Daily Archives: July 24, 2017

Rodrigo Duterte: Human rights concerns in the Philippines will not stop deadly war on drugs – The Independent

Posted: July 24, 2017 at 8:42 am

Rodrigo Duterte has vowed to continue his deadly crackdown on drugs, telling users they face either jail or hell.

Responding to growing international criticism of his violent war on illicit drugs, which is understood to have claimed the lives of more than 7,000 people, the Philippine President said he would not be scared by threats of prosecution.

He urged his critics not to trivialise government efforts by demanding human rights be upheld, telling an audience at his annual state of the nation address on Monday: Do not try to scare me with prison or the International Court of Justice.

"I'm willing to go to prison for the rest of my life.

"The fight will be unremitting as it will be unrelenting.

"There is a jungle out there, there are beasts out there preying on the innocent, the helpless."

To applause from his national police chief, Ronald del Rosa, Mr Duterte added: The fight will not stop until those who deal in (drugs) understand that they have to stop because the alternatives are either jail or hell.

Mr Dutertes fierce defence of his drugs policy came as thousands of protesters marched to the House of Representatives to demand he deliver on promises made in his first state of the nation speech last year, from holding peace talks with communist insurgents to improving internet speed.

Activists burn an effigy of Mr Duterte in Quezon City, northeast of Manila, where the speech was taking place (EPA)

Human Rights Watch has accused Mr Duterte of unleashing a human rights calamity in the Philippines.

The extraordinary brutality of the Duterte drug war is undeniable, it said in a statement released last week.

Many of the victims are found in back alleys or street corners wrapped in packing tape, their bodies bullet-ridden or bearing stab wounds and other signs of torture.

The 71-year-old President won approval in Congress at the weekend for an extension of martial law in the south to deal with the siege of Marawi by pro-Isis fighters.

The fight against Islamist militants in one of the countrys biggest southern cities continues two months on, with more than 500 dead.

Separately, Mr Dutertes top ally in Congress has proposed new bills to legalise same-sex marriage and divorce.

Our citizens should not be excluded from society just because of the person they love. They must also be treated with equality before the law," Pantaleon Alvarez said.

The Vatican and the Philippines are the only states in which divorce is outlawed.

In the most recent opinion polls, Filipinos have overwhelmingly rejected same-sex marriages, with the latest survey in 2015 showing nearly 70 per cent of 1,200 respondents strongly disagreed.

Laws on same-sex marriages have been proposed as far back 2006, but none has gained traction.

However, the latest attempt could gain momentum because it has the endorsement of Mr Alvarez, a close ally of Mr Duterte.

Additional reporting by agencies

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The compliance side of the war on drugs – Compliance Week (subscription)

Posted: at 8:42 am

Pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors increasingly are being called for duty in the nationwide war on drugs, particularly in covert operations where the government believes those in the corporate supply chain have crept over enemy lines.

In the midst of one of the worst drug abuse crises in American history, the Department of Justice has the responsibility to ensure that our drug laws are being enforced, Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in a statement. Part of that mission is holding drug manufacturers accountable for their actions.

In a first-of-its-kind case that highlights the governments broadening enforcement stance to conquer the nationwide opioid epidemic, Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticalsa maker of generic oxycodoneon July 11 reached a $35 million settlement with the government to resolve allegations that the pharmaceutical manufacturer failed to report suspicious orders of pharmaceutical drugs, and for record-keeping violations.

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Msimanga wages war on drugs in Tshwane – Citizen

Posted: at 8:42 am

To rescue the lost generation of the City of Tshwane, executive mayor Solly Msimanga has signed service level agreements (SLA) with 23 nonprofit organisations (NPOs) to take up the fight against drugs.

Msimanga said he made a commitment to partnering with civil society to ensure that the R40 million earmarked for the fight on drugs is used properly to support the NPOs in helping communities fight this problem.

I urge you to comply with the requirements as stipulated in the SLA and use the funds wisely and responsibly and make a difference, the mayor told NPO representatives on Friday.

He said that, like most cities in South Africa, Tshwane faced challenges of poverty, inequality and substance abuse.

The 2015 Gauteng safety strategy states that the province has been experiencing an increase in the violence used during the commission of crime.

On the other hand, the same report notes that substance abuse, particularly the use of nyaope, has been linked to cable theft, metal infrastructure destruction and common theft, Msimanga said.

The mayor said while they werefighting crime, they werealso creating opportunities for employment and productivity across the city to employ people so that they couldlive a better life and not be condemned to a life of poverty or becondemned to death.

We have to rescue our lost generation from this and we have to leverage our regions and existing tools to make progress in this regard.

These NPOs are in Pretoria North, Soshanguve, Ga-Rankuwa, Pretoria, Temba, Hammankraal, Midrand, Cullinan, Lynnwood Glen, Moregloed, Eersterust, Bronkhorstpruit, Ekangala, Lotus Gardens and Saulsville.

Three of these centres are situated in Soshanguve, north of Pretoria, where the bluetooth drug craze was first reported. Earlier this year, 380 drug addicts volunteered to join a rehabilitation programme offered by the Gauteng department of social development but more than 200 left the programme.

The city hopes that they will make more progress and have more success with the rehabilitation of drug addicts.

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Erdogan gambling with centuries-old ties to Germany: Schaeuble – Reuters

Posted: at 8:41 am

BERLIN (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan is putting at risk vital and long-established relations with Germany, Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said in an interview published on Monday.

Relations, already strained over Erdogan's security crackdown since a coup attempt against him a year ago, have deteriorated further over the arrest in Turkey of six rights activists, including one German, two weeks ago.

"He is jeopardising the centuries-old partnership," Schaeuble said of Erdogan."It is dramatic, as there is really a lot that connects us. But we can't allow ourselves to be blackmailed," the minister said in an interview with daily Bild.

Chancellor Angela Merkel's chief of staff has said Turkey's behaviour was "unacceptable" and Germany has a duty to protect its citizens and companies, but also wanted to maintain strong relations.

Adding to the tensions is Turkey's refusal to let German lawmakers visit soldiers stationed at two air bases.

"It worries me that we have a NATO country that forbids visits by other NATO members," Volker Kauder, head of Merkel's conservative bloc in parliament, told broadcaster ARD.

"This is an intolerable situation and we must say clearly to Turkey: this is not on."

Asked whether EU accession talks with Turkey could be pursued or talks on updating the customs between them continued, Kauder replied: "Both points are of course means of pressuring Turkey. We know that Turkey has considerable economic problems."

The chairman of Germany's parliamentary defence committee, Wolfgang Hellmich, told daily Die Welt: "The government should take a clear stand and say: we are setting a deadline of end-August, then there must be a decision."

For historical reasons, Germany's armed forces are under parliamentary control, and Berlin insists parliamentarians must have access to its soldiers. Turkey's refusal to let lawmakers visit one air base led to Berlin relocating those troops to Jordan.

In a move by Turkey to ease tensions, it said it was not requesting German help in investigating German firms suspected of backing terrorism, a German Interior Ministry spokesman said.

"(The Turkish interior minister) underscored that there were no investigations against German firms by Turkish authorities in Turkey or in Germany," Tobias Plate said, adding that Ankara's submission of a list of nearly 700 companies through Interpol had stemmed from "a communications problem".

Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Simsek told German business daily Handelsblatt German companies were welcome and "should have no reason to worry."

"I want to assure German business that German companies are not subject to investigation for financing terrorism by the Turkish authorities," he said.

Germany has warned nationals travelling to Turkey that they did so at their own risk, and Schaeuble was quoted on Friday as comparing Turkey with the former communist East German state, the German Democratic Republic.

Writing by Paul Carrel; Editing by Robin Pomeroy

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Erdogan gambling with centuries-old ties to Germany: Schaeuble - Reuters

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Ontario to select new private operator for GTA gambling sites – The Globe and Mail

Posted: at 8:41 am

Ontario is preparing to hand over control of its gambling operations in the Greater Toronto Area to a private operator as the government seeks to drive a gambling boom in the province.

Within a few weeks, the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. (OLG) will select a business to run its casino and thousands of slot machines in the GTA for the next two decades. The process has attracted foreign casino operators who have been drawn by the promise of more gambling and fast profit in a thriving Toronto region.

At least three companies are in the final round to take over the gambling at Torontos Woodbine racetrack, Ajax Downs and the Great Blue Heron Casino in Port Perry, The Globe and Mail has learned. According to people familiar with the request-for-proposal process who were not authorized to speak publicly, the companies bidding include Canadas Brookfield Asset Management, American-based Caesars Entertainment and Malaysian conglomerate Genting Group.

The OLG says Torontos market is still largely underserved, with slots at two horse-racing tracks and a rural casino an hour away from downtown. The sale would allow a private operator to rebuild the three sites as full-fledged casinos and add a fourth gambling establishment, though those changes require municipal approvals.

By outsourcing gambling, the agency says it is aiming to put more money in provincial coffers while offloading the costs of upgrading and replacing aging casino buildings and equipment.

Whichever company wins the contract will earn a minimum of $72-million annually for the 22 years of the deal, as well as up to 70 per cent of gambling revenue, according to the OLG. In exchange, the OLG has asked companies to present aggressive targets for increasing revenue, an official close to the process says. The agencys casinos in the GTA earned nearly $1-billion in revenue last year.

The greatest prize will be the facility at Woodbine. Located at the north end of the city near the churn of passengers at Toronto Pearson International Airport, Canadas busiest, and a congested stretch of Highway 401, a new operator could transform the site with a casino, adding thousands of slot machines and gambling tables. The operator could also build a fourth casino in the GTA if it can find a willing host municipality.

Im looking forward to the long-awaited day when we can inaugurate a Vegas North right here in the riding, bringing tourism, concerts, conferences, activity and buzz, said Liberal MPP Shafiq Qaadri, whose riding includes Woodbine. He said that whether the new operator will be allowed to provide table games such as blackjack or roulette at Woodbine will be left to Toronto city council.

The future of the horse-racing site as a casino has been contentious and met some opposition at city council. However, Woodbine Entertainment, which helps run the site, has been a long-time advocate for development.

The OLGs modernization plan is the catalyst for Woodbine Entertainment to unlock the value of the Woodbine lands to sustain horse racing on our 680-acre site and bring real economic development to Rexdale, Woodbine spokesman John Siscos said.

More than 400 workers have picketed Woodbine since they were locked out in mid-July after failing to reach a collective agreement. Among the workers concerns is the future of their government pensions after their employment is transferred to a private operator.

A subsidiary of Caesars is currently exiting bankruptcy protection and Genting has been investigated for its part in an alleged kickback scheme where billions of dollars were misappropriated from Malaysian state firms and funnelled to the party controlled by the countrys Prime Minister.

Brookfield, Caesars and Genting declined to comment.

As part of the bidding process, each company is undergoing a review of its conduct, according to OLG spokeswoman Allison MacNeil. Part of that process involves undergoing an extensive due-diligence process into current and past business conduct [] examines a gaming operators ability to act in accordance with the law, with integrity, honesty and in the public interest.

Facing increasing competition from internet gambling and casinos in the United States, and with limited gambling options in Ontario, the OLGs revenues have been largely flat in recent years and the agency is operating with increasingly dated buildings and equipment. In a bid to reverse its revenue slide and increase its profit, the OLG has sold nearly half its casinos and slot machines to the private sector over the past two years as part of a process the agency has dubbed modernization.

The Casino Thousand Islands and slots at Kawartha Downs were the first to be sold, for $46.9-million in September, 2015. The sales price for slots and casinos sold to private entities in southwest Ontario, the provinces north and Ottawa have not yet been released.

In 2010, Ontario asked for a strategic review of gaming, they determined areas were underserved, OLG spokesman Rui Brum said. Our revenues were flat, especially along the border.

The OLG is the Ontario governments largest source of non-tax revenue, turning over $2.3-billion in profits to the province in the 2015-16 fiscal year. The agency wants to provide an extra $900-million annually by 2021 once its outsourcing process is over.

While the OLG will continue to have an oversight role at the private casinos, all day-to-day operations and property will be transferred to the private operator. Local municipalities will also continue to receive a share of revenue.

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Ontario to select new private operator for GTA gambling sites - The Globe and Mail

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You’ll never guess where gambling dens are being moved to – The Star Online

Posted: at 8:41 am

PETALING JAYA: Operators of illegal gambling outlets have moved their businesses into less prominent areas housing estates, commercial centres and even shopping malls in an attempt to stay under the radar.

Bandar Baru Rawang, where the Selayang Municipal Council-owned wet market complex and several blocks of multi-storey shophouses are located, has been turned into a nest of illegal gambling dens.

There are about 20 illegal gaming outlets on various streets there.

Jalan Bandar Rawang 3, where the market complex is situated, seems to have the most, with several others on Jalan Bandar Rawang 4.

At least three outlets were also found operating at the Taman Bukit Belimbing housing estate and Taman Harmoni shophouses in Balakong.

Five outlets were found at various spots around Kampung Baru Sungai Chua in Kajang, one of them next to a mamak shop.

Checks showed that several shopping malls in the Klang Valley including in Petaling Jaya, Kajang, Klang and Subang have amusement centres that were turned into gambling dens.

Aside from the ones in malls, most of the outlets are on the ground floor, with patrons allowed access only through an inconspicuous door on the side or through a partially closed entrance.

If patrons ring the doorbell, the operators scrutinise them via CCTV cameras at the entrance; only regulars are readily admitted.

For the non-regulars, they have to ring the doorbell several times or make a number of appearances before being allowed to enter, if at all.

The operators make it a point to reject those who they are not comfortable with or who look like plainclothes policemen.

Once inside, patrons are given free beverages.

In the face of stiff competition from their rivals, some operators even offer free food like nasi lemak bungkus and instant noodles to regulars.

Customers must deposit a minimum of RM10 to try their luck at any of the games.

Some outlets are dimly lit with comfortable seating, while others are more spartan, though all offer a similar range of games.

Besides online gambling such as roulette, blackjack and baccarat, patrons can also try a variety of slot machines.

The operators have also found a new setup to help disguise their gambling activities: a multi-panel electronic game box that can accommodate up to eight players at a time.

Players get 1,000 points for RM10 and use these to bet on the numbers that come up in these games, which include football and car racing. Their final points score translates to how much they win or lose.

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Duterte quits online gambling nitpicking in new state address – CalvinAyre.com

Posted: at 8:41 am

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte delivered on Monday his second state of the nation address, which was basically the same as last yearjustifying his campaign against drugs, crackdown on corruption, improving the countrys infrastructure while denying allegations of human rights violations.

In a two-hour litany of his supposed accomplishments during his first year in office, Duterte lashed out at his critics, the United States, and the mainstream media for putting his administration in the bad light instead of cooperating with him.

Surprisingly, Duterte spared the Philippine gambling industry from a tongue-lashing in this years state address.

If you recall, Duterte issued a marching order to stamp out online gambling in the Southeast Asian country on his first day in office. He reiterated his war on online gambling in his first State of the Nation Address last year.

Who would forget that fateful day when every gambling operator held their breath after Duterte made a surprise announcement that he would ask the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) to rescind the online gambling licenses it has issued? Former PhilWeb Chairman Roberto Ongpin must be haunted by the presidents words until now.

Things, however, are different this year. During Mondays state address, there wasnt a single mention of the word gambling or casino in the august halls of the countrys House of Representatives.Duterte, who presents himself as an anti-establishment firebrand, stopped picking on the industry that remits billions of pesos to the state coffers.

To be fair, many gambling reforms were rolled out during Dutertes first year in office, spearheaded by the state regulator and its chairman, Andrea Domingo.

In February, Duterte signed an executive order which not only beefed up the governments fight against illegal gambling but also clarified the extent of authority for the regulation and licensing of online gambling operations.

Dutertes rise to power gave casino operators renewed hope to become the next big Asian casino hub as high-stakes Chinese gamblers returned to the Southeast Asian island nation due to improved relations between the two countries.

The Philippine president may have stopped picking on the gambling industry for now but his term has just begun. A lot may still happen in the next five years. The man, after all, is infamous for his unpredictability.

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Euthanasia-Free NZ: Opposing Assisted Suicide / Assisted …

Posted: at 8:41 am

We care about suffering, but after careful consideration of the complex issues involved, we have concluded that changing the law would NOT be the solution.

Contrary to a common myth, the debate is NOT about whether an individual should be able to end their own life.

The debate is about whether one person should be allowed to intentionally end, or help end, the life of someone else.

The ultimate choice would actually lie with the other person, not the person who dies.

People can already end their own lives. They could do so by refusing life support, resuscition or further treatment, or by deliberately ending their own life (suicide). Suicide is not a crime. However, we encourage anyone with suicidal thoughts to seek support from Lifeline.

Assisted dying, aid in dying and end of life choice are all euphemisms for assisted suicide and voluntary euthanasia. These practices are illegal due to Section 179 of the New Zealand Crimes Act, prohibitingthe aiding and abetting of suicide. The debate is about whether there should be exceptions to this clause whether some peoples suicides should be aided, even though other peoples suicides are to be prevented. The debate is about whether there should be these two classes of people. The debate is about whether the State (the government and its systems) should condone and facilitate the suicides of some its citizens.

Euthanasia-Free NZ is concerned that the legalisation of assisted suicide would contradict and undermine suicide prevention.

The Scottish Parliament rejected assisted dying legislation for the effect assisted dying would have on suicide prevention, among other reasons.

Another common myth is that a law change would be a personal choice, affecting only the person and their doctor. We disagree.

Criminal law would change for all of New Zealand. The law is the conscience of society. What gets legalised, gets normalised. The law sends a powerful message to all of society and especially to the next generation, who may grow up not knowing anything different. What kind of society do we want to leave for future generations?

The legalisation of voluntary euthanasia and assisted suicide would affect all of society, including those who dont want such an end-of-life option for themselves.

Currently our society accepts that people need to be cared for until their natural death, even if it costs money. If legal assisted suicide would become an option, staying alive would become optional too. Because death would be cheaper than care and treatment, there would be pressure on people to choose the cheaper option.

The mere existence of legal assisted suicide as an option would put pressure on people to choose it. If they dont choose it, they would effectively choose to be a financial burden on society when they dont have to. The so-called right to die would become a duty a die. There would be subtle pressure on elderly, disabled and ill people to do the right thing and free up health resources for the young and the able-bodied. Such pressure may increase over time.

We are convinced that no safeguards would be safe enough to protect people from subtle, or not so subtle, pressure to request death. The people who would be most at risk are people who are elderly, disabled, mentally ill, in abusive relationships or emotionally vulnerable people.

Here is a summary of other reasons why our organisation warns against the legalisation of assisted suicide and voluntary euthanasia.

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‘Absurd’: Bob Hawke blasts lack of political will to legalise euthanasia – Armidale Express

Posted: at 8:41 am

14 Apr 2016, 10:45 a.m.

Bob Hawke reveals he has an 'arrangement' with his wife should he "lose his marbles".

Former prime minister Bob Hawke says he has an 'arrangement' with wife Blanche d'Alpuget should he lose his presence of mind. Photo: Tim Bauer

Former prime minister Bob Hawke has revealed he supports voluntary euthanasia. Photo: Simon Bennett

The illegality of euthanasia in Australia is "absurd" and politicians are too cowardly to fix it, former prime minister Bob Hawke says, while also revealing an "arrangement" with wife Blanche d'Alpuget should he lose his mind.

With a federal election campaign possibly weeks away, the vexed issue of assisted suicide has been lobbed back into the national consciousness courtesy of a podcast by broadcaster Andrew Denton and the strong support of Labor's longest-serving prime minister.

"It's just an unarguable case," Mr Hawke told ABC Radio National on Thursday. He said there were no ethical grounds for forcing people in terrible pain to "suffer and suffer and suffer" on quasi-religious moral grounds.

"I can see no logical or moral basis for such an absurd position."

The 86-year-old acknowledged he had newfound passion for the issue but said he had always been in favour of euthanasia, which is legal in several European countries. Assisted dying, in which a physician can facilitate the means of death for use by a terminally ill patient at a time of their own choosing, is legal in some US states.

Both forms are illegal in Australia, although for a brief period in the 1990s the Northern Territory legalised euthanasia. The Commonwealth then overrode that legislation, but there is currently a bill before the Senate that would restore those powers to the territories.

But Mr Hawke was cynical about the political will to legalise euthanasia in Australia, particularly when it came to MPs in marginal seats.

"Politicians, by and large, are not the bravest of creatures," he told Denton's podcast, Better Off Dead.

"Their first concern is saving their seat and they don't want to do anything that's going to lose them votes."

Mr Hawke also reflected on his personal circumstances, saying he had an "understanding" with his wife Blanche d'Alpuget that "something" would be done if he ever lost his presence of mind.

"Something I could not stand would be to lose my marbles. If that were in fact to happen, then something is done about it," he said.

"I don't expect it to be a pillow pressed exuberantly over my nose, but I'm sure that she could organise something with a family doctor."

Polls consistently show the overwhelming majority of Australians support euthanasia, with the figure running at 75 to 85 per cent. But similar to the issue of same-sex marriage, a sizeable chunk of voters - many motivated by religion - are vehemently opposed.

"The fact that you've got a significant number who don't like it is enough for a lot of politicians to say, 'I don't want to get involved,' " Mr Hawke said.

Labor MPs are granted a conscience vote on euthanasia, and in the past so have those in the Coalition.

Also speaking on Radio National on Thursday, politicians from both sides supported a closer look at the issue.

Cabinet Secretary Arthur Sinodinos said it was "certainly worth exploring further", while shadow treasurer Chris Bowen said "the time has come".

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten's office would not say whether Labor would take a specific policy on euthanasia or assisted suicide to the election.

Any proposed model for legal euthanasia would only apply to terminally ill patients who are deemed to be of sound enough mind to make an informed decision.

In most cases it would be a matter for older Australians, though Mr Hawke noted that it need not be limited to the elderly.

"A 15-year-old can be in a position where he's got very limited life expectancy and the only certainty is excruciating pain," he said. "The principle is generally valid, I believe."

Mr Hawke acknowledged there were genuine concerns about the possibility of family members expediting the death of a relative to get their hands on an inheritance.

But he also disagreed with the contention of some euthanasia sceptics that say Australian legislators would be unable or unlikely to design a framework that is safe and workable.

"I don't think there's any ground for that apprehension," he said.

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Libertarian Activists Enforce Headlight Law – Free Keene

Posted: at 8:39 am

Manchester PD was one of 7 gangs to receive a share of $1,304,118

(pages 63 and 124) in grants to conduct sobriety checkpoints. One of the checkpoints was conducted this past Thursday, July 20th 10pm through July 21st 2:30am. The checkpoint was located on the westbound lane of Bridge St. Manchester PD records indicate that there were 3 stops on Bridge Street during those hours. There were no arrests, and no citations are listed. No DWI arrests occurred during those hours anywhere in Manchester, according to the gangs website.

As always, a group of libertarians showed up to warn drivers of the presence of the gang members. Though it seems that the MPD gang did not remove any unsafe activity from the roadways, the libertarians warned several drivers, both those who drove through the checkpoint and those who did not, that their headlights were off. One car was pulled over in the right turning lane turning onto Elm St. This was promptly filmed by several libertarians and the driver seemed to me to be let go without any further violations of their rights beyond the initial kidnapping/death threat.

A Utility Work Ahead sign was on the sidewalk next to the right turn lane turning onto Bridge St (towards the checkpoint). There was no visible utility work in the area. The sign was facing away from any traffic that would have seen it. Due to the design of the sign, it was easy to walk behind to walk down the sidewalk with a sign to warn drivers. (These drivers would have seen the blank metal back of the utility work sign.) The only drivers who this sign would realistically been visible to would be a driver driving east on the westbound side of Bridge St.

If you want to be warned of checkpoints in the geographical area occupied by New Hampshire before they happen, you can follow Checkpoint Free New Hampshire on Twitter,Facebook, orsend an SMS saying follow @NoCheckpointsNH to 40404 to get SMS alerts.

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