Officials to investigate why stranded Norway cruise ship set sail - NBC News

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March 25, 2019, 12:55 PM GMT

By Associated Press

COPENHAGEN, Denmark — Norwegian officials said Monday they have opened an investigation into why a cruise ship carrying more than 1,300 people set sail despite storm warnings, forcing a major evacuation.

Hospital officials have said one person is in critical condition, and eight others are still hospitalized after the Viking Sky got into trouble off the Norwegian coast on Saturday. Authorities launched a daring rescue operation, taking 479 passengers off the ship by helicopter.

Dag S. Liseth of Norway's Accident Investigations Board said "the high risk which the ship, its passengers and crew were exposed to made us decide to investigate the incident."

The ship, which had left the northern city of Tromsoe and was headed for Stavanger in southern Norway, suffered engine trouble before the mayday call and was drifting toward the rocky coast. Many shipwrecks have occurred in the area through the years.

The airlift evacuation went all through Saturday night and into Sunday morning, slowing for a bit when two of the five rescue helicopters had to be diverted to save nine crewmembers from a nearby ailing cargo ship.

The Viking Sky is now docked in the port city of Molde, 241 miles northwest of Oslo, which it eventually managed to reach on its own engines.

Liseth said investigators were headed to Molde Monday and declined to speculate as to why the Viking Sky captain had decided to sail despite the weather warning. He couldn't immediately say how long the ship would remain in Molde.

Yngve Skovly of the police in Moere and Romsdal district where Molde sits, says that there is no suspicion of a criminal offense but police have opened an investigation to find out why the ship had engine problems. That probe would be part of the one by the Accident Investigations Board.

The Viking Sky is a relatively new ship, delivered in 2017 to operator Viking Ocean Cruises.

The ship was on a 12-day cruise along Norway's coast before its scheduled arrival Tuesday in the British port of Tilbury, on the River Thames. The passengers were mostly an English-speaking mix of American, British, Canadian, New Zealand and Australian citizens.

All passengers were expected to be flown out on Norway by Monday evening, police said.

On Sunday, the operator said the ship's next scheduled trip, to Scandinavia and Germany, that was to leave on Wednesday, was canceled.

Calls to Viking Ocean Cruises on Monday were not immediately returned.

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2019-03-25 12:55:00Z
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Netanyahu cuts short Washington trip, mobilizes military after Gaza rocket attack wounds 7 - Fox News

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cut short his trip to Washington, D.C. and was set to return to the Jewish state later Monday after a Gaza rocket attack struck a home in central Israel, wounding seven people.

Netanyahu, who was in the U.S. capital to meet President Trump and give a since-scuttled speech to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee conference, called the Monday morning rocket launch in the agricultural community of Mishmeret a “criminal attack” and vowed to strike back hard.

"There has been a criminal attack on the State of Israel and we will respond forcefully," he said. "In a few hours, I will meet with President Trump. I will return to Israel immediately afterward."

In addition to the canceled AIPAC address, Netanyahu also scrapped meetings with congressional leaders.

TRUMP'S SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL'S SOVEREIGNTY OVER GOLAN HEIGHTS EXPECTED TO MAKE WAVES AT UN

The early morning rocket, fired from the Gaza Strip, demolished a residential house, leaving it in ruins, with tiles, broken furniture and debris scattered about. A shattered baby's crib lay among the rubble and two family dogs died in the explosion.

An Israeli police officer inspects the damage to a house hit by a rocket in Mishmeret, central Israel, Monday, March 25, 2019. An early morning rocket from the Gaza Strip struck a house in central Israel on Monday, wounding several people, including one moderately, an Israeli rescue service said, in an eruption of violence that could set off another round of violence shortly before the Israeli election. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

"It's a miracle that nobody got killed," said Assi Dvilanski, a Magen David Adom paramedic who was one of the first responders at the scene.

The rescue service said it treated seven people overall, including two women who were moderately wounded. The others, including two children and an infant, had minor wounds.

The Israeli military said militants from Gaza's ruling Hamas movement fired the rocket from one of their launching pads in southern Gaza Strip, near Rafah.

Shoes are seen inside a car near a house hit by a rocket in Mishmeret, central Israel, Monday, March 25, 2019. An early morning rocket from the Gaza Strip struck a house in central Israel on Monday, wounding several people, including one moderately, an Israeli rescue service said, in an eruption of violence that could set off another round of violence shortly before the Israeli election. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

Maj. Mika Lifshitz, a military spokeswoman, said it was a self-manufactured rocket with a range of 75 miles. She added two armor and infantry brigades were being mobilized to the Gaza front and a limited drafting of reserves was also taking place.

FAR-LEFT MOVEON.ORG ASKS 2020 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES TO SKIP PRO-ISRAEL AIPAC CONFERENCE

Anticipating a strong Israeli response, Gaza's Hamas leaders have apparently gone underground. Witnesses reported seeing Hamas evacuating its personnel from government premises. Hamas also announced its Gaza chief, Yehiya Sinwar, had canceled a scheduled public speech. Israel also shut down its main crossings into Gaza and imposed restrictions on fishing off the Gazan coast.

Monday's attack came 10 days after rockets were fired from Gaza toward Israel's densely populated commercial capital of Tel Aviv. The Israeli military at the time struck back and the sides appeared to be hurtling toward another confrontation. But Gaza's Hamas leaders said the rocket was fired accidentally and calm was quickly restored.

A house lies in ruins after being hit by a rocket in Mishmeret, central Israel, Monday, March 25, 2019. An early morning rocket from the Gaza Strip struck a house in central Israel on Monday, wounding six people, including one moderately, an Israeli rescue service said, in an eruption of violence that could set off another round of violence shortly before the Israeli election. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Monday's attack, but it would seem to be much harder to dismiss the latest incident as another misfire.

Gaza is controlled by Hamas, an Islamic militant Palestinian group that seeks Israel's destruction and possesses a large arsenal of rockets and missiles capable of striking deep inside Israel. The territory is home to other Palestinian militant groups, including Islamic Jihad, an Iranian-backed armed organization that also has a formidable rocket arsenal.

Israel and Hamas are bitter enemies and have fought three wars since the group seized power in the strip in 2007. Smaller flare-ups have occurred sporadically since Israel and Hamas fought their last war in 2014. Israel says it holds Hamas responsible for all fire coming out of the coastal territory.

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An Israel-Egyptian blockade, combined with sanctions by the rival Palestinian Authority and mismanagement by the Hamas government have fueled an economic crisis. The territory's residents have little desire for another war with Israel.

Police officers inspect the damage to a house hit by a rocket in Mishmeret, central Israel, Monday, March 25, 2019. An early morning rocket from the Gaza Strip struck a house in central Israel on Monday, wounding six people, including one moderately, an Israeli rescue service said, in an eruption of violence that could set off another round of violence shortly before the Israeli election. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

Instead of a full-fledged conflict, Hamas has tried to end the blockade through a violent weekly protest movement along the Israel-Gaza border fence that it launched a year ago. It too has largely failed. About 190 Palestinians and an Israeli soldier have been killed during the weekly rallies.

Egypt, Qatar and the United Nations are trying to broker a long-term truce between Israel and Hamas but that effort has yet to bring about an agreement. At the same time, there has been an uptick in violence in the West Bank over the past week, with a stabbing and shooting attack that left two Israelis dead near a West Bank settlement and Israel's killing of two Palestinians it said attacked troops.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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2019-03-25 12:43:33Z
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As Thai Pro-Military Party Celebrates Election Lead, So Do Its Opponents - The New York Times

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As Thai Pro-Military Party Celebrates Election Lead, So Do Its Opponents

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Prayuth Chan-ocha, the leader of the junta that orchestrated a 2015 coup in Thailand, onscreen center, at the Phalang Pracharat party’s headquarters in Bangkok after polls closed on Sunday.CreditCreditLillian Suwanrumpha/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

By Hannah Beech and Muktita Suhartono

• March 25, 2019

BANGKOK — A pro-military party in Thailand on Monday celebrated leading in the vote count in this weekend’s elections, hinting that the army that staged a 2014 coup had a likely license to continue its hold on power.

But on Monday afternoon, a populist force that in one incarnation or another has dominated every previous election this century claimed its own victory.

A partial count showed that the populist party, Pheu Thai, had so far collected the largest number of parliamentary seats on offer, which party officials said was a more important metric than the popular vote. The party represents the interests of Thaksin Shinawatra, a polarizing former prime minister as beloved by the rural poor as he is disdained by the establishment elite.

In the initial tally released on Monday afternoon, Pheu Thai had won 137 seats in the Lower House, compared with 97 for the pro-military party, Palang Pracharat, according to the Election Commission.

Yet the truth is that in Thailand, a nation with a stunted democracy strangled by complicated rules designed to perpetuate the military’s power, neither the popular vote nor the number of seats in this election is the true barometer of power.

Forces loyal to Prayuth Chan-ocha, the leader of the junta that orchestrated that coup, said he appeared poised to continue as prime minister, even though the party that nominated him, Palang Pracharat, was in second place in the contest for 500 seats in the Lower House.

Because the country’s military-drafted Constitution ensures that the 250-member Senate is entirely appointed by the military, Mr. Prayuth may be able to count on enough votes from both sides of Parliament to keep the top job. In an unusual twist to a parliamentary democracy, a candidate for prime minister in Thailand does not have to be an elected member of Parliament.

Purawich Watanasukh, a research fellow at King Prajadhipok’s Institute in Thailand, said he was “quite surprised with Palang Pracharat’s performance.” Mr. Purawich was among many analysts to have predicted that Mr. Prayuth’s perceived lack of popularity might affect the military party’s performance.

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Supporters of the Pheu Thai party watching election results in Bangkok on Sunday.CreditYe Aung Thu/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

But support for the junta was stacked even before voting began. And the vote on Sunday was filled with reports of irregularities and concerns about repeated delays in announcing the results.

A full unofficial count of Sunday’s vote is not expected until late this week.

Uttama Savanayana, Palang Pracharat’s party leader, said in a news conference on Monday afternoon that “we have stated from the beginning that any party that gets the most votes is able to form a government.”

On Friday, Mr. Prayuth, a former army chief with an ambivalent attitude toward democracy, spoke of his commitment to his homeland. “I love Thailand, and I would die for this country,” he said at a political rally.

On Monday afternoon, the Election Commission delayed for the third time releasing its unofficial count of Sunday’s polls. Such postponements have never occurred before, Thai election experts say.

Before the voting began, the Election Commission, which was appointed by the junta, said it would have preliminary results counted by around 8 p.m. Sunday. But late that evening, Ittiporn Boonprakong, the chairman of the Election Commission, said that counting would stop for the night and that the results would be released at 10 a.m. Monday.

“I don’t have a calculator,” he said in response to queries about the intricacies of the balloting.

That deadline was later changed to 2 p.m. Then the Election Commission said results would be published at 4 p.m., but only for 350 of the 500 Lower House seats.

Winners of the other 150 seats may be announced on Friday, Nut Laosisavakul, the commission’s deputy secretary general, said on Monday afternoon.

It is not clear what prompted this latest delay. The calculation for who will fill these 150 seats, which represent parties rather than constituencies, is complicated. But with irregularities mounting, election monitors are nervous.

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“Whichever party obtains the majority vote should get to form a coalition government first,” Sudarat Keyuraphan, Pheu Thai’s candidate for prime minister, said on Monday.CreditJewel Samad/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

“My understanding is that the Election Commission has an obligation to continue counting the ballots through the night, so this is potentially problematic or illegal,” said Pandit Chanrochanakit, the deputy dean of the political science department at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok.

Before the elections, diplomats in Bangkok warned that any delay in announcing the results might raise concerns, especially since relatively few independent election observers had been deployed.

Mr. Pandit said that hundreds of students organized by a scholars’ alliance had fanned out across the country to observe in 350 constituencies and had reported numerous irregularities, including vote counting that was not conducted transparently.

“Based on our observation, there are some problems that make this election not free or fair,” he said.

The number of invalidated ballots was nearly 6 percent, the Election Commission said, and 1.5 percent of ballots recorded no vote at all.

Sudarat Keyuraphan, Pheu Thai’s candidate for prime minister, urged normal politics to prevail.

“No matter the outcome, whichever party obtains the majority vote should get to form a coalition government first,” she said. “We don’t want to fight with anyone for power.”

The official results from Sunday’s election might not be released until early May.

That month, the country will be celebrating the coronation of King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun. In a constitutional monarchy with some of the world’s harshest royal defamation laws, any political instability before then could be viewed as detrimental to national unity.

Anti-junta forces are composed of both working-class people loyal to Mr. Thaksin’s populist party and an urban elite tired of the way in which politics have been polarized for nearly two decades.

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At a polling station in Bangkok on Sunday. Observers reported many irregularities in voting, counting and the electoral process.CreditYe Aung Thu/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Future Forward, a new party founded by Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, an heir to an auto parts fortune, won a surprising number of seats in the partial count of Sunday’s elections, a remarkable feat for a party that didn’t exist a year ago. Mr. Thanathorn, one of the junta’s staunchest critics, has called for the nation’s military budget to be slashed.

“I have my own voice now, and I want a new voice to fix the country and bring the country into a better direction with a better economy,” said Panita Dispueng, a university student and first-time voter.

Much remains unknown about how politics will unfold in the coming months, especially since the military-drafted Constitution has introduced timelines and arcane regulations unfamiliar in Thailand.

If Mr. Prayuth continues as prime minister, he will not enjoy the same luxuries as when Thailand was ruled by a junta, analysts said.

“He will no longer have absolute power, and dealing with parliamentary politics is something that he is not familiar with,” Mr. Purawich said.

In the meantime, some of the pro-democracy parties are facing potential existential crises. Pheu Thai could be dissolved if outstanding complaints against the party move forward. Two of Pheu Thai’s precursors were dissolved for electoral fraud.

Mr. Thaksin is now in overseas exile after corruption-linked convictions, as is his sister, Yingluck Shinawatra, another former prime minister.

“The last gift that God can give you is hope,” Mr. Thaksin told his supporters on Monday, having predicted a much better showing by Pheu Thai.

Other parties, including Future Forward, have criminal cases against their executives hanging over them. Mr. Thanathorn could find out as early as Tuesday whether he will face jail time for a computer crimes charge that stemmed from a Facebook Live video he gave last year.

Human rights groups say the charge, which his deputy also faces, is politically motivated.

Related Coverage

As Thailand Prepares to Vote, the Likely Winner Is Clear. But the Aftermath Isn’t.

March 23, 2019

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In Thai Elections, Military Party Takes the Lead, Upending Polls

March 24, 2019

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Thai Military Moves to Stifle Dissent and Tighten Grip

May 25, 2014

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Thailand’s Military Stages Coup, Thwarting Populist Movement

May 22, 2014

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2019-03-25 11:23:29Z
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North Korean officials return to DMZ joint liaison office, days after withdrawing - CNN

The apparent reversal comes after US President Donald Trump announced he was overruling a decision by his Treasury to impose new sanctions aimed at North Korea.

"It was announced today by the US Treasury that additional large scale Sanctions would be added to those already existing Sanctions on North Korea. I have today ordered the withdrawal of those additional Sanctions!" Trump tweeted on Friday.

While Trump's tweet came after sanctions imposed against Chinese shipping companies which did business with Pyongyang, two sources familiar with Trump's tweet told CNN it was in fact not about those sanctions, but instead about additional large-scale sanctions targeting North Korea that have been in the works.

While Pyongyang had not mentioned the sanctions in its communication to Seoul about withdrawing from the liaison office, analysts pointed to the apparent worsening relationship with Washington following a failed summit between Trump and North Korean leader Kim in Hanoi last month as the likely cause of the move.

"North Korea's pull-out Friday from the Kaesong Liason Office has been on cards since Hanoi, given recent no-shows there," Chad O'Carroll, an analyst and chief executive of the Korea Risk Group, said Friday.

He added that the move was designed to send a message that from Pyongyang's perspective "Seoul has insufficient influence" over the US-North Korea relationship and that intra-Korean talks are increasingly pointless, "when sanctions prevent practical cooperation."

According to South Korea's Unification Ministry, which handles relations with North Korea, on Monday morning everything appeared to as usual at the liaison office, which is located in the town of Kaesong, just north of the DMZ.

"This morning around 8:10AM, some personnel of the North side's liaison office came to the South-North joint liaison office and are currently working," the Unification Ministry said in a statement. "The North side said 'We came down today to be on shifts as usual'."

"The North side has yet to clearly mention the reason for the withdrawal and return, we plan to identify in the future," the statement said, adding the office would "continue to operate as usual."

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2019-03-25 08:59:00Z
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What's happening this week? - BBC News

It's Monday and we have a busy week ahead. Here are some of the most important and interesting stories over the next seven days.

1) Brexit votes (yes, more of them)

What's happening?

The UK's Parliament is expected to hold several votes on Brexit this week - including a vote on Prime Minister Theresa May's withdrawal deal.

How did we get here?

The UK was originally scheduled to leave the European Union on Friday 29 March.

However, Parliament has rejected Mrs May's withdrawal agreement twice, and also voted against a no-deal exit.

EU leaders have since offered to delay the Brexit date to either 12 April or 22 May - but it all depends on how MPs vote this week.

Why does it matter?

If MPs approve the withdrawal deal, Brexit will be delayed until 22 May. If they reject it, the EU says "all options will remain open" until 12 April - but the UK needs to set out its next steps before this date.

MPs also need to agree to change the UK's departure date - currently 29 March is still written into law as the date the UK leaves the EU.

Whatever happens, it's likely to be controversial - Brexit is one of the most divisive issues currently facing the UK.

• Brexit: What just happened?
• 10 ways you could be affected by a no-deal Brexit

2) Thai election results

What's happening?

Millions have voted in Thailand's general election, and preliminary results are expected on Monday.

Why does it matter?

This was the first general election since a military coup in 2014.

The election is primarily a contest between pro-military parties and allies of ousted former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra - and it's been a colourful race. At one point, the king's own sister was set to run for a pro-Thaksin party, until a constitutional court blocked her bid, saying it threatened the neutrality of the monarchy.

There's hope this election will help usher Thailand towards democracy - although critics say a new constitution the army introduced will ensure it remains influential whatever the outcome.

• More on the Thai general election

3) Apple's launch event

What's happening?

Apple is set to make a big product announcement on Monday. It's widely expected to announce a new video streaming and news subscription service.

Why does it matter?

This has been described as Apple's most significant launch since the iPhone.

Rumour has it celebrities and directors, including Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, and JJ Abrams, are on board with the streaming service, and might even be attending the launch.

Apple's certainly be been keen to get everyone excited - it sent out invites with the slogan "it's show time" to journalists.

Either way, the launch is likely to be a sign that Apple feels ready to move beyond selling iPhones and Macs - and is trying to compete with streaming services like Netflix and Amazon video for time with your eyeballs.

4) The first all-female spacewalk

What's happening?

Two astronauts, Christina Koch and Anne McClain, will conduct a spacewalk to replace batteries powering the International Space Station on Friday. It's expected to last for about seven hours.

Why does it matter?

Nasa says they didn't deliberately set out to pair Ms Koch and Ms McClain on the spacewalk, since missions are determined by scheduling issues and ability.

But of all the people who have been in space, fewer than 11% are women - so this mission is seen as a significant moment for women in space.

Flight controller Kristen Facciol, who'll be supporting the two astronauts from Houston, has tweeted: "I cannot contain my excitement!!!!"

And, in a pleasant coincidence, the spacewalk on Friday will take place during the last week of Women's History Month.

The spacewalk will be streamed live by Nasa from 10:30 GMT (06:30 eastern time), with the spacewalk set to begin at 12:20 GMT.

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2019-03-25 07:05:46Z
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Seven injured as Gaza rocket hits home in central Israel - BBC News

Seven people have been injured after a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip hit a house in central Israel, police say.

The rocket came down at 05:20 local time (03:20 GMT) on Monday in an area north of the city of Tel Aviv.

This is the furthest a Palestinian rocket has reached in Israel since the 2014 conflict with militants in Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is cutting short a trip to the US over the incident, has vowed to respond with force.

So far no-one has said they carried out the attack.

A week and a half ago, two rockets were fired towards Tel Aviv and nobody was hurt. The Israeli military responded with dozens of air strikes across Gaza, which injured four people.

The Hamas militant group, which controls Gaza, and Israeli military officials later said those rockets had been launched "by mistake".

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the rocket hit a house in the community of Mishmeret, about 20km (12 miles) north-east of Tel Aviv, causing it to catch fire and injuring several members of one family.

The Haaretz newspaper cited medical officials as saying that among the wounded were three children - a 12-year-old girl, three-year-old boy and six-month-old baby.

Video shared by the IDF on Twitter showed the badly damaged house.

The rocket also triggered air sirens across the Sharon and Emek Hefer regions.

"This was a criminal attack on Israel and we will respond forcefully," Prime Minister Netanyahu said after announcing he would return early from Washington once he had met US President Donald Trump.

The BBC's Yolande Knell in Jerusalem says the latest rocket fire has dramatically raised tensions in the region, just two weeks before Israel holds a general election.

Mr Netanyahu is currently locked in a tight battle with his main rival, former IDF chief of staff Benny Gantz.

The prime minister's campaign for a fifth term has been overshadowed by possible indictment in three corruption cases.

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2019-03-25 08:01:45Z
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'Time's up, Theresa'? PM May urged to set her own exit date to get Brexit deal - Reuters

LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Theresa May was under pressure on Monday to give a date for leaving office as the price to bring Brexit-supporting rebel lawmakers in her party behind her twice-defeated European Union divorce treaty.

Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May arrives at church, near High Wycombe, Britain March 24, 2019. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls

At one of the most important junctures for the country in at least a generation, British politics was at fever pitch and, nearly three years since the 2016 referendum, it was still unclear how, when or if Brexit will ever take place.

With May humiliated and weakened, ministers lined up to insist she was still in charge and to deny a reported plot to demand she name a date to leave office at a cabinet meeting on Monday.

Rupert Murdoch’s The Sun newspaper said in a front page editorial that May must announce she will stand down as soon as her Brexit deal is approved and the United Kingdom has left the EU.

“Time’s up, Theresa,” the newspaper said on its front page. The newspaper said her one chance of getting the deal approved by parliament was to name a date for her departure.

May called rebel lawmakers including Boris Johnson, Jacob Rees-Mogg and Steve Baker to her Chequers residence on Sunday, Downing Street said, along with ministers David Lidington and Michael Gove.

The two ministers denied reports they were being lined up as a possible caretaker prime minister.

“The meeting discussed a range of issues, including whether there is sufficient support in the Commons to bring back a meaningful vote (for her deal) this week,” a spokesman said.

May was told by Brexiteers at the meeting that she must set out a timetable to leave office if she wants to get her deal ratified, Buzzfeed reporter Alex Wickham said on Twitter.

The Sun’s political editor, Tom Newton Dunn, said some ministers were urging May to pivot to a no-deal Brexit as the only way to survive in power.

May’s deal was defeated by 149 votes on March 12 and by 230 votes on Jan. 15.

To get it passed, she must win over at least 75 MPs: dozens of rebels in her Conservative Party, some Labour MPs, and the Northern Irish Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), which props up her minority government.

The Sunday Times reported 11 unidentified ministers agreed May should stand down, warning she has become a toxic and erratic figure whose judgment has “gone haywire”.

Brexit had been due to happen on March 29 before May secured a delay in talks with the EU.

Now a departure date of May 22 will apply if parliament passes May’s deal. If she fails, Britain will have until April 12 to offer a new plan or decide to leave without a treaty.

Some lawmakers have asked May to name her departure date as the price for supporting her deal.

Slideshow (2 Images)

Lawmakers are due on Monday to debate the government’s next steps on Brexit, including the delayed exit date. They have proposed changes, or amendments, including one which seeks to wrest control of the process from the government in order to hold votes on alternative ways forward.

Amendments are not legally binding, but do exert political pressure on May to change course.

Writing by Guy Faulconbridge; editing by Kate Holton

Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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2019-03-25 07:15:00Z
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