The shabu shabu trend continues at Shabu Shabu Bangkok on Kapahulu Avenue, where owner Keo Sananikone has blended his famous Thai cuisine with this hot pot craze.
The Vegetable Combo ($14.95) showcases a variety of tofu, mushrooms and freshly mixed vegetables.
The Panang Curry may be ordered with shrimp and scallops ($15.95).
A tasty dessert features ube, coconut and mango ice cream ($6.95).
The restaurant opened its doors last September in Kapahulu, and Sananikone says shabu shabu is the perfect choice for those who are health conscious.
Whether it’s chicken, beef, vegetarian or Tom Yum (Thai lemon grass) broth, a foundation of delicious items has been laid out for Shabu Shabu Bangkok’s valued customers. Diners can select from an array of shabu shabu dishes, including the Vegetable Combo ($14.95), Seafood Combo ($19.95) and Meat Combo ($17.95). According to Sananikone, the Vegetable and Seafood combos are often the most-requested dishes on the menu.
“The vegetable combo features freshly mixed vegetables with a variety of tofu and mushrooms, and the seafood combo consists of shrimp, scallops, calamari, mussels, clams, fish, fish and shrimp cake, and shrimp wonton,” he says.
Carnivores should take notice of the meat combo, which offers up an enticing array of beef, pork, chicken, pork and beef meatballs and pork wonton.
Shabu shabu can be categorized as comfort food, but it’s Sananikone’s special dipping sauces that gratify patrons. Guests can request the house’s specialty red bean curd sauce, a light, tasty and mild soy offering; a cilantro lime sauce, which features a dash of chili pepper; a mild green onion sauce or the always spicy Thai Tom Yum sauce.
“Believe it or not, we actually have a lot of people who add intestine, liver, tendon and stomach to their shabu shabu,” Sananikone states. Those with a weak stomach, however, should stick with noodles, or the additional vegetable, meat or seafood instead. Of course, these ingredients also come with an additional cost.
While shabu shabu has proven to be the mainstay here, diners can order from the Thai cuisine menu as well. Chef Urai prepares close to 40 menu items with plans to expand the list in the near future.
Spring Rolls ($7.95) served with fresh lettuce, cucumber slices, mint leaves, pickled carrots and daikon paired with a special vinaigrette dipping sauce is the recommended appetizer, and the famous Bangkok-style Panang Curry is a delightful entree. The Panang Curry features an exotic mix of kaffir lime leaves, fresh ground lemon grass, peas and fresh spices. Spicy and flavorful, the curry can be ordered with shrimp and scallops for $15.95 or with chicken for $12.95.
Finally, cleanse your palate with a refreshing dessert showcasing ube, coconut and mango ice cream for $6.95.


Flu's here! Monitor status at Seasonal Respiratory Virus Surveillance.
For Strong Hospital 24-hour information on test status and results, or to request courier pickup, call (585) 350-2600.
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For requisitions, to discuss options for report delivery, or other questions regarding physician services, call client services at (585) 350-2600.


First news roundup of May. Some good, some bad.
The Building Indicator Project database -- created and compiled by our friends at the University Neighborhood Housing Program (UNHP) -- is being hailed by city officials and advocates as a huge step in helping housing agencies identify problem buildings. According to the database, the number of financially and/or physically distressed buildings is up 19% from last year. Subscriptions to the database should be available in June.
A nice story by the Daily News' Wayne Coffey about a 25-year-old Lehman College baseball player, named Alberto Alicea, who has endured through a rough upbringing and the battlefields in Iraq to find peace on the ball field.
The Bronx's Bangladeshi community is banding together to combat what they say is becoming a wave of hate crimes against them.
The contest to name the Bronx Zoo's new lion cubs is turning a "battle of the boroughs."
A Mott Haven father who was shot in twice in the chest, allegedly by his wife's former lover, is going to live.
In six city school districts with minority populations, including one in the south Bronx, not enough local kids are qualifying for the gifted and talented programs. Advocates say this highlights the city's achievement gap.
The state appeals court threw out a $10 million verdict against the city. The lawsuit was awarded to a Bronx woman was was shot in the face by her ex-boyfriend in 1996 after police told her she would be safe.


Police say a Gastonia man had almost three pounds of marijuana in his house.
Marquis Antiqus Thomasson has been charged with felony possession of marijuana.
According to arrest warrants, Thomasson had bricks of marijuana at his apartment on Union Road. He also had a bag of marijuana packed to sell, an officer wrote in the warrant affidavit.
Thomasson, 29, was arrested Friday and held on a $20,000 secured bond.


True story: A few years ago I was so over dating that I forgot it was Valentine's Day until I decided to go see a movie alone.
Only after a sea of couples confronted me in the lobby of AMC at the Levee did I remember. I also became painfully aware of just how "single" I was.
"Who goes to see a movie alone on Valentine's Day?" I thought.
I then put on a brave face, bought a single ticket for some horrible action movie and ordered a trashcan-sized tub of popcorn so I could sit in a mostly-empty theater for an hour and a half eating my feelings. They were salty.
I also set a smartphone reminder for Valentine's Day the next year.
Because of this, I also feel it's my civic duty to offer the following suggestions for single people who either want to avoid the holiday, watch it burn in effigy or just go out and have some fun this Thursday.
Find strength in numbers with these anti-Valentine events.
Singles Awareness Day: 5-10 p.m. Thursday. 3 Points Urban Brewery, 331 E. 13th St., Pendleton. Warm your cold, dark heart next to a burn barrel fueled by photos of exes this Valentine's Day at 3 Points Urban Brewery. If you have leftover clothes from the ex, the brewery will also collect them and then donate them to a local shelter. Bonus: There will be a marathon screening of "Cheaters" on 3 Points big screen. For more information visit the event Facebook page.
Anti-Valentine's Party: 3 p.m.-midnight Thursday. The Brass Tap, 8720 Bankers St., Florence. Still feeling the sting of your last relationship? Then this Anti-Valentine's Party at the Brass Tap in Florence is for you. You'll get 10 percent off your tab if you bring a photo of your ex and feed it through the bar's shredder. There will also be a heart-shaped pinata to take your frustration out on; a special Bingo game where the winner gets a massage from Elements Massage; and you'll get to take home some free Rhinegeist glassware. For more information visit the event Facebook page.
Bitter Ball: 10 p.m.-2:30 a.m. Thursday. Tin Roof, 160 E. Freedom Way, Downtown. Who cares if you're single on the most "romantic" holiday of the year? The Tin Roof invites you to gather your single friends and rock the riverfront during its annual Bitter Ball: A Valentine's Day Redemption Party. The evening will feature live music by Matt Waters and a whole lot of fun. For more information visit the event Facebook page.
My Bloody Valentine: 7-11:30 p.m. Thursday. Overlook Lodge, 6083 Montgomery Road, Pleasant Ridge. The Overlook Lodge is taking a twisted approach to celebrating Valentine's Day. The rustic watering hole will screen the classic slasher flicks "Scream" and "The Evil Dead," both of which feature relationships that go absurdly, gorily wrong.
Louisville-based Angel's Envy Distillery is sponsoring the double feature, which will also include pizza, desserts and a raffling of prizes from the distillery, Revolution Rotisserie and bar owner Gorilla Cinema Presents. The Overlook Lodge plans to donate proceeds from the sale of raffle tickets to Love Must Win, an organization founded on the principles of helping people learn to love and accept themselves and others. For more information visit the event Facebook page.
It's amazing how much good drink and food can comfort a lonely heart.
Burger Love Night at Oakley Bones’ Burgers: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Thursday. Bones' Burgers, 3235 Madison Road, Oakley. Bones' Burgers is the bomb. Their fries are tasty, too. So, if you plan on eating your feelings, why not enjoy $2 off wine, $5 draft beer and $1 off Bones' fries and chili cheese fries this Valentine's Day? For more information visit the event Facebook page.
Wing Night with Renegade Grille: 5-9 p.m. Thursday. Listermann Brewing Co., 1621 Dana Ave., Evanston. What do you know, Valentine's Day just happens to fall on Renegade Grille's weekly wing night. Get a pint of Listermann's tasty beer and wings for just $11. For more information visit the event Facebook page.
The odds of finding true love during a speed date aren't probably the greatest, but if you're single and willing to mingle, Pure Romance is sponsoring two such events on Valentine's Day.
Speed Dating & Stoplight Party: 7 p.m.-1 a.m. Thursday. Queen City Radio, 222 W. 12th St., Over-the-Rhine. First up is the "Love Bash: Speed Daiting and Spotlight Party" at Queen City Radio in Over-the-Rhine. Pure Romance is sponsoring the speed date portion of this event, and the company will give away a free gift and glass of champagne to those looking for love. Advanced participant registration is required for this limited-seating event. DJ Jacoby will then spin some love vibes from 9 p.m.-1 a.m. during the Spotlight Party, which is open to all. Show up wearing green if you're single; yellow if you want people to ask if you're ready to mingle; or red if you're already taken. For more information visit the event Facebook page.
Speed Dating at Mt. Adams Pavilion: 6-9 p.m. Thursday. Mt. Adams Pavilion, 949 Pavilion St., Mount Adams. Pure Romance is also taking part in Mt. Adams Pavilion's annual speed date. Local radio station KISS 107.1 will also be on hand for the afterparty at the popular nightclub. This is definitely a 21-and-over event. For more information visit the event Facebook page.


Disabled people and their families are challenging the government's decision to cut housing benefit for recipients living in properties deemed too large.
Lawyers for 10 families are at the High Court arguing the move - dubbed a "bedroom tax" by critics - will force them from their homes.
They say the changes discriminate against them because they need extra rooms to cope with their disability.
Ministers say their changes are legal and bring back fairness to the system.
About 660,000 working-age social housing households judged to have too many bedrooms have lost an average of £14 per week since their benefit was cut at the beginning of April.
The 10 families, all disabled or the parents of disabled children, are challenging the changes during a three-day hearing.
Lawyers for one London family say they live in a damp, one-bedroom flat infested with mice. One son has autism, the other has Down Syndrome.
The child with autism sleeps in the bedroom while his mother, father and brother sleep on the floor in the living room.
Due to the changes, they say they cannot afford to move to the larger property authorities say they need.
Jacqueline Carmichael has spina bifida and needs to sleep in a hospital bed which, she argues, her husband and fulltime carer cannot share.
He sleeps in their spare room as there is not enough space in hers for a second bed.
In 2011, six-year-old Isaac was assaulted by the then partner of his mother, leaving him traumatised. He and his mother were made homeless and assessed as needing three bedrooms because, solicitors say, of Isaac's behavioural and mental issues.
His mother lost £15.52 a week on 1 April when the council judged they were under-occupying.
Martin Westgate QC, appearing for the families, told the judges: "Each of the claimants has a need, because of disability, to occupy accommodation larger than that which would be allowed to them under the size criteria."
Outside court, BBC correspondent Michael Buchanan said Mr Westgate argued the properties had been given to the families by their own local authorities, who assessed them as "needing the spare bedrooms to live with their disability".
Mr Westgate said the new regulations undermined the government's stated aim of encouraging "localism", as although allocations had been made in recognition of their needs, restrictions from central government meant they could no longer afford the homes given to them.
One of the claimants, widower Richard Rourke, who uses a wheelchair, has had his housing benefit cut by 25% because he was deemed to have two spare rooms.
He says he has a disabled stepdaughter at university who stays in one of the rooms when she returns home, and that the second - a box room - is used for storing essential equipment, including a hoist for him and a shower seat.
Lawyers for the 10 will argue the benefit cut is discriminatory and violates the Human Rights Act and Equality Act.
They say the £25m the government has made available to help disabled people affected by the benefit cuts is insufficient.
"My clients are disabled children and their families who don't have a spare room," said one of the families' solicitors, Rebekah Carrier.
"Many families up and down the country are, like my clients, desperately worried about losing their homes."
There has been fierce political argument about the new housing benefit rules, which supporters say withdraws a "spare room subsidy".
In the House of Lords on Wednesday, Welfare Minister Lord Freud was challenged about the rules, and told about the death of one woman who was said to have been worried about affording her home following the benefit changes.
Asked "how many people would have to commit suicide" before the government accepted that its policy was wrong, Lord Freud answered it was not appropriate for him to comment on the case.
However, he pointed out that discretionary payments were available for local councils to use in difficult cases. He said the government was "keeping a very close eye" on the housing benefit change.
The judicial review is going ahead after ministers lost an attempt to have the action thrown out last month.
A spokesman for the Department of Work and Pensions, which is responsible for the changes, said: "We are confident that these measures are lawful and they do not discriminate against disabled claimants or those with shared care of children."
He said it was "only right" to bring back fairness to the system and pointed out there were "two million households on the social housing waiting list and over a quarter of a million tenants... living in overcrowded homes".
The department said it is giving councils £150m to help vulnerable residents with the benefit changes.
Intended to reduce a £21bn annual housing benefit bill, the measure is also aimed at encouraging greater mobility in the social rented sector.


Louis Head, who is married to Lesley McSpadden, the young man’s mother, could be seen screaming that call and stronger ones at a gathering in Ferguson shortly after the grand jury’s “no bill” decision in the case of Ferguson police Officer Darren Wilson was announced late Nov. 24.
Head isn’t the focus of the inquiry, St. Louis County police Sgt. Brian Schellman tokd NBC News. His comments are just one part of a county and state investigation into arson, looting, destruction of property and other alleged offenses the night of Nov. 24, Schellman said.
No timetable was given for the inquiry, the results of which will be turned over to the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.


EL RENO, Okla. – A Beckham County man was arrested after allegedly beating and choking his girlfriend and leading officers on a manhunt.
The Canadian County Sheriff’s Office arrested 33-year-old Kyle Guy following a five-hour manhunt near Caddo Jake Bridge.
Guy’s girlfriend called deputies, saying she had been choked and beaten by Guy.
Hours after the initial call, someone spotted Guy walking along the Caddo Jake Bridge.
Deputies with the Canadian County Sheriff’s Office used two K9 tracking teams, two helicopters and four ATVs in their search for Guy.
“I can’t tell you how much the four wheelers made a difference in covering ground quicker, and the difference it made having close air support during this manhunt,” said Sheriff Randall Edwards.
Guy was taken into custody approximately a half mile from the nearest county road.
Guy was arrested for domestic assault and battery by strangulation. He was also wanted on an outstanding domestic violence by strangulation charge in Beckham County.


WASHINGTON, D.C. (WSFA) - Alabama’s only Democratic representative in the U.S. House is taking on another duty after her party gained control of the chamber in the most recent election cycle.
Wednesday, Rep. Terri Sewell, D-District 7, was appointed to lead the House Subcommittee on Defense and Warfighter Support. She’ll also serve on the Subcommittee on Intelligence Modernization and Readiness.
Sewell’s office released descriptions on both posts.
The Subcommittee on Defense Intelligence and Warfighter Support oversees policies and programs focused on providing the nation’s warfighters accurate, timely and relevant intelligence in support of military operations. This subcommittee will foster greater awareness, collaboration and more effective deployment of resources across the Intelligence Committee related to the collection, processing, exploitation and dissemination of strategic and tactical intelligence.
The Subcommittee on Intelligence Modernization and Readiness oversees policies and programs focused on ensuring that the intelligence enterprise is staffed, trained and equipped to advance its mission and that all 17 members of the I have the workforce, infrastructure and services they need to succeed, while leveraging the totality of the nation’s resources. This subcommittee will foster greater awareness, collaboration and more effective deployment of resources across the Intelligence Community on issues of human capital management, security clearance reform, IT modernization and an array of enterprise-wide, cross-cutting initiatives.
Alabama has a robust national security presence in Huntsville, Anniston, Montgomery and the Wiregrass, Sewell said, adding the state is home to federally-recognized military and civilian leaders in the cyber security field and to Boeing, EADS, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and other numerous defense contractors and aerospace research companies that support thousands of jobs for citizens throughout the state.
In addition to these duties, Sewell is Vice Chair of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee and a Chief Deputy Whip.


Microsoft Corp. today pushed out software updates to plug at least 11 separate security holes in its Windows operating system and other software.
Windows users can grab the updates via the Microsoft Update Web site, through Automatic Updates, or download individual patches from the Microsoft Download Center.
Four of the vulnerabilities earned a "critical" rating from Redmond, its most severe. Microsoft labels flaws "critical" if they can be exploited remotely with little if any help from the user.
Updates are available for most versions of Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, and Microsoft Office.
Four of the flaws reside in Office, from Office 2000 all the way up to the latest -- Office 2007. Office patches also are available through Microsoft Update, unless you're an Office 2000 user, in which case you'll need to pay a visit to the Office Update site to complete this month's patch cycle. Office 2000 users also may need to have their Office installation CD handy to finish the installation.
One interesting vulnerability patched today stems from a problem with the firewall built into Windows Vista PCs. From the advisory, there is an "information disclosure vulnerability in Windows Vista that could allow a remote anonymous attacker to send inbound network traffic to the affected system. It would be possible for the attacker to gain information about the system over the network." Microsoft notes that an attacker would still need to know a valid user name and password for the targeted Vista system to access any programs or other resources on the machine.
Companies often take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks to deploy patches, allowing time to test the updates to be sure that they do not break existing software applications. But home users should not delay in applying these updates. If you've heeded my oft-uttered advice to run your system under a limited user account, you will need to log in using an administrator account to install patches.
These latest updates have failed to install several times now for me. I'm running XP Home, SP2 and haven't had this trouble before. Judging from the MS discussion forum, I'm not the only one having serious trouble getting it to work. Fortunately, it doesn't seem to be interfering with or affecting other programs although the bloody update icon won't go away.
Since MS help is next to useless, and since I'm not ready to buy a Mac (but will, next viable opportunity), what do we do - wait for next month's fix?
Note that the comment in the SANS article is correct: if you have (on Windows) both Internet Explorer and Firefox plugins, you need to get both updates.
BK - I've done more research on the net on this & it appears that the problems with these patches are fairly widespread, involving mostly XP users but some Vista as well. For me, the updates failed to install on my PC (XP Home, SP2) although there was a "serious error" message from MS; I stopped them from installing on my laptop (XP Home/Media Edition, SP2).
Given this, BK, I question your well-intended advice to home users, urging them to download & install immediately. Do you know of a fix for these problems?
I have turned off these updates & won't do anything with them until I see there's a fix that doesn't require a rocket science work-around, and that won't wreck my PC or laptop.
Yes, Macs are looking pretty darn good.
And as for MS, may TWO thousand jackals sit on its collective grave.
It seems there are a number of readers struggling with the MS07-040 patch for the .NET framework on what appears to be mostly clients.
The reports we got so far seem not to lead to any specific thing that happens in many cases, just various things going haywire. We really do appreciate the heads-up warnings we get from our readers as it allows to write little warnings like this one.
If you run into trouble do call Microsoft and open a case, it's the only way to get attention to the problem from those who know best how to fix it. It should be free. In the US: call 1-866-PCSAFETY, check their website for other countries, support with patches should always be free.
Do read through for your specific combination of .NET framework version and you specific OS the relevant KB, some of them were prepared in anticipation of certain problems. They are all linked from KB 931212 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/931212/en-us).


It might be said that Filipino cuisine is a culinary anthropologist’s playground.
With about 144 distinct ethnolinguistic groups throughout more than 7,000 islands of the Philippine archipelago, there are infinite flavors to be explored.
Quite a few of these flavors can be found throughout Max’s of Manila’s menu. In fact, starting this month, customers can try variations of a delicious traditional soup called bulalo. Believed to have originated in Southern Luzon, in the Philippines’ famed cattle country, bulalo begins with a beef broth rich with fat and collagen.
According to general manager Maly San Luis, Max’s now offers a quartet of bulalo dishes at its two Oahu locations. “The main ingredient is a cross-cut beef shank simmered for hours to achieve tenderness and flavor,” notes San Luis.
Nilagang Bulalo (Osso Buco Soup), at $16.95, has a subtly complex natural flavor from the shank. It’s loaded with corn, bok choy and cabbage, and is served in a big soup bowl, enough to feed three or four diners.
For those who like a little drama with their beef, Sizzling Nilagang Bulalo (Sizzling Osso Buco with Gravy, $16.95) is a blazing-hot platter of this savory dish.
Similarly flavored, but with tamarind for added tang, Sinigang Na Bulalo (Osso Buco Tamarind Soup, $17.50) features tomato, daikon, long beans, ong choi, onions, and serrano chili. Sizzling Sinigang Na Bulalo (Sizzling Osso Buco with Tamarind Gravy), for the same price, is a tasty pyrotechnic version of this dish.
“The sizzling dishes are to be eaten with rice, while the soups may be eaten alone or with rice,” explains San Luis.
The bulalo specials (available until the end of the year) and other Max’s delights are available for dining in, phone and online takeout orders, and for delivery through Bite Squad, Grubhub, and Uber Eats.


BENGALURU: Due to landslides at many locations between Donigal - Yedekumeri - Kadagara Valli - Shribagilu block section of Sakleshpur - Subrahmanya Road Ghat sections over Mysuru division, railways have partially cancelled/ diverted some of the trains.
The Yesvantpur - Mangalore Jn Express journey commencing on August 23, 26, 28 and 30 will be partially cancelled between Hassan- Mangalore Jn.
Similarly, Yesvantpur - Karwar Express journey commencing on August 24, 27, 29 and 31 will be partially cancelled between Hassan -Karwar.
The journey of Karwar - Yesvantpur express commencing on August 24,27 29 and 31will be partially cancelled between Karwar - Hassan.
In the same way, Karwar - Yesvantpur Express journey commencing on August 23, 25., 28, 30 and September 1,2018 will be partially cancelled between Karwar - Hassan.
In view of this, KSR Bengaluru – Kannur/Karwar Express journey commencing on August 22.,23, 24, 25, 26, 27 28, 29, 30 and 31 is being diverted to run via Tirupattur Jn, Salem, Erode, Palakkad, Shoranur Jn.
The Kannur/Karwar – KSR Bengaluru Express journey commencing on August 22,23,24,25, 26, 27, 28, 29,30 and 31 will be diverted to run via Shoranur Junction, Palakkad, Erode, Salem, Tirupattur Junction.


Nearly 20 years later, JonBenet Ramsey's family is still addressing rumors surrounding her murder.
In new clips released from Dr. Phil's three-part interview with JonBenet's brother, Burke, and father, John, the two speak out on the suspicions that their family was involved in her death, with Burke giving his first interview since his 6-year-old sister was found dead in the basement of their Colorado home on Dec. 26, 1996.
"I know we were suspects," Burke tells Dr. Phil in a new clip, before taking a look at a copy of the ransom note supposedly left by JonBenet's kidnappers.
According to the testimony of JonBenet's mother, Patsy Ramsey -- who died of ovarian cancer in 2006 -- she discovered a two-and-a-half page ransom letter demanding $118,000 for her daughter's safe return on the kitchen staircase, which some speculate was actually written in Patsy's handwriting.
"I've never really looked at it closely, because you see it, and you kind of get taken aback," Burke, who was nine years old when his sister was murdered, says of the note. "It's not something I really want to look at."
As for whether the note resembles his mother's handwriting, he says he thinks "it's too sloppy." "She would always bug me about having good handwriting," he explains.
Patsy -- along with John and Burke -- was ultimately cleared of any wrongdoing by police in 2008.
"I've heard rumors that you were trying to distance Burke from the Boulder police investigation," Dr. Phil says to John in another clip.
"Not at all. I've heard rumors that we were hiding Burke, because he was this crazy kid, when that wasn't the case at all," John explains. "Yes, we were hiding him from the media, but no, we didn't hide him from anybody. We protected him, we hid him. We were worried about his physical safety."
"I mean, we were under assault by the media and press and cameras and people, we didn't know who they were," he continues. "We just didn't want Burke recognized, because he was growing up. He was not a 9-year-old boy anymore… We wanted him to have a normal life."
John was also quick to shoot down suspicions that he was involved in JonBenet's murder after searching the house and subsequently finding her body, hours after police had completed a search of the home.
"I was just going through methodically every square inch of that basement, and I opened the door, and there's JonBenet,"John recalls, adding that at that point, he didn't know she was dead. "I had this rush of 'Thank God I found her,' and it was just this overwhelming sense of joy, that I had found my child."
"Her hands were tied over her head. She had tape on her mouth, her eyes were closed," he said. "There was a red spot on her throat…but I was just hoping she'd wake up. And I began to realize she wasn't going to, and I just started to scream. I picked her up, carried her upstairs. I don't know what I was thinking, but I was just horrified. I couldn't speak. I was just screaming."
"She looked very peaceful," he added.
Part three of Dr. Phil's interview with the Ramseys will air on Sept. 19.
See more of what Burke had to say on his sister's murder in the video below.


U.S. President Barack Obama has appointed Todd Park as the new CTO for the U.S. government.
Park, who has served as CTO at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services since August 2009, cofounded health IT company Athenahealth in 1997. Before Athenahealth, he was a management consultant, focusing on health care and technology, with Booz Allen & Hamilton, and volunteered as a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, where he focused on health IT and health reform policy.
He has also served as a senior health care advisor to Ashoka, a global incubator of social entrepreneurs, where he helped start a venture to bring affordable health services and clean water to rural India, according to his biography at HHS.gov. Park graduated from Harvard University with a degree in economics.
At HHS, Park "was a hugely energetic force for positive change," John Holdren, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, wrote in a blog post Friday.
Park led the development of HealthCare.gov, the first website to provide consumers with an inventory of public and private health insurance plans available across the nation, Holdren noted.
Obama created the position of CTO to focus on modernizing the federal government's technology and to focus on using technology tools to address national challenges. Park replaces Aneesh Chopra, who stepped down last month.


As the race for the Republican presidential nomination heats up, Americans are hearing from 15 people who desperately want the public to believe President Obama has ruined the economy.
Reality keeps getting in the way.
The U.S. economy grew almost 4% in the second quarter, powered by higher consumer spending and a bit stronger business investment than previously reported, revised figures show.
Gross domestic product – the value of everything a nation produces – rose at a 3.9% annual rate from April to June, according to the government’s second update of how fast the nation’s economy expanded during the spring. Previously the Commerce Department had said GDP increased 3.7%. The figures get revised as the government gets more data on how the economy performed.
As 2015 got underway, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) argued that Republicans deserve credit for the nation’s improved economic conditions. They hadn’t actually done anything, McConnell conceded, but Americans were just so darn excited about a GOP-dominated Congress that it gave the whole economy a boost.
With that in mind, I’d bet good money that at least one prominent Republican voice – someone, somewhere – will argue today that stronger economic growth is the result of Americans feeling excited about the prospect of a GOP president in 2017.
It’s worth emphasizing that quarterly growth numbers can vary quite a bit, and while 3.9% GDP growth in the spring is encouraging, projections point to growth of about 2.5% in this quarter, and growth of about 2.3% for the year overall.
As for the image above, the chart shows GDP numbers by quarter since the Great Recession began. The red columns show the economy under the Bush administration; the blue columns show the economy under the Obama administration.


SCARLETT Moffatt has been tipped to be the host of a revamped version of Blind Date.
Since winning I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here, Scarlett’s been inundated with offers of work – with potential earnings of £1 million.
According to PR expert Mark Borkowski, the former Gogglebox star would be a perfect fit for the show which was made famous by Cilla Black.
Speaking about the possibility of Scarlett taking up the challenge, Mark said: “She's set to make millions and be one of our biggest stars.
Although Scarlett’s not yet confirmed what she’s planning, the Daily Star claim she’s excited about the idea.
Since leaving the jungle, the 24-year-old has been having some downtime – partying with her family and friends in her local pub to celebrate her jungle win.
It’s thought she’s now weighing up the many options on the table, including the possibility of a reality show with her boyfriend Luke Crodden.
A source told Closer magazine: “Scarlett is on cloud nine. She was a homebody but she’s always wanted to be in the limelight.
Scarlett has already appeared on Gogglebox with Luke and their chemistry makes them the perfect pairing.


Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini denied he was under increasing pressure after his expensively-assembled side crashed out of the FA Cup at Stoke.
City paid the price for Emmanuel Adebayor's sending off as they were overpowered 3-1 by the Potters in extra time at the Britannia Stadium. The result effectively ended City's hopes of winning silverware this season and left them to concentrate on their attempts to break into the top four of the Barclays Premier League.
The Italian has won just two of his last eight matches in all competitions but he insists he is not feeling the heat, saying: "No, no, absolutely not. I'm disappointed because we lost. We had a good chance to go to the next round and the final, but this is football, we must improve."
City forced extra time after Craig Bellamy struck immediately to cancel out Dave Kitson's 79th-minute opener.
But the game turned after Adebayor was dismissed for raising his arms in an attempt to fend off Ryan Shawcross.
Shawcross then headed the Potters ahead five minutes into extra time and Tuncay booked Stoke's place in the last eight four minutes later.
Mancini added: "My opinion is that we played very well.
"We dominated the game and had six or seven chances to score a goal before the sending off of Emmanuel.
"Football is strange. When you play well and have a lot of chances, if you don't score something can change the game.
"Until that situation it was our best performance in the last three or four games. Manu (Adebayor) played very well, fantastic. For me - maximum yellow card. It was not so dangerous."


Global markets roiled afterChina announced retaliatory measures against US tariffs on Tuesday evening.
State TV in China reports that Beijing plans to levy tariffs on more than 100 products traded with the US.
Planned measures include 25% tariffs on soybeans, automobiles, and chemicals, according to reports.
US stock futures have plunged, while several European indexes lost more than 1% in Wednesday-morning trade.
President Donald Trump responded to China's announcement by tweeting that the US was "not in a trade war with China."
Global markets were diving Wednesday morning following reports that China planned to retaliate against the US in an escalating trade conflict between the two nations.
China plans to impose tariffs on more than 100 American products with a combined trading value of over $50 billion, swiftly firing back at the US just hours after the Trump administration made similar proposals on Chinese products.
According to Bloomberg, 106 US products are affected, including proposed 25% tariffs on soybeans, automobiles, and chemicals.
China's government had effectively preannounced the measures earlier Tuesday, with China's Commerce Ministry saying in a statement that it would "soon take measures of equal intensity and scale against US goods."
Zhang Xiangchen, the Chinese ambassador to the World Trade Organization, urged members to "join with China in firmly resisting US protectionism," according to Reuters.
China's ultimate announcement came less than 24 hours after the US announced an initial list of roughly $50 billion worth of products it said would be subject to new tariffs planned by President Donald Trump.
US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer unveiled the list, which includes a wide array of products such as raw materials, construction machinery, agricultural equipment, electronics, medical devices, and consumer goods.
The 25% tariffs would apply to roughly $50 billion worth of goods coming from China each year. The tariffs are the result of an investigation by the Office of the US Trade Representative, which has accused the Chinese government of stealing intellectual property.
The US's proposed tariffs would target specific industries that China identified as part of its Made in China 2025 plan — an initiative being undertaken by the Chinese government to "comprehensively upgrade Chinese industry."
Xiangchen, the WTO ambassador, said the moves were "an intentional and gross violation of the WTO's fundamental principles of nondiscrimination and bound tariffs."
The trade skirmish between the world's two biggest economies has many fearing a full-scale trade war — something widely expected to negatively affect global economic growth.
Last month, analysts at the Australian bank Macquarie argued that in the scenario of a "full trade war" the US would enter a recession in 2019, with unemployment more than doubling from today's levels.
On Wednesday morning, Trump tweeted that the US was "not in a trade war with China."
"We are not in a trade war with China, that war was lost many years ago by the foolish, or incompetent, people who represented the U.S.," he said. "Now we have a Trade Deficit of $500 Billion a year, with Intellectual Property Theft of another $300 Billion. We cannot let this continue!"


With the approval of a new budget, tuition increases need to be used to benefit students and faculty.
University of Minnesota President Eric Kaler’s fiscal year 2019 budget was approved by the Board of Regents earlier this month. Meaning, in-state tuition at the Twin Cities campus will increase by 2 percent, with non-resident tuition rates having been increased by 15 percent in December. The decision was met with opposition, and the board has subsequently voted to tighten the professor hiring process in order to control costs. However, it’s uncertain the extent to which the University putting new tenure-track hires under extra scrutiny will put more pressure onto non-tenured faculty and teaching staff, who have faced a profound lack of solidarity from their institution over recent years.
Considering the fact that the University is seeking to increase enrollment by 3,000 students, the needs of non-tenured and tenure-track teaching staff have to be addressed. The University has increasingly relied on non-tenured faculty and instructional staff, with compensation and working conditions for these instructors being unsatisfactory. Earlier this year, the unionization attempt among University faculty failed as a result of opposition from the University, which spent around $500,000 in legal fees to curtail the efforts of organizers. The unfair working conditions of teaching staff should be taken seriously by the University. Despite its stated commitment to scrutinize hires for positions that are funded by tuition or state taxes, many teaching staff are hired on short-term contracts that lead to job insecurity. Such positions are often poorly paid, and create a vicious cycle of low-wage teaching positions. They also give teaching staff an undue amount of work, which in turn can negatively affect students in reducing the amount of individualized attention received. If student tuition dollars are not adequately supporting those who are making their college experience worthwhile — or worse, actually being used to pay for legal fees to fight against unionization, as the University was found to be doing in 2016 — then they are being grossly misused.
Tuition costs have risen exponentially over the past couple of decades, and students today are paying more than ever for their education. Since the University continues to seek more funds through increased tuition instead of a different source, such as the central reserves fund, the money spent should go toward that which most benefits students. Students’ tuition should first and foremost be used to improve the quality of their education, and so prioritizing the wellbeing of teaching staff is an essential investment. The University of Minnesota has behaved inversely by mistreating its faculty in order to address tuition costs. This is clearly not the answer, especially since tuition costs have risen, and will likely continue to do so. The current working conditions for many teaching staff are unsustainable and short-sighted, and need to be reexamined by University leaders. Student tuition should go toward fairly compensating teaching staff and ensuring they are reasonably equipped to deal with their students and workloads. Otherwise, students will likely experience increasingly larger class sizes, overworked teaching staff and an ultimately diminished quality of education.


A driver fled the scene following a crash in Yaxley yesterday morning, Sunday July 8.
Police were called at 5.51am with reports of a collision in London Road, Yaxley.
A black BMW collided crashed into the BP garage sign near the junction with Broadway.
No injuries were reported but the driver of the vehicle left the scene.
A police spokesman said they had the registration of the vehicle and were looking to trace the driver but that no arrests have been made at this time.


Xiaolin Dang of Beijing Sanyou explained that filings of IP rights in China continue to increase, including copyright filings which he described as “very, very important”. Litigation is also on the up, he said, though about 98% or 99% involves Chinese parties (including Chinese subsidiaries of multinationals). This is driving the government to improve the IP system, he said.
When it comes to litigation, Dang described China as pro-patentee: costs are low (less than $150,000), cases are quick, the risk of losing is low and injunctions are “almost automatic”. Attorney fees are recoverable.
While it is true that damages awards are low, he said that there have been some higher awards recently, including one of Rmb50 million and one of Rmb91 million.
From 2013 to 2016, the win rate for foreign plaintiffs in the Beijing IP Court was 100% (there were 65 cases).
Yang Li of Lung Tin discussed the patent amendments that came into effect on April 1, and in particular the impact on software and business method patents. He noted that many of the top patent filers in China are in the ICT field, and many applications relate to inventions such as mobile phone apps and ticket purchasing.
The amendments are a dramatic shift, said Li, compared to previous restrictions on business method patents. There is no longer a need to “decorate” claims, he said, “but you must draft the claim in its whole as a technical solution”. He provided a number of case studies showing how to state the technical problem and technical effect in patent applications.
In Washington DC, there was a discussion comparing US and Chinese approaches to software and business method patents while in Palo Alto there were a number of questions about enforceability, filing strategies and damages.
Michelle Chen and Hui Wang of Chofn discussed patentability in China, focusing on Articles 2, 5 and 25 of the Patent Law. Recent developments include the ability to submit experimental data after filing and the option to narrow the scope of the claim.
The speakers gave various examples of what is patentable and what is not under the Patent Law: for example, “Discovery of the photosensitive property of a silver halide” would be excluded as a scientific discovery, but “Photographic film and process to produce the film in accordance with this discovery” would likely be allowed.
They also discussed the relative merits of invention, utility model and design patents in China, and the different criteria for each, and how to overcome potential objections during prosecution and invalidation proceedings.
In Washington DC, Colin Rauffer of Boeing described IP rights as “a shield not a sword” and said that company strategies would vary based on industry, market and competition. For Boeing, he said China filings are now comparable to those at the EPO.
Judicial interpretations are important, said Li, as case law develops in China, especially in the new specialised IP courts. One area where this is important is in the calculation of damages, and the evidence required to show damages.
Brian Schar of Dextera Surgical discussed a case study involving patents for phosphorous and blue LEDs, and lessons for international patent strategies. He pointed to the benefits of patent protection in China, including protecting your market, low costs and ability to obtain utility models, but pointed out that SIPO cannot be an international search authority. For that reason, he recommended getting a search report in Korea and making use of the PPH and accelerated examination in the US.
Citing recent examples of Michael Jordan and New Balance, Rowlands stressed the importance of filing early for IP rights in China, as well as obtaining and preserving evidence.
Rowlands also welcomed what he described as a “bolder” approach to preliminary injunctions, apparent in the Louboutin v Guangzhou Varteam Trade Co case over lipstick designs.
Other weapons available to China’s judges include black lists and travel restrictions on convicted offenders. “Work with the government” and “work with attorneys and investigators you can trust,” were two of his tips.
Did you know South Korea is the world’s most innovative country, according to Bloomberg’s index? Rachel Lee of HPE discussed its infrastructure, innovation environment and the lessons for other countries at the Forum in Washington DC.
Hyoun Ja Park of FirstLaw provided tips for patent prosecution in Korea, including how to speed up/slow down examination, how to handle final rejections and how to make the most of opportunities for amendment/divisional application. Ultimately, 90% of cases are granted.
Hyun Sil Lee offered the opposite perspective: how to challenge a patent. A recent development here is that ex parte post-grant revocation became available for any patent registered form March 1 2017, but it only applies to lack of novelty/inventive step based on printed publications not available at the time of examination, or violation of the first-to-file rule. The other options available are third-party observations, ex officio re-examination and a patent invalidation trial.
The speakers agreed that the percentage of patents being held valid by the Patent Court is increasing, possibly caused by a more generous attitude towards inventive step. That means you may need more evidence than in the past if you want to challenge a patent successfully.
Obtaining and challenging patents were also the subject of the question-and-answer session on Japan, which featured Nicole Bigler, Yoshitaka Sonoda and Paul Tokeshi of Sonoda & Kobayashi, as well as Abraham Mertens of Arista Networks (in Palo Alto).
Sonoda said that the patent grant rate in Japan has increased from 50% to 70%: “Getting a patent has become much easier and once you get a patent right it is stable.” He added that examiners in Japan are responsive to informal contacts.
Options for attacking patents include oppositions and nullity actions – though Tokeshi noted that in every case where an opposition has failed, a later nullity action has also failed.
There are important tactical considerations in Japan: for example, JPO judges have technical expertise but most judges do not, so that may affect your arguments. Straw man filings are also popular as people don’t like to be seen as an infringer and often don’t want to fight.
The panel also discussed recent developments on employee remuneration in Japan.


What is your favorite holiday memory?
I kept up the traditional mega-dinner when my ex-wife and were together out here in Hawaii, except I would cook. We'd invite lots of people including people with no place to go or "strays," as I like to call them. It's a little sad that I have become a "stray," but okay I suppose. I have great memories of Christmas past!
(Wife) Mine was when my Dad came home from Vietnam. We were living in New Jersey and it was cold. My Dad was singing "White Christmas"...(Daughter) Mine was when we were living in CT with Grandma while Dad was stationed overseas with the Marines. It was cold and snowing in the hills. (Son) Mine was a Christmas when I was 7 years old. We had a really big tree and helped decorate it. The kittens kept climbing up in the tree. (Husband) Mine was when I was only 4 years old. My oldest brother carried me out to the living room as I was not fully awake. There were gifts for all and the house was a happy place to be.
My favorite holiday memory is the first year we moved to our house in the country. The house wasn't much, but it was nestled in the woods on a small river. On New Year's Day we woke up to a beautiful gentle snowfall, and at 5:30 a.m. looked across the river and saw deer walking through the trees. My husband and I looked at each other and said, let's go! We put on our longjohns, grabbed a thermos full of coffee, jumped into the canoe, and paddled downstream a couple miles through a beautiful winter wonderland. Absolutely enchanting!
The first time I can remember feeling warm fuzzies at Christmas was the first Christmas after my hubby and I were married (1990). It seems that in years past, only bad things happened during the holidays (grandmother passed away Xmas eve, divorced in December, and other things like that). But in 1991, I was welcomed into my husband's family with unconditional love and acceptance. For the first time in my life (I'm over 50), I felt warmth and the closeness of a really close family. It had nothing to do with gift-giving at all. I wish everyone could feel those warm fuzzies, especially the families of those in Bosnia.
I am now 48 and Christmas at home as a child is always a warm memory. The special time would be in the evening. After coming in from milking, then eating supper and the house would quiet down. I would go into the Living Room where the Christmas tree was lit and under the tree was the Nativity. The room was lit only by the tree and the smell of the pine and the warmth of the season would fill the room. Just to be quiet in the room and study the Nativity would bring such peace to me. The wonder of it all.
My favourite memories (as there are more than one) of Christmas are first getting the tree and decorating it. On Christmas morning as the fireplace crackled in the background, Christmas gifts would be open. The dog and cat would have to be in on the festivities as I think they enjoyed Christmas as much as we did. After the gift opening, there would be a big breakfast and then as the turkey was cooking, we would make a quick visit to a few of the neighbours. After the large dinner, relatives and more friends would be visited.
The second favorite holiday was Christmas. Under a newly cut tree with cut-glass, star-sparkled ornaments, Santa piled fringed cowboy outfits, bags of glass marbles, capguns, checkers and other board games, bows and arrows, story books, with robes and nightgowns sewn expertly for my brother and myself; and my doll made magically new with a stylish new wardrobe.
I do remember Christmas celebration in my childhood. It was more than 30 years ago and Japan was not as wealthy as it is now. Christmas was the only occasion in a year when I can have a present I want from my parents and we can afford to buy a real, round cake. I also remember when my father bought a small Christmas tree with decorations and the time when all the lights were turned on. I know it sounds wierd to you that we non-Christians actually enjoy Christmas, but thanks to our amazing tolerance toward religions, Christmas does exist in Japan and in the hearts of Japanese people. It is just regrettable that these days it's turned into a stupid occasion for young couples to spend the night in a romantic way, as the commercialism spurs it, and if you don't have a date on Christmas eve you somehow feel very awkward. New Year's eve and New Year holidays are more significant in Japan, so it is the busiest season for us.
I was 5, and my sister and I were in our bunkbed Christmas Eve. Upon the rooftop, we heard footsteps. I remember us bouncing in joy that SANTA was coming with presents. Mom entered the room to calm us down and take us outside..and there he was! On the roof with a bag of presents!! By the time we re-entered the house, the presents were by the tree, and MYSTERIOUSLY...DAD appeared!
Every year my Dad would take us for an auto tour of the town's Christmas light displays. The trip would always end with a stop at a friend of the family's house for treats. The friend lived on a street that was round, and encircled a park. To announce our arrival, my Dad would drive around and around and around past our friend's house, over and over again, honking the horn until our friend would come outside. Then he would continued to drive around some more, honking and waving until we were laughing hysterically. Finally, we would park and all go inside.
It was the funniest thing I ever saw. Kevin went all around the room knocking down the Christmas tree, going bouncy bouncy in his little chair, he was only 1 year old and in diapers but he loved bouncy bouncy, because as a child Kevin was quite a nervious child and had several nervious tendencys so I think it helped him get rid of his nerviousness. He got over that in later years. He also had bad eyes. He is my little brother. This was in Christmas of 1956.
Thinking way back to when I was a child, maybe 6 or 7, I remember the year that there were candles on everybody's porch. These were real candles, not those electric ones you get now-a-days. And they didn't burn as yet another decoration in the window. These were signs of a desire for peace and a reminder that not everybody was 'home for the holidays'. You see, it was the late 1970's and there were hostages overseas. And back in the small town of North Plainfield, NJ, the people on my street spent a season praying for others and thanking God for what we had, and what we did not have to endure. I will not forget that Christmas... ever.
The last few years I had taught English to Buddist Chinese elementary school aged children. Every year we would have a month of holiday stories. One week they would hear of Hanukkah the next Santa Claus, the third the gospel according to Luke. Finally the last week we would have a Christmas party. Even though they all learn to sing Silent Night in Chinese as part of the fifth grade circulum here it was often the first time they heard the TRUE story of Christmas.
My favorite holiday is Thanksgiving. Last year for Thanksgiving my boyfriend asked me what I was thankful for. Of course I responded that I was happy he has been in my life for 5 1/2 years. When I asked him what he was thankful for, he responded that I was in his life, and he got down on one knee and ask me if I would marry him. It was the best Thanksgiving ever. We were married July 1, 1995, and we love each other more every single day.
My favorite holiday memory happened years ago. My favorite holiday was Thanksgiving Day when my mother would wake up early in the morning and bring the kitchen to life with the activities of making our family's Thanksgiving feast. Your typical Thanksgiving in Hawaii - roast turkey, brown gravy, stuffing, yams, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, and pineapple upside-down cake. Then I got my first job and had to work on Thanksgiving day. I was busy helping customers when my mother showed up in line with a picnic basket full of roast turkey and all the trimmings.
As we are sending troops into Bosnia just in time for Christmas, I am reminded of the last time we had troops in harm's way for the holidays. During the ramp up to the Gulf War, a local Army Reserve unit had deployed hundreds of men and women to Saudi Arabia. Their battalion commander asked me to sit in for Santa Claus at a party for the families left behind. Hundreds of family members attended with their children. Child after child asked for the one thing they really wanted, but Santa could not be sure to provide, that their Daddy or Mommy be home safely in time for Christmas.
My favorite holiday memory would have to be every holiday that I had with my father. He died just over a month before Christmas in 1981. Those were the days when we were kids and the best memories for are from back then. We had the typical American Christmas morning. Opening gifts and then off to Christmas Mass and then to the grandparents. Christmas was never the same after my father died, nor will it ever be. Now that I am older I look back on those days with fond memories.
It was a cool winter day Dec. 24th 1990, I was on the Battleship Wisconsin during Operation Desert Shield. Christmas eve. Standing watch. Thinking,"what does Christmas mean? and this what I come up with. Even in the midst of war, there is some place in the mind and soul that seems so warm thinking of family, friends, loved ones. Watching the snow fall over the skyline of Milw, Wi. The lights that light up the neigborhoods. The kids ripping open their gifts. What I'm saying is "It's all in the mind and soul,the feeling of love and family, Of Giving to your Countryman. Have a Mind and Soul Holiday season.
My favorite holiday memory is last Christmas with my new baby girl Emily.
I have great memories from when I lived in the States, in Dallas, Texas. Back then it was very difficult times for me because when I decided to go I knew no one there. The best memories come from the friends I made there, especially Vicky Pierce and her family. They made me feel at home the moment I got to their house. We had great Christmas parties (just between us) and I guess I'll never forget that. I miss them very much. I have to go now, I'll give more details some other day. I now live in Recife, state of Pernambuco, Brazil. I'm a journalist.
One of my favorite Holiday Memories is a tradition. Every Christmas Eve, my family and I go to my Grandma and Grandpa's house. We eat really yummy food and play Sheephead, my favorite card game. We get home around 1:00 a.m., and wake up at about 4:00 a.m. to open presents.
My best memories of Christmas were my visits as a child to the downtown John Wanamaker department store in Philadelphia. They had a wonderful toy department. There was a train that kids could ride that took you high above the toys in the department.It was great fun! There was a walk-through fantasy Christmas display with snow scenes and other holiday sights that was always fun to see. And Santa was there to accept personal requests from all of us youngsters. There was also a dancing water fountain lit by colored lightsin the main lobby of Wanamaker's that would dance to the Christmas music provided either from their pipe organ or from recordings. Waunamaker's is a memory of Christmas that I had not thought about in thirty years until you asked. Thanks for asking!
As a first generation child of Hungarian parents, on Christmas Eve, baby Jesus brought the presents and not Santa. I remember waiting for the the tinkling of a little bell to signal that baby Jesus had come and gone. My parents would strew tinsel along the foyer and tell me that it was the hair of angels that helped baby Jesus to bring the gifts. Then the living room door would open and the tree with lights all a glow and piles of presents would be waiting. That first sight was real magic never to be experienced again. The closest feeing to it is now when my three children wake up Christmas morning and the look on their faces when they see what Santa has brought for them.


Chatman lacks a medical license or medical training. He does have a home for the next 27 years, the FCI Coleman Medium federal prison in Sumterville, after his guilty pleas in the scheme. His wife, Laura Chatman, is doing federal time also for her role.
Chatman needed Mendez to sign off on the testing so he could bill insurance companies or the federal government.
Everyone got paid. Now, everyone is in jail.


The documents at the centre of the row had been published by The Hindu newspaper in February, and one of these had also been released by the ANI news agency. The Supreme Court order mentioned that The Wire digital magazine too had carried one of the documents.
In a setback for the Centre, the Supreme Court Wednesday allowed three documents relied upon by petitioners seeking a review of its December 14, 2018 judgment in the Rafale aircraft deal matter, and dismissed the government’s preliminary objection on the maintainability of the review petitions and claim of privilege over these documents.
In two separate but concurring rulings — one by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi and Justice S K Kaul, and the second by Justice K M Joseph — the bench, which went into contentions raised by Attorney General K K Venugopal on behalf of the government, said “we deem it proper to dismiss the preliminary objections raised by the Union of India questioning the maintainability of the review petitions and we hold and affirm that the review petitions will have to be adjudicated on their own merit by taking into account the relevance of the contents of the three documents, admissibility of which, in the judicial decision making process, has been sought to be questioned”.
The Attorney General had objected to the documents relied upon by the review petitioners — former Union Ministers Yashwant Sinha, Arun Shourie and lawyer Prashant Bhushan — on three grounds: that the documents had been unauthorisedly removed from the Ministry of Defence and used by the petitioners in violation of Sections 3 and 5 of the Official Secrets Act, 1923; that they could not have been accessed under the Right to Information Act in view of provisions contained in Section 8 (1) (a) of the Act; and that they were entitled to privilege under Section 123 of the Indian Evidence Act, 1872.
Writing the first order, CJI Gogoi cited the decision of the US Supreme Court in the New York Times Company vs. United States wherein it refused to prohibit the publication of the Pentagon Papers. “By a majority of 6:3, the US Supreme Court declined to pass prohibitory orders on publication of the ‘Pentagon Papers’ on the ground that the Congress itself not having vested any such power in the executive, which it could have so done, the courts cannot carve out such a jurisdiction as the same may amount to unauthorized judicial law-making, thereby violating the sacred doctrine of separation of powers,” the order stated.
“We do not see how and why the above principle of law will not apply to facts of the present case. There is no provision in the Official Secrets Act and no such provision in any other statute has been brought to our notice by which Parliament has vested any power in the executive arm of the government either to restrain publication of documents marked as secret or from placing such documents before a Court of Law which may have been called upon to adjudicate a legal issue concerning the parties,” it said.
On the question of admitting unauthorisedly obtained documents, CJI Gogoi and Justice Kaul’s order said the court had held in the past that “test of admissibility of evidence lies in its relevancy” and “unless there is an express or necessarily implied prohibition in the Constitution or other law, evidence obtained as a result of illegal search or seizure is not liable to be shut out”.
Justice Joseph added “in regard to documents which are improperly obtained and which are subject to a claim for privilege, undoubtedly the ordinary rule of relevancy alone may not suffice as larger public interest may warrant in a given case refusing to legitimise what is forbidden on grounds of overriding public interest”.
Their order said “when the documents in question are already in the public domain, we do not see how the protection under Section 8 (1) (a) of the Act would serve public interest”.
On this point, Justice Joseph said the proviso to Section 24 of the RTI Act “declares that even though information available with intelligence and security organisations are generally outside the purview of the open disclosure regime contemplated under the Act, if the information pertains to allegations of corruption or human rights violations, such information is very much available to be sought for under the Act”.
He said that with the passing of the Act, “a basket of rights has been given fruitful meaning… Section 8(2) of the Act manifests a legal revolution that has been introduced in that, none of the exemptions declared under sub-section (1) of Section 8 or the Official Secrets Act, 1923 can stand in the way of the access to information if the public interest in disclosure overshadows the harm to the protected interests”.
Ruling on the Centre’s claim of privilege, the bench said Section 123 of the Indian Evidence Act relates to unpublished public records whereas the documents in question had already been published. It also referred to earlier decisions wherein it was held that “a claim of immunity against disclosure under Section 123 of the Indian Evidence Act has to be essentially adjudged on the touchstone of public interest and to satisfy itself that public interest is not put to jeopardy by requiring disclosure, the Court may even inspect the document in question though the said power has to be sparingly exercised”.
“Such an exercise,” said the CJI and Justice Kaul, “however, would not be necessary in the present case as the document(s) being in public domain and within the reach and knowledge of the entire citizenry, a practical and common sense approach would lead to the obvious conclusion that it would be a meaningless and an exercise in utter futility for the Court to refrain from reading and considering the said document or from shutting out its evidentiary worth and value”.


What does the Main Bhi Chowkidar campaign have to do with the Modi government's performance over the last five years, or its vision for the next five if it is voted back?
What a pity American standup comic Hasan Minhaj didn’t wait a few more days to film the latest episode of his Netflix show, Patriot Act. A hilarious take on the upcoming Indian elections, the show, which went on air recently, missed spinning comedy gold out of the Game of Chowkidars being played in the country right now.


There weren't any naked protesters rushing the stage, or thousands marching in the streets, like there were at previous World Water Forums, but activists haven't wavered in their conviction that the triennial event is an "elitist," "undemocratic," and "illegitimate" venue for addressing the planet's urgent water problems.
On Monday, opening day of the 5th World Water Forum here in Istanbul, an estimated 150 to 300 people protesting outside the event venue were met by police wielding tear gas and (a bit ironically) water cannons. A few hours later, two staff members from the Berkeley-based environmental group International Rivers held up a banner reading "No Risky Dams" at the opening ceremony and were quickly detained and deported back to their home countries.
Activists' opposition to the World Water Forum essentially centers on two issues: who's behind it and what they believe the organizers represent. "The World Water Council is an illegitimate body to be holding a ministerial on water," says Wenonah Hauter, the executive director of Food & Water Watch. "We want the U.N. to take real leadership with countries and governments. They need to recognize the crisis and do more than talk and hold meetings."
Hauter and others criticize the council, which includes major water and infrastructure companies among its members, for promoting the privatization of water systems, allowing corporations and governments to control the flow of water by building large dams, and failing to recognize access to water as a human right.
A protest at the protest event.
Dams, which the Turkish government is strongly pushing as a solution to the country's water concerns, were the topic of eight sessions at the Alternative Water Forum, organized under the theme "Another water management is possible" and being hosted this weekend at Bilgi University's santralistanbul campus, just down the road from the main water forum. Other panels and workshops focused on global climate change, agriculture and food security, and managing water as a common good. Activists from Chile, Venezuela, Spain, Uganda, India, Nepal, and, of course, Turkey, talked about their fights against dam construction and the damage it would cause to their communities.
"A dam is basically a wall across a river, so the person who runs the dam is the one who can control the rate at which the water flows," says Nick Hildyard of the U.K.-based NGO the Corner House. "Dams can be used as a weapon by one country against another. [The operators] can flood downstream areas or send them just a trickle. Even shorts stints without water can be ruinous for local people and ecosystems."
Early in the month, a Water Tribunal also held in Istanbul put political and financial supporters of dams -- including Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and German Chancellor Angela Merkel -- "on trial" for endangering the environment and human rights. Accusing the Turkish government of "dam fetishism," the activists and academics behind the tribunal called on Erdoğan's administration to consider alternative sources of energy and allow local residents a voice in the decision-making process.
Speakers at the alternative forum sounded similar themes, stressing the need for more consultation and transparency in water politics and a new vision of water management based on human and ecological needs.
"Like the World Bank, the World Water Forum is all about big expensive technologies and corporations," says Maude Barlow, chair of the Council of Canadians, an citizen advocacy group. "We believe in the soft path -- in conservation and watershed restoration as good water management. You can't both privatize and protect nature."
There weren't any naked protesters rushing the stage or mass marches in the streets this time around but activists haven't wavered in their conviction that the World Water Forum is a deeply problematic venue for addressing the planet's urgent water woes.


Port Orange police are investigating a two-vehicle crash that left two people dead early Sunday.
Port Orange police are investigating a two-vehicle crash that left two people dead early Sunday at Dunlawton Avenue and Yorktown Boulevard.
The crash occurred about 12:10 a.m. and involved a total of five occupants between the two vehicles. Two of them were pronounced dead at the scene, while two others were taken to Halifax Health Medical Center with serious injuries, police said. One person involved was apparently not injured.
The two killed were James Shinaver, 70, and Teresa Shinaver, 58, both Port Orange residents, who were in a 2006 Nissan SUV, police said.
The two people who were injured were in a 2013 BMW SUV.
The traffic light at the intersection was not working Sunday due to the crash, but the intersection remained open with officers directing traffic.


Mourners carry a victim of the shootings for burial at a Christchurch cemetery. Islamic tradition calls for bodies to be buried as soon as possible.
CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand — Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced an immediate ban Thursday on semi-automatic and automatic weapons like the ones used in the attacks on two mosques in Christchurch that killed 50 worshippers.
The man charged in the attack had purchased his weapons legally using a standard firearms license and enhanced their capacity by using 30-round magazines “done easily through a simple online purchase,” she said.
Ardern’s announcement comes less than a week after the killings, as more of the dead were being buried. At least six funerals took place Thursday, including for a teenager, a youth soccer coach and a Muslim convert who loved connecting with other women at the mosque.
Cashmere High School student Sayyad Ahmad Milne, 14, was known as an outgoing boy and the school’s futsal goalkeeper. Tariq Rashid Omar, 24, graduated from the same school, played soccer in the summer and was a beloved coach of several youth teams.
Linda Armstrong, 64, a third-generation New Zealander who converted to Islam in her 50s, was also buried, as were Hussein Mohamed Khalil Moustafa, 70; Matiullah Safi, 55; and Haji Mohammed Daoud Nabi.
An Australian white supremacist, Brenton Harrison Tarrant, was run off the road and arrested by police while he was believed to be on his way to a third target. He had livestreamed the attack on Facebook and said in his manifesto he planned to attack three mosques.
Tarrant, 28, is next scheduled to appear in court on April 5. Police have said they are certain Tarrant was the only gunman but are still investigating whether he had support.
Meanwhile, preparations were under way for a massive Friday prayer service to be led by the imam of one of the two New Zealand mosques where worshippers were killed.
Imam Gamal Fouda said he is expecting 3,000 to 4,000 people at Friday’s prayer service, including many who have come from abroad. He expects it will take place in Hagley Park, a city landmark across from Al Noor mosque with members of the Linwood mosque also attending.
As the investigation continues into the attack, Ardern has also said an inquiry would look into intelligence and security services’ failures to detect the risk from the attacker or his plans.
Ardern said Thursday the government is working on a large-scale buy-back plan to encourage owners of now-banned weapons to surrender them. She did not say what would happen to those who violate the law.
Nick Perry, Juliet Williams and Kristen Gelineau are Associated Press writers.


"If you love something, set it free" sounds nice in theory, but in practice can lead to disaster.
If you don't believe me, try it the next time you are pet-sitting a friend's parakeet, goldfish or 18-foot emotional support anaconda.
People must really love their cars because they're constantly releasing them to the wild.
Not long ago I saw a woman pull into a convenience store to get gas, walk inside to pay and leave her keys in the ignition. An enterprising youth set her ride free in seconds.
It happened again Tuesday morning when car thieves (plural) targeted a day care center . The victims? Two moms who left their unlocked cars running when they went inside, including one who had a 6-year-old kid in her back seat.
The thieves released the child and it walked back to the day care center unharmed, police say. The vehicle containing the child, a Hyundai Santa Fe, was located about a mile away.
A Georgia State Patrol trooper pulled over the second stolen car, a Chrysler 300, Wednesday morning near Confederate Avenue in DeKalb County, Clayton County police said. Two people in the Chrysler were being questioned.
Car theft keeps police, and juvenile courts, busy.
There were 26,361 car thefts reported in Georgia in 2016, the most recent year of Georgia Bureau of Investigation crime data .
There were 1,642 arrests that year, which indicates about 6 percent of car thefts results in arrests. The percentage of convictions would be even lower.
Georgia law says no one under 13 can be convicted of a crime, but I figure you have to be at least that old to see over the dashboard. Still, an amazing 30 percent of those arrested for auto theft in Georgia in 2016 were considered juveniles, according to the GBI data. Twenty-three percent were 16 or younger, meaning they were probably stealing cars without a valid driver's license.
How often do car thieves steal running cars? Good question, but the numbers are difficult to find. Half of all cars reported stolen in January 2017 were left running , say Columbus police.
Lt. Tom Reimers with Clayton County's major theft unit said he didn't have info on how often it happens in his jurisdiction, but "even if it happens once, it's happening too often."
It's happened at least twice in Clayton County this year. In January, a running vehicle was stolen from a Riverdale Road QuickTrip with two children inside. The 4-year-old girl in the car was soon found walking near I-285 in 20 degree weather. The 1-month-old girl was found about two hours later in the middle of South Fulton Parkway still strapped in her car seat. The SUV was found on Metropolitan Parkway.
Two young suspects were arrested on kidnapping and theft charges Jan. 19.
Police did not identify a 16-year-old juvenile.
Khyree Swift, 17, was denied bond and currently resides in the Clayton County jail behind doors as locked as your car's should be.


Store owners near a new toll road in Round Rock, TX, are worried that the closing of four exits will cause a decrease in business.
The Austin American-Statesman featured several businesses in a story about the effects of four exits being closed on northbound Interstate 35 as part of the Texas 45 North tolled bypass.
The Texas Department of Transportation opened the Texas 45 North toll road to clear up congestion on I-35, and businesses east of the corridor are coping as best they can.
One business, Kaleidoscope Toys, has already reported a 10- to 15-percent drop in sales. Other businesses weren't sure what the long-term effects would be.
A Texas DOT spokesman told the newspaper that a planned turnaround point at RM 620 will soon give people a chance to double back to shop at those businesses.


– Sophomore offensive tackle Eli McCullough’s career has ended for medical reasons, Harsin said without providing details. McCullough, a former Rocky Mountain High star, was a promising tackle for the Broncos. He made his only career start last year at Air Force. McCullough took first-team reps at left tackle in the spring because starter Rees Odhiambo was in class.
– Senior center Marcus Henry and senior defensive tackle Armand Nance, who are returning starters, won’t begin fall camp for medical reasons but will be back before camp ends, Harsin said. Henry was a late scratch from Mountain West media days last week.
– Defensive lineman Sam Whitney, originally slated to grayshirt, will join the team for fall camp because of McCullough’s departure.
Austin Cottrell, 6-3, 200, So.


The UAE's Nayla Al Khaja tells Madeleine Collins that the local film industry has got a long way to go.
She may be known as the UAE's most prominent female filmmaker, but Nayla Al Khaja tells Madeleine Collins that the local film industry has got a long way to go.
Nayla Al Khaja's huge brown eyes flash excitement as she describes the latest film she is screening at her pioneering Dubai film forum, The Scene Club: "A bunch of young boys travel from Saudi to Bahrain to go to the theatre because they don't have cinemas where they come from," she explains of the Saudi Arabian documentary Cinema 500km.
"A culture that has no cinemas, so what do they do to watch a movie?" she exclaims. "Imagine driving a whole day to watch a movie and then drive all the way back to your country. That's ridiculous!"
Immediately upon meeting the woman lauded as the ‘UAE's first national female independent filmmaker' however, it is clear that she is someone for whom little falls into the category of ridiculous when it comes to pursuing dreams.
There's a sleepy feel in the cavernous lobby of Raffles hotel and it's been a long day of meetings for Al Khaja, but the 30-year-old movie producer is fired up.
For while the predicament of needing a passport to go to the cinema may seem a world away from the situation here in Dubai, it is the current state of the UAE film industry that Al Khaja is here to discuss. And she's well qualified to do so.
Earlier this year, amid much media fanfare, Al Khaja signed a multi-million dollar three picture deal with Italian production house Istar Films. The deal, in which she was hired to raise funds for the big budget projects, boosted her own profile and signaled a significant step forward for the GCC's integration into the world's movie industry.
Just months later however, Al Khaja decided to "part ways" with Istar to concentrate on independent film projects exclusive to the UAE.
"Istar were very ambitious and they did get money from other countries that had the formula and mechanics to do so," she says, explaining that each of the three movies was worth US$18 million alone. "Within the UAE it's a bit more challenging.
There is no personnel and no infrastructure yet. If the country were to invest in films they would need to know things like: Will the film make money? What benefits will it bring back here? If it's not money, is there any PR angle to the film? And if they can do that in the range of $8 million, why would they spend $18 million?
"A lot of people assume they can come here if they have the expertise and huge names on board and just tap into funds right away. That is not realistic," she says, revealing in large part why the partnership with Istar dissolved.
"Film is extremely new to the Gulf region. It's at an embryo stage. And it's all about content. If the content fails miserably, it's not a wise investment. And then you get your typical answer from investors: ‘I would rather invest in real estate or a football club' - something they are more comfortable with."
Al Khaja strongly believes that for the UAE to take off as a film hub in a similar way to Morocco, the emphasis has to be on promoting and pushing local talent. Hence, The Scene Club.
She created the non-profit organisation in association with the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) last year and workshops are taught in acting, directing and producing. Award winning directors are flown in for talks with aspiring filmmakers and the calibre of guests is impressive.
Ismael Ferroukhi was here in person to introduce Le Grand Voyage last month, which won the Luigi De Laurentiis award at the 2004 Venice Film Festival. So who inspired Al Khaja? "I love Stanley Kubrick" she smiles. "I'm very attracted to the dark side of things." Her favourite films include Clockwork Orange, The Exorcist and The Others, and it was her international film training that shaped her career.
At the age of 23, Al Khaja traveled to Canada to study a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film at Ryerson University. It was the worldly experience she yearned for, while the thriving Canadian film industry provided the perfect grounding for her filmmaking ambitions.
But this Emirati was always going to come home. Her pride in her homeland is absolute and her efforts to carve out a successful film and commercial business are remarkable.
In 2005, Al Khaja founded the marketing and design agency D-Seven FZ LLC, which works hand in hand with her film production company D-SEVEN Motion Pictures, and she has built up a solid body of work in both the commercial and independent arenas. Corporate clients include Nike, Global Village and the Dubai Special Olympics.
She is currently in the middle of filming a 2.7million AED feature-length documentary about polo, which has taken her to shoot locations including Spain, France and London. The trailer was screened at a glitzy affair in Rome earlier this month, but the film's final destination will fittingly be the beach polo tournament in Dubai, and the completed product will be ready in March.
Exciting stuff, but Al Khaja admits all of these ventures are ultimately undertaken to enable her to pursue her passion for independent filmmaking.
She first came to prominence in 2006 with her directorial debut, the short film Arabana, which dealt with the still taboo subject of child abuse. The film was premiered at the DIFF and received great reviews. "It was a true story that happened in my neighbourhood," she explains.
"A lot of people I know have experienced it firsthand. I wanted to take something and turn it into something positive."
Since then she has concentrated on developing independent feature projects. In between running her sister companies, Al Khaja writes her own film scripts which are inspired by local urban legends from her own childhood.
Born and raised in Dubai, she has four siblings, all of whom are or aspire to be in the design or arts world.
Although she gained a degree in mass communications from Dubai Women's College and worked as a radio presenter, Al Khaja knew she had to travel further afield in order to pursue her dreams, but her decision was not easy.
"My dad is extremely upset," she admits. "If there were 100 other Emirati filmmakers he wouldn't mind. But when you're pioneering something, venturing into something new it's always the toughest. I don't blame him, I know he's afraid for me - he's like ‘she's going to the dark side, I'm losing her'.
And I'm like, ‘Dad, I'm the producer remember - I pay them. They do stuff for me. I'm not an actress. I don't have to do anything for anyone'. So it's funny. I'm sure he'll come around one day. I really hope so."
Her mother on the other hand is "indifferent" to her career choice. "I've had to fight for my independence," she says. "I will prove to them that I'm working from my heart and am very sincere."
As for the stereotype that it is harder for women to break into the film industry: "I completely disagree," laughs Al Khaja.
"Being a woman has helped me a lot. This country wants to promote the image of women being liberated and open minded and I'm being used to promote that image, which I love. It's very beneficial if they have a female director or producer to promote and that public relations angle has really helped me.
"Some feel really sorry for me, and say, ‘Oh, she's a female, help her out'. Fine! I take advantage - if they're going to feel sorry for me but they're going to give me three free helicopters, I'm going to take those helicopters."
And of the future of the industry she is widely credited with helping nurture and evolve, Al Khaja says, "My dream scenario would be a couple of independent feature films from the UAE winning awards at international film festivals and being bought for world distribution, but I believe to reach that point it could take ten to fifteen years - and that's being optimistic."
Optimistic, maybe. But when that dream does come true, you can be sure Al Khaja's name will be up in lights.