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Total 100 articles, created at 2016-05-16 18:02 1 Duterte clamps down on junkets, lakbay-aral Presumptive President Rodrigo Duterte announced Monday that he will ban extravagant trips of government officials. 2016-05-16 15:52 1KB news.abs-cbn.com (2.08/3)
2 Atienza urges Duterte to avoid 'divisive' death penalty Presidential frontrunner Rodrigo Duterte's bet for the House speakership wants to follow through with Duterte's plans to reimpose the death penalty for the crimes of rape, (1.02/3) murder, and illegal drugs. 2016-05-16 18:01 4KB news.abs-cbn.com 3 Robredo camp says Bongbong wasn’t asked to concede THE camp of leading vice presidential candidate Leni Robredo clarified on Monday that she is not being “presumptuous” of her victory in the race, saying the Camarines Sur (1.00/3) representative never 2016-05-16 18:01 3KB newsinfo.inquirer.net
(0.02/3) 4 Rajasthan Board 12th Result 2016 (Rajeduboard.nic.in): RBSE/BSER Class 12 Science and Commerce Result has been declared today at 6 PM on Rajresults.nic.in The Rajasthan Board 12th Result 2016 for Science and Commerce stream students has been declared today, 16 th May 2016 at 6 PM. Students can log on to the RBSE/BSER official website rajresults.nic.in and rajeduboard.nic.in to access the RBSE/BSER 12th Result 2016. 2016-05-16 13:22 4KB www.mid-day.com 5 PH Navy welcomes its biggest vessel to date THE Philippine Navy welcomed its first landing dock vessel on Monday at Pier 13 in Manila. The strategic sealift vessel Tarlac (LD- 601) can transport more than a battalion size of troops, two 2016-05-16 18:01 2KB newsinfo.inquirer.net 6 5 die as 2 motorcycles collide in Isabela ALICIA, Isabela -- Five people died in a motorcycle collision at 5:30 p.m. along the national highway in Barangay Burgos here, on Sunday (May 15), according to a belated police report on 2016-05-16 18:01 1KB newsinfo.inquirer.net 7 Sandigan issues HDO vs Purisima, 16 others MANILA - The Sandiganbayan 6th Division on Monday issued a hold departure order (HDO) for former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Alan Purisima and 16 co- respondents for their graft case. 2016-05-16 18:01 1KB news.abs-cbn.com 8 Baron Geisler’s ‘assault video’ taken out of context—PR manager The PR manager of actor Baron Geisler said Monday the video showing the actor cursing and confronting a UP student was "taken out of context.'' In a text message sent to 2016-05-16 18:01 1KB entertainment.inquirer.net 9 Biazon seeks dismissal of pork barrel scam cases Resigned Customs Commissioner Rufino “Ruffy” Biazon has asked the Sandiganbayan to dismiss his pork barrel scam charges as he denied receiving kickbacks from accused mastermind Janet 2016-05-16 18:01 7KB newsinfo.inquirer.net 10 4 Negros Oriental detainees flee from jail, killed in shootout with cops DUMAGUETE CITY-- Three of the four inmates who escaped from the Negros Oriental Detention and Rehabilitation Center (NODRC) in Dumaguete City, were killed in a shootout with police officers on 2016-05-16 18:01 3KB newsinfo.inquirer.net
11 Only three COCs left to canvass DOWN TO THREE: The National Board of Canvassers (NBOC) has only three Certificates of Canvass (COCs) left to canvass before it proclaims winners for the senatorial and party-list races. 2016-05-16 18:01 3KB news.abs-cbn.com 12 China says Pentagon report ‘severely damaged’ relations BEIJING — China on Sunday accused the US of deliberately distorting the facts in a report on the Asian giant's defence policy, warning Washington it had "severely 2016-05-16 18:01 2KB globalnation.inquirer.net 13 Rapper Azealia Banks apologizes for racist rant on Zayn NEW YORK — Rapper Azealia Banks has apologized for a stream of racist and Islamophobic invective against former One Direction heartthrob Zayn Malik that led Twitter to suspend 2016-05-16 18:01 3KB entertainment.inquirer.net 14 Red Hot Chili Peppers cancel shows as frontman hospitalized LOS ANGELES — The Red Hot Chili Peppers on Sunday canceled a second show after abruptly scrapping a concert as frontman Anthony Kiedis was rushed to the hospital for intestinal flu. The 2016-05-16 18:01 2KB entertainment.inquirer.net 15 Riteish Deshmukh's son Riaan enjoys first tennis 'lesson', and it's all about 'love' Bollywood stars Riteish and Genelia Deshmukh's one-year-old son Riaan enjoyed his first tennis 'lesson' recently and the proud dad took to social media to share the adorable photo of his little one 2016-05-16 18:01 1KB www.mid-day.com 16 Obama slams Trump in speech: ‘Ignorance is not a virtue’ WASHINGTON — US President Barack Obama on Sunday criticized the populist campaign of Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump, decrying "anti- intellectualism" and noting that 2016-05-16 18:01 2KB newsinfo.inquirer.net 17 Duterte meets with ambassadors from Japan, China, Israel DAVAO CITY, Philippines—Presumptive President Rodrigo Duterte on Sunday held closed door meetings with the ambassadors from Japan, China and Israel. It was not known if the territorial 2016-05-16 18:01 2KB globalnation.inquirer.net 18 Momentum now with Alaska, says Ahanmisi Rain or Shine’s Maverick Ahanmisi attributed his poor showing in Game 5 to Alaska's defense. From a career-high 30 points in Game 4, the rookie was limited to just one point in Game 5, 2016-05-16 18:01 2KB sports.inquirer.net 19 LOOK: Kris Aquino back in Hawaii with Josh, Bimby Kris Aquino returned to Hawaii with her sons Josh and Bimby for an enjoyable and relaxing two-month vacation after campaigning for former Interior Secretary and Presidential candidate 2016-05-16 18:01 1KB entertainment.inquirer.net 20 Western Digital completes acquisition of SanDisk MANILA, Philippines - Western Digital® Corporation (NASDAQ: WDC) today announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary Western Digital Technologies, Inc. has completed the acquisition of SanDisk 2016-05-16 18:01 3KB technology.inquirer.net 21 WATCH: Japanese couple snaps ‘dronies’ during honeymoon travels to 41 countries Kaz and Mariko Yamaguchi, a couple from Kyoto, Japan, spent their honeymoon accross 41 countries, such as United Arab Emirates, China, Laos, and Vietnam. What made their travels and 2016-05-16 18:01 1KB technology.inquirer.net 22 Cleaner graduates as engineer from school he worked for 8 years A 54-year-old cleaner who tirelessly worked for nearly a decade in a college in the United States graduated from the very school he worked for. In an interview with CBS News, Vaudreuil narrated his 2016-05-16 18:01 2KB newsinfo.inquirer.net 23 First beneficiary of government scheme, Anandpur village finally gets electricity Villagers in Anandpur district in Uttar Pradesh are one happy lot. Reason? The place is one beneficiary of an ambitious plan which Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced in his Independence Day speech last August 2016-05-16 18:01 2KB www.mid-day.com 24 Serena Williams reinforces huge rankings lead Serena Williams reinforced her huge lead at the top of the WTA rankings a week out from the start of the French Open after winning the Italian Open on Sunday. Williams beat fellow American Madison 2016-05-16 18:01 2KB sports.inquirer.net 25 IBP wants SC to void Aquino’s choice of 2 Sandigan associate justices The Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) is set to ask the Supreme Court to nullify President Benigno Aquino III's appointment of two associate justices to the Sandiganbayan. In a 27-page 2016-05-16 18:01 4KB newsinfo.inquirer.net 26 Raleigh teenager charged with impersonating police officer A teenager in Raleigh has been arrested and charged with impersonating a law enforcement officer. 2016-05-16 17:41 869Bytes www.washingtontimes.com 27 Man shot by police during chase gets 20 years in Iowa prison A man who was shot during a police chase in Waterloo has been sent to prison. 2016-05-16 17:41 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 28 Deputies arrest California man for Target store bomb threat Sacramento authorities have arrested a man they believe called in a bomb threat to a Target store. 2016-05-16 17:37 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 29 Sushil Kumar moves HC to secure Rio Olympics 2016 berth Wrestler Sushil Kumar on Monday moved the Delhi High Court seeking to hold trials for the 74kg class to secure a berth in the Indian wrestling squad for the upcoming Rio Olympics 2016-05-16 17:22 1KB www.mid-day.com 30 DBP’s Buenaventura picked as new RCBC prexy YUCHENGCO-led Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC) has named veteran banker Gil Buenaventura, who currently heads state-owned Development Bank of the Philippines, its new president and chief 2016-05-16 17:14 2KB business.inquirer.net 31 Centre ropes in pensioners for success of Clean India drive About 58 lakh pensioners are being roped in by the Centre for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ambitious 'Swachh Bharat Abhiyan' to ensure that the target of total sanitation is met by October, 2019 2016-05-16 17:09 3KB www.mid-day.com 32 No longer kids! South Korea marks traditional 'coming of age' day South Korea, on Monday celebrated traditional 'coming-of-age ceremony' on Monday to celebrate young people turning 20 and to raise their awareness about roles and responsibilities that come with being an adult 2016-05-16 17:08 1KB www.mid-day.com 33 Book on artist Raja Ravi Varma in upcoming Indian Art online sale A compendium of over 200 rare books on Indian art, including limited edition monographs, reviews by early critics, artist-signed books and catalogues besides out-of- print books are set to go under the hammer The 'Ephemera on Indian Art' online sale 2016-05-16 17:06 3KB www.mid-day.com
34 Painters keeping faith with Henderson-Niles Rain or Shine knows the game would be a lot easier if only import Pierre Henderson-Niles could provide more lift on the offensive end. Averaging measly 4.5 points and 6.5 rebounds in the 2016-05-16 17:02 3KB sports.inquirer.net 35 Duterte warns taxi drivers: Not giving change is extortion “It is extortion or illegal exaction.” That was presumptive President Rodrigo Duterte’s warning to taxi drivers who refuse to give their passengers exact change. “Yung mga 2016-05-16 16:54 2KB newsinfo.inquirer.net 36 Long Island park removes signs bearing name of Dean Skelos A Long Island park has removed signs bearing the name of disgraced former New York Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos. 2016-05-16 16:50 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 37 Driver of van that hit bus, killing passenger, has died The driver of a van that crashed into a small transit bus in rural eastern Pennsylvania, killing a passenger, has also died. 2016-05-16 16:50 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 38 Video: Woman Taken to Hospital With Shark Still Attached to Her Arm A woman was bitten by a two-foot nurse shark that was still attached to her right forearm at a Boca Raton, Florida beach Sunday, according to Boca Raton Fire Rescue Services. 2016-05-16 16:48 1023Bytes abcnews.go.com 39 Wheels keep turning for Arkansas bike collector Fred Dowless has vintage bicycles as far as the eye can see, and it doesn’t look like that’s going to change anytime soon for the passionate collector. 2016-05-16 11:25 4KB www.washingtontimes.com 40 Asaram Bapu's supporters attack police, seven injured Police on Monday said they had registered a case of rioting against supporters of spiritual guru Asaram Bapu who attacked police personnel overnight here, injuring seven policemen 2016-05-16 16:39 1KB www.mid-day.com 41 Pretrial hearing set in alleged antifreeze killing A Kent County judge is holding a pretrial conference for a Smyrna woman charged with killing her husband by lacing his steroid injections with antifreeze. 2016-05-16 16:38 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 42 Suspected drunken driver arrested after Missouri crash Authorities have arrested a suspected drunken driver in a head-on crash that killed a husband and wife in southeast Missouri. 2016-05-16 16:37 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 43 Man leaves campsite cabin after getting court order A man called Muskrat who has lived in a log cabin at a New Hampshire campground for nearly a decade has packed up after getting a court order to leave. 2016-05-16 16:37 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 44 Plea hearing for Florida man in Jewish Center bomb plot A man charged with plotting to bomb a synagogue and Jewish school in South Florida is seeking release on bail. 2016-05-16 16:37 1KB www.washingtontimes.com
45 Police shoot armed suspect following San Bernardino pursuit Police in San Bernardino say officers shot and critically wounded an armed suspect after a car chase through the city. 2016-05-16 16:37 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 46 Slave remains unearthed at construction site to be buried The remains of three dozen people, most of them slaves buried in the late 1700s, will be buried in a church near where they were unearthed in downtown Charleston. 2016-05-16 16:37 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 47 Man struck and killed by train in Reidsville A man has died after he was struck by a train in Reidsville. 2016-05-16 16:37 746Bytes www.washingtontimes.com 48 Investigation into deadly plane crash at PDK airshow continues Investigators will focus on three aspects of a deadly plane crash during an airshow Saturday in DeKalb County — the pilot, the plane and how wind may have contributed to the accident. 2016-05-16 16:37 991Bytes www.ajc.com 49 Caught on camera: BJP MP falls into drain in Vadodara; injured In a freak accident, Bharatiya Janata Party MP from Jamnagar Poonamben Madam, on Monday fell into a 7 foot drain in Jalla Ram Nagar during a demolition drive in Gujarat 2016-05-16 16:36 2KB www.mid-day.com 50 Relatives say woman fatally stabbed was pregnant Family members of a 23-year-old woman fatally stabbed in Eden Prairie say she was pregnant with her third child when she was killed. 2016-05-16 16:36 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 51 2 killed, others hurt in separate Philadelphia incidents Philadelphia police are looking for several suspects in violent incidents - most of them early Sunday - that left two dead and others hurt. 2016-05-16 16:29 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 52 Gas down slightly in New Hampshire, up in Vermont, Maine Gas prices have gone down slightly in New Hampshire, but they’ve increased a bit in Maine and Vermont. 2016-05-16 16:29 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 53 Boys find body in park creek Some young boys playing in a Milwaukee park made a gruesome discovery over the weekend. 2016-05-16 16:28 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 54 Get Your Motor Running: Its Bike Week on the Grand Strand The rumble of motorcycles can be heard along streets in Myrtle Beach and along South Carolina’s Grand Strand. 2016-05-16 16:28 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 55 Donald Trump: Britain would not be at ‘back of the queue’ if it withdraws from EU In a stark contrast to a recent warning from President Obama, presumptive GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump said Great Britain would not be sent to the back of the line on trade if voters there approve a referendum next month to withdraw from the European Union. 2016-05-16 16:27 2KB www.washingtontimes.com 56 TAMMY BRUCE: Obama’s legacy will be the duping of America One can only imagine how President Obama and his sycophants will pay homage to their getting away with lying to the American people about every aspect of their administration. 2016-05-16 16:27 3KB www.washingtontimes.com
57 Son, dad, mom all arrested in aftermath of Utah kidnap case The abduction of a woman and her four teenage daughters in Utah has led to the arrest a father and son in western Wyoming, and the son’s mother was also detained for allegedly violating probation in an effort to help him. 2016-05-16 16:27 3KB www.washingtontimes.com 58 Rally opposing law limiting LGBT protections scheduled Opponents of the North Carolina’s new law preventing local governments from passing LGBT anti-discrimination protections and directing which bathrooms transgender people can use are getting together in Raleigh to push for its repeal. 2016-05-16 16:27 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 59 New Bergen County rail line station opens after delays A nearly $18 million train station in northern New Jersey has opened following a half- decade of missed project deadlines. 2016-05-16 16:27 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 60 Boy shoots sister, police search for gun owner A 6-year-old boy in Baton Rouge accidentally shot and wounded his sister after playing with a gun. Authorities are now searching for the owner of the weapon. 2016-05-16 16:27 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 61 TransCanada to replace some sections of Keystone pipeline A Canadian-based company plans to replace sections of its Keystone pipeline so the company can begin pumping oil at higher pressure. 2016-05-16 16:27 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 62 EXCHANGE: For this church, gay congregants ‘bring new life’ Kankakee’s St. John’s United Church of Christ is no stranger to taking the road less traveled. 2016-05-16 16:27 2KB www.washingtontimes.com 63 Ohio senator to visit mothers’ addiction treatment center Ohio’s Republican senator plans to visit an addiction treatment center that allows children to live with mothers in recovery. 2016-05-16 16:27 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 64 Everton FC striker Oumar Niasse arrested over alleged assault Everton FC striker Oumar Niasse has been arrested on suspicion of assault, it was announced on Saturday 2016-05-16 16:25 1KB www.mid-day.com 65 Bernie Sanders hoping for high voter turnout to win Oregon Sen. Bernie Sanders says he’s hoping for “a very large voter turnout” in Oregon this week to secure a win against Hillary Clinton in the state’s primary election. 2016-05-16 14:22 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 66 Some see future in civil-rights past of Arkansas towns The small town of Elaine sits deep in the heart of the Arkansas Delta, surrounded by cotton fields, 30 miles north of the confluence of the White and Mississippi rivers. 2016-05-16 16:24 3KB www.washingtontimes.com 67 Narendra Modi reviews drought situation in Gujarat Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday reviewed the drought and water scarcity situation in parts of Gujarat at a high level meeting in New Delhi 2016-05-16 16:24 2KB www.mid-day.com
68 BSF jawan among two killed in mishap in Ramban Two persons, including a BSF jawan, were killed on Monday and three other jawans injured when a vehicle in which they were travelling fell into a gorge in Ramban district, police said 2016-05-16 16:24 1KB www.mid-day.com 69 Extra officers to be at SC school where student shot self Officials say additional law enforcement officials will be present at a Greenville County high school where a student accidentally shot himself. 2016-05-16 14:25 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 70 Citizen-scientists: Uncle Sam wants you to fight Zika! The mosquitoes that can spread Zika are already buzzing among us. The U. S. government could use some help figuring out exactly where. 2016-05-16 14:24 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 71 Donald Trump suggests he might not have a very good relationship with David Cameron Presumptive GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump is already forecasting that he might not have a very good relationship with the leader of one of the United States’ staunchest allies, in the wake of British Prime Minister David Cameron’s criticizing Mr. Trump’s call for a temporary ban on Muslims... 2016-05-16 16:19 3KB www.washingtontimes.com 72 Afghan capital locked down for massive demonstration Authorities locked down Afghanistan’s capital Monday as tens of thousands of ethnic Hazaras marched through the streets calling on the government to reroute a power line through their poverty-stricken province in a massive protest that reflected public dismay with the government of President Ashraf Ghani. 2016-05-16 16:19 4KB www.washingtontimes.com 73 China barely notes start of Cultural Revolution 50 years ago Exactly 50 years ago, China embarked on what was formally known as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, a decade of tumult launched by Mao Zedong to revive communist goals and enforce a radical egalitarianism. The milestone was largely ignored Monday in the Chinese media, reflecting continuing... 2016-05-16 16:19 5KB www.washingtontimes.com 74 Decisions on fate of Baton Rouge Zoo not expected until fall A possible move for the Baton Rouge Zoo has been at the forefront of discussions about a proposed $110 million rebuild of the 46-year-old attraction. But it could be as much as a year from now until final decisions are made. 2016-05-16 16:18 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 75 Pointe Coupee resident to see proposed home rule charter Pointe Coupee Parish residents this week will get their first look at a preliminary draft of a home rule charter. 2016-05-16 16:17 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 76 Memorial honoring police vandalized in central Ohio A memorial honoring police officers has been vandalized in central Ohio. 2016-05-16 16:17 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 77 Barbra Streisand to launch 9-city summer concert tour Barbra Streisand will launch a nine-city tour this summer. 2016-05-16 16:17 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 78 Western NY town calls on state to lift Thruway bridge tolls Officials in a western New York town are renewing their effort to convince the state Thruway Authority to remove tolls on local bridges. 2016-05-16 16:16 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 79 England favourites to win Euro 2016: Former coach Sven- Goran Eriksson Former England head coach Sven-Goran Eriksson has backed the football team to win the forthcoming European Championship this summer 2016-05-16 16:15 1KB www.mid- day.com 80 Leicester to train young Chinese players: Vice chairman Newly-crowned English Premier League champions Leicester will train Chinese at their academy and 2016-05-16 16:06 5KB www.mid-day.com 81 Wahpeton historian began love for old things at young age It may seem odd to consider, in this age of record-keeping and the ability to observe history by the minute, but when Lois Berndt was a high school student, her textbooks didn’t include World War II. 2016-05-16 10:44 3KB www.washingtontimes.com 82 ADL to recognize Ottoman Empire’s massacre of Armenians as ‘genocide’ “We believe that remembering and educating people about any genocide – Armenian, the Holocaust, Bosnia, Rwanda and others is a necessary tool to prevent future tragedies,” says ADL head. 2016-05-16 16:00 3KB www.jpost.com 83 I was used to being bullied: NFL's Tom Brady's supermodel wife Gisele Bundchen Supermodel Gisele Bundchen who is married to National Football League (NFL) star Tom Brady says she was 2016-05-16 15:52 1KB www.mid-day.com 84 North Dakota arts programs get federal grants North Dakota’s congressional delegation says the National Endowment of the Arts has awarded grants for North Dakota arts programs. 2016-05-16 15:52 933Bytes www.washingtontimes.com 85 Rashford, Townsend in 26-man England provisional squad Manchester United's teenage sensation Marcus Rashford and Newcastle United winger Andros Townsend were named in a provisional 26-man England squad for Euro 2016 on Monday. 2016-05-16 15:50 989Bytes www.timeslive.co.za 86 EU referendum: George Osborne accuses Tory rivals of 'conspiracy theories' as Boris Johnson accuses Chancellor of 'talking down' Britain T oday has been another war of words on the EU referendum campaign trail, with George Osborne attacking his Tory rivals for creating ... 2016-05-16 15:50 33KB www.telegraph.co.uk 87 First arrest made in murder of mob prince, cops say case still open A gag order remains on all details of the case, beyond the fact that Levi is under arrest. 2016-05-16 15:47 3KB www.jpost.com 88 Economy under-performs with meager 0.8% growth in first quarter Private consumption, on the other hand, grew 4%, and investment in fixed assets grew a healthy 7.5%. 2016-05-16 15:34 2KB www.jpost.com
89 Duterte: Call me 'mayor' Presumptive president Davao City Rodrigo Duterte on Monday asked the public to continue calling him "mayor," saying that he still feels awkward being called "President. " 2016-05-16 15:33 1KB news.abs-cbn.com 90 Sena hails dropping of charges against Pragya in Malegaon case The Shiv Sena on Monday welcomed the acquittal of Sadhvi Pragya Thakur and others in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, stating the ATS had 'falsely implicated' the Hindu outfits and that believing in the formation of 'Hindu Rashtra' does not amount to saffron terrorism 2016-05-16 15:21 3KB www.mid-day.com 91 Tulsa plans food truck court on Route 66 Masa food truck owners Robert Carnoske and Chad Wilcox don’t mind making the drive to Oklahoma City to park at the Bleu Garten food truck park. But some of their Tulsa colleagues can’t make the trek. 2016-05-16 15:21 3KB www.washingtontimes.com 92 New studies seek to limit damage from hail Andrew J. Heymsfield has an affinity for thunderstorms, particularly those nasty spring- born storms that darken the plains and drop hailstones similar to millions of tiny ice bombs, leaving crushed crops, car hood dings and dimples, and billions of dollars of damage in their wake. 2016-05-16 15:20 5KB www.washingtontimes.com 93 Watch video: Drunk cop terrorises Malwani, molests eunuch, harasses locals Running riot on the streets of Malwani and harassing the public, the Local Arms Unit constable is even seeing hitting, groping and forcibly kissing a eunuch; his act has been caught on camera by a local 2016-05-16 15:17 3KB www.mid-day.com 94 Rabbi Sacks: Livingstone should be sacked from Labour party for Hitler comments Sacks, speaking to The Jerusalem Post: “There has to be zero tolerance otherwise Europe will cease to be Europe.” 2016-05-16 15:15 3KB www.jpost.com 95 Everyone at Mr Gay World wanted my skin: Mr Gay World- India, Anwesh Sahoo The Odisha boy shares his experience from the biggest gay pageant in the world where he represented India 2016-05-16 15:04 3KB www.mid-day.com 96 Tim Noakes gives slimming advice to Malema University of Cape Town Professor Tim Noakes has weighed in on Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema’s weight loss and diet programme. 2016-05-16 15:01 2KB www.timeslive.co.za 97 Islamic State: Turkish strikes in Syria 'kill 27 militants' The Turkish army and US-led coalition forces are reported to have carried out attacks in northern Syria, killing 27 Islamic State militants. 2016-05-16 16:07 1KB www.bbc.co.uk 98 Russia RBC shake-up seen as new Putin raid on media Top editors leave Russian broadcaster RBC in what looks like another Kremlin raid on independent media, Stephen Ennis of BBC Monitoring writes. 2016-05-16 16:07 4KB www.bbc.co.uk 99 'Smart leg' makes engineering prize shortlist An "intelligent" prosthetic limb, improved MRI scanners and green engines are the three finalists for a major UK engineering prize. 2016-05-16 17:27 4KB www.bbc.co.uk 100 Iran arrests eight for 'un-Islamic' Instagram modelling Eight people are arrested in Iran for working for online modelling agencies deemed to be "un-Islamic", the prosecutor of a cybercrimes court says. 2016-05-16 16:07 2KB www.bbc.co.uk Articles
Total 100 articles, created at 2016-05-16 18:02
1 Duterte clamps down on junkets, lakbay-aral (2.08/3) Presumptive President Rodrigo Duterte announced Monday that he will ban extravagant trips of government officials. In his first press conference as the apparent winner of the presidential race, Duterte said he will prohibit seminars that will require public officials from the province to travel to Manila. "Iyung mga seminar-seminar cost a lot of money... To tell you, it's pure junket so no more seminars na iyung mga tao pupunta ng Maynila," he remarked. Duterte added that seminar lecturers should instead be the ones to troop to local venues. The presumptive President also voiced disapproval of Lakbay-Aral or educational trips, which he said are being abused by some officials. An irked Duterte said he knows one government official who traveled to Hong Kong at the expense of public funds. "I almost fell off my chair -- Hong Kong? Lakbay-Aral? Magkain ka ng pansit doon? You must be crazy," he said. - DZMM TeleRadyo, 16 April 2016
Duterte eyes 3 candidates for PNP chief news.abs-cbn.com Duterte enumerates choices for agency heads, PNP newsinfo.inquirer.net
Duterte offers Cabinet posts to Communist Party news.abs-cbn.com 2016-05-16 15:52 ABS-CBN news.abs-cbn.com
2 Atienza urges Duterte to avoid 'divisive' death penalty (1.02/3) MANILA - Presidential frontrunner Rodrigo Duterte's bet for the House speakership wants to follow through with Duterte's plans to reimpose the death penalty for the crimes of rape, murder, and illegal drugs. Incoming Davao del Norte Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez told ABS-CBN News that they will yield to the discussions in Congress on the matter. "May mga demand na talagang ibalik iyung death penalty," he said. "Demokrasya naman tayo, pag-uusapan naman iyan sa Kongreso both in the House of Representatives at sa Senado pero kung ano iyung mananaig na opinyon sa both houses, wala tayo magagawa diyan. Although the President highly recommends the reinstallation of the death penalty, basically heinous crimes iyan. " WATCH: Duterte threatens outlaws with 'double hanging' READ: Duterte vows hangings in war on crime But this early, Buhay party-lip Rep. Lito Atienza said he will oppose the plan because they have a pro-life advocacy. For Atienza, the death penalty is not a deterrent to crime. "We're hoping that President Duterte does not start his administration with very divisive issues," he said. "Kasi iyung death penalty, hindi naman lahat sang-ayon diyan eh. " "We do not believe it is the solution to the problem of criminality," Atienza added. "Ang solusyon sa problema is caused by many factors eh. The criminal justice system has to be reformed, the judges have to be reformed, the police have to be reformed, and even the system itself -- iyung special treatment sa criminals should be done with. "Imposing the death penalty will distort the values of our people, especially the young in believing that life can be disposed by the government or society," he said. "Only the poor will be given the death penalty. Iyung mga mayayaman, as long as mali at baluktot ang ating criminal justice system, hindi mapapadala sa silya elektrika iyan. Makakapag-areglo ng korte iyan, makakapag-areglo ng arresting police, mababago ang ebidensiya. " 'NOT A QUICK FIX' For her part, University of the Philippines political science Professor Jean Franco told ABS- CBN News that Duterte is better off subjecting this proposal along with the rest of the legislative agenda to the Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC). "Death penalty has been very contentious even in the 90s, and the literature or studies on death penalty argue that it's not a deterrent for crime. Again malinaw, ano ba gusto natin when we revive the death penalty? It has to be very, very clear," she said. The Philippines removed the death penalty under the 13th Congress through Republic Act 9346 on June 7, 2006 and signed into law by then President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on June 24 that same year. That law repealed Republic Act 8177, or the lethal injection law, and Republic Act 7659, or the death penalty law. An official of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) earlier Filipino voters to reject candidates who will support the restoration of the death penalty. CBCP Commission on Prison Pastoral Care Executive Secretary Rodolfo Diamante said capital punishment is against the Church's teachings and is not a "quick-fix" to crime. Diamante added that instead of reviving the death penalty, candidates should advocate programs for the rehabilitation of detainees and convicts. A February 2016 SWS pre-election survey showed that 58% percent of respondents would probably vote for a candidate who will advocate the reimposition of death penalty for heinous crimes; 29% would probably not, and 12% will not be affected. Support for candidates with the death penalty advocacy rose from 49% in January 2016.
Duterte vows to restore death penalty for heinous crimes newsinfo.inquirer.net 2016-05-16 18:01 RG Cruz news.abs-cbn.com
3 Robredo camp says Bongbong wasn’t asked to concede (1.00/3) THE camp of leading vice presidential candidate Leni Robredo clarified on Monday that she is not being “presumptuous” of her victory in the race, saying the Camarines Sur representative never asked rival candidate Senator Bongbong Marcos to concede defeat. “We want to clarify that we have no statement from our camp urging Senator Marcos to concede. It’s only him who could discuss his concession,” Robredo’s spokesperson Georgina Hernandez said in a media briefing at the Ateneo de Manila University on Monday. Hernandez also reiterated what Robredo said on Sunday that they are not claiming victory yet as only Congress could proclaim the winners in the presidential and vice presidential races. She said they were not being presumptuous about the results. Instead, they were just providing updates in the latest vote count, which shows that there is a “mathematical certainty” that Marcos cannot catch up with Robredo’s numbers. “Hindi pangunguna ang ating ginagawa kundi update lamang base sa mga publicly available information mula sa Comelec (Commission on Elections) kung saan nakikita natin na mas malaki ang lamang ni Congresswoman Leni,” she said. Asked to react to Marcos’s statement that he has won the vice presidential race, Robredo’s spokesperson said: “We don’t know where he got his data but according to Comelec’s website, the public could see that Congresswoman Leni is ahead of him.” Earlier, former Comelec chairman Sixto Brilliantes took to Twitter to hit Robredo for reportedly asking Marcos to concede and for claiming the vice presidency “without a single canvass document being opened.” Brillantes will also represent Marcos in the canvassing of votes in Congress. “How can Robredo claim victory when not a single official canvass document has been opened? Congress has not even convened as canvass body. Now Robredo wants BBM (Bongbong Marcos) to concede based on alleged small unofficial lead. She cannot be that presumptuous,” Brillantes said. As of latest unofficial count, Robredo is leading with more than 255,000 votes. Hernandez clarified that the sources of their latest tally of votes only came from the official ones, including the Comelec website ( comelec.gov.ph and pilipinaselectionresults2016.com ) and the data posted by Comelec commissioner Rowena Guanzon on Twitter. /rga RELATED VIDEOS Robredo camp: No truth to Leni’s alleged open letter to media newsinfo.inquirer.net 2016-05-16 18:01 Julliane Love newsinfo.inquirer.net
4 Rajasthan Board 12th Result 2016 (Rajeduboard.nic.in): RBSE/BSER Class 12 Science and Commerce Result has been declared today at 6 PM on Rajresults.nic.in (0.02/3) Bringing an end to all the excitement and anxiety of the students, the Rajasthan Board of Secondary Education (RBSE) or Board of Secondary Education Rajasthan (BSER) has been announced the Rajasthan Class 12 th Result (Science and Commerce stream) today 16 th May 2016 at 6 PM. The RBSE Result 2016 will be available in the official website of the Board i.e., rajresults.nic.in and rajeduboard.nic.in. In addition to this, students can also visit dedicated portal rajasthan12.jagranjosh.com to check their Rajasthan 12 th Science Result and Rajasthan 12 th Commerce Result. Check Rajasthan Board 12 th Science and Commerce Result @ rajasthan12.jagranjosh.com As per the official notification issued by the Board of Secondary Education, Rajasthan; the Rajasthan 12 th Science Result 2016 and Rajasthan 12 th Commerce Result 2016 will be declared in a brief ceremony at Board office in Ajmer. State education minister Prof. Vasudev Devnani and BSER chairman Dr. B. L. Chaudhary are expected to declare the Rajasthan 12 th Result in a press conference at around 5:30 PM. After this, Rajasthan 12 th Class Result will be made available online to over 1,95,000 students of science stream and 51,542 students from the commerce stream online on different result websites. How to check Rajasthan 12 th Result 2016 online? Keeping the convenience and anxiety of students in mind, the Rajasthan Board is expected to simplify the checking process for the students this year. However, to beat the online rush, students are advised to keep all important details required to check Rajasthan 12 th Science Result and Rajasthan 12 th Commerce Result online, ready beforehand. Generally, students would need details like admit card number/ board registration number and date of birth details etc. Students can also follow the simple steps given below to check their Rajasthan 12 th Results 2016 * Visit Jagranjosh.com/results * Click on the link for Rajasthan Board 12th Science Result 2016 / Rajasthan Board 12th Commerce Result 2016 * Enter your hall ticket number along with other important details * Click on the Submit button * Check your Rajasthan 12 th Result 2016 properly * Save PDF softcopy or take printout of the scorecard After viewing the RBSE Result 2016 students are suggested to save a copy either as a softcopy or take a printout of Rajasthan 12 th Result 2016. Usually the Board will take time to issue the official documents in support of the RBSE 12 th Result 2016. Hence in the mean time students can use the saved printed copy of the result for reference purpose. Students should contact their respective schools and get the official certificates, as in no case printed mark sheet would be accepted for official admission purposes. Details of Last year’s RBSE 12 th Result for Science and Commerce stream * Result Date: 22 nd May, 2015 * Total number of candidates in science stream: 1,76,848 * Total number of candidates in commerce stream: 61,738 * Overall pass percentage for science stream: 86.40% * Overall pass percentage for commerce stream: 85.02% Mid-day Team wishes all the students loads of success and good luck for the coming result!
MP Board 10th Result 2016 (Mpbse.nic.in): MPBSE HSC Results 2016 has been declared today at 4 PM on Mpresults.nic.in mid-day.com
Karnataka Board (kseeb.kar.nic.in) SSLC Result 2016: KSEEB, Karnataka Secondary Education Examination Board Class 10 Result has been declared today at 3 PM on karresults.nic.in mid-day.com 2016-05-16 13:22 By A www.mid-day.com
5 PH Navy welcomes its biggest vessel to date THE Philippine Navy welcomed its first landing dock vessel on Monday at Pier 13 in Manila. The strategic sealift vessel Tarlac (LD- 601) can transport more than a battalion size of troops, two rigid-hill inflatable boats, landing craft units and three helicopters. “With the evolving and increasing requirements for both maritime security and environmental challenges, what has been a mere plan and concept in paper has been pushed through to become a reality,” said Rear Admiral Ronald Joseph Mercado, the commander of the Philippine Navy Fleet. SSV Tarlac is one of the two vessels acquired by the Philippines from PT PAL in Indonesia at P3.8 billion. Once it is commissioned to service, it will be called BRP (Barkong Republika ng Pilipinas) Tarlac. The sister ship of SSV Tarlac will be delivered in May 2017. A crew of 121 Philippine Navy officers and enlisted personnel arrived with the vessels, as some of their families waited for them. SSV Tarlac was named after one of the eight provinces that fought against the Spaniards to assert the independence of the Philippines. “The arrival of the SSV Tarlac gives the sailors and marines of our Navy the impetus to serve our countrymen more with the knowledge that we know have additional capability to serve our maritime nation,” Mercado said. SSV Tarlac has a tonnage of 7,300 tons, overall length of 120 meters, breadth of 21 meters, draft of five meters and carry a payload of 2,800 tons. It has a cruising speed of 13 knots and maximum speed of 16 knots, and a minimum operating range of 7,500 nautical miles.
2016-05-16 18:01 Frances Mangosing newsinfo.inquirer.net
6 5 die as 2 motorcycles collide in Isabela ALICIA, Isabela — Five people died in a motorcycle collision a t 5:30 p. m. along the national highway in Barangay Burgos here, on Sunday (May 15), according to a belated police repor t on Mond ay. The accident killed Fredelino Ramos and Roy Allan Landicho, who were paired up on a black motorcycle (Plate No. 8453BQ), and Richard Toquero, June Gallego and Analyn Abuan who were astride a second black motorcycle (Plate No. DB98554), said Insp. Mary Jane Dalumay, Alicia police spokesperson. The four men were construction workers, while Abuan was a domestic helper. Their motorcycles crashed into each other along the northbound lane. Four of them died instantly from multiple injuries, while Landicho, died while being treated at the Manango Hospital. SFM
2016-05-16 18:01 Villamor Visaya newsinfo.inquirer.net
7 Sandigan issues HDO vs Purisima, 16 others MANILA - The Sandiganbayan 6th Division on Monday issued a hold departure order (HDO) for former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Alan Purisima and 16 co-respondents for their graft case. In an order, the Sandiganbayan directed the Bureau of Immigration to bar the respondents from leaving the country while the graft case is being heard. Aside from Purisima, the HBO also includes PNP officials Napoleon Estilles, Gil Meneses, Raul Petrasanta, Allan Parreño, Eduardo Acierto, Melchor Reyes, Lenbell Fabia, Sonia Calixto, Nelson Bautista, Ford Tuazon and Ricardo Zapata, Jr; and WERFAST incorporators Mario Juan, Salud Bautista, Enrique Valerio, Lorna Perena and Juliana Pasia. The case stemmed from the allegedly anomalous contract of PNP with WERFAST, which gave the company sole responsibility to set up an online system for firearms license application and delivery. WERFAST, however, still contracted the services of LBC for the delivery of the license, collecting P190 for deliveries within Metro Manila and P290 for outside of Metro Manila. Other courier service providers only charged P90 for deliveries within Metro Manila.
2016-05-16 18:01 Carolyn Bonquin news.abs-cbn.com
8 Baron Geisler’s ‘assault video’ taken out of context—PR manager The PR manager of actor Baron Geisler said Monday the video showing the actor cursing and confronting a UP student was “taken out of context.” In a text message sent to INQUIRER.net, Tinnie Esguerra said Geisler also plans to consult his lawyers for an apparent legal action against the person who posted the video on Facebook over the weekend. “The video was taken out of context, and because of that, I plan to consult my lawyers for the possible liabilities of the person who uploaded the video, whose apparent intention was to exploit my already damaged reputation,” the message quoted Geisler as saying. The video, which became viral after it was posted by a certain Khalil Versoza, showed Geisler cursing and threatening a Viacom-Fine Arts UP student after the actor allegedly got angry over the late delivery of the script for a project he was supposed to do with the student. Versoza said in his FB post that the delay was due to their tight school work. This apparently did not appease Geisler who was also shown in the video locking his hand on the neck of the student while cursing him and telling whoever was shooting the video to stop. Clarizel Abanilla
2016-05-16 18:01 INQUIRER.net entertainment.inquirer.net
9 Biazon seeks dismissal of pork barrel scam cases Resigned Customs Commissioner Rufino “Ruffy” Biazon has asked the Sandiganbayan to dismiss his pork barrel scam charges as he denied receiving kickbacks from accused mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles. In his urgent motion filed before the anti-graft court Seventh Division, the Liberal Party stalwart asked the court to dismiss his malversation, graft and direct bribery charges, as well as defer the issuance of an arrest warrant. READ: Aquino ally Biazon faces pork barrel scam charges He denied that he received P1.95 million kickbacks from his Priority Development Assistance Funds (PDAF) for his alleged dealings with Napoles to convert his pork barrel to ghost projects for commissions. Biazon also denied having any dealings with his alleged agent Zenaida Ducut, the former Energy Regulatory Commission chief accused of being the middle person between Biazon and Napoles. The former Muntinlupa representative said there is no probable cause for the court to try him for malversation because he as a former lawmaker has no custody or control over his pork barrel. Biazon said his only task is to endorse the project to the implementing agency, which will be receive the special allotment release order from the budget department. “The funds were coursed through the implementing agency and never passed to the office of accused Biazon,” his motion said. He added that there is no probable cause to try him for graft because his mere endorsement of the pork barrel project does not cause injury to government. He added that there is no evident bad faith, manifest partiality and gross inexcusable negligence “if the acts performed by him were in mere observance of the standard operating procedure.” Finally, Biazon said the court cannot try him for direct bribery because he categorically denied receiving any commissions, gift, kickbacks, offer or promise from Napoles. He said there is no evidence in the Ombudsman resolution that would prove that he received kickbacks from Napoles. The Office of the Special Prosecutor filed one count each of malversation, graft and direct bribery against Biazon for his alleged criminal activities as Muntinlupa representative in 2007. Biazon is an ally of President Benigno Aquino III under the Liberal Party. He resigned as Customs commissioner in 2013 after the Department of Justice included him in the pork barrel scam complaint. Charged with Biazon is his alleged agent Ducut, a former Pampanga representative who purportedly acted as an agent for Napoles in the House of Representatives. Ducut was said to have toured Napoles in the House of Representatives, according to whistleblower Merlina Suñas. READ: Lady solon accompanied Napoles during House pork ‘rounds’—witness According to the malversation charge, Biazon with Ducut and Napoles “willfully, unlawfully, and feloniously appropriate, take, misappropriate, and or allow Napoles to take public funds” worth P2.7 million. Biazon allegedly misappropriated P3 million of his PDAF to Napoles’ bogus foundation Philippine Social Development Foundation (PSDFI), which implemented Biazon’s pork barrel funds intended for livelihood projects for the barangays (villages) of Muntinlupa. Biazon and his respondents were also charged with violating Section 3(e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act for causing undue injury to government in coursing his pork barrel funds to the spurious foundation without public bidding, committing evident bad faith, manifest partiality and gross inexcusable negligence. The project using Biazon’s PDAF turned out to be non-existent. “Biazon and the above-named public officials appropriated, took, misappropriated, and/or allowed Napoles and her cohorts, through PSDFI, to take possession and thus misappropriate PDAF-drawn public funds instead of implementing the PDAF-funded projects, which turned out to be non-existent,” the prosecution said. Biazon was also charged with direct bribery for allegedly receiving P1.95 million from Napoles in exchange for his endorsement of her nongovernment organization to receive his pork barrel funds. “Biazon, through Ducut, received commissions and/or ‘kickbacks’ from Napoles in consideration of his participation and collaboration as described above,” the prosecution said. The prosecutors said Biazon endorsed the foundation to the implementing agency which was supposed to implement the project without conducting a public bidding. Biazon chose the implementing agency Technology Resource Center (TRC) to course his PDAF to the bogus foundation. Also charged with Biazon were Napoles and her employee Evelyn De Leon for preparing the acceptance and delivery reports, disbursement reports, project proposal, and other liquidation documents to “conceal the fictitious nature of the transaction, to the damage and prejudice of the Republic of the Philippines,” the prosecution said. The prosecution also charged TRC officials for failing to verify the qualifications of the bogus foundation—director general Antonio Ortiz, deputy director general Dennis Cunanan, group manager Maria Rosalinda Lacsamana, group manager Francisco Figura, budget officer Consuelo Espiritu, chief accountant Marivic Jover, and internal auditor V and division chief Maurine Dimaranan. For expediting the issuance of the special allotment release orders to release Biazon’s PDAF, budget undersecretary Mario Relampagos was also charged with his staff Rosario Nuñez, Marilou Bare, and Lalaine Paule. According to the charge sheet, the bail is set at P30,000 for one count of graft, P40,000 for one count of malversation and P20,000 for one count of direct bribery. Biazon is the next to be formally charged before the Sandiganbayan from the second batch of lawmakers sued before the Office of the Ombudsman for their alleged involvement in the scheme of diverting their PDAF to ghost projects for kickbacks. READ: Biazon, four others face malversation, graft raps over pork barrel scam The Sandiganbayan is hearing the plunder cases over the pork barrel scam of Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., Juan Ponce Enrile, and Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada, and former Apec party-list representative Edgar Valdez and dismissed Masbate governor Rizalina Seachon Lañete; as well as the malversation cases against former Cagayan de Oro representative Constantino Jaraula, former Benguet representative Samuel Dangwa and former Agusan Del Sur representative Rodolfo Plaza. READ: Seachon-Lanete walks free, guns for reelection as 3rd-time governor Revilla and Estrada are detained at the Philippine National Police Custodial Center after their bail petitions were denied, while the elderly Enrile was allowed by the Supreme Court to post bail from hospital detention due to humanitarian considerations. Meanwhile, Valdez and Lañete were allowed to post bail from their detention at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig after the prosecution failed to prove that they received millions of kickbacks from Napoles. RAM READ: Napoles, ex-Rep. Valdez granted bail from plunder over pork barrel scam
2016-05-16 18:01 Marc Jayson newsinfo.inquirer.net
10 4 Negros Oriental detainees flee from jail, killed in shootout with cops DUMAGUETE CITY– Three of the four inmates who escaped from the Negros Oriental Detention and Rehabilitation Center (NODRC) in Dumaguete City, were killed in a shootout with police officers on Sunday afternoon at a village in Tayasan town, Negros Oriental. Killed on the spot following a 30-minute exchange of gunfire at Sitio Tinibgan, Barangay Saying in Tayasan, were Maximo Aspacio, Richard Balasabas and James Magdasal. The fourth inmate, Rico Bandico, survived but was recaptured, said Insp. Jose Luis Lacandula, chief of police of Tayasan. The four inmates bolted the provincial jail in Dumaguete City on May 8 at 6 p.m., after allegedly taking hostage a female pastor, identified as Nailyn Gaje of the Seventh Day Adventist Church. The detainees immediately released her after getting out of the facility. Lacandula said concerned residents reported to him the presence of strangers at Sitio Tinibgan on Monday . When presented the photographs of the fugitives, the residents confirmed they were the same persons they saw roaming in their community. The police then organized a team to recapture the escapees. Senior Supt. Harris Fama, Negros Oriental Provincial Police Office (NORPPO), deployed teams from the Special Weapons and Tactics (S. W. A. T.), the Provincial Public Safety Company and the Provincial Intelligence Bureau to Tayasan. After a briefing, the teams proceeded to Bandico’s house in Sitio Tinibgan, about four kilometers away from the town proper, where the fugitives were hiding, said Lacandula. The fugitives allegedly refused to surrender and instead engaged the police in a firefight that lasted for about 30 minutes. The fatalities were brought to the Bindoy District Hospital in Bindoy town, while a Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) team was dispatched to the scene. Recovered from the scene were a .38 caliber revolver, a “sumpak” or homemade firearm and two grenades, said Lacandula. SFM
2016-05-16 18:01 Judy Flores newsinfo.inquirer.net
11 Only three COCs left to canvass MANILA - The National Board of Canvassers (NBOC) has only three Certificates of Canvass (COCs) left to canvass before it proclaims winners for the senatorial and party-list races. According to information from the Commission on Elections (Comelec), the NBOC has yet to receive COCs from Lanao del Sur and Northern Samar as of 2 p.m. of May 16. The Board is also awaiting results from the Detainee Voting, which as of Monday afternoon, was still undergoing manual count at the Session Hall of the Commission on Elections in Intramuros. On Monday, the NBOC was able to canvass the election results from 11 provinces: But the NBOC still has to resolve issues of alleged discrepancies manifested by counsels of several candidates during canvassing. The discrepancies were apparently noticed in the numbers reflected in the Transparency Server against the official transmitted Certificates of Canvass at the NBOC. Because of such manifestations, the NBOC on Saturday created subcommittees to double- check election results even if these had already been canvassed and considered valid. The subcommittees were tasked to compare hard copies of election results with generated COCs and Statement of Votes per municipality. This is to make sure that no municipality is left out in the canvass. The NBOC initially wanted to double-check all canvassed COCs but relented to the objections of counsels who said that this would be tantamount to starting the entire canvass from scratch. The NBOC eventually decided to limit the audit to the six provinces where discrepancies were noted: On Monday, Comelec Chairman Andres Bautista said that it turned out that the alleged discrepancies noted in Benguet, Iloilo and Misamis Oriental happened after votes from highly urbanized cities Baguio, Cagayan De Oro and Iloilo City were included in the total votes for the province. "If you add those cities together with the province, then that would account for the difference," Bautista said. The poll chief said the en banc has yet to discuss the discrepancies noted in Ilocos, Zamboanga and Nueva Ecija. Bautista dispelled allegations that the discrepancies are proof that there is widespread cheating in the automated elections. Last week, the NBOC discovered that over 1,700 pre-Logic and Accuracy Test results in Davao del Sur were inadvertently mixed in with the May 9 election results of the province and transmitted to the NBOC. The board had to "quarantine" the election results until proper determination was made. The results have since been canvassed by the NBOC.
2016-05-16 18:01 Pia Gutierrez news.abs-cbn.com
12 China says Pentagon report ‘severely damaged’ relations BEIJING — China on Sunday accused the US of deliberately distorting the facts in a report on the Asian giant’s defence policy, warning Washington it had “severely damaged” trust between the superpowers. The Pentagon on Friday said Beijing had been building up military facilities on reefs and islets in a bid to assert its claims to the contested waters of the South China Sea. READ: China using ‘coercive tactics’ in maritime claims: Pentagon China’s military has also been using “coercive tactics” to foster tensions with its neighbours, but will ensure they do not snowball into outright conflict, according to the annual report to Congress. Beijing hit back on Sunday in comments published in state media, with a defence ministry spokesman saying the Pentagon report had “deliberately distorted China’s defense policies.” “It is the United States that has been flexing military muscles by frequently sending military aircraft and warships to the region,” spokesman Yang Yujun said, according to the official news agency Xinhua. “The US annual report on China’s military and security developments has severely damaged mutual trust between the two sides.” Yang accused the US of being behind the “militarization in the South China Sea”, parts of which are claimed by Vietnam, Taiwan, Brunei, Malaysia and the Philippines as well as China. The South China Sea, an important shipping route thought to be home to vast energy deposits, has become a growing source of tension between Beijing and Washington as the US turns its focus on Asia. Washington fears Bejing is seeking to impose military controls over the entire area, where China has built massive structures including radar systems and airstrips on reclaimed reefs and islets. The Pentagon report estimated China has reclaimed 3,200 acres (1,300 hectares) of land around the Spratly Islands, also claimed by the Philippines, over the past two years. Beijing has been angered by the growing US attention on Asia and US forays into the Sea, including sailing warships close to reclaimed islands. RELATED STORIES China stepping up Spratlys landgrab–Pentagon report Pentagon chief urges China to stop island building
2016-05-16 18:01 Agence France globalnation.inquirer.net
13 Rapper Azealia Banks apologizes for racist rant on Zayn NEW YORK — Rapper Azealia Banks has apologized for a stream of racist and Islamophobic invective against former One Direction heartthrob Zayn Malik that led Twitter to suspend her. Banks, who has long been notorious for provocative social media postings and has rarely voiced remorse, offered her “sincerest apologies to the world” in a posting on Instagram, where her account remains active. “Employing racial/sexual slurs/stereotypes in attempts to make fun of or degrade another person or group is not fair or fun for anyone,” wrote Banks, who performed Sunday in Istanbul. “Allowing my anger to get the best of me, I’ve managed to insult millions of people without reason. And for that I give my deepest apologies,” she wrote late Saturday. Banks, who is African American, used a series of epithets targeting Muslims in a rant on Twitter late Tuesday against Zayn, whom she accused of copying her style in his new racy look after One Direction. Banks on one point gloated that the US military would kill the family of Zayn, a Briton who is partially of Pakistani descent and is one of the most high-profile Muslims in Western pop culture. Twitter suspended her account on Thursday, pointing to its policy against “abusive tweets and behavior.” Banks initially defended herself, suggesting that she was singled out as an African American woman and saying she was upset that Zayn — who has gone only by his first name since leaving the boy band — refused to engage with her over her criticism. Banks, who did not mention Zayn by name in her apology, also clarified one point from her insults — she had no problem with curry, one of the terms she used to berate him. She said she was repeating a joke from her native New York — where nearly half of cab drivers were born in Bangladesh, India or Pakistan — that taxis smelled like curry. “I feel compelled to clear the air with curry itself because that’s a bridge I don’t want to burn. I still want to be able to enjoy it freely without guilt or judgment,” she wrote. Banks has previously used homophobic language and called for the burning down of buildings owned by descendants of slave traders, remarks that drew controversy but did not lead to her suspension from Twitter. She has also raised eyebrows by supporting Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, a fellow enthusiast of acerbic Twitter postings who has little support among minorities. RELATED STORIES Bolder musical direction for Zayn Malik Zayn Malik breaks silence after split with One Direction Gigi Hadid Shot a Vogue Editorial with Zayn Malik
2016-05-16 18:01 Agence France entertainment.inquirer.net
14 Red Hot Chili Peppers cancel shows as frontman hospitalized LOS ANGELES — The Red Hot Chili Peppers on Sunday canceled a second show after abruptly scrapping a concert as frontman Anthony Kiedis was rushed to the hospital for intestinal flu. The alternative rock greats had been due to headline Saturday’s annual Weenie Roast concert held by radio station KROQ near the band’s native Los Angeles. But the band took the stage without their instruments as bassist Flea apologetically told the crowd that Kiedis was on his way to the hospital due to stomach pains. “We are unable to play tonight. We will be playing for you very soon and we will play for you like the feral animals full of love that we are,” Flea said, according to video footage posted by a spectator. “We are so sorry,” added Flea, appearing topless as is often his wont. Weezer, another band that built a following during the 1990s alternative rock boom, instead became the headliner of the concert. The Chili Peppers in a statement Sunday explained that Kiedis had been hospitalized for “complications from the intestinal flu” and was “expected to make a full recovery soon.” The band, however, canceled its next show which was scheduled for Tuesday in Los Angeles. The Red Hot Chili Peppers have an active touring schedule ahead of them as they prepare to release “The Getaway,” their first album in five years, on June 17. Upcoming dates including appearances at major international festivals including Japan’s Fuji Rock, Roskilde in Denmark, Reading and Leeds in Britain and the 25th anniversary of Lollapalooza in Chicago. The Chili Peppers rose to fame in the late 1980s as they brought an element of funk, especially through Flea’s distinctive bass, to hard rock, with lyricism by Kiedis that ranged from dark tales of drug use to the ironic. RELATED STORIES Red Hot Chili Peppers ready with first album in five years Red Hot Chili Peppers sets Clark music fest on fire
2016-05-16 18:01 Agence France entertainment.inquirer.net
15 Riteish Deshmukh's son Riaan enjoys first tennis 'lesson', and it's all about 'love' Riteish and Genelia Deshmukh's one-year-old son Riaan enjoyed first tennis 'lesson' recently and the proud dad took to social media to share an adorable photo of his little one. But based on the image, Riaan seems more interested in the becoming a tennis umpire and not as much about playing the game. Riaan seems to be all about 'Love'. Riteish posted an image on Twitter of his son with the caption, "First lesson learnt on the court. " With the hastag #LoveAll. In the image, Riaan is looking at the scoreboard, which says 0-0 or love all in tennis. Sania Mirza, who was tagged in the post, responded to the tweet with one of her own. The tennis ace, who won her first clay court doubles title in Rome on Sunday along with her partner Martina Hingis, said that she was waiting to teach Riaan.
2016-05-16 18:01 By A www.mid-day.com
16 Obama slams Trump in speech: ‘Ignorance is not a virtue’ WASHINGTON — US President Barack Obama on Sunday criticized the populist campaign of Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump, decrying “anti-intellectualism” and noting that “ignorance is not a virtue.” Obama did not specifically name the brash New York real estate developer during his remarks at a university graduation ceremony in New Jersey, but it was clear he was referring to the candidate who is running on a slogan of “Make America Great Again!” The Democrat told students not to pine for an American golden age of years past, saying, “The good old days were not all that good,” as he pointed out problems with racial discrimination, poverty and lack of equality for women. “The world is more interconnected than ever before and it is becoming more connected every day. Building walls won’t change things,” Obama said, an apparent jab at Trump’s calls for a wall along the US-Mexico border to keep illegal immigrants out. Obama noted that no wall could stop outbreaks of infectious diseases like Ebola and Zika, or help the United States remain competitive in a time of globalization. “Suggesting that we can build an endless wall along our borders and blame our challenges on immigrants, that does not just run counter to our history as the world melting pot,” Obama said. “It contradicts the evidence that our growth and our innovation and our dynamism has always been spurred by our ability to attract strivers from every corner of the globe.” The US president also denounced politicians who hold themselves up as examples of straight- talkers but shun political correctness. “In politics and in life, ignorance is not a virtue. It’s not cool to not know what you’re talking about,” he said. “That’s not challenging political correctness. That’s just not knowing what you’re talking about.” Obama was speaking to students at Rutgers University, about one hour from New York. He wore a red and black gown and received an honorary degree from the school. RELATED STORIES Obama rebukes Trump for campaign rhetoric
2016-05-16 18:01 Agence France newsinfo.inquirer.net
17 Duterte meets with ambassadors from Japan, China, Israel DAVAO CITY, Philippines—Presumptive President Rodrigo Duterte on Sunday held closed door meetings with the ambassadors from Japan, China and Israel. It was not known if the territorial dispute over the West Philippine Sea was among the topics he discussed with the Japanese, Chinese and Israeli diplomats. On Wednesday, Duterte was also expected to meet with the Russian ambassador. Last year, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev announced his government’s desire to work closely with the Philippines in the field of military and defense, and wants to intensify bilateral ties at diplomatic, business and entrepreneurial fronts. Last year, President Benigno Aquino III also urged Moscow to expand its trade with the Philippines, particularly in the areas of information technology; energy and renewables; and design-driven products and aerospace, among others. Christopher Lawrence Go, Duterte’s close aide, said they were informed that US Ambassador to the Philippines Philip Goldberg also wanted to make a courtesy call on Duterte. However, he did not say when this would happen. “The US Ambassador is also requesting but as to the details, it was not yet provided,” Peter Laviña, Duterte’s media team spokesperson, said. Laviña said aside from foreign dignitaries, several other well-wishers also wanted to meet with Duterte. “But we have to schedule them. It will be on a first-come first-served basis,” he said. With reports from Karlos Manlupig, Inquirer Mindanao/RAM/rga RELATED STORIES Ambassadors ng China, Japan, Israel makikipagpulong kay Duterte Duterte wants friendly ties with China; okays direct talks
2016-05-16 18:01 Dennis Santos globalnation.inquirer.net
18 Momentum now with Alaska, says Ahanmisi Rain or Shine’s Maverick Ahanmisi attributed his poor showing in Game 5 to Alaska’s defense. From a career-high 30 points in Game 4, the rookie was limited to just one point in Game 5, rendering him ineffective as Rain or Shine failed to close the series out for the second time with an 86-78 defeat on Sunday. “They played great defense,” Ahanmisi said. Ahanmisi noted that this time, the Elasto Painters were the ones who weren’t playing like themselves. “We’re just trying to take advantage of mismatches. It kind of messed us up because we weren’t looking for ourselves. We’re looking too much on the post. We’re not playing basketball, we’re focusing on the mismatch and we weren’t driving and playing our game normally,” he said. With two consecutive defeats, Ahanmisi knows the Aces now hold the momentum, and it’s now up to the Elasto Painters to regroup and clinch the franchise’s second title. “The first three games, that’s how we’re playing. Now, the momentum has definitely switched. We just got to minimize our costly mistakes. They’re a good team so we can’t hope to be lucky,” he said. “We’re going in with the same mentality, coming to win,” continued Ahanmisi. “They’re going to come play hard like the past two games. We can’t get down with this one. This hurts, but we got to keep our heads up.”
2016-05-16 18:01 Randolph B sports.inquirer.net
19 LOOK: Kris Aquino back in Hawaii with Josh, Bimby Kris Aquino returned to Hawaii with her sons Josh and Bimby for an enjoyable and relaxing two- month vacation after campaigning for former Interior Secretary and Presidential candidate Manuel “Mar” Roxas and Representative Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo. Aquino flew to the exquisite island after she voted on May 9. The TV personality posted photos of the Waikiki Beach and Diamond Head on social media site Instagram. Another recent Instagram post shows the three of them dining at Aquino’s favorite Japanese cuisine restaurant at Hilton Hawaiian Village, Benihana. Before she aided the ‘Ro-Ro’ tandem in their exhausting nationwide campaign, she visited Hawaii with Bimby and Josh last December and stayed there for almost a month. Aquino is taking a ‘vacation leave’ and will not return to the limelight until July. Gianna Francesca Catolico RELATED STORIES Kris Aquino campaigns for Roxas, robredo Kris Aquino says Abu kidnap plot reason for not renewing ABS-CBN contract
2016-05-16 18:01 INQUIRER.net entertainment.inquirer.net
20 Western Digital completes acquisition of SanDisk MANILA, Philippines – Western Digital ® Corporation (NASDAQ: WDC) today announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary Western Digital Technologies, Inc. has completed the acquisition of SanDisk Corporation (NASDAQ: SNDK). The addition of SanDisk makes Western Digital Corporation a comprehensive storage solutions provider with global reach, and an extensive product and technology platform that includes deep expertise in both rotating magnetic storage and non-volatile memory (NVM). The Company also indicated that the debt financing associated with this transaction has been consummated and that the previously obtained funds from this financing have been released from escrow to Western Digital Technologies, Inc. “Today is a significant day in the history of Western Digital,” said Steve Milligan, chief executive officer of Western Digital. “We are delighted to welcome SanDisk into the Western Digital family. This transformational combination creates a media-agnostic leader in storage technology with a robust portfolio of products and solutions that will address a wide range of applications in almost all of the world’s computing and mobile devices. We are excited to now begin focusing on the many opportunities before us, from leading innovation to bringing the best of what we can offer as a combined company to our customers. In addition, we will begin the work to fully realize the value of this combination through executing on our synergies, generating significant cash flow, as well as rapidly deleveraging our balance sheet, and creating significant long-term value for our shareholders.” The integration process will begin immediately through the joint efforts of teams from both companies. As previously announced, Steve Milligan will continue to serve as chief executive officer of Western Digital, which will remain headquartered in Irvine, California. Sanjay Mehrotra, co-founder, president and chief executive officer of SanDisk, will serve as a member of the Western Digital Board of Directors, effective immediately. “As a combined company, we will be best positioned to address the demands for data storage, which is growing exponentially every year,” said Sanjay Mehrotra. “Growth and change go hand in hand, and we couldn’t be happier to grow and change together with Western Digital. I look forward to contributing to realizing the potential of this combination as a member of the board.” Under the terms of the transaction, each outstanding share of SanDisk common stock was converted into the right to receive $67.50 per share in cash and 0.2387 shares of Western Digital common stock. SanDisk shareholders looking for information with regard to the payment of the merger consideration should review the Public FAQ available in the Investor Relations section of our website at investor.wdc.com. ADVT.
2016-05-16 18:01 INQUIRER.net technology.inquirer.net
21 WATCH: Japanese couple snaps ‘dronies’ during honeymoon travels to 41 countries Kaz and Mariko Yamaguchi, a couple from Kyoto, Japan, spent their honeymoon accross 41 countries, such as United Arab Emirates, China, Laos, and Vietnam. What made their travels and experiences memories were the ‘dronies’ they produced, or selfies taken through drones. Many of the viewers were astounded by the incredible ‘dronies’ the couple filmed throughout their honeymoon pilgrimage. A video clip uploaded by Facebook page Trickology featured a compilation of dronies of the Yamaguchi couple in different global tourist spots. As of this writing, the video was shared 11,250 times, liked 10,860 times, commented on by 2,670 users, and viewed 832,360 times. According to the video, Kaz has only flown a drone twice before their global jouney and they used dronies to “remember the trip forever”. Gianna Francesca Catolico
2016-05-16 18:01 INQUIRER.net technology.inquirer.net
22 Cleaner graduates as engineer from school he worked for 8 years A 54-year-old cleaner who tirelessly worked for nearly a decade in a college in the United States graduated from the very school he worked for. In an interview with CBS News, Vaudreuil narrated his inspiring story of hardship and sacrifice. “You go through life and you say, ‘someday I’m going do this. I’m going do that,’ and very often in life you’re hit with a curveball that kind of throws you off track.” In 2007, Michael Vaudreuil’s plastering business went bankrupt and was unemployed for six months. “We lost our home, bankruptcy, and our personal vehicle… decimation was completed. I was just a shell of a person at that time,” he told CBS News. Vaudreuil ran out of options and ended up as a custodian at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute. To utilize his time, he registered for tuition-free classes his college offers for its employees. After eight years of classes all day and cleaning all night, the former cleaner graduated as a mechanical engineer on Saturday, together with a roster of students half of his age. Upon receiving his diploma, Vaudreuil hopes for a change of path in his life as his graduation symbolizes a spark of hope for his career. “Very few times do you ever get to experience a real ‘someday,’” he said. “And so it feels like, welcome to my ‘someday.” Gianna Francesca Catolico/rga
2016-05-16 18:01 INQUIRER.net newsinfo.inquirer.net
23 First beneficiary of government scheme, Anandpur village finally gets electricity Villagers in Anandpur district in Uttar Pradesh are one happy lot. Reason? The place is one beneficiary of an ambitious plan which Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced in his Independence Day speech last August. Sixty year-old Indian villager Ram Kishore sits beneath a newly installed electricity meter at his home in the village of Anandpur in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh. Pic/AFP The Modi government plans to bring electricity to 18,452 Indian villages. Government figures released last year showed that more than 300 million people in India -- the world's fastest-growing major economy -- still had no access to electricity. A woman cooks food by candlelight in her home in the village of Anandpur. Pic/AFP Speaking from the ramparts of the Red Fort in Delhi, PM Modi said those villagers had been 'deprived of the rays of development,' promising to finish the job within 1,000 days and saying the country was 'not ready to wait for 10 years'. It has not been an easy task. A youth charges a cellular telephone at his home. Pic/AFP Nonetheless, since Modi launched the scheme, nearly 11,000 villages have been connected to the grid. Villager uses a handpump to get water from a well as others look on. Pic/AFP Only 18 of the 25 households in Anandpur agreed to get connected and have the free electricity metre installed -- the other seven were unsure they could afford the monthly bill of around 100- 150 rupees.
2016-05-16 18:01 By A www.mid-day.com
24 Serena Williams reinforces huge rankings lead Serena Williams reinforced her huge lead at the top of the WTA rankings a week out from the start of the French Open after winning the Italian Open on Sunday. Williams beat fellow American Madison Keys in the final in Rome to set herself up nicely for Roland Garros. Second place in the rankings was reclaimed by Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska from Germany’s Angelique Kerber, who suffered an early exit in the Italian capital. Elsewhere, Victoria Azarenka moved up a place to fifth at the expense of Romania’s Simona Halep and Timea Bacsinszky and Flavia Pennetta were also climbers in the top 10. WTA top 20 1. Serena Williams (USA) 9,030 pts 2. Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) 5,850 (+1) 3. Angelique Kerber (GER) 5,740 (-1) 4. Garbine Muguruza (ESP) 5,196 5. Victoria Azarenka (BLR) 4,341 (+1) 6. Simona Halep (ROM) 4,301 (-1) 7. Roberta Vinci (ITA) 3,505 8. Belinda Bencic (SUI) 3,330 9. Timea Bacsinszky (SUI) 3,150 (+1) 10. Flavia Pennetta (ITA) 2,963 (+3) 11. Venus Williams (USA) 2,886 (+3) 12. Petra Kvitova (CZE) 2,878 (-3) 13. Lucie Safarova (CZE) 2,843 (+2) 14. Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP) 2,585 (-3) 15. Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) 2,585 (+4) 16. Ana Ivanovic (SRB) 2,560 17. Madison Keys (USA) 2,541 (+7) 18. Sara Errani (ITA) 2,450 19. Karolina Pliskova (CZE) 2,420 (+1) 20. Elina Svitolina (UKR) 2,416 (-3)
2016-05-16 18:01 Agence France sports.inquirer.net
25 IBP wants SC to void Aquino’s choice of 2 Sandigan associate justices The Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) is set to ask the Supreme Court to nullify President Benigno Aquino III’s appointment of two associate justices to the Sandiganbayan. In a 27-page petition on Monday, the IBP, a mandatory organization of all lawyers in the Supreme Court’s Roll of Attorneys, said Mr. Aquino violated the Constitution when he appointed to the Sandiganbayan Cebu City Branch 9 Regional Trial Court Geraldine Faith Econg and Undersecretary Michael Frederick L. Musngi of the Office of Special Concerns at the Office of the President. The petition, which was approved by its board of governors, will be submitted to the high court Tuesday. The IBP said Econg and Musngi should be restrained from exercising their duties and functions as Sandiganbayan justices. According to the IBP, Mr. Aquino violated Section 9, Article VIII of the 1987 Constitution when he did not appoint anyone from the shortlist submitted by the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) to fill the position of 16 Sandiganbayan Associate Justice. After Mr. Aquino signed into law Republic Act 10660 or the Act Strengthening Further for Functional and Structural Organization of the Sandiganbayan, two more divisions have been added to the original five anti-graft divisions thus creating six vacancies for associate justice. The JBC submitted six separate shortlist where Mr. Aquino should choose one from each of the list. Mr. Aquino, however, disregarded one of the five shortlists and appointed two from another shortlist. “While the Constitution grants the President leeway to exercise his discretion in appointments to the judiciary by requiring the JBC to submit a list of at least three nominees for every vacancy, this discretion is necessarily restricted by requiring him to select only from the list submitted and to select only a single nominee considering the vacancy is similarly solitary,” the petition stated. “In the questioned appointments, President Aquino violated Section 9, Article VIII of the 1987 Constitution when he did not appoint anyone from the shortlist submitted by the JBC for the vacancy for the 16th associate justice of the Sandiganbayan; and appointed Undersecretary Musngi and Judge Econg, whose names were from the same shortlist submitted for the position of the 21st associate justice of the Sandiganbayan.” The IBP said Mr. Aquino’s action is a “culpable violation of the Constitution,” which is a ground for impeachment of a President. “To be sure, the acts of respondents set a dangerous precedent which opens the door to abuse and oppression. These are the very evils proscribed by our Constitution, and are a clear act of grave abuse of discretion subject to the Honorable Court’s review,” it stressed. Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno, chair of the seven-member JBC, allowed the questionable appointment and even administered the oaths of office of three of the six justices last Jan. 25. The JBC submitted to the Palace in October last year six separate shortlists for each of the six vacancies in the Sandiganbayan emanating from Republic Act 10660 (An Act Strengthening the Functional and Structural Organization of the Sandiganbayan), which created two new divisions in the anti-graft court. Joining the IBP in filing the petition are the nominees in the shortlist ignored by Mr. Aquino, namely, Judges Philip Aguinaldo, Reynaldo Alhambra, Danilo Cruz, Benjamin Pozon, Danilo Sandoval and Salvador Timbang Jr. RAM/rga RELATED STORIES Aquino’s ‘midnight appointment’ raised before CA Palace beats deadline, appoints 11 new judges, 321 prosecutors
2016-05-16 18:01 Tetch Torres newsinfo.inquirer.net
26 Raleigh teenager charged with impersonating police officer RALEIGH, N. C. (AP) - A teenager in Raleigh has been arrested and charged with impersonating a law enforcement officer. The Raleigh Police Department tells local media that a 16-year-old male was driving a pickup truck with a blue light on the dashboard Saturday when an off-duty police officer saw him. The officer called authorities and reported the teen. Officers found the teen in northeast Raleigh and arrested him.
2016-05-16 17:41 - www.washingtontimes.com
27 Man shot by police during chase gets 20 years in Iowa prison WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) - A man who was shot during a police chase in Waterloo has been sent to prison. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports (http://bit.ly/1Tjn9Zt ) that 24-year-old Brandon Seeley pleaded guilty Friday to assault on an officer, eluding and possession of methamphetamine for sale. He was given 20 years in prison as part of his plea deal with prosecutors. Officials have said an officer feared for his life Nov. 3 when he fired four shots through the window of Seeley’s vehicle as it sped toward him. Seeley was struck three times but drove off with police in pursuit. He was later found at a friend’s home and taken into custody and hospitalized. ___ Information from: Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier, http://www.wcfcourier.com
2016-05-16 17:41 - www.washingtontimes.com
28 Deputies arrest California man for Target store bomb threat SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - Sacramento authorities have arrested a man they believe called in a bomb threat to a Target store. The Sacramento Bee reports (http://bit.ly/1srnscc ) that the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department arrested the 38-year-old Carmichael man on Saturday. Spokesman Sgt. Tony Turnbull says the Sacramento Target received a call Saturday morning from a man who said there was a bomb in the store. Turnbull says Target officials evacuated customers and sheriff’s personnel used dogs to sweep the store for bombs, finding none. Officials say the Carmichael man was found with the cellphone that made the call. Turnbull says the phone call was not specific and gave no motivation for the bomb threat. ___ Information from: The Sacramento Bee, http://www.sacbee.com
2016-05-16 17:37 - www.washingtontimes.com
29 Sushil Kumar moves HC to secure Rio Olympics 2016 berth New Delhi: Wrestler Sushil Kumar on Monday moved the Delhi High Court seeking to hold trials for the 74kg class to secure a berth in the Indian wrestling squad for the upcoming Rio Olympics. The case would come up for hearing on Tuesday. Sushil Kumar at CWG Glasgow. Pic/ PTI Sushil Kumar took bronze in the 2008 Beijing Olympics and then silver in London in 2012 in the 66kg division but this was abolished by the International Wrestling Federation (FILA) in 2014. This prompted him to move up to the 74kg weight category which brought him into direct competition with Narsingh Yadav, who was the top Indian wrestler in this class till then. Sushil Kumar missed the qualification for Rio Olympics due to injury, and Narsingh Yadav was able to secure the quota for representing the country. After repeatedly requesting the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) and being denied time and again, Sushil moved the court for relief.
2016-05-16 17:22 By IANS www.mid-day.com
30 DBP’s Buenaventura picked as new RCBC prexy YUCHENGCO-led Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC) has named veteran banker Gil Buenaventura, who currently heads state-owned Development Bank of the Philippines, its new president and chief executive officer effective July 1. Buenaventura, 63, will succeed Lorenzo Tan, who had resigned from his post to give RCBC a free hand to direct the course of its business following the money laundering incident involving the bank’s Jupiter branch, which has been the subject of a Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing. RCBC’s board has approved the appointment of Buenaventura on Monday afternoon. Described as “soft spoken and a quiet worker,” Buenaventura is seen to bring with him a wealth of experience in universal banking and large operations deemed critical to RCBC’s further growth. Before heading the DBP, Buenaventura was a former senior executive vice president (EVP) and chief operating officer of the Bank of the Philippine Islands. At BPI, he was in charge of the bank’s major revenue-generating businesses. He also managed the bank’s special business units and several subsidiaries and exercised direct oversight over non-revenue areas including information systems, human resources, and central operations. He was likewise president and chief executive officer of Prudential Bank when it was acquired by BPI and EVP at Citytrust Banking Corporation. Buenaventura was a Citibanker for 18 years where he started as chief of staff to the country head and rose to become vice president, group head and senior credit officer. This veteran banker obtained his Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of San Francisco and his MBA in Finance from the University of Wisconsin.
2016-05-16 17:14 Doris Dumlao business.inquirer.net
31 31 Centre ropes in pensioners for success of Clean India drive New Delhi : About 58 lakh pensioners are being roped in by the Centre for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ambitious 'Swachh Bharat Abhiyan' to ensure that the target of total sanitation is met by October, 2019. The Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions has written to all central government pensioners' associations across the country to be part of 'Clean India fortnight' to sensitise their members on cleanliness in their neighbourhood. Those interested in being part of the programme will be asked to devote 100 hours per year--i.e. two hours per week. "It is a key initiative to improve health and cleanliness in the nation. In order to succeed, it has to become a people's movement by ensuring sustainable change in the behaviour of citizens. "It is, therefore, important that all efforts are made to mobilise people's participation and to ensure that the mission truly becomes a citizens' movement," the Ministry said in a letter to the associations. Central government pensioners are a very significant constituent of society in view of their numbers, geographical spread and important position in society, it said. "You can make a great contribution and impact in society in various ways. It is suggested that various activities relating to Swachhta such as cleaning of surroundings, organising workshops, cleanliness drives etc be organised. Award functions etc in associations, social clubs, resident welfare associations may be organised," the letter said. There are about 58 lakh central government pensioners in the country. The pensioners have been asked to organise a mass pledge by members of their associations. "I will devote 100 hours per year that is two hours per week to voluntary work for cleanliness. I will neither litter nor let others to litter," reads the pledge. They have also been asked to share photographs of works being done by them in this regard. "Join hands with the government in this noble mission and continue to contribute to the well being of the nation and society!," the Ministry said. The Clean India Fortnight is to be observed between May 16-31. Cabinet Secretary Pradeep Kumar Sinha had recently written to all secretaries of central government ministries, explaining them the "range, intensity and visibility" of Clean India Mission related activities that needed to be increased significantly. Swachh Bharat Mission was launched on October 2, 2014 to achieve total sanitation and cleanliness by 2019.
2016-05-16 17:09 By PTI www.mid-day.com
32 No longer kids! South Korea marks traditional 'coming of age' day South Korea, on Monday celebrated traditional 'coming-of-age ceremony' on Monday to celebrate young people turning 20 and to raise their awareness about roles and responsibilities that come with being an adult. South Korean students take part in a 'coming-of-age' ceremony at a park in Seoul on May 16, 2016. The ceremony marks the point at which a person is legally able to make independent life choices, from voting to drinking alcohol. Pic/AFP It is celebrated annually on the third week of May. A number of young men and women were dressed in Hanbok, South Korean traditional clothes. Boys at the ceremony in Seoul. Pic/AFP During this event, young boys and girls wear traditional Korean clothing together with accessories. Boys wear 'gat', a traditional Korean hat made of bamboo and horsehair, and girls do their hair in chignon with 'binyeo', a Korean traditional ornamental hairpin. Pic/AFP When a person reaches this state of his/her life, he/she gains the freedom to do whatever it is that he/she wants viz the choice to marry, to drink alcohol, to smoke, to vote, to drive, etc.
2016-05-16 17:08 By A www.mid-day.com
33 Book on artist Raja Ravi Varma in upcoming Indian Art online sale A compendium of over 200 rare books on Indian art, including limited edition monographs, reviews by early critics, artist-signed books and catalogues besides out-of-print books are set to go under the hammer The 'Ephemera on Indian Art' online sale on May 17 - May 18 by StoryLTD, a platform under auction house Saffronart contains the first-ever book on an Indian artist - on Ravi Varma, published in Allahabad during his lifetime, auctioneers said. The 51-lot collection also covers a range of Bengal School artists besides offering material on Sher-Gil, Souza, Husain, Keyt and Hebbar. Chughtai, Sadequain and some other Pakistani artists are also represented. Leading the sale is a collection of 64 volumes of Marg's magazines on the arts, from January 1947 to June 2013, and estimated to fetch between Rs 4.5- Rs 5 lakh. "Many of the early magazines are coveted for path-breaking articles by influential writers of the time, and are no longer available," auctioneers said. 'Poet of the East and Chugtai', an interpretation of philosopher Iqbal's verses published by Abdur Rahman Chugtai, a painter from Pakistan, published at ruinous expense by the artist himself and signed by Chugtai's son is estimated between Rs 3- Rs 4 lakhs. "The presentation copy features lush illustrations by Chugtai, famed for his unique painting style that combined Islamic art traditions and Art Nouveau," auctioneers said. Estimated between Rs 1.5 lakhs to Rs 1.7 lakhs, is a collection of monographs and catalogues on Akbar Padamsee, Jehangir Sabavala, S H Raza, Ram Kumar, Tyeb Mehta and Shiavax Chavda from the 1960s to the 2000s. Among the catalogues is a 1958 catalogue on Raza's exhibition held at the Galerie Lara Vincy in Paris. Other highlights include a set of 41 publications by Lalit Kala Akademi, and out-of-print books on artists including Thomas and William Daniell, Raja Ravi Varma, The Tagores, Nandalal Bose, Jamini Roy, Chittaprosad, Amrita Sher-Gil, F N Souza, M F Husain, Bikash Bhattacharjee, Sadequain, and Zainul Abedin. StoryLTD's says its aim with such an auction is to address the needs of a growing collector base for books and create an arena for collectors to expand and enrich their art collections, by making such scholarship available to them. "The previous two book auctions hosted by StoryLTD received an overwhelming response from collectors with several lots selling at nearly seven to ten times their upper estimate," auctioneers said.
2016-05-16 17:06 By PTI www.mid-day.com
34 Painters keeping faith with Henderson-Niles Rain or Shine knows the game would be a lot easier if only import Pierre Henderson-Niles could provide more lift on the offensive end. Averaging measly 4.5 points and 6.5 rebounds in the Elasto Painters’ last two games — both losses — the consensus has been for the burly import to impose himself more to finally clinch the 2016 PBA Commissioner’s Cup title. “Mas okay sana kung ma-dominate niya yung ilalim,” said ROS shooting guard Jeff Chan. “Tina-try naman niya but siyempre, mas kailangan namin yung wings at guards na nagke-create.” The players admire the fact that Henderson-Niles is making efforts, trying his best to contribute. Unfortunately for the Painters, Henderson-Niles’ aggression didn’t translate much on the court and instead, it has put the center in foul trouble early. “The biggest thing for him is to stay out of foul trouble,” said Gabe Norwood. “That also goes for all of our bigs. We need to help them too.” Those fouls really hurt Rain or Shine in Game 5. It also didn’t help that another key player in Beau Belga fouled out. “I felt na we were not running our usual fast-paced game and baka hindi siya makasabay sa pace,” explained Guiao on why he decided to sit Henderson-Niles down the stretch. “I experimented a little bit, trying to keep the pace fast without him on the floor. Nung nilabas ko siya, he already has five fouls. I put in Gabe to quicken the pace, and it was okay at bumilis naman kami.” “Kaya lang we didn’t get the breaks, and they made some big baskets. (Calvin) Abueva got open for four points during that stretch, and that was really where the game got out of hand for us.” Despite Henderson-Niles’ inefficiency on the offensive end, Norwood noted the import has been giving them the things they need in terms of rebounding and defense. “Pierre does what we need him to do. He got us this far just in terms of how he went this conference. He only lost three games since he’s been with us,” he said. “Naturally, you want everybody to play well, but playing well for some guys isn’t the same as for the other players. Pierre will continue to do what he does.” Henderson-Niles declined for an interview after posting only six points and eight rebounds in Game 5. He also shot 3-of-9 from the field and had five fouls and five turnovers in 27 minutes.
2016-05-16 17:02 Randolph B sports.inquirer.net
35 Duterte warns taxi drivers: Not giving change is extortion “It is extortion or illegal exaction.” That was presumptive President Rodrigo Duterte’s warning to taxi drivers who refuse to give their passengers exact change. “Yung mga taxi both dito sa Davao pati sa Maynila, alam mo pag kinuha mo pera ng tao dahil wala kang sinsilyo (coins or change) at di mo binalik, that is estafa,” he said during a televised press conference in Davao City on Monday. (To the taxi drivers both here in Davao and in Manila, you should know that if you take the money of a person because you do not have change and you do not return it, that is estafa.) “It is not a simple violation. I already told the drivers here,” he said in a mix of Filipino and English. “It is not your money and you go away with it.” The tough-talking mayor of Davao City said drivers who do not have loose change should not go out to work. “It behooves upon the taxi company now to provide the drivers with loose changes at the start of the day,” he said. He also advised commuters to “try to figure out the amount that you would have to pay to reach your destination.” He said drivers without loose change can just go to a nearby store and have their paper bills converted to coins and smaller denominations. RAM/rga RELATED STORIES Duterte offers key gov’t positions to CPP Duterte enumerates choices for agency heads, PNP
2016-05-16 16:54 Kristine Angeli newsinfo.inquirer.net
36 Long Island park removes signs bearing name of Dean Skelos ROCKVILLE CENTRE, N. Y. (AP) - A Long Island park has removed signs bearing the name of disgraced former New York Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos. Skelos was sentenced last week to five years in prison on federal corruption charges. The park is in Skelos’ hometown of Rockville Centre. The playing fields in the park are called the Dean Skelos Sports Complex. The Daily News (http://nydn.us/1sqHfbK ) reports that James Coll, who works on the NYPD’s tactics and rescue team, is urging the village to rename the park after Lt. Ronald Winchester. Winchester was a Marine killed in Iraq who lived in Rockville Centre. ___ Information from: Daily News, http://www.nydailynews.com
2016-05-16 16:50 - www.washingtontimes.com
37 Driver of van that hit bus, killing passenger, has died LEHIGHTON, Pa. (AP) - The driver of a van that crashed into a small transit bus in rural eastern Pennsylvania, killing a passenger, has also died. Thirty-two-year-old William Pomrink, of Lehighton, died Saturday at Lehigh Valley Hospital, Cedar Crest. Police say Pomrink was returning to a family farm in Carbon County when he crossed the center line of Route 209 and hit the Carbon County Community Transit bus on May 4. A bus passenger, 60-year-old Herbert Farenkoff, of Kunkletown, was killed when Pomrink’s refrigerated utility fan hit the but head-on about 9 a.m. that day. Police have said roads made wet by rain were not to blame for the crash. Pomrink had not been cited or charged in the crash before he died. The bus was operated by Easton Coach Co., which has cooperated with police.
2016-05-16 16:50 - www.washingtontimes.com
38 Video: Woman Taken to Hospital With Shark Still Attached to Her Arm Transcript for Woman Taken to Hospital With Shark Still Attached to Her Arm A shark took a bite out of swimmer than just would not let go the 23 year old woman. Walked out of the water with a two foot nurse sharks John's still clamp down into her right for harm. It stayed there even after it was killed the victim was taken to hospital with a shark still attached to it. This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
2016-05-16 16:48 ABC News abcnews.go.com
39 Wheels keep turning for Arkansas bike collector MONETTE, Ark. (AP) - Fred Dowless has vintage bicycles as far as the eye can see, and it doesn’t look like that’s going to change anytime soon for the passionate collector. Dowless started out as a casual collector who had just a few vintage bicycles here and there. About 10 years ago his passion for the old school two-wheelers gained momentum, and now the collector has amassed an impressive collection of more than 100 bikes. The Jonesboro Sun (http://bit.ly/1ZHdAVR ) reports that along with the 50 to 60 complete bicycles in his store in Monette, Dowless said his bicycles can be found in every nook and cranny. “I’ve got some upstairs, and I’ve got some in a warehouse out back, and I’ve got some out at the lake house, at my house - just everywhere,” he said. “I have been collecting a little bit over the years, and it just increased when my interest became a little more intrigued with vintage bicycles. It’s not that they’re that popular in this area, but there are areas that they are very popular. So it escalated from there.” His collection consists mostly of bikes that were made between the 1930s and the 1960s. At 73, Dowless said he grew up in the 1950s and the bikes from that era are what catch his attention personally. Of all the bikes in his shop, a completely original 1954 JC Higgins cycle stands out as one of his favorite two-wheelers. “This one here is a JC Higgins, it’s 1954 and it’s all original,” Dowless said, as he looked at the bike with a sense of admiration. “Retail value on it is upward of $1,000 in good condition.” Dowless said the real gems are pre-World War II era bikes, which are highly collectible, particularly men’s bikes. The collector said a men’s bike in good shape is almost always worth more than an identical women’s version. “A man’s bike will bring about twice as much because women took care of their bicycles, and men didn’t,” he said. “So you can find women’s bicycles in very good shape but you very seldom, in the 50s at least, find one in really good condition that’s a man’s bike.” Many of the bikes that come into Dowless’ possession are in rough shape and require some tender loving care, but Dowless and his son Brant don’t mind spending a little extra time on a bicycle that comes in a little banged up. Dowless and his son will “embellish” a bike if needed with a polishing, repairing and even replacing missing pieces, preferably with original parts when available, but they don’t go as far as to completely restore the bikes. This is a labor of love for Dowless who said it is not cheap to restore and embellish these bikes. While he is not really looking to make a lot of money off his passion, Dowless said he does sell the bikes he has, but only in his shop. “I don’t sell them on the internet, and I don’t have a Facebook for it or anything,” he said. “Much like with vintage cars, it’s something you have to do because you love it because you’re not always going to get your money back. I make my living selling flooring, and that’s the seed money to buy them. It’s not a real profitable situation, it’s just a passion that I have. I’m always in search of a new bicycle.” And he does mean always. Dowless said there is no place he won’t look to find a two-wheeled piece of treasure. “I go to estate sales, yard sales, old barns - so they come from a lot of different places. And people know that I collect bicycles, and they’ll say, you know, they know where a bicycle is, and I’ll go check it out,” he said. “Sometimes it’s not anything I’m interested in because they aren’t vintage, but sometimes they are.” Dowless also has a few reproduction bicycles, including a reproduction of a bright red 1954 Luxury Liner by Roadmaster which is his go-to ride when he’s home. An original version of this bike is no small investment. Story Continues →
2016-05-16 11:25 - www.washingtontimes.com
40 Asaram Bapu's supporters attack police, seven injured New Delhi: Police on Monday said they had registered a case of rioting against supporters of spiritual guru Asaram Bapu who attacked police personnel overnight here, injuring seven policemen. According to police, the police personnel were injured when some 2,000 people demanding Asaram Bapu's release stoned the Parliament Street police station in the heart of the city on Sunday night. A few police vehicles were also damaged in the protest. No arrests have been made yet, a police officer said Asaram Bapu, lodged in Jodhpur Jail in Rajasthan after his arrest in 2013, has been accused of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl. He has denied the charge.
2016-05-16 16:39 By IANS www.mid-day.com
41 Pretrial hearing set in alleged antifreeze killing DOVER, Del. (AP) - A Kent County judge is holding a pretrial conference for a Smyrna woman charged with killing her husband by lacing his steroid injections with antifreeze. Monday’s conference comes as attorneys prepare for the trial of Jamie Baker, who was arrested in March 2014 and charged with first-degree murder in the death of 42-year-old James Baker. James Baker, a competitive weightlifter, died in September 2013. Authorities have said an autopsy revealed that ethylene glycol, a chemical found in antifreeze, was in his system. After investigators found syringes and liquid steroids in the couple’s home, Jamie Baker reportedly told officers she had used a hypodermic syringe to extract antifreeze from a bottle and injected it into her husband’s bottles of liquid steroids. Jamie Baker pleaded not guilty at her arraignment.
2016-05-16 16:38 - www.washingtontimes.com
42 Suspected drunken driver arrested after Missouri crash KENNETT, Mo. (AP) - Authorities have arrested a suspected drunken driver in a head-on crash that killed a husband and wife in southeast Missouri. The Daily American Republic (http://bit.ly/1COCxBR ) reports that the crash happened late Friday in Dunklin County when a pickup truck crossed the center line of U. S. 62 and struck a sedan. The Missouri State Highway Patrol says 46-year-old James P. Kerperien, and 44-year- old Stephanie A. Kerperien, both of Campbell, were pronounced dead early Saturday at the scene. The Kerperiens were in the sedan. The truck’s 24-year-old driver is jailed in Dunklin County. The patrol says he is suspected of being intoxicated at the time of his arrest. ___ Information from: Daily American Republic, http://www.darnews.com
2016-05-16 16:37 - www.washingtontimes.com
43 Man leaves campsite cabin after getting court order EPSOM, N. H. (AP) - A man called Muskrat who has lived in a log cabin at a New Hampshire campground for nearly a decade has packed up after getting a court order to leave. Rick Panzieri, who wears animal skins and a coonskin cap, built “Muskrat Lodge,” complete with a wood stove and solar panel, off his trailer on an Epsom campground. He was handed an eviction notice by the new manager last fall. Panzieri, a 52-year-old union foreman, had said he previously was allowed to stay and pay rent. The new manager said Panzieri had been paying, but that the town determined Panzieri and others were living at the Circle 9 Ranch illegally. The Concord Monitor reports (http://bit.ly/1R3PZsh) Panzieri left May 6 after receiving a court order. Panzieri says he’s moved into another campground. ___ Information from: Concord Monitor, http://www.cmonitor.com
2016-05-16 16:37 - www.washingtontimes.com
44 Plea hearing for Florida man in Jewish Center bomb plot MIAMI (AP) - A man charged with plotting to bomb a synagogue and Jewish school in South Florida is seeking release on bail. A hearing is set Tuesday in Miami federal court for 40-year-old James Medina of Hollywood. Prosecutors oppose bail for Medina, calling him a flight risk and danger to the community. Medina faces life in prison if convicted of attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction. The FBI says Medina plotted with an undercover informant to bomb the Aventura Turnberry Jewish Center during recent Passover observances. Medina was arrested after the informant provided him with a fake bomb. FBI recordings show Medina allegedly supported the Islamic State group and claimed an obligation to attack Jews in the U. S. Medina has not yet entered a plea to the charge.
2016-05-16 16:37 - www.washingtontimes.com
45 Police shoot armed suspect following San Bernardino pursuit SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. (AP) - Police in San Bernardino say officers shot and critically wounded an armed suspect after a car chase through the city. Lt. Richard Lawhead says the pursuit began Sunday afternoon when police responded to a report of domestic violence. Lawhead says after the male suspect eventually pulled over, he got out of his car holding a handgun and initially put the weapon to his head. At some point a sheriff’s deputy and a police officer opened fire. Lawhead says it wasn’t immediately clear what led authorities to fire. The Los Angeles Times reports (http://lat.ms/1qnj8J2) the man, who was not named, was hospitalized in critical condition. No officers were hurt.
2016-05-16 16:37 - www.washingtontimes.com
46 Slave remains unearthed at construction site to be buried CHARLESTON, S. C. (AP) - The remains of three dozen people, most of them slaves buried in the late 1700s, will be buried in a church near where they were unearthed in downtown Charleston. The remains were found more than three years ago during the construction of the $142 million Gaillard Center, the most expensive municipal project in city history which opened last year. The Post and Courier of Charleston reports that (http://bit.ly/1TcGUVM ) the remains are now in wooden boxes in a storage facility. The plan is to bury them at nearby St. John’s Reformed Episcopal Church, an historically black church dating to 1851. Charleston City Attorney Susan Herdina said that city council members still must approve the plan. The question is expected to come before council soon. ___ Information from: The Post and Courier, http://www.postandcourier.com
2016-05-16 16:37 - www.washingtontimes.com
47 Man struck and killed by train in Reidsville REIDSVILLE, N. C. (AP) - A man has died after he was struck by a train in Reidsville. Police told local media that 51-year-old Leonard Howard Neal Jr. of Reidsville died about 9 a.m. Sunday when he was hit by a Norfolk Southern train. Officers said the train struck Neal as he walked southbound along the railroad tracks. No other injuries were reported.
2016-05-16 16:37 - www.washingtontimes.com
48 Investigation into deadly plane crash at PDK airshow continues Just One More Thing... We have sent you a verification email. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your profile. If you do not receive the verification message within a few minutes of signing up, please check your Spam or Junk folder.
2016-05-16 16:37 Ellen Eldridge www.ajc.com
49 Caught on camera: BJP MP falls into drain in Vadodara; injured In a freak accident, Bharatiya Janata Party MP from Jamnagar Poonamben Madam, on Monday fell into a 7 foot drain in Jalla Ram Nagar during a demolition drive in Gujarat. BJP MP Poonamben Madam was recued from the drain. Pic/Rashmin Shah The incident occurred when she was talking to a group of people during an anti-encroachment drive. Poonam along with a few other people who were standing on the top of the drain cover which caved in and resulted in a mishap. Police said she was standing on the concrete sheet which was made to cover the drain while meeting people when it broke and she fell. Watch video here : Video credit: Rashmin Shah The residents were not letting the employees carry the demolition upon which Madam rushed to the spot to talk to them. Madam had gone to meet the residents of Jalaram slum who were opposing to the demolition drive and had entered into an altercation with the employees of the Jamnagar Municipal Corporation (JMC). The drain joins the nearby Lakhoti lake and remains mostly dry during summer. A fire brigade team stationed nearby conducted the rescue operations and saved the MP. She was rushed to hospital immediately. According to her doctor, S Maheshwari, the leader suffered a 4-inch deep gash on her head and has hurt her shoulder and foot. "She has suffered a 4-inch wound on her head that caused bleeding which is now under control. We have not detected any fracture in X-Ray reports but CT scan remains to be done," Maheshwari said. "She has hurt her left shoulder but has not sustained a fracture. All in all, her condition is stable, her vitals normal, and she is conscious and there is nothing to worry about. She will be able to go home earliest by tomorrow morning," he said. - with inputs from agencies
2016-05-16 16:36 By A www.mid-day.com
50 Relatives say woman fatally stabbed was pregnant EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (AP) - Family members of a 23-year-old woman fatally stabbed in Eden Prairie say she was pregnant with her third child when she was killed. Police say the woman’s 30-year-old husband fled from their home with their children, ages 3 and 4, and later turned himself in to police in St. Paul Saturday. He has not been charged. Lt. Greg Weber says the husband was awaiting trial for a previous domestic assault. Relatives say the victim was born in Valga, Estonia, but spent most of her life in Minnesota, growing up in Eden Prairie and Chaska.
2016-05-16 16:36 - www.washingtontimes.com
51 2 killed, others hurt in separate Philadelphia incidents PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Philadelphia police are looking for several suspects in violent incidents - most of them early Sunday - that left two dead and others hurt. Police say a 49-year-old man was found stabbed about 2 a.m. and died after being taken to a hospital. A few minutes after police found that man, a 29-year-old man was found shot in the street and was taken to Einstein Medical Center, where he was also pronounced dead. Police are also looking for someone who shot a woman six times in the city’s Hunting Park section about 12:25 a.m. Sunday. She was taken to a hospital in critical condition. Police say three other people were wounded in shootings in various parts of the city on Saturday night and early Sunday.
2016-05-16 16:29 - www.washingtontimes.com
52 Gas down slightly in New Hampshire, up in Vermont, Maine CONCORD, N. H. (AP) - Gas prices have gone down slightly in New Hampshire, but they’ve increased a bit in Maine and Vermont. GasBuddy surveys show the average retail price in New Hampshire is $2.17 per gallon, down nearly half a cent from last week. The average price per gallon in Vermont is $2.27, up half a cent from last week. In Maine, the average price per gallon is $2.30, up sixth-tenths of a cent from the week before. The national average of $2.22 has increased nearly 11 cents during the last month and stands 48.2 cents per gallon lower than this day one year ago. A petroleum analyst with GasBuddy says some prices popped up due to a late-week surge by Great Lakes states.
2016-05-16 16:29 - www.washingtontimes.com
53 Boys find body in park creek MILWAUKEE (AP) - Some young boys playing in a Milwaukee park made a gruesome discovery over the weekend. A couple boys wandered away from a group of their friends at the basketball courts to a creek in Meaux (moh) Park Sunday where they found a partially decomposed body in the water. The boys called police and their parents. Tawanna Gant tells WITI-TV (http://bit.ly/24UwfkO ) she’s worried her 13-year-old son will have nightmares because of what he saw. A recovery team and the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner were called to the scene. Sheriff’s deputies are investigating. ___ Information from: WITI-TV, http://www.fox6now.com
2016-05-16 16:28 - www.washingtontimes.com
54 Get Your Motor Running: Its Bike Week on the Grand Strand MYRTLE BEACH, S. C. (AP) - The rumble of motorcycles can be heard along streets in Myrtle Beach and along South Carolina’s Grand Strand. The 10-day Myrtle Beach Bike Week is underway and continues through Sunday. Local media outlets report thousands of bikers, mainly riding Harley-Davidsons and other big bikes, are in the area. Some vendors in Murrells Inlet say it’s the best turnout in recent years. Keith Wrenn with Wrenn’s Sterling Stainless tells WPDE-TV (http://bit.ly/1srcio5 ) that business has been great since he set up in Murrells Inlet on Friday. Wrenn travels up and down the East Coast selling his jewelry items at similar rallies. He says weekend sales were far more than he expected. The Atlantic Beach Bikefest comes to the area later this month
2016-05-16 16:28 - www.washingtontimes.com
55 Donald Trump: Britain would not be at ‘back of the queue’ if it withdraws from EU In a stark contrast to a recent warning from President Obama, presumptive GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump said Great Britain would not be sent to the back of the line on trade if voters there approve a referendum next month to withdraw from the European Union. “I don’t think they’ll be hurt at all,” Mr. Trump said in an interview for ITV’s “Good Morning Britain. “They’ll have to make their own deal.” “Britain’s been such a great ally that they went into things that they shouldn’t have gone into like, as an example, going into Iraq,” he said. “With me, they’ll always be treated fantastically well.” “I don’t want to say front or anything else — I’m going to treat everybody fairly — but it wouldn’t make any difference to me whether they were in the EU or not,” Mr. Trump said. “You would certainly not be back of the queue — that I can tell you,” he said. British voters will decide next month whether to support a referendum on whether to pull out of the European Union. During an overseas visit in April, Mr. Obama had warned that the U. K. would be at “the back of the queue” in seeking trade deals if it left the alliance. “I think if I were from Britain, I would probably not want it. I’d want to go back to a different system,” Mr. Trump said. “A lot of what’s happened — and I’ve dealt with the European Union. It’s very, very bureaucratic. It’s very, very difficult.” “Personally, in terms of Britain, I would say, ‘What do you need it for?’ ” Mr. Trump said. “But again, let people make up their own mind.”
2016-05-16 16:27 - www.washingtontimes.com
56 TAMMY BRUCE: Obama’s legacy will be the duping of America ANALYSIS/OPINION: One can only imagine how President Obama and his sycophants will pay homage to their getting away with lying to the American people about every aspect of their administration. Perhaps in the Obama Library they’ll have a special room surrounding visitors with giant flat- screen TVs where various Obama staffers will laugh and point at them in an endless video loop. They’ll have to think of something, because May 2016 has been a banner month with the delivery of a forgotten 2008 campaign meme from Mr. Obama and his henchmen. The good news is, the much-ballyhooed promise of being the “most transparent administration in history” has peeked out from under the covers. The bad news is, it took the form of admissions from both current and former Obama aides that the White House is a House of Lies. The Obama regime’s governing style consisted of lying to the American people, duping them into accepting dangerous and destructive policies, pivoting to golf, pivoting to parties, lying some more, then going on vacation. Hey, presidentin’ is hard. First it was Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes, confessing in a New York Times profile that the White House lied to the American people about the dangerously obscene Iran nuclear deal and used the White House press corp “suckers” to do it. Ironically, the Obama administration now admits that they’re doing exactly what liberals and Democrats falsely accused former President George W. Bush of doing — lying about WMD in Iraq and using a helpful media to convince the American people. A more classic example of projection you will never see. The Obama administration’s determination to lie to everyone also confirms that they knew the Iran deal was bad and would help a rogue, terrorist regime. If that wasn’t the case, why lie? Perhaps former President Richard Nixon would have gotten away with so much more, and even survived his second term, if only he had been a Democrat and had a fabulist like Ben Rhodes. Admitting to a house of lies is bad enough, but as the Obama administration is taking its final lap, the compulsion to confess has also infected a few former Obama speechwriters. On last Monday’s “Charlie Rose Show,” three former Obama speechwriters, Jon Lovett, Jon Favreau and David Litt, were reminiscing about the good-old days of writing speeches for Mr. Obama. At one point Mr. Rose asked, “My point is, do you have equal impact on serious speeches? Because it’s about style, use of language, etc.?” To which Mr. Lovett responded, “I really like, I was very — the joke speeches [are] the most fun part of this. But the things I’m the most proud of were the most serious speeches, I think. Health care, economic speeches.” Mr. Favreau then interrupted and said, “Lovett wrote the line about, ‘If you like your insurance, you can keep it.’ “ Well, that struck everyone, including Mr. Rose, as one of the funniest things they’d ever done. All four men were not just laughing, there were guffaws. Mr. Rose at one point looked like he was about to fall off his chair. Story Continues →
2016-05-16 16:27 Illustration on www.washingtontimes.com
57 Son, dad, mom all arrested in aftermath of Utah kidnap case PINEDALE, Wyo. (AP) - The abduction of a woman and her four teenage daughters in Utah has led to the arrest a father and son in western Wyoming, and the son’s mother was also detained for allegedly violating probation in an effort to help him. The two men - Flint Wayne Harrison, 51, and Dereck James “DJ” Harrison, 22 - were both arrested in Wyoming Saturday after being accused of luring the woman and her children to a Utah house last week and tying them up. They eventually managed to escape. The Sublette County Sheriff’s Office said Sunday that 45-year-old Maryann Dalrymple Harrison of Bountiful, Utah, traveled to Wyoming to assist her son, and was detained herself for allegedly leaving Utah without the permission of probation authorities. The office didn’t provide any more information about the woman, including her probation or the relationship with the elder Harrison. Meanwhile, authorities said the victims in the entrapment case were thrilled and relieved to learn the two suspects charged in the bizarre attack were in custody. But despite their arrests, neither man was cooperating with investigators trying to learn more about what led up to the violence. Officers culminated a manhunt late Saturday night with the arrest of Dereck Harrison, several hours after the surrender of his father, the sheriff’s office said. The men face various charges stemming from the Tuesday attack in Centerville, Utah, including aggravated kidnapping and possession of a controlled substance. The younger Harrison was arrested without incident shortly after 10 p.m. MDT, in the forested Half Moon Lake area of western Wyoming. He was booked into the county jail. He told the U. S. Forest Service officer who arrested him that he had been hiding in the trees and brush most of the day until he saw a helicopter involved in the search and knew police were closing in, Centerville Lt. Von Steenblik said. He walked toward officers who were manning a roadblock and surrendered, officials said. Police had said the younger Harrison was heavily armed with rifles and knives, but he was unarmed when authorities arrested him, the lieutenant said. His father turned himself in earlier in the day and had been helping authorities find his son. “This is an incredible end to a very stressful day,” Sheriff Stephen Haskell said. The men are accused of tying the mother and daughters up with zip ties. When the elder Harrison hit the woman with a baseball bat, the teens began to break their ties and try to escape, according to charging documents. In the struggle that followed, one girl slapped away a shotgun pointed at her throat and another grabbed the bat and hit the son, police said. The victims managed to escape. The father and son had been using methamphetamine heavily over several days and falsely believed the woman had reported them to authorities, police said. Both have refused to talk to investigators since their arrests, Steenblik said. Story Continues →
2016-05-16 16:27 This photo www.washingtontimes.com
58 Rally opposing law limiting LGBT protections scheduled RALEIGH, N. C. (AP) - Opponents of the North Carolina’s new law preventing local governments from passing LGBT anti-discrimination protections and directing which bathrooms transgender people can use are getting together in Raleigh to push for its repeal. The Forward Together movement led by the state NAACP scheduled a rally late Monday between the Legislative Building and the old Capitol building where Gov. Pat McCrory has his office. Participants will talk about their proposals to expand protections and the need for a higher minimum wage. A similar rally three weeks ago at the opening of the General Assembly’s annual work session ended with the arrests of more than 50 people inside the Legislative Building. Authorities say those arrested refused to leave the building or Speaker Tim Moore’s office in protest of the law.
2016-05-16 16:27 - www.washingtontimes.com
59 59 New Bergen County rail line station opens after delays WOOD-RIDGE, N. J. (AP) - A nearly $18 million train station in northern New Jersey has opened following a half-decade of missed project deadlines. The Record newspaper reports (http://bit.ly/1TUFufy ) the Wesmont train station in Wood-Ridge opened on Sunday without a ribbon-cutting ceremony or any celebratory speeches. Sunday is the start of NJ Transit’s new quarterly train schedule. The station is on the Bergen County rail line. The station project has faced delays partly due to issues securing parking for the facility. Wesmont currently has a temporary lot with 28 spaces. The station is intended to serve condos, townhouses, apartments and retail on the site of a former Curtiss-Wright airplane engine factory. A one-way ticket from Wesmont station to New York is $5.75. A monthly two-way commuter pass would cost $184. ___ Information from: The Record (Woodland Park, N. J.), http://www.northjersey.com
2016-05-16 16:27 - www.washingtontimes.com
60 Boy shoots sister, police search for gun owner BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - A 6-year-old boy in Baton Rouge accidentally shot and wounded his sister after playing with a gun. Authorities are now searching for the owner of the weapon. Cpl. L’Jean McKneely of the Baton Rouge Police Department says that the incident began Saturday afternoon after the boy shot his sister in the face with a loaded gun in the family’s apartment. McKneely says say the child’s mother rushed the girl to the hospital, where she underwent successful surgery. It isn’t immediately clear how serious the injuries are. McKneely says the owner of the weapon fled after the shooting. Detectives are now searching for the gun owner. Authorities have not made any arrests. The shooting remains under investigation.
2016-05-16 16:27 - www.washingtontimes.com
61 TransCanada to replace some sections of Keystone pipeline LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - A Canadian-based company plans to replace sections of its Keystone pipeline so the company can begin pumping oil at higher pressure. The Lincoln Journal Star reports (http://bit.ly/1OvnCJ8 ) that some of the sections of TransCanada Corp.’s pipeline didn’t meet federal strength standards, so the company must replace those sections so it can pump oil at higher pressure. TransCanada spokesman Terry Cunha told the newspaper that running at the higher pressure “allows us to be more efficient with our operations.” The work is scheduled to begin this month and extend through 2017 in Nebraska, South Dakota, Kansas, Illinois and Missouri. The 30-inch pipeline first went into operation in June 2010. In November President Barack Obama killed the company’s plans to build the Keystone XL pipeline. ___ Information from: Lincoln Journal Star, http://www.journalstar.com
2016-05-16 16:27 - www.washingtontimes.com
62 EXCHANGE: For this church, gay congregants ‘bring new life’ KANKAKEE, Ill. (AP) - Kankakee’s St. John’s United Church of Christ is no stranger to taking the road less traveled. The small, brown-brick church at the northwest corner of South Rutledge Avenue and West River Street has called the city home since 1870. The church of about 175 members - at a time when many churches are seeing empty pews - is set to break ground on a 4,700-square-foot, $800,000 expansion that will increase the size of its facility to just less than 14,000 square feet. The project will go out for bid in May. It should be awarded in June and completed in time for Christmas services, Pastor Barbara Lohrbach said. However, while the expansion will be a noticeable shift, it’s not the only change taking place at the west Kankakee site that’s been home to St. John’s since 1955. The other shift is much more subtle. The church, which has for years welcomed members of the gay and transgender community, has maintained a healthy congregation particularly because of affirming policy. “We welcome everyone and that includes the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community,” Lohrbach said. “Many are people who had given up on church. People who didn’t feel welcomed anywhere else.” When Lohrbach arrived at the church nestled inside this west Kankakee residential neighborhood, she said it was facing obvious challenges. The chief concern? Its congregation was graying. New members were few and far between. St. John’s was not alone in that. A 2013 Pew Research Center report estimated only 37 percent of Americans attend church on a weekly basis. Meanwhile, a 2014 Gallup poll found church participation was even lower among the LGBT population. According to this poll, about half of all LGBT identifying people - 47 percent - said they were not religious. Of all American adults, 30 percent say religion is not an important part of their daily lives and that they seldom if ever attend religious services. Lohrbach, the church’s pastor since 2004, estimates 40 percent of St. John’s congregation would be classified as LGBT. “This is a place where they can come and be comfortable. They are seen here just like anyone else. This has brought new life for this congregation,” she said. “They’ve helped bring new life, excitement and hope here.” Gary Dahn, a 40-year church member, said welcoming the LGBT community undoubtedly had to be difficult for some. He did some soul searching himself. “We are where we need to be according to the Bible,” he said. “I know I’m where I want to be.” Story Continues →
2016-05-16 16:27 In this www.washingtontimes.com
63 Ohio senator to visit mothers’ addiction treatment center CINCINNATI (AP) - Ohio’s Republican senator plans to visit an addiction treatment center that allows children to live with mothers in recovery. Rob Portman’s tour of the First Step Home in Cincinnati on Monday comes as Congress prepares to work on compromise legislation for dealing with the nation’s opioid abuse crisis. Portman is a chief sponsor of a Senate bill aimed at a range of issues including prevention, treatment and law enforcement help. The first-term senator is in a heated battle for re-election against Democratic former Gov. Ted Strickland. Ohio Democrats planned a news conference Monday outside the federal courthouse in Columbus to criticize Portman’s opposition to filling the U. S. Supreme Court vacancy during the election year.
2016-05-16 16:27 - www.washingtontimes.com
64 Everton FC striker Oumar Niasse arrested over alleged assault London: Everton FC striker Oumar Niasse has been arrested on suspicion of assault, it was announced on Saturday. Oumar Niasse Police were called to a property in Salford, Greater Manchester, just over 30 miles from north-west Premier League club Everton's Liverpool base, at 00:55 local time Friday (2355 GMT Thursday) following a report of assault. A 26-year-old man was taken into custody for questioning and has been bailed pending further enquiries, Greater Manchester Police said. An Everton spokesperson told the BBC that the Merseyside club "condemns unreservedly any form of abuse".
2016-05-16 16:25 By AFP www.mid-day.com
65 Bernie Sanders hoping for high voter turnout to win Oregon PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Sen. Bernie Sanders says he’s hoping for “a very large voter turnout” in Oregon this week to secure a win against Hillary Clinton in the state’s primary election. Sanders told The Oregonian/OregonLive (http://bit.ly/24TX9cq ) on Saturday that his agenda is one that Oregon residents “feel comfortable with” living in “one of the most progressive states” in the U. S. The Vermont senator has not yet won in a state with a closed primary like Oregon’s, where only voters who are registered as Democrats or Republicans can pick a presidential nominee on their ballot. But Sanders says “if voter turnout is high, we will win.” In Oregon, roughly 160,000 voters proactively took steps this year to make themselves eligible to cast a presidential ballot during the closed primary on Tuesday. ___ Information from: The Oregonian/OregonLive, http://www.oregonlive.com
2016-05-16 14:22 - www.washingtontimes.com
66 Some see future in civil-rights past of Arkansas towns ELAINE, Ark. (AP) - The small town of Elaine sits deep in the heart of the Arkansas Delta, surrounded by cotton fields, 30 miles north of the confluence of the White and Mississippi rivers. Like the handful of other towns isolated between the rivers and miles from main highways, its only landmark is a rusted water tower that announces “ELAINE” in fading green paint. The years of economic decline in the Phillips County town of 600 people would be apparent to any visitor: Main Street is lined with hollow, long-neglected storefronts, restaurants and grocery stores, and public schools have crumbled since they shuttered in 2006. What would not be apparent is that Elaine and Phillips County were the sites of what historians have called one of the deadliest racial confrontations in U. S. history: The Elaine Race Riot of 1919. That confrontation left hundreds of blacks and a handful of whites dead. It occurred four years before a U. S. Supreme Court decision that was pivotal in protecting the rights of blacks in the criminal justice system. The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (http://bit.ly/1T7cQFM ) reports that it’s a conflict that has been of little note in mainstream history books, although academics and historians have studied it for years. And, there’s no marker or memorial in Elaine to point it out. But some people are hoping to change that, and they foresee the change as paving the way for an economic and educational resurgence in the area. Over the past decade, interest in the civil-rights movement, its history and its battlegrounds has surged. Some of the numerous civil-rights battlegrounds in Southern states have become tourist attractions, “making the Civil Rights movement an object of the Southern economy,” wrote Droit Wagner in the American Studies Journal in 2012. The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, established in 1992, has seen a 13 percent increase in annual visitors since 2010, according to the institute’s figures. And since the Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site Visitor Center was established in 2001 by the National Park Service, annual visits there have increased by nearly 600 percent, according to its figures. Both cities, as well as locations in four other states, are pushing to add their sites to the U. N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s World Heritage List. They expect that designation to attract even more visitors. Tourism has become an increasingly important sector of Arkansas’ economy. Last year, tourism contributed more than half-a-billion dollars in state and local taxes, making tourism one the fastest-growing industries in the state. However, of the state’s 40 attractions listed by the state tourism board, only five are in the Delta and those five collect 10 percent of tourists’ dollars in the state, according to a 2015 report released by the state board. Agriculture is the backbone of the Delta’s economy. Over the years, the number of farming jobs has dwindled because of mechanization, and when the jobs went so did the region’s population and much of its prosperity. Between 1970 and 2013, Phillips County’s population fell by 50 percent to about 20,000, according to U. S. Census data. In 2014, 43 percent of Elaine’s population was estimated as living below the poverty line. Several towns in the Delta have hitched their tourism-dollars wagon to their blues-music heritage. Story Continues →
2016-05-16 16:24 - www.washingtontimes.com
67 Narendra Modi reviews drought situation in Gujarat New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday reviewed the drought and water scarcity situation in parts of Gujarat at a high level meeting in New Delhi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a meeting with Chief Minister of Gujarat, Anandiben Patel in New Delhi on Monday. Pic/PTI The meeting was attended by Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel and senior officials from the central and state governments, a statement said. Modi, after being informed about what all was being done to provide relief to the affected, appreciated the efforts of the state government. He called for further action to completely eliminate the need for tanker water supply. Elaborating on Gujarat's efforts for water conservation, recharge and creation of water bodies, the chief minister said that 1.68 lakh check dams, 2.74 lakh farm ponds, 1.25 lakh 'Bori Bandhs' have been made with a storage capacity of 42.3 billion cubic feet water, benefiting 6.32 lakh hectares, it said. Piped water supply was being provided to 77 per cent of the households in the state. In spite of deficient rainfall for the second consecutive year, the work done for the state water grid has resulted in only 568 tankers being required for water distribution in some remote tail areas, the release added. The state has made significant progress in micro-irrigation. One hundred per cent coverage of drip/sprinkler irrigation has been achieved in 3,789 villages, it said. Measures to boost progress in fishery, bee-keeping, pearl culture and seaweed were also discussed.
2016-05-16 16:24 By IANS www.mid-day.com
68 BSF jawan among two killed in mishap in Ramban Banihal (J&K): Two persons, including a BSF jawan, were killed on Monday and three other jawans injured when a vehicle in which they were travelling fell into a gorge in Ramban district, police said. BSF constable Babi Rai and driver Ghulam Nabi died on the spot when a Jammu-bound passenger vehicle skidded off the road and fell into the deep gorge in Tethar area of Banihal, they said. The injured have been identified as Head Constable Samar Kumar, Constable Lal Babu Kumar and constable Dev Raj, Station House Officer (SHO) Banihal Nazir Dar said, adding they have been hospitalised. A case has been registered in this regard and investigation is underway, he said. The deceased jawan and the injured personnel belong to the 11th battalion of the BSF, Dar said.
2016-05-16 16:24 By PTI www.mid-day.com
69 Extra officers to be at SC school where student shot self GREENVILLE, S. C. (AP) - Officials say additional law enforcement officials will be present at a Greenville County high school where a student accidentally shot himself. The Greenville News reported (http://grnol.co/24TsxI8) the extra officers will be present Monday at Southside High School. One student shot himself at the school Friday, and he and another student face charges. Greenville County schools spokeswoman Elizabeth Brotherton says additional psychologists and social workers trained in handling traum will be at the school also. Brotherton said in an email that there’s no ongoing threat at the school. She says extra law enforcement and school personnel will be at Southside to reassure everyone the school is safe. She says supplemental law enforcement officers will be at Southside through the end of the school year to assist the student resource officer. ___ Information from: The Greenville News, http://www.greenvillenews.com
2016-05-16 14:25 - www.washingtontimes.com
70 Citizen-scientists: Uncle Sam wants you to fight Zika! MIAMI (AP) - The mosquitoes that can spread Zika are already buzzing among us. The U. S. government could use some help figuring out exactly where. There’s little money in government budgets to track the spread of disease-carrying mosquitoes. That’s why the U. S. Department of Agriculture is working to scale up a nationwide experiment in citizen-science. The Invasive Mosquito Project is recruiting high school students and science teachers to collect mosquito eggs in their communities and upload the data to populate an online map. That provides real-time information about hot spots to help researchers and mosquito controllers respond. The USDA entomologist coordinating the project also hopes to adapt its lesson plans for middle schools, scout troops and gardening clubs and make mosquito surveys as common as public bird counts for conservation groups.
2016-05-16 14:24 In this www.washingtontimes.com
71 71 Donald Trump suggests he might not have a very good relationship with David Cameron Presumptive GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump is already forecasting that he might not have a very good relationship with the leader of one of the United States’ staunchest allies, in the wake of British Prime Minister David Cameron’s criticizing Mr. Trump ’s call for a temporary ban on Muslims entering the United States. Mr. Trump was asked to respond to Mr. Cameron’s calling his statements about Muslims “divisive, “stupid” and “wrong.” “Well, number one I’m not stupid, OK?” Mr. Trump said in a new interview for ITV’s “Good Morning Britain.” “I can tell you that right now — just the opposite.” SEE ALSO: Donald Trump inspires outrage, amusement, respect among U. S. rivals “Number two, in terms of divisive — I don’t think I’m a divisive person,” he said. “I’m a unifier. Unlike our president now, I’m a unifier.” “Honestly, I don’t care,” Mr. Trump said of Mr. Cameron’s comments. “It doesn’t matter. I mean, it’s fine.” The prime minister has not backed away from the comments, which he made last year in the wake of Mr. Trump ’s proposal. “It looks like we’re not going to have a very good relationship. Who knows?” Mr. Trump said. “I hope to have a good relationship with him. But it sounds like he’s not willing to address the problem, either.” “People can pretend like it’s not existing, but take a look. Take a look at London. Take a look at certain sections of some cities throughout Europe and throughout the world,” he said. “It is a disaster and the police are — [they] want nothing to do with it,” he said. “It’s as bad as it gets. Now, we don’t have to talk about it, or we could.” Asked what he’d say to law-abiding Muslims who feel under attack, Mr. Trump said: “Here’s what I say to them: They have to turn the people in.” “People have to work with the police and law enforcement. They have to turn [them] in,” he said. “They got to play ball. … If they’re not going to play ball, it’s never going to work out.” Asked if he would re-phrase the comments, given how much controversy they have created, Mr. Trump said: “It got people thinking.” “Whether it’s good for me or bad for me, I don’t really care,” he said. “You have to understand: I’m not against any religion, but there is something happening there. … There’s something very bad going on there, and we have to get to the bottom of it.”
2016-05-16 16:19 Britain’s Prime www.washingtontimes.com
72 Afghan capital locked down for massive demonstration KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Authorities locked down Afghanistan’s capital Monday as tens of thousands of ethnic Hazaras marched through the streets calling on the government to reroute a power line through their poverty-stricken province in a massive protest that reflected public dismay with the government of President Ashraf Ghani. Amid concerns the protest could turn violent, roads leading into central Kabul’s commercial district were blocked to all vehicle and foot traffic by police, who used stacked shipping containers to prevent the marchers reaching the presidential palace. Most of the city’s shops were shuttered and armed police units took up positions around the city. Authorities told protest organizers that the march would be confined to a specific route that would not take them near the presidential palace. A November demonstration that followed the beheading of a number of Hazaras by insurgents turned violent. The backing of other ethnic groups for the protest highlighted the political crisis facing Afghanistan, as Ghani becomes increasingly isolated amid a stalled economy, rising unemployment, and an escalating insurgency now in its 15th year. Since taking office in 2014, Ghani has made little progress in keeping promises to bring peace and prosperity to the country, instead presiding over an administration that seems to lurch from one crisis to another. The U. S. Embassy in Kabul closed its consular section and warned Americans to limit their movement within Kabul. “Even demonstrations intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and escalate into violence,” it said in an emergency message. Other embassies, United Nations compounds and non-government organizations were also locked down. Daud Naji, a protest leader, said the Hazaras were demanding access to a planned multimillion- dollar regional electricity line. The so-called TUTAP line is backed by the Asian Development Bank with the involvement of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan. The original plan routed the line through Bamiyan province, in the central highlands, where most of the country’s Hazaras live. But that route was changed in 2013 by the previous Afghan government. Leaders of Monday’s demonstration have called the routing of the line away from their territory evidence of enduring bias against the Hazara minority. Hazaras account for up to 15 percent of Afghanistan’s estimated 30 million-strong population; they are considered the poorest of the country’s ethnic groups, and often complain of discrimination. Bamiyan is poverty stricken, though it is largely peaceful and has potential as a tourist destination. Hazaras, most of whom are Shiite Muslims, have been persecuted in the past, notably by the extremist Sunni Taliban’s 1996-2001 regime. Afghanistan is desperately short of power, with less than 40 percent of the population connected to the national grid, according to the World Bank. Almost 75 percent of the country’s power is imported. Karim Khalili, a Hazara leader and former vice president, told supporters from the back of A truck that the “people will never keep quiet when facing injustice.” “Again I want call on Dr. Ashraf Ghani and (chief executive) Dr. Abdullah Abdullah to change the decision __ don’t you think a change of mind regarding the electricity line would be better?” he shouted to the crowd that had stopped near the Kabul Zoo in the west of the city. Calling on the protesters to disperse, Khalili told them: “Our movement will continue, we will follow this issue until we get a result.” As leaders of other ethnic groups backed the Hazaras’ so-called Movement of Light, political commentator Haroun Mir said what started as an isolated grievance from an ethnic minority has gained momentum and grown into an umbrella issue for the many opponents of Ghani ’s unpopular government. Story Continues →
2016-05-16 16:19 Protesters run www.washingtontimes.com
73 73 China barely notes start of Cultural Revolution 50 years ago BEIJING (AP) — Exactly 50 years ago, China embarked on what was formally known as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, a decade of tumult launched by Mao Zedong to revive communist goals and enforce a radical egalitarianism. The milestone was largely ignored Monday in the Chinese media, reflecting continuing sensitivities about a period that was later declared a “catastrophe.” Authorities have generally suppressed discussion of the violent events, now a couple of generations removed from the lives of young Chinese focused on pursuing their own interests in an increasingly capitalistic society. On May 16, 1966, the ruling Communist Party’s Politburo met to purge a quartet of top officials who had fallen out of favor with Mao. It also produced a document announcing the start of the decade-long Cultural Revolution to pursue class warfare and enlist the population in mass political movements. The start of the Cultural Revolution was not widely known or understood at the time, but soon took on an agenda characterized by extreme violence, leading to the downfall of leading officials, factional battles, mass rallies and the exile of educated youths to the countryside. It wound up severely threatening the Communist Party’s legitimacy to rule. Despite the party’s formal repudiation of the movement five years after it ended, vestiges of the Cultural Revolution continue to echo in China ’s authoritarian political system, the intolerance of dissent and uncritical support for the leadership, said veteran journalist Gao Yu, who was a university student in 1966. Gao said her initial enthusiasm for the Cultural Revolution faded after fanatical young Red Guards raided her home and accused her father, a former ranking party cadre, of disloyalty to Mao. The violence of the era was impossible to avoid, she said. “I saw so many respected teachers in universities and high schools get beaten up,” Gao said. “The movement wasn’t so much a high-profile political struggle as a massive campaign against humanity.” A longtime party critic, Gao, now 72, was allowed to return home last year on medical parole after being imprisoned on a state secrets charge related to her publicizing a party document about ideological controls. Gao and others say cynicism in Chinese society still lingers from the Cultural Revolution, when students were called on to denounce authority figures, including teachers and even parents. Traditional morals and philosophy were attacked and Buddhist temples were defaced and destroyed. No official events were held to commemorate Monday’s anniversary, although neo-Maoists have been staging private commemorations. Many are motivated by nostalgia for a simpler time and alienated by a growing wealth gap brought about by the government’s pursuit of market economics and abandonment of the former command economy that provided jobs and welfare to its citizens, even amid widespread poverty. Newspapers monitored in Beijing provided virtually no coverage of the anniversary apart from small articles mentioning demand for antiques dating from the era. Egged on by vague pronouncements from Mao , students and young workers clutching their leader’s famed “Little Red Book” of sayings formed rival Red Guard factions starting in 1966 that battled each other over ideological purity, sometimes using heavy weapons taken from the military. Few sought to oppose them given Mao ’s approval and the popularity of slogans such as “to revolt is justified,” and “revolution is not a crime.” Rising violence later compelled party leaders to send in the People’s Liberation Army to reassert control as many government functions were suspended and long-standing party leaders sent to work in farms and factories or detained in makeshift jails. To put a stop to the violence and chaos, millions of students were dispatched to the countryside to live and work with the peasantry, among them current President Xi Jinping, who lived in a cave dwelling for several years in his family’s ancestral province of Sha’anxi. Much of the country was on a wartime footing during the period, with Mao growing increasingly feeble and tense relations with former ally the Soviet Union breaking out into border clashes. Radicals allied with the so-called “Gang of Four,” consisting of Mao ’s wife Jiang Qing and her confederates, battled with those representing the party’s old guard, who were desperate to end the chaos in the economy, schools and government institutions. The Cultural Revolution finally came to a close with Mao ’s death on Sept. 9, 1976. In the aftermath, Deng Xiaoping emerged as the country’s paramount leader, initiating four decades of economic development and a gradual repudiation of orthodox Marxism. Story Continues →
2016-05-16 16:19 Vendors wait www.washingtontimes.com
74 Decisions on fate of Baton Rouge Zoo not expected until fall BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - A possible move for the Baton Rouge Zoo has been at the forefront of discussions about a proposed $110 million rebuild of the 46-year-old attraction. But it could be as much as a year from now until final decisions are made. The Advocate reports (http://bit.ly/1Xu8WvP) Philadelphia-based zoo consultants Schultz and Williams unequivocally told the East Baton Rouge Parish Recreation and Park Commission in late March that the zoo would be able to attract many more visitors if it relocated to the south part of East Baton Rouge Parish. But there has been push back from some community members and elected officials. BREC Superintendent Carolyn McKnight has insisted no decisions have been made and no timeline is attached to the project. ___ Information from: The Advocate, http://theadvocate.com
2016-05-16 16:18 - www.washingtontimes.com
75 Pointe Coupee resident to see proposed home rule charter NEW ROADS, La. (AP) - Pointe Coupee Parish residents this week will get their first look at a preliminary draft of a home rule charter. Jimmy Lyles, chairman of the parish’s Home Rule Charter Commission, tells The Advocate (http://bit.ly/1OvpYYv) the group is seeking public input on key issues. Lyles says the 11-member commission continues to toil over in its attempts to shift the parish from a Police Jury system to a parish president/parish council form of government. Some of those issues include whether to set term limits for elected officials, how and when would the transition take place, and whether the same geographic boundaries the parish’s school board uses for its representative districts A proposed charter plan will need to gain voter approval before any changes in government can happen. ___ Information from: The Advocate, http://theadvocate.com
2016-05-16 16:17 - www.washingtontimes.com
76 Memorial honoring police vandalized in central Ohio GALION, Ohio (AP) - A memorial honoring police officers has been vandalized in central Ohio. Galion police say the marble stone purchased by a police union was found covered in yellow paint over the weekend. Police are asking for the public’s help in investigating the crime. Police say the vandalism that occurred within the past few days was reported Saturday, just before National Peace Officers Memorial Day on Sunday and National Police Week. Galion Police Lt. Marc Rodriguez says officers are angry and offended by the act and its timing. But Rodriguez says police have received support in the wake of the vandalism. He says businesses have offered to help with cleaning or replacing the memorial. Police in the city about 60 miles north of Columbus say the same memorial was vandalized in 2014.
2016-05-16 16:17 - www.washingtontimes.com
77 Barbra Streisand to launch 9-city summer concert tour LOS ANGELES (AP) - Barbra Streisand will launch a nine-city tour this summer. Her manager said Monday the entertainer will appear at arenas across the country, performing songs from her six-decade career. Marty Erlichman also said Streisand is releasing a new album later this year and she’ll include tracks from it in her summer run. The tour plans one-night stops in Los Angeles; Las Vegas; San Jose, California; Chicago; Boston; Philadelphia; Toronto; and Washington, D. C. A two-night affair is set for Brooklyn, New York, the 74-year-old singer’s hometown. Tickets go on sale May 25 and will include a copy of Streisand’s new album. Streisand previously toured in 2000, 2006 and 2012. ___ This story corrects that 2000 tour was not billed as farewell tour.
2016-05-16 16:17 FILE www.washingtontimes.com
78 Western NY town calls on state to lift Thruway bridge tolls GRAND ISLAND, N. Y. (AP) - Officials in a western New York town are renewing their effort to convince the state Thruway Authority to remove tolls on local bridges. Town of Grand Island Supervisor Nathan McMurray was joined by local residents and other officials at one of the spans Sunday afternoon to call on Gov. Andrew Cuomo to “tear down these tolls” on Interstate 190, also known as the Niagara Thruway. Grand Island residents and leaders have complained for years about the tolls charged on the bridges that connect the Niagara River island to Erie and Niagara counties. They say the tolls are unfair to commuters and other motorists and they blame the collection booths for causing traffic jams. Measures have been introduced in the state Legislature to remove the Grand Island tolls.
2016-05-16 16:16 - www.washingtontimes.com
79 England favourites to win Euro 2016: Former coach Sven- Goran Eriksson Shanghai: Former England head coach Sven-Goran Eriksson has backed the football team to win the forthcoming European Championship this summer. England won all 10 games in qualifying for the tournament in France to finish nine points clear at the top of their group. "They have a good team. The qualification games, they won everything and they did it with style. They are playing good football as well, so why not? " Eriksson was quoted as saying by the BBC on Sunday. England coach Roy Hodgson will name his 23-man squad on Monday after giving himself four extra days to assess his players' fitness. Eriksson bowed out as England coach after losing 1-3 on penalties to Portugal in the quarter- final of the 2006 World Cup in Germany. Eriksson, the current head coach of Shanghai SIPG, who earlier led England at three major tournaments during five years in charge, believes that Hodgson's squad must cope with the pressure of penalties if they are to triumph in France. "Without any doubt the pressure when you go to a big tournament is big - and many times, how I remember it, too big on the players. You talk about penalty shootouts - England is not famous for winning them. They feel the pressure," he said. "But hopefully Roy will do a good job and they will reach the semi-final or the final or win it," the 68-year-old said.
2016-05-16 16:15 By IANS www.mid-day.com
80 Leicester to train young Chinese players: Vice chairman London: Newly-crowned English Premier League champions Leicester will train Chinese at their academy and "do everything they can" to help the country improve, the club's vice chairman has said. Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha, the son of billionaire club owner and chairman Vichai, was proud of his Chinese ancestry and can even speak a few words of Mandarin, reports Xinhua news agency. "I love China. My grandfather was Chinese and I love you. Thank you," he said in Chinese on Sunday. Aiyawatt admitted Leicester has been seeking Chinese players for the team. "I flied to China many times with our scouts and football director to see possible players from China," he said. Aiyawatt said that under a project created two years ago Leicester will bring 15 or 16 Chinese players for a two-year training programme. And hopefully, some of them will rise to play in Leicester or other English clubs. "We will send scouting team to China to bring the boys to Leicester," he said. "They will stay here for two and a half years to study English and football. " "If you want to be successful, you need to leave your hometown, challenge yourself and change the behaviour of thinking. To stay away from hometown, they can learn from other players, culture and develop a lot. " "Some boys from Thailand are already there under that kind of project. If the project happens in China, I am sure we can find 11 players from one billion people. In 10 years, there will be more than 100 players to play in Leicester. " He added the youngsters must be 16 years old and after two years they can choose to stay or return to China. "If they go back to the Chinese league, they will develop their league for sure. If they have the talent, they can play at England or Europe," he said. Leicester's win in the Premier League has inspired teams like China and Aiyawatt believes China can qualify for the World Cup if they do it right. Aiyawatt claimed Leicester will tap into China's vast market and create an academy in the world's most populous country. "It will be nice. We will do it one day," he said. Before the last home game against Everton, Aiyawatt asked the players to win the match even though they had sealed the title. "I told the players that we need to win this game any way. We need to perform well at home to show the fans we can still win the Premier League even if Chelsea had not drawn with Tottenham, show them how the Premier League champions play football and show them we don't rely on Chelsea. " "The spirit of the team is superb. They are like a family," he said of the 3-1 victory. The Thai family, who bought Leicester in 2010, had been losing money for four years before the team were promoted to the English Premier League in 2014. They are expected to earn 150 million pounds ($215.5) next season. But Aiyawatt said they will not buy big names for their Champions League campaign. "It depends on the manager. I believe in my staff, I believe in my manager," he said. "After the Chelsea game on Sunday in the last game, we will sit down and talk. The team is doing the whole work to find the players, to find how much we are going to spend. "To spend crazy money is not our plan. But we have to buy the players who are good for us and who can cover the space where we are weak. You have to be reasonable to spend the money. If you buy some players with crazy money, it is not fair for the players this season who have fought for the club to win the champion. " With players like Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez becoming superstars, there are a lot of people who are skeptical about their future next season but Aiyawatt said he will try best to keep every player. "I think they are happy at the club. We are going to play the champions league next year. So why are they going to move out? Will they move to a club who cannot play the Champions League just for money? I don't think so. " "About the money and the contract, we talk to them all the time to improve the money because it is a win-win situation. We will try to improve the contract with all the players. I will try everything I can to let them stay at the club. " Aiyawat said they will talk to manager Claudio Ranieri on extending his contract, which runs until 2018. "Claudio loves the club, he wants to stay. He still has two years on his contract. We want to talk to him for sure. I don't think he will move anywhere. Next season we will play the Champions League. It is good connection between him, the football director, the CEO and the owner. It is like a family. He is special," he concluded.
2016-05-16 16:06 By IANS www.mid-day.com
81 Wahpeton historian began love for old things at young age WAHPETON, N. D. (AP) - It may seem odd to consider, in this age of record- keeping and the ability to observe history by the minute, but when Lois Berndt was a high school student, her textbooks didn’t include World War II. Berndt took her curiosity for the period and applied it toward watching movies and reading about it. Along the way, an interest in history developed, the Wahpeton Daily News (http://bit.ly/1VScoAZ ) reported. “And my parents, after they retired, they collected antiques,” she said. “I got to see some of these beautiful things. There were times where everything was made out of different materials and they didn’t last. Whereas some of these old-time things were made better. It got to be where I liked antiques, too.” Berndt, who’ll turn 79 in June, is the president of the Richland County Historical Society in Wahpeton. Since 1980, she has been involved with the society, first as a participant, then as the secretary and treasurer and now as its leader. Last year, the State Historical Society of North Dakota honored Berndt for excellence in local history and she continues to make improvements. “We have to make (our exhibits) more interesting for children. We’re getting so many things, we’re just packed to the gills practically with artifacts. The plan is, we’re going to put a lot of things on CDs,” she said, adding that this form of preserving information will allow visitors to share it on their computers, make personal copies and so on. The Richland County Historical Society often draws in visitors tracing their genealogy. “It’s just so satisfying and gratifying to see how you’ve helped someone work on their family history,” Berndt said. “People are just unaware of what their great-grandparents did.” That isn’t the case with Berndt, who traveled with eight of her cousins in 2004 to see Europe, in particular the country of Slovenia, where her grandfather was from. “We stayed with one of my dad’s cousins, who was an English teacher, which was a great help to us. And we went to the church where our grandfather was born, where he was baptized and the surrounding community. And my dad still had 29 cousins there. But my grandfather was the only one who came to America. (The trip) was very interesting and a highlight of my life,” she remembered. Berndt applied her fascination, creating several family histories. “I’ve done my mother’s parents and my dad’s parents, plus I’ve done my husband’s parents. And when I was in Slovenia, they gave me a family history chart that went back to 1613,” she said. Although her computer-archived histories were lost due to a crash, Berndt said she’s held onto the paper copies and has shared her information. She’s equally interested in sharing the story of Richland County. “There’s so much new out in the county that we wanted to make a record of that,” she said. On April 12, Berndt spoke before the Richland County Board of Commissioners, promoting the soon-to-be-released book, “Richland County Townships and Towns” and also requested $5,000 in funds for improvements to the building. The request was approved and some commissioners bought the book as well. “It’s mostly what’s happening in the townships and the towns,” Berndt told the commissioners. “You go around and just about every little town has a celebration every year. I applaud them for that, they’re making their own fun.” Story Continues →
2016-05-16 10:44 - www.washingtontimes.com
82 ADL to recognize Ottoman Empire’s massacre of Armenians as ‘genocide’ BOSTON — The massacre of 1.5 million Armenians in the early years of the 20th century was “unequivocally genocide,” the head of the Anti-Defamation League said. His added that his organization will support US recognition of the Armenian Genocide, a move the civil rights group resisted for many years. ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt on Friday staked out the ADL’s strongest position on the subject in his blog post for Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day in Israel, ahead of the organization’s national convention that began Sunday in Washington, D. C. Greenblatt tied the events to the Holocaust. “Let me be crystal clear: …What happened in the Ottoman Empire to the Armenians beginning in 1915 was genocide,” he wrote. “We believe that remembering and educating people about any genocide – Armenian, the Holocaust, Bosnia, Rwanda and others is a necessary tool to prevent future tragedies,” he also wrote. Greenblatt said that the Jewish community’s experience regarding the Holocaust is relevant to the discussion, pointing out that at the end of World War II, there was “widespread shame in the Western world at the realization that anti-Semitism was deeply embedded across cultures and countries and could produce such horror.” He cautioned that the passage of time since the Holocaust has in some way eviscerated the sense of shame that has inhibited anti-Semitism, and is allowing it to reemerge in full force, which shows that “we must educate each generation about the tragedies of the past.” “Silence is not an option,” he wrote. Until August, 2007, the ADL, under the leadership of then-National Director Abraham Foxman, did not use the term genocide to describe the massacre. It reversed course after an internal debate went public and a grassroots campaign by Armenian American activists targeted the ADL in Boston and other cities and towns with large Armenian populations. Foxman has since used the term Armenian genocide including in a 2014 speech. For many years, the group opposed formal recognition by the US Congress, citing concerns for the Turkish Jewish community and relationship between Turkey, Israel and the US. New England’s ADL Director Robert Trestan told the Boston Globe on Sunday that Greenblatt’s post was the “most unequivocal statement that we’ve ever issued.” Trestan took part in meetings between the ADL and local and national Armenian and Jewish groups, the Globe reported. The statement does not go far enough, according to Andrew Tarsy, the former New England ADL director whose dispute over the issue with the national leadership in 2007 led to his temporary ouster by Foxman, who later reinstated Tarsy. Tarsy, a noted civil rights attorney, told the Globe that the ADL ought to lead conversations about reparations for families. “Everything that Holocaust reparations has represented should be on the table,” he said.
2016-05-16 16:00 www.jpost.com
83 I was used to being bullied: NFL's Tom Brady's supermodel wife Gisele Bundchen London: Supermodel Gisele Bundchen who is married to National Football League (NFL) star Tom Brady says she was "used to being bullied" growing up because she was "tall and skinny". Supermodel Gisele Bundchen The 35-year-old supermodel said she was always made fun of when she was younger, reported Female First. "Even before I got into the business, I was used to being bullied because I was always tall and skinny and stuck out. "I got really red all the time from playing volleyball, red like a pepper. So I thought bullying was just the way life is," she said.
2016-05-16 15:52 By PTI www.mid-day.com
84 North Dakota arts programs get federal grants BISMARCK, N. D. (AP) - North Dakota’s congressional delegation says the National Endowment of the Arts has awarded grants for North Dakota arts programs. The North Dakota Council on the Arts will receive $727,100 for partnership activities throughout the state. The delegation says the University of North Dakota will receive $10,000 to support author fees for an annual writing conference and to preserve audiovisual archives of past presentations at the annual event.
2016-05-16 15:52 - www.washingtontimes.com
85 Rashford, Townsend in 26-man England provisional squad More than a thousand community members from Middledrift in the Eastern Cape who braved scorching heat to attend a march against gender-based violence that was to be led by National Assembly speaker Baleka Mbete‚ were still waiting for her arrival three hours after the...
2016-05-16 15:50 AFP www.timeslive.co.za
86 86 EU referendum: George Osborne accuses Tory rivals of 'conspiracy theories' as Boris Johnson accuses Chancellor of 'talking down' Britain T
oday has been another war of words on the EU referendum campaign trail, with George Osborne attacking his Tory rivals for creating "conspiracy theories" about the people who back Britain's membership of the EU, while Boris Johnson accused the Chancellor of "talking down" the British economy. The Chancellor accused the Leave camp of responding by treating economic warnings about Brexit as "a massive conspiracy". "That's everyone from Mark Carney to Christine Lagarde to Barack Obama to the entire editorial team at ITV to the staff at the IMF and OECD, to hundreds of economists, to a majority of leaders of small, medium and large firms - they think they are all part of some global stitch-up to give misinformation to the British people. "The next thing we know, the Leave camp will be accusing us of faking the moon landings, kidnapping Shergar and covering up the existence of the Loch Ness monster. "The response to the sober economic warnings from around the world by those who want to leave the EU has not been credible or serious. " "I think that's absolute nonsense. The people who make this case are continually running Britain down and in my view are in danger of talking down the whole UK economy at the moment. "This is a fantastically robust economy. We are the fifth biggest in the world. " E d Balls, the former Labour shadow Chancellor, has told former rival George Osborne to “get on with” rolling out superfast broadband in the UK to rural communities. S tanding alongside Mr Balls at a EU referendum rally in Stansted, he said: “On the broadband issue I think George should get on with it, to be honest.” Christopher Hope, Chief Political Correspondent D uring a tour of the women's clothing manufacturer David Nieper, Boris Johnson had this new colourful metaphor for the EU: "When you look at the EU now, walking around this wonderful factory it makes me think of some badly designed undergarments that has now become too tight in some places - far too tight, far too constrictive - and dangerously loose in other places. ... So I just say to all those who prophecy doom and gloom for the British business, I say their pants are on fire. Let's say knickers to the pessimists, knickers to all those who talk Britain down. " E U migration is escalating the "scandal" of long A&E waiting times, Boris Johnson has said as he claimed big business supports an "open door" borders policy to keep wages down. The former London mayor said chief executives supported Britain staying in the EU because it meant they did not have to spend money training up young workers in the UK. M r Johnson also said Brexit would allow more spending on the "fantastic NHS" to help bring down waiting times for emergency care. His comments in full: "There is this parade of big businesses coming out from Downing Street, signing letters saying that they agree with every jot and tittle of EU regulation. Well of course they agree with an open border immigration policy because it means that they don't, for instance, have to worry about up-skilling local people in the way that this company is doing. ... They think they can just get a steady supply of unskilled or skilled labour. What is the result? They are able to hold down wages for British people whilst of course themselves taking more and more. Look at what's happened to top people's pay over the last few years. It's been massively increased, our real wages are being kept down, and that is one of the consequences of uncontrolled immigration. And also these people never see the impact of those big migration flows on local housing, or school places, or of course on A&E. It's a scandal at the moment I think that A&E waiting times are longer than they've ever been in the history of the NHS. We have a chance to put some more money into our fantastic NHS and try to sort out that problem. " Ben Riley-Smith, Political Correspondent L aura Hughes is on the campaign trail with Hilary Benn, the Shadow Foreign Secretary I've travelled down with Hilary Benn to sunny Stevenage where he is making the Remain case to the elderly this afternoon. Speaking on the train he told me he wants to call on this generation, who are statistically more likely to vote for Breixt, to think about their grandchildren and children when it comes to casting their vote in June. H e's now moving around a group of tables. One lady asks Mr Benn about the Telegraph's front page this morning, which revealed hundred of business leaders back Brexit. He responds by saying that those who advocate leaving have failed to predict what would look like if we left and are therefore asking voters to take a leap in the dark. "I am with the Labour leader- we should stay in", another woman tells Mr Benn. But he's quick to point out that this issue has divided parties, particularly the Conservatives. It's absolutely about the long term, he said. There are things that are wrong and that need to change about the EU, but that doesn't mean we walk away. "It's like a family, there maybe things you want to change, but that doesn't mean you walk away," he tells a table of elderly voters. G eorge Osborne is "talking down" the British economy with his dire warnings over the impact of Brexit, Boris Johnson has said in a direct attack on the Chancellor's warnings. Mr Johnson, the former London mayor who backs leaving the EU, said suggestions the economic argument had been already lost by those on his side was "nonsense". I t came after Mr Osborne compared eurosceptics to moon landing conspiracists for saying leading economic institutions were wrong in their warnings about the impact of leaving the EU. Mr Johnson was asked whether he agreed with the suggestion in Mr Osborne's comments that the economy argument was "over" and Out campaigners should "stop pretending" otherwise. Mr Johnson replied: "I think that's absolute nonsense. The people who make this case are continually running Britain down and in my view are in danger of talking down the whole UK economy at the moment. "This is a fantastically robust economy. We are the fifth biggest in the world. " Ben Riley-Smith, Political Correspondent A Downing Street spokesman has said today: "The Prime Minister disagrees with the comments. "As he set out in a speech last week, he believes the EU plays a vital role in preventing conflict in Europe. He pointed to the fact that the EU has helped reconcile countries which were once at each other's throats for decades and that we have a fundamental national interest in maintaining a common purpose in Europe to avoid future conflicts. " T he spokesman added: "The PM is making his arguments for why we should remain very forcefully. He respects the views of others and their right to make those views known, but he believes that we are stronger, safer and better off in the EU. " A leading credit ratings agency has warned that a British exit from the European Union could lead it to downgrade the creditworthiness of a number of other EU countries. Fitch Ratings said Brexit would weigh on the other EU economies and increase political risks in Europe if the UK votes to leave the 28-nation bloc on June 23. Though it says it would not expect to change its ratings on EU countries in the near-term, it says such "negative actions" could become more likely in the medium-term if the economic impact of a Brexit proves "severe" or if "significant political risks" materialise. Fitch has previously said that a vote for Brexit would trigger a review of Britain's AA+ rating. Rival agency Standard & Poor's has also said that the UK faces a greater chance of a downgrade over the coming two years if it leaves the EU. "Knickers to the pessimists and knickers to all those who talk Britain down", declares Boris Johnson at a clothing factory in Nottinghamshire. "Vote for freedom on June 23 and I believe in this country June 24 will be independence day. " B oris Johnson has pledged to "flatten" his opponents as he took the campaign to leave the European Union to a women's clothing company near Nottingham. The former London mayor ironed and stitched some Vote Leave banners as he toured the headquarters of David Nieper, a clothing firm based in Alfreton, Derbyshire. T he company's managing director Christopher Nieper supports leaving the EU despite more than a third of its products being sold overseas - mainly in other European countries. Mr Johnson joked while he was ironing that he would leave the Remain campaign as flat as the piece of fabric he was working on. He also failed to answer questions about whether he stood by comparing the EU to Nazi Germany when he stepped of the Brexit battle bus earlier in the day. Ben Riley-Smith, Political Correspondent G eorge Osborne today made a pro-EU speech at Stansted Airport alongside Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary where they claimed that air fares would rise if we left the EU. Vote Leave say that O’Leary has previously described the EU as an "evil empire" and has also, along with many other airline bosses, made clear that air fares would not be affected by a leave vote. M atthew Elliot, Vote Leave chief executive, said: "These warnings lack credibility given that Mr O’Leary said the complete opposite just a few months ago. "George Osborne appeared today alongside one man who thinks that the EU is an evil empire and another who said that the Chancellor does not understand economics. "George Osborne is panicking about his failing campaign so he is resorting to ever more lurid scare stories. His problem is that he’s told so many tall tales that people no longer believe what he and David Cameron say on the EU any more. " G eorge Osborne has brushed off claims that his decision to campaign to remain in the EU has damaged his chances of leading the Conservative party, Christopher Hope writes. M r Osborne told a group of Ryanair staff at Stansted Airport: “This campaign is much bigger than any one person’s career, any one person’s party – the issue is more important than any one general election. This is about Britain’s future. I am going to fight passionately for what I believe, a Britain that defends is national interest by getting stuck into the world, making sure we project ourselves, we project our values, we work with our allies and don’t pretend we can pull up the drawbridge.” Christopher Hope, Chief Political Correspondent G eorge Osborne has denied that quitting the European Union would allow the Government to spend more cash on rolling out superfast broadband because EU state aid rules would not apply. Questioned about the Telegraph's Better Broadband campaign, the Chancellor said he considered fast broadband to be as important as new railways and motorways in connecting communities. H e said: “We are absolutely committed as a government to get broadband to all the rural areas – that is absolutely right, it is a utility, its the equivalent of the motorways, the railway lines, the canals and the like from the past. And you will see in the Queen’s speech concrete measures to make sure that that ambition for your readers absolutely want to see fulfilled, reaching rural areas of this country, is effected. That will be the case. Let’s end also this nonsense of somehow Britain would have more money to spend if it left the EU. There is overwhelming evidence from the IMF last week there will be less money going into the exchequer so we have less money to spend on public services.” Christopher Hope, Chief Political Correspondent A rubbish truck emblazoned with a Union Flag has been taken out of service - because it was deemed to be supporting Brexit. Council bosses took the bright red, white and blue bin lorry out of service after being hit with a number of complaints saying the truck, which was painted to match the waste company's logo, is a "Brexit battle bus. " E arlier this month the 26-tonne lorry was used for its first rounds around Brighton, East Sussex, but union members quickly complained, suggesting it was making a political statement. Brighton and Hove City Council quickly pulled the sub-contracted lorry from service, despite the move being branded "political correctness gone mad. " Read the full story. V ince Cable, the former Liberal Democrat Business secretary, has warned about the impact on sales of porridge from Britons voting to leave the European Union on June 23. Speaking on a platform alongside Chancellor George Osborne and the former shadow Chancellor Ed Balls, Mr Cable said: “Just a few weeks ago I went to a small ambitious company making porridge. They started to export to Australia – they thought it would be easy. “They ran into a wall of packaging, labelling, food standards certificate of origin – so they tried Holland, and found that none of these barriers exist because we were part of the same single market, and they are now expanding rapidly, creating employment because they have discovered there is one market of 500million people.” Christopher Hope, Chief Political Correspondent A fter the Liberal Democrats' devastating election results in 2015, it is fair to say they have not really been in the limelight since - until today. Vince Cable, the former Business Secretary, shared a platform with George Osborne today as he set out his reasons for wanting Britain to remain an EU member. Here are some notable highlights from his speech. "George and I worked for five years together in coalition government - a government that was formed in the national interest, to deal with an economic emergency. It's no secret we disagreed on things even while we sat around the Cabinet table together, and my party paid a heavy price for its part in that government at the general election. But in the interests of the country we worked together for five years – and that is also why I am here today. Ed Balls and I, too, often clashed about economic strategy before and during the Coalition but we agree that the case for remaining in the European Union is compelling and that the case for a decision to leave will have serious, negative, economic consequences. The economic case is clear and settled: British business and British workers benefit, overall, from EU membership and stand to lose from leaving. That is the unambiguous conclusion, not just of the British government’s economists but my new academic colleagues at the LSE and the international institutions, like the IMF, which have no national axe to grind. " "Before I became an MP my job was to help business plan ahead: to think about the future. Just think about the enormous 21st century problems that affect business. One is the changing nature of cyber security threats and what that means for data protection: the point emphasised by the most recent heads of our external and internal security services. Another is the way that big multinationals are able to exploit the international tax rules to shift profits and avoid tax. The European Commission can call the Googles, Apples and Facebooks to account under its competition policy in a way that national governments find more difficult. These problems won’t be solved from standing on the sidelines looking in – We need to be in the room when they’re discussed – fighting for British interests, taking our seat at the table and influencing and shaping the rules. " C hancellor George Osborne said he and David Cameron stood by their comments in response to Donald Trump's views on Muslims. But he added: "But he is an American presidential candidate and we will talk to him because it is in our interest to talk to our allies like the United States. " C hancellor George Osborne has accused the Leave camp in the EU referendum of indulging in conspiracy theories as he insisted there was an "overwhelming consensus" among economists and world leaders that Brexit would be bad for the UK. Mr Osborne was joined by former adversaries Ed Balls and Sir Vince Cable at Stansted Airport, where he said that 450 jobs and almost £1 billion in investment announced by Ryanair would be "at risk if we left the EU". T he Chancellor was speaking as more than 300 business leaders signed a letter urging Britain to vote to leave the EU in the June 23 referendum, arguing that the UK's competitiveness is being undermined by its membership. In a letter to The Telegraph, they argue that businesses will be "free to grow faster, expand into new markets and create more jobs" if they are unconstrained by EU rules. But Mr Osborne said that new Treasury analysis showed that if the UK was forced to rely on World Trade Organisation rules following Brexit, it could expect to lose trade worth £200 billion a year and overseas investment worth £200 billion within 15 years. Recent days had seen the emergence of a consensus shared by observers ranging from the Bank of England and the International Monetary Fund to the OECD and US president Barack Obama that "Britain will be poorer and British people will be poorer" if the UK votes to leave the EU, said the Chancellor. And he accused the Leave camp of responding by treating the warnings as "a massive conspiracy". "That's everyone from Mark Carney to Christine Lagarde to Barack Obama to the entire editorial team at ITV to the staff at the IMF and OECD, to hundreds of economists, to a majority of leaders of small, medium and large firms - they think they are all part of some global stitch-up to give misinformation to the British people," said Mr Osborne. "The next thing we know, the Leave camp will be accusing us of faking the moon landings, kidnapping Shergar and covering up the existence of the Loch Ness monster. "The response to the sober economic warnings from around the world by those who want to leave the EU has not been credible or serious. " Mr Osborne said that it was "difficult to think of more credible observers" of the UK economy than the IMF and the Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of England, who had each given a clear message that "a vote to leave could see family incomes fall, growth hit and borrowing costs rise". "They join a line of observers that range from the OECD to the London School of Economics to the eight former US treasury secretaries to the president of the United States of America, to the prime minister of Japan, to the leaders of Australia and New Zealand," said the Chancellor. "Indeed every member of the G20, every one of our major trading partners and every major international financial institution has been unequivocal that leaving the EU would come at an economic cost. " H e added: "It's not a conspiracy. It's called a consensus. The interventions of the last couple of weeks, from the IMF to the Bank of England, make very clear that the economic argument is beyond doubt - Britain would be worse off if we leave the EU, British families will be worse off, equivalent to £4,300 a household. "Leaving the EU is a one-way ticket to a poorer Britain. " Mr Osborne claimed that leading advocates of Brexit wanted not only to leave the EU, but also to take Britain out of the single market. He said this would leave the UK reliant on WTO rules to govern its trade with the rest of the world, which would be "a disaster for the British economy". "New Treasury analysis shows that if we left the single market and relied on the rules of the WTO, then after 15 years we would be doing £200 billion less trade every year, in today's terms, and we would miss out on over £200 billion of overseas investment into our country," said Mr Osborne. "It means we don't see the new jobs and facilities like we see here today at Ryanair. It means less investment in offices, factories, car plants, high street shops, local industrial estates. "What does all this mean for you? It means fewer jobs, lower incomes and higher prices in jobs. " D avid Cameron has welcomed the cross-party speeches this morning which saw George Osborne team up with Ed Balls, the former Shadow Chancellor, and Vince Cable, the former Business Secretary. H itler gets a mention again, this time from Vince Cable, the former Lib Dem business secretary, who is speaking alongside George Osborne and Ed Balls. T reasury sources confirm to my colleague Christopher Hope , who is with Mr Osborne at Stansted Airport, that no public money was used to rebrand this Ryanair aircraft. E d Balls is now speaking. He warns that leaving the EU would be more damaging than joining the Euro. B oris Johnson has dismissed those who criticised him at the weekend for comparing the EU to Hitler. He said: "Over the last 2,000 years there have been all sorts of attempts in Europe to recreate the dream of the Roman Empire. Very often that's been done by force. The EU's trying to do it in a more bureaucratic way. It's completely anti-democractic. The EU is also now becoming so bureaucratic and holding the economies of Europe back that it's a micro-climate of low growth. "This discussion is bedeviled by all sorts of artificial media Twitstorms and hysteria of one kind of another. There is a very good argument against the lack of democracy in the EU. Over the last two years people have made repeated attempts to unify Europe by force. " G eorge Osborne sets out why the EU is good for Britain's trading relationship with the 27 other member states: G eorge Osborne is making a speech at Stansted Airport about Britain's economy in the context of the EU. What is striking is the return of Ed Balls, the former Labour shadow chancellor, who is sharing the stage with Mr Osborne alongside Vince Cable, the former Lib Dem, business secretary. The Chancellor says it would be "a huge mistake for the UK to leave the single market". Mr Osborne is speaking with the support of Ryanair, which operates from the airport. The airline has branded one of its aircraft with the message "Stronger, Safer, Better Off in Europe". Mr Osborne has repeated the claim that British families would be £4,400 worse off if the country leaves the EU. A new campaign to reach out to older voters will be kicked off by Hilary Benn, the Shadow Foreign Secretary today. Polls suggest that this is a demographic that is generally more opposed to Britain's continued membership of the European Union. M r Benn has been tasked with appealing to older voters to ask their grandchildren for their views on the EU before deciding which way to vote. He will ask them to consider “how a continent of peace and prosperity was created in which we can travel, work, and live without barriers” in the context of European cooperation. B oris Johnson believes the reason City "fat cats" love the EU is because it is the reason they enjoy personal prosperity. H ere is an extract from the former London mayor's Telegraph column : "At last year’s Tory Party conference I drew attention to a worrying statistic about the way our society is changing. It is the number of times the salary of the average FTSE100 top executive exceeds that of the average – the average – employee in that company. This multiple appears to be taking off, at an extraordinary, inexplicable and frankly nostril-wrinkling rate. Plato said no one should earn more than five times anyone else. Well, Plato would have been amazed by the growth in corporate inequality today. In 1980 the multiple was 25. By 1998 it had risen to 47. After 10 years of Tony Blair and Peter Mandelson – and their “intensely relaxed” attitude to getting “filthy rich” – the top executives of big UK firms were earning 120 times the average pay of the shop floor. Last year it was 130 times. So what is it these fat cats like about the EU? Broadly two things. They like uncontrolled immigration, because it helps to keep wages down at the bottom end and so to control costs, and therefore to ensure that there is even more dosh for those at the top. A steady supply of hard-working immigrant labour means they don’t have to worry quite so much about the skills or aspirations or self-confidence of young people growing up in this country. And as denizens of Learjets and executive lounges, they are not usually exposed to some of the pressures of large- scale immigration, such as in A&E, or schools, or housing. Then there is a more insidious reason – that the whole EU system of regulation is so remote and opaque that they are able to use it to their advantage, to maintain their oligarchic position and, by keeping out competition, to push their pay packets even higher. " D onald Trump has warned President Obama that he "shouldn't even be thinking about Europe" after the US President backed Britain's membership of the EU. Speaking about President Obama’s views on Brexit, Mr Trump told ITV’s Good Morning Britain: “Well he shouldn’t be worried about Europe, I mean this guy doesn't know what he is doing in the United States - what’s he worried about Europe for? Let them solve their own problems.” “But he shouldn't even be thinking about Europe he’s got so many problems here, our inner cities are crumbling, our borders are non-existent, our military is decaying, we have bad health care, we have bad education. What’s he worried about Europe for? He’s supposed to be president of the United States, he ought to work on the United States. He’s done a lousy job and he’s been a horrible President. If Hillary Clinton got elected it would be four more years of disaster.” T his weekend was the busiest yet on the EU referendum campaign trail: D avid Cameron’s remain campaign believes that it can win the June 23 vote by focussing on the risks of a Brexit to the economy. George Osborne, who will deliver a speech on the EU and the British economy today, is in the coming days expected to unveil a major report detailing exactly how the value of houses will fall if Britain leaves the EU. The Leave campaign will use today's letter from 300 business leaders backing Brexit to claim that British businesses are divided ahead of the referendum. T hey will also point to the support of so many business leaders from small and medium-sized companies. Eurosceptics have repeatedly said that the Remain campaign is backed only by big business. It emerged last week that the campaign to keep Britain in Europe is being part-funded with hundreds of thousands of pounds from foreign companies and some of America’s biggest banks. Figures from the Electoral Commission show that Citigroup and Morgan Stanley donated £250,000 each to the official Britain Stronger in Europe group ahead of the June 23 referendum on Britain's membership of the European Union. Two other US banks – Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan – donated £500,000 each to the Britain Stronger in Europe campaign before February when donations had to be declared. L ord Farmer, the former Treasurer of the Conservative Party and founder of Red Kite Group, who is also a signatory of the letter backing Brexit in today's Telegraph has written for this newspaper’s website to say that warnings of the risk of a Brexit are “misguided” . Lord Farmer writes: “Warnings of disaster if we leave are misguided. Britain, the world’s fifth- biggest economy, should be confident that others will want to trade freely with it especially if, like the EU, they already do so. Europe has a surplus of nearly £70bn with us and no reason to put up barriers. “Nor will EU countries want to restrict their access to the London markets. Canary Wharf alone does more business than Frankfurt and we are Europe’s financial outlet to the world. Everyone benefits when London booms. “We can see the possibility now for a bright new beginning. By voting to leave, we will be taking back democracy and this will benefit everyone. By ending a decades-old deception, we will be leading the way for the continent to become more democratic and less intrusive. Brussels will moan, but I suspect the peoples of Europe will be pleased.” M ore than 300 business leaders are calling on Britain to vote to leave the European Union , saying that the country’s “competitiveness is being undermined by our membership”. In a letter published in the Telegraph , the business leaders say that Brussels’ “red tape stifles every one of Britain’s 5.4 million businesses” and claim that a Brexit would allow them to “create more jobs”. Signatories of the letter include Peter Goldstein, a founder of Superdrug, Steve Dowdle, the former vice president Europe of technology firm Sony, David Sismey, a MD of Goldman Sachs and Sir Patrick Sheehy, the former chairman of British American Tobacco. T he letter is also signed by hundreds of people linked to small and medium-sized businesses. In total the backers of the letter are from businesses employing hundreds of thousands of members of staff. The letter in the Telegraph is signed by 306 business leaders in a personal capacity. It states: “Year-on-year the EU buys less from Britain because its economies are stagnant and millions of workers are unemployed. According to Mervyn King, the former Bank of England Governor, the Euro ‘might explode’. Brussels' red tape stifles every one of Britain’s 5.4 million businesses, even though only a small minority actually trade with the EU. “It is business - not government - which generates wealth for the Treasury and jobs for our communities. Outside the EU, British business will be free to grow faster, expand into new markets and create more jobs. It's time to Vote Leave and take back control.” A head of the 2015 general election, Mr Cameron said that he will step down after serving a full second term in office. Mr Cameron and his allies have insisted that he will stay on as Prime Minister “until the end of this Parliament”. However, MPs planning the vote of no confidence want to force him to set out “an earlier timetable of departure”. Mr Johnson and Theresa May, the Home Secretary, are now considered to be the most likely candidates to replace Mr Cameron. M r Osborne, the previous favourite to succeed Mr Cameron, is now considered to be an outsider after a series of U-turns and criticism from backbenchers about his warnings of economic chaos if Britain votes to leave the EU. Our Political Editor Peter Dominiczak has the full story . A s many as 100 MPs could be prepared to support a vote of no confidence in David Cameron if Britain votes to remain in the EU, Tory sources have claimed. Backbenchers furious at the way Mr Cameron and his allies have conducted the referendum campaign are considering calling for him to go, even if he wins the June 23 vote by a significant margin. Just 50 Tory MPs are needed to trigger a vote of no confidence in the leader. Around 150 Conservative MPs are thought to back a Brexit, although a number of them have not publically stated their intentions. Mr Cameron will almost certainly win a no confidence vote, allowing him to continue as Prime Minister. H owever, the rebels will then threaten to ensure that Government legislation cannot pass in the House of Commons unless Mr Cameron pledges to step down as Prime Minister earlier than 2019. Mr Cameron’s opponents believe that if he quits as Prime Minister before 2019, it increases the chances of his successor being a minister who backed the Brexit campaign, most likely to be Boris Johnson. They are concerned that if Mr Cameron remains in Downing Street until just before the next general election in 2020, he will be able to spend the next four years “rehabilitating” George Osborne, whose popularity in the Tory party has nosedived in recent months. A ccording to sources, MPs will in the weeks after a Remain vote call for a vote of no confidence in Mr Cameron. The plotters are angry about Mr Cameron's decision to spend £9million of taxpayers’ money on a pro-EU leaflet sent out to every household in the UK. The have also been left enraged by his warnings about the consequences of a Brexit vote, particularly his suggestion that it could lead to war in Europe. They believe that the campaign “has not been a fair fight” and will “show Cameron that it will not be forgotten by the Eurosceptics in the Conservative Party”, a source said. Mr Cameron has a slim Parliamentary majority of 12, meaning rebels in his party can easily prevent legislation from getting through the Commons.
2016-05-16 15:50 Michael Wilkinson www.telegraph.co.uk
87 First arrest made in murder of mob prince, cops say case still open Barely a week after an underworld prince was gunned down in north Tel Aviv, a local Netanya man was arrested on suspicion of killing Shay Shirazi, the son of Netanya mob boss Rico Shirazi, as part of a personal feud between the two. Hours after the murder last Saturday night, investigators began to hone in on Michael Levy, 29, a Netanya local who was known to have a personal feud with the younger Shirazi. Though in the days after the killing there was widespread belief that Shay was murdered as part of an underworld war between his father and his rivals, the arrest of Levy indicates police believe the killing may have been a small-scale feud between Shay and Levy, or people close to him. A police official said Sunday night that Levy is “connected to local criminal elements” in Netanya, but is not a member of any criminal organization. A gag order remains on all details of the case, beyond the fact that Levi is under arrest. At the Rishon Letzion Magistrate’s Court on Monday, Levi’s attorney Erez Abuhav said his client denies any connection to the murder, and that “I would suggest we all wait patiently and give police time to finish the case”. Though he was the son of one of Israel’s most well-known crime figures, Shay Shirazi was a rather well-liked underworld figure who was not known for waging any wars at the time being with underworld rivals or leaving bodies in the streets of central Israel. When he was shot dead last Saturday night, he was parked at a stop light on Moshe Sneh Street in north Tel Aviv in a Mazda 3, without a bodyguard. His passenger, an older acquaintance who police said is not an underworld figure, was also shot, and lightly wounded. Rico Shirazi has for years been a major player in the underworld in Netanya and beyond, and became a celebrity of sorts due to his flashy lifestyle, and larger than life persona he played up in his rare appearances before the media. He was also known in later years for his alliance with southern Israel mob kingpin Shalom Domrani and his blood feud with the Abutbul crime family from Netanya. Shay’s murder is one of the more prominent underworld murders in recent years, taking the life of one of the more well-known “mob princes” in Israel – a generation of young heirs like Shay Shirazi, Dror Alperon, and Nissim Domrani, among others, who were born into underworld fame without working their way up from the street like their fathers. The elder Shirazi, who in his younger days played for Maccabi Netanya FC, was sentenced in December 2015 to eight year in prison for money-laundering, fraud, and NIS 25 million in tax crimes. After he was told – in his cell in isolation at Rimonim Prison – that his only son had been murdered, Shirazi submitted a request to attend the funeral and Shiva, but was denied due to public safety concerns. The Israel Prison Service said in a statement last week that they would approve for him to attend the gravesite prayers on the 30th day after the murder. A national police investigations branch official said Monday that at the moment police are treating Levi’s arrest as just an initial development in the case, and do not consider the investigation closed.
2016-05-16 15:47 BEN HARTMAN www.jpost.com
88 Economy under-performs with meager 0.8% growth in first quarter Israel's economy grew at an unexpectedly low rate in the first three months of 2016, with annualized GDP growing a mere 0.8% , according to Central Bureau of Statistics data released Monday. In 2015, GDP grew by 2.5%, already a moderate level, and the Bank of Israel projected that GDP would grow at 2.8% in 2016. Because Israel's population is currently growing at around 2.2% a year, any economic growth below that level means that Israel's per capita growth would be negative. Economic growth was dragged down by a 12.9% fall in exports (not including diamonds and start- up exits), plus a 0.4% contraction in private sector output. As always, CBS noted that the data released Monday were preliminary and could be revised. In the third quarter of 2014, early estimates of GDP showed an economic contraction of 0.4%, but were eventually revised upward to 0.6% growth. Some analysts took the news in stride. "The relatively low growth in the first quarte of the year was expected, and therefor is not a surprise. On the contrary, there are many points that actually indicate that the first quarter's week growth is temporary, and that in the coming quarters the economy is expected to return to the growth rate the characterized recent years," said Guy Yehuda, a senior economist at Psagot investments. The drop in exports, he said, resulted from a high concentration of just a few companies in the export sector. When Intel, Teva, and Israel chemicals, which make up around half of indusrtial exports, do badly, it shows up in the macroeconomic data. Intel, for example, recently announced global layoffs. Private consumption, on the other hand, grew 4%, and investment in fixed assets grew a healthy 7.5%, both of which Yehuda said were positive signs for Israel's economy. But not everyone was so nonchalant about the GDP figures. "The GDP data should be a wake-up call to the government," said Idan Azoulay, the head of mutual funds of Epsilon investments. The Bank of Israel, with its near-zero interest rate, has run out of tools, he argued, and the government should cut taxes to boosting business investments and activity.
2016-05-16 15:34 NIV ELIS www.jpost.com
89 Duterte: Call me 'mayor' Posted at May 16 2016 03:33 PM Presumptive president Davao City Rodrigo Duterte on Monday asked the public to continue calling him "mayor," saying that he still feels awkward being called "President. " In his first public appearance since dominating the May 9 presidential polls, Duterte said: "Hindi naman ako nagpa-corny pero I feel very awkward hearing the word 'President.' In the first place, it is not yet time and I have to get used in being the top honcho of the Philippines. " "I am just a worker in the government... There is no reason to give too much adulation sa akin. I do not want that kind of rapport with the Filipino people," he added. Duterte also discouraged his supporters from forming fanatic "cults" dedicated to him, and treating him with excessive admiration. - DZMM TeleRadyo 2016, 16 April 2016 Share 2016-05-16 15:33 ABS-CBN news.abs-cbn.com
90 Sena hails dropping of charges against Pragya in Malegaon case The Shiv Sena on Monday welcomed the acquittal of Sadhvi Pragya Thakur and others in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, stating the ATS had 'falsely implicated' the Hindu outfits and that believing in the formation of 'Hindu Rashtra' does not amount to saffron terrorism. "The ATS had carried out a bogus investigation and falsely implicated certain Hindu organisations for carrying out the Malegaon blasts," an editorial in Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana' said. "Sadhvi Pragya Singh, Lt Col Purohit and others who were implicated went through intense emotional and physical torture. These people can be believers of a Hindu Rashtra but that does not make them saffron terrorists," it said. The ruling alliance partner further said certain people, instead of eliminating terrorism fanned by Muslim extremists, with the help of Pakistan chose to create an air of saffron terror in the country. "The previous Congress government at the Centre and the Congress-NCP government in Maharashtra did not understand that by doing so we are only strengthening the hands of Pakistan. Whenever we asked Pakistan to hand over the terrorists taking refuge there, they asked for Col Purohit," it said. Posing the question "Why would Hindus spread terror in their own country? ", it said, "The UPA government for political gains had put pressure on the investigating agency and thereby indulged in deceit. This was a sin and the relevance of the people who committed that has ceased to exist. " In a U-turn, the NIA had on Friday dropped all charges against Sadhvi Thakur and five others in the Malegaon blast case while charges under the stringent MCOCA law were given up against all the other 10 accused including Lt Col Prasad Shrikant Purohit. Seven people were killed in the blast when they were coming out of prayers during Ramzan on September 29, 2008. During investigation, "sufficient evidences were not found" against Pragya Singh Thakur and five others, the NIA had said, adding it has submitted in the charge sheet "that the prosecution against them is not maintainable". The case was investigated initially by Joint Commissioner of Mumbai's ATS Hemant Karkare who was killed during the 26/11 Mumbai attack. Before the NIA took over the case in 2011, ATS had booked 16 people but filed charge sheets on January 20, 2009 and April 21, 2011 against 14 accused in a Mumbai court.
2016-05-16 15:21 By PTI www.mid-day.com
91 Tulsa plans food truck court on Route 66 TULSA, Okla. (AP) - Masa food truck owners Robert Carnoske and Chad Wilcox don’t mind making the drive to Oklahoma City to park at the Bleu Garten food truck park. But some of their Tulsa colleagues can’t make the trek. “There are new trucks looking for places to park,” Carnoske said. “A lot of the trucks are old and are not road-worthy. That drive is hard even on our trailer. They’re not meant to move that often.” Carnoske and Wilcox are partnering with J. L. Lewis and Chad and Elizabeth Ellison to bring a food truck park to the Mother Road. The team is developing the Fuel 66 food truck park where Route 66. S. Atlanta Avenue borders the lot on the east. “We are planning and trying to embrace all things Route 66,” said Lewis, former owner of Leon’s sports bar. “We want to be a feature or a spotlight on Tulsa’s part of Route 66.” The Journal Record (http://bit.ly/1T9pCsK ) The lot has a 1,000-square-foot building that will become a permanent bar with seating and walk-up windows. The surrounding space will hold up to six food trucks, with patio seating. A large bathroom facility will be built on the site as well. Trucks will be able to plug into electrical outlets. At festivals, trucks often run off generators. “One of the biggest complaints from a lot of people about food trucks is the noise,” said Carnoske. Trucks that come to the site will have to pay about 2 percent of their sales to the Fuel 66 owners. Those fees will go to cover operating costs. The main revenue driver will be the bar sales, he said. Fuel 66 will have televisions and a movie screen for outdoor film viewing. It is family-friendly, including four-legged family members. Lewis said the project has been in development for about six months. Fuel 66 will offer lunch service, which will be welcomed by the nearby Tulsa Welding School, the University of Tulsa and hospital employees at the University of Oklahoma Family Medicine Center and the Oklahoma Heart Institute. “We hope to be a catalyst for growth along 11th Street,” said Lewis. Eat Street Tulsa food truck festival Executive Director Jo Armstrong said she thinks the site will be embraced by the trucks. She started her festival in 2011 with 12 trucks and has seen it grow to 34. The Blue Dome Arts Festival on May 20 to May 22 has 22 trucks, but she could have had more, she said. “We have a growing food truck scene in Tulsa that is strong,” she said. “I’m excited to see them come in.” Some places that have food trucks are Park in the Pearl, the Guthrie Green, and a site on Boston Avenue near downtown. But trucks are looking for more sites, she said. “When you have people doing stuff like (Fuel 66), it only helps these guys make it,” she said. Story Continues →
2016-05-16 15:21 - www.washingtontimes.com
92 New studies seek to limit damage from hail RAPID CITY, S. D. (AP) - Andrew J. Heymsfield has an affinity for thunderstorms, particularly those nasty spring-born storms that darken the plains and drop hailstones similar to millions of tiny ice bombs, leaving crushed crops, car hood dings and dimples, and billions of dollars of damage in their wake. Visit the senior scientist’s offices at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado, and you’ll find one of his prized possessions is a cast replica of the largest hailstone ever recorded - a nearly 2-pound monster measuring 18.5 inches that fell July 23, 2010, in the small central South Dakota town of Vivian. The real one resides in a laboratory freezer down the hall, the Rapid City Journal (http://bit.ly/1T9Aaon ) reported. “I’m interested in all aspects of ice phases, snow, precipitation, and hail just happens to be one of them,” says Heymsfield, who first began studying the icy phenomenon in 1978. For the past few years, his research center has been working in tandem with the Insurance Institute of Business & Home Safety, a consortium of insurers seeking ways to strengthen homes, businesses and communities and reduce the estimated 9 million claims for hail losses totaling more than $54 billion they received from 2000 to 2013. And, thanks to studies by the insurance institute and armored airplanes that have penetrated hailstorms for more than 30 years collecting data for studies conducted by the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology in Rapid City, scientists are gaining a greater understanding of how hail is produced, and what can be done to mitigate the billions of dollars in damages it does to crops and property. At the outset, Heymsfield says he was astonished that previous studies used outdated mathematical models to determine the characteristics of hail and to forecast thunderstorms that might produce hail. One such study widely used to calculate the relationship between the size of hail and the speed at which it falls was conducted in the 1960s using data collected in the 1920s, he said. “The thing that really surprised me was that there was a kind of disconnect between the insurance industry and the science from standpoint they perhaps took things from some very old results, but not things we had learned more recently,” Heymsfield explained. “Now we are starting to look at the properties of hail in a more realistic way.” Ian Giammanco, a meteorologist and Heymsfield’s counterpart at the institute’s state-of-the-art research facilities in Richburg, South Carolina, 45 minutes south of Charlotte, said the studies are intended to not only identify the properties of hail, but to replicate storm conditions with the goal of improving the resiliency of products used in construction that might reduce damage from the icy projectiles. “It’s an exciting time in hail research,” said Giammanco, whose wife, Tanya, is a fellow scientist working on the project. “The goal is to make measurements of hail, multiple dimensions, evaluate shape, weigh hail and understand how size and mass change as hailstone shapes change, which plays an important role in aerodynamics. “That makes a difference in how fast hail falls and subsequently, the damage inflicted when it hits roofs,” Giammanco added. Working in institute laboratories that include 3-D scanners and printers, as well as a massive hail-making machine, Giammanco and his associates this month for the first time replicated individual hailstones, then measured strength and density in their effort to develop stronger building materials more resistant to hail damage. The scientist said the studies had found that, while hailstones smaller than 1 inch in diameter tended to be more spherical, larger hailstones became less round as they got bigger, and larger hailstones can even feature spikes and other unusual shapes. “On the strength side, small stones typically are the strongest,” Giammanco added. “The strongest took 3,000 psi (pounds per square inch) to fracture it, which is somewhat amazing when you consider the typical car tire is inflated to 38-40 psi.” While smaller hailstones might take 10 minutes to be produced in a thunderstorm, larger hailstones take an arcing path to the ground, collecting super-cooled water and other bits of atmospheric ice and even colliding with other hailstones on their journey earthward, he said. “It’s mind-blowing to consider the size of some hailstones a thunderstorm can produce, getting bigger and bigger, and the fact that 100 mph winds are needed to suspend those giant hailstones in the atmosphere for the 20 to 30 minutes they might be up there,” Giammanco added. Story Continues →
2016-05-16 15:20 - www.washingtontimes.com
93 93 Watch video: Drunk cop terrorises Malwani, molests eunuch, harasses locals It takes just one bad fish to sully the pond, or the name of an entire police force. And constable AR Pawar has done just that - with much impunity. In a video recorded on Friday night by a local, the personnel of the local arms unit of Marol police is seen getting drunk in public, assaulting and molesting a eunuch, and terrorising passers-by for two hours on a busy road in Malwani, a stone’s throw away from police beat chowky-1. Constable AR Pawar latches onto his liquor bottle Locals said dozens of sex workers assemble every night on the road. Around 8 pm on Friday, a drunk Pawar arrived at a sugarcane cart on the road, asked for sugarcane stalks and allegedly started thrashing passers-by. “He stood in the middle of the road and began terrorising people. He also hurled abuses at them,” said an eyewitness. He tries to kiss a eunuch near a bus stop Pawar then allegedly commanded a passer-by to fetch him some liquor from a nearby shop. Later molests her as she tries to get away in an autorickshaw Targeting sex workers The video shows him teetering around with a bottle of liquor in hand, accosting a eunuch at the liquor store, beating her up with a sugarcane stalk and trying to kiss her. The eunuch wriggled out of his grip and jumped, with an accompanying friend, into an autorickshaw nearby. But Pawar followed her and molested her. The eunuch was able to get away only after her friend intervened. Pawar takes stalks of sugarcane and thrashes passers-by Extortion too Locals alleged that Pawar also molested other sex workers and tried to extort money from them, which has not been caught in the video. After creating more havoc on the streets for two hours, the constable boarded an autorickshaw and went his way. Two hours later, he gets into an autorickshaw and finally leaves Sources said while Pawar unleashed his terror on sex workers, not a single passer-by intervened. 'Set an example' Shantilal Bhamare, DCP of the local arms unit of Kole Kalyan who holds the additional charge of the Marol police’s LA division, said he had no information of Pawar’s misdemeanour and said he would look into the issue. Former DCP of Marol division, Sanjay Jambulkar, who retired last week, said high-handed cops should be punished as an example for others.
2016-05-16 15:17 By Samiullah www.mid-day.com
94 Rabbi Sacks: Livingstone should be sacked from Labour party for Hitler comments Former chief rabbi of the UK and prominent public intellectual Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks said on Monday that former mayor of London Ken Livingstone should be sacked from the Labour party. Speaking to The Jerusalem Post , Sacks said that some politicians in the British Labour Party had courted the Muslim vote and had adopted anti-Israel attitudes which have morphed into anti- Semitism. In April, Livingstone, a senior Labour figure, said that Hitler supported Zionism and that anti- Semites hate Jews outside of Israel as well as Israelis. Livingstone and some 50 other Labour Party members , including at least one member of parliament and several local councillors, have all been suspended pending an internal party investigation. “There’s no question there has to be zero tolerance otherwise who knows what we’re getting back into,” said Sacks. “There has to be zero tolerance otherwise Europe will cease to be Europe.” Asked if Livingstone and others should be fired Sacks replied “of course.” Continued the rabbi “We have to establish certain principles of public discourse, and if we don’t then Europe and Britain among them will move slowly into the politics of hate. And the politics of hate are bad for everyone, not just the people who are hated but for the people doing the hating.” Sacks is currently in Israel to receive an honorary doctorate from Tel Aviv University on Thursday. In a wide-ranging interview, Sacks said he was concerned about the high-level of anti-Israel activity throughout the world, particularly on university campuses, but also said that hopes for peace between Israel and the Palestinians had to be kept alive. Asked about continued construction in the settlements in the West Bank, Sacks implied that he opposed such policies if they prevent the formulation of an agreement with the Palestinians. “We saw Oslo collapse but we can’t let hope collapse. We have to keep that option alive for the sake of the Palestinians, for the sake of Israelis, for the sake of whatever peace there is to be had,” he said. “However improbable you might think a settlement is, you must not act so as to make it impossible,” said the rabbi. The rabbi pointed to comments made by former US President Bill Clinton this week who said the Palestinians had rejected the peace proposals made by former prime minister Ehud Barak, but said that further efforts must be made regardless. “There was so much on offer, they were so close, people felt so disappointed and then pulled back and said ‘it's never going to happen so lets act accordingly’. “I think we have to pull back from that, otherwise Israel will come under enormous pressure and it becomes a vicious circle.”
2016-05-16 15:15 JEREMY SHARON www.jpost.com
95 Everyone at Mr Gay World wanted my skin: Mr Gay World- India, Anwesh Sahoo Twenty-year-old Anwesh Sahoo has been back from Malta in Europe where he rubbed shoulders with 23 other gay men from around the world at the Mr Gay World pageant. His third year engineering exams back in Delhi meant he had to be back on April 25. “I am so glad I passed,” says an excited Sahoo who hails from Odisha and is a sudent of IIIT (International Institute of Information Technology). Anwesh Sahoo in his black and white shoot for the pageant Sahoo was mentored by Sushant Divgikar, national director of Mr Gay World India (MGWI) who himself was a former contestant at the pageant. “I was there in Malta cheering him. Anwesh did an awesome job and I am very proud of him. He was able to make it almost from nowhere since January he has been working very hard and has transformed himself so beautifully which is great to see,” said Divgikar. Sahoo with his fellow contestants in Malta, says he has bonded for life with these new friends The pageant was held in Malta from April 9 to 23, this year with Mr Spain Roger Gosalbez Pitaluga taking the crown. “Roger was really sweet and we both were good friends. After he won a fellow contestant forgot his clothes, Roger actually was so sweet that he couriered it to him. It was a great experience to meet so many great people and share stories with them. There was great camaraderie and no bitching,” says the Indian who made it to the top 12 at the contest. Sahoo on the ramp during the national costume round where he was dressed like a peacock The pageant had a number of different challenges where the 24 contestants had to show their prowess which included a social campaign. “I learnt that it is difficult being gay anywhere in the world. Gay people are looked down upon and bullied even in the west and other parts of Asia. I felt proud of my skin colour. People there were either black or white – I was the only one with the unique skin colour. Many fellow contestants said they wanted my skin colour. I got a lot of confidence from that,” added Sahoo. The pageant has inspired him to learn Spanish and he says that he will stay in touch with his new friends from Mr Gay World for life. “I wore a peacock costume as my national dress for the pageant. It was a similar concept of the national bird to Sushant’s but mine was more about the neck while his was tail related. It was nice to be the national bird and to represent India in front of the world,” Sahoo said. When asked if he has a boyfriend now, Sahoo giggled and said, “That will be a secret.” An internship with the Godrej Culture Lab for two months will bring Anwesh to the city soon. He signed off saying, “I like drawing caricatures and Parmesh Shahani from there gave me this great opportunity. I want to experiment with life though I have one more year of engineering left. I think post that I will shift to Mumbai and see what I can do here.”
2016-05-16 15:04 By Maleeva www.mid-day.com
96 Tim Noakes gives slimming advice to Malema And the world famous sports scientist says his dietary advice will allow Malema to be the 80kg hunk he was in his matric year. Rumours have swirled on social media about Malema’s shrinking girth‚ and TMG Digital can reveal that he is indeed “on a weight-loss and diet programme”. A slim boyish Julius Malema pictured when he was a leader of the Congress of South African Students (Cosas) in 2001. SEFAKO MABUYA © Sowetan EFF national spokesperson Mbuyiseni Ndlozi confirmed that Malema has made a personal choice to join a gym so that he can be in rude health. A chubby looking Julius Malema, then ANC Youth League president, is pictured with ANC President Jacob Zuma after Zuma's key note address at the Youth Day Rally in Thaba Nchu near Bloemfontein in the Free State. Sydney Seshibedi. © The Times The world famous sports scientist said Malema was overweight because he is insulin resistant‚ he eats a high carbohydrates diet and drinks too many sweetened beverages. “To lose weight successfully he needs to do a few things: Limit his carbohydrate intake to less than 25 grams per day; eat no sugar whatsoever and drink no sweetened beverages; eat no processed foods; hire a chef to cook foods only from our book Real Meal Revolution including only those foods on the Green List; eat a maximum of 2 meals a day; and practice intermittent fasting‚” said Noakes. EFF leader Julius Malema in the National Assembly during the parliament proceedings in Cape Town. Esa Alexander © Sunday Times Noakes said that if the EFF leader does not follow strict dietary measures he is at risk of developing type two diabetes and related diseases including heart disease‚ cancer and dementia. “Although this (risk) will only happen after he is 50 or so. Following this dietary advice will allow Mr Malema to be the 80kg hunk that he was in his matric year and at no risk of developing these diseases of insulin resistance‚” said Noakes. Noakes said other politicians who are overweight should do the same (as should all overweight South Africans). Noakes is a scientist‚ and an emeritus professor in the Division of Exercise Science and Sports Medicine at the University of Cape Town.
2016-05-16 15:01 Buchule Raba www.timeslive.co.za
97 Islamic State: Turkish strikes in Syria 'kill 27 militants' The Turkish army and US-led coalition forces are reported to have attacked Islamic State (IS) targets in northern Syria, killing 27 militants. Military sources quoted in Turkish state-run media said the air and artillery strikes took place on Sunday within 10km (six miles) of the border. They said the militants were killed as they prepared to fire rockets. On Monday, Turkey reportedly detained seven suspected IS members including one described as an IS "executioner". The suspects were held in raids in the Elazig area of eastern Turkey, state-run Anatolia news agency reported. The agency said the alleged executioner had carried out several killings in Syria for the militant group. The others detained included an unidentified man described as a senior leader. The IS suspects had gone to Elazig on a recruiting mission, according to the Dogan news agency. Sunday's strikes on IS destroyed five fortified defence posts and two gun posts, Turkish media said. They were the latest in a string of attacks on IS in the area, aimed at preventing further assaults by the militants on the Turkish border town of Kilis. The town has been hit by rockets fired from Syria multiple times in recent months.
2016-05-16 16:07 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk
98 Russia RBC shake-up seen as new Putin raid on media The departure of three top editors from leading Russian media group RBC appears to be the latest chapter in the erosion of independent journalism under President Vladimir Putin. Owned by a liberal-leaning tycoon, Mikhail Prokhorov, RBC was at the heart of a mini-revival of investigative reporting in Russia ever since the appointment of 39-year-old Elizaveta Osetinskaya as chief editor in January 2014. Its journalists helped lift the veil on some touchy issues for the Kremlin: In the context of Mr Putin's media policy, Ms Osetinskaya and her team had performed a "real miracle", said the Latvia-based independent Russian website Meduza . But with the announcement on 13 May of the departure of Osetinskaya and her two senior lieutenants, Roman Badanin and Maxim Solyus, that "miracle" appears to be over. Russian government officials have denied there is anything political in the changes at RBC. Most independent journalists disagree. "The point is that RBC had begun to have a serious influence on public opinion, and that it was one of the most quoted outlets in recent times," said Dmitry Muratov, editor of the independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta. "When it is a matter of hundreds of thousands or millions of people, this is politics. " According to market researcher TNS, RBC's main website has a monthly audience of around 11 million from desktop traffic alone, making it one of Russia's top online news sources. The writing has been on the wall for RBC for some weeks. Searches by law-enforcement officers at Mr Prokhorov's offices; an announcement that Osetinskaya was to go on a study sabbatical six months earlier than planned; rumours of a sale and a criminal investigation into the RBC management all pointed to one thing: someone very high up in the political order was very displeased. Mr Prokhorov, a billionaire who made a fortune from precious metals, ran against Mr Putin for the presidency in 2012 but got just 8% of the vote. Most observers think that it is RBC's reporting on Mr Putin's family that is the root of the displeasure. According to an RBC source quoted by Reuters , the final straw appears to have been an article about an oyster farm being set up near a massive luxury residence in Gelendzhik on the Black Sea, known as "Putin's palace". The "palace" featured in a BBC Newsnight investigation in 2012. The fate of RBC mirrors that of popular independent website Lenta.ru, whose editor Galina Timchenko was abruptly sacked in March 2014 after publishing an interview with a member of Right Sector, a prominent Ukrainian nationalist group. Most of Timchenko's journalists followed her out of the door, thus effectively marking the end of Lenta.ru as an independent website. Many of them now work under her at the Latvia-based Meduza. The indications are that there will be more departures from RBC. For newspaper editor Pavel Gusev, the situation resembles the Kremlin's effective seizure of top TV channel NTV in 2001, just a year after Mr Putin came to power. Russia still has a handful of independent media, but none have the combination of generous funding and audience reach that made RBC's reporting so influential. They also have to contend with continual harassment and intimidation. Speaking on independent TV channel Dozhd, journalist Oleg Kashin said that Russia had "returned to those times when foreign voices were factors in Russian public life because local voices had been shut down or stifled". Kashin himself now publishes his articles mainly in foreign media, including German international broadcaster Deutsche Welle. The Kremlin and its media now appear preoccupied with the idea that they are the target of an "information war" being waged against them by the West. As the BBC's Steve Rosenberg tweeted , one Russian MP even used the phrase to explain her country's defeat to Ukraine in Saturday's Eurovision Song Contest. BBC Monitoring reports and analyses news from TV, radio, web and print media around the world. You can follow BBC Monitoring on Twitter and Facebook.
2016-05-16 16:07 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk
99 'Smart leg' makes engineering prize shortlist A "smart" prosthetic leg is one of three finalists for the MacRobert Award, a major UK engineering prize. Made by Basingstoke firm Blatchford, the Linx Limb uses a network of sensors to adapt to changing conditions by adjusting its robotic knee and foot. Also on the shortlist are Jaguar Land Rover, for building its own innovative engines, and Siemens Magnet Technology, for pushing the boundaries of MRI scanning. The shortlist was announced on Monday . The MacRobert Award, organised annually since 1969 by the Royal Academy of Engineering, will be presented for 2016 at a dinner on 23 June. Each of the three nominees would "have a positive impact on millions of people and bolster the UK economy", said the chair of the judging panel Dame Sue Ion. "It's often said that Britain doesn't make anything anymore, but these three companies are proof that the opposite is true, and testament to the world-leading engineering innovation that happens here in the UK," Dame Sue said. "Each of this year's finalists has taken a different approach to innovation - from sustained incremental improvements to starting from scratch. " The Linx system is the first ever prosthetic limb with integrated, robotic control of the knee and foot. The parts work together much like those of a human leg. For example, it senses when the wearer comes to a standstill and locks up, allowing the person to relax. When a patient is first fitted with the Linx, the calibration process is streamlined by software which records data about the patient's walking style via a Bluetooth connection. The prosthetic is expensive, but could save money in the long run by minimising secondary problems such as back pain or falls. "Blatchford has achieved a huge leap forward in making the knee and ankle joints work together as an integrated system, enabling it to adapt immediately to both the actions of the wearer and changes in the environment," said Dr Frances Saunders, one of the MacRobert Award judges. Siemens Magnet Technology, headquartered in Oxfordshire, developed the world's first seven- Tesla (7T) MRI scanner. This figure quantifies the strength of the magnetic field used to peek inside the body; the previous standard was 3T. That boost in power delivers much clearer pictures, improving the accuracy of scientific research as well as making diagnoses, from Alzheimer's to multiple sclerosis, much more sensitive. In fact, SMT's "Magnetom Terra" scanner is expressly aimed at satisfying the needs of both clinicians and neuroscience researchers - a combination that previous technology has not managed. The machine uses hundreds of kilometres of super-cooled, super-conducting wire to create a magnetic field 140,000 times stronger than the Earth's. "The Siemens team made a radical change from conventional wisdom in the development of the 7T and have achieved a step change in the manufacturability, reliability, performance and cost of MRI magnets," said Prof David Delpy, another of the award judges. The Ingenium series of engines is the result of a big decision taken by Jaguar Land Rover in 2011: to invest £1.5bn per year for five years in new product development - with the aim of becoming self-sufficient in the design and building of its engines. The results are lighter and greener than equivalent engines available today. They are manufactured in a facility outside Wolverhampton that was built from scratch, starting in 2012. MacRobert award judge Prof Gordon Masterton said: "The company has developed a world- leading facility of which Britain should be extremely proud. The ambition behind the decision to develop and manufacture their own engines cannot be underestimated - but it took world-class engineering talent to make that dream a reality. "
2016-05-16 17:27 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk
100 100 Iran arrests eight for 'un-Islamic' Instagram modelling Iran has arrested eight people working for online modelling agencies deemed to be "un-Islamic", the prosecutor of Tehran's cybercrimes court has said. The arrests are part of an operation that has seen women targeted for posting photos showing them not wearing headscarves on Instagram and elsewhere. Women in Iran have been required to cover their hair in public since 1979. The eight unnamed people were among 170 identified by investigators as being involved in modelling online. They included 59 photographers and make-up artists, 58 models and 51 fashion salon managers and designers, according to a statement from the court. The arrests were announced by the court's prosecutor Javad Babaei during a state television programme broadcast late on Sunday that focused on the "threats to morality and the foundation of family" posed by social media. Mr Babaei claimed modelling agencies accounted for about 20% of posts on Instagram from Iran and that they had been "making and spreading immoral and un-Islamic culture and promiscuity". Of the 170 people found to be involved in online modelling, 29 were warned that they were subject to criminal investigation, the prosecutor added. "The persons who reformed their behaviour after receiving a notice did not face any judicial action, and eight out of the 29 have been arrested," he said. A spokesman of the Iranian Centre for Surveying and Combating Organised Cyber Crimes, Mostafa Alizadeh, said: "Sterilising popular cyberspaces is on our agenda. "We carried out this plan in 2013 with Facebook, and now Instagram is the focus," he added, saying fresh operations would begin in the coming days. There was no immediate comment from the photo-sharing site Instagram, which is owned by Facebook.
2016-05-16 16:07 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk
Total 100 articles. Created at 2016-05-16 18:02