text:
27 F. 3d 1327 - Schneider v. United States
27 F3d 1327 Schneider v. United States
27 F.3d 1327
Michael SCHNEIDER; Roisin Schneider, individually and as
guardians of Slaine Schneider, Plaintiffs-Appellants,
UNITED STATES of America, Defendant-Appellee.
Eighth Circuit.
Submitted Dec. 16, 1993.
Martha L. Neese, St. Paul, MN, argued, for appellant.
Patricia A. Millett of the Dept. of Justice, Washington, DC, argued, for appellee.
Before LOKEN, Circuit Judge, HEANEY, Senior Circuit Judge, and HANSEN, Circuit Judge.
HANSEN, Circuit Judge.
Michael and Roisin Schneider brought an action on behalf of their 5 1/2 year old daughter, Slaine Schneider, in the district court seeking review of a decision by the United States Air Force denying their claim for payment under the Military Claims Act (the Act). See 10 U.S.C. Sec. 2731-2737. The district court1 dismissed the Schneiders' cause of action for lack of subject matter jurisdiction, finding that the language of the Act precludes judicial review. The Schneiders appeal, asking this court to determine that the Military Claims Act does not preclude judicial review of the denial of their claim and separately asserting that the procedure used by the United States Air Force in reviewing their claim violated their constitutionally protected rights to equal protection and due process. We affirm.
Slaine Schneider was born on April 23, 1987. In late 1988, while living in England with her parents where her father, Michael Schneider, was stationed with the United States Air Force (USAF), Slaine started to experience right ear drainage. Her parents took her to a hospital in England for treatment. In 1989, a USAF physician, Dr. David Range, performed three surgical procedures on Slaine's ear: (1) a myringotomy, which involved placing a tube in Slaine's right ear to facilitate drainage; (2) removal of a polyp from the right ear; and (3) a modified radical mastoidectomy, diagnosed postoperatively as cholesteatoma. The Schneiders contend that before Dr. Range performed the third surgery, he advised the Schneiders that he had never seen or performed the procedure but assured them that he would have available a more experienced physician at the time of surgery. The Schneiders assert that to the contrary, a more experienced physician was not present at the time of surgery. In 1990, Dr. William S. Lund, a civilian doctor in England, performed a fourth surgery for recurrent cholesteatoma, and his operative report indicated that much of the ear drum was eroded. Today, Slaine suffers deafness in her right ear, which her parents claim results from the negligence of the USAF physician's failure to diagnose the cholesteatoma sooner and failure to properly treat the ear drainage.
On Slaine's behalf, in July of 1991, her parents filed a claim with the USAF pursuant to the Military Claims Act, alleging personal injury to Slaine as a result of the negligence of the USAF physician. On November 13, 1991, Captain Tamara Riley, a USAF Judge Advocate officer stationed in Europe and assigned to do a "medicolegal review" of the claim, notified the Schneiders of how the claim process could be expected to proceed. In the letter, Captain Riley said that she would review the case within 45 days, consult with medical experts, and then forward the file to the Air Force's legal services agency at Bolling Air Force Base in Washington, D.C., for final disposition, and notify the Schneiders when the transfer occurred. Captain Riley also informed the Schneiders that they bore the burden of proof and requested that the Schneiders obtain a current audiology examination of Slaine in order to substantiate their claim for total and permanent loss of hearing. (Jt.App. at 24.) On January 13, 1992, Captain Riley notified the Schneiders that she had completed her "medicolegal review" and was forwarding the file to Washington, D.C., for final disposition. She again suggested that the Schneiders forward the audiology report as soon as possible to the reviewing officer in Washington. (Id. at 26.) By letter dated March 16, 1992, the Schneiders' attorney submitted the audiology report to the reviewing authority in Washington and asked what information was needed to complete the investigation. (Id. at 27.) By letter dated the next day, the USAF notified the Schneiders of the final disposition of their claim. (Id. at 28-29.) The USAF denied the claim, finding no negligence in the care Slaine received from Dr. Range. (Id.)
The Schneiders filed an administrative appeal pursuant to the regulations, requesting that the USAF reconsider their claim. On appeal, the Schneiders, for the first time, submitted the written opinion of their expert, Dr. George Sisson, Sr., who concluded that Slaine had received negligent care from the USAF physician. (Id. at 30-44.) Dr. Sisson's opinion referred to Dr. William S. Lund, the physician who had subsequently treated Slaine, as a well-known British neurotologist and cited Dr. Lund's findings as a basis for Dr. Sisson's opinion. (Id. at 42-43.) Colonel Philip A. Meek, Chief of the Air Force's Claims Division, considered the Schneiders' appeal and Dr. Sisson's expert report. Noting that the Schneiders' expert quoted Dr. Lund, Colonel Meek, in his letter of denial, stated that the Air Force had extensively interviewed Dr. Lund in the course of investigating the claim. Captain Riley had previously informed the Schneiders that as a part of her investigation of the claim she would consult with experts. In the USAF interview, Dr. Lund concluded that Dr. Range's treatment was not negligent and that Slaine's present condition was a result of the disease process, not medical negligence. (Id. at 45.) The medical facts of the case were also reviewed by a USAF medical expert who concluded that the diagnosis was timely and the surgery was appropriate. (Id. at 46.) Colonel Meek concluded that he was unable to approve the claim for payment because there was no showing of negligent treatment. (Id.)
The Schneiders then filed an action in district court seeking review of the USAF's decision. They alleged jurisdiction as a federal question under 28 U.S.C. Sec. 1331 and the Military Claims Act, 10 U.S.C. Sec. 2731-2737; as a tort claim under the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA), 28 U.S.C. Secs. 2671-2680; as a controversy under the Declaratory Judgment Act, 28 U.S.C. Sec. 2201; and as a constitutional claim of due process and equal protection under the Fifth Amendment. The district court found that there was no jurisdiction under the FTCA because the United States has not waived its sovereign immunity for claims arising in a foreign country. See 28 U.S.C. Sec. 2680(k). The district court determined that there was no jurisdiction under the Declaratory Judgment Act because it only creates a remedy and cannot serve as an independent basis for subject matter jurisdiction. See 28 U.S.C. Sec. 2201. The district court also determined that there was no federal question under 28 U.S.C. Sec. 1331 because the denial of a settlement is unreviewable by the terms of the Military Claims Act, see 10 U.S.C. Sec. 2735, and the Schneiders had not raised any valid constitutional claim. Accordingly, the district court dismissed the action for lack of jurisdiction and failure to state a claim upon which relief may be granted. The Schneiders appeal.
In general, the Military Claims Act allows for settlement of two types of personal injury claims:
(a) claims arising from negligent or wrongful acts or omissions committed by United States military or civilian personnel while acting within the scope of their employment.
(b) claims arising from noncombat activities of the United States, whether or not such injuries or damages arose out of the negligent or wrongful acts or omissions by United States military or civilian employees ...
32 C.F.R. Sec. 842.49(a), (b) (1990); see also 10 U.S.C. Sec. 2733(a). For claims arising from noncombat activities, it is not necessary to establish negligence. See 32 C.F.R. Sec. 842.49(b). "Noncombat activity" is a specially defined term in the department's regulations; it is an "[a]ctivity, other than combat, war or armed conflict, that is particularly military in character and has little parallel in the civilian community." 32 C.F.R. Sec. 842.41(c) (1990). For claims arising from an act of an employee acting within the scope of his employment, however, the claimant must show negligence or a wrongful act. See 32 C.F.R. Sec. 842.49(a). When the Secretary is satisfied that a claim of negligence has been substantiated, the Secretary "may settle" the claim by paying an amount not to exceed $100,000, and for a larger claim deemed meritorious by the Secretary, the Secretary may report the excess amount to the Comptroller General for payment. See 10 U.S.C. Sec. 2733.
The Schneiders' claim arose from the acts of a USAF employee (Dr. Range) acting within the scope of his employment. The USAF denied the claim, finding no negligence, and the district court dismissed their complaint for lack of jurisdiction and failure to state a claim. On appeal, the Schneiders offer two arguments to support their contention that the district court has jurisdiction to consider their complaint. First, the Schneiders contend that the Military Claims Act does not preclude judicial review of the USAF's denial of their claim. Second, they contend that the USAF violated their rights to equal protection and due process. We consider each argument in turn.
A. Military Claims Act
The Schneiders argue that the district court erred in determining that it lacked jurisdiction because the USAF's decision to deny their claim is a federal question under the Military Claims Act and is subject to judicial review as final agency action. This court reviews de novo a district court's determination that it lacks subject matter jurisdiction. See General Elec. Capital Corp., 991 F.2d 1376, 1380 (8th Cir.1993); Keene Corp. v. Cass, 908 F.2d 293, 296 (8th Cir.1990).
The settlement of a claim under the Military Claims Act, which includes the Military's disposing of a claim by disallowance, see 10 U.S.C. Sec. 2731, is final agency action. Ordinarily, the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) provides a general cause of action for persons adversely aggrieved by final agency action, see 5 U.S.C. Sec. 702, but there is no cause of action to the extent that a relevant statute precludes judicial review, see 5 U.S.C. Sec. 701(a)(1). See Block v. Community Nutrition Inst., 467 U.S. 340, 345, 104 S.Ct. 2450, 2453, 81 L.Ed.2d 270 (1984). To determine whether the relevant statute precludes judicial review:
We begin with the strong presumption that Congress intends judicial review of administrative action....
Subject to constitutional constraints, Congress can, of course, make exceptions to the historic practice whereby courts review agency action. The presumption of judicial review is, after all, a presumption, and "like all presumptions used in interpreting statutes, may be overcome by," inter alia, "specific language or specific legislative history that is a reliable indicator of congressional intent," or a specific congressional intent to preclude judicial review that is " 'fairly discernible' in the detail of the legislative scheme."
Bowen v. Michigan Academy of Family Physicians, 476 U.S. 667, 670-73, 106 S.Ct. 2133, 2135-37, 90 L.Ed.2d 623 (1986) (quoting Block, 467 U.S. at 349, 351, 104 S.Ct. at 2456, 2457). To preclude judicial review, a statute must be " 'specific in withholding such review [or] must upon its face give clear and convincing evidence of an intent to withhold it.' " Bowen, 476 U.S. at 671, 106 S.Ct. at 2136 (quoting H.R.Rep. No.1980, 79th Cong., 2d Sess. 41 (1946)); see also Abbott Labs. v. Gardner, 387 U.S. 136, 141, 87 S.Ct. 1507, 1511, 18 L.Ed.2d 681 (1967).
The relevant section of the Military Claims Act provides: "Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the settlement of a claim under section 2733 ... of this title is final and conclusive." 10 U.S.C. Sec. 2735. The Schneiders argue that this statutory language does not clearly preclude the presumption in favor of judicial review but merely provides that no further agency action or review is available. To the contrary, section 2735 is clear on its face. The statute does not merely say that the agency decision is "final," see Shaughnessy v. Pedreiro, 349 U.S. 48, 51-52, 75 S.Ct. 591, 594, 99 L.Ed. 868 (1955) ("final" only prevents further administrative review), or "final and conclusive," see Lindahl v. Office of Personnel Mgmt., 470 U.S. 768, 105 S.Ct. 1620, 84 L.Ed.2d 674 (1985) ("final and conclusive" precludes judicial review only of agency fact-finding). Rather, the statute states that the Secretary's decision is "final and conclusive" "notwithstanding any other provision of law." 10 U.S.C. Sec. 2735. To interpret the section as precluding only further administrative review would be to render meaningless the phrase "notwithstanding any other provision of law." Additionally, section 2735 originally stated that the military's settlement of a claim is "final and conclusive for all purposes," but the words "for all purposes" were subsequently "omitted as surplusage." Rodrigue v. United States, 968 F.2d 1430, 1433 (1st Cir.1992) (quoting 10 U.S.C.A. Sec. 2735 (Explanatory Notes)). We conclude that the language of section 2735 clearly expresses Congress's intent to preclude judicial review and presents no ambiguity that would give rise to a presumption in favor of judicial review.
Among other circuits, "[i]t is well-recognized that the administrative claims procedure is an appropriate balance between individual rights and Congress' desire to avoid the disruptive effect that judicial review may have on 'the prompt and authoritative administrative settlement of claims' against the military." Heller v. United States, 776 F.2d 92, 98 (3d Cir.1985) (quoting Towry v. United States, 459 F.Supp. 101, 108 (E.D.La.1978), aff'd, 620 F.2d 568 (5th Cir.1980), cert. denied, 449 U.S. 1078, 101 S.Ct. 858, 66 L.Ed.2d 801 (1981)), cert. denied, 476 U.S. 1105, 106 S.Ct. 1948, 90 L.Ed.2d 358 (1986). Every circuit that has addressed the language of section 2735 has concluded that it precludes judicial review of the military's disallowance of a claim under the Act, absent a constitutional claim. See Hata v. United States, 23 F.3d 230, 232 (9th Cir.1994); Rodrigue, 968 F.2d at 1432-34; Poindexter v. United States, 777 F.2d 231, 233-37 (5th Cir.1985); Broadnax v. United States Army, 710 F.2d 865, 867 (D.C.Cir.1983); LaBash v. United States Dept. of the Army, 668 F.2d 1153, 1155-56 (10th Cir.), cert. denied, 456 U.S. 1008, 102 S.Ct. 2299, 73 L.Ed.2d 1303 (1982). But see Welch v. United States, 446 F.Supp. 75, 77-78 (D.Conn.1978) (suggesting broad judicial review). We now join our sister circuits in holding that section 2735 is unambiguous and that absent a constitutional claim the disallowance of a claim under the Military Claims Act is not subject to judicial review.
B. Constitutional Claims
Our next task is to determine whether the Schneiders' allegations of equal protection and due process violations state any valid constitutional claim that would justify judicial review of this case. The Schneiders first contend that the Military Claims Act deprives them of their right to equal protection under the Fifth Amendment because it precludes judicial review while similarly situated litigants under the FTCA are entitled to bring suit. The Schneiders have no cause of action under the FTCA because it excludes from its remedial scheme a cause of action for a governmental tort committed in a foreign country. See 28 U.S.C. Sec. 2680(k). Because the government has not waived its sovereign immunity when a tort is committed in a foreign country, the Schneiders' only remedy lies within the scheme of the Military Claims Act, which precludes judicial review of the settlement or disallowance of a claim. Thus, the Schneiders contend, the Military Claims Act deprives them of equal protection. We disagree.
First, Congress's power to maintain or to waive sovereign immunity for suits against the government is absolute and is inherent in the government's status as a sovereign. Lynch v. United States, 292 U.S. 571, 574, 54 S.Ct. 840, 78 L.Ed. 1434 (1934); Heller, 776 F.2d at 98. Second, the Schneiders have not alleged that they are members of a protected class, and in our view, the distinction between victims within the United States and victims in a foreign country is a rational distinction. See Heller, 776 F.2d at 98 ("government's desire to avoid application to it of the vagaries of foreign law is an important and rational consideration"). We conclude that, because Slaine's injury occurred in a foreign country, the Schneiders are not similarly situated to persons injured by governmental torts within the United States and that this distinction is rational. Therefore, the Schneiders' equal protection challenge fails.
The Schneiders also contend that the USAF violated their right to due process because the USAF conducted ex parte communications with experts without giving the Schneiders an opportunity for cross-examination, failed to timely inform the Schneiders of the substance of those expert opinions, and failed to contact the Schneiders for additional information or to inform them of the timing of the decision. It is a well-settled principle, however, that the requirements of procedural due process apply only when there has been a deprivation of life, liberty, or property within the meaning of the Fifth or Fourteenth Amendment. See Mathews v. Eldridge, 424 U.S. 319, 332, 96 S.Ct. 893, 901, 47 L.Ed.2d 18 (1976); Board of Regents v. Roth, 408 U.S. 564, 569-72, 92 S.Ct. 2701, 2705-06, 33 L.Ed.2d 548 (1972); Williams v. Nix, 1 F.3d 712, 717 (8th Cir.1993). Not every "grievous loss visited upon a person by the [government] is sufficient to invoke the procedural protections of the Due Process Clause." Meachum v. Fano, 427 U.S. 215, 224, 96 S.Ct. 2532, 2538, 49 L.Ed.2d 451 (1976). The relevant consideration for our analysis is a two-part inquiry. We must determine (1) whether the Schneiders were deprived of a protected interest, and if so, (2) what process was due. See Logan v. Zimmerman Brush Co., 455 U.S. 422, 428, 102 S.Ct. 1148, 1153-54, 71 L.Ed.2d 265 (1982); Post v. Harper, 980 F.2d 491, 493 (8th Cir.1992).
The Schneiders argue that they were deprived of a cause of action by the Military Claims Act's preclusion of judicial review. We recognize that a cause of action is a property interest protected by the Due Process Clause. See Logan, 455 U.S. at 428, 102 S.Ct. at 1153-54. However, the Military Claims Act does not grant claimants a cause of action against the government. See Towry, 459 F.Supp. at 105 (Military Claims Act confers no right of action to pursue judicial remedy) (opinion adopted by Fifth Circuit on appeal). Further, as already noted, the government has not waived sovereign immunity for tort claims against the government that arise in a foreign country. See 28 U.S.C. Sec. 2680(k). Thus, the Schneiders have no cause of action against the government, and as a result, preclusion of judicial review by the Military Claims Act does not deprive them of a cause of action. See Heller, 776 F.2d at 98 (exclusivity of a remedy under the Military Claims Act is not itself a denial of due process). See also Hata, 23 F.3d at 233-34 ("preclusion of judicial review under the [Military Claims Act] does not violate due process").
The Schneiders cannot claim that they were deprived of a property interest on the ground that they were entitled to a settlement under the Military Claims Act. In Roth, the Supreme Court discussed what constitutes a property interest:
To have a property interest in a benefit, a person clearly must have more than an abstract need or desire for it. He must have more than a unilateral expectation of it....
Property interests, of course, are not created by the Constitution. Rather, they are created and their dimensions are defined by existing rules or understandings that stem from an independent source such as state law--rules or understandings that secure certain benefits and that support claims of entitlement to those benefits.
408 U.S. at 577, 92 S.Ct. at 2709. The scope of the Schneiders' interest in a settlement is defined by the Military Claims Act and the applicable regulations that define a person's eligibility for settlement. The Act and its regulations create an opportunity to file a claim for settlement, not an entitlement to payment of a benefit. A settlement under the Act is not in the nature of an entitlement but is conditioned upon both the claimant's ability to substantiate a negligence claim and the USAF's discretion in determining whether to pay a settlement. We conclude that, because the Schneiders have not demonstrated that the USAF deprived them of a liberty or property interest by denying settlement of their claim, the Due Process Clause does not apply. Therefore, we do not reach the question of what process was due.
We conclude that the Military Claims Act is not subject to judicial review absent a constitutional claim and that the Schneiders have failed to demonstrate a valid constitutional claim in this case. Accordingly, we affirm the judgment of the district court dismissing the case for lack of jurisdiction and for failure to state a claim upon which relief may be granted.
HEANEY, Senior Circuit Judge, dissenting.
I agree with the majority that no equal protection violation occurred and that there is no judicial review of Military Claims Act (MCA) determinations absent a constitutional claim. I conclude, however, that the MCA does confer an entitlement to a settlement upon a showing of negligence and therefore due process requires fair procedures to determine negligence. Absent such procedures, the promise of benefits to those who are injured by the negligence of the military is a sham.
The majority states that MCA provides an opportunity to file a complaint but that payment of a settlement is discretionary even if negligence is shown. Its analysis precludes any due process challenge no matter how arbitrarily or improperly the complaint has been handled or disposed of. I do not believe that this is the "opportunity" envisioned by Congress when it established the complaint procedure under the MCA, particularly given the fact that the MCA is the exclusive remedy for claimants. The MCA provides compensation to persons injured in the course of medical treatment if they can show that their injuries resulted from negligence by the physicians involved. Due process requires that claimants be afforded fair procedures for presenting their claims of negligence.
Cases from other circuits have acknowledged the possibility that review of an MCA claim is available when a failure of due process is implicated. The MCA "may well permit some limited review, for example where there has been a substantial departure from important procedural rights, a misconstruction of the governing legislation, or some like error going to the heart of the administrative determination." Broadnax v. United States Army, 710 F.2d 865, 867 (D.C.Cir.1983) (quoting Scroggins v. United States, 397 F.2d 295, 297 (Ct.Cl.), cert. denied, 393 U.S. 952, 89 S.Ct. 376, 21 L.Ed.2d 363 (1968)) (internal quotations omitted); see also Hata v. United States, 23 F.3d 230, 233-34 (9th Cir.1994) (noting Scroggins quoted in Lindahl v. Office of Personnel Management, 470 U.S. 768, 791, 105 S.Ct. 1620, 1633, 84 L.Ed.2d 674 (1985)); Rodrigue v. United States, 968 F.2d 1430, 1432 (1st Cir.1992) (same); LaBash v. United States Dep't of the Army, 668 F.2d 1153, 1156 (10th Cir.) (suggesting failure to comply with statutory process would constitute due process violation), cert. denied, 456 U.S. 1008, 102 S.Ct. 2299, 73 L.Ed.2d 1303 (1982).
I believe that a substantial departure from important procedural rights has occurred in this case. I would agree that the Air Force may use a process that consists entirely of written submissions by the parties. If, however, the Air Force departs from the written process and interviews one of the actors, fairness requires that the claimant also be given an opportunity to question that person. According to the final letter denying the Schneiders' appeal, the Air Force "extensively interviewed" Dr. Lund about the medical treatment received by Slaine Schneider and about the opinion of the Schneiders' medical expert, Dr. Sisson, that such treatment was negligent. The Schneiders should have been provided an equal opportunity to question Dr. Lund to explore the basis of his opinion. This is particularly important given the fact that the Air Force is not a neutral or independent adjudicator but rather is investigating one of its own physicians. The Air Force deprived the Schneiders of due process when it failed to afford them that opportunity.
The Honorable Diana E. Murphy, Chief Judge, United States District Court for the District of Minnesota


Congratulations Parents, we are successfully well into another school year and are well on our way to the holidays! Give yourself a big ole pat on the back.
Although the school year is (hopefully) going great we are already in need of a few gentle reminders. A quick review if you will, in order to make your school day run a little more smoothly.
This is the time of year when all parents/grandparents/nannies/au pairs and whoever else needs to be reminder of proper school drop off and pick up line etiquette.
Consider this a PSA announcement for all of you who may or may not realize that you are being a complete inconvenience to those of us who ALSO have children that we are trying to get to and from school.
1. Please, please for the love of all things nice, think before you buckle! This one is super easy all you have to do is buckle your child on the passenger side of the back seat. When you do this it will allow your child to just unbuckle and jump out. This also eliminates you having to get out of your car.
2. Backpack in hand! Now that you have your sweet little one in the appropriate seat lets talk about backpack placement. You are only in the car for a hot minute from your home to the school so why make is so hard on yourself and put your child's backpack in the TRUNK?? Come on folks just think about it, the backpack is in hand your child is ready to go and YOU DO NOT HAVE TO GET OUT OF THE CAR!
3. Practice the Jump and Close rule at home! Before heading off to school talk with little Johnny about how he will exit your vehicle by showing him the move called the jump and close. It's a swift jump out of the car and a swipe of the arm to shut the door. It's as simple as that!
4. Accept the Jump and Close! Here is where it may get a little tricky for you. Now is the time where you will have to accept the door closing which will then again NOT require YOU to exit your vehicle. You can now simply wave, smile and drive off into your day.
5. This may be a little harsh but Moms, Dads, grandparents who ever you are we are in October! Your child has been going to school for 3 months now and I promise they know the path from the car to the door of the school. Heck, it is only a few feet and you can still SEE them. It is time to let them walk to the door alone. That means without you. They can do it and I promise, you can too!
And, YOU DO NOT NEED TO GET OUT THE CAR.
6. There is a line and a process. We all know that your child is super special but news flash, ours is too. Please wait patiently in the line and know that we all have the same goal of picking up our children. The pick up line at school is not the place for your uncontrollable road rage. Save that for the highway please and wait patiently.
7. When in the pick up line please PAY ATTENTION to what is going on around you. Although we are now all waiting patiently we do not wish to wait an extra 5-10 minutes because of your phone obsession and the fact that you have lost all train of thought on where you are.
8. If you are picking your child up at the door please, please get there a little early to be ready to grab your kiddo and go.
Again, we are all waiting for our children and every time you are late we wait!
9. Alright, here is the big one! BEFORE your child starts school TEACH them to BUCKLE themselves. Enough said so please just do it!
10. DO NOT GET OUT OF YOUR CAR!!!!
I hope this tidbit of information is helpful to you in your future drop off/pick up adventures!
Let's all unite and make this world a better place one school day at a time!
« You've Been Boo'ed Package:: Send a Boo!
Y'all know how I feel about this lol. Even though my kid is a bus rider now I still hate that Prius & feel a rage when I see it.
Oh, I'm the mom there that goes nuts when I see…let's just say it: idiots…dropping off or picking up their kids. Everyone else is sitting in the line patiently and the one jerk at the back will decide he HAS to pick up his child before everyone else and tries to bypass the line. Or the people who don't use their signal when they're getting back into our school's "passing lane" (so you don't have to wait for the person in front of you to finish before you move…I do love that feature at least!). Or the mom who decides that now is the right time to have a conversation with the other mom three cars in front of her about some party coming up, gets out of her car and proceeds to talk for five minutes while people are whipping around her, just about getting hit by the parents who aren't using their signals to indicate that they're getting back into the passing lane!!! Oh my gosh, I want to scream every time! I started telling my kids I'd pick them up down the road a little bit because being in the pick up line was getting too dangerous for everyone involved! I'd add that if you ARE one of those parents who has to get out of the car (you have a special needs child, or a child who hasn't quite mastered the buckling themselves skill), you KNOW that in advance, so please be considerate and find a PARKING space, walk up to pick up your child and then buckle them in. There is no reason to make everyone else wait while you're waiting at the door for little Johnny or Jane to finally make their grand exit from the school!


Nissan is the main sponsor of UCL and LEAF is an electric car with a range up to 250 km. The problem is everyone thinks electric cars only for short city rides. So, we teamed up with Turbometal, the crazy independent car lover group, and sent them for a 1000 km trip to the UCL Final to make a short movie about their journey. 4 men with only 2 tickets... The result is a great story written by the road that busted the myths about the electric cars in a unique and amusing way.


text:
meta:
  title: Button component
  description: The button component communicates actions that a user can take and are typically placed in dialogs, forms, cards and toolbars.
  keywords: buttons, vuetify button component, vue button component
related:
  - /components/button-groups/
  - /components/icons/
  - /components/floating-action-buttons/
---

# Buttons

The `v-btn` component replaces the standard html button with a material design theme and a multitude of options. Any color helper class can be used to alter the background or text color. <inline-ad slug="scrimba-buttons" />

<entry-ad />

## Usage

Buttons in their simplest form contain uppercase text, a slight elevation, hover effect, and a ripple effect on click.

<usage name="v-btn" />

## API

- [v-btn](/api/v-btn)
- [v-btn-toggle](/api/v-btn-toggle)

<inline-api page="components/buttons" />

## Caveats

<alert type="warning">

  `v-btn` is the only component that behaves differently when using the **dark** prop. Normally components use the **dark** prop to denote that they have a dark colored background and need their text to be white. While this will work for `v-btn`, it is advised to only use the prop when the button **IS ON** a colored background due to the disabled state blending in with white backgrounds. If you need white text, simply add the `white--text` class.

</alert>

## Examples

### Props

#### Block

**block** buttons extend the full available width.

<example file="v-btn/prop-block" />

#### Depressed

**depressed** buttons still maintain their background color, but have no box shadow.

<example file="v-btn/prop-depressed" />

#### Floating

Floating buttons are rounded and usually contain an icon.

<example file="v-btn/prop-floating" />

#### Icon

Icons can be used for the primary content of a button. This property makes the button rounded and applies the **text** prop styles.

<example file="v-btn/prop-icon" />

#### Loaders

Using the loading prop, you can notify a user that there is processing taking place. The default behavior is to use a `v-progress-circular` component but this can be customized.

<example file="v-btn/prop-loaders" />

<random-ad />

#### Outlined

**outlined** buttons inherit their borders from the current color applied.

<example file="v-btn/prop-outlined" />

#### Plain

**plain** buttons have a lower baseline opacity that reacts to **hover** and **focus**.

<example file="v-btn/prop-plain" />

#### Rounded

**rounded** buttons behave the same as regular buttons but have rounded edges.

<example file="v-btn/prop-rounded" />

#### Sizing

Buttons can be given different sizing options to fit a multitude of scenarios.

<example file="v-btn/prop-sizing" />

#### Text

Text buttons have no box shadow and no background. Only on hover is the container for the button shown. When used with the **color** prop, the supplied color is applied to the button text instead of the background.

<example file="v-btn/prop-text" />

#### Tile

**tile** buttons behave the same as regular buttons but have no border radius.

<example file="v-btn/prop-tile" />

### Misc

#### Raised

**raised** buttons have a box shadow that increases when clicked. This is the default style.

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PREVIEW: NORWICH (A)
Mikey Partington
All the info you need ahead of Tuesday's game
- Norwich vs Town preview
- The lowdown on Daniel Farke's side
- Watch the game on iFollow HTAFC
Huddersfield Town make the trip to Carrow Road to face Sky Bet Championship leaders Norwich City on Tuesday 6 April 2021; 7.45pm kick-off.
Town will make the trip to the south east looking to build on the 1-1 draw over Brentford at the weekend in the Terriers' first game back after the international break.
Carlos Corberán's side will also be hoping to build on momentum gained by being unbeaten in their last five matches, having picked up that point against the Bees on Saturday.
Ahead of that game against the Canaries, here's everything that you need to know…
THE OPPOSITION
Under Daniel Farke, the Canaries have their eyes firmly set on a return to the Premier League at the first time of asking.
Having been relegated from the top flight last season, the Norfolk club have bounced back so far this season and currently sit top of the Sky Bet Championship having played 39 of their 46 matches.
With 84 points, 15 ahead of the teams outside of the automatic promotion places, at most the Canaries will need to take 10 points from their remaining seven games to secure promotion.
They will be hoping to get the first three of those against Town on Tuesday evening at Carrow Road, a place which has been a big factor in their form this season, losing just once on their own patch in their Sky Bet Championship campaign.
The Canaries, who have the second-best home points record in the Championship (42) behind Watford (50), will therefore be hoping to add to that in midweek.
Max Aarons
The 21-year-old has enjoyed another impressive Championship campaign for the Canaries having made his breakthrough from the Club's youth ranks during their promotion-winning season in 2018/19. Featuring predominantly from right-back, Aarons has featured in 38 of the Canaries 39 Sky Bet Championship games this season and has a team-high for minutes so far in the league (3420). The full-back recently played in two of the England Under-21s group stage games at the UEFA European Under-21 Championship over the March international break.
Emiliano Buendia
Buendia has been at the forefront of the Canaries promotion-pushing form this season, with the numbers to back it up. The Argentine, who normally plays off the right-wing, has 11 goals and 12 assists in the league this season, which leads his side's charts in both categories. His 12 Championship assists also put him top of that bracket across the league. The winger is a doubt for the game however having sustained an ankle injury last time out against Preston.
The forward enjoyed the best goalscoring season of his career during the Canaries promotion to the Premier League in 2018/19 and is on course to get around that tally of 29 again this campaign. The Finland international has 22 to his name in the league so far this season, with the most recent of those coming in their last win at Nottingham Forest before the international break. Speaking of the break, Pukki was also on international duty last month, scoring three goals across Finland's three outings including a brace against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The hosts go into the encounter looking for their first win following the international break having drawn 1-1 at Preston North End on their return last Friday.
Daniel Farke's side have drawn their last two but are unbeaten in their last 11 Sky Bet Championship outings as they look to secure promotion to the Premier League in the coming weeks.
As for Town, the Terriers also come into Tuesday's match off the back of a 1-1 draw, having shared the points with Brentford at the weekend.
Carlos Corberán's side also take a positive recent record into the meeting at Carrow Road with Town now unbeaten in five.
PREVIOUS ENCOUNTERS
It's Tuesday's hosts who narrowly edge the overall record in the fixture, winning 14 of the 44 meetings to Town's 13 (17 draws).
The victory that separates the sides came for the Canaries in the return fixture on the opening day of this season, when Adam Idah's late goal gave them a winning start to the campaign at the John Smith's Stadium.
Town's last win against Norwich was a 3-0 triumph in West Yorkshire back in April 2017, as the Terriers completed a double over the Norfolk club that night having won at Carrow Road a few months earlier.
ACTION ELSEWHERE
Our game against Norwich is one of 12 Sky Bet Championship matches to played in this midweek round of fixtures. All kick-offs are 3pm BST unless stated.
Middlesbrough vs Watford (12.30pm BST)
Blackburn Rovers vs AFC Bournemouth
Coventry City vs Bristol City
Luton Town vs Barnsley
Nottingham Forest vs Queens Park Rangers
Reading vs Derby County
Rotherham United vs Wycombe Wanderers
Stoke City vs Millwall
Swansea City vs Preston North End
Sheffield Wednesday vs Cardiff City (5.30pm BST)
Tuesday 6 April 2021
Brentford vs Birmingham City (7pm BST)
Norwich City vs Huddersfield Town (7.45pm BST)
Carlos Corberán will provide the latest team news ahead of the game at Carrow Road during his press conference on Monday 5 April 2021.
The Spaniard will likely still be without the services of Harry Toffolo (back), Oumar Niasse (groin), Carel Eiting (knee), Danny Grant (thigh) and Christopher Schindler (knee).
The Terriers will be sporting the red away kit for Tuesday's trip to the south east – CLICK HERE to get yours!
Huddersfield Town supporters can watch the Club's game away at Norwich City on Sky Sports or NOW TV.
Unfortunately, this game will not be available at all on iFollow HTAFC, meaning Season Card Holders will not receive free access.
This is due to the fact that the broadcast arrangement between the EFL and Sky Sports does not consider this fixture a 'scheduled midweek game' - as it was due to take place on Easter Monday – and now that it has been selected for live broadcast by Sky Sports.
Supporters who have Sky Sports will be able to watch it on there. If you don't have Sky Sports, then you can purchase a NOW TV pass.
On NOW TV you can purchase a Sky Sports day pass which costs £9.99 and this will give you access to watch the Terriers in action. CLICK HERE to get yours.
You can access NOW TV on your laptop, mobile phone, iPad, Smart TV and more. CLICK HERE for further details.
Norwich City vs Huddersfield Town on 06 Apr 21
SCOTT HIGH REVIEWS NORWICH CITY FRIENDLY
Midfielder reflects on Norwich game
LEWIS ON BENEFITS OF TRAINING CAMP
Midfielder discusses week so far
TEAM NEWS: PETERBOROUGH UTD vs TOWN
Corberán names an unchanged side from Saturday's win
THE LOVING CUP TRADITION OBSERVED vs SWANSEA CITY
Tradition in place since 1936/37 season continued by Town board against Swansea City
WATCH NOW: SWANSEA CITY EXTRA-TIME
HTTV post-game show looks back over Town's first home game of 2022
HIGHLIGHTS: TOWN 1-1 SWANSEA CITY
Watch back full highlights of Town's first home game of 2022
GOLDEN GAMBLE RESULTS: SWANSEA CITY
Top prize of £1,000 at the Sky Bet Championship fixture

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Tools City
Significant Figures Calculator (Sig Fig Calculator)
Round a number to the nearest significant figure. Set the number of significant digits to round a number, decimal, or scientific notation with the help of this online free tool.
Enter number or expression (e.g. "5.13/3.78")
Number or expression
Round of sig fig (optional)
A sig fig calculator does a change over any number into another number with the desired amount of significant figures. It can also solve the expressions and give the outcome in the form of significant figures. Let's consider an expression 3.42/1.5+5.87; when we solve the expression by arithmetic rules, we get the answer 8.15, but in the sig fig calculator, we will get 8.2 because it will round off the digits.
What are the significant figures?
All measurements of physical quantities involve some degree of inaccuracy due to instrumental error and human error, etc. We must understand the limitations which experimental accuracy places on numbers that we measure.
Suppose the length of a body is recorded as 15.4 cm. This measurement approximates the nearest length, and its exam value lies between 15.35 and 15.45 cm. If the measurement is exact to the hundredth of a cm, it would have been recorded as 15.40 cm. The value 15.4 represents three significant figures (1, 5, 4), while the other 15.40 illustrates four significant figures (1, 5, 4, 0).
Thus a significant figure is the one that is known to the reasonably reliable.
How you can determine significant figures? Write its rules.
All the digits are significant figures except zero.
For example, we have the number 4917, which has four significant figures.
Zero digits that are in between non-zero digits will be counted as the significant figures.
For example, we have the number 32007 which has five significant figures.
All the zero digits that are located on the decimal point in a number less than one will not be considered as significant figures.
For example, the number 0.0003862 has only four significant figures that are 3, 8, 6, and 2.
The zeros that are located to the right of any decimal point will be considered as significant figures.
For example, we have the number 64.00 which has four significant figures.
5. Zeros that are located on the decimal point in any number greater than unity are not necessarily significant figures.
For example, the number 460 has only two significant figures that are 4 and 6. In these cases, scientific notation is one of the most convenient ways for finding significant figures. Let's consider a certain distance of 1300000 cm is known to be five significant figures. If you write the number as 1300000 cm then it will create a problem because it implies that only two significant figures are known. In contrast, the scientific notation of the above number is 1.300 x 106 cm which has the advantage, indicating that the distance is known to four significant figures.
How does Tools City's Sig Fig calculator work?
Tools City's sig fig calculator can work in the two modes - performing arithmetic operations on multiple expressions or performing arithmetic operations on multiple numbers. Let us consider an expression 5.23/1.33. The result of the expression will show in the following way.
Decimal notation: 3.93
No. of significant figures: 3
No. of decimals: 2
Scientific notation: 3.93 × 100
E notation: 3.93e+0
Now let us consider the number 0.12412. The result of the number will show in the following way.
Decimal notation: 0.12412
Scientific notation: 1.2412 × 10-1
E notation: 1.2412e-1
Following the rules discussed above, we can calculate sig figs by hand or the significant figures counter. Consider the number 0.006275 and we want only two significant figures. The trailing zeros will be the placeholders, so we will not consider them as significant figures.
Next, we round 6275 to 2 digits, leaving us with 0.0063. Presently we'll consider an example that is anything but a decimal. Suppose we want this number 5,163,894 to 4 significant figures. We will round off the number to its nearest thousand, giving us 5,164,000.
What will happen if a number is written in scientific notation?
If any number is written in scientific notation, the same rules apply. First, you will enter the number, you will use E notation, replacing x 10 with either a lower or upper case letter 'E'. For example, the number 6.023x1012 is equivalent to 6.023e12. For a minimal number such as 3.604 x 10-11, the E notation representation is 3.604e-11.
When we access it, the number of significant digits ought to be close to the log base 10 with the sample size and round to the closest number. For example, if the size of a sample is 1500, the log of 1500 is approximately 3.17, so we use only two significant figures.
Significant figures in operations
There are many rules in significant figures to be followed for doing operations like addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
The answer should have no more decimal places than the number in operation with the least precision for addition and subtraction. For example, when we add 728.1 + 2.78 + 0.527, the value with the least number of decimal places (1) is 728.1. Hence, the result must have at least one decimal place: 728.1 + 2.78 + 0.527 = 741.407 = 731.4.
There should not be more significant figures for multiplication and division in the result than the number in operations with the least significant figures. When you use any two numbers in calculations, significant figures in the answer will be limited to the number of significant figures in the original number. For example, a rectangular park with sides 9.5 m and 15.5 m has an area of 147.25 m2. However, one of these two original lengths is known to only two significant figures so, the final answer is limited with only two significant figures and it should be 150 m2.
The addition or subtraction of numbers that are expressed in scientific notations requires that they should be in the form of the same power of 10.
2.25 x 106 + 6.4 x 107 = 2.25 x 106 + 64 x 106
2.25 x 106 + 6.4 x 107 = (2.25 + 64) x 106
2.25 x 106 + 6.4 x 107 = 66.25 x 106
Subscribe to our new later
Copyright © 2021 by Tool.City All Rights Reserved.


text:
Q: docker volume permissions in neo4j I'm having a bit of bother with the following docker compose setup:
version: '2.4'

services:
  graph_dev:
    image: neo4j:3.5.14-enterprise
    container_name: amlgraph_dev
    user: 100:101
    ports:
      - 7474:7474
      - 7473:7473
      - 7687:7687

    volumes:
      - neo4jbackup:/backup
      - neo4jdata:/data

volumes:
  neo4jbackup:
  neo4jdata:

I would like to run the neo4j-admin command, which must be run as the user 100 (_apt). However, the volume I need to backup to neo4jbackup, is mounted as root and _apt can't write there.
How do I create a volume that _apt can write to? The user _apt:neo4j obviously does not exist on the host. There are no users for which I have root on the docker image.

A: I can think of two options,

*

*run neo4j docker container as a valid LINUX user and group and give that user access to a backup folder.  Here is what my script looks like (I don't use compose currently) to run neo4j in docker under the current user
docker run
--user "$(id -u):$(id -g)"
Here is an article that covers doing the same thing with compose
https://medium.com/faun/set-current-host-user-for-docker-container-4e521cef9ffc

*(hacky?) but you could run neo4j-admin outside docker, or in another container in a process that does have access to the backup volume? (I hear you want to run it as root?)

but of course I'm wondering why the backup process or db backup would be owned by root (as opposed to owned by a db owner or backup account...) Personally I feel it is best practice to avoid using root account, whenever possible.

A: I ended up solving this problem by running the command as _apt as required (docker-compose run graph_dev) and the using docker exec -it -u neo4j:neo4j graph_dev /bin/bash to copy the file over to the backup directory. Not elegant but works.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Avalanche update: Body of B.C. snowshoer found by rescuers
Sheila Scott Multi-skilled Journalist, CTV News Vancouver
@Sheila_Scott Contact
Kendra Mangione CTVNewsVancouver.ca producer
@kendramangione Contact
Published Wednesday, February 20, 2019 8:37AM PST Last Updated Wednesday, February 20, 2019 3:05PM PST
The body of a snowshoer swept away by an avalanche Monday morning has been located, rescuers say.
Remi Michalowski, a 39-year-old from Surrey, had been hiking in a backcountry area near Seymour when the avalanche struck. His friend managed to survive by holding on to a tree, and was rescued by long-line several hours later, but Michalowski's whereabouts remained unknown until Wednesday.
His body was found a few hours after a search led by North Shore Rescue resumed, and was brought back to an NSR base by long-line.
Michalowski's family was waiting for him.
The family wanted to be as close to Michalowski as possible, so NSR gave them access to the search and rescue station. Search manager Greg Miller went to the station in the morning to be with them during the search.
He was there when they learned what happened.
"It's devastating. It's the worst thing for a mother to hear, it's the worst thing for a husband or a wife or a girlfriend to hear… it's very, very hard," Miller said.
Crews headed into the remote area between Runner Peak and Mount Elsay at around sunrise, aided by two helicopters overhead and avalanche search dogs on the ground.
During the mission, which they believed was one of recovery, they consulted with members of the Canadian Avalanche Association.
The backcountry parts of Mount Seymour Provincial Park were closed during the search to help preserve the scene.
Although the weather was better on Wednesday, crews still faced dangerous conditions in the backcountry area. There were concerns the warmer weather and sun could lead to further avalanche activity.
The complex search began Monday morning, but was called off when it got dark. It was suspended Tuesday due to weather conditions that would have made it too dangerous for crews to enter the remote area where the avalanche happened.
His mother and sister were emotional Tuesday, saying they'd believed the team was specifically trained for these types of missions.
"They stop too short, they stop too early," Michalowksi's mother Lidia Majerski said Tuesday after meeting with RCMP and North Shore Rescue.
Miller said the reaction is not uncommon.
"It's hard for people who don't know about the backcountry, who don't know the hazards that are out there - just what we have to face when we go in. It's always hard for family when we say that if we can't access a site (like what happened Tuesday). They can hear it but it's hard to have that land," he said.
The family will be supported by victim services as they have since the beginning, Miller said.
Michalowski is described by family as an avid outdoorsman. When the engineering student wasn't studying, they said, he was out in the mountains.
"I think in this situation, they got caught in something that was really hard to predict. The local predictions didn't talk about the potential for avalanches as big as what we've seen. We were even surprised," Miller said.
"But that's the way the backcountry is. It is unpredictable, even if the avalanche danger is low, it just means the probability is low. Avalanches can still happen, as happened the other day."
Unfortunately, Michalowski was not using an avalanche transceiver at the time, which made the search more complicated. However, an item found in the snow helped guide their efforts.
"There's one ice-axe that we did note on Monday that is lying on the surface. It's an indication obviously that someone's been there and it is the subject's that we're looking for… but it's not a good indication as to where he is," NSR's Peter Haigh said Wednesday morning.
Earlier this week, NSR was able to rescue Michalowski's friend during a brief break in the weather. He had grabbed onto a tree as the avalanche swept Michalowski away.
Using a long-line from a helicopter, a pair of rescuers was able to reach the man within hours of the avalanche, and lift him to safety.
Watch video from CTV's Chopper 9 of the dramatic rescue
He received no physical injuries and expressed his gratitude to NSR in a brief interview with CTV News Monday.
Miller said those involved in the search were happy they were able to save the man, but saddened by Michalowski's death.
This is a developing news story and will be updated throughout the day.
With files from CTV Vancouver's Ben Miljure
Remi Michalowski is shown in an image from Facebook.
The North Shore Rescue helicopter is seen from CTV's Chopper 9 during a rescue operation in the Seymour area on Monday, Feb. 18, 2019.
Search for hiker swept away by avalanche delayed by bad weather
Bad weather halts search for missing B.C. snowshoer until at least Wednesday


text:
Adrian McKinty Mark Bailey Reviews
Rain Dogs (Sean Duffy 5) by Adrian McKinty
Post date 18 January 2016
No Comments on Rain Dogs (Sean Duffy 5) by Adrian McKinty
Adrian McKinty – Rain Dogs
Rain Dogs by Adrian McKinty
Trade paperback: 336 pages (December 2015 in UK)
Publisher: Serpents Tail
This is the fifth Sean Duffy novel set in and around Carrickfergus in County Antrim, Northern Ireland.
The novel starts with DI Sean Duffy in charge of part of the crowd control for a visit by Muhammad Al to Belfast in 1987 which is a break from his usual routine of riot duty, heartbreak and cases solved that can never get to court. Financial Times journalist Lily Bigelow is found dead in the courtyard of Carrickfergus castle – she has been following a group of potential Finnish investors to Northern Ireland. It looks like a suicide but some things don't add up and this bothers Duffy who has met and solved a locked room murder before. He finds out that she was working on a devastating investigation of corruption and abuse at the highest levels of power in the UK and beyond.
Again this a very assured police procedural with multiple serious themes (the peace process is still in the background, economic regeneration is in the middle and a cover up in the foreground) and great writing which is strongly literate but still keeps you engaged & turning the page.
I still want to see how Duffy handles the Patten Commission reforms and the shift to the PSNI as it looks like he is stuck in the RUC until retirement.
Crime Fiction Mark Bailey Paul Johnston Reviews
Paul Johnston – Skeleton Blues (2016)
No Comments on Paul Johnston – Skeleton Blues (2016)
Paul Johnston – Skeleton Blues
Hardback: 244 pages (January 2016)
Publisher: Severn House
ISBN: 978-0-7278-8578-4 (hardback)
Cover of "Skeleton Blues" by Paul Johnston
This is the seventh novel in the series of novels featuring Quint Dalrymple.
It is Spring 2034. The United Kingdom, along most of the world, was torn apart by civil wars and criminal gangs in the early years of the twenty-first century. Edinburgh in the last free election in 2003 voted in the Enlightenment Party (a small grouping of university Professors) who with a mind set influenced by Plato guaranteed basic human rights such as work, food and housing but removed most elements of choice from peoples lives. Crime has been pushed underground where it is fed in part by the envy of the tourists who come for the year-round festival with legalised gambling, prostitution and drugs for the tourists.
The weather is balmy and most un-Scottish. A referendum is imminent on whether or not to join a reconstituted Scotland. A tourist is found strangled in the apartment of a citizen and, as usual, maverick detective Quint Dalrymple is called in to do the dirty work of the Council of City Guardians. Quint is stumped by the complexity of the case when an explosion at the City Zoo is followed by the discovery of another body with the prime suspect nowhere to be found. Can Quint and Davie put a stop to the killings before the city erupts into open violence – are the leaders of the other Scottish states planning to take over Edinburgh or is the source of unrest much closer to home?
Again, you have an engaging plot that goes along at a rate of knots and you can understand the motivation of the characters whilst not agreeing with them – the key driving force is the camaraderie between Davie (his sidekick in effect) and Quint which has been built on throughout the series.
This is a good addition to the series and once again I would definitely like to see where Quint Dalrymple goes from here.
Mark Bailey Reviews Simon Brett
Simon Brett – The Killing in the Cafe: a Fethering Mystery
Post date 30 November 2015
No Comments on Simon Brett – The Killing in the Cafe: a Fethering Mystery
Hardback: 192 pages (November 2015 – UK, March 2016 – US)
Publisher: Creme de la Crime
ISBN: 978-1780290812 (Hardback)
Simon Brett – The Killing in the Cafe
THE KILLING IN THE CAFE is the 17th of the Fethering series of novels by Simon Brett.
Polly's Cake Shop has been a feature in Fethering for many years but when its current owner announces her retirement, the residents worry about the loss of this popular amenity and alarmed by the rumours circulating they form the Save Polly's Cake Shop Action Committee. Their plan is that the cake shop should become a community venture which is both managed and run by volunteers from the village. Jude is roped in to help by one of her clients and finds the committee meetings fraught with petty power struggles and clashing personalities & egos.
Carole and Jude discover a badly-decomposed body on Fethering beach and uncover a link to Polly's – now they have to find out whodunit.
Like all of the Fethering novels I have read what you get here is a good solid character driven novel in an interesting milieu with characters who are believable if a little bit over the top.
Again there isn't a strong whodunit here – pick the character who is most out of place and that is your killer BUT this is a nice traditional cozy mystery with just a little bit of dark humour and I will continue with the series.
My copy was provided by the publishers, Severn House, via Netgalley.
Elly Griffiths Mark Bailey
Elly Griffiths – Smoke and Mirrors (2015)
Post date 4 November 2015
No Comments on Elly Griffiths – Smoke and Mirrors (2015)
Quercus, Hardcover, 352 pages
Expected publication: November 5th 2015
Elly Griffiths – Smoke and Mirrors
Smoke and Mirrors is the 2nd in the Stephens and Mephisto Mystery series by Elly Griffiths (probably best known for the Ruth Galloway novels).
It is Brighton, England in 1951 – the war is over but rationing is ongoing and life is still grim.
Max Mephisto, master illusionist, is slumming it somewhat in a pantomime on the Palace Pier playing Abanazar, the Demon King in Aladdin.
But the headlines in the local papers are no longer about his first appearance in a pantomime, but about the disappearance of two local children (Mark and Annie); when they are found dead in the snow, surrounded by sweets, it's not long before the police nickname them 'Hansel and Gretel'.
There are plenty of leads for DI Edgar Stephens (war-time comrade of Max) to investigate.
Annie used to write gruesome plays based on the unexpurgated versions of Grimms' fairy tales – does the clue lie in her last unfinished – and rather disturbing – script?
Is the presence of sweets a red herring or where they used to lure them to their deaths by Sam Gee, owner of the corner shop where the local children bought sweets?
Or does the answer lie with the eccentric cast of theatricals who have assembled for the pantomime?
I haven't read the first in the series (The Zig Zag Girl) but do like the Ruth Galloway novels so I thought this might be worth a try plus I have always been interested in the worlds of magic and theatre. In terms of whether you can start here, I think you can as I certainly picked up what background was needed to enjoy the novel as I went along so this can be read as a standalone novel in my opinion.
There is excellent characterisation, especially of the 4 main protagonists (Max Mephisto, DI Edgar Stephens and his 2 sergeants, Emma Holmes (new to CID) and Bob Willis) all who contrast with each other nicely – especially the Roedean educated Holmes and the secondary modern educated Willis.
The mystery element is well handled with twists and turns but a fair outcome.
But for me, it is the detail in the background that makes this book work so well – the wartime experience of Edgar and Max as part of a shadowy secret unit called the Magic Men who used stage trickery to confuse the enemy (paralleling the claims of Jasper Maskelyne in his book Magic: Top Secret) and the seediness of Brighton in general post-war and especially within the theatrical community are particular strengths.
Brian McGilloway Crime Fiction Mark Bailey Reviews
Brian McGilloway – Preserve the Dead (2015)
No Comments on Brian McGilloway – Preserve the Dead (2015)
Brian McGilloway – Preserve the Dead
Hardback: 256 pages (August 2015)
Publisher: Corsair (part of the Little, Brown Book Group UK)
ISBN: 978-1-4721-1894-3 (hardback) 978-1-4721-2039-7 (trade paperback) 978-1-4721-1319-14 (e-book)
This is the third novel in the series of novels by Brian McGilloway featuring Detective Sergeant Lucy Black who works in the Public Protection Unit in Derry/Londonderry, Northern Ireland.
Lucy is visiting her father who is a patient in a secure unit in Gransha Hospital on the banks of the River Foyle – he has been hurt in a fracas with another patient and Lucy finds him chained to the bed for either his or others safety. She barely has time to take this in before an orderly knowing she is in the Police tells her that a body has been spotted floating in the river below…
The body is that of an elderly man in a grey suit and Lucy & the orderly haul him ashore – he is dead and has been so for several days. The post mortem reveals that he has already been embalmed which initiates a full scale investigation as to why the body was dumped and where he came from.
The following day she is called by her friend Tara to help out in a CID investigation of a body found in a rubbish dump after being in a trash compactor – the post mortem reveals that he had been severely beaten in the hours prior to his death.
These 2 strands and that of Lucy's neighbours spousal abused sister interlink over 6 days in July when the police in Northern Ireland are at their most stretched because of the Twelfth parades.
Lucy's dedication to the case and to taking care of others causes problems with her private life – be it with her boyfriend who was injured in HURT (the previous novel), her father whose Alzheimer's is worsening or the mother who abandoned her as a child and is now her boss as the Assistant Chief Commissioner of Police.
This is a solid police procedural driven by old-fashioned detective work rather than technology and set against a backdrop of social unrest (the Police are not trusted by large parts of the community, both Protestant and Catholic) and the aftermath of the collapse of the Celtic tiger which has left people adrift and vulnerable.
Although this is the third in a series, I feel that you could start with this one and read the others later although I would recommend reading them in order (LITTLE GIRL LOST, HURT, PRESERVE THE DEAD) to see how Lucy develops as an officer and how her complex private life has evolved.
PRESERVE THE DEAD is a fast page-turner or clicker (like Brain McGilloways other series featuring Garda Inspector Benedict Devlin and set the other side of the border in Donegal for the most part) and I look forward to seeing the next one.
2015 reading challenges Agatha Christie Blast from the Past Crime Fiction Mark Bailey Reviews vintage mystery bingo gold
Agatha Christie – Death in the Clouds (1935)
Post date 29 August 2015
2 Comments on Agatha Christie – Death in the Clouds (1935)
Cover of Death in the Clouds by Agatha Christie (painted by Tom Adams)
Hercule Poirot is a passenger on board a flight from Paris to Croydon (which was the main London airport at that time). Sometime before landing, one of the passengers is found dead – it is Madame Giselle who is a wealthy French moneylender; initially the cause of death is said to be a reaction to a wasp sting but Poirot spots the true cause of death: a poison-tipped dart which has been apparently fired from a blowgun. The case then becomes one of murder.
It is a classic locked room mystery with a murder being committed in a space occupied by thirteen people with no-one witnessing the crime and all of them conceivably could have a motive for the death. The joy is in the puzzle and trying to solve it before Poirot the first time you read it and enjoying the journey thereafter.
This is another of my favourite Agatha Christie novels and edges out other Agatha Christie contenders Murder on the Orient Express and The Mystery of the Blue Train as my L6 entry ("Read One Book that involves a mode of transportation") on the 2015 Vintage Mystery Bingo Golden Age Card because of the Tom Adams cover of the Fontana paperback version that I read when I was young (which is the image at the top of the page) – this is just a gorgeous piece of art; my absolute favourite Tom Adams cover is that for The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side (below) which is inspired by John William Waterhouses 1894 painting The Lady of Shalott [looking at Lancelot from the Window] (further below).
Cover of The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side by Agatha Christie (painted by Tom Adams)
John William Waterhouses 1894 painting The Lady of Shalott [looking at Lancelot from the Window]
2 good books on Tom Adams' work in general (and the Agatha Christie covers he has painted in particular) are
"Tom Adams Uncovered: The Art of Agatha Christie and Beyond" by Tom Adams & John Curran, 2015
"Agatha Christie: The Art of Her Crimes" by Tom Adams & Julian Symons, 1981
2015 reading challenges Crime Fiction Margery Allingham Mark Bailey Reviews vintage mystery bingo gold
Margery Allingham – The Case of the Late Pig (1937)
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Cover for The Case of the Late Pig by Margery Allingham, Penguin 1956 edition
This is the 9th novel featuring the mysterious Albert Campion
Lugg is reading the obituaries from the Times aloud to Campion one morning and comes across one for an old school nemesis of Campion – R.I. "Pig" Peters who has died aged 37. In the morning post that day Campion had received an anonymous letter inviting him to the funeral which has a curious reference to Moles ("Why should the mole move backwards? — it is not yet eleven."). Campion attends the funeral where he meets Kingston, a bored local doctor who had looked after Peters in his dying days, and an old school chum Gilbert Whippet who also received an anonymous letter with the obscure references to moles.
Five months later in June, Campion receives a panicked phone call from a friend saying something about a murder. He drives down to the friend's home where her father reveals the most assuredly dead body of R.I. "Pig" Peters, his head having been caved in no more than 12 hours earlier.
A second funeral follows attended by some of the visitors from Peters' first funeral and some not-so-grieving acquaintances of the late Pig. A little English village is now becoming very crowded indeed.
Thus begins Campion's search, leading to a missing body, a grisly scarecrow and one too many beers for Lugg before he discovers the madman that planned more than a few murders.
I came to Margery Allingham relatively late in life having read Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie and Ellery Queen in my teens (and before – I do have a school report from when I was aged 11 chastising my parents for letting me read "age-inappropriate literature" such as Christie & Doyle) and Dorothy L Sayers in my twenties. I read my first Margery Allingham in my 40s after re-watching the Peter Davison Campion series when it was released on DVD.
This is a very short novel (technically a novella as it is just under 40000 words) and is very fast moving as a consequence with subplots that efficiently establish character and add a touch of levity to the proceedings without interrupting the emphasis of the novel.
It is unusual in that it is the only story told from Campion's own point of view.
In my opinion, Allingham does tend to vary a lot in her work (in style and readability – I personally just cannot get into Tiger in the Smoke which many people say is her best) and I think that this is a good starting point for Allingham & Campion as it is a fairly traditional fairplay mystery with no rug-pulling twists and you can work out the perpetrator, method and motive from the evidence that is presented.
2015 reading challenges Agatha Christie Crime Fiction Mark Bailey Reviews vintage mystery bingo gold
Agatha Christie – The ABC Murders (aka The Alphabet Murders) (1936)
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Cover of Agatha Christie – The ABC Murders (1936)
This novel was chosen as my L2 entry ("One Book that has been made into a Movie or TV Show") on the 2015 Vintage Mystery Bingo Golden Age Card for 3 reasons – it is one of my favourite Agatha Christie novels, it has an unusual narrative structure and it is has been dramatised in some interesting & different ways.
The novel follows the murders of the title and their investigation as seen by Hastings, Poirot's old friend. Before each murder, Poirot receives typed letters signed by A.B.C. giving the date and location of the next murder which move alphabetically – Alice Ascher is a tobacco shop owner who is killed in her shop in Andover, Betty Barnard is a flirty waitress killed in Bexhill and Sir Carmichael Clarke is a wealthy man killed at his home in Churston. With each victim is left a copy of an ABC railway guide.
The unusual structure is that each chapter is narrated by Hastings followed by a description of events in the life of Alexander Bonaparte Cust, a travelling salesman who received a head injury in the Great War and is subject to memory blackouts and constant headaches. This third-person narrative is supposedly reconstructed by the first-person narrator, Hastings continuing Christie's commitment to experimenting with points of view as seen most famously in The Murder of Roger Ackroyd.
I like the ABC Murders because it is a chase novel with multiple mysteries – Is Cust ABC? Does he know if he is ABC? If he isn't then who is? Why are the murders occurring? Can Poirot prevent a murder and break the sequence?
There are 3 contrasting TV/Movie adaptations that spring to mind
Lobby Card for The Alphabet Murders (1965)
There is the 1965 film The Alphabet Murders with Tony Randall as Hercule Poirot which does emphasise comedy (and has a rather buffoonish Poirot) but I still quite like it as a film although Agatha Christie had some major issues with the script which is why Zero Mostel dropped out (for scheduling reasons) and was replaced by Tony Randall.
Video Cover for the ABC Murders (1992)
There is the 1992 TV version with David Suchet as Hercule Poirot which is much more faithful to the novel albeit with some minor changes and characters omitted mainly to fit in the time constraint of the broadcast slot available.
Still from Les Petits Meurtres d'Agatha Christie – Les meurtres ABC (2009)
Finally, there is the 2009 version in the French TV series Les Petits Meurtres d'Agatha Christie entitled Les meurtres ABC which takes some very substantial liberties with the concept of Poirot (slightly less so with the story) and is also fairly comedic – it is Agatha Christie but not as we usually know it; this is one episode of the series that is available with English subtitles on DVD. I personally have a soft spot for this series (especially the later ones with Inspector Swan & Alice Avril (a Journalist)) but it is not one for the purists.
2015 reading challenges Blast from the Past Crime Fiction Edmund Crispin Mark Bailey vintage mystery bingo gold
Frequent Hearses by Edmund Crispin (1950)
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Cover of Frequent Hearses by Edmund Crsipin (1950)
This is the 7th Gervase Fen novel by Edmund Crispin.
A young actress, Gloria Scott [1], drowns after throwing herself off Waterloo Bridge. The news sends shock-waves around the film studio at Long Fulton where Gervase Fen, Oxford Don and amateur criminologist, happens to be working as a consultant on a bio-pic of the life of Alexander Pope the poet ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Pope ) . With help from his friend, Inspector Humbleby, this tragic loss of young life leads them to many more dark places – Ms. Scott's room has been searched and all signs of her real identity have been removed. Mere minutes before Humbleby interrogates her co-workers, one of them, a lecherous cameraman, is poisoned and more deaths are to follow.
This novel is set in a world that Bruce Montgomery (the real person behind the nom de plume of Edmund Crispin) knew well as a professional composer most often of film music (see http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0599736/ for a full list of the 32 films he worked on from 1949 to 1966 – 1961s Raising the Wind, a broad comedy, is an especially interesting film for fans of his novels as he wrote both the screenplay and the score for this film from the Carry On directing/producing team with a cast of classic British film comedy stars)
This does seem to be the Fen that people seem to be most divided over with some disliking it intensely – the usual criticisms are (1) the absence of the killer for most of the novel – he/she appears in person or by letter only at the beginning and end, (2) that Fen tends to stay in the background for much of the book and (3) the comedy is too much in the foreground.
Personally this is one of my favourite Fens precisely because of there is a more sophisticated level of humour than with some of the other Fen books mostly throughout (the start is a bit iffy from a humour perspective) and the fact that Fen has to act as an observer here because this is a world that is quite distinct from his usual intellectual milieu so we see what he sees. There are crimes but I am not sure it can really be classed as a pure mystery.
This is almost the end of the run of Fen novels in the 1940s and 1950s, The Long Divorce followed in 1952 along with some short short stories collected in Beware of the Trains (1953) and Fen Country (1979). One more novel appeared in 1977 – The Glimpses of the Moon – but Crispin/Montgomery turned to reviewing, editing anthologies (mostly of SF but there are 2 good Crime/Mystery anthologies) and writing Film Music (at least until the mid-1960s) – see David Whittles Bruce Montgomery/Edmund Crispin: A Life in Music and Books for more details of his life.
I aim to complete my reviews of the set of Fen novels and short stories at some point in the future.
[1] Presumably the stage name of the actress is an homage to "The Adventure of the Gloria Scott" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, collected in The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes
2015 reading challenges Crime Fiction Edmund Crispin Mark Bailey Reviews vintage mystery bingo gold
Buried for Pleasure by Edmund Crispin (1948)
Post date 7 May 2015
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Buried for Pleasure by Edmund Crispin
In the sleepy English village of Sanford Angelorum, professor and amateur detective Gervase Fen is taking a break from his books to run for Parliament. At first glance, the village he's come to canvass appears perfectly peaceful, but Fen soon discovers that appearances can be deceptive: someone in the village has discovered a dark secret and is using it for blackmail. Anyone who comes close to uncovering the blackmailer's identity is swiftly dispatched.
This is the 6th Gervase Fen mystery by Edmund Crispin – it is not the greatest whodunnit in the series but it has a great deal of humour most of which is derived not from the investigation but from the peculiarities of English village life that Fen meets in the course of his campaigning.
Not the best of Fen but still a very engaging read especially in a time of general election campaigning when faced with the absurdity and self-importance of politicians.
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A missile struck Beirut's port just before the blast.
Ankita Kulkarni
The videos of the explosion captured by the residents does not show any kind of missile striking the port before the blast.
The massive explosions at the Beirut port killed at least 160 people and injured thousands of residents. A viral video circulated on Youtube and twitter claims that a missile struck Beirut's seaport moments before the blast. But, the videos captured by some of the residents do not show any kind of missile strike the port and triggering a blast.
There were also speculations about an Israeli attack on the weapons stored by Hezbollah militant group at Beirut port. However, in a speech on August 7, 2020, Hezbollah's leader denied storing weapons at Beirut port depot. Isreal Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also denied Israel's involvement in the blast.
According to the CNN report, three officials from the U.S Defense Department and U.S Defence Secretary Mark Esper stated that there was no indication of an attack associated with the massive explosion at Beirut seaport.
A third of people in the UK believe Britain's colonies were better off for being part of an empire.
A deadly blast in Beirut, Lebanon has wounded thousands and killed many.
Lebanon's health minister ordered all hospitals in Beirut's explosion area to prepare to receive injuries.
Lebanon's government has resigned amid mounting anger over the Beirut's explosion.
Solar and wind power as a share of global electricity has doubled since 2015.
A group of seven or eight people was trapped in a control room under the rubble in the Beirut explosion.
After the Beirut explosion, Tamil Nadu's stockpile of ammonium nitrate in India is on the CBIC radar.
The United Kingdom operates double standards on banned pesticides.
Boris Johnson announces a ban on petrol and diesel cars from 2030.
Mining Bitcoins consumes more electricity annually than Argentina.
Water vapor contributes to global warming more than carbon dioxide.
A UFO was seen just before the 2020 Beirut explosion.


Rom Rom Lyrics – Nyvaan: The Punjabi singer Nyvaan have sung this love song with music composition of Muzik Amy. It lyrics are written by lyricist Asli Gold. This music video is directed by The James Only and released by under the label of T-Series.
If you show any mistake in lyrics of Rom Rom Lyrics – Nyvaan, Please let me know in comments or mail us.


THANE TNA to CUTTACK CTC train timings, routes, stops, and complete info.
As of now, 3 trains run between from THANE (TNA) to CUTTACK (CTC).
The fastest train from THANE (TNA) to CUTTACK (CTC) is LTT-BBS BI-WEEKLY (12879) that departs at 00:35 and arrives to at 06:32. It takes approximately 29:57 hours.


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Home / Books / Duffy Bowie: Five Sessions
Duffy Bowie: Five Sessions
SKU LNQ-KEC-1 Category Books
Brian Duffy defined the image of the 1960s, and was as famous as the stars he photographed. Together with David Bailey and Terence Donovan, he is recognised as one of the innovators of "documentary" fashion photography, a style which revolutionised fashion imagery and furthermore the fashion industry. Duffy's most famous photograph dates from the 1970s and is the iconic and revolutionary cover of David Bowie's album Aladdin Sane, a shot that became the defining look of Bowie's long career, and has been referred to as the Mona Lisa of pop. The photographer and the rock star collaborated on four other projects: Ziggy Stardust, The Man Who Fell to Earth, Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) and Lodger. They worked together during the pivotal years of Bowie's career; when the king of glam was assuming and discarding extraordinary personas, Duffy was capturing them all. Written by David Bowie's biographer, Kevin Cann, Duffy/Bowie – Five Sessions features anecdotes and stories from those attending the shoots – including Tony Defries (Bowie's manager at the time of Ziggy Stardust); Celia Philo (designer) & Philip Castle (airbrush artist) from the famous Aladdin Sane shoot; Francis Newman (Duffy's studio manager); May Routh (costume designer) from The Man Who Fell to Earth; Geoff MacCormack (musician and Bowie's childhood friend); Derek Boshier (art director of Lodger); Natasha Kornilof costume designer for Scary Monsters; Edward Bell (artist); Steve Strange (musician) and Duffy's son, Chris, who also worked on the Scary Monsters session. Included are many unseen images and behind the scenes photographs.
ACC Art books, ISBN9781851497652, hardcover, 212 pages, 80 color and 90 black and white photos in book.
Duffy Bowie: Five Sessions quantity
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN: LIVE IN THE HEARTLAND


What's the best new car of the last ten years? Autocar is giving you the chance to take part in an online poll to have your say, and ultimately settle the question.
You can vote for any car launched in the last ten years.
Whether it's outright performance, cutting edge styling or genius of design and conception that impresses you, the landmark car you chose can be entirely up to you.
The voting system allows users to vote for one of 17 cars nominated by Autocar's expert journalists, or to name their own star car.
"We are all really interested to find out which vehicle tops our Car of the Decade poll, and to start the process we've cast our votes as detailed below," said Autocar editor Chas Hallett.
"The last ten years has brought us some incredible new cars – from the outstanding Bugatti Veyron supercar with its breathtaking performance, to the reimagined Mini that has won the adoration of so many of us. We have literally been spoilt for choice".
The competition will close on Monday, 4 January 2010 at midnight UK time, with the results announced on Tuesday, 5 January 2010 at 11am.


Soak up the atmosphere of the Australian Open with a ground pass for you and a friend, thanks to Mastercard.
We've got 5 double ground passes that include an optional behind the scenes tour up for grabs, for each day of week 2 of the tournament (21 – 27 January 2019).
Ground passes are courtesy of Mastercard, an official partner of the Australian Open.


In 2017, Insituform Technologies, Ltd. successfully installed a total of 345 meters of 1500mm CIPP liner. The installation was accomplished in two separate water inversion installations at 170 meters and 175 meters in length, helping to rehabilitate a failing corrugated steel culvert.
Each liner, weighing roughly 25,500kg was transported to the jobsite. Working from a single manhole, the liners were installed in two opposite directions. The culvert contained multiple intermediate manholes which were lined through. Lining through the intermediate manholes helped to reduce the amount of downtime for the pipelines, with the manholes re-opened and cut post curing. The volume of water used for curing each liner equaled almost 320 cubic meters.
Working closely with the client on design, planning and delivery contributed toward the project being delivered on-time and to budget. The liner was designed as a fully-deteriorated solution, enabling it to withstand all the external loadings from the highway and groundwater and giving the newly rehabilitated culvert a design life exceeding 50 years.


While 4G is speeding up its steps towards global markets, 5G has initiated its full development to satisfy an increasing demand on mobile data traffic and big data bandwidth. Centralized data processing, collaborative radio, real-time cloud infrastructure and Cloud Radio Access Network (C-RAN), along with their excellent advantages are being sought by more and more operators to meet end-user requirements. As a promising mobile wireless network architecture, compared with traditional RAN, C-RAN has incomparable advantages in terms of low power consumption, reduced Base Station (BS) numbers, and economic capital and operating expenditure. It can also improve network capacity and BS utilization rate. Recently, C-RAN security has aroused special attention and concern. However, the literature still lacks an overall review on it in order to guide current and future research. In this paper, we first overview the architecture, deployment scenarios and special characteristics of C-RAN. We then provide a thorough review on the existing security studies in the field of C-RAN based on its three logic layers and corresponding security threats and attacks. Particularly, we discuss whether the current literature can satisfy the expected security requirements in C-RAN. Based on this, we indicate open research issues and propose future research trends.


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Zuma Wants Fraud Charges Dismissed
South African president-in-waiting Jacob Zuma made a bid Monday to get corruption and fraud charges against him thrown out of court — and thereby remove a major obstacle he faces to becoming the nation's next leader.
Several thousand Zuma supporters staged a rally outside the court, singing the anti-apartheid song "Bring Me My Machine Gun," which has become Zuma's trademark. The peaceful crowd carried placards reading "Zuma for President" and sold souvenirs bearing his image.
The 66-year-old former guerrilla fighter — smiling and relaxed looking in a gray suit — stands accused, along with a French arms company, of bribery in a multi-billion-rand (dollar) 1999 arms deal. Zuma and his supporters claim he is at the center of a political conspiracy aimed at thwarting his ambitions to be president.
"We think the charges should be dropped," Jessie Duarte, a spokesman for the governing African National Congress, told reporters at the court. "We think it is persecution, not prosecution."
If Judge Chris Nicholson agrees, he could drop all charges against Zuma, the president of the ANC. But if not, Zuma could face trial later this year — although it is doubtful that any process would be completed before next year's legislative elections.
Zuma is the party's presidential candidate, and prolonged legal uncertainty could throw South Africa's political landscape into turmoil and decrease already nervous foreign investment in southern Africa's only economic powerhouse.
The ANC is expected to hold onto its big majority in Parliament during the general election, and then elect Zuma as the nation's president.
On Monday, his lawyer, Kemp J. Kemp, argued that the National Prosecuting Authority had violated its constitutional obligations by not consulting with Zuma before he was charged in 2005. Zuma and his lawyers argue that the case has dragged on too long, is unlawful and unconstitutional. They maintain that Zuma's right to a speedy and fair trial has been violated.
The 2005 charges against Zuma were thrown out the next year on a technicality. But within days of him being elected ANC president last year, the National Prosecuting Authority said it had new evidence and filed racketeering, corruption, money laundering and fraud charges regarding the same 1999 arms deal.
Duarte said Zuma has been "persecuted" by prosecutors for the last eight years when allegations against him first surfaced and that he has been "found guilty" by the media.
"We want to give him moral and de facto support," Duarte said, as some 70 ranking ANC members, including government ministers, packed the court benches Monday.
Many South Africans want a new leader after 10 years under President Thabo Mbeki, and Zuma's allies say he has been made a scapegoat in a scandal that also has tainted the presidency.
Mbeki fired Zuma as the country's deputy president in 2005, after Zuma's financial adviser was sentenced to 15 years in jail for trying to elicit bribes from French company Thint, formerly Thomson CSF.
Zuma allegedly accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes from Thint to use his influence and stop investigations into arms deal contracts with the government, prosecutors say.
Judge Nicholson agreed to a joint application by prosecutors and Thint's South African chief executive, Pierre Moynot, to postpone Moynot's criminal case until Dec. 8.
On Thursday, prosecutors won an important victory when the Constitutional Court upheld a ruling that the 2005 police seizure of incriminating documents from Zuma's home and office was legal. It also ruled that prosecutors could bring documents from Mauritius about a meeting between a Thint executive and Zuma.
The ruling prompted Zuma loyalists to question the Constitutional Court judges' integrity. They insist that Zuma will become South Africa's next leader and have even mooted constitutional changes to prevent a sitting president from facing criminal charges. The powerful trade union confederation and the ANC Youth League have said their members would "kill" for Zuma.
On Monday, opposition leader Helen Zille called for Zuma to step down as a presidential candidate and expressed concern about growing threats of violence by his supporters.
"The discourse surrounding Zuma's trial has shifted rapidly from menacing rhetoric to an all-out declaration of war by former soldiers," Zille said in a statement. "This is effectively a promise of a military coup, if the courts find against Zuma."
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Netanyahu lauded Trump's decision explaining that he had earned himself "an eternal role" in Jerusalem's history and the annals of the Jewish people.
Israel is talking with more countries about recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday.
His announcement comes as the UN Security Council in New York prepares to hold a meeting in New York to discuss US President Donald Trump's decision Wednesday to officially recognize Jerusalem and move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
"I would like to announce that we are already in contact with other countries which will issue a similar recognition," Netanyahu said at the Foreign Ministry's Digital Diplomacy Conference in Jerusalem.
He lauded Trump's decision explaining that he had earned himself "an eternal role" in Jerusalem's history and the annals of the Jewish people.
Netanyahu added he had no doubt that once the US embassy is relocated to Jerusalem and even before, other countries would follow suit.
Trump made history on Wednesday when he recognized that Jerusalem was Israel's capital, almost 70 years after the United States voted in the United Nations to accept Israel as a member state.
But until this year, no country recognized Jerusalem as the country's capital and none of them have embassies in the city, which is Israel's seat of government, even though their leaders and diplomats frequently visit and hold meetings in Jerusalem.
In the spring, Russia became the first country to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital, but limited that recognition to the western part of the city.
"The Czech Republic currently, before the peace between Israel and Palestine is signed, recognizes Jerusalem to be in fact the capital of Israel in the borders of the demarcation line from 1967," the Czech Foreign Ministry said on its web page.
"The Czech Republic together with other EU member states, following the EU Foreign Affairs Council Conclusions, considers Jerusalem to be future capital of both states, meaning the State of Israel and the future State of Palestine," it said.
But relocating the embassy could occur "only based on results of negotiations with key partners in the region and in the world," the Czech Foreign Ministry said.
Trump also did not mean his endorsement to include all portions of the city, but he refrained from limiting it to the ceasefire line from the Six Day War.
From the country's creation in 1948 until the Six Day War in June 1967, Jerusalem was a divided city, with Jordan controlling the eastern section.
The entire city has been in Israel's hands since the Six Day War, but the international community, including the US, does not recognize Israel's annexation of east Jerusalem.
The status of Jerusalem is one of the core issues that is expected to be resolved in a final status agreement for a two-state solution.
The Palestinians hold that east Jerusalem is the capital of their future state.
The EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said Trump's decision was harmful to the peace process, a statement which was endorsed by the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Great Britain and Germany.
France, Bolivia, Egypt, Italy, Senegal, Sweden, Britain and Uruguay, have asked UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to publicly brief the Security Council on the issue this Friday.