The kitchen of Big Boyz Pizza, seen Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2017, will be fully finished ahead of the restaurant's springtime opening.(Photo: Mickey Shuey/Palladium-Item)Buy Photo

Two full months into 2017,a slew of restaurants and other businesses that only recently announced their plans to open locations in Richmond have made progress on their respective buildings.

McAlister's Deli, Big Boyz Pizza and Burger Time all said they planto open for business by the end of the year, along with a new Milk House location on the city's south end.

The three restaurants are each new to the area, but two of the three have locations elsewhere in eastern Indiana. The exception is Burger Time, which has most of its other restaurants in the upper Plains.

Here's a look at what the Palladium-Item has been told about each of the four projects, and when area residents can expect them to open:

Big Boyz,1013 E. Main St.

When it was announced in January that a Connersville-based pizza place would open a Richmond location, many on social media went berserk with excitement, particularly given the decision by Big Boyz to locate in a downtown building. The restaurant will serve pizza, pasta and salad, among other items.

The owners of the restaurant, which include the owners of the pizza place's other two locations and local partners, said they were hopeful the store will open in the spring. That's still the plan, but local partner Angie Siggers said they've hit a snag with permits.

"We''re still waiting on those, and that's just about all that's left for us," she said. "We had hoped to be open this week, but obviously, we still need to get our permitting taken care of."

Siggers said work on the building is, for the most part, completedas is much of the hiring process.

"We have made 24 hires for this restaurant, but we're still looking for a few more delivery drivers and servers," she said. "We're hoping to find individuals to fill those positions in the next couple of weeks."

An exact opening date hasn'tbeen set yet, but Siggers said the ownership team is committed to opening sometime in early to mid spring.

Burger Time is opening its first Indiana restaurant at the former Rally's site on Chester Boulevard near Interstate 70.(Photo: Mickey Shuey/Palladium-Item)

Burger Time,2500 Chester Blvd.

This burger-and-fries fast food restaurant confirmed Feb. 3 it will open its first Indiana location along Chester Boulevard, where Rally's once waslocated. The eatery will utilize the existing Rally's building, which features two drive-thru and two walk-up windows.

Director of Operations Mark Petri said although no opening date has been determined, much of the work on the building is nearing completion. He said the next steps include bringing in equipment and obtaining the remaining permits to operate the facility.

"The building just needs to be filled up (with machinery)," he said. "Everything is progressing as planned, so we are certainly closer than what we were a few weeks ago."

Burger Time's menu includes cheeseburgers, pulled pork, wraps, chicken sandwiches, cheese curds, shakes and pie with prices rangingfrom $5 to $11, depending on the items chosen. The company opened its first store in 1987 and recently began exploring options for growth outside its existing nine locations in Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota. The company also isworking on a St. Louis location.

(Photo: Corey Ohlenkamp/The Star Press)

McAlister's Deli,Richmond Mall

Ground has been broken on construction of a new location for a national delicatessen chain that's opening an area restaurant.

Richmond Mall owner Hull Property Group has started turning up blacktop to lay the foundation for McAlister's Deli, which will be located directly east of Chili's in front of the shopping center. It was announced in early January that the deli would open a Richmond location.

The building in which McAlister's will be located will be owned by the property group but managed by Southern Rock, a regional McAlister's franchisee that is seeking to make the location its 66th in a five-state area and it's 23rd in Indiana.

"We are in the early stages of things right now, but it all looks good so far," said David Blackburn, chief executive officer of Southern Rock. "We are really looking forward to opening this location. We know there's a demand for it."

He said the restaurant will be larger than most standard-size McAlister's 4,500 square feet versus a normally sized one of 3,500 and it is expected to feature a room that will be able to accommodate large groups. The restaurant will be able to seat nearly 150 people.

Blackburn said he plans to stay in touch with Hull Property Group as construction progresses and once the building's shell is complete, Southern Rock will build out the remainder of the interior and exterior.

He said he'shopeful the restaurant will remain on schedule for a September opening.

An empty lot at South Eighth and E Streets, seen Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2016, could soon be the future home of the south Richmond Milkhouse.(Photo: Mickey Shuey/Palladium-Item)

Milk House,South E Street

For the past several years, Richmond's options for basicdrive-up grocery needs and popular fountain drinks has been limited to the near east and west ends of town. Soon, the south side of the city will have its own Milk House once more.

The owner of the local drive-thrus said Jan. 4 he plans to build a new location on the city's south side, on the corner of South E and Eighth streets. He said at the time the south side store could reach up to 2,200 square feet, which is more than double the size of the existing two stores.

The Milk House drive-thrus over the years have become locally famous for their service style, as well as their assorted varieties of fountain drinks and other products.

Owner Jeffrey Cregar said work started on the new store, which could employ up to 10 people, in recent weeks. Dirt has been moved around and foundation work could begin in the coming weeks, he said.

"We've made some good progress so far, mostly because of the (good) weather," he said. "I'm hoping it stays that way."

Cregar said he couldn't give an exact opening date for the locationbut noted he hopes to have it open by late summer.

"I can't guarantee anything, but if things go my way, we'll be open before fall comes around," he said. "That's what we're shooting for."

To reachPalladium-Item businessreporter Mickey Shuey, call (765)973-4472. You can follow him onTwitter:@MickeyShueyPI and atfacebook.com/mickeyshuey.

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Roundup: New dining options making progress - Palladium-Item

(Geneva) The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights decried Sri Lankas slow progress on its reform pledges in his report to the UN Human Rights Council, Human Rights Watch said today.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Raad Al Hussein speaks during a news conference in Colombo, Sri Lanka on February 9, 2016.

2016 Reuters

High Commissioner Zeid Raad Al Hussein acknowledged certain positive developments, but said that the government failed to adopt a time-bound comprehensive strategy on transitional justice, and called on the council to continue monitoring Sri Lankan compliance with resolution 30/1 of October 2015.

The UN high commissioner paints a picture that is in stark contrast to the rosy claims of the Sri Lankan government, said John Fisher, Geneva director. Zeids report bolsters findings by UN independent experts and Sri Lankan rights groups that meaningful government action is needed, particularly on accountability and justice.

The high commissioners report expressed particular concern that the government had not even begun preparatory work on establishing a judicial mechanism with foreign judges and other judicial officers, one of the four transitional justice mechanisms under the resolution. Human Rights Watch and other human rights organizations have cited presidential statements in opposition to that undertaking as evidence of the governments unwillingness to create a court that would try serious crimes committed by both sides in the countrys 27-year-long civil war, which ended in 2009.

Geneva Director

The report also raised other human rights issues in Sri Lanka, including the wide use of torture and the lack of security sector reform, notably the failure to repeal the draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act. It highlights the governments poor record in investigating and prosecuting emblematic cases of killings, enforced disappearances, and torture during and since the armed conflict, and in bringing an end to longstanding impunity.

The high commissioners report notes progress on public consultations involving constitutional reforms and transitional justice. However, it strongly recommends that the government embrace the report of the government-appointed transitional justice Consultation Task Force, which calls for a hybrid judicial mechanism based on wide-reaching consultations across all communities. Human Rights Watch and others have pointed out the governments disregard for the task force in Sri Lanka even while it takes credit for its report in Geneva and other international forums.

The high commissioners report spotlights just how far there is to go before the promise of reconciliation, justice, and reform in Sri Lanka becomes a reality, Fisher said. The Human Rights Council needs to engage meaningfully with both the high commissioners report and the Consultation Task Force report, and adopt a substantive resolution to urge acceptance of its recommendations, request an implementation timetable, and ensure continued international scrutiny until the Sri Lankan government delivers on its commitments in full.

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Sri Lanka: UN Official Calls Progress 'Worryingly Slow' - Human Rights Watch (press release)

A fiber optic undersea link connecting Angola's capital Luanda to the Brazilian city of Fortaleza is reported to be about 50 percent complete, with operations set to begin later this year.

With more than 6,200 kilometers in length, SACS (South Atlantic Cable System) system will be the first fiber optic cable to connect Africa to the Americas via the South Atlantic sea.

According to Angola Cables, the company leading the SACS project, the survey stage of the project has been completed last week.

One of the most critical stages of the project, the survey phase lasted nearly two months and sought to map the route and the undersea area where the cable will be installed.

"This is one of the most important phases because the information resulting from this study will allow the supplier [Japanese technology firm NEC] to finish manufacturing the cable with the most appropriate coating, according to the characteristics of the terrain," Clementino Fernando, a technician at Angola Cables, told Brazilian website Convergncia Digital.

The information is also crucial to inform the choice of signal repeaters of the cable, as well as in the definition of the power of each of them, Fernando added.

In addition to the SACS cable, Angola Cables is also involved in two other major initiatives in Brazil, including the rollout of Monet, a submarine link that will connect the Brazilian cities of Santos and Fortaleza to Miami, which has other backers including Google and local firm Algar Telecom.

Back in March 2012, the initial agreement was signed between Brazilian state-owned telecommunications firm Telebrs and Angola Cables formalized the interest of both companies to work together to launch the fiber optic structure.

The SACS project should have been ready in time for the World Cup, but two years later, Telebrs stated that the government's priority was the construction of a submarine cable linking Brazil to Europe, causing delays in the project.

The Brazil-Europe cable is currently being built under a joint venture led by Telebrs and Spain's IslaLink Submarine Cables.

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Brazil-Africa fiber cable project makes progress - ZDNet

INDIANAPOLIS With plenty of focus on how the Packers might use free agency and the upcoming draft to improve their defense in 2017, Head Coach Mike McCarthy isnt discounting another key piece to the process.

Last year at the NFL Scouting Combine, the Packers targeted four defensive players who turned into 2016 draft picks defensive linemen Kenny Clark and Dean Lowry, and linebackers Kyler Fackrell and Blake Martinez all of whom played as rookies.

Their progress in Year 2 could have as much impact on Green Bays upcoming season as any new acquisitions, a factor McCarthy remains fully in tune with as a draft-and-develop coach.

Kenny, if you just watch the progression of the season, his arrow was straight up, McCarthy said at this years combine of Clark, the Packers first-round pick in 2016. I thought he played extremely well the last six weeks. Thats something we need to build off of.

Clarks game indeed went to another level late in the year. A key rotational player throughout the season, his impact plays increased down the stretch.

The 6-3, 314-pound former UCLA star recovered a fumble against the Vikings on Christmas Eve, batted down a pass in Detroit in Week 17, and led the defense with five QB pressures in three playoff contests. He also had a tackle for loss on a screen pass in Dallas. More than just the stats, Clarks influence at the line of scrimmage stood out on film as well.

If Clark continues to develop a disruptive game similar to Mike Daniels, the Packers will have a difficult tandem to handle on the interior up front in the defenses primary nickel package.

I think hell take that big jump as a second-year player, McCarthy said. It starts in the weight room.

The weights will be the ticket for the other three as well.

Lowrys game could expand with a full offseason of strength training. Mostly a five-technique end in 2016 aligning head-up over the offensive tackle the 6-6, 296-pound fourth-round pick from Northwestern could see more snaps inside in his second year, potentially rotating with Daniels and Clark.

He came on at the end of the year, McCarthy said of Lowry, who recorded his two sacks in back-to-back weeks in December. Get another year of weightlifting, and he can play the one and the three (technique).

McCarthy sees Fackrell, a third-round edge-rusher from Utah State, with a good frame (6-5, 245) suited for 10-12 pounds of lean muscle mass this offseason. His biggest rookie highlight was a strip-sack of Giants QB Eli Manning in Week 5.

Crediting Fackrell for coming a long way on special teams as a rookie (he ended up tied for second on the team with nine coverage tackles), McCarthy wondered if he was headed for a strong finish like Clark had it not been for a late November hamstring injury that cost him three games.

If he doesnt get hurt he probably would have played a ton more, McCarthy said. He was playing really well when he got that hamstring.

Martinez, a fourth-round inside linebacker from Stanford, also missed three late-season games due to injury (knee).

Early on, though, he earned the starting job to open the year and took on communication responsibilities in the huddle, a credit to a young player. After the knee injury, his snaps on defense were reduced as Joe Thomas assumed more of an every-down role.

All of it, the ups and downs, provided experience Martinez (6-2, 237) can learn from as he seeks out and competes for his role on defense moving forward, whatever it may be.

I think all these guys that fight through injuries, particularly when theyre young, early in their career, it needs to be evaluated and make sure theyre preparing themselves to get through that phase, McCarthy said.

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Packers counting on progress from defensive draft picks - Packers.com

(London) The Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), a prominent international coalition, should suspend Azerbaijans membership for failing to carry out key reforms, a coalition of 21 groups including Human Rights Watch, ARTICLE 19, and International Media Support said today. The EITI, during its board meeting in Bogota, Colombia, on March 8 and 9, 2017, will review Azerbaijans efforts to ease its repression of civil society groups as the EITI had required.

The Azerbaijani government is snubbing the EITI by ignoring its requirements for reforms and by systematically dismantling the countrys independent civil society, said Giorgi Gogia, South Caucasus director at Human Rights Watch. Following numerous reviews and warnings, the EITI should suspend Azerbaijans further participation until the government makes serious, lasting changes to allow nongovernmental groups to operate freely in Azerbaijan.

The EITI brings together governments, companies, and nongovernmental groups to encourage better governance of resource-rich countries by fostering open public debate about the use of oil, gas, and mining revenues. The EITI requires member governments to foster an enabling environment for civil society and to refrain from actions which result in narrowing or restricting public debate in relation to implementation of the EITI.

An Azerbaijan state flag flutters in the wind on an oil platform in the Caspian Sea east of Baku, January 22, 2013.

2013 Reuters

At its most recent board meeting, in October 2016, the EITI gave Azerbaijan four months to eliminate legal and bureaucratic obstacles inhibiting civil society engagement in the initiative. It required Azerbaijan to simplify procedures for registration of nongovernmental organizations and for the receipt and registration of grants from foreign donors. The reforms would eliminate some mechanisms for the government to interfere with and stop the work of independent groups. The EITI had downgraded Azerbaijan from a full member to a candidate country in April 2015, due to the governments interference with independent civil society.

A joint letter signed by 22 human rights groups worldwide and sent to EITI board members on February 10, 2017 assessed the Azerbaijan governments lack of progress on the reforms identified by the EITI and called on the board to suspend Azerbaijan.

In January, Azerbaijans Cabinet of Ministers adopted two decisions changing regulations for donor organizations and grant registrations. While the new regulations simplify some procedures for grant registration and reduce the number of required documents, they do not repeal the restrictive laws and fail to meet the EITIs demands, the groups said.

Superficial regulatory changes dont address the fundamental issues that led to downgrading Azerbaijans status in the EITI, or the specific corrective actions set by the board, said Katie Morris, head of Europe and Central Asia for ARTICLE 19. The credibility of the EITI validation process requires the initiative to suspend Azerbaijan for its failure to comply with the initiatives commitment to civil society participation.

The Azerbaijani authorities repeatedly harass activists who advocate good governance and transparency, preventing civil society groups from participating in public debate and advocacy, including on extractive industries, the pillar of Azerbaijans economy. Two members of the local civil society coalition that participates in the EITI remain jailed on spurious charges, and several other members have been forced to flee the country, fearing politically motivated prosecutions.

Local groups in Azerbaijan are counting on the EITI to remain principled and stand up for them and their essential contributions to public accountability and transparency, said Gulnara Akhundova, head of global response at International Media Support. Azerbaijans embattled civil society deserves nothing less than clear and unbiased support from EITIs international board.

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Azerbaijan: No Progress On Key Reforms | Human Rights Watch - Human Rights Watch

Mulberry, Fla. - Mosaic will host an on-site review Thursday of the remediation process at a sinkhole at its New Wales facility.

The sinkhole, roughly 152 feet across at its widest point and 220 feet deep, is one of the largest in the state. It opened in late August and sent 215-million gallons of radioactive water into an underground aquifer.

On Thursday, the media will get the first up-close look at the sinkhole and the progress crews are making to fill it. The review, scheduled for 10 a.m., will involve a briefing on the progress of remediation activities and a tour of the site.

RELATED | Mosaic's toxic sinkhole now getting filled

Retired hydrologist claims Mosaic ignored signs

Earlier this month, workers started pumping a concrete-like mixture into the ground as part of the stabilizing phase. Crews will pump enough concrete to fill 7 Olympic-size swimming pools.

Mosaic hopes to have work complete by rainy season, which in Florida typically starts in May.

The sinkhole sounded alarms for people living in and around the area who were concerned contaminated water may have leaked into their well water systems. All testing done on the wells, however, has come back negative.

The state has ordered regular well testing through 2018.

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Mosaic to share repair progress of Polk County sinkhole - ABC Action News

As the biggest fiasco in Oscars history unfolded, photographer Andrew H. Walker hoveredin the wings offstage, his camera trained on Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty as they prepared to announce the winner of cinemas grandest prize: the Academy Award for best picture.

Except, of course, that isnt preciselywhat happened. As the masses would learn later, Brian Cullinan, one of two PricewaterhouseCoopers accountants in charge of guarding and distributing the winners envelopes, had handed Beatty the wrong one containing a duplicate copy of the card awarding Emma Stone the best actress prize for her role in La La Land. And so, moments later, Dunaway mistakenly announced La La Land as the winner of cinemas top award, which rightfully belonged to Moonlight.

[After Oscars debacle, all eyes are on PricewaterhouseCoopers accountant Brian Cullinan]

Walker, a staff photographer for Shutterstock, watched the stunning drama unfold through his camera lens. Over hours spent shooting on the red carpet and backstage, Walker had taken more than 4,000 photos, he told The Washington Post.Buried among them were a couple of throwaway images that, his photo editor later realized, were rather important: They appeared to document the defining moments that led tothe unprecedented Oscars disaster.

In an unprecedented gaffe, "La La Land" was accidentally awarded the Oscar for best picture before producers realized the award actually belonged to "Moonlight." Here's how the moment played out, plus other highlights from the 2017 Academy Awards. (Nicki DeMarco/The Washington Post)

The photographs, published exclusively by Variety, reveal a striking sequence:

The first image, taken at 8:53 p.m.Pacific time, shows Warren Beatty embracing Casey Affleck, who had just won best actor.Cullinan stands behind the pair, apparently holding his cellphone andtwo red envelopes in his hand.

One of those envelopes would be handed to Beatty in the minutes that followed.Walker told The Washington Post that Beatty had the envelope in hand a few moments before he walked out on stage: I took a photo of Warren Beatty looking at the monitor, and a split second before I took that photo, he was standing there with [the envelope] in his mouth, because he was tucking his shirt in, Walker said. Im disappointed I didnt get that photo.

At 9:03 p.m., Beatty and Dunaway took the stage to present the best picture award. As they read their introductions, Emma Stone posed for photographers waitingbackstage and Cullinan snapped a pichimself. At 9:04 p.m., Walker photographed Cullinan looking at his phone, just one minute before Cullinan shared a photo of Emma Stone on Twitter. Three minutes after Cullinans tweet was posted, at 9:08 p.m., Dunaway mistakenly announced La La Land as best picture.

Walker saidhe was shooting with such speed and intensity that hetook no notice of Cullinan in the frame at the time.

It was definitely not a photo of [Cullinan] in particular. At the time I didnt even know he was on his phone Im just surveying the scene, Walker said of the 9:04 photo. I had been guided to also shoot the stage staff, the stage managers, as a courtesy.

As the cast of La La Land took the stage and began to deliver acceptance speeches, Walker became aware that something was wrong, he said.

There was this weird sort of uncomfortable pause, this tension. And there was a woman standing next to me who was wearing a headset, and I dont know who she was, but she started swearing to herself, but pretty vehemently.

As Walkers photographs circulated Wednesday, new questions arose: Why was Cullinan pictured holding two envelopes, when he should have been preparing to hand over only the best picture winner? Why hadnt the veteran accountant been focused on the task at hand as the single most important moment of the ceremony approached, as opposed to looking at his phone? And why hadnt the two accountants, both of whomare charged with memorizing every winner, acted immediately when they heard Dunaway announce the wrong film?

[Two people knew instantly that La La Land didnt win. Why did it take so long to announce?]

The worst-case scenario was oddly foreshadowed by Cullinan in an interview with the Huffington Post days before the show. Cullinan and his ballot co-leader, Martha Ruiz, were asked what would happen if the wrong winner were to be announced by mistake. The pair said they didnt know what the precise protocol would be, as such a calamity was entirely unprecedented.

We would make sure that the correct person was known very quickly, Cullinan said. Whether that entails stopping the show, us walking onstage, us signaling to the stage manager thats really a game-time decision, if something like that were to happen.

He added: Its so unlikely.

Despite the barrage of criticism, jokes and never tweet quips circulating about Cullinan, Walker saidthe accountantseemed like a polished professional.

The impression that I got about him and a couple of other people who were running the stage area there, my impression of them was just that they were very capable people, he said. I was flabbergasted at the amount of moving pieces that have to go into producing this show.

But, for Cullinan and Ruiz, it would be their final year as part of the process. On Wednesday, Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs told the Associated Press that the two accountants would not be invited back to the Oscars.

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An Oscars photographer's pictures reveal a historic blunder in progress - Washington Post

By Jeff Rice

Journal-Advocate staff writer

Progress has been made in the area of LGBT rights in Colorado, but that progress has to be preserved and built on.

That was the message Tuesday evening to a handful of local residents who attended a One Colorado briefing on the organization's work over the past six years. The Sterling briefing was part of a 10-stop statewide tour by One Colorado to update Coloradans on progress in gaining and retaining equal rights for LGBT citizens.

One Colorado was founded in 2010 and Executive Director Daniel Ramos told the group discrimination against the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual community has actually gotten worst over the past five years.

"We don't know whether that's because there are more (LGBT) people out or whether it's just a growing backlash," Ramos said, "but in almost every aspect of life, discrimination is getting worse."

But the good news, Ramos said, is that Colorado continues to be generally a safe place for LGBT people, and Coloradans generally favor "the protection of individual civil rights and personal safety."

Ramos said school districts are getting serious about training their staffs to combat bullying, with more than 9,000 people trained in the past five years. He also pointed to the adoption of HB-1254 in 2011, which created a fund and established criteria for anti-bullying training and enforcement in Colorado, primarily in the public schools. That was followed by Proposition BB in 2015 that allowed the state to keep $66 million in marijuana tax revenues and divert $2 million of that into the fund created for anti-bullying training.

Ramos said the Colorado Genral Assembly continues to knock down legislation aimed at diminishing the personal rights of LGBT citizens, particularly in the area of "conversion therapy" for children. There is a widely held myth that sexuality can be changed through therapy, but subjecting children to such practices is illegal in Colorado. Nonetheless, some Colorado legislators repeatedly introduce legislation to repeal that law, and Ramos said constant lobbying is needed to fight that.

"It has been proven again and again that this conversion therapy actually is harmful to children, but people continue to try to get it legalized," he said. "Fortunately, we have a (partisan) mix in the legislature that doesn't allow that, but it's a constant battle."

Ramos said the Affordable Care Act, and Colorado's decision to expand Medicaid to cover state residents, has helped LGBT people access health care that wasn't available to them before.

"A lot of people are reluctant to come out to their physicians, so ACA brings more doctors into the system, and that makes it easier for people to find a physician they feel comfortable with," he said. "That's important, especially in mental health, because we've found that medical people actually tend to over-report their acceptance of LGBT people. Over 85 percent of caregivers said they were comfortable working with LGBT patients, but the patients report a comfort level of about 60 percent."

Attempts to modify Colorado's birth certificate law need to continue, Ramos said, and members of the state legislature are slowly beginning to change their minds about it. A "modernization" act was introduced in 2015 that would have allowed a transgender person to have their birth certificate changed even without sexual reassignment surgery. A House committee defeated the measure.

Ramos also played a video made by Gov. John Hickenlooper voicing support for the transgender community.

"Hickenlooper is one of the few governors who will even say 'transgender,' let alone give support and recognition," he said. "We're going to lose him in two years, and we need to work on getting an LGBT-friendly majority in the legislature."

Jeff Rice: 970-526-9283, ricej@journal-advocate.com

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LGBT equality a work in progress - Journal Advocate

Brussels, 2 March 2017

Today, the Commission and the High Representative/ Vice-President presented the third Progress Report on the Partnership Framework with third countries under the European Agenda on Migration.

What has the College adopted today?

Today, the Commission and the High Representative/ Vice-President presented the third Progress Report on the Partnership Framework with third countries under the European Agenda on Migration, which also takes stock of progress achieved and sets out next steps in the EU's efforts to more effectively manage migration along the Central Mediterranean Route.

What is new?

Since the launch of the Partnership Framework in June 2016, a number of tangible results across the five sub-Saharan priority countries, Niger, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal and Ethiopia, have been achieved. Packages are better tailored to our partners, while more policies and tools are being harnessed. Also, the geographical scope has been broadened and the report also looks beyond the priority countries, in line with the discussions held at the December European Council. In particular, the current focus on the Central Mediterranean route is reflected and actions are outlined to respond to the continued high crossings on this route, as well as the still high number deaths in the Mediterranean. It sets out further actions to implement the Malta Declaration, adopted by EU Heads of State or Government on 3 February 2017, covering a wide range of measures to save lives, step up the fight against smugglers and traffickers, provide protection to migrants and improve border management.

What results have been achieved?

A detailed overview of results achieved since the last reporting period can be found in the report itself. However, some concrete results, both with the five priority countries can be highlighted:

Ethiopia will actively cooperate with the EU Trust Fund supported Regional Operational Centre to fight against trafficking and smuggling. It will also benefit from an additional Facility to support Sustainable and Dignified returns and reintegration and assist stranded migrants.

As regards Niger, after the visit of President Issoufou on 15 December 2016, progress has continued at good pace building on previous achievements. The EU has reinforced its presence with the deployment of a migration liaison officer and a Frontex liaison officer, as well as with the creation of a liaison office in Agadez. At the end of January 2017, three projects under the EU Trust Fund for Africa (EUTF) were launched in Agadez, targeting agriculture, vocational training and sustainable migration management. Two EU field missions took place in January to assess emerging alternative routes and to help identify rapid impact projects for creating economic alternatives in local communities reliant on income from smuggling.

Political dialogue with Nigeria continues with High Level visits and meetings. VP Ansip visited Abuja and Lagos on 2-3 February 2017. An interest for cooperation was expressed in the areas of cyber security and governance, with important by-effects on fighting corruption, promotion of trade and investment and migration management. Future cooperation on "Digital 4 Development" was equally explored.

Cooperation with Mali continues, in particular as Chair of the Rabat Process in the preparations of the Valletta Senior Officials Meeting in February 2017. During the Valletta meeting the HRVP and Minister Sylla agreed to focus next EU-Mali actions around the fight against migrant smuggling networks.

Four additional projects for Senegal have been adopted under the EU Trust Fund in December, addressing the root causes of migration, enhancing migration management, the integration of returning migrants and the involvement of the diaspora, and re-enforcing the civil registry.

What are the next steps under the Partnership Framework?

EU Institutions and Member States remain jointly committed to continue to translate the Partnership Framework into tangible results to the mutual benefit of the European Union and our partners. Thus, the substantial efforts already put into the Partnership Framework will be continued and will be enhanced. Concrete next steps foreseen include, but are not limited to, the following:

Ethiopia: Finalise actions on the pilot return cases (32) and use them as a blueprint for faster returns to be performed in the future, and continue to support Ethiopia as a country of origin, transit and destination of migrants and refugees. A Strategic Engagement sectoral dialogue on migration is targeted to launch in April 2017, while close dialogue will continue with Ethiopia, as Chair of the Khartoum process.

Niger: Intensified action is foreseen to support Niger to fight smuggling and trafficking, including support to a Joint Investigation team and full operationalisation of the EU antenna in Agadez, including for training[1]. Contracts on all actions agreed under the EU Trust Fund should be signed swiftly, to ensure concrete implementation and provide alternative income opportunities to substitute the smuggling economy. At the same time, intensified monitoring of possible alternative routes will be conducted in the Agadez region and a working arrangement between the European Border and Coast Guard Agency and Nigerien authorities will be put in place.

Nigeria: Finalise the Readmission Agreement by June 2017 and identify EU Trust Fund for Africa projects with a strong migration focus. Active cooperation on anti-smuggling and trafficking through the Africa-Frontex Intelligence Community and the recently launched Cooperation Platform on Migrant Smuggling will continue.

Mali: Step up work on the transit dimension, focussing on voluntary return of transiting migrants; ensure adoption of a National Border Strategy and explore options for cooperation and strengthening of capacities for border management and the fight against smuggling. Further cooperation on effective return of irregular migrants including of Malians attempting to cross the southern Libyan border irregularly should be strengthened, as well as close dialogue with Mali as Chair of the Rabat Process should be maintained.

Senegal: Improve day-to-day cooperation for both identification and issuance of travel documents; follow up missions were undertaken, to ensure the effective return of identified irregular migrants. Working arrangements between Senegal and the European Border and Coast Guard Agency should be finalised and on the basis of results achieved so far cooperation should be stepped up in other areas, including border management.

As regards policies and tools to be applied, a step-change is needed in the effectiveness of returns inside the EU and matched with the work with third country partners. In this regard, the report is closely linked to the renewed Action plan on return which proposes a number of concrete actions. Engaging with third countries through the Partnership Framework, using all the available policies and tools, will foster better cooperation with a view to identifying, re-documenting and readmitting their nationals.

In this context, the mobilisation of also other policy instruments will be considered, such as providing legal migration pathways, for example through Erasmus+, and other operational tools will be applied. This includes the increased use of EU agencies, like the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, European Migration Liaison Officers and financial instruments, in particular the EU Trust Fund for Africa.

For more information on the Commission's action to take this forward, please see here.

What will you do under the Central Mediterranean Route?

When it comes to Libya: Support is to be focussed on protection at disembarkation points, as well as on the humanitarian assistance to those migrants who are in reception/detention centres, while increasing the development of alternatives to detention. The contribution to socio-economic stabilisation in Libya will continue to be addressed, in particular through work at the municipality level.

Humanitarian repatriation and reintegration will be scaled up. The IOM has been contracted, as part of a project funded under the EU Trust Fund for Africa, to assist an initial target 5.000 migrant in Libya to return to their communities of origin. Reintegration will be provided to returnees across the whole of the area covered by the Trust Fund. The Commission and the IOM have signed a joint initiative in December 2016 for migrant protection and reintegration in Africa along the Central Mediterranean migration routes, worth 100 million.

Training of the Libyan coastguard and Navy: EUNAVFOR Med Operation Sophia and the Seahorse Mediterranean network have both already trained members of the Libyan Coast Guard. Operation Sophia has completed a first package of activities resulting in the training of 93 personnel. Operation Sophia has now started the training under the second package on Crete. The Libyan Coast Guard has expressed the ambition to further train 600 Coastguard personnel with a focus on generating 8 trained crews for the Libyan patrol vessels. Training should also align with the overall plans for the development of a Libyan a Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre and search and rescue area, which are foreseen to be completed in 2018.

Immediate action by the Commission includes the expansion of the Seahorse training of the Libyan Coast Guard, with 15 new training courses being planned for the period February-July 2017. This is also complemented by support to migration management under the Regional Development and Protection Programme.

Increased cooperation with the neighbouring countries

Increased cooperation with Egypt, Tunisia and Algeria, including through regional initiatives like the Seahorse Mediterranean network are key.

Egypt: The EU now has an agreement to launch a formal EU-Egypt dialogue on migration, fully embedding migration on our overall relations and existing frameworks such as ENP, Khartoum and Valletta.

Tunisia: The EU remains committed to continue addressing the root causes of migration, and to reinforce governance in the field of migration. Furthermore, the EU intends to reinforce cooperation on irregular migration, concluding a Readmission Agreement in parallel with Visa Facilitation Agreement; In addition, focus will be on reintegration of returnees, promotion of legal migration and cooperation on border management.

Algeria: Cooperation with Algeria remains important to combat irregular migration to Europe. At political and technical level, discussions have been taking place since September 2015. Dialogue will continue to follow up on issues such as trafficking, preventing and combatting counterfeiting of travel documents, as well as visa liberalisation and cooperation on readmission.

What about the funding?

Partnership Framework

The EU is using a range of financial instruments to support the implementation of the Partnership Framework, most prominently the EU Trust Fund for Africa (EUTF). The EUTF operates in a total of 26 countries, with resources allocated amounting to more than 2.5 billion, including 2.5 billion from the European Development Fund and several EU budget financing instruments, and 152 million pledged so far by EU Member States and other donors (Switzerland and Norway).

Most recently, a total of 42 new programmes worth 587 million were agreed in December 2016. These include 28 new programmes under the Sahel/ Lake Chad window worth a total of 381 million; 11 additional programmes under the Horn of Africa window, worth 169.5 million and 3 new programmes under the North Africa window, for a total of 37 million.

This brought the total number to 106 adopted projects worth over 1.5 billion. Programmes contracted so far amount to 627 million.

Central Mediterranean Route

200 million have been pledged by the EU for migration-related projects in Libya and North Africa through the EU Trust Fund. This comes on top of other projects launched in 2016, focussing on providing protection to most vulnerable migrants and creating socio-economic opportunities at local level.

Discussions are under way to focus support on protection at disembarkation points and in detention centres, as well as support for alternatives to detention. The contribution to socio-economic stabilisation in Libya will also be addressed through work at the municipality level. This will add to the work to enhance rescue at sea, including by the training of the Libyan Coast Guard. Strong coordination on the ground will also be sought with Member States.

For more information

Factsheets for progress made with: Ethiopia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria and Senegal

Factsheet: Migration Partnership Framework

Factsheet: EU Trust Fund for Africa

See the Q&A on the Communication on the Central Mediterranean route here. Factsheet: EU relations with Libya

[1] Training is done by EUCAP Sahel Niger, in support of the Nigerien security force (Police Nationale, Gendarmarie Nationale and Garde Nationale) to reinforce the rule of law and Nigerien capacities to fight terrorism and organised crime, in line with the EU Strategy for Security and Development, as well as irregular migration.

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Commission reports on progress under the migration partnership framework and increased action along the Central ... - ReliefWeb

To hear that Adrian Peterson, the future Hall of Fame running back, has the Raiders among the teams hes interesting in joining is proof positive to coach Jack Del Rio just how far the franchise has come in his two seasons in charge.

I think its great that were on the list of guys that are premier guys, Del Rio said Thursday from the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis. He declined to comment specifically about Peterson because hes still technically under contract with the Minnesota Vikings.

The message I get is that players and coaches and people recognize this is a good place to be, Del Rio said. We have turned this thing around. And when I first arrived three years ago, the thought was, Nobody wants to come here. We battled through that and became a place where people wanted to come. Over the past two years, weve been able to attract some nice free agents. Of course, paying them is part of it. But its become a destination where people recognize we do have a good young nucleus and a quarterback and some pieces in place to have a good run, and they want to be a part of it.

Staff writer Cam Inman contributed to this report.

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Adrian Peterson's interest in Raiders a sign of their progress - The Mercury News

NEW HAVEN >> The New Haven Public School district improved slightly in the second year of the Next Generation Accountability System, a 12-indicator system devised by the states Department of Education to holistically measure student achievement and school success.

NHPS earned 64.3 percent of all points in the 2015-16 school year, an improvement of 2.3 points from the year before, when the system debuted.

Conte/West Hills Magnet School was identified as a school of distinction for its growth in achievement on the 12 indicators by high-needs students those who are eligible for free or reduced price lunch, English language learners and students in special education. Of 116 schools named schools of distinction, Conte/West was one of 15 schools in the 30 lowest-performing districts in the state to receive the title.

Together, we are reaching new heights and making significant progress in our schools. Our new accountability system is more comprehensive and holistic allowing us to identify and replicate success and target support to the students and schools that need it most. We must continue to be steadfast in our commitment to improve outcomes for all students, said Gov. Dannel P. Malloy in a statement.

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The accountability system accounted for growth for the first time by establishing individual goals for students to reach in the following year. In English, 63.3 percent of all New Haven students met their growth goals in 2015-16 from the year prior; 61.5 percent of high-needs New Haven students did the same. In math, 63.5 percent of all New Haven students met their growth goals; 62.2 percent of high-needs New Haven students did the same.

The inclusion of student growth for the first time gives us a more accurate picture of how well we are delivering on our promise to kids. As we celebrate progress being made, we also push with great urgency to accelerate the pace of change for schools that need the most help so that all students in Connecticut can rise to their potential and achieve their goals, said Education Commissioner Dianna Wentzell in a statement.

District officials, who held a yearlong Attendance Matters campaign in 2015-16, concluded that year by celebrating a six-point drop in the rate of chronic absenteeism, or students missing 10 percent or more school days. The accountability system results reflected this change: the rate of all chronically absent New Haven students from 2014-15 to 2015-16 dropped from 25.6 percent to 19.9 percent. The rate of chronically absent high-needs students declined even more sharply: from 30 percent in 2014-15 to 22.9 percent in 2015-16.

The districts work on chronic absenteeism was the most significant change in its second year in the accountability system.

The concerted efforts made at the District and School level to combat chronic absenteeism has a direct impact on student growth as the more time we have with students in school the more education services can be delivered to allow each student to reach his or her potential, said interim Superintendent of Schools Reginald Mayo in a statement.

District officials highlighted that 31 of 40 schools in the district posted overall improvements in the accountability index, with seven boasting double-digit gains.

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Accountability system shows progress in New Haven student growth - New Haven Register

Trumps State of the Union (ish) speech tonight was his best yet, and the first Trump speech (unlike the Inaugural Address and the convention speech) that stands reasonably well even without a steep discount for well, its Trump. And he hit notes that are outside his comfort zone, barreling out of the gate with a riff against anti-Semitism and the Olathe, Kansas shooting. But there were still some cringeworthyTrumpist moments, like his rant about keeping companies from leaving America (applauded, grudgingly, by Bernie Sanders), as well as the usual applause overkill that is endemic in these speeches. And as much as I loathe the whole spectacle (in fairness, a Reagan legacy) of citizens-as-props in the gallery, Trumps ode to a disabled college student was hard to resist, and the focus on the widow of Navy SEAL Ryan Owens (killed in the raid in Yemen on Trumps watch) was maybe the most real, raw emotional moment I can recall in a presidential speech, as she was visibly struggling to hold it together on camera before a gratefulnation.

So, in an Administration that has often been its own worst enemy in communications and often as a direct result of the presidents own words Trump mostly stayed out of trouble tonight. But the message on policy was more mixed. The good news was Trumps focus on repealing and replacing Obamacareand confirming Gorsuch and his unexpectedly vivid endorsement of school choice, as well as endorsement of deregulation and energy production. The mixed news is his advocacy of more defense spending (which is needed, but probably not at the levels projected by his budget proposal). The bad news is the invocation of a trillion-dollar Trumpulus (by far the most public embrace of the trillion-dollar pricetag as a totem), the coded appeals to dtente with Putin (in the reference to new friends), andthe threats of a trade war. And the most ambiguous news, given the pre-speech leaks, is where Trump is really headed on immigration.

I wonder sometimes whether we will even still use presidential as an adjective after Trump, but tonight was about as close to genuinely presidential as were likely to see from him. The hard work ahead will be in the hands of Congress.

Read more here:

The State of Trump Is a Work in Progress - National Review

By Bob Egelko, San Francisco Chronicle

Photo: Justin Sullivan, ST

Historic Chronicle Front Page September 11, 2010 A PG&E pipeline explosion would devastate a San Bruno neighborhood

Historic Chronicle Front Page September 11, 2010 A PG&E pipeline explosion would devastate a San Bruno neighborhood

Ex-federal judge to monitor PG&Es safety progress

A former federal judge has been chosen to monitor Pacific Gas and Electric Co.s efforts at safety improvements following the utilitys felony convictions for violating pipeline safety laws and obstructing the investigation of the lethal San Bruno pipeline explosion.

Mark Filip, who also served as a high-ranking U.S. Justice Department official, was jointly named by federal prosecutors and PG&E on Monday to oversee the companys safety performance for up to five years, the period of PG&Es court-ordered probation. The sentence imposed last month by U.S. District Judge Thelton Henderson required that an independent monitor be appointed by Henderson unless the opposing sides agreed on a selection.

Filip, 50, has worked as a private lawyer, representing business clients and, in the mid-1990s, as a federal prosecutor in Chicago, working on cases of health care fraud and political and judicial corruption, according to a Justice Department profile.

President George W. Bush appointed Filip to the federal court in Illinois in 2004, then named him four years later as deputy attorney general, the second-highest position in the Justice Department. When President Barack Obama took office in 2009, Filip served as acting attorney general for two weeks until the Senate confirmed Obamas nominee, Eric Holder. Filip then returned to a private law firm.

In August, the company he will monitor, Californias largest public utility, was convicted by a jury in San Francisco of five charges of failing to properly inspect and repair its aging gas pipelines. On a sixth felony count, jurors found that the company had interfered with the federal investigation of the San Bruno explosion by trying to conceal its practice of pumping gas at pressures up to 10 percent above legal limits.

Eight people were killed, 58 were injured, and 38 homes were destroyed in the September 2010 explosion and fire, which started in a defective pipeline weld.

The sentence included a $3 million fine, 10,000 hours of community service by PG&E employees and public statements in newspapers and television ads acknowledging the companys guilt. The state Public Utilities Commission has fined PG&E $1.6 billion for the explosion.

The monitors task is to keep track of PG&Es safety performance and file reports to Henderson and his successors after the judge retires in August. At the sentencing hearing, Henderson said the monitor could recommend changes in PG&Es operations and, if the company objected, take the dispute to the prosecutors office and then to court.

A PG&E critic, state Sen. Jerry Hill, D-San Mateo, whose district includes San Bruno, said Tuesday that he was somewhat surprised by Filips selection.

He seems to have spent more time getting big companies out of messes than working to get them to clean up their messes, Hill said, referring to Filips private law practice. He also noted Filips appointments by Bush and his work as a law clerk for the late conservative Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia in 1993-94.

Hopefully he can be impartial and really protect the interests of the public, Hill said.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @egelko

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Ex-federal judge to monitor PG&E's safety progress - SFGate

James DudkoFeatured ColumnistMarch 1, 2017

Roy Keane has challenged Manchester United to win some big games on manager Jose Mourinho's watch after insisting his old club have "beaten no one in three months."

The former United skipper was speaking at a fundraiser ahead of the Red Devils' 3-2 win over Southampton in the EFL Cup final at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, per Ciaran Kelly of the Manchester Evening News.

However, Keane said neither United nor Mourinho has impressed him despite the club enjoying a strong run of form across all competitions:

I've very little time for Mourinho. I look at United and the run they are on now. They're sixth in the league. People are like 'I can see progress'[but] they're sixth in the league. They've beaten no one in three months.

Keane's last point on the quality of opponents United have been beating is an important one. It's significant not in undermining the Red Devils' current form, but maybe in determining how well their season will ultimately finish.

United are just two points shy of the Champions League places, the most realistic target for Mourinho's men in the Premier League. Yet securing a top-four finish will demand they beat some strong sides, including leaders Chelsea.

Keane insists his old side must be judged by how they perform in the marquee fixtures: "I judge United on the big games. Chelsea and one or two others are coming up now. If you want to play for United and be successful they are the games you have to be winning."

United will host the Blues in the league on April 16, but only after facing Chelsea in the FA Cup quarter-final at Stamford Bridge on March 13.

The rest of the league program will see United travel to Arsenal in May before facing Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane. The Red Devils also still need to play a derby at Manchester City's Etihad Stadium, a fixture rearranged due to the former's League Cup commitments.

Normally, a run of big games shouldn't intimidate a team coached by Mourinho, a manager who has made much of his reputation by engineering results in headline fixtures.

However, to Keane's point, United have surprisingly struggled in big games this season. They lost 2-1 to City at Old Trafford in September and could only manage draws at home against Arsenal and bitter rivals Liverpool.

Mourinho and United were also humiliated 4-0 by Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in October.

Without better results in these types of fixtures, United won't secure Champions League football for next season. If they don't, it will be tough to argue with Keane's view of United's first campaign under Mourinho.

However, not everybody shares Keane's view about a team that has been beaten just once in 26 gamesincluding the Southampton winin all competitions. Among them, Rob Dawson of the Manchester Evening News previously lavished praise on how United have been clicking into gear lately:

In fairness to Mourinho, he's helped cultivate a greater fluency in attack compared to last season. Signings such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Henrikh Mkhitaryan have galvanised the men from Old Trafford in the final third.

United are also displaying a growing stingy streak in defence, even though Saints did cause Mourinho's back four a host of problems at Wembley.

There are plenty of positives on the pitch, but ultimately, true progress will only be quantified by beating the best and returning to Europe's top table.

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Roy Keane Criticises Manchester United's Lack of Progress Under Jose Mourinho - Bleacher Report

New York Times

Black History Month: Pressing Forward on the Heels of Progress New York Times We go so far and we take two or three or four steps backward, because that is what progress is, she said. We've achieved so much, yet we slide back to some of the most primary, ridiculous things. But I'm not discouraged. You've got to live through it. Seeking a framework for progressHerald Palladium all 269 news articles »

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Black History Month: Pressing Forward on the Heels of Progress - New York Times

Frankfurt progress in German Cup, Dortmund game called off Miami Herald Michael Hector missed the chance to head into an unguarded net for Frankfurt, 10 minutes before the break, and Frankfurt 'keeper Lukas Hradecky was by far the busier of the two after it, with his saves effectively securing his side's progress. "Of ... and more »

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Frankfurt progress in German Cup, Dortmund game called off - Miami Herald

Two years after Avijit Roy was hacked to death by suspected Islamist militants in Dhaka, relatives and friends of the Bangladeshi-American atheist blogger and writer say they are not satisfied with the pace of the police investigation.

As Bangladesh probes of Roys murder-- and those of about a dozen other secular bloggers, writers and a publisher, killed between 2013 and 2015are making no public progress, fears of threats from the Islamists has halted the publication of books critical of religions and religious fundamentalism in Bangladesh.

FILE - A Bangladeshi activist sets up a light on a poster displaying a portrait of slain Bangladeshi-American blogger Avijit Roy in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Feb. 27, 2015.

"[In the case of Roys murder] although two years have been passed by, the [government] agencies have not filed the charge-sheet to the court as yet. They postponed the date[s] of submission of the charge-sheet at least sixteen times. Eight people were arrested, but no charge-sheet was filed against any of them. Now they are saying that they have identified five men as the actual killers, but they are yet to be arrested," said Imran H. Sarker, who leads the Blogger and Online Activist Network in Bangladesh.

"We have noticed that the government is shielding the killers and is not keen to arrest them," he added.

Bangladesh police have said a local hardline Islamist militant group, the Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), was behind all the killings. However, none of the murders, including that of Roy, has been solved as yet.

Baseless allegations

But Bangladeshs Inspector General of the national police (IGP), AKM Shahidul Hoque, said the charge that police are doing a poor job investigating the cases of the blogger killings, is baseless. The police will file a charge-sheet in the case of Roy "very soon," he said.

Hasanul Haq Inu, information minister of Bangladesh said all investigations into the blogger killings are going on well.

"The performance of our police is commendable in all investigations in the killings of the bloggers. We are close to resolve all cases. In the case of Avijit we have already located the killers," Inu told VOA.

"The so-called Islamist groups are not in a position to launch any violent attack at all. We have neutralized all of them."

Bangladeshi Blogger Mohiuddin Sharif, at a secret location in a south Asian country, March 1, 2017. Sharif faced death threats and ffled Bangladesh with his wife and a child in 2015. (R. Akhter Munni/VOA)

Publishing chill

Months after Roy was murdered in February 2015, Faisal Arefin Dipan, one of his publishers, was hacked to death in Dhaka.

"[The] killings of the author and his publisher triggered an atmosphere of sheer fear in the society. And, that fear has taken its toll on the publishing industry in the country," said Robin Ahsan, head Shrabon Prokashoni, a Dhaka-based publishing house, which is taking part in the ongoing national book fair in Dhaka.

A little over a decade ago, some Bangladeshi writers, who presented their arguments against Islamic and other religious beliefs online, became known as "atheist bloggers."

Blogger Mohiuddin Sharif, who faced death threats and fled Bangladesh in 2015, said new critical writings on religion, society and the state have disappeared in the past couple of years largely because the government has taken a "soft stance" against the Islamists.

"When the Islamists began targeting the bloggers, the government did not provide them the security. Instead of protecting the bloggers, it blamed them that they were indulging in provocative writing. Many were even advised to leave the country," said Sharif, who has taken refuge in a South Asian country with his family.

In the past, many books written by the secular writers used to be published during the annual Dhaka book fair, the blogger noted.

"But this year, not a single book on freethinking has been published in the fair. No stall in the fair is displaying even any old book authored by Avijit Roy this year," he said.

Mahbub Leelen, co-founder of Dhakas Shuddhashar Publishing House, which published many books authored by Avijit Roy, in New York. Leelen fled Bangladesh closing down the publishing house in Dhaka after his co-publisher escaped a fatal attack from suspect

Communication law

Along with the threats from the Islamists, Section 57 of Bangladesh's Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Act is a contributing factor to the disappearance of writing critical of religion, government and society, say the bloggers, writers and publishers.

Under this controversial piece of legislation, one can face seven to 14 years in jail for "hurting religious sentiment" and "publishing fake, obscene or defaming information in electronic form" or information that "prejudices the image of the State or person."

Mahbub Leelen, co-founder of Shuddhashar Publishing House, which published many books authored by Avijit Roy, said that using the "draconian" act the government has clamped down heavily on writers and publishers.

"The ICT Act and the related statements from the government directly support the views the fundamentalists demand in the issue. As individuals, the writers or publishers have no ability to fight this united force of the fundamentalists and the government," said Leelen, who fled to the U.S. in 2015, weeks after Ahmedur Rashid Chowdhury Tutul, his co-publisher of Shuddhashar, was violently attacked by suspected Islamists in Dhaka, told VOA.

Shuddhashar closed down in Dhaka soon after the attack and Leelen and Tutul, who lives in Norway now, are working on a project to revive the publishing house abroad, with the publication of some e-books.

Continued here:

Bangladesh Criticized for Slow Progress in Blogger Murders - Voice of America (blog)

Attorney General JeffSessions painted a grim vision of violence in America on Tuesday, telling state law enforcement officials that a recent uptick in murders threatens to undo decades of progress. He pledged to "put bad men behind bars."

In his first major policy speech as attorney general, Sessions promised that combating violent crime would be a top priority of the Justice Department. He warned of a surging heroin epidemic with drugs pouring in from Mexico, of police officers made to feel overly cautious for fear of being captured on "viral videos" and of rising homicide rates in big cities.

"We are diminished as a nation when any of our citizens fear for their life when they leave their home; or when terrified parents put their children to sleep in bathtubs to keep them safe from stray bullets; or when entire neighborhoods are at the mercy of drug dealers, gangs and other violent criminals," Sessions said, according to prepared remarks to the National Association of Attorneys General.

Sessions promised that his Justice Department would prioritize cases against violent offenders, aggressively enforce immigration laws and work to dismantle drug cartels. He announced the creation of a multi-agency task force, to be headed by the deputy attorney general, to propose crime-fighting legislation and study crime trends. He said the task force would include the heads of Justice Department agencies such as the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Although it is true, according to FBI statistics, that homicide and other violent crimes have recently been on the rise, the numbers are nowhere close to where they were in the 1980s and early 1990s, and it's hardly clear that the recent spike reflects a trend rather than an anomaly.

Sessions' early focus on drug and violent crime is a radical departure for a Justice Department that has viewed as more urgent the prevention of cyberattacks from foreign criminals, international bribery and the threat of homegrown violent extremism.

Yet Sessions made no apologies for his focus on violent crime, saying he was concerned the increase could be part of a "dangerous new trend."

"We need to enforce our laws and put men behind bars," said the former Alabama senator and federal prosecutor. "And we need to support the brave men and women of law enforcement as they work day and night to protect us."

He also indicated that, unlike his Democratic-appointed predecessors, he believes some police officers have pulled back on enforcement because of anxiety their actions could be recorded on video and scrutinized by the public.

"They're more reluctant to get out of their squad cars and do the hard but necessary work of up-close policing that builds trust and prevents violent crime," Sessions said.

FBI Director James Comey has floated the idea that the change in police behavior could help explain increases in crime, although former attorneys general Eric Holder and Loretta Lynch both refused to embrace that idea.

Past attorneys general have used their appearances before their state counterparts to make policy pronouncements.

In 2014, for instance, Holder said state attorneys general were not obligated to defend laws in their states banning same-sex marriage if the laws discriminate in a way forbidden by the Constitution.

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Sessions says murder uptick threatens progress on crime - Fox News

Congressional Republicans came to town with an ambitious agenda and high expectations. But as President Donald Trump prepares to deliver his first joint address to the House and Senate, that agenda has not moved as quickly as members or Trump anticipated.

The realities of governing, coupled with challenges brought on by the Trump administration, have thwarted an aggressive to-do list that focused on reversing many of the previous administration's actions.

Trump will take the podium with few legislative accomplishments. However, he is expected to tout his first month in office and promote his goals for the next year in what is expected to be a broad speech full of ideas but short on specifics.

Here's a look at where the Republican agenda stands in Congress:

With a Republican in the White House, the GOP-controlled congress was ambitious in a quick timeline to pass a repeal bill after six years of voting to do just that. But the process was dramatically slowed as some members expressed nervousness about repealing a bill without a replacement and disagreements emerged among Republicans about what a replacement should look like and how to pay for it. Now nearly two months into the session, Congress has yet to present a bill. A draft bill was leaked last week but Republican leaders caution that a new version could emerge. House Speaker Paul Ryan's latest timeline is the presentation of a bill before the full House the first full week of March - a date that is quickly approaching.

Republicans' next big agenda item is tax reform, but tensions have emerged early in the process between each body of Congress and the White House. Central to Speaker Ryan's corporate tax reform plan is something called the border adjustment tax, which taxes any product of good or part imported into the United States. Trump has signaled hesitation on the idea, calling it "too complicated," and Senate Republicans have no interest in what many say would make products more expensive for American consumers. Some have even said it would cause a trade war. The original goal for tax reform was late spring but a more likely timeline appears to be July, before the month-long August recess.

Reversing some of President Barack Obama's regulations is perhaps the biggest accomplishment for Republicans so far. Trump has already signed three measures, including one that rolls back environmental protections. The House passed additional measures that now have to be taken up by the Senate, including one that reverses the ban on allowing mentally ill people from purchasing firearms.

What President Trump wants to achieve

One of Trump's biggest priorities is infrastructure. Republicans in Congress, however, are less eager to spend a proposed trillion dollars on repairing the nation's roads and bridges. Congress hasn't addressed it and with little buy in from Congress, it could quickly be put on the back burner.

Congress is expecting an emergency funding bill this spring to begin funding Trump's wall along the Mexican border, which is expected to cost billions of dollars. Construction won't begin until the funding bill is received.

Because of Democrats' ability to slow-walk the confirmation process, Trump's cabinet is not fully in place. A handful of positions remain open and the nominee for Secretary of Labor, Andy Puzder, withdrew his name after ongoing scrutiny and concerns raised by Republicans. Because the confirmation process has been so time-consuming, the Senate has done little legislating other than putting Trump's cabinet in place.

Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch is on his way to hold courtesy meetings with all the members of the Senate but he has yet to have his confirmation hearings, which are scheduled for March 20.

Allegations of Russian interference in the U.S. election and the resignation of former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn after questions about the content of phone calls with a Russian official has forced Congress to take up investigating the developments. It is an investigation that has expanded and is being looked at by at least five committees. While committees can focus on multiple issues at a time, it is using valuable resources and time and a constant story that Republicans are asked about when they'd rather be focusing their news cycle on their legislative agenda.

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Trump Speech: Republican Agenda in Congress Makes Slower Progress Than Promised - NBCNews.com

Josephine is 11 years old, and opened our conference last year. I wrote this text for her, and then we fine-tuned it together so it would feel natural for her to speak the words in front of an audience of 5,000 people.

We wanted to make sure people understood that working in digital tech is not about just making a quick buck, but that with every small improvement you are making the world a better place.

It was an absolute joy to work withJosephine. She understood what we meant, wasnt shy, and knew the text by heart. She understood that her message was meant to give people goosebumps and get them ready to make the best of our event.

Heresthe full text of her talk:

My name is Josephine, and Im 11 years old. But it would be a mistake to see me as an 11 year old. Because what you are looking at is the future. Im the future.Im going to be your customer, your critic, your opponent, your competitor.

Ill be your enemy, your biggest fan and the person paying your bills.

Im the one that will help you out when youre in trouble and Im the one who will suffer from the worlds problems, or I will fix them.

Today is the first day of this conference, and Im the opening act. Over the next three days you will learn a lot.

You might do a deal, meet a potential partner, and advance your business in a small or big way. And that will be progress. But it wont just be ordinary progress. It will be essential and monumental progress.

At The Next Web we believe that technology is essential for the future of mankind and it is making the world a better place.

I cant solve all the worlds problems in one go. But together we can increase our knowledge, improve technology and take another step towards a better future.

Thats the way to solve the worlds problems, by improving every aspect of it.That is the mindset I want you to have.

You are not just here to be inspired. You are not just here to do business.The work you do is going to make the world a better place.You are not doing this for yourself or for me. You are doing it for a future me, and for your future self.

My name is Josephine, Im 11 years old and on behalf of The Next Web, and my future self, I hope you have a great conference.

I hope you will join me and Josephine again this year and makeessential and monumental progress. See you soon.

Read next: The new Raspberry Pi Zero W computer brings Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for just $10

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Watch an 11-year-old explain why you're making monumental progress - TNW