Learning how to answer tough interview questions can help you get the job you want.
Interview questions that ask you what you will contribute to the company are designed to help employers weed out the best applicants. Your answer to this kind of question should demonstrate that you've done your homework on the company and understand its needs, and that you have the ability to think under pressure.
Research the company and the position you are applying for so you know how to formulate your answers. Read through the company's website to learn more about its culture, mission, strategic vision, management team and history. Try to find news or industry articles on the company that detail some of its recent growth initiatives as well as its strategy for winning market share from competitors. Find out what the company's current needs and priorities are and then use that information to answer the questions with confidence and without hesitation.
Provide specific examples from your past work experiences that demonstrate how you used your skills to benefit previous employers. For example, you might discuss a recent project you completed on time and under budget, or how you set up a new software program that helped the company improve its performance. Explain in detail any contributions that you made for previous employers that helped them reach their goals. Next, explain how these skills and experiences can benefit the company you're interviewing with, using your research on the company to help inform your answers. If you aren't afraid to work overtime, let the hiring manager know that you are willing to work until your job is done and not watch the clock.
When you are asked how you can contribute to the company, incorporate your own goals into what you can contribute to the company, then explain that you are looking for a career opportunity that leads to additional responsibilities. This will help highlight your drive and ambition and let the interviewer know that you are looking for something long-term. For example, if your personal goal is to bring in 10 new clients each month to exceed your own personal sales goals, this goal will also help increase your potential employer's sales and client base. You can also explain that you would like to increase your knowledge about the position by attending evening classes or learning a new software program. This goal will make you more valuable as a potential employee.
Before the interview, make a list of your strengths. Monster, an online career resource website, suggests that once you outline your strengths there should be at least three or four that match the job description. Provide specific examples of how your strengths align with the open position, and how they can help the company improve its performance. For example, if you are applying for a leadership position you might mention past teams you have led, what strengths you brought to the role, and what the teams accomplished.
Forbes: How To Ace the 50 Most Common Interview Questions?
Monster: What Are Your Greatest Strengths and Weaknesses?
CNN: How To Answer 10 Tough Interview Questions?
Dawn, Melody. "Interview Answer: How Can an Employee Contribute to a Company?" Work - Chron.com, http://work.chron.com/interview-answer-can-employee-contribute-company-27511.html. Accessed 25 April 2019.


Aduro Biotech is laying off more than a third of its workforce in a restructuring intended to keep its focus on its cancer drugs now in clinical development.
The corporate shakeup will cut the headcount of Aduro (NASDAQ: ADRO) by 37 percent, the company announced Wednesday. At the end of the third quarter of last year, Aduro’s workforce totaled 155 full-time employees, including 117 in research and development, according to the Berkeley, CA, company’s quarterly report. Aduro says the remaining workers will turn their attention to the company’s lead programs.
Aduro develops immunotherapies, treatments that aim to coax the patient’s immune system to fight disease. The company’s lead therapeutic candidate focuses on activating the stimulator of interferon genes (STING) receptor in immune system cells, which is hoped can set off immune responses that tackle tumors. That drug, ADU-S100, is being developed in partnership with Novartis (NYSE: NVS), which committed $250 million up front to Aduro in 2015 to develop STING drugs. The Aduro STING drug is currently in Phase 1 testing in breast, head and neck, and renal cell cancers, as well as lymphoma and multiple myeloma. Last month, Aduro added Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY) as a partner in an alliance targeting the STING pathway to treat autoimmune and inflammatory disorders. The deal calls for Lilly to provide Aduro with research funding.
Another partner, Merck (NYSE: MRK), has licensed an Aduro antibody that targets a molecule called CD27. The Aduro antibody at the center of that alliance, which was signed in 2015, is in preclinical development.
Not all of Aduro’s partnerships have worked out. In October, Aduro disclosed that Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) subsidiary Janssen Biotech would end its four-year alliance with the company and return rights to drugs that were being developed for lung and prostate cancers.
In addition to its STING drugs, Aduro says it will also focus on developing drugs that block a protein called APRIL, which is found in high levels in patients diagnosed with cancers such as multiple myeloma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and colorectal carcinoma. The APRIL-blocking antibody drug BION-1301 is currently being tested in a Phase 1/2 study in multiple myeloma.
Aduro did not say how much money it expects the restructuring will save. The company says it finished 2018 with $277.9 million in cash. Aduro added that it collected a $12 million upfront payment this month from its partnership with Eli Lilly.


Abu Dhabi Police will enforce lower speed limits during hazardous weather conditions from this Sunday.
The force said reduced speed limits will be posted on electronic signboards on roads and sent out by SMS, the Arabic newspaper Al Bayan reported.
There was no mention of what the reduced speed limit would be, or whether it would vary depending on the severity of the weather conditions.
On March 17, Abu Dhabi police reduced the speed limit to 80kph due to severe sandstorms and winds that reached 50 kph in some places. Visibility was less than 2,000 metres on some roads.
The new policy has not been announced on the force's social media accounts.
Last November, Abu Dhabi's transport authority gave the green-light for a new safety scheme slashing speeds on roads during bad weather, such as heavy rain, sandstorms and thick fog.
The Department of Transport's traffic safety committee agreed a plan to cut speed limits to 80kph when visibility for drivers is reduced to 200 metres or less.
Motorists will be alerted to the reduced speed limits by notices on smart towers - structures displaying road messages - located on routes throughout the emirate.
The scheme will allow authorities to swiftly reduce limits and improve safety with quick effect during fog and dust storms.
A leading UAE road safety campaigner backed the initiative, but also called on motorists to use common sense and adapt to adverse conditions.
“It should go without saying that the speed limit has to go down and the distance between vehicles has to go up when visibility is poor,” said Thomas Edelmann, managing director of RoadSafetyUAE.
“The level of driver attention also has to go up as well. The main point is that speed should go down though.
“This is a great initiative and it is good to see authorities embracing technology to improve road safety and not just talking about it.


Emigrated Cubans in the US city of Miami, Florida, are preparing today for a debate on August 26 about the new Constitution project of their native country.
That meeting, the first of three planned for the same purpose, is sponsored by the Alianza Martiana coalition, which brings together various organizations of these people.
According to a note from the Antonio Maceo Brigade, part of the aforementioned entity, this citizen exercise constitutes an unavoidable duty for Cubans.
The government's decision to summon Cubans living abroad to express their opinions, elaborate their considerations and present them to the relevant authorities through the Internet is an inclusive action of great importance that will strengthen the present and the future of the country, said the text.
In the opinion of Ernesto Soberón, director of Consular and Cuban Affairs Resident Abroad of the island's Chancellery, this is a very important decision based on the growing number of fellow citizens abroad and the magnitude of the proposal raised.
Those who live outside the greater Antillean region have the opportunity to contribute to the development of a socialist and democratic society, guided by premises such as humanism and solidarity, Soberón told reporters earlier this month in Havana.
He stressed that this step signifies an unequivocal demonstration of the will of the Cuban Government to continue moving forward in a process begun in 1978 to strengthen ties with residents abroad.
For the first time in history, all Cubans, regardless of their geographical location, may be part of the discussions to build the country's constitution.
According to the diplomat, the call is in line with the updating of the migration policy implemented in recent years.
It is also known that of the estimated one million 400 thousand Cubans living in some 120 countries, only a minority advocates the destruction of the Revolution and the return of capitalism that prevailed before 1959, he said.
The National Assembly approved on July 22 the draft new Constitution, which will be submitted to a popular consultation until November 15 after the beginning of that process on August 13.
For residents abroad, the opportunity to issue proposals on the text will begin in the first week of September, once the technical conditions for participation have been created.
Soberón explained that the contribution of criteria of people outside Cuba will be materialized through a section enabled on the website Nation and Emigration of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (http://www.nacionyemigracion.cu).


Tomorrow morning at 5AM Eastern Xbox.com will be going down. When it comes back, it'll have a fresh new look and some extra-added functionality. Let's take a look!
Major Nelson uploaded a set of pictures of the new Xbox.com website redesign this morning, giving users a look at how they'll be interfacing with Xbox Live via the web tomorrow morning. Xbox.com and the forums will go down at 5AM Eastern time, and when they come back up, this is what we'll be seeing.
New features introduced in the redesign include the ability to edit avatars via the website; a combined view for messages, friend requests, and game invites; improved account notification; family reports so you can keep tabs on your household; and the ability to play web games with friends via the website or Windows Phone 7. The Xbox.com Marketplace is also scoring a robust new search system, making it easier than ever to find the games you're looking for.
Check out the screens below to see what we'll be seeing once Xbox.com is reborn tomorrow morning.


Tom Brokaw says he did not intend for this “rough draft” of a letter to be widely read.
Brokaw, the former anchor of “NBC Nightly News,” is one of the country’s best-known journalists. He is currently a special correspondent for NBC News. He feels his reputation is being besmirched. And he believes he is the real victim.
“She has unleashed a torrent of unsubstantiated criticism and attacks on me more than twenty years after I opened the door for her and a new job at Fox News,” Brokaw said in the letter, a copy of which was obtained by CNNMoney.
“I was groped and assaulted by Tom Brokaw, then the anchor of ‘NBC Nightly News,'” Vester said in a video interview with Variety.
Brokaw’s Friday letter asserted that he played a key role in introducing Vester to Fox News boss Roger Ailes, who later hired her.
“When he got in trouble on sexual matters, not a peep from this woman,” Brokaw wrote. Ailes, who passed away last year, left Fox News in 2016 amid sexual harassment allegations that he repeatedly denied.
But he said he “did not verbally and physically attack her” as described in the interviews.


Hassocks kicked off a new season and a new era at the Beacon by drawing 1-1 with Broadbridge Heath in their opening game of the Southern Combination League Premier Division season.
A crowd of 104 turned out to see Mark Dalgleish take sole charge of the Robins for the first time following Phil Wickwar's decision to sand down as joint manager.
It was one of those new signings, Liam Benson, who scored the Hassocks goal, tucking away a 70th minute penalty after Jack Wilkins had been felled in the box. That was cancelled out by Devon Fender's equaliser 10 minutes before time for Heath.
Both Benson and Alex Spinks have returned to the Beacon from Lancing while Alex Harris is back in goal after a short spell with Ringmer. The fourth new face to start was defender Dan Webster, formerly of Burgess Hill Town and signed from Horsham YMCA.
The Robins' most eye catching signing of the summer wasn't present here. Phil Johnson has also returned from YM after three goal-studded seasons at Gorings Mead since he left Hassocks in the summer of 2015.
Johnson was ruled out of this one through injury but the acquisition of him and Benson, both of whom featured in the Premier Division's golden boot chart last season, should help ensure that Hassocks manage more than the 38 goals they scored last time out which left them as the second lowest scorers in the division.
It was Heath who started the better of the two sides with Stuart Chester's pace and crossing ability and Fender's presence giving Harris and his back four of Harry Mills, Webster, Jordan Badger and Bradley Bant plenty to think about.
Fender had the first clear cut chance of the game when a lovely through ball from Lee Carney put him clear but he dragged his shot just wide of the post.
After weathering the storm, Spencer Slaughter and Matt Berridge began to give Hassocks some control in midfield and the impressive Jake Lindsey drew a save from Heath's new goalkeeper Mark Fox with a long range effort.
Spinks then found Benson with a visionary pass and Benson showed good strength to barge one-time Hassocks defender Glen Woodburn off the ball to leave himself one-on-one with Fox. Remarkably, referee Robert King awarded a free kick to Heath, much to the annoyance of everyone in red.
The last chance of the first half came when Hassocks failed to clear a corner with the ball eventually falling just outside the area to Marlon Maxwell but his brilliant connection was only rewarded with the shot flying just over the bar.
Neither side seemed to have played to their potential in the first half with the main talking point being not about any of the new signings on the pitch, but the addition of Dark Fruits cider to the bar which went down a treat with supporters.
Hassocks were quickest out the blocks in the second half with Wilkins causing trouble down the right flank, his pull back finding Spinks who drew another comfortable save from Fox.
Heath then had the best chance of the game, Ben Hands delivering a superb cross right onto the head of Fender but his powerful head was wonderfully kept out by the reflexes of Harris.
That save seemed to galvanise the Robins and Benson and the outstanding Berridge both went close to beat Fox before Spinks put the ball into the penalty area and just as Wilkins was about to pull the trigger, he was clumsily bundled over by Woodburn.
Mr King pointed straight to the spot and Benson made no mistake with the spot kick, beating Fox with ease to give the Robins the lead.
It was all Hassocks after that with Benson the centre of attention. He breezed his way into the box but instead of shooting, opted for the unselfish pass to Wilkins who was slightly off balance and as a result couldn't hit the target.
Heath equalised shortly after with a real sucker punch. Scott Weller delivered a defence splitting pass to Fender who used his strength and pace to blast through and smash home an equaliser for 1-1.
Hassocks made a double change in response as Dan Stokes and Harvey Blake, the fifth new face on the day having signed from Mid Sussex Premier Division side Sporting Lindfield, took to the field.
Blake had a lively cameo in his first 10 minutes in senior football. He was denied a debut goal by an excellent save from Fox after Wilkins had broken down the wing to cross and Blake then turned provider with a marauding run down the flank from which he found Benson but the Hassocks striker couldn't get the sort of connection he was looking for and it resulted in a comfortable save for Fox.
That was the final chance of the game with a draw just about the right result. There were certainly plenty of positives to take for the Robins ahead of a stern test against one of the title favourites, Chichester City on Tuesday night.
Hassocks: Alex Harris; Harry Mills, Jordan Badger, Dan Wesbter, Bradley Bant; Jack Wilkins, Spencer Slaughter, Matt Berridge, Jake Lindsey; Alex Spinks; Liam Benson.
Subs: Dan Stokes, Harvey Blake (used).


Antarctica New Zealand welcomes the Government’s Antarctic initiatives in Budget 2017 to maintain New Zealand’s ongoing presence and scientific research programme in Antarctica.
Antarctic science drives our presence in Antarctica and underpins New Zealand’s strategic interests in the region. The announcement of a Strategic Science Investment Fund platform dedicated to Antarctic science provides assurance that New Zealand will remain at the forefront of Antarctic science, delivering highly credible Antarctic and Southern Ocean research on an ongoing basis.
Antarctica New Zealand shares logistics on a bilateral basis with the US Antarctic Program, the Italian Antarctic Programme and the Korean Antarctic Programme. This allows New Zealand to conduct an extensive annual programme of Antarctic research which would cost significantly more if it had to operate alone. Funding of $3.5 million over four years towards office and operational accommodation in Christchurch for these National Antarctic Programmes will support their continued economic commitment to New Zealand’s Antarctic Gateway city and enhance their collaborative logistics and science arrangements with Antarctica New Zealand.
New Zealand’s core facility in Antarctica, Scott Base, is reaching the end of its functional life and needs to be modernised and upgraded in order to maintain appropriate standards, and reduce risks. Funding of $6.1 million over two years will allow the preparation of a detailed business case that includes a robust building design, budget and project implementation plan to redevelop a fit for purpose Scott Base facility. The new dedicated funding for Antarctic science underpins the value of any future investment to redevelop Scott Base.
Science is a central theme of the Antarctic Treaty. Antarctica New Zealand’s Chief Executive and Chief Science Advisor are currently in Beijing as members of New Zealand’s delegation to the annual meeting of Antarctic Treaty parties.
Find more from Antarctica New Zealand on InfoPages.


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Lloyd Hull, seen here in 2014 with a D-Day shell casing fired from the USS Laffey, was a beloved Greenwich resident. His family is paying tribute to him with a concert in his memory from the London Philharmonic.
GREENWICH — A local performance by the London Philharmonic will be dedicated to a Greenwich icon.
While in the area for concerts this month at Lincoln Center, the London Philharmonic Orchestra will also pay a visit to Stamford for gala performance at 8 p.m. April 16 at The Palace theater.
The Stamford concert, a benefit for the local Young Artists Philharmonic, will be performed in memory of Lloyd Hull, a longtime Greenwich resident, World War II veteran and dedicated town volunteer. The choice to honor his memory was made by his one of his daughters, Lady Victoria Robey, an officer of the order of the British Empire who is also chairman of the philharmonic.
She, along with a committee of family members and Greenwich residents, organized the one-night stop in Stamford for the the 100-piece London Philharmonic.
Hull, who died in January 2018 at the age of 95, was known for his love of music. Singing was not Hull’s forte, said Bea Crumbine, a longtime friend and the town’s ambassador at large. But his musical tastes ranged from patriotic songs and Gilbert and Sullivan to Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Handel and “anything big and bold,” she said.
What made Hull happiest, was hearing his wife, Mary, singing in the choir at church on Sundays, said Crumbine, who is part of the organizing committee.
Robey agreed, saying that bringing people together was of great importance to her father.
"I am touched and honored that a world-renowned orchestra would come to our area and perform in honor of my father," Weicker said. "I know Dad would have loved that some of the proceeds will benefit the Young Artists Philharmonic. It’s a great way to bring people together with music which is the universal language."
Tours by the London Philharmonic are planned years in advance, Robey said, so adding in a performance is not easy.
But when she saw the concerts lined up for Lincoln Center, Robey said it made sense to try to get the philharmonic to Connecticut. Chief executive and artistic director Tim Walker was open to the idea, she said, paving the way for the concert to come together.
The concert will open with Beethoven’s Egmont followed by Canadian violinist James Ehnes leading the way the Violin Concerto by Jean Sibelius. After the intermission, the orchestra will perform Gustav Mahler’s First Symphony.
Members of the Young Artists Philharmonic, based in Old Greenwich, will be part of a flute choir that will greet guests when they arrive at The Palace. That group will include eight students from Greenwich: Katharine Singer Jensen, Alexa Cervantes, Valeria Morales, Fiona Chen, Alondra Santana, Hannah Bang and Krishna Reddy.
The London Philharmonic’s work with the youth orchestra is part of its commitment to education. Robey said the orchestra works closely with London Music Masters, an organization called that teaches classical music in schools in England to children who might otherwise not have access to it.
Tickets are on sale at www.palacestamford.org.


A judge wrote that Chicago has shown a ‘‘likelihood of success’’ in its arguments that Attorney General Jeff Sessions overstepped his authority with the requirements.
CHICAGO — Attorney General Jeff Sessions can’t follow through — at least for now — with his threat to withhold public safety grant money to Chicago and other so-called sanctuary cities for refusing to impose new tough immigration policies, a judge ruled Friday in a legal defeat for the Trump administration.
In what is at least a temporary victory for cities that have defied Sessions, US District Judge Harry Leinenweber ruled that the Justice Department could not impose the requirements.
He said the city had shown a ‘‘likelihood of success’’ in arguing that Sessions exceeded his authority with the new conditions. Among them are requirements that cities notify immigration agents when someone in the country illegally is about to be released from local jails and to allow agents access to the jails.
The city had asked the judge for a ‘‘nationwide’’ temporary injunction this week, asking the judge not to allow the Justice Department to impose the requirements until the city’s lawsuit against the department plays out in court.
Chicago has applied for $2.2 million in the federal grant money — $1.5 million for the city and the rest for Cook County and 10 other suburbs. But in a recent court hearing, attorneys representing the city said that more than 30 other jurisdictions across the United States filed court briefs supporting Chicago’s lawsuit and have up to $35 million in grants at stake. At least seven cities and counties, including Seattle and San Francisco, as well as the state of California, are refusing to cooperate with the new federal rules.
During a hearing, Ron Safer, an attorney representing the city, said that if the Justice Department prevailed, it could use the same argument to ‘‘seize’’ even more authority to tie grant money to doing what he wants.


Every June, the Los Angeles-based Women In Film foundation throws a lavish awards ceremony to celebrate women who are at the forefront of the industry.
Founded in 1973 by Tichi Wilkerson Kassel – former editor in chief of The Hollywood Reporter – the Crystal & Lucy Awards recognise and promote talented female directors, actors, cinematographers, producers and critics, to help them break through the so-called “celluloid ceiling”.
Women in film still face plenty of obstacles, as seen in the recent Harvey Weinstein scandal and the resultant #TimesUp movement, as well as reports on the gender pay gap. A case in point: for the reshoots for 2017 film All the Money in the World, actor Mark Wahlberg earned US$2 million (Dh7.3m) for 10 days’ work, while his co-star Michelle Williams reportedly got paid $80 a day for the same period.
Fashion house Max Mara is a fervent supporter of Women In Film (WIF) – and this relationship began long before the topic of female empowerment became trendy, says MariaGiulia Prezioso Maramotti, Max Mara’s vice president for the United States and global brand ambassador. “Max Mara’s mission has been to empower women, by dressing them, for the past 67 years,” Maramotti explains. “It was just natural that we entered into a partnership with WIF as part of our way of communicating to our customers.
The Max Mara customer of which she speaks is, of course, female and drawn to the elegant, unfussy womenswear that the brand is famed for. Founded by Achille Maramotti in Italy in 1951, Max Mara’s aim was to blend high-end cuts and style with industrial tailoring techniques. In an era when most clothes were still handmade, this shift in approach was a game changer, offering garments that were still beautifully designed, but available at a far more affordable price.
Almost uniquely, the brand spoke to working women, creating smart, highly wearable solutions. The reaction was spectacular, with ladies flocking to snap up its creations. One piece in particular became an instant classic: the 101801 camel coat in supple wool and cashmere, which is still a bestseller. Coupling a quiet, under-the-radar aesthetic with smart yet practical dressing meant that by the time of his death in 2005, Achille Maramotti was the head of a company worth an estimated $1.2 billion. Today, the company is still owned and run by the Maramotti clan, with Achille’s granddaughter MariaGiulia representing the third generation of the family.
The brand’s partnership with WIF comes in the form of financial sponsorship, and led to the creation of the Max Mara Face of the Future Award, which every year selects one emerging actress deserving of special recognition. Past recipients including Kate Mara, Hailee Steinfeld, Zoe Saldana, Elizabeth Banks, Ginnifer Goodwin and Emily Blunt, showing that Max Mara is not only ahead of the game in terms of promoting equality, but has a pretty good eye for talent, too.
When not doling out accolades to up-and-coming talents, Max Mara runs a serious business trying to anticipate and cater to the needs of an ever-evolving audience. Its ability to weather the vagaries of consumer demand can perhaps be attributed to the brand’s internal stability, both in terms of the consistency of still being owned by the same family, and of having the same designer at its helm for 30 years. The British-born creative Ian Griffiths has fashioned collections for Max Mara for more than three decades, and yet far from being a household name, most people have never heard of him.
“The idea of a designer like Ian Griffiths being with the company for three decades means that he has grown with it, and there has been an intertwining between his vision and the one of the brand, which was obviously not revolutionary, yet evolved organically.
Far from being staid and predictable, however, Griffiths has been – quietly – challenging boundaries. Max Mara was one of the first big-name brands to put the hijab-wearing Halima Aden on the runway in 2017, kick-starting not only her career, but forcing other designers to start thinking about diversity. Following in the footsteps of founder Achille, Griffiths has worked hard behind the scenes to ensure that the label keeps apace with the lives of modern women.


While field refs stuck with the old game plan of reviewing plays (when necessary) on typical SD screens, execs for the Pac-10 watched HD screens at the back of the same review room, according to the Los Angeles Times.
While viewers both HD and SD were more than preoccupied witnessing Oregon State's huge upset of top-ranked USC during ESPN HD's Sept. 25 broadcast from Corvallis, Ore., the Pacific 10 Conference was using that contest to test new equipment up in its instant-replay booth, which includes HD monitors.
While field refs stuck with the old game plan of reviewing plays (when necessary) on typical SD screens, execs for the Pac-10 watched HD screens at the back of the same review room, according to the Los Angeles Times. The set-up allow both groups to compare pictures—and notes—to determine what enhanced details could be seen with the higher-image format and how crucial it could be in future games.
On the pro level, in response to growing concerns in recent seasons that HD viewers at home could see contested plays better than the officials on the field reviewing them in SD, the NFL last year switched to HD replays.
In a somewhat condescending comment on the Pac-10 experiment that serious football fans might not appreciate, a conference official told the L.A. paper, "It's always easy to say the toy is fun and we should buy it. They'll decide if it's worthwhile for what they're looking at."
The National Football League has now begun its pre-season schedule and for the first time is authorizing use of HD-quality instant replay systems, supplied by Harris Corp., as more precise tech-tools for referees to review close calls.
Production switcher is at center of Westlake High School's new video facility.
BSI’s Ref Cam system features 1080i resolution and full remote-control capability, including iris and paint functions.
The University of Idaho’s Video Production Center is using six Hitachi Z-HD5000 HDTV studio/field production cameras to produce high-definition video during Idaho Vandals football games.


Lincoln Chafee is running for the Democratic nomination for president in 2016. He served one four-year term as Rhode Island's governor, beginning on Jan. 4, 2011. He was the first Independent to be elected to that office. He subsequently became a Democrat. As a Republican, he served as mayor of Warwick from 1992 to 1999, when he was appointed to the U.S. Senate following the death of his father, Sen. John H. Chafee. He was elected to a full Senate term in 2000. He is married with three children. In April 2015 he formed an exploratory committee to consider running for President.
"I am very proud that over my almost 30 years of public service I have had no scandals."
"Although the governor doubled the beach fees . . . all the money, as we found out, is all going to an out-of-state company. The state isn't even getting the money for that."
Says Lincoln Chafee "settled a union strike by giving the teachers a 19-percent-raise."
Lincoln Chafee "voted with President George W. Bush and the conservative leadership 76% of the time."
"We had the biggest drop of the rate of unemployment (in) all but 4 states."
Rhode Island's legislature is "the strongest in the country."
The Democrats seeking to succeed Barack Obama went at it Tuesday in Las Vegas.
PolitiFact reviews their factual claims.
PolitiFact digs into how Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders and the gang have fared so far on the Truth-O-Meter.
How have the Democratic candidates fared on the Truth-O-Meter?
The Democratics take the debate stage Oct. 13, 2015. Here's how Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders and the gang have done so far on the Truth-O-Meter.
FOLLOW OUR LIVE FACT-CHECKING OF THE FIRST DEBATE STARTING AT 8:30 P.M.
So Lincoln Chafee — Rhode Island’s Republican-independent-Democrat — is running for President.
The former governor of the smallest — and at times quirkiest — state has a PolitiFact record that is as mixed as his political lineage. During the four years that the former Republican U.S. senator served as first the independent and then the Democratic governor of Rhode Island, only once did PolitiFact judge one of his statements Half True.
More often, the Truth-O-Meter swung back and forth from True to False as Chafee battled a stagnant economy and a hostile General Assembly.
Given Lincoln Chafee's record of being willing to buck the system and the Chafee family's reputation, Rhode Islanders were jarred to hear the independent gubernatorial candidate being accused of consorting with someone who might have ties to organized crime.
But that's what happened earlier this month when a local news website reported on Chafee's work at a foundation established by a Ukrainian billionaire.
We explored Chafee's role there, and got different opinions on the politics and intrigue swirling around the effort to set up a think tank in one of the world's fledgling democracies.
We've examined two claims made recently by gubernatorial candidates Frank Caprio and Lincoln Chafee.
Caprio attacked Chafee for his handling of a 1990s teachers' dispute in Warwick. We ruled Caprio's claim Half True.
Chafee said changing Rhode Island's official name would require amending the U.S. Constitution. We couldn't rule definitively on that, but decided to share our research anyway.


BANGKOK – The preliminary rites of the coronation of the new King Vajiralongkorn of Thailand, who ascended to the throne in October 2017 after the death of his father King Bhumibo, kicked off on Saturday.
The new king’s proclamation is scheduled to take place between May 4-6.
The coronation will be consecrated by anointment, a ritual act of pouring aromatic oil over a person’s head or body, and crowning.
Officials in charge of the ritual, collected water for the purification ceremony of the coronation in a series of religious ceremonies that were broadcast live across the country.
The collection took place in more than 100 aquifers in Thailand between 11:52 am and 12:38 pm, timings that are considered auspicious by Thai astrologers.
The water, stored in traditional vases, will be blessed in Buddhist ceremonies in the most important temples in the country from April 8-9, before being combined in another consecration rite in Wat Suthat, one of the oldest temples in Bangkok, on the April 18.
Thailand also celebrated on Saturday the Chakri day in honor of the dynasty King Vajiralongkorn belongs to.
He will be named Rama X, as the 10th monarch of the Chakris.
The 66-year-old monarch will also have to recite several Buddhist verses during the coronation ceremonies.
Monarchy and Buddhism are two fundamental pillars of Thai society that see the king as a revered and almost divine figure.
However, Vajiralongkorn has lived a great part of his life abroad disconnected from the duties of the Crown and has not inherited the great popularity that his father enjoyed.
Since his ascension to the throne, Vajiralongkorn has strengthened his powers with the approval of several legal reforms that, among others, have placed the vast heritage of the Crown and several state agencies responsible for its security, under his sole authority.
Information on the Thai monarchy is a highly sensitive issue in the country due to the lèse-majesté law, which can impose three to 15 years in prison on those who criticize or make comments that are deemed insulting to the royal family.


Fueled by her zeal for the ancient art of glassblowing, artisan Leigh Taylor Wyatt creates distinct glass works while simultaneously encouraging members of the community to take part in her time honored craft. Wyatt began blowing glass 23 years ago and has since cultivated an intuitive relationship with the material. She spends several hours a day honing her craft while creating colorful, dazzling works of art at Austin's East Side Glass Studio. The glass has become a constant in Wyatt's life, and she shares the lessons she has learned from it by teaching glassblowing classes to members of the community. The nature of the material continues to challenge and inspire her.


It's a talented field and too close to call, but we're going to try.
To prepare for the 2019 Juno Awards, we're breaking down each of the four classical categories.
Having already analyzed the large ensemble category, we now turn our attention to classical album of the year: solo or chamber.
Note how this category is a showdown this year between Analekta Records (three nominations) and Hyperion Records (two nominations). Whereas a number of the albums nominated in the large ensemble category are live recordings, all five nominees in the solo/chamber category are studio recordings, and the sound quality is consistently high. Two of the nominees are first-timers (Wan and Pouliot), Richard-Hamelin is enjoying his second nomination, while Gryphon Trio, Hamelin and Hewitt are Juno veterans with 11, 16 and 17 nominations, respectively.
It's a deserving bunch. Who's missing?
If there were room for a couple more nominees, we'd have liked to see Eybler Quartet's Beethoven String Quartets, Op. 18, Nos. 1-3 on the list. With their adherence to Beethoven's controversial original metronome marks, the members of Eybler Quartet got us to hear those familiar pieces in a new way, which is always exciting. Another great listen was Lachrimae, a collection of music by John Dowland played by Nigel North (lute) and Les Voix humaines (viol consort). We surrendered ourselves to the undulating phrases of these pavanes and galliards, so seductively played.
Alas, there's only room for five. Here's our breakdown of this year's nominees, including predictions for who should win and who will win.
This September 2018 release marked the culmination of phase 1 of Wan and Richard-Hamelin's project to perform and record the complete cycle of Beethoven's 10 sonatas for violin and piano. Their partners in the endeavour are the Arte Musica Foundation, which presents the duo in concert at Montreal's Bourgie Hall, and Analekta Records, which holds recording sessions and produces the albums. It's a winning formula, as Vol. 1 of the series attests.
Here, they play the three sonatas Beethoven published in 1803 as his Op. 30, works poised on the cusp: No. 6 is the most classical of the three; No. 7 the most Romantic; No. 8 falls stylistically somewhere in the middle.
Richard-Hamelin applies a firm tone to the ominous piano opening of the seventh sonata, to which Wan replies with bite and assertive melodic leaps. Then, a translucent violin timbre draws you into the second movement's intimate tête-à-tête.
In Sonata No. 8, both musicians have fun with the frenzy of the first movement's churning compound meter before taking turns with the gracious melody of the second movement. A rustic dance, the third movement finds Richard-Hamelin setting the pace hurdy-gurdy-style while Wan fiddles away with abandon. It's a romp.
By contrast, the sixth sonata, which opens the album, is perfectly genteel. There's uncanny consensus on the phrasing in the outer movements, while the Adagio is the album's highlight with Wan providing nuanced colours and Richard-Hamelin transforming his piano part into a languorous Nocturne.
Wan and Richard-Hamelin form a winning duo. But will they win the Juno?
While her global Bach Odyssey is ongoing, Hewitt has also been toiling away on two other projects for Hyperion Records: she's eight albums into the complete Beethoven piano sonatas, and she has released a second volume in her exploration of the keyboard sonatas by Domenico Scarlatti, the latter of which got this Juno nod.
For this album, Hewitt was drawn to the sonatas with surprising elements, which she evidently enjoys accentuating. For instance, she leans deliciously on the bass line of K206, the longest piece on the album, to underscore an unusual shift from E major to E-flat minor. In K429, the absence of any melody to speak of does not deter her from making beautiful sense of this barcarolle, with its suspenseful pauses and descending runs. In K82, she treats us to one of the few Scarlatti sonatas that's written in fugal form. Of course, Hewitt knows fugues and she executes this one's 3/8 meter with characteristic clarity and elegance.
Are the tempos a bit cautious? Maybe, although as audiences we've come to expect breakneck speed in Scarlatti's sonatas, which doesn't necessarily cast them in the best light. The ones Hewitt has chosen for this album reveal how wide-ranging these pieces are, in fact.
Hewitt has been nominated in this category six times since her last win in 2005. Will this album turn the tide?
This goes down as one of the best debut albums we've heard in a long time, and it was just one accomplishment among many for Pouliot in 2018: he won the Women's Musical Club of Toronto's 2018 Career Development Award and the Virginia Parker Prize, and his loan of the Canada Council's 1729 Guarneri del Gesù violin, valued at $6 million, was renewed for another three-year term.
It's on that instrument that he recorded these works by Ravel and Debussy, alongside his associate from the Colburn School in Los Angeles, pianist Hsin-I Huang. Pouliot's effusive personality is well-suited to Ravel's Tzigane, which he plays with raffish slides and perfectly tuned double stops. He and Huang make Ravel's familiar G Major Sonata sound brand new, with technical brilliance and astute characterizations throughout.
Some violinists employ an austere tone for Debussy's moody Violin Sonata, his last completed work. Not Pouliot, whose rich, vibrant timbre brings greater intensity to its first movement and accentuates the impish nature of the second. He and Huang use the episodic structure of the third movement to tell a story so vivid it stays with you long after the music has ended.
Pouliot is on a roll. Will it continue with his first Juno Award?
Released in January 2018 to celebrate Gryphon Trio's 25th anniversary, this album pairs two works composed approximately 100 years ago: Maurice Ravel's famous Piano Trio in A Minor from 1914 and Clarke's Piano Trio, written in 1921. The album's title, The End of Flowers, refers to the devastation caused by World War I. "Completed within the early frenzy and aftermath of this bleak chapter in human history, these brilliant works were not intended as memorials but stand as a testament to the enduring power of life and art," writes Gryphon Trio cellist Roman Borys in the album's notes.
The album begins with Clarke's trio, the heavier of the two. Pianist Jamie Parker establishes a violent mood with the dissonant machine-gun theme that opens the work and ties its three movements together. Lyrical passages come as a relief — for instance, in the second movement, when the strings shift to harmonics for a delicate accompanying motif while the piano introduces a simple melody, it's like a ray of light. The musicians do a fine job expressing the third movement's conflicting ideas of optimism and regret, the latter intruding in the form of a mournful bugle call.
In Ravel's ingenious trio, the musicians display the full range of their artistry. Props to violinist Annalee Patipatanakoon for her heartfelt restraint while introducing the lovely second theme of the first movement. There are shades of La Valse in their performance of the sprightly second movement, and warmly spun lines in the Passacaille. The final movement turns the three musicians loose in a rollicking sonata form in which they revel in electrifying tremolos, bombastic piano chords and the bouncy ride of an irregular meter. It's quite a climax!
Gryphon Trio's 25th anniversary was a party. Will the celebrations extend to a Juno win?
Can you believe Hamelin made more than 75 albums for Hyperion Records without recording a note of music by Franz Schubert? It's a situation he amended in April with this highly anticipated record pairing Schubert's final piano sonata and his second set of Impromptus. "I could have done it before," Hamelin told us when the album came out. "It wasn't just a question of my developing a relationship with the work, it was also waiting until the trust of the public in what I do, in what I could do with it, would become greater and greater." It's safe to say he has earned that trust, and then some.
Hamelin, who's been playing the Sonata in B-flat Major in concert for decades, uses a remarkably restrained tempo for the opening movement, not only drawing attention to detail but also preparing the way for Schubert's varied treatment of the wistful main theme. Sensitive souls should proceed with caution in the second movement, whose A section Hamelin imbues with a feeling of inexorable regret — emotional stuff. A light touch and perfectly controlled dynamics make the third movement scherzo glow from within, and in the fourth movement, Hamelin unites the seemingly disparate ideas with intelligent timing and awesome technique.
In Schubert's Op. 142, which Hamelin says "is probably as close to a sonata as it could be without actually being one," he invites us to hear the four Impromptus as a unified work, one without the tragic overtones of the final sonata. He plays down the sturm und drang of the first Impromptu in favour of a more tender interpretation. In the second Impromptu, we love the silky homogeneity of the chords and the lilting effect of his agogic treatment of the main theme. The variations of the third have all the charm of a strophic Lied, while Hamelin turns the scherzo and trio of the fourth into a demonic dance seemingly summoned from the pages of Goethe.
Fans seized this album when it was released. Will Hamelin seize a Juno trophy?
We got swept up in the excitement surrounding rising violin star Pouliot. His debut album is a joy to listen to and we think it deserves the Juno.
The Juno jury will be understandably wowed by Hamelin's Schubert statement, and the award will go to him.


Walter Chen is the founder and CEO of iDoneThis, the easiest way to share and celebrate what you get done at work, every day. On his downtime, he blogs about management, entrepreneurship, and happiness on the iDoneThis blog.
Getting rid of managers may seem like just another tech trend, but much of the skepticism around going “bossless” or flat is due to misleading terminology. We don’t quite have a good vocabulary for it yet — no managers doesn’t mean no management, and flat structure doesn’t mean everyone has equal sway.
Power, leadership, and even hierarchy still exist in these alternative structures, but instead of running along career ladders and hanging out in corner offices, they tend to be decentralized and dynamic rather than static and top-down.
At its heart, the move away from bosses is a reaction against command and control management. Bossy practices and overbearing pecking orders disconnect people from meaning and intrinsic motivation at work.
Talented people don’t go into startups to follow step-by-step directions and wait for approval at every turn. They want to move fast, break things, discover, and create — not be treated like children.
Your company doesn’t have to get rid of managers or implement some formal system to adopt practices that will help your employees flourish. You do, however, have to build a foundation of trust and set up ways to guide and enable your employees to be collaborative, peer-managing leaders.
Moving towards bosslessness, as with these three approaches, is a process of figuring out a better way for great employees to thrive and develop great companies.
Essentially, I try to create little mini-managers, each responsible for managing a single person: themselves.
At first this is mainly about teaching people how to figure out what to work on right now (prioritization). Then it’s more a matter of building their confidence both in themselves and their team to a point where they just do things they know is right without even talking to me (autonomy).
Rather than assigning and approving tasks at every turn, then, management is about keeping people in motion and getting out of their way.
When you equip people with the knowledge they need to move forward, you don’t have to keep telling them what to do. Freeing the flow of information from gatekeepers and bottlenecks increases agility and resourcefulness.
For the multibillion dollar games company, Supercell, that takes the form of daily morning emails with details from project progress and revenue figures to help orient not just some top circle but every employee. CEO Ilkka Paananen explains: “If you provide people with the key information, you don’t need to tell people what to do, they can figure it out for themselves.
Buzzfeed also makes work details transparent, inspired by a process started at Google called “Snippets”. Everyone sends in an email with what they get done and what they need help with to keep moving. Since people can subscribe to each other’s updates, Snippets provides an at-a-glance view of what’s happening in the company.
[T]hat means that instead of everyone being the same, you embrace that everyone is different, and you look at the strength of connections between people, the communication channels, and how information travels amongst them.
These connections and channels are an important, often overlooked source of motivation, support, and information. Bosses don’t always know best, but peers tend to be equipped with the most relevant knowledge to provide feedback and recognition. They know when someone is stepping up or slacking because they see and deal with it first-hand.
One study by Greg Stewart and Stephen Courtright even found that when peers in cohesive self-managing teams have some control over each other’s rewards — such as raises, bonuses, and promotions, which traditionally exist as top-down edicts — both individual and team performance improve.
Shopify’s internal tool Unicorn is one such peer-driven bonus system where employees can give public kudos for great work and support. This also furnishes managers with on-the-ground information about how to best help people succeed.
Shopify’s bonus system won’t work for every team or company. Managing people rather than tasks requires you to think about your particular culture and people to implement the best tools and processes.
What works for one organization’s culture may not for another, but the characteristics they share will be that people do great work together based on a sense of autonomy, trust, and shared accountability.


Russia is not in talks with Syria about supplying the Assad regime with its S-300 advanced air defense system and does not think they are needed, Vladimir Kozhin, an aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin, was quoted as saying on Friday in the Russian newspaper Izvestiya. Kozhin oversees military assistance to other countries.
The comments follow Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to Moscow this week, in which he presented to Putin "Israel's obligation and right to defend itself against Iranian aggression, from Syrian territory."
The Syrian army has for years sought to obtain the S-300 system to counter Israeli air superiority, and Israel has in turn lobbied the Kremlin to refrain from supplying them. Iran received its first S-300 batteries in 2016, nearly a decade after Tehran paid for it.
Russia last month hinted it would supply the weapons to Assad, over Israeli objections, after Western military strikes on Syria. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the strikes had removed any moral obligation Russia had to withhold the missiles and Russia's Kommersant daily cited unnamed military sources as saying deliveries might begin imminently.
But Kozhin's comments, made so soon after Netanyahu's Moscow talks with Putin, suggest the Israeli leader's hard lobbying efforts have, for the time being, paid off.
"For now, we're not talking about any deliveries of new modern [air defense] systems," Izvestia cited Kozhin as saying when asked about the possibility of supplying Syria with S-300s. The Syrian military already had "everything it needed," Kozhin added.
On Thursday, Israel said it had attacked nearly all of Iran's military infrastructure in Syria after Iranian forces fired rockets at Israeli-held territory. S-300s could have significantly complicated the Israeli strikes.
The Israel Air Force said it destroyed five anti-aircraft batteries, all Russian-made models, in the attack.


Dominic Óg McGlinchey: The most senior such republican to raise these questions with dissidents.
Senior republican Dominic Óg McGlinchey has called on dissident republicans to start “a conversation about the removal of the gun from Irish politics”. He is the son of Dominic and Mary McGlinchey, two leaders of the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) and was present at their murders in Drogheda and Dundalk in 1994 and 1987.
“Republicanism is a very honourable thing if done in an honourable way. We shouldn’t be dishonouring it by the mindless use of violence,” Mr McGlinchey said in a wide-ranging interview with The Irish Times .
Senior dissidents are facing trial while hundreds of others have been prosecuted by the PSNI and Garda in recent years. “I haven’t said to anybody pack up and go home . . . what I am saying is that we should not be bound by the weapons. Just because they are there does not mean that they have to be used”.
In further conversation yesterday, he deplored the Good Friday murder of former Continuity IRA commander Tommy Crossan in Belfast, while sardonically adding that the killing had “little to do with the armed struggle”.
Mr McGlinchey, with a name and a pedigree that carries weight in dissident circles, is the most senior such republican to raise these questions with dissidents.
He resigned from Sinn Féin in 2007 in protest at the decision to support policing. He was also named in court as being the getaway driver in the 2009 dissident attack on Massereene British army base in Antrim in which British soldiers Patrick Azimkar and Mark Quinsey were murdered. He was interviewed by the PSNI about the attack. He denied any involvement.
He also claimed that his father, who was shot dead six months before the groundbreaking IRA ceasefire of 1994, was killed “to facilitate the peace process”.
Those responsible, he contended, were one of three groups: the IRA, British military intelligence or people acting for the Irish government. Mr McGlinchey’s comments about dissident republicans seriously considering ending their campaigns of violence come as the various groups face severe pressure from the PSNI, the Garda and MI5.


Matt Dillon's character, Secret Service agent Ethan Burke will find a likeminded townie on Fox's limited series "Wayward Pines."
Juliette Lewis has been cast as Beverly, a local bartender who's also suspicious of "Wayward Pines," a Fox representative told TheWrap.
Beverly is described as "warm and approachable," though she doesn't mince words.
Lewis is best known for her many movie credits, including "What's Eating Gilbert Grape," "Natural Born Killers" and "From Dusk Till Dawn." But, she recently starred on the shortlived NBC series, "The Firm."
Aside from Dillon, she joins already announced cast members Shannyn Sossamon, Terrence Howard, Carla Gugino, Toby Jones and Melissa Leo on "Wayward Pines," which is based on Blake Crouch's novel series of the same the name.
The series, billed as "an intense, mind-bending thriller," follows Secret Service agent Ethan Burke (Dillon), who arrives in the bucolic town of Wayward Pines, Idaho, on a mission to find two missing federal agents. But instead of answers, Ethan’s investigation only turns up more questions.
M. Night Shyamalan directed the pilot and will executive produce the FX productions thriller along with writer/creator Chad Hodge, Donald De Line and Ashwin Rajan.
Lewis is represented by UTA, Troika and Untitled Entertainment.


A car called the Excel is to go on sale in the United States for the first time Thursday morning. It is an unremarkable looking vehicle, resembling many of the small, efficient Japanese cars that have wrested a large share of the market from the domestic Big Three.
The Excel, though, is not from Japan. It is being imported from Korea, where its manufacturer, the Hyundai Corporation, is one of the nation's leading manufacturing groups. The Hyundai Excel is the first of what could be a torrent of small cars made in Korea and other Asian countries headed for American shores.
The 1970's saw the rise of the Japanese, aided by two gasoline supply scares that shifted consumer demand to small cars with high fuel economy. Last year imports, the vast majority of them Japanese, claimed 23.8 percent of the American car market.
Many Korean-made cars will arrive here bearing familiar domestic labels, as the American auto companies join industries such as shoes, textiles and consumer electronics in shifting production to developing nations to take advantage of low-cost labor. According to the United Automobile Workers union, wages and benefits for Korean auto workers average $2.16 an hour, compared with about $13 an hour in Japan and over $20 an hour in the United States.
In addition, Ford has an affiliate in Taiwan, Ford Lio Ho, that it says will produce a small car for sale in Canada within the next few years. The American Motors Corporation is assembling Jeep models with a Chinese partner in Peking, and A.M.C. officials are saying those vehicles may be shipped to the United States.
Hyundai clearly plans to use its labor cost advantage to help establish the brand name, pricing its bottom-of-the-line model at $4,995. But only 20 percent of its first-year sales will be of these stripped-down models. Most of the cars are expected to sell in the $5,500 to $6,500 range, still less than most comparably equipped Japanese or domestic models cost. And the increase in the value of the yen is putting upward pressure on Japanese car prices in this country.
Unlike the Yugo, an even lower priced Yugoslavian-made car that made its debut in the American market in the fall, and has gotten some unfavorable reviews for its features and quality, the Hyundai Excel has been glowingly praised by the automotive press.
Hyundai sales will be limited by the capacity of its sole assembly plant to 100,000 shipments in the first year, but most auto analysts expect the cars to be sold as fast as they arrive. The new brand, which is not subject to any import restraints, was given an unintended boost by the Japanese Government, which extended restraints on exports by that country's car producers for another year.
Most analysts and auto executives here expect the third world imports to eventually become an important factor in the American car market. Since demand is not expected to grow anywhere as quickly as supply, some existing producers are likely to lose market share, and possibly go out of business.
Hyundai officials say they have plans to bring in other, more expensive, car models into the American market if the Excel is successful.
Michael Luckey, an analyst with Shearson Lehman Brothers Inc., said, ''They're talking about 5 percent of the market by 1990.'' Five percent of an 11 million car market would be 550,000 units, or about what the No. 2 importer, the Nissan Motor Company, sold last year. The Toyota Motor Corporation is No. 1.
One reason Hyundai has been able to beat its Korean competitors to the American market is its ties to the Mitsubishi Motors Corporation of Japan. Mitsubishi provided the technology for the Excel's front-wheel-drive engine and transmission. In return, Mitsubishi will sell 30,000 of the 100,000 Excels bound for America.


As India bans foreign surrogacy, clinics look towards Cambodia, but what will it mean for the rights of surrogates?
New Delhi, India - Rita* tucks hungrily into a plate of steaming white rice, daal (lentils), a mixed-vegetable curry, yoghurt and a green salad.
Her just-washed hair is gathered at the nape of her neck in a loose bun and the bold, flower print of her tunic stretches out over her heavily pregnant belly. She sits cross-legged on the bed in her sunny room in the yellow surrogate house, just off the main road on the outskirts of Gurgaon, a hub of domestic and international businesses and sparkling malls and eateries bordering New Delhi.
Rita is one of the last surrogates in India carrying a child for a foreign couple. In October last year, when Rita was around five months pregnant, the Indian Council for Medical Research sent a notification (PDF) to all fertility clinics, ordering them "not to entertain any foreigners for availing surrogacy services in India".
Earlier, in a written affidavit to the Supreme Court, the Indian government had confirmed it "does not support commercial surrogacy" and that the new law will have provisions to "prohibit and penalise commercial surrogacy services".
An Asian Age report says that as the government finds it a "contentious" issue, addressing it "is the need of the hour".
India has been criticised for its failure to regulate its surrogacy industry and seems determined to address surrogacy as a standalone issue: the much-discussed Assisted Reproductive Technology Bill, drafted in 2007 by the then Congress government, of which surrogacy was a part, has now been been narrowed down to deal with just surrogacy and will be renamed the Surrogacy Regulation Bill.
It is at present being discussed by a group of ministers headed by union health minister J P Nadda.
The Indian Council of Medical Research directive followed the release of draft legislation by India's health ministry prohibiting foreigners - except those with family origins in India - from employing Indian surrogates.
The new law is in its final stages and is expected to be passed soon, outlawing foreign surrogacy with the aim of protecting the rights of surrogate mothers.
Facing losses in what was a lucrative trade - India's surrogacy industry is estimated to be worth around $500m per year - Indian clinics have started moving out to Cambodia, a country with ambiguous surrogacy laws and a visa-on-arrival facility for Indian nationals. More than a dozen Thai and Indian clinics are already operating there.
"I am aware of a few Indian and Nepali clinics that have set up in Cambodia," says Sam Everingham, director of events and content for the Australia-based Families through Surrogacy. "The surrogates come from Vietnam, Laos and Thailand. Some may also come from India - that's not clear yet."
Non-Indian surrogates often charge anything from $15,000 upwards, and in the US, for example, where commercial surrogacy is allowed only in certain states, it can cost upwards of $150,000. In India, however, the costs are often well under $30,000.
"Prospective parents won't want to pay that amount, especially for a country where surrogacy laws are ambiguous," says Nepal-based Preeti Bista, cofounder of My Fertility Angel Cambodia.
These clinics will undoubtedly begin hiring Indian surrogates in Cambodia, Bista believes, simply because "they are cheaper".
And some surrogates do not seem averse to this. Hundreds of them had protested against the ban outside the ICMR offices when the ruling was passed.
"I was struggling to pay off a debt of $8,000," Rita says. "I left my home for nine months to stay in a new place. I am grateful I didn't have to travel, but I wouldn't mind if I had to."
That desperation isn't only shared by the surrogate mothers and their families. Surrogacy in India is also the last resort for many infertile couples in countries where surrogacy is either banned or prohibitively expensive.
"The difference between surrogacy costs in India and the US for most infertile couples is the difference between having the option to have a child or not," says New York-based hotelier Arnon Magal, who struggled with infertility for years and sought alternatives, including IVF treatments in Israel and Cyprus and two failed surrogacy pregnancies in India. He was hoping to again hire a surrogate in India this year.
But the ban comes after years of controversies that have plagued the industry, including accusations by rights groups of exploitation of surrogate mothers.
But Mark Henaghan, a New Zealand-based law professor, who follows the issue closely, believes that outlawing international surrogacy will only lead to more abuse of the surrogates.
"It is unlikely that the entire industry will cease now that it has been banned. It seems more likely that a black market or underground industry will spring up in its place, which will afford much less protection for everyone involved, especially the surrogates and the resulting children," says Henaghan.
This was the result when, in 2012, India banned single and gay-couple surrogacy. Neighbouring Nepal, which allowed surrogacy as long as the surrogate was not a Nepalese citizen, emerged as an offshore surrogacy hub with Indian clinics impregnating and then smuggling Indian surrogates across the border into Nepal for deliveries - a foreign country where the mothers' rights were not clearly defined.
It all came to a head in April last year when a massive earthquake hit Nepal and many Indian surrogates were stranded as Israel airlifted its own citizens and their babies, leaving the surrogates stranded in a quake-ravaged country. The country suspended commercial surrogacy the following August.
Bista was a coordinator for an international fertility agency that worked through an Indian clinic when the Nepal earthquake hit. She says they had to send surrogate mothers who were mid-term in their pregnancies back to India, while some others stayed behind in temporary shelters in Nepal to wait out their pregnancies.
"That was horrible," she says.
"Even before the earthquake, there were agencies in Nepal who kept surrogates in overcrowded surrogate houses with 10 or so in a room. Some of them had their children and husbands with them. There was no work for the husbands and it was a very harassing situation for them," she continues.
"I wouldn't deny it won't happen in Cambodia. The only way out is to regulate. When governments ban, people find other locations to continue. And in fact such bans make the surrogates more vulnerable in a third country," Bista says.
Investigations by various journalists and rights groups into the lives of surrogate mothers revealed mistreatment in the surrogate houses, a lack of nutritious food and poor hygiene. The surrogates were also often emotionally distressed.
"Most of the women said they are happy but their answers seemed rehearsed to me," says Janak Sapkota, a local journalist who covered the issue in the aftermath of the Nepal earthquake. "They missed home, their families and their villages."
Everingham, of Families through Surrogacy, visited Cambodia last year to assess the situation and found it far from ideal.
"There is no legislation protecting the rights of the surrogate, child or intended parents," he says. "The ban [in India] will push intended parents to engage in far riskier places like Cambodia, where there is a serious lack of medical support services, such as neonatal care units."
"There is a strong demand for surrogacy and for people to use surrogates to have their genetic child," Henaghan says.
"Where there is demand, it will always find a market."


Acadiana has become known as the home of family friendly Mardi Gras — drawing crowds of more than 300,000 from around the nation and the world.
Mardi Gras in Lafayette may have started out as a small version of New Orleans’ giant party, but it’s grown into its own over the years.
Mardi Gras season, sometimes called Carnival season, begins Jan. 6, on the Christian feasts of the Epiphany and culminates on the day before Ash Wednesday, 47 days before Easter. The celebration dates back thousands of years to pagan spring and fertility rites. Over time, Christianity incorporated popular traditions, and the excess and debauchery of the Mardi Gras season eventually became a prelude to Lent.
This year, Fat Tuesday falls on March 5.
Acadiana has become known as the family friendly alternative to New Orleans Mardi Gras — drawing crowds of more than 300,000 from around the nation and the world.
So, if you are new to the area or one of thousands of visitors, welcome. Consider us your guide to all things Mardi Gras.
Lafayette's Mardi Gras parades begin dowtown at the junction of Simcoe, Surrey and Jefferson streets. The three-mile route winds through downtown and down Johnston to College, ending at Cajun Field.
In Lafayette, parade season traditionally kicks off with is the Krewe of Rio. This year, Rio will be pre-empted by Lafayette's first walking parade, the Krewe des Canailles, which takes place on Friday, Feb. 22.
In the society world, Mardi Gras is like the World Series of social events. Only it takes place over many, many weeks. The gowns, the tuxes, the royalty, the pageants — local Mardi Gras krewes prepare all year for their ball. They are grand affairs that follow time-honored traditions. Even if you don't belong to a krewe or you weren't lucky enough to get a ball invitation, you may want to consult the schedule. Traffic around party venues can be a bear during Mardi Gras.
QUIZ: How much do you know about Lafayette's krewes?
In many areas, king cake is associated with the festival of Epiphany at the end of the Christmas season. In South Louisiana, it is synonymous with Mardi Gras.
Like a traditional French king cake made of puff pastry and marzipan? Prefer a king cake that's braided, filled and fried up like a doughnut? How about a whole-wheat or a gluten-free one? In Acadiana, the king cake options are plenty.
In Cajun Country, Mardi Gras isn't just an event, it describes those dressed in rags and masks who — traditionally — go door to door for community feast ingredients.
The Courir de Mardi Gras, held in many small towns around Acadiana, features costumed men and women on horseback and trucks who travel the countryside to beg neighbors for ingredients to a gumbo, usually with a musical band and onlookers following behind. Once they back in town, a communal gumbo is traditionally cooked and enjoyed, sometimes accompanied by a fais do-do or community dance.
You can experience courirs in such communities as Church Point and Mamou. You can also get a taste of the tradition Feb. 24 at Courir de Mardi Gras at Vermilionville.
Bookmark this page; we will add photos from balls, parades and courirs as they occur.


The European Commission wants new powers to oversee the way new cars are approved before they are sold, but it has never used a key scrutinising power it has had for more than eight years, the EUobserver has learned.
Under current rules, the commission can ask a member state to submit assessments of the test facilities that carry out certification tasks including emissions testing.
But this website learned from a freedom of information request that the commission has never asked for such a report, raising questions about its proposal in January that it should be given more powers.
In order to be allowed to sell a car on the European market, manufacturers need to obtain a certificate, a so-called type approval.
These are handed out by national authorities like the Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) in the UK or the Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt (KBA) in Germany.
However, most of the authorities outsource the actual testing to private companies.
These companies, designated as so-called technical services, have come under scrutiny in the past nine months since it emerged that they had been unable to detect Volkswagen Group (VW) using software to fool the emissions test.
Since these companies are paid directly by car makers, critics of the system are worried there is a conflict of interest.
According to a 2007 directive, national governments are in charge of making sure that the technical services have the proper skills and technical knowledge to do their job.
The directive required member states to demonstrate those skills by providing an assessment report, at least once every three years.
“The assessment report shall be communicated to the commission upon request,” the legislation said.
This website filed a freedom of information request with the commission on 12 April, and asked for all assessment reports the commission had so far received.
On Monday (30 May), the commission told this website that it never had received such documents.
“We regret to inform you that no documents were found that would correspond to the description given in your application,” the commission's directorate for industry said in a letter.
That's because the commission never asked for them.
"We have not had reason to question the technical capability of technical services," EU commission spokeswoman Lucia Caudet told this website.
"Our focus is on improving the testing methodology and the independence of testing.
"We are introducing robust tests to measure emissions in real driving conditions, and will keep refining and reviewing the tests to ensure the strictest emissions limits are really met.
"We have also tabled a full overhaul of the type approval system, including proposals to avoid potential conflicts of interest of technical services, more stringent performance criteria, and regular and independent audits."
If the proposal, which needs approval from member states and the EU parliament, is adopted, the commission would be granted the power “to suspend, restrict or withdraw the designation of technical services that are under-performing and too lax in applying the rules”.


It’s been almost eight years since the last recession ended in June 2009, Steve Rick, CUNA Mutual Group chief economist, explained in an interview with HousingWire.
With economists predicting the next two years won’t bring a recession, that could put the economy on track for its longest period without a recession in modern history, Rick explained.
In fact, he explained that there are no major imbalances in the market at this point that could bring on a recession.
This week, the ADP National Employment Report predicted strong growth for January with the highest increase in jobs since June 2016. It’s predicted increase of 246,000 is significantly higher than previous months.
Rick’s forecast for Friday’s jobs report is a bit more modest at 225,000 jobs, but still significantly above the last several months. He explained that the jump in business optimism since the election of President Donald Trump pushed many employers to create new jobs.
In fact, Trump’s stimulus plans could even push the economy to 3% inflation, instead of the anticipated 2%, Rick said.
Earlier this week, the Federal Open Market Committee opted not to raise rates during its first meeting of the year, confirming economists’ expectations that they will take a more “wait and see” approach.
However, that was only the first of eight scheduled meetings for 2017.
But another economist insisted that even the projected three rate hikes is too many. Jason Obradovich, New American Funding executive vice president of capital markets, explained in an interview with HousingWire that for all its intentions, the Fed probably won’t be raising rates as much as it would like in 2017.
If the Fed does raise rates too fast, Rick explained that could bring an economic slowdown, or even a recession.
For now, however, the economy is currently enjoying its third longest period without a recession, according to the National Bureau of Economic Research. The longest period was 10 years in the 1990s and the second was just under nine years in the 1960s.


A legally blind Ormond Beach man was attempting to wash dishes Tuesday evening when his father yelled and spit at him for not cleaning them right because of his blindness, an official said.
A legally blind Ormond Beach man was attempting to wash dishes Tuesday evening when his father yelled and spit at him for not cleaning them the right way because of his blindness, an official said.
Harley Steedley Jr., 23, went to his room after his father, Harley Steedley Sr., 43, yelled at him for not doing the dishes correctly, according to a Volusia County sheriff's charging affidavit. Steedley Sr. tried to break his son's door by punching it, so Steedley Jr. went outside to get away, deputies said.
Steedley Jr.'s younger brother, who Steedley Jr. was going to stay with for the night, arrived at the home on Hibiscus Drive and heard Steedley Sr. say, "I think I'm going to jail," and admit to spitting in his son's face, according to the affidavit. When the deputy arrived on scene, Steedley Sr. claimed his son spit on him, but the 23-year-old said if he did it was not intentional and he couldn't have seen the spit anyway.
After Steedley Sr. was put in the back of the patrol car, he threatened he would give his son the beating he was arrested for upon getting out of jail, according to the affidavit. Steedley Sr. then said he was depressed and took two unknown pills before the fight.
When asked about the depression and pills, Steedley Sr. told the deputy "I just ate sweet tarts how about that," according to the affidavit. Steedley Sr. continued to be uncooperative, said he would refuse medical treatment and then claimed he took five cold pills.
Steedley Sr. is charged with battery and abuse of a disabled adult without great harm and is being held at the Volusia County Branch Jail, records show. He has no set bail.


We learned last week that the radio show Brian Ward and I host on AM 1280 the Patriot is coming to an end. The station has sold our 12-1 hour on Saturdays to someone who is willing to pay for the privilege of broadcasting. They are working on selling the 11-12 hour and expect to do so within the next few weeks. Apparently the amount the station can command by filling the time slot with infomercials exceeds the advertising revenue for our show, even though our ratings have been good. Very good, if you take into account our zero budget and the station’s erratic signal, and add those who listen on the internet.
But that’s how it goes. Our relationship with WWTC has always been a marriage of convenience; no money ever changed hands. Because they didn’t pay us, the station never told us what to do. It’s been a remarkable thing, over the last five or six years, to be able to commandeer a radio station for two hours a week to do whatever we wanted. I’ve often said that everyone should have a radio show.
There is a great deal I will miss about being on the Patriot. Because of our involvement in local politics and connections made through this web site (along with a certain amount of chutzpah on our part) a remarkable succession of guests appeared on our program. The opportunity to interview authors, politicians and others was great, and I often podcasted those interviews as well. I will, of course, miss our annual appearances at the Minnesota State Fair.
The 12-1 hour is already gone, but this morning I will do a farewell show from 11 to 12, central time. Brian is too brokenhearted (or ticked off at the Patriot, I’m not sure which) to appear, but I will do a one-hour show to say goodbye to our listeners and leave them with some final thoughts.
There is an outside chance that the show might be reincarnated on another station. Most likely, though, it will be time to turn the page on this aspect of our civic involvement.


NEW DELHI: Over fifteen years after the Concorde — the world’s first and only supersonic aircraft to be used commercially — retired, US aerospace major Boeing has announced it is working on the next-gen aircraft that will be able to go faster than the speed of sound.
Boeing has partnered with an American company, Aerion Supersonic, to build a business jet AS2 that can go upto Mach 1.4 or about 1,600 mph — that is up to 70% faster than today’s business jets. The AS2 will save about three hours on a trans-Atlantic flight and is slated for first flight in 2023.
Boeing announced Tuesday Aerion’s AS2 will be the first supersonic business jet to market, with the aircraft major providing financial, engineering and industrial resources. “As part of the agreement, Boeing made a significant investment in Aerion to accelerate technology development and aircraft design, and unlock supersonic air travel for new markets… Boeing will provide engineering, manufacturing and flight test resources, as well as strategic vertical content, to bring Aerion’s AS2 supersonic business jet to market,” Boeing said in a statement.
“Boeing is leading a mobility transformation that will safely and efficiently connect the world faster than ever before. This is a strategic and disciplined leading-edge investment in further maturing supersonic technology. Through this partnership that combines Aerion’s supersonic expertise with Boeing’s global industrial scale and commercial aviation experience, we have the right team to build the future of sustainable supersonic flight,” said Steve Nordlund, VP and GM of Boeing NeXT. Boeing NeXt is working on a “new mobility ecosystem” that include autonomous air vehicles and passenger-carrying hypersonic aircraft.
Founded in 2003 to develop new, more efficient aerodynamic technologies for supersonic aircraft, Aerion introduced its AS2 12-passenger business jet design in 2014. The company unveiled the AS2’s GE Affinity engine design in 2018.
“Aerion is the industry leader mapping out a successful, sustainable return to supersonic flight. The AS2 is the launch point for the future of regulatory-compliant and efficient supersonic flight. Together with Boeing, we’re creating a faster, more connected future with tremendous possibilities for enhancing humanity’s productivity and potential,” said Tom Vice, chairman, president and CEO of Aerion.


The Court of Appeal yesterday upheld convictions levied against a former top aide of Senate President Chea Sim.
He was sentenced last year to a total of 36 years in prison by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court and Military Court on a raft of charges related to construction projects and land swaps.
Presiding judge Seng Sivutha upheld the sentence of Chhoeun Chanthan – who was also Chea Sim’s former chief body guard – as well as a $3 million repayment of stolen funds.
Chanthan was charged on nine counts in total, including breach of trust and embezzlement of state property – allegations repeatedly denied by Chantan.
Defence lawyer Put Theavy said he would be appealing the verdict, calling the outcome “highly unjust”.
Chanthan was arrested by military police in August 2011 during a raid in which they seized an Okano gun with three cases of bullets, five pistols, an AK-47 assault rifle, a machine gun and more than 1,400 bullets.


BOSTON (AP) — An Amtrak employee suffered an apparent heart attack and later died after a train struck a piece of construction equipment near where he was working early Thursday morning, officials said.
The Albany, N.Y.-to-Boston train was traveling slightly below the 30 mph speed limit when it struck a forklift just before 2 a.m. a short distance from South Station, its final stop, Amtrak spokesman Cliff Cole said.
Stephen M. Parker, 50, of Raynham, died after the crash, said Joe Pesaturo, a spokesman for the MBTA.
An Amtrak employee suffered an apparent heart attack and later died after a train struck a piece of construction equipment near where he was working early Thursday morning, officials said.
Parker had been working for Amtrak near the tracks as a flag man, which required him to communicate with contractors, Amtrak engineers and train personnel to ensure safety during construction projects.
None of the 23 passengers on the train were hurt. They were put on a MBTA train and taken to South Station. Commuter rail service was not affected.
There are multiple tracks in that stretch and Cole at first said the equipment was on a track it should not have been on. Later, though, he said that was uncertain and being investigated.
But Pesaturo said it was “indisputable” that the forklift was on a track where it was not authorized to be.
The MBTA owns the tracks, but Amtrak maintains them, he said.
The equipment belonged to Cashman Construction, a Massachusetts Turnpike Authority contractor working on the Washington Street bridge above the tracks, Pesaturo said.
Cashman Construction said a preliminary review indicated its crew “took all safety precautions as required by Amtrak and positioned equipment as directed by Amtrak.” It pledged to cooperate with authorities investigating the crash.


Limericks Bill Kurtis reads three news-related limericks: Skullface – Book – Wastebasket, Relish The Taste and Shower Flower.
Bill Kurtis reads three news-related limericks: Skullface – Book – Wastebasket, Relish The Taste and Shower Flower.
Coming up, it's Lightning Fill In The Blank. But first, it's the game where you have to listen for the rhyme. If you'd like to play on the air, call or leave a message at 1-888-WAITWAIT, that's 1-888-924-8924. Or click the contact us link on our website, waitwait.npr.org. There, you can find out about attending our shows here at the Chase Bank Auditorium in Chicago and our upcoming show at Tanglewood in Lenox, Mass. on June 21.
Hi. You're on WAIT WAIT... DON'T TELL ME.
JILL PADEN: Hi. I'm Jill Paden, and I'm from Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
HONG: Hi. How's things in Fort Lauderdale?
PADEN: Pretty wonderful, I have to say.
HONG: And what do you do down there in Fort Lauderdale?
PADEN: I'm an overeducated stay-at-home mom of two wonderful boys who will love the poop train story, by the way.
PADEN: Cannot wait for them to hear that.
HONG: What is it about boys and poop?
HONG: Woo. I'm excited, too.
PAULA POUNDSTONE: Don't get ahead of yourself, Jill.
HONG: Here is your first limerick.
KURTIS: Who would get that?
HONG: I mean, that was a hard one. Teachers have finally figured out how to teach Shakespeare to bored teens - translating it into emoji. Forget about, what light through yonder window breaks - now it's light bulb, window, girl face, peach, #Juliet.
HONG: #I love reading. While some educators say that the rise of emoji-based learning is damaging to both students and teachers, we say frown face. Quit being such losers. Eye roll. Why bother reading all of "Oedipus" when you could save a ton of time reading an eggplant, a mom emoji and then 1,000 puke faces?
POUNDSTONE: You know, that's just so terrible. I mean, screens don't belong in the classroom to begin with. And the idea that everything you teach has to somehow be cutesy to entertain the children. You know, and then we wonder why they - you have to get the court system to get them out of your house when they're 30.
HONG: Here's your next limerick, Jill.
HONG: Hot dog. A survey found 43 percent of Americans are very sensible and don't want to know what's in hot dogs. And the other 57 percent are in hot dogs.
HONG: Mystery meat solved. Americans eat 20 billion hot dogs a year. But, to be fair, most of those were by Mitt Romney.
HONG: Even so, that is a lot of people willing to eat what is essentially a blind date with a meat tube.
HONG: Enough about me - what about you? Well, I'm mostly rat hair.
HONG: You guys eat hot dogs? I've stopped.
ADAM FELBER: I will now.
HONG: All right, Jill. Here's your last limerick.
KURTIS: Shower. You've been practicing.
HONG: Yes. Excellent, Jill. If you're wondering what people are doing in their showers these days, you've come to the right place, Mike Pence.
HONG: People are showering with their plants, but not in a gross romantic way - in a gross, humidifying way. The idea is you load your shower up with eucalyptus branches, turn the water on and suddenly, your bathroom is filled with a fresh, healthy scent, a bunch of wet leaves and a confused koala bear.
HONG: Bill, how did Jill do?
KURTIS: You know, Jill was really good. She got them all right.
HONG: Jill, great job. Thank you so much for playing our game.
PADEN: Thank you very much for having me.


On Wednesday 2nd May the Gaza Center for Political and Development Studies staged a ceremony to award a group of writers and activists addressing prisoners’ issues. The ceremony, sponsored by The Islamic Society-Jabalyia (ISJ) and Viva Palestina-Malaysia, was attended by dozens of activists at the prisoners’ tent at the Square of the Unknown Soldier in Gaza City.
"This event takes place in order to support Palestinian political prisoners in their struggle for their inalienable human rights. A year ago, CPDS announced a creative writing contest to promote prisoners rights. We received more than 20 submissions by activists from different countries. This competition is to encourage people to keep telling the story of Palestinians’ suffering. Today we are celebrating those activists and encouraging other young writers who can convey the message of those who sacrificed their happiness, families and future to defend our collective rights as Palestinians," said Dr Mahmoud Alhirthani, CPDS chairman.
"Without the support of different bodies, this effort would not have succeeded. Thanks to the Islamic Society in Jabalia and thanks to Viva Palestina Malaysia, who help CPDS and provide us with the support necessary to stand by the prisoners. This support is enabling an Arabic opera to be subtitled in English and a number of reports on the prisoners to be translated into English," he added.
The event, the first of its kind in Gaza, was attended by ex-prisoner Chris Bandak, who was freed in the last swap which took place in October 2011 and deported to Gaza. In his speech, Bandak highlighted the importance of supporting prisoners.
"Palestinian prisoners expect us to stand by them. They have nothing to fight the armed soldiers with but their stomachs and resilience. If you fail them, you fail Palestine. They are the symbol of our eternal struggle," he noted.
Eng. Abdul-Reheem Shihab, ISJ chairman, stressed the importance of supporting prisoners who are subjected to humiliation in the occupation jails. "The Society supported prisoners-related activities and will keep doing that," he concluded.
The ceremony is one in a series CPDS has held to award young writers who write about Palestine. The center is set to hold a course on Writing Press Releases for the Western Media to get the word about Palestine out to the English speaking world and western media outlets.


1. A food processor opens up a world of possibilities, such as hot soups or icy cold concoctions. It may be a bit bulky, but processors can be used to make raw desserts, banana ice cream and pie crusts. For more savory options, processors are great for quickly ricing and shredding vegetables. Get your own for less than $30 on Amazon.
2. Wooden spoons are going to be your new best friends. Metal tools scratch many pots and pans, but wood won’t cause them any harm. They can be used to stir up hot mixtures, such as soups or stews, or for room-temperature treats, such as cookie dough and brownie batter. Prices range from $5–$20, depending on the size and quality.
3. A stainless steel cookie dough scoop will ensure your cookies look the same shape and size. They come in a variety of sizes — a two-tablespoon size is perfect for your average cookie — and double as ice cream or muffin batter scoops. A good one will cost about $15.
4. Oven mitts are critical for safety in the kitchen. Make sure the oven mitts you’re using are durable and won’t let heat get to your hands. Silicone oven mitts are the best option. They won’t tear or stain and double as trivets underneath hot pans. Guarantee a cooking career free of burns for around $30.
5. Non-stick baking mats are key to making sure your baking projects don’t stick to the pan, and you’ll never have to use parchment or wax paper again. They’re also great when rolling out bread dough and trying not to make the biggest mess imaginable. They come in different sizes, and prices range from about $10–$30.
6. Sheet pans are the wonder of the kitchen that can do no wrong. They’re great for baking cookies, sheet cakes or entire meals. Throw a bunch of veggies tossed in olive oil in there and you’re good to go. Not to mention that the cleanup is a breeze. Find a set of two on Amazon for about $30.
7. A good wood cutting board lasts a lifetime if it’s taken care of. Obviously, they’re great for cutting and preparing foods, but they also work as serving boards for your fancy cheese and wine parties. Invest at least $20 for a quality board that will serve you well.


France was stepping up efforts on Monday to persuade world powers to impose a no-fly zone over Libya, as Muammar Gaddafi’s troops battled rebel fighters for control of the strategic oil town of Brega.
France said on Sunday it would consult other powers “in the coming hours” to try to set up such a zone to assure the protection of civilians “in the face of the terrible violence suffered by the Libyan population”.
It said the Arab League’s weekend call on the United Nations to impose such a zone showed the world’s concern for Libyan civilians.
Arab support satisfies one of three conditions set by Nato for it to police Libyan air space. The others were proof that its help was needed, and a UN Security Council resolution.
On the ground, government troops advancing east took Brega early on Sunday in what looked like an increasingly confident drive towards the rebel stronghold of Benghazi.
However, the rebels, inspired by the overthrow of the Tunisian and Egyptian presidents to try to end Gaddafi’s four-decade rule, said they had re-taken Brega on Sunday night. There was no way of verifying the rival claims.
The government, whose forces had previously captured Ras Lanuf, another oil town 100km west of Brega, said earlier it was certain of victory and threatened to “bury” the rebels, whom it linked to al-Qaeda and “foreign security services”.
Gaddafi himself met the Russian, Chinese and Indian ambassadors and urged their countries to invest in Libya’s oil sector, badly disrupted by the uprising and the flight of tens of thousands of expatriates oil workers.
Libyan oil exports have been badly disrupted by the fighting, lack of staff, international sanctions and the refusal of international banks to fund trade deals.
Some experts say it may take a year for output to recover to its previous level of about 1,6-million barrels per day.
International crude prices fell by about $1 a barrel on Gaddafi regaining territory over the weekend.
At the United Nations, a diplomat told Reuters the Security Council would hold consultations on a no-fly zone on Monday.
Russia and China, diplomats said, would have difficulty vetoing authorisation for a no-fly when the Arab League had requested it.
Envoys said Moscow and Beijing might prefer to abstain when the issue came to a vote.
France hosts a Group of Eight foreign ministers’ meeting on Monday and said they would discuss the violence in Libya.
The Libyan government said it would welcome an African Union panel to try to help resolve the crisis, but condemned the Arab League call for a no-fly zone, describing it as “a dangerous act for Arab security that only serves the Zionist enemy”.
Time, however, is short for ill-equipped rebels facing far superior firepower, including warplanes and helicopters.
A Libyan government army source told state television on Sunday: “Brega has been cleansed of armed gangs,” and rebel fighters retreating eastwards were demoralised.
Brega is 220km south of the rebel stronghold of Benghazi and Ajdabiyah is the only sizeable town between them.
The flat desert terrain means the government’s aircraft and tanks outweigh the rebels’ enthusiasm and light weaponry, except in towns where the odds against the rebels are reduced.
State television carried a confident official message. “We are certain of our victory, whatever the price,” it said.
“Those acts of division will be buried together with those who committed them, who are linked to foreign security services and the terrorist organisation al Qaeda,” it said.
Late on Sunday, rebel media officer Mustafa Gheriani told reporters in Benghazi the rebels had retaken Brega, killed 25 Gaddafi fighters and taken 20 prisoners.
The Libyan conflict has escalated from a popular uprising similar to protests that toppled the leaders of Tunisia and Egypt and have shaken other countries in the region. It is now more akin to a civil war.
Protests in the capital had stopped.
Fresh from crushing the revolt in Zawiyah, west of Tripoli, elite government troops and tanks turned to Misrata, Libya’s third biggest city with 300 000 people and the only pocket of rebel resistance outside the east.