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“The resolve of all the leaders of the various ethnic nationalities have not changed with this rescheduling.
The group charged the security agencies not to allow themselves to be used to disrupt the elections, stressing that Nigerians would resist any move to manipulate the elections in favour of any candidate.
Syrian rebels and regime forces have fought their most intense clashes in weeks inside the heavily guarded capital Damascus, activists say.
The sounds of shell blasts echoed through the area and residents hid in their houses and kept children home from school.
The opposition fighters blasted army checkpoints with rifles and anti-aircraft guns while government forces shelled the eastern and southern suburbs, trying to repel a new insurgent effort to push the civil war into the heart of the capital, the anti-regime activists said.
Although bordered by rebellious suburbs that have seen fierce fighting, widespread clashes have remained mostly on the capital's edges, saving it from the destruction that has ravaged other major cities such as Aleppo and Homs.
The military of President Bashar Assad has focused on securing the capital, and the dozens of rebels groups that have established footholds in Damascus suburbs have failed to form a united front, each fighting for its own area with little or no co-ordination with others.
Much of the fighting was sparked by a push by a number of rebel groups in the north-western neighbourhood of Jobar, which is bisected by the Damascus ring road. Rebels, who control the area east of the road, launched attacks on army checkpoints in the regime-controlled western part to try to seize the road, one of the ...
They dubbed the operation "The Battle of Armageddon". It did not appear to be co-ordinated with rebel groups elsewhere in the city.
Videos posted online showed dozens of rebels collecting in the area with rifles and rocket-propelled grenade launchers as well as rebel attacks on army checkpoints with heavy-calibre machine guns mounted on pick-up trucks. Intense gunfire was heard in the background of another video, while local mosques repeatedly broa...
Rebels claimed to have seized at least one checkpoint near a prominent mosque on the ring road, but it was unclear where the front lines were tonight. Rebels often abandon areas soon after seizing them, fearing government shelling and air strikes.
The government responded by stopping traffic to the Abbasid roundabout on the neighbourhood's western side and closing a number of roads nearby. Activists said the army also rained shells on rebel areas east of the city. Online videos showed repeated blasts in the nearby suburb of Arbeen sending up clouds of smoke.
Ahead of the new trailer’s premiere tomorrow, Illumination Entertainment and Universal Pictures have released a brand new clip from their upcoming animated sequel The Secret Life of Pets 2. Featuring Max trying to talk to an uninterested Chloe, you can check out the funny video in the player below.
Cast members returning from the first film include Kevin Hart, Eric Stonestreet, Jenny Slate, Ellie Kemper, Lake Bell, Hannibal Buress, Bobby Moynihan, and Dana Carvey. New voice cast includes Harrison Ford, Patton Oswalt, Tiffany Haddish, Nick Kroll, and Pete Holmes.
The Secret Life of Pets 2 will follow the 2016 blockbuster about the lives our pets lead after we leave for work or school each day. Illumination founder and CEO Chris Meledandri and his longtime collaborator Janet Healy will produce the sequel. The Secret Life of Pets 2 will see the return of writer Brian Lynch (Minio...
The first Secret Life of Pets grossed over $875 million at the worldwide box office, but it is the highest-grossing film from Illumination Entertainment and second-highest Universal Studios release at the domestic box office.
Meledandri and Healy had also produced The Secret Life of Pets movie, which was co-directed by Chris Renaud (Despicable Me, Despicable Me 2) and Yarrow Cheney from a script written by Brian Lynch and Cinco Paul & Ken Daurio.
The Secret Life of Pets 2 will be released on June 7.
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has revealed endemic failings in the disclosure and communication of firms advising on pension transfers.
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has revealed systemic failings in the disclosure and communication of advice firms advising on pension transfers, including the way they are presenting fees.
The regulator has today published the findings from data collected from 45 firms this year, following which it conducted further assessment work including file reviews and visits to 18 advisers. These 18 firms carried out 24,919 pension transfers since 2015.
This review, which looked at 154 transfer client cases from the 18 advice firms, found less than half of the cases (48.1%) were suitable.
A key issue the regulator raised was failings around client communication.
Of the cases reviewed for disclosure and communications with clients, 61.7% were deemed non-compliant and 9.1% unclear. Only 29.2% were compliant.
Failings were driven in part by shortcomings in presentation of initial and ongoing fees.
The regulator observed failures to communicate in a way that was ‘clear, fair and not misleading’ over defined benefit (DB) pension scheme’s solvency and the feasibility of the Pension Protection Fund (PPF).
‘We observed the use of emotive language, and misrepresentations about the scope of PPF protection,’ the FCA said.
Last year the PPF said IFAs were ‘misrepresenting’ the pension lifeboat to create ‘fear’ among members and using this to encourage members to take transfers.
The FCA added firms were writing ‘long suitability reports with unclear recommendations’.
They were presenting DB schemes’ provision for spouses and dependants and early retirement ‘negatively’, in contrast with ‘freedoms’ offered by defined contribution (DC) schemes.
Some firms reportedly ‘over-emphasised the benefits and down-played the risks of transfer to an alternative arrangement’.
The FCA also found firms delivering triage services were often doing so based on a consideration of the circumstances of the client, and therefore 'providing regulated advice at this initial stage'.
The report added: 'We consider that any guidance based on a consideration of a customer’s circumstances which steers them one way or the other is likely to be advice on the merits of a transfer, and therefore pension transfer advice.
The regulator is currently reviewing data gathered from every firm in the UK with pension transfer permissions, and will begin a 'wide-ranging programme of activity with firms' in 2019.
The contest for the Democratic presidential nomination appears to be far from over with Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) and Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) battling it out in the remaining states prior to the end of the primary season in June. And it’s all but certain the popularly elected pledged delegates won’t give eithe...
Enter a website known as LobbyDelegates.com , which will, for a fee, lobby the uncommitted superdelegates on behalf of anyone who wants pressure put on those superdelegates. Jack Cardetti with the Missouri Democratic Party says about a third of this state’s superdelegates are still uncommitted and are being heavily lob...
Cardetti recommends against using LobbyDelegates.com, suggesting Missourians who want to lobby the uncommitted delegates send comments and opinions to the Missouri Democratic Party , which will forward the correspondence to the superdelegates.
A coalition of 23 child advocacy, consumer and privacy groups have filed a complaint with the US Federal Trade Commission alleging that Google is violating child protection laws by collecting personal data of and advertising to those aged under 13.
The group, which includes the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood (CCFC), the Center for Digital Democracy and 21 other organisations, alleges that despite Google claiming that YouTube is only for those aged 13 and above, it knows that children under that age use the site. The group states that Google collects per...
The coalition urges the FTC to investigate and sanction Google for its alleged violations.
The group claims that YouTube is the most popular online platform for children in the US, used by about 80% of children aged six to 12 years old. Google has a dedicated app for children called YouTube Kids that was released in 2015 and is designed to show appropriate content and ads to children. It also recently took a...
But the coalition say this is not enough. Jeff Chester of the Center for Digital Democracy said: “Google has acted duplicitously by falsely claiming in its terms of service that YouTube is only for those who are age 13 or older, while it deliberately lured young people into an ad-filled digital playground.
The complainants state that among the most popular channels on YouTube are those directed at children, including ChuChuTV Nursery Rhymes & Kids Songs with 15.9m subscribers and more than 10bn video views and LittleBabyBum with 14.6m subscribers and 14bn views. The coalition also states that Google’s Preferred advertisi...
The 59-page FTC complaint says “YouTube also has actual knowledge that many children are on YouTube, as evidenced by disclosures from content providers, public statements by YouTube executives, and the creation of the YouTube Kids app”.
Katie McInnis, policy counsel for the Consumers Union, said: “YouTube knows children are watching content on their site, and has created content channels specifically aimed at them, but does not appear to obtain the required parental consent before collecting information about them.
Deaths from air pollution would be prevented and the Morrison government would meet its pledge to make electricity more reliable and affordable if more Australians drove electric cars, but a lack of political will is holding back the benefits.
That is the widespread view expressed to a Senate probe into electric vehicles in Australia. Electric car maker Tesla, headed by controversial entrepreneur Elon Musk, is among those who assert that "government leadership" is the main barrier to increasing electric vehicle uptake in Australia, while the government’s own...
It is widely acknowledged that electric vehicles improve air quality, help address climate change, boost public health and are cheaper to run than conventional vehicles.
Australia trails the world in the adoption of electric vehicles. Just 2284 were sold last year – 0.2 per cent of total vehicle sales. This is largely attributed to a lack of vehicle choice, fears about limited driving range and higher upfront costs than traditional cars.
In contrast, electric vehicles make up about 20 per cent of new sales in Norway, and are expected to reach 30 per cent of sales in China by 2030.
The Senate inquiry, chaired by independent South Australian senator Tim Storer, is investigating the benefits and opportunities of electric vehicles in Australia.
It is broadly acknowledged that electric vehicles improve air quality, help address climate change, boost public health and are cheaper to run than conventional vehicles.
Electric vehicle batteries can increase demand for electricity, they can also provide a reservoir of stored energy that can be fed back to the grid when needed.
The Department of the Environment and Energy told the inquiry that noxious emissions from conventional vehicles can cause respiratory illness, cardiovascular disease and cancer, and an estimated 3000 deaths in Australia each year can be attributed to urban air pollution.
The widespread uptake of electric vehicles, along with improvements to fuel quality and vehicle emissions standards, would curb pollution leading to reduced deaths and illness and associated costs, the department said.
While electric-vehicle batteries can increase demand for electricity, they can also provide a reservoir of stored energy that can be fed back to the grid when needed.
"This has the potential to contribute to lower electricity bills for consumers and the reliability of Australia’s electricity system," the department said.
The Morrison government said these two outcomes - making electricity more reliable and affordable - would be its "unrelenting" focus following the demise of the National Energy Guarantee. However the government provided only limited support for electric-vehicle adoption.
Tesla told the inquiry that thousands of Australians had placed deposits for its model 3 sedan and research showed 50 per cent of Australians would consider an electric vehicle for their next purchase.
But it said governments must help ensure Australians could access charging infrastructure and a wide range of vehicle models, and reduce financial and logistical hurdles.
"The main barrier to increasing electric vehicle uptake in Australia is not consumer appetite; rather it is clear government leadership," Tesla wrote.
Tesla said the Morrison government should set an ambitious target for electric vehicle uptake to send a clear message to manufacturers and consumers that Australia was ready for the transition.
The NRMA, ClimateWorks and the Electric Vehicle Council also called on governments to act to encourage the uptake of electric vehicles in various ways, such as implementing vehicle emissions standards, supporting the establishment of charging infrastructure and setting targets for government fleets.
Former environment and energy minister Josh Frydenberg, who has since been promoted to Treasurer, in January heralded the electric car "revolution", but the government did not propose any new subsidies or other financial incentives to encourage adoption of the technology.
Conservative government backbenchers are opposed to any subsidies to make electric cars price competitive.
Infrastructure Australia, the government’s independent advisory body, said overseas experience showed that financial incentives for electric vehicles were the "most effective" way to support uptake.
"Without action to prepare for and make the most of this transition, we risk being left behind," it said.
The submission cited research showing that electric vehicles offered fuel savings of $1102 per 10,000 kilometres, or $472 where electricity costs were high.
"By not having access to the most efficient vehicles, cost of living pressures will be exacerbated," Infrastructure Australia said.
The Senate committee is due to report in December.
President Trump has had the most tumultuous and one of the least productive starts of any modern president.
WASHINGTON — Think President Trump’s first 100 days were bumpy? Just wait for the 1,361 to follow.
It’s no surprise that Trump, who has been shattering political precedent since he announced his candidacy and then won the White House, would continue to break new ground once he moved into the Oval Office — though not always in a good way.
The courts have blocked his signature immigration ban. Congress has balked at delivering on his promise to repeal the Affordable Care Act. The FBI is investigating Russian meddling in the election, an issue that forced the resignation of his national security adviser and is likely to cast a shadow over the administrati...
Braced for bad reviews when Trump reaches the unofficial milestone Saturday, the White House has been pushing back on the idea that his first 100 days have been a bust.
"No matter how much I accomplish during the ridiculous standard of the first 100 days, & it has been a lot (including S.C.), media will kill!" the president complained in an early-morning tweet Friday. A few days earlier, he bragged to a friendly audience at a manufacturing plant in Kenosha, Wisc, that "no administrati...
Still, when press secretary Sean Spicer was asked at a briefing to name the most significant piece of legislation that actually had been enacted by the Republican-controlled Congress, he noted instead executive orders that had been signed and mentioned Gorsuch's confirmation before finally citing a bill extending a pro...
Presidential historians and White House veterans say Trump has had one of the least productive first 100 days in office of any modern president, and there’s little dispute that he’s had the most tumultuous one.
The more important question is this: What does the president's rocky beginning signal about the rest of his tenure?
His associates argue that Trump has become more sure-footed in his new role, although he continues to resist advice to stop airing his grievances on Twitter. His national-security team seems to be settling in, though conflicting signals on Syria and Iran and a "miscommunication" about just where an aircraft carrier gro...
But just what Trump will do on key issues, including several on which he staked out positions during the campaign, remains the subject of debate and dispute among his advisers — including decisions on precisely what the Obamacare replacement should include and whether to break out of the Iran nuclear deal. Just how he'...
He submitted nominations for just 24 of the 554 administration appointments requiring Senate confirmation, according to a tally by the nonpartisan Partnership for Public Service; 20 have been confirmed. That's a small fraction of the number named by his predecessors; at this point, Obama had submitted 190 nominations a...
And he has done little to win over voters who didn't support him on Election Day.
In the Gallup Poll over the first quarter of the year, an average of 41% of Americans approved of the job he is doing as president, lower than the 46% who voted for him. His approval rating is 20 percentage points below the average for presidents at this point since Dwight Eisenhower. Trump trails every other modern pr...
"At this point, I'd give him essentially a failing grade," says Robert Dallek, a presidential historian who has written biographies of John Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon and others. His latest book, Franklin D. Roosevelt: A Political Life, is being published in November. "There are no legislative accomplishmen...
Dallek says Trump's claim of historic accomplishment has "an Alice in Wonderland" quality: "Does he know anything about what other presidents have done?"
At 100 days, Roosevelt had signed 15 major pieces of legislation as he sought to rally a nation reeling from the Great Depression. Barack Obama had pushed a Democratic-controlled Congress to pass bills that expanded children's health care, bolstered equal-pay protections and provided $800 billion in stimulus spending. ...
To be sure, other modern presidents also have stumbled at the start.
With the benefit of hindsight, George W. Bush would be faulted for failing during his first months to respond decisively enough to warnings of a growing threat from al-Qaeda that would culminate in the terror attacks on New York and Washington in September.
The 9/11 attacks would define Bush's presidency, a reminder that the opening months don't always signal what's ahead.
The question for Trump is whether the turmoil so far reflects an understandable learning curve or if it's the predictable consequence of a leadership style that includes a certain comfort with chaos. His opening months in office have had an exhausting pace as he seems to careen from controversy to controversy — many of...
Christopher Hill, dean of the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver, served as a diplomat and State Department official in Democratic and Republican administrations from Jimmy Carter through Obama. Trump has gotten off to the slowest start on foreign policy and national security issue...
"There is an underlying problem that needs to be addressed in the next 1,000 days, and that is the degree to which you can take the word of the president to the bank," Hill says. "I think also there's a question of the commitment to the institutions of our governance, and that is going to raise problems in future as fo...
It's not just foreign leaders. Some of Trump's natural allies in Congress and elsewhere also are struggling with mixed signals from a president whose ties to his own party are patchy. He was nominated over the opposition of much of the Republican establishment, after all, and the populist and nationalistic policies he ...
"Donald Trump is in effect an independent president, elected under a Republican banner," Galston says. That makes the calculus of the next 1,361 days complicated indeed.
Wait for it … about 25 seconds into this video, the fun begins. Agence France-Presse reports that the video was recorded by a camera on a car dashboard. The car was reportedly traveling on a highway in southern Russia.
Hurricane season begins today — and it is supposed to be a doozy. We may see as many as 17 named storms and five major hurricanes (wind speed of 111 mph or more). See here for multiple forecasts compared.
Considering that we already had one named storm, Andrea, 3 weeks before the official start of the season, it seems unlikely that we will have a replay of last year, with its average hurricane season.
The scientific debate continues to rage over how much global warming is affecting Atlantic hurricanes. As always, I am inclined to listen to our top climatologist, NASA’s James Hansen, especially when he is joined by four dozen expert coauthors.
We conclude that the definitive assertion of Gray (2005) and Mayfield (2005), that human-made GHGs play no role in the Atlantic Ocean temperature changes that they assume to drive hurricane intensification, is untenable. Specifically, the assertions that (1) hurricane intensification of the past decade is due to change...

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