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Total 100 articles, created at 2016-05-05 00:11 1 John Kasich to suspend presidential campaign: Report Republican presidential hopeful Ohio Gov. John Kasich said that he will make a statement in his home state Wednesday, when he is expected to drop out of the race. (1.00/2) 2016-05-04 21:38 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 2 Air bag inflator recall to grow by 35 million to 40 million Takata will recall another 35 million to 40 million air bag inflators, a stunning increase that will more than double what is already the largest automotive recall in American history, (1.00/2) the federal government announced Wednesday. 2016-05-04 21:42 3KB www.washingtontimes.com 3 Video: Takata Airbag Recall Will More Than Double in Size The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration today will announce a major (1.00/2) expansion of the Takata airbag recall, more than doubling the number already under recall, a source familiar with the planned expansion told ABC News. 2016-05-04 20:16 1KB abcnews.go.com 4 INC backs Duterte, Marcos The bloc-voting, homegrown Christian sect Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) on Wednesday night endorsed Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte for President and Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for Vice President in 2016-05-05 00:11 6KB newsinfo.inquirer.net 5 Georgia editorial roundup Recent editorials from Georgia newspapers: 2016-05-04 23:27 3KB www.washingtontimes.com 6 Trump is Republican bet; Sanders still alive WASHINGTON—Donald Trump seized the mantle of Republican standard-bearer for the 2016 presidential election late Tuesday, sending his only serious challenger, Ted Cruz, crashing out of 2016-05-05 00:11 7KB newsinfo.inquirer.net 7 Baguio ‘sikyu’ is now a lawyer BAGUIO CITY—One of the country’s 1,731 new lawyers quietly celebrated with his family on Tuesday. The following day, he reported back for work at the Commission on Audit 2016-05-05 00:11 2KB newsinfo.inquirer.net 8 Drilon leads race for Senate Magic 12 Of the probable winners in the senatorial race, five belong to the Liberal Party, four are independent candidates, two are members of the Nationalist People’s Coalition and one each from the United 2016-05-05 00:11 2KB newsinfo.inquirer.net 9 Gordon: Martial law needed vs Abu Sayyaf bandits Former Sen. Richard Gordon on Wednesday said a strong government was needed to solve kidnappings in Mindanao and avoid foreign intervention in the country’s counterterrorism campaign 2016-05-05 00:11 6KB newsinfo.inquirer.net 10 Roxas: It’s now me against Duterte Fashioning himself as the anti-Rodrigo “Digong” Duterte candidate has worked wonders for Liberal Party (LP) standard-bearer Mar Roxas, who on Wednesday characterized the election as a 2016-05-05 00:11 7KB newsinfo.inquirer.net 11 Siazon lauded for helping improve treatment of OFWs, PH- Japan trade -- Former foreign affairs secretary Domingo L. Siazon, a career diplomat who had a key role in expanding trade ties with Japan and recalibrating foreign policy to improve the treatment of 2016-05-05 00:11 3KB globalnation.inquirer.net

12 Silicon Valley tech firm must pay Filipinos $160K in back wages SAN FRANCISCO – A U. S. Department of Labor investigation found that a Silicon Valley electronics manufacturer brought 18 computer engineers from its subsidiary in the to work in the 2016-05-05 00:11 4KB globalnation.inquirer.net 13 U. S.-born son of sakada promotes hilot, Filipino culture BANGKOK -- Virgil Mayor Apostol, 53, author, actor and healer is a second-generation Filipino American born in California, but he masterfully practices hilot or healing body work and teaches 2016-05-05 00:11 5KB globalnation.inquirer.net 14 Leni Robredo sets up showdown vs Bongbong Marcos Attributing an element of destiny to her ascent as front-runner, Liberal Party (LP) vice presidential candidate Leni Robredo expressed happiness after topping a Pulse Asia survey for 2016-05-05 00:11 5KB newsinfo.inquirer.net 15 ‘Shabu’ lab found again in posh village More than four years after authorities raided three houses in Ayala Alabang Village that were being used as drug laboratories, the police found another one inside the exclusive subdivision in 2016-05-05 00:11 4KB newsinfo.inquirer.net 16 Gunmen target councilor’s home The house of a barangay councilor—a staunch supporter of Rep. Recom Echiverri who is running for city mayor—was strafed by three unidentified suspects on Tuesday evening. Dolores 2016-05-05 00:11 1KB newsinfo.inquirer.net 17 Alfredo Lim’s ‘junked’ running mate warns him of LP punishment Manila Rep. Benjamin Asilo is not backing out from the vice mayoralty race and even has a warning for Alfredo Lim, the mayoral candidate who junked him last week in favor of Councilor Ali 2016-05-05 00:11 3KB newsinfo.inquirer.net 18 ‘cash-for-work’ or vote-buying? IS IT really a cash-for-work program or a vote-buying activity disguising as a legitimate government project? A video showing social workers of the Department of Social Welfare and 2016-05-05 00:11 3KB newsinfo.inquirer.net 19 Robber Is Shortchanged After Coming Away With Only 35 Cents New Orleans police are investigating an armed robbery of two men where the assailant walked away with only 35 cents. Police say the robbery happened Wednesday morning in the city's Carrollton area. Police said that a 33-year-old man and a 29-year-old man were... 2016-05-05 00:11 1KB abcnews.go.com 20 500 euro bill is being killed off The European Central Bank is phasing out the 500 euro banknote because it has become too intertwined with criminal activity. 2016-05-05 00:11 2KB money.cnn.com 21 The Latest: Suspect in Navajo Girl Death Faces Murder Charge The Latest on the abduction and killing of an 11-year-old girl on the Navajo Nation (all times local): 10:45 a.m. A man suspected in the death of an 11-year-old girl who was kidnapped from a school bus stop on the... 2016-05-05 00:11 2KB abcnews.go.com 22 Danks on White Sox decision: 'It's a win-now league' John Danks said he understands the White Sox' decision to let him go. 2016-05-05 00:11 2KB chicago.suntimes.com

23 The Latest: Inmate Advocate Decries Transfer of Inmates The Latest on the New Orleans sheriff's plan to reduce violence at the jail he runs by shipping inmates to other jurisdictions. (all times local): 11:30 a.m. A lawyer representing New Orleans inmates says the sheriff's plan to move hundreds of... 2016-05-05 00:11 2KB abcnews.go.com 24 Chicago's Graham Moore reteams with his 'Imitation Game' director It looks like Chicago writer Graham Moore, who won the Oscar for his screenplay for "The Imitation Game," will be re-teaming with Morten Tyldum, who 2016-05-05 00:11 1KB chicago.suntimes.com 25 The Latest: Obama's Arrival in Flint Greeted by Gov. Snyder The Latest on developments in Flint, Michigan, where drinking water is tainted with lead (all times local): 12:45 p.m. President Barack Obama is in Flint, Michigan, where he is bringing a promise of change after lead from old pipes tainted drinking water in the city. Obama was... 2016-05-05 00:11 3KB abcnews.go.com 26 Man Assaults Friend With Chemical Spray at Mall Maryland officials say a 20-year-old man assaulted a friend with a chemical spray at a mall. Officials said in a statement Wednesday that police and fire personnel were called to Towson Town in Baltimore County on Tuesday night for a possible chemical irritant in the mall. Officials... 2016-05-05 00:11 1KB abcnews.go.com 27 Kenya: 2 Men Challenge Constitutionality of Anal Probe A lawyer said Wednesday she has submitted the arguments during the first day of a hearing where two men are seeking a Kenyan court ruling to stop enforced anal examinations of men accused of being gay. Sande Ligunya, said she argued the anal exams infringe on the right... 2016-05-05 00:10 1KB abcnews.go.com 28 'Star Wars Day' is a force with brands on Twitter Star Wars Day, which falls on May 4th every year and is known as May the Fourth be with you, is not just a big day with fans but also brands on Twitter. 2016-05-05 00:11 3KB money.cnn.com 29 Lawmaker calls school funding bill a Chicago 'bailout' A school funding bill that would ultimately shift money from wealthier districts to the poorer ones over a four-year phase-in would give Chicago 2016-05-05 00:11 2KB chicago.suntimes.com 30 Report: Violence Against Jews Dropped in 2015 A Tel Aviv University report has found a drop in violent attacks against Jews last year, but said the number remains high and that "institutional anti-Semitism" is on the rise. The university's Kantor Center for the Study of Contemporary European Jewry says it tracked 410 violent cases of... 2016-05-05 00:11 1KB abcnews.go.com 31 America's free trade deal with Europe is dying Donald Trump's victory in Indiana might turn out to be the last nail in the coffin for a big free trade deal between the U. S. and Europe. 2016-05-05 00:11 4KB money.cnn.com 32 Germany: Woman Says She Was Held by Horror House Couple A woman has told German investigators that she was held captive for around three months and was physically abused by a couple who are in custody for the deaths of two other women, police said Wednesday. Investigators traveled to the Berlin area Tuesday to hear the woman's... 2016-05-05 00:11 2KB abcnews.go.com

33 Former MillerCoors exec admits guilt in scheme to defraud company A former MillerCoors executive has pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud for his part in a scheme to millions from the company. 2016-05-05 00:11 2KB chicago.suntimes.com 34 Burundi's Former President Jean-Baptiste Bagaza Dies Burundi's government says former President Jean-Baptiste Bagaza has died in Belgium, where he received medical care for two weeks. Philippe Nzobonariba, a Burundian government spokesman, said Wednesday that "the nation has lost a great figure and tireless worker. " He said Burundian flags... 2016-05-05 00:08 1KB abcnews.go.com 35 South Elgin manufacturer cited after worker loses six fingers A South Elgin metal manufacturer has been cited by a federal workplace safety agency after a worker lost six fingers at the northwest suburban company 2016-05-05 00:07 1KB chicago.suntimes.com 36 Brazil Attorney General Wants Probe Against Pres. Rousseff Brazil's attorney general has asked the country's highest court to authorize an investigation into embattled President Dilma Rousseff over obstruction of justice allegations, according to major Brazilian news organizations. The country's top newspapers and the Globo television network said... 2016-05-05 00:05 4KB abcnews.go.com 37 Residents Evacuated as Fires Threaten Canada Oil Sands Town A wildfire forced the evacuation of the Canadian oil sands city of Fort McMurray, Alberta, destroying 80 percent of the homes in one neighborhood and extensively damaging property in a number of others, officials said Wednesday, warning that it could get worse in the coming hours. More than... 2016-05-05 00:04 6KB abcnews.go.com 38 Escaped convict accused of beating Gwinnett cop with officer’s... A 25-year-old state prisoner who walked away from a work detail in east Athens earlier this week was arrested Wednesday after he allegedly beat a Gwinnett police officer in the head with his own baton. 2016-05-04 21:39 1KB www.ajc.com 39 Kim Wong fulfills vow to hand over P450M to AMLC one day early MANILA -- Saying that he was a man of his word, casino junket operator Kim Wong turned over to the government, on Wednesday, the fourth and final tranche of funds, which he said he unwittingly 2016-05-04 23:44 4KB globalnation.inquirer.net 40 Nixon vetoes Missouri legislation to cap school funding goal Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon vetoed a measure Wednesday that would cap the targets state government uses to fund public K-12 schools, chiding legislators for approving a “broken promise” to students he said will pave the way for them to enact more tax breaks. 2016-05-04 21:43 4KB www.washingtontimes.com 41 WATCH: When millennials meet Martial Law victims Shock and tears. 2016-05-04 23:34 3KB news.abs-cbn.com

42 Russia counters U. S.-NATO moves in eastern Europe with its own extra military divisions Moscow announced plans to create three more military divisions to protect its southern and western borders, days after U. S. and NATO military leaders unveiled plans to stand up a 4,200-member force in Eastern Europe to counter Russian aggression there. 2016-05-04 23:31 3KB www.washingtontimes.com

43 Malta’s premier visits Libya to discuss migration, security Malta’s prime minister became the first head of government to visit Libya since the formation of a unity government following a U. N.-brokered agreement, meeting the Libyan prime minister-designate at a naval base near Tripoli’s international airport. 2016-05-04 23:31 2KB www.washingtontimes.com 44 SC to give final honors to Corona MANILA - Former Chief Justice Renato Corona's remains will be brought to the Supreme Court (SC) for the last time on Thursday and will be accorded the high court's final honors. 2016-05-04 23:30 1KB news.abs-cbn.com 45 Judge certifies class action lawsuit for laid-off miners A lawsuit filed by miners who say they were unlawfully laid off in Wyoming County has been certified as a class action. 2016-05-04 23:28 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 46 Beyonce statement calls for equality in North Carolina Beyonce is supporting efforts to overturn a North Carolina law limiting legal protections to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. 2016-05-04 23:28 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 47 $2.6 billion construction budget heads to Ohio governor A $2.6 billion capital budget bill that funds a range of improvements to school buildings, parks, bridges and roads is headed to Ohio’s governor. 2016-05-04 23:27 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 48 Video: Transgender Woman Records Stranger Attack Her on NYC Subway Pearl Love says the woman sitting across from her started yelling profanities in an unprovoked attack. 2016-05-04 23:27 1KB abcnews.go.com 49 Official: Teacher violated policy with racially charged word An official says a white Utah teacher violated school district policy by using a racially charged word in his junior high class. 2016-05-04 23:27 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 50 Sidelined: LGBT laws, NCAA policy could keep teams at home Teams could pull out of scheduled NCAA events this spring because of new state laws in North Carolina, Mississippi and Tennessee while the sport’s governing body’s demands for discrimination-free environments at the places where its events are held won’t take effect until the fall. 2016-05-04 23:27 3KB www.washingtontimes.com 51 Theater curators visiting Colorado towns this week Curators who travel the country studying and preserving early American theater artifacts are in Colorado, reviving memories of the days when the Denver suburb of Westminster was known for apple orchards and dairy farms and its Grange Hall was the heart of the community. 2016-05-04 23:27 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 52 The Latest: Lawyer: Law protects 911 caller in Prince death The Latest on the death of music superstar Prince (all times local): 2016-05-04 23:27 2KB www.washingtontimes.com 53 Ecuadoreans in US seek immigration help after quake Ecuadoreans immigrants are asking the Obama administration to allow their fellow citizens in the United States illegally to stay here and work while the South American country recovers from a magnitude-7.8 earthquake. 2016-05-04 23:27 1KB www.washingtontimes.com

54 Trial set for 2 men accused of dismembering woman’s body Two of the six men charged with dismembering a missing Champaign woman’s body will be held for trial after a judge heard testimony from a detective. 2016-05-04 23:27 2KB www.washingtontimes.com 55 Legislature passes bill for excess power program earnings The Alaska Legislature has passed a bill that would divvy up any excess earnings from a fund set up to help rural areas faced with high electricity costs. 2016-05-04 23:26 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 56 APNewsBreak: WNBA, union amend CBA for overseas play fines The WNBA and its players union have agreed to amend the collective bargaining agreement on fines for overseas play. 2016-05-04 23:26 3KB www.washingtontimes.com 57 Pig that attacked, injured 2 people on farm to be euthanized Authorities say a pig that attacked two people on a Massachusetts farm will be euthanized and tested for rabies. 2016-05-04 23:26 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 58 Illinois families sue over transgender access to locker room Dozens of families are taking legal action in a bid to stop a suburban Chicago school district from allowing a transgender student to use a girls’ locker room. 2016-05-04 23:26 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 59 Congo buries its king of rumba, world music star Papa Wemba Thousands of Congolese attended the funeral Wednesday of Papa Wemba, a musician known around the world as the king of Congolese rumba. 2016-05-04 23:24 2KB www.washingtontimes.com 60 Vijay Mallya's resignation from Rajya Sabha accepted Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari accepted Vijay Mallya's resignation from the house on Wednesday, a day after the embattled liquor baron decided to quit 2016-05-04 23:20 2KB www.mid-day.com 61 : Lajong knocks out East Bengal An extra-time strike from Brazilian forward Uilliams Bomfin sent Shillong Lajong through to the semi-finals, beating East Bengal 4-3 on aggregate, after drawing 2-2 in the Federation Cup second leg football match here on Wednesday. 2016-05-04 23:12 3KB www.mid-day.com 62 Police bust Jaish cell plotting attack, arrest three Police on Wednesday said they had busted a major Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist module and arrested three suspects who were planning an attack in and neighbouring areas. Ten suspects, with alleged links to the Pakistan-based group, were being questioned 2016-05-04 23:08 3KB www.mid-day.com 63 ISL: Atletico de Kolkata rope in Jose Molina as head coach (ISL) football franchise Atletico de Kolkata (ATK) on Tuesday announced the appointment of Jose Francisco Molina Jimenez as their head coach, for the third and upcoming edition of the tournament 2016-05-04 23:06 2KB www.mid-day.com 64 Ranieri makes emotional phone call to Chelsea's Hiddink after win Leicester City head coach Claudio Ranieri made an emotional phone call to Chelsea’s interim chief coach Guus Hiddink to thank his side for gifting the English Premier League (EPL) football title 2016-05-04 23:06 2KB www.mid-day.com 65 Rafael Nadal makes commanding start in Madrid Fourteen-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal stretched his perfect start to the European clay-court season to 11 matches with a routine 6-3, 6-3 win over Russia's Andrey Kuznetsov to reach round three of the Madrid Masters on Tuesday 2016-05-04 23:05 3KB www.mid-day.com 66 Aizawl stunned I-League champions Bangalore to enter Federation Cup semifinals in maiden appearance Aizawl Football Club stunned I-League Champions Bangalore FC 3-2 to book a historic semifinal berth in their maiden appearance in the Federation Cup here today 2016-05-04 23:04 2KB www.mid-day.com 67 INC reminds flock to vote as one on May 9 MANILA -- The Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church of Christ) issued a circular to its flock on Wednesday, reminding them to vote as one in the May 9 elections as an exercise of their faith. In a circular 2016-05-04 22:59 2KB newsinfo.inquirer.net 68 Lawmakers halt reworked wrongful conviction payout bill A House committee halted a Shreveport lawmaker’s bid to relax the legal definition under which a person wrongfully convicted of murder in Louisiana could receive state compensation. 2016-05-04 22:47 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 69 Minnesota college system bars team travel to North Carolina A Minnesota state university system is prohibiting athletics teams from traveling to tournaments in North Carolina this spring after that state passed a law limiting LGBT protections. 2016-05-04 20:33 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 70 Woman, child die in northeast Kansas crash Authorities say a woman and a boy have died in a crash on Interstate 35 in northeast Kansas. 2016-05-04 20:29 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 71 Palmyra girl wins handwriting contest 12-and-under category A Palmyra girl has won the 12-and-under age category for the 26th annual Nebraska Handwriting Contest. 2016-05-04 22:33 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 72 Florida teen’s family suing over death on SC ropes course The family of a Florida teen has sued over her death at a high ropes course last summer in South Carolina, accusing the group that ran the camp and the company that sold the swing she fell from of negligence. 2016-05-04 22:33 2KB www.washingtontimes.com 73 EU moves on visa offer to win ’s help with migrants The European Union pressed ahead Wednesday with efforts to persuade Turkey to stop asylum seekers from reaching Europe and take back thousands more by offering Turkish citizens the prospect of visa-free travel within the bloc. 2016-05-04 22:33 4KB www.washingtontimes.com 74 Video: North Carolina Man Bitten by Pet King Cobra Ali Iyoob is now in critical condition. 2016-05-04 20:14 1KB abcnews.go.com 75 Video: Girl, 7, Uses Bogus Excuse Note to Take School Bus Home The second-grader's fake excuse note came with misspellings, but was accepted by school staff. 2016-05-04 20:17 1KB abcnews.go.com 76 Video: Fired Employee Kills Himself and Co-Worker at Texas Workplace Police say the shooter "became very disgruntled" after being terminated from his job. 2016-05-04 20:13 1KB abcnews.go.com 77 The Latest: Fired Texas gunman said his life had been ruined The Latest on a fatal shooting at a Texas transportation company (all times local): 2016-05-04 22:25 2KB www.washingtontimes.com 78 DA objects to ANC taking credit for turning around HIV/Aids policy It was a disgrace that Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa is letting the ANC take credit for providing anti-retrovirals to HIV-positive people, DA Chief Whip John Steenhuisen says. 2016-05-04 22:19 2KB www.news24.com 79 Escudero: Only admin is capable of cheating, but… Vice presidential aspirant Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero on Wednesday said only the administration was capable of cheating in the May 9 polls. “Ang may kakayahan lang mandaya, 2016-05-04 22:18 3KB newsinfo.inquirer.net 80 Supporter of reelectionist Cebu town mayor shot dead CEBU CITY— A supporter of a reelectionist mayor in a Cebu town was shot dead in a noon ambush on Wednesday in the municipality. The victim, 48-year-old Rene Cangmaong, a supporter of Mayor 2016-05-04 22:14 3KB newsinfo.inquirer.net 81 Mike Huckabee: I’m ‘all in’ to help Donald Trump beat Hillary Clinton Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee says he is now “all in” to help likely Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump defeat Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton in the fall general election and called on fellow Republicans to abandon the “Never Trump” movement. 2016-05-04 19:46 2KB www.washingtontimes.com 82 Orlando Bloom visits Ukraine in role as Unicef ambassador MOSCOW — British actor Orlando Bloom, in a more serious role as goodwill ambassador for Unicef, has visited schools in eastern Ukraine to raise awareness of how the conflict there has hurt 2016-05-04 22:03 1KB newsinfo.inquirer.net 83 Wife spends wedding anniversary in hospital as hubby is seriously hurt in road accident A woman spent her 13th wedding anniversary at Mumbai;s KEM hospital after her husband was involved in a raod accident with a motorcycle travelling the wrong way 2016-05-04 22:02 2KB www.mid-day.com 84 Graceland, home of Elvis, receives 20 millionth paid visitor MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The operators of Graceland say the Memphis tourist attraction centered on the life and music of Elvis Presley has received its 20 millionth paid visitor. Elvis Presley 2016-05-04 22:02 1KB entertainment.inquirer.net 85 Romualdez: Duterte’s statements for effect, rhetoric Senatorial candidate and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez has weighed in on the popularity of presidential aspirant Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, who has been leading preference polls less than a week before 2016-05-04 21:55 2KB newsinfo.inquirer.net 86 JPOST EDITORIAL: Shaked’s injustice The only secular minister of her Bayit Yehudi Party has used the time since her elevation for a focused pursuit of extending Israeli sovereignty over the territory of biblical Judea and Samaria. 2016-05-04 21:52 4KB www.jpost.com

87 BMC awards road contracts worth Rs 227 crore to tainted contractors Despite the recent uproar and investigations, BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Wednesday awarded road contracts worth Rs 227 crore to tainted contractors 2016-05-04 21:50 2KB www.mid-day.com 88 CANDIDLY SPEAKING: The erosion of Holocaust memory The extent to which Holocaust commemoration is maintained by future Jewish generations will largely be determined by the educational approach and curriculum provided in the Israeli school system. 2016-05-04 21:50 7KB www.jpost.com 89 Visits set for Arkansas-Little Rock chancellor finalists The three finalists for the chancellor’s post at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock are scheduled to visit the campus next week. 2016-05-04 21:48 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 90 Ensuring ‘Never Again’ The Western world has long pledged “Never Again” but for years now Holocaust denial and calls for the eradication of the State of Israel have become almost de rigueur in our region. 2016-05-04 21:48 3KB www.jpost.com 91 Video: Wildfires Rage in Fort McMurray, Alberta, in Canada More than 80,000 residents have been ordered to leave. 2016-05-04 19:36 1KB abcnews.go.com 92 No end in sight to election mess in struggling Haiti Senate leader Jocelerme Privert took office as Haiti’s caretaker president with one real task: Quickly untangle a political stalemate blocking presidential and legislative runoff elections. 2016-05-04 21:38 4KB www.washingtontimes.com 93 Nebraska DMV adjusts sower for second license plate design The Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles has released a second standard license plate design after the first attempt was criticized as inaccurate and sexually suggestive. 2016-05-04 21:38 2KB www.washingtontimes.com 94 Man sentenced to 40 years in Richmond couple’s 2010 deaths A former Eastern Kentucky University student has been sentenced to 40 years in prison in the kidnapping and murder of a Richmond couple in 2010. 2016-05-04 21:37 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 95 Alaska holds off Meralco, sets PBA finals date with Rain or Shine Alaska found the luck of the draw in the final moments and stunned Meralco, 76-70, Wednesday at Smart Araneta Coliseum to enter the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals. Meralco basically imploded 2016-05-04 21:37 2KB sports.inquirer.net 96 Working-class voters, Clinton fatigue are key to Donald Trump’s general election success Donald Trump’s path to victory in November runs through disaffected white working voters who the GOP hopes can force the election into Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin and other states that haven’t been in play for decades. 2016-05-04 21:29 4KB www.washingtontimes.com 97 Illinois senator wants to stop using ‘alien’ for immigrants An Illinois lawmaker wants the state to stop referring to immigrants in the country illegally as aliens. 2016-05-04 21:29 1KB www.washingtontimes.com

98 Bernie Sanders should stay in the race, say a hefty majority of Democratic voters A hefty majority of Democrats have a clear message for presidential hopeful Sen. Bernard Sanders: Don’t drop out. 2016-05-04 21:29 2KB www.washingtontimes.com 99 Valdez open to playing overseas Alyssa Valdez, one of the best volleyball players in the Philippines today, could take her talents outside of the country. Fresh off her final game in the UAAP, Valdez on Wednesday said she’s 2016-05-04 21:27 1KB sports.inquirer.net 100 Flint girl’s water still unsafe as Obama visits, Water Defense nonprofit group says The girl who invited President Obama to Flint, Michigan, is still exposed to contaminated water despite assurances from the EPA that it’s safe, a nonprofit group said Wednesday. 2016-05-04 21:26 1KB www.washingtontimes.com Articles

Total 100 articles, created at 2016-05-05 00:11

1 John Kasich to suspend presidential campaign: Report (1.00/2) Republican presidential hopeful Ohio Gov. John Kasich plans to announce Wednesday that he is dropping out of the race, accordion to multiple reports. His campaign said that he will be making the announcement in a 5 p.m. speech in Columbus, Ohio. The governor had scheduled a press conference outside Washington for Wednesday morning but abruptly canceled it and announced that he would be making a statement in later in the day. Mr. Kasich, who has only won the Ohio primary in the race, is the only remaining rival to presumptive nominee Donald Trump. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas dropped out of the race Tuesday night after the billionaire businessman’s landslide victory in the Indiana primary and opened a clear path to the nomination. Despite Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Preibus declaring Mr. Trump the presumptive nominee, the Kasich campaign had vowed to press on in an attempt to force a contested convention. He has been mathematically eliminated from winning the nomination outright and pinned his presidential ambitions on receiving the nomination after multiple ballots at a contested convention.

John Kasich: 'Our Only Hope' | Campaign 2016 washingtonpost.com 2016-05-04 21:38 Ohio Gov www.washingtontimes.com

2 Air bag inflator recall to grow by 35 million to 40 million (1.00/2) WASHINGTON (AP) - Takata will recall another 35 million to 40 million air bag inflators, a stunning increase that will more than double what is already the largest automotive recall in American history, the federal government announced Wednesday. The recall expansion would bring to as many as 69 million the total number of inflators to be replaced, a gargantuan task that the government predicts will take until the end of 2019 to complete. The car and truck models included in the expanded recall and the number of additional vehicles affected were not immediately released but will be posted on NHTSA’s website in the coming weeks. Most of the expansion is for front passenger air bags that were not part of previous recalls, said Mark Rosekind, head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. “This issue is urgent,” Rosekind said, urging people to get recalled vehicles fixed as soon as parts are available. “The science now clearly shows these inflators can become unsafe over time,” he said, referring to evidence that chemicals in the devices can degrade, especially when exposed to heat and humidity. Fourteen manufacturers were involved in the recall, and the expansion includes three additional automakers, Tesla, Jaguar-Land Rover and Fisker. Takata inflators can explode with too much force and injure people. So far, at least 11 deaths and more than 100 injuries have been reported worldwide. Replacing so many inflators will be a daunting task because automakers in the current recall of 28.8 million inflators have only been able to fix 28 percent of the cars involved after more than two years. Air bag manufacturers have had trouble making enough replacement inflators, and automakers have had difficulty finding owners and persuading them to get cars repaired. The expansion will be phased in between now and December 2019, with older cars and those in areas of high heat and humidity getting priority, the agency said. Takata uses the chemical ammonium nitrate to create an explosion that inflates air bags in a crash. But if the chemical degrades, it can burn too fast, blowing apart a metal canister and spewing shrapnel. The expanded recall covers all front air bags that do not have a chemical drying agent known as a desiccant. But it does not cover side air bags without the drying agent, nor does it cover another 32 million air bags that have the desiccant. The government and an independent expert it hired reviewed three independent investigations and confirmed findings that the problem is caused by time, airborne moisture and temperature fluctuations that can degrade the ammonium nitrate, the agency said. “This recall schedule ensures the inflators will be recalled and replaced before they become dangerous,” Rosekind said. NHTSA officials said vehicles younger than six years old are not currently at risk even if they are in a high humidity region. But as they age, the risk grows, especially in humid areas where temperatures frequently cycle from cool to hot. Six years is a conservative estimate, and the replacement schedule is aimed at getting vehicles fixed before they are old enough to risk a rupture, the officials said. Story Continues →

Things to Know: Takata air bag recall washingtontimes.com 2016-05-04 21:42 Visitors walk www.washingtontimes.com

3 Video: Takata Airbag Recall Will More Than Double in Size (1.00/2) Transcript for Takata Airbag Recall Will More Than Double in Size And an announcement could come today about an enormous expansion of the recall involving to cut as exploding air bags. Sources say US regulators are in talks with to cada about agreeing to more than double the nearly 29 million airbag and later that have already been recalled. The problem with the hot air bags is that they can explode with too much force at least eleven people have died because of air bag incidents. This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.

Things to Know: Takata air bag recall washingtontimes.com 2016-05-04 20:16 ABC News abcnews.go.com

4 INC backs Duterte, Marcos The bloc-voting, homegrown Christian sect Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) on Wednesday night endorsed Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte for President and Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for Vice President in Monday’s national elections. INC announced its endorsement through a circular read during worship service by executive minister Eduardo Manalo, who called on the sect’s members to vote as one on Monday. “This is based on the teachings in the Bible that were taught to us even before we were accepted as members of the Church of Christ. We have faith that it is God’s teaching that there shouldn’t be division among us, but that we should be one in thinking and one in judgment,” Manalo said in Filipino. The INC head cited I Corinthians 1:10 and Romans 15:6 in claiming that the sect’s unity came “in the name of Jesus Christ, for the glory of God and for the sake of the church.” He said a sample ballot containing the names of national and local candidates the INC followers would vote for would be sent to them before the vote. Senatorial candidates INC also endorsed the senatorial candidacies of the Liberal Party’s Joel Villanueva, Franklin Drilon and Ralph Recto, the Nationalist People’s Coalition’s Vicente Sotto III, United Nationalist Alliance’s Manny Pacquiao, independent former Sen. Richard Gordon, former Akbayan Rep. Risa Hontiveros, the NPC’s Sherwin Gatchalian, independent Francis Tolentino, former Bukidnon Rep. Miguel Zubiri, former Sen. Panfilo Lacson and Lakas Rep. Martin Romualdez. There was no immediate comment last night from Duterte’s rivals Grace Poe, Mar Roxas, Jejomar Binay and Miriam Defensor Santiago, and Marcos’ opponent Leni Robredo, who is leading the race for the country’s second highest office in the latest voter preference polls. READ: Robredo asks for continued support amid new survey lead / Leni up 4, Bongbong down 3, for virtual tie in latest Pulse All five presidential candidates have sought the endorsement of the influential INC, which does not officially state how many members it has. Unofficial estimates put the sect’s following at 2.25 million. There were no immediate comments from Duterte and Marcos, although Marcos, whose father, the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, had also been backed by the sect, appeared to have known about his selection as early as last week. Marcos was reported on Friday as saying he learned last Tuesday that INC would endorse him. But the sect did not confirm Marcos’ statement and the next day his camp said the senator had been misquoted. Last night’s INC announcement showed Marcos’ advance information had been right after all. President Aquino met with INC executive minister Eduardo Manalo on Monday in an apparent last-minute plea for support for his chosen candidate, Roxas, although the LP standard-bearer, who is trailing Duterte in the latest Pulse Asia poll, said he could win the presidential election without the sect’s support. Mr. Aquino had also warned of an impending return of dictatorship as the trash-talking Duterte, who promises to kill tens of thousands of criminals outside the justice system, and Marcos, who has been trying to pull the ultimate political comeback for his family, captured the lead in the polls in recent weeks. READ: Aquino fears return of another dictatorship The sect has gotten into a legal brawl with the Aquino administration, with the Department of Justice (DOJ) investigating allegations of kidnappings of dissenting ministers who had exposed corruption involving the group’s leaders in October 2015. Rejecting state intervention in its affairs, the sect picketed the DOJ building in Manila and blockaded a narrow intersection of the belt highway Edsa for four days before quietly giving way to the probe that eventually ended in the dismissal of the charges against the group’s leaders. READ: Iglesia Ni Cristo protesters occupy Edsa Whether the incident affected the INC choices was unclear, and Malacañang had no immediate comment after the sect announced its endorsement of Duterte and Marcos. Not always successful INC endorsement, however, does not always translate into electoral victory. In 1992, INC endorsed the presidential candidacy of Eduardo Cojuangco Jr., but the businessman lost to then President Corazon Aquino’s defense secretary, Fidel V. Ramos. In 2010, the sect endorsed the presidential candidacy of Sen. Benigno Aquino III and the vice presidential candidacy of Roxas. Mr. Aquino won, but Roxas lost to Binay. On Wednesday, Gordon told Inquirer reporters and editors in an interview that INC endorsed his run for the Senate in 2013 “but I lost.” But Gordon, chair of the Philippine Red Cross, said he was “elated” by the reports that the sect had endorsed him again, even though he was unsure whether the reports were true. Reports of the sect’s decision began to spread on social media in the morning, with INC Facebook users in the Visayas posting on their accounts that Duterte was the sect’s choice for President and Marcos for Vice President. Sample ballots reportedly distributed to INC members also appeared online, three of them posted on Facebook. With reports from Maricar B. Brizuela; John Cyril Yee and Angelica Cruz, trainees; Carmel Loise Matus, Inquirer Visayas; and Inquirer Research/TVJ RELATED STORY Ningning, liwanag, dilim sa Daang Duterte Marcos RELATED VIDEOS

Duterte: I have P128K in BPI account, $5K in dollar account newsinfo.inquirer.net 2016-05-05 00:11 Kristine Felisse newsinfo.inquirer.net

5 Georgia editorial roundup Recent editorials from Georgia newspapers: ____ April 29 The Savannah Morning News on protecting sea life off Georgia’s coast: Whales, turtles, dolphins and shrimp. This gives Georgia a special responsibility to protect them. Their numbers devastated by hunters in earlier centuries and culled further by industrial development, shipping and fishing gear that entangles them, the North Atlantic right whale faces a new threat. Facing it with them are Loggerhead turtles, also endangered, as well as dolphins, shrimp, crab and oysters. Eight oil and gas exploration companies have asked the U. S. government to let them shoot seismic air guns into the Atlantic Ocean off our coast to map the sea floor in hopes of finding deep pockets of oil. Unless restricted, the guns would sound every 10 seconds around the clock, sending blasts to the sea floor where they would bounce back and return to the ships that tow the guns. This is how the maps are made. The oil exploration industry says it has repeatedly looked for evidence that the air guns damage sea life and found none. Environmentalists cite what they call irrefutable studies that the blasts can be literally deafening to sea creatures, and may chase them from the habitat that supports them. Loss of hearing can prove fatal to whales, especially, because they depend on hearing to navigate, mate and communicate with each other, for this is a talkative group. The U. S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has estimated that without limits, the seismic blasts could injure and maybe kill some 138,500 whales and dolphins over an eight-year period. That estimate could shrink under proposed rules that would require vessels to hold fire for an hour whenever a sea creature is seen or heard. (And so, ironically, the same characteristics that once made the right whale vulnerable to hunters - its slow swim close to shore - could mitigate the danger. Not so for other sea creatures more difficult to spot.) Scientists for the government are trying to figure out how much, if at all, mitigation would shrink the expected damage. The decision on whether to allow seismic blasting and under what conditions is on hold in the meantime. The government has promised to act on the best science available. Leading experts last month wrote the Obama administration to plead that it not even consider permitting seismic exploration in the Atlantic. With the right whale population in decline, “The additional stress of widespread seismic airgun surveys may well represent a tipping point for the survival of this endangered whale,” said marine scientists from Cornell University, Duke University, the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, the New England Aquarium, the Wildlife Conservation Society, and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. If “may” still sounds too indefinite, it shouldn’t. Consider the consequences if that warning isn’t heeded. Online: http://www.savannahnow.com Story Continues →

Mississippi editorial roundup Tennessee editorial roundup washingtontimes.com washingtontimes.com 2016-05-04 23:27 - Associated Press - Wednesday, May 4, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com

6 Trump is Republican bet; Sanders still alive WASHINGTON—Donald Trump seized the mantle of Republican standard-bearer for the 2016 presidential election late Tuesday, sending his only serious challenger, Ted Cruz, crashing out of the White House race. After charging to victory in Indiana, the unorthodox, antiestablishment candidate embraced the role of de facto nominee and trained his sights on the Democrat most likely to face him in the battle for the White House. “We’re going after Hillary Clinton,” the billionaire real estate mogul told jubilant supporters gathered at Trump Tower in New York to celebrate the victory. “We’re going to win in November, and we’re going to win big.” Clinton suffered a shock upset in Indiana as her Democratic rival Bernie Sanders mounted a come-from-behind victory, denying the former US secretary of state a feather in her cap as she seeks to claim her party’s nomination. Tuesday’s contest in the midwestern state was the final firewall thrown up by Republican heavyweights to keep their brash, name-calling antagonist from locking in the party’s nomination. But as the race was called overwhelmingly in Trump’s favor, Cruz conceded to supporters in Indianapolis that he no longer had a viable path forward. Denouement “We left it all on the field in Indiana,” Cruz said as he announced he was suspending his campaign. “We gave it everything we’ve got, but the voters chose another path.” It was a stunning denouement for the archconservative Texas senator who had insisted he would press on to the final day of the Republican race. His departure leaves the low-polling Ohio Gov. John Kasich as Trump’s only other challenger for the nomination—making it a virtual certainty that Trump will go head to head in a general election matchup with Clinton. The top echelon of the Republican establishment said as much minutes after Cruz capitulated, with Republican Party chief Reince Priebus declaring Trump the “presumptive” nominee. “Donald Trump will be presumptive GOP nominee, we all need to unite and focus on defeating Hillary Clinton,” Priebus said, in an extraordinary embrace of a candidate the party establishment had fought tooth and nail to stop. Shot in the arm Sanders, the self-declared democratic socialist, beat Clinton 52.5 percent to 47.5 percent, providing a shot in the arm to his campaign and further justification for staying in a race that team Clinton and many pundits have said is all but finished. “The Clinton campaign thinks this campaign is over. They’re wrong,” Sanders said in a statement. “We are in this campaign to win and we’re going to fight until the last vote is cast,” he added. “There is nothing I would like more than to take on and defeat Donald Trump, someone who must never become president of this country.” Though Sanders claimed momentum, he has conceded his strategy hinges on persuading superdelegates to back him over Clinton. Superdelegates are Democratic Party insiders who can support the candidate of their choice, regardless of how their states vote. And they favor Clinton by a nearly 18-1 margin. With Sanders’ narrow victory on Tuesday, he picked up at least 43 of Indiana’s 83 delegates. Clinton now has 2,202 delegates to Sanders’ 1,400. That includes pledged delegates from primaries and caucuses, as well as superdelegates. Trump now has at least 1,047 delegates. Cruz exits the race with 565, while Kasich has 152. Focused on November Cruz had been hoping to use the midwestern state to Trump from gaining the 1,237 delegates needed to secure the nomination ahead of the Republican convention in Cleveland in July. But the bombastic tycoon—who has thus far defied all political logic to lead the Republican race —swept Cruz aside. Trump thumped Cruz by about 53.3 percent to 36.6, with Kasich an Indiana footnote at 7.6 percent. With 1,047 delegates to his name, Trump was already in a favorable position to reach the magic number needed to avoid a contested party convention. With Cruz out of the race, crossing the threshold is a foregone conclusion for Trump. Even before the Indiana results, Trump and Clinton had pivoted toward one another. “I’m really focused on moving into the general election,” Clinton said confidently on Tuesday in West Virginia. “That’s where we have to be because we are going to have a tough campaign against a candidate who’ll literally say or do anything,” she said of Trump. “We’re going to take him on at every turn.” Too divisive Ignoring Clinton’s surprise loss in Indiana, her campaign chair John Podesta said Trump’s propensity to “bully and divide Americans” could backfire with an electorate looking for economic opportunities and to be kept safe. “Throughout this campaign, Donald Trump has demonstrated that he’s too divisive and lacks the temperament to lead our nation and the free world,” Podesta said in a statement. “With so much at stake, Donald Trump is simply too big of a risk.” Cruz’s exit comes after the primary battle took a nasty turn on Tuesday when Trump cited a tabloid report linking Cruz’s father, Rafael Cruz, to John F. Kennedy assassin Lee Harvey Oswald. Pathological liar Trump raised the recent National Enquirer story in his interview with Fox News, prompting an irate Cruz to brand him a “pathological liar.” “The man is utterly amoral,” Cruz said, adding that “we are staring at the abyss” if Trump wins the White House. The Enquirer, which has published previous stories deeply critical of Cruz, said an Aug. 16, 1963, photograph of Oswald in New Orleans handing out leaflets in support of Fidel Castro shows a young Rafael Cruz nearby. Oswald was killed Nov. 24, 1963, two days after Kennedy’s assassination. Rafael Cruz was once a supporter of rebel leader Castro, but he admits in his biography “A Time for Action” that he was unaware that Castro was a communist, according to the Miami Herald. The paper said there was no corroborating evidence that Cruz, who is now fervently anticommunist, was affiliated with Oswald, and that the Cruz campaign said the candidate’s father is not in the photograph. Reports from AFP and AP/TVJ RELATED STORIES Trump virtually clinches Republican presidential nomination Trump triumphs in New York; Clinton, Sanders vie for victory Ted Cruz quits presidential race after Trump takes Indiana

2016-05-05 00:11 Philippine Daily newsinfo.inquirer.net

7 Baguio ‘sikyu’ is now a lawyer BAGUIO CITY—One of the country’s 1,731 new lawyers quietly celebrated with his family on Tuesday. The following day, he reported back for work at the Commission on Audit office in La Trinidad, Benguet province, wearing his uniform. Roy Lawagan, who considered passing the bar an early gift for his 27th birthday on May 11, said he was staying on in his job until May 15. After that, he was taking up a cousin’s offer to work at a law firm in Manila. “I will go there to gain experience,” he said. While working as a security guard, Lawagan attended night classes on his first year at law school. It was tiring, he said, since his wife was pregnant with their daughter, now 4 years old. “Being a lawyer was my father’s dream,” he said. The fourth in a brood of nine, Lawagan said some of his sisters had graduated with degrees in political science but did not pursue law. Lawagan, who traces his roots to Sagada in Mountain Province, completed his criminology course at University of Baguio and finished his law studies at Saint Louis University. When he did not pass the 2014 bar exam despite having enrolled in a review center, Lawagan decided to review on his own for the 2015 exam given in November last year. TVJ RELATED STORIES UP grad and Inquirer scholar tops bar exams He passed away before passing the bar, but dream lives on RELATED VIDEO

2016-05-05 00:11 Kimberlie Quitasol newsinfo.inquirer.net

8 Drilon leads race for Senate Magic 12 Of the probable winners in the senatorial race, five belong to the Liberal Party, four are independent candidates, two are members of the Nationalist People’s Coalition and one each from the United Nationalist Alliance and Akbayan party-list group, according to results of the latest Pulse Asia survey. Leading the race is Senate President Franklin Drilon (47.8 percent), followed by Sen. Vicente “Tito” Sotto III (43.5 percent) and former Senators Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan (41.9 percent), Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri (38.9 percent) and Panfilo Lacson (38.5 percent). Completing the Top 13 are boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao (37 percent), former Akbayan Rep. Risa Hontiveros (36.7 percent), former Technical Education and Skills Development Authority Director General Joel Villanueva (35.5 percent), Sen. Sergio Osmeña III (35 percent), former Sen. Richard “Dick” Gordon (34.1 percent), former Justice Secretary Leila de Lima (33.8 percent), Sen. Ralph Recto (32.6 percent) and Valenzuela City Rep. Sherwin “Win” Gatchalian (29.9 percent). Just outside the winning circle are Sen. Teofisto “TG” Guingona III (25.6 percent), former Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chair Francis Tolentino (24.6 percent), Manila Vice Mayor (24.5 percent) and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez (22.8 percent). Pulse Asia found that 33 percent of 4,000 respondents, who are registered voters, had already completed their senatorial slate of 12 candidates. The poll, commissioned by ABS-CBN TV network, was conducted on April 26-29. It had a margin of error of plus-or-minus 1.5 percentage points. RELATED STORIES Pacquiao slugs his way to No. 3 in senatorial poll Sotto, Drilon top Senate bets in latest survey 2016-05-05 00:11 Inquirer Research newsinfo.inquirer.net

9 Gordon: Martial law needed vs Abu Sayyaf bandits Former Sen. Richard Gordon on Wednesday said a strong government was needed to solve kidnappings in Mindanao and avoid foreign intervention in the country’s counterterrorism campaign as Abu Sayyaf bandits issued new threats to kill three hostages unless their ransom demands were met. Gordon, chair of the Philippine Red Cross who is again running for senator in Monday’s elections, said in an Inquirer multiplatform interview on Wednesday he disagreed with the handling of 10 Indonesian captives who were released after their shipping company reportedly met a ransom demand earlier this week. “We should be preventive and provide strong governance in Sulu and other areas where the Abu Sayyaf reigns,” Gordon said. The 70-year-old humanitarian lawyer said if the next administration failed to provide strong governance in the region, foreign military forces might conduct hostage rescue missions in the country. “It can happen to us that Indonesia, Malaysia, or Canada will come here and do things on their own,” he said. “Israeli forces did that when they conducted a rescue mission in Uganda (in 1976) and they became a laughingstock.” He said this meant that there was absence of government in the African country at the time. “And when there’s an absence of government, that void must be filled not by shooting our Muslim brothers but by providing firm and fair leadership that will uplift people’s lives. This is what we need in these areas,” Gordon said. 2 videos Abu Sayyaf bandits on Wednesday posted two videos on YouTube—one showing the beheading of Canadian John Ridsdel on April 25 after their demand for a P300-million ransom was not met and another showing his fellow Canadian Robert Hall and his girlfriend, Marites Flor, and Norwegian Khartan Sekkingstad begging for their lives. READ: Abu Sayyaf captives beg for help in new video The four were kidnapped in Samal island, Davao del Norte province, on Sept. 21 last year. The three remaining hostages were shown with armed, masked men behind them in a forested area. The bandits were demanding a P300-million ransom for each of them. “I’m appealing to the Canadian government, the Filipino government, friends, family, anybody who can possibly help us. If the demand is not met we will be executed like our friend John was a few days ago,” Sekkingstad said. “I’m appealing as well to the Philippine government please stop shooting at us and trying to kill us. These guys are gonna do a good job at that,” Hall said. “To the Canadian government, I’ve been told to tell you to meet the demand. I don’t know what you’re doing but you’re not doing anything for us. John has been sacrificed, his family decimated, and I’m not sure what you’re waiting for,” Hall said. “I am appealing to the Canadian government, to the Philippine government, to the President Noynoy Aquino, to Mr. Binay, to all who are running for President, to the owner of Marina where we were taken, Mayor Duterte, Manny Pacquiao, to all celebrities with soft hearts, Ms Kris Aquino, Mr. Robin Padilla, we need your financial help because we want to get out of here alive,” a tearful Flor said. READ: Abu Sayyaf bandits who beheaded Canadian threaten to kill Aquino “The lesson is clear. John Ridsdel has been beheaded. Now there are three remaining captives here. If you procrastinate once again … we will behead them all anytime,” one of the masked men warned. READ: Beheaded despite P20-M ransom In a press briefing, the Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesperson, Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla, said the military was aware of the videos. “We have not stopped. We have not let up on ongoing operations and will not cease on doing this until we are able to make these personalities or these bandits and criminals accountable for their actions,” Padilla said. Gordon said he was among the first to receive the information of Ridsdel’s death. ‘Really saddening’ “I had people there and it is really saddening,” Gordon said, adding that he previously talked with the hostages and rebels whom he claimed were asking for P3 billion for the three foreign captives. “It is important to open the lines of communication but never negotiate out of fear,” the senatorial candidate said. He also said these bandits resorted to these activities because of the lack of attention given to the areas where they live. “Everybody knows the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao is the poorest of the poor,” Gordon said. Education He said Muslims should have been given the proper education that they deserved. “Not that they need caring, but what you need to do is put in the education that should be given to them,” Gordon said. The Red Cross chair said the government should provide each child in these areas P1,000 a month so that they could have access to education. “Maybe they will be in the light, not in darkness,” he added noting that many households still do not have access to clean water, classrooms are still lacking and financial assistance do not reach the residents. Gordon said the government should have access to these areas to address poverty. He noted that there should also be a firm hand in the military and a gun ban that should be implemented even in the far-flung areas. TVJ RELATED VIDEO

2016-05-05 00:11 Jaymee T newsinfo.inquirer.net

10 10 Roxas: It’s now me against Duterte Fashioning himself as the anti-Rodrigo “Digong” Duterte candidate has worked wonders for Liberal Party (LP) standard-bearer Mar Roxas, who on Wednesday characterized the election as a two-way horse race between him and the foul- mouthed Davao City mayor. “The fight is now down to the two of us, Mayor Duterte and I,” Roxas told a press briefing at the LP’s Balay headquarters in . After trailing his rivals for months, Roxas rose by 2 points to place second in the Pulse Asia survey conducted from April 26 to 29, in a statistical tie with Sen. Grace Poe. His voter support went up to 22 percent, while Poe, slipping by one point, was at 21 percent. Duterte, the front-runner, remained steady with 33 percent, putting him 11 points ahead of Roxas. Vice President Jejomar Binay, the front-runner before the start of the campaign period, slipped by a point, from 18 percent to 17 percent. Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago got 2 percent. The survey covered 4,000 respondents and had a margin of error of plus-or-minus 1.5 percentage points. Political analysts said Duterte had struck a chord with most Filipinos who were frustrated and disappointed with the Aquino administration’s inability to solve mass transport and traffic problems in Manila. READ: Roxas: Fight is now between Duterte and I His strong anticrime platform also resonated among voters across all economic classes and in all geographical regions. Not infallible Poe remained confident that she would win the presidential election despite slipping to third in the latest Pulse Asia survey. She cited the strong dissatisfaction with the administration or the popularity of Duterte and the political machinery of the government for Roxas’ resurgence. “But I have not lost any energy. I will continue to go around and campaign. We have our own surveys and we don’t reveal it to prop ourselves. We only use it as a guide for our strategy,” she said. Poe pointed out that while surveys were reliable, they were “not infallible.” Her spokesperson, Rex Gatchalian, disputed Roxas’ claim that the presidential race had become a two-horse race between Roxas and Duterte. In a statement, Gatchalian said that Poe was very much in the race as her numbers showed she and Roxas were in a statistical tie because the one-point gap was less than the margin of error. Not looking at polls In Cauayan, Isabela province, where he was campaigning, Binay on Wednesday said he had lost faith in preelection surveys, the latest of which showed his numbers in a continued downtrend. “I don’t look at surveys anymore,” Binay said, when asked about the results of the latest Pulse Asia survey. READ: Failing to regain lead, Binay loses trust in surveys Binay has repeatedly expressed his misgivings about poll results, pointing out these did not jibe with what he sees in his campaign rallies. In Iloilo City, Roxas declared, “We will surely win,” as he called on his fellow Ilonggos to step up their campaign, six days before the presidential election. “When we started, they said Mar Roxas has no chance. But you here in Iloilo were the first to stand up and trust us. We have slowly picked up. (We are) within reach of the number one position,” Roxas said in a speech before around 15,000 supporters at the LP “miting de avance” at the Plazoleta Gay. Upward trajectory Roxas, a former trade and interior secretary, reveled in the fact that only he among the candidates was on an upward trajectory, saying “momentum is with us.” “Our rivals are going down, while we are going up. This is a reflection of the trust the people have continued to give us, and we thank them for it,” he said. Asked about what factors led to his rise, Roxas said it was a combination of a strong performance during the April 24 debate and the recent controversies surrounding Duterte, including an outrageous rape joke and alleged multimillion-peso transactions in his bank accounts. READ: Duterte accounts had P2.4B in transactions Poised to win With only days left before the vote, he said he and running mate Leni Robredo were preparing for the “fight of our lives.” “There are still many things to come. The ground is shifting. I have been receiving many texts. A lot of people are joining us,” he said. READ: Robredo asks for continued support amid new survey lead Duterte was poised to win unless “reformist” voters would consolidate their support and rally behind one candidate—either Roxas or Poe, according to a political scientist. “It’s the iron fist versus the straight path now,” said Richard Javad Heydarian, a political science assistant professor at De La Salle University. Despite Poe being the top alternative candidate, Heydarian was more inclined to think that Poe’s supporters would shift from her to Roxas rather than the other way around. Heydarian noted that Roxas was showing resiliency while Poe’s lead in previous surveys had evaporated. Ana Tabunda, Pulse Asia research director, said the results of the survey were good only for the polling period. The survey, commissioned by ABS-CBN, covered allegations by Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, a vice presidential candidate, that Duterte held multiple accounts with tens of millions of pesos in three banks in 2014 and failed to declare these in his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth. Tabunda said that during the survey period the issue did not get as much media attention as during the past several days. “Those saying they are voting for Duterte are more or less convinced that they are voting for him. Whatever the allegation thrown at him, it may not hurt really that much,” said Jan Robert Go, an assistant professor at the Department of Political Science, University of the Philippines-Diliman. According to Go, however, there are the “soft supporters” who may change their mind about supporting Duterte and this applies to any candidate as shown in the increase in Roxas’ rating and Binay’s decline. Undecided voters The “soft” and “undecided” voters could turn the tide around for the candidates who are not on top of voter popularity surveys, and they are what Poe and her running mate, Sen. Francis Escudero, are banking on to help achieve victory on May 9. Escudero said the lead of the front-runners was not insurmountable because about 10 to 20 percent of the country’s 54 million voters had yet to cement their choice, or could still change their minds. These voters, he said, could decide on their final choice on Election Day. “To the extent of our ability, we will do our best to make known our message and our plans to as many people as possible,” he said at a Senate forum. The undecided voters were also the target of Roxas. “Look at our track record and our character. Character is your guarantee as to who we are, our positions on issues and whether you can trust us,” he appealed to these voters. With a report from Marlon Ramos/TVJ RELATED VIDEOS

2016-05-05 00:11 Ana Roa newsinfo.inquirer.net

11 Siazon lauded for helping improve treatment of OFWs, PH- Japan trade MANILA — Former foreign affairs secretary Domingo L. Siazon, a career diplomat who had a key role in expanding trade ties with Japan and recalibrating foreign policy to improve the treatment of overseas Filipinos workers (OFWs), passed away Tuesday due to a lingering prostate cancer, an official of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said. Foreign affairs undersecretary for international economic relations Laura del Rosario confirmed to the Philippine Daily Inquirer on Wednesday about the sad loss for the DFA. A Facebook post of Siazon’s son, Dan, said: Domingo L. Siazon Jr.-Statesman, career diplomat, but more importantly, a loving husband, father and grandfather. 1939-2016.” Malacañang paid tribute to Siazon, saying he was a “cultured, urbane man” who left behind a record of “distinguished service” to the country. “He brought honor to the flag wherever he served. We extend deepest sympathies to his family at this time of profound loss,” presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said. “Respected by his colleagues in the foreign service, his peers abroad and by presidents and the public alike, he belonged to the second generation of career diplomats who served with professionalism and who rose according to merit,” Lacierda said. Siazon served as the 18th DFA secretary 1995 to 2001. Prior to that, he was the Philippine Ambassador to Japan from 2001 to 2010. Undersecretary Del Rosario said secretary Siazon’s stewardship paved the way for the signing of the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA). “He was our Japanese expert and it was during his stewardship that the Japan-Philippines economic partnership was negotiated and eventually signed,” undersecretary Del Rosario told the Inquirer. Del Rosario said secretary Siazon came at the department at a crucial time when Filipinos were highly emotional about the death of Filipina maid Flor Contemplacion, who was sentenced to death by hanging in Singapore. “Secretary Siazon came in after the death of Contemplacion and we at the department had to do a lot of recalibrating in foreign policy particularly in handling OFW issues,” said Del Rosario. He said the leadership of Siazon had an impact on the improvement of treatment of OFWs by the nationals in host countries. SFM

2016-05-05 00:11 Estrella Torres globalnation.inquirer.net

12 Silicon Valley tech firm must pay Filipinos $160K in back wages SAN FRANCISCO – A U. S. Department of Labor investigation found that a Silicon Valley electronics manufacturer brought 18 computer engineers from its subsidiary in the Philippines to work in the U. S. and paid them the same wages they earned in the Philippines and in pesos. Some workers received as little as $1.66 per hour, and received no overtime pay when they routinely worked an average of 57 hours per week. The tech firm brought them to its Silicon Valley facility from July 21, 2012 to July 20, 2015 with B-1 visas, which are used to bring foreign workers for training or conferences. As a result of the labor violations, BiTMICRO Networks Inc. of Fremont, California, must pay more than $80,000 in minimum wage and overtime back pay and an additional equal amount in damages to its workers after the department’s Wage and Hour Division discovered violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act . The agreement in federal court also assessed nearly $8,000 in civil money penalties against BiTMICRO. “The way these vulnerable, low-wage workers were treated by this employer is illegal, unethical, and unacceptable,” said Susana Blanco, director of the Wage and Hour Division office in San Francisco. “We will simply not tolerate employers bringing workers from Asia, or anywhere else, and failing to pay them every penny they have earned. We continue to see a pattern of U. S. companies misusing foreign worker visas by bringing them from overseas and paying them in pesos or rupees. The resolution of this case demonstrates the division’s commitment to identifying and rectifying these situations and to using every enforcement tool available to us to do so,” Blanco added. The division also found that BiTMICRO violated the “ hot goods ” provisions of the FLSA by shipping goods produced by the Filipino employees out of state in violation of wage laws. The consent judgment, filed in U. S. District Court for the Northern District of California, permanently enjoins BiTMICRO from future violations of the FLSA, and expressly prevents it from retaliating against any workers who assert their rights under the law. The judgment further requires BiTMICRO to provide all employees with a written notice of employee rights, and to keep electronic time records with the exact times when an employee starts and stops working. Founded in 1995, BiTMICRO is a publicly traded tech company that develops, manufactures and deploys flash storage systems. Headquartered in Fremont, the company also has a subsidiary in the Philippines. Enforced by the division, the FLSA requires that covered, nonexempt workers be paid at least the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour for all hours worked, plus overtime at one and one- half times their regular wages for hours worked beyond 40 per week. Employers also must maintain accurate time and payroll records. Employers are prohibited from retaliating against workers who exercise their rights under the law. For more free and confidential information about federal wage laws administered by the division, call the agency’s toll-free helpline at 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243). Information also is available at http://www.dol.gov/whd .

2016-05-05 00:11 INQUIRER.net globalnation.inquirer.net

13 U. S.-born son of sakada promotes hilot, Filipino culture BANGKOK — Virgil Mayor Apostol, 53, author, actor and healer is a second-generation Filipino American born in California, but he masterfully practices hilot or healing body work and teaches Filipino martial arts. Apostol learned “ablon” (hilot in Tagalog) from his grandmother who lived with his family as he was growing up. His grandmother used oil and liniment. She learned healing and midwifery from her father in Laoag, Ilocos Norte in the Philippines. “I would my grandmother when she provided ‘ablon’ to her ‘patients’ who were mostly immigrant Filipinos. I realized that it was a part of our culture as Filipinos,” Apostol recalls. Virgil was born to Anselma Mayor and Vidal Apostol, a sakada recruited to work in Hawaii plantations in the 1930’s. The elder Apostol from Laoag, was only 17 years old when he was recruited by the Hawaiian Sugar Planters Association. Still young and full of adventurism, he braved a new life in Hawaii. Later, he went back to the Philippines to marry Anselma. Virgil’s oldest sister was born in Laoag. In 1958 the family went back to Hawaii where his older brother was born. “My parents decided to relocate to Los Angeles where I was born. My father studied and became a nurse. Out of the three of us siblings, I am the only one who speaks Iluko and Tagalog,” Apostol explains. American childhood Apostol recalls that the early immigrants in America raised their children in “American ways” to conform to their new life. Various cultural aspects were not taught, especially the languages, Tagalog and Ilocano. As a teenager in California, Apostol’s friends included not only other Fil-Ams, but also Guamanians, Samoans, black Americans, Mexicans and Caucasians. His parents felt that his friends had a bad influence on him and sent him back to Hawaii. There he was surrounded by Ilocano-speaking relatives, some of whom had just arrived from the Philippines. It became the turning point in his life as he was exposed to a deeper sense of culture. Although Apostol has a degree business administration at National University, he continued his education at the Academy of Health Professions University of Metaphysics where he finished with a degree in Metaphysical Science to become a holistic health practitioner. The Apostols were brought up as Seventh Day Adventists, and folk practices such as the ones from the Philippines were discouraged as these were believed to be “backward” or the “work of the devil.” Communication with ancestral spirits was also seen as communicating with Satan disguised as an ancestor. ‘Devil’s apprentice’ Apostol remembers that he once administered ablon healing to an older Filipina. During the session, he applied “blowing” to the body. He also had bottle of oil which contained various roots and anib (amulet). Afterwards, the same woman spread rumors that he was practicing the work of the devil. Apostol’s interest in culture began in earnest when he read Dan Inosanto’s book “Filipino Martial Arts,” which became his “bible.” The book contains stories of master practitioners and as well as history. Driven by his interest to learn about his culture he went to meet Apo Whang-od, the oldest and the famous mambabatok or tattoo artist in Kalinga in 2010. Married twice to Filipina women and divorced, Apostol has four kids ages 12 to 27. He is now in a relationship with a woman of Ethiopian-Native American descent. ‘I would like my children to embrace our traditional healing methods of ablon and other adjunct healing practices that have been passed down through my maternal and paternal lines of indigenous healers,” he says. “They could learn about the culture, but with poor health, everything learned will not be fully expressed,” Apostol has authored two books, “Way of the Ancient Healer: Sacred Teachings from the Philippine Ancestral Traditions” and an older co-authored work, “Healing Hands of Hilot.” Both are available in the U. S. and online bookstores. Martial arts teacher As a martial arts practitioner, he teaches students in the art of Didya Mudgara warrior club calisthenics, which is based on Ilokano Escrima (fencing) and wooden club swinging practices from India. He also gives talks and conduct seminars. “Promoting our cultural roots, gives us a sense of power and direction. It provides us with a way of expressing our being through the different aspects of the culture, including the various arts, languages, spirituality, cuisine, social interactions. It gives us a way of connecting with members of our family who were born in the homeland,” he explains. Apostol also believes that Fil-Ams must travel back to their homeland to experience connectedness. He says that honoring and respecting our culture, we also learn to appreciate and respect the culture of others, thus bringing about harmony and opportunity see our own culture in a different light. “One of the damaging effects of our people, psychologically, socially, culturally, and even spiritually is our ugly history of colonization where our ancestors were forced to give up their traditional ways of life. It is important to embrace who we once were and learn all that we can of our culture so that we can see beyond those ridiculous Filipino TV shows that retard our precious minds, not to mention the continuance of colonization through mass media,” he concludes.

2016-05-05 00:11 Eunice Barbara globalnation.inquirer.net

14 Leni Robredo sets up showdown vs Bongbong Marcos Attributing an element of destiny to her ascent as front-runner, Liberal Party (LP) vice presidential candidate Leni Robredo expressed happiness after topping a Pulse Asia survey for the first time. “It affirms my feeling that even though this was never my ambition, I am now in this position because I was destined for it,” the Camarines Sur congresswoman told reporters in Quezon City. READ: Leni up 4, Bongbong down 3, for virtual tie in latest Pulse The survey that Pulse Asia conducted from April 26 to 29 put her on top with a 30-percent voter support, gaining 4 points. She is now statistically tied at No. 1 with Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., who slid 3 points to 28 percent. Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero, an early favorite, was preferred by 18 percent, unchanged from the previous survey. Following him were Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano (15 percent), Sen. Gringo Honasan (3 percent) and Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV (2 percent). The survey, commissioned by ABS-CBN, interviewed 4,000 respondents and had a margin of error of plus-or-minus 1.5 percentage points. Robredo remained the top choice in the Visayas, with 42 percent saying they would vote for her while Marcos is the preferred candidate in (42 percent) and Luzon outside Metro Manila (33 percent). In Mindanao, the favored candidates were Cayetano (29 percent), Robredo (28 percent) and Marcos (24 percent). Robredo and Marcos shared the lead in all socioeconomic groups. Momentum Robredo, widow of Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo, said her rise to the top in both Pulse Asia and SWS surveys showed that the momentum was now in her favor. “Of course, we’re so happy because before we were No. 1 in SWS but only No. 2 in Pulse Asia. But yesterday, Pulse also had us at No. 1. So the momentum is with us,” she said. 7-point difference Marcos wondered what could have transpired in the two days between two Pulse Asia surveys that changed the results. In a statement, Marcos said: “Surveys are surveys. They give a glimpse of the public sentiment at a certain period.” “We want to know, however, what happened in the two days between the two surveys that made a 7-point difference,” he pointed out. READ: Leni: Impossible is now happening Marcos was referring to the two Pulse Asia surveys, the first conducted on April 19-24 and the latest on April 26-29. Both had 4,000 respondents nationwide. Internal, independent polls The April 29-24 survey showed Marcos on top with 31 percent and Robredo placing second with 26 percent. But the latest survey results showed Marcos dropping to second place. “We have our internal survey and other independent surveys, which show that we have widened our lead to double-digit points from the closest rival,” Marcos said. Machinery, volunteers The only woman in the vice presidential race, Robredo said she owed her impressive showing to the LP machinery and the large number of volunteers who enlisted in the campaign. She said she also felt strong support among women voters. “As you have seen, women have become a predominant presence in our sorties. They act the most decisively. They do not ask for anything in return,” Robredo said. She was also pleased by the rise of her running mate, Mar Roxas, now a strong second and in a statistical tie with Sen. Grace Poe. “They say there are two types of candidates: Those who evoke hope and who bring out the best in people, and those who evoke fear and bring out the worst in people,” she said. “I feel I belong to the first category in the sense that many people tell me, ‘You made us proud Filipinos,’ ‘You inspire us,’” she said. Counterthesis Richard Javad Heydarian, a political science assistant professor at De La Salle University, said Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte’s lead in the presidential race was great for Robredo. “She presents herself as the counterthesis to a Duterte presidency and it is working with some voters,” he said. Heydarian added that Robredo had a slight edge because of the LP’s good machinery spread across the country. “Leni is change,” he said. Debate Jan Robert Go, an assistant professor at the Department of Political Science, University of the Philippines-Diliman, said Robredo benefited from the vice presidential debate and had effectively delivered her message to the public. “She was able to build momentum starting from the vice presidential debate. The appeal of Leni is resonating to the public,” Go said. With a report from Jeannette I. Andrade / TVJ RELATED STORIES Leni on Bongbong: Let’s not be deceived again Robredo asks for continued support amid new survey lead RELATED VIDEOS

2016-05-05 00:11 DJ Yap newsinfo.inquirer.net

15 ‘Shabu’ lab found again in posh village More than four years after authorities raided three houses in Ayala Alabang Village that were being used as drug laboratories, the police found another one inside the exclusive subdivision in City on Wednesday. Aside from discovering around P225-million worth of suspected methamphetamine hydrochloride or “shabu” inside the house, members of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) also arrested three Taiwanese nationals. Chief Insp. Robert Razon, head of the NCRPO’s Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Group, identified them as Pong Jung, 19; Chen Hu Min, 27; and Eugene Chong, 24. They were paying P140,000 a month to rent the two-story house on Tamarind Drive. NCRPO director Chief Supt. Joel Pagdilao said the entrapment operation was launched following a month-long surveillance based on information provided by a tipster. Razon said it was the offshoot of previous operations that led to the arrest and detention of several people—including a man and his relatives on April 23—for drug-related offenses. “Based on our information, the Taiwanese began renting the house only this March. And they paid such [a] big amount to the owner for the place,” he said. Authorities had yet to determine who the house owner was and whether he or she knew of the trio’s illegal activities, Razon added. P125-million transaction The Taiwanese suspects were arrested at 1:15 a.m. Wednesday after an undercover policeman negotiated to buy 25 kilos of shabu worth P125 million. The deal was consummated inside the garage. “When we placed them under arrest, one of the suspects ran inside the house so the police ran after him and arrested him there. That’s how the shabu laboratory was discovered,” Razon said. He added that each room in the house had a specific function in the drug-making process: There was a room for repacking the “merchandise” and, on the top floor, an “open area” where the drugs were laid out apparently to dry. “So it was not only the living room (that was used). We also saw chemicals for the manufacture of the drugs and other drug paraphernalia like containers in other rooms,” Razon said. Aside from the 25 kilos bought by the undercover policeman, 30 kilos worth P150 million were found inside the house, Pagdilao told reporters. “So based on the amount of drugs we got, the three suspects are high-level targets,” Razon said. It was still unclear, however, if the Taiwanese were engaged in both the manufacture and distribution of shabu, he added, saying that it was possible that Ruel Balacuit and his relatives, who were all arrested in a buy-bust operation in Quezon City on April 24, were the distributors. 2012 operations Balacuit even brought along a 12-year-old girl to make it appear that he was with his family and avoid arousing suspicion, the police said. In January 2012, agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) raided a one- hectare property on Acacia Street in Ayala Alabang Village and found what they described as a medium-scale drug laboratory. Five Chinese men were arrested and truckloads of drug paraphernalia and equipment were seized. That same month, two other houses, one on Kanlaon Street and the other on Country Club Drive, were also raided, resulting in the seizure of more drug chemicals and paraphernalia. No arrests were made as both houses had apparently been abandoned. PDEA agents said the house on Acacia Street could manufacture a minimum of 10 kilos of shabu per cycle. A month later, they filed charges against five officials of Fuerte Holdings Inc.— the registered owner of the house. The discovery of the shabu labs prompted village association officials to tighten their screening of tenants. With Inquirer Archives

2016-05-05 00:11 Kristine Felisse newsinfo.inquirer.net

16 Gunmen target councilor’s home The house of a Caloocan barangay councilor—a staunch supporter of Rep. Recom Echiverri who is running for city mayor—was strafed by three unidentified suspects on Tuesday evening. Dolores Asistio, a barangay councilor since 2002, said that three people on two motorcycles fired four times at her house on Pitong Bahay Street, Maligaya Park Subdivision, Barangay 177 at 8:20 p.m., shortly after she left for a meeting. Fortunately, only two of the 9-mm bullets found a mark, hitting just the gate while the rest missed. None of the 15 people inside the house, among them Asistio’s children and grandchildren, were injured. SPO4 Renato Florentino said that witnesses described one of the motorcycle drivers as a woman. Her companions, both male, were on another motorcycle. All three wore helmets and masks. Asistio is one of the leaders of the Recom for Congressman movement which is now helping him campaign for the mayoralty. The group has 4,000 members. Asistio said that she never received any threats before Tuesday’s incident. She described the shooting, however, as politically-motivated.

2016-05-05 00:11 Jodee A newsinfo.inquirer.net

17 Alfredo Lim’s ‘junked’ running mate warns him of LP punishment Manila Rep. Benjamin Asilo is not backing out from the vice mayoralty race and even has a warning for Alfredo Lim, the mayoral candidate who junked him last week in favor of Councilor Ali Atienza. “It’s Lim who has a problem to face here, as he could be sanctioned by the LP (Liberal Party),” Asilo said of the former Manila mayor who is seeking a comeback in the May 9 polls. The congressman of Manila’s first district faced reporters on Wednesday to deny that he has withdrawn from the race. On April 28, Lim announced that he would ask Asilo to step aside for Atienza, citing the latter’s supposedly higher chances of winning and a clamor for a Lim-Atienza team-up. Ali Atienza is the running mate of another mayoral candidate, Rep. Amado Bagatsing, who like Lim seeks to unseat the reelectionist mayor, Joseph Estrada. He is the son of former Manila mayor and now Buhay party-list Rep. Lito Atienza. Asilo said he believed Lim and the Atienzas decided to join forces to “protect the interests” of their benefactors and chosen contractors. “They agree on certain things. One is on the Pandacan oil depot. Atienza allowed the oil companies to stay—I fought against this as a councilor and the case (for expulsion) won in the Supreme Court. When Lim became mayor, he signed a new ordinance to negate the ordinance upholding the SC decision, allowing the oil companies to stay.” “With the garbage collection, P1.2 billion of the city’s P14 billion budget was allotted just for this. Who was the contractor? There was just one during both their terms,” he added, referring to trash hauler Leonel Waste Management. In a message to Ali Atienza, Asilo said: “You’re supposed to be a leader. All leaders are supposed to take a stand [on issues]. You can’t be someone’s proxy, even if it’s your dad.” In the same press conference, LP legal counsel Myra Villarica said the ruling party’s constitution and bylaws state that “it would be a major breach to violate any decision made by the party. And what would be a more major decision for the party than its choice of candidates?” “So if a member suddenly decides to support another candidate, and especially one from another party, that is a major breach of the party’s rules, and could certainly earn them sanctions ranging from a reprimand to suspension, even expulsion,” Villarica said.

2016-05-05 00:11 Annelle Tayao newsinfo.inquirer.net

18 Marikina ‘cash-for-work’ or vote-buying? IS IT really a cash-for-work program or a vote- buying activity disguising as a legitimate government project? A video showing social workers of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) distributing P1,800 in cash each to residents in Barangay San Roque, Marikina City, for a cash-for-work program was obtained by the Inquirer. The distribution, however, is being tagged as a scheme seen to benefit Marikina Rep. Marcelino “Marcy” Teodoro’s mayoral candidacy. Teodoro, however, was quick to deny any irregularity, noting that the activity was for a “continuing” government program. “The activity is a continuing national government program of the DSWD, hence it has nothing to do with the elections. Only our opponents in politics are giving wrong information on this DSWD program,” Teodoro told the Inquirer in a text message Tuesday. Teodoro, who is serving his third and last term as representative of the city’s first district, is up against reelectionist Mayor Del de Guzman. In the video, taken on Saturday at the residence of one Boy Nita on JP Laurel Street in Mountainview Subdivision, Barangay San Roque, at least 100 individuals can be seen gathered inside the compound. A few meters away from the entrance was a rectangular table where two women, supposedly from the DSWD, distributed stapled wads of cash worth P1,800 each— three bills of P100 and three bills of P500. The two women sat on monobloc chairs with “Team Marcy” stickers. In another video, also on the same venue and posted on the Facebook page of Barangay Industrial Valley Complex chair Fernando Mira, a certain Ryan Caunca alleged that “money is raining down on Marikina.” “You don’t have to work. You just have to sign on a logbook and you instantly have a DSWD ID and P1,800. Do you see them sweeping the street?” Caunca said in the post. According to the DSWD website, beneficiaries of the cash-for-work and food-for-work programs will receive cash “based on the prevailing regional wages or food in exchange for doing community projects,” like street cleanups and repair of community facilities. In a text message, Mayor De Guzman called on the DSWD to look into the matter as it puts into question the credibility of the cash-for-work program. “I ask the DSWD to stop the use of cash-for-work funds for this purpose. They are circumventing the pure intent of this noble project and I am wondering why DSWD is allowing it,” De Guzman said. “What our opponent is doing is a step backward. Vote-buying perpetuates patronage politics and demeans a person and strips him of his dignity.” A source privy to the matter but who declined to be named said the residents were given cash without them having to work. The source also pointed out that the timing and venue of the handouts raised questions as it was conducted just days before the elections and on a private property, instead of a government office. “Why were there senior citizens?” the source said, noting that elderly people normally wouldn’t be tapped for cash-for-work, especially with scorching summer temperatures that can cause heat strokes. Similar incidents of cash being handed out have also been reported in Barangay Sto. Niño, which is also under the first district.

2016-05-05 00:11 Jovic Yee newsinfo.inquirer.net

19 Robber Is Shortchanged After Coming Away With Only 35 Cents New Orleans police are investigating an armed robbery of two men where the assailant walked away with only 35 cents. Police say the robbery happened Wednesday morning in the city's Carrollton area. Police said that a 33-year-old man and a 29-year-old man were robbed by a man armed with a semi-automatic gun. No one was injured. A police report gave no explanation as to why the perpetrator came away with such a small amount of money.

2016-05-05 00:11 By abcnews.go.com

20 500 euro bill is being killed off The European Central Bank announced Wednesday that it will phase out the 500 euro banknote because of concerns that this banknote "could facilitate illicit activities" "There is a pervasive and increasing conviction in the world of public opinion that high denomination banknotes are used for criminal purposes," said ECB president Mario Draghi earlier in the year in response to a journalist's question about the future of Europe's most expensive bill. The ECB is responsible for issuing euro banknotes that are used by all 19 nations in the eurozone. Europe's top law enforcement officials maintain that the 500 euro banknote (worth about $576) makes it easy for criminals to launder money since it's so easy to move around undetected. In a report last year, Europol said cash was still the "instrument of choice" for terrorists and 500 euro notes were in high demand, though they're not popular for everyday transactions. "The 500 [euro] note alone accounts for over 30% of the value of all banknotes in circulation, despite it not being a common means of payment," the report said. Related: Pennies and nickels cost more to make than they're worth The bank said the issuance of the note will be stopped around the end of 2018, when a new series of banknotes is set to be introduced. The bank said the 500 euro note will remain legal tender and can therefore continue to be used as a means of payment and store of value. It said the bank note can be exchanged at the national central banks of eurozone countries for an unlimited period of time. The European Commission said earlier this year it would work with the ECB and Europol to find ways of stopping terrorists' cash flows.

2016-05-05 00:11 Alanna Petroff money.cnn.com

21 The Latest: Suspect in Navajo Girl Death Faces Murder Charge The Latest on the abduction and killing of an 11-year-old girl on the Navajo Nation (all times local): 10:45 a.m. A man suspected in the death of an 11-year-old girl who was kidnapped from a school bus stop on the Navajo Nation is facing murder and kidnapping charges. Tom Begaye made his first court appearance Wednesday in Farmington, New Mexico. The 27- year-old man shuffled into the courtroom in shackles but stayed quiet as some of the victim's relatives and other community members listened to the charges being read. As he was taken away from the Municipal Courthouse in an SUV, people outside yelled profanity. Federal authorities say he lured Ashlynne Mike into a van after she got off a school bus Monday afternoon. Her body was found Tuesday morning south of Shiprock, New Mexico. ——— 8:40 a.m. New safety measures are taking hold on the Navajo Nation following the abduction and death of an 11-year-old girl. Ashlynne Mike was lured into a van after getting off a school bus Monday afternoon and her body was found Tuesday morning south of Shiprock, New Mexico. Tribal President Russell Begaye says children need to be taught about "the dangers of strangers" and that adults shouldn't let children out of their sight for extended periods of time. The school district serving the rural area where the girl lived says students whose parents aren't present when the children are dropped off at bus stops will be taken back to the school. The FBI says a 27-year-old man from nearby Waterflow has been arrested in the girl's abduction and death. ——— 8:30 a.m. A 27-year-old New Mexico man arrested in the abduction and death of an 11-year-old girl on the Navajo Nation is expected to appear in court Wednesday. The FBI says 27-year-old Tom Begaye of Waterflow, New Mexico, will appear before a federal magistrate in nearby Farmington. Ashlynne Mike was abducted in the Fruitland area Monday afternoon, and searchers found her body Tuesday morning south of the monolithic rock that gives the community of Shiprock its name. The girl and her 9-year-old brother were picked up by a man described as a stranger who lured them into a van by offering to take them to watch a movie. The boy got away and was found by a passer-by.

2016-05-05 00:11 By abcnews.go.com

22 Danks on White Sox decision: 'It's a win-now league' John Danks said he understands the White Sox’ decision to let him go. “It’s a win-now league, and I wasn’t helping the team win,” Danks said Wednesday, a day after the club said it was releasing him. Off to an 0-4 start with an 7.25 ERA on a team that has lost only eight games through May 3, Danks was cut loose and will be replaced in the starting rotation by Erik Johnson on Thursday. The 31-year-old veteran lost velocity on his fastball and was never the same after going through shoulder surgery in 2012. “I’m not the first guy to go through surgery,” Danks said. “I obviously thought I could beat it — I think I can — but it’s no secret I wasn’t the same guy I was before surgery. “I thought I worked as hard as I could. I put myself in the best position, I just wasn’t physically ready to do it nearly as much as I was before surgery.” Danks said he will continue to work out and hope another team gives him another shot. “If the phone rings I’ll be certainly interested,” he said. “If it doesn’t for some reason, it’s been a helluva run. I can say I got to play nine seasons in the big leagues, especially with one team, in a badass city like Chicago. I don’t have any regrets, I worked as hard as I know how to and did my very best every time out and that’s really all I could promise. … there certainly still is a desire to play. Now it’s up to someone wanting me or not.” Danks had an inkling in the days that followed that his rotation spot was in jeopardy after he gave up 11 hits, including two home runs, in a 10-2 loss to the Orioles that stopped a six-game Sox winning streak in Baltimore Thursday. But he thought the likely move was to the bullpen. The Sox, knowing Danks had not pitched as a reliever, didn’t see the wisdom in changing the look of what has been the American League’s top pen. As abrupt as the end came, it wasn’t a big shock. “I grew up there,” he said. “Showed up as a baby, I was 21 years old when I made my first start and left as a 31-year-old man. I got to play with a lot of awesome teammates that have become lifelong friends now. Met a lot of people in a great organization. “I certainly had a lot of good times, some tough times, some struggles but all in all I got to live a dream. Got to play a game, and yeah, I’m a very blessed man, no doubt.”

2016-05-05 00:11 Daryl Van chicago.suntimes.com

23 The Latest: Inmate Advocate Decries Transfer of Inmates The Latest on the New Orleans sheriff's plan to reduce violence at the jail he runs by shipping inmates to other jurisdictions. (all times local): 11:30 a.m. A lawyer representing New Orleans inmates says the sheriff's plan to move hundreds of inmates to other jurisdictions could have a devastating effect on the city's criminal justice system. Sheriff Marlin Gusman's lawyers filed court papers late Tuesday revealing plans to move about 600 inmates. The filing says reducing the jail population will give him time to increase and better train his staff. Gusman is facing a possible court order turning jail operations over to a third party because he has been unable to quell violence at the lockup. Attorney Katie Schwartzmann said in an email Wednesday that transferring inmates to a jail hours away from New Orleans hinders their access to their lawyers and the courts. ——— 9 a.m. The sheriff who runs New Orleans' troubled jail says he's moving hundreds of inmates to other jurisdictions. The move to reduce the jail's population by more than half comes as Sheriff Marlin Gusman seeks to avoid a possible court-order that could strip him of his power to run the lockup. Gusman's move of about 600 inmates comes as court-appointed monitors say violence at the jail continues, despite a move to modern new facilities last year. In court documents filed late Tuesday, Gusman's lawyers say reducing the jail population will give him time to better train his staff. Last week, lawyers for the Justice Department and inmates asked a court to appoint a third party to operate the jail, saying Gusman has for years failed to improve conditions. 2016-05-05 00:11 By abcnews.go.com

24 Chicago's Graham Moore reteams with his 'Imitation Game' director It looks like Chicago writer Graham Moore, who won the Oscar for his screenplay for “The Imitation Game,” will be re-teaming with Morten Tyldum, who directed the acclaimed film about World War II Nazi code-cracker Alan Turing. Tyldum is attached to direct the proposed film based on Moore’s upcoming novel, “The Last Days of Night,” for which the former Hyde Park resident also has adapted for the big screen. As was the case with “The Imitation Game,” Moore’s “Last Days” is about another great technological genius: Thomas Edison. As first reported by Dateline.com, the novel’s publisher describes the book (and presumably the proposed film) as being about “the nature of genius, the cost of ambition and the battle to electrify America.” In the late 1880s, electricity was a new phenomenon. While Thomas Edison won the first patent for electric power, he ultimately sued his rival, George Westinghouse, for the unbelievable $1 billion. To defend himself, Westinghouse hired a young, 26-year-old recent law school graduate, Paul Cravath, who went on to found one of the most prestigious New York law firms, Cravath, Swain & Moore. By the way, there is a competing film in the works — based on similar material. The Weinstein Company has “The Current War,” which reportedly has Benedict Cumberbatch (who starred in “The Imitation Game”) lined up to play Edison, and possibly Jake Gyllenhaal considering the role of Westinghouse.

2016-05-05 00:11 Bill Zwecker chicago.suntimes.com

25 The Latest: Obama's Arrival in Flint Greeted by Gov. Snyder The Latest on developments in Flint, Michigan , where drinking water is tainted with lead (all times local): 12:45 p.m. President Barack Obama is in Flint, Michigan, where he is bringing a promise of change after lead from old pipes tainted drinking water in the city. Obama was greeted at the Flint airport Wednesday by Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder , who has been heavily criticized for his administration's handling of the crisis. Also meeting Obama at the airport was Flint Mayor Karen Weaver. Obama's first order of business will be to receive a briefing on the federal response to the crisis. He then will meet with city residents. Obama declared a state of emergency in mid-January and ordered federal aid to supplement the state and local response. At that point, the crisis was in full bloom. It took several months more for the nation to focus on the beaten-down city's plight, raising questions about how race and poverty influenced decisions that led to the tainted water supply and the beleaguered response once problems surfaced. More than 40 percent of Flint residents live in poverty and more than half are black. ——— 12:30 p.m. The Michigan Senate has approved spending another $144 million to address the water crisis in Flint, where residents have to use faucet filters or bottled water because of lead contamination. The emergency aid legislation that passed 34-3 Tuesday next goes to the House for consideration. It is the fourth round of funding being considered by lawmakers since the health disaster was confirmed seven months ago. Gov. Rick Snyder and legislators previously authorized $67 million for the emergency — mostly state money but also federal funds. The latest bill includes $25 million to replace old lead pipes that connect water mains to customers and nearly $21 million to provide health insurance to an additional 15,000 children and pregnant women. Another $45 million would be set aside in an emergency reserve fund.

2016-05-05 00:11 By abcnews.go.com

26 Man Assaults Friend With Chemical Spray at Mall Maryland officials say a 20-year-old man assaulted a friend with a chemical spray at a mall. Officials said in a statement Wednesday that police and fire personnel were called to Towson Town Center in Baltimore County on Tuesday night for a possible chemical irritant in the mall. Officials say the spray appears to be Mace or pepper spray. Officials say one man told police that a friend confronted him, then quickly pulled out a small canister and sprayed him. Officials say assault charges are pending against the man. EMS workers evaluated about a half dozen people affected by the irritant and one pregnant woman was taken to a hospital as a precaution. Officials say others refused medical treatment, including the man who told police that he was sprayed.

2016-05-05 00:11 By abcnews.go.com

27 Kenya: 2 Men Challenge Constitutionality of Anal Probe A lawyer said Wednesday she has submitted the arguments during the first day of a hearing where two men are seeking a Kenyan court ruling to stop enforced anal examinations of men accused of being gay. Sande Ligunya, said she argued the anal exams infringe on the right to privacy and the right to a fair trial. She said her clients were arrested in a bar near Ukunda along Kenya's Indian Ocean coast in February 2015 on suspicion of engaging in gay sex which is a criminal offense in Kenya. The men were forced to undergo anal examinations after a magistrate ordered a medical examination, she said. The attorney general is expected to respond to their petition on May 12, Ligunya said. Human rights groups have condemned the examinations. "Such examinations without consent or medical cause are an absolute violation of the privacy not to mention bodily integrity," said Muthoni Wanyeki, Amnesty International's regional head. "The strongest possible message must be sent to medical professionals about it. "

2016-05-05 00:10 By abcnews.go.com

28 'Star Wars Day' is a force with brands on Twitter " May The Fourth Be With You " started as a grass-roots fan event that has since been embraced by Lucasfilm, Disney ( DIS ) , and fans of popular culture around the world. The day has also become a big one for brands on social media. The film franchise is one of the most popular in history bringing in more than $6 billion at the worldwide box office. Related: 'Star Wars' May the 4th a marketing opportunity for the Disney empire With renewed attention thanks to December's " Star Wars: The Force Awakens " shattering records and the series' first spinoff film, " Rogue One: A Star Wars ," coming later this year, excitement over the series is arguably bigger than ever. And brands want to get in on all the galactic fun, so here are some of the companies tweeting about May the Fourth: We prefer our toast a little on the Dark Side. #MayThe4thBeWithYou pic.twitter.com/Rg5zdLyzgC Return of the red-eye ✈ #MayThe4thBeWithYou #StarWarsDay pic.twitter.com/9zbRgWj1DS Made the Stacks run in less than 12 parsecs. #MayThe4thBeWithYou pic.twitter.com/TWyu9pmSbe A new generation of cans, for your new generation of Star Wars enthusiasts. #RealRealLife #MayThe4thBeWithYou https://t.co/okC7cVHs0Z #MayThe4thBeWithYou ☺ pic.twitter.com/otblbNKasB Choose well. #MayThe4thBeWithYou pic.twitter.com/LTtC4ajbh8 #MayThe4thBeWithYou *Fictionalization. The GLI grille does not illuminate. pic.twitter.com/wGxxJI6ckC The pour is strong with this one. #Maythe4thBeWithYou https://t.co/lSp84GJHhV #MayThe4thBeWithYou ... And, the 7th with you too. pic.twitter.com/slITnwzWRS The Ultimate will leave you speechless like Luke Skywalker at the end of The Force Awakens! #MayThe4thBeWithYou ^ML pic.twitter.com/9bHOBkCeIJ Not even the resistance can resist us #MayThe4thBeWithYou pic.twitter.com/mlh0rmQBB9 The Force is strong with these two. Which will emerge victorious? #MayThe4thBeWithYou pic.twitter.com/pJVB3Es2UH The fourth is strong with this one. #MayThe4thBeWithYou pic.twitter.com/JHfGDMZVoD "Judge me by my size, do you? " #MayThe4thBeWithYou pic.twitter.com/hom6zFuLg7 You could say the Force is with us. #MayThe4thBeWithYou pic.twitter.com/9LdiOydwC4

2016-05-05 00:11 Frank Pallotta money.cnn.com

29 Lawmaker calls school funding bill a Chicago 'bailout' A school funding bill that would ultimately shift money from wealthier districts to the poorer ones over a four-year phase-in would give Chicago Public Schools an extra $352 million with $1,000 in per student spending in its first year, according to Illinois State Board of Education figures released on Tuesday. The numbers — based on prorated 2015 figures — were released publicly on Wednesday just hours before Sen. Andy Manar’s school funding bill is set to be voted on in the Illinois Senate. But Illinois Senate President John Cullerton on Wednesday said the board’s model “is no longer current,” because of an amendment that has been filed to the bill. Some Senate Republicans are already calling it a “bailout” for Chicago. And sources say Illinois House Republicans do not support the bill based on the new figures. Manar’s plan would cost about $600 million — an estimated $400 million in the first year to ensure school districts don’t initially lose money, as well as $200 million for the state to pay normal costs of Chicago teacher pensions. The CPS figure includes the pension pickup. Adequacy grants would cost the state $312 million, while it would cost $210 million in a hold- harmless provision, so school districts don’t lose money. Gov. Bruce Rauner — who is deadlocked with Democratic leaders over the state’s budget – has said the state’s priority should be to fully fund education to the minimum per-pupil amount set by law. State Sen. Jason Barickman, R-Bloomington, called the figures a “bailout” for Chicago. “I appreciate Senator Manar’s continued work on school funding reform, but the numbers make it clear that his proposal has taken a major step backward in the process,” Barickman said in a statement. “The data shows what many of us have feared — that his legislation has become a vehicle for a major bailout of the bankrupt Chicago school system, while wildly shifting funding around suburban communities and creating a detrimental impact on downstate schools.” Many school districts would lose funding under the plan. Some of the worst hit include Forest Park, Des Plaines and Alsip’s school districts. Manar had been waiting for the Board of Education numbers since he submitted information on the measure on Feb. 11. Manar on Wednesday said the numbers don’t match the bill: “Our numbers reflect a very different scenario than the work product that was released by the governor’s office this morning.”

2016-05-05 00:11 Tina Sfondeles chicago.suntimes.com

30 Report: Violence Against Jews Dropped in 2015 A Tel Aviv University report has found a drop in violent attacks against Jews last year, but said the number remains high and that "institutional anti-Semitism" is on the rise. The university's Kantor Center for the Study of Contemporary European Jewry says it tracked 410 violent cases of anti-Semitism across the globe last year, down nearly 50 percent from 2014. The study was prepared with the European Jewish Congress. Moshe Kantor, president of the group, says the results were not all encouraging. He says that 2014 was the worst year on record. He believes attacks went down because of heightened security following a deadly attack at a kosher market in Paris in January 2015. Kantor also said that nonviolent attacks and slander against Jews in Europe remains high. ——— This story has been corrected to show that the last name of the group's president is Kantor, not Cantor.

2016-05-05 00:11 By abcnews.go.com

31 America's free trade deal with Europe is dying Talks on the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) began in 2013. Obama and European Union leaders hoped to create a free trade area spanning more than half of the world's economic output and 800 million people. Its supporters say the deal would make everyone richer and create lots of jobs. But after 13 rounds of negotiations, there is growing opposition on both sides of the Atlantic. The odds of a deal happening any time soon have collapsed. Here are three reasons why: 1. Trump hates it, Clinton is cooling fast During the primaries, Trump has repeatedly criticized free trade agreements , including NAFTA and the Trans-Pacific Partnership, saying they are "an attack on America's business. " "TTIP is being used as a political tool and it works...blaming foreigners for problems in the economy," said Dennis Novy, an international trade expert and an associate professor of economics at the University of Warwick. Related: The war on business during presidential campaign Hillary Clinton, frontrunner to win the Democratic nomination for president, backed big free trade agreements when she was Secretary of State. But she is now also voicing concerns. In October, she spoke out against the Trans-Pacific Partnership , a trade deal between the U. S. and 11 other nations. "The debate has pushed Clinton into being much more skeptical," said Raoul Ruparel, a co- director of Open Europe, a think tank. "It looks like this (trade agreement) may not be a top priority for whoever comes in after the election. " 2. Growing opposition in Europe Nearly 3.5 million Europeans have signed a petition against the deal. They are worried it would give too much power to big U. S. corporations , and make it easier for them to bypass environmental and public health protection laws. "There is a lot of underlying anti-American sentiment in Europe, especially against big American corporations, on environmental issues, labor issues, tax issues," Novy said. Related: Slowing world trade is bad news for the economy The French government said this week it won't sign TTIP in its current form. Trade Minister Matthias Fekl reportedly said that Europe was getting a bad deal and it would be better to put the talks on hold if the U. S. wasn't prepared to give more ground. Opponents in Europe say the agreement could lead to privatization of healthcare, education and transport, sectors run as public services in many European countries. The European Commission says these sectors will not be included in the agreement, but leaks suggest the U. S. is pushing hard for access. Protesters are also furious about the secrecy surrounding the negotiation. The draft deal has been kept under wraps -- which is not unusual for big trade agreements. WikiLeaks has offered a reward worth 100,000 euros ($114,000) for the TTIP documents. 3. Time is running out Time is fast running out to negotiate the big thorny issues. Both sides are playing hardball, trying to defend their interests. "Even though they say they want a 'win-win' agreement, what they actually mean is 'we want to win more than you do,'" said Julius Sen, an associate director at The International Trade Policy Unit at the London School of Economics. Related: Why Europeans hate Obama's free trade deal Talks began in June 2013 and the negotiators originally hoped for a deal before Obama leaves office in January. But that looks very unlikely now. "Nobody really believes it will be done," Sen said. "It is not possible to negotiate and implement an agreement like this within the life cycle of one congress, one president, it will move very slowly," he added. A British parliamentary report published this week showed international trade deals take between four and nine years on average to negotiate.

2016-05-05 00:11 Ivana Kottasova money.cnn.com

32 Germany: Woman Says She Was Held by Horror House Couple A woman has told German investigators that she was held captive for around three months and was physically abused by a couple who are in custody for the deaths of two other women, police said Wednesday. Investigators traveled to the Berlin area Tuesday to hear the woman's account of her dealings with the couple — a man and his ex-wife who still lived together. Authorities believe that the couple from a village near the western town of Hoexter held another woman for nearly two months and abused her so badly that she died in April. They have also said they believe the couple killed and dismembered a victim in 2014. The 51-year-old woman in the Berlin area, who wasn't identified, said she answered a personal ad placed by the husband in August 2011 and traveled to their house, police in western Germany said in a statement. She wasn't attacked during that three-week visit and stayed in touch with the man. The woman returned to the couple's home at the end of 2011. She said she was locked inside the house with "no possibility of fleeing" and was physically abused by both suspects, according to police. In March 2012, they said, she was taken to a station and put on a train home following a "significant physical dispute. " She didn't contact police at the time because of threats of further violence. The woman contacted police on Friday after seeing pictures of the house in German media. The suspects have been under investigation since April 21, when they called an ambulance after their car broke down and rescuers found a woman inside suffering from head injuries and other abuse. She died shortly afterward in a hospital and doctors alerted authorities to the signs of abuse. Prosecutors said at a news conference Tuesday that their motive is still unclear, but it appeared to be more about power and control than sexual reasons.

2016-05-05 00:11 By abcnews.go.com

33 Former MillerCoors exec admits guilt in scheme to defraud company A former MillerCoors executive has pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud for his part in a scheme to steal millions from the company. David Colletti, a former vice president of MillerCoors, helped tap the beer company for more than $7 million between 2003 and 2013 by filing estimates and invoices for promotional events that never happened, or by inflating the prices of ones that did, prosecutors have said. Colletti faces up to 20 years in prison, but his sentence would likely fall between eight and 10 years in prison, and he could even be sentenced to closer to five years if he keeps a promise to cooperate with the government. His make-believe promotional events included food and beer pairings and a 100-player golf tournament, according to the feds. He made up promotions that supposedly took place at casinos, hotels and flea markets. After Colletti admitted his crime in front of U. S. District Judge Jorge Alonso, defense attorney Eugene Murphy called Colletti’s plea the beginning of a process, “not the end.” MillerCoors, which was not mentioned by name in the indictment, filed a lawsuit against Colletti in August 2014 in Milwaukee. Colletti then sued MillerCoors last year for deciding — before Colletti’s indictment — to withhold his retirement benefits because there was “overwhelming evidence that crimes were committed.” His lawsuit was ultimately successful. Finally, Colletti was indicted along with seven others in May 2015, and prosecutors said the group used the $7 million to pay for collectible firearms, international golf trips, hunting trips, hotel and bar investments and “an arena football team.” Meanwhile, the feds said last year that Colletti had been “cooperating with the government in hopes that the government will recommend a reduced sentence.” That disclosure appeared in a search warrant application filed May 1, 2015 — days before Colletti’s indictment. It was unsealed in September. It sought permission to review the emails of two Colletti co-defendants: James Rittenberg and Scott Darst. Both are expected to appear in court Thursday for a status hearing. Two others, Francis Buonauro Jr. and Maryann Rozenberg, are expected to plead guilty Thursday.

2016-05-05 00:11 Jon Seidel chicago.suntimes.com

34 Burundi's Former President Jean-Baptiste Bagaza Dies Burundi's government says former President Jean-Baptiste Bagaza has died in Belgium , where he received medical care for two weeks. Philippe Nzobonariba, a Burundian government spokesman, said Wednesday that "the nation has lost a great figure and tireless worker. " He said Burundian flags will fly at half-mast for three days to mourn Bagaza. Col. Bagaza, 69, ruled Burundi for over a decade between 1976 and 1987 after seizing power by force. His regime was marked by a period of relative stability. He was deposed in a bloodless coup. In recent years Bagaza had taken part in some Ugandan-mediated efforts to end violence in Burundi stemming from President Pierre Nkurunziza's decision last year to seek a third term. Hundreds of people have been killed in the current unrest.

2016-05-05 00:08 By abcnews.go.com

35 South Elgin manufacturer cited after worker loses six fingers A northwest suburban metal manufacturer has been cited by the federal workplace safety agency after a worker lost several fingers in an accident last year. A worker had six fingers amputated at Custom Aluminum Products at 414 Division St. in South Elgin as he hand-fed parts into an aluminum press on Nov. 4, 2015, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The worker, who had only been employed four weeks, lost his ring, middle and index fingers, and part of his right pinky finger, according to the statement. Federal inspectors found the accident could have been prevented if the company had proper safety guards to keep the worker’s hands out of the metal press’ danger zone. “It’s hard to imagine the agony and pain this young man suffered when six of his fingers were amputated,” OSHA’s Aurora area director Jake Scott said in a statement. The company was cited for one willful and one serious violation on April 29, according to the statement. Proposed penalties are $70,000.

2016-05-05 00:07 Jordan Owen chicago.suntimes.com

36 Brazil Attorney General Wants Probe Against Pres. Rousseff Brazil's attorney general has asked the country's highest court to authorize an investigation into embattled President Dilma Rousseff over obstruction of justice allegations, according to major Brazilian news organizations. The country's top newspapers and the Globo television network said late Tuesday that Rousseff was among 30 people targeted by Attorney General Rodrigo Janot's requests. Others included ex-President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Solicitor General Jose Eduardo Cardozo, as well as opposition politician Aecio Neves, who lost to Rousseff in the 2014 presidential race, and House Speaker Eduardo Cunha. A spokeswoman at the attorney general's office told The Associated Press on Wednesday that the agency was not commenting. Janot's request adds to problems buffeting Rousseff. The Senate looks likely to vote next week to suspend her and move forward with impeachment. If that happens, Vice President Michel Temer would take over for six months or until the conclusion of the impeachment trial. The media reports say Rousseff is suspected of trying to undermine the snowballing investigation into corruption at the state-run oil company Petrobras by appointing her predecessor, Silva, as her chief of staff this year. Silva's nomination was later suspended. Rio de Janeiro's O Globo newspaper reported that Janot's request accuses Silva of being the ringleader behind the massive scheme that saw top construction firms pay bribes in exchange for inflated contracts with Petrobras, with some of the money ending up in the coffers of political parties from across the ideological spectrum. The case has already ensnared leading politicians and businessmen. "This criminal organization could never had functioned for so many years and in such a wide and aggressive manner within the federal government without ex-President Lula's taking part in it," the newspaper quoted Janot's petition as saying. The reports say the requests grew out of the plea bargain testimony by Sen. Delcidio do Amaral, formerly the government's leader in the Senate. who was detained after recordings emerged suggesting he was plotting to spirit a key player in the Petrobras scandal out of the country. Silva and Rousseff have repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. Rousseff on Wednesday cast doubt on Amaral's testimony, saying the senator "is in the habit of lying. " She added that the leaked news of Janot's requests appeared to have been timed to do maximum damage to her and her close collaborators. The Senate's impeachment commission was expected to vote this week on whether to recommend impeaching Rousseff, with the decisive vote by the full Senate slated for next Wednesday. Teori Zavascki, the Supreme Court justice in charge of the Petrobras investigation will decide whether to honor Janot's requests, though the news reports say there is no timetable for a decision.

2016-05-05 00:05 By abcnews.go.com

37 Residents Evacuated as Fires Threaten Canada Oil Sands Town A wildfire forced the evacuation of the Canadian oil sands city of Fort McMurray, Alberta, destroying 80 percent of the homes in one neighborhood and extensively damaging property in a number of others, officials said Wednesday, warning that it could get worse in the coming hours. More than 80,000 residents were ordered to flee as flames moved into a city that's in the middle of the wilderness, destroying whole neighborhoods. No injuries have been reported. Unseasonably hot temperatures combined with dry conditions have transformed the boreal forest in much of Alberta into a tinder box. The wildfire threat ranged from very high to extreme in different areas. An overnight update from the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo said the Beacon Hill suburb in the south end has suffered the most damage from flames with 80 percent of the homes lost. A dozen trailers on one street in the neighborhood of Timberlea have gone up in flames, with serious losses are reported in the Abasand and Waterways suburbs. Some homes have been lost in four other neighborhoods. Fire chief Darby Allen told the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. on Wednesday that parts of wooded areas of the city are still burning but no structures were currently on fire. But Allen said he's worried about the plumes of smoke he sees outside his window and worried about the wind and its direction. "It could be even more devastating unfortunately," he said. Firefighters were working to protect critical infrastructure, including the only bridge across the Athabasca River and Highway 63, the only major route to the city in or out. Forestry manager Bernie Schmitte told reporters overnight that there was still danger from "very high temperatures, low relative humidities and some strong winds. " Canadian Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale said in a statement Wednesday he is watching the situation with "great concern" and said "situation is fluid and evolving rapidly. " He noted the federal government is monitoring the situation carefully, including the military. Defense Minister Harjit Sajjan, in a conference call from Germany early Wednesday, confirmed a formal request for assistance has been received from the Alberta government. What form that will take — at least on the military side — is still being determined and they are expecting to hear soon about the kind of equipment and personnel required. "We're making all assets available," he said. Alberta Premier Rachel Notley called it the biggest evacuation in the history of the province. Residents were panicked. "When you leave ... it's an overwhelming feeling to think that you'll never see your house again," said resident Carol Christian, who drove to the evacuation center with her son and their cat. "It was absolutely horrifying when we were sitting there in traffic. You look up and then you watch all the trees candle-topping... up the hills where you live and you're thinking, 'Oh my God. We got out just in time.'" Fort McMurray is the heart of Canada's oil sands region. The Alberta oil sands are the third largest reserves of oil in the world behind Saudi Arabia and Venezuela. Most oil sands projects are well north of the community, while the worst of the flames were on the city's south side. The Regional Municipality of Wood said evacuees who are north of Fort McMurray should stay north because they are safe. Suncor, the largest oil sands operator, said it is reducing production at its regional facility - about 15 miles north of the city - so as "to allow employees and their families to get to safety. " Resident Breanna Schmidt said evacuating almost felt like "an apocalypse. " "We had to literally drive through smoke and fire, vehicles littered all over the sides of the road, and we had to drive as fast as we could and breathe as little as we could because the smoke was so intense and we could feel the heat from inside the vehicle," she said. Former National Hockey League player Doug Sulliman said he could see from his apartment balcony that both sides of the highway south were engulfed in flames and estimated hundreds of homes in Beacon Hill suburb over the hill were destroyed. "You could hear the pop, pop, pop because of the propane tanks. The fire was just consuming these houses. It just destroyed the whole community," he said. He decided the best place to stay was the apartment, but he was forced out three hours later. "I woke up just in time," he said in a phone interview. "Smoke had come into the apartment, but not bad. When I opened the door to the hallway it was burning my eyes and when I went outside it was burning my throat. " He said the highway opened and it was bumper to bumper and said there were many cars on the side of the road because service stations were out of fuel. He said RV campsites were destroyed. "There was a Shell gas station that blew up and a Denny's next door. There was nothing but the foundation and it was still smoldering in flames," he said. The blaze had burned since Sunday and seemed on its way to being neutralized Tuesday morning, but it overwhelmed firefighters when winds shifted quickly and drastically mid-afternoon Tuesday. Pictures and video on social media depicted a hellish scene of fire jumping roads and burning debris pitched into the paths of cars as frantic residents, lined up bumper to bumper, scrambled and fumbled to find their way through the thick gray haze. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his thoughts are with Alberta and said he's offered the premier the federal government's full support. He encouraged Canadians to support friends and donate to the Red Cross. "We will be there for them," Trudeau said. Oil sands work camps were being pressed into service to house evacuees. ——— Associated Press reporter Rob Gillies in Toronto contributed to this report.

2016-05-05 00:04 By abcnews.go.com

38 Escaped convict accused of beating Gwinnett cop with officer’s... Just One More Thing... We have sent you a verification email. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your profile. If you do not receive the verification message within a few minutes of signing up, please check your Spam or Junk folder.

2016-05-04 21:39 Lauren Foreman www.ajc.com

39 Kim Wong fulfills vow to hand over P450M to AMLC one day early MANILA — Saying that he was a man of his word, casino junket operator Kim Wong turned over to the government, on Wednesday, the fourth and final tranche of funds, which he said he unwittingly received as payment from Chinese gaming clients, without knowing that money came from the $81-million electronic heist on the central bank of Bangladesh. He also beat a self-imposed one-month deadline for raising the funds and turning them over to authorities. “I am a man of my word,” Wong said in an interview Wednesday morning in City as bundles of cash — in denominations of P1,000 and P500 bills — were prepared on a long conference table for delivery to the Anti-Money Laundering Council. “I told the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee that I would return P450 million within one month ,” he said. “I made that promise last April 5. Now I have fulfilled that promise one day earlier.” The businessman told lawmakers that the funds were brought into the country — through an electronic bank transfer made to the Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. — by a long-time casino client Gao Shuhua and an associate named Ding Zhize, as payment for a P450-million gambling debt that Gao had incurred in 2014 while playing in Wong’s casino junket outfit. Wong stressed, however, that he didn’t know about the funds’ provenance and neither did he inquire about it, since asking gamblers about the source of their money would be anathema in the casino business, and neither has it been required by law. “But when I learned that it was dirty money, I volunteered to return it,” he said. Along with several other parties, Wong is now the subject of a money laundering complaint filed by the AMLC with the Department of Justice. The businessman told the Philippine Daily Inquirer on Wednesday , that he was looking forward to being exonerated so he could return to tending his junket operation business. He said his clients have shied away from him since the controversy broke in late February. “Friends whom I’ve helped before chipped in to help me raise the funds that I’ve turned over,” he said. “Now they’re helping me. They lent me money.” Wong has so far turned over to the AMLC for safekeeping — and eventual return to Bangladesh, once the courts clear it — $4.6 million as the first tranche, P38 million as the second tranche, P200 million as the third tranche and Wednesday’s P250 million as the final tranche, all in cash. This represents the entire amount that Wong and his company, Eastern Hawaii Leisure Ltd., received from the $81-million in laundered funds that went through RCBC’s Jupiter Branch in City. The total amount turned over to the AMLC was placed inside nine large plastic bags. It was delivered by Wong’s counsel Kristoffer James Purisima. “Raising this amount wasn’t easy,” Wong said, crediting his “well-meaning friends” for their assistance. “They acknowledge my current predicament. The first P200 million came from Solaire. I paid [Solaire] earlier for a debt I owed and they lent me the same amount again.” Asked what he would do after turning over all the laundered funds in his possession, Wong said he would move on, concentrate on growing his business and facing court cases. Since most of his personal and corporate accounts have been frozen, he said doing business has been difficult. But he stressed that his reputation as a casino junket operator has remained intact and that his patrons have remained loyal. “My conscience is clear,” Wong said. SFM 2016-05-04 23:44 Daxim L globalnation.inquirer.net

40 Nixon vetoes Missouri legislation to cap school funding goal JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon vetoed a measure Wednesday that would cap the targets state government uses to fund public K- 12 schools, chiding legislators for approving a “broken promise” to students he said will pave the way for them to enact more tax breaks. The bill passed with enough votes in the House and Senate to override a veto, and the top House member pushing the bill says he has “no doubts” lawmakers will attempt an override. The measure would limit the growth of what’s called the state adequacy target, which lawmakers use when setting goals for how much money schools should receive. Although it wouldn’t limit spending, it would mean the target couldn’t increase by more than 5 percent every two years. The move to change that formula comes after the Legislature and governor have failed to meet funding goals for schools for years. The formula used to determine how much money lawmakers should aim to spend on basic aid for K-12 schools included a 5 percent cap when legislators created it in 2005. Lawmakers dropped the cap in 2009, hoping to receive more money from gambling that never came. “Senate Bill 586 would provide cover for legislators to turn their backs on our local schools by passing even more reckless tax breaks that will further erode funding for education and require local taxpayers to shoulder more of the financial burden to provide our children with a quality education,” said Nixon, who announced the veto at a Ferguson school. That prompted one lawmaker to criticize Nixon for using those students as “props.” Basic aid for K-12 schools next fiscal year falls more than $400 million short of funding goals in the spending plan lawmakers passed this year, even with a proposed $71 million increase. “That money’s not there,” said Republican Rep. David Wood, who led the effort in the House. “It hasn’t been there.” Funding would only be about $54 million short under the proposal Nixon vetoed. Supporters say the change will make meeting targeted basic aid for schools more feasible and give lawmakers more of an incentive to reach those goals. University City Democrat Sen. Maria Chapelle-Nadal in a statement slammed Nixon for the veto. She also criticized the governor for announcing his action in Ferguson, where a white police officer fatally shot black 18-year-old Michael Brown in 2014. That drew international attention to the St. Louis suburb and spurred sometimes violent demonstrations. “The governor didn’t bother to show up when Ferguson was on fire, yet today he had no problem using the children of Ferguson as a politically expedient prop,” she said. “He literally vetoed the bill in front of the very children the legislation was designed to help.” The measure passed the Senate unanimously, but met pushback from House Democrats. Assistant House Minority Leader Gail McCann Beatty in a statement says the measure shows the GOP-led Legislature has failed to meet funding goals. She called on House Republicans to “reject their past failures and instead join with us to do whatever is necessary to finally fulfill our commitments to Missouri’s children.” But Wood, of Versailles, said he has “no doubts” lawmakers will attempt an override, which appears likely if members stick to their original votes. __ Missouri school funding bill is SB 586. Online: Story Continues →

2016-05-04 21:43 - Associated Press - Wednesday, May 4, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com

41 WATCH: When millennials meet Martial Law victims Shock and tears. These were the reactions of young Filipinos who unexpectedly met with martial law victims in a viral video that has generated over 51,000 shares and more than 1.3 million views on Facebook, as of writing. The four-minute video was uploaded online by the group Campaign Against the Return of the Marcoses to Malacañang (CARMMA). The millennials who took part in the video are aged 19-22, and are also first time voters. They were not born yet when Martial Law was declared by the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos in 1972. During the first part of the video, the millennials were asked by older people what they think about the effects of the Martial Law years. All of them gave a positive feedback, and even favored Martial :aw. One thought that during the Marcos regime, "the law was followed and people were disciplined," while another participant said that "it was good for (the) country. " One millennial even defended Martial Law, saying it was "like how your parents are strict because they love you. " Tthe next part of the video revealed the identities of the persons who asked them questions. It turned out they were human rights victims during the Martial Law era. One victim, Danilo Dela Fuente, described how he was electrocuted starting from his elbows until it almost reached his brain's membrane that could have killed him. Lourdes Victoriano was an urban poor activist during Martial Law. Victoriano was later arrested and raped during the Marcos regime. Meanwhile, Rodel Briones said they were playing basketball when soldiers took him and his friends. Soldiers accused him of throwing a grenade in a rally in Manila. Briones said a drunken soldier told them to strip and hit them with a bench. They were then put inside a tiny holding cell where 17 people had to fit. During the narration, the millennials could not help but get teary-eyed and feel guilty. One of them said, "it's overwhelming to discover what happened during Martial Law. " While another one said "they (were taught) differently in school. " One young person said she actually did not know anything about Martial Law, despite favoring it, and she was sorry for it. AGAINST MARCOS' RETURN The group CARMMA is campaigning against the return of the Marcoses in Malacañang. The son of the late dictator is running for vice-president in the May 9 elections. Sen. Bongbong Marcos is now statistically tied with Liberal Party standard bearer Leni Robredo in the latest ABS-CBN Pulse Asia survey. (READ: Leni, Bongbong share lead in new ABS-CBN survey) Marcos earlier refused to apologize about human rights abuses during his father's Martial Law. (READ: Still no sorry from Bongbong Marcos for Martial Law abuses) Marcos served as vice governor (1981) and governor (1983 to 1986) of Ilocos Norte during Martial Law. CARMMA believes that the true story of Martial Law "is not being taught in schools," as stated in the last part of the video. The group said it is against Bongbong Marcos becoming vice president "because he is not the guiltless son that he presents himself to be. "

2016-05-04 23:34 ABS-CBN news.abs-cbn.com

42 Russia counters U. S.-NATO moves in eastern Europe with its own extra military divisions Moscow announced plans to create three more military divisions to protect its southern and western borders, days after U. S. and NATO military leaders unveiled plans to stand up a 4,200-member force in Eastern Europe to counterRussian aggression there. The new divisions, totaling roughly 30,000 troops, will be in place by the end of this year, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced Wednesday. The bulk of those forces will be deployed to Russia ’s Western Military District, which sits along the country’s borders with Ukraine, Belarus, the Baltic states and Finland, Mr. Shoigu said in a televised interview with Russian media outlets. Mr. Shoigu pulled no punches in explaining Moscow’s troop buildup along its western flanks, telling reporters that the effort was clearly driven by NATO plans to deploy thousands of troops into the Baltic region. “The Ministry of Defense has adopted [these] series of measures to counter the growing capacity of NATO forces in close proximity to the Russian borders,” Mr. Shoigu said. Tensions between Washington and Moscow in the region reached a fever pitch this month after Russian fighters and attack helicopters carried out simulated attacks on the USS Donald Cook, a Navy destroyer operating in the Baltic Sea. For two days, Russian pilots “made numerous, close-range and low-altitude passes” above the Donald Cook while it was conducting routine maritime drills, mimicking maneuvers used to strafe enemy targets. On Saturday, a Russian fighter jet reportedly conducted a “barrel roll” over a U. S. Air Force RC- 135 reconnaissance plane flying over the Baltic Sea, flying within 100 feet of the American aircraft, according to reports. The Pentagon and NATO chastised the Kremlin for its bellicose behavior, calling the maneuvers “unsafe and unprofessional.” Rhetoric from Washington regarding Russia ’s actions also has become more aggressive. Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump said Monday that U. S. forces should fire on Russian warplanes if such harassment continues. “You can’t do that. That’s called taunting. But it should certainly start with diplomacy, and it should start quickly with a phone call to [Russian President Vladimir] Putin, wouldn’t you think?” Mr. Trump said during a campaign stop in California. “And if that doesn’t work out, I don’t know, you know, at a certain point, when that sucker comes by you, you’ve got to shoot,” he told the crowd of supporters attending the rally. U. S. European Command chief Army Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti told congressional lawmakers that all options — including military force — should be considered as responses if Russia continues its overt harassment of U. S. forces. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said Monday that NATO is weighing the establishment of a rotational ground force in the Baltic states and possibly Poland as a deterrent to Russian aggression. Story Continues →

2016-05-04 23:31 The RC www.washingtontimes.com

43 Malta’s premier visits Libya to discuss migration, security VALLETTA, Malta (AP) - Malta’s prime minister became the first head of government to visit Libya since the formation of a unity government following a U. N.-brokered agreement, meeting the Libyan prime minister-designate at a naval base near Tripoli’s international airport. Libya’s prime minister-designate, Fayez al-Serraj, said the illegal migration phenomenon is a priority for the government, telling reporters that “we need to find solutions.” On security in Libya, al-Serraj said Libya always asked for assistance from the European Union, not intervention. “The kind of assistance will be agreed by our experts and those of the EU and international community,” he said, without offering a time frame. Prime Minister Joseph Muscat told Maltese reporters that they discussed the presence of Islamic State militants in and around Sirte, noting that the unity government “is still operating from inside a military base, rather than from ministries.” “Security, at least in Tripoli, is one of our main concerns,” Muscat said. Muscat said the two countries agreed to set up technical commissions to work on illegal migration and energy issues. The possibility of Air Malta resuming flights to Libya was also discussed. Malta wants to re-open its embassy in Libya, but first wants to ensure the safety of its diplomats. “We will probably be one of the first Western countries to open an embassy here and that will undoubtedly lead to some pressure on the issuance of visas,” he said. “We need to be prepared for this, to see how this will be managed, and identify any problems and find solutions.” Libya slid into chaos following the 2011 uprising that toppled Moammar Gadhafi and has been split between rival governments since 2014. The visit was part of a concerted effort by the European Union to boost al-Serraj’s authority. Western nations hope that his U. N.-backed government can unite the country in order to combat an increasingly powerful IS affiliate there. IS militants gained a foothold in Libya amid the power struggle and security vacuum, taking over the central city of Sirte and carrying out deadly attacks across the country.

2016-05-04 23:31 - Associated Press - Wednesday, May 4, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com

44 SC to give final honors to Corona MANILA - Former Chief Justice Renato Corona's remains will be brought to the Supreme Court (SC) for the last time on Thursday and will be accorded the high court's final honors. Corona's remains will arrive at the high court at 8:30 a.m. and will be received by acting Chief Justice Teresita Leonardo-De Castro, the fourth most senior magistrate of the high court. Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, and third most senior Associate Justice Presbitero Velasco Jr. are all on leave. READ: Former Chief Justice Corona dies A final tribute and necrological service will take place at a.m. at the En Banc Session Hall. The Philippine Judges Association (PJA) will also sponsor necrological services at 4 p.m. Corona's remains will lie in state at the SC until Friday morning. Corona will be buried at the Heritage Memorial Park in City at 9 a.m. on Friday.

2016-05-04 23:30 Ina Reformina news.abs-cbn.com

45 Judge certifies class action lawsuit for laid-off miners BECKLEY, W. Va. (AP) - A lawsuit filed by miners who say they were unlawfully laid off in Wyoming County has been certified as a class action. The Register-Herald reports (http://bit.ly/1Y8wwMZ) Judge Irene Berger granted the certification Tuesday in Beckley federal court. The order says Michael Ray and at least 76 miners at the Double-Bonus Mine No. 65, owned by Mechel Bluestone Inc., were laid off between November 2013 and December 2013, in violation of the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act. The miners say they were laid off verbally, without a sixty-day notice and their medical and dental coverage was improperly terminated. The lawsuit says the United Mine Workers also didn’t receive written notice of the layoff. A pretrial conference hearing is set for July 21, and the trial is slated for August 8. ___ Information from: The Register-Herald, http://www.register-herald.com

2016-05-04 23:28 - Associated Press - Wednesday, May 4, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com

46 Beyonce statement calls for equality in North Carolina RALEIGH, N. C. (AP) - Beyonce is supporting efforts to overturn a North Carolina law limiting legal protections to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. The entertainment icon did not directly speak out against House Bill 2 on her website Wednesday, but she did display a photo of a person wearing a T-shirt displaying the slogan “Y’all means all” followed by the Internet address of Equality NC. In a statement on the site, Beyonce said Equality NC is one of several organizations “doing the good work to get this bill overturned,” and asked her fans to donate, volunteer or attend an event. Beyonce brought her The Formation World Tour to Raleigh on Wednesday. She said she thought it was important “to bring attention to those who are committed to … carrying on the message of equality.”

2016-05-04 23:28 - Associated Press - Wednesday, May 4, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com

47 $2.6 billion construction budget heads to Ohio governor COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - A $2.6 billion capital budget bill that funds a range of improvements to school buildings, parks, bridges and roads is headed to Ohio’s governor. The spending plan was introduced last month after months of negotiations over the projects. State representatives passed the bill on an 89-1 vote Wednesday. The Senate has already approved it. The bill includes: - $650 million for repairs, renovations and maintenance at primary and secondary schools. - Over $428 million for Ohio’s 37 public 2- and 4-year colleges and universities, plus almost $56 million to the state university system. - $500 million to the Public Works Commission for local infrastructure projects, including up to $100 million to clean up brownfields, conserve green space and preserve farmland. - $160 million for economic and cultural development.

2016-05-04 23:27 - Associated Press - Wednesday, May 4, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com

48 Video: Transgender Woman Records Stranger Attack Her on NYC Subway Now Playing: Family's Home Burns Down First Night They Move In Now Playing: Bernie Sanders Indiana Victory Sparks Discussion on 'The View' Now Playing: Fired Employee Kills Himself and Co-Worker at Texas Workplace Now Playing: Wife of DEA Employee Dies After Drive-By Shooting Now Playing: Takata Airbag Recall Will More Than Double in Size Now Playing: Girl, 7, Uses Bogus Excuse Note to Take School Bus Home Now Playing: Humpback Whale Nearly Docks at Alaska Marina Now Playing: Girls' Night Out: Homes for the Needy Now Playing: 'Little Miss Flint' to Meet With Obama Now Playing: US Navy SEAL Killed in ISIS Attack Now Playing: 3 Killed in Small Plane Crash on Long Island

2016-05-04 23:27 ABC News abcnews.go.com

49 Official: Teacher violated policy with racially charged word SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - An official says a white Utah teacher violated school district policy by using a racially charged word in his junior high class. Weber School District spokesman Nate Taggart says appropriate administrative action was taken against history teacher Douglas Barker. Further details were not provided on the action. Taggart says Barker used the N-word before showing his class of 8th graders the Civil War movie “Glory.” Barker said in an email Wednesday that he was making sure his students understood why the word would be used in the film. Parent Holly Frye said her 14-year-old son doesn’t feel safe at school after the experience last month at South Ogden Junior High School. Frye, who is black, says she wants Barker removed as a history teacher.

2016-05-04 23:27 - Associated Press - Wednesday, May 4, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com

50 Sidelined: LGBT laws, NCAA policy could keep teams at home Teams could pull out of scheduled NCAA events this spring because of new state laws in North Carolina, Mississippi and Tennessee while the sport’s governing body’s demands for discrimination-free environments at the places where its events are held won’t take effect until the fall. Though there are many potential unknowns before the measure takes effect, 27 NCAA championships are scheduled this spring and some state laws are already on the books and the decisions go beyond coaches and athletic departments. A Minnesota state university system banned its athletic teams from traveling to tournaments in North Carolina, which passed a law that opponents say can allow discrimination against LGBT people. Most of the schools in that system are Division II or III schools; the University of Minnesota, a member of the Big Ten, is not one of them. The decision means that one of the top baseball teams in Division II, St. Cloud State - ranked No. 3 in one of the top 25 polls - will likely stay home and forgo the opportunity to reach its first Division II World Series later this month in Cary, North Carolina. Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton said system leaders are in the process of reconsidering the ban, and St. Cloud State President Earl Potter is hopeful a resolution is reached. He said in a statement Wednesday that the school will “not engage in any speculation at this point” because the NCAA “is tracking this situation and is working to determine how many teams might be affected by such bans.” Minnesota State-Mankato, which has advanced to Cary four times since 2010, also is part of that system of schools. “This is something that is beyond our control at this point, so you trust that the people making those decisions have made them for the right reasons,” coach Matt Magers said. The NCAA will require sites hosting or bidding on both its predetermined and merit-based events to show how they will provide an environment that is “safe, healthy and free from discrimination.” Spokeswoman Stacey Osburn said the NCAA is looking for the best way to implement the measure. What they decide is a concern for people like Scott Dupree, the executive director of the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance. His group helps with the bidding on and organizing of sporting events in the North Carolina Triangle. He said organizations that host or bid on games will have to complete a form from the NCAA outlining its anti-discrimination requirements. “The question is, what specifically is that form going to require of cities and hosts, and is that something we’ll be capable of meeting?” Dupree said. “I know they’ll ask that we guarantee a championship environment that is free of discrimination. And of course we have been doing that in the past, for years, with no problem. We have a proven record in that regard. “But what if the NCAA comes back to us and says, ‘Well you’re promising all of this, but the fact is you still have a law on the books that allows for discrimination.’ That’s my concern,” Dupree added. In adopting its measure, the NCAA said it was following the actions of legislatures in several states but did not identify them. In addition to North Carolina, Mississippi and Tennessee have passed similar laws. The anti-discrimination policy seems to close a loophole in previous NCAA directives. Story Continues →

2016-05-04 23:27 FILE www.washingtontimes.com

51 Theater curators visiting Colorado towns this week WESTMINSTER, Colo. (AP) - Curators who travel the country studying and preserving early American theater artifacts are in Colorado, reviving memories of the days when the Denver suburb of Westminster was known for apple orchards and dairy farms and its Grange Hall was the heart of the community. On Wednesday, Vermont-based conservationist Christine Hadsel noted the blocks of advertising hand-painted on the hall’s theater curtain. None of the advertisers are still in business. But their names and an outline of a town’s history are preserved on the length of muslin that had been draped over cafeteria tables to be dusted and patched under Hadsel’s supervision. Hadsel and colleague Mary-Jo Davis of Curtains Without Borders were brought in by Colorado Preservation Inc. They also plan to visit Silver Plume, Longmont and Aurora this week.

2016-05-04 23:27 - Associated Press - Wednesday, May 4, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com

52 The Latest: Lawyer: Law protects 911 caller in Prince death MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - The Latest on the death of music superstar Prince (all times local): 12:40 p.m. A Minneapolis attorney says he believes Minnesota law would protect a California man from any potential charges related to Prince’s death. William Mauzy represents Dr. Howard Kornfeld and his son, Andrew. Mauzy says Andrew Kornfeld traveled to Minnesota to see Prince after his father was asked to help the singer deal with a painkiller addiction. He says the younger Kornfeld showed up at Paisley Park on April 21 and was one of three people to find Prince unresponsive. The singer was soon pronounced dead. Mauzy says Andrew Kornfeld, who isn’t a doctor, was carrying a small amount of bruprenorphine, which can be given to patients with addiction issues to provide pain relief with less possibility of overdose and addiction. Andrew Kornfeld has been questioned by investigators, but Mauzy says he believes he is protected by a Minnesota law that lets people report overdoses without fear of prosecution. The attorney also says Andrew Kornfeld never intended to give the bruprenorphine directly to Prince, but rather to a doctor who had planned to evaluate Prince. ___ 12:05 p.m. A Minneapolis lawyer for a California addiction doctor says neither the doctor nor the doctor’s son met or spoke with Prince before the music legend’s death last month. William Mauzy told reporters Wednesday that representatives of Prince reached out to Dr. Howard Kornfeld the day before Prince died and that Kornfeld sent his son, Andrew Kornfeld, to meet with Prince because the doctor couldn’t immediately fly to Minnesota. Mauzy said Kornfeld also called a Minnesota doctor to check Prince, and the doctor had cleared his morning schedule for Prince the day of his death. He refused to identify the doctor The lawyer says Andrew Kornfeld went to Prince’s suburban Minneapolis estate the morning of his death and was one of three people who found Prince’s unresponsive body in an elevator there. He confirmed a Minneapolis Star Tribune report that Andrew Kornfeld was the one who called 911. -Andrew Kornfeld’s name has been corrected on second reference. He had been erroneously referred to as Andrew Mauzy. 6:30 a.m. Story Continues →

2016-05-04 23:27 In this www.washingtontimes.com

53 Ecuadoreans in US seek immigration help after quake LOS ANGELES (AP) - Ecuadoreans immigrants are asking the Obama administration to allow their fellow citizens in the United States illegally to stay here and work while the South American country recovers from a magnitude- 7.8 earthquake. A group of Ecuadorean activists in Los Angeles on Wednesday joined similar calls by Democratic lawmakers after an April 16 quake killed more than 650 people and left thousands homeless. The U. S. periodically grants so-called temporary protected status to countries ravaged by war or natural disasters, such as Nepal following a 2015 earthquake. More than 300,000 people from more than a dozen countries are covered by such programs. Critics say the status isn’t really temporary since it can be continually renewed, noting Salvadorans granted the benefit in 2001 still have it.

2016-05-04 23:27 - Associated Press - Wednesday, May 4, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com

54 Trial set for 2 men accused of dismembering woman’s body URBANA, Ill. (AP) - Two of the six men charged with dismembering a missing Champaign woman’s body will be held for trial after a judge heard testimony from a detective. Judge Tom Difanis on Tuesday found probable cause to try Randale Banks, 28, and Reginald Logan, 23, The (Champaign) News-Gazette (http://bit.ly/21xf86D ) reported. He set their trial date for May 31. The men are accused of cutting up 24-year-old Ashley Gibson’s body after she was found dead in a northwest Champaign home following a party where illegal drugs were used. Champaign police Sgt. Dave Griffet told the judge that the men bleached, dismembered and burned her body. Gibson was last seen April 17. Her remains were found April 24 in Clinton Lake in DeWitt County. Griffet confirmed that police also found human remains in the home’s backyard after a two-day search. Although Banks’ attorney, Andrea Bergstrom of Urbana, and Logan’s attorney, Bruce Ratcliffe of Champaign, were present Tuesday, the judge gave them no opportunity to cross-examine Griffet. The Associated Press left a message seeking comment Wednesday with Banks’ attorney. Logan’s attorney declined to comment because he said he hadn’t yet seen the police report. Banks, Logan and Davion Hedrick, 26, who hosted the party at his home, made their first court appearance Friday. The three other men charged in the case haven’t made local court appearances. Javon Tate, 19, was sent back to the Department of Corrections on Thursday on an alleged parole violation. Donte Meeks, 25, was arrested Monday night in Missouri after a brief foot chase. And Deundrea Weatherspoon, 25, hasn’t been located by police. ___ Information from: The News-Gazette, http://www.news-gazette.com

2016-05-04 23:27 - Associated Press - Wednesday, May 4, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com

55 Legislature passes bill for excess power program earnings JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) - The Alaska Legislature has passed a bill that would divvy up any excess earnings from a fund set up to help rural areas faced with high electricity costs. The legislation would allow for 70 percent of excess earnings from the Power Cost Equalization endowment fund to be put to other uses. Of that percentage, any amount up to $30 million would go toward a community assistance program, money that could be critical to that program. Up to $25 million beyond that would go for renewable energy and bulk fuel programs and rural power system upgrades. The remaining 30 percent of any excess earnings is expected to revert to the endowment. The House passed the bill last week and the Senate passed it Wednesday. It next goes to Gov. Bill Walker.

2016-05-04 23:26 - Associated Press - Wednesday, May 4, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com

56 APNewsBreak: WNBA, union amend CBA for overseas play fines NEW YORK (AP) - The WNBA and its players union have agreed to amend the collective bargaining agreement on fines for overseas play. According to emails obtained by The Associated Press, players will no longer be fined for missing time for overseas national team commitments if they notify their WNBA teams in advance. About a dozen players, including Epiphanny Prince, Natalie Achonwa, Shavonte Zellous and Allie Quigley, missed games last season and were subsequently fined. “It’s huge,” WNBA union president Tamika Catchings said. “I think as a league, last year was a big experiment with a lot of players having to represent their countries to play in the Olympics. How do you penalize those people? It’s something we tossed around a lot. We talked with a lot of the foreigners, who want to play in the WNBA. It’s an honor to represent their country, a win- win for all.” With this being an Olympic year, even more players will miss time. It’s not just those from teams that already have qualified for the Rio Games, but also those playing in the last-chance qualifying tournament in the middle of June. The league and union settled last year’s cases on an individual basis and players will be getting at least some of that fine money back. While most of those fines were 1 percent of their salary for each game missed, a few players were given a 2.5 percent penalty - the maximum allowed. and of the were fined the higher amount after they missed five games to play in a 3-on-3 tournament in , . Those fines came on top of the money the players lost for being suspended without pay for the games they missed. “In a sense they were getting double fined,” Catchings said. “We consider it a win-win where everyone benefits. Any time you can get money back, we’re like ‘hallelujah.’ We’re looking to the future of the CBA. For the league, it’s important to have foreign players feel comfortable to play in the WNBA and still represent their country.” Under the CBA, which was ratified in 2014, either the team or the league could impose the fines on the players but not both. Now, only a team can impose the fines unless the player doesn’t give it adequate notice. Then the league can still fine her. A sticking point last year was the amount of the fine and whether players would be fined. The CBA set a maximum amount but no minimum. It was the union’s understanding that if the team chose not to fine the players, then that would have been the end of it. However, even when a team didn’t fine, the league still imposed a financial penalty on those players. “The resolution accurately reflects the intention of the collectively bargained agreement between the players and WNBA regarding national team obligations and fines,” said agent Lindsay Kagawa Colas, who represents Prince among her WNBA clients. The league declined to comment on the change in the CBA. ___ Follow Doug on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/dougfeinberg 2016-05-04 23:26 - Associated Press - Wednesday, May 4, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com

57 Pig that attacked, injured 2 people on farm to be euthanized TOWNSEND, Mass. (AP) - Authorities say a pig that attacked two people on a Massachusetts farm will be euthanized and tested for rabies. Townsend Police Chief Robert M. Eaton Jr. announced the decision Wednesday. Police responded to a call Tuesday evening about an injured woman at the farm about 50 miles northwest of Boston. Officers found a 38-year-old woman with lacerations from an apparent pig attack. She was taken to a hospital for further treatment. Less than two hours later, rescuers were called to the same location in response to a report of a man who had received more serious injuries from the same animal. Police say the 50-year-old man suffered life-threatening injuries but is in stable condition. The animal, an adult boar, or male pig, was quarantined. It’s unclear why the pig attacked.

2016-05-04 23:26 - Associated Press - Wednesday, May 4, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com

58 Illinois families sue over transgender access to locker room CHICAGO (AP) - Dozens of families are taking legal action in a bid to stop a suburban Chicago school district from allowing a transgender student to use a girls’ locker room. Attorneys for conservative groups Alliance Defending Freedom and Thomas More Society filed the lawsuit Wednesday in Chicago federal court. They represent 51 families with links to the Palatine-based Township High School District 211. The district last year agreed to let a student who was born male but identifies as female access the girls’ locker room. Federal officials had found the district violated the student’s rights. Under the agreement, the student can use a separate changing area in the girls’ locker room. Wednesday’s suit says the policy “tramples” on students’ privacy rights. The American Civil Liberties Union calls the lawsuit a “sad development.”

2016-05-04 23:26 - Associated Press - Wednesday, May 4, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com

59 Congo buries its king of rumba, world music star Papa Wemba KINSHASA, Congo (AP) - Thousands of Congolese attended the funeral Wednesday of Papa Wemba, a musician known around the world as the king of Congolese rumba. The 66-year-old musician died April 24 following a collapse on stage during a concert in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. His life has been celebrated with performances, ceremonies and parades since Monday. More than 15,000 people gathered outside, and 2,000 inside, the Notre Dame Cathedral in Kinshasa for the funeral service. “For three days, as one man, the Congolese people, Africa and the world mourn the man who came to be known as the father of Congolese rumba,” said Cardinal Laurent Monsengwo. Bishops, priests, officials, local celebrities and family members gathered near his coffin covered in a Congolese flag before going to his burial site some 60 kilometers (37 miles) away. Rain poured down in Kinshasa after the burial - a sign of a blessing in the country. Kinshasa mayor Andre Kimbuta said a mausoleum will be built in his honor. “I salute the master of art, a man of talent and genius,” he said. President Joseph Kabila on Monday gave him the posthumous title of Grand Officer of the National Order. The country’s cultural minister has said that a theater will be built in his memory. Kadi Shungu, the daughter of the musician, whose real name was Jules Shungu Wembadio Pene Kikumba, described him as “a loving father, affectionate, very generous and with a legendary hospitality.” Papa Wemba rose to fame in the Congolese capital of Kinshasa during the 1970s with the band Zaiko Langa Langa, whose guitar-based fusion of Latin and African dance styles inspired a generation of African musicians. He moved to Paris in the 1980s and helped popularize Congolese music beyond Africa. In the 1990s he toured with British rock star Peter Gabriel.

2016-05-04 23:24 People gather www.washingtontimes.com

60 Vijay Mallya's resignation from Rajya Sabha accepted New Delhi: Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari accepted Vijay Mallya's resignation from the house on Wednesday, a day after the embattled liquor baron, accused of defaulting on a Rs.9,000-crore loan he had taken from Indian banks, decided to quit "in keeping with the highest standards of ethics" as a member of parliament. The dramatic acceptance of resignation came even as the house ethics panel earlier recommended that the flamboyant businessman be expelled from the Rajya Sabha as his resignation letter recieved on Tuesday did not have his original signature. Vijay Mallya However, Rajya Sabha sources said Mallya sent another resignation letter to the chairman before the house could have taken the ethics panel report seeking his expulsion "with immediate effect". "The Rajya Sabha accepts the resignation of Vijay Mallya with effect from May 4 (Wednesday)," Deputy Chairman P. J. Kurien announced in the house. The ethics panel at its meeting on Tuesday recommended Mallya's expulsion. A panel report tabled in the house by its chairman Karan Singh said the "committee hopes that by taking such stern action, a message would reach the general public that parliament is committed to take such steps as are necessary against erring members to uphold the dignity and prestige of this great institution". Mallya is accused of defaulting on more than Rs.9,000 crore in loans he had taken from a consortium of banks. He left India on March 2 and is believed to be living in the United Kingdom. His passport was revoked after he failed to appear before the Enforcement Directorate despite three consecutive summons in an alleged money laundering case. Mallya was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 2002 and again in 2010 as an independent member from Karnataka. His current term was to end on June 30. He left India on March 2 as banks began putting pressure on him to repay the loans. Mallya, who claims to be in a forced exile, has denied he has defaulted and said he was the victim of media trial and a "lynch mob mentality".

2016-05-04 23:20 By IANS www.mid-day.com

61 Federation Cup: Lajong knocks out East Bengal Barasat (West Bengal): An extra-time strike from Brazilian forward Uilliams Bomfin sent Shillong Lajong through to the semi-finals, beating East Bengal 4- 3 on aggregate, after drawing 2-2 in the Federation Cup second leg football match here on Wednesday. In the first leg of the game at Shillong, Lajong had won 2-1 and come here with an one-goal advantage. Besides Uilliams, Fabio Pena scored for the visitors while Ranti Martins and Lalrindika Ralte netted one each for the local powerhouse at the Barasat stadium. After a few cagey exchanges in the early minutes, Lajong were given a penalty as East Bengal defender Deepak Mondal handed a ball. Brazilian striker Pena made no mistake from the spot and gave the visitors an early advantage. However, Lajong's joy was shortlived. At the other end, East Bengal too were awarded a spot- kick after as Do Dong-Hyun's powerful shot hit Nimdorjee Tamang's hand. East Bengal marksman Martins, who had been prolific in the recent I-League tournament, smashed home his chance with the goalkeeper Vishal Kaith diving the other way. Ralte then drew a save from Kaith after being released by Dong. And a few minutes later the two combined again and this time Ralte curled in his left-footer from about 10 yards out. At the breather the hosts led 2-1. After the restart it was Lajong who pushed forward in numbers and it almost paid off for the visitors as Bipin Singh had a simple tap in, but an alert East Bengal goalkeeper T. P. Rehenesh pulled off a brilliant save to keep the opponents from equalising. At the other end, East Bengal too missed a sitter as three of their players made a mockery of themselves and could not force the ball into the net. In the 53rd minute Pena came close again but hit the woodwork. Next it was former France international, defender Bernard Mendy's turn to get close and fail. He came on as a substitute for the hosts and found himself at the end of a brilliant cross from Martins but the Frenchman could not keep his volley down. There were no goals thereafter and the contest was forced into extra-time. With tie-breakers almost certain, Uilliams sent Lajong through after chesting down a cross and smashing it past Rehenesh six minutes from the end of extra-time. Lajong now will either face Mohun Bagan or Salgaocar in the semi-finals. Mohun Bagan host Salgaocar in the second leg match here on Thursday. Mohun Bagan lead 3-2 after the first leg.

2016-05-04 23:12 By IANS www.mid-day.com

62 Police bust Jaish cell plotting attack, arrest three New Delhi: Police on Wednesday said they had busted a major Jaish-e- Mohammed (JeM) terrorist module and arrested three suspects who were planning an attack in Delhi and neighbouring areas. Ten suspects, with alleged links to the Pakistan-based group, were being questioned. Additional Sessions Judge Reetesh Singh later sent the three -- Mohammed Sajid, Shakir Ansari and Sameer -- to 10 days police custody. An Improvised Explosive Device (IED), 11 live batteries, six dry batteries, two timer devices, three pipes and 250 grams of explosive powder to be used for making bombs were recovered from them. Special commissioner of Police (Special cell) Arvind Deep told IANS that 10 more people were being questioned for possible links to the JeM and for providing logistical support to the terror cell. Police officials said the terror module was active and plotting to target "sensitive areas with maximum footfall like busy markets, shopping malls and other crowded places in Delhi and the national capital region". Police said the module was being closely monitored by special cell of Delhi Police with the help of the Intelligence Bureau for the last six months. It was busted after separate raids in parts of Delhi and neighbouring Uttar Pradesh since Tuesday. A police officer, requesting not to be named, said the suspects confessed to have learnt online how to assemble IEDs. They were now trying to procure more devices and execute their plan, the police officer said. Sajid, in his early 20s and a tailor by profession, was said to be one of the most wanted terrorists, whose left palm got burnt while assembling IED some time ago. He was arrested from his house in Chandbagh in Gokulpuri in east Delhi. Police claimed to have found residues of burned explosives in Sajid's house. Police believe that Sajid may have been assembling a bomb when it triggered accidentally and burnt his hand. "Shakir is the main accused and was heading the module. He was in direct touch with JeM operatives in Pakistan and was planning to visit Pakistan in coming days," the police officer said. Shakir was arrested from his residence in Deoband in Saharanpur district of Uttar Pradesh with the help of the state's Anti Terrorist Squad. Sameer was arrested from his house at Loni in Ghaziabad. Both Shakir and Sameer were said to be directly linked to the Jaish, which is suspected for the January 2 attack on the Indian Air Force base in Pathankot. The police said the three arrested and 10 detained knew each other and were in touch with each other through WhatsApp. "They held several meetings and the most recent known meeting was on December 20 at Sajid's house," Deep, the special commissioner, told IANS. He added that all the terror suspects did recce at several places in Delhi and NCR. Most of the detained suspects are below 30 and are residents of Delhi.

2016-05-04 23:08 By IANS www.mid-day.com

63 ISL: Atletico de Kolkata rope in Jose Molina as head coach Kolkata: Indian Super League (ISL) football franchise Atletico de Kolkata (ATK) on Tuesday announced the appointment of Jose Francisco Molina Jimenez as their head coach, for the third and upcoming edition of the tournament. He will be filling in the void created by Antonio Lopez Habas, who has switched allegiance to rivals FC Pune City. Atletico are the champions of the inaugural edition of the tournament in 2014. They reached the semi-finals last year. Jose Molina represented his national side Spain at the 1998 World Cup and two European Championships in 1996 and 2000. Molina's club career was intimately related with Spanish giants Atletico de Madrid, ATK's co-owner, for whom he featured in 189 matches over a period of five years as their goal keeper. As a player, Molina went on to win the La Liga and Copa Del Rey titles with Atletico de Madrid in 1995-96 season before joining Deportivo de La Coruna with whom he lifted the Copa Del Rey trophy. Molina has previously managed teams like Villarreal, and Kitchee. "I welcome Jose Molina into our Atletico de Kolkata family. Molina's experience with leading clubs of Spain and other parts of the world makes him an ideal candidate to take our on field performance few notches higher in his forthcoming assignment," ATK co-owner Sanjiv Goenka said in a release. "He will be instrumental in building the team’s strategy and help us select some good prospective footballers for the upcoming season. We wish him all the success and I am definitely sure that he will showcase the finest quality of football under his able guidance that has become synonymous to Atlético de Kolkata. "

2016-05-04 23:06 By IANS www.mid-day.com

64 Ranieri makes emotional phone call to Chelsea's Hiddink after win Leicester: Leicester City head coach Claudio Ranieri made an emotional phone call to Chelsea’s interim chief coach Guus Hiddink to thank his side for gifting the English Premier League (EPL) football title. Claudio Ranieri. Pic/ AFP Tottenham Hotspur who were also in the title race were knocked out of it as they were held to a 2-2 draw by Hiddink’s men at the Stamford Bridge on Monday night. Leicester are now seven points clear at the top with only two rounds of games to go. As soon as Eden Hazard equalised for the Blues in the 83rd minute of the contest, the whole stadium began to sing Ranieri’s name. “Just after the final whistle, a few minutes after the judo, I got a call from Ranieri. He thanked us especially for what we did in the second half and I congratulated him for being champions. They deserved it, it may be a bit of a shock for the established clubs that they did so well,” Hiddink was quoted as saying by the Guardian. "They didn’t implode, there was no tension when they started smelling the title. I didn’t see any tears because it was not a Facetime conversation but his voice was trembling a bit. He said five times thanks. His emotion was going up.” Tottenham coach Mauricio Pochettino also congratulated the Foxes for winning the title. “First of all I want to congratulate Leicester, Ranieri, the players and the staff and of course the supporters. They had a great season, they deserve the title. I’m disappointed because we fought to be in the race,” Pochettino said. "We’re disappointed but at the same time I’m proud of my players, the season was fantastic and we will still fight for second place.” Jose Mourinho, who lifted the trophy with Chelsea last season before departing the club in December after a dismal run of form, has lauded Ranieri, whom he replaced at the Blues in 2004. Portuguese coach paid homage to the efforts of every member of the Foxes' squad. He told CAA Sports: "I want to congratulate everyone connected to Leicester; players, staff, owners and fans. "I lost my title to Claudio Ranieri and it is with incredible emotion that I live this magic moment in his career. "

2016-05-04 23:06 By IANS www.mid-day.com

65 Rafael Nadal makes commanding start in Madrid Madrid: Fourteen-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal stretched his perfect start to the European clay-court season to 11 matches with a routine 6-3, 6-3 win over Russia's Andrey Kuznetsov to reach round three of the Madrid Masters on Tuesday. Rafael Nadal. Pic/ AFP Fresh from victories in Monte Carlo and Barcelona, Nadal will continue his quest for a fifth title in Madrid against American Sam Querrey or France's Lucas Pouille on Thursday. Nadal is looking for a record 50th career clay-court title in the Spanish capital and was rarely troubled by the world number 39 Kuznetsov. The Spaniard raced into a 3-0 first-set lead and one break was enough to seal the set as he staved off break points in the fourth game. Kuznetsov made a more positive start to the second to lead 3-2, but was blown away as Nadal, ominously for his rivals later in the week, found his rhythm to win the last four games. Nadal's path to the final was eased as his potential quarter-final opponent Roger Federer withdrew due to a back injury on Monday. However, he could face Andy Murray in the semi-finals in a repeat of last year's final as defending champion Murray gets his tournament underway against Czech veteran Radek Stepanek later on Tuesday. Frenchman Gael Monfils continued his fine form after losing to Nadal in the final of Monte Carlo last month as he saw off Kevin Anderson 6-4, 6-1. Controversial Australian Nick Kyrgios set up an enticing second-round clash with fourth seed Stanislas Wawrinka as he battled past Argentine Guido Pella 7-6 (9/7), 6-4. A dreadful week for Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov continued as he exited in the first round 7-6 (7/3), 6-3 to Pablo Carreno Busta two days after defaulting in the final of the Istanbul Open for a racquet-smashing tirade. And former US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro scored an impressive 7-6 (7/5), 6-3 win over in-form 14th seed Dominic Thiem. In the women's Madrid Open there was a better day for the favourites after a series of high-profile exits left just five seeds left in the draw. World number seven Simona Halep thrashed Karin Knapp 6-1, 6-1 to set up a third-round clash with Timea Bacsinszky as the 10th seed overcame Ekaterina Makarova 6-4. 5-7, 6-4. Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro booked her place in the last 16 with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Germany's Sabine Lisicki. Sam Stosur and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova also reached the third round without having to hit a ball as 11th seed Lucie Safarova and Camila Giorgi withdrew.

2016-05-04 23:05 By AFP www.mid-day.com

66 Aizawl stunned I-League champions Bangalore to enter Federation Cup semifinals in maiden appearance Bengaluru: Aizawl Football Club stunned I-League Champions Bangalore FC 3-2 to book a historic semifinal berth in their maiden appearance in the Federation Cup here today. Aizawl, who finished eighth out of nine teams in the just-concluded I-League, led 2-1 at half time through a double strike from Joel Sunday in the 26th and 37th minutes while C K Vineeth scored for Bengaluru in the 28th minute. David Lalrinmuana (73rd) scored the third goal for Aizawl while star India striker Sunil Chhetri reduced the deficit to 2-3 for Bengaluru in the 74th minute. In the end, Aizawl stormed into the semifinals on 5-3 aggregate in the home and away tie and knock Bengaluru out of the tournament. Having lost 1-2 in the first leg in Aizawl, Bengaluru needed to win today by at least two goals and head coach Ashley Westwood made quick replacements, especially in the second half to add sting to the attack when his team was trailing 1-3. Aizawl took the lead through Sunday, who shot the ball past goalkeeper Amrinder Singh in the 26th minute. Within two minutes of Aizawl bulging the net, Bengaluru struck back as Vineeth took advantage of a poor clearance and shot the ball home. Aizawl came back strongly to take lead for the second time in the match, after Sunday netted his second goal off a clever pass from Jaryan in the 37th minute. Aizwal further increased the lead to 3-1 after Lalrinmuana fired in past a hapless Amrinder in the 49th minute. After several attacks, Chhetri reduced the deficit (2-3) after he sent Aizawl goalkeeper Poirei the wrong way off a penalty kick in the 74th minute. Thereafter, Bengaluru tried to create something but were denied by some resolute defending by Poirei in dying minutes. Chhteri nearly missed an equaliser in the 88th minute when he was inches away from poking the ball home off a Kim Song Yong pass.

2016-05-04 23:04 By PTI www.mid-day.com

67 INC reminds flock to vote as one on May 9 MANILA — The Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church of Christ) issued a circular to its flock on Wednesday , reminding them to vote as one in the May 9 elections as an exercise of their faith. In a circular read after worship services on Wednesday , INC executive minister Eduardo Manalo emphasized to INC members the importance of their bloc vote by citing biblical passages. “This is based on the teachings in the Bible that were taught to us even before we were accepted as members of the Church of Christ. We have faith that it is God’s teaching that there shouldn’t be division among us, but that we should be one in thinking and one in judgement,” he said in the vernacular. The INC executive minister cited I Corinthians 1:10 and Romans 15:6 when he said that the Church’s unity was done “in the name of Jesus Christ, for the glory of God and for the sake of the Church.” He said the names of the candidates for national and local positions the INC members would be united in voting for on Monday would be given to the members through sample ballots that would be sent to them. “We hope that the contents of this letter are clear and you will all fulfill the decision (pasya) and will continue to follow and be united out of love and faith in God, and for the sake of the Church that we love,” he said. SFM

2016-05-04 22:59 Kristine Felisse newsinfo.inquirer.net

68 Lawmakers halt reworked wrongful conviction payout bill BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - A House committee halted a Shreveport lawmaker’s bid to relax the legal definition under which a person wrongfully convicted of murder in Louisiana could receive state compensation. The panel struggled with the proposal to rework the definition of “factual innocence” in current compensation law. Those against the measure said it could allow someone who committed, but was not charged with, a serious crime to sue for state money. Democratic Rep. Cedric Glover said not making a change continues to unfairly penalize exonerated inmates by allowing courts to deny money if they committed any offense, including those not tied to a murder. The House criminal justice committee voted 9-6 against the measure Wednesday, killing the bill. Glover says he plans to bring it back next year. ___ House Bill 1116: www.legis.la.gov

2016-05-04 22:47 - Associated Press - Wednesday, May 4, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com

69 Minnesota college system bars team travel to North Carolina ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - A Minnesota state university system is prohibiting athletics teams from traveling to tournaments in North Carolina this spring after that state passed a law limiting LGBT protections. Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system communications director Doug Anderson said no teams will participate in tournaments in North Carolina this spring. The NCAA Division II national baseball tournament and National Junior College Athletic Association Division III World Series are set to take place in North Carolina. Anderson said system presidents met this week, concluding “that athletics-related travel is nonessential.” It follows Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton’s separate directive to state employees last month to stop nonessential travel to North Carolina because of its new law limiting protections for gays, lesbians and transgender people. That order didn’t directly apply to the university system.

2016-05-04 20:33 - Associated Press - Wednesday, May 4, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com

70 Woman, child die in northeast Kansas crash OTTAWA, Kan. (AP) - Authorities say a woman and a boy have died in a crash on Interstate 35 in northeast Kansas. The Kansas Highway Patrol identified the victims as 28-year-old April Brown and 9-year-old Jeremiah Persinger. Both were from Kansas City, Missouri. The patrol says the crash happened Tuesday night when Brown lost control of the car she was driving north of Ottawa in Franklin County. The crash report says Brown’s car then crossed the median, where it was broadsided by another car. Another passenger in Brown’s car and the other driver were transported to hospitals.

2016-05-04 20:29 - Associated Press - Wednesday, May 4, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com

71 Palmyra girl wins handwriting contest 12-and-under category KEARNEY, Neb. (AP) - A Palmyra girl has won the 12-and-under age category for the 26th annual Nebraska Handwriting Contest. A news release Wednesday from the University of Nebraska at Kearney identified Hanna Thomson as the winner. The first-place finisher in the age 13- 16 category was Mary Nibbe, of Red Cloud. Finishing first for entrants ages 17-49 was Sheila Sindelar, of Wisner, and the winner for people age 50 and over was Jackie Buchta, of Omaha. The contest is administered by the university and endorsed by the Nebraska State Education Association and Nebraska Education Department. Entries were judged on ease of reading, fluent rhythmic movement and technically correct performance of specifications such as the slope, space, size and shape of the letters.

2016-05-04 22:33 - Associated Press - Wednesday, May 4, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com

72 Florida teen’s family suing over death on SC ropes course COLUMBIA, S. C. (AP) - The family of a Florida teen has sued over her death at a high ropes course last summer in South Carolina, accusing the group that ran the camp and the company that sold the swing she fell from of negligence. Authorities have said Olivia Paige Grimes, 16, of Lakeland, Florida, died in July after falling more than 100 feet from a pendulum swing at Carolina Point Camp in Sunset, on the South Carolina-North Carolina state line. Grimes was supposed to be attached to a large pendulum swing along with two other people, but she became unhooked and fell more than 100 feet to the ground, authorities said. Deputies said they found no evidence of foul play or mechanical failure. The Pickens County Coroner’s Office said the death was accidental. In January, Grimes’ family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Young Life Inc., a Christian youth organization, and Adventure Experiences Inc., the Texas company that sold the “Freebird” swing to the camp. The lawsuit, which this week was transferred from Florida to federal court in South Carolina, accuses both entities of negligence. Mediation is set for next month. The Grimes’ family says the teen was never properly secured into the “ultrahazardous and abnormally dangerous” swing, which at the time was being operated by only one Young Life employee instead of two. Adventure Experiences designed a “defective and unreasonably dangerous” ride that only had one hook for securing a rider, the lawsuit says. Attorneys representing Young Life and Adventure Experiences did not immediately respond to an email Wednesday. Carolina Point Camp straddles the South Carolina-North Carolina line and has a Brevard, North Carolina, mailing address, although the Freebird swing was located on the South Carolina side of the border. That should have made it subject to annual inspections by South Carolina’s Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, although an agency spokeswoman said after Grimes death that the camp had no permit for the course. ___ Kinnard can be reached at http://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP. Read more of her work at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/meg-kinnard/

2016-05-04 22:33 - Associated Press - Wednesday, May 4, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com

73 EU moves on visa offer to win Turkey’s help with migrants BRUSSELS (AP) - The European Union pressed ahead Wednesday with efforts to persuade Turkey to stop asylum seekers from reaching Europe and take back thousands more by offering Turkish citizens the prospect of visa-free travel within the bloc. Mindful of Turkey’s pivotal role in managing Europe’s refugee crisis, the European Commission said Ankara has met all but five of the 72 criteria needed to end visa requirements. It invited member states and EU lawmakers to endorse the move by June 30, even though some conditions remain to be fulfilled. “There is still work to be done as a matter of urgency, but if Turkey sustains the progress made, they can meet the remaining benchmarks,” Commission Vice-President Frans Timmermans told reporters in Brussels. Once endorsed, Turkish citizens would be able to travel for 90 days without a visa to all EU member countries - except for Britain and Ireland, which have provisions for opting out of such policies - and four members of the Schengen passport-free travel area: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu praised the move, describing it as “not just a turning point for visa-free travel, it is also a new page in relations with the European Union.” The move is a central part of a package of incentives for Turkey - including up to 6 billion euros ($6.8 billion) in aid for Syrian refugees and fast-track EU membership talks - to better police its borders, particularly in the Aegean Sea, so migrants can no longer reach Greece. Tens of thousands of people have crossed the sea from Turkey to Greece and then moved northward through the Balkans. That deal has raised legal and ethical questions, as European nations unable to agree among themselves about how to handle the refugee emergency chose instead to outsource it to Turkey, where almost 3 million refugees are staying, most of them people fleeing war in Syria. It also comes as concern grows about Turkey’s commitment to human rights and free speech amid a crackdown on the media and dissent. The prospect of visa-free travel was welcomed by Turks already in Europe. At his vegan bistro in Berlin, Turkish-born businessman Yusuf Atalay called it great news for families struggling to visit Germany - which has about 3 million people claiming Turkish roots - for weddings and other celebrations due to strict visa rules. Atalay said he talked to his mother, who hoped the visa waiver would be implemented “so she can visit and see how we’re living here - me and my family.” Turkey is demanding the visa waiver by June 30, and sees it as an important sign that Europeans are living up to their promises. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has warned the entire agreement will collapse if the EU reneges on any pledge. First, though, Ankara must fulfill the final criteria. That means aligning Turkey’s data protection laws with European standards, ensuring that its data protection authority is free from political influence, improving justice cooperation with all 28 EU member states, and changing its definition of what constitutes a terrorist and a terrorist act, which European officials consider too broad. “In recent years, these anti-terrorist laws have been used in a brutal clampdown on Turkish and foreign journalists by the Turkish government,” said Guy Verhofstadt, a liberal lawmaker in the European assembly. “As long as this remains the case, the European Parliament should not support this proposal for visa liberalization.” Once the visa proposal is endorsed, only Turkish citizens with new biometric passports - including facial and fingerprint data - would be allowed in, Timmermans said. Turkey is only due to start making the passports in June, meaning few people might be able to take advantage of the changes this year. Separately, the Commission proposed that EU countries refusing to accept migrants under new proposals to overhaul the EU’s failed asylum laws face fines - dubbed a “solidarity contribution” - of 250,000 euros ($285,000) for each person rejected. The penalties are part of a new plan to more evenly share the burden of hosting hundreds of thousands of people fleeing conflicts and violence in places like Syria, with the current asylum system on the verge of collapse. Story Continues →

2016-05-04 22:33 Stranded migrants www.washingtontimes.com

74 Video: North Carolina Man Bitten by Pet King Cobra And North Carolina man is fighting for his life this morning after being bitten by his pet king cobra is FaceBook page shows LE EU. Handling the snake considered to be one of the most dangerous in the world after being bitten at home EU trying to drive himself to the hospital. But he didn't make it very far here's part of the 911 call. Hey it got bit by Tom can program and a moment later hospital. A division worry and to what went crazy felt like they have like anything. A film not just. He pulled over and waited for an ambulance at the hospital he waited hours for an anti venom to be delivered from another state. He's now in critical condition animal services officials say that he had about twenty snakes at his home. All secured in containers they're working to determine if he violated any laws. This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.

2016-05-04 20:14 ABC News abcnews.go.com

75 Video: Girl, 7, Uses Bogus Excuse Note to Take School Bus Home Transcript for Girl, 7, Uses Bogus Excuse Note to Take School Bus Home Here's something from Houston it seems a youngster apparently they want to stick around for an after school programs and avoid issues a second grader named Rosa bell and. Here's how she got herself on a bus home. Someone complains to Rosa Villa school because that is her hand written note saying. I want Roosevelt led to go to bus 131 today OK so shockingly a school official accepted the note and Reza Belo is able to take that bus rolled. Neighbors did take her and when they saw her standing outside. Her home and they called her dad down. She didn't want it to take the bus how long but she actually wrote she wanted to take you didn't do us home. You can clearly see that my daughters did not even news spelled the word bus right how would have preferred someone to give me a phone call and saved in June brighter note for your daughter to come home today if I understand may be my daughter was in the wrong for writing this note in the first place. But we're adults. This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.

2016-05-04 20:17 ABC News abcnews.go.com

76 Video: Fired Employee Kills Himself and Co-Worker at Texas Workplace Transcript for Fired Employee Kills Himself and Co-Worker at Texas Workplace The information that we were saved is that there are they had a bed till the sitter. Was terminated a couple of weeks ago. And apparently became very disgruntled because. His payments had saved after. That period of termination. We understand that he came to this location armed with a shotgun and a handgun. The I had at began shooting. At which time I understand one of the employees there was shot. And and as the save the shooter then committed. Suicide we understand self inflicted. There was a death but they hit a dead tie I'm making entry. As activity was going on. Suffered a knee injury and he was transported. Say the hospital. They need to there are two employees at suffered injuries but they are from trapped no hard debris that was fine as a result of the shooting. This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.

2016-05-04 20:13 ABC News abcnews.go.com

77 The Latest: Fired Texas gunman said his life had been ruined KATY, Texas (AP) - The Latest on a fatal shooting at a Texas transportation company (all times local): 12:50 p.m. Authorities say a man who was fired last month from a Houston-area transportation company stormed onto the property and declared his life was ruined before fatally shooting a co-worker. The Harris County Sheriff’s Office says two other employees of Knight Transportation in Katy were wounded by shrapnel or other flying debris during the shooting Wednesday. None of the victims’ names has been released. Sheriff’s spokesman Ralph Gonzales says the suspect was heard by co-workers saying something to the effect of, “you all ruined my life,” before he opened fire. Gonzales didn’t release the man’s name, his previous job duties or why he was fired from the company two weeks ago. The two injured employees were both men and treated at the scene. A sheriff’s deputy sustained a knee injury while entering the site in Katy, 20 miles west of Houston. ___ 12 p.m. Authorities say a man who fatally shot a former co-worker at a Houston-area transportation company had been fired from the business two weeks ago, not hours before the shooting. Harris County Sheriff Ron Hickman said during a news conference that the gunman had been fired early Wednesday and then returned with a gun to the Knight Transportation office in Katy. But the sheriff’s office later said it received misinformation, and that the gunman had been fired two weeks ago. The sheriff’s office also clarified that two workers were injured during the shooting, not just one. The office said both victims were men and wounded by shrapnel or other debris. They were treated at the scene. Sheriff’s spokesman Ralph Gonzales didn’t release the gunman’s name, his previous job duties or why he had been fired. A sheriff’s deputy sustained a knee injury while entering the property. ___ 11:10 a.m. Story Continues →

2016-05-04 22:25 - Associated Press - Wednesday, May 4, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com

78 DA objects to ANC taking credit for turning around HIV/Aids policy Cape Town - It was a disgrace that Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa was letting the ANC take credit for providing anti-retrovirals to HIV-positive people, DA Chief Whip John Steenhuisen said in Parliament on Wednesday. "It's an absolute disgrace, colleagues, a disgrace that they can try and take credit for the ARV fight. " He said just as the ANC was not doing anything about President Jacob Zuma, it had "sat on its hands" when then president Thabo Mbeki resisted the provision of ARVs to HIV-positive people. He said the Mbeki administration's decision led to deaths of 300 000 people "because it did not have the guts to take on the president”. Steenhuisen was referring to Mbeki's resistance to the introduction of ARVs on the grounds that there was no proof that HIV caused Aids. Mbeki felt that poverty was the true cause of Aids and believed that alleviating this and proving proper nutrition was a better approach. Lobby group the Treatment Action Campaign secured a Constitutional Court judgment to force the government of the day and then-health minister, Manto Tshabalala, to allow the provision of ARVs. The government has since introduced ARVs and has been lauded for its programme, with the arrival of Aaron Motsoaledi as health minister heralding an about-turn in its approach. Turning his attention to Zuma, Steehhuisen said the president had undermined Parliament and treated the house with contempt. "There is no bridge that this president won't double cross to protect himself. "On August 3 voters can have the opportunity to chop the ugly head of impunity, and chop it they will," he said as the debate on the budget vote for the presidency came to a close.

2016-05-04 22:19 www.news24.com

79 Escudero: Only admin is capable of cheating, but… Vice presidential aspirant Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero on Wednesday said only the administration was capable of cheating in the May 9 polls. “Ang may kakayahan lang mandaya, administrasyon. Walang iba,” Escudero said in a forum in Quezon City, when asked if Liberal Party standard-bearer Mar Roxas was capable of cheating in the elections. (Only the administration has the capability to cheat, no one else.) Escudero also expressed doubts over preference surveys, which he said can be a tool for “mind conditioning.” “Paano natin babantayan para makatiyak na hindi mangyayari ang anumang uri ng milagro o dayaan? ‘Yun ang nakakatakot at nakakapangamba minsan sa mga survey na naglalabasan mula sa kung anu-anong grupo na kaliwa’t kanan,” Escudero said. (How are we going to guard cheating [in the elections] and make sure nothing wrong will take place? That’s what we fear the most and it’s alarming how these surveys coming out from various groups left and right.) “Baka nagma-mind conditioning lamang sila kaugnay sa gusto nilang maging resulta sa halalan,” he added. (They could be conditioning the minds in relation to the kind of results they want for the elections.) Escudero, erstwhile front-runner in the vice presidential race, was trailing behind his rivals Rep. Leni Robredo and Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. in recent opinion polls. His running mate Sen. Grace Poe was also lagging behind Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, who maintained a double-digit lead over rivals for the presidency. In the latest Pulse Asia survey commissioned by ABS-CBN, Roxas edged out Poe by one percentage point, for a virtual tie in second place. READ: Roxas thanks Filipinos for rise in latest Pulse survey But Escudero answered “no” when asked if he thinks President Benigno Aquino III and his anointed candidate will allow cheating on May 9. “Hindi ako close kay Secretary Roxas. Kaya ko lamang magsalita sa pagkakakilala ko kay Pangulong Aquino. Ang sagot ko ay hindi. At umaasa ako na hindi at hindi siya nagbago,” he said. (I am not close to Secretary Roxas. I can only speak based on how I know President Aquino. My answer is no. And I am hoping it’s a ‘no’ and he [Aquino] won’t change.) “Sa dulo, buo ang kumpiyansa ko sa ating mga kababayan. Maski nga sa sabungan, may tumataya pa rin sa dehado. Ang tao tataya sa kung sino talaga ang kursonada nila, hindi kung sino lang ang nagkataong llamado o dehado sa particular na pagkakataon ng halalan,” Escudero added. (In the end, I have confidence in our countrymen. Even in cockfighting, there are those who place their bets for the underdogs. The people will bet on those who they really want, not those who are leading or at a disadvantage in a particular phase in the elections.) TVJ 2016-05-04 22:18 Yuji Vincent newsinfo.inquirer.net

80 Supporter of reelectionist Cebu town mayor shot dead CEBU CITY— A supporter of a reelectionist mayor in a Cebu town was shot dead in a noon ambush on Wednesday in the municipality. The victim, 48-year-old Rene Cangmaong, a supporter of Mayor Aljun Diamante of Tubran town, Cebu, was killed on Wednesday noon, at the municipality’s upland area in Sitio Sambag, Barangay Mag-antoy. Cangmaong, a former member of the New People’s Army (NPA) based in Tuburan, was a job order employee of Tuburan, working as a market guard. SPO1 John Philip Acaso, investigator of the Tuburan police, said that Cangmaong was with six men on board three motorcycles when they were waylaid by at least three unidentified armed men. One of them was reportedly hurt on the leg. Acaso said the armed men might have waited on a hill top as the victims, including Cagmaong, were making their way to an uphill road. While his companions scampered away, Cangmaong was left, slumped on the ground and he was allegedly shot several times. The assailants sped away on board a motorcycle. Acaso said the five other survivors claimed that they came from the house of Diamante in Barangay Cogon. They were on their way to Barangay Kabangkalan, some 25 kilometers from the town proper, to attend a fiesta celebration when they were attacked. He said the survivors’ description of the attackers were still sketchy and they could not say exactly how many assailants took part in the ambush. The survivors were identified as Jovelito Baguio, 27; Alexander Lato, 42; Vicente Labador, 45; and a certain “Boboy ” and “Pepe.” Acaso said Labador, who sustained a gunshot wound on one of his legs, left with a certain Pepe to seek treatment. “We checked on our district hospital but they were not there, we are still looking for them,” Acaso said in Cebuano. As of 7:30 p.m. , Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) had yet to arrive to check the area for empty shells and retrieve the remains. SFM

2016-05-04 22:14 Apple Mae newsinfo.inquirer.net

81 Mike Huckabee: I’m ‘all in’ to help Donald Trump beat Hillary Clinton Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee says he is now “all in” to help likely Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump defeat Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton in the fall general election and called on fellow Republicans to abandon the “Never Trump ” movement. “The combination of Donald Trump ’s blowout of the Indiana vote and Ted Cruz ’s decision to end his campaign put the lid on the nomination,” Mr. Huckabee wrote in a statement on his website Wednesday. “ Donald Trump will be the 2016 nominee, and I predict he will defeat Hillary Clinton and be the 45th president of the United States.” Mr. Huckabee , who won the 2008 Iowa caucuses, announced on Twitter that he was suspending his 2016 presidential campaign as the votes were still being tabulated in Iowa earlier this year. “I will be all in to help him defeat Hillary Clinton and I call upon all fellow Republicans to unite in defeating Hillary and abandoning and repudiating the hapless ‘Never Trump ‘ nonsense,” Mr. Huckabee wrote. “The dirty little secret is that the ‘Never Trump ‘ movement was more about providing high-dollar work for the political consultants than stopping the disaster of an Obama third term, which is the result of electing Hillary Clinton,” he said. “Is Donald Trump as pro-life as me? No. Is he as solid on the marriage issue as me? No. Does his position on Israel come from a deep conviction both politically and Biblically? No. But neither did Ted Cruz ‘s. And much to my chagrin, the voters didn’t accept my message, but his,” Mr. Huckabee said. The former governor said he withheld an endorsement during the heat of the primary “because it was the job of the voters to select the person they wanted more than me.” “ Ted Cruz ended his campaign and it’s time to end the strife in the party,” he said. “That can start today with our unifying around the people’s choice, Donald Trump .”

2016-05-04 19:46 Republican presidential www.washingtontimes.com

82 Orlando Bloom visits Ukraine in role as Unicef ambassador MOSCOW — British actor Orlando Bloom, in a more serious role as goodwill ambassador for Unicef, has visited schools in eastern Ukraine to raise awareness of how the conflict there has hurt children. READ: UN says conflict in Ukraine has affected 580,000 children In video and photos released Wednesday by Unicef, Bloom plays games with children, talks to their parents and teachers and goes down into a basement that serves as a bomb shelter. The school Bloom visited in late April in Slovyansk was among the first hit by shelling when fighting broke out two years ago between Russia-backed separatists and Ukrainian troops. It is one of 57 that the United Nations Children’s Fund has helped to repair and refurbish. UNICEF estimates that about 300,000 children in the conflict zone are still in need of assistance to continue their education. TVJ

2016-05-04 22:03 Associated Press newsinfo.inquirer.net

83 Wife spends wedding anniversary in hospital as hubby is seriously hurt in road accident Instead of expecting a romantic surprise from her husband on their 13th wedding anniversary, Sarmadi Siraj Pallavkar spent it praying for his life. Sarmadi was at her parent's house when she got the news of Siraj Ismai Pallavkar's accident on Wednesday. 39-year-old Siraj, a sales executive with a private company, was hit by a motorcycle coming from the wrong side at Roha in Raigad district. According to the victim’s brother, the biker fled from the spot, without attending to the wounded and leaving Siraj on the road. Fortunately a fire brigade truck coming around the same time found him and rushed him to Roha Civil Hospital. Doctors at the hospital advised Siraj's brother to shift him to Mumbai's KEM hospital. Siraj, who is a Roha resident, was admitted to KEM hospital at around 3 am. By early morning, Sarmadi was there by her husband's bedside along with their 2-year-old son Adul Muqeet. "I have no idea what happened to him and how. I was at my parent’s house and he had planned to come there and take me somewhere out for a celebration. Now all I hope for is him regaining consciousness," said Sarmadi. Dr. Sandeep Gaikwad, a neurosurgeon at KEM hospital treating Siraj said, "The patient had internal bleeding in the left region of his head, which is significant but it doesn’t require any surgery. We will admit him for 5-6 days. " Tala police station, at Roha, has registered a case of accident. The accused biker has not been arrested as yet. Siraj has not regained consciousness since the time of the accident. Siraj's family has accused KEM hospital personnel of not looking after the patient and not even providing a bed sheet to cover Siraj.

2016-05-04 22:02 By A www.mid-day.com

84 Graceland, home of Elvis, receives 20 millionth paid visitor MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The operators of Graceland say the Memphis tourist attraction centered on the life and music of Elvis Presley has received its 20 millionth paid visitor. Elvis Presley Enterprises says CEO Jack Soden greeted the 20 millionth visitor, 31-year-old Tiffany Greenoak, at Graceland on Monday morning. Greenoak, who’s originally from Montreal, Canada, and now lives in London, was on her honeymoon with her husband, 40-year-old Robert Greenoak. The couple received a private tour of Presley’s former home, which is now a museum. They also spoke by phone with Priscilla Presley, the late singer’s former wife. Elvis Presley lived at Graceland for 20 years before he died on Aug. 16, 1977. Tours of Graceland began on June 7, 1982. TVJ RELATED STORIES Presley’s 1st record, ‘My Happiness,’ auctions for $300,000 Elvis Birthday 2016-05-04 22:02 Associated Press entertainment.inquirer.net

85 Romualdez: Duterte’s statements for effect, rhetoric Senatorial candidate and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez has weighed in on the popularity of presidential aspirant Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, who has been leading preference polls less than a week before the elections. READ: Mar gains on Grace, but Duterte retains wide Pulse lead In an INQLive interview on Wednesday, Romualdez said Duterte’s surge in preference polls may be attributed to his tough talk, which he said was “for effect” and “rhetoric.” “I think his statements are for effect, rhetoric, otherwise marami na siyang kaso (he could be facing lots of cases),” Romualdez said when asked about the controversial remarks of Duterte. Romualdez and Duterte are lawyers. Romualdez, who is also the president of the Philippine Constitution Association, said Duterte’s tough talk and style of leadership in Davao were well-received by most Filipinos. “He has a lot of tough talk because he wants to instill discipline in his constituency in Davao, and I think he managed to do that,” he said. “The tough talk and firm application of the law had done well for Davao and that resonates well… I think political will, discipline and firm law enforcement are needed today that’s why he’s very popular,” Romualdez added. The feisty mayor was known for his profanity-laced speeches and remarks, including public admissions of killing, dumping of criminals at the Manila Bay, cursing the Pope, joking about the rape of an Australian missionary and talking about his penis in front of businessmen. READ: Duterte ‘curses’ at Pope Francis, Lacierda fires back / Duterte rape joke on Australian missionary: Too much? / Distasteful Duterte: The Maid Episode Duterte continues to enjoy a double-digit lead over his rivals in the presidential race, securing at least 30 percent of voter preference. TVJ RELATED VIDEO

2016-05-04 21:55 Yuji Vincent newsinfo.inquirer.net

86 JPOST EDITORIAL: Shaked’s injustice Perhaps less celebrated than other commemorations this time of year, May 14 will mark Ayelet Shaked’s first anniversary as justice minister. The only secular minister of her Bayit Yehudi Party has used the time since her elevation for a focused pursuit of extending Israeli sovereignty over the disputed territory of biblical Judea and Samaria. Her previous efforts in the Knesset since the election of 2013 had only hinted at the breadth of her political talent, one not usually associated with the academic background of a BSc in electrical engineering and computer science. She joined the Economic Affairs Committee, the House Committee, the Committee on Foreign Workers, was an alternate member of the Finance Committee, chaired the Committee for the Enforcement of the Security Service Law and the National-Civilian Service Law, and the Special Committee for the Equal Sharing of the Burden Bill. She also headed 10 Knesset lobbies. These worthy causes deserved Shaked’s support, but it was only during the past year that the crusade closest to her heart was revealed, as befits Israel’s minister of justice: the equality of law in the territories. Shaked announced last week that she is pushing to have Israeli law applied to the West Bank within a year. She boldly laid out this goal before a conference of the Legal Forum for the Land of Israel, ignoring the categorical opposition of her senior ministry staff, not to mention that of former attorney-general Yehuda Weinstein. “I established a joint committee along with the Defense Ministry to work on legislation for Judea and Samaria, the purpose essentially being that, ultimately, any law passed in the Knesset will either apply to Judea and Samaria by virtue of the legislation itself, or by an order of the commanding general [OC Central Command], or by any other manner considered appropriate,” she explained. Even the rigors of computer science, however, may not have equipped the minister for tampering with the complexities of the legislative process. For one thing, Israeli law applies to the settlers of Judea and Samaria on a personal basis, under the law that extends the emergency regulations. Regulations that apply on a regional basis in the territories, however, do so by order of the regional military commander. Closer to home, former foreign minister MK Tzipi Livni (Zionist Union) warned that Shaked’s plan would lead to a binational state, with a Palestinian majority in the Knesset. “The right-wing government is quietly beginning the process of annexation in order to impose its ideology,” Livni stated. “The final result will be the collapse of the two-state idea, the imposition of two legal systems in one state, mass international pressure and, in the end, 2.5 million Palestinians with the right to vote for the Knesset.” Shaked’s latest bid at annexation follows bills submitted in the previous government by MKs Shaked, Orit Struck, Yariv Levin and Ze’ev Elkin. They were dropped after being rigorously opposed by then-attorney-general Weinstein, although cabinet members in the Ministerial Committee for Legislation approved them for government support. This has failed to deter Shaked. At a pre-Passover rally in Hebron, the minister said Jews buying property in Hebron, as in all of Judea and Samaria, is not an issue of real estate, but rather “an ideological act driven by love for the Jewish people and their land. Jews have lived in this city since the time of the Bible,” adding they will continue to live there forever. The justice minister’s understanding of democracy was again called into question by her recent speech to the annual Bar Association conference, in which she condemned the High Court of Justice’s ruling over the natural gas industry outline. She sought to justify her critique by appealing to democracy as solely the rule of the majority, and argued that the separation of powers gives the government free rein to rule. Shaked’s interpretation of the separation of powers to mean that the government can do as it wants, independent of the Knesset and the High Court, is a dangerous corruption of what we still like to refer to as the only democracy in the Middle East.

2016-05-04 21:52 JPOST EDITORIAL www.jpost.com

87 87 BMC awards road contracts worth Rs 227 crore to tainted contractors Despite the recent uproar and investigations, BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Wednesday awarded road contracts worth Rs 227 crore to tainted contractors. While the Congress opposed the proposal in the standing committee meeting, the BJP allowed the passage of the proposal by voting in favour of it. The road scam rocked the BMC last year. After an enquiry report submitted by a 3-member committee, FIRs were filed against six contractors viz J Kumar, RPS Infra, Mahavir Constructions, R K Madhani, K R construction and Relcon Infraprojects Ltd. Besides, FIR were filed against two third-party auditors while two civic officials were suspended. However, there was uproar in the committee when the short of companies chosen for a Rs 227- crore proposal for repairs and construction of bridges included two of these tainted firms. The proposal had come up before the standing committee for discussion on Wednesday. According to it, RPS was shortlisted for a Rs 56 crore contract for constructing a bridge over Mithi river and also for another Rs 55 crore contract for the construction of a bridge in Vikhroli. J Kumar has been shortlisted for a Rs 55 crore contract for the construction of Hancock bridge. It was also shortlisted for a Rs 60 crore contract of a flyover on Yari Foad. A tender committee shortlists a contractor based on a bidding process and sends the recommendation to the standing committee. The committee is then supposed to discuss the proposal and vote on it. In Wednesday's meeting, Congress leader Pravin Chheda opposed the proposal and staged a walkout. But the BJP did not do so and voted in favor of the proposal. Thus, it was passed by a majority of the Sena-BJP combine. These contractors have not been blacklisted yet.

2016-05-04 21:50 By A www.mid-day.com

88 CANDIDLY SPEAKING: The erosion of Holocaust memory My grandparents and many members of my family were exterminated by the Nazis. I would probably also have perished had my parents not had the foresight to leave Antwerp when I was an infant on what was probably the last boat to sail for Australia before the outbreak of war. Like survivors, those of us whose families were murdered by the Nazis retain the memory of the Holocaust as part of our DNA. Indeed, in most cases this also applies to our children, who share the sensitivities of their parents. But today, 70 years later, for our grandchildren, most of whom were deprived of the opportunity of hearing their families agonize over memories, the relevance of the Holocaust will fade unless there is a conscious effort to convey it within the framework of their history. The extent to which Holocaust commemoration is maintained by future Jewish generations will largely be determined by the educational approach and curriculum provided in the Israeli school system. We should be under no illusions. The so-called Holocaust commemoration in Europe and other Western countries is a sham. In most cases it trivializes the Holocaust by linking it to other mass murders. In fact, commemoration has become so broad and universal that the words “Jew” and “anti-Semitism” are not even mentioned in the European Union’s lengthy call to its constituents to engage in Holocaust remembrance. If Holocaust awareness truly existed, it would have been inconceivable for the current anti- Semitic tsunami to have swept through the continent of Europe, which was soaked with the blood of the six million Jews murdered by the Nazis and their collaborators. In fact, a survey of adults in 101 countries reveals that only 54 percent have ever heard of the Holocaust, and a large proportion of these consider it a myth. With the actual number of survivors dramatically diminishing, Holocaust deniers have proliferated and indeed today there is a growing campaign, spearheaded by Islamic anti-Semites, promoting Holocaust denial. As Jews, I believe that it is our obligation to ensure that this dark chapter of our history is commemorated and studied by future Jewish generations. This is not merely to honor our martyrs but to appreciate the contrast between the Jewish people today, which, with the revival of nationhood, can defend itself, and the powerlessness of those dark years when the world stood by as we were being murdered. If we follow the double standards and bias currently leveled against us, particularly at the United Nations, often with the support or indifference of the Europeans, we must appreciate how fortunate we are today that we are able to rely on our own defenses. There are some, including far-left Israelis, who seek to scale down or even cancel Holocaust commemoration within Israel on the spurious grounds that it is exploited to create an environment of Jewish victimhood and as a means of extorting money and political favors from European countries. This would be disastrous because it is imperative that future generations understand what happened to their European ancestors and realize that the state in which they live cannot be taken for granted. As we commemorate our Exodus from Egyptian slavery to freedom, so we are obliged to remind ourselves how, after 2,000 years of exile and immediately in the wake of the most barbaric genocide, we revived Jewish nationhood in the State of Israel. My grandson returned a few weeks ago from his school’s journey to the Polish death camps. Even though his family was already sensitive to the Holocaust, the visit had a profound impact on him. I was therefore deeply saddened to read that the principal of Tel Aviv’s prestigious elite secular Herzliya Hebrew Gymnasium, Dr. Ze’ev Dagani, proposes canceling annual trips to the Nazi death camps. He claims that “there are many youth who are not emotionally built to grasp the reality of the horror. It is too much for them and I think it is too early to send 16- and 17-year-olds to trips to Poland. It is a trip which requires emotional and intellectual maturity.” The reality is that if adequate education is provided and the tours are led by well-informed guides, the results have proven to be extraordinary and have major beneficial impact on the participants, not only in terms of comprehending the Holocaust, but equally so in relation to their understanding and appreciation of the Jewish state. There is a valid complaint that the escalating costs prevent some students from participating. This is something the government should be reviewing with the aim of providing subsidies to enable all students who wish to participate. It would prove to be a worthwhile long-term educational investment. Of course, it is sickening to hear of occasional groups visiting a death camp and engaging in drinking parties in the evening or interspersing their visit with a shopping day in Warsaw. Under such circumstances, it would undoubtedly be preferable to cancel such trips. But most trips are well-planned and have immense educational impact, highlighting the emergence of a Jewish state like a phoenix from the ashes of the Holocaust – something that no classroom study course can replicate. I listened in awe as my grandson described how his group visited Rachel’s Tomb before the flight, and on their return, assembled for a moving ceremony at the Western Wall. He described how some of the most moving moments for him were not merely the camps, the museums or even the crematoria and gas chambers. What touched him most profoundly was standing on the soil where hundreds of thousands of Jews had been brutally murdered and where their bodies had been buried in mass graves. The immensity of what transpired during that terrible period was further realized when he and his companions related to numbers comprising their own home communities and appreciated that more than the equivalent of an entire community were murdered in a single day. The trip also highlighted the extraordinary thriving religious, cultural and social life of the great Jewish communities in Poland – snuffed out overnight by the Nazis. Unless we continue to educate the younger generations so they appreciate the lessons of the Holocaust and its relationship to our status today as an independent Jewish state able to defend itself as well as providing a haven for Jews in distress, we will have betrayed our solemn commitment to remember. And this terrible episode will simply become a footnote of history. The writer’s website can be viewed at www.wordfromjerusalem. com. He may be contacted at [email protected].

2016-05-04 21:50 ISI LEIBLER www.jpost.com

89 Visits set for Arkansas-Little Rock chancellor finalists LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - The three finalists for the chancellor’s post at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock are scheduled to visit the campus next week. The three will also meet with UALR employees and University of Arkansas System leaders. The university said Wednesday that Boise State University vice president Mark Rudin will visit Monday and Tuesday; Sonoma State vice president and provost Andrew Rogerson will visit Wednesday and Thursday; and Colorado State University System chief academic officer Cheryl Lovell will visit on Thursday and Friday. Current UALR Chancellor Joel Anderson plans to retire June 30.

2016-05-04 21:48 - Associated Press - Wednesday, May 4, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com

90 Ensuring ‘Never Again’ ‘Because I remember, I despair. Because I remember, I have the duty to reject despair,” the Holocaust survivor and Noble Prize laureate Elie Wiesel said. This profound quote comes to mind as we mark Holocaust Remembrance Day amid a new burst of anti-Semitism among mainstream political leaders in Europe which has unabashedly come out in the open seven decades after the end of World War II. The Western world has long pledged “Never Again” but for years now Holocaust denial and calls for the eradication of the State of Israel have become almost de rigueur in our region, with many in the West turning a blind eye to such outbursts of venomous animosity and incitement. This centuries-old hatred has now come full circle in Europe, with the outrageous remarks by British politicians from the UK’s Labour Party, where shameless anti-Semitism has been outed after years of being veiled under a veneer of anti-Israel activities such as the boycott Israel movement known as BDS. That this should be coming from the country that in 1940 stood valiantly alone against the onslaught of Hitler boggles the mind. “How the mighty have fallen,” we read in the Book of Samuel. Every passing year, it becomes increasingly clear that first and foremost we must rely on ourselves to ensure “Never Again.” This week, just days before we mark Holocaust Remembrance Day, dozens of elderly Holocaust survivors made their way to a special bar and bat mitzvah ceremony at the Western Wall, the retaining wall around the Temple compound, which, in fodder for the worst anti-Semites in history, UNESCO declared is devoid of any Jewish connection. The special and moving event, which was sponsored by my ministry in coordination with the Western Wall Heritage Foundation and attended by the survivors and their families, sought to give them back a sliver of their stolen childhood. Their presence at the Western Wall is the unequivocal proof of their victory – of our victory – over the penultimate evil. Eighty years ago the Jews the world over thought the State of Israel a fantasy, a dream. What they would have given to be part of this country. Today, we are living that dream. It is 68 years old. But it is also 2,000 years of exile and yearning: as old as the dream of the Jewish people to return their homeland. And we take part in that dream – in building it, securing it, and ensuring “Never Again.” The writer is Israel’s Minister for Social Equality.

2016-05-04 21:48 GILA GAMLIEL www.jpost.com

91 Video: Wildfires Rage in Fort McMurray, Alberta, in Canada Wow. Lowering Key West thanks Dennis Allen forming a ring in one piece. Living in and run Lois. Got news on fire. You know along Byron. Dunn. Integrating. And my father's love really cares there and others live going through the valley and we really terrorists. Our focus is completely and entirely right now on insuring safety and people. Of getting them out of the city and ensuring that they are safe and secure. This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.

2016-05-04 19:36 ABC News abcnews.go.com

92 No end in sight to election mess in struggling Haiti PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) - Senate leader Jocelerme Privert took office as Haiti’s caretaker president with one real task: Quickly untangle a political stalemate blocking presidential and legislative runoff elections. Three months on, yet another voting date has fallen by the wayside as political infighting continues to snarl election efforts. Privert, meanwhile, seems increasingly comfortable as Haiti’s leader, traveling through the capital in horn-blaring motorcades and recently attending a U. N. climate change meeting in New York. Welcome to Haiti’s dysfunctional democracy, where few people think there will be voting anytime soon. Under the accord that helped put him in office, Privert was supposed to make way for a voter- approved president May 14 following a late April election. But his provisional administration got off to a sluggish start, and only recently appointed a commission to verify contested elections held last year that many Haitians believe were rigged to benefit Tet Kale, the party of previous President Michel Martelly. “We can’t go to the polls without first restoring confidence in the process,” said Privert, who now suggests holding presidential and legislative runoffs in October along with already scheduled balloting for a third of Senate seats. Lawmakers aligned with Tet Kale are demanding Privert’s resignation, accusing him of putting up obstacles so he can hold onto power. The faction is stoking street protests as it opposes the verification panel, questioning its legality. The impasse is a reminder of the fragility of democracy in one of the poorest and most unequal countries in the world. Laurent Dubois, a Haiti historian at Duke University, said election postponements and declarations of fraud have been a consistent part of the nation’s electoral process since the overthrow of dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier in 1986. They were also a part of the political process before that, including during the U. S. occupation of 1915-1934. “Much of what is going on today is not that different from earlier election cycles,” said Dubois, author of “Haiti: The Aftershocks of History.” In 2010, outgoing President Rene Preval was suspected of rigging the vote to elect his preferred successor, Jude Celestin, sparking violent clashes between Martelly’s supporters and U. N. peacekeepers. Celestin was eventually eliminated from the two-candidate runoff under pressure from Washington, the Organization of American States and opposition protests. Martelly took office in May 2011. This time, No. 2 presidential finisher Celestin announced a boycott as he rejected first-round results that put the Martelly-backed Jovenel Moise in the front-runner spot. As local election observers decried the October election as a sham, Celestin’s opposition alliance called for a transitional government to organize a “fair” vote. International monitors with the EU and OAS have said last year’s election results appeared legitimate to them. The U. S. and other countries have been pressing Haiti to meet the deadlines of the last-minute deal for an interim administration negotiated by legislative leaders and Martelly less than 48 hours before he was to leave office. The February accord paved the way for Privert’s 120-day government to oversee the runoff. Few voters expected a quick fix. “Haitian politicians refuse to compromise and will do anything to get power or keep it,” said Patrice Zephyr, an electrician from downtown Port-au-Prince who voted for the first time in 2010 and was so disappointed with the result he doesn’t expect to cast a ballot again. Story Continues →

2016-05-04 21:38 FILE www.washingtontimes.com

93 Nebraska DMV adjusts sower for second license plate design LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - The Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles has released a second standard license plate design after the first attempt was criticized as inaccurate and sexually suggestive. The department said Wednesday that it had finalized an adjustment to the design for the new plates. Gov. Pete Ricketts’ spokesman Taylor Gage said graphic designers at the Department of Administrative Services helped the DMV tweak the design to more accurately portray the sower that has topped Nebraska’s Capitol building since its original construction in May 1930. The department announced the first design in March, and it was immediately criticized as boring and sexually suggestive. Comedy Central and Saturday Night Live both featured segments mocking the plate. The department stopped production in April after Omaha artist Jeff Heldt said he submitted the design in 2002 as part of a state contest. Heldt’s version of the Sower was based off a similar statue atop a bell tower in Michigan. Capitol Administrator Bob Ripley said the new artwork is a stylized portrait created from a photo image of the Nebraska sower, a 19-foot tall bronze figure of a farmer hand-sowing grain. “We appreciate the collaboration and assistance of the Office of the Capitol Commission in developing a new, modified image of The Sower,” DMV Director Rhonda Lahm said in a statement. “Production will resume immediately on the plates, and the department anticipates the license plates will be produced on time at no additional expense to the state.” The new design is navy and gold, the colors of the state flag. It also shows the years 1867 through 2017, reflecting Nebraska’s 150 years of statehood. The DMV has said it expects to produce about 5.2 million plates with a new design between 2017 and 2022. The department will begin issuing the new license plates January 2017.

2016-05-04 21:38 - Associated Press - Wednesday, May 4, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com

94 Man sentenced to 40 years in Richmond couple’s 2010 deaths RICHMOND, Ky. (AP) - A former Eastern Kentucky University student has been sentenced to 40 years in prison in the kidnapping and murder of a Richmond couple in 2010. Media report Daniel Keene apologized before he was sentenced Tuesday, saying he was “truly and eternally sorry” for the killings of 30-year-old Sonsarary Warford and her boyfriend, 30-year-old Charles DeMarcus Walker, whose bodies were found buried in a Richmond field four years ago. Keene pleaded guilty in March to murder, kidnapping, abuse of a corpse, burglary and tampering with evidence. Keene told police he dug the grave while co-defendant Matt Denholm tortured and executed Warford and Walker. Denholm pleaded guilty in 2014 to the deaths and to an unrelated murder and was sentenced to life without parole for 25 years. An affidavit in the case said Walker was targeted in a contract killing.

2016-05-04 21:37 - Associated Press - Wednesday, May 4, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com

95 Alaska holds off Meralco, sets PBA finals date with Rain or Shine Alaska found the luck of the draw in the final moments and stunned Meralco, 76-70, Wednesday at Smart Araneta Coliseum to enter the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals. Meralco basically imploded with less than two minutes remaining in the game, committing back- to-back turnovers. RJ Jazul was there for the Aces to ice the game from the line, hitting on four free throws in the final minute to put Alaska up 72-67 with 27.3 seconds left. Rob Dozier, who only entered the fourth around the sixth minute mark after struggling with foul trouble, gave the Aces the 68-67 lead with a tip-in of his previous shot. The Aces will gun for banner 15 against Rain or Shine in the finals duel beginning Friday. Aces head coach Alex Compton was all smile and breathed a huge sigh of relief after his team entered its third straight Finals. “There’s a whole lot of possible alibis that the guys could’ve used, ‘Meralco’s got destiny, they’re well-coached, they’re tough, they got the biggest import’ but our guys didn’t make any excuses and alibis and they played until the end,” Compton said. “I’m so proud of my guys, they stepped up and showed great resolve. The feeling is one of pride for those young men and not so young men who put the Alaska uniform.” For the past two Finals, Governors’ Cup and All-Filipino, Alaska faced San Miguel and lost both. This time around it would be Rain or Shine. Calvin Abueva led Alaska with 19 points, eight in the fourth, to go along eight rebounds, two steals, and a block while Cris Banchero added 18 points. Dozier also finished in double-digit scoring with 14 points and 18 rebounds. Jared Dillinger was too late of a hero for Meralco as he scored 18 points, 10 in the fourth, including three with 12 seconds remaining to close the gap at 74-70. Arinze Onuaku put up 15 points and 18 boards.

2016-05-04 21:37 Bong Lozada sports.inquirer.net

96 96 Working-class voters, Clinton fatigue are key to Donald Trump’s general election success Donald Trump ’s path to victory in November runs through disaffected white working voters who the GOP hopes can force the election into Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin and other states that haven’t been in play for decades. Analysts said it’s a tricky path, fraught with potential pitfalls — not least of which is Mr. Trump ’s own brash style, which could alienate millions of moderate and independent voters and could help keep minority turnout at the 2008 and 2012 rates that powered President Obama to two victories. But his appeal to economically suffering voters could tap veins in populous rust belt states that Democrats have relied on for years. “ Donald Trump could scramble the map,” said Whit Ayres, who served as a pollster for Sen Marco Rubio’s presidential campaign. “Conceivable he might put some overwhelmingly white states of the Great Lakes region into play for Republicans with a large blue-collar white [voter] turnout.” “But both sides get to play this game,” Mr. Ayres said. “He would also put Republican-leaning states with large non-white populations into play given his toxic numbers among Hispanics and African-Americans.” Mr. Trump solidified himself as the likely GOP nominee Tuesday night after he chased Sen. Ted Cruz, his last remaining major opponent, from the race. Ohio Gov. John Kasich also signaled Wednesday his bid could be ending, after his campaign announced he is canceling a scheduled press event in Virginia and would instead deliver a statement in Columbus, Ohio, later in the day. He now begins to prepare for a November showdown most likely with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton , who while still facing a nagging challenge from Sen. Bernard Sanders of Vermont, is expected to emerge as Democrats’ nominee. The latest Real Clear Politics average of polls shows Mrs. Clinton with 6.5 percentage point lead over Mr. Trump in a head-to-head national match-up. But with the Electoral College controlling the presidential election, the key battles will be state- by-state, and there analysts said Mr. Trump could end up losing traditionally red sunbelt states such as Arizona and Georgia, even as he tries to put rustbelt states in play. Democrats over the last four elections have consistently won states that account for 246 electoral votes, or nearly the 270 needed to win the White House. Republicans’ count is much lower: just 179 electoral college votes from states they’ve won each of the last four elections. In other words, Mrs. Clinton could win the November election by defending the Democratic strongholds and winning Florida with the help of the state’s Hispanic population, which has been turned off by Mr. Trump ’s hardline stance on immigration. “The easiest job in American politics in 2016 goes to the Democratic operative tasked to dramatically increase Hispanic participation to stop Donald Trump ,” Mr. Ayres said. Mr. Trump ’s best chance to change things is to try to poison voters against Mrs. Clinton. “If the election is a referendum on him, you’d have to think he is going to be in a little trouble, but if he successfully makes it a referendum about her, she is toast,” said Michael McKenna, a GOP strategist. “She personally can’t stand scrutiny. She is not a very likable person. She is not a very friendly person, and her record is shaky at best.” Story Continues → 2016-05-04 21:29 Coal miner www.washingtontimes.com

97 Illinois senator wants to stop using ‘alien’ for immigrants SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - An Illinois lawmaker wants the state to stop referring to immigrants in the country illegally as aliens. Democratic state Sen. Martin Sandoval of Chicago said the term currently in state laws is disrespectful and offensive. His proposal would eliminate the word “alien” and replace it with “undocumented immigrant.” The Illinois Senate approved the measure 44-7 on Wednesday. Republican Illinois state Sen. Jim Oberweis of Sugar Grove voted against the bill, saying the terms “illegal” and “alien” are appropriate when referring to people who are unlawfully in the country. California Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown signed a proposal into law last year removing the word “alien” from state labor code.

2016-05-04 21:29 - Associated Press - Wednesday, May 4, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com

98 Bernie Sanders should stay in the race, say a hefty majority of Democratic voters A hefty majority of Democrats have a clear message for presidential hopeful Sen. Bernard Sanders : don’t drop out. A new NBC News poll finds that 57 percent of registered Democratic voters say Mr. Sanders should remain in the presidential race through the Democratic convention, which begins July 25. “Though the Clinton campaign and many in the party elite may be ready for a Sanders exit, a majority of Democrats and Democratic-leaners would like to see Sanders stay,” the survey analysis said. The poll found that 89 percent of voters who support Mr. Sanders and even 28 percent of Hillary Clinton’s fans agree with the idea. So does the candidate, who is campaigning in West Virginia on Wednesday. “Maybe it’s over for the insiders and the party establishment, but the voters in Indiana had a different idea. The campaign wasn’t over for them. It isn’t over for the voters in West Virginia. It isn’t over for Democrats in Oregon, New Jersey and Kentucky. It isn’t over for voters in California and all the other states with contests still to come,” Mr. Sanders said in a message to his supporters. “I understand we have an uphill climb to victory, but we have been fighting uphill from the first day of this campaign. I am in this campaign until the last vote is cast,” Mr. Sanders said. The determined candidate has hunkered down on the campaign trail, even with news that Republican hopefuls Sen. Ted Cruz and Gov. John Kasich have given up their quest for the White House. Some Democratic voters still have their reservations. The NBC poll also found that a quarter of them think Mr. Sanders should drop out after the final primary on June 14; 10 percent of Sanders voters and 40 percent of Clinton voters agree. Another 16 percent say he should “drop out now”; 0 percent of Sanders voters and 30 percent of Clinton voters agree. The source is an NBC News/SurveyMonkey online poll of 12,462 registered U. S. voters conducted April 25 to May 1. 2016-05-04 21:29 Democratic presidential www.washingtontimes.com

99 Valdez open to playing overseas Alyssa Valdez, one of the best volleyball players in the Philippines today, could take her talents outside of the country. Fresh off her final game in the UAAP, Valdez on Wednesday said she’s “open” to playing abroad, with several offers coming from different countries after her stint in the Asian U23 Women’s Volleyball Championship. READ: Valdez, Santiago to stay put in PH despite offers “I’m really open to playing outside the country,” Valdez said. Japan’s head coach Kiyoshi Abo and Iran’s assistant Hashe Maryam, after seeing Valdez steer the PH team, were both impressed with the former Lady Eagle’s performance. READ: Finishing studies, playing for country on top of Valdez’ priorities Even Chinese-Taipei wanted to bring in Valdez to play in its commercial league.

2016-05-04 21:27 Bong Lozada sports.inquirer.net

100 Flint girl’s water still unsafe as Obama visits, Water Defense nonprofit group says The girl who invited President Obama to Flint, Michigan, is still exposed to contaminated water despite assurances from the EPA that it’s safe, a nonprofit group said Wednesday. Water Defense said its experts found several dangerous chemicals in the shower water and water heater at the home of 8-year-old Mari Copeny, known as “Little Miss Flint,” who wrote a letter to Mr. Obama urging him to visit. The president is meeting with the girl and other Flint residents Wednesday to call attention to the crisis. The EPA has said filtered water in Flint is safe to drink. Water Defense officials said the EPA left a phone message with the girl’s mother that “the water’s fine,” after the agency tested it in February. But Water Defense had the family’s water tested on April 30 and found lead, chloroform and trihalomethanes in the water heater. “The water crisis in Flint is not over,” said Mark Ruffalo, founder of Water Defense. “Families like Mari’s still are without clean and safe drinking water, shower water and bath water. You can’t find what you don’t look for and these residents in Flint deserve comprehensive home water testing from water heaters to shower and bath water along with complete testing for the full spectrum of chemicals.”

2016-05-04 21:26 President Barack www.washingtontimes.com

Total 100 articles. Created at 2016-05-05 00:11