris adopted the school in 2015 with a commitment to supplying critical needs for at-risk students through employee-driven gifts and sponsorship.

Loves Park Elementary is located just two blocks from Aptris' corporate headquarters on North 2nd Street. Aptris involvement with the school began when they adopted four families in 2015 and employees purchased gifts for them for Christmas. They have since expanded to 12 families as of 2018.

Other activities have included snack drives, a shoe drive and, most recently, a personal hygiene drive.

There are two things about this that have been incredible to me, said Tim Ancona, Aptris CEO. One is the engagement of our employees. Were not just writing a check from the corporate account and calling it a day. This is grassroots involvement on the part of every team member. The second incredible thing is the impact such a relatively small amount of effort can make.

Lisa Clark, Loves Park Elementary School principal, says that impact has been significant. Its not an exaggeration to say that these contributions have been life changing for the students and their families, Lisa said. Theres just no other way to describe when you see, for example, a child receive the first pair of new shoes theyve ever owned and it brings tears to their eyes.

Ancona recently put out a challenge on social media encouraging other businesses to do likewise. He asks, What if each business took on the task of supporting one local school in an effort to give kids living in poverty a sense of hope and a sense of being valued? This isnt hard and while one business or one employee can't change the world, one business and a group of caring employees can change one school.New York, NY (PRWEB) June 2, 2019

Next Level (http://www.clevelonly.com) today launches Summit Consultancy for top level job candidates going into a career transition. "We have found the the upper reaches of the business world is inhabited by men and women who conduct themselves differently," says Jack Robbins, CEO of Next Level. "Success isn't commonplace and the character traits and mindsets that ensure success are just as rare."

Next Level (http://www.clevelonly.com) has made a study of what factors make one executive more successful than another. "Most often, it comes down to the way a man or woman thinks; their viewpoint, if you will," says Jack Robbins. "The people we are speaking of view their surroundings and the problems they are solving from a unique perspective, one that is uncommon, you might say."

The Next Level team (http://www.clevelonly.com) team has learned to bring out and encourage these characteristics in an executive so as to make them more apparent to a potential employer. Says Jack Robbins, "When a company goes through as many job candidates as they do in filling a position, or more importantly, finding a specific talent in an individual, those who are top level are quick to stand out."

"Next Level (http://www.clevelonly.com) protocols give the candidate an edge," says Jack Robbins. "It is no more than they deserve."

https://www.linkedin.com/company/next-level-executive-introduction-firm/

https://www.facebook.com/Next-Level-Executive-Introduction-Firm-266037557392237/

https://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/next-level-trusted-business-next-level-verified-safe-businesses-consumers-can-trust-next-level-is-a-premier-executive-marketing-firm-next-level-is-career-transition-experts-and-work-with-c-suite-executives-vice-presidents-directors-senior-managers-and-other-high-level-professionals/new-york-new-york-10016/next-level-c-level-only-clevelonlycom-c-level-only-clevelonlycom-new-york-new-york-1468874

https://twitter.com/clevelonly

https://www.instagram.com/clevelonly/If you are new to iQ you can schedule a demo and learn more about this opportunity.

PSFK iQ - Where Innovators Turn for Research. Our professional-grade research platform is designed specifically for Retail and CX leaders who want to know whats next. Whether youre staying current on trends or need a real-time research partner to help you get ahead, count on PSFK iQ to deliver the info you need to make your next move.Here are our picks for the must-see panels at BookCon today.

New York, I Love You: Romance (Novels) Made in Manhattan

10:1511 a.m. // Room 1E16

Five romance authors discuss their literary love affairs with New York City.

Ill Take Quidditch for $500, Please!: An Audiobook Game Show

10:3011:15 a.m. // Room 1E10

BookCon authors compete in this audiobook-themed game show.

Draw Me a Sunny Day:

A Celebration of Sesame Streets 50th Anniversary

10:4511:30 a.m.

Contributors to Sesame Street picture books celebrate the shows timeless legacy.

DC & DC Black Label

11:15 a.m.noon // Room 1E16

Creators behind some of the hottest new DC comics meet up.

Love Is Love: Answering the

Call for Queer Love Stories Across the Board

11:1511:50 a.m. // Choice Stage

Writers discuss the need for nonbinary romance in todays books.

How Our Present Impacts Todays Science Fiction

Noon12:40 p.m. // Choice Stage

Sci-fi writers imagine the future of

our moment.

Suffragettes, Sex Positivity,

and Smashing the Patriarchy: Historical Romance as a

Powerful Political Text

12:151 p.m. // Room 1E16

Historical romance writers debate the political power of their genre.

The Magic of World Building: Marissa Meyer, Marie Lu,

N.K. Jemisin, Joe Hill

12:451:45 p.m. // Room 1E14

Experts explain how to craft a

fictional world.

What If?: A Quirky Conversation About Our Fascinating World with Adam Savage and Randall Munroe

12:451:20 p.m. // Downtown Stage

Two multimedia stars offer their surprising life hacks.

Geek Geek Revolution

12 p.m. // Room 1E07

Authors compete for the title of Top

Book Geek.

When Millennials Met Romance: The Rom-Com Phenom

1:152 p.m. // Room 1E16

Millennials put their stamp on romance.

Jacqueline Woodson and Damon Young Discuss New Books and Brown Bodies

1:302:05 p.m. // Downtown Stage

Two commanding writers talk about some of todays most pressing issues.

The Great Book Debate

2:153:15 p.m. // Room 1E14

Authors discuss what makes some books stick in this perennial BookCon favorite.

Tor Presents Magic and Mayhem in Science Fiction and Fantasy

3:154 p.m. // Room 1E16

A look at rule-breaking sci-fi and fantasy.

Social Justice Warriors: Jason Reynolds, Daniel Jose Older, Morgan Parker, Elizabeth Acevedo, Damon Young and Akilah Hughes

3:304:15 p.m. // 1E14

In another recurring BookCon fav, authors fight for whats right in their books.

For complete event listings, visit bookcon.com.BookCon is hosting three romance panels todayNew York, I Love You: Romance (Novels) Made in Manhattan; Suffragettes, Sex Positivity, and Smashing the Patriarchy: Historical Romance as a Powerful Political Text; and When Millennials Met Romance: The Rom Com Phenom. We talked to six participating writers to find out how they are reinventing romance for 2019.

Tessa Dare

Opposites attract in Dares The Wallflower Wagerthe latest in her Girl Meets Duke serieswhich focuses on self-made Gabriel Duke and animal lover Lady Penelope Campion. Lets just say that Gabe loves animals, too, but only on a plate in front of him.

Did you know that Penny would be the softhearted champion of wounded creatures and an incurable romantic?

Penny was always the sweetheart of the group. That said, she has more to her than meets the eye.

What is the most challenging aspect of writing a series like Girl Meets Duke?

The joy and challenge of writing a closely linked series is the continually growing cast of characters. I love adding new ones to the mix and letting them bounce off the established characters. Begrudging bromances among my heroes are one of my absolute favorite things to write.

Suffragettes, Sex Positivity, and Smashing the Patriarchy: Historical Romance as a Powerful Political Text: 12:151 p.m. // Room1E16

Abby Jimenez

Food Network star Abby Jimenez has a debut novel, The Friend Zone, a hilarious tearjerker written primarily on Jimenezs cellphone. The main character, Kristen Petersen, is based on a real-life friend.

Did the novel take a lot of research because of the infertility component?

Absolutely. The infertility story in the book is based on the experience of my best friendonly hers was, frankly, even worse than what my main character went through. The bulk of the symptoms and feelings about my main characters condition came from Lindsays experiences. I also interviewed several other women who struggled with infertility, and my ob-gyn, and I read a lot of online discussion threads about it. It was really heartbreaking to see how emotionally taxing it is to go through this diagnosis.

When Millennials Met Romance: The Rom Com Phenom 1:152 p.m. // Room 1E16

Joanna Shupe

The Rogue of Fifth Avenue is the first of three books in Shupes new Uptown Girls series, about characters who, while wealthy, dont play by anyones rules but their own. In this first novel, set in 1890s Manhattan, Marion Mamie Greene and handsome attorney Frank Tripp are forced to maneuver their way around forbidden love.

Why do you write about the Gilded Age?

I grew up reading Edith Wharton and fell in love with her stories of New York high society at the turn sof the 20th century. The Gilded Age is a fascinating period in American history. Society struggled with huge wealth inequality, while technological advances reshaped everything about the way people lived.

What was the inspiration behind Marion Greene and Frank Tripp?

It was common for wealthy New Yorkers to go slumming downtown in the Gilded Age, so I thought it would be fun to have three sisters who all end up with men from the other end of town.

New York, I Love You: Romance (Novels) Made in Manhattan 10:1511 a.m. // Room 1E16

Sabrina Jeffries

Project Duchess, the first in Jeffries new Duke Dynasty series, focuses on Fletcher Grey Pryde and Beatrice Wolfe. When Greys mother becomes a widowagainhe meets unconventional Beatrice, a funeral manager. Initially neither Grey nor Beatrice are interested in one another, but time and honesty have their way of melting hearts.

Why do you love writing romance?

I like exploring relationships in a fun but realistic way. Just because a book ends happily doesnt mean that the happy ending must, of necessity, be forced or unrealistic.

What was the inspiration behind the new Duke Dynasty series?

First, the pleasure I took in writing a previous series, the Hellions. It had a mystery thread going through all five books that was only solved in the last book. Second, my fascination with blended families. I dont have a blended family myself, which may be why I find them interesting. Families in past centuries were more likely to be blended, since the mortality rate for mothers was higher (many more women died in childbirth), but I thought it might be fun to deal with a family where the mother lived and the fathers died. Sort of a matriarchy within a patriarchy.

Suffragettes, Sex Positivity, and Smashing the Patriarchy: Historical Romance as a Powerful Political Text: 12:151 p.m. // Room1E16

K.M. Jackson

In Jacksons second book in the Sugar Lake series, Too Sweet to Be Good, Alexandrea Gale is ready to leave the South and return to New York. To earn the money to head back North, she decides to renovate an old theater in town. Theres just one problem: Kellen Kilborn.

What was the inspiration behind the Sugar Lake series?

I wanted to try my hand at writing about a small town, since for the most part my books have been set in and around New York. So in order to stick with the old write what you know way of thinking, I took my New York sisters and had them travel to help their family with their Southern bakeshop.

New York, I Love You: Romance (Novels) Made in Manhattan 10:1511 a.m. // Room 1E16

Maria Vale

Forever Wolf, Vales third novel in the Legends of All Wolves paranormal romance series, focuses on Werewolf Varya and an injured white wolf named Eyulf. Varya must hide Eyulf, because of his mismatched eyes and the omen they represent.

What appeals to you about writing paranormal fantasy romance?

I always think of the definition of paranormal as being beside normal. Like normals wingman. To me that means the ability to look at normal with an outsiders eye. For example, during Human Behavior classes, the Pack must learn to distinguish among the Varieties of Human Misrepresentation. The more I thought about it, the more I realized how often we manipulate the truth. In my imagining, Leonora, the Human Behaviors teacher, comes up with a mnemonic to help them learn: JAFFEWIP. Jokes, Advertising, Flirtation, Falsehood, White lies, Irony, and Politics. Its a small example of how writing about the paranormal causes me to look with fresh eyes at what is normal.

New York, I Love You: Romance (Novels) Made in Manhattan 10:1511 a.m. // Room 1E1Authors note: Fisher Investments political analysis is intended to be nonpartisan and focuses exclusively on political developments potential market impact. We favor no party, politician or ideology and believe political bias hampers economic and political analysis.

With 2019 nearly halfway through, 2020s US presidential election is starting to take shape. Nearly two dozen Democratic presidential hopefuls have thrown their hats into the ring officially, with more entries possible. Such a crowded field means each candidate is clamoring for media attention. One surefire way of getting it? Talk taxes. Potential tax hikes and changes rank high on candidates platforms thus far, stealing voters attentionand, potentially, stoking fear. But November 2020 is still far away. Much will change as the field narrows and politicians stances evolve. Overrating tax rhetoric now seems like worrying prematurelyand, quite possibly, unnecessarily.

Most Democratic hopefuls favor hiking taxes on the wealthy. However, the details vary. Senator Elizabeth Warren proposed a 2% annual wealth tax on Americans with more than $50 million and a 3% tax on those with net worth over $1 billion (on top of taxes they already pay). Senator Bernie Sanders suggested imposing a tax ranging from 45% to 77% on estates above $3.5 million. He and fellow candidate Senator Kirsten Gillibrand proposed a 0.5% tax on stock trades and a 0.1% tax on bond trades. Meanwhile, Senator Cory Booker floated creating a savings account for every child by increasing capital gains and estate taxes. Former Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper and others also target capital gains, arguing for the elimination of the lower rate investors pay on gains for securities held more than 12 months. Senator Kamala Harris suggested giving middle-class households cash payments of $6,000 a year per family, offset by repealing 2017s tax reform.

Depending on your political bent, these ideas may sound wonderful or terriblemaybe even downright frightening! Investors have a long history of fretting capital gains rate hikes, much less elimination of the concept of preferential rates for investments. But cheering or fearing potential change today is futile, in Fisher Investments view. For one, it is really, really early in this race. Donald Trump didnt even enter the 2016 race until June 16, 2015. One month prior, RealClearPolitics 2016 GOP primary polling data showed former Florida Governor Jeb(!) Bush in the lead, with Senator Marco Rubio and former Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker tied for second.[i] Walker didnt last to 2016, dropping out six months after the poll. Rubio and Bush survived to early 2016, but neither lasted past March. Hence, getting invested in early frontrunnersor their tax plansseems off to us.

But it isnt only presidential hopefuls that may change before next November. Their proposals could, too, depending on how they poll. While each candidate will likely argue their tax plan is crucial for combating inequality, overturning Trumps allegedly reckless cuts or ensuring economic policy direction, they likely arent married to ideas that dont motivate voters. That, after all, is what these plans are aboutgetting attention. It is why Americas tax code is an election issue pretty much every four years. As GOP nominee, former President George W. Bush campaigned on tax cuts in 2000. His opponent four years later, former Senator and Secretary of State John Kerry, campaigned on repealing them (for select earners). So did former President Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012! And then, of course, 2016. We could go back further. Taxes are arguably the most direct way government interacts with voters. These plans grab voters attentionhence, they are crucial opportunities for Democratic candidates to differentiate themselves from the (large) crowd this early in the race. The flashier and more headline-grabbing, the better. It is performance art, not policy.

While the election is far off, any of these tax plans becoming reality is even further. History suggests unseating Trump will be tough sledding. Incumbents lost just three times since the 22nd Amendment took effect in 1951, limiting presidents to two terms. Even if a Democratic candidate wins, their tax plan wouldnt get far without a Democratic Congressional majority. Getting one would require them to retain House control in 2020and pick up at least three Senate seats. Passing a tax bill then would require all 50 Democrats to vote in favor (along with the Vice President, who would break the tie). No defections. On an issue like tax hikes, you cannot take that for granted.

Even if all these stars aligned, it doesnt mean the final law would automatically resemble todays headline proposals. A Republican Congress with a slim majority took nearly a year to pass a watered-down version of their earlier tax reform proposals. Obamas 2008 campaign promise targeting repeal of the Bush Tax Cuts went similarly. Despite having Democratic majority his first two years, he wound up extending them. Only in 2013 was he able to make changes, which actually preserved most of the cuts. Results often differ from campaign-speak.

Ultimately, while we dont favor tax hikes, even if one follows the 2020 election, it would have to be quite extreme to reap material economic harm in Fisher Investments view. (Dont buy estimates of these plans that fail to scale moves against the economy, eithermost tax hikes or cuts would be the largest in history in dollar terms considering GDPs tendency to grow over time.) Tax changes create winners and losers and can impact the economy to an extent, but our historical data suggest they arent as huge as many portray. Since 1950, US GDP growth has averaged 2.6% annualized in the four quarters post-tax hike.[ii] Quarterly growth in periods that do not follow hikes averages 3.2%.[iii] Growth was lower following hikes, but not alarmingly so. So while tax hikes may be a big political issue, for the economy, it isnt so huge at all.

Investing in stock markets involves the risk of loss and there is no guarantee that all or any capital invested will be repaid. Past performance is no guarantee of future returns. International currency fluctuations may result in a higher or lower investment return. This document constitutes the general views of Fisher Investments and should not be regarded as personalized investment or tax advice or as a representation of its performance or that of its clients. No assurances are made that Fisher Investments will continue to hold these views, which may change at any time based on new information, analysis or reconsideration. In addition, no assurances are made regarding the accuracy of any forecast made herein. Not all past forecasts have been, nor future forecasts will be, as accurate as any contained herein.,



We're sorry, this article is not currently availableGuests invited to Indian High Commission's Iftar party in Islamabad faced "unprecedented harassment and intimidation" due to enhanced security checks by the Pakistani officials who stopped some invitees on one pretext or other, the Indian mission said here on Sunday, as it strongly protested the "ugly" incident and sought "urgent" investigation into the matter.

Indian High Commissioner Ajay Bisaria hosted the annual event on Saturday at Serena Hotel for which guests were invited from all over Pakistan.

"The guests faced unprecedented harassment and intimidation at the hands of security agencies," the Indian High Commission said in a statement

It said the guests who made to the venue from places as far as Lahore and Karachi were "intimidated and even physically stopped" from attending the party by Pakistani security forces, who had virtually laid the Serena hotel under siege.

"A concerted campaign was launched by Pakistan's security agencies in the days preceding the iftar function to reach out to the invitees to actively dissuade them from attending the event," it said.

The high commission said security officials stationed on the main road outside the hotel rudely rebuffed and intimidated" officers and diplomatic staff of the IHC who tried to ascertain from the security personnel the reason for the harassment of the guests.

"Some officials were jostled, pushed, abused and aggressively threatened with bodily harm. In some cases, mobile phone belonging to the officials were snatched away, it said.

Many guests from the Pakistan's diplomatic community were also subjected to harassment.

"In complete violation of diplomatic norms, a large Pakistani security detachment, equipped with forked lifts, was detailed outside Serena hotel to aggressively turn away Pakistani citizens," the Indian mission said, adding that in some cases, cars used by guests were lifted and removed using forklifts.

Over 300 Pakistani guests, including parliamentarians, government officials, media representatives, retired military officials, businessmen and retired diplomats, were prevented from attending the function, it said.

Protesting the incident, the high commission said the incident "not only violated the basic norms of diplomatic conduct but was against all norms of civilized behaviour... and entirely counter-productive for our bilateral relationship".

It also asked the Pakistani government to "urgently investigate these ugly events" and share the result of the exercise with it.

Meanwhile, those attending the event also said that additional security deployment was made around the luxury hotel.

A journalist said he saw more than usual security presence but those having invitation cards and identity documents were allowed to attend. "My invitation card was checked and I was asked questions about profession and residence, and allowed to go in," he said.

"Unprecedented level of harassment at @serena_hotels Islamabad. #India embassy iftaar happening & police & anti terrorism force misbehaving with anyone trying into get in the hotel. Got screamed at, my driver abused. Sorry, not being an entitled prick. This was genuine harassment," tweeted noted journalist Mehreen Zahra-Malik.

Another journalist, on condition of anonymity, said that he did not attend as he feared about questioning and security checks.

He also said that there were reports that some invitees were called by anonymous callers and told not to attend the event.

Senior Pakistan People's Party leader Farhatullah Babar said every gaze deflected towards odd visitors in hotel's lobby.

"Came to Serena for iftar hosted by Indian HC. Hotel seems barricaded. Told that iftar cancelled. When insisted, I was told to use other gate. Other gate also closed and told to go back to front gate again. What's going on, something fishy," he tweeted.

Babar said that he somehow managed to attend the Indian mission's iftar despite efforts by the local authorities to stop invitees on one pretext or other.

High Commissioner Bisaria in his brief address to the audience said that some of the guests could not make to the party.

"I want to apologise because some of you faced a lot of trouble to come here and some of our friends could not come," he said.

Bisaria also said that people had come from Lahore and Karachi to attend the event and thanked them for coming.

India has not been engaging with Pakistan following the attack on the air force base at Pathankot in January of 2016, maintaining that talks and terror cannot go together.

Tensions flared up between the two sides after a suicide bomber of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed killed 40 Central Reserve Police Force personnel in Kashmir's Pulwama district on February 14.

Amid mounting outrage, the Indian Air Force carried out a counter-terror operation, hitting the biggest 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 IAF pilot, who was handed over to India.Following the precedent set by his predecessor Sushma Swaraj, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar lent a helping hand to Indians abroad as he took cognisance of their plight on Twitter.

IMAGE: Subrahmanyam Jaishankar arrives at MEA to take charge as Minister of External Affairs, at South Block in New Delhi. Photograph: Manvender Vashist/PTI Photo

Just a day after taking charge of the ministry, Jaishankar appreciated the promptness of the Indian embassy in Riyadh in lending support to a Kolkata-based man stranded in Saudi Arabia. "Appreciate the prompt action on this Suhel @IndEmbRiyadh. Pl keep me apprised," he tweeted.

He has since quoted two other tweets of those seeking help and mentioned the handles of the concerned embassies.

Swaraj was the first to start this tradition which has been widely commended for bridging the gap between the elected government and the people.

Swaraj opted out of contesting in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections citing her health. She spearheaded various rescue operations during her term, including those in Libya and Yemen. The former external affairs minister was much-loved by people for being one of the most approachable ministers, known for hearing out and solving grievances on Twitter.

Famous for her witty remarks, she surely left a lasting impression by constantly engaging with Twitter users.

"Maam we thought you were our Foreign Minister. The only one most sensible in BJP. Why do you call yourself Chowkidar," one Twitter user asked her.

"Because I am doing Chowkidari of Indian interests and Indian nationals abroad," was her reply.

She had famously told one Twitter user that they would be rescued by the Indian Embassy even if they were "stuck on Mars," a comment that not only won hearts but also earning her immense respect.

The first career diplomat to be appointed as the EAM, Jaishankar paid homage to his predecessor in his first tweet from his official account on May 31.

A surprise addition to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's second Union Cabinet, the former foreign secretary certainly has big shoes to fill.Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday visited the National Police Memorial and paid tributes to over 34,000 policemen who laid down their lives while serving the nation.

Shah said India is secured because of the supreme sacrifice of the police martyrs.

"I visited the National Police Memorial this morning and paid tributes to our martyrs of the central and state police forces, who have sacrificed their lives in the line of duty," he tweeted after visiting the memorial located in the capital's Chanakyapuri area.

The home minister said he was overwhelmed after visiting the memorial which was erected as a mark of respect to over 34,000 policemen who sacrificed their lives protecting the nation.

"I salute their valour and courage. A grateful nation is indebted to them for their supreme sacrifice," he said.

Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba and Director of the Intelligence Bureau Rajiv Jain accompanied Shah.

The National Police Memorial, a 30-foot-tall and 238-tonne black granite structure, was unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 21 last year on the occasion of police commemoration day.

Photographs: Amit Shah/Twitter, Kamal Kishore/PTI PhotoNEW CANAAN  St. Marks Episcopal church will hold a prayer vigil Sunday for Jennifer Dulos, the New Canaan mother of five who has been missing since May 24.

On May 25, officials found blood in Dulos rented Welles Lane home, sources close to the investigation said.

Police have conducted searches in Dulos New Canaan neighborhood, Waveny Park  where her Suburban Chevrolet was found  as well as Pound Ridge, N.Y., where the Hartford Courant reported there is a home associated with Dulos family.

On Friday, May 31, police took the search to Hartford. Later that day, they questioned Dulos estranged husband, Fotis Dulos, and escorted him with police vehicles him as he drove away from his home.

According to New Canaan Police Lt. Jason Ferraro, no arrests had been made as of late Friday night.

Though Ferraro has said the case has not been classified as a homicide, a source told WFSB police are treating it as one.

A prayer vigil held for Dulos at St. Aloysius Church on Thursday night drew hundreds. Aaron Cooper, head of New Canaan Country School, which Dulos children attend, told the crowd the kids are safe and with family.

Many there did not know Dulos personally, and attendees represented a number of different denominations.

Were gathering here to pray for Jennifer, to pray for her family, to pray for those who love her, to pray for this community, said Rev. Robert Kinnally, pastor of St. Aloysius.

St. Marks Episcopal Church, located at 111 Oenoke Ridge, will host Sundays vigil from 6:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., according to a flyer emailed to Hearst Connecticut Media. All are welcome.

meghan.friedmann@hearstmediact.comThree consecutive explosions shook the same area of the Afghan capital, Kabul, early in the morning of June 2. The first blast occurred after a bomb was attached to the underside of a minibus carrying female university students. At least one person was reported killed. The attacks came a day after Taliban militants rejected calls for a truce on an upcoming Islamic holiday.Regional authorities say emergency rescue operations have been completed following a series of massive blasts that devastated an explosives plant in central Russia, and investigators are seeking the cause of the accident.



Emergency Situations Ministry official Valery Sinkov told reporters at the site on June 2 that the emergency rescue operation has been completed. Now work is in place to remove the effects linked to the damage of buildings and evaluate the situation."



He added that some 700 personnel and 150 vehicles responded to the June 1 disaster.



The Russian Health Ministry said on June 2 that 89 people, including 44 employees of the Kristall plant in the town of Dzerzhinsk, have been seeking medical help following the explosions.



The ministry said one woman remains in serious condition.



Emergency officials said 39 workers and 46 local residents were injured in the blast that sent shock waves through the city of Dzerzhinsk and neighboring communities of Pyra and Zhelnino, about 400 kilometers east of Moscow.



A health official said most victims were suffering from "shrapnel wounds of mild and moderate severity." Officials said there appeared to have been three explosions.



The BBC quoted local officials as saying the factory was used to make and store high-explosive bombs for the military. It said the processing facility at the plant had been destroyed in the blast.



Windows were shattered and scores of buildings were damaged. It was the second such incident at the plant in two months.



The Interfax news agency said the plant director had been fired "literally a day before" for violating safety rules earlier in the year. The director was blamed for an explosion that occurred in April.



A local news site, V Gorode N, published video of a car driver passing by the plant, and sound waves from the explosions echoed through the countryside.



Dmitry Krasnov, deputy governor of the Nizhny Novgorod region, told state TV that at least two people were missing.



The Nizhny Novgorod governors office said that people injured in the explosions will receive about $2,235 each in compensation from the regional and Dzerzhinsk town funds.



Owned by the state conglomerate Rostec, the facility is decades old and is now a major producer of explosives and related equipment for military and civilian industrial purposes.



V Gorode N said the blasts were the second such incident at the factory in two months. On April 4, an explosion destroyed a workshop facility at the plant. No injuries were reported at the time.

With reporting by RFE/RL's Russian Service, the BBC, Interfax, TASS, and AFP

British Airways has resumed direct service to Pakistan, more than 10 years after suspending operations due to security fears.



Flight BA261, which took off from London's Heathrow airport on the afternoon of June 2, landed at Islamabad International Airport early on June 3.



Thomas Drew, Britains top diplomat to Pakistan, called it a "big day" for Britain and Pakistan.



"@British_Airways first flight on its new direct service to Islamabad...can look forward to a warm welcome when it lands here tomorrow," he tweeted.



British Airways stopped flying to Pakistan in 2008, shortly after a suicide truck bombing that killed more than 50 people at Islamabads Marriott Hotel.



In December last year, the British carrier announced that it will return this month with three weekly flights from London's Heathrow airport to the Pakistani capital.



The announcement was "a reflection of the great improvements in the security situation in Pakistan" in the years since, Drew said at the time.



A little-known militant group claimed responsibility for the devastating September 2008 attack in Islamabad, but authorities blamed Al-Qaeda-linked militants.



Pakistan has battled homegrown militancy for nearly 15 years, with tens of thousands of people killed.



Britain is home to more than 1 million residents of Pakistani origin, making it the largest Pakistani diaspora community in Europe.



Pakistan International Airlines was previously the only carrier with direct flights between the two countries.Eight years ago, it was "Stop Lying," and "Down With The Party Of Crooks And Thieves."



Today, it's "We're For The Square," and "Close The Dump," and "Hands Off Our Pensions."



As President Vladimir Putin closes in on his 20th year as Russia's preeminent leader, the Kremlin has effectively sucked the oxygen out of any viable, independent political opposition. It has neutered civic society and nongovernmental groups through the implementation of "foreign agent" and "undesirable organization" laws. Public demonstrations are broken up as "unauthorized"; crippling fines are imposed on protesters. A new elite police force is tasked with quelling threats to the state.



But rather than crush the spirit of political protests in Russia, protesting is evolving. Demonstrations are focused more on local issues, rather than taking on the system as a whole. Theyre unscripted, younger, and more often than not, they don't involve established civil-society groups or political parties.



Four days of raucous demonstrations that erupted earlier this month in Yekaterinburg are the most recent example. Protesters -- who appeared overwhelmingly to be teenagers and young adults -- faced off against riot police over plans to build a church on the site of a popular park in the Urals region city.



Others include protests against a landfill in a remote Arctic region for household garbage from Moscow; a proposed new toll system for long-haul truckers; an increase to the retirement age; and a proposal to swap swaths of farmland between the North Caucasus region of Ingushetia and its neighbor, Chechnya.



These protests have also been more unpredictable, as Andrei Kolesnikov, an analyst at the Carnegie Moscow Center noted in a recent commentary. For authorities looking to keep a lid on direct challenges, that's problematic.



"What is already clear is that Russia is entering a new period of civil and political activity," Kolesnikov wrote.

The Yekaterinburg protests drew sympathy across the country. Images and footage of people throwing chain-link fences into a nearby pond, and singing and dancing to pop music while facing off with helmeted riot police, were amplified by social media channels like the popular messaging app Telegram.

The ire that inspired the chants and slogans weren't directed at the Kremlin or the powerful ruling party United Russia. They were directed at saving the park, or square: "We're For The Square!" Still, the message was heard clearly by the Kremlin; Putin himself weighed in on the issue, an issue that on its face has no real national significance.



"There is huge appetite for political change across the country," Lilia Shvetsova,  veteran Russian political observer, told RFE/RL. "People are tired of the system, tired of the leadership."



But the paradox there, she said, is that there is no force capable of being the catalyst of change.



The Yekaterinburg protests, however, show how demonstrations are becoming more localized and more spontaneous, and are drawing in, she said, a new generation of activists.



"It gives us hope that civil society is not entirely dead," she told RFE/RL.



Change Russia, Start With Yekaterinburg?



In 2011, at the outset of what was effectively Putin's second tour as president -- between 2008 and 2012, when his protege Dmitry Medvedev was president -- there was an outburst of public unhappiness with both Putin's return, but also the Kremlin-backed, ruling United Russia.



The demonstrations were confined to Moscow, and to a lesser degree, St. Petersburg -- the cities where much of Russia's liberal class and intelligentsia, and ruling elite, are concentrated.



Aleksei Navalny, a lawyer and crusader against government corruption, harnessed that anger and helped spearhead what became known as the Bolotnaya protests. His slogan "Down With The Party Of Crooks And Thieves" was directed at United Russia, and Navalny started building a political party and running candidates in local elections.



Navalny ran in the 2013 Moscow mayoral election under the slogan "Change Russia, Start With Moscow."



In 2012, following Putin's return to the presidency, government authorities moved to tighten restrictions of how civil-society organizations received funding, particularly from foreign sources. Two years later, the government substantially increased fines for people who take part in protests deemed to violate public order rules.



A 2015 law that outright bans nongovernmental organizations "undesirable" or threatening to the Russian state made it harder still on civil-society groups. The following year, the Kremlin moved to carve out a new elite police force known as the National Guard, entrusting it with being the premier agency charged with quelling public disorder.

"There is no real reason for creating the National Guard out of the Interior Troops and other forces unless you have a serious worry about public unrest," Mark Galeotti, an expert on Russia's security agencies, wrote after Putin's reorganization order was published.

But Russians still found pointed, public ways to make their unhappiness with government initiatives known. Long-haul truckers fought back against a national road toll system. A series of driving protests brought major roads, including in Moscow, to a standstill in what was one of the largest signs of public discontent since 2012.

In 2017, authorities cracked down on the truckers organization, labeling it a "foreign agent."

Bread And Butter



Putin's strong popularity, particularly in the wake of the annexation of the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea in 2014, helped propel him to easy reelection in 2018. Among the issues he set out to tackle was the country's looming pension problem.

The Kremlin pushed through deeply unpopular measures to change the Soviet-era system. The result was months of public demonstrations, some organized by official political parties like the Communists.

Navalny also called on mass protests -- and in August, he was jailed preemptively, accused of organizing an unauthorized demonstration in Moscow eight months earlier.



The political potency of local grievances was thrown into even sharper focus last fall, in the North Caucasus, where unemployment is high, memories are long, and ethnic tensions lurk just under the surface. In 1992, Russian authorities carved up what has been the Chechen-Ingush Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic to create Chechnya and Ingushetia.



But that opened up a Pandora's box of problems as the Chechens and the Ingush squabbled about who had rights to which landsThe Ingush fought a brief war with another neighboring republic, in North Ossetia, in 1992 over a district known as Prigorodny.

Chechen and Ingush lawmakers had tried for years to settle the two regions' shared borders. In October, the Ingush legislature signed off on a deal that outraged Ingush protesters, and brought thousands of people into the streets repeatedly.



The Kremlin tried to quell the discontent by, among other things, turning off Internet service. In March, after a new round of protests, the region's top law-enforcement official resigned -- or was forced to, some experts say -- because he refused to order his troops to disperse the crowds.

In January, groups of demonstrators held protests in the northern region of Arkhangelsk to oppose a plan to bring waste from the Russian capital to a massive new landfill in the remote region. Those protests echoed similar ones held in the Moscow region over a landfill that people said was sickening local children.

And in at least two provincial towns in recent months, protests over proposed cuts to health care providers have helped fuel support for a trade union called the Alliance of Doctors. Ambulance workers in the northern town of Okulkova announced last month they were going on strike to protest low wages. Prosecutors responded by summoning the local head of the Alliance of Doctors for questioning.

Adding further fuel to the fire is a stagnating economy, where real wages have declined for the past several years even as the Kremlin continues to pump money into its rainy-day funds -- now some of the world's largest sovereign wealth funds.

WATCH: Russian Mega-Dump Prompts Angry Protests



Yekaterina Schulmann, a longtime expert and political scientist at the Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, said she saw no real difference between the effectiveness of the Bolotnaya protests in 2011 and the more recent phenomenon of protests focused on "localized" issues.



"Protesters want their voice to be heard," she told RFE/RL. "It's a basic political demand: wanting participation in the system."



After three days of protests in Yekaterinburg, which drew wide attention particularly in social media and non-national media, Putin weighed in on the issue -- suggesting a public poll should be held whether to build the church in the October Square Park. Local authorities quickly endorsed the idea, and the construction proposal was put on hold.



The Yekaterinburg church protests also reflect this push for participation in the system, Schulmann said.



Andrei Pertsev, a reporter for the Latvia-based Russia-language news site Meduza, said the localized protests were more about symbolism: that demonstrators were angered by their inability to participate in the political process rather than the actual issue at hand.



In other words, it's not about trash from Moscow being dumped in a subarctic forest, and it's not about a church being built in the middle of a city; it's that people felt they didn't have any say in the matter.



"Participants in the protests aren't ready for quite radical actions, they do not retreat under pressure, they take to the streets again and again," he wrote in a commentary published by the Carnegie Moscow Center.



"The authorities are clearly confused; they're not ready to suppress the protests, they're trying to meet the formal reason for the action, but the underlying causes -- social and political discontent -- aren't going anywhere," he said.A court in Baghdad has sentenced two French citizens to death for being members of the extremist group Islamic State (IS), prosecutors said on June 2.



The new sentences raise the number of French citizens sentenced to death over the past two weeks to nine.



Those sentenced are among a group of 12 French citizens who were detained by the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces in neighboring Syria and handed over to Iraq in January.



France has said it would do all it can to spare the group from execution in Iraq.



Human Rights Watch has accused Iraqi interrogators of "using a range of torture techniques" while saying that France and other countries should not be "outsourcing" trials of IS suspects to "abusive justice systems.

Based on reporting by Reuters, AP, and AFPIn May 2018, 20-year-old Burulai Turdaaly Kyzy was killed in a police station in Kyrgyzstans capital Bishkek. Her killer was the man who had just attempted to kidnap her with the intention of forcing Turdaaly Kyzy to marry him. Police left Burulai and her would-be captor alone in the same room.

The tragedy sparked an outcry in Kyrgyzstan against an old practice called Ala-Kachu, or bride kidnapping. There are laws in Kyrgyzstan against Ala-Kachu but the practice continues.

On May 28, Human Rights Watch released a report, Kyrgyzstan: Pressure Builds to Protect Women and Girls, to mark the one-year anniversary of Turdaaly Kyzys death. https://www.hrw.org/news/2019/05/28/kyrgyzstan-pressure-builds-protect-women-and-girls

In the latest Majlis, RFE/RL's Media-Relations Manager Muhammad Tahir moderates a discussion that looks at what has and has not changed in protecting womens rights in Kyrgyzstan in the year since Turdaaly Kyzy was murdered.

Joining the discussion from London was Hillary Margolis, womens rights researcher focusing on Europe and Central Asia for Human Rights Watch and the author of the May 28 report. From Turkey, Janna Arayeva of the Bishkek Feminist Initiative took part in the discussion. I also took part.

Listen to the podcast above or subscribe to the Majlis on iTunes.Thousands marched in Belgrade on June 1 to protest against the Serbian government, in rallies that have taken place every Saturday since December. The rallies began in reaction to an assault on Serbian Left opposition party leader Borko Stefanovic. The demonstrators soon added more demands, including a call for the resignation of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.SKOPJE -- NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has embarked on a two-day visit to North Macedonia, which is expected to become the next country to join the Western military alliance.

Stoltenberg arrived at Skopje International Airport on June 2, and will later be joined by ambassadors from the North Atlantic Council, NATOs main civilian decision-making body.

During the visit, they plan to discuss the reform process in North Macedonia with the countrys leadership.

In February, Skopje signed a protocol that could see the former Yugoslav republic become the alliance's 30th member if the move is ratified by all 29 NATO allies.

The signing was made possible after Skopje and Athens settled a decades-old name dispute through a compromise that changes Macedonia's moniker to the Republic of North Macedonia, thus allaying Greek fears of any claim to its region of Macedonia.

So far, 13 member states of the alliance have ratified the Accession Protocol. On June 3, Stoltenberg and the ambassadors will attend a meeting of the North Atlantic Council and North Macedonias Committee for NATO Integration.

Stoltenberg will also hold talks with President Stevo Pendarovski, Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, and parliament speaker Talat Xhaferi.The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is set to hold public hearings this week in Kyivs case over Russias seizure of Ukraine's Crimea region and its support for separatists in eastern Ukraine.

Russian representatives are expected to present Russias objections against the case before the court in The Hague, Netherlands, on June 3.

Ukraine will present its arguments the next day. A second round of arguments will be held on June 6-7.

Ahead of the hearings, the Russian Foreign Ministry said that Russian officials will challenge the jurisdiction of the ICJ, the UN's top court, in the case.

Ukraine filed the case at the ICJ in January 2017, accusing Russia of violating the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism and the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.

It said Moscow had stepped up its interference in Ukraine's affairs since 2014, "intervening militarily...financing acts of terrorism, and violating the human rights of millions of Ukraine's citizens, including, for all too many, their right to life."

Moscow seized control of the Crimean Peninsula in March 2014 and has supported the separatists who control parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in eastern Ukraine in a war that has killed some 13,000 people since April of that year.

In April 2017, the ICJ issued a provisional ruling calling for a halt to what it says is "racial discrimination" against Crimean Tatars and ethnic Ukrainians in Russia-occupied Crimea.

However, it rejected Ukraine's request to order Moscow to stop supporting separatists in eastern Ukraine.

With reporting by TASSChina's Defence Minister Wei Fenghe addresses the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue summit in Singapore on June 2. AFP



Chinese Defense Minister Gen. Wei Fenghe called on the United States and North Korea on Sunday to resume dialogue at an early date and strive for better ties.



The minister made the remarks in his keynote speech during the Asia Security Summit, better known as the Shangri-La Dialogue, in Singapore.



"China is committed to denuclearization, peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula and to a negotiated solution through dialogue and consultation," the general said, noting that China has played "an irreplaceable and constructive role" toward those goals.



Expressing hope for Washington and Pyongyang to be cool-headed and patient, he urged the two sides to "resume the dialogue for peace at an early date ... and to combine denuclearization with the establishment of a peace mechanism."



Negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang are at a stalemate following the no-deal summit in February between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Hanoi, due to their gaps over the scope of Pyongyang's denuclearization and Washington's sanctions relief.



The U.S. and South Korea have called on North Korea to return to the negotiation table, stressing that the door for diplomacy remains open.



The minister also mentioned the need to consider lifting sanctions against Pyongyang by saying that the international community should "positively respond to the legitimate concerns of the DPRK and trigger the reversible clause of the UN Security Council resolutions in due course."



DPRK is the acronym of North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

He also urged to push for a declaration to formally end the 1950-53 Korean War.



The Chinese minister spent most of his speech sending strong warning messages to the U.S., intensifying their rivalry in the Asia-Pacific region.



The two giants have been on a collision course recently on a wide range of issues, including protracted trade disputes and their presence in the highly contested South China Sea.



"China's construction on its South China Sea islands and reefs militarization are the legitimate rights of a sovereign state to carry out construction on its own territory," the general claimed, adding that "some countries outside the region" come to the sea to flex muscles, a thinly veiled remark targeting the U.S.



A day earlier, acting U.S. Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan criticized China for its militarization of the South China Sea region, saying they are "excessive" and "a bit overkill."



"We hope that the U.S. will work with us towards the same goal, follow the principles of non-conflict, non-confrontation, mutual respect and win-win cooperation, and steer the China-US relations in the right direction," the Chinese minister said.



Wei is the first Chinese defense chief to attend the Shangri-La Dialogue since 2011. During the three-day forum that kicked off on Friday, he held bilateral talks with his counterparts, including South Korean Defense Minister Jeong kyeong-doo and Shanahan. (Yonhap)

Mexico ranks second globally for critically endangered species

Mexico City, Mexico  Mexico has ranked second globally on the list of countries with critically endangered species.

According to figures from the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, Mexico ranks second after the United States who they report, tops the list with 214 critically endangered species, followed by Mexico with 191 species.

In both categories of critical danger of extinction and in danger of extinction, the United States tops the list of all countries with 495, however, Mexico isnt far behind with 462.

Academics from the Instituto de Investigaciones Economicas of UNAM reports Mexico has done little in the way of investment in recovering its natural capital.

In 2017, the cost of depletion and degradation of the environment represented 4.3 percent of the Gross Domestic Product, while for its protection, 0.6 percent of GDP was allocated, said Citlalin Martinez of the Instituto de Investigaciones Economicas.

Citlalin Martinez and her colleagues Rosario Perez, Alonso Aguilar and Veronique Shopie Avila prepared the report The role of natural capital in the Mexican economy. They report on studies by national and international organizations that show 12 states in Mexico are still able to generate goods and services without putting their natural capital at risk, but nine have a high probability of reaching unsustainable levels and 11 have already exhausted their capital.

Martinez points out that between 90 and 95 percent of Mexican territory is also already deforested, placing the country in third place worldwide.

The main cause of deforestation is the change of land use for agriculture. The Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (Profepa) estimates that only eight percent of logging is illegal. Therefore, the rest is done with the permission of authorities, she explained.

She also said that the increase in population has inflated the generation of waste, the emission of pollutants and discharge of wastewater.

Researcher Alonso Aguilar explained that the manufacturing sector has increased the contamination of groundwater, with agriculture and hydrocarbons being the ones who create the biggest impact.

Rosario Perez, also a researcher of the report, added that the important thing is to determine the costs of environmental degradation as well as identify the sectors that we must pay more attention to in order to try and recover and conserve natural capital.

Other countries on the global list of critically endangered species include Madagascar in third place with 133 species, Indonesia who ranks fourth with 123 and Portugal sits in fifth position with 91 critically endangered species.WILLIS  For just about all of her life, Rhoda Kemp has made beautiful music pour out of her banjo. But on a chilly day in March, the only sound her banjo made was the repetitive raspy scrape of sandpaper on wood.

Scuff, scuff, scuff 

At the age of 89, and after eight decades of playing traditional mountain music, Kemp got the idea that she wanted to build a banjo from scratch. So, with the help of her friend Heather Krantz and the Floyd County master musician, carpenter and instrument maker Mac Traynham, she set out to do just that.

I did not realize how hard it would be, Kemp said, as a coating of light sawdust frosted her sweat shirt while she sanded away in Traynhams wood shop. But its fun. Im enjoying it. I dont know what Im doing half the time.

Kemp, a Roanoke native who lives in the Oak Grove neighborhood, is a legend in Southwest Virginias old-time mountain music community. She is best-known for playing banjo and autoharp in the Original Orchard Grass Band, an outfit that prefers old songs and up-tempo square dance instrumentals. She joined that group in 1980, when she was 50 years old and had raised her seven children while working at General Electric in Salem.

The band still plays gigs from Roanoke to Floyd, where Kemp can often be spotted playing during Sunday afternoon old-time jam sessions at the Floyd Country Store, the venerable capital of mountain music thats owned by Krantz and her husband, Dylan Locke.

It was Krantz, in fact, who inspired Kemp to build a banjo. Krantz had taken a weekend banjo-building workshop that Traynham taught in Galax. When Kemp saw Krantzs finished product, she said that maybe she, too, could build a banjo.

I just want to say I made one, Kemp said. Wouldnt that be neat for my kids to see a banjo I made?

So, eight months before her 90th birthday, Kemp stood before a bandsaw for the first time in her life, holding a block of wood that she hoped one day would make sweet mountain music.

Banjo builders

Kemp started her project during the winter, when Traynhams shop was warmed by a wood stove. Her son, Barry Kemp, drove her from Roanoke to Willis, and dropped her off for a banjo-making workday that would last about four hours. Working one day a week, she hoped to have her banjo built by spring.

She was assisted by Traynham, a longtime musician and builder who has made more than 125 banjos in 30-some years. He befriended and studied veteran instrument-makers that included Kyle Creed, Wayne Henderson, Arthur Conner, Olen Gardner, Albert Hash and other Southwest Virginia music makers. After that, youve got to learn by doing, he said.

Skeletons of banjos and pieces of banjos hung on the walls like carcasses in a meat locker. Some of the old instruments possibly can be repaired; others arent even worth the parts holding them together.

That ones got so many problems, its not worth fixing, he said, motioning to one broken-down banjo. He pointed at another. That one got run over by a car. Theyre good for decorations.

Kemp was also joined in the shop by her friend Krantz and by 14-year-old Hannah Cantrell, a young musician who has been playing banjo barely a year and is already quite good. Turns out that shes a good banjo builder, too. That meant that Traynham had two first-time instrument makers in his shop, separated by 75 years in age.

His plan was to help Hannah and Kemp build simple wooden banjos. (Krantz, having already taken Traynhams banjo-building basics class, was working on her own banjo project off to the side. Another young man, Taegon Morgan, worked on his own banjo, which included coins inlaid into the fretboard.) Having made so many instruments over the years, Traynham had several banjo molds and patterns he had designed himself to standardize the carpentry process.

I dont know if its the best way, he said, with a touch of typical humility.

Kemp started by cutting a block of wood into the shape of a neck, which she would then sand into a glassy smoothness. A few times, she thought she had sanded the wood as smooth as it could be buffed, only to have Traynham point out a bump or rough spot.

Hes having to help me so much, I dont think Im doing so good, Kemp lamented.

After a couple of days of work stretched out over two weeks, Kemp applied a black fretboard to the neck, made from a hard, composite material of recycled paper. The fretboard is the part where the fingers of her left hand would form chords across the taut strings. Next, she marked places on the fretboard where in-laid dots would be set. The dots are markers that help musicians quickly identify which fret theyre playing over.

The builders turned their attention to the round body of the banjo, called the pot. With Hannahs help, Kemp used a frame to drill holes in the side of her banjos pot, which would hold the tension screws that would tighten the plastic covering, called the head, and keep it in place.

By the end of the second week, Kemp had the pieces that looked like a banjo.

Family band

Kemp has spent most of her life playing music. She started playing guitar when she was 6 years old, sometime in the mid-1930s, so that she could play in a family band with her older brothers Jewell, Marvin and Elbert Ebo Clifton. The Clifton family grew up on a road on the outskirts of town that eventually became Clifton Street in Northwest Roanoke.

The Clifton family band was an informal group that mostly played around home. Most days, little Rhoda tossed her school books aside, did her chores, then played music at night in the house.

Sometimes, I didnt get my homework done because I wanted to play, she said.

She switched to banjo, then adopted the old-timey clawhammer style after hearing the likes of Grandpa Jones and Dave Stringbean Akeman on the radio. She still has her first banjo, a model called a Musketeer, which she brought to Traynhams shop one day for a demonstration.

The Cliftons made an album of old-time and folk tunes for the old Rocky Mount-based label Outlet Records in the late 1970s, then she joined up with the Original Orchard Grass Band, which eventually included her older sister, Iva Stilwell, on bass.

These days, the Original Orchard Grass Band includes her son, Barry, her daughter Karen McPeak, and Gary, Jackie and Jerry Ferguson. Sometimes, her son and daughters come by her Roanoke townhouse for weekday jam sessions. Music is still a family affair for Kemp after more than 80 years.

Queen of Old-Time Music

In early April, Kemp gave Traynham a crown pendant from a necklace one of her daughters bought at Macys. She wanted him to glue it on the peghead, the piece on top of the neck that holds the tuning pegs. She owns a Wayne Henderson-built guitar that includes the inscription Queen of Old-Time Music. Now, she has a crown on her banjo.

Over the final work sessions, Kemp drilled more holes, sanded, buffed and sanded some more. Youve got to have muscles, she said.

A slight setback occurred when she dropped the neck off a drill press, causing a dent in the wood. Traynham, veteran woodworker that he is, showed her the trick of getting a divot out of the wood by heating up an iron and placing it over a wet paper towel laid directly on the dent. The divot came right out.

She glued the dots onto the neck with epoxy. She pounded the wire frets into the grooves she had sliced into the fretboard. She dabbed the neck with a deep, dark cherry stain the color of tobacco juice. The stain brought out the grains of the wood. If the banjo sounded as good as it looked, Kemp would have a nice instrument.

She picked up Krantzs banjo, the one built with Traynhams help. She strummed an old tune.

So this is the way my banjo is going to sound, Kemp asked.

Yep, Krantz replied.

Well, good for me!

Pickin party

On a recent Tuesday afternoon in the Oak Grove neighborhood, Kemp sat in a big, soft chair and tickled the strings on her homemade banjo.

She finished the instrument in mid-April, with the turn of a screw to fasten the neck to the pot, and by tightening five strings across the fretboard.

I thought I did pretty good for an old lady, she said.

Cantrell, who recently turned 15, finished her banjo, too. Her accomplishment is even more amazing when you consider that, at the same time she was making an instrument, she and her classmates at Springhouse Community School in Floyd County were building a 22-foot sailboat that they recently sailed on the Chesapeake Bay.

As Kemp cradled her new instrument, she confessed that her simple little wooden banjo was not as powerful as her Vega banjos, which popped and rang loud enough to be heard over the taps and clacks of dancers. But she was proud of her new instrument, just the same.

Its plain, like me, she said with a laugh. Sitting in the chair, her head ennobled by a crown of white hair, she truly looked like the queen of old-time music on her throne.

Its a note-y banjo, she explained. Its mellow. Im more of a driving type banjo player.

Kemp was accompanied by Barry, who has been learning fiddle the past year or so, and her daughter Gail Elsea on banjo. The family trio picked and sawed through a mess of tunes, from Soldiers Joy to Cumberland Gap. After playing music with her children, Kemp reassessed her new instrument.

I like this bassy sound, she said. It sounds good in a small group.

In other words, the banjo sounded perfect in a family band. Kemp called out another tune, her children fell in with her, and the music went on and on.

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.You may have noticed some work going on in the four-story building next to Martin's Downtown restaurant in downtown Roanoke. The property is soon going to be home to new apartments and a Martin's restaurant expansion.

Developer Jim Cherney from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, acquired the building last fall from Roanoke Printing Co. Inc., which was housed there for many years. Cherney owns the former Happy's Flea Market property on Williamson Road with plans to remodel it and has already renovated the former H.C. Baker Sales building on Franklin Road downtown. The former printing company building, located at 409-411 First St., was constructed in 1929 and has more than 16,000 square feet, according to real estate records. Cherney said he plans to pursue historic tax credits for the remodel and wants to keep many of the historical aspects in place.

The name of the newly renovated property will be Printer's Alley, he said, a nod to its years as a printing company. It will house 18 one-bedroom units, plus two commercial spaces on the ground floor. One is space still available and the other will be an expansion of Martin's restaurant next door.

Martin's, which opened at 413 First St. in 2005, is known for its regular live music, cocktails and American grill food options. Roanoke Times music reporter Tad Dickens has spent a lot of time at Martin's over the last few years, and he recently sat down with co-owner Jason Martin to talk about the restaurant's coming expansion.

In the past two years, with both the restaurant and its catering business growing, the need has become critical, Martin told him. With the opportunity to move into the space next door, he gets to expand his existing operation and add a new restaurant, to boot. Hes calling the new place Sidecar and hopes to open it no later than November.

Its a sidecar to Martins, Martin said. The name also references the classic cocktail made with cognac.

It will seat about 50, with a Euro gastro pub vibe, he told Dickens. It will be a separate entity, though the expanded back of house will serve both venues. The kitchen will grow. Martins office will move. Additional preparation and storage areas are part of the plan. And a new, desperately needed production facility for catering will go next door.

The music will stay at Martins Downtown, with a second phase of the plan that will see a new stage, no longer tucked in the corner and two steps from the bar. The stage is likely to be higher, with the ceiling raised about five feet in front of a permanent back wall. Staff would no longer have to cross in front of the band to serve patrons. Sidecar will have no live music, he said.

This will provide another scene for people who maybe are not necessarily interested in the music, Martin said of the new space. We have a lot of different patrons that come through. Music is not for everybody. Some people, its loud, or theyre annoyed by it or just dont want to deal with it. Theyd rather talk and be social, so were going to create a more social environment over there.

While Martins Downtown has a cover charge most nights, Sidecar will not. Sidecar will serve all import beers. Martin said he is talking with suppliers about getting authentic German and Belgian brews. Imported wines and upscale cocktails will be on the drink menu, too. The 16-item food menu will likely include house-made sausages, handmade pierogis, schnitzels and steak frites. Prices should fall into what Martin called a middle-tier upscale range.

Its going to be a limited small menu, but its all going to be higher end, European, small plates," Martin said. "Some fun stuff. Thats our vibe, and a niche we hope we can fill.

The other commercial space next to Sidecar will be similar in size, about 2,200 square feet, and Cherney said it is available for lease. The apartments have begun pre-leasing, and Cherney said he hopes to have the certificate of occupancy for the building by the end of September. Apartment rents will range from $625 to $750 per month.A local gaming shop is moving into the former Fiji Island restaurant space off Franklin Road in Roanoke.

Mishap Games opened on Orange Avenue in 2015 and sells a variety of board games, card games, miniature games and role-playing games. Owner James Dixon said it was time to expand from his current 3,400-square-foot space and is in the process of buying the former restaurant building at 627 Townside Road. He hopes to close on it next month and is already preparing for the move. Fiji Island closed in 2016 and the property has been for sale ever since.

Dixon plans to incorporate the kitchen and bar into Mishap Games' new space. He wants the shop to offer a full menu with a lot of small plates and food that is easy to hold while playing games. He also plans to serve beer and wine. The building is more than 11,000 square feet, and Dixon hopes to use some of it, especially the basement, for private events and gaming areas. The ground floor will house the kitchen and retail store, which will double in size from its current location.

He expects the new space to be open in the fall and the business to be closed only about a day for the moving process. The building will be completely renovated, but Dixon says he will preserve a lot of the restaurant's well-known tiki decor at the bar and in the private spaces, according to a post on www.mishapgames.com. Dixon is posting updates about the move on the website and on Mishap Games' Facebook page.BLACKSBURG  Looking at John Albright wasnt going to tell you much about him.

The bib overalls, peddling his hand-made wooden wares at the Blacksburg Farmers Market  that wasnt so much deception as a guy finding new passions in retirement. It was also marketing.

He also wasnt going to wave his past life as a big city architect with an international resume in your face.

Those who knew Albright well, however, saw past all that to a generous, loving friend with a rich wit. Friends who knew him well and those who met him only in passing alike paid respects to Albright at his now empty booth at the market, which was set up as a memorial to him.

Albright, 68, died after being caught in a rip current near his seasonal home in Southern Shores, on North Carolinas Outer Banks. He and his wife, Kathryn, an executive at Virginia Tech, were both caught in the current, but she escaped it. Local police said it was ruled a cardiovascular disease death.

He was just a spark in everyones life, said Lisa Olver, who stopped by the tent that featured some of Albrights smaller handiwork  wooden bowls, a lazy susan, and candles burning in a candleholder he made. His chair was there, his overalls laid across it, and his regular cup of coffee from the stall of friend and fellow vendor, Deano Chlepas.

Were like a family, said Pam West of West Farm in Lewisburg, W.Va., who added a bouquet of peonies to the memorial. So its like losing a family member.

The memorial was the idea of the markets director, Ian Littlejohn, who said it just seemed like the most natural way to remember Albright.

Hansen Ball, president of the farmers market board, called it perfect.

Not only was Albright a fixture at the market, Kathryn Albright was described by many as the driving force behind creation of the market. She founded the non-profit that runs it.

Those who knew Albright only as a vendor under the name Sinking Creek Mill likely had no clue he had come to Blacksburg from Chicago, where he was a well-regarded architect.

He was a brilliant man, very highly educated, but he never lorded that over you. He was really humble, said a friend, Jeneen Wilson.

His sense of humor ran from bawdy to dry. And if you gave him a glass of wine it got better, said his close friend and neighbor in Blacksburg, John Olver.

Lisa and John Olver said Albright came about 10 years ago and immediately embraced a new life in a small town.

The Albrights bought a farm in the Sinking Creek section of Craig County near the Olvers Farm and John Olver taught his friend how to run it. Albright took up woodworking knowing little about it. He started only with an architects eye for function and design and taught himself how to shape wood.

To be able to transfer a corporate business life in Chicago to this, its just amazing, said Lisa Olver.

John Olver once asked Albright why he wore overalls to sell his work at the market.

Albright grinned. I sell more, he said.

Albright seemed to have an innate understanding of marketing. Friends Tim and Jeneen Wilson bought numerous items from Albright as gifts for friends.

When you buy a piece, it would already have a story with it that made it special, Jeneen Wilson said. Wilson wouldnt hand it over until he told you all about the wood the piece was made from, why the grain ran as it did, what caused the dark veins across it.

Albright was anal about everything, Tim Wilson said. In recent years, Albright took up target shooting, Tim Wilson said. Soon he was loading his own ammunition and taking shooting lessons.

Albright and Chlepas bonded over being former Chicagoans, but also over their shared exactitude.

You did it right and the best or you didnt do it, Chlepas said.

Thats not a man who was nonchalant, confirmed fellow vendor Jake Orzalli.

That quality rubbed some the wrong way.

Albright was known as a grump around the market for his impatience with others during set up in the morning and breakdown in the afternoon, said Orzalli, a chef whose Potted Plants vegan food stall was right next to Albrights.

I know what a sweetheart he was, he said.

Just before he left for vacation at Southern Shores, Albright invited Orzalli and his family to the farm. He wanted to show Orzalli a hunk of maple from which he was going to make the chef a new cutting board.

They agreed to do it when Albright returned from the beach.

Those and other plans will be put off forever.

Saturday night, John Olvers cell phone rang, indicating it was Albright.

Hey John, he answered it. But it was Kathryn Albright instead, with news that John was gone.

Its heavy, it feels completely unreal, said Orzalli, looking at Albrights untended stall.

But, said Patti Chlepas, Johns spirit was so large that hell be with us for a long time.Sen. Emmett Hanger has no regrets.

One of the Republican senator from Augusta Countys proudest accomplishments is ushering Medicaid expansion through the resistant GOP-controlled Virginia Senate last year. He did it knowing that conservative Republicans might retaliate by trying to oust him.

Ive had the bulls-eye on my back before, Hanger said.

Enter Tina Freitas. Shes running an energetic primary challenge against Hanger, whom she mainly criticizes for his fight to expand Medicaid.

Emmett Hanger has earned this challenge, Freitas said.

The two are competing in a June 11 state-run primary. The winner will face Democrat Annette Hyde in November.

With 32 years of service in the General Assembly, Hanger, 70, is one of the legislatures most influential members. He has a folksy charm. Hes known for being a successful negotiator and having a willingness to work across the aisle to achieve results.

I recognize that Im a maverick, but Im not totally out of step with my party, Hanger said.

Freitas is the wife of Del. Nick Freitas, a libertarian-leaning Republican who last year lost the GOP nomination for U.S. Senate to Corey Stewart. Tina Freitas, 40, is a mother of three and homemaker. The family lives in Culpeper.

Hanger, who owns a commercial real estate business, views this primary as an important test about whether the center can hold as he faces a challenger coming from his right. He worries that as politicians move further to the left or right, it will create an intractable rift in the state legislature.

Im in the middle of that battle of where we need to be reasonable and work things out, Hanger said.

Freitas has focused her criticisms on a few main issues: Medicaid, abortion, guns and taxes.

Ive been really upset with his record for quite some time, and it just got worse, much worse, Freitas said. Im not going to let him skate through another election cycle unchallenged because we are almost a 70% Republican district and hes representing us like were Arlington or Alexandria.

Hanger said Freitas has been misleading and at times simply wrong, and so hes had to explain his actions.

Theyve turned this into a thing of, Emmett wants to take your guns and kill your babies,  he said.

Hanger, a co-chairman of the budget-writing Senate Finance Committee, was a main architect of a budget to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, which Freitas views as a betrayal of conservative principles.

Hanger had wanted to expand Medicaid for years because he saw caring for the poor as a Christian imperative. About 280,000 people  many with cancer, substance addiction or diabetes  now have health care under Virginias expansion of Medicaid. In the district Hanger represents, about 10,000 people have signed up for Medicaid.

Freitas said hes sent millions of taxpayer dollars to Planned Parenthood, which she says is an organization that exploits women in crisis to make a profit from performing abortions.

Hanger said that included in the budget bill last year was a pilot program that provides low-income women with long-acting, reversible contraception. After the General Assembly approved the budget, the state health department identified Planned Parenthood as a provider. Hanger said he doesnt support Planned Parenthood because he opposes abortion and wasnt involved in the health department selecting the organization as a program participant.

Freitas points out that Hanger has repeatedly voted against a bill to allow Virginians to carry a gun without a permit, a philosophy called constitutional carry that is popular with grassroots gun-rights advocates.

Hanger said there arent issues with Virginias permitting process for concealed carry, and the sheriffs association didnt support it for public safety reasons. Hanger said when a gun-rights activist recently showed up at his door to chastise him for voting against constitutional carry, Hanger told him hed cast the same vote if the bill came before him again.

Freitas said Hanger has voted for three of the largest proposed tax increases in Virginias history. The tax increases deal with transportation packages. One passed the General Assembly and a second one died. A third transportation bill Hanger ultimately voted against, although it was signed by the governor.

Hanger said his Republican credentials are in good standing. He has a record of voting for abortion restrictions, he says. Hes pushed for gun-rights legislation, including allowing concealed-carry permit holders to enter restaurants with their guns as long as they dont drink alcohol, as well as working to ensure municipalities dont enact gun restrictions that are stricter than state laws.

They really have focused on destroying my reputation, Hanger said.

The 24th Senate District crosses the Blue Ridge Mountains from the Shenandoah Valley to the northern Piedmont. It includes Augusta, Greene and Madison counties, the cities of Staunton and Waynesboro, as well as parts of Rockingham and Culpeper counties.

In recent years, local political committees have been buzzing with conservative and libertarian-leaning Republicans irritated with Hanger, especially for his advocacy of Medicaid expansion. During his last reelection, Hanger defeated two Republicans in a primary, winning 60% of the vote.

Weve been able to work effectively over the last couple of years, and it took a big push and there was collision, and now some of us are paying the price, Hanger said about Republicans who broke ranks to support Medicaid expansion.

Among other Republicans facing GOP challengers are Del. Chris Peace, R-Hanover, who is in the middle of an electoral dispute with an opponent, and Del. Bob Thomas, R-Stafford, who is facing a tough primary.

When individual Republican lawmakers made the decision to support Medicaid expansion, they focused on the large number of people in their districts who would benefit from having health care and how Medicaid expansion would improve the financial health of local community health centers and hospitals, said Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington. The thing is the people who benefit from Medicaid expansion arent necessarily the people who show up in a Republican primary.

Farnsworth said these nomination processes tend to bring out the extreme element of the party.

The Republican Party is going through something of an identity crisis these last several election cycles, Farnsworth said.

Freitas has received support from conservative and libertarian groups. Shes worried that because the primary is open to all voters  Virginians dont register by party  a bunch of Democrats will turn out to vote for Hanger.

Freitas raised $72,500 through March, the most recent campaign information publicly available. Her biggest donation  $50,000  came from a tomato plant tycoon from California who contributes to libertarian causes. Hanger had $319,600 in his war chest at the end of March.

Libertarian group Americans for Liberty has been knocking on doors for Freitas. Virginia Constitutional Conservatives has been covering the district in fliers about Hanger voting against constitutional carry and expanding Medicaid.

Fliers from Virginia Constitutional Conservatives saying Hanger voted to fund millions to Planned Parenthood to kill unborn children were left on cars outside of Hangers church last Sunday. When the service ended, people came out to find them.

The pastor and everyone there was just flabbergasted, Hanger said. It was like wed been invaded.

Freitas says shes not trying to tear down Emmetts character, just that she disagrees with his voting record. While knocking on doors in Culpeper County one recent afternoon, she listed her criticisms of Hanger and vowed to protect the unborn and stand up for the Second Amendment.

Hes supposed to be a Republican, but hes voting like a Democrat, she described Hanger to a man.

Hanger said he hasnt thought about his political future  such as running again if he wins another term this November  beyond June 11.

But if reelected, he said hed like to take up the issue of tax reform to address the inequities across the commonwealth, particularly rural areas. He thinks the funding of transportation projects needs to be addressed. He wants to continue to advocate for the growth and improvement of the state park system. And hed like to continue to work on the implementation of Medicaid expansion.

Everybody has ideas, and we can work together without compromising our principles, Hanger 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.By Llewellyn King

King is executive producer and host of White House Chronicle on PBS. He wrote this for InsideSources.com.

SAN MARCOS, Texas  Uber isnt finished yet  or, to be precise, the technology that enabled ride sharing, Airbnb, and bicycle and scooter sharing is on the march.

Its a simple idea, yet fiendishly brilliant: central computer control of an archipelago of often personally owned objects. So it was that private cars were monetized, and spare rooms and vacant apartments started adding to the family income.

Next up may be your roof: It could work if you have a solar panel installed or plan to install one. Rather than, as at present, selling surplus power to the local utility, you may simply sell it to a neighbor or someone else in proximity. This is happening in Australia where electricity shortages have led to radicalization of old concepts of the generation and supply of electricity.

Uber roofs was one of many ideas about the future of electricity at the Digital 360 Summit here: a gathering of those hoping to have a role in the future of the urban and suburban space with transformative digital technologies. It all comes under the rubric of smart cities.

No one is quite sure how all this will work, but an awesome assembly of companies who gathered here on May 21 and 22 tells its own tale. They include AT&T, General Motors, Siemens, National Grid, Sempra Energy, Edison Energy, SAS, Cisco Systems and Oracle.

The event is the brainchild of Andres Carvallo, who heads the management consultants CMG, in collaboration with Texas State University, itself committed to incubating innovative technologies.

All in all, when the mighty gather, its reasonable to believe mighty things are afoot: American city infrastructure is in the early throes of change.

The key to it all is the electric supply and the future shape of utilities, and how they manage the changes coming at them. This even as they spend billions of dollars to upgrade their systems. Tom Kuhn, president of the Edison Electric Institute, says the infrastructure investment by the investor-owned electric utilities was nearly $1 trillion over the past decade.

Yet that doesnt mean that the ground isnt shifting. It is.

In the urban space, were seeing an extraordinary assemblage of disparate interests bent on having a piece of the action. Even activists from the Green New Deal see things going their way.

They applaud the emergence of dispersed generation and micro-grids. These are the result of carbon-free generation with wind and solar. Its these microgrids which could make the Uber roof a possibility. Also, its these microgrids that the utilities must accommodate to make sure that if they generate, they pay their share of the electric grid through a standby fee. The grid is like the highway system: Its there for us whether we drive or fly.

But green enthusiasm doesnt end with dispersed generation. The Green New Dealers are passionate about smart buildings and making more of the old stock smart while having high standards for new buildings. So are the technologists, armed with sensors and data.

Another mighty upheaval is the electrification of transport. Everyone agrees its coming, but the issue of charging is still open: Will companies, already up and running, like ChargePoint, inherit that business? Will the utilities, as some have, move into charging or will municipalities, again as some have, get involved? Fast charging, which can fuel an electric car in 30 minutes with direct current, is expensive. Slower charging can take hours and doing it at home from the household supply can take all day or all night.

I was struck by an entrepreneurial startup in San Francisco, ChargeWheel, which offers a truck-mounted charger that will come to you if youre stuck, or just want to avoid the hassle of finding a station and waiting.

The utilities with smart meters command a lot of vital data that will shape the digitization of the cities. But no firm can think its space in the digital future is reserved for it, including utilities.

Meanwhile some people will want to turn their roofs into generating stations and, who knows, suburbanites might want to offer charging in their driveways.

Uberization knows no frontiers.

The scramble is joined.By Joan Vannorsdall

Vannorsdall ia a member of the Alleghany County Board of Supervisors. This first appeared in the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

After five months of waiting, wondering, wishing it werent so, the McGuireWoods law firm report on Gov. Ralph Northams Eastern Virginia Medical School 1984 yearbook photo is complete. Was it or wasnt it Northam in blackface or Ku Klux Klan garb? No one  even Northam himself  seems to remember.

Memory is a slippery cog in the wheel of humanity, often ungeared by time and determined denial. Be that as it may in the case of the governor and the racist photo, here is something he can do in honor of the recent Memorial Day holiday to honor African Americans across Virginia.

He can come visit and then provide funding for the restoration of the only outdoor recreation area that blacks in Virginia were allowed to use during the Jim Crow era.

He can save Green Pastures and its significant African American legacy. He can memorialize those who pushed for an outdoor recreation area for African Americans. He can help us all remember.

Tucked in a quiet corner of Alleghany County, the park was built from 1938 to 1940 by the Civilian Conservation Corps in response to requests from the Clifton Forge chapter of the NAACP for a recreation and swimming area for African Americans. On summer weekends, hundreds gathered at Green Pastures for socializing, swimming, ball games, shared picnics, hiking and dreaming. African American churches held baptisms in the lake. Busloads of people from as far away as Washington, D.C., and the Eastern Shore came to this place.

From 1940 to 1949, Green Pastures was the only recreation area in Virginia and West Virginia designated for African Americans. Last year, the park was named by Preservation Virginia as one of Virginias Most Endangered Historic Places.

Part of the George Washington National Forest, the park (now called Longdale Recreation Area) is overseen by the financially strapped National Forest Service. This year, the gate to Green Pastures is locked; so are the restrooms and the bathhouse. The place is maintained by volunteers  the hand-hewn picnic pavilion and bathhouse maintenance, mowing, trail clearing and trash removal happen only because people care enough to do it.

Memorial Day is traditionally known as a day of remembrance for those who lost their lives in war. Less known is that the first Memorial Day celebration was held shortly after the Civil War ended. A parade of 10,000 freed people and white missionaries and teachers led by 3,000 black school children carrying flowers to decorate the graves of Union soldiers who had died at the horrific Charleston, S.C., outdoor prison on the grounds of the citys Washington Race Course and Jockey Club.

It is this early iteration of Memorial Day that Northam could honor by paying tribute to another group of African Americans who requested their place in the natural world at Green Pastures.

Here in Alleghany County, people remember what Green Pastures offered them. In a recently published oral history of the park, Green Pastures at Longdale: Family, Memory, Renewal, Clifton Forge resident Greg Key recalled the park: It was like a big family reunion out there. It was a place you could go and always see a friend. I always felt safe there.

The Rev. Rosyln Clark Thomas is the niece of the Rev. Hugo Austin, the Baptist minister who was a driving force behind getting the Forest Service to begin construction on Green Pastures. They named the park Green Pastures, which is biblical, from Psalm 23  the Lord gave us a place to rest. The park is still in our hearts, and I would love to see it restored to its glory days, Thomas said.

In 1964, the park was renamed Longdale Recreation Area by the National Forest Service, in an effort to remove the memory of segregation. Those who used the park during and shortly after the segregation era want the original name to be restored. When you change a name, you lose an identity.  Id love to see it reopened under the name Green Pastures and be a park for all the people. It wont be Disney World, but itll be somewhere to go for people to enjoy the quietness, the beauty of it, said retired teacher Ettrula Moore.

We take as Northams truth his avowed commitment to bridge the racial divide in Virginia in this time of separation and distrust. We ask him to come to Green Pastures and witness this unique and endangered piece of Virginia African American history. Stand by the lake. Share a picnic in the hand-hewn picnic shelter. Walk with us at Green Pastures.

Help us remember.

Joan Vannorsdall ia a member of the Alleghany County Board of Supervisors. Contact her at joan .vannorsdall@gmail.com.Tourists ran in panic. The cruise ships owner, MSC Cruises, an international cruise ship line with its headquarters in Geneva, said the ship, the MSC Opera, was about to dock at a passenger terminal in Venice when it had a mechanical problem. The MSC Opera was built in 2004. It can carry over 2,675 passengers in 1,071 cabins. According to its sailing schedule, the cruise ship left Venice on May 26 and traveled to Kotor, Montenegro, and Mykonos, Santorini and Corfu in Greece before returning Sunday to Venice. Several people were injured.

Two towboats tried to stop the giant and then a tow cable broke, cut by the collision with the river boat, Davide Calderan, president of a towboat association in Venice, told media. Following the accident, calls for banning cruise ships in Venice renewed. Venice is a tremendously popular site for both tourists and cruise ships.North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visits the Phyongnam General Machine Plant, according to a Korean Central News Agency report on Saturday. Yonhap





YonhapNorth Korea's leader Kim Jong-un inspects the Phyongnam General Machine Plant, presumed to be also known as the General Machinery Plant  that he inspected Jan. 18  in South Pyongan Province, in this photo released by the North's state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Sunday. KCNA-Yonhap



Kim's latest activity could be seen as either military-related or economy-focused



By Jung Da-min



North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un's latest inspections of general machine plants could be an indicator that he intends to continue his country's nuclear and missile programs, according to a long-time North Korea researcher.



The North's state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Sunday that Kim had inspected the Phyongnam General Machine Plant, presumed to be also named the January 18 General Machinery Plant in South Pyongan Province that he previously inspected.



The KCNA reported the day before that Kim has visited a number of "economic" sites in Jagang Province, including the Kanggye General Tractor Plant, a well-known munitions factory.



The additional factories and plants Kim visited included the Kanggye General Precision Machine Plant, the Jangjagang Machine Tool Factory and the February 8 General Machine Factory.



"All of the plants and factories he visited are munitions factories and Jagang Province is where those factories are concentrated," said Oh Gyeong-seob, a research fellow in the North Korean Studies Division of the Korea Institute for National Unification (KINU).



"While this could be seen as the North Korean leader's routine inspection of the munitions factories, which is estimated to make up 30 percent to 60 percent of the country's economic activities, it could also be seen as North Korea's message to the United States that it will continue its nuclear and missile programs if Washington does not make concessions in the now-stalled nuclear negotiations between the two countries."



But another North Korea watcher Lee Soo-seok, a researcher at the Institute for National Security Strategy, said he sees the visits as more focused on sending a message to North Koreans by encouraging economic activities while strengthening ideological education, referring to Kim's visit to a school named the 250-Mile Journey for Learning Schoolchildren's Palace in Kanggye, Jagang Province.



"I noted that Kim Jong-un visited the 250-Mile Journey for Learning Schoolchildren's Palace, along with his visit to the factories in Jagang Province," Lee said. "It gave me the impression that Kim wanted to emphasize ideology and education to solidify his regime, turning aside from the tension-mounting military provocations through the missiles launches in May."



While Oh said it would be hard for North Korea to shift a munitions industry-led economy to civilian industry-led one, Lee said the factories could be used for civilian activities including agriculture.



The KCNA noted that regarding the Kanggye Tractor Genral Plant, Kim "greatly appreciated the plant for having produced highly efficient machinery and equipment conducive to the national economy and the strengthening of defense capabilities."



The KCNA report said, "[Kim] set forth the highly important tasks which will serve as guidelines in management and operation of the plant, saying that the plant holds an important place in developing the machine-building industry of the country."



Kim also called for the renewal of provincial towns in Manpo and Kanggye in Jagang Province, according to another KCNA article.







Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha has been under fire for blunders involving ministry officials and soured ties with North Korea and Japan. / YonhapSouth Korean rescue team inspects the site of a ship accident on the Danube river where a sightseeing boat capsized in Budapest, Hungary, Saturday, June 1, 2019. AP-Yonhap



South Korean and Hungarian workers were set to begin full-fledged operations on Saturday to search for 21 missing victims of this week's tourist boat sinking in Budapest, officials said, although high waters and strong currents remain tough challenges.



They plan to conduct surface-level searches up to 50 kilometers down the Danube River from the site of Wednesday's disaster that left seven Koreans dead and 21 people missing, including 19 Koreans.



The South Korean team, consisting of staff from the Navy and fire agency, plan to conduct four separate searches in the morning and afternoon. It has borrowed four boats from the Hungarian authorities.



In response to the requests by South Korea and Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Romania and Bulgaria have also been conducting search operations in parts of the Danube River.





Rescue boats float on the Danube river where a sightseeing boat had capsized in Budapest, Hungary, Saturday, June 1, 2019. AP-Yonhap



Underwater operations are expected to come later due to the adverse conditions. Divers from Korea and Hungary plan to determine whether to begin full-scale operations in the river on Monday, though they could proceed earlier than that, officials said.



On Wednesday night, the sightseeing boat carrying 33 Koreans and two Hungarian crew members collided with a Switzerland-registered cruise ship, causing it to capsize and sink into the river. Hungarian police have detained the 64-year-old Ukrainian captain of the cruise ship.



Since Friday, Seoul's Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha has been in Budapest to oversee the South Korean team's search operations and ensure coordination with Hungary.









Later in the day, the minister is to meet the victims' families who have arrived in the Eastern European country.





Local and South Korean experts talk during the search operation to find any survivors at the spot of a boat accident on the Danube river with seven dead and 21 people still missing, most of them South Korean tourists, on June 1, 2019 in Budapest. AFP-Yonhap



Alongside the search operations, the Hungarian authorities also plan to resume preparations to salvage the hull of the ill-fated boat out of the water.



The authorities have been mulling when to begin the salvage operations in earnest, while taking into account adverse river conditions, including strong currents.



Seoul has formed an emergency response team consisting of 53 people, including staff from the foreign ministry, police, the National Intelligence Service and other agencies, to support search operations and ensure coordination with Hungarian authorities.



It has also decided to send four professional counselors to Budapest to support the victims' families.



Among the victims' family members, 43 arrived in Budapest the previous day. Another six are to arrive there later.





A search operations continue near the Margaret bridge on the Danube river after a boat carrying South Korean tourists capsized in Budapest, Hungary, June 1, 2019. Reuters-YonhapActor Jung Woo-sung, 46, listens as reporters ask him questions during a press conference in the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) office in Seoul, Tuesday. He met reporters to share his experiences about the Rohingya people at Kutupalong Refugee Camp in Bangladesh. / Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk



Actor says hatred doesn't help, laments fabricated stories about Yemeni refugees



By Jung Hae-myoung



Cause-driven celebrities are rare in Korea. Stars are usually cautious when asked to voice their opinions about sensitive issues, such as refugees, because their candid views could backfire and invite a backlash and bombardment from people who don't agree with them.



Jung Woo-sung is not one of them. Jung, who is well-known as a celebrity with "few bad comments" partly because he is portrayed as a man of integrity and good deeds, did not shy away from speaking up for the human rights of refugees, a highly sensitive issue that divided the nation last year after a total of over 500 Yemeni refugees arrived on the southern scenic island of Jeju from January to May.



He met reporters at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) office in Seoul, Tuesday, to rally support for refugees following his recent trip to Bangladesh's Kutupalong Refugee Camp that houses many Rohingya refugees.



He depicted Rohingya refugees as the most unfortunate people in the world.



"When I first went to Bangladesh in December 2017, the Rohyingya refugees had doubts about their return to their own country, Myanmar, which is no wonder considering their circumstances. This kind of concern shows the disastrous and desperate situation these displaced people are facing."



"I decided to revisit the camp because I was wondering if there were still people who harbored doubts about returning to their home country," he added.



In Bangladesh, a refugee camp the size of a city was established in 2017, after the violence in the Rakhine States across the border resulted in over 700,000 displaced people, one of the largest and fastest forced migrations in the region in decades.



"The scale is huge. Nearly 740,000 refugees are here at the camp, and it is the size of a small city such as Amsterdam in the Netherlands or Dongtan in South Korea. This is not the scale one country can handle alone," Jung said.



He called for South Korea and other Asian countries to join hands to relieve the burden shouldered by Bangladesh to better protect the displaced people.



Among others, Jung voiced worries about children, saying education is one of the most pressing issues facing the refugees. He quoted one Syrian refugee he met in Lebanon as saying "It takes 100 years to recover one generation's education gap."



"The Bangladesh government is careful about supporting regular education for children in the camp because of a possible diplomatic rift," he said. "Myanmar does not accept the Rohingya people as citizens, so Bangladesh is cautious because they don't want unnecessary tension with the neighboring country," Jung added.



Despite this, Jung said there was a positive element: Rohingya refugees and residents in Bangladesh respect each other, which is rare because there are tensions between refugees and locals in other countries.



"Most of the world's refugees are staying in developing countries," the actor said.



Jung said economic activities occur in the refugee camp as people buy and sell necessary commodities.



"To some degree, locals benefit from refugees because the former can have more daily customers. So, I think we can encourage the locals to accept refugees as part of their community and also give some incentives to people who provide shelter to the displaced people," Jung continued.



Compared to the situation he saw in his previous visit, Jung said there has been some progress made over the past two years.



"When I first went there, the refugees had just arrived in the country, and the shelters just sprung up here and there. There was no time or space to make a constructive plan," Jung recalled.



"Now as the camp has got bigger, I could see the local authorities have established protective measures and better living conditions for the refugees. There are flood-prevention measures in place to prepare for the monsoon season. There was also progress made in energy supplies, and protection for women who were constantly exposed to danger and violence," Jung said.



He encouraged Koreans not to try to stereotype refugees.



"If you ask me whether there was any special episode for a particular person, each and every member in the refugee camp has their own life history as an individual," Jung said.



"Most of them came to Bangladesh after brutal violence in August 2017. These people have seen their loved ones  wives, husbands, children  killed in front of their own eyes."



In the refugee camp, Jung said humanity outlives despair and people there help one another and take care of others.



"I remember an elderly lady who came to me and quietly said: 'Actually that woman I am living with is not my daughter. But I saw her husband get shot in front of her. I pulled her out from the situation saying that she is my daughter, because I could not imagine what would happen to her if I left her there.' And then they lived together," Jung said.



The actor is set to release a memoir based on his experiences and the refugees he has met since he was named UNHCR honorary ambassador in 2014, tentatively titled "If You Could See What I've Seen," on June 20.



Refugees are a sensitive issue in Korea. The nation was poles apart last year because of the sudden arrival of some 500 Yemeni refugees on Jeju.



Opinion polls showed the vast majority of Koreans were against granting the Yemeni arrivals refugee status.



Such negative public opinion, however, didn't stop Jung from rallying support from the Koreans. He appealed to his fellow Koreans to show compassion.



Jung said he got some negative comments from some Koreans but showed no signs of backing off from his stalwart support for people in dire need.



"The Korean War in 1950 didn't break out because Koreans wished for it, did it? Ordinary people are hit hardest once such an unwanted armed conflict occurs," Jung said. He added he was very concerned when five Yemeni refugees were deported.



"Most people who turned their backs on the Yemeni arrivals talked as though refugees were likely to cause great confusion or Islamization in the country. It's time to ask the question for ourselves: Have the concerns back then really happened now?"



"It is necessary for Korea to be a country that is willing to help others in need, so that Korea can also lend a helping hand to other countries in a time of crisis," Jung said, stressing that hatred, exclusion and oppression that have been repeated throughout n history should not become a constant state in society.



With soaring youth unemployment, guest workers are also seen as threat to young job seekers in Korea.



"What job do you think they can find? Is it possible for them to compete with young Koreans in jobs many Koreans want?" said Jung, answering the question with a question. "Even for refugees with bachelor's degrees, they don't speak Korean," he added.



The actor was critical of the justice ministry's plan to amend the Refugee Act to make it harder for refugees to enter Korea.



"If the Refugee Act is used for control and division, then Korea may be drifting away from the refugee protection act that Korea is obliged to keep as a member of international society," Jung said.



Although he began working for UNHCR at its request, he said he feels more responsibility day by day.



Frank Remus, representative of UNHCR Korea who sat next to Jung during the news conference, praised him for his hard work and work ethic.



"If he continues to work for us, we will be very happy," Remus said.



"When I realized my responsibility, I freaked out," Jung said. "But I am willing to continue the work while freaking out every moment." His questions and concerns expand every time he meets and talks with people in refugee camps and missions.



"We are all citizens before our work. I am a citizen before an actor," Jung said. "I exist because there are others. In order to live together in this world we need empathy. If I need to give up empathy just because I am actor, I would rather give up being human."



Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo, left, acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan, center, and Japanese Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya hold a trilateral meeting in Singapore, Sunday, on the sidelines of this year's Shangri-La Dialogu hosted by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) from May 31 to June 2. Courtesy of Ministry of National Defense



By Jung Da-min





A Hungarian sightseeing boat sails on the Danube River in Budapest, Sunday. It has been five days since a tourist boat carrying 35 passengers capsized after colliding with a larger vessel on the river. / Yonhap



By Kim Jae-heun



Local travel agencies are searching for alternatives to their cruise programs in Europe in the wake of a sightseeing boat sinking in Hungary.



On Wednesday, the boat carrying 33 Koreans on a package tour along with two Hungarian crewmembers, was involved in a collision with a larger vessel and sank in the Danube, leaving seven dead and 21 missing, according to the foreign ministry. The remaining seven were rescued.



According to the agencies, many tourists have called to check on their river sightseeing bookings in Europe, with many people canceling.



"Our agency has canceled all sightseeing boat programs in Hungary," a Mode Tour official told The Korea Times, Sunday. "We have recommended two options to our customers  either a walking sightseeing program or a dinner at a restaurant on a boat deck.



"However, river sightseeing programs in other European countries are still available."

Hana Tour, the country's largest travel agency, said its cruises were part of a package deal, so it was impossible to cancel them, but it was suggesting alternatives to people who were still concerned about safety.



According to the company, tourists are opting for a night tour of the Hungarian parliament building, which offers views similar to those from a river tour.



"For people who prefer not to go aboard a boat, we are replacing the river cruise program with a visit to coffee shops near the Danube River, which also offer great views of the parliament building. Also, tourists can visit another destination instead.



"For those who still want a river tour, our staff accompanying them give safety instructions twice."



Hana said it would keep operating its sightseeing boat programs in other European cities, including Paris.



Very Good Tour, the company in charge of the package program, has already suspended all sightseeing boat schedules in Hungary. The company is also allowing customers who have not only booked the sightseeing package, but different programs in other European countries to cancel without any charges.

Korean Air President Cho Won-tae, right, with Transport Minister Kim Hyun-mee and IATA Director General and CEO Alexandre de Juniac at IATA's Annual General Meeting at the COEX in Seoul, Sunday. / Yonhap



By Kim Hyun-bin



Korean Air's new chief Cho Won-tae was elected this year's president of the International Air Transport Association's (IATA) Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Seoul, Sunday.



The appointment came as the so-called "United Nations General Assembly of Aviation" officially began at COEX in southern Seoul, hosted by flagship carrier Korean Air. It is the first time IATA's annual event has been held in Korea.



More than 800 officials from 290 airlines in more than 120 countries are participating in the three-day event, which ends today, to discuss issues surrounding the global aviation industry including economics, safety and ways to enhance cooperation.



"Thank you also for accepting me as president of this year's AGM," said Cho, who was also named a member of the IATA's 32-seat Board of Governors, its decision-making body.



"I hope the 75th AGM will serve as a productive forum in which we'll be able to bring to light where the gifts of opportunity lay in our industry and how we may approach these opportunities to benefit collectively."



Ahead of the AGM, the Montreal-based IATA held a moment of silence for the late Korean Air chief Cho Yang-ho, who contributed to bringing the general meeting to Korea. He was initially supposed to serve as the president for the Seoul event, but died in April, with his son filling in the post.



"Cho was a great contributor to aviation and to IATA," IATA Director General and CEO Alexandre de Juniac said. "It's sad that he is not with us today."



Minister of Land Infrastructure and Transport Kim Hyun-mee gave a congratulatory speech.



"In 1948, a six-person small aircraft connected the skies of Seoul and Busan for the first time," Kim said. "Seventy years have passed and now 93 airlines from 53 countries are in Korea connecting 183 cities worldwide. Korea ranks 109th in size, but the air connectivity ranks seventh in the world.



"We hope that through the AGM, the industry can find its vision for the future and share experiences among airlines for the aviation industry to advance to the next level."



The aviation industry has boomed in the last few decades, with more than 4.6 billion travelers worldwide, 65 million jobs and a $2.7 trillion boost to the global economy. The cost of air travel has also become more affordable, with prices up to 40 percent lower than a decade ago in real terms.



IATA's director general said a key issue that needed to be addressed was the environment, and he called on airlines and governments to make concerted efforts to cut carbon emissions.



"In the first 10 years, we have achieved better performance than announced and reduced fares," de Juniac said. "The question is not a matter of fares but working and investing for everyone in the industry and also the government.



"From 2020, for example, the industry will achieve carbon-neutral growth. And that is on the way to the much more ambitious goal of cutting emissions to half 2005 levels by 2050. We are determined to deliver sustainable global connectivity through aviation."



Former IATA Board Chairman Akbar Al Baker said the biggest problem for airlines was governments' unwillingness to support and invest in cutting emissions and carbon dioxide levels.



"The problem is that governments are not very keen in talking about emissions and CO2 issues," he said. "They are making very little investments. We are still operating airspace as if quite frankly, we are three decades behind.

"It's such an important matter; people should not only blame aviation but also blame their government to make their airspace administration more efficient."



Meanwhile, Asia Pacific airlines are expected to deliver a net $6 billion net profit this year, down from $7.7 billion in 2019, which represents a net profit per passenger of $3.51 and a net margin of 2.3 percent.



The region is most exposed to weakness in world trade because it accounts for 40 percent of global air cargo traffic, but higher fuel costs have been squeezing the region's profits, according to IATA.



A rescue boat is seen on the Danube river after tourist boat capsized in Budapest, Hungary, May 29, 2019. REUTERS/Bernadett Szabo



By Park Si-soo



Seven South Koreans have died and 21 others are missing after a sightseeing boat collided with another vessel and sank Wednesday night (local time) in the Danube River in downtown Budapest, Hungary, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.



The accident happened near the parliament building in Budapest at around 10 p.m. on Wednesday (local time), according to AFP.



The doomed boat, named ''Hableany'' (Mermaid), was carrying 35  33 South Korean tourists and two Hungarian crew members. Seven Korean tourists have been rescued and taken to hospital in a stable condition, according to local media.



"A group of South Korean tourists were on the cruise. We're trying to figure out details," a ministry official said.



The ministry confirmed the seven dead were Korean.



AP said searchers at the scene near Hungary's parliament included a fire boat, while other boats docked on the river banks shined spotlights onto the river in a heavy rain.









Heavy rainfall since the beginning of May has led to high water levels, complicating rescue efforts.



The sunken boat was found after several hours of searching near the Marguerite Bridge, which connects the old city of Buda and the district of Pest, local media said.



The South Korean Embassy in Hungary has launched an emergency team for the rescue and other consular efforts, and is closely coordinating with the local authorities, the foreign ministry said.



South Korean President Moon Jae-in instructed the government Thursday to use every possible means to rescue South Korean tourists, whose boat capsized in Budapest, Hungary, in cooperation with the local authorities.



Moon received a briefing on the incident from Chung Eui-yong, head of the National Security Office, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson, Ko Min-jung.



The president also ordered the formation of a government-level response team, headed by the foreign minister, she added.



The government will soon dispatch a team of officials to Hungary.



TO BE UPDATED





A rescue boat searches for victims after a tourist boat crashed with another ship, overturned and sank in the River Danube, in Budapest, Hungary, 29 May 2019. EPA





A rescue boat is seen on the Danube river after a tourist boat capsized in Budapest, Hungary, May 30, 2019. REUTERS/Bernadett Szabo



A search team uses a sonar to search the Danube River at Margaret Bridge in Budapest, Hungary, Saturday. On Wednesday, a large cruise ship and a sightseeing ship, carrying 33 South Koreans and two Hungarians, collided on the river. Seven South Koreans were rescued and 21 are still missing. AP-Yonhap



By Park Ji-won



The search for mostly South Korean victims from the sunken sightseeing boat Hableany continued on the Danube River in Hungary, Sunday, as harsh weather conditions that have hampered operations by the local authorities persisted.



Meanwhile, the Ukrainian captain of the larger sightseeing vessel that collided with the Hableany, causing it to capsize, was arrested the previous day on charges of negligence.



The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said a Hungarian judge issued an arrest warrant for the captain, identified as Yuriy C., whose Viking Sigyn ran into the rear of the smaller boat Wednesday, resulting in its sinking. Of the 33 South Koreans on board the Halbeany, seven have been confirmed dead, seven were rescued, and 19 are still missing, along with the two Hungarian crewmembers.



"The government will continue to request the cooperation of the Hungarian authorities in swiftly ascertaining the cause of the sinking," said Vice Foreign Minister Lee Tae-ho, who presided over an emergency meeting of related ministers in Seoul, Sunday.



The arrest of the captain came three days after he was detained and questioned by Hungarian police right after the sinking of the sightseeing boat.



"The suspicion of negligence is supported by reports from the scene, and photographs and video recordings," the judge was quoted as saying to AP. The captain faces from two to eight years imprisonment if he is found guilty of negligence resulting in the deaths of others, the media reported. A lawyer representing him claimed his client was innocent and the arrest was made only because he was a Ukrainian citizen.



Following the deadly incident, the government sent an emergency response team to Hungary consisting of officials from several sources including the presidential office, foreign ministry, National Police Agency and the National Emergency Management Agency to liaise with the authorities there. Members of a South Korean emergency rescue team may join in the search efforts with their Hungarian counterparts, the government added.









Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha, returned to Korea, Sunday, after spending three days in Hungary assessing the situation and response to the disaster. She met with Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto and Interior Minister Sandor Pinter and requested prompt search and rescue, and salvage operations. In addition, Kang asked them to seek the help of neighboring countries through which the Danube flows. The foreign ministry has also asked for help from Romania, Bulgaria and Croatia.



To assist in the Hungarian efforts, Austria sent a rescue team to Budapest, while Serbia and the Czech Republic have been conducting search operations in the Danube River. The latter tried to use submersible drones in their search Saturday but were foiled by the strength of the river flow.







The capsized sightseeing boat Halbeany is seen at the bottom of the Danube River near the Margit Bridge in this handout photo of a sonar image taken by the Government Consolidated Rapid Rescue Team in Budapest, Hungary, Saturday. Reuters-YonhapChildren at a kindergarten opened in 1954. In 1979, the kindergarten was turned into a pre-school institution for children gifted in music. Starting from the age of 4, successful applicants are enrolled in the kindergarten offering music, arts, choreography, and science courses. TASS-Yonhap









By Kim Yoo-chul







The government is looking to send about 300,000 tons of food including rice to hunger-stricken North Korea following Washington agreeing with Seoul's decision to provide humanitarian aid, sources at Cheong Wa Dae and the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) said Sunday.







"Seoul is expected to send around 300,000 tons of food products to North Korea in June at the earliest. The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) are expected to be the delivery channels, though there are concerns over the cost of logistics planning and execution," a source familiar with the matter said.







The source added Seoul has been receiving requests for rice aid from Pyongyang both officially and unofficially since late last year. "But the government has to be seen to be more accountable as there have been repeated issues with the protection of very low-income North Korean citizens," he added.







The final details of the food aid provision will be released after working-level discussions between officials and their counterparts in the FAO and WFP, the source added.







The plan came after Ministry of Unification officials said the ministry was near completion of necessary processes to donate $8 million of humanitarian aid to UNICEF and the WFP to help their nutrition support program for children and pregnant women in the impoverished North. The ministry said the donation doesn't directly relate to providing rice to North Korea.







"Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul will soon approve a plan to use the Inter-Korean Cooperation Fund to donate $4.5 million to the WFP and $3.5 million to UNICEF. The $8 million donation is separate from possible food aid," another source said by telephone.







More than 11 million North Koreans were "in urgent need of food assistance as their situation could further deteriorate in the latter half of the year due to a continued drought," Cheong Wa Dae sources said.







But supplying rice to the North is likely to have some impact on rice prices in South Korea as the amount of production in the South is said to have decreased by 50,000 tons because of volatile weather conditions, according to government data.







On a related note, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was said to have asked Vietnam to provide about 280,000 tons of food aid when meeting top Vietnamese government officials during his February visit to Hanoi for a second summit with President Donald Trump.







"The requests didn't materialized as Kim's summit with Trump failed. The ball has been passed to South Korea; however, its plan to send rice to the North still needs a consensus among South Korean citizens," said one DPK lawmaker.







DPK lawmaker Rep. Seol Hoon, said last week that Seoul may provide 50,000 tons of food aid to North Korea through international organizations, this week, claiming North Korea needs an additional 1.45 million tons to be able to meet citizens' needs.







Since the failure in Hanoi, talks between the Koreas and those between the United States and North Korea aimed at dismantling the North's nuclear program have stalled. President Moon Jae-in is hoping to find a means to break the impasse through his planned meeting with Trump in Seoul, June 30, and other high-profile talks at the upcoming G20 summit to be held in Osaka, Japan, next month.









By Arthur I. Cyr





"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 received the largest vote total, winning 29 of 73 allocated seats in the legislature. "Brexit" is the shorthand term for Britain's 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 percent. Add the pro-Europe Green Party's 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 party's 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 O'Hare 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 nation's 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 nation's 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 are ambiguous, reflecting these different currents. This context is essential to realistic, thorough political analysis.





Arthur I. Cyr (acyr@carthage.edu) is Clausen Distinguished Professor at Carthage College and author of "After the Cold War."

By John J. Metzler





UNITED NATIONS  Widening conflict is brewing in Libya, the North African country wracked by civil strife and embroiled in political chaos. Caught in this vortex of warring militias, human traffickers, and a weak internationally-backed government of sorts, remains a beleaguered U.N. effort to bring a political solution and peace to this violence-plagued land.



Now in a stunningly candid assessment of the renewed crisis, the U.N.'s Special Representative Ghassan Salame warned the Security Council, "Libya is on the verge of descending into a civil war which could lead to the permanent division of the country. The damage already done will take years to mend, and that's only if the war is ended now. "



In early April, U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres visited the capital Tripoli, the seat of the internationally recognized but teetering Government of National Accord, (GNA). Tragically fighting broke out near Tripoli and rebel forces led by a powerful warlord advanced on the capital. Carefully planned U.N. mediation was shattered and embarrassed while emboldened militia forces resumed fighting.



The U.N.'s Salame recounted the latest round of Libya's crisis where a country churning in chaos for eight years may have had a long shot to mediate and politically solve a crisis among warring factions. During the so-called Arab Spring of 2011, when pro-democracy movements challenged entrenched authoritarian regimes from Tunisia to Syria, Colonel Moammar Gadhafi's Libya saw some of the most violent fighting take place.



Encouraged by popular uprisings in Benghazi in the east, the U.N. Security Council under strong pressure from the Obama administration as well as Britain and France, led the charge for regime change. By toppling the tyrant Gadhafi, the West blundered and inadvertently subjected Libya to a shattered maze of militias, tribes and warlords which have since plagued the land.



Libya's entrenched instability was brutally illustrated to Americans in September 2012 when jihadi terrorists from the Ansar al-Sharia forces in Benghazi attacked and destroyed the U.S. Consulate killing American Ambassador Chris Stephens as well as four State Department and CIA personnel.



The still murky events in Benghazi have long haunted former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton who was off balance in reacting to the lethal assault.



As Salame told the Council, "I am no Cassandra, but the violence on the outskirts of Tripoli is just the start of a long and bloody war on the southern shores of the Mediterranean, imperiling the security of Libya's immediate neighbors and the wider Mediterranean region."



He added woefully that the security situation throughout Libya, "is already being exploited by Da'esh and al-Qaida. In the south of Libya, the black flags of Da'esh are appearing."



The disregard of a U.N. arms embargo slapped on the warring factions has become an open secret with both the GNA government receiving heavy weapons from Turkey while General Haftar's powerful forces are being supplied by Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.



"Arms are pouring in again to all sides," advised Salame adding, "Without a robust enforcement mechanism, the arms embargo into Libya will become a cynical joke. Some nations are fueling this bloody conflict."



Libya has emerged as a proxy conflict among Middle Eastern powers. France has equally backed General Haftar's movement, yet has now nonetheless called for an immediate ceasefire.



Though hundreds have been killed and as many as 75,000 people displaced, the backstory to Libya's renewed conflict concerns thousands of migrants who are trapped in detention centers.



For years the unstable North African country has served as a nexus for human trafficking in which impoverished migrants from Sub-Saharan Africa are taken to Tripoli before being sent on makeshift vessels toward Italy. Some 3,500 migrants are stranded in Tripoli.



To its credit Tripoli's GNA government has helped stem the flow of illegal migrants into Italy but given the renewed chaos, it's unlikely that policing human trafficking will be the priority of a government under siege.



Though General Haftar recently met in Paris with President Emmanuel Macron, the Libyan strongman has rejected a French initiative for a ceasefire, claiming conditions were not right. Haftar considers that the U.N.-backed GNA government remains "completely infested by militias."



Libya is composed of an uneasy and often changing alliance of well-armed Islamic jihadi, nationalist and criminal militias. The primary danger for the West and especially Europe remains that this country sits geographically below Malta and Italy and thus can serve as a conduit for terrorists and an unending flood of human trafficking. Thus Libya's instability is not localized but part of a wider North African storm rising.





John J. Metzler (jjmcolumn@earthlink.net) is a United Nations correspondent covering diplomatic and defense issues. He is the author of "Divided Dynamism: The Diplomacy of Separated Nations: Germany, Korea, China."

By Kaushik Basu





NUREMBERG  The biggest risks facing the world economy today stem from the escalating trade war between the United States and China.



In the past few weeks, the threat has gained greater salience: As negotiations have stalled and tariffs have risen, markets around the world have registered tremors of concern. Yet most commentators fail to recognize the kind of effect an all-out clash would have on the U.S. economy, and on the world.



It is true, as U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly pointed out, that his country runs a large trade deficit with China. In 2018, the U.S. exported goods worth $120.3 billion to China  a substantial amount, but dwarfed by the $539.5 billion of goods that it imported from China.



And while firing the latest salvo on May 10, when the U.S. hiked tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods from 10 percent to 25 percent, Trump threatened to impose the same rate on virtually all imports from China. In retaliation, China imposed reciprocal tariffs on $60 billion worth of U.S. exports, scheduled to take effect on June 1.



No one doubts that China has historically flouted many of the global norms of trade and exchange-rate management. But trying to correct this now by raising tariffs on Chinese goods is futile. Worse, it would disproportionately harm the U.S.



Trump's tariff policy is rooted in a fundamental misunderstanding of what bilateral trade deficits mean. Consider a simple example. I am now in Nuremberg. When the bus that brought me here stopped at a service area, I went into a store and bought snacks and coffee.



Because the store bought nothing from me, I ran up a trade deficit with the store, and the store had a surplus with me. By Trump's reasoning, I would have to rush back to the store, complain about this imbalance, and insist that the store now buy an equivalent amount from me.



If every country followed that logic, we would quickly return to a world of barter, and the quality of our lives would be vastly diminished. One reason the world is prosperous today is that countries can run a deficit with one trading partner and a surplus with another.



There are many issues on which the U.S. should take a strong stand toward China, not least over the latter's silencing of its own ethnic and religious minorities. But raising tariffs should not be America's instrument of choice, especially now that China has moved largely to a market-based exchange-rate system.



Furthermore, China is now so globally connected that isolating it would be virtually impossible. The Chinese government's Belt and Road Initiative of transnational infrastructure investments, for example, now involves 126 countries and 29 international organizations.



Chinese confidence is also reflected in the ironic tone of its admonitions. As Gao Feng, the spokesperson of China's Ministry of Commerce, recently said in remarks clearly directed at Trump, "If the United States wants to continue to talk, it needs to be sincere and correct its wrong practices."



In the meantime, the U.S. economy is likely to suffer because of the higher tariffs. Many commentators have argued that American households will bear the brunt of the costs through higher prices and reduced consumption.



The price of certain clothing items will rise; and it may be time to stock up on shoes  69 percent of all shoes sold in the U.S. in 2018 came from China. Analysts at Oxford Economics estimate that if the Trump administration applies a 25 percent tariff on all goods imports from China, and China retaliates in kind, U.S. GDP growth in 2020 will fall by 0.5 percentage points.



As serious as the likely near-term impact is, a tariff war would have far worse long-term consequences for the U.S. economy. This is because a large share of U.S. imports from China are production inputs. Higher tariffs will make those inputs more expensive or scarcer, hurting U.S. productivity and competitiveness and taking a deep bite out of the economy's growth potential.



In 2018, for example, the U.S. imported $29.8 billion worth of clothing from China and a further $20 billion worth of leather and related goods. Higher tariffs on these products are likely to hit American consumers.



But the U.S. spent far more on production inputs, including $186.5 billion on computers and electronics, and a combined $88.6 billion on electrical equipment and machinery. If tariffs on these goods remain high, the U.S. risks being outcompeted by other countries in the same way that it outcompeted Japan after the 1980s.



U.S. policymakers should also recall the experience of India, which until 1991 imposed sky-high tariffs to protect domestic producers. India's import barriers not only led to higher prices for Indian consumers, but also  and more important  hurt the very producers they were supposed to protect.



With no access to quality inputs, Indian companies were not globally competitive. It was the government's reforms in 1991-1993, which reduced tariffs to more reasonable levels, that finally unleashed growth.



Interestingly, China is relying only partly on tariffs to respond to Trump, and is also resorting to other measures that are likely to cost it less  such as whipping up patriotic sentiment, targeting Boeing, and protecting its tech companies.



China is essentially biding its time, knowing that the U.S. is unlikely to persist with high tariffs for too long. And if it does, it will end up ceding space in the global economy to China.





Kaushik Basu, former chief economist of the World Bank and former chief economic adviser to the government of India, is professor of economics at Cornell University and nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. Copyright belongs to Project Syndicate (www.project-syndicate.org).

Shipbuilders' merger requires workers' cooperation



Shareholders of Hyundai Heavy Industries, the country's largest shipbuilder, have taken the first step toward realizing an agreed takeover with the No. 2 local shipbuilder. On Friday, they approved the company's split-up plan to pave the way for the acquisition. Yet Hyundai faces a strong backlash from its union, which has opposed the plan for fear of mass layoffs.



The approval came in defiance of the union after Hyundai Heavy signed a deal worth 2 trillion won ($1.6 billion) with the state-run Korea Development Bank (KDB) in March to acquire Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering. KDB holds a 55.7 percent stake in Daewoo.



The deal is aimed not only at saving the troubled Daewoo, but also regaining the competitiveness of local shipbuilders. The deal will also reshape the landscape of the global shipbuilding industry. The tie-up of Korea's "Big 2" will create a shipbuilding behemoth with a 20 percent world market share.



Under the split-up plan, Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (KSOE) will be set up under the holding firm Hyundai Heavy Industries Holdings. KSOE will be in charge of research and development as well as investment. Daewoo Shipbuilding will be placed under KSOE, which will also control a reorganized Hyundai Heavy to handle shipbuilding and offshore businesses.



The shipbuilding group explains that the split and reorganization is designed to prevent redundancies, save costs and improve productivity. However, unionized workers are concerned about the group's plan to allocate most assets to KSOE and leave most liabilities to the reorganized Hyundai Heavy. They fear that the split may be a prelude to restructuring, large-scale layoffs and pay cuts.



That is why the unionists went on strike and staged a sit-in at the venue of the shareholders' meeting to block the passage of the split-up plan. The company barely held the meeting to get the approval by changing the venue at the last moment. The union has now threatened to take legal action to nullify the approval. It claimed the meeting did not follow the appropriate procedures.



The group's other plan to locate KSOE headquarters in Seoul, instead of the shipbuilding city of Ulsan, has also made matters worse. The Ulsan mayor and the city council chief had their heads shaved in protest. They and residents are worried that the plan may hurt the regional economy.



It is disappointing that the company made little effort to have a dialogue with the union to seek its cooperation. It is somewhat belated, but management should go all-out to persuade the protesting workers to accept the split-up plan by ensuring job security and presenting a vision for the merged entity. It is also necessary to seek the understanding of Ulsan residents about the KSOE relocation.



The company's unilateral push for the split and acquisition might backfire without union support. Hyundai should realize that workers' help is badly needed to overcome some obstacles to the takeover of Daewoo. If the conflict with labor continues, the firm may find it harder to get approval for the tie-up from the Fair Trade Commission.



Besides, Hyundai faces a greater challenge: how to get the go-ahead for the merger from antitrust regulators in about 10 countries, including the U.S., China and Japan, as well as the European Union. It remains to be seen whether the company can clear all the hurdles down the road to make the tie-up a success.





Inter-Korean collaboration needed to prevent spread of virus



The farming and health authorities are on high alert over the possible spread of African swine fever because of an outbreak of the highly contagious disease in North Korea. They are stepping up quarantine measures to guard against any spread of the virus in areas bordering the North.



It is more than necessary for both Koreas to make joint efforts to prevent any further spread in the North, and to keep the disease out of the South. Regrettably, such efforts are not available because of stalled inter-Korean ties following the collapse of a second summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump in Hanoi in February.



During working-level talks held last November, Seoul and Pyongyang agreed to share information on transmittable diseases to block their spread across the border. However, the precarious geopolitical situation is getting in the way of implementing the agreement.



We urge the North to resume contact with the South to work together closely to fight against the swine fever. This effort should be taken as it is not a political matter, but a humanitarian and health-related one.



On Thursday, North Korea reported to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) that it had confirmed the swine fever outbreak at a farm in the northern Chagang Province bordering China. Seventy-seven of the farm's 99 pigs died from the virus and the rest were culled.



Seoul officials are worried that the virus could move to the South through wild pigs that may cross the inter-Korean border. It is urgent to help the North keep the disease in check. But there is no way to do that as long as the Kim regime refuses to accept the South's offers of assistance.



The virus is spreading rapidly throughout Asia after it broke out in Italy and two other European countries in 2018, in addition to 22 African states. It hit China last August, Mongolia in January, Vietnam in February, Cambodia in April and Hong Kong in May.



Currently there is no vaccine or cure for swine fever. That's why quarantine efforts are critical to stem the spread of the virus whose fatality rate is almost 100 percent. Although the disease causes no harm to humans, the epidemic could cause serious damage to pig farmers.



The outbreak may aggravate the food shortage the North is undergoing. The Moon Jae-in administration needs to make more efforts to resume dialogue with the North to find ways to help stave off the virus sooner rather than later.





A Huawei logo is seen on the side of a building at the headquarters in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, China, May 30. Reuters



US president Donald Trump urged Britain to be "very careful" about involving Chinese tech giant Huawei in its new 5G network, in an interview published Saturday ahead of his state visit to London.



Asked about reports that Britain is planning to give the firm a limited role, Trump told the Sunday Times newspaper: "Well, you have other alternatives and we have to be very careful from the standpoint of national security."



He added: "You know we have a very important intelligence gathering group, that we work very closely with your country (Britain) and so you have to be very careful."



The US has long voiced suspicions that Huawei is controlled by the Chinese government and thus a global security threat  charges strongly denied by the firm and by Beijing.



Prime Minister Theresa May's government has insisted a decision has not yet been made on Huawei's involvement in building a 5G network in Britain.



Trump said he believed "things will all work out, you'll see".



In a wide-ranging interview, the president also repeated previous criticism of May's strategy for taking Britain out of the European Union.



She is due to step down in the coming weeks over her failure to deliver Brexit on time.



Trump suggested her as-yet unchosen successor should abandon talks with the bloc if they do not get a better deal.



"I would walk away. If you don't get the deal you want, if you don't get a fair deal, then you walk away," he said.



Protests planned



Trump on Friday used another newspaper interview to endorse former foreign minister Boris Johnson to succeed May.



Opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who is boycotting a state banquet with Trump, called it an "entirely unacceptable interference in our country's democracy".



On Saturday, the president suggested another leading Brexit supporter, Nigel Farage, should help negotiate with Brussels.



He said that Farage, whose Brexit party caused a major upset in recent European elections, "has a lot to offer".



Trump will be welcomed to London on Monday by Queen Elizabeth II at the start of a three-day state visit that will also include talks with May and a ceremony marking 75 years since the D-day landings.



Large protests are planned and London Mayor Sadiq Khan said Sunday it was wrong to be rolling out the red carpet.



Writing in The Observer newspaper, Khan  who has had several Twitter spats with Trump  said the president was "one of the most egregious examples" of a growing global threat from the far-right.



He said leaders such as Hungary's Viktor Orban and Farage "are using the same divisive tropes of the fascists of the 20th century to garner support, but are using new sinister methods to deliver their message".



Khan said Trump's "divisive behaviour flies in the face of the ideals America was founded upon  equality, liberty and religious freedom". (AFP)





LS Cable & System has donated 500 million won ($420,000) in scholarships to the Gangwon Province city of Donghae in a bid to contribute to fostering talented local students, the company said Sunday.







The firm donated the scholarship funds last Wednesday as it is seeking joint growth with the local community, in which the company produces core products for its global business.







"Donghae is the cradle of our submarine and extra-high voltage cables, which are the core products of LS C&S' global business." LS C&S President and CEO Roe-hyun Myung said. "As a local company, we decided to donate the scholarship funding to enable joint development with the community."







LS C&S has invested more than 400 billion won in Donghae, building a submarine cable plant there in 2008. The firm also began construction of a second plant this month.







The company said its plants in Donghae will play an important role as Gangwon Province is at the center of inter-Korean economic cooperation as well as the nation's northern economic projects with Russia.







LS C&S has been consistently making efforts to grow together with the local community through various programs including a job training program that has been carried out in partnership with Kangwon National University.







Other programs include the LS Dream Science Class for elementary school students in the region.







The company has also contributed to enhancing safety as its employees have volunteered to visit nearby traditional markets to carry out electrical safety checks.

LG Chem CEO and Vice Chairman Shin Hak-cheol, second from right, speaks with participants in the firm's recruitment-related event held in a hotel in Frankfurt over the weekend. / Courtesy of LG Chem



By Jun Ji-hye



LG Chem is seeking to secure global talent in Europe in an effort to enhance its competitiveness in the fields of batteries for electric vehicles (EVs) and high-tech materials, the company said Sunday.



LG Chem CEO and Vice Chairman Shin Hak-cheol hosted a recruitment-related event over the weekend in Frankfurt with other key executives of the company, including a chief human resources officer.



Some 30 undergraduates and those in the master's and doctorate programs of 10 major universities in Europe, including the University of Oxford and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, were invited to the event, during which time Shin explained the vision of his company.



The nation's leading EV battery and chemicals producer has carried out recruitment-related events hosted by its CEOs in the United States, China and Japan.



It marked the first time for the firm to host such an event in Europe.



The company said European countries have a wealth of talent specializing in the fields of chemistry and materials.



It decided to host the event in Europe to strengthen the competitive power of its future growth engines such as EV batteries and advanced materials, it said.



Those who participated in the event mostly major in chemical engineering, new materials engineering and life science.



During the event, Shin stressed entrepreneurship, calling on the participants not to avoid taking risks in challenging new fields.



"LG Chem entered the list of top 10 global chemical companies for the first time among domestic enterprises, and ranked fourth on the list of the world's most valuable and strongest chemical companies. These achievements were possible as the company has encouraged its employees to challenge new fields for the past 72 years," Shin said.



"Currently, about 5,400 researchers are working for LG Chem's research and development and studying technologies that will lead global industries in the fields of batteries and high-performance materials."



Shin said those who enjoy adventurous research are needed now more than ever as companies are facing growing uncertainty and fiercer competition.



"We will offer various opportunities for excellent, talented individuals to implement what they dream of," Shin said.



LG Chem has set up two production subsidiaries in Poland's Wroclaw, which manufacture EV batteries and engineering plastics. The firm also has two sales subsidiaries in Germany and Turkey, which have posted 1.3 trillion won ($1 billion) in sales.



Most of the firm's major clients are headquartered in Europe as well, including Volkswagen and Volvo.



The firm said its sales are expected to increase considerably after 2020 when the third-generation EVs, capable of running more than 500 kilometers on a single charge, are scheduled to be released.



LG Chem added Shin plans to host upcoming recruitment-related events in the United States and Japan that will take place within the year.



Hyundai Motor's Kona Electric / Courtesy of Hyundai Motor



By Nam Hyun-woo



Hyundai Motor will use Chinese firm's batteries in its electric SUV scheduled to debut in China later this year. The company plans to take advantage of Beijing's electric vehicle (EV) battery subsidy policy to promote local manufacturers, industry officials said Sunday



According to the officials, Hyundai will use batteries made by China's Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL) for the upcoming electrified version of the Encino, which is the Chinese version of the Kona.



Hyundai has been using LG Chem batteries for the Kona Electric, produced for the Korean and European markets, but decided to power the SUV with CATL batteries to benefit from the subsidy.



"The move seems to be a response to the Chinese government's prolonged policy of giving subsidies only to those who work with home players," one of the officials said. "Though the Chinese government says it will phase those subsidies out completely after 2020, Hyundai Motor decided to embrace Chinese batteries early in a bid to avoid uncertainties."



Since 2016, Beijing has been offering a subsidy for the purchase of EVs excluding those powered by batteries made by Korean companies, in a bid to boost local manufacturers.



This has helped China become the largest EV market in the world, but came alongside a "virtual sales ban" for Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors' vehicles due to price differences.



The Chinese government has pledged to scale back the subsidies and phase them out completely after 2020, and provided cuts guidelines in March, but Korean EV manufacturers and battery makers remained concerned over uncertainties surrounding these.



In April, the Chinese government announced Chinese EVs using batteries produced by LG Chem and Samsung SDI had passed preliminary approval for subsidies worth nearly 10 million won ($8,390), but the firms failed to make it onto the final list.



"Though the Chinese government said it will scrap the subsidy policy, a replacement regulation could be implemented," said an official at a Korean carmaker.



Beijing's new requirements for carmakers to meet new energy vehicles (NEV) quota this year is another reason why Hyundai Motor decided to use CATL batteries and speed up the introduction of the Encino.



From this year, carmakers in China will be required to earn NEV credits equal to 10 percent of the number of their non-NEV sales in China. This means a company selling 100,000 cars in China has to earn 10,000 credits, and different points are given to each car depending on how eco-friendly it is. The percentage will rise to 12 percent next year.



If the company fails to meet the requirement, it has to fill the shortage by purchasing the credits from carmakers that have surpassed the 10 percent minimum. Last year, Hyundai and Kia each sold 4,100 and 4,383 eco-friendly vehicles in China, which account for 0.5 percent and 1.2 percent of their total sales, respectively.



"Global carmakers including GM, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen and others also use CATL batteries for their EVs in China," the official said. "Time was running out for Hyundai to sell EVs in China and it seems that the company decided to embrace Chinese batteries for that reason."



A Kolon Industries plant in Mexico / Courtesy of Kolon Industries



By Nam Hyun-woo



Kia Motors, Kolon Industries, Hyosung, POSCO and other Korean firms operating plants in Mexico are expressing worries over U.S. President Donald Trump's plan to impose a new 5 percent tariff on goods coming from that country, according to industry analysts, Sunday.



If imposed, the new tariffs will deal a serious blow to Korean companies, especially automobile manufacturers, which have set up factories there to enjoy the benefits of free trade between the U.S. and Mexico, they said.



Trump said in a White House Statement that the new tariffs will be imposed starting June 10. He said they will be removed "if the illegal migration crisis is alleviated through effective action taken by Mexico."



If not, tariffs will go up to 10 percent in July, 15 percent in August, 20 percent in September and 25 percent in October, Trump said.



Analysts said this will directly hit Kia Motors, which has a plant in Nuevo Leon, Mexico.



The plant produced 296,000 vehicles last year, including the K3, which accounted for 11 percent of total output.



Of them, 147,000 or 48 percent headed to the U.S.



"If imposed, the tariffs will have a negative effect on Korean automobile firms that have plants in Mexico," Hana Financial Investment analyst Song Sun-jae said.



"Kia can respond to the tariffs by pushing production at its plant in Georgia, U.S., which currently has the capacity to produce more than 130,000 additional vehicles. However, this does not solve the efficiency drop of Kia Mexico, and it has to tackle the difficult problem of finding new markets in other countries in a limited time."



Hyosung and Kolon Industries, which are running auto parts plants in Mexico, are also monitoring the progress with concern.



Hyosung is operating textile plants for airbags in Torreon, which can manufacture enough textiles for 30 million airbags a year. The company is also running an airbag plant in Ensenada, with a yearly output of up to 9 million a year.



Kolon Industries has also been running an airbag plant in Mexico since 2016



Hyosung said it does not expect serious damage, but is closely monitoring the situation.



The tariffs are expected to affect POSCO's four plants for car plates in Mexico. Though their direct sales to the U.S. account for a smaller portion of its overall sales, POSCO will likely be affected by an expected slowdown in production from carmakers in Mexico.



"Since Korean auto parts firms supply not only Kia Motors Mexico but also GM, Ford, Toyota, Nissan and other global carmakers' plants in Mexico, the impact on those carmakers' exports to the U.S. will negatively affect the auto parts firms' sales too," Song said.



According to the Korea International Trade Association, 203 Korean firms were operating in Mexico as of last year, and 103 of them had manufacturing plants.



By Nam Hyun-woo





Rural Development Administration Director General Lee Ji-weonThis file photo taken on June 2, 1989, shows people gathered at Tiananmen Square during a pro-democracy protest in Beijing. After seven weeks of protests by students and workers demanding democratic changes and the end of corruption, soldiers and tanks chased and killed demonstrators and onlookers in the streets leading to the square. But 30 years after the killings, the government still keeps a lid on what really happened and how many died on that fateful day. AFP





This file photo taken on May 14, 1989, shows students and people gathered at Tiananmen Square in Beijing, after an over-night hunger strike as part of the mass pro-democracy protest against the Chinese government. AFP



China on Sunday defended the bloody Tiananmen crackdown on student protesters in a rare public acknowledgement of the event, days before its 30th anniversary, saying it was the "correct" policy.

After seven weeks of protests by students and workers demanding democratic change and the end of corruption, soldiers and tanks chased and killed demonstrators and onlookers in the streets leading to Beijing's Tiananmen Square on June 4 1989.

Hundreds, or possibly more than 1,000, were killed, although the precise number of deaths remains unknown.

"That incident was a political turbulence and the central government took measures to stop the turbulence which is a correct policy," Chinese defence minister General Wei Fenghe told a regional security forum in Singapore.

Wei asked why people still say that China "did not handle the incident properly".

"The 30 years have proven that China has undergone major changes," he said, adding that because of the government's action at that time "China has enjoyed stability and development".

Inside China an army of online censors have scrubbed clean social media, removing articles, memes, hash-tags or photos alluding to the Tiananmen crackdown.

Discussions of the 1989 pro-democracy protests and their brutal suppression are strictly taboo, and authorities have rounded up or warned activists, lawyers and journalists ahead of the anniversary each year.

Talking privately with family and friends about Tiananmen is possible, but any commemoration in public risks almost certain arrest.











January is National Blood Donor Month, a time to recognize the importance of giving blood and platelets while honoring those who roll up a sleeve to help patients in need. To celebrate, Dunkin of Greater Philadelphia is teaming up with...Jenkintown Road closed from Monday through MayBanker Phares is a practicing attorney and founding member of the Estate Planning and Probate Law certification by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. He is the John and Karen Mast Professor at SFA and teaches in the Department of Economics and Finance.Sesa Sen By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Industrialist and Williamson Magor Group (WMG) patriarch Brij Mohan Khaitan passed away on Saturday morning at his residence in Kolkata.

He was 92 years old.

Born in a family of lawyers (Khaitan & Co), Khaitan, however, made his fortune in the tea business and then went on to acquire the Indian business of Union Carbide  Eveready Industries  in 1993, after outrunning the Wadias of Bombay Dyeing in a $96.5 million deal that is also seen as the largest corporate takeover in those days.

It was only recently that Khaitan retired as non-executive chairman from the boards of Eveready Industries and McLeod Russel  both WMG companies  due to old age, but he continued to serve as chairman emeritus in both these firms.

Members of Indian Tea Association deeply condole the passing away of B M Khaitan... his demise marks the end of an era and loss of a leader and guide for the Indian tea industry, said Indian Tea Association, of which McLeod Russel is a member.

Initially, Khaitan was a supplier of fertiliser and tea chests to the parent of McLeod Russel.

Later, however, he was invited to join its board, and later he became the managing director of the group, following a crisis that loomed over the company after an investor acquired nearly 25 per cent stake in Bishnauth Tea Company, the flagship in the Williamson Magor Tea Estates.

It was the Khaitan family who provided the money to buy out Bajorias stake.

Then in 1987, when the Guthrie family, the largest shareholder in the McLeod Russel Group, wanted to exit India, Khaitan negotiated a deal and finally bought out the estates, thereby making WMG the largest tea producing company in the world.

Later on, under his leadership, the tea company went on to expand its operations in Africa and Vietnam.

However, the WMG companies  Eveready Industries, McLeod Russel, McNally Bharat Engineering and other unlisted firms  are struggling to reduce debt at the group level.

Before his demise, the evergreen tea man of India was also mulling selling of the Eveready business in order to raise money to pare the groups debt.Gurbir Singh By

Express News Service

In recent days and months, Donald Trump has been breathing fire and brimstone against Chinas telecom and smartphone Goliath, Huawei.

On May 15, he passed an executive order virtually banning Huaweis access to US telecommunication network software and equipment.

Earlier in January this year, the US hammered the company with 23 indictments related to theft of intellectual property and evasion of US sanctions against Iran.

US war against Huawei isnt new. What is new is the aggression to push Huawei out of non-US markets as well. The US western allies have been under pressure to limit or ban Huaweis 5G rollout and hardware.

Britain has come down on the company. British Telecom (BT) has announced it will eliminate all Huawei presence from its networks by 2021. Japan too has said it will stop buying Huawei and ZTE equipment. Germanys Angela Merkel, on the other hand, has stood firm and made it clear there will be no ban on Huawei.

The US case: the company has a cozy relationship with the Chinese government and its telecom equipment is being used to spy on other countries and companies. This April, the CIA went so far as to accuse Huawei of being funded by Chinese state security.

In recent weeks, Trumps anti-Huawei campaign has become shriller as it moves into a phase of an open trade war against China.

US AFRAID OF LOSING OUT

But is it security issues that are pissing off the US? Or is it more to do with the power and technology of Huawei, and the threat it poses to American companies like Apple? In a statement on March 21, Huawei mocked the US for having a losers attitude because its technology cant compete.

Lets look at some of the facts. Huawei today is the worlds No.1 telecom supplier and the No.2 smartphone manufacturer. It posted sales of $105 billion last year, more than IBM. It is a pioneer and leader in 5G wireless networking equipment. Despite bans, Huawei saw shipments of 59.1 million units, a 50 per cent growth in smartphone sales in the first quarter of calendar 2019. In comparison, Apple plummeted 30 per cent, while Samsung, the market leader, was down 8 per cent. Huaweis target is to beat Samsung by 2020.

The success of Huawei has been its technological edge. A recent example is the Huawei P30 Pro smartphone. It literally reinvented the smartphone camera delivering a 5x periscope zoom and a super spectrum sensor that provides an unbelievable level of low-light performance. Result: In a tech face-off, the P30 Pro edged out Googles mighty Pixel 3.

CHARGES OF SPYING

What are some of the security threats cited by the US administration? In 2012, a US House Intelligence Committee report found Huawei and fellow Chinese telecom company ZTE acted on behalf of the Chinese government, and the wireless networks they operated were possibly used for spying.

Another specific allegation is that Huawei worked for years to steal US telecom operator T-Mobiles proprietary phone-testing technology, known as Tappy.

Cyber-snooping and companies teaming up with their governments to further the ends of realpolitik are a fact of international relations. Huawei and other Chinese companies may have tie-ups that the Trump administration claims. But is the US any better? Revelations by Edward Snowden, a former US defense contractor who leaked classified information on how the US and its allies were running numerous global surveillance programmes, showed that a programme called Prism tapped directly into the servers of nine internet firms, with their consent. These include Facebook, Google, Microsoft and Yahoo.

Ultimately, the US ban on Huawei accessing parts and software in the US is about trade dominance. It is to slow up and squeeze Huawei out of the market and let companies like Apple and others gain from its loss. It is expected that in the short-term, the 5G rollout, which China is all set for, will be delayed as Huawei will find it difficult to access US sources for parts and software.

Beyond China, Huawei has signed dozens of commercial 5G contracts around the world, including 25 in Europe and 10 in the Middle East. These will all be struggling now. Possible beneficiaries will be Nokia and Ericsson; and in the 4G space, Samsung.

The irony is none of these Huawei competitors are American. The final spin-off is about new technology that benefits everybody slowing. Isnt capitalism all about growth through competition? Can the US, acting as the worlds policeman, be allowed to turn the clock backwards?

Technological edge

The success of Huawei has been its technological edge. In Huawei P30 Pro smartphone, it literally reinvented the smartphone camera with a 5x periscope zoom and a super spectrum sensor that provides an unbelievable low-light performance. Result: In a tech face-off, the P30 Pro edged out Googles mighty Pixel 3.Express News Service

CHENNAI: Even though the hot summer and depleting groundwater resources have put agriculture in peril, around 100 farmers in Nemam village of Tiruvallur district are steadfast in not handing over their agricultural lands to private tankers for extracting water for commercial purposes.

Two months ago, Nemam was carpeted with verdant lands bearing full grown paddy crops. But now the agricultural lands wear a deserted look as groundwater levels have gone below 60 feet. Six months ago, I could just draw water from the well from just 10 feet. Now I have fixed another borewell for 25 feet inside the well and still, water supply is erratic. I have four acres of land which is now lying uncultivated, said K Mahendran, a farmer.

As the three major reservoirs of Chennai  Chembarambakkam, Poondi and Red Hills  have completely dried up, piped water supply to many parts of the city have stopped. In turn, residents are completely dependent on private water tankers that tap groundwater mainly in and around villages at Poonamallee taluk in Tiruvallur district and Chengalpet in Kancheepuram district.

But for the past few weeks, tankers too are finding it very difficult to source water due to rising resentment among villagers. Farmers and locals fear that if tankers continue tapping water incessantly, groundwater will cease to exist and so will agriculture.

For one acre of paddy, we get Rs 25,000. Deducting all the investment, Rs 5,000 is left for us. For the past three months, we have not been doing anything, said Suresh, a farmer who owns eight acres of land and has 12 acres on lease at Nemam.

Down & out: From 10 feet just a few months ago,

water level in this well at Chithukadu village in

Tiruvallur district has fallen sharply, locals say | P Jawahar



Agriculture hit

Currently, about 200 acres of land in the village lies uncultivated due to failure of monsoons and decrease in groundwater levels. We cant invest money in setting up high horsepower motors which cost lakhs. Illegal and large scale water extraction by private tankers and multinational companies must be prevented for agriculture to thrive here, added Suresh.

Areas untouched by private tankers still have abundant groundwater because of which they have now become primary water sources for Chennai. These include Thirumazhisai, Parivakkam, Kannampalayam, Nemam, Meppur, Kokkumedu, Sitrakadu, Sennerikuppam, Thiruverkadu, Ayanambakkam, Vellavedu, and Kolappancheri in Tiruvallur district. Even one year back, we never crossed Sennerikuppam along the Poonamallee bypass to draw water. But now we travel as far as Nemam and Meppur. We dont touch areas like Kattupakkam where the water levels are as deep as 100 ft. Though we are getting money to transport water, it reaches mostly residents in the city who are suffering because of the drought, said Murugan S, secretary of Tamil Nadu Private Water Tanker Lorry Owners association.

PE Umapathy, a resident of Banaveduthottam village in Tiruvallur district, said though there is still water available for consumption, the 600-odd families are scared that the next generation will have to buy water even to drink. Since March, when tankers started pumping day and night, water levels have gone down from 25 ft to 40 ft. But if the government decides to take water from us and supply to the city free of cost, we have no objections, he added.

In some villages, while one section of farmers resent extraction, they are unwilling to antagonise the other section that sells water, which is also powerful. This has helped private tankers to gain traction. A section of the local community here connives with the water tankers helping them identify poramboke lands to extract water. They also get commission in return, says Suresh D (49), a farmer in Nemam.

Also due to failure of rains, a section of farmers find selling water from their lands more lucrative. A 24,000-litre load fetches a farmer about `600-`800. Depending on the size of the tanker, the price varies. Say they make around 90 trips, the people who sell water earn around half a lakh, said K Arumugam (39), a farmer at Nemam. Although private tanker owners say only four to five lorries extract water from the village, locals claim about 30 lorries ply everyday.

Reliant on tankers

Recent protests by villagers in Tiruvallur district opposing private tankers again throw light on the urgent need for the government to regularise this activity. Majority of tankers that ply in the city and neighbouring districts do not have permits as the state is yet to pass regulations for tapping groundwater. Due to this, there is no fixed upper limit on the amount of water that could be drawn. Time and again private tankers have gone on strike following temporary crackdown by officials. After a brief stand-off with the government, by which time most apartments in the city would be scrounging for water, tankers would be let off. This was the case during droughts in 2013, 2017 and now in 2019.

Field visits by Express to a handful of villages in and around Poonamallee Taluk in Tiruvallur district, made it apparent that both tanker owners and villagers cannot be blamed. On many occasions, the government itself has admitted that to cope with the ongoing water crisis, private tankers are vital. Though drawing groundwater without a permit makes the activity illegal in nature, many areas of the city would come to a standstill if private tankers were stopped from supplying water to Chennai.

Senior officials in Metro Water said that 4,500-odd private tankers alone supply 200 Million Litres per Day (MLD) to the city whereas 800 Metro Water tankers supply only 70-80 MLD in about 8,000 trips a day. We are not able to cater to all IT parks, hotels, hospitals and mega residential apartments. With the present water sources, we are able to supply 500-550 MLD to residents and water for free to the slums and housing board tenements. It is not possible to tide through a dry summer without the help of private players. The chief secretary has spoken to collectors of Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur to let tankers draw water without much hindrance for the time being, said an official.

We are responsible

Private tanker association members admitted that locals had every right to protest, but the current situation is so dire that they dont have an alternate choice. If I was a resident of one of these villages, I wouldnt let anyone touch the groundwater too. Villagers fear that in five or 10 years time, groundwater levels will plummet to a couple of 100 feet like in Minjur. This is a reasonable argument. But we make sure that water is tapped only from groundwater-rich areas like Thirumazhisai, Parivakkam, and Meppur. But the government has to pass the order to regularise this profession, said a private tanker owner, who owns a fleet of 50 tankers.

Sources privy to the issue said that a government order pertaining to regularising groundwater extraction is being prepared but there is uncertainty over when it will be passed. Though tankers have obtained permits to function from revenue department through RTO officers, no formal authorisation has been given yet with regard to how much water can be drawn. According to a central groundwater board report in 2017, all 20 blocks of Chennai district, four blocks of Kancheepuram district, 12 blocks of Tiruvallur district and two blocks in Vellore district fall under overexploited category.

A senior official from the Public Works Department said that by July a government order will be passed to regulate extraction of water which will be applicable for the whole state. Water resources is a State subject and Tamil Nadu is well equipped to make its own policies. A nine-member committee has been formed with the PWD secretary heading the team to draft this policy. Once it is passed, only entities with permit will be allowed to extract groundwater, added the official.

where water is tapped

Kancheepuram dist

Keerapakkam, Manimangalam, Urapakkam, Thiruporur, Illaloor, Mambakkam, Kundrathur, Sommamangalam, and Chengalpet



Tiruvallur dist

Thirumazhisai, Parivakkam, Kannampalayam, Nemam, Meppur, Kokkumedu, Sitrakadu, Sennerikuppam, Thiruverkadu, Ayanambakkam, Vellavedu, and Kolappancheri

Governments plan

An extra of 10 MLD will be tapped from nine new open wells in Neyveli

From the Paravanar river basin in Neyveli 60 MLD will be tapped

Three lakes at Perumbakkam, Kolathur and Ayanambakkam to supply 30 MLD

126 mini lorries of 3,000 litre capacity planned, 1,190 HDPE water tanks to be installed

Fact Check

880 lorries of Metro Water make 9,000 trips a day out of which 6,500 are for slums

30 MLD is being tapped from Sikkarayapuram quarries and an additional 10 MLD will be drawn from Erumaiyur quarries



Veeranam contributes 180 MLD and two desalination plants provide 200 MLDBy PTI

NEW DELHI: None of the Congress' seven Lok Sabha election candidates from the national capital attended the Saturday meeting of a party committee on examining the poll debacle in Delhi.

The meeting of the Delhi Congress' probe committee was attended by some leaders, including two district presidents of the New Delhi parliamentary constituency, but no MP candidate from the party was available as many of them are out of the city, committee member Yoganand Shastri said.

The panel, which was formed by the party's Delhi president Sheila Dikshit last Monday to look into the reasons behind its poor performance in the general elections, had met last week.

The five-member committee will submit its report to the Dikshit in 10 days.

Besides Dikshit, who contested from North East Delhi, Rajesh Lilothia and Vijender Singh, Congress candidates from North West Delhi and South Delhi, respectively, have appeared before the committee so far.

All the seven Congress candidates, including Dikshit, lost the Lok Sabha polls, with huge margins to their BJP rivals.

"The party leaders and workers have expressed the view that the Congress can spring up a surprise in the assembly polls in Delhi, provided everyone unites to face the challenge," Shastri said.

A senior Delhi Congress leader said the party should declare its candidates for the Delhi assembly elections at least two months in advance so that they have enough time to reach out to the voters.

"In the Lok Sabha polls, the candidates got hardly 15-20 days to campaign which was not enough time to reach out to the vast number of voters spread across large geographical areas of the parliamentary seats in Delhi," he said.

The candidates of Congress on seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi were announced when nominations for the polls begun.

There was a lot of confusion over the party's alliance with the AAP, which finally did not materialise, the leader said.

A section of Congress leaders, who have questioned the authority of the probe committee, have avoided appearing before it.

The group of such leaders maintained that no such committee can be formed without the consent of the All India Congress Committee in-charge of Delhi unit PC Chacko.

He has denied having any information about the committee, they claimed.

They alleged that the role of some of the committee members was questionable during the Lok Sabha polls.

A saving grace for the Congress was that it pushed the AAP by emerging as a runner up on five of the seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi.

The voting percentage of the Congress was also more than that of the AAP.By Express News Service

HYDERABAD: An assistant writer, working for the Tollywood industry, has been detained for allegedly harassing his newly-wed wife.

According to police, the accused Goutham was in a relationship with the complainant and they were planning to get married. After Goutham refused to marry her over a fight, she lodged a complaint with the police.

After a counselling session at the station, both consented to the marriage. After the wedding, however, Goutham allegedly started harassing her.

In her complaint, she stated that he forcibly took `10 lakh in cash and gold from her, and duped her on the pretext of marriage. The accused is also said to have asked her to leave the house just days after their wedding.By Express News Service

KOCHI: The Kerala Catholic Bishops Council (KCBC) will discuss the sensational document forgery case in the council meeting that will begin on Tuesday. Speaking to media persons on Saturday, KCBC spokesperson Fr Varghese Vallikkat said they are keeping a tab on all the matters pertaining to the case involving Fr Paul Thelakkat and Mar Jacob Manathodath, who are the first and second accused in the forgery case.

We will discuss the forged document case with utmost importance in the council meeting. As of now, we are also not sure about what is right or wrong. The truth pertaining to the case must come out. Since the police and court are investigating the case, we hope the truth will be revealed, said Fr Vallikkat.

Meanwhile, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the case questioned Adithya, the third accused, along with Fr Thelakkat and Fr Antony Kallookaran for the third consecutive day at Ernakulam Range Cyber police station.

Adithya, who was released on bail, was admitted to the hospital. According to sources, laptops and hard disks of the accused, which were seized by the investigation team, will be handed over to Cyber forensics for detailed examination.

As of now, it is learnt the trio is co-operating with the investigation and the interrogation will continue in the coming days.S Viswanath By

Express News Service

VIJAYAWADA: With less than a week remaining for the formation of the State Cabinet, aspirants have become anxious as they are not getting any hints about their induction from the YSRC leadership and Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy is busy with the official work.

Since Jagans decision to constitute his Cabinet on June 8, there have been speculations over its composition. According to one version, Jagan may restrict the size of his Cabinet to 13 ministers (one from each district in the State).

Another version has put the number of Cabinet ministers at 25, one from each Assembly constituency in the State. However, no information is coming out from the YSR Congress sources as they are not getting any indications from the Chief Minister.

The YSRC which won 151 Assembly seats in the elections, has a total strength of 159 lawmakers, including 8 MLCs. It will be a tough task for the YSRC chief to select 25 lawmakers for the Cabinet out of the total 159. There are three to four aspirants for minister posts from each district. Seniority, loyalty, caste and other factors need to be considered for constitution of the Cabinet.

Speaking to TNIE, a YSRC leader said Chief Minister Jagan will consider all the factors in constitution of the Cabinet to strike a balance though many seniors are aspiring for minister posts.

As of now, Jagan is concentrating on State administration. He is yet to focus on formation of the Cabinet. No hints are coming from the Chief Minister pertaining to the leaders to be taken into the Cabinet, the YSRC leader said.

We hope that Jagan himself will convene a meeting with all legislators before the set date for Cabinet formation and reveal the names of leaders to be given minister posts. He will also elicit the views of all the lawmakers on his choice before finalising the Cabinet, the YSRC leader said, adding that until then the media is free to make speculations on the Cabinet composition.By PTI

LOS ANGELES: Actor-writer Phoebe Waller-Bridge believes more than James Bond, the movies about the famed British spy should do justice to its women characters.

The 33-year-old actor-writer, best known for creating hit series like "Fleabag" and "Killing Eve", recently boarded the project and will be credited as a writer alongside Neal Purvis & Robert Wade, Scott Z Burns with Cary Joji Fukunaga, who will also direct the film.

In an interview with Deadline, the 33-year-old actor-writer said the Bond franchise continues to be "relevant" but that the movies need to "treat women properly".

"There's 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.m I think that's bollocks," Waller-Bridge said.

"I think he's 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 doesn't have to. He needs to be true to this character," she added.

The upcoming Bond 25 will mark Daniel Craig's fifth outing as the famed fictional British spy.

Oscar winner Rami Malek is playing the villain in the film.

The film will also feature talented names such as Billy Magnussen, Dali Benssalah, "Blade Runner 2049" actor Ana De Armas, David Dencik, and "Captain Marvel" star Lashana Lynch.

Actor Lea Seydoux is reprising her "Spectre" role of Dr Madeleine Swann.

Waller-Bridge said she wants to make sure that the women actors feel like "real people" after reading the script.

"I just want to make sure that when they get those pages through, that Lashana, Lea and Ana open them and go, 'I can't wait to do that.' As an actress, I very rarely had that feeling early in my career.

That brings me much pleasure, knowing that I'm giving that to an actress," she said.

Bond 25 is scheduled to release in April 2020.By Express News Service

CHENNAI: On the occasion of his 76th birthday today, Isaignani Ilaiyaraaja will be hosting a special Live-In concert in association with Mercuri today. In the event, for which The New Indian Express is a print partner, the maestro will perform alongside his orchestra a set of handpicked songs and unlike other concerts, he will be explaining the origins of these compositions in the form of stories. The event, named Isai Celebrates Isai in honour of the legendary composer, will see him uniting with his frequent collaborators Padma Vibhushan KJ Yesudas, Padma Bhushan SP Balasubrahmanyam as well as Mano, Usha Uthup and Bombay Jayashri.

SPB and Ilaiyaraaja had a much-publicised fallout two years ago when, during the USA tour of SPB 50 (to honour 50 years of his singing career), he was sent a legal notice by Raja to stop singing his songs because the latter was not paid royalty for it. Following this, SPB decided to not sing Raja songs for the rest of the tour and in later concerts sang them only after ascertaining that IPRS (Indian Performing Right Society), a copyright society that handled Rajas royalties, were paid. Earlier this year when the Tamil Film Producers Council organised a grand 75th birthday concert, SPB, KJ Yesudas and S Janaki all were a no show, much to the disappointments of fans.

The 76th birthday concerts collection will go to the Cine Musicians Association and SPB had released a video announcing the return of the famed partnership to celebrate the occasion. Yesudas had also shared on his social media account that, My friend Ilaiyaraaja is organising this program for our musicians family. I invite all music lovers to be a part of the evening.

This event has brought together SPB and Raja for the first time in two years. Earlier this week, pictures of them hugging each other and practicing together were widely shared online. Yesterday, it was announced that SPB will be singing a song for Raja for Vijay Antonys upcoming cop film Tamizharasan. Incidentally, KJ Yesudas has also recorded a song for the same film.

Ten years ago, when KJY and SPB sang together for Raja, they brought the roof down with their rendition of Kaatu Kuyilu from Thalapathy. At EVP Carnival Cinemas today, which hosts the four-hour-long live concert today, you can count on a potential repeat scenario. Maybe, there will be a story to go with it. A story you can tell your children and grandchildren for years to come.Sharmi Adhikary By

Prospective brides often come and tell us to make them look like Beyonce. Glamorous and out-of-the-world. Nowadays, young girls have a definite look in their mind. They are well-travelled and extremely aware. They know exactly what they want, says Falguni Peacock, sitting at her newly opened flagship store at Ambavatta One in Mehrauli, Delhi. Understandably, the couturier, with her husband Shane, famed for dressing up national and international celebrities, have created a space where brides can walk in and feel like they are trying out the most luxurious outfits in an opulent surrounding. We want them to feel like princesses in an atelier in Paris, quips Falguni.

Along with their breathtaking couture, the expansive and extravagant store, designed by interior designer Seetu Kohli, will also house their summer bridal collection titled Au Revoir Phool Mahal, as well as capsule collections of their menswear and summer resort 2019.

This sprawling space reflects the elegance and glamour of the label, in an atmosphere that merges with the soul and spirit of the collection. We wanted to be in a fashion hub where there are already commendable names around. And, we wanted something huge to create the entire mood for our dramatic clothes. We like to exhibit our creations in a way that showcases their surreal character. Like the current bridal collection is a take on the ancient architecture of India, even as it plays with the soft summer pastel hues inspired by French couture. Brides should be able to walk around with the large trains behind them to see how it actually feels. For that you need space, says the duo.

The sublime colour palette of the store in ivory and gold gives it a timeless yet contemporary and modern aesthetic. The couture clothing is rimmed inside gilded cage-like panels, giving the area an even more exotic feel. The seating area consists of powder pink and blue upholstered couches that effortlessly offset the gold and ivory colour story across the store. The space has been intelligently allocated, highlighting a few pieces de resistance by giving them centrestage. Lavish chandeliers, lush green palms and the exaggerated crescent moon add to the eclectic nuance. Packing the style and elan of an international store, it seeks to elevate the luxury shopping experience for the consumer.

Known for doing things differently, the Peacocks have also introduced an interactive shopping experience on their online magazine website where those browsing through can choose a certain apparel (both for men and women) and the celebrity on cover will wear it and show it to them. This enhances the whole experience of seeing how certain combinations look when donned together. We have done it with Kaartik Aaryan and are doing it with other celebs also, says Shane. This first-ever shoppable video in Asia is a new and elevated dimension which not only helps the consumer take a better look at the product worn by a celebrity, but it also allows them to participate in creating a look for their favourite celebrity.

Tapping into the national capitals mindset where people like to dress up flamboyantly unlike Mumbai, where the sartorial choices are more relaxed and easy, the duo has brought together a collection that derives inspiration from the culturally rich Phool Mahal division of the great Bundi Mahal in Rajasthan. It consists of their signature melange between high-octane modern glamour and the traditional flavour and grandeur of the palace. The peacock, tiger and the elephant have been morphed into floral motifs infused with bold stripes cutting through the foliage print, which makes for an unconventional take on opulence, as opposed to the dainty floral embroideries.

The colour palette moves from neutral shades like dove grey, mauve, blush, mystic blue, pale peach, sage green and ivory to brighter hues like teaberry pink and oxblood. The silhouettes are a perfect mix of structured, exaggerated blouses teamed with dainty and flowing lehengas, says the duo, known for dressing up stars such as Rihanna, Madonna, Britney Spears, Katy Perry and Lady Gaga apart from some popular Bollywood names. With a prominent presence in New York, Los Angeles and Mumbai (and stores planned in Hyderabad and Kolkata), the Delhi gig is yet another feather on their couture cap.G Parthasarathy By

Many self-styled liberals in India and abroad virtually wept profusely after what was, unquestionably, the resounding victory of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The reaction of world leaders was quite different. Those warmly and personally congratulating Prime Minister Modi included: Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping, the Monarchs of Bhutan and Saudi Arabia, leaders from South and Southeast Asia, besides Australias newly elected Prime Minister, together with Heads of Government from across Europe and West Asia. Imran Khan belatedly called Modi, with his usual homilies on talks.

These messages have set the stage for the conduct of our foreign and security policies, in the coming five years. Most importantly, the warmth of these messages strengthens those who have argued that India should maintain its strategic autonomy by reaching out to all major powers. No foreign power should, however, be allowed to take India for granted. We have far too many ideologically inclined pundits from the Left in India, who would want us to forget all the serious differences we have with China, and become Beijings fellow traveller.

India is one of the very few countries which has avoided becoming a victim of Trump Tantrums. Modi is scheduled to meet the mercurial President at the G20 Summit on June 28-29 in Osaka, Japan. Trump will return mightily pleased from the meeting, if Modi fulfills his cherished desire of India importing Harley-Davidson, American motorcycles. It should, however, be our effort to work out modalities with the US, to stop hindering our arms imports from Russia, by its banking sanctions. We are, after all, also buying large amounts of American defence equipment. The meeting would also be a good opportunity to exchange views on Afghanistan and make our concerns known, and also to thank the Americans for their unstinted support for Balakot.

It is fortuitous that Japans Prime Minister, who enjoys a very warm personal rapport with Modi, is hosting the first G20 Summit, after our General Elections. Our relations with Japan have improved immensely. Japan is the largest donor for aid projects in India and joint venture projects are spread all over India. Moreover, our defence relationship with Japan is expanding steadily. The US, India, Japan and the Philippines held joint naval exercises on May 2-8, in the South China Sea, where China has used force to back its maritime territorial claims on the Philippines.

A possible meeting of Modi with President Xi Jinping in Osaka will provide a good opportunity for him to review relations with China, after their successful Summit meeting in Wuhan, when tensions over Doklam were successfully resolved. Given Beijings serious differences with the US over trade ties and American sanctions on Chinas mammoth Huawei Industries, we could explore how ready China would be to invest in high-tech electronics industries in India. The Osaka Summit will be an ideal occasion for Modi to build further on what he achieved in his first term.

dadpartha@gmail.comRajesh Kumar Thakur By

Express News Service

PATNA: Samastipur police in Bihar on Sunday claimed to have cracked four cases of crimes including two major cases of cash and one case of gold loot besides murder of RJD leaders with the arrest of three criminals.

They were involved in several inter-district crimes in Vaishali, Muzaffarpur and Sitamarhi apart from Samastipur. On January 24 in 2019, they killed an RJD leader Raghuvansh Singh in Samastipur and escaped comfortably.

In 2018, gold worth Rs 35 lakh was looted in Samastipur on NH 28 from a gold-trader in Amritsar, Punjab. On August 30, the same attacked LIC cash van gang killed the guard and looted cash worth Rs 52 lakh. This was followed by another robbery of Rs 42 lakh in cash in Rosra of Samastipur.

Samastipur SP Harpreet Kaur, who is one of the top cops in the state, had formed a special action team (SAT) to look into the case. During her investigation, she was able to zero on the gang members which led to the arrest of three masterminds of the gang identified as Rahul Jha, Chhote Jha and Kamalesh Singh with firearms and some looted valuables and cash.

According to Kaur, the names of three also came up in crimes like robbing commuters, cash loots in Mahua of Vaishali district and other places. She told the media that raids would continue till all other accomplices of arrested criminals are apprehended.Pranab Mondal By

Express News Service

KOLKATA: In the wake of the electoral reverses the ruling Trinamool suffered in West Bengal, the Mamata Banerjee government has done a major shakeup of both civil administration and police establishment, transferring 19 IAS officials and 58 IPS officers over the past five days.

Surprisingly, the state government changed the commissioner of police for Bidhannagar police commissionerate fourth time in four days.

CM Mamata also holds the home ministry portfolio.

Bidhannagar has a Trinamool- dominated civic body that will go to polls in 2020.

The latest government order said Laxmi Narayan Meena will replace Bharat Lal Meena as the Bidhannagar commissioner of police.

On May 26, the government had reinstated Gyanwant Singh, who was removed by the Election Commission, as the Bidhannagar police commissioner.

Next day, Nishat Parvez, DIG (operations), CID, was ordered to replace Singh.

On Tuesday, the government asked Parvez to continue in his old role and Bharat Lal Meena was given charge as Bidhannagar commissioner of police for a day before he was reinstated as Siliguri commissioner.Siddhanta Mishra By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: My relation with her will always remain the same. She is and will forever remain like my mother, Uzma Ahmed says about former Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj, who had ensured that the 29-year-old woman was rescued from Pakistan and brought to India. Swaraj did not contest this years Lok Sabha election due to health issues. The nine-time MP was among the peoples favourite ministers in the previous NDA government due to her prompt response to desperate calls for assistance, whether on Twitter or any other platform.

It was Swaraj who contacted JP Singh, Indias former Deputy High Commissioner in Islamabad, for enabling Uzmas return to her homeland in 2017. Uzma had met a Pakistani man, Tahir Ali, in Malaysia where she fell in love with him and went on to meet him in the neighbouring country where she found that he was a father of four children.

Later, Tahir had forced her to marry him at gunpoint. Uzma somehow managed to approach the Indian High Commission. On 25 May 2017, the Delhi resident was brought back to India. Swaraj had hugged Uzma as scores of cameras flashed to capture the moment. She went on to call Uzma the daughter of India.

In April, Uzma set up her beauty parlour Falak at Brahmpuri area. She plans to open another branch of Falak in Dehradun, the city where she completed her schooling from Indian Cambridge School. I and a few of my friends are planning to open the second branch at Dehradun with the help of friends.

Whether she (Swaraj) is in the MEA or not, things will never change between us. She gave me a second life. I had invited her to visit Falak, but she was busy because of election campaigning.There could be many people in my situation. We are all human beings I believe help will continue, says the mother of a seven-year-old daughter.By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Rajnath Singh has chosen the worlds highest battlefield, Siachen, as the destination of his first official visit after taking over as the defence minister.

The defence ministrys official Twitter handle said, Raksha Mantri Shri @rajnathsingh will visit Ladakh region in Jammu and Kashmir tomorrow.

ALSO READ | Rajnath Singh takes charge as Defence Minister, meets with military top brass

The minister will visit a forward post, lay a wreath at Siachen War Memorial and meet the troops. He will interact with jawans at a forward post and pay his tributes to fallen soldiers at the Siachen War Memorial. He will also interact with the jawans.

Singh will be accompanied by Army Chief General Bipin Rawat, senior officials from the defence ministry and the 14 Corps Commander Lt Gen YK Joshi, who fought during the Kargil conflict.By PTI

NEW DELHI: The controversial Four Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUP), which was scrapped in 2014, may make a come back as a panel constituted by the HRD Ministry has recommended the programme among undergraduate courses reforms for the new National Education Policy.

The ministry officials, however, maintained that the committee has submitted its draft and no final decision has been taken yet.

The draft of the new National Education Policy (NEP), formulated by a panel led by former ISRO chief K Kasturirangan, was handed over to HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank.

He took charge as the Union Human Resource Development minister on Friday.

The panel has recommended reintroduction of the four-year course as part of the undergraduate reforms.

"Both three-year and four-year courses will be allowed to co-exist, but with multiple exit and entry options. The four-year programme will provide for greater rigour and allow students to conduct research optionally," the draft said.

"Students will graduate with a four-year Liberal Arts Science Education degree with Honours, or may graduate with a B Sc, BA, B Com or B Voc after completing three years with a suitable completion of credits within their subject," it said.

The four-year programme, the BLA or BLE in the chosen major and minors, will provide students the opportunity to experience the full range of liberal arts education.

The three-year programme will lead to a Bachelors degree.

Both programmes may lead to a degree "with Research", if the student completes a rigorous research project as specified by the Higher Education Institute (HEI).

HEIs may choose to call their three-year undergraduate degree a Bachelor of Arts, or Science, or Vocation, or the appropriate professional field, the draft report suggested.

The Four Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUP) introduced by the Delhi University under the regime of previous Vice Chancellor Dinesh Singh was scrapped by former HRD minister Smriti Irani.

The panel has also recommended an overhaul of the teacher education system with the introduction of the four year programme.

"Teacher preparation for all school stages will be offered only in multidisciplinary universities through a four year programme, with the curricula and processes being revamped to address current issues with teacher preparation.

"Institutions currently offering the two year programme will either transition to this mode or be phased out; no new two year programmes will be given recognition," it said.

The existing NEP was framed in 1986 and revised in 1992.

A new education policy was part of the Bharatiya Janata Party's manifesto ahead of the 2014 general election.

Apart from Kasturirangan, the committee had eight members, including mathematician Manjul Bhargava.

The experts also took into account the report of a panel formed by former HRD minister Smriti Irani and headed by ex-cabinet secretary T S R Subramanian.By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Even as former Union Health Minister J P Nadda is widely tipped to replace Union Home Minister Amit Shah as BJP president, party general secretary Bhupender Yadav is seen as a dark horse for the post.

Yadav, a Rajya Sabha MP from Rajasthan, is seen as the shadow of Shah in the party. He has been party in-charge of Bihar and Gujarat and helped the party in Rajasthan too.

With Shah inducted into the Cabinet, the BJP is likely to get a new president this month.

A senior BJP functionary said, Theres a sense within the party that the Yadavs have broken off their allegiance to SP in UP and RJD in Bihar. If Bhupender is made boss, the BJP can consolidate its gains among Yadavs, the largest backward caste in UP and Bihar.

But Nadda, a Brahmin from Himachal who is in charge of UP, is thought to enjoy PM Narendra Modis blessings.

Nadda can take credit for the BJP winning 62 LS seats in UP. Yet, he cant take full credit as Shah was keeping a close watch on the organisational response to the BSP-SP challenge, the BJP leader added. That Modi is an OBC could also go against Yadav, as the BJP might want an upper caste leader at the helm.By PTI

MUMBAI: NCP president Sharad Pawar Saturday dismissed speculation that his party was likely to merge with the Congress.

Speaking at a party meeting here, Pawar also touched on the issue of alleged Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) tampering, saying he had doubts about the technology from early on.

The meeting was held Saturday to discuss the Lok Sabha results and review preparations for the Maharashtra Assembly polls.

The NCP has its own identity and it will maintain it.

Speculation about the merger with the Congress was a rumour spread by some journalists who wanted that "we should not stay together with our allies", Pawar said.

The speculation about a possible merger had begun after Congress chief Rahul Gandhi met Pawar in Delhi after the Lok Sabha results.

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president further said that political leaders, the media as well as political analysts thought that the government at the Centre will change after the Lok Sabha elections.

"But what happened was exactly opposite. I had doubts about EVMs from early on," he said.

"The BJP lost Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh assembly polls even though they were in power (in those states). A doubt had crossed my mind whether these losses were (meant) for winning national elections," he said cryptically.

The Bharatiya Janata Party is now trying to destabilise the Congress governments in the three states, he alleged.

Talking about the Maharashtra polls, which are due this year, Pawar said as in the Lok Sabha elections, his party will give chance to young and fresh faces.

Speaking at the meeting, Maharashtra NCP chief Jayant Patil said, "Pawar saheb's 79th birthday comes this December. We should gift him 80 MLAs (win 80 seats in Assembly polls)."

Saying that the NCP had put its poor performance in the Lok Sabha polls (winning just four seats in Maharashtra) behind it, Patil said the party should highlight the work done in 15 years when it was in power in the state.

Senior NCP leader Ganesh Naik told reporters that a constituency-wise review was conducted in the meeting.

Many NCP candidates spoke about how the Prakash Ambedkar-led Vanchit Bahujan Agadhi (VBA) ate into their votes, he said.

"There was no discussion on the inclusion of Raj Thackeray's MNS in the alliance for assembly polls," Naik said to a question.Harpreet Bajwa By

Express News Service

CHANDIGARH: Reiterating his demand for a national drugs policy to check the drug menace, Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to advise the Ministries of Home, Social Justice & Empowerment and Health and Family Welfare to address this important issue with a little more seriousness than it has received so far.

In his letter, the Chief Minister has sought the personal intervention of the Prime Minister for the formulation of a national policy on all three components that is Enforcement, de-addiction and prevention, of drug abuse in the country, so as to enable all states to follow similar, if not the same, approach and

strategy to curb this menace, which has substantially hampered the health of the people, particularly the youth.

Amarinder has expressed his state's willingness to associate with the concerned officials at the Centre not only to evolve the policy but also to put in place an effective mechanism for its implementation in the larger national interest.

Highlighting the fact that Punjab shares a 553-km border with Pakistan and has strategic significance for the safety and security of our country, Amarinder raised the security concerns emerging out of narco-terrorism which were rather more grave in the context of Punjab.

He further pointed out that substance abuse was undoubtedly a global problem entailing heavy socio-economic costs to both individuals and society. In his letter, the Chief Minister said, 'In the last two decades, the prevalence of illicit trafficking of drugs has assumed alarming proportions in India too. The latest survey report titled Magnitude of Substance Abuse in India released in February 2019 by the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment with the collaboration of National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre, AIIMS, indicates that drug abuse in India is a significant problem and multi-pronged and coordinated policy interventions are required to tackle it effectively.'

Sharing his government's path-breaking initiatives of the last two years to check the drug menace and to expand its outreach at the grassroots to make the towns and villages in the state drug-free, the Chief Minister impressed upon Modi to extend liberal financial support to increase and strengthen the Outpatient Opioid Assisted Treatment (OOAT) Clinics in Punjab, currently being run on the meagre state resources.

A three-pronged EDP -Enforcement, De-addiction and Prevention; the strategy has been adopted for coordinated efforts on all fronts, the Chief Minister informed the Prime Minister, adding that accordingly a Comprehensive Action against Drug Abuse (CADA) Plan was being implemented in the State.

Notably, the OOAT clinics have been appreciated by AIIMS, New Delhi, as a unique initiative to treat drug addicts with care and compassion. The Punjab Government has also launched two innovative programmes - Drug Abuse Prevention Officers (DAPO) and Buddy Programmes, with a view to prevent drug abuse.By PTI

NEW DELHI: Soon after taking charge as Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh Saturday asked the chiefs of the Army, Navy and the Air Force to prepare separate presentations on the security challenges facing the country as well as overall functioning of their forces.

Singh held a meeting with Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal B S Dhanoa and newly-appointed Navy Chief Karambir Singh at the headquarters of the defence ministry in the Raisina Hills and discussed several issues with them, officials said.

Minister of State for Defence Shripad Yesso Naik, Defence Secretary Sanjay Mitra, Chairman of Defence Research and Development Organisation G Satheesh Reddy, Secretary (Defence Production) Ajay Kumar and several other senior officials were also present at the meeting.

A defence ministry spokesperson said Singh instructed the officers to prepare detailed presentations on all divisions of the ministry and set time-bound targets to achieve the desired outcome.

Officials said the presentations will be reviewed by Singh at a high-level meeting soon.

In Saturday's meeting, Singh was given a brief presentation on the functioning of the ministry as well as role of its four departments -- Department of Defence, Department of Defence Production, Department of Ex-serviceman Welfare and Department of Research and Development Organisation.

Singh, who was the Home Minister in the previous government, was accorded a grand welcome by the three services chiefs and senior officials when he arrived at the defence ministry around noon.

A defence ministry spokesperson said Singh urged all those who greeted him to give their best and work towards achieving the "targets".

Earlier in the day, Singh visited the national war memorial and paid tributes to the fallen heroes.

As defence minister, 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 took 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 geopolitical 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 will also have to oversee the implementation 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.Pronab Mondal By

Express News Service

Kolkata: A Muslim youth broke his fast so he could donate blood to a seven-year-old girl, who is suffering from thalassemia, in Nadia district, a region in IndiaBangladesh border in West Bengal, the state that witnessed a sharp polarisation among the electors on the issue of religion in the last Lok Sabha elections.

Osman Gani Sheikh did not think twice when he received a call from the girls father, a stranger to him, that he was in dire need of A-positive blood but could not find any donor.

I mentioned my contact number in my Facebook profile and mentioned if anyone needs blood, he or she can contact me. The girls father got my number from one of his friends. I had to break my fast to save the girls life. I did not think twice. It is because I had to run pillar to post to collect blood for one of my relatives in 2016. Since then, I decided to donate blood, said Osman, a post-graduate student of History.

Fish vendor Gautam Dass only child Rakhi has be suffering from the disease since the past three years. He took her daughter to the district hospital in Krishnagar where doctors told him that immediate blood transfusion was required. But the father could not find blood that matches with her daughters blood group.

Rakhis mother Tapashi broke down. A youth living in the same area where we reside contacted and informed me about Osmans Facebook profile. He also gave his contact number, said Gautam.

I received a call from an unknown person on Friday night. He was crying and requesting me to save her daughter. I assured him that I would reach the hospital next morning, said Osman.

The youth in his early 20s boarded bus early on Saturday morning and arrived Krishnagar. I was on fasting. The doctors told me I would not be allowed to donate blood. They suggested me to eat biscuits and water. I had no option left other than breaking fasting, recounted Osman.

Schindranath Sarkar, the superintendent of the hospital, said the girls health condition would have been critical if she was not given blood immediately.

Gautam said he would never forget Osmans help. He assured of helping me again in future, he said.

Osman is also group admin of a Whatsapp group with more than 1,000 members from all over West Bengal. Since I had to face same plight two years ago, I formed the group to help people in distress. Me and the other members of the Whatsapp group do not entertain calls from any third person. We only respond to the patients family members, he said.By 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." 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.Karamatullah K Ghori By

A picture does, indeed, tell a thousand words. However, the picture that adorned the front pages of almost all Pakistani newspapers and graced the mini-screens of all television sets on May 22 told much more than that.The picture that cheered tens of thousands of faces in Pakistan that morning showed Indian FM Sushma Swaraj sitting side by side with her Pakistani counterpart, Shah Mehmood Qureshi. It was taken on the sidelines of the Ministerial meeting of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Bishkek, where the two top South Asian diplomats met after an inordinately long hiatus.

What was even more cheerful about the picture was that both ministers were seen smiling in it, if not exactly beaming. And Qureshi literally sweetened the pot by revealing to the world media that Swaraj had brought him a gift of mouthwatering traditional Indian sweetsan addiction common to people on both sides of the South Asian divide.

Well, to be fair to him, Qureshi had, earlier, done his part of injecting some sweetness into long-estranged neighbourly relations by allowing Swarajs special flight to Bishkek, from Delhi, to overfly Pakistani territory. Pakistan has had its airspace closed for overflights from India since the February 26 spat between the two neighbours on Balakot. India had claimed to have breached Pakistans security by attacking a so-called terrorist training site in Balakot, inside Pakistan. The claim was contested by Pakistan. But Pakistan clamped down a precautionary ban for overflights and has, ever since, kept it in place.

But much more than the optics of the picture, it was the timing of the two ministers casual encounter that triggered a train of speculation in Pakistan.

Their meeting took place only a day before the official announcement of the weeks-long Indian elections result by the Indian Election Commission. By then, exit polls in India were confidently predicting a triumphal encore for Modi and his BJP.

Armed with that foreknowledge, pundits in Pakistan literally went to town and lost no time in articulating their optimism that Modi: 2meaning Modis second stint in powerwould be more inclined to repair torn fences with Pakistan. They pointed to Swarajs sweet-package for Qureshi as harbinger of a more friendly Modi.

This wave of premature euphoriafor want of a better descriptionwas despite the gloom that had earlier blanketed the Pakistani medias coverage of Modis election campaign. There was no dearth of Cassandras bewailing the toxic rhetoric of BJP stalwarts, including Modi himself, against Pakistan. There was a complete consensus among the media gurus and opinion makers that BJPs main election plank was anchored in whipping up chauvinistic propaganda of hate against Pakistan.

But the positive signals emitting from that picture from Bishkek coaxed many a Jeremiah to rethink and hope for a more salubrious climate in relations between India and Pakistan under a triumphant Modi.

History was there to boost optimism. It took a Communist-baiter like Richard Nixon to end US hostility to Red China and recognise its reality. There was an implicit joy in recalling that episode because Pakistan had smoothened Nixons passage to China. So, why not pin hopes on a Pakistan-bashing Modi to put the past behind and light a candle to give peace a chance?

However, it didnt take long for the euphoria to die down. The setback came from the Modi governments decision to omit Pakistan from the list of leaders of its neighbouring countries invited to PM Modis second inauguration on Thursday, May 30, in Delhi.

This is despite the fact that PM Imran Khan had felicitated Modi with alacrity on winning his second term. Imran followed it up with a phone call to his Indian counterpart to rearticulate his desire for a peaceful relationship with India, a thought he had articulated on day one of his donning the leadership mantle in Pakistan. His offer of taking two steps forward if India takes only one still stands.

Why, then, this deliberate rebuff, this calculated affront to Pakistan is a question agitating the mind of every Pakistani pundit. Not that there isnt a precedent of a Pakistani leader attending such a fanfare ceremony in Delhi. It was only five years ago, in 2014, that the then Pakistani PM, Nawaz Sharif, had been invited to Modis first inauguration. Why not Imran this time?

What hurts sensitivities in Pakistan, in particular, is that every other neighbour of IndiaBangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and even Thailandwas invited but not Pakistan, which was conspicuous by its noticeable absence on Thursday, just as it was prominent by its presence in 2014.

FM Qureshi, in a media interview on May 28, tried to dispel the gloom by playing down what was only a ceremonial occasion. He, once again, called upon India to think positively. But it may be insufficient to assuage the angst of not only pundits but also ordinary Pakistanis. Whats Modis game, they ask. Whats the message buried in mixed signals: sweets one day and bitter insults a week later? Should Pakistanis stop hoping for an end to bitterness with India?

By Express News Service

VISAKHAPATNAM: Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu has underscored the need for writers and litterateurs to promote progressive and positive thinking among people even while holding a mirror to the happenings in society.

Speaking at the valedictory of death centenary of an eminent social reformer, Kandukuri Veeresalingam, who was popularly known as Andhra Raja Ram Mohan Roy, he said Veeresalingam was forward-looking in his outlook and was ahead of his times. He was against bigotry and superstitious beliefs.

Paying rich tributes to Veeresalingam on the occasion, Venkaiah Naidu said he was a strong advocate of widow remarriage, opposed dowry and caste systems as also child marriage. Veeresalingam batted for empowering women through education, he said.

He said todays writers, authors, poets and columnists have a responsibility in promoting modern and reform-oriented thinking among people, while preserving our culture and heritage. Merely chronicling or recounting events in a society was not enough. Writers should also point to the foibles of society and suggest correctives, he added. The Vice President said although the country has made rapid strides in various fields, there were many challenges. Expressing his anguish over instances of social and gender discrimination, he called upon writers to be in the forefront in the fight against social evils and in bringing about an attitudinal change among the people.By Express News Service

BENGALURU: A day after State BJP chief B S Yeddyurappa said they have no plans to destabilise the coalition government and would work like a responsible opposition, newly minted Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said the coalition government is like the handicapped child of a couple who is in an illicit relationship and will not survive long.

Responding to a question he claimed, Yeddyurappa is not doing anything to destabilize the government, the government will fall on its own. Asked if Yeddyurappa had been asked by the national BJP not to destabilize the government, he said, The central leaders like Amit Shah may have mentioned in passing. They (the coalition) are dying, we do not have to commit murder.

About the contentious Mahadayi water issue between Karnataka and Goa, he accused the Congress government of not taking the precaution of setting aside water for drinking before presenting the case in the Supreme Court. Passing any notification on this is impossible. The matter is before the court. The legal team had clearly specified what the government needs to do, he said.

He pointed out that there are four ministers from Karnataka in the Modi cabinet and they would meet once in 15 days and discuss on Karnataka related issues and follow up. The four -- D V Sadananda Gowda, Nirmala Sitharaman, Suresh Angadi and Pralhad Joshi -- were inducted into the Union Ministry on Thursday.

Asked about the coal position and about the allegations of coal shortage, Joshi who holds charge of coal ministry too, said, Let the four thermal plants go on producing power, we will go on supplying coal. 

He said there will not be any shortage in supply of coal. ...there is minimum stock of 15-16 days everywhere, whatever demand comes that will be supplied, he added.By Express News Service

BENGALURU: The Congress and JDS leaders are not taking any chances and are going ahead with their plans to take independents legislators and disgruntled MLAs within the party into confidence, to ensure the governments stability.

This comes a day after BJP state president BS Yeddyurappa claimed that the party will not make any attempts to topple the coalition government.

On Saturday evening, Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy held a 45-minute meeting with former CM and Congress leader Siddaramaiah at latters residence in the state capital and discussed political developments in the state and cabinet expansion.

ALSO READ | JDS Karnataka president hits out Sa Ra Mahesh

Sources said the two leaders discussed inducting R Shankar, Karnataka Pragnyavantha Janatha Party (KPJP), MLA from Ranebennur in North Karnataka, H Nagesh, independent MLA from Mulbagal in Kolar district and Congress MLA BC Patil.

Sources said the JDS and Congress leaders are considering to induct independent MLAs into the ministry as BJP is said to be making attempts to get their support. Support from independent MLAs will be crucial for the BJP that has 105 MLAs in 224-member house.

If the BJP gets support from two independent MLAs, its number will go upto 107, just six short of simple majority.

ALSO READ | Coalition government is like handicapped child: Pralhad Joshi

The coalition party leaders are not taking any chances and as part of their strategy to ensure governments stability the independent MLAs are likely to be inducted, sources said.

However, it is still not clear when the chief minister is likely to go in for ministry expansion. Currently, three slots, two from JDS quota and one from the Congress quota, in the ministry are vacant.

After his meeting with Kumaraswamy, Siddaramaiah is said to have called Shankar to his residence and held discussions with him.

BJP still trying to wrest power

KOLAR: The BJP is attempting to wrest power in the state through the back door, said Minister Krishnae Byre Gowda.

While addressing media persons at Kolar on Saturday, he said: From day one since the formation of the coalition government, the BJP is attempting to wrest power. They are still doing it and in the future also, they will continue to do it.

The minister also said that none of the Congress legislators would join BJP.By Express News Service

BENGALURU: Compelled to turn the public perception about him and his coalition government, Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy has decided to reinvent 'grama vastavya' his popular village stay program. Despite his doctors shooting down his proposal for village stays citing health reasons last year, Kumaraswamy has resolved to work it out.

Post the Lok Sabha poll drubbing that JDS and Congress received in Karnataka, both parties have decided to relook at their strategies, especially to ward off ill-perception about the coalition government.

While the plan is still in the pipeline with no clarity on schedules or time frame, Chief Minister's office confirmed to The New Indian Express that Grama Vastavya will be restarted soon.

During his previous stint as Chief Minister in 2006-2007 Kumaraswamy had gained widespread public recognition and appreciation for visiting remote villages and staying at villages to directly interact with people and understand their issues.

His Grama Vastavya was one of the key reasons for his popularity in North Karnataka- a region where the JDS barely has any dedicated vote bank. "The Chief Minister will restart his grama vastavya program but we are yet to work up the details. An official statement will be released soon after a schedule is drawn," said a source from the Chief Minister's office.

Kumaraswamy is expected to kickstart the village program before July when the assembly will convene for the monsoon session. Sources close to the Chief Minister suggested that more than dispelling negative public perception about the government, the Village Stay program is aimed at changing the perception that Kumaraswamy has become inaccessible for people and his own partymen.

Leaders of the JDS had been complaining of Kumaraswamy choosing to work out a star hotel where they were denied entry thus making it difficult for them to interact with him. Kumaraswamy is looking at this grama vastavya as an opportunity to reconnect with voters, party leaders as well as coalition partners. A go-ahead from party supremo HD Devegowda, who had earlier rejected a proposal for grama vastavya, is awaited.

By Express News Service

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Despite stiff opposition from the higher secondary teachers unions, the Directorate of General Education has been established. The state government issued the order on Saturday. K Jeevan Babu, the former DPI, has been appointed as the Director of General Education.

He will be heading the school level as a single unit from primary to higher secondary. With the appointment of Jeevan Babu, the post of higher secondary director and DPI will cease to exist. The state government went ahead with unifying the schools under one administration even after the meetings with higher secondary teachers unions failed to arrive at a consensus.

Though General Education Secretary A Shahjahan convened a meeting on May 20, the teachers union refused to accept the governments suggestions. In the meeting held last week, Minister C Raveendranath had recommended appointing a single director for HS and HSS, one exam commissioner, unifying the offices at schools with the higher secondary section, retaining DEO, AEO offices, making headmasters of HSS schools vice-principals.

The government is likely to implement three of the suggestions in the first phase. As per the governments proposal, the examinations till the higher secondary level will be undertaken by Pareeksha Bhavan instead of the Higher Secondary Board of Examinations.

At present, Pareeksha Bhavan is only looking after SSLC examinations. The governments action was based on the Khader commission report. The Khader commission was appointed by the government earlier as the Central assistance would be available only if high school and higher secondary sections are unified under one authority.

The system will subsume the pre-primary, lower primary, upper primary, high school and higher secondary levels as part of ensuring equity and inclusion at all levels of school education.By Express News Service

BHUBANESWAR: With healthcare topping the priority list of Narendra Modi Government 2.0, fate of roll out of Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) in Odisha is likely to be decided next week.CEO of National Health Authority (NHA) and AB-PMJAY Dr Indu Bhusan is expected to hold a meeting with the State Government officials on Tuesday on the modalities to finalise the launch of the scheme in Odisha, reliable sources said.

Odishas reluctance to accept Ayushman Bharat scheme was a contentious issue before and during elections as BJP aggressively campaigned for double engine Government and blamed the State for not allowing the implementation of Central schemes.

The BJD Government, on its part, implemented its own health assurance scheme - Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY) on August 15 last year, a month prior to the nation-wide launch of Ayushman Bharat. Even as Odisha is firm on its reservations that it raised before Union Health Ministry, a consensus among the State and Centre could pave way for the roll-out of the scheme which provides health coverage of Rs 5 lakh per annum per family and improving rural health infrastructure.

While the State-sponsored BSKY provides annual health coverage of Rs 5 lakh per family and Rs 7 lakh for women in Government and empanelled private hospitals, the BJD Government cannot back out from the scheme, which has already gained popularity, as it covers both outdoor and indoor patients unlike the Ayushman Bharat that covers only indoor patients.

On the other hand, not rolling out Ayushman Bharat could also prove tricky. After the Central scheme was announced during Union Budget 2018-19, Odisha had raised several issues regarding its implementation and Chief Secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi had sent a letter to Union Health Secretary submitting 11-point charter of demands.

While over 69 lakh families (about 70 per cent population) were covered by Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) and Biju Krushak Kalyan Yojana (BKKY), the Centre had indicated to support about 61 lakh families under the AB-PMJAY and there were no provisions for the left-out families that meet the deprivation. The non-coverage of eight lakh families was raised by the Naveen Patnaik Government.

The State had also urged the Centres permission to collect Aadhaar details at the Gram Sabha levels instead of doing the same at the time of hospitalisation to ensure the beneficiary is provided cashless service at the point of care without overly burdened with the verification process. Now, about 70 lakh families are covered under BSKY and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has promised to raise the coverage for women patients from Rs 7 lakh to Rs 10 lakh.By Express News Service

HYDERABAD: The first crucial meeting between Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and his Andhra Pradesh counterpart YS Jagan Mohan Reddy since the latters swearing-in witnessed discussions on resolving the contentious issues between the Telugu States.

During their interaction, in the presence of Governor ESL Narasimhan at Raj Bhavan here on Saturday, they decided to chalk out the path ahead in this regard, sources said.

Both chief ministers decided to form ministerial-level and official-level committees to solve pending issues.

Once Jagans Cabinet is expanded, he will pick senior ministers and share their names with the Telangana government, to form the ministers committee, sources said, adding that the second committee would be set up after the reshuffle of officials in the sibling States.

Just before attending an Iftar hosted by Governor ESL Narasimhan, Chandrasekhar Rao and Jagan Mohan Reddy held detailed discussions on the pending issues of the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014.

ALSO READ | K Chandrasekhar Rao, Jagan Mohan Reddy attend Governor's Iftar in Hyderabad

The talks were held in the presence of Narasimhan, as some issues, like the allotment of buildings, are under the control of the governor. Rao reportedly wanted his Andhra Pradesh counterpart to hand over the AP Secretariat buildings in Hyderabad.

Among the pending issues between the States, are the allotment of power utility employees, bifurcation of fixed assets of the Road Transport Corporation and other organisations, sharing of water from the Krishna, and settlement of accounts of some institutions listed in the 9th and 10th Schedule of AP Reorganisation Act, 2014.

ALSO READ | TDP man killed in clash with YSRC workers in Anantapur

These issues remained unresolved in the last five years. But with Jagan being sworn-in as the new chief minister, and considering his good equation with his Telangana counterpart, hopes of sorting out these issues have been reignited. Rao obliged Jagans request for inter-State deputation of an IPS officer to AP from Telangana, and now, the Telangana government expects Jagan to reciprocate.

According to sources, Rao again told Jagan that around 2,500 tmc of Godavari water was flowing into the sea and going waste, and Andhra Pradesh could use it effectively in the parched Rayalaseema region.

Telangana wants buildings back

Telangana CM Chandrasekhar Rao reportedly wanted his AP counterpart to hand over the AP Secretariat buildings in Hyderabad.

He also reportedly reminded Jagan that around 2,500 tmc of Godavari water was flowing into the sea and going wasteBy Express News Service

HYDERABAD: One day into his tenure as the Minister of State (MoS) Home Affairs, Secunderabad MP G Kishan Reddy has already ended up pressing the damage control button. Kishans recent comment that Hyderabad is a hub of terrorists led him directly into a political firestorm. Defending his stance, Kishan Reddy said that though the NRC is requisite in India, it ise against any religion.

My words have been misconstrued. My statement is not based on one religion. There is no link between religion and terrorism, Kishan Reddy explained, while speaking to media in New Delhi. My statement is based on the fact that NIA and State police arrested several ISI sympathisers and terrorists from Hyderabad. It is Asaduddin Owaisi who is politicising it, Kishan added.

ALSO READ | Kishan Reddy to play key role in introducing NRC in Telangana

Islam is against terrorism, but some persons are conducting terrorist activities in the name of Islam. There are sleeper cells in the city who are getting arrested every one or two months, he explained.

He further asserted that NRC should be held across the country irrespective of ones religion. What is wrong in having NRC in India. There should be a record on who is belonging to the country. It is our party policy, Kishan observed.

Old City turning into mini Pak: Raja Singh

Meanwhile, Kishan Reddy drew support from his fellow colleague in the state. Lone BJP MLA from the state, T Raja Singh supported the need of NRC in the country as stated by Kishan Reddy. It is true that Hyderabad is becoming a hub of terrorists. Old City is turning into a mini Pakistan, where Asaduddin Owaisi won as a parliamentarian, alleged T Raja Singh in a video release.By Express News Service

HYDERABAD: AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Saturday hit out at Secunderabad MP Kishan Reddy for his statement that Hyderabad was a safe haven for terrorism. He alleged that such statements were unbecoming of a Minister of State.

A Minister of State speaking like this? Such irresponsible statements dont suit a minister. However, we expect this from him. Wherever they (BJP) see Muslims, they take them for terrorists. I cant cure their mentality, Owaisi said in a scathing rebuttal while speaking to reporters.

The Hyderabad MP said, I want to ask him (Kishan) and I want the government to tell the people of Hyderabad, how many advisories were given by NIA, IB and RAW saying that Hyderabad has become the haven for terrorism in the last five years?

ALSO READ | NRC not against any religion, says Secunderabad MP Kishan Reddy

It is utterly shameful of him to say something like this of Hyderabad, wherein the last five years peace had prevailed, with no communal riots. Many major religious festivals have been organised peacefully in the city. After Bengaluru, Hyderabad is the second when it comes to IT exports. Why do they have so much hatred for Telangana and Hyderabad? Do they not like to see that Hyderabad and Telangana are growing? Owaisi went on to ask.

On Friday, the newly elected Minister of State for Home and Secunderabad MP Kishan Reddy, while stressing on NRC for the entire country, said that Hyderabad was the root of any terrorist incident anywhere in the country. There are many terrorist sympathisers and people involved in cross border terrorism in Hyderabad, he had said.

He also said that many from Myanmar and Bangladesh were staying in the Old City of Hyderabad illegally, and the Union Home Ministry will be taking action against it.

Meanwhile, Reddy on Saturday said that his comments were misinterpreted and that he did not mean that Muslims were terrorists when he said that Hyderabad was a safe haven for terrorism.

What the Minister of State for Home said

On Friday, the newly elected Minister of State for Home and Secunderabad MP Kishan Reddy, while stressing on NRC for the entire country, said that Hyderabad was the root of any terrorist incident anywhere in the country. There are many terrorist sympathisers and people involved in cross-border terrorism in Hyderabad, he had saidBy Express News Service

HYDERABAD: The Telangana State Board of Intermediate Education (BIE) has found itself in yet another goof-up. As per a memo on its website, a student who committed suicide after being awarded 20 marks in the Telugu paper secured 48 marks after re-verification.

The student, A Anamika, killed herself on May 18, hours after the results were announced. While her sister A Udaya blamed the BIE for the death, the Board insisted Anamika had failed anyway and was awarded 48 marks due to a clerical error.

This, however, does absolve the Board of callousness, as the latest memo shows that though the student failed in Telugu, her marks had gone up from 20 to 21. This again triggered a flood of allegations of irregularities in the correction and processing of the Intermediate results and places culpability on the Board for the death of students.

Anamika was among the 23 students who committed suicide after the exam. Soon after a hue and cry erupted over the suicides, the BIE re-verified the papers of the deceased students and found that only three passed, one of whom wrote only three papers. Anamikas marks, however, didnt change. Her paper was sent to BIEs deputy secretary. The camp officer, a junior lecturer, instead of informing this, entered the marks like 48, said a junior lecturer.

BIE secretary A Ashok, speaking to Express, refuted any responsibility in Anamikas suicide and said that even the first round of verification, done for 53 students, showed that one mark was enhanced.We have clarified that it was a clerical mistake in the spot valuation camp, and the student has scored only 21, and not 48 marks. We have also uploaded her answer script and it clearly shows that the enhanced marks are 20 to 21, he said, adding that action would be initiated against the person responsible, after a detailed inquiry.

The allegations by the students sister that the Board is responsible for her suicide are baseless and incorrect, he added. A junior lecturer, meanwhile, pointed to lapses in the system. This is a major blunder. Without verification, how could the lecturer post the marks? It also makes us wonder how many such cases would have been there, where marks were posted without proper scrutiny, the junior lecturer said.

After the High Court directed the Board to re-verify the answer scripts of all 9.02 lakh students, the BIE pressed into service 5,831 teachers. It appears a number of them were also contract lecturers. For re-verification, only regular lectures from govt junior colleges are roped in. At each camp, there is one senior and two junior lecturers. The Telangana Intermediate Board (BIE) Board has also been flayed for roping in contract junior lecturers for such sensitive work.Pranab Mondal By

Subhash Das, a primary school teacher with a monthly salary of Rs 24,000 and burgeoning treatment expenses for his child had always voted for the Communist Party of India (Marxist) from his early teens. His political affiliation was unwavering till the change of guard in 2011, which he remembers as momentous. His political preference underwent a sea change. And as Mamata Banerjee climbed to power at the head of the revolutionising Trinamool Congress, promising equity, equality and justice, Das became a Mamata bhakt. He preferred the trend  joined Trinamool, the grassroots party, as he believed it to be.

It was a mishap in Dass family that changed the 49-year-old mans political choice once again. This time he voted for the BJP and joined those who took over the Trinamool party office near his house at Duttapukur in North 24-Parganas district, around 40 km from Kolkata. The locals handed over the building to the CPI(M), to whom it rightfully belonged. The Trinamools twin flowers were painted out; the Red of CPI(M) re-emerged with the flags and buntings and the Red and the Saffron coloured flags co-exist at Duttapukur. The shift from Trinamool to BJP was as momentous as in 2011,says Das. All people changed to Saffron, as they had to Trinamool then. Whats the big deal?

He recalled: A few months ago, my son Sharad fainted at home. He was diagnosed as suffering from a neurological disorder. I had to retrieve my meager savings in the bank to take him to Christian Medical College in Vellore for treatment. I had to take loans, borrow money from my relatives for his treatment. When I heard that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had refused to allow Prime Minister Narendra Modis Ayushman Bharat scheme in West Bengal, I was shattered. She has no family. But did she ever consider our poor standards to ponder how it would have helped a father like me, struggling hard to see his 12-year-old son smiling again? I decided to vote for the BJP, said Das.

Das, who was a polling staff in last years panchayat elections and was allegedly manhandled at a counting centre by Trinamool agents despite being a party man, is one of the millions of faces whose support to BJP  relatively a new entrant to competitive politics in West Bengal  helped it win big in the just concluded Lok Sabha polls. The CPI(M) suffered a steep decline of 23% in its vote share as even Left supporters, who had voted for their party in 2014 Lok Sabha elections, decided to opt for the BJP in 2019 to be rid of the Trinamool cadres depredations and violence at the village and small town levels.

From red (Left) to green(TMC) and again to saffron (BJP)  the changes in Dass political journey as an elector is reflected on the walls of hundreds of party offices across the state since the Lok Sabha elections result was declared. Active and passionate Trinamool activists and cadres surrendered the party assets to BJP leaders and welcomed them to their homes. At places where the ruling Trinamool resisted and wont give up, its ex-cadres helped the BJP take them over.

At some places, they returned the party offices captured by Trinamool in 2011 to the CPI(M). In other places, the BJP, finding itself in possession of such property, promptly made it over to the CPI(M) with commoners milling around and celebrating the occasion. At each place, the refrain was the same  we are happy to be rid of Trinamools corruption and high-handedness of its agents. However, there were post-poll clashes too and more than 200 incidents have been registered, mostly over the issue of taking control of the party offices. CM Mamata Banerjees direction to her party cadres to recapture the party offices to return them to the rightful owners also triggered clashes and three persons have died post the election results.

The party office that Trinamool had taken over from the CPI(M) in 2011 at Mahishda, the ancestral village of Dipak Adhikary, who was elected from Ghatal Lok Sabha seat with a margin of 1,08,000 votes, was abandoned despite the party candidate securing a victory. A day after the election result was announced, no one was seen in the one-storey building that used to be the most favoured destination for local party workers. Trinamools symbols had been erased overnight and the building white-washed by locals.

Hours after the election result, a group of men came and tied BJPs flags to the trees near the party office. Sensing a backlash, Trinamool men abandoned their office. It is a re-run of 2011 when the red flags of CPI(M) were replaced overnight and Trinamool had covered the building with their party flags, recalled Mohammad Asif, a resident of the area.

Elaborating on what triggered post-poll violence in the rural pockets of Bengal, a former zonal committee member of the CPI(M) who joined the BJP said Trinamool is resisting change because the power of being a ruling partys cadre member secured their livelihood. The commissions collected money from even beneficiaries of government schemes, right from a widow to a homeless poor. That secured their bread and butter. Each panchayat spends several crores a year and these Trinamool satraps lived on the commission they collected from the poor beneficiaries of the schemes. Faced with an uncertain future, they are not ready to retreat, he said.

Office politics

Offices bearing party flags in remote pockets of Bengal are considered as a symbol of the organisations strength and penetration at the grassroots level. The CPI(M) had set up more than 7,000 party offices for its committees at local and zonal levels and for other mass organisations across the state during its tenure. Local trivial issues used to be sorted out at the party offices by summoning the two rival groups or individuals.

After the change of guard in the state in 2011, a number of CPI(M) party offices were allegedly taken over by Trinamool activists-often ex-party members. The partys leadership had to shut many offices after suffering a sharp decline in its membership which also triggered a massive loss in levy collection.

Daily and regular expenditures of party offices used to be maintained with the levy collection. The flow of funds started drying up. We had no option left but to shut down a large number of party offices. The Trinamool took over many others that we abandoned, said a CPI(M) leader in Kolkata, preferring anonymity.

The BJP has taken over more than 200 party offices from the Trinamool and nearly 150 of them were returned to the CPI(M). The saffron party, however, described it as a fall out of common peoples anger against the Trinamool.Electors, who found themselves abused by Trinamool agents have found a new political force to take refuge under. They had suffered from the Trinamools torture and corruption and are now retaliating. The Trinamool cadres are abandoning the party offices which they had forcibly taken over from the CPI(M). Now the Left is taking control of the abandoned offices, said BJPs state president Dilip Ghosh.

Refuting BJPs hand behind recapturing party offices, CPI(M) central committee member Sujan Chakrabarty said, This is a false propaganda. Trinamool supporters have realised that the peoples verdict has gone against them. They are leaving the party offices which used to be owned by our party and we are taking possession.By PTI

LONDON: British Airways (BA) resumed its flights to Pakistan on Sunday, more than 10 years after it halted the service to that country following a bomb blast.

Britain's flagship carrier stopped flying to Pakistan after the Marriott hotel in the capital, Islamabad, was bombed in 2008, killing more than 50 people.

But the airline is now scheduled to fly three times a week, with Boeing 787 Dreamliners, to the Pakistani capital from London Heathrow.

It is the only western airline to resume its service to Islamabad. Pakistan's flag carrier, the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) was the only airline to run direct flights between Islamabad and London.

"We'll be operating this route with our newest long-haul aircraft, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner," a BA spokesperson said.

In September 2008, a bomb was detonated in a dumper truck outside the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad. A total of 54 people were killed and more than 250 others injured in the blast.

Shortly after the blast, the BA suspended all its flights to Islamabad, declaring: "We will not compromise on the safety of our customers, staff or planes."

The airline in December last year, announced that it would restart its flights to Islamabad, saying the new airport opened in Pakistan's capital has reportedly eased concerns about both security and congestion.

British High Commissioner to Pakistan, Thomas Drew, said BA was joining "an increasing number of British companies doing business in Pakistan".By IANS

NEW DELHI: Sandwiched between the ongoing US-China trade war, Chinese telecom equipment major Huawei is frantically looking to salvage its prestige and fast cover the lost ground.

The company is bullish on shifting gears towards its India operations to revive its reputation as a reliable smartphone manufacturer and a 5G player.

With the digital-friendly Narendra Modi government back at the helm, it would be interesting to see what would be the reaction towards Huawei - without offending US President Donald Trump who is going after Huawei and its 5G dream.

India, with a stable technology scenario, is where Huawei has decided to place its maximum energies on - for both the devices and 5G technology segments where the US ban is set to make it bleed profusely in the coming quarters.

READ: Why is Donald Trump afraid of Chinese tech giant Huawei?

Huawei predicts there would be the 2.8 billion 5G users by 2025, and looks seriously at India to offset losses it is going to incur in the wake of US ban.

"Unlike the headwinds it has been facing elsewhere, India remains a potentially positive hotspot for Huawei," Prabhu Ram, Head, Industry Intelligence Group (IIG), CMR, told IANS.

"Unlike 4G, 5G is a completely new terrain and India would need to test various use cases for 5G adoption in India. As such, it would need to depend on the capabilities of a variety of vendors, including Huawei," Ram said.

Although India is targeting 2020 for 5G roll out, the country is yet to allocate 5G spectrum to operators even for 5G trial of use cases.

"Huawei has been working with the Indian telecom players in the market to start 5G field trials. As such, I anticipate Huawei to be allowed to participate in the trials," added Ram.

When it comes to 5G smartphones, an absence of a 5G-ready ecosystem in the country would hamper any manufacturer.

The situation at hand has dashed hopes of Indian consumers willing to acquire the just-released foldable phone Mate X from Huawei any time soon.

The company says it is not planning to bring a 4G version of the Mate X shortly and that its availability will depend on the 5G network in the country.

Huawei pipped Apple as the second largest smartphone seller in the first quarter of 2019 after Samsung. It clocked 17 per cent market share in the global smartphone market, according to Counterpoint Research.

"I think the situation, if escalated further, will make it challenging for Huawei irrespective of the country it operates in. China can only be an exception in the short term.

"The problems with supply chain and sourcing, especially at the operating system (OS) level, can have potential impact on Huawei in its global operations including in India," Tarun Pathak, Associate Director at Counterpoint Research, told IANS.

When it comes to smartphones, consumer sentiment in India towards Huawei will potentially continue to be ambivalent in the face of Android ban.

"Huawei's India smartphone business will see marginal to no impact in the short-term. From a long-term perspective, the Android ban may potentially have significant ramifications for Huawei devices," suggested Ram.By IANS

WASHINGTON: Nearly all applicants for US visas will have to submit their social media details under new rules by the State Department.

The State Department regulations say people will have to submit social media names and five years' worth of email addresses and phone numbers.

When proposed last year, authorities estimated the proposal would affect 14.7 million people annually. Certain diplomatic and official visa applicants will be exempt from the stringent new measures.

However, people travelling to the US to work or to study will have to hand over their information, the BBC reported.

"We are constantly working to find mechanisms to improve our screening processes to protect US citizens, while supporting legitimate travel to the United States," the department reportedly said.

Previously, only applicants who needed additional vetting - such as people who had been to parts of the world controlled by terrorist groups - would need to hand over this data.

ALSO READ | With an eye over Indian-American spouses, US introduces legislation to protect H4 visa

But now applicants will have to give up their account names on a list of social media platforms, and also volunteer the details of their accounts on any sites not listed.

Anyone who lies about their social media use could face "serious immigration consequences", according to an official.

The Trump administration first proposed the rules in March 2018.

ALSO READ | Silicon Valley-based IT firm sues Trump government for denying H-1B visa to Indian professional

At the time, the American Civil Liberties Union - a civil rights group - said there is "no evidence that such social media monitoring is effective or fair", and said it would cause people to self-censor themselves online.

US President Donald Trump made cracking down on immigration a key plank of his election campaign in 2016.

He called for "extreme vetting" of immigrants before and during his time in office.

On Friday Trump vowed to impose gradually rising tariffs on Mexico unless the country curbed illegal immigration at the US southern border.By AFP

BELLINZONA: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Sunday his country was ready to talk with Tehran "with no preconditions", but there was no indication if lifting sanctions over Iran's nuclear programme was on the table.

The top US diplomat, who is considered a hawk on the Iran file, appeared to soften the US stance somewhat following weeks of escalating tensions with Tehran.

"We are prepared to engage in a conversation with no preconditions," Pompeo said in Switzerland, which in the absence of US-Iranian diplomatic ties represents Washington's interests in the Islamic Republic.

"We are ready to sit down with them," Pompeo told a joint news conference with his Swiss counterpart Ignazio Cassis at the impressive medieval Castelgrande castle in Bellinzona, nestled in the Alps in Switzerland's Italian-speaking Ticino region.

He was reacting to comments made by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Saturday insisting that his country would not be "bullied" into talks with the United States, and that any dialogue between the two countries needed to be grounded in "respect".

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif also said in an interview with the American network ABC broadcast Sunday that it was "not very likely" that Tehran would agree to talks with the US any time soon.

US President Donald Trump, he said, "is imposing pressure."

"This may work in a real estate market. It does not work in dealing with Iran," he said, insisting that "threats against Iran never work... Try respect. That may work."

Pompeo himself also appeared to back-pedal on the offer to have condition-free talks with Iran, stating that Washington was "certainly prepared to have (a) conversation when the Iranians will prove they are behaving as a normal nation."

'Malign activity'

Nonetheless, Pompeo's comments mark the first time the Trump administration has offered no-strings-attached talks since the recent escalation began in the wake of the US withdrawal from a hard-won 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers.

But Pompeo stressed that "the American effort to fundamentally reverse the malign activity of this Islamic Republic, this revolutionary force, is going to continue."

In other words, Washington has no intention to let up on its campaign of "maximum pressure" on Iran.

Pompeo himself last year laid out 12 draconian demands he said Iran would need to meet before reaching a "new deal" with the United States, essentially addressing every aspect of Iran's missile programme and what Washington calls its "malign influence" across the region.

Washington has since reimposed sanctions, and has been locked in an increasingly tense standoff with Tehran.

Last month it deployed an aircraft carrier task force, B-52 bombers and an amphibious assault ship to the Gulf, along with additional troops against what Washington's leaders believed was an imminent Iranian plan to attack US assets.

But at the same time, Trump has over the past week toned down the rhetoric, saying Washington does not seek "regime change" in Iran and holding out the possibility of talks.

He said the US was merely "looking for no nuclear weapons," adding that "I really believe that Iran would like to make a deal. I think that's very smart of them and I think there's a possibility for that to happen also."

Swiss mediation?

Swiss Foreign Minister Cassis meanwhile voiced his country's readiness to play the role of "intermediary" between the two countries.

But he stressed Switzerland could not be "mediators if there is not willingness on both sides."

Cassis also voiced concern about the "great suffering" in Iran brought about by the US sanctions, and urged Washington to identify a financial "channel" to allow the Iranians to purchase humanitarian aid without being slapped with US punitive measures.

Pompeo did not respond directly to this request, but he rejected the notion that US sanctions were causing suffering, instead blaming the leadership in Tehran.

The challenges facing Iranians "are not caused by our economic sanctions," he said. "They're caused by 40 years of the Islamic regime not taking care of their people and instead using their resources to destroy lives."

He meanwhile preferred to remain discreet about efforts, largely led by Switzerland, to ensure the release of a handful of American citizens being held in Iran, stating only that the issue was a top priority for Trump, and that Washington is "working with all willing nations to assist us."Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images(VIRGINIA BEACH, Va.) -- At 6:45 on Friday morning, a neighbor spotted the man, sitting idly in his car in a residential neighborhood some 11 miles from the Virginia Beach waterfront. She thought about waving hello, but stopped herself, remembering that he tended to keep to himself.

Nine hours later, at 4 in the afternoon, that man allegedly entered the Virginia Beach Municipal Center with two .45-caliber handguns, and went floor-to-floor, indiscriminately killing 11 of his co-workers and a contractor before police shot him dead during a fierce gun battle, officials said on Saturday.

Virginia Beach police Chief James Cervera identified the suspect as DeWayne Craddock, a 40-year-old city employee with a security pass to enter the building, who had worked at the public utilities department for 15 years. The police chief said it would be the "only time we will announce his name."

Police say they have not yet determined a motive for the rampage, which is the deadliest mass shooting in the United States so far this year.

The neighbor who spotted Craddock on Friday morning, Amanda Archer, said she was shocked when she got news of the rampage.

You never think that the person that did [a shooting] is near you, or has any threat to you," she told ABC News.

Another neighbor, Cassidy Howerin, said that Craddock, who lived alone on the upper level of a two-story apartment building, struck her as a "routine-oriented person."

"He would go, do his stuff and then come home," she said. Whenever we had a conversation it was quick, straight and to the point."

Police said that Craddock gunned down one victim outside Building 2 of the Municipal Center as he entered the front door, and that no words exchanged between the accused gunman and police during the gunfight.

"Once they identified him and he identified them, he immediately opened fire," Cervera said. "We immediately returned the fire and again, I want everyone to know, this was a long-term, for lack of any other term, long-running gun battle with this individual. This is not what is traditionally a police-involved shooting. This was a long-term, large gunfight."

Both of the weapons allegedly used by Craddock were legally purchased in 2016 and 2018, authorities said. Two other guns were recovered from Craddock's apartment.

As officials add details about how the shooting unfolded, and the community begins to memorialize the victims, few details about Craddock have emerged.

Virginia Beach city manager Dave Hansen said that Craddock was an active employee, but declined to say if he had recently been disciplined or was the subject of complaints to human resources.

"He had a security pass like all employees have and he was authorized to enter that building," Hansen said.

Court records show that Craddock had no criminal history except for a traffic violation in 2013 in Virginia Beach.

He enlisted in the Virginia National Guard in April 1996 and served for 17 years, Cotton Puryear, a spokesman for the Virginia National Guard told ABC News. Craddock had been assigned to the 1st Battalion, 111th Field Artillery Regiment as a cannon crew member, but his records indicate he was never deployed overseas.

In 2002, he graduated from Old Dominion University with a degree in civil engineering, a university spokesman said. On Friday night, the university held a vigil in honor of the victims.

Eleven of the five women and seven men shot to death at the Municipal Center were city employees, authorities said, and four of the victims wounded in the rampage remained hospitalized on Saturday.

The victims were identified as Richard Nettleton, a public utilities engineer for 24 years, Laquita C. Brown of Chesapeake, a public works right-of-way agent for 4 1/2 years; Tara Welch Gallagher of Virginia Beach, a 6-year public works engineer; Mary Louise Gayle of Virginia Beach, a public works engineer for 24 years and a right-of-way agent; Alexander Mikhail Gusev of Virginia Beach, a public works right-of-way employee for 9 years.

Also killed were Katherine A. Nixon of Virginia Beach, a public utilities engineer for 10 years; Christopher Kelly Rapp, a public works employee for 11 years; Ryan Keith Cox of Virginia Beach, a public utilities worker for 12 1/2 year; Joshua O. Hardy of Virginia Beach, a 4 1/2-year public utilities engineer technician; Michelle "Missy" Langer of Virginia Beach, a public works administrative assistant for 12 years; and Robert "Bobby" Williams of Chesapeake, a public utilities special projects coordinator for 41 years

Contractor Herbert "Bert" Snelling of Virginia Beach, who was in the Municipal Center to file a permit, was also killed.

Copyright  2019, ABC Radio. All rights reservedThe school at 401 E. Healey St. was constructed in 1905 and operated as a public school until 1964.Reporter/Columnist

Julie Wurth is a reporter covering the University of Illinois at The News-Gazette. Her email is jwurth@news-gazette.com, and you can follow her on Twitter (@jawurth).Funeral homes often submit obituaries as a service to the families they are assisting. However, we will be happy to accept obituaries from family members pending proper verification of the death.

SubmitOne of Editor & Publishers 10 That Do It Right 2021They should at least have the humanity, the decency to come and bid him farewell, but I suppose its expecting too much from a regime that appears to be clueless on the most basic of things that are happening in this country but it is not going to take away anything from Dabengwa in respect to his contribution to this country.Dr Machiveyi has had this eye problem for a while. She urgently needs R100 000 for a corneal transplant in South Africa. She has served at Mpilo Central Hospital for years and many members of the public who have been to the hospital may be familiar with her. As the medical fraternity we are appealing for assistance so that she can be healed and continue the work that she loves, said Dr Bhebhe.



A 45-year-old trucker has been fined RTGS$3 000 after he was arrested last week at Beitbridge Border Post while trying to smuggle 5 000 roofing sheets, two wardrobes and 18 salon chairs worth R447 700 from South Africa.





Mudyiwa Nihape of Sunningdale 2, Harare, who was represented by Mr Patrick Tererai of Tererai Legal Practice was convicted for contravening a section of the Customs and Excise Act by Mr Godswill Mavenge.





He was fined RTGS$3 000 and in default of payment six months imprisonment. Mr Mavenge also ordered that the smuggled goods be forfeited to the State as part of the sentence.





Prosecuting, Mr Misheck Guwanda said on May 22, Nihape arrived at Beitbridge Border Post, en route to Harare driving a South African registered truck.





The truck was loaded with roofing material, salon chairs and two wardrobes.





Mr Guwanda said while at the border working with a customs clearing company, the man attempted to smuggle the said goods using a fraudulently acquired customs bill of entry.





According to the bill of entry the goods were being imported by Masarawa trading as Super Builders and was being cleared by Aminaj Shipping P/L.





The court further heard that Nihape was arrested when he was about to leave the border.





state. The prosecutor said Nihapes truck was taken for physical examination to establish the actual value and potential prejudice to thestate.



First half goals from Evans Rusike and Khama Billiat saw Sunday Chidzambwas men make it to the semifinals of the tournament. The Warriors will be in action in the semifinals at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on Wednesday where their opponents will be whoever wins between Zambia and Malawi who are in action today.Let us know what you're seeing and hearing around the community.

Submit hereYakutat Glacier is a shrinking glacier that calves into a deep lake of its own making. As it dies, Yakutat Glacier will increase the number of glaciers in Alaska.We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on!

Go to formBEIJING, June 1 (Xinhua) -- An article by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, on the rural vitalization strategy was published Saturday in the 11th issue of the Qiushi Journal this year.

The article by Xi, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, underscored the central place on the work agenda of the Party of addressing the issues of agriculture, rural areas and rural people.

Without the modernization of agriculture and rural areas, there will be no modernization of the country, the article said. "In the process of modernization, how to properly handle the relations between industry and agriculture, urban and rural areas, to a certain extent, determines the success or failure of modernization."

The article pointed out that the modernization of agriculture and rural areas was the overall goal of the rural vitalization strategy.

The article urged Party committees and Party organizations at all levels to strengthen leadership, and provide a strong political underpinning for the implementation of the rural vitalization strategy.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.Fifty-three-year-old Kenji Yamase doesnat fit the traditional image of a hikikomori, but then perceptions of Japanas social recluses are changing.

aPeople think of hikikomori as being lazy young people with personality problems who stay in their rooms all the time playing video games,a says Yamase, who lives with his 87-year-old mother and has been a recluse on and off for the past 30 years.

aBut the reality is that most hikikomori are people who canat get back into society after straying off the path at some point,a he says. aThey have been forced into withdrawal. It isnat that theyare shutting themselves away a itas more like theyare being forced to shut themselves away.a

A hikikomori is defined by the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry as someone who has remained isolated at home for at least six consecutive months without going to school or work, and rarely interacts with people from outside their own immediate family.

The term was coined by psychiatrist Tamaki Saito in the late 1990s to describe young people who had withdrawn from society, and a series of violent incidents involving social recluses soon after helped shape the publicas image of them as dangerous sociopaths.

In January 2000, a loner in Niigata Prefecture was arrested after it was discovered that he had kidnapped a 9-year-old girl and kept her hostage in his room for more than nine years.

Four months later, a 17-year-old from Saga Prefecture hijacked a bus, killing one passenger with a kitchen knife and injuring another two.

In recent years, however, a different picture has emerged.

In December 2018, the Cabinet Office undertook a first-ever survey of people aged between 40 and 64, and the results, published in March, revealed that around 613,000 people of that age group in Japan are believed to be hikikomori. That surpasses the estimated 541,000 people aged between 15 and 39 that a 2015 Cabinet Office survey found to be hikikomori.

The latest survey showed that 76.6 percent of recluses between the ages of 40 and 64 are men.

A total of 46.7 percent of the hikikomori surveyed said they had lived that way for at least seven years, and 34.1 percent of cases said they relied on their parents for financial support.

Welfare Minister Takumi Nemoto described middle-aged hikikomori as aa new phenomenon,a but experts argue that the survey results are merely bringing to light something that has been present for some time.The defense ministers of Japan, the United States and South Korea have held talks in Singapore. They are believed to have reaffirmed their countries' close cooperation on the denuclearization of North Korea.

Japan's Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya met US Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan and South Korea's Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo for about one and a half hours on the sidelines of an Asian security meeting on Sunday.

At the onset of the three-way talks, Iwaya told his counterparts that North Korea has yet to take concrete steps to give up its nuclear and missile programs.

He said that Japan considers the North's firing of short-range ballistic missiles last month a clear violation of UN Security Council resolutions.

Details of the talks are unknown. But the defense authorities of the three countries are thought to have confirmed that they will work closely together and support diplomatic efforts to achieve the complete denuclearization of North Korea and peace on the Korean Peninsula.

The defense ministers of Japan and South Korea had unofficial talks the day before, amid strained relations between the two countries' defense authorities.

Attention is also focused on whether Sunday's meeting will lead to improved ties between the two sides.FedEx Express plane (Photo/Chinanews.com)

China announced Saturday its investigation into FedExs wrongful delivery of packages, which has allegedly undermined the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese clients and violated laws and regulations governing the express industry in China.

FedEx is a world-renowned delivery service giant with the tagline of The World on Time. However, the company recently diverted two packages sent by Huawei to the United States and detained a further two packages. The ongoing investigation will tell whether they were misrouted accidentally or intercepted. No one is beyond the rule of law in China. Launching an investigation is not only Chinas responsibility and obligation to protect the legitimate rights and interests of its citizens and enterprises but shows a responsible attitude towards foreign companies operating in China.

The Postal Law of China protects the freedom of correspondence. No postal enterprise shall without permission open, conceal or transfer postal packages. As a courier company that has operated in China for decades, FedEx is supposed to abide by local laws and regulations. FedEx failed to deliver express packages to designated addresses on multiple occasions, severely damaging clients legitimate rights and interests. Its behavior not only brought disgrace onto itself, but also violated Chinas laws and regulations. FedEx has the obligation to cooperate with the Chinese investigation.

With increasing international exchanges, infringements of users legitimate rights and interests occur in every country. According to international law, it is the responsibility of a sovereign state to protect the legitimate rights and interests of its citizens and enterprises. China and the United States are both members of the Universal Postal Union, so the international agreements and standards governing international postal parcels are equally binding in both countries. FedEx diverted the packages to the US without authorization before returning them to the sender, violating not only Chinese laws, but also relevant international treaties. Based on Huaweis accusation, the Chinese government has launched an investigation into FedEx, which is not only in line with Chinese laws, but also in full compliance with international rules.

The rule of law serves as a guiding principle of China. Any illegal act committed in China will be subject to penalties according to Chinese law with no exception. We believe that FedEx, as a multinational company with a global reputation for high-quality delivery services, will fully cooperate with the investigation and provide relevant evidence.

China has repeatedly promised to open wider and to work with other countries towards the same goals. This does not mean that China has no principles. All people are equal under the rule of law. From drafting an unreliable entity list of foreign companies to investigating FedEx for wrongful delivery of packages, China is showing its resolute position  any foreign enterprise, organization or individual that fails to abide by Chinese laws and regulations will be punished in accordance with the law. FedEx, no one can help you if you break the law.An exhibitor introduces a surgical robot during the 2019 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) in Beijing, capital of China, May 31, 2019. (Xinhua/Ren Chao)

BEIJING, June 1 (Xinhua) -- A trade fair in Beijing has shown that China is making a steady steering on growth in knowledge and technology-intensive services.

The five-day 2019 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) drew the curtain on Saturday in Beijing, with intended contracts worth 105 billion U.S. dollars signed.

The contracts, involving financial services, communication services, information technology services, cultural services and legal services, signal China's upbeat momentum in the growth of the non-manufacturing sector.

Over the week, the world's largest services trade fair hosted some 240 forums and business talks, which occupied nearly all major conference venues in the Chinese capital.

Yan Ligang, the fair's spokesperson, said 11 venues saw more than 400,000 visits by participants from 137 countries and regions and 21 international organizations.

He said in total, 306 domestic projects worth 87.512 billion dollars were signed at the fair. There were also 134 overseas projects with a total value of 17.55 billion dollars.

As the non-manufacturing sector sustains an ever-expanding growth, the Chinese government, from this year, upgraded the biennial fair formerly held by the municipal government of Beijing since 2012 to a national fair for trade in services, which will be held annually ever since.

TIDING OVER ODDS

Many foreign visitors described CIFTIS as crucial for addressing the challenges facing the world economy.

"As national barriers to trade in services are mounting in numbers, CIFTIS gathers us together to discuss this issue in a timely manner and jointly explore the path to promote trade in service and create a favorable trading environment," said Ludger Schuknecht, deputy secretary-general of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, in his speech delivered at the fair.

"At these difficult times in global trade, keeping the door open is a contribution that China can do to boost confidence in international trade and stabilize global demand," said Dorothy Tembo, deputy executive director of the International Trade Center (ITC), at CIFTIS.

She said as a joint agency of the United Nations and the World Trade Organization, ITC is dedicated to supporting SMEs around the world. It supported 100 companies from developing countries to attend the first China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai last year. These companies initiated deals worth over 116 million U.S. dollars after the event.

At a forum discussion at CIFTIS, Tembo said a WTO study finds that by lowering costs and increasing productivity, digital technologies could provide an additional boost to trade by up to 34 percent by 2030. China is by all means a global champion in retail e-commerce.

FUTURE HAS COME

At an e-commerce themed exhibition area of CIFTIS, visitors were welcomed at the doorway by an exhibition of a smart home with intelligent furnishing presented by Gome Intelligent Technology Co. Ltd., the tech arm of Chinese home appliance retailer GOME.

From door locks and lighting to home appliances, everything is voice-controlled and connected to the Internet for remote control via a mobile app.

Nearby, the booth held by China's online retail firm of JD exhibited the fully automated "whole in- and ex-warehouse process" of small and medium-sized packages.

Even pictures on walls at the fair give a touch of new tech. Beside photos illustrated as China's poverty-stricken areas, visitors paused to scan QR codes underneath to find not only details but also local specialties that could be immediately ordered online, such as tea and pear syrup, as the e-commerce sales of farm produce is a part of China's poverty relief efforts.

The fair's organizer held an auction of the agricultural goods and futures orders of the goods, which garnered 1.4 billion yuan (202.8 million U.S. dollars) of fund for assisting the growers' poverty relief endeavors.

Worawit Techasupakura, a tourist official from Thailand, said a cohort of enterprises from Thailand's competitive industries including food, medical services and environmental protection participated in this session of CIFTIS.

He said 10.5 million trips were made by Chinese tourists to Thailand in 2018, up 7.4 percent from 2017 and bringing in 18 billion U.S. dollars of tourist income.

STRATEGIC TRANSITION

China has worked to steer away from the old growth driver of export-oriented manufacturing to power the new engine of trade in services.

The Ministry of Commerce released at the opening of CIFTIS on Tuesday that China's service trade rose 2.6 percent to 1.29 trillion yuan (about 191 billion U.S. dollars) in the first quarter of 2019, after making a robust growth of 11.5 percent to 5.24 trillion yuan in 2018, a historic high and ranking second in the world for five consecutive years. The share of service trade in the country's total foreign trade has reached 15.6 percent.

In 2018, China's service export in transport, insurance, intellectual property royalties and other business service sectors all posted double-digit growth, with the export of computer and information soaring 69.5 percent year on year.

China has taken a slew of measures to open up the service sector and push forward services trade with overseas partners. Its service trade with countries and regions along the Belt and Road (B&R) reached over 120 billion U.S. dollars last year, according to the ministry.

Beijing is China's pilot city for the expansion and opening-up of the service trade industry. In 2017, it saw the launch of China's first foreign-controlled joint venture in aircraft maintenance, set up by Air France Industries KLM Engineering and Maintenance and Beijing General Aviation Co. Ltd.

In 2018, the added value of Beijing's service trade accounted for 81 percent of the city's GDP.

In March, the Bank of Beijing announced plans to join hands with global finance company ING Bank N.V. to invest 3 billion yuan in setting up a banking joint venture, in which ING Bank holds a 51 percent stake.

Speaking at CIFTIS, Norman Sze, Deloitte China Government Affairs lead partner and Northern Region managing partner, said China's development of trade in services would bring huge opportunities to the world. Deloitte hopes to share its specialty with Chinese firms in the sector.The dairy industry's revenues grew at 12.7 percent a year on average in 2010-18, and the momentum is expected to continue thanks to an increase in milk consumption in the country, according to the Vietnam Dairy Association.

According to the associations report at a conference on the dairy industry held on the sidelines of the on-going Vietnam International Milk and Dairy Products Exhibition, per capita milk consumption went up from 15 litres per person in 2010 to 27 litres last year.

The associations chairman Tran Quang Trung said in anticipation of free trade agreements, local dairy firms have in the past five years invested boldly in their dairy farms and cattle and imported advanced technology for their plants.

According to Trung, local firms can now manage their entire chain from raw materials to the final products by using advanced technology.

He said the industry is seeing the appearance of many new milk processing plants equipped with advanced technologies that can compete with the global milk industry.

They have also invested in producing organic and seed milk and speciality products for different groups of consumers, hoping to capitalize on market demand, Trung said.

He said thanks to improving quality, Vietnam exported milk and dairy products worth 250-300 million USD a year to 43 countries and territories, including the US, France, Canada, Poland, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. Procedures have also been completed to export to China starting this year, he said.

There had also been a decrease in milk and dairy imports in recent years due to the increase in domestic production.

But the association admitted since domestic production only met 40 percent of demand, the imports would continue.

At another seminar also held on the sidelines of the exhibition, Nguyen Thuy Duong from the Ministry of Industry and Trade said free trade agreements had opened up opportunities for dairy firms to enhance their market share both at home and abroad.

But they would continue to face challenges and this required them to diversify their products, develop new ones, including special nutritional products, and improve quality and packaging, she said.

The Vietnam International Milk and Dairy Products Exhibition will open until June 2.-VNAEgyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi has stressed the importance of having balanced religious discourse in confronting extremism and radical ideology.

El-Sisi has repeatedly blamed outdated religious discourse for holding Egypt back, often calling on Islamic clerics to reform their religious speech to confront extremist ideology.

There is no doubt that enlightened religious discourse is one of the most important elements in confronting destructive extremist ideology, El-Sisi said in a speech during a religious ceremony on Sunday.

He called for making more effort to spread the correct understanding of religion and the homeland to achieve a better future for Egyptians.

Egypt has been battling a deadly Islamist militancy that spiked following the 2013 ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi.

El-Sisi has made fighting terrorism and restoring stability a top priority. Egypt's army launched in February 2018 an extensive security campaign focused on the border Sinai region to crush militants who have been launching a series of deadly attacks mainly targeting police and army troops over the past few years.

El-Sisi said the primary goal is to maintain the essence of religion and raise young people's awareness about the dangers of radical ideology on one hand and the magnitude of challenges and risks on the other.

The president hailed scholars of Al-Azhar, Egypts top seat of Sunni Islamic learning, for their efforts in correcting religious misconceptions, addressing intellectual extremism, and spreading the correct ideals in the face of an upsurge in radicalism and extremism.

Search Keywords:

Short link:

The interior ministry said it has deployed security points and rapid deployment forces in every major axis and important and vital areas

Egypts interior ministry said it has started upping security measures nationwide to protect and secure citizens ahead of Islamic Eid Al-Fitr celebrations, and the country hosted Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

According to an official statement Sunday, the interior ministry said it has deployed security points and rapid deployment forces in every major axis and important and vital areas.

The ministry said the deployment elements are trained in immediate response to deal firmly and decisively with whoever aims to disturb security and peace.

The announcement comes as Egypt preps to celebrate Eid Al-Fitr this week, on either Tuesday or Wednesday, depending on an observation of the new moon of the lunar month of Shawwal on Monday.

Eid Al-Fitr is a three-day religious holiday celebrated by Muslims worldwide to mark the end of the fasting month of Ramadan.

Egypt will also be hosting Africas favorite AFCON between 21 June and 19 July.

It has already hosted four editions of the cup: in 1959, 1974, 1986 and 2006.

The Pharaohs have won the prestigious competition seven times.



Search Keywords:

Short link:

Qatar's foreign minister said on Sunday that Doha rejected the outcome of the recent Mecca talks on mounting regional tensions with Iran as it had not been properly consulted.

Saudi Arabia hosted three summits in the holy city over the weekend critical of Iran after King Salman warned that "terrorist" attacks in the Gulf region could imperil global energy supplies.

"The statements of the Gulf and Arab summits were ready in advance and we were not consulted on them," Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani told the Al-Araby broadcaster.

"Qatar has reservations on the Arab and Gulf summits because some of their terms are contrary to Doha's foreign policy."

Tehran has strongly denied involvement in recent attacks on oil infrastructure and regional shipping -- incidents that prompted Riyadh to convene the three crisis summits.

In a tweet just before the start of the summit, the king vowed to confront "aggressive threats and subversive activities".

Qatar is the subject of a two-year Saudi-led economic embargo including bans on direct air, land and sea travel between the boycotting nations and Qatar, as well sanctions.

The alliance, which also includes Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, accuses Qatar of supporting Islamist movements and Iran -- claims it denies.

But Doha has looked to Tehran to ease its economic isolation, sourcing key imports from Iran and re-routing many flights by its flag carrier Qatar Airways over the Islamic republic.

"We hoped the Mecca summits would lay the groundwork for dialogue to reduce tensions with Iran," the foreign minister added in comments reposted on Twitter by his ministry.

"The Mecca summit ignored the important issues in the region, such as the Palestine issue and the war in Libya and Yemen."

Search Keywords:

Short link:

The latest viral fashion moment is brought to us by up-and-coming Norweigian designer Fredrik Tjaerandsen. The designer's innovative collection made its debut at the annual BA Fashion Show at Central Saint Martins  the same college attended by the likes of Alexander McQueen and Riccardo Tisci  and mesmerized not only the audience but the collective Internet. Giant balloons turning into haute couture isn't exactly something you see everyday.

Tjaerandsen's models' bodies were engulfed in these giant, colorful balloons. And as they hit the runway, they would deflate them from the inside. So, no, there were no unpleasantly loud popping noises. Once completely deflated, the structure would come down and fall beautifully into interesting silhouettes.

"My collection is inspired by an almost indefinable moment when a human's self-awareness becomes active and sentiment," the designer 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," Tjaeradsen 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."

Tjaeradsen was able to garner the L'Oreal Professional Young Talent Award for his work, as well as recognition from the fashion industry and celebrities like Demi Moore and Billy Porter. "Thank you so very much for all of your kind and heart-warming response to my collection shown yesterday," the designer wrote in an 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."

Tjaeradsen has definitely made himself memorable, and we honestly can't wait to see what he'll come up with next.Former universities minister, Sam Gyimah, has announced he is joining the Conservative leadership race.

The Tory MP is the 13th person to throw their hat into the ring to be the future leader of the party and is the first to back a referendum on any Brexit deal.



Gyimah, who is of Ghanaian descent, previously resigned as the universities minister over Brexit.



Mr Gyimah told Sky's Sophy Ridge On Sunday: 'I will be joining the contest to be the next Conservative leader and prime minister to broaden the race.



'There is a wide range of candidates out there but there is a very narrow set of views on Brexit being discussed.



'And over the last few weeks I have watched on discussing with colleagues in frustration that while there's a broad sweep of opinion in the country on how we move forward at this critical time that is not being reflected in the contest at the moment.'



Mr Gyimah added that 'carrying on as we are at the moment is not the best way to serve our country.'



He has argued for a 3 option referendum, which would have no deal, remain and the deal negotiated by Theresa May.



Mr Gyimah, the MP for East Surrey, quit the Government at the end of last year over Mrs May's Brexit plan, and has since become a vocal advocate for a second referendum.



'What most of the candidates are offering is to offer no-deal and a fudge on Theresa May's deal which has been heavily defeated.



'Parliament is deadlocked, we all know that, we want to move forward, and we want to be able to bring the country together and so that is why I think a final say on the Brexit deal is the way to achieve that and for the Conservative Party I think what we need to be doing is putting the country first.'



He insisted he was not positioning himself for a cabinet post and said he would find it 'very difficult' to serve as a minister under a leader pursuing a no-deal Brexit.

Source: dailymail









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 expressed the appreciation of the Ghanaian people to Norway for the considerable support they have offered Ghana through various interventions.



He said, Norways Oil for Development Programme, which has been running successfully for more than a decade, has enhanced Ghana's capacity to manage her petroleum resources.



The President made this known when the visiting Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg paid a courtesy call on him at the Jubilee House, as part of her two-day official visit to Ghana.



He was delighted with Norways new partner country initiative, which is aimed at ensuring that partner countries become independent of aid in the long term, saying, "This `fits in perfectly with Governments vision of a Ghana Beyond Aid.



President Akufo-Addo said Ghana and Norway had enjoyed fruitful relations over many years, and the visit by Prime Minister Solberg, the first by a leader of that country, was aimed at reinforcing the strong ties of friendship and co-operation that already exist between both nations.



He noted that Ghana and Norway shared similar positions on many issues, especially the mutual attachment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, to the Paris Climate Accord, to the strengthening of the multilateral system of international co-operation, and to the need to employ peaceful means to resolve disputes.



The President reassured the Norwegian leader of Ghana's commitment to the find lasting solutions to the great issues of the day.



I wish to reassure you that the Republic of Ghana will continue to collaborate with the Kingdom of Norway, at the bilateral and multilateral levels, in finding solutions to challenges such as the eradication of widespread poverty, elimination of irregular migration, insecurity and human rights violations, terrorism and violent extremism, human and drug trafficking, piracy, as well as climate change and its attendant impact on the environment and livelihoods, he added



President Akufo-Addo further expressed satisfaction about the Fish for Development initiative signed by the two countries, and looked forward to its implementation because "it will have a positive impact on the management of our marine resources for the creation of wealth and jobs, particularly in fishing communities, in line with the realisation of SDG Number. 14."



We are also grateful for the assistance offered to the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre, and the Ghana Nautical College, amongst others, he added.



Encouraged that more Norwegian companies were looking to invest in Ghana, the President said his government would ensure that the climate for doing business in Ghana remained very conducive for investors



He said the presence of Norwegian Oil and gas giant, Aker Energy, in Ghana was a show of the confidence the international business and investment community had in the Ghanaian economy, adding that he was pleased with the commitment of Aker "to work with us to engineer and inspire the industrial development of our country, and help us achieve the structural transformation of our economy.



I wish to assure the more than fifty Norwegian companies operating in our country that my government will continue to try and maintain a conducive investment atmosphere that would not only guarantee the safety of their investments, but also good returns on investments as well, he said.

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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 favourite 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."

"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 Leadson, 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.

Jermey 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 favoured 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."

Search Keywords:

Short link:

Members of the Canadian Armed Forces help evacuate people of Pikangikum First Nation in Northern Ontario, as part of operation LENTUS on Thursday, May 30, 2019. Evacuations continue in Pikangikum First Nation as a wildfire threatens the northern Ontario community. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-DND- LS Dan Bard 8 wing Imaging Trenton *MANDATORY CREDIT*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iStock(MUNSIYARI, Inda) -- Eight mountain climbers from the same expedition group, including two Americans, have gone missing in the Indian Himalayan Mountains, triggering a desperate search-and-rescue effort.



The group, led by notable British climber Martin Moran, left Munsiyari, India, on May 13 to set out for the Nanda Devi base camp, according to Govind Prasad, from the Pithoragarh, India, Disaster Management Office.



The group was reported missing on May 31, according to Prasad.



At 25,643 feet, Nanda Devi is the 23rd-highest mountain in the world and the second-highest in India.



The eight climbers who are missing are: Moran, John McLaren, Rupert Whewell and Richard Payne, all from the United Kingdom; Ruth McCance, from Australia; Chetan Pandey, an Indian from the Indian Mountaineering Foundation; and Anthony Sudekum and Ronald Beimel, both from the U.S.



"The British Association of Mountain Guides (BMG) have been made aware of an incident on or near Nanda Devi East where BMG member, IFMGA Mountain Guide, Martin Moran was leading six clients and an Indian national," British Mountain Guides, a group that trains and assesses guides, said in a statement. "The BMG is assisting where possible and is in contact with the Indian authorities."



Fellow British climber Nigel Vardy, who was once stranded on Mount McKinley, the U.S.'s highest peak, and had his toes, fingers and nose amputated due to frostbite, is a friend of Moran. He called him "one of the best guides in the U.K." and "incredibly skilled" in an interview Sunday with ABC News.



"I believe this is the third time Martins led an expedition to Nanda Devi and I believe this was an unclimbed peak on the mountain," Vardy said. "Nobody has actually ever set foot on the summit of that peak."



Moran founded the climbing group, Moran Mountain, which said in a statement on Facebook, "We are working with the authorities and the British Association of Mountain Guides to gather information regarding the Nanda Devi East expedition team. Out of respect for those involved and their families, we will be making no further comments at this time. The BMG will release a further statement as and when more information is available."



The U.S. Department of State could not confirm the men were missing, but said it was aware of the reports.



"We are aware of reports of two U.S. citizens missing in India," a State Department official told ABC News. "The U.S. Department of State and our embassies and consulates abroad have no greater responsibility than the protection of U.S. citizens overseas. We stand ready to provide appropriate assistance to U.S. citizens in need and to their families. We are monitoring the situation but have no further comment at this time."



A rescue team was sent to the Nanda Devi base camp, including personnel from the State Disaster Relief Fund, Indo Tibetan Border police force and a team of doctors, according to Prasad. A helicopter was sent as well, but has been unable to land so far because of adverse weather conditions.



"Martins a great planner, so I know hes been planning this expedition for a long time," Vardy said. "Weather conditions change and often very quickly, and Martin would have known that."



The dangers of climbing have received greater scrutiny in recent weeks due to the deaths of almost a dozen people climbing Mount Everest, which is also located in the Himalayas.



"Having been reported missing in the mountains myself before, and I was fortunate to come out in one piece. I just pray that Martin and the team are in a similar position, Vardy said.



Copyright  2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.The leader of France's centre-right opposition Les Republicains political party Laurent Wauquiez said on Sunday he will quit as the party's president after it recorded its lowest score ever in last week's European parliament elections.

The former ruling party until 2012, scored 8.48% in the election, coming in fourth behind the far-right National Rally, the ruling LREM and the Greens.

"Victories are collective, defeats are solitary. That is the way it is. I have to take my responsibilities," Wauquiez said on TF1 television.

"My decision tonight is a thoughtful decision, I have decided to take a step back, I'm stepping down as President of Les Republicains," he said.

Search Keywords:

Short link:

Israels Delek Drilling hopes to begin commercial sales of natural gas to Egypt by the end of the month, a senior company executive said on Sunday.

Delek Drilling and its partner Noble Energy signed a landmark deal early last year to export $15 billion in natural gas from Israeli offshore fields Tamar and Leviathan to a customer in Egypt.

Israeli officials called it the most significant deal to emerge since the Egypt and Israel made peace in 1979.

The partners then bought into the subsea EMG pipeline between Ashkelon in Israel and El-Arish in Egypt to transport the gas supplies.

We are continuing the technical testing of the pipeline as planned, and hope we will be able to deliver natural gas commercially to Egypt by the end of June, Yossi Gvura, Delek Drillings deputy CEO, told Reuters.

The Tamar field began producing gas in 2013 and Leviathan is expected to come online by the end of 2019.

Israeli financial newspaper Calcalist reported on Sunday that the Tamar partners had begun final preparations on the 90-km (56 mile) pipeline, sending through initial amounts of gas with a probe known as a pig. Delek, which is a subsidiary of Israeli energy conglomerate Delek Group, declined to comment on the report.

Search Keywords:

Short link:

A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind.Those of you who read what I write know what I have written about the political conundrum in Malaysia these last many months. You know I have written not...

4 months agoSelbyville, DE -- (SBWIRE) -- 06/02/2019 -- Global Power Transformer Remote Monitoring and Diagnostic Market: Analysis By Type (Hardware solutions, Software Solutions), By Service (Oil and Gas Monitoring, Bushing Monitoring, Others), By Region, By Country (2019 Edition): Opportunities and Forecast (2014-2024) - By Region (Americas, Europe, APAC, MEA), By Country (US, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Rest of Americas, Germany, France, Italy, UK, Rest of Europe, China, Japan, India, Rest of APAC, MEA) , Global market by value is projected to display growth represented by a CAGR of over 8.83% during 2019 - 2024, primarily driven by growing urbanization and major initiatives taken by the governments in developing countries for the development of power sector. Leading transformer manufacturing companies are developing more reliable and long-lasting solution services which are more relying on the latest technology. The demand is growing from major developing countries for the installation of power plants under power projects.



Request a sample of this premium report at: https://www.marketstudyreport.com/request-a-sample/1982574/?utm_source=releasewire-SP



A comprehensive research report created through extensive primary research (inputs from industry experts, companies, stakeholders) and secondary research, the report aims to present the analysis of Global Power transformer remote monitoring and diagnostic market. The Global Power Transformer Remote Monitoring & Diagnostic Market has been analysed By Type (Hardware Solutions, Software Solutions), By Service (Oil & Gas Monitoring, Bushing Monitoring, Others), By Region (Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East Africa) and By Country (United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Rest of Americas, Germany, France, Italy, United Kingdom, Rest of Europe, China, Japan, India, Rest of APAC, Middle East, Africa) for the historical period of 3014-2018 and the forecast period of 2019-2024.



Global Power transformer remote monitoring and diagnostic market is expected to grow owing to the increase in the power supply demand, government regulations and initiatives targeting the monitoring and control of the transmission networks. Power generation capacity is rising globally to meet the increasing demand of growing population and emerging industrialization in various parts of the world. This rapid growth in power sector has led to large number of installations of power plants which is propelling the market.



Company Analysis - Siemens AG, Qualitrol Corp, Camlin Power Inc, BPL Global LLC, ABB, Wilson Transformer Company, SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC, Honeywell International, Advanced Power Technologies, Eaton Corporation.



Request a discount on standard prices of this premium report at: https://www.marketstudyreport.com/check-for-discount/1982574/?utm_source=releasewire-SP



Scope of the Report

Global Power Transformer Remote Monitoring and Diagnostic market (Actual Period: 2018, Forecast Period: 2019-2024)

Global Power Transformer Remote Monitoring and Diagnostic Market (Value) Size, Growth, Forecast

By Type Hardware Solution, Software Solution

By Services Oil and Gas Monitoring, Bushing Monitoring, others



Regional Analysis - Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa (Actual Period: 2018, Forecast Period: 2019-2024)

Power Transformer Remote Monitoring and Diagnostic Market (Value) Size, Growth, Forecast

By Type - Hardware Solution, Software Solution

By Services Oil and Gas Monitoring, Bushing Monitoring, others



Country Analysis - United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Germany, France, Italy, United Kingdom, Rest of Europe, China, Japan, India (Actual Period: 2018, Forecast Period: 2019-2024)

Power Transformer Remote Monitoring and Diagnostic Market (Value) Size, Growth, Forecast

By Type - Hardware Solution, Software Solution

By Services Oil and Gas Monitoring, Bushing Monitoring, others



Other Report Highlights



Market Dynamics Drivers and Restraints

Market Trends

Porter Five Force Analysis

Competitive Landscape

Company Analysis



Table of Contents:



1. Research Methodology



2. Executive Summary



3. Strategic Recommendations



4. Product Overview



5. Market Dynamics

5.1 Market Drivers

5.2 Market Trends

5.3 Market Challenges



6. Competitive Landscape

6.1 Porter s Five Force Analysis

6.2 SWOT Analysis

6.3 Market share of Leading Power Transformer Remote Monitoring & Diagnostic Companies



7. Global Power Transformer Remote Monitoring & Diagnostic Market



7.1 Global Power Transformer Remote Monitoring & Diagnostic Market, By Value (2014-2018)

7.2 Global Power Transformer Remote Monitoring & Diagnostic Market, By Value (2019-2024)

7.3 Global Power Transformer Remote Monitoring & Diagnostic Market Overview

7.4 Global Power Transformer Remote Monitoring & Diagnostic Market- By Type, (2014-2024)

7.4.1 Power Transformer Remote Monitoring & Diagnostic Market- By Type Market Share (Year 2018 & 2024)

7.4.2 Market Opportunity of Global Power Transformer Remote Monitoring & Diagnostic Market- By Type



7.5 Global Power Transformer Remote Monitoring & Diagnostic Market- By Service, (2014-2024)

7.5.1 Power Transformer Remote Monitoring & Diagnostic Market- By Service Market Share (Year 2018 & 2024)

7.5.2 Market Opportunity of Global Power Transformer Remote Monitoring & Diagnostic Market- By Service



7.6 Global Power Transformer Remote Monitoring & Diagnostic Market

7.6.1 Global Power Transformer Remote Monitoring & Diagnostic Market: By Regional Market Share (%) (Year 2018 & 2024)



8. Americas Power Transformer Remote Monitoring & Diagnostic Market: An Analysis



Price of Report: $2400 (Single User License) Purchase Complete Report at: https://www.marketstudyreport.com/securecheckout/paymenta/1982574?msfpaycode=sumsf/?utm_source=releasewire-SP



Related Reports:



Global (United States, European Union and China) Distributed Solar PV Market Research Report 2019-2025



This report studies the global market size of Distributed Solar PV, 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 Distributed Solar PV production, revenue, market share and growth rate for each key company, and also covers the breakdown data (production, consumption, revenue and market share) by regions, type and applications. history breakdown data from 2014 to 2019, and forecast to 2025.

For top companies in United States, European Union and China, this report investigates and analyzes the production, value, price, market share and growth rate for the top manufacturers, key data from 2014 to 2019.



Read More: https://www.marketstudyreport.com/reports/global-united-states-european-union-and-china-distributed-solar-pv-market-research-report-2019-2025?utm_source=releasewire-SP



About Market Study Report

Marketstudyreport.com allows you to manage and control all corporate research purchases to consolidate billing and vendor management. You can eliminate duplicate purchases and customize your content and license management.



Contact Us:

Market Study Report LLC

4 North Main Street,

Selbyville, Delaware 19975

USA

Phone: 1-302-273-0910

US Toll Free: 1-866-764-2150

Email: sales@marketstudyreport.com

Website: https://www.marketstudyreport.com

Blog: https://www.marketstudyreport.com/blogSelbyville, DE -- (SBWIRE) -- 06/02/2019 -- The integrated WLAN controller market is expected to grow at a CAGR of over 9% over the forecast timeline. The demand for integrated WLAN controllers will surge as the manufacturers are integrating controller capabilities into the network devices such as switches and routers, enabling enterprises to use a single device for management and control of the entire network. Integration of security functionalities such as intrusion prevention and encryption into network devices will also provide security for business-critical wireless LANs.



Request a sample of this premium report at: https://www.marketstudyreport.com/request-a-sample/2057049/?utm_source=releasewire-SP



Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) Controller market is projected to surpass USD 3 billion by 2025. Factors such as evolving enterprise requirements to manage their widespread and complex LAN infrastructure in a cost-effective manner and growing usage of cloud-based WLAN controllers to enable easy management of network devices will lead to the WLAN controller market growth. Increasing Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) demands is putting strain on the enterprises to secure and manage their networks. This fuels the need for WLAN controllers with advanced security features such as web filtering, antivirus security protection to secure their Wi-Fi networks.



Organizations of all sizes are rapidly shifting towards cloud-managed WLANs to have a centralized control over the networking elements such as firewalls, routers, switches, gateways and other devices, seeking centralized policy controls. By using cloud-WLANs, they can easily manage their entire WLAN infrastructure and can scale their networks to accommodate new devices as per their needs. For instance, Aruba?s Cloud Wi-Fi solution helps distributed organizations to get up to 10times faster Wi-Fi connections than other cloud W-Fi solutions. With the growing affinity towards cloud-based applications, the demand for cloud-manged access points will also rise over the forecast timeline.



Europe WLAN controller market is expected to grow at a CAGR of over 5% from 2019 to 2025 due to increasing usage of wired and wireless devices backed up by internet penetration and growing adoption of cloud-based solutions to enhance the manageability of network infrastructure. The European technology companies are collaborating with cloud solution providers to accelerate wireless adoption for enterprise customers. For instance, in April 2018, Atos, a global leader in digital transformation, partnered with Google Cloud to support wireless needs of enterprise customers in the areas such as hybrid cloud, data analytics & machine learning and digital workplace. In February 2019, Intracom, a global telecommunication systems and solution vendor launched Virtualized Wi-Fi Service Platform for AOTEC (National Association of Telecommunication Operators) to centrally manage their wireless networks. This launched helped the company in offering seamless wireless connectivity to enterprises across the Spain.



Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) Controller market is projected to surpass USD 3 billion by 2025. Factors such as evolving enterprise requirements to manage their widespread and complex LAN infrastructure in a cost-effective manner and growing usage of cloud-based WLAN controllers to enable easy management of network devices will lead to the WLAN controller market growth. Increasing Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) demands is putting strain on the enterprises to secure and manage their networks. This fuels the need for WLAN controllers with advanced security features such as web filtering, antivirus security protection to secure their Wi-Fi networks.



The integrated WLAN controller market is expected to grow at a CAGR of over 9% over the forecast timeline. The demand for integrated WLAN controllers will surge as the manufacturers are integrating controller capabilities into the network devices such as switches and routers, enabling enterprises to use a single device for management and control of the entire network. Integration of security functionalities such as intrusion prevention and encryption into network devices will also provide security for business-critical wireless LANs.

Large enterprises in the WLAN controller market held a dominant share of over 60% in 2018 and are expected to maintain their leading position over the forecast timespan. Widespread adoption of BYOD in the enterprises and surge in the usage of networking devices such as access points and routers to establish high connectivity among the company's internal departments will contribute towards the adoption of WLAN controllers. Wireless controllers enable them to manage their complex network setups and improve security through embedded security functionalities in such devices.



Request a discount on standard prices of this premium report at: https://www.marketstudyreport.com/check-for-discount/2057049/?utm_source=releasewire-SP



Organizations of all sizes are rapidly shifting towards cloud-managed WLANs to have a centralized control over the networking elements such as firewalls, routers, switches, gateways and other devices, seeking centralized policy controls. By using cloud-WLANs, they can easily manage their entire WLAN infrastructure and can scale their networks to accommodate new devices as per their needs. For instance, Aruba?s Cloud Wi-Fi solution helps distributed organizations to get up to 10times faster Wi-Fi connections than other cloud W-Fi solutions. With the growing affinity towards cloud-based applications, the demand for cloud-manged access points will also rise over the forecast timeline.



The companies present in the WLAN controller market are focusing on strategic initiatives such as collaborations and new product developments supported by product innovation. The established players are developing innovative WLAN offerings to support the changing demands of the enterprise networks. For instance, in April 2019, Cisco launched Wi-Fi 6 to help enterprise customer in adoption of wireless connectivity. This launch helped the SMEs in rapid deployment of WLAN technology. In January 2019, Extreme Networks introduced new 802.11 ax Wi-Fi access points to enable enterprises increase their wireless capabilities. The six new access points comprised the company?s ExtremeMobility 500 series and are part of Extreme?s Smart OmniEdge solution. In September 2017, Proxim Wireless partnered with ViTEL, a distributor specialized in industrial communication and security solutions in Germany, Asia and Turkey to accelerate the adoption of outdoor and indoor wireless solutions. The company provides W-Fi solutions which enable reliable and high-performance network infrastructure at low costs.



Table of Contents:



Chapter 1. Methodology & Scope



1.1. Methodology



1.1.1. Initial data exploration



1.1.2. Statistical model and forecast



1.1.3. Industry insights and validation



1.1.4. Scope



1.1.5. Definitions



1.1.6. Methodology & forecast parameters



1.2. Data Sources



1.2.1. Secondary



1.2.1.1. Paid sources



1.2.1.2. Public sources



1.2.2. Primary



Chapter 2. Executive Summary



2.1. WLAN controller industry 36 degree synopsis, 2014 - 2025



2.1.1. Business trends



2.1.2. Regional trends



2.1.3. Type trends



2.1.4. Enterprise size trends



2.1.5. Application trends



Chapter 3. WLAN Controller Industry Insights



3.1. Introduction



3.2. Industry segmentation



3.3. Industry landscape, 2014 - 2025



3.4. Industry ecosystem analysis



3.5. WLAN architecture



3.6. WLAN technology evolution



3.7. Technology & innovation landscape



3.7.1. Voice Over WLAN (VoWLAN)



3.7.2. Cloud managed WLAN services



3.8. Regulatory landscape



3.8.1. 802.11ac standards



3.8.2. Control and Provisioning of Wireless Access Points (CAPWAP)



3.8.3. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)



3.8.4. 3GPP Release 13



3.8.5. Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002



3.8.6. WLAN Authentication and Privacy Infrastructure (WAPI)



3.9. Industry impact forces



3.9.1. Growth drivers



3.9.1.1. Increase in number of wireless devices



3.9.1.2. Rapid adoption of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) trend



3.9.1.3. Demand for continuous coverage for enterprise networks



3.9.1.4. Increasing demand for easy and cost-effective deployment of enterprise WLAN



3.9.2. Industry pitfalls & challenges



3.9.2.1. Network traffic bottleneck



3.9.2.2. Dependency on a single device for network coverage in case of lightweight access points



3.10. Porter's analysis



3.11. PESTEL analysis



3.12. Growth potential analysis



Chapter 4. Competitive Landscape



4.1. Introduction



4.2. Company market share analysis, 2018



4.3. Competive analysis of major WLAN controller market players, 2018



4.3.1. Cisco Systems Inc.



4.3.2. Hewlett Packard Ebterprise (Aruba Networks)



4.3.3. Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.



4.3.4. NETGEAR



4.4. Competive analysis of other promionent players, 2018



More Details on this Report At: https://www.marketstudyreport.com/reports/wireless-lan-controller-market?utm_source=releasewire-SP



Related Report:



Global Wireless Networking Market Size, Status and Forecast 2019-2025



The report provides separate comprehensive analytics for the US, Canada, Japan, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America and Rest of World. Annual estimates and forecasts are provided for the period 2018 through 2025. Also, a five-year historic analysis is provided for these markets. Market data and analytics are derived from primary and secondary research. Before the invention of the wireless LAN WLAN, people want to communicate and communicate through the network. We must first use the physical cable - copper strand to form an electronic operation path. In order to improve the efficiency and speed, then the optical fiber was invented. When the network has developed to a certain scale, it is found that this cable network is very difficult to be set up, disassembled or restructured on the original basis, and the cost and cost are very high, so the networking mode of WLAN emerges as the times require.



https://www.marketstudyreport.com/reports/global-wireless-networking-market-size-status-and-forecast-2019-2025?utm_source=releasewire-SP



About Market Study Report

Marketstudyreport.com allows you to manage and control all corporate research purchases to consolidate billing and vendor management. You can eliminate duplicate purchases and customize your content and license management.



Contact Us:

Market Study Report LLC

4 North Main Street,

Selbyville, Delaware 19975

USA

Phone: 1-302-273-0910

US Toll Free: 1-866-764-2150

Email: sales@marketstudyreport.com

Website: https://www.marketstudyreport.com

Blog: https://www.marketstudyreport.com/blogPakistan has some 163,000 HIV and AIDS patients, of whom only 25,000 are registered

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.

For me it was impossible to imagine, said Nazeer, recalling the day a doctor said his 16 month-old girl had tested positive for HIV.

I told him are you joking with me, how can she have HIV?, he said in his home in Ratodero, 480 km (298 miles) from Karachi, the capital of the southern province of Sindh.

Advertisement

His daughter is receiving treatment, he said, adding he did not know how she was infected.

Health officials say 681 people have tested positive for HIV in Ratodero, of whom 537 are children, since April 25.

More than 21,00 people have taken an HIV test at Ratoderos only screening center in a government hospital. Others have been tested at private clinics.

I have identified the tip of the iceberg. This could be in the thousands, not hundreds, said Dr Imran Akbar Arbani, who operates a clinic in the town in Lakarna district.

About 60% of Ratodero patients were infected by reused needles and syringes, or through transfusions of blood that were not screened properly for HIV, said Dr Sikander Memon, head of the AIDS control program in the province.

Police and doctors conducted an initial investigation and found that 123 HIV patients had been treated by one doctor before they were infected.

Dr Muzaffar Ghanghro was arrested on April 30 and has been charged with unintentional murder, police said.

Negligence and carelessness of Dr Muzaffar Ghanghro has been the prime reason behind the spread of HIV at the later stage, the investigation team said in a report.

Imtiaz, a laborers, said he had taken his three children to Ghangro because there was no pediatrician in town. All three became infected with HIV.

He applied the same drip on 50 children without changing the needle, he said.

SOLD ALL MY VALUABLES

Pakistan has some 163,000 HIV and AIDS patients, of whom only 25,000 are registered with provincial and federal AIDS control programs, said Zafar Mirza, a health adviser to Prime Minister Imran Khan.

At Pakistans request, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have sent a team of experts to the area. They are expected to visit Ratodero on Friday.

They will carry out a proper investigation into how this outbreak too place, Mirza told reporters. I hope in the coming few weeks we will know the reasons.

The government has ordered 50,000 HIV screening kits and is setting up three treatment centers. Adult patients are receiving anti-retroviral drugs and medicines have been ordered for children, Mirza said.

The Ratodero cases underscore the dire state of healthcare in Pakistan, a nation of 208 million where almost a third of the population lives on less than $3.20 a day and where many people cannot afford expensive medical tests or drugs.

Few families can afford proper treatment for HIV, which usually involves regular trips to Karachi.

I have sold all my valuables for treatment. Now I cant afford to go Karachi for my childrens medicines every month, said Tariq, who lives in a village near Ratodero.

Tariq, his wife and daughter are HIV positive, and a nephew tested positive this month. He does not know how they became infected.

There are 16 HIV cases in our village alone. No one has come to see our plight, he said.

Search Keywords:

Short link:

The Port of Corpus Christi ship channel Improvement project will deepen and widen the entrance ship channel from 47 up to 54 feet and widen it from 400 to 530 feet.

The $93m dredging contract was awarded to Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company earlier this year with work expected to be completed in 2020.

The overall ship channel deepening project has an estimated contract value of approximately $360m over the next five years.

We are building and enhancing infrastructure and collaborating with new partners as we prepare to accommodate major growth in crude oil production, said Sean Strawbridge, ceo of the Port of Corpus Christi.

The Port of Corpus Christi has become the largest crude export port in the United States. Its location on the Gulf of Mexico and proximity to the West Texas oil and gas boom drove demand and traffic for the Port of Corpus Christi.

In 2018, the Port of Corpus Christi exported $10.8bn worth of crude oil. The Port of Corpus Christi currently is the 4th largest port in the United States in total tonnage, and the expectation is that the Ports crude oil exports will triple, and perhaps quadruple, as production continues to increase, the port said in a statement.The Government Inspectorate last year found that Vinalines, under the Ministry of Transport, had illegally sold its stake to Hop Thanh Investment & Mineral JSC without the governments approval. The inspectors demanded that Vinalines buy back its stake.

Vietnam National Shipping Lines (Vinalines) has acquired a 75% stake in Quy Nhon seaport for VND415bn ($17.8m), local media reported.

Quy Nhon is located in the Binh Dinh province, in the SouthCentral Coast region. Vinalines will take over the port next month, the company said.

In 2013, Quy Nhon port was transformed into a joint stock company with a charter capital of more than VND 404bn ($17.3m). Vinalines owned more than 75% stake of the port while the remaining shareholders held 24.9%.

In September 2018 Vinalines conducted its initial public offering (IPO) on the Hanoi Stock Exchange. The Vietnamese government raised only VND 54.35bn ($2.33m) from selling a 34.8% stake in Vinalines but did not match its target of $210m. The Group did not find a suitable strategic investor.

The government still holds a 65% stake in Vinalines after the IPO.

Vinalines posted net revenue of VND 2.76 trillion ($118m) in the first quarter of 2019, down 10 % compared to the same period a year ago.Aramaic, the biblical language of Jesus is starting to disappear from everyday use in Syria's Maalula

Hunched over a thick book, George Zaarour uses a magnifying glass to decipher Aramaic script -- the biblical language of Jesus that is starting to disappear from everyday use in his village.

The 62-year-old is one of the last in Syria to specialise in the ancient language, which has survived for 2,000 years in the village of Maalula -- one of the world's oldest Christian settlements.

In the mountain village, Aramaic was once widely used, but today few people still speak the tongue.

"Aramaic is in danger," Zaarour said.

"If things continue like this, the language will disappear within five to 10 years."

Zaarour collects books and encyclopedias on Aramaic in his small shop, where he sells religious icons, crucifixes and even household products.

He spends his days studying and translating this ancient Semitic language, which was widespread in the Middle East at the beginning of the Christian era and whose origins date back to the 10th century BC.

Today, "80 percent of Maalula's inhabitants don't speak Aramaic, and the remaining 20 percent are over 60 years old", said the expert.

Etched out in the cliff face, and full of churches, convents and monasteries, Maalula is considered a symbol of Christian presence in the Damascus region.

Pilgrims from the entire world once visited the village to see its religious buildings, and to hear Aramaic spoken on the streets.

But the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011 changed everything.

Rebels and jihadists linked to Al-Qaeda seized Maalula in late 2013, forcing most of its Christian inhabitants to flee.

Regime forces recaptured it in April 2014, seven months after the insurgents first entered the village.

But two-thirds of its inhabitants have yet to return.

- 'Last people on earth'-

Many of Maalula's residents have found refuge in and around Damascus, which is about 55 kilometres (35 miles) away, or even abroad.

"The war generation was born outside Maalula, in Damascus or in other areas, and they learned Arabic first," Zaarour said.

An author of some 30 books on the Aramaic language and its history in Maalula, Zaarour is well-known in Syrian academic circles.

He regularly supervises student dissertations in Damascus. In 2006, he helped set up a centre in Maalula to teach Aramaic, but it closed after war broke out.

The village's mayor, Elias Thaalab, hailed Zaarour as a source of true local pride.

"I think George Zaarour must be the only teacher and specialist of the Aramaic language in Syria," said the 80-year-old, leaning on his cane.

"Some young teachers are trying to learn the language, but Mr Zaarour is the only one who knows the language in depth," he added.

Preserving the language is of utmost importance, he says.

"For more than 2,000 years, we have kept the language of Christ in our hearts," he said.

"We are among the last people on earth who have the honour of mastering it."

But of the more than 6,000 people who lived in the village before the conflict, only 2,000 have returned, he said.

Maalula, which means "entrance" in Aramaic, is the most famous of three villages around Damascus where the language is still used.

In Syria's northeast, Syriac, which is derived from Aramaic, is also still spoken.

Other Aramaic dialects that have evolved from the original historic version of the language are also used across the Middle East today, especially in Turkey and northern Iraq, according to Jean-Baptiste Yon, an ancient language specialist.

'From father to son'-

In Maalula today, the vast majority of houses remain empty, only chirping birds interrupting the calm.

The village has fared better than other parts of Syria, but it has not been spared completely.

Several churches and monasteries were looted or damaged by artillery fire, and religious icons destroyed or stolen.

Al-Nusra jihadists kidnapped 13 nuns from the village in December 2013, only releasing them three months later.

Today, in the monastery of Saint Sergius and Bacchus, gilded candles stand once again on the chapel's white marble altar.

But in the village's only kindergarten, numbers have plummeted since the war started.

The number of students enrolled has dropped from more than 100 in 2010 to less than 30 in 2019, the administration says.

To ensure their ancient language survives, its pupils have an Aramaic class every day.

In a classroom with white and pink walls, children aged five to six sit behind wooden desks reciting Aramaic poems, under the watchful eye of their teacher, Antoinette Mokh.

"Aramaic in Maalula is inherited from generation to generation, from father to son... It's the language of the home," she said.

"But these children were born outside Maalula during the years of exile."

At age 64, she has been teaching for over a quarter of a century.

But "I cannot give up my job and retire," she said.

"There will be no replacement."

Search Keywords:

Short link:

Some elderly South Koreans are finally learning to read and write, decades after their contemporaries -- and even becoming published authors

Hyper-wired South Korea is the world's 11th-largest economy, one of its most technologically advanced countries, and the first to launch a nationwide 5G network.

But that is a relatively recent transformation and at the other end of the spectrum, many of its elderly are illiterate.

Now some are finally learning to read and write, decades after their contemporaries -- and even becoming published authors.

In the first half of the 20th century, the agricultural south was the poorer half of the already underdeveloped peninsula, and many children never went to school.

According to a 2017 study by the National Institute for Lifelong Education, 67.7 percent of South Koreans aged 80 or older were unable to read or write.

The phenomenon is significantly more pronounced among women -- Korea has been a patriarchal society for centuries and many families kept girls from school even into the mid-20th century, as the country began its rapid industrialisation.

"My grandmother used to say a woman with knowledge always ends up rebellious," said Jang Seon-ja, 75, at a library in Suncheon.

"So she forbade me from school," she explained.

It is a marked contrast from the present day, when families put enormous emphasis on education and children -- whether boys or girls -- study for long hours, including extra after-school tuition, in a high-pressure contest for the best possible opportunities.

Jang is one of 20 grandmothers in a writing class at the library in Suncheon, 320 kilometres (200 miles) southeast of Seoul.

Sitting in rows with pencils in their hands, the grey-haired women -- aged from 57 to 89 -- summon recollections of their mothers and try to put them into words.

Since the programme began three years ago they have co-written a collection of memoirs entitled "We didn't know how to write, but we knew how to live", which conveys stories that bear witness to their country's historical turmoil.

More than 7,000 copies have been sold since it was published in February, library director Na Ok-hyeon, told AFP, who is seeking an English-language publication and has taken three of the authors on a tour of the US.

"I was at first worried whether the translation would capture subtle nuance expressed in Korean," Na said, but added: "Then I saw many with tears in their eyes."

One entry in the book by Kim Young-bun, 80, recalls her family's flight during the Korean War, when she was 11.

"While fleeing, my younger brother died," she wrote. "Seeing nowhere to lay him to rest, I couldn't just leave him so I carried him on my back all day long.

"To this day, I cannot forget him."

Search Keywords:

Short link:

Tiananmen crackdown 'correct' policy: China defence minister



Singapore, June 2 (AFP) Jun 02, 2019



The 1989 crackdown on protesters in Beijing's Tiananmen Square was the correct policy, China's defence minister said Sunday.

"That incident was a political turbulence and the central government took measures to stop the turbulence which is a correct policy," General Wei Fenghe told a regional security forum in Singapore.

Speaking to fellow defence ministers, top military officers and academics from all over the world, Wei questioned why people still say that China "did not handle the incident properly".

"The 30 years have proven that China has undergone major changes," he said, adding that because of the government's action "China has enjoyed stability and development".

Beijing was the epicentre of student-led protests 30 years ago, with hundreds or possibly more than 1,000 killed by soldiers at the square on June 4, 1989.Japan PM to meet Iran's Khamenei to mediate with US: report



Tokyo, June 2 (AFP) Jun 02, 2019



Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will meet Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei later this month with Tokyo hoping to mediate between Washington and Tehran, a report said Sunday.

As tensions intensify between Iran and Japan's key ally the United States, Abe has reportedly proposed serving as a go-between and is said to be weighing up a state visit to Iran.

According to the Mainichi Shimbun report, Abe's planned meeting with influential Khamenei will be the first such talks between a Japanese premier and Tehran's supreme leader.

US President Donald Trump said last week he remained open to talks with Tehran during his state visit to Tokyo, appearing to have given the green light to Abe's plan.

Abe will also meet Iran's president Hassan Rouhani before meeting Khamenei during his tour to Iran from June 12 to 14, the newspaper said, citing unnamed government sources.

Before Trump flew to Japan, the United States had announced it was sending 1,500 extra troops to the region, adding to the aircraft carrier group and nuclear-capable bomber planes already dispatched.

Trump himself threatened "the official end" of the country if Tehran ever attacked US interests.

But last Monday in Tokyo, Trump offered assurances that he can live with the Islamic republic's government, whose toppling has long been a dream for Washington hardliners.

"We're not looking for regime change," Trump said, explaining that he only cared about Iran not achieving nuclear power status.

"I do believe that Iran would like to talk, and if they'd like to talk, we'd like to talk also," Trump added, striking a relatively dovish tone on Iran.

Khamenei has likened negotiations with the Trump administration to "poison" since "they don't stand by anything", referring to Washington's withdrawal from the landmark 2015 nuclear deal signed by Tehran and world powers.

Japan and Iran have kept a good relationship as resource-poor Japan relies heavily on imports of oil from the Middle East, though crude from Iran accounted for just 5.3 percent of the country's total imports last year.Three Syrian soldiers killed by Israeli missile strikes: state media



Damascus, June 2 (AFP) Jun 02, 2019



At least three Syrian soldiers were killed and seven others wounded in Israeli missile attacks on the southern province of Quneitra, Syrian state media said.

After targeting the outskirts of the capital Damascus, Israel "resumed its aggression and launched several missiles against the east of Quneitra province killing three people and wounding seven other soldiers", the official SANA news agency reported.Three Syrian soldiers killed by Israeli missile strikes: state media



Damascus, June 2 (AFP) Jun 02, 2019



At least three Syrian soldiers were killed and seven others wounded in Israeli missile attacks on the southern province of Quneitra, Syrian state media said Sunday.

The Israeli military confirmed it had targeted Syrian military position in response to two rockets fired from Syria at Mount Hermon in the occupied Golan Heights.

After targeting the outskirts of the capital Damascus, Israel "renewed its aggression by firing several missiles on the eastern countryside of Quneitra," the official SANA news agency reported.

"The aggression resulted in the martyrdom of three soldiers and the injury of seven others in addition to some material losses," it added.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had ordered the strikes.

"We won't tolerate fire at our territory, and respond forcefully to any aggression against us," he said.

The army said it fired on "two Syrian artillery batteries, a number of observation and intelligence posts on the Golan Heights, and an SA-2 aerial defence battery".

Israel has carried out hundreds of air strikes in Syria, most of them against what it says are Iranian and Hezbollah targets.

It says it is determined to prevent its arch foe Iran from entrenching itself militarily in Syria, where Tehran backs President Bashar al-Assad in the country's eight-year war which has killed more than 370,000 people.On 30th anniversary, China says Tiananmen crackdown was 'correct' policy



Singapore, June 2 (AFP) Jun 02, 2019



China on Sunday defended the bloody Tiananmen crackdown on student protesters in a rare public acknowledgement of the event, days before its 30th anniversary, saying it was the "correct" policy.

After seven weeks of protests by students and workers demanding democratic change and the end of corruption, soldiers and tanks chased and killed demonstrators and onlookers in the streets leading to Beijing's Tiananmen Square on June 4 1989.

Hundreds, or possibly more than 1,000, were killed, although the precise number of deaths remains unknown.

"That incident was a political turbulence and the central government took measures to stop the turbulence which is a correct policy," Chinese defence minister General Wei Fenghe told a regional security forum in Singapore.

Wei asked why people still say that China "did not handle the incident properly".

"The 30 years have proven that China has undergone major changes," he said in response to a question from the audience, adding that because of the government's action at that time "China has enjoyed stability and development".

Bonnie Glaser, a China expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, said she was surprised at the question on Tiananmen raised at an open forum after Wei's speech, but the fact that the general answered it was "unusual".

People may dispute Wei's answer "but at least I can give him credit for taking the question", Glaser added.

Inside China an army of online censors have scrubbed clean social media, removing articles, memes, hash-tags or photos alluding to the Tiananmen crackdown ahead of June 4.

Discussions of the 1989 pro-democracy protests and their brutal suppression are strictly taboo, and authorities have rounded up or warned activists, lawyers and journalists ahead of the anniversary each year.

Talking privately with family and friends about Tiananmen is possible, but any commemoration in public risks almost certain arrest.

Wei also responded to a question on China's restive Xinjiang region, where Beijing has come under increasing global scrutiny over its treatment of ethnic Uighurs and other Turkic-speaking minorities.

He said China's policies in Xinjiang improved people's lives and prevented terror attacks from happening for more than two years.



'Resolve and will'



In a wide-ranging speech that came a day after acting US Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan addressed the same forum, Wei vowed that China will not be bullied by the United States, issuing a combative defence of its policies, including on Taiwan and the South China Sea.

He rebutted US allegations of militarisation of the South China Sea, saying facilities it built on reclaimed land there were "defensive" in nature.

Washington has been pushing back against Beijing's aggressive moves in the sea, where China has staked "indisputable" ownership over almost the whole area and rejects partial claims by Taiwan, Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam

Washington and Beijing have been vying for influence in the Asia Pacific region, which hosts potential flashpoints such as the South China Sea, the Korean Peninsula and the Taiwan Strait.

Wei also said China will not renounce the use of force in the reunification of self-ruled Taiwan, calling it "very dangerous" to underestimate Beijing's will.

"We will strive for the process of peaceful reunification with utmost sincerity and greatest efforts but we make no promise to renounce the use of force," he said.

The two sides have been ruled separately since the end of a civil war on the mainland in 1949 but China still sees Taiwan as part of its territory to be reunified one day.

"Any underestimation of the PLA's (People's Liberation Army) resolve and will is extremely dangerous," he added, calling it the army's "sacred duty" to defend Chinese territory.

In his speech on Saturday, Shanahan told the forum that Washington will continue to make military expertise and equipment available to Taiwan for its self-defence.

"This support empowers the people of Taiwan to determine their own future," Shanahan said.

Any resolution of differences must not be done with coercion, he added.

Analyst Glaser said that while Washington and Beijing have established communication hotlines, "even today, there's very low confidence that the Chinese would answer the phone in a crisis".Iraq condemns eighth French IS member to death



Baghdad, June 2 (AFP) Jun 02, 2019



An Iraqi court on Sunday sentenced to death an eighth Frenchman for joining the Islamic State group, rejecting his claims he was tortured into confessing.

Fodil Tahar Aouidate, 32, first appeared in court on May 27 but a judge delayed his trial to allow for a medical examination.

"The medical report shows that there are no signs of torture on his body," the judge told the court.

Aouidate showed no reaction when the judge handed down his death sentence, according to an AFP journalist at the trial.

He was one of 11 French citizens and a Tunisian handed over to Iraqi authorities early this year by a US-backed force in Syria which expelled the jihadist group from its last bastion.

A Baghdad court had already handed capital punishments to seven of the French jihadists and the Tunisian over the past week and Aouidate will now join them on death row.

Interrogated for four months, Aouidate alleged he was beaten to "confess" to the charges levelled against him.

During his first hearing he showed marks on his back to the judge, who requested a medical examination and report.

Human Rights Watch on Friday accused Iraqi interrogators of "using a range of torture techniques" and condemned France's "outsourcing" of trials of IS suspects to "abusive justice systems".

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.

Aouidate first went to Syria in 2013 and returned in 2014 with 22 members of his family to join IS, according to the French judiciary.

Authorities also linked him to Belgium's Salafist movement including Abdelhamid Abaaoud, the presumed mastermind of the 2015 Paris attacks.

France convicted two of Aouidate's sisters for "financing terrorism" for sending 15,000 euros to relatives in Syria.Ten killed in Israeli attack in Syria following rocket fire



Beirut, June 2 (AFP) Jun 02, 2019



Israel carried out air strikes in Syria on Sunday in response to rare rocket fire from the neighbouring country, its military said, with a war monitor reporting 10 killed including Syrian soldiers and foreign fighters.

Israel's army said two rockets were fired from Syria at Mount Hermon in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights late Saturday and one had been "located within Israeli territory."

In response, the army attacked "two Syrian artillery batteries, a number of observation and intelligence posts on the Golan Heights, and an SA-2 aerial defence battery," its statement said.

The Israeli attack left three Syrian soldiers and seven foreign fighters dead, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

According to the Britain-based war monitor, which did not specify the nationality of the foreign fighters, they died in missile strikes close the capital Damascus where Syrian troops, Iranian forces and Hezbollah fighters are stationed.

Syrian anti-aircraft defences fired against "enemy missiles" from Israel targeting positions in southwest Damascus, the official SANA news agency quoted a military source as saying.

The Israeli army said its own aerial defence systems were activated due to the Syrian anti-aircraft fire, but none of the Syrian fire hit Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had ordered the strike.

"We won't tolerate fire at our territory and will respond forcefully to any aggression against us," he said.



- Hundreds of strikes -



Israel has carried out hundreds of air strikes in Syria, most of them against what it says are Iranian and Hezbollah targets.

Israel says it is determined to prevent its arch foe Iran from entrenching itself militarily in Syria, where Tehran backs President Bashar al-Assad in the country's eight-year war which has killed more than 370,000 people.

The Jewish state insists that it has the right to continue to target positions in Syria held by Iran and its Lebanese ally Hezbollah out of self-defence.

On May 27 Syria said Israel carried out a missile attack in Quneitra, in what the Israeli army said was retaliation for anti-aircraft fire targeting one of its fighter jets.

Syrian air defence batteries also intercepted projectiles from Israel and downed a number of them on May 17, according to SANA.

The Syrian province of Quneitra includes the Golan Heights, most of which is occupied and annexed by Israel.

In January, Israel hit Iranian positions in Syria, saying it was in response to Iranian missile fire from the war-torn country. According to the Observatory, 21 people, mainly Iranians, were killed in those raids.

The latest reported strike comes amid soaring tensions between Iran and the United States.

The stand-off had been simmering since the United States last year withdrew from the 2015 nuclear treaty which Iran reached with major world powers.

In recent weeks the United States has accused Iran of alleged threats and deployed an aircraft carrier group and B-52 bombers to the Gulf.Assyrian Federation of Germany Meets With Chairman of Parliamentary Group

From left to right: Shlimon Younan, Ralph Brinkhaus and Michael Poll. ( AINA) GAtersloh (AINA) -- On Tuesday, May 28 representatives of the Assyrian Federation of Germany (AFG) welcomed the chairman of the Parliamentary Group of the Christian Union (CDU / CSU), Mr. Ralph Brinkhaus, at the offices of the Federation in the city of GAtersloh.

The focus of the meeting was to have an exchange with regards of various government-financed projects in which the Federation actively participates, while briefly presenting an assessment of the efforts spent over the last three years.

During the meeting, Aziz Said, Chairman of the Federation, Michael Poll, Federal Office Manager of the Federation, and Jessica Knaup, Project Staff, highlighted the positive developments in the integration efforts of the AFG. Mr. Brinkhaus' last visit to the AFG office was in 2016, when the Assyrian Federation was engaged in an earlier government-funded project to help develop structures for migrant organizations.

Meanwhile and after three years of successful work, the Assyrian Federation extended its involvement to 15 currently funded integration projects nationwide. "The qualifications of the AFG for the integration have been essential for our success, as we have direct contacts to refugees from Syria, Iraq, Turkey, Lebanon and Iran accross Germany," said Aziz Said.

"As a cross-denominational organization, we focus on refugees from different states and are happy to be able to make an important contribution to their integration in Germany with little resources that we have," added Michael Poll.

Mr. Brinkhaus was pleased with the growth of the projects and the diverse ideas presented related to the integration work of the Federation. He encouraged the Federation's representatives to "continue their efforts in the field of integration."

The aim of the Federation is now to consolidate the previous structures of integration into the majority society. "The structural consolidation of migration work also requires good ideas and volunteer support," empasized Said and Poll. Through its asscociations,the Federationhas been able to motivate many volunteers.

The Assyrian Federation of Germany and its European section was established in 1979 as an umbrella organization for the various associations in German-speaking areas, including Austria and Switzerland,US says prepared to talk to Iran 'with no preconditions'



Bellinzona, Switzerland, June 2 (AFP) Jun 02, 2019



US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Sunday his country was ready to talk with Tehran "with no preconditions", but there was no indication if lifting sanctions over Iran's nuclear programme was on the table.

The top US diplomat, who is considered a hawk on the Iran file, appeared to soften the US stance somewhat following weeks of escalating tensions with Tehran.

"We are prepared to engage in a conversation with no preconditions," Pompeo said in Switzerland, which in the absence of US-Iranian diplomatic ties represents Washington's interests in the Islamic Republic.

"We are ready to sit down with them," Pompeo told a joint news conference with his Swiss counterpart Ignazio Cassis at the impressive medieval Castelgrande castle in Bellinzona, nestled in the Alps in Switzerland's Italian-speaking Ticino region.

He was reacting to comments made by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Saturday insisting that his country would not be "bullied" into talks with the United States, and that any dialogue between the two countries needed to be grounded in "respect".

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif also said in an interview with the American network ABC broadcast Sunday that it was "not very likely" that Tehran would agree to talks with the US any time soon.

US President Donald Trump, he said, "is imposing pressure."

"This may work in a real estate market. It does not work in dealing with Iran," he said, insisting that "threats against Iran never work... Try respect. That may work."

Pompeo himself also appeared to back-pedal on the offer to have condition-free talks with Iran, stating that Washington was "certainly prepared to have (a) conversation when the Iranians will prove they are behaving as a normal nation."



- 'Malign activity' -



Nonetheless, Pompeo's comments mark the first time the Trump administration has offered no-strings-attached talks since the recent escalation began in the wake of the US withdrawal from a hard-won 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers.

But Pompeo stressed that "the American effort to fundamentally reverse the malign activity of this Islamic Republic, this revolutionary force, is going to continue."

In other words, Washington has no intention to let up on its campaign of "maximum pressure" on Iran.

Pompeo himself last year laid out 12 draconian demands he said Iran would need to meet before reaching a "new deal" with the United States, essentially addressing every aspect of Iran's missile programme and what Washington calls its "malign influence" across the region.

Washington has since reimposed sanctions, and has been locked in an increasingly tense standoff with Tehran.

Last month it deployed an aircraft carrier task force, B-52 bombers and an amphibious assault ship to the Gulf, along with additional troops against what Washington's leaders believed was an imminent Iranian plan to attack US assets.

But at the same time, Trump has over the past week toned down the rhetoric, saying Washington does not seek "regime change" in Iran and holding out the possibility of talks.

He said the US was merely "looking for no nuclear weapons," adding that "I really believe that Iran would like to make a deal. I think that's very smart of them and I think there's a possibility for that to happen also."



- Swiss mediation? -



Swiss Foreign Minister Cassis meanwhile voiced his country's readiness to play the role of "intermediary" between the two countries.

But he stressed Switzerland could not be "mediators if there is not willingness on both sides."

Cassis also voiced concern about the "great suffering" in Iran brought about by the US sanctions, and urged Washington to identify a financial "channel" to allow the Iranians to purchase humanitarian aid without being slapped with US punitive measures.

Pompeo did not respond directly to this request, but he rejected the notion that US sanctions were causing suffering, instead blaming the leadership in Tehran.

The challenges facing Iranians "are not caused by our economic sanctions," he said. "They're caused by 40 years of the Islamic regime not taking care of their people and instead using their resources to destroy lives."

He meanwhile preferred to remain discreet about efforts, largely led by Switzerland, to ensure the release of a handful of American citizens being held in Iran, stating only that the issue was a top priority for Trump, and that Washington is "working with all willing nations to assist us."Pentagon confirms push to hide USS John McCain from Trump



Seoul, June 2 (AFP) Jun 02, 2019



The acting Pentagon chief confirmed Sunday that the White House had requested the hiding of a warship bearing the name of late Senator John McCain during a visit by Donald Trump to Japan.

In Washington, White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney said the request probably was made by somebody on the president's advance team but no one would fired for it.

US media reported that efforts were made to obscure the USS John S. McCain's name during Trump's visit to an American military facility last week, accusations denied by acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan and the president.

But Shanahan said Sunday that the president's staff had contacted the Japan-based 7th Fleet of the US Navy and given "the directive that the USS John S McCain should be hidden from view".

"That directive was not carried out," Shanahan told media while flying to Seoul for the third leg of his week-long tour of Asia.

Shanahan said he commissioned an investigation led by the Pentagon chief of staff upon learning of the incident.

"There is no room for politicising the military," he added. "I'll deal with this in an appropriate manner."

Shanahan's spokesman, Lieutenant-Colonel Joe Buccino, said the Pentagon had already lodged a protest at a White House meeting on Friday.

"Secretary Shanahan directed his chief of staff to speak with the White House military office and reaffirm its mandate that the (Pentagon) will not be politicised," Buccino said.

Mulvaney, in comments on NBC's "Meet the Press," acknowledged the request was probably made by someone on the White House advance team but said it was "not an unreasonable thing to ask."

"Is someone going to get fired for this? No," he said.



- McCain feud -



Trump had a combative political relationship with McCain, who died last August and was taken prisoner and tortured during the Vietnam war.

According to the Wall Street Journal, which first reported the story, Shanahan was aware of concern about the ship's name and "approved measures to ensure it didn't interfere with the president's visit."

Those measures included hanging a tarpaulin over the ship's name, the Journal said. The tarpaulin was removed before Trump arrived, but a barge was moved closer to the ship, blocking the view of its name.

Crew serving aboard the 154-meter (505-foot) vessel, whose uniforms bear the ship's name, were prevented from attending a speech Trump delivered from a neighboring ship, media reports said.

Shanahan denied any involvement when asked by reporters on Thursday.

Trump insisted the same day that he would not have ordered hiding the vessel from view during his visit, and said he "couldn't care less" whether a Navy destroyer bore the name of his late rival.US-S.Korea military exercises not 'necessary': Pentagon chief



Seoul, June 2 (AFP) Jun 02, 2019



The resumption of major US-South Korea joint military exercises is not "necessary", Pentagon chief Patrick Shanahan told reporters Sunday, despite stalled negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang.

Washington regularly conducted large-scale military manoeuvers with the South Korean army until the first meeting of US President Donald Trump with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un last year.

They were suspended at Trump's request to facilitate dialogue with Pyongyang and replaced by more limited exercises, but negotiations on the North Korean nuclear program have since stalled.

Asked on Sunday whether the exercises would resume, Shanahan replied: "I don't think it is necessary."

The acting secretary of defense added that the US forces in South Korea were already "prepared if diplomacy fails" with the North.

"I am confident that we have the readiness that we are required to have, the operational forces and the posture," Shanahan said while flying to Seoul for the third leg of his week-long tour of Asia.

There are close to 30,000 US troops stationed in South Korea, and their annual drills with tens of thousands of South Korean soldiers have always infuriated the North -- with Pyongyang condemning the manoeuvres as provocative rehearsals for invasion.

However following the first summit between Trump and Kim in Singapore in June 2018, the US president said Washington would suspend the "very provocative" joint military exercises with South Korea.

The two leaders also signed a vaguely-worded pledge on denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula.

A second meeting held in Hanoi in February broke up early with no progress toward Washington's goal of getting the isolated North to abandon its nuclear weapons program.Nine French jihadists now on death row in Iraq



Baghdad, June 2 (AFP) Jun 02, 2019



Nine French jihadists are now on death row in Iraq after a court sentenced two more to death on Sunday for joining the Islamic State group, rejecting a claim of torture.

Fodil Tahar Aouidate and Vianney Ouraghi were among 11 French citizens and one Tunisian handed over to Iraqi authorities in January by a US-backed force fighting the jihadist group in Syria.

Described as violent and ready to die for the extremist IS ideology, Aouidate first appeared in court on May 27 but a judge delayed his trial and ordered a medical examination after the 32-year-old claimed he was tortured into confessing.

"The medical report shows that there are no signs of torture on his body," the judge told the court before handing down his sentence.

His trial was quickly followed by that of 28-year-old Ouraghi, who acknowledged in court that he "worked with" IS but said he did not participate in any fighting.

Baghdad has handed capital punishments to seven of the other French jihadists and the Tunisian in the past week.

Hearings for the last two suspected French IS members to be tried in Baghdad are set for Monday.

Iraq has convicted more than 500 suspected foreign members of IS since the start of 2018.

On Sunday, a 20-year-old German woman identified as Hadia Abdelqader was sentenced to 15 years in prison by an anti-terror court in Baghdad for joining IS.

Iraq's courts have condemned many to life in prison and others to death, although no foreign IS members have yet been executed.

Those convicted have 30 days to appeal.



- 'Outsourcing' IS trials -



Ouraghi, who has Algerian roots, left France for Syria in 2013 and joined the Al-Qaeda affiliate there before jumping to IS when the latter declared its "caliphate" in 2014.

"Yes, I worked with IS, but I did not participate in any combat in Syria or Iraq," Ouraghi said in classical Arabic, which he picked up in Egypt.

Sporting thick glasses and a light brown goatee, he pleaded that he was only an "IS administrative officer" in charge of "widows and families" of the jihadist group.

Aouidate showed no reaction when the judge handed down his death sentence, according to an AFP journalist at the trial.

He first went to Syria in 2013 and returned in 2014 with 22 members of his family to join IS, according to the French judiciary.

Authorities also linked him to Belgium's Salafist movement including Abdelhamid Abaaoud, the presumed mastermind of the 2015 Paris attacks.

Interrogated for four months, he alleged during his first hearing that he was beaten to "confess" to the charges levelled against him.

Human Rights Watch on Friday accused Iraqi interrogators of "using a range of torture techniques... which would not leave lasting marks on the person's body".

It also condemned France's "outsourcing" of trials of IS suspects to "abusive justice systems" and criticised Iraq's "routine failure... to credibly investigate torture allegations".

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.

French government spokeswoman Sibeth Ndiaye reiterated Sunday that officials were intervening "at the highest level" in the cases.

"France's position has been constant... As soon as our citizens around the world face the possibility of a death sentence after a conviction, we intervene at the highest level of state," Ndiaye told Europe 1 television.

Also on Sunday, France's state secretary at the interior ministry Laurent Nunez said "other (French citizens) could be tried" in Iraq, while around 450 French nationals accused of links to IS are currently detained in Syria.

Iraqi law provides for the death penalty for anyone joining a "terrorist group" -- even those who did not take up arms.Ive been researching for this post for quite a while and of necessity its going to be my longest post. Ilya Starinov is arguably the most important person in the history of IEDs and in that sense he is worthy of our attention. Its a remarkable story of a man fully across a series of technologies, skills and operational employments. Starinov was a railway engineer, a demolition sapper, a communications specialist, an EOD expert, a commando, a trainer, a weapons exploitation specialist and an extremely innovative thinker. He was also very lucky to avoid being purged by Stalin. His achievements include:

He championed and developed the operational use of the first Radio-Controlled IEDs. He oversaw the most intense IED campaigns in history, and I think through those influenced the course of WW2 and revolutionary insurgencies around the world He developed the Soviet Spetsnaz concept He fought in at least three wars, developed modern partisan techniques and advised the Soviet Union and its allies  overtly and covertly  for decades. He carried out dozens of attacks personally, he personally built hundreds of IEDs and was responsible for the designs of tens of thousands of others. He trained thousands of people in the use of IEDs, developed technical capabilities that did not exist before and designed concepts of operations to make best use of the opportunities that IEDs provided to the user.

In this post Im going to cover some of the factors in his life story that influenced him to become the person he was. His story should be more commonly known in the EOD and counter-IED community. The use of IEDs was extensive in WW2 and thats not widely understood. Every time the modern world encounters the use of IEDs it surprises us, and it shouldnt because IEDs are not new  this story once again reinforces that, but also perhaps shows how IEDs became embedded in modern insurgencies. When the US and its allies encountered an insurgent IED campaign in Iraq in 2003/4, the military world should have taken a sharp intake of breath and said Ah, Starinov, what lessons from his story can we learn from to apply here?. But no-one, not a soul, did. And thats why this story is important.

Starinov had a very significant but broadly unrecognised influence on global IED tactics and strategies. He is not someone to ignore. As I run through his life history Im going to highlight the key factors in bold which led to his eventual way of thinking about the use of IEDs.

Starinov was born in 1900 and died in 2000. The first thing to note, and its significant, is that his father was a railway worker, employed by the Russian state to maintain the railway tracks of that country. So, from his first boyhood experience he knew the importance of the railroad to a nation, its logistics and the vulnerabilities of that system. It was in his blood, and you can see that in his subsequent concepts. One of his earliest memories was of his father inspecting the railway track, finding an unattached rail and warning an approaching train by the use of railway detonators laid on the track to signal the driver of a fault ahead. His family were poor (like most Russians of the time) and he lived in a small village.

The next factor in his development was the Bolshevik revolution which, unsurprisingly, he participated in with enthusiasm as a youth. Although he wasnt using explosives at this time he did participate actively at first, blocking railway lines to St Petersburg (Petrograd) with lumber to delay counter-revolutionary White Russian reinforcement. This experience of his youth in terms of blocking railway lines further developed his understanding of sabotage activity, and the specific places to have maximum effect. The other lessons he learned during this revolutionary period was that operating in areas controlled by the enemy was easy at night, and ambitious sabotage plans were often rewarded with dramatic results for minimal resources. He served as an infantry soldier in the Red Army and at one point in 1919 was badly injured by shrapnel. He nearly lost his leg, but recovered under treatment. During this recovery in hospital he was persuaded by fellow patients to join the sappers. It was as a sapper he received some on-the-job training followed by more formal education in technical matters.

For a period of time he worked with munitions, and became adept at the handling of explosives. He then attended a training course in military railroad matters, building on his expertise in this matter. The importance of the railroad in Russia should not be underestimated. In a country of the vast size of Russia and the Soviet Union, it was the only way of managing the logistics of war, and its vulnerabilities were obvious to the young Starinov. In 1922, with great pride, he became a formal member of the Communist Party and after his training became an officer in the Red Army.

By about 1923, Starinov was commanding a Unit repairing railway lines damaged in the revolutionary war. Part of his remit was dealing with unexploded ordnance adjacent to railway lines, removing them and detonating them safely. In effect, Starinov became an EOD expert. This comment from his diaries is very instructive:

I took full advantage of each piece of unexploded munitions to study the construction of the fuses. I conducted the first experiments in melting down the explosive material out of the bombs and shells, and managed to convince myself that this was a safe procedure. It was useful as well because of the great need for TNT, especially in the spring when it was necessary to break up the ice jams that threatened railway bridges.

The next paragraph in his diaries shows, I think, the direction of his thoughts perfectly

At that time (1923) I first thought about constructing a portable mine for destroying enemy trains. Our mines had to be simple, convenient, and safe; and the fuses had to work faultlessly. In the civil war we had already become acquainted with the construction of a cumbersome, complex delayed-action anti-train mine. We only ever set one of these off, but for the rest of the war we lugged around the remaining mines for no purpose. The Red Army didnt need such awkward devices!

In 1926 Starinov was assigned a special task of advising a comprehensive defensive plan for the Ukraine. The plan was to counter any potential invasion from the west from Poland and Romania into the Soviet Union. As a railway expert to the military committee developing the defensive plan, Starinov examined the railway lines that led through the Ukraine from the Western borders, but also as a sapper he advised on a much wider range of defensive minefields and demolitions. It was at this point Starinov discovered the demolition charges in a bridge that I discussed in an earlier post. It was he who developed the render-safe technique on the spot and his EOD team that undertook the operation.



Starinov as a young man

More broadly, the defensive plan developed by the committee that Starinov worked on has modern echoes. Their plan was to fight a defensive partisan war after invasion of the Ukraine by a western aggressor. It involved preparing and maintaining explosive resources and for partisan groups to attack after the invading Western army had taken control of the country  very similar to Saddam Husseins strategy in Iraq in 2003  its very hard not to see absolute parallels. For the Soviets, partisan warfare absolutely fitted their revolutionary communist idealism of a fight of the people against the enemy. So here we have Starinov in 1926 at the heart of planning partisan IED campaigns in the Ukraine, territories which would see that exact thing happening 15 years later in 1941. As a good communist, Starinov looked for political validation and context for his military strategies. By 1933 Starinov had a played a key role in training over 9000 people as partisans for the defensive plan for the Western Soviet Union. Thats quite a cadre. There was already, by then, a plan for hundreds and hundreds (no exaggeration) of secret explosive hides across the whole Ukraine. The entire western part of the Soviet Union was in theory ready for intense IED led partisan warfare as early as 1933. Starinov however noted that these plans were hampered severely by the the Stalinist collectivization of agriculture that occurred in parallel, and the consequent upheaval in society. But he had to hold his tongue. Furthemore when the Stalinist purges were started in about 1933/4, one of the first things they purged was the partisan infrastructure.

During the early 1930s Starinov undertook more training in communications, so he became familiar with the use of radios in military environments. He was also tasked with training partisans as part of a Soviet program to sow partisan leaders both at home for defensive operations and abroad for other purposes. He trained them extensively in explosives, and associated techniques at a number of semi-secret schools. Included in his students were several Western European communists who rose to prominence later in their own countries. Starinov remained a vocal proponent of partisan warfare and the use of IEDs for the rest of his life.

It was at this point in history that something strange but I think very significant happened which influenced Starinov to develop expertise in improvised explosives. We have already seen that he was not enamoured with the production demolition munitions used ineffectively to attack railway lines during the Russian revolution. However by the early 1930s several designs (some of them by Starinov and some be design bureaus) were ready for production. But the political landscape suddeenly changed as Stalin began his purges. Its clear that Starinov believed that stockpiles of mass-produced, industrial-manufactured sabotage devices were not being produced because Stalin feared their misuse domestically to unseat him from power. As a result Starinov could not teach his classrooms full of future partisans in the use of standard manufactured Soviet sabotage munitons (which would have fitted political doctrine), so he had of necessity to teach them how to make improvised devices. One of the only exceptions appears to have been the F-10 device discussed in an earlier blog post.

It is clear that on several occasions Starinov himself was lucky to avoid Stalins purges. He was certainly investigated for counter-revolutionary thinking in 1935 and his party membership temporarily suspended. Some of his mentors were purged which usually meant arrested, tried and executed in short order.

In 1936 the Soviet Union decided to support the opponents of Franco in the Spanish Civil war  and Starinov volunteered for a secret mission to teach, and conduct, partisan activities using IEDs in Spain. Because the mission was secret, the explosive devices had to be largely improvised from locally available components and not shipped in from the Soviet Union, so Starinovs skills were ideal for the task. Given that in 1936/37 Stalins purges were in full swing I sense that Starinov was glad to be out of the country, and able to employ his skills for the international cause.

At one point in Valencia, Spain, Starinov was making IEDs in his accommodation at night and he and his comrades were carrying them in disguised packages every morning to the facility where he was training Spanish communist revolutionaries. Starinov had strong reservations about the operational command and control skills of the Spanish communists, and gradually became more and more insistent that they listened to him. In his diaries he discusses some of his devices with frustratingly vague descriptions, probably for ingrained operational security reasons. Amongst his descriptions are match box fuses that I think were improvised initiation fuzes (pull/push and perhaps timed), and another is described as a wheel switch that perhaps was used in railway IEDs. Im not quite sure what a wheel fuse was but they appear to have been smuggled in from Russia, and they were specifically manufactured as initiation switches- perhaps they were some form of microswitch. He describes some of them as being nearly 20 years old which is intriguing. Most importantly Starinov started to use a phrase to describe the Spanish revolutionary commandos who he trained and operated with, which he called the brigade of special designation. The phrase in Russian is Brigad Spetsialnogo Naznacheniya In typical Russian abbreviation this becomes Spetsnaz. So Starinov formed and ran the first Spetsnaz unit, conducting sabotage operations in a foreign country.

As an aside, at this point in his life, actively conducting sabotage operations using IEDs, Starinov had to square his violent activities with his politics. Here is is own justification, which is very interesting:

From the most remote times, saboteurs have been condemned as dark and violent men, with neither conscience or honor. Theres no argument that the dregs of humanity graduating from the intelligence schools of bourgeois nations are animals of this type. But in armies fighting for popular causes, demolition men become the best. most dedicated and most humane fighters.

Make of that what you will.

In Spain Starinov began to train small groups of men who would cross over secretly into enemy territory conduct sabotage operations using IEDs and operate in what today would be pretty close to Spetnaz operations. Starinov took part in several operations but also continued to develop the IEDs. He had particular challenges with dynamite which was too sensitive for convenient use, but he struggled with several attempts to de-sensitize it, usually making it too insensitive. But it demonstrates considerable innovative thought in his IED techniques and determination to operate in non-ideal conditions  key lessons were learned.

During one operation Strainov learned another key lesson. The concrete bridge they were attempting to destroy was simply too sturdily built, and Starinov realised, and was able to convince his Spanish colleagues, that using a smaller amount of explosives to attack train was likely to be a more effective operation. But of course this form of attacks requires, ideally, different initiation switches so the insurgents could depart before the train arrived.

I believe this attack was by Starinovs unit in Spain but I cannot be certain

One device is described by Starinov (vaguely as usual) as an ampule fused explosive device. I believe this was a modern version of the Jacobi fuse which I have described in earlier posts. It consists of a glass ampule containing sulphuric acid which when broken reacts with potassium chlorate to detonate explosives. (I think it was used as a victim operated device, and it wasnt like the British time delay pencils which could also be described as ampule devices but which would not have worked in this mode of employment). Starinov describes these as being laid in ruts in tracks to attack chasing enemy Spanish fascist forces.

Elsewhere he also describes electrical booby-trap switches using the action of pressure or with a tripwire. He worked extensively in a small garage workshop in the back streets of Valencia developing and making a wide range of IEDs. I doubt it would have looked very different to a modern backstreet IED workshop in Syria. Bizarrely he describes how he would rather work making IEDs rather than accompany his colleagues to watch the spectacle of the bullfight where innocent animals were killed.

He also learned much from failed devices, improving their design and hence consistency. In particular he found the ampule designs operated too slowly so he successfully redesigned wheel switches and ampule fuses to operate faster. Interestingly he also developed timed safe-to-arm circuits to make the positioning of the devices safer. The safe-to-arm timing was about ten minutes, but I have no detail on how this was achieved, but I think it was electrical. I think this was an important development and I can find no mention of a electrical safe-to-arm timing circuit in an IED in history before this. At one point Starinov complains that the macho Spanish emplacers were not bothering to use the safe-to-arm circuit, so he redesigned the whole system circuitry so they had no choice.

Starinovs IED innovation seems to have been endless. He designed a special IED that could be emplaced between the rails at speed (less than a minute), designed to explode before the train wheels arrived at that point and so derail the train. They contained only 1.5kg of explosives so were more efficient in terms of explosive utilisation than a large charge set to explode under a train. These were called rapidas mines because they could be set so quickly.

At one point Sarinov was unhappy with the sensitivity of dynamite still. So he obtained a number of massive depth charges from the Navy and in the garage workshop in Valencia melted out two tons of TNT for his devices. He also adapted pocket watches as timing devices, and made improvised grenades. One particular attack is worthy of note. Starinovs team had identified a munitions train and a tunnel, through which the train would pass. Starinov built what he called a pick up mine. As the train entered the tunnel a hidden hook system of some sort caused the train to pick up the explosive device which contained 50kg of explosives. Now attached to the train the device functioned a few seconds later in the centre of the tunnel, destroying the tunnel and all the munitions on the train at once. Interestingly Starinov describes this device as having been originally developed in Kiev in 1932.

In the spring of 1937, IED attacks on trains and vehicles became an almost daily occurrence. The counter-measures, patrols and search techniques used by the opposition encouraged Starinov to develop anti-handling devices for when the IEDs were discovered. They also developed anti-train IEDs with long delays that could be planted on moonless nights but would activate and detonate as a train passed over a couple of weeks later. Other magnetic IEDs were developed which could be slapped on a target. One particular attack is worthy of attention, although Starinov reports it, he may have not had any direct role. The monastery of La Virgen de la Cabeza was occupied by fascist forces in April 1937. One week a passing itinerant mule-rider came under fire from the monastery. He abandoned his mule which was then taken into the monastery. This was noticed and the event exploited by the besiegers, who caused it to happen again 10 days later. This time the Trojan mule was carrying a large IED containing 20kg of dynamite on a timer and it detonated inside the gate as intended.

Starinov eventually left Spain in the autumn of 1937  with a strong conviction that his explosive successes were built on the preparatory work done in the Soviet Union in the early 30s. Little did he know that he would fold back his Spanish experiences into identical activity against the Germans some four years later. Take this important assessment that he made:

In Spain, the tactics and techniques of mining worked out by Soviet-led partisans were more sophisticated than those employed by the enemy for minesweeping. The enemy could not guarantee the security of their rear area. They never did learn how to find several types of our mines, and those they did find, they could not disarm except by exploding them. German and Italian sappers (operating to assist Francos forces) tried to learn about our equipment but we constantly gave them new puzzles to work on. Sometimes we set booby traps for them, or fitted mines with fuses that couldnt be removed or used magnetic mines which were unfamiliar to the enemy.

In the ten month period he was in Spain, between December 1936 and September 1937, the unit which Starinov was attached to and for whom he made his IEDs carried out 239 sabotage operations, 17 ambushes, derailed 87 trains, destroyed 112 vehicles and killed 2,300 enemy. His unit lost 14 members. He also trained hundreds of Spanish and international partisans.

Starinov returned to Russia and found the place fearful of the purges  many of his former colleagues and commanders had been arrested and executed. Alongside them, many of the partisans he had trained were also purged. He was extremely uncomfortable, but there was nothing he could do other than hope he wouldnt be purged himself. He was interrogated at the Lyubyanka and only then realised that all his efforts to set up a defensive partisan capability and weapons caches along the Soviet Unions Western border had been liquidated and cancelled, out of the paranoid fear that drove the Great Terror  Stalin felt threatened by such an underground capability. Starinov was shocked.

Importantly though, Starinov was promoted to Colonel and given responsibility for managing a military test range. His resources included an experimental workshop, an 18km railway and a company of demolition troops. He set to work developing new methods of destroying and repairing railways lines and developing explosive devices for a variety of special purposes. Amidst the chaos of the Great Terror of Stalins purges this was the perfect employment for him. He also developed counter-counter-mine technology at increasingly high levels of sophistication. This included the development of special augers that would bury explosives deep, beyond detection or plough capabilities. He wrote a dissertation called On Mining Railroads on explosive methods of putting railroads out of action for at least six months but with specialised equipment could be repaired much more quickly if the territory was recaptured from an enemy.

In November 1939 Starinov was posted to command an EOD unit supporting the Russian invasion of Finland. What is very significant here is the process of Weapons Technical Intelligence conducted by Starinov and his team on the Finnish mines, which he assessed as extremely complex. This technical exploitation was conducted rapidly in the field on recovered devices. The first step was to melt out the compressed TNT in the mine, in a variety of captured Finnish cooking pots and a captured bath tub  no kidding. Within 24 hours Starinov had written up his exploitation report on the boiled mines and instructions on disarming them for future EOD operations. During this period, on occasion Starinov ended up defusing mines, along with his professor from the test range. He wasnt the sort of man to hang back He was eventually shot in the arm by a Finnish sniper, and left the Front to recover. While recovering he was assigned to be Chief of Mine and Barrier training at Military Engineering Headquarters. Again a perfect posting for him. Starinov saw his role in the job as bringing up the Red Armys mine clearance capability to international standards.

On 22nd June 1941, Operation Barbarossa started and the Germans turned on their allies, the Soviets, and invaded. Starinov was in Minsk to start with and quickly returned to Moscow. He was given the task of defensive demolition on the strategic route to Moscow, but frankly struggled due to a lack of appropriate munitions and materiel. All his efforts from 1926 to 1934 had been squandered. He was given command of a weakened brigade of sappers, and the only digging equipment they had was spades. There was one rifle for every 3 soldiers under his command.

Starinov headed for the front to begin preparing bridges for demolition  but he found the NKVD had been given responsibility for the bridges and had not been informed of his engineering mission  they arrested him for a few hours as a saboteur. Such were the challenges of a dysfunctional Russian military at this time. Afterwards he led his sappers in conducting a series of demolitions in support of the retreat, and he was able to begin to return to his instinctive choice of enabling partisan IED operations behind enemy lines. The shortage of military demolition explosives also meant that Starinov reverted again to his instincts of making IEDs, but there were other reasons behind this too. As an example, the standard Russian production anti-tank mine was simply not big enough  it might break a German tank track but little more  so Starinovs sappers, under his guidance, improvised much larger charges to go alongside the mine, or replaced them completely with IEDs. More importantly, Starinov got momentum politically to start training partisans again, by setting up a training school in Belorussia  all using improvised explosives. He was frustrated about a lack of time and resources but in his mind it was a hugely positive step. At this point Starinov was using Ammonium Nitrate fertiliser mixed with Aluminium powder, as a main charge for his IEDs and personally teaching lessons on its manufacture and use to the partisans. He commandeered material from farms from factories and from pharmacies.



Soviet partisans laying explosive devices.

At this point the political pendulum swung. Since about 1934 the NKVD, Stalins Secret Police had been an obstacle for Starinov as they dismantled the partisan program he had worked so hard on, and they led the purges of Stalins Great Terror. Suddenly in 1941, with the Germans invading, Stalin himself called for partisan action, and the NKVD switched, of course instantly, in their attitude. Starinov was a pragmatist and saw an opportunity  and he simply co-opted the NKVD into his partisan program, demanding they assist and join his sappers and swing their considerable influence over resources to help him.

As the Germans advanced through the Ukraine, more and more partisans were trained, equipped with IEDs or with ability to manufacture their own, and they slipped behind enemy lines to begin classic partisan warfare. Meanwhile the Red Army, in increasingly frantic efforts, used explosives to attempt the slow the advance.

Here our story meets my earlier post about the F-10 radio controlled devices. In October 1941 the focus of the Germans was the capture of Kharkhov, Russias second city. Starinov led a truly massive effort to booby trap the entire city with literally hundreds of IEDs  booby traps, long time delayed devices of a month or so, dummy deception devices to slow the German advance through the city and a small number of very large F-10 radio controlled devices. Starinov himself led a six man engineer team to carefully emplace and disguise a 350kg F-10 device, dug in 2m below the cellar of the local Communist Party Headquarters at 17 Dzerzhinsky St in Kharkhov, a grand building which the Russians hoped would be requisitioned by the Germans for its military headquarters. With great care they disguised the F-10 device deep, hid its 30m long antenna, re-laid the basement floor, repainted the walls and laid another large device in the cellar in the full expectation that it would be spotted and disarmed, but act as a distraction.

On the night of 13 November some three weeks later, the transmitter was set up 300km away in Voronezh to send the activation signal. As we know, the explosion was a success and the German General Braun was killed along with many members of his staff  but the Russians didnt find this out for certain until 1943. However the broader activity of explosive devices laid across the City was remarkably successful and stunned the Germans. Heres an excerpt from the diary of a German officer, describing the impact of Starinovs IEDs in and around this large city:

It reminds me of much more recent reports about towns filled with ISIS IEDs in Iraq and Syria.

Of the 315 delayed action mines laid by Starinovs sappers in Kharkhov, the German engineers were only able to find 37. Of these, a mere 14 were defused, the rest were blown in place.

Starinovs next mission was to defend Moscow, and he was actively involved in that planning and encouraging the laying of tens of thousands of mines and other explosive devices. A single Russian engineer group, just one of a number, laid 52,000 anti tank mines in the ground around Moscow, and then when it snowed to several feet in depth, they laid more mines in the snow. It was a remarkable effort.

Starinov continued to push for greater use of partisan IED attacks in December 1941, getting inevitably bogged down in Communist Party machinations and policy development by people (including Stalin) who did not understand his concepts. Even making suggestions that wouldnt go down well with Stalin or one of his immediate supporters was a life risking effort. This quote stands out from one of his submissions:

A tank battalion is a terrible force on the battlefield, but when it is on a troop train it is completely defenseless and can be destoyed by two or three partisan saboteurs

Starinov was then posted to develop the anti-tank defences around Rostov on Don. Finding the Red Army there very short indeed of manufactured anti-tank mines, he did what we now expect of Starinov. He designed and had built in local workshops tens of thousands of his own anti-tank mines.

In the summer of 1942, Starinovs constant imploring to resource partisan sabotage operations finally got traction and furthermore he was appointed to the staff of the Partisan Movement, allowing him to directly influence and develop his pet strategic projects. He became responsible for a new partisan training school and also for developing appropriate technology. In this latter role, Starinov continued to innovate, including, for example the development of cone shaped charges for anti-train operations, although Im not entirely clear how this was used. His staff also experimented with detonation systems and experimented with anti-materiel rifles against trains. In particular they experimented to develop the most efficient use of explosives to damage trains with the smallest quantity of explosives. They also further developed the rapida mines first used in Spain, and more importantly came up with concepts of operation for using multiple IEDs of various sorts and delays, in a mix to further hamper enemy rail activity. Starinov also thought deeply about the operational level plans and the structure , communications and strategies to be used by partisan groups.

In March 1943, Starinov was posted again, this time directly to the Ukrainian Partisan command of the Southern Front. His mission was to cut the German supply lines that crossed the Ukraine. He established a sabotage department in the Staff Headquarters. In April 1943, Starinov was directly involved a a massive coordinated sabotage operation  code named RAIL WAR intended to overwhelm the Ukrianinain railway system in a tremendous number of simultaneous attacks on rails using explosive devices. Starinov was unhappy with this as he would have preferred to attack the trains themselves and felt he had the technology to do that which was going to be wasted. But orders were orders. The intent was for partisans to destroy a huge number of individual rails  85,000 in one month long period. In the end Krushchev quietly gave alternate instructions after it was pointed out that 85,000 rails was only 2% of the Ukrainian national infrastructure. In the last 6 months of 1943, Ukrainian partisans destroyed a very remarkable 3,143 trains. Let that sink in. In a six month period, Starinovs devices destroyed well over 3000 trains in the Ukraine. Amazing.

In September 1943 another massive series of attacks on Railway lines was planned,  this one called operation CONCERTO. Many of the Ukrainian partisans utilised Starinovs occnept of a complex explosive attack using a number of IEDs and mines of different types. By this time the partisans where well equipped and manned with about 200,000 personnel. Starinovs pet project was finally working.

Strarinov later assisted in the training of Polish partisans and after the war was involved in EOD duties. Allegedly he taught the KGB and GRU about explosive devices for many years later, and was often an adviser to the Russian government regarding the IED threat from Chechnya. He died at the age of 100 in 2000.

So, Starinovs importance in the history of IEDs is clear. He probably designed more IEDs, made more IEDs, and trained more IED makers than any other person in history. The lessons he learned in his remarkable life, and how he then deployed his expertise are very instructive. He wasnt the first to combine partisan style operations with IED usage, but he certainly had the most impact.



Starinov in RetirementThe greenhouse structure at Wellesbourne Campus. Photo submitted.

WORK is underway on an innovative new greenhouse research facility at the University of Warwicks Wellesbourne Campus.

Planning was granted in February for the new 1230m facility, which uses a range of advanced construction and design technologies.

It is the first major construction at Wellesbourne Campus since Warwick acquired the site in 2004. The new greenhouse will also be built in the year the site celebrates 70 years as a national centre of excellence for crop research

The project is a partnership between Crop Health and Protection (CHAP), one of the four UK Agritech Centres funded by Innovate UK, the innovator and developer, RIPE Building Services, and the University of Warwick, which will coordinate research through its School of Life Sciences.

The new structure, named the Natural Light Growing (NLG) Centre, is being built by RIPE using patented materials and construction technology and will allow the full spectrum of natural light through into the protective growing environment. This is expected to increase crop yield and speed of growth as well as improve qualities like taste, plant health and vigour. The beneficial effects of the full spectrum growing conditions on crop plants are not yet fully understood and the greenhouse will act as a demonstration facility and experimental hub to study several crop characteristics.

The new structure will be completed this month and officially opened in the summer.if the people of Biafra want Republic of Biafra, it will be a reality during my administration. ----Donald Trump Donald Trump I wi...Patrick van Katwijk/Getty Images

Todays royal brooch post is an absolute whopper! As we begin our annual June exploration of magnificent royal pearls, weve got a closer look today at the grand diamond and pearl devant de corsage from the Dutch royal vaults.

Patrick van Katwijk/Getty Images

The corsage ornament (or, as theyre sometimes called, stomacher) was made in the early nineteenth century. The piece features a large diamond bow from which a pearl pendant is suspended. A diamond-studded chain also hangs from the brooch, supporting a smaller diamond bow brooch and a pair of additional pearl pendants. The jewel contains several rare pink diamonds.

Wikimedia Commons

The first recorded wearer of the devant de corsage was Sophie of Wurttemberg, the German princess who married King Willem III of the Netherlands in 1839. You can spot the jewel pinned to the bodice of her gown in the portrait above, which dates to the late 1830s or early 1840s. Sophies mother was Grand Duchess Catharina Pavlovna of Russia, and many think that the stomacher may have originally belonged to her. Some even call this piece the Russian Brooch.

Atelier J. Merkelbach/Wikimedia Commons

After Queen Sophies death, the devant de corsage remained with the Dutch royals. It was eventually inherited by Queen Wilhelmina, the only child of King Willem IIIs second marriage. She chose the ornament for a series of portraits taken at the time of her abdication. Youll see it pinned to her gown above. Youll also note that, in Wilhelminas portrait, the two pearl pendants at the bottom of the jewel (as well as in Queen Sophies portrait) are attached so that they hang as negligee pendants. (For a refresher on what that term means in the jewelry world, head over here!)

Wim van Rossem/Anefo/Nationaal Archief/Wikimedia Commons

The brooch was worn in the same configuration by Queen Juliana, who loved jewelry and wore this piece numerous times. Above, she wears the ornament for a gala dinner at the Austrian Embassy in May 1961.

Robin Utrecht  Pool/Getty Images

As is the case with most of these grand jewels, the different sections can be detached and worn in various configurations. Princess Beatrix often wore the larger bow alone with a trio of pearl pendants (or, on occasion, with three diamond drops). She chose this version of the ornament for the dinner held in Amsterdam on the night before her abdication in April 2013.

Michel Porro/Getty Images

Queen Maxima has also worn the brooch on multiple occasions. Above, she pairs the piece with the Antique Pearl Tiara during the state visit from China to the Netherlands in March 2014. The occasion was a significant one: it was the first incoming state visit of her husbands reign.

Patrick van Katwijk/Getty Images

More recently, Maxima wore the grand ornament for the annual gala diner for the Diplomatic Corps held in April 2019. (See all the jewels from the gala here!)

Patrick van Katwijk/Getty Images

She also paired the devant de corsage with the Antique Pearl Tiara for the diplomatic gala. (Learn more about the tiara here!)MBABANE  Soon, motorists will be expected to contribute millions of Emalangeni into governments dry coffers.



This is in respect of money they will have to pay to acquire new drivers licences and new registration plate numbers, courtesy of the new traffic regulations.

Minister of Finance Neal Rijkenberg who is responsible for the countrys revenue, yesterday told the Times SUNDAY that he was not aware of these regulations.



However, Minister of Public Works and Transport Chief Ndlaluhlaza Ndwandwe told this publication last week that the regulations were passed in the previous Parliament and the commencement date is yet to be announced.

His Principal Secretary, Makhosini Mndawe, confirmed the same.

During his maiden national budget presentation in February, Rijkenberg announced a number of proposed revenue measures, which include updating a number of fees and fines relating to areas such as vehicles, many of which had not been reviewed in over 10 years.



new revenue measures



The finance minister stated that he was looking at the passage of new revenue measures that would increase domestic revenue collection by E900 million, which includes E400 million linked to the sale of government assets.

With above 400 000 motor vehicles registered in the Kingdom of Eswatini as per information provided to this publication in 2015, government is expected to rake in at least E68 million when motorists acquire the new registration numbers.

This is calculated at the minimum E170 that government charges for motor vehicle registration (licencing) from old to new number plates.



Assuming that every vehicle has a licenced driver, it would translate to a minimum of 400 000 registered motor vehicle drivers in the kingdom.

Since renewing a drivers licence costs E75 a person, it means licencing the 400 000 drivers would rake in a minimum of E30 million for government.

With these figures combined, government is likely to make a minimum of E98 million from the motorists.



But as these regulations  the Road Traffic Regulations of 2017  kick in, the good news for motorists is that current holders of drivers licences will not be required to undergo retesting in order to be issued with the new licences.

As provided for in the regulations, the current holders shall make an application to the Registrar of Road Traffic, who in turn shall without requiring the applicant to undergo any test, issue an applicant with a drivers licence.

This is if the registrar is satisfied that the documents of the applicant are valid and relate to the category of driving licence for which the applicant applied.



new codes for new licences



The new licences shall have new codes that are different from the old licences.

The authority granted by the new licence shall be as prescribed for the code of that licence and the holder of the licence shall be authorised to drive the class of motor vehicle for which the driver had authority under the old licence, reads the regulations.

They state that where the old licence authorised the driving of a motor vehicle propelled by electric power, the authority granted by the new licence shall, subject to the new licence being endorsed accordingly, be prescribed for the relevant code of that licence.



Also, where the old licence authorised the driving of motor vehicle that is specifically adapted, constructed or equipped for use by a physically disabled person, the authority granted by the new licence shall, subject to endorsement, be as prescribed for the relevant code of that licence.



Besides the drivers licences, the new regulations also direct that the registration plates of every general and public transport vehicle will have to be changed to reflect the countrys name change from Swaziland (SD) to Eswatini (ES).

The new registration plates will replace the current design which was introduced in 2010 and closely resembles the number plates used in neighbouring South Africa.

This was purportedly done in an attempt to reduce hijacking of Eswatini-registered cars travelling into South Africa.



However, there is no need for motorists to rush to have the new registration plates because no deadlines have been set.

Instead, the new registration plates will be obtained when a vehicle owner goes to renew the vehicles licence.

If the vehicle is being registered for the first time after the regulations, the new registration plates will be displayed on that vehicle.



new registration plates



Notwithstanding these, owners can also apply for the new registration plates in terms of the new regulations at any time before they renew their vehicles licences. According to the regulations, the general and public transport vehicles registration plates shall have a reflective surface with a translucent ink that shall be sky blue with traditional huts and rising sun, rolling Lubombo mountains and the green fertile valleys of Eswatini.

The 2010 design consists of black lettering superimposed over a pictorial image of a landscape of hills. Between the main number and the registration districts, two traditional Eswatini beehive huts (known as Gucasithandaze) are shown over a background of the setting sun.



The plates are valid for five years, and have a sticker indicating the year of expiry.

These registration numbers consist of a random letter, followed by the letters SD, a space, three numbers, another space, and then two random letters (e.g. ASD 000 BM).

This allows for 26 x 10 x 10 x 10 x 26 x 26 = 17 576 000 vehicle registration numbers.



The new registration plates shall consist of the letters ES; three figures that shall commence with the number 000 to 999; an alphabet, and the letter H for the district of Hhohho; M for Manzini; L for Lubombo; and S for Shiselweni.

For instance, it may look like this: AES 001 AH



Government vehicles, meanwhile, shall have their registration plates starting with the letters GES followed by the number 000 and progress to 999 and two letters depicting the government ministry to which the motor vehicle is allocated.

Personalised registration plates, on the other hand, will comprise a maximum six letters, followed by the letters ES; or maximum of six figures, followed by the letters ES; or a combination of a maximum of six letters and figures followed by the letters ES.

All this on condition that the personalised registration plates do not comprise letters and figures that duplicate a mark that may be allocated under the general registration plates system.



DIPLOMATS AND CONSULAR

For diplomats, their vehicles registration plates shall comprise the letters ES and then the letter D; three figures that shall commence with the number 000 and progress to 999; two letters denoting the embassy identification; and white letters on a deep red background.

For a consular, the registration plates shall comprise the letters ES followed by the letter C; three figures that shall commence with the number 000 and progress to 999; two letters denoting the consular office identification; and white letters on a deep red background

The new registration plates shall be manufactured or sold by persons registered as manufacturers of these plates in terms of the new regulations.

An application for registration as a manufacturer of registration plates in terms of the Road Traffic Act shall be made on form MNP (Manufacturer of Number Plates). Manufactored registration plates shall be required to comply with the requirements of standard specification SABS 1116: Retro-reflective Registration Plates for Motor Vehicles Part 2: Registration plates (metal); regulation 34(2) and (3).



vehicle chassis number

The manufacturers will be required to keep a register of registration plates manufactured and the register shall contain the licence number brought onto the registration plate concerned; and the chassis number of the vehicle to which the registration plate is sold; and such additional information as required by the Director  Road Transportation Department (RTD).

Manufacturers of registration plates shall only use such materials and processes in the manufacture of registration plates as are approved by the SABS and for which test reports are held on the premises of such manufacturer.

The registration certificate of every manufacturer shall be displayed in a conspicuous position on the premises and in a manner that is visible to members of the public. The RTD director has the powers to cancel or suspend the registration of a registration plates manufacturer and shall notify the latter of such intention and the reason.



written representation

The manufacturer may then make a written representation to the director within 21 days of having received the notification. If the manufacturers registration is cancelled, they are expected to submit their certificate or registration to the director within 14 days of such cancellation.

In November 2010, this publication reported that there was only one company  Eco-Rev Distributors, based at Sidwashini industrial site in Mbabane, which supplied the sheets for the registration plates. It also reported that there were companies that did the actual printing of the registration plates.

These eight companies were identified as: Instrument and Control Systems; VICOM (Pty) Ltd; Royston Engineering (Pty) Ltd; Yemane Gebreegziabher Super signs; Naqakf Signs and Plates; Arts and Signs (Simon Simelane);January Masina  JJ Sings and Hopeline.Thousands of Albanian opposition supporters took to the streets again Sunday to demand new elections despite repeated calls from Western powers to sit down for talks. At least seven police officers and a demonstrator were injured in scattered violence during the protest.

The center-right Democratic Party-led opposition supporters gathered at the main government building accusing center-left Socialist Party Prime Minister Edi Rama of corruption and links to organized crime. They want Rama to resign and an interim Cabinet to take the country to an early parliamentary election.

"The whole of our battle is for a free and fair election, for European values," said Democratic leader Lulzim Basha.

Flares, smoke and firebombs were hurled at the government building during Basha\s speech.

Then Basha led supporters to parliament where a small group of supporters with their faces covered continuously smoke bombs and noisy firecrackers.

Police eventually used water cannons and tear gas when a small group tried to get closer to the building.

Interior Minister Sander Lleshaj said seven police officers were injured. An opposition supporter was injured by a firecracker that exploded near his legs outside parliament.

Opposition protests have been going on since mid-February. Rama\s Socialists say the opposition is hurting the country\s image as European Union leaders decide whether to launch full membership negotiations with Tirana.

The EU, U.S. and other Western institutions have asked the opposition to avoid violence and to hold talks instead to resolve the country\s political deadlock.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, who was on a brief visit to Tirana on Sunday, called on both sides "to resolve any differences through dialogue and established political processes."

"Political violence contradicts our democratic values. It is absolutely unacceptable," he said at a news conference four hours before the rally.

The opposition has relinquished its seats at parliament and is boycotting Albania\s June 30 municipal election.

The Socialists, who have enough parliamentary seats to run on their own, have launched their electoral campaign saying they can\t violate the constitution and change the election day.

___

SOURCE: APThis domain is pending renewal or has expired. Please contact the domain provider with questions.Horizon Education Asia Limited (HEAL), the Southeast Asian subsidiary of educational asset management company Al Najah Education, has announced its acquisition of a significant stake in Malaysia-based Regent International Schools.



The deal is a significant coup for Al Najah Education, which currently owns and operates 31 pre-schools and training centres in Singapore through HEAL, and four schools in the United Arab Emirates and Oman.



Al Najah Education is a private equity investment company advised by Regulus Capital Limited and Regulus Advisors Pte Ltd. It has a mandate to invest in the education sector across Mena and Southeast Asia, with HEAL being the subsidiary through which all Southeast Asian investments are made.



Raza Khan, CEO of Al Najah Education, said: This marks HEALs first investment into Malaysia, and aligns with efforts to complement its education portfolio in Singapore. HEAL plans to continue investing and expanding through the entire Southeast Asian region, further growing the Al Najah Education portfolio on a global scale.



Farid Rosli, managing director of Regulus Advisors Pte Ltd. commented: "On behalf of HEAL, we are proud to announce our acquisition of Regent International Schools. This acquisition boosts HEALs presence in the market, in particular within the K-12 International School segment, and demonstrates HEAL's growth ambitions for provision of private education in Southeast Asia. We will continue our efforts to offer quality early childhood education, enrichment, and children and adult training institutions.



With five school campuses spanning Klang, Puching, Sungei Petani and Kuantan, Regent International Schools form part of an established private school group offering the IGCSE curriculum in Malaysia. According to Khan, the choice of investment into the Regent International Schools was the perfect fit as Al Najah Education prides itself on offering quality education at an affordable rate.



Dato Nelson Renganathan, CEO of Regent International School stated: We look forward to the opportunities for Regent International School as a result of this formidable partnership. HEAL and its parent entity, Al Najah Education are both established private education providers in the Middle East and South East Asia, and we foresee that the partnership will bring Regent International Schools closer to its vision of becoming the preferred international schools in Malaysia.



We envisage at least two additional schools to be launched in the next 24 months, spearheaded by the combined expertise of our own assets as well as those of HEAL, concluded Renganathan.  TradeArabia News ServiceThe progress of Bahrain's healthcare sector and its investment opportunities will be highlighted at a major forum to be held in October.



The first Business Development Forum and Fair (BDFEX) in healthcare sector will be held under the patronage of Lieutenant General Doctor Sheikh Mohamed Bin Abdullah, chairman of the Supreme Council of Health, on October 23 and 24.



The International Business Consultancy and Development Company (PROACT) and United Gulf Industrial Consortia (UGICON) will organise the event.



The forum aims to reinforce the local content of healthcare sector by providing new technologies and investments to achieve excellence and sustainable development in health sector in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia as well, it said.



Moreover, the forum aims to create new jobs in the industry and enhance its added value by encouraging more investment in both small and medium enterprises and linking entrepreneurs with investors.



This event is, furthermore, an opportunity for all business and healthcare professionals to participate in the conference, which will include a select group of speakers, as well as many local and foreign investors looking for investment opportunities in Bahrain.



The particularity of this forum lies in its focus on investment in healthcare sectors in both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, especially as Bahrain is witnessing an increasing rise of Saudi investments in establishing and managing various types of healthcare facilities in medicine, dentistry, pharmaceutical factories and others.



It is worth mentioning that Bahrain is known for being the first destination for many Saudis who would like to receive various treatment services. However, the same applies to Bahraini citizens who prefer to visit clinics and hospitals in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia in particular.



Besides the strategic position of Bahrain in the Gulf, it should be noted that choosing Bahrain to host this forum shows Bahrain's pioneering position in health sector in the Gulf, and highlights its ideal environment for anyone who wants to invest in a country that is rich in human resources and the best qualified experts in the Middle East, it stated.  TradeArabia News ServiceBahrain Airport Company (BAC) will showcase its latest developments at the Air Cargo Europe 2019, a leading exhibition and conference for the air cargo industry, to be held later this week, in Germany.



More than 2,000 exhibitors are expected to attend this years event, which takes place in Munich, from June 4 to 7, said a Bahrain News Agency report.



The event brings together the biggest players in the airfreight industry to network and explore potential partnership opportunities, providing an opportunity for BAC to highlight the advantages of operating out of Bahrain International Airport (BIA), as well as the improvements being made to its air cargo infrastructure as part of the Airport Modernisation Programme, it said.



During the event, BAC team members will showcase BIAs ongoing development projects to international logistics companies and freight forwarders with the aim of attracting new businesses to the airport.



The event will also enable BAC to forge new business relationships with other regional and international airports and learn from their experiences.



In addition, BAC team members will present the companys vision for BIAs upcoming new Cargo Area, a state-of-the-art, automated facility that will help turn logistics and air cargo into one of Bahrains primary industries.



Through the introduction of the new facility, BAC aims to build strategic partnerships with multinational logistics providers, which will help strengthen Bahrain's position as a leading provider of efficient logistics services in the GCC and wider Middle East. At the beginning of the year, US multinational courier company FedEx Express signed up as the anchor tenant and will operate 9,000 sq m at the new facility.Mastercard, a leading technology company in the global payments industry, has partnered with Bahrain FinTech Bay to support the development of Bahrains fintech industry, and the growth of Bahraini startups and SMEs, aligned to the Kingdoms Vision 2030.



Through the partnership, Mastercard and Bahrain FinTech Bay will work together to offer Bahraini startups and SMEs with educative and commercial opportunities that advance their technological capabilities and business prospects, said a statement.



Mastercard has committed to hosting knowledge-sharing workshops for startups, mentoring them on current trends within the fintech space, helping them find the best suited strategic partners for their expansion, and offering them the chance to receive first-hand insights from Mastercards global leadership team on the latest in international payments technology.



Participating entrepreneurs will also have the opportunity to join Mastercards flagship award-winning program for fintechs, Mastercard Start Path. The platform accelerates startups paths to scalability by giving them a curated access to channels and customers globally, as well as offering strategic investment.



J K Khalil, general manager, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, Mastercard, said: Bahrain is poised to be one of the leading fintech hubs of the region, thanks to a vibrant startup culture that is complemented by strong public sector backing.



As a leading global technology company, we are well suited to offering the kingdoms startups with both commercial and technological support. Through platforms such as Mastercard Start Path, we will be offering startups with hands-on guidance, mentorship and engagement opportunities that will enable their long term success and raise the bar of innovation in the sector, he said.



The grassroots level expertise of Bahrain FinTech Bay combined with the scalability and global access that Mastercard can offer, makes this partnership a beaming opportunity for the countrys entrepreneurs, and a significant milestone in the Kingdoms journey of becoming a cashless society, he added.



Khalid Saad, chief executive officer of Bahrain FinTech Bay, said: We continue to strategically grow our local and international ecosystem and the partnership with Mastercard, one of the worlds leading technology companies and most recognisable brands will go a long way in such growth.



Through this partnership, we look to further promote awareness and development of Bahrains FinTech and innovation ecosystem. FinTechs will also benefit firsthand from Mastercards Start Path platform aimed at helping them accelerate their growth, he added.



The partnership will also see Bahrain FinTech Bay help Mastercard achieve its strategic interests in the country by engaging Mastercards employees in its own fintech initiatives, facilitating networking opportunities with the countrys startup and financial leaders, and enabling access for companies that are a part of Mastercard Start Path to expansion opportunities in Bahrain.



With its strong prospects for growth, the financial technology market in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region is estimated to grow by up to $125 million a year to reach $2.5 billion in 2022, bringing the number of fintech start-ups from six in 2005 to 250 by 2020.



The sector is poised for a major leap with projected private-funding investments worth $2 billion in start-ups in the GCC over the next decade. Mastercard is committed to unlocking this economic potential through a series strategic initiatives within the region that add real value to fintechs, and foster innovation across Mena.  TradeArabia News ServiceLocalising and developing the ever-growing Blockchain technology industry could lead to a monumental growth in Bahrains economy, experts said at a seminar recently organised by NGN Training Center in the kingdom.



Global studies show that the technology market is growing steadily, with the Blockchain technology market expected to grow from $ 210 million in 2016 to $ 2.3 billion by 2021, a cumulative annual growth rate of more than 60 percent. Participants recommended that the Blockchain technology industry be localized and developed rapidly in Bahrain to stimulate the Kingdoms economic growth.



CEO of NGN Yaqoob Al Awadhi said: Entrepreneurs, investors, government officials and private institutions must come up with a strategy so Bahrain can benefit from this technology in the best way possible. They must discuss the opportunities and challenges arising from Blockchain technology, and its diverse applications ranging from trade and payments to security and legal ownership.



He stressed the importance of taking advantage of Bahrain's leadership in launching the fifth generation communication (5G) technology, its advanced laws and regulations, and qualified national competencies.



These factors will collectively contribute to creating an environment conducive to making the Kingdom a regional hub for the development of Blockchain, in addition to the Kingdoms successes achieved in localising the financial technology (FinTech) industry, said Al Awadhi.



In order for the industry to grow steadily in the Kingdom, the specialised technology should be developed in line with the needs of Bahrains private and public institutions.



NGN's seminar on Blockchain is part of the company's efforts to support the digital transformation in the Kingdom of Bahrain, and strengthen our partnership with leading national institutions seeking to invest in this modern technology to enhance their performance, said Al Awadhi.



NGN provides long-term solutions to the business sector in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and around the world based on information technology, consulting, information security, networking, virtual reality, 3D solutions and advanced technologies such as cloud computing and Blockchain.



Head of e-Banking at BBK, Hassan Al Shehabi said: The financial services sector is most likely to be affected by this new technology. Hence, I have been exploring ways through which Blockchain can change the approach of regional banks to trade, settlement, and asset and investment management; recognizing that this new technology could lead to greater efficiency, security, reliability and speed.



The president's advisor for Strategy and Development at the University of Bahrain, Cameron Mirza, said: However, despite its momentum and promising potential of growth with this technology, there are some sources that warn of certain factors that hinder the growth of this technology. This includes the lack of international standards and technology standards, since it would require a radical change in the procedures, laws and policies which could hinder their development.  TradeArabia News ServiceJapan imported 21.564 million barrels of crude oil from the United Arab Emirates in April 2019, data released by the Agency of Energy and Natural Resource in Tokyo showed.

This accounts for 23.7 percent of Japan's total crude imports, the agency that belong to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, said. Japans total crude oil imports in that month amounted to 91.041 million barrels.

Arab oil accounted for 84 per cent of Japans petroleum needs in April, it said.(Centre L-R) Recoura and Al Azki with Al Hadhrami (third from L) andIoanna papadopoulou, marketing for Athens airport at the inaugural ceremony.

Oman Air, the national carrier of Oman, has commenced its new daily direct service between Greece and Oman, with the first flight departing Muscat International Airport to Athens International Airport on June 1.

The inaugural flight, WY 193, departed Muscat International Airport at 14:35 arriving in Athens at 19:50. With a flight time of approximately six hours, the return flight WY194 departs Athens International Airport at 00.20, arriving into the award-winning new passenger terminal at Muscat International Airport at 07.15 the next day.

Oman Airs official delegation to Athens included its senior vice president, international sales, Laurent Recoura, and regional vice president, Oman, Jamal Al Azki as well as Abdullah Al Hadhrami regional manager Airports, Oman Air.

Honorary Consul of Greece in Oman Dr Elias Nikolakopoulos also accompanied the delegation to Athens.

Abdulaziz Al Raisi, Oman Airs chief executive officer, said: I am pleased to announce the addition of the Greek capital to our network. Since we announced this route last year, we have seen strong interest to this destination, both from the travel trade community and leisure travellers. We expect this daily service connecting Muscat with Athens to further stimulate economic, trade and business relations between our two countries. Apart from strengthening and opening up new business opportunities between Greece and Oman, our flights will also act as a catalyst in driving the expansion of Greek tourists to our beautiful country, Oman.

Paul Starrs, chief commercial officer at Oman Air, said: Our new service will provide more choice and greater convenience for travellers. We are confident the addition of Athens onto our expanding global network will be appreciated by the business communities, especially Small and Medium enterprises (SMEs), as well as holiday seekers looking for new travel experiences.

The new service between Muscat and Athens is the airlines 54th destination and second route launched this year after Alexandria, Egypt and is part of Oman Airs fleet and network expansion programme, which will see the airline operate up to 70 aircraft to around 60 destinations by 2022.  TradeArabia News ServiceBahrain Airport Company (BAC) has partnered with Airports Council International (ACI) to offer training courses to BAC as part of the Tahleeq Programme, a training and development initiative aimed at shaping the future leaders of Bahrains aviation industry.



The announcement came during the ACI Asia-Pacific/World Annual General Assembly Conference and Exhibition, which took place in Hong Kong.



In line with the agreement, ACI will provide knowledge and competency-based training to Tahleeq 3 participants through a diverse range of programmes which cover all aspects of the airport business, including terminal, landside and airside operations. This will support the existing Tahleeq framework, which, through both theoretical and practical training, equips participants with advanced skill sets required for the ongoing Airport Modernisation Programme (AMP). A team of ACI professionals will arrive in Bahrain this summer to begin the comprehensive two-year training, which also aims to develop participants general aviation industry knowledge.



Mohamed Yousif Al Binfalah, chief executive officer of BAC, said: We are pleased to partner with ACI World to further align the Tahleeq programme with international airport standards and best practices. The Tahleeq programme runs in parallel with the AMP, one of the most important national projects in the Kingdoms history. Working alongside the AMP international consultants, Tahleeq participants are developing specialised skills that will support the continued development of the aviation sector. They will also benefit from the expertise and insight from one of the worlds leading aviation organisations.



Al Binfalah added: The Tahleeq programmes participants have played an active role in the various stages of the AMP, particularly the first batch who are now full-time BAC team members. Developing the skills of young Bahrainis is the driving force behind Tahleeq and we look forward to working with ACI to achieve this strategic objective.



Over the past five years, the Tahleeq programme has grown from strength to strength, as reflected by the rising number of applicants. Tahleeq 3 is the biggest in the series to date, with 40 participants in the current batch. Even after the completion of the AMP, Tahleeq will continue to contribute to the development of Bahrain International Airport by widening its talent pool.



ACI represents the worlds airports and their collective interests. It works closely with prominent aviation organisations, such as the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and the International Air Transport Association (Iata), to develop standards, policies, and recommended practices. - TradeArabia News ServiceThe International Air Transport Association (Iata) has announced that Lufthansa Group chief executive officer, Carsten Spohr, has assumed his duties as chairman of the Iata Board of Governors (BoG) for a one-year term effective from the conclusion of the 75th Iata Annual General Meeting in Seoul, Republic of Korea.



Spohr is the 78th chair of the Iata BoG. He has served on the BoG since May 2014.



Spohr succeeds Qatar Airways group chief executive Akbar Al Baker, who will continue to serve on the BoG.



Im honoured and excited to take on this role at this important time for our industry. We face a number of challenges, including growing protectionism, high taxes and trade wars. Probably the greatest challenge of all is sustainability. The Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) is a major achievement that will stabilize our carbon emissions from 2020. Now we must map out the path to achieving our much more ambitious 2050 goal  to cut net emissions to half 2005 levels. Aviation is serious about its climate change commitments. And we will be pushing hard for governments to do their part by sorting air traffic management inefficiencies and laying the policy framework for the commercialization of sustainable aviation fuels, said Spohr.



Spohr has been chairman of the executive board of Deutsche Lufthansa AG since May 1, 2014. In this role, he manages the Lufthansa Group comprising the business segments Network Airlines, Eurowings and Aviation Services, with around 135,000 employees worldwide. Spohr began his aviation career after receiving a graduate degree in business engineering at the University of Karlsruhe and holds an A320 family captains license.



I look forward to working with Carsten as chair of the Iata Board of Governors. As we continually seek to broaden the Iata membership, his experience within the Lufthansa Group will be particularly valuable," said Alexandre de Juniac, Iatas director general and CEO.



"I also want to thank Akbar Al Baker for his strong leadership and support as chairman over the last year. Under his leadership, Iata has made progress on a number of initiatives including New Distribution Capability, One ID and digital transformation. Akbar also encouraged our gender diversity initiatives, leading to the creation of the associations Diversity and Inclusion Awards to recognize those companies and individuals who are leading in this effort, said de Juniac.



Iata also announced that JetBlue Airways president and CEO Robin Hayes will serve as chairman of the BoG from June 2020, following Spohrs term. - TradeArabia News Service

A delegation of the Turkmen city of Mary visited the Russian city of Orel. The visit was an important step for implementation of the long-term cooperation program between the sister cities. The sister relations between the two cities were officially established during the official visit by President of Russia Vladimir Putin to Turkmenistan in October 2017.

As part of the visit, the high level delegation of the administrative center of Mary province had the opportunity to become acquainted with the operations of the leading enterprises of the city of Orel. Meeting in the framework of exchange of business contacts at the Orel Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the sides exchanged business information that might be mutually interesting for the business structures of the sister cities.

The Turkmen delegation had meetings with Governor of Orel region Andrei Klychkov and Mayor of the city of Orel Vasily Novikov. The sides noted the importance of the first step for establishment of strong interregional relations between the two cities in line with the general trend of development of comprehensive cooperation between Turkmenistan and the Russian Federation.

 TURKMENISTAN.RU, 2021Contributed by Jonathan Stevenson / In the autobiographical film The Souvenir, writer-director Joanna Hoggs fourth and latest feature and a gemlike crystallization of her seamless method, she uses Jean-Honore Franogards eighteenth-century canvas of the same title to set the terms of the budding relationship between Julie, the films ingenuous protagonist, and the older Anthony, a slithering cad to whose intuitively obvious vices and diseased nature she appears utterly oblivious. She is a film student living in the posh Knightsbridge section of London in the early 1980s, bankrolled by her comfortable, upper-middle-class parents; he supposedly has some enigmatic position at the Foreign Office that reinforces his self-importance. According to a 1792 catalogue, the small, delicate painting depicts Jean-Jacques Rousseaus literary heroine, also named Julie. She is carving her lovers initials into a tree. As the two gaze at the piece at The Wallace Collection in London, Anthony (a suitably predatory Tom Burke) intimates with trademark aristocratic cockiness  jaded and supercilious, half-mumbled and wholly unearned  that it is telling the contemporary Julie to fall in love with him. From a distance he seems too louche to be credible, but love  especially first love  is blind, and codependency makes it even blinder.

Played to gamine perfection by Honor Swinton Byrne, Julie unquestioningly accepts Anthonys calculated seductions until, as their monograms reappear in progressively ugly circumstances and become a cruel joke, she simply cant, even then harboring residual affection for the mendacious, blighted man who had been her svengali. But if his gaslighting evokes Hitchcock, Hoggs central concerns are more in line with Rohmers. Julie faces the arduous task of knowing not so much her lover as herself, or rather starting to do so (Hogg is making Part II). In advancing this goal, her teachers are condescending but not entirely useless. Under their sour tutelage, in opposition to the bloviation of a hilariously asinine auteur prodigy, she gleans that for an artist to drift too far from her own native reality is a prescription for phoniness. The idea seems to be that genuine art calls for the integration of work and self, which requires not jettisoning ones background in favor of something nobler but optimizing the tension between the familiar and the new. Indeed, Rousseaus Julie is taken to symbolize the primacy of individual authenticity  ones secret principles  over societally determined virtue. Hogg has broadly followed these concepts in her own work, plumbing her own social class and milieu to isolate unique personal circumstances within it.

In her technical approach to filmmaking, she implicitly elevates idiosyncrasy over conformity. She cultivates cast immersion and extracts segments from long, semi-improvised takes for the final version of the film, which thus mimics the tentative and erratic deliberation of real life. If her movies at times lack pitched dramatic tension, they more than compensate with messy, slow-burning revelations, disappointments, and triumphs that ring truer. Representing comfort for Julie is her mother Rosalind (Byrnes real-life mother Tilda Swinton, unsurprisingly flawless). She is scolding and befuddled but also unstintingly supportive and loyal, the way good parents ultimately are. As Julie encounters the pitfalls of romance and the reassurances of family, she migrates from a worthy but callow effort to chronicle the lives of the fallen shipbuilding community in Sunderland to something closer to her own increasingly rich, albeit painful, personal experience. Pain, she discovers, can be edifying. It deepens your soul and distinguishes your life. As Julie lives hers, naively glistening symbols become soberly fraught: the Irish Republican Army  earlier resolutely condemned by Anthony and Julies father and faintly valorized by Julie and her mother in a testy dinner conversation  bombs Harrods, within earshot of Julies apartment.

Hogg, also a visual artist, charted the structure of The Souvenir via drawings. And she uses cinematic facsimiles of paintings as narrative mechanisms. In a fixed plane, shooting at a generous distance, she establishes clear visual focal points  windows looking upon urban scenes a la Hopper, doorways opening onto Constable-esque pastoral landscapes. Narrative strands radiate from and flow into these scenes. Julie warily looks out of her now-familiar apartment window after she hears the IRA bomb detonate. Near the end of the movie, she walks out of the hangar that serves as her schools studio towards a green field against a broad horizon. The camera then brackets the field with the doorway, as a painting might be framed. The movie itself has thus become a souvenir: the distillation of an experience, a memory to keep as a source of wisdom, resilience, and empathy. But despite the hint of blue-sky optimism, and the implication of a lesson learned, there is no suggestion of durable existential victory. As life goes on, so too will pain. In her lyrically humanistic movies, Hogg emerges as a hard-nosed realist with an aptly soft heart.

The Souvenir, written and directed by Joanna Hogg. With Honor Swinton Byrne, Tom Burke, and Tilda Swinton.

Related posts:

Art and Film: Claire Denis cosmic noir

Art and Film: The lives of artists

Art and Film: Cheapening the art world one toxic bite at a time

Art and Film: Van Goghs sanityMoscow, Jun 2 (UNI) Russian President Vladimir Putin's controversial move to offer fast-tracked Russian passports to residents of separatist-controlled eastern Ukraine has sparked outcry in Kiev and other European capitals.

Russia's president was accused of attacking Ukraine's sovereignty and putting in peril a ceasefire in the region. But little attention was paid to how much Putin's offer could cost, said an Euronews report.

There were 681,000 pensioners in the so-called Donetsk People's Republic, as of November 2017, and 438,000 in Luhansk People's Republic, according to April 2018 figures.

If all 1.1 million of them moved or came under the control of Russia and claim a minimum pension of 8,000 roubles (110) that would represent a major outlay for Moscow: it would cost in the region of 110 billion roubles (1.5m).

"Russian passports will ease the life of people in Donbass," said Russian demography expert Olga Chudinovskikh.

"It will be easier for them to get a job in Russia, they will be able to receive social benefits and pensions.

"But it is not only a matter of increasing spending on social benefits but also of probable legalisation of people with criminal backgrounds in the so-called republics. In addition, the mass distribution devalues the Russian passport."

The controversial Russian decree came just three days after Volodymyr Zelenskiy, a 41-year-old comedian, won a landslide victory in presidential elections in Ukraine.

"The decree was released at the strategic moment when the Russian-speaking population of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions will be in the centre of attention of the newly elected president of Ukraine," said Olga Gulina, a senior researcher of the Berlin-based RUSMPI UG Institute on Migration Policy.

"Strategically, having signed the decree, the President of Russia, put a question to the newly-elected President of Ukraine on how important the Eastern regions of Ukraine are for his rule."

Grigoriy Perepelitsa, the director of the Foreign Policy Institute of the Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine said the decree might have very dramatic consequences for Ukraine.

"The decree signed by Putin gives Russia a legal ground not only to openly bring in the Russian troops to protect the Russian citizens but also to occupy the territory of Eastern Ukraine," he said. "This is practically an occupation of the Ukrainian territory.

"The only thing Ukraine can do now is to entrench the status of governmentally non-controlled territories as occupied territories, which wouldn't allow Russia to grant citizenship and [carry out] military recruitment.

"We have to identify Russia as an aggressor and break all ties with the country."

Ukraine is said to be working on a new law that might lead to people losing their Ukrainian citizenship if they apply for a Russian passport.

Oleksiy Matsuka, the head of the Donetsk Information Institute, thinks Ukrainian authorities lack clarity over the future of Donbass.

"We need clarity," he said. "And first of all, people living in Donbass need certainty about Ukrainian intentions.

"For the third year in a row, people have been watching the Ukrainian government, which has not been fully providing pensions to Donetsk and Luhansk retirees.

"The rhetoric of the officials switches from imperfect payment mechanism to hints that pensions and social benefits at the occupied territory are the responsibility of the aggressor country."

Inside Russia, Putin's decree was widely supported. Margarita Simonyan, the editor-in-chief of the state-owned Russia Today was among them.

"It finally happened!!! I'm screaming and cheering! Putin signed a decree on Russian citizenship for the people of Donbass!" Simonyan wrote on social media.

Still, some of the Russian experts are sceptical about whether escalating the confrontation with Ukraine is beneficial for Russia.

"It is Russia that turns out to be in a weak position compared to Ukraine because literally on each legal issue, whichever you take, it [Russia] turns out to be wrong. And that's why it is Russia, not Ukraine, that is in the global isolation and under the sanctions," wrote Russian sociologist Alexey Roshchin on his Facebook page.

"[The] Russian Federation is simply dragged deeper and deeper into 'confusion', into problems that cannot be resolved. We dragged ourselves into the new sanctions, did not really obtain anything, and got even closer to the status of an outcast."

UNi SNU 1224Walking for Wellness: How You Can Benefit From Regular Walks

Besides being the most straightforward and least expensive form of travel, walking serves as one of the most effective types of exercise to improve and preserve one's fitness. Walking is often referred to as "a miracle therapy" by doctors due to its remarkable effects on one's physical and mental health.Speech at the 18th Shangri-La Dialogue

by Gen. Wei Fenghe

State Councilor and Minister of National Defense, PRC

2 June, 2019

It gives me great pleasure to attend the 18th Shangri-la Dialogue. I would like to thank Dr. John Chipman for inviting me here and thank the Singapore government, the Ministry of Defense in particular, for the warm hospitality. I would also like to congratulate His Excellency Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on his excellent keynote address the other day. This is my first attendance at the Shangri-la Dialogue as China's defense minister. I am here for mutual confidence, cooperation and peace. I am glad to speak on China and International Security Cooperation.

I. Humanity is at a crossroad. Building a community with a shared future for mankind is the right path forward and the trend of the times.

The world today is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century. Destabilizing, uncertain factors and challenges continue to rise. President Xi Jinping's great vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind is the answer to harmonious coexistence of people across the world, the effective solution to global problems and the right path towards world peace and human progress. We take note that the US expounded on its perspective on regional affairs yesterday. We believe that any such perspective should take into account the common security and interests of regional countries. No approaches to regional issues should resort to military blocs, nor should they undermine the interests of others. We hold different views with the US side on several issues, and firmly oppose its wrong words and actions concerning Taiwan and the South China Sea. Now let's think about the following questions:

First, which should we choose, peace and development or conflict and confrontation? Peace and development remain the call of our times and the trend of history. However, global and regional hotspots flare up one after another and the risk of conflict and war persists. What is the cause for regional wars and conflicts, the spread of terrorism, the chaos in the Middle East and the refugee crisis in Europe? Who are behind all these and what is the root cause? These are the questions to be reflected on. Some deliberately create division and hostility, provoke confrontation, meddle with regional affairs, interfere in internal affairs of others, and frequently resort to arms. Whose interests on earth do they serve and whose do they harm?

Second, which should we choose, openness and inclusiveness or isolation and exclusiveness? See the world with an open and inclusive mind, and there will be friends and partners everywhere. See the world with a narrow and exclusive mind, and there are only enemies and adversaries. This is a self-fulfilling prophecy. However, lately we see a growing backlash against globalization and a surge of protectionism. A certain country champions unilateralism, puts its own interests before others, withdraws from international treaties and organizations. Aren't there many countries suffering from the willful infringement and sanctions?

Third, which should we choose, win-win cooperation or zero-sum game? Win-win cooperation makes the pie bigger and brings more benefits to all. However, zero-sum game makes no winner and harms the interests of both sides. Currently, over 150 countries and international organizations have proactively joined China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Not long ago, over 6,000 delegates from 150 countries and 92 international organizations gathered in Beijing for the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. People can tell what is right.

Fourth, which should we choose, mutual learning among civilizations or arrogance and prejudice? A few days ago, China successfully hosted the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations. We believe that human civilizations are and should be colorful, equal, inclusive and willing to learn from each other. Not a single civilization should be worshiped or belittled. There are scars and tragedies in the history of human civilization which do not go away, to name only a few, the enslavement of Africans, the expulsion of native American Indians, the colonization in Asia, Africa and Latin America, and the killing of Jewish people. Unfortunately, some people recently pick up the decadent idea of "clash of civilizations". As racist and narrow-minded as it is, this is not right. How can we tolerate such a regress of history?

II. Facing complex and volatile international security situation, the Chinese government and armed forces stay committed to regional and world prosperity and stability.

Those who are familiar with China's modern history must know that the country was once poor and weak and went through enormous misery. The Chinese people know only too well the value of peace and the cruelty and destructiveness of war. Over the years, some have been recklessly hyping up, exaggerating and dramatizing the "China threat theory", partly due to the lack of understanding of China's history, culture and policies, but more likely due to misunderstanding, prejudice, or even a hidden agenda.

China sticks to the path of peaceful development. Such a commitment is underpinned by China's socialist system, the independent foreign policy of peace, and the cultural tradition that values peace and harmony. China shall follow the path of peaceful development, which is a solemn commitment to the people of China and the world. This has been written into the Constitution of the Communist Party of China and the Constitution of the People's Republic of China, thus reaffirmed as the will of the CPC and the state. If this is not even convincing enough for some people, then we don't know what they would believe? Over the past 70 years since the founding of the P.R.C., China has never provoked a war or conflict, nor has it ever invaded another country or taken an inch of land from others. In the future, no matter how strong it becomes, China shall never threaten anyone, seek hegemony or establish spheres of influence. History has proven and will continue to prove that China will not follow the beaten path of big powers seeking hegemony when it grows strong. Hegemony does not conform to China's values and national interests.

China adopts a military strategy of active defense. China's military strategy adheres to the principles of defense, self-defense and post-strike response. It stresses that "we will not attack unless we are attacked, but we will surely counterattack if attacked". China develops its military entirely for self-defense. The purpose is to defend the country and provide the people with a peaceful working environment, and ensure that our people are free from the disasters of war and enjoy a better life. We have never bullied or preyed on others, and we shall not let others bully or prey on us either. China develops its military to cope with security threats. Similar scenario can be found in the past when China had to develop nuclear capabilities of its own under nuclear threat. China's defense expenditure is reasonable and appropriate. China enhances national defense in order to meet the legitimate needs to defend its own security as well as contribute to the world force for peace.

The Chinese military is dedicated to safeguarding national sovereignty, security and development interests. The PLA is the people's force under the leadership of the CPC. The PLA has fought many battles and is not afraid of sacrifice. In face of aggression, coercion or hardships, it has stridden forward from victory to victory. The more severe the pressure and difficulties are, the stronger and braver the Chinese people become. Adversity only brings our nation greater solidarity and strength. As the lyrics of the Chinese national anthem go, "Arise, all those who do not want be enslaved. Let's build the new Great Wall with our flesh and blood." Faced with daunting and complex security challenges, the PLA vows not to yield a single inch of the country's sacred land, but it shall not seize anything from others either. The PLA has no intention to cause anybody trouble, but it is not afraid to face up to troubles. Should anyone risk crossing the bottom line, the PLA will resolutely take action and defeat all enemies.

The Chinese military stays committed to safeguarding regional and world security and stability. China is an active supporter of UN Peacekeeping Operations. It is the largest troop contributor among the permanent members of the UN Security Council and a major contributor of funds. We have established a peacekeeping standby force of 8,000 troops that is ready to be deployed. For years, China has been active in promoting bilateral and multilateral security cooperation. The China-Russia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership of Coordination has been running at a high level. The state-to-state and military-to-military relations between China and the US remain generally stable, despite twists and difficulties. We have strengthened the sense of shared destiny with ASEAN countries, deepened traditional friendship with India, Pakistan and other South Asian countries, maintained peaceful coexistence and good-neighborliness with surrounding countries, and built good relationship with the countries and militaries of Africa and Latin America. In October this year, China will host the 9th Beijing Xiangshan Forum. We welcome defense and military leaders and scholars from all over the world to attend the Forum.

III. While striving for common prosperity in the Asia-Pacific, we must respect the core interests and accommodate the security concerns of all.

China advocates that all countries, big or small, strong or weak, rich or poor, are equal members of the international community. We should respect and accommodate the legitimate security concerns of one another. China understands and respects the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of all countries, and supports the social systems and development paths they independently choose. China is not able to progress in isolation from the rest of the world; the world also needs China to prosper. We in China do not covet the interests, nor envy the development, of others. However, we shall never give up our legitimate rights and interests. No country should ever expect China to allow its sovereignty, security and development interests to be infringed upon. As for the recent trade friction started by the US, if the US wants to talk, we will keep the door open. If they want a fight, we will fight till the end. As what the general public of China says these days, "A talk? Welcome. A fight? Ready. Bully us? No way." I would like to further illustrate China's position on a few issues you may be interested in.

First, on Taiwan. The Taiwan question bears on China's sovereignty and territorial integrity. Not a single country in the world would tolerate secession. I visited the US last year. American friends told me that Abraham Lincoln was the greatest American president because he led the country to victory in the Civil War and prevented the secession of the US. The US is indivisible, so is China. China must be and will be reunified. We find no excuse not to do so. If anyone dares to split Taiwan from China, the Chinese military has no choice but to fight at all costs for national unity. Hereby, I have a message for the DPP authorities and the external forces. First, no attempts to split China shall succeed. Second, foreign intervention in the Taiwan question is doomed to failure. We took note that the US side mentioned the Taiwan Relations Acts in yesterday's speech. Is it of Taiwan or the US? Is it a Chinese law or an international law? We can find no justifiable reasons for the US to interfere in the Taiwan question by its domestic law. Third, any underestimation of the PLA's resolve and will is extremely dangerous. We will strive for the prospects of peaceful reunification with utmost sincerity and greatest efforts, but we make no promise to renounce the use of force. Safeguarding national unity is a sacred duty of the PLA. If the PLA cannot even safeguard the unity of our motherland, what do we need it for?

Second, on the South China Sea. The current situation in the South China Sea is improving towards greater stability. It is attributed to the common efforts of the countries in the region. However, there are always people trying to rake in profits by stirring up troubles in the region. Before the Dialogue, I paid a visit to Vietnam and Singapore and reached broad consensus with Gen. Ngo Xuan Lich and Dr. Ng Eng Hen on maintaining the stability in the South China Sea. I have a few questions concerning the issue to discuss with you.

First, who on earth is threatening security and stability in the South China Sea? Over 100,000 ships sail through the South China Sea each year. None has been threatened. The problem, however, is that in recent years some countries outside the region come to the South China Sea to flex muscles, in the name of freedom of navigation. The large-scale force projection and offensive operations in the region are the most serious destabilizing and uncertain factors in the South China Sea.

Second, who would benefit and who would suffer from the chaos in the South China Sea? In case of chaos in the South China Sea, we, the regional countries, are the ones to take the blunt. What are the purposes for certain countries to send military vessels and aircraft all the way from afar to the region? Aren't there enough examples that some big countries intervene in regional affairs, make troubles, walk away and leave a mess behind?

Third, should the stability in the South China Sea be maintained by countries in the region or outside the region? China and ASEAN countries have made positive progress in negotiating the COC. We hope that relevant parties will not underestimate the wisdom and ability of regional countries to properly handle differences and maintain peace. However, we welcome constructive suggestions from all countries.

Fourth, is China's construction on its South China Sea islands and reefs militarization? It is the legitimate rights of a sovereign state to carry out construction on its own territory. China built limited defense facilities on the islands and reefs for self-defense. Where there are threats, there are defenses. In face of heavily armed warships and military aircraft, how can we stay impervious and not build some defense facilities?

Third, on the DPRK nuclear issue. China is committed to denuclearization, peace and stability of the Peninsula and to a negotiated solution through dialogue and consultation. In recent years, the Chinese side has made active efforts in promoting peace talks and played an irreplaceable and constructive role. We hope that the US and the DPRK will accommodate each other's concerns with cool heads and patience, work towards the same goal and resume the dialogue for peace at an early date. The US and the DPRK should follow the dual-track approach and combine denuclearization with the establishment of a peace mechanism. We hope that the international community will positively respond to the legitimate concerns of the DPRK, trigger the reversible clause of the UN Security Council resolutions in due course, push for a declaration on the end of the war, and actively build trust among all parties.

Fourth, on China-US relations. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and the US. Despite all the ups and downs, China-US relationship has been steadily growing in the past 40 years. The most valuable lesson we have learned from the 4-decade-long relationship is that cooperation benefits the two sides while confrontation hurts both. Looking forward, the two countries should follow the consensus by the two heads of state and promote a China-US relationship featuring coordination, cooperation and stability. Through continued communication, the militaries of the two countries have agreed on many important issues. First, in terms of implementing the consensus of the heads of state, the two militaries agreed on building their relationship a stabilizer for the overall relations. Second, we agree on maintaining regular communication on the strategic level. The day before yesterday, I had a candid and practical discussion with Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan. We reaffirmed the importance of maintaining communication and to develop a constructive military-to-military relationship. Third, in terms of managing risks and preventing conflicts, the two sides recognize that military conflicts or even a war between them would bring disasters to both countries and the world. It takes two to cooperate, but only one to start a fight. We hope that the US side will work with us towards the same goal, follow the principles of non-conflict, non-confrontation, mutual respect and win-win cooperation, and steer the China-US relations in the right direction.

The achievement China has made in the past 70 years since the country was founded is not a windfall or a handout from others. Neither was it made by engaging in military expansion or colonial exploitation. Instead, the country has developed through its people's hard work, wisdom and bravery as well as the win-win cooperation with the world since reform and opening-up. At present, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, China enjoys political stability, social cohesion and steady economic growth. Blessed with peace, harmony, prosperity and good governance, the country is making progress on all fronts. The Chinese people are committed to realizing the Chinese Dream of great national rejuvenation. The Chinese military is ready to work with the armed forces of other Asia-Pacific countries to jointly respond to challenges, promote the building of an Asia-Pacific community with a shared future and safeguard peace and stability in the region.VidMate is an app that allows people to download videos from sites like YouTube. The app is popular and has reportedly been downloaded by more than half a billion people across the world. However, what these people dont realize is that the app has ties to the Chinese company Alibaba Group and is harmful in various ways, like collecting user information without consent.

Unethical activities

Researchers from Upstream, a London-based mobile technology firm, found that VidMate was displaying hidden ads, draining users mobile data, secretly subscribing people into paid services, and depleting their phone battery. Users also unknowingly surrendered control of their personal information to a third party. The phone ended up being part of a botnet that was used to commit ad fraud by the company.

Most of the suspicious activity, which is still ongoing, was largely centered in 15 countries. 43 million of the suspicious transactions flagged by Secure-D are coming from devices in Egypt, 27 million from Myanmar, 21 million from Brazil, 10 million from Qatar, and 8 million from South Africa. Among the top affected markets are also Ethiopia, Nigeria, Malaysia, and Kuwait. These are countries where digital payments via mobile airtime are common and often the only way to make financial transactions, as most people are unbanked, according to Upstream Systems.

Upstream has been blocking suspicious transactions done by VidMate since 2017. Last year, the volume of such transactions increased quite dramatically. In the past six months, more than 128 million VidMate transactions were blocked by Upstream that could have cost users over US$150 million. Developed by a subsidiary of Alibaba Group, VidMate was sold off last year to another company.

Mobile advertising is a multi-billion dollar industry on the rise and a very fertile ground for fraud. The VidMate example, whereby a single app is responsible for 130 million suspicious transaction attempts over a few months, is cause for great concern. The growing sophistication of disguised malware calls for an ever more vigilant approach. In the fight against digital fraud ongoing technological innovation is key, Guy Krief, CEO of Upstream, said in a statement (Tech Radar).

VidMate is not the first Chinese app that has been found to have carried out such widespread fraud. Earlier, Chinese developers like Kika Tech, Cheetah Mobile, and DO Global had created apps with malicious behavior. In fact, Google had banned DO Global from Play Store for this reason. In January this year, a Chinese weather app was caught collecting users personal information and subscribing them for paid services.

Chinese companies and the Communist state

Having Chinese apps access the private information of users is a huge threat to all nations across the world. This is because the communist state has the full right to access any information stored by a Chinese company. They can then use this information to influence the behavior of citizens of other countries. In fact, private companies in China are required to establish a party cell within the firm.

The impact of adding a Party cell goes far beyond an increase in the cost of doing business. It also impacts the corporate structure and management decisions as they grow more opaque with the blurring of lines between the states role and private ownership. In so doing, this policy threatens to reverse Chinas four decades old reform agenda of opening up to private enterprise as an engine of growth, according to Foreign Policy.

In January, the Australian foreign investment regulator ruled that private companies in China are an illusion since the state interferes in the firms affairs. Similar views have also been expressed by several EU nations that are seeking to put strict control on Chinese companies and their products.

Follow us on Twitter or subscribe to our weekly emailHundreds of new Illinois laws go into effect this weekendAdvertisement

By West Kentucky Star Staff

May. 29, 2019 | PADUCAH

By West Kentucky Star Staff May. 29, 2019 | 11:31 AM | PADUCAH

Registration for the free 2019 Summer Reading Challenge at McCracken County Public Library Public Library begins Saturday, June 1.



New this year, the library has partnered with ReadSquared to give patrons the ability to track their Summer Reading Challenge progress online and through a mobile app. This online system will allow anyone to take part in the program from home, on a mobile device, or by using library computers.



"With our new partnership with ReadSquared, the fun of summer reading can travel with you wherever you go." said Library Director Susan Baier. "Patrons can track their progress online toward completing the reading challenge and earning prizes."



This year's summer reading theme, "Summer of Space," celebrates 60 years of NASA's achievement in space exploration and 50 years since the Apollo 11 Moon Landing. Created to encourage reading as well as life-long learning, "Summer of Space" is an eight week reading challenge open to everyone from birth through adult.



Baier said, "The theme will be reflected in many of our free family activities, such as programs from the Challenger Center and Hooked on Science."



To learn more about the summer reading program and to register online for the reading challenge, visit mclib.net/summerreading.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 The Associated Press

Jun. 01, 2019 | FRANKFORT

By The Associated Press Jun. 01, 2019 | 10:36 PM | FRANKFORT

A Kentucky judge has refused to temporarily block a new law aimed at removing much of the secretary of state's authority over the State Board of Elections.



Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes sought a temporary injunction against the law she claims amounts to an unconstitutional infringement of her executive authority.



The law, enacted by the Republican-dominated legislature this year, removes the secretary of state as chairman and a voting member of the elections board. It carried an emergency clause allowing it to take effect immediately after Republican Gov. Matt Bevin signed it. Grimes  one of the state's most prominent Democrats  says the law was politically motivated.



Franklin County Circuit Judge Phillip Shepherd on Thursday denied her request for the injunction, saying Grimes had failed to demonstrate "the likelihood of irreparable harm." The judge said the "harm theorized" by Grimes  namely that deadlocks among voting members of the elections board could not be resolved by her tie-breaking vote  is "speculative at this time."



But Shepherd said Grimes retains her "statutorily-granted title" as chief elections officer.



"As such, she possesses authority to take all necessary and appropriate measures to administer the duties of her position, including resolving a deadlock," the judge wrote in his order. "Any specific challenge to her actions can then be addressed in court."



Grimes said she's disappointed the law wasn't temporarily blocked but said she appreciates the judge's "acknowledgement of my authority."



"I'm confident that with additional time, the court will be able to address the full merits of my claim before the November election," Grimes said in a statement.



Senate Majority Floor Leader Damon Thayer said the judge's refusal to block the law was a "victory for legislative immunity." Thayer led the push to rein in Grimes' power.



"I think it's a pretty frivolous lawsuit," the Republican lawmaker said in a phone interview.



The law also limits access by the secretary of state's office to a database of registered voters. It makes it a misdemeanor for anyone to misuse the state's voter registration system.



The secretary of state and two designees are allowed access to the database under the law, but they could not make changes to it without approval from the elections board.



The measure came after two employees at the elections board accused Grimes of wielding excessive power over the board and using her access to the voter database for political purposes. Grimes denies the allegations, saying her office followed the law "at all times."



Grimes' suit claims the law violates constitutional separation of powers. It also claims the elections board was unlawfully reconstituted into an independent state agency.



By relegating the secretary of state to a nonvoting member, it leaves an equal number of Democrats and Republicans as voting members of the board, her suit said.



The result could be gridlock, it said, impeding efforts by the secretary of state and the elections board to administer free and fair elections.



The law also added two retired county clerks, one Democrat and one Republican, to the elections board. Shepherd's order referred to them as nonvoting members.



Grimes said she's grateful for the judge's "clarification" about their status as nonvoting members. She said it "stands in stark contrast" to how the board conducted its past three meetings, when the new members were allowed to "vote on every matter before the board."



Grimes is in her second term as secretary of state and cannot seek reelection this year because of term limits. She considered running for governor this year but decided against it. Grimes lost a high-profile U.S. Senate race against Republican Mitch McConnell in 2014.



China News on Women





Sorry, the page you requested was not found. If you're having trouble locating a destination on Womenofchina.cn, try visiting the Womenofchina Home pageStudents experience a coding class in Dongli Shiyan Primary School in Tianjin. [China News Service]

Yuan Ye, a father in Beijing, is proud that his seven-year-old son built and programmed a robotic dog as a Children's Day gift for himself.

Through component assembling and coding, the boy made the robot bark, nod its head and wag its tail like a real dog, an achievement that he sees as truly special for this year's children's day. It was built in a child coding course he attended in Beijing.

In China, computer coding has become popular as an after-school training course favored by parents who want to pave the way for their children's bright futures.

The younger Yuan has been enrolled in the programming class for three years. "He is interested in a lot of things, but programming is his favorite. So far it is the longest habit of his," the father said.

Computer coding becomes increasingly popular around the world, as artificial intelligence (AI) is shaping people's everyday life with applications in numerous sectors, from smartphones to self-driving cars.

The U.K. government overhauled computing teaching method by adding mandatory programming courses for children in 2014. Computer programming is expected to become a mandatory subject in Japan's elementary schools in 2020.

Since 2015, the Chinese government has published guidelines encouraging schools to experiment with STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics) education, including coding.

An AI development plan issued by China's State Council in 2017 required adding courses in coding in elementary and secondary education system, and encourages institutions and companies to design software and other related games.

"After 3 years of training, my son can grasp basic physics and computer coding concepts. It brings up qualities in logic and trains him in making objects," Yuan said.

"The purpose is not to prepare him to be a professional programmer, but to develop his creativity and problem-solving skills."

Roughly 200 institutions and companies in China offer online or offline coding training for children, according to researchers familiar with the industry.

Shenzhen-based Codemao is an education company that provides online graphical programming courses for students aged seven to 16. It also provides an online platform where children can design via programming and display their own work, including games and animation.

It has over 10 million online users and its services are available on both smartphones and PCs, the company said.

Booming demand has lured rich capital into the market. In 2017, 30 child coding projects were established in China. The value of a single investment to fund the project kept rising, market researchers said.

The programming education is promising in terms of helping children better understand the information and intelligence industry, however, the intervention of capital and undue anxiety of parents might impede the healthy development of the industry.

Yao Huanan resigned his job to start a children programming education enterprise last year.

"I was trying to find a coding class for my nine-year-old daughter, but the quality of the classes was not satisfactory, " he said.

"These private institutions focus too much on profit, rather than on the quality of the courses," he said.

"Most of the programming education is happening outside schools in private institutions. They should be made available in schools as well," said Xiong Bingqi, vice president of 21st Century Education Research Institute, a leading educational think-tank in China.

Educational authorities shall outline the degree of programming proficiency needed for children so that parents, teachers and children can know better what should be done, he said.

Yuan Ye's son is making steady progress in his out-of-school class. "I really like programming robots," the boy said. "My teacher will show us how to make a robot cat. It can meow when we touch her head."

(Source: Xinhua)SHANGHAI, June 1 (Xinhua) -- "If my face is still frequently exposed on my parents' social media, such as WeChat Moments, it might not be safe for me," 10-year-old Zhang Chuyi wrote to a congress of the Young Pioneers of China in Shanghai before International Children's Day, which falls on Saturday.

While adults understand the danger of information leaks in the digital era, children in China are also beginning to realize the importance of protecting their own privacy online, including their images.

Zhang and her peers hope that their parents will stop overexposing them online.

"If they want to share our images and privacy online, they need to obtain our permission first," she said.

Zhang is a fourth-grade student in a Shanghai elementary school. In her class of more than 30 students, more than 70 percent said their parents had shared things about them in a variety of ways.

A survey of students in third-grade, fourth-grade and fifth-grade in the school suggests that 80 percent of the children had been exposed by their parents online. Most of the children did not like their images or information being shared online.

Zhang first began to oppose "over-sharenting" when she found out that her parents had been sharing her photos and assignments online without her consent and had compared her with other children. She said she felt really embarrassed and stressed. She has started to worry more about the security risks it might cause.

"Faces and bodies are private, and should not be shared online at random," she said. "These days, faces can be used in many ways because of facial recognition."

Zhang's classmates agreed.

"I know that faces can be used to open and lock doors," said one of her classmates. "When my parents pay, they seem to be able to do so with their faces."

Zhang Chuyi's school had recently applied facial recognition technology in their school library. Although thinking such technology is quite convenient, she is also afraid that "bad guys" might take advantage of it and commit crimes by using her photos shared online by her parents.

China has a vast online population. The number of the country's online users hit 829 million by the end of last year, up 7.3 percent from the previous year, according to a report on China's Internet development released in February.

Meanwhile, facial recognition is expanding. China's Forward-looking Industry Institute said that the facial recognition market in China surpassed 1 billion yuan (about 145 million U.S. dollars) in 2016, and is expected to hit 5.1 billion yuan by 2021. The technology has been used in toilets, traffic lights, supermarkets, among others.

Although many children of Zhang's age still have no access to the Internet, they are well aware the risks certain online activities such as "over-sharenting" could bring and yearn for protection of their privacy not only in real life but also online.

"It should be noted that most Chinese children nowadays are born around 2010," said Zhou Jianjun, an official in charge of children's rights protection in Shanghai. Born and living in a digital era, children are very familiar with the Internet. "In fact, their consciousness of online privacy is even stronger than most adults," Zhou said.

In order to better ensure children's security, the Chinese government has been taking measures to strengthen children's protection online and is also trying to enhance children's awareness of online privacy by vigorously promoting security education. "This is partly the reason behind the awakening of children's online privacy consciousness and self-protection consciousness," Zhou said.

Zhang Chuyi's proposal caused quite a stir online.

"But my child is so wonderful that I cannot help myself," said a woman surnamed Zheng.

"It is important to obtain children's permission," said online user "Liudianshui." "We need to consider their feelings."

"Though we are not grown-ups, our rights still need to be respected," Zhang Chuyi said. "We are our own masters."A new artificial intelligence system is expected to reduce the time it takes for a child to visit a Shanghai hospital by about one-third.

It will begin assisting patients on Saturday, International Children's Day, at Shanghai Children's Medical Center.

Embedded into the center's WeChat account, the system's services include making reservations and online pre-diagnoses.

The system, developed by the medical center and Yitu Healthcare, is the first of its kind intended to make a family's experience at a children's hospital easier.

Yitu Healthcare said that the accuracy of the system equals what veteran doctors and nurses can offer.

The medical center said that under the current system parents need to line up multiple times to register for a doctor visit, make a payment, wait to see the doctor, take medical tests, have a follow-up consultation and buy medicines.

It usually takes a family four to five hours - or even more than six hours during peak time - for a hospital visit, much of which is spent waiting, it said.

"With assistance of the AI system, we estimate that the duration of a family's hospital visit will be reduced by one and a half to two hours, substantially improving their experience at the hospital," said Zhao Liebin, vice-president of the Shanghai Children's Medical Center.

Using the hospital's smart medical guidance module, parents can use voice or text messages, photos and videos to describe their child's symptoms, based on which the AI system helps decide at which department they should register their children for medical help.

For example, if the parents tell the system that the child has a rash, the system will send the parents pictures of rashes for comparison, so that it can make a preliminary estimation, according to Yitu Healthcare.

The AI system will also recommend necessary medical tests based on the patient's condition, which will be approved by doctors in real-time online. Traditionally, a patient needs to wait to see the doctor first to get a checklist of medical tests.

A report on the patient will be presented to the doctor before the visit.

"It can help pediatricians further reduce non-diagnostic procedures, repetitive work, restore the core value of clinicians and improve the hospital's service efficiency," said Fang Cong, vice-president of Yitu Healthcare.

The company said the development of the system began in 2016, and the AI system learned by studying millions of children's medical records provided by Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center in Guangdong province.

Zhao said AI may also help pediatricians in the country's remote, disadvantage regions to break the bottleneck of a shortage of doctors and medical resources.

(Source: China Daily)China's central bank issued a panda-featured silver coin on Thursday to commemorate the 2019 FIP General World Stamp Exhibition.

The silver coin will be legal tender in China, the People's Bank of China (PBOC) said on its website.

The front side of the coin features the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, the highlight structure of the Temple of Heaven in Beijing, along with the country name, year of issuance and the Chinese name of the exhibition.

A mother-and-son pair of pandas is on the reverse side of the coin, together with the English name of the exhibition, the PBOC said.

The silver coin, which is 40 mm in diameter, contains 30 grams of pure silver and has a face value of 10 yuan (about 1.45 U.S. dollars).

The maximum circulation of the coins will be 20,000, according to a central bank statement.

The 2019 FIP General World Stamp Exhibition will be held in the central Chinese city of Wuhan from June 11 to June 17, showcasing at least 4,700 framed sets of stamps, 2,500 of which are from overseas exhibitors.

China joined the FIP, the international association for stamp collectors and philatelists, in 1983 and hosted the world stamp exhibition in 1999 and 2009.

(Source: Xinhua)For this year's Children's Day, which falls on Saturday, Deng Mo and his wife drove their son to the city of Suzhou, about 100 km away from Shanghai where the family live.

Many parents similarly spent the weekend with their children, according to Shanghai-based online agency Ctrip. The platform said bookings for parent-child hotels increased nearly 60 percent year on year this weekend, with Sanya, Shanghai, Hangzhou and Suzhou among the most popular destinations.

Over 70 percent of parent-child travelers chose short-distance tours, and more than 80 percent chose high-speed railways or self-driving tours.

China is seeing a growing market of parent-child tours, which account for up to 60 percent of the overall domestic and overseas travels, according to a survey conducted by the China Tourism Academy.

More than 80 percent of respondents in the survey believe parent-child tours can bring joy for a whole family, and 96 percent want to go on such tours.

Deng has taken his son to Japan and Thailand before.

"It was not easy to take a three-year-old person for travels," Deng said. "He had a lot of baggages, more than we did."

During their vacation in Japan, for example, his son fell sick, and the parents had to stay in the hotel for a whole day.

But even so, Deng hopes that such tours will help his child broaden his horizon.

Many parents regard such tours as a way of education. According to Shanghai-based online travel agency Lvmama, bookings for tours involving museums in the first four months of 2019 increased 45 percent year on year.

Shanghai resident Ji Hongjuan likes taking her 12-year-old daughter Wen Lan to China's famous historical sites and visiting museums. In the past few years, they have visited places such as the Palace Museum, Shaanxi History Museum and Nanjing Museum.

"I usually ask my daughter to be my guide," Ji said. "She searches for information about where we will visit and take me there, which I think is a great way to cultivate her curiosity for learning."

Ctrip said that for the upcoming Dragon Boat Festival, searches for destinations for parent-child travels had increased 200 percent, and Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Hangzhou were wildly popular. According to Lvmama, historical and traditional activities during the festival are favored by parents.

Even overseas travel agencies have caught wind of this huge market. Costa Venezia, the first ship designed by Costa Cruises, the Italian brand of Carnival Corporation and built specially for Chinese guests, has entered the Chinese market. Many facilities and activities were designed especially for parent-child visitors to meet the growing need in Chinese market.

The family tour market will continue to grow during the summer vacation from July to August, according to Ctrip and Lvmama.

Ji Hongjuan plans to take her daughter Wen Lan to China's southwestern Sichuan Province, where they will visit the Chengdu Du Fu Thatched Cottage Museum and the Chengdu Wuhou Shrine, as her daughter loves Chinese ancient poetry.

Dai Bin, head of the China Tourism Academy, said there was more potential to be tapped in the market.

"Our surveys show that many parents are complaining about destinations being too crowded during the public holidays and more than 40 percent said they are looking for more travel products with high quality," he said.

(Source: Xinhua)Fancy a day of serious science and family fun? Glyndwrs Northop campus to host Bioblitz and Nature Fun Day

This article is old - Published: Sunday, Jun 2nd, 2019

A day packed with serious science and family fun is set to take place at the Northop campus of Glyndwr University next week.

The campus will be hosting a Bioblitz and Nature Fun Day on Sunday June 9 to mark the close of Wales Nature Week 2019.

The day will see a host of experts working to record as many species of plants and animals as possible across the campus  while a series of fun, free family activities will be on hand to keep visitors of all ages entertained.

Among the groups who have organised the Bioblitz section of the event are university staff and students, alongside Flintshire Councils Biodiversity service and Cofnod, the North Wales Environmental Record centre.

Over a twenty-four hour period, the bioblitz will aim to record as many species on the site as possible  with the possibility of rare species being discovered during the survey.

Richard Gallon, who is Recording Specialist for Cofnod, said: The aim of a Bioblitz is to gather as much information as possible about the species in an area and its really exciting to be able to survey the land around Glyndwrs Northop campus.

The site has already recorded some rare species for north wales so we are expecting lots more good finds  and we will be updating our website throughout the day, so people will be able to watch the species list grow in real time as people taking part record the species they find.

Organisations represented at the day include North Wales Wildlife Trust, the Field Studies Council, the RSPB and the British Dragonfly Society  with individual experts on hand covering everything from beetles to badgers.

The event has been designed to cater to all ages  and to help give children an introduction to some of the regions wildlife.

Carl Payne, site services assistant at Glyndwrs Northop Campus, has already discovered rare species on the site after finding an Alder Leaf beetle which had once been thought to have been extinct during a survey on the site last year.

He said: Finding new and rare species on a site is not only fascinating science  its also really good fun.

Thanks to Techniquest Glyndwr, young naturalists who want to make their own discoveries can pick up their own free survey kit to help them join in with the bioblitz  and we will have facilities on hand to make sure that, if they find something interesting, they can get their own picture from our microscopes for the records!

There will also be Forest School fun with the Plas Derw Trust, pond dipping, kids crafts, wildlife quizzes, a host of talks and walks and much more  theres plenty to keep the whole family happy throughout the day!

Unfortunately, due to the nature of the event, dogs are not permitted. Attendance at both the Bioblitz and the fun day is free.

The Bioblitz and Free Nature Fun Day runs from 11am to 3pm at Wrexham Glyndwr Universitys Northop Campus (postcode CH7 6AA.) Light refreshments will be available  picnics are welcome!Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-02 00:00:08|Editor: Mu Xuequan

Video Player Close

SINGAPORE, June 1 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese defense official on Saturday at the 18th Shangri-La Dialogue called for reducing and avoiding close military activities at sea that are viewed by the other side as unfriendly or even hostile.

"This is the most direct and effective way to avoid conflict at sea," said Senior Colonel Zhou Bo, director of the Center for Security Cooperation at the Office for International Military Cooperation of the Chinese Defense Ministry.

Zhou said that most of the existing rules are arrangements for accidental encounters, but tactical arrangements work best when both sides have a strategic consensus that they do not engage in conflict and do not confront each other.

As the world's largest trading and exporting country, China attaches great importance to maritime security, and its initiative to jointly build the 21st century Maritime Silk Road is aimed at promoting maritime connectivity and practical cooperation in various fields, as well as promoting common security through economic development, said Zhou.

Zhou added that due to the smooth progress of negotiations on the code of conduct in the South China Sea between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the situation in the region has calmed down significantly.

However, some countries outside the South China Sea have obviously violated their commitments of not taking a position on the South China Sea issue, and have openly increased their involvement in the South China Sea, thus significantly increasing instability in the South China Sea, said the Chinese official.

China is committed to working with other countries to safeguard maritime security, said Zhou, adding that China's consultations, dialogues and cooperation with other countries have played a positive role in promoting maritime security and avoiding maritime incidents and conflicts.

He also called for cooperation between China and the United States to seek common ground while shelving differences on the principles of freedom of navigation.

One side should not impose its own unilateral interpretation on the other side, and even send military vessels or aircrafts to conduct dangerous military activities in the other side's territorial waters and exclusive economic zone on the pretext of "freedom of navigation," he said.

The 18th Shangri-La Dialogue, officially known as the Asia Security Summit, opened Friday with participants discussing the security situation and its challenges in the Asia-Pacific region. The dialogue has been held by the British think tank International Institute for Strategic Studies and the Singaporean government annually since 2002.Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-02 00:30:27|Editor: Mu Xuequan

Video Player Close

SHIJIAZHUANG, June 1 (Xinhua) -- A development plan for Xiongan New Area in north China was open on Saturday for public comments and suggestions, which will last for one month.

The design and planning of China's millennium green city featuring innovative development was jointly made by 24 well-known planning and design teams around the world. They were selected by the Chinese government from 400 international urban design and consultancy institutes and companies.

China announced plans in 2017 to establish the Xiongan New Area, located about 100 kilometers southwest of Beijing. The construction is scheduled for this year.

There are two designing plans for the building. One is for the first construction area, or the startup area, designed for taking over Beijing's functions nonessential to its role as the national capital.

The planned start-up area is 38 square km, including 26 square km of urban construction land.

The 11-chapter plan sets overall development requirements, and details of urban layout and land use including greening space, public services and housing, transportation system, infrastructure and urban safety system.

The plan for a larger area, about 198 square km, is divided into 12 chapters, including general requirements, functional layout aimed at building a beautiful, natural, ecological environment for Xiongan with a safe and green urban water system, and blueprints for development of high-end and high-tech industries.

It sets a tone of encouraging high-quality shared public services, a green and efficient transportation system, green and intelligent municipal infrastructure, and boast a modern security system.

A 40-member technical team composed of professionals from the Xiongan New Area planning research center and China Academy of Urban Planning & Design is responsible for consulting public opinion on the planning.

Xiongan spans three counties in Hebei Province-- Rongcheng, Anxin and Xiongxian. Now work is underway to lay the underground pipelines and water, power, gas infrastructure of the area, which is expected to cover 1,770 square kilometers, roughly the size of Shenzhen.

Construction is slated to begin soon in the Rongdong area, a 13-sq-km residential area that is expected to be home to 170,000 people to the east of Rongcheng County.Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-02 00:50:31|Editor: Shi Yinglun

Video Player Close

SINGAPORE, June 1 (Xinhua) -- China on Saturday made a three-point proposal on enhancing defense cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region at the Shangri-La Dialogue being held here.

Addressing a special session on "New Model of defense cooperation" during the dialogue, Major General Ci Guowei, chief of the Office for International Military Cooperation of China's Ministry of National Defense, said China is fully aware that its peaceful development is closely linked with the future of the Asia-Pacific.

"We advocate active bilateral and multilateral security dialogue and cooperation, and strive to facilitate regional cooperation in both economy and security," Ci said.

"China adopts a holistic approach to security governance that addresses both symptoms and root causes. China's proposals on the Asia-Pacific security architecture are meant to complete and improve the existing mechanisms rather than overturn them and start all over again," he said.

To this end, China proposes three points in enhancing defense cooperation in the region, he said.

First, to promote positive interaction between major countries for defense cooperation. Only when major-country relations remain generally stable can the Asia-Pacific enjoy relative tranquility, Ci said, adding healthy interaction between major countries requires their joint efforts towards the same goal.

Noting that while the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination is running at a high level, the state to state and military and military relations between China the United States remain generally stable despite twists and difficulties, Ci said.

China has always adhered to the principles of non conflict, non confrontation, mutual respect, and win-win cooperation in China-U.S. relations, he said.

Second, to build an open and inclusive architecture for defense cooperation. Military blocs left over from the cold war were the choices of only a small number of countries and do not represent the preference of the majority of regional and international communities, Ci said.

China advocates that all newly-proposed initiatives should be in favor of greater transparency and inclusiveness with wide participation, and fit in the era of integrated global economy, political pluralism and shared security, he said, adding none should undermine the interests of others or develop into exclusive military blocs, he said.

Third, to enhance practical cooperation in non-traditional security. Compared with traditional security issues, non-traditional security is an area where countries have reached more consensus and carried out more joint engagement, Ci said.

"Therefore, we should proceed from the lower-hanging fruits and continue our cooperation with non-traditional security as the priority for greater mutual trust."

China will proceed in the right direction by continuing to pursue its own security in the bigger context of maintaining security for all in the region and promoting cooperation with innovated security concept so as to contribute to a bright future of the Asia-Pacific region, Ci said.

Defense ministers from Canada, Australia, Japan, among others, also presented their views on enhancing defense cooperation in the region.

Officially known as the Asia Security Summit, the Shangri-La Dialogue has been organized and convened annually by the British think tank International Institute for Strategic Studies and the Singaporean government since 2002.Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-02 00:50:33|Editor: Liangyu

Video Player Close

Students of the China-Laos Friendship Nongping Primary School visit the China-Laos Railway Exhibition Hall in Vientiane, Laos, June 1, 2019. The teachers and students of the China-Laos Friendship Nongping Primary School in Lao capital Vientiane observed the International Children's Day on Saturday by going on a tour to the construction site of the China-Laos railway. (Xinhua/Zhang Jianhua)

by Zhang Jianhua, Wang Shan

VIENTIANE, June 1 (Xinhua) -- The teachers and students of the China-Laos Friendship Nongping Primary School in Lao capital Vientiane observed the International Children's Day on Saturday by going on a tour to the construction site of the China-Laos railway.

The teachers and students visited the China-Laos Railway Exhibition Hall, the construction site of the Nam Khone super major bridge, the longest bridge along the railway, and the Vientiane bridge beam fabrication yard of China Railway No. 2 Engineering Group (CREC-2), the company in charge of the railway construction.

At the Command Center of the beam fabrication yard, the teachers and students watched video introduction of the railway as well as a documentary about a Lao railway worker who once was a flood victim of last July's Attapeu dam collapse.

The China-Laos railway has a length of over 414 km, linking Mohan-Boten border gate in northern Laos and capital Vientiane. Operating speed on the route is designed at 160 km per hour.

In the production area of the beam fabrication yard, the teachers and students got to know the various processes of the bridge beam. The students showed great interest in the processes of steel bars' reinforcing, tensioning and maintenance.

Twelve-year-old Khamchan Kanyavong said it was the first time she saw how a railway was built. "I was very happy to learn the railway construction for the first time. I also learned some knowledge about railway construction," she said, adding the day has been meaningful.

In the safety education VR experience hall of CREC-2, the students put on VR equipment and were amazed by the experience, while their curious friends kept asking questions such as "What do you see?" "Can you see clearly?"

Teachers of the primary school told Xinhua that the activities have enabled the children to expand their knowledge.

The China-Laos Friendship Nongping Primary School is a demonstration project of China-Laos friendship. The school is funded by the China Foundation for Peace and Development in 2012. Since then the foundation has been sending volunteer teachers and offering teaching materials to the school.Editor's note: "Building a community with a shared future for mankind is the right path forward amid growing uncertainty and instability around the world Hegemony does not conform to China's values and national interests," noted General Wei Fenghe, Chinese State Councilor and Defense Minister while addressing a plenary session entitled "China and International Security Cooperation" at the 18th Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on June 2. In this episode of our "Come Together" series, we look at the Chinese Navy's "Peace Ark" hospital ship.

The delivery of their baby girl on board a Chinese hospital ship and naming her "Chin" ("China" in Bengali) to express their gratitude was how a couple from Bangladesh  Jannatul Ferdous and her husband Anwar Hossain  created a China bond nine years ago.

On November 12, 2010, Ferdousa, the pregnant woman with congenital heart disease, suffered a difficult labor that local hospitals in Chittagong, Bangladesh, failed to treat. Luckily, the Chinese Navy's "Peace Ark" hospital ship on the "Harmonious Mission-2010" medical voyage happened to be around.

"Since the patient had already been 36 weeks in pregnancy, her life was put at high risk," recalled Chen Lei, chief obstetrician and gynecologist of the Peace Ark." A cesarean section for Ferdousa was conducted by Chinese medical staff immediately.

Oihi Alifa Chin and her parents reunited with the Chinese medical staff in 2013 and 2017 when the hospital ship traveled again to Bangladesh.

The Peace Ark, independently designed by China, is the world's first 10,000-ton level professional hospital ship. Prior to "Peace Ark," most hospital ships around the world were converted from other types of ships.

While providing humanitarian medical service worldwide, the Peace Ark also plays an active role in disaster relief and emergency medical support.

In November 2013, Super Typhoon Haiyan hit the Philippines. After 77 hours' travel, the ship arrived in the affected area and started humanitarian medical assistance immediately. Medical staff treated 2,208 patients in total, including 113 inpatients, and conducted 44 operations.

"During the rescue in the Philippines, we actively worked with organizations such as the World Health Organization, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the United Nations Children's Fund," Sun Tao, former Peace Ark hospital ship director, told CGTN.

As the carrier of peace and love, the vessel also takes with it a spirit of collaboration as well as mutual benefits. In 2013, when it arrived in Bangladesh for the second time, a cataract patient named Muhammad Talik Islam, who had previously received treatment, came on board again.

"He saw many Chinese doctors were having difficulties in talking to patients who only speak their local language. He speaks English so he told us he would stay after the operation and volunteered as an interpreter," recalled Sun.

Since it was commissioned in 2008, the Peace Ark has traveled across three oceans and six continents, offering free medical service to 230,000 civilians across 43 countries and regions.

"In providing humanitarian support worldwide, the Peace Ark works and collaborates with people across the globe," Sun noted. "Our active participation in such global affairs demonstrates how we endeavor to build a community of shared future for mankind."Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-02 01:40:49|Editor: Mu Xuequan

Video Player Close

BEIJING, June 1 (Xinhua) -- A draft regulation on the protection of children's personal information on networks has been published by the Cyberspace Administration of China to consult public opinion.

Aiming to protect the safety of children's personal information, the regulation points out that network operators should inform the child's guardian in a conspicuous and clear manner when collecting and using the child's personal information, as well as obtain consent of the guardian.

A refusal option should also be provided in the process.

Network operators should clarify the aim, scope, method and time limit of collecting, storing, using, transferring or disclosing the child's personal information, the regulation reads.

The personal information of children collected, stored and used by network operators should be deleted in a timely manner if asked by a child or a guardian, according to the regulation.Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-02 02:10:57|Editor: Yang Yi

Video Player Close

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, June 2, 2019. The Israeli parliament, known as the Knesset, dissolved itself last Wednesday and scheduled another general election for mid-September of this year. The development came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to form a coalition government. (Xinhua/JINI/Yonatan Sindel)

RAMALLAH/GAZA, June 1 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian analysts believe that Israeli decision of holding new general elections after failing to form a coalition government, puts again the relationship between the armed Palestinian factions and Israel at stake.

Over the past weeks, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to form a new coalition government despite the intensive attempts he made before the expiry of the legal ultimatum he was given, which ended on Wednesday.

On Thursday, Israeli Knesset members voted in favor of dissolving the Israeli parliament and holding new elections on September 17. It is the first time Israel holds the second election in the same year.

The current internal Israeli political tension makes Netanyahu's political future uncertain, along with other outside thorny issues on his political table, mainly the endless violence on the border with the Gaza Strip.

The Palestinian analysts, who spoke to Xinhua, in separate statements, agreed that the interests of Israel prime minister are to keep the situation calm on the southern front with the Gaza Strip in order not to lose in the upcoming elections.

They believe that failing to keep calm on the southern front with the Gaza Strip, mainly stopping the weekly rallies, better known as the Great March of Return, on the border with Israel, has largely contributed to Netanyahu's failure to form a coalition government.

Husam al-Dajjanni, a Gaza-based political analyst, said that "the situation in the Gaza Strip won't change within the coming period of time," adding "Netanyahu's interest is to keep the situation in order to win more time and avoid getting engaged into a confrontation with Gaza militants and losing the elections."

"Netanyahu might be obliged to finalize a prisoners' swap deal with Islamic Hamas movement before holding the elections in order to keep a large number of votes," said the analyst, adding "the file of the prisoners' exchange could be enough to help Netanyahu gain the confidence of his voters again."

The Israeli prime minister preferred to hold the elections again on September rather than asking his rivals to form a coalition government by Israeli President Reuven Rivlin. The crisis on forming a government emerged on the brink after the sharp dispute between Netanyahu and Avigdor Lieberman, the former Israeli minister of defence.

A'ahed Ferwana, a Gaza-based expert in Israeli affairs, said "I don't think that the decision to hold the Israeli elections will bring the situation between Gaza armed factions and Israel to a military confrontation... but all the possibilities remain open."

"I believe that in the coming period, the Palestinian factions may escalate the violent activities of the Great March of Return... on the eastern border of the Gaza Strip with Israel to exert pressure on Netanyahu to implement the calm understandings," said Ferwana.

Meanwhile, analysts believe holding new Israeli elections will cause the United States to postpone the declaration of its new peace plan, better known as the Deal of the Century, to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

On Thursday, Secretary General of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Executive Committee, Saeb Erekat, mocked on his Twitter page the possibility of postponing the declaration of the U.S. deal until holding the new Israeli elections saying "it is going to become the Deal of Next Century."

Hani Habib, a Gaza-based political analyst, said that "holding the elections in Israel again would certainly influence the process of declaring and implementing the U.S.-brokered Deal of the Century."

On the situation in the Gaza Strip during the coming period, Habib agreed with other analysts that it would be "somewhat calm because Netanyahu would not risk any military action against the Gaza Strip that could make him lose the next election."

"If Netanyahu continues to shirk the implementation of calm understandings with the Palestinian factions, which are sponsored by Egypt, Qatar and the UN to improve the situation in Gaza, it is expected that there will be some periods of tension but without escalating the situation into a major war," Habib said.

"Netanyahu's policy in the Gaza Strip was clear from the beginning that the understandings are for the benefit of Israel," Habib said, adding "this policy has brought him more seats in the recent elections and may be a strong factor in bringing more seats in the upcoming elections."Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-02 07:12:26|Editor: Yang Yi

Video Player Close

SAN FRANCISCO, June 1 (Xinhua) -- U.S. internet giant Google could soon face an antitrust probe by the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) for its search service and other businesses, U.S. media reported Saturday.

The DoJ's antitrust division has spent several weeks "laying the groundwork for the probe," which would focus on Google's business practices related to its search and other businesses, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

The investigation would put Google under intense scrutiny over the tech giant's powerful position in online advertising, which some critics said left other smaller competitors in a disadvantaged position on the lucrative ads market, according to the WSJ report.

It noted that the DoJ, which shares power with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to enforce antitrust laws, obtained the jurisdiction after both sides held talks in recent weeks.

As the world's largest search company, Google has dominated world markets for search engines, web browsers, mobile operating systems, email, YouTube, online maps and numerous other product categories.

It was probed by the FTC in 2013 for alleged broad antitrust violations, but the commission closed the case without taking any action against the search behemoth.

Google suffered a heavy blow from the European Union (EU) in June 2017 when an EU antitrust agency fined Google 2.7 billion U.S. dollars for "abusing its dominant position by systematically favoring" its own shopping comparison service.

Some prominent critics including U.S. senator Elizabeth Warren from Massachusetts, who is also a Democratic presidential candidate, have joined an increasingly stronger call for the breakup of top tech companies in the United States such as Facebook, Google and Amazon.

The critics expressed their worries over the growing, powerful influence of those tech giants on the country's political, economic and social sectors.Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-02 07:34:20|Editor: Liangyu

Video Player Close

Children grind beans with a stone mill during a themed event in east China's Shanghai, June 1, 2019. Various activities are held across the county to celebrate the International Children's Day, which falls on Saturday. (Xinhua/Liu Ying)Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-02 07:22:28|Editor: Shi Yinglun

Video Player Close

UNITED NATIONS, June 1 (Xinhua) -- Kicking off on Saturday the first-ever global Parenting Month, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), is calling on world leaders to invest in family-friendly policies that support parents to give their children "the best start in life."

According to UNICEF, the month of June is a time to focus on raising awareness of the impact that protection, nutrition and stimulation have on brains in the earliest years of life.

It also supports parents in pressing governments and businesses to invest in family-friendly policies, especially targeted towards working parents, and seeks to build an online community of parents by meeting their demands for reliable, relatable and practical content.

Appropriately, its first commemoration falls on June 1, the Global Day of Parents, which itself provides an opportunity to appreciate parents throughout the world for their selfless commitment to children and their lifelong sacrifice towards nurturing this relationship.

In a video statement, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador David Beckham spoke passionately about the importance of parenting.

"When you have children, you want to protect them, you want to teach them," he said."I always tell my kids to be respectful, to be polite, to treat people how you want to be treated."

UNICEF underscores that "being a parent is the most important job in the world," saying that they and other caregivers are the main providers of the nutrition, stimulation and protection that every baby needs for healthy brain development.

"During the first few years of life, a child's brain develops at a never-again-repeated speed of more than 1 million new neural connections every second," according to the UN agency. "This period offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to shape a child's ability to learn, grow and contribute fully to her society."

UNICEF's six-point call to action on early childhood development includes investing urgently in services that give young children, especially the most deprived, the best start in life and expanding access to effective early childhood development services in homes, schools, communities and health clinics.Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-02 07:22:30|Editor: Shi Yinglun

Video Player Close

VIRGINIA BEACH, the United States, June 1 (Xinhua) -- Investigators have identified two .45 caliber pistols used in a mass shooting at a municipal building here on Friday that killed 12 people, a U.S. official said Saturday.

All indications were that the guns were bought legally, Ashan Benedict, regional special agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, a federal law enforcement organization within the U.S. Department of Justice, told a press conference.

One gun was bought in 2016 and the other was bought last year, according to Benedict.

He also said two other weapons were found at the home of the gunman, identified earlier in the day as 40-year-old DeWayne Craddock, a city engineer who had been employed with Virginia Beach's public utility department for the past 15 years.

The shooting massacre that the suspect carried out on Friday afternoon led to 12 fatalities and four injuries. He was killed in a "long gunbattle" with police officers.

U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered U.S. flags to be flown at half-staff in memory of the victims.

In a statement released by the White House on Saturday, Trump said that he was ordering the action as a "mark of solemn respect for the victims of the terrible act of violence."

Those who were killed by the gunman include 11 city employees and the other was a contractor seeking a permit, City Manager Dave Hansen told reporters Saturday morning.

"I have worked with most of them for many years," he said. "They leave a void that we will never be able to fill."

Vigils in memory of the victims were planned for Saturday evening.

Virginia Beach is a popular resort city with an estimated population of some 450,000, which is about 300 kilometers south of Washington, D.C.

The shooting occurred in Building No. 2 of the sprawling Virginia Beach Municipal Center, which includes several city facilities, including the police department.

Building No. 2 houses offices for planning and public works and is adjacent to city hall.Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-02 07:42:34|Editor: Shi Yinglun

Video Player Close

WASHINGTON, June 1 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump Saturday announced that White House lawyer Emmet Flood, who helped Trump during Special Counsel Robert Mueller's 22-month Russia probe, will leave his position.

"Emmet Flood, who came to the White House to help me with the Mueller Report, will be leaving service on June 14th," Trump wrote in a tweet.

"He has done an outstanding job," Trump said. "Emmet is my friend and I thank him for the GREAT JOB he has done."

Flood joined the White House in October 2018 during Mueller's probe into whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russia and whether the president had obstructed justice.

Flood's announced exit came after Mueller resigned from his post in late May, two months after the investigation had been completed.

While the report concluded there was no collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, it was vague in whether Trump had obstructed justice, fueling a political fight between Trump's supporters and critics.FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a National African American History Month reception at the White House in Washington D.C., the United States, Feb. 13, 2018. (Xinhua/Ting Shen)

WASHINGTON, June 1 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump Saturday announced that White House lawyer Emmet Flood, who helped Trump during Special Counsel Robert Mueller's 22-month Russia probe, will leave his position.

"Emmet Flood, who came to the White House to help me with the Mueller Report, will be leaving service on June 14th," Trump wrote in a tweet.

"He has done an outstanding job," Trump said. "Emmet is my friend and I thank him for the GREAT JOB he has done."

Flood joined the White House in October 2018 during Mueller's probe into whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russia and whether the president had obstructed justice.

Flood's announced exit came after Mueller resigned from his post in late May, two months after the investigation had been completed.

While the report concluded there was no collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, it was vague in whether Trump had obstructed justice, fueling a political fight between Trump's supporters and critics.Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-02 09:38:02|Editor: Shi Yinglun

Video Player Close

TRIPOLI, June 2 (Xinhua) -- General Idris Madi, the east-based Libyan army's western region commander, on Saturday denied any cease-fire in the southern part of the capital Tripoli with the government forces.

"General Idris Madi confirms that the military operations against the armed militias (government forces) in southern Tripoli continue, and that only the army's command decides whether there's a cease-fire," the east-based army's Tripoli operation chamber said in a statement.

"The battle fields in the coming days will witness significant changes," the statement added.

Earlier on Saturday, the government forces confirmed that they progressed against the east-based army in southern Tripoli and have captured a number of fighters.

The east-based army, led by General Khalifa Haftar, has been leading a military campaign since early April to take over Tripoli from the UN-backed government.

The fighting so far has killed 562 people and injured 2,855 others, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-02 09:53:07|Editor: Shi Yinglun

Video Player Close

WASHINGTON, June 1 (Xinhua) -- The United States is now requesting nearly all visa applicants to submit their social media information in stepping up the security screening of prospective immigrants and travelers.

The additional information for the background scrutiny include social media usernames, email addresses and phone numbers used in the previous five years. Visa applicants also have to report international travel and deportation status during the same period, as well as whether their family members have been involved in terrorist activities.

"National security is our top priority when adjudicating visa applications, and every prospective traveler and immigrant to the United States undergoes extensive security screening," the U.S. State Department said. "We are constantly working to find mechanisms to improve our screening processes to protect U.S. citizens, while supporting legitimate travel to the United States."

The new visa policy, first proposed in March 2018, has just taken effect after approval of updated application forms. The only exemptions are certain diplomatic and official visa applicants.

The policy applies to virtually all applicants of immigrant and nonimmigrant visas, including on the purpose of business or education. The U.S. State Department estimates it would affect 710,000 immigrant visa applicants and 14 million nonimmigrant visa applicants each year.

Similar measures in the past only targeted about 65,000 applicants categorized into extra scrutiny each year, such as those with a history of travelling to terrorist-controlled areas.

The U.S. State Department said the list of social media, which comprises 20 social media platforms of ASKfm, Douban, Facebook, Flickr, Google+, Instagram, LinkedIn, MySpace, Pinterest, QZone, Reddit, Sina Weibo, Tencent Weibo, Tumblr, Twitter, Twoo, Vine, Vkontakte, YouKu and YouTube, may grow in the future.Chinese State Councilor and Defense Minister Wei Fenghe speaks at the 18th Shangri-La Dialogue held in Singapore on June 2, 2019. (Xinhua/Then Chih Wey)

by Xinhua writers Fei Liena, Lin Hao

SINGAPORE, June 2 (Xinhua) -- "While striving for common prosperity in the Asia-Pacific, we must respect the core interests and accommodate the security concerns of all," said Chinese State Councilor and Defense Minister Wei Fenghe during his speech at the 18th Shangri-La Dialogue on Sunday.

"We in China do not covet the interests, nor envy the development, of others. However, we shall never give up our legitimate rights and interests," Wei added. "No country should ever expect China to allow its sovereignty, security and development interests to be infringed upon."

This was the first time for a Chinese defense minister to attend the Shangri-La Dialogue after eight years. Wei's honesty, frankness and not shying away from harsh questions gave delegates a good impression, said Li Mingjiang, an associate professor at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore.

COOPERATION BENEFITS CHINA, U.S.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and the United States, and the bilateral relationship has been steadily growing in the past 40 years, despite all the ups and downs, Wei said.

"The most valuable lesson we have learned from the four-decade-long relationship is that cooperation benefits the two sides while confrontation hurts both," the defense minister said.

Wei's speech mentioned the essential part of China's policy on the United States, that is "fighting but not breaking," said Li. "We've seen the fighting, but Wei also emphasized cooperation, which is very important to all, so that regional countries don't have to choose sides."

During his speech, Wei noted that the two militaries have agreed on building their relationship into a stabilizer for the overall relations, maintaining regular communication on the strategic level, and managing risks and preventing conflicts.

"The two sides recognize that military conflicts or even a war between them would bring disasters to both countries and the world," he said. "It takes two to cooperate, but only one to start a fight."

Wei's speech echoed U.S. Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan's remarks a day ealier on building a bilateral military relationship as a stabilizer for the overall relations, said Francois Heisbourg, a senior adviser for Europe of the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS).

"So I think maybe the two militaries have some scope for a degree of maintaining normality in relations. But that will depend on the political development," he added.

All participating defense ministers and other delegates to the dialogue were glad to hear from Wei that the Chinese military will interact more with the U.S. military and develop a better relationship, said Singaporean Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen.

"This is good news for all of us," Ng said. "From the Singaporean perspective, both sides strengthening interaction will help lower risks and reduce misjudgement for either party."

ASIA-PACIFIC SECURITY

At the event this year, over 600 defense ministers, policymakers and experts from about 40 countries gathered from Friday to Sunday to discuss security issues in the Asia-Pacific.

"We should respect and accommodate the legitimate security concerns of one another," Wei said. "China understands and respects the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of all countries, and supports the social systems and development paths they independently choose."

"The minister has systematically elaborated China's concept on international security order, world peace and stability, regional security and safety, and explained some of China's specific actions, these have yielded positive results," said Li.

For one, Wei refuted the allegation that China is militarizing the South China Sea islands and reefs.

"It is the legitimate rights of a sovereign state to carry out construction on its own territory. China built limited defense facilities on the islands and reefs for self-defense," he said. "Where there are threats, there are defenses."

The current situation in the South China Sea is improving towards greater stability, Wei said. Over 100,000 ships sail through the South China Sea each year and "none has been threatened."

Wei talked about progress being made between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations countries in negotiating the Code of Conduct and "we look forward to the outcome of that," said Rommel Banlaoi, chairman of the Philippine Institute for Peace, Violence and Terrorism Research.

However, "there are always people trying to rake in profits by stirring up troubles in the region," Wei said, adding that in recent years, some countries outside the region have come to the South China Sea to flex muscles, in the name of freedom of navigation.

"The large-scale force projection and offensive operations in the region are the most serious destabilizing and uncertain factors in the South China Sea," he said.

Wei also talked about China's choices of peace and development, openness and inclusiveness, win-win cooperation, and mutual understanding among civilizations, as well as its commitment to regional and world prosperity and stability.

China has been playing an increasingly important role in the Asia-Pacific's security, and there are different kinds of security mechanisms in the region, said Zhou Bo, director of the Center for Security Cooperation at the Office for International Military Cooperation of the Chinese Defense Ministry. "That's why Wei reiterated that every security mechanism needs to be open, inclusive and transparent."

"We want China to have military capability in order to contribute to the maintenance of world peace. And we also want a strong Chinese military in order to enhance China's role in peacekeeping efforts worldwide and we want that to happen," Banlaoi said.

Asanga Abeyagoonasekera, director general of the Institute of National Security Studies of Sri Lanka, said: "China's strategy is an inclusive strategy, trying to bring all nations together and trying to create a shared value."

TAIWAN QUESTION

On China's core Taiwan-related issues, Wei reiterated China's firm position and warned against any forces' attempt to split the island from the country.

The Taiwan question bears on China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and China must be and will be reunified, Wei said, adding that "if anyone dares to split Taiwan from China, the Chinese military has no choice but to fight at all costs for national unity."

The defense minister said no attempts to split China shall succeed, and that foreign intervention in the Taiwan issue is doomed to fail.

As for Shanahan's remarks on Saturday, in which he said the United States will offer necessary support to Taiwan according to the "Taiwan Relations Act," Wei said, "We can find no justifiable reasons for the U.S. to interfere in the Taiwan question by its domestic law."

Li said Wei's remarks on Taiwan were firm and tough, and reflected China's determination that there is no room for compromise on the issue. Wei also made it clear to the United States not to go too far on Taiwan, Li added.

Heisbourg noted Wei's speech was "very impressive," adding that Wei "said twice 'at all costs' for national unity. This will be taken seriously by the audience."

Officially known as the Asia Security Summit, the Shangri-La Dialogue has been organized and convened annually by the British think tank IISS and the Singaporean government since 2002.

(Xinhua reporters Yuan Mengchen, Wang Lili, Li Xiaoyu and Zhao Qing also contributed to the report.)Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-02 10:03:11|Editor: Yang Yi

Video Player Close

BEIJING, June 2 (Xinhua) -- The State Council Information Office on Sunday issued a white paper to provide a comprehensive picture of the China-US economic and trade consultations, and present China's policy position on these consultations.

Related

China does not want but is not afraid of a trade war: white paper

BEIJING, June 2 (Xinhua) -- The China-US commercial relationship serves as both the ballast and the propeller of the overall bilateral relationship. At stake are the fundamental interests of the two peoples, and the prosperity and stability of the world, according to a white paper released Sunday by the State Council Information Office.

Since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the US, bilateral trade and economic relations have come a long way, with expanding fields of cooperation at higher levels. A mutually beneficial and win-win relationship with strong complementarity and interlinked interests has been forged, benefiting not only the two countries but also the entire world, according to the white paper titled China's Position on the China-US Economic and Trade Consultations. Full story

US-imposed tariff measures harm others and are of no benefit to itself: white paper

BEIJING, June 2 (Xinhua) -- The US administration has imposed additional tariffs on Chinese goods exported to the US, impeding two-way trade and investment cooperation and undermining market confidence and economic stability in the two countries and globally, according to a white paper titled China's Position on the China-US Economic and Trade Consultations issued by the State Council Information Office on Sunday.

The US tariff measures lead to a decrease in the volume of China's export to the US, which fell by 9.7 percent year-on-year in the first four months of 2019, dropping for five months in a row, the white paper said, citing data from the website of China's General Administration of Customs. Full story

US-provoked trade friction perils entire world: white paper

BEIJING, June 2 (Xinhua) -- The China-US economic and trade friction provoked by the United States damages the interests of both countries and of the wider world, according to a white paper titled China's Position on the China-US Economic and Trade Consultations issued by the State Council Information Office on Sunday.

Trumpeting "America First," the current US administration has adopted a series of unilateral and protectionist measures, regularly wielded tariffs as a "big stick" and coerced other countries into accepting its demands. The US has initiated frequent investigations under the long-unused Sections 201 and 232 against its main trading partners, causing disruption to the global economic and trade landscape. Specifically targeting China, in August 2017, it launched a unilateral investigation under Section 301. Turning a blind eye to China's unremitting efforts and remarkable progress in protecting intellectual property and improving the business environment for foreign investors, the US issued a myriad of slanted and negative observations, and imposed additional tariffs and investment restrictions on China, provoking economic and trade friction between the two countries, said the white paper. Full story

US accusation of China IP theft, forced technology transfer unfounded: white paper

BEIJING, June 2 (Xinhua) -- Accusing China of stealing intellectual property to support its own development is an unfounded fabrication, according to a white paper titled China's Position on the China-US Economic and Trade Consultations released by the State Council Information Office on Sunday.

Historical records confirm that China's achievements in scientific and technological innovation are not something we stole or forcibly took from others; they were earned through self-reliance and hard work, the white paper said. Full story

US trade bullying harms the world: white paper

BEIJING, June 2 (Xinhua) -- Economic globalization is a firmly-established trend of the times, and beggar-thy-neighbor unilateralism and protectionism are unpopular, according to a white paper titled China's Position on the China-US Economic and Trade Consultations issued by the State Council Information Office on Sunday.

The trade protectionist measures taken by the US go against the WTO rules, damage the multilateral trading system, seriously disrupt global industrial chains and supply chains, undermine market confidence, and pose a serious challenge to global economic recovery and a major threat to the trend of economic globalization, the white paper said. Full story

China-US trade, investment are mutually beneficial: white paper

BEIJING, June 2 (Xinhua) -- China and the US are each other's largest trading partner and important source of investment, and their commercial cooperation has brought substantial benefits to both countries and both peoples, according to a white paper titled China's Position on the China-US Economic and Trade Consultations released by the State Council Information Office on Sunday.

In 2018, bilateral trade in goods and services exceeded US$750 billion, and two-way direct investment approached US$160 billion, the white paper said. Full story

US backtracks on commitments in China-US trade consultations: white paper

BEIJING, June 2 (Xinhua) -- Since they were launched in February 2018, the economic and trade consultations have come a long way with China and the US agreeing on most parts of the deal. But the consultations have not been free of setbacks, each of them being the result of a US breach of consensus and commitments, and backtracking, according to a white paper released Sunday.

In response to the economic and trade friction started by the US, China has been forced to take countermeasures, as bilateral trade and investment relations took a hit. For the well-being of the Chinese and American people and the economic development of the two countries, both sides deemed it necessary to come to the negotiating table to seek a solution through consultation, said the white paper titled China's Position on the China-US Economic and Trade Consultations, released by the State Council Information Office. Full story

No challenge will hold back China's development: white paper

No challenge will hold back China's development, though its development may not be all smooth sailing, and difficulties or even perils are inevitable, a white paper said on Sunday.

Whatever the future might bring, China is confident of meeting challenges head on, turning risks into opportunities, and opening new chapters, said the white paper titled China's Position on the China-US Economic and Trade Consultations, released by the State Council Information Office. Full story

China will not give ground on issues of principle: white paper

BEIJING, June 2 (Xinhua) -- During consultations, a country's sovereignty and dignity must be respected, and any agreement reached by the two sides must be based on equality and mutual benefit, according to a white paper titled China's Position on the China-US Economic and Trade Consultations issued by the State Council Information Office Sunday.

The white paper noted that every country has its own matters of principle and that on major issues of principle, China will not back down. Full story

China committed to credible consultations based on equality, mutual benefit: white paper

BEIJING, June 2 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese government rejects the idea that threats of a trade war and continuous tariff hikes can ever help resolve trade and economic issues, said a white paper issued by the State Council Information Office Sunday.

Guided by a spirit of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit, the two countries should push forward consultations based on good faith and credibility in a bid to address issues, narrow differences, expand common interests, and jointly safeguard global economic stability and development, according to the white paper titled China's Position on the China-US Economic and Trade Consultations. Full story

US government bears responsibility for setback in trade consultations with China: white paper

BEIJING, June 2 (Xinhua) -- The US government's accusation of Chinese backtracking is totally groundless, according to a white paper titled China's Position on the China-US Economic and Trade Consultations, issued by the State Council Information Office on Sunday.

The white paper noted that it is common practice for both sides to make new proposals for adjustments to the text and language in ongoing consultations. In the previous more than ten rounds of negotiations, the US administration kept changing its demands. It is reckless to accuse China of "backtracking" while the talks are still under way. Full story

Cooperation is only correct choice for China and US: white paper

BEIJING, June 2 (Xinhua) -- Cooperation is the only correct choice for China and the US and win-win is the only path to a better future, according to a white paper titled China's Position on the China-US Economic and Trade Consultations issued Sunday by the State Council Information Office.Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-02 10:08:14|Editor: Shi Yinglun

Video Player Close

YANGON, June 2 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar authorities seized a total of 326.8 tons of illegally harvested timbers in Sagaing region during the month of May, police said Sunday.

The illegal timbers were confiscated in Tamu, a border town in the region with India, during search operations across the area by a combined team of Myanmar police force, forest department and township administration to expose illegal logging and trading.

The wide variety of hardwood and teak were seized in Tamu's Mawlu and Ahlaw forest reserves as well as in some wards and villages.

Along with the seizure were also nine motorbikes, five bullock carts, 10 cattle, a logging engine and other equipment.

The authorities are continuing to crack down on illegal logging, smuggling, transporting and trading in the region.

Meanwhile, in January, Myanmar authorities also seized 63 tons of illegally harvested timbers from Phyukon forest reserve in southern Bago region.

Moreover, in last December, illegal teak logs laden by 16 boats were seized by local authorities in Singu township, Mandalay region when a regular search operation was conducted along the Ayeyawaddy River.Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-02 10:08:16|Editor: Liangyu

Video Player Close

BEIJING, June 2 (Xinhua) -- The China-US commercial relationship serves as both the ballast and the propeller of the overall bilateral relationship. At stake are the fundamental interests of the two peoples, and the prosperity and stability of the world, according to a white paper released Sunday by the State Council Information Office.

Since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the US, bilateral trade and economic relations have come a long way, with expanding fields of cooperation at higher levels. A mutually beneficial and win-win relationship with strong complementarity and interlinked interests has been forged, benefiting not only the two countries but also the entire world, according to the white paper titled China's Position on the China-US Economic and Trade Consultations.

Given the differences in stage of development and economic system, it is inevitable that the two countries will experience differences and friction in their commercial cooperation. The history of China-US trade and economic relations has seen twists and turns and difficult situations. By adopting a rational and cooperative attitude, the two countries have managed to resolve previous conflicts, bridge differences, and render the bilateral commercial relationship more mature through dialogue and consultation.

Since it took office in 2017, the new US administration has threatened additional tariffs and other measures and provoked frequent economic and trade friction with its major trading partners. In response to the economic and trade friction unilaterally initiated by the US since March 2018, China has had to take forceful measures to defend the interests of the nation and its people, the white paper noted.

At the same time, committed to resolving disputes through dialogue and consultation, China has engaged in multiple rounds of economic and trade consultations with the US in an effort to stabilize the bilateral commercial relationship. China's position has been consistent and clear - that cooperation serves the interests of the two countries, that conflict can only hurt both, and that cooperation is the only correct choice for both sides, it said.

Concerning their differences and frictions on the economic and trade front, China is willing to work together with the US to find solutions, and to reach a mutually beneficial and win-win agreement. However, cooperation has to be based on principles. There are bottom lines in consultations. China will not compromise on major issues of principle. China does not want a trade war, but it is not afraid of one and it will fight one if necessary. China's position on this has never changed, the white paper pointed out.

The white paper was issued by the Chinese government to provide a comprehensive picture of the China-US economic and trade consultations, and present China's policy position on these consultations.Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-02 10:23:26|Editor: Liangyu

Video Player Close

BEIJING, June 2 (Xinhua) -- Accusing China of stealing intellectual property to support its own development is an unfounded fabrication, according to a white paper titled China's Position on the China-US Economic and Trade Consultations released by the State Council Information Office on Sunday.

Historical records confirm that China's achievements in scientific and technological innovation are not something we stole or forcibly took from others; they were earned through self-reliance and hard work, the white paper said.

China has established a legal system for the protection of intellectual property that is consistent with prevailing international rules and adapted to China's domestic conditions. The understanding of the importance of intellectual property among the general public and business community in China has increased, the value of royalties paid to foreign rights-holders has risen significantly, and the number of intellectual property applications and registrations has surged, said the white paper.

Former WIPO Director General Arpad Bogsch spoke highly of China's legal framework for intellectual property protection, noting that China's achievements are "unmatched in the history of intellectual property protection."

The US Chamber of Commerce recognized that China is making concrete progress in creating an intellectual property environment appropriate to the 21st century.

In its 2018 China Business Climate Survey Report, the American Chamber of Commerce in China noted that among the main challenges facing its member companies operating in China, concern over intellectual property dropped from 5th place in 2011 to 12th place in 2018.

An article in The Diplomat predicted that China will become a leader in global intellectual property. Many of the concerns raised by foreign firms doing business in China have already been addressed through judicial reform and a strengthened enforcement mechanism, according to the white paper.

In terms of some key innovation indices, China is already among the world's leading players, the white paper said.

In 2017, total R&D investment in China reached RMB 1.76 trillion, ranking second in the world. The number of patent applications reached 1.382 million, ranking No. 1 in the world for the seventh consecutive year. The number of invention patents granted reached 327,000, up by 8.2 percent year-on-year. China ranks third in the world in terms of valid invention patents held, the white paper noted.

China's economic development has benefited from international technology transfer and dissemination. International holders of technology have also reaped enormous benefits from this process, said the white paper.

China encourages and respects voluntary technical cooperation between Chinese and foreign firms based on market principles. It strongly opposes forced technology transfer and takes resolute action against intellectual property infringement. Accusations against China of forced technology transfer are baseless and untenable, the document noted.Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-02 10:33:30|Editor: Liangyu

Video Player Close

BEIJING, June 2 (Xinhua) -- Economic globalization is a firmly-established trend of the times, and beggar-thy-neighbor unilateralism and protectionism are unpopular, according to a white paper titled China's Position on the China-US Economic and Trade Consultations issued by the State Council Information Office on Sunday.

The trade protectionist measures taken by the US go against the WTO rules, damage the multilateral trading system, seriously disrupt global industrial chains and supply chains, undermine market confidence, and pose a serious challenge to global economic recovery and a major threat to the trend of economic globalization, the white paper said.

The US measures are undermining the authority of the multilateral trading system. The US has launched a series of unilateral investigations, including those under Sections 201, 232 and 301, and imposed tariff measures. These are a serious breach of the most fundamental and central WTO rules, including most-favored-nation treatment and tariff binding. Such unilateralist and protectionist actions have harmed the interests of China and other WTO members. More importantly, they have undermined the authority of the WTO and its dispute settlement system, and exposed the multilateral trading system and international trade order to peril, the white paper said.

The US measures threaten global economic growth. With the shadow of the international financial crisis still lingering over the global economy, the US government has escalated economic and trade friction and hiked additional tariffs, provoking corresponding measures by the countries involved. This disrupts global economic and trade order, dampens world economic recovery, and undermines the development of companies and the well-being of people in all countries, plunging the world economy into the "recession trap," according to the white paper.

Global Economic Prospects released by the World Bank in January 2019 revised its forecast for global economic growth down further to 2.9 percent, citing continuous trade friction as a major downward risk. The International Monetary Fund also marked down its projection of world economic growth for 2019 to 3.3 percent from the 2018 estimate of 3.6 percent in its World Economic Outlook report published in April 2019, suggesting that economic and trade friction could further depress global economic growth and weaken already anemic investment.

The US moves disrupt global industrial and supply chains. China and the US are both key links in global industrial and supply chains. Given the large volume of intermediary goods and components from other countries in Chinese end-products exported to the US, US tariff hikes will hurt all the multinationals -- not least those from the US -- that work with Chinese companies. The tariff measures artificially drive up the costs of supply chains, and undermine their stability and security. As a result, some businesses are forced to readjust their global supply chains at the expense of optimal resource allocation, the white paper said.

It is foreseeable that the latest US tariff hikes on China, far from resolving issues, will only make things worse for all sides. China stands firm in opposition. Recently, the US administration imposed "long-arm jurisdiction" and sanctions against Huawei and other Chinese companies on the fabricated basis of national security, to which China is also firmly opposed, according to the white paper.Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-02 10:33:32|Editor: Liangyu

Video Player Close

BEIJING, June 2 (Xinhua) -- China and the US are each other's largest trading partner and important source of investment, and their commercial cooperation has brought substantial benefits to both countries and both peoples, according to a white paper titled China's Position on the China-US Economic and Trade Consultations released by the State Council Information Office on Sunday.

In 2018, bilateral trade in goods and services exceeded US$750 billion, and two-way direct investment approached US$160 billion, the white paper said.

According to China Customs, the trade in goods between China and the US grew from less than US$2.5 billion in 1979 when the two countries forged diplomatic ties to US$633.5 billion in 2018, a 252-fold increase. In 2018, the US was China's largest trading partner and export market, and the sixth largest source of imports. According to the US Department of Commerce, in 2018 China was the largest trading partner of the US, its third largest export market, and its largest source of imports. China is the key export market for US airplanes, soybeans, automobiles, integrated circuits and cotton. During the ten years from 2009 to 2018, China was one of the fastest growing export markets for American goods, with an annual average increase of 6.3 percent and an aggregate growth of 73.2 percent, higher than the average growth of 56.9 percent represented by other regions in the world, the white paper said.

Trade in services between China and the US is flourishing and highly complementary. The two countries have conducted extensive, in-depth, and mutually-beneficial cooperation in tourism, culture, and intellectual property. China is the largest destination for US tourists in the Asia-Pacific and the US is the largest overseas destination for Chinese students. According to Chinese figures, two-way trade in services rose from US$27.4 billion in 2006, the earliest year with available statistics, to US$125.3 billion in 2018, a 3.6-fold increase. In 2018, China's services trade deficit with the US reached US$48.5 billion.

Over the past forty years, two-way investment between China and the US has grown from near zero to approximately US$160 billion, and this cooperation has proved fruitful. According to MOFCOM, by the end of 2018 accumulative Chinese business direct investment in the US exceeded US$73.17 billion. The rapid growth of Chinese business investment in the US has contributed to local economic growth, job creation, and tax revenues. According to MOFCOM, the paid-in investment by the US in China was US$85.19 billion by the end of 2018. In 2017, the total annual sales revenues of US-invested companies in China were US$700 billion, with profits exceeding US$50 billion.

Therefore, if trade in goods and services as well as two-way investment are taken into account, China-US trade and economic relations are mutually beneficial, rather than the US "being taken advantage of", the white paper said.Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-02 10:38:34|Editor: Shi Yinglun

Video Player Close

LOS ANGELES, June 1 (Xinhua) -- A young woman died after she lost her footing while taking photos at a famous waterfall in northern California, local media reported Saturday.

"Crews from the Tahoe Truckee Regional Rescue Team responded to Eagle Falls in Emerald Bay to recover the body of a young woman who was taking photos at the falls, lost her footing and went over," the North Tahoe Fire Protection Department said on its official Facebook page.

Erin Holland, spokeswoman for the fire protection district, was quoted by the NBC news channel as saying that crew members were sent to the scene Friday afternoon and the accident occurred because the victim was too close to the edge.

"Recovery crews were able to locate her and recover her body quickly given the powerful conditions of the falls," she said.

The fire protection district also reminded tourists to be cautious when taking photos in dangerous areas, saying "don't underestimate the power of waterfalls, rivers, and cold water temperatures."

The woman, reportedly in her 20s, was not immediately identified.

The Eagle Falls is located near the renowned American tourist resort Lake Tahoe, 800 km north of Los Angeles.Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-02 10:43:38|Editor: Li Xia

Video Player Close

RIO DE JANEIRO, June 1 (Xinhua) -- Brazil and Paris Saint-Germain forward Neymar bas been accused of raping a woman in France last month, according to Brazilian police.

The incident allegedly took place in a Paris hotel on May 15, according to a report filed with police in Sao Paulo on Friday.

Neymar's father strongly denied the accusation and said it was an attempt to extort his son.

"This is a tough moment. If we can't show the truth quickly it will be a snowball. If we have to show Neymar's WhatsApp messages and the conversations with this lady, we will," Neymar Santos Sr told TV Band.

According to the woman's testimony to police, Neymar paid for her to fly from Sao Paulo to Paris after meeting her on Instagram.

She states that he booked her into a suite at the Sofitel Paris Arc de Triomphe, where the offence allegedly occurred.

The woman says she returned to Brazil two days later and did not file a report in Paris because she was too emotionally upset.

The document affirms that the woman will undergo medical tests as part of the police probe.

Neymar is currently preparing for the Copa America with Brazil's national squad at a training camp in Terespolis, near Rio de Janeiro. The continental tournament will be held in Brazil from June 14 to July 7.Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-02 10:43:40|Editor: Liangyu

Video Player Close

BEIJING, June 2 (Xinhua) -- Since they were launched in February 2018, the economic and trade consultations have come a long way with China and the US agreeing on most parts of the deal. But the consultations have not been free of setbacks, each of them being the result of a US breach of consensus and commitments, and backtracking, according to a white paper released Sunday.

In response to the economic and trade friction started by the US, China has been forced to take countermeasures, as bilateral trade and investment relations took a hit. For the well-being of the Chinese and American people and the economic development of the two countries, both sides deemed it necessary to come to the negotiating table to seek a solution through consultation, said the white paper titled China's Position on the China-US Economic and Trade Consultations, released by the State Council Information Office.

China had advocated resolving economic and trade friction through negotiation and consultation from the start. In early February 2018, the US government expressed the wish that China could send a high-level delegation to the US to engage in economic and trade consultation.

Demonstrating great goodwill and positive efforts, China held several rounds of high-level economic and trade consultations with the US, characterized by in-depth exchanges of views on trade imbalance among other major issues. The two sides made substantial progress as they reached preliminary consensus on expanding China's imports of agricultural and energy products from the US. However, on March 22, 2018, the US government unveiled the so-called Report on Section 301 Investigation of China, falsely accusing China of "IP theft" and "forced technology transfer," and subsequently announced an additional tariff of 25 percent on US$50 billion of Chinese exports to the US, according to the white paper.

Taking a big-picture view of the bilateral relationship, the Chinese government sent a working team again to the US to engage in genuine consultations. On May 19, 2018, China and the US issued a joint statement, agreeing to refrain from fighting a trade war, to continue high-level communications, and to actively seek solutions to respective economic and trade concerns. The US publicly announced that it would suspend the plan for additional tariffs on Chinese goods. On May 29, 2018, despite the opposition of its domestic business community and the general public, the US administration tore up the consensus just ten days after the joint statement, gratuitously criticizing China's economic system and trade policy, while announcing the resumption of the tariff program. Starting from early July 2018, in three steps, the US imposed additional tariffs of 25 percent on Chinese exports worth US$50 billion, and additional tariffs of 10 percent on US$200 billion of Chinese exports, which, according to the US, would be raised to 25 percent on January 1, 2019.

In addition, the US threatened further tariffs on all remaining Chinese exports, leading to quick escalation of the economic and trade friction between the two countries. In defense of its national dignity and its people's interests, China had to respond in kind and raised tariffs on imports worth US$110 billion from the US.

On November 1, 2018, US President Donald Trump had a telephone conversation with Chinese President Xi Jinping and proposed a summit meeting. On December 1 the two presidents had a meeting on the margins of the G20 Summit in Argentina. In accordance with their important consensus on economic and trade issues, the two sides agreed to halt new additional tariffs for 90 days to allow for intensive talks geared toward the full elimination of all additional tariffs. In the ensuing 90 days, the working teams of China and the US held three rounds of high-level consultations in Beijing and Washington D.C., reaching preliminary consensus on many matters of principle for the China-US economic and trade deal. On February 25, 2019, the US announced the postponement of the additional tariffs scheduled for March 1 on US$200 billion of Chinese exports to the US. From late March to early April, the working teams of the two countries held another three rounds of high-level consultations and made substantial progress.

Following numerous rounds of consultations, the two countries had agreed on most of the issues. Regarding the remaining issues, the Chinese government urged mutual understanding and compromise for solutions to be found, the white paper said.

But the more the US government is offered, the more it wants. Resorting to intimidation and coercion, it persisted with exorbitant demands, maintained the additional tariffs imposed since the friction began, and insisted on including mandatory requirements concerning China's sovereign affairs in the deal, which only served to delay the resolution of remaining differences. On May 6, 2019, the US irresponsibly accused China of backtracking on its position to shift the blame for the inconclusive talks onto China. Despite China's fierce opposition, the US raised the additional tariffs on US$200 billion of Chinese exports to the US from 10 percent to 25 percent, which represented a serious setback to the economic and trade consultations. On May 13 the US announced that it had launched procedures to slap additional tariffs on remaining Chinese goods, which are worth around US$300 billion.

These acts contradicted the agreement reached by the two presidents to ease friction through consultation -- and the expectations of people around the world -- casting a shadow over the bilateral economic and trade consultations and world economic growth. In defense of its own interests, China had to take tariff measures in response, the white paper said.Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-02 10:48:44|Editor: Yang Yi

Video Player Close

BEIJING, June 2 (Xinhua) -- During consultations, a country's sovereignty and dignity must be respected, and any agreement reached by the two sides must be based on equality and mutual benefit, according to a white paper titled China's Position on the China-US Economic and Trade Consultations issued by the State Council Information Office Sunday.

The white paper noted that every country has its own matters of principle and that on major issues of principle, China will not back down.

Both China and the United States should see and recognize their countries' differences in national development and in stage of development, and respect each other's development path and basic institutions, it said.

While no one expects to resolve all issues through one single agreement, it is necessary to ensure that any agreement will satisfy the needs of both sides and achieve a balance, the white paper noted.

The recent US move to increase tariffs on Chinese exports does not help to solve bilateral trade issues. China strongly opposes this and has to respond to safeguard its lawful rights and interests, it said.

China has been consistent and clear on its position, that it hopes to resolve issues through dialogue rather than tariff measures. China will act rationally in the interests of the Chinese people, the American people, and all other peoples around the world, it said.

"However, China will not bow under pressure and will rise to any challenge coming its way. China is open to negotiation, but will also fight to the end if needed," it said.Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-02 10:58:55|Editor: Liangyu

Video Player Close

BEIJING, June 2 (Xinhua) -- BMW will recall 319,045 vehicles in the Chinese market due to defective PCV valve heaters, according to China's market regulator.

The recall, set to begin on Aug. 30, involves 174,027 domestically-produced sedans and 145,018 imported cars, according to a statement on the website of the State Administration for Market Regulation.

Due to defective materials and manufacturing mistakes, internal elements of PCV valve heaters may short-circuit, overheat and melt, increasing risks of fires, the statement said.

BMW promised to replace all the defective parts of the affected vehicles free of charge.Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-02 11:29:07|Editor: Liangyu

Video Player Close

HOUSTON, June 1 (Xinhua) -- The United States and China need to resolve their trade issues before both economies get hurt, a U.S. market expert said here Saturday.

U.S.-China trade tensions can be detrimental to both economies, and they need to be resolved as soon as possible, said Carl Larry, market development manager of Refinitiv, a global provider of financial markets data, information, and technology.

He made the remarks on the sidelines of the 2019 Southern-U.S. China Summit, which was co-hosted by Houston Tsinghua Alumni Association and Peking University Alumni.

"If the U.S. can't maintain growth because we have issues with our trade partner, the second largest economy in the world, then we'll see the negative impact," he told Xinhua.

"Knowing the way business works, I think we'll stop before we get to that point," he added, expressing optimism about the two sides resolving the row soon.

"Once we resolve our issues, I think China and the America will have a really good path through economic growth," he said.

In the latest flare-up of U.S.-China trade tensions, Washington increased additional tariffs on 200 billion U.S. dollars' worth of Chinese imports from 10 percent to 25 percent on May 10, and has threatened to raise tariffs on more Chinese imports.

In response, China raised additional tariffs on a range of U.S. imports on June 1, and has vowed to "fight to the end" to safeguard not only its own rightful interests but also the norms of international relations and the free trade system.

Themed "Tsinghua University and Peking University, Jointly shoulder the Responsibility of the New Era," the one-day meeting was dedicated to celebrating the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China and the 40th anniversary of China-U.S. diplomatic relations.

The event attracted around 200 scholars, business representatives, and alumni of Tsinghua and Peking -- the top two universities in China -- to discuss education, energy, health care and investment among other subjects.Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-02 11:54:17|Editor: Yang Yi

Video Player Close

YANGON, June 2 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar authorities have seized some stimulants and heroin with a total worth of 108.4 million kyats (72,200 U.S. dollars) in Shan state, according to a release of the anti-drug force.

The 54,200 tablets of stimulants and 2 grams of heroin were confiscated in Mabein township on Thursday when the anti-drug force searched a suspicious hut where five people resided, finding the stimulants and heroin packed and hidden underneath the floor where they slept, according to the release on late Saturday.

Along with the seizure were also 17 million kyats cash and two motorcycles which were handed over to the local police.

The local Mabein police station has opened a case against the five under the country's Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Law.Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-02 12:24:25|Editor: Yang Yi

Video Player Close

LOS ANGELES, June 1 (Xinhua) -- Californian politicians on Saturday criticized Washington's latest threat to impose tariffs on goods imported from Mexico at a Democratic convention.

Delivering a speech in front of thousands of Democrats and 14 presidential candidates at California Democratic Party Convention in San Francisco, California Governor Gavin Newsom blasted U.S. President Donald Trump's vow to escalate tariffs on goods imported from Mexico step by step until authorities there stop migrants from entering the United States illegally.

Newsom said that no state had more to lose economically from the policy than California, a top trading partner with Mexico.

As one of the biggest trading partners with Mexico, California imported about 44 billion U.S. dollars worth of Mexican goods and exported 30 billion U.S. dollars worth of goods to the southern neighbor last year.

"This is a tax on the American people," Newsom said. "I hope he comes to his senses."

California Senator Kamala Harris, the first speaker among those presidential candidates at the convention, also accused Trump of taxing Americans by initiating trade tensions against other countries.

In a surprise Twitter announcement last week, Trump said 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. The Tariff will gradually increase until the Illegal Immigration problem is remedied."Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-02 12:39:28|Editor: xuxin

Video Player Close

Afghan policemen inspect the site of serial bomb blasts in western Kabul, capital of Afghanistan, June 2, 2019. At least one person was killed and several others wounded after serial bomb blasts rocked western side of Afghanistan's capital Kabul on Sunday, a source said. (Xinhua/Rahmat Alizadah)

KABUL, June 2 (Xinhua) -- At least one person was killed and several others wounded after serial bomb blasts rocked western side of Afghanistan's capital Kabul on Sunday, a source said.

The first blast occurred at 07:50 a.m. local time after a bomb struck a running bus in Police District 5, spokesman of Ministry of Interior Affairs told Xinhua.

"The targeted bus was carrying Burhanuddin Rabbani Education University lecturers and staff members. One person was killed and 10 injured in the incident. The injured were shifted to hospitals by police vehicles and ambulances," spokesman Nasrat Rahimi said.

The explosion was caused by a sticky bomb attached to the vehicle, he said.

"We heard a huge blast in the eastern edge of Khoshal Khan neighborhood. The blast was followed by two other explosions. The whole place has now been sealed off," an eyewitness told Xinhua.

The second and third blasts came after police, rescue team, people and reporters arrived at the site. One local journalist was among the injured, he said.

No group has claimed the incident yet.

Over the past months, Afghanistan, especially Kabul, has witnessed waves of terror attacks by the Taliban insurgents and Islamic State (IS) outfit opposing the government.Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-02 12:44:30|Editor: Yang Yi

Video Player Close

VIRGINIA BEACH, the United States, June 1 (Xinhua) -- Police on Saturday identified the gunman behind a multiple-death shooting here as a long time city employee, and his two .45 caliber pistols have been purchased legally.

"DISGRUNTLED" CITY ENGINEER

At a press conference Saturday, Virginia Beach police chief Jim Cervera identified the gunman as DeWayne Craddock, 40, a city engineer who had been employed with the city's public utility department for the past 15 years.

City Manager Dave Hansen said Craddock was still employed in the department at the time of the shooting and had a security pass and "was authorized to enter the building."

In the Friday shooting, 12 people were shot dead by the gunman at the

Building No. 2 of the sprawling Virginia Beach Municipal Center, which includes several city facilities such as the police department and is adjacent to city hall.

Several U.S. media outlets had described Craddock as a "disgruntled employee."

The suspect died in a "long gunbattle" with four police officers after roaming three floors and shooting "indiscriminately" at terrified people.

Four people, including a police officer, were also injured in the melee that broke out Friday afternoon.

"This is a large-scale crime scene, it's a horrific crime scene," Cervera told reporters, adding that investigators who spent the night inside the building endured a "physical, emotional and psychological toll."

The scene was like a "war zone," Cervera said, adding that more weapons were recovered at the scene and from the suspect's home.

The police chief declined to comment on any possible motive.

"Right now, we have a lot of questions. The whys, they will come later. Right now, we have more questions than we have answers," Cervera said.

The FBI is assisting local police in conducting the investigation, he added.

Eleven of the 12 deaths in Friday's shooting were employees of the city, Hansen said. The other was a contractor seeking a permit.

"I have worked with most of them for many years," he said. "They leave a void that we will never be able to fill."

GUNS BOUGHT LEGALLY

All indications were that the guns were bought legally, Ashan Benedict, regional special agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, a federal law enforcement organization within the U.S. Department of Justice, told a press conference Saturday.

One pistol was bought in 2016 and the other last year, said Benedict. Two other weapons were found at Craddock's home.

The Virginia Beach shooting was the worst mass shooting in the United States since November 2018, when a dozen people were killed at a California bar.

"This is the most devastating day in the history of Virginia Beach," Mayor Bobby Dyer said on Friday. "The people involved are our friends, coworkers, neighbors and colleagues."

U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered U.S. flags to be flown at half-staff in memory of the victims.

In a statement released by the White House on Saturday, Trump said that he was ordering the action as a "mark of solemn respect for the victims of the terrible act of violence."

Vigils in memory of the victims were planned for Saturday evening.

Virginia Beach, a popular resort city with an estimated population of 450,000, is located about 300 km south of Washington, D.C. .Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-02 12:59:42|Editor: Yang Yi

Video Player Close

MEXICO CITY, June 1 (Xinhua) -- Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said Saturday he was optimistic about reaching an agreement with Washington over the proposed punitive tariffs on imported goods coming from Mexico.

"There is a willingness on the part of U.S. officials to establish a dialogue and reach agreements," Lopez Obrador told reporters at a press conference in Veracruz, a major port city on the Gulf of Mexico.

On Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that the United States will impose 5 percent tariffs on all Mexican imports on June 10 and gradually lift the tariffs only if "the illegal migration crisis is alleviated through effective actions taken by Mexico."

In response, Lopez Obrador called for high-level bilateral talks to discuss the issue.

"I think (the talks) are going to have good results because there is a favorable environment for dialogue, both in Mexico and in the United States. It benefits us all to reach an agreement and not apply these measures," he said.

Leading the Mexican delegation to Washington on Friday, Mexican Foreign Affairs Minister Marcelo Ebrard said in a tweet translated from Spanish that "Mike Pompeo will head up the U.S. delegation. I will head the Mexican. There is a willingness to dialogue."Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-02 13:19:46|Editor: xuxin

Video Player Close

El Salvador's new President Nayib Bukele delivers a speech during his inauguration ceremony in San Salvador, El Salvador, June 1, 2019. El Salvador's new President Nayib Bukele took office on Saturday, calling for national unity and a collective effort to move the country forward. (Xinhua/Alexander Pena)

SAN SALVADOR, June 1 (Xinhua) -- El Salvador's new President Nayib Bukele took office on Saturday, calling for national unity and a collective effort to move the country forward.

In his first address as head of state, Bukele said that since winning elections in February, he has worked to improve El Salvador's international ties and to attract investment for growth.

"We are not going to be able to get ahead if we do not unite," Bukele said, urging Salvadorans to assume their responsibility in promoting progress.

There will be tough moments ahead, he said, pledging to represent all sectors of society, not just the groups that voted for him.

The 37-year-old former mayor of the capital San Salvador becomes his country's youngest leader ever.

The candidate of the Great Alliance for National Unity (GANA) won Feb. 3 elections with around 53 percent of the vote, defeating the two leading parties between which the power alternated for almost three decades -- the left-leaning Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN) and conservative Nationalist Republican Alliance (Arena).Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-02 13:19:48|Editor: Shi Yinglun

Video Player Close

GHAZNI, Afghanistan, June 2 (Xinhua) -- A suicide car bombing killed eight Afghan police officers and wounded seven others after targeting a police station in the country's eastern Ghazni province, an official confirmed Sunday.

The blast happened at about 9:50 p.m. Saturday, when a hijacked military vehicle packed with explosives struck to provincial Reserve Police Force station in Esfandi area, some 6 km to the provincial capital Ghazni city, killing eight police personnel and wounding seven others, Adam Khan Sirat, provincial police spokesman, told Xinhua.

"Unfortunately, eight personnel of Police Reserve Force unit were martyred and seven others suffered injuries, when a Taliban hijacked Humvee vehicle full of explosives slammed the police military unit building, in the provincial capital Ghazni," the spokesman confirmed.

Few weeks ago, an explosive-packed Humvee also went off near a police checkpoint on outskirts of the city, killing two police officers and wounding 15 people.Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-02 14:00:00|Editor: Liangyu

Video Player Close

SINGAPORE, June 2 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Defense Minister Wei Fenghe on Sunday reiterated China's firm position on Taiwan, warning against any forces' attempt to separate the island from the country.

The Taiwan question bears on China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and China must be and will be reunified, said the minister during a speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue being held here.

"If anyone dares to split Taiwan from China, the Chinese military has no choice but to fight at all costs for national unity," said the state councilor.

Wei said no attempts to split China shall succeed and foreign intervention in the Taiwan question is doomed to failure.

"Any underestimation of the PLA's (People's Liberation Army) resolve and will is extremely dangerous," he said.

"We will strive for the prospects of peaceful reunification with utmost sincerity and greatest efforts, but we make no promise to renounce the use of force. Safeguarding national unity is the sacred duty of the PLA," he noted.

Officially known as the Asia Security Summit, the Shangri-La Dialogue has been organized and convened annually by the British think tank International Institute for Strategic Studies and the Singaporean government since 2002.

At the event this year, defense ministers, policy makers, experts from about 40 countries gathered here from Friday to Sunday to discuss security issues in the Asia-Pacific.Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-02 14:25:13|Editor: mingmei

Video Player Close

Chinese Ambassador to Mexico Zhu Qingqiao (C) poses for group photos with Facebook followers of China's Cultural Center in Mexico during the annual International Friendly Cultures Fair at Mexico City's Chapultepec Park, Mexico, June 1, 2019. China has been broadening its participation in the annual International Friendly Cultures Fair in Mexico, reflecting the growing bilateral ties between the two countries, Chinese Ambassador to Mexico Zhu Qingqiao said here Saturday. (Xinhua/Xin Yuewei)

MEXICO CITY, June 1 (Xinhua) -- China has been broadening its participation in the annual International Friendly Cultures Fair in Mexico, reflecting the growing bilateral ties between the two countries, Chinese Ambassador to Mexico Zhu Qingqiao said here Saturday.

From May 31 to June 16, the fair at Mexico City's Chapultepec Park is packed with exhibitors from more than 70 countries, with stands showcasing national cuisines, costumes and handicrafts, as well as books and other items.

China's stand showed the country's more than 5,000 years of history with photographs of key monuments and sites of interest, where visitors can take part in a traditional tea ceremony and savor dishes.

The cultural event offered Mexican people opportunities to learn about the Chinese culture, Zhu said. "China is a very active participant in this event and China has maintained very close ties with the Mexican government in recent years."

The two countries have established a comprehensive strategic partnership and their cooperation is expected to further create win-win results in the progress of globalization, he added.

China's Cultural Center in Mexico has issued special invitations to its Facebook followers for the fair.

Eduardo Aguera, 29, one of those who received a special invitation, said he has been a big fan of China since he first watched Chinese movies as a child.

"The Chinese have a lot of culture, many traditions and a long history, and in terms of their personality as negotiators or entrepreneurs, I think they are very persistent. They don't give up, and they move forward," he said. "I also think they are very friendly toward the Mexican people."

Since it was first held in Mexico City in 2009, the event has attracted a total of more than 22 million visits, according to the organizers.Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-02 14:30:15|Editor: xuxin

Video Player Close

Afghan security force members inspect the site of an attack in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan, June 2, 2019. At least one person lost his life and 17 others sustained injuries as three blasts rocked Police District 5 in Afghan capital Kabul on Sunday, Interior Ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi said. (Xinhua/Rahmat Alizadah)

KABUL, June 2 (Xinhua) -- At least one person lost his life and 17 others sustained injuries as three blasts rocked Police District 5 in Afghan capital Kabul on Sunday, Interior Ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi said.

According to Rahimi, the first blast targeted a bus of a university at 07:50 a.m. local time, killing one person and injuring 10 others.

Rahimi also said that the targeted bus was carrying Burhanuddin Rabbani Education University lecturers and staff members in the western edge of Kabul city.

It was a sticky bomb attached to the bus, the official further said.

The second blast in a span of 20 minutes occurred in the same area after police and rescue team arrived, injuring seven people including a local journalist and five security personnel, eyewitnesses said.

The third blast, also in the same area but caused no loss of life.

No group has claimed responsibility for the bombings yet.

Over the past months, Afghanistan, especially Kabul city has witnessed waves of terror attacks, claimed by the Taliban group and the Islamic State (IS) outfit opposing the government.Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-02 14:35:21|Editor: mingmei

Video Player Close

SINGAPORE, June 2 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Defense Minister Wei Fenghe said here on Sunday that China's construction on its South China Sea islands and reefs is its legitimate right and is purely defensive in nature.

"The current situation in the South China Sea is improving towards greater stability. It is attributed to the common efforts of the countries in the region," Wei said. "However, there are always people trying to rake in profits by stirring up troubles in the region."

He said over 100,000 ships sail through the South China Sea each year, and "none has been threatened."

However, in recent years, some countries outside the region come to the South China Sea to flex muscles, in the name of freedom of navigation. "The large-scale force projection and offensive operations in the region are the most serious destabilizing and uncertain factors in the South China Sea," he said.

If there is chaos in the South China Sea, the regional countries are the ones who will bear the brunt, and China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries have made progress in negotiating the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea, he added.

Wei noted that China's construction on its South China Sea islands and reefs is legitimate and defensive in nature. "It is the legitimate right of a sovereign state to carry out construction on its own territory. China built limited defense facilities on the islands and reefs for self-defense," he said.

"Where there are threats, there are defenses. In the face of heavily armed warships and military aircraft, how can we stay impervious and not build some defense facilities?" he asked.

He also refuted the saying of "militarization" of China's defensive construction on its South China Sea islands and reefs at the Q&A session. "Anyone who has some military sense would know it's not militarization," he said.

Wei is here to attend the 18th Shangri-La Dialogue from Friday to Sunday, and he gave a keynote speech on Sunday morning at a plenary session entitled "China and International Security Cooperation."Photo taken on March 15, 2019 shows the White House in Washington D.C., the United States. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

Since they were launched in February 2018, the economic and trade consultations have come a long way with China and the US agreeing on most parts of the deal. But the consultations have not been free of setbacks, each of them being the result of a US breach of consensus and commitments, and backtracking, according to the white paper titled China's Position on the China-US Economic and Trade Consultations, released by the State Council Information Office.

-- In early February 2018, the US government expressed the wish that China could send a high-level delegation to the US to engage in economic and trade consultation.

Demonstrating great goodwill and positive efforts, China held several rounds of high-level economic and trade consultations with the US, characterized by in-depth exchanges of views on trade imbalance among other major issues. The two sides made substantial progress as they reached preliminary consensus on expanding China's imports of agricultural and energy products from the US.

-- On March 22, 2018, the US government unveiled the so-called Report on Section 301 Investigation of China, falsely accusing China of "IP theft" and "forced technology transfer," and subsequently announced an additional tariff of 25 percent on US$50 billion of Chinese exports to the US.

Taking a big-picture view of the bilateral relationship, the Chinese government sent a working team again to the US to engage in genuine consultations.

-- On May 19, 2018, China and the US issued a joint statement, agreeing to refrain from fighting a trade war, to continue high-level communications, and to actively seek solutions to respective economic and trade concerns. The US publicly announced that it would suspend the plan for additional tariffs on Chinese goods.

-- On May 29, 2018, despite the opposition of its domestic business community and the general public, the US administration tore up the consensus just ten days after the joint statement, gratuitously criticizing China's economic system and trade policy, while announcing the resumption of the tariff program.

-- Starting from early July 2018, in three steps, the US imposed additional tariffs of 25 percent on Chinese exports worth US$50 billion, and additional tariffs of 10 percent on US$200 billion of Chinese exports, which, according to the US, would be raised to 25 percent on January 1, 2019.

In addition, the US threatened further tariffs on all remaining Chinese exports, leading to quick escalation of the economic and trade friction between the two countries. In defense of its national dignity and its people's interests, China had to respond in kind and raised tariffs on imports worth US$110 billion from the US.

-- On November 1, 2018, US President Donald Trump had a telephone conversation with Chinese President Xi Jinping and proposed a summit meeting.

-- On December 1, 2018, the two presidents had a meeting on the margins of the G20 Summit in Argentina. In accordance with their important consensus on economic and trade issues, the two sides agreed to halt new additional tariffs for 90 days to allow for intensive talks geared toward the full elimination of all additional tariffs. In the ensuing 90 days, the working teams of China and the US held three rounds of high-level consultations in Beijing and Washington D.C., reaching preliminary consensus on many matters of principle for the China-US economic and trade deal.

-- On February 25, 2019, the US announced the postponement of the additional tariffs scheduled for March 1 on US$200 billion of Chinese exports to the US.

-- From late March to early April, the working teams of the two countries held another three rounds of high-level consultations and made substantial progress.

-- On May 6, 2019, the US irresponsibly accused China of backtracking on its position to shift the blame for the inconclusive talks onto China. Despite China's fierce opposition, the US raised the additional tariffs on US$200 billion of Chinese exports to the US from 10 percent to 25 percent, which represented a serious setback to the economic and trade consultations.

-- On May 13 the US announced that it had launched procedures to slap additional tariffs on remaining Chinese goods, which are worth around US$300 billion.Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-02 15:30:49|Editor: mingmei

Video Player Close

Chinese State Councilor and Defense Minister Wei Fenghe speaks at the 18th Shangri-La Dialogue held in Singapore on June 2, 2019. (Xinhua/Then Chih Wey)

SINGAPORE, June 2 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Defense Minister Wei Fenghe said here on Sunday that China and the United States should follow the consensus by the two heads of state and promote a China-U.S. relationship featuring coordination, cooperation and stability.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and the United States, and the bilateral relationship grew steadily in the past 40 years, despite all the ups and downs, said Wei in a speech at the 18th Shangri-La Dialogue.

"The most valuable lesson we have learned from the four-decade-long relationship is that cooperation benefits the two sides while confrontation hurts both," he said.

The Chinese minister said the militaries of the two countries have agreed on many important issues through continued communication, including agreements on making their relationship a stabilizer for the overall relations, and maintaining regular communication on the strategic level.

Wei said that he had a candid and practical discussion with U.S. Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan on Friday, and they reaffirmed the importance of maintaining communication and developing a constructive military-to-military relationship.

In terms of managing risks and preventing conflicts, Wei said China and the United States recognize that military conflicts or even a war between them would bring disasters to both countries and the world.

"It takes two to cooperate, but only one to start a fight," he said. "We hope that the U.S. side will work with us towards the same goal, follow the principles of non-conflict, non-confrontation, mutual respect and win-win cooperation, and steer the China-U.S. relations in the right direction."

Wei leads the Chinese delegation at the 18th Shangri-La Dialogue, which opened Friday to discuss the security situation and challenges in the Asia-Pacific.

Officially known as the Asia Security Summit, the Shangri-La Dialogue has been organized and convened annually by the British think tank International Institute for Strategic Studies and the Singaporean government since 2002.Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-02 15:45:54|Editor: xuxin

Video Player Close

JERUSALEM, June 2 (Xinhua) -- Israeli army said it struck Syrian military positions early Sunday morning, a day after two rockets were launched from Syria toward the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights.

Syria's state-run SANA news agency reported that the strikes killed three soldiers and wounded seven others in the southern region of Quneitra near the Golan.

Israeli army confirmed on Twitter that its warplanes struck the targets of the Syrian army by posting photos of some of the attacked positions. The targets included two artillery batteries, several observation and intelligence posts and a SA-2 battery.

The Syrian army responded with anti-aircraft fire, according to both SANA and the Israeli military.

"An Israeli aerial defense system was activated after Syrian anti-aircraft shooting," and none of the rockets exploded in Israel, an unnamed Israeli military spokesperson said in a statement.

The military "will firmly operate against any activity from within Syrian territory against Israel," the spokesperson added.

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement that the attack was carried out following his instruction to "take strong action" in the wake of two rockets fired from Syria toward Mount Hermon in the Golan Heights on Saturday night.

"We are not prepared to tolerate firing at our territory and will respond with great force to any aggression against us," the prime minister noted.

Netanyahu is facing a tough election campaign as new elections were called after his failure to gain the majority needed to form a governing coalition.

Israel has carried out hundreds of airstrikes in Syria, saying it targets Iranian sites to halt the Islamic republic's attempts to gain a military foothold in the country.Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-02 16:01:04|Editor: xuxin

Video Player Close

OTTAWA, June 2 (Xinhua) -- An additional 12,000 people in Canada's western province of Alberta have been placed on evacuation alert as an out-of-control wildfire in the area has been growing, the country's national broadcaster CBC reported Sunday.

The high-level alert was issued due to shifting winds and dry conditions in the area.

As of Saturday, the wildfire covered roughly 280,000 hectares (2,800 square km), almost half the size of the 2016 Fort McMurray wildfire. About 11,000 people were already evacuated.

There are more than 2,300 firefighters on the ground aided by 228 helicopters on Saturday.

The Fort McMurray wildfire broke out in May 2016 in Alberta and brought about the largest wildfire evacuation in the province's history, with upwards of 88,000 people forced from their homes.

Sweeping through Fort McMurray, the wildfire destroyed approximately 2,400 homes and buildings.

With an estimated damage worth 9.9 billion Canadian dollars (about 7.2 billion U.S. dollars), it was the costliest disaster in Canadian history.Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-02 16:06:08|Editor: xuxin

Video Player Close

NEW DELHI, June 2 (Xinhua) -- A paramilitary trooper belonging to Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) was killed and four others wounded Sunday in a gunfight with Naxals in India's eastern state of Jharkhand, police said.

The gunfight broke out inside Taldangal forest area in Dumka district, about 285 km northeast of Ranchi, the capital city of Jharkhand.

"Early today a gunfight broke out inside Taldangal forest area between Naxals and a joint team comprising of SSB personnel and police, during which five SSB personnel were wounded," superintendent of police Dumka, Y S Ramesh said. "The injured personnel were immediately removed to hospital, where one of them was declared brought dead."

Ramesh said they had reports that four to five Naxals were hit with bullets during the stand-off and a search operation was underway in the area.

According to police, of the critically wounded, one SSB person had been airlifted to Ranchi, while others were being treated at the Dumka district hospital.

Police said the SSB team and police initiated a search operation in the area following intelligence information about camping of Naxals inside the forests.

On Tuesday, 11 government force personnel -- eight Central Reserve Police Force personnel and three policemen were wounded, after Naxals triggered an improvised explosive device (IED) blast targeting them in Kuchai area of Saraikela Kharsawan district.

New Delhi has deployed several companies of its paramilitary forces to take on Naxals in their strongholds.

The insurgency reportedly has claimed more than 6,000 lives and rendered thousands of poor inhabitants homeless.Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-02 16:11:12|Editor: xuxin

Video Player Close

VIRGINIA BEACH, United States, June 1 (Xinhua) -- On Saturday morning, a local resident laid a bunch of white flowers under a tree on the pavement connecting Building No. 2 of the Virginia Beach Municipal Center. He wanted to express condolences.

"It could have been me. I could have been here. It could have been some of my loved ones," the resident, who did not want to give his name, told Xinhua.

Virginia Beach, a resort city in the southeastern U.S. state of Virginia, was plunged into grief on Saturday after 12 people were killed and four others were injured by a gunman who opened fire "indiscriminately" in a municipal building a day earlier.

The shooter was identified by police as 40-year-old DeWayne Craddock, once a city engineer at the city's public utility department for the past 15 years. He was employed at the time of the mass shooting and "authorized to enter the building," said City Manager Dave Hansen. U.S. media described the shooter as a "disgruntled employee."

Craddock died after a "long gunbattle" with four police officers and after roaming three floors and shooting at terrified people. He was said to have used two .45 caliber pistols equipped with a "sound suppressor" device and extended ammunition magazines.

Those guns were purchased legally, said investigators, adding that they have recovered more weapons from the gunman's house.

Virginia Beach police chief Jim Cervera declined to comment on any possible motive. "Right now, we have a lot of questions. The whys, they will come later. Right now, we have more questions than we have answers," Cervera said.

Vigils commemorating the victims were held in Virginia Beach throughout Saturday. "We are a heartbroken city," said Julie Hill, communications director for the city. "We lost 12 people who did nothing more than go to work."

U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered U.S. flags to be flown at half-staff in memory of the victims. He was ordering the action as a "mark of solemn respect for the victims of the terrible act of violence," according to the White House on Saturday.

"This is the most devastating day in the history of Virginia Beach," Mayor Bobby Dyer said Friday.

The Virginia Beach shooting was the worst mass shooting in the United States since November 2018 when a dozen people were killed at a California bar.

The Gun Violence Archive, a Washington-based not-for-profit corporation, has documented more than 150 mass shootings so far this year in the United States. Some 5,866 people were killed and 11,222 injured by gun-related incidents within the nation since Jan. 1, it said.

Eleven of the 12 victims killed in Friday's shooting were employees of the city. The other was a contractor seeking a permit.

"I have worked with most of them for many years," Hansen said. "They leave a void that we will never be able to fill."Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-02 16:41:24|Editor: xuxin

Video Player Close

NEW YORK, June 1 (Xinhua) -- U.S. retailers have voiced concern that the latest round of tariff hikes on Chinese goods and possible future increases of tariffs on more Chinese imports will force them to raise prices.

Warehouse club operator Costco was among the retailers to acknowledge the tariffs' impact on its business operations.

The company's chief financial officer (CFO) Richard Galanti said on a post-earnings call Thursday that the company is looking to accelerate shipments before certain tariffs go into effect, despite the fact that the company has limited ability to do that.

He said the company has reached out to suppliers to look for ways to reduce costs.

"At the end of the day, prices will go up on things," Galanti said, adding that it was not immediately clear how the tariffs would affect prices on imports from China, such as luggage, furniture, bicycles and vacuums.

Half a month ago, Walmart also indicated a possible price hike for the products it sells in order to offset the impact of the additional tariffs Washington has imposed on Chinese goods.

"We have mitigation strategies that have been in place for months. But increased tariffs will increase prices for customers," Walmart CFO Brett Biggs said Thursday when the company reported its quarterly earnings.

Jeff Gennette, chief executive of department store chain Macy's, had similar remarks. He said it would be hard for the company to get to a place "where you don't have a customer impact" if the additional tariffs go into effect.

U.S. retailers depend heavily on China in their supply chains, as China accounted for about 41 percent of all apparel, 72 percent of footwear, and 84 percent of travel goods imported into the United States in 2017, according to a recent letter sent by several retail trade groups to U.S. President Donald Trump's administration.

The letter said duties on U.S. imports of these consumer products from China already represent more than 22 percent of all tariffs the United States collects from all countries on all products.

"To be clear, such duties are paid by U.S. workers, U.S. consumers, and U.S. companies -- not China," said the letter jointly submitted by 17 groups.

In an escalation of trade tensions, Washington on May 10 increased additional tariffs on 200 billion U.S. dollars' worth of Chinese imports from 10 percent to 25 percent, and has threatened to raise tariffs on more Chinese imports.

In response, China raised additional tariffs on a range of U.S. imports on June 1, and has vowed to "fight to the end" to safeguard not only its own rightful interests, but also the norms of international relations and the free trade system.

The latest round of U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods will impose a total annual cost of 831 dollars for a typical U.S. household, according to research posted Thursday on the Federal Reserve Bank of New York's website.

Imposing further tariffs in the escalating trade disputes between the United States and China would lead to widespread closures of soft-line stores and substantial disruption across the industry, according to a report by Swiss investment bank UBS.

The report warned that over 12,000 U.S. stores of apparel and textiles, which have about 40 billion dollars of annual revenue, would be at risk because of the possible new tariffs.

Statistics show that the U.S. retail industry has already lost more than 3,000 stores, or more than 5 percent in the first quarter of 2019.Palestinian young men clash with Israeli riot policemen in a conflict following Friday prayers at Jerusalem's al-Aqsa Mosque compound, on Feb. 7, 2014. (Xinhua File photo)

JERUSALEM, June 2 (Xinhua) -- Clashes between Palestinian worshippers and Israeli forces broke out on Sunday morning at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East Jerusalem after dozens of Israelis arrived at the holy site.

Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said in a statement that police forces broke into the compound after "stones and chairs were thrown" by Muslim worshippers at the site.

A separate police statement said several Palestinians were arrested.

The violence erupted after the police allowed some 120 Israeli Jews to enter the site. Hundreds more were waiting at the Mughrabi Bridge, the entrance to the compound for non-Muslim visitors, before the clashes began.

It was the first time in three decades that the Israeli police allowed Jewish visitors into the flashpoint compound during the last days of the holy Muslim month of Ramadan when large numbers of Muslim worshippers gather at the site.

Allowing Jews to enter the compound coincided with Jerusalem Day, an annual Israeli commemoration of the reunification of Jerusalem after the 1967 war which falls on June 1 to June 2 in 2019.

The Islamic Hamas movement, the runner of the Gaza Strip, condemned the incident.

"The attack of worshippers by Israeli forces marks an escalation and a violation of holy sites," Sami Abu Zuhri, a senior spokesman for Hamas, said in a statement.

He warned that the move "will have consequences" and urged the international community to interfere to halt the escalation.

The Al-Aqsa Mosque compound is holy to both Muslims and Jews. Under a long-held status quo, Jews are allowed to visit the site but not to pray there.

In recent years, ultra-nationalist Israeli Jews have been challenging the status quo, demanding the government increase the numbers of Jewish visitors to the site and allow prays.

Tensions between Palestinians and Israelis were high after a 16-year-old Palestinian teenager was shot dead by Israeli forces near the West Bank separation wall on Friday while a Palestinian knifeman was shot dead in East Jerusalem's Old City after stabbing and injuring two Israelis.

Israel seized East Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East War, along with the rest of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. It later annexed East Jerusalem and claimed it as part of its eternal and indivisible capital, in a move not recognized by most of the international community.

Palestinians, who make up more than a third of Jerusalem's population, consider East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state.Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-02 16:46:26|Editor: mingmei

Video Player Close

BEIJING, June 2 (Xinhua) -- China's central bank issued a panda-featured silver coin on Thursday to commemorate the 2019 FIP General World Stamp Exhibition.

The silver coin will be legal tender in China, the People's Bank of China (PBOC) said on its website.

The front side of the coin features the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, the highlight structure of the Temple of Heaven in Beijing, along with the country name, year of issuance and the Chinese name of the exhibition.

A mother-and-son pair of pandas is on the reverse side of the coin, together with the English name of the exhibition, the PBOC said.

The silver coin, which is 40 mm in diameter, contains 30 grams of pure silver and has a face value of 10 yuan (about 1.45 U.S. dollars).

The maximum circulation of the coins will be 20,000, according to a central bank statement.

The 2019 FIP General World Stamp Exhibition will be held in the central Chinese city of Wuhan from June 11 to June 17, showcasing at least 4,700 framed sets of stamps, 2,500 of which are from overseas exhibitors.

China joined the FIP, the international association for stamp collectors and philatelists, in 1983 and hosted the world stamp exhibition in 1999 and 2009.Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-02 16:51:30|Editor: Wu Qin

Video Player Close

BEIJING, June 2 (Xinhua) -- The fifth International Jackie Chan Action Movie Week will open in late July in Datong, north China's Shanxi Province, to honor contributors to action movies worldwide.

Running from July 21 to 27, the movie week will screen dozens of action movies from home and abroad, present awards to action movies and filmmakers, and invite business insiders to share thoughts about the development of action movies.

Chinese action movie star Jackie Chan said Sunday in Beijing that making an action movie was not easy as actors frequently sustain injuries or even risk their lives. But much of their hard work remains unknown to the public.

"The action movie week is to commend those who have made remarkable contributions to action movie development worldwide and make their voices heard," Chan said.Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-02 17:11:38|Editor: xuxin

Video Player Close

DAMASCUS, June 2 (Xinhua) -- A total of three Syrian soldiers were killed and seven others wounded on Sunday by fresh Israeli missile strikes on military sites in the south of the country, state news agency SANA reported.

Citing a military statement, SANA said the first Israeli strike started at 3:22 a.m. and targeted military sites in the southwestern countryside of the capital Damascus.

The Syrian air defenses intercepted some of the missiles, which came from the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, it added.

Fewer than an hour later, Israel renewed its attacks by firing several missiles on the eastern countryside of Quneitra Province near the Golan, killing three soldiers and wounding seven others.

Israel has repeatedly targeted Syrian military sites which it claims belong to Iran-backed militia groups.

The Syrian government has repeatedly charged Israel supports the terror groups in Syria, saying its strikes are nothing but a way to lift the rebels' morale.Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-02 17:26:41|Editor: xuxin

Video Player Close

WELLINGTON, June 2 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand Defense Minister Ron Mark called for stronger and more meaningful security relationship at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on Sunday.

According to a government release here, Mark addressed the dialogue on the topic "Ensuring a Resilient and Stable Region" and outlined New Zealand's perspective on defense and security matters, and the challenges facing the Pacific region including the security implications of the climate crisis.

"With pressure on the international rules-based order, the opportunity presented by the Shangri-La Dialogue to come together, consider global security challenges, understand individual motivations, forge genuine people-to-people links, and strengthen our contemporary security architecture is of increasing importance," Mark said.

While in Singapore, the minister also held bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Australia, China, Canada, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Timor-Leste, Britain and Vietnam, among others.

The 18th Shangri-La Dialogue opened in Singapore on Friday evening to discuss the security situation and the challenges in the Asia Pacific.Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-02 17:26:42|Editor: xuxin

Video Player Close

MOGADISHU, June 2 (Xinhua) -- The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) troops are on Sunday interrogating two al-Shabab terrorists who were arrested on Saturday in a foiled ambush in southern Somalia.

The AU mission said the two terrorists were arrested with detonators at Wanlawyen in Baledogole when the militants tried to ambush the troops who were escorting a logistics convoy from Arbiska moving towards Baledogole.

"As the convoy approached the black-spot, soldiers disembarked and moved on foot 500 meters away from the road where they met two men hiding, and upon checking, found in possession of improvised explosive device (IED) triggers," said the AU mission in a statement issued on Saturday night.

It said the two suspects have been taken to Baledogole for further interrogation for possible prosecution.

Al-Shabab was ousted from the capital Mogadishu in 2011 but the terror group is still capable of conducting attacks, targeting government installations, hotels, restaurants and public places.Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-02 17:51:50|Editor: xuxin

Video Player Close

by Li Huizi

WELLINGTON, June 2 (Xinhua) -- Whether you admit it or not, Chinese is one of the most difficult languages to learn on earth. One may feel surprised to see non-native speakers speak Chinese eloquently. The Chinese Bridge (Chinese Proficiency Competition) provides a chance to admire those young linguists.

On the stage of the Chinese Bridge Competition New Zealand South Island Finals held in Christchurch late last month, more than 20 local middle school and university students gathered to show their language talents and skills, and staged a wonderful performance of Chinese pop songs, fan dance, paper cutting and martial arts.

Paula Rodriguez Lopez from Christchurch-based Rewi Alley Chinese School said in her competition speech in Chinese that the most frequent Chinese phrases she has used was "I'm sorry, but I didn't understand. Please say it again."

Judges were amused by her words during the competition. She told a story of her Chinese learning, saying "My Chinese friends are very friendly and they can't wait to communicate with me in Chinese, but my Chinese is not so good at the moment."

Robert Pugh, a linguistic undergraduate at the University of Canterbury, discussed the concept of "home" in his Chinese speech. Pugh found in most Asian languages, people tend to call each other "brother," "sister," "uncle" or "aunt" though they had no any blood relationship. After interviewing many people, he concluded that the broad sense of home is where you feel supported and loved by anyone such as your friends.

As a seasoned contestant, Pugh represented New Zealand middle school students to take part in the Chinese Bridge Competition's global finals in Beijing in 2017. Before going to university, he attended a short-time study of Chinese language and culture in Wuhan's Huazhong University of Science and Technology in China's Hubei province.

"The Chinese learning opens the door of a new culture for me, which broadens my vision and helps me gain friendship," Pugh told Xinhua.

Connor Page presented a martial arts performance during the competition. Clad in black suits, the 12-year-old won applause for his sharp and powerful moves.

Page said his favorite city is Shanghai and he hoped he could live and study in China just as his elder brother Cameron Page did, who was the champion of the Chinese Bridge South Island Finals in 2018. Cameron studied in Shanghai through a Confucius Institute scholarship this year.

Tracey Page, the two brothers' mother, said her children showed great interest in the Chinese culture and she has supported them in learning Chinese from a very young age. She believes that young people learning Chinese would help promote the China-New Zealand relations.

Jack Barton from Christchurch Boys' High School performed paper cutting on the competition stage. He cut the Chinese character "Spring" from a piece of paper in a few minutes. Barton said he wanted to become an engineer and live and work in China. He hoped he could help the two nations communicate well with each other and show New Zealand the glamour of China.

Divyana Balakrishnan from the Middleton Grange School was enthralled by traditional Chinese music and dance. She performed the dance "Dream of Dunhuang" during the competition. Balakrishnan said her dance was inspired by the images on the Dunhuang Frescoes. She said she longed for visiting historical sites in China.

British-born Madi Christian from St Margaret's College grew up in China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Christian said she would like to go back to China to live and work. "Young New Zealanders should learn other country's history and culture," she said.

Her mother Cherie Christian told Xinhua learning Chinese helped her daughter become more confident, and that bilingualism is of great benefit to her development.

Alistair Crozier, director of the Office of the Mayor in Christchurch, said he was surprised to see the high level of Chinese proficiency of young New Zealanders.

As a career diplomat who served as New Zealand's first Consul-General to Chengdu, covering Southwest China, Crozier said Chinese language education played a significant role in the New Zealand-China relations, as China is New Zealand's important partner.

"If there are more young New Zealanders learning Chinese, they will become a key factor to strengthen bilateral ties," he said.

Chinese language teacher Fu Jiwei said many parents and students in New Zealand realized the importance of Chinese learning with increasingly close ties between the two countries.

New Zealand is a multicultural country, and the government encourages schools to open second language courses so that students could learn other cultures through language learning, Fu said.

Between 2016 and 2017, Chinese has become the most popular foreign language in New Zealand, with more than 70,000 primary and middle school learners, she added.Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-02 17:56:52|Editor: xuxin

Video Player Close

TASHKENT, June 2 (Xinhua) -- Uzbekistan has increased the number of countries whose citizens can obtain tourist visas in a simplified procedure and expanded the e-visa validity period in a bid to boost tourism, the Uzbek Foreign Ministry said over the weekend.

Citizens of 77 countries can now get Uzbek tourist visas within two working days and the requirements to provide a tourist voucher or invitation of the inviting legal or natural persons in Uzbekistan have been abolished, the ministry said, citing a presidential decree signed earlier this week.

Furthermore, the validity of a Uzbek electronic visa for a 30-day stay in the country has been expanded to 90 days. That is, the stay of a foreign citizen is calculated from the moment of crossing the Uzbek state border, including entry into the country on the 90th day, according to the document.

The number of foreign tourists visiting Uzbekistan has reached 1.3 million in the first quarter of 2019, an increase of 42 percent compared to the same period of 2018, according to the Uzbek State Committee for Tourism.

During the second quarter of 2019, the number is expected to be around 1.47 million, and by the end of the year, about 6 million foreign tourists are expected to visit Uzbekistan.Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-02 18:52:12|Editor: xuxin

Video Player Close

BAGHDAD, June 2 (Xinhua) -- An Iraqi court on Sunday sentenced two more French nationals to death over charges of joining the Islamic State (IS) militant group, a judicial source said.

With the two new sentences, the number of French IS members who were sentenced to death during the past few days has been brought to nine.

The convicts have 30 days to appeal against the verdicts, the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

The two Frenchmen were among 12 French citizens who were handed over to Iraqi authorities by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in January.

Thousands of fighters and supporters of various nationalities joined the extremist IS group when it took control of large swathes in Iraq and neighboring Syria, but after its defeat in both countries, hundreds of IS loyalists were killed or captured.

Hundreds of IS militants were handed over by the SDF to Iraqi authorities over the past few months after the defeat of IS militants in Baghouz, the last IS-held area in the Euphrates River region in Syria's eastern province of Deir al-Zour.Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-02 18:57:14|Editor: xuxin

Video Player Close

BERLIN, June 2 (Xinhua) -- Germany's Social Democratic Party(SPD) leader Andrea Nahles is to resign after a series of election setbacks and constant low popularity, according to a SPD statement on Sunday

"The discussions within the parliamentary faction and feedback from within the party have shown me that I no longer secure the needed support to carry out my duties," Nahles said in a statement.

Nahles said she will declare resignation as the party leader and the SPD parliamentary group formally on Tuesday. She called on the SPD to stay together and act prudently in the coming times.

Nahles' resignation was partly due to the poor performance of the SPD in the recent European parliamentary elections and the state election in Bremen.

The center-left party crashed to 15.5 percent, a sharp decrease from 27.3 percent in 2014 and an all-time low result in its party history in the European polls. The party also lost its stronghold in Bremen yielding its leading position to the Christian Democratic Union(CDU).

The SPD is now facing a shake-up in its administration level, which is feared to be the first step of a chain reaction that it might quit Germany's grand coalition in the lower house of the parliament Bundestag, consisting of SPD and its governing partner CDU/CSU, forcing Chancellor Angela Merkel to dissolve her government and start an earlier federal election.

Since 2005, the SPD has served as junior partner to the CDU/CSU at the federal level for three times.

The party has shared responsibility for unpopular decisions including refugee policies but failed to left its own impression on public.

Some local analysts said that the political alliance with CDU/CSU has blurred the SPD's identity, and many voters thought that the SPD is no longer a policy-changing force in Germany's political map..      ,      .                 ().               ,           ,      ...Local tourists are seen at the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) train terminus at Miritini in Mombasa, Kenya, Dec. 18, 2018. (Xinhua/Fred Mutune)

NAIROBI, June 2 (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.File photo shows two Kenyan female engine drivers gesture before the operations of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) in Mombasa, Kenya, on May 31, 2017. (Xinhua/Sun Ruibo)

by Naftali Mwaura

NAIROBI, June 2 (Xinhua) -- Wycliffe Otiso used to marvel at the sight of an old cargo train snaking through the hillsides near his farming village in western Kenya and at a tender age nursed a desire to become a locomotive driver.

The 30-year-old electrical engineering major was awarded a certificate on Friday to become a locomotive driver by the operator of the Nairobi-Mombasa Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) commuter service after months of intensive training and probation.

Otiso was among the first batch of Kenyan youth recruited by the operator to undergo an intensive course that would pave the way for them to become qualified locomotive drivers.

"I became an assistant locomotive driver in 2017, shortly after the SGR passenger train was inaugurated and later, in November 2018, began a training program to become a junior driver," Otiso told Xinhua on the sidelines of an event to celebrate second anniversary since the launch of SGR commuter service.

Eleven young Kenyans were awarded certificates to become full-time locomotive drivers as the SGR operator presses ahead with localization of its key operations.

Otiso said he was confident to steer the modern train that operates along the 480 km railway linking Kenyan capital Nairobi to the port city of Mombasa.

"I am proud to be the pioneer group of Kenyans who will be privileged to steer the SGR cargo train after undergoing intensive training and mentorship," he said.

"The cargo train... is very sophisticated in terms of engineering and driving it will be a thrilling experience," Otiso added.

Otiso and his 10 colleagues are beneficiaries of a skills transfer and mentorship program supported by the operator of the SGR commuter service, which has transported more than 3 million passengers since its launch two years ago.

File photo shows train drivers Concilia, Wendy, Caroline (from L to R) follow the operating procedures with their teacher Zhang Cheng during training in Nairobi, Kenya, May 17, 2017. (Xinhua/Sun Ruibo)

James Macharia, cabinet secretary for transport and infrastructure, praised the training of local youth on advanced railway technology.

"The 11 locomotive drivers who were issued with certificates today are qualified to be on the frontline of transforming operations of the SGR commuter and cargo service," Macharia said.

Li Jiuping, general manager of SGR operator, said that skills transfer and mentorship program has ensured that Kenyan youth are an integral part of the modern train's key operations.

"At present, positions of basic service categories and integrated management have basically achieved localization," Liu said, adding that localization of major SGR commuter and cargo service operations has reached 90 percent.

Wendy Kagendo, a 28-year-old electrical engineering major, said being certified as a locomotive driver after months of hands-on training and probation was fulfilment of a long cherished dream.

"I feel motivated to work as a locomotive driver and I believe the training we have received in the last two years has given us the skills to perform an otherwise demanding task," Kagendo said.

Born and raised in Kenya's central highlands, Kagendo loved challenging tasks since childhood and is among few girls in her ancestral village who have ventured into the male-dominated engineering field.

"Hopefully, I will become a living testimony in my locality that girls have what it takes to join any profession however challenging," she said.

"The task ahead of me, though arduous, will obviously inspire the next generation of women who are keen to be part of development of railway technology in the country," Kagendo added.

The SGR commuter service, dubbed Madaraka Express, has fostered technology and skills transfer since its launch two years ago, benefitting local youth.

Collins Onyango, a 30-year-old electrical engineering major, said that he is determined to become an accomplished locomotive driver thanks to skills gained from almost three years of training and mentorship.

"Many people in this country have limited understanding of what it takes to become a locomotive driver and I believe the skills we have acquired so far will help us deliver quality service and win trust from the public," he said.

Onyango, whose ancestral home is located in the far reaches of western Kenya near the border with Tanzania, said he developed a fondness for railway transport at a tender age.

He vowed to utilize skills gained as a locomotive driver in the SGR cargo service to mentor youth in his birthplace.Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-02 19:07:17|Editor: xuxin

Video Player Close

MANILA, June 2 (Xinhua) -- The Philippines has launched a renewed campaign to celebrate the life of its national bird, the Philippine Eagle, and increase awareness on efforts to save the critically endangered rare bird from extinction.

The Philippine Eagle is a giant bird of prey that can only be seen in the forests of the Philippines.

With unique blue-grey eyes, broad wingspan and powerful talons, the Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF) said this bird species "is unlike many birds in the world." It is considered to be one of the largest and most powerful among forest raptors.

"As an endemic species, the Philippine Eagle already serves as a global heritage that requires concerted efforts of the international community for conservation," Philippine Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu said Sunday as the nation celebrates Philippine Eagle Week (PEW) on June 4-10.

With the theme "The Philippine Eagle: A National symbol, A Global treasure," this year's PEW activities highlight that the Philippine eagle, while endemic to the Philippines, is a global heritage that requires concerted efforts of the international community for its conservation.

"Let the 2019 PEW celebration instill in the minds of the Filipinos, the significance of our national bird as an iconic symbol, our desire to rise and soar as a nation like the eagles and transform such realizations into concrete actions that would contribute to the conservation and protection of their forest habitats," the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) of the Philippines said in a statement on Sunday.

Celebrating the 21st year of the PEW, the DENR said the Philippines rejoices as a pair of captive-bred Philippine eagles make their way to Singapore on June 4 as "ambassadors" of Philippine biodiversity.

The loaning of Philippine eagles, Geothermica and Sambisig, to the Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS) "is a historic milestone in our conservation efforts for this critically endangered (CR) raptor, as we engage for the first time, a foreign wildlife facility, the WRS-Jurong Bird Park in the conservation breeding of our national bird."

The Philippines signed last month a wildlife agreement with Singapore that paves the way for the Philippines to loan a pair of male and female Philippine eagles to the city-state, a move that Philippine officials hope will help preserve one of the rarest eagles in the world.

Under the 10-year renewable agreement, the Philippines will ship 15-year-old male eagle named Geothermica and 17-year-old female eagle named Sambisig to Singapore on June 4. The eagles will be shown to the public in July.

The two raptors will be staying at Jurong Bird Park, one of the largest bird park in Asia that is home to close to 3,500 birds across 400 species, of which 20 percent is threatened.

The two eagles were bred in captivity at the Philippines Eagle Center in Davao City in the southern Philippines.

The PEF said the eagles can live up to 40 plus years in captivity but probably much less in the wild. However, the foundation said it takes five to seven years for the eagles to sexually mature.

The PEF has produced 28 captive-bred eagles at the Philippine Eagle Center, which includes Geothermica and Sambisig.Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-02 19:07:19|Editor: mingmei

Video Player Close

WELLINGTON, June 2 (Xinhua) -- A workshop of Chinese Huaiyang Cuisine, a prestigious culinary genre in east China's Jiangsu province, kicked off in Wellington on Sunday.

Eight classic Huaiyang dishes by six celebrity chefs led by Chen Xiaoming, the executive sous chef of Jiangsu Wuxi Hubin Hotel, were taken to the dining tables, which lighted up the eyes and taste buds of New Zealand diners. The hosts introduced the characteristics of the ingredients and cultural background of the dishes.

"Chinese cuisine is famous for its diversity. There are so many kinds of Chinese food, and there are so many kinds of Chinese dishes beyond our imaginations. Today's eight great dishes created by the six famous chefs made us see different delicious Chinese food," said Wellington City Councillor Simon Woolf, who holds the city ambassador portfolio.

Guo Zongguang, director of the China Cultural Center in New Zealand, encouraged New Zealanders to travel to China or enjoy Chinese cuisine. He believed that the workshop would promote the mutual understanding and friendship between the peoples of China and New Zealand.

"This year is the year of China-New Zealand Year of Tourism. One of the best means for New Zealanders to know China is to taste Chinese food because there's a traditional saying in China 'Food is the paramount necessity of the people.' The Chinese people are food lovers, so are the New Zealanders," said Guo.

"The China Cultural Center in New Zealand is glad to cooperate with the Network of International Culturalink Entities to invite the renowned Huaiyang cuisine Chefs from Wuxi city of Jiangsu province to present tonight's food workshop, to let New Zealanders experience China through a bite of China," he added.

Zhao Ying, director of Network of International Culturalink Entities of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of China, explained to the guests that Huaiyang Cuisine is one of the Four Great Traditions in the Chinese culinary scene - comprised of Lu, Huaiyang, Yue and Chuan, which represent the cuisines of North, East, South and West China respectively.

Derived from the cooking styles of the regions surrounding the lower ends of rivers Huai and Yangtze, the cuisine revolves around a deep understanding of freshness, original flavors and temperance of food.Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-02 20:07:50|Editor: mingmei

Video Player Close

KATHMANDU, June 2 (Xinhua) -- The China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation (CFPA) completed the reconstruction of a quake-damaged school in Nepal on Sunday.

At a special function organized at the school in Lalitpur district, CFPA, a Chinese non-governmental organization, handed over the new building to Mahendra Adarsha Vidyashram in the presence of students, teachers, local leaders and media.

Mahendra Adarsha Vidyashram, founded in 1958, is a well-known public school in the Kathmandu valley which mostly educates children from low-income families. Of the two buildings damaged during the devastating earthquake in 2015, one has been constructed under the Chinese support while the school management committee is constructing another.

Expressing appreciation to the Chinese organization for helping the education of disaster-hit country, the school officials said such assistance will boost the people-to-people ties.

"The school building will contribute to quality education of students and produce capable manpower for the country," Pampha Bhusal, a member of parliament, told Xinhua after the handover ceremony.

Bhusal, who is also the head of school management committee, said that the assistance will enhance friendly relations between the two neighbors and people.

The construction of the new two-storey building began in April last year. The rebuilding project was implemented by local organization Safa Sunaulo Nepal.Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-02 20:53:07|Editor: xuxin

Video Player Close

ANKARA, June 2 (Xinhua) -- The European Commission's annual report regarding Turkey's accession to the EU said the process has come to a "standstill" as Ankara was "seriously backsliding" on many criteria regarding human rights, the rule of law and economic policy.

Experts believe the EU just keeps Turkey's full membership bid in limbo since the European bloc does not want to break ties with Ankara considering other topics of mutual interest, such as migration flows, trade and geopolitics.

Turkey's accession process has been suspended for a long time, said Ozden Zeynep Oktav, a professor of international relations at Istanbul Medeniyet University.

Turkey's ties with the EU have two faces and they are such a couple that "do not break up, but never get married either," he noted.

Turkey has been involved in membership talks with the EU since 2005 but the progress has been extremely slow despite Turkey's attempts to iron out what the EU sees as discrepancies between its own political values and Ankara's.

No new chapters, however, have opened since after a failed coup in Turkey in 2016, as the EU sharpened its criticism of the Turkish government over what it called Ankara's drift away from democracy and the European values in the wake of the coup.

The difficulties that the EU has been through and the rise of extreme right movements in the bloc have slowed Brussel's enlargement process, said Ayhan Zeytinoglu, chair of Economic Development Foundation.

In an environment where membership talks with Turkey came to a halt, the country's EU accession bid lost his influence on its reform process, he noted.

"The most effective tool to make progress in Turkey in line with EU values is accession negotiations. However, the EU, by not running this mechanism, reverses the will it displayed when it opened negotiations with Turkey," Zeytinoglu said.

Despite deadlock in its accession to the EU, Turkey has to take steps in favor of structural reforms, said Mithat Baydur, an academician at International Relations Department of Okan University.

"Necessary steps must be taken to create a climate where all norms of law are met. This is an issue that Turkey is in need of both in political and economic terms," he explained.

The foreign investors have been withdrawing from Turkey and these reforms will "reassure all," Baydur said.Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-02 21:28:25|Editor: mingmei

Video Player Close

NANNING, June 2 (Xinhua) -- A seminar for investment in Indonesia was held Friday in Nanning, capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

Nearly 100 enterprises and chambers of commerce from Shanghai, Guangdong, Fujian and Guangxi participated in the event.

Ikmal Lukman, deputy chairman of the Indonesia Investment Coordinating Board, said at the meeting that various reform measures had been taken to provide with convenience for Chinese investors who set up businesses in Indonesia.

An online single submission (OSS) system was launched last year by the Indonesian government, which integrated the resources of the central and local governments and allowed investors to apply for relevant licenses on one single platform.

"I believe it will save investors a lot of time," Lukman said.

Indonesia has been working on improving its policies on foreign investment since 2009, Lukman said, noting that the country was more investor-friendly in terms of tax deduction and exemption on import goods.

Huang Weimin from the China-ASEAN Expo Secretariat, said that the seminar was the first of a series of activities that will be held by Indonesia as the Country of Honor for the 16th China-ASEAN Expo, to be held from Sept. 20 to 23 in Nanning.

The seminar focused on promoting investment cooperation between the two sides in the fields of industrial parks, infrastructure, manufacturing and agriculture, Huang said.

China is the largest trading partner of Indonesia, with bilateral trade reaching 77.4 billion U.S. dollars in 2018, according to the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia in Guangzhou.Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-02 21:33:27|Editor: Li Xia

Video Player Close

Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan meets with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Berlin, Germany, May, 31, 2019. Wang Qishan paid a visit to Germany from Thursday to Sunday at the invitation of the German Federal Government. (Xinhua/Rao Aimin)

BERLIN, June 2 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan paid a visit to Germany from Thursday to Sunday at the invitation of the German Federal Government.

During his visit in Berlin, Wang met with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Chancellor Angela Merkel and Foreign Minister Heiko Maas separately.

When meeting with Steinmeier, Wang said that China and Germany were both major world economies and major countries with great influence. The relations between the two countries have gone beyond bilateral scope and bear global significance.

Wang said in recent years the high-level contacts were frequent, and the cooperation in all fields has been constantly deepened, adding he is willing to push for new development of the all-around strategic partnership through his visit.

Noting the ties between China and Germany is currently facing a new situation, Wang called on the two countries to set a model of win-win cooperation for the world through deepening collaboration, to bring stability to the world through guiding the China-EU cooperation, and to strength the power to safeguard multilateralism through boosting global governance.

For his part, German President Steinmeier said that the current international landscape is complicated and turbulent, and multilateralism is under threat.

He noted that Germany highly values the ties with China, adding Germany is willing to strengthen communication and coordination with China at all levels, and to continue the pragmatic cooperations in Industry 4.0 and in other fields.

Germany and China, and Europe and China, should join hands to maintain the world peace and stability, free trade, and existing international orders, Steinmeier added.

When meeting with Merkel, Wang said China sticks to peaceful development, and will through steadily deepening reform and opening up, solve the existing problem of imbalance and insufficient development to meet people's desire for a better life and to fulfill the promises of the party and the government to the people.

Wang said China cannot develop itself in isolation from the world, nor can the world develop without the 1.4 billion Chinese people, and China advocates countries to together build a community of shared future for humankind.

Facing the profound and complex changes in the international situation, China always insists on doing its own share firstly, staying calm and clear-headed, showing composure, shouldering responsibility and reacting rationally, he noted.

Wang called on China and Germany, as all-around strategic partners, to strengthen cooperation in building a more fair and reasonable global governance system, and to jointly face the uncertainties.

The Chinese vice president also said that China has always viewed Europe from a strategic height and with a long-term vision, and firmly supported the European integration. Wang added that China is a trustworthy partner for Europe to have dialogue on an equal footing.

Chancellor Merkel said Germany appreciates China's great achievements in economic development and believes that China can definitely achieve the ambitious goals of eradicating poverty and finishing building a moderately prosperous society on schedule.

Facing the current complex and volatile international environment in which various new problems emerge, Merkel said, Germany is always committed to safeguarding the principle of multilateralism and the existing international order.

She noted that Germany advocates to strengthen international coordination and collaboration through dialogue, disagrees with the action of exerting threat and pressure to solve problems.

She believed that Germany and China, as well as Europe and China, share broad consensus on a wide range of issues, expressing Germany's willingness to strengthen communication, exchanges and cooperation with China, and to improve global governance system jointly with China.

When meeting with Heiko Maas, Wang said China and Germany share common interests in many fields such as deepening pragmatic cooperation, safeguarding multilateralism and free trade, improving global governance and promoting world peace.

Looking to the next stage of the bilateral relations, Wang advocates that both sides should set the right direction for the Sino-German, Sino-European win-win cooperation, encourage the enhanced exchanges in ideology, talents as well as science and technology, cement the friendship between the two peoples, and to inject more positive energy into the world.

Echoing Wang's comments, Maas said Germany is willing to strengthen strategic communication and cooperation on multilateral issues with China, as well as to jointly tackle global challenges, safeguard multilateralism and international order, promote the liberalization of international trade.

During his visit to Germany, Wang also met with mayor of Hamburg Peter Tschentscher and Bavarian governor Markus Soeder and visited the port of Hamburg.

Before his tour to Germany, the Chinese Vice president also visited Pakistan and the Netherlands.Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-02 21:38:31|Editor: xuxin

Video Player Close

ROME, June 2 (Xinhua) -- A cruise ship and a tourist boat collided on Sunday morning in the lagoon of Venice, authorities and local media reported.

The incident involved a ship of the MSC cruise line and a river boat docking at the port of Venice, the city's mayor Luigi Brugnano stated on Twitter.

Four people were reportedly injured, but none of them would be in serious conditions.

According to preliminary information, the cruise ship was mooring to the San Basilio wharf in the Giudecca Canal, when it went out of control and crashed into the stern side of the smaller craft, which was also in anchoring phase.

Footage disclosed by the Fire Department shows the huge cruise liner and the smaller boat already locked together after the impact, while other videos on social media show people fleeing from the pier while the massive ship comes closer and closer to the dock, with its siren wailing.

"This morning around 8:30, the MSC Opera manoeuvring to approach the pier had a technical problem," the MSC Company said in a statement.

"The ship was accompanied by two tugboats and hit the dock at San Basilio. At the same time, a collision with a river boat occurred."

The company added an investigation was underway in cooperation with local authorities "to understand the exact dynamics" of the incident.

The commander of the cruise liner would have warned timely that its ship was no longer in control, Ansa news agency cited the chairman of the tugboat company as reporting.

"The MSC ship suffered an engine failure, which was immediately reported by the commander. The engine was blocked, but still thrusting, because the speed had increased," Davide Calderan of Rimorchiatori Riuniti Panfido told Ansa.

Two passengers on board of the tourism boat -- which was reportedly carrying some 130 people -- were slightly wounded and hospitalized, while another two were taken to hospital for precautionary reasons, according to Ansa.

The four people involved were all foreigners, according to local media, although their nationality was still unclear as of mid-Sunday.

The incident reignited a strong debate over the opportunity to let oversized cruise ships crossing the Venice lagoon, although all attempts to divert their route and avoid the central Giudecca channel have so far proved useless.

"Today's incident... shows once more that large ships must no longer pass through the Giudecca," Infrastructure and Transport minister Danilo Toninelli commented on Twitter.

The same position was expressed by mayor Brugnano in a short interview with state TV broadcaster RAI 3.Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-02 21:53:38|Editor: xuxin

Video Player Close

BAGHDAD, June 2 (Xinhua) -- An Iraqi army officer was killed and three others were wounded on Sunday in a clash with Islamic State (IS) militants in Iraq's western province of Anbar, a security officer said.

The incident took place when an Iraqi army force came under heavy fire while conducting a search operation tracking IS militants in a desert area northeast of al-Rutba, some 300 km west of the provincial capital Ramadi, an officer from the Iraqi army told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

The attack prompted the troops to exchange fire with the extremist IS militants, resulting in the death of an officer and the wounding of three others.

The U.S.-led coalition aircraft intervened and bombed the attacking IS militants but it was not immediately clear whether the assailants have sustained casualties, the officer said.

The security situation in Iraq was dramatically improved after Iraqi security forces fully defeated the extremist IS militants across the country late in 2017.

IS remnants, however, have since melted in urban areas or resorted to deserts and rugged areas as safe havens, carrying out frequent guerilla attacks against security forces and civilians.Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-02 22:03:43|Editor: xuxin

Video Player Close

SARAJEVO, June 2 (Xinhua) -- Bosnia and Herzegovina's (BiH) major city of Tuzla, located 120 kilometers northeast of the capital Sarajevo, declared on Sunday a state of natural disaster due to floods, City Civil Protection Department announced in a press statement.

The heavy rains which have been falling since Thursday caused major rivers and streams to spill over and to flood some 60 residential objects, causing great material damage.

At an extraordinary session, the City Civil Protection Department said that the spillage of water caused massive damage to the water network and two bridges, several local roads were destroyed.

"Ten landslides have been activated, and due to the announcement of new rainfall in the coming days, it is realistic for other landslides to activate," the statement from the Civil Protection reads.

Local authorities say that the major river flooded several agricultural lands in settlements and several personal vehicles, and that traffic is completely suspended due to damage to several bridges.

Due to clogged drainage, several local roads are under water, which is why traffic is slowed down, and drivers are called to increased vigilance.

Local authorities warned to citizens to take necessary measures to protect themselves from the potential consequences of flooding.

According to the forecasts of the Federal Meteorological Institute, rainfall is expected to last for at least five days until June 7.Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-02 22:03:46|Editor: xuxin

Video Player Close

NEW DELHI, June 2 (Xinhua) -- At least five people were killed and one was injured Sunday after a car carrying them collided with a truck in southwestern Indian state of Karnataka, police said.

The accident took place in Belgaum town, about 505 km northwest of Bengaluru, the capital city of Karnataka.

"An accident took place here today, in which a car collided with a goods truck coming from the opposite direction, resulting in killing of five people," a police official said. "One person critically injured in the accident was removed to hospital."

Officials said the impact of the accident was so severe that the car was completely mangled.

Meanwhile, in a separate accident a dancer, Queen Harish, and three other folk artists were killed and five others injured in Rajasthan's Jodhpur.

"Their vehicle rammed into a stationary truck which left Harish and three others dead on spot, besides injuring five others," a police official said.

Deadly road accidents are often caused due to overloading, bad condition of roads and reckless driving in India.Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-02 22:08:50|Editor: xuxin

Video Player Close

by Murad Abdo

ADEN, Yemen, June 2 (Xinhua) -- Thousands of Yemeni families flocked to the public markets and began their shopping activities to celebrate the upcoming Eid al-Fitr, the end of Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan.

Despite the country's ongoing military conflict, large throngs of people, especially children and women, expressed their excitement through traditional preparations for receiving the major Muslim holiday.

In the southern port city of Aden, public markets were overwhelmed by shoppers who came from different areas in the country's southern part to buy clothes for their family members, as well as locally-made sweets and accessories.

Skyrocketing prices of basic necessities, such as food and clothing, did not hinder the Yemeni people from going to the shopping centers for Eid al-Fitr.

Um Arwa, 39, told Xinhua that bringing happiness to her children and family members during Eid al-Fitr turned to be a priority this year despite that they suffer from the high prices.

"Almost all my savings were spent in buying things for Eid al-Fitr because the prices are high. I tried to overcome, but I want my family to enjoy despite everything," she said.

However, many Yemeni street vendors complained about the country's weak currency that witnessed changes in its exchange rate value just days ahead of Eid al-Fitr, leaving an impact on their businesses activities.

Saad Mohammed, 26, came to Aden and opened a small shop in selling and buying clothes. But the continuing change of the exchange rate of Yemen's riyal against the U.S. dollar makes his earnings decrease.

"Prices of everything increased and I could not buy new goods from the wholesalers," he said, adding that although people are buying staff, the sellers are the losers.

Many Yemeni young people were encouraged to open new business as street vendors after noticing an improvement in the security situation in Aden and other southern major provinces that are controlled by the Saudi-backed Yemeni government.

Jamal Zeid, a high school graduate, told Xinhua that the noticeable improvement in Aden's security situation comparing to the previous years led him to work as a street vendor to support his family.

"The situation is safe and everything is going well including the buying and selling process as you can see here," said Zeid who works in selling Eid al-Fitr sweets in Aden's neighborhood of Crater.

In other provinces of Yemen, fighting between Yemeni government forces and the Houthi rebels continued in escalation, forcing thousands of families to flee into refugee camps depriving them of enjoying Eid al-Fitr celebrations along with their relatives.

The impoverished Arab country has been locked into a civil war since the Iran-backed Shiite Houthi rebels overran much of the country militarily and seized all northern provinces, including the capital Sanaa, in 2014.

Saudi Arabia leads an Arab military coalition that intervened in Yemen in 2015 to support the government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi after Houthi rebels forced him into exile.

The internal military conflict between the Iranian-backed Houthis and the Saudi-backed Yemeni government has entered its fifth year, aggravating the suffering of Yemenis and deepening the already world's worst humanitarian crisis.Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-02 22:13:54|Editor: xuxin

Video Player Close

NEW DELHI, June 2 (Xinhua) -- India's air force chief, Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa will pay a four-day official visit to Sweden, a defense ministry spokesman said Sunday.

Dhanoa will be visiting Sweden on Monday.

"Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa is embarking on a four-day official visit to Sweden from June 3 to 6," a defense ministry spokesman said. "The bilateral goodwill visit is on invitation by the Chief of the Swedish Air Force."

According to officials, the Indian air force chief is scheduled to visit various operational and training units as well as interact with senior functionaries of the Swedish air force during his visit.

"The visit would provide an impetus towards defence cooperation and pave the way for greater interaction and cooperation between the air forces," a defense ministry statement said. "This would also strengthen relationships and enable engagement in productive exchanges between the two air forces."Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-02 22:18:56|Editor: xuxin

Video Player Close

TEHRAN, June 2 (Xinhua) -- Iran traded 1,45 tons of non-oil commodities worth 1.62 million U.S. dollars with Peru in the last Iranian calendar year that ended on March 20, 2019, said a report by the Eghtesad online news website on Sunday.

The figures registered a 54.9 percent decline in weight and 52.1 percent down in value compared with the preceding year.

Iran's exports to Peru stood at 36 tons worth 51,000 U.S. dollars.

Iran exported chemicals and glassware to the South American country during the 12-month period.

Peru exported 1,42 tons of goods worth 1.57 million U.S. dollars to Iran.

Peru's exports mainly included chemicals, oilseed and fruit.Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-02 22:19:01|Editor: xuxin

Video Player Close

GENEVA, June 2 (Xinhua) -- Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis on Sunday discussed the possibility of a free trade agreement with visiting U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in the southern Swiss town of Bellinzona.

"It is clear to both sides that both countries must benefit from an agreement," said Cassis.

The top Swiss diplomat on Sunday received his U.S. counterpart, who is currently paying an official working visit to Switzerland. It is the first time in two decades that a U.S. secretary of state has visited the country for bilateral talks.

During their talks, Cassis also emphasized Switzerland's support for the United Nations (UN) reforms initiated by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, explaining that "Switzerland wants a more effective and efficient UN."

Cassis said the United States is Switzerland's second most important trading partner, and Switzerland is one of the United States' 15 largest trading partners.

The trade volume between the two countries amounts to about 120 billion U.S. dollars a year.Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-02 22:39:10|Editor: yan

Video Player Close

JERUSALEM, June 2 (Xinhua) -- Israel's Shin Bet security service said on Sunday it has arrested a young Arab woman on suspicion of joining an al-Qaida-affiliated group in Syria.

Ranwa Rasmi Muhammad Shanawi, 22, a resident of Makr, a village east of Acre city, was arrested upon her return to Israel on May 7, the Shin Bet said in a statement.

She came back to Israel after spending about a year with the al-Nusra Front in Syria, said the Shin Bet.

She was charged by the State Attorney's Office on Friday. According to her indictment, she has illegally left Israel for Syria where she joined the al-Nusra Front.

She is accused of joining the group following her will to become a "martyr" and die during Jihadi activity.

The Shin Bet statement said that Shanawi had made contact with a Syrian national who suggested that she go to Syria and join the al-Nusra Front.

She stole money from her family to finance her trip to Syria, via Turkey. After crossing from Turkey to Syria with forged documents, she joined the ranks of the al-Nusra Front.

The Shin Bet said that at some point she was arrested by the group on suspicion she was an Israeli secret agent and held in Idlib. "After her release, Shanawi sought to remain active in the organization but left Syria for Turkey and subsequently returned to Israel," the Shin Bet said.

Hundreds of Arab citizens of Israel pledged to the Islamic State, al-Qaida, and other radical groups affiliated with them over the past years. Most of them are arrested and jailed after returning to Israel.Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-02 22:54:16|Editor: Shi Yinglun

Video Player Close

Israel's Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked (L) arrives to attend the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, on June 2, 2019. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday fired his justice and education ministers, days after the parliament called for early elections. (Xinhua/JINI/Yonatan Sindel)

JERUSALEM, June 2 (Xinhua) -- Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fired on Sunday his justice and education ministers, days after the parliament called for early elections.

A government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed to Xinhua that Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked and Education Minister Naftali Bennett, two pro-settler former allies of Netanyahu, were dismissed.

The move was widely reported in Israeli media but no official statement was issued by the Prime Minister's Office and no explanations were made.

Bennett and Shaked issued a joint statement, saying they "thank the Israeli public for the rare privilege we have had to serve as education and justice ministers."

They added: "All we did was for the good of the State of Israel and its citizens."

Last Wednesday, the Israeli parliament, or the Knesset, voted to hold early elections, less than two months after the previous elections. The move was promoted by Netanyahu's Likud party after he failed to form a governing coalition.

Shaked and Bennett, two hawkish and popular politicians, formed a new party before April's elections but failed to pass the electoral threshold. However, they remained in their offices in the interim government.

They did not say whether they will run also in the upcoming September's elections.Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-02 22:54:18|Editor: yan

Video Player Close





Chinese State Councilor and Defense Minister Wei Fenghe speaks at the 18th Shangri-La Dialogue held in Singapore on June 2, 2019. (Xinhua/Then Chih Wey)

by Xinhua writers Fei Liena, Lin Hao

SINGAPORE, June 2 (Xinhua) -- "While striving for common prosperity in the Asia-Pacific, we must respect the core interests and accommodate the security concerns of all," said Chinese State Councilor and Defense Minister Wei Fenghe during his speech at the 18th Shangri-La Dialogue on Sunday.

"We in China do not covet the interests, nor envy the development, of others. However, we shall never give up our legitimate rights and interests," Wei added. "No country should ever expect China to allow its sovereignty, security and development interests to be infringed upon."

This was the first time for a Chinese defense minister to attend the Shangri-La Dialogue after eight years. Wei's honesty, frankness and not shying away from harsh questions gave delegates a good impression, said Li Mingjiang, an associate professor at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore.

COOPERATION BENEFITS CHINA, U.S.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and the United States, and the bilateral relationship has been steadily growing in the past 40 years, despite all the ups and downs, Wei said.

"The most valuable lesson we have learned from the four-decade-long relationship is that cooperation benefits the two sides while confrontation hurts both," the defense minister said.

Wei's speech mentioned the essential part of China's policy on the United States, that is "fighting but not breaking," said Li. "We've seen the fighting, but Wei also emphasized cooperation, which is very important to all, so that regional countries don't have to choose sides."

During his speech, Wei noted that the two militaries have agreed on building their relationship into a stabilizer for the overall relations, maintaining regular communication on the strategic level, and managing risks and preventing conflicts.

"The two sides recognize that military conflicts or even a war between them would bring disasters to both countries and the world," he said. "It takes two to cooperate, but only one to start a fight."

Wei's speech echoed U.S. Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan's remarks a day ealier on building a bilateral military relationship as a stabilizer for the overall relations, said Francois Heisbourg, a senior adviser for Europe of the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS).

"So I think maybe the two militaries have some scope for a degree of maintaining normality in relations. But that will depend on the political development," he added.

All participating defense ministers and other delegates to the dialogue were glad to hear from Wei that the Chinese military will interact more with the U.S. military and develop a better relationship, said Singaporean Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen.

"This is good news for all of us," Ng said. "From the Singaporean perspective, both sides strengthening interaction will help lower risks and reduce misjudgement for either party."

ASIA-PACIFIC SECURITY

At the event this year, over 600 defense ministers, policymakers and experts from about 40 countries gathered from Friday to Sunday to discuss security issues in the Asia-Pacific.

"We should respect and accommodate the legitimate security concerns of one another," Wei said. "China understands and respects the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of all countries, and supports the social systems and development paths they independently choose."

"The minister has systematically elaborated China's concept on international security order, world peace and stability, regional security and safety, and explained some of China's specific actions, these have yielded positive results," said Li.

For one, Wei refuted the allegation that China is militarizing the South China Sea islands and reefs.

"It is the legitimate rights of a sovereign state to carry out construction on its own territory. China built limited defense facilities on the islands and reefs for self-defense," he said. "Where there are threats, there are defenses."

The current situation in the South China Sea is improving towards greater stability, Wei said. Over 100,000 ships sail through the South China Sea each year and "none has been threatened."

Wei talked about progress being made between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations countries in negotiating the Code of Conduct and "we look forward to the outcome of that," said Rommel Banlaoi, chairman of the Philippine Institute for Peace, Violence and Terrorism Research.

However, "there are always people trying to rake in profits by stirring up troubles in the region," Wei said, adding that in recent years, some countries outside the region have come to the South China Sea to flex muscles, in the name of freedom of navigation.

"The large-scale force projection and offensive operations in the region are the most serious destabilizing and uncertain factors in the South China Sea," he said.

Wei also talked about China's choices of peace and development, openness and inclusiveness, win-win cooperation, and mutual understanding among civilizations, as well as its commitment to regional and world prosperity and stability.

China has been playing an increasingly important role in the Asia-Pacific's security, and there are different kinds of security mechanisms in the region, said Zhou Bo, director of the Center for Security Cooperation at the Office for International Military Cooperation of the Chinese Defense Ministry. "That's why Wei reiterated that every security mechanism needs to be open, inclusive and transparent."

"We want China to have military capability in order to contribute to the maintenance of world peace. And we also want a strong Chinese military in order to enhance China's role in peacekeeping efforts worldwide and we want that to happen," Banlaoi said.

Asanga Abeyagoonasekera, director general of the Institute of National Security Studies of Sri Lanka, said: "China's strategy is an inclusive strategy, trying to bring all nations together and trying to create a shared value."

TAIWAN QUESTION

On China's core Taiwan-related issues, Wei reiterated China's firm position and warned against any forces' attempt to split the island from the country.

The Taiwan question bears on China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and China must be and will be reunified, Wei said, adding that "if anyone dares to split Taiwan from China, the Chinese military has no choice but to fight at all costs for national unity."

The defense minister said no attempts to split China shall succeed, and that foreign intervention in the Taiwan issue is doomed to fail.

As for Shanahan's remarks on Saturday, in which he said the United States will offer necessary support to Taiwan according to the "Taiwan Relations Act," Wei said, "We can find no justifiable reasons for the U.S. to interfere in the Taiwan question by its domestic law."

Li said Wei's remarks on Taiwan were firm and tough, and reflected China's determination that there is no room for compromise on the issue. Wei also made it clear to the United States not to go too far on Taiwan, Li added.

Heisbourg noted Wei's speech was "very impressive," adding that Wei "said twice 'at all costs' for national unity. This will be taken seriously by the audience."

Officially known as the Asia Security Summit, the Shangri-La Dialogue has been organized and convened annually by the British think tank IISS and the Singaporean government since 2002.

(Xinhua reporters Yuan Mengchen, Wang Lili, Li Xiaoyu and Zhao Qing also contributed to the report.)Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-02 22:59:20|Editor: yan

Video Player Close

by Abdul Haleem

KABUL, June 2 (Xinhua) -- Afghan people are preparing to celebrate Eid al-Fitr, the second largest annual religious festival, to mark the end of Ramadan amid ongoing insurgency in the war-battered country.

The three-day Eid holiday probably commences on Tuesday, depending on moon sight in Lunar calendar.

In Afghanistan, on Eid al-Fitr holiday, people mostly visit relatives and friends' houses; some go to the graves of their dear ones to pray for the departed souls, while some go to recreational areas to enjoy the festival.

But to grieving and poor families in the conflict-hit country, Eid makes no difference or just reminds the sad days when they lost their loved ones to bombings and suicide attacks during the fasting month, or are still suffering severe economic problems.

"There is blast and explosion every day. On the Eid three-day holiday, many families mourn their loved ones who have lost their lives in terrorist attacks during the holy month of Ramadan," a Kabul resident, Mirajuddin who has lost his only brother to a fierce insurgency in southern Afghanistan two years ago, told Xinhua.

"Like me, there are dozens of families having no Eid as constant bloodshed has turned joys of Eid into grief," he added.

Mirajuddin, 24, his old mother and little sister have no Eid but shedding tears, when relatives come to their house to show sympathy.

"Eid just brings us the bitter memory of war, reminds me of my 19-year-old brother's death in a clash in Helmand," he said softly. Helmand is a conflict-battered province in southern Afghanistan.

Mirajuddin, who lives in a poorly-made mud rental house, said he dropped out of school after his brother's death as he couldn't afford the school expenses.

"My late brother wanted to get job in the army to support us and pay for my educations, but the armed insurgents took his life and made us mourning forever," Mirajuddin, shedding tears, said.

The tragedy of Mirajuddin's family is being repeated as latest report shows as many as 27 people, mostly civilians, have been killed and 54 others wounded, following series of blasts and suicide attacks only in the capital city of Kabul since early May, which roughly covers the Muslims' month of fasting.

Extreme poverty is another challenge that many Afghan households are grappling with, as they are unable to buy dresses or sweets to celebrate the happy event.

"We know people go to see their friends and visit relatives' houses to celebrate Eid, but for us, it makes no difference," said another Kabul citizen, Fida Mohammad.

Mohammad, who works as daily wager and the only bread earner of a five-member family, whispered, "It is difficult to celebrate the Eid festival in an environment that security incidents and poverty have engulfed countless families."

As Afghanistan struggles with militancy, high rate of unemployment and war over the past four decades, peace is what Afghans are longing for most now because it can bring a better life.Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan (L) meets with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Berlin on May 31, 2019. (Xinhua/Rao Aimin)

BERLIN, June 2 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan paid a visit to Germany from Thursday to Sunday at the invitation of the German Federal Government.

During his visit in Berlin, Wang met with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Chancellor Angela Merkel and Foreign Minister Heiko Maas separately.

When meeting with Steinmeier, Wang said that China and Germany were both major world economies and major countries with great influence. The relations between the two countries have gone beyond bilateral scope and bear global significance.

Wang said in recent years the high-level contacts were frequent, and the cooperation in all fields has been constantly deepened, adding he is willing to push for new development of the all-around strategic partnership through his visit.

Noting the ties between China and Germany is currently facing a new situation, Wang called on the two countries to set a model of win-win cooperation for the world through deepening collaboration, to bring stability to the world through guiding the China-EU cooperation, and to strength the power to safeguard multilateralism through boosting global governance.

For his part, German President Steinmeier said that the current international landscape is complicated and turbulent, and multilateralism is under threat.

He noted that Germany highly values the ties with China, adding Germany is willing to strengthen communication and coordination with China at all levels, and to continue the pragmatic cooperations in Industry 4.0 and in other fields.

Germany and China, and Europe and China, should join hands to maintain the world peace and stability, free trade, and existing international orders, Steinmeier added.

When meeting with Merkel, Wang said China sticks to peaceful development, and will through steadily deepening reform and opening up, solve the existing problem of imbalance and insufficient development to meet people's desire for a better life and to fulfill the promises of the party and the government to the people.

Wang said China cannot develop itself in isolation from the world, nor can the world develop without the 1.4 billion Chinese people, and China advocates countries to together build a community of shared future for humankind.

Facing the profound and complex changes in the international situation, China always insists on doing its own share firstly, staying calm and clear-headed, showing composure, shouldering responsibility and reacting rationally, he noted.

Wang called on China and Germany, as all-around strategic partners, to strengthen cooperation in building a more fair and reasonable global governance system, and to jointly face the uncertainties.

The Chinese vice president also said that China has always viewed Europe from a strategic height and with a long-term vision, and firmly supported the European integration. Wang added that China is a trustworthy partner for Europe to have dialogue on an equal footing.

Chancellor Merkel said Germany appreciates China's great achievements in economic development and believes that China can definitely achieve the ambitious goals of eradicating poverty and finishing building a moderately prosperous society on schedule.

Facing the current complex and volatile international environment in which various new problems emerge, Merkel said, Germany is always committed to safeguarding the principle of multilateralism and the existing international order.

She noted that Germany advocates to strengthen international coordination and collaboration through dialogue, disagrees with the action of exerting threat and pressure to solve problems.

She believed that Germany and China, as well as Europe and China, share broad consensus on a wide range of issues, expressing Germany's willingness to strengthen communication, exchanges and cooperation with China, and to improve global governance system jointly with China.

When meeting with Heiko Maas, Wang said China and Germany share common interests in many fields such as deepening pragmatic cooperation, safeguarding multilateralism and free trade, improving global governance and promoting world peace.

Looking to the next stage of the bilateral relations, Wang advocates that both sides should set the right direction for the Sino-German, Sino-European win-win cooperation, encourage the enhanced exchanges in ideology, talents as well as science and technology, cement the friendship between the two peoples, and to inject more positive energy into the world.

Echoing Wang's comments, Maas said Germany is willing to strengthen strategic communication and cooperation on multilateral issues with China, as well as to jointly tackle global challenges, safeguard multilateralism and international order, promote the liberalization of international trade.

During his visit to Germany, Wang also met with mayor of Hamburg Peter Tschentscher and Bavarian governor Markus Soeder and visited the port of Hamburg.

Before his tour to Germany, the Chinese Vice president also visited Pakistan and the Netherlands.Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-02 23:24:37|Editor: Li Xia

Video Player Close

NANNING, June 2 (Xinhua) -- A pilot zone for the medical sector's opening-up will be established in the port city of Fangchenggang, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, according to a declaration published on the First International Medical Innovation and Cooperation Forum.

The Fangchenggang Declaration of International Medical Innovation and Cooperation Forum has been made by over 1,000 participants from 21 countries or organizations as the outcomes of the forum that ended last week.

The establishment of the "International Medical Opening-up Pilot Zone (China)" in Fangchenggang is expected to create opportunities for regional medical cooperation, said the declaration.

Participants to the forum also expressed willingness to actively take part in the construction of the pilot zone, and work together to eradicate the barriers in terms of policy, technology and trade, said the document.

All sides are full of expectations for facilitating policies, which will allow new technologies and new products that conform with international standards to enter the pilot zone, said the declaration.

They are also ready to offer assistance to this initiative within their capabilities, and expect the pilot zone to provide a new platform for medical innovation and cooperation in the region, it said.

The "China Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Research Center for Medical Innovation" will also be established in Fangchenggang, according to the declaration.

The forum, which opened on May 26, is devoted to implementing the SCO Qingdao Summit consensus and improving the health level of the people across the region.

Themed "Health, Cooperation, Innovation and Sharing," the forum focused on the topics of national health, disaster relief, medical services, and medical education and research.

The forum appreciates China's remarkable achievements in health and medical services over the past 40 years of reform and opening-up and China's medical assistance to other countries.

In addition, the forum will also establish the "China-SCO Medical Innovation and Cooperation Committee" in Shanghai, which will be responsible for calling meetings and coordinating relevant national institutions to take turns holding the forum.Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-02 23:39:43|Editor: Li Xia

Video Player Close

by Xinhua writers Zhao Qing, Lin Hao

SINGAPORE, June 2 (Xinhua) -- As the 18th Shangri-La Dialogue concluded here Sunday, representatives were trying to answer one question: How to maintain peace, stability and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region in an increasingly fractured world?

Chinese State Councilor and Defense Minister Wei Fenghe, the first Chinese defense minister attending the dialogue in eight years, gave his answer: People in the Asia-Pacific could strive to build a community with a shared future to that end.

Building a community with a shared future for mankind, a concept put forward by Chinese President Xi Jinping, has been followed by China with pragmatic development strategies and initiatives. One example of this would be the Belt and Road Initiative, which has been welcomed by many countries around the world, including those in the Asia-Pacific.

China is committed to regional and world stability and prosperity. Where there is an issue, China has always called for more dialogue, instead of resorting to or threatening violence. However, there are always some people trying to benefit from stirring up trouble in the region.

In his speech, the Chinese defense minister noted that some countries deliberately create division and hostility, cause confrontation, meddle in regional affairs, interfere in the internal affairs of others, and frequently resort to arms.

He rebutted the remarks of U.S. acting defense secretary Patrick Shanahan at the dialogue concerning the issues of the South China Sea and Taiwan, reiterating the determination of the Chinese government and military to safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests.

Under the joint efforts of China and other countries around the South China Sea, mutual trust among regional countries has been notably strengthened, and the overall situation in the South China Sea is stable and improving. The normal navigation and overflight activities in the South China Sea region have long been smooth and uninterrupted.

Yet the United States has frequently dispatched warships and aircraft to the nearby airspace and waters of the South China Sea islands and reefs, and conducted close-up reconnaissance and targeted military drills. These acts are harmful to regional peace and stability.

China regards all countries, big or small, strong or weak, rich or poor, as equal members of the international community. While striving for common prosperity in the Asia-Pacific, all countries and people should respect the core interests and the security concerns of all.

Over the past 70 years since the founding of the People's Republic of China, China has never provoked a war or conflict, nor has it ever invaded another country or taken an inch of land from others. History has proven and will continue to prove that China will not follow in the path of the big powers seeking hegemony when it grows strong.

The world today is undergoing profound changes, especially a recent backlash against globalization and growing unilateralism and protectionism. The United States is currently displaying unilateralism, puts its own interests above those of others, and is withdrawing from international treaties and organizations. These willful acts are very harmful to the world structure and a shared future for mankind.

China has always embraced peace, cooperation, exclusiveness and mutual learning. Over the past 40 years, the China-U.S. relationship has been developing in a steady manner. The most valuable lesson China has learned from the relationship is that cooperation benefits the two sides while confrontation hurts both.

The relations between the Chinese and U.S. militaries have enormous influence over the security situation in the Asia-Pacific region. The U.S. side should meet the Chinese side halfway and aim for non-conflict, non-confrontation, mutual respect and win-win cooperation and make its military ties a stabilizing factor in the relations between the two countries.

The world is now undergoing profound changes unseen in a century. Building a community with a shared future for mankind, which was proposed by China, is a grand trend. It is also the right choice to ensure the harmonious co-existence of countries in the Asia-Pacific region as well as around the whole world.Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-02 23:44:46|Editor: Li Xia

Video Player Close

BEIJING, June 2 (Xinhua) -- The general offices of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council have jointly released a circular on improving the system of administrative adjudication and strengthening related work.

According to the circular, administrative adjudication refers to the act of administrative organs which adjudicate the civil disputes that are closely related to administration.

With higher efficiency, lower costs and easier procedures, administrative adjudication can help facilitate quicker solutions to disputes, and serve as an important method to handle civil disputes, the circular reads.

More efforts should be made to improve the administrative adjudication of disputes in areas such as the ownership of natural resources, infringement of intellectual property rights and government procurement, according to the circular.

It asks for more application of modern information technology in administrative adjudication, as well as further legislation to regulate the system of administrative adjudication.

The circular also calls for better mediation work in administrative adjudication, suggesting the establishment of one-stop service platforms in fields that see more civil disputes, to reduce people's burdens when protecting their rights.

Moreover, the circular calls on local authorities to improve the ranks of those engaging in administrative adjudication, with more supervision, examination and guidance from superior administrative organs over their subordinates in terms of the work.

The Ministry of Justice should also strengthen its coordination and supervision of the work in administrative adjudication, organize evaluations of the implementation of the circular, and provide timely suggestions, according to the circular.Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-02 23:49:48|Editor: Shi Yinglun

Video Player Close

LAGOS, June 2 (Xinhua) -- Nigeria's first lady Aisha Buhari has expressed concern over the high incidence of bandits attacks in the country, urging security agencies to quickly put an end to insecurity challenges.

The wife of the president expressed the concern on Saturday in the northwest state of Katsina while distributing relief materials to over 25,000 victims of bandits attacks.

She told her audience that it was necessary to degrade the criminals before they end the civil population.

Buhari said all well-meaning Nigerians should talk on things that were going wrong in the country, so as to elicit necessary action.

"We should not keep silent while things are happening, thinking that if something happens today it will not happen tomorrow," she added.

"It is compulsory to speak the truth, it is not proper for us to give the highest number of votes during the general elections and allow bandits continue killing people and keep quiet," the president's wife told her audience.

"We must speak on whatever is going wrong in the country," she said.

Hundreds of people have been killed in attacks linked to cattle-rustling gangs in northwest Nigeria this year alone.

The northern part of Nigeria has witnessed several killings by armed bandits despite the deployment of soldiers there.

Cattle raiding has recently become a major crime in Nigeria, with the northern part of the most populous African country being the hardest hit.

Recently, security agencies in Sokoto, Katsina, Kaduna and Zamfara states said they were collaborating to tackle criminality in their areas of operation.

The Nigerian government had in May announced banning use of motorcycles within the hinterland and forests of seven states, citing security reasons.Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-02 23:59:58|Editor: yan

Video Player Close

ISLAMABAD, June 2 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad held a delegation level meeting here on Sunday with Pakistani officials and discussed Afghan peace process.

According to Pakistan Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Faisal, the meeting was held at the Foreign Ministry and the Pakistani side was led by Additional Secretary Americas at the Foreign Ministry Ambassador Aftab Khokher.

"Pakistan reiterated its commitment for peace. It encouraged all sides to seize the moment to end the prolonged conflict through political settlement," the spokesman tweeted.

Diplomatic sources said the U.S. envoy was scheduled to meet Pakistan's Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa later in the evening.Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-02 23:59:59|Editor: yan

Video Player Close

AMMAN, June 2 (Xinhua) -- Jordan on Sunday condemned "Israeli aggression" against Al-Aqsa Mosque and the recurrent raids by radical settlers under the protection of the Israeli soldiers.

Jordanian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Sufian Qudah reiterated that Israel must abide by its obligations under international law.

Qudah also called on Israel to immediately halt "provocative actions," holding it fully responsible for the safety of the mosque and the worshippers, the foreign ministry said in a statement, a copy of which was obtained by Xinhua.

The spokesperson also called on the international community to abide by international law and hold its responsibilities in this regard.

Qudah said that the ministry has lodged a protest to the Israeli government through diplomatic channels.

Jordan's Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs Abdul Nasser Abul Bassal denounced in a statement the "provocative actions" of the "Israeli occupation authorities" against worshippers in the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

He said that Israeli authorities on Sunday morning raided the mosque, and assaulted worshippers during the last ten days of the Holy month of Ramadan.

Abul Bassal condemned these acts which violate international norms and laws, adding that the acts included assaulting children, women, and elderly as well as beating unarmed guards and preventing medics from treating them.

Israeli special forces, border guards and heavily armed police officers participated in the attack and closed the doors of the holy mosque, locking worshippers inside, he added.

The minister called on peace-loving countries to pressure Israel to halt these "irresponsible actions," which will fuel religious conflicts in the region if they continue.Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-03 00:05:02|Editor: Li Xia

Video Player Close

BEIJING, June 2 (Xinhua)-- The internet and e-commerce sectors continue to be the major draw for job-hunting graduates in 2019, according to a newly published employment report.

College and university graduates are facing adequate job opportunities, said the report released Wednesday by Zhaopin.com, China's job recruitment platform, citing a labor market index.

The China Institute for Employment Research (CIER) index, a measure of the degree of supply-demand tension in the labor market, went down to 1.41 from 1.54 in 2018. This means each graduate, though facing growing competition, has 1.41 employment opportunity, according to the report.

"Job-seeking graduates are still making positive progress," said the report, which surveyed a total of 88,150 graduates, citing diverse tendencies of the job seekers.

Graduates are more open-minded toward their first job. Only 39.48 percent of the graduates have sent their resumes to over 10 companies, down 29.58 percent from last year. Some 45.24 percent of the graduates are willing to accept offers from startups, the report said.

Another 8 percent of the graduates will delay their employment, choosing a gap year for research and thinking for their future. The number was up 1.01 percent from a year ago.

While the new generation of graduates value the chance to gain new abilities and earn a high salary, "new first-tier cities" like Hangzhou and Chengdu, have become favorable destinations with lower living costs and growth potential. Some 44.18 percent of graduates chose to stay in these cities, rising 1.1 percent from last year, said the report.

The number of college and university graduates in 2019 is expected to expand to 8.34 million from 8.2 million last year, according to the Ministry of Education.Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-03 00:30:07|Editor: yan

Video Player Close

ADDIS ABABA, June 2 (Xinhua) -- The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) has urged parties in South Sudan to effectively engage on transitional security arrangements towards the timely implementation of South Sudan's latest peace accord.

"The timely implementation of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS) significantly revolves around the transitional security arrangements," Wais, IGAD Special Envoy for South Sudan, was quoted as saying by an IGAD statement issued late Saturday.

South Sudan's new peace deal calls for the reunification of all fighters involved in the civil conflict, but the process has been marred by delays as some groups have refused to declare the size of their forces.

The East African bloc, IGAD, which noted a recent meeting among South Sudanese parties to discuss on the modalities of reconstituting the Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) Commission, urged that a "functional DDR Commission is central to the overall success of the integrated and cross-cutting transitional security arrangements."

"One of the key tasks to be undertaken in the cantonment is the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of the combatants who are eligible to serve in the new security forces," IGAD said.

The IGAD Special Envoy made the remarks a few days after the parties to South Sudan's September 2018 peace deal agreed to form a unified force of 83,000 personnel, the body tasked with monitoring the shaky pact revealed earlier this week.

Interim Chairperson of the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission, Augostino Njoroge, had revealed on Wednesday that the agreement on the number of forces was reached during a meeting held on May 10 and 11.

The parties were also said to have agreed that the government and opposition contribute equal numbers to the joint force.

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.Yemenis shop ahead of the Eid al-Fitr at a market in Sanaa, Yemen, June 1, 2019. (Xinhua/Mohammed Mohammed)

ADEN, Yemen, June 2 (Xinhua) -- Thousands of Yemeni families flocked to the public markets and began their shopping activities to celebrate the upcoming Eid al-Fitr, the end of Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan.

Despite the country's ongoing military conflict, large throngs of people, especially children and women, expressed their excitement through traditional preparations for receiving the major Muslim holiday.

In the southern port city of Aden, public markets were overwhelmed by shoppers who came from different areas in the country's southern part to buy clothes for their family members, as well as locally-made sweets and accessories.

Skyrocketing prices of basic necessities, such as food and clothing, did not hinder the Yemeni people from going to the shopping centers for Eid al-Fitr.

A vendor displays new shoes for sale ahead of the Eid al-Fitr at a market in Sanaa, Yemen, June 1, 2019. (Xinhua/Mohammed Mohammed)

Um Arwa, 39, told Xinhua that bringing happiness to her children and family members during Eid al-Fitr turned to be a priority this year despite that they suffer from the high prices.

"Almost all my savings were spent in buying things for Eid al-Fitr because the prices are high. I tried to overcome, but I want my family to enjoy despite everything," she said.

However, many Yemeni street vendors complained about the country's weak currency that witnessed changes in its exchange rate value just days ahead of Eid al-Fitr, leaving an impact on their businesses activities.

Saad Mohammed, 26, came to Aden and opened a small shop in selling and buying clothes. But the continuing change of the exchange rate of Yemen's riyal against the U.S. dollar makes his earnings decrease.

"Prices of everything increased and I could not buy new goods from the wholesalers," he said, adding that although people are buying staff, the sellers are the losers.

A man buys sweets ahead of the Eid al-Fitr at a market in Sanaa, Yemen, June 1, 2019. (Xinhua/Mohammed Mohammed)

Many Yemeni young people were encouraged to open new business as street vendors after noticing an improvement in the security situation in Aden and other southern major provinces that are controlled by the Saudi-backed Yemeni government.

Jamal Zeid, a high school graduate, told Xinhua that the noticeable improvement in Aden's security situation comparing to the previous years led him to work as a street vendor to support his family.

"The situation is safe and everything is going well including the buying and selling process as you can see here," said Zeid who works in selling Eid al-Fitr sweets in Aden's neighborhood of Crater.

In other provinces of Yemen, fighting between Yemeni government forces and the Houthi rebels continued in escalation, forcing thousands of families to flee into refugee camps depriving them of enjoying Eid al-Fitr celebrations along with their relatives.

The impoverished Arab country has been locked into a civil war since the Iran-backed Shiite Houthi rebels overran much of the country militarily and seized all northern provinces, including the capital Sanaa, in 2014.

Saudi Arabia leads an Arab military coalition that intervened in Yemen in 2015 to support the government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi after Houthi rebels forced him into exile.

The internal military conflict between the Iranian-backed Houthis and the Saudi-backed Yemeni government has entered its fifth year, aggravating the suffering of Yemenis and deepening the already world's worst humanitarian crisis.Bautura minune care curata organismul de toxine dupa Sarbatori

Originara din Africa de Sud, aceasta infuzie rosie este ideala pentru o mai buna eliminare a toxinelor din sezonul sarbatorilor. Lista rezolutiilor bune pentru noul an este adesea insotita de o cana cu o bautura fierbinte. Dar iata, ai mers prea departe cu mojito-urile [citeste mai departe]OSHA's Crystalline Silica Standards: New Solution to a Very Old Problem

Virtually all portions and requirements of OSHA's Crystalline Silica Standards are now in effect and enforceable, so immediate compliance is imperative.

It was March of 1930. Mohandas Gandhi was in the midst of his Salt March to the Arabian Sea, the industrialized world was about to experience the lowest point of the Great Depression, Babe Ruth had signed a new contract with the New York Yankees, and ground was being broken in West Virginia on construction of a diversion channel known as the Hawk's Nest Tunnel.

The tunnel was to be a critical component of a hydroelectric plant, but before the three-mile tunnel through Gauley Mountain was completed, at least 764 laborers died from acute silicosis (United States National Park Service, https://www.nps.gov/neri/planyourvisit/the-hawks-nest-tunnel-disaster-summersville-wv.htm). As hundreds of unprotected workers picked, dug, and blasted their way through the silica-rich rock, a cloud of choking dust enveloped the tunnel and permeated the workers' lungs. Eight decades later, the Hawk's Nest Tunnel incident is still recognized as one of the worst occupational disasters in modern history.

In 1936, a congressional subcommittee published its findings regarding the Hawk's Nest incident. While the report included a strong indictment of the builders of the tunnel, no further actions were undertaken. Fortunately, publicity regarding the incident did shape opinions, and by the close of 1937, all but two of the then 48 states had enacted laws benefiting workers with silicosis. While these measures constituted steps in the right direction, they were not preventative in nature. Such critical employer requirements would not be enacted for another 80 years.

New Solution

In 1997, the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified Crystalline Silica dust as a human carcinogen (Group 1). Ultimately, this act placed the IARC in agreement with the U.S. National Toxicology Program and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health that occupational exposure to silica increases one's odds of developing lung cancer. This meant that silica was a human carcinogen present at countless workplaces and whose occupational exposure limit had not been re-evaluated in nearly half a century. It was finally time for significant regulatory change.

This article originally appeared in the June 2019 issue of Occupational Health & Safety.Open source

Russian-backed militants violated the ceasefire regime 15 times, twice they fired with the Minsk-baned weaponry. The press service of the Joint Forces Operation (JFO) HQ reports this on Facebook.

In particular, the enemy used the Minsk-banned weaponry: 122 mm artillery systems and 82 mm mortars. Besides, they used the infantry fighting vehicles, grenade launchers of various systems, and heavy machine guns.

The ceasefire violations were registered near Novoselivka-2, Pisky, Pavlopil, Krasnohorivka, Vodiane, and Pyshchevyck settlements. In addition, the occupant fired at the positions of Joint Forces operation near Avdiivka, Verkhniotoretske and Opytne settlements.

One serviceman of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was wounded, as a result of the attack.

The enemy has fired twice since the beginning of this day, May 2. No casualties have been recorded yet.

Earlier, on June 1, the illegal armed groups violated the ceasefire in the Donbas conflict zone three times. No casualties among Ukraine's Armed Forces were reported.



All cases of violation of the ceasefire took place in the Luhansk sector. Here the enemy fired at the positions of our defenders near Pavlopil, Verkhnyotoretske, and Avdiivka.The water area and the Ukrainian coast of the Azov Sea still remain the high-risk areas for the development of the military aggression of Russia

Ukrainian servicemen conducted a planned training to repeal the enemy's naval attacks on the Azov Sea coast. The press service of the Joint Forces Operation (JFO) HQ reports this on Facebook on June 2.

Thus, according to the story of scheduled exercises, the anti-amphibious reserve of the Armed Forces of Ukraine as a part of the tactical group of a separate assault brigade "destroyed" the first wave of the enemy's naval missile with the help of tanks, artillery and dowry aviation, excluding the landing of its second echelon.

According to the report, the water area and the Ukrainian coast of the Azov Sea still remain the high-risk areas for the development of the military aggression of the northern neighbor.

"Therefore, parts and units of the Joint Forces in this direction, while performing daily combat missions on the hot areas of the front, are simultaneously preparing for action in all possible operational tactical scenarios in Azov areas," the report added.

Earlier today, the Russia-backed militants violated the ceasefire regime 15 times, twice they fired with the Minsk-baned weaponry.

In particular, the enemy used the Minsk-banned weaponry: 122 mm artillery systems and 82 mm mortar. Besides, they used the infantry fighting vehicle, grenade launchers of various systems and heavy machine guns.No casualties among the Armed Forces of Ukraine have been recorded over a day

Open source

The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine reports about two hostile attacks in the Donbas combat region from the beginning of the day, June 2. The spokesperson the Ministry of Defense Colonel Maksym Prauta stated this during the session, as the press service of the Ministry reported.

As of 12:00, today, June 2, the Russia-backed militants opened fire twice during the night time, Prauta said.

Thus, in Luhansk region, the enemy used four 82 mm shells and fired with the easel and manual anti-tank grenade launchers, heavy machine guns and small arms at the positions of the Joint Forces operation near Novgorodske settlement after 1:00 a.m.

In Donetsk region, the occupants were firing with anti-tank grenade launchers and small arms at the positions of Ukrainian soldiers near Hnutove settlement for 35 minutes after 2:00 a.m.

No casualties among the Armed Forces of Ukraine have been recorded over a day. The enemys casualties have been checking yet, the report said.Such problems as de-oligarchization, supplies of Russian gas, illegal gas extraction by private regional gas companies, and the Russian oil embargo on Ukraine, according to Lutsenko

Ukraines Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko news.liga.net

Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko told what he would have discussed at the meeting of the National Security and Defense Council if he had been invited here. He commented on this on Facebook.

Thus, Lutsenko believes that such problems as de-oligarchization, supplies of Russian gas, illegal gas extraction by private regional gas companies, and the Russian oil embargo on Ukraine.

Speaking about de-oligarhization seriously then finally, it is necessary to add to the draft state budget the rent for the extraction of coal and ore the same way as there is rent for the extraction of gas, Lutsenko said.

Prosecutor General is convinced that it can become the source of social aid to miners.

Lutsenko notes that Russia has accumulated large volumes of gas in the European repositories for EU consumption, and plans to block the Ukrainian gas pipeline. He believes that Ukraine would not have enough of its own volumes of gas to maintain pressure in the gas transportation system. An additional 3 billion cubic meters are needed to import gas. Under these circumstances, it is urgently necessary to abolish the decision of the Cabinet of Minister to withdraw 90% of revenues of Naftogaz.

The illegal gas extraction by private regional gas companies equals up to 5 billion this year. By the end of the year, the amount of robbery could reach up to 10 billion cubic meters. Obviously, it is necessary not only to hope for actions from NABU but also to finally deprive the status of those oligarch systems as the gas supplier to the people, according to Lutsenko.

Prosecutor General believes that during the Russian oil embargo, Ukraine should finally transfer the integral property PrykarpatZakhidtrans Company to the state administration by virtue of the long-approved sanctions against Russian Rosneft Oil Company.





Earlier, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has approved the new members of the National Security and Defense Council.

Zelensky amended the membership of the NSDC by his order. Particularly, Zelensky himself became the NSDC Chairman.Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia Open source

For the first time since 2004, Russian President Vladimir Putin was not invited to the celebration of the anniversary of the Allied landings in Normandy on June 6, 1944, which is also known as Overlord Operation. This is reported by Ukrinform.



For the first time since 2004, (when the 60th anniversary of D-Day was celebrated) president Putin was not invited to the event, the report said.



Putin participated in the events on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of D-Day in 2014, after the occupation of Crimea and the beginning of the aggression against Ukraine.



As the UK government informs, in addition to the British side, representatives of other states participating in the Normandy operation - the USA, Canada, France, Australia, New Zealand, Belgium, Poland, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Greece, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic will take part in the high-level events. Germany is also invited.

Related: Putin confirms agreements reached by Medvedchuk and Boyko in Moscow



The main celebrations will be held in the English port city of Portsmouth and on the French Normandy coast. They will be attended by British Prime Minister Theresa May, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, US President Donald Trump, who will pay a state visit to the United Kingdom on June 3-5.



The organizers of the event intend to pay special attention to honoring the veterans who participated in the events of 1944.



The operation on the landing of Allied troops in the north of France began on June 6, 1944, and lasted until July 1. About 160 thousand soldiers of the Allied forces crossed the English Channel and landed in Normandy, marking the beginning of the defeat of Nazi Germany. "Overlord" is the largest naval amphibious operation in the history of the Second World War.

Related: Putin: Ukraines gas supply depends on transit of Russian fuel through its territoryTo agree to Russias terms means to accept their blackmail, according to Chairman of Ukraines Delegation in PACE

The return of the Russian delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe under Moscows terms will lead to the new crisis. Chairman of Ukraines Delegation of the Verkhovna Rada in PACE Volodymyr Ariev said this, as DW reported.

To agree to Russian terms means to accept their blackmail and this will be a bad example for other members of the Council of Europe. This political process can end with a significant undermining of the credibility of the Council of Europe from human rights activists, non-governmental organizations and reformers. It will be very bad if the Council of Europe demonstrates that someone has won, and someone is defeated. This will lead to a new crisis in the organization, perhaps more serious than it was before, Ariev said.

Chairman of Ukraines Delegation of the Verkhovna Rada in PACE added that the Council of Europe were trying to change the regulation in order to agree to Russias terms and not let them leave PACE.

"I can agree with the fears of human rights defenders that with Russias leaving PACE, they will no longer be a part of the European Court of Human Rights. This is a rather strong argument. However, on the other hand, Russia has not made any, even the slightest, step to comply with the requirements of the Council of Europe, Ariev added.

On October 9, 2018, the members of the PACE voted for keeping the current limitations against the Russian delegation in the Assembly.

Committee on Rules of Procedure of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe has supported the amendments of Ukraine to the draft resolution on the rules on the sanctions against the PACE delegations, which make the return of Russia impossible.

20 member countries of the PACE signed the declaration against Russias return to the Assemblys line-up.

Russian delegation to PACE left the Assembly's line-up after it faced numerous restrictions - due to the Kremlin's military aggression in eastern Ukraine and the annexation of Crimea in February 2014.U.S. President Donald Trump says that the agreement on the 2015 nuclear program was not effective enough, and he wants to force Iran to agree on a new agreement . Some U.S. officials talked about the possibility of new negotiations.Last year, Washington reintroduced sanctions and strengthened them in May, obliging all countries to stop importing Iranian oil. In recent weeks, the United States also hinted at a military confrontation, declaring sending of additional military forces in the Middle East, in order to be able to respond to the Iranian threat in the region.

Earlier,

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif accused the US of creating an "Action group", which will have to carry out a coup d'etat in the country. The head of the Iranian department wrote this on his official Twitter page.At the time of committing a crime, the policemen were not on duty, they had an unmarked weapon, and were under the influence of alcohol

The police detained two suspects in the deliberate infliction of grievous bodily harm to a 5-year-old boy in Pereyaslav-Khemlnytskiy under article 208 of the Criminal Procedural Code of Ukraine. Head of National Police Serhiy Knyazyev reported this on Facebook.

Those were the policemen, who at the time of committing a crime were not on duty, with the unmarked weapon, and they were under the influence of alcohol, Knyazyev said.

According to the Head of the National Police, the detainees are in the police station now, where the first investigative measures are being carried out.

All the collected evidence and testimonies will be transferred to the State Investigative Bureau.

Knyazyev said that the police are constantly in touch with the parents of the injured child and provide them with support.

The boy was transferred to Kyiv hospital where the best doctors of the country are trying to save his life.

Reportedly, according to the ministry, on May 31, a boy with physical injuries in the form of a severe closed-head injury, brain contusion, internal brain hematoma and a fracture of the temporal bone was delivered to the intensive care unit of the Pereyaslav-Khmelnytsky hospital.



According to police officers, around 4:00 pm on May 31, four children were walking alongside their place of residence. The 5-year-old boy, due to carelessness, slipped and fell on the asphalt concrete pavement and stone, as a result of which he suffered a head injury.The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea expects Russia to release Ukrainian, captured sailors until June 25

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine applied to the countries-partners asking them to pressure on Russia so that they implement the decision of the UN Maritime Tribunal. Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin wrote this on Twitter.

Today, we have sent applies to all the ministers of foreign affairs of countries of our friends and partners asking them to force Russia to fulfill the decision of the International Tribunal in Hamburg, Klimkin stated.

Earlier, the International Maritime Tribunal demanded from Russia to immediately release the Ukrainian sailors and ships and ensure their return to Ukraine on May 25. Ukraine is counting on Russias speedy implementation of the decision.

On November 25, 2018, Russian border guards seized the Ukrainian Yana Kapu raid tug and small armored artillery boats Berdyansk and Nikopol of the Naval Forces of Ukraine in the Kerch Strait area, using weapons.



As a result of the incident, 24 Ukrainian sailors were detained and arrested. They were transported from Crimea to the Moscow Lefortovo detention facility. In addition, three Ukrainian sailors wounded during the shelling by the Russians were transferred to the Prison Hospital.________________________

Best in the State

Washington Post's

The Fix, 2011, 2009

Best in Pittsburgh Region

PoliticsPA, 2011

"[W]idely cited as one of the oldest and most-read political blogs in the city"

Pittsburgh City Paper, 2007

________________________PLEASE NOTE!

Due to the March 23, 2020 NM DOH Public Health Order, These Event Listings Are Not Accurate!

All non-essential businesses are closed, public gatherings are prohibited!

(One day some of these events will be rescheduled or will resume, but they are not happening now!)Inventing Edison's Lamp

"Well, I'm not a scientist, I'm an inventor."

(Thomas Edison, as quoted by his private secretary, A. O. Tate)

Of course, some scientists are also inventors. But there is a difference. A person acting scientifically is trying to understand the natural world, whether or not that understanding is economically useful. An inventor tries to create something new that will have practical application. In both cases there is a sense of challenge in the pursuit and a sense of achievement in the result.

The Inventor



Thomas Edison, 1880

S.I. image #87-1590

Thomas Alva Edison was born 11 February 1847 in Milan, Ohio. He received little formal education, but showed an interest in chemistry and began experimenting to teach himself more about the subject. At age 12 he went to work selling newspapers and sundries on a train between Port Huron and Detroit. This gave him money to buy experimental materials, and also gave the voracious reader access to the Detroit Public Library.

When Edison saved the life of a child in 1863, the grateful father (manager of the Mount Clemens railroad station) taught Edison telegraphy. Entranced by the new technology, Edison took up the life of an itinerant "Knight of the Key." But he continued to experiment with chemistry and began tinkering with electrical devices. He received his first patent (for an electric vote recorder) in 1868, but this invention failed to sell. During the next six years he developed a new stock ticker and a "quadruplex" telegraph, inventions that not only sold well but allowed him to establish an "invention factory" in 1876.

Menlo Park





Menlo Park, 1880-81

S.I. Image #80-16529

Edison's laboratory in Menlo Park, New Jersey, proved critical to the inventor's success. The two-story, frame building contained as many chemicals and instruments as he could afford, as well as talented associates. Several other buildings were added as the need arose. Menlo Park was the embryo of the modern research laboratory -- a place where the inventor could have at his fingertips the materials and expertise to turn his ideas into physical form. None of his contemporaries had such a marvelous tool.

Edison built a house for his family just down the lane from the laboratory. Other (married) members of the staff also built homes nearby. Most of the bachelors stayed in a boarding house run by Mrs. Sarah Jordan, a distant Edison relative. This close proximity suited Edison, who often had his lunch brought in and thought nothing of working with his men late into the night. At one end of the large room on the second floor was placed a pipe-organ, which Edison would occasionally play for relaxation.

An early project to improve on Bell's newly invented telephone resulted in a carbon transmitter and something unexpected -- the phonograph. This invention made his reputation as "the Wizard of Menlo Park." People were astounded by a machine that could talk, and the accomplishment gave investors and potential customers confidence in Edison. He now had both the lab and the financial backing to tackle a problem that had frustrated inventors since the 1820s, how to make a practical incandescent light bulb.

The Supporting Cast



Edison and his team

S.I. Image #80-16718

Edison's growing reputation also helped him to attract and retain skilled assistants. Though he was the undisputed leader of the team, Edison built up a cadre of artisans and researchers who had strengths that complemented his.

Not everyone who worked for Edison found the experience satisfying--the hours were long and Edison's goals dominated the work. Those who (like Nikola Tesla) could not put aside personal goals and visions, or who (like Ludwig Boehm) found the environment too coarse, soon left. But those who could subordinate their interests to Edison's and who could work the odd hours as "one of the boys" often stayed with Edison for years. Some of those important to Edison's light bulb work are profiled below.

Francis R. Upton (1852-1921)



Francis R. Upton

S.I. Image #80-16690

Upton was the best educated of Edison's Menlo Park assistants, having graduated from Bowdoin College and taken graduate work at Princeton and in Germany. He was recruited by investors who felt it couldn't hurt to supplement Edison's wizardry with some advanced scientific training. They were right, and Upton's understanding of mathematics and physics was of critical assistance in the development of the light bulb, the dynamo, and other elements of Edison's system. Nicknamed "Culture" by his colleagues, he was placed in charge of the Edison Lamp Works in 1881. In 1918, Upton became the first president of the Edison Pioneers.

Charles Batchelor (1845-1910)



Charles W. Batchelor

S.I. Image #80-16685

Batchelor was born in London, but raised in Manchester and apprenticed there as a mechanic. At age 22 he came to America to help a firm in Newark, N.J. with the installation of machinery. Finishing this work, he moved to Edison's Newark factory and rapidly became an indispensable part of Edison's crew. He participated in most of the early inventions, from the electric pen to the phonograph and the electric light.

"Batch" was valued for his versatility and his good mechanical sense. In 1881, he was sent to Europe to promote the Edison system and remained there for three years. Upon his return he took charge of the Edison Machine Works, and remained with the company even through its merger into General Electric. While Batchelor never made a name for himself in either invention or business, he was widely recognized as Edison's closest associate during the most creative years of Menlo Park.

John Kruesi (1843-1899)



John Kruesi

S.I. Image #72-4116

Kruesi arrived in the United States in 1870, having been trained in his native Switzerland as a machinist. According to one of his coworkers, Kruesi "understood work in the drafting room and could decipher one of Edison's sketches no matter how crude it was." It was Kruesi who constructed the first experimental phonograph, following Edison's design. Like Batchelor, Kruesi worked for Edison before Menlo Park, and afterwards served as superintendent of the Edison Machine Works in Schenectady.

The Light Bulb



Edison lamp

S.I. Image #13,369B

When, in 1878, Edison announced that he had the answer and knew how to make an incandescent light, gas stocks around the world fell. The only problem was that his answer was wrong, and a year of hard work lay between Edison and success.

The initial idea was to make a lamp with a platinum filament, a metal that was slow to oxidize and that had a high melting point. To keep the filament from overheating and burning out, Edison designed a complex regulating mechanism. The regulator would occasionally shunt current away from the filament, allowing it to cool off. Not only was this mechanism complicated to make and operate, but a light bulb that shut itself off every few minutes was hardly practical.

Experiments with platinum proved useful, however. Edison discovered that hot filaments released gasses trapped in the metal. One of the hurdles to overcome was the creation of a better vacuum pump, one that could produce the very high vacuum needed. While experiments progressed through late 1878 and into 1879, Edison initiated work on other components needed for a practical lighting system, items like meters, cables, generators. He also began an economic survey of gas lighting, the technology he had to compete against.

The light bulb effort was not the only project at Menlo Park; another was continuing work on improving Edison's telephone. The heart of Edison's transmitter (superior to Bell's by most accounts) consisted of a variable resistance carbon disk about the size of a button. Edison, like many of his competitors, had tried carbon as a lamp filament, but was discouraged by the material - it burned-out too quickly. Carbon had the highest melting point of any element, however. In the fall of 1879, experiments with carbon filaments resumed.

Edison and his men recorded designs and experiments in notebooks all around the lab. Edison knew these books would be invaluable for backing patent claims, but probably thought little about their value to historians. In October 1879, Batchelor recorded a series of experiments with carbon filaments made from a variety of materials. Much mythology surrounds these experiments, but according to the notebooks a carbonized filament of uncoated cotton thread operated for a total of 14 hours on 22-23 October. While not the 40 hours of legend, this filament led the Menlo Park team to believe that they were on the right track.

By 2 November that belief was such that Upton reported in a letter home, "The electric light is coming up. ... I have been offered $1,000 for five shares of my stock." Under pressure from his investors, Edison announced a public demonstration of the new lamp for New Year's Eve. Though not completely satisfied with the newest lamp (containing a carbonized paper filament), Edison nevertheless invited the public to Menlo Park. Visitors from New York City arrived on special trains to see the laboratory, the grounds, and Sarah Jordan's boarding house illuminated with about 100 of the new lamps, one of which is seen above.



In the document submitted to Prosecutor Walker Fredy Rios Calisaya, who belongs to the Second Specialized Anticorruption Office Mr. Vizcarra indicated he is willing to appear before the magistrates "as many times as necessary" in order to once again demonstrate his transparent participation in the public service.





It must be noted the letter was submitted by the President and his lawyer Alvaro Rubianes on May 24.





In the document, the top official notes the Moquegua Prosecutor's Office "knows better than anyone about the nearly 50 open complaints" against him during his tenure as Regional Governor and that he has attended the audiences he had been asked to.





In this sense, the statesman recalled he had attended those audiences in order to "clarify the doubts one by one," demonstrate his "absolute adherence to the law during his tenure" and that for this reason the "corresponding investigations were shelved."





However, the President said that despite the above he wants to be available for the Prosecutor's Office to carry out the investigations its members may consider pertinent.





"I am willing to appear before your office as many times as necessary, in order to prove once again my proper participation in the public service," he concluded.

















(END) SMA/DTK/MVBFrom islands to highlands stretched this unity of diverse beauty. Colourful bodies glowed with shades of red, black and gold. Despite the multiplicity of their languages, there was a common sense of pride that threaded through their tongues. These are us, the resilient women of Papua New Guinea.

Emerging from the mountaintop, radiant like the birds of paradise, stood the women of the mountains. They danced, sang and embraced this beautiful message of unity.

They raised their hands to welcome this familiar voice and greeted it with smiles of gratitude. They strengthened the message of their island sisters with the beating of kundus resounding into the mountains.

The Solomon and Bismarck Seas carried the melody of their voices toward the mainland. Guarding the coastline stood the women, swaying in vibrant-coloured grass-skirts.

The Southern Cross had advised the coming of the Trade Winds and the beautiful island women rose majestically from the platform of their outrigger canoes, lifting conch shells to mouths and blowing in unison. They were announcing the coming of the Trade Winds.

Betty Chapau - "I always believed that one good thing that came out of colonialism was education. Eventually education will break down the cage"

Papua New Guinean women are blessed with a kind of strength that can stand the test of rough seas, fast flowing rivers and rugged terrain. Though the labour of the land has calloused our soles and palms, there is a sense of softness in the warmth and comfort of our embrace.

Our bodies carry the stories of our clans, intricately mapped onto our skin. We preserve traditional legends intertwined in the weaving of our baskets and bilums. We have curly, kinky and wavy hair that never wavers as we balance the weight of our homes on our heads.

An array of melanin amour embroidered on our skin glimmers every time the sun kisses the horizon and the moon rises. Our bodies embellished with scars from rebellious youth adventures make us sentimental every time we tell our stories.

These are the same stories that have grounded and seasoned us into strong Papua New Guinean women. The stories with an underlying message of how, so often, we dimmed our own light so the men would shine brighter. For a long time we have felt misunderstood.

Chimamanda Adichie writes in We Should All Be Feminists: A thousand years ago. Because human beings lived then in a world in which physical strength was the most important attribute for survival; the physically stronger person was more likely to lead.

This I believe to be one of the main factors of how our traditional hierarchy was designed, one where men are often leaders of clans. On the other hand, Charles Darwins theory of evolution teaches us that, for life to continue and for us to survive, we must learn how to evolve and adapt to a changing world.

Thus traditional cultures and gender responsibilities continue to evolve with time. However, in Papua New Guinea, we seem to believe differently and we are deeply rooted in the ways of our ancestors.

This may be admirable but most of the rules that governed our ancestors were made by men. This unwillingness to adapt with the passage of time has caused ripple effects that have left Papua New Guinean women disadvantaged relative to our male counterparts.

So today the world is moving on and we are trying desperately to adapt while trapped in a cage.

This cage had been built according to the instructions of a manual written in the time of our ancestors and it makes us feels so helpless that its bars will take a long time to be broken down.

Even before we are born, our society has made a pedestal for us and God forbid that we fall down or go against the grain. Instead, we become the pedestal and hurt our edges fitting into a mold that wasnt customised for us.

The stagnant Papua New Guinean culture sees women as a liability with the exception of our bride price.

To be born female in this country is to inherit a mostly foreseen future, to bear a fatherless child or endure an abusive husband or perhaps be so lucky to embrace a wonderful husband. But the worst scenario is to be unmarried.

The quality of our life, it seems, depends on the kind man we settle with and is rarely about the kind of person we are. We are conditioned into believing these are the only options we should aspire to.

The opportunity for education is most often not guaranteed but falling pregnant has always been expected. We are required to learn how to cook, clean and keep a house hospitable. It is important for us to learn these skills for survival. Shouldnt our brothers be taught the same?

We grow up disciplined in a manner that makes us feel were always wrong. Is this the reason we often say sorry even for little things not our fault?

We are taught to respect everyone around us and never talk back. Consequently, we dont know if we should speak up because of fear to be disrespectful if we do. Our society questions and scolds our decisions when we dont follow their social rules.

Most often our society blames us first when we find ourselves in unfair situations because we are always expected to know better. Yet, our society never seems to question the social norms and cultural lifestyle that gave them their beliefs and perspectives.

The way our society defines us Papua New Guinean women is like looking at an optical illusion. Are we the beautiful statue on the pedestal or are we the pedestal instead? And what if we dont want to be either?

I believe as human beings we become products of our own environment. We continue cultural practices that have been passed from one generation to another and that we know to be right and just. Our people are so comfortable with what they know that change seems to have a stigma attached to it.

I am fortunate to have had the opportunity of education that has given me the chance to see Papua New Guinea through a different lens than the one I grew up with. My mothers exposure to western culture has also taught her how to balance two very different worlds.

She often reminded me that if I wanted to walk in high heels, I should also be able to walk bare feet on the ground.

Even though I am fortunate to express my true self, it is only limited to being within my immediate family. When Im outside my home, I no longer have my freedom to express my individuality or my human rights. I have to confine myself to this cage because society will judge and criticise me.

The part I fear most is that I could get physically, mentally and emotionally hurt just for wanting to have the freedom to be myself. I cant express myself through fashion because society sees what I wear as an invitation to be catcalled or raped.

I cant speak up for myself without fear of being physically attacked or verbally abused. Ive been told to accept that being abused by my boyfriend or husband is normal because its part of being in a relationship.

Ive seen our PNG women candidates lose in elections, a major factor being that our gender is stereotyped as incapable of leadership.

Each of these is an unfortunate reality Ive experienced and observed. They are a discomforting reflection of our society and where we stand in this world.

Our parents and guardians and their parents and guardians before them raised us as best as they knew. They unintentionally continued with the same rules from one generation to another, despite that they may not have been appropriate in a world continuously evolving. This does not discredit the value of the disciplines and manners they used over time.

I always believed that one good thing that came out of colonialism was education. We should focus more on improving the quality of education in our country. The opportunity of education helps us filter out cultural traditions and ignorant beliefs that are no longer healthy.

Education teaches and guides us on how we can preserve our culture and create new ones that are appropriate for the time we are in. Education also helps us to see our cultural lifestyle from a new perspective where we may not always divide our roles and responsibilities in terms of physical strength and gender.

More importantly, quality education enables Papua New Guinean women to avoid letting our lights stay dimmed. It allows the freedom to express our individuality without fear.

Eventually education will break down that cage that keeps us from finding our vocations and living our true authentic selves. Ergo, I beg you to change the lens from which you view our country and allow good change for a better Papua New Guinea.FILE PHOTO: People look at the arrival of U.S. Carnival cruise ship Adonia at the Havana bay, the first cruise liner to sail between the United States and Cuba since Cuba's 1959 revolution, Cuba, May 2, 2016. REUTERS/Alexandre Meneghini

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 labor 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)Donald Trump has denied calling Meghan Markle nasty, just hours before hes due to meet with Prince Harry and the Queen on an official visit to the UK.

The 72-year-old, who will be shaking hands with senior members of the royal family on May 3rd, tweeted that he never called Meghan Markle nasty and that his alleged comments have been: "Made up by the Fake News Media, and they got caught cold!"

However, The Sun claim to have an audio recording of the President slamming the Duchess of Sussex, after he found out she called him misogynistic and divisive in a 2016 interviews.

Donald Trump has denied calling Meghan Markle 'nasty', despite The Sun claiming they have an audio recording of it. Photo: Getty Images

I never called Meghan Markle nasty. Made up by the Fake News Media, and they got caught cold! Will @CNN, @nytimes and others apologize? Doubt it!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 2, 2019

Meghan was a vocal opponent of Trumps presidency during the 2016 election, and once threatened to move to Canada if he won the leadership.

At the time of the presidential election, before she became a member of the royal family, Meghan was outspoken about her disapproval of the then-candidate on talk show The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore.

Trump has made it easy to see that you dont really want that kind of world that hes painting, she said at the time.

When reminded of the former actresses comments, Trump told The Sun, I didnt know that. What can I say? I didnt know that she was nasty.

Meghan Markle is currently on maternity leave but has previously made her dislike of Trump well known. Photo: Getty Images

The president reigned in his comments however, adding he thought the former Suits actress would make a very good American princess.

We cant imagine Trumps comments will go down well with the royal family, who are set to host a private lunch at Buckingham Palace on Monday, which will also be attended by Prince Harry.

Meghan will not meet the US president during his state visit, citing her maternity leave as the reason, a fact the President seemed surprised by.

Story continues

I didnt know that. I hope she is OK, he told the paper.

The comments come after speculation that Prince Harry will be uncomfortable meeting the President, given his suggestive comments about his mother Princess Diana in the past.

In wake of the explosive interview, it is likely the mood is even more tense than previously thought.

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 lived in Los Angeles after appearing on Australia's Got Talent. Photo: Channel Nine/Getty

Jack Vidgen has opened up about why he left the country soon after shooting to fame as a teenager on Australias Got Talent.

The now-22-year-old made the revelations ahead of his highly praised The Voice audition on Sunday, and delved into what really happened after his rapid rise to fame and eventual fade from the public eye.

Everything blew up so much I was just like, I need to get out of here, Im going to LA, and that was that, he told news.com.au.

I was 16, I left everyone behind me and I isolated myself in a way, I kind of cut people out of my life. I blocked out my family, I blocked out my friends.

I was in this little bubble in LA and I think it was the only thing I really felt control over at that point.

The escape was aimed at facilitating Jacks fledgling music career after he achieved post-show success when his debut album Yes I Am, peaked at No.3 on the ARIA charts.

Jack said he had to leave the country after shooting to fame as a teenager on Australias Got Talent. Photo: Channel Nine

However, the overseas stay wasnt to last and Jack later admitted his stint in Tinseltown eventually caused him to fall out of love with music.

Over the course of the year different things happened and I guess you get exposed to different things in the industry, and just being 16 that can be pretty heavy, he said.

The then-teenager also recently revealed eventually ran out of cash to pursue a music career in the notoriously competitive city.

I funded it myself going across to LA and that costs a lot of money. If you think about all the transfers, the cars, the flights, it all costs money, he told New Idea.

Jack will make his TV comeback on Sunday night's episode of The Voice. Photo: Instagram/jack.vidgen/

Its now been more than five years since Jack performed in front of an audience - a time hes dedicated to finding himself through a myriad of service and retail jobs.

But his high widely-anticipated second chance at a music career will debut in Sundays episode of The Voice, along with an all-grown-up transformation.

ANNOUNCING: @jack.vidgen is coming to The Blinds to remind Australia what hes made of, read a recent post on the official The Voice Australia Instagram page.

Story continues

Hell be joined by a number of all-stars including Australian Idols Lee Harding.

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.China on Sunday defended the bloody Tiananmen crackdown on student protesters in a rare public acknowledgement of the event, days before its 30th anniversary, saying it was the "correct" policy. After seven weeks of protests by students and workers demanding democratic change and the end of corruption, soldiers and tanks chased and killed demonstrators and onlookers in the streets leading to Beijing's Tiananmen Square on June 4 1989. Hundreds, or possibly more than 1,000, were killed, although the precise number of deaths remains unknown. "That incident was a political turbulence and the central government took measures to stop the turbulence which is a correct policy," Chinese defence minister General Wei Fenghe told a regional security forum in Singapore. Wei asked why people still say that China "did not handle the incident properly". "The 30 years have proven that China has undergone major changes," he said in response to a question from the audience, adding that because of the government's action at that time "China has enjoyed stability and development". Bonnie Glaser, a China expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, said she was surprised at the question on Tiananmen raised at an open forum after Wei's speech, but the fact that the general answered it was "unusual". People may dispute Wei's answer "but at least I can give him credit for taking the question", Glaser added. Inside China an army of online censors have scrubbed clean social media, removing articles, memes, hash-tags or photos alluding to the Tiananmen crackdown ahead of June 4. Discussions of the 1989 pro-democracy protests and their brutal suppression are strictly taboo, and authorities have rounded up or warned activists, lawyers and journalists ahead of the anniversary each year. Talking privately with family and friends about Tiananmen is possible, but any commemoration in public risks almost certain arrest. Wei also responded to a question on China's restive Xinjiang region, where Beijing has come under increasing global scrutiny over its treatment of ethnic Uighurs and other Turkic-speaking minorities. He said China's policies in Xinjiang improved people's lives and prevented terror attacks from happening for more than two years. 'Resolve and will' In a wide-ranging speech that came a day after acting US Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan addressed the same forum, Wei vowed that China will not be bullied by the United States, issuing a combative defence of its policies, including on Taiwan and the South China Sea. He rebutted US allegations of militarisation of the South China Sea, saying facilities it built on reclaimed land there were "defensive" in nature. Washington has been pushing back against Beijing's aggressive moves in the sea, where China has staked "indisputable" ownership over almost the whole area and rejects partial claims by Taiwan, Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam Washington and Beijing have been vying for influence in the Asia Pacific region, which hosts potential flashpoints such as the South China Sea, the Korean Peninsula and the Taiwan Strait. Wei also said China will not renounce the use of force in the reunification of self-ruled Taiwan, calling it "very dangerous" to underestimate Beijing's will. "We will strive for the process of peaceful reunification with utmost sincerity and greatest efforts but we make no promise to renounce the use of force," he said. The two sides have been ruled separately since the end of a civil war on the mainland in 1949 but China still sees Taiwan as part of its territory to be reunified one day. "Any underestimation of the PLA's (People's Liberation Army) resolve and will is extremely dangerous," he added, calling it the army's "sacred duty" to defend Chinese territory. In his speech on Saturday, Shanahan told the forum that Washington will continue to make military expertise and equipment available to Taiwan for its self-defence. "This support empowers the people of Taiwan to determine their own future," Shanahan said. Any resolution of differences must not be done with coercion, he added. Analyst Glaser said that while Washington and Beijing have established communication hotlines, "even today, there?s very low confidence that the Chinese would answer the phone in a crisis". The Chinese government 'took measures to stop the turbulence which is a correct policy,' Defence Minister Wei Fenghe told a forum in Singapore Inside China an army of online censors have scrubbed clean social media, removing references alluding to the 1989 Tiananmen protests and the bloody crackdownChampagne is now connected: Thanks to tracking technology, champagne houses now have tools to better guard against fraud while gaining a new channel to interact with their customers. Using a combination of unique QR codes and radio-frequency identification (RFID) emitters integrated into the label or the bottleneck foil, each bottle of bubbly can now be tracked to help battle counterfeiting of the luxury product. "In 2016, we didn't print any connected labels. In 2019 we'll be at one million! The market has doubled each year," said Arnold Deregnaucourt, head of Billet, a company which has specialised in printing labels for champagne bottles for more than a century. While a number of firms like Adents, Antares Vision and Tesa Scribos offer food and beverage makers a way to track their goods, Billet hopes that its long history working with the champagne industry will give it an advantage in adapting the technology to its practices. Laurent Berns, founder of TraceAWine, a technology startup that has acquired Billet, said QR codes are sufficient for smaller champagne houses, but for those with production lines that handle more than 12,000 bottles per hour the RFID emitters are added to speed up the process as they allow for scanning bottles inside boxes. With a QR code and RFID emitter on each bottle carrying a unique code, which is linked to a unique internet address, one can track the journey each bottle makes from the champagne house to your house. Or not. "We can detect anomalies like, for example, a bottle which is scanned in Britain but then ends up in Russia," said Berns. "Our system will alert the client." Champagne houses, like other makers of luxury products, don't only worry about outright counterfeiting, but controlling their supply chains to ensure prices aren't undercut in parallel or grey markets. - Foiling counterfeiters - This is something that the owner of the Pierre Peters champagne house, located in the heart of the prestigious Cote de Blancs region, knows about all too well. "Our champagnes are sold to importers, restaurants, wine shops," said Rodolphe Peters, who is also cellar master at the house founded in 1854. "We don't sell to individuals any more except for a few long-time clients, but several were profiting by selling bottles for two or three times higher." The connected labels helped him track down those who were reselling their bottles in the United States, putting pressure on the prices he charged there. The SGV trade association of growers and winemakers in Champagne wants to go further. After six years of research and development, it began offering in 2017 a capsule integrating a QR code that not only tracks the bottle, but acts as a guarantee of the authenticity of the champagne inside. A capsule is what winemakers call the protective wrapping or coating at the top of the bottle, which was originally developed to protect corks from rodents and weevils. While other wine and alcohol makers have used QR codes and RFID emitters, the SVG believes that champagne makers are the first to use them in the capsules. - 'A real revolution' - "What is new, and which isn't easy to accomplish, is the integration of the technology in the capsules which are made of complex materials and are manufactured with heat," said Catherine Chamourin, head of projects at SGV. "We chose to put the codes on the capsules rather than the labels or the bottle as the capsules are destroyed when opening the bottle and can't be reused," she added. This makes them much like the excise tax labels that some countries affix onto the top of alcohol bottles, which makes it impossible for them to be used again, and provides an indication that the product is genuine and hasn't been tampered with. French wine and champagne bottles sold domestically already carry an excise tax label on the capsule, which consumers appreciate as it contains information whether the winery uses its own grapes or buys them from others. Eric Lamaille, who heads up the capsule project at SGV, said winemakers are very enthusiastic about the capsules with integrated QR codes and several million have already been sold. He called it "a real revolution". The revolution is the not just in the tracking, but in connecting producers and consumers. While both appreciate that the information about the product's journey ensures it is genuine, when the customer scans the QR code on their smartphone it is an opportunity for both to learn more about the other. Reims-based champagne house Krug has been doing this with its ID bottles for the past six years. A code on the back label is the key to a treasure chest of information. "The history of the house and the bottle, the composition of the champagne, the land parcels used, how long it spent in the cellar, serving suggestions and food pairing tips and even advice on what music to listen to," said the house's director, Olivier Krug. "Digital even allows our connoisseurs to meet," he added. With luxury brands eager to bolster the experience around their products, learning who their customers are and drawing them into their websites is an important development that will have marketing managers lifting their glasses in celebration. The QR code on the foil of the bottle helps champagne makers battle counterfeiters and provides a link to customers Billet-made labels bear QR code and RFID (radio-frequency identification) emitters Certain bottles of Krug champagne carry codes that will tell you how much time they spent in the cellarWhen a school learned they would be joined by their first deaf student, they made it their goal to teach sign language so she would feel welcome.

Kindergartner Morey Belanger, 6, is the first deaf student to attend Dayton Consolidated School in Maine and the teachers wanted to make sure she would be able to communicate with everyone.

The school embraced the opportunity to share the correct communication techniques by lining the hallways with sign language posters that demonstrated colours, letters and words relating to school.

Morey Belanger (left) feels welcome at her new school now tgat the other students know basic sign language. Pictured right is one of the signs that were put up at the school. Source: WMTW

Teachers were also trained in sign language, incorporating it into all subjects and a hearing assistive system was installed in classrooms so deaf students were able to hear announcements.

Teacher Debby Gallant beamed with pride when she boasted how well the students had picked up signing.

They have been phenomenal, she told local WMTW News, adding they probably know at least 15 signs, if not 20.

Last week the school rewarded the students with a princess who knew sign language.

Morey wore a tiara and gown, and joined in as Cinderella performed a song for the students during lunch.

Morey was excited to meet her a princess who knew sign language. Source: Facebook Dayton Consolidated School.

Moreys mother Shannon Belanger said her family was overwhelmed by the show of support and said the effort had made her daughter feel welcomed at the school.

"I think all the kids feel excited that they know another language and I think they think it's fun," Ms Belanger said.

Principal Kimberly Sampietro said having a princess day was not only a reward for the students, but but also to thank the 6-year-old for inspiring them.

"Morey, without even knowing it, has taught us so much, she has brought a culture to our building that we didn't have before." she said.

Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.

You can also follow us on Facebook, download the Yahoo News app from iTunes or Google Play and stay up to date with the latest news with Yahoos daily newsletter. Sign up here.The days and nights of Alaa Abdel Fattah, Egypt's leading dissident, follow a disorienting rhythm where he is freed every morning from a filthy police cell and then jailed again at sunset. It is a harrowing routine that forces Abdel Fattah, 37, to measure out his life in one-hour increments for the next five years as he copes with a draconian probation period after being released from full-time prison in March. "There isn't a moment throughout the day when probation does not consume me or I think of it," he told AFP in his first interview with international media since his release. After serving his five-year term for demonstrating against a restrictive 2013 protest law, he now has to turn himself in to a police station near his home at 6 pm every evening and stay overnight in a cell there until 6 am. In the mornings, Abdel Fattah spends time with his son Khaled and drops him off for swimming lessons or kindergarten. The computer programmer and blogger then tries to carve out a chunk of time to work on his coding projects. In between his errands and work commitments, he meets his lawyers and friends, files complaints about his treatment and then around 4 pm he starts planning how to head back home as traffic chokes the city. "I try to have little tasks for myself every day so I can have a sense of achievement," Abdel Fattah said. "Even basic biological functions, I have to think of because there isn't a clean toilet when I'm there overnight." His split reality, a free man by day and a prisoner in solitary confinement by night, has already taken its toll. "There's a deep level of insult that I'm cooperating with the state in the destruction of my life everyday... which puts such immense psychological pressure on someone." - 'Closed off' - Abdel Fattah's disjointed life has also affected his family who worry for his safety in the police station with no communication once he is inside. He is not allowed any mobile phones or laptops overnight. Abdel Fattah's sister Mona Seif, also a human rights advocate, said she still cannot process how her brother is imprisoned daily. She said she is determined to keep advocating against the unfair probation conditions for him and others. "It's such a disconcerting feeling to see your brother locked up every day... He is only 10 minutes away from home," she told AFP. "I truly believe that it's their wish that Alaa remain completely closed off from the world, along with his family and lawyers and his life, until the morning." His mother Laila Soueif, herself a prominent rights activist on Egypt's political scene for decades, has criticised the application of an arcane law dating back to 1945 stipulating probation conditions. She recounts the struggle it took just to get permission for her son to share the iftar meal with his family that break the day-time fast during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which ends next week. The cherished daily ritual fell after his evening deadline and at first he was forced to be in his cell. In protest Soueif with family and friends in early May began holding the meal every sunset outside the police station. One evening an officer tried to snatch away a dessert plate she had brought to Abdel Fattah -- but Soueif was unmoved. "The policeman thought if he took it away from us that we would leave Alaa... It's quite farcical," she said. Authorities eventually allowed him to spend iftar with his family after many people voiced their feelings on social media that he was being deliberately targeted unlike others under probation. "I am worried about him that it is causing so much anxiety for him. But even this extra hour and a half has made such a difference because he is spending some time with us and his son Khaled," Soueif said. - 'Rendered invisible' - Dubbed "the icon of the revolution" that unseated longtime autocrat Hosni Mubarak in 2011, Abdel Fattah still speaks out on his social media accounts about political repression in Egypt. He argues for others also forced to spend their nights in jail, such as award-winning photojournalist Mahmoud Abu-Zeid, known as Shawkan. Abdel Fattah said national security officers had threatened him twice to stop talking about his probation publicly or else he would be sent back to jail indefinitely. AFP contacted the ministry of interior's spokesperson several times for confirmation but received no comment. Rights groups have roundly criticised Egypt's enforcement of the probation law saying it is used in order to punish and silence dissidents. "They (the authorities) are not dealing with us as humans, they are treating us solely as political animals who give them a lot of headaches," Abdel Fattah explained. In the last decade, he has garnered the dubious honour of being jailed under Mubarak, his Islamist successor Mohamed Morsi and current President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. But, politics is far from his mind as he tries to rebuild a semblance of normal life despite the hectic pace of the capital Cairo. "I now have no role to play politically in public life... that for them is not enough," said Abdel Fattah. "They want me to be so oppressed that I am rendered invisible... I really don't see an end to this ordeal." Egyptian activist Alaa Abdel Fattah, released from prison in March, must now spend nights in a police cell as part of his probation Egyptian activist Alaa Abdel Fattah is seen with his mother and sister at their Cairo home Alaa Abdel Fattah served a five-year prison term for demonstrating against a restrictive 2013 protest lawThree women who took part in an anti-government protest are under house arrest on suspicion of belonging to an extremist organisation, police said Sunday, a week ahead of elections in the authoritarian state. Gulzipa Dzhaukerova, Zhazira Demeuova and Oksana Shevchuk had "continued to systematically encourage and participate in anti-social actions inspired by the prohibited extremist organisation" despite a warning from police, a statement said. A Kazakh court deemed the group, the Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan, to be extremist last year in a move rights groups say has broadened a crackdown on opponents to the hardline government. The movement is led by long-ruling strongman Nursultan Nazarbayev's exiled opponent, Mukhtar Ablyazov. Ablyazov, believed to reside in Paris, called for a protest on May 1 shortly after the long-time president stood down in March and allowed loyalist diplomat Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to succeed him. Demeuova and Shevchuk heeded the call, leading a protest in central Almaty on May 1, turning up in a crowded park with young children and chanting slogans over loudspeakers before several hundred others joined in. Police made dozens of arrests. Kazakhstan appears to be tightening the screws on opponents to the government ahead of a June 9 election that will be the first since independence 29 years ago not to feature Nazarbayev. Tokayev is expected to cruise to victory with little opposition. The police statement did not say how long the women would be under house arrest, but a lawyer representing Dzhaukerova and Demeuova said the restrictions would last at least two months. Public gatherings in the former Soviet state are illegal without permission from local authorities, which is almost never granted for political demonstrations. Loyalist Kassym-Jomart Tokayev took over from long-ruling strongman Nursultan Nazarbayev in March. He is expected to cruise to victory in a June 9 electionPope Francis said Sunday politicians should "never sow hatred and fear" in an answer to a question about Matteo Salvini, Italy's strongman and leader of the far-right. The pontiff told journalists on the return leg of a three-day trip to Romania that it would be "very unwise" of him to express an opinion on the deputy prime minister and interior minister, who heads the anti-immigrant League party. And he insisted the reason he had not received Salvini -- who regularly waves aloft a Catholic rosary at his rallies -- was simply because the minister had not requested a private audience. "I pray for all, for Italians to move forward, for them to unite," he said, days after Italy's far-right parties won over 40 percent in the European elections, largely thanks to an "Italians First", anti-migrant message. "We must help politicians to be honest... Never should a politician sow hatred and fear, never," he said. Francis also repeated his plea for Europe "to overcome divisions and borders". "We see borders in Europe and they do no good. Please do not let Europe be defeated by pessimism or ideologies. "Europe is being attacked not by guns or bombs, but by ideologies," he said. The pope repeated his plea for Europe "to overcome divisions and borders"US president Donald Trump urged Britain to be "very careful" about involving Chinese tech giant Huawei in its new 5G network, in an interview published Saturday ahead of his state visit to London. Asked about reports that Britain is planning to give the firm a limited role, Trump told the Sunday Times newspaper: "Well, you have other alternatives and we have to be very careful from the standpoint of national security." He added: "You know we have a very important intelligence gathering group, that we work very closely with your country (Britain) and so you have to be very careful." The US has long voiced suspicions that Huawei is controlled by the Chinese government and thus a global security threat -- charges strongly denied by the firm and by Beijing. Prime Minister Theresa May's government has insisted a decision has not yet been made on Huawei's involvement in building a 5G network in Britain. Trump said he believed "things will all work out, you'll see". In a wide-ranging interview, the president also repeated previous criticism of May's strategy for taking Britain out of the European Union. She is due to step down in the coming weeks over her failure to deliver Brexit on time. Trump suggested her as-yet unchosen successor should abandon talks with the bloc if they do not get a better deal. "I would walk away. If you don't get the deal you want, if you don't get a fair deal, then you walk away," he said. - Protests planned - Trump on Friday used another newspaper interview to endorse former foreign minister Boris Johnson to succeed May. Opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who is boycotting a state banquet with Trump, called it an "entirely unacceptable interference in our country?s democracy". On Saturday, the president suggested another leading Brexit supporter, Nigel Farage, should help negotiate with Brussels. He said that Farage, whose Brexit party caused a major upset in recent European elections, "has a lot to offer". Trump will be welcomed to London on Monday by Queen Elizabeth II at the start of a three-day state visit that will also include talks with May and a ceremony marking 75 years since the D-day landings. Large protests are planned and London Mayor Sadiq Khan said Sunday it was wrong to be rolling out the red carpet. Writing in The Observer newspaper, Khan -- who has had several Twitter spats with Trump -- said the president was "one of the most egregious examples" of a growing global threat from the far-right. He said leaders such as Hungary's Viktor Orban and Farage "are using the same divisive tropes of the fascists of the 20th century to garner support, but are using new sinister methods to deliver their message". Khan said Trump's "divisive behaviour flies in the face of the ideals America was founded upon -- equality, liberty and religious freedom". US president Donald Trump urged Britain to be "very careful" about involving Chinese tech giant Huawei in its new 5G networkA massive cruise ship lost control as it docked in Venice, crashing into the wharf and hitting a tourist boat after suffering an engine failure.

Tourists on land could be seen running away as the 13-deck MSC Opera scraped along the dockside, its engine blaring, before knocking into a tourist boat on Sunday (local time), amateur video footage posted on Twitter showed.

Four people were slightly injured in the accident at San Basilio-Zattere in Venice's Giudecca Canal, port authorities said.

The four, who were taken to hospital for check-ups, were on board the River Countess tourist boat.

The Opera, which suffered mechanical trouble before in 2011 during a Baltic cruise, can carry more than 2500 passengers and boasts a theatre, ballroom and water park for children.

The MSC Opera cruise liner stands by a tourist boat following a collision in Venice. Source: AP

Ship unable to stop

"The MSC ship had an engine failure, which was immediately reported by the captain," Davide Calderan, head of a tugboat company involved in accompanying the ship into its berth, told Italian media.

"The engine was blocked, but with its thrust on, because the speed was increasing.

The two tug boats that had been guiding the ship into the Giudecca tried to slow it, but one of the chains linking them to the giant snapped under the pressure, Mr Calderan added.

The accident reignited a heated row in the Serenissima over the damage caused to the city and its fragile ecosystem by cruise ships that sail exceptionally close to the shore.

#Venezia #VIDEO la nave da crociera #Opera di @MSC_Crociere fuori controllo ha speronato stamattina il battello fluviale #Michelangelo e la banchina.



Qualcuno ci spieghera perche le navi che salvano vite sono sotto sequestro, mentre queste #grandinavi sono libere di far danni. pic.twitter.com/mSyhCMvvZc  Beppe Caccia (@beppecaccia) June 2, 2019

While gondoliers in striped T-shirts and woven straw hats row tourists around the narrow canals, the smoking chimneys of mammoth ships loom into sight behind the city's picturesque bell towers and bridges.

Story continues

Critics say the waves the ships create are eroding the foundations of the lagoon city, which regularly floods, leaving iconic sites such as Saint Mark's Square underwater.

"What happened in the port of Venice is confirmation of what we have been saying for some time," Italy's environment minister Sergio Costa wrote on Twitter.

"Cruise ships must not sail down the Giudecca. We have been working on moving them for months now... and are nearing a solution," he said.

This photo released by the Italian Firefighters shows the aftermath of a collision between the MSC Opera and the River Countess. Source: AP

Risk of carnage

Venice's port authority said it was was working to resolve the accident and free up the blocked canal in the north Italian city.

"In addition to protecting the Unesco heritage city, we have to safeguard the environment, and the safety of citizens and tourists," Culture Minister Alberto Bonisoli said.

Nicola Fratoianni, an MP with the Italian Left party, noted Italy's open-armed attitude to cruise ships contrasted sharply with its hostile approach to charity rescue vessels that help migrants who run into difficulty in the Mediterranean.

"It is truly curious that a country that tries to stop ships that have saved people at sea from entering its ports allows giant steel monsters to risk carnage in Venice," he said.

MSC Cruises, founded in Italy in 1960, is a global line registered in Switzerland and based in Geneva.

The Opera, built 15 years ago, suffered a power failure in 2011 in the Baltic, forcing some 2000 people to be disembarked in Stockholm rather than continuing their Southampton to Saint Petersburg voyage.

An Italian fire and rescue service picture shows the damaged River Countess tourist boat and the MSC Opera after a collisionFormer champion Stan Wawrinka downed Greek star Stefanos Tsitsipas in the longest match of this year's French Open on Sunday to set up a quarter-final clash with Roger Federer. Wawrinka sealed a stunning 7-6 (8/6), 5-7, 6-4, 3-6, 8-6 fourth-round victory with a magnificent winner from yards behind the baseline after five hours and nine minutes on Court Suzanne Lenglen. He has a 23-3 losing head-to-head record against close friend and fellow Swiss Federer. "It's incredible, lots of emotions. Thanks to all the fans for staying and (the) support," said the 34-year-old Wawrinka after the third longest match in the last 20 years at the French Open. "It's for these kind of emotions that I live for after coming back from injury." It is the first time Wawrinka has reached a Grand Slam quarter-final since losing to Rafael Nadal in the 2017 Roland Garros final, and completes an amazing turnaround from 12 months ago. Last year, the three-time Grand Slam champion, following injury struggles, lost in the first round to Guillermo Garcia-Lopez and dropped out of the world's top 250. The 20-year-old Tsitsipas missed out on the chance for a rematch with Federer, having beaten the 20-time major title winner in the Australian Open fourth round earlier this year. Wawrinka saved 22 of the 27 break points he faced in the longest match of both players' careers, including all eight in the final set as sixth seed Tsitsipas pushed for victory to no avail. - 'Thumbs up' for Tsitsipas - The tone was set early on, with Wawrinka giving Tsitsipas the first of many 'thumbs up' signs after an incredible passing shot on the slide by the youngster. But he slipped up at the wrong moment, double faulting on set point in a tie-break, having missed a set point himself just seconds before when Wawrinka unleashed a trademark backhand winner. Both players' serves suddenly became vulnerable after the 12 successive holds in the first set, as the pair shared five breaks in the second, with Tsitsipas broken when serving for the set as his opponent nailed another cross-court backhand. Tsitsipas saw five set points come and go in a dramatic 10th game, but took his sixth in the 12th as a barrage of massive forehands proved too hot for Wawrinka to handle. Another high-quality set, which featured both players applauding each other's shot-making, saw Wawrinka move one set from victory just after the match passed the three-hour mark, with the Swiss making only four unforced errors. Despite the mutual respect between the players, they both struggled to keep their emotions in check at times during the tense encounter, with Tsitsipas smashing his racquet and Wawrinka kicking a ball into the crowd. Tsitsipas was left sprawled on the clay after tripping while attempting a diving volley in the fourth set. The Greek was down, but not out of the match, though, as he promptly saved two break points en route to a 3-0 advantage. Wawrinka broke back but failed to consolidate that effort, and Tsitsipas ensured that the match of the tournament so far would go the distance. The drama only increased in the final set, as Tsitsipas saw Wawrinka dig deep to save break points in the first, fifth and 11th games, with the players still locked at 6-6 as the tussle hit five hours. But Wawrinka had the final say in stunning fashion, with Tsitsipas looking sure to save a second match point, by scooping a backhand onto the outside of the line, despite Tsitsipas contesting the call. Wawrinka saved eight break points in a thrilling final setThere wasn't a warning, Assemblywoman Marjorie Byrnes said.

The state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision announced in May that it would close two state prisons: Lincoln Correctional Facility, a minimum security prison in Manhattan, and Livingston Correctional Facility, a medium security prison in Livingston County.

Byrnes, a Republican who represents Livingston County in the state Assembly, received notification from DOCCS that the prison would close. Local officials, including Livingston County Administrator Ian Coyle, learned about the closure from Byrnes and other state representatives.

"This is a hard one to swallow," Byrnes said in an interview with The Citizen. "There were no public hearings. There was no discussion ... It's pretty shocking to our community."

The 2019-20 state budget authorized Gov. Andrew Cuomo to expedite the closure of up to three state prisons. Cuomo wants to close the prisons by Sept. 1. The budget requires him to provide at least 90 days' notice to Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins.

In a statement, DOCCS said the closures are a result of criminal justice reforms, a decrease in crime and reduction in the inmate population. The number of incarcerated individuals fell from 57,229 in 2011 to 46,718 in mid-May, an 18.4% decrease.

DOCCS' decision followed what the agency described as a "thorough review of the operations" at the state's 54 correctional facilities. The department considered several factors, including facility security level, infrastructure, potential reuse and the programs available to inmates.

There are 327 employees at Livingston Correctional Facility who will be affected by the closure. Thomas Mailey, a DOCCS spokesperson, said there are "a variety of options for staff to transition to other facilities or stage agencies and continue their employment with the state."

"It's sizable because a county of our size, the possible loss of 327 jobs is a big deal and it's a big impact," Coyle said.

Byrnes and Coyle raised questions about why Livingston was selected for closure. They note  as DOCCS did  that the facility is operating at 92% capacity. As of mid-May, there are 806 inmates in the prison. The facility has a maximum capacity of 874, according to DOCCS.

When Cuomo proposed the prison closures in February, his budget office said the closures would eliminate 1,200 beds and save $35 million. During budget negotiations, Cuomo and legislative leaders agreed to close two prisons. That meant a prison with a larger inmate population would be on the chopping block.

But Byrnes said Livingston Correctional Facility is a relatively new prison. It was built in 1991 and the state recently completed an $8.4 million water infrastructure project to bring water from Hemlock Lake to the prison and nearby Groveland Correctional Facility, another medium security prison.

Byrnes toured the facility in March and learned that it's in the midst of a $5.5 million roofing project. The project, she said, won't be completed before the prison closes.

"How you justify spending millions and millions of taxpayer dollars only to turn around and close the institution is just mind-boggling," she said.

Byrnes and Coyle concede that there's likely little they can do to get the state to reconsider its decision. Coyle submitted a Freedom of Information Law request to get more details about why Livingston Correctional Facility was selected. Byrnes, along with state Sen. Patrick Gallivan, plan to meet with DOCCS Commissioner Anthony Annucci in an attempt to prevent the facility's closure.

When Boyle toured Livingston Correctional, officers expressed concerns about the practice of double-bunking. Double-bunking requires inmates to share cells. The New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association, which represents prison officers across the state, has criticized the use of double-bunking. The union believes it has led to an increase in assaults on staff and inmate-on-inmate attacks.

Byrnes thinks no prison closures would be necessary if DOCCS no longer used double-bunking.

"We would be in a much better situation for everybody involved in the system," she said.

Barring any changes, Lincoln and Livingston correctional facilities will be the 14th and 15 state prisons closed by Cuomo since he became governor in 2011. The last round of prison closures was in 2014 when the state shut down three medium security facilities and one minimum security prison.

The medium security prisons that closed included Butler Correctional Facility in Wayne County.

Online producer Robert Harding can be reached at (315) 282-2220 or robert.harding@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @robertharding.

Love 4 Funny 5 Wow 4 Sad 2 Angry 13

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.People unfamiliar with craft beer may think it encompasses only the most extreme styles: India pale ales, pastry stouts, sours.

So pilsners and lagers, their thinking goes, must bore craft drinkers. After all, those styles are the domain of Big Beer, their sworn enemy.

Well, those people would be wrong. Sure, some craft beer drinkers wouldn't touch a pilsner or lager on principle, or anything that's not ranked 4.0 or higher on Untappd, for that matter. But many craft enthusiasts appreciate those styles as much as the next Michelob drinker. So much so that the community, or at least Auburn's, has come to call them by a curious but affectionate name:

The crispy boy.

I don't know where the name comes from. And I don't really know what it means, aside from referring to the crisp, refreshing quality that makes the lager family of beers eminently drinkable under the sun. If you want a more informed explanation, I suggest stopping by Auburn's Thirsty Pug Craft Beer Market and speaking to esteemed crispy boy purveyor Mike Sigona.

Auburn's Prison City makes beer with Brewery Ommegang Just in time for Memorial Day weekend, Auburn's Prison City Pub & Brewery has collaborat

You won't find just any crispy boys at Sigona's shop, though. We're craft beer drinkers: We're still a little discriminating. So we tend toward pilsners and lagers made by craft breweries. Not only do they come from businesses that aren't actively trying to torpedo others, but they also don't sacrifice quality (ingredients) for quantity (profit). In fact, I know many craft enthusiasts who believe crispy boys test a brewer's skill better than IPAs, pastry stouts or sours. That's because they can't hide behind throat-burning hop bills, so many sweets you need an insulin shot, or a blender's worth of fruit salad.

Luckily, New York state is home to some of the best crispy boys you can pack into a cooler and crush all day. Perhaps the two most decorated are Vliet by Threes Brewing, of Brooklyn, and Palatine Pils by Suarez Family Brewery, of Hudson. Upstate, some fine lagers and pilsners are also coming out of Steuben Brewing Co., of Hammondsport, and Woodland Farm Brewery, of Utica.

Cayuga County has its own claims to the crispy crown, too. Among the ones you can find here are K.R.E.A.M. Kolsch by Aurora Ale & Lager, Blueberry Pilsner by Good Shepherds Brewing, Buster and Blood Orange Kolsches by Lunkenheimer Craft Brewing, Chapter Kolsch by Next Chapter Brewpub, and Prison City Pub & Brewery's Work Work Work pilsner and, of course, Crispy Boys lager. (Yes, that's the name of the beer, too.) (And yes, Kolsches are halfway between ales and lagers, fermented warm and conditioned cold, but they're plentifully crispy, as the aforementioned beers prove.)

New York is also home to one of the most iconic crispy boys: F.X. Matt Brewing Co.'s Utica Club. Like Pabst Blue Ribbon, it no doubt sources some of its fandom from the ironic sensibilities of craft beer drinkers. Others may just want to show respect to the first beer brewed in America after Prohibition, as it's billed. But there's also no doubting the beer itself. There's no denying a crispy boy.

What's on tap

Aurora Ale & Lager

Joe Shelton and Mark Grimaldi's Ledyard brewery dropped three cans Saturday, including the first canned version of their flagship IPA, The Ruckus, as well as double IPAs Off the Hazy and Fresh Lobster. The latter, which features raw wildflower honey and Galaxy hops, was a collaboration with Syracuse seafood restaurant The Fish Friar. Next weekend, Aurora will release a collaboration with Upstate Brewing, of Elmira, a double dry-hopped IPA with German malts, malted and flaked oats, wheat, spelt and Galaxy and Sabro hops. And some cans may still be for sale at Now & Later in Syracuse, which hosted an upstate New York showcase event featuring Aurora and other regional breweries Saturday.

Next Chapter Brewpub

Scott and Michelle DeLap's Genesee Center brewery will release Chapter Watermelon Wheat and Chapter Blondie next weekend as part of downtown Auburn's June First Friday. The pizza oven should also be operational before the end of spring, the DeLaps said, and their sidewalk cafe area on Exchange Street is almost complete as well.

Prison City Pub & Brewery

Marc and Dawn Schulz's State Street brewpub will host a beer and bagel pairing June 2, a beer dinner June 6, and Mondays Are Dead concerts with The Proud Walkers on June 10 and 24. Meanwhile, the brewery will attend the Rochester Real Beer Expo June 9, the state Brewer's Association's Buffalo Brewer's Festival June 22, and Other Half Brewing's Green City IPA festival also on June 22. Upcoming collaborations include Kaught Stealing with the Auburn Doubledays, Queens Riot with Mikkeller NYC and ones with Mortalis Brewing in Avon, Brewery Ommegang in Cooperstown and Verdant Brewing in the United Kingdom. Those will release in June and July, the Schulzes said. Also due out during that time are Prison City's own 4-Piece Citra/Motueka pale ale, Vienna Lager, Lockdown Brown brown ale, Quiet Riot, Mass Riot and Roosh Bomb IPAs, and Laser Brain and Klink sours.

Thirsty Pug Craft Beer Market

Mike Sigona's taproom and bottle shop in Genesee Center will celebrate its fifth anniversary with a party beginning at noon Saturday, June 15. Some special beers will be on tap, Sigona said.

Lake Life Editor David Wilcox can be reached at (315) 282-2245 or david.wilcox@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @drwilcox.

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.AUBURN  Bill DeTomaso was watching "Saving Private Ryan" with his father, Tony DeTomaso. The 1998 movie opens on Omaha Beach as American forces launch D-Day, the invasion of France that would turn the tide of World War II in Europe beginning on June 6, 1944. As the action raged  bullets, dirt and blood flying across the screen  Bill leaned over to Tony.

"Was it that bad, Dad?"

"You will never know."

Tony, who passed away in 2011 in Auburn, was one of the first to storm those beaches as a member of the 299th Combat Engineer Battalion, a unit of mostly central and western New Yorkers. Sixty-three were from the Auburn area. And according to Bill and several others interviewed for this story, including the Cayuga County Veterans Services Agency, not one of "the Auburn boys," as they became known, is here to see the 75th anniversary of D-Day. In their absence, Bill said, one of his father's fears about that day may be closer to coming true: "People are gonna forget."

The invasion saw more than 150,000 Allied troops land along 50 miles of coastline in France's Normandy region. More than 4,000 of them died. Six were Auburnians in the 299th: Nicholas V. DeAngelis, Leo A. Indelicato, John R. Spinelli, Thomas J. Phillips, Claude D. Brown Jr. and Lawrence A. Roberts. About a third of the battalion, overall, was killed, missing or wounded.

The 299th began engineer training at Camp White, Oregon, in March 1943, according to material from a 2014 exhibit about the war at the Cayuga Museum of History & Art, as well as a speech about the battalion given there that year by Maj. Gen. John P. Herrling. The 660 men would move on to Fort Lewis, Washington, Fort Pierce, Florida, and Camp Kilmer, New Jersey, for further training.

In April 1944, the 299th landed at Cardiff, Wales, to make final preparations to rid Europe of the Nazis. Bill said his father and fellow engineers were trained to clear the obstacles placed along the coastline by the Germans, and create 50-yard gaps. Those obstacles included barbed wire, underwater mines and hulking metal structures, known as Czech hedgehogs, that could stop tanks in their tracks. Getting to them, however, meant disembarking their boats amid curtains of German machine gun fire from the cliffs of Pointe du Hoc overlooking the beaches, among other threats.

Tony, then 18, was in Company B, which landed some of the first Allied forces on Utah Beach that morning. Assigned to Company A, which was assigned to Omaha Beach along with Company C, was Dominick DeBenedetto, also of Auburn. His son, Dave, said Dominick was wiring explosives to clear some obstacles when the primer cord was struck, detonating them and killing his whole squad except for him. It was also on Omaha Beach that DeAngelis was wounded and loaded onto a boat, then killed along with Spinelli when the vessel was bombed, according to the museum exhibit.

Dominick was later hit in the back with machine gun fire, Dave said, and recuperated at a hospital in England before rejoining the 299th to fight at the Battle of the Bulge that December. The battalion would advance across Belgium and Germany with the 1st Infantry Division to northern Munich. It was there when the Nazis surrendered on May 8, 1945, ending the war in Europe.

Much of what Dave knows about his father's service didn't come from him, though. He shared stories with his son over the years, but Dave had to fill in the blanks using books and the 299th's website, he said. Likewise, Tony didn't talk to his son about D-Day until Bill, a Marine, went to Vietnam in 1969. Even then, Tony only opened up to him through letters, Bill said.

"'You're gonna see some bad things,'" he recalled his father writing, his voice breaking. "But I didn't go through anything like him. Thank God."

If the brutality the 299th endured on those beaches becomes lost on future generations, Bill and Dave said, it may be because the ones who survived it had such difficulty sharing it. The soldiers Dominick saw drown with their feet sticking out of the water because they were top-heavy with explosives and other gear. The 4-inch hole Tony saw in a man's head. The red shore. The screams.

"I always worry these guys are the only ones who will know exactly what happened," Dave said.

Both Tony and Dominick felt the effects of their service for the rest of their time on earth. Tony suffered frequent migraines, Bill said, a result of demolishing bridges with the battalion. For Dominick, it was nightmares, Dave said. Still, the two got on with their lives. The 299th held regular reunions for decades. And in 1994, Tony and Dominick were instrumental in raising a monument to the six Auburnians of the 299th who died during D-Day outside the Cayuga County Office Building. Two additional monuments to the battalion stand in Veterans Memorial Park and Market Street Park.

Dominick passed away in 2015, making him the last of "the Auburn boys," Tony believes. But while the story of D-Day in Cayuga County has become the story of the 299th, several men from the area serving with other units and armed forces were also there. One of them was Bruno Del Favero, of Auburn, one of five brothers who fought in the war. He served with the 1st Infantry, more popularly known as "The Big Red One" because of the red numeral on the shoulder patch of its members. His daughter, Jeanne, said Bruno served in a mine platoon, planting or removing them.

Bruno's service spanned 1940 to 1945, from before America entered the war to its end. After action in North Africa, Sicily and elsewhere, he, too, began training for D-Day in England. Jeanne said her father recalled Gen. Dwight Eisenhower speaking to the men of Bruno's 16th Regiment, one of the first slated to reach Normandy, and trying to calm their considerable nerves.

Unlike many veterans, Bruno was forthcoming about his service, his daughter said, until his passing in 1994. But he often concluded his stories with the same saying: "War is hell."

"There were men dropping on either side of you, and you didn't know if you were going to make it through that morning," Jeanne said of D-Day.

Auburnian Martin Byrne, a radioman on a Navy landing craft gunner, was one of the quieter ones, said his daughter, Patti Wilson, of Minoa. Like Dave DeBenedetto, she discovered most details of her father's service secondhand  in her case, a service record kept by Byrne's parents. Also like DeBenedetto, however, she understands why she didn't hear those details from the source.

"There's no way anyone could understand it unless they were there," she said.

When it comes to details on Byrne's action during D-Day, Wilson said, that service record was scant. His only words about the invasion were: "It was a complete success."

"They really were the greatest generation," she said. "And if it weren't for them, we wouldn't enjoy the freedoms we have today."

As that generation diminishes in number, the memory of its significance to history may just hang in the balance. Locally, a proclamation recognizing the 75th anniversary of D-Day and the Auburn men who served there will be read at the 5 p.m. Thursday, June 6, meeting of Auburn City Council. Material from the Cayuga Museum's recent World War II exhibit will also be worked into a display in the lobby of Memorial City Hall that will remain there for two weeks, City Clerk Chuck Mason said. Neither the county nor Auburn's veteran posts, meanwhile, currently have any events planned.

And at Veterans Memorial Park, Bill DeTomaso plans to observe the anniversary alone. That's how he's done it the past few years, he said, and that's how he expects he'll do it this year.

"If you forget about what happened," he said, "time has a way of repeating itself."

D-Day veterans from Cayuga County 299th Combat Engineer Battalion John Brannick Claude D. Brown Jr. James Burke Anthony J. Butera Giacomo Cappello Anthony T. Contrara Steve Cook Joseph M. Costello Joseph H. Coyle Daniel G. Cristodero Nicholas V. DeAngelis Dominick A. DeBenedetto Anthony N. DeTomaso Chester W. DiBari Sam J. DiFabio Byron E. Dustman Nicola A. Falcicchio Wallace F. Filkins Edward Galbally Anthony N. Gasparo John H. Gleason Harold E. Green Charles W. Hawelka Charles W. Hurlbut Jr. Leo A. Indelicato Melchior LaRosa Joseph C. Leonti Harry L. Lull Angelo Manna Frank J. Morabito Joseph J. Morabito Richard L. Nash Wilson J. Near Jr. Larry Netti Thomas J. Netti William L. OBrien James F. OByrne Thomas G. OConnell Carmen D. Ottaviano Raymond C. Painter Henry J. Pearson Jr. Anthony A. Petrosino Thomas J. Phillips James B. Ramage Carl H. Reese Lawrence A. Roberts Steven Rusinko Sam V. Scolaro William J. Secaur Carmelo Signorelli Charles W. Smith Dominic A. Spano John R. Spinelli Herbert M. Steigerwald Bruce A. Stigner Anthony Surace William J. Titus Saverio G. Trinca Samuel J. Vella James Walter Francis C. Weinch George J. Wilson Jr.  List provided by the Cayuga Museum of History & Art Other units Bruno Del Favero, Auburn: 1st Infantry Division, 16th Regiment Donald G. Bentley, Moravia: 1st Engineer Special Brigade Ned Jarvis, Auburn: 69th Signal Battalion Edward De Felice, Auburn: 101st Airborne Division Frank Sciortino, Auburn: 53rd Infantry Battalion, 4th Armored Division Gerald Stevens, Moravia: 1st Infantry Division Robert McAllister, Moravia: 1st Infantry Division William A. Shaw, Auburn: 1st Infantry Division Martin Byrne, Auburn: U.S. Navy amphibious forces John R. Noga, Auburn: U.S. Navy William F. Donovan, Auburn: U.S. Navy John E. Adamus, Cayuga: 336th Combat Engineer Battalion Richard Drury, Cayuga: 83rd Infantry Division Ted Gelsi, Cayuga: 2nd Armored Division Charles B. Parker, Auburn: U.S. Navy (Editor's note: List includes all known D-Day veterans from Cayuga County, but may not be comprehensive.)

Lake Life Editor David Wilcox can be reached at (315) 282-2245 or david.wilcox@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @drwilcox.

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.Over the years we have seen Congress (which includes not only the House but also the Senate) gradually give up its authority and cede it to the president. No war was ever declared by Congress for our war in Vietnam, W's war on Iraq (Congress transferred that power to W) and, most likely, Congress won't be consulted for Trump's impending contrived war on Iran. President Obama has been widely criticized for not following through on his "red line" threat regarding Syria but what is never mentioned is that he sought approval from Congress. President Obama correctly believed that he needed congressional approval but the cowardly Congress did not want the responsibility and never brought his request to vote ... hence no action from Obama for Syria crossing his red line. Recently Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell indicated that he will not send a bill that has passed both houses to Mr. Trump if Trump has stated he will veto it. That's not the way it's supposed to work.

Congress has certain duties and is supposed to act as a check and balance on the president ... not a blank check for the president. Trump has already made our attorney general his own person lawyer (paid for by our taxes) in order to obstruct the House's investigation of Trump's obstruction of justice as outlined in the Mueller report. Robert Mueller has now indicated in his recent speech as well as his report that it is now up to Congress either to act or not. Unfortunately the politics of cowardice continues to play a role. House Speaker Pelosi is reticent to begin impeachment proceedings most likely because she fears a backlash from voters in 2020 and no matter how compelling the evidence is for Trump's removal from office may be the gutless Republicans in the Senate will not vote him out of office. They, of course, value their jobs over our nation. In both cases politics should not enter their decision. It's clear that the House MUST do its job and begin impeachment hearings immediately regardless of where the chips may fall.LOS ANGELESThe cam girl known MayaBum says she always wanted something like Camgirl Vacation to be a reality.

So in 2017about three years after she first logged onto MyFreeCamsthe enterprising model launched her passion project.

I would say that my greatest achievement in my cam career is making Camgirl Vacation happen, MayaBum says. I just always wanted to create an opportunity for models to get together and get creative, whatever that means for them on an individual basis.

Just because we want to get together doesnt mean we want to do full-on sexually explicit things. I am proud to be providing an atmosphere where the models can choose to do whatever it is theyre comfortable with. To make this become a reality is a really big achievement, and I am incredibly proud of Camgirl Vacation.

MayaBum, who is the June 2019 AVN CAMStar, and her co-host Amandarox are currently on the latest Camgirl Vacation in Miami with plans to do another one in Denver later this year and then Las Vegas in January 2020.

Colorado is a favorite of ours. Weve done two in Coloradothats always fun because the girls are able to get wintery kind of vibes in their content, MayaBum says. "We did a retreat last December called Happy HO-lidays. We provided Christmasy backdrops, costumes and props so the girls could make holiday-themed contentand this year our Colorado retreat is in December so we will kind of combine those two ideas.

Happy HO-lidays was great because so many of us can become so isolated. The holiday blues are so real, especially for us. Thanksgiving can really suck for people in the adult industry, so a retreat around the beginning of December is a really awesome way to break up the holidays. We love providing the CamFam feels for everybody around this time of year.

MayaBum says when it comes to the number of models, the more the merrier on any given Camgirl Vacation.

A dozen is the most weve had and we always start our planning hoping we can fill a larger number but that doesnt always happen, she continues. We have had smaller groups, like seven plus myself, up to a dozenanywhere in that range is a good-size group with infinite possibilities for wild fun to emerge.

Its an experience that I hope all cam models participate in at some time, whether its with Camgirl Vacation or another group of models. When youve been together in this environment with other models it gives you a different perspective of this career. It changes a model in so many positive ways.

In this exclusive Q&A for CAMStar accompanied by 12 pages of photography by Keith Ryan, MayaBum discusses her former career in health care, her MFC persona, her favorite memoir and her loyal crew known as Mayas Militia, among other things.

To see the full interview in CAMStar, click here.

For some bonus questions, see below:

How did you get into cammingAugust 4, 2014?

That was my first day on MFC. I actually dabbled in it a little before that. I found camming from a Craigslist post. I was having car problems and I was like shoot, Im going to have to buy a new car. I need to make some extra money.

I answered an ad that was basically for webcam models. It linked to this guys website. He ran a studio. When youre brand new you dont know that you dont have to work for a studio. So I signed up under his studio. I worked under him for a while but it was a nightmare.

What is Theory Thursday in your chatroom?

It is an open discussion night in my chat that I intended to be about conspiracy theories and myth-buster-type stuff, but it usually turned into political discussions. Most cam models dont talk about politics in their chatrooms, but a few of us do and I dont mind it. I no longer host Theory Thursday every week, but I do bring it back a couple times a year because there are things we need to talk about and I believe encouraging people to be involved in current events is important.

I was raised by my grandfather who was a Vietnam veteran. I have pride for our country; its sort of engrained in me and Im not afraid to talk about it. It gets tricky, Im not gonna lie. Sometimes it gets wild. At the very least it takes a certain amount of control. Sometimes things get passionate and heated. I have a way in which I moderate the conversation to keep it civil because there is a fine line between a passionate, constructive debate and chaos.

Theory Thursday went away leading up to Trumps election because that summer prior, things got crazy. People would come in and start yelling about things ranging all across the board. It was hard on me because I do try to remain relatively neutral. I consider myself a true independent; I refuse to identify as Republican, Democrat or even Libertarian. I dont believe any party actually represents the priorities or needs of the large majority of citizens in our country. I have this platform and I intend to always use it for more than showing off my bum, which on some Thursdays includes politics between spanks and flashes.

If something happens if theres a shooting or something really important, I give my community a place to talk about it. Its great that cam-model chatrooms are an escape for people, but pushing things aside can be an unhealthy thing to do. When something really serious happens, we will talk about it in my chatroom. Im not afraid of what anybody thinks and dont try to micromanage what people want to say. Everybodys opinion is important.

What was your experience with nude modelingif anybefore you found camming?

I had not been naked on the internet before MFC. I had dabbled in modeling. I had done some pageant stuff. I did dance for about 10 years when I was young. I do not have a fear of public speaking or stage frightIm very outgoing in that way. I had worked for a couple different liquor companies while I was in school doing promotional modelinglike Jagermeister Girls.

The way [the Craigslist ad] was written it sounded like it was only a slightly adult modeling gig like the promotional modeling I was doing. It was marketed like, Hey, flirt and tease and flash a little and earn $10,000 an hour. So I checked it out and found out pretty quickly that people want more than that and its nowhere near $10,000 an hour, haha. Its definitely important to set your boundaries early on so potential clients have the right expectations when interacting with you.

What have been some of your more popular MFC Share video clips and why?

My most popular videos I would say are my panty fetish videos. I have always sold my panties. A large part of my following are people that buy panties from me and I make videos to go with that theme for my Panty of the Month Club. Aside from that, sometimes I delve into more complicated videos. Like Fragile is my porn parody of the leg lamp from A Christmas Story. Thats one of my more elaborate videos.

I made the costume, so the gold skirt would have the fringe on the bottom. I built a box and printed huge FRAGILE letters to cut out every single letter and attach to the side. It took forever to build that box. The video itself is a storyline, like if the leg lamp has evolved into a sex-doll type scenario. The whole video probably took 30 hours between planning, building, filming and editing.

Whats one album that you went all out obsessed about?

I have done that most recently with Simon & Garfunkel. Anybody who has not truly listened to Simon & Garfunkel and only knows Mrs. Robinson or America needs to listen to their album Bookends from start to finish right this minute! Also Billy Joels The Stranger is one of my favorites. It is so underrated by people my age and younger. In fact, I sing Piano Man to my members regularly and joke, Leo knows that its me theyve been coming to see. To forget about life for a while. Ms. Bum, the modern day piano man, haha. In my adult years I have grown to love The Band, The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, and Led Zeppelin  but as a kid, I was raised on ACDC, The Beatles, Guns N Roses, etc. I listen to all of this type of music with my chatroom.

What were you doing on cam when you got your all-time top tip of 60,000 tokens?

That tipper has been with me since just shy of my one-year camiversary. Hes been around for kind of the whole shebang and I dont think I was doing anything special at that exact time. He just likes to support me and surprise me. Hes a really wonderful, generous person who likes to win all the things. It keeps the show going, whether or not he actually gets anything out of it other than knowing he made me smile. He is my No. 1 fan.

Whats your favorite animated movie?

Minions, I love the Minions. And any of the Despicable Mes. I especially enjoy Minions because the soundtrack is introducing some of the greatest music thats ever been written to the teeny tinys of today. There are so many great songs on that soundtrack!

I saw that Friday night is your Movie Night (Netflix & Chill)  how do you choose the movies youll watch?

Generally speaking we choose something thats on Netflix because almost everybody has Netflix So I put whatever we pick together on the TV behind me. I tell them put it on their TV and it creates a doing the same thing at the same time atmosphere. I kind of transport into their living room. It makes it feel really personal. We have watched literally everything. Im always down for an animated movie.  We watched Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy a couple times, Pirates of the Caribbean, action stuff like Salt or the Bourne movies. Those are always good. Guys love those movies. I do similarly at Christmas time with the holiday classics.

Whats next for youhow do you see the rest of 2019 and beyond?

I am a cam girl at hearthere for the long haulso I am constantly trying to keep things fresh for my members. I plan new things I havent done before and improve on things that have been successful. My members are very supportive of my CamCation adventures so thats always a fun change of scenery for them. On a personal note I have a goal to purchase my first home. Thats something I have been working toward that will be a huge achievement. I am looking forward to being a home owner. Oh, and running for president in 2024, backed by Mayas Militia and MFC SuperPac lol you know, just little goals one at a time...Though a new bar sits in front of the new beers on tap at Hops on Birch, much else is the same through the first two and a half months under new owner Justin Evans.

Nearly seven years after Hops originally opened its doors, Evans took over from Kyle Merritt on March 15. A quick remodel for three days followed in early April with the new ownership settling in since.

It was just an opportunity I couldn't pass up, Evans said. Id been coming here for seven years, and I wanted to kind of keep the Hops name alive with some updates.

Evans said he has known Merritt for about seven years, meeting him shortly after Hops opened its doors in 2012, and heard the business was available. Negotiations between Merritt and Evans, as well as his partners George Dorsey and Ian Dinno, went smoothly thanks to their familiarity with one another.

Hops isnt Evans first bar. Working in the industry for 15 years, Evans opened The Wandering Tortoise in Phoenix in December 2016 and spent the past few months simultaneously taking over Hops and preparing The Sleepy Whale in Chandler for its opening in early May. A third Valley location, The Theodore, is expected to open sometime this summer in Phoenix.

The Whale feels like a well-oiled machine because the brand was built with Tortoise. Once your proof of concept is in place, it is plug and play, Evans said. What I always preach is if you have the right people set in place, you will be successful. If they have your same vision in mind, and you have the staff that is just top-notch customer service, you will be successful.

Evans admitted he was pushing it working on two new businesses at the same time, in addition to having a newborn at home, but hiring Anthony Onofrio to manage Hops helped him execute it all.

The first big decision with this was getting somebody in place that I knew to manage the bar. That was step one, Evans said. It is a commute, but I love Flagstaff and I am up here minimum one day a week. Having Anthony set in place, that put a huge ease on my stress levels.

With business relationships in place thanks to The Wandering Tortoise, and now The Sleepy Whale, pulling in the product Evans desired for Hops came easily.

I didn't think that as many people would be super stoked to get their product up here as they were. I thought some people would say yes, and some people would say I cant right now, Evans said. Every single person I reached out to -- Pueblo Vida, Wilderness, Burgeon, Pure Project -- everyone wanted to get beer up here, so that was cool.

With Larami and Ryan Sandlin from Dark Sky Brewery helping with the remodel, the decision on Hops new look was a quick one. Evans said he thinks the bar is a blend of both The Wandering Tortoise and The Sleepy Whale while still being Hops.

More changes will come in the future, with Evans envisioning long community-style seating in the front of Hops, as well as a drink rail along the wall opposite the bar. For the most part, Evans said he has received positive feedback on the new look.

However, after seven years any changes would be met with some skepticism.

The old school regulars, I think it was definitely a little negative at first. I think they are slowly coming around and they are still coming in. We are still offering awesome service, a good beer selection and a nice comfortable feeling place to hang out, said Evans, who added that most of the staff remained the same during the transition.

The average price of a pint sits at $7, with Evans bringing in beers from Pueblo Vida (Tucson), Arizona Wilderness (Gilbert), Pure Project (San Diego) and Burgeon (Carlsbad, Calif.). Happy hour drops the pint price $2, with wine $3 off, while the new cold box offers additional options to take home or drink in the bar.

Evans said local favorites like Mother Roads Tower Station IPA and Wanderlusts 928 Local Farmhouse Ale remain on tap due to demand from regulars.

Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 2 Angry 11Travelers love those insanely cheap fares that airlines sometimes post by mistake, such as when Cathay Pacific Airways in January sold $16,000 business-class tickets from Da Nang in Vietnam to New York for as little as $675 round trip.

But carriers have found a way to more quickly cancel those cheap mistake fares.

The Airline Tariff Publishing Co., an airline-owned clearinghouse that feeds fare information to more than 400 airlines, has upgraded its software to replace erroneous domestic fares within 15 minutes after they are distributed to online travel agencies, with international fares replaced within an hour.

Before the upgrade, the Virginia-based company, known as ATPCO, took an hour or longer to replace mistaken domestic fares and as long as a day to replace erroneous international fares.

ATPCO began installing the software upgrades to fix erroneous domestic fares last year and started addressing international fares in March.

The ultra-low fares are usually the result of human error when the prices are punched into the system by hand or when they are converted into foreign currency prices, experts say.

Airfare mistakes are rare  occurring only a few times each month among the hundreds of millions of fares posted daily by all the worlds airlines. But when mistakes happen, sharp-eyed travelers are quick to book the deals before the error gets fixed.

The problem is less about how often it happens and more about the magnitude of the error, said David Mark Smith, head of standards and industry relations for ATPCO, noting that word about a fare error can be spread across social media as fast as it takes to tap a keyboard button.

In fact, several websites now specialize in identifying mistakes and notifying travelers about the deals. The founders of such sites say the number of mistake fares hasnt declined dramatically in the past year or so but they do disappear more quickly.

The new ATPCO technology is an interesting step forward but not entirely foolproof, still allowing for the occasional error to slip through, said Shahab Siddiqui, who founded Cheapflightsfinder.com.

Scott Keyes, the founder of Scottscheapflights.com, said he has identified 31 mistake fares in 2019 alone, including a $396 round-trip fare from Los Angeles to Fiji on Fiji Airways and a $377 round-trip fare from New York to Kenya on Kenya Airways.

To take advantage of erroneous fares, Keyes said, travelers have to be quick to buy the tickets and flexible about when they can take the flight.

The more flexibility, the greater your ability to book a mistake fare, he said.

Airlines in the U.S. are forbidden from raising the price of a ticket after it has been booked but federal law does not require airlines to honor fares that are published by mistake.

In the past few years, airlines havent been consistent about responding to mistaken fares, by honoring the erroneous fares on some occasions and other times canceling reservations on them.

Even with ATPCOs new software fix, Smith said, airlines can lose tens of millions of dollars in the 15 minutes that erroneous fares are published.

Its constantly being evaluated for how big an issue it is in the market, he said of mistake fares.

Among the biggest fare errors was the round-trip tickets that Hong Kong Airlines offered last year for a business-class seat from Los Angeles or San Francisco to several Asian cities for $561  a fraction of the usual price.

Delta Air Lines mistakenly published one-way tickets in 2013 from Minneapolis to Baton Rouge, La., for $51, and tickets from Raleigh, N.C., to Philadelphia for $35, about one-tenth the normal price. Delta honored only those tickets that were paid for before the error was discovered.

In 2012, United Airlines published fares from the U.S. to Hong Kong for about $35. The carrier canceled all the reservations made for the mistake fare.

Keyes got the idea to launch his travel website in 2013 when he stumbled upon a nonstop, round-trip fare from New York to Milan, Italy, for only $130  clearly a mistake.

Once his friends heard about the deal, they asked to be notified about the next ultra-cheap fare he found. Eventually, he launched a website that employs 40 people and searches for mistake fares and unadvertised, bargain tickets.

They are still popping up quite a bit, he said. Its really exciting. Its the holy grail for travelers.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0Shares of CBS Corp. and Viacom Inc. jumped Thursday after a report that the two companies were poised to once again explore a reunion, a long-sought goal of the companies controlling shareholder.

Shares of Viacom rose nearly 4% to $28.72 while shares of CBS climbed 3.2% to $48.20 after business channel CNBC reported that Viacom and CBS were expected to begin merger talks in mid-June or sooner. Both companies are controlled by the Sumner Redstone familys Massachusetts-based investment vehicle, National Amusements Inc.

CBS board, which met Wednesday, recognizes it needs to take action to fortify the traditional broadcaster for the digital age. Smaller companies like New York-based CBS are under growing pressure to bulk up to compete during a period of rapid consolidation in the television industry as consumers migrate to streaming services.

CNBC also reported that Viacom Chief Executive Robert Bakish would likely run the combined entity.

Bakish is a favorite of Shari Redstone, who has been trying for the last three years to combine the media companies her father broke apart in 2006. The last two attempts ended in failure. In September, Redstone promised she would not try to force a merger until the fall of 2020. However, independent board members are allowed to pursue a merger, and such a move has long been anticipated.

This is the first time were truly excited by the thought of a CBS-Viacom combo  and view the risk-reward proposition as compelling for both stocks, Wolfe Research media analyst Marci Ryvicker said in a research note Thursday.

Former CBS Chief Executive Leslie Moonves had been an obstacle to reaching a deal for CBS to buy Viacom, but he was forced to leave the company last fall amid a widening sexual harassment scandal. His ouster was a victory for Redstone, the vice chair of CBS who agitated to modernize the company. Moonves, along with several of CBS independent board members, fiercely resisted Shari Redstones efforts last year to merge the two companies.

They worried the steep ratings declines at Viacom channels, including Nickelodeon and the Paramount cable channels, as more consumers cut the cable cord, would diminish CBS ability to extract top dollar from distributors for its must-have content.

There also was concern that a high valuation for Viacom could saddle CBS with unnecessary debt. In addition, Viacom carries about $8 billion in debt. The figure used to be higher but Viacom has reduced its debt load by about 30% since Bakish took charge of the New York company in late 2016.

Finding an appropriate valuation with Viacom, which has struggled with declining ratings at its television channels and years of huge financial losses at its Paramount Pictures movie studio, remains vexing.

But the landscape has shifted since last years aborted talks. Viacoms financial outlook has improved after the company struck a long-term distribution deal with AT&T, which owns DirecTV. Paramount Pictures has shown signs of a turnaround and is on track to begin making money.

In addition, CBS board has been reconstituted with several new members recruited by Redstone. Several older board members  allies of Sumner Redstone and staunch supporters of Moonves  have retired.

Spokesmen for CBS and Viacom declined to comment Thursday.

Ryvicker, the media analyst, placed the odds of CBS buying Viacom at 85%.

In recent weeks, CBS also has looked at buying the Starz movie channel from Santa Monica film and TV studio Lionsgate to grow CBS direct-to-consumer streaming services. CBS already owns Showtime, which operates a small streaming service, but Starz has an international footprint. CBS has reportedly offered about $5 billion for Starz.

But a merger with Viacom could be a higher priority because Viacom offers more content, including childrens programming, which is vital for streaming services. And both companies are controlled by the Redstone family, which would benefit from a deal.

CBS appears interested in sweeping up smaller companies such as Starz and Viacom to better compete against Netflix, Amazon.com and Walt Disney Co., which acquired much of Rupert Murdochs 21st Century Fox in March, giving Disney a huge treasure chest of content and TV and movie production capabilities. Last summer, telecommunications giant AT&T bought Time Warner Inc., which owns CNN, HBO, and the Warner Bros. film and TV studio in Burbank.

Media companies, including Disney and AT&T, are looking to bolster their library content to build robust streaming services that can compete with Netflix, which is stocked with thousands of show titles.

Late last year, CBS hired executive search firm Korn Ferry to conduct the CEO search to replaces Moonves. A shortlist of candidates was submitted to the board. But earlier this year, CBS called off its CEO search  a sign that CBS board recognized it needed to plot its future path before installing a new leader.

CBS board extended acting CEO Joseph Ianniellos contract through the end of the year, buying some time to pursue its next steps.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0When a duchess marries below her class, her two brothers unlatch a plan of revenge that destroys themselves in the process. As the adage goes, the heart wants what it wants, but in the case of the Duchess and her steward Antonio in John Websters Duchess of Malfi, theres something larger than their pride at risk when their love is found out.

Flagstaff Shakespeare Festival presents Duchess of Malfi with a series of performances outside under the festival tent at the Museum of Northern Arizona, 3101 N. Fort Valley Road. The play opens Friday, June 7, at 7 p.m. and runs through June 16. Tickets are $15-$25. Visit www.flagshakes.org for a complete list of dates and times and more information.

In the story, the widowed Duchess, played by Keondra Gold, falls for Antonio, played by Donte Green, even though he is beneath her social class and she is forbidden by her brothers to remarry. Both actors make their FlagShakes debut this season as the festival explores more classic Renaissance plays outside of those written by the Bard.

Duchess of Malfi fits alongside Shakespeares works, though, as it includes star-crossed lovers and aspects of tragedy as well as asides in which the actors interact directly with the audience, something Gold said she enjoys about the play.

Thats what Shakespeares actors did. They speak to the audience because theyre kind of an extension of our brains, our thoughts, she said. The audience will know things before we do. They know the secrets, the lies, the deceit, the surprises.

And the play is full of lies and deceit. It is loosely based on the real life of Giovanna d'Aragona, Duchess of Amalfi. Following the death of her husband the Duchess finds love again but must keep it a secret from everyone as her union with Antonio would be looked down on by most. Adding to the stress, shes under the constant watch of Bosola, who has been hired by her brothers, Ferdinand and the Cardinal, to find out if shes disobeyed their demands.

She just goes through a whirlwind of things, Gold said. What Ive been told about my acting is that I can be graceful but strong, and I think that is exactly who the Duchess is, graceful but strong, and she keeps her composure, even with all the things that she goes through.

Green is originally from Detroit and traveled from southern California where he just finished his first year of graduate school at California Institute of the Arts, to take on the role of Antonio.

Its all new and different for me, but its also a thrilling experience because its for my craft, its for what I love, and I think I have that in common with Antonio, Green said. He loves the Duchess and hes willing to go to great lengths just to be with her. He was supposed to not be able to marry someone like this, so even when they do get together he shocked himself. Its been fun to find the curiosity in Antonio.

FlagShakes executive director Dawn Tucker, who also directed "Duchess," said she enjoys discovering new talent. She said she is proud of FlagShakes commitment to casting with talent above all else in mind in order to bring only the best actors to Flagstaff audiences.

Raquel Mackenzie, who plays Ferdinand, is also new to FlagShakes with this production. She, Green and Gold play off each other well as Antonio and the Duchess bask in the glow of their profound love and Ferdinand lurks nearby, waiting for the Duchess to slip up.

I always feel like Im making a big gamble casting on auditions and emails, trying to get to know people, and then its always so thrilling when they have good chemistry with each other and the rest of the cast, and Im like, Oh, thank god, I did that well, Tucker said with a laugh.

Duchess of Malfi also comes to life thanks to members of the crew such as assistant director Ryan Wilson, choreographer Hannah Fontes and music director Sean Golightly.

The older the company gets, the more were piecing together the people who do each of these things, and they all do such a great job, Tucker said.

From the unexpected love between the Duchess and Antonio, Duchess of Malfi aims to reflect real life in all its messy glory. Our greatest plans sometimes fail despite careful planning, and all we can do is take the rocky path thats offered.

Shakespeare said [in Hamlet] we hold the mirror up to nature, Gold said. Its great to have classical pieces done where people can just see human nature on stage.

Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 2As Flagstaff's effort to find a new city manager continues, the search for a new deputy city manager appears to be concluding.

In a media release, the city announced it could be hosting an open house for members of the public to meet the candidates on June 6. The meet and great will go from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. in the city council chambers and will provide members of the public with a time to meet the candidates and give feedback as to who should fill the position.

The City Managers Office received 58 applications for the position and have narrowed it to four finalists for the in-person interviews: Shannon Anderson, Andrew Bertelsen, Brooke Marshall, and Richard Tadder.

Anderson, Bertelsen and Tadder all work for the city already as the Human Resources Director, Public Works Director and Management Services Director respectively.

One of the four candidates is expected to replace Interim Deputy City Manager Kevin Treadway who will be moving back to the position of chief of the Flagstaff Police Department. Treadway has been acting in the role of deputy city manager since February of 2018.

Adrian Skabelund can be reached at the office at askabelund@azdailysun.com, by phone at (928) 556-2261 or on Twitter @AdrianSkabelund.

Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0WASHINGTON  August and September of 2017 were tough months for several coastal states and U.S. territories. Hurricane Harvey clobbered Texas and Louisiana. A few weeks later, Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

In response, Congress provided significant disaster relief  though not as quickly as one might hope. Some think Puerto Rico has been shortchanged. The numbers tell a more nuanced story.

To begin with, Washington has allocated $42.3 billion in federal disaster relief for Puerto Rico, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agencys spending explorer tracking website.

Thats 42% of disaster relief appropriated for states and territories  and that does not include some $17 billion in the new disaster relief package moving through Congress.

By contrast, Texas was allocated $25.8 billion, Florida $8.1 billion, and Louisiana $2.9 billion, according to FEMA.

One can claim $42.3 billion is not enough  and Puerto Rican officials are doing exactly that  but it certainly is a lot, and much more than other hard-hit states.

Not all of the allocated funds have been distributed. Government relief agencies go through a process  this is the government, after all  both to ensure fairness and to limit fraud, though emergencies can initiate an expedited process.

Importantly, FEMA was already consumed with Harveys aftermath when Maria hit, which may have slowed the response. People and resources were strained. Government can be slow to act in the best of times  and this was far from the best of times.

Secondly, Puerto Ricos location, topography and inadequate infrastructure created their own set of challenges.

As National Public Radio reported about a week after the disaster, at the port of San Juan, row after row of refrigerated shipping containers sit humming. Theyve been there for days, goods locked away. One shipping company had more than 3,400 commercial crates at its terminal. At other ports stranded crates total an estimated 10,000.

People on the ground in Puerto Rico blamed paperwork, unions, bad roads, downed power lines and a lack of truck drivers.

Months later FEMA responded to criticism by asserting, An ideal response to any disaster is one that is federally supported, state managed and locally executed.

FEMAs efforts build on and are subject to the capacity of the state, territorial, tribal and local governments. It was a polite way of saying that the agency didnt get the state management and local execution it needed.

Finally, while no one can doubt Marias devastation, Puerto Rican officials may be exploiting it to obscure their own failures and siphon more money from Washington.

Puerto Rico has long embraced the high-tax, bloated-government and generous-welfare state being proposed by so many Democratic presidential candidates. That approach has impoverished the island and run off businesses and high-earners.

The islands unemployment rate is 8.7 percent, compared to 3.6% nationwide. Nearly half of the population is on Medicaid. And the government is the islands largest employer, about 20% of the workforce  down from 26% a decade ago.

Last year, the Government Accountability Office criticized the Puerto Rico governments inadequate financial management and oversight practices, noting that Puerto Rico has roughly $70 billion in outstanding public debt and $50 billion in unfunded pension liabilities and, since August 2015, has defaulted on over $1.5 billion in debt payments.

These are the same Puerto Rican officials who managed the Maria crisis.

Puerto Rican politicians and their defenders see the catastrophe as a way to get even more money from Washington. Or, as Rahm Emanuel put it, Its an opportunity to do things you think you could not do before.

Merrill Matthews is a resident scholar at the Institute for Policy Innovation. Readers may write him at IPI, 1320 Greenway Drive, Suite 820, Irving, TX 75038

Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0Debris from Hurricane Matthew (Wiki Commons photograph)

Expect continuing partisan shots as Republican legislators and Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper's administration haggle over state government's response to Hurricane Matthew But one hopes that the bickering does not overshadow one clear fact: Bureaucratic inertia and perverse incentives plague portions of the federal government's disaster recovery system. A brief statement last week from Cooper's Office of Recovery and Resiliency demonstrated that point.said Rep. Craig Horn, R-Union, of Hurricane Matthew.By the time Horn uttered those words May 20, he and other members of a legislative oversight group had spent about an hour dissecting the state's response to the 2016 hurricane.They focused particularly on a report from the General Assembly's Program Evaluation Division. That report cited "administrative missteps" and a "lack of expertise." It labeled $3.7 million in state hurricane recovery spending "unnecessary." Based on the findings, program evaluators recommended a series of changes at the state Department of Public Safety and its relatively new recovery office.Lawmakers took no votes. But Horn's comments spoke for many of his colleagues.he said.Laura Hogshead has served as chief operating officer at the Office of Recovery and Resiliency since January. She spelled out the Cooper administration's response to the legislative report.Of course Hogshead's comments placed the facts in the most favorable light for Cooper's hurricane response team. Legislators have legitimate reasons to question Cooper staffers' effectiveness.But only the most hardened partisan would fail to see that some of her statements raise serious questions about the federal government's role in disaster recovery.First, Hogshead reminded lawmakers about the basic structure of the federal Community Development Block Grant program for disaster recovery, or CDBG-DR. The feds granted North Carolina $236.5 million under that program. (The federal government chipped in a total of $914 million for housing and infrastructure assistance linked to Hurricane Matthew.)Hogshead explained. After other public and private "funding streams" have been tapped in a recovery,That's why Hogshead disputes criticism that the state waited 515 days after the hurricane's landfall to award a contract for administering the grant.she said. The state Commerce Department spent months jumping through federal hoops. After roughly 10 months, the agency finally acquired the federal certification it needed to qualify for a grant.Because North Carolina had not been granted similar funding since Hurricane Isabel in 2003,Hogshead said. That's a problem when it comes to a complex program like CDBG-DR, she said.Hogshead explained.Hogshead has worked with the program since Hurricane Katrina slammed Louisiana in 2005.she said.So what about the legislative report's finding that North Carolina is a "slow spender" of federal grants? State government had spent just $2.6 million, or 1%, of its grant by December 2018, more than two years after the storm.That same "slow spender" designation covers 65 percent of all state grantees, Hogshead responded.she said. As an aside, she noted that spending has now climbed to 4% of the total grant.The legislature would be wise to push Hogshead and her colleagues. It would be nice to learn what it will take for North Carolina to join the 35 percent of grantees who avoid the dubious "slow spender" label. But even with improvement at the state government level, the scenario Hogshead describes remains troubling.A permanent, cabinet-level state agency had to work for months to become eligible for a federal grant? The grant program changes from disaster to disaster, subject to dozens of regulations and dozens more pieces of federal guidance? No one knows how the grant program will work without understanding the federal budget process first?This is not a recipe for efficient, effective government response to a natural disaster.Just as troubling was Hogshead's reply to the charge of $3.7 million inspending.she explained.It paid for intake centers that helped hurricane survivors.Hogshead said.Only when HUD staffers arrived on the scene did the state learn that the feds would not pay for intake centers. If the state had decided to delay a short-term emergency service, officials might have been able to shift the cost to Washington, D.C.Talk about a perverse incentive to do nothing until the feds say OK.Lawmakers and the Cooper administration are likely to haggle in the coming months over lessons learned from Hurricane Matthew. They will debate the proper staffing levels for Hogshead's office. They might squabble over funding for future hurricane preparations. They'll play the blame game.But this observer hopes Hogshead's comments prompt a larger discussion. The federal government's rules and timelines seem poorly suited for the demands of a state dealing with a hurricane's immediate aftermath.That's a topic worthy of bipartisan reform.Lords, ladies and the like donned their medieval best on Saturday and showed up in droves at ZooMontana for the annual Montana Renaissance Festival.

Its been seven years since the zoo hosted its first festival, and the crowds and revenue have continued to grow, with 8,000 people expected this year over the two-day event.

Inside the zoo grounds, men strolled around in chain mail with swords on their hips. Jugglers, harpists and belly dancers entertained. People gnawed on grilled turkey legs and sweated in the 80 degree day.

Vendors greeted customers in character  I wish thee a good day  and sold everything from pewter goblets to tarot card readings.

It actually reminds me of the bigger fairs Ive seen in other states, said Lee Mosier, of Billings.

Mosier was there with her 9-year-old grandson, Elden, who was staying busy in the kid jousting arena, while she watched the adult jousting.

Yeah, it got pretty heavy, she said, of the adults. I saw one of them break one of those, she said, pointing at a row of shields leaned up against the entrance posts.Please register or log in to keep reading

Stay logged in to skip the surveys.Lindeen said she believes Democrats still have a chance to beat Daines.

She pointed to former Democratic Gov. Brian Schweitzers bid for U.S. Senate in 2000, when this man that came out of nowhere and nobody had ever heard of him before and ran an incredible U.S. Senate race against Conrad Burns. He didnt win, but boy he came close, and then he went on to be governor, Lindeen said.

Bullock has made clear in several interviews that he's not interested in being a senator, saying the role of executive is where his experience lies. He didn't come out of the state Legislature, and made his run for governor after serving a term as the state's attorney general.

In a sit-down with Montana reporters after announcing his campaign, Bullock again made clear his focus is on the White House.

"I have great respect for the Senate and for a lot of senators.  But my whole career Ive been on the executive side. I think I have a lot to offer in this race," Bullock said.Allow Medicare to negotiation prescription drug prices. Every year, Medicare spends more than $129 billion annually on prescription drugs, yet it is prohibited by law from negotiating lower prices. Medicare could have saved $14.4 billion on just 50 drugs in 2016 if the program had paid the same prices as the Department of Veterans Affairs, which is allowed to bargain for discounts. A buyer and a seller negotiating for a lower price  thats what we do in a free-market system  and its what we should do because it would save taxpayers and our government billions.

Cap out of pocket costs. The Medicare Part D program makes medications more affordable for millions of seniors. One in 10 enrollees with high out-of-pocket costs spend at least $5,200 a year on their medicines. Many of these seniors have chronic conditions, meaning they are facing these high costs for the rest of their lives. AARP urges Congress to pass legislation that would help seniors with these costs by capping out-of-pocket costs.

Improve access to lower-cost generic drugs: Brand-name drug companies purposefully slow down the availability of lower-priced generic versions of their drugs by entering into so-called pay to play agreements in which they pay generic drug companies to NOT produce a competing product. This is an anti-competitive practice that prevents generic drugs from reaching consumers. Congress has introduced a bill, the Creating and Restoring Equal Access to Equivalent Samples (CREATES) Act to prevent manufacturers from blocking the development of lower cost generics. Montanas U.S. Sens. Steve Daines and Jon Tester are co-sponsors of the CREATES Act.

Price Gouging: Give state Attorney Generals the authority to take legal action against drug manufacturers for unconscionable drug price increases. Beginning in 2017, several states, including Maryland, are starting to give their attorney generals the authority to sue drug manufacturers who raise the prices of qualifying generic drugs to unconscionable levels.

State Importation: A few states are looking at the importation of safe, FDA-approved and affordable drugs from Canada as a means of reducing overall state expenditures on prescription drugs.

Bulk/Wholesale Purchasing: Some states have begun buying prescription drugs in bulk for some residents, including Medicaid beneficiaries, state employees and retirees. And some states are joining with each other to create even larger buying pools as a way to bring down the high cost of medicines.

Drug Affordability Commissions/Rate Setting Commissions: In their simplest form, these laws seek to create commissions to set payment ceilings for what the state (or all payers) would pay for certain high cost drugs.

Prescription Drug Pricing Transparency: Recently, states, including Montana have been pursuing legislation that would require drug makers to report the reasons behind dramatic price increases in prescription drug costs. Currently, there are seven states that have enacted drug transparency laws.Two years ago, Montana balanced its budget in part by slashing funding for mental health care and addiction treatment. It was a desperate and short-sighted reaction to the revenue shortfall that became painfully obvious soon after the 2017 Legislature adjourned.

For every dollar, Montana's general fund "saved" on behavioral health services, community care providers lost at least $3 because our state pays between 10% and 35% of Medicaid costs with the federal government picking up the rest. Counselors, clinics and hospitals lost both the state money and the federal match, which added up to millions of dollars.

The need for behavioral health care kept growing with meth, opioids and other drugs fueling addiction epidemics. Medicaid rule changes made during the cost-cutting frenzy remain as obstacles to covering costs of providing addiction treatment.

The tattered safety net isn't repaired yet, but mental health professionals tell The Gazette that they are hopeful of improvement this summer. The first good news for Montana health care is the extension of Medicaid expansion, which is a major funder of mental health care and the primary payer for addiction treatment.On May 22 an incident occurred that was disturbing to those who honor and respect this country and its military. President Donald Trump threw a temper tantrum and walked out of an important infrastructure meeting with congressional leaders. This occurred after Speaker Pelosi accused him of a cover-up. Clearly irrational, he later declared he would not work with Democrats unless they stopped all investigations into his affairs. That the meeting involved important issues was bad enough. But most disturbing was the fact that Donald Trump, commander-in-chief of our military, with ready access to the nuclear button, was having a temper tantrum.Leadership grads

Fifteen people recently graduated from the nine-month Leadership Bismarck-Mandan program.

At the ceremony, Dave Leingang of Exploring Leadership Soulutions received the Leadership Bismarck-Mandan Alumni Association Distinguished Alumnus Award for 2019. Leingang graduated from Leadership Bismarck-Mandan in 2009 and serves on its steering committee.

The graduates are Dennis Agnew, Doosan Bobcat; Amy Bickleman, Global Resource for Advancing Cancer Education; Kelly Churchill, Mandan Parks and Recreation; Kim Ekart, Youthworks; Angie Friez, Bismarck State College; Becky Haider, Knife River Corp.; Dave Lehman, N.D. Department of Commerce; Tracey Miller, KLJ; Heather Pitsiladis, Glance Spa & Salon; Tyler Sander, Aetna; Alison Ternes, Sanford Health; Maria Walen, Comfort Inn & Suites, Mandan; Angil Wanner-Koper, Braun Intertec; Jenny Wollmuth, city of Bismarck; and Jona Ziemann, Starion Bank.

Two join HEI

Carlie Borchers and Ryan Fetch have joined Houston Engineering Inc. in Bismarck, each as an engineer I.

Borchers will assist with water resources, transportation and solid waste projects. She is a Mandan native with a bachelors degree in civil engineering from North Dakota State University and an associates degree in engineering from Bismarck State College. She previously interned at HEI.

Fetch will assist with water supply projects. He is a Bismarck native and holds a bachelors degree in civil engineering from the University of North Dakota. He interned with Basin Electric Power Cooperative.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0Author: Linda Slaughter edited by Hazel Eastman.

Title: "From Fortress To Farm or Twenty-three Years On The Frontier."

Publisher: Exposition Press Inc. 1972. 172 pp. of text, with an excellent map, three family photos.

I wish I had known of and read this wonderful local history when I moved to Bismarck in 1970 as it would have helped me learn much more quickly about Bismarck, Fort Rice and the Dakota frontier.

Dr. Benjamin Franklin Slaughter of Kentucky was a surgeon in the Union Army during the Civil War while all his relatives fought for the South. After the war and a brief try at civilian life, he rejoined the U.S. Army in 1867. Linda Warfel and Dr. Slaughter were married on Aug. 20, 1868. Linda Slaughters first look at the frontier in what became North Dakota was when Dr. Slaughter was assigned to Fort Rice on the Missouri River in 1871.

Bright, articulate and well-educated Slaughter, looking back 20 years, wrote 16 articles which were published in The Bismarck Tribune from 1893 to 1894. These articles covered the time from her arrival at Fort Rice through 1873. Hazel Eastman, Linda Slaughters granddaughter, republished those articles in "Fortress to Farm," with her own prologue, introduction, epilogue and editors note. Those of us who love local history should be grateful to Eastman for preserving Slaughters articles in book form.

Linda Slaughter is an important figure in the history of Bismarck as she was there from the beginning and served as the first school teacher, the first postmistress, and the first Sunday School teacher. Her articles provide a very interesting first-person account of early Bismarck and the preNorth Dakota frontier along the Missouri River. She wrote these 16 articles 20 years after the fact from the standpoint of one who was actively involved in the beginning of Bismarck, and who observed the Dakota frontier from the vantage point of Fort Rice, south of Bismarck on the west side of the Missouri River.

Slaughters first article is a wonderful account of the forts in the Missouri River country, including how they were built and the communications between them. She writes Fort Rice was built in 1864 and she describes what it looked like with its white walls. She writes of the social life of the fort and the expeditions sent from it into the frontier. Visiting the site of Fort Rice today you do not get a good sense of what was there, so her articles about the fort and the Dakota frontier are very illuminating.

Slaughter and her husband traveled by steamboat to Fort Rice, Dakota Territory, in 1871. Two weeks were consumed in the journey up the river (from Sioux City) and it is impossible to describe the dreadful sinking of the heart, the loneliness, the dread feeling of solitude and impending danger, that deepened as we steamed farther and farther up the river . She writes we were cordially greeted by the officers and ladies of the post and made to feel that we were surrounded by friends. In these remote army stations, where all are surrounded by the same danger and exposed to the same hardships, there is engendered a kindliness of feeling and a friendly interest in each other that is seldom found in civil life . She quickly fit right in.

Fort Rice and later Fort Abraham Lincoln played major roles in the surveying the course for a railroad heading west. At Fort Rice in 1871 we first heard of the prospect of building the Northern Pacific through this wild region. The scheme was at first regarded as the wildest folly by every officer on the frontier . There was speculation as to where the railroad would cross the Missouri River so men gathering waited to know when they could take lots, build houses and go into business. Her articles on the several expeditions to accompany the railroad surveyors are very interesting, but choosing the location of Camp Hancock and what would become the location of the river crossing is fascinating. An added burden was that land claims had to be filed in Pembina where the United States land office was opened in December, 1873.

August 24 (1872) was a red-letter day in the history of the town, and of the Upper Missouri River posts. By instructions received from the (Northern Pacifics)  office in New York the town had been named Edwinton, in honor of Edwin M. Johnson, the first chief engineer of the road. The first post office was established in Edwinton on April 12, 1873, but the name of the town was soon changed to Bismarck, in honor of Baron von Bismarck, the prince premier of the German Empire, and at my request the name of the post office was changed also. The Bismarck Tribune was established in July 1873.

Slaughter writes in detail about what church was built where, and on what street a business was located. It would be great if for the sesquicentennial of Bismarck in 2022 the Bismarck Tribune could republish the relevant part of the original articles written by Slaughter, editing them to locate in Bismarck today the places she refers to in her articles. The Bismarck Historical Society is working on plans for our 150th Bismarck Anniversary, so I want you to keep this book and our city history in mind when we reach out to for funds to celebrate our first 150 years.

Bob Wefald is a retired North Dakota State District Court judge, former attorney general and a retired Navy captain.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 0Former North Dakota attorney general Bob Wefald will be in Normandy, France, on Thursday for the 75th anniversary of D-Day.

President Donald Trump in 2017 appointed Wefald to the American Battle Monuments Commission, which is the custodian of American overseas commemorative cemeteries and memorials.

Wefald will join other member of the commission for 75th anniversary events of the major Allied landings in Europe during World War II. Events are at the Sicily-Rome American Cemetery in Italy, the Normandy American Cemetery and the Rhone American Cemetery in France.

Wefald said the commission is in charge of the 75th anniversary ceremony on Thursday at the Normandy American Cemetery, and members will join Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron.

"It's going to be an incredible event," he said. "The last hurrah for the few remaining World War II veterans."

Wefald, a U.S. Navy veteran, visited the Normandy American Cemetery in 1997. He said the commission also will be at the cemetery on Friday for the dedication of the renovated visitor center.

(Reach Blair Emerson at 701-250-8251 or Blair.Emerson@bismarcktribune.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.Garland Crook was at Omaha Beach on June 6, 1944, eight hours after the first wave of men attacked.

He saw the 50-mile stretch along France's coastline littered with bodies, and told the Tribune in 2016 he knew then how important the battle had been.

When asked today about that fateful day, the 94-year-old says he feels "very blessed to have survived."

"No movie or photograph can capture what D-Day was really like," he said.

Garland Crook is one of a shrinking number of American World War II veterans. According to U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs figures collected by the National WWII Museum, 496,777 of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II were alive in 2018. On average, 348 die each day.

To commemorate the 75th anniversary of D-Day next week, Garland Crook's family is planning an event and is soliciting letters for him. He entered a Mandan nursing home in November due to his ailing health.

"The 75th anniversary is a big deal. It'll be the last big anniversary for any of the survivors, and I just think it's such a pivotal event," said Garland Crook's daughter, Lillian Crook.

Though the number of WWII veterans is dwindling, his story and many others' are memorialized in the Veterans History Project of the Library of Congress. Garland Crook conducted many of his own interviews with other veterans as part of the project, according to Lillian Crook.

"He thought it was very important. He put a lot of time into interviewing people himself," she said.

Garland Crook joined the U.S. Army at 17, not long after the attack on Pearl Harbor. He was so young his mother had to fill out the paperwork.

After training on anti-aircraft guns, he was sent to England on the Queen Elizabeth. He served at an airbase there before he was ordered to the beaches of Normandy.

Days after he stormed Omaha Beach, Garland Crook was injured after a German fighter plane dropped a bomb on a vehicle he was in. The driver was killed and he was hospitalized for three days.

Garland Crook went on to serve in the Korea and Vietnam wars. Like many other veterans, Lillian Crook said it took a while for her father to share his war experiences with his family.

"For a long, long time many veterans didn't talk about their experiences. They came home and they were, in his case, still serving and had new conflicts come up and were involved in those," she said. "I didn't really hear him talk about it, either."

It was around the 50th anniversary of D-Day, as well as the release of "Saving Private Ryan, when he started to open up, she said.

To recognize her father and other WWII veterans, Lillian Crook has decided to host an event at her father's nursing home, Miller Pointe, at 6:30 p.m. on June 6.

She said she hopes to have the event's speaker, Kevin Carvell, commander of the Mott American Legion, read a few of the letters sent to her father and then there will be WWII-related music played.

Letters for Garland Crook can be sent to Miller Pointe at 3500 21st St. S.E. in Mandan.

The Bismarck AMVETS are also holding an event on June 6 for the 75th anniversary of D-Day. Adjutant Lyle Schuchart said it's open to all WWII veterans and their families, and the event also aims to offer a special recognition to them.

The AMVETS event is scheduled for 1 p.m. at the Bismarck AMVETS Club, 2402 Railroad Ave. For more information, contact Schuchart at 701-391-9267.

(Reach Blair Emerson at 701-250-8251 or Blair.Emerson@bismarcktribune.com)

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 0

Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.Carol Joann Houser, 54, Bismarck, passed away May 30, 2019, at St. Vincents Care Center, Bismarck.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, June 4, at Trinity Lutheran Church, Third Street and Avenue A, Bismarck, with Rev. Muriel Lippert officiating.

Burial is at Fairview Cemetery, Bismarck.

Visitation will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. Monday at Parkway Funeral Service, 2330 Tyler Parkway, Bismarck, where a prayer service will begin at 7 p.m.

Carol was born Sept. 9, 1964, on the way to Drayton, to Lloyd and Doris (Baier) Moose. She grew up near Stephen, Minn., on the family farm and graduated from Kennedy High School in 1983. She continued on to the University of North Dakota and graduated in 1987 with a bachelors degree in social work. She then attended the University of Wisconsin, Madison, earning a masters degree in social work. Carol worked in Minneapolis and Fargo before moving to Bismarck, working for Medcenter One/Sanford Health for 29 years, first in psychiatry and then dialysis and kidney transplant.

Carol married Scott Houser on April 27, 1991, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bismarck. She was active at Trinity Lutheran Church, singing in choir, serving on church council and, together with Scott, leading Sunday School music for many years. Together, they raised two sons, Jeremy and Kyle. Carol was a leader in Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts while her sons were in the scouting program. Her influence and leadership were instrumental in helping both Jeremy and Kyle earn the rank of Eagle Scout. She also enjoyed participating in her sons orchestra trips as a chaperone, traveling to Florida several times with them.

Carol was very devoted to family and friends, hosting many holiday dinners, caring for her mother in her final years, and helping out with baking cookies and cakes for family weddings or whatever was needed at any family event. She loved making quilts for family members and homemade candies for family, friends, and co-workers at Christmas time. Carol was well-known by her dialysis patients for the handcrafted ornaments they received from her every Christmas.

Carol is survived by her husband, Scott; sons, Jeremy (Samantha), Oklahoma City, Kyle, Minneapolis; siblings, Howard (Nancy) Henschel, Betty (Dr. James) Lessard, Harold Moose, Maryann (Rev. Ron) Gold, Myrtle (Eric) Turnquist; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; infant brother, John; and sister, Connie Hamre.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial to Trinity Lutheran Church or a charitable organization of your choice.

Go to www.parkwayfuneral.com to share memories of Carol and sign the online guest book.Gov. Doug Burgum has directed all government agencies to fly the United States and North Dakota flags at half-staff until sunset on Tuesday out of respect for the victims of Friday's shooting in Virginia Beach, Va.The Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation and North Dakota recently finalized a historic oil and gas tax agreement, thanks to ongoing productive dialogue. I believe tribal and state governments work better in partnership, with respect for each others rights, both committed to create solutions.

I hope North Dakota will continue to be a partner as the MHA Nation urges the Department of the Interior to reaffirm the MHA Nations mineral rights under the Missouri River on the Fort Berthold Reservation.

Since our first treaties were signed in 1825, our rights to the Missouri River and the minerals below it have been affirmed by the federal government numerous times. But under the current administration, these mineral rights have been called into question. When tribal leaders met with President Donald Trump, we were given assurances that we would have the administrations support in developing our natural resources to grow our economy. But instead, officials in the administration suspended a 2017 Department of Interior decision that reaffirmed that MHA Nations ownership of the Missouri riverbed minerals on our reservation.

This decision by the department was the most recent of many federal acknowledgements of our property rights to the Missouri. Any attempt to interfere with our rights to these minerals is an unlawful violation that ignores longstanding precedent.

The MHA Nation can continue its path to self-sufficiency if this administration follows the law by affirming our rights to the Missouri riverbed minerals. These resources remain critical to our continued growth, prosperity, and independence.

The Missouri River always has been the heart of our culture and livelihood. Before settlers arrived, we had a thriving, aboriginal economy fueled by the river. For centuries though, our lands and waters have been under constant threat. The construction of the Garrison Dam flooded our lands and created what is now known as Lake Sakakawea. With the flooding came economic collapse. We lost 25% of our most valuable reservation land. Ninety percent of our people lost their homes and were forced to relocate.

But even as our aboriginal territory has been degraded and destroyed, our tribe has always maintained its rights to the river and riverbed. We lost our economic hub with the flooding of our lands but we maintained our access to the river resources and minerals of the reservation. The U.S. government has stated on record for decades that the mineral resources of the riverbed on the reservation belong to the MHA Nation.

For the past 80 years, the Department of the Interior has maintained this position, which is also supported by Supreme Court precedent. Our rights to the minerals of the Missouri have been upheld time and time again. And yet, some officials in the Trump administration have clouded this long-standing property right by suspending the most recent DOI opinion that reaffirms our rights.

So now we are forced to again defend that which has always rightfully belonged to us.

Like North Dakota, the MHA Nation is a government responsible for the needs of its citizens in the areas of education, healthcare, law enforcement, social services and more. We are a government striving to provide for the increasingly complex needs of our community. Truck traffic on reservation roads has increased 600% in the last decade; our roads need constant repair and our people deserve safe infrastructure. The growth in our population means an increased need for law enforcement to protect everyone.

The future of our tribal nation depends on establishing and maintaining a healthy economy. This requires the ability to rely on the resources within our reservation and a focus on strong relationships between tribal and state governments.

We all have a stake in growing North Dakotas economy and ensuring a healthy and prosperous future for everyone. The MHA Nation and North Dakota have proven ourselves able partners and allies in the future of our state. I hope our elected officials will join us once again in supporting our lawful property rights to the minerals under the Missouri River on the Fort Berthold Reservation.

Mark Fox is the chairman of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation. He is a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps and earned his law degree in 1993 from the University of North Dakota. First elected chairman in 2014, Fox is serving his second term.

Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0There are 68 applicants for the states ethics commission, of which five will be chosen to sit on the panel. Its a diverse group with many familiar names for those who play attention to public policy. What criteria will the governor and the Senate majority and minority leaders use to select the five who will sit in judgment of others?

Do you look for common sense, impartially and sterling backgrounds or a mix of political affiliations, gender and race? Or do you consider all those factors? Its a difficult task for the selection committee. They will be scrutinized for their choices and those selected will be closely examined. Those judging the ethics commission will have their own agendas.

Those who applied had to give information on their backgrounds and explain why they wanted to be on the commission. The governors office says its likely the candidates will be sent a questionnaire to help in the selection process. The goal is to name the commission by July 1.

The Tribune Editorial Board believes its important to select a diverse group. Party affiliation shouldnt be a deciding factor and candidates should be flexible enough to consider all sides of an issue. Ideologues arent needed on the commission. We dont believe former legislators should dominate the commission, in fact, it might be wise not to have former legislators on the commission. This would eliminate any possibility of a former legislator favoring or ruling against a sitting legislator they liked or disliked.

The more citizen-oriented the commission the better. Sound judgment, strong values and fairness are needed.

The commission will be able to write rules on transparency, corruption, elections and lobbying. They also will be able to investigate allegations of wrongdoing. The commission needs to be confident enough to reject efforts to undermine another party or person. Its important that the rules they write provide guidance to the public.

The ethics commission is new territory for the state. There will no doubt be some trial and error involved, but the Tribune believes its important to have an ethics panel.

While we dont think the state has major issues with corruption, over the years there have instances where an ethics commission would have been helpful. There were issues with Workforce, Safety & Insurance a few years ago and there have been recent questions about the conduct of some state employees. The ethics commission could provide a means of dealing with these circumstances.

If done right the commission will be a neutral body and employees might be more comfortable appearing before the commission than being judged by a department head.

Its going to take time for the ethics commission to be formed and to establish its framework. The public will need patience and hopefully the commission will be a useful addition to government.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0In the midst of celebrating LGBTQ Pride the U.S. Supreme Court rained on our virtual parade by ruling in favor of the Catholic Social Serv...One of the challenges of major cloud outages is a number of services go down at once. In this case, YouTube, Gmail, Hangouts, Calendar, Google Drive and Snapchat and more are suffering an outage in some parts of the world thanks to Google Cloud.

The news comes in less that 48 hours after we learned the Federal government is beginning to investigate Google for potential antitrust violations.

You may recall, we mentioned in 2009 the close relationship between Eric Schmidt and President Obama was designed to thwart such an investigation. We were likely right based on this antitrust news.

But we digress.

The outage began Sunday, June 2nd, 3:25 pm EST and has gone on for a number of hours since.

YouTubes outage was primarily on the east coast of the U.S. as well as other select areas throughout the Americas. The outage extended to Europe and Russia.

We tested YouTube at 5:25 pm EST and it was working for us using an ISP in Connecticut. We also tried a web browser in Germany via the TOR browser and YouTube seemed fine.

YouTube and Gmail were down on March 13th as well.

Yahoo! JAPAN



Yahoo! JAPANNews / National

by Staff reporter

ENERGY minister Forune Chasi has refused to answer questions about the pricing of ethanol supplied by business tycoon Billy Rautenbach's Greenfuel, which legislators said was overpriced.Greenfuel sells ethanol at $1,70 per litre compared to the landing price of only $0,50 cents of ethanol from Brazil.Zimbabwe enforces mandatory ethanol blending for fuel, which is meant to reduce costs.MPs felt that Rautenbach's monopoly opened avenues for corruption because government cannot opt to buy expensive ethanol when there were cheaper alternatives and other local companies like Triangle that can supplier cheaper ethanol.Norton MP Temba Mliswa demanded to know whether Rautenbach was "eating with some big fish"."The issue is that our fuel is blended with ethanol from Rautenbach's Greenfuel, but it is still very costly at $4, 98 per litre, yet we are blending," he said."Why is that we have one man who has monopolised ethanol and what is so great about him? Who is he eating with?"Rautenbach is not bigger than this country, he never went to war or held a gun but today he talks about sanctions, which have made his ethanol expensive."Triangle Limited can sell cheaper ethanol, but you closed Triangle and said Rautenbach can do it and this is corruption and as Energy minister you need to deal with it because ethanol from Brazil is only 50 cents."Mbizo MP Settlement Chikwinya (MDC) said there was need for Chasi to find out if neighbouring countries like South Africa or Zambia were also blending their fuel with ethanol.Chasi had told Parliament that a six million litre capacity ethanol storage tank was under construction and almost complete, adding that the blending ratio of 1:20 of petrol to ethanol was helping to reduce the country's fuel exports.He referred further questions to the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (Zera), which he said presided over the fuel sector."On issues of ethanol, what I am able to say at the moment is that blending has been tested and it is up to international standards," he said."My function as Energy minister is stipulated in the law and it is to give general policy direction."Pricing is part of the mandate of Zera and I do not want to conduct myself in an illegal way," he said.Harare East MP Tendai Biti said there was no law in the country that covered ethanol and Chasi had no control over the matter."The only law that covers petroleum is the Petroleum Act, which was passed way back in the time of the federation," he said."It does not cover ethanol, which is agriculture and so the minister is at large when it comes to ethanol."The law that introduced mandatory blending of petroleum with ethanol was a statutory instrument that was enacted in 2013 by the Energy minister, and it had two things that are unacceptable which are demand and the monopoly where it says we can only purchase ethanol from a company that is in a joint venture with government which is Greenfuel."Zimbabwe has been experiencing serious fuel shortages since September last year due to foreign currency shortages.Opinion / Columnist

One would just dismiss the burning alive of people by "neck lacing" them; threats made by Israel Dube: but the history will inform us more about the African continent. We know how the conflict developments in Africa that can start from threats that have been ignored as mere threats. However, these threats sadly are nurtured as mere threats and are glorified to the point of fascism. Israel Dube is taking advantage of the vulnerability of the region that is now left without a formidable leader following the death of General Dumiso Dabengwa. In the scheme of things, who is Israel Dube to threaten the people of Mathebeleland for saying no to his demands that are rejected by the people of this region? It is this force and coercion he is now resorting to because the people of this region reject him as leader of this region. I can prove this statement to him that he was indeed rejected by the people of this region!Proof of my statement:During the election of 2018 we saw how Nelson Chamisa came to the region and made the White City red with party regalia. Tens of thousands of people went to his rally. I am not a fan of Chamisa, but his performance in Bulawayo alone would have dawned on many of us that the Mthwakazi parties are not only irrelevant but almost nonexistent in this region. Israel Dube was seen making rallies under the trees, a rally with less than a fifty people in attendance. If that is not embarrassment, there is no word to actually describe that poor performance the Mthwakazi party made during the harmonised elections. To this day I wonder if Israel Dube can pull such a large crowd in his territory in Bulawayo and Mathebeleland White City Stadium. Please try it!Alone by taking part in the elections Israel's Mthwakazi party legitimised the Mnangagwa government. How many people warned and advised the regional parties never to be part of the Zimbabwean election processes that were flawed from the onset. Ngenkani they did it! How do you sincerely be part of the elections of a government you do not recognize and lose and after losing then you declare war or insurgency to a regime you were once part of just by taking part in the election processes.Overt or covert, the peoples of Mathebeleland rejected the Mthwakazi party, did not vote for Mthwakazi party, instead it was such an open defeat and an open humiliation on their part. Having been defeated, coercion is now on the table to force the people of this region to accept their plans to secede from the mainland Zimbabwe. Joshua Nkomo never practiced this kind of weak and backward acts of criminality, nor was Dabengwa for the cessation of Mathebeleland despite all the challenges facing the region of Mathebeleland. If the people of this region want devolution because it is this region that pioneered devolution in the constitutional processes way back in 2013, then Mthwakazi parties must respect the will of the people and not force it on us. You have no God given right to use coercion to the people of this region who overtly reject your ideas in this region.The globalisation and the Trump era has made so many global peoples and societies irrelevant and inept, and hence to find recognition and relevance one has to talk tough and make murderous threats using hate speech such as the one being used by Israel Dube. What is the fundamental difference between Israel Dube's party that threatens its people with death by burning them alive and the Zanu PF government that shoots unarmed people just for demonstrating against the government? We are caught between rock and hard surface, to demonstrate to the government of Mnangagwa you are failing the people, you get shot, on the other hand we say we reject Mthwakazi ideas of cessation we are threatened by being burnt alive, "neck-laced". This is being put under duress by failed politicians: this is what we shall fight with all our might to set us free from all forms of dictatorships and fascism.There is not one single body, regional: SADC, continental: AU and international: UN that will support a party with fascist ideas like the likes of Israel Dube. The time for guerrilla warfare lost its sale by date long back. Zimbabwe independence was not realized by force, but by negotiations at Lancaster House: everybody knows that well. Savimbi in Angola tried that kind of insurgency, the rest is history. In Mozambique too the insurgency did not realize any meaningful results. In those two countries: Angola and Mozambique loss of life was horrendous especially on women and children. It disturbs the mind that there are elements in this region who have appetite for conflict wars, South Sudan giving us an eloquent example of how a nation was given its independence by the UN in the hope of peace in the region: we all know what is happening in South Sudan today. In Mathebeleland there are many ethnic groups and they are having their own priorities. For argument sake: In the event of Mthwakazi getting its own way and cessed from Zimbabwe, soon after they will be conflicts because as we speak we have three kings of Nguni ethnic group and several other kingdoms. That problem about kingdoms still needs to be resolved.In all these conflicts in Africa, it is the women and children who pay the highest price. It is the men who cause the conflicts and we women and children suffer from the conflicts-related-wars carelessly orchestrated by men. It is questionable if indeed Israel Dube was in the struggle for the independence of Zimbabwe because all of us who were in the struggle in Zambia or Mozambique, nobody would casually speak of yet another conflict in Zimbabwe that can lead to full scale war. What we saw in that liberation war is enough for us to speak of dialogue than conflict and war. Dialogue is not a dirty word, Dialogue is strength. When one opts for dialogue, she/he will be saying I can talk and I am civilized enough to demand what belongs to me. Hate speeches are abominable and have no place in a civilized world. This is the time to face the government of Zanu PF and tell them our genuine desire to develop our region on our own: devolution in dialogue.To threaten peoples of any region or anyone because she/he does not agree with you fantasy of ideas is barbaric but last. This "neck lacing" way of killing people: even Mrs. Winnie Madikizela Mandela was forced to denounce her killing actions during the truth and reconciliation that took place in South Africa. She regretted these acts of killings before she died. As long as Israel Dube continues those threats on us we shall continue to resist them as those killing acts are barbaric and stupid! He must be told too that there is a high price in uttering hate speeches! We take note of these hate speeches and inform relevant international bodies about the development in this southern cone region of Africa.Opinion / Columnist

In my last Op-Ed, I spoke of the immediate and dire need for the Zimbabwean Army to step in and dispatch of the current President and the criminal elements of the ZANU-PF, who would otherwise destroy what's left of our country for their sole benefit. There can be no doubt that VP Constantine Chiwenga and senior members of the army are now fully engaged in the planning of such a move, and are most likely doing so with the ongoing consultation of their foreign financial backers  most notably China.While this would still constitute a vast improvement over the abysmal administration of Cde Crocodile Mnangagwa and the latter half of the Mugabe rule -- there is another way forward. A true and lasting economic recovery is predicated upon more than short-term financial supports and loans, given in exchange for the fire sale of the country's mineral wealth which will rob a generation of it's wealth.What Zimbabwe needs is more jobs, a stable and vibrant economy with a broad and diverse body of international partners, and above all else DEMOCRACY! To this end, it does not make sense for the Army to appoint another ZANU-PF loyalist, such as Gideon Gono, as the new President. This would be the stupidest thing they could do and would all but insure that nothing would truly change. Gideon Gono is an old guard' member of the very group responsible for the destruction of the country's economy in the first place. His tenure as Reserve bank governor coincides with and the greatest economic collapse in Zimbabwe's history. The only thing at which he was allegedly successful during his decade in power was protecting his own position by paying off the Army.If the Army installs Gideon Gono as President, they will have proved in that one action, that they are as ignorant and corrupt as the ZANU-PF who preceded them. If Gideon wants to be President, let him run for the office in 2023, in a free and fair election, and prove his case to the people.The best solution for Zimbabwe and for Chiwenga to effectuate real and lasting change is the following. Firstly (1), Remove Cde Crocodile and his ZANU-PF cohorts from office as soon as possible. Second (2), install Chiwenga or SB Moyo or another representative of the Army to serve as provisional President until the elections in 2023. Third (3), appoint two vice presidents, one nominated by the ZANU-PF and the other being Nelson Chamisa. Fourth (4), use the position of the provisional president to insure free and fair elections in 2023. Fifth (5), distribute the Ministries of State evenly between the respective political parties of the two vice presidents, keeping those of Defense, police and State security for the President. Sixth (6), require that the deputy minister for each Department is from the opposite party insuring that there is proper oversight and compelling some degree of collaboration in the management of each portfolio.In so doing, the Army and provisional President will be putting in place a unity government which would provide the basis for re-engaging with international governments, lenders and investors and create an environment whereby each of the two vice presidents must demonstrate their abilities, sincerity and worth to our people. The provisional President should invite international monitors into the country to insure that the 2023 elections are free and fair. If either party, be it the MDC or the ZANU-PF are unwilling to participate in such an arrangement, then they are not worthy of the honor and privilege of leadership.VP Chiwenga has a real and present opportunity to demonstrate leadership. Not to seize power for his own gain, but for the good of our country. If he chooses this righteous path, he and the Army leadership will not only demonstrate that the military can do good, but also supplant Mugabe and Nkomo as the true fathers of democracy in Zimbabwe.Now is the time Constantine, your people are suffering.Increasing yield

Canadian banks have proven to be historically strong investments over the long-term, providing investors with a combination of capital gains, dividend income and compounded dividend growth.

Because the Canadian banking industry is largely concentrated among a few large and formidable players, competition among the various parties has remained healthy over the years, but has yet to reach a point where it would become self-destructive and at risk of sabotaging the sectors long- term viability.

And because banking plays such a central role to the functioning of our economy, it probably shouldnt come as all that much of a surprise that our countrys two largest publicly traded companies come from the banking sector.

By a difference of nearly $20 billion, Royal Bank of Canada (TSX:RY)(NYSE:RY) currently sits atop the mountain as Canadas largest privately owned corporation, with rival Toronto-Dominion Bank (TSX:TD)(NYSE:TD) next in line to the throne, so to speak, with a market capitalization of just over than $135 billion.

When it comes to survival  and business is no different in this respect  theres certainly safety in numbers.

The sheer size of these two companies offers several benefits to long-term minded shareholders, not the least of which is that size and strength tends to beget increased strength, especially when it comes to accumulating wealth and compounding investment returns.

On a more micro scale, the access that both Royal and TD enjoy over some of their smaller rivals has also helped them to expand the scope of their respective businesses in the decade that has passed since the financial crisis of 2008-09.

Royal has continued to make strides in overseas markets, notably in wealth and asset management. Meanwhile, TD has made large strides in the evolution of its own business in vastly expanding the reach of its retail banking network throughout much of the eastern U.S. seaboard.

While the investments each has made in the past decade to diversify their operations globally have a very long-term vision in mind, the results appear to be paying off already.

Story continues

Take, for example, the second-quarter results reported by both recently compared to those of more domestically focused, and smaller, rival Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (TSX:CM)(NYSE:CM).

Both TD and Royal showed strong results for their shareholders in the second quarter, posting encouraging growth in earnings per share against the second quarter of a year ago.

Yet the story when CIBC reported its own second-quarter results was a little different.

Earnings for CIBC were only slightly higher compared to the year ago period, thanks in large part to a drag on performance from a decline in the banks Canadian personal and small business banking unit, which included a 20% spike in credit provisions from the year ago period.

Foolish bottom line

Because both TD and Royal have greater access to a wider breadth of markets, including those located beyond Canadas borders, it allows them greater flexibility in choosing which types of business to pursue.

Perhaps CIBC has taken note too, having announced its plans to diversify and transition its business, including investments in technology that it hopes will pay off over the long term.

Yet if CIBCs latest quarterly results are providing any indication of a potential weakening in Canadas credit markets, now is probably as good a time as any to be investing in quality, even if it means paying a slight premium to get it.

TD and Royal certainly wont be going anywhere any time soon.

Investors may want to use the latest opportunity to add to their positions in these two blue chip dividend aristocrats, and seek to compound those returns tax-free in their TFSA accounts for the long term.

More reading

Fool contributor Jason Phillips has no position in any of the stocks mentioned.

The Motley Fools purpose is to help the world invest, better. Click here now for your free subscription to Take Stock, The Motley Fool Canadas free investing newsletter. Packed with stock ideas and investing advice, it is essential reading for anyone looking to build and grow their wealth in the years ahead. Motley Fool Canada 2019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Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer has stripped MP Michael Cooper of his spot on the House of Commons justice committee as punishment for Cooper's angry confrontation with a Muslim witness in hearings dedicated to online hate.

Earlier this week, Cooper told Fasial Khan Suri he should be "ashamed" after he drew a link between "conservative commentators" and the online history of mosque shooter Alexandre Bissonnette.

Cooper also quoted from the manifesto of the man accused of the mass killings in Christchurch, New Zealand in an attempt to discredit Suri's testimony.

"I have spoken with Michael Cooper about comments he made at the Justice Committee earlier this week. Having taken the time to review the incident, I have informed him that he will no longer sit on the Justice committee as a consequence," Scheer posted on Twitter.

"Reading the name and quoting the words of the Christchurch shooter, especially when directed at a Muslim witness during a parliamentary hearing, is insensitive and unacceptable. Mr. Cooper has apologized. I accept his apology and I consider the matter closed."

While he has been removed from the committee, Scheer's office confirmed that Cooper will keep his role as deputy justice critic.

Cooper, who represents the riding of St. Albert-Edmonton, declined CBC's requests for an interview. Cooper tweeted a link to the original CBC story after it was posted online. That tweet has since been deleted.

On Saturday, Cooper tweeted a statement in which he said quoting the alleged Christchurch shooter was "a mistake" caused by a misunderstanding of Suri's comments.

"I absolutely should not have quoted these words nor named the perpetrator," he said in the statement.

The eruption happened during Tuesday's committee hearing, when Cooper took issue with how Suri, the president of the Alberta Muslim Public Affairs Council, described the online history of Bissonnette, the man sentenced to life in prison in February for shooting six people dead in a Quebec City mosque in January, 2017.

Story continues

"The evidence from Bissonette's computer showed he repeatedly sought content about anti-immigrant, alt-right and conservative commentators, mass murderers, U.S. President Donald Trump, and about Muslims, immigrants living in Quebec," Suri said.

Suri went on to say that people like Robert Bowers  who is alleged to have killed 11 people in a synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh in October  and Brenton Tarrant, who is accused of shooting and killing 51 people at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand in March, were similarly influenced by online hate coming from "alt-right online networks."

Suri told the committee that "online hate is a key factor in enforcing hate in all forms," including Islamophobia and anti-Semitism, and that more efforts should be made to study online hate and its effects in the offline world.

Listen: Cooper tells justice committee witness he should be 'ashamed'

When it was his turn to ask Suri and other witnesses questions, Cooper laid into the Alberta anti-racism activist, accusing him of suggesting a link between "conservatism" and violent extremism.

"Mr. Suri, I take great umbrage with your defamatory comments to try to link conservatism with violent extremist attacks. They have no foundation, they're defamatory, and they diminish your credibility as a witness," Cooper said.

The Conservative MP then read into the record a passage from Tarrant's 74-page manifesto  which has been banned in New Zealand. In the passage, Tarrant is quoted as saying the social and political values of China are close to his own and that he rejects "conservatism."

Cooper did not mention Bissonnette's online history.

'You should be ashamed'

"I certainly wouldn't attempt to link Bernie Sanders to the individual who shot up Republican members of Congress and nearly fatally killed congressman [Stephen] Scalise," Cooper said. "So you should be ashamed."

Scalise and four others were shot in 2017 by James T. Hodgkinson, a Bernie Sanders supporter, who opposed conservatism in general and U.S. President Donald Trump in particular. Hodgkinson later died of wounds sustained in a shootout with police.

Cooper was interrupted and the committee quickly fell apart, with both Liberal and NDP MPs exploding in protest.

NDP MP Tracey Ramsey objected to Cooper's accusations, telling committee chair Anthony Housefather that he can't allow a member of the committee to tell a witness he should be ashamed of himself.

"I think that's unacceptable," she said to Housefather. "You're putting [Suri] in a position of vulnerability to have to respond to these attacks. He didn't come here today to defend himself, he came here to present on behalf of his organization."

A partial retraction

The committee hearing was not preserved on video, but an audio recording of the proceedings on the parliamentary website captures the fracas beginning at 9:29 a.m.

Edmonton Centre Liberal MP Randy Boissonnault can be heard on the recording contradicting Cooper and trying to move the committee in-camera to address Cooper's comments.

Housefather swiftly took the committee behind closed doors, excusing the witnesses from the room while MPs discussed Cooper's comments. At 9:49 a.m. the committee resumed, with Cooper offering a partial retraction.

"While I certainly find the comments made by Mr. Suri to be deeply offensive and objectionable and vehemently disagree with them, I will withdraw saying that he should be ashamed," Cooper said.

"That was not unparliamentary, but I understand that it made some of the members of the committee uncomfortable. So in the spirit of moving forward I withdraw those specific comments, but certainly not the rest of what I said."Immigration experts are warning that the United States is no longer a safe destination for asylum seekers, and are urging Canada to provide that safety.

The governing Liberals have long claimed our neighbour to the south is a viable alternative to Canada for migrants, but shifts in policy by the administration of President Donald Trump have left some worrying that asylum seekers are now at risk in the U.S.

"There are serious problems with the asylum system in the United States right now," said Maureen Silcoff, an executive member of the Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers.

Asylum claims in Canada tripled from 2015 to 2017  there were about 16,000 total claimants the year Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was elected, compared to more than 50,000 claims two years later, according to Statistics Canada.

For most who crossed outside of a port of entry, their first glimpse of Canada was a dusty lane in southern Quebec: Roxham Road.

Olga, who left Burundi in 2015 fleeing political persecution, said she applied for asylum in the United States "where I was ... not because it was the safest, but it was safer, at least more than Burundi."

Fearing deportation because of delays in her immigration hearing, she made her way to Roxham Road in 2017.

There was a surge of thousands of migrants crossing the border that year. The rate has stabilized again, but asylum seekers are still a political flashpoint. And one deal in particular has sparked heated exchanges in the House of Commons.

New rules on the horizon

Canada has a pact with the U.S. called the Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA), which requires migrants to claim asylum in the first safe country in which they arrive. The idea is that if someone makes a claim in the U.S., they would not be allowed to make one in Canada.

However, there's an exception to the rules for those who cross outside an official port of entry.

Since April 2017, only 3,150 people who claimed asylum in Canada had applied previously in the U.S., according to statistics provided by the government. It's a gap the Liberals are trying to close with new measures.

Story continues

Tucked into the back of the 2019 budget implementation bill was a proposed change to Canada's refugee laws that would expand the list of safe countries  the U.S. is the only officially 'safe' country Canada recognizes right now  to bar people from making asylum claims here if they'd already made claims in the U.K., Australia, New Zealand or the U.S.

The changes would mean more migrants coming here from the U.S. could be sent back there.

Paul Chiasson/Canadian Press

Also in the budget is $1 billion over five years to beef up border security and expedite asylum claims to mitigate the staffing issues caused by the influx.

Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen said the changes are meant to prevent asylum shopping, which accounts for less than 10 per cent of cases.

"Whatever efficiencies we can get throughout the system, we'll take," he said.

But immigration and refugee experts worry Canada could be denying help to people who need it.

"By refusing protection to those who travelled through the United States, Canada risks denying protection to people who your law and your Charter of Rights would otherwise protect," said Jacob Remes, a professor of Canada-U.S. history at New York University who specializes in immigration.

On Friday, Hussen announced that starting July 26, newcomers who are victims of domestic violence will be able to apply for free temporary resident permits that would grant them legal status in Canada, including access to health care and work permits. In more serious situations, the government will allow people to apply for permanent residency for humanitarian and compassionate reasons.

U.S. meets all standards for safety: government

The U.S. is legally a safe country, since it meets all of Canada's requirements for the designation.

It subscribes to international conventions on refugees and on torture, it has a healthy human rights record and it shares responsibility for migrants with Canada through the STCA, Ottawa says.

The government maintains it is constantly reviewing that distinction, and the ministers in charge of the file say the U.S. still checks all the boxes.

"The United States has a properly regulated, rules-based system of refugee determination," Border Security Minister Bill Blair said, adding that anyone who qualifies for Canada's protection will receive it.

"Our analysis indicates that the domestic asylum system in the United States provides due process," Hussen said.

Despite the government's assurances, Silcoff said it's time to re-evaluate the situation before promoting the U.S. as 'safe'.

"We know because of what's happened in the United States in the past few years that the system falls very short of those standards," she said.

"I think it's just a matter taking a hard look at not just the laws, but the practices and understandings, that people are at real risk of being sent back to their countries of origin and facing persecution."

Cages, domestic violence and blame

The U.S. has been criticized for its treatment of immigrants since Donald Trump won the 2016 election.

In the past year, children were detained in cages at the U.S.-Mexico border, former attorney general Jeff Sessions decreed domestic and gang violence weren't legitimate reasons for claiming asylum, and the president blamed immigration for all of America's problems.

It's the rhetoric that scared Olga.

"I never felt safe," she said. "You will hear comments about immigrants and you'll be like, 'I don't feel safe here.'"

She said she still doesn't know what her fate in Canada will be as she awaits a final decision on her claim, two years after crossing into Quebec  but it's still better than living on the other side of the border.

Her concerns echo those of other migrants, and Remes said it's time the Canadian government acknowledges there's an issue.

"Are border crossers a problem to be solved by excluding them, or are they people who have really dangerous and pressing problems whom Canadians wish to help?" Remes said.

If Canadians feel those migrants aren't safe, he said, there's only one question left to ask.

"What are the resources that the Canadian government is willing to spend in order to provide those people the protections that the government has promised to provide them in international legal contexts?"The Providence ship has been sailing for over 100 years, but this week marks the first time it transported artisan goods back and forth from the Southern Gulf Islands to the Lower Mainland.

Ship captain and owner Simon Fawkes purchased the vessel three years ago, and it underwent a half-million dollar renovation. The ship, which was built in Denmark in 1903, will be powered by wind and locally-sourced bio diesal when wind is scarce, making it an environmentally friendlier option for people who want to move cargo across the Salish Sea.

The Providence first served as a fishing vessel and was used as a defence ship in the Danish Navy in the 1940s.

Fawkes says artisans on the Gulf Islands are looking for a better way to ship their goods, but are also concerned about the environment.

Simon Hawkes

"There are people looking to lower their carbon footprint," he said.

The Providence will ship everything from wine to furniture.

Simon Hawkes

Building bonds

Fawkes hopes the ship helps forge bonds between everyone that uses its services  something he believes is becoming more rare.

"A connection between the consumer and the producer, that personal connection is something that more and more, people are realizing is getting lost in our in our current consumer society," he says.

The ship sets sail from its home base at Vancouver's Maritime Museum to Ganges on Salt Spring on Wednesdays. On Thursdays, it sails from Ganges on Salt Spring to Ladymith, B.C., and returns to Vancouver on Fridays.The viral tweet attracted thousands of responses revealing funny times they've been lied to. [Photo: Getty]

Weve all been lied to, whether its a small white lie or a big whopping one.

It wasnt until comedian, Maisie Adam, tweeted asking the public to share their BS with the world, that we saw the extent - and the hilarity - of it.

Even Phillip Schofield got involved.

She started by sharing a lie shed be told.

TWITTER! Whats the best bullshit youve heard someone come out with?



I went to school with a lad who claimed his dad invented the phrase No way Jose and that they were still living off the royalties.  Maisie Adam (@MaisieAdam) May 21, 2019

I went to school with a lad who claimed his dad invented the phrase No way Jose and that they were still living off the royalties. She admitted.

It wasnt long before hundreds of people descended onto Maisies Twitter account to share their stories.

READ MORE: Hot Podium Guy steals Theresa Mays thunder

One mans Cyprus-based lie scarred this woman for life: When I was younger, my Grandad told me that our whole family are banned from Cyprus because he shot a sacred donkey there when he was in the army. Didnt book to go to Ayia Napa with my pals just in case.

To which Maisie replied Hahahahaha ok this might be my fave.

Oh, but it didnt stop there.

Were still not sure whether to believe some of them or not. Thats how convincing they are.

READ MORE: This hygiene question has the internet divided

Take this one lie for example: My grandad said he was the only player to ever score a penalty with a header. He ran up, struck the ball, it hit a dog that ran on the pitch and he headed it in.

My grandad said he was the only player to ever score a penalty with a header. He ran up, struck the ball, it hit a dog that ran on the pitch and he headed it in  Chris Wilkinson (@Mr_Wilko1990) May 22, 2019

Is it true? We need context, Chris.

Story continues

Phillip Schofield dropped a simple thinking face emoji after one Twitter user was tricked by his Dad.

My dad told me that @Schofe once turned up to my 5th birthday party. Apparently he saw the balloons and thought it was his nephews party. This was at the height of his Live and Kicking fame too!

Ok, what?

Matthew Webber grew up thinking its a lie, but Schofes blase response has got us - and most probably him - questioning whether it did really happen.

Theres nothing quite like digging up old lies to get you ready for weekend, is there folks?Here we reproduce news and opinion articles in the print and electronic media since October 8, 2008, about each of our 58 county grand juries. Most are about grand jury reports. Our posting of these articles does not purport to reflect the opinions of CGJA or our members. We hope that this feature is a resource to grand juries, grand jury advisors, CGJA chapters, the media, and the public. Sponsored by the California Grand Jurors' Association, www.cgja.org/



The United Way of Dunn County is looking for sponsors to help families in need in the community this holiday season. To help all an interested sponsor has to do is reach out by phone call (715-231-3066), email (smarson@uwaydunn.org) or stop by (1620 Stout Rd., Menomonie, WI) and the United Way can connect you with a family.Jason Momoa as Khal Drogo and Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen in "Game of Thrones."HBO

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 pornography.

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 porn. ... 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 porn had a human cost.

"Nothing is free," she said. "Porn 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 pornography 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?"What a stupid girl!

Journalists are taught to run after stories that are novel and will catch the attention of the publics eye. They successfully caught the attention of the Jamaican public on May 6, 2019 with the headline that read: What a stupid girl: Angry mother curses daughter for handing over large amount of money she found.

We were lured in to hear what could have led this 24 year old mother of two to return what appeared to be millions. The article recounts how the young mother went into the Automated Teller Machine (ATM) to transact business, she then sees her baby playing with a large bag, she later realized to be a large sum of cash. She immediately carried it to the authorities where it was returned.

The young lady quickly resolved in her heart that keeping the money was not right! This simple admission spoke volumes to her integrity. The noble act by this young woman found both praise and ridicule from Jamaicans, as this story became a hot topic for a few days. With her mother being on the side of ridicule, saying to the press that she is the stupidest of all my children, sharing how it was that very morning her daughter had begged her some money to send one her children to school. The young mother stood resolute that she had made the right decision.

Change in cultural fabric

I am blessed to be born in an island that our rules, customs and mores were explicitly founded on Christian principles. We boldly call ourselves a Christian nation, albeit less loudly in recent times, but the common man on the street will walk around with a small Gideon bible in his back pocket and say the requisite prayer for guidance each morning.

Though this is a watered down version of Christianity, I believe we are in a much better place than other nations who are outrightly atheistic. This is because within our nations history was woven the truth of scripture. We are however coming to realize more and more the degradation of our morality, which is being caused by many variables. The outworking of this is seen through corruption,crime,dishonouring the sanctity of life and many other themes that pervade the day to day conversations of our people.

I believe too that the volume of conversations that condemned the honourable act of this young mother, reflect a nation in decay, where right is no longer an obvious thing. Though there were many applauding her, there were also quite a few who openly admitted they would have taken the cash.

Honesty is the best policy!

I believe honesty is one of those attributes that speak to the soul of a nations people. We see the lack of it in Jamaica permeating every sphere, and this has almost become the norm. When truth becomes situational rather than absolute, we conjure up instances that we believe justify dishonesty.

I had a conversation with a young lady about the situation. She said, I know youre a Christian, but would you really give back the money? I said yes and she looked at me in disbelief. She went on and on about what shed do with the money; all legitimate and wonderful things, being a young mother whos also in a rough spot. I immediately thought, why is this even a point of contention?

I quickly reasoned that I might have been tempted, but I too would quickly give up the money because I honour God and I honour people. I have that reference point and appreciation, but is it fair to expect the same from those who dont? I dont necessarily think so, but if we are to look at it from the view of what is beneficial for the sustenance of a people, what would divert anarchy and civil war, I believe wed land right back on the principles of scripture. Do to others as youd have them do to you. (Luke 6:31)

If we are to objectively view the benefit of living honestly and not make exceptions for convenient cases, wed see a nation whose moral compass is rightly aligned, thus producing order, productivity and respect.

A culture of honesty

There is still hope! The subsequent stories in the last few weeks surrounding the young mothers act, brought hope that outshone the negativity that usually pervades our headlines. Woman who returned ATM cash gets $1.2 million Wray and Nephew gift Digicel joins thrust to reward woman who turned over ATM cash and Senate to recognise woman who returned ATM cash, are a few of the headlines we saw. Corporate Jamaica honoured this young woman for her gesture of integrity by providing her with money and a scholarship to pursue a skill that will benefit her and her family.

Though we might not like to admit it, media shapes a lot of how we think, and I believe that the explosion of this kind deed, will reiterate to Jamaicans, that honesty is still honourable.Back at the 2018 IPCPR Trade Show, Villiger Cigars North America was quietly showcasing a cigar at its booth known as La Meridiana. The Villiger La Meridiana is a cigar line that had already been successful in the European market, and the plan was for a widespread release of La Meridiana into the U.S. market in 2019. Keeping to schedule, Villiger started shipping La Meridiana to its retailers this past March.

La Meridiana is another collaboration coming from Villiger and the Joya de Nicaragua factory with the U.S. release following up the success of Villiger La Vencedora. Today we take a closer look at the Villiger La Meridiana in the Toro Box Pressed size.

The name La Meridiana pays homage to a 19th century Cuban factory owned by Pedro Murias called La Meridiana Fabrica de Tabacos de Pedro Murias. Murias was one of the leading cigar makers of the 19th century. The unrest in Cuba during the 1898 war of independence put Murias into financial trouble and he eventually was forced to sell the factory. On several trips to Cuba, Villiger Chairman Heinrich Villiger became intrigued with the name and tradition of the factory and eventually decide to make a brand to pay homage to it.

Without further ado, lets break down the Villiger La Meridiana Toro Box Pressed and see what this cigar brings to the table.

SPECIFICATIONS

Blend and Origin

As mentioned, the Villiger La Meridiana comes out of the Joya de Nicaragua factory in Nicaragua. The cigar itself consists of 100 percent Nicaraguan tobaccos, but the specifics about those tobaccos are not disclosed.

Wrapper: Nicaraguan

Binder: Nicaraguan

Filler: Nicaraguan

Country of Origin: Nicaragua

Factory: Fabrica de Tabacos Joya de Nicaragua, S.A.

Vitolas Offered

The Villiger La Meridiana comes in five sizes. Each is presented in 10-count boxes. The cigars are rounded, except for the Toro Box Pressed we are talking about today.

Corona: 5 1/2 x 42

Robusto: 5 x 50

Torpedo: 6 x 52

Churchill: 6 7/8 x 48

Toro Box Pressed: 6 x 54

Appearance

The Nicaraguan wrapper of the Villiger La Meridiana Toro Box Pressed had a dark Colorado reddish hue. The wrapper itself also had a light sheen of oil on it. The wrapper itself was smooth with any visible veins and wrapper seams on the thin side. The cigar itself had a classic trunk-press style.

The Villiger La Meridiana has two bands. The primary band of La Meridiana uses a similar banding design to what has been used on several other recent Villiger releases, but with a different color scheme. The upper part of the band has a rust-colored background with a gradient effect (darkening to the left and right) surrounded by gold and red trim. The center portion of the band has a semicircle shape to it. Sitting on that semicircle is the Villiger coat of arms  and just below that is the text VILLIGER in gold font. Gold and black striping divide the upper section of the band from the lower part. The lower part of the band also has a rust-colored background with a gradient effect as well as gold trim. Sitting on that portion of the band is a gold ribbon-design with the text MERIDIANA in black font. Above the ribbon is the text LA in gold font.

The secondary band rests around the footer. This band has a red-colored background with a gradient effect (again darkening to the left and right). There is gold trim on the upper and lower portion of the band. On that band is the text EL MUNDO DE TABACO. This makes reference to a subsidiary of Villiger that was used to import non-Cuban premium cigars. Eventually, this subsidiary became a part of the Villiger Sohne GmbH company.

PERFORMANCE

Pre-Light Draw

A straight cut was used to remove the cap from the Villiger La Meridiana Toro Box Pressed. After the cap was removed it was on to the pre-light draw ritual. The cold draw delivered a mix of earth, cream, and mixed fruit sweetness. This was a very good pre-light draw experience. After removing the footer band of the Villiger La Meridiana Toro Box Pressed it was time to move on to the smoking phase.

Tasting Notes

The start of the Villiger Meridiana picked up where the pre-light draw left off as there were more notes of earth, cream, and mixed fruit. In addition, there were some black pepper notes. The earth and cream notes became primary early on. The pepper and fruit settled into the background. In particular, the spices settled into the distant background. Meanwhile, the retro-hale produced an extra layer of black pepper and earth.

During the second third, the earth and cream notes continued in the forefront. Meanwhile, the mixed fruit notes developed a slight citrus quality. At the same time, some notes of natural tobacco emerged. Both the natural tobacco and pepper increased in intensity during the second third  with the natural tobacco increasing at a more rapid rate.

The last third saw the cream notes in the forefront dissipate. The natural tobacco moved into the forefront joining the earth notes. There still were notes of pepper and fruit in the background. This is the way the Villiger La Meridiana Box Pressed Toro came to a close. The resulting nub was firm to the touch and cool in temperature.

Burn

The Villiger La Meridiana Toro Box Pressed had a slightly wavy burn line, but overall had no problem maintaining a straight burn path. This was a cigar that did not require an excessive amount of touch-ups. The resulting ash was on the firm side. This was an ash with a silvery gray color with a slight amount of dark streaking to it. Meanwhile, the burn rate and burn temperature were ideal.

Draw

The Villiger La Meridiana Box Pressed Toro had an excellent draw. Sometimes a box pressed cigar can have too loose a draw, but no such case with the La Meridiana as it had an ideal balance of openness and resistance. Deriving flavor from this cigar was a low maintenance task.

Strength and Body

In terms of strength and body, the Villiger La Meridiana Toro Box Pressed is going to be much more dialed back compared to the La Vencedora. This is a cigar that started out mild to medium in strength and body. Around the halfway point, the strength and body increased in intensity and by the 60% (3/5) mark, both attributes progressed into medium territory. Both the strength and body balanced each other nicely with neither attribute overshadowing the other.

OVERALL ASSESSMENT

Final Thoughts

While it might sound cliche, the best way to describe the Villiger La Meridiana Toro Box Pressed is that it is an elegant and refined smoke. Strength and body-wise I would expect a cigar like this to be in Villigers profile. However, its also a great example of a cigar that shows that Nicaraguan puros do not need to be full throttle power bombs. Its a cigar that also intrigues me in how it smokes in the parejos and what longer term aging will do to it. I could recommend this smoke to any cigar enthusiast. As for myself, this is a cigar I would definitely smoke again  and its one Id have no problem purchasing again.

Summary

Key Flavors: Earth, Cream, Fruit Sweetness, Natural Tobacco, Pepper

Burn: Excellent

Draw: Excellent

Complexity: Medium

Strength: Mild to Medium (1st 3/5), Medium (Remainder)

Body: Mild to Medium (1st 3/5), Medium (Remainder)

Finish: Very Good

Rating

Value: Buy One

Score: 90

References

News: Villiger La Meridiana Coming to U.S. Market

Price: $10.60

Source: Villiger

Brand Reference: Villiger

Photo Credits: Cigar CoopWith the increase in the number of internet and Smartphone users the online trade and commerce has undergone a sea of change. To say, it has reshaped the configuration in which businesses are orchestrated in India. This blooming state of the industry has opened the doors for all the e-Commerce ventures like retail stores, banking and others. However, a separate genre of the e-commerce company emerged knownas the e-commerce consultants that aims to get businesses out of the tight spot. One such establishment is Sellers Tech which has been mapping out distinctive strategies to help the enterprises achieve market stability.An e-Commerce marketing and consulting company Seller Tech was put in place by Vikash Chauhan who has in his possession extensive knowledge and experience about the e-Commerce industry. He is of the opinion that everything in this industry is about the number of

customers who happen to come across the products when searching for their demands. Such expertise of his has oiled the wheels of this company which has been assisting organizations create proper marketing strategies and build their brand value. The objective here is to minimize the marketing cost and proffer better out-turns in exchange of the investment made by brands. Our main focus is to establish a Private Local Brand on e-Commerce and help companies frame and enhance their brand and market value. We are authorised service providers in Amazon, avers Vikash.The Haryana headquartered firm has been constructed to proffer specialised services to the sellers in Pan India. These services are devised to help merchandisers grow their businesses and fortify both its online and offline presence. The plus point of this company is that it is comforted by mental giants of the industry. Having the support of such great minds have not only eased the process of its origination but has also enabled it to extend its

services to various other areas of activities like the consulting sector. As a consulting service provider, it has been helping enterprises meet their commercial needs through a legion of high quality services and products that are up to the minute. Availing such panaceas Sellers Tech has been smoothly and continuously proliferating traders sales, savings, and success rate by curtailing their operating risk. Hence, in the bargain, it has also puts forwards Account Management, Photo shoot, Product Listing, Sales Increase and Digital Marketing. In short, it is determined to rescue its clients from the difficult situations. Our team is ministered by marketers and Business Development Managers of consulting services. This has empowered us to fabricate worthy solutions in the entire arena that we deal with, he states.



In the near future, the company aims to excel in all its endeavours by conferring extremely confidential, reliable and trust worthy information. It plans to elevate the revenue generating opportunities. It aspires to engage its expertise in retainer consulting, project consulting, market research and other such activities. We aim to leverage from a single pool of expertise into multiple revenue generation opportunities. We also hope to enhance the business visibility, provide access to buyers on products on the websites and increase the credibility of all the brands that we work for, he concludes.U.S. health officials on Thursday reported 971 measles cases so far this year, the highest tally in 27 years, and experts say it's not clear when the wave of illnesses will stop.

Measles, once common in the U.S., became rare after vaccination campaigns that started in the 1960s. A decade ago, there were fewer than 100 cases a year.

The new numbers from the Centers for Disease control and Prevention pushed the U.S. tally higher than the 963 illnesses reported for all of 1994. The nation last saw this many cases in 1992, when more than 2,200 were reported.

Overall vaccination rates have remained fairly high, but outbreaks have been happening in communities where parents have refused recommended shots, U.S. health officials say.

"What's causing these outbreaks is lack of vaccination," said Dr. Mark Roberts, chair of health policy and management at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health.

Illnesses have been reported in 26 states, but the vast majority are in New York City.

The city's outbreak, which began last October, is already the largest local measles outbreak in the U.S. in nearly 30 years. It started when some unvaccinated children visited Israel, where a measles outbreak is occurring, and came back to New York.

More than 500 cases have been diagnosed in two Brooklyn neighborhoods  Williamsburg and Borough Park  and mainly among unvaccinated children in Orthodox Jewish communities. Forty-two have been hospitalized, including 12 treated in intensive care units.

More than 25,000 doses of vaccine have been given to children and teenagers in those two neighborhoods since October.

Some have been motivated by a city order issued in April that all children and adults who live in four Brooklyn ZIP codes be vaccinated or face fines up to $1,000. City officials say 123 people have received summonses for not complying with the order.

The city health department has put 400 people to work on the outbreak, and forged new relationships with community organizations to make a better case for vaccinations.

The officials believe it's all paying off. New measles diagnoses dropped from 173 last month to 60 this month.

"I'm confident that the work that we have put in place ... put us on the right trajectory to bring this outbreak to an end soon," said Dr. Oxiris Barbot, New York City's health commissioner.

Some health experts see the current outbreak as a sign that other vaccine-preventable illnesses could worsen.

"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."

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 worst year for measles in modern U.S. history was 1958, with more than 763,000 reported cases and 552 deaths. The numbers fell dramatically after a vaccine became available in the 1960s and by the 1983 the annual case count dipped below 1,500.

But the illness rebounded at the end of the 1980s, with many cases among young unvaccinated black and Hispanic children living in inner-city areas.

In 1990, more than 27,000 cases were reported, including about 90 deaths.

During the resurgence, public health officials began recommending children get two vaccine doses, instead of one. Cases began to drop, and they plummeted after the 1993 creation of a federal program providing vaccines to children whose parents or guardians can't afford them.

Will this year's measles cases reach the levels seen in the early 1990s? There are several reasons the answer may be no.

Overall vaccination levels are higher nationally today.

Also, measles cases historically peak in the spring for some unknown reason, and summer is almost here. Maybe that pattern will hold this year, too, said Dr. Peter Hotez, an infectious diseases expert at the Baylor College of Medicine.

But experts have been surprised by the current epidemic, and say some recent developments make it hard to predict.

Some point to a social media-driven anti-vaccine movement that has been a major factor in the Brooklyn outbreak.

Also, the chance of measles coming in from other countries keeps rising. The World Health Organization has said 82,500 measles cases were reported last year, over three times more than the previous year.

The CDC's Dr. Tom Clark said that even if the New York City outbreak continues, this year's case count should stop short of the 1992 mark.

Hotez sounded uneasy.

"How this all shakes out over the next few months, we don't know," he said.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0Small business owners worried about the spread of measles may want to be sure their staffers have been vaccinated, but before issuing any orders, they should speak with a labor law attorney or human resources consultant.

An employer generally is prohibited from requiring employees to undergo medical procedures including vaccinations under the Americans with Disabilities Act; a company that tries to force staffers to be vaccinated can find itself being sued by angry workers. But there can be exceptions, especially in places where there's a measles outbreak or where government officials have ordered vaccinations to protect the public's health.

If an employer is sued for requiring vaccinations, or even firing a staffer who refuses to be vaccinated, a court is likely to defer to the judgment of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other public health officials, says Howard Mavity, an employment law attorney with Fisher Phillips in Atlanta. And the CDC, which has identified nearly 900 measles cases in nearly half the states, has declared outbreaks in parts of New York state and California, and in Michigan, Georgia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Washington state. The CDC considers three or more cases to be an outbreak.

The CDC calls measles highly contagious  so much so that if one person has it, up to 90% of those around them will also get it unless they are not protected. It can have serious complications including neurological problems and blindness. The disease was declared eliminated in the U.S. in 2000, but the number of cases has been rising.

Owners who want their staffers vaccinated against measles are on the strongest ground in places where there are known outbreaks, Mavity says.

"They have a decent chance of prevailing" in the case of a lawsuit, he says.

But Mavity says judges' decisions would rest on the facts of an individual case. What isn't clear is whether a staffer who claims an exemption under law from required vaccinations because of religious or health grounds can be disciplined or fired for not getting a measles shot.

Owners are best advised not to make any requirements about vaccinations, or take any action against employees, without getting legal advice first.

Companies should also know that they may not have the same protection when it comes to annual influenza vaccinations as they might have with measles.

But health care companies where workers are in contact with patients may have more power to require vaccinations. The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in December upheld the right of a health care company to fire a staffer who refused to be vaccinated against rubella.

At health care companies, management might decide to require unvaccinated staffers to wear masks or work in jobs where they don't have contact with patients.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0Every hour that one of The Advance Group's trucks is stuck in highway or bridge traffic, it costs the moving company around $200. And with 40 trucks trying to get into Manhattan daily and contending with the New York metro area's deteriorating infrastructure, the price of lost time runs up quickly.

"Getting to and from a job site is not really billable to a client," says Anthony Parziale, president of The Advance Group, based in the suburb of Farmingdale.

Parziale's company and other small and mid-size businesses want the federal government to follow through on a promise to rebuild the nation's infrastructure  not just roads and bridges, but also extending broadband coverage to rural areas where internet and cellphone service is poor or nonexistent.

Improving and fixing the roads in New York would help traffic flow faster even with the area's congestion, Parziale says. He wants to see officials deal with New York's ongoing pothole problems; damage to his fleet from the area's pitted roads costs the company $65,000 each winter.

"It's becoming more challenging to conduct business," he says.

The Trump administration and Democrats in Congress earlier this month publicly agreed that the nation needs $2 trillion for infrastructure upgrades. But quick action looks unlikely  President Donald Trump said last week he wouldn't negotiate with Democrats while they are investigating his administration. And a bill would have to win support from both parties; the No. 2 Republican in the House, Steve Scalise of Louisiana, has already said the $2 trillion figure is too high.

In a January survey of 1,001 small business owners and operators released by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 56% said the quality of their high-speed internet was good, and 58% said cellphone network coverage was good. Those somewhat slim majorities reflect dissatisfaction among a considerable portion of owners.

Roads and bridges got lower marks: 62% of the owners rated local roads and bridges as having between very poor and average quality, and 52% gave the same ratings to highways. Owners in the Northeast gave the lowest marks to infrastructure compared to ratings by owners in other regions, but across the country owners were most dissatisfied with highways.

All businesses must deal with the added expense caused by poor infrastructure, but smaller companies don't have the revenue cushions large businesses use to absorb the costs of lost time and repairs.

At the 225 franchisees of AdvantaClean, a company that cleans building air systems, staffers spend about half their time traveling from one appointment to another, and highway and road problems cut into the amount of time spent doing the real work, President Matt Phillips says.

"Significant changes to our infrastructure could reduce our expenses as much as 35 percent and help increase revenue by 25 percent," Phillips says. It's not just the time, but also fuel wasted by slow-moving traffic that drives up costs, he says.

Phillips' crews have the most problems in the Northeast, which has older, more dilapidated infrastructure, and the Southeast, where roads are crowded due to the region's fast growth.

In many areas, it's not possible to build entirely new highways. But roadways can be widened in projects that can take years but that ultimately allow traffic to move faster. A 35-mile stretch of the New Jersey Turnpike was widened to six lanes in each direction from three; it took five years to complete. When bridges are replaced, lanes can be added; when the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge replaced the Tappan Zee Bridge across the Hudson River north of New York City, the new double span was given eight traffic lanes, compared to seven on the old bridge.

For many small businesses, including those in rural areas or whose customers are located far from metro areas, the infrastructure problem is about broadband coverage needed to move information across cell phones and the internet.

Internet service is poor in the Catskill Mountains 130 miles north of Manhattan. Lita Wall, who owns Cold Spring Lodge, has Wi-Fi through her cable provider for her guests and also to run the business. But the internet service is spotty because of the mountains, often failing during poor weather, and cellphone service is equally unreliable. The area, which has many "dead zones" where there is no service, needs more cellphone towers. Wall has a landline phone for voice calls.

Wall also owns a restaurant in Manhattan's East Village neighborhood, but even in the heavily populated city, she struggles with poor internet connections.

"Sometimes it is down and we don't notice until later and so have issues with the customers who send orders during the time the system is down," Wall says. At those times, she needs to connect to the internet using her cellphone as what's known as a hotspot, an added expense each month.

Even companies that have good service can be forced to contend with their customers' poor connections. John Royster owns a design firm, Big Muddy Workshop, in Omaha, Nebraska, located near military installations whose presence guarantees excellent internet and cellphone service in the area. But Royster has clients in more rural areas, and their internet systems, when they're working, can't accommodate the large electronic documents and files that architects routinely email.

One client, who lives on a ranch about 300 miles away, couldn't receive large documents. So Royster sent them to a print shop 40 miles from the ranch where they were printed. The client had to drive two hours round trip to get it.

"These delays in exchanging information can easily add a week or two to a project. This negatively impacts my bottom-line and delays progress for my clients," Royster says.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0Indonesian authorities have arrested a group of foreigners including an American, two Russians and two Spaniards on Friday for selling cocaine in Bali.





The arrested, three men and two women, were paraded before the media at a police news conference in Denpasar, Bali s provincial capital.





The police have identified the 31-year-old American only as Ian.





Denpasar police chief Ruddi Setiawan said the foreigners were arrested between May 20 and 24 from the tourist hotspot of Kuta. He said the police seized 20.18 grams of cocaine and 44.14 grams of marijuana from the group.





On May 20, AFP reported that Indonesia had sentenced a French drug smuggler to death by firing squad.





Setiawan told the news conference that the arrests came about when the police caught a 33-year-old Russian man, identified as Nikita. The man was allegedly arranging cocaine sales via phone to foreign tourists. Apart from the American, the others arrested were identified as a 31-year-old Russian woman, Maria; a 33-year-old Spanish woman, Laura; and a 37-year-old Spanish man, Juan, who had operated a restaurant in Kerobokan.





We are still investigating how they got that cocaine and marijuana. We believe they are part of an international syndicate and got the drugs from abroad. Setiawan said.





The east Asian nation has some of the worlds strictest drug laws, including death penalty. In the past, Indonesia, the largest drugs market in Asia, has executed a number of foreigners including Australias Bali Nine heroin gang, which had caught the attention of the international media.





In 2017, the Indonesian President Joko Widodo had granted authorities shoot-on-sight orders for drug dealers and traffickers. The chief representative of the National Anti-Narcotics Agency, Sulistiandriatmioko, had told the South China Morning Post that there are about six million drug users across the nation. He explained that the large number of users called for a high demand, attracting both local and foreign dealers.





A survey by the National Anti-Narcotics Agency found that major cities like Jakarta and Yogyakarta have the worst drug problem.





Authorities have also highlighted the rise in drug-related cases in tourist hotspots including in Bali and Gili Trawangan.

 | 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BAGHDAD, Iraq  Nine French jihadists are now on death row in Iraq after a court sentenced two more to death on Sunday for joining the Islamic State group, rejecting a claim of torture.





Fodil Tahar Aouidate and Vianney Ouraghi were among 11 French citizens and one Tunisian handed over to Iraqi authorities in January by a US-backed force fighting the jihadist group in Syria.





Described as violent and ready to die for the extremist IS ideology, Aouidate first appeared in court on May 27 but a judge delayed his trial and ordered a medical examination after the 32-year-old claimed he was tortured into confessing.





The medical report shows that there are no signs of torture on his body, the judge told the court before handing down his sentence.





His trial was quickly followed by that of 28-year-old Ouraghi, who acknowledged in court that he worked with IS but said he did not participate in any fighting.





Baghdad has handed capital punishments to seven of the other French jihadists and the Tunisian over the past week.





Hearings for the last two suspected French IS members to be tried in Baghdad are set for Monday.





 FIND related content here





Iraq has sentenced more than 500 suspected foreign members of IS since the start of 2018.





Its courts have condemned many to life in prison and others to death, although no foreign IS members have yet been executed.





Those convicted have 30 days to appeal.





Outsourcing IS trials





Ouraghi, who has Algerian roots, left France for Syria in 2013 and joined the Al-Qaeda affiliate there before jumping to IS when the latter declared its caliphate in 2014.





Yes, I worked with IS, but I did not participate in any combat in Syria or Iraq, Ouraghi said in classical Arabic, which he picked up in Egypt.





Sporting thick glasses and a light brown goatee, he pleaded that he was only an IS administrative officer in charge of widows and families of the jihadist group.





Aouidate showed no reaction when the judge handed down his death sentence, according to an AFP journalist at the trial.





He first went to Syria in 2013 and returned in 2014 with 22 members of his family to join IS, according to the French judiciary.





Authorities also linked him to Belgiums Salafist movement including Abdelhamid Abaaoud, the presumed mastermind of the 2015 Paris attacks.





Interrogated for four months, he alleged during his first hearing that he was beaten to confess to the charges levelled against him.





Human Rights Watch on Friday accused Iraqi interrogators of using a range of torture techniques... which would not leave lasting marks on the persons body.





It also condemned Frances outsourcing of trials of IS suspects to abusive justice systems and criticised Iraqs routine failure... to credibly investigate torture allegations.





RELATED | France ups pressure on Iraq not to execute IS convicts





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.





French government spokeswoman Sibeth Ndiaye reiterated Sunday that officials were intervening at the highest level in the cases.





Frances position has been constant... As soon as our citizens around the world face the possibility of a death sentence after a conviction, we intervene at the highest level of state, Ndiaye told Europe 1 television.





Iraqi law provides for the death penalty for anyone joining a terrorist group  even those who did not take up arms.

 | 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

Agence France-Presse, Staff, June 2, 2019