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Total 100 articles, created at 2016-04-29 18:05 1 Video: North Korea Sentences US Citizen to 10 Years in Prison (1.00/2) Kim Dong Chul was convicted six months after being accused of spying and stealing state secrets 2016-04-29 15:57 1KB abcnews.go.com 2 This Week in Pictures: Top Photos from Around the Globe Find this week's top photos from around the globe in ABC News' This Week in Pictures (1.00/2) slideshow 2016-04-29 10:08 786Bytes abcnews.go.com
3 Santiago decries ‘conspiracy’ to rob her of victory BACOLOD CITY—Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago on Friday alleged that there was a conspiracy to rob her of victory in the May 9 polls. But she said the strength of the youth who were 2016-04-29 18:04 2KB newsinfo.inquirer.net 4 Roxas slams Duterte for doing a ‘Binay’ Is Duterte doing a "Binay? " Liberal Party standard-bearer Manuel “Mar” Roxas II posed this question to Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte after flip-flopping on the ownership of 2016-04-29 18:04 4KB newsinfo.inquirer.net 5 Remullas drop Binay, vow big win for Duterte in Cavite SAN PEDRO CITY—Saying they listened to the clamor of the people, members of the Remulla political clan of Cavite province on Friday said they will support Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte in 2016-04-29 18:04 4KB newsinfo.inquirer.net 6 WATCH: Full Spy Tapes judgment The North Gauteng High Court on Friday ruled that a 2009 decision to drop 783 corruption charges against President Jacob Zuma should be reviewed, another setback for the scandal-ridden leader, who faces calls for his resignation. Watch the full judgment here. 2016-04-29 15:25 1KB www.timeslive.co.za 7 Victoria Wood gave us the gift of being able to laugh at ourselves Notes from a small island: the fraught and colourful history of Sicily Without her, who is going to tell the rest of the world about the sheer ridiculousness of being a middle-aged woman? 2016-04-29 10:08 14KB www.newstatesman.com 8 I once wondered if this generation of doctors would care for the NHS as I do To preserve the environment we hold in common, everyone has to play their part Events of the past six months have shown that they do. 2016-04-29 02:51 9KB www.newstatesman.com 9 San Diego County's priciest pads top out at $33.9 million The Los Angeles area isn't the only hotbed of real estate in the Southland. In March, median home prices in San Diego swelled to $478,000, their highest mark in roughly nine years, according to CoreLogic. Here's a look at the most... 2016-04-29 18:04 1KB www.latimes.com 10 Last hurrah for Valdez: I’ll just keep on fighting Pushed to her limit, Alyssa Valdez gave everything she could to bring back Ateneo from the dead in Game 2 and into a knockout duel with La Salle on Sunday for the UAAP championship. Valdez, 2016-04-29 18:04 1KB sports.inquirer.net 11 Video: Birthday boy Andre Russell gets 'cake face' courtesy KKR teammates Kolkata Knight Riders all-rounder Andre Dwayne Russell celebrated his 28th birthday in India with his teammates, who made sure that the Jamaican had his cake and ate it too 2016-04-29 18:04 1KB www.mid-day.com 12 Leo Austria admits fearing for his job over All-Filipino gamble San Miguel coach Leo Austria dodged a bullet when his team, playing all-Filipino for Game 3, evaded early elimination after a 104-98 win over Rain or Shine on Thursday. Making the decision to 2016-04-29 18:04 3KB sports.inquirer.net 13 Tragic! Pakistani pacer Junaid Khan loses first child, condolences pour in from cricketers Pakistani fast bowler Junaid Khan shared the tragic news of having lost his first child on social media and it immediately saw an outpouring of condolences from past and present cricketers 2016-04-29 18:04 1KB www.mid-day.com 14 GOT’s ‘The Mountain’ reveals his 9-meal-a-day diet on social media Apparently, Gregor Clegane did not get his ‘mountainous’ physique simply by gouging eyeballs and drinking the blood of his enemies, but rather—he got it from absurd amount of 2016-04-29 18:04 2KB entertainment.inquirer.net 15 Taking cash for vote will bring thief as leader: Kamal Haasan Raising his voice against voters accepting money for vote, film star Kamal Haasan said if a citizen accepts money for this purpose 'you will only get a thief as your leader' 2016-04-29 18:04 1KB www.mid-day.com 16 Core Media Group, American Idol’s company, files bankruptcy The company behind the glamorous singing reality show American Idol is 'signing off' in the media industry terrain. Core Media Group filed bankruptcy on Thursday, defending that it 2016-04-29 18:04 2KB entertainment.inquirer.net 17 Bombay HC orders demolition of controversial Adarsh building The Bombay High Court, on Friday ordered demolition of the controversial Adarsh Housing Society building in Colaba, for'violating coastal regulations' 2016-04-29 17:22 2KB www.mid-day.com 18 Helicopter with 14 people crashes in Norway A helicopter carrying at least 14 people crashed on Friday in Norway, the media reported 2016-04-29 17:15 1KB www.mid-day.com 19 Notice being served on those named in Panama Papers: Arun Jaitley The government is taking all necessary steps on the issue of tax evasion and notice is being served on those whose names figure in the Panama Papers leaks, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said in the Lok Sabha on Friday 2016-04-29 17:11 3KB www.mid- day.com 20 Gujrat announces 10 pc quota for EBCs to placate agitating Patels Under pressure due to Patel quota agitation, BJP government in Gujarat announced 10 per cent reservation for the economically backward among upper castes 2016-04-29 17:08 2KB www.mid-day.com
21 MPs oppose medical entrance exam on May 1 Members of various parties in Lok Sabha today opposed holding of the first phase of common entrance test for MBBS and BDS on May one saying it gives little time to students, with some of them also demanding that states be given time till 2018 to adapt 2016-04-29 17:08 2KB www.mid-day.com 22 Court orders framing of charges against Naveen Jindal, others A special court ordered framing of charges against industrialist Naveen Jindal, former Minister of State for Coal Dasari Narayan Rao and 13 others for criminal conspiracy, cheating and other offences in a coal block allocation scam case 2016-04-29 17:07 3KB www.mid-day.com 23 Congress leader Digvijaya Singh's youngest daughter Karnika dies of cancer Congress leader Digvijaya Singh's daughter Karnika Singh died due to cancer. 37-year- old Karnika is the youngest among the four daughters of Singh 2016-04-29 17:05 1KB www.mid-day.com 24 Government takes steps to modernise Doordarshan Government has taken a number of steps to modernise Doordarshan news and entertainment channels by bringing in latest technology, strengthening regional bureaux and hiring fresh talent, Lok Sabha was informed 2016-04-29 17:03 2KB www.mid-day.com 25 Watch video: Virat Kohli, Shane Watson and AB de Villiers 'monkeying' around These Royal Challengers Bangalore teammates seem to be having a hilarious time off the field at the ongoing Indian Premier League and this video is proof of that 2016-04-29 16:59 1KB www.mid-day.com 26 Woman, daughter killed after getting trapped under garbage in Nashik A 40-year-old woman and her minor daughter were killed after they allegedly got buried under a 50-ft high garbage heap which collapsed on them at a dumping ground, police said 2016-04-29 16:56 1KB www.mid-day.com 27 Guiao: Game 3 loss just ‘postponed’ Rain or Shine’s finals stint Rain or Shine may have failed to complete a sweep, but doesn't mean it couldn't finish off San Miguel. In Yeng Guiao's mind, the Elastopainters will still make it to the 2016-04-29 16:46 2KB sports.inquirer.net 28 Former US House speaker: Ted Cruz is ‘Lucifer in the flesh’ WASHINGTON—Former US House speaker John Boehner has let fly with a stunning critique of fellow Republican and 2016 presidential hopeful Ted Cruz, labeling him the devil 2016-04-29 16:38 3KB newsinfo.inquirer.net 29 WATCH: US show releases video rap on Donald Trump quotes https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=136&v=JSBGDC0rKWU United States (US) morning segment The Daily Show has produced a rap video composed solely of quotes from Republican 2016-04-29 16:28 1KB newsinfo.inquirer.net 30 LOOK: Anne Curtis, Jasmine hang out in London Actress and popular TV host Anne Curtis, together with fellow celebrity and sister Jasmine Curtis-Smith, are gallivanting and having a sisterly bonding in London. Anne shared splendid 2016-04-29 16:21 1KB entertainment.inquirer.net 31 2-year-old son fatally shoots mother inside car An American woman was killed while driving along a Milwaukee highway on Thursday, after her two-year-old son accidentally shot her from the backseat of the moving car. The victim, Patrice 2016-04-29 16:15 2KB newsinfo.inquirer.net 32 Pacquiao now a political heavyweight SAN PABLO CITY, Philippines—Boxing legend Manny Pacquiao smiles as he soaks up the sounds of adoring fans screaming his name, their cheers heralding a new career as one of the Philippines' 2016-04-29 16:15 4KB newsinfo.inquirer.net 33 Watch Video: 12-car train rolls into Vashi station on Harbour line Mumbai Harbour line commuters had a reason to rejoice as the newly-introduced 12-car local train officially left from Vashi for Wadala Road railway station on Friday morning 2016-04-29 16:06 3KB www.mid-day.com 34 Police searching for suspects in Portland Denny’s stabbing Police are searching for suspects after a stabbing outside a Denny’s restaurant in Portland left one man seriously injured. 2016-04-29 15:57 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 35 Indicated businessman filed for bankruptcy protection A Wisconsin businessman indicted in an alleged scheme to fraudulently obtain bank loans has filed for bankruptcy protection. 2016-04-29 15:57 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 36 19-year-old Frontenac man prepares to reopen diner in Girard Andrew Faucett hopes to reopen a popular restaurant in a building more than 100 years older than he is. 2016-04-29 09:55 3KB www.washingtontimes.com 37 Planeload of 33 rescued circus lions to fly from Peru to South Africa A planeload of 33 lions rescued from abuse in Peruvian and Colombian circuses will fly to South Africa Friday in what campaigners call the largest ever airlift of big cats. 2016-04-29 15:38 3KB www.timeslive.co.za 38 Authorities: 11 charged in Rochester-area cocaine ring Federal authorities say nearly a dozen people have been charged in a major cocaine trafficking ring in Rochester. 2016-04-29 15:27 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 39 Will Smith, Jada Pinkett-Smith join Obama youth initiative Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith are adding their star power to President Barack Obama’s initiative to boost opportunities for vulnerable young Americans. 2016-04-29 15:27 2KB www.washingtontimes.com 40 2 suburban Cleveland schools find high lead levels in water Two schools in a Cleveland suburb have shut off their drinking fountains after finding high levels of lead in the water. 2016-04-29 15:27 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 41 The Latest: Hundreds turned away from Trump rally in OC The Latest on the scene outside Donald Trump’s rally in Southern California (all times local): 2016-04-29 15:27 2KB www.washingtontimes.com 42 Drug drop off boxes now at each state police barracks After a successful campaign placing prescription drug drop boxes across Connecticut yielded 23,000 pounds of unused pills last year, 11 more boxes have been added. 2016-04-29 15:26 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 43 Police in Washington state fatally shoot man with knife Two Spokane officers fatally shot a man outside a homeless shelter after he approached them with a knife, police said. 2016-04-29 15:23 2KB www.washingtontimes.com 44 Lawsuit claims discrimination at the New York Times Two women who work in the advertising department at The New York Times have filed a federal discrimination lawsuit against the newspaper, its chief executive and chief revenue officer. 2016-04-29 15:23 2KB www.washingtontimes.com 45 All lanes reopen after fuel spill causes delays on I-75 in... All lanes are open again after a fuel truck tipped over on Interstate 75 northbound, causing a fuel spill Friday in Clayton County and temporarily blocking two lanes at Charles W. 2016-04-29 15:21 1002Bytes www.ajc.com 46 Graduating nursing students to take part in disaster drill Graduating nursing students and faculty are going to be taking part in a mock disaster event at Rivier University in Nashua. 2016-04-29 09:25 1007Bytes www.washingtontimes.com 47 Rovi buying TiVo in $1.1B cash-and-stock deal Digital TV listing company Rovi is buying TiVo in a cash-and-stock deal valued at about $1.1 billion. 2016-04-29 15:19 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 48 Bridgeport man guilty of sexual assaults on granddaughter A 64-year-old Bridgeport man is facing a sentence of more than 50 years in prison after being convicted of repeated sexual assaults on his young granddaughter. 2016-04-29 15:19 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 49 Spain: Park workers discover huge Roman coin trove Workers laying pipes in a southern Spanish park have unearthed a 600-kilogram (1,300- pound) trove of Roman coins in what culture officials say is a unique historic discovery. 2016-04-29 15:17 2KB www.washingtontimes.com 50 Portsmouth destroying public documents without proper form The city of Portsmouth has destroyed public documents this fiscal year without submitting certificates of destruction. 2016-04-29 15:16 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 51 Bismarck’s downtown alleys to be canvases for local artists The city of Bismarck plans to turn downtown alleys into canvases for local artists. 2016-04-29 15:16 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 52 Tennessee ACLU, family sue over teen solitary confinement The American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee has joined a lawsuit against the Department of Children’s Services and the Rutherford County Juvenile Detention Center to end the use of solitary confinement for children. 2016-04-29 15:16 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 53 Trial delayed for Iowan accused of Medicaid fraud A trial has been delayed for a western Iowa man accused of fraudulently billing Medicaid. 2016-04-29 15:16 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 54 Augusta man pleads guilty to drug distribution charges A 44-year-old Augusta man has admitted to federal drug distribution charges stemming from a 2015 traffic stop arrest at a southern Maine rest stop. 2016-04-29 15:16 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 55 Students upset over school paper’s racially charged cartoon Students at Wesley College in Delaware have expressed outrage over two racially charged cartoons that appeared in the student newspaper last week. 2016-04-29 15:16 1KB www.washingtontimes.com
56 Singers sought for iconic New York folk music venue’s video The nation’s longest continuously operating coffeehouse is putting together a video featuring Arlo Guthrie and Garrison Keillor to celebrate the upstate New York folk music venue’s impending renovations. 2016-04-29 15:15 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 57 Rio Olympic flame visits UN office in Geneva The Olympic flame for the Rio de Janeiro Games came to the United Nations in Geneva on Friday, where officials said a team of refugee athletes will bring a message of hope for refugees around the world. 2016-04-29 15:15 3KB www.washingtontimes.com 58 Natchez school district to pay $127K to former principal The Natchez-Adams School District will pay about $127,500 to a former principal, who successfully sued the district for wrongful termination. The district’s insurance company will pay the remainder of the $625,000 settlement. 2016-04-29 15:15 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 59 Synthetic pesticide task force proposed in Portland Portland City Council’s Energy and Sustainability Committee voted in favor of creating a task force to consider restricting the use of synthetic pesticides and fertilizer in the city. 2016-04-29 15:15 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 60 IUPUI back to normal after emergency order due to robbery Officials at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis say campus can return to normal activities after they issued a take-shelter order when an armed robbery was reported. 2016-04-29 15:15 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 61 Proposed 'John Wayne Day' sparks argument over Wayne's 'racism, hostility, homophobia' A Calif. state lawmaker proposed a resolution to create "John Wayne Day" on the actor's May 26th birthday, and fellow assembly members quoted offensive comments Wayne had made in the past to oppose it. The April 28 vote failed to pass the bill. 2016-04-29 15:12 1KB www.washingtonpost.com 62 After brief lull, new air raids over Syrian city of Aleppo After a brief morning lull, Syrian government warplanes launched fresh airstrikes Friday targeting rebel-held parts of Aleppo, raising fears of more casualties after days of carnage that propelled the contested northern city once again as a main battlefield in Syria’s devastating civil war. 2016-04-29 15:10 3KB www.washingtontimes.com 63 IPL 9: Kieron Pollard can make any opposition jittery, feels Robin Singh Mumbai Indians assistant coach Robin Singh feels that a player like Kieron Pollard is valuable to any T20 side as he has the ability to make any opposition jittery with his big- hitting prowess 2016-04-29 15:08 3KB www.mid-day.com 64 IPL 9: We were 15 runs short against Mumbai, says KKR's Chris Lynn Kolkata Knight Riders batsman Chris Lynn said his team was 15 runs short and paid for not capitalising on the rollicking start given by its openers in the lost game against Mumbai Indians here 2016-04-29 15:06 2KB www.mid-day.com 65 F1: Red Bull's Daniil Kvyat confident of strong show in Sochi Formula One racer Daniil Kvyat has said he was optimistic about his team Red Bull's performance at the upcoming Sochi Grand Prix this weekend 2016-04-29 15:05 2KB www.mid-day.com
66 Borussia Dortmund's Mats Hummels to join Bayern Munich Mats Hummels will leave Dortmund at the end of the season to join rivals Bayern Munich, the Bundesliga runner-up announced in an official statement 2016-04-29 15:04 1KB www.mid-day.com 67 Get the 411 on how to make the best coffee What’s the best way to serve your coffee? Champion barista Daniel Erasmus from Firebird Coffee Works gives us insider information 2016-04-29 15:03 3KB www.timeslive.co.za 68 WICB to consider Pakistan day-night Test proposal The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) are mulling over a proposal from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to play a Test under lights during the Caribbean side’s tour this year 2016-04-29 15:03 2KB www.mid-day.com 69 Grupo, hirit na ipasara ang DepEd dahil sa K-12 Inihirit ng grupong Stop K to 12 Alliance ang pagpapasara sa Department of Education (DepEd) Biyernes ng umaga. 2016-04-29 14:52 925Bytes news.abs-cbn.com 70 's weekly blind spot: New comic strip in Sunday midday starting May 1 A comic strip on visual disability to debut in Mumbai newspaper 2016-04-29 14:49 2KB www.mid-day.com 71 Thane civic official held for offering Rs 25 lakh bribe A deputy director in Town Planning department of Vasai Virar Municipal Corporation (VVMC) has been arrested for allegedly offering Rs 25 lakh as bribe to a corporator, Anti-Corruption Bureau said on Friday 2016-04-29 14:40 1KB www.mid-day.com 72 Ex-Montana Sen. Conrad Burns dies; influenced energy policy Former Montana Sen. Conrad Burns, a former cattle auctioneer whose folksy demeanor and political acumen earned him three terms and the bitter disdain of his opponents, died Thursday. He was 81. 2016-04-29 13:09 4KB www.washingtontimes.com 73 Ted Cruz picks Carly Fiorina as running mate Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz announces former contender Carly Fiorina as his running mate. 2016-04-29 09:36 3KB www.bbc.co.uk 74 Have we fallen out of love with elephant rides? After a trekking elephant died in Cambodia this week, the BBC's Anna Jones asks whether it is the end of the road for the Asian elephant ride. 2016-04-29 02:48 5KB www.bbc.co.uk 75 8 New Restaurants to Try Right Now Help these new small businesses get off to a good start by enjoying their delicious foods. 2016-04-29 07:37 3KB www.dnainfo.com 76 Students invent gloves that translate sign language Contact WND (Bustle) While most college undergraduates are spending their free periods on Facebook, two remarkable students have used their spare time to pioneer an invention that may change the very way we communicate. Navid Azodi and Thomas Pryor, sophomores at University of Washington (UW), have created lightweight gloves that can translate sign language instantly. Think of […]... 2016-04-29 12:15 1KB www.wnd.com 77 These great men of the sea had God as their pilot Contact WND “Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!” yelled Admiral David Glasgow Farragut, who had lashed himself atop the mainsail to see above the smoke. His fleet of wooden ships, with hulls wrapped in chains, were accompanied by four iron clad monitors as they attacked Fort... 2016-04-29 12:15 11KB www.wnd.com 78 One suspect charged, another on run in 2015 slaying in north Houston One suspect has been acussed and another is on the run in the shooting death of a 32- year-old man late last year at a hotel along Interstate 45 in north Houston. 2016-04-29 11:37 1KB www.chron.com 79 Fragile economy forces Iran's top leaders to form alliance After having achieved a nuclear deal with the West, both Rouhani and Khamenei have a vested interest in setting aside their differences to secure their political futures and turn the economy round. 2016-04-29 14:01 6KB www.jpost.com 80 4 young girls run away from Florida foster home BRANDON, Fla. (AP) — Authorities were searching Friday for four foster children who were discovered missing from their beds during head count at a private fo... 2016-04-29 10:59 1KB www.dailymail.co.uk 81 Jeb Bush re-emerges to bash Trump – campaign live Violent protests in California result in smashed police cars and 20 arrested, as the GOP candidates all head to the Golden State to campaign for its 172 delegates 2016-04-29 13:56 3KB www.theguardian.com 82 Alan Pardew wants Crystal Palace to finish Premier League season with a flourish Alan Pardew has demanded Crystal Palace produce a strong finish to the Barclays Premier League season before they focus on winning the FA Cup. 2016-04-29 13:56 4KB www.independent.ie 83 Supreme Court rules fired dispatcher should get new trial New Jersey’s Supreme Court says a former dispatcher who says she was discriminated against because she refused to work the midnight shift should get a new trial on her claims that she was unfairly terminated. 2016-04-29 12:02 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 84 Punishments but no criminal charges in US attack on hospital Administrative punishments but no criminal charges have been leveled against U. S. military personnel for mistakes that resulted in 42 people dying in last year’s attack on a civilian hospital in Afghanistan operated by the medical charity Doctors Without Borders, officials said. 2016-04-29 12:02 3KB www.washingtontimes.com 85 Man gets 30 years in ex-girlfriend’s 2014 fatal stabbing A northern New Jersey man who admitted to fatally stabbing his former girlfriend days after she broke up with him is heading to prison. 2016-04-29 12:03 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 86 Teen gets prison in unintentional Columbus fatal shooting A 17-year-old boy is heading to prison in the 2014 unintentional shooting that left a teenage girl dead in Columbus. 2016-04-29 12:03 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 87 Yahoo - Yahoo to Participate at the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media & Telecom Conference --(BUSINESS WIRE)-- (NASDAQ:YHOO) CFO will participate in a question-and-answer session at the Morgan Stanley in. The session is scheduled to begin on , at /... 2016-04-29 12:14 1KB investor.yahoo.net
88 Residents of Iraq’s IS-held Fallujah suffer under siege Abu Jassim can only afford to provide one meal a day for his seven-member family - usually a stew made of locally grown leafy green vegetables or rice with a small portion of flat bread. 2016-04-29 12:02 4KB www.washingtontimes.com 89 Authorities: Deputies shoot, kill dog that attacked K-9 Authorities say sheriff’s deputies shot and killed a dog that attacked a police K-9 during a community event in Columbus. 2016-04-29 12:02 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 90 EU referendum issues guide: Explore the arguments Britain goes to the polls on Thursday 23 June to decide whether the UK should stay a member of the European Union. Use this guide to find out the arguments from the Leave and Remain sides on a range of key topics. 2016-04-29 08:39 739Bytes www.bbc.co.uk 91 BA owner IAG slows growth plans after Brussels attacks Airline group IAG, the owner of British Airways and Iberia, says it will slow plans to fly more routes as a result of weaker revenues following the Brussels attacks. 2016-04-29 08:39 1KB www.bbc.co.uk 92 Should homeless people be given tents? Tents are being used to make life for those on the streets more bearable, with some groups asking the public to donate them. 2016-04-29 11:38 7KB www.bbc.co.uk 93 What is the most expensive object on Earth? A new nuclear power station in the UK will be the most expensive thing ever built on the planet. True or false? 2016-04-29 11:38 6KB www.bbc.co.uk 94 Lizards share sleep patterns with humans Scientists say sleep patterns previously thought exclusive to mammals and birds are also found in lizards. 2016-04-29 11:38 3KB www.bbc.co.uk 95 Gene therapy reverses sight loss and is long-lasting A genetic therapy improves the vision of some patients who would otherwise have gone blind. 2016-04-29 08:40 7KB www.bbc.co.uk 96 Charge Zuma and restore NPA's reputation - Cope The Congress of the People (Cope) has called for charges against President Jacob Zuma to be reinstated to repair the tarnished reputation of the National Prosecution Authority (NPA). 2016-04-29 13:49 2KB www.timeslive.co.za 97 How do people justify earning more than others? How do you decide if one person deserves to earn more than someone else? 2016-04-29 08:40 6KB www.bbc.co.uk 98 V&A up for Museum of the Year £100,000 prize The Victoria and Albert museum is one of five venues nominated for the Art Fund's museum of the year award. 2016-04-29 11:38 4KB www.bbc.co.uk 99 Threatened with death for working on TV Two women employed by Afghanistan's most-watched TV station, Tolo, describe what it's like living and working on the Taliban's hit list. 2016-04-29 08:40 7KB www.bbc.co.uk 100 DJ's foul friend starts search for 'talented farters' Do you have the loudest and foulest fart? - Then you stand a chance of being crowned the farting champion and of walking away with R500 in cash. 2016-04-29 13:47 911Bytes www.timeslive.co.za Articles
Total 100 articles, created at 2016-04-29 18:05
1 Video: North Korea Sentences US Citizen to 10 Years in Prison (1.00/2) Transcript for North Korea Sentences US Citizen to 10 Years in Prison A North Korea has sentenced a Korean American man to ten years of hard labor for espionage. Kim done shall was convicted this morning six months after he was accused of spying and stealing state secrets. The verdict follows a conviction of another US citizen a University of Virginia student sentenced to fifteen years for anti state activities. This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
North Korea sends Kim Dong Chul, another U.S. citizen, to prison washingtontimes.com 2016-04-29 15:57 ABC News abcnews.go.com
2 This Week in Pictures: Top Photos from Around the Globe (1.00/2) Anti-frost candles burn in a vineyard in Flaesch, in the Swiss canton of Grisons, April 28, 2016. Due to unseasonably low temperatures, wine growers are attempting to protect their grape vines with additional warmth from the anti-frost candles.
The week in wildlife – in pictures theguardian.com 2016-04-29 10:08 ABC News abcnews.go.com
3 Santiago decries ‘conspiracy’ to rob her of victory BACOLOD CITY—Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago on Friday alleged that there was a conspiracy to rob her of victory in the May 9 polls. But she said the strength of the youth who were behind her served as a warning to those who planned to rig the elections. Santiago got a rock star welcome from a crowd of about 4,000 mostly young people, clad in red and chanting “Miriam ang sagot, Miriam ang sagot,” at University of Negros Occidental- Recoletos in Bacolod City on Friday afternoon. “It is a warning that if they rig the elections against the choice of the university students they might spill out into the streets,” she said. She said her opponents had been spreading rumors that she had withdrawn from the presidential race, which she had no plans of doing and done her best to counterattack. “It seems that there is a conspiracy because contributors do not give money and my opponents wait until I’m destitute then they come with an offer to buy me out,” she said. She added her husband had been approached with an offer that if she withdraws from the campaign and endorses another presidential bet, she would be given as much as P350 million. “They want to buy out an Ilongga,” she said, which was met by chants of “Miriam, Miriam” from the crowd. She said in jest that the next time an offer would be made, “ luthangon ko na lang sila (I will just shoot them),” drawing laughter from the crowd. Santiago, in an interview, said that if elected president, Negros and Iloilo would be her priority for infrastructure and agriculture. She promised that by the end of her term as president, the Philippines would be more prosperous and its people united. As president, she said her first order of business would be the battle against corruption, noting that in the latest perception index the Philippines was ranked 95th out of 168 countries. She said corruption was perceived to be widespread in the Bureau of Customs, Department of Transportation and Communications, Department of Public Works and Highways, Department of Agriculture and Philippine National Police. “These agencies are the one supposed to deal with the problems Filipinos complain about daily,” she added. RC
Miriam ‘heartsick’ over Corona’s passing newsinfo.inquirer.net 2016-04-29 18:04 Carla P newsinfo.inquirer.net
4 Roxas slams Duterte for doing a ‘Binay’ Is Duterte doing a “Binay?” Liberal Party standard-bearer Manuel “Mar” Roxas II posed this question to Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte after flip-flopping on the ownership of his alleged secret bank account at the Bank of Philippine Islands (BPI). “Parehas na ba kayo ni Vice President (Jejomar) Binay na umiiwas sa katotohanan? Umiiwas sa pagtingin dito sa mga bank accounts ninyo?” Roxas said of Duterte, the leading presidential candidate, in a media briefing on Friday. (Do you evade the truth like Vice President Binay? Are you avoiding public scrutiny on your accounts?) READ: Roxas calls Duterte ‘liar’ over bank account exposé Roxas likened Duterte to Binay, who was dodging his corruption allegations by not showing up in previous Senate hearings. Binay is facing corruption charges over the allegedly anomalous construction of the Makati City Hall Building II and the Makati City Science High School. The former Interior secretary lambasted Duterte for taking back his earlier claims on his alleged bank accounts containing billions of pesos undeclared in his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN) in 2014. READ: Duterte has dollar account, Roxas confirms Failing to declare an asset is a ground for dismissal from government service. “Di ba ang unang sagot niya ay hindi siya pipirma ng waiver dahil wala nga, “fabrication” itong mga accounts na ito? Eh ngayon na napatunayan na totoo, mayroong mga bank accounts na ganito, bakit ayaw niya na ngayong pirmahan itong mga waiver na ito?” said Roxas. (Didn’t he say he wouldn’t sign a waiver as he claimed these accounts stemmed from fabrication? Now that the existence of these accounts has been proven, why doesn’t he sign a waiver?) A day after Inquirer reported that Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, a supporter of presidential candidate Senator Grace Poe, has documents to prove that Duterte had an account with P211 million, Duterte dismissed Trillanes’ claims and called it just a “fabrication.” He said he will not issue a waiver for a non-existent account. On Thursday, Duterte admitted the existence of his BPI account on Julia Vargas Avenue in Pasig City but said his two bank accounts had only P17,500 and P50,000. Earlier Friday, Duterte took back his previous statement and said his BPI account had “a little less than P211 million.” “Pabago-bago ang salita, pabago-bago ang posisyon ni Mayor Duterte. Ito ang kanyang pattern. Hindi maaasahan ang kanyang sinasabi. Simula pa lang, kahit sa anong isyu, ‘pag tinapatan siya ng katotohanan, biglang magmumura, mang-iinsulto, tapos iiwas at papalitan ang usapin,” Roxas said. (Mayor Duterte has been flip-flopping. This is his pattern. His words are not reliable. From the start, in any issue, when he is confronted with the truth, he would utter bad words, insult and he will avoid and change the topic.) “Ang sagot mo ngayon ay kasuhan ka muna bago mabuksan itong mga accounts na ito. Hindi ba ‘yun din ang sagot ni Vice President Binay sa mga alegasyon ng korapsyon laban sa kanila?” he added. (Your response is to file a case against you to open these accounts. Isn’t it the same with Vice President Binay’s answer to allegations of corruption against them?) Roxas also urged Duterte to be truthful in his statements because the people are expecting honesty and accountability from public officials. “Magpakatotoo po tayo, Mayor Duterte. Inaasahan ng mga kababayan natin ang buong katotohanan at wala nang iba,” he said. RAM (Let us be truthful, Mayor Duterte. Our countrymen are expecting nothing but the full truth.)
Duterte has dollar account, Roxas confirms newsinfo.inquirer.net 2016-04-29 18:04 Julliane Love newsinfo.inquirer.net
5 Remullas drop Binay, vow big win for Duterte in Cavite SAN PEDRO CITY—Saying they listened to the clamor of the people, members of the Remulla political clan of Cavite province on Friday said they will support Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte in the presidential race, effectively dropping their erstwhile ally, Vice President Jejomar Binay. Former Cavite Rep. Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla, who is running for governor, had confirmed reports that his family, along with several Cavite officials, are supporting Duterte, whom, he said, could “win big” in the vote-rich province. Boying, older brother of incumbent Gov. Juanito Victor “Jonvic” Remulla, said the decision to jump ship from Binay’s camp had been discussed and made over the last three weeks, with “many people from the ground talking to us.” On Friday, the Remullas, the reigning political clan in Cavite, a province with 1.84 million voters, had met with Duterte in a closed-door luncheon in Pasay City. Duterte was earlier quoted as saying that an alliance was forged between him and the Remullas. “It’s not about us. It’s not us, leaders, deciding but sometimes it’s the followers dictating and we have to listen,” Boying said of their decision. 20 mayors for Digong Duterte, the standard bearer of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Laban ng Bayan (PDP- Laban), met with the Remullas and 18 mayors and local officials from Cavite. “Eighteen of 23 (Cavite) mayors were there,” Boying said in a telephone interview on Friday afternoon. Absent during the meeting were officials from Carmona town and the cities of Tagaytay, Imus, Dasmariñas and Bacoor. But of the five absent, the mayors from two key cities — Agnes Tolentino of Tagaytay City and Strike Revilla of Bacoor City – were supporting Duterte, as well, Boying said. Tolentino is the wife of Abraham Tolentino, a brother of former Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chair Francis Tolentino. Francis is running for senator. Revilla, on the other hand, is the brother of detained Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. Jolo Revilla, the senator’s son, is seeking reelection as Cavite vice governor as Boying’s running mate. Jolo, however, is supporting the candidacy of Sen. Grace Poe, Boying said. In the earlier part of the campaign, Jonvic, originally a member of the Nacionalista Party, had served as spokesperson of Binay, the standard bearer of the opposition United Nationalist Alliance (UNA). In 2015, Binay frequented Cavite for his campaign sorties and in fact, chose the province as a venue to deliver his counter-State of the Nation Address (counter-Sona) last year where he attacked the Aquino administration. Jonvic ran for reelection under UNA, with Boying taking over the candidacy after Jonvic withdrew in December. But things changed over the past weeks. “We did not cause his (Duterte’s) strength. I’ve never seen anything like this,” Boying said referring to Duterte’s recent surge in preelection voter preference surveys. “We do not take credit from it. It’s the people dictating to us (and) we listened to their desire for change,” he said. An Inquirer source, a member of the Remullas’ local Magdalo Party, said Duterte’s April 22 motorcade in Cavite was supposed to serve as the Remullas’ proclamation of support for the tough-talking Davao mayor. This was, however, put off as Jonvic had only returned from a trip abroad on Tuesday. The source said Binay apparently got wind of this plan, “kaya masama ang loob (that’s why he was sullen).” Binay, in his earlier campaign sorties, had announced he would pick Jonvic to be his interior secretary should he win the presidency. Asked how their relationship is now with Binay, Boying said: “It’s something I would not want to talk about.” “I have nothing bad to say (and) I have nothing good to say,” he added. Trillanes wants to see Duterte’s ‘bank transaction history’ newsinfo.inquirer.net
Duterte orders lawyer to open records of BPI-Julia Vargas account newsinfo.inquirer.net 2016-04-29 18:04 Maricar Cinco newsinfo.inquirer.net
6 WATCH: Full Spy Tapes judgment The decision to set aside the charges seven years ago allowed Zuma to run for president. The court's decision at the time was based on phone intercepts presented by Zuma's legal team that suggested the timing of the charges in late 2007 may have been part of a political plot against Zuma. It was not immediately clear whether Zuma would appeal Friday's court ruling. Read the original corruption charges brought against President Zuma timeslive.co.za
Rand hits five-month high against dollar after ruling against Zuma timeslive.co.za 2016-04-29 15:25 Staff reporter www.timeslive.co.za
7 Victoria Wood gave us the gift of being able to laugh at ourselves Notes from a small island: the fraught and colourful history of Sicily The news of Victoria Wood’s death landed like a grenade on Wednesday, partly because it was so wholly unexpected and partly because it felt like losing a very dear friend. I don’t think that’s an exaggeration. I imagine a great many people felt like that. I can’t claim to have known Victoria Wood but I did meet her once. It was in 1976 at Leicester’s Phoenix Theatre and I was the artistic director’s assistant. I remember a wearying battle to source a fresh pig’s head (at minimal cost) for every performance of Richard III and I remember relieving the trauma of ringing round abattoirs by watching Geoffrey Durham perfect his magician, The Great Soprendo (“Piff! Paff! Poof!”) over the course of many afternoon matinees, alternated with appearances as, I think, the Duke of Clarence in the evening. I don’t remember much about meeting Victoria, except that we were all in the same company and she and Geoff had just become an item – they married a few years later. I do remember warmth though, perhaps because warmth was in short supply in 1976, which was also the year my mother died. In subsequent years Wood’s sharp observations made the existential nightmares of bodies, friendships, fashion and social niceties funny but never uncomfortable. At a time when women were regarded largely as decoration, she seemed to be quietly handing some of the power back. Anything with the name “Victoria Wood” on it was a treat to be hoovered up like chocolate and certain phrases passed into our family vocabulary. The Opinion Poll sketch , for instance, removed any possibility of any of us ever saying the words “bona fide” correctly, or with a straight face, for the rest of our natural lives. Choosing a colour was more often than not accompanied by the phrase, “in all shades of the speculum”. Then, of course, there were “Two Soups”, “Sweet Trolley” and “Turkish Bath” (“By god, if her bum were a bungalow she’d never get a mortgage on it”)… The best thing was that everyone else knew what you were talking about. Wood’s humour was the opposite of alienating. Her writing contained a spark of recognition in almost every sentence. It is in the smallest details of Wood’s astute observation of middle-aged women that I see a way being prepared for later life that was neither patronising nor cruel. To place older women front and centre in Acorn Antiques and Dinnerladies was way ahead of its time. Miss Berta’s rebellious body seized every opportunity to burst from an over-tight suit, Miss Babs prim, pussy- bowed, in denial, and both with painting-by-numbers maquillage , accurately skewered the difficulties we encounter as the years pile up. The immortal Mrs Overall with her knobbly varicosed legs and stooped posture (“Mrs Overall can’t have got far. That’s one of the blessings of osteoporosis”) made me determined not to go the same way but not to mind too much if life had other plans. I’ve read an accusation that Wood’s humour was born out of contempt and snobbery, but I couldn’t disagree more. Sharp, yes, but she gave us the gift of being able to laugh at ourselves. I was and never have been, offended – I think because her writing is so true. There are no lazy stereotypes, no clichéd plotlines. Watching clips now they are as fresh and original as the moment they first appeared. Anything currently on our screens seems clumsy and inept by comparison. Perhaps the most enduring memory I have of Victoria Wood’s quiet brilliance is of both her writing and performance in “Housewife, 49”, her 2006 dramatisation of the wartime diaries written by Nella Last as part of the government’s Mass Observation project. I was surprised to learn that Wood disliked acting because she was so bloody good at it, or perhaps that was why she was so good at it. To be able to make us see and understand what lay at the heart of this poignant piece of work is a towering achievement and deservedly won her a brace of BAFTA awards for Best Single Drama and Best Actor. Unusually with a face as well-known as Wood’s, I was able to believe in the character completely. It remains one of the most accurate portrayals of the way a woman feels as she struggles through middle age that I have ever seen, and captures exactly the complexity of emotions, realisation and acceptance of this time in our lives. We were, I suppose, contemporaries and that’s another reason for Wood’s death to hit hard. This isn’t supposed to happen, not at 62. We hadn’t finished. It’s not fair. Who’s going to tell the rest of the world about the sheer ridiculousness of being a middle-aged woman? Who now is there to nail the absurdity and humour of being in your 60s, 70s, 80s…? Among the torrent of tweets in my timeline on Wednesday there was this from Jenny Éclair: All of us women in comedy owe a huge debt of gratitude to Victoria- she paved the way — Jenny Eclair (@jennyeclair) April 20, 2016 And she did but when I was asked to write this piece it was suggested that Victoria Wood was the only non - invisible middle-aged woman in her field, which (thank God) she wasn’t, because without her just maybe we wouldn’t have Jenny Éclair, Jo Brand, Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders… What she was, though, was the best and we will miss her. When a gun was fired a hundred metres or so from the Sicilian piazza where we were eating, my reaction was to freeze, fall to my knees, and then run for cover in a colonnade. As I peered back into the square from behind a column, I expected to see a tangle of overturned chairs and china but I watched instead as the freeze-frame melted into normality. I retrieved my shoe from the waiter. I should not have been surprised by how coolly everyone else handled what I was inclined to call “the situation”. The Sicilians have had 4,000 years in which to perfect the art of coexistence, defusing conflict with what strikes outsiders as inexplicable ease, rendering Sicily one of the most culturally diverse but identifiable places on the planet. Still, having visited “Sicily: Culture and Conquest” at the British Museum, I feel vindicated. There may be no Cosa Nostra in this exhibition, which charts the island’s history from antiquity to the early 13th century, but that doesn’t mean there is no simmering conflict. Like Lawrence Durrell, who described Sicily as “thrown down almost in mid-channel like a concert grand” and as having “a sort of minatory, defensive air”, I felt the tension beneath the bliss that has characterised Sicily for many centuries. The “barbarians”, wrote the Greek historian Thucydides, moved to Sicily from Iberia (Spain), Troy and Italy before the Phoenicians and Greeks settled there in the 8th century BC – the time of Homer, whose Odyssey provided a useful guide to some of the more threatening features of the landscape. The giant, sea-lying rocks off the east coast were the boulders that the one-eyed Polyphemus hurled at Odysseus’s ship; the phrase “between Scylla and Charybdis” referred to the Strait of Messina that divides Sicily from the mainland; Lake Pergusa, in the centre of the island, was the eerie spot whence Hades snatched Persephone and carried her down to the underworld. It is a delight to behold the British Museum’s case full of terracotta figurines of Persephone, Demeter and their priestesses, some of thousands uncovered across Sicily, where the Greeks established the cult of these goddesses. The Phoenicians introduced their own weather god, Baal Hammon, and the indigenous Sicilians seem to have accepted both, content that they honoured the same thing: the island’s remarkable fecundity. The early Sicilians were nothing if not grateful for their agriculturally rich landscapes. As early as 2500 BC, they were finding ways to celebrate their vitality, the idea being that if the soil was fertile, so were they. On a stone from this period, intended as a doorway to a tomb, an artist has achieved the near impossible: the most consummate representation of the sexual act. Two spirals, two balls, a passage and something to fill it. The penis is barely worth mentioning. The ovaries are what dominate, swirling and just as huge as the testicles beneath them. We see the woman from both inside and out, poised on two nimble, straddling legs; the man barely figures at all. Under the Greeks in the 5th century BC, it was a different story. Although many of Sicily’s tyrants were generous patrons of the arts and sciences, theirs was a discernibly more macho culture. The second room of the exhibition is like an ode to their sporting achievements: amid the terracotta busts of ecstatic horses and the vase paintings of wild ponies bolting over mounds (Sicily is exceptionally hilly) are more stately representations of horses drawing chariots. These Greek tyrants – or rather, their charioteers – achieved a remarkable number of victories in the Olympic and Pythian Games. Some of the most splendid and enigmatic poetry from the ancient world was written to celebrate their equestrian triumphs. “Water is best, but gold shines like gleaming fire at night, outstripping the wealth of a great man” – so begins a victory ode for Hiero I of Syracuse. But what of the tensions? In 415BC, the Athenians responded to rivalries between Segesta and Syracuse by launching the Sicilian expedition. It was a disaster. The Athenians who survived were imprisoned and put to work in quarries; many died of disease contracted from the marshland near Syracuse. There is neither the space nor the inclination, in this relatively compact exhibition, to explore the incident in much depth. The clever thing about this show is that it leaves the historical conflicts largely between the lines by focusing on Sicily at its height, first under the Greeks, and then in the 11th century under the Normans – ostensibly “the collage years”, when one culture was interwoven so tightly with another that the seams as good as disappeared. It is up to us to decide how tightly those seams really were sewn. Much is made of the multiculturalism and religious tolerance of the Normans but even before them we see precedents for fairly seamless relations between many different groups under the 9th-century Arab conquerors. Having shifted Sicily’s capital from Syracuse to Palermo, where it remains to this day, the Arabs lived cheek by jowl with Berbers, Lombards, Jews and Greek- Byzantine Sicilians. Some Christians converted to Islam so that they would be exempt from the jizya (a tax imposed on non-Muslims). But the discovery of part of an altar from a 9th-century church, displayed here, suggests that other Christians were able to continue practising their faith. The marble is exquisitely adorned with beady-eyed lions, frolicsome deer and lotus flowers surrounding the tree of life, only this tree is a date palm, introduced to Sicily – together with oranges, spinach and rice – by the Arabs. Under Roger II, the first Norman king of Sicily, whose father took power from the Arabs, the situation was turned on its head. With the exception of the Palermo mosque (formerly a Byzantine church, and before that a Roman basilica), which had again become a church, mosques remained open, while conversion to Christianity was encouraged. Roger, who was proudly Catholic, looked to Constantinople and Fatimid Egypt, as well as Normandy, for his artistic ideas, adorning his new palace at Palermo and the splendidly named “Room of Roger” with exotic hunting mosaics, Byzantine-style motifs and inscriptions in Arabic script, including a red-and-green porphyry plaque that has travelled to London. To which one’s immediate reaction is: Roger, what a man. Why aren’t we all doing this? But an appreciation for the arts of the Middle East isn’t the same thing as an understanding of the compatibilities and incompatibilities of religious faith. Nor is necessity the same as desire. Roger’s people – and, in particular, his army – were so religiously and culturally diverse that he had little choice but to make it work. The start of the Norman invasion under his father had incensed a number of Sicily’s Muslims. One poet had even likened Norman Sicily to Adam’s fall. And while Roger impressed many Muslims with his use of Arabic on coins and inscriptions, tensions were brewing outside the court walls between the island’s various religious quarters. Roger’s death in 1154 marked the beginning of a deterioration in relations that would precipitate under his son and successor, William I, and his grandson William II. Over the following century and a half, Sicily became more or less latinised. The objects from Norman Sicily that survive – the superb stone carvings and multilingual inscriptions, the robes and richly dressed ceiling designs – tell the story less of an experiment that failed than of beauty that came from necessity. Viewing Sicily against a background of more recent tensions – including Cosa Nostra’s “war” on migrants on an island where net migration remains low – it is perhaps no surprise that the island never lost its “defensive air”. Knowing the fractures out of which Sicily’s defensiveness grew makes this the most interesting thing about it. Daisy Dunn’s latest books are Catullus’ Bedspread and The Poems of Catullus (both published by William Collins) “Sicily” at the British Museum runs until 14 August
Notes from a small island: the fraught and colourful history of Sicily Commons Confiential: When Corbyn met Obama newstatesman.com Dublin’s blood: on the founding fathers of the Irish Republic Notes from a small island: the fraught and colourful history of Sicily newstatesman.com 2016-04-29 10:08 Laurie Penny www.newstatesman.com
8 I once wondered if this generation of doctors would care for the NHS as I do To preserve the environment we hold in common, everyone has to play their part I’m writing at the start of the first full walkout by junior doctors in the 68-year history of the NHS. By the time you read this, the post-mortem will be well under way. There will doubtless be noise and confusion, but there are only two statistics to watch out for – figures that will shape the NHS and its future in England. The first is turnout. In the past few weeks, the government has thrown everything it can at juniors’ ranks – from ethical rebukes by the head of NHS England and the Chief Medical Officer to ominous “advice” by the General Medical Council – in an attempt to make the more faint- hearted pull back from fully withdrawing their labour. If substantial numbers of juniors prove to have been swayed, the battle over contracts will be all but over. If, however, the strike is well supported, then Jeremy Hunt and David Cameron will be facing a nightmare. Throughout this dispute, the Tories have sought to portray the British Medical Association as a militant union, misleading its membership in pursuit of a political agenda. In part, that is mere playground name-calling, but it also indicates an analysis of industrial relations that belongs to the past. Far from leading the charge, the BMA has been propelled by a groundswell of opinion. The momentum has come from thousands upon thousands of grass-roots juniors, sick to death and scared rigid by working in a terminally stretched and underfunded English NHS. They are genuinely incensed – as are innumerable colleagues throughout the service – by the imposition of a contract that will further jeopardise patient safety, discriminate against female and single- parent doctors, compromise training, and eat away at what is an already too-precarious work- life balance, to the detriment of recruitment and retention. Social media has been very important in the dispute, enabling rank-and-file doctors to form networks, identify natural leaders, and create and spread innovative campaigning. There has been lots of it, which has kept the issue, and the government’s unreasonableness and intransigence, in the public eye. The BMA has its statutory role in balloting for and organising industrial action, but in campaign terms the union has been dwarfed by the rank and file. A well- supported strike would signal loud and clear that the passion driving this movement is still burning fiercely. The other vital statistic will be English death rates. If there proves to have been excess mortality over the strike days, it will devastate the medical profession. Doctors who supported the walkout firmly believed that patient safety would not be compromised. Throughout the country, thousands of consultants and staff-grade specialists publicly declared their support for their junior colleagues and vowed to provide exemplary urgent care during the strike. Disruption, not danger, was the aim. New Zealand – which has gone through three waves of junior doctors’ strikes in the past 20 years – found that mortality rates fell during industrial action, because the most experienced doctors were diverted to emergency care. If this is what the English figures show, the government will be privately dismayed. A vital element of its strategy approaching the full walkout has been to weaken doctors’ resolve by rattling consciences. If mortality data confirms that the strike has been neutral in this regard – or even positive – junior doctors will be emboldened when contemplating further action. I once wondered whether this generation, born and raised in an environment of neoliberal marketisation, would feel the passion for public-service health care that brought me into the NHS. Events of the past six months have shown that they do. For the sake of all who are treated by the NHS, and all who work for it, I sincerely hope that the strike will succeed in terms of both turnout and patient safety. That will put the ball firmly in the government’s court. Then, finally, it may be time for Jeremy and David to talk to doctors again The environmental challenge facing our capital city can seem overwhelming. Our air is poisonous. Our infrastructure built for the fossil fuel era. The need to build a clean, low carbon future can seem incompatible with competing challenges such as protecting energy security, housing and jobs. The way we tackle this challenge will say a lot about the type of city we are. We inherit the world we live in from the generations that went before us, and only hold it until it is time to hand it over to future generations. The type of environment we leave behind for our children and grandchildren will be affected by the decisions we need to take in the short term. Our shared inheritance must be shaped by all of us in London. Londoners currently face some crucial decisions about the way we power our city. The majority of us don't want London to be run on dirty fuel, and instead hope to see a transition to a clean energy supply. Many want to see that clean energy sourced from within London itself. This is an appealing vision: there are upsides in terms of costs, security and, crucially, the environment. Yet the debate about how London could achieve such a future has remained limited in its scope. Air pollution has rightly dominated the environmental debate in this year’s mayoral election, but there is a small and growing call for more renewable deployment in the city. When it comes to cities, by far the most accessible, useable renewable energy is solar, given you can install it on some part of almost every roof. Rooftop solar gives power to the householder, the business user, the public servant - anyone with a roof over their head. And London has upwards of one million roofs. Yet it also has the lowest deployment of solar of any UK city. London can do better. The new mayor should take this seriously. Their leadership will be vital to achieving the transition to clean energy. The commitments of the mayoral frontrunners should spur other parts of society to act too. Zac Goldsmith has committed to a tenfold increase in the use of solar by 2025, and Sadiq Khan has pledged to implement a solar strategy that will make the most of the city’s roofs, public buildings and land owned by Transport for London. While the next mayor will already have access to some of the tools necessary to enact these pledges (such as the London Plan, the Greater London Assembly and TfL), Londoner’s must also play their part. We must realise that to tackle this issue at the scale and speed required the only way forward is an approach where everyone is contributing. A transition to solar energy is in the best interests of citizens, householders, businesses and employees, who can begin to take greater control of their energy. By working together, Londoners could follow the example of Zurich, and commit to be a 2,000 watt society by 2050. This commitment both maximizes the potential of solar and manages introduces schemes to effectively manage energy demand, ensuring the city can collectively face an uncertain future with confidence. Unfortunately, national policy is no longer sufficient to incentivise solar deployment at the scale that London requires. There is therefore an important role for the incoming Mayor in facilitating and coordinating activity. Whether it is through TfL, existing community energy schemes, or through individuals, there is much the mayor can do to drive solar which will benefit every other city-dweller and make London a cleaner and healthier place to live. For example the new mayor should work with residents and landlords of private and social housing to encourage the deployment of solar for those who don’t own their property. He should fill the gap left by national building standards by ensuring that solar deployment is maximized on new build housing and commercial space. He can work with the operator of the electricity grid in the capital to maximize the potential of solar and find innovative ways of integrating it into the city’s power demand. To bring this all together London should follow the example set by Nottingham and Bristol and create it’s own energy company. As a non-profit company this could supply gas and electricity to Londoners at competitive prices but also start to drive the deployment of clean energy by providing an attractive market for the power that is generated in the city. Community schemes, businesses and householders would be able to sell their power at a price that really stacks up and Londoners would receive clean energy at competitive prices. The challenge of building a clean future based on the common good of Londoners demands that politicians, business, communities and individuals each take a share of the responsibility and of the benefits. Lets hope the incoming Mayor sees it as their role to convene citizens around this aim, and create incentives to virtue that encourage the take up and deployment of solar, so that we have a healthy, clean and secure city to pass on to the next generation.
The time to act on climate change is now To preserve the environment we hold in common, everyone has to play their part newstatesman.com 2016-04-29 02:51 Laurie Penny www.newstatesman.com
9 San Diego County's priciest pads top out at $33.9 million The Los Angeles area isn't the only hotbed of real estate in the Southland. In March, median home prices in San Diego swelled to $478,000, their highest mark in roughly nine years, according to CoreLogic. Here's a look at the most expensive properties publicly listed for sale across all of San Diego County. Once listed for as much as $76 million, this park- like estate atop the bluffs of Del Mar has nearly 400 feet of oceanfront. About the area: In the 92014 ZIP Code, based on 13 sales, the median sales price for single-family homes in March was $1.625 million, up 19.5% from March 2015, according to CoreLogic. Known as Melrose Ranch, this 118-acre estate was once home to Adelaide Fairbanks — daughter of Charles W. Fairbanks, who was Theodore Roosevelt's vice president. Four custom dome skylights top this oceanfront estate, designed by architect Don Edson and built in 2003.
2016-04-29 18:04 Los Angeles www.latimes.com
10 Last hurrah for Valdez: I’ll just keep on fighting Pushed to her limit, Alyssa Valdez gave everything she could to bring back Ateneo from the dead in Game 2 and into a knockout duel with La Salle on Sunday for the UAAP championship. Valdez, arguably the best volleyball player in the country, unleashed one fireball after another en route to a 34-point performance to lead the Lady Eagles’ comeback win in five gruelling sets. And just when one would think she can’t possibly have something left, Valdez is willing to give more. One more for one final time, says the graduating superstar. “Mind over matter na, kahit masakit kahit anong meron lalaban,” a teary-eyed Valdez said. “Laban lang nang laban.” The two-time MVP gets added strength and confidence from her coach Tai Bundit, who has always been a picture of calmness on the Ateneo sidelines. “Coach Tai will always say kahit lamang two sets kalaban, he’ll just say ‘0-0’ and it’s true when you enter a new set, it’s 0-0 pero andoon yung times na iisipin mong two sets na sila,” Valdez said. “Pag andun na papaluin at papaluin mo na lang ang bola, tapos pagkakita mo sa likod mag-chi- cheer teammates mo. God gave me another chance to defend the crown at ano pa hihilingin mo but to give it your best, give it your all.” Bong Lozada/INQUIRER.net
2016-04-29 18:04 INQUIRER.net sports.inquirer.net
11 Video: Birthday boy Andre Russell gets 'cake face' courtesy KKR teammates Kolkata Knight Riders all-rounder Andre Dwayne Russell celebrated his 28th birthday in India on Friday. And unlike back home in Jamaica, his KKR teammate celebrated the event in a slightly unusual way -- by putting cake on Russell's face. Andre Russell posted the image on Instagram with the caption: "Another cake face in India loving it!(sic)" He also tweeted about the experience, joking that he hated cakes in India, since unlike in Jamaica where people eat cake, in India people (read teammates) put it all over one's face face and head. He though ended by saying that he loved the IPL and India. The Jamaican all-rounder has had an ordinary IPL 2016 till now having scored only 77 from the six matches with a highest score of 36 at an aaverage of 19.25 and strikerate of 157.14. As a bowler, he has claimed 5 wickets, having given away 157 runs with a best performance of 3/24. KKR also tweeted with the caption: "The muscle man celebrates his birthday, the way every birthday should be celebrated! "
2016-04-29 18:04 By A www.mid-day.com
12 Leo Austria admits fearing for his job over All-Filipino gamble San Miguel coach Leo Austria dodged a bullet when his team, playing all-Filipino for Game 3, evaded early elimination after a 104-98 win over Rain or Shine on Thursday. Making the decision to drop troubled import Tyler Wilkerson, the outspoken mentor admitted that he feared for his job. “Thank God I proved something because if not so, baka matanggal na ako dito,” Austria said. “I have to praise my players, the entire team. Their body language is different. They want to win even though they know we have no import for this game. Wala akong masabi sa kanila.” Austria admitted that it was his decision to ditch Wilkerson ahead of a crucial match and was relieved to see the Beermen fighting back. “Sabi ko sa kanila, if something happens, this is my responsibility, but I have to do something. Hindi na maganda ang nakikita ko sa team. They are not happy,” he said. “This time, they’re helping each other. We’re lucky dahil nanalo kami ngayon. If not, baka kasama na kami sa Boracay Cup.” Wilkerson was nothing but stellar in this semifinals series, averaging 37.5 points, 14.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 2.5 blocks. However, the rest of the squad struggled to make an impact with regular contributors like Marcio Lassiter and Arwind Santos struggling in the first two games. Without going to details, Austria also hinted at some internal strife between Wilkerson and the coaching staff. “Kung ako, ok lang. Tinitiis ko na yung lahat ng ginagawa nya sa akin because I want to win and I want to sacrifice for the team, but the last time, he did something that’s not really good for the team,” Austria said, looking back at the high-scoring reinforcement’s post-game tantrum after San Miguel’s 98-96 Game 2 defeat on Tuesday, where the media even heard Wilkerson shout: “Take me back to America!” “Kung matalo kami, at least nasabi ko yung gusto kong mangyari. Minsan, ina-underestimate nila ako eh. Sobrang bait ko daw. Kasalanan ba na maging mabait? I don’t know. Since I started coaching, this is me. I don’t have to change my personality. Mahirap yun.” Austria thinks Wilkerson’s competitive fire may have gotten the better of him and someone too concerned with being no. 1 isn’t what his team needs at the moment. “He’s a good guy and it happened na he wants to win. Yung talo namin, he’s really frustrated, but compounded na rin eh,” he said. “What we need is respect in every one of us, the players, the coaching staff, and the management. It’s obvious na kaya ni Wilkerson but he’s not involving his teammates, he wants to prove that he’s the best import and there’s no doubt, but what we need is somebody who could lead us.” San Miguel will welcome back AZ Reid who will replace Wilkerson in Game 4.
2016-04-29 18:04 Randolph B sports.inquirer.net
13 Tragic! Pakistani pacer Junaid Khan loses first child, condolences pour in from cricketers A devastating personal tragedy has struck Pakistani fast bowler Junaid Khan, who has lost his first child. The 24-year-old took to social media to share the tragic news. Junaid Khan While describing it as the "worst day of his life", the Pakistani cricketer thanks god for keeping his wife safe. The pacer had earlier shared the news about his wife being hospitalised and asked everyone to pray for her speedy recovery. The moment he posted the tragic news on the micro blogging site, condolences started pouring in from cricketers -- both past and present -- from all corners of the world. Here are some of them: A couple of days back, an image of a girl wearing a pink dress, covered by rose petals went viral on social media. A rumour started doing the rounds that it was former Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi's child. Soon the rumour went viral. It later emerged that Asmara, Afridi's daughter, had been hospitalised and undergone surgery. The rumours, luckily, died down and it has been confirmed that Asmara is alive and recovering.
2016-04-29 18:04 By A www.mid-day.com
14 GOT’s ‘The Mountain’ reveals his 9-meal-a-day diet on social media Apparently, Gregor Clegane did not get his ‘mountainous’ physique simply by gouging eyeballs and drinking the blood of his enemies, but rather—he got it from absurd amount of eating. Hafthór Júlíus ‘Thor’ Björnsson, the man behind the hulking Westeros character from the critically acclaimed series Game of Thrones, shared his nine- meal-a-day nutrition plan on his Facebook and Instagram accounts, last Wednesday. The 27-year-old Iceland native’s regime includes the daily consumption of 10,000 calories—roughly four times the recommended level, as he prepares for this year’s World’s Strongest Man tournament. According to the post, the 6’9, 400 lb behemoth divulged that he eats twelve separate times a day— including 9 full meals and 3 snacks in-between workouts, beginning just before 7 a.m. and finishing at midnight. Björnsson, however, admitted that his massive diet is not for everyone by ending his photo caption with a short disclaimer. “Yes this is a lot & I don’t recommend YOU to try this!!’, he wrote. In a previous statement with The Telegraph, Björnsson spoke about the importance of maintaining a heavy diet to support his athletic lifestyle. “It’s very, very extreme how much food I need to put in to my body,” confirmed the muscle-bound actor. “It’s a lot of work. More work than people realise.” “It’s not just all about the training. It’s all around: You have to train well, sleep well, eat well. If you don’t eat, you don’t grow,” he added. “It’s just like constantly work for me: I have to eat every two hours to maintain my body mass. It is not easy. When I’m filming, I always have to have breaks to eat.” In last year’s competition, Björnsson’s proved his strength by carrying a 1,433 lbs log for five paces and extending his own ‘keg toss’ world record. Aside from devouring massive amounts of food and throwing heavy things, Europe’s Strongest Man is reportedly set to return as Gregor ‘The Mountain’ Clegane in Game of Thrones’ sixth season, despite dying in trial by combat in season four. Khristian Ibarrola, INQUIRER.net
2016-04-29 18:04 INQUIRER.net entertainment.inquirer.net
15 Taking cash for vote will bring thief as leader: Kamal Haasan Chennai : Raising his voice against voters accepting money for vote, film star Kamal Haasan on Friday said if a citizen accepts money for this purpose 'you will only get a thief as your leader'. "I am not bothered who is or which party is giving (money), but should not the one accepting (it) be ashamed," he told a Tamil TV channel in Chennai. Kamal Haasan One would forfeit the locus standi to question a minister for non-performance or accuse a politician of corruption as accepting cash for vote itself is a similar act, he said. "If you accept (money) then you will only get a thief as a leader," he said responding to a question on voters being lured with money during elections. Haasan said people should have a sense of 'my house, my country' and added that politicians who give money will not address concerns of the people who accept it. "You don't accept (money), then you can question the politicians," he said.
2016-04-29 18:04 By PTI www.mid-day.com
16 Core Media Group, American Idol’s company, files bankruptcy The company behind the glamorous singing reality show American Idol is ‘signing off’ in the media industry terrain. Core Media Group filed bankruptcy on Thursday, defending that it cannot supplant its multiplying $398 million debt, according to their court papers. Core Media group owes several companies millions of dollars, including two loans from Tennebaum Capital Partners, Crestview Media Investors, Bayside Capital and Hudson Bay Capital Management. According to reports, the penniless company has $73 million in assets and less than $10 million cash in the company’s piggy bank. According to the company’s statement to business news site Fortune, Core Media reiterated that the bankruptcy “will help best position the company for the future, allowing for more flexibility and a platform for growth.” Since 2003, American Idol garnered 20 million viewers annually and even hiked up to 31 million viewers in 2006. Sadly, the once-top rated show for eight straight seasons plummeted to 13.3 million viewers during its grand finale episode. American Idol even lost its coveted crown as the most watched show to drama series Empire, according to the Hollywood Reporter. 2014 has been a stern period for the company as their earnings from American Idol diminished by $15 million. The total revenue of the beloved show sank to $35.6 million during the first quarter of 2015. American Idol was whacked for ‘failing’ to model and prep up phenomenal artists and therefore laboriously banked for celebrity artists such as Jennifer Lopez and Nicki Minaj to be judges in order to grip on the show’s fluctuating populairity. Gianna Francesca Catolico, INQUIRER.net RELATED STORIES: American Idol crowns Trent Harmon as TV show ends WATCH: Jessica Sanchez caps off American Idol finale medle y
2016-04-29 18:04 INQUIRER.net entertainment.inquirer.net
17 Bombay HC orders demolition of controversial Adarsh building The Bombay High Court, on Friday ordered demolition of the controversial Adarsh Housing Society building in Colaba, for 'violating coastal regulations'. Adarsh Housing Society The HC also ordered an inquiry against politicians, ministers and officers who were involved in Adarsh Housing Society scam. Also Read: Adarsh scam returns to haunt Ashok Chavan The order was passed by the High Court while it was hearing a petition filed by the society claiming they had followed all the rules and it was standing on the state's land. While the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MOEF) had claimed that the society had violated all the coastal regulatory zones, the defence said that the land belonged to the society and was violating security norms as it very near to Navy Nagar area. Also Read: Ashok Chavan alleges BJP pursuing political vendetta against him The High Court bench of Justice Rajesh Ketkar and Ranjit More ordered the MOEF to demolish the building. It asked the state to register civil as well as criminal cases against those responsible and also penalised the building by asking it to pay the money of demolition. The lawyers representing Adarsh have told the bench to give a stay for 12 weeks as they want to challenge the order in the apex court. The major scam also has former chief minister Ashok Chavan as one of the 13 accused who will now be tried for being part of criminal conspiracy and cheating.
2016-04-29 17:22 By Vinay www.mid-day.com
18 Helicopter with 14 people crashes in Norway Oslo: A helicopter carrying at least 14 people crashed on Friday in Norway, the media reported. "We have received reports of a helicopter crash just west of Turoy. Many people reported hearing an explosion. We can confirm that there are people in the sea," the Guardian quoted police as saying. Norwegian police said at least 14 people were aboard the helicopter. The area has frequent helicopter traffic servicing offshore oil platforms in the North Sea off the Norwegian coast. The helicopter was headed towards the Brage oil field in the North Sea, which is operated by the German oil company Wintershall.
2016-04-29 17:15 By IANS www.mid-day.com
19 Notice being served on those named in Panama Papers: Arun Jaitley New Delhi : The government is taking all necessary steps on the issue of tax evasion and notice is being served on those whose names figure in the Panama Papers leaks, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said in the Lok Sabha on Friday. Arun Jaitley The statement during question hour when members, including Nana Patole and Kirit Somiaya (both Bharatiya Janata Party) and B. Mahtab (Biju Janata Dal) asked supplementaries on the tax evasion issue. Jaitley, however, said any individual case could not be discussed in the house. He assured that the government is taking action and has already served notice on some named in the Panama Papers leaks on tax evasion and of stashing money overseas. Minister of State for Finance Jayant Sinha said the appointment of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government in 2014 had helped in the purpose of tracking black money both in the country and outside. "SIT is doing a commendable job," Sinha said, adding that recommendations of the SIT had helped investigating agencies and the government, especially with regard to black money stashed overseas. "And for domestic black money also the SIT recommendations have been found helpful and necessary steps are being taken," he said. Biju Janata Dal floor leader B. Mahtab wanted to know if in the wake of reports from SIT and other agencies the government is proposing any changes in the law to keep an eye on tax evaders. BJP member Kirit Somaiya was pulled up by Speaker Sumitra Mahajan when he took the name of a popular Maharashtra leader, who is now in jail. "You know everything, then why are you taking someone's name," Mahajan told the ruling party member tersely. Minister of State Finance Sinha agreed that there are instances of tax evasion by moneyed people when they show their income as agricultural income. BJP member Nana Patole said the contention that agricultural income is growing cannot be true because, "If such is the case, then farmers would not be committing suicide". Sinha said there has been an increase of tax payers' network to 5.8 crore ever since the NDA government took over. "We should not analyse this number based on the country's total population. It is only among the 25 crore households and chiefly from seven crore eligible tax payers in the urban pockets," Sinha said.
2016-04-29 17:11 By PTI www.mid-day.com
20 Gujrat announces 10 pc quota for EBCs to placate agitating Patels Ahmedabad : Under pressure due to Patel quota agitation, BJP government in Gujarat on Friday announced 10 per cent reservation for the economically backward among upper castes, which include Patidars, with a family income cap of Rs 6 lakh a year to avail the benefit. The decision, taken in the state party's core group meeting in which BJP national president Amit Shah was also present, comes after the recent reverses in the civic polls left the party jittery in the state where Assembly election are due next year. The reservation limit of 50 per cent set by the apex court will be breached with this decision, but the state government said it is "serious" on the issue and will "fight it" out legally. State BJP president Vijay Rupani, flanked by Chief Minister Anandiben Patel and senior minister Nitin Patel, made the announcement of 10 per cent reservation for the economically backward in the general category. "Our core group meeting, headed by national president Amit Shah, has decided to give 10 per cent reservation for economically backward among general category," Rupani told reporters. "A notification will be issued on the Gujarat state formation day on May 1, and EBCs among general category will be able to take the benefit of the reservation in education and jobs from the next academic year," he said. "Families having an annual income of Rs 6 lakh or below will be eligible to avail the reservation. That means a family having an income upto Rs 50,000 per month can take the benefit of the scheme," he said. The reservation announced by the government will be over and above the cap of 50 per cent reservation set by the Supreme Court, and may face legal hurdles. The state government already provides 50 per cent reservation to SC/STs and OBCs. Asked if the new move will stand legal scrutiny, Rupani said, "We are very serious about this and we will fight it up to the apex court for reservation of economically backward among the general category. " The BJP government has been facing violent protests led by Hardik Patel and Lalji Patel from the numerically and socially strong Patel community which is seeking reservation in education and government jobs under the OBC category. The BJP had suffered heavy losses in the rural local bodies polls recently, which were blamed on the Patel quota stir.
2016-04-29 17:08 By PTI www.mid-day.com
21 MPs oppose medical entrance exam on May 1 New Delhi : Members of various parties in Lok Sabha today opposed holding of the first phase of common entrance test for MBBS and BDS on May one saying it gives little time to students, with some of them also demanding that states be given time till 2018 to adapt. The Supreme Court had on Thursday agreed to the Centre's plan of two- phased common entrance exam for medical courses to be held on May 01 and July 24. Raising the issue during Zero Hour, Jagdambika Pal (BJP) said a single-phase test should be held on July 24 to give all students equal amount of time, a demand support by Rajiv Satav (Cong) who however also added that the Centre should first move the apex court to get time till 2018 for states like Maharashtra. The Maharashtra government, Satav said, had urged the Supreme Court to give it time till 2018 as it had already come out with the schedule of the test held by it, but the court did not accept its argument. Pal said the two dates for National Eligibility Entrance Test will give advantage to students taking the exam in the latter phase and the students who have to appear for it on May one would be "under stress". Arvind Sawant (Shiv Sena) said the students could earlier write the examination in their mother tongue but this time their options are limited to Hindi or English as the CBSE said it is not left with time to offer more choices. "The HRD Ministry should go to the Supreme Court," he said. Satav said 80 per cent of the students of Maharashtra would be adversely affected by this decision.
2016-04-29 17:08 By PTI www.mid-day.com
22 Court orders framing of charges against Naveen Jindal, others New Delhi : A special court on Friday ordered framing of charges against industrialist Naveen Jindal, former Minister of State for Coal Dasari Narayan Rao and 13 others for criminal conspiracy, cheating and other offences in a coal block allocation scam case. Special CBI Judge Bharat Parashar said "charges to be framed against all accused under sections 120B (criminal conspiracy) read with 409 and 420 of IPC and under sections 13(1)(c), 13(1)(d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act. " The court, however, said charges would be formally framed against the accused later on. Apart from Jindal and Rao, the court also ordered to put on trial ex-Jharkhand Chief Minister Madhu Koda, former Coal Secretary H C Gupta and 11 others, who were chargesheeted by CBI in the case pertaining to alleged irregularities in allocation of the Amarkonda Murgadangal coal block to Jindal Steel and Power Limited (JSPL) and Gagan Sponge Iron Private Ltd (GSIPL) in 2008. Besides them, the other accused are -- Rajeev Jain, Director of Jindal Realty Pvt Ltd, Girish Kumar Suneja and Radha Krishna Saraf, Directors of GSIPL, Suresh Singhal, Director of New Delhi Exim Pvt Ltd, K Ramakrishna Prasad, Managing Director of Sowbhagya Media Ltd and chartered accountant Gyan Swaroop Garg. These accused are currently out on bail. Besides them, five firms -- JSPL, Jindal Realty Pvt Ltd, Gagan Infraenergy Ltd (formerly known as GSIPL), Sowbhagya Media Ltd and New Delhi Exim Pvt Ltd -- are also accused in the case. Meanwhile, the court issued notice to CBI and 14 accused on a plea by Suresh Singhal for pardon and turning approver in the case. He filed the application on April 21, seeking to make a disclosure statement which was later on recorded by a magistrate and placed before the special judge in a sealed envelope. "Trial proceedings in this case would be appropriate to be conducted after adjudication of this issue," the court said and fixed May 11 for hearing submissions of CBI and the accused on Singhal's plea. The special court had earlier fixed today for pronouncing its order on framing of charges as the judge was busy with other official work. During arguments on framing of charges, CBI had alleged that ex-Jharkhand Chief Minister Madhu Koda, also accused in the case, had favoured JSPL and GSIPL in allocation of Amarkonda Murgadangal coal block in Jharkhand. CBI had also claimed that the accused had conspired with each other to get the allocation of the coal block in favour of the two Jindal group firms. Opposing CBI's contention, all the accused, including Jindal, Koda and Rao, had said that there was no evidence which showed that they were in any conspiracy during the coal block allocation process. They had also denied the allegations levelled against them by CBI in its charge sheet. Jindal, Rao, Koda, former Coal Secretary H C Gupta and 11 others were chargesheeted by CBI in the case pertaining to alleged irregularities in allocation of the coal block to JSPL and GSIPL.
2016-04-29 17:07 By PTI www.mid-day.com
23 Congress leader Digvijaya Singh's youngest daughter Karnika dies of cancer New Delhi : Congress leader Digvijaya Singh's daughter Karnika Singh died due to cancer in New Delhi on Friday. 37-year-old Karnika is the youngest among the four daughters of Singh. She was admitted in Max Hospital, Saket, a few days ago and breathed her last at around 5 am. She had undergone treatment for the disease in the US as well. Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi along with senior party leader Ghulam Nabi Azad visited Singh at his residence located in 64 Lodhi Estate. Karnika's body has been taken to Wadhwan in Gujarat via road for the last rites. Karnika's mother, Asha, who was the first wife of Singh, had also died due to cancer in 2013.
2016-04-29 17:05 By PTI www.mid-day.com
24 Government takes steps to modernise Doordarshan New Delhi : Government has taken a number of steps to modernise Doordarshan news and entertainment channels by bringing in latest technology, strengthening regional bureaux and hiring fresh talent, Lok Sabha was informed on Friday. Doordarshan Observing that DD News provides 'only news and complete news' and a vast population of the country continue to watch it, Minister of State for I&B Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore said "modernisation process of Doordarshan is on. New technology is being brought, regional bureaux are being strengthened, fresh talent are being hired and salaries increased. " The Minister was responding to a question by Congress member Ranjeet Ranjan who said when "people get headache after watching private TV news channels" and they switch over to state-run DD News. He said government will soon bring a new entertainment policy where slots will be sold so that more entertainment programmes could be telecast. Responding to BJP member Virendra Singh's complaint that TV channels gave too much importance on telecasting cricket matches, he said a kabaddi league could be started and all such matches could be shown through DD Kisan channel. Rathore said Doordarshan had recently shown a reality programme on folk songs of the country which became immensely popular and several private channels too started similar programmes. The Minister said it was Doordarshan's constant endeavour to improve upon its programmes by reviewing content and quality from time to time with the view to sustain the interest of the viewers. "Doordarshan has been procuring content through various notified schemes such as self finance commissioning, revenue sharing mode producers, advertisement funded programme and acquisition category," he said.
2016-04-29 17:03 By PTI www.mid-day.com
25 25 Watch video: Virat Kohli, Shane Watson and AB de Villiers 'monkeying' around Royal Challengers Bangalore teammates Virat Kohli, Shane Watson and AB de Villiers seem to be having a hilarious time off the field. The RCB captain uploaded a video on his Instagram account showing the trio literally 'monkeying' around. This mischievous act apparently took place during a certain shoot recently. Royal Challengers Bangalore face Sunrisers Hyderabad in their IPL 9 match on April 30. Virat Kohli is currently the leading run scorer of this IPL season.
2016-04-29 16:59 By A www.mid-day.com
26 Woman, daughter killed after getting trapped under garbage in Nashik Nashik : A 40-year-old woman and her minor daughter were killed after they allegedly got buried under a 50-ft high garbage heap which collapsed on them at a dumping ground in Nashik, police said today. The incident took place on Wednesday but the bodies of the duo were pulled out of the dumping site last night by Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) authorities after a five-hour-long search operation, they said. The victims, Poonam Mali and Komal Mali (8), who had gone to collect firewood for cooking at the civic body's garbage depot at Vilholi Naka died of asphyxiation after getting trapped under the waste, according to an official at Indira Nagar police. The matter came to light when the duo, both slum dwellers of Kavathewadi, did not return home till Wednesday evening following which their family approached NMC officials and Sena activist Sudam Demse, police said. Subsequently, civic officials with the help of JCB machines rushed to the spot yesterday and succeeded in tracing the bodies last night, police said, adding an offence has been registered under CrPC section 174 besides a case of accidental death. Speaking to reporters, Demse alleged that the incident happened due to negligence of NMC administration and demanded construction of a compound wall for the garbage depot.
2016-04-29 16:56 By PTI www.mid-day.com
27 Guiao: Game 3 loss just ‘postponed’ Rain or Shine’s finals stint Rain or Shine may have failed to complete a sweep, but doesn’t mean it couldn’t finish off San Miguel. In Yeng Guiao’s mind, the Elastopainters will still make it to the Finals. “We just postponed our trip to the Finals,” he said on the heels of the Elasto Painters’ 104-98 defeat to an all-Filipino Beermen crew on Thursday. “My feeling is we’ll get there only in a longer while. We still feel positive of our chances. Parang may twice-to-beat advantage pa rin kami.” Rain or Shine still holds a 2-1 series advantage going into Sunday’s Game 4 at the Big Dome. “I still feel we have the advantage coming in on Sunday. Defensively, we just have to step up to challenge their three-point shooting. We’ve done well with that except tonight. We realize our mistakes where we had come short,” Guiao said. San Miguel went 12-of-31 from threes without high-scoring import Tyler Wilkerson. But the trio of Marcio Lassiter, Arwind Santos, and Alex Cabagnot all ended their shooting slumps to rescue the Beermen from an embarrassing sweep. Guiao admitted that the possibility of a 3-0 series win crossed his mind, but eventually thought it was “too ambitious for us to sweep San Miguel.” “Medyo naging possibility siya nung una, pero alam naman natin na mahirap gawin talaga yun. But now, we will be more ready the next time we play them. Sometimes, may tendency talaga na mag-relax ka kung alam mo na kulang yung kalaban mo,” he said. Guiao, however, believes that his team has to get the job done soon before the momentum shifts to San Miguel’s favor. “It becomes more difficult the more you postpone it, so pahirap ng pahirap yan hanggang sa hindi mo na maiko-close yan pag hindi mo matapos agad,” he said.
2016-04-29 16:46 Randolph B sports.inquirer.net
28 Former US House speaker: Ted Cruz is ‘Lucifer in the flesh’ WASHINGTON—Former US House speaker John Boehner has let fly with a stunning critique of fellow Republican and 2016 presidential hopeful Ted Cruz, labeling him the devil incarnate. “Lucifer in the flesh” is how the ever-blunt Republican heavyweight — who stepped down as speaker last year — described the Texas senator, who is struggling to block billionaire Donald Trump’s march to the Republican presidential nomination, according to the Stanford Daily newspaper. “I have Democrat friends and Republican friends,” Boehner said. “I get along with almost everyone, but I have never worked with a more miserable son of a ***** in my life.” In an audio recording of the stunning remarks played on a loop on US television Thursday, Boehner is heard to add about Cruz: “Over my dead body will he be president.” Boehner’s comments were made at a public talk late Wednesday at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California. Asked for his reaction on Thursday while campaigning in Indiana, Cruz sniffed that Boehner “allowed his inner Trump to come out.” Cruz is widely seen as one of the more intransigent members of Congress, and critics on both sides of the aisle blame him for triggering a 16-day federal government shutdown in late 2013. “When John Boehner calls me Lucifer, he’s not directing that at me. He’s directing that at you,” he said, alluding to his conservative supporters. “What Boehner is angry with me for is standing with the American people, is energizing and encouraging House conservatives to stand with the American people and actually honor the commitments we have made,” he said. For his part, Boehner rarely held back during his tenure as the top lawmaker in Congress when frustrated or dissatisfied — especially on the subject of gridlock in Washington. He revealed during the Stanford interview that he is “texting buddies” with Trump and has played golf with the brash billionaire for years. Apparently feeling even more liberated since leaving office, he is taking aim at the senator who is seen as one of the chief instigators of gridlock on Capitol Hill and arguably one of the least popular members of Congress. Many of Cruz’s enemies — including some from his own Republican Party — were quick to line up with Boehner in showing their disdain for the ambitious Texas lawmaker who has done little to endear himself to fellow lawmakers. Charlie Dent, a Republican congressman from Pennsylvania, said that as far as he was concerned, Boehner’s description of Cruz was just about right. “All I can say is somebody should contact Lucifer for comment — he may be upset about these remarks,” he told MSNBC. New York Republican lawmaker Peter King was even more cutting. “I fully agree with John Boehner,” he said. “And maybe he gives Lucifer a bad name comparing him to Ted Cruz.” Many Republicans will refuse to back him, even when faced with what many feel is the unpalatable alternative of getting Donald Trump as their presidential nominee, Dent said. “I got to tell you, Ted Cruz created these problems,” he said. “You reap what you sow. And that’s part of the problem with this ‘Never Trump’ movement is that they really have to get behind an acceptable alternative,” he said. “And Ted Cruz is frankly not an acceptable alternative.
2016-04-29 16:38 Agence France newsinfo.inquirer.net
29 WATCH: US show releases video rap on Donald Trump quotes United States (US) morning segment The Daily Show has produced a rap video composed solely of quotes from Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump. The quotes are juiced from Trump’s campiagn sorties, ‘controversial’ tweets, and press releases. It was sang by rapper-comedian, Roy Wood Jr, and gave life to Trump’s quotes in the rap single entitled “They Love Me”. Some of the popular quotes compiled in the comical rap song were “Careful lyin’ Ted I’ll spill the beans on your woman” and “I have black guys counting my money”, and “Make America great again”. Gianna Francesca Catolico, INQUIRER.net
2016-04-29 16:28 INQUIRER.net newsinfo.inquirer.net
30 LOOK: Anne Curtis, Jasmine hang out in London Actress and popular TV host Anne Curtis, together with fellow celebrity and sister Jasmine Curtis-Smith, are gallivanting and having a sisterly bonding in London. Anne shared splendid photos of the city’s historical landmarks in her Instagram account. They have visited the Westminister’s Abbey, Big Ben, St. Paul’s Cathedral, and the London Eye. The sisters also watched a classic musical remake of “The Phantom of the Opera”. Gianna Francesca Catolico, INQUIRER.net
2016-04-29 16:21 INQUIRER.net entertainment.inquirer.net
31 2-year-old son fatally shoots mother inside car An American woman was killed while driving along a Milwaukee highway on Thursday, after her two-year-old son accidentally shot her from the backseat of the moving car. The victim, Patrice Price, had been driving a car owned by her security guard boyfriend, who reportedly left a loaded .40-caliber gun under the driver’s seat. Citing reports from the Telegraph, the unsupervised toddler, who was sitting just behind his mother in the backseat, picked up the gun that slid out from under her chair. Local officials added that the boy had recently learned how to unbuckle himself and fired the firearm right through the front seat, which directly struck her mother in the back. Milwaukee officials said paramedics rushed to her aid but the 26-year-old died at the scene. Also in the car were Price’s mother and one-year-old son, who were both in the front passenger seat. Fortunately for the pair, they were left unscathed by the incident. Meanwhile, the father of the deceased, Andre Price, described his daughter as a ‘hardworking’ mother of three, who’ll do anything for her children. “Now I don’t have her no more. My chest has been hurting,” the elder Price told Milwaukee radio station, WISN. “I have a knot in my chest. They won’t even let me see my daughter. I wanted to hold my daughter for one last time.” Price’s unfortunate passing comes just a month after a four-year-old boy in Florida shot his mother, Jamie Gilt, in similar circumstances. Gilt, however, just sustained injuries and survived the shooting. Khristian Ibarrola, INQUIRER.net
2016-04-29 16:15 INQUIRER.net newsinfo.inquirer.net
32 Pacquiao now a political heavyweight SAN PABLO CITY, Philippines—Boxing legend Manny Pacquiao smiles as he soaks up the sounds of adoring fans screaming his name, their cheers heralding a new career as one of the Philippines’ most powerful politicians. After winning his farewell fight against Tim Bradley, the eight-time world champion hit the campaign trail this week in a bid to secure a seat in the Senate when Filipinos go to the polls on May 9. READ: Pacquiao beats Bradley via unanimous decision in ‘last fight’ Pacquiao’s rise from desperate street kid to boxing superstar has made him one of the nation’s biggest heroes and, in a nation where celebrities often become lawmakers, he is effortlessly translating sporting success into the political ring. Surveys show Pacquiao is virtually guaranteed to win a Senate seat and his journey through shanty towns near Manila, where he threw caps and other souvenirs to joyous fans holding life- sized posters of him, appeared more a victory lap than an effort to convince sceptical voters. “I’m happy campaigning right now. So many people are shouting, cheering for me. I’m glad with the warm welcome in every rally. I really didn’t expect that,” Pacquiao told AFP on Thursday during a break from the festivities. With constant speculation that another mega-bucks bout against American rival Floyd Mayweather might lure him out of retirement, Pacquiao insisted he was enjoying “retired life” and that he was not thinking about boxing at all. READ: Pacquiao leaves door open to retirement U-turn “I’m now a full-time politician. I remember when I dedicated myself to be a boxer and become a champion. It’s my feeling right now,” he said. Pacquiao, who has served two terms as a congressman, is running for a seat in the 24-member Senate as part of a long-term strategy to become president, a not unrealistic ambition given his wild popularity. Pacquiao’s international reputation took a huge hit in February when the devout evangelical Christian described homosexuals as “worse than animals”. Major sponsor Nike immediately cancelled its partnership with him and a host of US celebrities voiced outrage. But the comments had far less impact in the Philippines, with surveys showing his popularity slumping only slightly afterwards then quickly recovering. Boosted by his success against Bradley this month, Pacquiao is now in third place in the Senate race and a near certainty to take one of the 12 seats available, according to the latest survey from a major pollster. Message for the poor Campaigning in the bustling city of San Pablo Thursday, there was no sign of rancour. Vendors and tricycle drivers mobbed Pacquiao as he got off a flatbed truck, eager to touch their hero and pose for selfies. A high school drop-out, Pacquiao entered boxing to feed his family, and he says his political ambitions are anchored in his desire to help the poor. He is promising to increase the salaries of teachers, offer scholarships to poor students and give subsidies to farmers, selling himself as a beacon of hope for millions of poor who have not felt the benefits of stellar economic growth under President Benigno Aquino. “I tell them not to be discouraged because our life was worse than theirs. We did not have our own house, our own land and sometimes even food,” Pacquiao said. “I experienced what it was like to sleep on the streets. I want to serve so they will be proud that Manny is for the poor.” Many in San Pablo said they were drawn to Pacquiao’s message, as they talked about their own hardships. “I hope he gives projects for non-college graduates,” said housewife Jessica Bautista, 29, who only finished grade school. “I hope we get training because the government and companies only prioritise graduates but we have no diploma.” Bautista’s husband, Julius, a tricycle driver, said he also supported Pacquiao. “He is already rich so he will not be corrupt. I hope he just gives his salary to the poor,” he said. Answering his critics, who say he is not fit to be a senator because he has little education or track record as an effective lawmaker, Pacquiao insisted his rags-to-riches story was enough to qualify him for the job. “God raised me from nothing into something. I think I am the right person, the best person to answer the poor,” he said.
2016-04-29 16:15 Agence France newsinfo.inquirer.net
33 Watch Video: 12-car train rolls into Vashi station on Harbour line Mumbai Harbour line commuters had a reason to rejoice as the newly-introduced 12-car local train officially left from Vashi for Wadala Road railway station on Friday morning. The indicator at Vashi station displaying details about the 12-car train. Pic/Yogesh Chavan With the inclusion of 12-coach trains on the Harbour line, the CR’s passenger intake capacity has increased by 33 per cent. The 12-coach trains will simultaneously run with other train services on the line and there will be no changes in the timings. However, since the distance between railway stations in south Mumbai is barely a kilometre, if will take a toll on the maximum speed the 12-car train attains. To cover up this deficit, authorities have decided to lift the 80 kmph speed ban between Mankhurd and Panvel where distance between two stations is greater. The CR currently runs nearly 590 services daily on the Harbour Line by utilising 36 rakes each of nine cars. It also operates 14 services daily on the western line up to Andheri by using 14 rakes each of nine cars. Commenting on the development, CR's Chief PRO Narendra Patil said, "Yes, we have successfully rolled out 12-car trains on our Harbour Line in the CST to Panvel section. The 12- car local train on Harbour Line chugged off from Vashi station at 6 am in the morning and reached Wadala Road station at scheduled time," Patil said. There was no technical glitch because of the good work done by a team of Central Railway and Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC) officers, he said. Wadala Road is the connecting point for Harbour Line services that ply to Andheri in western suburbs as well as on the CST-Panvel route, while Vashi is the first satellite city in Navi Mumbai. The CR will introduce more 12-car rakes on the Harbour Line fleet as and when it gets them. It will monitor the impact of the 12-car rake services on the punctuality of train movement, he said. "Our team would monitor and study the running of the train and try to ascertain its impact on punctuality, passengers and train movement," DRM Amitabh Ojha, of CR's Mumbai division, said. The plying of 12-car local trains is another milestone for the Central Railway, which recently converted the services on this route to Alternate Current (AC) traction from the outdated Direct Current (DC). In February, the CR had operated a mega-block of 72 hours to increase the length of Harbour Line platforms at CST to accommodate 12-car trains, in view of the burgeoning population in Navi Mumbai. - with inputs from agencies
2016-04-29 16:06 By A www.mid-day.com
34 Police searching for suspects in Portland Denny’s stabbing PORTLAND, Maine (AP) - Police are searching for suspects after a stabbing outside a Denny’s restaurant in Portland left one man seriously injured. The violence broke out in front of the Denny’s on Brighton Avenue around 1:15 a.m. Thursday. The restaurant is located close to PT’s Showclub, a strip club where police say a fight was started between two groups of people. Lt. James Sweatt says the two groups then converged at the Denny’s, where a 31-year-old man was stabbed. The victim was taken to Maine Medical Center in Portland in serious but stable condition. His identity wasn’t released. Assistant Police Chief Vern Malloch says that the fight might have been racially motivated. Denny’s manager Jim Clark says the people involved weren’t customers and that the restaurant has no outward-facing security cameras.
2016-04-29 15:57 - Associated Press - Friday, April 29, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com
35 Indicated businessman filed for bankruptcy protection MILWAUKEE (AP) - A Wisconsin businessman indicted in an alleged scheme to fraudulently obtain bank loans has filed for bankruptcy protection. Ronald Van Den Heuvel, of De Pere, filed on behalf of Green Box NA Green Bay in federal court’s Eastern District. One of the 21 creditors listed on the filing is the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. Van Den Heuvel owes the state’s job creation agency more than $1.2 million. The agency made the loan in 20111-2012 for a project to turn waste paper into synthetic fuel and paper products. The State Journal (http://bit.ly/1r1upzq ) reports the court filing says Green Box has less than $50,000 in assets and owes between $10 million and $50 million. Van Den Heuvel is charged with 13 counts of federal bank fraud for an alleged scheme dating back to 2008 and 2009. ___ Information from: Wisconsin State Journal, http://www.madison.com/wsj
2016-04-29 15:57 - Associated Press - Friday, April 29, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com
36 19-year-old Frontenac man prepares to reopen diner in Girard GIRARD, Kan. (AP) - Andrew Faucett hopes to reopen a popular restaurant in a building more than 100 years older than he is. Faucett, 19, of Frontenac, is the new owner-operator of East Side Diner in Girard, The Joplin Globe (http://bit.ly/1Ujstye ) reports. Past owner-operator Kimbra Brunk will lease the building to Faucett for one year, but if the restaurant succeeds, she plans to sell it to him. There has been a restaurant at that location in the Crawford County seat going back to 1920, but it had closed a year or so ago. Faucett believes he can manage a grand opening by the end of May, as he concludes his affairs at the famous Harry’s Cafe of Pittsburg, where he’s been a cook, server and manager since he was 14 years old. “If you have the heart and the passion to want to be your own boss and to have your own efforts impact the community, you can do it,” Faucett said. “It doesn’t matter how old you are.” Old appliances and furniture have collected dust since the restaurant closed, and Faucett didn’t exactly find a new-car smell when he turned the key for the first time. The exterior awning has large holes in it, the interior paint is chipped, the ceiling has to be replaced, and Faucett will have to deep clean everything before opening. “We won’t have any problems with people coming in on day one,” Brunk said. “People keep asking, ‘When are you going to reopen?’ Everyone is very anxious. After that, the place will have to be ready. We’ll have to earn their trust.” If resources allow, the front door and windows also will be upgraded, The entry, too, must be addressed, as a restaurant with a rusted storm door that has to be forced open is not going to have much foot traffic. Amid all of this, starting in August, the city of Girard will begin a streetscape project to rejuvenate and remodel the town square. Faucett will likely have to open amid armies of orange cones, though the city will help pay for a new awning as part of the project. A city facade grant also is available for the door and windows, and a 5 percent or greater improvement in property value would qualify East Side for a 10-year property tax abatement. If the essentials are done in time, Faucett said, he plans to provide catering services around Crawford County to make sure everyone knows East Side is back. He’s confident the demand is there. “Greenbush (Southeast Kansas Education Service Center) has some kind of catering need basically every day,” Faucett said. “They don’t really have people who can go out and cater for their kids right now; they just get pizza. So I’m looking forward to filling that niche.” Following a “don’t fix it if it’s not broken” attitude and based on his experience at Harry’s, Faucett will stick with a breakfast-all-day plus brunch menu. Story Continues →
2016-04-29 09:55 - Associated Press - Friday, April 29, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com
37 Planeload of 33 rescued circus lions to fly from Peru to South Africa The lions, with names such as Zeus and Shakira, were freed after the use of wild animals in circuses was outlawed in Peru in 2011 and Colombia in 2013. They have been rounded up with the help of authorities by Animal Defenders International (ADI), an animal rights charity. "It's truly wonderful that these lions, after a lifetime of suffering and abuse in circuses, are going home to Africa," said the president of ADI, Jan Creamer. "All of the lions when they arrive from the circuses have health problems, parasites, disease," she added. "All of their lives they haven't had enough food, so they have long-term malnutrition problems. " In recent months spent in straw-lined cages in a refuge north of Lima, however, they have been well fed and are in generally good health, she said. Rescued lion "Coco" drinks water in its cage while it is being quarantined at a temporary custody centre in Lima August 22, 2014. Image: REUTERS ENRIQUE CASTRO-MENDIVIL Twenty-four lions rescued in Peru will be driven from their temporary rescue center to Lima airport to be picked up by a cargo plane that is bringing another nine over from Colombia. That contingent includes Shakira, named after the Colombian pop singer. From one of 10 Peruvian circuses also comes "Ricardo, the one-eyed lion" and from another "Joseph, the almost-blind lion. " Together, the 33 will take a 15-hour flight to South Africa in travel cages inside the plane chartered by ADI. They will arrive on Saturday in Johannesburg where they will be housed before being sent in October to the Emoya Big Cat Sanctuary in the north of the country. "The lions will be in their natural habitat for the first time in their lives," Creamer said. "They should fit right into that habitat. It's the best environment for them. " ADI says it is the biggest transfer of such large captive animals ever. In the circuses the lions were ill fed and trucked around in cages, the group said. The Colombian circuses gave up the nine lions voluntarily but police had to launch raids to free the lions in Peru. "Almost all of the rescued lions have been mutilated to remove their claws, one has lost an eye, another is almost blind, and many have smashed and broken teeth so would not survive in the wild," ADI said in a statement. At their new home, "the lions will enjoy large natural enclosures situated in pristine African bush, complete with drinking pools, platforms and toys," it added. "The lion habitats will be steadily expanded over the coming months as the lions become familiar with their new life and are introduced to each other. " The cost of the transfer is $10,000 per cat. "These lions have endured hell on earth," Creamer said. "Now they are heading home to paradise. " - AFP
2016-04-29 15:38 Luis Jaime www.timeslive.co.za
38 Authorities: 11 charged in Rochester-area cocaine ring ROCHESTER, N. Y. (AP) - Federal authorities say nearly a dozen people have been charged in a major cocaine trafficking ring in Rochester. Prosecutors said Thursday that 11 people are charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and crack cocaine. Investigators say they seized drugs, more than $200,000 in cash and several firearms during the course of the probe. The defendants are accused of importing and distributing large amounts of cocaine and cocaine base in the Rochester area over the last year. Investigators conducted purchases of cocaine, used wire taps on cellphones and conducted search warrants on several mail packages containing cocaine and cash from drug sales.
2016-04-29 15:27 - Associated Press - Friday, April 29, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com
39 Will Smith, Jada Pinkett-Smith join Obama youth initiative LOS ANGELES (AP) - Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith are adding their star power to President Barack Obama’s initiative to boost opportunities for vulnerable young Americans. The Will & Jada Smith Family Foundation said Friday it will launch a “Careers in Entertainment Tour” to support Obama’s My Brother’s Keeper Initiative on its two-year anniversary. In keeping with the initiative’s goals, the tour will be aimed at helping underserved high school and college students interested in entertainment industry careers, the foundation said. “The Careers in Entertainment Tour is an engine for change in our industry, and a means of closing the gap between dreams and the tools necessary to achieve them,” Pinkett-Smith said in a statement. The president’s initiative was launched in 2014 with the goal of helping boys and young men of color and other young people overcome barriers to fulfilling their potential. It has enlisted businesses, nonprofit organizations and local government in the effort. The task force “applauds the Will & Jada Smith Family Foundation for responding to President Obama’s call to action to ensure all youth have clear pathways to opportunity and success,” said Broderick Johnson, who chairs My Brother’s Keeper, in a statement. The announcement comes two months after the Oscars faced criticism for an all-white slate of acting nominees, which some observers said reflected both the movie academy’s and industry’s closed ranks. The tours, set to begin this fall, will be done in partnership with the U. S. Small Business Administration and other organizations, the foundation said. Students will hear from film and TV industry professionals about a wide variety of jobs involved in the creation, distribution and marketing entertainment projects. The foundation said it and affiliates will help students identify skills and knowledge needed for jobs and entrepreneurial opportunities. ___ Online: https://www.whitehouse.gov/my-brothers-keeper
2016-04-29 15:27 - Associated Press - Friday, April 29, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com
40 2 suburban Cleveland schools find high lead levels in water BEACHWOOD, Ohio (AP) - Two schools in a Cleveland suburb have shut off their drinking fountains after finding high levels of lead in the water. WJW-TV (http://bit.ly/1VWxq1E ) reports Beachwood schools are providing bottled water to affected students and staff. The district opted to test the water in March and received some results indicating concerning lead levels from two drinking fountains. Other fountains at those schools have been shut down as a precaution and are being tested. Some schools have chosen to test their water after the water crisis in Flint, Michigan, and reports of other facilities in Ohio finding high lead levels in water from fountains. One central Ohio district that found high levels in some of its fountains has offered blood testing for students and staff. ___ Information from: WJW-TV, http://www.fox8.com
2016-04-29 15:27 - Associated Press - Friday, April 29, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com
41 The Latest: Hundreds turned away from Trump rally in OC COSTA MESA, Calif. (AP) - The Latest on the scene outside Donald Trump’s rally in Southern California (all times local): 9:30 p.m. Authorities have declared an unlawful assembly and at least one person has been taken into custody as protesters and others block streets outside Donald Trump’s rally in Orange County. The front and back windows of one police car were smashed as protesters and others grew increasingly unruly in the aftermath of Trump’s speech on Thursday night. At one point a fistfight broke out when someone grabbed the hat of a Trump supporter who tried to get it back. The man’s nose was bleeding badly afterward. At its peak the crowd was in the hundreds. Later dozens remained in the streets and dozens of cars were stopped with their engines off as they waited. ___ 8:45 p.m. Hundreds of people, many of them protesters against Donald Trump, have blocked an intersection outside Trump’s rally in Orange County. Dozens of cars were stuck as the crowd flooded the street, chanted and waved flags just after the Thursday night Trump rally at the Pacific Amphitheatre. Trump supporters were also in the mix and many other people milled on the surrounding sidewalks. Police in riot gear and other officers on horseback tried to sweep the crowd out of the street and let traffic flow. There were no reports of any violence or arrests. ___ 7:45 p.m. The Pacific Amphitheatre in Orange County is filled to its capacity of about 18,000 for Donald Trump’s rally in Southern California. Story Continues →
2016-04-29 15:27 - Associated Press - Friday, April 29, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com
42 Drug drop off boxes now at each state police barracks HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - After a successful campaign placing prescription drug drop boxes across Connecticut yielded 23,000 pounds of unused pills last year, 11 more boxes have been added. State officials announced Thursday that the 11 additional boxes will be located at each Connecticut State Police barracks. The 60 drop boxes placed last year are located at municipal police departments throughout the state. Gov. Dannel Malloy said certain prescription drugs can lead youths toward heroin, and the state must “do all that we can” to combat the national and statewide opioid crisis. Officials say 415 people died from heroin-related overdoses in Connecticut last year. Consumer Protection Commissioner Jonathan Harris says proper drug disposal is “an important piece of the puzzle” in helping those suffering from and affected by addiction.
2016-04-29 15:26 - Associated Press - Friday, April 29, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com
43 Police in Washington state fatally shoot man with knife SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) - Two Spokane officers fatally shot a man outside a homeless shelter after he approached them with a knife, police said. Police responded to a report of a suicidal man Thursday evening and found a man leaning against a building. The man turned to face officers while holding a knife to his chest, according to news release from Spokane Police Officer Teresa Fuller. Officers tried to talk to the man but he started to approach them with the knife. One of the officers then used a Taser on the man, which was ineffective, and the man continued toward the officers, according to police. Two officers then fired at the man, who was struck by two bullets and died at the scene, police said, despite aid from medics who were staged nearby. A knife was found next to the man’s body after the shooting, police said. Some people in the area afterward became confrontational and police called for all available officers to respond. No one was injured as the scene was brought under control, but officers arrested two people. One was arrested for assault on an officer and one for pedestrian interference. Both were booked into Spokane County Jail. David Snyder, who said he was staying at the shelter and saw what happened, told The Spokesman-Review (http://goo.gl/wm1c0n) he didn’t believe officers needed to shoot the man, but he acknowledged the man was “in a rage” and that “he charged, no doubt.” “He wanted them to kill him,” Snyder said. “They were trying to make him stand down.” Snyder said the man was homeless and staying at the shelter. The medical examiner’s office will identify the man and cause of death. Police said the three officers at the scene were wearing body cameras and the footage will be reviewed by investigators. The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office is leading the investigation with assistance from other eastern Washington agencies. __ An earlier version of this story said three officers fired at the man. The story has been corrected to show that two officers fired. ___ Information from: The Spokesman-Review, http://www.spokesman.com
2016-04-29 15:23 - Associated Press - Friday, April 29, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com
44 Lawsuit claims discrimination at the New York Times NEW YORK (AP) - Two women who work in the advertising department at The New York Times have filed a federal discrimination lawsuit against the newspaper, its chief executive and chief revenue officer. The Times reported that in a lawsuit filed Thursday in federal court in Manhattan, account managers Ernestine Grant and Marjorie Walker claim the workplace is “rife with discrimination based on age, race and gender.” “Unbeknownst to the world at large, not only does The Times have an ideal customer (young, white, wealthy), but also an ideal staffer (young, white, unencumbered with a family) to draw that purported ideal customer,” the lawsuit said. Both women are black and in their 60s. Grant has been with the paper for 16 years and Walker for eight years, the Times said. The lawsuit contends that when Meredith Levien, now the company’s executive vice president and chief revenue officer, joined the Times in 2013, she “made it very clear that she was looking for a very particular work force, one that was filled with ‘fresh faces,’ i.e., younger employees without families, and who were white.” The suit says the plaintiffs “have experienced discrimination and were retaliated against, when they complained about such discrimination.” Times spokeswoman Eileen Murphy called the suit “entirely without merit.” She said the company intends to “fight it vigorously in court.” “This lawsuit contains a series of recycled, scurrilous and unjustified attacks on both (president & CEO) Mark Thompson and Meredith Levien. It also completely distorts the realities of the work environment at The New York Times,” Murphy said.
2016-04-29 15:23 - Associated Press - Friday, April 29, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com
45 All lanes reopen after fuel spill causes delays on I-75 in... Just One More Thing... We have sent you a verification email. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your profile. If you do not receive the verification message within a few minutes of signing up, please check your Spam or Junk folder.
2016-04-29 15:21 Lauren Foreman www.ajc.com
46 Graduating nursing students to take part in disaster drill NASHUA, N. H. (AP) - Graduating nursing students and faculty are going to be taking part in a mock disaster event at Rivier University in Nashua. The purpose of the exercise is to better prepare graduates for future employers and so that they can respond quickly in the event of a community disaster. The event is taking place from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Friday in the parking lot next to Sylvia Trottier Hall on campus.
2016-04-29 09:25 - Associated Press - Friday, April 29, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com
47 Rovi buying TiVo in $1.1B cash-and-stock deal NEW YORK (AP) - Digital TV listing company Rovi is buying TiVo in a cash- and-stock deal valued at about $1.1 billion. Rovi Corp. said Friday that it will pay $10.70 in cash and stock for each TiVo Inc. share. Rovi will pay $2.75 per share in cash, or about $277 million. The rest, $7.95 per share, will be paid in stock. Once the deal closes, the combined business will use the TiVo name. TiVo is a digital video recording company. Rovi CEO Tom Carson will serve as CEO of the new company. The companies anticipate at least $100 million in annual cost savings. Both companies’ boards have approved the deal, which is targeted to close in the third quarter. It still needs approval from both companies’ shareholders. TiVo is based in San Jose, California. Rovi is based in Santa Clara, California.
2016-04-29 15:19 - Associated Press - Friday, April 29, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com
48 Bridgeport man guilty of sexual assaults on granddaughter BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (AP) - A 64-year-old Bridgeport man is facing a sentence of more than 50 years in prison after being convicted of repeated sexual assaults on his young granddaughter. The Connecticut Post reports (http://bit.ly/1VXisIf ) a six-member jury found Joseph Burroughs guilty of first-degree sexual assault, third-degree sexual assault and four counts of risk of injury to a minor on Thursday. The victim, now 9 years old, testified during the three-day trial that Burroughs sexually assaulted her on numerous occasions beginning when she was 5 years old. Senior Assistant State’s Attorney Ann Lawlor praised the jury for their hard work to “reach the appropriate verdict.” Burroughs spent five years in prison after he was convicted of manslaughter with a firearm in 1989. ___ Information from: Connecticut Post, http://www.connpost.com
2016-04-29 15:19 - Associated Press - Friday, April 29, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com
49 Spain: Park workers discover huge Roman coin trove MADRID (AP) - Workers laying pipes in a southern Spanish park have unearthed a 600-kilogram (1,300-pound) trove of Roman coins in what culture officials say is a unique historic discovery. The Seville Archaeological Museum said the construction workers came across 19 amphoras containing thousands of unused bronze and silver-coated coins dating from the end of the fourth century. The coins are believed to have been recently minted at the time and had probably been stored to pay soldiers or civil servants. Museum director Ana Navarro said the discovery Wednesday in the southern town of Tomares outside Seville is unique for Spain and of incalculable value. She told reporters the museum had contacted counterparts in Britain, France and Italy and that the find appeared to be one of the most important from the period. The regional cultural department said Friday construction work in the park had been halted while archeologists investigate further. The clay pots, 10 of which were said to be intact, were found just over a meter (yard) underground. Navarro said the coins studied so far bear images of emperors Constantine and Maximian and with a variety of pictorial images on the reverse. The cultural department said the museum had no similar coins in its collection. Once the find has been fully investigated the pieces will be put on display in the museum, the department said. The Romans began to conquer Spain in 218 B. C. and ruled until the fifth century. ___ An earlier version of this story was corrected to show museum director’s surname is Navarro.
2016-04-29 15:17 This photo www.washingtontimes.com
50 Portsmouth destroying public documents without proper form PORTSMOUTH, Va. (AP) - The city of Portsmouth has destroyed public documents this fiscal year without submitting certificates of destruction. The Virginian-Pilot reports (http://bit.ly/1SCgSFQ ) that about 370 curbside trash cans’ worth of documents have been destroyed. While the newspaper attempted to obtain records for several city properties, the city said the records did not exist. When the newspaper asked for certificates of destruction, which should be created when a public record is destroyed, city spokeswoman Dana Woodson said that the city didn’t perform mass purges of documents, so there were no certificates of destruction. Glenn Smith, a records management analyst at the Library of Virginia, says that any public record that is destroyed should be documented via the certificate of destruction form.
2016-04-29 15:16 - Associated Press - Friday, April 29, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com
51 Bismarck’s downtown alleys to be canvases for local artists BISMARCK, N. D. (AP) - The city of Bismarck plans to turn downtown alleys into canvases for local artists. The City Commission this week approved an “art alley” project to display approved artwork in downtown alleys with blank walls. No city money is involved. The Dakota West Arts Council has set aside funding for painting materials, and the Bismarck Downtown Artist Co-op will provide maintenance. The idea came from the 2016 Leadership Bismarck Mandan Team, organized through the local Chamber of Commerce. The art selection process will begin in the next couple of weeks. Plans are to have the alleys decorated in time for a downtown street fair in September.
2016-04-29 15:16 - Associated Press - Friday, April 29, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com
52 Tennessee ACLU, family sue over teen solitary confinement MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (AP) - The American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee has joined a lawsuit against the Department of Children’s Services and the Rutherford County Juvenile Detention Center to end the use of solitary confinement for children. The Tennessean reports (http://tnne.ws/1N5Rewm) that Monday, a federal judge ordered the release of a 15-year-old with developmental disabilities who had been placed in isolation on April 20. The boy had been arrested for aggravated robbery, and on March 18 a Rutherford County juvenile judge ordered a mental health evaluation for the teen. However Mark Downton, an attorney for the boy and his mother, says the evaluation didn’t take place until after he was released from confinement. Attorneys for the family are seeking to end the practice of solitary confinement of children. The ACLU of Tennessee announced Thursday that they are joining the lawsuit. ___ Information from: The Tennessean, http://www.tennessean.com
2016-04-29 15:16 - Associated Press - Friday, April 29, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com
53 Trial delayed for Iowan accused of Medicaid fraud COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) - A trial has been delayed for a western Iowa man accused of fraudulently billing Medicaid. Online court records say 52-year-old Darren Washington has pleaded not guilty to charges of theft and fraudulent practice. His Pottawattamie County trial was to have begun Tuesday but now is set to begin May 31. The Daily Nonpareil (http://bit.ly/1NZB3LM ) reports that Washington billed Medicaid for services he didn’t perform while working for Health Homes Family Services. Court records say the fraudulent billings totaled more than $13,400. ___ Information from: The Daily Nonpareil, http://www.nonpareilonline.com
2016-04-29 15:16 - Associated Press - Friday, April 29, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com
54 Augusta man pleads guilty to drug distribution charges PORTLAND, Maine (AP) - A 44-year-old Augusta man has admitted to federal drug distribution charges stemming from a 2015 traffic stop arrest at a southern Maine rest stop. The Kennebec Journal reports (http://bit.ly/1pNLoV7 ) Shawn Figoli pleaded guilty Thursday in federal court in Portland to a single charge of possessing and intending to distribute heroin and fentanyl. Figoli was arrested at the Kennebunk rest area on Interstate 95 in May 2015 after state police received reports of a driver operating erratically. A trooper’s search of Figoli’s pickup truck turned up 18 packages of drugs inside a fanny pack. Assistant U. S. Attorney David Joyce says a laboratory examination found that the packages contained heroin and fentanyl. Figoli faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison at sentencing. ___ Information from: Kennebec Journal, http://www.kjonline.com/
2016-04-29 15:16 - Associated Press - Friday, April 29, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com
55 55 Students upset over school paper’s racially charged cartoon DOVER, Del. (AP) - Students at Wesley College in Delaware have expressed outrage over two racially charged cartoons that appeared in the student newspaper last week. The News Journal of Wilmington (http://delonline.us/1XXBgER ) reports that one of the cartoons depicted an African-American woman saying she was getting an abortion. The other depicted a black man telling a gardening tool it looked “like a hoe.” Tiffany Griffin, a Wesley senior, said the anger over the cartoons spread over social media. On Tuesday, university president Robert E. Clark III sent a letter to students, saying he was disappointed by the depiction in the Whetstone newspaper. He apologized to anyone who was offended by the cartoons. Clark, the cartoonist and the paper’s editor held a town hall-style event to discuss the cartoon with students. ___ Information from: The News Journal of Wilmington, Del., http://www.delawareonline.com
2016-04-29 15:16 - Associated Press - Friday, April 29, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com
56 Singers sought for iconic New York folk music venue’s video SARATOGA SPRINGS, N. Y. (AP) - The nation’s longest continuously operating coffeehouse is putting together a video featuring Arlo Guthrie and Garrison Keillor to celebrate the upstate New York folk music venue’s impending renovations. The not-for-profit organization that runs Caffe Lena (LEE’-nuh) in downtown Saratoga Springs, New York, announced earlier this year that it will undergo $1.5 million in improvements to the building that houses the second-floor concert venue. Organizers have been working on a music video that features Caffe Lena veteran Guthrie, “A Prairie Home Companion” host Keillor and Peter Yarrow and Noel Paul Stookey of Peter, Paul and Mary. Caffe Lena, which turns 56 next month, is looking for people to gather on the street outside the venue Saturday morning to be filmed singing the final chorus for the video, which will be released through social media in the fall. ___ This story has been corrected to correct venue’s age to 56 instead of 66.
2016-04-29 15:15 - Associated Press - Friday, April 29, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com
57 Rio Olympic flame visits UN office in Geneva GENEVA (AP) - The Olympic flame for the Rio de Janeiro Games came to the United Nations in Geneva on Friday, where officials said a team of refugee athletes will bring a message of hope for refugees around the world. The flame, which was lit in Greece last week and taken to Switzerland in a lantern, was brought to the U. N. offices for the first time before it heads to Brazil for the torch relay ahead of the opening ceremony in Rio on Aug. 5. “This flame is a beacon of solidarity with all peoples of the world,” U. N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said. He hailed the decision of the International Olympic Committee to create a team of refugee athletes who will compete in Rio under the Olympic flag. “For the first time in history, talented athletes who have been forced to flee their homes will get a chance to chase gold,” Ban said. “Their fellow refugees will see outstanding contenders who give hope to all. And the world will see refugees the way they deserve to be seen: as talented, strong and inspiring people.” “Win or lose, they are champions of the spirit,” he added. “I welcome the refugee team - and I will be cheering for them with all my might.” The IOC has identified 43 refugees as contenders for the team, which is expected to comprise between five and 10 athletes. The IOC will announce the lineup at its next executive board meeting in early June. On Monday, a Syrian amputee refugee, Ibrahim Al-Hussein, carried the torch as it passed through a refugee camp in Athens. “By welcoming this team of refugee Olympic athletes, we want to send a message of hope to all refugees in our world that they are not forgotten,” IOC President Thomas Bach said. “In our fragile world, the Olympic values of solidarity and peace are more important than ever.” The flame was also being taken Friday to the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, home of the IOC. The flame will reach Brazil on Tuesday, starting in the capital of Brasilia and kicking off a nationwide relay involving 12,000 torchbearers that covers 20,000 kilometers (12,000 miles) by road and 16,000 kilometers (10,000 miles) by air. The Olympics approach at a time when Brazil is in the grip of political, economic and public health crises. President Dilma Rousseff is facing impeachment, the economy is in severe recession and the country is at the epicenter of the Zika virus outbreak. The IOC and Brazilian organizers said the games - the first in South America - will overcome the challenges and be a success. “These will be spectacular Olympic Games,” Bach said. “In just a few weeks, the Brazilian people will enthusiastically welcome the world and amaze us with their joy of life and their passion for sport.” Carlos Nuzman, head of Rio’s local organizing committee, said the city is ready to “deliver history.” Story Continues →
2016-04-29 15:15 ADVANCE FOR www.washingtontimes.com
58 Natchez school district to pay $127K to former principal NATCHEZ, Miss. (AP) - The Natchez-Adams School District will pay about $127,500 to a former principal, who successfully sued the district for wrongful termination. The district’s insurance company will pay the remainder of the $625,000 settlement. Last year, a federal civil jury ruled the district, former superintendent Frederick Hill and former deputy superintendent Tanisha Smith culpable for creating a hostile work environment - including racial discrimination against the white plaintiff - before forcing former Susie B. West Elementary School principal Cindy Idom into retirement. After the jury handed down the verdict in September 2015, The Natchez Democrat reports (http://bit.ly/1VWyYJ9) the final judgment was issued in January. Of that, $75,000 was assessed against Hill and $25,000 against Smith. However, their contracts have clauses holding them harmless in lawsuits brought against them. ___ Information from: The Natchez Democrat, http://www.natchezdemocrat.com/
2016-04-29 15:15 - Associated Press - Friday, April 29, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com
59 Synthetic pesticide task force proposed in Portland PORTLAND, Maine (AP) - Portland City Council’s Energy and Sustainability Committee voted in favor of creating a task force to consider restricting the use of synthetic pesticides and fertilizer in the city. Councilor Jon Hinck, the committee’s chair, tells The Portland Press Herald (http://bit.ly/1VEsSMS ) that the 12-member task force would include landscapers, anti-pesticide advocates, academics and residents nominated by Mayor Ethan Strimling. Hinck says he hopes the full council will vote to approve the plan soon. Portland has already begun to scale back its use of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers while testing the effectiveness of alternative methods. Recreation director Ethan Hipple says the city no longer uses synthetic pesticides to treat playgrounds, cemeteries and other spaces frequented by children. Hipple says organic pesticides can cost about 30 percent more than synthetic variations. ___ Information from: Portland Press Herald, http://www.pressherald.com
2016-04-29 15:15 - Associated Press - Friday, April 29, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com
60 IUPUI back to normal after emergency order due to robbery INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Officials at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis say campus can return to normal activities after they issued a take-shelter order when an armed robbery was reported. IUPUI officials issued the emergency order late Thursday, telling those on campus via social media that they should “take safe shelter in the nearest available room” and remain indoors. Officials say the robbery happened at a nearby Starbucks. Police set up a perimeter and searched the area. About an hour later, early Friday, police said that campus could return to normal activities. Officials say the suspect wasn’t found and they urged those on campus to take caution as they moved around campus Friday.
2016-04-29 15:15 - Associated Press - Friday, April 29, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com
61 Proposed 'John Wayne Day' sparks argument over Wayne's 'racism, hostility, homophobia' - A Calif. state lawmaker proposed a resolution to create "John Wayne Day" on the actor's May 26th birthday, and fellow assembly members quoted offensive comments Wayne had made in the past to oppose it. The April 28 vote failed to pass the bill. ()
2016-04-29 15:12 The Washington www.washingtonpost.com
62 After brief lull, new air raids over Syrian city of Aleppo BEIRUT (AP) — After a brief morning lull, Syrian government warplanes launched fresh airstrikes Friday targeting rebel-held parts of Aleppo , raising fears of more casualties after days of carnage that propelled the contested northern city once again as a main battlefield in Syria’s devastating civil war. The airstrikes shattered the lull that had engulfed Aleppo since dawn hours and prompted religious leaders to suspend Friday prayer sermons in the city mosques, according to activists from the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and the Local Coordination Committees. The Observatory reported one person was killed in the strikes while the LCC said three people died and several were wounded. The carnage in Aleppo — a city contested since the summer of 2012 when opposition fighters stormed it and took over several neighborhoods — was particularly bad on Wednesday and Thursday, when airstrikes and artillery killed more than 60 people, including dozens at a hospital in a rebel-held neighborhood. Aid agencies warned that Aleppo is on the brink of a humanitarian disaster with the collapse of a two-month cease-fire and stalled peace talks in Switzerland. In Geneva, the U. N. High Commissioner for Human Rights said the latest reports of civilian deaths in Syria revealed a “monstrous disregard for civilian lives by all parties to the conflict.” In a statement released Friday, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein urged all sides to step back from a return to an all-out war. The U. N. official said “the violence is soaring back to the levels we saw prior to the cessation of hostilities” in late February. He added that targeting medical facilities and markets could “amount to war crimes.” According to the Observatory, airstrikes and shelling in Aleppo killed 202 civilians in the past week — 123 in rebel-held parts of the city and 71 and government-held areas. It said the dead included 31 children on both sides. The Religious Council of Aleppo, a body that runs religious affairs in rebel-held parts of Aleppo province, suspended Friday prayers at the city’s mosques, saying there were fears of more airstrikes by Russian and government warplanes. “The religious council calls upon, for the first time, all those in charge of mosques to suspend the Friday prayers,” said the council in a statement posted online. “The heart of the believers is aching … but preserving lives is an important religious duty.”
2016-04-29 15:10 In this www.washingtontimes.com
63 63 IPL 9: Kieron Pollard can make any opposition jittery, feels Robin Singh Mumbai Indians assistant coach Robin Singh feels that a player like Kieron Pollard is valuable to any T20 side as he has the ability to make any opposition jittery with his big-hitting prowess. The big-bodied Trinidad and Tobago all-rounder hit six sixes in his 17-ball-51 to win a tricky match for Mumbai Indians against KKR with ease. Kieron Pollard in action against Kolkata Knight Riders. Pic/ AFP "What is really important that when you have someone like Pollard coming in at the backend and you have Jos Buttler just ahead of him, oppositions are never safe with any sort of score on the board. As you saw it's just the question of one over in the game which changes the course of the game, people like Pollard actually you need to have in any team," Robin, one among the innumerable number of support staff in defending champions dug-out told mediapersons after the match. "His (Pollard's) game has matured over the years (and) in the last season he played similar knocks like this right compared to initially when he came in. He can take the game right down till the end and he has understood the responsibility not just as somebody who can just strike the ball but actually somebody who is critical to the side. More importantly, it is sending jitters to the opposition," Robin added. Robin also said that Pollard has worked hard on rehab programme to get fit in time for the IPL. "I think he is ok, may be his injury is just getting over. In a situation where he has come back to play much earlier than what we expected, he has done a lot of rehab, we are pretty satisfied even the trainers are satisfied with his fitness. " Robin also indicated that the strategy was to target former ICL player Rajagopal Sathish, who was the weakest link in the KKR attack rather than going for the seasoned Sunil Narine, who has more variations. When asked if he was surprised that Narine did not complete the spell, Robin replied:"No, I think, they probably used it as a tactic. Probably they wanted him (Narine) to bowl at the death, probably they thought we won't take on Sathish but that was the over we (MI) needed to take him on. "Their strategy did not work because many of their (KKR) main bowlers did not bowl well. The wicket was good to bat on probably the best batting wicket we had in the whole season here. "
2016-04-29 15:08 By PTI www.mid-day.com
64 IPL 9: We were 15 runs short against Mumbai, says KKR's Chris Lynn Kolkata Knight Riders batsman Chris Lynn said his team was 15 runs short and paid for not capitalising on the rollicking start given by its openers in the lost game against Mumbai Indians here. "I think, first probably we were 15 (runs) short with the bat and like we got off to a great start, didn't really capitalise on the platform," Lynn said in the post-match press conference. But Lynn said the team will bounce back. Kolkata Knight Riders' players celebrating fall of a wicket "It's not the end of the world, we are going to show a turnaround, that's the beauty of IPL, I am sure we will bounce back nicely," the 26-year-old Australian player told reporters here last night at the customary post match conference here. On toss, he said the team did not go with negative mindset when they lost the toss. After putting 174 on the board, KKR lost by six wickets to Mumbai due to some hard hitting done by West Indian Kieron Pollard who hit six towering sixes in his unbeaten knock of 51. "...we did not execute our skill whether that is spin bowling or the pace, but I thought our fielding was outstanding," he said. Lynn said every time he has played against Mumbai captain Rohit Sharma, the opener has done well. "He (Rohit) has done well against KKR, we have to look really hard and try and knock him over early, he never panics at any stage which a good batsman (does) as you have seen with Virat (Kohli)," he said. When asked whether Pollard is underrated when compared to Chris Gayle or AB De Villiers, Lynn opined, "The difference is they (Gayle, de Villiers) bat at the top of the order and set the platform. So Pollard got a slightly easy role if you put it," he added.
2016-04-29 15:06 By PTI www.mid-day.com
65 F1: Red Bull's Daniil Kvyat confident of strong show in Sochi Sochi : Formula One racer Daniil Kvyat has said he was optimistic about his team Red Bull's performance at the upcoming Sochi Grand Prix this weekend. "Lately we have been competitive on most of the tracks -- doesn’t really matter, any kind really, starting with Australia, Bahrain, China we always looked in quite good shape," Kvyat said on Thursday, reports Tass. Daniil Kvyat. Pic/ AFP Kvyat finished third at the China Grand Prix two weeks ago. "I think Sochi also in the past for us maybe hasn’t been the easiest track as a team, but now we are just coming to any track and we are just trying to extract everything the car has got and I believe also here we can fight for quite strong points," he said. "We will do our best and I think the car is looking in great," the Russian racer added. The 21-year-old Russian stepped on the podium two weeks ago in China for the second time in his career. In July, 2015, he was second in Hungary’s Grand Prix. Meanwhile, the issue of holding the Russian Grand Prix in Sochi during a nighttime has not been closed and is still being discussed, Richard Cregan, one of the most experienced Formula One managers, has said. "There were a lot of discussions with various people," Cregan said on Thursday. "I think it is still in discussion as to whether we will have a night race here," Cregan added. A proposal to switch the Russian F1 Grand Prix in Sochi from traditional daytime to nighttime was first aired in 2014 by Sergey Vorobyov, the head of the Russian F1 racing promotion company Sochi AutoDrom. He suggested that in the future years the Sochi GP would turn into a night race, similar to Singapore and Abu-Dhabi GPs. Similar idea was expressed by F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone, when he first visited Sochi for the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2014, and said the city’s infrastructure and sports facilities built for the Games looked great lit up in the night time. This year Russia is holding its Grand Prix for the first time in spring, namely on April 29-May 1, as compared with the two previous races held in autumn of 2014 and 2015 in Sochi.
2016-04-29 15:05 By IANS www.mid-day.com
66 Borussia Dortmund's Mats Hummels to join Bayern Munich Berlin : Mats Hummels will leave Dortmund at the end of the season to join rivals Bayern Munich, the Bundesliga runner-up announced in an official statement. The Germany international has breathed his wish to leave Dortmund and to move to Bayern Munich for the next season. However, according to the statement on Thursday, Hummels' transfer depends on Bayern's offer. So far, Bayern Munich have not submitted any offer, reports Xinhua. Mats Hummels. Pic/ AFP The "BVB" is willing to agree on a transfer of their team skipper but only with an "appropriate offer, which meets the value of the player". Nevertheless, Mats Hummels' contract runs until June 2017, meaning Bayern Munich will definitely have to pay a transfer fee to realize the signing. The 27-year-old center back already played from 1995 until 2008 for Bayern's youth teams before he joined Borussia Dortmund to make his breakthrough as a Bundesliga player. Hummels made 223 appearances in Germany's top flight to provide 19 goals overall. If both teams can agree on a transfer, Hummels would be the fifth player, after Thomas Helmer, Torsten Frings, Mario Goezte and Robert Lewandowski, who moved from Dortmund to Bayern. Dortmund sit currently on the second place of the Bundesliga standings with three rounds to spare. They still have the chance to clinch one title this season as they face Bayern Munich in the German Cup final in Berlin on May 21.
2016-04-29 15:04 By IANS www.mid-day.com
67 Get the 411 on how to make the best coffee Daniel Erasmas, a 22-year-old Durbanite, has taken the local coffee scene by the horns. Already featured in numerous publications, this bearded barista is no stranger to questions on the art of making a decent cuppa. We sat down with him (over coffee, of course) and asked him a few questions about his job, his passions and what coffee habits people actually need to kick. Tell us how your coffee journey began? It started at a wedding where I was thrown behind an espresso machine, only to pull probably the worst shots in espresso history. Shortly after that I got a job at The Factory Cafe. As my passion and skill grew, I was hired by Colombo (Coffee and Tea Co) as a barista trainer, travelling from Durban to Joburg and Italy to learn more. How can the average person improve their coffee making skills at home? Firstly, grind your beans fresh – as in, right before you use them. Secondly, weigh and time everything – you wouldn’t guess the quantities of ingredients for a cake because it would probably fail, and coffee is no different. Thirdly, don't use boiling water because it burns the brew. What bad coffee habit irks you the most? People often ask for their coffee hot and then tend to leave it on the table untouched while they talk for five minutes. It obviously gets cold and needs to be reheated. If you do this, please do some self-reflection. Coffee competitions are becoming quite popular. Have you ever entered into one? I competed for the first and only time in 2013. I made it to nationals in all categories and took first place in the SA Aeropress Champs. This gave me the opportunity to compete at Worlds in Rimini, Italy, which was an incredible experience. Tell us a bit more about Firebird Coffee Works. Firebird Coffee Works is a Durban-based microroastery and cafe. We’re highly dedicated to the quality of coffee we serve, starting with the green bean. We’re also super focused on our customers and serving them what they want whilst educating them a little more about coffee and what it is that we do. Find out what Dan and the rest of the Firebird crew are up to by following @danthorerasmus , on Instragram or checking out their Facebook. Call 079-817-9589. This article was originally published in one of the Sunday Times Neighbourhood: Property and Lifestyle guides. Visit yourneighbourhood.co.za , like YourNeighbourhoodZA on Facebook and follow YourHoodZA on Twitter.
2016-04-29 15:03 Jenna Kelly www.timeslive.co.za
68 WICB to consider Pakistan day-night Test proposal Bridgetown (Barbados) : The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) are mulling over a proposal from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to play a Test under lights during the Caribbean side’s tour this year. Representational Picture The West Indies are set to play two Tests, five One-Day Internationals and two Twenty20s against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates starting in October. The PCB has proposed that one of the Tests be played as a day-night affair, reports CMC. The proposal will be under consideration when the WICB executive committee meets here this weekend. This has been driven in part by the International Cricket Council’s recent call for member bodies to "embrace the innovation" of the day-night concept. The PCB are hoping the West Indies agree to the proposal as it would add a new dimension to the series which is expected to be otherwise played in front of empty stands. In addition, the game would allow Pakistan important match practice with the pink ball as they gear up for their ‘pink-ball’ Test against Australia in Brisbane in December. The PCB is keen on reviving their cricket which has suffered from their inability to host matches because of the security situation in Pakistan. Their offer to host their first game in seven years on Pakistani soil was rejected by the WICB this month. Test captain Misbah-ul-Haq, who is also an advisor to the PCB’s cricket committee, said it was important that Pakistan played a Test under lights before taking on Australia. He said even if the West Indies night Test did not materialise, there were plans to play day-night fixtures in the Pakistan first class championship in order to help players familiarise with the new concept.
2016-04-29 15:03 By IANS www.mid-day.com
69 Grupo, hirit na ipasara ang DepEd dahil sa K-12 Inihirit ng grupong Stop K to 12 Alliance ang pagpapasara sa Department of Education (DepEd) Biyernes ng umaga. Ayon kay Alliance convenor Charisse Bañez, hindi kailangan ng isang ahensya ng gobyerno na gumagarantiya lamang sa kita ng mga pribadong paaralan kapalit ng karapatan ng mga mag-aaral sa libreng edukasyon. -- DZMM Teleradyo, 29 Abril 2016
2016-04-29 14:52 ABS-CBN news.abs-cbn.com
70 's weekly blind spot: New comic strip in Sunday midday starting May 1 Famed illustrator Nala Ponnappa and Mumbai newspaper mid-day are readying to launch what could be India's first comic on the lives of the visually impaired. Titled, You & Eye, it's a collaborative effort between Jagran Group publication mid-day; the Pune-based cartoonist; former journalist Krishna Warrier and Dr Sam Taraporevala, director at the Xavier's Resource Centre for the Visually Challenged (XRCVC). "Krishna and Dr Sam, colleagues at XRCVC, visited me last year along with a friend, who is also blind like Sam. Sam suffers from 100 per cent blindness,” says Ponnappa. The illustrator with a 30-year-long career says the meal they shared lasted three hours. In fact, Ponnappa even spent a part of the time blindfolded. Chatter over how 'normal' the lives of the blind are led him to suggest he create a comic strip on the subject. Dr Sam and Krishna would provide fodder for situations while Ponnappa gave it his brand of wit. "mid-day was excited about completing the triangle, and here we are," says Ponnappa of the comic that will appear in the paper's Sunday edition as part of an imminent rejig of the tabloid's puzzles and comics section. It will also see the introduction of Dr Love, an expert who solves relationship riddles in a confusing digital age; a brand new set of puzzles and games; a crossword that tests your grasp of Mumbai; an environment comic by Rohan Chakravarty, and of course, the very popular daily horoscope and Bollywood crossword. "A blind person is like any other, except he suffers a condition," says Dr Sam, who has led the sociology department of Mumbai's St Xavier's College for over two decades. Through their discussions, the three have tried to record various situations the blind often find themselves in, serving it to the reader with humour. "A comic is meant to be entertaining. If of the hundred who find it funny, five understand what we are trying to say, it should work," says Dr Sam.
2016-04-29 14:49 By A www.mid-day.com
71 Thane civic official held for offering Rs 25 lakh bribe Thane : A deputy director in Town Planning department of Vasai Virar Municipal Corporation (VVMC) has been arrested for allegedly offering Rs 25 lakh as bribe to a corporator, Anti-Corruption Bureau said on Friday. Y S Reddy (48), the deputy director in the Town Planning department of VVMC, was caught late on Thursday night while he was handing over Rs 25 lakh to the corporator, Police Inspector Anil Honrao of Thane's Anti-Corruption Bureau said. He said there were several complaints of alleged irregularities against the official made by a Shiv Sena corporator to police, the civic body and courts. The accused wanted the corporator to withdraw the complaints against him for which he allegedly offered a bribe of Rs one crore to him. The aggrieved corporator then lodged a complaint with the Thane unit of ACB. Subsequently, the ACB laid a trap and caught the accused at a restaurant on Ghodbunder road in Thane city late last night when he was allegedly offering the first installment of Rs 25 lakh to the corporator. Reddy had earlier worked with the City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra (CIDCO) before joining the VVMC. Offences under relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act have been registered against the accused, Honrao said.
2016-04-29 14:40 By PTI www.mid-day.com
72 Ex-Montana Sen. Conrad Burns dies; influenced energy policy HELENA, Mont. (AP) - Former Montana Sen. Conrad Burns, a former cattle auctioneer whose folksy demeanor and political acumen earned him three terms and the bitter disdain of his opponents, died Thursday. He was 81. Burns died of natural causes at his home in Billings, Montana Republican Party Executive Director Jeff Essmann said. “He was a colorful figure who loved people, politics and to serve,” Essmann said. “He brought a common-man, common-sense approach to his work in the Senate and returned to his home in Billings when his work was done.” As a Republican senator, Burns used his influence on the powerful Appropriations committee to set the course on energy development and public lands management across the rural West. But he was ousted from office in 2006 under the specter of scandal after developing close ties to “super-lobbyist” Jack Abramoff, who was later jailed for conspiracy and fraud. No charges were ever filed against Burns, who dismissed criticism over the affairs as “old political hooey.” After working as a livestock auctioneer, Burns in 1975 moved into broadcast radio, founding four stations known as the Northern Ag Network. The network eventually grew to serve 31 radio and TV stations across Montana and Wyoming, offering agricultural news to rural areas. He sold the network in 1985 and - capitalizing on his name recognition - made his first foray into politics a year later, when he was elected commissioner for Yellowstone County in south-central Montana. Before his first term was completed, Burns took on incumbent U. S. Sen. John Melcher, a two- term Democrat described by Burns opponent as “a liberal who is soft on drugs, soft on defense and very high on social programs.” At the age of 53, he won election to the Senate by a 3-percentage-point margin. He rose to be one of the most influential positions in Washington with his seat on the Appropriations committee, serving as chairman of the Interior subcommittee. Burns became a strong advocate for increased domestic energy production and expanded development of natural resources. But even before his first term was over, Burns’ loose-talking ways - once credited with earning him favor among Montana’s rural electorate - landed him in trouble. After the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1991, the senator invited a group of lobbyists to a “slave auction” and later used a racial slur for blacks when relating a conversation he had with a Montana rancher. The resulting furor had little impact on his 1994 campaign, which he won in a landslide. During the 2000 campaign, the controversy around Montana’s backslapping senator nearly caught up with him. He prevailed by only a thin margin over rancher Brian Schweitzer, who went on to become governor four years later. By the end of his third term, however, Burns had been affixed with the same Washington-insider label that he had used successfully against Melcher. His close ties to lobbyist Abramoff lent credence to the accusation, and his bid for a fourth term came up about 3,000 votes short against the president of the Montana Senate, Democrat Jon Tester. Burns had long cultivated a reputation as being a plain talker, but by the time he left office, his incautious remarks had become legendary. The press catalogued derogatory comments directed at women, Arabs and even out-of-state firefighters who had come to Montana to battle a 2006 blaze near his hometown of Billings. “He had that fresh approach of just saying what he thought and not being very political,” said Taylor Brown, a friend and fellow Republican who bought the Northern Ag Network from him. “That was probably his biggest weakness in the end. He just said what he thought.” Story Continues →
2016-04-29 13:09 FILE www.washingtontimes.com
73 Ted Cruz picks Carly Fiorina as running mate Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz has announced Carly Fiorina as his running mate, calling her a "consistent, courageous fighter". The former presidential candidate is the former CEO of technology company Hewlett-Packard. Mrs Fiorina dropped out of the presidential race after a poor showing at the New Hampshire primary. She has been an active supporter for Mr Cruz, a senator from Texas, on the campaign trail. The early announcement is unusual because vice-presidential picks are not normally decided until after a candidate secures the nomination. "Over and over again, Carly has shattered glass ceilings," Mr Cruz said. He doesn't have the Republican nomination. He doesn't even have the lead for the nomination. In fact, he has no clear path to the nomination. But it looks like Ted Cruz will have a running mate. Naming Carly Fiorina as his vice-presidential pick at this point provides Mr Cruz with several benefits. First, he can generate some positive press and at least partially move on from the drubbing he received at the hands of Donald Trump in Tuesday's mid-Atlantic primaries. Second, he positions his campaign to make a strong play for that grand prize on the horizon, the California primary on 7 June - a battleground that could decide whether Mr Trump secures the Republican nomination without a convention fight. While Mrs Fiorina's 2010 general-election bid for a Senate seat there was spectacularly unsuccessful, she did win her party's nomination and is a known quantity among the state's conservative voters. Mr Cruz has his back to the wall. He needs a win in Indiana, and he really needs a strong performance in California. Mrs Fiorina on the ticket could help - and at this point, anything that might work is worth a shot. Mrs Fiorina could help Mr Cruz in his battle against front-runner Donald Trump, who has made disparaging comments about women - including her. "Look at that face. Would anyone vote for that? Can you imagine that, the face of our next president? " he said. Mrs Fiorina responded: "I think women all over this country heard very clearly what Mr Trump said. " Mr Cruz alluded to this exchange in introducing Mrs Fiorina in Indiana, saying she handled it with "grace and class". While at Hewlett-Packard, Mrs Fiorina laid off 30,000 people and was fired by the company's board, though she has argued that her leadership "saved" the company. She also had a failed bid for a California Senate seat. Donald Trump's son Eric Trump called the move desperate. While addressing the crowd, Mrs Fiorina broke into song. She sang about Mr Cruz's daughters and their times together on the Cruz campaign bus. "Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are two sides of the same coin," she said, and Mr Cruz's presidential bid is not over yet, despite what "the media says".
2016-04-29 09:36 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk
74 Have we fallen out of love with elephant rides? Elephant rides and other animal encounters have long been a staple of the Asian backpacking experience. But with steady reports of animal cruelty, the BBC's Anna Jones asks whether tourists are starting to turn their backs on such adventures. I've done it. Like so many tourists to Asia, I have ridden an elephant. It was many years ago while backpacking in Thailand, and I recall it as a mostly uncomfortable experience, sliding around a wooden seat on a purpose-built track through a sticky jungle. That's me in the picture above. There was also a degree of moral discomfort. To my untrained eye, the elephant seemed fairly uncomfortable too. The mahouts - the handlers - carried curved spikes to keep the elephants in line as we trekked around that track for quite some time. When I asked if the hooks hurt as they hit the elephants on the forehead with the spikes every now and again, they said no. Their skin was too thick, I was told. But on a more recent visit to Cambodia, the guide on our bus asked if anyone wanted to ride an elephant up to an Angkor Wat temple. The response from everyone was a resounding no. Then this week, an online petition calling on Cambodia to totally ban elephant rides was launched, and has already exceeded its target of 50,000 signatures. It was driven by the news that an elderly elephant had collapsed and died while shuttling tourists along that same Angkor Wat route in 40C heat. Elephants have never been truly domesticated. They are captive wild animals, and if they decide to turn on handlers or riders, it can be deadly. Operators generally reassure tourists that they look after their elephants well, but critics say there is simply no way rides can happen humanely. Procuring an elephant to use in logging or tourism often means taking it from the wild as a baby and literally breaking its spirit, in an often brutal process. Years of carrying tourists takes its toll on an elephant's body. An Asian elephant is meant to have a peaked back, for example, but heavy saddles can flatten it. They risk dislocated legs, die younger than they would in the wild and, their advocates say, the inability to behave naturally takes a severe toll on these highly sociable and intelligent animals' mental health. Alyx Elliott, UK head of campaigns at World Animal Protection, says she has noticed "a significant shift in public attitudes". "You only have to look at the public comments to TripAdvisor on social media to see people's shock and outrage as they learn about the cruelty that is involved when elephant rides are offered. " But it's also clear from TripAdvisor, a travel review portal, that there's still enthusiasm for such elephanteering. "Elephants are trained to pose for pictures and make noises," one five-star review said of a tour from Bangkok last January. Another rave review of a tour in Nonthaburi praises an "incredibly fun and exciting" day spent "elephant riding, monkey feeding and visiting tiger temple, where we fed a 7 month old tiger cub". Consistent five-star reviews mean a tour can get a TripAdvisor "Certificate of Excellence". World Animal Protection, which has already persuaded more than 100 tour operators to commit to stopping selling or promoting elephant tours and shows, now has TripAdvisor in its sights. It says most people just aren't aware of the cruelty involved in the attraction they're reviewing. It wants TripAdvisor to give more information on animal attractions, and to override ratings so no operation where animal welfare is in question can get a certificate of excellence. TripAdvisor has said its reviews are not endorsements, that it doesn't promote any illegal animal operations and that it is up to national governments to to ensure businesses are operating legally. Intrepid Travel believes it was the first tour operator to stop including elephant rides in its packages altogether. It did so after commissioning extensive research from World Animal Protection in 2010 which found almost no operators met its welfare standards. Co-founder Geoff Manchester said some clients still asked about elephants, but that once they explained their view, "99% will come around". Tourists can have other options if they want to encounter elephants, at places like hospitals which treat injured animals and sanctuaries like the Elephant Nature Park in Thailand, which rescues animals or buys them from commercial operators and sets them free to roam its secluded valley outside Chiang Mai. But a flat ban on making money from elephants - which have been used as working animals in Asia for centuries - isn't necessarily practical. "If all elephant riding stops the mahouts who own the elephants wont have any income, and they won't have any way of supporting the elephants," says Mr Manchester. The onus should be on governments to help operators diversify, he says, citing a scheme announced in Thailand under which the government would pay mahouts to take their elephants into the jungle to roam free instead of using them commercially. But he says that while demand for elephant rides might be declining from Western tourists, he had noticed a rising enthusiasm for them from Asian tourists. And the truth, he says, is that the rides "won't stop unless the demand stops".
2016-04-29 02:48 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk
75 75 8 New Restaurants to Try Right Now Open Since: April 20 Type of Cuisine : Detroit-style square pizza and burgers Clinton Hill pizzeria Pizza Loves Emily just opened up a Williamsburg shop where they’re featuring deep-dish, Detroit-style pizza pies and juicy hamburgers on pretzel buns. Open Since: April 23 Type of Cuisine: French ICI Restaurant in Clinton Hill is rebranding and expanding with a new eatery just around the corner. The new location, called Maison May Vanderbilt, serves soups, salads and tartines, with pastries, catering and a CSA program starting up in the near future. The intimate venue seats 36 inside and 12 at an outside sidewalk cafe. Open Since: April 2016 Type of Cuisine: Bakery and Cafe Kirsch Bakery and Cafe opened its doors in the space formerly occupied by Popover Cafe on Amsterdam Avenue and serves fresh German and French pastries all day, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. The cafe is also quickly becoming known for its decadent French toast and savory brunch items like its potato rolls. Open Since: March 21 Type of Cuisine: Desserts, Cafe Grab a quick bite or pastry at Fulton Street’s latest cafe and dessert spot, which offers menu items like a mini matcha cheesecake, green tea ice cream with a matcha white chocolate brownie, chocolate cake, and more. Other dishes include a crispy eggplant green curry spaghetti and breakfast selections. Open Since: March 12 Type of Cuisine: American The space, formerly known as Open Door, is now Republic 50, a new restaurant, bar and gallery. Expect drinks, bar food like burgers and lobster rolls as well as higher-end fare like grilled octopus, according to the LIC Post. Open Since: March 17 Type of Cuisine: Italian and Japanese fusion Japanese restaurant owner Barbara Matsumura, Italian chef Andrea Tiberi and sushi chef Hiroyuki Nagao teamed up to create a menu that melds the two countries , with options including meatballs in a teriyaki sauce. Open Since: April 25 Type of Cuisine: Spanish James Beard Award-winning chef Jose Garces Spanish tapas restaurant Amada , which has a well-regarded location in Philadelphia, has launched its New York location in Battery Park City. Open Since : February Type of Cuisine: Ice cream Make your very own ice cream at Cool Mess. Choose a base flavor, and add ingredients as you go. Try some of the baked goods, sourced from Fatwitch Brownie, and Sweet Sam’s, and our fresh cookie dough is from Cookie DŌ. Cool Mess is owned by the family who also owns Burger Heaven.
2016-04-29 07:37 www.dnainfo.com
76 Students invent gloves that translate sign language Contact WND (Bustle) While most college undergraduates are spending their free periods on Facebook, two remarkable students have used their spare time to pioneer an invention that may change the very way we communicate. Navid Azodi and Thomas Pryor, sophomores at University of Washington (UW), have created lightweight gloves that can translate sign language instantly. Think of it as a Google Translate for your hands. The SignAloud glove prototype recognizes hand gesture and placements matching them to the correct American Sign Language word or phrase. Sensors throughout the glove pick up the placement and motion data of the hands which is sent to a computer via Bluetooth. The computer analyzes the data, searching for a correlation in its database, and if it recognizes a gesture, then the ASL translation is played through a speaker. The students created the gloves using communal equiptment and resources in UW CoMotion MakerSpace, and have since won the Lemelson-MIT Undergraduate Student Prize and a smooth $10,000.
2016-04-29 12:15 www.wnd.com
77 These great men of the sea had God as their pilot Contact WND “Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!” yelled Admiral David Glasgow Farragut, who had lashed himself atop the mainsail to see above the smoke. His fleet of wooden ships, with hulls wrapped in chains, were accompanied by four iron clad monitors as they attacked Fort Morgan in Mobile Bay, Aug. 5, 1864. When one of the iron clad monitors, the Tecumseh, hit an underwater mine, called a torpedo, it quickly sank and the fleet faltered in confusion. David Glasgow Farragut rallied his sailors and drove them on to capture Mobile, Alabama, the last Confederate stronghold in the Gulf of Mexico. David Glasgow Farragut was the son of Jordi (George) Farragut, who was born in Spain and served as a Spanish merchant captain before joining in the American Revolution. After President Thomas Jefferson made the Louisiana Purchase, George Farragut moved his family to New Orleans where they met David Porter Sr., another U. S. Navy veteran of the American Revolution. In 1808, when David Porter Sr. suffered from tuberculosis and sunstroke, George Farragut took him into their home, where his wife, Elizabeth, cared for him. Tragically, David Porter Sr. died and later that same day George Farragut’s wife Elizabeth died of yellow fever. When George Farragut’s became unable to provide for his children, David Porter Sr.’s son, also named David Porter, offered to adopt eight-year-old David Glasgow Farragut. David Porter had fought in the First Muslim Barbary Pirate War, serving on the USS Philadelphia in the Mediterranean. When the ship became stuck on an uncharted sand bar, it was surrounded by Muslim pirates and the crew were taken prisoners, being held from Oct. 31, 1803, to June 3, 1805. David Porter then served as acting captain of the USS Constitution and captain of the USS Enterprise. During the War of 1812, David Porter was captain of the USS Essex, with young David Glasgow Farragut on board as a midshipman. David Porter sailed around Cape Horn to the Pacific where he claimed the the Marquesas Islands for America in 1813. Congress never ratified the claim, thereby allowing France to take control of the Marquesas Islands in 1842 as part of French Polynesia. As the War of 1812 continued, Porter raided British whaling ships in the South Pacific until his USS Essex was captured at the battle of Valparaiso, Chile. Commodore David Porter later took command of an expedition to suppress piracy in the West Indies, but after an unauthorized raid on Fajardo, Puerto Rico, he was pressured to resign. David Porter served as commander-in-chief of the Mexican Navy, till the United States appointed him minister to the Barbary States in 1829, and then U. S. Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire. Named for him was: David Glasgow Farragut went on to serve aboard the USS Washington, 1817-1818, patrolling the Mediterranean Barbary Muslim Coast. Farragut spent nine months in Tunis as an aid to Navy Chaplain Charles Folsom, who was serving as the U. S. Consul, till a plague forced his departure. In 1825, David Glasgow Farragut served on the USS Brandywine which was escorting Marquis de Lafayette back to France after his extended visit to America. On board was 19-year-old midshipman Matthew Fontaine Maury, who later became renown for charting wind and sea currents. On April 19, 1862, David Glasgow Farragut captured New Orleans, the Confederacy’s largest city. Sailing the Mississippi River at night, his ships were difficult to hit with cannon fire as Farragut had covered the hulls with dark mud and tied tree branches to the rigging. David Glasgow Farragut was promoted to be the first U. S. Navy Admiral. He was encouraged to run for president, but declined. In David Glasgow Farragut’s honor are: His son, Loyall Farragut, wrote in a book titled “The Life and Letters of Admiral David Glasgow Farragut”: “He never felt so near his Master as he did when in a storm, knowing that on his skill depended the safety of so many lives.” During his last illness, David Glasgow Farragut asked for a clergyman to pray to the Lord, saying: “He must be my pilot now!” Discover more of Bill Federer’s eye-opening books and videos in the WND Superstore! Admiral David Glasgow Farragut’s adoptive brother was David Dixon Porter (1813-1891), who following him in becoming the second U. S. Navy Admiral. David Dixon Porter helped Ulysses S. Grant during the Civil War in the siege of Vicksburg, Mississippi, 1863, and in the attack on Fort Fisher, North Carolina, 1864-65. David Dixon Porter later served as superintendent of U. S. Naval Academy at Annapolis. Admiral David Dixon Porter stated: “When one sees how much has been done for the world by the disciples of Christ and those professing the Christian religion, he must be astonished to find anyone who hesitates to believe in the Divine origin of Jesus and the wonderful works He performed, all of which are so beautifully portrayed by the author of the work under consideration; and no man or woman of real intelligence would hesitate to believe that it is only through Christ that sinners can be saved, unless their vanity is so great that they are capable of saving themselves without an intermediary.” Matthew Fontaine Maury (1806-1873), became known as the “Pathfinder of the Seas” for having charted sea and wind currents while serving in the U. S. Navy. Considered the founder of modern hydrography and oceanography, Maury developed the U. S. Naval Observatory’s Hydrographic Office, which was often visited by former President John Quincy Adams, who avidly enjoyed astronomy. Matthew Fontaine Maury wrote in his book “Physical Geography of the Sea,” 1855, which was the first popular textbook on Marine Science: Matthew Fontaine Maury stated: “I will, however … ask pardon for mentioning a rule of conduct which I have adopted in order to make progress with these physical researches which have occupied so much of my time. … The rule is, never to forget who is the Author of the great volume which nature spreads out before us, and always to remember that the same Being is the author of the book which revelation holds up to us.” Matthew Fontaine Maury is quoted as stating (Stephen Abbott Northrop, “A Cloud of Witnesses,” 1884; L. W. Munhall, M. A., The Highest Critics vs. The Higher Critics, NY: Fleming H. Revell Co., 1891, p. 56-57), as saying: “I have always found in my scientific studies, that, when I could get the Bible to say anything on the subject it afforded me a firm platform to stand upon, and a round in the ladder by which I could safely ascend.” Captain Phinney of the ship Gertrude wrote a letter acknowledging the influence Maury had made on him: “I am free to confess that for many years I commanded a ship and although never insensible to the beauties of nature upon the sea or land, I yet feel that until I took up your work, I had been traversing the ocean blindfolded. … I did not know the amazing and beautiful combination of all the works of Him whom you so beautifully term ‘the Great First Thought.’ … You have done me good as a man. You have taught me to look above, around and beneath me and recognise God’s hand in every element by which I am surrounded. I am so grateful for this personal benefit.” Maury sailed around South America’s Cape Horn, writing, “The Navigation of Cape Horn,” published in the American Journal of Sciences and the Arts. Maury wrote of the gulf stream: “If the current of the sea, with this four-mile velocity at the surface, and this hundreds of tons pressure in its depths, were permitted to chafe against its bed, the Atlantic, instead of being two miles deep and 3,000 miles broad, would … have been long ago cut down into a narrow channel that might have been as the same ocean turned up on edge, and measuring two miles broad and 3,000 miles deep. But had it been so cut, the proportion of land and water surface would have been destroyed and the winds, for lack of area to play upon, could not have sucked up from the sea vapours for the rains to form and the face of the earth would have become as a desert without water.” Of the ocean, Maury wrote that God set: “bars and doors to stay its proud waves; and who gave the sea His decree that its waters should not pass His command. He laid the foundations of the world so fast they should not be moved forever.” Matthew Fontaine Maury joined the Confederacy during the Civil War, where he perfected the “electric torpedo” (naval mine), the likes of which Admiral David Glasgow Farragut faced in the battle of Mobile Bay. Maury’s torpedoes, according the the U. S. Secretary of the Navy in 1865 “cost the Union more vessels than all other causes combined.” After the Civil War, Matthew Fontaine Maury served in the Mexican government under Maximilian. He even attempted to build a New Virginia Colony in Mexico. Matthew Fontaine Maury returned to the United States where he accepted the teaching position of Professor of Meteorology at Virginia Military Institute (V. M. I.), also holding the chair of physics. Offered the position of president of several universities, he declined, keeping a rigorous schedule lecturing on science in America and Europe. He served as a pall bearer when Robert E. Lee died. Engraved on Matthew Fontaine Maury’s tombstone at the U. S. Naval Academy is the verse which had inspired him from Psalm 8: “Whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.” Named for him are: On Nov. 30, 1860, thirteen years before his death, Matthew Fontaine Maury had laid the cornerstone for the University of East Tennessee, stating: “I have been blamed by men of science, both in this country and in England, for quoting the Bible in confirmation of the doctrines of physical geography. The Bible, they say, was not written for scientific purposes, and is therefore of no authority in matters of science. I beg pardon! The Bible is authority for everything it touches. “What would you think of the historian who should refuse to consult the historical records of the Bible, because the Bible was not written for the purposes of history? The Bible is true and science is true, and therefore each, if truly read, but proves the truth of the other. The agents in the physical economy of our planet are ministers of Him who made both it and the Bible. “The records which He has chosen to make through the agency of these ministers of His upon the crust of the earth are as true as the records which by the hands of His prophets and servants, He has been pleased to make in the Book of Life. … They are both true; and when your men of science, with vain and hasty conceit, announce the discovery of disagreement between them, rely upon it, the fault is not with the witness of His records, but with the worm who essays to interpret evidence which he does not understand.” Brought to you by AmericanMinute.com . Discover more of Bill Federer’s eye-opening books and videos in the WND Superstore!
2016-04-29 12:15 Bill Federer www.wnd.com
78 One suspect charged, another on run in 2015 slaying in north Houston One man has been charged and another is on the run following the shooting death of a 32-year-old man late last year at a north Houston hotel. Kenneth W. Osgood, 44, is charged with capital murder in the slaying of Michael Terrell Brown. Brown was killed around 12:40 p.m. on Nov. 13 in the 12500 block of the North Freeway, according to the Houston Police Department. Police said another person in the case has so far eluded capture. He is described only as being black and has been identified only as "King. " When officers arrived to the scene, they found Brown lying in the hallway in front of his hotel room. He had been shot and was pronounced dead at the scene. Two possible suspects, described only as a white man and a black man, were seen entering and leaving Brown's room. A white Chevrolet Tahoe was seen driving in the hotel parking lot around the time of the shooting and may have belonged to the suspects. A Crime Stoppers tip led investigators to Osgood who is currently being held in the Harris County jail on a an unrelated charge. When investigators interviewed him, Osgood admitted his role in Brown's death. No other information about the case was released. Anyone one with information about the other suspect in the case is urged to contact to the HPD Homicide Division at 713 308-3600 or Crime Stoppers at 713 222-TIPS.
2016-04-29 11:37 By Dale www.chron.com
79 Fragile economy forces Iran's top leaders to form alliance ANKARA - President Hassan Rouhani and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei may have sharply ideological differences but the fragility of Iran's economy has forced them into an uneasy alliance at least for the time being. In the past, the two powerful figures had offered contrasting visions for the Iranian economy with the conservative Khamenei calling for self- reliance and the pragmatist Rouhani urging cooperation with the world. But now, after having achieved a nuclear deal with the West, both leaders have a vested interest in setting aside their differences to secure their political futures and turn the economy round. "Rouhani's political career depends on this issue. If he fails to improve the economy, he will lose the leader's support and will turn into a lame-duck president," said a reformist former official, who is close to Rouhani. "His failure in the economic field, will lead to his political failure. " While allaying the fears of Iranian hard-liners against any detente with the West, Khamenei cautiously backed Rouhani's efforts to reach a nuclear deal with the United States and other major powers in 2015, aimed at curbing Iran's nuclear program in return for lifting crippling sanctions. Rouhani will be protected by Khamenei against his hard-line critics so long as he is taking steps to improve the economy a senior official said, on condition of anonymity. But Khamenei's patience is being strained because of a lack of tangible economic benefits since sanctions were lifted in January. Some US restrictions on Tehran remain in place. "For the leader Khamenei, the most important issue is to safeguard the interests of the nation and the country. That is why he backed the president's nuclear policy," said an Iranian diplomat close to Khamenei's office. HONEYMOON THREATENED Some point out that Khamenei's protection of Rouhani will stretch only as far as there is an economic dividend. "But now, the question is what was the use of reaching a deal if it cannot improve people's lives," the diplomat said. Khamenei's core support comes from lower-income people, who have socially, politically and economically invested in the Islamic Republic, analysts say, but this group has yet to benefit from the easing of sanctions. "Hard-liners are concerned that they might even lose the backing of their core supporters who were against any rapprochement with the West but remained silent because of Khamenei's support of the deal," political analyst Hamid Farahvashian said. Rouhani is in a constant power struggle with the country's influential hard-liners and has even faced accusations of undermining pillars of the 1979 Islamic revolution, including "hostility towards the United States". This makes the alliance with Khamenei and his protection more valuable than ever to Rouhani's survival. "Rouhani is passing through a very sensitive period of his political career," said the first official. "It does not matter whether his allies did well in the elections in February. " Rouhani's chances for re-election in 2017 are far from guaranteed despite a strong showing for his allies in February parliamentary polls and for a clerical body with the power to appoint or dismiss the supreme leader. Iranians will vote in a run-off parliamentary election on Friday for 68 of parliament's 290 seats, which will determine the makeup of the assembly as the February vote failed to give a majority. The current parliament is dominated by Rouhani's hard-line rivals. The onus is on the president to attract investors, justify Khamenei's political investment in him and to deliver economic prosperity to ordinary Iranians who have suffered for decades because of the sanctions imposed over the nuclear program. Pressure mounted on the Iranian leadership when US and European restrictions drastically cut oil exports that are the engine of Iran's economy, and social unrest threatened. "Rouhani's failure to improve Iran's economy will be end of his honeymoon (with the leader)," said a security official. "The establishment is well aware of dangers of economic hardship and shortcomings. " INVEST IN IRAN Iran's hard-liners have criticised Rouhani's economic policies and the Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has demanded a bigger role in the economy, seen as a challenge to a government trying to attract foreign investment and open Iran's markets. Any increase in IRGC economic involvement could scare away foreign investors, as many of its members and front companies remain under US sanctions. The IRGC runs a powerful business empire as well as being in charge of elite armed forces. Its profitable economic interests could be threatened by more competition from abroad. But Khamenei is convinced of the value of foreign partners. "Iran is in desperate need of foreign investment ... I cannot recall the leader meeting any visiting European leader in the past years but he met (Italian Prime Minister Matteo) Renzi in April," said Tehran-based analyst Saeed Leylaz. "The unprecedented meeting had a message, which was invest in Iran," he added. In domestic politics, Rouhani cannot always be sure of the support of Khamenei, who since succeeding Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1989, has ensured that no group gains enough power to challenge his authority. Rouhani's popularity has alarmed Khamenei's hard-line allies, who are wary of losing their status within Iran's complex power structure. They have blocked, for example, Rouhani's attempts to relax social restrictions. The president's second term will very much depend on Khameinei's blessing and this in turn will depend heavily on a favorable economic outcome. Some analysts said that there are still very limited chances for more social and political freedom in Iran, where hard-liners control the judiciary, security forces and state media, despite Rouhani's successes. "Rouhani is a regime insider," a pro-reform politician said. "He is clever enough to avoid confrontation with the leader. " Leylaz disagreed, saying Rouhani might adopt more aggressive policies if re-elected. "But of course it might cause a backlash, bringing more limitations. "
2016-04-29 14:01 www.jpost.com
80 4 young girls run away from Florida foster home BRANDON, Fla. (AP) — Authorities were searching Friday for four foster children who were discovered missing from their beds during head count at a private foster care home near Tampa. Officials at A Kids Place believe the girls — ages 13, 11, 10 and 4 — climbed out a window between 10 p.m. Thursday and 2 a.m. Friday, Hillsborough County Sheriff's spokeswoman Debbie Carter said in a news release. Then, they either scaled a fence or were able to squeeze through an opening at the gate. Carter said 4- year-old Allison Nelson, 10-year-old Anabella Gonzalez and 11-year-old Heavenlynn Gonzalez are sisters. They are with 13-year-old Ashlyn Smith. Officials at the home told authorities they didn't know what the girls were wearing when they disappeared. They have no medical issues or disabilities and don't take any medication. A woman who answered the phone at A Kids Place declined to answer a reporter's questions. A Kids Place opened in 2009. Then, it was described in local news reports as a $5.2-million, 60- bed facility that serves as a temporary shelter for children from birth to 17. The facility is where law enforcement brings children in the first traumatic hours after they are removed from their homes.
2016-04-29 10:59 Associated Press www.dailymail.co.uk
81 Jeb Bush re-emerges to bash Trump – campaign live Happy Friday and welcome to our live-wire coverage of the 2016 race for the White House. Hundreds of anti-Trump protesters turned up at a Donald Trump rally last night in Orange County, California , where the angry crowd smashed a police car window , threw rocks and attempted to flip a police car. Most of the crowd were young Latinos, protesting against Trump calling Mexican immigrants “rapists”, and his plans to build a wall between Mexico and return all undocumented migrants. Orange County police arrested around 20 protesters. As all the candidates start preparing for California and the battle for its crucial 172 delegates, there’s a GOP state convention south of San Francisco today , with Trump, Ted Cruz and John Kasich all appearing. The Guardian’s Maria La Ganga and Julia Carrie Wong will be there. It runs all weekend, kicking off today with a lunchtime Trump speech, followed by a Kasich dinner speech. The Cruz/Fiorina ticket is dominating tomorrow, with Cruz speaking at a lunch banquet and his new running mate Carly Fiorina the Saturday dinner keynote. Today Cruz has a “retail stop” with Fiorina in Anderson, Indiana, before he goes on to host a rally in Jeffersonville, Indiana. Failed GOP candidate Jeb Bush finally spoke to the media in the first sit-down since his presidential run to hate on the man who repeatedly dubbed him a “low-energy candidate”. “I don’t think he’s a serious person,” Bush told CNN reporter Jamie Gangel . “I don’t know which Donald Trump to believe, the one who read from a teleprompter a speech that was inside the lines or the one that wants to build a wall and make Mexico pay for it. Which Donald Trump is expressing is the one that’s expressing these views? There’s two of them. And I think we need a president with a steady hand.” So … if Trump gets the GOP nomination, will Bush vote for him? “I hope I won’t have to be faced with that dilemma,” he said. But the Bush dynasty family member would not vote for Hillary Clinton ? “No way,” he replied. Bush quietly came out in support of Cruz a month after he left the race, but hasn’t been out campaigning for him. It’s a relatively quiet Friday for the Democrats. Today Hillary Clinton has fundraisers in New York – while husband Bill fundraises for her in Florida – but no public events are planned. After a rally with 8,000 people in Oregon yesterday afternoon, Bernie Sanders seems to have no public events planned until a rally in Indiana on Sunday.
2016-04-29 13:56 Amber Jamieson www.theguardian.com
82 Alan Pardew wants Crystal Palace to finish Premier League season with a flourish Published 29/04/2016 | 13:56 Alan Pardew has demanded Crystal Palace produce a strong finish to the Barclays Premier League season before they focus on winning the FA Cup. That they are to contest the cup final against Manchester United on May 21 and are close to securing their top flight status represents a successful season for his team. However, the manager on Saturday returns to former club Newcastle for the first time since his departure in December 2014 - and despite the benefits involved in resting his key players before their date at Wembley Stadium, insists he has no intention of letting up. Sunderland manager Sam Allardyce has already spoken of his belief Palace will lose to Newcastle because of a lack of motivation from reaching the Cup final and going "on the pop" to celebrate. However, even amid his desire to see his former team survive relegation, Pardew said: "I need to focus the team on the most important issue: Saturday's game, and the two (against Stoke and Southampton) to come after that. "I need to make sure we're covering bases so the team are focused for Newcastle. "Where we should finish and where we do will be determined in the next few days. There's a small margin between us and the teams above us up to 11th. We are trying to hunt those teams down. "We want to finish comfortable and then look forward to the final. " Saturday's fixture also represents Yohan Cabaye's first at St James' Park since he left Newcastle for Paris St Germain in January 2014. He was the Magpies' finest player until then, at which point their form began to decline and Newcastle fans' faith in Pardew reached a new low. The 54-year-old said: "(Cabaye) showed the bigger the game the better he is (in Sunday's semi- final defeat of Watford). "He rises to the occasion. I'm pretty sure that Newcastle's fans will give him a great reception because he was brilliant for us up there. "You're due nothing in this game. We have to earn it. We have to earn it in a stadium where they're passionate for this team. "Me going back to that club means nothing to those fans. They want to see their team playing with heart and spirit and winning. It's a tough ask trying to win there. " Palace will continue to monitor Wilfried Zaha's fitness in the hope he recovers from a leg injury in time to start Saturday's fixture, but beyond the young winger and long-term absentees Brede Hangeland, Paddy McCarthy and Marouane Chamakh, Pardew has a fully-fit squad from which to choose. Press Association More in Soccer (1 of 20 articles) Tom Allnutt Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino has announced he plans to extend his contract by two years until 2021. Watford head coach Quique Sanchez Flores admits the uncertainty around his future could either inspire his players or unsettle them. Leicester head to Old Trafford on Saturday knowing victory over Manchester United will make them arguably the most unlikely league champions on record. Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino has... There haven't been many GAA stories better... Watford head coach Quique Sanchez Flores admits... Leicester head to Old Trafford on Saturday knowing victory over Manchester United will... Arsene Wenger has called for a sense of... A major tournament is almost upon us once again which... Victory for Leicester away to Manchester United on... Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has told his players... Eddie Howe insists he remains fully committed to... After a season of Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger blames certain fans for creating a "difficult climate"... Leicester Title Charge - The city have started to... Niko Rosberg is already 36 points ahead of Lewis Hamilton in the F1 Championship after... An aerial look at the fourth race track of the F1... Speaking ahead of their Villareal clash, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp pays tribute... Leicester Title Charge - The city have started to... Liverpool's Alberto Moreno does his impression of Sky... Alex Collins, who is a top running back prospect in... This incredible footage shows the passion of Atlético... Liverpool mourns and honours those lost at...
2016-04-29 13:56 www.independent.ie
83 Supreme Court rules fired dispatcher should get new trial BRIDGEWATER, N. J. (AP) - New Jersey’s Supreme Court says a former dispatcher who says she was discriminated against because she refused to work the midnight shift should get a new trial on her claims that she was unfairly terminated. MyCentralJersey.com reports (http://mycj.co/24ocy4u ) the court ruled Thursday that Patricia Del Vecchio should get a new trial because a judge didn’t allow her doctors to testify fully on her medical condition. Del Vecchio worked for the Bridgewater Township police department until 2009, when she was fired for excessive absences. Del Vecchio claims she was given the choice of transferring or being fired because she refused to work the midnight shift. She says she’d given her supervisors a doctor’s note saying she had health issues and should avoid working it. The township didn’t respond to a request for comment. ___ Information from: Courier News (Bridgewater, N. J.) , http://www.mycentraljersey.com
2016-04-29 12:02 - Associated Press - Friday, April 29, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com
84 Punishments but no criminal charges in US attack on hospital WASHINGTON (AP) - Administrative punishments but no criminal charges have been leveled against U. S. military personnel for mistakes that resulted in 42 people dying in last year’s attack on a civilian hospital in Afghanistan operated by the medical charity Doctors Without Borders, officials said. The Pentagon was expected to release the full report on the investigation on Friday, including details about what exactly led a U. S. Air Force special operations AC-130 gunship to bomb the hospital and how those mistakes were made. A two-star general was among about 16 American military personnel disciplined because of the attack, a senior U. S. official said. A number of those punished are U. S. special operations forces. No one was sent to court-martial, officials said. However, in many cases a nonjudicial punishment, such as a letter of reprimand or suspension, can effectively end a military career. The officials were not authorized to discuss the case by name and requested anonymity. The U. S. airstrike in the northern city of Kunduz last October was carried out by one of the most lethal aircraft in the U. S. arsenal. Doctors Without Borders has called the attack “relentless and brutal.” The Associated Press reported in March that more than a dozen U. S. military personnel had been disciplined in connection with the bombing, and that the punishments were all largely administrative. The crew of the AC-130, which is armed with side-firing cannons and guns, had been dispatched to hit a Taliban command center in a building 450 yards from the hospital, the U. S. military said in November. Hampered by problems with their targeting sensors, the crew relied on a physical description that led them to begin firing at the hospital even though they saw no hostile activity there. Officials have said the attack was caused by human error, and that many chances to prevent the attack on the wrong target were missed. A separate U. S. report on the incident, obtained last fall by the AP, said the AC-130 aircraft fired 211 shells at the hospital compound over 29 minutes before commanders realized the mistake and ordered a halt. Doctors Without Borders officials contacted coalition military personnel during the attack to say the hospital was “being ‘bombed’ from the air,” and the word finally was relayed to the AC-130 crew, the report said. The attack came as U. S. military advisers were helping Afghan forces retake Kunduz, which had fallen to the Taliban on Sept. 28. It was the first major city to fall since the Taliban were expelled from Kabul in 2001. Afghan officials claimed the hospital had been overrun by the Taliban, but no evidence of that has surfaced. The hospital was destroyed and Doctors Without Borders, also known by its French acronym, MSF, ceased operations in Kunduz.
2016-04-29 12:02 - Associated Press - Friday, April 29, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com
85 Man gets 30 years in ex-girlfriend’s 2014 fatal stabbing JERSEY CITY, N. J. (AP) - A northern New Jersey man who admitted to fatally stabbing his former girlfriend days after she broke up with him is heading to prison. The Jersey Journal (http://bit.ly/1VXaEpJ ) reports 45-year-old Michael Humphrey was sentenced to 30 years behind bars in the death of 53-year-old Patricia Santana. He pleaded guilty to murder in the 2014 slaying. Defense attorney Elizabeth McPhillips says Humphrey was too nervous to speak at the sentencing. Relatives say Santana had broken up with Humphrey but was letting him stay at her apartment until he was able to move out. Authorities say Humphrey called state police after the stabbing and said he would turn himself in. Police found him a short time later with blood on his bands as he was walking to a Jersey City police station. ___ Information from: The Jersey Journal , http://www.nj.com/jjournal
2016-04-29 12:03 - Associated Press - Friday, April 29, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com
86 Teen gets prison in unintentional Columbus fatal shooting COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - A 17-year-old boy is heading to prison in the 2014 unintentional shooting that left a teenage girl dead in Columbus. The Columbus Dispatch reports (http://bit.ly/1VXeJdu ) the boy was sentenced to six years in adult prison on Thursday in the shooting that killed 17-year-old Shevona Whitehead a day before she would have turned 18. The boy pleaded guilty last month to reckless homicide and a weapons offense in the slaying. The boy expressed remorse in court and told Whitehead’s family that it wasn’t intentional. Whitehead died after she was shot once with a gun being handled by the then-15-year-old boy in a bedroom at his home. Police say the boy pointed the gun at her and pulled the trigger to prove it wasn’t loaded. ___ Information from: The Columbus Dispatch, http://www.dispatch.com
2016-04-29 12:03 - Associated Press - Friday, April 29, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com
87 Yahoo - Yahoo to Participate at the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media & Telecom Conference --(BUSINESS WIRE)-- (NASDAQ:YHOO) CFO will participate in a question- and-answer session at the Morgan Stanley in . The session is scheduled to begin on , at / . A live webcast of the session will be available on the Investor Relations website at http://yhoo.client.shareholder.com/events.cfm? CalendarID=5. is a guide focused on informing, connecting, and entertaining our users. By creating highly personalized experiences for our users, we keep people connected to what matters most to them, across devices and around the world. In turn, we create value for advertisers by connecting them with the audiences that build their businesses. is headquartered in , and has offices located throughout the , (APAC) and the , and (EMEA) regions. For more information, visit the pressroom (pressroom.yahoo.net) or the Company's blog (yahoo.tumblr.com). is the trademark and/or registered trademark of All other names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective owners.
2016-04-29 12:14 investor.yahoo.net
88 Residents of Iraq’s IS-held Fallujah suffer under siege BAGHDAD (AP) - Abu Jassim can only afford to provide one meal a day for his seven-member family - usually a stew made of locally grown leafy green vegetables or rice with a small portion of flat bread. “We are experiencing the agony of starvation for the first time in our life,” said Abu Jassim, a 52-year-old grocer and resident of the besieged Islamic State- held city of Fallujah. In reality, nobody seems to be starving in Fallujah just yet. But medical officials say malnutrition is on the rise and vital medical supplies are running out. Since August, Iraqi government troops have tightened their grip around Fallujah - under IS control since the early days of 2014 - and have prevented the entry of food and medicine into the city. Those seeking to flee the city have sometimes found themselves trapped by the militants, who seek to retain Fallujah’s civilian population as human shields against a full-scale government assault. Several Fallujah residents spoke to The Associated Press over the telephone - all on condition of anonymity for fear of IS reprisal. Abu Jassim would only be identified by his Iraqi societal nickname, which translates as “Jassim’s father.” These residents depicted a bleak picture of conditions inside the city, with prices soaring for some basic staples while other items have completely run out. A 100-kilogram (220 pound) bag of flour now costs nearly 2 million Iraqi dinars ($1,550), compared to around 51,600 dinars ($40) in the past. Vegetable prices have risen by 500 percent and a 450-gram (16-ounce) can of powdered baby formula has jumped from 3,870 dinars ($3) to 144,000 dinars ($112). Items like sugar and tea are simply not available at any price. Some residents, however, pointed out that families connected to IS members appear to suffer the least and receive extra provisions. There is also a severe shortage in medicine mainly for chronic diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes, according to a doctor at the city’s hospital. He added the majority of those seeking treatment these days are children and the elderly suffering from malnutrition. Alarmed by the deteriorating conditions inside Fallujah, the New York-based Human Rights Watch called on warring parties to make sure that aid reaches the civilian population. “The humanitarian picture in Fallujah is bleak and getting bleaker,” Joe Stork, HRW’s deputy Middle East director, said in a statement issued early this month. “Greater international attention to the besieged towns and cities of the region is needed or the results for civilians could be calamitous.” The IS militants who control the city have taken steps to mitigate the shortages in the face of rising public frustration. In August, they opened a bakery to sell subsidized bread, but eventually had to close it due to a shortage of flour. Then they confiscated wheat stockpiled by farmers and started distributing five kilograms of flour to each family for free. But the residents complained that the quality of the flour was substandard since the wheat had been in storage for a long time and was meant to be used as animal fodder. Shortly after Fallujah fell into IS hands in 2014, Abu Jassim and his family joined thousands of residents fleeing the city. They settled in the northern city of Kirkuk, but returned home months later due to high rents and cost-of-living. In 2015, the militants began preventing civilians from leaving Fallujah. Anbar councilman, Falih al-Issawi, estimated that about 90,000 individuals are now living in the city - down from approximately 300,000. Back in Fallujah, Abu Jassim started stockpiling food in 2015 after government forces, backed by U. S.-led coalition airstrikes, began retaking key areas around the city and shutting down supply routes. “But that stock ran out by the end of December and things started to get worse in January as it was very cold,” he said. Story Continues → 2016-04-29 12:02 - Associated Press - Friday, April 29, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com
89 Authorities: Deputies shoot, kill dog that attacked K-9 COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - Authorities say sheriff’s deputies shot and killed a dog that attacked a police K-9 during a community event in Columbus. The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office says deputies were explaining their equipment and tactics during the event on Thursday afternoon when a loose dog ran toward them and attacked the police K-9, Vando. Chief Deputy Jim Gilbert says deputies shot the dog, killing it. Authorities say Vando, a German shepherd, escaped the incident with injuries that he’s expected to recover from. Investigators say the owner of the loose dog was arrested when deputies found that he had an outstanding warrant. Chief Deputy Rick Minerd says the sheriff’s office would investigate whether the deputies acted appropriately.
2016-04-29 12:02 - Associated Press - Friday, April 29, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com
90 EU referendum issues guide: Explore the arguments Britain goes to the polls on Thursday 23 June to decide whether the UK should stay a member of the European Union. Use this guide to find out the arguments from the Leave and Remain sides on a range of key topics.
2016-04-29 08:39 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk
91 BA owner IAG slows growth plans after Brussels attacks Airline group IAG, the owner of British Airways and Iberia, has said it will temporarily slow plans to fly more routes following the Brussels attacks. It also said there was weaker demand from high- margin business-travellers. IAG reported pre-tax profits of €124m (£96m) for the first quarter, compared with a loss of €37m in 2015. "March revenue was affected by the timing of Easter and the Brussels terrorist attacks," said IAG chief executive Willie Walsh. "Revenue trends in quarter two have been affected by the aftermath of the Brussels terrorist attacks, as well as some softness in underlying premium demand. As a result, IAG has moderated its short-term capacity growth plans. " Shares fell 4.8% in afternoon trading in London to 524.7p, making it the biggest faller on the FTSE 100. Operating profits at IAG - which also owns Aer Lingus and Vueling - were €155m before exceptional items, compared with €25m in 2015. IAG said it expected fuel costs to fall by about 1% this year due to weak oil prices. Profits were boosted by the purchase of Irish flag carrier Aer Lingus which was completed last September. IAG has fared better than some of its European rivals - Lufthansa and Air France-KLM - which have been hit by strikes over cost-cutting plans, as well as increased competition from Middle Eastern and budget airlines.
2016-04-29 08:39 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk
92 Should homeless people be given tents? Cheap, easy-to-assemble tents are being used to shelter those on the streets, with some charities and campaign groups encouraging donations. But in some places, authorities are clamping down on homeless camps. "Loads of people on the streets swear by tents," says Steve, 27, who has been a rough sleeper since the age of 14. "I mean, they give you a bit of extra warmth, so it's a lot easier to stay out in the open than it is if you're just using a sleeping bag. " The average age of death for a rough sleeper in England is just 47. Bad weather and fear of attack make life difficult and uncertain. Anecdotally, it appears it's becoming more common for homeless people to seek some shelter and degree of privacy in tents. While they "cannot begin to provide an adequate substitute for the roof, every person deserves over their head, any advantage a rough sleeper has against the elements could be the difference between life and death", says Jon Sparkes, chief executive of the homelessness charity Crisis. "There are loads more than there used to be," says Steve, who did not want to give his surname. He sleeps out in central London, having moved to the UK from Ireland. "People feel a bit safer in a tent. After all, it's harder to hurt someone by jumping on a tent than it is out in the open. Some people have been a bit stupid with where they're putting their tents and they get moved on, but most use their brains. " The number of rough sleepers in England increased by 30% from 2014 to 2015, according to official figures. Many of those living outdoors in towns and cities have addictions and mental health problems. But not everyone thinks tents are a solution. Several camps formed in Manchester have been moved on over the past year, and the city's council has won an injunction against the pitching of tents on land it owns. Bristol Council has warned that charities and organisations urging the donation of tents to rough sleepers are encouraging anti-social behaviour and might be delaying those in need from seeking help. It's become easier to pitch a tent. Instant or pop-up versions allow people to set up their overnight accommodation in just a few seconds. They are light and fold up into near-flat containers, with basic models retailing in the UK for less than £20. There's been a strong drive to provide more of these tents in the US, where the government estimates that more than 500,000 people are homeless. The charity Tents-4-Homeless was set up in Los Angeles to encourage the public to donate tents and money to supply them. These "at least provide temporary protection against inclement weather and provide a small measure of dignity and privacy", says founder and director Peter Schey. Without the construction of "several hundred thousand new housing units", the situation will not ease, he argues, adding: "Until then, more and more homeless people will have no option other than to live in tents lining the streets of the richest nation on earth. " About 20 tents are currently standing on a plot of land next to London Road in Manchester. The camp is the successor of several others in the city that have been disbanded or moved on since the first started outside the town hall in April last year as part of an anti-austerity protest. "The use of tents by homeless people is a recent thing," says solicitor Ben Taylor, who has represented those involved in the camps during their disputes with Manchester City Council. "I've worked with homeless people for 20 years and I've never seen large-scale use of tents until last year. Before, people tended to sleep under a bridge or in a driveway or on a park bench. Spots next to air vents were popular too. " At points during the encampments, organisations appealed via Facebook for the public to donate tents - a smaller-scale version of what Tents-4-Homeless is doing in the US. This provoked widespread "sympathy and empathy", says Taylor, with some people buying tents, as well as jumpers, blankets and underwear, from nearby shops and bringing them to the camp. "There's a practical reason," he says. "If you are sleeping in a tent and there are five other tents next to it, you are less likely to get beaten up. The problem is that people coming out of nightclubs sometimes kick people. "If there are a few of you in tents, you can leave your stuff inside and go to the loo or a shop and someone can keep an eye on it for you. If you leave it out on the street, then it's gone. With tents there's a bit more of a community situation going on. " A sizeable proportion of the early Manchester tent-dwellers was made up of activists, rather than the genuinely homeless, says Taylor, but the London Road camp is "100% homeless". In Bristol, the council has threatened to remove tents erected by rough sleepers in sites including Castle Park and St James Park. Nick Hooper, the council's director of housing solutions and crime reduction, has said some of those involved "start causing nuisance, anti-social behaviour, littering". The authority warns that the use of tents could make it harder for charities and others looking to help the most needy. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees has said that even the organisation's own family tents, made to a higher specification than the most basic models, "are designed as a short-term shelter solution , particularly in support to emergency situations" and are "not a substitute for a more permanent shelter". One city where tents' use by the homeless has proved particularly controversial over a long period is Paris. In January 1954, Catholic priest and former MP Henri-Antoine Groues, better known as Abbe Pierre, launched an appeal for help after a homeless couple and a homeless single woman died of hypothermia. He sent an open letter to newspapers, saying: "Everyone can help those who are homeless. We need - tonight and, at the latest, tomorrow - 5,000 blankets, 300 big American tents, and 200 catalytic stoves. " The appeal succeeded and Abbe Pierre had tents erected on the quays of the river Seine, partly a practical measure and partly for the propaganda effect. In 1956, a government minister said those involved should "go sleep under the bridges" of Paris instead, hidden from wider public view. Fifty years later, in 2006, another camp grew by the Saint-Martin canal in north-east Paris, the tents bearing the initials SDF, standing for "sans domicile fixe" ("without a fixed abode"). A group called the Children of Don Quixote set up around 100 tents, inviting people to come and spend time with the residents. The camp lasted for three months. An attempt to build a successor in December 2007 was stopped by police. The current Manchester camp is on ground owned by Manchester University, which says it has made "clear that we have not consented to this use of this land" and "reserves all rights to take appropriate steps to require vacation of the land". But it adds that it is a "large and inclusive institution, with a clear commitment to social responsibility". "We'll have to see what happens," says Steve, "but I know that until things get a lot better there'll be a lot of people using tents. " Follow Justin Parkinson on Twitter @justparkinson Subscribe to the BBC News Magazine's email newsletter to get articles sent to your inbox.
2016-04-29 11:38 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk
93 What is the most expensive object on Earth? True or false? A new nuclear power station in the south-west of the UK will be the most expensive object on Earth. That's the claim about the proposed plant at Hinkley Point in Somerset - but has anything else ever cost so much to build? "Hinkley is set to be the most expensive object on Earth… best guesses say Hinkley could pass £24bn ($35bn)," said the environmental charity Greenpeace last month as it launched a petition against the project. This figure includes an estimate for paying interest on borrowed money, but the financing arrangements for Hinkley C are so opaque that it is impossible to calculate exactly what the final cost will be. Even if you stick with the expense of construction alone, though, the price is still high - the main contractor, EDF, puts it at £18bn ($26bn). For that sum you could build a small forest of Burj Khalifas - the world's tallest building, in Dubai, cost a piffling £1bn ($1.5bn). You could also knock up more than 70 miles of particle accelerator. The 17-mile-long Large Hadron Collider, built under the border between France and Switzerland to unlock the secrets of the universe, cost a mere £4bn ($5.8bn). The most expensive bridge ever constructed is the eastern replacement span of the Oakland Bay Bridge in San Francisco, designed to withstand the strongest earthquake seismologists would expect within the next 1,500 years. That cost about £4.5bn ($6.5bn). So why is Hinkley C so expensive? "Nuclear power plants are the most complicated piece of equipment we make," says Steve Thomas, emeritus professor of energy policy at Greenwich University. "Cost of nuclear power plants has tended to go up throughout history as accidents happen and we design measures to deal with the risk. " In comparison, the UK's newest nuclear power station, Sizewell B, which was completed in 1995, only cost £2.3bn ($3.4bn), or £4.1bn ($6bn) at today's prices. No nuclear power plants have been completed in Europe this century - those that have been built in recent years are in countries such as China or India, and Thomas believes figures for these, where they exist, are not reliable. So what about historic buildings - could the Great Pyramid of Giza put Hinkley C in the shade? Working out the cost of something built more than 4,500 years ago presents numerous challenges, but in 2012 the Turner Construction Company estimated it could build the pyramid for between £750m ($1.1bn) and £900m ($1.3bn). That includes about £500m ($730m) for stone and £40m ($58m) for 12 cranes. However, it projected that a mere 600 staff would be necessary - it took 20,000 people to build the original pyramid at a time when the only cranes in sight were the winged, feathery type. And the cost to Pharaoh Khufu? For two decades, workers are believed to have laboured on the pyramid for four months a year, during the annual Nile flood when the fields they normally tended were submerged. That amounts to 48.4 million days of labour. A further 4,000 people are thought to have worked year-round, giving a total figure of 77.6 million days' labour. Using the current Egyptian minimum wage of £3.93 ($5.73) a day, that gives a labour cost of £305m ($445m). Using modern labour rates is not as strange as it might seem. A contemporaneous inscription reveals labourers received 10 loaves of bread and a jug of beer per day. Archaeological evidence suggests the pyramid builders also received meat and fish, and in modern Egypt 10 loaves, a can of Coca-Cola and a portion of beef or fish costs about £4 ($5.80). And the Pharaoh didn't have to pay for raw materials. "The king owned all the stone in the quarries," says Joyce Tyldesley, lecturer in Egyptology at Manchester University. "He couldn't sell this - nobody would have a use for it. His palaces and temples were made of mud brick and so were peoples' houses. Nobody would have the resources to buy it. It's a free resource. " She thinks the labour was effectively free too. Workers were paid with food that the pharaoh had gathered in as taxation. "If he doesn't spend it on his workforce it won't last, he'll have to redistribute it another way," she says. "I would argue the entire pyramid-building experience was free. " In any case, a £500m stone bill plus £305m in wages are nowhere near Hinkley C. The Great Wall of China was an even bigger project than the pyramid. At 5,500 miles long, its mass is almost certainly greater. But it is actually a large number of walls, pieced together over two millennia, stretching the definition of "object". Back in the modern era, neither Heathrow Terminal 2 (£2.3bn; $3.4bn) nor the new London railway Crossrail (£14.8bn; $21.6bn) can compete with Hinkley. One current project, at first glance, does appear to be in the same ballpark as the power station. The royal family of Saudi Arabia is refurbishing the Grand Mosque in Mecca at a reported cost of about £16bn ($23bn). But this includes a new road and train line, among other things, so, once again, it stretches the definition of "object" Another contender is Hong Kong International Airport, built in 1998 on an artificial island at a cost of £13.7bn ($20bn) - equivalent to £20.1bn ($29bn) at today's prices. That just pips EDF's estimate for the cost of Hinkley C (though remember, we are putting to one side the cost of financing the deal). But these are all exceeded by the $54bn (£37bn) Gorgon liquefied natural gas plant built by Chevron in Australia. Built on Barrow Island off the country's north-west coast to process a huge off-shore gas field, it began production in March. Even that will probably be overtaken one day, though. "We're just building two reactors at Hinkley. Turkey has a deal for four reactors, South Africa is about to launch a tender for six reactors," says Steve Thomas. "When you get round to a six-reactor order it's going to cost three times as much as Hinkley. " And whatever the most expensive object on Earth is, up in the sky is something that eclipses all of these things. The International Space Station. Price tag: 100bn euros (£77.6bn, or $110bn). The UK's Hinkley Point nuclear power station has major backing from China. But why does the government need their help, asks Camila Ruz. Why does the UK need China to build its nuclear plants? Subscribe to the BBC News Magazine's email newsletter to get articles sent to your inbox.
2016-04-29 11:38 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk
94 Lizards share sleep patterns with humans Lizards share sleep patterns with humans, according to scientists. Until now, it was thought features of human sleep such as rapid eye movements were seen only in mammals and birds. Now, a study of the bearded dragon - a popular pet - suggests these distinctive sleep rhythms emerged hundreds of million of years ago in a distant ancestor. They could even have been present in dinosaurs, say scientists. Some form of sleep has been described in everything from worms to people. But the sleep phases of humans and birds are very distinctive, involving cycles of deep (slow- wave) sleep, followed by awake-like brain activity and rapid eye movement (REM). German researchers recorded the brain activity of bearded dragons when they were sleeping. They found that similar to humans and other mammals, the reptiles showed cycles of eye movements and deep sleep. However, while humans typically go through four or five 90-minute cycles of slow-wave sleep and REMs, the lizard sleep rhythm is faster and more regular, resulting in hundreds of much shorter cycles. And in lizards the activity seems to originate from a different brain area from mammals. "Although similar to mammalian sleep, lizard slow-wave sleep and REMs resemble a stripped- down version of the richer mammalian repertoire," the scientists write in the journal Science . The fact that reptiles, birds and mammals share similar sleep patterns suggests these evolved in a common ancestor some 300 to 320 million years ago. At the time, the land was ruled by amniotes - a class of four-legged, backboned animal that laid eggs protected by amniotic membranes. "Those were probably small and lizard-like animals," said lead researcher Dr Gilles Laurent of the Max Planck Institute for Brain Research in Frankfurt, Germany. "They lived between 300 and 320 million years ago, at a time when the earth's continents formed a single land mass. " It could be that the true source was even more ancient, he added. "This would require evidence of REMs and slow-wave sleep from amphibians or fish, which has so far been negative," he said. "But it may be worth checking again. " Lizard sleep may be similar to the sleep patterns of our ancestors, said Dr Laurent. And lizards might even dream in a rudimentary way. Asked if dinosaurs slept, he said: "I wish I knew but it seems likely that they expressed REM and slow-wave sleep. " Thanos Siapas, professor of computation and neural systems at Caltech, California, who was not involved in the research, said it shed new light into how the architecture of sleep evolved. "The data and analysis are very compelling and suggest an ancient origin of the two alternating stages of sleep, REM and slow-wave sleep," he said. "Comparing the circuit mechanisms and role of these network events across species may provide critical new insights into their function. "
2016-04-29 11:38 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk
95 Gene therapy reverses sight loss and is long-lasting A genetic therapy has improved the vision of patients who would otherwise have gone blind. A clinical study by British scientists has shown that the improvement is long-lasting and so the therapy is suitable to be offered as a treatment. The researchers will apply for approval to begin trials to treat more common forms of blindness next year. The therapy involve injecting working copy of the gene into the back of the eyes to help cells regenerate. The results of the therapy, published in the New England Journal of Medicine , have been tried out on 14 patients in the UK and 18 in the US, Canada and Germany over the past four and a half years. A team at Oxford University is treating a rare disorder called choroideremia. The disorder affects young men whose light-detecting cells in the backs of their eyes are dying because they have inherited a faulty gene. Until now, there has been no treatment and they gradually become blind. The researchers found that not only does the treatment halt the disease, it revives some of the dying cells and improves the patient's vision, in some cases markedly. A 24-year-old history teacher Joe Pepper, who works at St John's school in Leatherhead in Surrey, is the latest patient to have been treated. Joe played for Hayes Cricket Club in Kent as a boy, but was forced to give it up at 16 when his vision deteriorated. But he could see well enough to continue his love of the game as a coach at his school. Without the gene therapy, he would have had to give that up too within a few years, as he gradually became blind. The prospect terrified him. "When I was 18, my vision was in a very bad place," he said. "[My sight] was degenerating at quite a speed. " He told me: "I was scared of what would have happened; I was scared of not being able to see or live the life I had. "And now to have the belief that that's not going to happen is a weight off your shoulders. " Joe is popular with the pupils. He is jovial and laughs a lot. He teaches sport and history with a passion and enthusiasm that are infectious. But his positive personality belies the fact that the past few years have been challenging for him as his sight worsened. "It was really quite upsetting, not only for me, but for my family. "I was never blind but every year there would be something new to compensate for, so my life was never steady and it was the constant changes that affected me the most, particularly when I was 18. Not being able to do what my peers were doing I found quite hard for a while. " Joe had his operation in October and began to notice an improvement soon after. "After the operation I was looking into our garden and I could see more but I wasn't sure. "I didn't tell my mum and dad. I didn't want to let anyone get excited until we had done a simple vision test in a week's time. " The test involved reading a sight chart of letters. Each line on the chart had progressively smaller letters. He read line after line, going four lines beyond where he had ever read before. The medical staff were astounded. "Everyone in the room just looked at me and I looked at them," he said reliving the moment. "Anna, the research nurse, was taking me back out of the waiting room and she just looked at me and said it was 'fantastic' - both of us just had tears in our eyes. " Joe met his father in the waiting area. He was alarmed at the sight of his son in tears. "He thought that it was [bad news] and he just looked at me and we both sat there in each others' arms just realising that actually it had... " [Joe could not finish his sentence]. It was only when he was giving me his account of the joy and relief he felt with his father that the full emotional impact of the moment hit him for the first time. After a brief pause he continued: "I cannot explain how terrifying and upsetting it was when I was younger," he continued. "And now to know that there is so much opportunity, there is so much that I can actually do and do the things that I have actually wanted to and continue to do the things I really enjoy. " There are others with similar stories to Joe's. Wayne Thompson, a 46-year-old IT worker from Staffordshire was delighted to be able to see stars in the night sky for the first time following his operation. Jonathan Wyatt, a 68-year-old former lawyer, says "it has opened a new chapter of my life for me when I thought that the book was about to close". As the researchers have gained confidence in their treatment, they have tried it out on progressively younger patients who still have reasonably good vision. Joe is the youngest and the most successful so far. This suggests that the gene therapy may be most effective on younger patients before the disease becomes irreversible. The study also indicates that the treatment is long-lasting. The first patient received the therapy four and a half years ago and his treated eye has shown no drop-off in vision. Indeed, there are still slight improvements in his vision in that eye. This is the first indication that the treatment is viable and could be widely used on patients, according to the eye surgeon leading the trial, Prof Robert MacLaren of Oxford University. "The concept of gene therapy is that it corrects gene defects. Ideally, we should only have to do that once, because once the DNA is corrected and inserted into the correct cell, that cell should be able to continue its function as normal," he told BBC News. "We seem to have achieved this concept of one single treatment that does not need to be repeated which is unlike traditional medicines. " Prof MacLaren says that if the next phase of larger trials goes as he anticipates, a gene therapy for choroideremia will be licensed in three years. He has also begun to develop gene therapy trials to treat more common forms of blindness, such as retinitis pigmentosa and macular degeneration. These could begin as early as next year. Treating these disorders will be more challenging. Choroideremia is caused by a defect in a single gene, whereas the more common forms of blindness involve several. But Prof MacLaren believes that the choroideremia trials have laid the ground for the next phase of studies and, crucially, shown that gene therapy for blindness is safe and works. "When I started my career as an eye surgeon when we had these patients that had inherited diseases, not only did we tell them nothing could be done but we would actually discharge them from the clinics. "We are now calling them back in to test them, to look at them in great detail because potential treatments are available. To treat a disease at the genetic level is surely the most efficient way of treating a disease, to prevent it from happening in the first place. "We would like to develop treatments for more common forms of blindness and this may be available in the next five to 10 years," he told BBC News. The Research is funded by the Health Innovation Challenge Fund which is a partnership between the Wellcome Trust and the Department of Health. Follow Pallab on Twitter
2016-04-29 08:40 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk
96 Charge Zuma and restore NPA's reputation - Cope "Cope is delighted that all attempts by various role players to bury the nearly 800 charges against Zuma have not succeeded‚" party president Mosiuoa Lekota said in a statement on Friday. Cope called on NPA head Shaun Abrahams to now "take the matter forward". "All of us who left the ANC with a heavy heart after Polokwane knew that Zuma was going to bring the presidency into serious dispute. As soon as he took office‚ he acted decisively to destroy the Scorpions and to corrupt the criminal justice system. He gave scant regard to his oath of office. The court ruling‚ read by Judge Aubrey Ledwaba‚ exposed how the former acting head of the NPA‚ Mokotedi Mpshe‚ had acted "secretly‚ improperly and irrationally"‚ according to the statement. Mpshe decided on April 1 2009‚ to drop 783 charges related to the arms deal against Zuma‚ citing political interference by the now defunct Scorpions. He believed that former Scorpions boss Leonard McCarthy was manipulating the timing of when to prosecute Zuma. "Mpshe did not consult his team before deciding to withdraw the charges against Zuma‚ even though the decision was a 'corporate decision' …. It was also inconceivable that Mpshe did not consult the two senior independent counsels who were standing by before taking his decision not to proceed with the prosecution. "
2016-04-29 13:49 TMG Digital www.timeslive.co.za
97 How do people justify earning more than others? There's been much discussion over WPP boss Martin Sorrell earning £63m in a year. But how do you decide if one person deserves to earn more than someone else? Workers earning more than £27,000 - the UK median average salary - explain why they think they're worth it. "If I have a bad day I could do serious harm or kill a patient. That level of responsibility has to be reflected in the pay," says Zoe Norris. She earns £64,000 a year as a locum GP and says she reached her current position by "20 years of hard work". Norris, 35, says doctors cannot "claim poverty" - but argues their pay should be "commensurate" with the responsibility, years of training and ongoing study. She says their income is at the "lower end" compared with people of similar levels of education, adding: "I earn less than an MP earns and I work more than an MP does. " In a 2011 YouGov survey , the amount of "responsibility" a worker had was chosen as the most important factor in how much people "ought to earn". How well a worker did the job came second in the poll, which asked respondents to choose up to three answers. But public opinion on what people deserve may not be reflected in labour market reality. The UK median average salary is £27,000 per annum. John Purcell, of City headhunters Purcell and Co, says people with "rare" skills will always earn more than those who are "easily replaceable". Purcell, whose firm specialises in banking and finance workers, says: "You have to consider how intelligent, hard-working and qualified these people are. Not many people can do what they do. " So what reasons do people give when asked why they deserve more than others? Gail Reynolds made £192,000 in 2015-16 selling Avon beauty products and from commission from 350 sales people she has recruited (and more people they recruited). She is uncomfortable talking about what she "deserves". But Reynolds, who works with her husband Brian, says: "We deserve it because we continue to change people's lives. " She says: "I meet girls who are 21 to 25, they are single, they are on the dole, they don't think they can do anything. If I can talk one person away from thinking that they can't do what I can do, I have earned my money. " Reynolds says "anyone" can do what she has done - but she had the "entrepreneurial spirit to make it work". "Maybe there's something inside of me that makes me a little bit different; that makes me worth the money I earn," she says. Another worker - an HR director at a FTSE 100 company, who asked not to be named - says she finds her salary of almost £150,000, potentially rising to more than £200,000 with bonuses, "a bit surreal". She accepts it's a lot, but she says it reflects the "accountability and responsibility" of her job. She says every person "around the executive table" works "all the time" - and she has never met someone at that level "who doesn't live for work". She adds: "You have to be quite a strong person to still have a family life. " Many workers make versions of the same argument - that their job involves suffering, and this should be reflected in their pay. Finn Brennan, who drove London Underground trains for 23 years and now works for union Aslef, says drivers deserve their £49,673 annual pay because they do a "difficult and skilled job". He says they start work as early as 04:45 and finish as late as 01:30, working eight-hour shifts in a "small metal box underground" - conditions he says would be considered "cruel and unusual punishment" in other circumstances. Whenever a Tube strike comes around, it's not hard to find voices arguing that drivers are paid too much. Brennan says Tube drivers' pay has been protected by a "strong and well-organised trade union", adding: "We are not overpaid. The reason it looks good is that so many people in London are grossly underpaid. " But do workers overestimate their "worth"? In 2014 TSB chief executive Paul Pester defended his £877,500 salary. He accepted it was "a lot of money" but cited "the responsibility that comes with" running a bank with 4.5 million customers. Luke Hildyard, of the High Pay Centre, a think tank which argues the gap between high and low earners is too wide, says the idea that successful firms thrive due to "great individuals" at the top gives executives "too much credit". No-one interviewed for this article said they were overpaid - although Colin Ross, a "happiness engineer" for app firm Buffer (which publishes its pay scales online ), says he feels "incredibly lucky" with his £87,000 salary. Ross says he is "not a superstar" in terms of technical skills but he is experienced and knows a lot about the code behind Buffer's web application. "I like to think that I'm approachable and insightful enough that other people feel able to reach out to me," he adds. "To me, the most valuable employees are those that combine skills, experience, flexibility, insight and approachability. " One issue may be that people's expectations rise faster than their pay. Research by salary comparison website Emolument suggests workers with more academic qualifications and more experience - both likely to correlate with higher pay - are less likely to be satisfied with any bonus they receive. The figures also showed that workers in financial services - not noted for low pay - were the most dissatisfied of the industries studied. Emolument says bankers are told not to discuss their pay - "often a sackable offence" - and this leads to a "high level of paranoia". Separate data from 5,000 London bankers showed 73% were "dissatisfied or unsure" about their latest bonus, with more senior staff least likely to satisfied. So as pay goes up, workers may feel less and less like they're getting what they deserve. Subscribe to the BBC News Magazine's email newsletter to get articles sent to your inbox
2016-04-29 08:40 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk
98 V&A up for Museum of the Year £100,000 prize London's Victoria and Albert (V&A) is one of five museums nominated for this year's £100,000 Art Fund Prize. The Art Fund awards its museum of the year prize to an establishment which has "shown exceptional imagination, innovation and achievement". The others shortlisted are Bethlem Museum of the Mind in London, Bristol's Arnolfini, Edinburgh's Jupiter Artland and York Art Gallery. The winner will be announced on 6 July at the Natural History Museum. Last year the prize was awarded to the Whitworth in Manchester. Stephen Deuchar, director of the Art Fund , said this year's shortlist showed "why and how UK museums lead the world". "Each one of these five museums is outstanding - not just for the collections they display, but for the people who work there, and the visitors whose lives they can change," Mr Deuchar continued. "Whether reaching audiences of thousands or millions, the best museums turn objects into culture, put audiences at the heart of their work, and engage with issues of the moment. " The V&A has long been considered one of the UK's - and the world's - foremost museums of art and design and a leading visitor attraction as a result. And the last 12 months has proved a record-breaking year for the establishment, pulling in 3.9 million visitors, and a further 14.5 million online visitors. This success has been largely due to a major gallery restoration project and sell-out exhibitions such as a Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty , in celebration of the innovative designer who died in 2010, which attracted a record-breaking 493,043 visitors from 87 countries. Its 2013 hit David Bowie Is retrospective, which embarked on a global tour after its London run, notched up its millionth visitor in Paris in May. Other highlights have included a major show of Indian textiles and a worldwide touring programme for the V&A's Museum of Childhood. The Bethlem Museum of the Mind is described by the Art Fund as "extraordinary". It holds an extensive collection of archives, art and historic objects relating to the history of mental health care and treatment. It was opened by the Turner Prize-winning artist Grayson Perry in 2015. Jupiter Artland is an award-winning sculpture collection on the outskirts of Edinburgh. A charity, it focuses on nurturing the work of contemporary artists and commissioning site-specific work for its 100-acres of woodland and meadow. The museum was established in 1999 by art collectors Robert and Nicky Wilson within Bonnington House, a Jacobean manor with extensive grounds. The couple's aim was partly to find a space to allow the public to share in their own private collection of art. The Arnolfini in Bristol is described as "a pioneer of the interdisciplinary contemporary arts". It prides itself on a wide-ranging remit taking in visual art, performance, dance, film and music. Sited dramatically in a repurposed warehouse on the city's harbourside, Arnolfini welcomes half a million visitors each year, to experience works of art by local, national and international artists. Its credited with helping regenerate Bristol's harbourside and in 2015 it embarked on its own renovation venture, boosting its visitor numbers in the process. Lastly, the York Art Gallery was built in 1879 and is now home to a nationally designated collection spanning 600 years. In August 2015 the gallery reopened after an £8m development which increased its exhibition space by 60%, allowing significant artworks and exhibitions to be brought to the city, including ceramics and art dedicated to World War One. The five finalists were whittled down from a longlist of 10, following visits by the judges. The Art Fund is independently financed with the core of its income provided by 122,000 members. Its main work is in grant-giving and supporting the UK's art establishments, small and large.
2016-04-29 11:38 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk
99 Threatened with death for working on TV When the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in the 1990s they were quick to ban television, along with music and theatre. The post-Taliban era has seen an explosion of activity in the media, but TV personalities have become targets for militants. Here two women employed by the country's most-watched TV station, Tolo, describe doing their job under the threat of death. Shakila Ebrahimkhil's own life bears some resemblance to the stories she reports on every night. She was married off as a teenager, during the Taliban years, and when her husband suddenly died she was forced to look after her elderly parents and three young children alone. Later, after the US-led invasion in 2001, she managed to get an education and eventually started work as a journalist. It was she who, in 2012, broke the story of Sahar Gul, a 15-year-old Afghan child bride who was locked up and tortured by her husband and in- laws after she refused to be forced into prostitution. The story shocked people around the world and caused outrage in Afghanistan. But highlighting the suffering of women in Afghanistan has brought her death threats from militants. And so has another aspect of work - reporting on the many suicide bombings that have hit Afghanistan over the years. She has made a name for herself covering the aftermath of these attacks, interviewing survivors and talking to the families of those who have died. "We make a profile of them," she says. "Unfortunately that is part of our work. " At the Kabul Trauma Hospital, the medics know her well. When they see her, they say, they know plenty of new patients are likely to be arriving before long. In the ward where the most critically wounded bomb victims are treated there are women and children and Ebrahimkil has come to get victims to record messages to the militants, to mark Persian New Year. Yalda Hakim's Our World report Terror at the TV Station can be seen on the BBC News Channel and BBC World News (click for transmission times). Readers in the UK can watch it after 04:30 GMT on Saturday on the BBC iPlayer. She has covered such scenes many times and I start to think she's become immune to the suffering. But it's actually the very opposite. She breaks down. This is a side to the correspondent Tolo TV's viewers don't usually see. "I suffer a lot. Maybe it's because I am a mother. I try to control my emotions, but it's not possible," she says. "I'm a mum too, you know. I'm worried about the future of these kids. When I see these kids I think of my own children. I understand that the future won't be good for any of them. " Earlier this year, Ebrahimkhil had the painful task of reporting on a suicide bomb attack against Tolo TV itself. During rush hour on 20 January, a Taliban suicide bomber truck rammed a minivan in central Kabul, as it carried Tolo staff home after work. Seven were killed and more than 20 were injured. "I wanted to scream and cry with each name I read. It was very painful for all of us, when you lose your colleagues," she says. But the attack has made them all even more fearless, she insists. "We believe the suppression of Tolo means the suppression of freedom of speech in Afghanistan. And we won't let the people of Afghanistan feel that. " Journalists in Kabul recognise government propaganda when they see it. They know how dangerous the security situation really is now that foreign troops have withdrawn, and how precarious the economy is. All this puts them in a difficult position. Do they stay on - despite the risks - to continue to tell the story of the suffering of their people. Or do they put their families first, and get out, like tens of thousands of others? Ebrahimkhil too was confronted by this reality. Since meeting her in Kabul, I have learned that she has left Afghanistan and is currently in Turkey. It's uncertain whether she will return but she says for now, it's too dangerous for her to raise her children in her motherland. Afghan Star, a version of Pop Idol, is the most popular show on television in Afghanistan, but it's been condemned by the Taliban for its "lewdness" and "immorality". This has made Aryana Sayeed, the programme's female judge, and one of Afghanistan's most famous singers, a prime Taliban target. She refuses to wear a headscarf, and performs in tight-fitting clothing, like any pop diva anywhere in the world. Her lyrics, meanwhile - urging women to be strong, and not to give up fighting for a better future - have become a rallying cry for many Afghan women. In many ways, she represents everything that the Taliban and other hardliners don't want for a modern Afghanistan - women's rights, freedom of expression and the determination to hang on to the gains of the past 15 years. Tolo and 1 TV channels are... propaganda networks tasked with promoting the intellectual, cultural and information invasion of the infidels in Afghanistan. These networks, with the complete backing of the Americans, ridicule our religious and cultural norms, encourage obscenity and lewdness [and] inject the minds of youth with dangerous substances such as irreligiousness, immorality, violence, gambling, intermixing and profanity. Henceforth no employee, anchor, office, news team and reporter of these TV channels holds any immunity. This explains the constant rumours that she may be in danger, whenever she flies into Afghanistan from her home in London. "They would say, you know, 'This this week, they're going to attack Aryana, they're going to kill Aryana,' and stuff like that," she says. "I do get scared, but you know what? I feel like, you know, this is the path that I've chosen I don't want to just leave it half way, I have to finish it somehow. " Death threats made after a performance at the national football stadium in Kabul last year make it unlikely that she will be able to give a show like that again. And then there was the attack on the Tolo TV bus, which came half-way through the latest series of Afghan Star. "We were actually on the set of Afghan Star. We had just finished a show when we heard the blast," she says. "And it was so loud and so scary that we actually thought that it's happening right outside our gate probably. Basically, we thought the Taliban were going to come in and attack us. " Sayeed and others on the show were rushed out of the studio and driven to their hotel. Some of the expats working for the channel were immediately flown out of the country, but Sayeed stayed. "I thought, you know what, no matter what happens, even if I die, I'll die, if it's in your destiny, you can die anywhere, any part of the world and I thought I'm not going to give up. Not for a second I thought I'd go back," she says. She was issued, though, with a flak jacket. "I thought, 'How funny is this? Being a singer in Afghanistan I feel like I am going to a war, actually. This is ridiculous.' "It's kind of heavy as well. But yeah, what to do? " Sayeed stayed for the rest of the show. Then, a day after the finale, she flew back to the safety of her home in London. Yalda Hakim's Our World report Terror at the TV Station can be seen on the BBC News Channel and BBC World News (click for transmission times). Readers in the UK can watch it after 04:30 GMT on Saturday on the BBC iPlayer. Subscribe to the BBC News Magazine's email newsletter to get articles sent to your inbox.
2016-04-29 08:40 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk
100 DJ's foul friend starts search for 'talented farters' Is flavour the new recipe for love? New research by Knorr reveals that as many as one in three people claim that if their partner didn’t share the same flavour palette, they would be worried about their future together.
2016-04-29 13:47 Nomahlubi Jordaan www.timeslive.co.za
Total 100 articles. Created at 2016-04-29 18:05