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Total 100 articles, created at 2016-02-26 18:03

(3.00/4) 1 Top News - powered by FeedBurner The students, who are all black women, initially said up to a dozen white classmates spewed racial insults and ganged up on them. All three — Alexis Briggs, from Huntington, Ariel Agudio, from Elmira Heights, and Asha Burwell (pictured), from Huntington Station — will be charged with third-degree assault, police... 2016-02-26 10:15 951Bytes www.nydailynews.com

(2.00/4) 2 Detroit Free Press - Home Detroit Free Press - HOme 2016-02-26 09:19 3KB rssfeeds.freep.com 3 Escudero: Who says I’m not threatened by Marcos? Who says he is not threatened by Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.? Vice presidential candidate Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero said this himself on Friday when asked during a press 2016-02-26 18:02 2KB newsinfo.inquirer.net 4 For pushing Grade 6 pupil , principal in Cebu ordered suspended CEBU CITY - A principal of a public school in Carcar City in southern Cebu has been ordered suspended for a month for pushing a Grade 6 pupil who came in late for a school activity in 2014. The 2016-02-26 17:56 1KB newsinfo.inquirer.net 5 The Latest: FIFA presidential election heads to 2nd round The Latest on the FIFA election (all times local): 2016-02-26 17:53 2KB www.washingtontimes.com 6 Middle schoolers get lesson in highway engineering The Maryland Department of Transportation is giving some middle-school students a lesson in highway engineering. 2016-02-26 17:52 1010Bytes www.washingtontimes.com

7 Hatteras Seashore holds public hearings on beach driving Cape Hatteras National Seashore is holding five public hearings on possible changes to beach driving rules that allow more access. 2016-02-26 17:51 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 8 Ohio man acquitted in crash that killed 2 cyclists, hurt 3 A northeast Ohio man has been acquitted of charges stemming from a September crash that left two bicyclists dead and three others injured. 2016-02-26 16:23 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 9 DoD launches aggressive cyberwar against IS The U. S. military has launched a newly aggressive campaign of cyberattacks against Islamic State militants, targeting the group’s abilities to use social media and the Internet to recruit fighters and inspire followers, U. S. officials told The Associated Press. 2016-02-26 16:24 4KB www.washingtontimes.com 10 Kansas attack latest in string of US mass shootings A gunman opened fire at a south-central Kansas business Thursday after shooting three people earlier. Altogether, authorities said four people, including the gunman, were killed and 14 were injured in the attacks in the Hesston, Kansas, area north of Wichita. 2016-02-26 16:24 3KB www.washingtontimes.com 11 Duterte, Cayetano generate most Facebook engagements after debate Update PRESIDENTIAL candidate Rodrigo Duterte and his running mate Senator Alan Peter Cayetano generated the most engagements on Facebook after the presidential debates in Cagayan de Oro 2016-02-26 17:31 2KB newsinfo.inquirer.net 12 Obama Cabinet member to visit Flint amid water crisis A member of President Barack Obama’s Cabinet is visiting Flint to make an announcement on disaster assistance amid the city’s crisis with lead-tainted water. 2016-02-26 17:26 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 13 La Salle-Zobel fends off NU, stays alive in UAAP juniors hoops finals De La Salle Zobel lives to fight another day. The Junior Archers shocked powerhouse Nazareth School of National University with a 70-61 Game 2 victory Friday to extend the UAAP Season 78 2016-02-26 17:17 2KB sports.inquirer.net 14 Arrested ex-narc to reveal ‘sensitive’ info Lieutenant Colonel Ferdinand Marcelino will reveal "sensitive" information regarding his presence at a house in Manila where over P380-million worth of illegal drugs were seized last 2016-02-26 17:13 3KB newsinfo.inquirer.net 15 Poe admits reading from her notes during CDO debate YES, she was reading from her own notes that she wrote down during the presidential debate last Sunday, February 21, but not from prepared notes. This was how Senator Grace Poe responded on 2016-02-26 17:05 2KB newsinfo.inquirer.net 16 Memorial planned to honor victims of West Virginia explosion A memorial is being planned to honor four people who died in a 2007 propane tank explosion in southern West Virginia. 2016-02-26 15:54 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 17 Smithsonian museum opening new exhibit of moon photographs The Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum is opening a new exhibit of moon photographs. 2016-02-26 15:53 920Bytes www.washingtontimes.com 18 UAAP football: Maroons nip Blue Booters University of the Philippines bested a tentative Ateneo side, 1-0, and grab a piece of third place in the UAAP Season 78 men's football tournament at the Moro Lorenzo Field Thursday. Rookie 2016-02-26 16:59 2KB sports.inquirer.net 19 Wary of cheating, Poe laments Garci’s reappearance Senator Grace Poe admitted on Friday being saddened and worried by reports that former Elections commissioner Virgilio Garcillano, who was tagged in the alleged massive-fraud in 2004, is working 2016-02-26 16:46 4KB newsinfo.inquirer.net 20 FIFA to pick post-Blatter leader in bid to end to crisis FIFA members on Friday elect a new president and pass reforms they hope will open an escape route from a storm of scandal symbolized by the downfall of veteran leader Sepp Blatter. The landmark 2016-02-26 16:45 5KB sports.inquirer.net 21 Martin Crowe: Records and trivia about the New Zealand cricketer On this day in 1982, former New Zealand cricketer Martin Crowe made his debut in the world of Test cricket. We take a look at some interesting trivia and facts about the Kiwi cricketer on and off the pitch 2016-02-26 16:40 1KB www.mid-day.com 22 WBC rips AIBA over Olympic boxing; some pros are intrigued The president of the World Boxing Council sharply criticized the International Boxing Association on Thursday for its intention to allow professional fighters to compete in the Rio de Janeiro 2016-02-26 16:23 4KB sports.inquirer.net

23 MILF forces move away from BIFF rebels to prevent misencounters COTABATO CITY – The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has repositioned its forces from the so-called SPMS Box (Salibo, Pagatin, Mamasapano, Shariff Aguak) in Maguindanao amid intense military 2016-02-26 16:22 2KB newsinfo.inquirer.net 24 Man charged in shooting of Independence police officer A man has been charged with second-degree assault after authorities say he shot an Independence police officer at a motel. 2016-02-26 16:21 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 25 Study examines little-known WWII internment camp in Alaska Alice Tanaka Hikido clearly remembers the bewilderment and sense of violation she felt 74 years ago when FBI agents rifled through her family’s Juneau home, then arrested her father before he was sent to Japanese internment camps, including a little-known camp in pre-statehood Alaska. 2016-02-26 16:21 4KB www.washingtontimes.com 26 Man pleads guilty in rural Reno County fires A man serving almost six years in prison for setting fires to a vacant Salina motel has pleaded guilty to burning down a vacant house and a mobile home in rural Reno County. 2016-02-26 16:21 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 27 1 dead after Cheyenne house fire Authorities say one person has died in a Cheyenne house fire. 2016-02-26 16:18 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 28 EPA Official: River cleanup legal dispute could take 2 years An Environmental Protection Agency official says a legal battle between the agency and General Electric over a western Massachusetts river cleanup proposal could take years to resolve if it goes to federal court. 2016-02-26 16:17 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 29 AP FACT CHECK: Donald Trump objects to cursing Donald Trump, offended by coarse language? 2016-02-26 15:13 2KB www.washingtontimes.com 30 Virginia General Assembly approves new state snake The Virginia General Assembly has approved making the eastern garter snake the official state snake. 2016-02-26 15:13 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 31 Memphis church cancels scheduled appearance by Ben Carson A Memphis church says an upcoming appearance by Republican presidential hopeful Ben Carson has been canceled. 2016-02-26 15:13 978Bytes www.washingtontimes.com 32 Ireland votes amid austerity anger, fears of hung parliament DUBLIN—Ireland's voters are deciding who should lead them for the next five years as polls suggest the outcome could be a hung parliament. Prime Minister Enda Kenny asked voters to keep 2016-02-26 16:10 1KB newsinfo.inquirer.net 33 Santa Cruz eyes ‘spectacular’ defense against Martinez Unbeaten Leo Santa Cruz is looking for a "spectacular" display in his World Boxing Association featherweight title defense against Kiko Martinez on Saturday that could put him in line 2016-02-26 16:09 2KB sports.inquirer.net 34 Firefighters rescue man stranded on strip of land in river Firefighters rescued a homeless man from the Naugatuck river in Waterbury after authorities say he became stranded on a small strip of land. 2016-02-26 16:03 1KB www.washingtontimes.com

35 ‘Militia of toddlers’: Iowa House passes bill allowing children to use a handgun A bill allowing children under 14 to use a handgun with parental supervision has passed through Iowa’s House of Representatives despite opponents’ concerns that it exposes children to more gun violence. 2016-02-26 12:25 2KB www.rt.com 36 The North Water is a bloody, gripping thriller set on board a whaling ship How the UK can win Eurovision Ian McGuire's novel is a powerful story which refuses to romanticise the past – in contrast with another new whaling story, Rush Oh! by Shirley Barrett. 2016-02-26 12:08 10KB www.newstatesman.com 37 Friend or foe? State Dept, Pentagon split on whether Russia poses threat As the US-Russia brokered Syrian ceasefire looms, Secretary John Kerry has been displaying a warm attitude towards Moscow, stressing mutual goals and cooperation, but the Pentagon appears to be reading from a different playbook, calling Russia an enemy. 2016-02-26 12:25 3KB www.rt.com 38 FBI takes encryption fight with Apple to Congress The FBI wants to set a precedent in demanding Apple unlock the iPhone of one of the San Bernardino terrorists, but gaining an encryption backdoor will not be the end of the world, Director James Comey told lawmakers at a hearing on worldwide threats. 2016-02-26 12:25 3KB www.rt.com 39 Swipe right on serial killers: Fake Charles Manson and Aileen Wuornos profiles get Tinder matches An online dating experiment has given hope to desperate daters everywhere after it revealed that even infamous serial killers can find a match on Tinder. 2016-02-26 12:25 2KB www.rt.com 40 IMF’s Lagarde, other G20 finance VIPs urge action on reforms SHANGHAI—Officials at a global finance meeting Friday in Shanghai urged governments to speed up promised job-creating reforms instead of relying on stimulus to perk up slackening 2016-02-26 15:51 4KB newsinfo.inquirer.net 41 Why a gay Indian professor's death inspired a film The BBC's Vineet Khare speaks to rickshaw puller Abdul about a new film based on the tragic end of his relationship with Prof Shrinivas Ramchandra Siras. 2016-02-26 04:58 5KB www.bbc.co.uk 42 Greece slows migrant flow from islands to Athens The Greek government asks ferry operators to reduce services in a bid to ease pressure, as border restrictions further north trigger crisis. 2016-02-26 13:13 4KB www.bbc.co.uk 43 Syria conflict: Russia 'steps up air strikes' ahead of truce Russian jets are reported to have intensified attacks on Syrian rebel positions, hours before a cessation of hostilities is due to come into force. 2016-02-26 13:13 3KB www.bbc.co.uk 44 Scores & Stats [CONTENT HERE] News, Sports, Weather, Traffic and the Best of NY 2016-02-26 11:11 4KB newyork.cbslocal.com

45 Donald Trump Interview: I think I can beat Cruz in Texas Presidential candidate Donald Trump says he thinks he had the best performance so far in the final debate before Super Tuesday in an interview with CBSN. CBS News Chief White House Correspondent Major Garrett also spoke with Trump about his real estate deals, whether he can beat Cruz in Texas... 2016-02-26 14:41 1KB www.cbsnews.com 46 Trump on Gaddafi in 2011: 'We should stop this guy' At the CNN/Telemundo Republican debate on Feb. 25, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said the U. S. would be "so much better off if" Libyan ruler Moammar Gaddafi was still in power, but his stance in 2011 was very different. 2016-02-26 15:46 976Bytes www.washingtonpost.com 47 E-cigarette 'lights man's trousers' in Kentucky A man's e-cigarette appears to set his trousers alight as he paid a cashier at a petrol station in Kentucky. 2016-02-26 15:46 954Bytes www.bbc.co.uk 48 RBS shares slide as losses continue Shares in Royal Bank of Scotland fall 7% after it reports a loss of £1.98bn for 2015, its eighth year of annual losses. 2016-02-26 13:24 5KB www.bbc.co.uk 49 Daughter guilty of murdering MS father in Dagenham home A carer who said she suffocated her 67-year-old father with a plastic bag because of his "intolerable" multiple sclerosis is found guilty of murder. 2016-02-26 13:24 2KB www.bbc.co.uk 50 Fall in numbers of young jobless Numbers of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) at lowest for the time of year since 2001, UK-wide figures show. 2016-02-26 13:24 2KB www.bbc.co.uk 51 Predictions of UKIP gaining nine AMs backed by deputy leader UKIP's leaders endorse suggestions the party could win nine or ten seats in May's Welsh assembly election. 2016-02-26 13:24 3KB www.bbc.co.uk 52 Fifa presidential election: Has Africa lost its clout? The BBC's Piers Edwards looks at the role of African countries in electing the next Fifa president. 2016-02-26 13:24 4KB www.bbc.co.uk 53 Australia and UK battle for 'burping Ashes' An Australian and an Englishman are literally shaking walls as they vie to produce the world's loudest burp. 2016-02-26 13:24 1KB www.bbc.co.uk 54 Firebombs, paint thrown at police station in Berlin Berlin’s Federal Criminal Police building has come under attack from unknown people, who threw firebombs and paint bombs at the building. Only one of the firebombs went up in flames, causing damage to the facility. 2016-02-26 12:25 992Bytes www.rt.com 55 Gills and pills: Fish testing positive for cocaine, anti- depressants Fish found in Washington’s Puget Sound are tripping on cocaine, Prozac, Advil, Benadryl, and Lipitor. Unfortunately, there is no aquatic drug dealer responsible for it. Instead, the intoxication is the result of tainted discharge water. 2016-02-26 11:56 4KB www.rt.com 56 13yo Turkish boy detained for ‘insulting’ Erdogan on Facebook A 13-year-old teen was briefly detained on charges of “insulting” President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Facebook. The boy’s social network account had been under police monitoring for as long as nine months, local media reported. 2016-02-26 11:56 3KB www.rt.com 57 Telford baby kidnap: Kelly Mahon in court A woman appears before magistrates after a nine-week-old boy was reported missing from his home in Telford. 2016-02-26 14:23 907Bytes www.bbc.co.uk 58 US Election 2016: Cruz and Rubio attack Trump in debate US Republican presidential hopefuls attack front-runner Donald Trump in the last debate before crucial votes next week. 2016-02-26 14:23 5KB www.bbc.co.uk 59 Detroit News - News Detroit News - News 2016-02-26 11:36 3KB rssfeeds.detroitnews.com 60 Sisters make 999 call as mother passes out while at the wheel Two sisters have to call 999 after their mother passes out while driving 2016-02-26 15:31 675Bytes www.bbc.co.uk 61 Livonia - News Livonia - News 2016-02-26 03:15 2KB rssfeeds.hometownlife.com

62 UN science report warns of fewer bees, other pollinators Many species of wild bees, butterflies and other critters that pollinate plants are shrinking toward extinction, and the world needs to do something about it before our food supply suffers, a new United Nations scientific mega-report warns. 2016-02-26 15:27 4KB www.washingtontimes.com 63 Legislators due to get final look at size of surplus Has Minnesota’s $1.2 billion budget surplus grown or gotten smaller? 2016-02-26 15:27 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 64 How a "politics of listening" could change Britain “You’ve lost weight!”: why complimenting each other on our bodies is wrong The act of listening may seem like a platitude, but it matters. 2016-02-26 05:00 16KB www.newstatesman.com 65 WXIA - Local WXIA - Local 2016-02-26 04:24 3KB rssfeeds.11alive.com 66 USATODAY - World Top Stories USATODAY - World Top Stories 2016-02-26 09:19 2KB rssfeeds.usatoday.com 67 Port Huron - News GANNETT Syndication Service 2016-02-26 10:28 2KB feeds.feedblitz.com 68 WUSA - News RSS Oubound Feed 2016-02-26 10:28 1KB rssfeeds.wusa9.com 69 Christian Science Monitor | All Stories - powered by FeedBurner Black truffle oil makes this open-faced sandwich a decadent meal for breakfast, lunch, or even a snack. Pair with a salad made from spicy greens such as arugula. Researchers have identified the gene responsible for the asymmetrical twisting of snail shells. Pollinator populations around the world are declining, threatening hundreds... 2016-02-26 02:35 6KB rss.csmonitor.com

70 All Properties - Nation Now All Properties - Nation Now 2016-02-26 10:13 2KB rssfeeds.usatoday.com 71 World news: breaking news and current events - powered by FeedBurner The US Justice Department wants Apple to help access encrypted information stored on Farook’s iPhone 5C. The info stored in the phone of one of San Bernardino killers was asked by the F. B. I. and a court order was obtained. But now, Apple asks US court to overturn San... 2016-02-26 10:12 901Bytes feeds.feedburner.com 72 WXIA - Home WXIA - Home 2016-02-26 10:20 3KB rssfeeds.11alive.com 73 Livingston - Home Livingston - Home 2016-02-26 10:19 2KB rssfeeds.livingstondaily.com 74 Mumbai Crime: 10 thefts in a month turn residents into watchmen Members from various societies in Badlapur East are forming groups to patrol their areas following 10 robberies — five of which occurred on February 10 — in the last one month 2016-02-26 15:08 4KB www.mid-day.com 75 Military Times - Adventure Military Times - Adventure 2016-02-26 09:04 4KB rssfeeds.militarytimes.com 76 Nepal plane crash-lands, passengers injured An unspecified number of people were injured when an aircraft with nine passengers and two crew members on board crash landed in Nepal's Kalikot district on Friday, the media said 2016-02-26 15:07 1KB www.mid-day.com 77 India won't vacate Siachen glaciers: Manohar Parrikar India will not vacate the Siachen glaciers as Pakistan cannot be trusted and it may occupy the strategic location once it is vacated, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said 2016-02-26 15:02 2KB www.mid-day.com 78 Livingston - News Livingston - News 2016-02-26 10:06 2KB rssfeeds.livingstondaily.com 79 US market extends gains, follow global shares higher NEW YORK (AP) — U. S. stocks opened higher and remained on track for a second straight weekly gain on encouraging economic news in the U. S. and word from Chin... 2016-02-26 15:00 1KB www.dailymail.co.uk 80 BA owner IAG reports big rise in profit British Airways owner IAG says profits for the year rose 64% to €1.8bn (£1.4bn) for the year helped in part by lower fuel prices. 2016-02-26 13:53 1KB www.bbc.co.uk 81 GOP doomsday is at hand: The Donald is positioned to win yuge on Super Tuesday Trump is sprinting to the finish line, and there may not be a thing Marco Rubio or Ted Cruz can do to stop him 2016-02-26 13:24 3KB www.salon.com 82 130,000 refugees vanished after being registered in Germany – media report Some 13 percent of all migrants who officially entered Germany in 2015 never turned up at the accommodation provided for them, Süddeutsche Zeitung reported Thursday. The news comes as Berlin tightens laws on asylum seekers. 2016-02-26 11:13 2KB www.rt.com 83 ESL Discussions: English Conversation Questions / Debates: Speaking Lesson Activities 14,020 discussion and conversation questions for speaking practice. 701 FREE ESL lesson plans, handouts, worksheets and downloads. Controversial and mainstream topics. 2016-02-26 14:25 831Bytes www.esldiscussions.com 84 Trump Rules in effect: The Donald fields softball questions while Hillary gets grilled The GOP's presumptive nominee sits down for an hour with CNN and is asked what he orders at McDonald's. Journalism! 2016-02-26 13:24 4KB www.salon.com 85 Resolution introduced in US House to block sale of F16s to Pakistan A joint resolution to block the sale of eight nuclear-capable F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan has been introduced in the US House of Representatives, even as Secretary of State John Kerry defended the move, saying it is critical for Pakistan's fight against terrorism 2016-02-26 14:43 4KB www.mid-day.com 86 Budget, student clashes and Fifa: 11 things you might have missed this week Need to catch up on what happened this week? From the budget speech to violent brawls at universities, we round up some of the big stories - local and international - that made the news... 2016-02-26 14:41 4KB www.timeslive.co.za 87 Quiz: Do you deserve an Oscar for your Academy Awards knowledge? Think you're a whiz when it comes to Oscars trivia? The much-anticipated 88th Academy Awards are just around the corner, so now's the perfect time to take this quiz and find out how much you really know about this star-studded event and the 2016 nominees. 2016-02-26 14:37 1KB www.timeslive.co.za 88 Nuke test: The missile is the message _ the Pentagon hopes VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, California (AP) — Like a giant pen stroke in the sky, an unarmed Minuteman 3 nuclear missile roared out of its underground bunker... 2016-02-26 09:01 1KB www.dailymail.co.uk 89 Police grills JNUSU president Kanhaiya, Khalid and Anirban together Delhi Police today interrogated JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar, Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya together for the first time at a south Delhi police station in connection with the sedition case 2016-02-26 14:30 2KB www.mid-day.com 90 The NS Podcast #137: Boris, Brexit and online abuse From pornography to surrogacy, too few of us are ethical consumers of bodies The New Statesman podcast. 2016-02-26 12:08 7KB www.newstatesman.com 91 Hanamanthappa's widow wants only daughter to join Army Wife of Siachen braveheart Hanamanthappa Koppad, Mahadevi Ashok Bilebal wants their only daughter to join the Indian Army when she grows up 2016-02-26 14:29 2KB www.mid-day.com 92 Lawyers to challenge Indonesia court verdict on sex abuse JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — A lawyer representing two imprisoned teachers, a Canadian and an Indonesian, said Friday they will appeal a Supreme Court ruling th... 2016-02-26 14:26 1KB www.dailymail.co.uk

93 VFW post to build homeless veterans shelter in Prestonsburg A Prestonsburg Veterans of Foreign Wars post plans to build a new shelter for homeless veterans in Floyd County. 2016-02-26 14:25 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 94 Obama in Florida will tout benefits of economic stimulus President Barack Obama is heading to Florida to tout the benefits of the massive economic stimulus bill he signed shortly after taking office seven years ago. 2016-02-26 14:25 3KB www.washingtontimes.com 95 Infectious disease specialist talks on Zika virus emergence A University of South Carolina specialist on infectious diseases is talking about the emergence of the Zika virus. 2016-02-26 14:25 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 96 Economic Survey pegs growth at 7-7.5 percent for 2016-17 The Economic Survey for 2015-16 tabled in parliament on Friday pegged India's growth for the next fiscal at 7-7.5 percent 2016-02-26 14:21 922Bytes www.mid-day.com 97 Man accused of smuggling meth in tennis balls sentenced A Pascagoula man accused of arranging large shipments of meth from California to Jackson County has been sentenced to 23 years behind bars. 2016-02-26 14:20 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 98 Tony Blackburn: 'I've been hung out to dry by BBC' Tony Blackburn claims the BBC "hung me out to dry" over the Savile inquiry, as he prepares to sue the corporation after parting company following nearly 50 years on air. 2016-02-26 11:07 5KB www.bbc.co.uk 99 Corbyn: Labour would keep police and crime commissioners A Labour government would keep police and crime commissioners and make them "more accountable", Jeremy Corbyn says. 2016-02-26 11:07 2KB www.bbc.co.uk 100 America has a white guy problem: From Donald Trump to #OscarsSoWhite, our “diversity problems” are all connected It's time we stop treating diversity in Hollywood, journalism, politics and education as separate problems 2016-02-26 11:07 4KB www.salon.com Articles

Total 100 articles, created at 2016-02-26 18:03

1 Top News - powered by FeedBurner (3.00/4) The students, who are all black women, initially said up to a dozen white classmates spewed racial insults and ganged up on them. All three — Alexis Briggs, from Huntington, Ariel Agudio, from Elmira Heights, and Asha Burwell (pictured), from Huntington Station — will be charged with third-degree assault, police said. Agudio and Burwell will also be charged for falsely reporting the incident. feeds.feedburner.com feeds.feedburner.com 2016-02-26 10:15 www.nydailynews.com

2 Detroit Free Press - Home (2.00/4) This feed's current articles are shown below. Subscribe for updates to all the content available in this feed, or click through here to see the original article. Some of Gov. Snyder’s top advisors pushed to move Flint back to the Detroit water system because of quality problems Despite his day job as Lightning GM, Steve Yzerman could not resist skating in Wings-Avs alumni game A state lawmaker has introduced legislation to legalize recreational use of marijuana in Michigan. The candidates met for the 10th time, and last, before Super Tuesday. McDonald's sells nearly 25% of their The Filet-O-Fish sandwiches during Lent, when many Catholics forgo meat on Fridays. E-mails show Dennis Muchmore, who was chief of staff, wanted to spend $250K on bottled water for Flint in March of 2015 Ballot features worthy seniors who have starred for their teams in several areas The 20 photographs capture a range of the Detroit experience, from bright lights to images of rust and abandonment. The move comes after the Free Press raised questions about the Continental Catering and Events of Troy deal. Authorities said the court order to protect another individual from abuse likely set off the gunman, who killed three people and wounded 14 others. The old WWJ Transmitter Building in Oak Park will be rehabbed and turned into an American comfort food restaurant. 'T-Rex' is an award-wiinning film exploring the story of Flint boxer Claressa Shields, who won gold at 2012 Olympics. Dogue de Bordeaux was chained up beside a house police were entering. The DNR proposes changing the day and night coyote hunting season to year-round in Michigan. Ford will invest $145 million to upgrade its Cleveland Engine Plant to build next-generation EcoBoost engine Pastor seeks prayers for the 6 dead and 2 wounded as well as forgiveness for alleged shooter and his family. Instead of sightseeing on a ferry, 7-year-old Giovanni, his mom, Christina Fabian, and dad, George Alvarado should have already boarded a flight. Life isn't fair and neither are the Oscars, as evidenced by these 10 terrible best-picture winners. The governor is releasing 8,000 to 10,000 Flint water e-mails dating back to 2011. Henry William Saad, who has a permit to carry, was scheduled for a Sunday flight to Ft. Myers, Fla. Easy credit, the high-octane fuel propelling U. S. auto sales to record heights, is beginning to show a downside. Meegan Holland and Dave Murray had each been on the job only about three months. They are moving to new roles. E-mails show several people in Gov. Rick Snyder’s inner circle received information about Legionnaires' cases in 2015. The youngest person injured in a shooting spree last weekend in the Kalamazoo area remains in critical condition. Mary Courtemanche hadn't planned on giving birth along the shoulder of a freeway in Bay County. The bodies of an adult and child were found Saturday in burned-out, vacant house on the city's east side. Fan favorite has dealt with his demons, ready to suit up for alumni in game vs. Avs. That gun is believed to have been used in a shooting in Jackson, according to court records. The former Michigan woman was found guilty of lying on immigration forms about her alleged role in bombings in Israel. rssfeeds.freep.com rssfeeds.detroitnews.com 2016-02-26 09:19 rssfeeds.freep.com

3 Escudero: Who says I’m not threatened by Marcos? Who says he is not threatened by Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.? Vice presidential candidate Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero said this himself on Friday when asked during a press conference in Tacloban City if he was not threatened by rival Marcos. Escudero had been the consistent front-runner in the vice presidential surveys until the latest Social Weather Stations poll, which showed him sharing the top spot with Marcos at 26 percent. READ: Marcos, Escudero share top spot for VP in SWS poll “Sinong nagsabi sa’yo na hindi ako threatened mula’t mula? Sa kanya man o ibang kumakandidato bilang ikalawang pangulo? Kumpara sa kanila, mas marami naman silang pera kesa sa akin. Kumpara sa kanila, mas may partido at makinarya sila. Hindi tulad namin ni Sen. Grace [Poe],” Escudero said. “Ang pinanghahawakan ko lang palagi isang bagay, kasabihan—Ang pera may tao, pero ang tao walang pera. Buti na lang, tao nakakaboto at hindi ang pera,” he added. Escudero, however, gave a categorical “no” when asked if he was bothered by Marcos’ surge in the surveys. “Hindi. Sa katunayan, ang survey naman talaga tataas ka, bababa ka, tataas ka, bababa ka. Awa ng Diyos, hindi pa naman yata nalalampasan,” he said. “Sa totoo lang, anak lang ako ng empleyado ng tatay niya dahil nagtrabaho bilang ministro ni dating Pangulong Marcos ang tatay ko. Sino ba naman ako para magmalaki at abutin ang narating ko?” His father, the late congressman Salvador “Sonny” Escudero, was agriculture chief during the time of Marcos’ father and namesake, the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos. “Alalahanin po ninyo, ang pagiging senador na ang pinakamataas na halal na pwesto ng narating ng apelyido ng pamilya ko. Anumang hihigit dito, bonus na para sa akin,” Escudero said. He noted that his rivals had either relatives who became senator, president, or a hero. “Ako, ito pa lang ang pinakamataas na pwestong narating ko,” he said. “Malaking bagay na para sa akin ang manguna sa puntong ito sa mga survey na naglalabasan. Pero alalahanin din natin, sino man ang mga nangunguna ngayon, bale wala lahat ‘yan dahil sa dulo boto sa eleksiyon ang binibilang at hindi ang boto sa survey.” RC

2016-02-26 18:02 Maila Ager newsinfo.inquirer.net

4 For pushing Grade 6 pupil , principal in Cebu ordered suspended CEBU CITY – A principal of a public school in Carcar City in southern Cebu has been ordered suspended for a month for pushing a Grade 6 pupil who came in late for a school activity in 2014. The Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas found Mary Jane Powao, principal of the Carcar Elementary School in Carcar City, about 40 kilometers south of here, guilty of simple misconduct. The anti-graft office directed the regional director of the Department of Education in Central Visayas to implement the penalty against Powao. In her counter-affidavit, Powao denied hitting the boy, although she admitted that she held him and another boy by the shoulder and hurled them to the side. Her admission of pushing the two students, the Ombudsman said, was enough to hold her liable of simple misconduct. “Assessing the factual antecedents, it is clear that respondent was actually inflicting corporal punishment on complainant for she hurled and/or pushed complainant after the latter arrived late,” said graft investigation and prosecution officer Mona Chica Cabanes-Gillamac in her decision dated Nov. 2, 2015. It was only approved by Deputy Ombudsman for the Visayas Paul Elmer Clemente on Feb. 4.

2016-02-26 17:56 Ador Vincent newsinfo.inquirer.net

5 The Latest: FIFA presidential election heads to 2nd round ZURICH (AP) - The Latest on the FIFA election (all times local): ___ 4:10 p.m. There is no clear winner in the first round of voting in the FIFA presidential election, with Gianni Infantino receiving the biggest tally. The Swiss official got 88 of the 207 votes, well short of a two-thirds majority of 138 required by election rules. The UEFA general secretary needs 16 more votes in the second round, where a simple majority of 104 is decisive. Sheikh Salman of Bahrain was second with 85 votes, Prince Ali of Jordan had 27, and Jerome Champagne had 7. There were only four candidates in the race after Tokyo Sexwale withdrew during his campaign speech to voters. ___ 4 p.m. Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko says the 2018 World Cup host nation wants the next FIFA president to promote “stability” ahead of the tournament. Mutko, who also heads the Russian Football Union, praised both Sheikh Salman and Gianni Infantino in comments on state TV, but refused to say which candidate Russia would back. Mutko says “Russia would be satisfied with a candidate who brings stability back to FIFA and would bring back management to FIFA, because for us as World Cup hosts it’s very important to understand that it’s not just a Russian project but one for all of world football.” He also dismissed criticism and corruption allegations, saying much of the claims were “PR and propaganda,” but admitted that “there is a lot of work left to clear this up and to restore trust in FIFA.” ___ 1:50 p.m. Story Continues →

2016-02-26 17:53 The Washington www.washingtontimes.com

6 Middle schoolers get lesson in highway engineering BALTIMORE (AP) - The Maryland Department of Transportation is giving some middle-school students a lesson in highway engineering. The kids from schools in Towson, Hampstead, Pasadena and Essex are meeting Friday in Baltimore with agency engineers. The department says in a statement the students will learn about technologies the State Highway Administration uses for transportation and environmental projects. The event is part of National Engineers Week.

2016-02-26 17:52 The Washington www.washingtontimes.com

7 Hatteras Seashore holds public hearings on beach driving KITTY HAWK, N. C. (AP) - Cape Hatteras National Seashore is holding five public hearings on possible changes to beach driving rules that allow more access. Among the changes are: opening some beaches now closed at night; extending seasonable off- road routes in the fall and spring; and providing smaller buffer zones around nests of turtles and shorebirds. The first hearing is scheduled for Friday at the Hilton Garden Inn in Kitty Hawk Hearings also are scheduled for Feb. 29 in Hampton, Virginia; March 1 in Buxton; March 2 on Ocracoke Island; and March 3 in Raleigh. All the hearings will be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. except for the final one, which will start at 6:30 p.m. and end at 8:30 p.m. ___ Online: Environmental assessment for comments: http//parkplanning.nps.gov/caha-orv-ea

2016-02-26 17:51 The Washington www.washingtontimes.com

8 Ohio man acquitted in crash that killed 2 cyclists, hurt 3 GARFIELD HEIGHTS, Ohio (AP) - A northeast Ohio man has been acquitted of charges stemming from a September crash that left two bicyclists dead and three others injured. A defense attorney says the Garfield Heights jury reached its verdict around 5 p.m. Thursday in the trial of Timothy Wolf. Wolf had been charged with two counts of vehicular homicide and a count of willful or wanton disregard of public safety in the Sept. 17 crash. A group of bicyclists were hit by a pickup truck driven by Wolf in Brecksville, about 13 miles south of Cleveland. Thirty-three-year-old Matthew Billings of North Canton died at the scene. Fifty-two-year-old Jim Lambert of Cuyahoga Falls died from his injuries more than a week later. The defense had said the crash was a “freak accident.”

2016-02-26 16:23 The Washington www.washingtontimes.com

9 9 DoD launches aggressive cyberwar against IS WASHINGTON (AP) — The U. S. military has launched a newly aggressive campaign of cyberattacks against Islamic State militants, targeting the group’s abilities to use social media and the Internet to recruit fighters and inspire followers, U. S. officials told The Associated Press. The surge of computer-based military operations by U. S. Cyber Command began shortly after Defense Secretary Ash Carter prodded commanders at Fort Meade, Maryland, last month to ramp up the fight against the Islamic State group on the cyber front. U. S. officials confirmed that operations launched out of Fort Meade have focused on disrupting the group’s online activities. The officials said the effort is getting under way as operators try a range of attacks to see what works and what doesn’t. They declined to discuss details, other than to say that the attacks include efforts to prevent the group from distributing propaganda, videos, or other types of recruiting and messaging on social media sites such as Twitter, and across the Internet in general. Other attacks could include attempts to stop insurgents from conducting financial or logistical transactions online. Several U. S. officials spoke about the cyber campaign on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss it publicly. Much of the effort is classified. Carter mentioned the operations briefly Thursday, telling a House Appropriations subcommittee only that Cyber Command is beginning to conduct operations against the Islamic State group. He declined to say more in a public setting. The more aggressive attacks come after months of pressure from Carter , who has been frustrated with the belief that the Pentagon — and particularly Cyber Command — was losing the war in the cyber domain. Late last year Carter met with commanders, telling them they had 30 days to bring him options for how the military could use its cyberwarfare capabilities against the group’s deadly insurgency across Iraq and Syria, and spreading to Libya and Afghanistan. Officials said he told commanders that beefing up cyberwarfare against Islamic State was a test for them, and that they should have both the capability and the will to wage the online war. But the military cyber fight is limited by concerns within the intelligence agencies that blocking the group’s Internet access could hurt intelligence gathering. Officials said Carter told commanders that he wanted creative options that would allow the U. S. to impact Islamic State without diminishing the indications or warnings intelligence officers can glean about what the group is doing. On Jan. 27, Carter and Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, went to Fort Meade for an update. Officials familiar with Carter ’s meetings said the secretary was frustrated that as Cyber Command has grown and developed over the past several years, it was still focused on the cyberthreats from nations, such as Iran, Russia and China, rather than building a force to block the communications and propaganda campaigns of Internet-savvy insurgents. “He was right to say they could be more forward leaning about what they could possibly do against ISIS,” said James Lewis, a cybersecurity expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “You could disrupt their support networks, their business networks, their propaganda and recruitment networks.” However, Lewis added, the U. S. needs to be careful about disrupting the Internet to insure that attacks don’t also affect civilian networks or systems needed for critical infrastructure and other public necessities. U. S. officials have long been stymied by militants’ ability to use the Internet as a vehicle for inspiring so-called lone wolf attackers in Western nations, radicalized after reading propaganda easily available online. Story Continues →

2016-02-26 16:24 The Washington www.washingtontimes.com

10 Kansas attack latest in string of US mass shootings A gunman opened fire at a south-central Kansas business Thursday after shooting three people earlier. Altogether, authorities said four people, including the gunman, were killed and 14 were injured in the attacks in the Hesston, Kansas, area north of Wichita. Here’s a look at some of the nation’s deadliest rampages since 2012: - Feb. 20, 2016: Jason Dalton, 45, is accused of randomly shooting and killing six people and severely wounding two more outside an apartment building, a restaurant and a car dealership in the Kalamazoo, Michigan, area. Authorities say he paused between shootings to make money as an Uber driver. He faces murder and attempted murder charges. - Dec. 2, 2015: Syed Rizwan Farook, 28, and Tashfeen Malik, 27, opened fire at a social services center in San Bernardino, California, killing 14 people and wounding more than 20. They fled the scene but died hours later in a shootout with police. - Oct. 1, 2015: A shooting at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon, left 10 people dead and seven wounded. Shooter Christopher Harper-Mercer, 26, exchanged gunfire with police then killed himself. - June 17, 2015: Dylann Roof, 21, shot and killed nine African-American church members during a Bible study group inside the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina. Police contend the attack was racially motivated. Roof faces nine counts of murder in state court and dozens of federal charges, including hate crimes. - May 23, 2014: A community college student, Elliot Rodger, 22, killed six people and wounded 13 in shooting and stabbing attacks in the area near the University of California, Santa Barbara, campus. Authorities said he apparently shot himself to death after a gunbattle with deputies. - Sept. 16, 2013: Aaron Alexis, a mentally disturbed civilian contractor, shot 12 people to death at the Washington Navy Yard before he was killed in a police shootout. - July 26, 2013: Pedro Vargas, 42, went on a shooting rampage at his Hialeah, Florida, apartment building, gunning down six people before officers fatally shot him. - Dec. 14, 2012: In Newtown, Connecticut, an armed 20-year-old man entered Sandy Hook Elementary School and used a semi-automatic rifle to kill 26 people, including 20 first graders and six adult school staff members. He then killed himself. - Sept. 27, 2012: In Minnesota’s deadliest workplace rampage, Andrew Engeldinger, who had just been fired, pulled a gun and fatally shot six people, including the company’s founder. He also wounded two others at Accent Signage Systems in Minneapolis before taking his own life. - Aug. 5, 2012: In Oak Creek, Wisconsin, 40-year-old gunman Wade Michael Page killed six worshippers at a Sikh Temple before killing himself. - July 20, 2012: James Holmes, 27, fatally shot 12 people and injured 70 in an Aurora, Colorado, movie theater. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole. - April 2, 2012: Seven people were killed and three were wounded when a 43-year-old former student opened fire at Oikos University in Oakland, California. One Goh was charged with seven counts of murder and three counts of attempted murder, but psychiatric evaluations concluded he suffered from long-term paranoid schizophrenia and was unfit to stand trial. washingtontimes.com 2016-02-26 16:24 The Washington www.washingtontimes.com

11 Duterte, Cayetano generate most Facebook engagements after debate Update PRESIDENTIAL candidate Rodrigo Duterte and his running mate Senator Alan Peter Cayetano generated the most engagements on Facebook after the presidential debates in Cagayan de Oro last February 21, data from the social networking site revealed. Facebook insights from November 20 to February 22 showed that Duterte had 60 percent of unique users engaging on topics related to him. His closest rival Manuel “Mar” Roxas II was at distant second with 44 percent. Roxas was followed by Sen. Grace Poe with 35 percent and Vice President Jejomar Binay had 22 percent. Miriam Defensor Santiago, who has over three million Facebook followers, only got 20 percent. Facebook data showed that conversations peaked during the latter part of the debate, reaching an all-time high at 7:18 p.m. Among the vice presidential candidates, Cayetano had the most number of Facebook engagements with 41 percent. Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos came close at second with 37 percent. Camarines Sur Rep. Ma. Leonor “Leni” Robredo got 31 percent while Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero had 15 percent. Sen. Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan only got 3 percent. Among the election-related topics, transparency was the most talked-about issue with 70 percent followed by economy, 31 percent; education, 23 percent; social welfare, 19 percent; defense and foreign policy, 17 percent; health, 14 percent; infrastructure, 6 percent; environment, 1 percent; and human trafficking, 1 percent. RELATED STORY Duterte, Cayetano most talked-about candidates on Facebook

2016-02-26 17:31 Nestor Corrales newsinfo.inquirer.net

12 Obama Cabinet member to visit Flint amid water crisis FLINT, Mich. (AP) - A member of President Barack Obama’s Cabinet is visiting Flint to make an announcement on disaster assistance amid the city’s crisis with lead-tainted water. A Thursday news release says U. S. Small Business Administration Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet will be in Flint on Friday for the announcement regarding the agency’s economic recovery package for Flint. Earlier this month, the agency announced that economic injury disaster loans were available for the community. The news release says a disaster declaration from the agency typically enables small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives and most private nonprofits to apply for low-interest loans from the agency. The loans are meant to help meet working capital needs caused by the water crisis. Contreras-Sweet is also set to tour small businesses with Flint Mayor Karen Weaver.

2016-02-26 17:26 The Washington www.washingtontimes.com

13 La Salle-Zobel fends off NU, stays alive in UAAP juniors hoops finals De La Salle Zobel lives to fight another day. The Junior Archers shocked powerhouse Nazareth School of National University with a 70- 61 Game 2 victory Friday to extend the UAAP Season 78 juniors’ basketball Finals and hand the Bullpups their first loss of the season. Marco Sario paced La Salle Zobel with 16 points and four rebounds, while Most Valuable Player Aljun Melecio did it all, pouring 14 markers, dishing nine assists, and grabbing four boards to deal the Bullpups their first defeat of the season. READ: NU blows by La Salle-Zobel, win away from UAAP juniors title MR Romero also got a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds. “We are just out to prove that we are a worthy challengers. We not in the Finals for nothing,” said Junior Archers coach Boris Aldeguer. Sario fired back-to-back treys and Brent Paraiso nailed a jumper to help the Junior Archers break off from a 30-all halftime to a 47-36 lead in the third quarter. John Lloyd Clemente opened the fourth with five straight points to cut the deficit to just one, 57- 56, but La Salle Zobel had all the answers and limited the Bullpups to just four points the rest of the way. Clemente captained NU with 25 points and six rebounds, while Justine Baltazar had 15 markers and 20 boards as the Bullpups saw their perfect season go down the drain. Game 3 is next Friday at the same venue. Earlier, Melecio became the first MVP from De La Salle Zobel, and was joined by the NU duo of Baltazar and Clemente, and UPIS’ Javi and Juan Gomez de Llanos in the Mythical Team. The scores: DLSZ (71) – Sario 16, Melecio 14, Romero 14, Fortuna 8, Mariano 6, Sobrevega 5, Tongco 4, Paraiso 2, Cabarrus 2, Salafranca 0. NU (60) – Clemente 25, Baltazar 15, Amsali 7, Peñano 4, Coyoca 4, Atienza 2, Sarip 2, Jugar 1, Callejo 0, Manalang 0, Tolentino 0. Quarterscores: 14-17, 30-30, 57-51, 71-60

2016-02-26 17:17 Randolph B. sports.inquirer.net

14 Arrested ex-narc to reveal ‘sensitive’ info Lieutenant Colonel Ferdinand Marcelino will reveal “sensitive” information regarding his presence at a house in Manila where over P380- million worth of illegal drugs were seized last January in the next preliminary investigation at the Department of Justice (DOJ). During Friday’s preliminary investigation, Senior Deputy Prosecutor Theodore Villanueva granted the request of Marcelino for a clarificatory hearing where Justice Secretary Emmanuel Caparas, Prosecutor General Claro Arellano, National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Virgilio Mendez, and Intelligence Service Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP) chief Arnold Quiapo are invited to attend. The clarificatory hearing will be in executive session scheduled on March 7. It is also the date when Marcelino was directed to submit his rejoinder. Marcelino also submitted an official letter sent by Mendez to Arellano with copy furnished to PDEA Director General Arturo Cacdac confirming his contribution to the NBI’s anti-drug operations via his intelligence work. READ: Marcelino presents Army certification during inquest Marcelino, together with his Chinese companion Yan Yi Shou are facing a complaint for violation of the Dangerous Drugs Act after they were arrested at a clandestine shabu (methamphetamine) laboratory in Manila. In asking Villanueva for a clarificatory hearing, Marcelino, through his lawyer Dennis Manalo said sensitive information involving matters of national security will be disclosed to fully explain their presence in the shabu laboratory at No. 15, Block 17, Lot 6, Mahogany Street, Celadon Residences, Felix Huertas Road, Sta. Cruz, Manila. READ: Top narc busted: Say it ain’t so, Col. Marcelino “To be able to fully explain their presence in the said location, respondents will have to disclose information that are sensitive and highly confidential in nature for it involves matters of national security. So as not to compromise and prejudice the confidentiality of the information, respondents request for a clarificatory hearing in-camera (meaning, in private session in Latin), without public disclosure and only in the presence of, as much as possible, and with their prior consent,” Marcelino’s motion read. Marcelino stressed that the under the Articles of War, he may be charged for divulging confidential information. Villanueva asked a Philippine Navy representative if this is true, and obtained an affirmative response. IDL

2016-02-26 17:13 Tetch newsinfo.inquirer.net

15 Poe admits reading from her notes during CDO debate YES, she was reading from her own notes that she wrote down during the presidential debate last Sunday, February 21, but not from prepared notes. This was how Senator Grace Poe responded on Friday to a reporter’s question during a press conference in Tacloban City on some alleged observations that she was reading from notes while disputing her rivals at the debate. The debate, held at the Capitol University in Cagayan de Oro City, was attended by all five presidential bets — Poe, Vice President Jejomar Binay, former Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte. “Ganito, pagpunta namin doon lahat kami binigyan ng blankong papel na may ballpen. Alam ninyo kapag nagdedebate, kung ano ang sinasabi ng katunggali mo, to prepare for a rebuttal, you have to write those things down. If you want to. You don’t have to, because I am trained for that,” said Poe. “Kaya sinusulat ko iyon. Pero panoorin ninyo na lang ulit kung talagang may binabasa ako wala naman. Kung meron man akong binabasa iyon ang mga sinusulat ko iyong notes.” “At saka kung iyon man ang kanilang akusasyon, ulitin ko uli iyong buong sequence. Pero kung hindi din naman iyon, magkaulitan kami ng debate, hindi naman ako umaatras,” she said. Poe said she did not prepare for the debate overnight, saying her preparation involved going around the country and getting the pulse of the majority. “Hindi po maganda ang pag-aaral kung libro lamang ang tinitignan mo o manual. Kelangan mga tao ang kausap mo direkta. Ano ang kailangan ninyo sa inyong probinsya. Iyan ang ginawa namin sa Mindanao,” she said. “At kapag tapos pag-aralan lahat iyan, wala ka nang ibang magagawa pa kundi mag-dasal na sana naman, kung ano talaga ang dapat mong masabi na tunay na makakatulong, ang iyong maalalang sabihin,” she further said. The first debate was organized by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) with the Philippine Daily Inquirer and GMA Network. Two more debates also organized by the Comelec with other media partners are scheduled in March and April this year.

2016-02-26 17:05 Maila Ager newsinfo.inquirer.net

16 Memorial planned to honor victims of West Virginia explosion GHENT, W. Va. (AP) - A memorial is being planned to honor four people who died in a 2007 propane tank explosion in southern West Virginia. WVNS-TV (http://bit.ly/1QAF9tP ) reports organizers hope to have the memorial completed by next January’s 10-year anniversary of the explosion at the Flat Top Little General gas station. Hazel Burroughs is the widow of one of two firefighters who died in the explosion. Burroughs says $7,000 of the memorial’s $20,000 goal has been raised. Burroughs says included in the memorial’s dimensions are a 30-to-40-foot slab of concrete, a flagpole and 3-foot pillars dedicated to each victim. Propane escaped from a tank and filled the store, which blew up after an undetermined spark ignited the fuel. A firefighter who was injured in the explosion died in 2010. Five others also were hurt.

2016-02-26 15:54 The Washington www.washingtontimes.com

17 Smithsonian museum opening new exhibit of moon photographs WASHINGTON (AP) - The Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum is opening a new exhibit of moon photographs. “A New Moon Rises: New Views from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera” is opening Friday. The Smithsonian says in a statement that the exhibit will include 61 images of the moon showing its mountains and craters. The images were taken by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, which was launched by NASA in 2009. The exhibition will be on view through December.

2016-02-26 15:53 The Washington www.washingtontimes.com

18 UAAP football: Maroons nip Blue Booters University of the Philippines bested a tentative Ateneo side, 1-0, and grab a piece of third place in the UAAP Season 78 men’s football tournament at the Moro Lorenzo Field Thursday. Rookie Kyle Magdato rebounded a Raphael Resuma miss in the 29th minute which turned out to be the winning moment for the Fighting Maroons. Winning its second straight match, UP leveled with idle National University at seven points but the Diliman squad remained behind in goals. Later, Bless Brian Jumo I nailed the 88th minute goal from an assist by his twin brother by Bless Brian Jumo II as Adamson University claimed its first three points of the season with a 1-0 squeaker over University of the East. The Maroons were able to neutralize the Blue Eagles’ rookie sensation Jarvey Gayoso, who has already scored three goals in the tournament, as well as with their patented set pieces. “We are aware of yung threat ni Gayoso. That’s why yung main focus namin in defense was to control their counter-attacks,” said UP coach Anto Gonzales. “We are also a victim of their fantastic set plays in the past so we are very aware and prepared for it,” he added. The Maroons missed national U19 players JB Borlongan and Christian Lapas for the second straight game but it hardly affected them. “That’s the luxury that we have that we have a deep line-up. I think quality siya, that’s nice with our team,” said Gonzales. Ateneo and Adamson are in joint sixth with three points apiece. 2016-02-26 16:59 INQUIRER.net sports.inquirer.net

19 Wary of cheating, Poe laments Garci’s reappearance Senator Grace Poe admitted on Friday being saddened and worried by reports that former Elections commissioner Virgilio Garcillano, who was tagged in the alleged massive-fraud in 2004, is working actively as a consultant. Garcillano was spotted at the Seda hotel in Cagayan de Oro City where Poe and Vice President Jejomar Binay were staying for the first presidential debate held at the Capitol University last Sunday, February 21. READ: Garci surfaces, says he’s a consultant “Ang nakakalungkot at nakakabahala lang sakin ay ito – nung nasa Cagayan de Oro kami, napabalita, pero hindi ko nakita, na ang isang binabanggit dun sa Hello Garci na nakapangalan pa sa kanya, ay nandu’n mismo sa hotel namin, na gumagala-gala at consultant pa daw s’ya ngayon,” the senator said at a press conference in Tacloban City. (I am saddened and worried that when we were in Cagayan de Oro, it was reported—but I did not see—that the man behind the Hello Garcia scandal was roaming in our hotel and reportedly working as a consultant now.) The “Hello Garci” she was referring to was the alleged audio recording of a phone conversation between Garcillano and former President and now Pampanga representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo talking about an alleged plot to rig the election results in Mindanao. “’Yun ang medyo nababahala ako, dahil wala ngang kaso na napatong sa kanya, patuloy pa rin s’ya ‘yatang nagiging aktibo sa pagbibigay ng konsultasyon sa iba. Nagtataka lang ako, anong klaseng konsultasyon ang maaari niyang ibigay. Alam ninyo ba ang ibig kong sabihin?” she said. (I am worried because he’s still free, and he still continues to actively consult with others. I wonder what kind of consultation he gives. Do you know what I mean?) READ: Man that got away Poe’s father, the late action king Fernando Poe Jr., was said to be a victim of the alleged poll rigging during the 2004 presidential race when he ran but lost to Arroyo . Asked how she could avoid being cheated like her father, the senator said: “Unang-una, hindi tayo pwedeng maging kampante (First and foremost, we cannot be overconfident).” But unlike in 2004, Poe said the media and nongovernment organizations are again actively monitoring the elections. “Noon kasi nu’ng 2004, maraming lugar, hindi na masyadong binantayan ‘yun e. Ang dami talagang nakalusot,” she said. (In 2004, there were many places that were left vulnerable. That’s why different abuses were committed without getting exposed.) Poe also pointed out that the May 2016 elections would be an automated poll unlike before where the elections as well as the cheating were done manually. “Nagpapadala kami ng mga representatives para ma-review yung ‘procedures dito sa PCOS (Precinct Count Optical Scan),” she said. (We have been sending representatives to review the PCOS procedures.) “Pero marami pa din ibang paraan na pwedeng mandaya. Halimbawa, sa isang barangay, alam ng isang local officials na mahina s’ya dun. Tatakutin n’ya ang barangay na ‘yun para wag bumoto. O kaya babayaran ‘yung mga nandun na wag na silang bumoto. Kaya kailangan mapagmasid tayo at pigilan natin ang mga bagay na ‘yan,” the senator added. (But there are other ways to cheat. For example, if a candidate knows he’s losing in a village, he will threaten or pay those living in that village not to vote anymore. That’s why we need to be observant and stop anything like these from happening.) IDL

2016-02-26 16:46 Maila Ager newsinfo.inquirer.net

20 FIFA to pick post-Blatter leader in bid to end to crisis FIFA members on Friday elect a new president and pass reforms they hope will open an escape route from a storm of scandal symbolized by the downfall of veteran leader Sepp Blatter. The landmark presidential contest has become an Asia versus Europe battle between Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa and Gianni Infantino. But former FIFA vice-president Prince Ali bin al Hussein is aiming to upset the odds and he received a boost on Friday with the heavyweight backing of the United States and Australia. Outsiders Jerome Champagne, an ex-FIFA official, and South African tycoon Tokyo Sexwale, have also been doggedly pleading their cause to the more than 200 delegations in Zurich. The result is uncertain and experts say that football leaders will not be able to escape multi- national corruption investigations even with a new president. Blatter, 79, will be the big absentee at the extraordinary congress in Zurich. The Swiss sports baron suffered a spectacular fall over the last nine months. Swiss police, acting under US warrants, arrested seven FIFA officials in Zurich two days before his re-election last May. Blatter has since been banned from football for six years for ethics breaches and could face criminal charges. With sponsors holding back on deals and a controversial 2018 World Cup in Russia looming, Sexwale said on the eve of the vote that FIFA was a “broken house”. ‘Nasty lies’ Infantino, general secretary of Europe’s football bloc UEFA, and Sheikh Salman, president of the Asian Football Confederation, have offered starkly different paths for FIFA. While promising reforms similar to those to be voted Friday, Infantino has proposed increasing the World Cup from 32 to 40 teams and to more than double the amount given back to the 209 national associations to more than $1 billion in total every four years. Sheikh Salman, who is seen as closer to the FIFA old guard and has a bedrock of support in Asia and Africa, has said the proposal could bankrupt FIFA. He said Thursday he would not “mortgage” FIFA’s future to win votes. The sheikh has advocated splitting FIFA into commercial and football divisions with himself as more of a figurehead president. Each of the rivals has political problems. Infantino was for seven years the right-hand man of Michel Platini, the UEFA president also banned for six years for ethics breaches. Sheikh Salman, a senior member of Bahrain’s ruling family, has faced tough questions about the clampdown on pro-democracy protests in the Gulf state. He has called allegations made by human rights groups “nasty lies.” Going into the election, the voting maths is dizzying for Infantino and Sheikh Salman. Both have expressed confidence, however. The AFC and Confederation of African Football (CAF), which between them have 100 votes, have publicly said they are backing 50-year-old Sheikh Salman. However, Football Federation Australia, a member of the AFC, said Friday it will vote for Prince Ali, who also received the backing of the United States. ‘Time to change’ Europe and a big bloc of votes in the Americas are largely behind 45-year-old Infantino, who was publicly endorsed by Canada on Friday. Prince Ali, a brother of Jordan’s King Abdullah II, believes he has persuaded a significant number of countries to back him. The election, the prince said “will decide if FIFA goes ahead as we want or if it spirals down.” The congress is also to vote on reforms proposed by a FIFA commission and backed by the body’s executive committee aiming to re-establish its credibility. There will be a 12-year term limit for the president and other top officials, and their salaries will be made public. Executive committee members will also face greater scrutiny. Many of the 39 individuals now accused by US prosecutors of involvement in more than $200 million of bribes for soccer deals have held high office on the committee. “The eyes of the world are on us,” FIFA’s acting president Issa Hayatou said, as he urged member nations to back the reforms. FIFA’s sponsors who are holding out on deals and prosecutors in many countries will be watching the result for signs of football’s commitment to reform. The sport’s top leagues also want to see a revolution. “If FIFA and the people in FIFA are not going to act on the message from the whole world that it is time to change… then the system fails,” Jacco Swart, head of the Dutch Eredivisie professional league, told AFP after a briefing of the newly created World Leagues Forum.

2016-02-26 16:45 Agence sports.inquirer.net

21 Martin Crowe: Records and trivia about the New Zealand cricketer On this day in 1982, former New Zealand cricketer Martin Crowe made his debut in the world of Test cricket. We take a look at some interesting trivia and facts about the Kiwi cricketer on and off the pitch. Martin Crowe in 1992. Pic/ AFP >> His father Dave Crowe was a former domestic cricketer and brother Jeff also played international cricket for New Zealand. >> Crowe has scored nearly 20,000 first-class runs with 71 centuries. >> He has played for four different domestic teams - Auckland Aces, Central Districts Stags, Somerset and Wellington Firebirds. >> Crowe has the second highest individual score in Tests by a New Zealand batsman with 299. Brendon McCullum is first. >> During the 1992 World Cup, Crowe was the leading run scorer as well as Player-Of-The- Series. >> Crowe was named Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1985. >> His 467-run partnership with Andrew Jones in 1991 is the third highest Test partnership of-all time. >> Martin Crowe got married to former Miss Universe Lorraine Downes in 2009. >> Martin Crowe is the cousin of Hollywood star Russell Crowe. >> In October 2012, Martin Crowe was diagnosed with lymphoma, which he says is due to a weak immune system.

2016-02-26 16:40 By A www.mid-day.com

22 WBC rips AIBA over Olympic boxing; some pros are intrigued The president of the World Boxing Council sharply criticized the International Boxing Association on Thursday for its intention to allow professional fighters to compete in the Rio de Janeiro Olympics. The WBC’s Mauricio Sulaiman said AIBA “does not have a clue of what boxing means and represents.” The head of pro boxing’s most prominent governing body also predicted “dangerous mismatches between experienced professional fighters and amateur boxers” if the pros take AIBA’s invitation. AIBA President Ching-Kuo Wu confirmed his intention this week to change his organization’s qualifying structure to allow pro fighters to compete for gold medals in the multi-day Olympic tournament in August. AIBA’s latest proposal to erase the line between pro and amateur boxing has attracted attention around the sport, and some pros are intrigued. “I would if I could,” Wladimir Klitschko told The Associated Press through a spokesperson when asked about the possibility of fighting for his second gold medal after winning for Ukraine in Atlanta in 1996. But the former long-reigning heavyweight champion added that his rematch with Tyson Fury in the spring would take precedence over any attempt to make the Ukraine team, likely making it impractical for the 39-year-old to compete in Rio. For Klitschko to get a chance at the 2020 Tokyo Games, AIBA would have to change its age limit of 40 years old on competitors. Most top pros would face major obstacles to participation in the Rio Games. Even after getting the imprimatur of their national sanctioning body, they likely would have to travel to AIBA’s world Olympic qualifying tournament in Azerbaijan in June to earn a spot. Injuries, financial sacrifices, pro commitments and the strictures of a multi-day, multi-fight tournament would all hurt elite boxers considering the move. “I just think that it’s highly unlikely” for any pros to make the U. S. team in Rio, USA Boxing executive director Mike Martino told the AP. AIBA’s proposed changes almost certainly would lead to veteran pros fighting inexperienced amateurs, a factor pointed out by Sulaiman in a news release headlined “AIBA has reached rock bottom.” “By matching amateurs against professionals and eliminating headgear, AIBA is showing that it does not seem to care about the physical well-being of the fighters or the correct practice of the sport around the world,” Sulaiman said. “How can multi-day boxing tournaments be conducted safely and fairly without headgear? The youth of the world deserve to have the options and opportunities in amateur boxing.” Many professional promoters and governing bodies have spoken out against AIBA’s evolution in recent years, at least partly because AIBA’s attempt to control pro boxing is an invasion of their own long-held turf. Wu has repeatedly stated AIBA’s goal to control every level of boxing, and it began a version of pro fight promotion with its establishment of the World Series of Boxing and APB boxing leagues. The organization dropped the word “amateur” from its name and removed head guards from its male fighters in recent years to speed its transformation into a version of pro boxing. Wu also championed the inclusion of women’s boxing in the London Olympics, an addition met with widespread acclaim. Women boxers are allowed to wear headgear in AIBA tournaments, including the Rio Olympics.

2016-02-26 16:23 Agence sports.inquirer.net

23 MILF forces move away from BIFF rebels to prevent misencounters COTABATO CITY – The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has repositioned its forces from the so-called SPMS Box (Salibo, Pagatin, Mamasapano, Shariff Aguak) in Maguindanao amid intense military operations against the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, a government official said. Carlos Sol Jr., chair of the government’s ceasefire committee, said the move was aimed at preventing MILF forces from being drawn into the skirmishes and to protect the peace process. There were about 6,000 armed MILF members and their families, who live in the so-called SPMS Box, he said. “All BIAF forces in these areas are repositioned to allow our armed forces the freedom to operate against the BIFF. We want to avoid misencounters between the government forces and the MILF,” Sol said, adding: “We repositioned the MILF from their communities to three repositioning sites.” On January 25, 2015, 44 members of the Philippine National Police’s Special Action Force (SAF) were killed in the hunt for Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli Abdhir, aka “Marwan,” in Mamasapano, Maguindanao province. Their mission may have succeeded, but one year later families of the slain SAF44 and affected civilians today continue to seek justice from a government which allegedly broke chain of command and poorly handled the mission. Visit the INQUIRER tribute site at inquirer.net/mamasapano .

2016-02-26 16:22 Nash B. newsinfo.inquirer.net

24 Man charged in shooting of Independence police officer INDEPENDENCE, Mo. (AP) - A man has been charged with second-degree assault after authorities say he shot an Independence police officer at a motel. The Kansas City Star (http://bit.ly/1TCq00z ) reports that 23-year-old Brandon Mitchell was charged Thursday with armed criminal action. It is unclear if Mitchell has an attorney. Court records say two officers responded to a domestic disturbance call at the Deluxe Inn around 7:20 p.m. Wednesday and encountered several people arguing. Authorities say Mitchell ignored several commands not to enter a particular motel room, and that an officer attempted to stop him from entering the room. Authorities say that during a struggle between Mitchell and the officer, the two fell onto a bed and Mitchell shot the officer in the foot. The officer, who has not been identified, is expected to recover. ___ Information from: The Kansas City Star, http://www.kcstar.com

2016-02-26 16:21 The Washington www.washingtontimes.com

25 Study examines little-known WWII internment camp in Alaska JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska (AP) - Alice Tanaka Hikido clearly remembers the bewilderment and sense of violation she felt 74 years ago when FBI agents rifled through her family’s Juneau home, then arrested her father before he was sent to Japanese internment camps, including a little- known camp in pre-statehood Alaska. The 83-year-old Campbell, California, woman recently attended a ceremony where participants unveiled a study of the short-lived internment camp at what is now Joint Base Elmendorf- Richardson in Anchorage. Archaeologists working on the research used old records to pinpoint the camp location in an area now partially covered by a parking lot. The Army study is expected to be finalized later this year. “As I look back, I had no idea as a child that the U. S. and Japan were having difficulties,” Hikido said. “It was a tremendous surprise to me.” Hikido herself was interned at Idaho’s Minidoka camp with her mother, younger sister and two brothers a few months after her father’s arrest during one of the nation’s darkest chapters - the forced incarceration of tens of thousands people of Japanese ancestry, including Americans, during World War II. Her father eventually joined his family in Idaho in 1944. They spent more than a year there together before the war ended and they returned to Juneau. Her father, Shonosuke Tanaka, was among 15 Japanese nationals and two German nationals who were rounded up in the territory of Alaska almost immediately after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. That number would grow to 104 foreign nationals, mostly Japanese, who were arrested in Alaska as alien enemies. An estimated 145 others, including some Alaska Natives who took Japanese names in marriage, also would be sent to internment camps outside the territory under Executive Order 9066, which launched the exile of about 120,000 Japanese-Americans. Before leaving Alaska, Tanaka and 16 other men were briefly housed at the Anchorage Army post formerly known as Fort Richardson. Archaeologists recently zeroed in on the site based on documents including a map and the only two known photographs, according to Morgan Blanchard, a local archaeologist who worked on the study. “Although it was known that this camp existed - it shows up on all the lists of camps that existed during the war - no information was available,” Blanchard told a small crowd during a Feb. 19 Day of Remembrance ceremony at the base. “So we filled in a lot of the blanks.” Researchers discovered debris such as .30 carbine rounds and barbed wire fragments at the site, but they were unable to find anything definitely connected with the camp, Blanchard said. Researchers believe - but can’t say with certainty - that the 17 foreign nationals who were sent to the post were actually held at the camp, constructed between February and June 1945. It was only after her father joined them in Minidoka that Alice Hikido and her family heard his story for the first time, from his apprehension in Juneau to various internment camps including at least one in New Mexico. The family’s time in captivity forced the closure of her father’s Juneau cafe. They reopened it upon their return, with the help of a welcoming community. Hikido and her 75-year-old sister, Mary Tanaka Abo, are the only surviving members of her family who experienced the internment. Story Continues →

2016-02-26 16:21 The Washington www.washingtontimes.com

26 Man pleads guilty in rural Reno County fires SALINA, Kan. (AP) - A man serving almost six years in prison for setting fires to a vacant Salina motel has pleaded guilty to burning down a vacant house and a mobile home in rural Reno County. The Hutchinson News (http://bit.ly/1OzoIN8 ) reports that Dustin J. Gordon pleaded guilty to one count of felony arson on Thursday. Gordon was accused of setting fire to a vacant two-story farmhouse and a mobile home used for storage on May 28, 2014. Reno County Senior Assistant District Attorney Stephen Maxwell said that both properties were destroyed. His sentencing hearing is set for April 8. Gordon was sentenced to 5 years and 10 months in prison in October after pleading no contest to charges related to fires set to the former Flamingo Motel in Salina in 2014. ___ Information from: The Hutchinson (Kan.) News, http://www.hutchnews.com

2016-02-26 16:21 The Washington www.washingtontimes.com

27 1 dead after Cheyenne house fire CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) - Authorities say one person has died in a Cheyenne house fire. The Wyoming Tribune Eagle reports (http://bit.ly/1QJ6Erv ) that the victim who died in the Thursday morning blaze has not yet been identified. Firefighters had responded to a ranch-style house that went up in flames. Officials say a two-story addition attached to the rear of the home was significantly damaged, while the main portion of the house suffered moderate damage. The total financial loss has been estimated at $100,000. Fire investigators and Cheyenne police are working to determine what caused the fire and how the person died. ___ Information from: Wyoming Tribune Eagle, http://www.wyomingnews.com

2016-02-26 16:18 The Washington www.washingtontimes.com

28 EPA Official: River cleanup legal dispute could take 2 years LENOX, Mass. (AP) - An Environmental Protection Agency official says a legal battle between the agency and General Electric over a western Massachusetts river cleanup proposal could take years to resolve if it goes to federal court. The EPA had proposed cleaning PCBs from more than 400 acres along a 10.5-mile stretch of the Housatonic River in Pittsfield and Lenox. It includes dredging and trucking contaminated soil and sediment to an out-of-state facility. GE said in a letter to EPA officials released last month that the plan isn’t a “common-sense solution.” The Berkshire Eagle reports (http://bit.ly/1LhpDqS ) EPA local project manager Dean Tagliaferro said Wednesday the legal dispute over how much polychlorinated biphenyl must be removed and other issues could take at least two to three more years. The EPA’s response to GE’s rejection of its proposal is due Monday. ___ Information from: The Berkshire (Mass.) Eagle, http://www.berkshireeagle.com

2016-02-26 16:17 The Washington www.washingtontimes.com

29 AP FACT CHECK: Donald Trump objects to cursing WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump , offended by coarse language? So it seemed in the Republican presidential debate Thursday night. The notably potty- mouthed New York billionaire objected to an expletive uttered by former Mexican President Vicente Fox over Trump ’s proposal to build a fortress-like wall along the Mexican border and make Mexico pay for it. A look at statements in the debate and how they compare with the facts: SEE ALSO: Trump on defensive in nasty GOP debate TRUMP : “I saw him use the word that he used. I can only tell you, if I would have used even half of that word, it would have been national scandal. This guy used a filthy, disgusting word on television, and he should be ashamed of himself, and he should apologize, OK?” THE FACTS: At issue, it must be said, is the F-bomb. Fox dropped it when denouncing Trump ’s plans for the wall. Trump , meantime, has run a profanity-laced campaign, blurted out the S-word on multiple occasions and used an offensive term for coward against rival Ted Cruz. But what about THAT bomb? At a rally in New Hampshire, he declared: “We’re not going to let Mexico steal all our businesses. … We’re going to bring business back. … And you can tell them to go” - pausing - “themselves because they let you down, and they left.” He didn’t say the word. He mouthed it. And Trump used the word loudly and several times in a 2011 Nevada speech before he was a candidate. ___ CRUZ: “The Obama-Clinton economy has done enormous damage to the Hispanic community.” THE FACTS: The bursting of the housing bubble in late 2007 is what really damaged the Hispanic community, before Barack Obama took office. Under Obama, Hispanics have made strides from the depths of the Great Recession. Their unemployment rate is 5.9 percent. The rate is above the national average of 4.9 percent, but it’s well below the 2009 peak of 13 percent. Story Continues →

2016-02-26 15:13 The Washington www.washingtontimes.com

30 Virginia General Assembly approves new state snake RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - The Virginia General Assembly has approved making the eastern garter snake the official state snake. The Senate gave final approval to legislation Thursday that would designate the eastern garter the official snake. The legislation survived an unsuccessful amendment aimed at making the timber rattlesnake the official state snake instead. The Washington Post reports (http://wapo.st/1VHJTlT) that 11-year-old Aiden Coleman of Williamsburg came up with the idea of making the Eastern Garter the official state snake. Sen. Thomas Garrett said he initially wanted to pick the timber rattlesnake, but was persuaded when Coleman pointed out that the timber rattlesnake is West Virginia’s official snake.

2016-02-26 15:13 The Washington www.washingtontimes.com

31 Memphis church cancels scheduled appearance by Ben Carson MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - A Memphis church says an upcoming appearance by Republican presidential hopeful Ben Carson has been canceled. The Commercial Appeal reports (http://bit.ly/1QgQUda ) that Carson’s appearance at Highpoint Church scheduled for Sunday has been called off. Church teaching pastor Andy Savage said in a video statement Thursday that Carson’s security requirements would have disrupted the church’s services. The appearance had been billed as a non-political chance for Carson to tell his life story.

2016-02-26 15:13 The Washington www.washingtontimes.com

32 Ireland votes amid austerity anger, fears of hung parliament DUBLIN—Ireland’s voters are deciding who should lead them for the next five years as polls suggest the outcome could be a hung parliament. Prime Minister Enda Kenny asked voters to keep his 5-year-old coalition government in power, arguing he deserved another term because of Ireland’s improving employment market and return to Europe-leading growth. All polls throughout the three-week campaign forecast that Kenny’s Fine Gael party should retain its No. 1 spot. But his coalition partners, Labour, face savage losses to opposition candidates critical of the government’s painful but broadly successful austerity program. Analysts say the outcome from Friday’s vote could challenge Fine Gael to form an unprecedented partnership with its decades-old nemesis, Fianna Fail, another centrist party that is expected to finish second. Both parties have ruled out partnership.

2016-02-26 16:10 Associated Press newsinfo.inquirer.net

33 Santa Cruz eyes ‘spectacular’ defense against Martinez Unbeaten Leo Santa Cruz is looking for a “spectacular” display in his World Boxing Association featherweight title defense against Kiko Martinez on Saturday that could put him in line for a title unification bout. Mexican-American Santa Cruz, a former bantamweight and super bantamweight world champion, will be making his first defense of the featherweight belt he claimed with a majority decision over Abner Mares in August. The bout in Anaheim, California, comes on the same day that Northern Ireland’s Carl Frampton and England’s Scott Quigg battle in a super bantamweight world title bout in Manchester. Santa Cruz, 27, admitted he’d have his eye on that fight between two former conquerers of Martinez. “It’s important to look spectacular against Kiko Martinez and try to beat him better than Scott Quigg and Frampton did, so I could show that I’m at their level or even better,” Santa Cruz said, adding that he’d love to fight the winner of Frampton-Quigg. “There is a little bit of pressure,” Santa Cruz acknowledged. “Scott Quigg and Carl Frampton, they knocked him out. I want the same.” Santa Cruz, 31-0 with 1 drawn and 17 knockouts, insisted that putting Frampton and Quigg in the pre-fight conversation doesn’t mean he’s looking past Spain’s Martinez, a former super bantamweight world title holder who boasts a record of 35-6 with 26 knockouts. The 29-year-old challenger has won three straight fights against unheralded opponents since he was shatteringly stopped in the second round by Quigg on July 18 in Manchester and said his underdog status has fueled his preparations. “I know a lot of people are doubting me,” Martinez said. “I’m going to change the opinion of the public.” Martinez, who says he feels stronger at featherweight, added that he’s not intimidated by Santa Cruz’s unbeaten record. “I know that Leo Santa Cruz is a fantastic fighter. But at the end of the day, when guys have come in to fight him, they’ve already been defeated before they stepped inside the ring with Leo Santa Cruz,” Martinez said. “I don’t think anyone he has fought is as strong as me or has the kind of desire that I have. “I respect Leo Santa Cruz, but I’m doing to get the win on Saturday.”

2016-02-26 16:09 Agence sports.inquirer.net

34 Firefighters rescue man stranded on strip of land in river WATERBURY, Conn. (AP) - Firefighters rescued a homeless man from the Naugatuck river in Waterbury after authorities say he became stranded on a small strip of land. Fire officials say the man found himself surrounded by gushing water Thursday morning after he slept by the river overnight during heavy rain storms. The fast-moving current and rising water trapped the man on the land with his belongings. Waterbury and Beacon crews responded to the scene just north of the Pearl Harbor Memorial Bridge. Firefighters used a rescue boat to bring the man back to land. Officials say the unidentified man wasn’t harmed. 2016-02-26 16:03 The Washington www.washingtontimes.com

35 ‘Militia of toddlers’: Iowa House passes bill allowing children to use a handgun The “Youth Safety & Parental Rights Act” was one of five pro-Second Amendment bills passed through the Republican-led House on Tuesday with some bipartisan support. The proposed legislation allows children under the age of 14 to use a pistol or revolver under the “direct supervision of a parent or guardian” without listing any lower age limit. Current state laws allow any child over 14 years of age to handle a weapon. Current legislation allows children under 14 to use long guns and short guns under parental supervision, but not handguns such as pistols and revolvers. On what was described by the National Rifle Association as “a successful day for gun-owners” , Republican Representative Jake Highfill said it is “one of the best bills we’ve done for second amendment rights” , the Des Moines Register reports. “It returns the power back to where it fully belongs,” Highfill added. “Back in the hands of parents to make those decisions they are entitled to do, instead of the government. " The legislative session was attended by a number of pro-gun enthusiasts, many of whom wore orange stickers with the slogan: “I support the Second Amendment and I vote. " Democrat Representative Art Staed said such laws were not about the Second Amendment but about “putting more guns in the hands of children” , while Democrat Mary Mascher noted that “every three hours in this country a child dies from gun violence”. “We do not need a militia of toddlers,” said Democrat Kirsten Running-Marquardt. RawStory reports that she added: “We do not have handguns that I am aware of that fit the hands of a one- or-two-year-old.” The other bills passed allow people to carry loaded guns on snowmobiles, keep weapon permits confidential, and also prohibit any state official from being able to confiscate weapons during a state emergency. A bill that would legalize the use of suppressors was also passed. The bills will now be debated by the Democratic-controlled Senate, which last year vetoed similar measures.

2016-02-26 12:25 www.rt.com

36 The North Water is a bloody, gripping thriller set on board a whaling ship How the UK can win Eurovision High above Baffin Island, in the freezing waters of the Arctic Circle, men in a boat are attacked by a polar bear. They are hoping to trap a mother bear’s cub to sell to a zoo back in England; the mother bear has other ideas. It is Henry Drax who finally kills her, with only a boat spade and his demented will, standing in the rolling whaleboat to stab her in the heart with the shovel’s edge. He is not sorry to do it. The air is filled with a foetid blast of butchery and excrement. Drax feels pleasure at this work, arousal, a craftsman’s sense of pride. Death, he believes, is a kind of making, a kind of building up. What was one thing, he thinks, is become something else. Death is the making of The North Water , Ian McGuire’s bloody, gripping novel set in the middle of the 19th century aboard the Volunteer. She is a whale ship sailing from Hull to Lerwick, in the Shetland Islands, and finally up into the waters that – just a few years earlier – had swallowed up Sir John Franklin and his men as they searched in vain for the North-West Passage. Drax is the black-hearted villain of this book, a man of such calm wickedness that it is possible to believe, as some of his fellow crew members do, that he may be the Devil. The North Water begins as it intends to go on, with a set piece demonstrating the depths of Drax’s depravity. Matters don’t improve from there. “Behold the man” is the book’s first sentence, a sidelong echo of the opening words of the greatest novel of the whale trade there ever was or will be: it takes courage for a writer to make such a move and McGuire has plenty of that. The novel is a thriller in spite of itself; or rather, in spite of Drax’s opponent, a doctor called Patrick Sumner, who surprises himself by turning detective. Sumner is the kind of man who would like to look away from injustice but somehow finds he cannot; when it becomes apparent that a cabin boy is being abused, he takes action. The story flows onward from there, with the relentless forward motion of an iceberg with the current. Drax is defined only by his terrible deeds but Sumner’s life story trickles out. A native of County Mayo, Ireland, he is 27 years old when he sets off with the Volunteer , an opium addict and a man disgraced: it was the perfidy of an officer called Corbyn that led to his court martial after the siege of Delhi. He believes that the voyage will provide a kind of redemption; at the end of the novel, the reader must decide if such a thing is possible. Beware: this book is quite a ride. The violence is ghastly, the queasy sense of moral decay all- pervasive. McGuire makes Quentin Tarantino look like Jane Austen: the gory pictures are even more disturbing because they exist inside your head instead of on a screen. The language has a harsh, surprising beauty that contrasts the spectacular setting with the greedy, bankrupt men who force their way northward, armed with harpoons for slaughter. The arcing sky is “garrulous with stars”; the black mountains of the landmass are “gargantuan and sumptuous”; a man is caught in an ambush and the back of his head “explodes in a brief carnation of blood and bone”. McGuire also remembers that it is not just the sight of things that horrifies. There is no escape from “the velvet reek of liquid faeces”, or the oxtail-taste of fresh seal blood. The powerful story and the riches of the setting do not romanticise the past. The brutality of the whale hunt is perfectly apparent here and made all the more horrible because the men who take part are aware of it. Like us, they tell themselves that they are locked into the present. A dreadful fate cannot be escaped; it can only be replaced by another that is, perhaps, little better. Rush Oh! is another cetacean tale, one set around sixty years later and on the opposite side of the globe – and it could not offer a starker contrast. Shirley Barrett’s novel has its moorings in a true story, in the lives of a whaling family called the Davidsons. They hunt the seas of New South Wales with the help of a pack of friendly orcas that herd their bigger cousins in return for a share of the catch. It is narrated by Mary, the eldest daughter of the family. She bumps up against life when she falls for an itinerant whale man called John Beck, who was once a Methodist minister, or so he says. Their budding romance (and the mystery behind it) is supposed to be the engine of the book; that and whether the Davidsons will catch enough whales to pay their bills and fill their larders for the winter. Yet there is very little urgency here and even less atmosphere. Barrett is a screenwriter, which makes the lack of pace in her first novel a little surprising: for a dramatist, she has created very little drama. Barrett writes that poverty threatens, that there is danger at sea, but it is hard to sense or to feel these here. The violence of the hunt is not comprehended by Mary until the end of the novel, which is telling – for, if that violence had been apparent, the novel wouldn’t have slid into the category of history- lite that is littered about like so much flotsam on the shelves these days. Set out to sea, by all means, to catch your whale: be brave and take McGuire as your mate. The North Water by Ian McGuire is published by Scribner (326pp, £14.99) Rush Oh! by Shirley Barrett is published by Virago (358pp, £14.99) Tonight, for the first time in five years, the BBC will ask the British public to decide which song we send to Stockholm to take part in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest. This privilege was briefly rescinded (not unreasonably) after we collectively plumped on entering Josh Dubovie in 2010, who sang the Mike Stock/Pete Waterman catastrophe “That Sounds Good To Me”. However, as the BBC proved they couldn’t really do any better without us – their own internal selection process being responsible for a string of disastrous “heritage” acts and last year’s abysmal Potato Waffle-sounding song – we have been welcomed back in to the fold. This, I’m pleased to report, is a good thing. For though it would be easy to lose hope looking back at our track record over the last twenty years, there is a song on the UK shortlist this year which fits the profile of a winning Eurovision entry almost perfectly. We just have to make sure it doesn’t get overlooked. What does a winning Eurovision entry look like? I’ll tell you. First of all, we have to rid ourselves of this long-held idea that Eurovision is a bright, smiley pop romp. It isn’t. The mood of Eurovision has changed dramatically in the twenty-first century and if we want to win, we need to keep up with it. Since 2000, songs that have been written in a minor key (moody, brooding) have been three times more successful than songs written in a major key (bright, majestic) – winning 12 of the last 16 competitions. Only one of the six hopefuls in tonight’s UK shortlist is in a minor key. To get even more specific, songs in the key of D minor do incredibly well. Disproportionately so. Of the 24 unique keys there are in Western tonal music, songs in D minor have defied the odds to win the competition four times since the turn of the century (in 2007, 2009, 2010 and 2014). That same song on our shortlist? Also in D minor. To dispense with any suspense here, the song in question is “Shine A Little Light” by Bianca . Your casual Eurovision viewer might think that because the title sounds a bit like “Love Shine A Light” (which was the UK’s last winning entry by Katrina and the Waves back in 1997) it might be a good omen. Well, there is actually something to that theory. There are certain keywords that crop up time and time again in Eurovision winners – and other lyrics that seem to mark out losers. For example, songs about storms, thunder and lightning have done better than songs about pleasant weather. Songs about taking something in your arms have done better than songs about holding something in your hands. Crucially for Bianca, songs about eyes, vision and seeing (the very purpose of shining a little light) do a lot better than songs about hearts, heartbeats and loving. It doesn’t end there either. Over the years, clear patterns have emerged to do with the tempo (ie the speed) at which Eurovision entries are set. Though there is no winning tempo as such, there is one very definite tempo to avoid. 128 beats per minute has caused four songs in recent memory to come dead last (2014, 2013, 2011 and our very own Jemini in 2003 ). Another of tonight’s shortlisted songs tonight has walked headlong into that trap (sorry, Joe & Jake), but not Bianca. She’s outpaced that problem with a tempo marking of 144bpm (which, incidentally, just so happened to be the winning speed in 2002). To say that we will never win at Eurovision because everybody in Europe hates us, or because we are incapable of writing a good song, is nonsense. We’ve had the key to winning all along. We just haven’t been paying enough attention. Our future in Europe depends on your vote. Use it wisely.

2016-02-26 12:08 Sophie McBain www.newstatesman.com

37 Friend or foe? State Dept, Pentagon split on whether Russia poses threat On Thursday, the US Secretary of State testified before Congress trying to sell legislators on a $50 billion budget for his department, calling it “the minimum price” for America’s leadership for the next year. In his fourth testimony this week, Kerry pointed out the scope of the US’ “simultaneous” engagements across the world, while also stressing the need to keep national security strong and protect America’s interests. With regard to Washington’s international challenges, specifically the scale of radical Islamic extremism, Kerry was asked if he agreed that Russia poses a greater threat than jihadists. “If you wanted me to put on the table the top threat to the United States today, in terms of day to day life and the stability of the world, it is violent extremism, radical religious extremism and violence…” he began to reply. Kerry was interrupted by Congressman Dana Rohrabacher (R- California), who called the Secretary out for being “unable” to say “radical Islamic” when referring to terrorism. Beginning with President Obama’s comments of September 2014, when he said Russia posed more of a threat than Islamic State, the US has repeatedly labeled Moscow as a top threat to America’s national security. “What the Defense Department and others have been saying is that they see activities that Russia is engaged in, which present challenges – for instance, what happened to Crimea, what happened in Donbass, what happens with support for the separatists, the long process of back and forth on Minsk implementation – is interpreted by the frontline states as a threat,” Kerry explained. While “touring” Capitol Hill this week, the Secretary has been trying to persuade lawmakers of Russia’s essential cooperation and key role in hammering out the Syrian ceasefire deal, notably in contrast with the Obama’s administration’s frequent anti-Russian rhetoric. As Kerry was making his remarks on cooperative relations with Russia to the House Foreign Affairs Committee, just down the hall General Philip M. Breedlove was telling the House Armed Services Committee that “Russia has chosen to be an adversary and poses a long-term existential threat.” READ MORE: Pentagon attacks on Russia linked to military budget debate in Congress – MoD While the State Department is looking for $50 billion, as the US is “trying to cooperate with Russia” in fighting Islamic State, the Pentagon is seeking $582.7 billion to counter Russia and China, America’s “most stressing competitors,” in the words of Defense Secretary Ash Carter. “To counter Russia, Eucom, working with allies and partners, is deterring Russia now and preparing to fight and win if necessary,” Breedlove, the commander of US forces in Europe, said. However, at least for Congressman Rohrabacher, this sounds like a non-starter. “Let me just note that increasing the spending of our military spending in Europe so that we’ll have now have more tanks in Europe could be taken as a hostile act by Russia as well,” he told Kerry. “So I want to get out of this cycle of well we’re going to find things that they are doing hostile and vice versa.”

2016-02-26 12:25 www.rt.com

38 FBI takes encryption fight with Apple to Congress Comey testified during a House Intelligence Committee hearing on Thursday, alongside National Intelligence Director James Clapper and CIA Director John Brennan. Much of the World Wide Threats hearing ended up being devoted to the encryption issue. Apple has been locked in a legal battle with the federal government over whether the FBI should be allowed to coerce the technology giant into unlocking the phone of Syed Farook, one of the San Bernardino shooters, by creating a new version of the iPhone operating system. The Cupertino-based company says it wants to cooperate with law enforcement, but that creating such a backdoor would threaten the security of all of its customers. The FBI has asked a judge to order Apple to comply, invoking a law dating back to 1789. READ MORE: John McAfee blasts FBI for ‘illiterate’ order to create Apple iPhone backdoor (EXCLUSIVE) The Bureau’s heated dispute is "the hardest question I've seen in government, and it's going to require negotiation and conversation," Comey told the lawmakers. In addition to investigating the San Bernardino shooting that resulted in the death of 14 people, Comey told lawmakers that the FBI’s role is to ensure that the public understands the “costs associated costs associated with universal strong encryption. " While Comey admitted that there are benefits of encryption and privacy, he reiterated his call for law enforcement to have a ‘golden key’ to break through encryption when a search warrant has been obtained. "If we're going to move a world where that is not possible anymore, the world will not end, but it will be a different world than where we are today and where we were in 2014," he said. Comey had previously stated that compelling Apple to unlock the iPhone was grounded in legal precedent, reassuring the public that it wouldn’t create any legal innovations that could threaten privacy in the future. “The San Bernardino litigation isn’t about trying to set a precedent or send any kind of message. It is about the victims and justice,” he said in a statement Sunday. Comey apparently reversed this position at the Thursday hearing, however, telling lawmakers that the outcome of the case against Apple could “be instructive for other courts” when deciding how third parties can be legally compelled to help the government gain access to their devices. Apple CEO Tim Cook has stated that the company is prepared to take the fight all the way to the Supreme Court if need be. The controversy has divided Silicon Valley, with Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg taking Apple’s side while Microsoft founder Bill Gates backed the FBI. Government officials across the US are also taking sides in the battle between privacy and security. The top lawyer for Maricopa County, Arizona has prevented his office from providing Apple iPhones to its employees. "Apple's refusal to cooperate with a legitimate law enforcement investigation to unlock a phone used by terrorists puts Apple on the side of terrorists instead of on the side of public safety," Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery said in a statement Thursday. "Positioning their refusal to cooperate as having anything to do with privacy interests is a corporate PR stunt and ignores the 4th Amendment protections afforded by our Constitution. "

2016-02-26 12:25 www.rt.com

39 Swipe right on serial killers: Fake Charles Manson and Aileen Wuornos profiles get Tinder matches American actress, Natalie Walker, decided to conduct the experiment after noticing that photos of infamous serial killer, Charles Manson from the 1960s mirror today’s modern day hipster look. Walker set up a fake profile using photos of Manson with the tagline: “I want to control you”. Scarily, within three days someone had swiped right and Manson got a match. Walker dropped some further hints of the profile’s true identity throughout their conversation, including casually introducing Manson’s belief in an imminent race war. It was only when ‘he’ said his believers think he’s Jesus that the potential Tinder match bowed out. Walker then turned the tables to see how men would react to a profile based on serial killer Aileen Wuornos - she didn’t have to wait long for a dozen users to swipe right. Her fake profile for Wuornos didn’t hide much, reading: “I want to kill white men”. Strangely this wasn’t enough to put off potential suitors - it only took eight minutes for Wuornos to get 12 matches. It appears, however, some users were confusing the real life Wuornos with Hollywood actress, Charlize Theron, who won an Oscar for playing Wuornos in the film, Monster. Both fake profiles have been removed from Tinder. Wuornos died by lethal injection in 2002. Although sentenced to death, Manson’s term was commuted to life in prison after California abolished the death penalty. The real Charles Manson has been rather unlucky in love. He was close to marriage with 27 year old Afton “Star” Burton last year, but called it off when it emerged that she was hoping to gain possession of his corpse so she and some friends could put it on display in a glass case in LA.

2016-02-26 12:25 www.rt.com

40 40 IMF’s Lagarde, other G20 finance VIPs urge action on reforms SHANGHAI—Officials at a global finance meeting Friday in Shanghai urged governments to speed up promised job-creating reforms instead of relying on stimulus to perk up slackening growth. Governments have tried to squelch expectations the Group of 20 gathering of finance ministers and central bankers from the United States, China, Japan, Germany and other major rich and emerging economies will produce specific growth plans. But they face pressure to reassure nervous financial markets. Christine Lagarde, the managing director of the International Monetary Fund, said governments should act faster on reforms promised at a G-20 meeting in 2014. That list included some 800 commitments meant to simplify regulations and boost trade, investment and technology development, but many have yet to be carried out. “Policymakers do not need to invent yet another trick, but they need to deliver steadily on the commitments they have made,” Lagarde said at an event organized by the Washington-based Institute of International Finance alongside the Shanghai meeting. Referring to monetary and fiscal policy and structural reforms, Lagarde said, “There has to be action on all fronts.” Others at the meeting include US Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew and Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen; China’s finance minister, Lou Jiwei, and central bank governor, Zhou Xiaochuan; Mario Draghi of the European Central Bank and their counterparts from Europe, South Korea, India and South Africa. Global growth is at its lowest in two years and forecasters say the danger of recession is rising. The IMF cut this year’s global growth forecast by 0.2 percentage points last month to 3.4 percent. It said another downgrade is likely in April. Central banks still have room to use interest rate cuts and other stimulus but need governments to follow through with promised economic changes, said Mark Carney, head of the Bank of England. “Global growth has disappointed because the innovation and ambition of global monetary policy has not been matched by structural measures,” said Carney at the IIF event. “In most advanced economies, difficult structural reforms have been deferred.” Germany’s finance minister, Wolfgang Schauble, said fiscal stimulus has “reached its limit” and his government will not agree to more coordinated spending in the event of further deterioration in the global economy. He urged other countries to deliver on reforms instead. “We are not lacking in policy proposals,” he said. “We are lacking in policy implementation.” Also Friday, China’s central bank chief promised to avoid weakening its yuan to boost sagging exports as he tried to reassure nervous financial markets about his government’s handling of its economy and currency. The Chinese hosts hoped to use the meeting to promote their campaign for a bigger voice in managing global trade and finance. Instead, the communist government is scrambling to defend its reputation for economic competence following stock market and currency turmoil. A key worry, despite repeated Chinese denials, is that Beijing will allow its yuan to decline to support struggling exporters. That expectation has driven an outflow of capital from China that spiked to a record $135 billion in December. “We will not resort to competitive depreciation to boost our advantage in exports,” said Zhou Xiaochuan, governor of the People’s Bank of China, at a news conference. Zhou said the meeting should focus on global demand, economic reforms and promoting “sustainable and balanced” growth. The foreign view of China’s economic health was shaken last year by a stock market collapse that wiped out $5 trillion in paper wealth. Its main market index fell by an unusually large daily margin of 6.4 percent on Thursday but gained almost 1 percent on Friday. At the G-20 opening ceremony, Zhou tried to reassure his audience the Chinese economy is robust after growth slowed to a 25-year low of 7.3 percent last year. He noted that it still was among the world’s strongest performances. “China’s economic fundamentals remain strong and supportive of growth,” he said. “The Chinese economy will continue to grow at a moderate-to-high pace.”

2016-02-26 15:51 Associated Press newsinfo.inquirer.net

41 Why a gay Indian professor's death inspired a film A professor from India's prestigious Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) died in 2010 after a video of him having sex with another man became public. Six years later, a Bollywood film revolving around his story is released on Friday. BBC Hindi's Vineet Khare spoke to the professor's partner and the TV news crew which filmed the controversial video. The crew from a local TV station in the northern city of Aligarh secretly filmed Shrinivas Ramchandra Siras, then 64, having sex with rickshaw puller Abdul (name changed) in his house inside the university campus on 8 February 2010. The video led to public condemnation of Prof Siras by conservative religious groups. The university administration suspended him and asked him to leave the campus. He was found dead in his apartment two months later. His death drew widespread criticism of the university authorities. Many saw it as yet another case which highlighted the difficult lives of homosexuals in India. A colonial era law criminalises homosexuality in India. Also, in deeply conservative India, same- sex relationships are taboo and many people still regard them to be illegitimate. The professor was in his bedroom with Abdul when local cable TV journalists Ashu Rizvi, Adil Murtaza and Siraj barged into his house. The crew had already filmed the professor having sex with Abdul and wanted to confront the two men. The video, given to the BBC by the university, shows Prof Siras repeatedly pleading with the three men to stop filming. The professor, in an interview to TV channel NDTV , later called the filming an "encroachment on my privacy" and added that he felt "angry", "ashamed" and "insulted". Abdul still lives in constant fear of losing his livelihood, being recognised on the streets or even killed for being the professor's gay partner. The "horrible" incident has stayed with him ever since and he misses his "partner". "He loved me," says the father of five daughters, adding that "a bit of greed" may have guided his relationship with the professor. "Had he been alive, my children would be studying in good schools. I would be running a business," he says. Abdul was born in Delhi in 1981, but his family moved to Aligarh, a three-hour drive from the national capital, in 1992. Poverty forced him to become a rickshaw puller in his teens to contribute to the family's income. He met Prof Siras in 2009 outside the university's arts faculty, one of the many gathering spots for rickshaw pullers. He "enjoyed" his relationship until the video filming incident happened. He said he was "shocked and scared" and left Prof Siras' house after the incident. That was the last time they saw each other. Two months later, he heard on the news that Prof Siras had died. He was told his name was flashing across the media. He feared he would be blamed for the death. He became increasingly worried when police began interrogating him. He said he was "frustrated" and one day he doused himself with kerosene and lit a match. His wife saved his life. "I thought it was better to die. I had done nothing wrong. My only fault was that I had shared a relationship with Prof Siras. " He has been living in fear since. He is alert at all times, always looking around suspiciously for anyone directly approaching him. "If I die, who will look after my daughters? You know how women are looked down in our society," he said. Life has changed for the three journalists as well. Ashu Rizvi, who ran a cable news business in 2010, is now in the real estate sector. He said Adil Murtaza now worked with an Urdu daily in Lucknow, the capital of the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, while Siraj worked at a meat factory. Over the phone, Mr Rizvi told me that they saw it as a "legitimate story of uncovering the exploitation of a rickshaw puller by a university professor". He sees homosexual relationships as "wrong in a country like India". Some media reports had suggested that the university had a hand in the "sting operation" against the professor - an allegation denied by the authorities. Mr Rizvi also denied that he was paid money and insisted that he saw it as a genuine story. "We were tipped off by the rickshaw puller himself that he was being exploited by the professor. It was news, but we were targeted," he said. Abdul denied that he had approached the media. "I never approached anybody. I still don't want any media attention," he said. But he lives with the hope that one day some financial benefits may come his way for being the "professor's lover".

2016-02-26 04:58 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk

42 Greece slows migrant flow from islands to Athens The Greek government has asked ferry operators to reduce services bringing migrants from islands to the capital Athens in a bid to ease pressure. It is trying to slow the flow of migrants to its northern border, to prevent a further build-up of people trying to reach other EU states. Countries further north have imposed border restrictions that make it harder for arrivals to move on from Greece. About 2,800 people massed on Greece's border with Macedonia on Thursday. Only 100 were allowed to cross, correspondents say. The camp at Idomeni is above capacity, and more people are waiting nearby. Desperation on the Greek border Fortress Central Europe EU migration: Crisis in graphics Last weekend, Macedonia barred entry to Afghans at its border with Greece. Angry protests erupted at the border crossings and Greece was forced to transport hundreds of Afghans back to Athens. Thousands of people continue to land on Greece's islands every week, having made the risky crossing from Turkey. Meanwhile, a row between Greece and Austria, one of the countries that has tightened its border security, has deepened, with Athens snubbing a request to visit by the Austrian interior minister. Johanna Mikl-Leitner had warned that if Greece could not secure the external borders of the EU, then other countries would have to take action. Around 2,000 migrants arrived at the port of Piraeus, near Athens, on Thursday alone. However, many cannot now travel further north, and the numbers stuck in Greece are building. In northern Greece, protesters blocked the entrance to a new proposed camp for migrants near Polykastro. Some local people said they were concerned that the camp would become permanent. The government minister responsible for shipping, Theodoros Dritsas, told Mega TV the plan was "a controlled deceleration of refugee movement and flow of immigrants from the islands to the port of Piraeus". The aim was to create "new temporary residence areas in Attica [the Athens region] and other parts of the country to address the consequences of the closure of the border," he said. The government had asked that three ships serve as temporary hotels for the refugees and migrants for two or three days, before taking them to Piraeus. However the government would not create a "non-manageable" situation on the islands, Mr Dritsas said. The plan particularly affects Lesbos, Chios and Samos, islands which are close to Turkey. The Catholic humanitarian organisation Caritas tweeted that Thursday night's ferry from Lesbos had not departed, "leaving refugees and migrants stranded". The island risked becoming "one big camp if refugees and migrants continue to arrive without any option to leave," it said. Greece had already recalled its ambassador to Austria on Thursday amid sharp divisions among EU states over the migrant crisis. It acted after Austria hosted a meeting on the migrant issue with Balkan states, to which Greece was not invited. The Athens government has been criticised by other EU countries for failing to manage the new arrivals - but no progress has been made on a European plan to relocate refugees from Greece. Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has threatened to block all decisions at EU migration summits next month if member states do not agree to take in quotas of migrants. A note on terminology: The BBC uses the term migrant to refer to all people on the move who have yet to complete the legal process of claiming asylum. This group includes people fleeing war-torn countries such as Syria, who are likely to be granted refugee status, as well as people who are seeking jobs and better lives, who governments are likely to rule are economic migrants.

2016-02-26 13:13 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk

43 Syria conflict: Russia 'steps up air strikes' ahead of truce Russian jets are reported to have intensified attacks on Syrian rebel positions, hours before a cessation of hostilities is due to come into force. Russia said it was continuing to bomb "terrorists" in parts of Syria. Meanwhile, almost 100 rebel factions have agreed to respect the truce, the main Syrian opposition group has said. The High Negotiations Committee (HNC) said Free Syrian Army factions and the armed opposition had signed up to the truce from midnight (22:00 GMT). The temporary "cessation of hostilities" involves government and rebel forces - but not the so- called Islamic State (IS) group and the al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front. Warring parties in Syria were meant to make their intentions known by midday (10:00 GMT) Friday ahead of the pause in fighting. Announcing the intentions of rebel factions, the HNC said the Syrian government and its allies must not use the "proposed text to continue the hostile operations against the opposition factions under the excuse of fighting terrorism". Overnight, Russian air strikes which were "more intense than usual" hit rebel bastions including at Eastern Ghouta east of Damascus, in the north of Homs province and in the west of Aleppo province, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said. "It's more intense than usual," Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman was quoted by news agency AFP as saying. "It's as if they [the Russians and the government] want to subdue rebels in these regions or score points before the ceasefire. " But Russian President Vladimir Putin said his forces were targeting IS, Nusra Front and other extremist groups designated as legitimate targets by the UN Security Council, adding that "the decisive fight against them" would "without doubt, be continued". The cessation has been brokered by the US and Russia but scepticism has lingered over the plan. BBC Arab affairs editor Sebastian Usher says all sides have made it clear they will fight if attacked. German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier expressed "great concern" over fresh reports that pro-government forces had dropped barrel bombs on the Damascus suburb of of Darayya. He urged all parties "to refrain from steps that could endanger the ceasefire so close to it coming into effect". Earlier, US President Barack Obama said the success of the cessation would depend on whether warring parties including the Syrian government, Russia and their allies lived up to their commitments. He said attacks needed to end and humanitarian aid had to be allowed through to desperate civilians. "The coming days will be critical and the world will be watching," he added. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said he hoped the US would also respect the truce. More than 250,000 Syrians have been killed in nearly five years of civil war. Millions more have been displaced.

2016-02-26 13:13 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk

44 Scores & Stats CALGARY, Alberta -- The player known as Bailes bailed out the New York Islanders on Thursday. Right winger Josh Bailey shot the put into the roof of the net with 17.8 seconds left in overtime, giving the Islanders a 2-1 win over the Calgary Flames. "It was a great play," Bailey said. "I was just trying to get back door, and I knew (center John Tavares) would find a way to get it over. "I wasn't even sure it went in at first. I was just judging by (Flames goalie Joni Ortio's) reaction. It felt good. It was a big win for our team. "Bailey beat Ortio with a high shot over the goalie's glove to give the Islanders (33-19-7) their third consecutive victory. Defenseman Thomas Hickey scored his first goal in 37 games for the Islanders, and it came in his home town. Right winger Jiri Hudler had a goal for Calgary (26-30-4), which lost its third straight. A frustrating night for Tavares, during which the New York captain did not have one good scoring chance himself, ended joyfully when he set up the winning goal during the three-on- three extra session. "I actually fanned on the pass to (defenseman) Travis (Hamonic) and realized I had a step on (Calgary left winger Johnny Gaudreau), and Bailes did a great job of getting the puck up to the top of the net," Tavares said. "It was nice to win after not one of our better games. "The Islanders, who are in third in the Metropolitan Division, closed the gap on the second-place New York Rangers to one point. New York relied heavily on goaltender Jaroslav Halak, who has won three consecutive starts and three straight games against the Flames, including a 29-save shutout in October. Halak made 31 saves Thursday. A big presence came in the form of Islanders left winger Matt Martin, who threw his body around all night and twice fought Flames left winger Brandon Bollig, who took exception to a stiff bodycheck Martin threw at Flames captain Mark Giordano. "This is a tough building to play in," Martin said. "For a while it felt like they were skating circles around our team. We hung in there, and Jaro made a lot of good saves. We battled hard. "Bollig said, "We're two teams that weren't going to back down from one another. We are two physical teams, and regardless of our situation, we're still trying to win games, as are they. So I think we put in a heck of an effort tonight, and it's unfortunate we didn't get the win. I think we surely deserved one with the way that we played. "A three-way passing play involving the three members of the Flames' top line produced the game's first goal at 4:16 of the first period. Gaudreau fed center Sean Monahan, who passed to Hudler, who finished the play. At 9:49 of the third period, Hickey joined the rush and took a pass in the slot from Martin, then put a backhand past Ortio. The Flames have fallen 14 points back of a wild- card spot in the Western Conference, prompting speculation that they will be heavy sellers prior to Monday's NHL trading deadline. A season-ending knee injury to starting goalie Karri Ramo two weeks ago opened the door for the Ortio to get a chance to play. It was Ortio's second start since being recalled from the American Hockey League on Feb. 12, but he is still looking for his first win in seven NHL games this season. Ortio's last NHL victory was Jan. 19, 2015, at Los Angeles. "I'm feeling good out there, but I think tonight we did even a better job defending," said Ortio, who will be a restricted free agent at season's end. "It was a solid 60, 64 (minutes) from us. It's frustrating when you work for that. It helps that you get the point out of it. We would've liked to have two, but that's the way it goes. "NOTES: Flames D Kris Russell remained out of the lineup for the sixth consecutive game with a lower-body injury despite being cleared to play by the team's medical staff earlier in the day. A pending unrestricted free agent, Russell is among the Calgary players most mentioned in trade rumors leading up to Monday's deadline. ... Calgary's lone healthy scratch was RW Josh Jooris. ... Flames D Tyler Wotherspoon lost two teeth and needed stitches after being hit with a puck during Thursday's morning skate. ... D Calvin de Haan (lower body) and C Mikhail Grabovski (back) did not accompany the Islanders to start their seven-game road trip, which began Tuesday in Minnesota. ... New York's scratches were G Jean-Francois Berube and D Ryan Pulock, who is still looking to make his NHL debut after being recalled from the AHL on Monday. "At some point on this trip, you'll see Ryan Pulock get in there," Islanders coach Jack Capuano said.

2016-02-26 11:11 The Sports newyork.cbslocal.com

45 Donald Trump Interview: I think I can beat Cruz in Texas |Presidential candidate Donald Trump says he thinks he had the best performance so far in the final debate before Super Tuesday in an interview with CBSN. CBS News Chief White House Correspondent Major Garrett also spoke with Trump about his real estate deals, whether he can beat Cruz in Texas and his strategy to lock down the nomination. Watch the full interview.

2016-02-26 14:41 Donald Trump www.cbsnews.com

46 Trump on Gaddafi in 2011: 'We should stop this guy' - At the CNN/Telemundo Republican debate on Feb. 25, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said the U. S. would be "so much better off if" Libyan ruler Moammar Gaddafi was still in power, but his stance in 2011 was very different. ()

2016-02-26 15:46 The Washington www.washingtonpost.com

47 E-cigarette 'lights man's trousers' in Kentucky A

man's e-cigarette appeared to set his trousers alight as he paid a cashier at a petrol station in the US state of Kentucky. The moment, captured on CCTV, shows the man rushing outside where staff doused the flames with a fire extinguisher. According to local media, the man was taken to hospital with third-degree burns, where he reported that the fire was caused by his battery-powered cigarette. There were 25 reported fires caused by e-cigarettes between 2009 and 2014, according to a report by the US Fire Administration .

2016-02-26 15:46 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk

48 RBS shares slide as losses continue Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) has reported a loss of £1.98bn for 2015, its eighth year of annual losses. RBS shares fell to a three-year low on the news, and remain well below the price the government paid for an 84% stake to save the bank in 2008. The bank, which came close to collapse at the height of the financial crisis, is still setting aside billions to cover past mistakes and fines. Even after all these costs are stripped out, profits are still falling. The annual loss is partly due to a £3.6bn charge to cover conduct and litigation costs, many of them in the US. RBS also set aside another £2.9bn for restructuring, as it withdraws from 25 of the 38 countries it still operates in. It added that it did not expect to pay a dividend to shareholders until at least next year, saying: "We now consider it more likely that capital distributions will resume later than Q1 2017. " Underlying profits at RBS, which is still 73% government-owned, dropped to £4.4bn, from £6bn a year earlier. RBS said the fall in these profits was largely due to lower income from interest payments. Chief executive Ross McEwan told the BBC's Today programme: "Low interest rates do hurt banks and it's very clear interest rates will stay lower for much longer now. "The UK and Republic of Ireland have quite strong economies... but you are seeing a slowing down in a number of economies around the world and low interest rates do hurt banks. " "We have still got a number of conduct and litigation issues - the largest of those is in the US - which we have to settle. Unfortunately that is not in our gift time-wise. "We need to sell off Williams and Glynn which is the branch network we are committed to selling off by 2017, and we need to show a track record that we have got a very good bank underneath all these headline noises. " Last June, the Chancellor George Osborne told an audience at his annual Mansion House speech he would start selling the stake in RBS we purchased for £45bn in the crisis - and do so without delay. "It's the right thing to do for British businesses and British taxpayers. Yes, we may get a lower price than that was paid for it - but we will get the best price possible. For the longer we wait, the higher the price the whole economy will pay," he said. That is certainly true since then. That night the shares were worth £3.54 each. Today, after RBS (known best to most as the owner of NatWest) unveiled a £2bn net loss, the shares dropped to £2.22. That's well under half the £5.02p we (the taxpayers) paid for them. Mr Osborne's desire to sell without delay was backed by the governor of the Bank of England Mark Carney and an independent report by the investment bank Rothschild. A stake worth £2.1bn was sold in August. But it's one thing to ask the taxpayer to lose a third of their much troubled investment. It's another to ask them to write off more than half - which would translate to a loss of about £25bn on what the taxpayer paid. Some in the City are now whispering - perhaps RBS would be worth more to us all if it were broken up and sold bit by bit. Among the conduct and litigation issues RBS has put aside £600m to pay claims for the mis- selling of payment protection insurance in the UK. RBS also said it had cut costs by £983m last year, and boosted net mortgage lending by 10% on a year ago to £9.3bn. Michael Hewson, chief market analyst at CMC Markets, said: "Every year we hope that the time has come for the bank to turn a corner and every year we return disappointed. "CEO Ross McEwan must be wishing he had never taken on the task of turning the bank around when he took over the reins in August 2013. " The money RBS pays out in bonuses to staff was reduced by 11% to £373m for 2015. Mr McEwan's salary and incentive pay has increased from 2014, when he received £1.8m. In 2015, on top of Mr McEwan's £1m salary he was awarded a £1m "role-based" incentive, but has personally donated the sum to charity. Mr McEwan also said that in 2016 he would give half of this role-based pay to charity. However, he has also been given £1.347m as part of a three-year performance related award, and £350,000 in pension allowances. Turmoil on the stock markets has meant that the government's plans to sell off more of its stake in RBS are likely to be delayed. In January this year, it suspended the sale of its final stake in Lloyds Banking Group. Taxpayers own just under 10% of Lloyds. In August, the government managed to sell a 5.4% stake in RBS at 330p a share, raising £2.1bn. The price was one third below the 500p a share paid by the government when it took its stake in the bank during the financial crisis, and represented a loss of about £1.07bn. Mr Hewson said: "It turns out the decision by the UK government to pare down... its stake in the bank in the middle of last year doesn't look such a bad decision after all, amidst a chorus of criticism that it was sold off too cheaply. That 330p price seems a long way away now. "Unless there is some clear evidence that this continued drip feeding of negative news shows signs of abating, it is going to be very difficult to see a rebound in the share price, as shown by today's sharp falls. "

2016-02-26 13:24 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk

49 Daughter guilty of murdering MS father in Dagenham home A carer who said she suffocated her father with a plastic bag because of his "intolerable" multiple sclerosis has been found guilty of murder. Claire Darbyshire, 36, said she killed her father Brian, 67, at their home in Wykeham Green, Dagenham, on 2 September 2015 as part of a failed suicide pact. She was found the next evening wandering around cliff tops in Kent, asking for help. The Old Bailey jury unanimously found her guilty. She had denied murder. Mr Darbyshire, a father-of-two, had developed MS in 1995 and lost his wife Lynn in 2008. His daughter had become his full-time carer when he became bed-ridden in 2014. Prosecutor Jonathan Rees QC said Ms Darbyshire had come to an "agreement" with her father that they would kill themselves; because of his condition and because "she would have nothing to live for once her father had gone". However, jurors heard that Mr Darbyshire had never expressed suicidal thoughts or complained about being in pain to nurses who visited him. Mr Rees said a woman who worked in a jewellery shop where Ms Darbyshire volunteered had also noticed she was "more and more stressed" and complained about having to look after her father. After killing him she took a train to Dover. She was found the next day on the White Cliffs by a National Trust worker. Mr Darbyshire's body was discovered by police on 10 September, eight days after the killing, after a neighbour raised the alarm. Police found him in bed dressed in a suit, with a teddy bear and several notes written by his daughter which praised him as a "wonderful" man and said: "He asked me to help him end it". In a statement to police, Ms Darbyshire said her father had "got to the stage where he couldn't stand the misery of his life and the indignity of it any more". However, Scotland Yard said she never mentioned her father's death or the suicide pact until five days later. Paul Keleher, her defence lawyer, had argued that her actions amounted to assisting suicide rather than committing an unlawful killing. However, the jury rejected the lesser offences of manslaughter or assisting a suicide. Ms Darbyshire was born Christopher, but changed her name to Claire by deed poll in 2008 and has lived as a woman for many years. The Recorder of London, Nicholas Hilliard QC, said he adjourned sentencing until a later date so he could understand the impact of custody "in the particular circumstances".

2016-02-26 13:24 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk

50 Fall in numbers of young jobless The number of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) is at its lowest for the time of year since 2001, UK-wide figures show. Some 853,000 16- to 24-year-olds were NEET at the end of 2015, down 110,000 on the same quarter of 2014. But the figures also show the numbers were 5,000 higher than in the summer. City and Guilds managing director Kirstie Donnelly said it was "worrying" to see the figures "creep up after months of more positive news". The Office of National Statistics figures date back to October to December 2001 when 833,000 young people were classified as NEET, some 12.9% of the total age-group. At the end of last year that proportion had fallen to 11.8%. NEET numbers reached from highs of over a million, or more than 16% of the age-group, in 2011, but have fallen consistently since. In England, the government raised the education participation age to 17 in September 2013 and to 18 in September 2015. So young people in England are now expected to stay in full-time education, in an apprenticeship, or in employment with training until they are 18. The UK-wide NEET figures first dropped below the million mark, to 987,000, or 13.5% of the age group in the first quarter of 2014. England-only figures show there were 690,000 NEETs at the end of last year, almost 100,000 fewer than in the last quarter of 2014. This figure is the lowest since 2000 when comparable records began and the number stood at 629,000, says the government. Skills Minister Nick Boles said the figures showed the government was delivering on its commitment to ensure all young people were either earning or learning. "There is no room for complacency, though, and through our plans to deliver three million new apprenticeships by 2020 and our qualification reforms, we are determined to build on these excellent results," said Mr Boles. But campaigners say the figures are still too high "More than one in every 10 teenagers is currently locked out of a path to the future," said Ms Donnelly. And Jenny North, policy and strategy director of Impetus PEF, which funds projects to help the most disadvantaged young people, called for more government action. "We need to see a clear focus from government on how they will help disadvantaged young people succeed in education, and progress into sustained employment so they can fulfil their potential," said Ms North.

2016-02-26 13:24 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk

51 Predictions of UKIP gaining nine AMs backed by deputy leader UKIP's deputy leader has endorsed suggestions it could win nine seats in May's Welsh assembly election. Paul Nuttall told the BBC the party could also secure three seats in the London Assembly . Mr Nuttall was speaking to the Daily Politics programme, as UKIP members gathered for the party's spring conference in Llandudno, Conwy county. But UKIP Wales leader Nathan Gill said a good result would be two seats in all five electoral areas, giving 10 seats. "We know we're not going to be electing a UKIP first minister, but there has to be growth and stepping stones in every single election," he said. Earlier in February, ITV and Cardiff University research indicated nine UKIP AMs could be elected on 5 May. Mr Nuttall said: "I want to see us get elected to those assemblies, because let's not forget UKIP at the moment is the only political party that has people elected in all four parts of the kingdom, and I believe after the assembly elections we will have maybe nine members of the Welsh assembly and maybe three members of the London Assembly. "The primary goal [of the party] is to get us out of the European Union but, equally, as a fully- fledged political party, we'll be concentrating on those elections as well. " UKIP has said it is making preparations for its "first ever UK stronghold of elected politicians" in Cardiff Bay. Its six main policies include a plan to halve the number of NHS senior managers and reintroduce grammar schools. However, with just over two months to go to the election, the party has still not finalised its candidate selections. Members have until next Friday to vote on UKIP's regional candidates. On Thursday, former national organiser John Atkinson resigned from the party, saying "infighting" had become a distraction from the EU referendum campaign. UKIP leader Nigel Farage and the party's Wales leader Nathan Gill will address the conference on Saturday. UKIP Wales' main policies for the assembly election are: UKIP decided to hold its spring conference in Wales as a launch pad for its campaign of this year's assembly election, where polls suggest the party could establish a strong bridgehead in Cardiff Bay. Things seldom go smoothly for UKIP though and the weeks leading up to the conference have been overshadowed by rows over candidate selections and resignations from the party. It is embarrassing to say the least that as the party faithful gather in Llandudno, UKIP has yet to select candidates for the crucial regional list seats. The announcement of the date for the European referendum will heighten interest in the conference and the party is certain to attempt to showcase the case for Brexit and for its own role in the 'Leave' campaign.

2016-02-26 13:24 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk

52 Fifa presidential election: Has Africa lost its clout? Five people are vying to become the next president of football's crisis-hit world governing body Fifa in Friday's election in Zurich in Switzerland. All the candidates are battling to get Africa's support because the continent has 54 out of 209 available votes in this much-anticipated contest - more than any other region. However, Africa no longer decides the outcome of Fifa presidential elections in the way it used to. Not my words, but those of some of the African leaders who will determine the man to replace outgoing president Sepp Blatter. In years gone by, Africa, the largest voting bloc in Fifa, held the key. This was most notable when Brazilian Joao Havelange was elected in 1974 and when he was succeeded by Switzerland's Blatter in 1998. "It's a cliche," Sierra Leone FA president Isha Johansen told BBC Sport. "Africa's vote will not come en bloc, as was in the past, so we are not the key issue any more," she said. This will come as a disappointment to the Confederation of African Football (Caf), which has been urging its members to vote for Sheikh Salman. The Bahraini, who has had to defend himself from allegations of human rights violations in the run-up to the vote, is one of five candidates. The others are Swiss Gianni Infantino, Prince Ali of Jordan, Frenchman Jerome Champagne and Africa's sole candidate, Tokyo Sexwale, a South African businessman, anti-apartheid activist and 2010 World Cup committee member. Indeed, Infantino went so far as to claim that he would win over half the African vote, after a visit to Cape Town's Robben Island with Sexwale on Monday. Liberia FA chief Musa Bility, who has thrown his weight behind Prince Ali, claims the Jordanian will receive a similar number. "What I'm getting from Africa is that Prince Ali will get the majority and the second-highest number of votes will go to Infantino," he said. So would Sheikh Salman, Caf's preferred candidate, not even figure in the top two? "No, not from Africa," Bility, who was excluded from the Fifa presidential contest on eligibility grounds, told BBC Sport. Since the numbers don't add up, one of them is obviously bound to be disappointed. What is clear though, is the whiff of rebellion in the air. Sexwale's campaign is seen as low-key, even though he says he has travelled to Europe, the Middle East, the Americas and Africa itself while trying to drum up support. Nonetheless, there are those who are toeing the Caf party line. "Africa has a leadership called Caf - and if they say go left, you don't go right," Congo- Brazzaville FA chief Jean-Michel M'Bono told BBC Sport. "That would be indiscipline. " African football's governing body has already shown that it does not want its choice to be meddled with. When the South Sudan FA was quoted as saying it would vote for Infantino, shortly after Caf had announced its formal backing for Sheikh Salman, a quick U-turn was swiftly announced. Days later, the Caf website reported South Sudan FA chief Chabur Goc Alei explaining that his support for Infantino had come because he had "yet to receive official communication from Caf on the decision of the executive committee before making public their choice". He has since announced his vote for Sheikh Salman. Caf may well want their members to follow suit but, appreciating the "principle of democracy" and that voting is secret, it knows it cannot control their final choices. And as Caf president and current acting Fifa president Issa Hayatou of Cameroon will recall, he failed to win the full support of Africa even when he was the only man going up against Blatter in the 2002 elections. So Sheikh Salman's status as favourite may well be on shakier ground than he might like to think.

2016-02-26 13:24 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk

53 Australia and UK battle for 'burping Ashes' An Australian and an Englishman are literally shaking the walls as they vie to produce the world's loudest burp. Australian Neville Sharp unofficially broke Essex- based Paul Hunn's record on Tuesday with a 110.6 decibel belch. But unwilling to surrender his crown, Mr Hunn returned fire with a 117.9 decibel burp just one day later. Neither record has been verified by Guinness World Records, which still lists Mr Hunn's previous champion burp of 109.9 as the world's loudest. For comparison, a chainsaw or leaf blower emits approximately 110 decibels , while an ambulance emits around 120 decibels. Mr Sharp, from the Northern Territory town of Humpty Doo, told the BBC on Friday that Mr Hunn's new record would be "a hard challenge to beat" and likened it to the Ashes of burping. He said he discovered his gift for producing ear-bursting burps when he was six years of age, and boasted that he once belched so loud that it shook the walls of Western Australia's Karratha Tavern. "My sister taught me how to gulp the air down and I figured out you could store a bit more in there with a can of soft drink," Mr Sharp said. "I've made constant improvement, but find a nice cold beer followed with an icy cold glass of water as a chaser helps. " Mr Sharp said he had considered challenging for the world title for many years, but was recently inspired after "dropping a few" at the local Humpty Doo tavern. Despite the challenge laid down by his rival, Mr Sharp says that he will attempt to reclaim the record in late-April, early May.

2016-02-26 13:24 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk

54 Firebombs, paint thrown at police station in Berlin The attack happened in the early hours of Friday in Treptow district with five firebombs overall thrown at the building. A taxi driver also found ‘crow’s feet’ - iron traps to burst the tires of chasing cars - in a nearby street. "Several vehicles were damaged," a police spokesman told the Courier media outlet. READ MORE: Blaze engulfs planned refugee center in Germany – crowd cheers, hinders firefighting (VIDEO) The police are now searching the area where the attack took place.

2016-02-26 12:25 www.rt.com

55 Gills and pills: Fish testing positive for cocaine, anti- depressants Pharmaceutical pollution could be to blame for the many drugs showing up in the tissues of juvenile Chinook salmon. Estuary waters near the sewage treatment plants were found to contain a cocktail of up to 81 different drugs, according to a new study out of the National Oceanie and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). There are several plausible theories about the Puget Sound’s high concentration of drug-infused water. Jim Meador, an environmental toxicologist at the NOAA's Northwest Fisheries Science Center in Seattle, published a study that offered two options. One possibility is that people in the areas around the Puget Sound use more of the detected drugs. However, it is also likely that the problem lies with the treatment of waste water. “ The concentrations in effluent [waste water] were higher than we expected, ” Meador said in the Seattle Times , “ We analyzed samples for 150 compounds and we had 61 percent of them detected in effluent. So we know these are going into the estuaries. ” The connection between the chemicals found in the water and fish was determined after the same substances were found in both juvenile Chinook and staghorn sculpin. The two species have different life cycles, with the sculpin staying in the same body of water while the Chinook migrate from the Sound to the sea and back again. For both species to be exposed to the same chemicals suggests a shared habitat was affected. Salmon are an indicator species, meaning that they act as a warning system for environmental problems due to their sensitivity to changes in their living conditions. Drugs that humans take can get into the water in a few different ways. The most obvious way is that when a person discontinues using a drug, they may flush the leftover supply down the toilet, with the effluent not properly filtered by sewage treatment plants. On other occasions, when a human takes a pill, their body may not absorb all of the drug and will eliminate the remaining amount in urine which then (ideally) will be flushed down the toilet. Human drugs leeching into the rivers are causing problems for fish. In the heavily polluted portions of the Potomac River near Washington DC, intersex fish have been found. Scientists believe this is the result of estrogen from birth control and menopausal medication finding its way into the water. It gets worse for fish exposed to anti-anxiety drugs. In a study from the Scientific American , perch that were placed in clean water were less aggressive than fish that had been exposed to benzodiazepines – calming drugs, such as Valium or Xanax. In addition, the fish that were exposed to benzodiazepines explored more dangerous areas, ate faster, and put themselves in riskier situations. Although brave fish may not sound like a problem, the change in their behavior could spell bad news for their ecosystem. For example, while increased eating speed sounds harmless, if perch eat more zooplankton at a faster rate, then there is less zooplankton to eat algae. This, in turn, causes algae blooms. In addition, more fearless fish will expose themselves to more predators, which could then impact the perch population. The EPA is attacking this problem by adding various pharmaceuticals to a watch list of potentially harmful contaminants that warrant investigation. The World Health Organization is also calling on water treatment plants to seek methods to improve wastewater treatment so as to remove drugs and contaminants from their main source of entry: effluent water. For those anxious about the effects of their anxiety medication, scientists have some advice to reduce the pharmaceutical footprint at home, the most obvious of which is to not flush unused pills down the toilet or pour them down the drain. Instead, locate a community based drug take- back program. More and more local governments have been encouraging drug take-back days since a federal law went into effect in 2010. For more information, speak to a local pharmacist.

2016-02-26 11:56 www.rt.com

56 13yo Turkish boy detained for ‘insulting’ Erdogan on Facebook The boy’s house was raided by anti-terror teams on Tuesday after a tip-off by “a secret witness,” who claimed that the boy, mentioned only as A. Ş., had insulted Erdogan in a comment that he allegedly posted below a video on Facebook, Bianet news agency reported . The teen denied all allegations and, following questioning by police, was released due to his young age. “I have an account on Facebook named A. Ş. I used the name Y. Ş. for a while, but then I started to use my name,” the teen told the prosecutor, according to the record of the statement, entitled “Juvenile pushed to crime.” “I didn’t share the post ‘o. ç. [Turkish abbreviation for son of a b*tch] Erdogan, see this violence, it will eventually be accounted for…’ I rather share posts on video games. Sometimes my friends share posts on my page, they know my password, [but] I don’t accept such posts. Those are not mine,” he stated. Insulting the president is considered a crime in Turkey, and the punishment can be strict – up to four years in prison. A number of journalists, bloggers, academics, and ordinary people in Turkey have faced charges and received prison terms for allegedly insulting Erdogan. In one of the most bizarre cases, two boys – aged 12 and 13 – are facing up to four years behind bars for ripping up posters of the Turkish leader in October of 2015. Earlier this month, the governor’s office in Isparta in southwestern Turkey reportedly sent a request to all state institutions in the province instructing staff to report straight to the police if they become aware of cases of “insulting” the president and other top officials. Former Turkish football star Hakan Sukur is facing up to four years in jail for insulting the Turkish president on Twitter. Although the international player said he did not intend to target the president, prosecutors argued that his tweets were “clearly related” to the Turkish leader, the Dogan news agency reported earlier this week. In January, Turkey’s president filed a $66,000 lawsuit against opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu for calling him a “sham dictator.” The lawsuit was rejected. Late last month, a Turkish court sentenced a female teacher to almost a year in prison for directing a rude gesture at Erdogan at a political rally in 2014 when he was still prime minister. Earlier, former Turkish MP and former member of Erdogan’s AK party Feyzi Isbasaran was sentenced to nearly three years in jail for using foul language in tweets against the head of state. In December, a Turkish court ordered experts to actually find out whether Erdogan resembled the “Lord of the Rings” character of Gollum, after memes comparing the two appeared online.

2016-02-26 11:56 www.rt.com

57 Telford baby kidnap: Kelly Mahon in court A woman has appeared in court charged with kidnap after a nine-week-old boy was reported missing from his home in Telford. Kelly Mahon, 41, was arrested with another woman after the baby disappeared on Wednesday afternoon. He was located safe and well about three hours later. Ms Mahon, of John Broad Avenue, Arleston, was remanded in custody at Telford magistrates on Friday. She will appear at Shrewsbury Crown Court on Friday, 25 March. A 53-year-old woman was released without charge.

2016-02-26 14:23 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk

58 US Election 2016: Cruz and Rubio attack Trump in debate Republican presidential hopefuls Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio have unleashed a barrage of attacks on front-runner Donald Trump in the last debate before next Tuesday's pivotal US primaries. Immigration, healthcare and outreach to Latino voters dominated the debate, which disintegrated into long periods of shouting and personal insults. Mr Trump has won three of the first four contests held so far. Next week's vote in 11 states is held on what is known as Super Tuesday. The three men are seeking to be named as the Republican candidate in November's presidential election. At long last the Republican candidates have come to the realisation that Donald Trump can actually win this race, but it may be too late. For more than two hours, Senators Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz took turns throwing punches at the New Yorker. They attacked him on his business record; they mentioned hypocrisy; they questioned his conservative credentials; and they criticised the lack of detail in his policies and his reliance on bluster. "We're having a lot of fun up here, aren't we? " the front-runner quipped at one point. But the truth is that Mr Trump was on his heels for much of the evening. The challenge for the men who would unseat the leader, however, is that the best time to bludgeon a candidate is before it is clear circumstances are forcing you to act. In a campaign where authenticity is worshipped above all, Thursday's fireworks could smack of the kind of political expediency many associate with traditional politicians. Both Mr Cruz and Mr Rubio drew blood with their attacks but Mr Trump will be likely to emerge unbowed. How Cruz and Rubio double-teamed Trump What makes Super Tuesday super? - The long day of voting explained The Republicans who hate Trump - Lifelong members of the party speak out Mr Rubio, who has come second in several recent contests, mounted a series of attacks on Mr Trump. "If he hadn't inherited $200m, you know where Donald Trump would be? " Mr Rubio said in one tense exchange. "Selling watches in Manhattan. " Mr Rubio also criticised Mr Trump's failed online education venture, Trump University, and assailed him for hiring foreign workers rather than Americans in his construction projects. Mr Trump shot back: "I hired tens of thousands of people. You've hired nobody. " The billionaire real estate mogul found himself increasingly on the defensive about his business dealings and his conservative credentials. In other exchanges Trump on Rubio: "This guy's a choke artist [not able to deliver on stage]. " Rubio to Trump : "You're a lousy businessman. " "If he hadn't inherited $200m, you know where Donald Trump would be right now, selling watches in Manhattan. " Trump to Cruz : "This guy is a liar. " Cruz response : "Falsely accusing someone of lying is itself a lie, and it's something Donald does daily. " Trump to Cruz : "You get along with nobody. You don't have one Republican senator backing you. Not one…You should be ashamed of yourself. " "I know you're embarrassed. " Rubio to Trump : "You're the only person on this stage that's ever been fined for hiring people to work on your projects illegally. " Trump response : "I'm the only one on the stage that's hired people. I've hired tens of thousands of people over my job. You've hired nobody. You've had nothing but problems with your credit cards. " Mr Trump has been extremely popular despite his controversial comments about deporting millions of undocumented workers and banning Muslims from travelling to the US. He is currently leading in 10 out of 11 states holding contests on Super Tuesday when a quarter of the total numbers of delegates needed to secure the Republican nomination will be up for grabs. He has 82 Republican party delegates, Mr Cruz has 17 and Mr Rubio has 16. To become the Republican party's nominee, a candidate has to have 1,237 total state delegates. On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders will compete for 1,004 delegates on Super Tuesday. So far, Mrs Clinton has 505 delegates and Mr Sanders has 71. Each party formally announces its presidential candidate at conventions in July, four months before the presidential election. 27 February - South Carolina primary (Democratic) 1 March - "Super Tuesday" - 15 states or territories decide 18-21 July - Republican convention, nominee picked 25-28 July - Democratic convention, nominee picked 8 November - US presidential elections In depth: Primary calendar How does the US election work?

2016-02-26 14:23 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk

59 Detroit News - News This feed's current articles are shown below. Subscribe for updates to all the content available in this feed, or click through here to see the original article. James Craig also disputes that police don’t have good relations with citizens The emails are the earliest indication that some Snyder advisers were worried Flint’s water troubles could mushroom The second span would be on city’s southwest side; residents express concerns at public forum The man is accused of driving to Sterling Heights to engage in sexual activity with a supposed underage girl Athletic association says dad smelled of marijuana and was ‘irate, cussing’ when asked to leave Ann Marie Semear was the passenger in a 2002 Ford Focus that crashed on 32 Mile near Havenridge Road Flint’s 2014 switch to Flint River as water source resulted in lead contamination and public health fears A Midland bridge has been named in honor of a U. S. Navy hospital corpsman killed in action in Afghanistan in 2011 The revelation was unveiled as part of Mayor Mike Duggan’s proposed $1 billion balanced general fund budget Mary and Darcy Courtemanche were trying to get to a hospital in Midland, but were hindered by the slow traffic Lawsuit claimed dog owner’s constitutional rights were violated when officer shot ‘Babycakes’ at home in 2015 Dexter Williams is accused of killing his girlfriend and mutilating her body in their Redford Township apartment Goodwill Industries of Greater Detroit will place job readiness and financial training programs in a vacant building It’s unclear what caused the part with the blades to fall Thursday in Huron County Michigan State University is getting a gift of real estate that’s appraised at more than $1.7 million The communications director for the DEQ didn’t want his boss calling Flint water “safe” in January 2015 Undersheriff says they’ve interviewed Jason Dalton multiple times, but Uber driver hasn’t divulged much Incident took place last weekend in an area of Alcott Elementary School in Pontiac Snow totals up to 11 inches in some parts of Metro Detroit, but the worst is over Judge Cynthia Diane Stephens made the ruling Thursday during a hearing on DPS lawsuit seeking to block teacher sickouts He pointed gun at employee, escaped with undetermined amount of money Former consultant to state on Detroit’s demolition work is accused of falsifying bills Up to 100 people died, most of them Italian immigrants, in explosion Darian Winfield is charged with assault of 17-year-old who died 5 days after she was beaten in her home Gov. Rick Snyder told some residents he would sign a $30 million bill Friday in Flint giving them water rate relief The crisis has been blamed in part on state officials’ failure to require an anti-corrosion treatment to river water

2016-02-26 11:36 rssfeeds.detroitnews.com

60 Sisters make 999 call as mother passes out while at the wheel Two sisters had to call 999 after their mother passed out while she was driving. Nine-year-old Lily Barber and six-year-old Eva were honoured by Greater Manchester Police for their bravery. Their mother Claire Barber had suffered a seizure and managed to pull over before collapsing.

2016-02-26 15:31 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk

61 Livonia - News This feed's current articles are shown below. Subscribe for updates to all the content available in this feed, or click through here to see the original article. Farmington Hills will join Farmington and Novi in dissolving SWOCC. Programs in Detroit and Flint keep more families together for a fraction of what the state spends on foster care. Chief: Milford continues to be ranked among Michigan’s safest communities Redford Township police arrested an older white male without incident after he attempted to rob a Plymouth Road bank on Feb. 17. The new Shops of Canton are coming to Canton’s Ford Road corridor The Livonia City Council held a public hearing on the proposed rezoning of the property. Someone tried to set fire to a shed near the school’s football field This is the third and final month of the summer with a Supermoon. It's when a full or new moon coincides with the moon's closest point to Earth in its orbit. Basically, the moon appears bigger and brighter than usual in the night sky. Lyon Township octogenarian pens memories of living on Army base, prisoners of war Hills Mayor Ken Massey wants to hear from residents. Roksana Sikorski was just 15 when she attacked her younger brother with a knife. Tickets are available for the eighth WWCCA dinner, gun raffle. “A Night for the Museum” will celebrate Margaret Dunning. FPS Board of Education will decide March 15 which buildings will be taken “off line.” The Plymouth-Canton school board will consider naming the Salem pool after coach Olson. Steve King & the Dittlies will entertain at a fundraiser for Canton arts factory. Amy Trombley is described as a caring educator and a good example for other teachers. The Farmington area has one of the best recycling rates in Michigan. “They just rolled out the red carpet for us...”

2016-02-26 03:15 rssfeeds.hometownlife.com

62 UN science report warns of fewer bees, other pollinators WASHINGTON (AP) - Many species of wild bees, butterflies and other critters that pollinate plants are shrinking toward extinction, and the world needs to do something about it before our food supply suffers, a new United Nations scientific mega-report warns. The 20,000 or so species of pollinators are key to hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of crops each year - from fruits and vegetables to coffee and chocolate. Yet 2 out of 5 species of invertebrate pollinators, such as bees and butterflies, are on the path toward extinction, said the first-of-its-kind report. Pollinators with backbones, such as hummingbirds and bats, are only slightly better off, with 1 in 6 species facing extinction. “We are in a period of decline and there are going to be increasing consequences,” said report lead author Simon Potts, director of the Centre for Agri-Environmental Research at the University of Reading in England. And it’s not just honeybees. In some aspects they’re doing better than many of their wild counterparts, like the bumblebee, despite dramatic long-term declines in the United States and a mysterious disorder that has waned. The trouble is the report can’t point to a single villain. Among the culprits: the way farming has changed so there’s not enough diversity and wild flowers for pollinators to use as food; pesticide use, including a controversial one, neonicotinoid, that attacks the nervous system; habitat loss to cities; disease, parasites and pathogens; and global warming. The report is the result of more than two years of work by scientists across the globe who got together under several different U. N. agencies to come up with an assessment of Earth’s biodiversity, starting with the pollinators. It’s an effort similar to what the United Nations has done with global warming, putting together an encyclopedic report to tell world leaders what’s happening and give them options for what can be done. The report, which draws from many scientific studies but no new research, was approved by a congress of 124 nations meeting in Kuala Lumpur on Friday. “The variety and multiplicity of threats to pollinators and pollination generate risks to people and livelihoods,” the report stated. “These risks are largely driven by changes in land cover and agricultural management systems, including pesticide use.” But these are problems that can be fixed, and unlike global warming, the solutions don’t require countries to agree on global action - they can act locally, said Robert Watson, a top British ecological scientist and vice chairman of the scientific panel. The solutions offered mostly involve changing the way land and farming is managed. “There are relatively simple, relatively inexpensive mechanisms for turning the trend around for native pollinators,” said David Inouye of the University of Maryland, a co-author of a couple chapters in the report. One of the biggest problems, especially in the United States, is that giant swaths of farmland are devoted to just one crop, and wildflowers are disappearing, Potts and others said. Wild pollinators especially do well on grasslands, which are usually more than just grass, and 97 percent of Europe’s grasslands have disappeared since World War II, Potts said. England now pays farmers to plant wildflowers for bees in hedge rows, Watson said. There are both general and specific problems with some pesticide use, according to the report. “Pesticides, particularly insecticides, have been demonstrated to have a broad range of lethal and sub-lethal effects on pollinators in controlled experimental conditions,” the report said. But it noted more study is needed on the effects on pollinators in the wild. Herbicides kill off weeds, which are useful for wild pollinators, the report added. The report highlighted recent research that said the widely used insecticide neonicotinoid reduces wild bees’ chances for survival and reproduction, but the evidence of effects on honeybees is conflicting. Story Continues →

2016-02-26 15:27 The Washington www.washingtontimes.com

63 Legislators due to get final look at size of surplus ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - Has Minnesota’s $1.2 billion budget surplus grown or gotten smaller? State budget officials were expected to give a final look on Friday morning of the size of the budget surplus. Months of higher-than-projected tax collections may mean it’s increased, but signs of a slowing national economy could mean trouble. The final number will set the stage for the Legislature’s return in early March. Lawmakers are eyeing the extra money for tax cuts, transportation funding and other spending plans. Gov. Mark Dayton and legislative leaders said Thursday they expect the surplus will have grown slightly since December. But Dayton and Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk say they expect Friday’s forecast to show signs of financial trouble in the next four years.

2016-02-26 15:27 The Washington www.washingtontimes.com

64 How a "politics of listening" could change Britain “You’ve lost weight!”: why complimenting each other on our bodies is wrong Soon after his election as Labour leader in 2015, Jeremy Corbyn announced he would “listen to everyone,” claiming he “firmly believe[d] leadership is about listening.” But what does it mean “to listen”? Is Corbyn’s aim realistic? And could political listening be done better? Both of us have trained in “active” or “deep” listening practices. One of us worked for the Samaritans, a listening-based phone service that provides emotional support to callers. The other trained at Plum Village, a Buddhist meditation centre in France that encourages mindful practices in a semi-formal, monastic context. And we both currently participate in a “sandwich run,” a mobile food-and-drink service for individuals sleeping rough. The run often involves lengthy conversations with individuals sleeping rough, about their experiences, opinions, and backgrounds. During the run we usually spend more time listening than talking. Our experiences suggest that better listening – a skill that may sound banal – could in fact be transformative for politics in the UK and elsewhere. What is Good Listening? Both active and deep listening emphasise the importance of focusing on what the other person is saying. This is largely common sense: if you are telling me something important I shouldn’t be distracted by my watch, phone, or thoughts about dinner (this is harder than it sounds). Our experience tells us that conversations involving active and deep listening elicit more honest, heartfelt responses, and put the speaker at ease. Good listening is about more than words. It also involves a keen sensitivity to affect and emotional registers of interaction. It is about sensing mood, being aware of body language and alert to thoughts and feelings that people might find hard to articulate. (Because listening is not about effective hearing, it should be clear that good listening can also be practiced by the hearing-impaired.) Good listening avoids judgment, digression, or interruption as far as possible. It involves carefully fleshing out meaning in the shared space between two communicants, and remaining aware that alternative meanings are possible. Good listening is open-ended. Finally, good listening involves generosity and good faith. To listen actively or deeply is to have faith that what the other says is of value, if for no other reason than that listening takes time. To listen is an investment in the other, since every dialogue carries the promise of a new understanding. Listening well is not a passive activity that ‘says’ nothing. It is a message to the other that they are worth your full attention. This is why Thich Nhat Hanh often speaks of listening as a “precious gift”. Listening and Politics A politics of listening should be concerned with politics in its broadest sense: activities, disputes, and interactions that concern the distribution of power in society. For the purposes of this article, however, we concentrate on how listening might apply to electoral politics. We leave for later the question of how improved listening might affect political activism, organising, and other forms of political interaction. Achieving a “politics of listening” in the realm of electoral politics begins at a personal level – the level of one-to-one human interactions. Although politicians’ primary role is to represent constituents – which according to any theory of representation involves some listening to the electorate – our (limited) experience with politicians suggests they do not always do this well. We have talked to politicians who seem distracted, perhaps because they are overworked or feel burdened with constant multitasking. And we have watched politicians in public meetings answer questions in a self-serving way, showing no real desire to listen. A first step towards a politics of listening is for politicians to commit to improving their own listening skills. Would it not be beneficial for politicians to spend some time at a Samaritans training, or Plum Village, or generally focusing on their listening abilities, before taking up public office? Not only would this training help politicians listen better to constituents and their fellow politicians. It would also, we hope, lead to the discussion of a broader range of concerns: good listening should sensitise politicians’ ears to a wider spectrum of issues than are currently being discussed in electoral politics, and put them in touch with a richer repository of stories. If politicians listened with care and imagination to the concerns of their constituents, we like to think that representation would be improved. We hope there might be more focus on the real stories of ordinary people whose lives are often ignored in run-of-the-mill politics – Corbyn’s PMQs were certainly a positive step in that direction. Improved listening might also help us shift our image of the skills a politician ought to have, moving away from an obsession with speaking ability and charisma towards a more rounded picture of public representation. Further, we expect that if politicians were to model good listening habits, this might inspire better listening among other activists and advocates engaged in political debate. Challenges A politics of listening has to be more ambitious, and more complex, than a simple recommendation to attend one-off trainings that may or may not enhance everyday interactions. We must reckon with deeper questions bound up with the relation between listening and politics. First, how should politicians listen in a political environment where hidden (or not so hidden) agendas are the norm? There is no doubt that political listening must, at some level, be a discerning activity. Politicians must recognise politically calculated declarations, and distinguish these from honest and heartfelt communications (even if such distinctions will never be clear-cut). To some extent distinguishing between these two types of communication is a natural outcome of good listening. A good listener should ‘sense’ that something is awry in a given speech situation and respond accordingly. They should be able to do this partly through instinct, and partly through a firm understanding of rhetoric and structural concerns. Once it is understood that something deeper is at play, politicians can respond accordingly. That said, politicians should – so far as possible – listen in good faith, and avoid dismissing concerns offhand. So when free-market lobbyists push for financial deregulation, a good listener will understand the values and agendas lying behind their speech; evaluate whether what this speech is honest or deliberately distortive; and give their requests appropriate weight. Of course, good political listening is easier said than done. But we think an effort in that direction would allow politicians to hear clearly the concerns of their constituents, without necessarily compromising on some principled starting points. Secondly, who should politicians listen to first, when faced with a cacophony of competing voices? We think there is a good argument that those who have been historically marginalized should be given greater attention by politicians. This includes members of racial and religious minorities, women and LGBTQ people, the financially dispossessed and people with disabilities. When one of us worked in South Australia, where indigenous peoples still face significant racism and marginalisation, he talked at length to an Aboriginal Australian sitting on a bench outside the main political offices of the city. She asked him to pass on stories and messages, and at the end of the conversation thanked him for listening. Her gratitude was palpably amplified by the fact that she – and other Aboriginal Australians she had known – had suffered a lifetime of dismissal by politicians. The other of us once spoke at length to a single, working-class mother of two who worried about her financial situation, and the risks she was taking by retraining as a psychologist late in life. During the conversation she began crying, simply because no one had listened to her talk about this before. Over-worked and caught up in (structurally under- appreciated) childcare duties, she had become socially isolated and alienated from political concerns. These are just examples. But they highlight the power of listening to touch marginalised groups in profoundly human ways, and signal an urgent need to move on from the practices of the past. A Way Forward Ultimately we accept that a thoroughgoing politics of listening, even if only applied to electoral politics, requires structural change to political institutions. We don’t simply mean the reform of political “surgeries” or “clinics” in the United Kingdom, the language of which suggests that MPs’ main role is to patch up constituent injuries and do short- term political problem-solving. We don’t simply mean better responses to constituents’ concerns raised by e-mail or other means. We mean a sea-change in how attentive politicians are to the people that surround them. We mean a heightened sensitivity on the part of politicians to the problems that might lie behind what is said by a constituent in hurried, nervous exchanges. We mean much greater generosity and curiosity shown to the concerns of the public, in place of the cynicism and dismissiveness we have seen creep into politicians’ attitudes toward their constituents. This transformation in how politicians see the people they claim to represent, and how people see politicians, may not be secured through voluntary attitudinal change alone. We may need more experimentation in tools used by politicians (such as through social media). We may need institutional change: more time set aside to allow politicians to listen, more encouragement given to the public to speak to politicians, more bodies charged with seeking out public views. We all need to think more about how to operationalise a politics of listening. And that might require us all to listen to each other just a little bit more. A politics of listening will not singlehandedly solve the many problems plaguing the UK political system. But we believe a politics of listening, coupled with a focus on other political values (such as love), can help us build politics afresh. If politics is – at least in part – about effective collective conversations, listening might improve those collective conversations. A politics of listening can bring our vision of good politics more in line with our vision of what good people are: compassionate, understanding beings. And that is at least a start on the way towards crafting a more meaningful, humane, and decent political community. I’m always telling people they look thinner. It tends to slip out in those first few stutters of conversation with someone I haven’t seen in a while, right before regular brain function – and the knowledge that a swift compliment won’t make up for that snubbed birthday party invitation – kicks in. Yes, for years I’ve been happily crying “You’ve lost weight!” (variants include “You look well”, accompanied by a coy sidelong glance, and the marginally more direct, “Oh my god, have you got, like, tapeworm or something?”) at passing friends bearing even the slightest hint of the slimmer about them. And I’m clearly not the only person so afflicted. My mum says it; my friends say it; if my dad were less immune to common social practices, he’d say it. Fortunately for him appearances are only one of two things: smart (my mum when she’s put lipstick on and is evidently hankering after a different adjective) or scruffy (men with facial hair who don’t wear suits to church and work). Still, the rest of us point out weight loss as if it’s as kind and straightforward a compliment as “That’s a lovely jumper”. Which it’s not, unfortunately, because you can’t praise a change in someone’s body shape without suggesting – obliquely but nonetheless suggesting – that there was something wrong with what it was like before. While my own voice is by no means exempt from this chorus, I’ve come to dislike the practice of sizing people up as if in the throes of making a great big human hotpot and needing to know portion allowances sharpish. My past experience of an eating disorder has contributed to this, although perhaps not in the most obvious way. On the sadly common occasion when a certain family friend chooses to stare pointedly at my stomach before saying something thoughtful, such as “Nearly there!”, I don’t regress to the small, sad time when I was unable to eat a bowl of porridge without weighing it first. Eating disorders, after all, are about far more than just worrying about being too fat, despite what popular myth suggests. Instead, I find it bewildering when I am applauded for losing weight. While I’ve found that congratulation is generally overtaken by concern when it dawns that you’ve “gone too far”, it’s still disconcerting to be praised for something that once led to me being bruised by my own bones when sitting in the bath. Something that came hand-in-hand with throwing slices of birthday cake in the bin when friends’ backs were turned and berating my mum for buying “overly large” pears. Something that, in case those last few sentences didn’t quite hammer it home, was a blatant symptom of a mental health problem. “You’ve lost weight” is only the compliment it’s usually intended to be as long as we all agree that getting lighter is generally A Good Thing. The myopia of such a belief is apparent whether you’ve experienced an eating disorder or not, but it was the process of rejecting all of that lovely celebration sponge, and later learning how to welcome it back with an open mouth, which conclusively brought it home to me. You see, when the punitive inner voice that had me burning off more calories than I ate each day finally departed, a softer but kinder one crept into its place. It reminds me, at times such as when realising that the charming little skirt I’d tried on in Topshop would make a better charming little snood, that being thinner isn’t inherently positive. It’s not the panacea for all of life’s ills that Instagram shots showing beaming clean eaters doing complex yoga poses while oceans lap attractively around their feet might suggest. It doesn’t necessarily make you more fulfilled or more energetic or have better sex – and it definitely doesn’t necessarily make you happier. Indeed, once you’ve got over the idea that bodies are beautiful only if they resemble the ones on The OC , weight loss is just a physical change; positives and negatives don’t come into play until you find out what’s behind it. And there are myriad possibilities here: bereavement, walking 20 minutes to a Tube stop every day because you don’t want to pay the fare from zone three, being so moonily in love that croissants seem less important (unlikely, but still). Anxiety. Illness. For me, six years ago, it involved bailing on parties, spitting out chocolate, and – one time – ramming my fingers down my throat over the toilet, only to realise I was being watched, wide- eyed, by the child I was supposed to be babysitting. Shrinking not just my body, but my mind and my ambitions too. And when it’s as complex as that, I’d rather we all just said something nice about each other’s jumpers.

2016-02-26 05:00 Sophie McBain www.newstatesman.com

65 WXIA - Local This feed's current articles are shown below. Subscribe for updates to all the content available in this feed, or click through here to see the original article. ATHENS, Ga. -- Devon Gales, a Southern University defensive back, is heading home to Baton Rouge with a wonderful gift. Emergency crews are working at the scene of what's being called a fatal accident just outside of Atlanta. Some drivers complain a construction project is causing confusion and difficulty making a right turn off of Atlanta Road. What is the best way to balance the U. S. budget? The 2016 presidential candidates certainly have their strategies for reducing the national debt which has soared to $19 trillion dollars. Firefighters are still mopping up after an apartment fire in Peachtree Corners on Thursday night. 11Alive has learned how a 16-year-old saved more than a dozen Clydesdales – including a three week old baby -- from a burning barn in Oconee County. Some might say that a contest to name Georgia’s newest baseball team has been extremely fruitful. Can one person be mayor and city manager at the same time? Georgia Institute of Technology researchers have developed a way to make drumming even more interesting. An exclusive 11Alive News/Survey USA poll says a two-thirds of Georgia voters feel that growing marijuana for medical purposes should be made legal in the state. With the medical marijuana cultivation bill gutted, its sponsor seeks a statewide vote It's a subject that seems almost taboo. It's there, but no one really talks about it. For the first time, the public is getting a look at the aunt held responsible for the death of her four- year-old nephew. LITHONIA, Ga. -- The father of a teenager allegedly choked by Lithonia's police chief is calling for an apology and justice. The outcome in the case of a controversial, deputy-involved shooting death could rely, in part, on a decision under the gold dome. Casino bill re-animates as legislative session heads to its conclusion Investigators are back on the scene of a deadly house fire that killed and mother and her daughter. ATLANTA -- Atlanta police have made an arrest in a shooting that injured four people in downtown Atlanta. NORCROSS, Ga. -- Police have arrested a 17-year-old man in the murders of a teenage couple whose bodies were found in a Norcross neighborhood. Firefighters in Gwinnett County narrowly escaped after a partial roof collapse at a Lawrenceville apartment complex. Two more travel-related cases of the Zika virus have been confirmed in Georgia, the Georgia Department of Public Health confirmed on Thursday. Ahead of the March 1 primary vote in Georgia, 11Alive sat down with high school students who've been learning a good bit about the journey to voting rights. An exclusive 11Alive poll conducted by SurveyUSA shows Donald Trump marching through Georgia on Super Tuesday with a win. The poll was conducted after Trump's wins in Nevada and South Carolina. Three years ago, a young woman was murdered in broad daylight. Now, two pieces of evidence may be the key to solving who killed Monique Marlowe. The 11-month-old injured in a crash that killed his dad has died. While reporting on breaking news about a shooting near the campus of Georgia State University, an 11Alive crew discovered a possible piece of evidence. A reoccurring problem on an Atlanta street has turned into a double headed monster. An Atlanta Police Department officer was hospitalized after an accident early Thursday morning.

2016-02-26 04:24 rssfeeds.11alive.com

66 USATODAY - World Top Stories This feed's current articles are shown below. Subscribe for updates to all the content available in this feed, or click through here to see the original article. However, organizers say virus "will not affect our Games" Video captured the incident in Guam. No one was hurt. French officials tried to convince hundreds of migrants in a camp in northern France to leave Friday, after a court approved the government's plan to demolish part of it. Voting gets under way in Ireland in an election which could see it become the latest eurozone country to face political instability as anger against hardship and austerity erodes support for traditional parties. Video provided by AFP Made in China? Don’t count on it. KATHMANDU, Nepal - A small plane carrying 11 people crashed Friday in mountainous western Nepal, in the country’s second deadly plane accident this week, officials said. A Syrian truce brokered by the USA and Russia is supposed to begin midnight Friday, in Damascus time. "History would judge us harshly" if U. S. didn't try to resolve Syrian civil war, president says. New research associates the virus with damage to tissue outside the central nervous system for the first time. A specially equipped plane from the U. S. Antarctic Program will fly to the rescue of 30 researchers. A British man would like for you to call him Mr. Cheeseburger. His fiancee, the soon-to-be Mrs. Cheeseburger, probably isn't thrilled. Video provided by Newsy “I heard that babies are being born with serious defects, and small brains,” says a 13-year-old who is 32 weeks pregnant Squads go door to door to raise education, search for mosquitoes But World Health Organization says "evidence is growing stronger" Mothers of kids with microcephaly search for answers USA Today Sports travels across Brazil and finds out what action is being taken to combat Zika and its potential heartbreaking complications. The Air Force has fixed many morale problems of the nuclear missile force, but equipment is aging. At first they were welcomed. Iran's President Hassan Rouhani is hoping his moderate allies can score a breakthrough against conservatives in elections on Friday. Neil Bantleman and Ferdinant Tjiong had been sentenced to 10 years last April by the South Jakarta District Court. LONDON — “Serious failings" at the BBC allowed British DJ and TV presenter Jimmy Savile to sexually abuse scores of people for decades, but there is no evidence that senior bosses knew of the abuse, a report found Thursday. "That is part of our strategy for closing the prison," the White House press secretary said Wednesday. rssfeeds.usatoday.com 2016-02-26 09:19 rssfeeds.usatoday.com

67 Port Huron - News This feed's current articles are shown below. Subscribe for updates to all the content available in this feed, or click through here to see the original article. Officials say St. Clair and Sanilac counties could be digging themselves out of the snow through Friday afternoon. The heavy, wet snow dumped on St. Clair County last night may not be ideal for driving, but it makes for a great donut. Doctors testified Wednesday that a woman accused in the death of her 16-month-old son struggled with health issues. The Rockin' the Rivers concert series at Kiefer Park in Port Huron has returned. Visitors talk about their favorite vendor foods to eat while listening to the music. The Canadian Coast Guard’s Samuel Risley will be clearing ice out of the St. Clair River’s North Channel today. Testimony is scheduled to continue this morning in the trial of a woman charged with killing her 16-month-old son. Some of Gov. Snyder’s top advisors pushed to move Flint back to the Detroit water system because of quality problems Michigan Law Enforcement Torch Run hosted their annual polar plunge to raise money for the Special Olympics Michigan Emails show several people in Gov. Rick Snyder’s inner circle received information about Legionnaires’ cases in March 2015. A state lawmaker has introduced legislation to legalize recreational use of marijuana in Michigan. Scattered flurries are likely through the morning. The following schools will be closed Friday: A 27-year-old Port Huron man remains hospitalized after police said he caught his house on fire while cooking methamphetamine, a volatile and hazardous process. Roger Hewlett will give a video presentation at 6:30 p.m. March 3 at the St. Clair Library Seminars offer information about how to catch Lake Huron's big fish A Thumb-area wind turbine toppled to the ground early this morning. A child’s body that was found in a burned-out vacant house in Detroit has been identified as a 4- year-old girl who was the subject of an Amber Alert. The board is expected to take action on the recommended boundary changes during a special meeting Monday. All non-essential St. Clair County and city of Port Huron offices are closed today due to inclement weather. A winter storm warning remains in effect until 11 a.m. today. Port Huron City Council members will set goals and priorities for next year during a special meeting on Tuesday. Tiana Carruthers was at a playground late Saturday afternoon at her Richland Township apartment complex with her young daughter, a niece and three other children when a man pulled up to the curb in a silver-colored SUV and motioned for her to come ov

2016-02-26 10:28 feeds.feedblitz.com

68 WUSA - News This feed's current articles are shown below. Subscribe for updates to all the content available in this feed, or click through here to see the original article. Breezy and cold Friday with early morning wind chills in the 10s and 20s. Dress for the 30s Friday. Still cold Saturday then much warmer Sunday. WASHINGTON (WUSA9) – A judge will sentence a former D. C. police officer to prison time Friday after he pleaded guilty to multiple sex crimes. A man was stabbed at the D. C. McDonald's near the Verizon Center Thursday morning, Metropolitan police said. Two people were struck by a vehicle in Falls Church Thursday morning, Fairfax County officials said. HOUSTON (USA TODAY)— In their final face-off before Super Tuesday, the five Republican candidates — Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, John Kasich and Ben Carson — took the stage in Texas for their 10th primary debate. WOODBRIGDE, Va. (WUSA9) -- This story has a sad ending. It's a story about a place that's full of stories. ARLINGTON COUNTY, Va. (WUSA9) -- Controversy is brewing in North Virginia as a retail gun shop plans to open their doors in Arlington's Lyon Park neighborhood.

2016-02-26 10:28 rssfeeds.wusa9.com

69 Christian Science Monitor | All Stories - powered by FeedBurner Black truffle oil makes this open-faced sandwich a decadent meal for breakfast, lunch, or even a snack. Pair with a salad made from spicy greens such as arugula. Researchers have identified the gene responsible for the asymmetrical twisting of snail shells. Pollinator populations around the world are declining, threatening hundreds of billions of dollars worth of agriculture. Humans are part of the problem, say scientists, but they can also be part of the solution. A Christian Science perspective: An illuminated understanding of Love conquers the darkness of hate. Fourteen others were wounded in a shooting spree in the small Kansas town of Hesston. Authorities say the shootings were not related to terrorism. Laura Secor looks at the generation of Iranians who inherited a country transformed by the Islamic Revolutions of 1979. Apple is offering an apology and easy fix for 'Error 53,' which had people watching their their iPhones turn to bricks after updating their iOS. Geneticists sequenced the Y chromosomes of Aboriginal Australians and found evidence that the population was isolated for tens of thousands of years. Americans for Tax Fairness is accusing Pfizer of seeking to avoid $35 billion in US taxes with its plan to buy fellow drugmaker Allergan in a deal structured to nominally move Pfizer's address to lower-tax Ireland, Allergan's home. At Thursday's debate, Senators Rubio and Cruz seemed newly willing to tangle directly with Donald Trump. Plus, 'the fruit salad of our lives.' Physicists Umberto Cannella and Daniel Whiteson's animated video explains how gravitational waves work, Wynonna Judd's album 'Wynonna & the Big Noise' sounds more like Bonnie Raitt or the Allman Brothers Band than anything on country radio, and more top picks. A county sheriff said the suspected gunman is dead. The shooting in south-central Kansas comes less than a week after a man opened fire in Kalamazoo, Michigan. A draft UN Security Council resolution would subject cargo ships leaving and entering the North to mandatory inspections. The council is expected to vote on it this weekend. March may not seem like the most exciting time to shop, especially since it lacks major sales holidays. But March is still an excellent time to pick up deals on certain essential household goods. Donald Trump isn't releasing his tax returns, and Republicans will grill him about it. But don't expect him to change his approach – at least, not yet. One of the nominees in the middle of the Academy Awards controversy shows how Hollywood can better value diversity. As Sri Lanka demilitarizes, women are still fighting for their right to be heard in the political process and on tea plantations. Quantum dots, a technology brimming with promise but held back by hurdles in the research, have taken another bound forward in their efforts to break free and revolutionize the electronic landscape. The American astronaut returns next week from the International Space Station, from what is likely his last space mission. His trip back to Earth will be relatively quick, though not necessarily easy. An Oscars ad will highlight TOMS, the company whose sustainable-philanthropy program has given away 50 million shoes. But critics say that what 'free' philanthropy sustains is poverty itself. The request to vacate marks the latest salvo in a court fight that could create meaningful precedent and establish new legal boundaries in the policy between national security and digital privacy. The right of citizens to tape police has been disputed by a court ruling in Pennsylvania, but the ACLU and free speech advocates object and promise an appeal. The government is collaborating with Facebook, Twitter, and other tech firms to support online campaigns that counter extremists' recruiting efforts. As Americans rethink how animals should be treated – from food production to SeaWorld shows – zoos face an uncertain future. New ideas are emerging. A federal appeals court has barred employers from taking tips to share evenly among the staff. The ruling could change how some businesses collect tips. Wegmans is consistently cited as one of the nation's best-loved retailers, and it tops the American Customer Satisfaction Index's grocery store rankings once again. What sets Wegmans apart? At least half a dozen people were killed as a result of severe weather in the southeast part of the country. Arizona Rep. Matt Salmon announced his retirement on Thursday from Congress in order to spend more time with his family. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton was confronted with past stances on racial issues at a campaign event on Wednesday. The company has vowed to end the practice, but defended its use as a means to protect its staff and animals. The same habits that you apply in other areas of your life, like discipline and patience, can also be applied to money management. Greece recalled its Austrian ambassador on Thursday, and expressed displeasure with a meeting of Balkan nations outlining a strategy for migration that may impact its own rapidly increasing refugee count. The World Trade Organization dealt a damaging blow to India's solar panel industry Wednesday, and it's all thanks to legality complaints from the US. Join Passcode and Internet Society Friday, Feb. 26, at 9 a.m. for a discussion on the Privacy Shield deal and the challenges it may face from European data regulators and privacy advocates. This white cheddar buttermilk biscuits recipe comes together quickly, especially with the help of a food processor, to make fluffy biscuits perfect for breakfast! They freeze well, too, and are easily baked from frozen for quick breakfasts made ahead of time. One of the world’s most successful and versatile materials is also a potential environmental disaster. The Supreme Court will soon determine the legality of state-initiated abortion laws, but they may not be as big a deal as both sides of the argument claim. The Republican establishment has some potential strategies for stopping Trump, but the clock is ticking. Some 8 in 10 Hispanic voters have an unfavorable view of Mr. Trump, and more than 7 in 10 have a 'very unfavorable' impression of him, more than double the percentage of any other major candidate.

2016-02-26 02:35 rss.csmonitor.com

70 All Properties - Nation Now This feed's current articles are shown below. Subscribe for updates to all the content available in this feed, or click through here to see the original article. The candidates met for the 10th time, and last, before Super Tuesday. Made in China? Don’t count on it. Being a Hollywood starlet during awards season is glamorous, but also a lot of work. In a Texas showdown, Republican presidential candidates stretched the truth in the last debate before Super Tuesday. The federal government has been making efforts just to get more Americans to Square One. Happy Friday, For the Record friends! Thursday night marked yet another #GOPDebate, and we of course tuned in so you didn't have to. A court order seThe gunman who opened fire at the Kansas factory where he worked, killing three people and wounding 14 others before he was shot dead, was served a court order 90 minutes before the incident, Harvey County Sheriff T. INDIANAPOLIS -- An Indiana state Senate committee on Thursday effectively tabled a controversial proposal to prevent Tesla Motors from selling cars in Indiana under its current business model. The father of a 5-year-old Afghan boy who received autographed shirts from Lionel Messi says they are eager to travel to Spain to meet the soccer great Wall Street chart watchers say the S&P 500 has climbed above a key price level, and could eventually set its sights on the 2,000 level. The biggest news to start your morning. How to improve your TV's picture quality, deal with a frozen computer and spot sketchy emails. In a move that it says will significantly benefit its shareholders, Hilton Worldwide (HLT) announced Friday that it would spin off chunks of its business to create two new companies. Sparks were flying at the Houston debate. McDonald's sells nearly 25% of their The Filet-O-Fish sandwiches during Lent, when many Catholics forgo meat on Fridays. “He should pay for it. He’s got the money.” Forty-five years ago, Lou Groen's career began its turn from rags to fishes. The directors of 'Inside Out' and 'Anomalisa' got real before Sunday's ceremony. The Minuteman III missiles, which date to the 1970s, have a range of 6,000 miles and travel at speeds of up to 15,000 miles per hour. It's the second full ski season since Colorado legalized recreational marijuana sales. Surely, Todd Pletcher will saddle a horse in the Kentucky Derby in a few months What are the chances of Donald Trump forcing a brokered Republican convention? Time to get serious about making predictions for the big night. Patrick Foster and Jim Lenahan talk music weekly on 'Dad Rock,' a podcast from USA TODAY

2016-02-26 10:13 rssfeeds.usatoday.com

71 71 World news: breaking news and current events - powered by FeedBurner The US Justice Department wants Apple to help access encrypted information stored on Farook’s iPhone 5C. The info stored in the phone of one of San Bernardino killers was asked by the F. B. I. and a court order was obtained. But now, Apple asks US court to overturn San Bernadino ruling. Even more, Apple CEO Tim Cook is ready to take the iPhone case all the way to the Supreme Court

2016-02-26 10:12 feeds.feedburner.com

72 WXIA - Home This feed's current articles are shown below. Subscribe for updates to all the content available in this feed, or click through here to see the original article. Emergency crews are working at the scene of what's being called a fatal accident just outside of Atlanta. 11Alive has learned how a 16-year-old saved more than a dozen Clydesdales – including a three week old baby -- from a burning barn in Oconee County. Can one person be mayor and city manager at the same time? Today: Becoming sunny. Cool. High: 52. Tonight: Clear skies. Chilly. Low: 32. CLICK HERE FOR FORECAST HOUSTON — In their final face-off before Super Tuesday, the five Republican candidates — Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, John Kasich and Ben Carson — took the stage in Texas for their 10th primary debate. Georgia Institute of Technology researchers have developed a way to make drumming even more interesting. Some might say that a contest to name Georgia’s newest baseball team has been extremely fruitful. An exclusive 11Alive poll conducted by SurveyUSA shows Donald Trump marching through Georgia on Super Tuesday with a win. The poll was conducted after Trump's wins in Nevada and South Carolina. Casino bill re-animates as legislative session heads to its conclusion Firefighters are still mopping up after an apartment fire in Peachtree Corners on Thursday night. Two more travel-related cases of the Zika virus have been confirmed in Georgia, the Georgia Department of Public Health confirmed on Thursday. Go behind the "wheel" starting Thursday, February 4 for Crash's Road to Riches Sweepstakes. MENOMONEE FALLS, Wis. - Kohl's Corp. says it will close a small fraction of brick-and-mortar stores as it meets the needs of its online customers. Investigators are back on the scene of a deadly house fire that killed and mother and her daughter. A mom is calling for a student to be expelled over a horrifying case of bullying at Gwinnett County's Lanier High School. For the first time, the public is getting a look at the aunt held responsible for the death of her four- year-old nephew. NORCROSS, Ga. -- Police have arrested a 17-year-old man in the murders of a teenage couple whose bodies were found in a Norcross neighborhood. LITHONIA, Ga. -- The father of a teenager allegedly choked by Lithonia's police chief is calling for an apology and justice. A kindergarten teacher is behind bars after admitting to having sex with a 14-year-old boy multiple times. With the medical marijuana cultivation bill gutted, its sponsor seeks a statewide vote The 11-month-old injured in a crash that killed his dad has died. The Zika virus may cause more extensive birth defects throughout the body than scientists previously thought, according to a new study released Thursday. The outcome in the case of a controversial, deputy-involved shooting death could rely, in part, on a decision under the gold dome. It's a subject that seems almost taboo. It's there, but no one really talks about it. In a statement issued late Wednesday, University of Tennessee football coach Butch Jones denied allegations that he told one of his players that he "betrayed the team" for helping another person. Two more women joined a wide-ranging lawsuit against the University of Tennessee on Wednesday, alleging they were sexually assaulted by football players, and that the assaults occurred because of an unsafe culture of athletes partying and misbehaving

2016-02-26 10:20 rssfeeds.11alive.com

73 Livingston - Home This feed's current articles are shown below. Subscribe for updates to all the content available in this feed, or click through here to see the original article. New Brighton City Manager Nate Geinzer sees many positives in career move Students shouldn't have to worry about making up snow days this summer Some of Gov. Snyder’s top advisors pushed to move Flint back to the Detroit water system because of quality problems Livingston County residents were largely spared from widespread damage as a result of the winter storm. A child’s body that was found in a burned-out vacant house in Detroit has been identified as a 4- year-old girl Nearly 300 expected for Sunday grand opening of Made 2 Inspire Boutique State social workers took Angela Donnellon’s niece from her biological mother, when she was 2 days old in 2014. Coast-to-Coast railroad service between Detroit and metro Grand Rapids, with a stop in Howell, judged viable. Neighbor says Jason Dalton would regularly shoot off his guns, sometimes for hours at a time. Programs in Detroit and Flint keep more families together for a fraction of what the state spends on foster care. The Pinckney and Brighton girls basketball teams won while the Fowlerville boys lost on Tuesday night LANSING - The courts took away one man's four daughters without charging him with a crime. Parent advocates say Michigan erects a wall between kids and their families because DHHS is the only agency helping parents overcome their struggles and at the same time is their courtroom opponent, logging those struggles as possible evidence agains Eighty percent of a typical fire department's calls are first responder. So why so few lady firefighters? Emails show several people in Gov. Rick Snyder’s inner circle received information about Legionnaires’ cases in March 2015. A state lawmaker has introduced legislation to legalize recreational use of marijuana in Michigan. Norris Burkes is a syndicated columnist, national speaker and the author of “No Small Miracles.” The Brighton girls basketball team concluded the regular season with a 13-7 overall record The Hartland wrestling team sets out for Mt. Pleasant hoping to return with its first team state wrestling championship Trump has changed political stripes five times to get what he wants. It’s hard to fathom how a political party could put such a liar as Hillary forward The state should have stepped up to its responsibility purchased all water for Flint.

2016-02-26 10:19 rssfeeds.livingstondaily.com

74 Mumbai Crime: 10 thefts in a month turn residents into watchmen A sudden spurt in robberies across Badlapur (East) in the last one month is giving sleepless nights to the locals, who are now taking turns to keep vigil outside their respective societies. Naresh Kharat was one of the five victims whose residence was targeted in the wee hours of February 10 The worst affected is the Mauli Nagar society, near old Kartap Road, whose residents have formed a group of 16 that patrols the area every night ever since the society witnessed four break- ins in the wee hours of February 10. The decade-old society comprises 150 flats, distributed across eight wings. Residents of Mauli Nagar society, including Shrikant Shinde (in black sweatshirt), patrolling their area on Monday night When this correspondent visited the society on Monday at 11.45 pm, a group of 50 people, most of whom were armed with lathis, were seen patrolling the area. What has compounded the matter is the limited patrolling done by the police, who claim to be facing manpower crunch. Victims speak Narrating his ordeal, A-wing resident Naresh Kharat said, “We woke up after hearing a loud thud. And what we saw next — five masked men starring at us — scared the living daylights out us. Two others were guarding the door. They threatened us with a knife and ordered us in Hindi to handover whatever gold and cash we had at home. They took away 40 grams of gold, Rs 80,000 and my cellphone. Before leaving, one of them placed a knife on my daughter’s throat and warned us of dire consequences if we opened our mouth. I begged him to spare her life. None of us could sleep properly after that night. So we decided to visit our hometown for a few days.” Kharat, who works as a gardener at BMC headquarters, is physically challenged. He said the incident had scared the family to such an extent that they — Kharat, his wife and two children — left for their hometown in Baramati and returned on Tuesday. Another A-wing resident, Shrikant Shinde, a BMC schoolteacher, said, “My father passed away on January 31 following which we went to our native place to perform final rites. When we returned home on February 10, the apartment was ransacked. Thieves stole gold (30 gm) and cash (Rs 70,000).” Shinde said he discovered about four more robberies in the area, including the one at Kharat residence, when he went to register a complaint at the police station. He also mentioned about a robbery in the adjacent society, Valkunji, where the dacoits tied the entire Akal family before decamping with the booty. Division of labour Commenting on the vigil kept by the residents, Siddeshwar Gawde from A-wing said, “This sudden rise (in robberies) has stunned us all, which has resulted in a fear psychosis among the residents. Initially, one member from every family was part of the patrolling team. But we realised that it was impossible to continue like this, as we have to report to work the next morning. Then we decided to take turns. So now, two volunteers from each of the eight wings patrol the area with volunteers from adjacent societies.” B-wing resident Amol Ohal said he has transformed his second-floor apartment into a fortress by installing motion censors, CCTV cameras and a heavy-duty safety door. “We stay awake the whole night fearing that we could be the next victims. Every stranger or an unknown vehicle in the area is looked at with suspicion,” he added. Cops speak Speaking to mid-day, DCP (Ulhasnagar division) Vasant Jadhav said he was aware about locals patrolling the areas and said they were police mitra (police friends), jointly working with the cops. “About five robberies were reported in a single day. Since then we have increased patrolling in the area. The police mitra are helping us as we are understaffed. A few suspects were picked up during the course of investigation, but were let off for lack of evidence.” Senior Inspector D N Patil from Badlapur East police station said, “Residents and police are working together to tackle this menace. People have also started installing CCTV cameras to keep an eye on the happenings in their areas.”

2016-02-26 15:08 By Faisal www.mid-day.com

75 Military Times - Adventure This feed's current articles are shown below. Subscribe for updates to all the content available in this feed, or click through here to see the original article. Active-duty members traveling on Spirit Airlines will no longer have to pay baggage fees on up to two checked bags and one free carry-on, officials said. Seven marathons on seven continents in seven days. These Marine captains took the top spots, and set a new world record. It’s interesting to introduce experienced hunters and shooters to a new, unfamiliar rifle and, after they inspect it, ask, “So what do you think this would cost?” Three inaugural crewmates in Military Times’ new travel club are headed for the Caribbean. Obstacle course racing is hitting the big leagues with major prize money, a growing roster of world championship competitions, and now even prime-time TV coverage. But as 2015 Spartan Race champ Capt. Until a few months ago, Army Capt. Robert Killian hadn’t given much thought to obstacle course racing. Of course, the increasingly popular sport hadn’t given him much thought, either. Hours after getting the news that his NFL dreams would have to wait, former Staff Sgt. Nate Boyer found a new direction: Up, about 19,300 feet. Many of us may be dreaming of a white Christmas, but chances are good visions of warm, sandy beaches will be dancing in our heads soon enough, if winter winds haven’t pushed them there already. New Military Waypoint members are giving us some great travel ideas in hopes of winning one of three cruises — and to help launch this exclusive online community for military travelers. Read on to see what they’re posting, and go to MilitaryTimes. Most bass anglers today probably wouldn’t recall when the black bass was considered a second-class citizen and tournaments, if any, were usually local, small-money events. New Military Waypoint members are giving us some great travel ideas in hopes of winning one of three cruises — and to help launch this exclusive online community for military travelers. Centuries of rainfall and punishing Texas sunshine are slowly doing what cannon fire and barrages of Mexican bullets couldn’t back in 1836 — disintegrating the Alamo. Tuesday’s launch of the ORS-4 went awry when the experimental Super Strypi launch vehicle failed midflight. If there’s one thing the military community knows better than most, it’s how to travel. When it comes to hiring veterans, U. S. Customs and Border Protection has a great track record: Of its 21,000 agents, 28.8 percent are prior military. Ever since the Willys Jeep drove off the battlefields of World War II to become one of America’s favorite off-roaders, military gear has been crossing over into the off-duty pursuits of outdoors enthusiasts. Sgt. 1st Class Shawn Riley knows exactly what he’s going to do when he retires from his full- time job in the West Virginia Army National Guard. It’s the little things that can get you. A. J. Schurr came off the bench to run for two touchdowns and threw for the winning score to help Army beat Bucknell 21-14 on Saturday. If you really want to get your seasonal scare on, it’s time to head to the Gauley River. The heavy metal fanatics at Wargaming.net have put together a killer video of a World War II tank battle. Summer is over, but you can still get your outdoor fitness fun on at a slew of fun runs coming your way this fall. "Let’s face it, if you agree that a greater-than-300-yard, offhand shot borders on unethical, then we all need a rest," says Wayne Correia, longtime benchrest shooter. Three Army marksmen and one pentathlete are among the first 10 Americans to earn Team USA spots for the 2016 Rio games Defense Secretary Ash Carter told troops and veterans Tuesday that he's looking at some large-scale reforms for the military's personnel system, but that careers in uniform should remain distinct because not all civilian-sector solutions will fit the Whoa. Just one look at the rig we'd be using to fish for goliath grouper warned of the potential battle ahead. The term “game changer” generates simultaneous interest and revulsion among many outdoors new-product junkies.

2016-02-26 09:04 rssfeeds.militarytimes.com

76 Nepal plane crash-lands, passengers injured Kathmandu: An unspecified number of people were injured when an aircraft with nine passengers and two crew members on board crash landed in Nepal's Kalikot district on Friday, the media said. The aircraft belonging to Kasthamandap Air 'crashed' while it was bound to the remote Jumla district, Xinhua news agency reported. The Himalayan Times said an unspecified number of passengers were injured in the accident. The incident happened two days after a Tara Air plane crashed in Nepal, killing all 23 people on board. The Kathmandu Post also said that the crash landing took place at Chilkhaya. The single engine 9N-AJB aircraft had 11 people, including two crew members. Nepal Police spokesperson Madhav Raj Joshi said the plane was diverted from Jumla after it failed to land there. Nepal Army spokesperson Brigadier General Tara Bahadur Karki said a joint police-army team was on its way to the site. The Nepalgunj Air Traffic Controller suspected that some passengers may have sustained major injuries. Helicopters from Pokhara and Nepalgunj were ready for rescue operations.

2016-02-26 15:07 By IANS www.mid-day.com

77 India won't vacate Siachen glaciers: Manohar Parrikar New Delhi : India will not vacate the Siachen glaciers as Pakistan cannot be trusted and it may occupy the strategic location once it is vacated, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said on Friday. Manohar Parrikar India occupies the highest point in Siachen glaciers, the Saltoro Ridge which is located at 23,000 feet, he said. "If we vacate the position, the enemy can occupy the position and they would have the strategic advantage. Then we would have to lose many more lives. We know the experience of 1984 (Siachen conflict). "I know we have to pay the price and I salute our armed forces personnel, but we have to maintain this position. We have to man the strategic position. The position is very important from the strategic point. I don't think anyone in this House can take Pakistan's words for granted," Parrikar said during Question Hour. The statement comes few weeks after ten soldiers were buried alive under snow after their camp in the northern part of the Siachen glacier was hit by a major avalanche on February 3. The Defence Minister said so far 915 people have lost their lives in the last 32 years in Siachen, which comes to 28 lives every year. This has now been reduced to 10 lives every year. Parrikar said constant medical support is given to those serving in the Siachen glaciers which is six times more than the normal medical care. A total of 19 categories of clothing are provided to the soldiers in addition to various other assistance like snow scooters. "There is no supply shortage. ... We can't totally conquer nature," he said. Replying to another question, the Minister said the 7th Pay Commission has recommended substantial increase in benefits to those serving in hostile terrain and the Defence Ministry will ensure that defence personnel working in hostile terrain are compensated properly. "There will be an increase but I can't say how much," he said.

2016-02-26 15:02 By PTI www.mid-day.com

78 Livingston - News This feed's current articles are shown below. Subscribe for updates to all the content available in this feed, or click through here to see the original article. Some of Gov. Snyder’s top advisors pushed to move Flint back to the Detroit water system because of quality problems Emails show several people in Gov. Rick Snyder’s inner circle received information about Legionnaires’ cases in March 2015. A state lawmaker has introduced legislation to legalize recreational use of marijuana in Michigan. New Brighton City Manager Nate Geinzer sees many positives in career move Students shouldn't have to worry about making up snow days this summer A child’s body that was found in a burned-out vacant house in Detroit has been identified as a 4- year-old girl Livingston County residents were largely spared from widespread damage as a result of the winter storm. State social workers took Angela Donnellon’s niece from her biological mother, when she was 2 days old in 2014. Some school districts bump up annual water testing in reaction to Flint's water crisis situation The Brighton Township Zoning Board of Appeals meeting for Wednesday has been postponed Tiana Carruthers was at a playground late Saturday afternoon at her Richland Township apartment complex with her young daughter, a niece and three other children when a man pulled up to the curb in a silver-colored SUV and motioned for her to come ov 15-year-old who allegedly made threats to “do a Columbine” shooting at a local school district was “joking,” police say Court action that took place Feb. 5 in Livingston County Circuit Court LivingstonDaily.com is the only place to find all of the automotive deals in Livingston County. Howell, Brighton schools are weighing whether to send students home early, no decision has been made yet Authorities allege Kevin Roberts and Sharon Bath failed to adequately care for 70-plus feral cats on their property. Former MSU basketball player Anthony Ianni speaks to Brighton about bullying, being different and respect Coast-to-Coast railroad service between Detroit and metro Grand Rapids, with a stop in Howell, judged viable. DETROIT (AP) — A 34-year-old Detroit man has been charged in the deaths of a former Livingston County woman and her 4-year-old daughter who was the subject of an Amber Alert. A second round of water tests show 3 samples that are lead-positive

2016-02-26 10:06 rssfeeds.livingstondaily.com

79 US market extends gains, follow global shares higher A woman is reflected on an electronic board of a securities firm in Tokyo, Friday, Feb. 26, 2016. Asian shares were mostly higher Friday after U. S. stocks surged overnight following a recovery in energy companies and bank stocks. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara) Passers-by are reflected on an electronic board of a securities firm in Tokyo, Friday, Feb. 26, 2016. Asian shares were mostly higher Friday after U. S. stocks surged overnight following a recovery in energy companies and bank stocks. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara) People walk by an electronic stock board of a securities firm in Tokyo, Friday, Feb. 26, 2016. Asian shares were mostly higher Friday after U. S. stocks surged overnight following a recovery in energy companies and bank stocks. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara) A woman walks by an electronic stock board of a securities firm in Tokyo, Friday, Feb. 26, 2016. Asian shares were mostly higher Friday after U. S. stocks surged overnight following a recovery in energy companies and bank stocks. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara) 2016-02-26 15:00 Associated Press www.dailymail.co.uk

80 BA owner IAG reports big rise in profit British Airways and Iberia's parent company IAG reported a 64% rise in yearly pre-tax profits to €1.8bn (£1.4bn), helped in part by lower fuel prices. Fuel costs for the year were down 6.3% , and would have been 17.2% lower, but for a rise in the value of the dollar. IAG reports figures in euros but buys its fuel in dollars. Over the year the euro fell in value against the dollar. IAG said it had "undoubtedly been a good year". However, it added it had also been challenging because of the big movements in the currency and fuel markets and that "the benefits gained from lower fuel prices have been partially offset by the stronger US dollar". The price of oil has dropped around 50% over the year. IAG, whose airlines also include Vueling and Aer Lingus, said it was expecting next year's full- year profit to show similar growth to this year's. The company said it was on course to make an operating profit of €3.2bn next year. A number of top 100 UK company heads have been giving their views this week as to whether or not the UK should stay in the European Union. Willie Walsh, IAG's chief executive told the BBC he didn't think it would make much difference one way or the other to his business: "We've undertaken a risk analysis and we don't believe a vote will have a material impact on our business. " He also repeated his previous view on the chances of a third runway at Heathrow, saying he did not think one would be built because the government continued to delay decision making.

2016-02-26 13:53 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk

81 GOP doomsday is at hand: The Donald is positioned to win yuge on Super Tuesday Topics: AlterNet , Donald Trump , Las vegas , Nevada , Marco Rubio , Ted Cruz , Elections News , Politics News The Republican Party is running out of time and options to stop Donald Trump after winning as expected in Nevada’s Tuesday night caucuses, although party insiders are increasingly desperate about what to do. Trump, who was leading in Nevada polls—where he has a big Las Vegas hotel-casino—won his largest percentage yet in any of 2016’s caucuses and primaries, with 46 percent of the vote, which was almost twice as much as both Marco Rubio (24 percent) and Ted Cruz (21 percent) received. So far, 1.2 million Republicans in four states—Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada—have participated in caucuses or voted, in contests where 133 delegates have been at stake under party rules where 1,237 are needed for the presidential nomination. Cruz won Iowa. Trump has won everything since. And next week is when 15 states , with 699 delegates, will vote in primaries or hold the first stage in caucuses on March 1, so-called Super Tuesday. Right now, the latest polls in those states listed on RealClearPolitics.com show Trump ahead in nine of those states—Georgia, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Alabama, Tennessee, Virginia, Arkansas and Vermont. Cruz is ahead in Texas and Arkansas. And Ben Carson is ahead in Colorado, but that survey was taken in November, rendering it meaningless. If Trump wins all these states, he stands to gain upward of 400 delegates, where as the prior states only had 133 delegates in play and awarded some to non-winners. Beyond the math, the Republican Party establishment is in a real tizzy over what to do. An array of scenarios have been floated—such as pundits like Larry Sabato suggesting Rubio and John Kasich team up, creating a way to likely win Florida and Ohio in the fall. Others have pushed a Cruz-Rubio ticket. Still others have said true conservatives may need to back a third-party candidate. And other GOP strategists have suggested that maybe New York City’s former mayor Michael Bloomberg might be more acceptable than another Clinton presidency. Or they are saying principled Republicans might just have to sit this one out, while others respond that’s impossible, they cannot surrender the party’s brand. No matter the fanciful fantasy embraced, the reality is the clock is running out on the GOP to stop Trump’s hostile takeover of the party. This is not a conclusion based on the particulars of Trump’s showing in Nevada—as he is very well-known there—but more on the weaknesses of Rubio and Cruz as seen in that state. As Nate Silver at FiveThirtyEight.com noted, Rubio still hasn’t won a single state, and Cruz lost badly in Nevada and before that in South Carolina among constituencies thought to be his best supporters.

2016-02-26 13:24 Steven Rosenfeld www.salon.com

82 130,000 refugees vanished after being registered in Germany – media report The newspaper’s report is based on Germany’s Federal Interior Ministry’s official response to a request filed by the Left Party. The ministry provided two explanations for the phenomenon: the refugees either continued their journey to another European country or choose to live illegally within Germany. According to Frank-Jürgen Weise, the head of Germany's Federal Office for Migration (BAMF), there are as many as 400,000 asylum seekers within the country who have no ID documents and German authorities have proven unable to identify them, the head of the BAMF agency said in Berlin on Thursday. Last year, Berlin was unable to expel all illegal aliens to the country responsible for them, which according to the Dublin Regulation is the EU state a refugee first entered. Only one in 10 asylum seekers was returned to the country from which they entered Germany, and in 2014 it was one in five refugees. The reluctance of other European states to take back the refugees is understandable: Greece alone has witnessed a 21-fold growth in immigrants in one year. Out of the total of 45,000 so-called “takeover requests,” Germany filed to other states in 2015, only about 3,600 have been completed. At the same time, other EU states have “returned” to Germany some 3,000 asylum seekers, thus making the number of refugees that German authorities managed to distribute to other European states to mere 600, a tiny drop in the ocean of migrants that poured into Germany last year. Germany has welcomed an estimated 1.1 million refugees in 2015, mostly from the Middle East and Northern Africa, of which about a half are either without official documents or have disappeared. On Thursday, the Bundestag adopted new legislation, tightening asylum regulations. On Friday, German upper house of parliament, the Bundesrat, is set to hold a final vote on legislation aimed at making the influx of migrants more manageable. The new laws would facilitate deportation in the event that Germany does not recognize an asylum claim. The rules for family unification are going to be stricter, too, with asylum seekers now having to live two years in Germany before being given the right to invite their family members to join them.

2016-02-26 11:13 www.rt.com

83 ESL Discussions: English Conversation Questions / Debates: Speaking Lesson Activities Recommend the site on blogs, forums and other sites. Consider buying my 1,000 Ideas and Activities book. Send me 20 questions on a topic not already here. Mail to info [at] esldiscussions.com Free ESL Materials.com: A site containing links to free materials for ESL teachers and students.

2016-02-26 14:25 www.esldiscussions.com

84 Trump Rules in effect: The Donald fields softball questions while Hillary gets grilled Topics: Media Matters , Donald Trump , Hillary Clinton “ For now, Trump is generally considered a unicorn — a candidate who gets away with things no one else could.” Washington Post, February 22 . Switching back and forth between MSNBC and CNN last Thursday night as they aired competing, hour-long interviews with Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump , viewers ran the risk of whiplash. The threat lingered not just because Clinton and Trump were on opposite ends of the political spectrum, but because the tone and tenor of the two events seemed dramatically different. Here were some of the questions posed to Clinton from the MSNBC event’s co-moderators, NBC’s Chuck Todd and Telemundo’s José Díaz-Balart: By contrast, here were some of the questions posed to Trump from the CNN moderator, Anderson Cooper: Obviously, those questions don’t reflect everything asked over the 60-minute programs. And I’m not suggesting Trump didn’t get any policy questions during his CNN sit-down. But the vibe from MSNBC’s Clinton event was definitely, Midterm Cram Session, while the vibe from CNN’s Trump event leaned towards, People Magazine Wants To Know. (One week later, Clinton sat for a CNN town hall where she did not receive any of the light, lifestyle questions that were asked to Trump.) In a way, the interviews nicely captured the unfolding guidelines for the 2016 campaign season. With both Clinton and Trump enjoying big election wins last weekend and now apparently with inside tracks to their party’s nomination, we’re beginning to see signs about what the press coverage of a Clinton vs. Trump general election might look like. Bill and Hillary Clinton have been in the public spotlight so long, and have been sparring with the Beltway press for so many years, that so-called Clinton Rules have been established. They outline the informal guidelines media follow when covering the Clintons. The one-word distillation of the Clinton Rules? Negativity. Likely followed by distrust, snark , and condescension. Simple facts are considered optional and the Clintons are always, always held to a different, tougher standard than everyone else. By contrast, Trump has only been in the campaign spotlight for eight months but I’d suggest the media’s Trump Rules have already come into focus: Intimidation, aggrandizement, and a lack of curiosity. In other words, when you fly above the campaign season with a bird’s eye view, it seems inescapable that the press is being soft on the Republican, while at the same being hard on the Democrat. Have reporters and pundits given Trump a complete pass? Absolutely not. (See more below.) Just as with the Clinton Rules, there are always exceptions to the coverage. But in terms of a vibe and a feel, it’s hard to claim that Trump is getting hit with the same relentlessly caustic ( she’s doomed!) coverage that follows Clinton around everywhere she goes. Can anyone even imagine what the relentless, almost hysterical, press coverage would look like if Clinton rallies were marred by violence , and if she denounced campaign reporters as disgusting liars? So far, neither of those phenomena from the Trump campaign have sparked crisis coverage from the press. Some journalists are starting to concede the Trump Rules are in effect. The Washington Post just dubbed Trump a “unicorn” because he gets away with things no other candidate does. On Twitter, BuzzFeed editor Ben Smith suggested “there’s obviously been a trade, mostly on TV, of laying off his dishonesty and bigotry on exchange for access.”

2016-02-26 13:24 Eric Boehlert www.salon.com

85 Resolution introduced in US House to block sale of F16s to Pakistan Washington : A joint resolution to block the sale of eight nuclear-capable F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan has been introduced in the US House of Representatives, even as Secretary of State John Kerry on Friday defended the move, saying it is critical for Pakistan's fight against terrorism. "The government of Pakistan has been using weapons from the US to repress its own citizens and especially the people of Baluchistan," Congressman Dana Rohrabacher said yesterday after he introduced the resolution in the House of Representatives. "The deciding factor of whether to support this joint resolution is, for me, the arrogant and hostile actions taken by the government of Pakistan against the man who helped bring Osama bin Laden to justice," Rohrabacher said. Earlier this month, the Obama administration officially announced it would go ahead with the USD 700 million arms deal with Pakistan. Alleging that Osama bin Laden was a "mass murderer" of 3,000 Americans on September 11, 2001, Rohrabacher said anyone who helped bring him to justice is an "American hero". "The government of Pakistan arrested Shakil Afridi and continues to hold him in a cage. The arrest was a declaration of hostility toward the United States," he said. "Our government should not provide military equipment to Pakistan, let alone F-16s, as long as they are holding Afridi. His continued incarceration is an action which underscores that the government of Pakistan considers itself our enemy, not our friend," Rohrabacher said. Kerry, however, strongly defended the decision arguing that these fighter jets are a "critical" part of Pakistan's fight against terrorists. "The F-16s have been a critical part of the Pakistani fight against the terrorists in the western part of that country, and have been effective in that fight. And Pakistan has lost some 50,000 people in the last years, including troops, to the terrorists that are threatening Pakistan itself," Kerry told lawmakers during a Congressional hearing. A day earlier, former Republican presidential candidate Senator Rand Paul introduced the joint resolution in the Senate to block sale of F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan. The resolution (SJ Res 30) calls for prohibiting sale of eight F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan, which the State Department had recently notified to the Congress. It also calls for "prohibiting sale" of other military hardware to Pakistan including eight Advanced Integrated Defensive Electronic Warfare Suites (AIDWES), 14 Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing Systems (JHMCS). India is opposing the sale of F-16 to Pakistan, saying it disagrees with Washington's rationale that such arms transfers help to combat terrorism. Kerry said the US does not want to do things that upset the balance. "But we do believe that Pakistan is engaged legitimately in a very tough fight against identifiable terrorists in their country that threaten Pakistan," the top American diplomat argued. "They have got about 150,000 to 180,000 troops out in the western part of their country. They've been engaged in North Waziristan in a long struggle to clear the area and move people out. They have made some progress in that. Is it enough in our judgment? No," he said. "We think that more could be done. We're particularly concerned about the sanctuary components of Pakistan, and we're particularly concerned about some individual entities in Pakistan that have been supportive of relationships with some of the people that we consider extremely dangerous to our interests in Afghanistan elsewhere; Haqqani Network, prime example of that," Kerry said. Senator Bob Corker, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee has put a hold on the sale of F-16 to Pakistan. The Obama Administration, however, is hopeful that it would be able to overcome legislative challenges to proceed with the sale of F-16.

2016-02-26 14:43 By PTI www.mid-day.com

86 86 Budget, student clashes and Fifa: 11 things you might have missed this week 1) Budget This year's Budget - aimed at cushioning the poor and middle class from economic hardship - featured a halt on tax hikes, a freeze on thousands of non-critical public service jobs , plans for the trillion-rand nuclear deal put on ice , financially crippled state entities placed in the crosshairs and a R16.3-billion funding boost for higher education to help students. Watch this graphic artist's visual representation of Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan’s budget speech to help you understand the key points or read our 10 things you need to know about the 2016/17 budget. 2) University Violence Violence continued to erupt at several universities this week. The university suspended classes after a group of students vowed revenge after a Monday night protest (see video below) during a Varsity Cup rugby match ended with frustrated spectators assaulting them. Protesting students also vandalised a monument to CR Swart in front of the law faculty building and the SRC have said they want Jonathan Jansen to resign as recto r. In Mahikeng, protesting students set alight several buildings on the University of North West campus. The violence and vandalism started after members of the EFF’s Student Command disrupted the inauguration of the newly appointed Campus SRC. Students were advised to leave the campus for their own safety and would be given notice when the university will open again. 3) Zephany Nurse Trial Starts The trial of the woman who allegedly snatched Zephany Nurse from her sleeping mother's arms almost 19 years ago got underway in the Western Cape High Court. The woman, who pleaded not guilty to charges of kidnapping‚ fraud and contravention of sections of the Children’s Act, has said the infant was handed over to her at a train station. Another witness meanwhile claimed the woman tried to snatch her baby as well. 4) Durban Takes Top Spot For the second year in a row Durban was ranked higher than Johannesburg and Cape Town when it came to offering a 'high quality of life', according to a survey of world cities compiled by consulting firm Mercer. 5) SA Pulls Out of Darfur South Africa told the United Nations it was withdrawing its troops from the joint UN-African Union mission in Sudan's strife-torn Darfur this week. The decision to pull out comes after five weeks of intense fighting that have sent some 85,000 people fleeing in the Jebel Marra area while UN officials are seeking to verify reports of an additional 50,000 on the move. The 850 South African troops will end operations on April 15. 7) Recalls and Cancer Scares US chocolate giant Mars ordered a massive international recall of Mars and Snickers bars after a piece of plastic found in a snack. The company insisted that products sold locally are safe to eat. Meanwhile a US jury verdict linking regular use of Johnson & Johnson talcum powder to a woman's death from ovarian cancer has spurred new concern from consumers. 8) Africa's First Solar-Powered Airport Transport Minister Dipuo Peters will officially launch "Africa’s first solar-powered airport” at George Airport today. 9) Chesa Nyama Heads to USA Chesa Nyama is set to bring the iconic South African braai culture to America. The first store‚ in Nashville‚ Tennessee‚ is expected to open before the end of October 2016. 10) Will Tokyo Get the FIFA Nod? It is Tokyo Sexwale's day of reckoning on Friday as Fifa's 209 members will decide by secret ballot on who should succeed banned former president Sepp Blatter. A Fifa appeal committee on Wednesday reduced bans against Blatter and Michel Platini to six years but maintained they were still guilty of ethics breaches. A new poll recently showed two-thirds of fans have no faith in the organisation. 11) THE LIGHTER SIDE: Lip-Synching Gone Wrong A Chinese folk singer was caught on camera lip-synching during a live performance on national TV when she held her mic upside down.

2016-02-26 14:41 Staff Reporter www.timeslive.co.za

87 Quiz: Do you deserve an Oscar for your Academy Awards knowledge? Watch the Oscars on M-Net Movies Premiere (DStv channel 103) on Monday, February 29, at 3:30 in the morning and again at 19:30 in the Prime Time evening slot. Scroll down to take the quiz.

2016-02-26 14:37 Bianca Nkomo www.timeslive.co.za

88 Nuke test: The missile is the message _ the Pentagon hopes FILE - In this Saturday, Feb. 20, 2016 file photo provided by U. S. Air Force, an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile launches during an operational test at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. Like a giant pen stroke in the sky, an unarmed Minuteman 3 nuclear missile roared out of its underground bunker on the California coastline Friday, Feb. 26, 2016, and soared over the Pacific, inscribing the signature of American power amid growing worry about North Korea¿s pursuit of nuclear weapons capable of reaching U. S. soil. When it comes to deterring an attack by North Korea or other potential adversaries, the missile is the message. (U. S. Air Force via AP, File)

2016-02-26 09:01 Associated Press www.dailymail.co.uk

89 Police grills JNUSU president Kanhaiya, Khalid and Anirban together New Delhi : Delhi Police today interrogated JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar, Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya together for the first time at a south Delhi police station in connection with the sedition case. The questioning started in the wee hours on Friday and lasted for around five hours, before it resumed around 10.30 AM. The interrogation is taking place at R K Puram police station, a source said. In the first round of questioning, Kumar was confronted with Khalid and Anirban separately. In the second round, the three were grilled together. The interrogation is being conducted by at least two teams, said the source. He claimed that Kanhaiya has so far maintained that on February 9, he came out of his room only when he got to know about a possible confrontation between two groups over the event inside the campus and has dissociated himself with the event. While Khalid has so far denied having indulged in any anti-national sloganeering, Anirban challenged claims that the slogans pointed out by the police were anti-national in nature, the source claimed. By questioning the three together, the police is also trying to ascertain who the organiser of the event was, what steps were taken to stop what had happened there and the identities of the outsiders spotted in the video footage of the event. In the statement attached with the FIR, police had identified Umar and Anirban as the "main organisers" and later in the court, the investigators mentioned about the presence of "foreign elements" (outsiders) in the event. A Delhi court had yesterday sent JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar to one day police custody after the prosecution said that he was needed to be confronted with the other two arrested JNU students Khalid and Anirban in view of the discrepancies in their statements regarding the controversial JNU event. While Kumar was arrested on February 12 and sent to judicial custody five days later, Khalid and Anirban surrendered before the police on Monday, a day after they resurfaced in the varsity's campus. All three of them were arrested in a case of sedition and criminal conspiracy registered over the controversial JNU event against the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, in which anti-national slogans were allegedly raised.

2016-02-26 14:30 By PTI www.mid-day.com

90 The NS Podcast #137: Boris, Brexit and online abuse From pornography to surrogacy, too few of us are ethical consumers of bodies This week, Helen and Stephen discuss Boris Johnson's Vote Leave announcement. We hear from George Eaton on the latest dispatch-box battles. And tech-writer Barbara Speed joins to explore the dark side of online social networks. You also ask us: How do you explain Donald Trump? (Helen Lewis, Stephen Bush, George Eaton, Barbara Speed). You can subscribe to the podcast through iTunes here or with this RSS feed: http://rss.acast.com/newstatesman , or listen using the player below. Want to give us feedback on our podcast, or have an idea for something we should cover? Visit newstatesman.com/podcast for more details and how to contact us. Sometimes I wish I was better at maths, because there’s a diagram I really want to draw. Here are the two axes – up the side, need for item or service; across the bottom, responsibility for obtaining that item or service ethically. As your need for something increases, the ethical burden on how you obtain it diminishes. This model would be useful for conceptualising the morality of, say, stealing a loaf because your child was hungry. Squatting in an empty house because you are homeless. Buying a battery chicken because it’s the only way you can afford to eat any meat. Stranded on the wrong side of the line would be conflict diamonds, fur coats and setting yourself up as a bloodthirsty dictator in order to afford a gold toilet. In all of these cases, the need is non- existent, so the ethical obligations can never be met. Where I find my imaginary graph most useful, however, is in deciding how to feel about services involving human – often female – bodies. This helpfully refocuses the question on to those with the economic power in any given situation, whereas too often (even among feminists), it is the conduct of the seller that’s under scrutiny. Take sex work. It’s a term of abuse nowadays to say that a feminist is “sex-worker exclusionary”. It’s more interesting to ask, though, if buying sex is compatible with feminism. In the unbearable formulation of a million op-eds: Can You Be A Feminist And A Punter? I would argue that it’s difficult, and that any moral imperative is on the buyer not to shop around to find the migrant sex worker or street prostitute with the lowest price, but instead to ensure that whoever they are paying for sex isn’t being coerced (physically or financially) into acts they would rather not perform. The same goes for porn. I shudder to think of the number of guys who piously lecture me about feminism’s lack of attention to issues of class, then go home to get off on watching freelance workers with poor employment protection and terrible long-term career prospects carry out potentially dangerous physical labour. And most of them refuse even to pay for it. Anyone on the left who pretends to care about ethics shouldn’t watch porn if they don’t know how it’s made. A few years ago, I spent an instructive few months reading porn actresses’ memoirs and learned – surprise! – that an industry run by older men and relying on a turnover of young women in need of quick cash is prone to extreme abuse. In Oriana Small’s Girlvert , for example, she recounts going with her boyfriend to a porn set and being pressured to get him free merchandise. “Tyler’s eyes were shining like it was Christmas. He was told that any chick that went to the Anabolic warehouse and blew someone could have free shirts and hats.” Small tries to resist, so Tyler tries emotional blackmail. “He knew he could persuade me to do anything if he threw a fit or made a big enough commotion about it.” On set, the director tries to make her cry by asking her what her parents think of her becoming a “whore”, then convinces her to let Tyler urinate on her, saying the video will go only into his private collection. And then he releases it on a site called pissmops.com. It is worth noting that Small isn’t telling her story for sympathy, or arguing that porn is inherently harmful. (It isn’t a good advert for it, mind.) Later in the narrative, she gains more control over her career and co-workers, and she certainly doesn’t end up becoming a nun. The problem is that there is no pressure for the industry to be ethical, because sex, which is deemed to be a private matter, is involved. That is exactly the wrong way round; it should be particularly ethical because sex is involved. Naturally, this puts a heavy burden on consumers. Until recently, progressives used to congratulate themselves for watching scenes featuring Stoya and James Deen, a couple in real life as well as on screen. And then, two months ago, Stoya accused Deen of raping her. (He denies those allegations, as well as accusations made by others in the industry.) It turns out if you want to watch ethical porn you have to work quite hard. But so what? You won’t die without it. The latest point I’ve added mentally to my graph is surrogacy. On 5 March, an organisation called Families Through Surrogacy will be holding a conference in London. A news report in the lead-up to the event contained alarming language, speaking balefully of couples being “driven” to seek surrogates abroad to “commission a child”. This seems an oddly entitled way to refer to the use of someone else’s body. Every year, up to 2,000 surrogate babies are born on behalf of British couples, 95 per cent of them to mothers overseas. That is because currently, in Britain, surrogacy is permitted only as a non-commercial relationship. This is firmly the way it should stay; informal agreements might be more difficult where a personal arrangement becomes messy, but surrogacy should be seen as a gift, not a service with a monetary value. The rise of commercial surrogacy has led to women in developing countries such as India being encouraged to sign legally binding contracts that turn them into walking incubators. (The Sensible Surrogacy website offers women in Ukraine for $47,570 and those in Cambodia for $42,500; a “host” in the US will cost double that.) As women in the West leave childbearing until later in life – and struggle to conceive as a result – and as diminishing homophobia frees more gay men to have children, the demand for babies is sure to increase. And so there will be louder calls for the ban on commercial surrogacy to be overturned. That is something the left should resist. When it comes to bodies, experience shows that it’s a buyer’s market: those with the economic power set the terms. I only wish I could capture that truth on a graph, too.

2016-02-26 12:08 Barbara Speed www.newstatesman.com

91 Hanamanthappa's widow wants only daughter to join Army Nagpur: Wife of Siachen braveheart Hanamanthappa Koppad, Mahadevi Ashok Bilebal wants their only daughter to join the Indian Army when she grows up. Siachen braveheart Lance Naik Hanamanthappa Koppad's mother, wife Mahadevi and daughter. Pic/PTI 33-year-old Lance Naik Hanamanthappa, who epitomised grit and determination was miraculously pulled out alive from under 30-feet of ice-and-snow debris where he lay buried for six days on the unforgiving Siachen glacier, died on February 11. "I do not have a son but have no regrets for I have a lovely daughter. And I have one wish--to raise her into a strong Indian who will join the Indian Army when she grows up. That will be the true tribute to her brave father," the young widow of Hanamanthappa said in Nagpur on Thursday where she along with the jawan's mother Basamma were felicitated. Hanamanthappa's brother Shankar Gowda too was present on the occasion where wife of Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, Kanchan presented a cheque of Rs 1 lakh to the jawan's family. The soldier was laid to rest with full state honours, after thousands of people bid an emotional farewell to the Siachen braveheart at his native village of Betadur in Dharwad district of north Karnataka earlier this month. The youth wing Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and Yuva Jagaran Manch had organised a programme to honour the martyr. Sunil Ambekar, National Organising Secretary of ABVP, City Mayor Praveen Datke, retired Col Sunil Deshpande were also present. Counsellor manages to talk distressed HSC student out of suicide thought

2016-02-26 14:29 By PTI www.mid-day.com

92 Lawyers to challenge Indonesia court verdict on sex abuse FILE - In this Friday, Aug. 14, 2015 file photo, Canadian teacher Neil Bantleman, right, hugs his wife Tracy, left, after he was released from Cipinang prison in Jakarta, Indonesia. Indonesia top court has overruled the acquittal of Bantleman and his Indonesian colleague Ferdinant Tjiong and heightened their sentence to 11 years in jail for sexually abusing three young children at a prestigious international school in Jakarta. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim, File) FILE - In this Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2014 file photo, Canadian teacher Neil Bantleman, right, walks with Indonesian teaching assistant, Ferdinant Tjiong prior to the start of their trial hearing at South Jakarta District Court in Jakarta, Indonesia. Indonesia top court has overruled the acquittal of Bantleman and Tjiong and heightened their sentence to 11 years in jail for sexually abusing three young children at a prestigious international school in Jakarta. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana, File)

2016-02-26 14:26 Associated Press www.dailymail.co.uk

93 VFW post to build homeless veterans shelter in Prestonsburg PRESTONSBURG, Ky. (AP) - A Prestonsburg Veterans of Foreign Wars post plans to build a new shelter for homeless veterans in Floyd County. Members of VFW Post 5839 tell WYMT-TV (http://bit.ly/24szNew) the group began planning the shelter about six months ago out of a desire to help homeless veterans of eastern Kentucky. Project manager Calvin Howell says the shelter will house homeless veterans and their families, and will be next door to the VFW Post. It will hold about 24 people. The 6,000 square foot facility will have beds, a kitchen, computer, washer and dryer. VFW Members will help veterans access services to get them back on their feet, like mental health services or job placement. A ground breaking ceremony will take place in April. Members hope to open the shelter before the spring of 2017. ___ Information from: WYMT-TV, http://www.wkyt.com/wymtnews

2016-02-26 14:25 The Washington www.washingtontimes.com

94 94 Obama in Florida will tout benefits of economic stimulus WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama is heading to Florida to tout the benefits of the massive economic stimulus bill he signed shortly after taking office seven years ago. Obama pumped more than $760 billion into a then-slumping economy beginning in early 2009 in a frantic effort to halt the worst economic downturn in generations. It was an unsettling period for many Americans as hundreds of thousands of jobs disappeared, unemployment climbed into double digits and home values plummeted. Obama will argue during a stop in Jacksonville on Friday that the country is on a more solid footing because of this and other “tough choices” he made early in his first term. “I think by all measures … there’s no denying that the American people and our nation are in much better condition than it was seven years ago,” said Obama’s spokesman, Josh Earnest. Just a few Republican senators voted for the Recovery Act. Most GOP lawmakers opposed the measure and argue that taxpayers got too little in return on such a sizable investment. They would often taunt the administration by repeatedly asking, “Where are the jobs?” Money from the Recovery Act was spent on transportation infrastructure, clean energy and other public investments. Obama also used the money to cut taxes for middle-class and working families, provide businesses with tax relief and provide assistance to financially strapped states. Despite some high-profile failures on the clean energy front, the administration sees spending on the industry as a bright spot of the stimulus. The solar company Solyndra became the first business to get a federal loan guarantee under an existing program that Obama expanded under the stimulus. But the company failed soon after receiving the loan guarantee, at a cost to taxpayers of more than $500 million. Republicans and other critics sighted Solyndra as an example of wasteful spending under the program. In Jacksonville, Obama planned to visit a factory owned by Saft, which makes high-tech batteries. The company won a $95.5 million Recovery Act grant and matched that amount to build the factory, which produces the advanced lithium-ion batteries that power electric vehicles, among other uses. The factory employs about 300 people in the Jacksonville area, including veterans, Earnest said. Last month, Obama visited Detroit to highlight the recovery among U. S. auto makers. His decision to bail out the industry was also unpopular, but Obama says it’s another example of a tough choice he had to make early in his presidency that ended up benefiting the American people. ___ Follow Darlene Superville on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/dsupervilleap .

2016-02-26 14:25 The Washington www.washingtontimes.com

95 Infectious disease specialist talks on Zika virus emergence COLUMBIA, S. C. (AP) - A University of South Carolina specialist on infectious diseases is talking about the emergence of the Zika virus. Dr. Eric Brenner from the Arnold School of Public Health speaks at noon Friday in the Public Health Research Center on Assembly Street. His talk is free and open to the public. Brenner has worked for 35 years with disease control programs in South Carolina, with the Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization. Zika is rapidly spreading through Latin America, and scientists are studying the virus’ possible connection to babies born with unusually small heads. The birth defect called microcephaly can signal underlying brain damage. The virus has been found in 36 countries.

2016-02-26 14:25 The Washington www.washingtontimes.com

96 Economic Survey pegs growth at 7-7.5 percent for 2016-17 New Delhi : The Economic Survey for 2015-16 tabled in parliament on Friday pegged India's growth for the next fiscal at 7-7.5 percent. For the current fiscal, the survey estimated the GDP growth at 7.6 percent. Authored by Chief Economic Advisor in the Finance Ministry Arvind Subramanian, the survey said: "India's long run potential GDP growth is substantial, about 8-10 percent. "

2016-02-26 14:21 By IANS www.mid-day.com

97 Man accused of smuggling meth in tennis balls sentenced PASCAGOULA, Miss. (AP) - A Pascagoula man accused of arranging large shipments of meth from California to Jackson County has been sentenced to 23 years behind bars. The Sun Herald (http://bit.ly/1oLRc1U ) reports that 27-year-old Michael Wayne “Swisha” Hanzik Jr. was sentenced in U. S. District Court on Thursday after pleading guilty in August to possession with intent to distribute meth. U. S. District Judge Sul Ozerden also fined Hanzik $5,000 and ordered him to serve three years under post-release supervision. The judge says Hanzik had an “elaborate and extensive” involvement in the meth distribution ring. Hanzik was known for hiding the drugs inside tennis balls in his vehicle. He was arrested on March 24 during a traffic stop in Jackson County. Authorities seized the tennis balls from his car. ___ Information from: The Sun Herald, http://www.sunherald.com

2016-02-26 14:20 The Washington www.washingtontimes.com

98 Tony Blackburn: 'I've been hung out to dry by BBC' Tony Blackburn has said the BBC "hung me out to dry" over the Jimmy Savile inquiry and he will sue the corporation where he worked for nearly 50 years. Director general Tony Hall said the BBC had "parted company" with the Radio 2 DJ after he failed to fully co-operate with Dame Janet Smith's inquiry. The veteran DJ said the report included an accusation he was among celebrities who "seduced" a 15-year-old girl. Mr Blackburn, 73, denies the allegation and says he was cleared of wrongdoing. One of Britain's best known DJs, his Saturday afternoon Radio 2 show Pick of the Pops attracted several million listeners every week. He was the first DJ to broadcast on Radio 1 when it launched in 1967. BBC 'missed chances to stop abuse' by Savile BBC bosses 'aware' of Stuart Hall's sex abuse Dame Janet Smith report: Key sections Savile report reaction In his latest statement, he accused the inquiry of being a "whitewash" and said he had been "scapegoated for giving my honest account and best recollections of those events 45 years ago". Dame Janet's report said it had rejected the evidence given by Mr Blackburn that he had not been questioned at the time about the allegation involving the teenage girl. In an earlier statement, Mr Blackburn said the allegation made in 1971 was quickly withdrawn. The girl at the centre of the allegation took her own life later that year. Mr Blackburn said that neither Dame Janet's report into Savile, nor the BBC, made any suggestion he was guilty of misconduct with the girl, nor did a coroner's inquest or a subsequent police inquiry. Who is Tony Blackburn? Tony Blackburn, the son of a doctor from Guildford, was the first DJ to broadcast on Radio 1 when it launched in September 1967. He spent 17 years at the station and also presented Top of the Pops and was a weekly fixture on Noel's House Party. Prior to all that, he had broadcast on Radio Caroline South and then Radio London. After Radio 1, he was one of the launch presenters on Capital Gold. He has also hosted Radio 2's Pick of the Pops as well as regular bank holiday specials for the stations. He has also had shows on BBC London 94.9, BBC Radio Berkshire, the Magic network, BBC3CR and KMFM. In 2002 he won the ITV reality TV programme I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! Tony Blackburn profiled After the publication of Dame Janet's report - which looked into abuse by the late DJ Jimmy Savile and broadcaster Stuart Hall - Lord Hall said: "My interpretation is that Tony Blackburn fell short of the standards of evidence that such an inquiry demanded. " He said it was "one of the most important inquiries in the BBC's history and that has put an even greater responsibility on everyone who took part in that inquiry to co-operate fully and to be open". "So many survivors and witnesses have honestly and openly co-operated fully - and at great personal cost to themselves. "As Dame Janet has said, she's rejected his evidence and she's explained very clearly why. I have to take that extremely seriously. " Speaking to the BBC News Channel, Dame Janet said both senior BBC executive Bill Cotton and a senior lawyer said they had had conversations with the DJ. "[He] told me that no such conversation had taken place and this was not a lapse of memory on his part. They simply had not taken place and I rejected that evidence," she said. Her report into DJ Jimmy Savile and broadcaster Stuart Hall had found the BBC repeatedly failed to stop the pair's "monstrous" abuse because of a "culture of fear". Mr Blackburn referred to this conclusion in his own statement, saying: "Given Dame Janet Smith's concerns of a culture of fear in coming forward at the BBC, what whistle-blower at the BBC would ever come forward when they see the way they have hung me out to dry? "Sadly, today's news agenda should have been about the survivors of abuse carried out within the BBC but, by sacking me, they have managed to take the focus off those who have suffered so much," he added. "My lawyers are now considering all statements made by the BBC about me today and we will be taking action. " Fellow TV and radio broadcasters, including Piers Morgan and Eamonn Holmes, have been sending supportive tweets to the DJ throughout the day. Broadcaster Nina Myskow told Jeremy Vine on BBC Radio 2: "It should be a black day for the BBC because of the revelations about the whole Savile episode, but in fact that's been buried very cleverly by the BBC as usual by sacking Tony Blackburn. "

2016-02-26 11:07 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk

99 Corbyn: Labour would keep police and crime commissioners Labour plans to retain the posts of police and crime commissioners and make them "more accountable", Jeremy Corbyn has said. The party's 2015 election manifesto promised to abolish the elected roles, created by the coalition government. But Mr Corbyn described their role as "vital in a changing world". He was speaking as he launched Labour's campaign for the police and crime commissioner elections to be held across England and Wales on 5 May. The commissioners, who replaced the previous model of police authorities, have powers to hire and fire chief constables and set police strategy and budgets. They were first elected in November 2012 on a historically low turnout. Speaking in Birmingham, Mr Corbyn said his party had been "not necessarily in favour" of the establishment of police and crime commissioners but added: "We are going to keep them, we're going to make them more accountable, make it more democratic. " He said accountability was a "fundamental principle" of public services like the police. On his party's campaign, he added: "We want to return to the principle we introduced as a Labour government on community policing - policing by consent, and that's exactly what our candidates for police and crime commissioners are determined to do. " He also criticised cuts to police budgets, adding: "It is disgraceful that when the police are more vital than ever to keeping people safe, their numbers are being reduced. " The government has rejected Labour's attack on police budgets. Speaking in a Commons debate on Wednesday, Home Secretary Theresa May said overall police spending would increase to £12.3bn by 2020. Forces also have the power to raise extra money through council tax.

2016-02-26 11:07 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk

100 America has a white guy problem: From Donald Trump to #OscarsSoWhite, our “diversity problems” are all connected Topics: #oscarssowhite , #WeNeedDiverseBooks , Publishing , diversity , Racism , Sexism , LGBT , Donald Trump , Entertainment News “If Hollywood is the standard-bearer for opportunity,” wrote Stereo Williams for the Daily Beast , then we should all be concerned about the state of the film industry, where “there is both a casual ambivalence and quiet hostility towards broadening the range of opportunities for non-white stars to truly thrive in the mainstream.” We should be concerned, but not because of Hollywood. The monocultural mindset isn’t restricted to the entertainment industry, but extends to higher education and institutions in general, including the political sphere. The Republican party as a whole has long been accused of having a diversity problem , but it’s also true that none of the Democrats running for president this year—including dropouts Lincoln Chafee, Lawrence Lessig, Martin O’Malley, and Jim Webb–are marginalized people of color. “Both Clintons are white,” H. A. Goodman observes in the manner of declaring “The emperor has no clothes!” But, well, so is Bernie Sanders. (The debate over whether Jews are “white” mostly exposes the fact that whiteness is a cultural construct, which doesn’t mean it’s not real. “Food” is a cultural construct too, which is why Americans don’t consume roasted larvae, but other parts of the world do.) White institutionalism is everywhere, including in the liberal bastions of New York City. For Brooklyn magazine, Molly McArdle asked fifty New Yorkers in publishing for their thoughts on systemic racism of the book industry. “Publishing can’t afford to pay people enough to sustain themselves. We eat our young,” noted Kathryn Ratcliffe Lee, senior marketing associate at Harper Perennial. The senior editor at the New York Times Book Review, Parul Sehgal, shared stories of bullying: “I left a job because I had a boss talk me in a fake Indian accent as a joke. [At previous workplaces] I had a colleague call me uppity.” In advance of the Oscars, the New York Times asked Mindy Kaling, Ken Jeong, Jimmy Smits, and 24 others about the realities of working in Hollywood when one is a Not: not white, not male, not straight, not able bodied, not neuro-typical. These stars’ stories of discrimination will make steam come out of your ears. But given that the New York Times routinely gets called out for its own version s of #OscarsSoWhite, methinks the Grey Lady doth protest too much. Instead of criticizing Hollywood for its monocultural ways, that finger should be pointing at itself. The New York Times has a diversity problem. NPR has a diversity problem. Children’s book publishing has a diversity problem. The arts in New York City have a diversity problem. Again and again, statistics have been trotted out , with the overall conclusion being that the entertainment and news industry remains overwhelmingly homogeneous despite all the public handwringing about it. “The film industry still functions as a straight, white, boy’s club,” concluded the first comprehensive Annenberg Report on Diversity in Entertainment, “in which girls and women make up less than one-third of all speaking characters, and comprise a small percentage of directors and writers of the major studio and art house releases of 2014.” The stats for the small screen weren’t much better. For example, the Annenberg report determined that more women and girls showed up on TV than in films, but they were also far more likely to have misplaced their clothing along the way.

2016-02-26 11:07 Paula Young www.salon.com

Total 100 articles. Created at 2016-02-26 18:03