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Total 100 articles, created at 2016-06-29 12:01 1 Euro 2016: England footballers find comfort in their WAGs after exit

(1.04/2) A few of England's beaten footballers on Monday found comfort in the arms of their wives and girlfriends moments after their 1-2 defeat to Iceland ended their Euro 2016 campaign in the pre- quarterfinal stage 2016-06-29 09:49 2KB www.mid-day.com 2 Where to find the world's best sake Nearly half of Japan's best bottles come from a single region. (1.03/2) Here's how to experience it yourself. 2016-06-29 08:57 6KB rss.cnn.com 3 Why a mother had to visit the place her son died (1.03/2) Maureen and Roger have waited 11 years to visit the place where their son Matthew died in Iraq, to lay a small cross there and to try to understand why he died. 2016-06-29 08:22 16KB www.bbc.co.uk 4 College Students Take to Social Media to Take on Terrorism

(1.02/2) Students at one New York college are taking to social media to tackle terrorism. A team of Rochester Institute of Technology students came up with the winning idea for a U. S. State Department contest seeking ways to counter terrorist propaganda online. The RIT team developed a social... 2016-06-29 12:00 1KB abcnews.go.com 5 Toyota Recalls 1.43 Million Vehicles for Defective Air Bags

(1.02/2) Toyota is recalling 1.43 million vehicles globally for defective air bags, although it is not part of the massive recalls of Takata air bags, the Japanese automaker said Wednesday. Toyota Motor Corp. said it does not know of any fatalities or injuries related to the latest recalls. ... 2016-06-29 12:00 2KB abcnews.go.com 6 Brexit: Six key questions after Britain's vote to exit the EU (0.01/2) When will it happen? Will it break up the UK? We take a look at six key questions following the UK's shock exit from the EU 2016-06-29 08:22 7KB www.bbc.co.uk 7 Vitangcol asks Ombudsman to probe Abaya for graft Sacked Metro Rail Transit (MRT-3) General Manager Al Vitangcol III on Wednesday asked the Ombudsman to investigate outgoing Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio “Jun” Abaya over allegations 2016-06-29 12:00 5KB newsinfo.inquirer.net

8 Not true anti-drugs ops flourished only now – exiting PNP chief MANILA -- In the last speech he would give as the country’s top police official, outgoing Philippine National Police (PNP) Director General Ricardo Marquez took the opportunity to correct public 2016-06-29 12:00 3KB newsinfo.inquirer.net 9 Del Monte Pacific swings to profitability CAMPOS family-led food and beverage conglomerate Del Monte Pacific Ltd. (DMPL) returned to profitability in its full fiscal year ending April, boosted by higher global sales alongside one-time gains 2016-06-29 12:00 4KB business.inquirer.net 10 Recent airport attacks at a glance ISTANBUL — The attack on Istanbul's Ataturk airport on Tuesday was the latest in such incidents at major airports in recent years. The following is a list of some of those attacks: June 2016-06-29 12:00 4KB newsinfo.inquirer.net 11 US, S. Korea, Japan hold first anti-North Korea missile drill WASHINGTON, United States — South Korea, Japan and the United States held an unprecedented trilateral missile defense exercise on Tuesday, aimed at countering the growing threat from 2016-06-29 12:00 3KB newsinfo.inquirer.net 12 Gunmen Kill 4 Policemen in Pakistan's Quetta City A police spokesman says gunmen in twin attacks minutes apart have shot and killed four policemen in southwestern Pakistan before escaping. Spokesman Shahzada Farhat says the attacks took place late Tuesday in Quetta, the capital of impoverished Baluchistan province. No one has immediately... 2016-06-29 12:00 1KB abcnews.go.com 13 WATCH: Kitten climbs barrier for ‘puppy love’ in Taiwan pet shop Not even a plastic barrier can stop two lovers from eloping. Jo Linn Pet House, a Taiwanese pet store, uploaded a "fairytale-like" clip of a kitten that "broke barriers" 2016-06-29 12:00 1KB technology.inquirer.net

14 Australian Opposition Leader Shifts Position on Gay Marriage Australia's opposition leader on Wednesday explained his shift on gay marriage, which will be a key issue in this weekend's elections. The center-left Labor Party opposes the conservative government's plan to hold a plebiscite this year to allow the public a direct say on whether Australia... 2016-06-29 12:00 3KB abcnews.go.com 15 Gilas grateful after narrowly escaping Istanbul bombing The Philippine men's national basketball team couldn't be more thankful to have made it back home safe and sound. Gilas Pilipinas arrived in Manila from Turkey late Tuesday 2016-06-29 12:00 2KB sports.inquirer.net 16 Fiscal’s son nabbed in Tagbilaran drug buy- bust; P295k shabu seized TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol -- A son of a provincial fiscal was arrested on Tuesday night, in a buy bust operation in Barangay Manga, Tagbilaran City. Policemen pounced on Jade Barimbao Delusa, 32, 2016-06-29 12:00 3KB newsinfo.inquirer.net 17 Ohio State Band Trainer to Be Sentenced for Sexual Battery A former Ohio State University drum major instructor who pleaded guilty to a sexual battery charge over an encounter with a student is scheduled to be sentenced Wednesday in Columbus. Stewart Kitchen could face up to five years in prison, but has asked that he not be put behind bars. ... 2016-06-29 12:00 1KB abcnews.go.com 18 Brother of Pastor Competent to Stand Trial in His Slaying An Ohio man charged with fatally shooting his pastor brother in a church office as Sunday services were ending has been found mentally competent to stand trial. The Dayton Daily News ( http://bit.ly/2914ejV ) reports a Montgomery County judge made the ruling Tuesday that 68-year-old... 2016-06-29 12:00 1KB abcnews.go.com 19 Top US diplomat Kerry says Brexit may not happen WASHINGTON—US Secretary of State John Kerry said on Tuesday that Britain's vote to leave the European Union might never be implemented and that London is in no hurry to go. Speaking 2016-06-29 12:00 2KB newsinfo.inquirer.net

20 Scotty Moore, Elvis Presley's First Guitarist, Dies at 84 Scotty Moore, the pioneering rock guitarist who played on "Hound Dog" and other early Elvis Presley hits, has died. He was 84. Biographer and friend James L. Dickerson says Moore passed away Tuesday morning in his house in Nashville. Dickerson spoke with a family member of Moore's longtime... 2016-06-29 12:00 1KB abcnews.go.com 21 AP PHOTOS: In Paraguay, Drought-Stricken Caimans Agonize Dozens of caimans are on the verge of death because of a harsh drought that has hit a wide desert zone of Paraguay known as the Chaco Boreal. Owners of the area's San Jorge Hacienda have tried to rescue the adult and newborn yacare caimans by drilling 18... 2016-06-29 12:00 2KB abcnews.go.com 22 Himalayan con? Probe ordered into Pune couple's Everest record Days after they made waves across the country, Pune police order probe against ‘record-breaking’ constable couple after top mountaineers say they never summitted the Everest 2016-06-29 10:51 6KB www.mid-day.com 23 Mumbai: Congressman in trouble after tests confirm rape survivor is pregnant Shivanand Hulyalkar had allegedly raped the 23-year-old several times over the course of their relationship, and she is keen on a DNA test to prove he is the father 2016-06-29 10:46 3KB www.mid- day.com 24 Kazakhstan beats Thailand in race for Asian seat on Security Council Kazakhstan beat Thailand in the second round of hotly-contested elections to become the first former Soviet Asian country to win a seat on the Security Council Tuesday after a deadlock in the initial balloting for the Asian slot 2016-06-29 10:42 3KB www.mid-day.com 25 Liverpool pay Southampton USD 45.3 million for striker Sadio Mane Liverpool made official on Tuesday the signing of Senegalese striker Sadio Mane from Southampton for the next five football seasons 2016-06-29 10:39 1KB www.mid-day.com 26 India beat Ireland 2-1 in Six Nation Hockey Tournament A defiant India managed to hold back minnows Ireland 2-1 in the second match of the Six Nation Hockey Tournament here on Tuesday 2016-06-29 10:31 2KB www.mid-day.com

27 VW settles emissions cases for $15 billion Volkswagen will spend more than $15 billion to settle consumer lawsuits and government allegations that it cheated on emissions tests in what lawyers are calling the largest auto-related class- action settlement in US history 2016-06-29 10:30 1KB www.mid- day.com 28 India women's cricket star Harmanpreet Kaur wants mentor, more support staff While R Sridhar's tenure as Team India's fielding coach still hangs in balance, India women's cricket team vice-captain Harmanpreet Kaur is in keen to have the services of the Karnataka-based coach 2016-06-29 10:30 3KB www.mid-day.com 29 India is a smug, spoiled Golden boy of the West: Chinese daily In a scathing editorial defending China’s opposition to India’s NSG bid, the communist country’s state-run newspaper Global Daily hit out at India, saying the West has “spoiled” it and made it a “bit smug” in international affairs 2016-06-29 10:25 1KB www.mid-day.com 30 Delhi: Girl gangraped in private school premises; accused arrested A 17-year-old girl was allegedly gang-raped by a friend and a security guard inside the premises of a private school in east Delhi's Jagatpuri area, police said on Tuesday 2016-06-29 10:21 1KB www.mid-day.com 31 'I was chained for two years' Ex-Pak PM’s son Ali Haider Gilani narrates his ordeal when he was abducted by Al-Qaeda 2016-06-29 10:19 1KB www.mid-day.com 32 Bengaluru's first woman Uber driver found dead The 40-year-old’s body was hanging from a ceiling fan in her home 2016-06-29 10:19 1KB www.mid-day.com 33 Vincenzo Montella named AC Milan coach Vincenzo Montella has been appointed Serie A side AC Milan coach on a two-year deal, the club has said 2016-06-29 10:18 961Bytes www.mid-day.com 34 Gangster Kumar Pillai in Crime Branch custody till July 7 Gangster Kumar Pillai was finally brought back to Mumbai by Crime Branch officials on Monday night after being detained in Singapore in January 2016-06-29 10:18 2KB www.mid-day.com

35 Wimbledon: World No 772 Marcus Willis impresses Roger Federer Roger Federer hailed Marcus Willis as one of the great Wimbledon fairytales after the British qualifier set up a dream clash with the seven-time champion 2016-06-29 10:17 1KB www.mid-day.com 36 Olympics could be a failure: Rio Governor Rio de Janeiro's interim Governor Francisco Dornelles has admitted the upcoming Olympic Games could be a 2016-06-29 10:16 1KB www.mid-day.com 37 Mumbai Crime: Tout who booked 20 railway tickets in 20 seconds nabbed Ghatkopar-based travel agency owner, who was arrested by the Kurla RPF, used US-made software to generate fake IRCTC accounts to execute his nefarious act 2016-06-29 10:16 3KB www.mid- day.com 38 Fire Birds too hot for Ice Divas in Women's Kabaddi Challenge match Fire Birds led by former India skipper Mamtha Poojari clinched the inaugural match of the Women's Kabaddi Challenge (WKC) convincingly yesterday 2016-06-29 10:15 1KB www.mid-day.com 39 Engxit? EU may no longer speak the Queen's language UK is the only state among the 28 EU members to have registered English as a primary language 2016-06-29 10:14 2KB www.mid- day.com 40 'Beef smugglers' being forced to eat cow dung? A video showing two alleged cow traffickers forced to eat cow dung by volunteers of the 'Gau Rakshak Dal' has gone viral on the social media 2016-06-29 10:11 1KB www.mid-day.com 41 US: Police fatally shoot man who raised BB gun at officers Police say officers in the District of Columbia fatally shot a man who raised a weapon toward them that turned out to be a BB gun 2016-06-29 10:09 1KB www.mid-day.com 42 Queen Elizabeth in line for pay rise Britain's Queen Elizabeth is set to receive a $72,000 a week pay rise, an official report revealed 2016-06-29 10:07 2KB www.mid- day.com 43 Rain, landslides block roads in Uttarakhand Heavy rains and landslides have blocked many roads in the hill state of Uttarakhand, an official said on Wednesday 2016-06-29 09:57 1KB www.mid-day.com 44 Mumbai Diary: Wednesday Dossier The city — sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce 2016-06-29 09:57 4KB www.mid-day.com 45 Rio 2016: Indian gymnast Dipa Karmakar dares to dream It's a dangerous manoeuvre, with a catastrophe looming large, but with steady preparation and good fitness regime, gymnast Dipa Karmakar is all set for her Olympic leap of faith 2016-06-29 09:53 2KB www.mid-day.com 46 Golfer Jason Day stays put over Zika fears World number one Jason Day yesterday became the latest golfer to withdraw from the Rio Olympics because of fears over the Zika virus 2016-06-29 09:52 1KB www.mid-day.com 47 CCPA meeting to decide on monsoon session will be held today The Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA) will meet here on Wednesday to finalise the dates for Parliament's monsoon session, likely to begin from July 18 2016-06-29 09:48 3KB www.mid- day.com 48 Lionel Messi must stay on, says Diego Maradona Argentine football legend Diego Maradona on Monday urged Lionel Messi not to follow through on his vow to quit the national team after its defeat in the Copa America Centenario 2016-06-29 09:45 1KB www.mid-day.com 49 Virat Kohli: Improved fitness has made me a better fielder India's Test captain Virat Kohli said his whole outlook towards fitness changed after 2012 Indian Premier League (IPL) and a healthier body has not only made him a better batsman but also an improved fielder 2016-06-29 09:43 1KB www.mid-day.com

50 Mumbai: BMC razes entrance of Three Wise Men; landlord calls it an unwise move Sumeet Kadam terms demolition contempt of court, threatens legal action; BMC says not legally bound to give notices for razing encroachments off the footpaths 2016-06-29 09:43 2KB www.mid- day.com 51 Mumbai: Top gallerist bruised in cab accident; Uber's response: Rs 100 refund Jamal Mecklai (66) was in an Uber cab when it rammed into another vehicle; he claims Uber hasn’t responded, but the company denies this 2016-06-29 09:41 3KB www.mid-day.com 52 Wimbledon: Nick Kyrgios pricked again, but defeats Radek Stepanek Nick Kyrgios was back in trouble on his return to Wimbledon as the Australian rowed with umpire Mohamed Lahyani and told his entourage to get out during a stormy 6-4, 6-3, 6-7 (9/11), 6-1 win over Czech veteran 2016-06-29 09:40 3KB www.mid-day.com 53 Euro 2016: Wayne Rooney's wife Coleen shocked over crying son image on tabloid cover England captain Wayne Rooney's wife Coleen has reacted with shock at British tabloid's front page yesterday showing her six- year-old son in tears following England's pre-quarterfinal loss to Iceland 2016-06-29 09:39 2KB www.mid-day.com 54 Harbhajan Singh to sponsor clothing for disabled team Harbhajan Singh has come forward to sponsor clothing of the Indian disabled cricket team that will tour Afghanistan next month for a tri-series (July 20 to 30) where Pakistan will be third participating team 2016-06-29 09:38 1KB www.mid-day.com 55 Euro 2016: Spain not at same level as before, says Gerard Pique After 0-2 defeat to Italy in Last-16 tie, defender Gerard Pique says La Roja's golden era is coming to an end 2016-06-29 09:38 2KB www.mid-day.com 56 India coach Anil Kumble dismisses conflict of interest talk Newly-appointed India coach Anil Kumble has dismissed reports of conflict of interest between his new job and his involvement in a sports firm as well as heading the ICC Cricket Committee 2016-06-29 09:37 1KB www.mid-day.com 57 Mumbai: Unable to foot medical expenses, woman murders minor son A woman allegedly strangulated her six-year-old son to death today as she could not afford the expenses for his medical treatment, following which she was arrested, police said 2016-06-29 09:37 1KB www.mid-day.com 58 'Don't care about things that are rusting' This is what former IAS officer Ratnakar Gaikwad said when he was asked about the demolition of Ambedkar Bhavan and damage to historical artefacts 2016-06-29 09:35 3KB www.mid-day.com 59 Ambedkar Bhavan protests: Opticians take a hit As Dalit protestors wound their way through Dadar yesterday, it was Gangar Opticians that bore the brunt when the demonstration turned violent and a paver block came flying through the glass front door of the landmark store at Dadar TT 2016-06-29 09:34 2KB www.mid-day.com 60 Ajinkya Rahane loved his history more than maths back in school India Test vice-captain yesterday Ajinkya Rahane emphasised the importance of education in one's life; the education programme has supported 1000 schools and reached out to over 10 lakh children in the last 12 years 2016-06-29 09:33 1KB www.mid-day.com 61 Istanbul airport attack: 36 killed; Turkish PM blames IS Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim on Wednesday blamed the Islamic State (IS) for the bombing attacks that killed 36 people and injured 60 others at Istanbul's Ataturk Airport on Tuesday night 2016-06-29 09:32 2KB www.mid-day.com 62 Mumbai: Teen holding wet clothes gets electrocuted in factory The teenager was delivering clothes to the factory, but they got wet in the rains; he accidentally touched the hook of a tube light and got electrocuted 2016-06-29 09:30 2KB www.mid-day.com 63 Euro 2016: Gareth Southgate favourite to replace Roy Hodgson National Under-21 coach Gareth Southgate is the early favourite of a not very long list of mooted candidates to replace Roy Hodgson as coach of England following their embarrassing exit at Euro 2016 2016-06-29 09:29 1KB www.mid-day.com

64 Industry to pay tax for buying cheaper power The state’s industries, which buy cheaper power from sources other than the state-owned distribution company — Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited MSEDCL — will have to pay the government a tax called electricity duty. Industry sources fear that this extra cost of production could be passed... 2016-06-29 09:24 3KB www.mid-day.com 65 2008 Malegaon blasts case: Court rejects Sadhvi Pragya's bail plea for the second time A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) Court yesterday denied bail to Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, an accused in the 2008 Malegaon Blasts case 2016-06-29 09:24 2KB www.mid-day.com 66 Vijay Mallya will be an 'offender' if he fails to turn up by July 27 Beleaguered businessman Vijay Mallya could be declared a proclaimed offender (PO) if he fails to appear before a Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) Court in Mumbai by July 27 in connection with a case of alleged loan fraud 2016-06-29 09:19 1KB www.mid-day.com 67 Ambedkar Bhavan row: 'Arrest Gaikwad or we will shut down Maharashtra' Shops and traffic came to a complete halt in Hindmata and Bhoiwada as the Dalit community took to the streets over Ambedkar Bhavan’s demolition, threatening to take the protest statewide 2016-06-29 09:14 3KB www.mid-day.com 68 Mumbai: Manhole covers on Mrinal Gore Flyover go missing The Mrinal Gore Flyover has been hit with the case of open manholes; PWD says covers keep getting stolen and it will install new ones 2016-06-29 09:09 2KB www.mid-day.com 69 Brain-dead woman becomes saviour for four in Kolkata A 70-year-old brain-dead woman here bequeathed a new lease of life to four persons, with her kidneys and cornea were successfully transplanted in the city's first multi-organ cadaver donation operation on Monday 2016-06-29 09:04 4KB www.mid-day.com 70 Mumbai: Brave 22-year-old nabs chain snatcher after two-km chase Though one of the accused fled with the chain that they had stolen from a 67-year-old woman in Borivli, the other was handed over to the police by the youngster 2016-06-29 08:56 3KB www.mid-day.com

71 Mumbai: FIR registered 5 months after man fell into manhole No cop or BMC official visited Shahid Shaikh to register complaint, when he was in the hospital for three months after the incident in January, when he fell into a manhole covered with small piece of plywood 2016-06-29 08:49 2KB www.mid-day.com 72 Gov't Doesn't Know Amount Of Funds Illegals Send Abroad The federal government just admitted it has no idea how much money illegal aliens in the U. S. are sending overseas. In response to a FOIA request from the Immigration Reform Law Institute (IRLI), t 2016-06-29 08:24 4KB dailycaller.com 73 Report: Quick Thinking CIA Officer Saved Dozens In Benghazi Casualties sustained during the terrorist attack on the U. S. consulate in Benghazi on September 11, 2012, could have been much higher if it was not for the work of a mysterious CIA officer, according 2016-06-29 08:24 5KB dailycaller.com 74 Leadership injects Senate Races With $40M A superPAC started to ensure Republicans maintain a majority in the Senate reserved more $40 million dollars in ad buys across five Senate races Tuesday. The Senate Leadership Fund announced Tue 2016-06-29 08:24 4KB dailycaller.com 75 Rolling Stone Not Liable For Defamation In UVA Rape Story Rolling Stone magazine has been found not liable for defamation in the debunked University of Virginia gang rape story. On Tuesday, a New York judge threw out the lawsuit against the magazine, its 2016-06-29 08:24 1KB dailycaller.com 76 Mark Zuckerberg Is Building A Huge Wall In Hawaii Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg is irritating his neighbors in Hawaii by building a large wall on his property. According to a write-up in the West Hawaii Today, residents of the islands of Kauai 2016-06-29 08:24 2KB dailycaller.com 77 Sexy Arianny Celeste Pictures UFC superstar Arianny Celeste has made a name for herself as one of the most stunning cage women. Check out all the pictures of this UFC bombshell. (SLIDESHOW: These Are The Hottest Photos Of 2016-06-29 08:24 846Bytes dailycaller.com 78 State Dept. Official May Have Lied To About Hillary's Emails The recent release of House Benghazi Committee interview transcripts includes one from a now-retired State Department official who appears to have given inconsistent statements about his knowledge of 2016-06-29 08:24 6KB dailycaller.com 79 Cop Destroys Suspect With Chopper [VIDEO] A high drama fugitive chase came to an end in Houston Tuesday afternoon, when an HPD officer landed his police helicopter near a suspect fleeing authorities and wrestled him to the ground. Local n 2016-06-29 08:24 2KB dailycaller.com 80 Post-Vote Eurocrats Want to Rush Brits Out the Door The European Union’s leaders said they wanted the United Kingdom to remain in the EU. But Brussels offered only minimal concessions to British Prime... 2016-06-29 08:24 7KB spectator.org 81 Corey Lewandowski Joins Snakes and Weasels Club Welcome to Corey Lewandowski, the newest member of television’s Snakes and Weasels Club. What is the Snakes and Weasels Club? More —... 2016-06-29 08:24 15KB spectator.org 82 Fascists Against Freedom, Unite Everyone expects neo-Nazis to be thuggish and simpleminded. They’re losers who need a movement that tells them they are winners, so they... 2016-06-29 08:24 4KB spectator.org 83 Pro Sports Just Say No to Marijuana Use Ever since marijuana was legalized in Colorado in 2012, major league sports executives have huddled privately on what this news means to their current... 2016-06-29 08:24 5KB spectator.org 84 Why Brexit Is a Win for Brits and the U. S. Thursday’s Brexit vote was about far more than immigration. For a millennium, Britain has been a proudly sovereign nation... 2016-06-29 08:24 4KB spectator.org 85 ISIS Believed Responsible for Istanbul Airport Attack; At Least 50 Dead – UPDATE Several hours ago, four suicide bombs went off in Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport. The bombers also evidently used gunfire... 2016-06-29 08:24 1KB spectator.org 86 Insurers Try to Sue Their Way Free of Faustian Bargain In Christopher Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus, the sinful sawbones eventually thinks better of his bargain with the devil and does his best to weasel out... 2016-06-29 08:24 5KB spectator.org 87 As in Britain, So Over Here The president of the Texas Nationalist Movement, picking up on the precedent set by British voters, desires that the Southwestern empire where I... 2016-06-29 08:24 4KB spectator.org 88 Senate Hearing Witness: No Such Thing As Radical Islam WASHINGTON -- A Senate hearing witness at a Judiciary subcommittee hearing Tuesday refused to say if radicalization existed in the Muslim community. Farhana Khera, Executive Director and President 2016-06-29 08:24 3KB dailycaller.com 89 Hillary Talks Porn At Q&A Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton answered a question about revenge porn during a California question and answer Tuesday. The question came from Chrissy Chambers, a lesbia 2016-06-29 08:24 2KB dailycaller.com 90 EXCLUSIVE: Clinton Donor ‘Deliriously Happy’ He Escaped Indictment Swiss billionaire and Clinton donor Hansjorg Wyss sat in a packed Washington State courtroom Monday to face his first trial over unsuspecting patients who died when his company used an illegal medic 2016-06-29 08:24 9KB dailycaller.com 91 What's so bad about being called a "bitch"? Why is Hillary Clinton so often associated with the word "bitch" - and how offensive is it? 2016-06-29 08:22 6KB www.bbc.co.uk 92 Italian PM suggests UK students could have EU passports Italian prime minister Matteo Renzi has suggested that UK students wanting to study in Europe could receive passports from other European Union countries. 2016-06-29 08:22 3KB www.bbc.co.uk

93 US border authority seeks travellers' social media details Travellers seeking visa waiver entry to the US may soon be asked to list their social media profiles, if a Department of Homeland Security proposal is enacted. 2016-06-29 08:22 2KB www.bbc.co.uk 94 Lessons from history for Europe's future As European leaders meet this week to find a way forward from the UK’s decision to leave the EU, James Naughtie surveys the mood in France. 2016-06-29 08:22 3KB www.bbc.co.uk 95 Five models for post-Brexit UK trade Norway, Switzerland, Canada or Singapore? What approach should the UK take to trade deals with the EU and others, once it leaves the European bloc? 2016-06-29 08:22 7KB www.bbc.co.uk 96 US military failed Americans in Benghazi, says House A new report from Republicans in the House of Representatives finds that the US military failed to protect the four Americans who died in Benghazi. 2016-06-29 08:22 2KB www.bbc.co.uk 97 Justin Trudeau gets comic book treatment in Marvel tale A cartoon depiction of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appears on the cover of a new Marvel comic book coming out in August. 2016-06-29 08:22 2KB www.bbc.co.uk 98 Beethoven, Bach and Bond to win over Myanmar's generals How Myanmar's National Symphony Orchestra, once barely allowed to perform, is trying to win the hearts of its one-time military masters. 2016-06-29 08:22 6KB www.bbc.co.uk 99 Stocks in the Asia Pacific region see more gains Stock markets in Asia start the day with more gains, continuing the positive lead set by the US and Europe. 2016-06-29 08:22 1KB www.bbc.co.uk 100 Football wars Just weeks after the legendary footballer Zinedine Zidane made a visit to Mumbai, his one-time teammate and equally legendary club footballer Luis Figo, has also had his own tryst with India 2016-06-29 08:25 6KB www.mid-day.com Articles

Total 100 articles, created at 2016-06-29 12:01

1 Euro 2016: England footballers find comfort in their WAGs after exit (1.04/2) Nice: A few of England's beaten footballers on Monday found comfort in the arms of their wives and girlfriends moments after their 1-2 defeat to Iceland ended their Euro 2016 campaign in the pre- quarterfinal stage. England striker Jamie Vardy's wife Rebekah at the Euro 2016 Round of 16 match between England and Iceland at the Allianz Riviera Stadium in Nice on Monday. Pic/AFP Striker Jamie Vardy's wife Rebekah dressed in an England shirt proudly displaying her husband's name and number at the back (Vardy 11), was seen hugging her man moments after their loss to the Icelanders at the Stade Allianz Riviera. Rebekah, who travelled to the match in a private jet alongwith Frank Lampard's former partner Elen Rivas, was a picture of disappointment as she comforted her hubby, who came on as a second half substitute for England. Tottenham Hotspurs midfielder Dele Alli's pretty brunette girlfriend Ruby Mae also cuddled up to her husband immediately after the loss. The couple shared a kiss as she leaned over the barricaded stands to reach out to the hardworking midfielder, who hardly had an impact on the game. England skipper Wayne Rooney's wife Coleen, and goalkeeper Joe Hart's wife Kimberly Crew, were the other prominent WAGs in attendance on Monday as their husbands prematurely bowed out of the European Championships. Euro 2016: I'm sorry, says goalie Joe Hart after England's exit mid-day.com

Euro 2016: Future is bright for England, says Wayne Rooney despite exit mid-day.com

Euro 2016: Iceland shocks England in historic upset rss.cnn.com 2016-06-29 09:49 By A www.mid-day.com

2 2 Where to find the world's best sake (1.03/2) This melancholy haiku was penned by Japanese poet Matsuo Basho in 1689, shortly before he set off on a 1,200-mile journey through Tohoku, Japan's vast northeast that reaches up to Hokkaido. The trip is remembered in his celebrated travelog, "The Narrow Road to the North," a classic of Japanese literature. A modern riff on the bard's journey might take in the region's hundreds of sake breweries -- many of which are producing some of the best sake in Japan. Whether a sake tour will lead to inscribing timeless haikus is another matter. Award-winning sake The Tohoku region, led by sake brewers from Fukushima Prefecture, has been piling up gold medals at the Annual Japan Sake Awards for a number of years. "Tohoku has the highest reputation for sake in the country amongst people in the industry," says John Gauntner, a sake expert and author of numerous books on Japan's national drink, including "Sake Confidential. " At the annual sake award ceremony, convened by Japan's National Research Institute of Brewing , hundreds of sake brands from breweries throughout Japan are rated and judged. For 2016, judges awarded breweries from Tohoku's six prefectures a total of 147 gold medals out of a national total of 297. Melinda Joe, a Tokyo-based journalist and a sake judge and panel member at the International Wine Challenge -- a separate sake-tasting competition -- says that sake from Tohoku is characterized for having a light, clean and elegant style. "Tohoku sake has a little more voluptuousness -- a little more to give," says Joe. Part of what makes Tohoku's sakes so different is geography: The winters are severe with heavy snowfalls and historically, because of its remoteness, agriculture has been the mainstay in Tohoku, explains Hiromi Iuchi, an official at the Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association . The region has long produced huge quantities of sake, says Iuchi, but in the past few decades a shift has been underway to improve brewing techniques. This has been led by an association of master brewers called the Nambu Toji, located around Tohoku's Iwate Prefecture. Such is the influence of this group that toji (brewers) from western Japan are taking note of what their counterparts in Tohoku are doing, Iuchi adds. Sake expert John Gauntner says the colder temperatures in Tohoku influence production and taste. "Tohoku breweries have always had colder weather and so they can ferment, produce and store at lower temperatures which, among other things, gives the sake a very light, delicate, refined and elegant flavor profile compared to the rest of Japan. " Kenichi Ohashi, one of the foremost sake experts in the world as well as a co-chair of the International Wine Challenge, says sake from Tohoku is notable for its aromatic qualities. "Personally I like a lot of the sake makers in Tohoku -- it's one of the things that makes Tohoku attractive for me. " Which bottles are the best? Ohashi singles out Mutsu Hassen from Hachinohe Shuzo Sake Brewery in Aomori, a trophy winner at this year's International Wine Challenge. "It has a good mid-palate weight, but is very perfumed," says Ohashi, while also praising the beautiful label, which incorporates images of the trawlers that plow the seas around Hachinohe at night fishing for squid. One other sake Ohashi recommends is the award-winning Yamawa sake from Yamawa brewery. Although it sounds counterintuitive, Ohashi praises Yamawa's water-like qualities. "Japanese people tend to pay a lot of money for the water-like taste, as with fugu (pufferfish). "This sake is all about texture and not about umami -- it's a very pristine and transparent sake, it's like high-quality water. " How to experience your own sake safari For visitors making the trip north, several breweries offer tours in English, as well as tasting, but you will need to book in advance via their websites. Daishichi Brewery , founded in 1752 in Fukushima, is unusual in that it still adheres to the kimoto method of brewing, a labor-intensive method that has largely been abandoned in favor of modern technology. "The reason Daishichi has kept this kimoto method is that it leads to a certain type of sake," explains Ad Blankenstein, director of overseas sales and marketing at Daishichi. "Sake which has body and a rich taste and, which in fact, is more like red wine than white wine and which can be paired with creamy dishes, with meat, French dishes ... food with stronger tastes. " Remote Senkin Shuzo , a family-owned brewery in Iwate, has been making sake since 1854. Yuri Yaegashi, one half of the current ninth-generation owners, recommends a brewery visit to the limestone-rich area in early summer or fall. While Ryusen Yaezakura is Senkin Shuzo's award-winning sake, Yaegashi also recommends Mori no Takara, made with matsutake mushrooms, a local delicacy grown in Iwaizumi. "Matsutake are very special mushrooms for Japanese that evoke nostalgia," says Yaegashi. However, the aroma can be a little challenging. "Some people said it smells like socks," adds Yaegashi. Further north, Takashimizu Brewery in Akita also welcomes visitors. Its award-winning Takashimzu sake brewed at its Goshono brewery strikes a balance by offering both a gentle fragrance and a refined taste, according to Yukiko Takahashi of Takashimizu. "It's the type of sake that can accompany almost any meal, owing to its delicate but refined character," Takahashi adds. And the world's best place to visit is .... cnn.com 2016-06-29 08:57 JJ O rss.cnn.com

3 Why a mother had to visit the place her son died (1.03/2) They scatter 179 poppies - one for every serviceman and woman killed in Iraq, looking so British in this alien and dangerous place. A mother, her blonde hair covered by a white scarf, holding the hand of a father in a blue shirt and sensible shoes as they stand on a dirt road in a slum in Basra, Iraq. "I just wanted to see where Matthew took his last breath," says Maureen Bacon, "to try and make sense of it all. " "Soldiers put their lives on the line," her husband Roger tells me. "You know that, but it doesn't lessen the grief. " Matthew, the Bacons' son, was a major in the Intelligence Corps. He was killed in this desolate spot in 2005 when his army patrol was targeted by a roadside bomb. Maureen and Roger have waited 11 years to visit the place where Matthew died, to lay a small cross and to try to understand why their son died here. "It's a rite of passage in a way," says Roger. They had both been against the war from the start, but knowing Matthew was a professional soldier whose life was military service his parents accepted the risks. But like many families who lost loved ones they want to know if they were told the truth about why the nation went to war here. For me this trip is the culmination of 14 years of reporting for Panorama from Iraq - a chance to re-visit Basra to assess what went wrong ahead of Sir John Chilcot's Iraq Inquiry, which will report next week. I was with British troops when they entered Basra in 2003, as they fought a losing battle and when they pulled out after six years of war. The inquiry is expected to tell us all why the nation went to war, who was responsible for the mistakes that were made and what lessons should be learned. Just a few days after the British took Basra I found poor families squatting in the pink stucco mansion of the governor here - Saddam Hussein's cousin who had just fled the city. Nicknamed Chemical Ali for masterminding the killing of thousands of Iraqis with poison gas, he had become the symbol of the brutal regime. A small crowd outside the mansion burst into applause when they saw me with British troops. "We want to thank Tony Blair," a woman told me. Jane Corbin's report, Iraq: The Final Judgement , is broadcast on Panorama at 21:00 BST on BBC One, Wednesday 29 June - catch up on BBC iPlayer That sense of gratitude and optimism that there would be a new and prosperous future for Iraq soon disappeared. Within a week of the invasion, on night patrol with the Irish Guards it was clear to me the British Army was in for a long haul. Looters and criminals were terrorising householders who were arming themselves. There were never enough British troops on the ground to prevent a breakdown of law and order in southern Iraq, where five million people live, mostly Shia Muslim. Saddam Hussein's Sunni Muslim regime had been ousted but now there was a power vacuum that would be filled quickly by Shia militias - backed by neighbouring Iran, the biggest Shia power in the region. The brigadier who led British troops into Basra has also returned with me to the city, 13 years after we first met here. Graham Binns and I walk beside al-Zubair road bridge, now busy with traffic, where his forces had tried to prevent Saddam Hussein loyalists mortaring their own people as the city fell to the British. Now retired, Binns is frank about the mistakes that were made. "I don't think we had a coherent plan in the longer term. The coalition hadn't thought through how we were going to operate in the aftermath of the war fighting," he admits. "We were unprepared both physically and mentally. " Within weeks of the invasion the British government had drawn down the troops from 46,000 to just over a third of that. The liberators had quickly become occupiers, but on a visit to Basra Tony Blair assured the soldiers that the Iraqis would be grateful. "When people look back on this conflict I honestly believe they will see this as one of the defining moments of our century," he said then. However, I had watched British troops struggle from the beginning to provide basic services such as water. Saddam Hussein's regime had deliberately run down the infrastructure of Shia-dominated Basra. For Mark Etherington, one of a handful of British civilian administrators sent to Iraq, it was clear there was no strategy, no real plan for the reconstruction promised by the British. "A local tribal chief told me, 'Everything is broken and needs to be fixed - now,'" says Etherington, "and there were only two of us at the time. " For the Americans it was "mission accomplished" by May 2003 although Iraq was fast descending into anarchy - ministries in Baghdad had been burned and looted as soon as Saddam Hussein was toppled. The Bush administration imposed the policy of de-Baathification, removing not just the dictator's ruling party but the whole infrastructure that had held the nation together. "This was a centralist economy - the factories, the dams, the police - you name it, we were now responsible for it," says Etherington. "We stripped the framework of the nation by removing a regime," says Binns, "and didn't replace it with anything that promoted stability. We drew down too quickly. " Before the war Tony Blair disregarded experts who warned of the risks of removing a dictator. He told the nation the real threat was Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction. In Iraq then with UN weapons inspectors, I visited many alleged WMD sites. We were guided by Blair's infamous dossier, which had been produced by British intelligence and made the case for war. The weapons were never found despite Blair's assertion in parliament that Saddam Hussein had existing and active military plans for the use of chemical and biological weapons which could be activated in 45 minutes. In New York at the time, the UN chief inspector Hans Blix told me he never knew if the Iraqis were telling the truth when they denied there were any WMDs but he was sceptical of the intelligence provided by the British. So did the prime minister put a gloss on flimsy evidence to make a false case for war, I wondered? I've been back to see Blix, this time in Sweden. He reveals he believes Blair misrepresented the facts in Parliament, by suggesting any weapons unaccounted for from a decade before were still in existence. "I never claimed that it was in bad faith," said Blix. "Many people bring themselves to believe something that they want to believe. " Today Basra is still paying the price for the British government's decision to go to war. The city is run down, the slums have spread, and people still don't have clean water. There are frequent power cuts, as witnessed by the sagging cat's-cradle of wires overhead. Beneath them the city's famous canals are choked with stinking rubbish. A few hundred yards away from where Matthew Bacon was killed in the notorious Shia Flats area, I find a sad reminder of what the British had tried and failed to achieve in Basra - three giant abandoned water towers. This multi-million pound project turned out to be just a white elephant instead of the showpiece it was intended to be. According to Etherington, there was no real overall strategy for five years after the invasion. "There were countless islands of effort - people working very hard and often bravely, but they didn't seem knitted together," he says. The deteriorating security situation quickly stopped reconstruction in its tracks. There is one place in southern Iraq I really want to visit again this time - the fiercely independent tribal province of Maysan. But our film crew is held at the border checkpoint and it is made clear we will not be safe if we go any further - we risk being ambushed. It brings back terrible memories of the last time I flew in to the provincial capital of al-Amarah, with British troops in February 2006. A Shia militia leader had warned the British to leave and everyone was on high alert. I had joined a patrol led by Captain Richard Holmes of the Parachute Regiment working with local police in al-Amarah to clear old landmines. They were being used by the militias to make roadside bombs to attack the British and they killed many Iraqis too. It seemed calm in the town and Captain Holmes assured me that local people had been friendly. But things quickly changed and my escort was suddenly anxious for us all to leave. We set off in a patrol of Snatch Land Rovers, lightly armoured vehicles, making for the British base. But as I headed out of town I sensed something was wrong - tanks were racing back into town and a helicopter clattered overhead. Captain Holmes and another soldier, Private Lee Ellis, had been killed when a roadside bomb blasted their Land Rover. Twenty-seven British soldiers died in bomb attacks on Snatch Land Rovers in Iraq. Matthew Bacon was one of them. "We saw the Land Rover on the television news and it was horrific, absolutely horrific," Maureen said. "With Snatch it was like a knife going through butter. " "They were the best vehicles available at the time, but they didn't have adequate levels of protection," Graham Binns tells me. "We were slow to replace them and provide adequate levels of protection to our people. " By 2007 I was hunkered down with British troops at Basra airbase under daily attack from the militias with mortars and rockets. Graham Binns and I wander around the old airbase - now a forlorn corner of Basra's civilian airport that is still littered with concrete "T" walls - massive blocks that helped protect the troops from incoming fire. Poignant reminders of the British are still here in the faded regimental murals painted on the walls. "I lived at the bottom of that control tower and I believed it was an aiming mark - there could be up to 30 rocket attacks a day," remembers Binns, who came back as a major general to command again, four years on from the invasion. I, too, will never forget sheltering under a flimsy table in terror as mortars landed on the base - and sleeping in a sandbagged bunker with a sheet of metal over my head. The British were under severe pressure by now from the militias who were determined to drive them from the city. But the army was doing a secret deal with the very people killing its soldiers. Panorama broke that story when I witnessed the release of militia prisoners in a cavalcade of pick-up trucks amid celebratory shooting on the airbase. Binns, who was doing the deal, would not confirm it to me at the time, but he now tells me he agreed with the militia leadership to release their prisoners if attacks against the British stopped. I ask if that had been difficult, given they were killing British soldiers? "If we hadn't been at war with them then we would not have had any currency to negotiate with," says Binns. "It's just one of the awkward facts we brush under the table that sometimes you have to talk to the opposition to resolve the conflict. " The British finally left Basra in 2009 but no-one can forget the terrible toll of the war that sparked chaos and sectarian violence. At least a quarter of a million Iraqis are dead and two million displaced and homeless. It has left a legacy of Islamist extremism which began here when al-Qaeda gained a foothold in the aftermath and it continues today with the jihadists of the so- called Islamic State. One of the most moving times of my trip back with the Bacons is when we visit an Iraqi family who had also suffered in the war. Nebras Gergis, a 22- year-old policeman was killed by a suicide bomber after the British left Iraq. "It's a real tragedy, our sons are the victims of an unjust war," Roger tells Nebras's father. Maureen shows his mother a picture of Matthew saying, "From one mother to another I am very sorry - I understand your pain, we live it every day. " Nebras's mother kisses the picture as she cries. "We are very sorry we left Basra in the state we did," Roger tells the Gergis family. "We wish it was a better place. " Security is still the key to everything as Basra's police chief confirms as he takes me round the city in his armoured jeep. Our escort truck is bristling with armed men. Abdel Karim al-Ameri tells me that despite the British spending millions on training the police before they left, they had concentrated on quantity - not quality. So today Basra has an incredible 29,000 policemen. "People applied who weren't fit to work in the police, some were thieves, murderers, wanted men," says the police chief, "and now in most of the gangs we catch, we find policemen. " Al-Ameri takes me on a road that used to be kidnap central. Only now, after creating a ring of checkpoints around Basra manned by more professional forces, has kidnap dropped substantially. So did the time and money spent by the British on police training do any good? "No just the opposite - if the British had built a police force using a more scientific approach we would not have had these problems," says the police chief. There are signs that some things are improving slowly in Basra five years after the British left. Markets are busy, there are many new cars on the roads and the city is a bustling trading hub again. Binns is optimistic and argues that the British army did not cause overwhelming damage when they took the city. "I don't think we did much harm here, but we were simply not prepared for supporting the reconstruction of a city this size, and we probably over-promised and under- delivered in that regard. " However, no-one can underestimate the human cost of this war, and I first came face to face with it at a house on a quiet Basra street 13 years ago. I had arrived in the city to find three women, shrouded in black, weeping in that house. Ten members of the Hamoodi family had been killed while sheltering there from the war. A coalition bomb targeted the house behind where it was mistakenly thought Chemical Ali was hiding - but the blast hit the Hamoodis' house, too. Now I go back to find the house shuttered and dark as I climb the stairs past family photographs to the bedroom where so many had died. The Hamoodis fled from Basra and now live in Manchester, where I visit them on my return on the 13th anniversary of the bombing. "I still look at their pictures every day and I cry," says the patriarch of the family, Abed Hassan Hamoodi. "I don't think the family will ever recover," says Dina, his daughter, who lost her young son. Once, this family was a pillar of the community in Basra - only Dr Akram Hamoodi, Abed Hassan's eldest son, goes back to help in Basra hospital when he can. "People in Basra have now started to say they were better off in those days under Saddam," Hamoodi tells me. So who should bear responsibility for the suffering of all Iraqis? "Bush and Blair," he replies without hesitation. "They are responsible for everything that has happened to the Iraqi and British people and they should be taken to court and judged. " For Roger and Maureen Bacon the trip to Basra has been a relief in a way - to finally see where Matthew died. "I would like to think he lost his life in a worthwhile cause but I can't do that," said Roger. "We were carried into it [this war] and I can't emphasise how much I feel this was entirely wrong - this was a complete deception. " "Matthew did lose his life for Queen and country and that's what we have to live with for the rest of our lives," says Maureen. "We should never have invaded Iraq - never. No life lost was worth it - none at all. " During my final days in Basra I take a boat trip on the Shatt al-Arab waterway where, during the invasion, I saw Saddam Hussein's yacht battered by coalition strikes but still upright. Now it is almost submerged - on its side in the water with fishermen casting lines off its rusting skeleton. I reflect that there is virtually no trace of Saddam Hussein here any more but, ironically, the British have not left much trace behind either - seven years after the troops left. It could be the coalition's only lasting legacy - the removal of Saddam Hussein. All images subject to copyright

And the world's best place to visit is .... cnn.com 2016-06-29 08:22 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk

4 College Students Take to Social Media to Take on Terrorism (1.02/2) Students at one New York college are taking to social media to tackle terrorism. A team of Rochester Institute of Technology students came up with the winning idea for a U. S. State Department contest seeking ways to counter terrorist propaganda online. The RIT team developed a social media campaign called "It's Time: ExOut Extremism. " Working with Rochester's Muslim community, the students created a logo, website, social media and events to raise awareness on campus and in the community. A panel of judges from the State Department, Facebook, the Department of Homeland Security and elsewhere chose the winning entry on Monday. The other finalist teams were from Versalius College in Brussels and Khazar University in Baku, Azerbaijan. The winners will receive $5,000 to continue to develop their campaign.

College students take to social media to take on terrorism washingtontimes.com 2016-06-29 12:00 By abcnews.go.com

5 Toyota Recalls 1.43 Million Vehicles for Defective Air Bags (1.02/2) Toyota is recalling 1.43 million vehicles globally for defective air bags, although it is not part of the massive recalls of Takata air bags, the Japanese automaker said Wednesday. Toyota Motor Corp. said it does not know of any fatalities or injuries related to the latest recalls. Being recalled are the Prius hybrid, Prius plug-in and the Lexus CT200h produced between October 2008 and April 2012 — 743,000 vehicles in Japan , 495,000 in North America and 141,000 vehicles in Europe, as well as 9,000 vehicles in China and 46,000 vehicles in other regions. A small crack in some inflators in the air bags in the driver and passenger sides may expand, causing the air bags to partially inflate. The air bags were not made by Takata, according to Toyota. The announcement by Toyota means that overall the total numbers of recalls because of air bag worries likely now tally more than 100 million globally. Faulty air bags are responsible for 11 deaths and more than 100 injuries worldwide. Three more deaths are under investigation in Malaysia.

Toyota recalls 1.4 million cars over faulty airbags bbc.co.uk 2016-06-29 12:00 By abcnews.go.com

6 Brexit: Six key questions after Britain's vote to exit the EU (0.01/2) Brexit - Britain's exit from the EU - has left a sea of confusion in its frothy wake. Here is a quick look at some of the current key questions yet to be answered following Thursday's referendum. For the UK to leave the EU, it has to formally invoke an agreement called Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty. No country has ever left the EU, so Article 50 is untested. Once Article 50 has been invoked in a letter or a speech, the formal process of withdrawing from the EU can begin, at which point the UK has two years to negotiate its withdrawal with the other member states. Extricating the UK from the EU will be extremely complex, and the process could drag on longer than that. In his statement after the results of the referendum, UK Prime Minister David Cameron - who backed Remain - said he would resign in October and leave it to his successor to decide when to trigger Article 50. Leave campaigners say they want informal discussions with the EU first, but the foreign ministers of France and Germany have called for Article 50 to be triggered as soon as possible to avoid prolonging a period of uncertainty. Unlike England and Wales, Scotland voted overwhelmingly to remain in the EU, and Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon says it is "democratically unacceptable" for the country to be taken out of the union against its will. A second independence referendum for the country is now "highly likely", she says, and recent polls suggest roughly 60% of Scots are now in favour of leaving the UK in order to remain in the EU. One constitutional expert has suggested Scotland could go further under its law and effectively veto Brexit , although others have dismissed this idea as extreme. Northern Ireland also voted in favour of remain, and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, of the Sinn Fein party, has called for a referendum on reuniting the North with the South, which is outside the UK and remains in the EU. But the Westminster-based Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers has ruled out the call for a vote, saying there was no legal framework for it to be called. There is uncertainty over whether a so-called "hard border" would have to be put in place between the North and the South if the North exits the EU. Within hours of the results, the Leave campaign was being accused of rowing back on several of its key campaign pledges. Among them, the bold claim that the UK would take back £350m donated to the EU every week and spend it on the NHS. The pledge was widely criticised during the campaign by many who pointed out that £350m is the UK's gross contribution, and that it receives vast sums of money back from the EU. The Institute for Fiscal Studies calculated during the campaign that of the £360 million the UK sent to the EU weekly in 2014, the net contribution was just £109 million. Key Leave campaigners including Nigel Farage, Boris Johnson and Ian Duncan Smith have since distanced themselves from the £350m promise, with Mr Duncan Smith claiming it was a "possibility" rather than a pledge. Other key campaign pledges have been called into question. Leave promised to "take back control of Britain's borders" and reduce immigration, but several key Leave campaigners have since suggested that the UK may need to accept freedom of movement in order to have access to the single market. "A lot of things were said in advance of this referendum that we might want to think about again," said Leave campaigner and former Conservative minister Liam Fox. The days since the vote have produced scenes of political upheaval unprecedented in recent political history, with both the government and the opposition in turmoil. "A country renowned for its political and legal stability is descending into chaos," wrote the New York Times on Monday. On Friday morning, the prime minister announced his resignation, just over a year into his second term, telling the country he would stay on until October to smooth the transition. The Conservative party now has to find a new leader but it has been fiercely divided by the referendum. The front-runner is former London mayor Boris Johnson, who led the Leave campaign. Other key contenders include Home Secretary Theresa May and Chancellor George Osborne, but both were on the losing side of the Brexit vote. This would normally play into the hands of the Labour party, the main opposition, but Labour too finds itself in crisis. Waves of the party's shadow cabinet have resigned in the wake of the referendum, ahead of an expected vote of no-confidence in leader Jeremy Corbyn. Many Labour MPs believe Mr Corbyn failed to mobilise Labour voters to support the Remain campaign and would fail to win a snap general election in the likely event one were to be called later this year. If the motion of no-confidence is successful there will be a vote for a new Labour leader. There is disagreement within the party about whether Mr Corbyn would automatically be entitled to a place on the ballot. There are no official statistics, but there has been a significant number of reports on social media of racist abuse linked to the Leave win. Some high- profile incidents have been verified by police. In Hammersmith, west London, on Sunday, suspected racist graffiti was painted on the front entrance of the Polish Social and Cultural Association. And in Cambridgeshire, police are investigating laminated cards that were posted through letterboxes and left outside a school, which read: "Leave the EU/No more Polish vermin" in both English and Polish. There has been a stream of reports on social media of people hurling abuse at others they assume to be immigrants. The Leave campaign has faced accusations that it encouraged hostility towards immigrants. EU immigrants already in the UK would probably be granted indefinite leave to remain, as the Leave campaign has not called for them to be deported, but there are no guarantees at this stage. Under current EU freedom of movement law, citizens are free to travel and settle in other member states. If the UK negotiates to keep freedom of movement after Brexit, EU immigrants in the UK (about 3 million) and British migrants abroad (about 1.2 million) will be unaffected. But the UK government may find itself under significant pressure to withdraw from freedom of movement after the Leave campaign pledged to reduce European immigration. This would then probably require UK citizens to obtain a visa to work or live abroad, and the same for EU citizens wanting to settle in the UK. Immigrants from outside of the EU are not affected by the change.

EU leaders to meet without Cameron after Brexit vote bbc.co.uk 2016-06-29 08:22 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk

7 Vitangcol asks Ombudsman to probe Abaya for graft Sacked Metro Rail Transit (MRT-3) General Manager Al Vitangcol III on Wednesday asked the Ombudsman to investigate outgoing Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio “Jun” Abaya over allegations of kickbacks in the MRT-3 expansion capacity project. In a complaint-affidavit he filed before the office, Vitangcol and Leon Peralta from the group Liga ng Eksplosibong Pagbabago said Abaya and Undersecretary Jose Lotilla were beneficiaries of a P75.187-million kickback in the procurement for 48 light rail vehicles (LRVs) as part of the P3.7-billion MRT capacity expansion project. Vitangcol cited an email last May 17, 2013 correspondence of Antonio De Mesa, representative of the winning bidder Dalian Locomotive and Rolling Stock, to Mr. Eugene Rapanut promising a three percent of the project cost to the officials of the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC). The complainants said the email stated that one percent would be given to members of the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) for them “to take care of the others who help, along with some officials in the DOTC’s circle.” Rapanut, meanwhile, responded to De Mesa that “in the event of a successful bid, Dalian has committed to give five percent” and that two percent was for the DOTC officials. After that email correspondence, Dalian in 2014 won the contract for the design, supply and delivery of 48 LRVs with onboard communications system, onboard ATP system and one unit train simulator. The winning bid of Dalian was at P3,759,382,400. Abaya then approved the notice of award to Dalian, Vitangcol said. As of this date, Dalian was only able to deliver six MRT coaches, some still unoperational, the complainants said. The complainants also quoted the report on the MRT by Senator Grace Poe that the contract with Dalian for additional 48 LRVs was “highly suspicious” because it seemed the DOTC waited for a “friendly bidder” that would “cooperate” with the department. Poe, in her report as chair of the subcommittee on public services, recommended that the Office of the Ombudsman, the Department of Justice and the Civil Service Commission investigate the DOTC officials for graft. READ: Abaya to be sued for MRT mess—Poe The complaint said Vitangcol filed the complaint-affidavit bolstered by the findings of the report which recommended graft charges against Abaya. “The exchange of communications between De Mesa and Rapanut, not only bolsters the suspicions of Senator Poe, but provides a clear and convincing evidence that money changed hands and that kickbacks were given to DOTC officials,” the complainants said. The complaint said based on the computations, the kickbacks for BAC members amounted to P37.593 million while the kickbacks for the DOTC officials amount to P75.187 million. “Clearly, the named respondents directly received a percentage for themselves in connection with the contract wherein they, as public officers in their official capacity, has intervened and in fact awarded the contract to Dalian,” the complaint said. The complainants asked the Ombudsman to investigate the following officials for graft and breach of Code of Conduct and Ethical Practice: Abaya, Lotilla and the other DOTC undersecretaries Rene Limcaoco, Julianito Bucayan Jr., Catherine Gonzales and current MRT General Manager Roman Buenafe. The complainants charged the officials with graft for giving undue benefit to Dalian and for receiving a gift or percentage in connection with the contract, in violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. The complainants also charged them with violation of Republic Act 6713, or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees, for accepting solicitation or gifts in connection with a transaction in government. READ: Amid graft raps, Vitangcol says MRT under new management worse Vitangcol already faces a graft case before the Sandiganbayan for allegedly awarding without public bidding the maintenance contract to PH Trams, of which one of the incorporator was his wife’s uncle Arturo Soriano. The Ombudsman has also indicted Vitangcol for graft over the alleged extortion try on Czech firm Inekon in exchange for contracts for the supply of additional LRVs in connection with the P3.7-billion MRT-3 expansion project. READ: Ex-MRT chief Vitangcol indicted for $30M extort try Vitangcol has decried selective justice, pinning down Abaya as having a hand in the approval of the anomalous projects. RAM READ: After graft rap due to MRT fiasco, Vitangcol pins down Abaya

2016-06-29 12:00 Marc Jayson newsinfo.inquirer.net

8 8 Not true anti-drugs ops flourished only now – exiting PNP chief MANILA — In the last speech he would give as the country’s top police official, outgoing Philippine National Police (PNP) Director General Ricardo Marquez took the opportunity to correct public perceptions that the anti-narcotics police operations only started to step up after anti-crime stalwart Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte won as President. “There is no truth to statements that it is only now that the police’s fight against drugs has flourished,” Marquez said in Filipino, in a speech he delivered on Monday afternoon during retirement honors for him at the PNP headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City. The ceremonies were attended by no less then President Aquino, who had appointed Marquez as the PNP chief in 2015. “If you would remember in my inaugural address last year, I said we’ll go down and bring our campaign against illegal drugs to the community level,” Marquez added. Marquez took office in July 2015. To prove his point, Marquez enumerated that from January to mid-June this year alone, “we already accounted for more than 18,000 illegal drug personalities and confiscated more than 680,000 grams of ‘shabu’ (methamphetamine hydrochloride).” Too, Marquez announced: “From January to June this year, there have been 183 fatalities in encounters between our police officers and clandestine [drug] laboratory workers, drug pushers and users.” “Our police force has never shied away from defending especially our youth against drug dealers and pushers,” Marquez said. “We have never wavered in our campaign against illegal drugs, and in fact, we have activated the PNP Anti-Illegal Drugs Group,” he added. Marquez, the 20th PNP chief, retired on Tuesday after 38 years in service. He was set to retire in August but submitted a courtesy early resignation to allow the incoming Duterte administration free rein to pick its top PNP official. Under Marquez’ one-year tour of office, he highlighted “back-to-basics” police patrol in communities, deploying more than 25,000 police personnel on the streets. Marquez, in his speech, boasted that in Metro Manila—where the anti-crime model “Lambat-Sibat” was first implemented—crimes against property went down 81 percent, from a weekly average of 1,012 in June 2014 to only 200 in recent weeks.” Crime against persons also decreased in the same period, with the weekly average for homicide going down from 13 to only two, physical injuries from 169 to 70, and murder from 35 to 20. In the same period, “national level overall crime volume went down 10 percent. The volume of index crime declined by 27 percent,” Marquez said. SFM

2016-06-29 12:00 Jaymee T newsinfo.inquirer.net

9 Del Monte Pacific swings to profitability CAMPOS family-led food and beverage conglomerate Del Monte Pacific Ltd. (DMPL) returned to profitability in its full fiscal year ending April, boosted by higher global sales alongside one-time gains arising from retirement plan and working capital adjustment in its US operation. DMPL posted a net income of $51.5 million for the full year, inclusive of one-off net favorable adjustments of $31.7 million after tax mainly due to US unit Del Monte Foods Inc. (DMFI)’s retirement plan and working capital adjustment, which had offset expenses from the closure of a plant in North Carolina. But even after excluding non-recurring items, DMPL’s core or recurring net income in the fiscal year amounted to $19.8 million, a turnaround from the $43.2 million reported loss in the previous year, as the group improved cost structure and unlocked better margins as it grew global sales. The group achieved cash flow of $235.2 million for the full year, buoyed by a 4-percent growth in revenues to $2.3 billion. Barring unforeseen circumstances, DMPL expects to remain profitable in fiscal year 2017. In the short- to mid-term, it plans to improve financial performance by strengthening its core business, riding on procurement synergies and rationalizing operational costs. The closure of the North Carolina plant was part of this streamlining effort. “During the past year, we continued to lay the foundation for future growth and this is reflected in the sales and financial performance of Del Monte Pacific in full year 2016,” said Joselito Campos Jr., managing director and group chief executive officer of DMPL in a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE). “We drove improvements in our cost structure and better aligned operations with our strategic direction to gain market share, increase margins and expand into adjacent categories as part of a long-range plan to grow sales and profits for the company in the years ahead.” DMPL produces food under two heritage brands – Del Monte and S&W – which originated in the USA in the 1890s as premium quality packaged fruit and vegetable products. It has exclusive rights to use the Del Monte trademarks for packaged products in the United States, South America, the Philippines, Indian subcontinent and Myanmar, while it also owns S&W globally except Australia and New Zealand. Its US subsidiary DMFI owns other trademarks such as Contadina, College Inn, Fruit Naturals, Orchard Select and SunFresh. DMFI, which accounted for 78 percent of group sales, generated revenue of $1.8 billion, 4 percent better than prior year. DMFI increased its market share in the US canned vegetable and fruit segments amid industry contraction. The Philippine market, on the other hand, delivered a record performance for the full year with sales rising 6 percent. All product categories – packaged fruit, beverage and culinary – posted higher sales, which the company attributed to expanded user base and household penetration. In addition, DMPL said the market continued to benefit from the resurgent beverage segment. Sales of the S&W branded business in Asia and the Middle East also grew by 10 percent on higher sales from both the fresh and packaged segments while China generated strong growth in fresh, driven by distribution expansion. The group’s gross margin for the full year improved to 21.2 percent, higher than the 18.7 percent in the same period last year with lower trade spending in DMFI alongside cost optimization initiatives to mitigate the impact of lower pineapple output from El Niño, particularly in the first half of the financial year. 2016-06-29 12:00 Doris Dumlao business.inquirer.net

10 Recent airport attacks at a glance ISTANBUL — The attack on Istanbul’s Ataturk airport on Tuesday was the latest in such incidents at major airports in recent years. The following is a list of some of those attacks: June 26, 2016 – Three suspected Islamic State group suicide bombers targeted the international terminal of Istanbul’s Ataturk airport, killing at least 36 people and wounding many others, Turkish officials said. READ: 36 dead in Istanbul airport suicide attack; PM tags ISIS June 12, 2016 – An explosion at a check-in-area of Shanghai’s main international airport injures four people. The blast at Pudong International Airport, China’s second-busiest, was carried out using fireworks stuffed inside empty beer bottles. March 22, 2016 – 16 people are killed in two suicide bombings as bombs ripped through check-in counters at Brussels Airport. The Islamic State group claims responsibility for the attack. A subsequent explosion at a Brussels subway station killed 16 more people. READ: At least 13 dead as blasts rock Brussels airport, metro March 7 2016 – A bomb explodes in a piece of luggage at an airport in a central Somali town, wounding three people. Somalia’s Islamic extremist rebels, al-Shabab, claim responsibility for the blast. December 28, 2015 – A suicide car bomb attack killed at least one civilian near the eastern entrance of the Kabul international airport. Another 13 civilians were wounded. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack. August 17, 2015 – An explosion near Kabul’s international airport appears to have been caused by a suicide car bomb. Police say a suicide car bomber struck the front gate of the airport. No causalities reported. March 21, 2015. – A machete-wielding man attacks TSA officers at New Orleans’ international airport and is shot and killed. Authorities later said he was carrying a bag loaded with Molotov cocktails. One of the TSA officers was slightly injured. February 3, 2015 – Two explosives are defused at Cairo International Airport. Officials say one bomb was planted in the arrival hall of the terminal hosting EgyptAir. Another was planted near a police patrol location in the airport’s parking lot. No one was injured. December 11, 2013 – Car bomb explodes near a gate used by NATO troops in the northern section of the Kabul airport. The Taliban claim responsibility for the blast that caused no casualties. July 20, 2013 – Authorities say a partly paralyzed man explodes a bomb inside Beijing Capital International Airport in hopes of winning redress over an alleged beating by public officials. He is the only person injured in the explosion. July 18, 2012 – A bomb explodes on a bus carrying Israeli tourists at the airport in Burgas, Bulgaria, killing five of the tourists, the Bulgarian bus driver and the suicide bomber. Another 35 people are hurt. In 2014, Bulgaria’s interior minister says he is convinced the Shiite militant group Hezbollah was behind the bus bombing. February 27, 2012 – Suicide car bomber struck at the gates of Jalalabad airport in eastern Afghanistan, killing nine people. The Taliban said the attack on the airport, which serves both civilian and international military aircraft, was revenge for the burning of Muslim holy books at an American military base. January 24, 2011 – Suicide bomber blew himself up in the international arrivals area of Moscow’s Domodedovo airport, killing 37 people and wounded 180 others and was claimed by Chechen rebels. Russia’s Federal Investigative Committee later identified the suicide bomber as a 20-year-old from the North Caucasus region. READ: No Filipino casualties so far in Turkey attack, says DFA

2016-06-29 12:00 Associated Press newsinfo.inquirer.net

11 US, S. Korea, Japan hold first anti-North Korea missile drill WASHINGTON, United States — South Korea, Japan and the United States held an unprecedented trilateral missile defense exercise on Tuesday, aimed at countering the growing threat from nuclear-armed North Korea which denounced it as a “military provocation.” The drill in waters off Hawaii came less than a week after North Korea flight-tested a powerful new medium-range ballistic missile that leader Kim Jong-Un hailed as a strike threat to US military bases across the Pacific. The trilateral exercise included a ballistic target tracking operation to test the Aegis anti-missile systems used by the United States and its two key Asian allies. “While there were no missiles fired, all participants strengthened interoperability, communication channels, data collection, and capabilities assessments,” the US Pacific Command said in a statement. The drill was significant for the participation of both South Korea and Japan, who are still emerging from an extended diplomatic freeze that had undermined US efforts to present a united front against Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons program. As well as rehearsing responses to a North Korean missile attack, the drill “enhanced the already strong relationship of all three nations participating”, said Vice Admiral Nora Tyson, commander of the US Third Fleet. North Korea’s foreign ministry condemned the drill as “another military provocation perpetrated by the US” and reiterated strategic willingness to carry out a “preemptive nuclear attack” if threatened. The participation of all three countries revealed their “hegemonic scenario for disturbing regional peace and security”, a ministry spokesman was quoted as saying by the official KCNA news agency. The North has this year claimed a series of major technical breakthroughs in developing what it sees as the ultimate goal of its nuclear drive: an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of delivering a nuclear warhead to the US mainland. The recent test of a Musudan medium-range missile was seen by some weapons experts as a significant step towards an operational ICBM by 2020. Tuesday’s drill also delivered a message of intent to China as Washington and Beijing continue to jostle for influence in Asia. Pentagon chief Ashton Carter said last week the Musudan test underlined the need to strengthen missile defences to protect US troops stationed in South Korea and Japan. Seoul and Washington are currently in talks over the deployment of the US military’s sophisticated Terminal High Altitude Area Defense System (THAAD) in South Korea — a move staunchly opposed by China and Russia.

2016-06-29 12:00 Agence France newsinfo.inquirer.net

12 Gunmen Kill 4 Policemen in Pakistan's Quetta City A police spokesman says gunmen in twin attacks minutes apart have shot and killed four policemen in southwestern Pakistan before escaping. Spokesman Shahzada Farhat says the attacks took place late Tuesday in Quetta, the capital of impoverished Baluchistan province. No one has immediately claimed responsibility and Farhat says they are investigating who was behind the latest "acts of terrorism. " Baluchistan is Pakistan's largest province and the scene of low-scale insurgency for the past several years. Small separatists groups in the region often attack police and security forces to pressure the government to get more wealth from resources like natural gas and oil extracted from the province.

2016-06-29 12:00 By abcnews.go.com

13 WATCH: Kitten climbs barrier for ‘puppy love’ in Taiwan pet shop Not even a plastic barrier can stop two lovers from eloping. Jo Linn Pet House, a Taiwanese pet store, uploaded a “fairytale-like” clip of a kitten that “broke barriers” and escaped her cell to unite with her puppy lover. In the one-minute clip, the feline was leaping over the plastic barrier gap while its neighbor, a jubilant and giggling canine, reached out to smooch the kitten. The love story ended with the furry pets cuddling each other, just like they “lived happily ever after.” Since its posting on Sunday, the video collected 1.1 million views, 12,000 likes and reactions, and 18,600 shares. Gianna Francesca Catolico

2016-06-29 12:00 INQUIRER.net technology.inquirer.net

14 Australian Opposition Leader Shifts Position on Gay Marriage Australia's opposition leader on Wednesday explained his shift on gay marriage, which will be a key issue in this weekend's elections. The center-left Labor Party opposes the conservative government's plan to hold a plebiscite this year to allow the public a direct say on whether Australia should give legal recognition to same-sex marriage. Opposition leader Bill Shorten confirmed a newspaper report on Wednesday, three days before the election, that he had told Christian church leaders in 2013 that he supported holding such a plebiscite. Labor's position now is that Parliament should make the decision on same- sex marriage. Shorten cited as a reason for his change of heart the Irish referendum in May last year in which 62 percent of Irish voters called for their constitution to be changed to allow same-sex marriage. "That debate, whilst it was ultimately successful, did trigger some very ugly arguments," Shorten told reporters. "I think the people of Australia, the majority of them, have clearly moved — even in the last two or three years — to supporting marriage equality and all popular opinion polls would seem to indicate the truth of what I'm saying," he added. Both Shorten and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull support same sex marriage, but differ on how it should be achieved. Shorten has promised that if his party was elected on Saturday, the first legislation he would introduce to Parliament would be a bill to overturn Australia's ban on same-sex marriage. Most marriage equality advocates support Labor's approach. Turnbull also previously opposed the plebiscite and the divisive community debate that would precede it. But Turnbull agreed to maintain the government's policy to hold a plebiscite when he defeated Prime Minister Tony Abbott in a leadership ballot in September last year. The plebiscite would cost 160 million Australian dollars ($120 million) and the result would have no legal standing. Some government lawmakers have already said they would vote down gay marriage in Parliament regardless of the plebiscite's outcome. But Turnbull said that if most Australians wanted gay marriage, legislation allowing it would "sail through the Parliament. "

2016-06-29 12:00 By abcnews.go.com

15 Gilas grateful after narrowly escaping Istanbul bombing The Philippine men’s national basketball team couldn’t be more thankful to have made it back home safe and sound. Gilas Pilipinas arrived in Manila from Turkey late Tuesday night just hours before terrorists struck at Istanbul Ataturk Airport, killing 36 people and leaving hundreds injured, according to CNN as of posting. “Turkey was my home 4 nearly 3 years. So saddened & worried for friends there. Thank the Lord our Gilas and Turk teams are safe. #Prayers,” national team head coach Tab Baldwin posted on his Twitter account. Baldwin has vast international coaching experience and was once a coach in the Turkish Super League. Players Marc Pingris and Andray Blatche also felt relieved to have escaped the tragedy. “Grabe dito lang kami kanina pauwi galing Manila wala pang five hours bago nangyari to. LORD SALAMAT SA PAG GABAY MO SA AMIN NG TEAM GILAS. #prayforturkey #istanbul,” Pingris wrote on his Instagram. “Me and my teammates was just there wow thank you God for watching over us I’m really lost for words I woke up to a lot of texts from friends checking on me I’m ok thanx love yal,” wrote the naturalized center. The Turkish national team, which will also compete in the Olympic qualifying tournament here next week, was in the same flight as Gilas. The Nationals came home after a three-week training camp in Europe. Gilas is set to face Turkey anew in a tune-up game on Friday at Mall of Asia Arena. “Thank you lord for our (Gilas) safe passage out of Istanbul. I’m saddened by what just happened at the Istanbul airport,” Gilas team manager Butch Antonio tweeted.

2016-06-29 12:00 Mark Giongco sports.inquirer.net

16 Fiscal’s son nabbed in Tagbilaran drug buy- bust; P295k shabu seized TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol — A son of a provincial fiscal was arrested on Tuesday night, in a buy bust operation in Barangay Manga, Tagbilaran City. Policemen pounced on Jade Barimbao Delusa, 32, after he allegedly handed a small packet of shabu to an undercover agent in exchange for P3,000. Also seized from the suspect were four big and 13 small sachets of suspected shabu (methamphetamine hydrochloride) weighing 25 grams each, and with a total worth of P295,000, and other drug paraphernalia. Delusa is the son of provincial fiscal Macario Delusa. The Philippine Daily Inquirer tried to call the prosecutor but he could not be reached for comment. Supt. George Acol Vale, Tagbilaran City police chief, identified Delusa as “Tagbilaran City’s No. 1 drug personality.” Senior Inspector Jojit Mananquil, team leader of Provincial Intelligence Branch-Special Operations Group (PIB-SOG), said Delusa was a level one drug pusher in Tagbilaran and neighboring towns. Mananquil said Delusa was under surveillance for months after they received complaints about his illegal drug activities. The Provincial Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Group (PAIDSOTG) and the PIB-SOG immediately planned a buy-bust operation. It was around 10:30 p.m. on Tuesday when the poseur buyer met Delusa at Purok 2 in Barangay Manga where the purchase was made. Mananquil said illegal drug charges would be filed against Delusa at the prosecutor’s office on Wednesday . He also warned those involved in illegal drugs that they would face the full force of the law if caught. “We enforce the law without fear or favor,” he said. The Bohol Provincial Police Office listed Tagbilaran City as among the 10 deeply infiltrated areas in the province. Several drug pushers had been killed recently in what police said was the result of a shootout during the sting operations. SFM

2016-06-29 12:00 Leo Udtohan newsinfo.inquirer.net

17 Ohio State Band Trainer to Be Sentenced for Sexual Battery A former Ohio State University drum major instructor who pleaded guilty to a sexual battery charge over an encounter with a student is scheduled to be sentenced Wednesday in Columbus. Stewart Kitchen could face up to five years in prison, but has asked that he not be put behind bars. Court documents allege the assault occurred at Kitchen's Columbus home in April 2015 after he and the 19-year-old woman went out drinking. More serious charges were dismissed as part of a plea deal with prosecutors. In a court filing, his attorney says the 29-year-old has taken responsibility for what happened and has been remorseful. The attorney says Kitchen has an otherwise exemplary background, including extensive community involvement in Kenton, where he grew up.

2016-06-29 12:00 By abcnews.go.com

18 18 Brother of Pastor Competent to Stand Trial in His Slaying An Ohio man charged with fatally shooting his pastor brother in a church office as Sunday services were ending has been found mentally competent to stand trial. The Dayton Daily News ( http://bit.ly/2914ejV ) reports a Montgomery County judge made the ruling Tuesday that 68-year-old Daniel Schooler is competent for trial, which is scheduled to begin Oct. 31. He has pleaded not guilty. Dayton police say the Rev. William B. Schooler was shot on Feb. 28 at St. Peter's Missionary Baptist Church, and Daniel Schooler was arrested at the church. A grand jury indicted him on charges that include aggravated murder. He's being held on $1 million bond. ——— Information from: Dayton Daily News, http://www.daytondailynews.com

2016-06-29 12:00 By abcnews.go.com

19 Top US diplomat Kerry says Brexit may not happen WASHINGTON—US Secretary of State John Kerry said on Tuesday that Britain’s vote to leave the European Union might never be implemented and that London is in no hurry to go. Speaking one day after talks with Prime Minister David Cameron, Kerry said the outgoing British leader feels “powerless” to negotiate a departure he does not want. “This is a very complicated divorce,” Kerry told the Aspen Ideas Festival, referring to Britain’s negotiated exit from the EU after last week’s “Brexit” referendum. READ: US urges Britain and EU to negotiate calm divorce Kerry, who visited Downing Street on Monday, said Cameron was loath to invoke “Article 50″ of the Lisbon treaty, which would trigger a two-year timetable for departure. London, Kerry explained, does not want to find itself boxed in after two years without a new association agreement and to be forced out of the EU without one. And, he added, Cameron “feels powerless — and I think this is a fair conclusion –- to go out and start negotiating a thing that he doesn’t believe in and he has no idea how he would do it. “And by the way, nor do most of the people who voted to do it,” Kerry said, apparently referring to “Leave” campaigners such as former London mayor Boris Johnson, now the frontrunner to replace Cameron as premier. Asked by the panel moderator if this meant the Brexit decision could be “walked back” and if so how, Kerry said: “I think there are a number of ways.” “I don’t as secretary of state want to throw them out today. I think that would be a mistake. But there are a number of ways,” he said. READ: Britain ‘may never’ trigger EU divorce — diplomats Washington has long supported a strong role for its British ally in the European project, and was dismayed when British voters chose last week to quit the Union. Now, US officials are calling for a calm debate on Brexit leading to a deal that would allow a close association between London and Brussels to continue. Some EU leaders, however, insist that Cameron must move quickly to invoke Article 50 and begin divorce talks, to put an end to political and economic uncertainty.

2016-06-29 12:00 Agence France newsinfo.inquirer.net

20 Scotty Moore, Elvis Presley's First Guitarist, Dies at 84 Scotty Moore, the pioneering rock guitarist who played on "Hound Dog" and other early Elvis Presley hits, has died. He was 84. Biographer and friend James L. Dickerson says Moore passed away Tuesday morning in his house in Nashville. Dickerson spoke with a family member of Moore's longtime companion, Gail Pollock, who had been staying in the house with Moore. Pollock died in November 2015. Moore's slashing guitar style and Bill Black's hard-slapping work on a standup bass gave Presley the foundation on which he developed his sound. Sun records producer Sam Phillips paired Presley with Moore and Black in 1954. They played on Presley's first professional recording, "That's All Right. "

2016-06-29 12:00 By abcnews.go.com

21 AP PHOTOS: In Paraguay, Drought-Stricken Caimans Agonize Dozens of caimans are on the verge of death because of a harsh drought that has hit a wide desert zone of Paraguay known as the Chaco Boreal. Owners of the area's San Jorge Hacienda have tried to rescue the adult and newborn yacare caimans by drilling 18 wells to collect water that is then transported to reservoirs normally used for cattle. During a recent visit, Associated Press journalists found two dead caimans in the area and several others agonizing in the mud. The yacare caiman is found in central South American, including the rivers of Paraguay. The caimans were seen about a few miles outside of Fortin General Diaz, a small community with army barracks near the Pilcomayo River, which is born in the Andean foothills in Bolivia and serves as a natural border between Argentina and Paraguay. The small fort for which the community is named for is about 310 miles west of the capital Asuncion and can only be reached by land by driving on an unpaved road. The waters from the Pilcomayo river stopped reaching this area after a massive flood earlier this year changed its course to Argentine territories. The entry point of the river into Paraguay remains blocked with sediment. "Everyone is demanding a final solution but there's no end in sight to this problem because the river goes where it wants to go," said Edwin Paul, a governor of the affected state of Boqueron. He added that wild animals such as capybaras, as well as the yacare caimans and other reptiles, continue to suffer during the drought. The government of Argentina's Formosa province has been working to unclog the mouth of the river, which only receives abundant water twice a year through the melting of ice from the Andes. Alcides Gonzalez, manager of a large farm in the area, said workers have relocated livestock to give the caimans a larger space to survive. Gonzalez said that some Mennonite communities living nearby have offered to donate food for the caimans. ——— Follow AP photographers and photo editors on Twitter: http://apne.ws/15Oo6jo

2016-06-29 12:00 By abcnews.go.com

22 Himalayan con? Probe ordered into Pune couple's Everest record Pune: Three weeks after being celebrated for being the first couple to reach the Everest summit, Dinesh and Tarakeshwari Rathod have been rudely brought back to earth. Eight fellow mountaineers from Maharashtra have filed a complaint stating that the couple, who are police constables, was never at the summit and had, in fact, morphed pictures of themselves at the top. Dinesh Rathod had posted this picture on Facebook of him at the Everest base camp Sources in the police department said, "After the mountaineers approached the commissioner, she spoke to a few experts and based on their opinion, directed the assistant commissioner to initiate a probe. " Pune Police Commissioner Rashmi Shukla refused to comment. Dinesh Rathod with his wife Tarakeshwari, being felicitated by then Pune police commissioner KK Pathak Tarkeshwari Rathod, when asked about the inquiry and the morphed photographs, said, "I cannot comment as the case is being investigated by the Pune police and the Nepal government. " The website of Makalu Adventure claims these pictures of Dinesh and Tarkeshwari Rathod have been clicked at the summit of Mt Everest. Pic/makaluadventure.com mid-day could not independently verify if the Nepal government had indeed instituted an inquiry. On June 6, newspapers across the country had prominently published the Rathods’ feat — that they had, on May 23, touched the summit of Mount Everest together — the first couple to have done so. On June 16, mountaineers Anjali Kulkarni, Sharad Kulkarni, Surendra Shelke, Anand Bansode, Shrikant Chavan, Rupali Chavan, Manisha Waghmare and Amit Singh filed a complaint with police commissioner’s office against the Rathods, disputing their claim of having reached the Everest summit. Four of them then met the police commissioner on June 17. On Monday, June 27, the complainants were called in to record their statements. Anjali Kulkarni, one of the complainants, said the basis for their complaint is the photographs the Rathods submitted to prove their feat. "These are the biggest giveaways. The pictures are clearly morphed. The couple’s Himalayan suit colours and even their boots seem to have been changed at the summit. The colour of Dinesh Rathod’s down jacket is red and black in his individual summit photo, whereas in the couple’s summit photo his jacket colour is a yellow-orange. The same is the case with Tarkeshwari Rathod’s outfit. Both seem to have changed their climbing boots too in separate pictures. Being able to change one’s clothes mid- climb and not get frostbitten would be a miracle," Kulkarni said. Among the other points made in the complaint is the date and time stamp on the photos. Dinesh Rathod had stated that he reached the Everest summit at 6.25 am on May 23, 2016, but the direction of the shadows indicates that the time the photo was taken was between 11 am and noon, the complaint states. Interestingly, it is these very photographs that the Nepal Tourism Board ‘verified’ before awarding the couple their summit certificate. Officials from the Nepal Tourism Board remained unavailable for comment. Makalu Adventures in Nepal, the agency that organised this climb for the Rathods, said they had done everything as per the rules. Speaking to mid- day over the phone, Mohan Lamsal, from Makalu, said, "I am aware of the complaint, but the Nepal Tourism Board verified the feat only after calling my two climbing Sherpas and me along with the Indian couple and asking detailed questions about the summit. They separately interviewed the couple and the climbing Sherpas and after four days officially declared the Rathods’ Everest summit feat. " Lamsal refused to acknowledge that there was anything wrong with the photographs submitted. This is not the first time the Rathods have been alleged to have faked a summit. Eight climbers who scaled 10 of the highest peaks in Australia in November 2014 lodged a complaint that the Rathods completed only five peaks. "The couple had only completed five peaks. However, they came back and announced their successful summit of the Aussie10 Challenge in the Indian media and were felicitated. The Australian Mountaineering Agency refused to issue them the certificate," Kulkarni said, adding that this detail is also part of the complaint. Kuntal Joisher, a mountaineer from Mumbai, who was in another climbing team on May 19, around the time the Rathods were supposed to have climbed, said he does not remember seeing Dinesh and Tarakeshwari Rathod at any of the higher camps. "Between May 19 and 24, we were at the Everest and neither my team nor I saw the constable couple at any of the higher camps. We did, however, see them at the Everest Base Camp. " The base camp comprises rudimentary camps that Everest climbers use during their ascent and descent. Anjali Kulkarni said she and her fellow mountaineers decided to speak up when they discovered the truth about the photographs. "The reason we have taken up this case strongly is that such people are setting a bad example both in India as well as in Nepal. They should be stripped of their title. " Secretary of the Pimpri Chinchwad Mountaineering Association, Surendra Shelke, who is also a complainant, said, "We are not against the Rathods, but against what they have done. This belittles the efforts of genuine mountaineers. The Rathods were my students and had told me they wanted to be part of adventure sport to enable them to get faster promotions. I never imagined they would do something like this. "

2016-06-29 10:51 By Anusha www.mid-day.com

23 Mumbai: Congressman in trouble after tests confirm rape survivor is pregnant Three days after Congress worker and businessman Shivanand Hulyalkar was arrested for allegedly raping his 23-year-old former employee, he is now in deeper trouble after medical reports confirmed that the rape survivor is pregnant. Hulyalkar was arrested on Friday, based on a complaint from the survivor (right) the survivor and Hulyalkar were in a live-in relationship since last year The survivor registered an FIR against Hulyalkar after he assaulted her on June 20, but the two of them had been in a relationship since last year. The woman alleged that he had raped her several times over the course of their relationship and is now keen on a DNA test to prove that he is the father. “I have been trying to get over the horror that I went through, but now I have found out that I am pregnant. I am scared and do not want my child to suffer. Shivanand Hulyalkar has ruined my life,” she told mid-day. “My parents are worried sick, especially now that I am pregnant. They are scared even though Hulyalkar is in jail; I cannot even leave my house in the fear that he might kill me,” said the survivor, who submitted her pregnancy report from Bhabha Hospital to the Bandra police yesterday. She said she wanted to speak to the police before deciding on a course of action. Flashback The woman was formerly an employee at a five-star hotel where she met Hulyalkar for the first time in August 2015. They became friendly after they met again in a party at a mutual friend’s house and after that, Hulyalkar began to message regularly, asking to meet her. Later, he offered her a job at his company, which is involved in real estate, and also offered her a stake in the company. She also told the police that Hulyalkar offered her the post of executive director and CEO in his company. He gifted her a flat at Bandra Bandstand, where the two began living together. However, Hulyalkar was an abusive partner, alleged the woman, adding that he would often force her into having sex. Their relationship reached breaking point last week, during a trip to Mauritius on official work. “On June 20, Hulyalkar sexually assaulted me. He also assaulted my private parts with a wooden stick. That day, I wanted to commit suicide. I was scared because he is a political man, and he had threatened to kill me and my whole family. But I gathered my courage after my friends told me to go to the police,” the survivor recalled. Based on her complaint, the FIR was registered under Sections 376 (rape), 377 (unnatural offences), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 506 (2) (criminal intimidation) and 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace).

2016-06-29 10:46 By Shiva www.mid-day.com

24 Kazakhstan beats Thailand in race for Asian seat on Security Council United Nations: Kazakhstan beat Thailand in the second round of hotly-contested elections to become the first former Soviet Asian country to win a seat on the Security Council Tuesday after a deadlock in the initial balloting for the Asian slot. Kazakhstan received 138 votes in the new voting, passing the two-thirds bar of 129 votes in the 193-member General Assembly to succeed Malaysia. The first round was deadlocked with Astana receiving 113 to Bangkok's 77. Thailand received only 55 in the second round. A deadlock continued for one of the two European seats into the third round, with neither the Netherlands nor Italy getting the needed two-thirds of the votes in the three rounds of voting. Sweden won election in the first ballot to one of the seats. Assembly President Mogens Lykketoft postponed further rounds of voting for the European seat till later in the afternoon to enable diplomatic efforts to break the deadlock. Ethiopia was unanimously proposed by the African group and Bolivia by the Latin American-Caribbean bloc, making their first round victories a mere formality. The defeat was a diplomatic setback for Thailand, which is currently the head of the Group of 77, the 134-member group of developing countries. But this leadership position failed to help it win despite a campaign that began in 2013. Kazakhstan's pitch was that no other former Soviet Asian nation had ever been on the Council. It also campaigned on its leadership in nuclear disarmament, having given up its nuclear weapon stockpile and playing a prominent anti-proliferation role. Half of the 10 non-permanent seats with two-year terms come up for election every year. The elections used to be held in October, but the General Assembly moved them to June starting this year to give the new members more preparation time before they take their seats on the Council on New Year's Day. The winds of change blowing across the UN parting in its wake the veils of secrecy led to the candidates for the contested seats participating in campaign debates held for the first time at the UN. It was sponsored by the World Federation of UN Associations (WFUNA). The debates brought to a public forum the campaigning that began years ago. While Thailand reportedly brought delegations of diplomats to Bangkok in its lobbying efforts, Kazakhstan tried to boost its profile by holding a food festival at the UN in March. Sweden's Prime Minister Kjell Stefan Lofven personally called several leaders around the world to seek votes. In its manifesto, Astana spoke of its role in working for peace and stability in Afghanistan and hosting talks on the Iranian nuclear issue, and chairmanship of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.

2016-06-29 10:42 By IANS www.mid-day.com

25 Liverpool pay Southampton USD 45.3 million for striker Sadio Mane London: Liverpool made official on Tuesday the signing of Senegalese striker Sadio Mane from Southampton for the next five football seasons. Sadio Mane Mane, 24, joins Liverpool in a deal that cost 34 million pounds sterling (USD 45.3 million), reports Efe. He underwent medical tests on Monday. "I am very happy to be a part of Liverpool Football Club," the Senegalese told the Liverpool website. Mane has scored 21 goals in 67 English Premier League (EPL) matches with Southampton since arriving in 2014.

2016-06-29 10:39 By IANS www.mid-day.com

26 India beat Ireland 2-1 in Six Nation Hockey Tournament Valencia (Spain): A defiant India managed to hold back minnows Ireland 2-1 in the second match of the Six Nation Hockey Tournament here on Tuesday. After a below-par show in the opening game against Olympic gold medallists Germany, India put on a fight through efforts from forward Talwinder Singh and skipper Sardar Singh in the 22nd and 32nd minutes respectively while midfielder Kyle Good managed the solitary goal for Ireland. In the first quarter, Ireland began the proceedings on a promising note to take a 1-0 lead with midfielder Kyle Good opening the scoring in the very fourth minute of the match. After the drubbing from Germany, India looked rusty but did not allow any more scoring opportunities. India bounced back well in the second quarter, creating chances and with much improved defence to get the equaliser in the 22nd minute. Forward Talwinder Singh made no mistake in converting a penalty corner chance to make it 1-1 going into half time. Coming back from the break, India were on the aggressive as a clever deflection from skipper Sardar Singh gave the team the much-needed lead in the 32nd minute. Four minutes later, India missed another chance of scoring after failing to convert a penalty corner. India once again failed to put the ball inside the net in the 38th minute to go to the fourth quarter 2-1. The final quarter witnessed a tough contest from either side with the Irish giving a tough fight. India tried their best to extend the lead but failed to cross the Irish defence as the match ended 2-1 in favour of the Indians.

2016-06-29 10:31 By IANS www.mid-day.com

27 VW settles emissions cases for $15 billion Detroit: Volkswagen will spend more than $15 billion to settle consumer lawsuits and government allegations that it cheated on emissions tests in what lawyers are calling the largest auto-related class-action settlement in US history. Under the settlement revealed by a US District Court in San Francisco yesterday, VW will pay just over $10 billion to either buy back or repair about 475,000 vehicles with cheating 2-liter diesel engines. The company will also compensate owners with payments of $5,100 to $10,000, depending on the age of their vehicles. Although the company has been working on a repair for the vehicles for months, it appears that VW may not be able to fix the cars and will have to buy them all back, according to the documents. The German automaker also has to pay governments $2.7 billion for environmental mitigation and spend another $2 billion for research on zero- emissions vehicles. VW also settled with 44 states, Washington, DC and Puerto Rico, which also sued the company, agreeing to pay about $603 million. That brings the total settlements to $15.3 billion.

2016-06-29 10:30 By Agencies www.mid-day.com

28 India women's cricket star Harmanpreet Kaur wants mentor, more support staff While R Sridhar's tenure as Team India's fielding coach still hangs in balance, India women's cricket team vice- captain Harmanpreet Kaur is in keen to have the services of the Karnataka-based coach. Harmanpreet Kaur For the Indian women's cricket standards to rise, the prolific batswoman, who is the first Indian to be signed by the Women's Big Bash League recently, wants men in their support staff. "We just have one coach (Purnima Rau) who has to do everything. In the last World T20, she was the only one running around, but she still managed everything efficiently. If we can get more support staff and some men in the set up, we will definitely improve. I hope we get some men's coaches. I have discussed this with BCCI officials and they have assured as that they will appoint someone very soon. "Personally, I would like to have R Sridhar sir. We worked with him at the National Cricket Academy camp. If we get him as the head coach, it will be great," Kaur told mid-day on the sidelines of a Nike event in the city yesterday. Kaur also hoped an Indian cricketing icon would make himself available to mentor of the women's team. "There are many greats in Indian cricket. If we can get a cricketing icon as our mentor, it's nothing like it. A lot will change for women's cricket. We need someone who can share their rich experience with us," Kaur All set for WBBL Kaur is set to play for Sydney Thunder in the WBBL. "It is almost done. I have signed the papers and everything is done. They will reveal it to the media in a couple of days," Kaur said. "I am very excited. I am preparing to tackle Australian conditions. I am trying to get into the routine as quickly as possible, so that I can feel comfortable," said Kaur, who has played two Tests, 55 ODIs and 61 T20Is. The 27-year-old cricketer said the experience of playing Down Under will help her overcome many fears related to her game. "We don't get international exposure like the men's team. We hardly play internationally. So, if I play there (WBBL), I will get to play 15 to 17 matches. There are little fears in my mind like overcoming pressure etc which I will learn to overcome with experience. "The experience of playing alongside some top-class women's cricketers is exciting. There is a lot to learn from them. The confidence will help when I come back to play with the Indian team. I will share my experience with them as well," said Kaur.

2016-06-29 10:30 By Harit www.mid-day.com

29 India is a smug, spoiled Golden boy of the West: Chinese daily Beijing: Defending China’s opposition to India’s entry into the NSG as "morally legitimate," a state-run daily yesterday hit out at India saying the West has "spoiled" the country making it a "bit smug" in international affairs. Meanwhile, in India: Members of Swadeshi Jagran Manch protest near the Chinese Embassy in New Daelhi on Tuesday, after China did not support India’s bid for NSG membership. PIC/PTI In an editorial, Global Times said it was rules, and not China that prevented India’s entry into the 48-nation body. It said, "Recent years have seen the Western world giving too many thumbs up to India, but thumbs down to China. India is spoiled. " "Although the South Asian country’s GDP accounts for only 20 per cent of that of China, it is still a golden boy in the eyes of the West, having a competitive edge and more potential compared to China. The international ‘adulation’ of India makes the country a bit smug in international affairs," it said. It said, "... India wants to be the first exception to join the NSG without signing the NPT. It is morally legitimate for China and other members to upset India’s proposal in defence of principles. "

2016-06-29 10:25 By Agencies www.mid-day.com

30 Delhi: Girl gangraped in private school premises; accused arrested New Delhi: A 17-year-old girl was allegedly gang- raped by a friend and a security guard inside the premises of a private school in east Delhi's Jagatpuri area, police said on Tuesday. The accused were arrested from their homes and slapped with charges under IPC and POCSO Acts. In her complaint, the girl told police that her friend took her to the school on the pretext of job yesterday. They went to an office room inside the school premises where her friend, who is a scrap dealer, and the private school's security guard raped her, a senior police official said. The prime accused, who was known to the girl for at least a year, met the girl at a local market yesterday and told her that he had set an appointment with someone at the private school. The accused fled the spot after the incident. The girl went back home and narrated her ordeal to her mother and the matter was later reported to the police, the official said.

2016-06-29 10:21 By PTI www.mid-day.com

31 'I was chained for two years' Islamabad: Pakistan’s former premier Yusuf Raza Gilani’s son Ali Haider Gilani, who was recently rescued by the American forces in Afghanistan, has said he was kidnapped by Al-Qaeda to force government to free some women family members of the terror group’s chief Ayman al-Zawahiri. Ali Haider Gilani when he arrived home in Lahore in May. Pic/AFP Ali was kidnapped after an election rally in May 9, 2013. "I was chained for two years," he said. "I was kept in a small room, not allowed to see the sky for one year and two months. I forgot how the sun felt on my skin. " He was recovered in May by US forces. "They wanted the government to release some women from family of al-Zawahiri," Ali, who was in custody of al-Qaeda for three years, told BBC Urdu. Ali said he was not physically tortured but forced to live in mental agony. He said that the militants were angry with his father for operations against them. "My father was prime minister when their leader Osama Bin Laden was killed. They told me they wanted revenge," he said. Ali said he had a diary where he tried to keep track of time and jot down day-to-day thoughts: "It kept me sane. I prayed a lot. I used to think of my son and say I have to survive for him. " Talking about future, Ali said that he was writing a book and would return to politics.

2016-06-29 10:19 By Agencies www.mid-day.com

32 32 Bengaluru's first woman Uber driver found dead Bengaluru: A 40-year-old woman cab driver, V Bharathi, was found dead in her rented house in the city’s northwest suburb, police said yesterday. "It appears to be a case of suicide, as the victim’s (V Bharathi) body was found hanging by a cloth-like rope from the ceiling of a room by her landlord on Monday night," said Sanjay Nagar police inspector Prakash. Though no suicide note was found in her house, police registered a case of unnatural death and shifted the body to a state-run hospital for autopsy to ascertain the cause of Bharathi’s death. "The landlord went to the third floor of his house where Bharathi was staying in the rented portion to check her whereabouts as he did not see her since Sunday night and found her body hanging through the room’s window and alerted us," Prakash recalled. Hailing from Guntur in Andhra Pradesh, Bharathi was staying alone in the house as she was single and orphaned. Her cab was found parked in front of the house.

2016-06-29 10:19 By Agencies www.mid-day.com

33 Vincenzo Montella named AC Milan coach Rome: Vincenzo Montella has been appointed Serie A side AC Milan coach on a two-year deal, the club has said. Montella left Sampdoria to replace Cristian Brocchi, who resigned on Monday, Xinhua news agency reported. Milan is expected to pay Sampdoria a release fee of about one million euros for the 42-year-old, the club said on Tuesday. AC Milan is reported to be on the verge of changing ownership as a pool of Chinese investors are interested.

2016-06-29 10:18 By IANS www.mid-day.com

34 Gangster Kumar Pillai in Crime Branch custody till July 7 Gangster Kumar Pillai was finally brought back to Mumbai by Crime Branch officials on Monday night after being detained in Singapore in January. Pillai has several cases — one murder case, two attempt to murder cases, one extortion case and two Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) cases — against him. He was produced before the special MCOCA court at Arthur Road yesterday and remanded to police custody till July 7 in a 2009 Vikhroli attempt to murder case. A non-bailable warrant was issued against Pillai in 2013 and later a red corner notice. Security near the police commissioner’s office at Crawford Market has been beefed up as Pillai is being kept at the special crime branch’s lock up inside that office. Barricades were put up and more cops were deployed. Crime branch officials said to initiate Pillai’s extradition they had to do lengthy, tiring paper work. His extradition was initiated based on one piece of evidence Mumbai Police had against him: Fingerprints, which were 26 years old. A team of crime branch was regularly travelling to Singapore during the last few months to complete the process. 2009 extortion case Pillai had allegedly demanded Rs 50 lakh as extortion from one builder in Vikhroli. When the builder didn’t pay him, Pillai allegedly sent a few of his gang members to the builder’s office. They vandalised the place and when one of them tried to shoot the builder, his gun jammed and he couldn’t fire. The builder registered a case with Vikhroli police against Pillai and others.

2016-06-29 10:18 By A www.mid-day.com

35 Wimbledon: World No 772 Marcus Willis impresses Roger Federer London: Roger Federer hailed Marcus Willis as one of the great Wimbledon fairytales after the British qualifier set up a dream clash with the seven-time champion. Roger Federer Willis is ranked 772 in the world and just months ago the 25-year-old, who works as a coach to amateur players, was considering calling time on a professional career that appeared to be going nowhere. But, persuaded to give tennis one last shot by his new girlfriend, Willis battled through to the main draw at Wimbledon via a series of qualifying matches before claiming a stunning first round win over world number 54 Ricardas Berankis on Monday. Great Britain's Marcus Willis celebrates his first round victory against Ricardas Berankis with his mother on Monday. Pic/Getty Images Asked if he had been the following the story of Willis, who set up a crowd- sourcing website in a bid to fund his career, the 17-time Grand Slam champion admitted he was as spellbound as the rest of the All England Club. "Yes I have followed it actually before I even saw him in my section of the draw. It's one of the best stories in a long time in our sport," Federer said. "This is the kind of story we need. I'm very excited to be playing him actually. It's not something I get to do very often. "

2016-06-29 10:17 By AFP www.mid-day.com

36 Olympics could be a failure: Rio Governor Brasilia: Rio de Janeiro's interim Governor Francisco Dornelles has admitted the upcoming Olympic Games could be a "big failure" if there were no appropriate measures taken in regards to security and transport. Dornelles declared an unprecedented "state of public calamity in financial administration" earlier this month with less than 50 days until the opening ceremony, which could threaten "the fulfilment of the obligations as a result of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Rio 2016", Xinhua news agency reported. Brazil's federal government has already reportedly agreed to disburse federal funds to cover Rio's shortfall, prioritising any projects considered necessary for the Games. However according to Dornelles, the funds have not yet reached the state. Dornelles also warned that due to lack of money, the police patrols may came to a halt by the end of the week. "I am optimistic about the Games, but we have to show the reality," he said in an interview on Monday with state-media media Globo. "We can make a great Olympics, but if some steps are not taken, it can be a big failure. " "We have to give proof that we are equipping security and the mobility for people to come to the country. " Dornelles' remarks are in sharp contrast with other higher-level Brazilian officials who always repeat that the games would be unaffected by the various political and economic problems ravaging the host nation. The games are slated to start on August 5.

2016-06-29 10:16 By IANS www.mid-day.com

37 Mumbai Crime: Tout who booked 20 railway tickets in 20 seconds nabbed In a major achievement for the Kurla Railway Protection Force (RPF), its officers last week busted a ticket- booking racket that was being operated using hi-tech US-made software. The software Bhanushali had been using for the last two years to book tickets Acting on a tip-off, RPF personnel laid a trap and arrested travel agency owner Ashwin Bhanushali for booking tickets using fake IRCTC accounts generated by a software named RoboForm. Travel agency owner Ashwin Bhanushali An officer said that Bhanushali would book up to 20 tickets in 20 seconds using the software and make a profit of anywhere between Rs 400 to Rs 2,000 per ticket. Senior Inspector Ritesh Aatri from Kurla RPF said, “The software enabled him to secure tickets using fake accounts. Investigation revealed that the software was purchased online from the US. Bhanushali owns Panjo Tours and Travels at Asalfa in Ghatkopar and was operating from there.” During the raid, officers confiscated two laptops used by Bhanushali to book tickets. Their scrutiny revealed that he had been booking tickets using the software for the past two years. Bhanushali was arrested and booked under Section 143 (illegal procurement or sale of tickets) of the Railways Act, 1989. He was produced in the court and is currently in judicial custody. Tip of the iceberg Earlier this month, Kurla RPF officers arrested three persons from Kalwa and Navi Mumbai for black marketing of railway tickets. They were identified as Durgesh Jaiswal and Roshan Patel of Krishna Communication from Kalwa and Luv Kush Yadav of Yes Enterprises in Navi Mumbai. Officers said the trio used similar softwares to book railway tickets illegally. Their interrogation led the officers to software vendor Sadare Alam from Rabale. During questioning, Alam told the RPF personnel that had secured the software online from an Uttar Pradesh-based seller named Sharif Khan. Currently, all five are in judicial custody. Another officer claimed that Bhanushali’s name first cropped up while they were interrogating the accused and that all of them could be part of a syndicate operating at the national-level. Cyber cell Owing to the limitation it faces while booking miscreants in such cases, RPF has decided to seek help from the cyber crime cell. “We’ll writing to the cyber crime cell for assistance, so that the accused are booked under the stringent sections of the Information Technology Act,” said Aatri. About the software Unlike a regular account holder, the software enables its user to connect to the IRCTC servers without authorisation and book multiple tickets by providing fake information. Such software can be purchased online for anywhere between Rs 1,000 to Rs 5,000 and the price varies on its ability to generate PNRs.

2016-06-29 10:16 By Asif www.mid-day.com

38 Fire Birds too hot for Ice Divas in Women's Kabaddi Challenge match Fire Birds led by former India skipper Mamtha Poojari clinched the inaugural match of the Women's Kabaddi Challenge (WKC) convincingly yesterday. A Fire Birds raider (left) is tackled by Ice Divas’ defenders during their Women's Kabaddi Challenge match yesterday. Pic/Atul Kamble Riding on an all-round performance from Mamtha and Payel Chowdhury (5 points each), Fire Birds beat Ice Divas 25-12 with the Indian women's cricket team skipper Mithali Raj in attendance at the National Sports Club of India, Worli yesterday. Fire Birds succeeded in taking a 13-8 lead at the end of first half. Birds' raiders kept the pressure on Divas throughout the match. Abhilasha Mhatre-led Ice Divas managed to earn only four points in the second half. Khushubu Narwal and Abhilasha contributed with four and three points respectively. Meanwhile, Pro Kabaddi witnessed the first tied match of Season IV as the encounter between Puneri Paltan and Dabang Delhi ended 27-27 yesterday.

2016-06-29 10:15 By Subodh www.mid-day.com

39 Engxit? EU may no longer speak the Queen's language London: The English language may be one of the casualties of Brexit as it emerged that no state other than the UK has registered it as a primary language among the 28 countries within the European Union. Protesters demonstrate outside Downing Street following the UK’s decision to leave the EU. Pics/Getty Images English has been the top choice for EU institutions but Britain’s vote to leave the union last week could trigger a ban on its use. “We have a regulation where every EU country has the right to notify one official language,” Danuta Hubner, the Polish MEP or Member of European Parliament who heads the European Parliament’s constitutional affairs committee, said in Brussels yesterday. “The Irish have notified Gaelic and the Maltese have notified Maltese, so you have only the UK notifying English,” she said in reference to the fact that English is in everyday use in member countries Ireland and Malta. Hubner said that although English was the “dominant language” used by the EU civil servants and MEPs, in legal terms “if you do not have the UK, you do not have English”, The Times reported. Regulations would have to be changed to retain the language, requiring a unanimous vote from the 27 states. The EU has 24 official languages but for daily business, the European Commission and council of ministers use English, French and German. “We have a series of member states that speak English, and English is the world language which we all accept,” said German EU commissioner Gunther Oettinger, before joking that if Scotland was to join separately, it could apply for English as their primary language. Corbyn lost While speculations over language rife, Opposition Labour’s leader Jeremy Corbyn lost a vote of no confidence in his leadership (172 votes to 40) but is expected to battle on to force a contest.

2016-06-29 10:14 By Agencies www.mid-day.com

40 'Beef smugglers' being forced to eat cow dung? Faridabad: A video showing two alleged cow traffickers forced to eat cow dung by volunteers of the 'Gau Rakshak Dal' has gone viral on the social media. According to police, the so-called 'Gau Rakshak Dal, a vigilante group of cow savers, intercepted a truck full of meat suspected to be beef and caught the two alleged cow traffickers, near Faridabad - Delhi border area on June 10. They beat the alleged beef smugglers and made them eat cow dung and chant 'Go mata jindabad'. The two alleged cow traffickers, identified as Rizwan and Muktihar, are at present in jail. Earlier, both the accused were taken to Bilaspur police station in Gurgaon. Later, they were handed over to Faridabad police because of the jurisdiction of crime, Station House Officer Anil Kumar said. However, Kumar denied the knowledge of any such video and said even the accused had not "narrated about this inhuman act".

2016-06-29 10:11 By PTI www.mid-day.com

41 US: Police fatally shoot man who raised BB gun at officers Washington: Police say officers in the District of Columbia fatally shot a man who raised a weapon toward them that turned out to be a BB gun. Authorities announced in a statement yesterday that officers responded to a call about a man with a gun in northeast Washington on Monday night. They found a man holding a weapon, but police say he ignored numerous demands to drop it, instead raising it toward the officers. That's when police say the officers fired, striking him. The man was taken to a hospital and police say he later died. Police identified the man as 63-year-old Sherman Evans of Washington. Police say the weapon Evans was holding was a BB gun. They did not release the races of the officers involved or that of Evans.

2016-06-29 10:09 By PTI www.mid-day.com

42 Queen Elizabeth in line for pay rise London: Britain's Queen Elizabeth is set to receive a $72,000 a week pay rise, an official report revealed. The Queen's income is based on a percentage of money earned by the Crown Estate, one of the wealthiest real estate owners in Britain, Xinhua news agency reported. Queen Elizabeth In its annual report issued on Tuesday, the Crown Estate disclosed that it has delivered a record $405 million to the Treasury in the past year. Unless the current formula is altered, it will mean that in 2017 the Queen's pay packet will be almost $61 million, 6.5 per cent higher than the %57 million she is receiving this year, and representing a 57 per cent increase over what was paid in 2012. The sum is worked out by paying to the Queen 15 per cent of the surplus made by the Royal Estate, paid two years in arrears. The figure can only be changed by three royal trustees, the Prime Minister, Chancellor of the Exchequer and Alan Reid, who has the title of the Queen's Keeper of the Privy Purse. The three are currently in the process of a review which could affect the amount due to the monarch next year, a government official said. A spokesman at Buckingham Palace said that it was too early to speculate on what the result would be or what amount the Queen would receive for 2017- 18. The report also showed the monarchy cost British taxpayers $53.5 million in 2015-16, with more than $21 million spent on the upkeep of royal households such as Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle, as well as other royal households and buildings. The 90-year-old Queen and the royal family's official travel cost the taxpayer $5.4 million in the past year, a reduction of more than $1 million compared to 2015. The Crown Estate owns London's Regent Street as well as the entire seabed around Great Britain. It also owns Windsor Great Park, and Ascot's famous racecourse, as well as estates and properties in Scotland and Northern Ireland, and across England. The office of the Crown Estate was started in 1760 when it was agreed that surplus revenue from the crown's estate would go to the Government Treasury. In return reigning monarchs receive an annual payment, 15 per cent of the annual surplus of the estate to support official royal duties.

2016-06-29 10:07 By PTI www.mid-day.com

43 Rain, landslides block roads in Uttarakhand Dehradun: Heavy rains and landslides have blocked many roads in the hill state of Uttarakhand, an official said on Wednesday. The roads include the Kedarnath highway and the Badrinath highway at Nandprayag. Efforts were on to clear the roads and bring the disrupted traffic back to track, the official said. "The Border Road Organisation is trying its best to clear these roads as many pilgrims of the Chaar Dhaam Yatra have been stranded at various places due to the block" an official told IANS. Meanwhile, the state's Met department has sounded a 72-hour alert for heavy rains beginning June 30. The districts where the alert has been sounded include Almora, Pauri, Uttarkashi, Dehradun, Udhamsinghnagar, Champawat and Nainital. So far, most parts of the state have received moderate rainfall.

2016-06-29 09:57 By IANS www.mid-day.com

44 Mumbai Diary: Wednesday Dossier A Hugh caption When Aussie actor Hugh Jackman tweeted this photo of him sweating it out in the gym, with a request to “Caption this”, we couldn’t resist the challenge. Hugh Jackman We tried, Hugh, but with a hot bod and bulging biceps, it was a tad tough to focus on the word play. Corridors of power Pic/Bipin Kokate Industrialist Rahul Bajaj and son Niraj walk the talk on their way to attend the 108th Annual General Meeting of the Chamber at a SoBo five-star last morning. Later, Rahul Bajaj addressed the audience on the topic, Changing India in a Changing World. Being Vidya Balan’s voice Last weekend, she jammed as part of a multi-artiste gig in the city helmed by Dhruv Ghanekar. Kalpana Patowary, the talented folk and playback artiste, who shot to fame after the success of the hit song, Gandi Baat, is excited after having recently rendered her voice for Vidya Balan in the Srijit Mukherjee-directed, Begum Jaan that is set for an early 2017 release. Kalpana Patowary and Vidya Balan The film is a remake of a Bengali film inspired by Partition titled, Raj Kahini. The artiste from Assam says about the experience, “The film is about the trauma of displaced women in a brothel during Partition. I am glad to be a part of this project. Though it’s too early to comment on the song, I can reveal that it is a sad song, and will be the first time where I have rendered my voice for my all- time favourite actress, Vidya Balan. Besides, Anu Malik has composed the music; so, it was a double bonanza for me. It is a melodious track, and I am looking forward to its release of the song.” The dhaba, version 2.0 Parel, Lalbaug and Dadar’s working class junta will swear by Pritam da Dhaba for a late-night meal of Murgh Makhani and Lassi, propped up on cushioned charpoys. Now, we hear that the rustic outfit, along with Pritam Restaurant, is getting a revamp. In the next quarter, the flagship restaurant, established in 1942, will present a nostalgic ambience that commemorates its journey over the decades while Pritam da Dhaba’s new avatar will offer food from the best highway dhabas in the country. In fact, recently, we were impressed by its parent company, Pritam Group of Hotel’s latest offering, MRP (My Regular Place), a drinks-and-games driven modern Asian bistro (also at Hotel Midtown Pritam) that opens today. We’re looking forward to the 2.0 versions of the two spaces as well. PS: If you’re in Dadar today, drop by MRP for free cocktails from noon to 3 am. Melodies from the Merasi A special folk music concert lit up a grey, rain-soaked Tuesday, thanks to the tunes of Merasi musicians of Rajasthan as part of a India Culture Lab event. The Merasi tribe at last evening’s performance. Pic/Sameer Markande For 38 generations, they have have composed, performed and maintained a vibrant, distinct folk music legacy that is on the verge of extinction. Called the “keepers of stories”, their narratives flow from generation to generation. The group includes singers across age groups who dance and play several instruments that enthralled the audience in the Lab’s Vikhroli auditorium. Back to school Recently, a school in Liberia’s capital, Monrovia had a couple of special guests. Our Malad-girl-in-Hollywood, Freida Pinto and First Lady Of The United States, Michelle Obama dropped in at schools meant for girl students in the African nation. Freida Pinto with Michelle Obama It was part of a visit to meet young girls in Monrovia to have them continue in school for Obama’s Let Girls Learn initiative. Pinto is part of a number of humanitarian causes, especially with girls’ education and women empowerment. We wonder what Pinto and Obama would have spoken about. Acting? Politics? Or, chatter about the social causes that need a push. Either way, we love this frame.

2016-06-29 09:57 By Team www.mid-day.com

45 Rio 2016: Indian gymnast Dipa Karmakar dares to dream Nashik: It's a dangerous manoeuvre, with a catastrophe looming large, but Indian gymnast Dipa Karmakar is geared up to perform the Produnova vault, a double-frontal vault introduced by Russia's Elena Produnova, once gain at the upcoming Rio Olympics. India's Dipa Karmakar competes in the vault final during the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland. Pic/Getty Images The 22-year-old Tripura artistic gymnast created history in April this year, becoming the first woman to qualify for the quadrennial event. Dipa garnered a total score of 52.698 points in the qualifying event and became the first Indian gymnast to represent the nation after 52 years at the global event. Life has not been milk and honey for Dipa, who is now quite a popular athlete. The Karmakar family live in a modest four-bedroom house in Agartala and Dipa's father Dulal, a Sports Authority of India (SAI) weightlifting coach, had a tough time trying to keep his young and restless daughter occupied. 'Unaware of gymnastics' "I enrolled Dipa into gymnastics to keep her busy. As a child, she was very restless, so keeping her focussed was the aim. She was not aware what gymnastics was all about when I enrolled her," Dulal told mid-day. Dipa is also one of only five women, who have tried the Produnova in competition. "Produnova has been performed by very few gymnasts all over world," said Dipa's coach Biswesnar Nandi, who led the Indian gymnastics contingent at the 1982 New Delhi Asiad and represented India 10 times. The coach shed light on Dipa's training schedule. "Right now Dipa practices in two sessions. The morning session starts at 8:30 am and ends at 12:00 noon while the second begins at 4:45 pm to 8:45 pm," he added. Her gruelling training sessions notwithstanding, India's favourite gymnast also keeps a strict tab on her diet. "Dipa's diet consists of non-vegetarian food along with plenty of fruits," Nandi revealed. However, that doesn't take away the fact that Dipa is quite a foodie and when at home, loves to gorge on Bengali cuisine. "Dipa is very fond of fish and whenever she's home she prefers homemade Bengali food," Dulal quipped. Dipa has received support from every corner, including an entry into SAI's Target Olympic Podium scheme. And with steady preparation and financial assistance from the government, she is a definite medal prospect at Rio.

2016-06-29 09:53 By Nitin www.mid-day.com

46 Golfer Jason Day stays put over Zika fears Sydney: World number one Jason Day yesterday became the latest golfer to withdraw from the Rio Olympics because of fears over the Zika virus. Jason Day "It is with deep regret I announce that I will not be competing in the 2016 Summer Olympic Games this coming August in Rio de Janeiro," Australia's Day said in a statement. "The reason for my decision is my concerns about the possible transmission of the Zika virus and the potential risks that it may present to my wife's future pregnancies and to future members of our family. " The 28-year-old father-of-two joins the likes of Northern Ireland duo Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell — both down to compete for Ireland, Fiji's Vijay Singh, Marc Leishman of Australia and South Africa's Branden Grace in announcing his intention not to compete at the Games starting on August 5.

2016-06-29 09:52 By AFP www.mid-day.com

47 CCPA meeting to decide on monsoon session will be held today New Delhi: The Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA) will meet here on Wednesday to finalise the dates for Parliament's monsoon session, likely to begin from July 18. "The CCPA will meet tomorrow (Wednesday) in room number 155 of the South Block," an official source told IANS. The meeting will be chaired by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh. According to the source, Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs M. Venkaiah Naidu will meet all ministers, which will be followed by a cabinet meeting, and the CCPA meeting, in the same room of the South Block building. Among the bills pending in the Rajya Sabha is the Goods and Services Tax Bill, moved in the Upper House in August last year after it was passed by the Lok Sabha. The government is hopeful of its passage during the upcoming session as the National Democratic Alliance tally has gone up by five to 74 members in the upper house after the recent biennial elections to the Rajya Sabha. "Many regional parties are with the government on the issue. We hope it will be passed without any problem," Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi told IANS. In the Lok Sabha, important pending bills include the Consumer Protection Bill, 2015, and the Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Amendment Bill, 2015. These bills are expected to be passed during the month-long monsoon session. In May, after the Budget session of Parliament got over, the Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA government expressed "satisfaction" over the performance of both houses of Parliament and said its "persistent outreach" has resulted in better functioning of the legislature "despite heat on some issues". Naqvi said the Lok Sabha worked 118 per cent of its scheduled time, while the Rajya Sabha worked 87 per cent of its time. The lower house passed 10 bills, while the upper house passed 12 bills during the budget session. The Lok Sabha passed important legislations, including the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, which was described as one key reform step and a game-changer in terms of tracking black money. This key bill later got the nod from the Rajya Sabha too. In the Rajya Sabha too, despite differences and occasional disruptions over Uttarakhand and AgustaWestland chopper deal, a bill was passed on May 11 to upgrade the Rajendra Agricultural University in Bihar to a central university. In a record of sorts, the bill was also passed by the Lok Sabha on the same day.

2016-06-29 09:48 By IANS www.mid-day.com

48 Lionel Messi must stay on, says Diego Maradona Buenos Aires: Argentine football legend Diego Maradona on Monday urged Lionel Messi not to follow through on his vow to quit the national team after its defeat in the Copa America Centenario. Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi "Messi has to stay in the national team. He has to stay because he still has playing days ahead of him," Maradona was quoted as saying by La Nacion newspaper online. "He will go to Russia in form to be world champion at the 2018 World Cup," he added. Messi decided to quit after Argentina's defeat on penalties to Chile on Sunday. Messi is widely rated as the best player in the world, but that was his fourth defeat in an international final for Argentina. Maradona, 55, blamed Argentina's recent lack of trophies on the country's football association (AFA). He accused it of not supporting Messi and letting him take the blame. "The lads have to be supported more to help him take the team forward," the newspaper quoted Maradona as saying. "Those who are saying he should quit are doing it so that we won't see what a disaster Argentine football has become. "

2016-06-29 09:45 By AFP www.mid-day.com

49 Virat Kohli: Improved fitness has made me a better fielder New Delhi: India's Test captain Virat Kohli said his whole outlook towards fitness changed after 2012 Indian Premier League (IPL) and a healthier body has not only made him a better batsman but also an improved fielder. Virat Kohli Kohli is arguably the fittest Indian cricketer and as captain, he expects his teammates to cut no corners on their physical well-being. Kohli insists improved fitness has immensely helped his fielding and not just his exploits with the bat.

2016-06-29 09:43 By PTI www.mid-day.com

50 Mumbai: BMC razes entrance of Three Wise Men; landlord calls it an unwise move Three Wise Men, a popular watering hole in the western suburb of Santacruz, yesterday faced the wrath of the civic body, as it demolished illegal portions of the pub. The pub’s management had to pay to clear the debris after the BMC demolished the structure. Pic/Prabhanjan Dhanu But the landlord has termed the demolition illegal by giving two reasons: 1) the matter is sub judice and the court had stayed the demolition and 2) the BMC never issued a notice before initiating the action. According to the pub staffers, a team from the H-west ward office reached the establishment around 11 am and started razing the front portion without verifying the facts. Security guard Amarkumar Chaudhary, who was on-duty at the time of demolition, claimed over a 100 people started destroying the pub’s exterior. “I informed them that there were two people inside the hotel and they could get injured if they continued with the demolition, following which they took a brief halt. However, demolition resumed the moment the two staffers came out,” he added. Speaking to mid-day, landlord Sumeet Kadam alleged that the action initiated by the BMC was in contempt of the court. “I own this property since 1970. Though the BMC claims it to be illegal, I have contested its observations in the civil court. Despite the matter being sub juidice, they razed the structure, which is contempt of court. I will fight against this injustice. I am seeking legal recourse to decide the future course of action.” Official speak Commenting on the issue, an engineer who was part of the demolition team said, “The demolition drive was conducted at various locations in Santacruz West and Khar. Action was taken against structures encroaching the footpath. Moreover, it isn’t legally binding for us to issue notices in such cases.” All attempts to contact H-west ward officer Sharad Ughade via calls and texts went unanswered. Owner says “We have incurred heavy losses due to the demolition. It will take us at least two months to redo the entire place. Adding insult to injury, we had to pay to get the debris cleared. Since the demolition was conducted without serving a notice in advance, we’ll be registering a police complaint in this matter,” said one of the management staffers from Three Wise Men.

2016-06-29 09:43 By Ranjeet www.mid-day.com

51 Mumbai: Top gallerist bruised in cab accident; Uber's response: Rs 100 refund Well-known art connoisseur and gallerist, Jamal Mecklai (66), recently had a troubled ride with Uber. The Uber vehicle in which he was travelling to Colaba met with an accident on Peddar Road on June 26. But more than the accident, it’s the way Uber has barely reacted to the incident that has troubled Mecklai. Jamal Mecklai, CEO of Mecklai Financials, shows one of his injuries, apart from those he sustained on his shin, shoulder and arms in the accident. He says Uber did not even enquire about him. Pics/Sneha Kharabe Mecklai was travelling from Mahalaxmi and took a cab at around 12.30 pm. “I was talking over the cell phone when suddenly there was a jerk and crash. Our vehicle had rammed the vehicle in front,” said Mecklai. After that Mecklai claimed that the driver terminated the journey and he was billed R100 for the ride. “I got a message of money being deducted. I was hurt and had cuts and bruises on my knees, shin, shoulder and arms,” he said. He then took a regular black-and-yellow cab, and while on his way, he contacted Uber to complain about the accident. He also took to Twitter, where he wrote about the incident, and later sent emails to Uber. “But he did not get a response from Uber. They did not even bother enquiring about his injuries or the trauma that he underwent,” said Pravina Mecklai, his wife, who owns Jamaat art gallery. Here’s a refund The series of complaints resulted only in a single email response about the R100 that was deducted, as being refunded to his account. Gradually, as the day progressed, Mecklai’s pain became severe. Pravina said that he had X-Rays done to check for internal injuries or fractures. “They have my contact number and other details, yet I did not receive a single call enquiring about my well-being. These tech-friendly taxi services are easy to use but they need to improve their service. At times like these, we realise that their policies are flawed and they need to be addressed,” added Mecklai. The mobile aggregators have introduced an SOS button system in their applications that could be used in such incidents. But officials believe that not many know about it. The SOS button will immediately inform the mobile aggregators about any unwarranted incident or event, and in the long run, officials from Transport department said that it will be connected to the police control room too. Delayed scheme The state government is sitting on the City Taxi Scheme, 2015, which would bring clarity to the system. “The City Taxi Scheme, 2015 is expected to get clearance from the Cabinet soon. This will bring things under control,” said Transport Commissioner Shyam Wardhane. Recently, Transport Minister Diwakar Raote claimed that the policy has been forwarded to the Chief Minister’s office for clearance. Uber says A spokesperson from Uber said, “We were in touch with the rider ever since he first wrote to us. We have sent three emails asking him for a specific time for us to talk to him, as well.”

2016-06-29 09:41 By Shashank www.mid-day.com

52 Wimbledon: Nick Kyrgios pricked again, but defeats Radek Stepanek London: Nick Kyrgios was back in trouble on his return to Wimbledon as the Australian rowed with umpire Mohamed Lahyani and told his entourage to get out during a stormy 6-4, 6-3, 6-7 (9/11), 6-1 win over Czech veteran Radek Stepanek yesterday. Australia's Nick Kyrgios reacts during his first round Wimbledon match against Czech Republic's Radek Stepanek on Day Two yesterday. Pic/Getty Images Kyrgios has earned a reputation as one of the most volatile players on the men's tour after a series of distasteful antics, including briefly appearing to stop trying during his Wimbledon defeat against Richard Gasquet last year. The temperamental 21-year- old, who was hit with a $2,000 fine for swearing during the same last 16 clash with Gasquet, lost his cool yet again on his first return here since that meltdown 12 months ago. Bad language warning He was warned for bad language by Lahyani following an audible rant that included telling his support team to stop watching him after he lost the third set. Despite his latest petulant display, Kyrgios insisted he provided great entertainment for fans. "The crowd likes the way I play here, I entertain. I'm comfortable here and they know the tennis I bring every day," he said. Asked whether he felt unfairly treated by Lahyani, Kyrgios said: "I'm not going to answer that question. We're good. We're not good, but... I mean, I'm pretty sure we've all said it in this room. " Kyrgios has struggled to stay out of trouble through his career, so there was plenty of attention on the World No 18 when he strolled onto Court Two — also the venue for the Gasquet incidents. He didn't take long to live up to his reputation when he began complaining and audibly groaned "diabolical call" after being told to replay one point in the first set. Stepanek, the World No 129, is also known as a difficult personality on court and he apparently recognised a kindred spirit in Kyrgios, offering to help him with his problems this year. On this evidence, Stepanek's advice may not have sunk in yet. Kyrgios was on course for a routine win as he overwhelmed Stepanek with a barrage of winners. But he was broken when serving for the match and then failed to take a match point in the third set tie-break, prompting a stream of invective that ended with the Australian telling his entourage to leave. "I'm serious, get out, get out," he ranted before being warned for bad language by Lahyani. Kyrgios continued to complain to Lahyani throughout the fourth set. "You're telling me that every single person who has said that word in this chair has got a code violation, in the history of tennis," he said. 2016-06-29 09:40 By AFP www.mid-day.com

53 Euro 2016: Wayne Rooney's wife Coleen shocked over crying son image on tabloid cover Nice: England captain Wayne Rooney's wife Coleen has reacted with shock at British tabloid, The Sun's front page yesterday showing her six-year-old son in tears following England's pre-quarterfinal loss to Iceland leading to their exit from Euro 2016 on Monday here. England captain Wayne Rooney's wife Coleen attends the Euro 2016 Round of 16 match between England and Iceland at the Allianz Riviera Stadium in Nice on Monday. Pic/AFP Coleen, mother of three boys (Kai, three-year-old Kaly and five-month-old Kit) brought her eldest son to the England vs Iceland match. After the defeat, Kai was photographed holding his hands over his head, visibly disappointed. Online trolls Coleen, who was persistently trolled online following England's defeat, reacted sharply on Twitter. "Yes, I've seen that front page and it's absolutely shocking," she wrote on her Twitter account. This is not the first time Coleen has been in the news during the tournament. Last week she was pictured soaking up the sun in Nice. Then, she was slammed on social media for taking her son out of school for a few days in order to watch dad Rooney play in Paris. The front page of British tabloid The Sun yesterday featuring Wayne Rooney's son Kai "Hope there's a fine coming your way for taking kids out of school!!! Double standards," posted one of Coleen's followers online. Coleen explained that she had done everything by the book when it came to taking the family abroad. "No, Kai goes to a private school, so no fine… Extra work to take away with us though!!! " she replied. Meanwhile, despite numerous online trolls yesterday, she maintained her dignity with a straightforward and fitting reply to the cyber bullies: "Everyone's entitled to their opinions but am gutted like every other England fan. (sic)"

2016-06-29 09:39 By A www.mid-day.com

54 Harbhajan Singh to sponsor clothing for disabled team Harbhajan Singh has come forward to sponsor clothing of the Indian disabled cricket team that will tour Afghanistan next month for a tri-series (July 20 to 30) where Pakistan will be third participating team. Harbhajan Singh The veteran spinner was approached by Ravi Chauhan, secretary of the Physically Challenged Cricket Association of India (PCCAI) after getting an invitation to participate in the tournament by the Afghanistan Cricket Board. "We regularly update Harbhajan about the matches our boys play. I asked him if he could sponsor kits and he immediately agreed. Every will get a pair each of the practice kit, travelling clothes and match colours. We are grateful to Harbhajan for his help. It would have cost us around R3 lakh had we made kits for the tour," Chauhan told mid-day from New Delhi. India's limited overs skipper MS Dhoni had sponsored the PCCAI team that won the bilateral series 6-0 in South Africa in 2014.

2016-06-29 09:38 By Harit www.mid-day.com

55 Euro 2016: Spain not at same level as before, says Gerard Pique Paris: Spain can no longer match the standards that won back-to-back European Championship titles in 2008 and 2012, Gerard Pique admitted after his side crashed out of Euro 2016 to Italy. Spain's Gerard Pique reacts after missing out on a scoring opportunity during their Euro 2016 Round-of-16 match against Italy at the Stade de France in Paris on Monday. Pic/Getty Images The 2-0 defeat means that Spain, who also claimed their maiden World Cup in 2010, have now been embarrassed in two consecutive major tournaments. They were dumped out of the 2014 World Cup as holders after just two group matches. "We have to be realistic, we don't have the same level as when we were world and European champions," said Barcelona defender Pique. "There are youngsters coming through that promise a lot. There are others who have years of experience and we have to continue offering that experience and talent. The level isn't the same. We have to accept it and be critical to get to the World Cup in Russia in good conditions and at a better level. " 'Del Bosque's call' However, Pique defended the right of coach Vicente del Bosque to take time to decide his future despite the latest failure. Del Bosque was in charge for the tournament wins in 2010 and 2012. But the 65-year-old had already resisted calls to resign after the World Cup two years ago. "He has won the right to decide. He is a very important person for football in this country," added Pique. Del Bosque insisted he will speak with the Spanish Football Federation's president Angel Maria Villar before making his decision. Yet, the former Real Madrid boss refuted suggestions it was the end of an era for Spanish football. "It has been and is a great era for Spanish football," said Del Bosque.

2016-06-29 09:38 By AFP www.mid-day.com

56 India coach Anil Kumble dismisses conflict of interest talk New Delhi: Newly-appointed India coach Anil Kumble has dismissed reports of conflict of interest between his new job and his involvement in a sports firm as well as heading the ICC Cricket Committee. Anil Kumble The former India captain, who was named for the coveted post last week, has involvement in a company called Tenvic, which is in the business of sports and consulting. Kumble said all issues have been addressed before signing on the dotted line and he will also continue as Chairman of the ICC Cricket Committee. "There is absolutely no conflict of interest. All things have been addressed," he said in 'The Week'.

2016-06-29 09:37 By PTI www.mid-day.com

57 Mumbai: Unable to foot medical expenses, woman murders minor son Mumbai: A woman allegedly strangulated her six-year-old son to death today as she could not afford the expenses for his medical treatment, following which she was arrested, police said. Representational Pic Savitri Tipanna (27) allegedly strangulated her son, Devraj, at their residence in suburban Chembur. The boy was rushed to Rajawadi Hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival, they said. Police said they suspected Savitri's role behind the murder after noticing strangulation marks round his neck. During interrogation, she confessed to the crime. Savitri was facing financial hardship and she could not afford the expenses for treatment of Devraj who was suffering from epileptic seizures and needed hospitalisation, they said, adding her alcoholic husband had died a long time back. She has been booked under section 302 (murder) of IPC, police said.

2016-06-29 09:37 By PTI www.mid-day.com

58 'Don't care about things that are rusting' Even as the Dalit community bays for his blood for destroying Ambedkar Bhavan, former IAS officer and Chief Information Commissioner of Maharashtra Ratnakar Gaikwad claims he is merely trying to fulfil the dreams of Dalit icon, Babasaheb Ambedkar. However, when he was asked why he didn’t have historical artefacts such as rare books and Ambedkar’s printing press moved to safety, he said, “As an Ambedkarite, my dream is to follow what Babasaheb wanted. He wanted a command centre for the people. That is what we are doing. I don’t give importance to things that are rusting; there are so many things that are rusting.” As thousands marched in protest yesterday, demanding his arrest, Ratnakar Gaikwad held the press conference to convey his side of the story to the public. Formerly a member of People’s Improvement Trust, which that ran the Bhavan, Gaikwad said he is just an advisor now. Allegations were made that Gaikwad had not only unlawfully demolished Ambedkar Bhavan, but had also allowed Babasaheb’s historic printing press to be damaged. Ins response, Gaikwad claimed the plot had been purchased by Ambedkar to construct a building that would be the Dalit headquarters, and it was never meant to house the printing press. “The press came here later; it was shifted here from Naigaon during riots. This place was never meant for the press,” he said. Leading the charge against him are Babasaheb’s grandsons Anandraj and Prakash Ambedkar. According to them, Gaikwad was trying to wrest control of the Bhavan and had ulterior motives behind its demolition. Gaikwad retaliated by firing salvos against the duo, alleging that it was they who were trying occupy the Bhavan, which was meant for the entire community. Gaikwad further alleged that they behaved like the building was their personal property and were resorting to goondaism to stake their claim. Gaikwad brought out a letter dated February 1956, to show how Ambedkar had reprimanded his own son for using underhanded tactics to occupy the iconic building. He claimed that the Ambedkar brothers, who wanted to become trustees, were refused by the trust as they were just following Babasaheb, who had denied the position to his own son in the past. 'Had to demolish' Gaikwad also showed copies of the BMC notice, asking the trust to demolish the building as it was dilapidated. “Had we not demolished the building, we would have been prosecuted. The notice was issued in newspapers too. I will fight till my last breath to see that the dream of Babasaheb is turned into reality and we will construct a 17-storey headquarters here,” he said.

2016-06-29 09:35 By Varun www.mid-day.com

59 Ambedkar Bhavan protests: Opticians take a hit As Dalit protestors wound their way through Dadar yesterday, it was Gangar Opticians that bore the brunt when the demonstration turned violent and a paver block came flying through the glass front door of the landmark store at Dadar TT. Eyewear store at Dadar TT was attacked with a paver block that smashed its glass front door and damaged products. Pic/Datta Kumbhar Store manager Nilesh Shah recalled, “It must have been around 2 pm; there were 12-15 staff members in the store. Suddenly we saw a substantial crowd outside — there must have been at least 100 people around the bend. Without any warning, there was a resounding crash — somebody had hurled a paver block at the front door.” Fortunately, no one was hurt. “Shards of glass flew, but all of us ran to the back of the store. It was a chilling moment. The first counter had been damaged and at least 30-35 spectacle frames and sunglasses had been broken. But no one was hurt, so we consider ourselves lucky,” added Shah. It could have been a lot worse. “Just 15 minutes before the incident, we had eight people in the shop trying on frames. They would have definitely been hurt if they were inside. We shut our shop on Saturday evening since there was tension in the air. Last morning, though, all seemed normal. They did not even warn us to close the shop,” he said, adding, “There is an air of trepidation and uncertainty. This store has been witness to plenty in nearly four decades of its existence here, but never has it been attacked like it was yesterday.”

2016-06-29 09:34 By Hemal www.mid-day.com

60 Ajinkya Rahane loved his history more than maths back in school India Test vice-captain yesterday Ajinkya Rahane emphasised the importance of education in one's life. Bat, man: India batsman Ajinkya Rahane teaches a kid how to bat during a promotional event at a city hotel yesterday. Pic/Atul Kamble "My father (Madhukar) is a super hero for me. At an early age he drilled into me the importance of education," said Rahane while answering a question from a child at P&G Shiksha, P&G's Corporate Social Responsibility event. "I was always a first-bencher at school. My favourite subject was history. I also liked mathematics but I enjoyed learning history and I read a lot of books," said the 28-year-old Mumbai batsman. The education programme has supported 1000 schools and reached out to over 10 lakh children in the last 12 years. Rahane will be in Bangalore today for a preparatory camp at the National Cricket Academy for next month's West Indies tour.

2016-06-29 09:33 By Subodh www.mid-day.com

61 Istanbul airport attack: 36 killed; Turkish PM blames IS Istanbul: Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim on Wednesday blamed the Islamic State (IS) for the bombing attacks that killed 36 people and injured 60 others at Istanbul's Ataturk Airport on Tuesday night, the media reported. Children and their relatives embrace as they leave Ataturk airport on June 28, 2016 in Istanbul after two explosions followed by gunfire hit Turkey's biggest airport, killing at least 28 people and injuring 20. Pic/ AFP Addressing the press at the airport, the premier said the attacks were carried out by three suicide bombers and all blew themselves up, Xinhua news agency reported. Forensic police work the explosion site at Ataturk airport on June 28, 2016 in Istanbul after two explosions followed by gunfire hit Turkey's biggest airport. Pic/ AFP US officials said the attack bears the hallmarks of IS because of the target and method, CNN reported. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the attack should serve as a turning point in the global fight against militant groups, BBC reported. Passengers wait with their luggage outside the Ataturk airport in Istanbul, in June 28, 2016, after two explosions followed by gunfire hit the Turkey's biggest airport. Pic/AFP "The bombs that exploded in Istanbul could have gone off at any airport in any city around the world," Erdogan said. Turkish Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag said earlier in Ankara that one terrorist opened fire with a Kalashnikov rifle and then blew himself up. Binali Yildirim. Pic/ AFP A Turkish official was quoted as saying on Twitter that the vast majority of casualties are Turkish citizens, with foreigners among the dead and wounded. The police have closed the entrances and exits of the airport, and some inbound flights to the airport have been diverted in the aftermath of the attacks, press reports said. Prime Minister Binali Yildirim has ordered the formation of a crisis desk. Kerem Kinik, the head of Turkish Red Crescent, has appealed for blood donation. The security situation in Turkey has deteriorated over the past year, with Istanbul, the national capital of Ankara and other cities having already been hit by a number of bombing attacks.

2016-06-29 09:32 By IANS www.mid-day.com

62 Mumbai: Teen holding wet clothes gets electrocuted in factory A simple touch from a tube light can turn out to be fatal. A 19-year-old boy died on Sunday when the side hook of a tube light touched the wet clothes in his hands. The factory has been locked after the incident. Pic/Sameer Markande Maiharaj Ahmad Sheikh was on his way to deliver the clothes to a garment factory in Chembur, when it started raining and the clothes got drenched. Maiharaj Ahmad Sheikh While he was walking down the narrow lane at around 4.30 pm to reach Jainul Garment factory located at Lokhandey Marg, the wet clothes accidentally touched the tube light. Live current passed through the clothes into his body, leading to instant death for the boy. “Nothing like this has ever happened till now. I don’t think the factory has an earthing system or else this incident wouldn’t have happened,” said Saheed Sheikh, Maiharaj’s father, who has been delivering washed clothes to this factory for two decades. Jainul and other workers took Maiharaj’s body to Rajawadi Hospital where the post-mortem was done. “Due to the sudden electric shock, his heart stopped on the spot,” said a doctor attached with the hospital. Police says The Tilaknagar police have locked the factory and have asked the power supplier Reliance Energy to inspect the site and report the reason behind this incident. “The factory would be opened after the investigation is over. A case has been registered. We are not sure how the boy got electrocuted. There may be a problem with the electric connection caused by continuous rainfall. We have sent a letter to Reliance to look into the matter and provide a statement,” said investigating officer, PSI Nilesh Nagpe, adding that so far, Reliance had not provided any response. No action has been taken against the factory owner, Jainul Sheikh, as the probe is still on.

2016-06-29 09:30 By Rupsa www.mid-day.com

63 Euro 2016: Gareth Southgate favourite to replace Roy Hodgson London: National Under-21 coach Gareth Southgate is the early favourite of a not very long list of mooted candidates to replace Roy Hodgson as coach of England following their embarrassing exit at Euro 2016. Gareth Southgate and Roy Hodgson Having flirted with foreign coaches such as Sven-Goran Eriksson and then autocratic Italian Fabio Capello before bringing in the Hodgson, the Football Association (FA) are likely to go for an Englishman if the bookies are to be believed. Southgate — best known for missing a spot-kick in the Euro 96 semi-final penalty shoot-out defeat against Germany — restored some of his reputation with victory at the prestigious Toulon tournament in May having had a disappointing European Under-21 campaign last year. Hodgson said, "I would have loved to stay on for another two years. However, I am pragmatic and I know we are in the results business," said the 68-year-old, who succeeded Capello as manager in 2012. "My contract was always up after the Euros, so now is the time for someone else to oversee the progress of this young, hungry and extremely talented group of players. "I'm extremely disappointed of course about tonight's result and ultimately our exit from the competition," Hodgson said.

2016-06-29 09:29 By AFP www.mid-day.com

64 Industry to pay tax for buying cheaper power The state’s industries, which buy cheaper power from sources other than the state-owned distribution company — Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited MSEDCL — will have to pay the government a tax called electricity duty. Industry sources fear that this extra cost of production could be passed onto consumers in times of inflation. On Tuesday, the State Cabinet scrapped the existing law because it did not provide for taxing transactions that are held in the open market through power exchanges, and through open access which allows large users of power to buy it for cheaper prices from sources other than its official distributor. Such users are primarily industrial units having a daily requirement of 1 mega watt (MW) of power. Since the state has been losing huge revenue because of open market trading and open access, the Cabinet decided to enact a new law which will be approved in the Monsoon session of state legislature next month. Currently, electricity duty is charged at the rate of 15% of monthly consumption charges. Distributors collect it through a billing mechanism and pass it onto the government. A cabinet note on Tuesday said that the state required a new act because “the Electricity Act 2003 governs and regulates the electricity business in the country. It has many new concepts which are beyond the ambit of state’s electricity duty act. The state has been losing huge revenue and hence it needs a new law”. The state-owned company MahaVitaran (MSEDCL) has opposed open access regime, but the Maharashtra State Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC) has denied it a favourable decision. The large users of power are buying some 1,200-1,400 Mw daily from sources other than MahaVitaran. An official statement made on Tuesday said that the government would earn Rs 464 cr more annually after the new act gets enacted. Industries in Maharashtra which consume 6,500-7,000 MW daily, pay highest power rates (compared to neighbouring states). Industries also cross-subsidise low end consumers by paying more. Buying cheaper power through open access saves industries at least R1.50 per unit. The state government justified the move saying that the consumers use state’s distribution network to get power in open access but don’t pay user charges. “With the new act, all consumers using open access as well as other methods to buy (cheaper) power from sources other than local distributor will be levied electricity duty,” said the statement.

2016-06-29 09:24 By Dharmendra www.mid-day.com

65 2008 Malegaon blasts case: Court rejects Sadhvi Pragya's bail plea for the second time A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) Court yesterday denied bail to Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, an accused in the 2008 Malegaon Blasts case. Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur Special Judge SD Tekale cited the evidence collected by the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) against Sadhvi for his rejection. This is the second time that her bail plea has been turned down. The previous plea was cancelled based on the request made by the NIA, which has now given her a clean chit. Turning down Sadhvi’s bail plea, Tekale cited the evidence collected by the ATS and the statement of one of the witnesses mentioned in ATS chargesheet that Sadhvi and Ramji Kalsangara, an absconding accused, had discussed the blasts. Earlier, Kalsangara had admitted his complicity in causing the blasts. Moreover, Sadhivi had also questioned the lesser number of casualties despite using her vehicle for which Kalsangara reasoned with her. The judge observed, “Statement of this witness clearly shows the complicity of Sadhvi and Ramji.” Referring to the use of the motorcycle, booked in Sadhvi’s name, for executing the blasts, Judge stated, “Both the investigating agencies have concluded that the motorcycle used in the blasts was registered in Sadhvi’s name. At this prima facie stage, she cannot avoid her connection with the motorcycle and being the registered owner of the same.” Tekale also considered the statement of another witness, who asserts Sadhvi’s presence at a meeting in Bhopal, where she discussed growing Jihadi activities in Aurangabad and Malegaon, and asked another accused to curb it by expanding the reach of Abhinav Bharat in these areas.

2016-06-29 09:24 By Sailee www.mid-day.com

66 Vijay Mallya will be an 'offender' if he fails to turn up by July 27 Beleaguered businessman Vijay Mallya could be declared a proclaimed offender (PO) if he fails to appear before a Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) Court in Mumbai by July 27 in connection with a case of alleged loan fraud. Vijay Mallya The Proclamation was issued by a special anti-money laundering court in Mumbai on June 14 under Section 82 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) at the request of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) which is probing his role in the Rs 9,000 crore IDBI-Kingfisher Airlines loan case. While the agency has served the order on Mallya through official channels, it is understood that it will also publicise it in leading dailies as per procedures laid down in this regard.

2016-06-29 09:19 By Agencies www.mid-day.com

67 Ambedkar Bhavan row: 'Arrest Gaikwad or we will shut down Maharashtra' Three days after the historic Ambedkar Bhavan was razed to the ground in the dead of night, the outrage among the Dalit community intensified further yesterday, as over 1,000 protestors took to the streets threatening to ‘shut down all of Maharashtra’ unless the cops arrest the man who ordered the demolition. Despite heavy police presence in the area, the protest shut down traffic and shops in Hindmata and Bhoiwada for over four hours. Pics/Atul Kamble Most of their animosity was directed towards former IAS officer Ratnakar Gaikwad for destroying the legacy of Dr Ambedkar. They labelled him a “traitor” who had “sold” the iconic building that marks the beginning of the Dalit movement in India. “Ratnakar Gaikwad allowed the demolition of the Bhavan in the dead of night, at 2 am on Saturday. He is using his power in an unfair way. While the Bhavan was being demolished, it was Bhoiwada police station that provided them with security. Our fight is against the unjust police as well,” said Satish Kumar Salunkhe, joint secretary of the Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh. “The authorities have time till midnight today, by which time if the arrest is not made, we will ensure that all of Maharashtra is shut down tomorrow,” he added. The protest was also led by the Babasaheb’s grandsons and their respective parties — Dr Prakash Ambedkar’s Bharatiya Bauddha Mahasabha and Anandraj Ambedkar’s Republican Sena. At 1 pm, members of the various Dalit groups started to gather at the site where Ambedkar Bhavan once stood, chanting slogans and demanding the arrest of Ratnakar Gaikwad. But it was around 2.30 pm that the protest gained momentum, and the mob began to shut down shops and blocked traffic. Amid heavy police presence, they marched through the narrow inroads in Dadar, heading towards the Dadar TT flyover, where the protest got ugly. Once they reached Ambedkar Road, two groups began to shout slogans and held up all traffic at the junction. Traffic had come to a halt for nearly 30 minutes, so police officials tried to get the mob moving. Instead, the mob got provoked further and staged a sit-in protest right there on the busy road. It was over four hours later that the protest march finally ended and the mob broke up at 4 pm, although shopkeepers kept their businesses shut for another couple of hours to stay on the safer side.

2016-06-29 09:14 By Gaurav www.mid-day.com

68 Mumbai: Manhole covers on Mrinal Gore Flyover go missing The ghost of unkempt infrastructure has returned, this time on the newly inaugurated Mrinal Gore Flyover in Goregaon. The overpass, which was thrown open to the public at the hands of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, is now riddled with open manholes, endangering lives of motorists and pedestrians. The manholes start parallel to the flyover’s landing on the Western Express Highway and go on for some distance There are around five manholes on the 2-km flyover whose lids have gone missing. They are located on a tiled footpath, which is levelled with the road. “These open manholes are dangerous, especially for two-wheelers,” said S Nair, a Borivli resident who travels to Goregaon for work. PWD says the manhole covers are either stolen, or commuters park their vehicles on them, to escape the traffic The manholes start in a straight line, parallel to the flyover’s landing on the Western Express Highway and go on for some distance. They could pose danger in the night, especially when it is raining. It becomes difficult to even spot the manholes at night, as the streetlights are located at a distance from them. The manholes could pose danger in the night, especially when it is raining. Pics/Prabhanjan Dhanu “We had put the manhole covers but every now and then either it is stolen or bikers and four-wheeler drivers park their vehicle on these manholes,” said an officer from the Public Works Department. PWD says Sources said that recently a tyre of a four-wheeler got stuck in one of the open manholes, and then it had to be lifted using a crane. As the height of the footpath is not above the road, many motorists ply their vehicles on it to skip the traffic. The PWD officials claim that due to the pressure, the cover cracks open. “We will surely install new ones immediately,” said SS Deshmukh from PWD.

2016-06-29 09:09 By Shashank www.mid-day.com

69 Brain-dead woman becomes saviour for four in Kolkata Kolkata: A 70-year-old brain-dead woman here bequeathed a new lease of life to four persons, with her kidneys and cornea were successfully transplanted in the city's first multi-organ cadaver donation operation on Monday. The two kidneys, two cornea and the liver were harvested from the body of Sovana Sarkar - declared brain dead on Monday - in deference to her wish to donate her organs posthumously. The two kidneys of Sarkar have been transplanted on Keya Ray and Shiekh Firozuddin, who were hospitalised due to kidney complications. Sarkar's corneas have been successfully transplanted on two persons, but a recipient for her liver is yet to be found. All the four recipients were stable, said Pratim Sengupta, Consultant Transplant Physician & Nephrologist of Belle Vue Clinic. Resident of the city's southernmost fringe Panchasayar, Sarkar was admitted to a private hospital on June 20 with neurological complications and, subsequently, suffered cardiac arrest. Though she was revived, her brain stem functions were irreversibly damaged. On Monday, after the state government's brain dead declaration committee gave its final nod, the process of organ extraction started. Sarkar's son Prasenjit said: "My mother used to say that she would be pleased to help the needy with her organs after her death. " On receiving information from Peerless Hospital, where Sarkar was admitted, a team of doctors from Belle Vue Clinic went to the hospital. "With exemplary co-operation from Swastha Bhaban officials, all legal formalities were finished fast and Sarkar was shifted to Belle Vue Clinic for organ retrieval. "Potential recipients awaiting renal transplant were intimated and information was sent to all hospitals where regular transplants are conducted. Without delay, tests and cross-matching of the donor and potential recipients were done," a Bellevue Clinic release said. Keya Roy (30) of Garia, and Firozuddin, a middle-aged man, were finally selected for kidney transplantation. The doctors harvested both the kidneys which were transplanted on Roy at Belle Vue and Firozuddin at the state-run SSKM Hospital. A team of doctors from Disha Hospital retrieved both the cornea and transplanted these on two persons. Sarkar's daughter-in-law said: "It is a proud feeling to know that she will continue to live within a 30-year-old lady. " "I have heard that others face a lot of problem to acquire the no-objection certificate. It is miraculous that we got a donor so quickly," said Keya's sister Puja. "We lost all hopes but after the transplant, he is doing well. He is conscious," said a relative of Firozuddin. "I have no words to thank the Sarkar family. May Allah bless her family," said Firozuddin's mother emotionally. Drawing courage from Sarkar's exemplary act, Puja said: "She has inspired me and the future generation to think about organ donating. From her I learnt that donating the organs to help someone lead a proper life is one of the greatest deeds. " Statistics say, each year India needs roughly 1.75 lakh kidney transplantations, whereas hardly 5,000-7,500 living donor renal transplantations are done. In situations like heart failur,e a living person cannot donate his heart. Hence, cadaveric transplant is the only solution where a brain stem-dead patient can save the life of two renal failure patients, one heart and liver failure patient each and can give vision to two blind people, say experts. Asked about complaints that West Bengal lacks the infrastructure for heart and liver transplant, Minister of State for Health Sashi Panja said: "We have plans in this regard. " However, Sovana Sarkar's wish that all her organs be donated after her death remained unfulfilled, due to the long legal process involved in zeroing in on recipients. "My mother had wished that all her organs be donated after her death and my father wanted the same, which is why we waited for four days. "We would have been happier if all the organs could be transplanted but we couldn't wait longer to find recipients. We are performing my mother's last rites tonight (Tuesday) to spare my 84-year-old father the mental trauma of seeing her in that state," said Prasenjit.

2016-06-29 09:04 By IANS www.mid-day.com

70 Mumbai: Brave 22-year-old nabs chain snatcher after two-km chase It was an instinctive decision for 22-year-old Sarang Kharat to follow chain snatchers after he saw a senior citizen screaming for help in Borivli. And it did prove productive when he was able to nab one of them after a two-km-long chase. The thief was handed over to the police. Sarang Kharat heard the woman’s plea for help and immediately followed the chain snatchers on his bike. Pic/Nimesh Dave The incident occurred on Monday night around 10.30 pm when 67-year-old Shakuntala Jaikumar, who lives with her son Abhijit and daughter-in-law in Shramik Grahnirman Sanstha in Borivli’s Gorai area, stepped out of the house to go to a nearby ration shop. When she was returning home, two bike-borne miscreants snatched her chain, pushed her and tried to flee by speeding away. “I fell down when the person snatched the chain from my neck and I immediately got up and ran behind him screaming thief, thief. When I saw them speed away, I came inside the building to ask for help,” she said. Helping hand But her voice had been heard by Kharat, a contractor, who was sitting on his bike at the end of that road. He then followed the chain snatchers. “After I heard the woman, I saw two people on a motorbike trying to escape. I followed them and after around 2 km I managed to get close. I nudged their bike, which made the one riding it lose balance, and they fell. The pillion rider managed to flee, but I caught one of them,” said Kharat. After getting help from locals, he did go after the other one as he had the chain. “When I tried to catch him, he put his hand in his pocket which made me think he had a weapon. So I backed off. Taking advantage, he ran away,” added Kharat. The arrested accused, identified as Mohd Aftab Mohammaddin Shaikh (42), a resident of Malwani, was produced in court and remanded in police custody for three days. Police have recovered a bike from him too. While Shakuntala’s family was on their way to the police station, they came to know that the chain snatcher had been caught by someone. Abhijit said, “I appreciate Sarang Kharat’s heroism. Hats off to him, for catching the thief without worrying about his life and handing him over to the police. In the future, if I ever get a chance to help someone, I will too.” The Borivli Police have registered a case against Aftab under Sections 394 and 34 of IPC. “We will present Sarang Kharat with a bravery certificate,” said a Borivli police official.

2016-06-29 08:56 By Samiullah www.mid-day.com

71 Mumbai: FIR registered 5 months after man fell into manhole Shahid Javed Shaikh has become a victim of the system once again. After negligence by the BMC in covering an open manhole at Oshiwara left him bedridden on January 13, it took nearly five months for him to lodge a complaint about the same. Shahid Shaikh was bedridden for five months after the incident Last Friday, the local police registered a case of negligence against the unknown contractor. Shaikh ran from pillar to post to get the case registered against the authorities so that he can secure compensation from the defaulter. He was bedridden for more than three months after the accident. Even after this, instead of the police approaching him for registering a case, he had to visit them to get a case registered. mid-day had reported on Shaikh’s fall into the manhole on January 25. The incident took place on January 13, when Shaikh and his friend visited Café Tashkend Hotel on SV road. He fell into the manhole, which was covered with a small piece of plywood. His left leg went inside completely. Compensate for loss Shaikh has suffered a loss of more than R2 lakh, because he was jobless for around five months, while his medical expenses totalled to more than Rs 70,000. “I had savings of only Rs 20,000, which got over in the first week [after the incident] itself. The authorities should compensate me for the loss. None of the officials even visited me when I was in the hospital,” added Shaikh. A case has been registered at Oshiwara police station under section 337 (Causing hurt by act endangering life of personal safety of others) and 338 (Causing grievous hurt by endangering life or personal safety of others) of the IPC. Cop says On Tuesday Mahadev Chavan, Assistant Police Inspector, Oshiwara police station along with Shaikh visited the spot for a panchanama. He said, “We have registered a case against the contractor who was taking care of the manhole and kept it open without putting a lid on it. We will further see who the contractor was and accordingly, take action against him.”

2016-06-29 08:49 By Faisal www.mid-day.com

72 Gov't Doesn't Know Amount Of Funds Illegals Send Abroad The federal government just admitted it has no idea how much money illegal aliens in the U. S. are sending overseas. In response to a FOIA request from the Immigration Reform Law Institute ( IRLI ), the Bureau of Economic Analysis, a subdivision of the Department of Commerce, stated it does not estimate the amount of foreign cash transfers illegal aliens send outside the U. S. The BEA also confirmed that it does not even question overseas transfers, known as remittances, nor does it have any ability to do so, which entails that informal Islamic financial transfer systems like hawala, often used to fund terrorism terrorism-financing systems, also escape the BEA’s estimations. A lack of scrutiny in this area means it’s likely that tens of millions of dollars are being sent overseas for nefarious activities. As one example, a report from the Congressional Research Service in May noted that the Somali-American community in Minnesota sends about $100 million back to Somalia annually , but in the past few years, many financial institutions have cut off this link to Somalia for fear of funds falling in the hands of al-Qaida affiliate Al-Shabaab. While the BEA broadly estimates “foreign-born” transfers, it does not divide the total figure into separate categories for legal and illegal migrants, which would be a useful number in assessing what illegals actually contribute to the American economy. A Government Accountability Office report found that foreign-born residents sent $54.2 billion dollars abroad in 2014. Most of the remittances went to Mexico, China and India, among others. Of that $54.2 billion, $25 billion went to Mexico, which now counts remittances as a larger source of foreign income than oil. In 2007, the BEA estimated foreign-born transfers at $36 billion . Without any policing of cash transfers abroad, there’s a clear incentive for illegals to cross the border in search of work, as average wages in America are considerably higher than they are in Mexico. In Mexico, average wages are just one-tenth of what they are in America. Immigration expert John Eastman has called higher wages “ one of the three magnets of illegal immigration.” Remittances have recently appeared in the public eye following presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump’s announcement that he plans in part to fund the border wall by attaching fees to overseas money transfers. Mexico’s Deputy Secretary for Finance Fernando Aportela has said in response if the U. S. decides to block remittances, money laundering prevention between the two countries would be on the ropes . David North, fellow of the Center for Immigration Studies, isn’t even sure that sorting out legal from illegal remittances is worth it, but he does have an alternative approach. “Sorting out illegal remittances from legal ones would require lots and lots of effort, and I am not sure it would be worth it,” North told The Daily Caller News Foundation. “Do we train all those bank clerks to know who is an illegal and who is not?” “What we as a nation should do, as Oklahoma has done at the state level is to put a 1% fee on the transfers, and then regard these as income tax withholdings, so if you are dealing fairly with the income tax system it does not cost the sender anything,” he said. North noted that Oklahoma brings in between $10 and $11 million annually from this fee, and in other states, the revenue would be much higher, as Oklahoma isn’t known for being home to a large population of illegals. An analysis by North found the U. S. could raise $1-2 billion every year by following Oklahoma’s approach . Follow Jonah Bennett on Twitter Send tips to [email protected] . Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [email protected].

2016-06-29 08:24 National Security dailycaller.com

73 Report: Quick Thinking CIA Officer Saved Dozens In Benghazi Casualties sustained during the terrorist attack on the U. S. consulate in Benghazi on September 11, 2012, could have been much higher if it was not for the work of a mysterious CIA officer, according to an official report from the House Select Committee on Benghazi. The report , released Tuesday, noted that U. S. military support did not arrive to aid the small contingent of U. S. personnel defending the consulate during the attack. Instead, it was a militia made up of former Gaddafi loyalists known as Libyan Military Intelligence (LMI) that would come to the rescue of the U. S. officials several hours after the attack. According to the report, the militia group came to the aid of the officials thanks to a quick- thinking CIA officer known only as “Officer A.” The report stated that the perilous situation began when a U. S. team defending the CIA annex housing the recently evacuated State Department officials came under mortar fire. The men belonged to what is known as a CIA Global Response Staff (GRS) team, an organization charged with protecting intelligence assets abroad. They had decided to evacuate the U. S. consulate after the first attack the previous evening and move the remaining staff to the annex before coming under a second assault. The Benghazi GRS team, initially comprised of only six men, would be reinforced by a second team that flew in from Tripoli overnight, but the welcome help would unfortunately not be enough to conduct a full evacuation. “We decided that the situation we had was untenable to stay at the compound. We didn’t have enough shooters and there were too many wounded, and we were definitely going to lose our State Department wounded if we had stayed there much longer,” recounted one of the GRS personnel in his testimony to the committee. “So we were pushing to get out as fast as we could.” The team realized that a full evacuation would have little chance of success without armored vehicles. Enter the LMI. As dawn broke the next morning, former Ghaddafi officers unknown to both the CIA and State rolled a 50-vehicle LMI convoy full of heavy weapon gun trucks into the annex to assist in evacuation, the report said. The officers had gone into hiding after Ghaddafi’s fall, fearing rival militia groups might hunt them down. In effect, the U. S. officials have those they ousted from power to thank. The report credited Officer A as being solely responsible for securing the help of the LMI. It provided little detail as to the officer’s background, and what little that was included was partially redacted. That said, it does note that Officer A “spent a lot of time on the night of the attacks trying to secure help.” After it was clear that the anti-Gaddafi February 17 Martyrs Brigade militia initially contracted with protecting the base was leaving the scene, Officer A was told to contact Libya’s National Police. Officer A described the police as “next to helpless.” Though the National Police proved useless, Officer A convinced an officer to forward him to a Colonel belonging to the LMI. The CIA officer was familiar with neither the Colonel nor his organization, but was nonetheless able to secure the group’s help. “And I immediately made contact with this commander. He asked how he could help, and I told him … our general location, and I said, you know, we need you to come and secure this area,” said Officer A in his testimony. “He had an idea, at that point, of events happening in that part of the city, and he told me that he would need to put a big force together, he cannot just come with one of his—I mean, like, two or three vehicles, that he would need to put a large force together and for me to give him some time to put that force together.” After the annex sustained bombardment for mortar fire, Officer A called back the Colonel and insisted he and his force come immediately. Minutes later, LMI arrived and the evacuation was underway. Officer A’s identity may never be known, but the report cites his “hard work and ingenuity” as key to saving the remaining U. S. personnel in Benghazi. Follow Russ Read on Twitter Send tips to [email protected] . Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [email protected].

2016-06-29 08:24 National Security dailycaller.com

74 Leadership injects Senate Races With $40M A superPAC started to ensure Republicans maintain a majority in the Senate reserved more $40 million dollars in ad buys across five Senate races Tuesday. The Senate Leadership Fund announced Tuesday that the group reserved advertising spots in five Senate races; Nevada, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Missouri, and New Hampshire. “We set out this election cycle with one paramount goal: keeping the Senate in Republican hands,” SLF president Steven Law stated in a press release. “After years of partisan dysfunction under Harry Reid , the Senate is getting results again for American families under Mitch McConnell’s steady leadership.” In Nevada , Republican Representative Joe Heck is running against Reid- Backed Democrat Catherine Masto. The latest polling numbers give Masto a slight lead in the race at 42-41 percent. SLF earmarked $3 million with placements in three weeks in September and October. Pennsylvania features Republican Senator Pat Toomey against former Democratic gubernatorial candidate Kate McGinty. Toomey enjoyed a slight lead Tuesday, according to recent polls , 40-39 percent. The SLF invested heavily in the state, with $6.2 million reserved for three weeks in October. Current Republican Senator Rob Portman of Ohio faces a challenger in former Democratic Governor Ted Strickland. Strickland is at a one point deficit at 40-39 percent. The superPAC invested a larger amount in this race, $8.1 million that is spread between two weeks in September and two weeks in October. Incumbent Republican Senator Roy Blunt will defend his seat from current Missouri Secretary of State Jason Kander. The polls give Blunt a 7 point lead, 44-37. To go with that more commanding lead, the superPAC will only be spending $2.5 million over two weeks in September. Finally, in New Hampshire, Republican Sen. Kelly Ayotte faces stiff competition from current Democratic Governor Maggie Hassan. The most recent polls have the Governor ahead 44-42 percent. To answer this deficit, The SLF invested $16 million over six weeks in September and October. Senate Leadership Fund leaders stated that the announcement for Republican Senator Marco Rubio of Florida to seek reelection came after the ad purchases were made. The group made plans to invest heavily in the hotly contested Florida Senate race. Although according to recent polls Rubio has a strong 7 to 8 point lead over both potential Democratic challengers, Democrats made the local race a national one. President Obama and Democratic Senator Corey Booker formally endorsed candidate Patrick Murphy over Democratic Senator Alan Grayson. Both Obama and Booker fundraised for Murphy. Democratic Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid joined the race Tuesday, calling for Floridians to sue Rubio for missing votes in the Senate during Rubio’s presidential bid. All told, the first round of investments total $40 million, with more spending announcements coming soon. The Senate Leadership Fund’s push comes after Kock-backed groups invested heavily in these five Senate races, and former President George W. Bush held Fundraisers in three of the states. Follow Phillip On Twitter Have a Tip? Let us Know Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [email protected].

2016-06-29 08:24 dailycaller.com

75 Rolling Stone Not Liable For Defamation In UVA Rape Story Rolling Stone magazine has been found not liable for defamation in the debunked University of Virginia gang rape story. On Tuesday, a New York judge threw out the lawsuit against the magazine, its publisher Wenner media and a journalist by three graduate members of the fraternity Phi Kappa Psi who were falsely accused of raping a woman named “Jackie,” according to Reuters . (RELATED: UVA Jackie May Have Just Been Caught In Another Big Lie) (photo: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty) Federal Judge Kevin Castel said the November 19, 2014 UVA gang rape article, called “Rape on Campus” by Sabrina Erdely, that detailed the gang rape of a girl named “Jackie” by seven Phi Kappa Psi members, was “too vague” and “remote” to prove that the three graduates were the ones in the article. (RELATED: Here Is The $25 Million Lawsuit Against Rolling Stone Over Its UVA Rape Hoax Story) “In the plaintiffs’ own words, ‘any apparent connection between the plaintiffs and the allegations is an (unfortunate) coincidence,'” Castel said. “Their defamation claims are directed toward a report about events that simply did not happen,” another article noted. The 2014 Rolling Stone article created an out cry across the country about sexual assault on college campuses. The magazine later pulled the story and apologized for “discrepancies” following the investigation by the Charlottesville police that found no evidence of a rape. 2016-06-29 08:24 dailycaller.com

76 Mark Zuckerberg Is Building A Huge Wall In Hawaii Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg is irritating his neighbors in Hawaii by building a large wall on his property. According to a write-up in the West Hawaii Today , residents of the islands of Kauai are irritated that Zuckerberg is obscuring a splendid ocean view by erecting a six-foot wall along much of his $20 million, 700-acre property. “The feeling of it is really oppressive. It’s immense,” local resident Gy Hall told the West Hawaii Today. “It’s really sad that somebody would come in, and buy a huge piece of land and the first thing they do is cut off this view that’s been available and appreciative by the community here for years.” Another resident, Shosana Chantara, said the wall’s height isn’t just blocking the view, but is also blocking a pleasant ocean breeze that once blew into the area. A third, Donna Mcmillen, bluntly labeled it a “monstrosity.” In a statement given to Gizmodo, a “spokesperson for the wall project” said the wall was intended to block noise from a nearby highway. The statement emphasized that the wall was completely legal and accorded with all local regulations. It isn’t the first time Zuckerberg has shown a proclivity for wall-building in his private life. In 2013, it emerged that he’d spent $30 million to buy four houses adjacent to his Palo Alto home, which he then surrounded with an immense mesh fence. But outside his private life, Zuckerberg has frequently been a critic of walls, encouraging mass immigration and denouncing Donald Trump’s proposal to erect a wall on the Mexican border. “I hear fearful voices calling for building walls and distancing people they label as others, for blocking free expression, for slowing immigration, reducing trade and, in some cases around the world, even cutting access to the internet,” he said at a San Francisco developers’ conference held in April. Send tips to [email protected] . Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [email protected].

2016-06-29 08:24 dailycaller.com

77 Sexy Arianny Celeste Pictures UFC superstar Arianny Celeste has made a name for herself as one of the most stunning cage women. Check out all the pictures of this UFC bombshell. (SLIDESHOW: These Are The Hottest Photos Of Ronda Rousey On The Internet) Follow David on Twitter and Facebook

2016-06-29 08:24 dailycaller.com

78 State Dept. Official May Have Lied To About Hillary's Emails The recent release of House Benghazi Committee interview transcripts includes one from a now-retired State Department official who appears to have given inconsistent statements about his knowledge of Hillary Clinton’s email practices. During an interview with the committee last year, John Bentel, the former director of the Executive Secretariat’s information resource management division, which manages records and communications for State Department’s leadership, claimed he had no knowledge of Clinton’s use of personal email account or private server. But emails recently released by Judicial Watch — as well as findings laid out in a recent State Department inspector general’s report — appear to show that he was involved in discussions about Clinton’s email use. He also received a memo in March 2009 which showed that Clinton’s private server was set to be installed at her New York residence. Further complicating the matter are questions from Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley, who has asked Bentel whether his legal expenses are being paid by Clinton or some of her associates. Bentel, through his lawyer, Beltway veteran Randy Turk, recently refused to answer that question. He also declined Grassley’s request for a meeting. Likewise, Bentel refused to meet with the State Department inspector general. He is also reportedly not responding to requests from current State Department officials. Bentel, who retired in 2012, first talked to investigators about Clinton’s email system during a June 30, 2015 interview with the Benghazi Committee. During that session he claimed to have no knowledge of Clinton’s email practices. He said that he was “not aware” of “any conversations that Secretary Clinton or a representative on her behalf had with [redacted] or anyone else in her division about establishing an official email account.” And asked when he first learned that Clinton used a personal email account and server, Bentel said the occurred “whenever it came out” in “the papers.” “So you as the director of the IT services for the principals of the State Department was not — you were not consulted in any way regarding her use of a personal email account for official business?” Bentel was asked. “No,” he said. But emails referenced in State’s IG report and recently released by Judicial Watch cast doubt on those claims. In one Aug. 30, 2011 email, Bentel told Clinton aide Monica Hanley that his division had already created a State Department email account for the then- secretary of state. “We actually have an account previously set up: [email protected] ,” he wrote. “There are some old emails, but none since Jan ’11 — we could get rid of them,” he continued, adding that “you should be aware that any email would go through the Department’s infrastructure and subject to FOIA searches.” Bentel was also a recipient of a March 17, 2009 email with the subject line “Secretary Residential Installation Hotwash.” The document listed communications hardware that was set to be installed at Clinton’s New York residence. The first item on the list is a “server,” which is described as an unclassified partner system. It was to be located in the bathroom closet of Clinton’s basement, according to the document. The State Department IG report has perhaps the most damning evidence undermining Bentel’s claims. Two staffers working under Bentel told IG investigators that they met separately with him in late 2010 to express their concerns and frustrations over Clinton’s email system. They said that Bentel dismissed their concerns, claiming — falsely, it turns out — that the system had been approved by State’s legal office. “According to the staff member, the Director stated that the Secretary’s personal system had been reviewed and approved by Department legal staff and that the matter was not to be discussed any further,” the IG’s report reads, noting that the State Department’s office of the legal adviser never signed off on Clinton’s server. “According to the other S/ES-IRM staff member who raised concerns about the server, the Director stated that the mission of S/ES-IRM is to support the Secretary and instructed the staff never to speak of the Secretary’s personal email system again,” the report continues. If Bentel did indeed mislead the Benghazi Committee, he wouldn’t face criminal charges. He was not placed under oath during the meeting, which was not bound by the rules of evidence. But any false claims could have a negative impact on Clinton if Grassley’s hunch about Bentel is accurate. The Iowa Republican has repeatedly pressed Bentel and his attorney, Beltway veteran Randy Turk, about whether the retired government official has made any arrangements with Clinton to help cover his legal costs. In a letter sent to Grassley earlier this month, Turk declined to provide an answer to that question. “We and Mr. Bentel also again respectfully decline to answer your questions regarding our professional relationship with our client,” he wrote. (RELATED: ‘Filegate’ Attorney Represents State Dept. Official Who Is Silent On Hillary’s Server) But Turk, who did not respond to requests for comment, has ties to previous Clinton scandals. As The Daily Caller has previously reported, Turk represented a White House official in the 1990s named Craig Livingstone who was implicated in the so-called “FileGate” scandal. Livingstone, who was head of White House personnel security, was accused of improperly handling FBI files of hundreds of Reagan and George W. Bush White House officials. Livingstone was never charged in the case, but it later came to light that the Clintons helped fund his legal defense. The Clintons solicited donations from friends and allies to help pay for Turk’s services. Follow Chuck on Twitter

2016-06-29 08:24 dailycaller.com

79 Cop Destroys Suspect With Chopper [VIDEO] A high drama fugitive chase came to an end in Houston Tuesday afternoon, when an HPD officer landed his police helicopter near a suspect fleeing authorities and wrestled him to the ground. Local news reports the unidentified suspect was allegedly involved in the burglary of a Houston area home early Tuesday afternoon. Police were dispatched to the residence by a crime in progress call. Two suspects bolted the property in a vehicle, pursued by police. Shortly thereafter, the suspects abandoned the car and fled in separate directions. (RELATED: Man FREAKS OUT, Throws Feces At Judge) One of the suspects fled into an open field, an HPD SUV and tactical helicopter at his back. The SUV clipped the fugitive who continued on, undeterred. That’s when Officer Jeff Serpas landed the helicopter, landing slightly to the suspect’s left in a bid to outmaneuver him. Officer Steven Borgstedte burst out of the chopper, helmet on, and wrestled the fugitive into submission. During the confrontation, Borgstedte declined to brandish his weapon, neutralizing the suspect under his own strength. “Once I tackled him on the ground, he got up and started resisting. My weapon was disabled and it became in the struggle and it became, so I got rid of it and fought him until the other officer helped me take him into custody,” he told local media. The identities of the two suspects have not yet been released. Follow Kevin on Twitter Send tips to [email protected] . Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [email protected].

2016-06-29 08:24 dailycaller.com

80 Post-Vote Eurocrats Want to Rush Brits Out the Door The European Union’s leaders said they wanted the United Kingdom to remain in the EU. But Brussels offered only minimal concessions to British Prime Minister David Cameron, undercutting his effort to sell the benefits of continued EU membership. Now the Eurocrats who dominate EU policy are attempting to push the UK out the door. London should refuse to play their game: slowing down the process would maximize its leverage. The principal argument for the EU is that it has created a common economic market. The most powerful argument against it is that continental elites are attempting to create a superstate by stealth. The EU’s post-vote behavior reinforces this criticism. The vote to Leave shocked Eurocrats across Europe. Even many Brexit advocates believed that Remain would carry the day. Thus, the UK is just coming to terms with the magnitude of its people’s decision. The British government is not prepared to announce a Brexit program. However, EU leaders almost immediately began pressing London to act. They want the UK to trigger Article 50, which begins a two-year process to renegotiate a departing member’s relationship with the EU. Once taken the decision cannot be reversed. And if no agreement is reached within two years the country is unceremoniously defenestrated without any special access to the European market. The provision almost certainly was drafted to maximize the EU’s leverage. Pushing the Brexit button would be a bad idea. The UK need not hurry. Nothing will change until Article 50 is implemented. The British government should hold off until it is ready. First, the situation is chaotic. The prime minister is resigning. The opposition leader might be forced to resign. Scotland might again vote for independence. Northern Ireland might be forced to choose between its island neighbor, the Republic of Ireland, and its political home, the UK. No one is ready to discuss Brexit terms. Second, with both leading parties in flux, waiting would allow a new government and opposition to emerge. The four largest parliamentary parties supported remaining in the EU, so they should attempt to reach a common exit program. While it is difficult to imagine legislators refusing to respect the popular will, how to implement the vote remains to be decided. A new government should be in office first. Third, the Eurocrats have split between those determined to impose punitive terms in order to discourage other states from leaving and those who prefer to be generous and maximize continued cooperation. Better to let passions cool before beginning negotiations. It is in everyone’s interest to preserve economic relationships and make Britain’s exit as smooth as possible. Fourth, when the Brexit trigger is pulled is a political, not legal issue. The referendum was advisory. No enabling legislation has been passed. A Leave majority does not exist in Parliament. The existing government and opposition backed staying. Effective negotiations won’t be possible until a government, backed by a stable majority, is prepared to act. Even a new government might want to move slowly, perhaps empaneling a commission of worthies to work through the complicated issues, followed by a public discussion. Indeed, with the Conservatives so badly split while enjoying only a small majority, a new election might be necessary. Fifth, waiting would increase London’s bargaining power. EU officials are divided over Brexit’s timing. Everyone would like to resolve the UK’s status to promote economic as well as political stability. However, since negotiations most likely will take years, even starting now would have no impact until well into the future. The Eurocrats understand that accelerating the process would put greater pressure on London to make concessions, since a shorter deadline would threaten to leave the UK outside of the EU without any special access to the European market. However, Britain can play the same game by delaying. Sixth, as passions cool the desire to exact revenge — to punish Britain to discourage other exiteers — likely will fade. German Chancellor Angela Merkel differed from her colleagues, indicating that there is “no reason to be in a way especially nasty during the negotiations.” While punitive measures might provide emotional satisfaction for some, failing to reach an agreement with the world’s fifth and Europe’s second largest economy would hurt everyone. Continued commercial links between the UK and continent are too important to sacrifice in a fit of pique. Ironically, a vengeful, arbitrary Brussels would reinforce the very behavior which has generated popular antipathy. In the meantime London could begin informal chats with other governments in an attempt to build support for a smoother exit. Seventh, slowing the process would give Washington more time to play a positive role. It should start by indicating its willingness to begin negotiations with the UK over a free trade agreement as soon as the Brits are ready. The U. S. also should indicate that a smoother UK-EU divorce would improve the chances of a U. S.-EU trade pact. The last thing America wants is intra-European hostilities. Eighth, holding off on the official trigger creates at least a possibility of rapprochement between the UK and EU. Brexit just might shock Europe’s leading powers toward serious reforms — blocking further political unification, ensuring democratic accountability, and protecting national sovereignty, for instance. Although a few deluded EU officials speak of accelerating and deepening European integration — “more Europe,” as they say — German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble called the idea “crazy” after the British vote. Donald Tusk, one of the EU’s many presidents (of the European Council), admitted that “ordinary people, the citizens of Europe, do not share our Euro-enthusiasm.” Even a “two-speed” Europe with countries agreeing to different degrees of integration appears far- fetched with populism on the rise across the continent. The EU will have to work to regain public trust and support. If successful, the EU might even change attitudes in the UK. After all, upcoming elections in several nations could dramatically change the continent’s political climate. Even the French economy minister Emmanuel Macron proposed “to organize a true European referendum in its real sense” on a “new project” and “road map.” That would be unprecedented. The ultimate impact of Brexit remains to be seen. Much of Europe is aflame, with the political center contracting in one country after another. In such a world, all parties should allow the passions political battle to cool. Pressure from Brussels on the Cameron government is empty: neither the EU nor other member states can force London to leave. The UK likely will voluntarily yield its turn next year at the rotating Council presidency. The majority could exclude British officials from meetings; the Commission could fire British staff. But London still need not prematurely trigger Brexit. In fact, slowing down the process would benefit Europe as well as the UK. A hasty, angry negotiation would serve no one. The British vote could change the EU for the better. There’s no need to hurry Brexit. 2016-06-29 08:24 Doug Bandow spectator.org

81 Corey Lewandowski Joins Snakes and Weasels Club Welcome to Corey Lewandowski, the newest member of television’s Snakes and Weasels Club. What is the Snakes and Weasels Club? More — replete with history and membership list — in a moment. Corey’s entry into Snakes and Weasels — in this case moving from the Trump campaign to S&W’s CNN division (where, full disclosure, I am also a commentator) — was greeted with this breathless headline in the New York Post: The story began this way: Suffice to say, the Post’s story was, ah, a tad overboard. Over at CNN’s Reliable Sources, host Brian Stelter did absolutely the best thing: instead of ignoring the story about his own network (and yes, again full disclosure, my own) Brian put the spotlight on it. He personally contacted CNN staffers to investigate and as Mediaite reported: On Monday, Corey appeared on CNN’s New Day to talk about the subject with Alisyn Camerota. Mediaite headlined the beginning of his first full week at CNN this way: The take-away quote from Alisyn and Corey was this: And, full disclosure again, I appeared on Reliable Sources as a Stelter guest and defended CNN — (something I had also done earlier in the Washington Post with my number one S&W fan (?) Erik Wemple). My Reliable Sources appearance was no small task against the indomitable Baltimore Sun media critic David Zurawik who said, um, this, bold print supplied for emphasis: As reported over here at Raw Story Zurawik went on as follows: Well now! Okay! That pretty much describes the lay of the land here! Television commentators/reporters/anchors who have crossed over from political land are “snakes and weasels.” Got it! (And for the record, David says he applied the same standards he’s applying to Trump’s Corey Lewandowski to Bill Clinton’s George Stephanopoulos and Bush 43’s Karl Rove, respectively at ABC and Fox News. My response was that indeed, the horse has long since left the barn on this business of political types going to television.) So in the spirit of the horse having long since left the barn? Let’s take a look at what I will hereby christen (serious hat tip to David Zurawik) the Snakes and Weasels Club. Herewith a brief history and a membership list (doubtless partial) of Snakes and Weasels. Hands? How many Americans recall James Hagerty? Buehler? Buehler? Anyone? Hagerty was the Josh Earnest of his day — which is to say he was the White House press secretary for President Dwight D. Eisenhower. In fact, handling the press for presidential candidates was a regular for Hagerty, having served as the press secretary for the defeated Thomas E. Dewey in 1944 and 1948. In fact, it was Hagerty who first brought television cameras in to the institution of the presidential press conference — in 1955. (Though on tape, not live.) When January of 1961 arrived and America’s favorite Old Soldier yielded the presidency to John F. Kennedy — Hagerty made his way to ABC News as the vice president of the ABC television network, where he would remain for fourteen years. Thereby becoming, it seems, the very first serious Snake and Weasel — a political aide to a president or other American political figure who makes the move from politics to television, whether behind the scenes or on camera. Hagerty would not be the last. What Hagerty began was a long — very long -parade of ex-presidential aides and political figures morphing into network or cable television commentators, reporters and/or anchors. Which is to say becoming card- carrying members of the Snakes and Weasels Club. And rest assured, as with Corey Lewandowski today, many of these Snakes and Weasels arrived on television screens as fully formed controversial figures — partisans — in their own right. Herewith a list that is doubtless incomplete and not alphabetical of those who belong to the Snakes and Weasels Club or who have sadly passed on to the Great Snakes and Weasels Club in the Sky. The club is, please note, thoroughly bipartisan. Pierre Salinger — JFK/LBJ White House press secretary, briefly appointed Democratic U. S. Senator from California and campaign manager of Senator Robert F. Kennedy’s 1968 Democratic presidential campaign, becomes ABC reporter, Paris Bureau Chief. Bill Moyers — LBJ White House press secretary becomes CBS commentator, PBS host of both documentaries and his own television show. Pat Buchanan — Nixon White House speechwriter and Reagan White House communications director becomes a regular on TV’s The McLaughlin Group, CNN’s Crossfire, and an MSNBC host and commentator. John McLaughlin — Nixon White House speechwriter becomes host of The McLaughlin Group, a syndicated television show. Jody Powell — Carter White House press secretary becomes commentator on ABC’s This Week with David Brinkley. David Gergen — senior White House aide to Presidents Nixon, Ford, Reagan, and Clinton. Now a CNN contributor. Laura Ingraham — former Reagan White House aide becomes a commentator or host for CBS, MSNBC, and currently Fox News in addition to hosting her own talk radio show. Ed Rollins — the former Reagan White House political director has been a commentator for CNN, Fox News and Fox Business. Oliver North — the former Reagan White House national security aide has co-hosted a show on MSNBC and currently hosts War Stories for Fox News. Tim Russert — former senior aide to New York Governor Mario Cuomo and Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, both Democrats, becomes the host of NBC’s Meet the Press. Chris Matthews — former Carter White House speechwriter and aide to Democratic House Speaker Tip O’Neill becomes the host of MSNBC’s Hardball. George Stephanopoulos — Clinton White House senior adviser becomes commentator, host, and anchor on ABC News. Paul Begala — former Clinton White House senior advisor, Paul has co- hosted a show on MSNBC and is now a CNN contributor. James Carville — the former senior Clinton strategist has been a contributor for both CNN and Fox News, and along with wife, GOPer (until very recently) and fellow S&W member Mary Matalin, a Crossfire co-host. Kirsten Powers — former Clinton administration aide as deputy assistant U. S. trade representative for public affairs and press secretary for the Andrew Cuomo for governor campaign is a Fox News contributor. Dana Perino — the former Bush 43 White House press secretary is a co- host of the Fox News show The Five. Karl Rove — the former Bush 43 Deputy White House Chief of Staff is a Fox News contributor. Ana Navarro — a former Bush 43 Ambassador to the United Nation’s Human Rights Commission, she has served as National Co-Chair of John McCain’s Hispanic Advisory Council in 2008, National Hispanic Co-Chair for Gov. Jon Huntsman’s 2012 Campaign, and is a former aide to Florida Governor Jeb Bush. Nicole Wallace — Bush 43 White House Communications Director became co-host of ABC’s The View and eventually after that a contributor to MSNBC’s Morning Joe and NBC’s Today Show. Michael Smerconish — a former Regional Administrator at HUD for Jack Kemp in the Bush 41 administration, he is now a CNN host of his own show, Smerconish. Maria Cardona — a senior adviser to the 2008 Hillary Clinton campaign and later a surrogate for the Obama campaign, Maria is now a CNN commentator. Patty Solis Doyle — the campaign manager of Hillary Clinton’s 2008 campaign, she is now a CNN contributor. David Axelrod — the former Obama White House senior advisor is now a CNN commentator. Van Jones — the former Obama White House aide is now a CNN commentator. Amanda Carpenter — the former communications director for the GOP’s Senator Ted Cruz is now a CNN contributor. Mike Rogers — former Michigan Republican Congressman, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, becomes a CNN commentator and host of CNN’s original series Declassified. He is also a syndicated talk radio host. Mike Huckabee — former Governor of Arkansas, two-time GOP presidential candidate becomes Fox News host, is now a Fox News contributor. Jennifer Granholm — former Democratic Governor of Michigan and current Hillary Clinton supporter @Correct the Record is a CNN commentator. Joe Scarborough — former GOP Florida Congressman becomes host of MSNBC’s Morning Joe. Chuck Todd — the ex-political aide in the presidential campaign of Democrat and Iowa Senator Tom Harkin is now the host of NBC’s Meet the Press. Donna Brazile — last but certainly not least, the former campaign manager for Vice President Al Gore and current vice chair of the Democratic National Committee is a CNN commentator. And, as mentioned, there’s me, an ex-Reagan White House political director turned CNN commentator. Oh yes. In the style of the 21st century? Let’s not forget Mark Levin — the former Reagan White House aide and chief of staff to Reagan Attorney General Ed Meese who of course has his eponymous radio show and, in the style of the 21st century, has his own Internet Levin TV, to be found here. Doubtless I have left somebody off this list of Snakes and Weasels… sorry! No offense intended! Snakes and Weasels has a strict non-discrimination clause. But suffice to say, with this as background the CNN hiring of Corey Lewandowski makes eminent good sense for CNN. Is he controversial? Yes. Has he made enemies? Clearly so. But to scan the list above is to recognize that if being controversial and having political enemies is the qualifier, just about nobody above would have been hired by any network for anything. Unless David Zurawik is secretly playing favorites, we’re all Snakes and Weasels. To name but a few of the Snakes and Weasels controversies? Clinton’s George Stephanopoulos freely admits in his memoirs that he was part of the so-called “bimbo eruption” team that made it their business to destroy the reputations of the various women who came forward to say they had had a relationship with Bill Clinton. No snake and weasel controversy there, right? Sure. Barry Goldwater himself accused LBJ’s Moyers of running a snake-and- weasel style White House “dirty tricks” operation in the 1964 presidential campaign. In his biography of Goldwater, Lee Edwards notes that not only did LBJ use the FBI to investigate his GOP opponent but that it was Moyers who sent a note to the FBI’s White House liaison thanking the Bureau for their “fine” work in violating Goldwater’s civil liberties. Edwards, who poured through old FBI files, says that Moyers had the FBI initiate “an illegal file check of fifteen people employed in Goldwater’s Senate office.” Nothing controversial there! Give that man a PBS show! And, of course, on the GOP side of the ledger there is my ex-Reagan colleague Oliver North, a wonderfully fine man who alas was at the dead center of the Iran-Contra scandal and has become a terrific host of Fox’s War Stories. Not to mention Bush 43’s Karl Rove. I like Megyn Kelly of Fox (no snake or weasel she!) and have been both supportive and critical of her. But I have to say her recent criticism of the CNN Lewandowski hire is a pluperfect example of a mind-boggling double-standard. As noted in Politico (and that’s not the only place) Kelly launched a loud attack on CNN for its move, huffing among other things that Corey “has threatened more than one journalist in the course of this campaign.” Hmm. Ms. Kelly? Meet Dallas Morning News reporter Wayne Slater, who is quoted as follows in University of North Texas Journalism Professor James E. Mueller’s book on Bush 43 titled Towel Snapping the Press: Bush’s Journey from Locker-Room Antics to Message Control: So let’s get this straight. Megyn Kelly is critical of CNN for hiring Corey Lewandowski because he has threatened reporters — but is silent as a lamb chop about Karl Rove threatening reporters, being “tough” with reporters, implying that he would cut off their access to Bush, was reported to have looked at a reporter’s private phone records and bullying that specific journalist by suggesting she’s involved with a lesbian? And yet not a peep from Megyn Kelly about having Karl Rove as a Fox News contributor? Double standards for us Snakes and Weasels don’t get much wider than that. The point of all this Snakes and Weasels history? Not to mention opening up the club roster for public viewing of a list that is actually pretty public already? One. If being “controversial” is the problem with CNN’s hiring of Corey Lewandowski, just about everybody on the Snakes and Weasels membership list above would never have been on television. In their day, many of these people had — and for all I know still have — enemies. Goldwater wrote this of Moyers in his 1998 autobiography Goldwater — decades after the 1964 campaign: Barry Goldwater was not one to beat around the bush. In his eyes, Moyers was both a snake and a weasel and made Goldwater “want to throw up.” Two. In the case of Corey Lewandowski, you can like him or hate him, but without doubt he played a major role in getting Donald Trump to where he is at this moment in time. The key thing to always remember in a campaign is that the campaign is about the candidate and the candidate’s vision for America. It is never about a staff member. There are now, and always will be considering that human personalities and egos clash, staff members that don’t get along with each other. Certainly in my own time in the Reagan White House it had its share (make that more than its share!) of competing, jostling personalities. Some of them detested others of them, and some of them became hugely controversial as public figures. But again, this is a staple of every single White House and for that matter every single presidential campaign, not to mention campaigns for lesser offices everywhere across the fruited plane. In the end, the candidate calls the shots. So in this case Donald Trump has parted ways with Corey Lewandowski — on good terms — which in turn has sent Corey into the Snakes and Weasels Club, CNN division. The objective for television executives, it is clear, is to provide the best coverage out there of the events of the day, and in the case of the 2016 campaign that means a mix of great reporting combined with commentary from commentators who have been, as it were, “around the political block.” The results are in the viewers’ hands, as they always will be. And based on CNN’s terrific ratings this year, clearly the network knows what it is they are doing. So come on in Corey. Welcome to the CNN division of television’s Snakes and Weasels Club. Bring your controversies and unique perspectives with you. All the rest of us in Snakes and Weasels on every network have our own. While I know this may be hard for you to learn? Don’t be shy. There’s nothing worse than a shy Snake and Weasel. And a note to David Zurawik? While you clearly have absolutely no qualifications to be a member of Snakes and Weasels — based on an absolutely appalling record of being a lifelong journalist — I will do what I can to see that Snakes and Weasels makes you an honorary member as a thanks for supplying our name. Did I tell you Corey is the new membership chairman?

2016-06-29 08:24 Jeffrey Lord spectator.org

82 Fascists Against Freedom, Unite Everyone expects neo-Nazis to be thuggish and simpleminded. They’re losers who need a movement that tells them they are winners, so they troll for grievances and battles from which they can emerge as both morally superior and victims. They hate freedom. Traditionalist Worker Party leader Matthew Heimbach even wrote a piece, “I Hate Freedom,” in which he explained, “Freedom is a word and a concept that everyone loves and enjoys because of the license that it gives us as a society; that is why freedom failed and that is why freedom must die.” Like I said, white supremacists are losers. At noon on Sunday, the Traditionalist Worker Party had a permit to hold a rally on the state Capitol grounds in Sacramento. Some 30 white nationalists showed up. They were met by 400 counter-protesters. Violence erupted. According to news reports, 10 people were injured; two were in critical condition with stab wounds. “Both sides were stabbed with something,” whether the weapon was a knife or a stick, California Highway Patrol public information officer George Granada told me. The counter-protesters hailed from such leftist groups as By Any Means Necessary and Antifa Sacramento. Antifa stands for antifascist, which is amazing because the bullies who were protesting against fascists seemed to have a lot in common — they’re also thuggish and simpleminded — with fascists. “NO ‘FREE SPEECH’ FOR FASCISTS!” Antifa Sacramento proclaimed. Some counter-protesters showed up wearing black masks, which made it easier for them to beat people with wooden sticks and throw chunks of concrete at police and buildings without fear of prosecution. Assemblymember Jim Cooper, D-Elk Grove, was downtown when he heard about the violence and went to the Capitol to see for himself. He saw counter-protesters ready for a fight. And for no reason. The neo-Nazis, he told me, “were way outnumbered.” The counter-protesters could have yelled and drowned out the neo-Nazis, who then would have “gone home.” But the counter-protesters had shown up “ready for action.” By Any Means Necessary organizer Yvette Felarca told CNN that the Traditional Worker Party has no right to a public platform for its ideas. “They never should have gotten a permit to begin with. The police were out here protecting them. One of our main chants is, ‘Cops and Klan go hand in hand’ because we know the police are out there to back them up.” Like Heimbach, Felarca constructed an argument in which people like her get to decide who has the right to free speech. “They can get a permit, too,” Cooper said of the anti-activists. (By the way, Cooper is African American, so I doubt he’s sympathetic with the Traditionalist Worker Party’s agenda.) Get their own permit? Not good enough. Counter-protesters want to decide who can and cannot speak. “If they trip and fall in the process, good,” Felarca said of the Traditionalist Worker Party folks. “We succeeded in shutting them down.” That pretty much sums up why this group calls itself By Any Means Necessary. The Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks extremist groups, keeps profiles on the Traditionalist Worker Party and Heimbach. I asked if the center tracks By Any Means Necessary, whose leaders condone violence, and not just against white nationalists. The answer is no. An informal army of anarchists uses violence to muzzle unwanted speech. Masked and armed activists brazenly mobbed the Capitol to control who could speak in the public square. These “antifascists” are a threat to civil society. Like Heimbach, they have no idea what freedom is. I shudder to think what they would have to do to get on the Southern Poverty Law Center’s radar.

2016-06-29 08:24 Debra J spectator.org

83 83 Pro Sports Just Say No to Marijuana Use Ever since marijuana was legalized in Colorado in 2012, major league sports executives have huddled privately on what this news means to their current drug testing programs. After all, is it fair of an employer not to allow the consumption of a legal product? Now it seems the other shoe has dropped as the recently released Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle Eugene Monroe advocated that the NFL stop testing for marijuana. This was followed up by Tennessee Titans linebacker Derrick Morgan who called for the NFL to study the use of medical marijuana, particularly as it relates to chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a malady that disproportionally afflicts former NFL players. How these arguments unwind may go a long way in determining how America handles the issue of marijuana in the workplace. The coalition to push the legalization of marijuana is unique in that it involves groups usually on the polar opposites. On the right you have free market conservatives like the late William F. Buckley who once said regarding prosecution for the possession of marijuana, “A sterner way to put it is that it is an outrage, an imposition on basic civil liberties and on the reasonable expenditure of social energy.” Joining libertarians in the yes camp are, for lack of a better word, stoners, those who enjoy the recreational consumption of marijuana. The legalization of marijuana, although gaining traction in the court of public opinion, is still hotly contested. Gallup for the first time in 2013 reported that support for legalization has topped 50%, which indicates a sizable portion of the population disagrees. Those who oppose legalization can easily cite statistics that give one pause, such as the 44% rise in crime in Denver since legalization in Colorado. Also, recent health studies have concluded that heavy marijuana usage in teens leads to lower IQs, and pot smokers are more susceptible to schizophrenia and having smaller gray-matter volume in the orbital frontal cortex. But how does smoking pot on one’s spare time impact performance at the workplace? The Society of Human Resource Management did a study with HR managers on drug testing and noted the following positive impacts after organizations began drug testing: a noticeable drop in absenteeism, increased productivity, a drop in workers compensation claims, and lower turnover in employees. Although the study was regarding drug testing as a whole and not necessarily just marijuana, it is clear to many that it is in the employer’s best interest, whether you employ world class athletes or machinists, that employees not be social marijuana users. Although many employers would prefer that their workers refrain from pot smoking in their off hours, do they have the right to insist employees abstain in regions where pot is legal? Interesting enough, Colorado has provided one of the first important test cases, involving a Dish Network employee who was legally using medicinal marijuana but fired for failing a drug test in 2010. In the end, the trial court, the Colorado Court of Appeals, and the Colorado Supreme Court all upheld the firing. As of now the sports world has been holding firm against recreational marijuana usage among its players. One of the exceptions is the NCAA, which has cut penalties for athletes who have failed drug tests for marijuana. Mary Wilfert, associate director of the NCAA’s Sports Science Institute, has asked, “Does it make sense for the NCAA, the national governing body, to test for recreational drug use which is not performance enhancement?” While the NCAA is moving towards leniency the professional sports ranks still draw a hard line against marijuana usage. After all, if athletes are pot consumers it could negatively affect both player performance and the organization’s public image. This concern was illustrated by this year’s NFL draft, where on draft night Laremy Tunsil saw his stock status plummet when a picture showing him smoking weed was hacked onto his Twitter account. According to Forbes, this one photo cost him approximately $13 million as he lasted longer in the draft than projected. The sports world is traditionally more cautious than most businesses. When it comes to professional sports organizations’ unease regarding players’ social marijuana use, their caution is understandable. After all, if you were paying millions of dollars for peak athletic performance, wouldn’t you also try to insist your players be drug and marijuana free? But if the sports world starts to crack and OKs marijuana usage for its athletes, you can rest assured this will be a bellwether for the American workplace, and it will be game over for those who wish that the prohibition continues.

2016-06-29 08:24 John Calvin spectator.org

84 Why Brexit Is a Win for Brits and the U. S. Thursday’s Brexit vote was about far more than immigration. For a millennium, Britain has been a proudly sovereign nation. But in the four decades since joining the European Union, Britain’s sovereignty has been increasingly threatened by European integration. At the core of Britain’s decision to exit the EU is this: People do not like being told what to do. For many in Britain, the Brexit vote was a rejection of the socialism that undermines European innovation and productivity. The day before the vote, workers in France were protesting changes by their socialist government designed to give employers some flexibility in hiring, firing, and compensating workers. Across Europe, the news cycle was filled with images of thousands of French workers demanding they keep their short workweek, high wages, and guaranteed jobs. It is not difficult to imagine that these images prompted some British citizens to vote “Leave” and end their subsidization of European socialism through their outsized financial contributions to the EU — in spite of the risks of potential economic isolation. For others, the Brexit vote was a protest against stifling and nonsensical regulations issued by clueless Brussels bureaucrats. These voters weighed the economic loss from diminished exports to the EU against the promise of less costly regulation and lower taxes, and decided it was worth the split. The Brexit vote should be seen for what it is: a correction to an unbalanced, unfair, and unsuccessful system. While the EU succeeded in easing travel and trade within the common market, its imperious Brussels regulators needed a reminder that overregulation stifles growth and harms innovation. The Brexit does just that. Britain’s economy will not collapse simply because it has opted out of full EU participation. Switzerland and Norway have voted against joining the EU, while strengthening their own trade ties with the common market and maintaining strong currency valuation. And in some cases, their markets become safe havens at times of global market instability. That same model could hold for Britain, as long as the Brits structure their EU divorce wisely. For Americans, the Brexit vote may be a win and an opportunity. The vote creates a chance to strengthen our “Special Relationship” and even formalize a trade agreement with Britain. Our shared politics, language, culture, and belief in democracy and business as a driver of employment and growth should make a trade agreement important, mutually beneficial, and relatively easy. And for U. S. businesses, Thursday’s vote sends a strong message to the EU, which has used ambiguous antitrust laws to strong-arm some of America’s most successful companies. Apple, Facebook, Google, IBM, Intel, Microsoft and Qualcomm have suffered through EU investigations and anti-U. S. regulations. Many of these companies have been forced to pay billions of dollars to settle EU charges and continue doing business in Europe. And in the wake of the EU’s stifling economic and legal environment, the Continent has failed to produce any new major technology companies, which perhaps explains more about these extortionate settlements than the vague laws that underlay the allegations. The Brexit vote represents, in part, a rejection of a series of significant oversteps in regulation that includes the EU’s proposal to mandate local language and content quotas for streaming content providers such as Amazon and Netflix. American industries should not be targeted by the EU for their success. The Brexit vote strengthens the argument that the content- quota proposal be withdrawn. More, mandates on American search engines suffering from newly created “right to be forgotten” privacy rules could loosen. The U. S. food industry could benefit from a fact-based and softened approach and learn about Mendelian genetics and the overall safety of genetically modified foods. And manufacturers can hope for a factual basis for new rules imposed on them across a range of environmental and energy-efficiency issues. No doubt the Brexit may cause new political challenges between the U. S. and the EU as our closest ally leaves the union. But in the end, the EU’s loss can be America’s gain. While Britain now tries to balance the importance of self-governance and self-determination against the challenges of economic separation, American political leaders have an opportunity to capitalize on this historic moment.

2016-06-29 08:24 Gary Shapiro spectator.org

85 ISIS Believed Responsible for Istanbul Airport Attack; At Least 50 Dead – UPDATE Several hours ago, four suicide bombs went off in Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport. The bombers also evidently used gunfire. It is believed that at least 50 people, mostly Turkish, have been killed. More than 100 people are believed injured. Although Kurdish militants have carried out terrorist attacks in Turkey, this attack is reminiscent of the ISIS attack at the Brussels Airport back in March. While our military has used Turkish bases to launch air attacks against ISIS, it is worth noting that this attack comes a day after Turkey announced a normalization of relations with Israel. Here is what I am wondering. At the risk of being flippant, in light of the recent attack in Orlando, should ISIS be found responsible for the attacks how long will it be before Republican hatred is blamed? UPDATE: As of this writing, the death toll has been revised to 36 with 147 injured. Evidently there were three explosions rather than four, but the damage was done. Although ISIS has not claimed responsibility, Turkish authorities believe they are the culprits.

2016-06-29 08:24 Aaron Goldstein spectator.org

86 Insurers Try to Sue Their Way Free of Faustian Bargain In Christopher Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus, the sinful sawbones eventually thinks better of his bargain with the devil and does his best to weasel out of the deal. A number of health insurers, having made similarly cynical arrangements with the Obama administration, are now attempting to use the court system to escape the consequences of their cupidity. Knowing full well that they couldn’t make legitimate profits selling coverage through Obamacare’s exchanges, they relied on Democrat guarantees that their losses would be covered by the taxpayers. But a funny thing happened on the way to easy profits. Congress refused to appropriate the funds. The insurance companies in question were told by the Obama administration that they could expect to have their bottom lines propped up by the “risk corridor” program. The magical thinking behind this boondoggle was that insurers enjoying big profits from Obamacare would pay into a pool from which less fortunate plans would be subsidized. In late 2015, however, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that profitable insurers had paid in a mere $362 million while their unprofitable counterparts had requested $2.87 billion to cover their losses. Thus, the losers would be paid only 12.6 percent of their requests. Since that unwelcome news was delivered, Health Republic Insurance Company has filed a class action lawsuit against the government for $5 billion, Highmark Health has sued for $223 million, Moda Health filed a $180 million suit, Blue Cross & Blue Shield of North Carolina has sued for $129 million, and Land of Lincoln Health has filed a $70 million suit. It isn’t clear that these lawsuits are going anywhere. The defendant in the class action suit, for example, is “The United States of America” and the plaintiffs ask the court to strike down provisions of two congressional budget resolutions that require the risk corridor program to be budget neutral. But only Congress has the power to make that call. As U. S. District Judge Rosemary Collyer put it in a ruling against the Obama administration in a similar case involving unauthorized HHS spending, “Congress is the only source for such an appropriation … See U. S. Constitution, Art. I, § 9, cl. 7 (‘No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law.…’).” And a budget resolution becomes law once it has been signed by the President. That’s why the 2015 spending bill is titled, “Public Law 113–235.” Yet the Health Republic class action suit holds that losses somehow render the law invalid: The practical effect of the 2015 Spending Bill was to prevent CMS and HHS from paying QHPs [Qualified Health Plans] their full risk corridor receivable due for 2014. This created an extraordinary burden on QHPs because, as many industry experts predicted, 2014 was an incredibly tumultuous year in the new market. During 2014, QHPs incurred almost $2.9 billion in losses that were compensable under the risk corridor provisions of the ACA. However, due to the 2015 Spending Bill, over $2.5 billion of those mandatory risk corridor payments for 2014 were not paid. On information and belief, the QHPs incurred even greater compensable losses in 2015 that CMS and HHS cannot pay as a result of the 2016 Spending Bill. The real problem here is not the Spending Bills, of course. It is that Obamacare was designed and implemented with such incredible ineptitude that CO-OPs like Health Republic and Lincoln Health were doomed from the start. Likewise, it was inevitable that for-profit insurers selling coverage under the aegis of Obamacare were going to lose money—and lots of it. But the Democrats who wrote the “reform” law expected to be in power a lot longer than the six years it took for the voters gave them the bum’s rush, so their plan to provide an endless stream of taxpayer funds to these insolvent CO-OPs and complicit insurers went awry. In 2012, however, the voters gave the Republicans back their majority in the House of Representatives. And, in 2014, they reinstated the GOP’s Senate majority. The performance of these Republicans has been disappointing in many ways. Still, by making the risk corridors budget neutral, they exposed the fundamental fiscal instability that defines Obamacare. This requirement was inserted largely due to a quiet effort by Senator Marco Rubio for which he has been savaged by the “news” media. The Washington Post, for example, described the Rubio contribution as follows: “a poison pill that is killing Obamacare from within.” This is not an exaggeration. The restriction on using general funds to keep Obamacare afloat will drive the few remaining CO-OPs out of business and the remaining insurers out of the exchanges. Neither the Obama administration nor the congressional Democrats with whom they made their cynical deal can save them. In the end, the Devil will have his due.

2016-06-29 08:24 David Catron spectator.org

87 87 As in Britain, So Over Here The president of the Texas Nationalist Movement, picking up on the precedent set by British voters, desires that the Southwestern empire where I make my home hold its own vote on seceding from the top-heavy politburo that seems to run America. Good luck on persuading the U. S. Army to march away from Fort Hood on command of whatever unlikely coalition the Nationalist Movement might assemble. On the other hand, the Supreme Court of the same country to which the nationalists would wave bye-bye reminded many on Monday of the pass to which we have come over the past 70 or 80 years. We have a central government that calls all major shots, sets all major policies; never mind what those governments closest to the people might see as right or just or in the popular interest. The U. S. government of our time is, for many purposes, the European Union with an Ivy League accent. On Monday, our land’s highest court, by a vote of 5 to 3, rebuked Texas for actions its lawmakers had viewed as consequential in protecting unborn life. The court said a 2013 Texas law upgrading medical standards for abortion clinics imposed an “undue burden” on women seeking abortions. The law’s rigorous requirements — clinics had to meet the standards for ambulatory surgical centers, with admitting privileges at local hospitals required for abortion doctors — had cut in half the number of abortion clinics in Texas. The court majority’s judgment: “Each (provision) places a substantial obstacle in the path of women seeking a previability abortion, each constitutes an undue burden on abortion access… and each violates the Federal Constitution.” The U. S. government’s promotion, in 1973, of abortion to the status of constitutional right stripped Texas of its former right to confer on unborn life unambiguous preference over a woman’s asserted right to control of her body. According to the Supreme Court’s 7-to-2 majority, the hicks in Texas and elsewhere could maintain their antique notions as to the value of unborn life, but the Supreme Court was stepping in to demonstrate the limit of those notions. So much for the supposed rights of local people to make decisions locally, in accordance, more or less, with the plan of the Founding Fathers. States’ attempts to improve the lot of the unborn rest on shaky grounds, pending some improbable moral counterreformation in American politics. The court keeps a close watch on uppity state legislators who note, among other realities of the abortion age, a growing moral callousness that allowed a Philadelphia abortionist several years ago to kill infants born alive, and even to commit manslaughter on a patient. Ah, but too bad for states like Texas that stepped in to close the doors on potential horrors of that sort. The court wanted evidence that the requirement for hospital admitting privileges “would have helped even one woman obtain better treatment.” Instead, the court majority focused on the inconveniences attendant on navigating interstate highways to reach a trustworthy, and still open, clinic in one of the state’s big cities. The judgment of mere lawmakers representing mere people is hardly to be trusted these days — just as in Europe, come to think of it. More and more, the rule of “experts” (e.g., Supreme Court justices) takes precedence over the understandings — touching as the experts might own them to be — of those who live on the ground floor of society, taking in the comings and goings that make up life. A majority of Britons registered their discontent with arrangements that leave them playing second fiddle to the EU experts clustered in Brussels, who enjoy unfettered power to overrule local desires not in concert with the big picture the experts paint. So it is over here, with arrangements from New Deal days that assign Washington, D. C., priority in the large matters of life, such as the protections to which life is entitled. There is little consolation in knowing one’s self to be part of an international problem. There may be some in knowing that the resultant anger and discontent are spreading fast, with consequences too shocking to forecast.

2016-06-29 08:24 William Murchison spectator.org

88 Senate Hearing Witness: No Such Thing As Radical Islam WASHINGTON — A Senate hearing witness at a Judiciary subcommittee hearing Tuesday refused to say if radicalization existed in the Muslim community. Farhana Khera, Executive Director and President of Muslim Advocates, an organization that requested the FBI purge training material they believed to be “offensive and inflammatory” to Muslims, dodged questions relating to whether radical Islam existed. When asked by several times by committee chairman Ted Cruz if she considered the term “jihad” used in the 9/11 Commission as offensive, she responded, “The use of the term in general by the 9/11 Commission report, I don’t think, is problematic in and of itself. I think it’s, in general, as officials talk about what the threat is, that’s what my concern is.” “Well if it wasn’t a concern, then why would it be purged from 126 down to zero, zero, zero, zero?” Cruz asked, referencing Khera’s organization that requested the Obama administration “purge” offensive terms to Muslims in federal law enforcement training documents. “I can’t explain the administration. It was obviously government agencies that decided to do that and what their thinking was in developing those documents,” she said. Cruz replied, “This was in response to a request from your organization in writing calling for a purge.” “We asked for a purge of bigoted training material. That’s what we called for,” Khera said. Cruz went on to say, “The Long Island Press quoted Glen Khattan the legal director for your organization as saying, ‘Like what are you going to do about radicalization in the Muslim community? That’s nonsense. There is no such thing.’ I’m curious. Do you agree with the legal director of your organization that there is no such thing as radicalization in the Muslim community?” Khera replied, “This is what we do believe, Mr. Chairman. What we believe, and this is based on attacks we’ve seen in our country in this year alone — whether it’s the Orlando shooting, the attack on a women’s health clinic, the attack on the AME Church in South Carolina, we know that extremist violence takes many forms and people are motivated regardless of their race religion or ideology — and what we also know is that there’s no pathway so to speak to get to that point in engaging in violence.” She went on to say, “The national security law enforcement experts say is that there’s the common thread that you see is vulnerable individuals who are seeking a sense of purpose and so we totally disabuse and do not believe this canard that there’s somehow a pathway to radicalization and that’s what numerous studies have shown as well.” Cruz asked, “Do you believe there is radicalization in the Muslim community?” Khera said, “There are violent individuals in all communities, including the Muslim community.” Cruz pressed, “Is it connected to any ideology?” “There are some people where ideology’s a part but ideology is not the center part of the center of the causation for what causes people to engage in violence,” she said. Follow Kerry on Twitter

2016-06-29 08:24 dailycaller.com

89 Hillary Talks Porn At Q&A Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton answered a question about revenge porn during a California question and answer Tuesday. The question came from Chrissy Chambers, a lesbian victim of revenge porn, who is currently involved in a civil lawsuit against her ex-boyfriend in the United Kingdom. “In 2015, I came out as one of the first public figures who is a victim of revenge porn,” Chambers said to Clinton. Chambers currently runs a YouTube channel with her girlfriend Bria Kam. Chambers continued: “But, unfortunately we do not yet have a revenge porn law here in the United States. Thirty-four states have laws but there is no federal law criminalizing revenge porn and I would like to know when you’re president what you will do to ensure there is a federal law passed so that justice can be pursued and gotten for victims like myself where the videos and the links still are online to this day, but because there is no law there is nothing I can do and perpetrators can be held accountable for sexual assault, digital privacy invasion, and this horrible crime that ruins so many people’s lives and almost ruined mine.” WATCH: (starting at an 1 hour 15 minutes in) “First, let me say thank you. You are really brave and standing, up speaking out and taking action against the kind of behavior that you have experience is really important and I thank you for that,” Clinton replied. “I will do my best as president to try and figure out how we can give victims like you the tools that you need and the rest of society should support to be able to protect yourself and in doing so protect others.” Hillary went on to say, “I will really look to all of you because the bullying online, revenge porn, the type of cyberstalking that’s all too common ruins lives.” “You have to help me figure out how we do keep the best of everything you’re doing and everything the internet means, and yeah is there going to be bad stuff and nasty stuff and rotten things that are said? I’m exhibit A, I am an expert in this, so yeah I know that. But when it crosses a line and when it becomes so threatening so dangerous, we have to stop it,” Clinton added.

2016-06-29 08:24 dailycaller.com

90 EXCLUSIVE: Clinton Donor ‘Deliriously Happy’ He Escaped Indictment Swiss billionaire and Clinton donor Hansjorg Wyss sat in a packed Washington State courtroom Monday to face his first trial over unsuspecting patients who died when his company used an illegal medical substance. Ultimately, five people died. Four of Wyss’ executives went to prison in the federal case, but Wyss walked free. A woman who accompanied Wyss to Lisbon, Portugal in July 2010 told The Daily Caller News Foundation the Swiss citizen collapsed when he received a phone call from his lawyers telling him the Department of Justice would not indict him. She reported he was “deliriously happy” at a dinner after the call. At the time he told the woman the government didn’t have enough evidence on him. “They do not have enough on me. They don’t have enough emails on me,” he reportedly said. Her riveting account about Wyss’ state-of-mind during the Justice Department investigation was given several years ago in a private meeting with this reporter. Interest in the case has been driven by the fact that Wyss, whose net worth is estimated at $6 billion, is politically connected to the Clintons and to John Podesta, her national campaign manager. Wyss and his top surgeon, Dr. Jens Chapman, now face state charges they ran a “criminal racketeering enterprise” in which they pursued a series of illegal surgeries in the pursuit of profits in the death of Reba Golden. Golden, age 67, died when Chapman inserted a bonelike cement into her spine that had not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Four other patients died on operating tables when the company conducted the same operations. The trial in Seattle began on Monday before King County Superior Court Judge Jim Rogers. In the federal case filed in 2009, a grand jury identified Wyss as “Person No. 7” who as CEO of Synthes, Inc., instructed his staff to carry out the illegal procedures despite the lack of FDA approval. A federal judge overseeing the federal case characterized the operations as “rogue clinical trials.” Federal judge Legrome D. Davis said at the 2011 sentencing of the four executives who went to prison that “in search of profits, (Synthes) chose not to tell the FDA the truth.” The acting U. S. Attorney on the case stated at the time , “As the Court found, these senior managers knew about and participated in unlawful human experimentation that disregarded the safety of all members of society.” The human experimentation charge was repeated on Monday by the lawyers for Golden’s daughter Cynthia Wilson, who is suing on behalf of her mother. Unbeknownst to Golden, Chapman was not an independent surgeon but was a paid consultant to Wyss’ company and received a $2 million “endowment” from Synthes for a chair at the University of Washington where he still sits. The university is a defendant in the state case. Prior to using the substance on people, Chapman conducted tests for Synthes by inserting the material into pigs. All the pigs died. Despite his company’s disregard for federal safety laws, Wyss enjoys political connections to prominent Democrats, including those in the Obama and Clinton administrations. In 2013 Wyss committed $5 million to the Clinton Foundation and has given at least $4 million to Podesta’s Center for American Progress. The Swiss citizen has a seat on CAP’s 12-person board. The reclusive Swiss businessman hired away a top Clinton administration environmental figure, Mollie McUsic to run his private foundation. He also has given hundreds of millions to scores of other activist liberal organizations across the country. In 2013 Wyss paid Podesta $87,000 in consulting fees, according to a White House financial disclosure form. Last week, a Wyss Foundation memo surfaced reportedly from computers at the Democratic National Committee that shows the Swiss citizen promised to spend $100 million on U. S. voter registration “to alter the electorate.” Although foreigners are barred by law from donating to election campaigns, a loophole permits foreign citizens who run foundations to give unlimited funds to activist groups and even to finance voter registration drives. In January the conservative group Citizens United sought to obtain Justice Department documents under the Freedom of Information Act explaining why Wyss escaped prosecution. The department refused to release any documents. Jacqueline Long, a former employee who also had a long-term romantic relationship with Wyss told TheDCNF he never expressed remorse to her about the deaths. Instead, he seemed to care only about his own future. Long had charged that Wyss physically abused her and neglected her daughter Callie, who he promised and later reneged to help who was suffering from drug addiction. Callie died in 2014 at the age of 27. Wass settled the abuse case in a confidential $1.5 million settlemen t between himself and Long. Long said Wyss was agitated in 2010 because board members wanted to remove him from the Synthes board in light of the indictment against Synthes. “He discussed it with me because people wanted to throw him off the board. He was completely frightened. He was scared to death every time the phone rang,” she recalled. “His fear of people throwing him off the board was unbelievable. In January (2010) he came into the house and he was just shaking. He was just paralyzed with the fact that he was going to be thrown out of Synthes.” Long claimed Wyss never expressed remorse over the deaths. “He doesn’t have any remorse. It was only always about power and control. It’s the fight. He loves the fight.” She said Wyss also was angry he was being pursued by a woman, Mary Crawley, who was a U. S. Attorney assigned to the Synthes case. “He was only angry that it was a woman who was going after him, Mary Crawley. You should have heard him. ‘This woman, this woman, she’s after me. She the one who is doing it in Washington, D. C.’” Wyss had contempt for Crawley. “It was total contempt. It was all her fault,” she recalled. Long said on July 7, 2010 she was with Wyss in their suite at the Le Corinthia hotel in Lisbon. The Synthes CEO was in Lisbon along with Michel Orsinger, his Chief Operating Officer, to attend an international medical conference of surgeons who specialize in the treatment of trauma and musculoskeletal system. Long claims the call came when they were in their hotel room at about 3 o’clock. “And in the call, he is saying, ‘Oh my God, Oh my God.’ And he fell to the floor on his knees and I thought he was having heart attack,” Long recalled. She asked Wyss about the call, and he reportedly yelled, ’They’re not going to indict me! They’re not going to indict me!’ “And I asked, ‘indict you over what?’ And he said, ‘over the deaths, over the Synthes’ thing,’ he said. “And then, when he’s on his knees, I asked, ‘Are you OK?’” “You don’t get it,’ he told me. You don’t understand,” Wyss reportedly said. “Remember, I told you? I made the call on that drug and I was going to prison. You don’t understand.’” “And I helped get him off the floor and then later on he was coughing up blood,” she said. At dinner that followed with Orsinger, “he was deliriously happy because he wasn’t being indicted. He repeated, ‘I am not being indicted.’ Those were the words,” she said. “He said, ‘they do not have enough on me. They don’t have enough emails on me.’ He said that twice.” Long says they did not talk about it again until a year later when four Synthes executives were fined and sentenced to prison terms. At the time she says she said to him,” I take it these people are getting paid off and their kids were all going to college.’ And he just looked at me and nodded. He didn’t say yes or no.” Kenneth Lambert, a long-time personal friend of Wyss and a Synthes medical consultant tried to warn the Swiss CEO that the surgeries were morally and legally wrong. “I was a friend saying ‘look out,” he recalled in an interview this week with TheDCNF. “I was speaking as a friend.” Lambert said once he delivered the warning to Wyss “I quickly understood I was the third rail. He didn’t want to hear the criticism. I was totally stonewalled. I never heard from him again.” Lambert eventually became a star witness for the government. On Tuesday, he was seen in a videotaped deposition that was shown in the Washington state courtroom. Wyss also was in the court on Monday. He was reportedly dressed very casually, a trademark look he presented in public even though he is a billionaire. Chapman on the other hand was immaculately dressed for the hearing. Michael Madden, a lawyer representing Chapman and the university, told the court that the surgeon was not indicted in the federal case and “was not involved in the criminal enterprise that led to the federal prosecution of Synthes.” The trial is expected to last eight weeks. Follow Richard at Twitter Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [email protected]

2016-06-29 08:24 dailycaller.com

91 What's so bad about being called a "bitch"? Donald Trump fans have been condemned for calling her one, while some of her supporters have urged her to be more of one. So why is Hillary Clinton so often associated with the word "bitch" - and how offensive is it? Supporters of Donald Trump have sparked outrage in US media with merchandise attacking Hillary Clinton that many people say uses lewd and demeaning language. T-shirts saying "Trump that bitch" and badges with similar mottos were found on display at rallies. Despite the media outrage, both men and women at a rally in West Virginia told the Washington Post they thought the items were "funny". They liked the way the shirts defied political correctness, something the presumptive Republican nominee has railed against. The shirts are not authorised by Mr Trump's campaign. But a simple online search reveals a whole range of unofficial items such as bumper stickers, badges displaying the same word in reference to the first female president candidate in the US. And is not just Mrs Clinton's detractors who use the term. Tina Brown, former editor of the New Yorker and Vanity Fair, told the BBC's Today programme that the Democratic nominee needed to "own her inner bitch" in order to appeal to young women voters. Some experts argue the taboo around the word has changed. Of course, women can buy themselves T-shirts and necklaces labeling themselves "bitch". But as anyone who has been called it by a passer-by in the street, or at work, will know - it can still pack a painful punch. Why is that? The term "bitch" has been used to refer to a female dog since about 1000 AD, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, and began to be used as a pejorative term for women in around the 15th Century. The 1811 edition of the Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue by Francis Grose said it was "most offensive appellation that can be given to an English woman". The OED defines its modern meaning as "a malicious or treacherous woman" or "something outstandingly difficult or unpleasant". But other dictionary definitions say its premier use is no longer as a term of abuse. "It has gone through this whole history of the way words change," says Connie Eble, an English professor at the University of North Carolina who has documented the language of college students for some 40 years. "There are some really interesting things going on it popular culture that are informing its usage. " While female students often affectionately refer to friends as "best bitches", she says, the term "bitchin" is commonly used as a positive description by young people in the US. "Bitch" can also be used as a verb, meaning to "complain". Or changing it to "biatch" can add humour or force. Behind much of the change has been American and British hip hop that used 'bitch' simply to refer to a woman, says Eble. Music critics pointed out that Madonna used dozens of times on her latest album. But it also follows a campaign for women to reclaim the word. A feminist magazine called Bitch was set up 1996. Its founders wanted to use the title to spark debate about language and talk about women's rights. Andi Zeisler, a co-founder of the magazine, says the controversial title was inspired by the way the word "queer" had been appropriated by the LGBT community. But she says it is has been both "fascinating and frustrating" to see how attitudes to the word "bitch" had changed since. Source: The Concise New Partridge Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English Katty Kay: Why aren't we more excited about Clinton? Nick Bryant: Donald Trump: The schlong and short of it "When we started the organisation, bitch wasn't used in common parlance the way it is now," says Zeisler. "It was still very much an epithet for a woman who was doing or saying something that other people did not want to hear. " But in the years that followed it became "very normalised to hear it as a synonym for a woman", she says. "People started to use it as a term of endearment or as emphasis. " However, the core meaning of the word has not changed, she says. "It's still the most common way to describe a woman who's doing something that people do not like. " So she was not surprised to see Trump supporters using the term. "Hillary Clinton has been thought of as a bitch since she was first lady," Zeisler says. "That was not because she was seen as mean spirited or petty - but because she had ambitions that people thought were above her station. " Critics of Mrs Clinton have repeatedly pointed to her alleged mishandling of issues such as healthcare reform, and the scandal surrounding her husband's affair with Monica Lewinsky. More recently she has been lambasted over the fatal attack on a US compound in the Libyan city of Benghazi in 2012, and her use of private email for official business while she was secretary of state. Nick Adams, a political commentator and author of the book Retaking America: Crushing Political Correctness, says the insult is justified. "I would submit that Hillary Clinton is dishonest, malicious, spiteful, overbearing, difficult, objectionable and unpleasant. Given these characteristics, many would consider the term "bitch" fitting," he says. He says people offended by the term are being "precious". "Politics is a merciless, competitive, blood sport," he says. "It is not new to have candidates and their supporters of all political stripes hurl epithets, coin pejoratives or invent insults. " Women's rights activists and some left-wing commentators particularly object to the way "bitch" refers to Mrs Clinton's gender, and say male politicians are not treated in the same way. Meanwhile Tom Dalzell, a slang expert, believes the taboo around using it now is greater han ever before because there is more of an expectation that women will be treated fairly. Slurs that are specifically directed at certain groups of people are seen as unacceptable, he adds. "It has come to show hatred in a way it didn't 30 years ago. " This does depend on who is using it and how. But he says the reclamation effort has only been partially successful. Certainly Trump supporters are not using it out of affection or solidarity. Andi Zeisler says its appearance at Trump rallies is particularly "offensive" because of the way the Republican nominee "whips up his fans in this kind of blood bath, in a specifically threatening and violent way". But the rhetoric around the election will continue to build over the coming months. And considering its long and complicated history, the "bitch" in the room is unlikely to go away any time soon.

2016-06-29 08:22 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk

92 Italian PM suggests UK students could have EU passports Italian prime minister Matteo Renzi has suggested that UK students wanting to study in Europe could receive passports from other European Union countries. He was responding to concerns that UK students might find it more difficult to study at European universities after the referendum vote. Mr Renzi said he wanted to find a way for UK students to gain passports while they studied for degree courses. The UK universities minister has sought to reassure EU students in the UK. Jo Johnson has told EU students already at UK universities and those starting in the autumn that their funding would be honoured for the duration of their courses . The proposals from the Italian prime minister, in comments to the BBC's Nick Beake in Brussels, suggested there could be plans to lessen any disruption for UK students who wanted to study at European universities. Mr Renzi said he would propose an initiative to allow UK students to have passports from EU countries. "In other words, if a British student decides to spend two, three, four years in a university in Europe, we study now if it's possible to give him a European passport - Italian, French or German. "But for now, nothing is sure," said Mr Renzi. Many European student exchanges and opportunities to study abroad are run through the Erasmus programmes. But it remains unclear whether UK students and UK universities will be able to participate after the EU referendum vote. The Erasmus programme itself says it has been getting many questions about the impact, but it does not yet know what will happen and that "definitive answers" may take some time. It remains unclear whether the UK government would buy back into the scheme, when it ceased to be a member of the EU. UK universities, with many international staff and students, have been trying to work out the implications of the decision to end EU membership. In an attempt to offer some stability, Goldsmiths, University of London, has promised to fix fees for EU students up to and including courses beginning in 2018-2019. This is intended to reassure potential applicants that their status, in terms of fees, would not change while they were studying. Students from the EU are currently treated on the same terms as UK students - and so pay fees of up to £9,000. But if EU students were to become "international" students, they would be liable for much higher fees. UK universities have also sought clarity over research funding. Analysis by the Royal Society suggests that between 2007 and 2013, the UK received 8.8bn euros (£7.3bn) in direct EU research funding and had contributed 5.4bn euros (£4.5bn). Even after leaving the EU, it could be possible for the UK to pay to rejoin the EU's research programmes as an "associate" member, although it would lose control over how such research was directed.

2016-06-29 08:22 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk

93 US border authority seeks travellers' social media details Travellers seeking visa waiver entry to the US may soon be asked to list their social media profiles - if a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) proposal is enacted. An update to application forms would ask users to identify what social networks they use and their "social media identifier" such as a username. However, revealing this information would be "optional". The changes would affect Esta and Form I-94W applications. The proposal was added to the Federal Register by Customs and Border Protection (CBP), part of the DHS, last Thursday. Any data travellers choose to share will be used "for vetting purposes, as well as applicant contact information", the proposal states. Public comment - which must be submitted by post - will be sought for 60 days before the CBP considers it further. "It's very hard to see travellers not filling out this item - even though it's optional - as they may fear not getting entry into the country," commented Joseph Lorenzo Hall, chief technologist at the Centre for Democracy and Technology. Mr Hall, who spotted the notice last week, added that he feels the measure could make it harder for people to enter the US. "Democracy in general requires having spaces free from government scrutiny and increasingly social life happens online," he told the BBC. "We would have a poor society if people were chilled from participating in social activity online so I really hope they rethink this. " A spokesman for the Association of British Travel Agents pointed out that the proposal was not guaranteed to go ahead. "Just as with any change in entry requirements, the DHS will need to balance security issues against the need to encourage people to visit their country," he added. Last year, MSNBC published a memo in which it appeared that officials dropped a plan to vet visa - not visa waiver - applicants' social media activity. Recently, the United States updated its policy on visa waiver programs regarding visitors who had a second citizenship in Iran, Iraq, Syria and Sudan - or who had visited those countries within the last five years. Such individuals must now apply for a visa instead.

2016-06-29 08:22 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk

94 Lessons from history for Europe's future As European leaders meet this week to find a way forward from the UK's decision to leave the EU, James Naughtie surveys the mood in France. A man said to me in Paris, "It's historic. " "Yes," I said, but he was talking about the football. I was thinking about Henry the Fifth, because there is nothing like disappearing into the past to make you think about the present. You might not have thought, a few days ago, that the fourth volume of Jonathan Sumption's magisterial and intoxicating account of the Hundred Years War would feel like the right book this week. But when the world turns upside down, anything goes. With European leaders rushing to Brussels like weary delegates to some post-war peace conference, it seems natural to turn to chaotic times to feel at home. That particular King Henry died at the Château de Vincennes in Paris, just about 600 years ago, when he was only 36. He had beaten the French at Agincourt and manoeuvred himself to within an inch of the throne, under the empty gaze of a witless king stripped of any real authority in a country where dukes of Burgundy and Gascony and Armagnac (and, you might like to think, Beaujolais and Chablis, too) had laid the ground for the English with their own frantic struggles for power. Henry died of dysentery not long before he would have become King of France as well as England, a warrior brought down by the dismal workings of mortality when everything was in his grasp. Two kingdoms. Power. The chance to shape a world of his own. And what would have happened? Well, Paris would surely have been the beating heart of Henry's Europe. His England, the sceptr'd isle of his grandfather John of Gaunt, would have had to look to this city, with its poise, its culture, its music, its thundering grandeur, even then, and away from itself, like a moon doomed to circle a bigger planet for the rest of time. The history afterwards would not have been the one we know. But a victor king died and a weak one survived. France went its own way, and so did England. Chance. The throw of the dice. The fate of countries that turns on the instant. Fearsome mortality, a battle. Or a vote. Europe stunned by UK Leave vote Scared by Brexit, Europe asks what next EU spells out Brexit procedure No one here these last few days, any more than at home, knows where we are heading. I did try to raise the Hundred Years War with someone last night, and did not get very far. It didn't seem the moment for the St Crispin's Day speech. Nor for a discussion of the respective problems of Jean-Claude Junker and David Cameron, and the nightmares that will haunt them down the years. Someone pointed to Marine Le Pen smiling on the television, which she has been doing a lot. For the same reason, I spoke about football instead. Better to let it be. But kings and barons, the different ways of English courts and the ducal rivalries of France, remind you how much does not change. And, maybe, how these countries, long ago, made themselves different. Not by fate, but chance. I am heading to the battlefields of The Somme today. That centenary on Friday touches quite another part of our shared past and the two-minute silence just before 0730 BST will mark the moment when the troops advanced at the start of the most bloody, costly morning in the history of the British army. But, in Picardy, I might have time to read some more history. Funnily enough, there is something about the 15th century that is rather appealing just now.

2016-06-29 08:22 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk

95 Five models for post-Brexit UK trade After the UK voted to leave the EU, the country faces the prospect of having to establish new trade relationships - both with the remaining 27 EU members and other countries around the world. As a member of the EU, the UK has been included in trade deals the EU has negotiated. There are 22 trade agreements between the EU and individual countries, and five multi-lateral agreements covering multiple countries. This means that if the UK wants to retain preferential access to the markets of the 52 countries covered by these agreements, it would have to renegotiate trade deals with all of them. Britain is a large market, so there is a clear incentive for other countries to negotiate a deal. Advocates of Brexit argued that it would be in nobody's interest to interrupt the current trading partnerships. But which of the other models discussed as potential post-Brexit options for the UK are realistic? Read more: The UK's trade deal challenges Reality Check: Who has access to the single market? Reality Check: Would UK have to make new trade deals? Reality Check: Could there be free trade without free movement? Norway is a member of the European Economic Area (EEA) - the single market - along with the 28 current EU members, Liechtenstein and Iceland. In return for that access to the single market, it pays a contribution to the EU budget and has to sign up to all the rules of the club - including its common regulations and standards. People from across the EU are free to live and work in Norway too, but the country is exempt from EU rules on agriculture, fisheries, justice and home affairs. The downside for Norway is that it has no say over how the rules of the single market are created. Senior Leave campaigner and Tory leadership hopeful Boris Johnson wrote in the Telegraph on Sunday that the UK would continue to have access to the single market . But would this be possible while also reducing immigration and cutting costs, as many Leave campaigners want? Ireland's Finance Minister Michael Noonan has said the UK is unlikely to secure full access to the single market unless it continues to allow free movement of labour. And a senior German MP and ally of Chancellor Angela Merkel, Michael Fuchs, told the BBC that it would be possible for Britain to maintain access but at a price. "The per capita fee of Norway is exactly the same as what Britain is now paying into the EU," he said. "So there won't be any savings. " How Norway's relationship with the EU has split views Switzerland has a free trade agreement with the EU and a number of agreements which give it access to the single market for most of its industries. But it does not have full access to the single market for its banking sector and other parts of the services sector, which together make up almost 80% of the UK economy. Its agreement also requires the free movement of people. The Swiss voted against joining the EEA in December 1992. Instead, the country, which sells over 50% of its exports to the EU, has agreed more than 120 bilateral agreements with Brussels, designed to secure Swiss access to Europe's markets. Switzerland contributes billions of dollars to EU projects. Its bilateral deals are now in danger of unravelling over the question of free movement of people, after a referendum two years ago went in favour of restricting the number of workers arriving from the EU. While no such restriction has yet been implemented, Brussels retaliated swiftly, stalling agreements and freezing participation in education projects. Can Switzerland show UK route to Brexit? Turkey is not part of the EEA or the European Free Trade Association but does - like tiny Andorra and San Marino - have a customs union with the EU. This means it faces no tariffs (taxes or duties on imports and exports) or quotas on industrial goods it sends to EU countries. The customs union does not apply to agricultural goods, or services. Turkey also has no say on the tariffs it has to impose on goods it imports from non-EU countries, as it has to apply the EU's common external tariff to those goods (and is not involved in setting it). Reality Check: Would the UK face tariffs outside the EU? Free trade area v single market - what's the difference? The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (Ceta) between the EU and Canada is not yet in force, although it has been in the making for seven years. It gives Canada preferential access to the EU single market without all the obligations that Norway and Switzerland face, eliminating most trade tariffs. However, some "sensitive" food items, including eggs and chicken, are not covered by it. Canadian exporters will have to prove that their goods are entirely "made in Canada", which imposes extra costs, to prevent imports entering the EU through a "back door". The services sector is only partially covered by Ceta. Crucially, a Ceta-type deal would not give UK financial services the EU market access that they have now. It would be hard for London-based banks to get "passporting" rights for their services in the EU - rights that they value hugely now. It would also mean that firms that export to the EU would have to comply with EU product standards and technical requirements without having any say in setting them. And critics of such a plan point out that the UK has a complex web of ties to the EU - much more than Canada. Reality Check: Would Canada's deal with the EU be a good model for the UK? Some advocates of Brexit have said the UK should adopt a unilateral free trade policy - dropping all tariffs and relying on the World Trade Organisation's framework - as reported by the Financial Times . For example Hong Kong's free trade policy means the Chinese special administrative region maintains no barriers on trade. The Hong Kong government says it "does not charge tariff on importation or exportation of goods. Import and export licensing is also kept to a minimum. " This approach may have some appeal to Brexiteers whose ideology favours no trade restrictions. It would be likely to gather less support from disaffected Labour voters and left-wing critics of the EU. No tariffs of any kind could have a strongly negative effect on the UK's agriculture and manufacturing sectors, as importing goods such as food and steel would in many cases be cheaper than producing them in the UK. Reality Check: Free trade free from regulation? Viewpoint: Brexit puts UK on new economic path If talks - with the EU and others - do not reach a deal before Brexit takes effect, trade rules would default to World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules. The UK and EU would be obliged to apply to each other the tariffs and other trade restrictions they apply to the rest of the world. That is because the WTO rules allow countries to discriminate in favour of a trade partner only in a limited number of circumstances - including a full bilateral trade deal.

2016-06-29 08:22 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk

96 US military failed Americans in Benghazi, says House The US military failed to protect four Americans who died in attacks on a US compound in the Libyan city of Benghazi, says a Congressional report. The Obama administration was criticised for lax security and a slow response to the 2012 attacks on a US compound, in the report by House Republicans. But they found no new evidence of wrongdoing by ex-Secretary of State and White House hopeful Hillary Clinton. The issue has long haunted her on the campaign trail. Islamic militants stormed the US compound in the Libyan city of Benghazi in 2012, killing four Americans including ambassador Chris Stevens. Earlier this year, Mrs Clinton said she took responsibility for the attack during an 11-hour hearing before the House Republicans committee on the matter. Military leaders have said they did not have sufficient intelligence on what was happening or the resources to respond quickly enough. In announcing the conclusion of the committee's investigation, chairman Trey Gowdy, a Republican from South Carolina, said: "Nothing was en route to Libya at the time the last two Americans were killed almost eight hours after the attacks began. " US help was too slow because of "an obsession with hurting the Libyans' feelings," he said. The report has "not found anything to contradict the conclusions of multiple, earlier investigations," Mrs Clinton's campaign said in a statement. Democrats, in their own report, said the State Department's security measures were "woefully inadequate" but Mrs Clinton had never refused requests for more security. They called the Republicans' report a "conspiracy theory on steroids, bringing back long-debunked allegations with no credible evidence whatsoever. " They accused the committee's Republican majority of targeting Mrs Clinton but Mr Gowdy said that was never the committee's aim.

2016-06-29 08:22 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk

97 Justin Trudeau gets comic book treatment in Marvel tale Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been a boxer, a nightclub bouncer, a world leader - and now, a cartoon book character. Mr Trudeau appears on the cover of an issue of Marvel's "Civil War II: Choosing Sides", due to be released on 31 August. Clad in a Maple-leaf tank top, boxing gloves and shorts, he is surrounded by members of a Canadian superhero group. In the story, he appears to advise the superhero team. Toronto-based cartoonist Ramon Perez told the BBC he chose to depict Mr Trudeau in boxing gear to showcase his unique personality. "Rather than do a stuffy suit and tie rendition of our [prime minister], I wanted to bring forth more of his personality," Mr Perez said. "He has a very youthful demographic and is present in social media. As well, he has a boxing history, and boxing itself being a part of the short story he appears in, it was the perfect fit. " Mr Trudeau is approached by Alpha Flight, Canada's premiere superhero team, in the story. The group, representatives of Canada globally in the comic book, asks for his advice on a political situation happening in the Marvel universe. Writer Chip Zdarsky of Edmonton told the Canadian Press he included Mr Trudeau in the story because he "seems to be the popular culture association with Canada right now". The Prime Minister's Office told Mr Zdarsky that they could not endorse the comic but were okay with Mr Trudeau being featured. "It's a little tricky just because once you start to put words in the prime minister's mouth, we acknowledge that this is basically Trudeau fan fiction," Mr Zdarsky said. "I had to kind of think about where he would stand on something like that and how he would handle it. Hopefully, I did a good job. Maybe I'll get a call from him saying: 'How could you have me saying that to... Iron Man? "' Mr Trudeau's all-action role has not been confined to the pages of fiction - he was photographed on Tuesday jogging in Ottawa with Mexican President Pena Nieto. The two countries are holding bilateral talks. President Barack Obama will join them on Wednesday for the so-called Three Amigos summit.

2016-06-29 08:22 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk

98 Beethoven, Bach and Bond to win over Myanmar's generals Aye Thida Tun, 43, a violinist for Myanmar's National Symphony Orchestra practices for four hours every single day. "I feel guilty if I don't," she said. But in her 12 years with the orchestra, Myanmar's former repressive military government only permitted a total of nine public performances. "We are musicians, we are born to perform," said Aye, who is also deputy director of the orchestra. "It's been very difficult. " In a vast, dimly lit recording space of Studio B in the bowels of the state-run Myanmar Radio and Television building, Aye conducts her colleagues - violinists, cellists and viola players, young men and women drawn from Myanmar's numerous, sometimes-warring, ethnic groups. As members of the National Orchestra they are state employees. Dressed in traditional longyi, or sarongs, their silken hair pulled into braids or piled up in buns, the musicians are seated on plastic stools, barefoot. Neat rows of rubber sandals and leather flats are lined up in the foyer outside. The women wear yellow patches of sandalwood paste on their cheeks. With Myanmar's citizens marking the first 100 days of their first democratically elected president in 50 years , these musicians, once banned from free expression, are finally being heard. They squeak and creak their way through Beethoven's Symphony No 3 - ever so slightly out of tune. But while you might question their musical skill, there's little doubt of their commitment or enthusiasm. "Having a national orchestra is so important," said Aye. "It teaches us how to work together and it makes me so proud that my country has one. " Music has played a diplomatic role in many conflicts. In 1987, American jazz legend Dave Brubeck toured the Soviet Union. Daniel Barenboim's West Eastern Divan Orchestra brought Israeli, Palestinian and other Arab musicians together under the same baton. In Myanmar, it is internal divisions that pose the gravest threat. The orchestra - a mix of the majority Burman Buddhists, ethnic Shan people and Christians from Chin and Karen states - provides a rare opportunity for them to collaborate, even as an uneasy peace reigns nationally. Naw Ei Ngone Phoo, 23, squints with concentration as she plays the notes before her. An ethnic Karen violinist from Yangon, her home state in the east has raged with a bloody insurgency since Myanmar gained independence from the British in 1948. She is one of many musicians benefitting from the ethnic and social harmony here. "I remember before the reforms, people had to seek the government's permission even to travel to relatives' houses," she recalls. "But in January, I performed with the orchestra in my first public concert. I had never even travelled outside Yangon before. My heart was thundering with fear, but it was wonderful. " Cellist Sai Paing Htet Lin, 23, is partly ethnic Chin - a mountain tribe from northwest Myanmar, whose elders, as recently as the 1890s, kept the heads of their enemies as trophies and regularly abducted children from the plains to use as slaves. American Baptist missionaries converted many Chin to Christianity with translated Bibles and free schooling in the 1900s. Sai, who grew up in Yangon, is far removed from his colourful maternal history, but the participation of so many ethnic minorities in the orchestra reflects the painstaking task of reconciling Myanmar's tribes to one nation. "When I make a mistake, it's not just my mistake," Sai said, "it affects the entire orchestra, so we really have to work hard and practice together to sound good. " The orchestra was founded in 2000 by Khin Nyunt, a former military intelligence officer who served as prime minister under Than Shwe, the general who ruled the country with an iron fist until 2010. "When I graduated from university with a music degree in 1997, Gen Khin Nyunt attended our valedictory concert," Aye recalls. "He later approached the rector and that's how the orchestra was born. " While Khin Nyunt remained powerful, the orchestra was allowed to exist, although it was only permitted two public concerts in its first twelve years of existence. In 2004, Khin Nyunt was placed under house arrest for contacting contacting pro-democracy activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi. His fall from grace plunged the orchestra into silence. At one point, Myanmar's military government denied the orchestra even existed. But that never stopped Aye, willowy with an infectious smile, from practicing alone every day for eight long years. "I taught music and I tried not to get depressed. " Occasionally she and other musicians tried to organise a small private concert, only to have police clamp down a day before they were due to perform. Myanmar's generals did eventually decide to open up the country to the outside world in 2010. The ban on the orchestra was lifted in 2012, leading to five public performances including one at the Angkor Wat temple complex in Cambodia. And in January they performed to an audience of its once-repressive military masters. At a concert in the capital, Nay Pyi Taw, they played Beethoven, Bizet and French composer Camille Saint-Saens under the direction of visiting Japanese conductor Yunosuke Yamamoto. In the audience sat the generals who had relinquished their military uniforms, in keeping with democratic reforms. However, all was not "allegro". "Burmese people are not that used to Western classical music," explained Aye. "We were on stage sweating because we were working so hard, but to them it sounded very boring. "So in the second half, we played tunes from Mission Impossible, The Godfather and James Bond. They enjoyed that very much. "

2016-06-29 08:22 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk

99 Stocks in the Asia Pacific region see more gains Stock markets in Asia have started the day with more gains, continuing the positive lead set by the US and Europe. Wall Street and bourses across Europe have been recovering some of the ground since the UK voted last week to leave the European Union . In Japan, the benchmark Nikkei 225 was up by 0.7% to 15,436.07 points. Carmaker Toyota saw an almost 3% rise despite more recalls over faulty airbags . Across the rest Asia, stock markets continued to see gains after the tumultuous losses and the uncertainty in the wake of the UK referendum on EU membership. Britain's course out of the bloc remains unknown, leaving the future of the EU and its currency an unanswered question. Investors, though, are hoping that central banks will step in with more stimulus should global markets return to the past days' volatility. Hong Kong's Hang Seng was up 0.4% to 20,243.67 while the mainland benchmark Shanghai Composite was 0.3% higher at 2,918.53. In Australia, the ASX/200 was also higher, gaining 0.7% to 5,138.10 points. Commodity giants Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton were both up well over 1%. In South Korea, the Kospi was 0.7% up at 1,950.28.

2016-06-29 08:22 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk

100 Football wars Just weeks after the legendary footballer Zinedine Zidane made a visit to Mumbai, his one-time teammate and equally legendary club footballer Luis Figo, has also had his own tryst with India. Figo, the charismatic ex- football captain of Portugal and also the one-time FIFA World player of the year, has been a frequent visitor to India over the past couple of months in his capacity as the president of the Premier Futsal League. Virat Kohli, Luis Figo and Praful Patel The league, which is set to begin next month has roped in Virat Kohli as their brand ambassador, and AR Rahman to score their anthem. But sources say that there could be a spot of trouble brewing for Figo and co. as the league has managed to irk India's football powers that be. The All India Football Federation (AIFF), that is the governing body for all forms of football in India doesn't officially sanction or recognise the new league. The issue is serious enough for NCP politician and President of AIFF, Praful Patel who tweeted, "Any brand ambassador of an ISL franchise cannot do the same for a league not recognized by AIFF or FIFA. " What's more is that we are informed that discussions are underway to start another rival Futsal league which will be officially backed by the governing authority boards. A case of IPL vs ICL (the long forgotten Kapil Dev initiative) all over again? Old guard celebration It was something of the coming together of the city's old guard on Monday evening at a tony, art filled apartment at Altamount Road to celebrate the marriage of Barota Malhoutra to 'SS'. The couple, both in their 70s now had been college sweethearts many decades ago, and gone their separate ways into marriages, children and grandchildren until fate and Cupid brought them together recently as singletons, and old fires had been rekindled. The vivacious Malhoutra, one of SoBo's celebrated hostesses, had invited all her old friends to celebrate. Indira Jaising, the feisty Supreme Court lawyer and activist who'd been one of Malhoutra's schoolmates when they'd attended a convent in Santacruz, had flown in from Delhi and said she wouldn't have missed the occasion for anything. Screen legend Waheeda Rehman was seen exuberantly congratulating the glowing bride and the likes of Nira and Shyam Benegal, Asit Chandmal, Ashok Advani, Khalid and Zeyna Ansari, Anjali and Ajit Singh, Sabira and Chotu Merchant and Meera Chauhan were seen similarly jubilating about the fortuitous coupling. What's best of all is that there was singing and dancing, and much exclaiming about old love and new romances, as the couple rejoiced with family and friends. As a guest said, "This is the Mumbai that had set the social ball spinning. And it wouldn't recognise a 'media wall' or an 'event organiser' if they grew teeth and bit its heads off. " Indeed. 'Saddi Dilli' in Mayfair Call it reverse colonisation, but friends who recently returned from London, swear that The Audley, the crystal chandeliered historic pub at the corner of Mount Street and South Audley Street, has become an extension of 'saddi Delhi.' Mukul Rohatgi. Pic/Twitter, Dinesh Vazirani and Pria Kataria Puri Consider the evidence. Rubbing shoulders amidst the late Victorian woodwork, and no doubt sampling the establishment's famous bangers and mash and cask ale recently, were some leading denizens from India, namely Mukul Rohatgi Attorney General of India, Dinesh Vazirani founder Saffronart, designer and TV host Pria Kataria Puri, and Sula's Rajeev Samant. All at the same time. And when you thrown into this heady mix names as ubiquitous as AD Singh and Suhel Seth, (who appear to show up on different continents often simultaneously) a more high-profile group of fellow diners would be hard to find — even in Delhi's Khan Market. Of course, things might change after Brexit though. Daddy cool "I think he will be a great dad. He has too much love to give," says designer Nandita Mahtani responding to Monday's news about her friend, singleton Tusshar Kapoor's baby born through IVF and surrogacy, that has seen widespread delight all round. "I think it's the most wonderful news! " she says. Nandita Mahtani, Ekta Kapoor, Tusshar Kapoor and Renu Chainani Mahtani, who's known the family from as far back as she can remember, is thrilled for Tusshar, son of yesteryear star Jeetendra, and brother to one of showbiz's most successful producers, Ekta Kapoor. "He's extremely loving and one of the nicest people I know," Mahtani says, adding the clincher: "He has a great relationship with his dad so there's no doubt he will have the same with his son. " Nice! A welcome move The news put a delighted zing into one of the country's most outspoken LGBT champions of gay rights. "All power to the Delhi group. Tum aaagey badho, hum tumhare saath hain," says Ashok Row Kavi, when we called to ask for his response to yesterday's news, that a group of high-profile gay icons including chef Ritu Dalmia, hotelier Aman Nath, and dancer N S Johar had approached the Supreme Court seeking quashing of section 377 of the IPC which criminalises homosexuality in the country. Ashok Row Kavi and Ritu Dalmia "I'm glad the Delhi celeb group is joining the fray," says Row Kavi. "How can you even think a law made by a colonial repressive regime in 1869 even be seen in the light of a democratic Constitution drawn up by a Constituent Assembly of the world's largest democracy? " The plea is expected to come up for consideration today when the court reopens after its summer break.

2016-06-29 08:25 By Malavika www.mid-day.com Total 100 articles. Created at 2016-06-29 12:01