June 13, 2018

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June 13, 2018

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GAME OVER

Trump puts Korean war games on hold after summit U.S. President Donald Trump gestures as he leaves a press conference at the Capella resort on Sentosa Island Tuesday, June 12, 2018 in Singapore.

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Trump contradicts U.S. military stance on Korea war games

By ROBERT BURNS and FOSTER KLUG WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's abrupt announcement Tuesday that he will suspend U.S. military drills in South Korea appeared to catch the Pentagon and the Seoul government flatfooted, and it contradicted a pillar of Defense Secretary Jim Mattis' campaign to make U.S. troops more combat-ready.

During a news conference following his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Trump pushed his unconventional approach even further by calling annual U.S.-South Korean military exercises "provocative." He also said he'd like to remove all 28,500 U.S. troops stationed in the South, although he made clear this was an option for the future, not a part of current negotiations.

The U.S. has stationed combat troops in South Korea since the end of the 195053 war and has used them in a variety of large-scale drills designed to sharpen skills and test troops' ability to operate effectively with their South Korean partners.

The next scheduled major exercise, known as Ulchi Freedom Guardian and involving tens of thousands of troops, normally is held in August.

"We will be stopping the war games, which will save us a tremendous amount of money, unless and until we see the future negotiation is not going along like it should," Trump said in Singapore. "But we'll be saving a tremendous amount of money. Plus, I think it's very provocative." In a later interview with the Voice of America, Trump said the

U.S. President Donald Trump gestures as he leaves a press conference at the Capella resort on Sentosa Island Tuesday, June 12, 2018 in Singapore.

Associated Press

North Koreas were "very happy" about his decision to freeze the exercises "because it is so provocative."

In the wake of Trump's unexpected, almost offhand comments to reporters, the Pentagon had nothing to say about the future of the war games. Several hours after Trump's remarks, the Pentagon put out a brief statement welcoming "positive news" from Singapore, but it remained silent on whether Ulchi Freedom Guardian will proceed. Mattis' chief spokeswoman, Dana W. White, told reporters he was "in full alignment" with Trump and had been consulted in advance on all aspects of the Singapore talks.

"There were no surprises," she said.

If Mattis was aware that Trump was going to announce a suspension of military exercises, he apparently did not share that information with the South

Koreans or with the military organization most directly affected: U.S. Forces Korea.

That U.S. command said it had "received no updated guidance on the execution or cessation of training exercises."

The South Korean government also appeared caught off guard. Seoul's presidential office told The Associated Press that it was trying to parse Trump's comments. The South Korean military seemed similarly surprised.

"At this current point, there is a need to discern the exact meaning and intent of President Trump's comments," Seoul's Defense Ministry said, adding that there have been no discussions yet with Washington on modifying drills set for August.

A degree of confusion arose after Vice President Mike Pence spoke to senators at a lunch closed to media coverage. Sen.

Cory Gardner, Republican of Colorado, said Pence indicated that "exercises will continue," although Sen. Rand Paul, a Kentucky Republican, said this referred to routine, daily training in South Korea, not the largescale war games that Trump said are suspended.

Trump's remarks contradicted decades of assertions

by U.S. administrations that military exercises in South Korea are defensive and essential to ensuring that allied forces are ready at a moment's notice to fight the North. A favored U.S. slogan in South Korea is "ready to fight tonight."

Mattis often says his number one priority as Pentagon chief is to improve what he calls the "lethality" of the military, which includes making troops better equipped, trained and prepared for a full range of combat. In his view, preparedness equates to more effective deterrence

-- persuading potential adversaries they cannot win and thus should not attack.

Trump's statement was portrayed by critics as an unreciprocated concession.

"Stopping the joint exercises has been a long-term goal for North Korea and China," two Asia analysts, Victor Cha and Sue Mi Terry, wrote in a summit assessment for the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "Trump delivered it while getting nothing in return beyond the same generalities that North Korea has been offering since the early 1990s."

Even some Republicans in Congress seemed uneasy about this. Rep. Ed Royce of California, who is chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, applauded Trump for pursuing peace through diplomacy, but he also said Kim had "gained much" Tuesday, "including an apparent promise" from Trump to suspend military drills.

Trump also seemed annoyed that U.S. bomber aircraft make six-plus hour flights from the Pacific island of Guam to the Korean peninsula as part of its exercise routine.

"Six and a half hours — that's a long time for these big massive planes to be flying to South Korea to practice and then drop bombs all over the place, and then go back to Guam," Trump said. "I know a lot about airplanes; it's very expensive."

North Korea regularly calls the military exercises provocative preparations for a northward invasion, and many of the scariest standoffs in recent years on the Korean Peninsula have happened when the drills were being staged.q

U.S. NEWS A3

Wednesday 13 June 2018

George H.W. Bush becomes 1st U.S. president to turn 94 KENNEBUNKPORT, Maine (AP) — George H.W. Bush enjoyed a relaxing birthday on Tuesday as he became the first former U.S. president to turn 94.

The nation's 41st president was receiving calls and taking it easy at his seaside home eight days after being released from a hospital where he was treated for low blood pressure, said Chief of Staff Jean Becker.

Bush's office shared a letter from the president in which he said, "My heart is full on the first day of my 95th year."

"As many of you know, for years I have said the three most important things in life are faith, family and friends. My faith has never been stronger," the former president wrote in the letter.

Several of his children were in town, including former President George W. Bush, who posted a smiling photo of the two of them on Instagram.

"I'm a lucky man to be named for George Bush and to be with '41' on his 94th birthday," wrote Bush, the nation's 43rd president.

Another son, Neil Bush, called on people in a newspaper opinion piece

to volunteer and "to become a point of light."

As president, Bush encouraged others to be "points of light," reflecting his belief that people need to help out in their communities.

Bush became the oldest U.S. president months ago and is the first to celebrate a 94th birthday, said spokesman Jim McGrath.

Former Democratic President Jimmy Carter isn't far behind, at age 93, and he'll celebrate his 94th on Oct. 1. Two other former U.S. presidents made it to 93: deceased Republicans Ronald Reagan and Gerald Ford.

The Central Intelligence Agency marked Bush's birthday by releasing declassified material related to his tenure as the agency's director from January 1976 to January 1977.

The items include a video about his path to becoming CIA director and another about his farewell visit to the agency employees in January 1993, the final month of his presidency.

Related to that visit is a copy of a schedule for a briefing over lunch to discuss Iraq, Bosnia, Somalia, counter-

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intelligence, counternarcotics and "CIS Ops," an apparent reference to former Soviet states.

After dessert, the briefs included presentations on Russia, North Korea and "Clansig Operations," an agency acronym for clandestine signals intelligence.q

In this photo provided by the Office of George W. Bush, former U.S. presidents George H.W. Bush and his son pose for a photo in Kennebunkport, Maine, Tuesday, June 12, 2018.

Associated Press

A4 U.S.

Wednesday 13 June 2018

NEWS

U.S. politicians not yet toasting Trump-Kim summit

By LAURIE KELLMAN Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican and Democratic leaders aren't quite celebrating President Donald Trump's historic meeting Tuesday with North Korea's Kim Jong Un, saying the initial agreement they struck won't mean much unless the North completely denuclearizes.

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell called the meeting a "major first step," in U.S.-North Korea relations, but not a decisive one if North Korea does not follow through.

"The next steps in negotiations will test whether we can get to a verifiable deal," McConnell said on the Senate floor. He added, "We and our allies must be prepared to restore the policy of maximum pressure."

That was echoed by House Speaker Paul Ryan, who said, "There is only one acceptable final outcome: complete, verifiable, irreversible denuclearization."

Trump didn't offer much assurance on the question of how to confirm that North Korea had complied with any deal.

"We're going to have to check it and we will check it," the president told reporters aboard Air Force

Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the Judiciary Committee, responds to reporters asking about President Donald Trump's diplomatic travels at the G-7 in Canada and the summit with the leader of North Korea in Singapore, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, June 12, 2018.

Associated Press

One for the trip back. "We'll check it very strongly."

That didn't give lawmakers much confidence. They spent much of Tuesday saying they needed more information on what, exactly, happened at the historic meeting — and questioning whether Trump gave away too much.

Sen. James Risch, the Idaho Republican who chairs the Senate National Security Working Group, said Monday that expects any treaty-like agreement to be submitted to Senate.

Risch said the White House has been largely in agreement on that.

The Constitution says presi-

dents have the power, "by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, to make treaties," as long as two-thirds of the senators present agree.

But Tuesday's announcement in Singapore was framed as a joint statement between the leaders, not a treaty. Trump said negotiators would work out the details.

Lawmakers of both parties said they preferred diplomacy to the battle-bytweet in which Trump and Kim seemed to threaten nuclear war. But they questioned what, exactly happened at their face-toface meeting.

Some just sounded puzzled by the vagueness of the leaders' initial agreement.

"It is difficult to determine what of concrete nature has occurred," said Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker, R-Tenn.

Democrats were openly skeptical, saying Trump had already given up some American leverage by committing to halting U.S. military exercises with treaty ally South Korea.

"President Trump has granted a brutal and repressive dictatorship the international legitimacy it has long craved," Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said. He pointed out that the Trump-Kim agreement does not define what denuclearization would mean. If nothing else happens, Schumer said the meeting amounts to "purely a reality show summit."

The first U.S. responses to the dramatic meeting came as Trump and Kim headed home from Singapore. But even as he toasted the historic meeting, Trump faced questions about what he actually won and whether he gave away too much.

Not included in the agreement, for example, was Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's language that the ultimate goal was the

"complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization of the Korean peninsula."

And Kim offered no solid promises to abandon his hard-won nuclear arsenal any time soon.

Especially for Republicans, Trump's meeting with Kim seemed complicated given the history of North Korea's intransience and distressing human rights record. Trump has seemed largely unconcerned about celebrating an authoritarian leader suspected of ordering the public assassination of his half brother with a nerve agent, executing his uncle by firing squad and killing U.S. college student Otto Warmbier.

Warmbier, said Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, is "a constant reminder to me about the evil nature of this regime."

"I remain skeptical but hopeful that this new dialogue can translate into meaningful progress," Portman said in a statement.

"I strongly believe that the president's maximum pressure campaign must remain in place until North Korea truly changes course and ends its dangerous nuclear weapons program."

At least one Republican, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., took a harsher stance.q

U.S. NEWS A5

Wednesday 13 June 2018

APNewsBreak: Border agent shot, wounded on Arizona ranch

By ANITA SNOW PHOENIX (AP) — A U.S. Border Patrol agent was wounded in a shooting on an Arizona ranch near the U.S.-Mexico border before dawn Tuesday in a remote area known for drug and migrant smuggling, the agency and the cattleman who owns the property said.

The agent was taken to a hospital after the 4:30 a.m. shooting near the community of Arivaca and several people were detained, a Border Patrol Statement said, providing no information on the agent's injuries or the circumstances of the shooting.

Jim Chilton, a fifth-generation Arizona cattleman who runs the 50,000-acre (20,230-hectare) ranch, told The Associated Press in an interview that the Border Patrol sent him an email saying the agent was alone when he was wounded on the ranch and was struck in the leg and the hand.

Several bullets also struck the agent's protective vest, which probably saved his life, Chilton said.

"Without it, he probably would not be with us today," said the rancher, who is a well-known Arizona backer of President Donald Trump's efforts to secure the U.S.-Mexico border.

The Border Patrol official

who the rancher said wrote the email, Lisa A. Reed, did not immediately respond to an email seeking confirmation of the details Chilton provided. Border Patrol spokesman Chris Sullivan declined to comment.

Arivaca is southwest of Tucson and about 10 miles (16 kilometers) from the border.

About 200 trails meander over Chilton's ranch and he said the area where the shooting happened is along the most traveled trail. One 14- mile (22-kilometer) side of his ranch is separated from Mexico by a four-strand wire fence.

"We have drug runners coming through our ranch and this has become a very dangerous situation," Chilton said.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which oversees the Border Patrol, reports hundreds of assaults on its law enforcement personnel across the United State each year, but they rarely involve agents getting hit by bullets.

During the U.S. fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, 2017, there were 786 assaults on the Border Patrol agents nationwide and 93 in the Tucson Sector that includes Arivaca area, the agency has said.

Some cases involved people on the Mexican side of the border throwing rocks

In this Sunday, April 2, 2017 file photo, rancher Jim Chilton poses for a photo on his ranch in Arivaca, about 80 miles southwest of Tucson, Ariz.

Associated Press

at agents on the U.S. side, or would-be smugglers firing at agents and missing as the smugglers try to get away from the agents.

Agents with the Tucson Sector Border Patrol arrested a 21-year-old U.S. citizen near Amado, Arizona last Christmas eve after he fired at them during a high speed chase that ended when he lost control of the vehicle and rolled over. He was transporting two migrants in the U.S. without authorization. Two teen boys were arrested last year in the shooting of a Border Patrol vehicle south of Sierra Vista,

Arizona. The agent inside was not hurt.

In December, 2010, agent Brian A. Terry was shot and killed near Rio Rico, Arizona, while trying to arrest a group of armed people who had been preying on migrants. Agent Robert Rosas was shot and killed in an ambush on patrol along the Mexico border near Campo, California in July 2009, and Agent Alexander S. Kirpnick was shot and killed as he and his partner tried to arrest a group of drug smugglers just north of the Mexican border in Arizona in June 1998.q

A6 U.S.

Wednesday 13 June 2018

NEWS

Seattle to repeal homeless-aid tax after Amazon objects

By PHUONG LE Associated Press SEATTLE (AP) — Amazon balked, and Seattle is backing down.

City leaders said they plan to repeal a tax on large companies such as Amazon and Starbucks as they face mounting pressure from businesses, an aboutface just a month after unanimously approving the measure to help pay for efforts to combat a growing homelessness crisis.

The quick surrender showed the power of Amazon to help rally opposition and aggressively push back on taxes at all levels of government, even in its affluent home city where the income gap is ever widening and lower-income workers are being priced out of housing. It has resulted in one of the highest homelessness rates in the U.S. Amazon and other businesses had sharply criticized the tax, and the online retailer even temporarily halted construction planning on a new highrise building near its Seattle headquarters in protest.

Mayor Jenny Durkan and seven of nine City Council members said Monday they worked with a range of groups to pass a measure last month that would strike a balance between protecting jobs and supporting affordable housing.

But a coalition of businesses is working to get a referendum on the November ballot to overturn the tax.

In a statement ,Durkan and the council members said "it is clear that the ordinance will lead to a pro-

In this May 24, 2018, photo, a man sleeps on the sidewalk as people behind line-up to buy lunch at a Dick's Drive-In restaurant in Seattle.

Associated Press

longed, expensive political fight over the next five months that will do nothing to tackle our urgent housing and homelessness crisis."

They said they would move forward to repeal the socalled head tax. A special council meeting is scheduled Tuesday, where a vote is expected. They didn't provide a backup funding plan.

It marks the latest Amazon move against city, state and national taxes.

The company recently said it would block Australians from purchases on its international websites after the nation planned to impose a 10 percent consumption tax on online retailers for goods shipped to Australia.

The tax debate comes as 20 cities vie to lure the company's second headquarters and as it expands its workforce in Boston and Vancouver, British Columbia.

Cities have offered lavish tax breaks and incentives to lure the company and its promise of adding tens of thousands of high-paying jobs. Critics have said it is wrong for profitable company to push for public money, especially considering the added costs to infrastructure and services the new headquarters would bring.

Seattle's tax would charge companies about $275 per full-time worker each year and raise roughly $48 million a year for affordable

housing and homeless services. It would target businesses making at least $20 million in gross revenue and take effect in January.

The liberal city spent $68 million on homelessness in 2017 and plans to spend $78 million this year.

Just days after Durkan signed the ordinance into law, the No Tax On Jobs campaign, a coalition of businesses, announced it would gather signatures to put a repeal referendum on the November ballot.

The campaign has raised about $285,000 in cash contributions, with more employers, including Amazon and Starbucks, pledging nearly $200,000 in additional support.

The coalition is glad the

"Seattle City Council has heard the voices of the people loud and clear and are now reconsidering this ill-conceived tax," said John Murray, a spokesman with the No Tax on Jobs campaign.

Councilwoman Teresa Mosqueda, one of four sponsors of the tax, said she could not support repealing the tax without "a replacement strategy to house and shelter our neighbors experiencing homelessness."

"We cannot wait months or until next year for another proposal or process while people are sleeping in our parks and on our streets," she said in a statement.

Councilwoman Kshama Sawant said on Twitter that the repeal "is a capitulation to bullying by Amazon" and other big business and called it a "backroom betrayal" that didn't involve her office.

The clash over who should pay to solve a housing crisis exacerbated by Seattle's rapid economic growth was marked by weeks of raucous meetings and tense exchanges that didn't abate after the tax was approved.

Opponents called the Seattle measure a tax on jobs and questioned whether city officials are spending current resources effectively. Others praised the tax as a step toward building badly needed affordable housing.

The Seattle region had the third-highest number of homeless people in the U.S. and saw 169 homeless deaths in 2017.q

U.S. NEWS A7

Wednesday 13 June 2018

Ex-wife of man who killed 6 in Arizona relieved he's dead

By FELICIA FONSECA FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — Connie Jones' life wasn't routine. She switched up her commute to work, went to different grocery stores, constantly looked over her shoulder, and took firearms training and defensive driving to protect herself and her son from an ex-husband she said was a maniac.

Authorities have said that man, Dwight Lamon Jones, is responsible for the recent deaths of six people in the Phoenix area, some of whom had links to Jones' divorce. Connie Jones always feared she'd be the one killed and said Tuesday she is grateful to be alive.

"I felt that I had a personal terrorist," she said.

"I had someone who was specifically targeting me, someone who had time and nothing else to do but think about how to hurt me.

His death, I think, is the best thing that's come out of this ordeal."

Jones said the man she was married to for more than 20 years was likable at first but his behavior became more erratic, and he used the courts to further torture her after she filed for divorce in 2009 and after he was arrested on a domestic violence charge at their home in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Authorities say Dwight Jones, 56, remained bitter about his divorce years after they split and began confronting people linked to the breakup and shooting them. The shooting deaths happened over four days before Dwight Jones ended his own life as police closed in on him at a Scottsdale extended-stay hotel.

Connie Jones' current husband and a former police detective, Rick Anglin, first suspected the killings were committed by Dwight Jones. Anglin said he recognized the physical offices of those who were killed, including two paralegals who worked for the same firm as Connie Jones' divorce attorney and a forensic psychiatrist who testified in the divorce case, and alerted police.

One paralegal, Veleria Sharp, 48, had worked at the firm for about a year, and the other, Laura Anderson, 49, for 10 years, said the divorce attorney, Elizabeth Feldman. The psychiatrist, Steven Pitt, 59, testified in the divorce case that Dwight Jones had anxiety and mood disorders, and he was at risk of using violence against his wife, child and himself.

Marriage counselor Marshall Levine, 72, apparently was targeted in a case of mistaken identity, authorities said.

Analysis of shell casings found outside Pitt's office, the law firm and Levine's office confirmed the victims were killed with the same gun, police said.

Dwight Jones also was linked to the killings of a Fountain Hills couple, Mary Simmons, 70, and

Byron Thomas, 72, who were found dead inside their home. Police said the couple occasionally met up with Jones to play tennis at local parks.

Connie Jones and Anglin said they were on a cruise and at their vacation home in northern Arizona when the killings happened.q

Connie Jones speaks about her ex-husband, Dwight Lamon Jones, at a news conference Tuesday, June 12, 2018, in Flagstaff, Ariz.

Associated Press

A8 WORLD

Wednesday 13 June 2018

NEWS

UK government wins Brexit skirmish by making concessions

By JILL LAWLESS LONDON (AP) — The British government was rocked by a resignation and faced anger in Parliament over its Brexit plans Tuesday, but staved off defeat by offering concessions to lawmakers who want to soften the terms of the U.K.'s exit from the European Union.

By a vote of 324 to 298, the House of Commons rejected a move to give lawmakers power to send the government back to the negotiating table if they don't like the terms of the Brexit deal struck with the EU. The result left Prime Minister Theresa May to fight another day as she tries to take Britain out of the bloc while retaining support from pro-EU and pro-Brexit wings of her Conservative Party.

But it came at a cost — a government promise to strengthen Parliament's voice, potentially at the expense of its own power to set the terms of any final divorce deal with the EU. The vote came on the first of two days of high-stakes debate and votes in the House of Commons on the government's flagship Brexit bill.

The European Union Withdrawal Bill, a complex piece of legislation intended to disentangle Britain from four decades of EU rules and regulations, has had a rocky ride through Parliament. The upper chamber, the House of Lords, inserted amendments in 15 areas to soften the departure.

The government says the changes would weaken

In this Thursday, May 17, 2018 file photo, British Prime Minister Theresa May looks on during a news conference with her Macedonian counterpart Zoran Zaev, Macedonia.

Associated Press

Britain's negotiating position and is seeking to reverse them in the Commons.

Brexit Secretary David Davis urged lawmakers to "respect the result of the referendum" that approved the withdrawal. He said giving Parliament power to direct the government's hand in talks would be "an unconstitutional shift which risks undermining our negotiations with the European Union."

"It's not practical, it's not desirable and it's not appropriate," Davis said.

The government won the first set of votes Tuesday, but looked set to face defeat on the issue of whether Parliament should have a "meaningful vote" on the Brexit deal. Several pro-EU Conservative lawmakers said they would join the opposition in voting against

the government.

The pro-EU faction got a boost when junior justice minister Phillip Lee resigned Tuesday, saying he could no longer support the government's "irresponsible" plans for Brexit.

In a concession, the government promised that lawmakers would have a say on what to do next if there is no agreement with the EU, or if Parliament rejects the deal offered.

The change reduces the likelihood that Britain could leave the EU without a deal if it does not like the divorce terms. Pro-Brexit members of the government want to be able to play the "no deal" card, but the House of Commons, where pro-EU voices are stronger, would almost certainly reject the idea. Details of the government's commitment

will have to be formalized next week in a new amendment to the bill. The Brexit Department said in a statement that it would look for compromise, but would not agree to lawmakers "binding the government's hands" in negotiations.

But pro-EU Conservative lawmaker Dominic Grieve said that with the government's move "I am quite satisfied that we are going to get a meaningful vote on both 'deal' and 'no deal'" scenarios.

Another flashpoint could come when lawmakers vote Wednesday on an amendment seeking to keep Britain in a customs union with the EU. Two years after Britain voted to leave the EU, and eight months before it's due to leave on March 29, 2019, the bloc is frustrated

with what it sees as a lack of firm proposals from the U.K about future relations.

A paper laying out the U.K. government position, due to be published this month, has been delayed because the Cabinet cannot agree on a united stance.

May's government is divided between Brexitbacking ministers such as Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson who support a clean break with the EU, and those such as Treasury chief Philip Hammond who want to keep closely aligned to the bloc, Britain's biggest trading partner.

Parliamentary debates about complex legal amendments rarely rouse much heat, but passions run high over anything to do with Brexit.

Pro-Brexit tabloid the Sun warned lawmakers on Tuesday's front page that they had a choice: "Great Britain or great betrayal." The Daily Express thundered: "Ignore the will of the people at your peril."

Anna Soubry, a pro-EU Conservative lawmaker, said she knew of one legislator who would not vote with their conscience because of "threats to their personal safety" and that of staff and family.

Pro-Brexit Conservative lawmaker Edward Leigh slammed proEU colleagues, saying Parliament must respect the result of the June 2016 voter referendum.

"The people want us to leave the EU. They want us to regain control of our borders," he said.

"Parliament, don't stand against the people — implement their will!"q

WORLD NEWS A9

Wednesday 13 June 2018

Paris hostages freed, suspect arrested after 4 hours

By ELAINE GANLEY Associated Press PARIS (AP) — A four-hour hostage standoff in central Paris ended with police moving in, arresting the armed suspect and freeing the people held in a ground-floor office, France's interior minister announced late Tuesday.

"All the hostages are safe and sound," Gerard Collomb said in a brief statement. At least two people had been held.

There was no indication of an extremist motive, police said.

The Paris prosecutor's office detained the suspect, a 26-year-old man born in Morocco, a judicial official said. It was not immediately clear if he had French nationality.

The man is being investigated on multiple counts, including kidnapping and sequestration, attempted homicide and violence with a weapon, the official said. The official was not authorized to discuss an ongoing investigation and asked not to be named.

Two hostages were freed,

This handout picture taken Tuesday, June 12, 2018 and provided by Jean-Baptiste Chaumie shows police officers at the scene of an hostage-taking in Paris, France.

Associated Press

one who reportedly had been doused with gasoline and threatened by the hostage-taker with being set on fire, French TV news stations BFM-TV and CNews reported.

Authorities provided no de-

tails of the raid by specially trained intervention police officers four hours after the hostage-taking began at about 4 p.m.

Before the arrest, police and firefighters sent a water-spraying robot into the

building, Le Parisien newspaper reported.

Dozens of officers in riot gear, firefighters and rescue workers had evacuated and blocked off the Rue des Petites Ecuries while negotiations took place.

The hostages were held in a ground-floor office in a crowded neighborhood.

Their captor apparently was armed with knives.

As negotiations progressed, the hostage-taker reportedly asked to speak to the Iranian ambassador, a police union official, Yves Lefebvre, said. However, a motive for the demand was not established.

Iran's semi-official ISNA news agency reported that a spokesman for Iran's Foreign Ministry, Bahram Ghasemi, said the Iranian Embassy in Paris stood ready to help "considering the importance of people's lives and human aspects of the issue."

During the negotiations, the hostage-taker reportedly evoked a strange mix of events, from the Sept. 11 attack on the World Trade Center to the kidnapping and death last year of a young girl in an Alpine town.

The hostage-taker also claimed he had an accomplice outside the building with a bomb, according to union official Lefebvre. q

A10 WORLD

Wednesday 13 June 2018

NEWS

Northern light: Macedonia makes name change deal with Greece

By ELENA BECATOROS JASMINA MIRONSKI Associated Press ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece and Macedonia reached an historic agreement Tuesday to end a bitter 27-year name dispute that had kept the smaller and younger country out of international institutions such as NATO, the two countries' prime ministers announced.

Greece's Alexis Tsipras and Macedonia's Zoran Zaev said the former Yugoslav republic's new name for both domestic and international purposes would be Republic of North Macedonia. Macedonia will also amend its constitution to reflect the change as part of the deal.

The nationality of the country's citizens will be listed on official documents in English as "Macedonian/ citizen of the Republic of North Macedonia," Greek officials said.

NATO and European Union officials welcomed the breakthrough, which NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said would help consolidate regional peace and stability.

Greece had long demanded that its northern neighbor change or modify its name to avoid any claim to the territory and ancient heritage of the region in northern Greece named Macedonia — birthplace of ancient warrior king Alexander the Great.

The current prime ministers' attempts to end the dispute have faced dissent in both countries, leading to large protests by opponents of a

In this photo released by Greek Prime Minister's office, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras speaks during a televised address to the nation, in Athens, Tuesday, June 12, 2018.

Associated Press

compromise, threatening to split Greece's governing coalition and provoking a rift between Macedonia's prime minister and president.

And main opposition parties in both countries rejected the agreement.

Zaev said the deal would be signed this weekend, and a voter referendum would be held in the fall.

In a televised address, Tsipras said the 140 countries which had recognized the Balkan state simply as Macedonia would now recognize it as Republic of North Macedonia.

"This achieves a clear distinction between Greek Macedonia and our northern neighbors and puts an end to the irredentism which their current constitutional name implies," he said.

He added that Macedonia "cannot and will not be able in the future to claim any connection with the ancient Greek civilization of Macedonia."

Speaking at a news conference in the Macedonian capital, Skopje, Zaev described the deal as a "historic agreement of the century."

"We have been solving a two-and-a-half decade dispute ... that has been drowning the country," he said, adding that the deal "will strengthen the Macedonian identity."

On the timeline of the deal, Tsipras said that it would be first signed by the two countries' foreign ministers and then ratified by Macedonia's parliament.

Greece will then back invitations for Macedonia to join NATO and start ne-

gotiations on joining the EU. However, Tsipras said, this will be contingent on Macedonia completing the constitutional changes.

"In other words, if the constitutional amendment is not successfully completed, then the invitation to join NATO will be automatically rescinded and the accession talks with the European Union will not start," he said.

The deal was welcomed by EU officials.

European Council President Donald Tusk tweeted his "sincere congratulations" to Tsipras and Zaev.

"I am keeping my fingers crossed. Thanks to you, the impossible is becoming possible," he said.

EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini and commissioner Johannes Hahn issued a joint statement congratulating the two

prime ministers "in reaching this historic agreement between their countries, which contributes to the transformation of the entire region of South-East Europe."

They said they looked forward to accession negotiations beginning with Skopje in June.

The United Nations envoy who mediated the dispute for two decades congratulated Tsipras and Zaev for resolving their differences.

Matthew Nimetz said in a statement he had "no doubt this agreement will lead to a period of enhanced relations between the two neighboring countries and especially between their people."

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres praised the agreement as "a demonstration of leadership to the wider region and beyond" and hopes it will inspire others involved in drawn-out conflicts "to work towards negotiated settlements without further delay," spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.

However, both prime ministers faced dissent at home.

Greek Defense Minister Panos Kammenos, whose right-wing Independent Greeks party is Tsipras' governing coalition partner, said he would oppose an agreement in a parliamentary vote, meaning the left-wing prime minister will need to seek support from political opponents.

The main opposition party in Macedonia, the conservative VMRO-DPMNE, accused Zaev of "capitulating" to Greece.q

WORLD NEWS A11

Wednesday 13 June 2018

Exiled Yemen president goes to UAE as port attack looms

By JON GAMBRELL DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Yemen's exiled president was due to visit the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday to patch up relations ahead of an anticipated assault on the rebelheld port of Hodeida.

President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi's trip to Abu Dhabi comes amid months of tensions between his forces and fighters backed by the UAE, which have clashed on a number of occasions. Both are part of the Saudi-led coalition that has been at war with Iranallied Houthi rebels in Yemen since 2015.

The two sides were also at odds over the recent deployment of UAE forces to the Yemen's Arabian Sea island of Socotra, a dispute mediated by Saudi officials.

Over 10,000 people have been killed in Yemen's civil war. The Saudi-led coalition has been criticized for its airstrikes killing civilians.

Meanwhile, the U.N. and Western nations say Iran has supplied the Houthis with weapons from assault rifles up to the ballistic missiles they have fired deep into Saudi Arabia, including at the capital, Riyadh.

Yemen's government-controlled SABA news agency announced Hadi's trip, saying it came after Emirati Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan visited him at his home in Riyadh, where he lives in self-imposed exile.

Emirati Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash also wrote several tweets Tuesday night suggesting an attack on Ho-

deida was imminent.

"The liberation of the city & port will create a new reality & bring the Houthis to the negotiations," he wrote.

Earlier Tuesday, Yemeni officials said the U.N. had pulled its international staff out of Hodeida, a crucial Red Sea port city now controlled by the Houthis. The officials said the U.N.'s operations center there was still being manned by local staff. The port is some 150 kilometers (90 miles) southwest of Sanaa, the rebelheld capital.

The officials spoke on condition in anonymity because they weren't authorized to brief reporters. The aid group Oxfam said humanitarian organizations received warnings over the weekend for staff to evacuate Hodeida by Tuesday ahead of an offensive.

The Norwegian Refugee Council urged the United States, Britain and France to release "an immediate warning" against any attack on the city or the port of Hodeida.

It said troops, backed by the Saudi-led coalition are now about eight kilometers (five miles) from the rebelheld Hodeida.

On Thursday, the International Committee of the Red Cross said it had pulled 71 staff members out of Yemen after a series of security incidents and threats.

Before the war, over 70 percent of Yemen's food and fuel imports came through Hodeida, accounting for over 40 percent of the nation's customs income. The port remains crucial for incoming aid, food and

medicine for a nation driven to the brink of famine by the conflict and a Saudiled blockade. The U.S. has provided the coalition with logistical support, but it's unclear what position the Americans will take if the coalition launches a fullscale attack on Hodeida.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Monday he spoke with Emirati officials and "made clear our desire to address their security concerns while preserving the free flow of humanitarian aid and life-saving commercial imports."q

In this Nov. 10, 2015 file photo, the President of Yemen Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, participates in a summit of Arab and South American leaders in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Associated Press

A12 WORLD

Wednesday 13 June 2018

NEWS

US extradites Panama ex-President Martinelli Report: rising homicide rates in Brazil hurting economy United States.

Former Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli gestures the victory sign to the press as he is escorted in handcuffs after his hearing in Panama City, Monday, June 11, 2018.

Associated Press

Associated Press PANAMA CITY (AP) — Former Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli returned

home Monday to face political espionage and embezzlement charges after being extradited from the

The Foreign Ministry said U.S. officials turned Martinelli over at Panama City's international airport after a plane carrying him from Miami landed.

U.S. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement that it is up to Panamanian courts to determine Martinelli's guilt. He had been jailed in Miami since his arrest at his home in June 2017. The 66-year-old Martinelli, who was Panama's president from 2009 to 2014, is accused of embezzlement and illegally monitoring phone calls and other communications. q

In this March 31, 2017 file photo, the body of a teenage boy lies on the sidewalk, only a few kilometers from the school where a 13-year-old girl was killed by a stray bullet, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Associated Press

Associated Press SAO PAULO (AP) — Rising homicide rates are damaging Brazil's economy and leading to skyrocketing public security costs, according to a study released Monday.

Beyond the emotional toll on families and communities, homicides between 1996 and 2015 robbed the country of more than US$119 billion in potential productive capacity, according to a study prepared by the Brazilian government with contributions from Rio de Janeiro-based think tank Igarape.

Over that period, both public and private security costs tripled.

The overall costs of criminality in Brazil, Latin America's most populous nation, are equivalent to about 4 percent of gross domestic product, according to the study.

"It paints a very disturbing picture," said Robert Muggah, Igarape's research director, adding that the report used conservative baselines and thus the actual toll may be much high-

er.

Brazil is preparing for presidential elections in October and public security is a top issue for voters. A military intervention in Rio has sparked debate on how best to confront increasing violence.

The report reviewed government data on local, state and federal security expenditures, along with figures on workers in private security, incarceration costs and average productivity of workers of all ages.

In brute numbers, Brazil has long had more homicides each year than any other nation. The country's murder rate puts it on a par with countries like the Dominican Republic, Rwanda, South Africa and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, according to Igarape.

Between 1996 and 2015, the average number of homicides jumped from 35,000 to more than 54,000 each year. That represents a 54 percent increase in murders while the population was growing by 40 percent.q

A13

Wednesday 13 June 2018

June Promising Promotions at Tropicana Casino

EAGLE BEACH — Tropicana Aruba Resort & Casino has tons going on for this month. Dive in while you still can as this is your opportunity to enjoy a play and win various, super exciting prices. Every day of the week you can visit the casino and enjoy a promotion that promises to make you smile.

Daily Dice.

‘Comps to Gas or Groceries Promotion’ is a daily play where you can use comps for gasoline or

shopping at Superfood. ‘Play 20 minutes and get 20 bucks’ is especially for new members where you can play 20 minutes on your favorite slot machines and get $ 20 in Bonus Slot Dollars. Club Members celebrating their birthday in June may ‘Spin the Wheel’ to receive fun prizes plus 1 free bingo card on bingo days. ‘Table Games Raffle’ are a daily play for tickets on the table games to participate in winning weekend stays, match plays, gas vouchers or dinner vouchers.

‘Scooter promotion’ was a hit in May, so continues in June where you can win a Crown Scooter 100 CC + $ 200 free slot play and gas.

Check it out and ride away.

Spinning Sunday Sunday the casino ‘Spins the Wheel’ for cash, free slot play and prizes, drawings are at 6, 7 and 8 PM. From 11 AM on ‘Bingo Sessions’ start and June 17th there is a special Father’s Day Bingo with prizes that purse up to $ 3.300 cash.

Monday & Tuesdays ‘Bingo Sessions’ are on for Mondays and Tuesdays from 1 PM. ‘TShirt Tuesday’ you may take your Tshirt between 10 AM – 10 PM when earning 100 points on your Trop Advantage card. Do not forget to join the ‘Rolling for Riches’ to receive 1 ticket for every 10 points, drawings are from 8,9,10 and 11 PM. Wonderful Wednesday ‘PLINKO Promotion’ gives 1 ticket for every 10 points, drawings are 8,9,10 and 11 PM. Tonight there is the ‘Pre-Father’s Day Promotion’ where players will receive 1 ticket for every 10 points, prizes range from bonus slot dollars, breakfasts, dinners, spa treatments & a weekend stay for Father’s Day Weekend with check-in on June 16 for 2 nights. Drawings from 8 PM. Thundering Thursday & Firing Friday ‘Beat the Boss Poker Tournament’ is rocking it at the Double Down

Lounge and owners may enjoy a special reception. There is a ‘Money Machine Promotion’ and a ‘Direct mail Bonus Slot Dollar Offer’. Fridays gets crazy with the ‘Crazy Bingo’ creating complete excitement as you will only know the cash prize when the winner is called. There is more to it, check it out as this is REAL FUN. Shiny Saturday ‘Players Gift Giveaway’ is scheduled for June 23 with a $ 1000 Hot Seat Promotion from 8 to 11 PM. June 16 and 30 there is ‘Spin the Wheel’ and ‘Direct mail Bonus Slot Dollar Offer’ is fixed on the Saturdays.

Happy play, happy hour as the Tropicana Aruba Resort & Casino offers great Happy Hours at different locations like Bikini’s Pool Bar, Uncle Tony’s Pizza and Double Down Restaurant & Grill.

More information: Facebook tropicana aruba resort & casino or https://troparuba.com/q

A14 LOCAL

Wednesday 13 June 2018

Tourism Increased With 1.6% During The First 5 Months Of 2018 Income Per Hotel Room (REVPAR) Increased With 11.9% Compared To 2017 ORANJESTAD — Aruba welcomed a total of 441.455 ‘stay-over’ visitors for the first 5 months of 2018. This is 1.6% (+7.045 tourists) more compared to the same season in 2017. If Venezuela visitors are excluded, you can see an augmentation of 6.1% (+25.025 tourists) which is a total of 410.466 visitors to our island. These numbers indicate growth in key markets for Aruba, like United States, Canada, Brazil and Holland among others. For the month of May, Aruba received a total of 85.430 stay-over visitors, which is 5.5% (+4.455) more compared to the same month last year. Excluding Venezuela visitors you can see that this is 7.3% (5.564 tourists) more which

is equal to 81.776 visitors to our island for the month of May 2018.

Tourism ‘stay-over’ Aruba is being represented in 3 different continents.

Compared to last year May, for 2018 visitors proceeding from the North American continent increased with 8.7% (+5.026 tourists/total 63.003 tourists) and brought in 73.7% of the total tourism to our destination. In May, United States increased with 9.3% (+5.158 tourists/total 60.545 tourists) and Canada decreased with 5.1% (-132 tourists/total 2.458 tourists) compared to the same month in 2017. For the first 5 months of 2018, North America brought 346.876 tourist to Aruba,

which is 7.3% (+23.643 tourists) growth.

The Latin American continent visitors decreased with 7.4% (-944 tourists/total 11.895 tourists) where Venezuela decreased with 23.3% (-1.109 tourists/total 3.654 tourists) compared

to May last year. Colombia decreased with 8.3% (-180 tourists/total 1.982 tourists) and Brazil increased with 11.8% (+111 tourists/ total 1.050 tourists). The Latin American continent brought in 13.9% of the total tourism for the month of May to our island. For the first 5 months, Latin America brought 55.449 tourists to Aruba, which is 23% (-16.551 tourists) less than the same period last year.

From Europe it is to notice that the tourism decrease with 5.5% (-409 tourists/total 6.965 tourists) compared to the same month last year. Holland increased with 15.8% (+460 tourists/total 3.364 tourists), and the United Kingdom decreased with 43.25% (-1.251 tourists/total 1.643 tourists). This is primarily because of a charter flight from Manchester-England to Aruba fell out for 2018.

Consequently this causes that there are less seats available towards our destination for the countries in the United Kingdom. Germany increase with 70.1% (+262 tourists/total 636 tourists). The European continent represents 8.2% of the tourism to Aruba for the month of May. For the first 5 months, Europe brought 32.350 tourists to Aruba, which is 1.8% less (-599 tourists) than the same period last year.

Cruise Tourism During May 2018, 40.224 cruise ship passengers visited our destination on a total of 13 different cruise ships. Compared to May last year, cruise tourism decreased with 22.3% (-11.532

cruise ship tourists), in May 2017 Aruba received 51.756 visitors from 19 cruise ships. This is 6 cruise ships less than last year, from which 3 cruise ships had to go to the so called ‘drydock’ unexpected, which contributed to the unexpected cancellation and less cruise ship visitors during the month of May. For the first 5 months of 2018, a total of 404.680 cruise ship passengers visited Aruba (an increase of 2.2% +8.780 more passengers) on a total of 173 different cruise ships (an increase of 1.8% +3 cruise ships more).

Tourism Receipts / Central Bank of Aruba In agreement with the Central Bank the so called ‘Tourism Receipts’, for the year 2017 contributed with AWG 3.078.5 million in our economy, which is an increase of 6.5% compared to the same period in 2016.

Hotels/AHATA According to Aruba Hotel and Tourism Association for the month of May 2018, the ‘Average Daily Rate’ (ADR) increased with 11.1% compared to May 2017 this in numbers is US$200.68 in 2017 compared to US$222.94 for 2018. For the first 5 months of 2018, ADR increased with 8.7% which in numbers is US$292.91.

The income per available room, the so called RevPar increased with 8.9% from US$168.98 in May 2017 to US$184.06 in May 2018. For the first 5 months of 2018 the RevPar increased with 11.9%-US$262.29. The ‘Occupied Rooms Per Night’ (ORN) decreased with 1.9% in may 2018. For the first 5 months of 2018 ORN increased with 2.8%.

The first 4 months of 2018 AHATA’s numbers are based on 14 properties including Holiday Inn Resort and the majority of hotels with exception of The Hilton Aruba Caribbean Resort & Casino. From May 2018 and forward the numbers are based on 13 properties excluding Holiday Inn Resort.q

LOCAL A15

Wednesday 13 June 2018

Father’s day treat, “Thank you, Dad” EAGLE BEACH — A wonderful Champagne brunch with the spectacular view of Punta Brabo beach is what Matthew’s beachside restaurant offers you while you are celebrating Father’s day on Sunday June 17 between 10 am-2 pm.

During this event Matthew’s will offer an exquisite and rich buffet especially made for the hotel guests and the local community. The brunch will have live music

by D.U.R.O. entertainment and as an extra touch to this memorable morning our Father’s will have the opportunity to join raffle prizes with giveaways from different local companies.

Matthew’s beachside restaurant is located on the beach Punta Brabo at the Casa del Mar Beach Resort and owned by ex- Rumba restaurant owners Stefan & Milca Legger. They together with their friendly servers, bartenders and kitchen associates are ready to offer you an excellent service, quality dishes and competitive prices and most of all a unique place to celebrate with your family and friends.

Matthew’s is open every day from 7.30 am – 10 pm breakfast/lunch/dinner and daily happy hour 3 times a day. They welcome you to paradise at Matthew’s beachside restaurant www.matthews-aruba.com, bookings from now by telephone 588 -7300. FULL IS FULL Trip advisor excellent/ follow us on FB/matthewsbeachside q

A16 LOCAL

Wednesday 13 June 2018

A weekly calendar with a selection of what’s going on in Aruba Wednesday 13 Chair Yoga • Enjoy the mental, physical and emotional benefits of yoga at the 60+ club Kibrahacha. Especially for the seniors this class is designed in a way that you can enjoy even when you are at a certain age. Mingle with the locals and feel fit!

• 10.30 – 11.30 AM • Club Kibrahacha, Piedra Plat • Facebook Club Kibrahacha 60+ Thursday 14 2018 FIFA World Cup: Russia - Saudi Arabia • Enjoy the start of this action-packed football event from a first class seat with a worldly breakfast paired with different beer samples. Live broadcasting with top audio. You are being served to fully enjoy!

• 11 AM – 1 PM • Tropicana Aruba resort & casino, Eagle Beach • Facebook tropicana aruba resort & casino Friday 15 Hai Kobe • The only Kobe Steak on the island is served at L.G. Smith restaurant, the famous Japanese steak known for its flavor, tenderness and well-marbled texture.

• From 6 PM • Oranjestad, Renaissance Aruba Resort & Casino • Facebook Renaissance Aruba Resort & Casino

Saturday 16 Mandala Painting Workshop • Romelinda helps us to jumpstart the creativity in us through meditation so that the mind calms down and we can paint our unique mandala design on canvas • 10 AM – 1 PM • Cosecha, San Nicolas • Facebook Aruba Cosecha

Sunday 17 Brunch @ La Vista • Special day for Daddy, so take him to a special brunch • From 10 AM – 2 PM • Restaurant La Vista, Aruba Marriott Resort • Facebook Aruba Marriott Resort & Stellaris® Casino

Monday 18 Museum Monday • Visit the Historical Museum of Aruba at Fort Zoutman, the oldest building in Oranjestad and home of Aruba’s Historical Museum • 9 AM – 6 PM • Oranjestad • Facebook Museo Historico Aruba: Fort Zoutman & Willem III Toren

Tuesday 19 Master of the Mind • Guy Bavli is Master of the Mind in this amazing, dazzling show. He is an Israeli mentalist, illusionist, and lecturer.Bavli claims no superpowers. His skills actually lie in advanced applications of mind magic, psychology, physiology, and intuition, gained through years of intense study and practice.

• 7 – 10 PM • Alhambra & Divi Resorts Aruba Banquet & Events, Alhambra Mall • Facebook Alhambra & Divi Resorts Aruba Banquet & Events

local A17

Wednesday 13 June 2018

Hurricane Industry: Sectors for Success

Turning the tide towards true regional resilience by ir. Damien Richardson www.pandotrip.com Caribbean Billion Dollar Mountains Living among the green mountains Overwhelmed by the vast arrangement of colors Floating like leaves on trees Wrapped in royal apparel with tones of Purple, red, blue, orange, and yellow As we arise in spirit and mind We climb together in recreational mode to top of hurricane pinnacles We stand still admiring and surveying the many scenic horizons ahead.

Realizing that: We can live; we can build an alternative future, we can be generationally resilient.

Welcome to the Caribbean Mountains -ir. Damien Richardson

From the moment we become of age you are aware of your surroundings, you then quickly realize that you are residing in a hurricane zone. Hurricanes are an integral part of the Caribbean lifestyle and experience from the time of its inception. From 1960 to present the Caribbean can say that there has been approximately 12 to 14 major hurricanes that has passed through the islands leaving in its wake a series of ravaging effects. Over an estimated 2 million lives has been lost within this time, over $120 billion has been spent on public and private damages that can be estimated, and not to mention the cost related to public and private organizational and public displacement expenses.

In the foreword of the 1994 Pan American Health Organization article called “A World Safe from Natural Disasters − The Journey of Latin America and the Caribbean” there is a representation of their priorities in combating life lost and property lose as a result of natural disasters. The following statement has a very hopeful tone of relevance for us as a nation of islands as we begin to gain an alternative perspective on the next steps that we have to take as a people. “A second purpose is to share the optimism and enthusiasm of disaster professionals at witnessing a slow but steady evolution in the Region − from the fatalistic acceptance of disasters to the determination to take steps to avoid them whenever possible or minimize their effects through long−term disaster reduction planning.”

On average there are at least 100 conferences on hurricanes preparedness within the Caribbean region. That is equivalent to an untold quantity of public, man and company-hours being invested in activities that seemingly can be used in a productive manner in relationship to developing scenarios towards turning the tide towards developing a new resilient approach for the Hurricane Industry. What makes the Hurricane Industry an Industry is the fact that we can conclude together that we have a product or a product line (category one to five hurricane types), we have a market (news broadcast agencies, meteorological agencies, airline agencies, natural disaster rapid response specialists, etc.), we have several types of business models that have come to life (considering the various institutions regional and global who are tasked with the preparation, execution and the assisting with monetary injections and technical support, evacuation models, etc.), and finally there is a clear distribution model (dealing with good practices, disaster specialists, national readiness protocols, etc.). So to put it in simple terms we have a well-oiled manufacturing operation that

TOLL FREE 1 866 978 61 92 + 297 699 29 79 @arubaslife FOLLOW US ON: info@arubaslife.com | www.arubaslife.com we can measure and get stats from.

We as a Caribbean people can benefit from changing our focus to developing “experience models for global impact”. Following are some inspirational approaches, that have been identified: the Macworld WWDC (Worldwide Development Conference) and their many proactive projects, the Microsoft powerful and relevant organizational and team building “workshops”, the Samsung “launch” videos and their community programs, looking at initiatives like how the National Football League incorporated MIT in the NFL’s Next Generation Statistical Sports Analysis Conference dealing with for example real time player tracking technologies, developing new mind blowing simple to use presentation tools, looking at the

new innovations towards medical advancements, looking at the relevant and encouraging announcements in the logistic and space race arenas: namely the work being done by Elon Musk, there are many relevant and hopeful dynamics playing out as we speak.

It is time for the region to become rigorous and envisage a strategy of no tolerance towards lives neither lost; or making room for any form of public property damages. It is time to identify those minds and professional experts who are clearly interested in turning the tide towards true resilience for the Caribbean region. In 2013 Shane L. Koyczan said it best when he said, “If your heart is broken, make art with the pieces.” Let us make art together. Recorded in the Business Insider May

30, 2018, The president, Dr. Warren Smith, of the Caribbean Development Bank in one of his recent speeches represented the following towards ways to triumph over setbacks. Dr. Smith urged regional leaders and development partners to work collaboratively and proactively to address the Region’s vulnerabilities by building resilience in technology, agriculture, and regional airline connectivity. “Our Region has had to cope with countless natural disasters and other shocks throughout its history. And we have demonstrated repeatedly our ability to ‘bounce back’ from such disastrous events, However, our responses have been largely reactionary; and the cost of responding has been rising steadily, undermining other efforts to get onto a sustainable development platform,” q

A18 SPORTS

Wednesday 13 June 2018

Jordan Spieth lines up a putt on the eighth green during a practice round for the U.S. Open Golf Championship, Tuesday, June 12, 2018, in Southampton, N.Y. Associated Press

FINAL PITCH

Spieth in mini-slump heading to Shinnecock Hills, U.S. Open

By BARRY WILNER SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. (AP) — Lots of folks have become accustomed to seeing Jordan Spieth's name atop leaderboards, particularly at golf's majors. So has Spieth.

Yet since winning the British Open last July, Spieth barely has been a factor on the weekends. He believed third-place finishes in Houston and at the Masters had indicated a turnaround heading into this week's U.S. Open. But since Augusta, his best showing in five tournaments is a tie for 21st at the Byron Nelson, and he twice missed cuts, including most recently at the Memorial.

Not quite the stuff that rocketed Spieth to the top of golf, with Masters and U.S. Open wins in 2015, and his third major last summer at Royal Birkdale. “Yeah, I think my patience has been tested, just not going into Saturday or Sunday with a legitimate chance to win but maybe once,” Spieth said Tuesday at Shinnecock Hills.

Continued on Page 23

Boston beats punchless Baltimore 2-0 in 12 innings Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Craig Kimbrel throws to the Baltimore Orioles in the 12th inning of a baseball game, Monday, June 11, 2018, in Baltimore.

Associated Press Page 20

SPORTS A19

Wednesday 13 June 2018

Cubs back in 1st place, beat Brewers 7-2 in 11 innings

By The Associated Press MILWAUKEE (AP) — Anthony Rizzo homered down the right-field line on the first pitch of a five-run 11th inning to help Chicago beat Milwaukee and jump into first place in the NL Central.

Rizzo turned on a fastball from Matt Albers (3-2) for a towering shot that snapped a 2-all tie. The Cubs scored four more runs in the inning with two outs, including a two-run double by Jason Heyward. He had three hits and three RBIs, including a tying single in the eighth off lefty reliever Josh Hader.

Trailing 2-1 most of the night, the Cubs scored six times over the last four innings against the Brewers' normally lights-out bullpen.

Chicago took a half-game lead in the division and won its seventh straight over Milwaukee.

Randy Rosario (3-0) retired all six batters he faced.

DIAMONDBACKS 9, PIRATES 5 PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona scored two runs on wild pitches in the eighth inning, Jake Lamb hit a tying, threerun homer in the seventh and the Diamondbacks took advantage of a hit by pitch to rally past Pittsburgh.

The Pirates led 5-0 behind Joe Musgrove until the right-hander opened the seventh by hitting Chris Owings with the first pitch — possibly as retaliation for Josh Harrison being plunked in the top half. Nick Ahmed hit a run-scoring single, Daniel Descalso had another off Edgar Santana and Lamb tied it at 5 with a three-run homer to left field.

Ketel Marte singled off Kyle

Milwaukee Brewers' Lorenzo Cain can't catch a double hit by Chicago Cubs' Jason Heyward during the 11th inning of a baseball game Monday, June 11, 2018, in Milwaukee.

Associated Press

Crick (0-1) leading off the eighth, moved to second on a walk and raced to third after a pickoff attempt at second base by catcher Elias Diaz. Marte scored when the next pitch

by Crick bounded to the backstop. Descalso put Arizona up 8-5 with a two-

run triple and scored on Dovydas Neverauskas' wild pitch.

Archie Bradley (2-1) worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the seventh.

MARLINS 7, GIANTS 5 MIAMI (AP) — Madison Bumgarner blew a sixth inning lead and was

ejected on the way out of his second start this season and Miami rallied past San Francisco.

J.T. Realmuto had three hits including his seventh home run of the season and drove in two and Brian Anderson homered, doubled twice, and drove in two runs for

the Marlins.

Bumgarner was pulled after giving up a tying hit to Lewis Brinson with one out in the sixth. Upset over calls on a four-pitch walk earlier in the inning, Bumbarner had words for home plate umpire Jeremie Rehak on his way to the dugout and was ejected.

Brandon Crawford's sacrifice fly in the seventh gave the Giants a 5-4 lead. Anderson responded with an RBI double to tie the game at 5. Realmuto followed with a two-run home run to center field off Sam Dyson (2-1).

Adam Conley (2-0) tossed a scoreless inning and Kyle Barraclough pitched a flawless ninth for his third save in five chances.

CARDINALS 5, PADRES 2 ST. LOUIS (AP) — Marcell Ozuna and Jose Martinez hit two-run homers, rookie Jack Flaherty pitched into the seventh inning, and St. Louis beat San Diego for the 13th time in 18 meetings.

Jedd Gyorko added a oneout home run in the eighth, helping drop the Padres to their 46th loss in their last 62 games in St. Louis.

Flaherty (3-2) pitched 6 1/3 innings, his second-longest outing this season. He allowed one run and three hits with a walk and six strikeouts. Flaherty retired 14 consecutive batters before issuing a one-walk in the seventh. John Brebbia relieved and walked the bases loaded before getting two strikeouts to end the threat.

Bud Norris earned his 13th save in 15 chances.

Jordan Lyles (2-3) gave up 11 hits and four runs in six innings.q

A20 SPORTS

Wednesday 13 June 2018

Red Sox edge struggling Orioles 2-0 in 12 innings

By The Associated Press BALTIMORE (AP) — Brock Holt and Jackie Bradley Jr. each delivered a sacrifice fly in the 12th inning, and the Boston Red Sox limited the Baltimore Orioles to five hits in a 2-0 victory Monday night.

A pitching duel between Dylan Bundy and Steven Wright was ultimately decided long after both starters departed.

Xander Bogaerts led off the 12th with a single against Mychal Givens (0-3), and the Red Sox went on to load the bases before Holt broke the scoreless deadlock with a fly to center. Bradley followed with a fly ball to score Rafael Devers, who had doubled.

Heath Hembree (3-1) struck out the side in the 11th and Craig Kimbrel got three outs for his 21st save.

It was the fifth straight loss for the Orioles, who have been shut out seven times this season.

MARINERS 5, ANGELS 3 SEATTLE (AP) — Nelson Cruz homered twice and surprising Seattle overcame Mike Trout's two home runs

Boston Red Sox's Xander Bogaerts (2) slides past Baltimore Orioles catcher Chance Sisco for a run on Brock Holt's sacrifice fly ball in the 12th inning of a baseball game, Monday, June 11, 2018, in Baltimore. Boston won 2-0 in 12 innings.

Associated Press

Paradise in the Caribbean

SALES OFFICE +297 2801005 info@leventaruba.com MOBILE +297 5927275 www.leventaruba.com

in a win over Los Angeles.

Ryon Healy hit a two-run shot for the Mariners, who chased Andrew Heaney (3-5) early and won for the ninth time in 11 games.

Seattle sits atop the AL West by a half-game over the World Series champion Houston Astros.

Trout tied Boston slugger J.D. Martinez for the major league lead with 21 homers. Albert Pujols also went deep for the Angels.

Mariners starter Wade LeBlanc (2-0) allowed two runs and four hits in five innings. He loaded the bases in the fifth but struck out Justin Upton to escape unscathed.

Cruz drove in three runs

and Edwin Diaz pitched a clean ninth for his major league-best 24th save in 27 chances.

INDIANS 4, WHITE SOX 0 CHICAGO (AP) — Carlos Carrasco struck out 11 while pitching two-hit ball over seven innings as Cleveland blanked Chicago.

Michael Brantley hit his 11th homer, Yan Gomes had a two-run double and the AL Central leaders took advantage of another wild outing by Lucas Giolito (47) to win for the fifth time in six games. The Indians improved to 4-0 against the White Sox. Carrasco (8-4) gave up singles to Kevan Smith and Charlie Tilson in the second

before striking out Adam Engel to end the threat.

Three relievers completed the two-hitter.

Giolito (4-7) threw more balls (47) than strikes (46) in giving up four runs and four hits in five-plus innings.

RAYS 8, BLUE JAYS 4 ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Jake Bauers hit his first career home run to put Tampa Bay ahead in the fourth inning.

Bauers' two-run homer off Sam Gaviglia after Matt Duffy's single erased a 4-3 Toronto lead. Tampa Bay tacked on three runs in the seventh with the help of a bases-loaded throwing error by reliever John Axford.

Left-hander Ryan Yarbrough, who leads the major leagues with 44 relief innings, started and pitched six innings for the Rays. Yarbrough (5-2) gave up four runs on seven hits while striking out three in his first start since May 14.

The Rays, who won for only the second time in 11 games.

Gaviglia (2-2) gave up five runs on seven hits and two walks in 3 1/3 innings.

Teoscar Hernandez hit his 11th homer for the Blue Jays, who had won four straight.q

SPORTS A21

Wednesday 13 June 2018

Nadal, Halep 1st pair of No. 1 French Open champs since 1992

By HOWARD FENDRICH , AP Tennis Writer PARIS (AP) — Rafael Nadal and Simona Halep needed strong French Open showings to hold onto their top rankings. They did just that, becoming the first pair of ATP and WTA No. 1s to both win the title at Roland Garros since Jim Courier and Monica Seles in 1992.

Nadal sits barely ahead of No. 2 Roger Federer on Monday, with a 100-point lead of 8,770 to 8,670.

They would have switched places if the Spaniard had failed to win his record-extending 11th championship Sunday.

"Today is all about Roland Garros," Nadal said after defeating Dominic Thiem 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 in Sunday's final. "I don't think about the rankings at all today, no?"

Alexander Zverev is No. 3, nearly 3,000 rankings points further back.

Juan Martin del Potro jumped two spots to No. 4 by reaching his first French Open semifinal in nine years, and Thiem rose one place to No. 7 by reaching his first Grand Slam final.

Marco Cecchinato made the biggest move in the ATP top 100, going up 45 spots to No. 27 — putting him in line for a Wimbledon seeding next month — af-

ter reaching the semifinals.

At No. 72, he was the lowest-ranked semifinalist in 19 years.

The 25-year-old Italian had never won a Grand Slam match before this French Open, but he beat Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals after also eliminating players seeded No. 8 and 10.

Halep, Caroline Wozniacki and Garbine Muguruza remained the WTA's top three, but French Open runner-up Sloane Stephens went from No. 10 to a career-high No. 4.

Madison Keys, who lost to Stephens in the semifinals, is now No. 10 after entering the tournament at No. 13.

Last year's champion in Paris, Jelena Ostapenko, dropped from No. 5 to No. 12 with a first-round exit this time. She was the first reigning women's champion to lose her opening match at the French Open since 2004.

Halep, who first grabbed the top ranking last October, could have been overtaken by five women if she didn't at least get to the semifinals at Roland Garros.

But Halep not only made it to the semifinals, she beat 2017 U.S. Open champion Stephens 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 in the title match Saturday for her

first Grand Slam trophy after three losses in major finals. "The fact that I could be No. 1 in the world last year gave me confidence and gave me, like, a little bit of relief, because I touched something, something big, something huge," Halep said, "and I just had in my mind to win a Grand Slam after that."q

Spain's Rafael Nadal celebrates winning the men's final match of the French Open tennis tournament against Austria's Dominic Thiem in three sets 6-4, 6-3, 6-2, at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, France, Sunday, June 10, 2018.

Associated Press

A22 SPORTS

Wednesday 13 June 2018

Mickelson trying not to look ahead at another U.S. Open chance

By DOUG FERGUSON SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. (AP) — Phil Mickelson is running out of time.

Mickelson doesn't need to be reminded that this is his 27th appearance in the U.S. Open, more than any of the 156 players at Shinnecock Hills. He wouldn't want to be reminded that 65 players — including the last four major champions — were not even born when Mickelson was low amateur in his first U.S. Open in 1990 at Medinah.

"I just can't believe that time has flown by so fast," he said Monday.

The desire hasn't changed, only the emphasis.

Mickelson didn't win a major until he was 33 and in his 12th full year on the PGA Tour. Back then, any major would have sufficed. A year after he won the 2004 Masters, he added a PGA Championship. And then in 2013 at Muirfield, he surprised even himself by capturing the British Open.

One to go for the career Grand Slam, the one that has vexed him the most.

He has more runner-up finishes in the U.S. Open than the other three majors combined. So when Mickelson was asked if he had unfinished business at Shinnecock Hills, he paused briefly before delivering an obvious answer.

"I can say that a few times in this tournament," he said.

It helps that Mickelson has a strong history at Shinnecock Hills, which he refers to as one of his favorite

This photo taken May 10, 2018, shows Phil Mickelson hitting from the 11th tee during the first round of the Players Championship golf tournament in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. Associated Press

courses.

He had a one-shot lead with two holes to play in 2004 when Retief Goosen made a 12-foot birdie putt in the group behind him on the par-5 16th, and then Mickelson put his tee shot in the bunker on the par-3 17th, blasted out to 5 feet and took all the air out of the Hamptons when he three-putted for double bogey.

In his first U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills in 1995, he was one shot out of the lead going into the final round, closed with a 74 and finished four shots behind.

More than a tough final round was playing the par5 16th hole in 6 over for the week. "If I played that hole

even, I could have won," Mickelson said.

This is not a time for Mickelson, who turns 48 on Saturday, to be looking behind.

He doesn't want to look forward, either.

Never mind that Mickelson has played well on the next three U.S. Open courses — Shinnecock Hills, Pebble Beach and Winged Foot.

Or that with a victory earlier this year at the Mexico Championship that his confidence level is higher than the four previous years when he didn't win at all.

Mickelson only cares about posting a score in the opening round Thursday that will keep him in the mix, and then repeating the process Friday. It's a message he

delivered on four separate occasions during his interviews.

"These three (courses) provide me a great opportunity to finish out this final leg," he said. "Certainly, with the way I've been playing this year and at the consistent level, as well as at a much higher level than I've played the last few years, it gives me a great opportunity. But the last thing I'm thinking about right now is trying to win. I'm trying to get myself in position for the weekend. Because when you try to go out and win a U.S. Open, you will lose it quick."

Asked if he had ever tried to win a U.S. Open on Thursday, he replied, "Yes, and I

was home Friday night."

Mickelson hasn't had a chance since his sixth runner-up finish in 2013 at Merion, where he twice made bogey with a wedge in his hand over the last six holes.

This is the longest stretch — three U.S. Opens — that he has failed to even feature on the weekend.

The oldest player to win the U.S. Open was Hale Irwin, who was 45 when he won at Medinah in 1990 — Mickelson's first major.

"That's the marvelous thing about Phil Mickelson. You don't put anything beyond his talents," said David Duval, who has competed against Mickelson since college. In the last few weeks, Mickelson has said he doesn't want to get too wrapped up in how the golf course sets up, other than he think it's the best ever for a U.S. Open. The fairways are slightly wider, which should help. Most of the rough around the green has been shaved down, playing to another of his strength because he has such a wide variety of short-game shots instead of just hacking out of thick grass. "I feel as though the luck of a courses has been taken out as much as possible to where skill is the primary factor," Mickelson said. "I think we're going to have a great leaderboard and a great tournament."

All he cares about is being part of that leaderboard on the weekend, and then take his chances from there.q

Olympic skier Bode Miller's toddler daughter drowns in pool

In this Jan. 25, 2014 file photo, Bode Miller and his wife Morgan smile at the men's World Cup downhill in Kitzbuehel, Austria.

Associated Press

By BRIAN MELLEY Associated Press LOS ANGELES (AP) — The 19-month-old daughter of U.S. Olympic skier Bode Miller drowned in a Southern California swimming pool, authorities said Monday.

Emeline Miller died at an Orange County hospital Sunday, the day after paramedics tried unsuccessfully to revive her after the drowning incident.

"We are beyond devastated," Miller said in an Instagram post that showed several photos of the

blonde, blue-eyed, chubby-cheeked toddler.

In a video, Emmy, as she was known, was being kissed on the check by her mother Morgan, a professional beach volleyball player, as she repeatedly said, "Hi Dada."

One photo showed her covered in suds in a tub and another showed her smiling as she pushed two baby dolls in a pink stroller on a street with large homes in the background.

"Never in a million years did we think we would experi-

ence a pain like this," Miller said in the post. "Her love, her light, her spirit will never be forgotten.

Our little girl loved life and lived it to its fullest every day."

The death was under investigation, Orange County sheriff's spokeswoman Carrie Braun said.

Paramedics were called to a home in the upscale enclave of Coto de Caza just before 6:30 p.m. Saturday, said Capt. Tony Bommarito of the Orange County Fire Authority.q

SPORTS A23

Wednesday 13 June 2018

SPIETH Continued from Page 18

"Technically the Masters, I didn't really have a chance. The back nine, I ended up giving myself a chance.

"Yeah, just the limited number compared to previous years of chances I've had on the weekends has been frustrating."

Spieth, 24, always has been mature as a competitor and person. When he went after the career Grand Slam for the first time last year at the PGA Championship, he wound up 10 shots back.

No one contemplated he wouldn't have won another PGA Tour title since, missing two cuts before the Masters and two more after.

While exasperated, Spieth, as always, believes he is close to the way out of this mini-slump — for him, at least.

"Over the last, since probably in between Austin (a first-round elimination

by Patrick Reed in match play) and Houston was a really big weekend for me of settling down and getting back on the right track with things," he said.

"And recognizing that it's a long career, and, you know, results aren't going to come by wanting them to come. They're going to come by being obsessed with the process, getting

back to the basics, being an athlete, figuring out within the swing, the intricacies of the game.

Kind of the stuff — the reason I love to practice — that's what's going to kind of bring it back, and results aren't everything."

Maybe not, except that when the results have been so spectacular so quickly, they become how you are measured by the public.

Spieth has won 11 times in his first five full seasons, including those three major championships. His putting skills are envied by many of his peers. So are his analytical breakdowns of shots, holes, his swing.

His optimism that all will be right again is praise-worthy — and probably accurate.

"I feel like my game is in the best shape it's been in a long time, including last year," he said. "And my results don't necessarily speak towards that, but I feel that way, and so I'll stick with the process, and they'll surely come at some point."

If that point is this week, Spieth must outshoot not only the sentimental fan choices (Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson) but all of those young guns who

have begun to grab majors: Reed, Justin Thomas, Brooks Koepka.

"It almost feels like I'm back in high school and college," Spieth joked.

"These are the same guys we used to battle it out with then, and I'd win one, then they would win one. It's just blown up now because there was no coverage; no one really cared to watch us back then, and now people do.

"But it's nothing different than what we've kind of been doing with each other for a number of years.

It's really cool to be out here doing it, but I don't think we ... think of it as a totally different experience than anything we've always kind of done."q

Jordan Spieth hits off the seventh tee during a practice round for the U.S. Open Golf Championship, Tuesday, June 12, 2018, in Southampton, N.Y. Associated Press

A24 TECHNOLOGY

Wednesday 13 June 2018

Don't trust the tech giants? You likely rely on them anyway

By ANICK JESDANUN RYAN NAKASHIMA NEW YORK (AP) — If technology giants like Facebook, Google and Amazon face a common threat to their dominance, it probably lies in a single word: trust.

In some respects, these companies are riding high. They have woven themselves into the fabric of our daily lives, making their services indispensable for daily tasks like keeping in touch with family and friends, watching TV and buying cat food. Revenues are up and profits are soaring.

But they've also drawn the attention of regulators in Europe and the U.S. thanks to carelessness with consumer data and other problems. Facebook's leaky data controls, for instance, let Cambridge Analytica mine the profiles of up to 87 million people in an attempt to swing elections.

The social network has also had to beef up manual oversight to clamp down on the spread of fake news.

Google's YouTube has likewise been implicated in the spread of political conspiracy theories. Not long ago, Amazon's alwayslistening Echo speaker inadvertently recorded a family's conversation at home — and then sent the recording to someone else.

Some of these issues are

In this June 1, 2018, file photo, commuters look at their phones in Los Angeles.

systemic; others may be little more than the growing pains of new technologies.

What they all fuel, though, is a sense that technology may not always warrant the implicit faith we place in it.

Companies have to realize "that trust isn't digital," says Gerd Leonhard, a futurist and author of "Technology vs. Humanity." ''Trust is not something that you download. Trust is a feeling.

It's a perception."

Trust looms large in modern life. We still get on airplanes even though they sometimes come apart in flight . We go to hospitals

even though medical errors sometimes kill patients.

These services are too important to live without, despite the occasional disastrous error.

But those industries are also heavily regulated because of the risks involved.

Technology companies, by comparison, are largely unconstrained.

Trust issues could be especially acute for technology companies, since their services are effectively omnipresent yet largely inscrutable.

You can't audit Google's algorithm to see why it's giving you certain search results the way you can watch your bank balance.

You just have to trust that the company is upholding its promises.

Yet so far, such concerns don't loom large for most consumers.

"That trust is eroded, but the uncomfortable thing is no one really cares," says Scott Galloway, a New York University marketing professor. "As long as they trust that technology will improve their lives, they don't appear to care about the other stuff."

A 2016 survey from the Pew Research Center, for instance, found that only 9 percent of users were "very confident" that social media companies could protect their data. More

Associated Press

than half had little or no confidence. Yet a January survey from Pew found that 69 percent of U.S. adults use social media, unchanged from 2016.

Shaky consumer confidence can still limit the time people spend on Facebook or curb their enthusiasm for new boundary-pushing services.

Amazon, for instance, now wants its delivery people to leave packages inside your home or car. That's not going to fly if you're worried about Amazon exploiting its access to your private spaces.

But tech giants have fewer worries about consumers defecting to their rivals, in part because they each do their best to lock users into their array of complementary apps and services. That doesn't stop them from sniping at one another, of course.

Apple, for instance, has emphasized its privacy protections to highlight its differences with Facebook and Google. But it's also reportedly seeking ways to expand its ad business, which would bring it into more direct competition with its two rivals.

History does offer a cautionary tale for tech companies that grow too complacent. Roughly a decade ago, Microsoft's dominance in personal

computers seemed impregnable, even after a bruising antitrust fight over its Windows monopoly.

Then came the iPhone, which Microsoft ridiculed — at least until the mobile computing wave it unleashed swamped the Windows PC. Could a similar shift today tap into underlying consumer discontent and topple today's tech giants?

Perhaps, although it's not clear exactly how.

One possibility could involve blockchain, the technology that underlies bitcoin and similar cryptocurrencies.

Some enthusiasts have begun to talk about blockchainbased social networks that could operate without central authorities such as Facebook, which in theory could also minimize privacy risks. But that could take years, if it comes to pass at all. In the meantime, developments in artificial intelligence could make things even worse on the trust front. Some researchers are using AI systems to create realistic — but wholly fabricated — videos of famous people.

In one, former President Barack Obama is made to "talk" about a shooting ; in another, President Donald Trump gestures in front of a fake photograph .

Google recently unveiled a digital voice assistant called Duplex that can sound convincingly human while booking appointments over the phone. Google says that bot will identify itself as nonhuman when making such calls — but it's not hard to imagine robocallers developing similar, but less scrupulous, technology.

Others are pitting AI networks against each other to hone their abilities to deceive and detect deception — for the moment, primarily in digital images. Applied to other uses, however, this technology could fundamentally test our trust in one another and society's institutions, says Matthew Griffin, a U.K. consultant and futurist.q

BUSINESS A25

Wednesday 13 June 2018

US, global stock markets mixed after Trump-Kim summit

By KEN SWEET NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. and global stock markets were mostly higher Tuesday as investors reacted calmly to the outcome of a meeting between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. KEEPING SCORE: The Dow Jones industrial average was up 5 points, or less than 0.1 percent, to 25,327 as of 1 p.m. Eastern. The S&P 500 index rose 5 points, or 0.2 percent, to 2,787 and the Nasdaq composite rose 42 points, or 0.6 percent, to 7,702.

SUMMIT WATCH: Trump and Kim concluded their summit by committing to working "toward complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula" and to "build a lasting and stable peace regime" on the Korean Peninsula.

The broad promises largely reiterated past agreements, while many of the details were left vague and there was no agreement on ending the technical state of war between North and South Korea. A potential deal has the chance of lowering geopolitical tensions in a region surrounded by three of the world's largest economies: Japan, China and South Korea.

ANALYST'S TAKE: "Deal or no deal? Just don't ask what comprises a 'deal' and we are fine. At the risk of sounding a tad frivolous, that appears to be the truth of the matter," said Vishnu

This April 5, 2018, file photo shows part of the trading floor of the New York Stock Exchange.

Associated Press

Varathan of Mizuho Bank in Singapore of the Trump-Kim summit.

ON THE DEFENSIVE: Following the Trump-Kim summit, shares of weapons makers and defense contractors were among the biggest decliners in the S&P 500.

Raytheon was down nearly 3 percent, Lockheed Martin fell 1 percent and Northrop Grumman fell 1.5 percent.

AT&T WATCH: A federal judge is expected to rule on the proposed merger of AT&T and Time Warner after markets close Tuesday. The Trump administration has sued to block the proposed

$85 billion merger and rejection likely would chill future big mergers, including possible multi-billion dollar deals between 21st Century Fox and Walt Disney; Verizon and CBS; and T-Mobile and Sprint. Time Warner shares were down 40 cents to $95.77 and AT&T shares were up 7 cents to $34.25.

CENTRAL BANKS: The Federal Reserve starts a twoday meeting on interest rates on Tuesday. Investors expect the central bank to raise its benchmark rate by a quarter of a percentage point to a range of 1.75-2 percent. However investors'

attention will focus more on how many additional rate hikes Fed officials may do this year. On Thursday, the European Central Bank will meet and could outline an

end to its stimulus program, while on Friday the Bank of Japan is due to give its latest policy update.

INFLATION: The government said that U.S. consumer prices rose 0.2 percent in May, with surging gasoline costs driving much of the increase. The Labor Department said Tuesday that the consumer price index climbed 2.8 percent last month from a year earlier, putting inflation on its fastest annual pace since February 2012. But core prices — which exclude the volatile food and energy categories — have risen a milder 2.2 percent over the past 12 months.

Fed officials have been closely watching inflation data, since they have a target of inflation being roughly 2 percent per year.

Since core inflation is still tame likely means that the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates only gradually.

ENERGY: Benchmark U.S. crude rose 35 cents to $66.45 a barrel. Brent crude, used to price international oils, fell 7 cents to $76.40 per barrel in London.q

A26 COMICS

Wednesday 13 June 2018

Mutts

Conceptis Sudoku

6 Chix

Blondie

Mother Goose & Grimm

Baby Blues

Zits

Yesterday’s puzzle answer

Sudoku is a number-placing puzzle based on a 9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1 to 9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. The difficulty level of the Conceptis Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday.

CLASSIFIED A27

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Two babies of critically endangered white-belted ruffed lemurs sit on a branch at their enclosure at the Prague zoo, Czech Republic, Friday, June 8, 2018.

Associated Press

Prague zoo says it's on its way to breeding rare lemurs

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Associated Press PRAGUE (AP) — Prague's zoo says its attempt to breed critically endangered white-belted ruffed lemurs is on the right track.

David Vala, the zoo's chief primate curator, said Friday that three lemurs born April 22 have been doing well.

Vala said: "We haven't won yet, but we already have the most difficult period behind us."

Vala said it was difficult to breed this lemur subspecies

because they can become pregnant just one day a year and mothers tend to completely neglect their babies.

That was the case twice before with Fania, the mother of the three babies who have yet to be named.

The zoo says there are only 88 similar lemurs in captivity. Around 10,000 live in the wild in their native Madagascar, down by 80 percent in the last 21 years. q

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A28 SCIENCE

Wednesday 13 June 2018

Romania's measles outbreak kills dozens of children

By ALISON MUTLER CHITILA, Romania (AP) — An outbreak of measles in Romania has killed dozens of infants and children, with 200 new cases reported each week.

Doctors say the surge in the disease is fueled by the country's low rate of vaccination.

Some Romanian celebrities have waged media campaigns warning about the perils of immunization, and local superstitions such as keeping the vaccinepreventable disease at bay with cabbage juice or not cleaning one's house have also exasperated doctors.

Some doctors also complain they don't have sufficient stocks of vaccines.

Some 13,700 people in Romania have contracted measles since the epidemic began in 2016, and 55 have died, of whom only

one had been immunized, according to the National Center for the Supervision and Control of Transmissible Diseases.

The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control said the number of measles cases across the continent tripled last year, with Romania, Ukraine and Italy the worst affected.

Alexandru Rafila, a laboratory chief at the Matei Bals National Institute for Infectious Diseases in Bucharest, told The Associated Press this week that the highly contagious disease is spreading quicker in Romanian because millions of its citizens work abroad, get exposed to different strains of measles and then return home.

He said the disease first appeared in a community of Roma in northwestern Romania in 2016. He said that strain was foreign to

In this photo taken on Wednesday, June 6, 2018 picture, Alexandru Rafila, who heads a laboratory at the Matei Bals National Institute for Infectious Diseases, Romania.

Associated Press

Romania but often found in Italy.

The World Health Organization recommends a 95 percent level of vaccination for measles but Romania has one of the lowest European rates — less than 84 percent.

Doctors like Rafila are also up against celebrities like Olivia Steer, a television personality who publicly promotes an anti-vaccine stance.

"Unfortunately there is an appetite for anything sensational," Rafila said.

"People opposed to vaccination are promoted (in the media) in a way which is, shall we say, unethical."

Steer declined to speak about her views to the AP. Research published 20 years ago that linked the vaccine to autism has been discredited but the scare has made some people wary, Romanian doctors told the AP. In Chitila, a small town just north of the capital of Bucharest, Dr. Daniela Stefanescu, a pediatrician, was vaccinating babies against measles and other viruses this week. The vaccine provides immunity against measles, mumps and German measles and is administered to 1-yearolds with a second dose a few years later.

"Some of them said 'Let me think about it. Maybe I'll have it,'" she said.q

Tiny ancient Quran on display in Israel for Ramadan

By CARON CREIGHTON Associated Press JERUSALEM (AP) — A 10thcentury Quran, unique in size and style, has gone on display for the first time as part of a collection of Islamic texts being shown at Israel's National Library to mark the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

The 16 texts, all from the 10th through 18th centuries, are shown in a small room, with an entrance decorated by ornate flowers that resemble the manuscripts in the showcase.

"We have opened a small, yet powerful exhibition of beautiful, rare Islamic manuscripts that tell the story of Islamic culture across a thousand years," curator Raquel Ukeles said

A 10th century Quran is on display at Israel's National Library in Jerusalem, Monday, June 11, 2018 Associated Press

of the exhibit this week, called "Select Pearls from the Islam Collection."

"Here in Israel, where Jewish culture is the majority culture, the minority cultures often don't get

enough airtime or space, and so one of the roles of the National Library, with its flagship Islam collection, is to draw attention and broaden awareness, and to make space in Israeli social

and cultural consciousness to the culture of Islam," she said.

Featured in the showcase is an exceptionally small and fragile Quran from the 10th century, only 68 by 37 millimeters (2.5 inches by 1.5 inches), which is on public display for the first time.

"It's a fragile, but wellpreserved item, and what's special about this item is it was written without any punctuation or vowelization," said Ukeles. She said the book likely served as "a religious talisman."

While the library has a collection of 1,800 Islamic manuscripts, this is the first such exhibit for all of Ramadan, Ukeles said.

The collection includes other centuries-old Qurans, scrolls, and illustrations.

Describing the various items, Ukeles said she was especially drawn to the story of Layla and Majnun, an ancient tale of love, which she described as the Persian version of Romeo and Juliet. The manuscript is accompanied by a colorful illustration depicting two young lovers who have been forced apart due to tribal differences.

Israel's National Library has one of the largest research collections in the Middle East, and has hosted public programs during Ramadan for the past 5 years.

"Ramadan is this month of intensive religious activity, but also cultural activity, and so it's a wonderful opportunity to draw attention to the Muslim calendar in general, and to this very special holy month in particular," Ukeles said.

Islam is the dominant faith of Israel's Arab minority, which makes up around a fifth of its population, and of Palestinians in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.q

PEOPLE & ARTS A29 'Supergirl' Melissa Benoist is 'coming home' to Broadway Wednesday 13 June 2018

By MARK KENNEDY NEW YORK (AP) — To get ready to play legendary songwriter Carole King on Broadway, Melissa Benoist had to learn her lines and complicated stage directions. Lyrics, not so much.

The actress, who stars on the CW series "Supergirl," has been listening to King since she was a kid, fed a steady diet of classics such as "So Far Away" and "It's Too Late" from the landmark album "Tapestry" by her parents.

"We would take road trips a lot as a family when I was a kid and each member of the family got to pick the music for an hour. My mom always put on Carole King or Linda Ronstadt or Joni Mitchell but mostly Carole King. So I definitely had a relationship," said Benoist.

"Needless to say I didn't have any memorizing to do when it came to learning the songs."

Benoist will take all the help she can get as she makes her Broadway debut Tuesday in "Beautiful: The Carole King Musical," which concentrates on King's early years. The role Benoist is stepping into earned Jessie Mueller a Tony Award.

"It's like a roller-coaster every day because I'll have moments — high highs where I'm like, 'I got this!'" she said. "And then I have other moments where I'm watching someone else do it because I've been trailing backstage or I'm looking at the script and I think to myself, 'Why did I ever agree? Why did I ever put myself in this position?'"

Benoist is closing a circle in a way. She grew up doing musical theater in Denver and sang during the last two seasons of "Glee."

She got the offer to join "Beautiful" while finishing up Season 3 of "Supergirl" in Vancouver.

"I never expected to be wearing a cape and in a flying rig and playing a superhero. That was just not on my radar. But I never, at the same time, gave up the idea of theater. It was always something that I

In this June 10, 2018 file photo, Melissa Benoist introduces a performance by the cast of "Once on This Island" at the 72nd annual Tony Awards in New York.

Associated Press

wanted to come back to," she said. "So I almost feel like I'm coming home in a way."

Benoist actually accepted the offer of spending two months on Broadway without first seeing the musical she was joining.

She sought advice from Broadway veteran and "Supergirl" cast member Jeremy Jordan, and trusted her ears.

"Who else could you say yes without seeing it but Carole King? You KNOW the music," said Benoist, laughing. "I would never forgive myself if I didn't say yes."

Producers Paul Blake and Mike Bosner said in an email that they were "absolutely ecstatic" to invite Benoist to lead their show. "Then we saw her first performance and were completely blown away! She lights up the stage whenever she walks on."

Benoist's stint on Broadway is limited since she's due to return to film Season 4 of "Supergirl," but Benoist said she'll go back to a far different set environment than a year or so ago.

Warner Bros. suspended Andrew Kreisberg, an executive producer and

show runner of "Supergirl," after sexual harassment and misconduct

allegations were made against him. He has denied any wrongdoing.

Benoist calls the new set environment "really conducive to equality and everyone has a say and that is something that I felt change and going in the right direction," she said.

She added that the "Supergirl" family is careful to discuss "what we're saying to young girls, what effect it's going to have on them, what it means."

"So the fact that that's a part of the conversation every day makes me really happy," she said.

While she's hopeful that "Supergirl" and Carole King fans will come out and see her sing at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre, Benoist is a little worried about one person possibly showing up.

That would be Carole King herself.

"I wouldn't want to know until afterward because I wouldn't be able to sing for her," said Benoist. "I can't imagine singing for her — her own music, especially.

But I hope I get to meet her.

I would love that."q

A30 PEOPLE

& ARTS DC unveils special exhibits as 'Hamilton' comes to town Wednesday 13 June 2018

By ASHRAF KHALIL WASHINGTON (AP) — The blockbuster musical "Hamilton" is finally coming to the nation's capital, and the city is preparing in ways that only Washington can.

Lin-Manuel Miranda's genre-bending historical musical about the life of Alexander Hamilton is starting a three-month run at the Kennedy Center on Tuesday.

Hamilton didn't actually spend much of his life or professional career in Washington. The U.S. capital was in Philadelphia when he served as the nation's first treasury secretary, and the federal government didn't move to Washington until 1800, four years before his death.

Alexander Hamilton exhibit called "Alexander Hamilton: Soldier, Secretary, Icon," that include mail, portraits, and postage and revenue stamps reflective of Hamilton's life and career.

Associated Press

However, the myriad museums of modern Washington have been preparing specialized exhibits designed to appeal to tourists and locals who can't get the tunes out of their heads.

"D.C. seems like the sort of town that's tailor-made for this sort of wonky, nerding out over a former secretary of the Treasury," said Daniel Piazza, chief curator of stamp collections at

the Smithsonian's National Postal Museum.

The Postal Museum has already launched an exhibit, "Alexander Hamilton: Soldier, Secretary, Icon," that includes mail, portraits, and postage and revenue stamps reflective of Hamilton's life and career. But the real prize of the exhibit are the two flintlock pistols made of walnut, brass and gold that were used in the July 11, 1804, duel with Vice President Aaron Burr, which resulted in Hamilton's death.

The pistols are on loan from the private collection of JPMorgan Chase & Co. They will only be on display through June 24, although the museum's larger Hamilton exhibit will continue

through next year.

The Library of Congress is unveiling its own Hamilton display, drawing on its collection of more than 12,000 of Hamilton's papers and documents. Much of it will have direct connections and references that fans of the musical will recognize, according to curator Julie Miller. Miranda based his musical on a 2004 biography, "Alexander Hamilton"

by Ron Chernow, which drew from much of the same material.

Miller said the exhibit includes a letter from Hamilton to his wife, Elizabeth Schuyler, in which he refers to her as "the best of wives and best of women" — a line quoted verbatim in the musical.q

U2 dedicates song to Anthony Bourdain at Apollo show

By JOHN CARUCCI NEW YORK (AP) — U2 frontman Bono honored the late Anthony Bourdain toward the end of the band's special performance at the Apollo

Theater in Harlem.

Bono spoke of losing a "lot of inspiring, useful people" over the past few years "who gave up on their own life" alluding to the apparent suicides of

Singer Bono of U2 performs during a concert at the Apollo Theater hosted by SiriusXM on Monday, June 11, 2018, in New York.

Associated Press

musicians Chris Cornell and Chester Bennington, as well as fashion designer Kate Spade.

"And now this great storyteller, who I'm sure has stories he couldn't tell us.

So for Anthony Bourdain, and his friends and family this is a song inspired by a great, great, great friend of ours. His name is Michael Hutchence," Bono said Monday night before launching into an impassioned version of "Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of." The Grammy-winning song about suicide was written by the band after INXS singer Hutchence was

found dead in 1997 of an apparent suicide.

The 61-year old Bourdain was found dead of an apparent suicide last week in France.

As for the performance, the band took a break from their Experience and Innocence arena tour to play a special one-night show at the legendary theater for Sirius XM, subscribers. The invite-only show had a star-studded guest list, including Harry Belafonte, tennis legend John McEnroe, rocker Jon Bon Jovi, E-Street band guitarist "Little Steven" Van Zandt, and New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft.

The band ripped through its 90 minute set, covering 18 songs, and maintaining enough energy to keep many of the nearly 1,500 on their feet for most of the night. On the floor, fans waved their arms and sang along from the first chorus of opener, "I Will Follow" to the last encore of "Love Is Bigger Than Anything in Its Way." Never afraid to play songs from a new album, four came from "Experience."

But they also included standards like "Pride (In the Name of Love)," ''Vertigo," and "Desire."

They also dusted off a few gems that have not been heard yet on the tour, including "Angel of Harlem," the band's homage to Billie Holliday. For that one, and a few others, the Sun Ra Arkestra backed them up.

Other songs marking their first tour appearance included, 'When Love Comes to Down," ''Every Breaking Wave," and "Out of Control" from "Boy," the band's 1980 debut album.

Though the concert was only for a select crowd of primarily SiriusXM subscribers, U2 fans can hear it on the band's SiriusXM channel on Wednesday.q

PEOPLE & ARTS A31 'Little Women' and author Alcott resonate 150 years later Wednesday 13 June 2018

By SARAH BETANCOURT CONCORD, Mass. (AP) — A century and a half before the #MeToo movement gave women a bold, new collective voice, Louisa May Alcott was lending them her own.

Society had far different expectations of women in 1867, when publisher Thomas Niles asked Alcott to write a "girls' story." At a time when women were expected to marry, often did not hold employment and could not vote, Alcott had her doubts about the success of "Little Women."

Since then, the comingof-age book has been translated into more than 50 languages and made into films, a musical and a recently aired PBS "Masterpiece" miniseries.

The novel constantly finds new audiences as women worldwide confront sexual misconduct, misogyny and pay inequity.

Mayela Boeder, 34, of Appleton, Wisconsin, read "Little Women" as a girl and thinks it's still relevant.

"You could say that strong females in literature, TV and every other medium have slowly shaped the minds of modern strong women," she says.

"We grew up with Buffy, Hermione, Katnis, Jo,

In this May 17, 2018 photo, the title of the book "Little Women," by Louisa May Alcott, is embossed on the cover of an 1869 edition of the book at Orchard House, in Concord, Mass.

Associated Press

Lizzie Bennet, Sara Crewe, among others," she says, "and so we have almost been groomed to fight for what's right and to not let others take advantage of us."

Alcott drew heavily from her experiences living in poverty with progressive parents Bronson and Abigail Alcott and three sisters in Concord, Massachusetts. Although her transcendentalist father led his family through 30 homes, one stands out

as the place where "Little Women" was written: Orchard House.

Alcott was 26 when her family moved into the then-dilapidated house in 1858. The enterprising family turned the tenant farmhouse, once slated for destruction, into a place where Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau and other literary neighbors would drop by for intellectual discussions.

Bronson encouraged his wife and daughters to join

and built Louisa a desk at a time when writing was considered by scientists to be injurious to the female psyche.

Looking back, says Orchard House Executive Director Jan Turnquist, the Alcotts were feminists.

"They believed all humans have agency," she says.

She tells of how Louisa May Alcott was the first woman to register to vote in Concord in 1879, when Massachusetts gave women the right to

vote in town elections on education and children issues.

In 1880, Alcott and 19 other women attended the Concord town meeting and cast their ballots.

In a letter to periodical Woman's Journal, Alcott wrote of voting: "No bolt fell on our audacious heads, no earthquake shook the town."

Alcott did other unconventional things.

At 30, she served as a nurse in the Civil War. She traveled alone when most women could not. And she wrote stories that are the equivalent of a modernday James Patterson thriller at a time when female authors were not popular.

Although there's no evidence Alcott was ever sexually assaulted, she was harassed and had to endure misogyny as an ambitious, unmarried woman.

After writing the first part of "Little Women" in 1868, Alcott received a flood of letters asking if the main character, Jo March, would marry neighbor boy Laurie.

Pulitzer Prize-winning Alcott historian John Matteson says, "Her publisher said, 'You have to marry her off,' and wanted the character to marry Laurie."q

Peter Buck and Joseph Arthur in spontaneous alliance

By PABLO GORONDI Arthur Buck, "Arthur Buck" (New West Records) Former R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck and oftenexperimental singersongwriter Joseph Arthur have teamed up for an album that was written mostly in a few days after a chance encounter in Mexico and recorded nearly as quickly. Fresh and spontaneous, it's also filled with precious sonic details, like little flashes sparking the songs.

Unsurprisingly, Buck's layers of acoustic guitars and bright and brief solos provide numerous R.E.M. textures and the tunes bear plenty more traces

of the 1985-1995 pop decade. Arthur's role and contributions are just as significant. As he often does on his own albums, he plays most of the instruments, wrote the lyrics and sings the songs.

"American Century" sounds like "Pop Life"-era Prince, but sung by Axl Rose in his low register, while "If You Wake Up in Time" echoes the Talking Heads. David Bowie's spirit infuses "Wide Awake in November" and the brief "Summertime" could be a David Sylvian/ Robert Fripp interlude.

Opener "I Am The Moment" would have fit seamlessly on one of the last R.E.M. albums, while closer "Can't

Make It Without You," with its haunting, dolphin's cry-like faux string section, could be from "New Adventures in Hi-Fi." Lyrically — in line with the urgency of their creation — there is some topical material, like "American Century" and maybe "Wide Awake in November," but the dominant mood seems to be about making the most of one's opportunities amid our frazzled lives at hyperspeed. Buck is a known and treasured commodity but if you're not familiar with Arthur's albums, search out gems like "The Family" and you'll hear just how much he brings to the collaboration.q

This cover image released by New West Records shows "Arthur Buck," a new release by Joseph Arthur & Peter Buck.

Associated Press

A32 FEATURE

Wednesday 13 June 2018

Explore an abandoned Chinese village now engulfed by nature

By SAM McNEIL FU TING Associated Press HOUTOUWAN, China (AP) — Blanketed with greenery, the ghost town is perched atop cliffs looking west into sea mists obscuring the horizon. Abandoned homes ravaged by weather and creeping vines stand silent but for the surf, the whine of mosquitos, and birdsong.

This is Houtouwan — "Back Bay" in Mandarin — an abandoned fishing village engulfed by nature on the far eastern island of Shengshan, 90 kilometers off the coast of Shanghai.

Small groups of tourists on a recent weekend braved muddy footpaths through overgrown lawns to chase foggy photographs and answers to the question: What happened to the village?

The story of the Wang family may provide one answer.

Wang Yi left the village at the age of 5 when his family moved to the island's main town to access its better services.

When he returns to Houtouwan, the 27-year-old college graduate gathers honeysuckles for a fragrant tea that reminds him of his birthplace.

Memories of village festivals draw infectious laughter from his mother Zhu Mandi, who still dreams about her childhood among the mistshrouded mountains next to the sea.

"I dream of playing here, and it looked like it did when we played here when I was young," Zhu

This May 19, 2018, drone photo shows ruins of a building in the abandoned fishing village of Houtouwan on the remote island of Shengshan, 90 kilometers off the coast of Shanghai.

Associated Press

said, pointing at her former family home. Vines have since wound through the three-story house and ivy has crept through the now broken wooden front door.

The island draws tourists from the mainland intrigued by the village's unique devastation. Ivy cloaks some buildings completely but on many Houtouwan houses, beautiful roof tiles still gleam and broken verandas offer majestic views of the stormy sea.

Visitors must take a boat to

This May 19, 2018, photo shows tourists next to an abandoned building in the former fishing village of Houtouwan on the remote island of Shengshan, 90 kilometers off the coast of Shanghai.

Associated Press

Shengshan then a taxi up a hill to a cemetery overlooking the village, and then descend down perilous footpaths into the mist and ivy.

Huang Dan, a 22-year-old student, was among the visitors on a recent weekend who said she wanted to photograph the beauty of human structures subsumed by roots, rain, vines and wind.

"It feels like this place belonged to nature from the very beginning, and the old invaders finally left, and nature finally made it back," she said.

The village isn't entirely abandoned. Five people still reside here with a relaxed pack of dogs that roam the empty homes.

Sun Ayue lives in a small home just off the main path through the old village. The 62-year old former fisherman remembers the village's boom times — and the bust.

China is the world's largest fishing nation. But poor enforcement of fishing regulations has led to a rapid decline in fish stocks. Wang Yi,

the college graduate, said fishermen returned from the sea with emptier and emptier nets before China imposed seasonal moratoriums on fishing operations in the late 1990s to protect fish stocks from further depletion.

Yet Sun says most of the village's 600 families ultimately left Houtouwan because it lacked proper roads and a school.

"Transportation was inconvenient," he said, making it difficult for teachers to

get to Houtouwan from the main town Shengshan. "It was too far away. They arrived in the dark and left in the dark," he said.

Houtouwan is "a microcosm of the entire Chinese society," said Zhao Yeqin, an associate sociology professor at the East China Normal University in Shanghai. The village reflects a broader migration trend that has seen countless Chinese move from rural areas to urban megacities like Shanghai, Shenzhen and Guangzhou.

In Houtouwan's heyday, Lin Fazhen ran a small store in 1984 catering to fishermen.

He sold cigarettes, alcohol, fishing supplies, canned food, biscuits and fruit that he imported on boats from the mainland.

"They went to the sea when the boats were sailing, and they came back when it got windy. They played mahjong," Lin said while taking a drag from a cigarette.

When the people left, he began planting cauliflower, cabbage, lettuce, celery and basil. He says he now farms more than 1,300 square meters (a third of an acre) of various plots scattered across abandoned lawns, gardens and terraces.

He chuckled when asked if the village was haunted.

"People got scared and said ghosts were living here, so it was called ghost village," Lin said.

"I've lived in this world for such a long time, and have never met one."q

This May 20, 2018, drone photo shows buildings covered in ivy in the abandoned fishing village of Houtouwan on the remote island of Shengshan, 90 kilometers off the coast of Shanghai.

Associated Press