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Total 100 articles, created at 2016-05-02 00:10 1 Did Woman Sway Boy to Kill His Dad? Court Raises Doubts The paramedics who looked at Robert Breininger's lifeless body in his twin bed suspected right away that whatever happened didn't match the story being told by his 10- (1.00/2) year-old son. There was no way, they thought, his father was awake when the boy told... 2016-05-02 00:10 5KB abcnews.go.com 2 Seattle mayor activates Emergency Operations Center for May Day

(1.00/2) Live updates as the city and police prepare and respond to the May Day protests in Seattle. 2016-05-02 00:03 2KB mynorthwest.com 3 Workers' Day celebrations ring hollow The trilogy of historical, present and future worker struggles needs to be examined within the prism of a new narrative for a working-class revolution in pursuit of social justice. (1.00/2) 2016-05-01 22:40 5KB www.timeslive.co.za 4 IPL9: Rohit Sharma's masterclass helps Mumbai Indians beat Pune Supergiants Skipper Rohit Sharma continued to lead by example as a thoroughly professional Mumbai Indians outclassed Rising Pune Supergiants by eight wickets in an Indian Premier League encounter in Pune 2016-05-02 00:06 6KB www.mid-day.com 5 Wausau police officer shoots, kills knife-wielding suspect A Wausau police officer has shot and killed a man who authorities say was wielding a knife. 2016-05-01 21:16 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 6 Ted Cruz downplays make-or-break Indiana, eyes California Ted Cruz said that Tuesday’s Indiana primary is “incredibly important” but downplayed the perception that it is a must-win. 2016-05-01 21:12 2KB www.washingtontimes.com 7 Ted Cruz not ready to pledge support for Donald Trump if GOP nominee Ted Cruz repeatedly ducked questions Sunday about whether he would support front- runner Donald Trump as the Republican presidential nominee. 2016-05-01 21:10 2KB www.washingtontimes.com 8 Local elections 2016: how to judge what Labour's result will mean for the party What would constitute success for Jeremy Corbyn in his first nationwide electoral test as leader after the polls on 5 May? 2016-05-01 21:20 6KB www.theguardian.com 9 Bets stay up with Velarde, to no avail THREE of the five presidential candidates attended the Sunday vigil of the popular Catholic charismatic group, El Shaddai, in an effort to win the endorsement of the group’s influential leader, Bro. 2016-05-02 00:09 2KB newsinfo.inquirer.net 10 Binay paired with Marcos LUCENA CITY—Campaign streamers touting Vice President Jejomar Binay and Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. were prominently displayed side by side on stage at the Quezon Convention 2016-05-02 00:10 3KB newsinfo.inquirer.net 11 CDO dentist denies being Duterte dummy for properties COTABATO CITY -- A dentist from Cagayan de Oro City has refuted reports naming him as some sort of a dummy owner of properties linked by Senator Antonio Trillanes IV to the family of presidential 2016-05-02 00:10 2KB newsinfo.inquirer.net

12 Jobless man nabbed for ID theft, attempt to use uncle’s credit card MANILA -- A jobless man ended behind bars after he pretended to be his uncle and attempted to fool a bank into issuing credit cards to him in his uncle’s name. Joseph Nicol 2016-05-02 00:10 5KB newsinfo.inquirer.net 13 Anti-Trump art blossoms in US LOS ANGELES—Many Americans are taking to canvas and poster board this year to express their political thoughts through depictions—sometimes unflattering—of presidential hopefuls Donald Trump 2016-05-02 00:10 3KB newsinfo.inquirer.net 14 Unexplained wealth is ill-gotten, Mar tells Digong UNLESS Davao City Mayor Rodrigo “Digong” Duterte can explain how he earned his money and acquired his properties, the presumption under the law is his possessions are “ill-gotten wealth,” 2016-05-02 00:10 6KB newsinfo.inquirer.net 15 SHS tracks offer career paths to students (Last of two parts) THE PIONEER cohort of senior high school (SHS) students started enrollment nationwide today, a month earlier than the rest of the basic education 2016-05-02 00:10 9KB newsinfo.inquirer.net 16 Regularization tops Labor Day demands WORKERS’ groups marked Labor Day on Sunday with marches and speeches lamenting poor wages, irregular jobs, risky workplaces, high cost of living, rising unemployment and inadequate social 2016-05-02 00:10 9KB newsinfo.inquirer.net 17 Wildfire at Shenandoah National Park Fully Contained Authorities say a fire that burned thousands of acres of land in Shenandoah National Park has been fully contained. The Washington Post reports that (http://wapo.st/1SzwvBc ) sections of Skyline Drive that were closed due to the blaze have been reopened. Authorities have also lifted a... 2016-05-02 00:10 1KB abcnews.go.com 18 Synthetic Narcotics Spark New Look at Drugged- Driving Laws Eighteen-year-old Kristian Roggio was riding in a friend's car when another driver careened across a Brooklyn street, colliding head-on and killing her. That driver had inhaled aerosol dust cleaner moments before to get high, and prosecutors say he was impaired enough to be charged with... 2016-05-02 00:10 5KB abcnews.go.com 19 Church workers urge peace talks with Reds, Moro rebels BAGUIO CITY—Methodist church workers have urged the presidential candidates to pursue peace talks with the communists and other insurgent groups in a manifesto issued during the 33rd National 2016-05-02 00:10 2KB newsinfo.inquirer.net 20 Commissioner: Boy Shot by Baltimore Police Won't Be Charged Baltimore's Police commissioner says a 13-year-old who was holding a BB gun when he was shot by an officer will not be charged with a crime. Authorities said the boy was shot in the shoulder and leg by a plainclothes officer Wednesday after turning toward officers... 2016-05-02 00:10 1KB abcnews.go.com 21 STEINBERG: U. S. Supreme Court leans toward legalizing corruption If the high court sides with former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, the line between honey dripped on government officials and official action vanishes. 2016-05-02 00:10 3KB chicago.suntimes.com

22 Yemen Security Chief in Aden Survives Suicide Attack, 5 Dead Yemen's security directorate in Aden says a suicide bomber attacked the security chief's motorcade in the southern port city, killing five of his bodyguards. In a statement, it says Shallal Shayei was unharmed in Sunday's attack, as was Aden governor Aidroos al- Zubaidi, who was travelling... 2016-05-02 00:10 1KB abcnews.go.com 23 Kurdish group claims attack in Turkish city of Bursa ISTANBUL (AP) -- A Kurdish militant group has claimed responsibility for a suicide attack in the Turkish city of Bursa that wounded 13 people earlier this 2016-05-02 00:05 1KB mynorthwest.com 24 The Latest: New tests unravel Phoenix freeway shooting case PHOENIX (AP) -- The Latest on the dismissal of charges in the Phoenix freeway shooting case (all times local): 11:45 a.m. Seven months after an arrest, the 2016-05-02 00:01 3KB mynorthwest.com 25 Man seriously wounded in West Garfield Park shooting A man was shot Sunday morning in the West Garfield Park neighborhood on the West Side. 2016-05-02 00:01 742Bytes chicago.suntimes.com 26 Man charged in tractor-trailer crash that shut down I-75 in... A driver faces charges related to a two-vehicle crash that shut down I-75 in Whitfield County for more than two hours Saturday afternoon, authorities say. 2016-05-01 22:13 903Bytes www.ajc.com 27 Mumbai Indians to commence ticket refund process from tomorrow Mumbai Indians will commence the ticket refund process from tomorrow, May 2, for the bookings of its home matches dated May 8th, 13th, and 15th due to the change in venue from Mumbai to Vizag 2016-05-01 23:16 2KB www.mid-day.com 28 Tragic! 15-year-old boy who shot himself while taking selfie dies A 15-year-old boy who sustained a bullet injury to his head while taking a selfie with his father's revolver, died today at a hospital in Ludhiana 2016-05-01 23:09 1KB www.mid- day.com 29 India's Kalvari stealth submarine sails out of Mumbai Harbour for sea trials Kalvari, Indian Navy's first indigenous Scorpene-class stealth submarine, today sailed out of Mumbai Harbour for sea trials even as the plan to purchase heavy-weight torpedos for the vessel remains stuck due to the VVIP chopper scam 2016-05-01 23:05 2KB www.mid- day.com 30 Car bomb in southern Turkey kills policeman, 23 wounded A car bomb struck the entrance of a Turkish police station today in the southern city of Gaziantep, killing a policeman and injuring 23 other people, an official said 2016-05-01 22:53 2KB www.mid-day.com 31 JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar shown black flags in Patna JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar was today shown black flags at a function here by two unidentified persons who were roughed up by his supporters before being detained by the police for questioning 2016-05-01 22:53 3KB www.mid-day.com 32 Mumbai, Thane police stations to have free Wi-Fi facility Maharashtra Police has taken up an initiative to equip major police stations of Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai with free Wi-Fi facility, to be installed by private firm, Joister 2016-05-01 22:51 2KB www.mid-day.com

33 Mumbai: Bandra-Worli Sea Link to be partly closed for 2 days If you are planning to use Bandra-Worli Sea Link on Monday night (May 2)and Tuesday (May 3), make sure that you take an alternate route as the sea link world be partly closed for vehicular movement 2016-05-01 22:47 1KB www.mid-day.com 34 And then an era ends FOR MANY, it felt like the end of an era. On the last day of their five epic seasons, La Salle’s Ara Galang and Mika Reyes happily hoisted the championship trophy amid a rain of confetti, while 2016-05-01 22:45 3KB sports.inquirer.net 35 Recreating hazardous journey to US rings true with actors For Julian Sandoval, the play “Shelter” is more than just a story of children flooding into the U. S. by the tens of thousands from Latin America in search of safe sanctuary. It’s personal. 2016-05-01 21:12 4KB www.washingtontimes.com 36 Iowa lawmakers put aside philosophical differences on budget To adjourn the legislative session, Iowa lawmakers had to settle disagreements over Planned Parenthood and state employee salaries that didn’t amount to much money but represented deep philosophical differences between the two parties. 2016-05-01 21:10 4KB www.washingtontimes.com 37 Minot authorizes eminent domain for flood protection project The city of Minot is taking initial steps to obtain 10 properties through eminent domain for the city’s flood protection project. 2016-05-01 21:10 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 38 Thief carts away P3.2M in cash, jewelry from QC home near PNP MANILA -- In under an hour, a thief managed to steal over P3.2 million worth of cash and jewelry from an unattended house, which was a few blocks away from the national police's headquarters 2016-05-01 22:40 2KB newsinfo.inquirer.net 39 Tennessee Tech faculty address concerns about administration Professors at Tennessee Tech University have published an open letter to address their concerns about the administration after a survey was conducted that a faculty group official said expressed “widespread dissatisfaction.” 2016-05-01 22:01 2KB www.washingtontimes.com 40 The Latest: Former congressman Hayes back as party chairman The Latest on North Carolina Republican Party activists meeting Saturday to consider a petition to remove the state party’s chairman (all times local): 2016-05-01 22:38 2KB www.washingtontimes.com 41 Horizon Air is helping shape Portland airport’s future Alaska Airlines made waves in April with its $4 billion plan to acquire upscale rival Virgin America. But in Portland, at least, Alaska’s smaller sister airline might be the one to keep an eye on. 2016-05-01 22:00 3KB www.washingtontimes.com 42 Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick baptized on trip to Israel Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has been baptized in the Jordan River while visiting Israel with officials from different states. 2016-05-01 22:01 1KB www.washingtontimes.com

43 New Castle County police, community bond over fishing New Castle County police officers and members of the community have celebrated the opening of the Glasgow Park Fishing Pond. 2016-05-01 22:01 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 44 Beermen bow out as Grand Slam bid ends Winning a Grand Slam is the greatest achievement for any team in the PBA, but it’s not an easy feat as only four teams have been able to pull it off. Crispa did twice, while San Miguel, Alaska, 2016-05-01 22:36 3KB sports.inquirer.net 45 Connecticut governor gets JFK award for pro-refugee stance Connecticut’s governor has received the 2016 John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award for his public support of resettling Syrian refugees in the U. S. 2016-05-01 22:34 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 46 Train derails in Washington, DC; leaks hazardous chemical A CSX freight train heading to North Carolina derailed near a Metro stop in Washington, D. C., on Sunday, sending 14 cars off the tracks and spilling hazardous material, officials said. 2016-05-01 22:33 2KB www.washingtontimes.com 47 Obama, first lady review library design proposals President Barack Obama is reviewing design proposals for his future presidential library from the seven architectural firms chosen as finalists. 2016-05-01 22:33 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 48 ‘Jungle Book’ rules box office again; ‘Civil War’ looms Disney’s “The Jungle Book” trounced a handful of underperforming new releases to rule the box office for a third consecutive week, while next week’s certain champ, “Captain America: Civil War,” began setting records overseas. 2016-05-01 22:33 3KB www.washingtontimes.com 49 SA has come a long way, but the road to freedom goes on Human rights lawyer George Bizos argues that while the principles that underpin our constitution must remain inviolable, the constitution itself should be a living document. 2016-05-01 22:33 8KB www.timeslive.co.za 50 Volunteers prepare for high-altitude rescues Hundreds of search and rescue volunteers are getting their training at the High-Altitude Army National Guard Aviation Training Site this year, gearing up for the busy summer season for search and rescue crews that cranks up between Memorial Day and Labor Day. 2016-05-01 22:33 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 51 Illinois man crushed by garbage dies in landfill accident The death of a 54-year-old man buried under the weight of a tipped-over garbage truck and its contents at a Rockford landfill is under investigation by a federal workplace safety agency. 2016-05-01 22:32 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 52 Former Allen Parish mayor arrested for stealing public money The former mayor of an Allen Parish town has been arrested on charges that he stole more than $6,500 in public money. 2016-05-01 22:31 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 53 Lawrence school steers away from ban of Confederate flag Lawrence school officials say it’s unlikely the district will ban displays of the Confederate flag. 2016-05-01 22:31 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 54 Bodies of elite climber, cameraman found in melting glacier The bodies of a renowned mountain climber and expedition cameraman who were buried in a Himalayan avalanche 16 years ago have been found. 2016-05-01 22:31 2KB www.washingtontimes.com

55 Man goes to jail for trying to get loan in brother’s name A 55-year-old western Nebraska man has been sentenced to six months in jail for trying to take out a loan in his brother’s name. 2016-05-01 22:31 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 56 Report shows 72 avalanches in southwest Montana in 2016 Despite only having two avalanche deaths this winter, Montana still ranks second in overall avalanche deaths over the last decade. 2016-05-01 22:30 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 57 2 dead after shooting in Loveland A man and a woman are dead after an apparent shooting in Loveland. 2016-05-01 22:30 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 58 Fire decimates Old Las Vegas Zoo building Fire officials are looking into a blaze that tore through the old Las Vegas Zoo building. 2016-05-01 22:30 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 59 NY governor gives AG power to probe officer’s fatal shooting New York’s attorney general has been ordered to probe whether local law enforcers broke the law investigating a fatal shooting by a police officer. 2016-05-01 22:30 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 60 Malia Obama to wait one year before entering Harvard Malia Obama, the older daughter of President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama, will attend Harvard University in the fall of 2017. 2016-05-01 21:11 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 61 Rally seeks to foster fairness, justice for immigrants Social justice advocates in New Hampshire are making the rejection of racism, xenophobia and anti-Muslim sentiment the themes of their annual May Day Rally for Immigrant Justice. 2016-05-01 21:11 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 62 Hillary Clinton won’t call herself presumptive nominee, vows wooing of Sanders supporters Hillary Clinton said Sunday she is on the path to capture the Democratic presidential nomination but refused to call herself the “presumptive nominee.” 2016-05-01 21:11 2KB www.washingtontimes.com 63 Next up in NY Legislature: Uber, ethics and NYC schools New York lawmakers will return to Albany on Tuesday to begin the final weeks of their work for 2016, confronting a to-do list that includes a possible upstate expansion for Uber, a decision on control of public schools in New York City and the challenge of addressing... 2016-05-01 21:10 3KB www.washingtontimes.com 64 Attorney General: 3 organizations violated open meeting laws North Dakota Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem found that three Richland County organizations violated state open meetings law in conducting two special meetings in November. 2016-05-01 21:11 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 65 Appeals ruling clears way for Bowe Bergdahl case to resume An appeals court has cleared the way for U. S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl’s legal case to resume, rejecting prosecutors’ arguments that defense attorneys were given too much leeway on accessing classified documents. 2016-05-01 21:10 3KB www.washingtontimes.com

66 Iowa activist wants ‘suicidal deer’ sign removed An activist wants to persuade officials in northern Iowa to take down a deer crossing sign that warns about “suicidal deer.” 2016-05-01 22:26 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 67 Legendary civil rights activist shares stories, experiences Joan Trumpauer Mulholland experienced it all as an activist in the early 1960s. She was shot at and cursed, hunted by the Ku Klux Klan and disowned by her family. 2016-05-01 22:25 3KB www.washingtontimes.com 68 Lawmakers: Investment plan aims to help hard-hit communities Pushing idle investment capital into distressed communities is the goal of a proposal introduced in Congress last week. 2016-05-01 22:25 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 69 Flying Blind: Why SA Express was grounded Thousands of passengers were stranded yesterday as state-owned airline South African Express was grounded by the Civil Aviation Authority, which warned of 2016-05-01 22:20 7KB www.timeslive.co.za 70 President Obama slings barbs at both parties, media at annual correspondents dinner President Obama slung barbs at both parties and the media Saturday night in his last appearance as the center of attention at the annual White House Correspondents Dinner. 2016-05-01 22:13 2KB www.washingtontimes.com 71 Ted Cruz wins lion’s share of delegates at state conventions in Arizona, Virginia Ted Cruz succeeded Saturday in picking up more delegates at state GOP conventions in Arizona and Virginia, advancing his plan to win the nomination at a contested national convention. 2016-05-01 22:13 2KB www.washingtontimes.com 72 Hoping to carry momentum into fight in India: Vijender Singh Yet another knockout win in his kitty, ace Indian boxer Vijender Singh said he couldn't have asked for a better buildup to his much-anticipated homecoming to India next month 2016-05-01 22:11 2KB www.mid-day.com 73 Cover star: Duchess Kate poses for British edition of Vogue The British edition of Vogue will mark its 100th anniversary with a rare portrait of Kate Middleton looking relaxed in the countryside. 2016-05-01 22:11 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 74 Fajardo sees semis exit as chance to replenish ‘drained’ Beermen June Mar Fajardo knows that in the end, one team can't win everything. "Ganun talaga. Gusto rin nila manalo," the two-time MVP Fajardo said after San Miguel bowed out of the 2016 2016-05-01 22:10 2KB sports.inquirer.net 75 West Indies welcome BCCI decision on tour The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) president Dave Cameron has hailed the resumption of bilateral ties with the BCCI, as the region prepares to host India in a four- Test series starting in July 2016-05-01 22:09 2KB www.mid-day.com 76 Analysis: What does US use of roof-knocking mean for ICC view of Israel's use of it? Since January 2015, the ICC has been reviewing the legality of Israel’s approach to targeting and alleged war crimes relating to the 2014 Gaza war. 2016-05-01 22:08 5KB www.jpost.com 77 Still negotiating F-16 jet deal with US: Pakistan Pakistan is still negotiating with the US to buy eight F-16 fighter jets despite difficulties in getting the USD 700 million deal partially financed by the American government, a top Pakistani official has said 2016-05-01 22:02 1KB www.mid-day.com 78 Maharashtra Day: Devendra Fadnavis, Raj Thackeray pay tribute Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today paid floral tributes at the 'Hutatma Smarak' here to mark the 56th 'Maharashtra Day'. Fadnavis was accompanied by Mumbai Mayor Snehal Ambekar and Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) Commissioner Ajoy Mehta 2016-05-01 22:01 3KB www.mid-day.com 79 Rivlin demurs again on rumors of imminent pardon for Katsav A statement issued from the President’s Office indicated that no formal request has yet been received. 2016-05-01 21:43 6KB www.jpost.com 80 Jerusalem Post Editorial: Corbyn’s challenge Labor’s recently elected leader is a man who has referred to Hamas and Hezbollah as his “friends.” 2016-05-01 21:29 4KB www.jpost.com 81 4 nabbed for selling fake anti-tetanus vaccine in Las Piñas MANILA -- Four people were arrested in Las Piñas on Friday night, after they sold fake anti-tetanus vaccines worth almost P400,000 in a mall parking lot. A report to the Southern Police 2016-05-01 21:27 2KB newsinfo.inquirer.net 82 Hadash party gives flowers to Palestinians at checkpoint for May Day “It has been a painful visit hearing many stories about the daily suffering of the workers. They arrive around 2 am to the military check point in order to be able to enter on time,” said MK Jabareen 2016-05-01 21:27 1KB www.jpost.com 83 Watford City man wants city to help after basement flooded A Watford City man wants monetary help from the city after his basement flooded following a water main burst. 2016-05-01 21:16 2KB www.washingtontimes.com 84 Narendra Modi got first class in MA from Gujrat University: VC Amid the raging row over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's educational qualification, the Gujarat University today shared details of his MA degree saying he scored 62.3 per cent as an external student of the varsity 2016-05-01 21:16 4KB www.mid-day.com 85 Engineering students compete for hybrid, electric car titles Dartmouth College is launching its 10th annual Formula Hybrid Competition at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway. 2016-05-01 21:16 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 86 Elephants to perform for final time at Ringling Bros. circus Elephants will perform for the last time at the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus on Sunday, as the show closes its own chapter on a controversial practice that has entertained audiences since circuses began in America two centuries ago. 2016-05-01 21:15 3KB www.washingtontimes.com 87 Flooding predicted along Louisiana sections of Red River The National Weather Service is warning of flooding along the Red River in northwest Louisiana. 2016-05-01 21:15 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 88 Head of Maui hospitals stepping down before privatization The head of Hawaii Health Systems Corporation is stepping down as the collection of Maui hospitals transitions to new private owners. 2016-05-01 21:15 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 89 Los Angeles school wins national Academic Decathlon _ again A Los Angeles high school has again won the national Academic Decathlon, besting competitors from all over the country. 2016-05-01 21:15 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 90 Slovakia’s premier leaves hospital after heart surgery Slovakia’s prime minister has been discharged from a clinic in the capital following heart surgery. 2016-05-01 21:15 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 91 Petting zoo employee arrested for sexually abusing children Police say a man accused of abusing two children at a traveling petting zoo has been arrested in northwest Alabama. 2016-05-01 21:15 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 92 State holding hearings to consider later school start times State education officials this week will launch a series of hearings to discuss whether middle and high school students should start the school day later in the morning. 2016-05-01 21:15 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 93 Group plans tiny house village for homeless in Muncie A nonprofit organization wants to build a village of six tiny houses for the homeless in Muncie. 2016-05-01 21:15 2KB www.washingtontimes.com 94 Greetings from Asbury Park, opening first hotel in 50 years In the Jersey shore city that gave Bruce Springsteen’s debut album its name, owners of the first new hotel to open there in more than 50 years hope they can convince locals and tourists alike that what was once considered a slum by the sea is now a destination... 2016-05-01 21:15 4KB www.washingtontimes.com 95 Arkansas roles in World War I focus of centennial committee The roles people from Arkansas played in World War I will be highlighted over the next two years by the newly formed Arkansas World War I Centennial Commemoration Committee. 2016-05-01 21:14 2KB www.washingtontimes.com 96 Analysis: Egypt caught between the hammer and the anvil The Sisi administration in Egypt is struggling for survival in the face of growing socioeconomic hardship and mounting criticism of the would-be savior who failed to deliver. 2016-05-01 21:11 9KB www.jpost.com 97 Hey my brodder: celebrate our rainbow nation of accents This is Freedom Day week, when South Africans are meant to celebrate the hard-won freedoms that culminated in April 27 1994. 2016-05-01 21:09 5KB www.timeslive.co.za 98 72-year-old rescued 13 days after Ecuador earthquake A 72-year-old man was rescued by Venezuelan relief workers, 13 days after a devastating earthquake jolted Ecuador's northern coast 2016-05-01 21:08 1KB www.mid- day.com 99 Leicester draw with Man Utd to put Premier League title bid on hold Leicester City's bid to win Premier League title was put on hold after they drew 1-1 with Manchester United on Sunday 2016-05-01 21:05 1KB www.mid-day.com 100 Police: Diamond industry scam artist stashed tens of millions abroad The allegations against Abramovich including money laundering, fraud, forgery, and use of a forged document, according to his arrest warrant. 2016-05-01 21:01 3KB www.jpost.com Articles

Total 100 articles, created at 2016-05-02 00:10

1 Did Woman Sway Boy to Kill His Dad? Court Raises Doubts (1.00/2) The paramedics who looked at Robert Breininger's lifeless body in his twin bed suspected right away that whatever happened didn't match the story being told by his 10-year-old son. There was no way, they thought, his father was awake when the boy told them the gun accidentally went off. And it certainly appeared it was fired inches away from his head, not from the other side of the room. Still, the shooting in rural northwestern Ohio was ruled an accident and stayed that way for nearly a decade until the boy told a former teacher, and then investigators, that Breininger's wife, who had adopted the boy, persuaded him to kill his father because he was dying and to make it look like an accident. A jury convicted her of aggravated murder and insurance fraud in 2013. Now, a court ruling is raising questions once again about what took place, ordering a new trial for Judith Hawkey, who's serving a life sentence in a shooting that has been surrounded by mystery from almost from the moment it happened. State appeals court judges decided the second trial is warranted because testimony shouldn't have been allowed from three witnesses: a child abuse pediatrician, a clinical psychologist and the teacher in whom the boy confided years after the shooting. While the ruling in late March said there was enough evidence for a conviction, it also called the case against Hawkey not overwhelming — saying everything originated from her adopted son, Corey Breininger. "All of the conclusions reached by the professionals and the authorities were based upon what Corey told them," the ruling said. Prosecutors, who have asked the appeals court to reconsider its decision, called the ruling contradictory and confusing. They also criticized the court for how it interpreted testimony in the case and making a decision "that appears to substitute its own opinion for that of the jury. " What isn't in dispute is that Corey, now 23, came home from school in autumn 2003 and fired the shot that killed his father after Hawkey had left their house outside Defiance, near the Indiana state line. Corey told first responders he was talking with his dad when the gun went off. He said he tried CPR, but paramedics saw no blood on him. One of the first responders said he remembered the boy, who was inconsolable, saying, "It feels like it's my fault. " Investigators didn't question his story despite what they saw, one said according to a court document, because of how devastated Corey appeared to be afterward. Nine years later, Corey, told the same investigator a new story. Hawkey had told him, he said, that his 34-year-old father had been diagnosed with a brain tumor and wanted to be killed so the family would have money. Corey said she told him where to find the gun and how to call 911 when it was over. Corey also told the investigator that Hawkey had beaten him for years, that she had tried to kill him several times and that she was trying to poison the man she married after Breininger's death. Authorities concluded that Hawkey used the boy to kill her husband and collect a $500,000 insurance payout, noting later that she had started the paperwork the day after the shooting. By the time Corey accused Hawkey of orchestrating the shooting, he already had moved out of the house and was estranged from his family. He testified he didn't say anything earlier because he was afraid she would kill him. Friends and neighbors gave conflicting accounts of the relationship between Corey and Hawkey. One neighbor said she rarely showed affection toward the boy, while another said she had been excited to adopt her new husband's son. Prosecutors described Hawkey as controlling and abusive. The judge said at sentencing that how she manipulated Corey was "evil beyond description. " Hawkey's defense attorney, Clayton Crates, said that a social worker who visited the house before the shooting saw no signs of abuse and that medical records did not back up those claims. "I don't know if it's Corey lying, or if living with the guilt of shooting his father transformed his mind and caused him to shift some blame," Crates said. Repeated calls to a listing for Corey Breininger were not answered over the past few days. Before Hawkey was sentenced, she said Corey shot his father because they had decided to send him to a military school and he didn't want to go. "He made up the whole story," she said at the hearing. "I will be back for another time because I did not do this. "

Court to hear appeal from man convicted in boy’s killing washingtontimes.com 2016-05-02 00:10 By abcnews.go.com

2 Seattle mayor activates Emergency Operations Center for May Day (1.00/2) May Day events 10 a.m.- 4:30 p.m.: Solidarity Musical Festival at Westlake Park 3 p.m.: The El Comité May Day March for Worker and Immigrant Rights rally will leave Judkins Park—at 20th Ave S. and S. Dearborn Street in the Central District — and head toward the Federal Courthouse in downtown Seattle. The marchers will move north on 20 th Avenue South to Jackson Street; west on Jackson to Boren Avenue; north on Boren to Broadway and on to Pike Street; east on Pike Street to 12th Avenue, and then north on 12th to Pine Street; west on Pine Street to 7th Avenue; and north on 7th to the Federal Courthouse at 700 Stewart Street. 11. a.m. UPDATE Seattle Mayor Ed Murray activated the City of Seattle’s Emergency Operations Center at 10 a.m.,to provide support to the city and coordinate response to potential traffic impacts for the day’s planned events and marches. Related: Seattle police prepared for May Day, anarchist march Seattle police expect there to be the usual peaceful demonstrations, but are preparing for possible violence. Last year, police confined the protests primarily to Capitol Hill. But this year, the anti-capitalist group plans to gather at Westlake Park, where in the past, protests have spilled into the streets. Last year, police confined the protests primarily to Capitol Hill. But this year, the anti-capitalist group plans to gather at Westlake Park, where in the past, protests have spilled into the streets. A source tells KIRO 7 that Seattle police plan to ramp up their presence by 30 percent over last year. Businesses downtown and on Capitol Hill are getting ready.

May Day rallies planned for Seattle and Portland washingtontimes.com 2016-05-02 00:03 By KIRO mynorthwest.com

3 Workers' Day celebrations ring hollow (1.00/2) The plight of South African workers is currently compounded by a low-wage regime, a non- transformative apartheid hierarchy and a neo- liberal, legislative landscape that serves foreign- direct investors at the expense of a multitude of workers. International Workers' Day celebrations began on May 1 in 1886 in the US. This year is the 130th anniversary of the workers' commemorations, a time dedicated to the remembrance of all milestones that have been achieved by workers throughout the annals of history. In South Africa, the trade-union movement played a vital role in transforming the exclusive labour legislation and contributed immensely to the political liberation of our country. But under our constitutional democracy there has been a regression in the impact of the labour movement within the tripartite alliance, culminating in the emergence of yellow trade unionism. This is underscored by political careerism in the top echelons of g overnment and in the business community. South Africa is revered internationally for having one of the best constitutions, undergirded by strong legislation and policies. But commentators concur that despite this strong framework there is poor implementation - due to lack of political will and a conflicted union movement meddled in the confusion of its alliance with the state. The emergence of the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union has rattled this hegemony within the labour movement and provided workers with an alternative voice. This has been met with resistance from business and state apparatus, fanning rivalry between workers through state-sponsored initiatives, such as the formation of the Workers Association Union. We are also cognisant of recent public discourse on state capture with reference to the Gupta family. For AMCU, the construct of state capture is far broader than just one relationship. We are persuaded to assess this phenomenon in national, provincial and local government and the relationships between private business and influential public servants. We also examine this construct through the lens of white-monopoly capital and the grasp it has had on the state since the advent of our constitutional democracy. A most recent illustrative example is the manner in which the markets reacted to the removal of finance minister Nhlanhla Nene from cabinet. The weakening of the South African rand and loss of billions of rands by the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, which only strengthened when a person supported by white-monopoly capital was appointed to that position, is an example. This is an illustration of the capture of our state, as decisions are forced on the executive by the markets. South African workers are worse off today, as the share of wages has fallen below the share of profits since 1994. Wage inequality has increased, with an average mining boss earning 209 times more than their lowest-paid worker. These earn hefty salaries with fat bonuses averaging R20-million per annum, which equates to R55000 a day - almost equivalent to the annual salary of one mineworker. Wage inequality is the most violent way of oppression under South African capitalism, considering that a majority of workers earn slave wages. This has been compounded by poor transformation in the labour market, with the 14th Employment Conditions Commission report stipulating that 62% of top managers are white and only 19% are black, with 57% of senior managers being white while only 23% are black. This is despite the fact that white South Africans only account for 10% of the country's population. AMCU has directly confronted this dominion and, in the process, has been defined as militant and radical for raising unorthodox issues. Those in power have been compelled by white-monopoly capital to review legislation. Nedlac social partners are considering fresh amendments to the Labour Relations Act with a view of limiting the right to strike and introducing a national minimum wage. Karl Marx contended that material conditions underscore causes for conflict in society while theorising dialectic materialism. In this analysis, it is unsustainable for any rational individual to regulate conflict without dealing with the material conditions that give rise to it. The AMCU approach is to deal with slave mining wages, poor health and safety conditions and fatalities in a quest for social justice for all workers. As we commemorate this year's Workers' Day, we are reminded of the struggles that have been waged by our gallant comrades locally and abroad. The tree of local struggles has been watered by the blood of workers at Marikana, the brutal murder of Steve Mawethu and Bongani Mehlwenkomo. We are further reminded of mineworkers who have lost their lives on duty through mine fatalities and remember the Lily Mine workers who are still trapped underground. There is little to celebrate as we make a call to authorities to review the May Day holiday and call it Workers' Day - with a direct focus on worker issues. Mathunjwa is the president of Amcu

Raimondo to celebrate College Signing Day in Providence washingtontimes.com 2016-05-01 22:40 Joseph Mathunjwa www.timeslive.co.za

4 IPL9: Rohit Sharma's masterclass helps Mumbai Indians beat Pune Supergiants Pune: Skipper Rohit Sharma continued to lead by example as a thoroughly professional Mumbai Indians outclassed Rising Pune Supergiants by eight wickets in an Indian Premier League encounter, here tonight. It was brilliant bowling at the backend by Jasprit Bumrah (3/29) and Harbhajan Singh (1/25) that saw MI restrict Supergiants to an unimpressive 159 for five with burly Saurabh Tiwary's slow 57 off 45 balls being the reason for team's defeat. Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma plays a shot during the IPL T20 match between the Rising Pune Supergiants and the Mumbai Indians at the Maharashtra Cricket Association's International Stadium in Pune on Sunday. Pic/AFP A below-par score was never going to pose any problems for the defending champions who surpassed the target in only 18.3 overs with skipper Rohit smashing an ubeaten 85 off 60 balls. En route his fifth half-century in 9 games, Rohit hit eight boundaries and three sixes. The sixes were hit effortlessly in the mid-wicket region with last one ending the match. Rohit is now second in run-getters list with 383 runs in nine games and three runs behind David Warner (386 runs). Having registered their fifth win in nine games, MI jumped to the second spot in the league table with 10 points, right behind Gujarat Lions, who are on 12 points. For Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the sixth defeat in eight games keeps them in the bottom rung with only four points in their kitty. Disastrously enough, they have lost four home games in Pune. Rising Pune Supergiants player M S Dhoni plays a shot during the IPL T20 match between the Rising Pune Supergiants and the Mumbai Indians at the Maharashtra Cricket Association's International Stadium in Pune on Sunday. Pic/PTI In this tournament, Rohit has tried to change his game trying to anchor the chase with controlled aggression. With Parthiv Patel (21), Ambati Rayudu (22) and Jos Buttler (27 no) making small but useful contributions, it became easy for the Mumbai stylist to take his team to a comfortable victory. For Supergiants, it will be a catch-up game from now on as they would need to win atleast five if not six games and also expect other results to go their way favourably. Earlier, Rising Pune Supergiants frittered away a rollicking start as they managed only 159 for five against a disciplined Mumbai Indians attack in an Indian Premier League encounter tonight. While Steve Smith smashed 45 off 23 balls to raise visions of a formidable total but it was burly Saurabh Tiwary whose 57 off 45 balls (4x4, 2x6) turned out to be weaklink in their batting as he wasted a lot of deliveries at the backend of the innings. Rising Pune Supergiants' Saurabh Tiwary plays a shot against Mumbai Indians. Pic/ AFP It was his painfully slow batting and quest to reach an individual milestone that saw Supergiants get only 66 runs in their final 10 overs after Smith helped them a set a platform in the first 10 overs which saw MI giving away 93 runs. There was a poor phase in the Supergiants innings as they lost the momentum between overs 11 and 15 scoring only 27 runs in that phase which was the turning point. Much of the credit should go to Harbhajan (1/25 in 4 overs) for varying the pace and carefully altering the length of his deliveries as none of the batsmen got to chance his arms during those overs. The most successful bowler was Jasprit Bumrah (3/29 in 4 overs) who was economical as well as picked up the wickets of Smith, Dhoni and Tiwary. Mumbai Indians Jasprit Bumrah celebrates after taking the wicket of Rising Pune Supergiants batsman Steven Smith during the 2016 Indian Premier League(IPL) Twenty20 cricket match between Rising Pune Supergiants and Mumbai Indians at The Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune. Pic/AFP The burly and overweight Tiwary, who is not one of the fittest cricketers around, failed to get going once Smith was out eventually completing his 50 off 39 balls. He neither had strength to hit sixes nor the stamina to help his skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (24 off 24 balls) convert the singles into twos. Smith seemed to have taken off from where he left during his century against Gujarat Lions the other night. He started with back to back boundaries off Tim Southee and then guided a short delivery from Mitchell McLenaghan over third man for a six. His second six was flick off left-arm slow bowler Krunal Pandya and third was an imperious pull shot off Krunal's younger brother Hardik. While Smith teed off in stylish fashion, the burly Tiwary was slow off the blocks but it was Krunal's second over where he launched into him hitting two huge sixes -- a slog sweep and a flat one along with a swept boundary. The 50-run stand came off 27 balls. Mumbai Indians players celebrates the wicket of Rising Pune Supergiants player Steven Smith during the IPL T20 match between the Rising Pune Supergiants and the Mumbai Indians at the Maharashtra Cricket Association's International Stadium in Pune on Sunday. Pic/AFP Just when it seemed that another half-century was there for the taking, Smith was dismissed by Bumrah, who got one to bounce a shade more as the Australian captain trying to guide the ball to third man could only edge one to Parthiv Patel behind the stumps. Smith's innings had four boundaries and three sixes and he added 84 runs with Tiwary for the second wicket. Inexperienced Peter Handscombe (6) couldn't get going and a mistimed sweep off a Harbhajan Singh delivery was taken easily by Jos Buttler at square leg fence. Supergiants innings only went downhill from thereon.

IPL9: Mumbai Indians' bowlers restrict Pune Supergiants to 159/5 mid-day.com 2016-05-02 00:06 By PTI www.mid-day.com

5 Wausau police officer shoots, kills knife-wielding suspect WAUSAU, Wis. (AP) - A Wausau police officer has shot and killed a man who authorities say was wielding a knife. The shooting happened Saturday night as police responded to a domestic incident at an apartment building in Wausau. Wausau Police Patrol Capt. Matt Barnes told reporters Sunday that police found probable cause to arrest a man, who was not at his apartment, and started to search for him. The man was found outside but was able to enter a building around 10:20 p.m. Barnes says an officer found the suspect and tried to arrest him, but the man grabbed a knife. The officer shot the suspect, who died at the scene. The officer was placed on standard administrative leave. Wausau Daily Herald Media (http://wdhne.ws/1SWqZL6 ) reports the Wisconsin Division of Criminal Investigation will investigate. ___ Information from: Wausau Daily Herald Media, http://www.wausaudailyherald.com

Man shot in wrist after refusing to leave restaurant washingtontimes.com

Police: 2nd man wounded after funeral at Milwaukee church washingtontimes.com

Man, 31, fatally shot inside Milwaukee home; suspect sought washingtontimes.com Police search for suspect after man killed in West Allis washingtontimes.com 2016-05-01 21:16 An investigator www.washingtontimes.com

6 Ted Cruz downplays make-or-break Indiana, eyes California Republican presidential hopeful Sen. Ted Cruz said Sunday that Tuesday’s Indiana primary is “incredibly important” but downplayed the perception that it is a must-win to keep his run alive. He also looked forward to next month’s California primary on the last day of the race: “California is the state that’s going to decide this whole thing,” he said on “Fox News Sunday.” Mr. Cruz insisted that he and front-runner Donald Trump are headed into a contested nominating convention regardless of the outcome Tuesday in the Hoosier State. “I agree that Indiana is incredibly important. I think regardless of what happens in Indiana, Donald Trump is not getting to 1,237. No one is getting to 1,237,” Mr. Cruz said, referring to the number of delegates needed to secure the nomination before the GOP convention in July. “I’m going to have a ton of delegates at that convention and Donald Trump is going to have a ton of delegates. And it’s going to be a battle to see who can earn a majority,” said the Texas senator. The front-running Mr. Trump disagreed. He said that not only is Indiana do-or-die for Mr. Cruz , but the race already is pretty much over. “I think it’s over now,” Mr. Trump said in a separate interview on the Fox show. “ Cruz cannot win. He’s got no highway, he’s got nothing, he’s way behind,” said the real estate tycoon. “I’m leading him by millions and millions of votes, and I’m leading him by 400 or 500 delegates. He can’t win.” Mr. Trump is the only candidate in the race who can secure 1,237 delegates before the convention in Cleveland. Mr. Cruz and Ohio Gov. John Kasich are mathematically eliminated form that race and could win the nomination only after multiple ballots at a contested convention. “The reason Donald is so frantic to say the race is over and trying to get all of his media acolytes to say the race is over is because Donald knows he cannot earn the majority of the delegates that were elected by the people,” said Mr. Cruz. “If you can’t win a majority, it means you can’t unite the party and win.”

Donald Trump takes 15-point lead in Indiana: poll washingtontimes.com 2016-05-01 21:12 Republican presidential www.washingtontimes.com

7 Ted Cruz not ready to pledge support for Donald Trump if GOP nominee Republican presidential hopeful Sen. Ted Cruz repeatedly ducked questions Sunday about whether he would support front-runner Donald Trump as the GOP nominee. “If the Republican Party nominates Donald Trump , we will lose to Hillary, because when we offer Democrat-lite Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton on the ballot, they support the same social policy, they support the same economic policy,” Mr. Cruz said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “In fact, both Donald and Hillary support allowing illegal immigrants to become U. S. citizens,” he added. Pressed by host Chuck Todd to say he would support Mr. Trump , the Texas senator proclaimed: “What I’m going to do is beat him.” He insisted that the GOP would lose the White House if Mr. Trump becomes the nominee. “I recognize that many in the media would love for me to surrender to Donald Trump ,” said Mr. Cruz. Mr. Trump has declared himself the presumptive GOP nominee after taking a huge lead in the race. The billionaire businessman is the only Republican candidate with a chance to secure the 1,237 delegates needed to clinch the nomination before the July convention in Cleveland. The only path for Mr. Cruz and Ohio Gov. John Kasich is through a contested convention in which they potentially could win the nomination after multiple ballots. Mr. Cruz needs a big win Tuesday in the Indiana primary to keep hope alive for a contested convention. “I am going to beat Donald Trump. We are headed to a contested convention, and we’re gonna win, and I’m not willing to concede this country,” said Mr. Cruz. “Listen, this is my kids’ future, Chuck. It’s not simply a game.” He blamed the media for creating the “ Trump phenomena.” “Listen, the simple reality is the media, almost entirely, are liberal, partisan Democrats. That is the reality of it,” said Mr. Cruz. “The media created this Trump phenomenon, and then they don’t hold him accountable. Now, I’m sure the media plan to do so if he’s the nominee in the general election.” After repeatedly dodging the questions about supporting Mr. Trump , the senator credited Mr. Todd with pushing the issue. “Let the record show you tried very, very hard to get me to commit to supporting Trump ,” he said. “The record will show that.”

Donald Trump brushes off Ted Cruz’s attacks over Mike Tyson endorsement washingtontimes.com 2016-05-01 21:10 Republican presidential www.washingtontimes.com

8 Local elections 2016: how to judge what Labour's result will mean for the party Jeremy Corbyn will face his first nationwide electoral test this week since sweeping to the leadership of his party on a tide of anger at austerity and disillusionment with identikit politicians. Scotland will choose a new government, all seats in the Welsh assembly will be contested, cities including London and Bristol will elect mayors and 2,743 seats in 124 local councils are up for grabs. Even before the polling stations have opened, Corbyn’s allies are keen to play down the significance of the vote as a barometer of the party’s appeal, and the leader’s ability to project his message to different constituencies up and down the country. Corbyn himself told the Guardian last week : “We are placing no arbitrary figures on anything and I don’t think anyone else should. They are local elections, there are inevitably local factors, let’s see what happens.” But once the votes are counted, every Labour supporter will have to consider what would constitute success. Steve Fisher, of Oxford University, one of Britain’s foremost election experts, has looked at the claims and counter-claims for the Guardian – focusing on the local elections – and says there are three ways of asking that question: Opposition parties almost always make gains in local government elections. And 2012, when these seats were last contested, under Ed Miliband, was a good year , when Labour did better than its poll rating at the time would have predicted, gaining seats. Corbyn’s allies are keen to make this point, talking about the “high-water mark” of 2012. Jon Trickett, Labour’s election co-ordinator , wrote recently: “The English council seats we are contesting this year were last fought in 2012. The results then were Labour’s best in the local elections since those that took place in 2001 on the same day as Blair’s second landslide election.” Fisher says: “There’s not much evidence from previous local elections that they should make big gains.” He suggests Labour could end up with roughly the same number of seats as before the poll. Ask the question in this way, and a handful of gains would be an improvement on the average – but on average, Labour didn’t go on to win the next general election. “Small losses would not, in the context of 2012, constitute a particularly poor performance, but it certainly wouldn’t be a sign of future general election success.” Looking at the number of council seats won or lost alone it will be impossible to say. Having analysed the data on seats won or lost at local elections, and general election performance since the 1970s, Fisher said: “There is absolutely no discernible, sensible correlation there.” Tony Blair scored the record number of Labour gains, with 1,807 in 1995, but his 1996 tally of 468 gains – just a year before he stormed into Downing Street – was easily eclipsed by Michael Foot’s 988 gains in 1981, Neil Kinnock’s 584 in 1991 and the 800-plus gains for Miliband in both 2011 and 2012. “Big gains in local elections are no guarantee of future success,” says Fisher. However, there is a much stronger link between the national equivalent vote (NEV), calculated by the academics Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher , and future general election performance. The NEV is an estimate of what percentage of the vote each party would be likely to have won across Britain, had all the seats nationally been up for grabs. Another elections expert, Chris Prosser, of the University of Manchester, has tracked the NEV for local elections against subsequent general election results. He finds that on average, Labour needs something like an 11 percentage point lead on this measure to deliver a poll lead and at least 15 points for a majority. Fisher reckons the current opinion polls – which are the worst for a Labour opposition going into local elections since 1982 – suggest this time we may end up with something like a one point lead for the Conservatives. That would put Labour well behind what would be necessary to point the way back to power. It had a six-point lead in 2012. Corbyn’s election strategists argue that the muddying of the two-party system in recent years, with Ukip picking up 4m votes at the last general election, makes speculation along these lines difficult, but after the collapse of the Lib Dem vote Rallings and Thrasher say there are actually more two-way, Labour-Conservative competitions than for most of the past two decades – and Fisher points out that it is Labour’s lead over the Conservatives, rather than either’s absolute share of the vote, that is the best predictor of which party is most likely to form the next government. Here, the answer is more straightforward. Although Corbyn’s lieutenants stress that 2012 was a vintage year, Fisher says: “It’s hard to say that they’re making progress over the Miliband years if you’re losing seats that he won. It’s easier to agree that if you’re making gains on 2012, then you’re doing pretty well.” Similarly, if Labour makes significant losses in Wales, or slips into third place behind the Tories in Scotland – where the elections are fought on different voting systems – it might not tell us much about the road to 2020, but it would difficult to read as evidence Corbyn is taking his party in the right direction. That’s where sceptics of the leadership, such as backbench MP Alison McGovern, who said recently that a loss of even a single council would be a “betrayal”, may feel they have a point. Corbyn ally Len McCluskey attacks ‘treacherous’ Labour MPs theguardian.com 2016-05-01 21:20 Heather Stewart www.theguardian.com

9 Bets stay up with Velarde, to no avail THREE of the five presidential candidates attended the Sunday vigil of the popular Catholic charismatic group, El Shaddai, in an effort to win the endorsement of the group’s influential leader, Bro. Mike Velarde. Among those who attended the overnight vigil at the El Shaddai International House of Prayer at the Amvel City Ground in Parañaque City were Vice President Jejomar Binay, Sen. Grace Poe and former Interior Secretary Mar Roxas II. Vice presidential candidates Chiz Escudero and Ferdinand Marcos Jr. also came to the event that started on Saturday afternoon. They were all given a chance to address the crowd. Several members of the group said they expected Velarde to announce the candidates he would endorse for the May 9 elections even as survey ballots with the names of the presidential and vice presidential candidates were distributed to members. The coveted endorsement did not come, however. Velarde announced at the end of the prayer vigil at 6 a.m. Sunday that he would reveal his choices on Tuesday. “I will let you know on Tuesday. That is our agreement, do not believe in surveys. Whatever I will tell you, that is the truth,” he told the crowd in Filipino. Velarde said he would pray for clean, orderly and credible elections. He warned he would lead a mass action down Edsa if cheating was apparent. He told his followers: “You are free to vote for your choice. But don’t use the surveys, use your conscience.” “Some people are asking why I’m meddling in the elections. It’s our obligation as a citizen, as the faithful, especially those who are called by God to participate in choosing who will lead our country. I will not trample on your right to choose individually, I myself will choose,” he said. Binay, Poe, Marcos, Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada and several senatorial candidates stayed and shared the stage for the almost two-hour Mass at 11 p.m. Roxas arrived with his wife Korina Sanchez at 2 a.m. Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and Sen. Miriam Santiago were no-shows but there were tables reserved for them and their parties in the VIP lounge. The senatorial candidates who came were TG Guingona, Ralph Recto, Sherwin Gatchalian, Martin Romualdez, Leila de Lima, Lorna Kapunan, Juan Miguel Zubiri, Francis Tolentino, Samuel Pagdilao, Rafael Alunan and Rey Langit.

2016-05-02 00:09 Tina G newsinfo.inquirer.net

10 Binay paired with Marcos LUCENA CITY—Campaign streamers touting Vice President Jejomar Binay and Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. were prominently displayed side by side on stage at the Quezon Convention Center here on Saturday at a gathering of Southern Tagalog barangay leaders. The problem is the two are not a tandem—Binay is running for president under the United Nationalist Alliance, while Marcos belongs to the Nacionalista Party and is running for vice president alongside presidential candidate Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago. And no campaign posters of Binay’s running mate, Sen. Gregorio Honasan, were in sight, leading people to ask if Binay had dropped him. Event organizer, former Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez, said the rally featuring the two candidates belonging to different parties was arranged by Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez, himself a candidate for senator and Marcos’ cousin. Request by Romualdez “It was requested by Representative Romualdez,” said Suarez, an adviser to Binay. He added this did not mean that his family, a longtime political clan in Quezon, had switched its support from Honasan to Marcos. He hinted, however, that any seeming political alliance between Binay and Marcos would have the tacit approval of Honasan. Suarez quoted Honasan as saying: “I don’t mind being a dead hero basta’t manalo lang si VP Binay. Anything basta’t manalo lang si Jojo (so long as Binay wins).” He (Honasan) doesn’t mind a Binay-Marcos campaign rally. We have an understanding with Greg, Suarez said. He said Marcos’ presence was sought by the local political leaders who asked to hear the vice presidential candidate’s plans. While Binay and Marcos both came to the general assembly of Calabarzon barangay leaders here, they did not appear together on stage. Marcos was first to climb up with Romualdez shortly before noon. They were joined by Suarez, who is running unopposed in Quezon’s third district, and his son, reelectionist Gov. David Suarez. When Suarez presented Marcos to the 4,000 assembled delegates, he introduced him as the next vice president of the Philippines​. After his speech, Marcos told the Inquirer he knew nothing about a supposed Binay-Marcos alliance. “I don’t know about that,”​ he said, chuckling. But he said Honasan once confided to him that kahit anong kailangan niyang gawin para manalo si Vice President Binay ay gagawin niya (he will do what it takes to make Binay win).​ Marcos said his presidential candidate was Santiago. “Senator Santiago is my candidate for president, and it will never change.” In an interview, Binay told reporters he was not deserting Honasan. He said he did not need to explain anything to Honasan. “From the very beginning, no matter how the news was spun, I had been telling Senator Honasan I am not one to leave a friend behind. We’ll stick together, for better or worse,” Binay said in Filipino. With a report from Robert Jaworski L. Abaño

2016-05-02 00:10 Delfin T newsinfo.inquirer.net

11 CDO dentist denies being Duterte dummy for properties COTABATO CITY — A dentist from Cagayan de Oro City has refuted reports naming him as some sort of a dummy owner of properties linked by Senator Antonio Trillanes IV to the family of presidential candidate and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte. Dr. Guian Paolo D. Duterte, in a statement released Sunday , also denied being a relative of Duterte. He said he found it unfortunate that the senator had unnecessarily dragged his name into his series of media exposés on allegedly hidden properties and bank accounts of Mayor Duterte, the frontrunner in voter-preference surveys. “It is unfortunate that my name has been publicly mentioned in the GMA7 News report last April 27 of which Senator Antonio Trillanes IV accused Mayor Rodrigo Roa Duterte and his family of possessing illegally amassed wealth,” said Dr. Duterte. “For the record, I am a practicing pediatric dentist and I have established regular clientele, through private practice based in Cagayan de Oro City,” he said. The dentist added: “Through my profession, I was able to secure a loan from the Bank of Philippine Islands (BPI) to purchase the real estate property in Cagayan de Oro mentioned in the reports of GMA7 and Senator Antonio Trillanes IV.” Dr. Duterte said all his life he has never been a politician, and neither has he sought elective position, nor has he run for public office. “Further, our roots come from Cebu and I’ve yet to establish the degree or any connection whatsoever, on how the good Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte and I are directly related,” the dentist said. SFM

2016-05-02 00:10 Nash B newsinfo.inquirer.net

12 Jobless man nabbed for ID theft, attempt to use uncle’s credit card AFP PHOTO Joseph Nicol Ong, 43, was arrested in an entrapment operation in Parañaque City after presenting fake IDs to claim the credit cards delivered to him but bearing the name of his uncle. With the arrest of Ong, the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group warned the public anew on identity theft, especially with the hacking and leak of data from the Commission on Elections website. Senior Supt. Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar, ACG chief, said the public should take the necessary precautions to avoid identity theft in financial transactions, in connection with the “Comeleak.” Ong was arrested last Friday afternoon outside his uncle’s home in the Green Heights Subdivision after he waited for the bank messenger delivering the credit cards to him. His duplicity was busted by the Union Bank of the Philippines, which reported to the ACG an impostor who wanted to get access to the credit cards of their client, Ong’s uncle. The impostor called the bank’s customer service and reported that he left his credit cards inside a cab. The caller tried to pass himself off as his uncle, a businessman, during the positive identification procedure and even asked to update his contact information, such as his email address and cell phone number. The bank, however, saw through the ruse and reported the attempt to the ACG, which set up an entrapment operation against the con artist. At around 12:50 p.m. last Friday, a policeman pretending to be a bank messenger delivered the credit cards to the address of the real client. However, Ong was waiting outside his uncle’s house and claimed to be his uncle, presenting a driver’s license and voter’s ID, which bore his uncle’s data but the suspect’s own photograph. The suspect was arrested as he received the credit cards bearing his uncle’s name, Eleazar said. Ong was charged for violating Republic Act 8484 or the Access Device Regulations Act, RA 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act and the Revised Penal Code for falsifying documents. Eleazar pointed out that an individual or syndicate could gather a victim’s personal details, leaving the victim with a large debt, a negative credit history, and with legal implications. “We want the public to be aware of securing personal documents and information that can be obtained from utility bills, IDs, receipts, social media posts, etc,” he said. Internet users should be wary of e-mails claiming to be from financial institutions or other legitimate organizations, which ask the recipients to update their security details and password through a fake but authentic-looking website. The ACG issued the following tips to prevent identity theft: * Improve security precautions by using strong email passwords and changing them regularly; * Refrain from opening unknown emails and attachments which may contain malware; * Install an anti-virus program and firewall on computers and update the software as needed; * Keep personal information off social media. Be careful in posting anything on social media which could provide information on location and accessibility; * Keep your credit card and its details always safe; * Be careful in giving information on web purchases; * Do not surf the web while accessing online banking accounts. Ensure that only your online banking site is open; * Do not engage in sensitive transactions online. * Monitor online account activities; * Separate passwords for online banking and non-banking accounts; * Subscribe to text and email notifications and alerts from your financial services institution; and, * Cooperate with the banks on the update adjustments to improve online security and customer identification and verification processes. Eleazar added that they have been coordinating with banks in beefing up their security systems and protocols to counter financial fraud. SFM

2016-05-02 00:10 Julie M newsinfo.inquirer.net

13 Anti-Trump art blossoms in US LOS ANGELES—Many Americans are taking to canvas and poster board this year to express their political thoughts through depictions— sometimes unflattering—of presidential hopefuls Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. Trump, the controversial billionaire who is leading the Republican Party nomination race and is known for his incendiary comments, has become the most popular subject among artists. “It’s gotten a lot of people together to create art against him,” said Mitchel Dumlao, cofounder of the LA Street Art Gallery. “It kind of speaks about the type of his political ideologies and backgrounds. The more controversial a candidate is, the more attention he gets,” Dumlao added. New York artist Hansky unveiled in Manhattan one of the most blunt and critical depictions of the former reality TV star to date: Trump’s face incorporated into a pile of feces buzzed by flies. Piñatas, T-shirts Known for disparaging remarks about Mexicans, Trump piñatas have been selling well for months both in the United States and Mexico. Other popular items in the Hispanic community are T-shirts and posters with the slogan “Donald eres un pendejo” (Donald you’re an asshole”) in large white letters on a black background along with a profile of Trump’s face. The people behind “pendejo” art—popular in places like New York, Los Angeles and Miami— are Mexican businessmen who have been active in organizing anti-Trump rallies. Lately residents in cities like Chicago, Washington, New York and Los Angeles have been seeing “No Parking Anytime” street signs modified to read “No Trump Anytime.” “Like so many people, I don’t have a voice in politics,” said the Los Angeles-based artist Plastic Jesus, who came up with that idea. “The New York Times or The Times in London would never give me a column to write my opinion on politics, or the war on drugs or banking crisis,” Jesus said. “But for me, street art is a good way to get my opinion out there and hopefully start a dialogue across the nation,” he added. Democratic Party front-runner Hillary Clinton’s depiction in popular art is likewise not positive. Hillary In one example, her face is printed on a cardboard pine freshener—the kind that dangles from the rear view mirror in cars—with the slogan “Hillary Stinks—Reeks of Scandal” can be found for sale in Los Angeles. The former US secretary of state also appears in a faux poster for the animated ogre movie “Shrek,” and in a series of black and white “Don’t Say” posters, that include her face matched with words like “Entitled,” “Secretive,” “Polarizing” and “Calculating.” “Street art in general has always been a tool against the establishment and the government, and Hillary is kind of seen as the establishment and the government: Same old politicians that we’ve seen before,” Dumlao said. “People have a lack of trust in her and her campaign,” he added. AFP

2016-05-02 00:10 INQUIRER.net newsinfo.inquirer.net

14 Unexplained wealth is ill-gotten, Mar tells Digong UNLESS Davao City Mayor Rodrigo “Digong” Duterte can explain how he earned his money and acquired his properties, the presumption under the law is his possessions are “ill-gotten wealth,” Liberal Party (LP) standard-bearer Mar Roxas said on Saturday. Short of accusing his rival outright of corruption, the former interior secretary admonished the firebrand mayor for refusing to identify the source of his wealth. “We have seen in the past month and year, there has been no explanation about where this wealth has come from, as well as his lands, buildings, apartments,” Roxas said at a press conference in Laoag City. “How have these been financed? Were these loans? Where did the money come from? Did he earn it? Did he inherit it? If there is no reasonable explanation for this, the presumption in the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act is this is ill-gotten wealth, isn’t it?” he said. Duterte had P227.4 million in a joint account with daughter Sara at the Bank of Philippine Islands (BPI) branch on Julia Vargas Avenue in Pasig City in 2014, records of his bank transactions showed. On his 69th birthday on March 28, 2014, Duterte received seven deposits amounting to P193.7 million in his account at BPI Julia Vargas, according to Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, who is running for Vice President as an independent candidate. Trillanes said the mayor did not declare the amount in his statement of assets and liabilities and net worth (SALN) for 2014, a ground for dismissal from government service. 41 properties Besides the bank deposits, Duterte has 41 properties in his name, according to Trillanes. On Saturday, Duterte said he was willing to open his bank account transactions as far back as 20 years as he had nothing to hide, but on the condition that all his rivals would do the same. Shortly after arriving in Sorsogon City, the mayor was asked about Trillanes’ challenge for him to show the transaction history of his BPI accounts for the past nine years. Trillanes earlier said opening the account for the past nine years was important because “if Duterte has already withdrawn the money before Monday, then the total amount of transactions would not be reflected on the current account balance.” “Make it 20 years,” Duterte said in response to Trillanes’ challenge. He also said he was willing to open “all transactions” in his account, adding it only contained about P17,000 and not P227.4 million as the senator claimed. Documents provided by Trillanes showed that transactions amounting to P2.4 billion in 17 accounts of Duterte in three banks, including the BPI Julia Vargas branch, were recorded from 2006 to 2015. Duterte first dismissed as mere fabrication Trillanes’ claim that he had P227.4 million at the BPI Julia Vargas branch. He owned up to the account only after certain individuals deposited P100 to P500 to it, proving its existence. The mayor later said he had “less P200 million” in the BPI branch and that he did not declare it in his SALN because he had already spent it. He said the money came from friends as birthday gift. Ilocos Norte Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas said Duterte could explain the bank transactions as gifts if the amounts were “minimal.” “Of course, there are still donor’s tax and everything. So there’s a need to explain this so the public will know. But this one [Duterte] is denying it, so we will see. These are allegations, and he has a chance to disprove these allegations,” said Fariñas, who along with 21 of the 23 mayors in his province of Ilocos Norte expressed support for Roxas’ candidacy. The lawmaker is one of the prosecutors of the House of Representatives during the impeachment trial in 2012 of then Chief Justice Renato Corona. Asked about the transactions amounting to P2.4 billion in the 17 bank accounts, Duterte on Friday gave flippant answers to reporters, saying at one point that he could not remember the exact amount “because of the zeroes.” Also on Friday, Sara challenged Trillanes to file a case against her and her father so “we can answer properly.” She neither confirmed nor denied that she and her father had joint bank accounts. Danger to well-being Roxas characterized the Davao mayor as a danger to the country’s well-being should he be elected President in May. “With this hidden wealth, this shows the danger in front of us and the greatest challenge facing us,” said Roxas, who trails Duterte and Sen. Grace Poe in voter preference polls. Duterte’s popularity has surged in recent weeks in spite of being the target of attacks over a rape joke about an Australian missionary who was assaulted in a 1989 prison siege in Davao, as well as reports about his undeclared millions in hidden bank accounts. “If you’re a bully and no one questions you in the same way no one questions Mayor Duterte in Davao, [remember that] absolute power corrupts absolutely,” Roxas said. President Aquino’s chosen presidential candidate implied that a Duterte presidency would be a step back to previous administrations whose leaders were embroiled in messy corruption scandals that sank the economy. “We have been through that, which is why for me, his camp should explain adequately how they came by all these possessions,” he said. On Sunday, he sharpened his tirade against the tough-talking Davao mayor. “If you accept a gift of millions, that’s a bribe,” he said. “Do we want to go back to the time when deception, corruption, theft prevailed?”

2016-05-02 00:10 DJ Yap newsinfo.inquirer.net

15 SHS tracks offer career paths to students (Last of two parts) THE PIONEER cohort of senior high school (SHS) students started enrollment nationwide today, a month earlier than the rest of the basic education students. Education Secretary Armin Luistro, FSC, said the early enrollment would give his department time to make necessary adjustments should the number of Grade 11 students turn out much larger than the preregistration count in October last year. All of their preparations, he said, have been based on the preregistration data, particularly those relating to school and track preferences of the students. The Inquirer ran the first part of this primer on Sunday to fill the gaps in information among parents, present and future SHS students, and the general public about the last two grades in the K-12 education reform. Here is Part 2. What are the core subjects? The SHS curriculum is made up of core subjects in eight learning areas that all SHS students will have to take, as well as applied and specialized track subjects which will be dictated by the track and the strand that a student chooses. These are Oral Communication, Reading and Writing, Komunikasyon at Pananaliksik sa Wika at Kulturang Filipino, Pagbasa at Pagsusuri ng Iba’t Ibang Teksto Tungo sa Pananaliksik, 21st Century Literature from the Philippines and the World, Contemporary Philippine Arts from the Regions, Media and Information Literacy, General Mathematics, Statistics and Probability, Earth and Life Science, Physical Science, Introduction to Philosophy of the Human Person, Physical Education and Health, Personal Development, and Understanding Culture, Society and Politics. For the students under the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) strand, Earth Science replaces Earth and Life Science and Disaster Readiness and Risk Reduction replaces Physical Science. Why are they not familiar high school subjects? They are not because the more familiar subjects are in junior high school. The SHS curriculum has been integrated with some subjects in the College General Education curriculum with the approval of the Commission on Higher Education, which subjects will be deleted from the college curriculum so students may focus more on courses relevant to their degree programs. What are SHS tracks? SHS tracks are specific areas of study much like college courses and they fall under four disciplines, namely, Academic, Technical-Vocational-Livelihood (TVL), Sports, and Arts & Design. These are the subjects that will give you the competencies and advanced skills required in college or tech-voc education, entrepreneurship, employment and, most important, life. The Academic track has four strands: Accountancy, Business and Management (ABM); Science, Technology Engineering and Mathematics; Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMSS); and General Academic (GAS). The TVL track also has four strands: Home Economics (HE), Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Agri-Fishery Arts and Industrial Arts. How do students select a track? Students should ask themselves this question: What do I want to do after high school graduation? SHS is supposed to help lead students toward a career path. Laurd Menhard Bautista Salen of Barangka, Marikina City, who preenrolled at Technological Institute of the Philippines in Quezon City, has chosen the HUMSS strand under the Academic track because it “will develop the reading and writing skills that will prepare me for college where I’m going to take up mass communications.” Jay Anne Torres Cipriano of Olongapo City preregistered for STEM under the Academic track at The Manila Times College of Subic “to have sufficient fundamentals in engineering because I’d like to pursue geological engineering in college.” Kristin Hans V. Santos of Bocaue, Bulacan province, preenrolled in ABM at Manila Central University in Caloocan City because she wants to be “a successful businesswoman someday.” She believes “the world changes because of the business people who manipulates it.” Ronn Jayvier M. Gonzales will be taking the ICT strand under the TVL track at System Technology Institute (STI) in Balagtas, Bulacan province, because “I want to learn new things” and he thinks information technology “will lead me to a successful life.” The most flexible strand, according to Department of Education (DepEd) Assistant Secretary Elvin T. Uy, is the GAS because it will allow students to try one or two subjects in the STEM, one or two in tech-voc, and other electives for which the SHS has the facilities and the teachers. Campaigns to encourage students to go into the STEM have not had salutary effects on incoming Grade 11 students. Based on preregistration data, only 8 percent chose the STEM strand. But here is the good news: 40 percent will follow the tech-voc track. How can SHS students study so many core subjects and track subjects in just two years? “Think in terms of semesters,” Luistro said. Students will be taught different core subjects every semester. They will also choose different electives every semester. Some subjects will require two quarters only. It is a misconception that the SHS curriculum is congested, according to Uy. Just like in Grades 1 to 6 and Grades 7 to 10, there are eight subjects in Grades 11 and 12. “But just like in college, the lineup of subjects changes every semester,” Uy said. Students can have, for example, four core subjects plus three specialized subjects in one semester. Why aren’t all SHS offering all the tracks? Schools can only offer tracks where they can optimize their facilities and teaching resources as well as best meet the local community’s demands. If their selected tracks are not available in the public school where they finished Grade 10, students can either go to another public SHS or use their vouchers to go to a private or non-DepEd school offering their tracks. What happens when a student changes tracks? The DepEd advises students and parents to weigh the possibilities and consider the consequences of changing tracks. To illustrate: A student who chooses the STEM takes up in the first semester four core subjects, an applied subject and a specialized subject, say, Basic Calculus. In the second semester, she decides to shift to the Art and Design track. What will happen is that the four core subjects will be credited but the Basic Calculus will not be credited under Arts and Design, so in effect she will have one back subject. If the school offers that back subject in the second semester, no problem. If not, she might have to take it in the summer or it is possible her studies will be delayed. What about the teacher requirements? The DepEd is hiring more than 36,000 teachers out of the 47,000 who applied to teach in SHS. The department started accepting applications in October last year and, after screening, started hiring two months ago. Uy is confident there will be no teacher shortage. Hiring is not limited to licensed teachers. Luistro said they would welcome experts and practitioners to teach the specialized subjects part-time. Teacher training, which is ongoing, is specific to specialization. For the Academic track, the DepEd is working with colleges and universities and centers of excellence. For the TVL, it has partnered with Technical Education and Skills Development Authority. For the Sports track, the department has teamed up with Philippine Normal University, which has a good sports education program. And for Arts and Design, the DepEd tapped the National Commission for Culture and the Arts. Why should students bother with SHS? For students with typical Filipino parents, the most compelling reason is that without the SHS diploma, they cannot be admitted to a university. For students who must earn a living right after or even during SHS, more employment opportunities will await them for several reasons. For one, partnerships with different companies for tech-voc courses will give students actual work experience that may lead to immediate hiring. For students who are being groomed to run the family business or are interested in starting their own business, SHS offers an entrepreneurship subject that will give them the competencies to create a marketable product, design a business plan, understand manpower, materials and markets, among other things. What should Grade 11 students and their parents prepare for when school opens? They should be prepared for birth pangs that accompany a pioneering effort.

2016-05-02 00:10 Chelo Banal newsinfo.inquirer.net

16 Regularization tops Labor Day demands WORKERS’ groups marked Labor Day on Sunday with marches and speeches lamenting poor wages, irregular jobs, risky workplaces, high cost of living, rising unemployment and inadequate social insurance. Across the country, the call for a stop to the practice of contractualization or “endo” (end of contract) echoed. Under the contractualization scheme, workers are hired for five months without security of tenure and benefits, and are terminated as their contracts expire but rehired under a new but similar deal. Amid the dire straits Filipino workers find themselves in, Sentro ng mga Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa warned against what it claimed to be the rise of a “new right” or neofascists in Philippine politics. The group particularly voiced out its apprehension over front-runners Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr., presidential and vice presidential candidates, respectively. “Desperate for change, the voters, especially the rich, the middle class and even many from the masses are now opting for supposedly ‘instant solutions,’ paving the way for the rise of ‘neofascists’ like Duterte and Marcos,” said Sentro secretary general Josua Mata. “[But] ultimately, real change can only come from conscious and organized people who have powerful labor or trade union movement and other progressive social movements,” he added. Malacañang quietly observed Labor Day, the last time under the term of President Aquino, who steps down at the end of next month. Asked why the President did not hold any meeting with labor leaders on May 1 as he had done in the past, Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said in a text message, “The focus of President Aquino has always been on purposive, concrete actions and delivery of essential services, rather than commemorative events.” Coloma said he could not recall the President meeting with labor leaders last year. Elusive At Rajah Sulayman Park in Manila’s Malate district, the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) said inclusive growth remained elusive for the labor sector because the mechanisms for it to flow down to the rank-and-file remained broken. “The wealth our local and overseas Filipino workers has been helping to create has sustained our economy so well that we have been ranked as among the best-performing economies in Asia. But that prosperity still remains in the hands of the elite few of our society,” said TUCP president Raymond Mendoza. Workers have complained that due to inflation, the purchasing power of the P481-daily minimum wage in Metro Manila has been reduced to P316, lower than the government’s estimate of P417 for food and nonfood needs. They also criticized the administration for rejecting income tax reduction, withdrawing government subsidy to the mass transport trains, vetoing an increase in social security pension, failing to stop the rising cost of electricity, and not doing enough to deal with the jobs-skills mismatch that has worsened unemployment and underemployment. Mendiola About 3,000 people trooped to Mendiola on Sunday to call on the government to end endo. “We’ve been asking for this for years already and yet nothing is happening,” said Sanlakas leader Leody de Guzman. Workers, he said, should be regularized primarily because their needs were regular, too. Buhay na may Dignidad, also known as Dignidad, also called for an end to contract-only hiring. From Quezon City, Dignidad ran up to Mendiola, bearing placards that urged the government to deal with issues besetting the labor force. The group said laborers should be ensured “decent work for all—with full employment, living wage and respect for workers’ rights, including right to social security.” “We are running to call the attention of our leaders to address serious unemployment, informalization of work and the broader inequality problems in the country,” said Fr. Robert Reyes, who led about 500 members in the run to Mendiola. In Southern Tagalog, Labor Day activities started early on Sunday with “community hops” in the cities of Santa Rosa, Cabuyao and Calamba in Laguna province; in Rosario town in Cavite province; in Batangas City in Batangas province; and in Antipolo City in Rizal province. By noon, the activists converged in Calamba for the rally for Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) workers. Led by the militant Pagkakaisa ng Manggagawa sa Timog Katagalugan-Kilusang Mayo Uno (Pamantik-KMU), the workers demanded higher minimum wages and an end to contractualization. “We call for an end to contractualization and to raise the minimum wage to P750 a day for workers in the private sector and P16,000 a month for the public sector,” said Paul Carson, Pamantik media liaison. Panay Island On Panay Island, some 12,500 people joined the rallies, demanding jobs, higher wages, and an end to contractualization. Protesters in Iloilo, Aklan and Capiz provinces led by Bagong Alyansang Makabayan and Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) challenged presidential candidates to ban contractualization if they get elected. In Iloilo City, about 5,000 people marched from four assembly points before converging at the Jaro District public plaza where a program was held. They demanded a P16,000 per month minimum wage for government employees. In Roxas City in Capiz, about 4,500 joined a rally at the provincial park and Plaza Bandstand. Farmers, who were among the demonstrators, demanded government assistance after their crops were damaged by El Niño. In the capital town of Kalibo in Aklan, around 3,000 assembled from Crossing Banga and Numancia town before holding a rally at the Pastrana Park. Northern Mindanao In Northern Mindanao, KMU led more than 2,000 workers, mostly from Misamis Oriental and Bukidnon, to a rally, calling on the government to give workers the right to security of tenure and wage increases. Tita Hadma, KMU regional spokesperson, said no one from the presidential candidates had committed to scrapping the contractualization. Because of this, she said, the group was still undecided on whom to vote for President on May 9. At the TUCP rally, Liberal Party standard-bearer Mar Roxas reiterated his commitment to put an end to endo. Other presidential candidates also pledged to end the practice, aimed at avoiding paying workers benefits due them if they were regularized. Other labor groups said next week’s national and local elections could be an opportunity to find a way to solve the problems confronting the labor sector. Mendoza said the TUCP and its allies in the Nagkaisa labor coalition were lobbying to make presidential candidates sign a contract detailing concrete steps in working out solutions to problems of Filipino workers and their families. The draft document calls for ending contractualization and enacting laws to boost security of tenure, across-the-board wage increase for all workers nationwide combined with appropriate tax reforms, subsidies and social transfers, and overhaul of the country’s wage-fixing mechanisms, beginning with the abolition of the regional wage boards to be subsumed under a national wage-setting office. The Duterte camp said Mr. Aquino had done little to address the woes of poor Filipino workers and their families. The administration claim that it was successful in providing jobs to Filipinos was “all fiction,” said Leoncio Evasco Jr., national campaign manager of Duterte. Evasco said there were still some 11.2 million unemployed and underemployed Filipinos, a number that validated the lack of unemployment opportunities under the Aquino administration. But Coloma said the workers were far better off under the Aquino administration than the previous one as it had created more jobs and granted them higher pay raises and tax benefits. Citing statistics from the labor department, Coloma said 6.657 million jobs were created from 2011 to 2015, or almost 2 million jobs more than the 4.72 million created in 2005-2010 under the Arroyo administration. Daily minimum wages have increased to P228-P493 from P142-P414 in the previous administration, according to Coloma. He said the administration also raised tax-free benefits from P87,450 to P105,187. As a result, he said benefits under collective bargaining agreements and productivity pay of P10,000, as well as clothing and uniform allowance, daily meal allowance and night differential pay, were paid in full and without taxes. Generally peaceful The Philippine National Police said the country’s observance of Labor Day was generally peaceful. A standoff between protesters and policemen was observed on Roxas Boulevard and United Nations Avenue, near the US Embassy. Those who joined the rallies in Ilocos Sur province and the cities of Cebu, General Santos, Baguio, Butuan and Masbate dispersed peacefully. Reports from Jerome Aning, Aie Balagtas See, DJ Yap, Julie M. Aurelio and Christine O. Avendaño in Metro Manila; Maricar Cinco, Inquirer Southern Luzon; Nestor P. Burgos Jr., Inquirer Visayas; and Jigger J. Jerusalem, Inquirer Mindanao

2016-05-02 00:10 Inquirer staff newsinfo.inquirer.net

17 Wildfire at Shenandoah National Park Fully Contained Authorities say a fire that burned thousands of acres of land in Shenandoah National Park has been fully contained. The Washington Post reports that (http://wapo.st/1SzwvBc ) sections of Skyline Drive that were closed due to the blaze have been reopened. Authorities have also lifted a temporary flight restriction near the park. A portion of the Appalachian Trail and other nearby trails will stay closed so workers can ensure they're safe for hikers. At its height, the fire stretched across more than 10,000 acres. It was one of the largest fires in the park's 80-year history. Hundreds of firefighters and support staff from across the country assisted in battling the blaze. Investigators have not determined what caused the fire. ——— Information from: The Washington Post, http://www.washingtonpost.com

2016-05-02 00:10 By abcnews.go.com

18 Synthetic Narcotics Spark New Look at Drugged- Driving Laws Eighteen-year-old Kristian Roggio was riding in a friend's car when another driver careened across a Brooklyn street, colliding head-on and killing her. That driver had inhaled aerosol dust cleaner moments before to get high, and prosecutors say he was impaired enough to be charged with vehicular manslaughter. But New York's top court threw out the case, ruling the chemical composition of the dust cleaner wasn't on the state's list of banned substances — a requirement under the law — and that he couldn't be charged under a statute meant for drunken driving. That ruling nine years ago highlights a loophole that still exists in New York and a dozen other states which base intoxicated driving — not on a police officer's observation of impairment — but on a specific list of banned substances 34 pages long. Such laws were intended to give a scientific basis to drugged-driving charges. But some law enforcement officials say they have failed to keep up with the boom in designer drugs — such as synthetic marijuana, known as K-2 — and homemade concoctions that are chemically distinct from traditional narcotics, which is leading them to push for a change in New York's law. They say that even though laws have been passed making it unlawful to sell or possess synthetic drugs, drugged driving laws haven't caught up with the rise in those narcotics. "If we can't define the chemical and it's not on the list, we can't prosecute you," said Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas. "It is really frustrating for us in law enforcement especially as these chemical drugs become more and more popular with our kids. We're basically fighting drugged driving with one hand tied behind our back. " Experts say synthetic and homemade drugs impair a user's cognitive and motor skills just like their recognized illegal counterparts. And although state banned lists are occasionally updated, that's not happening fast enough to keep up with the black-market chemists who are continually making slight changes in their compounds to stay one step ahead of the law. "Every kid with access to the Internet has access to unregulated designer synthetic drugs that are largely unknown to law enforcement," said Brendan Ahern, a New York attorney and former vehicular crimes prosecutor who has trained police officers and prosecutors on drugged driving. "There are certainly cases that are occurring routinely with drugs that law enforcement has the inability to detect. " In 2012, in Long Island's Nassau County, officers stopped an erratic driver who admitted she snorted a bath salt known as "Disco Powder. " Police found traces of the drug in her car, but prosecutors couldn't charge her with intoxicated driving because the drug, which was made to mimic an outlawed stimulant, was just different enough chemically to escape legal scrutiny. "Literally that's all it took," Singas said. "It was to just change the composition. " It's not just designer drugs. Some prescription drugs can also escape scrutiny. In June 2014, a woman who crashed into a parked car in Suffolk County was arrested after telling police she had taken antidepressant and seizure medication before the crash. The officer, who said the woman was stumbling, had slurred speech and failed a field sobriety test, arrested her on a drugged-driving charge. But a judge dismissed the charges against her last year after finding that the prescription pills weren't on the banned list. Thirteen states in the U. S., including Minnesota , Arkansas , Massachusetts and Ohio, rely, at least partially, on a list of specifically banned substances. Thirty-seven states, and Washington, D. C., have more expansive definitions of the word "drug. " Legislation is pending in New York to align its law with other states that rely on an officer's observation of a driver's condition or have broader definitions. California's law, for example, allows for an intoxication charge if a driver uses any drug that causes impairment. Peter Gerstenzang, an attorney from Albany who specializes in DWI defense, questioned whether such a broadening of the law was a good idea. "The specificity of it was designed so that you didn't get a situation where somebody had some kind of reaction to a non-listed substance that affected their driving," Gerstenzang said. "You could have a reaction to aspirin, to Advil. It depends on the physiology of the individual. " ——— Follow Michael Balsamo on Twitter at http://twitter.com/MikeBalsamo1.

2016-05-02 00:10 By abcnews.go.com

19 Church workers urge peace talks with Reds, Moro rebels BAGUIO CITY—Methodist church workers have urged the presidential candidates to pursue peace talks with the communists and other insurgent groups in a manifesto issued during the 33rd National Biennial Assembly of the Women’s Society in Christian Service (WSCS) held here on Saturday. The WSCS, composed of mothers and lay church workers from various regions of the country, said it was alarmed that peace negotiations with the Communist Party of the Philippines and the New People’s Army, as well as with Moro rebels like the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, continued to suffer intermittent breakdowns and suspensions.​ “We pray the incoming administration [would] strongly work for the reopening of peace negotiations [at the] earliest time possible, the group said, “because hostilities claim lives, breed human rights violations, disrupt livelihood and worsen the economic difficulties of communities affected by armed conflict.” The call was raised after the local representative of International Alert (IA), a nongovernment group focused on peace-building, warned of “a surge of discontent” in the Philippines given the failure to pass the Bangsamoro Basic Law, among other factors. Dr. Francisco Lara Jr., country director of the London-based IA, who spoke at the assembly, said conflict in the Philippines would continue to be an undulating wave that ebbs and flows because of the severe nature of ongoing civil wars. Vincent Cabreza, Inquirer Northern Luzon

2016-05-02 00:10 Philippine Daily newsinfo.inquirer.net

20 20 Commissioner: Boy Shot by Baltimore Police Won't Be Charged Baltimore's Police commissioner says a 13-year-old who was holding a BB gun when he was shot by an officer will not be charged with a crime. Authorities said the boy was shot in the shoulder and leg by a plainclothes officer Wednesday after turning toward officers while holding a BB gun that closely resembles a handgun. He is expected to survive. The Baltimore Sun reports (http://bsun.md/1TctXoJ) that Commissioner Kevin Davis said during a panel discussion Saturday that the teen will "absolutely not" face charges. Davis said the boy is expected to heal physically, but he's concerned about him "emotionally and mentally. " He says he wants to remain in the boy's life. An attorney who's representing the boy's family declined to comment to the newspaper on Saturday. ——— Information from: The Baltimore Sun, http://www.baltimoresun.com

2016-05-02 00:10 By abcnews.go.com

21 STEINBERG: U. S. Supreme Court leans toward legalizing corruption Things are a mess. They sure feel like a mess, don’t they? Chicago teeters on insolvency. Illinois hurtles toward its first anniversary of utter fiscal gridlock. Nationally, the view is even more surreal, like some semi-obscene Dali painting come to life. This crude New York punchline has shanghaied the Republican Party. While the Democrats who aren’t still skipping happily toward Shangri-La behind Pied Piper Bernie Sanders, banging tambourines wrapped in ribbons, grimly assemble around scarred old campaigner Hillary Clinton, like yeomen clutching pointed staffs in a muddy field around Henry V, psyching themselves up to fight off the legions of bowl-haircut Middle American sexist idiocy for the next six solid months. Bob McDonnell. Name mean anything? Of course not. Don’t feel bad, it drew a blank with me too. But unlike our jailbird governor, Rod Blagojevich, McDonnell was not simply scraped off the public plate and into the clink. His appeal was accepted by the U. S. Supreme Court, which heard arguments Wednesday, and seems as if it might be giving a sympathetic ear to the idea that our government works by letting powerful businessmen shower gifts on public officials and they, in return, jump through hoops. The trouble, some justices seemed to suggest, is in prosecuting anybody for it. “It puts at risk behavior that is common,” observed Justice Stephen G. Breyer, which could also be said of laws against robbery. McDonnell was convicted for accepting interest-free loans, luxury trips and items like a silver Rolex with “71st Governor of Virginia” engraved on the back. His wife got a $19,000 New York shopping spree plus $15,000 toward their daughter Cailin’s wedding. Not to forget $120,000 in campaign contributions, all paid for by Jonnie R. Williams, CEO of a Virginia company, Star Scientific, makers of a dietary supplement called Antabloc. The company even paid for the dress Maureen McDonnell wore at her husband’s inauguration in January 2010. While McDonnell hoovered up the goodies, he and his wife started pushing Antabloc. Gov. McDonnell urged Secretary of Health and Human Services Bill Hazel to meet with Williams, and he did. McDonnell convened a gathering of Virginia doctors and health professionals and pitched Star Scientific. McDonnell would pull packets of Antabloc out of his pockets at official meetings and tell various state public health administrators how well it works, encouraging them to contact “the Antabloc people.” Maureen McDonnell offered the executive mansion for an Antabloc launch party. The governor attended the party. His wife also bought stock in the company. McDonnell called such antics “routine” at his trial, and that is inarguable. Even with anti- corruption laws in place, the line between honey dripped on government officials and official action is already blurred into near-invisibility. But if the high court sides with McDonnell, as they seem to be leaning, then the line will vanish. Corruption will be legal. The enormous wealth of corporate America will rain down on our public officials, while the law winks and smiles and nods. Sorry to be the one to tell you. But the least we can do is notice what is happening. On Wednesday, Ruth Bader Ginsburg asked McDonnell’s lawyer if, based on his arguments, it would be lawful for a public official to charge $1,000 to any constituent seeking a meeting to discuss an issue. “Yes,” the lawyer replied.

2016-05-02 00:10 Neil Steinberg chicago.suntimes.com

22 Yemen Security Chief in Aden Survives Suicide Attack, 5 Dead Yemen's security directorate in Aden says a suicide bomber attacked the security chief's motorcade in the southern port city, killing five of his bodyguards. In a statement, it says Shallal Shayei was unharmed in Sunday's attack, as was Aden governor Aidroos al-Zubaidi, who was travelling with him. A similar attack on the two was foiled on Monday, and on Thursday a suicide car bomber in women's clothes detonated explosives near Shayei's home, the third attack on his house since December. Soldiers deployed to the area after the car bombing, which sent a cloud of black smoke rising into the air. Yemen has been mired in a conflict pitting Shiite Houthi rebels against the internationally- backed government, which is allied with a Saudi-led coalition. Extremists have gained ground amid the chaos.

2016-05-02 00:10 By abcnews.go.com

23 23 Kurdish group claims attack in Turkish city of Bursa ISTANBUL (AP) — A Kurdish militant group has claimed responsibility for a suicide attack in the Turkish city of Bursa that wounded 13 people earlier this week. The Kurdistan Freedom Falcons, also known as TAK, issued a statement on Sunday identifying the bomber as Eser Cali. The female attacker blew herself up near an Ottoman-era mosque in Bursa’s historic district on Wednesday. The 23-year-old Cali was from Igdir in eastern Turkey. TAK, which is considered by the authorities as an offshoot of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, said she blew herself up before reaching the intended target. TAK has also claimed responsible for two suicide bombings, one in February and the other in March, which killed a total of 66 people in the capital, Ankara. Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

2016-05-02 00:05 By Associated mynorthwest.com

24 The Latest: New tests unravel Phoenix freeway shooting case PHOENIX (AP) — The Latest on the dismissal of charges in the Phoenix freeway shooting case (all times local): 11:45 a.m. Seven months after an arrest, the case against a suspect in a series of freeway shootings that rattled Phoenix residents has fallen apart, leading to the dismissal of charges and the release of Leslie Merritt Jr. In addition to other conflicting evidence, a forensics expert hired by the prosecution found that an initial test of Merritt’s gun that matched it to the shootings was inaccurate. Authorities are now facing allegations of a botched investigation and a gunman possibly still on the loose. Police believe the shootings began Aug. 27 and continued until Sept. 10. Authorities say they still believe Merritt is the suspect and continue to investigate. They have the option to re-file charges. Merritt maintains his innocence. ___ 8:50 a.m. Seven months after an arrest, the entire case against a suspect in a series of freeway shootings that rattled Phoenix residents has fallen apart. An analysis from an independent forensics expert hired by the prosecution now has the Arizona Department of Public Safety facing allegations of a botched investigation and a gunman authorities dubbed a domestic terrorist possibly still on the loose. The dismissal of charges against Leslie Merritt Jr. last week was a shocking reversal. A DPS crime lab found a match in September between bullets from four shootings to a gun belonging to Merritt. DPS Director Frank Milstead, however, said Friday that he believes there is enough evidence to show Merritt is the correct suspect. Police say the shootings began Aug. 27 and continued until Sept. 10. ___ 8:25 a.m. Seven months after an arrest, the entire case against a suspect in a series of freeway shootings that rattled Phoenix residents fell apart. Leslie Merritt’s arrest, the entire case fell apart, leading to his release, the dismissal of charges, allegations of a botched investigation and a gunman authorities dubbed a domestic terrorist possibly still on the loose. Police believe the shootings began Aug. 27 and continued until Sept. 10. Investigators determined eight of the incidents were bullet strikes while the remaining three were some other projectiles. A DPS crime lab found a match between bullets from four shootings to a gun belonging to Merritt. But a forensics expert hired by the prosecution re-tested the bullets found the lab had come to a faulty conclusion. DPS Director Frank Milstead, however, said Friday that he believes there is enough evidence to show Merritt is the correct suspect. Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

2016-05-02 00:01 By Associated mynorthwest.com

25 Man seriously wounded in West Garfield Park shooting A man was shot Sunday morning in the West Garfield Park neighborhood on the West Side. The 18-year-old was shot in the thigh and abdomen in the 4100 block of West Wilcox about 9:45 a.m., according to Chicago Police. He was taken in serious condition to Mount Sinai Hospital, police said.

2016-05-02 00:01 Jordan Owen chicago.suntimes.com

26 Man charged in tractor-trailer crash that shut down I-75 in... Just One More Thing... We have sent you a verification email. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your profile. If you do not receive the verification message within a few minutes of signing up, please check your Spam or Junk folder.

2016-05-01 22:13 Ellen Eldridge www.ajc.com

27 27 Mumbai Indians to commence ticket refund process from tomorrow Mumbai Indians will commence the ticket refund process from tomorrow, May 2, for the bookings of its home matches dated May 8th, 13th, and 15th due to the change in venue from Mumbai to Vizag. Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. File pic Fans who had pre-booked online tickets for these three matches through the franchise's ticketing partner BookMyShow or bought it from authorized counters, will be provided full refund. The refund process - defined into four categories - will be open for 14 days starting Monday. Customers who have booked online and have not been issued their physical tickets, refund will be credited in their respective bank accounts within 8-10 working days. For customers who have booked online and have picked up the physical tickets, customers can hand over their tickets at RPL House, 15 Walchand Road, Bellard Estate Near Grand Hotel, Fort, Mumbai between 10.00 am to 06.00 pm from tomorrow till May 15 and an acknowledgement receipt will be provided to the customer for the returned tickets and the refund amount will be credited in their respective bank accounts within 8-10 working days. For customers who bought tickets directly from authorized ticket counters by paying cash, are also requested to handover the tickets at RPL House during office hours for an on-the-spot refund. For customers who have opted for home delivery, delivery executive from the ticketing agency will collect the tickets from tomorrow onwards, from their respective home address and an acknowledgement receipt will be provided to the customer for the returned tickets and the refund amount will be credited in their respective bank accounts within 8-10 working days.

2016-05-01 23:16 By PTI www.mid-day.com

28 Tragic! 15-year-old boy who shot himself while taking selfie dies Pathankot : A 15-year-old boy who sustained a bullet injury to his head while taking a selfie with his father's revolver, died today at a hospital in Ludhiana. "The boy, (Ramandeep Singh) died today in a private hospital in Ludhiana. His body will be brought here and post-mortem will be carried out at civil hospital in Pathankot," Pathankot Deputy Superintendent of Police (City) Manoj Kumar said today. The teenager had sustained a bullet injury while taking a selfie with his mobile phone with a .32 bore revolver pointed to his head. The gun went off accidentally. With the bullet lodged in his head, the critically injured teen was shifted to a hospital in Ludhiana. The revolver belonged to Ramandeep's father Gurkirpal Singh, a property dealer.

2016-05-01 23:09 By PTI www.mid-day.com

29 India's Kalvari stealth submarine sails out of Mumbai Harbour for sea trials Mumbai: Kalvari, Indian Navy's first indigenous Scorpene-class stealth submarine, today sailed out of Mumbai Harbour for sea trials even as the plan to purchase heavy-weight torpedos for the vessel remains stuck due to the VVIP chopper scam. Kalvari is the first of the India's six Scorpene-class submarines being built under the much-delayed Project 75. The vessels are being built by Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL) in collaboration with French company DCNS. In October 2015, Kalvari had been set afloat. "The sea trials of Kalvari have begun today. It is a proud moment for us," a Navy official said. However, the plans to acquire heavy-weight torpedos for the submarine is stuck in the Defence Ministry even though the Navy had been pushing for it, citing national security imperatives. WASS Italy, a Finmeccanica company, had emerged as a successful bidder in the procurement for the torpedos for Project 75 submarines. Subsequently, because of the group's alleged involvement in the VVIP helicopter case, the procurement was put on hold in July 2014. Navy Chief Admiral R K Dhowan, while stressing on the importance of getting heavy-weight torpedos, had said that the Defence Ministry will take a final call on it. India may to go in for two more Scorpene-class submarines after the first six are delivered to the Navy.

2016-05-01 23:05 By PTI www.mid-day.com

30 Car bomb in southern Turkey kills policeman, 23 wounded Ankara : A car bomb struck the entrance of a Turkish police station today in the southern city of Gaziantep, killing a policeman and injuring 23 other people, an official said. Gov Ali Yerlikaya of Gaziantep province issued a statement saying 19 policemen and four civilians were wounded in the explosion that went off at 9:17 am. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. Unconfirmed reports say gunfire was heard after the blast, which shattered the windows of nearby buildings. Several ambulances were sent to the scene, the private NTV television reported. The police station is close to several government offices, including that of the governor and mayor. The area is normally crowded but was empty early Sunday. May 1 International Labor Day demonstrations in the city were canceled for security reasons, the private Dogan news agency reported. In the Turkish capital, Ankara, police carried out anti-terrorism operations overnight and detained four suspected IS members allegedly planning to attack demonstrators observing Labor Day, the state-owned Anadolu Agency reported. Turkey, which is facing both growing blowback from the conflict in Syria and renewed conflict with Kurdish militants, has seen a rise of such attacks recently. In the past year, more than 200 people across the country have been killed in six major bombings. This week a female suicide bomber blew herself up in the city of Bursa, northwest Turkey, in attack that ended her life and wounded 13 people. In a separate incident today, four people were wounded after two rockets hit a car park and house garden in Kilis, another town near the Syrian border, Anadolu Agency reported. It said the Turkish military retaliated by firing at IS targets across the border in Syria, killing nine militants. It was not possible to verify the agency's claim.

2016-05-01 22:53 By Agencies www.mid-day.com

31 JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar shown black flags in Patna Patna : JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar was today shown black flags at a function here by two unidentified persons who were roughed up by his supporters before being detained by the police for questioning. The two persons belonging to a little-known outfit -'Youth Swaraj' - showed black flags to the JNUSU president, besides raising slogan of 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' while he was speaking at a function 'Azadi' in S K Memorial hall here organised by AISF and AIYF. Unidentified men waving black flags as they protest against JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar's visit in Patna on Sunday. Pic/ PTI Kanhaiya's supporters thrashed the two persons in the hall. Later the police took the duo into custody. "Police have detained two persons in this regard," Patna Senior Superintendent of Police Manu Maharaj told PTI. The two detainees have been identified as Nitish Kumar, a resident of Sitamarhi district, and Manikant Mani, a resident of Samastipur district, the police said, adding that the two youths are said to be the members of RSS. The JNUSU president, who was addressing the gathering when the incident occurred, said he was not scared of such elements who oppose him or try to distub his functions. "I am not scared of anything whether you hurl a shoe or a stone.... They want to disturb my programmes as they are uncomfortable with my questions," Kumar said. Attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Kumar alleged that he became the PM "with the support of capitalists" and cannot solve the problem of unemployment. Criticizing those who say that tax-payers' money or subsidy being provided to the JNU is a waste of public money, Kumar said that there is a "conspiracy" to "defame" the premier academic institution of the country. "I am a PhD scholar who is the son of an Anganwadi worker. This itself proves that taxpayers' money or subsidy given to JNU is spent and utilised properly," Kumar said, adding that people should not worry about wastage of taxpayers' money as a large majority of people in the country want JNU like institutions. Alleging that only capitalists get loans from banks, he said they "do not repay loans and instead they fly to London overnight", a reference to the fugitive industrialist Vijay Mallya, who is in Britain after defaulting on a loan of over Rs 9000 crore. Kumar was given a rousing welcome in the state yesterday. He was escorted by a posse of policemen at airport on his arrival from New Delhi and the JNUSU President moved with a convoy in the state capital. Kanhaiya, who hails from Begusarai district of Bihar, is on a two-day tour of his home state and met both Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and RJD president Lalu Prasad Yadav yesterday. Kanhaiya shot into limelight after he was arrested in a sedition case in connection with a controversial event in JNU. He is currently out on interim bail.

2016-05-01 22:53 By PTI www.mid-day.com

32 Mumbai, Thane police stations to have free Wi-Fi facility Maharashtra Police has taken up an initiative to equip major police stations of Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai with free Wi-Fi facility, to be installed by private firm, Joister. The process has begun this year in March in Thane where the district Commissionerate and 33 police stations have been installed with the facility, a top executive of Joister said. "Joister has been offering its free Wi-Fi service as its CSR initiative to our workforce. We readily agreed to accept their proposal as it will enable our workforce to be more proactive and competitive," Additional Director General of Police (admin), V V Laxminarayan, told PTI. "We want all our police stations be equipped with free Wi-Fi facility and this would definitely help our officers. Very soon all police stations of Mumbai and Navi Mumbai would be installed with the service," he said. The official further said they plan to expand the facility across the state as and when the company approaches the department with further proposals. "This is a welcoming step that our proposal to offer free Wi-Fi at police stations has been accepted," CMD, Joister, Nikunj Kampani said. "In next few weeks, we will install the facility ar all police training camps in the state," he said. Apart from police stations, Joister has so far installed the service at Mumbai, Thane RTO headquarters, police training centre at Marol (Mumbai), 21 government offices, 15 colleges, eight slums, four hospitals and three bus terminals in the state.

2016-05-01 22:51 By PTI www.mid-day.com

33 Mumbai: Bandra-Worli Sea Link to be partly closed for 2 days If you are planning to use Bandra-Worli Sea Link on May 2 night and May 3, make sure that you take an alternate route as the sea link world be partly closed for vehicular movement as Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) will be doing the resurfacing and black topping of the road surface on the south and north bound stretch of sea link between 12 in the mid night up to 6 am. Bandra-Worli Sea Link. File pic Confirming the same, a senior MSRDC official said, “We will be doing the resurfacing and black topping of road surface on the sealink and so it would be partly closed. On May 2, the south bound stretch will be closed between 12 in the mid night up to 6 am in the morning. On May 3, the north bound stretch of the sea link will be closed between 12 in the mid night upto 6 am in the morning.” It should be noted that MSRDC has already installed banner about the same on the Bandra reclamation so that motorists can learn about the same. As a part of the work the resurfacing of the road will be done along with lane marking and also reflectors will be installed at important locations.

2016-05-01 22:47 By A www.mid-day.com

34 And then an era ends FOR MANY, it felt like the end of an era. On the last day of their five epic seasons, La Salle’s Ara Galang and Mika Reyes happily hoisted the championship trophy amid a rain of confetti, while Ateneo’s Alyssa Vadez walked around the sidelines, waving to the fans in a tearful farewell. For many, it felt like UAAP women’s volleyball won’t be the same again with the exit of these popular stars who were locked in an intense rivalry, but helped turn the sport into a crowd- drawing, passionate spectacle. “This is what we’re leaving the team (a championship),” said Galang, the gritty open hitter who highlighted her collegiate career with a third title, a season Most Valuable Player and top rookie honors. “This is our mark.” “It feels good that when we were rookies, the seniors left us with a championship,” said the 5- foot-11 Reyes, after the Lady Spikers dethroned the Lady Eagles in the fifth straight Finals showdown between the two fierce foes last Saturday. “And now that we’re the seniors, we made sure that we do the same thing for the younger players.” Valdez—arguably the best female athlete Ateneo has ever produced—failed to get the storybook ending she had hoped after the Lady Spikers foiled their bid for a third straight crown. Nothing more to prove But there’s really nothing more to prove for the much-loved open spiker from San Juan, Batangas, with a decorated career that includes three straight season MVPs and two championships. “What I learned is that it’s not always about winning,” Valdez said in a speech to the school community on the same night the Lady Eagles settled for a runner-up finish for the third time in five seasons. “It’s just about giving your all, going all out and giving your heart for the people who support you. And by that, you have won.” After their storied varsity stints, the standout trio, along with La Salle’s Kim Fajardo and Cyd Demecillo and Ateneo setter Jia Morado, are expected to bring their talents to the local commercial leagues. For Valdez, playing for foreign clubs also remains an option. But for now, Galang and Reyes just want to celebrate after ending two seasons of heartbreak— the first when departing school star and spiritual leader Aby Maraño and the Lady Spikers of 2014 were foiled by Valdez and the Lady Eagles in the championship match. “All happiness, that’s just what we’re feeling right now,” said Galang. Although Valdez couldn’t say the same, she bravely put on a smile. “This challenge is just preparing me for real life,” said Valdez. “We’re sad. We’re giving ourselves time to accept all the things. But life goes on.”

2016-05-01 22:45 Jasmine W sports.inquirer.net

35 Recreating hazardous journey to US rings true with actors LOS ANGELES (AP) - For Julian Sandoval, the play “Shelter” is more than just a story of children flooding into the U. S. by the tens of thousands from Latin America in search of safe sanctuary. It’s personal. The young actor’s mother immigrated to the U. S. illegally years ago, fleeing the violence of her native El Salvador after seeing a cousin hacked to death by soldiers with machetes during the country’s civil war. She would become a legal resident under the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 and eventually a U. S. citizen. “It’s something that impacts me directly every time I do it,” the 26-year-old drama student said following a recent performance of “Shelter” at the Central American Resource Center in downtown Los Angeles. For two hours he’d been joined by six actors on a sparse stage filled with large boxes and blocks, illuminated by flashing strobe lights and filled with rattling sounds, all created to mimic the perilous 2,000-mile journey across Mexico’s midsection that thousands of unaccompanied children make each year when they climb aboard La Bestia (Spanish for The Beast), the freight train that will carry them north to the United States and, maybe, to new lives. “I see myself doing the things I’m not allowed to do back home - like be an architect,” one shouts from the darkness as the train rattles on. “I’m going to build buildings that don’t fall down in an earthquake.” Others dreams are more modest - saving up to buy a motorcycle or not being threatened with death because you’re gay. But first the group must dodge robbers, rapists, extortionists and others who prey upon the train’s riders. They must not fall under its wheels and die as one does during the journey. Farther down the line they must avoid Mexican authorities waiting to turn them back and, finally, find a way across the border to an immigration center where they can ask for asylum. More than 30,000 children, including many younger than 12, did just that last year, according to the federal government’s Office of Refugee Resettlement. It’s a number that is particularly personal to playwright Marissa Chibas, who teaches theater at California Institute of the Arts and who recruited the young actors from the university’s bi-lingual Duende CalArts program that seeks to produce innovative Latino-oriented theater. “I think there’s been a lot of focus on percentages and numbers but not on the actual human stories. Like why these kids are leaving or what kind of violence they are facing or what kind of risks they are taking,” says Chibas, who interviewed several children who rode the train and now attend high school in Southern California. And who, when soliciting actors, looked among her students for those with their own connections to people with similar stories. “When I was 14 my aunt and her two daughters, my cousins, came to New York and applied for political asylum,” said recent CalArts drama graduate Cynthia Callejas of Colombia. After 10 years their applications were denied and they recently returned. CalArts senior Emilio Garcia-Sanchez, recounts family stories of relatives crossing over and being deported before his grandmother eventually obtained a visa and his family settled in the United States. “Not only is this story of these children important, but it’s personal to me too,” he said. Chibas, whose previous works include the one-woman show “Daughter of a Cuban Revolutionary,” is herself the child of Raul Chibas, who co-wrote the Sierra Manifesto with Fidel Castro that called for replacing Cuba’s dictatorship with a constitutional democracy. After Castro seized power instead, Chibas boarded his own La Bestia, a 17-foot catamaran he commandeered and sailed to Florida. “He realized early on that if he stayed in Cuba he was going to be killed or imprisoned,” said his daughter, adding it was that background that attracted her to reports she kept seeing the past couple of years of tens of thousands of children fleeing violence in countries like Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador. Story Continues →

2016-05-01 21:12 In this www.washingtontimes.com

36 Iowa lawmakers put aside philosophical differences on budget DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - To adjourn the legislative session, Iowa lawmakers had to settle disagreements over Planned Parenthood and state employee salaries that didn’t amount to much money but represented deep philosophical differences between the two parties. At one point the disagreements amounted to less than $15 million, a figure dwarfed by the $7.35 billion budget. They led to long meetings and were among the last issues resolved during the session, which adjourned Friday. Ultimately, legislators agreed the differences were too great and opted to return home, where some can begin work to defend their seats in the fall election. It also sets the stage for both issues to come back in January. Rep. Beth Wessel-Kroeschell, D-Ames, opposed a plan in the Republican-controlled House to remove state Medicaid dollars for family planning facilities that provide abortions, a move aimed at Planned Parenthood. Such facilities already can’t use state money for abortions, but the GOP renewed an effort members have tried in previous sessions to deny the group any state funding. “We have hashed this out,” Wessel-Kroeschell said. “Nobody’s going to change my mind. I’m not going to change their minds on this issue.” The state dollars in question totaled less than $500,000, according to the non-partisan Legislative Services Agency. If lawmakers had ended the funding, the state would have been ineligible for more than $2.5 million in federal dollars for family planning services. Republicans agreed to drop the proposal in the hours before adjournment, and secured more tax credits for adoptive parents. Rep. Chip Baltimore, R-Boone, supported the defunding. He said for some lawmakers it’s a moral issue and no amount of state dollars is appropriate, even if Planned Parenthood provides other services for women’s health. “It becomes a challenge,” he said. “How do you balance or line your morals up with your practical sense on how to govern? It’s not an easy balancing act.” Lawmakers were also at odds over $9.7 million for salaries to the Iowa Department of Transportation, which said it needed the money to avoid layoffs. House Republicans said the agency shouldn’t get additional money for salaries amid a recent increase in the state fuel tax. They also argued other state agencies weren’t receiving new funding for salaries. The Democratic-majority Senate challenged the proposed cut in new dollars, and lawmakers eventually agreed to provide half the money. Rep. Josh Byrnes, R-Osage, led the effort last year to increase the fuel tax to repair Iowa’s deteriorating roads and bridges. He questioned his party’s stance and pointed out the requested money would come from a road fund that is separate from the general fund. “If we’re going to turn around and cut them, and they have to lay people off, then why did we increase the fuel tax to do more projects?” he said. Sen. Matt McCoy, D-Des Moines, helped finalize the transportation budget and said debate over the issue will resume next year, noting concerns about public safety hazards amid construction and possible layoffs. “When we come back in January, we will be back for the other half of this funding,” he said on the Senate floor. Lawmakers also will likely again take up efforts to clean up Iowa’s waterways amid growing concerns and a lawsuit by the Des Moines water utility that seeks to force county officials to reduce farm runoff. Multiple funding plans were floated this session, including one by Gov. Terry Branstad to use money from an education infrastructure fund. Republicans pushed their own proposal to use money from a separate infrastructure fund and an existing water use tax. Branstad later backed the GOP plan, though he expressed interest in reviving his idea. Story Continues →

2016-05-01 21:10 - Associated Press - Sunday, May 1, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com

37 Minot authorizes eminent domain for flood protection project MINOT, N. D. (AP) - The city of Minot is taking initial steps to obtain 10 properties through eminent domain for the city’s flood protection project. The Minot Daily News reports (http://bit.ly/1NX5hz9 ) that the city’s finance and improvements committee voted last week to advance a resolution authorizing eminent domain. Joe Stenvold owns property in southwest Minot on the resolution’s list. He says he’s been renovating the house on the property and is ready to take his property valuation dispute to the court. Stenvold says the city offered him half the price of other properties in the area that have a smaller square footage. He says the offer is about 60 percent of the property’s taxable value. Not all the listed properties will end up going through eminent domain, as settlements still could be reached. ___ Information from: Minot Daily News, http://www.minotdailynews.com

2016-05-01 21:10 - Associated Press - Sunday, May 1, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com

38 Thief carts away P3.2M in cash, jewelry from QC home near PNP MANILA — In under an hour, a thief managed to steal over P3.2 million worth of cash and jewelry from an unattended house, which was a few blocks away from the national police’s headquarters in Quezon City. Police have not identified the suspect who robbed on Friday afternoon businessman Daniel Sy’s residence at the corner of North Road and 1st Avenue in Barangay Bagong Lipunan ng Crame. However, a closed-circuit television camera footage obtained near Sy’s house caught on tape a suspect wearing a black hooded jacket and pants. The case investigator, PO3 Alvin Quisumbing, of the Quezon City Police District’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit, said that before Sy and his family left their house on Friday afternoon, they made sure that its doors were locked. The Sy’s residence was a few blocks away from Camp Crame. Between 2:54 p.m and 3:36 p.m. , Quisumbing said that the robber managed to enter the Sy’s residence by scaling its gates and forcibly opening its main door. Once inside, the robber destroyed the vault located at the master bedroom and took its contents. Quisumbing said that the robber took eight pieces of gold and white gold bracelets worth P400,000; seven sets of necklace, earrings and rings worth P2.2 million; and cash amounting to P600,000. The burglary was discovered by Sy’s son immediately after the family returned home. SFM

2016-05-01 22:40 Jovic Yee newsinfo.inquirer.net

39 Tennessee Tech faculty address concerns about administration COOKEVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Professors at Tennessee Tech University have published an open letter to address their concerns about the administration after a survey was conducted that a faculty group official said expressed “widespread dissatisfaction.” The survey findings were presented at a faculty meeting last week in Cookeville, The Herald-Citizen ((http://bit.ly/1WAcgVq) reported. American Association of University Professors local chapter president Julia Gruber said 79 percent of the 150 respondents to the survey indicated the university is worse off than a year ago. She said the survey also found two-thirds of respondents indicated their college or academic department is in poorer shape than a year ago. More than nine in 10 respondents believed shared governance among faculty and administrators was not working well, and more than 8 in 10 respondents indicated they had no confidence that President Philip Oldham is leading the university in a positive direction. Oldham told the newspaper that he believes the university is “exceptionally healthy.” He questioned the survey’s validity and said the number of responses was insufficient for a significant confidence level in the results. Gruber said 35 percent of the university’s full-time faculty returned surveys. “This is a surprisingly high response rate,” she said. “We believe that the survey is broadly representative of faculty opinion at TTU.” Among the concerns in the letter were administrative practices in the handling of the College of Engineering; administrative pay increases and the creation of several associate vice president positions; disparities in adjunct instructor pay, and the cost of a $26 million vehicle parking project. Gruber said the faculty chapter is “acting as a sounding board for widespread dissatisfaction.” She said her group hoped the survey and the open letter to the campus community “can serve to spark and guide conversations that lead to actions that serve to re-establish trust and partnership.” ___ Information from: Cookeville Herald-Citizen, http://www.herald-citizen.com/

2016-05-01 22:01 - Associated Press - Sunday, May 1, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com

40 The Latest: Former congressman Hayes back as party chairman RALEIGH, N. C. (AP) - The Latest on North Carolina Republican Party activists meeting Saturday to consider a petition to remove the state party’s chairman (all times local): 7:05 p.m. Former U. S. Rep. Robin Hayes is back as chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party after GOP activists removed Hasan Harnett from the post for misconduct. A majority of voting members of the party’s Executive Committee present Saturday in Raleigh elected Hayes over two other candidates to serve out Harnett’s term through the middle of next year. Hayes served as chairman from mid-2011 to mid-2013, a period of great success for the party as it expanded its advantages in the legislature and Pat McCrory became the first GOP governor in 20 years. Hayes served in Congress for 10 years through 2008 and previously in the legislature. He was also the party’s 1996 nominee for governor. Hayes told Republicans it broke his heart for the party to be in the situation it was in with Harnett but vowed to work to make the GOP successful in the November elections. __ 5:20 p.m. The North Carolina Republican Party has removed its first black chairman from office after its activists agreed that he violated party rules based on allegations he exceeded his authority and tried to sink the website for the party’s upcoming state convention. Enough members of the party’s Executive Committee meeting privately Saturday voted to fire Hasan Harnett so that it exceeded the required two-thirds threshold. The vote to remove was confirmed by Executive Director Dallas Woodhouse. Committee members are now considering his replacement. The party’s smaller board of directors censured Harnett in March, limiting his powers and denying access to party email. Harnett was absent from Saturday’s meeting - out of the country on business - but he had defenders making his case. Harnett has blamed the GOP establishment for seeking to remove him. State convention participants elected him last June. __ 5:05 p.m. North Carolina Republican activists have found their chairman violated state party rules. Now, they must decide whether that warrants removing him from the job he was elected to less than a year ago. Story Continues →

2016-05-01 22:38 - Associated Press - Sunday, May 1, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com

41 Horizon Air is helping shape Portland airport’s future PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Alaska Airlines made waves in April with its $4 billion plan to acquire upscale rival Virgin America. But in Portland, at least, Alaska’s smaller sister airline might be the one to keep an eye on. Horizon Air, Alaska’s regional carrier, quietly moved its senior leadership in 2014 to the Rose City, where it has long maintained planes, coordinated flights and trained pilots. Though it still calls Seattle its headquarters, Portland is Horizon’s operational and executive home base. Now, plans to buy at least 30 new jets - the biggest order in Horizon’s history - put it in position to add nonstop flights to and from Portland International Airport and shape the airport’s future expansion, reports The Oregonian/OregonLive (http://bit.ly/23f659F). Horizon Air President Dave Campbell arrived in Portland in August 2014, following a short stint as a JetBlue executive. Before that, he was vice president of safety and operations performance at American Airlines, where he started in 1988 as a mechanic. One of his first decisions was whether to keep his leadership team in Seattle or base it in Portland, where about 2,000 of the employees are based. “I’m an ops guy,” Campbell said. “As the operations leader, I really wanted to be here in Portland, where the majority of our employees are.” His next job was to lay the groundwork for a major shift in the company’s fleet. The company now flies 52 Bombardier Q400 turboprop planes, mostly on routes that serve small airports or feed Alaska’s major hubs. From those larger hubs, passengers can board bigger planes to more popular destinations. But Horizon’s order of 30 Embraer E175 jets, valued at $2.8 billion, mark a change in strategy. With them, Campbell said, Horizon can serve more “long, thin” routes, connecting smaller- market cities further apart than its turboprops could travel - routes that couldn’t traditionally generate enough service to justify larger planes. “There are some markets, some days when you just can’t fill a 737,” Campbell said. Alaska has already opened some of those routes using the Embraer jets, through agreements with Utah-based SkyWest Airlines. (Unlike Horizon, SkyWest is not an Alaska Air Group subsidiary.) Campbell said he wanted Horizon to compete to serve those routes for its sister company instead. But along the way, he said, the company had to cut its management costs by 9.5 percent, and it had to negotiate a new contract with pilots. The airline has also worked to cut the amount of time its planes are on the ground between flights. “I think we’ve competitively repositioned ourselves, and it will fundamentally change the company,” he said. Story Continues →

2016-05-01 22:00 - Associated Press - Sunday, May 1, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com

42 Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick baptized on trip to Israel AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has been baptized in the Jordan River while visiting Israel with officials from different states. Patrick tells the Austin American-Statesman (http://atxne.ws/1W0E2LH ) that he received a baptism during an eight-day trip he took with a delegation of seven Republican lieutenant governors, funded by a conservative policy organization, the State Government Leadership Foundation. Patrick met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli companies doing business in Texas. He also went to the Sea of Galilee and the Western Wall. Patrick has described himself as a “Christian first, a conservative second, and a Republican third.”

2016-05-01 22:01 - Associated Press - Sunday, May 1, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com

43 New Castle County police, community bond over fishing GLASGOW, Del. (AP) - New Castle County police officers and members of the community have celebrated the opening of the Glasgow Park Fishing Pond. The News Journal reports (http://delonline.us/1rqnRuL ) that the “Casting with Cops” event drew hundreds of families to the fishing pond Saturday despite cloudy skies and cool temperatures. Police organized the event to help kids and their families get to know the officers protecting the community. Officer First Class Perry Sorrels said police don’t want kids to be afraid of officers. He says he wants kids to know officers are “humans” and have fun, can be silly and like to fish. New Castle County stocked the pond with about 650 large-mouth bass, bluegill and catfish last October. Police say they hope to make “Casting with Cops” an annual event. ___ Information from: The News Journal of Wilmington, Del., http://www.delawareonline.com

2016-05-01 22:01 - Associated Press - Sunday, May 1, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com

44 Beermen bow out as Grand Slam bid ends Winning a Grand Slam is the greatest achievement for any team in the PBA, but it’s not an easy feat as only four teams have been able to pull it off. Crispa did twice, while San Miguel, Alaska, and San Mig Coffee did it once with the Mixers (now Hotshots) the last one to do it in 2014. San Miguel, having won the championship in three of the last four conferences prior to the ongoing Commissioner’s Cup, has been the team tipped to achieve a Grand Slam. The Beermen went two-of-three last season and after their historic title run last conference in the Philippine Cup, there has been clamor for them to go for it. Unfortunately for San Miguel and its fans, the team just couldn’t get it done in the Commissioner’s Cup. The Beermen had a terrible stint in the mid-season conference last season as they failed to make the playoffs and on Sunday, they bowed out of title contention after an embarrassing 124-99 loss to Rain or Shine in Game 4 of their best-of-five semifinals series. SMB head coach Leo Austria knows the trail to the Grand Slam is a difficult hike and champions are usually handicapped with less time to prepare for the following conferences. “Just like what happened to us last year after winning the all-Filipino, they were chanting ‘Grand Slam! Grand Slam!’ and that’s a long shot. That’s very hard to do,” Austria said. “Let us be fair now. It’s really hard to win the championship especially if the format is like this na after the championship you only have one week to prepare.” Austria added higher-seeded teams of the Philippine Cup can only recruit imports below a designated height limit while the teams who are at the bottom of the 12-team ladder can bring in bigger imports. For Arwind Santos, however, their failed bid for a Grand Slam is just another chapter for their next one. Santos has been phenomenal in their 2015 Philippine Cup title run and the 2013 MVP knows they can be better despite the loss. “Yun namang opportunity na Grand Slam puwede ulitin yun,” Santos said. “Hindi imposible yun, ang team namin hangga’t nandiyan at buo, kayang pangarapin.” “Kami ang team namin, every time may opportunity, halimbawa pasok ng semis, di naman talaga ganun goal namin, one game at a time pero pag malapit na dinidiin na namin.” For Alex Cabagnot their Grand Slam dreams are over but he’s seen positives this time around. San Miguel finished ninth in the 2015 Commissioner’s Cup and was nowhere near their championship form, but in this year’s conference they managed to creep into the semifinals amidst their struggles. “Grand Slam is out of reach obviously, if you look at the silver linings, last year around this time we were already in vacation, now we’re in the semis it’s a big jump,” Cabagnot said. “Look at the positives.”

2016-05-01 22:36 Bong Lozada sports.inquirer.net

45 45 Connecticut governor gets JFK award for pro-refugee stance BOSTON (AP) - Connecticut’s governor has received the 2016 John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award for his public support of resettling Syrian refugees in the U. S. Kennedy’s grandson, Jack Schlossberg, presented the award to Dannel P. Malloy at a ceremony Sunday morning in Boston. Malloy, a Democrat, was named this year’s recipient for his vocal support of refugee resettlement. Schlossberg credits Malloy with taking a stand “against the hateful, xenophobic rhetoric” at a time when some governors and presidential candidates sought a ban on Syrian refugees. Malloy announced three days after the Paris attacks that Connecticut would continue to accept refugees from Syria. Schlossberg says that exemplifies JFK’s vision of the United States as a nation that welcomes freedom-loving people who are persecuted or in need.

2016-05-01 22:34 FILE www.washingtontimes.com

46 Train derails in Washington, DC; leaks hazardous chemical WASHINGTON (AP) - A CSX freight train heading to North Carolina derailed near a Metro stop in Washington, D. C., on Sunday, sending 14 cars off the tracks and spilling hazardous material, officials said. No injuries were reported and no evacuations were ordered. The train derailed about 6:40 a.m. near the Rhode Island Avenue Metro station and one of the cars leaked sodium hydroxide, which is used to produce various household products including paper, soap and detergents, CSX spokeswoman Kristin Seay said. Sodium hydroxide, also known as corrosive lye, is a chemical that can irritate and burn the skin and eyes. CSX said hours later the leak was plugged. Mayor Muriel Bowser said at an earlier news conference that officials were not sure how much spilled. “The fumes should not cause you any problems and you should not be able to smell them anywhere else,” said D. C. Fire and EMS Deputy Chief John Donnelly. Officials found that another derailed car had been leaking non-hazardous calcium chloride, CSX said. That leak has also been plugged, the company said. A third car was slowly leaking ethanol from the base of a valve, the company said. Officials worked to re-seal the valve, and the spilled the ethanol has been contained. CSX said it will now focus its attention on cleanup efforts. It was not immediately clear what caused the derailment of the train, which was heading to Hamlet, North Carolina, from Cumberland, Maryland. Crews were inspecting the tracks, which are used by CSX, the MARC commuter rail system and Amtrak. The Metro tracks are above and adjacent to the derailment site. Photos tweeted by D. C. Fire and Emergency showed cars in a zigzag line across the tracks. Chris Nellum said he lives nearby and his window looks directly over the tracks. “I thought it was like a semi-truck coming toward the building and when I looked out the window, I saw cars piling up,” said Nellum, who had just moved in the night before. “So I’m not even used to hearing trains. It was jarring.” Nellum said his girlfriend tried to leave the area and was told to stay put, but she eventually found a way out. Story Continues →

2016-05-01 22:33 Several cars www.washingtontimes.com

47 Obama, first lady review library design proposals WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama is reviewing design proposals for his future presidential library from the seven architectural firms chosen as finalists. The White House says the president’s wife, Michelle, joined him at Sunday’s meeting in Washington with staff of the Barack Obama Foundation. The foundation plans to build the library in one of two parks on Chicago’s South Side. Completion is expected in 2020 or 2121. The finalists include four firms from New York, two in Europe and one in Chicago. More than 140 firms from 25 countries and 60 cities applied to design the project. The finalists are Diller Scofidio and Renfro, SHoP Architects, Snohetta and Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects of New York; John Ronan Architects of Chicago; Renzo Piano Building Workshop of Italy; and Adjaye Associates of London. ___ Online: Obama Presidential Center: http://www.barackobamafoundation.org/the-center

2016-05-01 22:33 - Associated Press - Sunday, May 1, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com

48 ‘Jungle Book’ rules box office again; ‘Civil War’ looms NEW YORK (AP) - Disney’s “The Jungle Book” trounced a handful of underperforming new releases to rule the box office for a third consecutive week, while next week’s certain champ, “Captain America: Civil War,” began setting records overseas. Jon Favreau’s live-action Rudyard Kipling adaptation earned $42.4 million in its third week at North American theaters, according to studio estimates Sunday. One of the year’s biggest hits, “The Jungle Book” has now totaled $684.8 million globally. The weekend’s debuts withered under the stampede of “The Jungle Book.” Keegen-Michael Key and Jordan Peele’s feline action-comedy “Keanu” opened with a modest $9.4 million. That was a whisker behind “The Huntsman: Winter’s War,” which limped its way to $9.4 million in its second disappointing week of release. Warner Bros.’ R-rated “Keanu,” from the former Comedy Central stars of “Key and Peele,” cost only about $15 million to make. In it, they play Los Angeles cousins who are led into a criminal underworld in their search for a lost cat. Garry Marshall’s latest holiday-themed romantic comedy, “Mother’s Day,” bowed with a weak $8.3 million despite the presence of stars Jennifer Aniston and Julia Roberts. Though Marshall’s “Valentine’s Day” opened with $56.2 million in 2010, audiences have since been less enthusiastic for his poorly reviewed Hallmark card ensembles. “Mother’s Day,” released by Open Road, even trails the $13 million opening of 2011’s “New Year’s Eve.” The video-game adaption “Ratchet & Clank,” from Focus Features, made even less of a dent with an estimated $4.8 million. With “Captain America: Civil War” opening next weekend in North America, the box office was largely in a holding pattern, waiting for Marvel to effectively launch the summer movie season. “Civil War” gave a preview of its might in 37 international territories over the weekend, taking in an estimated $200.2 million. That includes record openings in Mexico, Brazil and the Philippines for the film some expect to be the year’s biggest hit. Once it lands, Disney will have accounted for three of the top five movies of the year, along with “The Jungle Book” and “Zootopia.” Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U. S. and Canadian theaters, according to comScore. Where available, the latest international numbers for Friday through Sunday are also included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday. 1. “The Jungle Book,” $42.4 million ($57.1 million international). 2. “The Huntsman: Winter’s War,” $9.4 million. 3. “Keanu,” $9.4 million. 4. “Mother’s Day,” $8.3 million. 5. “Barber Shop: The Next Cut,” $6.1 million. Story Continues →

2016-05-01 22:33 - Associated Press - Sunday, May 1, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com

49 SA has come a long way, but the road to freedom goes on South Africa’s progress towards democracy can only be described as one of triumph. We have broken the shackles of the apartheid era and have the constitution as the highwater mark. I refuse to accept nothing has changed. A simple example of this can be seen at my office every day where all of us, of varied races and backgrounds, eat lunch together in the kitchen, a far cry from my early days at the bar, where I had to fight to be allowed to share chambers with Duma Nokwe. We of course have a long way to go in achieving our constitutional ideals. We have perhaps never before in our post-1994 democracy been confronted as starkly with the realities of inequality as we were by the recent student protests. South Africa remains one of the most unequal societies in the world, and the struggle to remedy that continues. Ask any South African about historical heroes and you will receive a plethora of names who served as our guiding lights into the democratic era. In their wisdom, they saw the start of the fall of colonialism as a turning point in the realisation of the ideals of freedom and equality for all. For many, these were ideals pursued not knowing whether the realisation would materialise in their lifetimes, but with a certainty that they were worth pursuing nonetheless. We saw a world where the territorial gains by colonialists were being dissolved; where the right to self-determination, free of want and fear, was being realised; trade barriers were being lowered; and aggressor nations were being disarmed. In this way, one began to see a version of South Africa that had not been imagined before. But the fall of apartheid was complicat ed. There was no overt aggressor state, but rather an aggressive controller. In the face of this oppression, the anti-apartheid movements — diverse as they might have been, from political parties such as the ANC to workers’ movements, women’s movements and youth movements — found common cause in the ideal of freedom for all in South Africa. The cost and the losses that came in realising this freedom cannot be gainsaid. The Treason Trial, the student uprisings, the death of activists like Steve Biko and Ahmed Timol in police detention, the hazardous activities undertaken by the military wings — the suffering was immense. It is difficult to comprehend the depth of the suffering. When I think, for example, of the death of Biko in custody and the fear that more would suffer the same fate, I remain awe-struck by the continued and concerted efforts of so many people across the country who overcame their fears to pursue the cause. In recalling the student uprisings and reading the recent comparisons with the student movements that we have seen over the past year, I pray that we never again see the innocent blood being spilt of those pursuing their right to receive a decent education. Many people continue to carry with them the pain and scars of those days. When freedom ultimately came, it was not a victory for a particular movement, it was for the people as a whole. By 1985, we could almost taste freedom, but there was still a long and difficult path ahead before it could be achieved. The tide may have turned slowly, but it did turn. Amid the pain of those dark days, though, were moments of joy. The release of Nelson Mandela comes to mind. The memory of him standing before the world, a free man smiling with his arms raised high — nothing can compare with that moment. I relived some of the darkest times of South Africa’s history in that moment. I realised, too, that many of the struggles, the violence and the heartache were behind us, and what lay ahead was for us to get down to the business of running a free and democratic country. The challenge was daunting, but thrilling. The constitution and I have had a long friendship. I participated in the negotiation and drafting of the constitution, and was a member of the team of lawyers who argued for its certification before the Constitutional Court. For many years I have been involved in constitutional litigation and today still work in the constitutional litigation unit of the Legal Resources Centre. As with all good friendships, I have defended it, I have challenged it and I have tested its limits and bounds. I continue to stand by it and believe in the potential that it holds. The constitution was approved in May 1996 by the National Assembly by an overwhelming majority: 421 of the 435 members in favour, only two opposed. Twelve abstained. This, however, was only the first hurdle. It still needed to be certified by the Constitutional Court as being in line with the 34 constitutional principles contained in the interim constitution. This was a novel approach and we were uncertain of what to expect. The five of us representing the Constitutional Assembly — a team which included Wim Trengove SC and Marumo Moerane SC — drafted more than 250 pages of argument and schedules that we hoped would show conclusively that the proposed constitution complied with these principles. The debate in the courtroom was heated and robust, and I remember reading the placards of a leading Johannesburg newspaper after the hearing which said “Bizos clashes with judges”. I found the characterisation jarring, preferring to think of it as a necessary consequence of the job. This so-called clash was a critical process to test the strength and resilience of what was to become our constitution. When it came to certification, the Constitutional Court was by no means unaware of the gravity of the task before it. As the court stated in its judgment, “we were mindful, during both the previous deliberations and again now, that the finality of certification demanded, and demands, we make assurance doubly sure”. At the hearing, Judge Richard Goldstone commented that a future Constitutional Court “sitting in 10 or 300 years’ time, would have to refer to the constitutional principles. They do not disappear. They would be a primary source of interpretation.” To which I responded: “[E]ven in a deep freeze, they would be there forever.” We weren’t successful in our first attempt at certification, but the court was satisfied, following the second hearing, that the 34 constitutional principles had been met, and certified the amended text which was signed by President Mandela a few days later, on December 4 1996. While it is my hope that the principles and values underpinning the constitution are never allowed to wane, the constitution itself is not necessarily cast in stone. It should and must be given the space to evolve naturally in line with society’s evolution. The inclusion of justiciable socioeconomic rights in the constitution was a significant milestone, subject to the qualification of progressive realisation and availability of resources. The goal requires the state to improve the enjoyment of socioeconomic rights to the maximum extent possible, even in the face of resource constraints. But how does one reconcile the understanding of available resources in the face of the rampant corruption that we have seen take place? We are entitled to demand openness, transparency and accountability from all, even those in the highest echelons of government. The path to freedom may lead in many different directions, but we must not falter as we continue this march. We must demand accountability and transparency. We must insist that all levels of government perform their duties, from abiding by court orders and effectively rolling out social assistance to implementing recommendations of bodies such as the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the Marikana inquiry. We must ensure that civil society organisations and activists are protected, and we must share a mutual outrage at instances such as the killing of the anti-mining activist Bazooka Radebe in the Xolobeni community in the Eastern Cape. Let us never lose sight of the road we have travelled to enjoy this freedom, or of the hope that we fully realise our constitutional ideals. - This is an edited speech delivered at the University of the Witwatersrand as part of the Freedom Month lecture series

2016-05-01 22:33 George Bizos www.timeslive.co.za

50 Volunteers prepare for high-altitude rescues EAGLE, Colo. (AP) - Hundreds of search and rescue volunteers are getting their training at the High-Altitude Army National Guard Aviation Training Site this year, gearing up for the busy summer season for search and rescue crews that cranks up between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Instructors say there are many things that can go wrong at high altitudes flying rescue helicopters in the backcountry of the Rocky Mountains, including litters that spin too fast when they’re being pulled up and patients who can fall out of the basket. There is also a risk for rescuers who climb up and down rocky mountainsides. They fly dozens of rescue missions a year. Many people have been rescued after becoming stranded in groups. According to the Vail Daily (http://tinyurl.com/z6pnnuw ), the rescue operations are funded by donations. ___ Information from: Vail Daily, http://www.vaildaily.com/

2016-05-01 22:33 - Associated Press - Sunday, May 1, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com

51 Illinois man crushed by garbage dies in landfill accident ROCKFORD, Ill. (AP) - The death of a 54-year-old man buried under the weight of a tipped-over garbage truck and its contents at a Rockford landfill is under investigation by a federal workplace safety agency. The Dixon Telegraph (bit.ly/1SDZcgy ) reports that Gonzalo Trevino Sr. died Thursday at the Winnebago Landfill. Authorities say the garbage truck contained 80,000 pounds of concrete, steel, wood and other building debris. The U. S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating the accident. The Winnebago County coroner says Trevino was killed by blunt force to the abdomen and chest. New Milford Fire Chief Alan Carlson says Trevino was unloading a garbage truck when the load from a second truck shifted.

2016-05-01 22:32 - Associated Press - Sunday, May 1, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com

52 Former Allen Parish mayor arrested for stealing public money ELIZABETH, La. (AP) - The former mayor of an Allen Parish town has been arrested on charges that he stole more than $6,500 in public money. Robert “Bob” Crafton was arrested Thursday on two counts of theft involving the misappropriation of public funds. The American Press of Lake Charles (http://bit.ly/24g40Qt) reports Crafton turned himself in and was released on $5,000 bail Friday. Crafton resigned in February 2015 after 12 years as mayor following an audit accusing him of taking $4,800 in excess pay in 2014. Crafton allegedly sought advance payments to pay for a medical test for his wife, who was diagnosed with cancer. The report said Crafton may have also illegally received $2,724 of $117,354 that the town paid after it ended a natural gas contract. Crafton has repaid most of the money. ___ Information from: American Press, http://www.americanpress.com

2016-05-01 22:31 - Associated Press - Sunday, May 1, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com

53 Lawrence school steers away from ban of Confederate flag LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) - Lawrence school officials say it’s unlikely the district will ban displays of the Confederate flag. An advisory committee told students seeking the ban that broadening the district’s existing discrimination and harassment policy to include symbols would accomplish the same goal as banning the flag. Some students began asking for the ban after a student flew a Confederate flag from his pickup truck on school grounds in January. The Lawrence Journal World reports (http://j.mp/1SRcXXX ) the committee members say broadening the current discrimination policy would also reduce the risk of the school district being sued by students claiming their free speech rights were being violated. The discrimination policy currently bans written, verbal or physical discrimination and harassment. The advisory committee will meet again Tuesday to begin drafting a new policy. ___ Information from: Lawrence (Kan.) Journal-World, http://www.ljworld.com

2016-05-01 22:31 - Associated Press - Sunday, May 1, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com

54 Bodies of elite climber, cameraman found in melting glacier LOS ANGELES (AP) - The bodies of a renowned mountain climber and expedition cameraman who were buried in a Himalayan avalanche 16 years ago have been found. The widow of Alex Lowe said in a statement Friday that two climbers attempting to ascend the 26,291-foot Shishapangma in Tibet discovered the remains of two people partially melting out of a glacier. The climbers described the clothing and backpacks seen on the bodies to Conrad Anker, who was climbing with Lowe and cameraman David Bridges at the time of the October 1999 avalanche and survived. Anker concluded that the two were Bridges and Lowe, the statement said. “Alex and David vanished, were captured and frozen in time. Sixteen years of life has been lived and now they are found. We are thankful,” Jenni Lowe-Anker said. She married Anker, her husband’s friend and fellow elite climber, in 2001. They live in Bozeman, Montana, and run the Alex Lowe Charitable Foundation together. Anker said the discovery has brought closure and relief to him. He told Outside magazine that although he hasn’t seen photos of the remains, he’s convinced they are those of Lowe and Bridges. “They were close to each other. Blue and red North Face backpacks. Yellow Koflach boots. It was all that gear from that time period. They were pretty much the only two climbers who were there,” Anker said. Lowe, Anker, Bridges and several others were on an expedition to climb Shishapangma, the 14th highest mountain in the world, then ski down it. They were scouting out routes at about 19,000 feet when they saw a slab of snow break free 6,000 feet above them. Lowe was regarded as the world’s greatest mountain climber when he was swept to his death at age 40. He was known jokingly as “Lungs With Legs” for his incredible strength and stamina. He had made difficult climbs all over the world, including Nepal’s Kwangde and Kusum Kanguru, and twice reached the summit of Mount Everest. In Peru, he climbed the southwest buttress of Taulliraju. He was credited with rescuing several climbers in Alaska in 1995, a year when six climbers died on Mount McKinley. Bridges, 29, of Aspen, Colorado was an accomplished high-altitude climber and cinematographer.

2016-05-01 22:31 - Associated Press - Sunday, May 1, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com

55 Man goes to jail for trying to get loan in brother’s name SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb. (AP) - A 55-year-old western Nebraska man has been sentenced to six months in jail for trying to take out a loan in his brother’s name. The Scottsbluff Star-Herald reports (http://bit.ly/1WA8qvB ) a judge finalized details of the sentence for Mark Cross last week. Cross will get credit for 64 days of jail time he has already served, and he will be supervised for 18 months after his release. Prosecutors say Cross went to the Team Chevrolet car dealership in February and tried to get a loan for $70,592 in his brother Joel Cross’ name to buy a 2016 Chevrolet Suburban. Police became involved after Joel Cross started getting letters from a finance company about someone trying to purchase a vehicle. Dealership officials told police they became suspicious of Mark Cross after he couldn’t provide an accurate Social Security number. The dealership told police that Mark Cross signed paperwork in the name of Joel Cross and said that was his legal name but he went by Mark. Then a salesman took Mark Cross to his home to pick up his Social Security card, and it had the name Mark Cross printed on it. Mark Cross pleaded guilty in March to attempted theft as part of an agreement with prosecutors. ___ Information from: Star-Herald, http://www.starherald.com

2016-05-01 22:31 - Associated Press - Sunday, May 1, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com

56 Report shows 72 avalanches in southwest Montana in 2016 BOZEMSAN, Mont. (AP) - Despite only having two avalanche deaths this winter, Montana still ranks second in overall avalanche deaths over the last decade. The Bozeman Daily Chronicle reports (http://bit.ly/1NMtI7J ) that according to the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center’s annual report there were more than 30 avalanche deaths between 2006 and 2016. Colorado has the most avalanche deaths in the same period with more than 60. According to the report southwest Montana had 72 avalanches this winter. Two of those were fatal with one snowmobiler dying in a slide on Sheep Mountain near Cooke City in December and a skier dying in an avalanche on Cedar Mountain near Big Sky in January. The report shows that the region saw more snow than expected this winter and that snowpack is close to normal. ___ Information from: Bozeman Daily Chronicle, http://www.bozemandailychronicle.com

2016-05-01 22:30 - Associated Press - Sunday, May 1, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com

57 2 dead after shooting in Loveland LOVELAND, Colo. (AP) - A man and a woman are dead after an apparent shooting in Loveland. The Loveland Daily Reporter-Herald reports (http://bit.ly/1TDOjtT ) that police responded to a call about an argument on Saturday. Someone who lived in the lower level of the home called to report the disturbance. Police were able to remove the adult caller and two juveniles from the home before entering and finding the bodies of an adult man and adult woman in the room where the reported argument occurred. A weapon was found at the scene. Police say all parties involved have been identified and accounted for and that there is no ongoing threat. The names of the victims have not been released. ___ Information from: Loveland Daily Reporter-Herald, http://www.reporterherald.com/

2016-05-01 22:30 - Associated Press - Sunday, May 1, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com

58 Fire decimates Old Las Vegas Zoo building LAS VEGAS (AP) - Fire officials are looking into a blaze that tore through the old Las Vegas Zoo building. KSNV-TV reports (http://bit.ly/1VGcnQx) crews were dispatched at about 8:15 p.m. Saturday to the property near Rancho Drive and Melody Lane. Firefighters say 50-foot tall flames were shooting out from the one-story structure through the roof. Crews from Las Vegas and North Las Vegas brought the fire under control in about 15 minutes. No injuries were reported. There were no nearby buildings where the fire could spread to. Fire investigators say the damage is roughly $50,000. The cause has yet to be determined. ___ Information from: KSNV-TV, http://www.mynews3.com/index.php

2016-05-01 22:30 - Associated Press - Sunday, May 1, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com

59 NY governor gives AG power to probe officer’s fatal shooting ALBANY, N. Y. (AP) - New York’s attorney general has been ordered to probe whether local law enforcers broke the law investigating a fatal shooting by a police officer. Gov. Andrew Cuomo issued an order Sunday permitting Eric Schneiderman (SHNEYE’-dur-muhn) to probe any alleged “unlawful acts or omissions” related to Edson Thevenin’s April police shooting in upstate Troy. On Friday Schneiderman sued the Rensselaer County district attorney for the case’s files. He argued Joel Abelove has violated an executive order mandating such slayings be examined by the state when the victim is unarmed or there are questions about the person’s dangerousness. Thevenin was shot eight times by a Troy police officer after authorities say Thevenin trapped the officer between two cars. A grand jury declined to indict the officer days later. A message left at Abelove’s office wasn’t returned.

2016-05-01 22:30 - Associated Press - Sunday, May 1, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com

60 Malia Obama to wait one year before entering Harvard Malia Obama , the older daughter of President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama, will attend Harvard University in the fall of 2017, the White House said Sunday, waiting until her father leaves office. Malia , who turns 18 in July, is graduating this year from the exclusive Sidwell Friends private school in Washington. She’ll be following in her parents’ footsteps at Harvard. “The president and Mrs. Obama announced today that their daughter Malia will attend Harvard University in the fall of 2017 as a member of the Class of 2021,” the White House said. “ Malia will take a gap year before beginning school.” The Obamas plan to remain in Washington after Mr. Obama leaves the White House so their younger daughter, Sasha, can complete her high school career at Sidwell Friends.

2016-05-01 21:11 FILE www.washingtontimes.com

61 Rally seeks to foster fairness, justice for immigrants DURHAM, N. H. (AP) - Social justice advocates in New Hampshire are making the rejection of racism, xenophobia and anti-Muslim sentiment the themes of their annual May Day Rally for Immigrant Justice. The rally takes place Sunday at 4:30 p.m. at the Durham campus of the University of New Hampshire. The multi-cultural rally will feature speeches, dance and music. Eva Castillo of the Manchester-based New Hampshire Alliance for Immigrants and Refugees says it’s more important than ever to speak out for policies rooted in compassion, justice and fairness. Event sponsors say May 1 - celebrated in many countries as International Workers Day - has also become a day for immigrants and their allies to rally in the United States. The rally takes place on the law in front of Thompson Hall.

2016-05-01 21:11 - Associated Press - Sunday, May 1, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com

62 Hillary Clinton won’t call herself presumptive nominee, vows wooing of Sanders supporters Hillary Clinton said Sunday she is on the path to capture the Democratic presidential nomination but refused to call herself the “presumptive nominee.” “I consider myself as someone who’s on the path, and obviously I’m very far ahead in both the popular vote and the delegate count, so I think the path leads to the nomination,” Mrs. Clinton said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “But, you know, I’m going to keep competing in the elections that are up ahead of us.” Unlike Mrs. Clinton , Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump last week declared himself his party’s presumptive nominee. Still, Mrs. Clinton said that rival Sen. Bernard Sanders eventually will have to “look at the reality” that he doesn’t have a path to the nomination. “I’m going to be very aggressive in reaching out to Senator Sanders’ supporters, but we have so much in common, far more in common than they do with Donald Trump or any Republican,” she said. She also vowed to work closely with Mr. Sanders, a self-described democratic socialist who has succeeded in pushing the Democratic Party further left. Mrs. Clinton said she has run as a progressive and will work to incorporate Mr. Sanders’ issues into the party platform, such a national minimum wage of $15 per hour and Medicare-for-all health care program. “Senator Sanders has been a passionate advocate for positions he cares deeply about,” she said. “He’s brought millions of people into the process, which I think is also very good of the Democratic Party.”

2016-05-01 21:11 FILE www.washingtontimes.com

63 Next up in NY Legislature: Uber, ethics and NYC schools ALBANY, N. Y. (AP) - New York lawmakers will return to Albany on Tuesday to begin the final weeks of their work for 2016, confronting a to-do list that includes a possible upstate expansion for Uber, a decision on control of public schools in New York City and the challenge of addressing Albany’s perennial corruption problem. Over the course of seven weeks, the Senate and Assembly will take up hundreds of bills with an eye on the fall elections. Here’s a look at the top issues they will face: ___ CORRUPTION In the last year, Albany’s two most powerful lawmakers were convicted on federal corruption charges, joining more than 30 other lawmakers who left office facing criminal or ethical allegations. But even after the downfall of former GOP Senate Leader Dean Skelos and ex- Democratic Speaker Sheldon Silver, lawmakers have been slow to respond. Gov. Andrew Cuomo has proposed tighter campaign finance rules and restrictions on how much lawmakers can make from side jobs. Those ideas face opposition in the Senate, however. One idea with broader support is a ballot referendum that, if approved by voters, would allow a judge to strip the pensions of convicted lawmakers. A 2011 pension forfeiture law doesn’t apply to lawmakers elected before that bill was passed, meaning that many lawmakers can keep their pensions even if convicted of corruption. So far, the Assembly and Senate cannot agree on wording for the referendum. “Ethics is going to be the main focus between now and June,” Cuomo told a group of upstate editorial boards in April. Government watchdog groups hope public outrage over the recent scandals will push lawmakers to act. Silver, the Manhattan Democrat who led the Assembly for decades, is set to be sentenced on Tuesday, the same day lawmakers reconvene. “It’s an election year,” said Blair Horner, of the New York Public Interest Research Group. “Lawmakers are going to have to go back to their constituents and say ‘Yes, I voted for those legislative leaders that are now in the slammer.’ And they’re going to have to say what they did about it.” ___ NEW YORK CITY SCHOOLS New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, a Democrat, must once again persuade lawmakers to extend his control of city schools, a policy which is set to expire June 30 after lawmakers renewed it only a year in 2015. Senate Republicans are skeptical about giving the city control over its own public education system, even though mayoral control was first authorized in 2002. Two hearings have been scheduled on extending it, and de Blasio is expected to face tough questions about his handling of education from his GOP critics. “Without a detailed and thoughtful exchange, it is difficult to craft an extension that is in the best interests of New York City’s students and teachers,” said Sen. Carl Marcellino, a Long Island Republican who chairs the Senate Education Committee. Story Continues →

2016-05-01 21:10 CORRECTS DATE www.washingtontimes.com

64 Attorney General: 3 organizations violated open meeting laws WAHPETON, N. D. (AP) - North Dakota Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem found that three Richland County organizations violated state open meetings law in conducting two special meetings in November. The Wahpeton Daily News reports (http://bit.ly/1SvtX7p ) that the Southeast Senior Services Council, the Wahpeton Harmony Senior Citizens Club and the Richland County Council on Aging held a special meeting on the morning of Nov. 20 to discuss the resignation of the executive director. Board members were notified of the special meeting by phone and email. No agenda was prepared and no public notice was posted. The board held another meeting in the afternoon and decided that the executive director would stay and a board member would be removed. Stenehjem found that minutes from those meetings failed to meet requirements of the North Dakota Century Code. ___ Information from: Wahpeton Daily News, http://www.wahpetondailynews.com

2016-05-01 21:11 - Associated Press - Sunday, May 1, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com

65 Appeals ruling clears way for Bowe Bergdahl case to resume An appeals court has cleared the way for U. S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl’s legal case to resume, rejecting prosecutors’ arguments that defense attorneys were given too much leeway on accessing classified documents. The United States Army Court of Criminal Appeals denied prosecutors’ appeal in a ruling released late Saturday by defense attorneys. The court also lifted a stay from February on pretrial proceedings being heard at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. Bergdahl faces charges of desertion and misbehavior before the enemy after he walked off an outpost in Afghanistan in 2009 and was held by the Taliban and its allies for five years. The latter charge is relatively rare and carries a punishment of up to life in prison. Prosecutors had argued the military judge erred in a decision that “directs the unauthorized disclosure of classified information and grants the defense unfettered access to classified information,” according to court documents. In an opinion dated Thursday, the three-judge appeals panel wrote that it disagreed with prosecutors’ interpretation. The judge overseeing Bergdahl’s military trial, Army Col. Jeffery Nance, had ordered prosecutors in February to turn over many of the classified documents they had gathered, subject to certain rules. His order had also allowed defense attorneys to obtain other classified information without taking steps that prosecutors said were necessary. Prosecutors argued that, in either instance, another layer of approval was needed. Defense attorneys argued that Nance’s order was sound and that existing rules already require them to notify the judge and prosecutors if they intend to disclose any classified information during the case. They wrote that prosecutors were trying to make them follow an “endlessly inefficient” process that “would overwhelm these most senior members of our government by requiring their personal decision on every one of hundreds of thousands of documents.” Army spokesman Paul Boyce said in an email Sunday that Army officials are working on scheduling Bergdahl’s case. He didn’t answer a question about whether prosecutors would file another appeal. Bergdahl’s military trial was tentatively scheduled to start in August, but pretrial proceedings were halted while the appeals court considered the classified documents dispute. He was arraigned in December but has yet to enter a plea. Bergdahl, of Hailey, Idaho, walked off his post in eastern Afghanistan in June 2009, and was released in late May 2014 as part of an exchange for five detainees in Guantanamo Bay. The move prompted harsh criticism, with some in Congress accusing President Barack Obama of jeopardizing the safety of the country.

2016-05-01 21:10 - Associated Press - Sunday, May 1, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com

66 Iowa activist wants ‘suicidal deer’ sign removed ST. ANSGAR, Iowa (AP) - An activist wants to persuade officials in northern Iowa to take down a deer crossing sign that warns about “suicidal deer.” Christy Kessens told the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier (http://bit.ly/1WzZMgw ) she thinks the sign makes light of mental illness. But so far Mitchell County officials seem unlikely to change the sign. After the sign went up along Iowa Highway 105 outside St. Ansgar in March, Mitchell County supervisors considered removing it, but the motion never advanced to a vote. Supervisor Stan Walk in Iowa says officials wanted the sign to be an attention-getter, and it has been. ___ Information from: Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier, http://www.wcfcourier.com

2016-05-01 22:26 - Associated Press - Sunday, May 1, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com

67 Legendary civil rights activist shares stories, experiences HOPKINSVILLE, Ky. (AP) - Joan Trumpauer Mulholland experienced it all as an activist in the early 1960s. She was shot at and cursed, hunted by the Ku Klux Klan and disowned by her family. Seen as heroes in their own right, the stories of Mulholland and former Gov. Ned Breathitt gave a glimpse into the past on April 28 at Hopkinsville Community College as part of the inaugural Breathitt Lecture Series. Mulholland, who describes herself as ordinary, appears as anything but through her story as a Freedom Rider and civil rights activist. She was the guest lecture for the series. She spoke to students at a session earlier on April 28 and again at another event later in the night while being interviewed by Kentucky Education Television’s Renee Shaw. Mulholland’s portion of the event started with an abbreviated version of the movie about her life, “An Ordinary Hero.” The film highlighted the more than three dozen sit-ins and protests she was a part of, along with her stint in prison for her actions. Photos on stage showed her covered in filth as she sat at a lunch counter in protest, showed her with Martin Luther King Jr. and included her mug shot from 1961, where Mulholland has a slight, sly smile and a twinkle in her eye. During the movie and her speech, tears ran down the cheeks of several audience members upon hearing the story of a woman who faced death and utter ridicule as she fought for “what was right.” Mulholland was there for the legendary March on Washington in 1963, can recall how she felt when four young girls died in the 16th Street Church Bombing in Birmingham, Alabama, the same year. She can still feel the pain she remembers after hearing of the death Medgar Evers, a key member of the NAACP. The pain from that June 1963 night in Jackson, Mississippi, sticks out in her mind and so does the day she placed a button in support of President Barack Obama on Evers’ grave in 2008, after he became the first African-American President of the United States. “It was then I could rejoice about Obama’s election,” Mulholland said. “We never could have dreamed about it before that. It was beyond our wildest dreams.” Shaw, an African-American who said Mulholland gave her the path she now walks today, asked questions ranging from how Mulholland came around to her beliefs to her relationship with Anne Braden, a white woman and civil rights activist from Kentucky. Shaw also inquired about the racial divide that exists today in areas such as education, health care and the judicial system. “It is all interconnected,” Mulholland said. “And with the way society has evolved, we see that now more clearly.” Her answers made connections between the civil rights movement and current social issues, and she even brought up the Black Lives Matter movement. Story Continues →

2016-05-01 22:25 ADVANCE FOR www.washingtontimes.com

68 Lawmakers: Investment plan aims to help hard-hit communities COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - Pushing idle investment capital into distressed communities is the goal of a proposal introduced in Congress last week. Republican U. S. Rep. Pat Tiberi of Ohio is among the sponsors. He says the Investment Opportunity Act would encourage investment through a series of steps. Governors could identify “Opportunity Zones” in certain designated low-income areas of their states that meet a specified threshold of economic distress under the legislation. It also would allow investors to temporarily defer having to report capital gains on the sale of appreciated assets, as long as the gains are reinvested in a so-called Opportunity Zone. U. S investors currently hold an estimated $2.3 trillion in unrealized capital gains. Investors could pool resources and risk in Opportunity Funds, or “O Funds,” under the plan.

2016-05-01 22:25 - Associated Press - Sunday, May 1, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com

69 Flying Blind: Why SA Express was grounded This is another blow to the image of South Africa's ailing state enterprises - especially in the airline sector - which have been mired in crisis for several years. Passengers scrambled to make new arrangements at airports across Southern Africa to reach their destinations. The Civil Aviation Authority said it had suspended all SA Express flights as a precaution to prevent potentially "catastrophic" incidents. The regulator said the carrier's safety systems posed "serious safety hazards and risks to the crew, passengers, and the public". "The regulator cannot allow the operator to continue with operations until such time that the identified safety concerns are adequately addressed," said Kabelo Ledwaba, a spokesman for the authority. The announcement sparked panic at the airline as well as at its sister company South African Airways and privately owned South African Airlink. Late yesterday, all three airlines were still trying to find alternative flights for the stranded passengers. The airline did not say how many passengers were affected, but it annually runs 37287 flights across 29 cities, including in five Southern African Development Community countries. Last year it reported carrying an average of 4000 passengers a day. According to the regulator, a recent inspection of SA Express's equipment found that safety systems had been unable to pick up problems in the system. "Every time an aircraft is prepared for a flight the airline must give a guarantee that it is airworthy. "We could not trust that, and that is why we have suspended their flights," according to the aviation authority's executive for aviation safety, Simon Segwabe. He said the most recent inspection of SA Express, on April 19, had been prompted by the malfunctioning of an aircraft's flight computer mid-flight. "The pilot relayed this information to the tower, who then, through Air Traffic Navigation Systems, had to inform us. Segwabe said: "Fortunately, the backup system was able to kick in. " Segwabe said there were several such safety occurrences involving SA Express, which had prompted the inspection. The malfunctioning of an aircraft's flight-management system software could mean that some of its controls would no longer function. Such a malfunction would cause pilots to "fly blind", one of the greatest fears in the industry. The investigation conducted last week found that the airline's safety monitoring systems were unable to report deficiencies - something the airline has been guilty of on more than one occasion. The situation has shocked many airline industry executives, with one describing it as a crisis. "There's quite possibly no coming back from this. It's massive: imagine the amount of revenue they stand to lose on a long weekend," said a senior executive at another state airline. SA Express had been given until Friday to provide a plan to address the deficiencies, but its plan failed to satisfy the regulator. The two parties met again yesterday. SA Express CEO Inati Ntshanga said late yesterday that in 22 years, the airline had an impeccable safety record. He said the airline took the CAA concerns "very seriously". SAA spokesman Tlali Tlali said the airline was assisting by accommodating SA Express passengers. Among the frustrated SA Express passengers at OR Tambo International Airport was DJ Mobi Dixon, who had been due to perform in Kimberley. "It's really s****y, man," said Dixon, who was to be the main act at the Sol Plaatje University's freshers ball last night. Other grounded passengers had been travelling for more than 24 hours. "I left South Dakota on Thursday morning," said Jan de Klerk, a Ficksburg detective who had visited his son in the US. "I was here at 10 past seven this morning, but when I went to board, I was told there's been a delay and they've just kept pushing it further," he said. One passenger who did not want to be named said he had been made to pay an excess luggage fee of R622 before being told his flight was indefinitely delayed. Passengers were also told to fetch their off-loaded luggage at the boarding gates. At about 3pm, passengers were still being checked in, with flight departure boards merely stating an "indefinite delay". Staff at the SA Express boarding counter declined to comment. One member of staff said they "were not sure what is happening". One passenger due to fly at 8am was sent an SMS at 8.06am by the airline, stating that her flight had been delayed and advising her to "please report to the SA Express service desk" for further assistance. However, Barbara Grobler, 68, said she had received no communication before her 1.50pm flight. "They never let me know. I only found out on arrival. They are apparently going to book us on another airline, but nothing has been confirmed yet. " Grobler arrived from Australia on Friday night and was due to fly to Bloemfontein and then travel to Bethulie, 160km away. Passengers had not been told the reason for the delays, but had been issued meal vouchers of R80 for breakfast and R120 for lunch. The DA spokeswoman on public enterprises, Natasha Mazzone, said it was an "incredibly serious situation" when an airline was grounded. An SAA insider said the crisis pointed to financial problems that could be affecting safety and operations. The airline, which is under the care of Public Enterprises Minister Lynne Brown, owes SAA's technical division more than R10-million in aircraft service charges. The latest incident would make SA Express's financial position even more precarious. "I have noted the decision by the Civil Aviation Authority to temporarily suspend SA Express' air operator certificate," Brown said yesterday. "I am providing all the necessary support to the management of SA Express to resolve this matter. Therefore I have tasked the department's director-general, Mogokare Seleke, to lead talks with the CAA to resolve this matter," she said. She said the suspension was massive, not only for SA Express but for sister airline SAA, because the two, although separate entities, shared the same corporate identity and branding. Brown apologised to passengers, saying they should consult SAX's website, flyexpress.aero , for measures the airline had put in place to deal with inquiries. - Additional reporting by Thembalethu Zulu [email protected]

2016-05-01 22:20 SABELO SKITI www.timeslive.co.za

70 President Obama slings barbs at both parties, media at annual correspondents dinner With a biting brand of humor, President Obama slung barbs at both parties and the media Saturday night in his last appearance as the center of attention at the annual White House Correspondents Dinner. Mr. Obama noted the unrest in the Republican Party’s presidential nomination race, telling the diners in the Washington Hilton Hotel ballroom that GOP guests “were asked to check whether they wanted steak or fish, and instead a whole bunch of you wrote in [House Speaker] Paul Ryan.” The president also called out GOP presidential front-runner Donald Trump, saying the billionaire real estate mogul “has spent years meeting with leaders from around the world — Miss Sweden, Miss Argentina, Miss Azerbaijan.” “And there’s one area where Donald’s experience could be invaluable, and that’s closing Guantanamo, because Trump knows a thing or two about running waterfront properties into the ground,” he added about the reality TV star, who did not attend the dinner. After calling presidential candidate Bernie Sanders the bright new face of the Democratic Party, Mr. Obama contrasted the slogan “Feel the Bern” with one he said was rival Hillary Clinton’s: “Trudge Up the Hill.” His comments from the podium drew lots of laughs from the journalists, politicians and entertainers at the gala. It was his eighth appearance at the event and his last as president and he kidded about the pains of being a lame duck. “If this material works well, I’m going to use it at Goldman Sachs next year,” he joked. “Earn me some serious Tubmans.” Mr. Obama ended his remarks with “Obama out” and dropped the microphone, as the crowd cheered. The Washington Times hosted its annual pre-dinner get-together at the Saturday evening, hosted by The Times’ opinion editor, David Keene. Among The Times’ guests were retired Air Force Gen. Michael V. Hayden, former Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan. The state’s second Republican governor since 2007, Mr. Hogan has battled cancer since entering office last year. He smiled beside his wife, Yumi, as he related his clean bill of health and positive outlook. “I’m doing great, I feel great. I’m cancer-free and feeling stronger ever day,” Mr. Hogan said. Mr. Hogan lost his hair while undergoing chemotherapy. Saturday evening, the governor pointed to his pate, where hair is returning. Story Continues →

2016-05-01 22:13 President Barack www.washingtontimes.com

71 Ted Cruz wins lion’s share of delegates at state conventions in Arizona, Virginia Republican presidential hopeful Sen. Ted Cruz succeeded Saturday in picking up more delegates at state GOP conventions in Arizona and Virginia, advancing his plan to win the nomination at a contested national convention. Mr. Cruz suffered painful loses to front-runner Donald Trump in both states but positioned party activists at the state conventions to elect the majority of his supporters as delegates. “Trump got cheated,” said Jeff DeWit, chairman of the Trump campaign in Arizona. “Somebody messed with the system.” The Cruz campaign has put together a top-notch operation for the state conventions to guarantee he has an army of supporters on the floor this summer at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland. Having delegates ready to switch their vote is key to the Texas senator’s plan to win the nomination at a contested convention in July, provided he can block Mr. Trump from securing the 1,237 delegates needed to clinch the nomination on the first ballot. In Arizona, Cruz loyalists won nearly all but two of the 28 at-large delegate and about half of the 27 congressional district delegates. All of the state’s 58 delegates are bound to Mr. Trump on the first ballot, but could switch sides in later ballots. Only about a dozen of Mr. Trump’s supporters won delegate slots at the state convention in Mesa, Arizona. At the state GOP convention in Virginia, Mr. Cruz’s supporters won 10 of the 13 at-large delegates. Mr. Trump won three. Virginia’s delegates also are bound for the first ballot, with 17 for Mr. Trump, eight for Mr. Cruz and five for Mr. Kasich. Another 16 delegates are for Sen. Marco Rubio, who has dropped out of the race.

2016-05-01 22:13 Republican presidential www.washingtontimes.com

72 Hoping to carry momentum into fight in India: Vijender Singh London : Yet another knockout win in his kitty, ace Indian boxer Vijender Singh said he couldn't have asked for a better buildup to his much-anticipated homecoming to India next month. Vijender Singh. Pic/ PTI Vijender hammered Frenchman Matiouze Royer in a six-round super middleweight contest which was stopped in the fifth round. The 30-year-old Indian will next be seen in action on May 13 in Bolton against a yet-to-be-named opponent before heading to India in June. "We had a solid game plan and I stuck to it perfectly. Royer is a tough opponent and made it difficult for me at times but he couldn't handle my power and accuracy. I felt in complete control throughout the fight and it's a shame the ref waved it off, I wanted more," Vijender said of the bout, which was his longest since turning pro last year. "It felt like everything I was throwing was connecting. I'm feeling stronger with every fight and want to carry on this momentum. I've got a huge Indian homecoming to look forward to this summer so it's vital I get past my next opponent in Bolton," he added. Vijender said he cannot wait to be home next month in India where he will be fighting his maiden title bout -- the WBO Asia belt -- on June 11 against a yet-to-be-announced rival. "Winning my fifth bout against an experienced opponent will be helpful for me before homecoming WBO Asia Title fight. My immediate target is to win sixth fight in a row which is scheduled for 13 May in UK and will be back to training from tomorrow onwards to prepare hard for it," he said. Vijender's India Promoter Neerav Tomar said the boxer is going from strength to strength with each bout. "I'm very impressed with Vijender. He's showed everyone what he's capable of and I'm excited for his future. Everything is shaping up nicely for his homecoming bout, all he needs to do now is get past his May 13th bout," he said.

2016-05-01 22:11 By PTI www.mid-day.com

73 Cover star: Duchess Kate poses for British edition of Vogue LONDON (AP) - The British edition of Vogue will mark its 100th anniversary with a rare portrait of Kate Middleton looking relaxed in the countryside. The Duchess of Cambridge opts for a casual look in her first-ever cover shoot for Vogue. The fashion magazine is publishing a series of Middleton images shot by photographer Josh Olins in its June edition and some will be placed in Britain’s National Portrait Gallery. Kensington Palace said Kate “hopes that people appreciate the portraits with the sense of relaxed fun with which they were taken.” The casual clothes and settings provide a counterpoint to the more formal portraits commonly produced of senior royal figures. The Duchess plans to visit the National Portrait Gallery in London on Wednesday to view the Vogue exhibit.

2016-05-01 22:11 In this www.washingtontimes.com

74 Fajardo sees semis exit as chance to replenish ‘drained’ Beermen June Mar Fajardo knows that in the end, one team can’t win everything. “Ganun talaga. Gusto rin nila manalo,” the two- time MVP Fajardo said after San Miguel bowed out of the 2016 Oppo PBA Commissioner’s Cup following a blowout loss to Rain or Shine on Sunday. “Gusto namin manalo pero ganun talaga, talo eh. Di mo naman maipapanalo lahat.” With Arizona Reid back in tow for Game 4, the Beermen were determined to attempt another “beer-acle.” But Paul Lee and Rain or Shine had other plans, ending the best-of-five series with a 124-99 beatdown of San Miguel. That quashed any Grand Slam hopes for the Beermen, who came into this year’s Commissioner’s Cup having ruled three of the last four conferences. Fajardo said fatigue may have gotten the better of San Miguel, noting that ever since the team won the third conference last season, the Beermen haven’t had enough time to rest and heal their bodies. “Siguro pagod na rin. Drain na drain na rin kami eh kasi three conferences straight kami eh, pero hindi excuse yun. Natalo lang talaga kami,” he said. But ever the optimist, Fajardo looks at the break as a chance to heal nagging injuries in hopes of helping the Beermen climb back on top. “Babawi kami next conference,” he said. “Mahaba yung preparation namin at makakapagpahinga kami. Yung may injury, makakapagpahinga. Baka uuwi muna ako ng Cebu for ilang days, then balik dito for Gilas. Kailangan ko lang makita yung mama ko. Then hopefully, nasa taas ulit kami by next conference.”

2016-05-01 22:10 Randolph B sports.inquirer.net

75 West Indies welcome BCCI decision on tour Bridgetown (Barbados) : The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) president Dave Cameron has hailed the resumption of bilateral ties with the BCCI, as the region prepares to host India in a four-Test series starting in July. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced it had resumed relations with the WICB after resolving "outstanding issues" pertaining to the controversial abandoned tour of India two years ago, when the West Indies players quit the one-day tour over pay issues with their board, reports CMC. “We are extremely delighted that concerns which arose due to the incomplete tour have been addressed and would like to thank BCCI for reviving our ties,” Cameron said in a statement on Saturday. “West Indies cricket appreciates the support of BCCI and the cricket loving fans of the islands keenly look forward to witness some exciting contests between the two teams.” Last December, the WICB announced an agreement to play the four-Test series in the Caribbean, following discussions with the BCCI president, Shashank Manohar. The agreement was a crucial step in the thawing of relations between the two bodies and BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur on Friday underscored the importance of the upcoming series. “The BCCI is happy to resume their bilateral ties with WICB. We recognise that West Indies has a huge role to play in the development of cricket and we are happy to support their endeavours,” he said. “This tour will further strengthen the bond between the Indian and the West Indian fans, who have over the years patronised this glorious game of cricket.” The BCCI had moved swiftly to suspend relations with the WICB, following the abandoned tour which also led to the cancellation of the scheduled Test tour. An upset BCCI blamed the WICB for the abandonment and lodged a $42 million claim for losses incurred due to the cancellation, and threatened legal action if the Caribbean board did not show how the amount would be settled. At the time, the BCCI labelled the West Indies pullout a “monumental disaster” and said it had been faced with “huge revenue losses, a loss of reputation and is at risk of losing valuable commercial partners". The BCCI has since waived the $42 million claim.

2016-05-01 22:09 By PTI www.mid-day.com

76 Analysis: What does US use of roof-knocking mean for ICC view of Israel's use of it? There is a new front on the ongoing debate about the legality of Israel’s “roof-knocking” tactic, its effectiveness as a warning to civilians to evacuate a site which it is about to be attacked and how the International Criminal Court will come out on the issue. The idea of roof-knocking is to be a second- round and final warning to civilians to leave a targeted premises if they ignore a first warning, such as a telephone call. In the Israeli version of roof-knocking, a missile is then fired at the roof of the targeted building in order to slam into the building and make a loud “knock” on the roof, without actually exploding. Since January 2015, the ICC has been reviewing the legality of Israel’s approach to targeting and alleged war crimes relating to the 2014 Gaza war. Last week, the US announced that it had used the tactic to try to evacuate Iraqi civilians from an ISIS site in Iraq for hoarding funds which it was targeting. This made it the second country to adopt the tactic. US Air Force Maj. Gen. Peter Gersten even admitted that the IDF’s use of the tactic had inspired the US to try it out. The IDF patented the tactic during the 2008-2009 Gaza war and then expanded its use substantially during the 2014 Gaza war. It has been known that top US military officials supported the tactic since November 2014 when then-US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Martin Dempsey praised the tactic as something worth considering. But moving from considering to using it in the field, with all of the factors and controversy it entails, is a significant move. Will the US adoption of the tactic be enough to shield the IDF’s use of it from criticism by the ICC? Neither the IDF nor the Foreign Ministry wanted to comment on the issue, appearing to want the news to speak for itself. Unfortunately, for the IDF, until now major players have mostly sounded off against the tactic. Both the 2009 UNHRC Goldstone Report and the 2015 UNHRC McGowan-Davis Report deemed the tactic ineffective as a warning and possibly even illegal. Those reports and critics from the human rights community have said that the tactic often confuses civilians into not leaving or returning to their residences too soon instead of saving them. In a famous case in the 2014 war, a group of civilians evacuated after a roof-knocking warning, waited outside for a few minutes and then returned, thinking it was a false alarm, only to return too early and be killed by the impending missile strike. In fact, the same result occurred when the US used the tactic in Iraq, leading to questions about whether the US will use it again. If it does not use it again, could that even be a negative point against the tactic? Also, the US use of the tactic differed somewhat from the IDF’s use. The US fired a hellfire missile which exploded above the site it was attacking instead of actually hitting the roof. Could that difference lead to treating the US and IDF uses of roof-knocking differently? There is also a complaint that roof-knocking terrorizes the civilian populace, though leading US law of war scholar Michael Schmitt has written that this criticism fails to understand that in a spectrum of outcomes, scaring civilians to save their lives is well worth it. The broader battle over roof-knocking is also about approaches to international law and war. Critics of the tactic want to focus first on saving civilian lives and say roof-knocking does not fit into traditional “international humanitarian law” categories for warnings and "frees" armies like the IDF to be more aggressive than they otherwise. In other words, they say the IDF strikes targets that it should not strike due to the proximity of civilians, rationalizing that it has warned them to leave. Supporters would say that if it is becoming the state practice of law abiding militaries, and the US using it in Iraq could be proof of that, that this fact has a power of its own. They say the tactic should be encouraged even if it is imperfect since the motivation behind it is to save lives and since it often does. In February, the Jerusalem Post held an unprecedented series of meetings at The Hague and found that the ICC prosecution was at least theoretically open to potential Israeli defenses of war crimes charges for some of its controversial tactics. While it by no means came out in support of the tactic, even initially refraining from joining the IDF’s critics on the issue was significant. There is no assurance that the US decision to employ roof-knocking will push the ICC over the line to giving the IDF’s use of it a passing grade, but at the very least it moves the dial slightly more in that direction than it would have been.

2016-05-01 22:08 YONAH JEREMY www.jpost.com

77 Still negotiating F-16 jet deal with US: Pakistan Islamabad : Pakistan is still negotiating with the US to buy eight F-16 fighter jets despite difficulties in getting the USD 700 million deal partially financed by the American government, a top Pakistani official has said. The purchase hit snags after US Congress withheld 60 per cent of the aid earmarked for subsidising the deal, which has been opposed by some American lawmakers and India. Tariq Fatemi, Special Assistant to Pakistan Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs, responding to reports about the deadlock said the "negotiations aren't over yet". He said Pakistan's mission in Washington is currently in talks with members of the Congress to raise awareness of Islamabad's views on the matter. "America understands how important a role these eight F-16s can play in the fight against terror, which is why the request was made in the first place," Fatemi was quoted as saying by BBC Radio. According to the deal, Pakistan would have paid USD 270 million and the remaining USD 430 million was to come from the US. "There is strong opposition to provide subsidised arms to other countries in the US Congress, but Obama administration's offer of military aid to Pakistan still stands," Fatemi said. Those opposing the deal argue that these jets can be used against India in the event of a war.

2016-05-01 22:02 By PTI www.mid-day.com

78 Maharashtra Day: Devendra Fadnavis, Raj Thackeray pay tribute Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today paid floral tributes at the 'Hutatma Smarak' here to mark the 56th 'Maharashtra Day'. Fadnavis was accompanied by Mumbai Mayor Snehal Ambekar and Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) Commissioner Ajoy Mehta. Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis at 'Hutatma Smarak' in Mumbai. Pic/Pradeep Dhivar The 'Hutatma Smarak' located in south Mumbai, was build in memory of the Joint Maharashtra Committee, which played a key role in formation of Maharashtra as a separate state. Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis with Ashish Shelar and other leaders at 'Hutatma Smarak' in Mumbai. Pic/Pradeep Dhivar In Nagpur, the second capital of Maharashtra, state Energy and District guardian Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, called for conserving water for the future. Raj Thackeray. Pic/Ajinkya Sawant Speaking after unfurling the tri-colour at the Kasturchand Park ground and taking salute of the combined Parade, Bawankule stressed the need for saving every drop of water in the backdrop of severe drought conditions in Marathwada and other regions. He also asked people to utilise water in a conservative way. Shiv Sena bike rally at Girgaum Chowpatty in Mumbai. Pic/Ajinkya Sawant Nagpur Divisional Commissioner Anup Kumar, Commissioner of Police S P Singh, District Collector Sachin Kurvey were present on the occasion. Raj Thackeray at Hutatma Chowk in Mumbai. Pic/Ajinkya Sawant In Thane, neighbouring Mumbai, District guardian Minister and Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde also hoisted the tri-colour at the Saket Parade ground. Raking up the border issue between Maharashtra and Karnataka, Shinde said those "Maharashtrians" living in border areas (of Maharashtra but in Karnataka) want to be part of Maharashtra. "They (residents in borders areas) have been agitating since long to come into Maharashtra. People of Maharashtra are supporting them," he added. Anil Desai and Arvind Sawant. Pic/Ajinkya Sawant In Nashik, Divisional Revenue Commissioner Eknath Davle hoisted the tri-colour at the police parade ground. He inspected an impressive parade by city and rural police. BJP MP Harishchandra Chavan, local MLAs, Nashik mayor and top civic officials attended the event. Anil Desai, Arvind Sawant, Sharad Phonkse and others at Hutatma Chowk in Mumbai. Pic/Ajinkya Sawant

2016-05-01 22:01 By PTI www.mid-day.com

79 Rivlin demurs again on rumors of imminent pardon for Katsav Following rumors on Sunday that President Reuven Rivlin is leaning toward commuting the sentence of Moshe Katsav due to a drastic deterioration in the former president’s health, his office poured cold water on the issue – for the second time in a matter of months. A statement issued from the President’s Office indicated that no formal request has yet been received, and that if and when it does arrive, the president will give it the same consideration as he gives all such requests in full consultation with the relevant authorities. The Justice Ministry and Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, who has behind-the-scenes been linked by some to supporting commuting Katsav’s sentence, had no comment. On April 6, Katsav’s request for an early release from prison was denied by the parole board. He had asked to be released early after having served approximately two-thirds of a seven-year sentence for rape. Katsav was convicted of two counts of rape, one count of committing an indecent act using force, one count of committing an indecent act, two counts of sexual harassment, one count of harassing a witness and one count of obstructing justice. He entered Ma’asiyahu in December 2011. According to media reports, the former president suffered a major deterioration in his physical and mental condition following the parole board’s rejection of his request. Despite those reports, Katsav was permitted to leave Massiyahu prison with his wife Gila on the eve of Passover to spend Seder with his family in Kiryat Malachi and did not exhibit manifestations of depression in those photographs. The parole board rejected his early release request writing, "before us is a prisoner who denies that he committed the crimes, who continues to claim his innocence despite the court decisions...which was manifested in his appearance before us. " . On that issue, the board adopted the prosecution’s position, finally officially revealed in the published portion of the decision (some portions will not be published), that Katsav could not be released early since no sexual offender has been released early without expressing regret. Katsav acted "as if there were no legal proceedings and he continues even today as someone who has not undergone any treatment connected to the crimes which he perpetrated. " The question of an early release has split the public, especially female politicians, demanding he serve his full-time, but some top legal scholars, like former supreme court president Aharon Barak, saying he should be released at this point. The question of clemency or a full pardon for Katsav arose during the presidency of Shimon Peres, who said that he would never accede to a request from a sex offender. Reports that Rivlin might pardon Katsav also surfaced in March this year, at which time spokespeople for the president said that Rivlin had never expressed support for Katsav’s early release from prison. However, they added that if a request was received, Rivlin would review it and weigh all the facts in the case with the relevant authorities from the Ministry of Justice before making a decision. Knesset Committee for the Advancement of the Status of Women and Gender Equality chairwoman Aida Touma-Sliman (Joint List) said she opposes a pardon for the former president and asked Rivlin to reject it and make clear that he shows zero tolerance for sexual violence. “Just two weeks ago, the parole board, which is professional in its content and character, decided not to [shorten Katsav’s sentence] because he did not express remorse and is not willing to undergo any rehabilitative or educational process,” she pointed out. “It’s clear to me that his family and lawyers will use any excuse to ask for a pardon, but the Prison Services have a professional system that can evaluate his mental situation and give him the help he needs, paid for by the state, something his victims did not receive.” Meretz MKs Zehava Gal-On, Michal Rosin and Tamar Zandberg came out against what they called Katsav’s “nonstop pity campaign.” “The claims about his mental situation and his depression do not make him deserve a special status and certainly not a pardon,” they wrote in a joint statement. “Like most prisoners, he deserves treatment between the walls of prison.” “There is no doubt a pardon for Katsav will harm the public’s trust in the judiciary, including the parole board, and will be a slap in the face of the victims, whose pain cannot be shortened or erased, not by a parole board or by the president,” they added. Association of Rape Crisis Centers in Israel Director-General Orit Soliciano said: “Katsav did not admit to nor express remorse for his actions. If his situation has deteriorated, we are certain that the prison authorities will make sure he receives the appropriate medical and mental treatment, but a sex criminal who did not express remorse, admit his deed or undergo rehabilitation should not be pardoned under any circumstances. “Katsav should internalize the fact that he must pay the full price for what he did and not try to find a different way to escape every time,” she added. It is unusual to seek the commuting of a sentence so short a time after a parole board rejection, but reports indicate he might have a chance if his condition has deteriorated sufficiently in the last month. One of Katsav’s lawyers, Zion Amir, has also already indicated that he is prepared to appeal the parole board’s decision. Katsav actually has potentially two chances to appeal. First, he can appeal to the Lod District Court and if he loses that appeal, he can appeal again to the Supreme Court.

2016-05-01 21:43 YONAH JEREMY www.jpost.com

80 Jerusalem Post Editorial: Corbyn’s challenge Will Britain’s opposition Labor Party succeed in uprooting anti-Semitism within its ranks? Party leader Jeremy Corbyn is going through the motions. But the task appears unsurmountable. The problem is that – as the ancient Greek saying states – the fish stinks from the head. Labor’s recently elected leader is a man who has referred to Hamas and Hezbollah – Jew-hating terrorist organizations that seek to wipe the Jewish state off the map – as his “friends.” In a meeting with Jewish leaders in February – his first after being elected head of Labor – Corbyn failed to express regret for his statement about Hamas and Hezbollah despite being pressed to do so. In September of last year the newly minted party leader attended a “Labor for Israel” dinner in London and managed to give a 10-minute speech without once mentioning the country that was being honored – no small feat. It is therefore not surprising that Corbyn’s arrival as leader has been accompanied by a series of anti-Semitic incidents within the ranks of the Labor Party, as though a cesspool dam of pent-up hatred had been torn down. In February, the co-chairman of Oxford University’s Labor Club resigned after charging that its members have “some kind of problem with the Jews” and sympathize with Jew-hating terrorist groups such as Hamas. According to statement by the Oxford University Jewish Society, senior members of the Labor Club liked to regale listeners with a song called “Rockets over Tel Aviv” and to endorse attacks on Israeli civilians. They were in the habit of casually referring to Jewish students as “Zio.” They repeated tropes about the “Zionist lobby” and “high net worth Jewish individuals.” They said all Jews should be required to denounce Zionism and the State of Israel, and that those who refused to do so should be shunned. And they arranged for a group of students to harass a Jewish student and shout “Filthy Zionist” at her. In March, two former shadow cabinet ministers from Labor, Michael Dugher and Rachel Reeves, accused Corbyn of trying to “bury” the party’s problem with anti-Semitism after he refused to publish an investigation into harassment of Jewish students at Oxford University. In the same month, Vicki Kirby, vice chairwoman of the Labor Party’s Woking branch was suspended after tweeting that Jews have “big noses” and “slaughter the oppressed.” MPs attacked the party leadership – including Corbyn – after it initially failed to suspend her. Last month, Labor councilor Aysegul Gurbuz was suspended over anti-Semitic tweets in which she praised Hitler as the “greatest man in history” and said she hoped Iran would use a “nuclear weapon” to “wipe Israel off the map.” Just last week, Labor MP Naz Shah was suspended for calling on Israel to “relocate” to America. Shah, who had been a member of a parliamentary committee looking into anti- Semitism in British society, posted on her Facebook page a picture of Israel superimposed onto a map of the US to show her “solution” for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Then there was Ken Livingston’s comments about how Hitler had been a Zionist, an attempt to associate the Jewish movement for national self-determination with Nazism. That this string of incidents of Jew-hatred inside the British Labor Party comes in the wake of Corbyn’s rise to leadership is no coincidence. Indeed, many politicians on the British Left know well that their electoral success depends on their willingness to reject the Jews’ right to a state of their own or risk being denounced as “Zionists” – a term that has become an anathema. Under the circumstances, there is little reason for optimism regarding the outcome of Corbyn’s investigation into anti-Semitism in the party. In an essay first published in April 1945 titled “Anti-Semitism in Britain,” George Orwell, who all but admitted to suffering from what he referred to as the “neurosis,” wrote that the starting point for any investigation of anti-Semitism must be introspection: “Why does anti-Semitism appeal to me? What is there about it that I feel to be true?” What sets the intellectual apart from others is not the lack of hatreds of one kind or another, argued Orwell, rather it is the fact that he or she “can feel the emotional tug of such things, and yet see them dispassionately for what they are...” Members of Britain’s Labor Party are under the sway of anti-Semitism. Will they succeed in seeing it dispassionately for what it is or will they be held captive to their collective neurosis?

2016-05-01 21:29 JPOST EDITORIAL www.jpost.com

81 4 nabbed for selling fake anti-tetanus vaccine in Las Piñas MANILA — Four people were arrested in Las Piñas on Friday night, after they sold fake anti- tetanus vaccines worth almost P400,000 in a mall parking lot. A report to the Southern Police District, which was given to reporters on Sunday, said Danilo Oliverio Arceo, 59, of Tondo in Manila; and Parañaque residents Abdul Camid Masa Pantawagas, 35; Zapro Halid; and Khadafi Cadar; were arrested by the local police in a buy- bust operation at the SM Center along the Alabang-Zapote Road around 8 p.m. Supt. Jenny Tecson, the SPD spokesperson, said the operation was organized after Felix Flores, operations manager of 2 World Traders Inc., went to the police station and complained about the four for selling fake Antitet, a tetanus anti-toxin. Flores told the police his company was the sole distributor of the product, with each glass ampoule supposedly worth around P100 each. “(Based on that information) the Las Piñas City Police created a buy-bust team with the complainant serving as the poseur-buyer,” Tecson said. According to the report, the four were arrested after they sold Flores three boxes of Antitet containing 3,470 glass vials all in all. Tecson said the entire merchandise cost around P385,000. “The arrested suspects were brought to the Las Piñas City Police Station for proper investigation and subsequent filing of appropriate charges,” Tecson said. The report said the charges were for violation of the cheaper medicines law of 2008. SFM

2016-05-01 21:27 Kristine Felisse newsinfo.inquirer.net

82 Hadash party gives flowers to Palestinians at checkpoint for May Day Hadash party MKs began May Day on Sunday by giving out flowers to Palestinian workers waiting to enter Israel during a visit to the Eyal checkpoint north of Kalkilya. "’We appreciate your visit and the flowers, and we hope to find work today’, - this was the common response we heard this morning,” Joint List MK Yousef Jabareen (Hadash) told The Jerusalem Post. “It has been a painful visit hearing many stories about the daily suffering of the workers. They arrive around 2 am to the military check point in order to be able to enter on time,” he said. He described the scene of thousands of Palestinian workers extremely crowded in a facility, many of them not even sure they would find an employer to pick them up that day. “Israeli employers are exploiting these vulnerable workers to avoid giving them their full rights and benefits,” charged Jabareen. The communist Hadash party marked the international worker’s day at the checkpoint along with its MKs and representatives in the Histadrut labor federation. Hadash said it would push to change the situation in the Knesset. Demonstrations were also held over the weekend in Nazareth and Tel Aviv.

2016-05-01 21:27 ARIEL BEN www.jpost.com

83 Watford City man wants city to help after basement flooded WATFORD CITY, N. D. (AP) - A Watford City man wants monetary help from the city after his basement flooded following a water main burst. The Williston Herald (http://bit.ly/1SCAjOH ) reports the pipe break led to water going into Bill Thinnes’ basement in March. The break also formed a sinkhole in the front yard and caused the collapse of two sidewalks. Thinnes said his front yard “looked like the 6 o’clock news.” “Right there by my house it was like a geyser, it kept flowing like that for two hours,” he said. There could be around $48,000 in expenses between repairs for the basement and yard, Thinnes estimates. He has paid about $8,000 so far to pump out water and fill the sinkhole, among other work. The city’s insurance has paid for some work, including taking out soaked drywall and the use of blowers to dry up moisture that was left, but Thinnes said there’s much left to be done. Thinnes said the city “doesn’t seem to care.” “The whole basement floor is a wreck,” he said. “It’s just disaster on top of disaster.” Watford City public works superintendent Justin Smith said the city is willing to lend a hand, but it’s not a quick process. “We are working with him,” Smith said. “I’d rather not comment on it until we get the thing resolved.” Thinnes came to the city from Colorado in 2010, getting work as a chemical rep with an oilfield company. After living in a trailer, he bought the small house across from the county courthouse. It has gone through several years’ worth of projects, and the lot has decorative pebbles instead of grass. “I wanted everything to look good because I live here on the corner, because everybody drives by on their way to the courthouse,” he said. ___ Information from: Williston Herald, http://www.willistonherald.com

2016-05-01 21:16 - Associated Press - Sunday, May 1, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com

84 Narendra Modi got first class in MA from Gujrat University: VC Ahmedabad : Amid the raging row over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's educational qualification, the Gujarat University today shared details of his MA degree saying he scored 62.3 per cent as an external student of the varsity. The details were shared by the Gujarat University after the Central Information Commission directed it to provide the same to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who had recently criticised the functioning of the transparency panel. Narendra Modi "Narendra Damodardas Modi passed his MA in Political Science in 1983 with first class, securing 499 out of 800 marks, which comes to 62.3 per cent as an external student," Gujarat University's Vice Chancellor M N Patel told PTI today. Kejriwal, in a letter to CIC in response to an RTI application seeking details of his electoral photo identity card (EPIC), demanded that while he was ready to share information sought by RTI applicants, the CIC must also order disclosure of educational qualifications of the PM. After Kejriwal's letter, the CIC had on Friday ordered Delhi University, from where he pursued his Bachelor of Arts (BA) course, and Gujarat University, from where he completed his MA, to reveal details of his education qualifications. Vice Chancellor Patel said he has not received any order of CIC till now, but he came to know about it from media, and will give the details to concerned applicants if he receives the order. "The details (of Modi's degree) were sought through several Right to Information (RTI) applications filed before the university, but we were not in a position to share the details under the RTI Act on technical grounds," Patel said. "The details of marks can only be provided to the candidate himself, and we do not provide details of university records beyond 20 years," he said. When asked about the details of Modi's BA degree, Patel said they do not have it. "Modi did his MA as an external candidate. He secured 237 out of 400 marks in MA first year, and 262 out of 400 marks in MA second year," Patel said giving the details. "The breakup of marks in second year MA shows that Modi obtained 64 marks in political science, 62 marks in European and social political thoughts, 69 marks in modern India/political analysis, and 67 marks in political psychology," he said. The CIC, acting on the letter from Kejriwal, had asked the Delhi University and Gujarat University to "make best possible search for the information regarding degrees in the name of Mr Narendra Damodardas Modi in the year 1978 (Graduation in DU) and 1983 (Post Graduation in GU) and provide it to the appellant Mr Kejriwal as soon as possible". The genesis of the case is in two previous CIC orders and a scathing letter from Kejriwal to Information Commissioner Sridhar Acharyulu where he demanded that while he was ready to share information sought by RTI applicants, the CIC must also order disclosure of educational qualifications of the Prime Minister. In a case related to one Neeraj Pandey, who sought information about electoral photo identity card of the Delhi Chief Minister, Acharyulu had sought explanation from Kejriwal why he as an MLA be not declared as Public authority under the RTI Act and why his party too was not brought under the Act. Kejriwal in his response did not object to disclosure of information about him but raised a demand for information about Prime Minister's educational qualifications referring to Hans Raj Jain case, Acharyulu had noted. "He stated that while CIC wanted Mr Kejriwal's information to be given, CIC was obstructing the information about degrees of Mr Modi, the Prime Minister. He expressed surprise over this and also doubted objectivity of the Commission," Acharyulu said.

2016-05-01 21:16 By PTI www.mid-day.com

85 Engineering students compete for hybrid, electric car titles LOUDON, N. H. (AP) - Dartmouth College is launching its 10th annual Formula Hybrid Competition at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway. College engineering graduate and undergraduate students race electric and hybrid cars they designed. The competition runs Monday through Thursday and spectators are welcome. The Formula Hybrid Competition is run by Dartmouth’s Thayer School of Engineering. Twenty- eight teams from colleges around the world are registered to compete, including the contest’s first all-female team - the 16-member Hot Wheelz - from the Rochester Institute of Technology. Last year’s competition featured teams from universities in Canada and Bangalore, in addition to U. S. competitors. Cars are judged on design, acceleration, handling and endurance, as well as energy efficiency and sustainability of materials used. Admission is free.

2016-05-01 21:16 - Associated Press - Sunday, May 1, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com

86 Elephants to perform for final time at Ringling Bros. circus PROVIDENCE, R. I. (AP) - Elephants will perform for the last time at the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus on Sunday, as the show closes its own chapter on a controversial practice that has entertained audiences since circuses began in America two centuries ago. Six Asian elephants will deliver their final performances in Providence, Rhode Island, and five will perform in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania, during several shows on Sunday. The last Providence show will stream live on Facebook and at Ringling.com at 7:45 p.m. Alana Feld, executive vice president of Feld Entertainment, which owns the circus, said the animals will live at its 200-acre Center for Elephant Conservation in Florida. Its herd of 40 Asian elephants, the largest in North America, will continue a breeding program and be used in a pediatric cancer research project. Elephants have been used in the circus in America for more than 200 years. In the early 1800s, Hackaliah Bailey added the elephant “Old Bet” to his circus. P. T. Barnum added the African elephant he named “Jumbo” to “The Greatest Show on Earth” in 1882. The Humane Society says more than a dozen circuses in the United States continue to use elephants. But none tour as widely or are as well- known as Ringling Bros. It’s also getting more difficult for circuses to tour with elephants. Dozens of cities have banned the use of bullhooks - used to train elephants - and some states are considering such legislation. Just as in the Disney movie “Dumbo,” elephants in the past have been dressed up as people and trained to do a range of tricks: play baseball, ride bicycles, play musical instruments, wear wedding dresses or dress in mourning clothes, said Ronald B. Tobias, author of the 2013 book “Behemoth: The History of the Elephant in America.” The change at Ringling signifies a shift in Americans’ understanding of elephants, Tobias said. People no longer see elephants as circus performers, he said, “but sentient animals that are capable of a full range of human emotions.” Attitudes are shifting about other animals as well. Last month, Sea World announced it would end live orca shows and breeding. Ringling will continue to use animals including horses, lions, tigers, dogs and kangaroos in its shows, Feld said. The Humane Society has called for an end to the breeding program and for Ringling to retire the animals to one of two accredited sanctuaries, one in California and one in Tennessee, both of which have more than 2,000 acres of land. Feld said they have the most successful breeding program in North America and have determined they can accommodate the elephants in the space they have. In 2014, Feld Entertainment won more than $25 million in settlements from animal-rights groups, including the Humane Society, over unproven allegations of mistreated elephants. Tobias said as attitudes have changed, people are more interested in seeing elephants in a natural habitat such as a sanctuary, rather than in a circus or zoo. “I think people will get a lot more satisfaction out of elephants living their real lives than to see them performing as clowns,” Tobias said. “It’s kind of a new age in our understanding and sympathy and empathy toward elephants.” ___ On the Web: Story Continues →

2016-05-01 21:15 FILE www.washingtontimes.com

87 Flooding predicted along Louisiana sections of Red River SHREVEPORT, La. (AP) - The National Weather Service is warning of flooding along the Red River in northwest Louisiana. Forecasters say the river will peak at a moderate flood stage at Shreveport Tuesday, with major flood crests predicted downriver at Coushatta on Wednesday and Grand Ecore on Thursday. Officials tell KSLA-TV (http://bit.ly/21nNicR) that a few neighborhoods unprotected by levees in Bossier Parish may flood. Those areas were affected by severe flooding last June, prompting a moratorium on new developments inside the levees. Flooding is also predicted on Caddo Lake, straddling the Louisiana-Texas line. Downstream, backwater flooding is predicted along bayous and rivers that feed into the Red, and in thousands of acres of flood plain used for grazing and fields. Heavy rains in northeast Texas, southeast Oklahoma and southwest Arkansas are causing rising water.

2016-05-01 21:15 - Associated Press - Sunday, May 1, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com

88 Head of Maui hospitals stepping down before privatization WAILUKU, Hawaii (AP) - The head of Hawaii Health Systems Corporation is stepping down as the collection of Maui hospitals transitions to new private owners. The Maui News reports (http://bit.ly/1NMjbJB ) that CEO Wesley Lo will step down as head of Maui County’s three hospitals and its parent regional organization on July 1, the same day Kaiser Foundation Hospital’s Maui Health Systems is scheduled to take over operations. The quasi-public HHSC will step back and become owners of Maui Memorial Medical Center, Kula Hospital and Lanai Community Hospital on July 1, leasing the properties to Kaiser. Lo started at Maui Memorial Medical Center as chief financial officer 13 years ago. In 2004, he became an interim CEO at Maui Memorial and continued on to oversee all three of HHSC’s Maui County facilities. ___ Information from: The Maui News, http://www.mauinews.com 2016-05-01 21:15 - Associated Press - Sunday, May 1, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com

89 Los Angeles school wins national Academic Decathlon _ again LOS ANGELES (AP) - A Los Angeles high school has again won the national Academic Decathlon, besting competitors from all over the country. The victory Saturday for Granada Hills Charter High School is the fifth time in the last six years it has claimed the title. The Los Angeles Times reports (http://lat.ms/1X2ec9Y) the perennial powerhouse scored 54,195 out of a possible 60,000 points to win the overall competition in Anchorage, Alaska. The rigorous three-day national competition included multiple-choice tests, interviews, essays, speeches and a “Super Quiz” round in front of a live audience. The study topic this year was India. ___ Information from: Los Angeles Times, http://www.latimes.com/

2016-05-01 21:15 - Associated Press - Sunday, May 1, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com

90 Slovakia’s premier leaves hospital after heart surgery BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (AP) - Slovakia’s prime minister has been discharged from a clinic in the capital following heart surgery. The 51-year-old Robert Fico was hospitalized April 14 following a cardiac examination at the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases and was operated on April 22. Officials declined to give any details about the surgery at the request of Fico’s family. On Sunday, Fico announced his discharge from the clinic on Facebook and thanked the doctors, nurses and all medical personnel at the institute. The clinic in Bratislava confirmed that, saying his condition has improved and Fico will recuperate at home. Fico was sworn in as prime minister for the third time after his leftist Smer-Social Democracy party won a parliamentary election in March.

2016-05-01 21:15 FILE www.washingtontimes.com

91 Petting zoo employee arrested for sexually abusing children FLORENCE, Ala. (AP) - Police say a man accused of abusing two children at a traveling petting zoo has been arrested in northwest Alabama. Local news media report that Florence Police Department detectives on Saturday arrested 48-year-old Daryl V. Raymond Jr. of Stockholm, Maine. He worked with the Jungle Safari Petting Zoo and charged with two counts of sex abuse of a child under 12. The owner Robert Engesser of traveling petting zoo says as soon as he was approached by the alleged victim’s grandmother Friday, he called police. Raymond is being held at the Lauderdale County Detention Center on a $100,000 bond. It’s not clear whether he has an attorney. The petting zoo has voluntarily shutdown and leaving. Florence Police say they believe the petting zoo is possibly traveling to Birmingham.

2016-05-01 21:15 - Associated Press - Sunday, May 1, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com

92 State holding hearings to consider later school start times TRENTON, N. J. (AP) - State education officials this week will launch a series of hearings to discuss whether middle and high school students should start the school day later in the morning. The Legislature passed a law last year to consider the proposal. Proponents cited an American Academy of Pediatrics report that recommended that students start class no earlier than 8:30 a.m. The group says insufficient sleep is “an important public health issue” impacting the students’ academic success. The first meeting will be held Monday afternoon at Camden County College’s Blackwood Campus. The next hearing is planned for Wednesday morning at the New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association office in Monroe, while the final hearing is scheduled for May 10 in the Franklin Williams Middle School in Jersey City.

2016-05-01 21:15 - Associated Press - Sunday, May 1, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com

93 Group plans tiny house village for homeless in Muncie MUNCIE, Ind. (AP) - A nonprofit organization wants to build a village of six tiny houses for the homeless in Muncie. Project planners from Bridges Community Services are seeking permission from a city zoning for the micro-village, The Star Press reported (http://tspne.ws/1Ny6qSO). Houses would measure 96 square feet each and have a bed, two windows, a desk and a loft storage area, as well as electricity and heating. The project would also have a brick walkway, a community garden and a building that has showers, restrooms and kitchen facilities. Bridges director Susie Kemp said the village would be a place for people “to become comfortable until they get used to more societal living than they’re used to.” She said there are some people “who just have a hard time coming back into a normal housing situation.” “They have mental health issues, they just flat-out don’t like being around people - post-traumatic stress disorder is another one,” Kemp said. Kemp has been to Seattle tiny houses, and micro-villages for the homeless have gone up in other places such as Madison, Wisconsin, as an “inexpensive way to help people get a grip on life again,” she said. “It’s almost like having a dorm room but it’s your own house,” said Terry Whitt Bailey, director of Community Development for the city of Muncie. “It’s kind of a new trend in trying to give people housing options.” Under local zoning ordinances, micro-villages aren’t a use that’s permitted in the residential zone. “The closest thing would be a seasonal work camp for migrants in the farming zone,” local government planner Fred Daniel said, which is why a variance is required for the project. ___ Information from: The Star Press, http://www.thestarpress.com

2016-05-01 21:15 - Associated Press - Sunday, May 1, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com

94 Greetings from Asbury Park, opening first hotel in 50 years ASBURY PARK, N. J. (AP) - In the Jersey shore city that gave Bruce Springsteen’s debut album its name, owners of the first new hotel to open there in more than 50 years hope they can convince locals and tourists alike that what was once considered a slum by the sea is now a destination with a bright future. Designer Anda Andrei and hotel operator David Bowd have transformed the vacant Salvation Army Retired Officers Home into The Asbury, a 110-room hotel that will permit guests to check in at any time of day, for accommodations ranging from ocean view suites to rooms featuring bunk beds that can sleep up to eight. The company has spent about $46 million on the property, which had an outstanding judgment of $8.5 million against the previous owners at the time of foreclosure. From the ground floor to the roof, the hotel offers options for the spectrum of Asbury Park’s diverse visitors, whom Bowd calls “a melting pot” of young, old, artists, musicians and gays. Previous rebuilding attempts in Asbury Park - made famous by Springsteen’s 1973 album “Greetings from Asbury Park, N. J.” - have seen grand ideas and great expectations collapse because of shallow pockets in economic downturns. But iStar Inc., which is developing the hotel and beachfront, believes it has a long-term strategy. “It’s all part of elevating the customer experience and trying to make the waterfront great,” said senior vice president Brian Cheripka. “You have this eclectic community. This urban vibe. This little city by the sea, and there’s this opportunity to get it right.” The beach has been drawing crowds since the late 1800s, and the city once boasted as many as 100 hotels and 600,000 annual visitors, said Asbury Park Historical Society president Don Stine. Its popularity started to wane in the 1960s, when the development of the Garden State Parkway, a highway that runs the length of the state, opened access to other shore towns and a mall drew customers away from the shopping district. That, in tandem with a race riot in 1970, had Asbury withering away, with seagulls outnumbering humans on the beaches and many hotels being boarded up or becoming de facto homes for the deinstitutionalized, who wandered the streets and boardwalk through the 1980s. Back then, the city seemed gray and depressing even on a sunny day. “There was more demolition than construction, especially at the beachfront,” Stine said. “You had to have faith Asbury would come back, and I think we’re into a great revival of the seashore resort’s prime real estate,” he said. The revival began with spurts of development in the 1990s and early 2000s, initially fueled by gays seeking a cheaper alternative to New York’s Hamptons and Fire Island. Developers built condominiums and rejuvenated downtown storefronts, which sold or rented for less than other oceanfront towns. A range of restaurants opened, and a series of annual festivals drew patrons to the city’s two major hotels. The food is one of the reasons Madeleine Berk, of Miami, loves Asbury. When she’s up from Florida, she hits the restaurants with friends before attending concerts throughout the year. Candy Cohen travels frequently to Asbury from her home in Englewood, Florida, for the music scene and to support the Light of Day Foundation concerts, which raise money for research into Parkinson’s disease, and often feature surprise Springsteen performances. The self-proclaimed “honorary Jersey girl” has previously chosen her hotel based on its proximity to the concert venue. She said she was excited about the new hotel, which is across from Convention Hall and several blocks from The Stone Pony bar and club. Story Continues →

2016-05-01 21:15 In this www.washingtontimes.com

95 Arkansas roles in World War I focus of centennial committee LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - The roles people from Arkansas played in World War I will be highlighted over the next two years by the newly formed Arkansas World War I Centennial Commemoration Committee. Historically, World War II and the Civil War have received much more attention in Arkansas than the “Great War” has. U. S. involvement in World War I started in April 1917 and ended Nov. 11, 1918. “It’s a forgotten war,” said Mike Polston, staff historian for the “Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture” at the Butler Center for Arkansas Studies. “There are not any of those soldiers left. Those who had a living, physical connection with that war are all gone. There are a few monuments around the state at county courthouses. I think most people don’t even know those are there.” The committee’s goal is to make sure the contributions of those from Arkansas are remembered. It is coordinating events and memorials to mark the war’s 100th anniversary in 2017-18, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported (http://bit.ly/21nE3th ). Even though the fighting was in Europe, the war touched Arkansas’ economy and manpower, according to the Arkansas history encyclopedia. Camp Pike, now Camp Robinson in North Little Rock, was constructed for infantry training, and Eberts Field was created in Lonoke County as one of the first pilot schools nationally, Polston said. Soldiers and pilots came from throughout the country to train in Arkansas, with government dollars flowing in, too, he said. Arkansas cotton was needed for uniforms and bandages, increasing the crop’s price, according to the encyclopedia. The mining of lead and zinc “increased dramatically” in the state, and a Phillips County factory made rifle stocks from local hardwoods. The enlistment of 71,862 soldiers from Arkansas created a labor shortage, and colleges struggled with the loss of students. There were 2,183 deaths of people from Arkansas during the war, with about 500 of those killed in action. The rest died from illness, Polston said. “Most of the Arkansas boys had never seen a body of water bigger than the Arkansas River or a pond nearby,” Polston said. “Now they were going over the Atlantic Ocean. A lot of it (illness) came from being overseas.” ___ Information from: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, http://www.arkansasonline.com

2016-05-01 21:14 - Associated Press - Sunday, May 1, 2016 www.washingtontimes.com

96 Analysis: Egypt caught between the hammer and the anvil ON THE 37th anniversary of the Israeli- Egyptian peace deal, security cooperation between the two countries is at an all-time high. The two governments share an inimical view of Hamas rule in Gaza and both operate in various ways against Islamic State (ISIS) forces in Sinai. Nevertheless, opposition in Egypt to normalizing relations with Israel remains widespread. Five years ago the current level of security cooperation would have seemed highly unlikely. The overthrow of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in February 2011 and the subsequent coming to power of the Muslim Brotherhood under Mohammed Morsi was seen in Israel as an extremely negative development. So much so that it necessitated a significant change in Israel’s national security estimates and alignment. True, Morsi’s Egypt continued to honor its commitments under the peace treaty. But Israeli decision makers were gravely concerned at the burgeoning cooperation between Cairo and Hamas, and the increase in hostilities along the border with Sinai. Morsi’s overthrow in July 2013 and the return to power of the generals under Abdel Fattah al-Sisi was enthusiastically welcomed. The drastic change this brought about in Egypt’s attitude to Hamas (which the generals saw as a militant branch of the Muslim Brotherhood they had just ousted) and the uncompromising campaign it initiated against militant groups in Sinai were grist to the Israeli government’s mill. Israel quickly agreed to a significant increase in Egyptian forces in Sinai in areas which, according to the peace treaty, were supposed to be demilitarized. Israeli diplomats were mobilized to help limit international criticism of Sisi’s authoritarian regime. The honeymoon that characterizes the security and intelligence relations between Israel and Egypt is a direct result of the Sisi administration’s perception of real and imagined threats on the Sinai front and in the Gaza Strip. Nevertheless, the assumption that relations between the two countries are about to be upgraded in other spheres is no more than wishful thinking. In Egyptian public discourse, Israel continues to be depicted as a hostile force and its policies are invariably presented in a negative light. A case in point highlighting the depth of opposition to normalization with Israel was the recent expulsion from parliament of the outspoken member Tawfik Okasha. Okasha had dared to invite the Israeli ambassador to his home and discuss politics over dinner. True, Okasha is something of a sensationalist who delights in provocation. But the fact that his meeting with the ambassador prompted such a severe sanction reflects the intensity of public opposition to normalization. The fighting in northern Sinai against ISIS affiliates is high on the Sisi government’s list of priorities. Hundreds of miles of desert separate Sinai from Egypt’s Nile valley heartland. But the working assumption of the decision makers in Cairo is that the ISIS presence in Sinai undermines their efforts to restore internal security and rehabilitate the economy. The same is true of Egypt’s attitude to Hamas in Gaza. From day one, the Sisi administration saw Hamas as an adjunct of its arch-enemy, the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, which it had declared a terrorist organization and which it blamed for dozens of terror attacks. In early March, Egyptian authorities accused Hamas of aiding and abetting members of the Brotherhood in the assassination last June of Chief Prosecutor Hisham Barakat. This grave charge was not retracted even after Hamas leaders condemned the killing and insisted that their movement does not interfere in Egypt’s internal affairs. On the contrary, the Egyptian media are awash with leaks from security forces accusing Hamas of aiding Jihadist groups in Sinai in attacks that have taken the lives of hundreds of soldiers and border police. The Sisi administration’s iron fist policy toward Hamas is evident on the ground. The Rafah crossing point to Egypt, the only exit from Gaza that does not border on Israel, has been closed for most of the past two and half years. The Egyptian army has destroyed dozens of smuggling tunnels on Gaza’s western border with Sinai, evacuated thousands of Egyptian citizens from the border area, declared it a closed military zone and imposed severe travel restrictions throughout northern Sinai. The far-reaching change in Egyptian policy came to the fore during Operation Protective Edge, the violent 49-day confrontation between Israel and Hamas in the summer of 2014. For the first time, Cairo blamed Hamas, and not solely Israel, for an armed clash between them. Moreover, in contacts over ending the fighting, Egypt rejected key Hamas demands, including the lifting of the tight closure it and Israel had imposed on the Gaza Strip. Its position on reconstruction of Gazan infrastructure and buildings destroyed in the fighting and the supervision of renewed inflow of construction materials and goods was closer to Israel’s than to that of Hamas. The Sisi government did not deviate from its hardline on Hamas even when international and Israeli organizations warned that Gaza with its 1.8 million inhabitants was on the verge of a serious humanitarian crisis. In this context, various Israeli politicians proposed constructing a seaport in Gaza. The Israeli military was apparently ready to go along with the idea despite the obvious security challenge it would pose. But the Sisi administration was quick to pour cold water on the proposal, effectively preventing a study of its feasibility. Recently, however, the Sisi government’s attitude to Hamas has been modified somewhat in light of Egypt’s close ties with Saudi Arabia and its Gulf State allies. Serious interests are in the balance. These major oil exporters granted Sisi’s Egypt financial aid estimated at around $30 billion, saving it from certain bankruptcy. While Riyadh and Cairo see eye to eye on Iran as a serious threat and share the same criticism of the Obama administration’s hesitant Middle East policy, they are divided on the future of the Assad regime in Syria and on Hamas, which Saudi Arabia wants to include in the regional camp it leads. Over the past few months there has been a significant reduction in Arab aid to Egypt. This might go some way toward explaining the mid-March visit to Cairo by a high level Hamas delegation. However, from the talks it seems the inherent mistrust of Hamas has not abated and, besides a string of very general understandings, the delegation returned to Gaza empty-handed. For now, Egyptian policy makes it very tough for Hamas to function as a ruling establishment and hinders its preparations for renewal of the armed confrontation against Israel. EGYPT’S POLICY toward Sinai and Gaza is not unrelated to the Sisi regime’s struggle for survival inside Egypt. The backing for a military man in the presidential palace stemmed from widespread hostility towards the Muslim Brotherhood and the expectation that the general-cum- president would quickly restore public order and revitalize the ailing economy. These hopes have not been met, and support for Sisi is waning. The main reason for this is that economic hardship has only got worse. The flow of aid from the Gulf States and Saudi Arabia is drying up, foreign currency reserves are dwindling rapidly, the external debt has reached worrying proportions, unemployment is growing and the devaluation of the Egyptian pound is having a devastating effect on spiraling prices of goods and services. Quiet in the streets has been achieved through a draconian law – which prohibits demonstrations and places curbs on free speech and human rights – and the imprisonment of thousands of opponents of the regime. Anger at the regime is mounting – even among people who initially supported Sisi. The Sisi administration is caught between the hammer of bloody fighting in Sinai and the anvil of its struggle for survival in the face of growing socioeconomic hardship and mounting political criticism of Egypt’s would-be savior who failed to deliver. Without underestimating the significance of the fighting in the far-flung areas of northern Sinai, the fate of the Sisi regime will be decided in the Nile valley heartland. The entry of the field marshal into the presidential palace was highly significant; but it is doubtful that it will prove to be the final stop in the long march of the Egyptian revolution that began with Mubarak’s overthrow five years ago and whose end is not yet in sight. Prof. Yoram Meital is chairperson of the Chaim Herzog Center for Middle East Studies and Diplomacy at Ben-Gurion University in Beersheba

2016-05-01 21:11 Yoram Meital www.jpost.com

97 Hey my brodder: celebrate our rainbow nation of accents Over the past 22 years, there has been a discernible shift in the tone with which freedom is defined in these parts. There is a growing emphasis on attaching addenda such as "with freedom comes responsibility" and "freedom of speech is not absolute" etc. True. However, over the years, "we" seem to have stretched this truism to "Freedom of expression does not include the freedom to speak the way you want to". As the elections approach, an old criticism of DA leader Mmusi Maimane has resurfaced. It stems from the fact that he has two accents, depending on to whom he is talking. Apparently he speaks with a Model C twang when addressing Paarl housewives; and a Diepsloot bricklayer's accent when addressing a predominantly black crowd invading Luthuli House in Joburg. I'm not a DA spokesperson so I'll leave it to whatshername, Jean-Claude Van Damme's long- lost cousin, to defend Mmusi's allegedly pliable accent. My interest, though, stems from a 2010 article in The Telegraph (UK), about US scientists saying that humans naturally but subconsciously imitate the speech patterns of others. This we do in order to "empathise and affiliate" with others. According to one Professor Rosenblum: "We intentionally imitate subtle aspects of each other's mannerisms, postures and facial expressions. We also imitate each other's speech patterns. " From my experience, this sounds about right. Last week, a friend of mine admitted to being a victim of this phenomenon. We agreed we're both ultra-cautious when we talk to folks who stutter because we find ourselves stuttering subconsciously. True story. My friend said his affliction was so bad he even once caught himself walking funny because he was next to a fellow with prosthetic limbs, with embarrassing consequences. I also have a close friend who has a facial tic that makes him blink at about double the normal rate. When I'm having drinks with him I find myself consciously widening my eyes to avoid blinking 120 times a minute. But back to accents. We suffer from a startling obsession with folks' accents when they speak English in this country. (Or "cowntry" as Minister Mbalula prefers to call it.) It boggles the mind just how much precious energy we waste on bickering about it. I remember a Grade 9 teacher of mine haranguing some hapless classmate because he pronounced the word "poor" as "pooh-wah". "Jislaaik man! It's 'pour', you hear? 'Pour'! " The fellow let him finish and repeated, "Pooh-wah". Among us darker-hued folks, there's a low-intensity war raging around this language from that tiny island that gave the world Yorkshire pudding. And there are two sides. On the one hand, you have those whose favourite pastime is to ridicule people who speak English with a "township or village accent". This is presumably because a country bumpkin with a PhD in quantum physics is "inferior" to someone with spiky hair and saggy pants walking around trendy Rosebank addressing his ostensibly canine friends as, "Namsayin', dawg,". On the other hand, you have the Twang Police, who have made it their mission to detect even a hint of a posh Michaelhouse in anyone's speech and then to descend upon them like dung beetles on a sewerage spill. The fact of the matter is that people speak the way they do mostly because of how people around them speak. If they change their environment, many people's accents will be altered accordingly, some more quickly than others. I remember watching former tennis star Wayne Ferreira being interviewed after he'd spent just one summer in Australia and thinking he could be called Bruce. If it had been someone from Soweto, all hell would have broken loose. Even the ordinarily not-easy-to-sway Mrs N returned home after a six-month stint in London peppering her speech with "yeah" every two sentences. She didn't even know she was doing it until I pointed it out. Another friend came back from The Isles after two years "finking" about "fings". During the Malema-and-Gang ejection process from the ANC, I remember my own accent-obsession moment when I tweeted that our current deputy president had a tinge of St Stithians Old Boys in his speech. Many people assumed I was taking a swipe at him. But I was merely observing the obvious, that he has spent thousands of hours in the boardroom. To paraphrase a friend of mine, "I spent years at Roedean. What would make me fake is if I consciously tried to sound like I went to a school in Ga-Matlala. " It's a universal phenomenon, this. If you don't believe me, go look for a clip of former England manager Steve McClaren talking English in a Dutch accent during his stint at Dutch side, FC Twente. I'll continue to fight the subconscious urge to blink rapidly at my friend. But if I ever live in Lagos for more than a month, you best believe I'll come back calling my siblings my "brodders". That's what Freedom Day means to me. That includes extending to Mmusi the freedom to sound the way he wants to sound on any given Sunday. E-mail Ndumiso Ngcobo at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter: @NdumisoNgcobo

2016-05-01 21:09 Ndumiso Ngcobo www.timeslive.co.za

98 72-year-old rescued 13 days after Ecuador earthquake Quito : A 72-year-old man was rescued by Venezuelan relief workers, 13 days after a devastating earthquake jolted Ecuador's northern coast. The miraculous rescue occurred in Manabi province on Friday, when a Venezuelan rescue mission from the Humanitarian Task Force "Liberator Simon Bolivar" inspected the danger zone in Jaramijo Canton, Venezuela's embassy in Quito announced on Saturday. After being alerted by sounds coming from a partially collapsed building, the rescue workers immediately entered and found the survivor trapped between the walls of a room, Xinhua news agency reported. The man, identified as Manuel Vasquez, showed signs of chronic kidney failure. He was also dehydrated and disoriented, and was taken to a nearby hospital. The 7.8 magnitude earthquake that hit the country on April 16 has killed 660 people and injured 4,605 others. So far, 133 people have been rescued, 22,421 displaced people housed in shelters and 32 remain missing. The Venezuelan Embassy in Ecuador said the rescue team, after 13 days, has carried out tasks in two of the country's provinces and has medically treated 7,712 people and inspected 2,616 building structures. The Venezuelan team was the first to arrive in Ecuador to help after the terrible tragedy, the embassy added.

2016-05-01 21:08 By PTI www.mid-day.com

99 Leicester draw with Man Utd to put Premier League title bid on hold Leicester City's bid to win Premier League title was put on hold after they drew 1-1 with Manchester United on Sunday. Manchester United's Spanish midfielder Juan Mata (2R) rises up against Leicester City's English defender Wes Morgan (R) for a header during the English Premier League football match between Manchester United and Leicester City at Old Trafford in Manchester, north west England, on May 1. Pic/AFP Claudio Ranieri's side would have been crowned champions with a victory at Old Trafford, but they fell behind to Anthony Martial's goal before Wes Morgan headed a 17th minute equaliser. Leicester are now eight points clear of second placed Tottenham and can still secure their first ever English top-flight title if the north Londoners fail to win at Chelsea on Monday. Regardless of Tottenham's result, Leicester will be the most unlikely champions in English football history if they beat Everton at the King Power Stadium next Saturday.

2016-05-01 21:05 By A www.mid-day.com

100 Police: Diamond industry scam artist stashed tens of millions abroad A veteran Israeli diamond broker is suspected of stashing tens of millions of dollars in bank accounts abroad, after allegedly cheating some $60 million out of some of the most senior diamond industry figures in Israel, police said in court on Sunday. Hanan Abramovich, 53, appeared in court for his fifth remand hearing on Sunday at the Tel Aviv Magistrate’s Court, where police representative Ofer Klein said investigators had found new evidence of forgery and that Abramovich had implicated himself in some of the allegations. Klein also revealed that in October 2015, $17.5 million was deposited in a bank account Abramovich maintained abroad, part of an enormous amount of money he is suspected of hiding in foreign bank accounts, including in Hong Kong. According to the arrest warrant against Abramovich, police suspect he “embezzled some $60 million worth of diamonds from members of the diamond exchange”, and that “after the suspect realized that he didn’t have the ability to evade them or their questions, he cut off all connection to them.” The allegations against Abramovich including money laundering, fraud, forgery, and use of a forged document, according to his arrest warrant. So far police said they have held confrontations between Abramovich and 10 of the complainants. Police say that 13 of the people he allegedly stole from were not insured. One alleged victim whose goods were insured was senior Diamond Exchange executive Yehuda Sayag, from whom Abramovich allegedly stole $1.4 million. In court on Sunday, Klein confirmed to Abramovich’s attorney Adi Carmeli that Sayag said that he believed that Abramovich had gone bankrupt and was unable to pay people back, and did not set out to rob his victims from the get-go. Another alleged victim, Amos Fouzailoff – a member of one of the most prominent diamond families in Israel – reportedly told police that Abramovich returned $918,000 to him after a deal went sour. Abramovich’s attorney Adi Carmeli maintains that his client is not a con man, rather a law- abiding citizen who fell into financial distress and has not tried to flee or evade police. Abramovich was first arrested on April 20th, just a few hours after three diamond traders issued a police complaint saying that in the last few months of 2015 they transferred large amounts of diamonds of Abramovich to serve as the middle-man in diamond trades, but that he made the transactions and kept the money for himself. Abramovich has worked in the diamond industry for over 30 years and has no criminal record. He and his wife are the sole shareholders of Hanan Abramovich Diamonds LTD. After Abramovich’s arrest, Israel Diamond Exchange Managing Director Eli Avidar put out a statement saying that “the management of the Bursa [diamond exchange] in 2016 will show zero tolerance towards those who cause harm to other members of the exchange. “The Israeli diamond industry has been through difficulties in recent years and unfortunately has been left exposed to unfortunate cases in which people have exploited this situation. The management of the exchange will work closely with law enforcement to clarify the case.”

2016-05-01 21:01 BEN HARTMAN www.jpost.com

Total 100 articles. Created at 2016-05-02 00:10