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Total 100 articles, created at 2016-04-26 06:03 1 AdWeek : All News - powered by FeedBurner Since CBS This Morning debuted in 2012, it's enjoyed steady gains for the network in the daypart. It's the fastest-growing... 2016-04-25 23:50 30KB feeds.adweek.com (7.03/8)

2 Hungarian weatherman fired after fart-filled wind forecast BUDAPEST, Hungary — A Hungarian TV weatherman has been fired after giving a windy forecast some oomph with a range of fart sound effects. Szilard Horvath used recorded (3.00/8) bottom noises to 2016-04-26 06:02 1KB newsinfo.inquirer.net 3 Bottled water infects over 4,000 people in Spain with norovirus

(2.00/8) BARCELONA, Spain — More than 4,000 people fell ill with norovirus in northeastern Spain after drinking bottled spring water contaminated with human fecal matter, local health officials said 2016-04-26 06:02 2KB newsinfo.inquirer.net 4 Obama sends more Special Forces to Syria in fight against IS

(2.00/8) By Roberta Rampton HANOVER, Germany, April 25 (Reuters) - President Barack Obama announced on Monday the biggest expansion of U. S. ground troops in Syria sin... 2016-04-26 01:39 9KB www.dailymail.co.uk 5 Still swimming in exile, Syrian refugee to carry Rio flame ATHENS, Greece — As a swimming-mad teenager in Syria, Ibrahim Al-Hussein was glued to his TV set for the 2004 Athens Olympics. Twelve years later in Athens, and now a war refugee who is 2016-04-26 06:02 4KB sports.inquirer.net 6 US flies F-22s to Romania as show of strength to Russia CONSTANTA, Romania — The US Air Force on Monday flew in two F-22 Raptor fighter jets to Romania as a show of strength to deter Russian intervention in Ukraine. The fighter jets landed at the 2016-04-26 06:02 2KB newsinfo.inquirer.net 7 Wisconsin school gunman was ‘bullied’ — former classmates ANTIGO, Wisconsin, United States — Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker on Monday called for a discussion on how to deal with bullying in schools after friends of a gunman who wounded two people outside 2016-04-26 06:02 4KB newsinfo.inquirer.net 8 A Washington ritual: Pentagon, Congress at odds over bases WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Pentagon thinks it has a winning argument for why Congress should allow a new round of military base closings. The case goes like th 2016-04-26 04:39 6KB mynorthwest.com 9 France to build Australia’s new submarine fleet as $50bn contract awarded Malcolm Turnbull announces DCNS awarded tender over Germany and Japan to build fleet of Barracuda-class submarines in South Australia 2016-04-26 03:04 3KB www.theguardian.com 10 Conspiracy Files: Who shot down MH17? A host of different theories surround the crash of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17. Was it shot down by a fighter jet or a missile - and if so, who fired it? 2016-04-26 03:33 19KB www.bbc.co.uk 11 Adolf Hitler School for Friendship and Tolerance, Trump Elementary among names suggested for school When a Texas elementary school decided to change its name from its current namesake, Confederate general Robert E. Lee, it sought suggestions from the public. And while school officials will get the final say in what the school will be renamed, that didn't stop... 2016-04-26 01:51 1KB www.chron.com 12 Even for the strangest town in Wales, our festival crowd must have been a sight You Asked Us: What would be a good night for Jeremy Corbyn in the local elections? From David Quantick hosting the pub quiz to Stuart Maconie singing karaoke, I can't imagine what the locals make of us. 2016-04-26 02:31 11KB www.newstatesman.com 13 Obama's sovereignty-slamming legacy tour Contact WND President Obama quietly slipped out of the country last week for a world tour intended to enhance his “legacy” as a globalist. His first stop was Saudi Arabia to reassure King Salman of America’s continued support for that brutal absolute monarchy, where Christians are forbidden to worship openly... 2016-04-26 02:48 5KB www.wnd.com 14 Why is it unspeakable to be a republican in Britain? It’s peak Britishness – we tolerate the Royal family alongside the other things we find a bit annoying but don’t do anything about. 2016-04-26 01:27 4KB www.newstatesman.com 15 Mona Lisa: research backs theory on male and female models, 'art detective' claims Silvano Vinceti used infrared technology to examine the painting and believes results show Da Vinci used both sexes as inspiration 2016-04-26 02:38 2KB www.theguardian.com 16 Scores & Stats The Chicago Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues are no strangers to many elements of the current script, with the former ultimately overcoming a... 2016-04-26 01:27 3KB scoresandstats.chicago.cbslocal.com 17 “All the Bengalis will only vote for you”: Zac Goldsmith’s ridiculous campaign song Jette Ga! (He Will Win). 2016-04-26 03:34 2KB www.newstatesman.com 18 SRSLY #40: Victoria, Undercover, Monument Valley In Annie Baker’s The Flick, we watch people watching movies On the pop culture podcast this week: extraordinary one-take film Victoria, BBC drama Undercover and mobile game Monument Valley. 2016-04-26 02:31 10KB www.newstatesman.com 19 Carolina Skydiving Team jumps at Come-See-Me tailgate party Four skydivers from Carolina Skydiving Team LLC performed by doing a jump at the Come-See-Me Tailgate Festival Saturday. This footage provided by the team was shot by a camera on one of the divers as she jumped and landed on a soccer field at the Winthrop Coliseum... 2016-04-26 01:03 2KB www.heraldonline.com 20 International bank transfer system hacked, Swift group admits World money exchange tells 11,000 financial institutions to update their software after US$81m was stolen from account of Bangladesh central bank 2016-04-26 02:15 4KB www.theguardian.com 21 Tourist in yoga airplane altercation allowed to fly to Korea HONOLULU (AP) — A tourist whose desire to do yoga on a plane led to his arrest is being allowed to leave Hawaii and return home to South Korea. U. S. Magistra... 2016-04-26 02:12 3KB www.dailymail.co.uk

22 Treatment center mascot dog found dead Foul play is suspected in the death of Tico, a once-homeless dog that adopted and guarded the state's treatment center for sex offenders in remote West Texas. 2016-04-26 02:30 2KB www.chron.com 23 Conductors' strike set to cause rail chaos Rail passengers on some of the busiest routes in the country face travel chaos because of a conductors' strike. Southern Railways warned it could not guarant... 2016-04-26 02:02 3KB www.dailymail.co.uk 24 Maine Sunday Telegram News The rift was revealed publicly on Monday, when Mayor Ethan Strimling delivered his budget message that criticized an effort by City Manager Jon Jennings... 2016-04-26 00:53 6KB www.pressherald.com 25 Top Venezuela court blocks bid to cut President Maduro's term Venezuela's supreme court rejects an opposition-backed constitutional amendment to cut short the term of President Nicolas Maduro. 2016-04-26 03:33 1KB www.bbc.co.uk 26 Liberia - the country that wants to privatise its primary schools Liberia has a radical plan to hand the running of all primary and nursery schools over to private companies and charities. 2016-04-26 03:33 4KB www.bbc.co.uk 27 Chernobyl's legacy 30 years on The 1986 Chernobyl disaster contributed to the USSR's downfall, changed perceptions of nuclear energy and affected vast numbers of people, writes Tom Burridge. 2016-04-26 03:33 6KB www.bbc.co.uk 28 LEADING OFF: Tribe gain star, lose star; Sale goes for 5-0 A look at what's happening all around the majors Tuesday: ___ ROTATING DOOR Cleveland, there's good news and bad news. The good: after a lengthy recovery, st... 2016-04-26 01:40 3KB www.dailymail.co.uk 29 Kids taken after 'Southern Momma' shoots up phones, burns mattresses Kids taken after 'Southern Momma' blew up phones, burned mattresses 2016-04-26 01:27 3KB rssfeeds.11alive.com 30 Tamir Rice shooting: Cleveland agrees $6m settlement The US city of Cleveland agrees to pay $6m (£4.14m) to the family of 12-year-old black boy Tamir Rice, shot and killed by a white policeman in 2014. 2016-04-25 22:41 2KB www.bbc.co.uk 31 Israel feels vindicated by congressmen pushing for more US military aid 83 senators send president letter asking to approve new defense package; Oren mocks Obama for saying world more peaceful; Shai: PM playing ‘dangerous game.’ 2016-04-26 01:15 5KB www.jpost.com 32 Slight chance for showers this afternoon Today: Partly sunny. 30% chance for rain. High: 80 Tonight: Partly cloudy. Low: 63 2016-04-26 01:11 1KB rssfeeds.11alive.com

33 Stabbing at SW Houston apartment leaves 1 dead A man was stabbed to death during a fight at an apartment complex in southwest Houston early Sunday. 2016-04-26 02:30 865Bytes www.chron.com 34 Kemp's ridley nesting season kicks off in Texas As tiny Kemp's ridley turtles make their way through the sand to take their first dip into the Gulf of Mexico, the serene sight looks like something out of a screensaver. But the nesting season, which kicked off last week, produces the magical sight at... 2016-04-26 02:30 1KB www.chron.com 35 Vigil set for missing teen after body is found in Shoreacres A vigil has been scheduled Tuesday evening in Shoreacres for a girl presumed dead on what would have been her 16th birthday. 2016-04-26 02:30 2KB www.chron.com

36 Report: Denton GOP candidate for sheriff threatens to beat transgender people Tracy Murphree, the GOP candidate for the Denton County Sheriff's Office, posted some questionable statements about transgender people on Facebook, the Dallas Observer reports. 2016-04-26 02:30 1KB www.chron.com 37 Vet who shot cat with an arrow facing Texas veterinary board this week A veterinarian that made international headlines last year for posting a photo on her Facebook page of a cat she shot and killed with an arrow is fighting to keep her veterinarian license this week in Austin. 2016-04-26 02:30 3KB www.chron.com 38 There are alternatives to parking in the Houston Zoo parking lot It seems not a week or so goes by without a new viral video featuring Houstonians bickering and feuding over a parking spot in the lot adjacent to the Houston Zoo. There's got to be a better way, right? 2016-04-26 02:30 3KB www.chron.com 39 China tops US list of countries targeted in 'freedom of navigation' exercises Indonesia, India and Philippines among other countries where Pentagon sent planes or boats to challenge territorial claims 2016-04-26 01:01 1KB www.theguardian.com 40 Harness digital technology to reduce socio-economic gaps, Gamliel says In an interview with the Post, Gamliel reveals how the country intends to use its status and know-how as the “startup nation” to harness digital technology to reduce socio- economic gaps. 2016-04-26 01:01 7KB www.jpost.com 41 Pro-white rallies cause tension over the weekend This past Saturday, Stone Mountain Park attractions were closed following a heated confrontation between police and two groups of protesters. 2016-04-26 00:57 3KB rssfeeds.11alive.com 42 New initiative to bring together Likud MKs with English- speaking immigrants in town hall meetings Project to begin with Haskel, who revealed conflicts of interest to promote parliamentary transparency. 2016-04-26 00:55 3KB www.jpost.com 43 The Times & The Sunday Times News and opinion from The Times & The Sunday Times 2016-04-25 17:40 568Bytes www.thetimes.co.uk

44 Livonia - News Livonia - News 2016-04-25 17:48 1KB rssfeeds.hometownlife.com

45 Protesters deliver petitions calling for repeal of HB2 to NC governor VIDEO: Protesters carrying boxes of petitions marched to N. C. Governor Pat McCrory's office Monday morning, April 25, 2016. The petitions were collected by a coalition of groups calling for repeal of the controversial bill. 2016-04-26 02:32 2KB www.charlotteobserver.com 46 On campaign trail, Kasich asks little girl for "snuggle" John Kasich was campaigning at a diner in South Philadelphia Monday, when he had this awkward exchange with a wary little girl. 2016-04-26 03:46 955Bytes www.cbsnews.com 47 Report says married couples are more likely to have successful family Children do worse if they are brought up by a lone parent or by parents who are not married, researchers found in a large-scale report. 2016-04-26 00:46 5KB www.dailymail.co.uk 48 Aussies, Kiwis turn out in Jerusalem to honor ANZACs In previous years, busloads of Zionist youth were brought in with the assistance of the Zionist Federation of Australia. This year the youth came of their own volition. 2016-04-26 00:46 4KB www.jpost.com 49 On 6th day, teen carrying brother reaches Michigan Capitol LANSING, Mich. (AP) — A 16-year-old boy and his disabled younger brother finished a 111-mile walk Monday, reaching the steps of the Michigan Capitol after th... 2016-04-26 00:43 1KB www.dailymail.co.uk 50 Five-year plan unveiled for integrating haredim in higher education The new five-year plan aims to continue increasing the number of ultra-Orthodox students pursuing higher education degrees, while simultaneously emphasizing high- quality academics to train them. 2016-04-26 00:42 3KB www.jpost.com 51 Model Adwoa Aboah details her drug addiction and suicide attempt British-born model Adwoa Aboah, 23, appears in a new video for StyleLikeU in which she shares her battle with depression and addiction. 2016-04-26 00:40 7KB www.dailymail.co.uk 52 JNU row: Varsity rusticates Umar and Anirban, imposes Rs 10K fine on Kanhaiya The JNU today slapped a fine of Rs 10,000 on student leader Kanhaiya Kumar and rusticated three others for varying durations over their alleged role in the controversial February 9 event for which they were charged with sedition, an action which had sparked outrage and triggered protests 2016-04-26 00:36 7KB www.mid-day.com 53 Twitter users track down mystery London Marathon couple saying 'I do' A couple whose engagement at the London Marathon finishing line was captured on camera have spoken of their joy after thousands of people shared the... 2016-04-26 00:30 2KB www.telegraph.co.uk 54 Can the man who milked BHS really be allowed to keep his knighthood Green, known as 'King Of The High Street', has many faults. But no one can accuse him of being stupid — particularly when he senses there's a deal to be struck. ALEX BRUMMER explains. 2016-04-26 00:29 8KB www.dailymail.co.uk

55 Time to face facts: The goalposts have moved permanently It took a stroke of a pen for the apartheid government to ban black South Africans from all national sports. It was a decision based on the laws of the day and life continued thereafter. 2016-04-26 00:29 2KB www.timeslive.co.za 56 Rassie is a loss, but don't panic Rassie Erasmus' unveiling yesterday as Irish club Munster's director of rugby represents a huge setback for South African rugby. 2016-04-26 00:29 3KB www.timeslive.co.za 57 The Big Read: A discourse with much froth In a dim corner shop, in the last years of the 1980s, the chocolates were singing. 2016-04-26 00:29 4KB www.timeslive.co.za 58 Gary Lineker calls for 'mathematical equation' to simplify costly divorce proceedings G ary Lineker is calling for a “mathematical equation” to help couples divorce quickly and avoid the “manipulative” behaviour of lawyers. The former England... 2016-04-26 00:26 2KB www.telegraph.co.uk 59 Angelina Jolie wraps up in chic grey ensemble as she dines in London Angelina Jolie was sure to make the most of her time in England as she was pictured enjoying a meal with Conservative politician William Hague on Monday evening. 2016-04-26 00:22 2KB www.dailymail.co.uk 60 Rio mayor: Collapsed bike lane to be rebuilt by Olympics RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) -- Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Paes has pledged to rebuild in time for the Aug. 5-21 Olympics a brand new bike lane that killed two pe 2016-04-26 00:19 1KB mynorthwest.com 61 Massive coral reef discovered in Amazon River The Amazon River, known for an array of wonders from pink dolphins to flesh-eating piranhas, has a new treasure for scientists. 2016-04-26 00:14 767Bytes edition.cnn.com 62 Could 'black hole' in a lab finally help Stephen Hawking win a Nobel Prize? O ne of Stephen Hawking's most brilliant and disturbing theories may have been confirmed by a scientist who created a sound “black hole” in... 2016-04-26 00:14 3KB www.telegraph.co.uk 63 Family 'heartbroken' over France motorway crash deaths T he family of a British man who died with his two young children in a car crash on a French motorway said their lives... 2016-04-26 00:09 1KB www.telegraph.co.uk 64 Back together? Olympia Valance cosies up to ex-boyfriend Greg Cannell Olympia Valance has shared some sweet snaps on social media with her ex-boyfriend Greg Cannell, sparking a frenzy among fans that the pair have re-united, two months after their split. 2016-04-26 00:08 3KB www.dailymail.co.uk 65 Yahoo - Yahoo to Participate at the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media & Telecom Conference --(BUSINESS WIRE)-- (NASDAQ:YHOO) CFO will participate in a question-and-answer session at the Morgan Stanley in. The session is scheduled to begin on , at /... 2016-04-25 22:53 1KB investor.yahoo.net

66 Jamie Vardy hit with additional one-game ban - Reports Leicester striker Jamie Vardy will miss his side's bid for Barclays Premier League title glory at Manchester United on Sunday after receiving an additional one-match ban, according to r 2016-04-26 00:01 2KB www.independent.ie 67 Fire deaths rise by 21% as chiefs issue cuts warning Heads of six large city fire services worried by sharp rise in annual deaths amid political row over role of police commissioners 2016-04-26 00:01 4KB www.theguardian.com 68 David Bowie was 'big, big Peaky Blinders fan', show's creator says D avid Bowie was a huge fan of Peaky Blinders , and even allowed the team behind the drama to hear his final album... 2016-04-26 00:01 2KB www.telegraph.co.uk 69 Magnus Carlsen unable to Anish Giri at Norway Chess Y et again, Magnus Carlsen was unable to defeat Anish Giri as the Dutchman held firm in their fifth round encounter at Altibox Norway Chess... 2016-04-26 00:01 2KB www.telegraph.co.uk 70 Soaring housing costs equivalent to 10pc income tax hike S oaring housing costs over the past 20 years have had the same financial impact on families as a 10pc rise in the basic rate... 2016-04-26 00:01 3KB www.telegraph.co.uk 71 Justin Trudeau Islamic terrorists in the Philippines have executed a Canadian hostage, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Monday, after the Filipino authorities said they had found the head of a for... 2016-04-26 00:00 700Bytes article.wn.com 72 Leaving EU would fuel Argentinian aggression towards Falkland Islands, official claims L eaving the European Union would fuel Argentinian aggression towards the Falkland Islands , a senior representative from the territory has warned. Sukey... 2016-04-26 00:00 4KB www.telegraph.co.uk 73 Charl Schwartzel becomes latest golf star to pull out of Rio Olympics Charl Schwartzel of South Africa is the latest player to drop out of the Olympics, making him the fourth major champion in two weeks to decide against being part of golf's return after a 112-year absence. 2016-04-25 23:59 3KB www.dailymail.co.uk 74 Pollard enjoys ‘unforgettable’ Seder on parole “It was wonderful,” Pollard reportedly said. “I will remember it for the rest of my life.” 2016-04-25 23:48 1KB www.jpost.com 75 Asia Times News & Features – Asia Times The Seychelles is helping an international investigation into the troubled state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), the state’s Financial Intelligence Unit on... 2016-04-25 20:01 1KB atimes.com 76 'The perils of phase two': Bike rush crushes odd-even gain The question of exempting two-wheelers from the odd-even scheme may haunt Arvind Kejriwal with a report stating that the number of scooters and motorbikes has risen from 25 to 46 per cent. 2016-04-25 23:45 4KB www.dailymail.co.uk 77 Leicester City deserve Champions League football, ICC promoter admits International Champions Cup promoter Charlie Stillitano has backtracked on his claims last month that the Champions League should revolve around Europe's best-supported clubs. 2016-04-25 23:45 4KB www.dailymail.co.uk

78 Ross Harris jury selection reaches thrid week; process moving more quickly Jury selection in the Ross Harris murder trial entered its third week with many jurors expressing their opinions about his innocence. 2016-04-25 23:43 2KB rssfeeds.11alive.com 79 FOREX-Yen off lows but stays defensive ahead of BOJ By Ian Chua SYDNEY, April 26 (Reuters) - The yen found a steadier footing early on Tuesday, having crept up from multi-week troughs against the dollar and eu... 2016-04-25 23:42 2KB www.dailymail.co.uk 80 Scandal-hit VW also faces a US union battle German automaker Volkswagen, already deep in trouble in the United States over its polluting diesel engines, is also fighting a union challenge at its plant... 2016-04-25 23:40 4KB www.dailymail.co.uk 81 Religious leaders object to religious objections law JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Dozens of Methodist leaders are objecting to Mississippi's new religious objections law, saying it violates their religious principles.... 2016-04-25 23:28 3KB www.dailymail.co.uk 82 Misery for Southern commuters as strike begins today The dispute will see trains cancelled and delayed across the south, Kent, Sussex and serving major routes into London, as 400 onboard conductors are set to stage a walkout from 11am. 2016-04-25 23:28 2KB www.dailymail.co.uk 83 Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino: The title race is not over yet Mauricio Pochettino has refused to give up on Tottenham's Barclays Premier League title challenge despite a draw at home to West Brom delivering a potentially decisive blow. 2016-04-25 23:26 3KB www.independent.ie 84 Clarifications and corrections A report in yesterday’s paper said that the number of homes built on Green Belt land had risen by a quarter to 275,000 last year. This was the number of homes proposed for Green Belt land. 2016-04-25 23:26 1KB www.dailymail.co.uk 85 Obama calls for greater European unity US President Barack Obama calls for greater European unity and calls on Nato allies to spend more on security. 2016-04-25 22:41 2KB www.bbc.co.uk 86 1,000 European criminals we should have deported Home Office data proves the number of criminals from Europe who are still in Britain, having served their time in jail, was 1,167 at the end of last year, while 4,217 are still awaiting deportation. 2016-04-25 23:25 4KB www.dailymail.co.uk 87 Brooke Anderson welcomes son with husband Jim Walker Entertainment Tonight host Brooke Anderson, 37, has welcomed a son with husband Jim Walker. The mother-of-three gave birth to her newborn on Thursday, April 19. 2016-04-25 23:23 2KB www.dailymail.co.uk 88 Shocking! Mumbai school kicks out 30 senior KG students via 'lottery' Parents of 30 senior KG students of a convent school in Dharavi were in for a rude shock on the day of the results when they were asked by the school to look for admission elsewhere because it could no longer accommodate them 2016-04-25 23:22 3KB www.mid- day.com

89 Morgan set for another humiliating climbdown on academies reform The Education Secretary Nicky Morgan is discussing a range of concessions to placate Tory rebels over her pledge to force every school to become an academy. 2016-04-25 23:22 4KB www.dailymail.co.uk 90 CVS recalls tea for possible Salmonella Contact WND Organic tea sold nationwide by CVS has been recalled over fear it may contain Salmonella, an organism of particular risk to the elderly. The recalled product is labeled “Gold Emblem Abound Organic Spiced Herbal Tea,” and has a sell-by date of 18 March, 2018... 2016-04-25 23:20 1KB www.wnd.com 91 Mountain lion nestles in window of Washington City home WASHINGTON CITY, Utah — The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources has relocated a mountain lion that took up residency in a window well at a Washington City home, Monday morning. The 70-pound a… 2016-04-25 23:20 1KB fox13now.com 92 Jordan warns: 'Consequences' of Temple Mount 'violations' Contact WND The Jordanian government warned on Monday that there would be “dangerous consequences” should Israel continue to allow Jews to ascend to the Temple Mount. The announcement came after several hundred Jews and tourists visited the holy site on the first intermediate day of the Passover holiday on Sunday... 2016-04-25 23:19 1KB www.wnd.com 93 Once-fugitive real estate heir eyes Los Angeles-area prison NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Robert Durst is asking a federal judge to recommend a Los Angeles-area prison when he's sentenced on the weapons charge that's kept him in... 2016-04-25 23:18 1KB www.dailymail.co.uk 94 Anonymous group shuts down KKK website Those trying to access the White Knights of the KKK website are out of luck following a Denial of Service (DDoS) attack on their servers launched by hacktivist group Anonymous, leaving its fans in the dark. 2016-04-25 23:14 2KB www.rt.com 95 Bonnie Sveen rumoured to die in upcoming Home And Away explosion Home And Away fans can expect to say goodbye to another two of their favourites in an upcoming horror explosion episode. 2016-04-25 23:12 2KB www.dailymail.co.uk 96 Midsomer Murder hires hunky new sidekick Nick Hendrix Filming has just begun for the series and will see the handsome 31-year-old Rada graduate play the role of DS Jamie Winter, alongside veteran character DCI John Barnaby played by Neil Dudgeon. 2016-04-25 23:09 2KB www.dailymail.co.uk 97 Contest: Black Bear Deli Meat's Ultimate Summer BBQ CBS 2Watch CBS2 News, CBS This Morning, Dr. Phil, Judge Judy, 60 Minutes, NFL football, and your favorite CBS shows... 2016-04-25 20:38 1KB newyork.cbslocal.com 98 Leading Israeli rabbis say Messiah's time has come Contact WND A couple of Israel’s leading rabbis had a sit-down in the lead-up to Passover, a noted Jewish day of remembrance, and found common ground on the spiritual thought that it’s high time for the Messiah to come, if biblical prophecies and signs can be taken... 2016-04-25 21:53 4KB www.wnd.com 99 Disney announces 'Jungle Book,' 'Maleficent' sequels Disney confirmed Monday it is planning sequels for box office smashes "The Jungle Book" and "Maleficent" and announced nine new live-action movies mostly ins... 2016-04-25 23:00 3KB www.dailymail.co.uk

100 Charleston shooting: Dylann Roof friend to plead guilty to lying to authorities Joey Meek admits he failed to tell authorities all that he knew and could face eight years in prison but agreement may shorten sentence 2016-04-25 22:57 3KB www.theguardian.com Articles

Total 100 articles, created at 2016-04-26 06:03

1 AdWeek : All News - powered by FeedBurner (7.03/8) Since CBS This Morning debuted in 2012, it's enjoyed steady gains for the network in the daypart. It's the fastest-growing network morning show, in fact, averaging 1 million more viewers than when it launched. That success has much to do with the warm and cheerful presence of co-host Gayle King, who, in addition to her CBS digs, keeps an office up New York's 57th Street in the Hearst Tower, where she serves as editor at large of BFF Oprah Winfrey's O, The Oprah Magazine. She has filled her CBS workspace (pictured here) with her favorite things: a painting she got in Telluride, Colo., photos of her children, a signed copy of the play Hamilton. Mostly, though, the domain, just like King herself, is traditional and down to earth. "I'm not a contemporary, modern girl—chrome, silver, glass," she said. "This is so funny about me, because I always say, 'I'm going to try something different,' but I always go back to the same old traditional things. " King's favorite colors—yellow, green, burnt orange—are prominent here, as well as in her home. Said King: "If I move something from my house to the office, it works because it's the same damn colors! " Specs Current gig Editor in chief, ESPN The Magazine Previous gig Editor in chief, espnW Age 39 Twitter @alisonoverholt Adweek: There's been a lot of buzz around the fact that you're the first female editor of a national sports magazine. What does that mean to you? Alison Overholt: It's actually kind of a tricky question in the sense that it's meaningful for a lot of reasons, though not for the reasons that most people might think. Everybody's focused on the historic nature of it, but I don't think that my placement into this position had anything to do with the fact that I'm a woman. It's having an editorial track record that has put me in this position. So in that sense, there's a lot of attention on something that feels a little bit beside the point. However, that said, it's still incredibly meaningful! When you look at the symbolic value that the person leading editorial for espnW becomes the editor in chief of ESPN The Magazine, that's significant. And it's also significant in a symbolic sense because any time a woman gets to take on an important position, whether you're aware that there's a barrier or not, it's one more thing that other girls and women won't have to think about in the future. What kind of new perspective do you think you'll bring to the magazine? The No. 1 thing that I am hyper-aware of that maybe other prior editors were not as personally sensitive to is the importance of new voices. Any editor worth his or her salt is always looking for the next great voice, but coming from groups that are historically underrepresented, you live it and breathe it in a daily way that can be unconsciously overlooked when you're part of the mainstream. I want to find more signature female voices for the magazine. You often hear that sports media outlets don't cover women's sports because viewership isn't very high. How do you fix that problem? I was speaking to someone about that when I first got this job, and I tossed out a hypothesis that I feel like that's a bit of a media-fueled storyline. To a certain extent, we have to take responsibility for that because we are the sports media. We are the ones who create the storylines and focus attention on the athletes and decide which narratives are worthy of attention, so if we never choose to find out and elevate and share the stories of women, how is anyone going to know that they ought to be paying attention to them? I think we have an opportunity here to be sharing more of those stories. You first joined ESPN in 2005. What are the biggest changes you've seen in the evolution of sports media since then? The biggest change is the difficulty of access to athletes for a traditional media outlet. Today's professional athletes grew up in an environment where they were crafting their images as people—not just as athletes—on social media. That makes a reporter's job really different because there's a certain self-censorship that athletes have when you do get a chance to sit with them. There's also much less of a sense of obligation on the part of the athletes to even sit with you in the first place. They can tell people what they want them to know, so why should they have to go through the invasive process of letting a reporter do an immersive, all-access piece? That's one of the things that, I think, makes magazine journalism even more powerful. When somebody is going to commit that amount of time and investment and, frankly, vulnerability, it has to be worth it. So for [an athlete], if a story feels like it's going to be lasting and meaningful, maybe that can change their calculus as far as whether they will give you access. Is being on a magazine cover still important to professional athletes? Absolutely. Because it's a thing you can frame and put on your wall. And there's still something about holding it and realizing, "This is me! " This story first appeared in the April 25, 2016 issue of Adweek magazine. Click here to subscribe. Specs Age 50 Claim to fame Star of the Flower Shop Mystery movie series on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries (the latest installment, Snipped in the Bud, premieres April 24 at 9 p.m.) Base New York Twitter @brookeshilds Adweek: What's the first information you consume in the morning? Brooke Shields: I go downstairs and I open up the door and I get The New York Times. I don't go to any of my devices until I've had my tea. I still like reading my paper, even though I'm slowly coming into this century. What are your go-to social media platforms? I'm an Instagram fan. I think it's one of the first things that I didn't feel overwhelmed by. I have two daughters, and they're obsessed with Instagram and Snapchat and all of those things, and it's always been so terrifying to me as a parent [laughs]. It's taken me a little while to sort of come around to it and feel comfortable with it because I get to dictate it myself. People have had access to my life in one way or another from the time I was getting my braces on—which was filmed!—so any further invasion into my personal life took me off guard. Do you keep track of your daughters' social media? Oh, yes. Yes I do [laughs]. We've had many a conversation about it, and the phone has been taken away many a time. They're still under the belief that just because they can't see a Snapchat after 24 hours or whatever, it doesn't exist. I'm going to prove it to them somehow. It's just a question of whether I use fear tactics or not [laughs]. Finally my daughter did tell me, "Mom, I promise you, I will tire of this soon," so I am encouraged that her kissy face from every angle really does have a shelf life. Do you use Snapchat yourself? I don't. There's something about it that I just don't understand. I don't need to take a bite of pasta and have it be seen by someone in Arizona. Who do you follow on Instagram? It's mostly my friends or editors of magazines that I know or I think are super chic, just because I'm always pumping them for information and this is a way for me to see what they think is cool. What are your favorite magazines? Architectural Digest is the one I go to first. I like European Vogue, and I've got a friend who's an editor at Bazaar, so I keep up with her. I'm not a big tabloid person. I hardly recognize anyone on the covers anymore. But I really love decorating magazines. For me, reading them is like going on a mini-vacation. Whether it's Architectural Digest or Metropolitan Home or HGTV, you can get a completely different perspective in each one, and I find that refreshing. What TV shows do you watch? I'm loving Outlander, and I'm a big Downton Abbey person. But I don't really follow a lot of TV, just because I don't have the time. It's all I can do to give myself 30 minutes to read, let alone sit down and watch a show. You're a frequent a guest host on the Today show. How do you typically prepare for that? There's always a list of hot topics, and [the producers] send you every link to all the different places where you can read about whatever the subject is. I'm a big homework person, so I like that. The hosts have got it down so that they only have to look at bullet points. Willie [Geist] always makes fun of me because, of course, I've got all these highlighted notes and different colored pens. I take it very seriously! This story first appeared in the April 25, 2016 issue of Adweek magazine. Click here to subscribe. These days, women make more health and wellness decisions for themselves and their families than ever before. "They really are the chief health officers," said Lynn O'Connor Vos, CEO at GreyHealth Group. In fact, a 2015 study GHG helped prepare found that women serve as decision makers 94 percent of the time. Given that dynamic, Vos and other experts believe that companies seeking a bigger slice of the estimated $6.5 trillion global healthcare pie would be well served to take women's perspectives and experience into consideration as they plan and launch campaigns in the marketplace. "Women lean into healthcare and are typically a more captive audience" than men, said Sharon Callahan, CEO, TBWAWorldHealth. "Our goal should be to further fuel and meaningfully tap into this curiosity. Marketers need to respect their knowledge and not operate at the 101 level—but still keep it simple. " In recent years, the ascendance of women as decision makers—along with other societal factors, such as the massive amount of readily available health information online—has led to a shift in marketing direction. The pitch has become less focused on short-term gains (such as, get immediate relief from thus and such aliment). Instead, campaigns have grown more holistic and detailed, stressing the role products and services can play in improving lives over the long haul. Ultimately, it comes down to bedside manner—and being able to conduct an intelligent dialogue with consumers, said Vos. And she should know, having worked for two years as a nurse at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia before taking research and marketing positions with pharmaceutical firms and, eventually, joining the agency world. "It is important in today's environment to create a conversation, and ideally one that is fully transparent," she said. "Women appreciate marketers that share all of the facts and provide information and resources to help them make educated decisions. " Case in point: In a recent campaign for Pfizer's Trumenba —a vaccine that protects against meningitis B for adolescents and young adults—GHG kept mindful of the complex role moms can play as influencers while teenagers are starting to make their own health decisions. The campaign adopted a convivial tone to educate both moms and kids about the spread of meningitis B (through kissing, sharing utensils), evolving the message from risk to solution. Respecting women's time and providing practical value are hugely important, Vos said. Toward that end, GHG fashioned a streamlined mobile website for Colgate, with highly intuitive navigation leading to actionable information for both consumers and professionals. "Instead of being passive, we strive to help the brand have an active role in communicating the solutions to women, and helping women identify the solutions for themselves and others with confidence," said Vos. That approach has proven effective, with frequency of use and time spent increasing 77 and 85 percent, respectively, over the client's previous mobile offering, according to Moira Loten, vp of professional oral care, global marketing, at Colgate-Palmolive. Bottom line: know thy audience. According to experts, marketers cannot paint happy pictures in commercials—or offer quick fixes in targeted tweets—and expect women to respond in a positive way. Rather, they must truly understand women's wellness needs and explain how products and services can help them meet specific goals. "Empowering messages and realistic portrayals based on deep insights win versus the idealistic version of who you think she should want to be," said Amy Hansen, svp and creative director at HCB Health. "More investment, more time, more specificity needs to be placed on learning exactly who it is that you are trying to engage, what she cares about, and how you can help her and her family stay happy and healthy—particularly if she's buying. " This story first appeared in the April 25, 2016 issue of Adweek magazine. Click here to subscribe. Merlee Cruz-Jayme is Asia's fifth most-awarded creative director and one of the best-known advertising executives in her native Philippines. She's also a member of that rare club of women who start their own agencies. In her case, Cruz-Jayme launched DM9 Jayme Syfu, 11 years ago, which recently sold a majority stake to Dentsu Aegis. Cruz-Jayme's current work is a far cry from what she set out to do as a teenager—she was a Benedictine novice for three years. But even away from the convent, she's sought out transformative goals. In 2014, her agency won a Grand Clio Award for its " Smart Txtbks" campaign , which turned used SIM cards and old GSM phones into a new kind of textbook for underprivileged schoolchildren. It wasn't only a proud career moment. As Cruz-Jayme noted when she collected the prize: "I'm happy that it recognized an idea that showcased creativity for humanity. " This year, she serves as the jury chair for the Clio Awards' Direct & Engagement/Experiential category. Adweek: What sort of work are you looking for in judging the Clio Awards this year? Merlee Cruz-Jayme: This is one of the most exciting categories. Unlike other forms of media, where you create then you wait, this category lets you see consumers' real-time reactions, immediate feelings and live experiences about an idea. However, some ideas can be gimmicky and overly complicated. Agencies should always remember these elements when making campaigns: genuineness, simplicity and a key, powerful message that is delivered in the freshest and most compelling way. Why skip the kind of chest-thumping public service ad that might be expected for your telecommunications client Smart and develop an award-winning solution like "Smart Txtbks"? I always look at the objective of a requirement. Smart had wanted to show its involvement in community work and how they have helped public schools with their services and technology through a print ad, and we could have done just that. But we decided to challenge ourselves to think of other ways to achieve the same objective. We stumbled on the problem of schoolchildren carrying a heavy load of books, walking to school, and that inspired us to create a simple solution like "Smart Txtbks" to reduce their burden. It not only went beyond the requirement, but also genuinely made a positive impact in the community and changed lives. Do we see enough of that kind of innovative agency problem solving in the industry today? I do see inspiring pieces of work in award shows, and hopefully, creating problem-solving, innovative ideas will become part of every agency's DNA. After all, this is the best way to connect with our consumers today. Did winning the Grand Clio impact your career? Winning the Grand Clio was a first for the Philippines. It made our agency, the industry and the country proud. It definitely inspired me to create more life-changing ideas. What made you decide to leave the convent and pursue a career in advertising? It must be weird that from a life of total silence, I went into the business of communication. The creative in me has always been guiding my life. I entered the convent because I was a very curious kid thirsting for answers. At 16, I left the convent, decided to share my learnings and got into volunteer work. In school, I harnessed creativity through writing, acting and creating all kinds of artwork. My accidental internship led me to JWT. And the rest is history. The recent controversy surrounding alleged sexist comments from former JWT chief Gustavo Martinez has raised questions about the way women are treated in the ad industry. What's your view on this? Of course, it bothered me, and I know that this exists beyond the advertising industry. In my 25 years in advertising, I've had my share of sleazy comments and harassment. I fought back. Throughout the years, I've also helped other women fight back. But don't get me wrong. I was also lucky to be mentored by extremely brilliant men who are very respectful of women. People think that gender equality will help women fulfill their goals. The biggest factor for us women to reach our goals is opportunity equality. We have to keep breaking the glass ceiling to prove to the world we are just as good or even better. Give us equal opportunity and we will teach differently, but brilliantly. We will solve problems differently, but efficiently. We will fight differently, but bravely. We will lead differently, but greatly. I am also part of a committee in Dentsu Aegis Network's initiative One@ Dentsu Aegis, which looks at diversity as a whole, with the initial focus on women. It is programmed to scale across APAC, spotlighting female leaders as they continue to have increasing influence in their roles as consumers, employees and leaders. What advice do you have for young women considering a career in the marketing communications and media industry? Do not rush. A lot of young talent today is impatient. They want to hit it big, the fast and easy way. There are no shortcuts in this business. But there's luck. A creative talent who learned the discipline well will not stumble and fall when lady luck strikes. This story first appeared in the April 25, 2016 issue of Adweek magazine. Click here to subscribe. The social media build up to Sunday night's Game of Thrones season six premiere was colossal, and the buzz certainly didn't stop while it aired on HBO. We asked a couple data providers for figures around the show, and below are the 6 we found most interesting. 1. HBO brand buzzes Data from Spredfast shows that from Friday through Sunday, there were more than 829,000 Twitter mentions of HBO, Game of Thrones (or #GOT), HBO Go and HBO Now. People used #GOT 602,000 times in that timeframe, while HBO earned 248,000 mentions. This was a huge spike from the previous weekend, where all of the aforementioned terms generated 252,000 mentions. But some of it was probably negative—as HBO Now suffered from temporary streaming glitches that angered many users. 2. Posts were aplenty, like Lannister gold According to social media analytics company Talkwalker, the show generated more than 1.5 million social posts in the last week. During the hour of the show, nearly 200,000 interactions happened on social, with spikes at the open and close. "This engagement period is a great time for advertisers to take advantage of this pivotal time to target engaged or focused audiences with targeted ads that relate to the audiences interests," suggested Marissa Cazem, U. S. public relations and communications director at Talkwalker. "Take this time to offer a special promotion to users, such as a contest to win a free product if viewers can name the first character to be killed off of the show within a given timeframe. " 3. It slayed on the East and West Coast Game of Thrones was especially popular in New York and California, which Talkwalker found each generated more than 66,000 mentions. 4. A blizzard of mentions The most popular character? Naturally, Jon Snow. "Snow" and "Jon Snow" led mentions of any character on social media, according to Talkwalker. (See chart below.) Mentions of Daenerys Targaryen rose 180.2 percent, while Melisandre was a new trending theme. 5. Spotify pops Globally, viewers were talking about way more than just Jon Snow. Talkwalker data shows that Spotify generated a lot of conversation from its Game of Thrones integration, allowing users to determine which character they'd be, based on their playlists. The effort, dubbed #SpotifyGameOfThrones, garnered 14,800 mentions. 6. Global impact: Southern Europe and Southwest Asia While 1.1 million of those mentions this week came from the U. S., Game of Thrones was a huge hit in countries such as Spain and Italy. But what about in India, where users see all the drama without any of the sex and only some of the violence? Well, there were more social mentions coming from India than Indiana, Georgia and Massachusetts, among several other states. Talkwalker found that users in India generated more than 32,300 Game of Thrones mentions this week—23,000 on Sunday and Monday alone. In firewalled China, where the show is heavily edited to take out scenes featuring sex or violence, people still generated more than 1,300 mentions this week on social media. As part of MullenLowe's merger of its two media agencies under the MullenLowe Mediahub moniker, the agency is launching a global media offering that adds Profero's performance capabilities—which include search, SEO and SEM (search engine marketing)—and international scale to its U. S–based media planning and buying, and communications business. The new MullenLowe Mediahub Performance capabilities combine the resources at both agencies in the U. S., Europe and Asia. Mediahub Performance has over 140 people across those regions dedicated to the search practice and expects to launch Mediahub and Mediahub Performance in additional markets this year. Mediahub Performance will be led by London-based global managing director Ross Jenkins, who previously held the same position at Lowe Profero Performance and founded that business in 2007. Other top agency execs involved are Keith Lusby, executive director at Mediahub Boston; Lizzy Hanna and Lavall Chichester, media directors based in New York; Neil Ramsden, U. K. managing director; and Phil Ely, head of media at APAC. They will work closely with John Moore, global president of the merged agency; Sean Corcoran, Mediahub's executive director of innovation; and Jonathan Fowles, Mediahub's chief media officer in the U. K. Moore underscored the growing importance of performance capabilities and noted that 50 cents of every digital media dollar is spent on search. He said the launch of an enhanced search offering is a defining competitive advantage for Mediahub. Jenkins concurred, saying, "There's a growing amount of performance marketing pitches, particularly with digital brands. [Clients are] recognizing the importance of specific offerings especially with things like search. This was an opportunity to create something bigger and more powerful [than its parts]. " Jenkins added, "Profero is deep into performance marketing. We recognize it's more about smarts than just scale. That's taken us this far, but now there's a bigger opportunity to expose our media capabilities to a wider selection of clients. " Moore said the merged agency, which was announced last May, is already benefiting from cross-selling to clients of each shop. "Our goal is to replicate our [Mullen Mediahub] U. S. success globally," he said. "We're no longer a Boston media shop—we're a media network with a great Boston office. " Mediahub's client roster includes JetBlue, Royal Caribbean, Netflix, National Geographic Channel, VH1, PBS, Match.com, American Greetings, Patrón, Bose and Scotts Miracle-Gro. Profero works with media clients like Western Union and CFA Institute. McDonald's is reviewing its creative advertising business in the U. S. A spokesperson for the restaurant chain told Adweek on Monday: "We are committed to modernizing McDonald's, including how we create customer-facing content. While we value the relationships we have with our current agencies, and will only ever work with companies that share our values, we recognize the agency world is evolving. As such, McDonald's USA is exploring solutions that will provide us with greater integrated strategic thinking, creativity and brand consistency across all our consumer touch points. " The spokesperson said the matter of whether McDonald's will choose a single agency to handle its U. S. creative work moving forward remains to be determined. "We're seeking the best recommended approach from the holding companies so we'll learn of the recommendations through the RFP process, which will guide us in the decision making," the rep said. According to sources with direct knowledge of the matter, the chain does seek, at the very least, to consolidate its U. S.-based business with a single holding company. Several of the world's largest such companies received the RFP. Omnicom's DDB and Publicis Groupe's Leo Burnett both currently play key roles on the business. Just over six months after choosing the latter agency to promote its All-Day Breakfast, the global fast-food leader now wants to streamline the lineup serving its biggest market. The announcement follows positive financial news for the chain, which exceeded earnings for the first quarter of 2016 on the strength of a sales boost attributed, at least in part, to its newfound focus on breakfast items. McDonald's remains one of the world's largest advertisers despite making "large cutbacks" to its overall marketing budget in 2015, as described by Kantar Media. The chain chose Burnett to help launch its rebranding campaign after an internal 2014 review that pitted the shop (which had already been working on the Happy Meal portion of the business) against DDB. That review came several months after one-time Chrysler CMO Deborah Wahl became McDonald's new CMO in January 2014. Representatives for DDB and Burnett did not immediately respond to Adweek's requests for comment. After 41 years, NBC's venerable Saturday Night Live will get a major shake-up when it returns next fall, and we're not talking about the cast. NBC said today that it would reduce the ad load for the show's 42nd season by about 30 percent, essentially axing two commercial pods per 90-minute episode. "As the decades have gone by, commercial time has grown," said Lorne Michaels, creator and executive producer. "This will give time back to the show and make it easier to watch the show live. " SNL is averaging about 6 million viewers this season, but gets a boost via time-shifted viewing. Original episodes this season have grown by 50 percent in Live Plus 7-day viewing, averaging about 8.6 million. But today's announcement is about keeping more live viewers by showing fewer ads. This also continues the trend of TV networks cutting ad loads and finding more native ways for advertisers to get their message out. NBC has been leading the charge with branded content across dayparts. On Leap Day, it partnered with American Express , removing about 30 minutes of prime-time ads in favor of sponsored content. NBC said that some of the extra time on SNL will be used for sponsored content, likely filling the rest with pretaped segments, since the show's set designers need commercial breaks to set up the next sketch. SNL produces a two-hour dress rehearsal a few hours before the live show; Michaels then cuts about 30 minutes worth of content, so NBC will have extra sketches available. NBC has been making these "Cut for Time" sketches available on its digital platforms. It's not known yet whether the not-ready-for-prime-time players will take part in the sponsored content. But, luckily for advertisers, the show's writers and cast members have produced some of the most enduring commercial content over the years. Who can forget Bass-O-Matic, Mom Jeans, Happy Fun Ball, and these: Totino's Super Bowl Commercial Calvin Klein Calvin Kleen Lincoln R/GA has officially promoted longtime veteran and global chief creative officer Nick Law to the newly created position of vice chairman. In this role, Law will work even more closely with the agency's senior clients and global leadership to help shape both its business strategy and its larger vision moving forward. He will continue to work out of R/GA's New York headquarters and report directly to chairman and CEO Robert Greenberg. "Over the past 15 years, Nick has been an incredible partner to me and the entire executive team," said Greenberg in a statement. "Under his leadership, we will continue our relentless pursuit of innovation far into the future. " Throughout his decade-plus stint with the IPG organization—which now calls itself "the company for the Connected Age"—Law has helped staff its offices with diverse teams of designers, copywriters, interaction designers and creative technologists to better serve such clients as Nike, Google, Samsung, Beats by Dre, Johnson & Johnson and IBM. "Since starting at R/GA 15 years ago, the most interesting thing about my job has always been the next thing," Law said. "We've changed so rapidly; I feel as though I've had a different job every every day. When Bob hired me we were an office of 100 people designing websites in Hell's Kitchen. Now we have 16 offices across the world with 1,800 people creating everything from Super Bowl spots to connected products. It's never been easy, but it's always been fun. I'm looking forward to the next 15 years. " Greenberg noted that Law will play a significant role in ensuring that the agency remains on the forefront of related trends. He said, "As we continue to evolve—exploring and creating new capabilities, and opening new offices around the globe—I will look to Nick to ensure that creative is at the heart of everything we do, from technology and UX to strategy and storytelling. " During Law's tenure, R/GA has received a slew of industry awards and attendant honors from the trade press. In 2014, the shop was named Adweek's Digital Agency of the Year ; It was also named Agency of the Year at last year's Cannes Lions , and received awards from D&AD, Clios, the Art Director's Club, London International Awards and more.

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2 Hungarian weatherman fired after fart-filled wind forecast (3.00/8) BUDAPEST, Hungary — A Hungarian TV weatherman has been fired after giving a windy forecast some oomph with a range of fart sound effects. Szilard Horvath used recorded bottom noises to animate a windy outlook earlier this month, but his performance appears to have fallen flat with his employers. The TV2 channel, who hired the breezy forecaster last year to freshen up the weather slot, swiftly removed the offending clip from its website. “If Mr Bean or Benny Hill farts, everyone laughs, but now a big deal is being made about this,” Horvath complained afterwards, admitting that the stunt was his idea. “It’s turned out I can’t do the weather on TV2 anymore…I need to find work,” he posted on Facebook on Monday, alongside a “feeling broken” emoticon.

Joke blows: Hungarian weatherman fired after fart-filled forecast theguardian.com

Forecasters warn of severe weather outbreak in central US dailymail.co.uk 2016-04-26 06:02 Agence France newsinfo.inquirer.net

3 Bottled water infects over 4,000 people in Spain with norovirus (2.00/8) BARCELONA, Spain — More than 4,000 people fell ill with norovirus in northeastern Spain after drinking bottled spring water contaminated with human fecal matter, local health officials said Monday. The health department of the regional government of Catalonia said 4,146 people were treated for symptoms including nausea, vomiting, and fever in Barcelona and Tarragona after drinking the contaminated water from office water coolers. Six needed hospital treatment. READ: India scrambles to get water to 330 million people | Davao Oriental put under state of calamity due to drought “It is the first time in the world that norovirus has been found in bottled water,” said Albert Bosch, a microbiology professor at the University of Barcelona, who was in charge of the analysis of the contaminated water. “The way this usually happens with tap water is because somehow fecal water got mixed up with drinking water. But in this case we are talking of bottled water, there is a process and we don’t know at what point it happened,” he added. The Eden Springs bottled water company has recalled more than 6,150 bottles of water that had been distributed in 925 companies in response to the outbreak, as a precaution. The company has said it bottled the contaminated water in Andorra, a tiny, mountainous principality nestled between Spain and France. Catalan health officials have declared the norovirus outbreak to be over since no new case has been detected in the past week. Norovirus is rarely life-threatening but is highly contagious. It spreads from an infected person, from contaminated food or water, or by touching contaminated surfaces. Most people recover from its effects in two or three days.

Norovirus outbreak infects thousands in northern Spain theguardian.com 2016-04-26 06:02 Agence France newsinfo.inquirer.net

4 Obama sends more Special Forces to Syria in fight against IS (2.00/8) By Roberta Rampton HANOVER, Germany, April 25 (Reuters) - President Barack Obama announced on Monday the biggest expansion of U. S. ground troops in Syria since its civil war began, but the move was unlikely to mollify Arab allies angry over Washington's cautious approach to the conflict. The deployment of up to 250 Special Forces soldiers increases U. S. forces in Syria roughly sixfold and is aimed at helping militia fighters who have clawed back territory from Islamic State militants in a string of victories. Defence experts said giving more fighters on the ground access to U. S. close air support could shift the momentum in Syria. But a senior member of the Saudi royal family who asked not to be identified dismissed the decision as "window dressing. " In announcing the deployment, Obama emphasized the importance of sustaining the gains made in the fight against Islamic State, although he cautioned that the U. S. forces would not be spearheading the battle. "They're not going to be leading the fight on the ground, but they will be essential in providing the training and assisting local forces as they continue to drive ISIL back," he said in a speech in the German city of Hanover, using an acronym for Islamic State. Obama was speaking on the last stop of a foreign tour that also took him to Saudi Arabia and Britain. Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton and her rival, Bernie Sanders, voiced support on Monday for the deployment. "These Special Forces will continue to provide critical support to local forces on the ground who ultimately must be the ones to win this fight," Clinton's campaign said in a statement. The former secretary of state previously called for a tougher approach to fighting Islamic State militants, including more air strikes and Special Forces. Sanders, a U. S. senator from Vermont, said during an MSNBC town hall: "I think what the president is talking about is having American troops training Muslim troops, helping to supply the military equipment they need, and I do support that effort. " The U. S. military has led an air campaign against Islamic State since 2014 in Iraq and Syria, but its effectiveness in Syria has been limited by a lack of allies on the ground in a country where a multi-sided civil war has raged for five years. A Russian air campaign launched in Syria last year has been more effective because it is closely coordinated with the government of President Bashar al-Assad, who is Moscow's ally but a foe of the United States. Rising tensions with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Arab monarchies, which have privately criticized the Obama administration's security policy toward the region, also have complicated the U. S. effort in Syria. U. S. Republican Senator John McCain called the move overdue but insufficient. "Another reluctant step down the dangerous road of gradual escalation will not undo the damage in Syria to which this administration has borne passive witness," said McCain, who leads the Senate Armed Services Committee. Republican presidential front- runner Donald Trump did not mention the deployment during a campaign rally in Rhode Island. He plans to address foreign policy in a speech on Wednesday in Washington. CLOSE AIR SUPPORT Washington's main allies on the ground have been a Kurdish force known as the YPG, which wrested control of much of the Turkish-Syrian border from Islamic State. But the alliance has been constrained because U. S. ally Turkey is deeply hostile to the YPG. "Presumably these (extra U. S. forces) are going to assist our Kurdish YPG friends to widen and deepen their offensive against IS in northeastern Syria," said Tim Ripley, defence analyst and writer for IHS Jane's Defence Weekly magazine. The deployment will include medical and logistics support personnel, officials said, and U. S. support for the American forces in Syria will be staged out of northern Iraq. Their goal will be to help screen and equip Arab fighters seeking to join up with the majority Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces. U. S. officials say Arab fighters will be crucial to future operations against Islamic State in traditionally Arab parts of Syria. But Washington would still have to take a political decision to help the Kurds despite Turkish objections. Kurdish advances have largely stopped since February, with Turkey opposed to the Kurds taking more territory. The Syrian Democratic Forces, a U. S.-backed coalition set up in October to unite the Kurdish YPG and some Arab allies, welcomed Obama's announcement but said it still wanted more help. "Any support they offer is positive but we hope there will be greater support," SDF spokesman Talal Silo said. "So far we have been supplied only with ammunition, and we were hoping to be supplied with military hardware. " The HNC umbrella opposition, which represents groups opposed to Assad but not the Kurds, also welcomed U. S. forces helping rid Syria of the Islamic State "scourge", but said Washington should do more to fight Assad. If the Kurds are given the green light to advance with American air support, the main short-term objective could be sealing off the last stretch of the border that is not held by the Kurds or the government, west of the Euphrates river. That would deny Islamic State access to the outside world, but would infuriate Turkey, which regards the border as the main access route for other Sunni Muslim rebel groups it supports against Assad, and for aid to civilians in rebel areas. THE RACE FOR RAQQA U. S. Special Forces teams providing close air support could ultimately help the Kurds advance on Raqqa, Islamic State's main Syrian stronghold and de facto capital. With German Chancellor Angela Merkel sitting in the audience in Hanover, Obama also urged Europe and NATO allies to do more in the fight against Islamic State. The group controls Mosul in Iraq in addition to Raqqa and a swathe of territory in between, and has proven a potent threat abroad, claiming responsibility for major attacks in Paris in November and Brussels in March. "Even as European countries make important contributions against ISIL, Europe, including NATO, can still do more," Obama said. European countries have mostly contributed only small numbers of aircraft to the U. S.-led mission. Obama pledged to wind down wars in the Middle East when he was first elected in 2008. But in the latter part of his presidency he has found it necessary to keep troops in Afghanistan, return them to Iraq and send them to Syria, where at least 250,000 people have been killed in the civil war. In Iraq, Islamic State has been forced back since December when it lost Ramadi, capital of the western province of Anbar. In Syria, jihadist fighters have been pushed from the city of Palmyra by Russian-backed Syrian government forces. TALKS IN MELTDOWN, TRUCE IN TATTERS But Washington's lack of allies on the ground has meant its role in Syria has been circumscribed. The entry of Moscow into the conflict last year tipped the balance of power in favour of Assad against a range of rebel groups supported by Turkey, other Arab states and the West, including the United States. Washington and Moscow have sponsored a ceasefire between most of the main warring parties since February, which allowed the first peace talks involving Assad's government and many of his foes to begin last month. Those talks appear close to collapse, with the main opposition delegation having suspended its participation last week, and the ceasefire is largely in tatters. Islamic State is excluded from the ceasefire. Obama, Merkel and the leaders of Italy, Britain and France on Monday called on the parties in the Syrian war to respect the agreement to cease hostilities and make peace talks work, the White House said in a statement after the Western leaders met. (Reporting by Roberta Rampton and Andreas Rinke in Hanover, Jeff Mason, Kevin Drawbaugh, John Walcott, Phil Stewart, Emily Stephenson and Patricia Zengerle in Washington, Michelle Martin in Berlin and Peter Graff in London; Writing by Noah Barkin and Peter Graff; Editing by Peter Millership, Giles Elgood, Paul Simao and Peter Cooney)

Obama announces extra 250 troops to Syria edition.cnn.com 2016-04-26 01:39 Reuters www.dailymail.co.uk

5 Still swimming in exile, Syrian refugee to carry Rio flame ATHENS, Greece — As a swimming-mad teenager in Syria, Ibrahim Al- Hussein was glued to his TV set for the 2004 Athens Olympics. Twelve years later in Athens, and now a war refugee who is disabled and still loves swimming, Al-Hussein will represent the tens of thousands of displaced people in Greece in the Rio de Janeiro torch relay’s Greek leg. “I have been an athlete for 22 years, and tomorrow I feel I will have made it, reaching the actual Olympic Flame,” Al-Hussein said after a training session in an Athens pool where some of the 2004 events were held. “It’s a great honor and pride for me to carry the Olympic Torch, and the pride is not only for me but for all Syrian migrants who came (to Europe),” he said. “But I’m not just a refugee, I’m an athlete too.” The 27-year-old freestyle swimmer, basketball player and former judo wrestler will receive the flame from the head of Greece’s Olympic Committee, Spyros Capralos, on Tuesday, at the Elaionas camp in Athens that is home to about 1,500 refugees and other migrants. The International Olympic Committee says it’s a symbolic gesture of support to victims of the global refugee crisis, and is planning to let a group of 5-10 refugees compete at Rio, marching behind the Olympic flag. The Rio flame was lit in Ancient Olympia, the birthplace of the ancient Games in southern Greece, on April 21. It will be handed over to Brazilian officials on Wednesday after covering 1,400 miles in Greece, with stops including Marathon, the Acropolis and the rebuilt ancient stadium of Athens where the first modern games were held in 1896. The flame arrives in Brazil on May 3, and will be relayed across the vast country by about 12,000 torchbearers before the Aug. 5 opening ceremony in Rio’s Maracana Stadium. “I want to go to Rio, but I can’t,” Al-Hussein said. Growing up in the eastern city of Deir ez-Zor, on the River Euphrates, Al-Hussein was taught to swim at age 5 by his father, a swimming coach who will be watching his stint in the relay on TV, and three of his 13 siblings are also competitive swimmers. “The river was 10 minutes on foot from my home,” Al-Hussein said, adding that he would swim there for five or 10 kilometers, and then dive with his friends into the Euphrates from the city’s great suspension bridge. Al-Hussein lost part of his right leg to a bomb in 2012, during Syria’s civil war that destroyed his city. He fled to Turkey, and crossed from its coast to the eastern Greek island of Samos in early 2014 in a rubber dinghy that carried 16 people. Unlike most other migrants, he chose to stay in financially-struggling Greece, seeking and receiving asylum there. Al-Hussein has since found a home, a job and training facilities — he swims three times a week and plays basketball in a wheelchair five times a week with an Athens club — and has learnt to speak and read Greek. At 5 o’clock every afternoon, he starts work at a cafeteria where his shift can stretch for more than 10 hours. He is unwilling to discuss his injury, saying that none of his neighbors or colleagues at work know about it. “I don’t think (about) or consider my disability, I treat myself as a healthy person,” he said. “I am like any normal healthy person … I can’t train enough. I want to be the best in Greece, not second or third.” Al-Hussein says he has no plans to return to Syria, even if the war ends. “I want to stay here, I have no wish to travel further,” he said. “I like Greece, the people and the place. And I don’t want to sit around at home, I like being an athlete and working.”

2016-04-26 06:02 Associated Press sports.inquirer.net

6 US flies F-22s to Romania as show of strength to Russia CONSTANTA, Romania — The US Air Force on Monday flew in two F-22 Raptor fighter jets to Romania as a show of strength to deter Russian intervention in Ukraine. The fighter jets landed at the Mihail Kogalniceanu air base, near the Black Sea port of Constanta in southeast Romania. A US statement says they possess sophisticated sensors allowing the pilot to track, identify, shoot and kill air-to-air threats before being detected. The fighters also have a significant capability to attack surface targets. Russia-backed separatists have been fighting government troops in Ukraine since April 2014, leaving at least 9,100 dead. The conflict has left many neighboring countries in Central and Eastern Europe jittery about Russia’s intentions in the region. US Ambassador Hans G. Klemm said the US and Romania, a NATO member since 2004 that has a population of 19 million, were seeking to improve “the defense of Europe, the defense of the North-Atlantic Alliance, to improve the security in South Eastern-Europe … as a result of the aggression by Russia that has brought so much instability to this part of the world over the past two to three years.” Romanian Air Force chief of staff Maj. Gen. Laurian Anastasof voiced concerns about Russia’s presence in the region. He said that if a Russian plane took off from an air base in Crimea and went 100 kilometers (62 miles) beyond Crimea’s borders “that can trigger worries of the (NATO) alliance.” Anastasof said that if an unidentified aircraft comes within 20 miles (32 kilometers) of Romania’s airspace, NATO’S procedure “obliges us to scramble planes up in the air, a scenario that had already happened four times this year.” He said no Russian plane had come close to Romania’s airspace. The US fighter jets, which arrived from Britain, will leave Romania later Monday. They are part of the Operation Atlantic Resolve, a US commitment to NATO’s collective security and regional stability. READ: Russian jets in repeated ‘aggressive’ passes of US warship

2016-04-26 06:02 Associated Press newsinfo.inquirer.net

7 Wisconsin school gunman was ‘bullied’ — former classmates ANTIGO, Wisconsin, United States — Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker on Monday called for a discussion on how to deal with bullying in schools after friends of a gunman who wounded two people outside a high school prom said the 18-year-old had been bullied. Authorities have not revealed a motive for the shooting outside Antigo High School in northern Wisconsin and declined to comment Monday on whether bullying may have been a factor. Police fatally shot former student Jakob E. Wagner after he opened fire on students outside the school Saturday night, authorities say. READ: One dead, two wounded in Wisconsin school shooting | Ohio authorities seek leads in slayings of 8 in family Wagner’s mother, Lorrie Wagner, told The Associated Press that her son “wasn’t a monster.” “If anything, I hope it shines light on bullying and how deeply it affects people,” she said, before ending the interview. Former classmate Dakotta Mills, who said he had known Wagner since sixth grade, told The Associated Press that he had “some rough spots now and then” and that he had witnessed him being bullied. Another former classmate, Emily Fisher, told the Wausau Daily Herald that students ganged up on Wagner and called him names, in part because of poor hygiene. The bullying started in middle school, Fisher said, and continued through high school. Walker, a Republican, said authorities should address bullying and mental health, as well as teaching students how to resolve disagreements peacefully rather than impose new limits on firearms. He said that if there were a ban on rifles in Wisconsin, “you wouldn’t have hunting here.” At a news conference Monday, authorities said they couldn’t confirm that Wagner had been taunted by fellow students or say whether it was a possible motive in the shooting. “I can’t get into the specifics on that,” Antioch Police Chief Eric Roller. He added, “That’s still part of the investigation.” However, Roller said it didn’t appear that the victims had been specifically targeted. The state Department of Justice has taken over the case because it involves a police shooting. Agency spokesman Johnny Koremenos said in an email that it was too early to offer a motive or provide other details of the investigation. Roller said the officers’ response “saved lives by stopping the threat” in that the suspect “didn’t end up inside a building that was full of prom-goers.” Wagner arrived on a bicycle armed with a rifle and opened fire as two couples were leaving the dance, Roller said. One 18-year-old male student was struck in the leg and a bullet grazed his date’s thigh. The other couple wasn’t struck. Two officers were stationed in front of the school and one quickly shot the gunman. The couple who wasn’t shot helped the 18-year-old male victim by wrapping a necktie around his leg as a tourniquet to stanch the bleeding, Roller said. The victim’s family requested privacy, but said in a statement that their son was doing well after a long surgery. They thanked everyone who helped and asked that people “pray for the family of Jakob Wagner. “As much as we are struggling through this event, we cannot imagine the grief they are experiencing at this time,” the statement read. Roller said no weapons were recovered aside from the rifle. He declined to describe the weapon further or say how many rounds of ammunition Wagner was carrying. Zamzow, wearing a burgundy T-Shirt that read “Antioch Pride” in bold white letters, said that classes were back in session Monday and that attendance was normal. Counsellors were on campus to help students. A school official told AP on Sunday that Wagner had not graduated as scheduled last May, but Principal Tom Zamzow said Monday that he was a graduate.

2016-04-26 06:02 Associated Press newsinfo.inquirer.net

8 A Washington ritual: Pentagon, Congress at odds over bases WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon thinks it has a winning argument for why Congress should allow a new round of military base closings. The case goes like this: The Army and Air Force have vastly more space for training and basing troops than they need, and trimming the surplus would save money better used to strengthen the military. Congress, however, has its own logic: Closing bases can hurt local economies, which can cost votes in the next election. Besides, some lawmakers say, the Pentagon has cooked the books to justify its conclusions or at least has not finished doing the math. Lawmakers are fiercely protective of bases in their district or state and generally prefer to ignore or dismiss any Pentagon push to close them. Nearly every year the Pentagon asks Congress for authority to convene a base-closing commission. The answer is always the same: not this year. And probably not anytime soon, either. In a little-noticed report to congressional leaders this month, the Pentagon offered a detailed analysis — the first of its kind in 12 years — that concludes the military will have an overall 22 percent excess of base capacity in 2019. The Army will have 33 percent surplus, the Air Force 32 percent and the Navy and Marine Corps a combined 7 percent, the report says. Base capacity is the total amount of acreage or work space available to support military forces at places such as a training range, an air base, a weapons storage site or an office building. “Spending resources on excess infrastructure does not make sense,” Deputy Defense Secretary Robert Work wrote leaders of the relevant congressional committees on April 12. The letter was meant to support the Obama administration’s case for a bipartisan base-closing authority, known as a Base Closure and Realignment Commission (BRAC). This mechanism, meant to take politics out of the process, was used during the 1990s and again in 2005, but not since. The Pentagon has not said a lot publicly about its latest pitch to Congress for another commission, perhaps because it sees little chance of success. The chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Texas, said last week that the House version of the bill that authorizes military spending for the coming budget year will stop the Pentagon’s base-closing campaign in its tracks. The bill unveiled Monday will allow studies to answer the committee’s questions about excess base capacity, but rejects the Pentagon’s plea for another round of closures in 2019. In Thornberry’s view, the Pentagon is selling a half-baked argument. “I’m not interested in sales brochures,” he said as the committee had sought but didn’t receive a Pentagon analysis of the force structure in 2012. “I’m interested in objective data that leads them to think there is too much infrastructure.” The data is fairly clear, even if Thornberry doesn’t believe it is objective. It is derived from a type of study, called a parametric analysis, which the Pentagon had not done since 2004. The new analysis compares base capacity to the expected shape of the military in 2019, when the next BRAC would be held. It found a big mismatch: 22 percent more base capacity than will be needed for the military that is envisioned for 2019. By that time the Army is scheduled to be even smaller than today, shrinking from about 475,000 active-duty soldiers to 450,000. The study calculated the amount of surplus base capacity in the aggregate, not by individual bases. So it does not point to any particular bases as candidates for shuttering or downsizing. The study concluded that reducing the overall surplus by about 5 percent would produce savings of $2 billion a year. The savings would be partially offset by an estimated $7 billion in closure costs, including the expense of environmental cleanup, during the first six years. Military commanders do not like to get drawn into the debate about base closings, but they recognize that surplus capacity has financial implications. Lt. Gen. Stephen Lanza, commander of the Army’s 1st Corps, headquartered at Joint Base Lewis-McChord near Tacoma, Washington, sees a national review of base capacity as a way to search for savings that could be used to improve “readiness,” or the combat preparedness, of his and other forces. “I do think it’s viable to examine, base by base, where we have infrastructure … that perhaps is not being utilized properly,” he said in a telephone interview. “If done correctly, and if we do it honestly and openly, then perhaps it’s worthy of a discussion to look at our facilities and see where we could have some cost-saving measures.” The Pentagon may have to wait at least another year before Congress is willing to open the door to base closings, but it has some limited authority to act on its own. The study sent to Congress hinted at this by stating that BRAC is the fairest approach to resolving the surplus problem. “The alternative is incremental reductions” as the Pentagon cuts spending at military installations. Those spending cuts, it added, “will have an economic impact on local communities without giving them the ability to plan effectively for the change.” ___ Associated Press writer Richard Lardner contributed to this report. Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. 2016-04-26 04:39 By Associated mynorthwest.com

9 France to build Australia’s new submarine fleet as $50bn contract awarded Australia’s new fleet of submarines will be built by France in South Australia, Malcolm Turnbull announced in Adelaide on Tuesday. The award of the $50bn contract to French shipbuilder DCNS means the fleet will be new Barracuda-class submarines which will be built to Australian specifications for a conventional, non- nuclear powered submarine. Germany’s ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) and the government of Japan were the two unsuccessful bidders in the bid to build 12 submarines to replace Australia’s Collins-class submarines. The submarines will cost $20bn to build and $30bn to sustain after they come into operation in the middle of the next decade. According to reports, former prime minister Tony Abbott had favoured the Japanese bid, but after facing a leadership spill in February 2015 he opened the contract up for a “competitive evaluation process” . Abbott said it was reasonable to expect the government to try to secure the best value and the best product and “to give Australian suppliers a fair go”. South Australian MPs were concerned if Japan was awarded the contract local shipbuilder ASC would miss out on the chance to build the submarines. The Coalition had been under political pressure in the key manufacturing state over accusations it was preparing to break an election promise to build the submarines domestically. In September Japan signalled it was willing to perform construction work in Australia , meaning all three bidders were prepared to build the submarines in Australia. In March a defence white paper leaked which purported to show that under Turnbull and his defence minister, Marise Payne, the entry into service of a replacement for the ageing Collins- class fleet had been delayed by “nearly a decade”. Abbott confirmed that claim and said he was disappointed and flabbergasted by the delay. But the secretary of the defence department, Dennis Richardson, rejected the claim there had been any delay to the scheduled introduction date. On Tuesday morning the opposition leader, Bill Shorten, said Labor was committed to building, maintaining and sustaining all 12 submarines in Australia. “It was the resolute opposition of the Labor party which has forced the Liberal party back to the table to stand up for Australian jobs and Australian-built submarines,” he said. The treasurer, Scott Morrison, said “what’s important for our defence procurement plan is that we’re actually getting the technology and other transfer that occurs from being involved in these projects”. “They’re significant expenditures of public money and we’ll be focusing on ensuring that Australians get the real benefit of that for jobs and growth in the future.” DCNS chief executive, Sean Costello, has said while exact details remain confidential, the Shortfin Barracuda is over 90 metres in length and displaces more than 4,000 tonnes when dived. “The Shortfin Barracuda will remain in service until the 2060s and will be updated and upgraded with new technology developed in France and Australia,” he said.

2016-04-26 03:04 Paul Karp www.theguardian.com

10 Conspiracy Files: Who shot down MH17? Conspiracy theories swirl around many accidents, terror attacks or disasters. It's not surprising, then, that a host of different claims surround the crash of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17. There are theories about fighter jets and different types of missiles. So what really happened? The story starts on the bleak steppes of eastern Ukraine. A bitter cold wind blew as I walked up to a simple memorial commemorating the tragic death of 298 people in the worst air disaster for two decades. Around the memorial lay a collection of teddies and soft toys - a cruel reminder that 80 children lost their lives here. On 17 July 2014, the Boeing 777 had left Amsterdam, bound for the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur. But it suddenly broke up in mid-air, killing everyone on board. The air disaster came just four months after the mysterious disappearance of another Malaysian airliner. At the time, the Ukrainian government and the Russian-backed rebel militia were locked in a bitter civil war. After 15 months of deliberation the official technical report by the Dutch Safety Board concluded that a single, powerful, Russian-made Buk ground-to-air missile hit the plane. It's widely assumed that Russian soldiers or pro-Russian rebels fired it, mistakenly thinking they were targeting a Ukrainian Air Force jet. But right from the start Russia and the rebels fiercely contested the Western explanation. Four days after the crash, two of Russia's most senior generals accused the Ukrainian government of deliberately pushing MH17 off its flight path into the war zone. They highlighted a momentary blip on Russian radar, arguing that this showed a Ukrainian Su-25 fighter jet, armed with missiles guaranteed to hit targets within a range of three miles. As the theory that MH17 was shot down by a plane not a ground-to-air missile swept across the internet, Billy Six, a freelance journalist from Berlin, joined the hunt for clues. He spent four months in Ukraine and interviewed more than 100 people in the rebel-controlled area around the crash site. Seven people told him they saw a fighter jet on the day MH17 crashed, and one said he saw a missile being launched from a plane. Billy himself thinks two fighter jets shot down MH17 - one firing its cannon, the other firing a missile. The first photographer on the scene, Oleg Vitulkin, a member of the pro-Russian militia, rejects the Western account. "There's no way that we would have launched this missile as everyone would have seen it," he says. Conspiracy Files: Who Shot Down MH17? The full story will be aired on BBC Two on 3 May at 2100 BST Vitulkin didn't see another plane that day, but Natasha Voronina believes she did. She was sitting right underneath the point at which MH17 disintegrated. It was harvest time and she was having a break when she heard a loud bang. She looked up at the sky and saw black smoke and what she describes as "two aeroplanes, little ones like silver toys" fly in different directions. But Western defence analysts deride the Russian defence ministry's claim that a Ukrainian Su- 25 shot down MH17. Nick de Larrinaga, European editor of IHS Jane's Defence Weekly, says the idea is "absolute nonsense". The Su-25 is a close air-support aircraft, designed to operate just above ground level, attacking tanks and other vehicles, he says. It's "effectively a flying tank", which doesn't have a pressurised cockpit. As such, it is not designed to operate at high altitude and shoot down aircraft - which is a major problem for the Russian theory, given that we know MH17 was flying at 33,000ft (10,000m) when it was hit. This has not stopped the Russian media from continuing to explore the theory. The slogan of the Moscow-based, international news network, Russia Today - "Question More" - neatly encapsulates the Kremlin approach. Yana Erlashova, one of Russia Today's star reporters, found many witnesses who said they had seen jet fighters. "I don't push any scenarios or theories, I just report what people say," she told me. With the help of the Russian Air Force, she staged an extraordinary experiment and demonstrated that the Su-25 is capable of reaching 33,000ft. But it turns out that this heavily armoured fighter jet can reach that altitude only by discarding its weapons. And firing a weapon at 33,000ft would cause it to stall. What's more Nick de Larrinaga points out the Su-25 is actually slower than a Boeing 777, so it couldn't even have caught up with MH17. Oh, and it uses small, short-range, heat-seeking missiles, which aren't designed to shoot down distant aircraft. If that wasn't enough, the Dutch Safety Board found that around 800 pieces of shrapnel had ripped through MH17, clear evidence of the deadly power only a ground-to-air missile could deliver. The Buk missile has a 70kg (154lb) warhead, which is far more powerful than the warheads on the air-to-air missiles fired from fighter jets. But what about the witnesses who described seeing other planes right next to MH17 before it crashed? I spoke to other witnesses who had clear views of MH17 breaking up and are just as adamant they didn't see any other planes that day. What's more, we know MH17 broke up into a number of large pieces, which then travelled in different directions and from the ground could well have looked like fighter jets. Also, what about the Russian military's claim that another plane was briefly visible on its radar? David Gleave, a former air accident investigator, explains that when an aircraft breaks up in mid- air, sometimes it continues to transmit radar data on the way down. It may even change direction if it loses its tail. Undaunted, Russian TV claimed before very long, to have the smoking gun. Four months after the crash, Russia's most popular TV station, Channel One, broadcast an incredible satellite photograph showing a different, supersonic and deadly effective, fighter jet - supposedly a Mig-29 - at the exact moment it fired a missile at MH17. But shortly after the images hit the internet, they were debunked. Leading the charge was Eliot Higgins, a former office worker turned blogger, who set up an online investigation website called Bellingcat just three days before MH17 crashed. Higgins and his volunteer investigators, sensed the photos were fakes made up of composite images from different websites. The fighter jet actually looked more like an Su-27 fighter (made by Sukhoi, the same company as the Su-25) than a Mig-29, and the Boeing 777 was pasted on the satellite photo in the wrong position. The scale was completely wrong. "It would be about four miles long based on the perspective between the camera and the ground," says Higgins, "or it would be a normal-sized aircraft that was 300m away from the satellite. " Soon afterwards, another version of the theory that a plane shot down flight MH17 surfaced. Five months after the crash, a "secret witness" walked into the office of Russia's Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper claiming to have worked in the Ukrainian Air Force. He said a Su-25 had shot down MH17 and named the pilot as Capt Vladislav Voloshin. Nikolai Varsegov, special correspondent for the paper, said the witness claimed he had loaded air-to-air missiles on to Voloshin's plane on 17 July and that when the plane returned to base the missiles were gone. The witness added that the captain was agitated on his return and allegedly said, "The wrong plane was in the wrong place at the wrong time. " So we set out to find the pilot and tracked him to a heavily guarded airbase in southern Ukraine. Standing next to his Su-25, Capt Voloshin explained that he was deeply offended to be accused of murdering 298 people. He said that other than the fact that the witness had worked at the airbase, everything else was a lie. Capt Voloshin had flown a mission that had ended with air-to- ground missiles being fired. Two of his colleagues had been shot down and he had been understandably upset. But this happened six days after MH17 was shot down. On that day - 17 July - he said the Ukrainian Air Force hadn't flown over the rebel-controlled area. Much of the Russian media still doubts that a Buk missile was involved. Russia Today's Yana Erlashova says she tried hard to find evidence of the huge 18ft (5.5m), 1,500lb (700kg) missile being launched but found nothing at all. Just as the local photographer, Oleg Vitulkin, had insisted. At the time, however, a series of photos, videos and social media posts were published which point to a missile launcher, heading east on the day MH17 crashed, from the rebel capital of Donetsk deep into rebel-held territory. The route ends in the corner of a large field, about 15 miles (25km) south-east of where MH17 was hit and about a mile east of the village of Red October - a field right in the middle of the area identified by the Dutch report as the likely launch location. The pro-Russian rebels controlled this whole area. What's more, launching a Buk missile generates searing temperatures and one photograph taken in the same field a few days after the crash, shows a small patch of burnt grass. But could someone fire a massive missile without anyone taking a picture of it? It turns out that three hours after the crash two photographs were posted on social media. They're claimed to show the distant plume of smoke from the missile that brought down MH17. It's alleged the photos were taken by a man from a classic Soviet-style housing estate, seven miles north-west of the likely launch site. The photograph on the left is one of two images that were posted on social media. We have enhanced the image on the right so that it easier to see the plume of smoke. But some, including Dutch blogger Max van der Werff who spent time in the area investigating the photographs, think they are fakes. Russia Today's Yana Erlashova, for one, claims the wires in one of the photos prove it couldn't have been taken from the photographer's balcony. She also insists that his ninth-floor balcony didn't have a view of the launch location. But Higgins insists the cables are in exactly the right position to be caught on camera. Other bloggers, such as Marcel van den Berg who has analysed all the information carefully, argue that the photos are genuine. So, to the bemusement of the local stray dogs, we flew a small drone up over the block of flats, and we discovered that you can see the wires, an unusual, conically shaped hill, and in the distance the alleged launch location near Red October. I also went looking for someone who had witnessed the Buk missile. Finally, I drove down a bumpy track into the small village of Red October, just a mile west of the alleged launch location. Today the brightly painted wooden houses are eerily quiet. Back in July 2014, this rebel-held area was close to the front line, as evidenced by a large shell I saw embedded in the grassy verge. On the day MH17 crashed, Valentina Kovolenko was digging potatoes with her daughter. Standing in the same spot she told me a large noise had made her look up. At first she thought it was a plane crashing, but she realised it was, in fact, a missile being launched, the like of which she had never seen before and has never seen since. "We saw what turned out to be a missile but it went behind the clouds. And a few minutes later we heard what sounded like an explosion," she said. From her house Valentina has a commanding view, barring any clouds, and she said she didn't see any other planes that day. The US Government says it has secret spy imagery of a Buk missile being launched, but it has refused to publish it for fear, apparently, of revealing its technical capabilities. Ray McGovern, a CIA analyst for 27 years, is not convinced, though. He argues the US has led an effusive propaganda effort "to paint Putin in the blackest of colours" to bolster support for sanctions. Whether these revealing US spy images exist or not, the Russians have released a series of satellite photographs. They claim to show a Ukrainian army Buk missile launcher, first at a military base, and then - on the day of the crash - at a front-line Ukrainian army position near the village of Zaroshenskoye. So this is a second Russian theory - an alternative to the fighter jet theory - that MH17 was shot down by a Ukrainian Buk missile. But the online investigator, Eliot Higgins, insists the Russian satellite images - allegedly taken on 17 July - are fakes. They claim to show the Ukrainian missile launcher absent from the military base on the day of the crash. However, a satellite image from American imaging firm Digital Globe that we know was taken on that day clearly shows the missile launcher still there. Also, not a single witness has come forward to say a Buk missile was fired from this site. What's more, it seems that the location was not even held by the Ukrainian Army. The Russian Ministry of Defence also claims a video showing a Buk launcher with one missile missing, reveals a Ukrainian Army Buk on Ukrainian territory. But once again the Russian claims quickly fall apart. In fact it looks like exactly the same Buk missile launcher that travelled from the rebel capital of Donetsk to Red October on the day of the attack. And the video appears to have been filmed as it headed towards Russia the day after the attack. The journalist Billy Six - who, remember, believes MH17 was shot down by Ukrainian jet fighters, and who spent several months in the area - concluded it must have been filmed in rebel-held territory. Soon a new Russian voice added its voice to the Ukrainian Buk theory. Surprisingly it came from the Russian manufacturer of the Buk missile, Almaz-Antey. The company argues that the holes in the wreckage prove it was an old version of the missile, no longer used by the Russian army, though still in use in the Ukrainian army. Soon after it made this claim though, a photograph from 2013 was discovered with President Vladimir Putin standing in front of exactly this type of missile. And in 2015 those same missiles were proudly displayed at a May Day parade in Siberia. Not to be put off, the manufacturer responded with some dramatic experiments. It analysed the damage to the fuselage and the likely angle the missile hit the plane. It then showed off a complex mass of calculations from what it called a "special supercomputer device". This time it said the missile was even older and one that was definitely not in Russian service. Once again, the experts I spoke to in the West were damning. Igor Sutyagin, a former Soviet air defence officer and now a defence analyst at the Royal United Services Institute in London, complained that it is "not scientific". He said the idea was to "kill the truth, providing excessive details to create a smoke screen". In the town of Snezhnoye just a few miles south of the crash site, I visited an apartment block where a huge gaping hole and scattered rubble is still testament to an Ukrainian air strike just two days before MH17 crashed. Eleven civilians were killed. By the summer of 2014 the pro- Russian rebels were under siege from the ground and from the air. And this may be why a large convoy from the Russian 53rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade headed from Kursk in western Russia towards the Ukrainian border, just a month before the MH17 crash. The progress of this convoy was once again tracked by the online investigators at Bellingcat, purely by looking at the social media posts of passing drivers and the Russian soldiers themselves. They spotted among the convoy the same missile launcher that had been seen on the day of the crash in eastern Ukraine. Blotches of paintwork and other marks look identical. As the rebels had no air force, the Ukrainian Army had no need for air defence. In contrast the rebels had to rely on increasingly powerful ground-to-air missiles to defend themselves. Many Ukrainian planes were hit. Just three days before MH17 was downed, the rebels shot down an Antonov-26 transport plane flying at 21,000ft. Far from the front line, I was shown inside a Ukrainian Army Buk missile launcher. The mass of switches and indicators clearly needs to be operated by highly trained military personnel. As defence analyst Igor Sutyagin points out, that expertise is present in the Russian Army, it is not likely to be present among the rebel militia. Perhaps this played a role in the MH17 disaster? A series of phone conversations were intercepted by the Ukrainian security service. One features a rebel soldier apparently reporting to a Russian intelligence officer that the rebels had shot down what they thought was a Ukrainian plane. So what's going on? Why have so many conspiracy theories been produced about MH17? And why is it that, unlike most conspiracy theories - for example, those about 9/11 - they have actually been state-sanctioned? One British author who worked in Russia for several years as a TV producer, has traced how the Kremlin has adapted the doctrine of maskirovka , or military deception, for the digital age. Peter Pomerantsev, author of Nothing Is True and Everything Is Possible: the Surreal Heart of the New Russia, claims President Putin has complete control over the Russian media and it now works like a cult, with non-stop conspiracy theories, designed to confuse and bamboozle Russians so that "critical thinking breaks down". Steven Pifer, a former US ambassador to Ukraine, agrees. He argues the major TV networks, such as Russia Today, "are operating as an arm of the Kremlin and designed to put out a Russian propaganda line". He says the goal "is to put out lots of different theories to raise smoke, to raise dust and to raise confusion and hopefully persuade people that there is no truth here". Neither the Russian foreign ministry nor the manufacturer of the missile would talk to the BBC. The Russian government rejects any responsibility for the MH17 crash. It insists the official Dutch report is flawed and says it will conduct its own inquiry. There is just one point on which the Russian government agrees with the Dutch investigators - the responsibility borne by the Ukrainian government for failing to close the airspace over the war zone to civilian aircraft, when its own planes had been shot down at a height well beyond the reach of conventional shoulder-mounted missiles. Beyond that, Russia seems to have its own distinct version - or versions - of the truth, and former Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk, gave me his explanation why. "Russians supplied a surface-to-air missile system to Russian-led terrorists and they committed this crime. They know who committed this crime and they are scared of being brought to justice. " Conspiracy Files: Who Shot Down MH17? The full story will be aired on BBC Two on 3 May at 2100 BST. When flight MH17 was shot down Natalia Antelava was soon reporting from the scene. A chance encounter gave her a personal connection with one of the dead passengers, and prompted her to find the woman's sister. Babs doesn't know who killed her sister and accepts that she might never find out. But says it has changed the way she feels about the world. Read the full story: A tale of two sisters and flight MH17 All images subject to copyright Subscribe to the BBC News Magazine's email newsletter to get articles sent to your inbox.

2016-04-26 03:33 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk

11 Adolf Hitler School for Friendship and Tolerance, Trump Elementary among names suggested for school When a Texas elementary school decided to change its name from its current namesake, Confederate general Robert E. Lee, it sought suggestions from the public. And while school officials will get the final say in what the school will be renamed, that didn't stop residents from giving their not-so-helpful input. Among the suggestions for the school were Adolf Hitler School for Friendship and Tolerance, Drew Brees Elementary, Bruce Lee Elementary, John Cena Elementary and, of course, Schoolie McSchoolface. The top suggestion right know is Donald J. Trump Elementary with 45 nominations, according to KXAN. RELATED: HISD to rename 3 schools named after Confederate figures A few other popular names that made the suggestion list are Willie Nelson, Harriet Tubman and Kanye West. You can see a full list of the renaming suggestions here via Mashable. Austin was among the many cities that opted to change landmarks named for Confederate leaders after white supremacy literature and symbols were associated with the deadly church shootings in Charleston, South Carolina, in June. >> Click the gallery above to see celebrities who support Donald Trump.

2016-04-26 01:51 By Jessica www.chron.com

12 Even for the strangest town in Wales, our festival crowd must have been a sight You Asked Us: What would be a good night for Jeremy Corbyn in the local elections? I’ve just been to Laugharne, described by Dylan Thomas as “the strangest town in Wales”, and he’s allowed to say that because he lived there. The annual weekend of music, book readings and poetry inspires much talking and drinking late into the night, a beacon of chaos in an over- organised world of festivals. I love it. Dylan Thomas is, of course, the hook. He lived here for much of the last five years of his life, 1949 to 1953, and wrote “Do not go gentle into that good night” for his father who was dying in the green house immediately opposite my hotel room. I look across to it, and the other Georgian houses up the street, painted in shades of violet, pistachio and duck-egg blue, though the view, blurred by lashing rain, is less postcard twee than that sounds. There’s an element of Stella Street for the duration of the weekend – when I arrive at the pub Keith Allen, in workman’s overalls, is serving behind the bar – and everyone who is here to do an event attends everyone else’s event, so it feels as if the Groucho Club has taken over a small Welsh village. You suspect Thomas would have approved. It’s a homely, boozy occasion, untroubled by glamping or upmarket street food, reliant instead on whisky and chips. And the town has that staunchly nonconformist atmosphere often found in places that sit on the edge of the land. A “black-magical bedlam by the sea”, said Thomas. Possibly after a night at the karaoke. David Quantick hosts the pub quiz, which runs out of paper after the first round. The questions are random, obscure and hilarious – I triumphantly identify the voice of Roger Moore singing “Once in Royal David’s City” – but our team is beaten into second place by the people who did the spoof Ladybird books. As the evening progresses, I’m twice told an unrepeatable anecdote about an award-winning novelist, involving a Travelodge and a graveyard, although the second time I’m told, it’s a different novelist. At the Millennium Hall next morning a crowd gathers to hear David Hepworth. We’ve all walked through the driving rain, so our damp coats are gently steaming, and a smell of wet dog pervades the room. Hepworth talks about 1971, his favourite year, subject of a new book. In my head I hear Frank Sinatra singing, “When it was ’71, it was a very good year.” Later, I walk out to the Boathouse, perched on the edge of the water, where Dylan and Caitlin lived with their three kids. The rain has stopped now and the sea, which is almost to the front door, is still and calm, lapping gloopily at the shore. Mist shrouds the hills beyond the bay, and as I look back to the town I think of Brigadoon, the mythical Scottish village that appears for just one day in every hundred years. Looking the other way, out to sea, gives me that dizzying sense of staring towards nothingness. Which I imagine might encourage you to take a drink now and then. Back in town, the pace picks up; the strangeness redoubles. I see a fantastic young female R’n’B band from Cardiff called Baby Queens, and then Brix Smith-Start telling an anecdote about taking Mark E Smith to Disneyland, and then Pete Wylie in a church singing “Alone Again (Naturally)”. The karaoke takes off. Stuart Maconie sings “Wichita Lineman” and Charlotte Church sings “Be My Baby”, after which I am seized with the need to tell her what a good singer she is, in case no one has told her before. And night falls on a quiet little town gone mad. Through it all, I can’t help wondering what the local people make of it, having their home invaded like this for a few days every year. At the Spar, as I queue to buy crisps, the shop is giving away free shot glasses of wine. The lad in front of me is ignoring this and buying a four-pack of lager instead. He asks the girl at the counter what’s going on this weekend. She says she’s not sure. “I think there are, like, poets, and” – she looks up towards me – “singers, and the like. Doing talks. Performing. But,” and then she lowers her voice and leans in to him, “I don’t really want to say too much.” I understand. What would be a good night for Jeremy Corbyn in the local elections? It’s the question that I get asked more often than any other when going through the responses for the “You Ask Us” section of our podcast . On the one hand, Corbyn’s arch critics are suggesting that Labour should pick up 400 council seats if it is to be on a trajectory to take back power in 2020. On the other, the Labour leadership argues that what they need to do is show improvement on last year’s general election defeat, when the party trailed the Conservatives by close to seven points. As the seats contested this year were last up in 2012, after George Osborne’s disastrous budget – in which he cut the 50p rate of tax and paid for it by hiking taxes on grannies and Greggs – put the government on its back, even halving the Tory lead from 2015 would mean considerable losses of council seats. Who’s right? Well, there are two hurdles that Corbyn has to clear: the political and the psephological. My hunch is that the political hurdle is probably quite low – even the nightmare scenario of a third-place finish in Scotland, defeat for Sadiq Khan in London, and the loss of 200 council seats won’t imperil Corbyn all that much. Should Zac Goldsmith pull off a shock victory, many Labour MPs, and more importantly, Corbyn’s power base in the membership, will blame Goldsmith’s campaign, not Khan or Corbyn. As for Scotland, no-one in Labour wants to make averting disaster north of the border a condition for remaining in place at the top of the party, while Corbyn’s critics will take the flack for the losses, rather than the leader. So far, his internal enemies have yet to find a dividing line with their leader that harms Corbyn more than them: all that members know about Corbyn’s would-be successors is that they like Trident, bombing Syria, and Big Macs. But more important than all of that is the European referendum. Although not all Corbynsceptic MPs are strong pro-Europeans, enough are – one recently told me that a Brexit would result in “economic crisis – that no coup attempt is going to get started until the referendum is out of the way. Should the referendum be lost, it will be Cameron, not Corbyn, who faces a coup, and if it is won, at least some of the plaudits will go to Corbyn, who will play a bigger role in the referendum campaign after the local elections are past. My feeling immediately after Corbyn’s victory was that the size and scale of his victory – not only was it large, but he won among members as well as three-pound sign-ups – meant that he would lead Labour until he retires voluntarily or is defeated at a general election, and that remains my view. But enough about the internal party politics – what would be a “good night” psephologically- speaking? What would mean that Corbyn was not just safe as Labour leader but on course to be defeat David Cameron in the polls? I wouldn’t fetishise seat gains overmuch. Yes, there is still plenty of room for gains – Labour still has fewer council seats than it did in 2006, when it had gone through nine local elections in government, suffering the usual losses that the governing party has gone through with the exceptions of 1982 and 1985, both of which preceded landslide victories – and when the unpopularity of Tony Blair and the Iraq war were both at their height. And certainly, losing seats would be a bad sign. Even when the Conservative Party was trying to get rid of Iain Duncan Smith, it gained seats in opposition. When the Labour party was on the cusp of splitting into two parties in 1981, it gained seats in opposition. Without wishing to upset any local councillors who might be reading, people don’t really take local government all that seriously and use it as an opportunity to kick the incumbent government. But there are two complicating factors this time that make putting an exact figure on how many seat gains would be a good figure. The first is Ukip, who weren’t a force, either organisationally or politically, when these seats were last fought. (That problem is even more stark in Wales, last contested in 2011. Ukip look likely to win seven seats there, having won zero in 2011. It’s not yet clear if that is a good, bad or average performance for Ukip in Wales) The second is the Liberal Democrats. If you are on Twitter you may have seen Liberal Democrats getting very excited about the #libdemfightback, a series of impressive council by- election performances since the party escaped the twin taint of being in coalition with the Conservatives and having Nick Clegg as leader. My hunch is that fightback isn’t as impressive as it seems. The Liberal Democrats have benefited from having some popular MPs, whose local followings weren’t quite big enough to save their seats but are still large, opting to fight council seats. (In Torbay, Adrian Sanders’ personal popularity secured a margin of victory that would make Vladimir Putin blush) And just as in the Eastleigh by-election in the last parliament, local council by-elections allow the Liberal Democrats to deploy their still-energetic membership very effectively. Eastleigh, of course, was lost and lost badly in the general election when resources were spread more thinly. My guess is that the same will happen this time – but if I’m not, and the Liberal Democrats are once again benefiting from being an opposition party, that will also distort what constitutes a “good night” for Labour. So instead of worrying overmuch about numbers, worry about places. Although winning seats and taking control of councils is not a guarantee of winning control of the parliamentary seat – look at Harlow, Nuneaton, and Ipswich, all of which have Labour representation at a local level but send a Conservative MP to Westminster – good performances, both in terms of increasing votes and seats, are a positive sign. So look at how Labour does in its own marginals and in places that are Conservative at a Westminster level, rather than worrying about an exact figure either way. If you have any questions you’d like us to tackle on our podcast, drop me an email at stephen.bush newstatesman.co.uk and we’ll try to tackle it.

Labour's McDonald's ban is virtue signalling of the worst kind You Asked Us: What would be a good night for Jeremy Corbyn in the local elections? newstatesman.com Dear George Osborne, it's time to tackle tax dodging You Asked Us: What would be a good night for Jeremy Corbyn in the local elections? newstatesman.com

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From school books to publishing, black girls deserve better representation You Asked Us: What would be a good night for Jeremy Corbyn in the local elections? newstatesman.com

To stave off further crises the EU must open up You Asked Us: What would be a good night for Jeremy Corbyn in the local elections? newstatesman.com What a ten-year-old book tells us about the campaigns of today You Asked Us: What would be a good night for Jeremy Corbyn in the local elections? newstatesman.com

Trust the tinkerman: the fall and rise of Claudio Ranieri You Asked Us: What would be a good night for Jeremy Corbyn in the local elections? newstatesman.com

The choice for women is obvious - vote Remain You Asked Us: What would be a good night for Jeremy Corbyn in the local elections? newstatesman.com 2016-04-26 02:31 John Gray www.newstatesman.com

13 Obama's sovereignty-slamming legacy tour Contact WND President Obama quietly slipped out of the country last week for a world tour intended to enhance his “legacy” as a globalist. His first stop was Saudi Arabia to reassure King Salman of America’s continued support for that brutal absolute monarchy, where Christians are forbidden to worship openly. Obama then went to London to socialize with members of Britain’s royal family and play a round of golf with Prime Minister Cameron. At a joint news conference with the prime minister, Obama advised the British public how to vote on “Brexit,” the June 23 referendum on whether to leave the European Union. Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II is prohibited from expressing her personal views on such a controversial matter, but that didn’t stop America’s head of state from intruding on another country’s domestic political issue. Just as in our own presidential race, the loss of national sovereignty is a major issue in the United Kingdom where public opinion forced the government to call a referendum on continued membership in the EU. Obama even published an op-ed in Britain’s Daily Telegraph to urge the U. K. to stay in the European Union. Suggesting that national sovereignty is merely a relic of the past that “we all cherish,” Obama wrote that today’s challenges of “migration, economic inequality, the threats of terrorism and climate change” require “collective action.” No, the best way to control “migration” and “the threats of terrorism” is to restore national sovereignty. Events of the past year – from the terrorist attacks in Paris and Brussels, to the way Germany was overrun by more than a million Muslims from the Middle East – prove the failure of “collective action” through the EU superstate. President Obama obviously doesn’t believe in national sovereignty, but has used every available way to tie us down in a web of global controls and commitments. Hence the enthusiasm by ordinary Americans for presidential candidates who promise to reverse the bipartisan “consensus” run by and for the elites. The U. S. presidential race in both parties has come down to three aspects of national sovereignty: controlling our borders, regulating trade in the interests of American workers, and avoiding pointless foreign wars in the Middle East. On all three issues, Hillary Clinton is on the wrong side, and so are the Republican kingmakers who are trying to stop Donald Trump and Ted Cruz from winning the Republican nomination. While Obama was campaigning for global governance in London, his secretary of state John Kerry was in New York to sign the global climate change agreement adopted with great fanfare in Paris last December. Some 175 nations sent representatives to the U. N. for a signing ceremony on Earth Day. Attacked, debased, maligned and vilified: This foundational institution is fighting for its life. Order Phyllis Schlafly’s latest book, “Who Killed the American Family?” along with her updated classic, “A Choice, not an Echo” Many of the 175 nations plan to submit the agreement to be ratified by their respective legislatures, but Obama has no plans to seek the advice and consent of the U. S. Senate. As Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, says, “The only reason President Obama is not sending the Paris Climate Agreement to the Senate as a treaty is that he knows the Senate would handily reject it.” Lack of ratification is not stopping Obama from implementing what he considers a binding agreement containing enforceable “pledges” to reduce the use of carbon fuels. Obama’s Clean Power Plan regulation was temporarily blocked by the Supreme Court shortly before Justice Scalia died, but a host of other costly regulations are moving forward with little or no resistance from the Republican Congress. At the very least, Sen. Lee says, Congress must block any more payments to the U. N.’s Green Climate Fund, to which taxpayers have already sent $500 million. That’s in addition to the $10 billion a year our government wastes on “green” energy schemes that can’t provide steady, reliable and affordable electricity. Obama concluded his week-long foreign trip in Germany, where he praised Chancellor Angela Merkel’s disastrous mishandling of Muslim migrants and refugees, saying she’s “on the right side of history on this.” No, the right side of history would have been to emulate the Polish King Jan Sobieski who turned back Muslim invaders at the Gates of Vienna on Sept. 11, 1683. German sovereignty is now so compromised that Merkel agreed to prosecute a German comedian for reciting a poem that she said was “intentionally insulting” to the Turkish president. Turkey controls the flow of migrants and refugees into Germany and could easily send many more. Even in our country, political correctness has prevented an open discussion of how immigration is changing our culture. We need a president who restores national sovereignty and puts Americans first.

Conservatives for Trump? Contact WND wnd.com

Speech is only free when the mob allows it Contact WND wnd.com

I'm not transphobic -- but I against fascism Contact WND wnd.com

If God is dead ... Contact WND wnd.com

Why America has lost its moral standing Contact WND wnd.com

Yuge decision Contact WND Putting liberals on the couch Contact WND wnd.com wnd.com 2016-04-26 02:48 Phyllis Schlafly www.wnd.com

14 Why is it unspeakable to be a republican in Britain? I don’t like the monarchy. I don’t like the crockery plastered with their smug faces, I don’t like the Queen’s limp handshake that I have to watch on repeat whenever the news is on, and I certainly don’t like the hereditary leadership that epitomises everything that is wrong with the class system in Britain. As the Queen gets older and we once again begin to get excited over a family we’ve arbitrarily deemed to be important, our tolerance of the royals never ceases to amaze me. Slowly but surely, as the family have become immersed in pop culture (Pippa’s bottom! Face Swap the Queen!) their presence as an insult to all modern democratic principles has been carefully hidden. It’s peak Britishness – we let them exist alongside the other things we find a bit annoying but don’t do anything about. What should warrant serious political anger is treated like a drizzle at a barbecue: it would be better if it wasn’t there, but hey, we still get our sausages. Why are we not more outraged? Why do we all sit back and celebrate their lives without a good, old-fashioned riot? The mainstream press glorifies their existence and very rarely do I hear an outcry from my left-wing contemporaries when it comes to this travesty against social mobility that the royals embody. They have become so subsumed into contemporary British culture we’ve forgotten to get angry. Every coin we exchange, every note we use, every stamp we lick – there she is, the stoic face of our leader staring up at us. Have we just stopped caring because we’ve become so pacified to her presence? They’ve been hiding in plain sight, swaying policy in their favour and leeching money from a thinly-stretched state for years. Failed hitherto for to call yourself a republican or muster some anger? Just take a moment and think about who pays for them. We do. We pay them for doing nothing. Think of every emotional breakdown you’ve experienced trying to make ends meet, every rent bill you might have had to fight to pay, and then think to the royal family, who because they were born at a certain time to a certain family, will never, ever have to face that struggle. Because they get free money. From us. The total cost of the monarchy per year comes to about £334m – around the same as 15,000 new nurses. We could use the money to help our increasingly-privatised NHS. We could re-fund the Citizens’ Advice B ureau so more non-English speaking migrants could get legal help. We could go back to having a welfare system that offers some semblance of support. It’s not the solution to all financial issues, sure, but it’s a true irony that under a Tory government that justifies harsh welfare cuts using the mantra “you don’t get something for nothing,” the royals very much get something for nothing. And don’t tell me they’re good for our tourism. Chester Zoo is a more profitable tourist attraction than Windsor Castle (their most profitable residence) – and last time I checked a zoo didn’t squander public funds. To stand up and be proud of our monarchy is to stand up and revel in unfairness. It is to celebrate the fact that in Britain, because you are related to a certain person and part of a certain lineage, you deserve a better life at the expense of others. It's an archaic system that exemplifies Britain's historic issues with wealth, class and privilege, and every time we celebrate them we buy into this myth that the royals are an untouchable truth of British culture. We need to call this out for what it is and what it has always been: an elitist institution exploiting the political system and abusing public funds, all premised on some notion of tradition and heritage. It’s absurd. So long hail our glorious leader on this pleasant day. Praise be to the Queen, and many happy returns. Let’s hope she gets all the hats and daffodils she desires.

2016-04-26 01:27 John Gray www.newstatesman.com

15 Mona Lisa: research backs theory on male and female models, 'art detective' claims Mona Lisa’s famous image could have been inspired by both the male and female form, a self- styled Italian art detective has claimed. Silvano Vinceti says new research backs his long-standing theory that Leonardo Da Vinci used both a female and male model to create the acclaimed portrait that hangs in Paris’ Louvre museum. While the identity of the woman is not certain, historians believe Lisa Gherardini, the wife of Florentine silk merchant Francesco del Giocondo, sat for Da Vinci for the painting. But Vinceti says he used infrared technology to examine the painting and made key findings in its first layer. “In that layer we can see that she was not smiling and joyful but looked melancholic and sad,” he said, adding the second model could have been Gian Giacomo Caprotti - Da Vinci’s male apprentice, known as Salai. Using Photoshop, Vinceti compared the “Mona Lisa” face to other Da Vinci works Salai is believed to have posed for, including “St John the Baptist“. “We have used all the paintings in which Leonardo used Salai as a model and compared them to the ’Mona Lisa’ and certain details correspond perfectly; so he used two models and added creative details which came from his own imagination,” he said. “I believe that this goes with a long-time fascination of Leonardo’s, that is, the subject of androgyny. In other words, for Leonardo, the perfect person was a combination of a man and a woman.“ Vinceti also bases his theory on claims by 16th Italian art historian and painter Giorgio Vasari that Gherardini’s husband hired clowns to try to make her smile for the sitting. Salai’s name has in the past been linked to the “Mona Lisa”, but other historians have dismissed the claims. Vicenti is known for controversial theories surrounding the Mona Lisa. He previously suggested that the letters “LV” were visible in her right pupil – a claim that has been repudiated by experts at the Louvre.

2016-04-26 02:38 Reuters www.theguardian.com

16 Scores & Stats The Chicago Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues are no strangers to many elements of the current script, with the former ultimately overcoming a two-game deficit in 2014 to defeat the latter in a hard-hitting first-round playoff series. The reigning Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks look to repeat the feat on Monday night when the bitter Central Division rivals play a winner-take-all Game 7 at Scottrade Center in St. Louis. Defenseman Alex Pietrangelo did his best to put a positive spin on the position of the Blues, who are perilously close to being bounced in the first round of the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season -- despite having home-ice advantage in each series. "We worked 82 games this year to get that home ice," Pietrangelo said after seeing Chicago score five unanswered goals en route to a 6-3 victory in Game 6 on Saturday. "If there's a time to use it, it's right now. " The Blackhawks overcame a 3-1 series deficit to eliminate a rival in 2013, having done so versus Detroit in a second-round matchup.8:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, CBC, TVAS, CSN ChicagoAlthough Brent Seabrook scored the overtime goal to oust the Red Wings three years ago, the defenseman isn't taking his team's success for granted heading into Monday's pivotal contest. "I don't think you ever learn how to play in a Game 7," Seabrook told the Chicago Sun-Times. "When you play in more of them, you get — comfortable's not the right word — but you get not as nervous, I guess. " Seabrook has recorded at least a point in all four of his previous Game 7s, including a goal to help Chicago oust Anaheim in the 2015 Western Conference final. Vladimir Tarasenko scored his series-leading fourth goal and 14th in 19 career playoff games on Saturday to give St. Louis a 3-1 lead before the roof caved in. The 24-year-old Russian reportedly was upset after seeing limited time during a power play despite scoring 12 of his career-best 40 goals with the man advantage, but coach Ken Hitchcock told reporters that St. Louis had the puck in the offensive zone and couldn't get Tarasenko on the ice. Veteran Troy Brouwer will play in his seventh consecutive Game 7 on Monday, having competed in one with Chicago in 2011, two with Washington the following year, one in 2013 and two more with the Capitals in 2015.1. Chicago captain Jonathan Toews tallied twice in Game 7 versus the Ducks last season, but is still searching for his first goal of this series.2. The Blues squandered a 2-0 series lead versus Los Angeles in 2013 and another against the Blackhawks the following year.3. Chicago is 13-4 when facing elimination under the watch of coach Joel Quenneville. Blues 3, Blackhawks 2

2016-04-26 01:27 Sportsdirect Inc scoresandstats.chicago.cbslocal.com

17 “All the Bengalis will only vote for you”: Zac Goldsmith’s ridiculous campaign song Zac Goldsmith’s London mayoral campaign now has a music video. The song, produced by the Tory organisation Conservative Connect, is called Jette Ga! (He Will Win). And it seems to be in as many different languages as communities Goldsmith’s controversial race- based campaign has set out to offend… The video – essentially a montage of photos of Goldsmith standing placidly beside people from different ethnic backgrounds – gives subtitles to the lyrics, which are sung in Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi, English, Chinese and Bangla. Your mole enjoys the hyperbole… “It’s the start of a new dawn/let’s all fill our hearts with happiness” “Zac Goldsmith is everyone’s favourite leader/victory will be yours” “He is worthy of appreciation/he is patient and he is brave” “He fights for justice and he is honest” “Let us all come together and sing/Zac Goldsmith will be a pride for all of us” ...the lies… “All the Bengalis will only vote for you” “Youth and elderly are singing your praise” …the weird competitive element… “May he gain more respect/May he receive more honour and dignity compared to others” …and the suggestion that, ultimately, Goldsmith is a dim but acceptable intern: “We would love Zac to work for us” But the most notable lyric is one that should perhaps be read as an imperative levelled at Goldsmith’s campaign: “Let all communities unite” This is the one part your mole is able to t ranslate: “Zac, mate, stop with the divide and rule.”

2016-04-26 03:34 John Gray www.newstatesman.com

18 SRSLY #40: Victoria, Undercover, Monument Valley In Annie Baker’s The Flick, we watch people watching movies This is SRSLY, the pop culture podcast from the New Statesman. Here, you can find links to all the things we talk about in the show as well as a bit more detail about who we are and where else you can find us online. Listen to our new episode now: ...or subscribe in iTunes. We’re also on Stitcher , RSS and SoundCloud – but if you use a podcast app that we’re not appearing in, let us know. SRSLY is hosted by Caroline Crampton and Anna Leszkiewicz, the NS ’s web editor and editorial assistant. We’re on Twitter as @c_crampton and @annaleszkie , where between us we post a heady mixture of Serious Journalism, excellent gifs and regularly ask questions J K Rowling needs to answer. The Links The piece about The A Word Simon recommended. (05:15) Victoria The trailer for Victoria. An interview with director Sebastian Schipper, with some insight into how the film was made. (16:00) Undercover Undercover on the BBC. Bim Adewunmi on why Undercover shouldn't be a big deal, yet it is. (26:00) Monument Valley Monument Valley in the App Store. Get an idea of what the game looks like on Pinterest. A good introduction to the game. Next week: Caroline is watching Zodiac . If you’d like to talk to us about the podcast or make a suggestion for something we should read or cover, you can email srslypod[at]gmail.com . You can also find us on Twitter @srslypod , or send us your thoughts on tumblr here. If you like the podcast, we’d love you to leave a review on iTunes - this helps other people come across it. We love reading out your emails. If you have thoughts you want to share on anything we’ve discussed, or questions you want to ask us, please email us on srslypod[at]gmail.com , or @ us on Twitter @srslypod , or get in touch via tumblr here. We also have Facebook now. Our theme music is “Guatemala - Panama March” (by Heftone Banjo Orchestra) , licensed under Creative Commons. See you next week! PS If you missed #39, check it out here . Hilton Als’s White Girls begins with a man sitting “on the promontory in our village, deep in movie love. He’s running the same old flick in his head again. In it, the stars kiss breathlessly, in true love.” A page or so later, now in a darkened cinema, Als says of the same man, “Watching him watch a movie, I noticed how his eyes would open and close slowly, like the folds in an accordion. The movies filled his eyes up.” In Annie Baker’s The Flick , now on at the National Theatre, we watch people watching movies. The play begins in darkness, a point of light radiating out over the audience, the whirring of a projector the only sound. When it stops, and the lights are raised, we see rows of empty cinema seats staring blankly back at us. For the next three hours, we follow snatches of conversation from Sam (Matthew Maher), Rose (Louisa Krause) and newcomer Avery (Jaygann Ayeh), three of the cinema’s employees, as they clean up dropped popcorn from between the aisles. They discuss their wages, their taste in movies, their star signs, and even – occasionally – heavier topics like their families or mental health. The three actors develop that particular silent intimacy that comes from spending many hours with someone, without actually sharing much about each other’s lives. The drama that unfolds seems both trivial and profound: from Avery’s dilemma over whether to join in with an illegal activity, to his letter to their boss asking that he keep using one of the state’s only remaining 35mm projectors. (Sam: “It’s like something someone would write in a movie.”) Als sees in Baker’s characters “the funk of the everyday, choking them as they prepared to speak, or tried to articulate, the feeling of life being filled with big waves of everything, and then nothing”. In movies, we see the wave after wave of everything. In The Flick , we see even more of nothing – long, drawn out pauses, sometimes funny, sometimes excruciating, sometimes contemplative. There are several moments in the play that make me squirm (when Sam says of his brother, “He’s retarded”, and the audience laugh, what, or who, is the punchline?), but it feels the closest to real speech the stage can get. The Flick deals at length with the way people make connections with each other through external cultural phenomena – how we often rely on big screen, technicolour, high stakes explorations of emotion when our own are hard to access. Sam and Avery break up their conversations with a version of Six Degrees of Separation – connecting two seemingly unrelated actors through the other actors they have worked in different films. In fact, “movie love” is so inextricably related to empathy and connection to a higher force, that Avery tells his therapist that, in a dream, he realised “the way they decide whether or not you get into heaven is through, like, looking at all the movies you’ve ever watched or all the books you ever read and figuring out whether there was one book or movie that you truly truly loved. Like one movie that symbolizes your entire life.” If you don’t properly connect with art, you’re not getting in: “I ran it over Fanny and Alexander , and I can’t believe it, but… nothing happens. And then I think to myself: I’m going to hell.” When Avery’s greatest movie love is revealed to be the “terrible” Honeymoon in Vegas , his own cultural snobbery sees him taken aback. “But then, I’m like, wait, it doesn’t matter, I’m going to heaven. I must have done something right in my life because I’m going to heaven. And that feeling of like… of like knowing that I made the right choices, was like the best feeling I’ve ever had.” The movies filled his eyes up. The Flick argues that cinema and theatre going always, inevitably, involves an experience of reflection and projection, and that these provide us with a microcosm for ways in which we view each other off screen. Rose is a female projectionist who is projected onto, Sam insists “I’m not performing,” Avery grapples with his own authenticity. (Rose: “Were you faking it then?” Avery: “I mean yes and no. It’s hard to tell I guess.”) The Flick is overly concerned with authenticity verses inauthenticity, high culture verses low culture, real time verses story time. At a discussion of the play with Annie Baker and her long- time director Sam Gold, journalist Sarfraz Manzoor asked Baker if she is interested in storytelling through television. Baker: No, television doesn’t interest me at all. I find it incredibly uninteresting. I still love movies, and I write movies, and I have nothing philosophical against the medium of television. But I am super into endings. I really like making a thing that’s finished. And actually the endings of my plays are often the most important parts of my plays, for me. And I just have like zero interest in a medium that sort of like, long form, that could go on indefinitely. […] When am I gonna find the thirty hours to get to the part that’s still not as good as a good movie? […] It holds no interest for me. How do you feel about it? Gold: I’m so interested in what you just said, because I think you’re a very very brilliant structuralist. […] I think that instinct has a lot to do with the idea of being a structuralist and of wanting to start an idea and make it work, make it pay off, make it come around in the end, make it tight. […] Everything that comes up in the first three scenes of The Flick comes up in the last three scenes of The Flick . Manzoor: Tightly plotted TV would do the same? Baker: I think what he’s saying is that television isn’t like that, because it really isn’t. Manzoor: But if you watch The Office [UK], there were only two series and there was a culminating moment at the end... Many of The Flick ’s most resonant lines make me think of TV as much as they do film. (Avery: “The answer to every terrible situation always seems to be like, Be Yourself, but I have no idea what that fucking means. Who’s Myself? Apparently there’s some like amazing awesome person deep down inside of me or something? I have no idea who that guy is.” Angela, My So- Called Life : “People always say you should be yourself, like yourself is this definite thing, like a toaster or something. Like you can know what it is even.”) In fact, The Office UK is a particularly interesting example – both it and The Flick are about, in their own way, the life that happens after the cameras stop rolling; and it’s therefore apt that both are hyperconscious of their own endings, and reject cinematic closure: Tim: If I'm really being honest, I never really thought it would have a happy ending. I don't know what a happy ending is. Life isn't about endings, is it? It's a series of moments. And um, if you turn the camera off, it's not an ending is it? I'm still here. Avery: Do you remember the end of the movie Manhattan? […] This is like the opposite of that ending. If real endings aren’t movie endings, is movie love a delusion? The Flick is not conclusive about the role of art in life, or of life in art, but it is strangely hopeful about life as a series of moments. Moments that are sometimes invested with the same strange transcendence as the movies. Shetland Islands Broadcasting Company – the most democratic station in the country? In Annie Baker’s The Flick, we watch people watching movies newstatesman.com

Leader: An American in London In Annie Baker’s The Flick, we watch people watching movies newstatesman.com

“Schrödinger’s Cab”: a poem by Steve Kronen In Annie Baker’s The Flick, we watch people watching movies newstatesman.com We should celebrate Prince for championing female musicians In Annie Baker’s The Flick, we watch people watching movies newstatesman.com

The fabulous weirdness of Martin John - a novel composed by its protagonist In Annie Baker’s The Flick, we watch people watching movies newstatesman.com

Victoria Wood’s greatest moments In Annie Baker’s The Flick, we watch people watching movies newstatesman.com Frances Weetman wins the inaugural Virago/New Statesman Women’s Prize for Politics and Economics In Annie Baker’s The Flick, we watch people watching movies newstatesman.com

I tuned into London Live – and crikey, it was soporific In Annie Baker’s The Flick, we watch people watching movies newstatesman.com 2016-04-26 02:31 John Gray www.newstatesman.com

19 Carolina Skydiving Team jumps at Come-See-Me tailgate party The Make a Bed A group of students at Westminster Catawba Christian School talk about their idea to raise money for a Salvation Army food bank endowment. One of the projects was a Friday and Saturday bike race in Rock Hill led by ultra cyclist Marshall Nord of York. Nord also will bike in Ride Across America, or RAAM. A crowd gathered to enjoy music, food and fun during Come-See-Me's Moonlight Jazz on Friday. The festivities were part of Rock Hill's 10 day spring festival, which wraps up Saturday. Excerpts from the closing statements in the trial of Christopher Moore, accused of fatally shooting Chester City Councilman Odell Williams in 2014. Christopher Moore, charged with killing Chester City Councilman Odell Williams in November 2014, said during a police interview that he had nothing to do with Williams' death. Moore later took the stand and admitted to shooting Williams. Jeff Sochko of Fort Mill recalls the superstar's 'no drugs' clause and what Prince wanted from 'big black women and kids' at every show. Civil jury rules in favor of Chester County Sheriff Alex Underwood, ruling allegations of sex brought by former deputy were unproven. Opponents of a proposed 180-foot cell phone tower off Walnut Street in Clover assembled early Thursday after noticing equipment used to bury fiber optic cable at the site. After a confrontation with the residents that live close to the proposed tower site, subcontractors hired to bury the cable left with the equipment. Terrance Buchanan took the stand Wednesday during the murder trial for Christopher Moore, who is accused of fatally shooting Odell Williams in November 2014. Buchanan was charged with accessory to a felony. York County sheriff's spokesman Trent Faris talks about when deputies suspected the alleged abduction reported by two Fort Mill boys had been made up. He also talked about the 'lesson' officers hope they learned.

2016-04-26 01:03 www.heraldonline.com

20 International bank transfer system hacked, Swift group admits Swift, the global financial network that banks use to transfer billions of dollars every day, has warned its customers it is aware of “a number of recent cyber incidents” where attackers had sent fraudulent messages over its system. The disclosure came as law enforcement authorities in Bangladesh and elsewhere investigated the cyber theft of US$81m (£55.9m) from the Bangladesh central bank account at the New York Federal Reserve. Swift has acknowledged the scheme involved altering Swift software on Bangladesh Bank’s computers to hide evidence of fraudulent transfers. Monday’s statement from Swift marked the first acknowledgement that the Bangladesh Bank attack was not an isolated incident but one of several recent criminal schemes that aimed to take advantage of the global messaging platform used by some 11,000 financial institutions. “Swift is aware of a number of recent cyber incidents in which malicious insiders or external attackers have managed to submit Swift messages from financial institutions’ back offices, PCs or workstations connected to their local interface to the Swift network,” the group warned customers. The warning, which Swift issued in a confidential alert sent over its network, did not name any victims or disclose the value of any losses from the previously undisclosed attacks. Swift confirmed to Reuters the authenticity of the notice. Swift, or the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication, is a cooperative owned by 3,000 financial institutions. Also on Monday, Swift released a security update to the software that banks use to access its network to thwart malware that security researchers with British defence contractor BAE Systems said was probably used by hackers in the Bangladesh Bank heist. BAE’s evidence suggested that hackers manipulated Swift’s Alliance Access server software, which banks use to interface with Swift’s messaging platform, to cover their tracks. BAE said it could not explain how the fraudulent orders were created and pushed through the system. But Swift provided some evidence about how that happened in its note to customers, saying that in most cases the attackers obtained valid credentials for operators authorised to create and approve Swift messages, then submitted fraudulent messages by impersonating those people. Cyber security experts said more attacks could surface as Swift banking clients look to see if their access had been compromised. Shane Shook, a banking security consultant, said hackers were turning to Swift and other private financial messaging platforms because they could steal larger amounts. “These hacks specifically target financial institutions because smaller efforts result in much larger thefts,” he said. “It’s much more efficient than stealing from consumers.” Justin Harvey, chief security officer with Fidelis Cybersecurity, said hackers followed the money and would be drawn into such schemes in hopes of emulating a big heist like the one on Bangladesh Bank. “After the Bangladesh Bank heist became public, every other attacker out there is looking to see if they can do the same,” he said. Swift spokeswoman Natasha Deteran told Reuters that the commonality in these cases was that internal or external attackers compromised the banks’ own environments to obtain valid operator credentials. “Customers should do their utmost to protect against this,” she said in an email to Reuters. Swift told customers that the security update must be installed by 12 May. “We have made the Alliance interface software update mandatory as it is designed to help banks identify situations in which attackers have attempted to hide their traces – whether these actions have been executed manually or through malware,” she said.

2016-04-26 02:15 Reuters www.theguardian.com

21 Tourist in yoga airplane altercation allowed to fly to Korea HONOLULU (AP) — A tourist whose desire to do yoga on a plane led to his arrest is being allowed to leave Hawaii and return home to South Korea. U. S. Magistrate Judge Kevin Chang previously allowed Hyongtae Pae to be released on bond, but prevented him from leaving the state because of concerns about him being on a plane again. On Monday, Chang made the modification after Pae's defense attorney asked that Pae return to the Honolulu Federal Detention Center. Jin Tae "JT" Kim said his client can't afford to keep staying in a bed and breakfast or to pay to see a doctor for more medication. Pae and his wife were celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary with a Hawaii vacation and the couple was headed home when he was arrested. According to court records, Pae didn't want to sit in his seat during the meal service on last month's flight from Honolulu to Tokyo, so he went to the back of the plane to do yoga and meditate. Authorities say he refused to return to his seat, threatened crew members and passengers and shoved his wife. The pilot turned the plane around and returned to Honolulu. Pae told authorities after his arrest that he hadn't slept in 11 days. He pleaded guilty last week to interfering with a flight crew. As part of a plea agreement, he's expected to be sentenced to time served, which was about 12 days in jail and to pay about $43,600 restitution to United Airlines. Medication has improved Pae's mental state and he's well-rested, Kim said last week. Through an interpreter, Pae promised that he will return for his sentence, which is scheduled for July. He must also pay $1,250 cash as a deposit before he leaves Honolulu. "I swear to God," he said, pledging to return. Assistant U. S. Attorney Darren Ching objected to the arrangement, saying it provides little incentive for Pae to return. He said that once Pae leaves, "that will be the last we ever see of Mr. Pae. " Chang noted that Pae is 72 years old, doesn't speak English and has no family or friends in Hawaii. Returning him to incarceration because of his financial and medication problems wouldn't be appropriate, Chang said. "He may fly back to Korea, but he must come back to Hawaii," Chang said, adding that Pae is restricted from any other airline travel. ___ Follow Jennifer Sinco Kelleher at http://www.twitter.com/JenHapa. Her work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/jennifer-sinco-kelleher.

2016-04-26 02:12 Associated Press www.dailymail.co.uk

22 Treatment center mascot dog found dead AUSTIN — Tico, the once-homeless dog who gained a modicum of fame for adopting and then guarding a treatment center for sex predators in remote West Texas, has been found dead. Officials with the Texas Civil Commitment Office said Monday the shaggy tan hound was found dead on Sunday near the treatment center in Littlefield, northwest of Lubbock. Foul play was suspected, said Marsha McLane, the agency's executive director. "It looked like he had been mauled," she said. "There were questionable circumstances, yes, but we just don't know what happened. " The dog made headlines across Texas last fall after he showed up at the Bill Clayton Treatment Center where more than 200 men officially classified by the state as its worst sex offenders are housed. The center houses the state's civil-commitment program, where ex-offenders are held in state custody in what is supposed to be a treatment program after they complete their prison sentences. A Houston Chronicle story about the dog was a big online hit late last year, and triggered statewide offers of help to pay his room and board. RELATED: Early Christmas for a West Texas pooch The dog was named after the agency's TCCO acronym, and had stayed outside the center following the perimeter patrol vehicle that made its rounds several times each day. Center employees bought it a dog house, and McLane said she kept dog treats in her office for the skittish hound. "He was always on patrol, on point, outside the facility all the time -- through snowstorms and 100-degree summer heat," McLane said. "When they installed a laser fence on the perimeter, he sat and howled until someone came out and drove the perimeter truck around the facility. "He was our official mascot. " McLane and other officials said they suspect Tico may have been mauled by coyotes or other other dogs in the area. But after recent reports of dogs being killed at random in Littlefield, in attacks that have mobilized local dog lovers, state officials said they have reported the death for investigation.

2016-04-26 02:30 By Mike www.chron.com

23 Conductors' strike set to cause rail chaos Rail passengers on some of the busiest routes in the country face travel chaos because of a conductors' strike. Southern Railways warned it could not guarantee that travellers will get to their destination because of the "significant" impact on services. Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union will walk out for 24 hours from 11am in a dispute over the role of conductors and driver-only trains. Southern said no services will run on many routes and only a limited number on others. Queuing systems will be in place at many stations that are open, while picket lines will be mounted by strikers. Two further 24-hour strikes are planned next month on Southern, which runs services across the south of England, including commuter routes into London Victoria. Southern, owned by Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), plans changes to the role of conductors which will see responsibility for operating the doors switched to the driver. Mick Cash, RMT general secretary, said: "This dispute is about safety and the safety-critical role of the guards on Southern trains. "The company, with an eye on ever-fatter profits, is prepared to axe the guards on some of the most overcrowded and potentially-dangerous services in Britain so that they can squeeze every last penny out of their passengers regardless of the consequences. "That is a lethal gamble with safety in the name of profit and that is why we have been forced to take strike action. "Southern see their passengers as nothing more than self- loading freight, there to be fleeced at every turn and every opportunity. "The consequences of removing guards, the human eyes and ears on that dangerous interface between crowded platforms and crowded trains, is blindingly obvious to anyone but the rip-off merchants running this deeply unpopular rail franchise. "The company have now resorted to trying to bully and intimidate staff taking a stand to defend the safety-critical role of the guard. That is disgusting, but nothing surprises us with this mob. " Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said: "I condemn any industrial action that will disrupt the travelling public. I expect to see operators and the unions working together to resolve these issues. "Rail passengers will not thank the unions for inflicting this unnecessary disruption. It is clear that the changes GTR are proposing will modernise services and provide better journeys for passengers. "

2016-04-26 02:02 Press Association www.dailymail.co.uk

24 Maine Sunday Telegram News The rift was revealed publicly on Monday, when Mayor Ethan Strimling delivered his budget message that criticized an effort by City Manager Jon Jennings to reshuffle city government to include more resources for development-related activities and city infrastructure, such as roads and sidewalks. “These cuts, in part, will end up eliminating city-led direct medical service to our most vulnerable neighbors, drug education and treatment for our residents, and enforcement methods that keep cigarettes out of the hands of our children,” Strimling said. Strimling’s budget address, which is mandated by the City Charter and was delivered three weeks late due to an illness, prompted two councilors to leave the dais during a public comment period later in the meeting to defend Jennings. City Councilor Jill Duson, one of four councilors who supported Strimling’s successful bid to unseat former Mayor Michael Brennan, said she felt compelled to “protest” the mayor’s remarks. “What happened in my presence this evening was a message that unfairly characterized the budget forwarded by the Finance Committee as choosing public works over public health, and unfairly painted the city manager as the villain in that choice,” Duson said. “I couldn’t sit through this public castigation.” City Councilor Jon Hinck said some of the arguments were “a little unfortunate.” “Even though the core of some of those points I have a tendency to agree with, I feel as though a public response is the way to go to show support for the city manager, staff and the Finance Committee for their work on the budget,” Hinck said. Jennings $236 million budget seeks to focus municipal government on core functions. He has proposed closing the India Street Public Health Center, a city-run clinic that provides medical care to people who are HIV positive, as well as HIV-sexually transmitted diseases testing services and needle exchange, where intravenous drug users can access clean needled to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. The clinic services over 1,000 patients. Jennings has proposed moving about HIV-positive patients by the end of December and the remaining patients to an independent, nonprofit health clinic by June 30, 2017. Meanwhile, Jennings has proposed eliminating dozens of other public health positions because of the loss of state grants. Strimling made special note of the loss of 35 positions in public health and social services, while pointing to about 20 staffing additions in the permitting and inspections office. “When we choose to spend increased revenue somewhere, we are also choosing not to spend it somewhere else,” Strimling said. “And when we choose to cut one program in a city, we are also often choosing to spare or increase another.” Duson, however, called that assessment “wrong and inaccurate.” She noted that the increase in staffing for permitting and inspections is being funded by increased permitting fees, and public health staff cuts are the result of a loss of state grant money. She also hit Strimling for omitting his new assistant, who earns a $64,000 a year salary, of his staffing analysis. “I wonder if that was taken from public health,” she said. “I know it wasn’t, but if we’re going to characterize all of the others that way then that’s fair to characterize this that way.” Beyond his criticism of the manager, Strimling called on the councilor to use local tax dollars to make up for the loss in state public health grants, just as it did when it retained 12 firefighter positions that were previously grant-funded. “This is a decision I support and is an example of how we can find the money when we consider it important enough,” he said. “In essence, does choosing public works over preventative health reflect our shared values?” Strimling laid out a list of questions and concerns about closing the India Street Public Health Center, which serves 1,114 patients and distributes more than 100,000 clean needles annually. He noted that Jennings presented a detailed transition plan when created the new inspections and permitting office, but the council has only been provided an outline for closing the clinic and transferring patients to the nonprofit Portland Community Health Center. He also said that staff have given evolving responses about whether the nonprofit would be able to secure a $344,000 federal Ryan White grant necessary to treat HIV positive patients. First staff said it could be transferred, but later said the nonprofit may have to competitive for it, but staff was reasonable sure they could get it, he said. The budget recommended by the Finance Committee last week envisions HIV-positive health being transitioned by the end of the year, while the STD-HIV screening and the needle exchange would be transitioned later. That timeline is designed to allow staff to nail down details, such as locations for services, especially the needle exchange. Proponents say patients will receive the same high quality care that is more sustainable, since the nonprofit federally qualified health clinic recieves higher MaineCare and Medicare reimbursements than the city. Opponents however worry that patients will lose valuable relationships with their doctors and face increased barriers to receiving care. Strimling said the council only has three weeks to decide if they are comfortable with the proposal. “That’s not a lot of time for the questions that have been raised to be addressed in the detail they require,” Strimling said. “But these questions must be answered adequately for me to vote in the affirmative on the proposal before us.” Randy Billings can be reached at 791-6346 or at: [email protected] Twitter: @randybillings

Maine Sunday Telegram Sports pressherald.com 2016-04-26 00:53 www.pressherald.com

25 Top Venezuela court blocks bid to cut President Maduro's term Venezuela's supreme court has rejected a proposed constitutional amendment to cut President Nicolas Maduro's term from six to four years. The court ruled that the amendment could not be applied retroactively to Mr Maduro's current term. The amendment was proposed by the opposition, which won control of the legislature last year. The opposition has tried various means to oust Mr Maduro, including constitutional reform and a referendum. In its judgment, the supreme court ruled that the proposed amendment was constitutional, but could not be applied retroactively. Members of the opposition have expressed frustration at what they say are stalling tactics from the government. Mr Maduro, 53, replaced Hugo Chavez in 2013 but his popularity has since fallen as the country battles recession. According to Venezuelan law, leaders can be recalled halfway through their term by a popular referendum. Mr Maduro's six-year term reaches its midpoint on Tuesday. If Mr Maduro loses a referendum this year it will trigger a new presidential election but if he stands down in the final two years of his term the current vice president, Aristobulo Isturiz, is entitled to take over. "The recall referendum has to be this year. If it's not this year, there's no point," said opposition leader Henrique Capriles.

2016-04-26 03:33 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk

26 Liberia - the country that wants to privatise its primary schools Liberia has a radical plan to hand the running of all primary and nursery schools over to private companies and charities. Observing a first grade lesson at a primary school on Somalia Drive in the capital, Monrovia, it is easy to see that changes need to be made. Around 50 pupils are in the crowded classroom, some students have to stand because of a lack of chairs. The teacher is having difficulty being heard over the noise and there are not enough teaching resources. The country's education system was branded "a mess" in 2013 by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf after all 25,000 high school graduates that year failed to pass the University of Liberia's entrance examination. Education Minister George Werner has been looking for a way to make a dramatic change in order to put the country's schools on a par with others in West Africa. He admits that the education system has been "in a state of decay for the last three decades" as a result of years of conflict and the recent Ebola epidemic. He adds that "this doesn't mean that our children are not bright; [rather] the system is failing them". He says he realised that a long-term gradual plan with the government in charge was not going to solve the problems. So in a pilot project starting in September, 50 of the country's 5,000 primary schools are going to be taken over by the Kenya-based company Bridge International Academies. Education will still be free for the parents, but the government will not be running the schools. Bridge International Academies, which has 359 schools in Kenya and seven in Uganda, says that " the people of Liberia deserve better " than a system where only a fifth of primary school children finish secondary school. It says it has already made a difference in Kenya through what it calls its "Academy-in-a-box" model. Teaching materials are developed centrally and delivered by teachers off a tablet computer. The computers are also used to monitor how teachers and students are progressing, so any issues can be picked up quickly. Bridge International Academies has published a raft of charts showing how in Kenya its schools out-perform government schools in maths and reading on nearly every measure. It is easy to see how the education minister may have been persuaded to give the private company a chance, but some Liberian teachers are not convinced. Joseph Komoreah, who teaches at a Monrovia primary school, called the plan to hand over the country's schools "a shame" as he argues that Liberians need to be in charge of their own education. He thinks that one of the reasons for schools underperforming is the low salaries teachers are getting, which forces teachers to take up jobs in more than one school "and this is energy- consuming". "Liberians are qualified," declares his colleague Weah-dee Nyenkan. "Teachers are willing to do the work. We disagree when they say the children are not performing. " In the pilot programme, Liberian teachers will still be in the classroom and their salaries will be paid by the government. But they will be vetted and monitored by Bridge International Academies. While the government is committed to paying the teachers, it says it is not paying any money to Bridge International Academies for it to take over the schools. The company says it is looking for funding elsewhere. The plan to hand Liberia's education over to private hands has also angered the UN's Special Rapporteur on the right to education , Kishore Singh. In March he said that "the concept of education as a public good [was] under attack". "Provision of public education of good quality is a core function of the state," Mr Singh added. "Abandoning this to the commercial benefit of a private company constitutes a gross violation of the right to education. " But Mr Werner thinks this criticism "misses the mark" and is the result of only talking to the teachers' unions. He agrees that the state has to guarantee certain things, like the right to a free primary education, however "those who think that the private sector has no role to play in the public provision of education are mistaken. I hope they can change their minds". The battle to change people's minds will start in September when Bridge International Academies starts teaching its first batch of Liberian pupils. If that goes well then the government will be looking for a host of private providers to radically change the country's education system.

2016-04-26 03:33 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk

27 Chernobyl's legacy 30 years on Large numbers of children are still being born with severe birth defects and rare types of cancer in areas near to Chernobyl, three decades on from the world's worst civil nuclear disaster. The accident on 26 April 1986 contributed to the downfall of the Soviet Union, changed the way the world thinks about nuclear energy and has affected an unquantifiable number of people in the region. For British paediatrician Dr Rachel Furley, the "desperately sad" reality is that women who have spent their entire lives exposed to high levels of radiation are now having children. In the most severe cases, babies have limbs missing and in one case a baby was born with two heads. When she is not treating children in Bury St Edmunds, Dr Furley helps 800 youngsters in Gomel, a region of Belarus, 82 miles north of Chernobyl. She set up the charity Bridges to Belarus when she was still at medical school. It now gives families clothing, school materials and accommodation, as well as food during the harsh winter, English lessons and healthcare. The organisation also provides pain relief, palliative care and potentially lifesaving blood tests for the unusually high number of children with cancer, in a region where state healthcare is often lacking. In more than a decade's work as a paediatrician in Britain, Dr Furley has seen two children with thyroid tumours. Roughly half of the 800 children her charity assists in the Gomel region have developed thyroid cancer. "We have an awful lot of palliative cancers and tumours. Types which we don't see anywhere else in the world. " Dr Furley studies the "really strange birth abnormalities and genetic disorders" with medical colleagues in Britain. The diseases are often linked to heart problems and sometimes learning disabilities. When compared with the mortality rates of the wider population the children helped by Bridges to Belarus stand a better chance of living longer. But many still die young. The desolate concrete graveyard of giant Soviet-era buildings in the deserted city adjacent to Chernobyl is a reminder of how, in the days following the accident, a whole community left their homes in a hurry and never returned. Pripyat was a city built for Chernobyl's workers and their families. Before the disaster it had a population of 60,000. Three decades on and children's shoes and toys are still left in the decaying building that was a kindergarten. But about 180 mainly elderly people still live within the 30km exclusion zone around Chernobyl. Sixty-two-year-old Valentina remembers the "whispers" and "fear" within the local community in the days after the disaster. It took the Soviet authorities several days to announce that something had happened at Chernobyl. And it took much longer for the full truth to emerge. Valentina left the area briefly but soon returned to her home near Chernobyl. Her daughter, sister and parents, however, were relocated to different parts of Ukraine. "Being separated from my family was hard," she told us. "But I don't worry about my health. "We don't fear the radiation… for us it doesn't matter where we die. " Andrei Glukhov worked at Chernobyl and knew those in the control room of reactor four, whose names are part of a permanent memorial to the 31 people killed in the immediate aftermath of the accident. The body of one man is thought still to be inside. In the early hours of 26 April, Andrei was at home in Pripyat when he heard loud bangs. There was a brief power cut. But even employees like Andrei were not told what had happened. Two days later he saw the "glowing" core of the reactor. "This was the moment that I realised that this was not an accident. It was a disaster," he recalls. Even after the accident at the nuclear plant at Fukushima, Japan in 2011, Chernobyl retains the unfortunate infamy of being known as the world's worst ever civil nuclear disaster. Andrei is now part of an international project to build a shield-like structure, which later this year will be moved over reactor four. Work will then begin, using robotic machinery, to deconstruct the reactor and the highly radioactive core. Even now, approximately 97% of the reactor's radioactive contents remain inside. It could take as long as 30 years to complete the project. However, the other 3% - which spewed out following the explosion and fire inside the reactor - not only had a devastating health impact on an unquantifiable number of people, it also changed the way the world regards nuclear energy. According to Vince Novak, head of nuclear safety at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the project's main donor, Chernobyl "had a phenomenal influence on public opinion and public and political acceptance" towards nuclear energy. As well as the negative impact it had on the nuclear industry, Mr Novak argues that it also "opened the eyes of Western politicians" and "paved the way for huge improvements to nuclear safety", particularly within the former Soviet Union. Chernobyl's last active reactor was shut down in 2000. Since then eight more Soviet-designed reactors in Eastern European countries have been closed down. The question we all have is: could there ever be another Chernobyl? Before the events in Fukushima, Vince Novak was "absolutely convinced" that a nuclear accident on a similar scale was not possible. Now he is more cautious. The risks have "decreased significantly" because of technological and attitudinal changes. But, he says, there is no room for complacency when it comes to nuclear safety. 2016-04-26 03:33 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk

28 LEADING OFF: Tribe gain star, lose star; Sale goes for 5-0 A look at what's happening all around the majors Tuesday: ___ ROTATING DOOR Cleveland, there's good news and bad news. The good: after a lengthy recovery, star outfielder Michael Brantley returned Monday following shoulder surgery. The bad: on the same day, starter Carlos Carrasco was placed on the disabled list, and it was revealed he could be out up to six weeks recovering from a strained left hamstring. SALE ON White Sox left-hander Chris Sale (4-0, 1.80) can become the first five-game winner in the majors when Chicago faces R. A. Dickey and the Blue Jays. The 27-year-old has thrown 16 consecutive scoreless innings and won each of his first four starts this season. ACES SHOWING One established ace faces a possible up-and- coming staff leader when Nationals right-hander Max Scherzer (2-1, 4.32 ERA) faces Phillies right-hander Vince Velasquez (2-1, 0.93). Scherzer has struggled with the long ball so far this season, allowing four in four starts. Velasquez, meanwhile, has a 16-strikeout game among his three outings this season and entered Monday with the second best strikeout-to-walk ratio (9.67) in the majors, trailing only Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw. MORE ARMS Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw faces Miami. Slugger Giancarlo Stanton is 4 for 15 in his career against Kershaw with three extra-base hits, including one homer. ... Astros left-hander Dallas Keuchel (2-2, 3.71) looks for a bounce back vs. Seattle after allowing six runs in six innings at Texas in his last game. ... Red Sox left-hander David Price (2-0, 7.06) faces the Braves in Atlanta. He allowed eight runs in 3 2/3 innings against the Rays in his last start. ... Pirates right-hander Gerrit Cole (1-2, 2.70) threw six scoreless innings against the Padres last time out. He faces Jorge De La Rosa (1-2, 9.87) and the Rockies in Colorado. SEE YOU SOON The Twins demoted hyped outfield prospect Byron Buxton to Triple-A after the 22-year-old got off to a rocky start this season. Buxton hit.156 with 24 strikeouts in 45 at-bats this month after batting .209 in 46 games last season. Prized prospect Max Kepler was also sent back to Triple-A, with right-hander Alex Meyer promoted from Triple-A and utility man Danny Santana activated from the DL. BACK AT HOME Diamondbacks left-hander Shelby Miller gets back to pitching after making an impromptu appearance in Arizona's outfield over the weekend. Miller was put into left field Sunday when the Diamondbacks ran out of position players in extra innings against the Pirates, becoming the first Arizona pitcher to ever play a position. The winning hit even soared over his head — not that even a star defensive outfielder could've done anything on the play.

2016-04-26 01:40 Associated Press www.dailymail.co.uk

29 Kids taken after 'Southern Momma' shoots up phones, burns mattresses A Coweta County mom is getting national attention after setting the mattresses of her two teenage sons on fire and using a shotgun to destroy a cell phone. A family member posted the video on YouTube, prompting a visit from DFCS. But Deborah Smith insists, she’s not a mother gone made – she’s a mom on a mission. About a year ago, Smith says her children became obsessed with social media. Their grades were slipping and her daughter was chatting with a potential child predator in Texas. Smith tried to talk with them and even cut off their data. They still found a way to do what they wanted to do. So she went to extremes, taking one of their cell phones and her shotgun – and shooting it to bits. “The only way they could communicate was through text or Instagram,” said Smith. Her daughter McKenzie, now 17, says it worked. While she didn’t like the wake up call at the time, she says it shook her up enough to get a new set of friends, and a new passion for life. “I brought my grades up. I was failing. I didn’t care about school at that time.” But Smith says her two 16-year old sons didn’t seem to learn anything at all. Instead they traded scholarships in sports and music for a new passion. Drugs. “They had come in, stolen my mom’s debit card. Cleaned out checking, savings,” said their brother Josh Smith. He says his brothers also drained their sister’s college savings to buy drugs and would sneak out at night after everyone was asleep to get high. After their mom found drugs in their bedroom she decided to take drastic action again. This time she dragged their mattresses out to the burn pile, added two pounds of tannerite, a gallon of gas and two road flares. “It made one heck of an explosion,” said Smith. “I figured if they wanted a bed to sleep in, they could earn their own bed.” The boys weren’t home at the time, but she believes they saw it online and decided to retaliate by calling the Division of Family and Children Services. The day after the fire, a case worker showed up at the house. “It was only meant as a tool to get their attention. It was meant to embarrass them in front of their friends. It was meant to drive their drug friends away,” explained Smith. But she says the case worker wasn’t interested. Smith showed 11Alive’s Rebecca Lindstrom a safety plan that she was ordered to sign if she wanted to keep her boy’s at home. It required Smith to clean up the mess made by the birds that stayed in the home, as well as her two boys. It also said she could no longer use her guns around her children. Smith felt her sons had already stolen enough, they shouldn’t get her second amendment rights as well. “Some people will say that woman’s crazy. Yeah, she’s crazy. She’s crazy about getting help for these boys. And she loves them so much,” said their sister McKenzie. Smith has five children, all of them adopted. She’s also given a home to iguanas, snakes, dogs, and nearly a dozen bird. She’s a woman with a heart to help. But she says she’s at wits end with how to care for her youngest children. “We’ve had therapists for years. Child psychiatrist, psychologist,” said Smith. While she misses her sons, if DFCS can get them back on track, she’s willing to be apart for a while. “I want my boys back but I want them healthy. I want them clean. And I don’t want them to die out on the streets.”

2016-04-26 01:27 Rebecca Lindstrom rssfeeds.11alive.com

30 30 Tamir Rice shooting: Cleveland agrees $6m settlement The US city of Cleveland has agreed to pay $6m (£4.14m) to the family of 12-year-old black boy Tamir Rice, who was shot and killed by police in 2014. He was playing with a pellet gun outside a recreation centre when he was shot by a white police officer. A grand jury declined to bring charges against the police. Rice's death sparked protests in Cleveland at a time when the deaths of black men at the hands of police had sparked a national debate. It became a focal point for the "Black Lives Matter" movement. An order filed in the US District Court in Cleveland says the parties in the case have agreed on the sum of $6m - half to be paid in 2016 and the remainder next year. The estate of Tamir Rice receives $5.5m, with $250,000 going to his mother, Samaria, and $250,000 to a recipient listed as TR. The settlement carries no admissions of any wrongdoing. Video of the incident showed a police cruiser pulling up close to the boy outside the centre on 22 November 2014. One of the two police officers inside, rookie patrolman Timothy Loehmann, jumps out and fires his service weapon twice. Tamir Rice died the next day. Police maintained that the pellet gun had looked real and that they had asked him to raise his hands three times. The shooting incident lasted just two seconds, and Tamir's family said the video footage showed the police had acted too quickly. Although a grand jury declined to bring charges, the US Department of Justice is investigating any possible infringement of federal civil rights. Analysts say the settlement shows neither the Rice family nor the city wanted to pursue a high- profile and potentially long-lasting legal case.

2016-04-25 22:41 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk

31 Israel feels vindicated by congressmen pushing for more US military aid Likud ministers and MKs close to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed satisfaction Monday with 83 US senators writing a letter to US President Barack Obama urging him to quickly approve a new defense aid package for Israel worth more than the current $3.1 billion per year. Obama has reportedly agreed to raise the package to $4b., but Congress wants him to go higher. “There is wide support for Israel’s security needs, crossing camps in the Senate and among the American people,” said Tourism Minister Yariv Levin, who has become Netanyahu’s closest political ally. “The letter proves relations are strong, and attempts to paint our relations as if they are in crisis are wrong. The reality is very different.” Levin denied any involvement of Netanyahu and his loyalist, Ambassador to the US Ron Dermer, in encouraging the letter. But Channel 10 quoted sources saying that AIPAC was involved, and “AIPAC does not do anything without getting a green light from Jerusalem.” Israeli officials said it was encouraging to see such strong support for Israel from both parties and the American people. Likud MK Nava Boker went further, saying that the letter proved wrong those who thought Netanyahu had damaged relations between the two countries by delivering a controversial address against Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran to a joint session of Congress. “All those who have blabbered about international isolation should stop lying to the public,” Boker said. “Unfortunately, there are still people in Israel who believe Israel must fit itself to the demands of its allies instead of acting out of Israel’s national interests.” Kulanu MK Michael Oren, a former ambassador to the US, suggested that the senators who signed the letter understand Israel’s security needs better than Obama. He mocked the US president for saying in Germany that the current era is “the most peaceful, most prosperous, most progressive era in human history.” “President Obama’s claim that the world is more peaceful will not reassure the citizens of the Middle East, hundreds of thousands of whom have been murdered and millions displaced,” Oren said. “Israel is dealing with many significant security challenges in the heart of the Middle East, and I’m glad that this has been recognized by the 83 senators who signed the letter.” Zionist Union MK Nachman Shai said Netanyahu should stop playing off the current American government against the next one. “This is a dangerous step and a gamble that Israel cannot not allow itself to take,” Shai said. The senators who signed the letter were led by Republican Lindsey Graham and Democrat Chris Coons. Sen. Ted Cruz, a presidential candidate, was one of the 51 Republicans on board. The Senate’s Democratic White House hopeful, Bernie Sanders, was not among the 32 Democrats. “In light of Israel’s dramatically rising defense challenges, we stand ready to support a substantially enhanced new long-term agreement to help provide Israel the resources it requires to defend itself and preserve its qualitative military edge,” said the letter. It did not provide a figure for the suggested aid. Israel wants $4b. to $4.5b. in aid in a new agreement to replace the current memorandum of understanding, or MOU, which expires in 2018. US officials have given lower target figures of about $3.7b. They hope for a new agreement before Obama leaves office in January. The Obama administration wants to cement a new 10-year defense aid deal before he leaves office in January to demonstrate his commitment to Israel’s security, especially after reaching a nuclear agreement with Iran that Israel strongly opposed. A White House official said discussions with Israel were continuing. “We are prepared to sign an MOU with Israel that would constitute the largest single pledge of military assistance to any country in US history,” the official said. The funding is intended to boost Israel’s military and allow it to maintain a technological advantage over its Arab neighbors. The letter said the Senate also intends to consider increased US funding for cooperative missile defense programs, similar to increases in the past several years. Obama has asked for $150m. for such programs, but lawmakers are believed to be willing to send Israel hundreds of millions for programs like its Iron Dome air defense system and the David’s Sling medium and long-range military defense system. Lahav Harkov contributed to this report.

2016-04-26 01:15 GIL HOFFMAN www.jpost.com

32 Slight chance for showers this afternoon Most areas stayed dry today. We tracked only a couple of isolated showers south and east of Atlanta today. We will have a few clouds around tonight. Tuesday will be a party cloudy day with less than a 20% chance for an afternoon shower. Temperatures move up to 82. We are watching a severe weather system that will cause a potential tornado outbreak in the nation's midsection late Tuesday. That system is moving our way. It will be much weaker when it gets here. We will return to a 20% chance for a shower on Wednesday. The best rain chance is on Thursday. We will have a little thunder and lightning. At this point, it doesn't look like a severe weather event for us. We will be a little drier on Friday. The rain chances go back up for the weekend. We have a 30% chance for showers Saturday. It goes up to a 60% chance on Sunday. (© 2016 WXIA)

2016-04-26 01:11 Chris Holcomb rssfeeds.11alive.com

33 Stabbing at SW Houston apartment leaves 1 dead A man was stabbed to death during a fight at an apartment complex in southwest Houston early Sunday. Around 12:10 a.m., Houston police responded to a dispute at an apartment complex at 6231 Westward near Elm to find a man stabbed multiple times, said Houston police spokesperson Jodi Silva. Officers found him lying next to the knife. The victim was transported to Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital, where he died. He remains unidentified, Silva said.

2016-04-26 02:30 By Lauren www.chron.com

34 Kemp's ridley nesting season kicks off in Texas As tiny Kemp's ridley turtles make their way through the sand to take their first dip into the Gulf of Mexico, the serene sight looks like something out of a screensaver. But the nesting season, which kicked off last week, produces the magical sight at turtle releases across Texas beaches every year. RELATED: Some beautiful (and sometimes scary) things have washed up on Texas shores lately Female turtles make their way to Texas shores in April to dig a hole, lay their eggs and then cover them up to protect them from predators. These trusting mothers-to-be never come back to see how things work out. If they're lucky, the eggs will be found by beach staff and volunteers who place them in a protected area. It takes about one to four days for the baby turtles to break through their eggs, after which the turtles are released. You can watch the baby turtles make their journey to the Gulf during one of the turtle release events. The baby Kemp's ridley turtles imprint on the sand as they make their way to the Gulf. By doing so, they remember the sand the female turtles will come back to years later, even after traveling thousands of miles, to nest. Nesting runs through mid-July.

2016-04-26 02:30 By Jessica www.chron.com

35 Vigil set for missing teen after body is found in Shoreacres A vigil has been scheduled Tuesday evening in Shoreacres for a girl presumed dead on what would have been her 16th birthday. Volunteers with Texas EquuSearch who were looking for missing 15-year-old Abigail "Abby" English found a body on Saturday morning at Baywood and Westview in the tiny town on north Galveston Bay. Although an official identification is pending, searchers believe the body was that of Abby, who left her house about 7 p.m. March 22 to walk the dog. The dog came back about an hour later, without its collar and leash, but Abby did not. RELATED: EquuSearch finds decomposing body in wooded area The vigil is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the corner near the spot where the body was found. Searchers said the area is about 200 yards from the home where Abby had lived since November, when the California foster care system placed her with Texas relatives. Local residents who were moved by the girl's sad story organized the vigil, said Shoreacres Alderwoman Nancy Janosky Schnell. "We originally planned it for tonight but then we learned that tomorrow would have been her 16th birthday," Schnell said Monday. "This poor girl never caught one break. Everyone that should have protected her, and the system at large, absolutely failed her. " The incident is also highly unusual for quiet Shoreacres. "A girl goes missing and is found dead a month later -- that never happens here," Schnell said. Tim Miller, director of Texas EquuSearch, said Monday he was submitting a request in California to adopt Abby, so that she could have a funeral and burial,"the dignity she deserves," rather than being cremated. "The only thing little Abby wanted in life was her family," Miller said. "I'm going to do everything I can to adopt that baby and put her right beside (my late daughter) Laura. They can talk all the teenage stuff they want to talk. " Miller started EquuSearch, a search and recovery group, in 2000 as a result of his daughter's abduction and murder in 1984. Laura Miller was 16 when she disappeared from League City.

Body found may be missing Shoreacres teen chron.com 2016-04-26 02:30 By Carol www.chron.com

36 Report: Denton GOP candidate for sheriff threatens to beat transgender people Tracy Murphree, the GOP candidate for the Denton County Sheriff's Office, posted some questionable statements about transgender people on Facebook, the Dallas Observer reports. According to the Observer, Murphree wrote the following Facebook post on April 22: BATHROOM BRAWL: Ted Cruz, Donald Trump argue over bathroom rights "All I can say is this: If my little girl is in a public women's restroom and a man, regardless of how he may identify, goes into the bathroom, he will then identify as a John Doe until he wakes up in whatever hospital he may be taken to. Your identity does not trump my little girl's safety. I identify as an overprotective father that loves his kids and would do anything to protect them. " RELATED GALLERY: The most and least LGBT-friendly cities in Texas The post and its "vibrant" commentary are no longer present on Murphree's page. One person, claiming to be the mother of a transgender child and a Murphree supporter, expressed disappointment in the candidate for being "transphobic. " Since then, Murphree has been quiet but the incident was brought up during a LULAC and NAACP-sponsored joint forum of Denton City Council candidates, the Denton Record-Chronicle reported. Mayor Chris Watts said discrimination against anyone or any group would never be allowed. Other candidates mirrored those sentiments. (h/t Raw Story )

2016-04-26 02:30 By John www.chron.com

37 Vet who shot cat with an arrow facing Texas veterinary board this week A veterinarian that made international headlines last year for posting a photo on her Facebook page of a cat she shot and killed with an arrow is fighting to keep her veterinarian license this week in Austin. Kristen Lindsey and the Texas Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners met on Monday in the state's capitol for a hearing to decide if she should remain a veterinarian. The proceedings should last three days. The board's enhancement committee previously recommended that she have her license revoked. She is still able to practice as a veterinarian. She was fired by the animal clinic where she worked soon after the photo went viral. She had been a licensed veterinarian since June 2012. RELATED: Mediation fails to resolve case against vet who shot cat with arrow The 31-year-old posted a photo of the kill on her personal Facebook page with the caption, "My first bow kill (cat smiley face) lol. The only good feral tomcat is one with an arrow through it's head! Vet of the year award...gladly accepted. " Once the post was widely distributed, Lindsey soon became the object of much anger in the animal rights community. Later, it was learned that Lindsey claimed she was protecting her own animals from the supposedly rabid feral cat. But residents in the Austin County area who were familiar with the cat named Tiger said he was actually quite friendly and not wild and dangerous as suggested by Lindsey. An Austin County grand jury later found insufficient evidence to prosecute Lindsey on criminal animal cruelty charges. The Austin County Sheriff’s Office said it was also unable to determine where and when the killing took place, or the identity of the cat in the photo. Deans at the Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, where she got her degree in 2012, had strong words for Lindsey in the wake of the incident. She later admitted in a deposition that she didn't "necessarily" believe the cat was rabid, but did say that the cat's death was instantaneous and painless. She did not submit the cat for rabies testing. According to Peter Osborne, of Alley Cat Allies, the nonprofit's staff attorney Misty Christo released this statement on Monday: "It was heartbreaking to see the photos of Tiger in the hearing today. A veterinarian who could commit this type of animal cruelty should be kept from ever practicing veterinary medicine again. We're optimistic that the judge will uphold the revocation of Kristen Lindsey's license. She needs to be held accountable for her actions. " Alley Cat Allies works to protect cats nationwide. 2016-04-26 02:30 By Craig www.chron.com

38 There are alternatives to parking in the Houston Zoo parking lot It seems not a week or so goes by without a new viral video or story makes the rounds featuring Houstonians bickering and feuding over a parking spot in the lot adjacent to the Houston Zoo. There's got to be a better way, right? This past weekend the Houston Zoo was busier than ever with visitors making the most of the warm and sunny weather, a sort of reward for dealing with rain and flooding just days before. RELATED: Houston Zoo reinstates 'no gun' signs despite controversy With the exceptional crowds came a new dash- camera video featuring a man saving a spot for another person by standing in the middle of it. Sounds aggravating, no? That's what awaits drivers coming to the Houston Zoo during prime hours anticipating a day of elephants, gorillas and prairie dogs. Zoo representative Jackie Wallace said Monday that they are aware of the issues regarding parking in the lot right outside the zoo but that they cannot monitor or assist anyone with parking. According to Wallace, Saturday saw some 15,000 people visit the zoo. That's not counting the countless others taking in the sights around nearby Hermann Park and also using area parking lots. These free parking lots are part of Hermann Park and are not owned or operated by the zoo, she reminds. Being free means that they are almost always in high demand. There are a couple of options, Wallace says, for those that don’t want to brave the free parking lots. “We have a parking lot nearby in the medical center with a shuttle that runs on the weekends,” Wallace says. It costs just $6 to park in that lot at 7100 William C. Harvin. Be sure to take entrance 35 to the park. The shuttle starts running at 10 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. RELATED: Houston Zoo posts record attendance for 2015 “There are a lot of other lots around Hermann Park to check out that don’t get as full,” Wallace adds. There are a total of six parking lots surrounding the zoo that Wallace can suggest. There may be an amount of walking ahead of zoo patrons, which seems to be the crux of the parking situation around the zoo. Some people would prefer not to walk a few more blocks to get in somewhere that can only really be enjoyed by – wait for it – walking. It should also be noted that the parking lot outside the zoo is also used by people visiting Hermann Park, the nearby museums and McGovern Lake. Wallace also notes that there are medical center parking garages that are close by that are open on the weekends and accepting of those heading to the zoo. Both Ben Taub and Memorial Hermann Hospital have nearby parking garages. Website ParkMe has a listing of parking garages nearby. They might not be budget-friendly but they are in convenient walking distance from one of the zoo's two entrances. There could be hourly rates that are cost-prohibitive, however. Taking public transportation to get to the zoo always pays off, Wallace says. “Those that ride the MetroRail to see us can get a discount on tickets if they show us a Q Card, Metro bus, or rail ticket at the admission booth,” Wallace says. Patrons can save $2 off adult tickets and $1 off children’s tickets. Parking north or south of the Houston Zoo and riding the MetroRail to the zoo might be the best, relatively stress-free option to visit the zoo on busy weekends. Of course those bringing a screaming gaggle of children might disagree.

2016-04-26 02:30 By Craig www.chron.com

39 China tops US list of countries targeted in 'freedom of navigation' exercises The US military carried out freedom of navigation operations against 13 countries in 2015, including several against China for what it views as excessive claims to maritime and airspace jurisdiction, the Pentagon has said. The defence department carried out multiple freedom of navigation operations against China, India, Indonesia, Iran, Libya, Malaysia, the Maldives, Oman, the Philippines and Vietnam . In operations targeting Chinese claims, the Pentagon challenged Chinese jurisdiction in the airspace above its declared maritime “exclusive economic zone” as well as restrictions it has attempted to impose on aircraft flying through an “air defence identification zone” off China’s coast. Beijing has been extremely sensitive about US ship voyages and aircraft flights challenging maritime claims in the South China Sea, where Beijing has been reclaiming land to build artificial islands .

2016-04-26 01:01 Reuters in www.theguardian.com

40 Harness digital technology to reduce socio-economic gaps, Gamliel says “Our wealth – our treasure, is our human intellect. This is our gift, this is our future,” Social Equality Minister Gila Gamliel recently told The Jerusalem Post. Ahead of her speech at the paper’s annual conference in New York on May 22, Gamliel addressed some of the most pressing issues on the agenda regarding inequality in Israel among minorities, women, the elderly and those who live on the country’s periphery. In an interview with the Post , she revealed how the country intends to use its status and know- how as the “startup nation” to harness digital technology to reduce socio-economic gaps. As social equality minister you have your work cut out for you. Israel is consistently ranked among the bottom countries in the developed world with regard to poverty and inequality. Do you think this is a result of years of neglect and poor government policies? One of my top priorities in office is reducing the social gaps in our society, and strengthening the periphery of the country. The statistics reflect Israel’s diverse society, with Arab Israelis making up 20 percent of the population and a vibrant haredi [ultra-Orthodox] community, where the socio-economic levels are often very low. In both of these sectors we have a lot of work to do to help these communities better integrate into society, and we are hard at work doing this with various landmark programs and initiatives now in place. I strongly believe that by strengthening these communities we are strengthening Israel as a whole. This is making for a better, stronger Israel. Every citizen – irrespective of gender, ethnicity, religion, or place of birth – must be ensured equal opportunities. This is rooted in our Declaration of Independence. We have made great progress, but we need to continue working to make sure that this is the reality as well. What are some of the most pressing issues on the agenda pertaining to inequality? My mantra is that there is no reason why in the 21st century women should be treated any differently than men. We see that in Israel women have reached the pinnacles of society. We are one of the first Western countries in the world to have had a woman prime minister with Golda Meir, a woman serves as president of the Supreme Court for the second time now, an Israeli Arab parliamentarian chairs the Knesset Committee for the Advancement of Women, and women serve in an array of combat roles in the military. But clearly there is still room for additional improvement. Equal opportunity must start in the workforce. Women must be afforded equal opportunity as men. I would like to see more women at the top. We see that companies that integrate women in their senior workforce are more successful than those that do not. Indeed, this isn’t just the right thing to do; it’s the smart thing to do. In academia, where women now outnumber men in first degrees. I would like to see more women getting advanced degrees, without being penalized for starting a family. Similarly, Israel’s minority sector needs to have the same opportunities afforded to the rest of the public. In this way, we will strengthen their connection to the state and make them feel at home. Our seniors, who have made their contribution to Israel, now deserve our support. While some, especially Holocaust survivors, need to be assisted in their golden years, others are interested in and should be encouraged to continue being active in society. What steps are you taking or have you taken to address these issues? I am very proud that the cabinet has passed a landmark billion dollar budget for Arab citizens and other minority populations in order to reduce the social gaps and improve the living conditions of this sector. The NIS 15 billion economic development plan, which was spearheaded by my ministry in coordination with the Prime Minister’s Office and the Finance Ministry, will be spread out over five years and will be devoted to education, transportation, road infrastructure, employment initiatives, housing, culture, sports and other areas. It is an historic and critically important step toward reducing social gaps and advancing equality in Israel. Similarly, I am determined to work toward full gender equality in all aspects of life. To this end, I have created a plan where every governmental office will have to submit a gender budget defining how much money they allocate to women. We need to see where the budget is going, and if it is not balanced then we must balance it. This is uncharted territory, but we are going to do it because equality must start in the workforce. We are also working on expanding courses for the economic empowerment of women – including women in the ultra-Orthodox sector – allowing them to better integrate in the workforce, and thereby reduce the gender gap. You have been vocal about the need to provide more funding and investment in the Arab municipalities as part of an effort to minimize gaps. Given that this is less popular approach, do you worry about how you will fare in the next election? I believe that strengthening the minority sector in Israel strengthens Israeli society as a whole and this is a view shared by the prime minister and members of my party as well. This is both our duty and our responsibility. This is above politics. I do think people internalize this. Are there any additional measures being taken to minimize inequality? Israel has stood at the forefront of advances in hi-tech and medical discoveries, which have improved the lives of so many people in Israel and all over the world. But, at the same time, we are still facing significant socio-economic gaps in Israel, especially in the periphery of the country and among minority groups who do not receive equal opportunities and access to public services. Schools and hospitals located in the periphery of the country are at a disadvantage compared to those in metropolitan areas. But in today’s digital world geographic distance is no longer an excuse for inequality. This is why I am especially excited to be leading the Digital Israel project, which, via the latest in digital technology, seeks to reduce these social gaps and improve services to the population at large. Among other things the project will, for example, provide online courses with top instructors from the most respected educational institutions around the world to anyone, anywhere in Israel. This program is so important because it will allow those living in the periphery to access some of the best educators the world over. Similarly, it will connect patients in the periphery with top medical experts in a variety of fields who they otherwise might not have been able to consult. The program also affords the opportunity to people in lower socio-economic levels like the ultra- Orthodox or the Arab sector to move ahead by providing them with the tools and technological knowledge of the 21st century. To this end, we seek to create digital modernization centers in the periphery, digitally smart Arab towns and villages and digital training courses for the ultra-Orthodox sector. This project, while technology- centered, is way more than that. It is a project for a better future.

2016-04-26 01:01 LIDAR GRAVÉ www.jpost.com

41 Pro-white rallies cause tension over the weekend ATLANTA - This past Saturday, Stone Mountain Park attractions were closed following a heated confrontation between police and two groups of protesters. The two groups, "Rock Stone Mountain," meant to "protest efforts to erase the white race," and " All Out Atlanta ," an anti-racism group, both had permits to to be at the park, each sanctioned to protest from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. In all, nine protesters were arrested after failing to comply with park ordinances. But only on the other side of the state, a larger rally took place later in Rome, Ga. It was a demonstration that drew swastikas, Ku-Klux-Klan garb, and again, a larger number of counter- protesters. So, it raises the question: how much has the “white power” population grown? The answer, according to experts? Not very. According to the Anti-Defamation League, the KKK at its height held 75,000 to 100,000 members, but a half-century later, they hold a tiny fraction of that. The face of white supremacy has become stagnant and spread out, with social media engaging more individuals and fewer large groups. "These groups decided it was going to be Georgia where this (the rallies) happened," said Mark Pitcavage with the Anti-Defamation League. "It's a good thing they haven't grown, but it doesn't take very many of them to become a problem for a community. " At every step, these so-called pro-white rallies have been dwarfed by counter-rallies. It's why those rallies, in the ADL's eyes, tend to draw more attention than they're worth. “There are far more Georgians of goodwill who want to live in peace and harmony with everybody around them," Pitcavage said. Meanwhile, Stone Mountain Park has itself been facing heat for allowing such demonstrations, but there's not much the park can do. Because it’s a state park, it means groups like this past Saturday's "Rock Stone Mountain" cannot be legally stopped. There has always been tension between the park's present and its Confederate and KKK- marked past. That's why officials told 11Alive’s Matt Pearl they briefly discussed ways to prevent Saturday's protest, and they're thinking about it again moving forward. In a statement from public information officer for Stone Mountain Park Police John Bankhead, he says officials are "further examining the options that might be available under park ordinances, Georgia law, and Federal law, to prevent or control such volatile events in the future. We will be looking at all additional options to balance the safety of the public vs. the right to freedom of speech. " (© 2016 WXIA) WXIA Police: 9 arrested after Stone Mountain protest turns physical 2016-04-26 00:57 WXIA rssfeeds.11alive.com

42 New initiative to bring together Likud MKs with English- speaking immigrants in town hall meetings English-speaking Likud voters will soon have the chance to ask MKs their questions in a new project initiated by party activist and Jerusalem Post Magazine columnist Dan Illouz. The first meeting between lawmaker and constituents will take place next month, with MK Sharren Haskel (Likud), who was born in Canada and went to college in Australia. Haskel said she feels very close to English and French-speaking immigrants, as her mother and other family members fall under that category. “These immigrants aren’t familiar with the parliamentary system in Israel and don’t know how to influence [MKs]... to act for them,” Haskel explained. “They’re used to a different political system.” Haskel, who responded to the Post via email while on a speaking tour in North America and Australia, said that it is her mission to help new immigrants learn how they can have an impact on the political system in order to improve their lives. The Likud MK also said she feels connected to English-speaking immigrants because of they come from countries with “a long history of individual freedoms and understanding of the government’s role vis-a-vis the public. “The values of transparency and freedom of the individual that I am trying to promote through my position are at the basis of the democratic worldview,” she added. Haskel took her interest of transparency towards her constituents a step further than most lawmakers this week, when she revealed her potential conflicts of interest. On Sunday, she wrote on Facebook: “Like every person, I have family and close friends whom I love very much... Although I am committed to not having a conflict of interest in issues related to them, I believe transparency is an important value in public service.” As such, she wrote that she has family or close friends who work for Strauss, the Arison Group, Israel Aerospace Industries, and Koach Laovdim, a trade union. In addition, Haskel said she publishes her schedule every week, and her pay slip each month. Haskel pointed out on Monday that she is a member of the Knesset’s Transparency Committee, headed by MK Stav Shaffir (Zionist Union) and she supports former Calcalist reporter Tomer Avital’s controversial parliamentary transparency project “100 Days of Transparency.” “I believe in the importance of transparency to strengthen the public’s trust in its elected officials,” she stated. “We, the MKs, work for the public and must be accountable to them when it comes to our actions and our agenda.” The “office hours” initiative will hold a monthly meeting between a Likud parliamentarian and 20 Anglo-Israelis, who will be chosen each month according to questions they submit in advance. Likud members will get priority in the selection process. Illouz, who made aliya from Canada, said the idea behind the project is to get MKs in touch with their Anglo-Israeli constituents, who are used to living in a country with geographic representation. “People come to Israel and are used to having a Congressman or MP who they can go to with their issues, and here they don’t know how it works. I’m active in Likud and decided to use my platform to connect constituents to MKs,” Illouz explained. Illouz added that he is beginning with the Likud lawmakers who speak English well, and in the long run will provide translation when necessary.

2016-04-26 00:55 LAHAV HARKOV www.jpost.com

43 The Times & The Sunday Times Get the story behind the headlines with 12 weeks for £12 With analysis from Henry Winter, Mike Atherton and Stuart Barnes. Get the story behind the headlines with 12 weeks for £12 From the FTSE 100 to SMEs to entrepreneurs. Get the story behind the headlines with 12 weeks for £12.

2016-04-25 17:40 www.thetimes.co.uk

44 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. Advocacy group ranks hospitals on how well they perform in prevention of avoidable errors, infections and accidents. As prom, graduation nears, drug use rises, and tech abounds, police advise parents Canton candidates Kristy Pagan and Derek Moss are squaring off in a state House race The P-CCS Blue Ribbon Panel has been revitalized and tasked with growing enrollment. 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. The freeway is expected to close sometime in early May. Firefighters responding to a fire in Farmington Hills rescued the family’s pet dog. Jonathan Darlington, who faces attempted murder charges, will go before a jury again. No one was injured in the blaze on Farmer, across from the Plymouth Cultural Center. Board members ask administrators for comprehensive plan to address financial woes Weapon apparently was taken from unlocked truck Marino Soave came to pursue the American Dream, and he caught it. Steve Matthews was one of four finalists for the job Report: Suspect became angry after being cut off by staff ‘The sugar maples will grow quite large and the fall color is spectacular’ ‘When we started school this year, I told you that you had the best teachers anywhere’

2016-04-25 17:48 rssfeeds.hometownlife.com

45 Protesters deliver petitions calling for repeal of HB2 to NC governor On Friday, local civil rights groups held a press conference discussing HB2. Among those gathered were former Charlotte Mecklenburg NAACP President Dwayne Collins, Jibril Hough, spokesperson for the Islamic Center of Charlotte, North Carolina General Assembly Senator Joyce Waddell of District 40, North Carolina Representative Kelly Alexander Jr. of District 107, Michael Wynn, co-chairman of Save A Homie and John Barnett, founder of True Healing Under God. Former GOP presidential candidate Mike Huckabee speaks during a rally held in front of the Matthews Town Hall on Thursday to promote the 9th congressional district candidacy of the Rev. Mark Harris. Sen. Phil Berger, President Pro Tempore of the NC Senate, talks with reporters about North Carolina's HB2 and the 4th Circuit Court's ruling on a transgender case. In a press conference Wednesday, April 20, 2016, President Pro Tempore of the NC Senate Phil Berger says he opposes repealing the 'bathroom safety bill', also know as HB2. Berger also said his job is "not to give in to the demands of multi-millionaire celebrities pushing a pet social agenda". Chairman Hasan Harnett's message to NCGOP members from the website NC4Hasan.com VIDEO: About 100 people made unpleasant sounds outside governor’s mansion in Raleigh, N. C. to protest HB2 Wednesday evening, April 13, 2016. Organizers said it’s a form of ‘performance art.' North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory posted a video statement on an Executive Order that will maintain the use of female and male-specific bathrooms, but also allow for "special" restrooms when possible. The order will also ask the NC state legislature to allow state discrimination suits. “I am taking action to affirm and improve the state’s commitment to privacy and equality,” said McCrory. Several hundred supporters of HB2 rallied on the State Capitol grounds in Raleigh, NC Monday, April 11, 2016 as a small group of opponents gathered across the street. VIDEO: The News Three LGBT leaders met with North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory on March 31, 2016, calling for the repeal of House Bill 2. Chris Sgro of Equality NC, Chad Griffin of Human Rights Campaign and Candis Cox, a transgender woman, also encouraged McCrory to meet with trans people impacted by the law.

2016-04-26 02:32 www.charlotteobserver.com

46 On campaign trail, Kasich asks little girl for "snuggle" On campaign trail, Kasich asks little girl for "snuggle" |John Kasich was campaigning at a diner in South Philadelphia Monday, when he had this awkward exchange with a wary little girl.

2016-04-26 03:46 On campaign www.cbsnews.com

47 Report says married couples are more likely to have successful family Marriage matters and is a central factor in children’s chances of success in life, according to a Government report. Children do worse if they are brought up by a lone parent or by parents who are not married, researchers found. The large- scale report rejects the idea that marriage is no more than a lifestyle option or a choice favoured by better-off couples, and presents powerful fresh evidence that a couple who commit to each other with a wedding are much more likely to have a successful family. It comes amid warnings by critics that David Cameron’s drive to support the institution of marriage is slipping off the Whitehall agenda. Produced by a team of academics from Sussex University for the Department of Work and Pensions, the analysis is aimed at identifying ways to improve relationships between couples and the life chances of their children. The findings said: ‘Evidence shows that child outcomes tend to be worse on average in lone- parent and non-married families.’ The researchers added that it is difficult to separate out the effects of having married parents on the health and behaviour of children. ‘Family structure, family breakdown and family relationship quality are all closely intertwined, making it difficult to distinguish the causal effect of each factor,’ the report concluded. The 134-page report, written by a group headed by Professor Gordon Harold, was based on a review of existing evidence and analysis of the Understanding Society survey, which follows the lives of people in 40,000 homes. It was available to ministers two weeks ago, when Work and Pensions Secretary Stephen Crabb made his first major speech in the post. But despite the new evidence available to his department, Mr Crabb chose to cut planned references to the importance of marriage from his speech. In a move taken to indicate a lessening of enthusiasm from promoting marriage in the Government, he dropped passages in which he had intended to warn that it is not good for children to be brought up in lone parent family, and which asserted that ministers do a ‘huge disservice’ if they are ‘neutral on family structure’. The endorsement of the positive effects of marriage on family life follows decades of earlier evidence which has suggested both that married parents are much more likely to stick together and thrive than other couples, and that their children will do better than the children of other couples. It provoked fresh demands from marriage campaigners for greater help for married couples in the tax and benefit system. Mr Cameron introduced a tax break for less well-off married couples last year, but the concession is worth little more than £200 a year at the most. Laura Perrins, co-editor of the Conservative Woman website, said: ‘This report demonstrates yet again, the negative impact family breakdown has on children’s education and emotional well-being. ‘We also know that married families are much more likely to stay together than cohabiting ones. If this Government cared about children it should care about marriage and stop punishing it in the tax system.’ Harry Benson, of the Marriage Foundation think-tank, said: ‘Any acknowledgement by the Department of Work and Pensions that non-married families tend to have worse outcomes should be a moment to savour, even if the admission is grudging. ‘However they spoil it somewhat by questioning whether the relative disadvantages faced by non-married families take into account background factors. ‘I should be happy to point them to a number of mainstream social science journals which have investigated this specific issue for decades. The clear answer is that both background and marriage matter.’ The reports follows a number of signs that enthusiasm for marriage is waning in Whitehall following the introduction of same-sex marriage in 2014 and Mr Cameron’s declaration in the same year that ‘it is important that the Government sends a strong signal that we back marriage’. Last week the Office for National Statistics dropped indicators showing the effects of marriage from its child mortality figures, which are regarded as a central pointer to the nation’s health and well-being. Figures showing the number of marriages in England and Wales in 2013 are to be published this week, nearly two years and four months after the last 2013 weddings took place, and nearly two years after the last set of ONS annual marriage figures.

2016-04-26 00:46 Steve Doughty www.dailymail.co.uk

48 Aussies, Kiwis turn out in Jerusalem to honor ANZACs The annual ANZAC Day memorial ceremony at the Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery on Mount Scopus is also an opportunity for reunions. The event, which commemorates the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps soldiers who fought in the Middle East in World War I to liberate the region from 400 years of Ottoman misrule, brings Aussies and Kiwis to Jerusalem from across the country. Also attending are members of the Australian and New Zealand contingents serving in the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO), the Multinational Force and Observers (MFO), tourists from the antipodes visiting here, and Australian diplomats. (New Zealand doesn’t have diplomatic representation in Israel, and the ceremony is organized by the Australian Embassy.) Because ANZAC Day coincides with the Passover holiday this year, embassy staff did not anticipate a large turnout, and were pleasantly surprised to see how many people did in fact turn up, especially Australian and New Zealand youth who are spending time in Israel. In previous years, busloads of Zionist youth were brought in with the assistance of the Zionist Federation of Australia. This year the youth came of their own volition. Australian Ambassador Dave Sharma is away. In his stead, the ceremony was led by Second Secretary Ben Rhee, who noted ANZAC Day commemorates April 25, 1915 – when Australian and New Zealand troops landed at Gallipoli. Two thousand of them died that day storming ashore on the peninsula that forms the northern bank of the Dardanelles, trying to capture the Ottoman capital Constantinople (today Istanbul). By January 6, 1916 when the expeditionary force was withdrawn, 57,000 Allied soldiers and 87,000 Ottoman servicemen had died there. After Gallipoli, the ANZACs were deployed to other theaters of war, including Palestine. On ANZAC Day, Australians and New Zealanders around the world honor the sacrifice of those who fought in WWI and subsequent wars, and those who continue to serve, said Rhee. The ceremony began and ended with the skirling of bagpipes. Australian Chargé d’Affaires James McGarry laid the first wreath at the base of the cenotaph, followed by John Bok who heads the Israel New Zealand Friendship Association. Other wreaths were laid by military attachés from Britain, Canada, Germany, Turkey and the United States, as well as representatives of the IDF, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Australian contingents of MFO and UNTSO, the New Zealand contingent of UNTSO, the Association of Jewish Ex-Servicemen and Women (who served with the British Forces), the Israel Britain and the Commonwealth Association, the Zionist Federation of Australia, the Israel Australia Chamber of Commerce, Zionist youth organizations Betar, Bnei Akiva, Habonim Dror, Highway Israel, Hineini, Israel by Choice, and Netzer. Wreaths were also laid by the Gallipoli Association, the Society for the Heritage of World War One, and the New South Wales Ex- Servicemen’s Association. The military attachés and officers from the Australian, New Zealand and Israeli armies wore an assortment of medals and ribbons. It transpired from recognition of insignia that an Australian expat and a British expat who were present had both served in the IDF in the 1982 First Lebanon War. “Australians and New Zealanders who fell in combat are buried in many places, including here,” said Rabbi Raymond Apple, who led the service at the graves of Jewish soldiers. Apple, chief rabbi emeritus of Sydney’s Great Synagogue and former senior rabbi to the Australian Defense Forces, was joined by Rabbi Edward Belfer, who recited the Kaddish prayer, and Dr. Mervyn Doobov. “Those buried here are especially remembered every year on ANZAC Day. This year that tradition is harder than usual, because it is Pesach. (Passover). We are pulled in two directions, chag (festival) and anti-chag. The chag calls us to celebrate the great, memorable achievements of civilization over the past century. The antichag reminds us of the world’s great, memorable failures, especially the distinct lack of success of the United Nations’s pious declaration in 1945 that it would save the world from the scourge of war,” said Apple. “What about the chag philosophy? Does it have an answer? It does. It simply says, ‘See the face of a brother before you. Let him sit under his own vine or fig tree with no-one to make him afraid!’”

2016-04-26 00:46 GREER FAY www.jpost.com

49 On 6th day, teen carrying brother reaches Michigan Capitol LANSING, Mich. (AP) — A 16-year-old boy and his disabled younger brother finished a 111-mile walk Monday, reaching the steps of the Michigan Capitol after the teen carried his sibling on his back for all but the last half-mile. It was the third and longest journey for Hunter Gandee and 9- year-old Braden Gandee, who has cerebral palsy. They set out from Monroe County last Wednesday to inspire people to embrace anyone with a disability. "Not just cerebral palsy — all disabilities," Hunter told The Associated Press. Surrounded by family, Braden walked the last half-mile to the Capitol with a walker. Hunter says Lt. Gov. Brian Calley and others greeted them. "It's hard to take just one moment," Hunter said when asked to describe a highlight. "A lot of memories were created. To see Braden get to the steps of the Capitol building was just amazing. " It wasn't their first trek. Hunter was 14 in 2014 when he carried Braden for 40 miles. Last year, they made a 57-mile walk. Hunter is a student at Bedford High School in Temperance. Two years ago, he held Braden in his arms on the mound at Comerica Park as Braden tossed the ceremonial first pitch at a Detroit Tigers game.

2016-04-26 00:43 Associated Press www.dailymail.co.uk

50 Five-year plan unveiled for integrating haredim in higher education The Council for Higher Education (CHE) and its Planning and Budgetary Committee (PBC) on Monday announced a five-year plan for making higher education more accessible to the ultra- Orthodox sector. The plan was compiled following an external study which examined the PBC’s previous five- year plan with regard to the haredi population and offered recommendations for the next five years. Both the study and the plan were made available on the council’s website in Hebrew so that the general public could review it, comment and offer suggestions directly to the council over the course of the next three months. “Integrating haredim into higher education is a clear interest of the state. And in light of the importance of this issue, the State of Israel invests many resources in it, especially in recent years. Higher education has become a basic requirement for integration and success in the labor market. A major share of professions and fields are blocked to those who lack this education,” the plan states. “In the last 30 years, the ultra-Orthodox population has minimally enrolled in higher education programs, and the rate of participation of haredi men in the workforce is very low,” the plan states. According to the external study, as part of the previous five-year plan, the PBC and CHE were able to increase the number of haredi students in higher education to 11,000 in the 2015/16 academic year as well as increase the number of programs for haredim from 62 to 110 over the five-year period. The new five-year plan aims to continue increasing the number of ultra-Orthodox students pursuing higher education degrees, while simultaneously placing an emphasis on high-quality academics to train them. The plan also emphasizes the need for separate programs for ultra-Orthodox students that take into consideration their religious, cultural as well as differing academic needs. “Despite the progress and the continued reduction of separation fences, the majority of the ultra- Orthodox population still needs separate frameworks in order to reach higher education,” the proposed plan states. The external study estimated that 70 percent of ultra-Orthodox students would not attend higher education frameworks that are not separated by gender. At the same time, the report found that 30% of haredi students would be interested in going to university. To that end, the new plan seeks to strengthen and expand the current frameworks to accept more haredim and offer them more study programs. At the same time, however, it examines the possibility of “blurring” the lines of separation by offering programs that over time become less segregated. The plan also seeks to raise significantly the demand for teaching certification programs that are adapted to the ultra-Orthodox community, with an emphasis on basic curriculum studies as well as the development programs in the sciences and engineering.

2016-04-26 00:42 LIDAR GRAVÉ www.jpost.com

51 Model Adwoa Aboah details her drug addiction and suicide attempt 'All the boys fancied them,' she recalls. 'I had braids. Everyone had straight hair, and then I got straight hair and felt weird. I actually wore a hat for two years because I was so embarrassed.' While slowly shedding all of her clothing in front of the camera, Adwoa, who recently appeared on the cover of Italian Vogue, continues to describe how she fell into drug addiction as a young teen, explaining that it all began with her personal insecurities about the way she looked and whether or not she could fit in with the people around her. Beginning to tear up, she explains that she never felt as though she had any 'positive influences' in her life growing up, and that she didn't have anyone close to her that she felt she could look to for help or advice. 'I think I was born slightly sad,' she adds in a heartbreaking confession. 'I really remember thinking that I couldn't be bothered to feel any emotions anymore.' Continuing to drop her accessories and her clothing, the Calvin Klein model details how her drug addiction began to spiral out of control when she was just 14 years old and discovered drugs for the first time. 'I remember getting drunk on my 14th birthday and trying some spliff and then very quickly it just went on to coke, but I was never really into that. And then as soon as I found Ketamine it just kind of went down hill from there. '[Ketamine] is like a horse tranquilizer. That was the one that really got me because it just numbs you out. '[I was doing drugs] every day. My favorite was just sitting in my room and just [doing drugs] by myself.' Adwoa, who attended boarding school as a teen, explains that, despite her insecurities, she could always find people to party with - and therefore always had people around her with whom she would do drugs. In fact, she says, the constant cycle of drug abuse didn't stop until her parents stepped in and sent her to a rehab facility in Arizona. 'It was my choice to come out with everything and be like I've got a problem,' she said. 'This has been what's happening. They definitely always known that I took drugs I just don't think they knew the amount. 'It was a proper intervention. My psychiatrist, Claire, who is the most amazing woman in the world, she was there. Then in the other corner was this other woman... from Cottonwood [rehab center].' During the intervention, Adwoa recalls everyone around her breaking down in tears, but admits that she was unable to 'feel anything', saying that, if anything, she may have actually 'smiled' during the painful experience. She explains that many of her friends took drugs, which helped her to 'get away with it' for a long time - because doing drugs wasn't seen as being out of the ordinary as far as they were concerned. But Adwoa admits that the start of her modeling career contributed to her feelings of insecurity, and her use of drugs to dull her emotional pain. 'Rejection from [modeling], losing out on jobs and being judged on your appearance... I definitely grew a second skin and got used to it, but more so now I realized that it definitely contributed to a lot of the things I feel about myself,' she explains in the clip, while perching barefoot on a stool against a plain white backdrop. And even when she found success within the fashion industry, Adwoa says it did little to boost her self-esteem. 'I definitely don't think it made me feel any better about myself being in a magazine,' she said. 'I think if you don't like being in your skin it doesn't matter how many times people say you are beautiful or how many jobs you get or whatever it is. 'I just didn't want to be Adwoa and that self hatred is something that I work on on a daily basis.' Speaking about her time spent in the Arizona rehab facility, the model, who counts fellow fashion star Cara Delevingne as one of her closest friends, says she struggled to come out of her shell, explaining that she was 'so shy' and 'didn't want to make friends'. But she found comfort in some of the older patients, who, a teary Adwoa says, were like 'mothers' to her, and 'loved her' and cared for her while she was there. 'They really loved me,' she added. 'I had pushed everyone away and these women... they got me to an emotional level. And I was so not used to feeling all these things. I had never cried in public. 'I didn't want to leave in the end.' But although Adwoa had achieved something momentous as far as her rehab was concerned, she still struggled to kick her drug habit, even after undergoing the intensive treatment in Arizona. '[I] had three more treatments after [Arizona],' she says in the video. 'I went into sober living, like a halfway house and I overdosed straight away. 'I was found in the bathroom and had to be taken to hospital. 'I had just lost a friend to an overdose, so my dad couldn't believe that that hadn't taught me anything.' While Adwoa says that she did everything she good to 'be a new person' and 'throw herself into life', she couldn't escape her demons, and on October 3, 2015, she tried to commit suicide with an overdose. 'I was in a coma for four days,' she says. 'It was a close one. My parents put me in psychiatric care for a month. 'There I was just kind of kept safe from myself. I spent a lot of time sitting in my room. Cottonwood only got me to a level; when I got back to London, I was still making lovely friends, I had a great counselor, it all seemed to be going pretty well on the outside. 'But inside, I was just so tired and in a lot of pain.' It wasn't until Christmas 2015 that she began to realize how lucky she is to be alive - and to have loving family members around her. 'From then on I put my all into it. I started opening up,' she explained. 'I started doing everything that everyone told me to do. I went to meetings. I started talking to my counselor regularly.' And since then, Adwoa says that she has finally felt able to take full advantage of the 'many opportunities that have come my way', setting up a female-focused online forum called Gurls Talk , as well as a budding charity venture which she is in the process of establishing. 'It is just about opening up a space within schools where we as women and girls can talk about whatever we want,' she explains. 'They tell me things they would never tell anyone, so I've got to meet them halfway. I got to you know start confiding in them these 15-year-old girls, and I can't tell you how nervous that makes me feel.' She goes on to admit that she feels most vulnerable when she cries, because she feels like it gives people the opportunity to really 'see her', before explaining that - although she doesn't see this in every photo - she is able to feel truly beautiful when her boyfriend takes pictures of her, 'because it's me, versus me with make-up or me pretending to be something else'. 'I realized I just can't be anyone else. I might not love myself all of the time, but I am pretty alright,' she ends the clip.

2016-04-26 00:40 Erica Tempesta www.dailymail.co.uk

52 JNU row: Varsity rusticates Umar and Anirban, imposes Rs 10K fine on Kanhaiya New Delhi: The JNU today slapped a fine of Rs 10,000 on student leader Kanhaiya Kumar and rusticated three others for varying durations over their alleged role in the controversial February 9 event for which they were charged with sedition, an action which had sparked outrage and triggered protests. Based on the findings of a high-level enquiry committee (HLEC), Umar Khalid has been rusticated for one semester and another leader Anirban Bhattacharya till July 15. Umar has also been slapped a fine of Rs 20,000. Anirban has also been barred from JNU campus for a period of five years from July 23. Kanhaiya Kumar, President of Jawaharlal Nehru Student's Union speaks during youth assembly in Mumbai on Saturday. Pic/PTI Kashmiri student, Mujeeb Gattoo, has been rusticated for two semesters. A penalty of Rs 10,000 has been imposed on JNU students union (JNUSU) joint secretary Saurabh Sharma, the only ABVP member in the union. JNU students union president Kanhaiya, Umar and Anirban were arrested on charges of sedition in February in connection with the controversial event and are out on bail. Their arrests had triggered widespread protests at JNU and many other universities, following which the Opposition had accused the government of attempting to stifle dissent. While Umar and Anirban were blamed for "triggering communal violence" and "disrupting" communal harmony on the campus, Mujeeb was found guilty of participating sloganeering. Kanhaiya was pronounced guilty of indiscipline and misconduct. Those who have been imposed fine of Rs 20,000 each include former JNUSU President Ashutosh Kumar, former general secretary Chintu Kumari, current General Secretary Rama Naga, Aishwarya Adhikari, former Vice President Anant Prakash Narayan and Gargi for "violating" dissciplinary norms. The campus has been made out of bounds for two former students -- Banojyotsana Lahiri and Draupadi -- while hostel facilities of Ashutosh Kumar have been withdrawn for a year and Komal Mohite till July 21. In his reaction, Kanhaiya said the punitive action announced by the authorities was "simply unacceptable" and that the students rejected it. The students will hold an "all party" meeting later tonight to finalise future course of action. "We completely reject this farcical enquiry report, as it is based on sheer vendetta and a biased enquiry. These are all innocent students, coming from extremely humble and underprivileged backgrounds," JNUSU Vice President Shehla Rashid Shora said. The JNU had constituted a five-member high-level enquiry committee to investigate the controversial event at the campus on February 9 and the panel had found some students guilty of violating disciplinary norms and disrupting communal harmony on the campus. An official of the JNU said financial penalty has been imposed on 14 students including Kanhaiya. Anirban's punishment is the harshest as he has been debarred from the university for five years. When asked about punishment to Anirban, the official said, "During the period of rustication, the student ceases to exist on rolls of the university but has an option of joining back and re- enrolling in the same course after period of rustication is over. "However, following debarment from the university for a period the student cannot enroll in any course or join any academic activities on campus," the official said. He said while Umar and Gattoo will have the option of resuming their courses once the period of rustication is over, Anirban has been given a window of a week (July 16-23) to complete his thesis. "If he is unable to do so, he will not be able to seek an extension or re-enroll as he has been debarred from university for five years on completion of that week. If his PhD is not completed during this period he will not be able to do it from JNU for five years however he can enroll at some other university," he said. The official said disciplinary measures have been taken for not following university procedures, misinforming the university, misconduct and indiscipline, causing and colluding in the unauthorised entry of persons into the campus, putting up objectionable posters, arousing communal, caste or regional feelings and creating disharmony, blockade or forceful prevention of any normal movement of traffic and violation of security, safety rules notified by the university. The committee imposed the fine on Sharma, who had objected to the event, for blocking traffic on the day it happened. Surprisingly, Aishwarya whose name was not mentioned in the report, has also been imposed the financial penalty. "A farce is what this enquiry has been made from day 1 to witch-hunt students and punish them by hook and crook. I want to tell the VC that his friend Appa Rao did the same in Hyderabad university but our friends fought back. We will also do the same," said Umar. A senior university official said, "Based on the report of the high-level committee which arrived at its conclusion based on depositions, perusal of video clips (provided by JNU security and authenticated by forensic tests), and examination of documents on record, the university has decided to rusticate three students. The report of the five-member panel has underlined lapses on part of administration and taken into account the role of outsiders in the event. However, no action has been taken against any administrative official. "As per the committee findings, application for holding this event circumvented the permission process and the organisers disobeyed the instructions from the administration not to hold it and that amounted to wilful defiance," the JNU official said. Following the preliminary report of the committee, the university had suspended eight students. However, their suspension was revoked when the panel submitted it report on March 11. Slamming the authorities for the action against the students, Shora said,"They are all dedicated activists and this is a conspiracy to crush anti-Modi voices. "Not only will we not remain silent against this anti-people government, we will also challenge this sham of a report. The punishments are all based on one-sided statements from ABVP members, and our repeated calls to conduct a fair enquiry were ignored. " Accusing the Vice Chancellor of "taking directions" from the Centre and acting as an "RSS loyalist", she said the students will launch a countrywide campaign to "expose" the government's "anti-student and anti-Dalit" character. "Rakesh Bhatnagar, the head of the committee, is the treasurer of anti-reservationist Youth for Equality, and most students who have been punished belong to Dalit, Muslim and backward castes," she said. ABVP's Sharma said punishments announced by JNU is a "compromise and not penalty". "Penalising me for blocking traffic for stopping the event is injustice," he said.

2016-04-26 00:36 By PTI www.mid-day.com

53 Twitter users track down mystery London Marathon couple saying 'I do' A couple whose engagement at the London Marathon finishing line was captured on camera have spoken of their joy after thousands of people shared the pictures and helped the photographer track them down. Food blogger Ashley Fryer snapped the moment when Adam Ruddick got down on one knee to propose to girlfriend Rachel Newell as they finished the 26.2-mile run. Ms Fryer posted the photos on Twitter in a bid to find the couple and after thousands of people shared them she was able to give them a lasting memento of the special day. S he said: "I just happened to be in the right place at the right time. I was watching the runners cross the finish line and as soon as I realised what was happening, I pulled my phone out. "It was such a beautiful moment, I just wanted to capture it. It wasn't until later that I thought it would be great to try and find the couple so they could have the photos. " S he added: "I'm so thrilled that we found Rachel and Adam - it's just a testament to the magic of Twitter. Hopefully the photos will be a happy reminder of their special moment for years to come. " Mr Ruddick, 28, from London, said he "couldn't be happier" that the moment was caught on camera. In a message to Ms Fryer he said: "Thank you so much for capturing the best moment of my life. " M r Ruddick said he had carried the ring in a pocket full of sweets as he and Ms Newell, 27, ran the course together - and was terrified of it dropping out. He told the Evening Standard: "I was constantly checking my pocket, very nervous about dropping it on the way. "I put sweets in there to disguise the shape, but when Rachel asked for them I chose to just keep them in my hand for the remaining 12 miles so I didn't have to mess around with my pocket again. " Their engagement eased the pain they endured to complete the race in four hours and 18 minutes. Mr Ruddick said: "With the proposal I think it took away any aches and pains at the end. All of our friends and family said we looked fresh-faced. " The couple, who have been together for around three and a half years, have raised more than £1,000 for Breast Cancer Now in memory of Ms Newell's mother, Helen.

2016-04-26 00:30 Lexi Finnigan www.telegraph.co.uk

54 Can the man who milked BHS really be allowed to keep his knighthood Anyone who has followed the buccaneering business career of Sir Philip Green will know there could have been nothing straightforward about his sale a year ago of the struggling BHS chain for one pound to a former bankrupt. Green, known as 'King Of The High Street', has many faults. But no one can accuse him of being stupid — particularly when he senses there's a deal to be struck. Behind his facade of a foul-mouthed market trader, the former public schoolboy is one of the shrewdest brains on the High Street — and he can be utterly ruthless when it comes to deal- making. As he has accumulated his family's estimated £3.22 billion fortune, most of it held offshore by his wife, Tina, who lives in Monaco, he has taken no prisoners. Failure The reason his empire is held privately is because his only venture in running a publicly listed company — as chief executive of jeans retailer Amber Day in the late Eighties — ended in failure, with his fellow directors dumping him as chairman and chief executive after he had failed to meet profit expectations. Green's career is littered with the bodies of those who got in his way as well as those he seemingly befriended only to dump mercilessly later on. In the sale of BHS to the notoriously unreliable former racing driver Dominic Chappell and a consortium of retail-business novices — who adopted the grandiose name of 'Retail Acquisitions' — Green almost certainly went too far. BHS had nowhere to go but the knacker's yard. All it consisted of was an outdated, declining enterprise, with a collection of unattractive, near valueless shop leases and a liability in its pension fund of £571 million. By selling when he did, Green put enough distance between himself and the new owners before the all-but-inevitable end arrived. By the time he sold, he had ensured that most of the real value of the business, including the £40 million freehold of BHS's imposing headquarters in Marylebone in West London, from where Green liked to hold court, was owned directly by his family. The victims of Green's unprincipled behaviour are not the new owners — they, too, squeezed the remainder of the business dry by extracting an estimated £25 million in management fees in just 13 months — but unfortunate BHS employees and the company's pensioners. An ineptly worded letter from Chappell to the workforce told them to 'keep your heads held high'. Which is a little difficult when you are not sure where the next salary cheque is coming from or whether you will get the redundancy you are due. Or, most seriously of all, if you will ever receive the full pension you are owed and into which you have been paying over a lifetime. The pill is made even more bitter by the fact that, historically, those in poorly paid shop jobs have been compensated by big employers, such as Tesco, in the form of generous promises of a comfortable retirement. That social contract looks set to be torn to shreds at BHS. Turning around the company was always going to be a struggle, even for someone as shrewd as Green, who bought it for £200 million 16 years ago. There's no doubt that he knows how to repair a misfiring business. He turned round Arcadia — owner of a raft of High Street names including Topshop, Wallis, Burton, Evans and Miss Selfridge — after buying it in 2002. Indeed, his skill in doing so allowed him to compete head-on with High Street newcomers such as Spain's Zara and Japan's Uniqlo, as well as more established players such as Next and M&S (which Green tried to buy in 2004). But BHS was a different kettle of fish. Its reputation was as a fusty place to buy cheap school uniforms, dowdy women's hats and inexpensive light fittings. Its stuffy, moderately priced cafes were popular with the older generation. Green made several attempts at sprucing up the stores by giving franchises to some of his fashion brands, and by updating the furnishings on offer. But the innovations and investment were always dwarfed by what he personally siphoned off from the enterprise. Since taking control of BHS in 2000, an estimated £400 million has been extracted in the shape of dividends, which have been transferred to holdings controlled by Tina Green in Monaco. That is not all. Green has always been razor-sharp in his management of property and BHS has been paying around £11 million a year to Green family companies in rent. BHS has also been charged by other Green companies for accounting and other services. The Financial Times estimates that during Green's period of stewardship a staggering £1 billion or so was moved from BHS into Green family coffers. This would have been enough, one imagines, for a full-scale refurbishment of the chain —which would have given it a better chance of survival — and could have been deployed to help pay down the pension fund deficit. Sir Philip forcefully points out that, though these dividends siphoned from BHS leave the country for Monaco tax-free, the Arcadia companies, BHS and his other UK- based enterprises have always paid their full corporation taxes, business rates, national insurance and other British taxes under his stewardship. Bankrupt And he has contrasted this with the behaviour of companies such as Starbucks and Vodafone, which have engaged in complex, but fully legal, corporation tax avoidance strategies. Sadly, that will be of little comfort to BHS's workforce and 20,000 members of the company's pension scheme. The Pension Protection Fund (PPF), a safety net put in place to protect the interests of workers in bankrupt companies, means, at least, that not all hope for BHS pensioners is lost. The fund has a statutory right to seek a measure of redress from its past and present owners to help close the gaping pensions black hole of £571 million. Green is reported to have offered £40 million of his family's wealth, or up to £80 million in total, to fulfil his obligations. Recently, when I asked him specifically about his offer, he refused to confirm any figures, instead promising me an invitation to 'sit down for a cup of tea' and discuss the matter at some future date. I am still waiting. Even if he were to cough up this sum, it would still leave a serious shortfall. This does not bode well for current or future BHS pensioners. Those already receiving pensions will find the annual increase capped at 2.5 per cent. So if inflation takes off in the future — not so long ago prices were rising at 5 per cent a year — the value of already meagre benefits would be cut in inflation-adjusted terms. Rescue As for those retiring in the future or forced into early departure by the demise of BHS, they can expect to see their anticipated retirement income automatically slashed by 10 per cent. The bill for paying those future pensions will pass from BHS to the Pension Protection Fund, which will meet the shortfall by a 'levy' or tax on the country's healthy retirement schemes. They will be responsible for the imprudent past management of BHS. We may all yet be surprised. Sir Philip might, out of the kindness of his heart, decide to do the right thing and come rushing to the rescue of the BHS pensioners, who toiled loyally for him for 15 years, with a serious slice of his family's fortune. After all, he's rich enough to be taking delivery of a £100 million super-yacht. But don't hold your breath. His past behaviour in commerce makes it seem unlikely, to say the least. If he doesn't stump up, however, the knighthood bestowed upon him by Tony Blair — for Green's donations to flagship fashion academy schools — could be taken away from him. Veteran pensions and welfare campaigner Frank Field MP has called for Green to lose his knighthood in the manner of Fred Goodwin, the disgraced former boss of the Royal Bank of Scotland. It would be the ultimate humiliation if Sir Philip were to join the select company of business people stripped of the honours of which they had once been so proud.

2016-04-26 00:29 Alex Brummer www.dailymail.co.uk

55 Time to face facts: The goalposts have moved permanently Protests across the world were ignored and only those countries that stood with the National Party government permitted all-white teams to tour their countries. It took blood and sweat to change the system and soon after 1994, when we elected a government based on the will of the people, we were accepted internationally as equals. But a big question remained: How to fast-track all races into sporting codes that had been largely the preserve of whites? It remains a challenge. Whenever we speak of fair representation in sport, we hear about standards and sponsorships. Yesterday, Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula finally woke up and faced the reality. Mbalula has banned our national cricket and rugby federations from hosting or bidding for international tournaments for at least a year while they increase representation of black players. He also targeted other codes which he said had failed to transform 22 years into democracy. This morning Mbalula will be called names and reminded that sponsors will pull out and that his decision was irrational. Already the Democratic Alliance has said that Mbalula's ban is just a gimmick and a diversion from his own failure to develop sports in the country. We hold no brief for Mbalula, but we believe we should be frank as a nation and it is clear that we are going nowhere slowly in transforming our sporting landscape. We can point fingers and argue that forced transformation will lower standards and our good players will emigrate. But we cannot escape the reality that transformation is a non-negotiable for most people in South Africa. We back former president Thabo Mbeki's call yesterday for a national dialogue to move South Africa forward and see Mbalula's initiative as a part of that process.

2016-04-26 00:29 The Times www.timeslive.co.za

56 Rassie is a loss, but don't panic Erasmus, who now vacates his post as SA Rugby's general manager of high performance, is a very good all-round coach. He is tactically sound and extremely hard-working. And, by his own accounts, he is a much better mentor now than he was 10 years ago. The fact of the matter is that the more time you spend in any role, the better you become. Losing his intellectual capital may prove a significant blow to SA rugby because, quite frankly, we don't possess sufficient senior coaches that have done time within our system. It speaks volumes that Johan Ackermann, currently experiencing his third season at the helm of the Lions franchise, is our most experienced Super rugby coach. However, as Paul Treu has shown as the Stormers' defence coach since Jacques Nienaber's departure, nobody is irreplaceable. Erasmus's defection might open the door for Dawie Theron. The latter has served his apprenticeship, having coached the SA Under-20 side since 2010. That job was always a development tool and another successful coach can take over if he leaves. For my money, the 49-year-old should be Erasmus's natural successor because he knows the system, has worked with members of the current Springbok management team at junior level, and has also coached many of the players who have risen through the ranks. For me, it is all about the investment that has been done over a period of time. We have seen all over the world that the ability to promote from within is what makes organisations successful. While I'm well aware that there is a big drive towards transformation within SA rugby, I don't believe that there is anybody of colour, at the present moment, who is qualified to take over from Erasmus. I agree with the principle of transformation with merit, and the recent appointment of Allister Coetzee as Springbok coach serves as a case in point. If Theron is named as general manager of high performance, it should not be used as ammunition by SA Rugby's detractors. Saru has made strides in terms of its strategic transformation project - a five-year plan with annual performance targets - and appears really intent on trying to make teams more representative of the broader demographic. The bottom line is that SA Rugby is endeavouring to improve in all areas of transformation. It has been co-operative and wants to make a difference as far as demographic representation, access to the game, skills development and performance are concerned. At government level, I maintain that a person with a rugby background should be appointed to oversee the process rather than a committee chairman, such as Beauty Dlulane, because a numbers-based approach is certainly not going to solve anything and is far from the objective. In actual fact, if you don't have someone with an intimate knowledge of the game, it will worsen the problem because people are going to be placed in positions that they don't deserve or that they are not good enough for. It's a far more complex conversation than just saying: "If you don't deliver five players of colour on the field, you will have failed in terms of your transformation objectives. "

2016-04-26 00:29 Brendan Venter www.timeslive.co.za

57 The Big Read: A discourse with much froth You couldn't hear them, of course. If you'd stood still next to the shelf of Ghost Pops and listened, all you would have heard was the arcade game in the corner going boop-boop-bang, and the black-and-white TV on the counter, where Ridge Forrester was proposing to Brooke Logan for the fourth time that month. But the chocolates were singing all the same. Because, in my mind, they were pop stars. I don't know why I started associating them with the musical megastars of the time, but I did. TV Bars were Kylie Minogue, satisfying in a popped- rice sort of way. Bar Ones, relentlessly blaring their sweetness at you, were Whitney Houston. Cabrio, a mysterious nougat delight that was hard to find and impossible to define, was Prince. Tempo - nutty and prone to melting but universally adored - was Michael Jackson. And Chomps were Bles Bridges: you'd heard that people liked them, but you'd never actually met one of them in person. I knew my pop stars and I knew my chocolates. The world made sense. It came to me wrapped in a T-shirt and carefully packed at the bottom of a suitcase. It came from America. And it came in a pack of three. Looking at them, beautifully lined up, I saw the kind of ambition and ingenuity that had put humans on the moon. And when I bit into the first one, I tasted a new world. This week I was reminded of my Snickers revelation of long ago, courtesy of a loud conversation between some pearl-clutching thought leaders. Something terrible had happened, they murmured, alarmed. A violation. An invasion. A hate crime. Starbucks, you will recall, is an American company that produces liquid sugar in a cup, various delicious pastries, and enormous amounts of bourgeois eye-rolling. But until that moment I hadn't realised that they are also German stormtroopers on motorbikes. Because that's where the conversation went. Starbucks is a conquering power. And the South Africans who queue for their products do so not out of choice but because they have been colonised. When I was at university I heard a lot of wealthy children complaining about cultural imperialism but I was never quite sure what they meant. Why, I wondered, was it cultural imperialism when you wanted to watch an American movie, but if you read philosophy by a German translated into English, written in print invented by Romans, and wore a beret modelled after a French or Spanish design (which had been adopted by Cubans and Bolivians), you were somehow an authentic, self-made original? It was only later that I discovered that cultural imperialism is about imbalances of power - a dominant culture squashing a smaller one. Again, though, I must confess that I sometimes still get confused. For example, the dominant culture in our local print and social media is overwhelmingly opposed to American cultural imperialism. I could be wrong, but it's been a while since I saw a photo on Facebook of a group of people in a town square chanting "Life to America! " So if I buy a Starbucks bonbon, am I selling out or is it an act of resistance against the vast, prescriptive hegemony of the anti-American, anti-globalisation movement? I confess that I'm ignorant about the finer points of the discourse. In fact I don't really even know what a "discourse" is. I just know you have to say it when you find yourself trapped next to a Humanities graduate, perhaps because you were both lunging for the humus at the same time, so that they never discover that you thought a "discourse" was just a wanky word for "chatting about stuff". All of which is probably why I struggle to see those queues outside newly opened American stores as a sign of cultural oppression. I concede that it's possible that some of those happy, eager faces are simply masks hiding zombie half-minds completely in thrall to the fiery, all- seeing eye of Lord Starbuck. But what if many of them are just people; eager for a small taste of something new, something foreign; to offset the endless sameness of life? My Snickers bars in the 1980s didn't taste better than a Tempo. The chocolate tasted like chicken and the caramel tasted like it was made by Boeing. But I didn't care. The treat was the novelty, not the taste. Fortunately, the conversation soon moved in a new direction. Beyoncé was about to release a new album - they all knew it was called Lemonade - and they were keen to discuss what the title meant, and how excited they were about it, and how glorious she was.

2016-04-26 00:29 Tom Eaton www.timeslive.co.za

58 Gary Lineker calls for 'mathematical equation' to simplify costly divorce proceedings G ary Lineker is calling for a “mathematical equation” to help couples divorce quickly and avoid the “manipulative” behaviour of lawyers. The former England footballer , 55, has gone through two marriage breakdowns and has said he wants to see the whole process simplified. Lineker claims lawyers boost their fees by manipulating their involvement and consequently create “hate” between the parties involved. The TV host was married to the mother of his four sons, Michelle Cockayne, for 20 years, and has now split with his second wife , model and actress Danielle Bux. Lineker, who played for Leicester City, Tottenham Hotspur and Barcelona, is worth around £20 million but he and Miss Bux, 36, used a government website to formalise their split. T he online divorce site costs around £400, saving the couple tens of thousands of pounds in legal fees . Speaking to the Radio Times, Mr Lineker said: “Just general speaking, it’s very easy to get married and very difficult to get divorced. And we know that lawyers try to manipulate it to make you spend more money and basically end up hating each other. “I think there should be a mathematical equation that goes straight to the courts and they sort it out.” After his split with Miss Bux, Lineker wrote on Twitter: “Thank you all for your kind words. @DanielleBux and I had many wonderful years together. We remain very close and the greatest of friends.”

2016-04-26 00:26 Lexi Finnigan www.telegraph.co.uk

59 Angelina Jolie wraps up in chic grey ensemble as she dines in London The entire Jolie-Pitt family has been making regular visits to London while Brad Pitt films World War II drama, Allied. And Angelina Jolie was sure to make the most of her time in England as she was pictured enjoying a meal with Conservative politician William Hague on Monday evening. The American actress cut a typically stylish figure as she grabbed dinner with the former UK Foreign Secretary at celebrity favourite Quaglino’s in Mayfair. Scroll down for video The 40-year-old kept herself warm on the chilly Spring evening as she draped a light grey shawl over her chic dark grey dress. She added height to her slender legs with light grey peep-toe heels while she completed the look with a large black handbag. The fresh-faced beauty opted to tie her dark lock back into a ponytail and appeared to be wearing light pink lipstick for the outing. The actress’ diner with the politician comes as no surprise as the pair have worked together in the past on their mission to end war rape across the world. Angelina, who has six children with her film star husband, launched a campaign with Mr Hague in 2012 to fight sexual violence in war. It came after she wrote and directed a film, called In the Land of Blood and Honey, in 2011 set during the Bosnian war. Up to 50,000 women were raped during the 1992- 95 Bosnian war. In 2012, the UN High Commissioner Antonio Guterres appointed Miss Jolie as his Special Envoy. Then in 2014, after two years of campaigning, Miss Jolie and Mr Hague launched a new international protocol which they hope will 'shatter the culture of impunity' around sexual violence in war. Over 155 countries have endorsed the declaration of commitment to end sexual violence in conflict. Meanwhile Brad was able to throw himself into character as he filmed scenes for new World War II drama, Allied (previously referred to as Five Seconds Of Silence) in Southern England on Monday. Braving the rain, the 52-year-old actor put on a harrowing display as he crawled over to co-star Lizzy Caplin next to a fighter jet, who had previously been filmed carrying a gun across the airfield.

2016-04-26 00:22 Nola Ojomu www.dailymail.co.uk

60 Rio mayor: Collapsed bike lane to be rebuilt by Olympics RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Paes has pledged to rebuild in time for the Aug. 5-21 Olympics a brand new bike lane that killed two people when it collapsed last week. Paes told the Globo television broadcaster on Monday that the company that built the Tim Maia bike lane would also be responsible for the reconstruction. At least two people were killed Thursday when an approximately 50-meter (yard) stretch of the elevated oceanfront bike path collapsed, apparently after being struck by a powerful wave. Sports Minister Ricardo Leyser said over the weekend that the accident appeared to be at least partially the result of a design flaw. The lane links the beachfront neighborhoods of Leblon and Sao Conrado and had been considered among the top legacy projects of the Olympics. Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

2016-04-26 00:19 By Associated mynorthwest.com

61 Massive coral reef discovered in Amazon River (CNN) The Amazon River, known for its array of wildlife from pink dolphins to flesh-eating piranhas, has revealed a new treasure -- a massive coral reef that stretches for some 600 miles, scientists say.

2016-04-26 00:14 Jareen Imam edition.cnn.com

62 62 Could 'black hole' in a lab finally help Stephen Hawking win a Nobel Prize? O ne of

Stephen Hawking's most brilliant and disturbing theories may have been confirmed by a scientist who created a sound “black hole” in his laboratory, potentially paving the way for a Nobel Prize. Research by Professor Hawking, a cosmologist at Cambridge University, disputes the notion that black holes are a gravitational sinkhole, pulling in matter and never allowing anything to escape, even light. His model, developed in the 1970s, instead suggested that black holes could actually emit tiny particles, allowing energy to escape. If true, it would mean some black holes could simply evaporate completely with profound implications for our understanding of the universe. B ut such is the weakness of the emitted particle combined with the remoteness of even the nearest of black holes, his mathematical discovery has yet to be verified by observation. Instead Jeff Steinhauer, professor of physics at the Technion university in Haifa, created something analagous to a “black hole” for sound in his laboratory. In a paper published on the physics website arXiv, and reported by The Times, he described how he cooled helium to close to absolute zero before manipulating it in such a way that sound could not cross it, like a black hole's event horizon. He said he found evidence that phonons – the sound equivalent of light's photons - were leaking out, rather as Prof Hawking had predicted for black holes. The results have yet to be replicated elsewhere and scientists say they will want to check the effect is not caused by another factor. I f confirmed, it would strengthen Prof Hawking's case for science's greatest prize. Although his theory has a lot of support, Nobel Prizes for Physics are not awarded without experimental proof. Earlier this year, Prof Hawking used the BBC's Reith Lecture to make the case that his work was close to being proven, both in the laboratory and from echoes of the very earliest moments of our universe. “I am resigned to the fact that I won’t see proof of Hawking radiation directly. “There are solid state analogues of black holes and other effects, that the Nobel committee might accept as proof,” he said. “But there’s another kind of Hawking radiation, coming from the cosmological event horizon of the early inflationary universe. “I am now studying whether one might detect Hawking radiation in primordial gravitational waves . . . so I might get a Nobel prize after all.” 2016-04-26 00:14 Telegraph Reporters www.telegraph.co.uk

63 Family 'heartbroken' over France motorway crash deaths T he family of a British man who died with his two young children in a car crash on a French motorway said their lives had been "torn apart" by the incident and "will never be the same again". John Crompton, 31, and his son Morgan Lund, nine, and daughter Evie-Lily Crompton, four, were killed in a crash on the A39 near Beaurepaire-en- Bresse, which is between Lyon and Dijon, shortly after 7am on Sunday. A nother son, Kyle, two, remains seriously ill in hospital, along with the dead children's mother, Makayla Lund, 25. A statement released on behalf of the family said: "A devastating tragedy has left our family heartbroken forever. Our lives have been torn apart and will never be the same again. "We have lost the heart of our family. As a family we ask for our privacy to be respected at this extremely difficult time. " Friends have left messages on a Facebook page for the Hartlepool Billiards and Snooker group, of which Mr Crompton was a member. Colin Harrison wrote: "Heartbreaking news about one of the league's top players. "John Crompton and two of his children were tragically killed in a road accident in France. "Thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends. very talented and well liked man. RIP mate. " The family's Nissan may have lost control after the driver fell asleep or became distracted, investigators have said.

2016-04-26 00:09 Lexi Finnigan www.telegraph.co.uk

64 Back together? Olympia Valance cosies up to ex-boyfriend Greg Cannell Just two months after they called it quits, Olympia Valance has shared some sweet snaps on social media with her ex-boyfriend. The Neighbours starlet took to both Instagram and Snapchat over the weekend, posting sun-soaked photos alongside Greg Cannell on Monday. The pair sparked rumours they may have reunited as they beamed into the lens in the sunshine, in a shot simply captioned: 'Autumn baking'. Scroll down for video Olympia appeared to have stripped down to a white lacy bra, while Greg appeared to be shirtless. Meanwhile, they also shared a photo of their denim clad jeans intertwined on a grassy knoll. While the 23-year-old actress proudly share images of the duo together, Greg hadn't posted anything on his social media. However, that didn't stop fans speculating alongside the Instagram shot, what the photos meant for the former couple. 'Please say your back together. U seem so happy with him,' one fan wrote excitedly, while another was left a little perplexed: 'Thought they split up. Hopefully works out this time'. While another noted: 'Olympia and Greg are probably hanging out as friends. Couples can be friends after they have split up.' The pair dated for 15 months before splitting in February. At the time, Olympia issued a short statement via social media, telling her 27,000 followers: 'Just a quick note from me - Sadly Greg & I have separated.' However, since then, the hunky retail manager has been noticeably absent from the lingerie model's social media posts and vice versa, suggesting their break-up may have taken place weeks before their announcement. 'To the most incredible man ever, I wish him so much happiness and success,' she added, followed by a love heart emoticon. Their split came as a shock to many, after the couple only had eyes for each other at the brunette beauty's birthday dinner in January. The pair, who began dating in November 2014, attended the Portsea Polo in early January and posed in a number of cosy shots together, plastered across social media. The confirmation of a split also coincided with Olympia's character, Paige Smith being jilted by her on-screen love interest. While in the UK in March at the Empire Awards, the Neighbours actress was also linked to comedian and Britain's Got Talent judge, David Walliams.

2016-04-26 00:08 Karishma Sarkari www.dailymail.co.uk

65 Yahoo - Yahoo to Participate at the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media & Telecom Conference --(BUSINESS WIRE)-- (NASDAQ:YHOO) CFO will participate in a question- and-answer session at the Morgan Stanley in . The session is scheduled to begin on , at / . A live webcast of the session will be available on the Investor Relations website at http://yhoo.client.shareholder.com/events.cfm? CalendarID=5. is a guide focused on informing, connecting, and entertaining our users. By creating highly personalized experiences for our users, we keep people connected to what matters most to them, across devices and around the world. In turn, we create value for advertisers by connecting them with the audiences that build their businesses. is headquartered in , and has offices located throughout the , (APAC) and the , and (EMEA) regions. For more information, visit the pressroom (pressroom.yahoo.net) or the Company's blog (yahoo.tumblr.com). is the trademark and/or registered trademark of All other names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

2016-04-25 22:53 investor.yahoo.net

66 Jamie Vardy hit with additional one-game ban - Reports Leicester striker Jamie Vardy will miss his side's bid for Barclays Premier League title glory at Manchester United on Sunday after receiving an additional one-match ban, according to reports. The 29-year-old has already sat out one game for his red card in the Foxes' 2-2 draw with West Ham last week, missing the 4-0 win over Swansea, but after accepting a Football Association charge of improper conduct an independent regulatory committee has handed down a further game's suspension. That means Vardy will miss his side's trip to Old Trafford where victory would seal a memorable title triumph after Tottenham dropped points in Monday's 1-1 draw with West Brom. The England international saw red against West Ham in controversial circumstances after receiving a second yellow card for diving from referee Jon Moss, who was then confronted by a furious Vardy. That reaction earned him the charge of improper conduct, which he accepted but requested a personal hearing in a bid to try and persuade leniency. Vardy, who has also been fined £10,000 by the FA, will be available for Leicester's final two games of the season against Everton and Chelsea, meaning he will be present for the title- winning moment if Claudio Ranieri's men fail to get the job done at Old Trafford on Sunday. Neither Leicester nor the FA were available for comment when contacted by Press Association Sport on Monday. Press Association

2016-04-26 00:01 www.independent.ie

67 Fire deaths rise by 21% as chiefs issue cuts warning Chief fire officers have warned that further budget cuts pose a risk to community safety as official figures revealed the biggest increase in fire deaths for a decade. Their warning comes as MPs vote on Tuesday on a Labour move to block the takeover of the fire service by police and crime commissioners, who face election next month. The latest figures from the Department for Communities and Local Government show that 294 people died in fires in England during 2015, an increase of 21% compared with the 242 deaths recorded in 2014 and the largest increase since figures were published in 2001-02. The rise comes after a decade in which the long-term trend in the death toll from fires fell, from a peak of 469 in 2003. The chief fire officers from the six largest English cities outside London said the rise was worrying as the fire service faces budget cuts of up to 50% by 2020, from the 2010 benchmark. “The budget cuts have seen the loss of frontline firefighters, response times getting longer, stations closing and fire prevention measures reduced too,” said a statement from the Association of Metropolitan Fire and Rescue Authorities who cover Manchester, Birmingham, Liverpool, Newcastle, Sheffield and Leeds. On Tuesday, Home Office ministers will use the policing and crime bill to legislate for police and crime commissioners to manage local fire and rescue services, despite unease within Conservative ranks. The shadow home secretary, Andy Burnham, said Labour would force a vote on the fire service takeover: “Emergency services cannot keep communities safe if ministers keep cutting the police and the fire service too. These figures show that the government’s cuts have already gone too far. Labour will stand up for public safety – it is no time to be throwing fire in with the police,” said Burnham. “David Cameron cannot ignore this warning from senior fire chiefs.” Labour will call for the government to commit to a statutory independent fire and rescue service with added responsibility for flooding, Burnham said. West Midlands fire service has said it faces a 46% cut in its budget from £119m in 2010-11 to £94m in 2019-20; Greater Manchester’s budget is set to fall 43% from £117m to £96m over the same period while West Yorkshire’s will drop 41% from £93m to £78m. The policing and crime bill will place a duty on police, fire and ambulance services to work together and enable police and crime commissioners to take on responsibility for fire and rescue services where a local case has been made. Home Office ministers have denied that the measure will amount to a police takeover of the fire and rescue services, arguing that the important operational distinction between the two services will be maintained. Full-time police officers will not be used as firefighters and firefighters will not be given core police powers such as the power of arrest or stop and search. The police and fire minister, Mike Penning, has told MPs that decisions on whether police and crime commissioners take control of fire authorities will be the result of a local negotiation, though the home secretary can intervene if no local agreement is reached.

2016-04-26 00:01 Alan Travis www.theguardian.com

68 David Bowie was 'big, big Peaky Blinders fan', show's creator says D avid Bowie was a huge fan of Peaky Blinders , and even allowed the team behind the drama to hear his final album before its existence was made public, the show’s creator has revealed. Steven Knight, the creator of the BBC Two gangster series, said Bowie’s representatives had visited his home, to play him tracks from Blackstar, the singer’s farewell album, a week before its release was announced. While the drama is set in the 1920s, it has won a cult following for its use of contemporary rock music, and Knight said Bowie, who died in January after battling liver cancer , had been keen to have his album featured in the show. H e told Radio Times a marketing representative from Bowie’s record label, Sony BMG, visited his home on December 30, adding: “And then on the following Tuesday we heard that he’d passed away. It seems that his people were keen to establish that we could use it before he died.” Knight also said that Bowie had corresponded with the show’s star, Cillian Murphy, whose character is often seen wearing a woollen, newsboy cap, with razor blades sewn into the peak. Knight said: “He sent a photo of himself with razor blades in his cap to Cillian about a year ago. I got in touch with his people who came back straightaway and said he was a big, big fan.” Peaky Blinders returns to BBC Two on May 5.

2016-04-26 00:01 Patrick Foster www.telegraph.co.uk

69 Magnus Carlsen unable to Anish Giri at Norway Chess Y et again, Magnus Carlsen was unable to defeat Anish Giri as the Dutchman held firm in their fifth round encounter at Altibox Norway Chess. Carlsen played white but never achieved even a sniff of an advantage in a Ruy Lopez and the game was drawn after 48 moves. P entyla Harikrishna won a nice game after his opponent Li Chao made the strategically risky choice of closing the centre with 7...e5 . This gave White a free hand on the kingside and he did not hesitate, replying 8.g4 . If Black had interpolated the moves ...a6 and a4 his position would have been playable. Or, if Black had played 13... Nxg5 he could have met 14. Qf2 with Kg7! 15. Nd2 Rh8 followed by Qf6. As played, the plan of creating a dark square blockade after exchanging dark bishops proved impractical. With energetic play 24.f4!! and 25.e5! Harikrishna forced open the position before Black was ready. King’s Indian Benoni 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.f3 c5 4.d5 d6 5.e4 Bg7 6. Ne2 0–0 7. Nec3 e5 8.g4! h5 9.h3 Nh7 10. Be3 (Not 10.gxh5 Qh4+) 10...h4 11. Qd2 Bf6 12. Rg1 Bg5 13. Bxg5 Qxg5 14. Nb5! Qe7 15.g5! a6 16. N5c3 Nd7 17. Qg2 (Intending Qg2–g4xh4) 17... Kg7 18. Nd2 f6 19.gxf6+ Qxf6 20. Nd1 Rf7 21. Nf2 Ndf8 22. Nd3 b5 (22...g5!? 23.0–0–0 Ng6 or 23.f4 exf4 24.e5 dxe5 25. Ne4 Qg6 both seem alright for Black) 23.0–0–0 g5 24.f4!! exf4 25.e5! Qf5 (Effectively resigning. If 25...dxe5 26. Ne4 Qf5 27. Nd6 but there is the remarkable line 26... Qh6 27. Nxe5 Re7 28. Nc6 Bxh3!! 29. Qc2! (29. Qxh3 Rxe4) 29... Rxe4 30. Qxe4 Bd7 31. Qe7+ Kh8 32. Qxc5 and Black fights on) 26.e6 f3 27. Qh2 Bxe6 28.dxe6 Qxe6 29. Nf2 Qe3 30. Ng4 Qf4 31. Qxf4 Rxf4 32. Nxf3 bxc4 33. Ngh2 Ne6 34. Rxd6 Nd4 35. Rd7+ Kh8 36. Ne5 Nf8 37. Rf7 Re4 38. Rxg5 Rd8 39. Rxf8+ Rxf8 40. Ng6+ Kg7 41. Nxf8+ Kxf8 42. Rxc5 1–0 Scores: Carlsen 3.5/5; Vachier-Lagrave, Kramnik, Topalov 3; Giri, Harikrishna, Aronian, 2.5; Li Chao, Eljanov 2; Grandelius 1. Zatonskih-Abrahamyan , US Women’s Ch. round nine. Black has just played 15... Nc6xd4. to which White replied 16. Qxd4?? which had a major flaw and produced the position below. Black to play and win: Magnus Carlsen demonstrates his mastery of king and pawn endgames 16... Bc5! pinned the queen and if 17. Nxc5 Qxd4+. Black soon won the game.

2016-04-26 00:01 Malcolm Pein www.telegraph.co.uk

70 Soaring housing costs equivalent to 10pc income tax hike S oaring housing costs over the past 20 years have had the same financial impact on families as a 10pc rise in the basic rate of income tax, according to new research by a think tank. Despite falling housing costs after the financial crash of 2007, a recent surge in house prices as wages have remained stagnant has squeezed middle-class households' living costs, analysis by the Resolution Foundation shows. Experts said soaring house prices have pushed up the cost of monthly repayments despite borrowers now having access to cheapest ever mortgage deals as a result of rock-bottom interest rates. Housing costs are also becoming less affordable for tenants thanks to a lack of supply of rental properties pushing up the prices landlords can charge. As a result families are now spending more than a fifth of their income on housing (21pc), four percentage points up from 17pc in 1995. For a typical dual-earning couple with one child this is the same as the basic rate of tax rising from 20pc to 30pc, or £1,500 per year, the figures show. The effect is even more pronounced in London and Scotland where the rise in housing costs has been equivalent to a 13pc increase in basic rate tax. The research also found that the number of households spending more than a third of their income on housing costs has more than doubled over the period to 3.2 million households. A housing cost to income ratio of 1:3 is the maximum "affordable" amount, according to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. Lindsay Judge, senior policy analyst at the Resolution Foundation, said: “There is a risk that housing could do to future living standards what falling earnings did to recent living standards. Avoiding this will require decisive policy action over decades to get housing costs back under control. “The Government must be more ambitious. It should look beyond simply giving a few people a leg up onto the housing ladder and tackle the bigger issues of supply that is the root cause of rising housing costs. As home ownership moves out of reach for ever more families the government should also reform a private rented sector that is simply too insecure for many finding themselves dependent on it.” Ray Boulger, senior technical manager at John Charcol, a mortgage broker, said: "This is no surprise as we are seeing more and more homeowners extending their mortgage terms to 30 or 35 year repayment plans. But it is not the full story - for first time buyers the biggest problem is not affording the monthly repayments - but stumping up a huge deposit that's required to get a foot on the housing ladder. " [email protected]

2016-04-26 00:01 Katie Morley www.telegraph.co.uk

71 Justin Trudeau Islamic terrorists in the Philippines have executed a Canadian hostage, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Monday, after the Filipino authorities said they had found the head of a for...

2016-04-26 00:00 system article.wn.com

72 Leaving EU would fuel Argentinian aggression towards Falkland Islands, official claims L eaving the European Union would fuel Argentinian aggression towards the Falkland Islands , a senior representative from the territory has warned. Sukey Cameron, the Falkland Islands government representative in the UK, said an Out vote “might encourage Argentina to be much more aggressive”. She also warned that Brexit could be “catastrophic” to Islanders because about 70 per cent of their economic growth is dependent on access to the EU market. The warnings were contained in a new report from a cross-party group of MPs attempting to give “reliable, unbiased analysis” of Britain’s EU membership ahead of the referendum. It includes evidence from Ms Cameron about the possibly impact of an Out vote on the Falkland Islands, which the UK went to war to reclaim from Argentina in 1982. She said: “The Argentine claim to the Falkland Islands, and the propaganda campaign waged by the Government of Argentina, takes up a large amount of both FI [Falkland Islands] Government and UK Government time and effort.” Ms Cameron added: “The provisions of the Treaty of Rome, and its successor Treaties, provides HMG/FIG [Falkland Islands Government] with considerable certainty and support from EU Member States because of these provisions. “Were the UK no longer a member of the EU that support would be much less certain from a large number of those EU Member States, and might encourage Argentina to be much more aggressive in its approach.” Section Four of the Treaty of Rome, signed in 1958, lists the Falkland Islands as a dependent territory of Britain. The claims that the Falkland Islands are safer with Britain inside the EU than outside is likely to be challenged by eurosceptics, some of whom have argued the opposite. C ol Richard Kemp, who commanded UK troops in Afghanistan, said last month the creation of an EU Army was inevitable and would undermine Britain’s ability to defend the Falklands He told The Telegraph: “There would never be consensus for an EU military operation to retake the Falklands. It could not happen. Therefore the Falklands could not be retaken or indeed defended if it was invaded again by Argentina. " Ms Cameron also feared the economic impact of Brexit on the Falklands, saying: “We would like to state in clear terms that any material change that results in less beneficial import/export access to the European market could be potentially catastrophic for the Falkland Islands economy and people.” In the report, produced by the Commons Foreign Affairs committee, warnings about the impact of an Out vote were also raised by the government of Gibraltar. "In Gibraltar's case, experience has shown that Spain would take advantage of any such renegotiation in order to further undermine, isolate and exclude Gibraltar from the European mainstream,” a statement from their government read. MPs also concluded that the there was “no mutual interest” in a deal on free trade being completed between the EU and the UK within two years after an Out vote. Crispin Blunt, the committee chairman and Eurosceptic Tory MP, said: "The referendum offers the British people a once-in-a-generation opportunity to chart a course for the UK's role in the world. “Voters should consider not only the short-term consequences of staying or leaving but the long- term opportunities and challenges. "

2016-04-26 00:00 Ben Riley www.telegraph.co.uk

73 Charl Schwartzel becomes latest golf star to pull out of Rio Olympics Charl Schwartzel of South Africa is the latest player to drop out of the Olympics, making him the fourth major champion in the last two weeks to decide against being part of golf's return after a 112-year absence. Ty Votaw, the PGA Tour's chief spokesman and vice president of the International Golf Federation, said Monday that Schwartzel notified officials late last week. The former Masters champion moved into a strong qualifying position when former British Open champion Louis Oosthuizen cited family and scheduling issues for withdrawing. Another former Masters champion, Adam Scott of Australia at No 7 in the world, is the most high-profile player to say he would not compete this summer in Rio. Vijay Singh, the 53-year-old Fijian and three-time major champion, said two weeks ago he would not play in the Olympics. Gary Player said he was 'sad and disappointed' by top players withdrawing, particularly the South Africans. Player, who has won nine majors and is golf's foremost global player, is the Olympic golf captain for South Africa. 'South Africa had a great team, but now obviously, it will not be as good,' Player said in a statement. 'Players withdrawing hurt the game of golf. I was sorry to hear that Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel have withdrawn their names from consideration. They have been playing outstanding golf lately. This certainly impacts South Africa's chances to win a gold medal. 'No doubt they would have made our team even stronger.' Each country is allowed no more than two players until the field for Rio reaches its limit of 60. Countries are allowed up to four players if they are in the top 15 of the world ranking by July 11. Branden Grace, who won at Hilton Head two weeks ago, is the highest-ranked South African at No 11. Schwartzel not playing means Jaco Van Zyl at No 59 is the most likely candidate to replace him. George Coetzee is next in line at No 85. Scott is the second-ranked Australian (behind Jason Day at No 1) and his spot most likely would fall to Marc Leishman, who lost in a playoff at the British Open last year. Singh not playing means Fiji will not be represented in the men's competition. While the cutoff to qualify through the world ranking is July 11, all current candidates on May 6 go into a registry pool for stringent drug testing, which includes giving their whereabouts for out-of- competition testing. Golf was last part of the Olympics in 1904. The IOC in 2009 voted golf back into the program, assuring it a spot for this year's Games in Rio and in 2020 in Tokyo. But a vote in 2017 will determine if golf stays beyond 2020. Key to golf's success is getting the top players, and the top three - Day, Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy - have indicated they are playing. 'Golf is one of the most popular sports in the world and our best players should be showcased on the biggest stage in sports,' Player said. 'Luckily, we will still have four more years to make sure the best players see the importance and commit to play in Tokyo, Japan.'

2016-04-25 23:59 Doug Ferguson www.dailymail.co.uk

74 Pollard enjoys ‘unforgettable’ Seder on parole It was Jonathan Pollard’s first Passover Seder since entering prison in 1985, and it was a dream come true for the Israeli agent who thought until recently that he might never see the light of day. Pollard was released on “mandatory” parole on November 20, 2015, after serving exactly 30 years in prison for conspiracy to commit espionage without intent to harm the United States by delivering classified information to Israel in 1984 and 1985. Due to his parole conditions, requiring him to wear a GPS monitoring device and obey a 7 p.m. curfew at his New York home or risk further imprisonment, Pollard was still limited during the Festival of Freedom. He and his wife, Esther, were alone at home for the meal, but those who have been in contact with him said he enjoyed the Seder. “It was wonderful,” he reportedly said. “I will remember it for the rest of my life.” Pollard was not religiously observant before he entered prison, so it was his first Seder as an Orthodox Jew. He was very complimentary of Esther when asked about how the Seder went. Pollard has purposely been keeping a low profile since he left prison, but ahead of the Seder, he went grocery shopping in New York. The US District Court for the Southern District of New York has granted Pollard’s request to reopen his appeal against his parole conditions. The court set a June 13 date for oral arguments on the case. But Pollard’s lawyers have had to ask for a later date, because June 13 is during the Shavuot holiday.

2016-04-25 23:48 GIL HOFFMAN www.jpost.com

75 Asia Times News & Features – Asia Times The Seychelles is helping an international investigation into the troubled state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), the state’s Financial Intelligence Unit on the Indian Ocean archipelago said. Transactions involving 1MDB, which has piled up $11 billion in debt, are at the center of corruption and money laundering investigations in jurisdictions that include the United States, Switzerland, Singapore, Luxembourg and the United Arab Emirates. “The Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) has been assisting in an international investigation into allegations surrounding the strategic Malaysian fund called 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB),” the FIU said in a statement emailed to Reuters. “Detailed information relating to offshore entities registered in Seychelles and other matters were passed to the competent authorities of investigating states,” it said. The statement was sent to Reuters by Seychelles president’s office on behalf of the FIU. It is the first public acknowledgement that Seychelles has joined the widening investigation into 1MDB, whose advisory board is chaired by Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak. Read more

2016-04-25 20:01 atimes.com

76 'The perils of phase two': Bike rush crushes odd-even gain The question of exempting two-wheelers from the odd-even scheme may be back to haunt Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal. A report by the School of Planning and Architecture (SPA) says that the number of scooters and motorbikes during odd- even phase 2 has actually gone up vis-avis ‘non- odd-even’ days. The rise is most pronounced on the Ring Road, where the number of two- wheelers has almost doubled, from 25 to 46 per cent. An SPA team first checked on Monday, April 11, before odd-even phase 2 came into effect. To their surprise, when the team rechecked on April 18, the first working Monday after odd-even was enforced, the number had gone up. Similar trends were noted in Punjabi Bagh, Anand Vihar, Indraprastha, Maharani Bagh, Mandir Marg, Gurgaon Expressway and Lodhi Road: a total eight locations where SPA conducted their study. Dr Sewa Ram, Associate Professor at SPA and leader of the research team said, “The whole traffic flow data was collected through videographic technique for peak hour.” An estimated 55 lakh scooters and motorbikes run on Delhi roads as against the 27 lakh private cars. Think tanks like the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) have repeatedly stressed that two-wheelers contribute 31 per cent of the particulate load from vehicles and must be brought under the ambit of the odd-even scheme. Dr PK Sarkar, head of department (Transport Planning), told Mail Today, “More homework is required on the odd-even scheme. Before we go in for the third phase of the traffic-rationing scheme, which I must add is an emergency pollution measure only. We must conduct further scientific studies and weigh in the benefits better.” Odd-even 'ruckus' in both houses Lawmakers violated the odd-even scheme as Parliament reconvened for second half of the Budget session. Monday being an odd number day, vehicles with only odd number plates were allowed to ply on the roads in the Capital. The odd-even scheme, aimed to curb pollution, was also raised in Parliament with Lok Sabha members attacking the plan and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for reintroducing it. The first phase of the scheme was started in January this year. Speaker Sumitra Mahajan was forced to adjourn the House till lunch as a ruckus prevailed over the issue. Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Ghulam Nabi Azad suggested lawmakers be exempt from the scheme till Parliament is functioning. Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Pappu Yadav, who has been critical of the scheme, raised the issue during Zero Hour in the Lower House. He accused Kejriwal of benefitting car and CNG companies. Among the violators of the scheme were actor-turned- politician Paresh Rawal, Uttar Pradesh BJP chief Keshav Prasad Maurya, BJP MPs Chaudhry Babulal, Udit Raj, BC Khanduri and Prahlad Patel. Rawal realised his mistake when he reached Parliament travelling in his car with an even number plate. “Yaar, galati ho gayi,” he said. He tweeted, “Made a serious blunder... Sorry to Arvind ji and Delhiites.” Maurya said: “I have one car. Will take care (tomorrow) Tuesday.” However, some MPs with even number car plates travelled to Parliament either by car-pooling or used some other modes of transport. AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi walked to Parliament House and later raised questions about the scheme. “We are not from Delhi and come here only when Parliament is in session. So, they should think over it. However, they have claims of making some arrangements like bus but I didn't find one,” he said.

2016-04-25 23:45 Baishali Adak www.dailymail.co.uk

77 Leicester City deserve Champions League football, ICC promoter admits International Champions Cup promoter Charlie Stillitano has backtracked on his claims last month that the Champions League should revolve around Europe's best-supported clubs. In Dublin to promote fixtures in his Relevent Sports company's pre-season tournament, including the meeting of Celtic and Barcelona, the American businessman praised the role of teams like the Hoops and Leicester - likely Scottish and English champions respectively - in Europe. 'What I think the biggest challenge is, is the disparity in money between the clubs,' he said. 'So it's not just the rich clubs like Paris Saint-Germain and Man City. 'I would say you have to keep teams like Leicester in, and Atletico Madrid, they are two great examples of teams that absolutely should be in any type of Champions League. 'They deserve to be in it, is my belief. And they make the competition exciting. 'What I would not want is to see a closed league where it's just the rich teams in there and no-one else can get in. 'I'm 100 per cent in favour of the Celtics, the Leicesters, teams like this should be a part of it, absolutely.' When he was initially asked last month about Leicester's involvement, by contrast, Stillitano responded: 'Let's call it the money pot created by soccer and the fandom around the world. Who has had more of an integral role, Manchester United or Leicester?' Relevent, owned by American billionaire Stephen Ross who counts the Miami Dolphins NFL team among his enterprises, reportedly held delicate negotiations about a European Super League involving top clubs across Europe. Bosses from Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United met in London in March but those behind the discussions insist the aim is not to replace the Champions League but to push for restructuring. Stillitano said his meetings with clubs are focused on the International Champions Cup. 'I don't know if there's been any movement with the discussions in Europe, I really don't,' he said. 'No one is pretending this is the Champions League. We realise it's a pre- season tournament, but we have brought together a tournament that'll be in four continents.' Stillitano vowed Neymar will be the only one of Barcelona's big names not to make the trip to Dublin to face Celtic. The Spanish giants will descend on the city's Aviva Stadium to face the Hoops in a pre-season match on July 30 but with the Olympic Games starting the following week the Brazilian is opting to return home. Stillitano said: 'The only players who would be missing for either team would be players that are playing in the Olympics. And that would really be it. 'I think both teams should have really full-strength squads. 'I think Neymar has announced that he'd not play in the Copa America Centenario and he's going to play in the Olympics. 'I don't think he would be here for this game on the 30th but his team-mates who are equally important and famous will be here.' Other clubs taking part in the friendlies are Leicester, Chelsea, Liverpool, Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, AC Milan and Inter Milan. Played in the United States, China and Australia, this summer matches are also being held in Dublin, Glasgow and Stockholm. Celtic are also taking on Leicester in Glasgow on July 23 while the location of two matches has yet to be confirmed - Liverpool against Barcelona and Inter against Celtic. Barcelona's last visit to Ireland was more than a decade ago when they faced Derry City at the Brandywell. Stillitano said: 'I don't think we can do better than Celtic and Barcelona. 'I think this will be something that they will have their entire team here for. 'Barcelona, it's important to know that they chose it because of the Copa (America) Centenario, they didn't really want to travel too far, so they said they'd rather stay in Europe. This way they could guarantee their best team.'

2016-04-25 23:45 Ed Carty www.dailymail.co.uk

78 78 Ross Harris jury selection reaches thrid week; process moving more quickly MARIETTA, GA. - Jury selection in the Ross Harris murder trial entered its third week with many jurors expressing their opinions about his innocence. Harris is on the trial for the 2014 death of his 2- year-old son, Cooper. Cooper died while sitting in his dad's hot SUV outside of his job. 11Alive News was inside the courtroom Monday as five more potential jurors were added to the jury pool, meaning that jury selection is potentially at the half-way mark. Experts say the process is moving along much speedier now. "We've got the prosecution and the defense agreeing on more people who should be disqualified because they have these entrenched beliefs on whether or not Ross Harris is actually guilty or innocent," said 11Alive legal analyst Phillip Holloway. "That is speeding the process up quite a bit. " One of the jurors approved Monday is a sports announcer and motivational speaker. Another is a nurse from Ukraine, and another is an electrical computer engineer from Guyana. The final two are single with no kids. One an AT&T sales associate, the other an engineer. So far, 31 jurors have been added to the pool for the trial. Before juror questioning began, hundreds of potential jurors were asked to fill out a questionnaire that, among many things, asked them about their experience with online sex, baby car seats and crime TV. Take a look at the questionnaire. WXIA Air Force Lt. Colonel with Top Secret clearance qualfies for Ross Harris jury WXIA Attorneys in Ross Harris case question juror with medical issue for 40 minutes WXIA Emotions rumble as Ross Harris jurors are questioned WXIA Juror with a taste for porn wants to serve in Ross Harris case WXIA Complete Ross Harris Trial coverage

2016-04-25 23:43 Duffie Dixon rssfeeds.11alive.com

79 FOREX-Yen off lows but stays defensive ahead of BOJ By Ian Chua SYDNEY, April 26 (Reuters) - The yen found a steadier footing early on Tuesday, having crept up from multi-week troughs against the dollar and euro as investors adjusted positions ahead of the Bank of Japan policy review. Speculation of further easing sent the yen reeling late last week, but uncertainty over whether the BOJ will actually deliver fresh stimulus at its April 27-28 meeting saw the Japanese currency recover some ground on Monday. The dollar stood at 111.18 yen, having recoiled from a three-week high of 111.90. The euro fetched 125.38 yen , off a three-week peak of 125.525. Sterling was a standout performer as Brexit worries ebbed. The pound hit a 10-week high of $1.4520, while the euro slid to a six-week low of 77.47 pence. "GBPUSD has made an important close above 1.4458, officially ending a series of lower highs since June 2015. This suggests that a near-term trend change might be on the cards," analysts at CitiFX wrote in a note to clients. Investors are likely to retreat to the sidelines ahead of what analysts in Asia are calling Super Thursday, with policy decisions from the Federal Reserve and BOJ coming within hours of each other. For kiwi players, there is also the Reserve Bank of New Zealand's rate decision on Thursday. The Fed is considered certain to stand pat on interest rates and the focus is on any changes in the central bank's tone, particularly if it looks to prepare markets for hikes in interest rates in coming months. Markets are barely pricing in the risk of a move this year after recent dovish comments from Fed Chair Janet Yellen. In contrast, the RBNZ's decision to ease or not is more of a line-ball call, traders said. "If the RBNZ doesn't cut in April, we expect a firm easing bias to be expressed," analysts at Commonwealth Bank said. The kiwi fell as far as $0.6836 on Monday, from $0.7055 a week ago. It last stood at $0.6865. (Editing by Richard Pullin)

2016-04-25 23:42 Reuters www.dailymail.co.uk

80 Scandal-hit VW also faces a US union battle German automaker Volkswagen, already deep in trouble in the United States over its polluting diesel engines, is also fighting a union challenge at its plant in the southern state of Tennessee. Volkswagen of America, the automaker's US arm, said Monday it plans to appeal a ruling by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) that would allow the United Auto Workers to negotiate a labor contract for 160 maintenance workers at the company's plant in Chattanooga. The escalating issue with the powerful UAW union comes as Volkswagen is mired in legal and regulatory battles in the United States and other countries since its emissions-cheating scandal emerged in September. VW has acknowledged 11 million vehicles worldwide are outfitted with software that reduces pollution levels only when the car is being tested for emissions. The German automaker had not yet filed the appeal but decided to challenge the NLRB ruling rather than let the decision stand, Volkswagen spokesman Scott Neal Wilson said Monday. "We didn't state that an appeal was filed, only the decision to do so," he said. Earlier this month, a three-member NLRB panel had denied Volkswagen's request for the agency to review a December 2015 election in which skilled-trades employees in Chattanooga voted overwhelmingly to designate UAW Local 42 as their collective bargaining representative. The NLRB upheld the results of the election, which it had supervised. The December vote in Chattanooga marked the first time workers in the US South voted for union representation. The Chattanooga facility is the only Volkswagen plant in the world without union representation, the UAW said. Volkswagen had argued that the skilled-trades-only bargaining unit in Chattanooga plant is not appropriate for collective bargaining. VW says that production and maintenance employees share a common community of interest and should have an equal voice in their workplace. The UAW has pressed VW to negotiate a new contract for the unit's 160 members approved by the NLRB that would be the first negotiated at an auto plant in the South owned by an Asian or European carmaker. The Chattanooga workforce is expected to grow as the company prepares to use the plant for building a new sport utility vehicle, Cross Blue, which is critical for rebuilding VW's sales in the country after the emissions scandal. - 'Stall tactic': UAW - Gary Casteel, the UAW executive board member in charge of the organizing effort in Chattanooga, said Volkswagen’s refusal to come to the bargaining table since the December election has been a violation of the National Labor Relations Act. Divided union representation is not uncommon at Volkswagen plants around the world or work sites throughout the United States. "If Volkswagen tries to force this matter into the federal court of appeals, we see it as a stall tactic that won't work," Casteel said. "The appeals court with jurisdiction over the Chattanooga plant already has ruled that clearly identifiable employee units within a workforce, such as the skilled-trades unit at Volkswagen, can seek recognition in order to achieve collective bargaining," said Casteel, noting that US courts have long ruled that unions can represent part of a company's workforce. "Furthermore, Volkswagen plants around the world -- including in such countries as Italy, Russia and Spain -- recognize multiple unions that represent portions of a workforce," he added. Volkswagen of America, however, is facing heavy pressure from conservative Republicans, who dominate the state legislature in Tennessee and had long assumed the Chattanooga plant would be a non- union operation when they voted to help subsidize its construction. "At a time when Volkswagen already has run afoul of the federal and state governments in the emissions-cheating scandal, we're disappointed that the company now is choosing to thumb its nose at the federal government over US labor law," Casteel said. "At the end of the day, the employees are the ones being cheated by Volkswagen's actions. "

2016-04-25 23:40 Afp www.dailymail.co.uk

81 Religious leaders object to religious objections law JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Dozens of Methodist leaders are objecting to Mississippi's new religious objections law, saying it violates their religious principles. More than 30 ministers from around the state and nation published an open letter Monday saying the so-called "religious freedom" law goes against Christian teachings to love and respect all people. The group joins major businesses, human rights groups and legal experts in opposing the incoming law, which they say discriminates against the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. The law lets churches and some private businesses deny services to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people because of religious beliefs. It's similar to one vetoed by Georgia's governor in late March. Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant signed the measure into law earlier this month. Pastor Bruce Case of Madison, Mississippi, was among those who signed the letter opposing the law. He said the law creates a problem where there is none. "LGBT people have always been a part of the church," he said. "They're our friends and fellow churchgoers. This law is unnecessary and just feels mean-spirited to me. " Justin White of Greenville, Mississippi, drafted the ministers' letter. The pastor said it was a result of longstanding conversations he has had with clergy and that many ministers have called him to ask to have their names added to the list since it was published. "I think it's important as Methodists to speak out against what we see as injustices," he said. "We believe in fundamental rights for all and welcome all people unconditionally. If the Church should be anything it should be a sanctuary. " White said the group was inspired by the actions of 28 Methodist ministers who spoke out against racism in the 1960s struggle against segregation. That group had published a "Born of Conviction" statement after riots broke out as a result of James Meredith becoming the first African-American student to attend the University of Mississippi. While many in the state resisted desegregation, the ministers were outspoken in their stance that racism violated their religious teachings. "Those men gave us courage to speak up," White said. "Many things have changed since 1963 but it seems our state government is still writing discrimination into law. " Supporters of the law include the American Family Association and the Southern Baptist Convention. They say it protects those who decline services to people whose lifestyles violate religious beliefs that marriage should only be between a man and a woman; that sexual relations should only take place inside such marriages, and that a person's sex is determined at birth and is unchangeable.

2016-04-25 23:28 Associated Press www.dailymail.co.uk

82 Misery for Southern commuters as strike begins today Hundreds of thousands of commuters are braced for two days of travel chaos as a strike across Southern railways begins this morning. The dispute will see trains cancelled and delayed across the south, Kent, Sussex and serving major routes into London. Around 400 onboard conductors are set to stage a walkout, which begins at 11am this morning and ends at 10.59am tomorrow. Southern Trains expects the strike to cause two days of disruption – with no service on many routes and only a limited service between 7.30am and 6pm on others. The Rail Maritime and Transport Union, the largest of the rail unions, has ordered a mass walk out by onboard conductors in a long running dispute about changes to working conditions and safety. Southern’s parent company, Govia Thameslink Railway, wants to have drivers opening and closing train doors instead of conductors. It says this will free up conductors to help passengers on the platforms. But the union says this is unsafe and fears the move will lead to driver-only trains. In a full page advertisement in yesterday’s Evening Standard, Charles Horton, Southern’s chief executive, apologised for the ‘totally unnecessary’ strike. Routes where there will be no service include Clapham Junction to Milton Keynes and Redhill in Surrey to Tonbridge in Kent. There is more misery in store for the estimated 300,000 people who travel on Southern’s routes every day next month with back-to-back 24 hour strikes spread over four days in the same week from May 10. But there was a welcome reprieve for those travelling on the Piccadilly London underground line as a strike due to start at midday today (Tues) was called off yesterday afternoon. A second bout of action on Thursday has also been called off. RMT said it suspended the action following progress in talks with London Underground bosses. About 400 drivers on the Piccadilly Line - which runs to Heathrow airport - were planning to stage two 24-hour walk outs today and Thursday. The dispute is over concerns including driver and passenger safety and accusations around bullying of staff.

2016-04-25 23:28 James Salmon www.dailymail.co.uk

83 Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino: The title race is not over yet Mauricio Pochettino has refused to give up on Tottenham's Barclays Premier League title challenge despite a draw at home to West Brom delivering a potentially decisive blow. Craig Dawson headed the Baggies level after his first-half own goal had put Spurs ahead - with Pochettino seeing his side hit the woodwork on three occasions. The 1-1 draw means Leicester can win the title with victory at Manchester United on Sunday as they sit seven points clear of second-placed Tottenham with just three games remaining. But Pochettino is not giving up on delivering a first title since 1961. "It is not over," he said. "The gap is seven points and we have ahead three games. "It is true that it is very difficult, more difficult than before the game, but we still believe and we are still fighting. "We have to hope Leicester drop points and we get three points at Chelsea (next Monday). "It is important to still fight. The objective is still there, it is more difficult than before but the gap with Arsenal and Manchester City (in fourth and third) is five points and we need to keep this gap but it is important to win in case Leicester drop points so we can win the title. " Pochettino could yet lose PFA young player of the year Dele Alli for the title run-in after footage seemed to show him aim a punch at the midriff of West Brom midfielder Claudio Yacob during the first half. The 20-year-old had been upended twice in the early stages by Yacob and seemed to react as the two came together in the penalty area. "I hear some comments but I have no time to see the action," added Pochettino. "Sometimes the opponent find him and try to provoke, they know he has a strong character and may react. "I don't know what has happened, we will see. I have nothing to comment now but Dele has a strong character if you wind him up. " West Brom were much more resolute in their defensive approach than in last Thursday's defeat at Arsenal. Tony Pulis was bellowing and instructing his players from his technical box for much of the contest and the Baggies boss was delighted with the outcome - backing Tottenham to develop their recent title-winning credentials in the coming years. "I was disappointed at Arsenal but very happy with how we have played away at the big clubs this season," he said. "Against all the bigger clubs we have played well, Arsenal was the only ground we have been disappointed at. "Tottenham are a fantastic team and their future is bright. Something that has not been said is that Tottenham have played a lot of games on a Thursday night and playing Thursday then Sunday is difficult and where they are now is a fantastic achievement. "I know they will be disappointed but they still have a chance, Leicester still have to get the points and Tottenham are capable of winning all three games. " Press Association

2016-04-25 23:26 www.independent.ie

84 Clarifications and corrections A report in yesterday’s paper said that the number of homes built on Green Belt land had risen by a quarter to 275,000 last year. In fact this was the number of homes proposed for Green Belt land rather than the number of homes already built. If you wish to report an inaccuracy, please email [email protected]. To make a formal complaint under IPSO rules please go to www.dailymail.co.uk/readerseditor where you will find an easy-to-use complaints form. You can also write to Readers’ Editor, Daily Mail, Northcliffe House, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TT or contact IPSO directly at ipso.co.uk

2016-04-25 23:26 Daily Mail www.dailymail.co.uk

85 Obama calls for greater European unity US President Barack Obama has called for greater European unity, describing it as a "necessity" for the world. Speaking in Germany, he accused Europe of complacency over its own defence and called on Nato allies to spend more on international security. Mr Obama also appealed to the EU to rise above current divisions which, he said, were weakening the continent. A migrant crisis and a UK referendum on EU membership in June have raised questions about Europe's unity. Mr Obama called on EU states to share the burden of mass migration and see off those he accused of "exploiting people's fears". Speaking in Hannover, Mr Obama said he was to send up to 250 more special forces troops to Syria to support local militias in the fight against so-called Islamic State (IS). The new deployment will bring to 300 the number of US special forces soldiers in Syria. He said that in the face of shared security threats, a "strong united" Europe remained a "necessity for all of us". "It's a necessity for the United States because Europe's security and prosperity is inherently indivisible from our own," he said. "A strong united Europe is a necessity for the world because an integrated Europe remains vital to our international order. " He said that every Nato member should be contributing "its full share - 2% of GDP - towards our common security - something that doesn't always happen". He added: "I'll be honest, sometimes Europe has been complacent about its own defence. " Mr Obama described the EU as one of the biggest achievements in modern history. "More then 500 million people, speaking 24 languages in 28 countries, 19 with a common currency in one European Union, remains one of the greatest political and economic achievements of modern times," he said. Mr Obama was speaking ahead of key talks in Hannover with the leaders of the UK, Germany, France and Italy. Syria and other foreign policy issues were believed to have topped the agenda. At the weekend, Mr Obama told the BBC the UK would have less influence if it voted to leave the EU in the June referendum. He also said the UK could take up to 10 years to negotiate trade deals with the US if it left the EU. His warnings have angered UK campaigners who want to leave the EU.

2016-04-25 22:41 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk

86 1,000 European criminals we should have deported More than 1,000 European criminals jailed in Britain are still here because they were not deported on their release, new figures reveal. Offenders – including rapists, robbers, paedophiles and drug dealers – have been released back into communities. Home Office data proves the number of criminals from Europe who are still in Britain, having served their time in jail, was 1,167 at the end of last year. Instead of being locked up until being thrown out, they are released – at risk of absconding and potentially putting the public in danger. Meanwhile, separate statistics published by the beleaguered Whitehall department showed there were 4,217 such foreign national offenders awaiting deportation from Britain, up by 1,502 since 2010. Foreign EU criminals are automatically considered for deportation if they serve a prison term, irrespective of the length. MPs and criminal justice experts yesterday said the Home Office had been ‘inexplicably negligent’ in failing to get a grip on the system for booting out convicts from overseas. The figures are another blow for Home Secretary Theresa May who has been unable to meet her flagship pledge to reduce net migration – the growth of the UK population – to under 100,000. It currently stands at 323,000. Leave campaigners argued the figures once again highlighted how EU membership meant Britain had lost control of its borders. It is the first time the number of European Economic Area criminals – those from the 27 other EU nations plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway – who are awaiting deportation has been published. The figure was uncovered in Parliamentary answers. Tory MP David Davis, a leading Eurosceptic, said: ‘It’s very disappointing that hundreds of foreign nationals who have broken the law, gone to prison and should be deported are back in the community, no doubt claiming benefits and free housing. We need to send a tough message that anyone who wants to break the laws of the UK should abide by our rules, or else. This is another good reason to leave the EU.’ Of the 4,217 criminals due to be thrown out, 2,748 are still behind bars because they are mid-sentence. A total of 302 have completed sentences and are in immigration removal sentences or, if they are high risk, detained in prison at an average cost of about £100 a day. And 1,167 have been released from jail on to Britain’s streets. In about one in five cases, more than a year has elapsed since the criminal walked free. Most of them have challenged their deportation orders in courts and tribunals, many using controversial human rights or asylum laws despite facing removal to a European country. Others did not have travel documents so could not be removed immediately and other offenders have refused to board planes. David Green, of think-tank Civitas, said: ‘The fact they aren’t [deported] is inexplicable negligence by the Home Office.’ And Keith Vaz, Labour chairman of the Commons home affairs select committee, said: ‘Allowing them to remain in the country in this way risks the possibility that they will offend again. So many are from EU countries and these ought to be the first to go.’ In total, about 5,800 foreign national offenders from across the world are living in the UK waiting to be deported. But the Home Office said it was getting a handle on the problem and had removed almost 5,600 foreign national offenders in the past year, including 3,310 who were from European countries. Immigration minister James Brokenshire said: ‘Any foreign national who poses a threat to the UK should be in no doubt of our determination to deport them.’

2016-04-25 23:25 Ian Drury www.dailymail.co.uk

87 Brooke Anderson welcomes son with husband Jim Walker Entertainment Tonight host Brooke Anderson has welcomed a son with husband Jim Walker. The 37-year-old gave birth to her third child on Thursday according to People. It is the first boy for the couple, who have chosen to keep family tradition by naming him James Arthur Walker IV. James joins the couple's daughters Kate Victoria, who turns seven next week, and Lily George, two. Brooke revealed to People how special little James' birth date was. 'April 19 also happens to be my father’s birthday, so it is also super special for "Papa" that he got a new grandson on his birthday,' she said. On Saturday, the ET host shared a black-and-white photo of her and her newborn. The star gazed sweetly down at her son, who was wrapped in a striped blanket. 'A newborn baby is truly like touching the hand of God. It is the closest thing to perfection that will ever be. The outside world simply stopped and ceased to exist when I finally met and held my seconds old little one,' she began. 'Welcome to the world sweet angel. Our baby boy. James. We look forward to guiding you through life as best we know how. We love you. Always,' she signed off. The little one arrived at 11:19 p.m., weighed in at 7lbs. and was 20 inches in length. James now joins sisters Kate, six, and Lily, two. Last Tuesday, the host posted a photo of her burgeoning baby bump, courtesy of an Instagram mirror selfie. 'Holy big belly! Feel like I am going to pop,' she wrote, followed by a collection of hashtags. Prior to the birth, the ET host and her husband had chosen to keep the gender of their baby a surprise. In an Instagram snap, the pretty blonde shared a photo of both pink and dark-coloured baby shoes. 'How cute are these? Is it a boy or a girl? I've got kicks for both! #babyonboard #gettingready #gendersurprisebaby #pregnant #babygear,' she wrote.

2016-04-25 23:23 Brittany Valadez www.dailymail.co.uk

88 Shocking! Mumbai school kicks out 30 senior KG students via 'lottery' Parents of around 30 senior KG students of a convent school in Dharavi were in for a rude shock on the day of the result. while receiving the mark-sheet of their wards, they were asked by the school to look for admission elsewhere because the school could no longer accommodate them. The school only had classes till fourth standard till two years back before it was extended till class VII. But since the infrastructure remained the same, the school decided to use a lottery system to decide who remains in school and who would be asked to look for another school. The result was declared on April 21 for these senior KG students which was also the day of the lottery. One of the parents, Ezaz Ahmed Farooqui, told mid-day, “We took admission to this school because the school recently extended till class VII. We hoped that it will extend further and we will not have to look for another school for our children in the near future. But to our shock, the school has asked us to look for another institution just after senior KG. Moreover, the school did not even bother to give us any notice. They are telling it on the day of the result, when all other nearby schools’ admissions are almost over. It is not easy to look for admission in class I.” Farooqui has already started making rounds of other schools. He has visited almost five schools in the last three days but in vain as either admissions are over or there is no vacancy in class I. Another parent, Yasmin Ansari, said, “The school should not have had given us admission three years ago in nursery if they were not able to accommodate all of us in further classes. Or they could have at least made an appropriate arrangement to accommodate these children in other nearby schools. Now they have left us in a lurch.” Shaan Illahi, joint secretary of suburb, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), Mumbai, who is helping the worried parents now, said, “This is so inappropriate and is completely against the Right To Education (RTE) Act, which gives children the right to free and compulsory education. We met the school principal on Monday with all the parents. But he refused to provide us a convincing reason. If the school fails to provide an appropriate solution to this mess in next two days we are to knock at the doors of authorities.” School authorities could not be contacted for their comments.

2016-04-25 23:22 By A www.mid-day.com

89 Morgan set for another humiliating climbdown on academies reform Nicky Morgan is facing another humiliating U-turn over plans to remove all schools from local authority control as she battles a backbench rebellion. The Education Secretary is discussing a range of concessions to placate Tory rebels over her pledge to force every school to become an academy. In what would be a major climbdown for the Government, it is understood that she could allow the best-performing councils to run their own academy chains. Some councils could also be allowed to keep powers to force academies to take vulnerable pupils or those with special needs, and direct them to expand to meet demand for new places. The row-back would be a humiliation for Number 10 after David Cameron said he wanted to make ‘local authorities running schools a thing of the past’. George Osborne announced last month that all schools in England would have to become academies within six years. This would be the latest in a string of climbdowns for the Education Secretary, who earned herself the nickname Ms U-turn thanks to a number of changes of heart on policy since taking over from Michael Gove two years ago – including scrapping a series of guidelines set out by her predecessor. Yesterday, teachers’ leaders said the concessions would ‘blow out of the water’ the Government’s plans to stop councils running schools. Up to 40 Tory MPs are thought to oppose the plans, which they say would mean severing good schools from well-performing councils at unnecessary cost. One rebel described the policy as a ‘f****** poison’ while Paul Carter, chairman of the County Councils Network, has called for ministers to think again. Yesterday, Tory MP David Davis urged the Government to rethink its ‘one size fits all’ approach, which he said risked ‘undermining’ its success so far. Suggested concessions include allowing the best-performing local authorities to run their own academy chains. Until now, ministers have said council education officials would have to leave their jobs to set up chains. Councils could also be allowed to keep much of their existing powers to tell academies to provide more places by expanding, or to take vulnerable children. Many Tory rebels do not think the suggested concessions go far enough and are continuing to push for academy conversion to be non-compulsory. Some fear rural schools may have to close because there would be little financial incentive for multi-academy trusts to take them on. A spokesman for Mrs Morgan refused to comment on the conversations, which are understood to be ongoing. A Government source said: ‘Of course we continue to engage with MPs and councillors to address concerns but the policy remains all schools becoming academies by 2022.’ Academies are state schools which are independent of council control and can set their own budget, admissions policy, length of school day and curriculum. Almost two-thirds of the 3,381 secondary schools in England are academies, but just 2,440 of 16,766 primary schools have changed status. Yesterday Mrs Morgan said she would press ahead with forcing all schools to convert, adding: ‘I will not be the Secretary of State that leaves the job of making our schools as strong as possible undone.’ However, responding to questions from Tory MPs, she conceded ‘talented individuals’ in local authorities could help run academies. Dr Mary Bousted, general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, said yesterday: ‘These concessions totally blow out of the water the Government’s key drive to make “local authorities running schools a thing of the past”.’ Christine Blower, general secretary of the National Union of Teachers, said allowing local authorities to run their own multi-academy trusts was an ‘absurd proposition’. She added: ‘It would cost millions to create these new structures for no good purpose. It is astounding Nicky Morgan is sticking to this unnecessary and costly plan.’ A Department for Education spokesman said: ‘We want to work constructively with the sector to ensure standards continue to rise.'

2016-04-25 23:22 Eleanor Harding www.dailymail.co.uk

90 CVS recalls tea for possible Salmonella Contact WND Organic tea sold nationwide by CVS has been recalled over fear it may contain Salmonella, an organism of particular risk to the elderly. The recalled product is labeled “Gold Emblem Abound Organic Spiced Herbal Tea,” and has a sell-by date of 18 March, 2018. No other “sell by” date products are being recalled. The spiced herbal… Organic tea sold nationwide by CVS has been recalled over fear it may contain Salmonella, an organism of particular risk to the elderly. The recalled product is labeled “Gold Emblem Abound Organic Spiced Herbal Tea,” and has a sell-by date of 18 March, 2018. No other “sell by” date products are being recalled. The spiced herbal…

2016-04-25 23:20 www.wnd.com

91 Mountain lion nestles in window of Washington City home WASHINGTON CITY, Utah — The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources has relocated a mountain lion that took up residency in a window well at a Washington City home, Monday morning. The 70-pound animal was discovered by the children in the house at about 7 a.m., according to a report from the St. George News. For the full story visit the St. George News: Here kitty kitty: Mountain drops in on Washington family home When Washington City police arrived at the Green Springs home on the 700 block of West Morby Street, officers secured the cat by placing a board over the window in case it tried to flee into the neighborhood, according to St. George News. Clint Mecham, predator specialist for DWR, arrived at the residence and was able to tranquilize and remove the mountain lion safely. Mecham told the St. George News he expects the animal to be released in a wilderness area on the north end of Pine Valley Mountain near Cedar City. The mountain lion is estimated to be 15 months old. For information on how to handle wildlife that comes near homes, visit http://wildlife.utah.gov/ .

2016-04-25 23:20 FOX 13 fox13now.com

92 Jordan warns: 'Consequences' of Temple Mount 'violations' Contact WND The Jordanian government warned on Monday that there would be “dangerous consequences” should Israel continue to allow Jews to ascend to the Temple Mount. The announcement came after several hundred Jews and tourists visited the holy site on the first intermediate day of the Passover holiday on Sunday. Jordanian Minister for Media Affairs and government spokesperson… The Jordanian government warned on Monday that there would be “dangerous consequences” should Israel continue to allow Jews to ascend to the Temple Mount. The announcement came after several hundred Jews and tourists visited the holy site on the first intermediate day of the Passover holiday on Sunday. Jordanian Minister for Media Affairs and government spokesperson…

2016-04-25 23:19 www.wnd.com

93 Once-fugitive real estate heir eyes Los Angeles-area prison NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Robert Durst is asking a federal judge to recommend a Los Angeles- area prison when he's sentenced on the weapons charge that's kept him in Louisiana pending his trial on a California murder charge. Sentencing is scheduled Wednesday for the 72-year-old real estate heir, arrested last year in New Orleans. In a Monday court filing, Durst's lawyers say Durst is ill, and that California's Terminal Island prison has the sort of medical facilities he needs. And, they note, it's near Los Angeles, where Durst faces trial in the 2000 death of his friend Susan Berman. Durst pleaded guilty to the weapons charge in February, accepting an 85-month prison sentence. Judge Kurt Englehardt said he'd decide whether to accept that agreement after reading a pre-sentencing report that has not been made public.

2016-04-25 23:18 Associated Press www.dailymail.co.uk

94 Anonymous group shuts down KKK website Ku Klux Klan members began wearing their iconic white hoods to resemble, among other things, ghosts, but now opposition to the KKK has also gone spectral - without any need for hoods. The Ghost Squad, an affiliate of hacker group Anonymous, launched a DDoS attack against The White Knights of the KKK’s website server Sunday. The White Knights of the KKK are a militant branch known for the murders of civil rights workers Andrew Goodman, James Chaney, and Michael Schwerner. That history of vitriolic hatred led the KKK to be targeted by the Ghost Squad, and it was the KKK’s penchant for hiding behind First Amendment free speech protections to express “ blunt racism ” that drew Anonymous’ ire, according to The Daily Telegraph. “ We targeted the KKK due to our hackers being up in their face, we believe in free speech but their form of beliefs is monolithic and evil, ” one of Sunday’s attackers told the news site HackRead. “ We stand for constitutional rights but they want anyone who is not Caucasian removed from earth so we targeted the KKK official website to show love for our boots on the ground and to send a message that all forms of corruption will be fought. We are not fascist but we certainly do not agree with the KKK movement. They are the Fascists and they are the Racists. ” Sunday’s attack is just the most recent by Anonymous against the KKK. In November 2015 they released to the world a list of hundreds of alleged KKK sympathizers, a data dump the hacktivist group called a “ form of resistance against the violence and intimidation tactics ” used by members of KKK groups throughout history. Picture a DDoS attack as a pyramid of onslaughts, beginning when a hacker sends a command to other computers and IP address to begin an attack process. Once those computers receive the command, they send more attack commands to even more computers and system that then send a large volume of requests onto the server, where they overwhelm the system and cause it to crash. At the point of this article’s publication, the website was still offline.

2016-04-25 23:14 www.rt.com

95 Bonnie Sveen rumoured to die in upcoming Home And Away explosion It’s the show that keeps on producing the deadly goods and wrenching on fans heartstrings. Now Home And Away may be about to say goodbye to another two of their favourites in an upcoming horror explosion episode. The caravan accident, which is set to air on Channel Seven next week, reportedly claims the life of a show regular with Bonnie Sveen [Ricky Sharpe] and Cassie Howarth's [Hannah Wilson] characters topping the list. Scroll down for video Along with the pair, long-time favourite Ray Meagher [Alf Stewart] and Georgie Parker [Roo Stewart] are also on the list of possible causalities along with Jake Speer [Oscar MacGuire]. The dramatic scene reportedly takes place outside of the well-known caravan park during a hospital fundraiser gala. The accident occurs after Andy Barrett – played by Tai Hara - discovers his brother's assaulter Tank (Reece Milne) has returned to town after receiving bail. A fired-up Andy becomes involved in a heated alternation with the bad boy before taking part in a high-speed car chase. As their vehicles swerve the corner, metres away from the gala event, Andy's car flips and erupts into flames. An actor, who is involved in the dramatic scene, told New Idea magazine that 'in the explosion, a car is flipped over and someone is crushed underneath it'. But while the magazine speculates it may be Ricky who finds herself trapped, Home And Away spoiler pages have suggested otherwise. Popular Facebook page - Home And Away Spoilers - released images of Evie - played by Philippa Northeast - falling to the ground after discovering her twin brother Oscar dies following the series of events. The image also features her aunt Hannah, who breaks the news to the teen, erasing her from the list of could-be’s. The claims in which Ricky may be one of the favourites lost comes a week after she confirmed her departure from the soap. Home And Away screens on Channel Seven at 7pm, Monday to Thursday.

2016-04-25 23:12 Bianca La www.dailymail.co.uk

96 Midsomer Murder hires hunky new sidekick Nick Hendrix It is better known for its murder mysteries than the chiselled cheekbones of its actors. But it seems Midsomer Murders will be sexed-up when it returns for a 19th series, as young heart-throb Nick Hendrix joins the cast as a crime-fighting sergeant. Filming has just begun for the series, which will air next year and will see the 31-year- old Rada graduate play the role of DS Jamie Winter, alongside veteran character DCI John Barnaby played by Neil Dudgeon. Scroll down for video Speaking about his new role, he said: ‘I’m genuinely thrilled to join this bastion of British TV. It’s a real privilege to be part of a hugely successful and much loved show and I am looking forward to stepping into the wonderful world of Midsomer.’ Set in quintessentially English villages, the next series will interweave a cricket festival and a rabbit and guinea pig show with gripping murder plots. The casting of Hendrix follows a recent trend in prime-time dramas to cast good-looking young actors in lead roles, with notable examples including Tom Hiddleston in The Night Manager, Aidan Turner in Poldark and James Norton in War and Peace. Since it was first broadcast in 1997, Midsomer Murders has been a consistently popular performer, and had an average audience of 4.9million when its latest series aired at the start of the year. And ITV bosses appear to have made an effort to improve the diversity of the cast in recent years. Former producer Brian True-May sparked a row in 2011 when he said that the all-white cast reflected the show’s role as ‘the last bastion of Englishness’. When pushed on his comments, he explained: ‘We just don’t have ethnic minorities involved because it wouldn’t be the English village with them. ‘Suddenly we might be in Slough. We’re the last bastion of Englishness and I want to keep it that way.’ He stepped down from his role in 2013, but the controversy seems to have encouraged a diversity drive as there have been at least 24 ethnic minority characters in the show in recent years. The last series also saw the introduction of the first Asian character in a permanent role, as Manjinder Virk was cast as pathologist Dr Kam Karimore. 2016-04-25 23:09 Laura Lambert www.dailymail.co.uk

97 Contest: Black Bear Deli Meat's Ultimate Summer BBQ CBS 2Watch CBS2 News, CBS This Morning, Dr. Phil, Judge Judy, 60 Minutes, NFL football, and your favorite CBS shows. Latest Videos Eye On New York Dining Deals Tony’s Table Links & Numbers Station Info & […] WCBS 880WCBS Newsradio 880 is one of the tri-state’s most trusted sources for news and information. As a market leading news resource since 1967, WCBS reaches millions of listeners each week and boasts one of the […] 1010 WINS1010 WINS invented all news radio and is the longest-running all news station in the country. For 50 years, 1010 WINS has been a news and information utility for the New York metropolitan area. Famous […] WFANAs the world’s first 24-hour all-sports radio station, WFAN remains the premier sports talk radio station in the business. Since its debut on July 1, 1987, dozens of stations have copied the all sports format, […] WLNYProgram Schedule Channel Guide WLNY TV 10/55 is part of the CBS Television Stations group, a division of CBS Corp. and one of the largest network-owned station groups in the country. Got a nose for […]

2016-04-25 20:38 newyork.cbslocal.com

98 Leading Israeli rabbis say Messiah's time has come Contact WND A couple of Israel’s leading rabbis had a sit-down in the lead-up to Passover, a noted Jewish day of remembrance, and found common ground on the spiritual thought that it’s high time for the Messiah to come, if biblical prophecies and signs can be taken at face value. “This is a difficult generation,” said Moishe Sternbuch, head of the Rabbinical Court and leader of one of the country’s largest ultra- Orthodox communities, Israel Today noted. “Not a day goes by without someone cursing his friend. You deal with one situation and immediately, someone starts something else.” The ‘Stop Hillary’ campaign is on fire! Join the surging response to this theme: ‘Clinton for prosecution, not president’ And Chaim Kanievsky, another leader of ultra-Orthodox society among Jews, agreed today’s generation seemed possessed of many of the characteristics that biblical prophecies forewarned as the coming of Christ. “Foreshadowing of the Messiah,” he said, the news outlet reported. And another biblical shadow of things to come: “Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin interpreted what is said at the end of the Mishnah in Sotah [‘We will have no one upon whom to rely other than our Father in Heaven’] as a curse in and of itself, that in the generation of the foreshadowing of Messiah, those who fear God will become tired and give up the fight against sinners. … We need to bring Messiah.” The two then quoted various Scripture aimed at showing how close to end times the world seemed, in their eyes, at least. Don’t miss Joel Richardson’s compelling books and videos on Bible prophecy, the Antichrist and end times – at WND’s Superstore. “According to the signs recorded in the Gemara [rabbinic commentary on the Mishnah],” Kanievsky said, Israel Today reported, “the Messiah should already have come.” Sternbuch reminded that ancient teachings and writings indicate that “before the coming of Messiah, Christians and Ishmaelites would come to the land of Israel,” he said. And Kanievsky said: “When Messiah comes, everyone will repent and those who were ‘barren trees’ will bear fruit and become scholars,” Israel Today reported. The remarks came by way of a discussion recorded by Kikar Hashabbat of the Orthodox news portal. Are there really little-known prophetic signs happening today that can shed light on the world’s situation? See the answers in the stunning new “End Times Eyewitness.” “It would seem that we are now in the ‘Generation of Messiah,’ and God willing, will meet again at the coming of Messiah, may He come quickly,” Sternbuch said. Passover is an eight-day commemoration of the freeing of the Israelites from Egypt and from enslavement to the pharaoh. God through Moses commanded the pharaoh to free His people, and when refused, sent 10 plagues onto the Egyptians, the last of which was to kill all the firstborn. Israelites’ first born were spared, however – their homes were passed over by the spirit of the Lord inflicting the plague. And shortly after, Pharaoh, distressed at the death of his son, freed the Israelites. He then changed his mind and sent out soldiers to overtake them, but God parted the Red Sea and opened the pathway to their freedom, and to their Egyptian pursuers’ death. Passover is regarded in the Jewish faith as one of the most important holidays, and is widely celebrated. Pew Research Center reported 93 percent of Israeli Jews participated in Seder, the start of the Passover commemoration, which kicked off Friday. As Pew reported: “Passover remains one of the most widely observed Jewish traditions, with an overwhelming majority of even secular Jews participating in a Seder.” More that one-fourth of Israelites celebrated “non-traditional” Seders in 2015, however. Most of the traditional Seders held around the nation were attended by traditional Jews.

2016-04-25 21:53 Cheryl Chumley www.wnd.com

99 Disney announces 'Jungle Book,' 'Maleficent' sequels Disney confirmed Monday it is planning sequels for box office smashes "The Jungle Book" and "Maleficent" and announced nine new live-action movies mostly inspired by its animated back catalogue. The studio also confirmed widespread rumors of a "Mary Poppins" sequel starring Emily Blunt, and "Cruella," a spin-off of "101 Dalmatians" with Emma Stone. Angelina Jolie will reprise her role as Maleficent with Linda Woolverton once again taking on script duties while director Jon Favreau revisits the story of man-cub Mowgli for "Jungle Book 2," the studio said in a statement. Reese Witherspoon will take a leading role in "Tinker Bell," a remake of "Peter Pan," Disney said, while Tim Burton will take the helm for "Dumbo," a modern retelling of the 1941 Disney classic. While speculation about all the films has been rife -- some of which Disney has previously confirmed -- Monday's statement represents the studio's first official announcement accompanied by a roll-out schedule. The studio plans to release live-action fairy tales in December 2017, April 2018 and December 2019, it said, without revealing which movies had been allocated to each slot. The company will also release live-action movies in August and December 2018, it added. Disney has raided its back catalogue of fairy tales in recent years for money-spinners such as "Alice in Wonderland, "Cinderella" and "Maleficent," which made a combined $2.5 billion. Over the coming months, "Alice Through the Looking Glass" and "Beauty and the Beast" are expected to fill theaters, while "The Jungle Book" has taken in $192 million domestically, trouncing the competition in the first two weeks since its release. Disney also confirmed "Jungle Cruise" -- starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and based on a theme- park ride -- among the list of projects, all of which will be given dates over the coming months. Among the less well-known projects making up the list is "A Wrinkle in Time," a poorly received 2003 TV adaption of a 1960s sci-fi novel, and "The Nutcracker and the Four Realms. " Based on the 1816 fairy tale "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King" by E. T. A. Hoffmann, the story was the inspiration for Pyotr Tchaikovsky's "The Nutcracker," perhaps the world's most famous ballet. Disney's announcement made no mention of Aladdin spin-off "Genies," "Mulan," "Pinocchio," "The Sword in the Stone" or "Winnie the Pooh," all rumored to be getting the live-action treatment along with "Night on Bald Mountain," reportedly a remake of "Fantasia. "

2016-04-25 23:00 Afp www.dailymail.co.uk

100 Charleston shooting: Dylann Roof friend to plead guilty to lying to authorities A friend of the white man accused of fatally shooting nine black parishioners in Charleston last year is set to plead guilty to two federal charges, according to an agreement signed by federal prosecutors and filed online Monday. Joey Meek, 21, has agreed to plead guilty to lying to authorities and failure to report a crime, according to the agreement, and a hearing is set for 1pm on Friday in Charleston. He could face up to eight years in prison on those charges, although prosecutors note in the agreement they will argue he deserves less time if he’s helpful in their ongoing case. Authorities have said that Meek failed to tell investigators all he knew about Dylann Roof’s plans to shoot nine black parishioners at Emanuel AME church last June. Roof, 22, is charged with nine counts of murder in state court and with hate crimes and other charges in federal court. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty in his state trial, which has been delayed until next year, and federal authorities haven’t said if they will also seek a death sentence for Roof. No trial date has been set on those charges. Before he was charged himself last fall, Meek has long been a part of the story centered on Roof and his arrest. A day after the massacre, Meek, who had hung out with Roof off and on in the weeks before the June 17 shooting, told yhe Associated Press that Roof had drunkenly complained to him that “blacks were taking over the world” and “someone needed to do something about it for the white race”. Meek also told the AP he called the FBI after recognizing Roof in surveillance footage from the church, down to the stained sweatshirt he wore while playing Xbox videogames in Meek’s home the morning of the attack. “I didn’t think it was him. I knew it was him,” Meek told AP after being interviewed by investigators, also saying Roof told him he used birthday money from his parents to buy a.45- caliber Glock semi-automatic handgun. But authorities say that Meek knew more. An indictment alleges he knowingly lied to an FBI agent when he said “that he did not know specifics of Dylann Roof’s plan to shoot individuals on a Wednesday, during Bible Study, at an AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina”. Meek’s agreement specifies that he will help authorities and remain truthful with them. When prosecutors are able to work out such plea deals, one expert said, they do so because they are trying to strengthen their case against someone else. As for Meek, he’s hoping for a break on his own sentence. “The fact that he’s entering a plea is a signal that he’s intending to help the authorities with Mr Roof’s ultimate prosecution,” said Joe McCulloch, a longtime criminal defense attorney in Columbia. “The last man standing always ends up with people testifying against him, with the hope of consideration in their own cases.” Meek, who was released from jail after his bond was lowered in November, had been set to go on trial later this year. His attorney did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

2016-04-25 22:57 Associated Press www.theguardian.com

Total 100 articles. Created at 2016-04-26 06:03