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JERUSALEM (AP) — Rabbi Aharon Leib Shteinman, the spiritual leader of Israel's non-Hassidic ultra-Orthodox Jews of European descent, has died. He was 104. Shteinman died on Tuesday from a heart attack after falling ill weeks ago. Shteinman was one of Israel's most influential rabbis and a political kingmaker whose orders were strictly followed by his representatives in parliament. Following the 2012 death of his predecessor, Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, he was widely regarded as "Gadol Hador," or "leader of the generation." Hundreds of thousands are expected to attend his funeral in the central Israeli ultra-Orthodox city of Bnei Brak. Shteinman was known for his rabbinic scholarship, relatively pragmatic rulings and extremely modest lifestyle. Israeli President Reuven Rivlin called him a leader who "carried on his shoulders the existential weight of the Jewish people."

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Silicon Valley's largest city became the latest to wade into debate over divisive historical figures after San Jose's Italian-American mayor and council members voted to boot a statue of Christopher Columbus from City Hall. The vote Tuesday night came after hours of boisterous debate as people argued over the explorer's legacy, according to a KPIX 5 report . Council members suggested alternative public spots but could not agree, leaving the Italian-American community with six weeks to find a new home for the statue. Otherwise, it will go into storage. Across America, communities are taking a fresh look at historic yet controversial figures such as Columbus, who is a point of pride for many Italian- Americans but also a symbol of oppression for others. Columbus, an Italian explorer, journeyed to the Americas. In January, San Francisco joined a growing list of cities that have replaced the Columbus Day holiday with Indigenous Peoples Day to honor Native American people decimated by the arrival of European immigrants. San Jose's marble statue, which was hand-carved in Italy, was a gift to the city from Italian-American groups in the 1950s. The statue has held a prominent spot at City Hall since then. San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo was among those who supported the statue's removal. "Look, I'm Italian-American. I think my grandfather was a member of the group that donated it," he said. "But I think that our understanding of history evolves as we learn more." Tony Zerbo, who is with the Italian American Heritage Foundation, said the removal is a setback for his community. Italian immigrants have also suffered discrimination. "Columbus is renown throughout the world, not just in Italy," he said. "Italian Americans here, in San Francisco and throughout the Bay Area are very proud of that." ___ Information from: KPIX-TV.

All Times EST EASTERN CONFERENCE GP W L OT Pts GF GA Home Away Div Tampa Bay 50 34 13 3 71 176 128 17-5-1 17-8-2 9-3-1 Boston 48 29 11 8 66 157 119 16-6-4 13-5-4 10-1-2 Washington 49 29 15 5 63 150 138 18-7-1 11-8-4 8-4-3 Toronto 51 28 18 5 61 162 146 13-8-2 15-10-3 6-4-1 Pittsburgh 52 28 21 3 59 156 155 18-7-1 10-14-2 10-4-0 New Jersey 49 25 16 8 58 147 147 13-8-3 12-8-5 5-6-1 Columbus 50 27 19 4 58 133 140 16-8-1 11-11-3 8-5-2 Philadelphia 49 24 17 8 56 141 141 13-9-4 11-8-4 5-2-4 N.Y. Rangers 50 25 20 5 55 153 151 17-8-3 8-12-2 7-6-3 N.Y. Islanders 51 25 21 5 55 173 184 13-8-3 12-13-2 7-7-1 Carolina 50 23 19 8 54 139 155 11-7-4 12-12-4 6-5-3 Florida 48 20 22 6 46 136 159 11-8-3 9-14-3 6-4-1 Detroit 48 19 21 8 46 126 146 10-10-7 9-11-1 6-9-2 Montreal 49 20 23 6 46 129 156 12-10-5 8-13-1 9-6-2 Ottawa 48 15 24 9 39 125 168 9-11-5 6-13-4 5-8-3 Buffalo 50 14 27 9 37 115 166 6-13-3 8-14-6 3-5-2 WESTERN CONFERENCE GP W L OT Pts GF GA Home Away Div Vegas 48 32 12 4 68 164 128 19-3-2 13-9-2 11-1-1 Winnipeg 51 30 13 8 68 167 137 18-3-1 12-10-7 7-5-2 Nashville 47 29 11 7 65 145 123 16-4-3 13-7-4 10-3-2 St. Louis 51 30 18 3 63 148 130 17-10-0 13-8-3 7-4-1 Dallas 50 28 18 4 60 155 134 17-7-1 11-11-3 7-10-0 San Jose 49 26 16 7 59 145 138 14-7-3 12-9-4 12-2-3 Minnesota 50 27 18 5 59 147 142 17-4-4 10-14-1 8-8-0 Anaheim 51 25 17 9 59 144 142 14-9-3 11-8-6 8-5-5 Calgary 49 25 16 8 58 137 135 12-11-3 13-5-5 8-5-3 Colorado 48 27 18 3 57 157 139 18-7-1 9-11-2 7-6-1 Los Angeles 49 26 18 5 57 139 121 12-9-3 14-9-2 6-9-3 Chicago 49 23 19 7 53 146 136 12-10-3 11-9-4 5-7-2 Edmonton 49 22 24 3 47 135 157 11-13-1 11-11-2 10-2-0 Vancouver 49 19 24 6 44 127 159 8-13-3 11-11-3 5-9-1 Arizona 50 12 29 9 33 118 172 6-15-3 6-14-6 1-7-5 NOTE: Two points for a win, one point for overtime loss. Top three teams in each division and two wild cards per conference advance to playoffs. Monday's Games No games scheduled Tuesday's Games Minnesota 3, Columbus 2, SO Pittsburgh 5, San Jose 2 Florida 4, N.Y. Islanders 1 Anaheim 3, Boston 1 Carolina 2, Ottawa 1 New Jersey 3, Buffalo 1 Winnipeg 3, Tampa Bay 1 Montreal at St. Louis, 8 p.m. Chicago at Nashville, 8 p.m. Los Angeles at Dallas, 8:30 p.m. Vegas at Calgary, 9 p.m. Colorado at Vancouver, 10 p.m. Wednesday's Games N.Y. Islanders at Toronto, 7:30 p.m. San Jose at Detroit, 8 p.m. Philadelphia at Washington, 8 p.m. Thursday's Games Toronto at N.Y. Rangers, 7 p.m. Montreal at Carolina, 7 p.m. St. Louis at Boston, 7 p.m. Florida at Buffalo, 7 p.m. Anaheim at Ottawa, 7 p.m. Philadelphia at New Jersey, 7 p.m. Vegas at Winnipeg, 8 p.m. Los Angeles at Nashville, 8:30 p.m. Tampa Bay at Calgary, 9 p.m. Dallas at Arizona, 9 p.m. Colorado at Edmonton, 9 p.m. Chicago at Vancouver, 10 p.m. Friday's Games Washington at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m. Detroit at Carolina, 7 p.m. San Jose at Columbus, 7 p.m. Vegas at Minnesota, 8 p.m.

New York (AP) — Cotton No. 2 Futures on the IntercontinentalExchange (ICE) Monday: (50,000 lbs.; cents per lb.)

CHICAGO (AP) — Futures trading on the Chicago Board of Trade Monday.: Settle WHEAT (5,000 bu ; cents per bushel) Dec 387 3-4 Mar 413 1-2 May 427 1-4 Jul 441 1-2 Sep 456 Dec 474 1-4 Mar 488 1-2 May 497 1-4 Jul 502 1-4 Sep 513 Dec 529 1-2 Mar 534 May 534 Jul 533 3-4 CORN (5,000 bu ; cents per bushel) Dec 336 1-2 Mar 349 May 357 1-4 Jul 365 3-4 Sep 373 Dec 381 1-2 Mar 391 1-4 May 398 Jul 403 Sep 401 3-4 Dec 404 3-4 Jul 418 3-4 Dec 409 3-4 OATS (5,000 bu ; cents per bushel) Dec 227 1-2 Mar 243 3-4 May 250 1-4 Jul 257 1-2 Sep 259 1-2 Dec 253 1-2 Mar 253 1-2 May 253 1-2 Jul 253 1-2 Sep 254 3-4 Jul 254 3-4 Sep 254 3-4 SOYBEANS (5,000 bu ; cents per bushel) Jan 982 1-2 Mar 994 May 1005 1-4 Jul 1014 1-2 Aug 1015 3-4 Sep 1007 Nov 999 1-4 Jan 1004 3-4 Mar 1007 3-4 May 1011 3-4 Jul 1016 3-4 Aug 1014 Sep 1004 3-4 Nov 991 Jan 991 3-4 Mar 992 May 1000 Jul 1006 1-2 Aug 1006 1-2 Sep 1006 1-2 Nov 984 3-4 Jul 984 3-4 Nov 984 3-4 SOYBEAN OIL (60,000 lbs; cents per lb) Dec 33.40 Jan 33.46 Mar 33.61 May 33.75 Jul 33.92 Aug 33.89 Sep 33.84 Oct 33.67 Dec 33.59 Jan 33.60 Mar 33.65 May 33.70 Jul 33.78 Aug 33.75 Sep 33.71 Oct 33.52 Dec 33.45 Jul 33.45 Oct 33.45 Dec 33.45 SOYBEAN MEAL (100 tons; dollars per ton) Dec 326.00 Jan 327.70 Mar 331.80 May 334.00 Jul 336.10 Aug 336.10 Sep 334.80 Oct 330.80 Dec 331.50 Jan 332.10 Mar 333.00 May 334.10 Jul 335.30 Aug 335.20 Sep 334.40 Oct 330.10 Dec 331.10 Jul 332.60 Oct 332.60 Dec 334.80

BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — Romania's top court has told the president to fire the country's chief anti-corruption prosecutor, widely praised for her efforts to root out high-level graft, but a thorn in the side of some politicians. The constitutional court ruled Wednesday in a 6-3 vote that there had been an institutional conflict after President Klaus Iohannis disagreed with the justice minister's assessment that National Anti-Corruption Directorate Chief Prosecutor Laura Codruta Kovesi should be dismissed on grounds of failing to do her job properly. Kovesi's departure would be a blow to the agency, respected by ordinary Romanians, the EU and the U.S. The court will explain its ruling later. Justice Minister Tudorel Toader praised the ruling saying Iohannis did not have "the legal ability to evaluate the professional and management competences of high-ranking prosecutors."

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) -- Taiwanese-American Jeremy Lin (林書豪) early this morning (May 31) arrived at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport for a 7-day trip in the country, which will include a two-day basketball camp for select elementary students in eastern Taiwan's Hualien County, reported Liberty Times. Having departed from New York, Lin arrived at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport at 5:30 a.m. this morning where he was greeted by hundreds of screaming fans. Lin stayed for an extra 30 minutes in the entry hall for the airport's Terminal 2 to take time to sign autographs for his eager fans. Lin will hold a press conference this afternoon and tomorrow he will head to Changhua for a charity event. On June 2, Lin will hold a two-day basketball camp for 60 elementary school students in Hualien. On Jun 6, Lin will fly to Hong Kong, where he will stay for two days, before heading to Shanghai on June 9. Lin poses with child who has adopted his hairstyle. (CNA image) Lin signs autographs for fans. (CNA image) Video of Lin signing autographs for fans.

NEW YORK (AP) — In the search for answers to a series of explosions in Texas, authorities have come ahead with a simple plea to whoever's behind the blasts: Talk to us. The Austin police chief's direct appeal, complete with promises to listen to the bomber and try to understand the reasons, reflects the stubborn progress of the investigation in which there's no known motivation and the ties between the victims are opaque at best. It may also represent a ploy to coax a response that could give clues or help police prepare for what might come next. "It puts law enforcement and police in a down power dynamic and instills power on the person," said Randall Rogan, a Wake Forest University professor who is an expert on forensic linguistic analysis and worked with the FBI on the Unabomber case. "It gives (perpetrators) a sense of satisfaction, of pride, of accomplishment, that they are in charge." An explosion on Sunday night was the fourth in Austin this month, and represented a stepped-up level of sophistication in the attack. Unlike the previous bombings, which involved packages left on doorsteps, the latest one was placed near a hiking trail and had a thin translucent tripwire like fishing line. Two people have died in the explosions and four others have been injured. Hundreds of officers from multiple law enforcement agencies are on the case. Rogan said as time passes, it's likely the person or people behind the explosions will seek more than just the thrill of the crimes themselves and will desire more recognition, something that could drive them to make contact with police or release some sort of communiqué or manifesto. He said the new complexity of the fourth bombing might suggest it was a test for something even bigger. "This is an increase and expansion of sophistication and most likely a trial run for something to come in the future," Rogan said. Robert Taylor, a former police detective who is now a criminologist at the University of Texas at Dallas, said eventually there will be a break in the case, but how long it will take remains to be seen. "Something will come up somewhere. It will be a fingerprint on an envelope or DNA from saliva or a unique kind of detonator, or someone will just blab in a bar," he said. For now, though, the police chief's plea suggests they haven't reached that point. "It's a sign there's probably not a lot of physical evidence in these kind of crimes that lead and point to a specific person," Taylor said. Every tiny piece of the bombs' remnants, though, holds the potential to unlock the mystery. Mary Ellen O'Toole, a retired FBI agent and profiler who worked on numerous bombing cases, including the Unabomber, and now heads the forensic science program at George Mason University, said because bombs require so many components, they increase the chance that whoever built it could leave a trace of themselves behind. "They're looking to see if they can determine a signature for the bomber," she said of investigators. Scouring the areas where the bombs went off could uncover something — a hair, a skin fragment, a part of a fingerprint — that might lead to the perpetrator. Police will analyze every part of the devices they can recover to see what clues come from wires, tape, the skill and neatness in which they were constructed, and any other detail that might help decode who the bomber is. "Even the way they bend or roll the wire," said Michael Bussell, a former Army ordnance disposal technician who now teaches classes on the subject for the online American Military University. The Unabomber case, which launched with its first blast in 1978, provides both reasons to be hopeful and concerned about the Texas explosions. While the FBI was able to build a correct profile of the bomber as having been raised in Chicago with ties to Salt Lake City and San Francisco, the big break in the case didn't come for 17 years, when he sent a 35,000-word manifesto. Even then, Ted Kaczynski was identified as the Unabomber only after his brother came forward to help authorities. O'Toole said it's impossible to build a nuanced profile of the killer without all the evidence, but that bombers share some characteristics. They are willing to forsake some control in their mayhem since they are leaving a device that might not reach its intended target. They enjoy the risk of it — not just the danger of building a bomb, but also of transporting it to neighborhoods where people live and they could easily be caught. And because the bombings have continued, they likely feel no remorse and are prepared to do it again. "If this bomber is being motivated, in part, by the sense of power and control that he has holding the city of Austin in a state of fear, and depending how addictive that feeling is," she said, "that can be a strong contributor to his doing it again and not waiting a long period of time." ___ Sedensky can be reached at msedensky@ap.org or https://twitter.com/sedensky

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — A Rhode Island company is going to build a wind farm that will be 10 times the size of the nation's first offshore wind farm. Deepwater Wind says the new 400-megawatt wind farm will also create more than 800 jobs and result in $250 million in investments in Rhode Island. Democratic Gov. Gina Raimondo and other officials visited the Port of Providence on Wednesday for the announcement. Massachusetts and Rhode Island announced offshore wind projects last week aimed at delivering a combined 1,200 megawatts of energy, enough to power about 600,000 homes. Deepwater Wind also built the nation's first offshore wind farm off Block Island, Rhode Island. It has five turbines. With this latest project, the company plans to build up to 50 turbines south of Martha's Vineyard. "It is an enormous clean energy machine," Deepwater Wind CEO Jeff Grybowski said. "It will displace about 650,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide every year. It is one of the most consequential clean energy projects in the history of the northeast United States. And we're going to build it and deliver that at low cost." Grybowski said he couldn't say exactly what the price of the energy will be because Deepwater Wind must negotiate a contract with utility company National Grid. He said it would be competitive with traditional sources of fuel and a "game changer" in replacing those sources. The company says it will take about 800 people and roughly $1 billion to build the wind farm. Another 50 permanent jobs will be created. The $250 million investment in Rhode Island includes $40 million in port infrastructure improvements to position the state for future offshore wind projects. Raimondo called it a fantastic day for Rhode Island because of the amount of clean energy that will be produced and the number jobs created. She said Rhode Island can be an epicenter for the offshore wind industry. She said she thinks some of the companies that make turbines will eventually move to the state. "This is big. This is about as big as it gets," she said. Deepwater Wind didn't ask for tax credits for the project, called Revolution Wind. Both the Rhode Island and Massachusetts wind farms, which the states describe as a collaborative effort, will be located south of Martha's Vineyard. The Vineyard Wind project will be Massachusetts' first offshore wind farm. Local construction on the Revolution Wind project could start in Rhode Island in 2020 with commercial operations by 2023. The turbines are expected to generate enough energy to power more than 200,000 homes, or about half the homes in Rhode Island. The wind farm will be in a 256-square-mile federal lease area. Deepwater Wind plans to build 15 turbines in that same area to supply renewable energy to Long Island, New York.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on the White House visit of French President Emmanuel Macron (all times local): 9 a.m. President Donald Trump is welcoming French President Emmanuel Macron to the White House in a formal arrival ceremony. The president and first lady are greeting Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron, on rolled-out red carpet on the South Lawn. The arrival is heavy on pomp, with nearly 500 U.S. service-members from all five military branches participating in the ceremonial welcome, which includes a "Review of the Troops." Vice President Mike Pence and several members of Trump's Cabinet, lawmakers, and military families are in attendance. The audience includes students from the Maya Angelou French Immersion School in Temple Hills, Maryland. The two leaders are spending the morning in meetings and then will hold a joint news conference. On Tuesday night, Macron will be feted at Trump's first state dinner. ___ 12:50 a.m. A sit-down between President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron followed by a joint news conference highlight the business portion of the French leader's second day in Washington. The pageantry of Macron's official state visit, the first of the Trump presidency, comes Tuesday night with a lavish state dinner at the White House. About 150 guests are expected to dine on rack of lamb and nectarine tart and enjoy an after-dinner performance by the Washington National Opera. Monday night was more relaxed, featuring a helicopter tour of Washington landmarks and a trip to the Potomac River home of George Washington for dinner. Pomp and ceremony aside, Trump and Macron disagree on some fundamental issues. A prime dividing point is the multinational Iran nuclear deal, which Trump wants to abandon.

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 24, 2018--Stoli ® Vodka, the original premium vodka with uncompromising quality since 1938, announced today the launch of Stoli ® Cucumber. In 1962, Stoli became the brand that introduced flavored vodkas to the spirits market and, just in time for summer, adds fresh Cucumber to complement its award-winning range. The latest flavor from Stoli is crisp and clean on the palate, bursting with savory cucumber taste and a soft, smooth finish. Stoli Cucumber will be available nationwide beginning in late April. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424005998/en/ Today, Stoli Vodka announced the first flavor to join its premium range in more than five years -- fresh Stoli Cucumber, just in time for summer. (Photo: Business Wire) Stoli Cucumber will keep consumers cool and reinvigorated, whether enjoyed on the rocks or mixed in a cocktail, pairing well with mint, lemon and lime. Signature drinks include a Stoli Cucumber Spritz, Cucumber Martini, Cucumber Mule, and a Cucumber Bloody Mary. At various retail outlets, Stoli Cucumber will be sold with Tajín chile seasoning affixed to the bottle, providing a zesty garnish to coat the rims of glasses. “Stoli has the best flavored vodkas on the market – an important and strategic segment of the overall Stoli business,” said Russell Pareti, Senior Vice President of Marketing for Stoli Group USA. “We recognized an opportunity for a high-quality premium cucumber vodka, given the rise in demand for this fresh taste in cocktails. We could not be prouder of Stoli Cucumber, which will complement our existing portfolio very well. Thus far, the reception from the trade and bartenders has been overwhelmingly positive and we look forward to bringing new consumers into the Stoli Vodka franchise with this new flavor addition.” Stoli ® Cucumber is 75 proof, or 37.5% percent alcohol by volume (ABV), for a suggested retail price of $19.99 for a 750ml. For more information, visit www.stoli.com or follow Stoli on Instagram @Stoli, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/stoli and on Twitter @Stoli. About Stoli ® Group USA Stoli Group USA, LLC is a U.S. importer and marketer of alcoholic beverages, headquartered in New York City. Formed in 2013, Stoli Group USA is a subsidiary of SPI Group based out of Luxemburg, one of the world's most dynamic wine and spirits organizations. View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424005998/en/ CONTACT: Stoli Group Alison Walsh, +1-917-301-2962 awalsh@stoli.com or MWW PR Leslie Norden, +1-323-798-3925 lnorden@mww.com KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA NEW YORK INDUSTRY KEYWORD: RETAIL FOOD/BEVERAGE WINE & SPIRITS SOURCE: Stoli Group USA, LLC Copyright Business Wire 2018. PUB: 04/24/2018 10:16 AM/DISC: 04/24/2018 10:16 AM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424005998/en

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. workers' wages and benefits grew 2.6 percent last year, the fastest 12-month pace since the spring of 2015. The 12-month gain in wages and benefits came despite a slight slowdown at the end of last year with wages and benefits rising 0.6 percent in the fourth quarter, a tiny dip from a 0.7 percent gain in the third quarter, the Labor Department reported Wednesday. Still, the 12-month gain was an improvement from a 2.2 percent gain for the 12 months ending in December 2016. In his State of the Union address Tuesday night, President Donald Trump touted the rise in wages as an accomplishment of his economic program. But private economists contend that wages should be rising at a faster pace given that unemployment is now at a 17-year low of 4.1 percent. The gain in the employment cost index showed that wages and salaries were up 2.5 percent for the 12 months ending in December while benefits such as employer contributions to health insurance and pension plans rose 2.5 percent. Wages and salaries make up about 70 percent of compensation costs while benefits make up the other 30 percent. Most economists believe that wages should be increasing at a faster pace given the drop in the jobless rate to 4.1 percent. The last time unemployment was this low, in the late 1990s, average hourly pay, another measure of wages, was rising at a 4 percent pace. Hourly wages rose 2.5 percent in 2017, down from a 2016 gain of 2.9 percent, according to a separate Labor Department report. The employment cost index, which tracks wages and compensation benefits, last rose faster than 2.6 percent over a 12-month period in September 2008 when the gain was 2.9 percent.

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — German politicians are expressing concern about a possible takeover of General Motors' Opel division by France's PSA Group, maker of Peugeot and Citroen cars. Chancellor Angela Merkel's Cabinet discussed the possible consequences for German workers Wednesday. Labor Minister Andrea Nahles was quoted by the dpa news agency as saying that Opel's headquarters must remain in Ruesselsheim, Germany. Opel employs 19,000 people in Germany out of a total work force of 38,000. Meanwhile, GM CEO Mary Barra was at the Opel headquarters in the wake of Tuesday's surprise announcement that PSA and GM were talking about expanding their current cooperation, with one option being PSA acquiring Opel. Detroit-based GM has been trying to return its European business to profit. It last made a full-year profit there in 1999.

HOUSTON (AP) — Heavy rains that flooded some Houston streets on July Fourth are expected to subside. National Weather Service meteorologist Patrick Blood says the rains should subside by mid-afternoon. Blood says the city saw heavy rainfall early Wednesday morning that led to 1 to 2 feet (0.3 to 0.6 meters) of water collecting on some roadways, mostly in west Houston. Blood says there has been one report of a high-water rescue and that officials are asking people to stay home and off the flooded roads. Blood says the flooding is typical for Houston and will not at all resemble the devastating floods caused last year by Hurricane Harvey. If the rain continues trending the way it has been, the impact should be minor.

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 30, 2018-- market research analysts forecast the to grow at a CAGR of approximately 23% during the period 2018-2022, according to their latest report. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180530006004/en/ Technavio has published a new market research report on the global cloud migration services market from 2018-2022. (Graphic: Business Wire) The adoption of container-as-a-service solutions is one of the major trends being witnessed in the market. The modern cloud computing and virtualization systems are highly distributed by the invention of a better and lightweight distributed application packaging toolkit over the cloud environment, called the container technology. Cloud containers feature the management of applications with migration, replication, relocation, upgrading, and the easy plug-and-play ability in real time. This report is available at a USD 1,000 discount for a limited time only: Save more with Technavio. Buy2 reports and get the third for FREE: In this report, Technavio analysts highlight the increasing adoption of cloud computing as a key factor contributing to the growth of the global market: Increasing adoption of cloud computing The emergence of cost-effective IT solutions such as cloud computing has helped in reducing the total cost of ownership (TCO) for businesses. Previously, the adoption rate of on-premises software solutions to manage operational activities was low due to their limited IT budgets. Gradually, the top executives of organizations have started investing in advanced IT solutions such as analytics, IoT, enterprise systems, and other IT solutions through cloud computing deployment model. According to a senior analyst at Technavio for , “Affordability and convenience are the major reasons for the adoption of advanced IT solutions among organizations through the cloud computing platform. The leading vendors in the market are currently targeting the cloud computing segment because of the enormous opportunities available in the cloud computing market.” Looking for more information on this market? Technavio’s sample reports are free of charge and contain multiple sections of the report such as the market size and forecast, drivers, challenges, trends, and more. Cloud migration services - market segmentation This market research report segments the global market by deployment (public cloud, private cloud, and hybrid cloud) and key regions (the Americas, APAC, and EMEA). It provides an in-depth analysis of the prominent factors influencing the market, including drivers, opportunities, trends, and industry-specific challenges. The Americas led the global cloud migration services market in 2017, accounting for a market share of around 44%. It was followed by EMEA and APAC. The APAC region is expected to post the fastest growth during the forecast period. About Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio’s report library consists of more than 10,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio’s comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. If you are interested in more information, please contact our media team at . View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180530006004/en/ CONTACT: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 www.technavio.com KEYWORD: INDUSTRY KEYWORD: TECHNOLOGY DATA MANAGEMENT HARDWARE INTERNET SOFTWARE OTHER TECHNOLOGY SOURCE: Technavio Research Copyright Business Wire 2018. PUB: 05/30/2018 11:14 AM/DISC: 05/30/2018 11:14 AM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180530006004/en

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Evgeni Malkin scored and picked up an assist in his return from a lower-body injury, Sidney Crosby got his 999th career point with an assist and the Pittsburgh Penguins rolled by the Vancouver Canucks 4-0. The quality Mike Sullivan appreciates the most in Malkin is the one that separates the Pittsburgh Penguins star from just about everyone else who happens to do what Malkin does for a living. "He's such a threat when he's on the ice," Sullivan said. "He's one of the elite players in the league that has the ability to change the outcome." And do it with style. Malkin celebrated his return from injury with his 23rd goal of the season then added a beautiful feed that set up Phil Kessel's third-period goal on Tuesday night. Crosby earned the 999th point of his career with an assist on Jake Guentzel's goal and Matt Cullen added his ninth of the season for Pittsburgh. Matt Murray stopped 29 shots for his third shutout of the season, and the Penguins remained unbeaten in regulation since the All-Star break (5-0-2). Malkin missed seven games while recovering from an injury sustained during a victory over St. Louis on Jan. 24. He appeared ready to return last Saturday night in Arizona before Sullivan made Malkin a late scratch just to be sure. Given another couple of days to rest, Malkin picked up right where he left off before getting hurt. He gave Pittsburgh the lead 5:51 into the second when he stood on the far post, stopped a pass from Olli Maatta with his right skate and tapped it into the net. "I tried to score with my stick because sometimes (if it's) off your skates, the coach makes a challenge," Malkin said. "I know the puck was coming." Vancouver's defense couldn't say the same when Malkin and Kessel broke in on Ryan Miller late in the third. Racing down the right wing, Malkin dangled the puck on his stick and waited while defenseman Luca Sbisa slid harmlessly out of the way before slipping it Kessel, who buried it into the open net to make it 3-0 with just over six minutes to go. "The first time we went 2-on-1, I tried to pass to him and he tried to pass it back and it didn't work," Malkin said. "Now I passed to him and he shoot. It's more fun." Miller made 38 saves while under siege for most of the night, particularly in the third as Pittsburgh pulled away. "We knew what game we had to play," Miller said. "You saw what happened when we got away from it in the third. We started stretching things out and leaving good ice. It didn't turn out so well." Despite a series of injuries, the defending Stanley Cup champions have managed to keep pace in the supremely tight Metropolitan Division, where the Penguins, Columbus and the New York Rangers are separated by all of two points as they try to keep first-place Washington in striking distance. Murray was spectacular at times. He snagged Jack Skille's wrist shot on a breakaway out of midair late in the second and stoned Skille again when he skated in all alone early in the third. By then, the Penguins were firmly in control after Crosby set up Guentzel's sixth of the season. The Penguins captain came in having gone scoreless in consecutive games for the first time in nearly a year. The drought was on its way to stretching to three games heading into the third, but Crosby nudged closer to becoming the 86th NHL player with 1,000 points when he completed a give-and-go by feeding a streaking Guentzel down the slot 2:27 into the third. "It's pretty easy when you're playing with the best player," said Guentzel, a rookie who has six goals in 18 games.

THESSALONIKI, Greece (AP) — Israel's president and Greece's prime minister have attended a foundation ceremony for a holocaust museum in the Greek city of Thessaloniki, which lost 97 percent of its Jewish community in German World War II death camps. Reuven Rivlin and Alexis Tsipras symbolically planted two olive trees on the plot. The scheduled six-story building will be built by 2020, next to the northern city's old railway station, from which some 55,000 Thessaloniki Jews were forced into goods wagons for the camps. About 50,000 died there. Tsipras said Tuesday the museum will fulfill an old debt for the city, some 40 percent of whose pre-war population was Jewish. Overall, some 90 percent of Greece's Jewish population was murdered by Nazi forces during the war.

RENTON, Washington (AP) — Outspoken Seattle Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett has been a supporter of Colin Kaepernick this offseason in his attempt to land a job in the NFL. Bennett's support wasn't enough for his team to sign Kaepernick. But the fact the Seahawks brought Kaepernick in for a visit was worthy of acknowledgement considering the silence he's received from the rest of the NFL, Bennett said. "I don't know what the factors were in (why) the Seahawks didn't sign him," Bennett said. "I know the Seahawks were the only team to step up and give him an opportunity to do a (visit). That says a lot about the organization. I think our organization is built a lot around community. "If you look at the way the Seahawks move, if you look at the way our team moves, if you look at the people that work in the building this organization is built around community. I'm not surprised that the Seahawks were one to look at Kaepernick and give him an opportunity even to try out." Bennett was in full support of his franchise on Wednesday during the second day of Seattle's minicamp, from his praise for considering Kaepernick to coach Pete Carroll's reasoning why the Seahawks didn't sign the quarterback. "If he feels that this is not the right situation because we have a starting quarterback, then that's his choice," Bennett said. "I think he's able to have that choice because he's shown that he's of a winning pedigree. He wants to make sure he doesn't have that competition behind his quarterback, I think it's justifiable." Bennett skipped Seattle's OTAs earlier in the offseason, working out on his own and spending time with his family, but didn't want to risk any fines for missing the mandatory minicamp. Bennett also said Wednesday he's been in contact with Kaepernick through the offseason in an attempt to help the former San Francisco quarterback with some of his initiatives. Never one to hold back an opinion, Bennett said there is no logical explanation for why Kaepernick doesn't have a job at this point. "There is obviously the elephant in the room why Kaepernick isn't signed," Bennett said. "I've said this several times and I'm not afraid to say it, I think race in politics and sports is something that people don't want to hear about, nor do people want to be a part of. "I think if you bring the issue of oppressed people onto a stage where there's millions of fans watching, bring up dirty little secrets, I think a lot of people don't want to hear that. People just want to see people score touchdowns and make big hits." ___ For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP_NFL

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — The Latest on Virginia passage of Medicaid expansion plan after years of gridlock (all times local): 8:05 p.m. The Republican-controlled Virginia General Assembly has given final approval to a state budget expanding Medicaid coverage to the state's poor. The House of Delegates voted Wednesday shortly after the state Senate voted in favor of expansion. Several Republicans in both chambers joined with Democrats to support Medicaid expansion after years of partisan battle on the issue. The House had previously endorsed expansion, while the Senate had held out in opposition until Wednesday. Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam is expected to sign the budget in coming days. Expanding Medicaid was a key provision of then-President Barack Obama's health care overhaul. A tally from the Kaiser Family Foundation shows Virginia will become the 33rd state to approve Medicaid expansion. 7:05 p.m. The Virginia Senate has voted to expand Medicaid, ending years of partisan gridlock on whether to widen coverage under the health care program for poor people. The Senate on Wednesday approved a state budget that would expand Medicaid eligibility to about 400,000 low-income adults. A tally from the Kaiser Family Foundation shows Virginia will become the 33rd state to approve Medicaid expansion. Expanding Medicaid was a key provision of the Affordable Care Act pushed by former President Barack Obama. Virginia Democrats have pushed unsuccessfully for years to expand it. Several state Republicans dropped their opposition this year, saying Virginia would be better off with increased federal funding for the program. The budget still needs final approval House and from Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam. That's expected to happen with little difficulty.

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 23, 2018--Peloton, the technology company that revolutionized the fitness industry with its category-creating indoor cycling bike and its recently announced Peloton Tread, today announced that Pamela Thomas-Graham has been elected to the company’s Board of Directors, effective immediately. Thomas-Graham is a seasoned entrepreneur, executive and long-time public company board member with nearly three decades of experience in the financial services, media and fashion industries. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180423006292/en/ Pamela Thomas-Graham (Photo: Business Wire) “Peloton is reinventing the fitness experience in an incredibly innovative way, and I’m honored and thrilled to be joining its Board,” said Thomas-Graham. “As both an executive and a fitness enthusiast, I look forward to working with John Foley, his team and my fellow Board members to help drive the future of this disruptive business.” Currently, Thomas-Graham is the Founder and CEO of Dandelion Chandelier LLC, a private digital media enterprise reporting on luxury goods and services. Prior to that, she spent over six years with Credit Suisse, where she was the first female member of the bank’s Executive Board; Chief Marketing and Talent Officer; and Head of Private Banking and Wealth Management New Markets. Before assuming leadership roles in financial services, Thomas-Graham served as a Group President at Liz Claiborne (subsequently Kate Spade & Company, now part of Tapestry), where she was responsible for the P&L of 18 global apparel brands. Previously, Thomas-Graham spent six years at NBCUniversal, where she served as President and Chief Executive Officer of CNBC.com and, later, as global Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of CNBC Television. She began her career at global consulting firm McKinsey & Company in 1989, and became the firm’s first African-American female partner in 1995. She was named one of the “Top 10 Consultants in America” by Consulting Magazine in 1999. As a consultant she worked on strategy and operational issues with clients in consumer packaged goods, media and retail. “Pamela’s insight and perspective will be a welcome addition to our already impressive Board,” said Peloton CEO and Co-founder John Foley. “Her extensive experience across a variety of consumer businesses--from finance to beauty to media--will help us immensely as we continue to innovate and grow.” Thomas-Graham holds Bachelor of Arts in Economics; Master of Business Administration; and Doctor of Law degrees from Harvard University. Since 2005, she has served on the board of The Clorox Company (NYSE: CLX), and currently serves as its Lead Independent Director. In December 2017, she joined the board of N.T. Butterfield & Sons Bank (NASDAQ: NTB), a full service bank and wealth manager headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda. About Peloton Founded in 2012, Peloton is revolutionizing the fitness industry by merging high design with modern technology to provide access to live and on-demand fitness group classes led by elite NYC instructors. With instant access to classes, performance tracking metrics and a motivating real-time leaderboard, Peloton is changing the way people get fit through a comprehensive and socially connected experience that makes every workout both efficient and addictive. Peloton is sold online and in a growing number of showrooms across the US. For more information, visit www.onepeloton.com. View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180423006292/en/ CONTACT: Media: Peloton: Michael Braun, (212) 334-0333 peloton@id-pr.com or Jessica Kleiman, (646) 829-1633 press@onepeloton.com KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA NEW YORK INDUSTRY KEYWORD: OTHER SPORTS LUXURY HEALTH FITNESS & NUTRITION HOME GOODS GENERAL SPORTS RETAIL SPECIALTY OTHER RETAIL SPORTS GENERAL HEALTH SOURCE: Peloton Copyright Business Wire 2018. PUB: 04/23/2018 02:45 PM/DISC: 04/23/2018 02:45 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180423006292/en

WASHINGTON (AP) — It's rare to see the law-and-order Republican Party attack America's top law enforcement agency, which traditionally has drawn more ire from civil rights-minded Democrats. But as special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation intensifies, President Donald Trump and his GOP supporters have unleashed their fury on the FBI and Justice Department, institutions they once held sacred. They point to what they see as a number of anti-Trump biases. Democrats say it's an effort intended to undermine Mueller's investigation into possible obstruction of justice and Trump campaign ties to election meddling by Moscow. A look at the Republican grievances and how Democrats have rushed to defend the FBI and Justice Department: THE CLASSIFIED MEMO Republicans claim the FBI and Justice Department used false grounds to conduct surveillance as part of the Russia investigation. A classified memo prepared by Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee tries to make that case. The committee chairman is Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., is a close Trump ally. Committee Republicans, who hold a majority, voted this week to release the memo. That was unusual move because the committee usually goes out of its way to protect classified information. Democrats say the memo is a selectively edited group of Republican talking points aimed at sidetracking the committee's own investigation into Russian meddling. They have prepared their own memo in response, but Republicans voted to block its immediate public release. Trump has signaled that he wants to release the Republican document. The Justice Department is urging him not to do so, a further point of contention with congressional Republicans. ___ THE TEXT MESSAGES The Justice Department has been turning over to Congress thousands of text messages involving an FBI agent who was removed from Mueller's team following the discovery of derogatory comments about Trump. The communications surfaced during a watchdog's inquiry into the FBI's handling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation. Many of the texts between the agent, Peter Strzok, and an FBI lawyer, Lisa Page, included their observations of the 2016 election and sometimes colorful opinions of Trump, Clinton and other politicians. Strzok also worked on the Clinton email case; Page left Mueller's team before the texts were discovered. Some Republicans have seized on the communications as proof that the FBI is anti-Trump and Mueller's probe is tainted. FBI Director Christopher Wray has denied that. ___ HILLARY CLINTON EMAIL The most pronounced and long-lasting grievance took root in the summer of 2016, when then-FBI Director James Comey announced his determination that Clinton should not face criminal charges in connection with her use of a private email server. For the majority of his extraordinary public statement at FBI headquarters, Comey appeared to be laying out a case for prosecution on charges of mishandling classified information. He criticized Clinton and her aides for being "extremely careless" with sensitive material. Comey also said that contrary to Clinton's repeated public assertions, dozens of email chains reviewed by agents contained classified information at the time they were sent and received. Yet at the end of his announcement, Comey contended that "no reasonable prosecutor" would bring such a case in part because there was no evidence that anyone involved had intended to break the law. The decision infuriated Republicans, not least because Comey appeared to substitute his own judgment in place of that of career prosecutors ultimately tasked with deciding whether charges were merited. Republicans were further angered because the statute that Comey cited did not require criminal intent, even though Comey said the Justice Department had historically required it for prosecution. Several developments involving senior career FBI and Justice Department officials — among them, Attorney General Loretta Lynch's impromptu airport tarmac meeting with Bill Clinton, and campaign contributions from a Clinton ally that flowed to the wife of FBI Deputy Andrew McCabe — only fueled Republican suspicion that Clinton was afforded special treatment. Democrats, however, see the exact opposite. They argue that Comey undermined the Clinton campaign by first criticizing her while acknowledging he didn't have a basis for charges, then briefly reopening the investigation in the final days of the 2016 campaign following the discovery of a trove of emails. ___ MUELLER'S TEAM Republicans also have complained of political bias among the lawyers serving on Mueller's team investigating the Trump campaign and Russia. One of the more prominent prosecutors on the team, Andrew Weissmann, ran the Justice Department's fraud section in the final years of the Obama administration. The conservative group Judicial Watch said it had obtained an email last year showing Weissmann praising Sally Yates, the former acting attorney general, for refusing to defend Trump's travel ban. That decision led Trump to fire Yates last January. Several members of Mueller's team have made political contributions to Democratic candidates, including Hillary Clinton. But Mueller could not have barred them from serving on the team. Federal regulations and Justice Department policy prohibit the consideration of political affiliation in hiring and other personnel actions involving career attorneys. ___ URANIUM ONE Republicans have long expressed suspicion about the sale of Uranium One, a Canadian company with rights to mine U.S. uranium, to Russia's nuclear energy agency Rosatom. They wanted the Justice Department to investigate whether the sale benefited major donors to the Clinton Foundation, raising conflict-of-interest questions. They've had partial success in their push to drum up attention. The Justice Department advised lawmakers in November that Attorney General Jeff Sessions had directed prosecutors to look into the Uranium One sale and other mattress, and make a recommendation on whether a special counsel should be appointed. It's unclear whether a special counsel will ever be appointed for such an inquiry. Democrats say the criticism is based on false claims and is politically motivated and note that the transaction was approved by Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, which is composed of representatives from nine government agencies.

MOUNT PLEASANT, Wis. (AP) — Property owners in southeastern Wisconsin who believe they won't be fully compensated for land Foxconn Technology Group needs to build a $10 billion plant are appealing a ruling dismissing their case. A dozen property owners filed a federal lawsuit in January alleging the village of Mount Pleasant's use of eminent domain is unconstitutional because it is for private rather than public benefit. They say the offers for their properties are too low. A federal judge dismissed the suit this month, calling it "not cognizable." The Journal Times reports that the property owners' attorney filed the appeal Tuesday. An attorney for the village says the legal appeal won't stop the project. The Taiwanese company's plant will manufacture advanced liquid crystal display panels. ___ Information from: The Journal Times, http://www.journaltimes.com

TAYLORSVILLE, N.C. (AP) — Where do you hide a 1,000-pound chicken? That's what sheriff's deputies in Alexander County, North Carolina, are trying to figure out as they search for the concrete statue that disappeared from a farm west of Taylorsville over the weekend. While the chicken may be heavy, it's only 3 feet tall. Deputies think the statue was taken sometime between 8 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. Sunday from the driveway of the farm. Chief Deputy Tod Jones told the Hickory Daily Record (http://bit.ly/2l7Z6BF) the statue's base was found several miles away. Jones said the statue is valued at about $1,100. Alexander County is near Hickory, about 60 miles north of Charlotte.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — The New York Yankees have acquired NL MVP Giancarlo Stanton from the Miami Marlins. The Yankees announced the trade Monday, getting the slugger and cash from Miami for Starlin Castro and two minor leaguers, right-hander Jorge Guzman and infielder Jose Devers. Stanton is still owed $295 million over the final decade of his record $325 million, 13-year contract. The outfielder was to be introduced later Monday at baseball's winter meetings. The 28-year-old Stanton led the majors with 59 home runs and 132 RBIs last season. The 27-year-old Castro was an All-Star last season, hitting .300 with 16 homers and 63 RBIs. There's speculation the Marlins will try to trade him to the New York Mets. The 21-year-old Guzman was 5-3 with a 2.30 ERA in Class A Staten Island. The 18-year-old Devers hit .245 in the Dominican Summer League and the rookie Gulf Coast League. ___ More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 23, 2018--Rimini Street, Inc. (Nasdaq: RMNI), a global provider of enterprise software products and services, and the leading third-party support provider for Oracle and SAP software products, today announced that SIFLEX, a leading global printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturer headquartered in South Korea, has switched its SAP ERP support to Rimini Street from the vendor. By making the switch, SIFLEX was able to reduce its maintenance fees by 50% and can now maximize its current, stable and robust ERP ECC 5.0 system for a minimum of 15 years from the time the company transitioned to Rimini Street support. SIFLEX was also able to free up internal IT personnel to focus on more pressing initiatives within the organization. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180423006227/en/ Leading Korean manufacturer of printed circuit boards, SIFLEX, Switches to Rimini Street Support for its SAP Application (Photo: Business Wire) Seeking Alternative to High Cost, Low Quality Vendor Support To improve productivity and better optimize IT costs, SIFLEX began exploring options in two areas: finding alternatives to free up its IT staff to focus on more strategic, growth-related projects within the business, and exploring options for reducing the cost of its SAP ERP maintenance. In addition, SIFLEX was looking for a higher quality of service from what they had been receiving from the software vendor and wanted to reduce its dependency on SAP overall. After researching viable alternatives for both liberating its internal resources and reducing the cost of its SAP software support, SIFLEX identified third-party enterprise software support as a credible and strategic solution, and selected Rimini Street as the best option for its needs. “There is a common predicament in Korea, where CIOs and IT leaders are tasked with the challenge to reduce overall cost across their IT landscape, and at the same time improve efficiency, support their organization’s growth strategy, and execute digital transformation projects,” said Tae-joon Park, manager of the Management Information Team at SIFLEX. “SIFLEX had the same predicament and when we evaluated our entire IT cost structure to find savings opportunities, the annual spend on our SAP maintenance stood out as a large proportion of our overall IT spend, yet we were receiving subpar service, far below our expectations in return. When we spoke to Rimini Street clients we realized that we would be in good company amongst other CIOs who had made the decision to switch, and who are reaping the benefits of that strategic decision – not only in terms of the cost savings, but in liberating their resources and budget to enable their digital transformation initiatives.” Expert Engineers with an Average of 15 Years’ Experience Rimini Street’s third-party support includes support for an organizations’ software customizations, which are not supported as part of SAP’s annual support program. According to Rimini Street data from nearly 2,000 clients signed to date, 85% of all critical Priority 1 cases are related to a company’s customization to the software. Traditional software vendor support explicitly excludes support for software customizations, forcing customers to self-support their own customizations or outsourcing this support to an external consultant – adding to the overall IT spend and draining internal resources. When considering support alternatives, SIFLEX wanted immediate access to expert engineers who would quickly respond to any issues that arose and provide a timely resolution. As with all Rimini Street clients, SIFLEX was assigned a primary support engineer (PSE) with an average of 15 years’ experience with SAP software, and the company now enjoys a premium level of service compared to the call-center level support model provided by SAP. Rimini Street has nearly 450 PSE’s around the world, who provide support 24/7 365 days a year, and a guaranteed service level agreement of 15 minutes response time for all critical cases. “The biggest service advantage we found moving to Rimini Street support was the fact that we could speak directly to our assigned support engineer. Previously when I would raise a support ticket with the software vendor, there was no clarity as to whom was actually handling our support request and our issues were never resolved to our satisfaction. However, with Rimini Street, their engineers collaborate with each other under the leadership of our PSE until the problem is solved. In the past, when I worked with SAP, I did not experience this collaborative, team-oriented approach. Rimini Street is the first company I have ever worked with where the entire organization strives to help its clients’ succeed,” continued Park. “There is increasing pressure on CIOs from companies of all sizes, industries and regions to cut their overall IT cost, and concurrently invest significant budget into growth initiatives for their organization. In the manufacturing industry in particular, where there is fierce competition, companies have to maintain what is already a tight profit margin and adjust to new processes and faster manufacturing schedules,” said Hyungwook “Kevin” Kim, country manager, South Korea, Rimini Street. “By switching to Rimini Street’s award-winning support, SIFLEX was able to unlock significant resources in both time and money for IT transformation projects. As with all of our clients, SIFLEX receives Rimini Street’s market leading, ultra-responsive support for their mission-critical system for at least 15 years from the date they switched to Rimini Street.” About Rimini Street, Inc. Rimini Street, Inc. (Nasdaq: RMNI) is a global provider of enterprise software products and services, and the leading third-party support provider for Oracle and SAP software products. The company has redefined enterprise software support services since 2005 with an innovative, award-winning program that enables licensees of IBM, Microsoft, Oracle, SAP and other enterprise software vendors to save up to 90 percent on total support costs. Clients can remain on their current software release without any required upgrades for a minimum of 15 years. Over 1,560 global Fortune 500, midmarket, public sector and other organizations from a broad range of industries currently rely on Rimini Street as their trusted, third-party support provider. To learn more, please visit https://www.riministreet.com, follow @riministreet on Twitter and find Rimini Street on Facebook and LinkedIn. (C-RMNI) Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements included in this communication are not historical facts but are forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provisions under The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements generally are accompanied by words such as “may,” “should,” “would,” “plan,” “intend,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” “seem,” “seek,” “continue,” “future,” “will,” “expect,” “outlook” or other similar words, phrases or expressions. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding our first quarter and annual 2018 revenue guidance, industry, future events, future opportunities and growth initiatives, estimates of Rimini Street’s total addressable market, and projections of customer savings. These statements are based on various assumptions and on the current expectations of management and are not predictions of actual performance, nor are these statements of historical facts. These statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties regarding Rimini Street’s business, and actual results may differ materially. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, changes in the business environment in which Rimini Street operates, including inflation and interest rates, and general financial, economic, regulatory and political conditions affecting the industry in which Rimini Street operates; adverse litigation developments or government inquiry; the final amount and timing of any refunds from Oracle related to our litigation; our ability to refinance existing debt on favorable terms; changes in taxes, laws and regulations; competitive product and pricing activity; difficulties of managing growth profitably; the loss of one or more members of Rimini Street’s management team; uncertainty as to the long-term value of RMNI common stock; and those discussed in Rimini Street’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on March 15, 2018 under the heading “Risk Factors,” as updated from time to time by Rimini Street’s Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, and other filings by Rimini Street with the Securities and Exchange Commission. There may be additional risks that Rimini Street presently knows or that Rimini Street currently believes are immaterial that could also cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements. In addition, forward-looking statements provide Rimini Street’s expectations, plans or forecasts of future events and views as of the date of this communication. Rimini Street anticipates that subsequent events and developments will cause Rimini Street’s assessments to change. However, while Rimini Street may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, Rimini Street specifically disclaims any obligation to do so. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing Rimini Street’s assessments as of any date subsequent to the date of this communication. © 2018 Rimini Street, Inc. All rights reserved. “Rimini Street” is a registered trademark of Rimini Street, Inc. in the United States and other countries, and Rimini Street, the Rimini Street logo, and combinations thereof, and other marks marked by TM are trademarks of Rimini Street, Inc. All other trademarks remain the property of their respective owners, and unless otherwise specified, Rimini Street claims no affiliation, endorsement, or association with any such trademark holder or other companies referenced herein. View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180423006227/en/ CONTACT: Rimini Street, Inc. Michelle McGlocklin, +1 925-523-8414 mmcglocklin@riministreet.com KEYWORD: UNITED STATES ASIA PACIFIC NORTH AMERICA CANADA NEVADA SOUTH KOREA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: TECHNOLOGY DATA MANAGEMENT ELECTRONIC DESIGN AUTOMATION HARDWARE INTERNET NETWORKS SOFTWARE SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING ENGINEERING SOURCE: Rimini Street, Inc. Copyright Business Wire 2018. PUB: 04/23/2018 07:00 PM/DISC: 04/23/2018 07:01 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180423006227/en

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — High-ranking Michigan State University official: Ex.-Gov. John Engler to be named interim president amid school scandal.

New York (AP) — Copper futures trading on the NY Merc Mon: (25,000 lbs., cents per lb.)

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 24, 2018--Hold on to your popcorn, because your movie experience just got a whole lot better! Beginning this Friday, April 27, movie audiences nationwide can play big screen interactive augmented reality (AR) games on their mobile phones by using Noovie ARcade, the revolutionary new companion app for the Noovie pre-show. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424005672/en/ Noovie ARcade is available free in the iTunes and Google Play stores from National CineMedia (NCM), America’s Movie Network. The first of its kind, Noovie ARcade gives movie fans the chance to enjoy a gaming experience like no other while waiting for their feature film to start on over 20,800 movie screens in over 1,650 top theaters nationwide, including AMC, Cinemark, Regal Entertainment Group, and 50 other regional and local exhibitors. To play, audiences only need to download the app and arrive at their local theater early to catch the Noovie pre-show, which will prompt viewers to open the app and aim their phones at the big screen when it’s time to play. Then, through their mobile phone, the movie theater will transform into a larger-than-life game setting! After the game, audiences can check the leaderboard to see how they rank and share their score with friends. The Noovie ARcade app will feature a variety of game formats, including shooting, catching, and tossing games. New games will be continuously rolled out starting this summer. Noovie ARcade Launch Games Include: Cinevaders – A galactic worm hole opens up and aliens pour out to invade the theater. It’s up to the player to use powerful lasers to protect the theater from certain destruction. Emoji Escape – The emojis in your phone have escaped and are wreaking havoc in the theater lobby. Catch them all before they run off with all your favorite concessions. “When we launched our new Noovie pre-show last year, our goal was to enhance the moviegoing experience and give audiences a reason to arrive early to discover what’s next in entertainment,” said Andy England, CEO of National CineMedia (NCM). “Gaming is a favorite activity of movie fans, so we wanted to give them a fun and unique way to interact with Noovie on the big screen through mobile augmented reality while they are waiting for their movie to start.” He added, “But, of course, Noovie will still remind people to silence their cell phones and put them away before the feature presentation!” “Augmented reality unlocks immersive gaming experiences that are super fun and easy to play, and keep people coming back for more. Our mobile phones are the ultimate game controller and the movie theater auditorium is the ultimate gaming environment,” said Lawrence Snapp, NCM’s Chief Digital Officer & SVP, Corporate Development. Noovie ARcade game play premiered this week in Las Vegas to an audience of A-lister talent and movie insiders at CinemaCon, the largest and most important gathering for the worldwide motion picture theater industry. About National CineMedia (NCM) National CineMedia (NCM) is America’s Movie Network. As the #1 Millennial weekend network in the U.S., NCM is the connector between brands and movie audiences. According to Nielsen, more than 700 million moviegoers annually attend theaters that are currently under contract to present NCM’s Noovie pre-show in 50 leading national and regional theater circuits including AMC Entertainment Inc. (NYSE:AMC), Cinemark Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CNK) and Regal Entertainment Group. NCM’s cinema advertising network offers broad reach and unparalleled audience engagement with over 20,800 screens in over 1,650 theaters in 187 Designated Market Areas® (all of the top 50). NCM Digital goes beyond the big screen, extending in-theater campaigns into online and mobile marketing programs to reach entertainment audiences. National CineMedia, Inc. (NASDAQ:NCMI) owns a 48.6% interest in, and is the managing member of, National CineMedia, LLC. For more information about National CineMedia, visit www.ncm.com. For more information about Noovie ARcade, and to test the game play, visit www.Noovie.com. This press release contains various forward-looking statements that reflect management’s current expectations or beliefs regarding future events, including statements about the timing of the Noovie ARcade launch and movie audience reception. Investors are cautioned that reliance on these forward-looking statements involves risks and uncertainties. Although the Company believes that the assumptions used in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, any of these assumptions could prove to be inaccurate and, as a result, actual results could differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. The factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements are, among others, hardware and software technology issues with the testing and implementation of this service and audience acceptance of the app and Noovie ARcade experience. Noovie ARcade images and video for press use can be downloaded at . View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424005672/en/ CONTACT: National CineMedia (NCM) Amy Jane Finnerty 212-931-8117 917-647-6760 cell amy.finnerty@ncm.com or Berk Communications for NCM ncm@berkcommunications.com KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA NEW YORK INDUSTRY KEYWORD: ENTERTAINMENT TECHNOLOGY SOFTWARE FILM & MOTION PICTURES GENERAL ENTERTAINMENT MOBILE ENTERTAINMENT SOURCE: National CineMedia, Inc. Copyright Business Wire 2018. PUB: 04/24/2018 08:00 AM/DISC: 04/24/2018 08:01 AM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424005672/en

BRUSSELS (AP) — The Latest on Brexit negotiations (all times local): 4:15 p.m. Britain's point person on Brexit says the country's status with the European Union during a post-departure transition period will be "not exactly the same as membership — but it's very, very similar." Brexit Secretary David Davis told a House of Lords committee Monday that Britain will continue to be bound by EU rules and the EU court during the transition period, but without a seat on the bloc's decision-making bodies. Davis said "the existing regulatory structure will exist, the existing court structure will exist." He said Britain will, however, be free to negotiate new trade deals outside the bloc, which it is barred from doing as an EU member. The EU says any new deals will not be able to take effect until after the end of the transition period, which has been proposed for Dec. 31, 2020. ___ 3:20 p.m. The European Union has adopted new orders for its Brexit negotiator laying out the terms of a transition period to help ease Britain out of the bloc after it officially leaves next year. Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva said Monday that EU ministers gave "a clear mandate" on their requirements for the transition period, to run from March 30, 2019 to Dec. 31, 2020. She said that EU law would be applied in Britain during the transition, while the country would have "no participation in the EU institutions and decision-making." The guidelines were adopted less than an hour into a meeting of European affairs ministers, and Zaharieva said "we hope an agreement on this with the U.K. can also be closed swiftly." ___ 2:30 p.m. European Union government ministers are meeting to endorse a new set of orders for their Brexit negotiator, focused on ways to ease Britain out of the EU from next year and lay the foundations for their future ties. The negotiating guidelines set out the terms of a "transition period" that the Europeans want to run from the end of March next year until December 31, 2020. In a draft of the guidelines, seen by The Associated Press, the EU insists that Britain should have no decision-making powers during the transition, while still abiding by all the bloc's rules, including any new ones. Ireland's European Affairs Minister Helen McEntee said Monday that "When the U.K. leave the European Union they will not be a voice around the table."

NEW YORK (AP) — Days after the presidential pardon of Jack Johnson, Sylvester Stallone has announced plans for a biopic on the first African-American heavyweight champion. Stallone said Wednesday that his newly launched Balboa Productions will start with a film about Johnson. On Thursday, Stallone stood next to President Donald Trump in the Oval Office as he signed a rare posthumous pardon to Johnson, who served 10 months in prison in what Trump called "a racially-motivated injustice." Trump has said Stallone was instrumental in bringing Johnson's story to his attention. Stallone's production company said the film will be fast-tracked with Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures. Stallone has said Johnson was the basis for the character Apollo Creed in the "Rocky" films. The 71-year-old actor is currently in production on "Creed II" with MGM.

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 30, 2018-- market research analysts forecast the to grow at a CAGR of close to 6% during the period 2018-2022, according to their latest report. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180530006114/en/ Technavio has published a new market research report on the global motorcycle headlight market from 2018-2022. (Graphic: Business Wire) In this report, Technavio highlights the growing popularity of laser headlights as one of the key emerging trends in the global motorcycle headlight market. The need for better range and efficient power consumption have led to the development of laser headlight technology for automobiles. The technology is expected to be introduced in motorcycles during the forecast period. The greater performance and a broader scope of the laser technology are being considered by the automotive OEM that are looking for product differentiation. The laser technology is expected to play a crucial role in collision avoidance systems. This report is available at a USD 1,000 discount for a limited time only: Save more with Technavio. Buy2 reports and get the third for FREE: In this report, Technavio analysts highlight the increasing adoption of new headlights technologies in the automotive segment as a key factor contributing to the growth of the global motorcycle headlight market: Increasing adoption of new headlights technologies in the automotive segment Economies of scale play a significant role in leveraging the adoption of advanced technologies across all segments. For example, the adoption of smartphones across the world increased significantly in the last 4-5 years due to the reduced price. This price reduction was propelled by the advantage of economies of scale to the manufacturers. The cost of hardware remains a primary consideration for automotive OEMs and suppliers. By considering the wider applications areas, the OEMs can adopt new technology in a cost-effective manner; this helps them to attain economies of scale, thereby reducing the cost. According to a senior analyst at Technavio for , “Many innovative technologies are being introduced by the players to improve safety and performance making the automotive lighting market highly competitive. Major drivers for the market growth are the increased focus on vehicle safety and the rising demand for better road lighting by customers. The increasing adoption of LED and laser lights and emphasis on vehicle styling, especially in luxury vehicles, are the key factors driving the adoption of lighting in the passenger car variants.” Looking for more information on this market? Technavio’s sample reports are free of charge and contain multiple sections of the report such as the market size and forecast, drivers, challenges, trends, and more. Global motorcycle headlight market segmentation This market research report segments the into the following technologies (halogen and LED) and key regions (the Americas, APAC, and EMEA). Of the two major technologies, the halogen segment held the largest market share in 2017, accounting for nearly 64% of the market. The market share for this technology is expected to witness a massive decline nearly 20% by 2022. The fastest growing technology is LED, which will account for nearly 25% of the total market share by 2022. APAC was the leading region for the global motorcycle headlight market in 2017, accounting for a market share of nearly 92%. By 2022, EMEA is expected to register the highest growth rate. About Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio’s report library consists of more than 10,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio’s comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. If you are interested in more information, please contact our media team at . View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180530006114/en/ CONTACT: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 www.technavio.com KEYWORD: INDUSTRY KEYWORD: AUTOMOTIVE AFTERMARKET MOTORCYCLES PERFORMANCE & SPECIAL INTEREST SOURCE: Technavio Research Copyright Business Wire 2018. PUB: 05/30/2018 12:35 PM/DISC: 05/30/2018 12:35 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180530006114/en

MEXICO CITY (AP) — A former mayor from the Mexican state of Tlaxcala appears to have copied a speech directly from Frank Underwood, the protagonist of popular Netflix program "House of Cards." Miguel Angel Covarrubias Cervantes has been accused of plagiarism on social media. His speech echoes almost word-for-word a 2016 promotional trailer entitled "The Leader We Deserve." Cervantes' version also uses the House of Cards signature music in the background. Netflix has responded on Twitter with a video addressed to the people of Mexico featuring actor Michael Kelly: "It's not a competition. You have no idea where people take their inspiration from. Pay attention now." The video is captioned in Spanish: "Imitation is not always the highest form of flattery. #Tlaxcala" Both the original speech and Netflix' response were posted Tuesday.

MINNEAPOLIS & REHOVOT, Israel--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 23, 2018--Stratasys (Nasdaq: SSYS), a global leader in additive technology solutions, today unveiled a range of new solutions designed to accelerate the use of additive manufacturing on the factory floor. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180423005576/en/ The new F900 Production 3D Printer is factory-floor ready with MTConnect interface and composite material compatibility (Photo: Business Wire) Announcements today at RAPID+TCT 2018 include an expanded number of 3D printers compatible with carbon fiber composite material. Headlining the introduction is the new F900 Production 3D Printer, which is the third generation of the company’s flagship FDM system. Features include an MTConnect-ready interface with production-ready accuracy and repeatability. Manufacturing with additive technology is not a distant future. Stratasys customers widely use its Fortus Production 3D Printers today for rapid tooling, jigs, fixtures and part production applications. The F900 is built on the Fortus 900mc platform, one of today’s most-widely used AM systems for high-end additive manufacturing. The F900 is available in a new series of three solutions: the F900, the F900 AICS (Aircraft Interiors Certification Solution), and the F900 PRO. Building on the versatility of the F900 to support a wide range of applications, the following two versions of the F900 extend the platform into a series of specialized products to meet the unique needs of production, supported by high repeatability. The Stratasys F900 Aircraft Interiors Certification Solution (AICS), announced at the Paris Air Show, is the first-of-its-kind solution delivering the performance and traceability required for flight-worthy parts. The Stratasys F900 PRO is a production-grade system, ready to produce parts with the highest FDM repeatability and performance in ULTEM 9085 resin. It includes all the benefits and value of the AICS product, and it extends the high repeatability developed for AICS to all industries. “What’s really exciting about this development is that Stratasys is showing how additive manufacturing has finally reached the level of repeatability and performance required for final part production,” says Keith Kmetz of consulting firm, IDC. “With the introduction of the F900 Production 3D Printer and the focus on industry standards and standardization, Stratasys is helping to advance this technology from its prototyping and tooling roots to a true industrial additive manufacturing system.” Owners of existing Fortus 900mc systems can upgrade to any of the three current F900 systems. In addition to Nylon 12 CF being offered on the Fortus 900 and 450 systems, Stratasys’ manufacturing services division, Stratasys Direct Manufacturing, is also now offering parts built with FDM Nylon 12CF, ideal for functional prototypes and production parts in high-requirement applications. New Competitively Priced System will run Carbon Fiber Filled Nylon 12 Stratasys is also offering this high-performance material on a specialized Fortus 380 and now has a family of 3D printers in a range of price points that can build with Carbon Fiber Nylon 12. Stratasys expects the Fortus 380 CF to ship in Q2 - Q3. To learn more about Stratasys manufacturing options at RAPID+TCT 2018, visit the Stratasys booth, number 1104. Stratasys is a global leader in additive technology solutions for industries including Aerospace, Automotive, Healthcare, Consumer Products and Education. For nearly 30 years, a deep and ongoing focus on customers’ business requirements has fueled purposeful innovations — 1,200 granted and pending additive technology patents to date — that create new value across product lifecycle processes, from design prototypes to manufacturing tools and final production parts. The Stratasys 3D printing ecosystem of solutions and expertise — advanced materials; software with voxel level control; precise, repeatable and reliable FDM and PolyJet 3D printers; application-based expert services; on-demand parts and industry-defining partnerships — works to ensure seamless integration into each customer’s evolving workflow. Fulfilling the real-world potential of additive, Stratasys delivers breakthrough industry-specific applications that accelerate business processes, optimize value chains and drive business performance improvements for thousands of future-ready leaders. Corporate headquarters: Minneapolis, Minnesota and Rehovot, Israel. Online at: www.stratasys.com, http://blog.stratasys.com and LinkedIn. FDM, Stratasys and Fortus are registered trademarks and FDM Technology, F900, FDM Nylon 12CF, Fortus 380CF, and the Stratasys signet are trademarks of Stratasys Ltd. and/or its subsidiaries or affiliates. MTConnect is a trademark of MTConnect Institute. ULTEM is a registered trademark of SABIC and/or its subsidiaries or affiliates. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements The statements in this press release relating to Stratasys’ beliefs regarding the benefits consumers will experience from the F900 and Fortus 380CF and Stratasys’ expectation on the timing of shipping the F900 and Fortus 380CF are forward-looking statements reflecting management’s current expectations and beliefs. These forward-looking statements are based on current information that is, by its nature, subject to rapid and even abrupt change. Due to risks and uncertainties associated with Stratasys’ business, actual results could differ materially from those projected or implied by these forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: the risk that consumers will not perceive the benefits of the F900 and Fortus 380CF to be the same as Stratasys does; the risk that unforeseen technical difficulties will delay the shipping of the F900 and Fortus 380CF and other risk factors set forth under the caption “Risk Factors” in Stratasys' most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on February 28, 2018. Stratasys is under no obligation (and expressly disclaims any obligation) to update or alter its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as otherwise required by the rules and regulations of the SEC. Attention Editors, if you publish reader-contact information, please use: USA 1-877-489-9449 Europe/Middle East/Africa +49-7229-7772-0 Asia Pacific +852 3944-8888 View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180423005576/en/ CONTACT: Stratasys Corporate & North America Craig.Librett@stratasys.com +1 518 424 2497 Joe.Hiemenz@stratasys.com +1 952 906 2726 or Europe, Middle East, and Africa Incus Media Jonathan Wake / Miguel Afonso, +44 1737 215200 stratasys@incus-media.com or Greater China, Southeast Asia, ANZ, and India Alison.Yin@stratasys.com + 86-21-33196051 or Japan and Korea Aya.Yoshizawa@stratasys.com +81 3 5542 0042 or Mexico, Central America, Caribe and South America Yair.Canedo@stratasys.com +52 55 4169 4181 or Brazil GP Communications Caio.Ramos@GPcom.com.br Nando@GPcom.com.br +55 (11) 3129 5158 KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA MINNESOTA MIDDLE EAST ISRAEL INDUSTRY KEYWORD: TECHNOLOGY ELECTRONIC DESIGN AUTOMATION HARDWARE SOFTWARE HEALTH DENTAL OTHER HEALTH MANUFACTURING AEROSPACE AUTOMOTIVE MANUFACTURING CHEMICALS/PLASTICS ENGINEERING PACKAGING DEFENSE OTHER DEFENSE SOURCE: Stratasys Ltd. Copyright Business Wire 2018. PUB: 04/23/2018 10:00 AM/DISC: 04/23/2018 10:01 AM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180423005576/en

PARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron is hosting an international summit Tuesday to mark the second anniversary of the Paris climate agreement, hoping to inject the pact with new energy after President Donald Trump announced the U.S. would withdraw from it. The accord reached two years ago set goals for slowing the rate of climate change by reducing the emissions that contribute to melting Arctic ice, increasing sea levels and changing weather patterns across the globe. While some critics have questioned whether the summit will accomplish more than drawing attention to France's media-savvy president, celebrities, corporations, environmental groups and others are preparing to make a string of announcements there. The issues expected to come up at the event range from research to corporate pledges. ___ GREEN CASH Poor countries are waiting to hear how the United Nations' goal of raising $100 billion dollars for climate-related measures will be achieved by 2020. The target was set in 2009, but commitments so far from rich nations only will cover about two-thirds of the fund. The money is intended to help developing countries invest in green energy projects and avoid the path taken by wealthy countries decades earlier that saw massive growth in the use of fossil fuels. Scientists say ending fossil fuel use, also known as 'decarbonization,' needs to happen worldwide by 2050, but poor countries only would be able to reach the goal with financial help. Climate campaigner Mohamed Adow of the group Christian Aid says one important step would be for the World Bank, which is co-hosting Tuesday's meeting, to switch its investments from fossil fuels to renewable energy in developing countries. ___ CORPORATE COMMITMENT Dozens of companies have signed a joint call for governments to maintain momentum on implementing the Paris accord and set long-term strategies for cutting carbon emissions. The companies — including insurer Allianz, tire maker Michelin and consumer goods giant Unilever — said Monday they are committed to a greener economy that includes imposing levies on carbon emissions. Allianz CEO Oliver Baete said in the statement that "business requires stable regulatory frameworks and an adequate price on carbon." Financial institutions such as Allianz also want greater transparency on climate-related data to help them make sound investment decisions, Baete said. ___ NEW RESEARCH The Paris summit takes place while the American Geophysical Union is holding its fall meeting in New Orleans. Scientists are expected to present new research on climate changes and ways to keep global temperatures from rising beyond 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 F.) Separately, Microsoft says it will let researchers use its artificial intelligence technology to monitor and model the planet's climate. The technology giant says its commitment — worth about $10 million a year — could also help companies use vast amounts of data to reduce carbon emissions, by reducing waste, making power grids more efficient and improving weather predictions. ___ STAR SCIENTISTS Macron has invited U.S.-based climate scientists to apply for generous grants and relocate to France, a direct response to Trump's rejection of the Paris accord. The French president was announcing the first grant winners on Monday. Overall, the French government and research institutions plan to fund about 50 projects with 60 million euros ($70 million)

WASHINGTON (AP) — In vivid detail, President Donald Trump told stories of American heroism, heartbreak and tragedy in his emotionally charged first State of the Union. What he didn't detail were solutions to the crises ahead. Trump's 80-minute speech surveyed familiar territory for a president drawn to drama. He warned of gangs, nuclear threats, the drug epidemic and unlawful immigrants. He highlighted guests in the crowd, a group representing a mix of valor and victimhood, which he used to illustrate his calls for patriotism and perseverance. "No people on Earth are so fearless, or daring, or determined as Americans," Trump said. "If there is a mountain, we climb it. If there is a frontier, we cross it. If there is a challenge, we tame it. If there is an opportunity, we seize it." But his vision for a way out of what he once described as "American carnage" was not nearly as clear. Although he said lowering prescription drug prices would be "one of my greatest priorities," he did not suggest a strategy for getting it done. He hinted at hopes for reforming prisons, supporting family leave and improving job training, with little meat on the bone. He raised hopes for an infrastructure plan but provided little guidance as to how the plan should be funded. Trump's most detailed proposal was, perhaps, the most contentious. When Trump outlined his four-part immigration plan Tuesday, a grim-faced House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi held up her hands to try to silence the booing Democrats. Republicans, too, have deep reservations about his hopes for cutting legal immigration. The debate has left the fate of hundreds of thousands "Dreamer" immigrants uncertain, as they wait for a Trump-imposed expiration date for the program that protects them from deportation. Trump did not acknowledge that hurdle Tuesday, or the government shutdown looming if Democrats hold to their demands that a Dreamer deal must be tied to a budget plan. He did advocate for compromise — an unusual role for the often strident president. The deal is a "down-the-middle compromise," he said. "One where nobody gets everything they want, but where our country gets the critical reforms it needs." Democrats are likely to remain deeply skeptical about Trump's ability to play the role of bipartisan broker. He has often shifted positions without notice and, at times, seemed unfamiliar with details. "We need more than talk. We need a president who will bring the country together rather than foster further division," said Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California. "We need a president who understands and engages in important issues rather than spending hours on Twitter." Freshman Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., said he was happy to hear Trump bring up infrastructure, controlling prescription drug prices and boosting vocational education but said he was short on detail. "It sounds like, 'I'm for world peace.' Fine, how do you get there?" Krishnamoorthi said. He also contrasted Trump's words with what he's done as president: "If you don't govern in a way that's consistent with your rhetoric, people are left wondering if these are just empty words." Republican Sen. David Perdue of Georgia, who has been working closely with the White House, said he believes Trump offered guidance on finding a solution to the impasse on immigration. "He's given a lot to both sides to make that happen," Perdue said. "We're working on legislative action, this needs to be fixed in Congress. He's laid down the roadmap." Trump did not address his outsized role in fostering the party rancor. Ever the salesman, Trump spent much of his speech highlighting the accomplishments of the last 12 months while taking credit for the nation's roaring economy and booming stock market. Suppressing his penchant for making the moment about himself, Trump repeatedly highlighted the guests sitting in the Capitol, each of whom possessed a powerful story. There was a North Korean defector who defiantly waved the crutches he used to make his escape after losing a leg. There were the New Mexico police officers who adopted the baby of a heroin addict. And the tearful black family who lost their child at the hands of an immigrant who had entered the United States illegally. His Twitter largely silent for a day, Trump holstered his usual partisan weaponry in favor of "an open hand to work with members of both parties, Democrats and Republicans, to protect our citizens, of every background, color and creed." ___ Associated Press Writer Jonathan Lemire has covered the White House and politics for The Associated Press since 2013. ___ Associated Press writers Tom LoBianco and Mary Clare Jalonick in Washington and Charles Arbogast in Chicago contributed to this report. ___ Follow Lemire on Twitter at http://twitter.com/@JonLemire

NEW YORK (AP) — Mario Batali is stepping down from daily operations at his restaurant empire following reports of sexual misconduct by the celebrity chef over a period of at least 20 years. The online site Eater New York reported Monday that the incidents involve at least four women, three who worked for Batali. In a prepared statement sent to The Associated Press, Batali said the complaints match up with his past behavior. A spokesperson for Batali & Bastianich Hospitality Group says an employee reported inappropriate behavior by Batali in October. The company told Eater it was the first formal complaint against Batali and that he was reprimanded and required to attend training. ABC said Monday that it has asked Batali to step away from the show, "The Chew" while the allegations are investigated.

WAUKESHA, Wis. (AP) — One of two Wisconsin girls who tried to kill a classmate to win favor with fictional horror character Slender Man is being sentenced for her role in the attack. Prosecutors want 15-year-old Morgan Geyser to spend the maximum 40 years in a mental hospital for stabbing Payton Leutner in suburban Milwaukee in 2014. Geyser's attorneys will make their own case for what they believe is best for Geyser during a daylong hearing Thursday in Waukesha County. Geyser and Anissa Weier lured Leutner into the woods at a park and attacked her. Leutner crawled out of the woods and got help from a passing bicyclist. Geyser pleaded guilty to attempted first-degree intentional homicide in October to avoid prison. Weier was sentenced to 25 years in a mental hospital in December.

INTERLEAGUE Boston 000 000 201—3 9 1 Washington 000 000 000—0 6 1 Rodriguez, Barnes (7), Kelly (8), Kimbrel (9) and Vazquez; Fedde, Grace (2), Kintzler (6), Madson (7), Kelley (8), Herrera (9), Miller (9) and Severino. W_Rodriguez 10-3. L_Madson 2-4. Sv_Kimbrel (26). ___ Tampa Bay 000 000 000—0 4 0 Miami 000 002 01x—3 6 0 Andriese, Weber (3), Wood (8) and Sucre; Urena, Rucinski (6), Hernandez (8), Ziegler (9) and Holaday. W_Rucinski 4-1. L_Weber 0-1. Sv_Ziegler (10). HRs_Miami, Riddle (5). ___ Atlanta 000 011 000—2 9 0 New York 013 100 10x—6 7 0 Teheran, Gohara (6), Vizcaino (8) and Suzuki; Sabathia, Green (7), Betances (8), Holder (9) and Higashioka. W_Sabathia 6-3. L_Teheran 6-6. HRs_Atlanta, Camargo (9). New York, Higashioka (3), Judge (24), Stanton (21).

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks that moved substantially or traded heavily Wednesday: HP Inc., up 86 cents to $22.16 The printer and PC maker raised its profit forecast after it topped analyst projections in its latest quarter. U.S. Bancorp, up 98 cents to $49.84 Banks rallied as bond yields rose after sharp losses a day ago. Exxon Mobil Corp., up $3.08 to $81.50 Oil prices turned higher and energy companies broke out of a five-day losing streak. Dick's Sporting Goods Inc., up $7.87 to $38.35 The retailer raised its profit forecast after strong online sales boosted its first-quarter results. WellCare Health Plans Inc., up $5.84 to $226.99 The health insurer said it will pay $2.5 billion for Medicaid provider and pharmacy benefits manager Meridian. Chico's FAS Inc., down $1.82 to $8.17 The clothing retailer's quarterly profit fell short of Wall Street estimates. Michael Kors Holdings Ltd., down $7.81 to $60.41 The luxury retailer gave a disappointing forecast for the year. J.M. Smucker Co., down 9 cents to $108.59 High dividend stocks like household goods makers moved lower as investors grew less cautious and took more risks Wednesday.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Roger Goodell wants to see the mystery of the NFL's catch rule solved, and he's ensured that the process has begun. The commissioner said at his annual Super Bowl news conference Wednesday that he personally sees that rule as the most obvious to address. Asked about the scrutiny that NFL officiating came under this season, Goodell said "on the catch/no catch rule, we need to find a rule we think will address that. We certainly need to get this rule right so everyone can appreciate." He added that there were more video replay interruptions in 2017 "and I think we can look at that. How do we make the game more attractive with less stoppages is one of the things we focus on." ___ For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP_NFL

GEORGETOWN, Ky. (AP) — The Latest on the train derailment (all times local): 2:30 p.m. Norfolk Southern says it is moving derailed freight cars off the tracks after two trains collided in Georgetown, Kentucky. The company said in a statement on Monday that four train crew members taken to the hospital after the crash as a precaution have been released with no injuries, though one employee is still being evaluated. Officials say the trains collided head-on late Sunday, derailing both locomotives and 13 cars. Lexington Fire Department spokeswoman Lt. Jessica Bowman said nearby residents were evacuated as a precaution, but were allowed to return home once officials determined there was no safety risk. Norfolk Southern said it is working to clear and repair the track and have it back in service Tuesday. ___ 3:30 a.m. Four people were injured after two trains collided and derailed in, Georgetown, Kentucky. Lexington Fire Department spokeswoman Lt. Jessica Bowman told The Associated Press early Monday morning that a call came in at 11:14 p.m. on Sunday to report the accident. Bowman says the residents near the scene were evacuated "out an abundance of caution" because something spilled after the collision and there was a fire. She said she could not confirm what spilled but once officials determined there was no safety risk they allowed residents to return home. The fire has been extinguished. Bowman says the identities and the condition of the four injured is not yet known. Georgetown is 13 miles (21 kilometers) north of Lexington. ___ 2:30 a.m. Residents evacuated after a train derailed in neighborhood have been allowed to return home. The train derailed in Georgetown late Sunday night, about 15 miles (24 kilometers) north of Lexington. The superintendent of Scott County Schools, Kevin Hub, told The Associated Press early Monday morning that there is a plan in place to have the district open schools to shelter residents in case of an emergency. He says he was called by Georgetown police and told to put the plan in motion. WLEX-TV reported that Scott County Emergency Management Captain Robert Duncan said buses were sent to evacuate residents living in trailer parks near the scene to an elementary school. He said the evacuation was a precaution due to a potentially hazardous material. He could not identify what the material was. ___ 2:00 a.m. Officials in Kentucky say a train has derailed and residents near the scene have been asked to evacuate. The train derailed in Scott County late Sunday night, about 15 miles (24 kilometers) north of Lexington. WLEX-TV reports that Scott County Emergency Management Captain Robert Duncan says buses were sent to evacuate residents living in trailer parks near the scene to an elementary school. He says the evacuation is a precaution due to a potentially hazardous material. He could not identify what the material is. It was not immediately known if there are any injuries. Several witnesses reported hearing a loud explosion, then seeing a large fire in the area near the train tracks.

STOKE, England (AP) — A meeting between teams with two of the worst defensive records in the Premier League promised goals but Stoke and Watford defied the odds in a 0-0 draw on Wednesday. Stoke is out of the relegation zone after a second consecutive clean sheet under new manager Paul Lambert, a feat it hadn't managed since March 2017. Watford, playing its first league game with new coach Javi Gracia in charge, will also be relieved to have kept a rare clean sheet. The Hornets had conceded 44 goals going into the game — along with Huddersfield — and Stoke a league-worst 50. Stoke looked the more likely to break the deadlock as Xherdan Shaqiri and Mame Biram Diouf wasted first-half openings, before substitute Peter Crouch missed Stoke's best chance after the break. Watford did have a chance to steal the points late on, as Abdoulaye Doucoure had his shot blocked before Richarlison missed from close range. Stoke moves up to 16th on 24 points, while Watford is 11th with 27 points.

ZAGREB, Croatia (AP) — Croatia's state television says one man died as heavy rains and strong winds slammed the country, also flooding some roads. The report says that the man died Monday in northwestern Croatia when his ladder was knocked down by the wind as he was trying to repair damage to his house caused by the weather. Torrential rains have also caused rivers to swell in the area and flood roads. In neighboring Slovenia, about 1,000 people have been left without power near the capital, Ljubljana, and houses and roads have been flooded along the Adriatic coast. In some areas, emergency services sounded sirens to warn people about the dangers of trees falling due to strong winds. More rain is expected in the next two days.

SEATTLE (AP) — The Sounders have signed Norwegian midfielder Magnus Wolff Eikrem after a mostly quiet offseason for the club. Seattle on Tuesday announced the signing, subject to his obtaining a U.S. work visa. Eikrem spent the past three seasons with Malmo in Sweden's top division, winning league titles in the last seasons. Eikrem also played for the Netherlands' Heerenveen and played parts of two seasons for Cardiff. Eikrem has 17 appearances for Norway, including six in 2014 World Cup qualifying.

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (AP) — Petra Kvitova advanced to the second round of the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy on Wednesday, and Caroline Garcia was eliminated. Kvitova, playing as a wild-card entry, beat Elena Vesnina 6-2, 6-0. The two-time Wimbledon champion will next play Irina-Camelia Begu. Garcia, ranked seventh in the world, lost to Russian qualifier Elena Rybakina 4-6, 7-6 (6), 7-6 (5). Rybakina will next face either Julia Goerges or Roberta Vinci in the quarterfinals.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The pace of Americans signing contracts to buy homes rose for a third straight month in December, raising an index of pending home sales by 0.5 percent. The National Association of Realtors says its index of pending sales reached 110.1, up from a revised 109.6 in November. The index is now at its highest level since registering 111.3 in March. More Americans are looking for homes as the economy has improved, though a shrinking supply of properties on the market has made the hunt difficult and driven up prices. The number of signed contracts rose in the South and West in December but declined in the Northeast and Midwest. Pending sales contracts are a barometer of future purchases. Sales typically follow a month or two after a signed contract.

DALLAS (AP) — A grand jury has declined to bring charges against Dallas police officers responsible for the death of a sniper who had killed five officers during a downtown rally. The Dallas County District Attorney's office said in a statement Wednesday that investigators presented their findings to a grand jury more than a year after the July 7, 2016, attack. The decision appears to conclude the investigation, which began shortly after gunman Micah Johnson fatally shot the officers. Johnson later was killed by a robot carrying explosives — a first for any U.S. law enforcement agency. Ballistic reports, transcripts of police negotiations with Johnson, and other evidence has been withheld. Johnson killed four Dallas police officers and a Dallas Area Rapid Transit officer.

All Times EST EASTERN CONFERENCE GP W L OT Pts GF GA Tampa Bay 29 21 6 2 44 110 74 Toronto 31 20 10 1 41 106 88 Columbus 30 19 10 1 39 86 73 N.Y. Islanders 30 17 10 3 37 108 100 Washington 31 18 12 1 37 95 91 New Jersey 29 16 9 4 36 89 91 N.Y. Rangers 30 16 11 3 35 99 89 Pittsburgh 32 16 13 3 35 94 104 Boston 27 14 9 4 32 78 75 Montreal 31 13 14 4 30 85 99 Carolina 29 11 11 7 29 80 91 Philadelphia 29 11 11 7 29 83 86 Florida 30 12 14 4 28 90 105 Detroit 30 11 13 6 28 81 99 Ottawa 28 9 12 7 25 77 98 Buffalo 30 7 17 6 20 64 102 WESTERN CONFERENCE GP W L OT Pts GF GA St. Louis 31 21 8 2 44 104 78 Los Angeles 31 20 8 3 43 97 68 Winnipeg 31 18 8 5 41 107 87 Nashville 29 18 7 4 40 95 84 Vegas 29 19 9 1 39 103 91 San Jose 29 16 10 3 35 79 69 Dallas 31 17 13 1 35 91 90 Calgary 30 16 12 2 34 88 94 Minnesota 29 15 11 3 33 87 87 Chicago 30 14 11 5 33 90 82 Anaheim 31 13 11 7 33 83 91 Vancouver 31 14 13 4 32 82 90 Colorado 29 14 13 2 30 92 95 Edmonton 30 12 16 2 26 86 99 Arizona 33 7 21 5 19 75 114 NOTE: Two points for a win, one point for overtime loss. Top three teams in each division and two wild cards per conference advance to playoffs. Sunday's Games Chicago 3, Arizona 1 St. Louis 3, Buffalo 2, OT Toronto 1, Edmonton 0 Minnesota 4, San Jose 3, OT Monday's Games Colorado 2, Pittsburgh 1 Dallas 2, N.Y. Rangers 1, SO N.Y. Islanders 3, Washington 1 Florida 2, Detroit 1, OT Winnipeg 5, Vancouver 1 Anaheim 3, Carolina 2 Tuesday's Games Edmonton at Columbus, 7 p.m. Ottawa at Buffalo, 7 p.m. Toronto at Philadelphia, 7 p.m. Colorado at Washington, 7 p.m. Los Angeles at New Jersey, 7 p.m. Calgary at Minnesota, 8 p.m. Tampa Bay at St. Louis, 8 p.m. Florida at Chicago, 8:30 p.m. Carolina at Vegas, 10 p.m. Wednesday's Games Dallas at N.Y. Islanders, 7 p.m. N.Y. Rangers at Ottawa, 7 p.m. Boston at Detroit, 8 p.m. Nashville at Vancouver, 10 p.m. Thursday's Games Buffalo at Philadelphia, 7 p.m. Washington at Boston, 7 p.m. N.Y. Islanders at Columbus, 7 p.m. New Jersey at Montreal, 7:30 p.m. Chicago at Winnipeg, 8 p.m. Anaheim at St. Louis, 8 p.m. Toronto at Minnesota, 8 p.m. Florida at Colorado, 9 p.m. Tampa Bay at Arizona, 9 p.m. Nashville at Edmonton, 9 p.m. San Jose at Calgary, 9 p.m. Pittsburgh at Vegas, 10 p.m.

NEW YORK (AP) — A watchdog group is politely pleading with Justin Timberlake to keep his Super Bowl halftime show "safe for the children watching." In an open letter to the entertainer issued Tuesday, the Parents Television Council hopes there isn't a repeat of what happened in 2004 when Timberlake ripped Janet Jackson's costume to reveal her right breast. The group writes that it hopes Timberlake will keep the halftime show "friendly and safe" for the children watching, especially since some will want to emulate the singer. Timberlake has assured viewers "That won't happen this time." The infamous wardrobe malfunction drew CBS a $550,000 fine from the Federal Communications Commission that was later overturned. The watchdog group says it wants "a positive, uplifting and entertaining halftime show on Sunday."

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The head of a key Philippine anti-graft agency has defied an order by President Rodrigo Duterte's office to suspend her deputy for allegedly disclosing confidential information to the media about an investigation into the tough-talking leader's alleged undeclared wealth. Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales said Wednesday that the order by Duterte's office for the 90-day suspension of Deputy Ombudsman Melchor Arthur Carandang is "patently unconstitutional" and would risk the constitutionally guaranteed independence of her agency, which investigates officials for alleged corruption. Duterte said last year he would not cooperate in an investigation being led by Carandang on alleged bank accounts he maintained when was still a city mayor but did not declare publicly as required by law. Duterte has denied the allegation and vowed to resign if it could be proven.

WASHINGTON (AP) — US official: DC police to charge 12 Turkish security agents related to violence in Washington during Erdogan's visit.

HAMILTON, New Zealand (AP) — Scoreboard Tuesday after New Zealand's win in the second cricket test against the West Indies at Seddon Park: ____ New Zealand 1st Innings: 373 West Indies 1st Innings: 221 New Zealand 2nd Innings: 291-8 decl. West Indies, 2nd Innings (Overnight: 30-2) Kraigg Brathwaite c Williamson b Boult 20 Kieran Powell c Southee b Boult 0 Shimron Hetmyer c Wagner b Southee 15 Shai Hope c de Grandhomme b Wagner 23 Roston Chase c de Grandhome b Wagner 64 Sunil Ambris retired hurt 5 Shane Dowrich c Nicholls b Wagner 0 Raymon Reifer c Williamson b Southee 29 Kemar Roach b Santner 32 Miguel Cummins c Boult b Santner 9 Shannon Gabriel not out 0 Extras (5lb,1w) 6 TOTAL (all out) 203 Overs: 63.5. Batting time: 283 minutes. Fall of wickets: 1-4, 2-27, 3-43, 4-68, 5-80, 6-158, 7-166, 8-2-3, 9-203. Bowling: Tim Southee 19-3-71-2, Trent Boult 16-1-52-2, Neil Wagner 15-5-42-3 (1w), Colin de Grandhomme 9-5-20-0, Mitchell Santner 4.5-0-13-2. Toss: West Indies. Result: New Zealand by 240 runs; wins two-test series 2-0. Umpires: Bruce Oxenford and Rod Tucker, Australia. TV umpire: Ian Gould, England. Match referee: Chris Broad, England.

New York (AP) — Copper futures trading on the NY Merc Mon: (25,000 lbs., cents per lb.)

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 24, 2018--The Coca-Cola Company’s start to 2018 built on prior momentum, with strong financial performance in the first quarter. While reported net revenues continued to be impacted by refranchising, the company delivered organic revenue (non-GAAP) and volume growth across all geographic operating groups. The company gained value share globally, in addition to seeing improved trends across the beverage industry overall. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424005748/en/ "We’re encouraged with our first quarter performance as we continue our evolution as a consumer-centric, total beverage company," said James Quincey, President and CEO of The Coca-Cola Company. "We have the right strategies in place and remain confident in our ability to achieve our full year guidance." During the first quarter, the company expanded its portfolio and continued to drive revenue growth. The company’s unit case volume grew 3% with an acceleration in smaller, immediate consumption packaging as revenue growth management initiatives were successfully executed in the market. The company’s portfolio continued to evolve and expand through world-class innovation, expansion of the lift, shift and scale model and bolt-on M&A, anchored by continued strength in core brands. These disciplined growth strategies, underpinned by a stronger and aligned system along with a winning culture, helped to drive the business forward. Highlights Quarterly Performance Revenues: Net revenues declined 16% to $7.6 billion for the quarter, impacted by a 26% headwind from refranchising of bottling territories. Organic revenues (non-GAAP) grew 5% for the quarter, driven by concentrate sales growth of 4% and price/mix growth of 1%. Volume: Total unit case volume grew 3%, with growth across all category clusters and geographic operating groups. Trademark Coca-Cola was the largest contributor, with a clear acceleration in all brands under the trademark. Margin: Operating margin, which included items impacting comparability, grew over 220 basis points. Comparable operating margin (non-GAAP) expanded 600 basis points, driven by divestitures of lower-margin bottling businesses and the company’s ongoing productivity efforts, partially offset by the adoption of the new revenue recognition accounting standard. Market Share: The company continued to gain value share in total nonalcoholic ready-to-drink ("NARTD") beverages. Cash Flow: Cash from operations for the quarter was $613 million, down 20% primarily due to the refranchising of North American bottling territories and the impact of one less day in the quarter. Free cash flow (non-GAAP) was $339 million, up 5% driven by reduced capital investment needs. Share Repurchases: Purchases of stock for treasury for the quarter were $927 million. Net share repurchases (non-GAAP) totaled $471 million. Company Updates Leveraging the strength of leader brands: The company continued to capitalize on its leadership position in sparkling soft drinks. A consistent focus on the One Brand Strategy for Trademark Coca-Cola led to 4% volume growth, fueled by 3% growth in brand Coca-Cola and double-digit growth in Coca-Cola Zero Sugar. This performance, along with driving profitability within sparkling through revenue growth management initiatives, led to 6% growth in global retail value for Trademark Coca-Cola. Expanding presence in on-trend categories: After the recent acquisition of the U.S. rights to Topo Chico premium sparkling mineral water, the company was able to extend the brand’s reach through increased distribution, while preserving its strong heritage. The brand grew its U.S. retail value over 30% during the quarter and gained value share in the fast-growing sparkling water category. Innovation within iconic brands: Diet Coke returned to volume growth in North America during the quarter, following a full brand restage. The introduction of four bold, new flavors, along with contemporary, sleek packaging and innovative marketing, helped lift the performance of the brand. Scaling successful brands rapidly: During the quarter, the company leveraged its strength in distribution to lift, shift and scale leading brands around the world. Fuze Tea, which was already available in 49 countries, was introduced in an additional 37 countries across Europe, featuring new herb and fruit-infused flavors with fewer calories. The single-day launch of Fuze Tea in Europe was executed on a scale that was unprecedented in the company’s history. In addition to the data in the preceding tables, operating results included the following: Consolidated Price/mix grew 1% in the quarter as solid pricing in the marketplace was partially offset by timing. Concentrate sales grew ahead of unit case volume, largely due to the timing of shipments, particularly in the emerging markets. Unit case volume grew 3% for the quarter. Category cluster performance was as follows: Sparkling soft drinks: 4%Juice, dairy and plant-based beverages: 3%Water, enhanced water and sports drinks: 1%Tea and coffee: 5% Operating income was impacted by comparability items, predominantly charges associated with the refranchising of bottling territories in North America. Results were also impacted by structural items related to refranchising. Growth in comparable currency neutral operating income (adjusted for structural items and accounting changes) (non-GAAP) was driven by organic revenue (non-GAAP) growth and the benefit from ongoing productivity initiatives. Europe, Middle East & Africa Price/mix declined 1% for the quarter, as positive pricing in the marketplace was offset by negative geographic mix due to growth in emerging and developing markets outpacing developed markets. Concentrate sales grew 5 points ahead of unit case volume due to the timing of shipments in the majority of business units. Unit case volume grew 4% in the quarter, led by strong performance in Turkey and South Africa, partially offset by declines in Nigeria and Western Europe. Operating income growth trailed revenue growth, largely due to a less favorable currency impact to operating income compared to revenue in addition to increased marketing investments related to the Fuze Tea launch. Product mix also impacted the quarter due to continued strong growth in innocent, a finished goods business. The company gained value share in the juice, dairy and plant-based beverages cluster. Latin America Price/mix growth of 6% for the quarter was primarily driven by strong price/mix in Mexico and the South Latin business unit. Unit case volume grew 1% in the quarter, as low to mid single-digit growth in Brazil, Argentina and Mexico was partially offset by declines in Peru and Chile. Operating income growth during the quarter was driven by solid pricing in the marketplace in addition to productivity initiatives. The company gained or maintained value share in sparkling soft drinks as well as the juice, dairy and plant-based beverages and water, enhanced water and sports drink clusters. North America Price/mix declined 1% for the quarter as low single-digit underlying pricing was offset by the cycling of certain product launches, incremental freight costs, and the timing of the Easter holiday. Unit case volume grew 2% for the quarter. Sparkling soft drinks growth of 3% included double-digit growth in Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, along with positive performance in Diet Coke. Juice, dairy and plant-based beverages declined 2%, as growth in dairy and plant-based beverages was offset by a decline in juice, largely due to deprioritizing lower-margin juice drink brands and to package re-sizing across the juice portfolio. Tea and coffee grew 5%. Water, enhanced water and sports drinks grew 1%, which included strong growth in the sparkling water portfolio driven by double-digit growth in smartwater sparkling and Dasani sparkling, in addition to the strong performance of Topo Chico. Operating income for the quarter was unfavorably impacted by a 6-point headwind from cycling the benefit of intercompany profit elimination in the prior year related to the refranchising of North American bottling operations. The company gained or maintained value share in total NARTD beverages, along with all category clusters. Asia Pacific Price/mix declined 2% for the quarter, largely driven by negative geographic mix as growth in China and India outpaced more developed markets, including Japan and Australia. Unit case volume growth of 5% for the quarter was driven by strong performance in China and India, partially offset by a low single-digit decline in Southeast Asia. Operating income growth outpaced revenue growth for the quarter, largely driven by favorable product mix as sparkling soft drinks grew volume double digits in China and India. The company gained or maintained value share in total NARTD beverages along with sparkling soft drinks and the juice, dairy and plant-based beverages cluster. Bottling Investments Price/mix growth of 2% for the quarter was largely driven by strong performance in India. The operating loss for the quarter was largely driven by items impacting comparability. Comparable currency neutral operating loss (non-GAAP) was unfavorably impacted by the refranchising of North American bottling territories and the deconsolidation of previously held bottling operations in China. Outlook The 2018 outlook information provided below includes forward-looking non-GAAP financial measures, which management uses in measuring performance. The company is not able to reconcile full year 2018 projected organic revenues (non-GAAP) to full year 2018 projected reported net revenues, full year 2018 projected comparable currency neutral operating income (adjusted for structural items and accounting changes) (non-GAAP) to full year 2018 projected reported operating income, or full year 2018 projected comparable EPS from continuing operations (non-GAAP) to full year 2018 projected reported EPS from continuing operations without unreasonable efforts because it is not possible to predict with a reasonable degree of certainty the actual impact of changes in foreign currency exchange rates; the exact timing and amount of acquisitions, divestitures and/or structural changes; the exact timing and amount of comparability items throughout 2018; and the actual impact of accounting changes. The unavailable information could have a significant impact on full year 2018 GAAP financial results. Full Year 2018 Underlying Performance: Approximately 4% growth in organic revenues (non-GAAP) – No Change 8% to 9% growth in comparable currency neutral operating income (adjusted for structural items and accounting changes) (non-GAAP) – No Change Full Year 2018 Currency Impact: Comparable net revenues (non-GAAP): 1% tailwind based on the current rates and including the impact of hedged positions – No Change Comparable operating income (non-GAAP): 0% to 1% headwind based on the current rates and including the impact of hedged positions – No Change Full Year 2018 Impact from Acquisitions, Divestitures, Structural Items and Accounting Changes: Comparable net revenues (non-GAAP): 17% headwind from acquisitions, divestitures and structural items – No Change Comparable net revenues (non-GAAP): 1% to 2% tailwind from accounting changes – No Change Comparable operating income (non-GAAP): 2% structural headwind – No Change Comparable operating income (non-GAAP): 0% impact from accounting changes – No Change Full Year 2018 Other Items: Underlying effective tax rate (non-GAAP): Estimated to be 21% – No Change Cash from operations of at least $8.5 billion – No Change Capital expenditures (excluding discontinued operations): Approximately $1.9 billion – No Change Net share repurchases (non-GAAP): Approximately $1.0 billion – No Change Full Year 2018 EPS: Comparable EPS from continuing operations (non-GAAP): 8% to 10% growth versus $1.91 in 2017 – No Change Second Quarter 2018 Considerations – New: Comparable net revenues (non-GAAP): 16% headwind from acquisitions, divestitures and structural items; 1% currency tailwind based on the current rates and including the impact of hedged positions; 1% to 2% tailwind from accounting changes. Comparable operating income (non-GAAP): 4% to 5% structural headwind; 1% currency headwind based on the current rates and including the impact of hedged positions; 2% headwind from accounting changes. Notes All references to growth rate percentages and share compare the results of the period to those of the prior year comparable period. All references to volume and volume percentage changes indicate unit case volume, unless otherwise noted. All volume percentage changes are computed based on average daily sales, unless otherwise noted. "Unit case" means a unit of measurement equal to 24 eight-ounce servings of finished beverage. "Unit case volume" means the number of unit cases (or unit case equivalents) of company beverages directly or indirectly sold by the company and its bottling partners to customers. "Core business" represents the combined performance from the Europe, Middle East & Africa; Latin America; North America; Asia Pacific; and Corporate operating segments offset by intersegment eliminations. "Concentrate sales" represents the amount of concentrates, syrups, beverage bases, source waters, and powders/minerals (in all instances expressed in equivalent unit cases) sold by, or used in finished beverages sold by, the company to its bottling partners or other customers. In the reconciliation of reported net revenues, "concentrate sales" represents the percent change in net revenues attributable to the increase (decrease) in concentrate sales volume for the geographic operating segments (expressed in equivalent unit cases) after considering the impact of structural changes. For the Bottling Investments operating segment, this represents the percent change in net revenues attributable to the increase (decrease) in unit case volume after considering the impact of structural changes. The Bottling Investments operating segment reflects unit case volume growth for consolidated bottlers only. "Price/mix" represents the change in net operating revenues caused by factors such as price changes, the mix of products and packages sold, and the mix of channels and geographic territories where the sales occurred. First quarter 2018 financial results were impacted by one less day, and fourth quarter 2018 financial results will be impacted by one additional day as compared to the same periods in 2017. Unit case volume results for the quarters are not impacted by the variances in days due to the average daily sales computation referenced above. Conference Call The company is hosting a conference call with investors and analysts to discuss first quarter 2018 operating results today, April 24, 2018, at 8:30 a.m. ET. The company invites participants to listen to a live webcast of the conference call on the company’s website, http://www.coca-colacompany.com, in the "Investors" section. An audio replay in downloadable digital format and a transcript of the call will be available on the website within 24 hours following the call. Further, the "Investors" section of the website includes a reconciliation of non-GAAP financial measures to the company’s results as reported under GAAP, which may be used during the call when discussing financial results. View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424005748/en/ CONTACT: The Coca-Cola Company Investors and Analysts: Tim Leveridge, 404-676-7563 or Media: Scott Leith, 404-676-8768 KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA GEORGIA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: RETAIL FOOD/BEVERAGE SPECIALTY OTHER RETAIL SOURCE: The Coca-Cola Company Copyright Business Wire 2018. PUB: 04/24/2018 06:55 AM/DISC: 04/24/2018 06:55 AM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424005748/en

All Times EDT EASTERN CONFERENCE W L T Pts GF GA Atlanta United FC 8 3 2 26 27 17 Columbus 7 3 4 25 18 10 New York City FC 7 3 3 24 26 19 New York 7 3 1 22 26 12 Orlando City 6 5 1 19 22 20 New England 5 4 4 19 22 19 Philadelphia 5 5 3 18 15 16 Chicago 4 7 2 14 18 24 Toronto FC 3 7 1 10 14 20 Montreal 3 10 0 9 14 29 D.C. United 2 5 3 9 14 18 WESTERN CONFERENCE W L T Pts GF GA Sporting Kansas City 7 2 4 25 24 13 Los Angeles FC 6 3 3 21 24 19 Portland 6 3 2 20 19 17 FC Dallas 5 1 5 20 17 11 Houston 5 3 3 18 26 18 Vancouver 4 5 5 17 19 27 LA Galaxy 5 6 1 16 16 19 Minnesota United 5 7 1 16 16 22 Real Salt Lake 5 6 1 16 15 25 San Jose 2 7 3 9 18 23 Seattle 2 6 2 8 7 12 Colorado 2 7 2 8 13 20 NOTE: Three points for victory, one point for tie. ___ Friday, May 25 FC Dallas 1, Toronto FC 0 Houston 3, New York City FC 1 LA Galaxy 1, San Jose 0 Saturday, May 26 Real Salt Lake 1, Seattle 0 New England 3, Vancouver 3, tie Philadelphia 0, New York 0, tie Chicago 2, Orlando City 1 Minnesota United 2, Montreal 0 Portland 3, Colorado 2 D.C. United 1, Los Angeles FC 1, tie Sunday, May 27 Columbus 0, Sporting Kansas City 0, tie Wednesday, May 30 Atlanta United FC 1, New England 1, tie Philadelphia 3, Chicago 1 Houston at Real Salt Lake, 9:30 p.m. FC Dallas at LA Galaxy, 10:30 p.m. Friday, June 1 Vancouver at Colorado, 9 p.m. Saturday, June 2 LA Galaxy at Portland, 5 p.m. Houston at Montreal, 7:30 p.m. New York at New England, 7:30 p.m. Orlando City at New York City FC, 7:30 p.m. Philadelphia at Atlanta United FC, 7:30 p.m. Toronto FC at Columbus, 7:30 p.m. Los Angeles FC at FC Dallas, 8 p.m. San Jose at Chicago, 8:30 p.m. Seattle at Real Salt Lake, 9:30 p.m. Sunday, June 3 Minnesota United at Sporting Kansas City, 8:30 p.m.

BEIJING (AP) — Chinese Premier Li Keqiang says, 'We don't want to see a trade war' with U.S., hope to negotiate disputes.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — President Donald Trump's two sons in charge of his business empire will attend a closed-door event to mark the opening of the Trump International Golf Club in Dubai. The ceremony, due on Saturday in the Mideast city-state home to the world's tallest building, marks the first major event abroad that Eric and Donald Jr. will attend since their father's inauguration. The Trump Organization earlier referred questions about the event to DAMAC Properties, the Dubai-based developer that partnered with them on the course. DAMAC spokesman Niall McLoughlin told The Associated Press on Wednesday that the ceremony would be a "closed event." Both sons receive Secret Service protection as immediate family members of the president. The U.S. Embassy in Abu Dhabi has declined to comment about the trip.

TOKYO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 30, 2018--Keio Plaza Hotel Tokyo (KPH), one of Japan’s most prestigious international hotels located in Shinjuku, Tokyo, will host the “38 th Arita and Imari Porcelain Exhibition – From Origin to Modern Style” from July 1 (Sunday) to August 1 (Wednesday), 2018, introducing to guests the Arita and Imari porcelain, the first ceramics made in the southern island of Kyushu, Japan. Art items representing the Ko-Imari and other styles of porcelain will be displayed in exhibition. Also, seven renowned and modern porcelain makers from the Arita and Imari regions of Saga Prefecture will display their products and be available for sale. In addition, eight of our restaurants will serve specially prepared foods using porcelain from the Arita and Imari regions. Many guests can purchase porcelain products after dining at our restaurants and actually seeing and feeling how they are used to accentuate foods. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180530005443/en/ Japanese Dinner Using Arita and Imari Porcelain (Photo: Business Wire) This year marks the 38 th time that this exhibition has been held, and is a reflection of the strong interest in Arita and Imari porcelain products. This exhibition is also designed to provide our international guests, who account for over 75% of total guests, with an opportunity to experience the beauty of Japan’s traditional Arita and Imari porcelain products. This year’s exhibition will focus upon “Ko-Karatsu” and “Ko-Imari” porcelain established in the southern island of Kyushu. “Ko-Karatsu” is known for its simple and sturdiness during the reign of the Lord Toyotomi in the late 16 th century. “Ko-Imari” became popular art items amongst European aristocrats during the 17 th century Edo Period. Beautiful porcelain items made by the renowned pottery makers that have evolved over the 400-year history of the art will be on display. Archive of Press Release About the Keio Plaza Hotel Keio Plaza Hotel Tokyo, located in Shinjuku at the very heart of the nation’s capital Tokyo, is one of Japan’s leading international hotels. Our hotel boasts of over 20 restaurants and bars, and we host a wide range of local and international guests who visit us for our welcoming facilities, warm hospitality and unique services that allow them to experience Japanese culture, including our Hello Kitty themed rooms and Japanese cultural experience programs. For more information about our facilities and services, please visit our website, YouTube, Facebook or Instagram. View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180530005443/en/ CONTACT: Keio Plaza Hotel Tokyo Keiko Kawashima, +81-3-5322-8010 Public Relations Manager keiko-kawashima@keioplaza.co.jp KEYWORD: ASIA PACIFIC JAPAN INDUSTRY KEYWORD: ENTERTAINMENT ARTS/MUSEUMS TRAVEL LODGING RESTAURANT/BAR RETAIL SOURCE: Keio Plaza Hotel Tokyo Copyright Business Wire 2018. PUB: 05/30/2018 10:05 AM/DISC: 05/30/2018 10:05 AM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180530005443/en

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 30, 2018--Market research firm has announced the release of their latest report on the . This new report will provide expert market insights for the forecast period 2018-2022. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180530006002/en/ Technavio has published a new market research report on the global cancer diagnostic devices market from 2018-2022. (Graphic: Business Wire) The report will follow up on Technavio’s previous cancer diagnostic devices research, offering an up-to-date analysis of the market concerning the current market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall global environment. The report also provides new predictions for the forecast period based on an in-depth analysis of the market. The upgraded research report on the cancer diagnostic devices market is an integral part of Technavio’s portfolio. Technavio covers an extensive range of market research reports on the in-vitro diagnostics market, covering different regions and top industry segments. Some of the topics include clinical reference laboratory services, infectious disease diagnostic testing, bloodstream infection testing, liquid biopsy, tissue diagnostics, and autoimmune disease diagnostics. This report is available at a USD 1,000 discount for a limited time only: Save more with Technavio. Buy2 reports and get the third for FREE: Opportunities for growth in the cancer diagnostic devices market Technavio’s previous report on the global cancer diagnostic devices market projected that the Americas showed the highest potential in 2015 with a market share of nearly 53% when compared to APAC and EMEA. The Americas comprise of many well-known medical facilities, which focus on targeted therapeutic methods to treat different types of cancers. The availability of a large number of medical facilities in the Americas led to the strong growth of this market. In the previous report, a senior research analyst at Technavio stated, “The need for cost-cutting by pharma companies is a key market driver powering the growth of the cancer diagnostic devices market. From drug development, the pharmaceutical companies are shifting their focus to cancer diagnostic devices so that they can help in diagnosing, monitoring, and administering drugs through the cancer treatment process. These devices play a crucial role in helping pharmaceutical companies develop specific drugs to treat cancer. Increase in investments in diagnostic device development will enhance market growth.” Technavio’s new on the report on the will evaluate the key geographical regions and their behavior over the past four years, introducing new data and observations and providing new predictions. Looking for the latest information on the global cancer diagnostic devices market? Technavio’s sample reports are free of charge and contain multiple sections of the report such as the market size and forecast, drivers, challenges, trends, and more. Detailed analysis at your fingertips Some of the topics that will be revisited in the new report include: Market size and growth rate through 2022 Top factors driving the market growth Emerging trends in the market Market opportunities and factors impeding growth The report on the for the period 2018-2022 is available to order now and will be delivered within one week of purchase. About Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio’s report library consists of more than 10,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio’s comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. If you are interested in more information, please contact our media team at . View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180530006002/en/ CONTACT: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 www.technavio.com KEYWORD: NORTH AMERICA SOUTH AMERICA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: TECHNOLOGY OTHER TECHNOLOGY PRACTICE MANAGEMENT HEALTH HOSPITALS MEDICAL DEVICES ONCOLOGY OTHER SCIENCE SCIENCE GENERAL HEALTH SOURCE: Technavio Research Copyright Business Wire 2018. PUB: 05/30/2018 11:12 AM/DISC: 05/30/2018 11:12 AM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180530006002/en

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — A report from critics of Airbnb says the vacation rental website is driving up rental prices and reducing housing availability in New York City. The analysis published Monday comes from a researcher at McGill University in Montreal and was commissioned by the Hotel Trades Council, a union of hotel workers. Several local neighborhood organizations were co-sponsors. The report finds that Airbnb listings have removed 7,000 housing units from circulation in the past three years and increased median rent in the city by $380 a year. Officials have tried to combat illegal listings with fines for property owners. Airbnb says many everyday New Yorkers use its site to temporarily rent space to make extra money. The company questioned the findings of Tuesday's report and said the study's methodology is flawed

QUINCY, Mass. (AP) — A court clerk's oversight that allowed the release of a rape suspect who later fled the country was the result of a "mistake" and was not evidence of a systemic problem, the chief justice of the highest court in Massachusetts said Monday. Frederick Amfo, an Uber driver charged with raping a passenger, was released on bail without being required to surrender his passport because of "confusion" in the Quincy District Court clerk's office, Supreme Judicial Court Chief Justice Ralph Gants told The Patriot Ledger . Gants met with court staff Monday as part of a previously scheduled visit. Amfo, 30, posted $10,000 bail after pleading not guilty at his arraignment on April 13 and was given 24 hours to surrender his passport, but instead fled to his native Ghana, court officials have said. It appears an employee in the clerk's office confused the protocol for people who are released on personal recognizance with the protocol for people who are required to post bail, Gants said. The state's court system has since clarified the protocols. "It was a mistake that was made, so we wanted to make sure there was clarification," Gants said. Amfo was charged with raping a woman on April 8 as he drove her from Quincy to her home in Weymouth. That woman, who has spoken publicly about the case, has called for a formal investigation into bail procedures. Massachusetts law enforcement agencies say they are working to bring Amfo back to the U.S. ___ Information from: The (Quincy, Mass.) Patriot Ledger, http://www.patriotledger.com

HANNOVER, Germany--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 23, 2018--With new investors and management, the former ACTA/Heliocentris Italy changed the name to Enapter, and is showcasing innovations to the existing product line. Enapter offers electrolyser systems in the range of 250L to 1000L/h. Enapter stacks are small, flexible, modular. The electrolysers are scalable and enable cost effective systems of up to 48kW. They produce clean and dry hydrogen, directly compressed to 35 bar. The electrolyser can be powered from any source. Enapter is also demonstrating existing international use-cases where on-site hydrogen production is realized; such as back-up power for off-grid houses, telecom towers, production and laboratory use. At the Hannover Fair, Enapter continues to showcase its Anion Exchange Membrane (AEM) Technology. AEM operates in a non-corrosive, slightly alkaline environment, where no noble metals are required to achieve a good lifetime. This unique technology combines the benefits of cost-efficient alkaline electrolysis with those of the Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) electrolysis. Enapter will reveal its new state-of-the-art energy monitoring system. The comprehensive dashboard provides a full view of the hydrogen production data. Enapter ensures high security standards by using TLS 1.2 protocol, and the authorization system is based on X.509 certificates. The new software is equipped with MQTT and OPC-UA Interfaces to be Industry 4.0 compatible. The mobile application reduces monitoring system setup and update time to a fraction of time. Meet the Enapter team at # D.57, in Hall 27, from Monday, April 23 to Friday, 27. About Enapter Enapter’s core technology has a 10-year proven track record and is the foundation for a unique range of low-cost, compact hydrogen electrolysers. Today, they are already used internationally in the telecommunications, academia, and agricultural and residential fields. Enapter took over the former company ACTA/Heliocentris in the end of 2017, and invested in a huge turnaround. The company is structured like a hydrogen technology startup with offices today in Italy, Germany and Thailand. The company designs and manufactures highly efficient and modular hydrogen generators, using AEM electrolysis. The team combines electrochemical and IT expertise to drive the Hydrogen Economy from both hardware and software standpoints. For more information please visit the website www.enapter.com. View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180422005015/en/ CONTACT: Enapter Vaitea Cowan Head of Marketing vaitea@enapter.com KEYWORD: EUROPE NORTH AMERICA CANADA GERMANY INDUSTRY KEYWORD: ENERGY ALTERNATIVE ENERGY TECHNOLOGY HARDWARE SOFTWARE TELECOMMUNICATIONS MANUFACTURING ENGINEERING RESEARCH SCIENCE SOURCE: Enapter Copyright Business Wire 2018. PUB: 04/23/2018 02:00 AM/DISC: 04/23/2018 02:01 AM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180422005015/en

PARACHINAR, Pakistan (AP) — A Pakistani official says a roadside bomb has killed six members of a family in a tribal region near the Afghan border. Rafiq Khattak, a tribal official, says the family was travelling on Tuesday from the village of Muqbil to the village of Boshera to attend a funeral service in the Kurram tribal region when the planted bomb destroyed their vehicle. He says three women were among the fatalities. A seventh person in the vehicle was wounded and is in hospital, in critical condition. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. Islamic militants operate in the area, and the Pakistani military has carried out several operations there, trying to rout the extremists.

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 30, 2018--Nearly two-thirds of caregivers whose loved ones suffer from the debilitating effects of Alzheimer’s or related dementia say they would take medication to delay the onset of their own memory loss by even six months, if it were affordable and free of side effects. Sixty-four percent say they’ve already made healthy lifestyle modifications in an effort to prevent their own memory loss, making meaningful edits to their diet and exercise. However, only one-third of caregivers say they have been tested for the Alzheimer’s gene. These, and other, findings were revealed in a new report from Healthline Media, the fastest growing health information brand, reaching 39 million monthly users in the United States. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180530005860/en/ Healthline's State of Caregiving for Alzheimer's or Related Dementia 2018 (Graphic: Business Wire) The report, “State of Caregiving for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementia 2018,” examines the current caregiving population, the challenges they face in caring for a loved one with the disease today and how advances in science and technology may affect caregiving roles in the future. The report included a survey of nearly 400 active caregivers across generations and in-depth interviews with medical experts and advocacy groups. The full report can be accessed at www.healthline.com/health/state-of-alzheimers. “Alzheimer’s disease is on the rise, and the landscape is evolving - the types of clinical trials, treatments, resources/support, and the accelerated need for more family caregivers to take on the intensive responsibility of care for loved ones,” said Diane Ty, Project Director of the Global Social Enterprise Initiative and AgingWell Hub at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business. “Healthline’s report helps prepare the modern patient and caregiver for the new state of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.” According to Healthline’s report, the intimate view of a loved one aging with Alzheimer’s or related dementia is prompting more caregivers (34 percent) to be genetically tested for the disease, something millennials (49 percent) are more proactive about than older generations (Gen Xers 36 percent, Boomers 17 percent.) Most caregivers report that a specific incident prompted a medical evaluation for their loved one (70 percent.) In almost half of all cases the incident was the last in a series, though more than one quarter of the cases were the first of its kind. Interestingly, millennial caregivers were more likely to report a first-time incident led to a medical evaluation (41 percent) compared to other caregiver groups (Boomers 21 percent; Gen Xers 18 percent.) Key Findings: PATIENT 67 percent take up to one year to receive a specific diagnosis 41 percent had MCI (mild cognitive impairment) before an Alzheimer’s or related dementia diagnosis 75 percent of Alzheimer’s or related dementia patients remain home or in a private residence despite the disease’s progression CAREGIVER 71 percent of caregivers are female 72 percent of caregivers say their health has worsened since becoming caregivers 1 of 2 caregivers have had their career and/or finances impacted due to caregiving responsibilities CAREGIVER RESOURCES 42 percent of caregivers use in-person support groups, online communities/forums 55 percent of caregivers say they are not getting adequate emotional support “We know our readers - both patients and their caregivers - have individual health journeys and we always strive to understand their specific paths, and how our content can best support them,” said Tracy Stickler, Editor in Chief, Healthline. “The latest “State of…” report helps deepen our understanding of the evolving needs of the caregiver so we can create content and programs to better support them in making critical decisions. Healthline’s “State Of…” series examines consumer lifestyle data gathered by the website’s research team. “State of…” research results are paired with editorial content illustrating topics from the consumer’s perspective, highlighting credible, expert-informed insights to inform health decisions. The “State of…” series kicked off in July 2017 with the “State of Fertility,” followed by the “State of Care” and “State of Cancer.” “State of Caregiving for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementia 2018” adds to the growing body of research in key disease states affecting Healthline’s readers - the modern healthcare consumer and their caregivers. Additional studies in this series will continue in 2018, examining other key disease states affecting Healthline’s readers. About Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementia According to the Alzheimer’s Association, Alzheimer's disease is a type of dementia that causes problems with memory, thinking and behavior. Dementia is not a specific disease. It's an overall term that describes a group of symptoms associated with a decline in memory or other thinking skills severe enough to reduce a person's ability to perform everyday activities. Alzheimer's accounts for 60 to 80 percent of dementia cases. There are currently 5.7 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s, with 47 million people with the disease worldwide. One in every 10 Americans aged 65 or older is living with Alzheimer’s, with two-thirds being women. Alzheimer’s is the costliest disease in the United States, in raw expense of more than $270 billion annually, but also in the incalculable toll it takes on patient and caregiver alike. About Healthline’s The State of Caregiving for Alzheimer’s or Related Dementia 2018 Healthline conducted a survey of nearly 400 active caregivers representing millennials, Gen X, and Boomers, and interviewed a dynamic group of medical and care experts to best understand the constraints, needs, and unspoken truths of living with and caring for an Alzheimer’s patient. The objective of the survey was to understand the role and responsibilities of unpaid Alzheimer’s or related dementia caregivers, identify the resources and tools used by these caregivers and gauge the impact caregiving has on the health, career, and finances of caregivers. Respondents were screened to confirm US residency, age 18+, and unpaid caregiving for someone diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or related dementia. The survey was fielded between February 16, 2018 – February 23, 2018. About Healthline As the fastest growing consumer health information site — with 39 million monthly visitors in the US (comScore, Jan 2018) — Healthline’s mission is to be our users’ most trusted ally in their pursuit of health and well-being. Healthline provides socially-inspired, medically-reviewed and data-driven content to help us all live stronger, healthier lives. Healthline's flagship website http://www.healthline.com takes a whole-person approach to health and wellness information to support the modern health consumer. Source: Healthline’s State of Caregiving for Alzheimer’s and Related Dementia Survey. Panel sourced by Survey Sampling International (n=384 Alzheimer’s/Dementia caregivers) from February 16, 2018– February 23, 2018. View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180530005860/en/ CONTACT: Media: Healthline Media Ingrid Eberly, 917-720-4386 ieberly@healthline.com KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA CALIFORNIA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: SENIORS TECHNOLOGY HARDWARE HEALTH BIOTECHNOLOGY CLINICAL TRIALS FITNESS & NUTRITION GENETICS HOSPITALS MEDICAL DEVICES MENTAL HEALTH PHARMACEUTICAL OTHER HEALTH COMMUNICATIONS ADVERTISING MARKETING RESEARCH OTHER SCIENCE PUBLISHING FDA CONSUMER NURSING SCIENCE MANAGED CARE PHYSICAL THERAPY SOURCE: Healthline Media Copyright Business Wire 2018. PUB: 05/30/2018 10:00 AM/DISC: 05/30/2018 10:01 AM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180530005860/en

NEW YORK (AP) — Ed Sheeran, and his cat, would like to thank the Grammy voters. After skipping Sunday's ceremony, the singer posted a note of gratitude on his Instagram account and said his cat was celebrating, too. Sheeran won Grammys for best pop solo performance for "Shape of You" and best pop vocal album. "Woke up to the news I won two grammys last night. Thank you!" wrote Sheeran, who included a photo of his orange-and-white cat. "This little fluff-ball is doing a bit of a celebratory dance, lots of love to everyone xx." His victory for best solo performance wasn't welcomed by everyone. Sheeran was the only male on the list, defeating stars such as Lady Gaga, Kesha and Pink. Numerous tweeters expressed their disappointment.

LONDON (AP) — "Blade Runner" director Ridley Scott is to receive the British Academy Film Awards' highest honor. The academy announced Wednesday that the 80-year-old filmmaker will collect the BAFTA Fellowship at the British academy awards ceremony next month. Scott's films include "Alien," ''Thelma and Louise" and "Gladiator." His latest release is kidnap drama "All the Money in the World," which underwent last-minute reshoots to replace Kevin Spacey after allegations of sexual misconduct. Scott said it was "very gratifying" to be honored for his body of work. The fellowship is awarded to one person a year for "outstanding and exceptional contribution to film, games or television." Previous recipients include Charlie Chaplin, Alfred Hitchcock, Elizabeth Taylor and Judi Dench. The awards ceremony takes place Feb. 18 at London's Royal Albert Hall.

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australian secret service officers have secured thousands of classified documents that were sold with two second-hand filing cabinets. Australian Broadcasting Corp. representatives say Australian Security Intelligence Organization officials entered the broadcaster's bureaus in Parliament House in the capital Canberra and in Brisbane city with safes early Thursday. Both the secret service and the ABC have access to the safes that remain on ABC premises. The documents were found in two filing cabinets sold from a Canberra second-hand furniture store. ABC director Gaven Morris says the Cabinet documents were secured as a result of negotiations between lawyers for the ABC and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's department. Turnbull says police are involved in his department's investigation into how the papers were mislaid.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate committee says it has delayed Wednesday's confirmation hearing for Trump's VA nominee Ronny Jackson.

TORONTO (AP) — Adonis Stevenson of Canada will defend his WBC light heavyweight title against Badou Jack of Sweden in Toronto on May 19. The bout at Air Canada Centre will be the ninth title defense for Stevenson, who is from Quebec. His promoter had hoped to have the fight in Montreal, although his manager wanted it in Toronto. Stevenson (29-1) is a 40-year-old power puncher eyeing a 25th career knockout. He made a title defense in Toronto in 2015 against unheralded Tommy Karpency at Ricoh Coliseum. Jack (22-1-2) is a former WBC super middleweight champion who moved up one weight class to become the WBA's light heavyweight champ with a win over Britain's Nathan Cleverly in August. He vacated that title rather than face mandatory challenger Dmitry Bivol.

CHICAGO (AP) — Children with a rare, incurable disease that causes rapid aging and early death may live longer if treated with an experimental drug first developed for cancer patients. That's according to small, preliminary study in 27 kids with progeria. The benefit was small: Treated children were more likely to survive during the two-year study than children who didn't get the drug. But some kids taking the drug lonafarnib (lohn-uh-FAR-nib) in this and other studies have lived into their late teens. The researchers say the results suggest a potential breakthrough for a heartbreaking condition. The drug helps disable a protein that accumulates abnormally in progeria and causes cell damage. The genetic disease affects about 1 in 20 million people. The study was published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

ISLAMABAD (AP) — A Pakistan Cricket Board official has confirmed that former international batsman Nasir Jamshed and another man were arrested and then released on bail in Britain amid an investigation into alleged spot fixing in the Pakistan Super League. "Jamshed and another man, Yusuf, were arrested by the National Crime Agency," a PCB official told The Associated Press on Wednesday. The PCB official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment on the issue. Britain's National Crime Authority released an earlier statement saying two men in their 30s had been arrested on Feb. 13 and released on bail until April in connection with bribery offences as part of an ongoing investigation into international cricket match spot-fixing. The PCB has already provisionally suspended Islamabad United's Sharjeel Khan and Khalid Latif from the domestic Twenty20 tournament because of their alleged involvement in the corruption. Sharjeel and Latif returned to Lahore on Wednesday and faced more interviews with the cricket board's anti-corruption unit. Jamshed was suspended Monday from competing in any form of cricket. A third Islamabad United player is also under investigation and a player from each of the Karachi Kings and Quetta Gladiators franchises were questioned by the PCB's anti-corruption unit in the United Arab Emirates, where the Super League is being staged. All three players were allowed to continue playing in the tournament. "We know what we are doing," PSL chairman Najam Sethi said in an interview on a private television channel late Tuesday. "We have all the evidence and we knew this for a while. We had information, but we cannot talk about stuff right now, a charge sheet will be given to players soon." Sethi said PCB's anti-corruption unit had information about spot-fixing before the PSL began on Feb. 9. "We had identified a few players and then at final stages we knew the ICC had some information as well," he said. "When we compared it, the information was the same and then we decided to act on this." "We have these players' phones in which there is more information — who they were in touch with, what they talked about." Sethi said the cricket board's anti-corruption unit had infiltrated gambling operations in Pakistan ahead of the tournament. It's not the first time Pakistan cricketers have been embroiled in corruption controversies. In 1999 Salim Malik and Ataur Rehman were banned for life following a match-fixing investigation. In 2010 three players — Mohammad Amir, Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif — were suspended for five years for their involvement in the bowling of deliberate no-balls at pre-determined times during a test match in England.

All Times EST EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic Division GP W L OT Pts GF GA Tampa Bay 29 21 6 2 44 110 74 Toronto 31 20 10 1 41 106 88 Boston 27 14 9 4 32 78 75 Montreal 31 13 14 4 30 85 99 Florida 30 12 14 4 28 90 105 Detroit 30 11 13 6 28 81 99 Ottawa 28 9 12 7 25 77 98 Buffalo 30 7 17 6 20 64 102 Metropolitan Division GP W L OT Pts GF GA Columbus 30 19 10 1 39 86 73 N.Y. Islanders 30 17 10 3 37 108 100 Washington 31 18 12 1 37 95 91 New Jersey 29 16 9 4 36 89 91 N.Y. Rangers 30 16 11 3 35 99 89 Pittsburgh 32 16 13 3 35 94 104 Carolina 29 11 11 7 29 80 91 Philadelphia 29 11 11 7 29 83 86 WESTERN CONFERENCE Central Division GP W L OT Pts GF GA St. Louis 31 21 8 2 44 104 78 Winnipeg 31 18 8 5 41 107 87 Nashville 29 18 7 4 40 95 84 Dallas 31 17 13 1 35 91 90 Minnesota 29 15 11 3 33 87 87 Chicago 30 14 11 5 33 90 82 Colorado 29 14 13 2 30 92 95 Pacific Division GP W L OT Pts GF GA Los Angeles 31 20 8 3 43 97 68 Vegas 29 19 9 1 39 103 91 San Jose 29 16 10 3 35 79 69 Calgary 30 16 12 2 34 88 94 Anaheim 31 13 11 7 33 83 91 Vancouver 31 14 13 4 32 82 90 Edmonton 30 12 16 2 26 86 99 Arizona 33 7 21 5 19 75 114 NOTE: Two points for a win, one point for overtime loss. Top three teams in each division and two wild cards per conference advance to playoffs. Sunday's Games Chicago 3, Arizona 1 St. Louis 3, Buffalo 2, OT Toronto 1, Edmonton 0 Minnesota 4, San Jose 3, OT Monday's Games Colorado 2, Pittsburgh 1 Dallas 2, N.Y. Rangers 1, SO N.Y. Islanders 3, Washington 1 Florida 2, Detroit 1, OT Winnipeg 5, Vancouver 1 Anaheim 3, Carolina 2 Tuesday's Games Edmonton at Columbus, 7 p.m. Ottawa at Buffalo, 7 p.m. Toronto at Philadelphia, 7 p.m. Colorado at Washington, 7 p.m. Los Angeles at New Jersey, 7 p.m. Calgary at Minnesota, 8 p.m. Tampa Bay at St. Louis, 8 p.m. Florida at Chicago, 8:30 p.m. Carolina at Vegas, 10 p.m. Wednesday's Games Dallas at N.Y. Islanders, 7 p.m. N.Y. Rangers at Ottawa, 7 p.m. Boston at Detroit, 8 p.m. Nashville at Vancouver, 10 p.m. Thursday's Games Buffalo at Philadelphia, 7 p.m. Washington at Boston, 7 p.m. N.Y. Islanders at Columbus, 7 p.m. New Jersey at Montreal, 7:30 p.m. Chicago at Winnipeg, 8 p.m. Anaheim at St. Louis, 8 p.m. Toronto at Minnesota, 8 p.m. Florida at Colorado, 9 p.m. Tampa Bay at Arizona, 9 p.m. Nashville at Edmonton, 9 p.m. San Jose at Calgary, 9 p.m. Pittsburgh at Vegas, 10 p.m.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Two shipping containers full of hygiene kits languish for weeks in a Chinese port, unable to reach North Korea. They're intended for people with tuberculosis or hepatitis, not to advance nuclear or missile programs, but Chinese customs officers see something objectionable in the cargo: nail clippers. As sanctions on Kim Jong Un's government intensify, the few aid groups operating in North Korea are facing sometimes bewildering economic restrictions and bureaucratic hurdles that could cripple life-saving work. While the U.N. Security Council says the penalties shouldn't affect humanitarian help, the Trump administration cites even North Korea's reported food and fuel shortages as evidence of a pressure campaign working. The nail clippers were part of a consignment sent by Christian Friends of Korea, among the U.S. charities working in North Korea despite escalating nuclear tensions. The latest round of U.N. sanctions bans the supply of metal items, so that explains the clipper holdup. It's not the only example. The American Friends Services Committee, another aid group, is struggling to deliver agricultural equipment such as threshers, compost makers and shovels. "Sanctions should not have an impact on the well-being of ordinary citizens," said Linda Lewis, a member of the Quaker committee that's helped North Korean farmers for two decades. "This work should not be shut down for political reasons." How do you pressure governments, short of war, to change their behavior without unduly injuring innocent civilians? That's one of biggest questions for the economists, foreign policy professionals and political leaders who devise and put in place economic sanctions around the world. U.N. penalties routinely include broad exceptions for most basic civilian goods. Even when the United States targets its most intractable foes, it exempts food, medicine and humanitarian supplies. In the case of North Korea, which the U.S. and others want to rid of nuclear weapons, it's unclear whether the right balance is being struck. Citing reports last week from Tokyo of scores of North Korean fishing boats, with dead crews, drifting into Japanese waters, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the sanctions are "really starting to hurt." The human suffering, he said, was North Korea's responsibility and an "unavoidable outcome" of its failure to help its own people. Tillerson also doubted that humanitarian assistance, which South Korea is considering, would reach the right people in the North. His remarks alarmed humanitarian advocates. But given that the alternative to the U.S.-led pressure may be military conflict, the Trump administration is getting much leeway from international partners and the public over how the sanctions are affecting North Korea's 25 million people. Recent visitors to the isolated country say fuel prices have risen, but food supplies don't seem any scarcer. They anticipate conditions to worsen in the coming months. Three times in the past year, the U.N. Security Council has tightened economic restrictions on North Korea, cutting fuel supplies and banning trade in the goods that make up 90 percent of the North's export revenue. The latest round, designed to punish a North Korean long-range missile test, prohibit selling the North iron, steel and other metals. That covers nearly 150 different categories of products, covering everything from stainless steel ingots to spoons and paper clips. For U.S. aid groups, tiny operations already hindered by myriad requirements from U.S. authorities, the new rules are causing headaches. The groups need special export licenses from the departments of Commerce or Treasury; special U.S. customs inspections of their cargo; and State Department waivers to travel to North Korea. They also must contend with reluctant banks and suppliers, fearful of being fined for any transaction related to North Korea. In the case of the nail clippers, Heidi Linton of the Christian Friends of Korea, which supports more than 30 tuberculosis and hepatitis care centers, said its routine shipment of hygiene kits was stuck this month in the northern Chinese port of Dalian for two weeks. Finally, Chinese customs gave special permission for the shipment to proceed. Without that decision, Linton would have had to pay people to individually unpack the metal nail clippers from several thousand kits for the two containers to be cleared. "To what purpose?" asked a relieved and grateful Linton, who now wonders whether her group can import a replacement clutch for its vehicle in North Korea. It needs other metal items for renovating clinics and for clean water projects. Lewis, from the Quaker aid group, echoed the sentiment. "Now we can't even send shovels, anything made of steel," she said. Her group helps four cooperative farms in North Korea and had no problem with shipping basic agricultural equipment just a few months ago. Lewis joked that the specific prohibition covering shovels must be an "excessively conservative interpretation" of dual-use technologies that are targeted in U.N. sanctions because they can have both peaceful civilian and lethal military uses. It's unclear what specific military use a shovel has. For North Korea's civilians, the aid groups play a crucial role. The U.N. works on child health care and provided food for more than 800,000 North Koreans last year. "Sanctions may be adversely affecting that essential help," U.N. human rights chief Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein told the Security Council last month. The country is in far better shape than the famine years of the 1990s, when hundreds of thousands starved to death. But 70 percent of the people still suffer food insecurity, and 2 in 5 are undernourished, according to the U.N. The aid group Care International calls it the world's most under-reported humanitarian crisis. Most governments refuse to help. The U.S. last gave aid to North Korea a decade ago. Few others are stepping up when North Korea's Kim is being almost universally lambasted for plowing his impoverished nation's sparse resources into weapons. The United Nations' $114 million humanitarian appeal last year, mostly for children and mothers, was only 30 percent funded. In November, the World Food Program was compelled by a money shortage to exclude 190,000 children from a program that offers cereal and enriched biscuits to the hungry. China had long resisted the U.S. pressure to use all its economic leverage on North Korea. It's unclear why authorities are now interpreting the rules so strictly. The U.N. resolutions on North Korea specify they're "not intended to have adverse humanitarian consequences." Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying acknowledged the problems with humanitarian aid resulting from the North Korea sanctions, but said her country "always completely and strictly implements Security Council resolutions." ____ Associated Press writers Joe McDonald in Beijing and Kim Tong-hyung in Seoul, South Korea, contributed to this report.

WASHINGTON (AP) — One congressman says he's going to start carrying a gun in public. Others want beefed-up security at town hall meetings. Wednesday's shooting of a top Republican while he was practicing for a congressional baseball game has jolted lawmakers. It also highlights their vulnerability when they are in public. Only the leaders of Congress get security details. Rank-and-file members do not. That's why Republican Rep. Chris Collins of New York says he is going to start carrying a gun in public. On Wednesday morning, Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana was shot as the Republican baseball team practiced for its annual game against congressional Democrats. Two members of the Capitol Police were injured along with a congressional aide and a lobbyist. The assailant died after the incident.

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Taiwan says China has been pressuring the governments of five countries in the Middle East, Africa and South America to force the island to change the names of its unofficial representative offices. The foreign ministry says Beijing has pressured Nigeria, Bahrain, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and Ecuador to remove "Republic of China" — Taiwan's formal name — or "Taiwan" from Taiwan's trade offices. None of the five is among Taiwan's 20 remaining official allies. It suggests Beijing is increasing the pressure on Taiwan, a self-governing democracy that Beijing claims as its territory. On Tuesday, Panama switched diplomatic relations from Taiwan to China. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang told reporters Thursday that the "One China" policy was fundamental and Beijing appreciates "these nations' way of handling issues with Taiwan."

PARIS (AP) — The Latest on trade tensions between the United States and the European Union (all times local): 9:45 a.m. U.S. and European trade chiefs are meeting hours before the U.S. is expected to impose tariffs on European steel and aluminum that could unleash a trade war. U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross told Le Figaro newspaper that a decision on tariffs would likely come after markets close Thursday. The U.S. decision is likely to be to impose tariffs, though there is slim hope that the two sides could reach a last-minute agreement. Ross met Thursday morning in Paris with French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire, whose government has vigorously objected to tariffs. And U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer is meeting in Paris on Thursday with EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom among other international trade chiefs. In his Le Figaro interview, Ross said the Americans are still open to discussion, and the EU would be to blame for any trade war if it imposes retaliatory tariffs as expected. ___ 6:30 a.m. President Donald Trump's administration is planning to impose tariffs on European steel and aluminum imports after failing to win concessions from the European Union, a move that could provoke retaliatory tariffs and inflame trans-Atlantic trade tensions. The tariffs are likely to go into effect on the EU with an announcement by Friday's deadline, according to two people familiar with the discussions. The administration's plans could change if the two sides are able to reach a last-minute agreement, said the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. Trump announced in March the United States would slap a 25 percent tariff on imported steel, and a 10 percent tariff on imported aluminum, citing national security interests. But he granted an exemption to the EU and other U.S. allies; that reprieve expires Friday.

HUNTSVILLE, Texas (AP) — Attorneys for a former Dallas accountant condemned for fatally shooting his two young daughters while their mother listened helplessly on the phone are hoping a federal court keeps him from the Texas death chamber. John David Battaglia is set for execution Thursday evening for the May 2001 slayings of his 9-year-old daughter, Faith, and her 6-year-old sister, Liberty. Battaglia and his wife had separated and the girls were killed at his Dallas apartment during a scheduled visit. He'd be the nation's third prisoner executed this year, all in Texas. His lawyers had appeals before the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court, contending the 62-year-old Battaglia is delusional and mentally incompetent for execution.

SAN DIEGO (AP) — A former U.S. Navy commander has pleaded guilty to bribery and conspiracy in the latest fallout from a corruption case that spanned a decade and involved dozens of Navy officials. Federal prosecutors say Troy Amundson entered pleas Tuesday in San Diego. The Ramsey, Minnesota native could face up to five years in prison. Amundsen was responsible for coordinating the Navy's joint military exercises with foreign counterparts. He acknowledged that from 2005 to 2013, he accepted bribes in the form of prostitutes and entertainment expenses in exchange for helping a Malaysian businessman nicknamed "Fat Leonard" Francis. Authorities say Francis bribed officials to help him overbill the Navy for fuel, food and other services his company provided to ships docked in Asian ports. Twenty people have pleaded guilty so far.

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Country singer Marty Stuart says he's planning to develop a museum and performance hall in his Mississippi hometown to display his collection of 20,000 country music artifacts, including handwritten lyrics from Hank Williams. Marty Stuart's Congress of Country Music will be in Philadelphia, about 80 miles (129 kilometers) northeast of Jackson. Appearing Wednesday at the state Capitol, Stuart says international fans are "enchanted and mystified" by Mississippi — the birthplace of rock 'n' roll king Elvis Presley, blues greats B.B. King and Muddy Waters and country music legend Jimmie Rodgers. The music curator for the Smithsonian Institution, John Troutman, is on the advisory committee for Stuart's project. He says Mississippi is a "wellspring" for American music. Stuart is raising money for the museum, which he hopes to open in three years.

TIRANA, Albania (AP) — Researchers are urging Albanian authorities to build a museum to display hundreds of Roman and Greek artifacts and ancient shipwrecks that are sitting under the country's barely explored coastline. Archaeologists at the Albanian Underwater Archaeology conference warned Tuesday that the wealth of underwater artifacts in the country's southwestern seabed, near its border with Greece, could easily fall prey to looters or treasure hunters. James Goold, chairman of the Florida-based RPM Nautical Foundation, said the objects — dating from the 8th century B.C. through to World War II — would be a great tourist attraction if properly displayed. Goold's RPM has mapped out the Ionian seabed from the Greek border all along to the Vlora Bay, finding at least 22 shipwrecks from the ancient times to World War II and hundreds of ancient amphorae. Those long, narrow terracotta vessels carried olive oil and wine along trade routes between North Africa and the Roman Empire, where Albania, then Illyria, was a crossroad. "The time has come to build a museum for Albanian and foreign tourists," said Albanian archaeologist Neritan Ceka. Some amphorae may have already been looted — they are not infrequently seen decorating restaurants along the Albanian coastline. Albania is trying to protect and capitalize on its rich underwater heritage, long neglected by its former communist regime, but preservation still receives scarce funding from the government in one of Europe's poorest nations. The arrival of RPM's Hercules research vessel 11 years ago was "a real revolution," Ceka said, praising its professional divers, high-tech sonar and remotely operated underwater vehicle. RPM and a joint Albanian-Italian expedition are the only scientific underwater efforts in Albania so far, both with the government's approval. Now RPM believes it's time for the not-for-profit Institute of Nautical Archaeology research organization, which is based in Texas, U.S., to explore the possibilities of excavating shipwrecks, a financially expensive and scientifically delicate process. "There's a special environment in Albania, because the coast has been so protected for so many years," said INA's David Ruff, a former commander of a nuclear-powered submarine. Ruff said "one of the real gems of Albania is the Butrint site" — a UNESCO-protected ancient Greek and Roman site in southernmost Albania close to the Greek border. He said INA's Virazon II research vessel will stay for a month in Albanian waters "to understand the coast of Albania and if we can run a large-scale excavation here." ___ Follow Llazar Semini on Twitter https://twitter.com/lsemini

MILAN (AP) — AC Milan drew 0-0 at home to Lazio in the first leg of their Italian Cup semifinal on Wednesday and could be left counting the cost of an embarrassing miss by Hakan Calhanoglu. Lazio goalkeeper Thomas Strakosha pulled off a great save to keep out a Patrick Cutrone header in the 75th minute and Calhanoglu seemed certain to score from the follow-up but the Turkey midfielder blazed over an empty net. Cutrone had controversially scored in Milan's 2-1 win in the league on Sunday as the Video Assistant Referee failed to spot the ball had come off the teenager's arm and not his head. The league's top goalscorer, Ciro Immobile, was back from injury and thought he had given Lazio the lead shortly after the hour - only for Gianluigi Donnarumma to pull off a spectacular save to keep out his header from Jordan Lukaku's pinpoint cross. The second leg will be held at Rome's Stadio Olimpico on Feb. 28. Lazio has reached the final in three of the past five years, winning in 2013. It was beaten in 2015 and 2017 by Juventus, which also beat Milan in 2016. Milan last won the trophy in 2003. Juventus won 1-0 at Atalanta in the first leg of the other semifinal on Tuesday.

NEW YORK (AP) — Tina Turner is not done telling her story. The rock superstar is working on a sequel to her 1986 memoir "I, Tina," Atria Books told The Associated Press on Monday. The new book is called "Tina Turner: My Love Story" and will come out next October, timed to the singer's 60th year in music. Seventy-eight year-old Turner says in a statement that she will write about everything from "finding love" to surviving a "life-threatening illness" she had never disclosed before. Turner, who endured a horrifying marriage to musician Ike Turner, married Erwin Bach in 2013. She is known for such hits as "Proud Mary" and "What's Love Got To Do With It," the title of a 1993 biopic starring Angela Bassett as Tina Turner and Laurence Fishburne as Ike.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House followed up on the sex abuse scandal involving sports doctor Larry Nassar by passing legislation Monday that requires governing bodies for amateur athletics to promptly report abuse claims to law enforcement. Nassar was sentenced last week to up to 175 years in prison for sexually abusing more than 150 women and girls over 25 years. The sentencing sparked new calls from lawmakers to complete action on legislation that had already received widespread support in both chambers of Congress. The House agreed to take up the Senate version of the bill to speed up its passage. The bill passed the House by a vote of 406-3. The House made a change in the bill, which sent it back to the Senate for approval before it can go to President Donald Trump for his signature. Supporters of the bill, sponsored by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., said a patchwork of state laws on reporting suspected sex abuse made it necessary to enact a uniform national standard that would apply to amateur sports groups such as USA Gymnastics as well as to other sports organizations that participate in interstate and international travel. The failure to report a sexual abuse allegation could lead to up to one year in prison. Lawmakers who spoke in favor of the bill said that Nassar's victims were failed by the people who were supposed to protect them. "How a serial predator like Dr. Nassar could have preyed on so many young girls for a long time in such a flagrant fashion is appalling," said Rep. Ted Poe, R-Texas. During House debate on the bill, Poe read from the testimony that some of the gymnasts delivered at last week's sentencing hearing and entered the statements for publication in the Congressional Record. High-profile Olympians who delivered statements included six-time medalist Aly Raisman, 2011 world champion and 2012 Olympic gold medalist Jordyn Wieber and two-time Olympic medalist McKayla Maroney. "All they wanted to do was to make us proud. All they wanted to do was show the strength of women and the resolve of women," said Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas. The legislation also extends the statute of limitations for victims to sue alleged perpetrators, recognizing that children sometimes don't realize they were abused until years later. The statute of limitations was extended to age 28 or up to 10 years after the reasonable discovery of the violation, whichever is later. The legislation also requires the governing bodies for amateur athletes to put in place "reasonable procedures" to limit one-on-one interactions between minors and adults, except in emergencies. The U.S. Center for Safe Sport was created by the U.S. Olympic Committee in March 2017 as a wholly independent body to investigate allegations of sexual misconduct in 47 various Olympic governing bodies. The legislation builds on that effort by requiring the organization to maintain an office that would develop training and oversight practices to prevent the abuse of athletes. Each of the governing bodies for Olympic athletes such as USA Gymnastics and USA Swimming will work with the center to develop procedures for accepting complaints and reporting them to law enforcement. Feinstein met last year with some of the gymnasts alleging sexual abuse. "Today is their day, and they should be proud that their decision to speak out has resulted in changes that will prevent the abuse of future generations of athletes," Feinstein said.

CANTON, Ohio (AP) — An Ohio high school teacher who tackled a student in a classroom conflict recorded on cellphone video says he felt threatened, was trying only to restrain the boy and regrets what happened. The Canton Repository reports the 48-year-old Canton teacher resigned in January after being suspended pending a district investigation. The Dec. 4 video shows the teacher touching the arm of a male student, who pulls away. The teacher then wraps his arm around the student's neck and takes him to the floor. The teacher's attorney hasn't publicly commented, but a district investigation file includes the teacher's comments to school officials. He told them he intervened because one student threatened another and ignored attempts to deescalate the situation. The superintendent characterized the teacher's behavior as "disturbing and unprofessional." ___ Information from: The Repository, http://www.cantonrep.com

CHITTAGONG, Bangladesh (AP) — Mominul Haque hit 175 not out as Bangladesh took the upper-hand Wednesday in the first test against Sri Lanka, ending Day 1 on 374-4. Mushfiqur Rahim missed a century by eight runs, being out on 92 toward the end of the day's play, but he and Mominul combined for a national record of 236 runs for the third wicket. It was Bangladesh's highest score on Day 1 of any test, eclipsing 365-8 scored against the West Indies in Khulna in 2012. Opener Tamim Iqbal chipped in with 52. Mominul's fifth century bolstered Bangladesh's position after Tamim gave the side a solid start on a placid deck. Tamim launched Bangladesh's innings in aggressive style, hitting pace bowler Lahiru Kumara for three boundaries in succession in the second over of the day. Tamim and fellow opener Imrul Kayes shared 72 runs in only 16 overs. The opener reached his 25th 50 off only 46 balls and looked solid until off-spinner Dilruwan Perera crashed his stump with a quicker one. Tamim hit six fours and one straight six off Perera's bowling. Kayes made 40, before Sandakan had him leg-before on the stroke of the lunch. But the momentum that Tamim gave, Mominul didn't let it go. Together with Mushfiqur, he kept Sri Lanka frustrated throughout the second session. He was fluent and took only 96 balls to reach his fifth century, which was the second fastest ton for Bangladesh after Tamim Iqbal, who made a 94-ball century against England at Lords in 2010. In contrast, Rahim was slow in approach but gave Mominul strong support. Just when it looked like Bangladesh would end the day without losing a further wicket, Suranga Lakmal dealt a double blow in consecutive deliveries to remove Rahim and Liton Das. Rahim's 92 came off 192 balls, including 10 boundaries. Captain Mahmudullah and Mominul then saw off the day without any trouble, with the former ending the day on nine. Lakmal claimed 2-43, while Perera and Sandakan picked up one wicket apiece.

WASHINGTON (AP) — In a surprising revelation, the Department of Veterans Affairs says a program that offers veterans private-sector health care will run out of money much sooner than expected. It is holding back on some services that lawmakers worry could cause delays in medical treatment. VA Secretary David Shulkin made the disclosure Wednesday at a Senate hearing. He cites a shortfall of more than $1 billion due to increased demand from veterans for federally paid medical care outside the VA. The VA had previously assured Congress that funding for the Choice program would last until early next year, but now says it will be depleted by mid-August. The VA is urgently asking Congress for authority to shift money from other accounts to cover the shortfall.

INNSBRUCK, Austria (AP) — World Cup host Russia slumped to a 1-0 defeat in a friendly against Austria on Wednesday, extending its winless streak to six matches. Russia has lost all three games in 2018 after defeats to Brazil and France in March, and has not won a game since beating South Korea in October. Austria winger Marko Arnautovic set up midfielder Alessandro Schoepf for the only goal in the 28th minute, giving coach Franco Foda his fourth win from four matches since taking over from Marcel Koller in November after the team failed to qualify for the World Cup. Russia plays Turkey in Moscow on Tuesday in its final warmup game before opening the World Cup against Saudi Arabia on June 14.

All Times EST EASTERN CONFERENCE GP W L OT Pts GF GA Tampa Bay 49 34 12 3 71 175 125 Boston 47 29 10 8 66 156 116 Washington 49 29 15 5 63 150 138 Toronto 51 28 18 5 61 162 146 New Jersey 49 25 16 8 58 147 147 Columbus 49 27 19 3 57 131 137 Pittsburgh 51 27 21 3 57 151 153 Philadelphia 49 24 17 8 56 141 141 N.Y. Rangers 50 25 20 5 55 153 151 N.Y. Islanders 51 25 21 5 55 173 184 Carolina 50 23 19 8 54 139 155 Florida 48 20 22 6 46 136 159 Detroit 48 19 21 8 46 126 146 Montreal 49 20 23 6 46 129 156 Ottawa 48 15 24 9 39 125 168 Buffalo 50 14 27 9 37 115 166 WESTERN CONFERENCE GP W L OT Pts GF GA Vegas 48 32 12 4 68 164 128 Winnipeg 50 29 13 8 66 164 136 Nashville 47 29 11 7 65 145 123 St. Louis 51 30 18 3 63 148 130 Dallas 50 28 18 4 60 155 134 San Jose 48 26 15 7 59 143 133 Calgary 49 25 16 8 58 137 135 Colorado 48 27 18 3 57 157 139 Minnesota 49 26 18 5 57 144 140 Los Angeles 49 26 18 5 57 139 121 Anaheim 50 24 17 9 57 141 141 Chicago 49 23 19 7 53 146 136 Edmonton 49 22 24 3 47 135 157 Vancouver 49 19 24 6 44 127 159 Arizona 50 12 29 9 33 118 172 NOTE: Two points for a win, one point for overtime loss. Top three teams in each division and two wild cards per conference advance to playoffs. Monday's Games No games scheduled Tuesday's Games Florida 4, N.Y. Islanders 1 Carolina 2, Ottawa 1 New Jersey 3, Buffalo 1 Minnesota at Columbus, 7 p.m. San Jose at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m. Anaheim at Boston, 7 p.m. Tampa Bay at Winnipeg, 8 p.m. Montreal at St. Louis, 8 p.m. Chicago at Nashville, 8 p.m. Los Angeles at Dallas, 8:30 p.m. Vegas at Calgary, 9 p.m. Colorado at Vancouver, 10 p.m. Wednesday's Games N.Y. Islanders at Toronto, 7:30 p.m. San Jose at Detroit, 8 p.m. Philadelphia at Washington, 8 p.m. Thursday's Games Toronto at N.Y. Rangers, 7 p.m. Montreal at Carolina, 7 p.m. St. Louis at Boston, 7 p.m. Florida at Buffalo, 7 p.m. Anaheim at Ottawa, 7 p.m. Philadelphia at New Jersey, 7 p.m. Vegas at Winnipeg, 8 p.m. Los Angeles at Nashville, 8:30 p.m. Tampa Bay at Calgary, 9 p.m. Dallas at Arizona, 9 p.m. Colorado at Edmonton, 9 p.m. Chicago at Vancouver, 10 p.m. Friday's Games Washington at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m. Detroit at Carolina, 7 p.m. San Jose at Columbus, 7 p.m. Vegas at Minnesota, 8 p.m.

NEW YORK (AP) — Three guys walk into a bar. They're Warren Buffett, Amazon.com's Jeff Bezos and JPMorgan Chase's Jamie Dimon. They decide to transform the American health care system. That's probably not how these three men decided to form a new company to address health care costs for their U.S. employees, and possibly for many more Americans. The three companies, with a combined market cap of $1.62 trillion, did not provide details of how the collaboration between their CEOs came about. And while their announcement Tuesday didn't include many specifics, based on their very different business backgrounds it's possible to see what each might bring to the table. Bezos, 54, runs one of the world's biggest retail operations and by some measurement he's now the wealthiest person on the planet. Amazon grew from a book retailer into one of the world's most valuable companies in part because it's extremely skilled in distributing products. It's long been willing to lose money in order to offer customers lower prices than its competitors can bear — and in the process gain a loyal customer base. That's what millions of Prime members love about it. Amazon has never been consistent at turning profits because of its focus on sales growth. That's what many investors fear about it. Investors in health care have long thought Amazon was going to get into that field and force companies that make and distribute medications or medical devices to drastically lower their prices. When the three companies said they want to create a partnership "free from profit-making incentives and constrains," Amazon would seem to be the blueprint. By contrast, few associate fear with Buffett, the 87-year-old "Oracle of Omaha." He's respected for his 70 years of successful investing, beloved by many for giving billions to charity — he has said he plans to give away at least half his fortune — and appreciated for a common touch that includes a prodigious Coca-Cola habit and a love of junk food, along with his personal frugality. But most significant in this context is that his company, Berkshire Hathaway, owns a number of insurers including GEICO. That means he brings a lot of experience in evaluating and insuring risks. And he's a longtime critic of the health care system. Tuesday was not the first time Buffett had talked about growing health care costs as a "tapeworm" that harms the growth of the American economy. Dimon, 61, is the head of the largest U.S. bank in terms of both assets and deposits. If that weren't enough to get him entry into the conversation, JPMorgan Chase just received a big tax cut. Dimon himself earned a lot of respect for his handling of the 2008-09 financial crisis. Unlike many of its competitors, JPMorgan Chase didn't have to be bailed out by taxpayers as a result of its bad bets on mortgage-backed securities. That doesn't mean he's exactly beloved: Like its rivals, the bank did pay billions to settle allegations surrounding its sales of mortgage-backed securities prior to the crisis. He's also known for speaking his mind in blunt terms. In July, he complained about politicians arguing about "stupid (expletive)" instead of solving problems. The companies said their project will focus on technology that provides simplified and transparent care. Based on the executives who have been named to top roles at the new company, Jefferies & Co. analyst Brian Tanquilut said there is a good chance it will eventually try to negotiate prices directly with health care providers like hospitals, bypassing companies that act as middlemen. That could reduce costs in the medical and pharmaceutical supply chains. "The initial plan for the new entity will be on partnering with and/or acquiring various consumer-orientated health care technology capabilities (i.e. a venture capital strategy) and eventually using them to influence and incentivize health care cost-reducing behavior," he said, basing his speculation on the executives picked to shepherd the new company along. Whatever the new company's scope, investors in health care companies were deeply concerned: On Tuesday health insurer Cigna dropped 7.2 percent, biotech drugmaker AbbVie fell 5.3 percent, and drugstore chain-pharmacy benefits manager CVS Health lost 4.1 percent as the sector took broad losses.

MOSCOW (AP) — Two men have been able to register their marriage in Russia, a first for the country that the Interior Ministry attributes to a bureaucratic error. Russia doesn't recognize same-sex marriage and has a law banning the dissemination of gay "propaganda" to minors, so Pavel Stotzko and Yevgeny Voitsekhovsky's claim that their marriage was officially registered has caused an uproar. The couple says they got married in Denmark and submitted their passports to a registrar's office, where a clerk docilely put marriage stamps on the travel documents last week. The Interior Ministry says the passports will be withdrawn and the clerk who stamped them fired. Russian LGBT Network, a gay rights group, said Monday that the newlyweds have left Russia, fearing for their security amid official pressure.

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Pakistan had five balls to spare when it beat Zimbabwe by seven wickets on Wednesday and eliminated the African host from the Twenty20 tri-series tournament. Solomon Mire missed out on a chance to become Zimbabwe's first century-maker in a T20 international as his 94-run knock carried Zimbabwe to 162-4 after captain Hamilton Masakadza lost his first toss in the tri-series and his team was put in to bat. Opener Fakhar Zaman (47) and Hussain Talat (44) led Pakistan to 163-3 in 19.1 overs against an inexperienced bowling attack as Pakistan registered its second win against Zimbabwe. It was Zimbabwe's third straight loss. Australia plays against Pakistan on Thursday before both teams meet in Sunday's final.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Latest on the appeals of two former allies of former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie who were convicted in the George Washington Bridge lane-closing case (all times local): Noon Two former allies of former Republican New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie convicted in the George Washington Bridge lane-closing case say their actions didn't violate federal law. Attorneys for Bill Baroni and Bridget Kelly argued in federal appeals court on Tuesday that their 2016 convictions should be thrown out because the government misapplied the law when it charged them. They were convicted in 2016 on fraud, conspiracy and civil rights counts for causing traffic jams to punish a New Jersey mayor who wouldn't endorse Christie for re-election. Baroni faces 24 months in prison, and Kelly faces 18 months. Their attorneys argued Tuesday that the indictment against them was flawed because there is no recognized right to intrastate travel and because the lane realignment didn't benefit them personally. ___ 12:05 a.m. Two former allies of former Republican New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie will try and convince a federal appeals court their convictions in the George Washington Bridge lane-closing case should be reversed. Attorneys for Bill Baroni and Bridget Kelly are scheduled to argue in court on Tuesday in Philadelphia. They were convicted in 2016 of carrying out a plot to cause massive traffic jams at the bridge connecting New Jersey and New York to punish a mayor who wouldn't endorse Christie for re-election in 2013. The plot's architect was former Port Authority of New York and New Jersey official David Wildstein, a high school acquaintance of Christie's. He pleaded guilty and testified against Baroni and Kelly. Christie wasn't charged, but the scandal torpedoed his presidential aspirations in the 2016 Republican primary.

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Budget airline AirAsia said its flights to Indonesia’s conservative Aceh province will have only male cabin crew after Acehnese authorities insisted female flight attendants wear head coverings. Other airlines have said they will comply and require female crew to cover their heads on flights to the Shariah-law practicing province. AirAsia Indonesia’s corporate secretary Baskoro Adiwiyono said Friday that the airline was ensuring its flights adhere to regulations. “For the time being, all AirAsia flights from and to Aceh will be operated by male cabin crew,” he said. Aceh authorities on Wednesday circulated a letter with their demand to several airlines. The letter, issued by the chief of Aceh Besar district, which oversees the airport in the provincial capital Banda Aceh, said female flight attendants are obliged to wear the hijab in accordance with the rules of Islam and airlines should support the implementation of Shariah law in the province. National airline Garuda Indonesia and its budget arm Citilink said they “support the suggestions.” “Garuda respects and upholds local wisdom,” said its spokesman Ikhsan Rosan. Aceh is the only province in Muslim-majority Indonesia where a strict form of Islam is mandatory. Public caning is a punishment for adultery, gambling, homosexuality, tight clothing and other behavior deemed against Islam.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A study says the nation's largest public utility has given large businesses breaks on electric rates over six years while residential customers' rates increased. The Synapse Energy Economics Inc. study says the Tennessee Valley Authority's industrial and direct-serve customers have received almost a 20 percent rate cut from 2011 to 2016, while residential customer rates increased 5 percent. The report released this week says if the increases were applied equally, residential customers would've saved $1.4 billion. Southern Alliance for Clean Energy Executive Director Stephen Smith said that's a complete distortion of TVA's mission. Utility spokesman Scott Brooks said TVA also has an economic development mission. He said large manufacturing and commercial customers have used a 2015 change incentivizing off-peak power usage. Brooks said TVA's residential rates are lower than 70 percent of competitors.

VALENCIA, Spain (AP) — The Egyptian Football Federation says Mohamed Salah's shoulder injury will not keep him out for longer than three weeks, meaning he should be fit to play at least some part in the country's World Cup campaign. The Liverpool forward was injured in the first half of Saturday's Champions League final against Real Madrid and left the field in tears. Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said after the game that Salah's World Cup campaign was in jeopardy but the EFA gave an optimistic update on Wednesday after its president Hani Abu Reda, national team coach Hector Cuper and doctor Mohamed Abou El-Ela met with the forward in Valencia, where the 25-year-old is undergoing treatment and rehabilitation. A post on the federation's Facebook page said that "the period of absence of Salah due to injury will not exceed three weeks." That could still rule him out of Egypt's opening World Cup match on June 15 against Uruguay, with their second against hosts Russia coming four days later. But if he misses those games, he could play in Egypt's final group match against Saudi Arabia on June 25.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)--A rescue team set out on Thursday for a mission to search and rescue a mountaineer who became trapped in high mountains with a broken leg and no food to eat after a 30-day expedition of hiking alone through a treacherous area in the Central Mountains in northeastern Taiwan. The mountaineer surnamed Lee had been hiking from a giant rock, which is said to be a sacred place for the Atayal tribe, near the border of Nantou County and Hualien County, towards a deserted Japanese-built logging railway station called Ha-Lun (哈崙) in the deep mountains of Hualien County, according to a rescuer nicknamed “Snow Ram.” The route cuts through a densely vegetated and rarely visited area and there is no trail to follow, Snow Ram said, adding that it is sheer exploration. Lee, who had lost contact with the outside world for 30 days, used the last remaining battery power in his cell phone to make distress calls on Wednesday after suffering from injuries in his lower leg. Lee told the dispatcher that he fell into a valley and broke his lower leg, which made him unable to walk. He said he crawled all the way up to the ridge to wait for rescue, adding that he had consumed all his food and was worried about getting hypothermia. Hualien County Fire Department Captain Wang Ming-chung (王明忠) said the location where Lee is being trapped is presumably on a ridge to the west of the Ha-Lun station at an elevation of 2,400 meters above sea level. The rescue team consisting of seven people set out to search for Lee from Shoufeng Township, Hualien County on Thursday morning in spite of the rain. Wang said that it will take five days to reach the location where Lee is being trapped by walking and as the visibility is low in the mountains due to the rainy weather, it is impossible to airdrop food and other materials to Lee. According to the weather forecast, there will be rains in the mountainous area in the next few days, so Lee will have to be able to endure until the weather turns mild to be airlifted, he added.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California would set standards for organic marijuana, allow pot samples at county fairs and permit home deliveries under legislation set to be considered by lawmakers Thursday as the state prepares for next year's start of legal marijuana sales. Lawmakers and Gov. Jerry Brown's administration are working to merge California's new voter-approved recreational pot law with the state's longstanding medical marijuana program. They have settled on an array of regulations to protect consumers and public safety while ensuring taxes are collected. The provisions were tucked into the state budget agreement between Brown and top legislative Democrats announced this week following months of negotiations with businesses operating illegally or in the legal medical marijuana field and investors who want to enter the nation's largest legal marijuana market. "One of the biggest challenges we have is taking a multi-billion-dollar industry out of the dark and now into the light," said Sen. Mike McGuire, a Democrat whose district includes much of Northern California's prime marijuana growing region. By 2018, state officials must have crafted regulations and rules governing the emerging legal marijuana market with an estimated annual sales value of $7 billion — ranging from where and how plants can be grown to setting guidelines to track the buds from fields to stores. Full legal sales are expected to roll out later in the year. In general, the state will treat cannabis like alcohol, allowing people 21 and older to legally possess up to an ounce of marijuana and grow six marijuana plants at home. The budget agreement includes $118 million to pay for startup costs for the newly regulated industry, including technology and staff to work on regulations and issue licenses. The state will open a tax office in the remote region north of San Francisco so marijuana businesses can pay their taxes in cash without having to drive long distances with thousands of dollars. Because marijuana remains illegal under federal law, pot businesses generally cannot open bank accounts, conduct credit card transactions or otherwise use the federally regulated banking system. The legislation outlines baseline rules for marijuana businesses and was crafted to promote a new artisanal industry in a state that has embraced craft beer and small wineries. It would require state regulators to come up with rules for marijuana producers to call their goods organic — an important designation for California consumers that cannot be used on pot under federal rules. The state would also create standards for official marijuana varietals and growing regions, known as appellations, so craft producers can distinguish their products based on the unique strain and growing conditions like winemakers do. With temporary licenses from the state, businesses would be allowed to sell pot and provide samples at county fairs, regional agricultural associations and cannabis festivals. Growers would be allowed to form agricultural cooperatives without running afoul of antitrust laws. Businesses would be able to legally grow, distribute and sell their own product, though firms performing safety tests will have to be independent, with no financial ties to growers or retailers. Keeping an open container of marijuana in a vehicle would be illegal like it is for alcohol in California, except for people with a medical card or doctor's note. Brown and lawmakers agreed to allow sellers with no public storefronts to deliver marijuana directly to customers. "There are thousands of businesses currently engaged in this type of commerce," Hezekiah Allen, executive director of the California Growers Association. "The more of them that can get licensed, the better off the state is going to be, the faster we'll be able to get rid of the criminal element and the faster we'll be able to make sure the product is safe and tested."

MONTREAL (AP) — The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has recommended to the International Olympic Committee that it use 2016 doping sample bottles for the upcoming Winter Olympics after the agency's inquiry into the 2017 version showed the bottles could be re-opened after a sample was produced. On Tuesday, the IOC said it was "very concerned" about claims the new sample bottles, provided by Swiss manufacturer Berlinger, could be opened, and the Swedish anti-doping agency said it would stop using them. WADA said in a statement Wednesday it had confirmed that a proportion of the new generation of BEREG-KIT Geneva security bottles were "susceptible to manual opening without evidence of tampering, whether they have been frozen or not." Those security bottles were introduced in September 2017. After determining that some of the newer bottles could be "manually opened after initial proper locking," WADA said it had sourced enough of the 2016 doping sample bottles, which were first used at the Rio Olympics, to cover the entire testing program for the Pyeongchang Games, which start Feb. 9 in South Korea. "At this stage, our clear recommendation to the IOC is that it continue to use the earlier model, which is still used by a number of testing authorities around the world. This should be seen as a precautionary measure that guarantees the integrity of the doping control process at the games," WADA director general Olivier Niggli said. "For the longer term, WADA will continue to gather information and explore solutions with Berlinger and others in order to maintain the integrity of the process. Berlinger has already agreed to restart production of the 2016 model pending other development." The newer doping bottles were introduced last year to increase security after investigators found Russians were able to surreptitiously open bottles at the Sochi Olympics and exchange dirty urine samples with clean ones previously provided by the same athlete. The IOC said in a statement it was "very concerned about this issue" and asked WADA to ensure the integrity of testing in Pyeongchang. "From the moment we learned about it, we immediately turned to WADA and asked them to ensure that the anti-doping tests in Pyeongchang can be conducted in a credible and reliable way," the IOC said Tuesday. "WADA informed us that they were in contact with the bottle manufacturer Berlinger. We have full confidence in WADA that they will find a solution for this issue." Peter Strom, the acting manager of the Swedish Sports Confederation's anti-doping department, said his organization has stopped using the new bottles. "Unfortunately, our own tests showed that it is possible to open the container for urine samples after they have been frozen without leaving any visible traces of manipulation," Strom told Swedish broadcaster SVT. "Because of that we will stop all use of these bottles in our tests until further notice."

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — LaMarcus Aldridge scored 30 points and the San Antonio Spurs escaped with a 106-104 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday night. The Spurs had four players in double figures, including 18 points each from Kyle Anderson and Pau Gasol. Every Denver starter scored in double figures with Jamal Murray leading the way with 18 points and Gary Harris adding 17. San Antonio had to battle to win its 11th straight at home over Denver. There were 18 lead changes and the Nuggets came within inches of a game-winning 19th. Jamal Murray's 3-pointer with 31.6 seconds remaining pulled Denver within 106-104. After Danny Green missed a 3-pointer, the Nuggets raced down the floor and furiously passed the ball three times to set up Will Barton for a 25-foot 3-pointer that rattled in and out of the rim. Denver finished 10 for 23 on 3-pointers while shooting 47 percent from the field while San Antonio shot 50 percent. The Nuggets made their first five three-pointers in taking a 17-12 lead, but the Spurs responded by making their first three 3s. It set the tone for a back-and-forth, high-scoring duel. It was a welcome change for San Antonio, which struggled offensively in its two previous games of a five-game homestand. The Spurs scored 60 points in the first half against the Nuggets after averaging just 40 against Philadelphia and Sacramento, including a season-low 31 against the 76ers on Friday. Manu Ginobili finished with 14 points, including six in 31 seconds in the first quarter. After sinking a free throw after being fouled on a reverse layup, he drained the first of his three 3-pointers. Ginobili would later stretch for a low pass and then throw it behind his back to Davis Bertans, who would score on a runner. TIP-INS Nuggets: Mason Plumlee did not play after straining his right calf against Boston on Monday night. Plumlee remained in Denver for an MRI while the team flew to San Antonio. Nuggets coach Mike Malone said Plumlee is "going to be out for a little while." . Wilson Chandler was available to play but did not enter the game after being listed as probable with an illness. . Darrell Arthur established a season high with seven points in the first half and finished with 10 points. Arthur's previous high was five points against Detroit on Dec. 12. Spurs: Aldridge has scored 20-plus points in 33 of 50 games this season. His previous best for 20-point games was 31 in 74 games during his inaugural season with the Spurs in 2016. . Aldridge was assessed his third technical foul this season with 4:30 remaining in the third quarter after arguing about a non-call against Denver's defense. Aldridge has 18 career technical fouls but only one ejection. . Anderson established a career high with 363 points. His previous season's best was 350 points in 2016. . Ginobili joined Sacramento's Vince Carter as the only 40-and-older players with 40 3-pointers in a season. UP NEXT Nuggets: Host Oklahoma City on Thursday night. Spurs: Host Houston on Thursday night.

HOUSTON (AP) — Clint Capela had a career-high 28 points and James Harden scored 12 straight points for Houston in the fourth quarter as the Rockets rallied for a 130-123 victory to extend their winning streak to 10 games on Monday night. The game was tied with about three minutes remaining after Harden made two free throws. Those were the first of seven straight points by Harden that put Houston's up 124-119 with 1:30 left. Jrue Holiday made a basket after that, but Harden hit a 3-pointer seconds later to push the lead to 127-121. Harden stole the ball from E'Twaun Moore after a timeout by New Orleans. He was fouled and made both free throws to make it 129-121 with 34 seconds left. After scoring 48 points in Houston's last game, Harden finished with 26 on Monday, but he tied a career-high with 17 assists, finding the 6-foot-10 Capela under the basket again and again. Holiday had a season-high 37 points for the Pelicans. Moore had a career-high 36 points and made a career-most six 3-pointers on a night New Orleans set a franchise record with 18 3-pointers. The Pelicans led by seven entering the fourth and were up by eight with about 10 minutes left when Moore scored all their points in a 6-2 run. Houston used an 11-3 spurt after that to tie it at 112-112 with about six minutes remaining. Paul made five points in that span and Capela capped it with two dunks. New Orleans was without Anthony Davis, who sat out with a groin injury. He missed three games after sustaining the injury on Dec. 1 but played in the last two games before the problem began to bother him again. The Pelicans were up by 2 early in the third quarter when Holiday scored five quick points to push the lead to 89-82. They led by seven later in the quarter when Holiday got going again, scoring all of their points in a 5-2 run that made it 96-86. Another basket by Holiday extended the lead to 13 points with about two minutes left in the quarter. But Paul outscored the Pelicans 8-2 the rest of the quarter to allow the Rockets to get within 103-96 entering the fourth. He made two 3-pointers in that stretch, with the second one coming just before the buzzer. DeMarcus Cousins received a technical foul in the second quarter when he shoved Trevor Ariza away from him with two hands after Ariza fouled him. Ariza yelled at Cousins after the push and Chris Paul and Harden pulled him away as he walked toward him before order was restored. The Pelicans led by 7 with just more than two minutes left in the second quarter before Houston used an 11-2 run to take a 78-76 lead into halftime. Capela had two dunks and a block in that span and Eric Gordon made a 3-pointer. TIP-INS Pelicans: New Orleans set a season-high with 74 first-half points. ... Holiday has scored 30 or more points in two straight games. ... Cousins had 24 points and 14 rebounds. Rockets: Harden's 14 assists in the first half tied a franchise record for assists in a half. Harden also did it last year and John Lucas did it on Oct. 27, 1977. ... Paul finished with 20 points. UP NEXT Pelicans: Host Milwaukee on Wednesday. Rockets: Host Charlotte on Wednesday.